March 24th- 36 Weeks

So today we are 36 weeks pregnant. It seems like we are 336 weeks pregnant. This morning I really just thought about where we have been in the last 36 weeks. After a miscarriage in the beginning of the summer, we were so very excited to find out in August that we were pregnant again. Then within a few weeks I started getting extremely sick and stayed that way for over 6 weeks. I ended up with a PICC line, on a feeding tube and finally was able to get a very sick gallbladder removed. The day after, they did an ultrasound to check on the baby because I had been so malnourished. They found fluid on her brain, then the Dandy Walker Malformation, then the ACC and Dandy Walker cyst. We have had 10 ultrasounds, spent over 20 days in the hospital, countless visits to the doctor and it seems like every test they could do on a pregnant woman. This morning I was just emotional to say the least because all of this craziness is finally coming to an end and a new kind of craziness was about to start. We are finally about to have some answers to all of our questions with unknown answers. I was also nervous this morning about seeing if or how the fluid on her brain had changed. In the middle of a morning of praying, thinking and crying, I came across a page of people who were praying for our family today on facebook. What a peace that came over me. I realized that all of the tests, doctor appointments, hospital stays, and more that we have been through are completely trumped by the amount of prayers and support that have come our way in the last few months. God has used you all to help us get through this. I can't even begin to thank you all. I actually started crying again just because I felt blessed way beyond what I deserved! You all make a difference in our lives daily!
So our day was actually pretty good. Sam's ultrasound showed that the diameter of her head is still measuring 5 weeks larger than her body. However one of the ventricles looks as if it might not be as big as it was a few weeks ago. PRAISE THE LORD!!!! She still has a lot of fluid on her brain and the cyst by the cerebellum where the Dandy Walker Malformation is but it seems that it has not gotten worse. Since we actually had a hospital stay 2 weeks ago because one of my tests was showing too much protein in my urine and they diagnosed me with preeclampsia, my doctor will not let me go any longer than 37 weeks. So we will be having a baby next week. We should get the news of exactly when tomorrow once they are able to get everything scheduled with the hospital but we are looking at first thing Thursday or Friday morning. This is exciting and scary all at the same time. We are so excited to have her here and to hold her. We are also very nervous because we have been told that SOMETIMES Dandy Walker children have trouble breathing, eating and more when they are born. This is something we are trying to give to God and not be nervous about but I can honestly say that has been a hard thing for me to do. Then we have been told that most likely she will be taken to Baptist within 24 hours. It is still not 100% that she will have a shunt put in but from all we have been told we feel pretty sure this will happen because of the fluid in the ventricles and the cyst. Everything else is unknown and will be until she is here and we can start to get some of our questions answered little by little. Please continue to pray for our little girl. She is such a fighter and no matter what happens we are so blessed by her in our lives already. God continues to bless us everyday. I can honestly say that there have been some very hard times for us in the past few months and many tears and desperate pleas have been sent to God, but I know that He has never left me. I heard this song the other day and it has played in my head constantly since then. I am so very thankful that my God knows what is best for me and can show me that blessings come when you least expect it. Thank you to you all..... you have been a blessing to our family over and over. We are so thankful that our special blessing Samantha will have you all in her life.