1st Pediatrician Appointment

When we left UAB, our appointments were all made for us. I guess they wanted to ensure we went? So we went to see Dr. Weinacker yesterday. I am certain it will be one of many.

Robert is 8 pounds 11 ounces (birth weight was 8 pounds 9 ounces)!

Our appointment consisted mainly of discussing what had happened at UAB and looking over the discharge paperwork (which detailed his birth, procedures, doctors, tests, and results). Yesterday, Robert's oxygen came in at 87% which is really great for him. The oxygen monitor wasn't registering at first and was giving us a 79...which would possibly mean a trip back to UAB in our very near future. We are also supplementing with formula (Similac Advanced) and he has been having reflux and and blood in his stool (deja vue...Emerson did the same thing with Enfamil Lipil) so we are making a switch to Enfamil Nutramigen with the hope that it is just a milk protein allergy (just like Emerson...). I just hope he doesn't have any of her other food allergy issues (i.e. peanuts and eggs).

Next week, we will be seeing Robert's pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Batton, where we will discuss what we need to be doing to keep his little heart in check. We know this will mean at least seeing our pediatrician weekly for oxygen level checks. We also have several other upcoming appointments with specialists...an Immunologist and a Geneticist...and eventually a few others that deal with development.

Emerson Meets "Bobby"!

Today was much better day for Robert! Yea! We spent the morning with Emerson and my parents with Robert at the hospital. And then after Emerson's morning nap, a bath, and a snack, we took her to see her new baby brother, "Bobby". She was so cute. She wore her adorable little whale dress and "tigtails" (what Emerson calls pigtails). [I will have a post with mainly pictures soon when I upload my camera.] It's a pretty long walk from the parking deck to the NICU. We have to cross over 2 skywalks through 3 different buildings. So as we encouraged her to walk, run, march, and hop the whole way there, it still took us quite a long time. (She is 35 pounds and wiggly...So carrying her is a little hard for long periods.)

We brought her baby doll so she could hopefully understand when we constantly remind her to be gentle with the baby doll (and baby). She was a little shy at first...The nurses just loved her. And why wouldn't you with those tigtails??? ;) She showed off her babysitting skills to Robert's nurse of the day by rocking it, then promptly dropping her on the floor, then picking her up by the head, swinging her around the room by the leg, and then dropping on the floor and leaving face down. It gave us a good laugh at least. For the most part, Emerson completely ignored "Bobby". She gave him a good look and smiled at first, but then she wanted to watch her video on the portable dvd player we brought in too. Oh well, not the sweet baby brother moment I was hoping for, but I guess completely being uninterested in him is the next best thing actually.

The doctors came in a while later (Emerson was still there on the couch watching her dvd). They gave him a good look and discussed his stats and dsat's from the night before. Emerson promptly starting singing (I guess she needed some attention to??? Lol.). I am sure the doctors liked the serenade from the 2 year old with the tigtails. It is so hard to read these doctors. The resident or nurse practitioner reads off the stats and info in such a mundane voice that it makes the biggest episodes seem like nothing. The main doctor just asks a few questions in the same unconcerned tone of voice, they all discuss while we catch a few words that seem to make any sense, and then they leave. So who knows...I am still unsure as to what they are thinking.

Then for the rest of the day, Phillip and I were able to relax and just hold our little baby boy. We took turns holding and feeding him. He is on a strict feeding schedule so we are given the bottle by the nurse (which is currently at 67 ml every 3 hours) and hold him in between. He had a few dips in the oxygen stats today...lowest being in the 50s. But for the most part, it was a great day. Towards the end (10pm'ish), we definitely cuddled up and took a nap together. I hated leaving him tonight because he finally seemed very comfortable and content resting on my chest.

We hope to hear something from the doctors tomorrow. They have been telling us that they hoped to have a more long-term plan of action on Monday. I know they are waiting on some of the genetic testing to be returned even though they said that will not actually affect their plan of action on his heart. Obviously, we are hoping for good news on the genetics testing no matter what. Jury is still out (for me at least) on my thoughts about surgery before we are released to go back to Mobile. I can't decide if I would rather him have some sort of immediate surgery so I have peace of mind that he is more stable at home (increase of oxygen in blood would lessen the likelihood of tet spells) or put off surgery until he is somewhat older (and just constantly live by his side until then because of the possibility of tet spells).

Baby Update 6.25.11 (5 Days Old)

It's been a long day...Well, a few long days... We finally were able to sleep in a real bed last night. I know Phillip would probably think that I had the better of the hospital beds (me the actual hospital bed and him the convertible couch). But my bed was actually a plastic mattress on top of a very hard surface. So it was constantly hot and flattened out to nothing once actually sitting on top of it. But at least it had that motorized up and down feature which came in real handy during the c-section recovery. Until the last day, I was unable to get out of the bed by myself. I had to have someone there to help me. It was ridiculous.

We returned to our temporary home (thanks to Michael and Chesley) at about 8:30pm. And then I laid on the couch while taking lots of meds (apparently, I had forgotten to take or ask for any since very early that morning). And then I went to bed...with uninterrupted sleep until 7am. :)

The plan for the day was to go to the hospital to make the 11:30am feeding and spend most of the day with our little guy. But Emerson was dropped off at around 11am (from spending the week with her grandmother - Phillip's mother) so we decided to change the schedule a little bit and go ahead with our trip to Babies R Us (a new Boppy to keep at UAB as ours is in Mobile) and then some lunch with our little girl. So after all that, we headed to the hospital to hand off Emerson to my parents who had been visiting Baby Robert.

The girl can eat. I think she has gained a few pounds just in the past week. As soon as we hit the food court to meet my parents, we needed jello. And fast. Did I mention that we had just had lunch?

So after dropping off Emerson with another set of grandparents...We headed up to see Baby Robert. We found him cuddled up with his grandmother (Phillip's mother). He was getting some good grandparent time in today. I just made the 2:30pm feeding so I was able to give him his bottle. It's so sad that I don't see him as much as I should and then on top of that seem to be missing all the little newborn baby moments too.

When we arrived, we found that Robert graduated from his Giraffe Bed to a NICU crib. :)

He was a little fussy this afternoon and just didn't seem to ever settle down. I had to leave the room for a while so I handed off the baby duties to Phillip.

