This is the first post here and my first blog. It's definitely a work in progress! This is the story of me and my husband, Ty, and our first baby. We found out I was pregnant in March 2011 and we were so excited. We decided not to find out the baby's gender and we weren't going to share names... oh, how we changed our minds a few months later. In June we went in for the 20-week ultrasound. I thought it would be a fun way to see our baby but we were in for a surprise when the technician told us she saw something of concern on the baby's lower lumbar spine. She sent us upstairs to talk to my doctor right away. After waiting an hour... and panicking... the doctor took us back and told us that she saw "many anomalies" on the baby, especially on the spine, the heart, and the neck. That was the worst day of my life.
The next day we went to have a Level II ultrasound, which shows the baby in greater detail. The technician was able to see the baby's heart and could tell that the heart is very strong, but she confirmed that the baby has Spina Bifida. Later that week we met with a pediatric neurosurgeon, who gave us a lot of information on this diagnosis and what it means for our baby. As hard as it was to hear it, I did feel a bit of relief to hear what it is and prepare for our life with a special needs child.
It was sad to tell our parents and our friends about Spina Bifida, but we couldn't be more blessed with people who love and support us. And then we did the unthinkable... we found out the gender and picked a name... and shared it with the world. It was funny, I found out over the phone that we would be having a girl. I kind of knew it, I had always felt a girl vibe. I came home from work and told Ty. Then we decided on Leah. Early in my pregnancy we had discussed names, and Leah was the girl name we both agreed on. And then we called our parents and siblings to tell them the good news.
The last 6 weeks have been kind of a blur of vacations and baby gear and enjoying summer that I haven't had a chance to really think about Spina Bifida. But I now have doctor appointments every other week and will soon be going weekly. We need to tour the hospital where I'll deliver Leah and where she will be after she's born. So with only 12 weeks left of my pregnancy, we'll start thinking more and more about what's in store for us.
I hope to post here often enough to give family and friends updates on Leah. Ty and I are so excited to meet her, but we're also nervous about what's in store for us. It's the unknown that is the scariest.
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