Wonder

I am a fan of Natalie Merchant. I went to see Natalie Merchant in the 10,000 Maniacs, Blind Man's Zoo tour and I even bought a T-shirt. For obvious reasons (see "Mermaid" post), this song is tender to me.


Song-Wonder
Album-Tigerlily
Artist-Natalie Merchant

Doctors have come
from distant cities
just to see me
stand over my bed
disbelieving what they're seeing

They say I must be one of the wonders
of God's own creation
and as far as they can see they can offer
no explanation

Newspapers ask
intimate questions
want confessions
they reach into my head
to steal the glory
of my story

They say I must be one of the wonders
of God's own creation
and as far as they as they see they can offer
no explanation

I believe
fate smiled & destiny
laughed as she came to my cradle
"know this child will be able"
laughed as my body she lifted
"know this child will be gifted
with love, with patience
and with faith
she'll make her way"

People see me
I'm a challenge
to your balance
I'm over your heads
how I confound you
and astound you
to know I must be one of the wonders
of God's own creation
and as far as you can see you can offer me
no explanation

I believe
fate smiled & destiny
laughed as she came to my cradle
"know this child will be able"
laughed as she came to my mother
"know this child will not suffer "
laughed as my body she lifted
"know this child will be gifted
with love, with patience
and with faith
she'll make her way"

Mermaid

Hi Everyone,

It's a gorgeous day! Many of you know that we've been concerned that Mermaid may have Downs Syndrome. Today, we had an excellent visit with a pediatric geneticist. Get this name, Kawame Anyane-Yeboa. Wow! Our genetic counselor was Edwin Guzman. That was a little easier to say. Anyway, after filling out our family medical history chart and discussing our concerns about Mermaid, they examined her. She was a total charmer, of course! I've been reading up on this so I was listening for clues. They noted slanted eyes, depressed nasal bridge, tendency to stick out her tongue, thin silky hair (What?! I never read about that sign. I guess that's a benefit), shorter curved pinky and hypotonia (low muscle tone).

Then came the big talk. They said, many of the classic markers for Downs Syndrome are not found in Mermaid and though her muscle tone is on the low end of the spectrum she's actually doing really well (she rolls over, brings her feet to her face, stands and bears her body weight, etc.). She also gurgles and hums to me. She makes signs to me about what noises to make for her (I'm the dolphin, she's the trainer). She smiles, laughs, etc. So.... They ordered a blood test for Downs Syndrome and a "Fish 21" that's industry-speak for checking for Mosiac Downs. http://www.mosaicdownsyndrome.com/faqs.ht
They're also running a thyroid check. I didn't really get that part. The upshot is that they feel certain that Mermaid is out of the ordinary. We already knew she was extraordinary. But they're not sure exactly what type of Downs Syndrome it is yet, so we're gathering information. It will be 2-3 weeks before we have results and get to discuss them.

I've been learning about this for some time. Sometimes a little paranoia is a good thing. ;) My Hero prefers to wait for facts and then get a life perspective. Once we know what we're dealing with, we'll seek out other families in similar situations and learn from them. He says we'll all get matching T-shirts that say "We're down with Downs!" He's so fantastic and ready to embrace whatever life has in store. I'm sure we'll meet several medical professionals along the way as well.

For now, our family is pretty much the same. It's a relief to know a little more and digest this new information incrementally. I know Mermaid is important to you and I wanted you to have a chance to digest the information incrementally, too. Sure, we wish Mermaid laughed more often and had stronger muscles, but hey! she's got that silky hair ;) We're really so happy to have her in our family and we just couldn't do without her. We feel especially grateful to have enjoyed such a remarkable home birth experience which allowed all of us to fall completely in love with her before worrying about labels and secondary (and I might add, *temporary) issues. We have already been so richly blessed by her presence and we're sure the future holds more of the same.

Love Ocean's 7,

My Hero, Urban Tangerine
Star, Angelfish, Sparkle
Torpedo & Mermiad

*Because of the Fall of Adam and Eve, we are subject to physical death, which is the separation of the spirit from the body. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all people will be resurrected and saved from physical death (see 1 Corinthians 15:22). Resurrection is the reuniting of the spirit with the body in an immortal state, no longer subject to disease or death.