Will my baby have Spina Bifida?

The mind of a child is an incredible place. And sometimes those little minds will present you with a question that can stump you more than an essay question on a college exam.

Our little girls like to question everything. Inquisitive minds want to know. And we aim to use these opportunities to provide clear and truthful answers that educate them, but a few weeks ago Adria really stumped me with one.

She and I were snuggling on the couch one evening soon after we had shared with her the exciting news that there is a baby in Mommy's belly again!

Adria was three years old when her younger sister Johanna was born and even at that age she seemed to clearly grasp the concept that her baby sister was growing inside me. She would love on my belly and talk to the baby all the time.

Here is Johanna helping to send off Adria to school this week:

At six years old now, Adria already wants to hug and kiss the baby in my belly every morning and night even though I'm not yet "Fat Pregnant" as she says :)

So as we sat together that evening, Adria was asking me all types of questions about the baby. She has been pretty consistently convinced that she's having a little brother, though we have no proof of that yet. After a few questions like, "Will he have blue eyes like me and Daddy and Jo-Jo or brown eyes like you?", she casually asks me this....

"Will my baby brother have Spina Bifida like me?"

I pause. Gulp. Of course I have thought of questions like this in the stillness of the night and as we considered having another the child. The risk is clearly higher in our family. But it was not a question I had planned for or been prepared to answer from my sweet little girl who lives a courageous life with spina bifida.

Quick. Think. How do I respond? My immediate thought is...I hope and pray not! But I can't say that to her. I can't let her think for a moment that I don't love and appreciate how her body was made. I love her beyond comprehension. Yet, I would never wish for a child to be born into a life that could be exponentially more complicated than "average," nor would I wish on any parent the struggle of caring for a child with unique needs and differences. Sure, we can be made better, stronger people as we daily walk these journeys, but still...

The best response I could come up with was a question back to my little girl.

"What do you think, honey? Do you want our baby to have spina bifida?" 

"Yeah, I think so," Adria says quietly.

I had really hoped that was not her answer. Or did I? Did that answer show that she is comfortable and confident in her life and her body? That she thinks it's no big deal to have spina bifida? Or did it come from a place of loneliness, where she recognizes her differences and does not want to be the only one in her world who must wear leg braces, who has a large scar on her back, and who has to visit the nurse everyday at school instead of using the bathroom like her classmates? Maybe it's a little of both.

Mommy is still stumped by this little girl. I wanted to understand more about what is going on in her heart and mind. So I asked another question.

"Why do you want our baby to have spina bifida?"

"So he can be like my twin!" she says.

Aww, my sweetie. Honestly, I don't remember where the conversation went from there. I think I briefly explained that it's possible but we won't know for a while, and that God is creating this beautiful baby for us to love.

She has asked similar questions several times since, even asking her Granny about it. I feel like I'm treading on sensitive ground with my responses. I am afraid to say the wrong thing; I certainly don't want to put the thought in her mind that I do not want another child with spina bifida. She could misunderstand that to mean something different about herself and our love for her.

I know of parents who have two children with spina bifida. They love them deeply, as I would, but it is a very challenging life to balance all the medications, doctor's visits, special equipment, and medical bills. And I know Adria functions much better than many children born with spina bifida. I do not take that for granted!

But as we planned for this pregnancy, I did the best I could to prevent any potential "birth defects," as spina bifida is labeled. Every morning I took four 1MG tablets of Folic Acid, which is at least five times the dose in most pre-natal vitamins. I did this faithfully for the six months prior to conception and even before that made sure to regularly take high doses of Folic Acid. It's the only known way to reduce your risk of having a child with a Nueral Tube Defect, like spina bifida. Though it's not a guarantee, it significantly drops our risk.

Since we already have a child with spina bifida, our risk of having another child with a similar issue is a startling 1 in 15 chance! HOWEVER, if I take the doctor recommended 4MG of Folic Acid for at least 3 months PRIOR to getting pregnant, that risk drops to about 1 in 15,000!!! Those odds are much better.

Keep in mind, this is a significantly higher dosage than the CDC's recommended daily intake of 400mcg of folic acid for women - 1MG is equal to 1,000mcg.

Still, the question remains...

Will my baby have spina bifida?

