There Is Always Room For Hope

We had another check up today, and Emma is still doing wonderful. Her fluid levels are a little lower and the fluid around her is about the same. Dr. Haeri said that it is amazing how well my uterus is holding in all the extra fluid, and even said we can thank Laney for being such a big baby and stretching it out! The good news, is that Emma is measuring in the 97th percentile right now, so she is growing big just like her sister! There are no signs right now of pre-term labor, however, after I am 28 weeks along this weekend, the chances of my going into labor at any minute are high. I have minor contractions on a daily basis, so I still have to take it easy and not over-exert myself. It is also becoming harder to breathe with all the extra fluid. Please pray that Emma will stay put until she is healthy and strong enough to come meet us!

I wrote a few weeks ago about the "lumps" in my right foot and thigh that were believed to be clots in an artificial vein, so I had blood drawn to test and see if I am prone to get blood clots. Unfortunately, one of the genetic tests came back positive. The only reason this hasn't been caught before, is because I have always been active, but I've had to limit myself, especially while I was on bed rest. The only way for me to prevent blood clots, is for me to give myself a shot in my belly everyday with a blood thinner, at least until I recover from my C-section after Emma is born. The nurse showed me how to inject my belly today, and while I'm not too thrilled about having to do this, it is just another little bump in the road.

Yesterday at church, our awesome Pastor Buck spoke about hope, and how much it can effect our daily lives. The service ended with the song "Never Once" by Matt Redman, and I couldn't fight back the tears listening to the truth of the lyrics. It is overwhelming how much God has comforted us through this journey, and how He constantly reassures us that He is always by our sides.



"Never Once"

Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace

Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we’ll be breathing out Your praise

You are faithful, God, You are faithful
 

We saw Dr. Haeri again today, and Emma is still thriving like the little fighter she is! Her lungs and heart are still strong, and the shunts are still in place so there is very little fluid in her. Our main concern right now, is that the fluid around her has increased, so that raises the possibility of me going into pre-term labor. To give you an idea of how much extra fluid is around her, I am almost 27 weeks along, and my belly is measuring to be the size of 33 weeks. Because of this, I had my first steroid shot today to help Emma's organs develop faster and stronger. I will have another shot tomorrow, then the second round of shots in a few weeks. There are no risks to Emma, only benefits! After the 2nd round of steroid shots, Dr. Haeri will discuss with us the possibility of using a needle to remove some of the fluid, just like when I had the amniocentesis done. Our next big milestone is 28 weeks, because the chances of premature babies surviving goes up to 90%!

We can't put into words how much we appreciate all of your continued prayers. We have so much to be thankful for, and it all starts with my OBGYN, Dr. Michel, finding the extra fluid and referring us to Dr. Haeri. Unfortunately, there are many cases where the OB doesn't give their patient any hope, but instead just tells them the baby is going to pass away. Hydrops is a very rare disease, and the statistics show that 50% of unborn babies with hydrops do not survive. God placed us in the hands of a wonderful doctor who believes that every baby deserves a chance, and every parent deserves hope. Looking back 2 months ago when we found out there was extra fluid, and seeing how far Emma has come, defying all the odds along the way, there is no doubt that God has a very special plan for her. Sadly, there are many people that would choose to terminate their pregnancy if they were in my situation. I am thankful that my husband and I both agree that God creates every baby for a purpose, and regardless of any complications, we are going to fight for Emma's life. She proves every single day what a miracle she is!

Staying Strong

We had our weekly appointment with Dr. Haeri today and Emma is doing just fabulous! Her heart and other organs are still very strong, and the shunts are still working great. The fluid around her has gone down as well, which means I am finally off bed rest! I still have to "take it easy", but I am very excited that I can hold my 11-month old daughter, Laney! Because Emma is in such great shape, there isn't a need to rush the steroid shot yet. We are going to let Emma's lungs continue to grow on their own and in a few weeks we will discuss the shot again. While I was on bed rest, I developed a lump in my right foot and thigh. Dr. Haeri is only concerned about the one in my foot, and he believes it is a clot in one of my artificial veins, so he had me get my blood drawn for testing. The main thing they want to see is if my body is prone to blood clots, and if so, I will have to start taking blood thinners. This is a pretty minor thing, but please just pray that it doesn't turn into anything else.

I know a lot of our friends and family have shared Emma's story, so if you are reading this and you don't believe in God or even miracles, you have many reasons to believe now! The fact that Emma is doing so well is a miracle in itself. God has given us peace from the moment we learned about Emma's hydrops, and He has been so faithful in answering our prayers. Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts, for praying for our family! I wish I could thank each of you in person, but please know I have thanked God many times for all of you that are praying for us.