Today we are graced with the sweet smile of 21-month-old Tessa Mae. Tessa’s darling, little pigtails always catch my eye on Instagram and bring a quick smile. Her mama, Cassandra, shares touching words with us as she reflects on life with her darling girl. You can follow their journey on Instagram at @cassandraallred. Happy 17th day of Down Syndrome Awareness Month!
Tessa is the adventure we never knew we wanted, and she’s been surprising us since the moment we discovered she would have a little (extra). Our initial thoughts of how our life would change with Tessa in it has turned out to look NOTHING like what we first imaged. Tessa brings as much, if not more, joy into our home as any of our other three children do. She is a light in our family, and we all adore her.
I guess what I’ve realized most over these last 20 months is that life just feels normal with Tessa in it. Down syndrome didn’t collapse our world like I initially thought it would. Down syndrome hasn’t effected our quality of life or the love we share or the fun we have. In fact, quite the opposite. Down syndrome opened our eyes. We want to celebrate and understand others differences and love them for it. In a world that feels so homogenous in style, fads, and culture, it’s a refreshing new perspective. I feel deeper and I love harder. I don’t take as much for granted. I want the world to know that Tessa is just a little baby girl, who loves her siblings, chocolate chip cookies, and cuddling with her blanket on her daddy’s lap. She also happens to have almond-shaped eyes and a third copy of her 21st chromosome- but don’t we all have something that make us unique? Life doesn’t let anyone off easy. Tessa will want and dream and become, just like any other child. And we can’t wait to be along for the awesome ride.
Check back tomorrow as we continue celebrating Down Syndrome Awareness Month or click below to read all of our previous posts.
