Big ultrasound news.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12

We are more in love than this morning. Baby Nani was one active, adorable, sweet little one pound 3 ounce thang and we are thankful!!! She's in the 75 percentile for height and 47 percentile for weight, I had NO idea that growth charts started in-utero, but we now have the start to our special girls baby book collection!

The atmosphere in the dim lit examining room was lighthearted. Will and I both sat (well I laid) in great anticipation of the news, but unfortunately it was just silence which lead me to start talking. I informed the rad tech that I was interested in knowing as much as she was able to share as she was looking around; She gladly started communicating! The very first image that popped up on the screen was the stomach, and to me something looked wrong, and I was afraid my worst fear for the day would be coming true. When I walked in that office today, it was not the fear of seeing or hearing our baby still had anencephaly, but that our baby had more complications or problems than they had originally seen, that's what consumed me most! She looked, and looked and measured, and captured, and looked some more and snapped more photos, all while saying nothing looked abnormal. However I didn't want to assume anything so just kept praying!

After almost an hour, the lady was done getting the images she needed and asked us if there were any photos in particular we wanted, I told her I really wanted a profile picture. When I walked in, that was the ONLY thing I wanted to walk out with, a full picture of our girl that we could frame! However, In the words of the rad tech, 'she is not cooperating today'. What's funny to us about this saying is that we heard it EVERY ultra sound with Mayla, and here we were again, it made us both chuckle! She tried and tried and tried, but Baby Nani was a moving and a shaking and no picture was possible. So she moved on to try and get a 3D pic, we NEVER got one for Mayla, becuase she NEVER cooperated so I thought this would be a great memory to have of baby Nani. I also was VERY interested in seeing a 3D image so I could see the severity of the anencephaly, did it start just above her eye sockets, or did she at least have a forehead. Can you believe Baby Nani's hands/arms where in the way every time she tried? She could never get a clear view and the 3D images where not turning out so stellar. She finally gave up on the face and went for the legs, those were even a struggle and once she captured them you could tell she was not too impressed with her results.

We ended on a positive note as she had nothing new to report in her findings, I felt relieved and excited. I can handle the anencephaly, I have come to accept that, what would have been hard is hearing that on top of anencephaly the baby has a hole in the heart or missing body parts or some other aliment which is normally paired with anencephaly. I felt blessed and was grateful for the news we were receiving and clung to the hope that we still have 15-18 weeks for God to perform a miracle if that's HIS plan!

We then went and met with a doctor who just so happened to walk in right when I had tears streaming down my face. Will and I were in the middle of a deep Jesus talk and I had hopped aboard the emotional roller coaster. She was sweet, comforting and a wonderfully caring person to be around! She too communicated how hard it is to prepare to say hello and goodbye in the same breathe. She listened as we talked and she had compassion in her eyes! We asked her about organ donation and how we could set something up ahead of time so it would be one less thing to worry about later on. She had no idea but tried to connect us with two people who she thought should know! She asked questions we had not thought about, which left me feeling like bricks were being stacked upon my shoulders. 'Have you thought about the possibility of bringing this baby home with you?' Have you thought about perinatal hospice being around when you bring your child home to help out?' Do you want a doula, not so much for birth assistance but someone to help control friends and family after birth and help communicate with others to give you and Will some breathing room?' I told her honestly, I think about the day I'm in, and up until now i've been in emergency mode wondering when I will be rushing to the hospital having miscarried. Today was the first time I thought I might actually need to pack a hospital bag and deliver this child. I was overwhelmed, what is God going to do?! We talked about natural birth over c-section, being paired with another mentoring family that has traveled this road before us, and even discussed the possibility of us being a mentor couple to another family going through what Mayla went through. Have I mentioned I just want to go to sleep and it's 6:30pm?!

Dr. Jean said our baby was beautiful, and besides the skull, she was perfect. She reported that every thing they checked came back normal, something else that elated me. They want to see me back in 10 weeks. At that time they will be monitoring the amniotic fluid. Anencephalic babies have a tendency to not drink enough amniotic fluid which leaves me 'filled to the brim'. It's only a problem if it interrupts my breathing and then they have to empty some out. OH JOY!!! Praying that does not happen.

Are we disappointed by today's results? Absolutely not. God still has 15-18 weeks to work, and we will surrender to whatever that looks like. We will continue to be used by Him in whatever capacity He chooses.

meet our squirming little baby Nani. 

