21 weeks

We are so grateful to have people all over the world who want to be praying for our little baby. What a joy to know that he already is so loved, even though he's not yet born. I've been thinking over the best way to communicate with such a broad group over the next few months, and have settled on this blog as the best option. I'll update whenever we have news.

Some history: Well, first of all, I'm pregnant! This has been a long, strange pregnancy, and I'm only 21 weeks along. Our history of second-trimester losses has put me on edge ever since we found out in January that we were expecting. For the most part, however, God helped me grapple with those fears.

Then, three weeks ago, we received some alarming blood test results. In essence, they showed a 50 percent chance that all would proceed smoothly, and a 50 percent chance that we would face complications. The range of possible complications is vast: from in-utero death to very early labor to late-term eclampsia.

Based on those results, we made the decision to finish the pregnancy in the States, where we will have family around to lend a hand, and where (in the event of an early delivery) specialized postnatal care will be readily available and easier for us to navigate. 

Yesterday, we (hopefully) had our last ultrasound at Eurolab, the Ukrainian clinic where we've done prenatal care. The baby was alive and kicking and clearly male, so that was all great to see.

We were hoping for some clarity about what (if anything) is wrong with our little one, but we didn't really receive any. The doctor focused on the parts of the body that can cause excess protein to leak out of the baby and into my blood. (This was one of our abnormal test results.) She noted five areas of possible concern (including some spine, heart and brain abnormalities), but didn't seem definitive about any of them. She said things should be more clear at our next ultrasound.  That will probably be in about a month. It's a LONG time to wait.

Thankfully, I have a wonderful cousin who happens to be a genetic counselor. I thank God daily for giving me someone who is uber-knowledgable about these issues and who is only a phone call away. Her take on yesterday was that the results (as told to me by the doctor -- we haven't received the official ultrasound report yet, and it might be more informative) were too vague to draw any conclusions. And so, we wait.  

And we pack. We fly out May 15, and we plan to live on my parents' property in Northern California until the baby is born. Eric will be able to continue his role as Area Director via Skype and e-mail, plus we expect that he will make at least one trip back to Ukraine over the summer.

So, that's where we're at today. It's only been three weeks since these issues cropped up, and I'm already feeling very weary and desperate to know what is going on. Prayers for peace and patience are much appreciated.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments. I'll try to answer them the best I can.