This article explores Taiwanese mothers' descriptions of interactions with their babies with Down syndrome. Two themes emerging from transcripts of interviews with 16 mothers are described and illustrated. The first theme highlights the ways in which mothers talked about the abilities and limitations of their babies; the second describes what appear to be two distinct frames of reference (pessimistic and optimistic) with respect to having a baby with Down syndrome. The relationship between these two themes is explored as a potentially useful way to understand mothers' beliefs about their own roles in supporting their babies' development.