The story of Wesley's birth and subsequent diagnosis is a story I have been trying to recall for almost two years now, but the details are so blurred that I may never remember what is fact and what is fictitious embellishment I have created in my head. Despite this, I will attempt to document the details since with time the facts will only grow more blurry until they are eventually forgotten.
After Zach was born, we had difficulty conceiving again, had another miscarriage, and then I was diagnosed with secondary infertility due to anovulation. Those were some hard months, and many tears were shed as I feared we might never have any more children. After consultations with several doctors and much prayer, Mike and I decided to follow our doctor's recommendation and use Clomid, a fertility drug, to induce ovulation. Much to our surprise, the Clomid was successful and I got pregnant that first month.
The first trimester of my pregnancy with Wesley was scary. I spotted multiple times, so we went in often for ultrasounds and heartbeat checks. We were always prepared to hear that our baby's heart was no longer beating, but God had a different plan for Wesley's life. For that, we are filled with gratitude to the Lord, who has upheld Wesley's life from the very beginning.
Because of family history, we had a level 2 ultrasound at twenty weeks. It was at this appointment that we received our first indication that something might not be right. As the doctor measured Wesley's face, we noticed that she kept measuring his nasal bone over and over again. At this point I became concerned and asked her what she was looking for. She nonchalantly explained that she was re-measuring Wesley's nasal bone because at first it had measured small. But when she re-measured it, it was at the low end of normal. She then said that a missing nasal bone or short nasal bone was a soft marker for Down syndrome, but that since Wesley's bone had re-measured as normal there was no reason for concern. While she seemed reassured by her final measurement, I walked away from that appointment with growing concerns and questions in my mind. I can see now that this was God's way of beginning to prepare Mike and I for the news we would soon be receiving.
Click here to read Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5.
Click here to read Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5.
4 comments:
I can't imagine how fragile that pregnancy must have felt to you after what you had gone through to get pregnant. I kind of had a sign from God so to speak as well but I only remembered it well after Lucas's diagnosis. Looking forward to part 2.
This is such a beautiful picture of you, Elisabeth. Thanks for sharing the story; I'm looking forward to reading more of it.
Oh, and how is it possible our bodies ever had that much baby inside??? :)
Thanks for sharing your story...I look forward to part 2. It is amazing how we all have our stories, and in sharing, we share examples of God's love and strength. I share my story if you want to read it (my blog is not as nice as yours and hard to find stuff!)
http://ebeaubien.blogspot.com/2010/12/reflections-of-mom.html
I share this because it is true testament we are not alone. I take strength in other's walks with Christ, and hope as you compose your second part, you take comfort in knowing it took me over three years to put mine into words. Love to you as you open your heart up to such an emotional time, and at the end, God's love be felt with you every step on that journey.
Can't wait to read the rest of the story. Love how God slowly prepares our hearts to accept our babies.
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