‘Tis the season for Christmas cards to be sent out to family and friends! We used ours to make a very special announcement, but ever since we sent them, I’ve felt like we weren’t being totally honest, and have been wanting to share the whole truth. Finding the courage and the right words have been a challenge.
Long story short: we are expecting another baby girl in March, and we are also expecting our time with her to be very limited.
Longer story below..
The night we took these photos, we were so eager for the next day when we would find out if baby number three was a boy or a girl at our 22-week ultrasound.
We brought the kids with so that they could be part of the excitement, and Elodie could barely hide her smile when she found out she was getting a baby sister! Lance whisked the kids away while I finished the ultrasound, and I laid there for almost an hour, watching her spin and kick and try to suck her hand. Babies are such a miracle!
Then, after the ultrasound when my doctor came into the room, our lives turned upside-down. The doctor had tears in her eyes, and the first thing she said was, “I’m so sorry.”
It turns out that our beautiful baby girl has Trisomy 18, and if she does make it through delivery, her time with us will be very limited.
It’s been a difficult reality to grasp. We are trying to live life as normally as possible, but it’s just not the same. We’re not rearranging the house to make a nursery. I’m not searching for all the cute baby girl clothes. We’re just waiting to see what happens next, praying we’ll get to meet her alive. We savor every kick we feel and heartbeat we hear, but still we know we’ll have to say goodbye before we’re ready.
All we ask for this Christmas is a little prayer. A prayer of hope for the best possible outcome, and for the strength to make the most of these next few months. Thank you, friends!
