Big Praises!

Hello Friends and Family!
First, I just want to thank you so much for your prayers. God does hear the prayers of His saints and HE IS ANSWERING THEM!
 The ultrasound appointment today was indeed the best by far! Some aspects of it really just bring me to tears. First, I went today planning to ask for the same ultrasound tech I had last time and she was there! Yay! This lady is so sweet, kind, and SOOOOO encouraging! I really believe that it was God’s divine providence that we had her again. And then my baby girl….oh my baby girl. She looks SO good. Her head, abdomen, organs, and bodily functions, once again, are right on track. Her heart is growing and beating great, her lungs, stomach, kidneys, and all other organs are growing. Her head and abdomen are measuring right where they should be. All wonderful news.
 But then it gets better. All the bones in her arms are measuring straight now. Straight people! In the very first ultrasound we had, all the bones in her arms were very bowed. In the last ultrasound only some of them were straight. In this ultrasound they were ALL straight! Next, the two bones that the doctors were most concerned about were her femur (hip to knee) bones. In the first ultrasound they were both extremely bowed (the most bowed out of all her bones) and one of them even looked like a boomerang. Today….one of the was straight and the other only slightly bowed. Next, the long bones going from knees to ankles in her legs (please excuse the lack of technical names here)----one leg’s were straight and the other only slightly bowed. In the very first ultrasound these bones were also extremely bowed. Some of her bones are measuring a little short, but nothing of real concern. She is pretty much hanging at the low end of normal range. She is in the 30 something percentile for growth---which is not that bad! And she ways two pounds now! My amniotic fluid looked great as well. The ultrasound tech was also saying that for children with dwarfism the head measures very large and the forehead protrudes out. But Anna’s looks completely normal.
 One of the most AMAZING things I observed today was my precious girl practicing breathing. Her chest cavity was moving in and out! Her lungs are growing and working! I just want to weep over this little miracle because this was what the doctor’s were so concerned over (and what would be lethal for her) is for her rib cage to not grow properly and her lungs to not be able to grow and function. But, all that looks great!
 Then the doctor came in and also said that she looked great! Can you believe it?! He was the doctor we saw after her very first ultrasound and I think he was very encouraged with how well Anna is doing and the difference we see in her. He said it could just be how her bones are growing and not a disease. He even laughed and said that Josh and I may be very put out with them (these doctors) because Anna could be born and be perfectly normal and they would have made us worry for nothing! I am seriously still in shock that a doctor said that she could be born perfectly normal! He, of course, said that she still may possibly have skeletal dysplasia but he was not saying that she definitely did. That is the first ANY doctor has said to us. If you will remember, it was only at 17-18 weeks that Anna was at high risk for a lethal disease, they were wanting to know if we wanted to keep the pregnancy, and that she definitely had a skeletal dysplasia of some kind.
Now please don’t get me wrong. I am not banking on Anna being perfectly fine. She may or may not be. Only God knows and that is fine with me. But what is so incredible to me is how God is so evidently working. I know you could try to explain this away medically some how, but I really feel like I see a miracle taking place. I really believe God could be choosing to heal my baby girl. And while I would choose to praise him even if He did not do that for Anna, my heart is filled with such humble gratitude when it is looking like HE IS! I mean, there isn’t even an urgency right now that I deliver Anna were there is a NICU. The ways things are looking I will most likely take her HOME with me when I leave the hospital! These are all miracles to me. I see God’s hand so evidently working. I know that only He knows how Anna’s story will unfold and I can trust whatever comes from His hand---so I will not put my hope in Anna being perfectly fine and healthy. But I also want to give glory where glory is due. And I PRAISE my Heavenly Father for his work in my little one’s life. So, thank you all for your prayers. God is hearing and answering them! And please KEEP praying for us and our baby girl!
 Oh, and to leave on a slightly humorous note, Anna is completely breech! This is really not surprising to me since all of her kicks are LOW. But she is low and is sitting in my pelvis---bottom down. It took quite a lot of effort on the ultrasound tech’s part to be able to measure those little legs today! So, maybe the next thing we can all be praying for is for Anna to turn herself around! Mommy would be so happy! I think I could do with a little less kicks to the bladder. And I would be happy to avoid a c-section if I could (not that there is any worry about that now). ☺
 Thanks again everyone! Much love to you all!
Charlotte
 This is a sweet picture taken of our Anna’s face today. You can see those chubby cheeks, chin, and nose!