We're having a baby!

So, it looks like Monday is the day!

For those of you who don't know, we found out about a month ago that Lincoln has only two vessels in his umbilical cord.  Normally, babies have three--two that deliver nutrients and oxygen and one that carries away waste. Well, Lincoln has only one of each. There are several possible reasons for this. In about 25% of cases of a two-vessel cord, it means that the baby has some kind of chromosomal abnormality like Downs Syndrome or Edwards Syndrome (Trisomy 18).  Getting this news was, once again, fairly devastating as we've already had several indicators of chromosomal abnormalities. So we went into the University of Tennessee for yet another scan, but once again, baby looks healthy and normal, all except for his umbilical cord. So we then had to consider other culprits--his abnormal cord, coupled with my low HcG levels early on could mean placental development problems. Except that on all of the scans, my placenta looks healthy and Lincoln is right on track in growth and development. So really, the doctors don't know what happened. It could just be a fluke. However, as Lincoln gets bigger, the risk that he will not be able to get enough of what he needs from his two-vessel cord increases, as does the possibility, if it is a placental problem, that we could have placenta complications. So we've been going in twice a week for non-stress tests for the last three weeks. All has been well so far, though, and Lincoln seems active and healthy.

Well, today we went in for what I thought was just a regular NST. After the doctor checked Lincoln's read-out, and then checked my cervix (still just dilated to a 2--no change from last week), she said, "So, do you want to have this baby on Monday or Wednesday?"  I just looked at her. Blink, blink.  Finally, I stuttered out, "Of next week? As in four days from now?"  "Yep!" she said cheerily. And then seeing that I was still a bit stunned, she said, "With his two vessel cord, I don't want this baby to go past his due date. He's full term now, so he'll be fine, but the longer we wait, the greater the risk to him."  So I said, "Oh, OK, then how about Monday, I guess."

So Monday it is. We will check into the hospital on Sunday night when they will put this balloon thing in my cervix and begin expanding it. By Monday morning, we should have reached 5cm, at which time, my doctor will come and break my water.  Hopefully, that will get things going and we could have a baby by noon, she said (though it's more likely by evening).  So, watch for phone calls on Monday--we'll keep you all posted.  We can't wait to meet our little guy, and to introduce him to you all.  Love you much!
Sheila & Charlie

Start saving money for your retirement.

First, Sheila made some blocks for Lincoln. They turned out great.
Second, with Lincoln on the way and after hearing one side of a phone conversation between Sean and Sheila, I want to suggest something to all of the families. Putting money away for your retirement should be started immediately. I know all of you have different incomes and expenses and I am not telling you what to do with your money. However, starting a retirement account when you are young(ish) is smart because you will save a lot more money in the long run. You can save a lot of tax money by using a pre-tax IRA and not even miss the money from your check!
I have been working with a financial adviser for about 10 years. The first year he charged me $400 and invested some money in pre-tax accounts, thus saving me close to $600 in taxes, saved money on my car insurance, gave me 2 free tickets to the Saturday round of the Memorial golf tournament plus hospitality suite (worth roughly $250), and invested my tiny savings into a much better mutual fund that had a higher return. I know the golf tickets were a fluke and my situation was not typical but he saved me money. He now talks to Sheila and I about 3 times a year and is available other times, if we need him. His name is Marc D. Arnold and he works for Ameriprise Financial in West Virginia. His number is 304-352-8200. Call him and tell him I sent you. If you don't want to talk to him go to your local bank or find another financial adviser to talk to. The first contact is free and they can tell you if they can help you or not. You may be surprised at how easy it is to save some money FOR YOU OR YOUR KIDS. Best of luck everyone.