Red Flag on baby

Alright i thought i would do a quick update on whats going on with me and mainly the baby, and ask for urgent and much needed prayer before tomorrow at 3:30. The above picture is the main problem and cause for concern for our last ultrasound.

Yesterday (Tuesday) we went in for our normal check up, and our midwife Deb told us she wanted to talk to us about the ultrasound. She went on to tell us that the baby is at risk and a "Red Flag" is up for Trisomy 18 (ill explain later on). Our last ultrasound the week before didn't go so well all together it turns out. The baby's hands were clenched the entire time of the ultrasound, which is a sign and symptom of Trisomy 18. She told us that she was going to be completely honest with us and if she thought there was anything to look into she would. SO we have another ultrasound tomorrow to see if the baby opens up his hands or not. *sigh* Its a pretty normal thing to be double checking (i guess?) but that alone gives me no comfort. Dan, the saving grace of the day, started to ask all the normal questions, while i sat there and tried to listen. Some of the things that have given us so much hope is that Trisomy 18 babies are normally alot smaller, and He is measuring right on track along with me measuring perfectly. Also, during the first ultrasound we had at 15 weeks His little hands and fingers were moving around just fine, and the last thing was that He would have a short neck, which He again doesn't. The list goes on and on, all of which our baby checks out just fine as far as we know. So basically everything for the next few months lies in the baby's cooperation tomorrow. There is no way for us to make him open them up and if he doesn't its more of a waiting and wondering game.

Where we're at..

Dan is doing great, as usual.. haha After talking to our midwife Deb and getting some answers he is at complete ease, and comforting me. haha As i said today has been much better, compare to today. On one hand i am easily and fully trusting in the Lord. I know He has a plan in all of this, no matter that is going on. I know we have a fully healthy baby, and he has been healthy up to the last ultrasound and is still checking out just fine. Besides the clenched fists. There is a WHOLE NEW matter of trust that comes with something like this, especially it being your BABY. I went to the prayer room today to sort out my thoughts and just talk to the Lord, and before i even got my bible or sat down, i was in tears. The singers were singing one of the Psalms, and it was all about putting our whole trust in the Lord, and Him fully an completely coming through. A chorus they sang today that hit me so hard was "If he has birthed a cry in you, he is faithful to bring it to pass" It was good, and then i went and sorted life kinda things out with a good friend. Its been a good day, and Im not worried. Just a little tense about if he will cooperate tomorrow or not.

And then on the other hand I cant just ignore whats going on. The reality could be real of having a baby like this, and its terrifying. I want nothing more then a healthy baby, there is nothing i can do but trust the Lord. I am emotionally drained with this put at our door step. I dont want to carry this baby for two more months NOT knowing if he is healthy, or will make it to the end. We're just praying for answers tomorrow!! Everything seems to come in waves, and when it does i just cry. I need prayer for my mind and heart's sake. I just need peace.

Here is a quick and short overview of Trisomy 18:

There are 23 pairs of human chromosomes. In Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), there is an extra chromosome with the 18th pair. Like Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), Trisomy 18 affects all systems of the body and causes distinct facial features.

Trisomy 18 occurs in 1 in 3,000 live births. Unfortunately, most babies with Trisomy 18 die before birth, so the actual incidence of the disorder may be higher. Trisomy 18 affects individuals of all ethnic backgrounds. (I also read that the baby is carried full term most times and then born still)

Trisomy 18 severely affects all organ systems of the body. Symptoms may include:

* Nervous system and brain - mental retardation and delayed development, high muscle tone, seizures, and physical malformations such as brain defects
* Head and face - small head (microcephaly), small eyes, wide-set eyes, small lower jaw
* Heart - congenital heart defects such as ventricular septal defect
* Bones - severe growth retardation, clenched hands with 2nd and 5th fingers on top of the others, and other defects of the hands and feet
* Malformations of the digestive tract, the urinary tract, and genitals


This is as much as i am going to put or look up, we're believing for a healthy baby.
Please pray for us through out the night and tomorrow!

Thanks,
Ash Dan and Baby

30 weeks in the first trimester?

So here i am with some time on my hands...finally! So sorry this blog has been so neglected these last few weeks! We've been so busy, and when we have some free time its now turned nap time. :)

SO here we go with a quick update on the baby, and I.

