Charlotte Nov 23rd Ultrasound

Nov 23rd, 2011

Today we drove to Oakland to see a specialist for another ultrasound. Debbie came down from Utah to be with me, and Anthony was there too.

Without doing the amnio, they can’t completely rule out Down syndrome. But I just can’t risk her life for a test. The miscarriage risk was quoted at 3–5%, around a 1 in 200–300 chance. Since we already know we are keeping her no matter what, there just didn’t seem to be a point in putting her through that risk.

There are other risks too — preterm labor, infection, loss of fluid — and honestly it all terrified me.

I talked to people at church, and Anthony and I both fully agreed it just wasn’t worth it. The doctors, on the other hand, didn’t completely agree. They wanted a clearer picture of what they might be working with.

But me? I just wanted to protect my baby.

The good news is her heart looked AMAZING. Right off the bat, that was my number one worry. My Aunt Tammy had Down syndrome and passed away because of complications with her enlarged heart and other medical issues. So hearing that our baby girl’s heart looked healthy felt like a huge win for us.

There was one soft marker they questioned — the measurement between the back of her neck and head. Hers measured 5.5 and normal was considered 6. But honestly, I decided I’m not going to spend the rest of this pregnancy worrying about numbers.

In about three and a half months I get to hold my little girl, and deep down I just feel like everything is going to be alright.

Watching her on the ultrasound today was such a gift. Seeing her kick and flip all around… she is SO active already, and I love her so much. We even got to see her little face in 3D. She looked so tiny. Her little feet and hands were the cutest thing ever. I seriously cannot wait to hold her in my arms.

As soon as Christmas and Zack’s baptism are over, I’ll start focusing more on getting ready for her arrival. I actually bought her very first little outfit this weekend, and I already can’t wait to buy more. But Christmas comes first… hopefully Anthony gets some more work before then.

While my aunt was here, she brought her Old Navy cash with her, and we were able to get the kids some much-needed clothes for Christmas. I got about $250 worth of clothes for half the price, and I was SO thankful that she let me use her rewards! She also bought the kids a few toys from Toys “R” Us.

For the first time in awhile, I don’t feel quite as stressed about Christmas. There are still a few things I want to get for the boys, but I still have about five weeks to figure it out.

I seriously cannot believe it’s Thanksgiving week already.

Where does the time go?