While I was out of the room, our little guy had a meltdown and dsat'd. Of course, when I return, Phillip prefaces his explanation of the events with "I don't want you to freak out, BUT...". Apparently, Robert's oxygen levels fell into the 60s and his heart rate skyrocketed all while his pulse fell. It set off an urgent alarm to the nurses (alarms are constantly going off, but this one was considered "urgent"). His nurse thought that it occurred due to his positioning...meaning his neck needed to be stretched a bit more to allow enough air in. Scary. But not as scary when you aren't there. Phillip seemed a little nervous. But I took it in stride and just thought it was a rare occurrence and it had all been resolved.

What does "dsat" mean? From what we understand (remember we are new to this...), dsat is just a shortened term for desaturation. Basically, his oxygen levels were very low. A normal healthy baby is in the 97% to 100% range of oxygen saturation. Newborns and small children (healthy) do not have any blockage or damage to their heart, arteries, etc. Therefore, their blood is completely enriched with oxygen. Anything below 93% is worrisome. And anything below 90% is bad. Your brain and vital organs can not survive long-term without receiving more oxygen. Robert's oxygen levels are staying at the low to mid-80 range. They occasionally see the 90 range, but more or less stay in the 80s. His alarms are set to sound when he dips below 80.

I took over baby duties at that point. Phillip still seemed a bit anxious so I encouraged him to go to dinner with his mother. Almost as soon as he left, alarms started sounding...And for the next 3 hours...It was alarm after alarm after alarm. Not all were "dsats", but several were. And then there were the alarms that went off simultaneously. Nothing I did was working. Every few minutes, a nurse would appear and ensure that his monitors were properly placed and still working correctly, reposition him, or just simply silence the alarm. After a while, I asked the nurse to place him back in his bed so we could make sure that it wasn't anything I was doing to set the monitors off. But that didn't stop him, he would rest peacefully and then all of a sudden everything would alarm again. It was insane. And driving me insane. I definitely lost it. Finally, a nurse came in and was able to calm him down...and me down.

Phillip returned from eating dinner and picking up a few things from the house. I think it was a little obvious I needed to leave the room for a bit as he was resting peacefully. So we walked down to the cafeteria and I had a late dinner. Thankfully, when we returned, Robert was still resting. So we decided to come home and have another night of sleep in a real bed.

Almost a week of updates...(4 Days Old)

I am sorry that I have not posted anything since arriving at UAB on Monday. As you can guess, our little boy, Robert James, is here! He was born at 5:02 pm on Monday, June 20th, weighing 8 pounds 9 ounces and 21.5 inches long. I was induced, but he was born via expedited c-section after a few complications. Although not a c-section was not ideal, it has allowed me to actually stay in the hospital for 2 additional days and us to be closer to him.

As for our little Robert's entry into the world...He went into distress during labor and it was decided that he needed to arrive as quickly as possible. After they broke my water, his little heart was just not doing so well and they were worried that he was going into shock. It was decided rather quickly that I needed to have a c-section. Of course, Phillip had stepped out of the room to inform our waiting family that everything was fine (and give them a brief synopsis of what had occurred up to that point...no need to worry about the craziness as it was all under control at that point). So as the doctors are talking in a language that I mostly cannot understand, one looks at me and says, "You will be having a c-section." I take a deep breath and think to myself that I have an hour or more to mentally prepare and it will all be okay... I ask her when this will happen, and she says, "You might have 15 minutes." Omg. Call Phillip. He rushes back in and they hand him his scrubs. As he puts them on, various nurses and doctors are entering and leaving the room. The doctors are mostly looking at my chart, printouts, current stats, etc. Nurses are gathering things from the room and packing up the IV, bed, cords, etc.

It's all kind of a blur at this point. I am being wheeled into the OR, Phillip is being escorted to the waiting area while I am prepped for surgery, and our family waits outside thinking everything is just fine because Phillip was just out there assuring them it was. I am almost immediately moved to the OR bed and strapped down. At that time, various doctors and nurses stop by my head (as I can't really see or move) to introduce themselves and tell me what they will be doing and what to expect. I am really fine beyond the shock of it all happening so quickly until the Neonatologist comes by and tells me that he will step in after the baby is born at which time, the baby will be rushed from the OR to a side room where he will be resuscitated, examined, and then moved to the RNICU. I just nodded. But all I could think was RESUSCITATED??? The c-section started and as tears rolled down my face, the nurse looks over and asks if I have family available. YES! My Husband! Who is apparently still sitting in the OR waiting area. There were so many people in the room that I just assumed he was somewhere in there. But apparently not. No one had remembered to go get him. Someone grabbed Phillip and he had to tiptoe around the doctors as the c-section had already started...He apparently got a nice view of my insides which he said "aren't pretty".

Not too much longer and we heard a crying baby. He came out crying! No resuscitation needed! He was rushed out so quickly that we were unable to see him. After several minutes, the nurse took Phillip to see him where he was able to escort him to RNICU. He took a few pictures and brought them back to me so I could see. I went on to post-op recovery where I spent the next 3 hours. I wasn't allowed to leave until I could bring my knees up. In the meantime, the doctors were busy taking all his vitals, stats, and running some tests.

After recovery, we were able to "roll by" the RNICU room to see him. Since I was in a hospital bed, the nurse held him up so I could see him. The medication he was on (until yesterday) was so high that he was unable to be touched or held. He was receiving prostoglandins that kept the ductus aeortis and other arteries as open as possible. But side effects made him very sensitive to the touch (it hurt!), very warm, and very irritable. So we would not be able to touch or hold him for a while. :(

As for my stay in the hospital...My recovery was a little more than I planned. C-section's are not fun! I didn't realize that the pain and inability to do almost anything by myself would be so intense. I felt so bad asking Phillip to do the smallest of tasks for me constantly. But I literally could not do anything for myself. Still basically can't. Everything is a struggle. I was in bed until mid-day on Tuesday and then increasingly got more active. I was on Percocet and Motrin for pain which I could have every 4 and 6 hours, respectively. I had to ask for it though (the nurse wouldn't tell you when your time was up). And I would either be asleep, down in the NUCU, or simply forget. (My advice to anyone in this situation is assign someone to keep up with the time for you and remind you.) The nurses kept telling me to "stay ahead of the pain" meaning take the medication before the pain is really bad. But again, I would forget. The Percocet just made me so sleepy. And then I had to start taking Benadryl through my IV because one of Percocet's possible side effects is being itchy all over. Great! And then the adhesive on the c-section bandage (taken off around 24 hours after surgery) gave me blisters on my skin. So not only did I have a very sensitive incision, I also had these tiny little blisters appearing on my belly. Disgusting. I know. Benadryl has always made me just fall asleep. So for the first 2 days, I was a complete zombie. I stopped taking the Benadryl completely and tried lessening the Percocet so I could actually be around Robert without falling asleep and intelligently talk to people (I was making nonsense most of the time) and especially his doctors.