BABY:
Baby is doing great, He is anywhere from 15-16 inches long (head to heal) and about 3-3 1/2 pounds! Hes getting so big, in very tight spaces. As you can tell from the ultra-sound pictures he looks like quite the CHUNK! He has the big cheeks Dan has been praying for! haha I still dont think he looks like either of us, but i will say that he has Daddys feet, we got a picture of each of his feet, and in one of them he was flexing it and all his toes were spread out. It was too cute.
He has been head down for a few weeks now, so hopefully he will just stay head down from here on out, (well hes more at an angel, head at my left hip and feet in my right ribs) :) He is already developing quite the personality. When ever i rub my tummy, he will push his back or head towards my hand, and when i stop he kicks pretty hard to keep going. haha Its so cute to see a little bulge in my tummy where he is, Dan thinks he'll be pretty touchy. He is mostly sleeping through out the night, except when i stumble out of bed to go to the bathroom, so i try and be as graceful as i can! This morning I was jolted wide awake by a MASSIVE thunder, which also woke baby up, and scared him so bad he had gotten the hiccups, i felt so bad for him, but it was so cute as well!!

ASH:

I have been doing pretty good, well ok, this last trimester is kicking my butt all over again! I feel like i have entered the first trimester again, im SUPER tired, a bit nauseous all day long, and now i have a tummy sticking way out which hinders bending and certain movement...haha I do have to say i am SO THANKFUL i am no longer on night watch like in the first three months, i think thats mainly why i was so sick.
Other then this i have been doing great, loving MOST of the babys kicks, punches, and jolts, minus the constant or demanding kick or push to the ribs.
I am taking more iron due to a low red blood count after my glucose tolerance test. I am also measuring perfectly on track for the week i am, and all my normal check up stuff is right on track, which is wonderful news! I have been feeling huge lately, and when i went to see our midwife for my normal check up, she was SHOCKED at how big i was. When she went to measure me me she stepped back and said "WHOA, your all baby!!" Which im not going to lie scared me, out of 800 births i cant possibly be the only person my size this big by now..? right? Through out the rest of the check up she was on complete shock and made sure to voice all of her amazement. But i am measuring right on so it is all ok.

Please be sure to continue to be praying for my back, the bigger i get it seems to be getting worse. I am completely limping around and sometimes unable to walk, especially up three flights of stairs, i almost had to have Dan carry me up yesterday. We are painting the home we are about to move into and packing and cleaning, and as easy as i am taking it, it just doesnt seem to matter.
Thanks!

This is it for now, and i WILL be putting some more pictures of my tummy up SOON!

LOVE,
Ash and Bodie

* My nightmare Ultrasound*
Just on a quick and humorous side note, i figured i would let you know how this last ultrasound went. :/

We had our last ultrasound earlier this week. As the lady was getting all the pictures she needed to make sure everything checks out, I was feeling great, all day no problems. Then she decided to "make sure" the baby was still a boy but could not get the shot for anything, so she went about it from another angel, which just happened to be at my empty stomach. So shes pushing and pushing and i start to see spots, and the room going dark, so i tell her im not feeling to good to get her to stop, but no she had me roll to my side for a minute or two and then roll back to my back for her to continue. So everything starts again, rooms going black and my ears are ringing so loud i can no longer hear her at all. So i sit up, yup, with all the gel all over and tell here im not feeling good for real. So she sits there kinda worried and said to just clean up and she'll step out till im doing better. (which by this time i cant hear OR see her. She walked out and i grab the trash as quickly as i can and throw up.....yeah i know.... (this was a first in months!) As soon as i finished everything came back into view and i could hear again. Dan was in complete shock and the sudden change of direction, but was wonderful like always. I clean up, but still had gel all over my shirt from sitting up, and walk out of the room. mortified i tell her im sorry, and of course it was no big deal to her, we get our pictures and leave... I have no idea why i got so sick for this, and have been queasy since. BUT the baby is STILL a boy..... HAHA

Third Trimester!!!

I have finally made it to the third trimester! I remember thinking that it will never come, but now that im here im almost not ready! I feel like we still have SO much to do!! Im 27 going on 28 weeks Tuesday, and that means only 10 weeks until im full term! Thats insane, i dont feel ready, but i do at the same time. Honestly im ready to get moved and start nesting and preparing for baby, this will help me get feeling more and more ready, im just anxious right now more then anything.

Im doing great, couldnt be better. Dan and I have been in Cheyenne for about a week now and its been so relaxing so far! Weddings, family, baseball games, and today our BABY SHOWER!!! Im so excited, and ready to see what everyone got the baby!! We have already been so blessed, i cant imagine, and i also cant imagine having three more after this!! WHOA!

