32 Weeks

We had a doctor's appointment again yesterday/today. We're 32 weeks! The picture of the baby is a little fuzzy as she was upside down and it was difficult to get a good picture. Upon seeing the ultrasound scans, the doctor is a little concerned about the baby's growth rate. She's just a little underweight at 3 lbs 8 oz (yet body is long), but they are more concerned with the low level of amniotic fluid. For precautionary measure, they want to check for two things - Either she may just be a small baby, long and lean without a lot of fat on her right now, but still growing at a steady rate. Or, she may have IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restriction) which means she's stopped growing. They are sending us to a specialist to determine further details. If she is simply a small baby, then we'll proceed as planned and she'll probably be born the end of June. If it's IUGR and she's not growing enough in utero, then they'll deliver her sooner and let her grow in the NICU. Until she is born, we'll have two ultrasounds each week to monitor her. Thank the Lord that we're already at 32 weeks and I've had four steroid shots now that will make her lungs good and strong! Please pray that the baby continues to grow and that the tests show promising/positive results. We thank you so much for your continued prayer...we are truly grateful. So, we may be a little low on energy right now, but our high hope never wavers and we're confident + optimistic that all will turn out just fine.

(We see the Maternal-Fetal Specialist (Perinatologist) on Friday and get the results back on Monday. We'll have two more ultrasounds next Tuesday and Friday as well. We'll post updates as we receive.)

Memorial Day Weekend

Although it was a rainy weekend here, we enjoyed a great cookout on Memorial Day. Micheala/Brent, Tana/Mark/Hayden, and Katie Henderson came over to celebrate. Micheala and Brent were in town visiting! They used to live in Houston and now live in Oklahoma. Micheala was in our wedding...and so was Tana...and Katie/Dan flew in for it, too! It was great getting together and catching up. And, even more fantastic news, is that Micheala/Brent are expecting this December! Pic: Micheala, Tana, me and Katie.

Welcome!

We felt it would be a good idea to post all of our pictures and updates in one centralized location for our family and friends who live across the country. We hope you enjoy!

About our Blessing

A couple years ago, we felt that it was time to start a family. Well, as time passed, a pregnancy seemed almost impossible. But, our hope for a child and trust in God and His faithfulness only grew. With guidance from our doctors and much prayer, we decided to try IVF…and it worked!

The Lord says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”. And that’s exactly what has happened - His power was made perfect in our weakness and struggle. We asked Him, in faith, never doubting that He would grant the desire of our hearts. We didn’t know how…but just knew that He would…in some way.

Praise God! He has blessed us with a little baby girl and we couldn’t be more thrilled. We are truly thankful.

Growing Baby Video

30 Weeks Old

We had our next check up today and all is well. We received some interesting news that we weren’t aware of…here’s the game plan: At 32 weeks, we’ll get two more steroid shots that will promote lung development. At 36 weeks (end of June), the doctor will remove the cerclage (stitch). The doctor said she’ll have me walk around for 30 minutes and if I dilate any, we’ll go ahead and have the baby THAT DAY. Wow. If there is no change, then I’ll be sent home…to wait…like a ticking time bomb. Nice. And after the first contraction, I was told to head straight to the hospital because the baby will come quickly. Hmm, good to know. OK, I’m not a nature-loving bohemian…I don’t want to have this baby at home. I like machines, I like technology, I like hospitals. Well, guess we’re headed for another adventure. Anything different would just be abnormal.

28 Weeks Old

We had a check up today and received a good report. Baby is growing on target and is doing well. During the ultrasound, we were told she now weighs 2 ½ pounds and that she has long legs. I also received two steroid shots this week that will help prevent bleeding of the brain if she’s born early, and will help promote lung development.

April Shower

Our work + church friends threw us a fabulous baby shower! It was so much fun and everyone was so generous. We had a great time!

My parents were able to come down and visit as well, which was wonderful. They were so nice to give us a video camera!

Nursery

It’s coming along, slowly but surely! Our furniture won’t arrive until the end of June.

Elaine & Dixon's Visit

Mark’s mom and dad came to visit us the middle of April. It was wonderful to have them here. They helped out with many home-improvement projects. And it was so nice of them to buy us a baby bassinet! The best part was watching Mark and his dad put it together…it pays to read the instructions first, we learned.

Thank You!!

My Charlotte girlfriends sent us our Schwinn jogging stroller!! We were so excited! OK, no excuse not to get back in shape…

Bed Rest

Due to some complications, I was put on full time bed rest at 23 ½ weeks pregnant (March 30)…to try to keep this lil’ one inside as long as possible. Whoever said this is a vacation is WRONG! Believe me, the notoriety wears off after a couple days. Many things have changed…I can no longer work and needed to temporarily quit my job working with HP. This is definitely a test of patience. Our friends have been extremely generous to us. Since the beginning of April, they’ve organized dinners for us every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!! It’s such a huge help, especially when Mark travels and works long hours. Several people have also sent fantastic care packages. We’re so blessed to have such great friends who care for us. We thank you!!

Sarah's Visit

At the end of March, my sister Sarah came to visit over her Spring Break! It was so fun to have her here. We saw Cirque du Soleil, shopped for nursery furniture and bedding, and painted the nursery. Actually, she pretty much painted it all herself – she was awesome! We had a great time together.

Also, Mark competed in his first quarter Iron Man triathlon. He did so well and absolutely loved it.