As for Robert...We were able to hold him on Tuesday finally. And the grandparents were able to see him. Each day, we were able to hold him a little more. The only problem was that I was still recovering...and sleepy...and needing to be in bed (as I could not walk, stand, or go to the bathroom by myself). My parents came in and took some of the feedings as that was something we could do. And Phillip went down and spent some time with him as well. He has been on Prostaglandins (a type of medication) that is supposed to help keep his Ductus Arteriosis open until the doctors can determine if he is dependant on it providing oxygen to the lungs. But one of the side effects of Prostaglandins is that it makes him very sensitive to touch. It apparently hurts to be touched, therefore, making it scary to hold him (just this horrible wimper of a sound while picking him up until he is comfortable again). Plus, he has a Umbilical Vein Catheter (an IV running through his umbilical cord) that is very sensitive and would be absolutely terrible if accidentally pulled or tugged on (i.e. painful!). It makes it very scary to touch him, much less, hold him. They actually decided today to stop the Prostaglandins at 3pm as they determined it wasn't making a difference in his stats. They have been slowly decreasing them over the past 24 hours with no change (so I assume that is how they made that decision). And you can see that he is more comfortable being touched as well. It will take approximately 24 hours for the Prostaglandins to leave his system though.

What is the Ductus Arteriosis? The ductus arteriosus is a normal fetal structure, allowing blood to bypass circulation to the lungs. Since the fetus does not use his/her lungs (oxygen is provided through the mother’s placenta), flow from the right ventricle needs an outlet. The ductus provides this, shunting flow from the left pulmonary artery to the aorta just beyond the origin of the artery to the left subclavian artery. The high levels of oxygen which it is exposed to after birth causes it to close in most cases within 24 hours.

Physically, Robert looks pretty normal. His hands and feet are a little bluish and sometimes his lips. But when he is all wrapped up in a blanket and you don't see any of the cords and monitors, he looks like a normal baby. He sleeps 24 hours a day. I have only seen an eye crack once at this point. The medication he is on makes him very sleepy. And beyond that, his little heart pumping is just exhausting as it takes a lot more energy to keep his body working at this point. He looks like a sleeping angel all day long. :)

Seeing the doctors is just by luck. They made their rounds at odd hours so you never knew when they would be there. He has a whole team looking after him - Neonatologist, Pediatrician, Cardiologist, and Geneticist. Basically, several of each. We haven't met all of the doctors that are looking after them, but we have met several. We did see the Geneticist (who was actually sent to us by one of the Cardiologists). He is helping with the genetics testing and hopes to have some results by this coming Monday. Not all of the testing will come in at the same time most likely, but we are mostly concerned with the DiGeorge Syndrome results (we have known about this one for a while now...). The Geneticist said that he would like to follow up with additional testing at 6 months of age and maybe even longer even if everything returns as negative. Basically, it sounds like their are tiers of testing to ensure all syndromes and disorders are truly negative. [If you didn't know...A heart defect can mean other problems such as genetic abnormalities. They want to be able to rule those out. It doesn't always mean that treatment will vary, but it could.]

Robert has his own private NICU room with a couch, chair, TV, etc. It's very nice. I couldn't imagine a better place for him to be right now. He has at least 1 nurse assigned to him so he is basically looked after 24/7 with someone at his bedside. The nurses are a wealth of information. So even though we don't see the doctors for very long, it hasn't been a concern.

And Discharge...I was discharged today by the way. I was actually very proud of myself that I hadn't lost it on anybody while in the hospital (as I had previously melted down when we had Emerson...I blame hormones and drugs.) But then during discharge, I had a complete freak out moment on the front desk receptionist in the NICU. I was discharged from the maternity ward to the NICU (rather than being wheeled to the car like normal). So my maternity nurse and a trainee nurse delivered me to the NICU in a wheelchair. At that time, the woman refused me entry because I didn't have my proper qualifications. When I was a patient, my wristbands tied me to the baby. But as I was being discharged, I needed a NICU badge (that she could make right there). So she sent me to the lobby to check-in to the hospital as a visitor. The nurses wheeled me down there and then back up. And then she refused me again because my "sticker" wasn't in a plastic lanyard (again, that she had in front of her). The lobby doesn't have lanyards. We have to get them from her. But she was too busy to be bothered because YouTube videos and her adult son (who was not qualified to be in the NICU) were using up all of her attention span. So I lost it. Screaming and crying apparently get you somewhere. I was let in and got a lanyard. She was reprimanded. Not my proudest moment but what else was I supposed to do?

We will be staying in a real bed tonight. Beyond excited. We left the hospital with the intention of grabbing dinner and going back. But then I started to feel the pain and filling my prescription was top priority. It was 8pm on Friday so we went to Wal-Mart (ughhh...). They were able to fill it pretty quickly, but in the meantime, Phillip pushed me around in a wheelchair (pitiful). Sitting in a wheelchair, crying (pain induced but then also thinking that I was missing the 8:30pm feeding), and not to mention in a Wal-Mart, was a personal low for me. But I was able to get a reusable heating pad (a must for c-section...or probably any delivery or stay on a hospital bed) and my meds...So things are looking up right now as I lay on the couch before bed...and another long day at the hospital tomorrow.

Nursery Progress

I realize that us me worrying about the appearance of the baby’s nursery seems really trivial to most anyone reading our blog.  But please let me explain that as of 3 weeks ago, we had not done a single thing.  I was actually avoiding it.  I had decided not to buy another baby thing.  I didn’t want to come home to a nursery with no baby.  But after a while, I realized that even more, I didn’t want to come home with a baby to no nursery.

Previously, it was Emerson’s playroom.  And this is what it looked like…

But then we cleaned it out and had it painted…

 

And then came the decorating.  We had the main things – crib, rocker, etc.  It was therapeutic…and a bit stressful to put it together.  I pulled Emerson’s baby items (car seat, bouncy seat, swing, Moses basket, etc.) for wash (and then gave them to my mother to actually wash…haha).  And then pulled out the gender neutral clothes and the things that I had already purchased.  

