I know I write on my blog pretty sporadically nowadays, so here's a quick update:
1. I'M PREGNANT!
2. It's a girl! Due August 9th.
3. Her name is Lyla!
4. She is the greatest miracle.
At our anatomy ultrasound (18 to 20 weeks), we went with anticipation that everything would turn up normal with the baby. Kyle and I are both young, we never smoked, hardly drank, and had no genetic disorders in our family history. Shouldn't a person with those credentials be the poster child for a healthy, easy pregnancy? The short answer - not always.
The evening after the ultrasound, I received a call from my doctor that went a little something like this...
"Now, I don't want you to be worried, but..."
CUE THE WORRY.
Lyla had two cysts on her brain. He also mentioned something about a heart valve the radiologist couldn't see, but by that point, I was so overcome with worry that the rest of his words all blurred together.
"Something's wrong with the baby..." is all I could replay in my mind.
After an hour of what felt like endless tears, confusion, and googling, I texted my mom with the news. I asked her to pray. I asked her to tell every prayer warrior she knew to do the same. Within 24 hours, all of mine and Kyle's extended family, friends, and even acquaintances were praying over this little life.
I asked Mom to pray big, specific prayers. I told her to ask God to take away the cysts, or at the very least, make them decrease significantly. I asked her to pray that the baby's heart valve was fine.
The following day, after I had some time to calm down, I emailed my doctor with a million questions. Normally, the doctor would take a few days to respond. Fast forward three hours, I had a new email with an answered prayer inside.
He informed me that the missing heart valve was actually just a poorly taken picture that needed to be redone. The valve was there and intact. Thank you Jesus.
Now the hard part came - waiting a week for an appointment with a perinatologist (high risk doctor) to investigate the cysts. Research on my part revealed that the cysts, with no other abnormalities, were relatively normal. In all likelihood, the baby would turn out fine. If she had any additional abnormalities, however, it hinted at a chromosomal disorder - namely, Trisomy 18. To make a long story short, babies with T-18 rarely make it to the birth. If they are born, they are often stillborn. Talk about a mother's worst nightmare.
It was difficult finding comfort in the potential outcomes. On one hand, the baby could turn out normal. On the other, the baby probably wouldn't leave the hospital. Where do you find a resting spot between those two options?
Fast forward an agonizing seven days, we were finally at the doctor's office. The main thing we were looking for on the ultrasound was the baby opening her hands. With T-18, the baby's hands stay permanently clenched. We knew if we saw her hands open, the likelihood of her having the disorder was slim to none. And this is what we saw...
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| Hi, Momma! |
Lyla waved, gave us peace signs, and did "jazz hands" the entire ultrasound. No question about it - Trisomy 18 seemed extremely unlikely. Thank you Jesus!
As for the cysts, one of them was already COMPLETELY dissolved. in less than a week. how unreal! The doctor then went a step further and explained all other potential abnormalities and then showed us evidence on the ultrasound to prove that she didn't have them (ex - cleft palate, heart defects, spina bifida, etc). We left the office feeling SO relieved, confident and joyful. Our baby girl was completely healthy.
Talk about big prayers yielding bigger results. Do yourself a favor - don't ever question if prayer works or if God actually hears us. He hears every single prayer and responds in his own way. So, so thankful.
