When my husband and I found out we were pregnant, we were so excited. We weren't exactly planning for a baby just yet, but we couldn't wait to be parents. I chose to take a blood test at 10 weeks to find out the gender, but we were surprised with much more. When the results came in at about 15 weeks, I got a call to come in to my OB’s office, and I did not like the tone of voice on the other end of the line. My husband and I reluctantly went to the appointment, expecting horrible news. We were told at first that it was Turner's syndrome, and then they thought it might be Trisomy 18 or Trisomy 21. I was crushed. What I took from our conversation was that we were not going to be able to keep our baby.

We were sent to high risk for an ultrasound, where they found Olive’s heart defect. At that point, we were offered the choice to terminate. This upset me even more. I didn’t know what was going to happen, or what our little baby would be diagnosed with, but I knew that I loved her already and I would never terminate. We chose to get amniocentesis to get better answers, and that's when we were told that it was most likely Trisomy 21. At the time, I didn’t know that is was Down syndrome. I was scared, and upset, but I had no idea of the joy that was about to come into my life.

Fast forward to Olive’s birthday, the best day of my life. When they put her on my chest and I locked eyes with her, I knew 100% she had Down syndrome. She was staring right into my soul, and I immediately was in love. From the start, she has always been the sweetest baby. In those first 24 hours with her, she taught me so much about love. I didn’t know anyone with Down syndrome, so I had no idea what to expect, but she was the best teacher. We spent three months in the hospital before taking her home for the first time. We were in the NICU for a bit, then the cardiac floor. Olive had a complete AVSD that would need repair and she had feeding difficulties. She ended up getting a feeding tube before we came home.

Having a baby with special needs requires patience and a lot of learning. I had to learn how to give her the feeds, set her pump, draw up her meds, and monitor her pulse ox with her oxygen. It was a lot at first, but I would do anything for my sweet Olive.

The time we spent at home was great, but we were soon back in the hospital for her first open heart surgery. Olive taught me so much about strength as well. She had 2 open heart surgeries in 2 weeks, and dealt with harsh recovery both times. She also faces another heart surgery sometime in the future. Through it all, she is still the happiest, calmest, sweetest baby. She is amazing to me in every way.

Because she has been in the hospital so much, she is behind on some developmental milestones, but honestly, It doesn’t upset me, it makes me even more excited when she accomplishes something!

I want the world to know that even though Olive has Down syndrome, it doesn’t define who she is. It is a part of her, but she is so much more. She is a happy baby who loves to smile, and cuddle, and babble. She brings joy to everyone who meets her. She has made so many improvements lately and she has surprised her doctors! Her gorgeous face brightens the day. Her sweet, almond-shaped eyes are my favorite things to see in the morning, besides her big smile. I feel so blessed to be her mother, she is so perfect to me. I am so thankful for the Down syndrome community as well. So many sweet, knowledgeable people.

We truly are the lucky few!

To learn more about Olive and follow the Hart family’s journey, follow @taydderrbug on Instagram!