My hope is found...

...In Christ Alone, "he is my light, my strength, my song; this cornerstone, this solid ground; firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!! My comforter, my All in All, here in the Love of Christ I stand.' We sang this song on Easter Sunday and it was pressed upon me again as I woke this morning. This song brings hope, it serves as a reminder and each time I hear it, or ponder it, i'm moved! Jesus is FIRM, NEVER changing no matter what life throws our way. He is the same today as he was yesterday, he's the same as before we found out about Baby Nani's condition as he is today. Circumstances don't change the love he has for us, the only thing they change I pray is the amount of Love and devotion I have towards Him! The part of the song that pulled at my heart strings was, 'No guilt in life, no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me; from life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my (baby Nani's) destiny. I shall not fear death for me and I shall not fear baby Nani's death, from the second baby Nani breathes, till the last breath; minutes hours or days we have with her, JESUS IS IN CONTROL! The song continues on, 'No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand; till he returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I'll stand." I can not stand alone, i've tried and failed, but when I stand in Christ, I can do all things (Phil 4:13). 

Last week Will was doing training in Colorado for work (after completing a week of training in Florida the week prior).  We thought it would be a fun opportunity for us all and decided late March that Mayla and I would join him. Now i've taken MANY Colorado trips in my life, and they still rank at the top of my favorites list, the memories I have of Colorado are exciting, bring a smile to my face and even the mention of the state alone does something deep within me, i'm alive when i'm there...until this trip! Satan is trying to ruin us, and it was evident. Day one he wore us down, and day two he tried to attack our marriage. Hubby and I talked, we kissed, and we prayed, and Satan realized he lost that battle. So, he attacked Mayla on day three. The poor child threw up 14 times in 6 hours, of course all starting in the middle of the night, in a hotel. We were worn thin and exhausted! Due to an event for Will's work here in town, they needed to change his flight leaving two days earlier than Mayla and me, I felt attacked and depleted. The thought of staying in Colorado with a very unstable child, a high risk pregnancy, and flying back home alone had us changing my flight asap to join Will Thursday night! Besides being exhausted, Mayla was WONDERFUL on Wednesday. Thursday demonic Mayla came out and she was a bear from the second she opened her eyes that day. Something was off, two and a half hours before we flew out, she let us know what the problem was, all over the parking lot of Will's work, Satan was back!!! We grabbed a bucket, changed clothes twice and got in the car for the airport, and the puking continued. We boarded the plane, rounded up all the puke bags, and the puking continued, along with the turbulence, I think I looked out the window at one point and saw Satan sitting on the wing to the aircraft shaking it, I wasn't amused. Pregnant, raging, hormonal Keri was about to burst out, and all I could do was weep, the tears flowed so fast and dripped onto Mayla and the car seat, she looked up at me with the most tender eyes ever and I reached over and held her tight as I told her I loved her and then baby Nani started to kick and the tears flowed faster! I pleaded with God and begged Him for a break, I yelled at Satan and told him what I thought of him. The road we are on is rocky, bumpy and filled with holes along the way to make us stumble. Satan is working over time in our lives and the battle is real, but he WILL NOT WIN! The ultimate victor is God! Satan, you're on the losing team, no matter what all star players you think you have picked!

A great friend of mine awhile back, advocated on our behalf, and organized for our home church, Ada Bible, to do an anointing over me and prayer for baby Nani and our family! The elders, women's ministry leader and myself all agreed on a date, we spread the word. We then re-spread the word when a new date needed to be picked as my husband was going to be out of town. It was one of those moments where I didn't understand why that needed to happen, I wasn't the most happy about it needing to be changed but just surrendered as God's timing is best (no not always easy, but he DID create the beautiful world we live in, so i'm assuming he knows what he's doing). The date selected was yesterday, one day before a HUGE doctor appointment that I have been waiting for since February 13th. I smile at God's timing, as we have had to change the ultrasound appointment 3 times as well and now for the ultrasound appointment to follow what took place yesterday I stand in awe. I had a nervous excitement flowing through my body as I woke yesterday, I am not one to like being put in the center, and when people are praying over you, and laying their hands on you, there's no way around being the center of attention, but yesterday was amazing, it was once again God at work, and me stepping back looking, watching, waiting in anticipation to see what he will do and boy did he move! The prayers, the support, the love, the closeness, the bonding, the presence of Jesus sitting with Mayla and I in the chair surrounded by so many who love us was humbling and breathtaking. As they were praying for me, I was praying for them! The moment was perfect, it was the most beautiful representation of God's love in human form, the church doing what God called the believers of the church to do. I felt comforted, at peace and wrapped in God's loving warm embrace. The chair took on the feeling of God's arms, embracing me as I wept. 

