Praises!

As I sit here I feel so incredibly blessed to be sharing this news!! Preston and I got back from a quick post-swim lesson trip to the pool today and I had a message from Maternal Fetal Medicine in Baton Rouge. My heart immediately started beating faster as I frantically dialed. SO many things were running through my head, but my mind was at ease when I heard the nurse's tone when she first started talking. Sure enough, Baby Parker's screening tests came back NEGATIVE (with a whopping 1:1000 chance of Downs and 1:10000 chance of trisomy 18)!!! I of course called Jeff first thing and the relief in his voice is not something I will soon forget. The significance of these numbers? Well, just by statistics Jeff and I have appox a 1:300 chance of having a Downs syndrome baby. (That calculation is based on his age, mine, and the fact that we have had a Downs pregnancy) Soooo, this AWESOME screening number means that based on two hormones in my blood, and the thickness of baby Parkers neck in three places, there is a 0.001% chance that this baby in my womb has Downs. There is a 10% false negative rate on this test, but Jeff and I had already decided if this test was negative we are not testing any further. Now, I WILL keep my appt for 6/28 to find out this baby's sex, but I will not do a quad screen or any further blood/amniotic testing because I know in my heart that this baby is perfectly healthy.

And as I share that news, my heart is pressed to share a prayer request for a couple in Winnfield who just delivered a Downs baby who is having some difficulties now and will certainly continue to as he goes through life. You know, I can admit that I struggle to be content. I think that is just human nature. I recognize that challenge for myself more as I get older and can try to rise above it, but it sneaks up on me sometime all the same. So, today, I am blessed and ever so content in the knowledge that my life and most of the time job as a wife and Mom have a definite purpose, and I am beyond grateful for my station in this world.

Thanks again for your prayers!!!