At this point in my pregnancy, it has already been decided, as the spinal column is formed very early and a defect like spina bifida occurs just 21 days after conception. We cannot know for certain until our baby is born, but generally an ultrasound will detect spina bifida. I do have a Level II ultrasound (with the 3D imaging) scheduled for about one month from now.

We are hoping and praying the only Big News from that day, is whether Adria was right about a Baby Brother!

But whether boy or girl or anything else is discovered, we already love our baby and look forward to all the hours, days, weeks, and years we may be blessed to have together.

Just like we already enjoy the blessing of two little princesses.

October is Spina Bifida Awareness month in the U.S., so as the month draws to a close, I thought it was a good time to share Adria's tough question. 

The message here is two-fold. 

1. You CAN take action before pregnancy to reduce the likelihood that your child will have Spina Bifida.

2. But if you find out your baby has Spina Bifida, do not despair. You will be amazed by your incredible child as together you embark on a journey to fight for the best life possible. You will cry and feel discouraged at times, but that's expected. The journey is worth it.

Tiny Heartbeats...and Much More

It's been 10 days since my last post. This is a longer stretch than normal, but it's not at all for lack of things to share and topics to write about. It's truly the opposite. There is SO much going on and SO many things I could say, that I simply don't have time to sit down in front of a computer for fun.

Plus, I am officially 12 weeks pregnant (woohoo!) which means that I am tired ALL THE TIME. I feel like I'm yawning my face off at work everyday. I try my best not to do it in front of my clients.

Of all the things I could share today, the most exciting news is this: I got to hear the heartbeat of our new baby for the first time!

A few weeks ago, we saw baby and the tiny little feet buds in my 9 week ultrasound, which was wonderful. At my OB visit today, baby made me a little nervous as the doctor could not find baby's heartbeat for a few minutes, and she started asking me questions. Just as my heart rate was about to increase, we heard the quick beats of a young life. All is well!

However, I did leave that appointment with the realization that I may need to find another practice and hospital to deliver our baby. Our local hospital is small and does not have a full-time anesthesiologist or a NICU. Because of this they do not do VBAC deliveries (Vaginal Birth After C-Section) except in rare circumstances. Because of her spina bifida, I delivered Adria by C-section. And even though I delivered Johanna successfully as a VBAC, it appears that if I want to try that again, I should look into other options....

While that is the Big News of the day, I warned you, there's much more I could share.

I could share how Adria went on her first Limousine ride today. She was one of about 40 students in her elementary school (K-2) who successfully sold more than 20 items for a school fundraiser and thus won this special award! A limo ride to Grotto's Pizza for Lunch. Sweet!

I stepped out of the office for a few minutes to run over to her school and take a few pictures of the event. I was actually the only parent there taking pictures...hahaha! What can I say, I like to document things.

Adria was a little late to the party though. As the other children piled in the limo, she was still down in the nurse's office getting her needs taken care of (bladder emptied by catheter) as she does every day at lunch. She missed the group picture, but I got to pose with my little sweetie by the Limo.

I could share how Daddy joined Johanna for her Pre-school class trip to the Fire House yesterday. The little tots seemed mostly interested as they looked into a fire truck and ambulance. But for Daddy, looking in the ambulance brought flashbacks of several frightening rides he's had to take in an ambulance after a seizure.

I could share about our family going bowling together Tuesday night to celebrate my brother Cameron's 28th Birthday. We were all completely terrible at bowling, and I don't know if anyone even brought 100. But it's something we never do and was a fun change. Plus, it was Adria and Johanna's first time bowling and they both loved it! (With the gutter bumpers and ball ramp of course..) Jo-Jo showed off her muscles by caring the ball by herself.

I could share how earlier that day, I played with Adria on a fun class trip to Loblolly Acres in Viola. It was a full day of picking a pumpkin, running through straw mazes, corn sack slides, story-time, animal petting and a tractor wagon ride! Almost 200 of her fellow Kindergarteners from school and many of their parents were there, so it was a crowd but the group rotations were very well managed.

I could share how Adrian had a great appointment with his Primary Care Physician. He has been conscientious about his health and weight since his last visit many months ago, when his doctor was concerned about his blood sugar levels. Adrian has cut back how much he eats and has been exercising regularly at the gym. His doctor was impressed that he's lost about 20 pounds and his blood results were good!!!

