21 weeks pregnant:
It is official; Hannah Belle is a little miracle. She’s also one heck of a fighter!
We had another ultrasound yesterday afternoon. Our regular doctor is on vacation so we met with a new doctor to go over the ultrasound pictures. He said he saw, “No signs of hydrops.” The only fluid she has is a small amount around her heart (which is common in babies with Down syndrome) and she still has the cystic hygroma on her neck. He doesn’t think either is fatal. The hygroma seems to be drastically smaller and shrinking.
To be clear I asked him if I should be expecting a normal pregnancy from now on. He said he doesn’t see why not. There are still risks involved because of her Down syndrome diagnosis, but he certainly didn’t consider my pregnancy to be “lethal” as the other doctor put it. In other words, we’re planning on having a baby girl in November! Praise God!
Hannah’s next big hurdle will be at her cardiologist appointment at the end of this month. We know she has a 40-50% chance of having a heart defect because she has Down syndrome.
Yes, I’m still very nervous and uncertain about Hannah’s future and what raising a child with Down syndrome will be like. However, I can’t wait to meet this little girl that has fought so hard for her life. I absolutely cannot wait to hold her in my arms and see what wonderful things she has in store for our family. She is only 21 weeks old and has already taught me so much.
God is good.
Still, it was a bittersweet day. We didn’t receive the news we hoped for with Jake. There is a very good possibility that Jake will have to undergo yet another major brain surgery. Jake needs your prayers. He has been through so much this past year and it has been especially hard for him these past few months. His mom and dad need your prayers as well. Mike and Ginny are mentally and physically exhausted. There seems to be no easy or definite answer when it comes to the next steps in Jake’s medical care. It is a frustrating and scary place to be. Pray for guidance, peace, and answers for them.
The past few months have been an exhausting roller coaster of emotions. I can’t imagine going through times like these without the loving support of our family and friends. We’ve received cards, flowers, prepared meals, books, and countless words of encouragement. Most importantly, people have prayed diligently for our children. Complete strangers have prayed for our family. We are so grateful.
