We found out in the twelfth week of my pregnancy that our baby was likely going to be born with Down Syndrome. Because the odds were so high, we did not pursue invasive testing due to the risk of miscarriage, we loved that baby so very much already!

Having prenatal screening carried out was not used to terminate the pregnancy, but as a tool to educate ourselves on what having a child with Down Syndrome meant.

I'm not going to lie, there were a lot of tears in the beginning. We were scared, and the internet was cruel.

After speaking to a geneticist who didn't have many positive things to say, I knew then that our baby's name would be Hope. Hope is what the world needs. Hope is what our family needs. Hope is most definitely what I need!

Our beautiful little girl with a beautiful extra chromosome came into our lives on Valentine's Day and she has blessed our family more than I could ever explain.

Hope is love, joy, and all things good in this world. She is strong and determined and nothing will keep her from succeeding in life.

Since Hope's birth, she has taught our whole family what true love really means - no one gets more kisses and hugs than this sweetheart! She has taught us to stop and smell the roses, that life is to be enjoyed not rushed, and to celebrate all accomplishments no matter how big or small they are. Hope is an absolute gift and the biggest blessing our family has received!