"Do you not know? Have you heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:28-31
We are so blessed to be under the wings of our Mighty God. The past weeks have gone quickly and God has provided peace for us while awaiting the results of the amnio that was done on January 19th. We were able to speak with the genetic counselor at length today and given our results. She started off by saying that all of the results are in and final. She said that all the results are normal and the baby does NOT have any chromosomal disorders!!! This news was such a relief and almost surreal. What a blessing that we see as a miracle. We were told by both sets of doctors and nurses that we had a 75% chance of miscarriage and chromosomal disorder. Our journey with the medical community has not been easy. We have been told over and over again things like, "when we terminate" and "when we lose the baby." It has been difficult to just trust God with each day we have with the baby. Making through the first hurdle of being clear on chromosomal level is such a blessing, so wonderful, that we could never describe it or thank God enough. Your prayers and encouraging notes and calls have encouraged us so much to keep going, to keep trusting God. The counselor spent some time explaining more about the cystic hygroma on our baby. She looked in the chart and compared the notes from both ultrasounds. When measuring the hygroma, they measure the thickest part, not the length. Our first measurement was 11.2mm and at the second it was 18.5mm, which means it is growing. At this point, we just wait and pray that it will resolve. We do still, however, need to rule out more things to see what could be causing this issue in our baby. We were told that with a cystic hygroma they have "brackets" that the pregnancy is put it. Low risk, high risk, etc. The highest bracket is anything 6.5mm or larger. Since ours measured 18.5mm we are considered on the extremely high risk level. Of course she gave us her percentages and said we still have a 50% chance of miscarrying anytime for the remainder of the pregnancy. We are choosing not to focus on that and are just thankful for each day.
What's next:
We have the option of doing genetic test that only looks for 5 specific genetic diseases when there are hundreds of possibilities. We are leaning towards not doing this test, as we can find most of the answers as the pregnancy progresses through ultrasounds, and the test is not very conclusive. An ultrasound is scheduled for this Monday morning to do a quick check on heart tones and to measure the cystic hygroma. For the remainder of the pregnancy we will be followed closely by ultrasounds. The specialist will be measuring the hygroma and watching the baby's organs as they get bigger. As we progress there will be specific ultrasounds that are done at certain weeks of the pregnancy. We appreciate and covet your continued prayers for this precious life that God has blessed us with. We will rejoice in everyday that we are given with this child.
Here is the best news that we found out today. We are having another daughter!!! Her name is Hope Asaiah which means: trust in the future Yahweh has made. God had given us this name months ago (about 3 months before we knew we were going to have another baby) and we are confident in who we can place our trust in! Now we can specifically pray for Hope by name!!!
Much love,
Andy and Jenn
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Encouragement
"He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." Job 9:10
This verse brings me so much peace and encouragement. I am so thankful for God's Word. During this trial friends and family have blessed us with verses that have been so helpful. It feels like loving arms being wrapped around us. We would like to share the verses that we have been blessed with as encouragement. We pray they will bless you as they have blessed us.
This verse brings me so much peace and encouragement. I am so thankful for God's Word. During this trial friends and family have blessed us with verses that have been so helpful. It feels like loving arms being wrapped around us. We would like to share the verses that we have been blessed with as encouragement. We pray they will bless you as they have blessed us.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Amnio Update
We are continually humbled by your prayers, love and support. We continue to pray for our unborn gift, that God’s Mighty Healing Hands will touch him/her.
On Tuesday morning we had the amniocentesis. I will be honest, I was VERY nervous. The thought of a six inch needle going into my belly right where my baby is that is already struggling was not very appealing. Tuesday morning I woke up early and went straight to the Word. I put on some praise music as I got ready and just uttered little prayers as best as I could. I packed a bag with two Bibles, a devotional and all the cards that you wonderful people have sent us. We got to the office in plenty of time and started the check in process. It looked like we were not going to have to wait long and then a little snag. They had to draw my blood and run it stat before the amnio to make sure everything was ok. I thought, ugh more time to sit and have too much time in my own head and thoughts. I went to my bag of goodies and just spread it all on my lap. I looked up the Scriptures from the cards, I spent a lot of time in Isaiah and just meditating on His Truth’s. As I was reading an overwhelming sense of peace washed over me and I was ready. I actually stood up because I just knew, God was with me and just then the nurse called my name.
