Delivery Decision

I feel like a huge weight is off my shoulders! We are going to deliver Annie here in Manchester!!!

I had a growth ultrasound at my regular OB's office on Thursday and saw the doc on Friday. It has been 2 1/2 months since the last ultrasound in this office and wow -- what a difference. We couldn't see any bright spots in Annie's heart at all. Last time, her left ventricle was a complete, bright white circle. Everything else looks good, although she is much smaller than Jamie was at this point. They are estimating that she is about 4 lbs. 15 oz. right now, putting her in the 41st percentile for size. Jamie was never below 85th percentile, I think! If Annie gains the expected 1/2 lb. per week, she will be just under 7 1/2 pounds at birth. We'll see!

In any event, talking to my regular OB was the last hurdle in deciding where to deliver. She has seen the latest report from Boston and contacted the pediatric cardiologists here in town. (They have been receiving copies of the reports from Boston as well.) The cardiologists are willing to come over to Catholic Medical Center to echo Annie the day after she's born! That was the big question -- whether or not we could get a newborn echo done at CMC. With that piece in place, the next big question was about the worst case. IF something were to happen (as the cardiologist said in Boston "if this baby hiccoughs funny, they'll put her in an ambulance and send her here"), would I have to be separated from Annie? The answer is no. Dr. Johnson said she would either discharge me early so I could go to Boston with Annie or she would transfer me down to Brigham & Women's at the same time Annie is transferred. Everyone -- including Dr. Levine in Boston -- just doesn't think that's going to happen, but it's good to know that the worst case scenario does not mean being separated from Annie.

Soooo ... Catholic Medical Center it is! We are on for November 2nd: a mere four weeks, five days from now. The OB was happy to see another ultrasound at her office and ecstatic about how Annie is doing. We'll do one more ultrasound at the end of October, but we would have done these growth ultrasounds anyway because of other issues. Meanwhile, it was a bit of a jolt to be talking about delivery with Dr. Johnson and going over all of the precautions they're going to take to try and keep me from contracting a post-op infection (as I did with Jamie -- and I guess once you're colonized, you're colonized). It felt like a major shifting of the gears to be discussing that instead of heart stuff! Worrying about a little (ha, ha -- I know Mom is rolling her eyes at that one) infection seems silly after all of what we've been through the past few months. But I'll take the shifting of the gears any day, thank you very much!

Posting those Annie photos and closing out this blog is closer than ever .... Thank you to EVERYONE for the comments, inquiries, concern, prayers, and good thoughts. We are so grateful to everyone who has shown interest and concern and checked in on us. We feel very fortunate to have you in our lives. ~ Scott, Ross & Jamison