Christmas '08

Well the kids had a blast this Christmas! I think they enjoyed all their gifts, except the coal wrapped in their stocking ( Sean loves to do that). There were plenty of other gifts there to make up for the coal. Hope everyone else had a relaxing holiday!

Merry Christmas!

God Answers Prayers

We prayed that the baby's left ventricle would be functioning, and it is not only functioning, it is a good size with good blood flow. We came back from Little Rock with a different diagnosis. While this diagnosis is not perfect it is so much better than what we thought we were facing. The baby has a Double Outlet Right Ventricle. What this means is the Aorta and the Pulmonary valve are both coming out of the right ventricle. The Aorta is supposed to come out of the left ventricle and send all the newly oxygenated blood throughout the body. There is a hole between the left and right ventricle, but that is ok. They will be able to go in and patch the hole in a way that fixes the hole and allows the Aorta to get the blood from the left ventricle only.

I will still deliver at UAMS, and the baby will be taken straight over to Childrens. Childrens has a pediatric cardiac ICU, not very many children hospitals do. Everything after that depends on how the baby is doing. The baby will have the first (and maybe only) surgery at 1-2 weeks old. If the baby is doing well and strong enough they will patch the heart then. If the baby is not as strong as they would like then they do a temporary patch and do the permanent patch at 4-6 months. The pediatric cardiologist we met with yesterday did say this baby had some things going for him/her. There are no obstructions. They usually see obstructions in the large veins with this diagnosis and that is the biggest concern right now. I will have to go to Little Rock every 4 weeks and have another fetal echo done to make sure there are no obstructions or any other complication.

I was on the ultrasound table for like 2-2.5 hours yesterday and we saw every part of this baby except the gender. We don't want to know if it is a girl or boy, but the baby has made sure we didn't cheat! Every ultrasound the baby has had his/her legs crossed and grabbing and playing with his/her feet! The baby has hidden his/her face most of the time, but yesterday we even got some 4D images. They were measuring everything and looking for any other defects so they even had a shot of the lips and we could see nostrils. So we know there is no cleft palate.

I can't wait to meet this baby. I feel like I already know him/her and the personality he/she will have. Which is weird since I don't even know if it is a He/She (although I REALLY think it is a she).

Anyway, please keep us in your prayers. The big thing now is no obstruction!! And thank you! The calls, hugs, prayers, and emails have kept me going the past week and a half! I will scan and upload the 4D images later, they are so neat.

Rock Stars

I read Monica's last post and it makes me sad. (This is Sean speaking). Now, we can be sad and we can try to stop the world and change outcomes that really aren't in our control or we can prepare our family and leave this situation in God's hands where it belongs. Besides, the title of this blog is 'a blessed life', we know how this is going to end. It's right there in the title. Besides, if it doesn't end how we would have scripted it, we know that God will ultimately work this for the best. It's right there in Carolina's name Carolina Faith (I pre-appologize if you turn out to be Evan instead). So, in the mean time let's not turn to George Michael and talk about 'cause I gotta have faith'. Let's turn to Bachman Turner Overdrive and live a couple of these lyrics:

"If it were as easy as fish'n

You could be a musician

If you could make sounds LOUD (in my families case) or mellow.

Get a second hand guitar

chances are you'll go far,

If you get in with the right bunch of fellows.

People see you having fun

Just a-lyin in the sun.

Tell them that you like it this way.

It's the work we can't avoid,

And we're all self-employed.

We love to work at nothing all day

And I'll be taking care of business every day."

Therefore, dear God thank you for the rock star childern I already have. If you give me the oportunity to have another, I'm sure I'll rock out with that one too. But in the mean time I'll be

"Taken care of business and working overtime.

Work Out!"

This post would be nothing without more pictures, enjoy. (Therefore, Monica, when you catch me doing this please fix the pictures I've posted and add some more.) As always, Monica is the photog. Thanks again--Mama Rock Star.

Faith

Before Sean and I were married we had decided on a girl baby name. Carolina, because he was born in North Carolina and he loves the name. And Faith because as he said, we have Grace, now we need Faith (For by Grace are you saved through Faith, It is a gift from God....). He also likes to say that he will, many times in his life say "Grace and Faith I need you!"
Anyway, when we found out we were finally pregnant we decided not to find out the sex of the baby. We both have felt from the start that it is a girl though. We actually call the baby Carolina and her. We still don't know the sex of the baby, but after another ultasound yesterday we know that this baby will probably have a long road ahead of her (or him).
We currently have the diagnosis of probable Hypoplastic left ventricle and probable overriding Aorta. This basically means that the left ventricle is too small and the aorta is placed wrong. The aorta will actually get blood from the right and left ventricle instead of just the left. This means it will get oxygenated and unoxygenated blood.
This means that instead of delivering my baby 3 miles from my home surrounded by family and friends, I will deliver in Little Rock(2 hours away) surrounded by a surgical team waiting to take my baby to her first surgery.
This is where Faith comes in.
I need faith right now.
Faith that God is all knowing and is in control
Faith that the doctors will take care of this baby and help us do what is best.
Faith that my family will get through this.
Faith that God has my baby safely in his protective arms.
Faith during the times that I fall apart and cannot function for fear of the unknown.
I need Faith.
We go to Little Rock for more tests on Dec 19. Please keep us in your prayers that day. My hope and prayer is that these test will come back normal. God can heal. Sean had a long talk with the baby last night and told her to work on growing that ventricle. She kicked him alot during this talk so maybe she was listening. Next Friday we will be undergoing test and finding out the results and making plans for the future. The future of our baby.
Please pray that God gives us Faith.