Here are a few pictures that I snapped the day before we left for Birmingham.  This is how it was left and what we will return to.  Artwork needs to be hung and a few other things still to be done to finalize it all, but its turning out pretty sweet.  (The rocker needs to be moved into the room…Huhum…Dad?)  But for the most part, its a working nursery. 

  

The cute dresser I ordered came in about a week ago while we were here in Birmingham.  I haven’t seen it in person, but here is the website picture in blue (ours will be green).

On another note, why is it that the guy never worries about anything baby?  It is insane how much time I have put into making sure we have all that we need…and if we don’t have it, making a list of what we still need to consider at a later date.  I seriously doubt Phillip has given the smallest thought to how many blankets or onesies we have…and definitely not sizes.  I can’t imagine him even thinking about needing waterproof mattress covers or burp cloths and bibs. 

Monday, Monday…(and 38 Weeks!)

It’s Monday.  Since Emerson went home to Mobile on Saturday, we have had 2 days of sleeping until we wake up…which hasn’t been all that late, but still. 

We are in the process of packing up our belongings and cleaning up our temporary space so we can move closer to the hospital within the next few days.  You know how people say that pregnant women go through a “nesting” phase?  Well, Phillip doesn’t get it, but I think my nesting instinct at this point is to just be closer to the hospital and have my things in one place so that when I get out of the hospital, I don’t have to drive 45 minutes to wherever my stuff is and I can actually find it when I get there (at the moment, it is spread across 2 drawers, 5 hangers in a closet, my suitcase, a few random bags, and the trunk of my car). 

Today, I am doing a few things that I have been putting off or unable to do for whatever reason.  And a few things to do that just need to be done before we move out. 

Baby Update 6.9.11 (37 Weeks & 3 Days)

Who would have ever guessed I would make it this far???  I definitely did not.  Every morning, I wake up and think that I can’t possibly make it through the rest of the day. 

My feet are starting to show signs of swelling.  I have skinny narrow feet…You can usually see all the little bones in them when I stretch then out.  But recently, they look a little puffy…yet everyone else thinks they are perfectly normal.  I am waiting for the end of the day when it looks like little piggy feet to take a picture.  :)

Other than that, I am just exhausted.  Phillip has been a great help, but I can tell he is exhausted too.  We have had Emerson with us for 2 1/2 weeks now.  Trying to make do in a new place with just the basics is hard, but for almost 3 weeks, it’s beyond hard – It’s exhausting! 

This morning, we were both dragging.  We really needed a few extra minutes of sleep this morning.  But instead, as soon as the garage door opened at 6:30am, we received a 2 year-old gift in the form of a pink polka dot nightgown with bright yellow paci hauling the must have PBK blanket.  At 8am, Phillip looked at me from the kitchen and said, “You know that movie, Mr. Mom, where he looks pretty good in the beginning and then by the middle, he looks like [Phillip looks down at himself], well, this?”  Haha…I know how he feels.  It’s just nice that he can commiserate now.  Phillip said soon after, “Just look at what I fed her for breakfast?”  (Pop Tart Minis, Oatmeal, & Wonder Pets DVD)

We met Phillip’s mother about 30 minutes before my UAB appointment.  We finally installed the extra car seat in her car that I have been carrying around in the trunk of my car since we arrived.  And off they went back to her house…And us to UAB.  Poor Emerson!  She has been stuck inside for most of the time here because it is so hot. 

On to the actual appointment…We actually saw the same doctor that we did the week before.  Amazing!  Although she really didn’t have much new to say, it was nice to see a familiar face.  The big news is that we will have a baby no later than June 20th!  They officially scheduled an induction on Monday, June 20th.  YEA!  The doctors are pretty adamant that this baby needs to wait until 39 weeks if at all possible due to lung development (they don’t want underdeveloped lungs in addition to heart problems).  So June 20th is exactly 39 weeks.  :)

No ultrasound this week…The first time in a long time.  They were able to detect the baby’s heartbeat via that little handheld monitor.  It apparently was a lot stronger this appointment.  Again, I was told…If something happens, just come on to the hospital. 

Not much longer…!!!

Maybe this will answer some of your questions…

Beyond the millions of questions I have about the baby, others have even more. We don’t have all the answers and are learning as it comes.  I read everything from medical reports to blogs of people I have never met.  At first, we both read so much and had so many questions.  But as time went on, we have decided to take what the doctors tell us and make decisions from there.  Our research about the actual heart (think anatomy class 101) has helped to understand and have a mental picture of what is actually wrong/different than a normal heart.  Until the baby is born, we don’t know everything and only plan for what we can.  But in the meantime, please let me answer some of the questions that I have had asked of me since we broke the news.  So here goes…

What is Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)?

TOF is a congenital heart defect. A congenital heart defect is a problem with the heart's structure that is present at birth. TOF is a rare, complex heart defect, but it is one of the more common heart defects. The difference between TOF and other heart defects is that TOF is actually 4 heart defects:

1. A hole between the lower chambers of the heart (the left and right ventricles);
2. An obstruction from the heart to the lungs (smaller than normal pulmonary valve);
3. The aorta (blood vessel) lies over over the hole in the lower chambers;
4. The muscle surrounding the lower right chamber becomes overly thickened.

Yes, a baby can have those individual defects, but you must have all 4 for the TOF diagnosis.

Here is a healthy normal heart versus TOF picture.  This might help in comparison. 

From what we can see on the fetal echocardiograms, the VSD (hole between the right and left ventricle) is very large.  It almost looks like the entire wall is missing (as in this TOF picture you can see the wall).  When the fetal echo has been switched to the color view, you should see blue (deoxygenated blood) and red (oxygenated blood) separately.  But in our fetal echos, we basically see orange everywhere.  This is because the hole is so large and the deoxygenated and oxygenated blood are mixing.

What did you do to cause this? (More politely, "How did this happen?")

I don't know. It just happens unfortunately. Truthfully, doctors don't know what causes most cases of TOF. Of all the reasons that can increase the risk of having a baby with TOF (Rubella, poor nutrition, alcoholism, over 40 years of age, and diabetes), I don't have any of those issues. And if you watch TV and see all those malpractice lawyer commercials, then you probably have noticed that TOF is listed as a birth defect for prescription drugs such as Paxil and Zoloft. [No, I have never taken either. I actually have taken very few prescription drugs in my lifetime.] And as far as we both know, neither of us have a family history of TOF. [So it's not hereditary.] I hope you know that I have researched the topic as much as I possibly can.

If you have another baby, will that baby have heart problems too?

