30 Weeks Down!

Hey all . . . sorry I didn't post after yesterday's appointment!  We ended up going straight home afterwards and delving into the land of 1st grade homework, making dinner, and putting together Cole's Ninjago Lego set (according to the box, the set is called "The Final Battle."  Which is why I think I have the song "The Final Countdown" stuck in my head right now).

The plan was for Bo, Cole and I to attend the ultrasound together, and then Bo and Cole would stay in the waiting room during the regular ob-gyn appointment. Unfortunately, Bo got tied up in JDR Court, so it was just Cole and I (and Claire, of course) for both appointments.  Before I get into anything else, I just want to stress how proud I was of Cole.  Not that it should come as a surprise to anyone who knows him, but he was extremely well-behaved the entire time.  Once the novelty of the situation wore off, he was perfectly content to play Angry Birds on my phone, and never once asked how much longer it was going to be or when we would get to leave.  

The ultrasound tech was also great, especially with Cole.  She printed out a bunch of pictures of Claire for him to take to show 'n' tell, and even changed the color of the screen so Claire appeared blue, orange, and purple (why the ultrasound machines have this ability in the first place, I have no idea). 

Here are some other Cole highlights:

• Cole was not impressed to learn that Claire is floating in "baby pee."  He was even less impressed to find out that he had done the same thing.  The only thing that made it remotely better was to learn that every baby, including me and the ultrasound tech, started out the same way.
• As always, Claire was very active during the ultrasound.  When the tech pointed it out, Cole said, "Claire is ALWAYS moving.  It's because she really wants the attention."
• The tech told Cole that Claire was going to give him a run for his money.  "Yeah, and I don't even have any money."
• When we walked back into the waiting room between the two appointments, we could hear a baby crying.  Cole smiled and said, "Awww . . . a baby was just born!"  He later said the baby sounded "just like a chicken."

[Side Note:  Cole and I were talking the other day about how we would have to go visit Claire in the NICU after she is born.  I mentioned that we would have to take turns since they only allow 2 people in at a time, so Cole set forth the following schedule: "My mom and I will go see her on Monday, and we will go again on Tuesday.  On Wednesday, my dad and I will visit Claire, and on Thursday, you and I will go." I interrupted him at this point and asked, "So you get to go every day?"  Cole sort of glared at me and responded, "Of course I do, Val.  I am her big brother."  Which is an irrefutable argument.  Accordingly, those of you who are planning on visiting Claire in the NICU will need to make sure you first check with Cole so he can clear a space for you on the schedule. :) ]

As for the appointments themselves, here is a quick rundown of what we learned:

• Claire weighs approximately 3 lbs, 1 ounce, and is in the 64th percentile for growth.  As always this is just an estimate given the omphalocele.
• Claire's "O" still looks like it just contains her liver.  The ultrasound tech is pretty sure that Claire's gallbladder is in her abdomen, but it is still hard to be entirely sure.
• It was, at times, pretty hard to distinguish the omphalocele from the rest of Claire's abdomen.  According to the tech, the "O" is "less impressive" than it was when first diagnosed.  We take this as good news since it means, at the very least, that the "O" is not growing.
• There has been an increase in the amount of amniotic fluid since the last appointment.  The doctor said that this usually occurs with people who have diabetes, but since I am not diabetic, they are not sure what could be causing it.  Erin, the physician's assistant, said that it is not a cause for concern, but because they do not know why it is there, we are going to go ahead and start the fetal non-stress testing (the original plan had been to wait until week 35).  So, starting Friday, I will have to go in two times a week, every week for the remainder of the pregnancy, so they can test Claire's movements to make sure she is not in any distress.
• Again, they want to wait until 39 weeks to schedule the C-section, and the doctor's schedule for that time frame won't be available until mid-April.

So, aside from the increase in amniotic fluid, everything seems to be looking good.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that it will stay this way for the remainder of the pregnancy.

Next appointments are as follows:

• Friday, March 15th - First non-stress test at Sentara Norfolk General (to be repeated every Tuesday and Friday until Claire is born)
• Thursday, March 21st - Consult with CHKD neonatologist and a tour of the NICU
• Monday, March 25th - 2nd consult with CHKD pediatric surgeon (Dr. F)
• Tuesday, March 26th - EVMS ob-gyn appt
• Tuesday, April 2nd - EVMS ultrasound

Finally, thank you for all of the kind words and well wishes that we have received since sharing Claire's story.  Just knowing that people are thinking about and praying for her does wonders to ease our minds.  We are so grateful for the support of our family and friends.  It means the world to us.

Love, 

Val & Bo