God is Good

Well, I'm 16 weeks along (about 14 in the picture) and growing! Carless and I just got the best news this week. Our genetecist called to let us know the results of the urinalysis confirm that our little one does not have Smith Lemli Optiz Syndrome! Such a relief. It is a new test, but very accurate. She says as accurate as an amnio and best of all it was totally non-invasive! After our ultrasound at 11 weeks I was pretty confident that the results would be good, but it was nice to hear the confirmation. There is always that little part in your head that says "what if", we've heard bad news so many times...it's sometimes hard to think the good will come. But it has. We even purchased a crib! Now I am waiting to find out if the baby is a boy or girl. We have our ultrasound scheduled for April 20th, so in less than a month we will hopefully know! Almost everyone I know hopes or thinks I'm carrying a boy. I really don't care, I just a healthy baby. However, there have been a few of us and me included who dreamed it's a boy. We will see. I know that everyone says you cannot feel the baby move until 18 weeks, but I swear I feel this little one in there moving around, kicking and poking. It's an awesome feeling, even if it is gas! Haha. Thanks for all of your prayers and support. This journey has definately been hard, but worth it in the end. Now I can sit back and enjoy the rest of the pregnancy.

"Ask and you shall receive"

Well, we finally finished our adoption classes. We still have a few loose ends to take care of and should be certified as foster parents sometime next month. Now that we are pregnant, I am not planning on fostering. I want to focus on this little one we are expecting in September. However, we still plan to go ahead and pursue the adoption with the little girl, whom I will refer to as "A", if that option come up. Her year is in April and that is when the judge should decide permancy. If it goes how I think the case will go, it looks like the judge will most likely extend the mom's time for reunification. That being said, the case could go any way and could time quite some time. Well, Carless and I have been offered to go ahead and foster "A" once we are certified, due to some family sickness in the current foster families home. I am closer to "A" than anyone else, except for your now foster parents, grandmother, and her mother. The thing we have to consider is the fact that we could have "A" in our home for a good year or so before permancy is decided. Carless worries that I will not be able to handle the loss if it comes down to it, but I just cannot bear to turn her away. I believe we could have an amazing time with her, however long the time is. So, for now I have already purchased her easter dress in hopes to have your by then...if not the dress can be worn at other times. It has been a lot to take in this past week, but I feel comfortable enough to say "yes, we will give her a home". Be carefull what you ask for people, you just may get it, our God is listening and is good.

A New Year

2009 started with a bang for Carless and I. It was New Years Day when we found out we were expecting our third baby. I am now 13 weeks along and doing great, aside from the "morning sickness" and worries. I am due somewhere around September 9, 2009. We had a very comforting ultrasound in February when I was 11 weeks along. We had our doctor measure the back of the baby's neck, the test is called an NT scan or Nuchal Translucency Scan. It is done around 11-13weeks to screen for Down's Syndrome and in our case SLOS. If the baby has too much fluid built up at the back of the neck, it is an indicator of a possible heart defect. A normal measurement is below 2.5mm. I am proud to say our baby's NT measurement was less than 1.0mm!! As soon as I saw our little one on the screen I knew everything was fine. I had such relief to see little one moving and grooving in my belly. Thinking back to Bella's ultrasound at 11weeks, I remember she didn't move much at all. Her NT measurement was about 4.0mm, very obvious if you know what you are looking for. I'm growing too, unlike my last two pregnancies. My belly has grown to about 32" around already! I am definately into my maternity clothes and loving it. I can't wait to feel this baby move around. I still plan to have a urinalysis done at 14 weeks to prove this little one does not have SLOS. We should get the results at around 16 weeks, or the first of April.