Hannah's Here

Hannah arrived on Sept.22nd via c-section. Beautiful. Reddish hair. 7lb 14 oz 19 in. Chubby little baby.

Got to hold her for a minute. She's in NICU at a children's hospital dealing with the issues that were found in utero, and some unexpected ones as well.

Please pray for her.

First surgery possibly today. We are quite busy - therefore not much updates unfortunately. It's going to be a long road.

Still Here!

We're still here! Still pregnant : ) Not much new to report, just have been very busy with getting ready. Over a week ago I had a crazy bout with false labor. About 2 1/2 days STRAIGHT of horrible contractions 4-10 minutes apart. Crazy stuff, people... crazy. Never had that with my son, so that was quite a new experience. We were at the hospital a few times... the first time they were able to stop the labor (I started out "regular"..."real" labor) because I was only 35 weeks. However, the next day I was 36 weeks so they would no longer "stop" the labor. Crazy. I think I'm finally ready for that c-section after all! : )

Hannah is growing beautifully. Each ultrasound appointment in the past month or so has been perfect. She is growing, moving, reacting just as she should be... we are happy about that. At the last ultrasound, the tech announced that Hannah has lots of hair! Funny since my husband and I were totally bald as babies...for the first year or so of our lives! I was trying to picture a mini-me with hair : ) Needless to say, I questioned the tech on how she could see the hair - she showed me, and sure enough - it's there!

I am starting to feel somewhat ready to take on the challenge of the first few days after her birth. Although, I just told my husband last night there really is no way to prepare your heart for that. How do you prepare for being separating from your baby right after birth? How do you prepare for not being able to nurse her for several hours after birth - which is an instinct that happens so naturally? It's another thing to trust God for - trust Him for caring for my mama's heart after delivery - He knows how painful it will be, He knows how "unnatural" it will feel... He will prepare my heart - it's not up to me.

My mom is coming to visit in a few days!! She will be with us for about 3 weeks, and I could not be happier about that. Talk about daughters being separated from their Mama's! It'll be soooo nice to have her here with me during that difficult/exciting/anxious time.

That's all for now - thank you all for your continued prayers. God is answering them!! I can't wait to share with you as the story unfolds. Again, I truly appreciate you understanding why were keeping it "low" for awhile, during the weeks that are most tender & sensitive. We will be returning to the blog. We won't leave you totally in the dark. As a reminder, here's our email address to contact us for the CaringBridge site we will have for Hannah during the next month or so: joseph.erika@verizon.net

*Website Changes*

We're still here... no changes... nothing much new! Just about 3 weeks to go before the big delivery day. We are so eager to meet our sweet girl - excitement, anticipation, anxiety... all in one!

My friend Becky will be updating the blog, CaringBridge site, and facebook when the time comes for us to go to the hospital.

Speaking of CaringBridge, I have set up a new site to use for baby Hannah for the next few months. I wanted something somewhat more private & secure, yet available for those who still want to follow her story.

If you send me an email, I will send you the direct link to her CaringBridge site. Please don't hesitate to email me. My email address is: joseph.erika@verizon.net

Becky will post the very basic details on here (baby's arrival, etc) but limited details of anything else, and no pictures of her will be posted here right away. I will still keep this blog, I just won't be updating it for a few months. Thank you for understanding, and don't hesitate to email me....

Baby Update (and Blogger issues*)

*Please bear with me as I am working on rearranging things on this blog. Blogger has been giving me issues, and sometimes I find time in the day to work on it - but it may take awhile. Thanks for putting up with me. Oh - the picture at the top is a 4D one of Hannah's beautiful face! I cried when I saw it on the big screen as they were working on getting a cute shot of her... I love it! Of course, I can't figure out yet how to reconfigure the picture setting so I can get a collage to fit on this blog layout. Someday...

Speaking of Hannah, we do have some news on her condition. We found out that she has something "mysterious" going on with her 2nd X chromosome. As most of you may know, boys have an X and Y sex chromosomes and girls have two X's. She clearly has two X's, there is no question or concern about her gender, it's just that one of the X's is missing a piece, and has some "unknown piece" added to it. This of course, threw everyone off (the doctors, specialists, lab scientists, etc) because it did not "fit their molds". They aren't able to explain it. All they can say is that it IS the cause of all of her numerous issues right now, though (enlarged ventricles in the brain, heart defect, cyst on bellybutton/cord area, 2 vessel cord, etc).

