Will She Be Loved?

Shortly after Hailey was born, I questioned...

• Will she be loved like the boys are?
• Will others love her?
• Will we bond with her like we did the boys?

These aren't questions I asked when the boys were born.  I just assumed them.  Why did I question it with Hailey.  I worried how she would be accepted into our life.  I worried how she would be accepted by our family and friends.

Wow...I wish I could talk to that version of me.  She needed smacked into reality (no not really).  However, there are times that I think people love our daughter more than the rest of our family.  I have friends who I think are more disappointed in not seeing Hailey than in not seeing me :-)

I've described before how social Hailey is and how she attracts strangers.  What I didn't realize is that her new mode of transportation would make it more pronounced!  Walking as opened a new avenue for her obsession.  At a church fish fry last week, Hailey decided after eating that she needed to "work" the room.  She walked through the entire room.  First walked down the aisle and waved, smiled and chatted with each table near us.  To one woman, Hailey raised her hands and said "up" so the woman picked her up.  She proceeded to wave and chat with everyone else in the building.  At swim class this week, Hailey decided she needed to walk into the pool area even pushing my hand away I tried to hold it.  She continued to the bleachers to greet the people waiting for swim lessons to start.  She waved, chatted, high fived and smiled at them all...twice!  Once down the bleachers and then we had to do it along the way back.  At Brayden's game this past weekend, we were walking around to kill time because the game was delayed.  Some how Hailey starts interacting with fans from the other team.  After the game, those same people went out of their way to say good-bye to Hailey.  At dinner on my birthday, a woman stopped and asked if we attended the name of our church.  I cautiously said yes.  She said that I had the most well behaved children and she loved watching Hailey during mass.  She continued saying that Hailey is so beautiful and bright. 

It is sometimes different.  I'm not used to Hailey's celebrity status.  The boys were social, but not like this!  I go to the grocery store without Hailey and the workers ask where she is.

Will she ever be more reserved?  Who knows.  It is just so fascinating watching the way people light up when they interact with her.  To see how happy she makes others.

I wish all new moms with a Ds diagnosis could see the following pictures.  If they could see the love in these pictures, I think it would make them feel a little better.