Well this is only a short update, ill update with pictures of the shower today!!! YAY!

Ughhh

Ok so im sitting here in bed a nervous wreck, away from my husband for the first time since we have been married and hes away in the mountains with bears, my dad, and brother Camping in the rain.. On top of all the bear mauling stories, jokes, and EXTRA precaution, im a teary mess! Bears are my biggest fear in the woods, and thats right where they are headed, to bear proof sites and trash cans, hiding your food outside of your camp area mountain lake.

I know they will be having fun and all, but really?! All they took were sleeping bags, freeze dried food (they had to be "REAL" mountain men, water, and fishing poles. They backpacked in. I guess i have no grid for that being a girl, and pregnant.

ANYWAYS, PLEASE pray for them tonight and tomorrow as they spend time together, and do man stuff. They will be fine, so pray for me for be at ease, and no thoughts of bears and mountain lions, and whatever else could go wrong. :( i just need to get through this night and then they will be home tomorrow. my hormones are just going crazy, and its our first night apart since we've been married. :(

Hopefully if any bears do come along this is how they are....

Last week of the second trimester!

I cant believe i have been so horrible with my blog these last few weeks! Sorry, i just realized the last time i really updated was at 23 weeks! We have been SO SO SO busy, we're going home on Friday to have some good time with family and a vacation. So i have been running around cleaning, packing up our house to move, get our newsletters ready to send out, laundry, and being pregnant...Ok here we go, this may be a bit long so i will try and make it short :)

Ash:
(quick life update first)
As i said, i have been so busy and so stressed out, Dan and i are going home from this Friday (the 12th) and getting home on the 28th, and then the plan was to move the first week of July. So that made everything crammed into a very short time of having to get everything ready to move, and then when we talked to the apartment the two layouts we are choosing from wont fit all our furniture!!! So of course we are stuck with finding another place for our second couch or somewhere else. (im just telling all this to let you know whats been going on here) :) So we ended up talking to our friends who are thinking about buying a town-home and us renting it out. Which everything would fit and it has an unfinished basement if it doesn't. This all happened yesterday MONDAY. Now i think we are going to stay here for another month and move into the town-home the first week of August. We'll find out everything on Thursday... AHH it makes me want to scream. As you can see we have so much going on right now, and if we are moving it will (at least to me, be cutting it short) with the baby on the way, and starting school in Aug. But if the town-home DOES work out it will give me an extra month to pack and get everything together. So thats a massive relief. I think i will update our ministry blog with all of this and how you can pray for us. :) I know the Lord is good, and i trust Him with the short time and pretty big leap up in rent.

OK now how IM doing. I doing, well lets just be honest, im super stressed out, but doing much better with this possibility of the town-home and moving in August.
These last two weeks have been so different from the second trimester, i feel and have felt like im just starting this pregnancy over again but with a belly now. Ive been much more queasy after every meal, tired all day long, and have heartburn really bad (but thats nothing new..haha) If you could really and honestly be praying for my back, its getting worse and its getting harder to walk and sit and bend. Just the other day i was just walking across the bedroom and almost fell because it felt like a stabbing through my back and i couldnt put any pressure on my leg, Like if i took any kind of move i would be paralyzed kinda feeling. I think its a really bad pinched nerve. So please pray, i have a lot to do and am about to go home and want to enjoy the trip! Im getting more and more excited for the baby just to be here and for me to be holding him. Ive been having dream after dream of Him in my arms or giving him a bath, just anything and it just makes me all the more anxious! But i am SO thankful we have three more months to prepare, were not ready at all and def. need the extra time!!
I have been sleeping really good! WHOA i know. :) I have a normal time of waking up around 4 am and then getting back to sleep around 7ish. Which at this point i dont mind to much and since i have been so tired and sleeping good during the night i cant complain!

BABY:

Baby is doing great! Always moving and bouncing around, making my tummy rock and roll. haha He has hit his biggest growth spurt so far, and has been growing for around three days now. I can tell just because how much bigger i have gotten and the stretching. Im starting to stick straight out in front, like a bullet. You couldnt tell i was pregnant unless you saw me from the side!! He has now found out how to kick my ribs from time to time, which is so crazy to feel..! He likes to either be on one side of my tummy or the other making it look a bit lopped sided. Its so cute to see him pressed up against on side form head to bottom. :)
Baby is about 14 inches long, head to toe, and about 2 pounds! They say about the size of an eggplant, (but i have never seen one). Everything seems to be going good and he is healthy! AMEN

I feel like i have done all this a bit scattered brained..Hopefully this makes sense, and DOESNT feel or sound like i am falling apart at the seams.. haha ;)
lets make this a little lighter and do a your know your pregnant when.