In the room the technician started with the ultrasound to make sure my body was ok to have the procedure. The doctor came in and he took over the ultrasound. The nurse prepared my tummy and we all got ready. When Andy grabbed my hand another wave of peace and comfort came over me and I was actually able to goof off with the doctor and relax my stomach muscles. The procedure itself was shockingly not horrible. The blood draw beforehand was ten times worse! The contractions that I have had after have been very painful and exhausting. But that is to be expected. As far as the amnio itself we will not have the results for 7-10 business days. When we get the results we will be able to make a, “what to do next” list. As far as the baby the hygroma has not gotten any bigger. That is a praise! The doctor said that a couple of things can happen.
· The hygroma will continue to grow as the same proportion of the baby. If that happens it will eventually cause the baby to go into cardiac arrest.
· The hygroma could “resolve”, he didn’t really lean towards this one! But we would like too!!!
For now we just wait until the results come in. This part for me personally is trying. A part of me wants to know if our baby has a chromosome disorder, and another part of me does not. But, I know that God is totally in control and as we have been reminded over and over He has already numbered this child’s days.
We ask that you continue to lift our child up to the Lord. We know He is moving in our lives and Andy and I are SO thankful. I have included a picture of our blessing that was done this past Tuesday. It is a very good picture of the cystic hygroma. (we don’t have a scanner, sorry!) When looking at the picture the baby’s head is on the right and then the body going to the left. The hygroma starts in the middle of the baby’s forehead and goes to the baby’s back. Two weeks ago it went to the base of the tail bone, this one showed it only went a little past the shoulders. That is very encouraging to us. It also wasn’t as wide. The last was double the size of the baby’s head width. Now it doesn’t seem to be as wide. I am hopeful!!! One thing we have learned is that the hygroma is not something that is not growing on the outside of the baby. This is actually under the baby’s skin and his/her skin is being stretched out to that size. That is a very hard thing for Andy and I to swallow.
Again, thank you for lifting this child and pregnancy up in prayer. Thank you for praying for Elisabeth, Nathan, Hannah and Benjamin. Their worlds have also been rocked. It is hard for them to have mommy on the couch all day long. We know that God is protecting their hearts.
We love you all,
Andy and Jenn
On Tuesday morning we had the amniocentesis. I will be honest, I was VERY nervous. The thought of a six inch needle going into my belly right where my baby is that is already struggling was not very appealing. Tuesday morning I woke up early and went straight to the Word. I put on some praise music as I got ready and just uttered little prayers as best as I could. I packed a bag with two Bibles, a devotional and all the cards that you wonderful people have sent us. We got to the office in plenty of time and started the check in process. It looked like we were not going to have to wait long and then a little snag. They had to draw my blood and run it stat before the amnio to make sure everything was ok. I thought, ugh more time to sit and have too much time in my own head and thoughts. I went to my bag of goodies and just spread it all on my lap. I looked up the Scriptures from the cards, I spent a lot of time in Isaiah and just meditating on His Truth’s. As I was reading an overwhelming sense of peace washed over me and I was ready. I actually stood up because I just knew, God was with me and just then the nurse called my name.
In the room the technician started with the ultrasound to make sure my body was ok to have the procedure. The doctor came in and he took over the ultrasound. The nurse prepared my tummy and we all got ready. When Andy grabbed my hand another wave of peace and comfort came over me and I was actually able to goof off with the doctor and relax my stomach muscles. The procedure itself was shockingly not horrible. The blood draw beforehand was ten times worse! The contractions that I have had after have been very painful and exhausting. But that is to be expected. As far as the amnio itself we will not have the results for 7-10 business days. When we get the results we will be able to make a, “what to do next” list. As far as the baby the hygroma has not gotten any bigger. That is a praise! The doctor said that a couple of things can happen.
· The hygroma will continue to grow as the same proportion of the baby. If that happens it will eventually cause the baby to go into cardiac arrest.
