Stepping Stones and Our Family
“Hello, um…my name is Jennifer Blougouras. I just had a baby two weeks ago, and he has Down syndrome.”
This was the call I made to Stepping Stones on a bright, sunny morning in mid-April of 2005.
My Story
I had a picture-perfect pregnancy with my second child. Despite the fact that I was 36 I had no concerns; I was active and healthy. I had had several Level 2 ultrasounds, but no amniocentesis.
Luck of the Irish
I never knew my son had Down syndrome until the day he was born. It’s funny because I had plenty of time to think about what could go wrong..
The Reluctant Mom
You need to learn to live in both worlds. By the time Matthew was 18 months old, I was a master at living in the “typical” world. I had two older children, and was very clicked in to my community.
Walk the Path that You’re Given
This has been my touchstone since I learned that the child I was expecting, the son I so longed for, has Down syndrome.
Welcome to the visitor’s center
Our daughter, Mary, was born seven weeks early, endured two surgeries in her first four weeks of life AND she had Down syndrome! She spent a total of six weeks in the NICU of Saint Barnabas Hospital.