Waiting Game

I've been back at work for almost 2 weeks now and in some respects, it's nice to get back into the "normal" swing of things but on the other hand, little tasks like grabbing lunch a few buildings over require quite a bit more physical effort.  I've managed to make it through the 3500+ emails waiting in my inbox and now can begin to prepare for the next outage!  Working definitely zaps my energy but generally am still feeling alright, hoping to make it another 3-5 weeks.

One thing that I've noticed is that I'm a lot more aware of similar stories out there or references to Spina Bifida in other areas.  In particular, it seems that there are starting to be quite a few more news articles with a spot light on the in utero surgery option that I underwent ~7 weeks ago.  Here are a couple links that I've read:

* http://www.wisn.com/news/baby-still-in-womb-undergoes-groundbreaking-procedure-at-childrens-hospital/29470172
** This one showcases the first surgery at the hospital where I had mine performed.
* http://kstp.com/article/stories/S3749222.shtml
* http://www.today.com/health/parents-baby-spina-bifida-place-hopes-fetal-surgery-2D80577191?cid=sm_fbn

It also looks like PBS is doing a mini-series titled "Twice Born" featuring the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, one of the pioneers for fetal surgery.  One of the stories being told is about a couple expecting a baby diagnosed with SB.
* http://www.pbs.org/program/twice-born/

My next OB appointment is on Thursday so I'm sure I'll post another update later this week.

Recovery time has come to an end

We are all still here, just been maintaining status quo with books, TV, and kiddo snuggles.  Today I had my regular checkup for an ultrasound and OB visit.  Things are progressing just as we would like so that's great news!  Baby boy is estimated to be up to 3 lbs 5 oz (which surprisingly is only in the 38 percentile and not at all on par with my other chunky boys :)) and appears to have a head full of hair.  Ventricles are up slightly (to 12 mm)  but still within the mild range and not concerning to the doctor.  Amniotic fluid level is around 14 so also remaining constant and the uterus wall hasn't thinned at all.  When trying to check out his spine, this stinker had his hands on his back, obstructing a good view of that area yet again.  That did mean that we got a nice profile shot of him and it is very likely that he will join his brothers in having his daddy's cute nose!  We will begin discussing delivery timelines in 3 weeks when I will be 33 weeks and, based on ultrasounds and non-stress tests to see how baby does at some basics like breathing/moving, it'll be between 35 and 37 weeks.  The other piece of good (although some may not agree with that label) news is that I got cleared to go back to work tomorrow.  This means that I'll hopefully get up to 7 weeks in before this guy joins us!

I'm still here....

I know it's been a little while since an update but there hasn't been much happening except the normal "Mommy, this" and "Mommy, that"!  I've spent the week, trying to take it easy but also soak up some time with the boys.  It won't be too long before we add another one to the mix :)

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday.  Baby's ventricles have decreased some in size (normal is 10 mm or less and we're seeing 10.5 mm) and the OB actually commented that in other situations, they wouldn't even be concerned about them.  Baby's brain has also lost the "banana" shape and is returning to a somewhat normal shape/position.  Amniotic fluid levels remain good which is great and we even saw them go up a little since Milwaukee.  He's gained ~4 ounces since last week and is estimated to be 2 lbs 9 oz now.  This boy has been a stinker since the surgery and has his butt up flush with the uterus wall so we haven't been able to get a good look at his closure (they try using 3D ultrasound) but since we're seeing positive indications, there are no worries.  From my aspect, the c-section incision has healed, no infection and am generally recovered.  If I spend too much time on my feet, I notice some soreness appear but is easily cured by some couch time :) I'll most likely go back to work after my next appt in 2 weeks.  That puts me at ~5 weeks off and hopefully have 6 or 7 weeks of work before this guy arrives.

Home Sweet Home

It's been a long 2 weeks but the time has finally come where I was homeward bound!  I had an OB appointment this morning and based on all the progress (and lack of issues) I got cleared to leave the Milwaukee area and resume care within the Madison area.  Got some good news regarding results of the surgery too!  One of the side effects of the open neural tube defect is what they call hind-brain herniation (essentially the brain gets pulled down towards the brain stem area) and is the cause of  the fluid swelling in the brain and the need for shunts.  During the ultrasound, we were able to see that we're already starting to see the reversal of this and the baby's cerebellum has already come back up close to its normal position.  This is super promising in regards to the need (or lack there of) for the shunt post-birth.  We also got an update on baby's estimated weight - he's now around 2 lbs 5 oz.  That's right, this little porker has gained close to a pound in the last 2 weeks!  They did some 3D shots as well and you can totally see chipmunk cheeks :)

Josh and Jaeger picked me up from the RMH and we were home by noon, almost 2 weeks exactly from when Josh and I left for the pre-op appointments.  I managed to get in a quick nap in before Jaxon got home from school.  Needless to say, all 4 of us are pretty stoked to have Mommy home!  I've got about another 4 weeks of leave before I return to work.  Hopefully this baby will cooperate and make it to 37 weeks.  Here's hoping for an uneventful upcoming 10 weeks.

Status Quo

Nothing new to report so I'll just post a picture that was the highlight of my weekend :)

Progress

Time for a quick update from the land of naps, books and horrible daytime TV.  I had a OB visit yesterday with the primary task to get a ultrasound of how baby boy#3 is doing.  Good news all around: amniotic fluid level has remained constant, baby is active, including his little leggies, solid heartbeat (it was in the low 150s) and general organs look good.  They could also see the uterus incision area (looks a little bit like a baby spine).  I go back for my next check up on Wednesday and provided all continues to look good, I get to go home!!  We are all looking forward to that day!

Tomorrow Josh is bringing the boys to spend the day!  Can't wait to give them hugs and smooches!!

Settled in

Yesterday was a busy day - there was a quick ultrasound to confirm fluid and baby were in a good spot, then we got discharged from the hospital, picked up some prescriptions and moved over to the Ronald McDonald house.  They have things setup here pretty well - our room has a queen bed, a chair that pulls out to a twin, a TV, a mini fridge and our own bathroom.  Very similar to a hotel room in some sorts.  The kitchen is down the hall and has quite a few fridges and pantries - each room gets their own space in each area.

For those of you who know my husband well, you can just picture how stir-crazy he was going and so I sent him home today and had my mom come stay for the afternoon/night.  This way the boys also got to spend some time with daddy which I'm sure they loved!  The next few days will be uneventful - if I were to post an update, it would probably go "I read 1.5 books today and watched 3 movies".  So rather than bore you with that, I expect that my next update will be on Thursday after we have our next ultrasound/check with the OB.  Until then, baby boy#3 and I will just be hanging out!