Getting Ready!

Again, it's been a few weeks since we posted (I feel like I say this every time now!) Being back home for a few weeks we've stayed in one place at least but haven't really "slowed down" quite yet. I'm definitely getting there since my body seems like it's going to be limiting me on how much it will let me do! Maybe that's a good thing. I mean, I can't wait until we have this baby and things finally settle down a little bit :-) (hopefully you can sense the sarcasm on that one).

We've been busy on getting some things done around the house, spending some time with friends and overall just preparing our lives for a baby, but I still feel like we've got a long way to go! Luckily we have several more weeks before this guy gets here but it's rapidly approaching!

We decided pretty recently along with the advice of the doctors, to deliver in the Springs. There didn't seem to be a solid reason we needed to be in Denver and the doctors feel confident that the baby will do very well his first few days and that the tests and care will be the same whether he's in the Springs or Denver. If it is determined after birth that he'll need the first surgery, they'll have to transport him up to Denver, but no one has given us any indciation that this would be a high risk scenario or be cause for concern. He have another echo in a little over a week, so they might be able to tell us if they are leaning towards surgery or not, but I think we're both counting on just not knowing for sure until after he's born at this point.

So delivering in the Springs is good news and a relief to both of us that I (Allison) won't have to go up to Denver 4 weeks early. If it was necessary, we'd absolutely do it but it's nice that we think we'll be able to avoid that added emotional stress. The not as great (but not terrible) news is that even though we'll be delivering in the Springs, I'll have to deliver at a different hospital than my OB delivers at, so I am in the process of switching doctors. It's a little nervewracking being as far along as I am (over 34 weeks) and not have even seen the doctor that will probably deliver me, but whatever's best for this little dude!

In the mean time of transferring hospitals & doctors, we're continuing to prepare however we can. We've been getting the Baby W's room ready -see below for a few updated photos - still a few things to hang on the walls and a cube organizer to assemble & get in the room, but just about there! We had a shower at my work this week (a surprise to me) and are having another garage sale/ baby shower next weekend that we are very excited about. We've been SO blessed by people who have offered to do some wonderful celebrations for us and our little one! We've taken a birthing class so we feel a little more prepared for labor and delivery and have been watching some videos online to learn about infant care. We're getting very excited to meet the newest Walenga and will be thrilled to share in the excitement with all of you!

Jet-setting and pregnant

We have certainly been on the go the last few weeks! We were home for a week after returning from Georgia with my family and then went to Michigan for about 4 days to spend some time with Gary's family. We had such a great time with his family but it was a quick trip! After that we came home for two days and left for Raleigh, NC for my cousin Morgan's wedding.

We're in Raleigh now and will be heading back tomorrow!  It has been so wonderful to spend time with both of our families, but we will welcome staying put for a while to rest and get some things done to prepare for Baby W! Traveling takes its toll when I'm 7+ months pregnant and Gary is still in his ankle boot. He's getting more mobile but still needs the boot to get around.

I talked to one of my doctors this week about our plan/location for delivery and he is facilitating some of the other docs discussing where they want me to deliver. It is somewhat of a relief to feel like the decision isn't up to us, but we may not know a final answer until the next echo in a few weeks.  More unknown but we feel confident in our team of doctors and trust that God will have us where we need to be!

I'm 32 weeks now and getting more anxious and excited about having a baby and about his treatment and the affect it will have on us.

Not Good News, Not Bad News, Just News

Today we had another fetal echo to take another look at how everything in the heart is growing. We were hoping to have some more definitive information about how delivery is going to go and whether or not the 1st surgery will be necessary. Unfortunately, we didn't come away with the decisions we hoped for, but we didn't come away with bad news either, so it was kind of a mixed bag of emotions for us.

The blood flow through the pulmonary valve and arteries is the indicator as to whether or not the 1st surgery (the BT Shunt) will be necessary. Right now both the valve and arteries are measuring on the smaller side but not tiny. If they continue to grow at a good pace between now and birth, they might allow enough blood to flow to the lungs that the BT shunt wouldn't be necessary. The doctor seemed to think it could go either way at this point, so we'll have another appointment in about 5 weeks to see if he's able to see any difference one way or the other. Right now, we're pretty much counting on not knowing for sure about surgery until after the baby is born and they can do tests that will be much clearer than while he is in utero.

It also seemed apparent today that delivering in Colorado Springs might be more of a possibility than we thought. It sounds like the first few days after birth will be a lot of testing whether it is in CS or Denver, and if transport to Denver is necessary for surgery, it is unlikely it would create a critical situation. We're still struggling with what to do as far as that goes. The doctor had confidence that going to Denver for delivery is not really necessary but said that if we really wanted to do that then we could. He did recommend that if I deliver in the Springs, that I do so at Memorial Main Hospital- my OB doesn't deliver there, so I'd have to find a new OB for delivery (yet another doc to add to the mix!)

So no specific plan quite yet, but we're very glad to hear that there's still a possibility of skipping the first surgery all together! Thanks for your prayers!

