Todays ultrasound was one I will never forget. We were told our little girl probably does not have an arm from her elbow down on the right side. You know when the radiologist comes into your room, something is not right. What I dont understand is how this could have been missed during our fetal anatomy u/s 4 weeks ago. One would think, due to all that can go wrong, looking and documenting every body part would be a requirement. The radiologist did not take all hope away that Sophie could have both arms. I kept asking if it could be due to her positioning and his answer was that based on her left arm being so noticable and her being so active we SHOULD be able to see all of her right arm. Then he also said that at this point and further along in the pregnancy is gets harder to view and measure the limbs because the baby takes up most of the space and body parts can be hidden. He stated that he did not see what they refer to as a "band" which acts as a turnicate (spelling) and cuts off the growth of limbs. With him not seeing a band, he said that there is still a chance that Sophie can be born with normal limbs or that one limb may be much smaller than the other. There was just so much being said it was hard to take it all in. Have you ever gotten news that hit you like a truck and you couldnt really hear or comprehend what was being said after that initial bad news registered in your brain? I just kept trying to think about the ultasound we had 4 weeks ago. Did we see her arms? I kept thinking we saw her arms, just not her hands but I cant be 100% sure. I got home and looked at all of her ultrasound pictures and realized, we dont have any pics of her arms or hands. Mainly profile pictures, her feet, and her face.

God has a reason for everything. We might not understand or agree with his actions but he knows what he's doing. Sophia will be loved no matter what. Because the news is so fresh it's hard not to feel sorry for myself or for her but if she is born this way, I have to be strong for her. I was on the phone crying to my mom asking her, "what will people say when they look at her, Who will want to take her to her high school prom?" The answer is that none of that really matters. As long as she is healthy, as long as she lives a healthy, vibrant, and long life we should not dwell on the small things. Something is wrong with us all regardless if it's physical or mental. Some are more obvious than others but where it really counts, we are all the same.