YOU KNOW YOUR PREGNANT WHEN

You put the butter in the sink, and your husband finds it later and askes what you was thinking.

You you cry and freak out when you see and almost touch a scary spider on the arm rail (even if i wasnt preg i probably still would) and have not taken that set of stairs since, even though its the closest to the apartment

You accidentally knock an old lady with your stomach while she is worshiping trying to sneak by her and then hit the wall on the rebound...and then keep walking because your to embarrassed to say sorry.. :/

After you use the bathroom or go to any sink you forget you have a tummy and get the big wet spot on it from the counters.

You cant eat anything with out wearing it afterward

You begin to out eat your husband at dinner time.. :)

You refer to your husband coming home to the cats as daddy.

You hold your cats like babies to get the practice LOL

When you are constantly waking up the baby by poking and prodding my tuummy

You realize you've never changed a diaper in your life (ive never had the chance) and are now freaking out as to what kind of parent you will be not knowing the simple things HAHA

You are now procrastinating on cleaning the house by doing "you know your preg when"

OK everyone i will try and post one more time before i leave to go home and be updating over the next few weeks!!! Thanks for listening again to my blabbering

ASH

Randomosity

Here are a few of the things that make me smile right now...:)
MY BUNNY
MY NEW PURPLE WATER BOTTLE
STARBUCKS :)
OPENING PEANUT BUTTER AND IT HAVING A SMILEY FACE
AND MY BELLY BUTTON WITH A SLIGHT STAR SHAPE IN IT (with your imagination)

Well, i see i am way over that time to update, but really dont have anything to say but a bunch a babble and random stuff...SO ill just post points of these last few weeks...

-I am now 24 weeks going on 25 here in a few days, feeling great, besides these morning allergies that are on steroids because of pregnancy.

-I have finally gotten a whole night of sleep! (besides the two to three bathroom wake ups) I learned that sleeping with my tummy slightly propped up makes a world of a difference, and now have a little wedge pillow to help. Even though the restless nights are preparing me for baby's arrival i still would like to get some sleep. :)

-Had our monthly doctors visit, which i was completely excited for all day, despite knowing I, (MOMMY) hit my growth spurt and did not want to see my new weight. When i was weighted i was half hoping that it was all in my head and then saw that i have gained 13 pounds in four weeks! I tried to laugh it off to the nurse (and my mid-wife) who was very happy with my new weight and then cried the rest of the day, setting the whole pregnancy in a whirl wind.

-I am now scheduled for a third ultrasound, because the baby would give a good shot of the spine. Hopefully this will be the last and everything will be fine, (im turning into a mother who will probably worry till the ultrasound)

- My belly button, well, is now half way out, and so embarrassing!! Through my shirts it looks like i have a stray stuck on cheerio. And well from MY view it looks like it has a star shape in it..LOL I cant complain about that now can i..?

- On a lighter note, i ate a whole box of junior mints by myself..oopps (no wonder i have gained so much) :)

-My hubby bought me a new camelbak water bottle and it made my entire week! lol Needless to say i am very proud of it..(you cant tell but its a nice purple color) :)

- We are in the process of packing up our home for the move the the end of June. the need to pack so early is we are going home for about two weeks at the end of June and when we get home we will be moving within the next few days. SO we only have about two weeks form now to get everything ready, which is a little harder pregnant with a much shorter reach, a hubby that works full time, prayer room, and sentimental emotions arising due to hormones. I have to say packing up everything is so hard, mainly because i absent mindedly decided to pack all the stuff on the walls, pictures, and our whole book shelf. Uh, bad idea if you want to feel like you have a home. :( But we will be moving, painting and setting up for baby soon!

-During shopping and updating our registry we decided to sit down in the gliders at Babies R Us to talk about what else we needed and almost fell asleep.. HAHA

-Baby is and can now officially hear our voices and recognize them. The other day i was a bit worried due to not feeling little one kick all day, so i asked Dan to come tell him to wake up and kick a few times for me, and not only did he wake up to his voice he turned around to face him and was kicking the rest of the night. ♥

-My new favorite thing is my life time bed buddy "Bunny" When i have to wake up for the millionth time at night to go to the bathroom, getting back in bed and going to sleep can be quite a challenge. With baby now awake and kicking, and my husband breathing/snoring, i can just grab my bunny and fall right back asleep. :) He has never been so amazing!

