I have decided to TRY blogging again. Since it's summer, and I seem to have a little bit more time on my hands, I think it might work. We will see. I also would really like to share our story for those of you who may not know it yet, because I believe that God is at work doing some amazing things! So let's get started...hang in there - this is a long one!
Currently, I am 26 weeks (about 6 months) pregnant with a little boy.
So lets sum up this pregnancy up to this point in as few words as possible. Or at least try. :)
In January, we decided to take a test because I "just had that wierd
feeling." We had been talking about having children, and had decided to
stop preventative measures, but I honestly thought getting pregnant
would be the hardest part of it all for us.
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12 weeks - our announcement. Pinterest inspired. |
Well...it wasn't. Took us one time. And boom, we were pregnant. Just
like that. I was in disbelief...shock, a little bit scared too.
"Wait...a baby is gonna come out of me? Oh goodness." My husband was the
calm, collected one. Excited. He couldn't stop smiling.
My first trimester was pretty easy. I dealt with a little bit of
nausea, didn't have much of an appetite and was extremely tired. But I
lived, and it was a walk in the park compared to what some have
experienced.
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18 weeks |
Second trimester I discovered the "wonder woman" within. Go, go, go, do, do, do. I feel alive again! It has been amazing!
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20 weeks |
So here's the long part of the journey, hang in there because I promise I won't be so wordy next time...
All appointments went well in the beginning, heartbeat was strong,
which was all we prayed for. Then, at 22 weeks we had our first
sonogram. Seeing his little body was incredible! I loved every second.
However, I had come to the appointment with some apprehension and anxiety
about his arms and hands. My family has a strong history of skeletal
deformation of the arms and hands, and it was something my husband and I
knew we might have to deal with when having children. Although, I think
he was more prepared for the possibility then myself. You see, I was
born with a crooked thumb, and my brother wasn't born with any
deformities...so I guess I convinced myself that it was "going away"
over time/generations. Anyway - back to the sono. everything looked good
but she hesitated to say anything when it came to his feet. When we met
with our doctor she said that the sonographer wanted us to get a 2d
sonogram to get a better look at his feet because they looked as if they
might be club feet. As you can probably imagine, I was devastated at
the thought that my little boy would be anything but perfect. And I had
never even heard of club feet, so the picture that came to my mind
immediately was horrific. Luckily, my husband was there to keep me calm
(as best he could) and we went home to research. Check out
this website to get informed. Knowledge is power, people.
So fast forward a month to our 2d sonogram, the doctor confirmed that
our precious, perfect little boy did in fact have bilateral (two) club
feet. He was able to look at everything else also, and everything else
seemed to be developing typically. Praise the Lord! They decide to send
us to an orthopedic doctor to go ahead and discuss the process of
correcting the club feet (yes, they can be corrected!). Fast forward
another few weeks, and we met with the orthopedic doctor recommended by
the 2d specialist. I was a nervous wreck. At this point I had really
done my best to hand this situation and all my worries to the Lord, but
my stomach was in knots. After filing out the necessary paperwork and
waiting, we were called in. The physicians assistant took us to a room
and proceeded to discuss with us this condition, and the process in
which they would take to correct it. They would use the
Ponseti Method.
I had already researched much of the treatments, etc. So I was familiar
with the method. I was really feeling good about everything at this
point, I was glad they had taken the time to talk with us, etc. Just
when I thought we were about done, and she was going to send us on our
way the orthopedic doctor came in. He was very friendly, and reassuring
that they would do their best to take care of our little boy's feet. I
will never forget the words he said to me, "please do not worry about
your little boy's feet, we will take care of them, you just worry about
the rest." I began to cry. Not because I was afraid, but because I felt
like the Lord was speaking to me through this doctor. Telling me not to
worry, that He was in control. It was incredible.
Matthew 6:25-27
"I tell you, do not worry. Don't worry about your life and what you
will eat or drink. And don't worry about your body and what you will
wear. Isn't there more to life than eating? Aren't there more important
things for the body than clothes?
"Look at the birds of the air. They don't plant or gather crops.
They don't put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in
heaven feeds them. Aren't you worth much more than they are?
"Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying?
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22 weeks |
We had originally intended on meeting with a few orthopedic doctors
but after our meeting with Dr. Ferrell, my husband and I both felt like
it was a really good fit. Not to mention, he actually studied with
Dr. Ponseti.
A few nights ago we met with a group of sponsors who we volunteer
with in Children's Church at our church. Our pastor was closing the
meeting and asked if anyone would like to share prayer requests. He
informed us about a couple from our church who had just given birth to
twin girls at 24 weeks. The girls were both in the NICU and in poor
condition. I hadn't planned on sharing, and felt as if our story was
infinite compared to this couples struggle. But I felt like I needed to.
Because these people are our church family. And I wanted them to know,
so we could be supported. I started to share but couldn't because I
choked up. So my husband shared. And after he did, they gathered around
us, layed their hands on OUR feet, and prayed for our perfect little
man. He IS perfect. And God is not done molding him yet. The Lord has a magnificent plan for his life and I cannot wait to see it unfold before
my eyes.
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24 weeks - Please excuse my tired look in this picture. The baby daddy made me take a picture at 11 at night! |
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Our sweet, sweet miracle |
Anna! I loved reading about your little man! God has a great plan for him, He knit him together and he is exactly perfect for your family!
ReplyDeleteMy little brother was born with club feet and wore casts and braces while he was a baby. He is fine and was a competitive runner in high school and college.
As for Dr. Ferrell? I kind of love him! He was recommended to us by a Dr friend of ours after my son Jacob had a bad arm break while wrestling. Our first Dr was a nightmare, so, Dr Ferrell was our hero!! He was definitely a good choice for you guys!
I will be keeping your little family in my prayers :-)
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI stumbled onto your blog today and wanted to say hello!
My now 9 yr old son was born with a unilateral left club foot. We went through the casts, tenotomy and bar that you will be facing. I remember my first break down was when he got his first cast on at 4 days old. That seems like a life time ago. You should see him now! Star pitcher on his little league baseball team!
At the age of 15 months he was also diagnosed with nerve damage so his journey for his foot is still ongoing and more complicated then we imagined and what you will face with your son.
I have a long list of clubfoot blogs on my blog. Could I add yours to it? If that is ok, stop by my blog and let me know!