down syndrome

St. Louis Newborn Lifestyle Photographer | Welcome Home Claire

If you know the Stibbes, you love them. They are the sweetest people with hearts of gold. Trisha and Adam are advocates for not only their own family, but also for others. They have raised three adorable little boys, which I was lucky enough to hang out with; and in April, the Stibbes welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Claire. In the midst of celebrating the birth of their gorgeous daughter, they received news that their precious baby girl had an extra special chromosome. The Stibbes immediately stepped up and have become a powerful and influencial voice in the down syndrome community. I asked Trisha to describe what it was like in the first few moments when they were introduced into the down syndrome world.

"On 4/21/15 we welcomed our beautiful daughter Claire Perie Stibbe into our crazy family. She weighed in at 6lb, 4oz and arrived via c-section at 1:31pm. When my OBGYN told us she suspected Claire had Down syndrome we were devastated. One minute we were celebrating our incredibly beautiful little princess, and the next our lives changed forever. Over the next few days we came to grips with our new reality-- having such an amazing support system helped tremendously. The love we have for her is indescribable. We knew little to nothing about DS and I am so happy to say that her future is bright and limitless.  Like any parent, we will move heaven and earth to make her happy. 

Down syndrome is a journey I never planned... But I sure do love my tour guide."

Follow their family and their journey at StibbeFam.wordpress.com

To learn more about down syndrome and the great resources for families, visit DSAmidlands, Mayo Clinic, IDSC and Kelle Hampton.

Thank you, Stibbes, for letting me capture the beautiful memories of your brand new family of 6! xoxo

I would love nothing more than to help you welcome home your new little. Let's connect!