Amnio Results

We received a call from the genetics counselor yesterday with the results. She told us that the test came back negative for trisomy 18, that it is a little boy (which made Katharine's day) and it was also negative for spina bifida. This of course is a huge relief. There are still some areas of concern with the baby and having ruled out the trisomy they can begin to focus and narrow down what potential defects may still exist. One of the other concerns the Dr. told us about on Jan 3 was VACTERAL Association (click for more info). There are several of these associations that appear to be present (kidney, trachea, esophagus & limb) so our next step is to have another sonogram by a different hospital (second opinion) to determine if these elements still appear.

We thank you all so very much for your love and support through this process. It has been a blessing and helped us so much through this. The road ahead is still rough, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. We will keep everyone updated as usual. Please continue all of your thoughts & prayers they are obviously working :) and remember "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes"

Music to calm the soul

boomp3.com

Update Part 2: Pediatric Cardiologost

We actually had an ultrasound done by a pediatric cardiologist @ John Hopkins on Thursday. We received some good news here. He said that he could not see any abnormalities. That does not mean that there may not be issues after the baby is born, but it would more than likely be a smaller reversible problem. So that was a sigh of relief. We are now awaiting the results of the amnio which we should be getting next week sometime more than likely next Wednesday.

While at Disney we went over to Cinderella's wishing well and made a few wishes. Just for good luck Michael rubbed water from the well on Katharine's belly. It seems silly we know, but after the results at the cardiologist it kind of makes you think.....doesn't it.

As for the Disney trip, it was a welcomed break from all that was going on. It was a chance for us to reflect on things in a place that makes us happy. We had a good time, the weather was great, and it all went by too fast.

Michael was able to find a teddy bear for baby. As soon as he saw it he knew it was the one. Just in case you don't know Michael still has his "teddy" he got the day he was born. So buying one for baby was important to him.



Katharine and baby took time to pose for a picture with Pooh and the gang.



Thanks again to everyone for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. We will keep you updated as we get more information.

Update on Baby: Part 1; Amniocentesis Test

This morning was the next phase in our journey. We had an amniocentesis done. The results of this test will not be ready for 10-14 days. Tomorrow, we have an appointment with the neonatal cardiologist for an EKG to help identify what the abnormality with the heart might be. This will impact the birthing plan depending on the results. This test is completely unrelated to the amniocentesis, which is testing for genetic disorders, primarily trisomy 18.

Many of you have called or written to us with your words of support and compassion. We thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. We are both hanging in there and are doing as well as can be expected. As we said before, we are trying to keep an upbeat mindset. We discovered a quote this past week, by Walt Disney (imagine that) that we have embraced as our mantra for this particularly rough time...

"Happiness is a state of mind, it's according to how you look at things."
-Walt Disney

We will update again tomorrow with info on the EKG.

Sad news about the baby

This is an email we sent out to our family and friends, but we also know there are some of you who read our blog that we do not have info for, but read our blog. We have posted this here for you.

We received some news today about our baby. Unfortunately, it is not good. During the sonogram they discovered several abnormalities. There appears to be some sort of heart malfunction, although it is not clear we are being referred to a neonatal cardiologist. It also appears as though one of the baby’s kidney is underdeveloped and not functioning properly, if at all. There were also some noticeable problems with the arm/hand development. It seems as though one of the two bones that connect to the hand are missing in both arms which are also shorter than they should be at this stage of development.

What is next……………?
The doctors have suggested and we have agreed to an Amniocentesis. This is a test that will draw fluid & cells from the womb and cultured to determine if there is a chromosomal disorder. They are particularly leaning towards Trisomy 18, which is an extra chromosome on #18. Many of the abnormalities we mentioned above are unfortunately associated with this syndrome. This test will help to rule out or confirm the Trisomy. We will be scheduling the test early next week and it takes about 10-14 days for results. So we anticipate knowing more the end of January or early February. We will keep you updated as we know.

What does all this mean..............?
It’s very difficult to say for sure at this point. We are trying to be strong and positive as best we can. The reality of this depends a lot on the results of the Amniocentesis. If it is negative then it is likely that the baby will be born with some form or forms of handicap. This could be mental, physical, or a combination of the two. However, if the results are positive then the prognosis is unfortunately grave. There is a small chance that the baby will survive, but not likely. Trisomy 18 is usually fatal, with many babies passing within days of birth. However, a small number of babies (<10%) live at least one year.

Our decision…………….!!
We talked with a genetics counselor yesterday after finding out the news. She laid out all the choices we had and the steps we would take with each of these. One of these is of course termination. This is NOT an option for us. We know and understand that many people may not agree with this decision, but we ask that you please support us. We are fortunate enough to both come from very loving and nurturing families and we have decided that we want our baby to experience that as well, even if it is for a few short hours. We will take what God will give us and cherish every second of it.

What can we do to help..................?
We know that everyone will be shocked by this news and will want to help out in many ways. We truly appreciate this. We appreciate you wanting to be here, to help and support. There may be a time in the near future that we will need to take you up on that, we will definitely let you know. Do feel free to call us and talk and please do not be afraid to ask questions. We do plan to cherish the rest of this pregnancy and all the wonderful memories it will create. The next four-five months will be very up & down emotionally for us and we are preparing ourselves for this long and difficult journey. We ask that you keep the baby in your prayers and continue to support us. We believe that God will grace & bless our family as he has so many times before. He knows how important family is to both of us and has touched us all with his love through each other. Miracles can happen, and if there ever was a family deserving, with all the love that exist within, it is ours!

Promotion Interview

I have my interview tomorrow for the District Manager of Retail Operations. Wish me luck!!