So what we know is that she has some sort of X chromosome abnormality. We just don't know what it is. According to the geneticists, her numerous conditions don't match up to any of the common, well known syndromes. This came as quite a shock to us, but we have had some time to process it. We have come to realize fully that we may never know exactly what is going on with our precious girl, and we are 100% ok with that. It took some time to get there, though. In a way, I am somewhat grateful for this "mystery syndrome" because it keeps confusing our doctors, and most importantly it creates a huge open opportunity for God to show His all-knowing, all-loving power in this situation. It is also a wonderful opportunity for an amazing miracle by our Mighty God! We remain eternally hopeful for baby Hannah's life... we love her JUST as she is, and we're looking forward to meeting her very soon.

Just a side note of 'praise' here: we met Hannah's neurologist, Dr. B. He was SUCH A RELIEF... compared to all of the other doctors and specialists that she has. He's like an old Grandpa... very sweet man, explained everything SO clearly to us, and spent ample time making sure we were comfortable with the information and understood it clearly. Plus - most importantly, he is a Christian...very encouraging! He also offered a wonderful program for Hannah to be involved in after she's born, that will last throughout her childhood as long as she needs it - it helps monitor her brain development and helps with any delays or brain issues she may have. Such a comfort to know that! God keeps providing for all of us, above and beyond what we could even think... we are so grateful.

We will be meeting with the NICU doctors next week, as Hannah will be spending some time there after she is born. I'll update you then, unless something comes up before. Thank you all so much for your emails, FB messages, and comments of support on here - we have been so blessed and surprised at how many people have been reaching out to us. Thank you! Please keep praying for our strength and endurance... we are in the home-stretch, now... and have many many "unknowns" coming up before/after her birth.

Answer To Prayer - Part One

Just got the initial results back from the doctor - which were the 3 main chromosome issues. The rest of the results take longer and we will know by next week. Baby Hannah tested negative for the two most fatal chromosome issues - Trisomy 13 and 18!! She also tested negative for Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome)...which is good, but we weren't nearly as concerned about that as we were the fatal ones.

Doctors still aren't very "hopeful" or "positive" but we know they aren't exactly in control : ) As I've said quite often, God knows how Hannah was made - He knows far more than any of us do. So glad that He is the one guiding this journey...

Thank you for your prayers - keep continuing! She is not "out of the woods" yet, but we are certainly grateful to rule out a few of the possible issues.

Beautiful

Baby Hannah is growing beautifully. That was the positive report from my high-risk doctor. We had our favorite high-risk doctor doing the ultrasounds and various other tests yesterday. She is awesome. Baby Hannah always cooperates for her - coincidence? I doubt it ; ) Hannah seems to have a good sense of people already...that's my girl! Results from the tests will come at the end of this week at the earliest. I'll update as soon as I can.

Everything is still the same otherwise. She has possible clubbed foot, but that's the least of our worries right now - doesn't worry me in the least. She is beautiful. Hannah is thriving now - inside the womb - I just pray that she can thrive beautifully once she is born. I know God hears our prayers...and I know He knows the what the future holds. I thank God that Hannah is growing beautifully - and thank Him for giving her this life right now... she has made it a long way already.

I haven't been able to express how deeply I feel about my daughter and all her issues right now. The feelings go too deep... too tender... just no way to adequately describe what is going on in my heart. I will say, however, whenever I pray - or ask for prayer - a certain song comes to mind. Whenever I talk about "all I want for her is to live..." the same song comes to mind. I hear it often on the radio, and it brings me to tears, at times I have to turn it off. It was sung at my cousin's funeral - so it has extra meaning, as well. The song is "Give Me Jesus", sung by Jeremy Camp. Simple words, but good words. The perspective this song portrays is the perspective we all should have - I am struggling with that right now - but only with the line that says "You can have all this world, but give me Jesus..." When I get to that line in the song, that's when I change the channel, or quit listening. To be honest, I struggle with that - what if God asks me to give up my daughter? I hate thinking about that. Hate it. But it is reality. It's hard to explain to people unless you are facing the same thing right now with your unborn child - I don't expect anyone to understand what it's like to be faced with this reality. I pray that I don't have to, however - I also pray that God would prepare my heart if I do need to. I will close this post with the song "Give Me Jesus" by Jeremy Camp.

More Appointments....

