Happy Due Date!

Well, today is my due date. I remember how I felt on this day when I was pregnant with Caleb. I was in shock that I was still pregnant! Two of my sisters had already had babies and both had their babies early and I just knew I would be like them. Little did I know, he would wait another ten days to decide he was ready to enter the world. Every day I was thinking "maybe today will be the day!"

I had no expectations of going early with this one which is probably part of the reason I wasn't freaking out about the nursery coming together so late in the pregnancy. While I am anxious to meet my sweet little boy, I am ok with him staying in a little longer. I have enjoyed being pregnant so much and I love feeling his kicks and movements (even at this point when they can be quite painful!). I am kind of hoping Levi doesn't wait as long as his big brother to make his appearance, but that will be fine with me if he does. Not too much longer now!

40 Weeks  :)

What's Been Going Through My Head Lately

For the first few days after finding out about everything going on with sweet Levi, I was really upset and couldn't help but replay all the things the doctors kept saying over and over in my head. I guess it takes a little while to sink in, plus going to the doctor one day and then again the next day was just overwhelming.

I started asking everyone I know to pray for us. Michael talked to his friends and some of his coworkers and the support has really helped! So many people want to keep up with Levi and be there for us right now. We are both so appreciative of everyone who is praying and sharing our story. We are so appreciative of the notes people have send us and the messages just to let us know they are praying. It is so amazing how God lines everything up and puts angels in people's lives to help them through hard times.

Now, I do not feel overcome with worry. Michael and I have so much faith. We truly believe that Levi is meant to be here with us in our lives and he has an amazing purpose. We truly believe that God is going to heal him; we may have a long journey ahead of us and our little guy may have a rough start (I say may because I do believe that he could do amazing and be much better off than the doctors think) but we do believe that we will bring him home and his life will bring so much glory to God!

On a side note...we bought letters to spell Levi in the nursery, but we haven't put them up on the wall yet. Caleb was in there playing with the letters trying to spell other words with those four little letters, rearranging them over and over on the floor, and he came up with LIVE. I can't believe I didn't realize that before. I think that is so cool and just amazing!

Unexpected News from Yesterday

We went to the doctor yesterday for what was supposed to be a team meeting. We were going to meet with a doctor from the practice where we have been transferred and a cardiologist from the practice where they have been looking at his heart and they were going to discuss what will happen once Levi is born and talk to us about all of our plans and what to expect. Before we went back to see the doctor the nurse was going to do a "quick ultrasound" to take some measurements but when she finished she said the doctor might want to look also. We went into another room and the doctor did another ultrasound and asked the nurse to pull up the pictures from earlier in the pregnancy. He determined that Levi doesn't have just situs inversus with a heart condition. Now they have discovered that he has a diaphragmatic hernia. He said he may also have some situs inversus with this but we don't know. Basically there is a missing part or hole in the muscle that keeps his organs where they need to be and some of his organs are going up into his chest. They could be pushing his heart to the wrong side and putting pressure on it, we don't know yet if this is why his heart is on the wrong side. The heart condition that they have planned for surgery for after he is born (coarctation of the aorta) could just be pressure on his heart from the organs pushing against it but that's something else we won't know until he is born. This is a very serious condition. The doctor said it is one of the most serious things they can see up there.

 

So now instead of us having a heart surgery when he is about a week old that they expected him to do completely fine with, we will have to have him sent from UAB to Children's within a couple of hours after he is born and hook him up to machines because his lungs will not be developed properly due to the other organs pushing against them as well. They will have to do a surgery on him and possibly multiple surgeries.

 

The doctor said at best he will be in the hospital for 4-6 weeks. At best usually means that the baby has nothing else wrong except the diaphragmatic hernia and our baby may have a heart condition to go with it. He said that 50% of babies at best with this condition survive. He said that we have less that a 50% chance and that our baby has a long road ahead. But I really don't care what they say. I am devastated to hear this news but I am having faith that we can get everyone we know praying for our little guy and God will show them who is boss. We are putting this in His hands and hoping that our little fighter will be a miracle that brings God glory. Please get EVERYONE you know praying for Levi. People we don't know, prayer chains, anything. We have got to cover him in prayer for the next few weeks or even months!

