We have decided on baby boy Jahnke #2's name, Caleb James. This time we didn't have a list of 20 names to go through. We saw the name Caleb and learned it's meaning and we knew it was the one. In the bible, Caleb was one of the ones chosen by God to spy on the promised land, and he was forever faithful. No matter what obstacles or "giants" he faced, he wholeheartedly followed God. He followed God for 40 years before God "gave him the mountain". The name spoke to us as we have to wholeheartedly put our faith in God at such a difficult and scary point in our lives, for our family and our unborn baby boy's sake. We have to have faith that our precious Caleb is in the hands of the Lord and that He will not leave us. If anyone has a better knowledge of Caleb, please share, I'd love to hear it. James is in honor of both of my grandfathers, who I admire, respect, and love dearly.
Our appointment on Monday went as it had before. The fluid has fully re-accumulated to what it was in the beginning, with no signs of hydrops (heart failure) or other problems. Caleb is so active he had actually flipped himself from head down to breech in a matter of four days! Our doctor discussed with us that we are at a very sensitive time point right now. Essentially we want to have the shunt placed two weeks before hydrops develops (if it ever does), which is unpredictable. He decided to hold off on draining the fluid again as Caleb is doing well otherwise and to reduce the amount of times they have to put needles into the amniotic sac (risk of infection and preterm labor). He is worried about doing the procedure at this point in my pregnancy because if there were complications, though only a 2% risk, there is nothing they could do to save the baby. If we waited a few more weeks, we would have more options if things go awry but we also don't want to risk developing hydrops before then. Our doctor is planning to consult with the expert on this disease via Skype who is in Denver to discuss my case and get his ideas on the next steps. I have told Ryan, I do not want to be a doctor in this situation. The only perk is I feel like I understand what is going on. Whatever decision they make we have to trust they are making it in Caleb and my best interest. I just don't want this decision burden on Ryan and I. We have a great respect already for our doctor and trust the decisions he makes. Tentatively, we are scheduled to have the shunt placed on Monday morning, depending on what this doctor in Denver thinks. They will place a needle into the amniotic sac and "thread" the catheter through and place it in the side of the baby's chest with the hope that the fluid will go into the amniotic fluid instead (thoracoamniotic shunt). I will be sedated for the procedure which I am actually glad, it's way too scary to watch the whole thing.
You may be wondering, how are we doing? We are generally more somber but are trying to keep our normalcy for Jonah's sake. We have had a few moments full of sadness and fear, but I don't think it would be normal if we didn't. We just love Caleb so much already and want him to be healthy and not suffer and it's difficult knowing that it may not end up that way. In the end, thinking about all the "what if's" and buts doesn't do any of us any good. Regardless of the statistics, we have to have hope that things will be OK and trust in God, there is no other way for us.
I also want to wish Ryan a very happy 30th birthday. I feel bad that this momentous time was not as special as it should have been because of what has been going on. However, Ryan is a wonderful man and was not bothered by this at all (he went to bed at 8:30 the last night of his 20's, I don't think he was too concerned). All he wanted for his birthday was to spend it with Jonah and me relaxing with a steak dinner on the grill. I can definitely handle that. We are also going to Branson this weekend to celebrate which we have had planned for several months. We figure since there's nothing we can do to change the circumstances or do from home, we may as well get away. Ryan's parents are joining us so we are really looking forward to spending time with them.
We wish everyone a happy and blessed Memorial Day.
With love,
Ryan and Raquel
Prayer requests:
1) That we can wholeheartedly trust in God during this time as a family
2) Baby Caleb continues to thrive
3) If we have the shunt placed, that the procedure goes well without complications
1 comment:
Hello, I'm your cousin, Karena's sister-in-law. She shared your posts via Facebook, and I wanted to let you know that I'm praying for you, your family, and your sweet little baby!!
Psalm 139:15-16: My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body;all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
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