He spent the rest of the day working on our addition and totally impressing me with his ability to put all the siding, soffit and fascia on our addition. For years he worked in construction, but it's been years since he's had the chance to use his skills. I think he really likes the change from normal "stay at home Dad" duties.

I could share about our family's weekend adventure camping at Trap Pond State Park. It did not start off so great, as we arrived Friday night ready to check into our cabin and realized that Mommy had actually made the reservation for Saturday and Sunday night...not Friday. There were no cabins available. Adria and I were especially bummed. But we returned the next morning and enjoyed a gorgeous fall weekend roasting marshmallows over the fire, walking miles through wooded trails, and taking a pontoon boat ride. Truly, all's well that ends well in this case.

Believe it or not, there's still more I could share, but I will end with these highlights from our week and life. Special events that even just a brief mention will bring back good memories for us years down the road. But when I add to all this excitement several late nights of work over the past week, I find myself exhausted and ready to say goodnight. Here's to the memories (and heartbeats :) we create.

We Actually Went to Church

For the first time in almost two months, our little family of four attended our local church on Sunday morning. Maybe that sounds bad if you're a faithful church goer, but it is just the way of things right now.

As has been the case for the past seven years, I work most Sundays. This is not ideal, it's not something I prefer but it's a requirement for my industry. If you sell new homes, the model home must be open on Sunday when most people have a free day to get out together...and possibly buy a house.

On a recent Sunday when I was off, we made a rare visit to Adrian's Grandad's church in Ridgely for a surprise 85th Birthday celebration. And recently, I was up in Vermont to visit my sister and experienced a service at her church.

Yesterday was special because Daddy offered to take the girls to church, and they were thrilled. Mommy did have to work, so this was an unusual treat, but I was able to go for a few minutes.

We arrived at church and saw many familiar faces for the first time in a while. Some things had changed since our last visit, the church sanctuary had been remodeled and the children's church had a new check-in system.

Soon the music began. The wonderful worship music. Our church is blessed with a great worship team with many talented musicians and singers. The time singing together with a sanctuary full of people praising the Lord is priceless and blessed. I so enjoyed it. So much.

But I could not stay long. Church starts at 10:30 a.m. Works starts at 11 a.m. After just a few songs, I kissed my little girls and husband goodbye, gathered my purse, and walked out in the middle of a great song... It was hard. I did not want to leave. I wanted to keep singing, to bring the girls to Sunday school, to hear the Word from the pastor, and to visit with friends.

Duty called. Though it was so difficult to walk away and drive down the road to my office, I had to remind myself that in doing this I was being obedient to where God has placed me in this time. He has provided this wonderful job and great opportunity that enables me to take care of my family. I do believe this.

And I gave thanks that Adrian is now well enough to be with the girls alone at church and drive them home. For years, his seizures prevented him from going anywhere with them alone. He was not able to drive most of the time, so it has been only over the recent months as his health continues to improve that we feel comfortable having him drive the girls. He is 19 months seizure free!

While it may become routine for some of you to go to church every Sunday, realize that it really is a gift. Adrian and I both grew up attending church every week, only missing it in emergency situations, and we were both in church leadership as adults. But times, opportunities and life changed things.

After work, the girls told me how much they enjoyed their time at church as we visited a local farmer's market. Maybe we'll get the chance to go to church more often. I'll just trust that in being faithful with the provisions I am currently given, there will come a time when Sundays will be different for our family.

It was a sunny day, so after I got off work Sunday, I took the girls to see the Pumpkin people at Elmer's Market

Snow white and the seven dwarfs. Making the most of the weekend.

76 Minutes of Life

Occasionally in life we meet people who seem fairly ordinary yet blessed. And then we hear their story. We suddenly realize that they are not ordinary at all. In fact they are so extraordinary that we almost revere them for what they have endured and where they are today.

Today I'd like to share an incredible story with you about a family I met last year who fits this description. I do hope that all my facts are straight, but this is the story I heard and understand.

Imagine this. If you can...

You are 20 weeks pregnant awaiting your ultrasound. Your family surrounds you - husband, parents, mother-in-law, and your baby girl - excited to see this precious life growing inside you!

As you lie there with your belly exposed and covered in gel, you enjoy watching your baby kick and move on the screen. You barely notice the ultrasound tech is acting strange but then she suddenly leaves the room "to get a new probe." She returns with a radiologist. They look closely at the screen, and then the radiologist expels a heavy sigh...

