12 Weeks

I had my 2nd appointment yesterday (Monday July 26). It has been an emotional day. First, I want to begin by sharing that our baby is very healthy! We got to see it again today, my goodness, it has changed so much! As you can see in this new picture, it is actually the shape of a human now, instead of a grape. We got to see the head, arms, legs, belly, spine, hands, even a little of his/her face. It was breathtaking! And we also got to hear its heartbeat! It was beating 162 bpm-so what do you think? Boy or Girl? We are going to wait and be surprised! We also got to see the baby move today. It was very active. It is still too early for me to feel it move but looking at the ultrasound today showed us that it is alive and active! Praise the Lord!

But my doctor noticed a small cyst on my ovary at my first appointment (July 1st) and had asked me to see an ultrasound specialist at the beginning of this appointment, before seeing her. She explained to us that cysts are common in some women in pregnancy and that they usually shrink and disappear after the first trimester. So she wanted me to see this ultrasound specialist to check on the status of my cyst.

In all honesty, I have not been worried about it. Both Ryan and I really felt like Dr. Tate was just taking precautions and didn't seem that concerned about it in our first appointment. So we didn't give it much thought. I have prayed about it some, asking the Lord to take it away and heal me. I have been praying more for the health of the baby. So when the ultrasound specialist told us it was still there and pretty large in size, I lost it. I was so thankful that he had showed us so much of the baby before he actually looked for the cyst. That was very encouraging! But once he showed the cyst to us, my tears started flowing.

Next we met with Dr. Tate who did a great job of explaining where we are at and what's next. She told us that she would really like to take out the cyst because of its size and the risk of rupturing or twisting/turning. She explained 2 different ways to take it out, but both involve surgery. One way would be like having a C-section, they would make a large incision and take it out that way. Of course that recovery time is about 5 days in the hospital. The other option, the option she recommends, is by having it taken out through laparoscoptic surgery. They would do most of it through my belly button with a small incision. She said that most women who have this procedure do it outpatient but that she would keep me overnight in the hospital because I am pregnant. The risks to the baby are very small, but there are some risks to me. In this particular surgery, I would need to be put to sleep and there are some risks involved in that. It is hard to explain on a blog.

As you can imagine, Ryan and I have many mixed emotions. We feel sad. We feel scared. We feel a little confused. We want more than anything what is best for the baby and me, but I have never had any kind of surgery so the thought of it scares me. The risk of being put to sleep scares me. The thought of losing this very alive, active and perfect baby scares me. The unknown scares me.

But we live for and love a God who cares for us and our baby! We know He has a plan! We believe that His ways are better than ours. We acknowledge Him as our Healer. We know he loves us and this precious baby! We put our hope in Him. We have found peace in the following verses:
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.
1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your care on Him, for He cares for you.

Please join us as we pray for God's healing! We absolutely believe that He is more powerful than any doctor or surgery. We know and believe that if He chooses He can completely heal this cyst from my body! But we also know that if He chooses not to take it away by His power, that He can use a professional doctor to remove it. We ask you to pray for His wisdom as we make decisions. If surgery comes, please pray that the surgery goes well, with NO complications to me or the baby. Ask our Father to give us peace and comfort. Ask Him to fill us with faith and trust. Pray that this baby continues to grow strong. Pray that as we wait, the cyst will not rupture or turn. We are truly grateful for your love and prayer support! Ryan, Baby Lee and I need you!