Polyhydramnios is an excess of amniotic fluid in the uterus due, in most cases, to the baby being unable to swallow enough of the fluid to keep the level at a normal level. We can’t know for sure if that’s the cause, but Christy’s level of amniotic fluid certainly has her in the polyhydramniotic condition. As you can see from the wikipedia entry on the condition, it may be an indication of a gastrointestinal problem, or, as we’ve been told before, a chromosomal issue like Down’s Syndrome. Or it may be that the CCAM puts such a crimp in the esophagus (think: kinked water hose) that swallowing is impinged upon. Christy’s read somewhere that in 65% of the cases, no cause can be discerned. True to form, the mysteries continue.

The excess of amniotic fluid doesn’t put Bella in any danger, but it makes for more discomfort than usual for Bella’s keeper. Christy’s been able to get out more recently–we saw a movie a few nights ago, and she’s been able to attend worship a couple times–but with her tank overfilled, as it were, it’s laid her out. We’re mere weeks away from The Debut, but we don’t want the show to open until it’s worked out as many of the kinks as possible–i.e. keep the uterus from getting too excited so we can keep Bella in place to get her lungs in decent shape. So, her OB has strongly encouraged her to keep lying low.

We believe that a child of believing parents is a child of the church–that the child belongs to the church community in ways similar to how the child belongs to the parents. If ever we’ve seen a picture of the church being a parent to a child, it’s how the church, near and far, has been that host of parents to our little Bella. Humbled is the only way we can describe how we feel.