29 weeks!

Hope and I passed the 29-week mark this week. She has been moving a lot still, and we've even had a few bouts of hiccups. David and I went to see Dr. Hiett (my maternal-fetal medicine specialist--the super OB) again this morning, here in Bloomington. He did the same deal as last time--ultrasound with commentary along the way. I was able to see the screen better this time, and we were feeling more comfortable with him, so I (at least) felt a little more free to ask questions, no matter how dumb they seemed to me. The basic point of these ultrasounds with him is to make sure that Hope continues to grow. As she gets bigger, it will be harder to get these measurements as she becomes more squished, and even today he had a little trouble with some measurements, but he was still able to give us a lot of info. Unfortunately, he did not have last time's measurements right in front of him, so he was able to tell us in terms of percentiles, but not necessarily in comparison with last time's numbers.

Hope, in general, is a small baby. She's pretty consistently in the 25th-30th percentile, which is pretty normal for our babies. Her head is a little small (less than 2nd percentile), and that is common with encephaloceles. He was able to measure the cyst on the back of her head, but he didn't have the numbers from last time to compare it to, so we don't know if that has grown or not. There were two other measurements that were not where they should be (her stomach size and the ventricles in her head), but both of those could just be attributed to variation between ultrasounds. Hope's head measured small last time, just like it did today, so we do know that that is pretty accurate. We are hoping that the other two measurements today that were a little off will show themselves to be ultrasound flukes the next time around.

There was some positive news from today. My level of amniotic fluid is exactly where it should be, and this indicates that she is swallowing. This was something he told us last time as well, but today he said it a little more definitively. He also saw today that she is starting to use some of her breathing muscles. Obviously, babies at this stage can't breathe, but they start gearing up the muscles that they will need for that once they are born. (I have no idea how he was able to see that, but I guess that's why they pay him the big bucks!) Trying to breath is a good sign. Those two are basic motor functions that we're concerned about--without those (and others), she will not be able to survive outside the womb, and it's encouraging to me that she's showing positive signs for both.

The past few weeks have been tough for me. It's very easy for my mind to race ahead to all the possibilities of things that could go wrong after she's born--everything from death to cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, life with a handicapped child, etc. After talking to my husband and several dear friends, I have been able to focus more on what's going on right now--the fact that she is moving around, and that I feel her moving often during the day, and frequently during the night. She is safe for now. I have bought a few things in preparation for her arrival--baby gowns for easier diaper changes, fabric to make swaddling blankets, and the sweetest little spring dress that Sam's Club had put out. I have looked at those things and wondered if it was foolish to buy them, but David has reminded me that it is also a way to ward off despair.

We will go up to Indy in 3 weeks. We will see Dr. Hiett again for another ultrasound to check on her growth, we will meet with the neurosurgeon at that time, and tour the NICU. Please continue to pray for us. Pray that she will continue growing, and that she will not develop hydrocephalus (the enlarged ventricles from the scan today could be an indication of that). Pray that we will have hope and trust that God holds our days in the palm of His hands. We know that He glorifies Himself through things this world considers weak and foolish, and we pray that He would glorify Himself through us and Hope right now.