 |
Her journey in my womb was probably peaceful and serene while, as big brother Aiden said, "She was cookin' in Momma's tummy." For Joel and me it was not so. Having no complications with our baby boy just two and a half years ago we entered our first ultrasound with bliss and excitement. Let the journey unfold...
Just four days later another ultrasound showed that everything was 'normal' except the 2 vessel umbilical chord (which can have a 10-20% correlation with heart defects). We believe we witnessed a miracle.
At 16 weeks an echo cardiogram was performed on her heart. All chambers were present and working properly. (Phew!) We thought we were in the clear as babies can have a two vessel chord and come out just fine.
At 17 weeks we received a call from our doctor saying she had a 1/140 chance of having Down's Syndrome (which in the state of CA is a 'positive' test for Down's). Again, we felt to 'be still and know that he is God', so we decided not to have any invasive genetics testing performed. She would be ours whether she had Down's Syndrome or not.
At 19 weeks an ultrasound discovered that she had a poly cystic kidney. One good kidney, one bad. All the while I felt that we weren't supposed to be concerned about her health, but it was more about trusting God with her outcome (whatever it may be). This was no easy pill to swallow.
At 24 weeks things remained the same: Two vessel chord; left kidney, bad; right kidney, good. Another sigh of relief! All we need is one kidney to be a healthy human being. (No tears followed this ultrasound appointment.)
At 12 weeks an ultrasound showed that her brain was not developing properly, her bladder was abnormally large, there appeared to be no enclosure around her abdomen, and that she only had one artery and one vein in her umbilical chord (which normally has two arteries). At that point they assumed she had trisomy 13. Most people who receive this diagnosis terminate their pregnancies. Out of the tiny percentage who are delivered into the world, the majority of these babies don't make it past 1 day or 1 week...
I thought of Job. He lost ten children in one day and never cursed God. He certainly sat in sackcloth and ashes and mourned. He allowed himself to grieve. We followed suite.
We saw these anomalies with our own two eyes and were devastated. The four day wait for a second opinion was excruciatingly hard, yet through it I felt we were to 'be still and know that He is God...'
I thought of Job. He lost ten children in one day and never cursed God. He certainly sat in sackcloth and ashes and mourned. He allowed himself to grieve. We followed suite.
We saw these anomalies with our own two eyes and were devastated. The four day wait for a second opinion was excruciatingly hard, yet through it I felt we were to 'be still and know that He is God...'
Just four days later another ultrasound showed that everything was 'normal' except the 2 vessel umbilical chord (which can have a 10-20% correlation with heart defects). We believe we witnessed a miracle.
At 16 weeks an echo cardiogram was performed on her heart. All chambers were present and working properly. (Phew!) We thought we were in the clear as babies can have a two vessel chord and come out just fine.
At 17 weeks we received a call from our doctor saying she had a 1/140 chance of having Down's Syndrome (which in the state of CA is a 'positive' test for Down's). Again, we felt to 'be still and know that he is God', so we decided not to have any invasive genetics testing performed. She would be ours whether she had Down's Syndrome or not.
At 19 weeks an ultrasound discovered that she had a poly cystic kidney. One good kidney, one bad. All the while I felt that we weren't supposed to be concerned about her health, but it was more about trusting God with her outcome (whatever it may be). This was no easy pill to swallow.
At 24 weeks things remained the same: Two vessel chord; left kidney, bad; right kidney, good. Another sigh of relief! All we need is one kidney to be a healthy human being. (No tears followed this ultrasound appointment.)
Between these two appointments we decided on her name. We were bouncing between Sasha (defender of mankind), Anya (gracious), and Ayla (Hebrew for oak tree). Though we loved all three names, it was during a special time of prayer at church where the verse in Isaiah, listed in the right margin, was confirmed in our hearts. She is destined to display his glory.
At 28 weeks her left kidney was still bad, but her right kidney looked as if there may have been a duplex pole (duplicate exit from kidney into the bladder). Findings were inconclusive yet we had to reschedule for a 3 week check up, not 4 weeks... (tears and fear followed as we needed that good kidney to remain good).
At 31 weeks we were set at ease again. The ultrasound revealed that the left kidney's status remained the same and though it was difficult to see the right kidney very clearly, it appeared normal.
She may have made it difficult for us to see her kidney, but she gave us a good shot of her cute little face. The technician was even able to see that she had an ample amount of hair. Shocking!? Not so much since her big brother was also born with a full head of hair.