As far as we know, the baby does not have a underlying genetic disorder. Neither Phillip nor I have a family history of congenital heart defects. So no - Emerson is perfectly healthy and there is no reason to assume another baby wouldn't be either.

Did you consider abortion?

No. Enough said. Although it wasn't directly discussed at any of our appointments, we could tell that it was almost said earlier on. We are still reminded at every doctor's appointment that the baby is at an increased risk of stillbirth.

How did the doctor's discover the problem?

Many TOF babies are not diagnosed until after birth (from what I have read, it seems that those that know before birth, have also had other complications). I am assuming because the VSD (hole in the heart) may not be large enough on the earlier ultrasounds to be seen. But during my 5 month ultrasound, the ultrasound tech and OB noticed that the umbilical cord only had 2 vessels (should have 3) which is called a Single Umbilical Artery (SUA). But sometimes due to the view, the third vessel (or second artery) is just hidden on the back side. Sometimes, a SUA is an indicator that there could possibly be other problems. Therefore, my OB wanted to confirm the SUA at my next appointment at 6 months. During the ultrasound at 6 months, the doctor had the ultrasound tech do a thorough ultrasound looking for any other possible abnormalities and confirmation of the SUA. At that appointment, the initial heart problems were noticed and my doctor even mentioned possible TOF. At that time, we were referred to the high risk fetal specialist at USA C&W. The rest...Well, you can read my blog to catch up. ;)

What are you most worried about?

Well, I can't say there is only one worry. Of course, as much as we do know, I worry about the unknown right now. But after the baby is born, a lot of our simple questions will be answered (eventually).

After that, I worry about the surgeries. We really won't know how many and when he will need them. The pediatric cardiovascular surgeon thinks that the baby will need surgery soon after birth to place a shunt on his heart that will increase the amount of blood flow to the lungs (as the pulmonary valve is extremely constricted according to the fetal echocardiograms). And then the full repair of the heart somewhere between 6 and 9 months (to fix the actual defects).

And then beyond that, I worry about his development. From everything I have read including medical reports and personal experiences with heart babies, delayed development is to be expected. Heart babies are typically on the lower percentile of the growth charts, have delayed motor skills, and need speech therapy. Emerson has been on the higher end of the growth chart from birth and did everything from crawling to walking to jumping early. So I figure if he has her genes, then maybe he was destined to do them early, but now will just do them on time. That's my hope at least. :)

So as you can see, my worries have developed into stages. I am focusing on more on the immediate, but still concerned about the future.

What is "open heart surgery"?

Let me just say this upfront...Open heart surgery is NOT just another surgery that happens in the chest cavity or even in the entire abdomen. It is NOT the same as having your appendix removed or having a broken rib. There. Said it.

Open heart surgery is any surgery where the chest is "opened" and surgery is performed on the heart. A heart-lung bypass machine is used to pump oxygenated blood to the brain and other organs while the heart is stopped. The heart is not beating while surgery is performed. [The initial surgery to insert the shunt will require a closed-heart surgery where an incision will be made through the side of the chest between 2 ribs.]

Recovery without complications for any child will take 3 to 4 weeks once at home. An infant needs even more care for the first 4 to 6 weeks. An infant needs to be held very carefully during this time as supporting their head and bottom is important. No matter age, we will be unable to lift by the arms (which would be typical at 6 to 9 months old). Activity will be limited which means that even crying for too long may cause severe exhaustion. No pushing or pulling (think rolling over, crawling, sitting up), and even lifting the arms over the head is a big no-no.

 

I hope this helps answer any questions that anyone may have. I am an open book if you want to know anything else. But unfortunately, I don't have all the answers either.  Please feel free to ask my any additional questions.  Seriously, I don’t mind!

Baby Update 6.2.11 (36 Weeks & 3 Days)

My appointment with the Maternal Fetal Specialist at UAB was at 2:45 this afternoon. It was somewhat better than our last appointment (For one - It didn't take 4 hours.). My patient records finally made an appearance (lost last time). I saw another doctor (I haven't seen the same one yet). The doctors are very hands-off at UAB it seems. You see several nurses that each do their own little task only to leave and see a new nurse a few minutes later. When you finally see the doctor, its just a few questions before they are out the door again. According to one of the nurses, some of my tests and lab work had been done too early in Mobile. Therefore, they needed to be repeated. Last week, the doctor ordered blood work done but I was ushered to the discharge area before that happened. Oh well. I brought that up this week and it seemed to evoke complete confusion. So the doctor just ordered it again. I went on to ultrasound after that for a quickie look. The baby is moving and my fluid is around 20+ cm (still high for 36 weeks). I was sent to the discharge area again only to remind the nurse that I needed my blood work (the same blood work that needs to be done between 32 and 37 weeks)...So she sent me to the lab where they had no record of an order for blood work. *sigh* Luckily, the nurse just did it anyway and said she would figure it out later. Then I went to check out. Finally.

They went ahead and made the remainder of my future appointments. According to the doctor, they are hoping I get to 39 weeks when they will just go ahead and induce. (Although no official date on that yet...Boo!) But the appointment girl made me appointments into 40 weeks. I really am not sure if they know what is going on there!

In Mobile, I always had my ultrasounds, testing, lab work, etc. before I saw a doctor. It seems to me that makes more sense. My OB would always review any results/pictures and go over anything of concern with me at the time. At UAB, I always see the doctor and then they send me for further things...And then I don't see anyone again until my next appointment...And its never even the same doctor...And on top of that, they never have any of my records. Should I worry??? I miss Dr. Cunningham. :(

Before our afternoon appointment, we were planning to enjoy a nice lunch without Emerson. ;) But plans changed when Emerson needed an earlier than normal nap. (The pack-n-play no longer holds her and being in a new place, she has a bit of a meltdown if we leave her alone to nap.) We instead had a 10 minute lunch at the hospital food court. :(

Phillip's mother was able to take the day off to babysit so we we could go to the doctor appointment alone. Although I don't have much to do here that I could normally take care of at home (cleaning house, little chores here and there, etc.), I am seemingly busy and bored all at the same time. It's just hard to relax when you aren't at your own home. I have 2 books that I have started and read back and forth. But that is about all I have to do outside of taking care of Emerson. My parents are coming to Birmingham this weekend for Emerson's birthday party so that will be nice to have a change of scenery for a few days. Maybe we can go eat at the Urban Cookhouse again this weekend. :)

Still here. For now.