This Monday at 3:00pm we have another high-risk appointment/ultrasound/ and more testing done. It's going to take at least a few hours. Please pray... there's a bit more to this appointment than usual.

Mixed feelings of course... definitely becoming more anxious as time goes on...

Thank you...

A Letter To My Girl

Dear Hannah Joy,

I don't have much to say these days, just many thoughts. So...I decided to write a letter to you. Many doctors and specialists are watching us closely to make sure you and I both are in good health. Daddy and I are grateful for that. In less that 8 weeks we get to meet you! We are excited, but admittedly anxious. We are excited to meet you, however the doctors tell us they found some things in your body that aren't working as they should be...so we are anxious about that. Daddy and I know that God is in control, and He created you just as you are!

Big brother Micah has grown to love you more and more each day. Many times a day he will stop what he is doing and run over to me and hug you (my stomach), and say "I love Hannah", or "Nite Nite Hannah!". He loves to give you many kisses, too. The other day he felt you kick him and he jumped back saying "Oh no!"... it was very precious. I love how you get excited when you hear his voice! He sure loves to talk about "Baby Hannah". He loves you, little girl, and I know he can't wait to meet you, either.

I love to feel you move inside of me. You are wild! Your Aunt Sarah said you probably have bright red hair - (just like Mama did - which would explain your wild nature) ... that made me laugh! I love that you love church. You love to "dance" during worship time, and you are quite active when listening to the Pastor preach! Your big brother was that way too when he was growing inside of me. Most of all, I love when you hear your Daddy's voice. You immediately react - if you have been calm and still, as soon as you hear him you kick and roll, and wait for him to come talk to you : ) It is precious beyond words, sweet girl. You have already stolen your Daddy's heart!

We are praying for you every day, as are many people across the country. You have many family and friends that love you so much...keep growing strong, baby girl - you are in God's hands... the safest place to be! We love you so much, and are looking forward to seeing you soon.

Love,
Your Mama

Appointments

We have an appointment with the Pediatric Cardiologist and a Pediatric Urologist this Thursday (back to back) at the Children's Hospital. Going to look at Hannah's heart, kidneys & bladder more closely. Please pray the appointments go smoothly. For some reason I'm not looking forward to it - feeling a bit anxious. This begins the mass amount of frequent appointments (high-risk, regular pre-natal, and various specialists) between now and delivery time.

Ultrasound Update (and a special announcement)!

We had our monthly ultrasound today... nothing new to report regarding Baby's health issues. Every issue has remained the same. That is good news to us since it seemed every ultrasound and test has resulted in yet another negative issue going on with Baby. It was nice to hear for once that nothing has changed or worsened. So far we have really liked all the doctors that are involved in our case. However, there is ONE that we really aren't fond of, and apparently Baby isn't either : ) Each time he sees us, Baby doesn't "cooperate" very well, and he gets flustered. This time he wanted to check Baby's fingers, and all he kept getting were "fists" flailing at him : ) I loved every minute of it...seems my baby has my stubbornness and low-tolerance for impatient doctors... here's a picture of "The Fist".

In OTHER news, we WERE able to get a good shot of the "gender region"... and we are very happy to announce........................

Her name is Hannah Joy meaning "having favor; grace" and "happiness; the Lord is God". The name we have chosen for her is the one we had chosen for Micah if he had been a girl... little did we know how much that name would come to mean to us when we gave it to this sweet baby girl. God is good.

Joe and I have been struggling a bit (emotionally) these past few weeks... however, God knew what we needed today - an appointment with no new negative issues to report and ALSO letting us know the gender of this sweet baby inside of me. We are truly grateful for these rare moments (at our doctor appointments) of true JOY amongst these often difficult and heart-wrenching appointments.

Please continue to pray that the hydrocephalus will not worsen... and please continue to pray that I will get through these last 2.5 months in peace. It's been a long road thus far....

A Post of Pictures

Since I have no update, no current photos of Baby, and no photos of me or my family on here yet, I thought I'd join in on Lynette's fun post idea for today... posting photos of you, your family, anything that is you. I'll try to find a few : )
Me at our old apartment, pregnant with Micah - same weeks along as I am with this Baby.

1st photo: taken just after my 32 hours of labor...tired new mama w/ frizzy hair & no makeup : ) 2nd photo: taken just after we got home from hospital... tired new mama still : ) most days my hair is quickly put back like that... and I'm lucky if I can get makeup on....
My handsome men on Easter Sunday this year.

