23 weeks!

Upate on Baby Paisley

We had another ultrasound today and the news was very positive. Baby Paisley is growing right on schedule and is over a pound. Paisley is either shy or just flat out un-cooperative. The tech tried very hard to get a shot of Paisley's face but he/she kept a little hand covering it about the entire time. We did get a couple of shots of Paisley's mug as you can see in the photos. We think Paisley's pretty cute but we may be a little biased.

Paisley is a very active baby, moving all around. While that made it hard for Dr. Farkouh to get a good look, she said that a baby that is that active is clearly very healthy. The Omphalocele has not changed. It should continue to stay about the same size while the baby grows which is normal. The good news is that the abdomen (while missing the intestines, stomach, and liver which are outside the body in the sac) is the size of a normal baby's abdomen. The abdomen is growing correctly and that is good news because it will make the surgery easier. We'll find out more on Tuesday when we meet the surgeon.

A great moment during the ultrasound was seeing Paisley kick out a little foot and I felt it! It's been hard for me to imagine what Paisley has been doing in there that I keep feeling all these little bubbles and thumps. But now I know this kid is in training to be a soccer star or dancer! It was such a blessing to see a smile of our Doctor's face. She is very encouraged and so are we. I'm so grateful to God all of the blessings he has given us. It's hard to even fully express the overwhelming feeling of gratitude. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and love.

We had a wonderful weekend with the Smith-Nichols-Nickerson clan up at Beaver Creek. Thank you for everything Kathy & Mark!! It was great to get out of town and spend time with good friends. Mitch got in some "Dad" practice playing with Eli (6), Grady (18 months) and Ava (7 weeks). He's a natural.

Congrats Aunt Anne!

I have to let you know that my Anne Cloud will no longer be working at MINE LLC but is moving to a new job at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Anne and I have worked together for about 3 years here, and her impact on my life - every day - is huge. Her friendship is a blesssing I can't even express. I'm celebrating with her through tears of joy (and a few of sadness). Congrats Aunt Anne! Mitch, Baby Paisley and I love you.

March 9

I didn't realize how much getting good news can take it out of you. I was emotionally exhausted this weekend after finding out that the baby has no problems other than the Omphalocele. Now it's kind of like, what's next? Set up the baby's room? Try to do some 'normal' getting ready for the baby to be here things? I ask you, what is normal? ;-)

I haven't been able to predict anything that has happened in the past 20 weeks, so I've given up trying! What am I smiling about today? Last night Mitch felt the baby move. The baby is definitely staying busy in there.

Jack & Ginny can't wait to meet the baby too

Can't you tell how excited they are?

March 5 Update

We are smiling & praising God! Today's doctor appointment seemed like a totally different experience from our last one...

4 weeks ago...

Four weeks ago we were told that our baby had an Omphalocele (a midline defect in which bowel, liver, and possibly other organs form outside of the abdomen in a sac due to a defect in the muscle of the abdominal wall). We were also told that the baby could have a cleft palate and a club foot. All those indications combined led our doctor to believe that the baby's condition was very serious and possibly had a condition that was not conducive to life outside of the womb. Those were probably some of the hardest words Mitch and I have ever heard.

Dr. Farkouh told us to prepare for very bad news from the results of the amniocentesis. To say that we were devastated is an understatement. Three days later Dr. Farkouh called with the best news we have ever received - the amnio was normal which means the baby does not seem to have any chromosomal abnormalities which would prevent it from surviving outside of the womb. The course of action was to see us again in 4 weeks - after the baby had gotten bigger and see how things were looking.

Today...

That brings us to today. Mitch and I prayed this morning (what we have prayed for the past 4 weeks) for a miracle. Dr. Farkouh told us today that our baby does not have a club foot or a cleft palate (hurrah!!). The defect (omphalocele) is very large. The liver is outside of the baby's body (enclosed in the sac along with the intestines and bowel) and that is not a good thing. The good news is the heart looks great (heart defects are often associated with Omphaloceles). The plan is to schedule a Cesarean birth appx two weeks before my due date of July 26. A planned Cesarean is necessary to keep the baby safe and in a controlled, sterile environment. After that a surgeon will perform surgery on the baby to put the intestines, liver, and bowel back where it is supposed to be.

So blessed...

We feel very blessed. The baby was moving all over the place, very active, strong heart beat, playing with it's "soccer ball" (that's how the doctor lovingly referred to the Omphalocele). We are at an excellent hospital with excellent doctors and surgeons. Hearing that our baby's defect is surgical is truly a blessing (I would never have imagined I would feel that way). God has given us a tremendous sense of peace in this entire situation. He has given us the gift of surrendering our precious baby's life to Him. We could not have done any of it without your prayers and support.

In the next few weeks...

So in the next few weeks, we will talk to a surgeon that will operate on the baby's defect after it is born. We will also see a neo-natalogist. These two should answer a lot of questions that we have (like when will the surgery be performed; how long will the baby be in the hospital; what kind of short term and long term problems might the baby have will we be able to hold the baby when it is born; and that's just a start).

Mitch and I have just begun to learn that no circumstance is too big for God. Defects and surgeries and complications seem daunting to us, but not to God. We will continue to walk in faith each day. Thanks for walking with us.

I will keep updating the blog and let you know more soon.

All our love,

Kari, Mitch, and Baby Paisley