Maybe a Miracle?

We had our first ultrasound this pregnancy about a month ago. We brought the two older kids, because they got to come with us to see Peter's ultrasound and thought it was really cool. And we've never had any health issues with any of our babies, so I guess we just assumed we were invincible?

Apparently not.

Verdict: really stinkin' cute 💗💗💗

A photo posted by Rosie Hill (@rosiehill425) on Sep 7, 2016 at 9:18am PDT

The kids were distracted and didn't pay any attention when the ultrasound brought a doctor in to explain to us that there were issues with the baby. Kidneys were enlarged, the heart and stomach were on the wrong side, "But the baby is still alive for now." the doctor stated.

So we had a follow-up with a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at the hospital about 30 minutes away a week later, and while they found absolutely no issues with the kidneys and the organs were all in the right place, there was a large, unidentifiable mass in one of the baby's lungs. Large enough that it's pushing the heart out of place (only slightly). And both doctors who looked at it have never seen anything like this before. So we're headed for a fetal MRI at Children's Hospital in DC in a couple of weeks and hopefully they'll have answers. It's going to be a long day meeting with rather a lot of specialists and I'm still wrapping my head around the probability of NICU time and the possibility of the baby needing immediate surgery, depending on how much the mass interferes with lung function.

Home birth is obviously no longer an option. Induction is likely (and I'm totally fine with that. Modern medicine exists for a reason.), and I'm really really hoping that we can do so at the hospital that's only 30 minutes away, rather 1.5 hours (barring traffic, and it's DC so there's always traffic...). And that we can bring the baby home and not have to worry about surgery for a while. And... Well, I'm trying not to think about the other, rather dire possibilities.

But... Can we pray for a miracle?

St. Therese has always been a personal favorite, and just happens to be the patron saint of lung ailments. Her novena starts today - if you're a novena person (or if you're not but would be up for trying!), this website will send you the daily prayers so you don't forget. I don't know that I would ever consider us worthy of a miracle, but it can't hurt to pull out the big guns, right? If you could join us in praying for complete healing (no more lung mass, no harm to lung tissue) of our baby, we would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you for any prayers you can send our way. And (if you know me in person) for not bringing it up in person so that I'm not reduced to a sobbing mess in public. And also for not commenting with stories about your sister-in-law's cousin's nanny whose baby had something similar and then died...