Day 10. Food is running low. Ran out of apple juice and milk yesterday. Diapers are next to go. Must go to store and stock up again. Although morals are still high, energy is running out for everyone but Emerson.

Seriously, we were able to go out and about yesterday. We had lunch at Urban Cookhouse in Homewood yesterday. I highly recommend the Berry Good Chicken Wrap. Yum yum yum. I am going back very soon. I know my Mom will love that place. :)

Then we hit the local toy store just down the street (not a chain type). I highly underestimated Emerson's interest in trains. [She has the Mickey Mouse train which "disappears" from time to time because we just can't take it anymore.] I almost bought her a wooden train set that was on zulily the other day. I am regretting that purchase since it was really discounted (birthday, future Christmas present, etc.?). Ugh. Oh well. I did some research last night and found some really cute and fun generic train sets that work with Thomas the Train and the other popular sets. I don't think she cares or will care about that kind of thing, but its nice to know that they can work together. We will see how much the interest keeps up. Thanks, Chuggington! I took other's advice about keeping her far far away from Thomas & Friends cartoons only to have you come along on the Disney Channel. Leaving that toy store was apparently a horrific experience for all of us.

On to Dreamcakes. Cupcakes for Emerson's birthday party ordered. We taste tested the Strawberry Milkshake and Bananas Foster cupcakes. Emerson too...They are very careful not to cross contaminate with just about anything if it isn't in the ingredients (which are all listed with the flavor). We decided on Strawberry Milkshake and Lemon Love for Sunday. :)

Then it was on to Gardendale for a visit to the splash pad. Since we had avoided a nap all day, Emerson was already a little worn out which made the visit short. But she had a great time nonetheless. Somehow, she avoided a nap the rest of the day too...So it was bedtime as usual at 7pm (thank goodness...we needed to get back on schedule). Hopefully, we can continue that from now on.

This morning, we had a visitor around 3am. She crawled out of the pack-n-play...again. :( Some Baby Einstein lullaby music seemed to get her back to sleep in our bed. And then Phillip decided to move her back around 5am. Mistake. I found him asleep on the other bed with 2 baby quilts (that were originally his by the way) draped over him...and Emerson jumping up and down in her pack-n-play (anything within arms reach thrown across the room and all the reachable drawers to the dresser open).

As for "Bobby", we are still waiting. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow so I will post an update then. I am still hoping we can get an inducement date out of them (they didn't seem too concerned about all that last appointment) so we know if all else fails when we will meet this baby.

And life goes on...

Memorial Day weekend is over! I know that is terrible to say, but it was beyond exhausting. And not to mention...Annoying since it seemed every single person that posted something on facebook was somewhere on the water this weekend. It was 97 degrees yesterday. But only 87 degrees in Mobile. Ugh. I am sure 87 felt pretty hot. But not as hot as 97.

Yesterday, I realized what has been bothering me so much lately. I have probably said "no", "stop that", "put that down", "leave that alone", "be careful", "don't drop that", etc. more so in the past week than all of Emerson's life. I randomly read parenting articles as I find something that interests me (i.e. I am not by any means researching these topics). A while ago (way before this was even an issue), I read an article about always saying "no" and trying to be a more positive parent. I really took it to heart. I try (I definitely haven't perfected this...at all) to use positive reinforcement and distraction rather than the constant "no". At our house, we have put up/removed anything that is either 1) dangerous, 2) breakable, or 3) something that we don't want played with, broken, or destroyed. It wasn't hard. We just removed it at various stages as Emerson discovered it. I would rather remove it rather than ALWAYS asking her to stop doing whatever I don't want her doing. Don't get me wrong...We are still teaching her what "no" means, but how do you teach that some things are okay and some things aren't (that look almost identical to a child)? "You can read and touch THIS book, but not that one." It doesn't make sense to me so how do I explain that to a 2 year old? It's so hard being away from home for a long period of time. Nothing is like home. We have definitely been struggling with touching things that we shouldn't this week. And on top of that naps are almost impossible (a small pack-n-play does not contain her plus it doesn't get very dark in her room), bedtime is torture, eating anything normal has been stressful, and her energy level is at all time high for some reason. I think we are all ready for us to go back to a more normal schedule/routine.

This week will be spent resting. And doing a few things "in town" (lol). I am actually excited for my doctor's appointment this week. Maybe I can actually get something out of it.

Plus, Emerson's birthday party is this Sunday! It won't be much, but we will have peanut-free cupcakes and lots of ice cream (it will apparently be very hot again)...plus just a few friends that we know in the Birmingham area. [If you are in the area and want to come, please let me know because we would love to have you.]

Tomorrow is finally June 1st! I have never been counting down the days more than right now!

36 Weeks! Today!

Yea! I made it to 36 weeks.

Okay. I am officially done now.

Baby, please hurry up and get here. Now.

Be a good boy and listen to your Mommy.

Baby Update 5.18.11 (34 Weeks & 2 Days)

I had my last appointment with the fetal specialist at USA C&W today.  I was officially released to the UAB high risk group.  It’s a really strange feeling to know that I am 34+ weeks preggo and will have nothing to do with any of my doctors again.  I fretted over finding the right OB with Emerson…And, obviously, I planned to use her this time around…  Yet now, I am within a week and a half of being “full-term” and have no primary care OB.  The fetal specialist said that I can discuss that issue with UAB when I get there…!  She said that the fetal specialist will probably just find me someone that’s available…O.M.G.  Thanks?

As for the actual appointment, my fluid was at the 28.5 range.  And the baby’s fluid looked “normal” for the baby.  That meaning…They have seen fluid on the baby the entire time, but it hasn’t been at the level of full-on panic.  Therefore, it is what they expect with a “heart baby” at this gestational age. 

As for a due date, unless something happens, I will be waiting it out until 39 weeks.  That is approximately June 20th.  Almost 1 month!

Back to life (sorta)…

I woke up in my own bed this morning!  And immediately returned to life…Getting Emerson up, fed, dressed, etc.  And then was immediately exhausted.  Plus, I think I have a pinched nerve in my back from laying around for 3 days straight.

Emerson’s last day of MDO was today.  They have an end of the year party scheduled for Thursday, but due to Emerson’s food allergies (eggs & peanuts), we stay away from all the class parties.  One of these days, she will catch on to that…

[pic coming soon]

Emerson came home DIRTY.  Phillip rarely gets to see the effects of some serious playground time.  I think he was a little surprised.  I tried to get a good picture, but she was already in the bathtub and couldn’t take her eyes off the brown dirt water just from her feet alone. 