7-7 Appointment

Yesterday we had our third fetal echo with the cardiologist. He was able to see things a good bit better than previously. We still do not have any for sure answers about what is going on but Dr. C feels very confident that it is coarctation of the aorta. We will deliver at UAB and they will do an echo on our baby sometime after he is born(most likely a few hours after birth so that we have our time to bond first, etc.). If the echo shows that what Dr. C thinks is going on is correct then we will most likely have a surgery take place sometime in the first week of life.

Again, this is all what we are thinking as of now, we will not know anything for sure until he is born but this is what we are going with to try and prepare.

Dr. C says that if this is what happens then he expects our baby will do well with the surgery and most babies with this go on to lead a normal life. He will have to see a caridologist periodically for the rest of his life though with this. The surgery will correct the problem, but it could reoccur. It is basically a narrowing in the aortic arch and it could re-narrow over time. This is definately not what we were hoping for but I have mostly been hoping that whatever happens, it will be something we can correct with surgery and I am very pleased that it is not something that the doctors are afraid will threaten his life.

This is not the worst case, it could be much worse, but it is by no means something small. It is just something we have to prepare for and pray and hope for the best. I am having to trust the doctors with our baby's life and trust that they will do what is best.

Please join us in prayer for a smooth delivery. I really want a calm, natural birth. And please pray for the doctors that we will be working with. Pray that they will be open to my wants and that God will give them wisdom while taking care of our baby boy. Thank you all for your prayers so far and for keeping up with us and caring! I have so many emotions going on right now and I can definately tell a difference when people are praying for us.

34 Weeks

Yeah...there it is :)

Beach Trip

We went to the beach with Michael's family this past weekend. We had a great time. There were 16 of us total and 7 of those were children! That always makes a trip more fun because Caleb loves having someone to play with and we love kids!

Here are a few pictures...

Happy Father's Day!

In honor of Father's Day I am posting a picture of my sweet boy with his awesome Daddy.

Every day with Caleb is such a blessing, I love him so much and I can't wait for another sweet boy and to see Michael with two little boys! I love our little growing family!

Nursery Bedding...

I still haven't decided what colors to do the nursery in! Ahhh! We have two months left! I have narrowed it down to a few favorite beddings, though...
I really like the colors in this one. I didn't think I wanted a theme and I usually don't like alphabet themes, but this one is pretty cute.

The next one is an example of something similar to what I would have custom made. It would use the same colors and have the polkadot fabric and a different striped fabric along with a soft blue and a brown. The one in the picture is pretty similar to what we would make though...

The last one is not something I thought I would pick out because I am not really big into the theme rooms but the whales are pretty cute!


I can't decide which one I like the best! I really want to start on the nursery especially since Michael starts his vacation on Monday and he can paint for me!

Tell me which one you like the best or if you have seen something cuter!

32 Weeks!!!

I am not sure how much bigger I can get!

Also, today is Michael's and my anniversary! Another year together! I am so happy God brought us together, he is perfect for me!

What's been going on...

Not too much! But last week was pretty busy. Monday-Thursday I was working VBS at church with two friends from our Sunday School class. Friday was my birthday so we went out for dinner with Grandma and Grandpa, the rest of the family wasn't able to come. Then we took Caleb to see a movie in the park. Saturday night was our neighborhood block party so all week I was getting the final stuff together for that and I spend most of Saturday getting all the last minute details worked out. I felt so busy all week! It started raining in the middle of the afternoon Saturday and I was worried the block party wasn't going to happen. It did! I was so relieved because we put a lot of planning and time into the party. We watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and had an awesome turnout! This week I have been trying to recover from last week by resting and trying to get my house clean again!


Next week we are going to the beach for a few days (yay!) and then I have a doctor appointment the following Monday. We have only had regular appointments for the past few weeks and that is why I haven't updated. But, I have been measuring right where I need to be and everything has continued to look good. Praise the Lord!!!


Please continue to pray for our little guy over the next few weeks! We just want him to be healthy! We go back to the cardiologist for another fetal echo July 7th to see if anything has changed or not.