· The hygroma could “resolve”, he didn’t really lean towards this one! But we would like too!!!
For now we just wait until the results come in. This part for me personally is trying. A part of me wants to know if our baby has a chromosome disorder, and another part of me does not. But, I know that God is totally in control and as we have been reminded over and over He has already numbered this child’s days.
We ask that you continue to lift our child up to the Lord. We know He is moving in our lives and Andy and I are SO thankful. I have included a picture of our blessing that was done this past Tuesday. It is a very good picture of the cystic hygroma. (we don’t have a scanner, sorry!) When looking at the picture the baby’s head is on the right and then the body going to the left. The hygroma starts in the middle of the baby’s forehead and goes to the baby’s back. Two weeks ago it went to the base of the tail bone, this one showed it only went a little past the shoulders. That is very encouraging to us. It also wasn’t as wide. The last was double the size of the baby’s head width. Now it doesn’t seem to be as wide. I am hopeful!!! One thing we have learned is that the hygroma is not something that is not growing on the outside of the baby. This is actually under the baby’s skin and his/her skin is being stretched out to that size. That is a very hard thing for Andy and I to swallow.
Again, thank you for lifting this child and pregnancy up in prayer. Thank you for praying for Elisabeth, Nathan, Hannah and Benjamin. Their worlds have also been rocked. It is hard for them to have mommy on the couch all day long. We know that God is protecting their hearts.
We love you all,
Andy and Jenn
We are very appreciative of the love, prayer, and support we have received the past few weeks from all of you. The number of emails and phone calls is overwhelming and encouraging, and many of you have asked for more updates. We humbly send this note out to update you on Jenn and the baby.
Jenn is resting as much as possible. If she stands too long or moves too much, she cramps and feels miserable the rest of the day. She spends all day resting, which is fine with me and the kids, because we want Jenn and the baby to be healthy.
We have the amniocentesis scheduled on the 19th at 8am to provide us with more information regarding chromosomal abnormalities. I would love your prayers for that test specifically for the safety of the baby and for Jenn’s nerves and safety during the test.
My other babies, Elisabeth 9, Nathan 7, Hannah 5, and Ben 3, are wonderful, and they have handled the time without Mommy as well as possible. We have been able to do some homeschool again and are hopeful the cold snap is over here in Knoxville so they can get outside for some play time. Please pray for our kids in that they have all the love and attention they need.
My workplace has been very supportive and giving, allowing me time to do what I need for my family. Cornestone Church has covered us in love and support with meals and child care. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Our perspective is this. God is very kind to us. Each day that Jenn carries the baby is a blessing to us. Each day that I get to huddle close with my wife and kids is a blessing. I know we are all precious to Him. (we are officially 14 weeks along!)
Please pray for the people of Haiti. We know nothing of pain and suffering. I cannot imagine being there, losing family and friends and having my country completely devastated.
God bless you guys,
The Prices
Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. (One day at a time!)
Jenn is resting as much as possible. If she stands too long or moves too much, she cramps and feels miserable the rest of the day. She spends all day resting, which is fine with me and the kids, because we want Jenn and the baby to be healthy.
We have the amniocentesis scheduled on the 19th at 8am to provide us with more information regarding chromosomal abnormalities. I would love your prayers for that test specifically for the safety of the baby and for Jenn’s nerves and safety during the test.
My other babies, Elisabeth 9, Nathan 7, Hannah 5, and Ben 3, are wonderful, and they have handled the time without Mommy as well as possible. We have been able to do some homeschool again and are hopeful the cold snap is over here in Knoxville so they can get outside for some play time. Please pray for our kids in that they have all the love and attention they need.
My workplace has been very supportive and giving, allowing me time to do what I need for my family. Cornestone Church has covered us in love and support with meals and child care. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Our perspective is this. God is very kind to us. Each day that Jenn carries the baby is a blessing to us. Each day that I get to huddle close with my wife and kids is a blessing. I know we are all precious to Him. (we are officially 14 weeks along!)
Please pray for the people of Haiti. We know nothing of pain and suffering. I cannot imagine being there, losing family and friends and having my country completely devastated.
