Our Story

It was an exciting day, as we walked into the office for our 33 week 3D ultra sound of our second son together.  Brock (the father) is an Ob/Gyn and refers his patients to this office for their 3D sono's, so we know everyone in this office pretty well.  While we were anxiously waiting to see our son in 3D, Brock and I chat with the staff.  Finally our sonographer lets us know that she is ready and we eagerly enter the sono room.  Our sonographer is having a difficult time seeing his face and asks me to turn on my side, etc.  I'm used to this, because with our first son it was just as difficult.  Then she decided to switch the screen from 3D to 2D.  I didn't think anything of it at the time.  And then abruptly, she said she had to step out for a moment and will be right back.  That is when my fear crept in.  I looked at Brock and he was sort of squinting at the screen with the same somewhat worried look on his face.  I asked him if something was wrong, and he honestly told me that he didn't know.  A few moments later, she cracks the door open and asks Brock to step outside to speak with the physician.  Now, I am completely freaked out...  So many thoughts were rushing through my mind.  I could feel the baby move, so I knew he was alive.  So what is wrong, I thought.  Then Brock comes back in with the sonographer and she starts to explain that she can not see a pronounced lip on our son.  She proceeds to tell me that she suspects he has a cleft lip on the right side and his palate is not visible.  I am so confused, as I have never heard of this before.  She continues to explain what a cleft lip is and how it can be associated with a syndrome.  At this point, my mind is going crazy...  questions are stirring in my head about the types of possible syndromes that could be associated, did I do something to cause this, is this something that can be treated and repaired, could this be a life threatening ordeal, etc.  She was able to answer some of our questions, (and luckily Brock knew some things concerning this as well), which helped calm some of my fears and emotions.  Brock and I held eachother and cried for a moment knowing our son would need to have surgery within his first year of life.  It was (and still is) a scary thought that I'm sure no parent wants to face.  Yet, here we are...  We are so thrilled about our newest addition to our family.  We hope that by us being transparent in our experiences with this beautiful journey, can help others feel encouraged, connected, and full of joy when their new addition arrives.

Best wishes to all whom is kissed with these precious lion lips!

The Pierce Family