My beagle, Dunkin, and my sweet boy Micah!

*updated* Speaking from the Heart and MRI Results

Please forgive my tired brain : ) I wrote this late last night, and I need to clarify one very important statement in it... see the asterisk below for the correction....
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Thought I'd do a new post, rather than constantly adding on to the previously updated post. I'm kind of beyond the point of feeling overwhelmed right now - just pretty much feeling "numb". I'm to the point where each time I hear something new about the baby, I end up shrugging and saying (sometimes out-loud) "it's not in my hands...". I don't really find myself reacting the same way I did before - I may cry on occasion, but mostly I find myself becoming more "quiet". The pain seems too deep to touch sometimes. I believe God is giving me this "quietness" to help me process everything, and to help remind me that He is in control. This baby is our little miracle, regardless of what any tests show, regardless of what Baby's outcome will be. Despite my hurts, fears, and all the negative outcomes of tests done on Baby, *never in my life have I felt closer to God than I do now. Not sure if that makes any sense to anyone else, but it makes perfect sense to me. I honestly have never questioned God in this entire situation. I have had no reason to. He gave us this child... He created this child... He knows what is best for this child -and for that, I am grateful.

The high-risk doctors office called with the results of the MRI. Here are the prayer requests from that:

• It confirmed the mild case of hydrocephalus. We'll continue meeting with the Pediatric Neurologist.
  

• Somewhat of a praise - the MRI did not show the hole in the heart, however they were able to see the heart more closely -and are still very concerned about the condition & positioning of it. Again, nothing really new there.

• It showed a much clearer view of the elongated bladder, which was a bit alarming to the doctors - and now want me to meet with a Pediatric Urologist to have them look at the kidneys and bladder more closely.
  

Thank you for your prayers & encouragement... we do appreciate each of you.
Love
Erika

MRI - today *updated*

*update: MRI went well. Praise (see request below): Baby "cooperated well", in the words of the doctors, and that's all they told me - they have to report directly to the high-risk doctors. I just looked at the CD of the images from the MRI that they sent home with me, Baby looks beautiful and perfect in every way - but then again, that's the Mama speaking : ) Such a sweet profile, and a cute button nose. Perfection in Mama's eyes. We won't get the results of the tests for another day or so.

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I have an MRI scheduled for today at 10AM (EST). The high-risk doctor wanted to get me in for one ASAP after last weeks appointment. The procedure is done at the Children's hospital here where the Pediatric Neurologists can perform the test, since they are experienced with fetal MRI's.

Pray that Baby isn't too active so that they can get a good reading on the brain.

Pray that we get positive results... a little bit of good news would be great right now - however, as we know - we are not in control here...

I'll update later today, depending on how fast we get results. Thank you, all....
Much love,
Erika

Overwhelming...But Still Hopeful

This is as good of a picture of the baby as you'll get this week : ) it was taken on Memorial Day. At today's ultrasound, baby was - yet again - so very active that the doctors couldn't get a still enough profile picture...the ones that they got were so blurry - maybe next time.

First of all, I want to say thank you again for all of the prayers, thoughts, & support...very much needed, and appreciated. I changed the settings on this blog so that you don't have to set up a google account to comment. I'm not sure where to start with this update. I'll give you the positive updates first.

• Femur bones (upper thigh) seem to be growing at a "normal" rate now. That is not of any concern anymore.
  

• Although the cyst has grown in size, and is considered "big", it still does not seem to have any blood flowing through it - which I guess is a good thing. However, Baby was still hiding it's "gender" but we're almost 80% sure what it is... the cyst is still hiding that "area"... maybe we're not meant to find out quite yet : )

• Baby weight measured just over a pound at 23 weeks gestation which is a pretty good size for that stage! Heart rate, fluid level, and over-all growth looked good.
  

So, those are the positive updates. Hopeful? Yes, I still have hope. Not giving up. Encouraging? Not very much. I'll give you the confusing/overwhelming updates. A bit scary and overwhelming.

• The doctors and techs still couldn't get a good read on the heart. Baby was breech with the back facing out which made it extremely hard to get a picture of the heart. If you remember, last appointment they clearly saw a hole in it, but couldn't get a very good read on it yet. Because of that, in 3 weeks my next ultrasound will be an echo-cardiogram for baby (detailed ultrasound of Baby's heart) that is, if Baby is in a better position.

• The bladder is still a strange shape, but we won't know the seriousness of that until after Baby is born.

