Assuming...human nature?

So I was wondering...is making assumptions just part of human nature?  When we look at someone in the grocery store that is wearing dirty clothes, hair raggedy, and unshaven, do we assume he is someone how is less than us...someone who has less than us...someone who doesn't care?  When we walk into the next aisle, we see a mother with 5 kids running crazy and pulling items off the shelf, do we assume that she is a bad parent who has no control over her children?  At the check-out, we see a well-dressed business woman, do we assume she has it all and her world is perfect?  Is it automatic to make assumptions?  Why do we do it?  I had an 8th grade history teacher who wrote the word "ASSUME" on the board the first week of school.  If you haven't seen it, he explained when you assume something you make and A** out of U and ME.  I admit I assume a lot of things in any given day.  I assume what my husband's answer is going to be when I ask questions, I assume how people will react to my daughter with Down syndrome, I assume all sorts of things. 

My point....when my husband and the neonatologist came into my room 10 months and 3 weeks ago, I assumed that the doctor was going to give me the worst news of my life.  I assumed when he said Down syndrome that our life was over.  I assumed that it would be the worst thing that I had ever gone through.  I made soooo many assumptions that first 24 hours.  For some reason, I assumed I was going to raise this shrinking violet that was going to sit in the corner, not be engaging, and would lead us into a life of being hermits hiding from embarrassment.  (OK...that might be a slight exaggeration, but I think most of you get what I'm saying).

Here is my shrinking violet and a few of the things that I "assumed" she would do by 1...or in some cases...ever.

I think she sits straighter than her brothers ever did.

I assumed she wouldn't have a sense of humor and enjoy taking her socks off...to drive her mom crazy :-)

Or make "squishy" face to make me laugh

I assumed she wouldn't stand and play

I assumed she wouldn't crawl.

I assumed she wouldn't "actively" be a part of our family

I assumed she wouldn't even attempt to feed herself.

I assumed her brothers wouldn't love her as much as a typical child.

I assumed I couldn't love this beautiful little girl as much as I love her brothers.

How, on earth, could I have been so incredibly wrong?? 

Thank you, Hailey....for showing mommy that she indeed did make an A** out of herself. 

(I'm apologizing, in advance, I will be reflecting a lot over the next couple of months as we approach Hailey's first birthday and the anniversary of her open heart surgery)