Yesterday we prayed for a miracle for baby Nani, but even if the news we get today from the ultrasound is not what we are hoping for, I will by no means think less of God. 

We humbly ask you to pray with us and for us during this extremely emotional day as I have a doctor appointment with my doctor at 10:30 and then another one with maternal fetal medicine at 1:00pm. We ask you to pray for our marriage that seems to be a highlight lately for Satan to attack, and when he doesn't succeed there, going for Mayla. Please pray for the doctors wisdom today and words as they share what they find with us and lastly for perseverance for us to continue running the race God has called us to run! We pray for you as well, that God would be real to you today and meet you where you need Him most. He cares about the birds, take comfort knowing despite what you are going through, he cares about you too and even knows the number of hairs you have on your head! 

If Papi was going to work in Colorado, so was Mayla

Spending some WONDERFUL time with Colorado friends playing outside with the hose

Thankful for the hotel swimming pool to pass some time.

 Mayla and I made the most of our limited 'healthy' time, and thanks to a WONDERFUL friend who lend us her car we were able to enjoy a bit of Colorado despite the drama!

Hours after she had finished throwing up she was trekking up a mountain. 

Had a joyous time hiking with my girls!

Mayla the stud photographer (who could barely hold the camera), capturing Mommy and baby Nani

Mayla LOVING Papi's new job surrounded by boats

What's it going to be?????

We sing for joy, and we praise the Lord that he knows what's best for our family! He WILL work all things for HIS good, and everything is done according to HIS timing! We submit. Each day Baby Nani is with us is a gift worth celebrating, every picture is a celebration of the life inside of me, every place we go, we take our special gift and try to make Baby Nani a part of our every day (not too hard with Mayla close by). Some days this is really tough, it's tough to fall more and more in love, and at the same time wonder. It's hard to fight the urge to put a guard up, and reserve love, but if I reserve the love for the one growing inside me, would that make more love for the next one? Absolutely not, It would be a robbery and so I freely give of what I have with no reservations but relinquishing control. 

In the Bible we read a prayer of a guy who comes to a great conclusion. I have read and re-read this bible verse over and over the past couple weeks and find great comfort in it. 

"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,

    and there are no grapes on the vines;

even though the olive crop fails,

    and the fields lie empty and barren;

even though the flocks die in the fields,

    and the cattle barns are empty,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord!

    I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!

The Sovereign Lord is my strength!

    He makes me as surefooted as a deer, 

    able to tread upon the heights." Habakkuk 3:17-19

18 Weeks (+)

BLUE OR PINK (REDish)

Baby NANI is a......

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Genetic testing results are in....

(Wrote majority of this Monday night)
We have been eating a LOT of ice cream lately at our house. Our freezer is constantly stocked with it and if we for some reason run out, Walgreens is close by. Ice cream has become late night therapy, right, wrong or otherwise, it's been happening and it's been yummy! I'm eating some now, not just any ice cream though, stracciatella gelato. Tonight, after everything that has happened, this splurge was well worth it.

I was talking with my uncle today and he reminded me of the verse "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him." Job 13:15 You ever watch one of those movies where someone is getting the snot beat out of them and they just lay there, surrendering but the hits keep coming....that's how I feel lately. I'm throwing up the white flag, waving it frantically back and forth, but the hits keep coming.

