367 days…
Update April 16, 2018: 367 days ago, Ryan and I eagerly went to our 20 week ultrasound to find out if we were having our third boy in our family or the FIRST girl in over 90 years on the Welser side. To say we were excited would be a gross understatement. We arrived to the appointment early, were called back in a timely fashion and went into the ultrasound room where the lights were dimmed and we saw Mae’s heart beating perfectly, it was all so fantastic. The technician asked if we wanted to know the sex of the baby and we delightfully said we did because we were going to have our first ‘gender reveal’ party for our friends and family! We didn’t have one with the boys and something about this pregnancy, our last pregnancy, felt so special. When the technician told us we were having a girl our smiles were beaming from here to Australia and for a brief moment in time, everything felt great.
However, in an instant, with the swift move of the ultrasound wand, everything felt different as if the room became quieter and the lights darker. There was a visible nervous change in the technician as she became alarmed, while trying to stay composed. Sensing something was awry as she scanned Mae’s brain, she nervously moved around Mae’s body taking measurements (again) of her precious arms and legs, her big, round belly, and her spine, all of which looked perfectly healthy. Then with caution and determination, the technician went back to Mae’s brain and scanned, again, this time, trying to remain calm but expressing worry. It was at this time a doctor, unknown to us was called in and the events of April 14, 2017 set us forth on a journey that you could only imagine and with medical terminology that we knew nothing about.
Fast forward 367 days and as Ryan and I ran along the boardwalk in Marysville this weekend we talked about how we could hardly believe that a year had passed since Mae’s initial diagnosis. The emotions that we have felt over the course of this year have truly reached the extreme of highs and of lows. However, through everything, we have felt the love, compassion, and warmth of friends, family, and strangers. Life has a mysterious way of delivering itself and as Mae continues to grow and develop, we are truly astonished at her progress and well-being, so far. We certainly have had setbacks and her future remains largely unknown, but for the present we are loving every fiber of her being and thanking God for the miracle that she is.
We attended church yesterday and the sermon was about ‘tests’ and how we handle tests in our everyday lives: tests of patience, tests of strength, tests of will, tests of belief, etc… Over the course of the last year, to say that our family has been ‘tested’ is a severe understatement. We have been tested in more ways than we could count, but, through it all there have been things that have remained constant which have helped us to pass the tests presented to us: the love we have for each other, our boys, and our family, the belief that we have in God, the love that our friends and families have for us, and the belief that everything happens for a reason: including the miracle that Mae is, has become, and will continue to be.
Mae has had a setback the past few weeks and she has not been gaining weight, as a result, she has required a ‘tweak’ to her TPN to get her the calories that she is losing during the day as her stools have increased in volume and frequency. She seems unfazed by this and continues to smile, beam with energy, movement, and true love. She brings so much joy to everyone’s lives that it’s hard to believe that 367 days have passed since she was inside of me waiting to meet us. As always, we appreciate (and need) all prayers- Specifically for Mae to continue to grow, develop, and reach milestones and for our family to continue to pass the ‘tests’ that we are presented with. We know that God is great and all glory should be given to Him.
‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.’ Deuteronomy 31:6