[pic coming soon]

I also received a call from USA C&W and UAB.  I have an appointment scheduled for Tuesday, May 24th, at UAB with the high risk group.  It seems like I will be in Birmingham from that point on.  I am just unsure if I will have any more appointments during that week or not, so we may be able to come back for Memorial Day weekend (???).  UAB is taking care of finding me a primary care physician (OB) as I only have a fetal specialist up there now.  It’s just all so confusing and FRUSTRATING!

I took some time off this morning, but with my UAB appointment newly scheduled for exactly one week from today…I need to get busy.  I have quite a few things to do.  Eek. 

Current state of the nursery…(lots.still.to.do.ugh.)

[pic coming soon]

Baby Update 5.16.11 (34 Weeks)

I’m FREE!  I was finally released from the hospital today!  But not before I ate my last Pollman’s cookie (Thanks, Catherine!).

And I finally saw my fetal specialist…My doctor came in with the ultrasound tech to check on my fluid levels.  My fluid levels look “normal” (i.e. back to a decent/high range).  And then she tells me why I was there [why, oh why, can’t they just tell you up front…???].  Apparently, fluid was noticed around the baby’s heart on Friday…And that can lead to heart failure if not monitored very closely.  The fetal specialist said that there was evidence of a small amount of fluid still surrounding the heart, but she didn’t feel it was necessary to keep me in the hospital because of it.  I would see her on Wednesday mid-day sometime for a more detailed diagnostic at her clinic. 

Sometime before Wednesday, her nurse would be in contact with UAB to start scheduling appointments for possibly next week.  But first, I have a few errands to run and things to do…

Baby Update 5.15.11 (33 Weeks & 6 Days)

Hospital Stay Update:  According to the OB doctor that came in at 8am, I will be leaving tomorrow mid-day.  My fetal specialist is scheduled to come see me early tomorrow morning…And hopefully, she be releasing me with some further instructions.  (Hopefully, another week in Mobile, but possibly I need to travel north to Birmingham – only to be closer just in case…not to have a baby…I think?)

My blood pressure was 82/43 last time they checked.  It keeps getting lower…I asked the vitals nurse if that was normal and she told me that it was nothing to worry about.  According to the BP charts that I have found, it says a general rule is “normal” is below 120/80.  But for my age range (30-34), I should have a minimum of 110/77.  Hypotension seems to be rarely discussed (when googling blood pressure), but my numbers are definitely falling in that range right now…Coma and death start at 50/35. 

I had to stay on the baby monitor for a while longer this morning.  Apparently, “Bobby” was a little sleepy this morning and not doing much (even though I had just finished breakfast and a bottle of juice).  Since it was removed, I guess it was all okay for now.  [I think you get less answers in the hospital than at a normal doctor’s appointment…]

Pretty much the accommodations are the same (I did have someone bring me my pillow and 2 towels from home…that definitely helped!).  The staff has been really nice.  The food is still a wonder…And seems to be the most interesting thing going on around here. 

My dinner (from 5/14)…[I think I was put on a diet without actually being told…or someone else got hungry.]

My breakfast…[I actually got what I ordered!]

I did get to wear some sexy leg warmers (actually they are TED Hose for prevention of blood clots).  I keep removing them and being told to put them back on.  ;)  I’m a naughty patient.

I caught up on my hoarding type of shows.  It really makes me want to finish cleaning out my closets rather than sitting in this bed. 

In the meantime, Phillip was able to walk at his graduation (yea!), sleep at home (jealous), and do a bit of yard work (hehe).  Somehow, during my hospital “vaca”, our little vegetable garden grew.  I checked out these same plants on Thursday and they were just little baby vegetables…And then Phillip sent me pictures via text on Sunday morning.  Amazing!

 

And then here comes my dinner…Ummmm, I thought ordering a salad would keep the pork off my plate?  Guess not.  They are determined to make me eat pork.

Good thing is I get to go home tomorrow!  I fully expect after I have the ultrasound and see my fetal specialist that I will be released!  Wish me luck!!!  I am just hoping I have some time to get a few small things done before I have to leave home again. 

Baby Update 5.14.11 (33 Weeks & 5 Days)

Hospital Stay Update:  We have seen quite a few nurses and doctors that we have never seen before.  The only familiar face was the first ultrasound tech at the fetal specialists.  She is hard to understand (foreign), speaks very short English, and is really rough with that ultrasound wand.  I think she gives me bruises.  :(  Basically, I think they just want to ensure I am on bed rest, my vitals are staying normal consistent, the baby is “behaving” (what does that mean exactly…?), and I am getting my steroid shots.  I will officially be here until Monday when I have another ultrasound for a fluid check and hopefully see my fetal specialist.  (I do have a scheduled appointment with her on Monday at 2:30pm.)  I was moved to the high risk/recovery area at 6am this morning.  Yes, I was asleep at the time.  But I get a window (no windows in the L&D rooms apparently).

So as for the hospital stay itself, the beds in Labor & Delivery are extremely uncomfortable (probably because they aren’t real beds and break in half), the plastic pillows make my face hot, the sheets and blankets are made of burlap, the towels are about 2 feet long and 1 feet wide, there is no where to put anything as eventually some machine, food item, or person wants to use the space, and the food has been not horrific but ummmm, cold (obviously sitting there for a while) and not particularly my diet (the food was pre-chosen for me…boo).  I did eat the scrambled eggs…that weren’t touching the sausage patty. 

My dad brought me Krispy Kreme when he came to visit this morning…I don’t know if I can eat 6, but the box is already missing 1.  :)

Lunch was delivered (while I am writing this post…how appropriate!).  Ummm, did the memo get lost at the nurse’s station that I don’t eat pork (and mayo but I didn’t originally say that)?  A barbeque pork sandwich, broccoli salad (the kind with mayo and bacon), and chocolate cake.  I checked the menu options for today (that I did not receive) and these are probably the most unhealthy items anyone could self-inflict upon themselves.  Why not deliver the most healthy options if you aren’t going to give anyone a choice? 

Baby Update 5.13.11 (33 Weeks & 4 Days)

Well, I finally got my laptop up and running in my hospital room…Yep, I was admitted this morning.  My 8:30am appointment turned into – Doctor: “Take this slip of paper and go to Admitting at USA Children’s & Women.”  Me:  “Um, excuse me?”  Doctor: “Yes, you are being admitted for further tests and monitoring.”  I swear!  Puh-lease just one good appointment!