Fun started with Mayla on Thursday as she completely poohed through her outfit in the waiting room of the ENT's office, requiring a complete outfit change in the car, this was the beginning of her going down hill and a long day/night! Friday morning my heart was beating fast and a surge of emotions flooded me as I had reason to believe that we had Lost baby Nani which sent me in for an emergency heart beat check.  Turned out to be a false alarm and the heart beat was heard loud and clear. While there I also FINALLY got the genetic testing results back and out of the four that were scanned (it was by no means a full comprehensive test), they found NO abnormalities. PRAISE GOD!!!!! This was such a relief and answer to prayer! And yes, they did tell us the sex of the baby, but that news will have to wait a few more days;o) Saturday Mayla was on the upswing and I decided an outing to the local grocery store, Meijer, might bring some joy to our day, BOY WAS I WRONG!!! In line she had a MASSIVE diarrhea blow OUT, UP the back, OUT the pull up and down the seat of the cart onto none other than the toilet paper in the cart (and yes I tried to clean it as best as I could but this is ONE reason it's VERY important to always use the courtesy purel wipes they offer by the shopping carts..EEK). I was annoyed, stressed, frustrated and beyond broke by this point. Changing her in the car as she cried out to to me left me forgetting that she belongs to the Lord, and one angry mamma bear came raging out. I cried all the way home, begging God for forgiveness as I had been so angry with Him and BEGGING Him for a break from the beating! His answer was different than I wanted. Mayla started throwing up at 2:30 am Sunday morning and after 17 gut wrenching times of throwing a bucket in front of her face or sprinting to the bathroom with her, it finally stopped while we were at the Children's hospital in the early afternoon. She was limp, lifeless and laid motionless on the couch before we took her in, we had been kicking Satan out of our house, out of Mayla's room and for him to leave her with no answer. Will and I begged God to spare her and instead put it on one of us. As we were discussing this, we realized Mayla was our weakness, and Satan was trying to go through her to get to us. Seeing the look in her eyes every time she was throwing up was another blow to my side....Mayla showed some form of life today and the optimism returned, only to once more be beat down as the diarrhea increased late this afternoon and the fever returned just before putting her to bed! I sit here in tears, worn thin emotionally and spiritually drained. Those of you who feel helpless by only offering praying, I honestly feel like it's your prayers that are upholding us, and helping me get out of bed each morning, so thank you! The cards, texts, email's, messages, scriptures, and meals have meant more to us then you will ever know! It's hard to belief that this journey is only going to get tougher as the weeks go on.

In talking to many of you I have mentioned how I have a breaking point and some days I don't reach that point (I like those days), other days i'm broken from the moment I turn the light on to start the day. This song is close to my heart and literally on my mind daily...

Jermey Riddle. Sweetly Broken

To the cross I look, to the cross I cling
Of its suffering I do drink
Of its work I do sing

For on it my Savior both bruised and crushed
Showed that God is love
And God is just

Chorus:
At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered

What a priceless gift, undeserved life
Have I been given
Through Christ crucified

You've called me out of death
You've called me into life
And I was under Your wrath
Now through the cross I'm reconciled

Chorus:
In awe of the cross I must confess
How wondrous Your redeeming love and
How great is Your faithfulness

I've been drawn to my knees, and sweetly broken, but I cling to the cross and know that God is love and believe in his faithfulness. It could be easy to run from him, feeling let down, alone and lost, but I personally believe he wants all this to be a part of our story for a reason, He has NOT left me, He will NEVER leave me and just because life is hard doesn't mean He doesn't love me. Despite the pain, the trials, the sufferings, He has done more for me than I could ever comprehend, and for that I will never leave His side.

Silver lining of Mayla being sick, the snuggles

She's been so cold lately, we put her lion costume on (per her request) and snuggled up. 

YUMMY Gelato...

The battle....

(Started this blog friday night) 

I feel like writing to express and share so much, however when I just sat down on our comfy red couch to type, I just stared at this screen, my brain was working, sending signals but it was as if my hands were not able to respond, and here I sit in the darkness, feeling the bitter chill around me, not knowing where to start or what to say, but just sitting.......

That part was friday night, I was lost, frustrated, and more in the mood to scream then write, here we are Monday night and part of me still feels that same way. I knew this road would be tough, some times I feel I can plan for it, other times i'm caught off guard as if another arrow has been thrown at my chest, friday was one of those days! 

