We Didn't Expect The Unexpected..

My names Brittany. I found out I was pregnant with Bentley when I was 19 years old. Bentleys dads name would be Chris. We had been together a year and a half when I found out I was pregnant & had recently gotten engaged. We couldnt have been more happier and life was going in the right direction. Everybody thought we would be having a little girl & we jumped to buy baby clothes. We had tons of baby clothes for boys & girls! Both of us had his room painted a light green color. & even though I begged to help paint, I barely got to do any at all! My protein level in some of my test came back a little abnormal, so we started going to the Charlotte Womens Institute for ultrasounds every couple of months. The only thing they found wrong was there was one arterie and one vein in my umbilical cord. They have amazing ultrasounds there! We saw everything from Bentley sucking his toes to him practicing his breathing, I was more than in love with him! We found out also that he was a BOY!! It was such a shocker nobody believed it was a boy when we told them. A couple days before my birthday Chris fell out of love, and we seperated. Life suddenly seemed to be going in the wrong direction. But boy was I wrong. Life was really just getting better. I was alone and 6 months pregnant. I was terrified more than anything. I wondered if I was going to have to do this by myself for the rest of my life. But then I realized if I had to do it alone at least I would have Bentley. December 30, 2010 I met William, the guy that I am now with. I was hesitant at first. Should I be getting into a new relationship at 7 months pregnant? But I took my chances and of course Will is still there and in love with Bentley. In January at 36 weeks pregnant I found out Bentley was breech and that there was only a very slim chance that he would turn. So they set me up to have an external  version. I was hesitant at first because I heard it was painful and has many risks to it. But I gave it a try. At 38 weeks pregnant, Feb. 2, 2011 I had an external version. It was the most painful thing I had ever experienced. They gave me this medicine that made my heart beat so fast and my adreniline started going. I thought I was going crazy for sure. But after the doctors stopped pushing and tugging on my belly I was relieved of the feeling. Needless to say I went through all that pain and Bentley moved his head from my right side to my left and as soon as the Drs. left him alone he went right back to the right side. I was sore for days and had bruises all over my belly. I was scheduled for a C-Section the following week on February 10,2011. The days before seemed like they were never going to end. But when it got here I was beyond nervous, and excited. At 9:06 a.m. Bentley Dean Carpenter was born weighing in at 7lbs. 1/2oz. and 18 1/2 inches long. When Dr. Herring got to Bentley he had his legs spread open showing his private areas and her statement was, "I can't pull him out by that!" My C-Section went alright, my blood pressure dropped very low, and I was about to be sick until they gave me more medicine. There was alot of pressure while Dr. Herring was delivering him because of his positioning. But when she pulled him out I felt empty. It felt like forever I was laying on that operating table before I got to hear him cry or even see him. When I heard him cry I couldnt see him, but I felt a tear roll down my cheek and I knew that was my little boy and for the rest of my life he would love me and I would love him beyond words. My mom was in the operating room with me, and she got to hold Bentley first. When I laid my eyes on him for the first time I was madly and deeply in love. He was held against my cheek for a short minute and took out of the room since it was so cold in there! & I literally mean it was cold beyond words and here I lay half naked with quite a few people looking at me. I was in recovery for an hour and Will sat with me. He told me how gorgeous Bentley was and how everybody was having a fit over him. I couldnt wait to get to hold my baby boy! After being in recovery for an hour I got put in my room. I finally got to hold my baby boy! He was more than what I could ever imagine and more than I ever dreamed he would be. I was on a morphine pump for pain, but I sucked it up and didnt use it but twice out of 24hrs I used a total of 4mg. But the only reason I used that was because my sister accidentally sat me straight up in the bed! I wanted to remember every second of every day with Bentley so thats exactly what I did. The nursery nurse said the pediatrician had decided to come in that night and he wanted to see Bentley. A thousand  thoughts ran through my mind, was my baby okay? Then the Dr. came in and told me that there was a good chance Bentley had Down Syndrome. I didn't really understand what he was saying so I just kept my smile on my face and listened to what he said and enjoyed my new baby! I told Chris later in the afternoon after everything had calmed down and he came and saw Bentley that night. & I told him and his family that came with him about Bentleys possibility of having Down Syndrome. I think he was in love almost as much as I was with Bentley. He even changed his first poopy diaper!! The first night at the hospital was so uncomfortable, I had to get up and sit in a chair because the Drs. wanted me too. So at 11pm I stood up for the first time after my C-Section and it was horrifying! I felt like my insides were going to fall out. I had a cathedar in and these things around my legs so I wouldnt get blood clots. Thank God early the next morning they took the cathedar out and I promised I'd get up and move so they took the things off my legs. I got to take my first shower which felt AMAZING! I breast feed Bentley and he sucked like crazy, he sucked so much and so hard that it hurt. I moved around pretty good and was glad to be on my feet even though it was harder than I wanted to show. Me and Bentley were going to get to go home February 12, 2011 but come to find out he had jaundice so they put him under the bili-lights. He looked like he was getting his tan on! That night all Bentley wanted to do was nurse. I was so wore out the next day. But we got to go home. I dressed Bentley up in a pink button down shirt and some khaki pants, and his little white shoes Chris had gotten him. And home we went. My room was packed with stuff from the hospital and I was over whelmed with everything not to mention so tired I could barely hold my eyes open. Bentley went to the Dr. for the first time Febraury 15, 2011 for his first weight check. He sees Dr. Cerjan at the Childrens Clinic. He didnt have the test results back yet for the Down Syndrome so we were just playing the waiting game. But he said he thought they would be in later that day. About 6pm I got a call from the Childrens Clinic and it was Dr. Cerjan. He said he was calling to confirm that Bentley did have Down Syndrome. I was standing outside on the porch when he told me and I started crying. I thought that my perfect baby suddenly wasnt so perfect anymore. About that time Will pulled up and asked me what was wrong and I told him. I was crying so hard he couldn't understand what I was saying. We went in the house and I broke down. & I told my mom. My dad was at work and she called him and he talked to me. He said this man thats a preacher has down syndrome and the guy said people say i'm not normal but whats the true meaning of normal? Is anybody normal. Needless to say I cried for a long time that night and the days that followed. I met with Dr. Cerjan the next day and Will, my mom, Chris mom, and Chris sister went along with me. He explained what Downs was and how most the time Downs babies get it from the mother, I was horrified. Had I done this to Bentley? I told Chris Bentley had Downs, and he didn't talk to me after that, I dont know if it was denial or what. I wondered why our baby wasn't good enough for him? I went to the Levine Childrens Hospital today with Bentley and Chris met us up there. Bentleys down syndrome just occured on its on, it didnt come from me, and it didnt come from Chris. I realized Bentley is my perfect child, no matter what he looks like, how he acts, or how he talks. He is my perfect baby and always will be. I love him beyond words, and I truely know what a mothers love is all because of him.