It all started with me almost walking out of the house alone.  I assumed Phillip would need to be going to work (our appointment on the previous day took all morning).  But Phillip said he would drive me to my appointment.  :)  It wasn’t supposed to take long…A quickie ultrasound and seeing my OB’s partner (my actual OB was off for the day).  Well, the ultrasound seemingly went well (I thought…Beware what they aren’t telling you…).  The fluid was down to 24+ cm and the baby is measuring 5 pounds and 9 ounces.  Wow!  I went from 33 cm to 24 cm (of course, this isn’t exact science and really depends on the baby’s position and all that)!  And the baby gained 12 ounces in 24 hours!?!?!???  (Like I said, it’s not an exact science.)  But all in all, I thought that was good news – my fluid is down and the baby’s weight is up. 

[ultrasound pic coming soon]

On to the check-up…The doctor decided to do a NST (non-stress test) just because…uh-huh.  The doctor came in to let us know that she had discussed the results with my OB via phone and they had talked to the fetal specialist as well.  I needed to go to the hospital for further testing…WHAT???  As the doctor showed me…The pictures of the abdomen are worrisome.  The bladder, stomach, and intestines are full (fluid is a dark black on ultrasounds) which is okay…Completely normal.  But once the baby releases the fluid, my fluid numbers go up.  Dang it.  There is also a dark ring around the abdomen.  It means that the baby is starting to retain fluid which is not good.  The easiest (although not necessarily the right) reason for all this is that the baby is actually absorbing my high fluid (therefore, reducing my fluid numbers and increasing his weight).  Of all the things I have read, I have never seen that the baby taking on fluid is to be expected with a heart baby.  But the doctor isn’t surprised because it is to be expected and I am close to 34 weeks.  Okay…I will believe the doctor over the wanna-be mom-docs on the internet.

So, on to USA C&W for me.  From what Phillip and I decide, I will most likely be monitored, have another ultrasound, maybe some blood work, and then possibly be sent home within a few hours to return on Monday to our already scheduled appointment with the fetal specialist…Or maybe even be sent to UAB.  Well, I was admitted to Labor and Delivery for “observation” which means that I was hooked up to 2 monitors (1 for the fetal heart rate and the other for contractions), received an IV (drama…I hate needles!), and was put on steroids to start working on the baby’s lungs and development.  This means – Staying at the hospital until Monday.  Ugghhh.  [Have I mentioned that Phillip’s MBA graduation is tomorrow at 2pm?  I helped pay for this degree…I want that smiling picture of my graduate framed and on my desk!]  Boredom set in about 10 minutes after getting in the super comfy hospital bed (cough…cough). 

My temporary home: USA Children's & Women's Hospital

A lot of crappy TV watching later and at approximately 6pm, I was finally able to talk the nurse and doctor into removing my IV (a constant slew of alarms, true arm aching pain, and wearing a towel so I didn’t pass out from looking at it…).  I can’t look directly at needles, blood, etc.  So I took a picture of my own arm with my iPhone and viewed it from there.  For whatever reason, its just not as creepy and gross. 

It’s about 8:30pm now…Still hanging out…Watching some TV.  Phillip is going to stay with me at least for tonight (he gets the super comfy couch/cot).  And I will stay here tomorrow while he walks at his graduation service.  My parents and Emerson will be looking on…taking lots of pictures for me! 

Baby Update 5.12.11

Another ultrasound, Non-Stress Test (NST), and general check-up today. My weight is the same, but my blood pressure has dropped to 80/60. I really don’t understand blood pressure, but normal for me is 100/60 it seems. The ultrasound was one of the longest we have had to date. They were really looking for some key information. I am currently 33 weeks and 3 days, but am measuring 34 weeks and 5 days. The baby is approximately 4 pounds and 13 ounces. My fluid is still high…Up to 33+ centimeters (previously my highest had been 28.4). Since there is so much fluid, we were able to flip the 4D switch on (more fluid = better pictures).

[ultrasound pic coming soon]

The ultrasound tech also focused on the baby’s breathing. At this point, the baby should be “practicing” breathing via opening their mouth, expanding their chest cavity (no matter how faint), and seemingly releasing the “air”. Our little “Bobby” was not cooperating which is a little worrisome. His heart rate and activity level was good, but no “breathing”. Ugghhh. We were told not to worry too much because babies don’t “practice” all the time (yet he should have within the 30 minute ultrasound).

The NST went well I guess. I sat there for at least 30 minutes with no baby flipping, therefore, no alarms today. The heart rate is a steady 130ish. And I was having some contractions. But with all the fluid, it is to be expected.

After all the test results were back, I saw the doctor…Basically, they wanted to call in my results to the high risk group at USA C&W (versus writing a report and faxing like usual). Uh-oh that doesn’t sound good…? And they would give me a call as soon as they knew where to go from there. Time lapse 3 hours…I receive a call from my doctor’s nurse. They need me to come back at 8:30am tomorrow morning (Friday) for another ultrasound. I guess my scheduled appointment on Monday isn’t soon enough???

Baby Update 5.9.11

I had my first of several scheduled Non-Stress Tests (NST) today.  Basically, the test meant that I laid in a recliner with 2 monitors strapped to my belly – One to measure contractions (if any) and the other to monitor the baby’s heart rate.  Basically, you want to see a reaction (the heart beat steady for the most part but also having a reaction when the baby moves or coinciding with contractions.  The non-stress part just means that you and the baby aren’t “stressed” (i.e. doing much of anything while the test is ongoing). 

I was hooked up and it was going great…Until “Bobby” decided to completely change directions mid-test.  His heartbeat dropped and an alarm went off for a good 5 minutes while they tried to figure out what was wrong.  He had just decided to flip and make things difficult.  His head was resting to my right…then completely to the opposite on my left.  I guess the high fluid makes it easy for him to do such things.  So, the test started over.  Thanks, kiddo. 

Once its over, the doctor takes a look at the long printout and that is about it.  His heart rate looks great apparently (so weird that a baby with a congenital heart defect can have a normal heart beat in utero) and I am still experiencing contractions.  My doctor just told me that I need to continue (oops.  better start then.) taking it easy (lots of completely horizontal laying down) or I might be going to Birmingham sooner rather than later…Um, approximately a week isn’t soon enough?

I have another NST on Thursday along with my weekly ultrasound and check-up.  In the meantime, I will be resting and may get in some work to the nursery.  My goal of just making it to May 14th (Phillip’s graduation!) is almost accomplished!