Friday my phone rang mid morning and seeing 'GYNO' pop across the screen actually left me nervous and smiling at the same time. It had been 8 days since I had the genetic blood test done, but to me, the difference from having it to when that phone call arrived, felt like weeks. With anticipation and apprehension in my voice I answered. I was a bit shocked to hear the same apprehension in the nurses voice. She started to apologize and I knew it was not good. I looked for a pen and headed for the nearest seat, figuring I would want to be seated for this. She proceeded with telling me that something went wrong at the lab and I needed to come back again for more blood work. WHAT?? WHY ME??? The first time was no fun, the waiting to hear was no fun, and now I was needing to go through it all again?! So, today was appointment number two for the blood work and I was only there 40 minutes for this process (GRRR)....The original nurse who called me back was a bit confused how to process some things and went for help. She THANKFULLY brought back the girl that originally took my blood, was I happy to see her. I am a nurses' WORST blood drawing nightmare with veins that are as thin as string, and tend to jump (yup mine can do that, talent I know). What you need to know about me at this point in time is that over the years, I have come to despise having blood drawn as it usually ends in both arms being used multiple times, moving the needle around and more pricks than should be allowed, followed by pain and bruising that lasts for days......and last time this girl that was now standing in front of me nailed it, so I was a bit relieved. She explained a few things to the other girl, gave me a nice frown face for having to be there again, and told me an interesting fact. I was her first 'ginny pig' when I originally had this test done a week and a half ago, however after me, she saw 4 more ladies that day for the same blood draw test. She then informed me that I was the only one that had come back in. I'm sure you can tell how much this comforted me!! She started the blood draw and I was relieved to see it pooling in the long tube, she filled the first one, then grabbed the second one, I continued to watch and was highly saddened when my vein just stopped 'pushing' out blood. It was like that vein was empty. She pulled the tube out, looked at it, then put it back in, waiting, watching, nothing was happening. She pulled it out again, looked at it and put it back in, this time moving the needle a little (yes, one of my least favorite moments) and still NOTHING! She pulled it out and said, 'this SHOULD be enough'. Instantly I was playing the next phone call over in my head that will probably be coming in about 9 days and I can picture it going a little something like this, 'Keri, it's Nancy from Dr. Lally's office, i'm really sorry but there was a problem with your lab work, there was not enough blood for them to do run your test and we need to have you back again'! HA! I may sound cynical here, but I am actually typing this with a smile on my face!!! Just trying to prepare...

I've been having up and down moments since Friday and a lot has taken place in my head. I feel like my left shoulder has been weighted down with this stupid little red dude, while my right shoulder has been lifted high with an angelic white man sitting on it. They have been battling it out,  all the while I feel like i'm watching a tennis match pinging back and forth. Recently I stumbled upon a verse that says, "Be happy in your hope. Do not give up when trouble comes. Do not let anything stop you from praying." Romans 12:12. This verse is powerful for the situation we find ourselves in right now, but also leads me to another one. "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT. These verses stop me DEAD in my tracks. The words ALWAYS, NEVER, and ALL are extremely powerful words. It does not say in either verse, if it's too hard you can quit, if it's too hard it means I don't love you, be joyful only when things are going your way and you're happy! NADA, not in there! So it begs the question, what situation in your life aren't you thankful for that maybe you should try being thankful for?? These are tough bible verses, I will be the first to admit that. I don't want to be joyful when I think of the possibility of only holding a dead baby and not a live one in my arms, I don't want to give thanks when I think of Mayla not being able to help me feed baby Nani a bottle, or change her diaper or witness her being an older sister to baby Nani. These thoughts hurt me at my core and cause me to weep. But some how through the tears, through the pain through the questions, I am thankful and I will be joyful. 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.' Proverbs 3:5 NLT. Through the pregnancy hormones, the growing belly, the questions, we will continue to submit and praise and stand back in awe of what He will do!

This thursday I will be approaching the 16 week mark, still a couple more weeks to go till we have another ultrasound, and it feels like forever far away as i'm longing to see the life growing inside me and fall more in love. The flutters are being felt and the 'normal pants' are starting to get really uncomfortable, all signs of growing life. At times I love the growing tummy, and majority of other times I have a hard time even looking in a mirror or putting on 'normal clothes. This is a huge difference from being pregnant with Mayla where I wanted the world to see I was pregnant and even jumped the gun on wearing maternity shirts. These things are all part of the battle that rages every day inside. 

Already in this short (but long) 6 week journey we have been given so many gifts and we thank you all for being a part of this story. Your cards, texts, emails, messages, dinners, hugs, thoughts and prayers have meant more to us than we will ever be able to convey. You have opened your arms, your hearts and even some of you, your homes to comfort us, not a single thing has gone un-noticed and some days I feel like it's you all who raise us up and help us to continue on. We appreciate you!

