I’m so happy to report that God blessed us with another great visit with the perinatologist today!  Again today, the perinatologist found no anatomical or structural abnormalities.  She studied our baby carefully, and said that the baby had a “pretty brain” and a “pretty heart”.  She studied all of the other major organ systems and any other markers for Trisomy 13, and found nothing!

As we’ve mentioned before, since the risk for Trisomy 13 was established by a blood test – which is proven to be more reliable or accurate than ultrasound, they will proceed as if the baby has Trisomy 13.  However, she did say that the scan was “very reassuring”, and that in most cases, they would see something problematic at the 24-week scan – not always, but more frequently than not. Today, we learned that our baby now weighs one and a half pounds and is measuring at 24 weeks and three days – just slightly ahead of where Jennifer is on the gestational calendar. We are so thankful that her growth is where it should be in terms of weight and size.

We went into the visit hoping for a referral to a pediatric cardiology group here in Atlanta.  The perinatologist was happy to provide a referral, so in a couple of weeks, we will have an additional scan, specifically to take a closer look at the heart. We also went prepared with a number of questions around ensuring that we receive aggressive, life-saving care for our baby, should she be born with Trisomy 13.  We came away armed with good information and a plan for how we will move forward.

We are so grateful for your kind thoughts and prayers on our behalf.  We are humbled to know that so many folks are praying for us, and carrying us on their hearts – people who don’t even know us.  Thank you so much!  It would be our privilege to pray for you as well.  While we express our gratitude to God for you, we would be honored to pray with you more specifically.  If you have requests, please make us aware, so that we can pray more specifically.

This has not been an easy journey for us, but we are buoyed by your prayers, and are experiencing the sustaining grace of God.  We have seen our faith enlarged.  And, while we do struggle with worry or anxiousness from time to time, we also experience a peace that can only come from God. One of the most anxious times are appointment days.  We have been encouraged and refreshed by worship music on the ride down.  One of Jennifer’s favorites is a particular hymn, It is Well.  It will be familiar to many of you.  However, the story behind the song’s origin gives it particularly deep meaning – especially to us.  John Piper tells the story behind the song written by Horatio Spafford:

In 1871, the great Chicago fire virtually ruined Horatio Spafford. It was almost the biggest trial of his life – but not the biggest.  Two years later, in 1873, he puts his wife and his four daughters on a ship to sail for England, and the ship runs in to another ship and sinks very quickly.  All four girls died, and his wife barely escapes.  He hears about the accident, and he receives a telegram from his wife – “Saved alone”. He gets on a ship and heads to be with his grieving wife, and as he passes over the part of the ocean where the girls went down and were at the bottom, he wrote: “When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll … whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say: it is well, it is well, with my soul.

So, the question is… how could it be well? He goes on in the song and he talks about let this blessed assurance control, that God has regarded my helpless estate, and Christ has shed His own blood for my soul. He knew Christ loved him – he saw it in the Cross. When he gets to the end, he has Christ coming back with great triumph – not to judge him, but to save him, and to raise his daughters from the dead.  So… it is well with my soul.  No song quite gets it in terms of its cadence and its tune, and especially its words.  It doesn’t get any better than sorrowful, yet always rejoicing through “it is well, it is well, with my soul”

I’ve embedded the video below – its really our favorite version of the song.  I’m certain you’ve heard it before.  I trust that if you take the time to listen again, it will serve to encourage you.  God is active during our present trial… He has not left us to ourselves – and we are so grateful for his active presence during this time.

To those of you who check-in here and carry us on your hearts…Thank you again.  Since we have crossed the halfway mark, activity will probably accelerate from here.  We will certainly keep you posted.

Andy