• The big change this month is the most frightening one. Not sure if I can get all the terminology correct, but the Baby's ventricles in the brain were showing higher than normal fluid levels, which the doctor labeled hydrocephalus. She said it is possible it could be caused by some virus or infection, but not likely (I have to get some blood work done to rule that out). The doctor said she highly believes it is some sort of chromosome abnormality because of the combination of the fluid on the brain, heart issues, cyst, and 2-vessel cord. Basically the hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain) adds to the list of possible chromosome issues.
  

So, with the most recent news comes many more tests and doctor visits. All of which is perfectly safe for Baby, for those who may be concerned about that. Here is a list of all of the upcoming doctor/specialist visits that we have to undergo.

• MRI scheduled within the next 10 days - needs to be done to get a better detailed look at the Baby's brain.
  

• Scheduled to meet with a Pediatric Neurologist to discuss the brain issues, what to expect, and how to prepare for it.... that's actually a comfort more than "just another thing" - because I do want to be better prepared for what is to come.

• Scheduled to meet with a Pediatric Cardiologist for the Baby's heart issues
  

• Scheduled to meet with the team of NICU doctors (Neonatologists, Pediatricians, etc.) who will be caring for Baby immediately after birth. I was told the point of these meetings is to better prepare me for what will go on after the Baby is born.

Joe and I will be meeting with the pediatric specialists throughout the rest of the pregnancy as things can change and develop frequently. I asked the doctor today if she could rule out any of the deadly chromosome issues yet -and she said a firm "No." According to her, the combination of defects that this Baby are still possible defects for deadly chromosome issues. I was hoping to hear better news than that. In some ways I wish I knew what to prepare for... no mom should ever have to be in this position! But God is literally in control. I wouldn't have it any other way.

My head is "spinning" right now with all the information today, so hopefully what I just wrote makes some kind of sense. It really helps to write it out... kind of organizing my thoughts. Thank you again... I'll update more when I can.

Not Much New...

I had my routine monthly prenatal check up with my ob/gyn yesterday. I do love him. He's a great doctor, with a lot of wisdom. Very calm, doesn't do excess procedures (most non-invasive doctor I have ever been to), and he is encouraging. He asked if I had questions, and I froze. I ended up asking about birthing options (when, what it will be like, VBAC options, c-sections, etc). He was very encouraging about a VBAC and said I am perfectly fine having one, at this point (as in if the baby's condition remains as is). For the off-chance that we decide to do a repeat c-section - to ensure we have a spot on the schedule - we went ahead and scheduled a c-section with him for September. We most likely will not need it...depending on how baby progresses.

As for anything regarding the baby's condition - the topic started to come up, but somehow I changed the subject. I did not want to hear anything negative yesterday. He had begun to talk about what the baby will be like after its born (the complications, etc). I couldn't listen to it yesterday. I realize that may not make sense to most of you - but I just couldn't do it. I need a little "rest" from the heaviness of this situation. I have my next high-risk ultrasound next week, so that will be soon enough for me to be ready to discuss the tough issues with the doctors again.

On a positive note, this baby continues to be wildly active. I have been thoroughly enjoying watching this baby kick me! At 23 weeks, this baby is so unbelievably strong that I can see the kicks from my stomach already. It is so sweet... and precious - truly something I am cherishing each day.

Thank you all for your continued love, prayers, and encouragement... we are blessed.

Very Active!

I have heard that phrase several times during each of the ultrasounds I have had with this baby... every technician and doctor loves to remark how active this baby is!

But the best part of it??? I get to feel it. It is so comforting, so precious...and so calming. I cherish each day of it.... and each movement I feel - because there isn't too much in life that is as sweet as feeling a baby move inside of you. I can feel the baby roll, punch, kick, and push. Baby seems to be especially active in the mornings.

Micah and Dunkin (the dog) have begun to take special interest in the baby as well. Micah loves coming up to my stomach to kiss it, loves to talk to "BeBe" and tells the baby "Night-Night". He's always loving on the baby.... so sweet. Even the crazy Beagle dog has some sense of what is going on too. Occasionally throughout the day he'll come up and sit right by my stomach, which is not normal for him. He'll just sit there as if to say "I'm here...everything is ok." Makes me smile... I love my boys, and they're good big brothers to this baby already.