It was after this appointment that I had less apprehension about what we would face with her arrival and more true excitement for meeting her, holding her, and dreaming about her future... however it may look for His glory. The doctor told us to come back in four weeks just to take one last look at her kidney development.
She may have made it difficult for us to see her kidney, but she gave us a good shot of her cute little face. The technician was even able to see that she had an ample amount of hair. Shocking!? Not so much since her big brother was also born with a full head of hair.
It was after this appointment that I had less apprehension about what we would face with her arrival and more true excitement for meeting her, holding her, and dreaming about her future... however it may look for His glory. The doctor told us to come back in four weeks just to take one last look at her kidney development.
At 32.5 weeks we received a letter denying the request for the last ultrasound. Alas, we were forced to wait for approximately 7.5 weeks to meet this "Oak of Righteousness" without another peek at her kidneys.
At 37 weeks Ayla was measuring 7.9 lbs with a projected birth weight of 9.5 if she went to a full 40 weeks. My doctor had mercy on me and scheduled an early induction.
At 39 weeks we waited for that phone call to say, "Come on in for your induction." The scheduled day came and went without that phone call. I was beside myself to say the least. I thought our wait would be over. The very next morning we got the call! We could not wait to meet her despite all of her uncertainties.
May 11, 2012
The pitocin started flowing through my veins around 11:30 am. As they monitored her heart throughout the day she showed signs of strength and perfection.
By 1:42 am on May 12th, we met Ayla- without Trisomy 13- with a strong heart- without Down's Syndrome, and laid our eyes upon her imperfect two vessel chord which had provided life to her for those 39 weeks. "Her chord has a complete knot in it!" the doctor exclaimed. "That's something that is very rare. You RARELY see that!" As I reflect on my pregnancy I remember a time where I felt impressed to pray specifically about her umbilical chord; for knots and entanglement. Now I know why. Yet another miracle she was chosen to display.
May 13th, Mother's Day, we were in the hospital and she was producing plenty of opportunities for us to change her diaper. That kidney is working!
It is really hard to express the roller coaster we experienced. Moments of strong faith, moments of weak faith, moments of grief, moments of relief, and everything between.
At 39 weeks we waited for that phone call to say, "Come on in for your induction." The scheduled day came and went without that phone call. I was beside myself to say the least. I thought our wait would be over. The very next morning we got the call! We could not wait to meet her despite all of her uncertainties.
May 11, 2012
The pitocin started flowing through my veins around 11:30 am. As they monitored her heart throughout the day she showed signs of strength and perfection.
By 1:42 am on May 12th, we met Ayla- without Trisomy 13- with a strong heart- without Down's Syndrome, and laid our eyes upon her imperfect two vessel chord which had provided life to her for those 39 weeks. "Her chord has a complete knot in it!" the doctor exclaimed. "That's something that is very rare. You RARELY see that!" As I reflect on my pregnancy I remember a time where I felt impressed to pray specifically about her umbilical chord; for knots and entanglement. Now I know why. Yet another miracle she was chosen to display.
May 13th, Mother's Day, we were in the hospital and she was producing plenty of opportunities for us to change her diaper. That kidney is working!
It is really hard to express the roller coaster we experienced. Moments of strong faith, moments of weak faith, moments of grief, moments of relief, and everything between.
When I told a friend that I felt a weight had been lifted after one of the 'good news' appointments he said, "And you're stronger too. You've been lifting those weights and just because you're not carrying them any longer, you're still stronger because you've been working out."
There is a plan in place to monitor Ayla's kidneys and we feel that the right doctors were put in our path to help us along this journey and moving forward with her care. We will also be seeing a cardiologist to monitor a heart murmur which was detected at her two week check up. Now we get to celebrate and rejoice in getting to know Ayla, our little oak and "display of His splendor."
There is a plan in place to monitor Ayla's kidneys and we feel that the right doctors were put in our path to help us along this journey and moving forward with her care. We will also be seeing a cardiologist to monitor a heart murmur which was detected at her two week check up. Now we get to celebrate and rejoice in getting to know Ayla, our little oak and "display of His splendor."
A healthy child brings to light the fragility of life. A child with health concerns only amplifies that enlightenment and our complete dependence upon our creator, the one who knits us together in our mother's womb.
Thank you for reading Ayla's story- which is clearly His story.
Thank you for reading Ayla's story- which is clearly His story.
