The Long Overdo Update

I would like to formally introduce you all to our daughter

Hazel Lynette Reed.

This is a MRI picture taken at our last appointment at Boston Childrens Hospital. I love this picture because she is wrestling her umbilical cord and it looks like she's smiling. Unfortuntaely you can also see some of her deformities. They have diagnosed her with a variation of holoprosencephaly which basically means there is so much water on the brain (all of the white) that a brain did not develop. In addition she does not have a nose. I know, it appears as if she has one, but that is her upper lip. Her nostrils, or what should have been her nostrils, are located over her eyes. If you can see the protrusion on her forehead you have located one of her nostrils. Lastly, she has a kinked brain stem. The brain stem controls many of our innate reactions such as breathing and swallowing so you can imagine how important it is.

It's difficult to believe that we just started our 3rd trimester. Some days are really good and we are able to keep a very clear perspective and be grateful for the perfect daughter we have been given. Other days are really bad and I struggle to even get out of bed. It's hard to know that every day is one day less with her physically. Some days I think I have so much to look forward to and then others I am bitter that I am spending my pregnancy looking at caskets and headstones.

From here on out the Doctors can make the decision to take her at anytime based on her wellness and mine. I'm very afraid because I don't feel ready to part with her. I don't know if I ever will. However I do have faith that when it happens Heavenly Father's peace and comfort will not fail us. It hasn't failed us yet.

The Doctors have recommended that we use this time to parent Hazel and do things with her that we would have normally done with her throughout her life. So I would like to introduce you to the newest member of our family...

This is Gidget Brie Reed aka our new puppy.

(I always promised Brie I would name our first born after her so here you go.) We would have given Hazel a puppy at some point because every child should have a dog so we adopted Gidget. We have had her for 6 weeks and she is 4 months old. She is a bassett/doxen mix or a bashound. Actually she's just naughty. If you have seen the movie Marley & Me you have met our dog. There is nothing she will not chew and swallow, no furniture she will not throw up on, and strongly believes that potty training does not apply to her. This is not a great picture, but I can only take one when she's sleeping because otherwise she doesn't stop moving. I have to say she is a lot fo fun and has been a huge blessing in our lives right now. She keeps us busy and get's us out of the house on days when we don't want to confront the world. She's also a great cuddler at night and a good playmate to Brockie.

Lastly, congratulations to the newest graduates in our family. My Mom recently finished her Bachelor's degree and and Travis finished his Master's. They will both be walking in May. I am so proud of them. Travis will most likely begin his second Master's program this summer to become certified in Administration. Good for that guy. My brother Anders will also be graduating from Coast Guard boot camp at the end of this month and will be stationed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire soon. Yea! Another place to vacation near the beach and outlets.

I know I should be better about updating, but I make no promises. I will however post some pictures of me and Hazel aka my belly. I will not post pictures of my cankles so don't even ask.

Again, I just wanted to thank everyone for their prayers and support at this time. We feel very loved and blessed to have such great family and friends watching out for us.