I'm not sure how often I will update with news on the baby at this point, as the appointments are still a month in between - keep checking back, though. I have a normal routine prenatal check up next week, then the next high-risk appointment is on June 3rd. We hope to know more by that date. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. We certainly feel at peace right now...

A MOTHER'S INSTINCT

It all began with my mother's instinct. I was a bit apprehensive from the beginning of this pregnancy, but I kept blaming it on insecurities due to previous miscarriages I have had. I felt uneasy, yet I really could not explain why.

At my 14 week check up, my doctor could not detect a heartbeat. He was not alarmed, as he said it is very common not to hear it yet. He ordered an ultrasound just to make sure, and to ease my mind. At that ultrasound, there was a strong heartbeat and a very active baby! However, towards the end there was a concern about the baby's bladder (wouldn't empty during the time the ultrasound was being done - apparently a standard thing to look for during that stage of ultrasound). I was not too alarmed, but did think it was weird. My doctor was not alarmed yet either.

Fast forward one month to my 18 week check up. Everything sounded great - strong heartbeat, baby measuring fine, my blood pressure was great, and my weight looked good. The doctor ordered the routine 18 week ultrasound which is always an exciting time during pregnancy. Joe and I could not wait to go have that done! We were looking forward to seeing our healthy baby kicking around, strong heartbeat, and even finding out the sex of the baby. However, that ultrasound was everything but exciting. The ultrasound technician kept focusing in on the umbilical cord. She kept taking several pictures of it. In my experience in having many ultrasounds, I knew something was wrong. My mother's instinct kicked in again. I thought to myself, "I bet you there are only two vessels instead of three in that cord" (which happens to be a very important thing they look for in the fetus).

It was a long procedure- took much longer than the standard one. We arrived home and shortly later my doctor called with the report. I was scared. He never calls, he is not easily alarmed. He is very calm. He said, "We got the results of your ultrasound which shows many things that are very concerning." He goes on to explain that there is (in fact) two vessels instead of three in the umbilical cord, and there is a cyst on the cord as well. Not the kind of news this mama wanted to hear. I was devastated...scared...I already knew of the risks that came with that kind of problem. Not only are there risks of chromosome abnormalities (some of which are deadly) but heart and kidney defects as well.

The doctored ordered a stage 2 ultrasound at the high-risk pregnancy center for special monitoring. At that appointment, we met with a genetic counselor for the first hour, and then afterward was the ultrasound. The counselor took a family history of genetic/mental/health issues. Nothing was found. She explained that if this baby has a chromosome abnormality, it is not our fault - nothing causes it, it is just by chance that these issues happen. The ultrasound itself took nearly 2 hours. Two different technicians and the doctor (a perinatalogist) worked to get all the pictures needed to determine what was wrong.

At the end, the doctor explained everything he found. The growth of the baby looks fine - head, arms, feet, etc. However, the thigh bones were shorter than normal, the pinkies were turned inward, and the feet were slightly pointed downward (but were moving fine). He also said the heart was in the middle of the chest rather than the left side - and the heart also has a rather large hole in it. He was unable to get a clear picture of the heart, but he is concerned about possible defects there. The doctor said there is a large cyst (about the size of baby's head) on the umbilical cord right where it attaches to the belly button. There is in fact two vessels instead of three in the cord. The other concern was that the bladder was a bit elongated and seeming to be pulled toward the cyst (which is a possible sign that the cyst is attached to it somehow).

All in all, he said there is most likely some type of chromosome abnormality, based on all of the defects that he was able to see. However, he cannot rule out whether or not this baby has any of the deadly ones (the ones that will not allow the baby to live once it's born). Once the doctor gets a better look at the heart, he will be able to determine easier what defects my baby has, and will possibly get a better idea of what defects he can rule out.

While it was incredible to be able to watch such a detailed ultrasound, and fun to get great pictures of my beautiful baby, it was quite discouraging to hear what the doctor had to say based on what he found. We will continue to have appointments at the high-risk center once a month for the next two months, and every week for the last ten weeks of the pregnancy. God gave us this sweet baby, and we will do everything we can to love, nurture, and care for this precious being as long as he or she is with us.

Please pray for us as we go on this journey. We really have no idea of what to expect...we are learning as we go. Each ultrasound appointment should be able to tell us a little more information. Please pray for the baby's heart in particular - pray that the doctors will be able to get a better look at it. Please pray that God would give us continued peace about it, and pray that He gives the doctors wisdom in dealing with this precious life inside of me. Thank you.