Baby Nani is still with us......

Some days I struggle with moving forward. I want to stay wrapped up in my favorite fleece orange super soft blanket and lay the day away. I want ice cream for breakfast, followed up by steaming hot chocolate with stiff peaks of whipped topping. I want to cry and mourn and escape my story by reading and rereading what others have been through and trying to forget about my heart ache for a while. Yesterday was just that day, I didn't want to leave the house and face what the day was going throw our way. I didn't want to make choices and I didn't want to have to think.

As I was sitting doing devo's yesterday morning, I was looking for a new spot in my journal to start journaling. As I turned page after page I stumbled upon baby number one's first and only ultrasound picture, I paused slowly, smiled inside, frowned inside, and carried on, not wanting to be bogged down with emotions and trying to stay focused I numbed my heart and turned the page. However, words on the next few pages were captivating me and holding me hostage, I felt like I was locked in, and unable to just 'pass by'. It was where Mayla's story had begun, with me journaling about the new found love that was growing inside me. It was a story of mending, I was once so broken and shattered and he gave us a gift of life again, after having taken the first. The words continued to flow from page to page and I continued to be allured! The reading/reflecting/remembering lasted way longer than I had time for and started to bring tears that, unbeknownst to me, would last the WHOLE day.

If you are one of the people I saw or talked to on the phone yesterday, you know what i'm talking about and I thought about apologizing here, but instead I want to say THANK YOU, thank you for your grace, and for being what I needed in that moment and for the way you handled me! I was utterly shocked many times I never heard a 'click' on the other end in between the sobs.

We had our follow up appointment with my doctor yesterday, first time seeing her since she had received the news. I don't know her well at all, and this was only my second time seeing her, so I really had NO idea what kind of mannerism to expect from her! I walked in with an open mind, and of course, crying. The nurse came and grabbed us, started asking questions and I wanted to leave. She was so upbeat and cheery and happy and then wham, our news. You could tell she was searching the digitized chart frantically, probably wondering the same thing I was...WHY ISN"T THERE A BIG RED FLAG ON THIS CHART TO WARN PEOPLE???!!!!!! Her next question was, 'have you decided what you are going to do?' Without hesitation I said, 'yes we are without a doubt keeping the baby'. She responded with 'Good for you!!" I will never forget those words. For the first time I felt like someone in the medical profession was giving us credit for doing the right thing! Not that I needed that, but it felt good! Moments later the doctor came in with the most empathetic look on her face and my heart was warmed. It was in times like that, I can imagine that being in her shoes is not a place she wants to be! We talked about a lot of things, and It was one of those times where sitting there, I thought to myself, 'is this really happening, are we really here talking about this? Are we already talking about the possibility of delivering a still born child??" We wanted to mourn, we wanted to mourn the dreams that won't come true, we wanted to mourn the heartbeat that we may some day never get to hold, we wanted to mourn at the thought of Mayla not being a big sister to this child that's growing inside. We wanted to mourn for the loss we felt, yet when we heard the heart beat we also wanted to celebrate. It was the gift of life growing inside and another opportunity to love like no other!  Baby Nani was with us another day, that's worth celebrating. God has every one of our days numbered it tells us in the bible. We don't know the number, and some times that's hard, but i'm glad because I want to keep living, loving, forgiving like it's the last.

Our OB doctor has had a LOT to live up to, since we feel like our Swiss doc was by far the nicest, best OB in the whole world. From day one the doctor here didn't stand much of a chance, but yesterday she won me over and I feel like I have one more friend. She really was at a loss yesterday, and even at one point in time, after staring at the computer screen for what seemed like hours without saying anything, pulled away, looked up at us and said, 'I know you guys know this, but it's really really just NOT FAIR, You have been through so much already with your last daughter, and now this!" By this time I was sobbing in the chair beside her and all I could do at that time was nod my head and agree. She was right, it's not fair, but by me complaining about it, or getting wrapped up in the fact that my close friend is pregnant due at almost the same time as me, or by dwelling on how we have been through enough, am I going to change reality? By no means! It would be so easy for me to play that game, the 'not so fair game' I call it! But I know where that would take me, down down down down. You would all be visiting me and baby Nani in a rest home, aka the funny farm. And honestly, I do struggle with this from time to time, the worst lately when I see pregnant ladies further along than me and think to myself, 'Is their baby healthy? I bet they have already picked out their 'going home outfit' and are able to hold tight to their dreams for their little one. I don't even think I will need a 'going home outfit', instead we will be going to the hospital wondering what we would burry our baby in and do they really make caskets for 6 lb, 19 inch babies?  Everyone has the opportunity to play the 'not so fair game' in life. We all have situations in life, big or small that we can apply this to, is it really worth it I ask you? Or is it better to surrender, realize you are not in control and find a way to be a better and bigger person for what you have been dealt?

