In spite of my age, which was 41 at the time of pregnancy and 42 at the time of delivery – and knowing the risks, I never dreamt we wouldn't beat the odds. My friend was 46 and delivered a healthy baby! We had tried for a long five years to get pregnant with our third child with no success. Finally, when I hit 40, we decided that God had intended us to have two children and not the three that we thought we needed.

Then, a week before Christmas in 2004 we found out we were pregnant! What a wonderful Christmas present. God had blessed us yet a third time, and when we least expected it. I was floating on air. It didn't matter that my husband had lost his job. It didn't matter that he got another job in January and I was left behind with two teenagers and a house to sell. I put all of my faith in God and knew that everything was going to turn out perfect!

In April, at 18 weeks of pregnancy, my girls and I went to a high-risk specialist (because of my age) for an ultrasound and to find out if we had a girl or a boy. People assumed we wanted a boy the third time around, but we love girls in my house and my two teenaged girls wanted to buy baby girl clothes, not baby boy clothes! We were overjoyed when the technician told us we were having a girl. We called Daddy at the office to share the good news in between seeing the technician and the doctor. When the doctor came in, however, my mood changed immediately. He saw some things that "concerned" him.

First, he thought he saw a heart defect, but couldn't be sure. Then he told us he had a measurement that could indicate she might have hydrocephaly (too much fluid in the brain). In addition, he said she had a humerus and femur (arm and leg) bone that were shorter than they should have been, and that her big toes stuck out a little bit from the other four toes. All four of these physical attributes were indicators of Down syndrome. I couldn't believe it. Things like this didn't happen to me. We decided to have an amniocentesis, or a definitive test, for our peace of mind. I was sure he was wrong and the test would put my mind at rest. Why worry for 20 more weeks when I was sure he was wrong?

Fast forward to two weeks later, when I got the call that stopped my heart. I went home that afternoon and cried. I called friends and couldn't even talk, I could only cry. I prayed and I cried some more. I questioned God and prayed some more. I had read the statistics and knew that 80% of Down syndrome fetuses abort themselves in the first trimester. I asked God why he didn't take her back then because I didn't want this gift, and she kicked me from within causing guilt beyond what words can describe. I didn't know yet, what a gift she truly was.

After talking to God continuously for three days, I came away from that dark weekend knowing that I loved this child as much as I loved my other children – I loved her as only a mother can love a child that she still carries within her body. And, just as I had believed she was a blessing at the beginning of this pregnancy, I believed she was still a blessing in spite of this new development. I knew I would do anything to protect this child.

I've always been a reader, so I bought every book I could find about Down syndrome and I began to learn. I became more and more comfortable with the idea of raising a child with Down syndrome and less and less afraid. And yes, I was still excited to have this baby. Our ultrasounds were going well. The "heart defect" that he thought he saw never developed, and the measurement in her brain never increased, which indicated that she probably didn't have hydrocephaly.

Our baby was due August 20th 2005. On July 11th, we went in for our routine monthly ultrasound and found out her growth had drastically slowed. The doctor told me I had a high chance of losing her within the next two weeks and I had better deliver her the next day. I checked into the hospital that night and prayed for God not to take this child from me now. I hoped he didn't remember my prayers from 14 weeks ago – I really didn't mean them! I woke up the next morning afraid that God may change his mind and take this child back. Fortunately, God knew my true heart and Mya Nicole Gonzales was born at 9:40 a.m. on July 12, 2005 at just 3 1/2 pounds and 16 inches long. She was truly one of God's littlest angels.

My husband had gone to church and prayed for a healthy baby every day between the time we had our amniocentesis and the 10 days it took to get our results. When we got the diagnosis of Down syndrome, he felt as if God had not listened to his prayers. After Mya was born six weeks early and only had to spend 12 days in the hospital, I told him that God had indeed listened, as we had the healthiest Down syndrome baby that we could possibly have.

How has Mya changed our lives in this first short year? How can I express that in a few short paragraphs? First of all, let me say that she is just like every other baby. She grabs your heart and holds on for the long haul. A smile from her lights up your day and makes everything okay. If I am away from her for too long, I can't wait to get back and hug her again.

We truly believe that she is an angel sent from God to touch not only our lives but also the lives of countless others. This belief has strengthened our faith beyond measure. When I hold this child, I "feel" God. I can't explain that feeling in any other way. When I look into her eyes, I feel His strength and love. This path was chosen for us, and it is not the easy downhill path. Instead it is a path that will challenge us at every turn. The honor of raising this child will make us more complete as individuals and stronger as a family.

— Mary Gonzales