Appointment Today

Today we have an appointment to do another fetal echo.  This appointment could give us a better indication if Baby Walenga can skip the first surgery and deliver in Colorado Springs.  More detail will be posted later to update you.

Vacation in Georgia with a Bum Ankle

We've been pretty busy the last few weeks, which is why we haven't posted anything for a while. We've spent the last several days at Tybee Island in Georgia with my (Allison's) family and we've had some great R&R! It's always fun to be with family and a vacation at the beach is a great last hurrah before we have a baby to add to the family dynamic. We've been able to have a few fun days in Savannah exploring the city and a few days at the beach. It is certainly hotter and more humid than we are used to in Colorado, but it sounds like this week is just as brutal there!

Unfortunately Gary has had a little more R&R than he intended since he sprained his foot pretty badly the day before we left for vacation. He's in a walking boot, and we've been able to get him down to the beach and around town some, but he's taken it easier than normal this week. The doctor at the urgent care said it would be an 8-12 week recovery so he's trying to rest, elevate, compress and ice as much as possible so he's almost back to normal by my due date!

I'm at 30 weeks now, which means we're only 10 weeks away (maybe less?!) from having a baby! It's getting more real, exciting and terrifying every day! My parents graciously gave us a crib and mattress for the baby's room so we're feeling a little more ready to bring this little man home.

There is still no definitely plan as to where and when I'll deliver. We have another fetal echo with the pediatric cardiologist in the Springs on Monday, so we're hoping that the doctors will be able to come to a conclusion of what would be best after that appointment. Please keep us in your prayers on Monday that things would continue to be looking good and that we'll be confident in whatever the docs decide.

We are so grateful for all of the family and friends (and family of friends and friends of family) who have shown their support so far and given us encouragement through kind words, thoughts and prayers. In a time of such uncertainty, we are certain that God will be faithful through everything and that we will not be in this alone. Thanks for your love and support!

Denver Appointments

So as Gary said, we had a few appointments in Denver on Friday afternoon. We got up there early and had plenty of time to park and find our way where we needed to go. We met an OB at University Hosiptal and a pediatric cardiolgoist for a fetal echocardiagram at Denver Children's Hopsital. The two doctors as well as the nurses at both offices were great. Both of the doctors were straightforward and knowledgeable, but also specifically made efforts to address the emotional side of what we're in the midst of. They reiterated that there is nothing we could have done to cause or prevent this heart defect and talked some about the things that we will need to be prepared to face together as we go through this process.

Between the two appointments, we had a few major "takeaways". One- the heart valve that dictates whether or not the baby needs that 1st surgery is looking good right now. Blood is flowing through it, but it doesn't look like too much. If there is too much or too little blood flowing through that valve at birth, then surgery will be required within the first 7-10 days. However, if this valve continues to remain a good size, there is a possibility that he could skip the first surgery altogether. This would be a wonderful thing to give him time to grow and get stronger before the 2nd surgery which now sounds like it would be around 4-6 months.

Two- If it is pretty certain the baby indeed will not need surgery then I may not have to go up to Denver to deliver; I could instead deliver at the hospital less than 10 minutes from our house as originally planned. This is still a very tentative thought, and the whole team of doctors will collaborate to make this decision as they continue to monitor the baby's heart. The possibility of delivering close to home is wonderful, but also a little bit frustrating, since now I'm not even sure which city I'll be in. Of course, being wherever Baby W can get the care he needs when he's born is the MOST important thing. All the same, I'm a planner, and having a set course of action helps me prepare, but I guess I need to get used to a lot of changing plans!

Three - if I do end up going to Denver for delivery and surgery for the baby, then they would want me to be up there staying close by the hospital at about 36-37 weeks. This came as a little bit of a surprise to Gary and I, because we hadn't anticipated I'd have to be up there that early. I could likely get hooked up with the Ronald McDonald house or something, but just the idea of being away from home for that much longer just throws me off. However, if it means that the baby can be in as controlled of a setting as possible with the care he needs close by, then I'll do whatever I need to!

So overall, the day was filled with some GREAT news that the baby might not have to go into surgery right away and some unexpected news that if I might have to get up to Denver a lot earlier than we thought (if I end up there). Overall, we feel great about the team of doctors that we have in both cities and the care that will be provided no matter where we end up.

After a long afternoon of appointments, we enjoyed a nice dinner at D Bar in Denver. It's just a delightful restaurant I've been to several times that Gary hasn't been to so I wanted us to go together. We enjoyed some tasty food and had a good chance to process some of what we heard. (There was a lot, believe me, this is the cliffs notes version.) Now we just wait for more fetal echos in several weeks and hopefully the doctors will be able to make the call about where they want me and when!

Allison

Appointment in Denver Today

Today we have an appointment(s) in Denver.  Please be praying that this goes well and that we can be put at ease through a strong relationship with the doctors we meet today.  Allison will be posting later today (likely) the synopsis of the visit. 

GW