You know this is not good. "What is wrong?" you ask.

"There is an abnormality," is all he replies.

Your heart pounds and your brain wanders a thousand different directions, but one question emerges. "Is the pregnancy viable?" Is it really so bad, will my baby live?

"No." The answer that shatters your world. That was it, and they turned off the machine.

But you still NEED to know...is it a girl or boy? The tech questions if you're sure, then turns it back on. It's a BOY!

Later, you meet with your doctor and finally learn more. Your baby has Anencaphaly, meaning most of his brain did not develop, nor did much of his skull. He will be deformed from above the eyes and will die shortly after birth, if not before. You are advised to abort, to end your pregnancy - 95% of parents do.

In the wake of this devastating news, you need to know more. You created this baby out of love and can't bear the thought of just ending his life! You immerse yourself in research and reading others stories. And through the sadness that surrounds you, there is a glimmer of HOPE.

Hope that you can meet your baby boy and hold him in your arms, if even for just a short time. This tiny ray of Hope motivates you, it drives you with a fervor. You will do what it takes to provide the best chance of meeting him and holding him ALIVE.

You realize that your best chance at that is to have him delivered via C-section, so as not to cause further harm during the birthing process. You go to your doctor with this request.

You are advised against it. It's not worth the risk to you, to endure surgery for a baby that cannot sustain life for any significant amount of time. You are not swayed. You insist that this is what you want.

The hospital board actually holds a meeting and votes on whether to allow you to do this. They vote NO. They want you to meet with them. You decline and press on. Then one woman, one doctor sees you and your passionate request. She fights for you and with you...and in the end, you do schedule a C-section.

Your emotions and nerves are a jumble that October morning months later as you head to the hospital for your surgery...hoping and praying you will get to meet your son while there is still life in him.

You have prepared for this day. A priest is present for your baby's baptism. A photographer is there to capture these critical, precious moments. A cake is prepared to celebrate his birthday. And your family support team anxiously awaits down the hall.

Your son is delivered. His head looks strange, he doesn't have all 10 fingers and toes, but he is ALIVE. To you he is beautiful, and he is placed in your arms to love and hold along with your husband for whatever time you have.

Your family members even get to come in the room and meet him. His big sister gives him loving kisses. He barely moves, but he is so peaceful in your arms. His heart rate gradually lessens until it is no longer beating. Noone tries to revive him because everyone knew it was inevitable. Yet he gave you 76 minutes. And you are thankful. Emotional, overwhelmed, yet feeling blessed that you held your son in your arms alive for 76 sacred minutes.

One Incredible Journey

The story I just invited you into happened to a young family two years ago. On Wednesday, October 8 they celebrated Caleb's 2nd birthday. Though he was not there to smear around the icing or play with new toys, his parents and sister's shared a birthday cake in celebration of his life.

Caleb in his mother's loving arms.

Caleb and his three birthday cakes. Though his life was brief,
it will always be celebrated.

I just met this couple last summer at a friend's birthday party. Caleb's mother was pregnant again at the time and has since had a beautiful, healthy baby girl. I was amazed to hear some of their story at that time, but recently I had the chance to sit down and listen to Caleb's mother Kristyn share their incredible journey. It touched my heart. If you'd like to read more, she documented their experience on CaringBridge.com

Anencephaly is a frighteningly severe birth defect, and it is closely related to spina bifida. Both are defined at Neural Tube Defects (NTD) and occur very early in pregnancy (usually before mom even knows she's pregnant) and are a result of the neural tube not closing all the way. But without most of the brain developed, babies born with anencephaly typically only survive a few hours if at all. The only known thing that may help prevent the risk of NTD is taking high doses of Folic Acid prior to getting pregnant. However, it's not guaranteed.

This story may not be as uncommon as it sounds. In fact, just yesterday I saw a post on Facebook from a page called Prayers for Shane. Shane was born yesterday with anencephaly, and much like Caleb he blessed his family with some precious time with him alive. A few hours later he died peacefully in his mother's arms.

I did not ask permission to share Shane's family photos, but with almost 900,000 likes on his Facebook page it's clear his loving parents are happy to share their incredible journey.

You may ask what it is that motivates these parents to disregard medical advice and insist on delivering a baby that by the world's standards is severely malformed and has no chance at any longevity in life. The answer is... love that goes beyond human understanding.

