I wanted to start off by saying thank you. Everyone’s response and encouragement to our post on Facebook and Instagram this past week has been more than I could ever ask for. I was overwhelmed with gratitude reading everyone’s messages, comments, and emails. I sit here writing in tears because this journey hasn’t been an easy one but we have been met by countless blessings in the most unexpected ways since starting it.
I plan to fill you all in on everything that took place, how it unfolded for us and our process through it. I have been documenting and writing like crazy about everything from the beginning because I wanted to remember it all and be able to share it.
A Down syndrome and heart condition diagnosis wasn’t anything that ever crossed our minds as a potential when we found out I was pregnant and although it wasn’t our plan, it has landed us here and we are so grateful. We are truly so excited to meet Aria and know she will be the perfect fit for our family!
We spent this past week organizing all of her things and getting everything out and it’s so surreal to walk by the cradle in our room and know she will be in it in just a few weeks! I can’t wait for all things newborn!! Mia is also on cloud nine you guys! She asks me every day if “baby Aria is going to come out today?!?”. Every time I eat something or drink even a sip of water she asks, “does baby Aria like that, Mommy?” She put her nightlight up to my stomach the other day because she told me that it was dark in there and baby Aria might be scared and you know what she might be right, I have no idea lol but her big sister intuition is kicking in strong and she is ready! Kai on the other hand is just living his life and has no idea what’s going on but appreciates that my stomach has become the perfect pillow for him, so there’s that. Sorry kid, but that stomach has an expiration date 😉
Some details regarding my pregnancy and delivery. Everything has been relatively normal. I have a higher frequency of doctor’s appointments and ultrasounds mostly to monitor her growth and heart. I am 33 weeks and am now at weekly appointments with all doctors. She is smaller which is to be expected with a baby with Down syndrome, so we have loaded up on the preemie clothes!
As of now I will be getting induced at 39 weeks and they are letting me deliver her naturally, this puts her due date at the beginning of April. There are a lot of variables so I really don’t have a birth plan, there is just a lot of going with the flow over here. Once she is earth-side they will have an even better idea of her heart condition. What she is currently diagnosed with is AVSD, what this means is that there is just one large hole in her heart that all the blood in pouring into verses different chambers (there are 4) so she will have heart surgery when she is a couple months old to correct it, basically they will create the chambers. This heart condition is very common in babies with Down syndrome and they have very high success rates after surgery. We are praying for God to heal her heart so we don’t even have to walk down that road but trusting Him regardless. We are also praying for no NICU stay and no feeding issues again common roads walked down.
Thank you all for your love and support and for already loving our baby girl so hard. We are so excited for our family of five and plan on keeping you all along for this next chapter in our journey! Let’s do this!
