Wednesday, April 3, 2013

The beginning of our journey...

About us...

I was going to keep this all private because it is a hard thing for me to accept & talk about, but the more people that know, the more prayers my baby girl gets. And she needs all of them that she can get.

This pregnancy has been anything but easy from the very beginning (gestational diabetes, almost needing to be hospitalized due to extreme morning sickness, very high blood pressure, anemia, you name it & I've probably had it) but I have loved & cherished every second of it. Yesterday topped it all, we found out our sweet girl has Trisomy 13. 

Usually people find out in the very beginning but my first doctor somehow didn't see the markers. As soon as my doctor saw them she immediately had me do bloodwork to send off to a place called MaterniT21. They test for Trisomy 21 (downs syndrome), trisomy 18, & trisomy 13. Up until yesterday morning I was confident that my girl didn't have anything wrong with her & that it was just a fluke with the ultrasound. My appointment was at 12:45 pm yesterday but the doctor called me at 8am & asked if I could come early because she had the results in & wanted to talk about them in person. I still tried to remain calm because I thought maybe that's just what they do, then she called back and told me to be sure Will is with me. I absolutely lost it. I was on my knees begging God that it was Down's syndrome & not one of the others. Will came home as fast as he could & we were called back almost immediately. While we were in the room waiting on the doctor to come in, I was explaining to Will how much I hope it is Trisomy 21 & not 18 or 13. He didn't know anything about the other two so I was reading him all about it. I could see the fear in his eyes & I told him not to even worry because Trisomy 13 has a 1 in 10,000 to a 1 in 21,000 chance of happening, especially in a young mom. Just as I finished saying that the doctor walked in & said, "I've got some bad news. Your results came back and she's a very high positive for Trisomy 13." Almost everything after that is blurred, but I remember hearing how most babies don't even live as long as Wren has & that majority get a few days, the lucky parents get a week. I have been having to go to the doctor once a week, a doctor for my gestational diabetes every two weeks, and the hospital twice a week for monitoring due to my high blood pressure. She told me yesterday that I could stop the monitoring because it really didn't matter now. I told her I wanted to keep on going because I want to hear her heart beat while I still can. I felt more emotions in that moment than I even knew existed. I felt sad, mad, betrayed, scared, but mostly I felt like I wasn't a good mom because this happened in my body & I couldn't even keep my own baby healthy. I felt not good enough for her. 

Will & I asked a few questions and then went home. When we got home, we just sat in our car for the longest time & cried & held each other & wondered why this would happen to our perfect baby. The rest of the day consisted of that same thing. I hoped & I prayed that this was the most realistic dream in the world and that I would wake up from it in the morning. She was so still last night & I knew it was because she could sense my sadness so I tried to cheer her up. She & I sat in her closet, I picked out outfits with matching bows & shoes and told her everything we would go do & what she would wear. We talked fashion, we talked about how much me & her daddy love her, and I got to tell her everything I needed to in case I never get that chance. Her favorite things are carrots, milk, and music so I fixed her some carrots & milk, and played her the song she loves most over & over, and watched her dance around in my belly. She loves to dance & she is constantly so active, she's already so much fun and she's not even out here yet. 

This morning I woke up and it hit me like a ton of bricks. It's real. And I hate it. 

Yesterday I was very very angry & not able to understand why or how this could happen to my baby. Today my faith is stronger, I know if anyone can pull through this, it's my Wren. She's so strong already & she's already lived longer than a lot with her condition. She's already my little miracle. She makes me be stronger & makes me have more faith like she does. She has this awful condition & is still growing everyday and doing the cutest things. She completely amazes me. Her favorite song (she dances to it the most) is Praise You In This Storm. It always wakes her up & makes her go crazy. That song is getting me through this because of how much she loves it & because of the message in it that I need to be reminded of constantly.

I go for a high risk/ birth defect ultrasound on Friday just to see all of her little markers. There's less a than 1% chance that they will find nothing wrong and I will have to have an amniocentesis done. A chance is a chance & I'm clinging to that with all I have.

I'll be updating the blog as soon as we know anything else. Thank you all for all your prayers & thoughts through this. It really does mean the world to us. Love you all! 



Never give up on anybody,
miracles happen everyday

24 comments:

  1. Anna I just want to say first off YOU DID NOTHING WRONG! Nothing at all! Don't ever let the devil make you think you did! God has a had in this and He will do what is best for you and that precious child inside you. And whatever happens don't lose faith, everything is going to work out. I'm praying for you and Will. God will work this all out for you! I hope you're doing OK with all this and if you need anything let me know.

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  2. You and will are going to be great parents. she is going to prove the doctors wrong. because her mommy wont let anything happen. were all here for you three. love and prayers. Granny!

