12-13 appointment

Well our little Penelope is earning the title "little fighter"!  Today it was difficult to get her cord dopplars because she was moving around so much and doing her practice breathing! They take inhale and exhale the amniotic fluid to get their lungs ready to do the same thing with air.  This is an amazing sign and one that had Dr. Schneider more optimistic than ever! She also had slightly more fluid and he said with those things she got a perfect score on her biophysical profile!!! She's still got the reverse flow in her umbilical cord, but in doesn't seem to be stopping her! Even better....the thickness that we saw last week in her heart just wasn't there today but there was no regurgitation in the tricupid valve (another sign of decline)!  The sonographer said that it could have been the angle of last weeks scan but I told her I think it's just a miracle.  She smiled and said "I'll take that too."

Lydia is still looking great and had her sweet little head rested on top of Penny's head.  They're snuggle buddies already! Although a little bit later we caught Penny kicking at Lydia (a little payback after all the kicking at Penny that Lydia has done!)...so maybe we shouldn't get our hopes up just yet about the ease of their relationship.  Either way, both of our girls were doing well today and it made our hearts very very glad.

Dr Schneider seemed to feel that since Penelope's heart distress was no longer there, that she wouldn't be declining any time soon.  And without any distress we're aiming for a 29 week delivery. SO, we'll most likely have a birthday of.....drum roll please......December 29th!  I'll need one more round of steroids so that will be Monday the 27th and the morning of the 28th. Then on the 28th I'll be taken inpatient to do a MgSO4 (magnesium sulfate)IV for 12 hours. This has been found to reduce the risk of cerebral palsy in preemies when given for 12 hours prior to delivery. Then bright and early on the 29th I should be taken in for a C-section and we'll have baby girls!  Pretty exciting huh?!

Things to pray for specifically.  Pray that Penelope's heart continues to do well and that she develops no signs of distress.  Pray that Lydia will be developing what she needs to to be able to do well when she comes into this world so early.  Dr Schneider said that babies who've been struggling in the womb tend to do better than those who have had an easy time of it....as if Penny knows what's coming but Lydia is just going along unaware the she might have to be ready early.  Also pray for Jonathan and me as we spend our last 2 weeks preparing for this new life of ours.  Pray for peace and consistent clinging to our Almighty God.  I'm so grateful that we have Him to draw our strength from...because I just really think I'd be out of it by now otherwise and we've only just begun!