Dear Friends –
The past month has been bitter-sweet for us in so many ways. We once again want to thank everyone for the amount of prayer and support we have received. It has been incredible. We have been truly blessed to see the Lord work in our situation and use our child for His glory.
On Monday, April 9, we had a second ultrasound and received the exciting news that we are having a BOY! We had a wonderful time during the ultrasound watching our little guy move all around. He didn’t sit still even for a moment – he’s just like his momma in that area. The ultrasound did reveal that the acrania/anencephaly is very prominent. It looks like his skull stops right above his eyebrows. At this point they were unable to determine how much brain matter was present, although it appears that some amount is there. Both eye sockets look to be intact, as does the entire spinal column. All his other organs appear to be developing perfectly, and he has a very strong heart beat. He has long arms and legs, and he is basically adorable.
We have decided to name him Amalya Nathaniel. We chose these names for their meaning. In Hebrew Amalya means “Work of the LORD”, and Nathaniel means “Given by God”. We are very thankful for our work of the Lord that has been given to us by God. Although it has challenged us in many ways, we still strongly feel that the Lord is doing something special with us and our little boy.
Over the past month we have enjoyed making memories with our little one. Eric has read many Bible stories to him, and Bethany has read several children’s books. We have taken Amalya on several outings with Grandparents, and we planted a Japanese Maple Tree in our front garden for him. We also found out that we will be able to participate in a research study with Duke University looking for a genetic link to anencephaly.
Please continue to pray for us and Amalya Nathaniel as our pregnancy progresses. There are still many unknowns ahead and we will need wisdom as we continue on our journey.
Blessings,
Eric, Bethany, and Amalya