bump #104: stretch marks

Thank you so much for prayers, love, and support following our disappointing ultrasound last week. After talking with my doctor a few more times we are feeling much better. She said that she sees Choroid Plexus cysts a lot in her practice. I've never heard of them but they are fairly common with 1 in 100 babies having them. But still, you hear "your child has a cyst on his brain" and it's quite unsettling. She went on to say that there are no other indicators or "markers" for any chromosomal abnormalities for our little Everett so we should monitor the cyst at each appointment to be sure it resolves, but the chance of him having Trisomy 18 is 1 in 9,000 so we shouldn't worry. I of course want that risk to be zero, but am reminded once again of God's overwhelming grace and mercy that I even get to carry this precious baby boy, so out with the fearful thoughts and anxiety and on with enjoying this incredible miracle and blessing!

Now onto more superficial topics. Literally. Don't worry, I used that term correctly. I'm speaking of stretch marks. They've arrived and they're here to stay. I wrongfully assumed that after avoiding them entirely while pregnant with Oliver that I was just one of those lucky ladies whose skin blubber stretches and semi shrinks back with nary a scar. Wrong! And bless those little memes that say moms with stretch marks are like tigers who earned their stripes. They would say that my C-section scar is just a beautiful rainbow :) Anyway, while the admittedly vain part of me winces at the wrinkly lines on my belly, a bigger part of me Haha. Like I could be any bigger! remembers a time not so long ago that I would have given anything to have the chance to get these stretch marks. For real. So hooray for stretchies! Hooray for reminders of blessings no matter what form they take!