Celebrations

We had a great week with my sisters (the aunts-to-be!) in town. It was wonderful to have them both here. They even got to come with me to a doctor's appointment and see the baby on the ultrasound. All is going well and we will set the date for the Cesarean next week!

On Saturday, Anne Cloud threw me a Motherhood Celebration which was so perfect. I received a bead and a blessing from each of the amazing women that were there (there were a lot of tears!) They also gave me the quilt made by Anne with fabric that friends and family sent in to her from all over. Each square has a story and a special significance and comes from a person that loves us and the baby. Thank you to everyone that contributed to the quilt! It's so beautiful. This picture just doesn't do it justice. I feel loved and blessed!

This is how we roll-By Mitch

Mother's Day in Pueblo, The boys are pretty much the same as always. I don't know why anyone would call the sheriff on us...

The 2.5 of us and our sister Heather at our shower in Pueblo. (mama bump cake by Heather)

Too many great gifts for one blog-here's one hand made blanky from an old family friend

Just a little update...

Well, there is not too much to report from my appointment yesterday. Baby looks good and healthy. The defect is the same, so nothing new to report there. There's a slight concern that my amnio fluid is high so they will check it again in two weeks to see how I am doing. High amnio fluid could mean going into pre-term labor, which of course nobody wants. But all in all it was a "normal" appointment - whatever that means! Here is yet another ultrasound pic. Mitch and I like those little pursed lips sticking out. It's so strange to see a picture of your baby before it is even born!

So, next up: the aunts will be here! Kate & Kristen are coming to visit and I can't wait. The Swann sisters will unite in Colorado which we have never done before. 'I could never love anyone as I love my sisters.'

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, my mother-in-law and my god mother. XOXO

What is an Omphalocele?

Baby Paisley's defect is called an Omphalocele. An omphalocele is a birth defect, which is an abnormality that occurs before birth as a fetus is forming in its mother's uterus. Some of the abdominal organs protrude through an opening in the abdominal muscles in the area of the umbilical cord. A translucent membrane covers the protruding organs. Surgery must be performed after the baby is born to put the organs into the abdomen. In Baby Paisley's case the liver, stomach, and intestines are outside of the abdomen in the translucent "sac."

Here is one good website I found that gives a simple explanation of the defect: http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/uvahealth/peds_hrnewborn/omphaloc.cfm

The great news is that Paisley does not seem to have any other abnormalities that are often associated with an omphalocele.

Finally an update!

Well, it has been quite a while since I have given an update. Since I last wrote the granmothers-to-be both visited and we had a great time. They had fun picking out baby names and took care of us.

We met with the pediatric surgeon that will perform the surgery to correct the Omphalocele. She was very confident that it would be a straight forward surgery if Baby Paisley has no other complications (such as cardiac problems). So far our ultrasounds have indicated that the baby's heart and other organs are doing well. The surgeon won't make too many decisions until she is called in after the baby is born. At that point, they will decide how to proceed. Most likely the surgery will be performed from the first 24 hours to seven days after Paisley is born.

We also met with the neonatologist who is a doctor who works with high risk babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). He has taken care of many babies with this defect and prepared us that our baby could be in the NICU for 4-6 weeks. He gave us a lot of advice about how to deal with having a baby in the NICU for the first weeks of its life. It's still hard to imagine not taking the baby home after a few days at the hospital. We are letting that sink in and praying for peace and acceptance. I have been so thankful for all of these wonderful doctors, specialists, and surgeons. We feel very well taken care of already.