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  3. Your faith will give her strength and I believe if there is a chance, that is all you need... a mustard seed, remember? I will be praying for you, with you, and for Wren (very appropriately named, I might add).

    Prayers, hugs, and love,
    Jeannette Cassity

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  4. Hello i want you to know there is HOPE.. I help run a nonprofit called trisomy families and on our facebook page we have many families who have walked all sides of the trisomy 13 journey. My son has trisomy 18 and will be 12 this june. please join us on facebook and unite with so many other moms who can be there for you sfor support and help guid you through the things that can help you and your baby. Sadly Medical books have not been updated since the 60's about trisomy 13 and 18 and with treatment many more kids do survive and are extreamly happy. Our group has mom of many living children with trisomy 13 and moms who have lost their little ones. I know you will love the group and find so much peace to be able to talk and lean on those who have walked and are walking the same path you are. The group can help empower you to make informed choiuces when it comes to your little one. Dr's only tell you all the bad things. im so sorry you are being faced with this news of your sweet baby and i know its not easy at all, please know my thoughts and prayers go out to you. you may email me at marta@triosmyfamilies.org and please join the group at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150543932685592.373231.730610591&type=3#!/groups/trisomyfamilies/

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  5. You don't know me but I just wanted to tell you that we are praying for you and God has big plans for your sweet baby girl keep your eyes on God and your faith strong God bless your family

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  6. Hi Anna, I'm Kari - mom to Leila who has full trisomy 18. She is 15 months old. I remember that dreaded call from the Doctor as if it was yesterday. I'm a teacher and he told me over the phone at work! I lost it. I'll be praying for you and baby Wren. There are a lot of us on Facebook.

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  7. I learned of this amazing person, (you) that's strong and faithful through a friends prayer request on facebook. The power of praying my friend in Christ, is AMAZING! I read a story just a few minutes ago about a expected Mom from Atlanta, GA that her unborn child has spina-bifida. A one of the kind doctor from Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, performs a surgery on this unborn child by c-section approach. The outcome was successful with this surgery. The amazing part outside of the life saved, during the surgery a little tiny hand reach through the small incision made and places his "Hand of Hope" around the doctor's finger and grasped it for a moment. My point with sharing this of course is to encourage you because God's performing miracles on these little unborn babies everyday. I send you my love, hope, strength and prayers in the days ahead! Just know, God will take care of Wren and you and your husband during this storm.

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  8. Your daughter is still perfect. And she is perfectly yours. I am praying that God will give you many years with her that will be rich and full and that you and she will be able to do things that astound the doctors. Remember that doctors always give you the worst case scenario. What the mom up above wrote about medical text books not being updated is true. So many medical professionals make even Down Syndrome sound like a death sentence. Believe what you know in your heart to be true and keep doing what you're doing. I will be praying for you. God has a plan for Wren. And she has been exactly who He made her to be from the beginning.

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  9. I know you don't know me, but I will be praying for you, your family and your baby girl. Rest assured, no matter what happens, your daughter will be made whole in heaven and you will see her in all of her perfection there one day :) Stay strong.

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  10. We will pray for you. I have a cousin with downs syndrome hes 54 now and his mother says she was blessed with my cousin.

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  11. I am so, so very sorry to hear about your precious baby girl. My heart is just broken for you. My brother and his wife recently lost two perfect twins, and I know the heartache of having any sort of pregnancy problem can feel like more than you can bear. But remember to keep up your hope and be as positive as you can. That's what baby Wren needs right now! And don't blame yourself because you couldn't have done any better for your sweet girl. I'm keeping you, Will, and Wren in my thoughts, and I really hope for the best for you guys.

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  12. Our doctor's told us our son (PJ, age 5 and 1/2, Trisomy 21)could have T-13 or T-18, and the amnio confirmed the T-21 for us. Either way, I blamed myself at first, too. In my case, I was 42, so I blamed my old eggs. I will pray that T-21 is what it ends up being, that's easy. Doctor's aren't God, and don't know everything. Best wishes,
    Kathy

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  13. Praying for your family and your sweet baby girl :)

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  14. First off, I want to say how incredibly inspiring you truly are. You are one of the strongest people I know. I could not imagine having to go through what you are with your first pregnancy. I know if anyone could get through this, it will be you. You are a strong willed person and honestly one of the best people I know.

    My deepest prayers go to you and I will continue to pray for you, will, your family, and most importantly Wren. If she is anything like you, she will be just fine. It's nearly impossible with all the prayers and love that she is receiving that things will not look up for you. But believe it or not, God has a plan for you all, for Wren, and her purpose here in life. Whether that is to inspire you to speak to other people, grow a closer bond with God, or to raise the most inspiring child there is that we all know.