This is what Caleb's mother wrote soon after they learned of his diagnosis:

We created this baby out of love and all we want is a chance to meet him.  We know our time with Caleb will be limited (if we are even going to be blessed enough to meet him alive).  Of course we are praying for a miracle and hope the doctors are wrong, but if they are not we just pray for enough time to hug and kiss him and tell him we love him before we have to give him back to God.

When the School Nurse Called my office...

Yesterday my office phone rang and Adria's school nurse was on the other end. Immediately, my heart paused for a second, fearing that something was wrong with my little girl.

On the line was a different nurse than normal, yet I soon realized my instinctive fears were unwarranted. She called because the usual nurse at Adria's elementary school was out sick, and she wondered if I was available to meet her at noon and show her the catheterization routine with Adria.

Thankfully, I did not have any mid-day appointments, but either way I would have made myself available. Over the years, I have learned that not all nurses know how or are able to catheterize children. Plus, it is a very sensitive and personal procedure that I don't want someone I have never met doing.

The nurse on the phone was very sensitive to that and to Adria's comfort level.

Fortunately, Adria is very comfortable with her usual school nurse, and they've developed a great routine for taking care of Adria's unique needs.

Every day after she enjoys her free lunch in the cafeteria, she and her teacher walk down to the nurse's office while the rest of her class heads out to recess.

So yesterday, I went ahead and left work to join her for lunch to make sure I was there in plenty of time to meet with the new nurse (she's actually been with the school district many years, but had not met Adria yet). I was filled with a sense of gratitude that I work just one block away from Adria's school.

How could I ever hope or ask for a better scenario for our family during this year of Adria transitioning into FULL DAY school??? God is good and His plans are always better than ours...even if the pathway is often rocky.

It's actually really fun to join Adria for lunch. This was my third time going and now Adria's not the only one excited and surprised to see me...her classmates are as well :)  The teachers don't eat with them in the cafeteria, but there are about half a dozen lunch monitors milling about.

When lunch was over, Adria led the way down the hall to the nurse's office. The nurse was still on her way coming from the other school, so Adria got a bit impatient waiting 5 minutes.

Once she arrived, we exchanged introductions and then she asked Adria how Nurse Dawn did things. Adria eagerly showed us her routine.

This is the bed/cot where Adria goes for her routine and the privacy curtain on the left.
Johanna wanted to try it out one day (not yesterday)

• She walked over to the bed/cot next to the wall and pulled the sanitary white paper roll over it (like at the doctor's office).
• She led us into the bathroom and pointed to a shelf that held a basket filled with her supplies: Catheter kits, diapers, and wet wipes
• She yanked on the edge of a large white privacy curtain hanging from the ceiling and pulled it out so that it concealed the bed
• She struggled to climb onto the bed because she kept slipping on the white paper, but mommy gave her a boost.
• She pulled her bottoms down and then Mommy took over, demonstrating to the nurse how we catheterize
• Put on gloves. Wipe private area. Open catheter and attach urine collection bag. Insert into urethra. Wait about 5 minutes until urine flow stops. Remove catheter and trash everything. It's not so bad really. We are used to it.
• After that, Adria told us we forgot to give her the cup of water she always gets when coming to the nurse. Oops! So she got her cup of water (hydration is so important for her to avoid UTIs)
• The nurse also gives Adria medicine every day to help with her bowel routine, but we struggled to find where it was among the menagerie of prescription bottles, inhalers and other medical devices for children. This nurse has her hands full!
• Finally, she got her medicine and we left the nurses office.

Since the "routine" took longer than normal, I knew Adria wouldn't have much time for recess. I put her into the little wheelchair that sits unused in the hallway and quickly wheeled her through the halls to the door for the playground. She loved the ride, but even so, we were too late. The children were already lining up to come in.

Adria was momentarily distraught that she had missed recess, but her teacher cleverly reminded her that she would have fun in gym class later...and Mommy took her for an extra little fun spin down the hall in the wheelchair. 

All is good. Our daughter's life is full of daily challenges and inconveniences, but you would never know it by her attitude. She's one happy little gal.

Even as I left to return to work, the mother of a boy in her class stopped me and told me how her son talks about Adria. He said she is so pretty and nice since she's always laughing! Too cute. But...I do have slight cause for concern, this is the same boy that just a few days ago Adria told me was her favorite boy and that she "loved" him. Really? Am I already having to worry about little boyfriends??!!! Um, so not ready for these conversations.

