An Introduction To Our Blog

My decision to create this blog came on the heels of some devastating news that we received last week. We have learned that our unborn child not only has a single-artery umbilical cord, but also an abdominal wall defect. Immediately upon hearing this news, I googled to find out as much information as I could. I stumbled upon some other blogs from parents whose children were diagnosed with the same condition. Reading their blogs gave me hope and a sense of comfort in knowing that I was not alone in this. Coincidentally, I had also been following the blog of a girl whom I went to high school with. She learned in her pregnancy that her child had Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Type 2. Most babies die during or shortly after birth from this, but Lindsey decided to continue with her pregnancy. I was so impressed with her strength and ability to continue the journey knowing that it might ultimately have a terrible outcome. Her daughter, Evie Jayne, was born in September and is still a trooper! I continued to read Lindsey's blog throughout the summer and fall to see how Evie was doing. Last week when I received the news about our little one, I immmediately thought of her and decided to email her for advice. She emailed me back and offered so much insight and support. I plan on continuing to keep in touch with her throughout our journey. Lindsey, if you are reading this, thank you so much for your inspiration and support!
After a few days of thinking about it, I decided that I should also keep a blog to document our journey. I wasn't sure I was ready to do this, but after thinking about it, I decided it would be beneficial for many reasons:

1. Communication- This blog will serve as a way for us to keep our family, friends, and other well-wishers updated with what is going on. It is hard to relay the same information dozens of times, so hopefully we can post once and others can read and follow along.

2. Hope- For me, reading other people's blogs had given me a sense of hopefulness of what is to come. Though I am frightened of the unknown that lies ahead, I can only hope that our story will be like the ones that I have read about. I also hope that it will serve the same purpose to others who receives a similar diagnosis during pregnancy. Perhaps my blog can fill them with hope too.

3. Faith- I can certainly say that receiving this news has instilled upon me a strong urge to deepen my faith. I hope that others will join with us in this faith and trust that God will do what is right for us.


4. Healing- If nothing else, this blog will be a tool for me to release the feelings I have inside. I will go crazy if I keep these locked up inside of me. This blog will be a way for me to channel my feelings and hopefully come to a sense of peace and understanding.

I thank you for reading this blog and sharing in our journey with us. If you know of anyone else who might benefit from reading it, please feel free to share.

Ashley