Ultrasound Update

It's a boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Papa Gerson and Mama Betsy are thrilled. I have to say, Papa Gerson was EXTREMELY excited with the news, as was his entire family. One of the ultrasound pictures that they gave me is actually of Baby Tejeda's little foot. I'm sure Papa Gerson will want to frame that foot someday --- especially if his son becomes a professional soccer player! :) How fun is that!?

Having said that, there were some problems that we found with the ultrasound. The problems could result in nothing or they could result in problems the baby may have. First of all, the baby is tiny. According to all our calculations in Bolivia, I should be 26 weeks along. According to the ultrasound yesterday, the baby is at 22 weeks of development. Now, this could simply mean that we miscalculated my due date, and that is what we are hoping for. The other possibility would be that something is wrong that is causing the baby not to grow normally. In order to figure that out, I will have another ultrasound in 3 weeks. It will be compared to yesterday's ultrasound and they will see if the baby has had what is considered normal development and growth over the three weeks. If so, we can assume the due date is off and the baby will continue to grow normally but I'll be pregnant a few weeks longer!

Another thing that was discovered on the ultrasound was that the baby has calcification in his liver. Again, this is cause for concern. If I understand correctly, this is a common occurance in babies who are born with deformities or genetic disorders. However, there is also a large percent of babies who have this condition who are born normal and healthy. The calcification can be caused by either a genetic abnormality or by the baby being exposed to a virus while in the womb. Yesterday the ultrasound doctor ordered lab work done on me to see if I am carrying one of those viruses. If so, the baby COULD be born with mild to severe deformities. However, some mothers carry these viruses and the babies are still born healthy and normal.

So, where does that leave us?? Basically, we are going to have to continue to wait on the test results to come back. We won't get the lab work back for about a week. In the meantime, we pray and wait and pray and wait. This is hard on any couple who has to face it, but it's harder when the couple is separated. Gerson and I are still on two different continents trying to understand, wait, and support each other through the distance. It's hard--- probably the hardest thing I've ever faced in my life. Gerson still does not have an interview for a visa, and our hands are tied to get extra help until Wednesday. We have exhausted all our options and contacts that we have for a more speedy processing of his paperwork. We are really feeling the distance and wish we could be together to face this as a couple and support one another in person.

I'd like to ask for you to pray specifically in the days to come. Over and over in the New Testament, we are challenged to ASK God through prayer for what we need and even desire. I think often we aren't specific in our requests. So, this week I'd like to ask you to come alongside of us and pray specifically for the following things:

1. Pray that Gerson will get called on Monday for an interview, that his visa will be granted, and that he will be here by the end of next week. Nothing is too difficult for our Lord!

2. Pray that my lab results will be negative ---- every time they have to test me! There may be several more down labs down the road I may have to face.

3. Pray that my due date is off and that in the next few weeks the baby grows normally and that it shows up on my next ultrasound that the baby has had normal growth for 3 weeks in a row!

4. Pray that the calcification in the baby 's liver is NOT a hazard to the health of the baby and that when the time comes to be born, we will have a healthy son!

5. Pray for peace and rest for Gerson and me. Pray we won't worry. Pray we will remain steadfast and trust that our Father knows best. Pray that God will have His way in our lives in the life of our son.

More than anything, we want God's will to be accomplished in this and we want HIM to be glorified. We realize that God may have other plans, but we also realize that through the course of history, the prayer of righteous men (and sometimes only ONE man) has changed the course of nations. We know there is power in prayer and that God answers ----- sometimes, yes; sometimes no; sometimes wait. Right now we are waiting.

Overall, I feel our faith remains strong but our emotions are fragile. God continues to bring to my mind the passage in 2 Cor. 4:7-9-- "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that his all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

Thanks for the way you have lifted Gerson and me to our Heavenly Father over the last month especially. We continue to be awed by the support we have felt, and we sense God's hands beneath us, supporting us, holding us up, and loving us unconditionally. Thanks for being a part of our lives and blessing us with your love, prayers, and words of encouragement.

Newest News

There isn't much new to report from my last post, which is why I've been quiet. It was nice to see my sister and since Gerson has our camera in Bolivia, she was nice enough to take pictures on her camera and send them to me so I could put some on the blog. They are kind of silly pictures, but pictures non-the-less.

Mom leaves on Saturday and I am really going to miss her. We were hoping Gerson would be here by then, but it is not to be. His paperwork has arrived at the Embassy in Bolivia, but he is awaiting an interview date. PRAY that he will get in on Friday of this week or early next week. I really want him to be able to come SOON. We are missing each other terribly and it will be so good to be together again.
This is a silly picture, as you can see. I was feeling ornery. Notice I'm lying down --- which is how I am when my blood pressure goes up and Mom wants me to "be good." Guess you see how I feel about it! :) Thankfully, my blood pressure hasn't spiked again. The highest it's been is about 132/90, which still isn't great, but at least it's not up to what it was before leaving Bolivia.

Tomorrow I have my ultrasound done in the afternoon, so hopefully we'll know SOON whether this baby is a boy or a girl. I'll try to blog about it tomorrow night or Friday. I can't leave you in too much suspense!

I've been shopping some, although that tends to wear me out. I've also travelved a bit with Mom. She wanted to go an hour south to visit her mom in the nursing home. We stayed overnight at my uncle's house so I wouldn't have to make a round-trip in one day. But, all that activity is catching up with me and I plan to have a few quiet days and a quiet weekend. My body just can't take all the excitement and movement!

I've also had the chance to shuck corn, which I LOVE to do! It brings back great memories. I have pictures of that, but they are vertical pictures and I couldn't figure out on this computer how to turn them. I'm technologically challenged! So, those will have to wait until I either have another computer or until I can figure it out on this one.

Once again, thanks for your continued prayers. I'm hoping to see many of you soon! By the way, I have a new Verizon cell phone, so any of you interested in getting ahold of me may email me for my new number. I don't want to post it on the blog. Hope to hear from you!