Brynne update

So....a little worried about our Brynne. I went in for an ultrasound today to measure her and make sure she's growing ok. Usually in pregnancy, you have 1, maybe 2 ultrasounds. I've had 5. And the doctor wants to do another one in 4 weeks.

When I had the quad screen done, they found high levels of AFP in my blood, which usually points to spinabifida. Her chances of having spinabifida were 1 in 45. So we had special testing done in Portland and a super long ultrasound, where the doctor ruled out spinabifida (thank the Lord!) but found a cyst in her brain, which he assured us is fairly normal and could "be gone tomorrow". But he said that sometimes with high AFP readings, women can go into labor early or the baby could be undernourished. So they've been checking her growth and making sure everything is ok.
Today she weighs approximately 2.6 pounds. She was breach, and still is (I can actually tell!), so that has me a little concerned, but hey--she has two months to right herself, right?

The one thing that worried me was the doctor saying, as she was doing the ultrasound, "Did you have an amniocentesis?" Now...why would she ask that? To worry us? Well, it worked. And then when she was all done, she said she wanted to do another ultrasound in 4 weeks. Finally I was like, "Hey, so why all the ultrasounds?" and she explained about the checking the growth thing. Then I asked what might happen if she's NOT growing properly. The doctor said they would induce, because that would mean that the uterus is no longer the best place for her to be; she'd do better outside the womb. So then, of course, I asked when the earliest they would induce would be. And she said, "Well, I'm expecting you'll make it to at least 32 weeks." Which is in like....5 weeks. So...that has had me thinking all day that, wow, we could maybe have a baby in a little over a month...two months premature.
If you have a moment, please say a prayer for our Brynne ("Brynnie-bear" as Noah has taken to calling her). Please pray that she grows!!
They also said her head is a little mis-shapen...please, no coneheads. I am praying for that to right itself, too.
We love you Brynnie bear :) Stay in there for a while longer...

5 years...

Happy 5 years to my love :) What a long road we have been on, it seems, in only 5 years' time. I am so proud of us for stepping it up when we needed to and for persevering. Our first year of marriage was definitely not the year we had in mind, was it? Living out of a hospital room for the first 4 months was not what I had pictured...But we made it, sweetheart! I am so proud of you--you are such a strong and courageous person, and a wonderful daddy. Our son looks up to you in a way that is indescribable, and I love watching it. I love that you make change when you know it is necessary, and you are willing to sacrifice so that our little family may have more.

I love you!!!!

So young looking! We did a lot of growing up in our first year...

One year after we eloped, we had a big wedding with family and friends. Christian had just learned to walk again and it was so very special to dance with him!