I'm 20 weeks today, but all I have for belly photos to share is this one from 15 weeks, 6 days.OK, so now that I've got that out of the way it's time to share how we found out. I knew I wanted it to be special...something unique to our family....something I hadn't heard of before.....
Here's how we did it:
All four of us went to 19 week ultrasound appointment at 4pm on Friday afternoon, February 11th (incidentally, the same day in 2004 I told PapaBear we were pregnant with Sam) We arrived armed with a Christmas present that hadn't been played with yet and a couple of candy canes. I wanted to focus on the screen and what the tech said and not have the kids be bouncing off the walls.
Sam surprised us all by chatting with, Angie, our technician, through the whole thing. He could identify hands that waved and asked questions about what he was seeing. Julia was content to eat her candy cane and play with her new toy. When it was time to look everyone looked away, except Sam. He had an important job to do. He went to the desk with Angie who wrote out It's a ______. Sam brought the card over to the rest of us and read what it said. I couldn't have been prouder of my boy! He just learned to read in January and I thought this would be a fun way to include him and celebrate his big accomplishment. He did great!
Fast forward to Monday (Valentine's Day) when we invited family over for dinner. Due to schedule conflicts only PapaBear's parents were able to attend so we made some phone calls later that night. Nobody knew we decided to find out and had no clue that they were about to know the gender too so it was pretty fun for the kids to hand out their valentines that read:
Our baby girl was so active that other than getting a glimpse of her four chambered heart, we didn't get to do all the measurements they want so I'm going back in on Friday for another look. I will ask them to look for one other thing while I'm there....I mentioned a prayer request on twitter this morning and it relates to something they saw in her brain. She has a choroid plexus cyst that I'm praying fervently is GONE by the time I go back in on Friday. This could be nothing more than a blocked duct, but it's also an indicator of Trisomy 18. I wish the doctor hadn't even mentioned that part since a cyst seen at this stage of brain development (18-20weeks) is typically gone soon after the 20 week mark and there were no other indicators for it, but it still worries me. I'm measuring a little under 20 weeks so by the time my ultrasound on Friday morning it could still be there and still be considered normal. Obviously our heart's desire is for it to be GONE and for her heart to be normal as well. Would you pray for that with us? We would be most grateful.
PRAYING!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Another girl!
ReplyDeleteAnd I will pray fervently, friend.
Ah another girl! So fun! Will be praying for her and your peace of mind.
ReplyDeleteWe will absolutely be praying for you and that sweet baby girl. I would love to share our story with you. At our 20 week ultrasound I went in with such an uneasy feeling in my gut, I had carried that uneasy feeling since conception, I knew in my heart something didn't feel right, something was wrong with the baby I just knew it. So the hubby and I and our first child all went into the room had the ultrasound told us it was a boy, we left, nothing out of the norm had been said. I got home that night and the phone was ringing my ob was on the phone, and he said Shiri please sit down your sonogram showed something we need to check into, it looks like the baby does indeed have several very large gaps or cysts in his brain, it doesn't look good you need to see a specialist but be prepared I want you to know all your options. A neo natologist came to our small town from Phoenix just to see us. He put the cold jelly on my belly and instantly the baby was on the screen moving around, he looked for what seemed like forever and then took my hand in his and said well Shiri do you believe in God? of course I said, well you must and all that praying you've been doing has worked your baby is perfectly healthy, I've never seen anything like this before, we all hugged and I thanked him so much for coming all the way to see us and for providing me with such comfort. All I could think of in that moment and still to this day is God is so good, He is able and will provide. Praying for you and that sweet little baby girl
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on a girl. Julia will love being a big sister!
ReplyDeletePrayers for sure!
Love Angie!
LOVE that baby belly!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome way to find out and share with the family, how fun!
I will for sure keep you and your precious baby girl in my prayers!
Britt
My prayers will be heading your way for sure!!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on a little girl!!
First off, you look GREAT.
ReplyDeleteI love how Sam has his hand over his heart in the bottom picture. He's gonna be ALL over this big brother times 2 thing. Praying for you and baby.
I'm going to call her Baby Hope. Because I know she was hoped and prayed for, and I know this pregnancy has been hard...and this newest development is even harder. So praying for "Baby Hope" and you.
Love you friend!
Joining you in prayer...one of my girls had a cyst on her brain at that point...it was gone at the next ultrasound...praying your little one's is too!
ReplyDeletePraying for you and your sweet little girl! What a wonderful way to find out the sex of the baby. Congratulations, again! And praying for the little one...We serve a Big God...my daughter is living proof ♥
ReplyDeleteSam and Julia are really getting good at breaking news to the family. I can remember that night at Sharons when Julia came in the kitchen and said, "I have to whipperer something to you. Mommy has a baby in her tommy" She had spoiled your surprise but I couldn't have asked for a cuter way of being told. Now the two of them tell us by the adorable Valentine cards they made. Love those grand kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOur baby girl had a choroid plexus cyst and an intracardiac echogenic focus (soft markers for Down's Syndrome and Trisomy 18) and she was born completely healthy! These things can be signs of chromosomal diseases BUT they can also be seen in perfectly normal, healthy babies! Saying a prayer, but try not to worry too much!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter had the same type of cyst on her brain when I was around 16 weeks. They had me all terrified and talked about ending my pregnancy cause she also had a white spot on her which was another indication of trisomy 18. Well 4 weeks later they did another ultrasound and sure enough it was all gone. So please don't be to worried. I know how devastated I was when they told me all of this and it turned out to be nothing !! I now have a happy and healthy 21 month old baby girl !! So glad I didn't listen to their wants to have an abortion. I will be sending prayers your way and I hope that everything turns out well which I am so sure it will !! :))
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your girl!!! How exciting :)
ReplyDeleteI am definitely praying that her cyst will be gone. I'm also praying for your fears/nerves.
Praying for your baby girl!
ReplyDeleteWill pray for you.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your baby girl! I will say a special prayer for her!
ReplyDeleteI am absolutely praying for you and your family. Good thoughts will be coming your way especially on Friday when you go in for the ultrasound. Also you look absolutely stunning in this photo.
ReplyDeleteCONGRATULATIONS!! Love the pic of gramma Rena and the kiddos. We'll keep your littlest lady in our prayers. Be well.
ReplyDeleteI love how you found out you are having a girl!
ReplyDeleteSending you good thoughts that everything turns out :)
We are praying for a healthy baby girl!
ReplyDeleteI could share many stories with you about my pregnancy with our baby girl. She had fluid in her brain, they thought she had downs...a whole slew of things.
She was born perfect and healthy! God is wonderful.
Sometimes technology is not always good.
Keep praying.
Molly Knutzen (you design our blog)
I'm behind on your blog! A girl...yay! How fun!!! I'll be praying for you! Now I need to read the rest of your posts to see if you know any more yet!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your girl!! I will be praying for her - and all of you. What a blessing.
ReplyDelete