Palin's not the only proud mom of a baby with DS

Here is a Mothers Day album of photos of kids with Down syndrome and their proud, happy moms.

Band of Angels has a gallery of kids, and they're asking for more photos of recent graduates with Down Syndrome. They sell an amazing coffee-table book, Common Threads, with photos and essays about loving a child with Down Syndrome. They also sell beautiful calendars and cards, and provide Celebrate! support packets to parents who have just been given a diagnosis of Down syndrome for their child.

Downi Creations makes Down syndrome dolls that are sturdy enough for children, accurate enough for medical professionals, and beautiful enough for collectors. They also have a photo gallery.

And Trig Palen doesn't have the market cornered on cute. Check out this kid. And this kid. And This kid. And This kid. And this kid. Come to think of it, they give every kid a run for their money in the cute department. (Well, maybe not Piper....)

Here's a great book, Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives.

More moms tell their stories:

Such a Sweet Girl!: Kallie's mother was pressured repeatedly to abort. Her doctor refused to care for her. But she stuck it out and now has a beautiful daughter.

Even though Shannon made it clear to her doctor that she had no intention of aborting, he called her repeatedly to remind her of how short time was growing to arrange an abortion. She didn't let him talk her out of welcoming Noah to the family.

Jessica thought it was the end of the world when she was told her unborn child had Down Syndrome. After she met him, she called her fear "silly", and rejoices in her child.

Nancy was hurt by all "those repetitive offers for abortion because I felt like I was climbing a mountain ('Mount Acceptance') and nice, well-meaning people kept telling me there was a quick way off the mountain just below me. I just wanted to scream, 'You're not helping!'"

Kathy's husband kept trying to convince her to abort after their unborn child was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. But as he held his son for the first time he said, ""Honey, this baby is awesome! Can you ever forgive me for being such a jerk?" Conor is the greatest joy of his dad's life now.

Kimberly, though she'd always been pro-life, considered using the fact that she also had cervical cancer as an excuse to abort her baby after negative prenatal diagnoses including Down Syndrome. But she stuck it out, and ended up surprised at how much love she felt for the baby she had once wished dead.

Ellen was actually relieved to get a diagnosis of Down Syndrome: she'd been told her baby probably had a fatal trisomy.

"Welcome to Holland"

In closing, I have to ask a question. Are these kids so horrible that it's best to kill them before birth? And is weeding them out in the womb really such a worthwhile cause that it's worth paying with the lives of three kids with normal chromosomes for every one kid with Down syndrome we eliminate in-utero?