Its a ......... (As posted on the Powell Family Blog)

We had our 20 week ultrasound last week. Here is the latest picture of baby number 2.



And it's a ............................................

Girl!

I honestly couldn't decide which I would have been happier with, a boy or a girl, so I am glad that I was not the one who had to decide. It is weird for me to switch from all things boy to thinking about a little girl. I'm sure I will make the switch pretty easily once I see the cute little thing.

Unfortunately our exciting "It's a girl!" news was a little dampened by some concerns. As if there aren't enough things to worry about with pregnancy the darn doctor who did the ultrasound found something specific for us to worry about.

This is what has gotten us worried. It is a two vessel, or single artery, umbilical cord (SAU). This is sometimes associated with abnormalities in the baby but since we got excellent results on our integrated screening (a test that checks for chromosomal abnormalities) we are trying to push those concerns aside. And their is nothing they could see that really made them concerned. So the next concern is that babies with SAU often have trouble growing. Right not our baby girl is measuring with a due date of February 9th when she is really due on January 31st. Because babies with SAU often don't grow so well in the womb they often choose to deliver them early so they can grow more out of the womb. We will have frequent ultrasounds to check the growth and if they find that she is not growing well they will want to induce and deliver her early. Our next step is a more thorough ultrasound which we will have on October 24th. At that appointment they will do a more thorough exam of the baby's development, check her heart etc. And they will check her growth to see if she still seems to be growing slowly. It seems forever away! The first half of this pregnancy went so fast, but since we got the news about the SAU time has slowed. Its so hard to just "wait and see".

The perinatologist who did the ultrasound is a worrier. That's what I like about him and why I chose him. I like someone who is thorough and honest about things. His concern got me worried, but I am trying to put it in the context of knowing that he is a worrier. Our OB doesn't worry about anything. She was very reassuring and didn't seem concerned about things, but I know that she doesn't get worked up about anything so I am trying to put that in context too. We are trying to balance between the two and have found ourselves in a place of being cautiously very optimistic. What ever is going on with this little girl she is a mover and a shaker. I feel her move more than I remember feeling Max move. Our doctor said that is a good sign that she is healthy since babies that have severe abnormalities and/or chromosomal abnormalities usually don't move much. So every time she moves I take comfort.

I don't want to end this post on a downer so here is another adorable picture (at least to me its adorable, but I know mamas see things through different eyes) of our sweet baby girl.


Awe. : ) Look at the air bubble. What a cute baby!

Dear Baby Girl,

You had me so worried yesterday. The doctor told me that it is a good sign that you are healthy because I feel you move so much. Now every time I feel you move I take comfort. So yesterday when I didn't feel you move all the worries I have about you grew and grew. I asked your dad to give me a blessing. I wanted him to say that you would be okay. He didn't say that, but he said some things that brought me some comfort and some things that seemed very personal to me and this situation. Basically he said three things. One, I need to have faith. He reminded me of the scripture that if you knock it will be opened to you. This is something that doesn't come naturally to me so it seems really personal that I need to work on it. And I understand that this is something that will be really personal and something that no one else can do for me. Two, he instructed me to enjoy this time and talked about how special and unique a time it is when a woman is expecting a baby. I so much want to enjoy every moment of this and sew you lots of cute things, but I am having a hard time letting myself do this because I don't know if you will be okay and if I will get to keep you. Three, I have friends and family that love me and care for me and they can help me with whatever I need and I should trust in this and rely on them. That part makes me a little nervous, wondering what I will need help with. But overall I found comfort in it and I found that it gave me enough instruction to feel like I have some sort of direction and task to work on in a situation that feels so out of my control.

That night, after the blessing, I was laying in bed reading. Your dad had his hand resting on my stomach. I started to feel you move, but I didn't say anything to him. I wanted to be sure it was real. I wanted to sort my feelings. I wanted to enjoy the feeling. Suddenly your dad laughed. He felt you move. I knew it was real. We had both enjoyed it. I gave him a kiss on his big smile. It was the same kind of excitement as learning for the first time that we were expecting you. It was a very special moment.

Baby girl, please keep moving inside me. I find so much comfort in it.

Love,

Mom

Dear Baby,

You are a girl! I'm thrilled (and still adjusting to the news). Now when I talk about you I can say "she" and its a bit of an adjustment. When I was pregnant with your brother I used to see all the cute baby girl things and wish I could buy them or make them for my baby. But then I got used to all the cute boy things. Now I am trying to adjust back to thinking of all the cute girl things. But, baby girl, you have us worried. During the ultra sound they found that our umbilical cord only has one artery instead of two. This means there is a higher chance that you have some sort of "abnormalities". We did some testing earlier in the pregnancy for chromosomal abnormalities and the results were very favorable that you didn't so I am trying to take comfort in that. But still I am so worried. If you don't have any "abnormalities" there is a high chance that you might not get enough nutrition. And you are already a little on the small side. It means you might be small, which has risks, and you might have to be delivered early, which also has risks. Dear baby girl, I pray that you are alright. There is so much to worry about during a pregnancy anyway and now I have a dozen more worries than I did before. But no matter what you are my baby girl and I will love you and take care of you. But baby girl, will you always worry me this much? First I couldn't hear your heart beat, and now this. Dear baby girl, mama's worry enough already, please don't worry me anymore.

Mom

Dear Baby,

Tomorrow we will learn if you are a boy or a girl. I honestly mean it when I say that I will be thrilled either way. Once I know I can start picturing you in more detail. For some reason I picture a blond haired little boy or a dark haired little girl. I really can't decide which I would want more, so I just trust that God knows which would be best for our family. Know matter what you are and what color your hair I promise that I will love you forever.

Mom

PS For fun I did some gender prediction test. The Chinese calendar says that you are a girl. I took three old wives' tell test, one said girl, one was slightly boy and one was 50/50. I dangled a ring over my belly and for a short time it said boy, then for a really long time girl, and then boy again. For extra fun we tested daddy. According to both the old wives' tell test and the ring over his belly he is definitely having a boy.