Will was born on November 3, 2007. He was 2 whole months early and only weighed 3 lbs. 6 oz. On that same day we found out the he was diagnosed with trysome 21 (Down Syndrome). He spent 7 weeks in the NICU at Utah Valley Regional. It was all so over whelming. We had so so so many neat experiences and have been so blessed everyday. I am so very thankful for William and the sweet spirit he has brought into our life's. He has been the best baby, always happy and content. He has truly changed our life's, I am so grateful for the opportunity to raise such an amazing child. We love you WILL!!! More birthday photo's to come.
Welcome to Holland
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It’s like this……
When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome to Holland.”
“Holland?!?” you say. “What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.”
But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It’s just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It’s just a different place. It’s slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…. and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills….and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy… and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say “Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned.”
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away… because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But… if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things … about Holland.
Emily Perl Kingsley.c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It’s like this……
When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome to Holland.”
“Holland?!?” you say. “What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.”
But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It’s just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It’s just a different place. It’s slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…. and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills….and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy… and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say “Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned.”
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away… because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But… if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things … about Holland.
Emily Perl Kingsley.c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved
7 comments:
Happy Birthday Will! We love you Baby Will!
Heidi and Jill
Happy Birthday Will! I can't believe you are already 1 year old. You have already brought so much joy into so many lives! WE love you, Love the Ludvigson Crew.
ps~ I love the poem.
thanks for the Tear Jerker! I love that Poem and i love that Boy! It's amazing that he is already 1. He is such a sweetheart and has touched so many peoples lives.
What a lucky Mom you must be!
What a sweet baby; your children are so cute. I read a good book this week; Angel Unaware by Dale Evans Rogers (Roy Rogers' wife). They had a down syndrome baby as well. It's a short book, but it's good. Happy birthday Will. Hope I get to meet you someday.
What a beautiful post. It is such a tender sweet reminder. I also loved your testimony Sunday. Thanks for reminding me what really matters. Love you!
What a great poem, and what a blessing little Will is to everybody. Lucky Mom, lucky babe.
love the analogy...it does seems that life always always unexpected hardships and blessings in unexpected packages.
happy birthday!
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