- I almost died yesterday when i saw a family at church pull out a bottle and give it to their THREE year old. :O I turned to Dan and we made eye contact and nothing had to be said, i saw the shock in his eyes as well.

- I have no idea how im going to make it through this summer being in my third trimester (huge) and in the mid-west. Yesterday it was around 93 degrees at like 5ish o'clock, and the humidity is beginning. Im from WYOMING where 2 percent humidity is a shocker and HOT. Now living out here with a million degree days and 100% humidity... OH GOSH, grace Lord! lol

-For the first time in my life, Ok not my life im being a little over dramatic, but for the first time since i was like 10 i wore shorts today to go down and sit by the pool. A wonderful pair of maternity shorts i got, and completely fell in LOVE with!! (Jami you were right) And now all i have to do is tan these florescent legs that havent seen sun in 10 years, so i can wear them!! Nothing compares to them, not even a skirt. :)

Alright well i should go or i will keep going and want to get something accomplished today, if its even a shower before my husband gets home. :)

Ash

23 weeks!

The pictures dont really show my growing tummy, but were some fun ones form the botanical gardens!

I have been putting off updating for some reason these last few weeks. I think maybe because i SEE and FEEL my belly everyday so i don't realize that i AM actually growing.

MOMMA

I have finally hit week 23, and it now seems to be CRAWLING by. I still have ALL summer to go, and that means summer in Hot Kansas City Humidity. (yikes) It may work out in my favor with all skirts,dresses, and capris. (IF im brave enough to..haha)
I am defiantly growing, despite how i may feel some days. Some exciting news, and a newer symptom i have developed is the "mask of pregnancy". I have been quite excited for this for some reason. All the freckles around my eyes are starting to show, like they do every summer, and but are getting a bit bigger and darker. It may take a while to start to show more, or maybe its just my mind. ;)My belly button is also starting to bump out, i dont think it will be to long before it stays out. At nights its so close! *I actually had a dream that i was able to flex my tummy and push my belly button out and then when i let up it would pop back in. HAHA*
Another NOT so great thing is SWELLING..gross I have been crazy swollen these last two weeks its miserable. All my skin and hands and feet hurt, no matter how many times i have to punch my husbands arm telling him to quit squeezing my hands because it hurts!..haha I hear (Jami)that pineapple helps with swelling, along with water. So hopefully i will remember to try out the pineapple and cross my fingers it helps. my feet have also GROWN! I was going to get some flip flops and ended up in a whole size bigger then my normal size! I was horrified, i did so much searching trying to find just one site that said this change is NOT permanent...I was wrong.. :(


BODIE

Well, he is literally a bouncing baby boy! His little kicks and punches are now waking me up at night. He has settled into a sleep cycle at night though, he wakes up wanting to play or eat around 12:30-1:30 am and then again around 5:30-6 when daddy goes to work. if he keeps this sleep schedule when he born he will be super easy! haha another thing he likes to do is body slam my bladder in public...Each time sending me almost to my knees scanning for the closest bathroom, and frantically yelling for Dan to help me.
We had our second and last ultrasound on Monday, which went wonderful. I was so nervous for this one b/c they do a full physical over the baby and see if EVERYTHING is growing right and on time. It was actually the same tech we had last time, which was nice, and she ever remembered us! She checked everything from cleff lips, a full stomach, all of his major arteries, a full physical on his heart and brain, and anything else you could think of. For the first half the baby was making it quite hard for her to get any kind of picture due to his moving and kicking the wand. (which i just had to laugh) Then the next thing we know (literally ten seconds later) he was crashed. Fell asleep, head back and mouth open it was so cute, we all had a good laugh. She unfortunately had to wake him back up and turn him over to check his spine. He fought it at first then rolled half way over and wouldn't budge from there, stubborn like his parents i guess..? haha
Baby is Exactly on schedule for his growth to the DAY! And PERFECTLY healthy! Praise the Lord! I will update this post with pictures of the ultrasound when i get home.

Well this is what i can think of for now, the pictures are about a week and a half old, sorry haven't had time to take a more recent one.. SOON though!!

♥ Ash and baby boy