God bless you guys,
The Prices
Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. (One day at a time!)
First Ultrasound
Thank you all so much for your prayers, love, concern, food, and care during Jenn’s pregnancy. We need your prayers more than ever right now.
Today Jen n had her first regular ultrasound with our new OB. We brought along Elisabeth so she could see the baby and enjoy the experience. During the ultrasound, the technician became very quiet and told us that a nurse would normally review the ultrasound with us, but she found something of concern and our doctor would need to review the ultrasound with us. One hour later we are sitting in our OB ’s office and he gently but firmly informed us that the baby has an abnormality and very serious condition and that we needed to see a specialist immediately. Dr McCollum told us that our baby has a cystic hygroma. While we were sitting at his desk he called the specialist and told them we were coming. We tried our best to not let on too much in front of Elisabeth. Our wonderful friend Anne Graves dropped everything and raced to ParkWest hospital to pick up Elisabeth so we could go to the specialist alone.
We drove across Knoxville to the UT Medical Center and waited anxiously to see the perinatologist. We prayed and talked and cried due to the sudden news and the unknown as we waited for about 2 more hours. While waiting, a friend sent Psalm 139 to my iphone to remind us of God’s sovereignty and how He knew us while we were yet in our mother’s womb. God is in control. We need to cling to that chapter and God’s faithful word. He loves us.
The technician at the specialist’s office performed a preliminary ultrasound and didn’t say much. The doctor finally came in and started his ultrasound and immediately became concerned. He found a large cyst growing on our baby’s head that has grown all the way down the length of our baby’s body. He told us right away that our baby had a serious condition and began listing the potential issues and concerns. I don’t want to confuse the issues, so I will list them below.
Diagnosis:
Part 1- Part 1 is a for sure thing. The baby has a cystic hygroma, which is a cyst full of lymphatic fluid, growing the full length of its body. The width is the same size as the baby’s head which really alarmed the doctor. The visual of our little baby was just about more than Jen n and I could absorb.
Part 2- Within the cyst there is another growth that is associated with a 75% chance of the baby having a chromosome abnormality. We need more testing on this part to determine what and if there is a chromosome abnormality.
Preliminary prognosis:
The doctor was very honest about our baby’s issues. History shows that babies with this size cyst usually miscarry at some point during the pregnancy. He also said that even if we do deliver the baby, it will not be healthy and will more than likely face a myriad of health issues and probably a very short life span. He asked us more than once if we would consider aborting the baby, but we are determined to let God determine the outcome of our baby’s life. The list of potential syndromes and disorders and the treatments and dangers of each is just too much to list
We met with the genetic counselor and she and the doctor recommend that we wait a few weeks for a couple of reasons. First, give time to see what the cyst does. In some cases it can decrease in size, or get larger. Because this cyst is often related to something to do with the baby’s heart we need to wait till Jen n is 14 weeks to be able to see the heart structure and any “issues” that may be there. Another reason we need to wait is so that the doctor will be able to perform an
Outlook:
The outlook is tough. The news we received today shocked us and forced us to consider major life decisions and emotions on a level in which are ill prepared. To be honest, our spirits our low. We are already weary from the move and Jen n’s tough pregnancy. In the end though, our pain and fear drove us to our Lord. God is good no matter what our circumstances. God never changes. God loves us as much today as He ever will. We choose to praise Him and as His children, boldly ask for healing and mercy.
We are scheduled for the amniocentesis on the 19th. In the meantime, Jen n will rest, we will love and protect our kids, Andy will work hard at this new job, and we will trust the Lord. We are sending out this detailed update so that we can focus on what is ahead for us. I wish we could call everyone and update you personally, but time and energy are short for us right now. Please know we love you all.
Prayer Requests:
- Jen n. For physical strength, rest, and trust in God. That her nausea and dizziness would go away.
-Our baby. Safety. Complete healing.
-Our doctors and nurses. Wisdom. Guidance. That they would see God working.
- The Price kids. Elisabeth, Nathan, Hannah, and Ben (they are precious).
-Andy. That I protect, lead, serve, and love my family. I need God’s guidance. I need to do my job well.
