We had scheduled ultrasound in Denison on Thursday April 29th. At first it was going good, saw the hands, fingers, toes. Measured the arms, amnitotic fluid and all the routine prcedures. With our other 2 children we were in and out in 15 min, with pics of our babys to boot. Something seemed strange, it was starting to take way to long, and the tech seemed to be saving ALOT of pictures. After she was done, she told us to wait outside in the wating room. I was thinking, "wait a sec, we've never waited before, what's wrong, where's our pics?".

So we waited for what seemed like forever, (oh yah, they need better reading material, one newspaper and a bunch of women's magazine doesn't cut it for the guys). Then the tech returned, we could meet with the doc in 2 hours. Ok, so something isn't rights, and we have to wait AGAIN, (like Charlie Brown says, UGGGGHHHHH!!!!)
I had to return to the Farm, Sarah went back to work, both of us thinking, what could be wrong, we saw the heart, 4 valves, arms, legs, toes, eyes, lips, it's-- well found out it's a boy, what are we missing,

2 hours seemed like days. Then Sarah met with the doc, and I got the call from Sarah, devestating news, Our healthy baby boy has anencephaly.

It's shocking, all the excitiment that has been building, and then to learn that he will not live for very long once, he's born. I'ts funny how some things you never forget. I still remember to the day, the temp outside, windspeed I found out were were expecting our first and second child. This time, the day has been frozen in time. I had to help a freind load hogs, out of two different barns. We got the first loaded, and were driving ot the second when I talked to Sarah and she told me news. I knew from being at the hospital it probably wasn't good, but was still hangin on for that last thread of hope. Our baby has a fatal birth defect. I was just in an awe, I helped Mark finish loading, but it was all kinda blurry, I don't know if the reality had actually sunk in right away.

Our doc suggested that we see a perinatal doc in Omaha to explain things better. I spoke with our nurse, and they could get us in at 7:30 the next morning. So Grandma Judy arrives at our house at 5Am the next morning to get Jonathan on the bus and Ally to the sitters while Sarah and I head to Omaha.

We met with Dr. Levine, and they did another ultrasound and basically confirmed what we learned in Denison. They were able to get some really good pics of him for us, he looks so perfect. What an impact a couple of cells have in the development.