Third Echo in Boston

We just got home from our third visit to Children's Hospital in Boston. We are happy to report more good news! Dr. Levine deemed the thickening of Annie's heart to now be 'virtually insignificant' and said that her heart function continues to look perfect. Once again (it's really a running joke at this point) Annie was not in the best position for Dr. Levine to get a good look at her heart, but she was able to see enough to feel comfortable in telling us how encouraged she is. (And when she made a comment about Annie not being in the best position, she was rewarded with not one but two STRONG kicks right where the echo tool was located on my belly.) In fact ... she doesn't feel the need to see us again before Annie is born! That has to be a good sign, right?!?

On a side note ... for most of the echo, Annie's heart rate was much slower than we have ever seen it before. It was still within the 'acceptable' range, but definitely on the lower end and much lower than they have ever seen it before. I just heard from my OB's office and they are going to go ahead and bring me in tomorrow to monitor her heart rate for a block of time, just to make sure nothing is going on there.

Now we really have to figure out where to deliver. The cardiologist is comfortable with us delivering here in Manchester. She was careful to point out that if anything does seem the tiniest bit out-of-the-0rdinary when Annie is born, though, they probably won't hesitate to send her immediately to Children's via ambulance. That would mean being separated from her until I was ready to be released from the hospital. Dr. Levine feels like the chance of something like that happening is very minimal, but wants us to be aware of it. So, we have to decide if we want to risk it for the comfort of delivering up here or not. All in all, I'm so glad this is the 'tough' decision we are faced with at this point! I'll take this dilemma over what we were offered two months ago (transplant, etc.) any day.