A day of news and updates

When we had our anatomy ultrasound the day after Christmas they found Choroid Plexus Cysts in the baby's brain. The call followed a night of taking Selene's temperature 100 times because it was just over the "Take her to the ER" mark, but we were in Indiana, and I didn't know what to do. It felt like everything was falling apart all at once.

But I chose not to worry (to the best of my ability) due to this being extremely common and usually no big deal. Today our follow up ultrasound gave the all clear. Everything is perfect, the cysts are gone and we were even able to find out (due to a contrary crossed legged baby last time) that we'll add a third girl to our family!

I guess a finished basement/man cave is now at the top of the "requirement" list for house hunting :-)

I also received a call from the Bone Marrow unit advising that they had dates for us! Pretty much exactly what I imagined, Feb 26 will be the date we're admitted. Then March 9 will be Ainsley's harvest and the transfusion of cells into Selene.

Prior to that we'll have two full days of testing and education. That sounds daunting, but at least everything is moving along right on schedule. Which is good since this baby is measuring with a due date two weeks earlier!

I knew this was happening, but having a date is has made it super real. Continuing to thank God for all the good in our lives, we need it!

Also, thank you to my beautiful and thoughtful cousin who set up the YouCaring page and to all our amazing supporters who have donated. I found a cleaning service who is amazing, uses green cleaning products and works for lots of families of cancer patients, etc. so she is completely comfortable following all the crazy rules we'll be under during quarantine. I can't even tell you the relief this lifted burden brings!

Feeling so blessed.

Greatest u/s photo ever. Baby girl flashing her muscles!

What is Love?

Love is when you can't decide whether or not to publically announce this huge happening in your life because it's so private and difficult and overwhelming.

And then friends whom you haven't seen in person in weeks, months or even years take a moment to say they are praying for you and support you.

I agonized for months over whether or not to even discuss this. But ultimately, I think that 6 weeks in the hospital will be unbearably lonely and stressful. And that pulling Ainsley from preschool, and staying home for months will be equally hard. And then we'll welcome a beautiful baby and add all the joyful exhaustion that goes with that little one. And Selene will be sick, and lose her hair (well, what little hair she has :-) ), and I didn't know how I could bear to hide all details of this for a year.

So thank you, from the bottoms of our hearts, for the outpouring of love and the prayers that are coming our way. I've said this a million times, but I can't believe how blessed we are, even in a situation like this.

Here's to 2015

2014 was a year of amazing happiness, joy and experiences. At the same time it started a path we never expected to travel with our children.

2015 will be a year that brings new life in more ways than one, great fear, great joy, anxiety, prayer, faith, and trust.

My Timehop yesterday was 5 years of "What an amazing year we had, can't wait to see what the next brings!" I can honestly say that I have never wanted to be on the other side of a year more in my life. My hope is that NYE 2015 will be of our family of five, lighting sparklers, drinking sparkling cider and thanking God for a year that brought health, healing and joy.

But in the meantime, we will gather strength we never knew we had. And we will rely on faith in God to protect Selene, to guide her doctors, to give Ainsley the courage she needs to be an amazing big sister in so many ways, and to bring the safe arrival of a precious new family member when we are in the height of quarantine and waiting. And of course relishing in thankfulness at the support given by all of our family and friends, who helped us survive what will most likely be the hardest year of our lives.

So, here's to 2015 and all that it brings.