A New Brother

     This week has been both fun and very stressful for our family.  First, on Tuesday we went to our 15 week gender check and found out we are being blessed with another boy!!  Hayden was ECSTATIC!  He has wanted a baby brother from the beginning.  He was so cute during the ultrasound.  He had a big permanent grin on his face and when we said boy he yelled "I wanted one of those!"  He is so excited for this baby that I think the anticipation just might be too much for him!!  :)

Well, as most of you know, that appointment is the blood draw for the fetal protein test that screens for things like spina bifida and downs syndrome.  I have been worried about this test since before I got pregnant because of my age (my risk rose magically on my 35th birthday to 1:250 for downs).  Well, you can imagine my concern when at 3:30 Friday afternoon my DOCTOR not even her nurse calls me at home to talk about the results of my blood work.  Yes, instant shock and panic arose the second she told me who she was.  I knew something was wrong.  

She explained that my protein test came back with an increased risk for downs syndrome.  Now my chances are 1:94 instead of the original 1:250.  I guess it picked up a little something funky in my blood.  So of course I start silently freaking out at the prospect.  She tried her hardest to reassure me stating that all pregnancies she has seen with an increased 1:94 chance have gone on to have healthy babies.  It's when your risk comes back at 1:5 or 1:3 that you have a downs syndrome baby.  But, she scheduled me an appointment this Wednesday with a specialist to do an ultrasound to check things out. 

I have the greatest OBGYN in the world and she seems extremely confident everything will be ok.  HOWEVER, being a mom and having a chance there might be something wrong with your child is the scariest, most heartbreaking news in the world.  Why is it that everyone around you can be so positive and all I can think is what if......