We did genetic testing via my blood at the doctor as well; technology is crazy what they can learn from blood, we will actually get to find out the sex of the baby in about 7-10 days from them taking my blood....CRAZY! We are excited about this. It tests for 3 other genetic differences as well, and we have decided we will do further testing on baby Nani whenever God decides to take that life.

Each week I carry baby Nani, it's another week closer to full term, and another week stronger that baby Nani will get. A lot of you have asked,  "what's the chance you'll miscarry and what's the chance you will carry full term. Which is a great question. It's NO doubt that anencephaly will always be fatal, but i'm reading that the chances to be able to hold the baby in our arms is good! More pregnancies go full term than miscarry.

I struggle with balancing my emotions throughout a day and balancing my thoughts from mourning to celebrating. And I know as I get bigger this will only become more of a struggle. Being pregnant is not something I can hide, and strangers will soon start to notice and possibly even ask questions. I've already felt the tiny flutters of this beautiful life inside me and as we start to feel kicks, and see movement, it will no doubt be harder. Your prayers are felt, appreciated and welcomed more than we could possibly convey with our words!

13 weeks in this pic (and No I was not standing on a ledge here)

Still smiling, still loving, still laughing...

Baby Nani journey

The four days that have passed since we last wrote have seemed like weeks in our eyes. At times we are still in disbelief, other times we are worn thin and unable to even comprehend what’s happening.

Friday after our appointment we were scheduled to watch my sisters kids while she went out of town, we smile at God’s timing! Being with them gave Mayla playmates, allowing me to take in every text, every facebook message, every call, and every email and really feel the love and support around us. I was blown away by how fast people reached out, lifted us, spread the word to other prayer warriors they knew, and put us on church prayer lists. As I proceeded to read message after message, tears continued to flow down my cheeks, onto the laptop, and onto the counter. This story was becoming far more than Will, myself and baby Nani, it was starting to be about all you as well and about another little baby that came to this earth so many years ago.

Saturday we decided to try and make the day fun for the kids (and for us) and headed to the Detroit boat show, yes in that crazy snow storm. I was so torn on going, part of me wanted to stay in my baggy sweat pants, baggy sweat shirt, and just sit and sleep the day away, being responsible for no one or no thing. Another part of me wanted a distraction, to keep my mind busy on other things, and of course I knew my hubby would love it, along with Mayla who said, “yesch’ enthusiastically to seeing boats, we couldn’t deny that! We got in the car, prayed for our trip and explained to our little firecracker Mayla we would be in the car for a LONG LONG time (I had a rather big fear of this as she normally can’t even handle a 10 minute ride across town).

Mayla was an absolute rock star, a complete gift from God, and of course our niece and nephew were stellar too. Seeing boats, smelling boats, touching boats, watching a wakeboard show, and hearing the laughter and lightheartedness that took place inside that building was exactly what the doctor ordered. I felt exhausted, but carried in the palm of God’s hand, and knew we were right where God wanted us in that moment!

Summer time in the back seat, all smiles after the boat show

By Sunday night Will and I hadn’t uttered too many words to each other about what had taken place, and you could tell we were both in need of connecting and being raw with one another, so we called in my mom to help out with the munchkin while we went for some therapeutic donuts and steamy hot chocolate!   It was so refreshing to hear his thoughts and be real with the one who stays by my side in everything. We shed tears together, held each other, laughed together and prayed together. We had so many beautiful moments in those couple of hours, I really wish we could have recorded it and added it to our files to reflect back upon.

We sat, both of us somber, the distractions had slowed down and reality was hitting us, and we opened up.
We were in a state of mourning, as if we had been told we already lost our baby, but yet that was not the case. We were trying to figure out how to feel, what to feel and what this road would look like.

