Thanks to all of you who have checked in and continued your thoughts and prayers for baby Theo.  And a big thanks to my amazing mother-in-law, Annette, for joining us on our trip to Boston at the end of December.  It was reassuring, as a nurse, to hear your positive feedback on the hospital and staff, and your comic relief during the lactation consultation will never get old!  We are both grateful to have you with us on our journey.

Our appointments with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital were very eventful, and Brian and I left feeling comfortable, prepared and hopeful.  I met with Brigham and Women’s first and they are ready for our arrival on March 20th.  During the appointment with Brigham and Women’s, I was told that I would be induced at approximately 39 weeks, which would fall around March 30th.

After leaving Brigham and Women’s, we met with a lactation consultant at Boston Children’s. The goal will be to give Theo as much skin-to-skin contact and breast milk before he goes in for his first procedure at about a week old.  We can’t wait for the opportunity to hold Theo and we’re hopeful that the first week goes smoothly.

We were then given a tour of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.  I was surprised with the ease that we felt while the nurse took us around the CICU.  The images we had of Theo in an incubator following his first procedure were far from what we’ll experience.  The babies in the CICU were so peaceful in their own small hospital beds and private rooms, and the nurses were in the middle of replacing their “Merry Christmas” balloons with “Happy New Year” balloons.  The nurse told us that Brian and I will have access to the CICU 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and visitors will be welcome two at a time.

After our tour of the CICU, we had a follow-up fetal echocardiogram, and as always, the doctors did a wonderful job explaining the results.  At a previous appointment, the doctors thought that Theo’s heart had two ventricles that were inverted and missing the wall that separated them; however, we were informed after our most recent echo that there is only one large ventricle with a second “collection chamber” that will not function as a ventricle.  This eliminates the possibility of doing the biventricular procedure that would result in two working ventricles, but it makes the treatment plan much simpler and the surgical procedures much more routine.

We are still uncertain whether Theo will have a stent or shunt put in place during his first procedure.  Our fingers are crossed that the less invasive stent can be used, but we won’t know which option is best until after birth.  In the meantime, we remain hopeful.  We will continue seeing the OB here in Rochester every two weeks, and Theo seems to be doing just fine.  He is very, very active!  And we have been active as well — this whole “nesting” thing is in full force.  We are getting ready for our little warrior!

Mantra for 2019:  “Trust the Path”