    There is nothing you could have done to prepare yourself or change what has happened, just know that it is NOT YOU.

    I am praying for you.

    Like I said on Facebook, if you need me, I am here. I may not understand or be able to make you feel better - but I can promise you that I am a good listener. If you need anyone to just vent to, cry to, etc., I am here. Always.

    Remember, Wren knows how much you love her for she is the only one who has heard your heart beat from the inside <3

    God bless you, Will and baby Wren.

    XO, Mandy Dupree

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  15. Sending up many prayers for you, your family and baby Wren. Thank you for sharing your story with us so that we can pray with you. Hold on to God, hold strong. I'm sorry you are going through all of this.
    Emma

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  16. A friend sent me the link to your blog and asked me to pray. I think it's beautiful that your Wren loves "Praise You In This Storm." There are some very encouraging words in that song, and I pray they will help you to lift your head when you are tired and afraid. Your Father is good and loving and He works EVERYTHING together for good. Praying for you, Melissa Smith

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  17. You don't know me. One of my face book game friends posted about you and I followed the link. I will pray for you. I feel for you and I know God gives you strength to deal with things , strength you didnt know you had. Remember whatever happens your baby already knows what it is like to be loved as I am sure she can feel it. So she has something precious that some children never have however long they live. xxx
    Ann xx

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  18. Anna, you have my constant prayers. I could not even fathom what you and will have been going through... but remember that miracles are not God's way of correcting a mistake... they are to glorify him in the eyes of man in a way that man cannot explain. No matter what the doctors say, don't let your faith waver. At any point. Because the "hopelessness" of the situation has no effect on God.... it just means the miracle on it's way will have a greater effect on everyone else. Wren's birth could change so many more lives even now. Coley and I love you with all our heart. Wren could have no better mother than you. And just like everyone else here, we're here if you need anything. Anything at all. I can't wait to meet Wren. She is going to make a heck of an entrance.

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  19. Sweet Anna, my goodness how inspiring you are. God has such great plans for you and little miss Wren. She may be sick now, but you know what? I know a God that is much more powerful than any doctor. My God can heal the blind and make the dead come to life! And you know what, He can heal your beautiful precious baby as well! We just have to believe in Him, like you're already doing, and have faith that He will pull us through. He has a better plan for all of us. We just have to let that plan play out. You will be in my constant prayers though, and I will look everyday for an update. May God be with you, Will, and Wren.

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  20. Anna, these things came to mind when I read your story,

    God makes no mistakes, EVER
    You did NOTHING wrong
    We serve a God who doesn't watch our storm from the shore, HE is in the boat WITH US
    God knows exactly how you feel, what you need, what your husband needs and what Wren needs, NONE of this takes him by surprise
    I believe the hardest situations we go through in this life are the very things God wants to use in and through us, God's platform to bring honor and glory to His name, so, no matter the outcome, He DOES have a purpose and a plan.

    So, I will pray for your precious baby and her MOST LOVING MOTHER and her daddy. I will pray God gives you peace, understanding and clarity. I will pray that Wren is of the 1% and that God will heal her completely. We don't know each other, but I am a mom and my heart aches for you. I'm so thankful we serve a God who understands when our heart is broken over our children. After all, HIS heart was broken over HIS Son! Who better to understand where you are! Thank you for sharing your life with the world. I shared your story on my FB so that anybody and everybody could see and begin to pray for you and your family. Also shared with my cousin who had a similar situation with a Trisomy 18 baby girl.

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  21. Wanted to let you know that I am praying for you and sweet Wren. I will also put her name on our prayer list at church.

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  22. God bless you & that sweet baby of yours. I am so sorry you are having to go through this. I can understand some of your pain. My son tested positive for a genetic birth defect. After much prayer from family, friends & strangers all of his test suddenly came back clear. He is a healthy happy boy today. Just know that God takes care of these little angels and holds them dear to His heart. One thing that gave me comfort during that time was prayer for other people. All during the day, I prayed for those that were praying for my family & my baby. I hope this gives you some comfort. I am praying for you.

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  23. I learned of your story after seeing a prayer request on Facebook. I think it is absolutely awesome that your precious baby dances to music!! And she already knows that God is in control, why else would Praise You In The Storm already be her favorite! Our family will be lifting prayers for your little family as well as the doctors with you helping you through the medical side. Right now Im praying more than anything that you will feel the love and prayers of all these people and that you are able to find comfort and strength. God is still in control...

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  24. have just heard your story after reading a prayer request on facebook..you have done nothing wrong ..please dont ever think you have..sending love and hugs to all of you xx

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