Hi Family,

My appointment yesterday went pretty well! My CNM said my blood tests came back great and that my whatever-their-called numbers that give you your risk of genetic problems like Downs, etc. were really low, so that is a good thing! She also said that every other thing from the big ultrasound I had a few weeks ago came back perfect, which most likely rules out any type of Trisomy disorders.

I will still go see the specialist on June 1st. He wants me to wait until then so that the baby is more developed and he will be able to see more as far as any possible deformities (if there are any) go. My CNM said she would be really surprised if anything other than a perfectly normal baby showed up. She also said that we will be able to find out for sure if we are in deed having a girl or not. She said Dr. Marshall is the best of the best and has the best of the best equipment and that I am actually really lucky that I get to go see him because he does amazing work. So, I guess that's a good thing. There's just a bit of irony with the whole "he's amazing, but you only get to see him if there is a problem with your baby"! Ha, ha, funny how that works.

I also talked to her about birthing options and mentioned that I'd like to try to go all natural (which I'm sure most women say BEFORE they go into labor!). She said that was a good goal, but did mention that I am pretty small and we really need to wait and see just how big this baby is going to be before we commit to a natural birth. She said cesarean may have to be considered if I go full term with a normal sized baby, which is fine by me too (I kinda figured that might be a possibility).

So, other than that, we are doing good! I'm, of course, staying super busy with school and grad class, etc. but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...only 7 more weeks of school! Yay! Then I should be able to focus a bit more on getting ready for baby and getting the house in order, etc. I am hoping to work a bit this summer on an AP Art History video project for a company in Korea, so you can pray for my demo lesson to go well so that I actually book the job. It would pay about $3000 out the door, which would be a nice little cushion for maternity leave, since my school doesn't offer any compensation whatsoever. Also, please keep Gabe in your prayers. He is trying so hard to be a provider for our family but is really struggling in this economy. Please pray that God will provide for us and that he will be able to earn enough to allow me to stay home with the baby in September. We don't need a big salary - just enough for us to live simply - but benefits are the biggie because we will definitely need health insurance.

That's the update for now! We'll keep you all informed as we learn more. Thank you for praying!

Beth, Gabe, and baby Brent

The Scary Phone Call

Dear Family and Friends,

I just wanted to write and ask you all to pray for Gabe and me and the baby. I got a message yesterday afternoon from my doctor saying that I needed to schedule an appointment with a specialist because of the results of my last ultrasound. I talked to my doctor's nurse this morning to schedule my appointment with the neonatologist. I will be going in for a level 2 ultrasound on June 1st with Dr. Marshall, the specialist.

I asked the nurse if she could tell me why I was referred to see the neonatologist and she told me that my 2nd trimester ultrasound revealed a choriod plexus cyst and they want to take a closer look and do some more testing to rule out anything serious. I told her thank you for the information and promptly went to research just what in the heck a choriod plexus cyst is!

As it turns out, it could resolve itself and end up being nothing to worry about, or, in the case that my other tests on June 1st return questionable results, it could be an indication of a chromosomal abnormality (like Downs Syndrome or Trisomy 18). As far as I know from my blood tests so far, my markers for chomosomal abnormalities have been low (which is good!), so hopefully this means the chances of them finding anything more scary than this are also low.

I believe they will offer me an amniocentesis (an invasive procedure which carries a risk of miscarriage, but can identify the exact chromosomal problem 95% of the time), which I will decline. Like I said, I really do not expect them to find anything further, but if they do, an amnio is not going to fix the problem and will only lead to further possible complications. If our baby is going to have Downs or Trisomy, then our baby is going to have Downs or Trisomy. She will be a gift from God, regardless, and I don't feel the need to run further risk by poking her with a big long needle.

So, if I could ask you all to keep us in your prayers, I would be truly grateful. June 1st is a long way off and sometimes I get anxious about things like this because I am so impatient. I do have a regular appointment with my Nurse/Midwife tomorrow, so I will see if I can get anymore information or just some reassurance. Thank you all for praying for us - I feel so blessed to have you all surrounding us in love and prayers! You all are so special to us and we are blessed to have you all in our lives!

Beth, Gabe, and baby Brent