Monday morning I had to call the doctors office to inform them of our decision and get my appointment with the doctor moved up. I surprised myself when I completely held it together with the nurse as I uttered the words out loud, “our baby has anencephaly, we will continue to carry our baby for as long as God chooses’. The words flowed from my mouth as if I had been saying it for years, the peace was surprising, almost as if it wasn’t me but someone else talking! I had a few questions for the doctor, so the nurse said they would get back to me after they talked with her. Ten minutes later my phone rang and to my surprise it was my doctor herself calling to apologize and see how I was doing. Normally this alone would open up the tear ducts, but that same peace flooded over me again. The Doctor asked once again, ‘are you really sure you want to continue on with this pregnancy?’ I didn’t hesitate and replied, ‘my husband and I recognize this baby as a real life from God and will continue on as long as He chooses!’ She paused for what seemed like awhile and then said, ‘ok’.  My one big question to her was what would a miscarriage look like at this time and second question, would I be able to pack my bags and continue on the planned Phoenix trip we had scheduled for the next day! She gave me the green light and it was then I wanted to cry and jump up and down at the same time! We scheduled an appointment for three days after I arrive back. We will be doing the blood genetic testing via me at that time and discussing the pregnancy overall.

Monday night we were just putting Mayla to bed when we heard an unusual beeping in the house somewhere. Will ran through the upstairs not finding anything and then it hit us, DOWNSTAIRS! For Christmas, as a random stocking stuffer, I had purchased a water leak alarm for our basement…that thing WORKS (can be purchased at Ace Hardware, highly recommend it, in no way am I affiliated with them). It was like a dam had opened up in our hot water heater and water was pooling fast in the basement! Mayla was thrown in bed (literally) and we went to work at 8pm at night; just what our weary, worn out, exhausted, not-packed bodies felt like doing! We left home yesterday and headed for Chicago for the night and boy was our basement spotless...My grandma would be proud!

Staying in Chicago for the night before our flight left today was the right idea. We only traveled in part of a snow storm and got to spend an amazing almost 3 hours with friends we have not seen since we left Switzerland two years ago.  Thankful for that time we had with them is an understatement, once again healing and refreshing and a gift from God!

Warmth and Sunshine here we come.

Right now I’m sitting on a plane next to the love of my life heading to Phoenix, Arizona. Will has a work thing for 2.5 days and I will be in the company of some extremely close friends, more like family! The thought of that coupled with the sunshine and warmth puts a smile on my face! We will return Monday night back to the tundra. This trip couldn’t have been timed better, and once again we smile at God and say thank you!

A lot of you have been sending messages not really knowing what to say, that’s ok, we don’t know what to say either, but we love the messages and knowing you are praying and thinking of us means the world to us. At times I feel like it’s not my energy that’s keeping me going, but all of your energy and prayers for me that keep me lifted up and able to continue on! Mayla is a good distraction for me too, and I feel like this has left me wanting to be a better parent to her, she’s a gift and one I feel some times I take for granted, I’m working on that and my prayer is that no matter what happens with baby Nani, I continue striving to be the best for Mayla. She already has a unique bond with this baby and once again in the middle of dinner Monday night, unsolicited by anything we said, Mayla decided Baby Nani needed some prayers! And so we put down our forks and prayed!

Since the first time Mayla called baby Nani by name, I had been meaning to look up the origin of that name, and in the times I thought about doing it, the timing was never right. Praising God for a friend who felt led to look it up for us and message us the meaning. Depending on the origin it either means Grace or Beauty. We were blown away when I read those words and speechless! We couldn’t have come up with better names ourselves for the life growing inside! God’s grace is abundant, and undeserved…His grace is new every morning!! No matter the path God takes our family on, life is beautiful and it’s a gift. Many times I wrestle with the idea of going through a whole 9 months of pregnancy carrying a baby we have heard is not compatible with life, and possibly losing it when it’s minutes old and those thoughts hurt, or losing it just days away from 9 months. Other times I’m thankful for each day I get this gift of life growing inside me and I’m thankful God chose Will and I to be parents of this little one, no matter what that looks like! So far I’ve been told this pregnancy is different than majority of every other females, and for days I believed that and was burned by it..but really is it? Did any female out there really know what the outcome of her pregnancy was going to be? No. So despite knowing some things about the pregnancy, it’s the same, I act the same, I eat the same, I treat my body the same, and I love the same, like it’s the last day!