Hmm, which will be more challenging over the next few years... teaching her to catheterize herself? or teaching her how to properly respond to and treat boys?

Life happens and they grow up whether we are ready or not!

So, the nurse's call was no tragedy, but it led to a little adventure nonetheless.

Our cute Adria in her school uniform for picture day last week.

OCTOBER IS SPINA BIFIDA AWARENESS MONTH - EMBRACE, EDUCATE, EMPOWER

Announcing...NEW LIFE!

The flutter. That's what I needed to see. There on the screen was a little form with a head, feet bubs and a tiny flutter. The heartbeat. The proof of life growing inside me!

Praise the Lord! Nine weeks into my pregnancy, the ultrasound showed that our new baby is measuring perfectly...and has a heartbeat. It's still too early to hear it, but my doctor granted my request for an early ultrasound, which I had on Tuesday. I just wanted to be sure and to have that peace of mind that this new life is growing. How blessed I am indeed, and I do not take this gift lightly!

This of course, is not our first time at this rodeo. I am already incredibly blessed with two beautiful little girls. And this is my fourth pregnancy. It's not a surprise. None of them have been a "surprise."

We have experienced the beauty of life...and the ache of life lost. Yet still, it amazes me. This most miraculous part of God's creation...that we women get to be the carriers and safe houses for a new life and soul.

And to think...9 Weeks.

Much has happened while this life has been growing inside.

At work, we hosted a Grand Opening for a new 5,000 s.f. showcase home with a Design Studio and more than 1,000 visitors came through our doors in August and September.

At school, we sent our baby girl off to full day Kindergarten and her baby sister started pre-school a couple days a week.

At the beach, we celebrated Adria's 6th Birthday and remembered the day our first child entered the world.

At home, we have a new addition underway that will be much welcomed new space...

...and all the while life was forming.

Proof Positive

Several weeks before I saw the flutter, we had proof of the pregnancy. You know, that glorious little pee stick that either shows you a straight line or a plus sign after you try desperately to hold it in the appropriate position for just the right number of seconds. And then you sit it down and play this silly game with yourself...should I look at it and watch? Or just set it on the counter for a couple minutes and then look? These are defining minutes of your life. They are.

Whether or not that positive sign shows up is the gateway to so much more. Some women striving for months, even years to get pregnant hold their breath praying for the positive sign. While others who are not yet ready for this life change or the coming of another one, hope it's not a plus.

My first test came after my "monthly visitor" was a couple days "late". It was not positive. A few days later I tried again on a Friday morning before the family was awake. I had not even told Adrian that I had bought the pregnancy tests. When I saw the positive sign appear, I just grinned a little and wondered how I should break the news...

Take him out on a date tonight and give him a special gift with the announcement?
Maybe wrap up the pregnancy test with the plus sign and let him open it? Is that too gross?

Just then, I heard a "Mommy!" from the other room. No time to dwell on it, there were other babies that needed me. About 15 minutes later, I came back in our room and saw my husband waking up. I decided I didn't feel like waiting and I had told him the same way with our others.

I went in the bathroom, brought out the pregnancy test, and plopped onto the bed. I just showed it to him.

He looked at me with a question, "Yeah? What?"

Seriously! "We're going to have another baby!" I said. But then I looked down at the test and just saw two straight lines. The positive sign was gone. Too much time had lapsed since I took it...they do warn you of this on the package.

"Well, it was a positive sign," I said.

He laughed, "I guess you're not pregnant anymore." Silly man. He gave me a hug, and I knew he was happy. In fact, he decided we should tell family right away.

Making the Announcement

We wasted no time in getting the word out to our immediate family. That night Adrian's family was having dinner together at his mom's house. It was one of a few special meals while his sister Angie was visiting from Spain, her first time back in the U.S. in four years.

We had to tell Adria first, before anyone else, and we knew she couldn't keep it a secret.

I knew her response would be great, so I pulled out my iPhone to capture the moment....click on this link to view the video we used to make our "official" Facebook announcement :)

http://youtu.be/cAdFb45JuP4

We are Excited (and maybe slightly nervous) about adding a new little life to our clan - Boy OR Girl! 

Thank you for celebrating with us!!!