Olive’s Blog

The first image that came up on the monitor showed lots of darkness surrounding Baby, which is the amniotic fluid… EVIDENCE OF KIDNEYS!!!!!!! We were immediately being put at ease and able to actually enjoy the experience! The radiologists found everything that they wanted to, all major organs, including two healthy, functioning kidneys, and all extremities, as far as could be assessed via ultrasound. Since everything seems to be healthy as hoped, we kept with our plan to keep Baby’s gender a Christmas surprise (due date is 12/28!), although the radiologist said it was obvious to her. =)  We may even go forth with our desire for a home birth… we’ll see!

This feels like the beginning of a new pregnancy. I’ve already noticed a change in Colby in how he’s now allowing himself to get excited about Baby. And in perfect timing, he got to feel this baby move for the very first time last night as we were falling asleep.

Now for a sneek peek:

Baby’s profile with hand up to mouth and knee bent…

Profile of Baby’s face:

Profile of Baby’s face with mouth open, swallowing fluid, which technically is pee…. Let me help you understand the beauty of this…. Baby uses kidneys in order to pee, creating the amniotic fluid, which surrounds and protects him/her. Baby then swallows and practices “breathing” the fluid, which continues the process, meanwhle developing Baby’s lungs for life outside my womb. Since Olive did not develop kidneys, she was unable to creat fluid to help in the development of her lungs. And that is why this sonogram of Baby swalloing its own pee is such a beautiful thing. =)

Thanks everybody for your encouraging emails and phone calls, and especially for joining with us to pray for this baby until he or she is safely in our arms… (Then we’ll really need to start praying!)

This pregnancy has understandably brought on many recollections of all that we had recently been through, but most of all, it has been very healing for me. I’ve been forced to shift my focus to the future. A brand new soul brews in my belly! A little sister or brother for Reid and Olive. I feel sooooo blessed.

After our eyes have been forced open to the evil that steals life and joy, our experience with this pregnancy is no longer the blissful, innocent experience that it should be. We have our ultraound this Tuesday where, instead of being excited about the opportunity to peer in on this new life and potentially get a sneak peek on whether I’m carrying a baby boy or girl, we are battling nerves and fears of hope for a healthy baby. I’ve chosen to simply not worry, though. My worries or fears will not change any outcome, nor will any outcome influence our decision to carry this baby as nature allows. So, I choose not to worry and I choose to hope.

Please hope and pray with us for kidneys and all other parts that make a healthy baby! The ultrasound is this Tuesday at 1:30. We’ve opted to have a level two ultrasound, which takes extra time to check on each organ in better detail. I’m not nervous right now, but I imagine we will be as we drive to the doctor’s office, as I lie on the table, as the doctor stares at a monitor for what will probably seem like an eternity before saying anything. Adding to the sense of deja vu is the fact that this pregnancy is only one week earlier this year than my pregnancy with Olive was last year. (If you look at the very first entry to this blog, you will see that this ultrasound with Olive took place on August 13th, while this one is taking place on August 12th.) So, please pray for baby and for continued peace for us. Thank you!!

Here we are during our recent mini-vacation to Vegas.  Check out the new belly!