-Our hearts. We need to focus on God’s goodness and the truths in His word.
Love, the Prices
Today Jen n had her first regular ultrasound with our new OB. We brought along Elisabeth so she could see the baby and enjoy the experience. During the ultrasound, the technician became very quiet and told us that a nurse would normally review the ultrasound with us, but she found something of concern and our doctor would need to review the ultrasound with us. One hour later we are sitting in our OB ’s office and he gently but firmly informed us that the baby has an abnormality and very serious condition and that we needed to see a specialist immediately. Dr McCollum told us that our baby has a cystic hygroma. While we were sitting at his desk he called the specialist and told them we were coming. We tried our best to not let on too much in front of Elisabeth. Our wonderful friend Anne Graves dropped everything and raced to ParkWest hospital to pick up Elisabeth so we could go to the specialist alone.
We drove across Knoxville to the UT Medical Center and waited anxiously to see the perinatologist. We prayed and talked and cried due to the sudden news and the unknown as we waited for about 2 more hours. While waiting, a friend sent Psalm 139 to my iphone to remind us of God’s sovereignty and how He knew us while we were yet in our mother’s womb. God is in control. We need to cling to that chapter and God’s faithful word. He loves us.
The technician at the specialist’s office performed a preliminary ultrasound and didn’t say much. The doctor finally came in and started his ultrasound and immediately became concerned. He found a large cyst growing on our baby’s head that has grown all the way down the length of our baby’s body. He told us right away that our baby had a serious condition and began listing the potential issues and concerns. I don’t want to confuse the issues, so I will list them below.
Diagnosis:
Part 1- Part 1 is a for sure thing. The baby has a cystic hygroma, which is a cyst full of lymphatic fluid, growing the full length of its body. The width is the same size as the baby’s head which really alarmed the doctor. The visual of our little baby was just about more than Jen n and I could absorb.
Part 2- Within the cyst there is another growth that is associated with a 75% chance of the baby having a chromosome abnormality. We need more testing on this part to determine what and if there is a chromosome abnormality.
Preliminary prognosis:
The doctor was very honest about our baby’s issues. History shows that babies with this size cyst usually miscarry at some point during the pregnancy. He also said that even if we do deliver the baby, it will not be healthy and will more than likely face a myriad of health issues and probably a very short life span. He asked us more than once if we would consider aborting the baby, but we are determined to let God determine the outcome of our baby’s life. The list of potential syndromes and disorders and the treatments and dangers of each is just too much to list
We met with the genetic counselor and she and the doctor recommend that we wait a few weeks for a couple of reasons. First, give time to see what the cyst does. In some cases it can decrease in size, or get larger. Because this cyst is often related to something to do with the baby’s heart we need to wait till Jen n is 14 weeks to be able to see the heart structure and any “issues” that may be there. Another reason we need to wait is so that the doctor will be able to perform an
Outlook:
The outlook is tough. The news we received today shocked us and forced us to consider major life decisions and emotions on a level in which are ill prepared. To be honest, our spirits our low. We are already weary from the move and Jen n’s tough pregnancy. In the end though, our pain and fear drove us to our Lord. God is good no matter what our circumstances. God never changes. God loves us as much today as He ever will. We choose to praise Him and as His children, boldly ask for healing and mercy.
We are scheduled for the amniocentesis on the 19th. In the meantime, Jen n will rest, we will love and protect our kids, Andy will work hard at this new job, and we will trust the Lord. We are sending out this detailed update so that we can focus on what is ahead for us. I wish we could call everyone and update you personally, but time and energy are short for us right now. Please know we love you all.
Prayer Requests:
- Jen n. For physical strength, rest, and trust in God. That her nausea and dizziness would go away.
-Our baby. Safety. Complete healing.
-Our doctors and nurses. Wisdom. Guidance. That they would see God working.
- The Price kids. Elisabeth, Nathan, Hannah, and Ben (they are precious).
-Andy. That I protect, lead, serve, and love my family. I need God’s guidance. I need to do my job well.
-Our hearts. We need to focus on God’s goodness and the truths in His word.
Love, the Prices
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