Jacob had a pretty good weekend when all was said and done. Friday he showed some collapse of his right lung, so they worked hard to open it up and by Sunday morning it looked much better. His left lung had a lot of fluid on it however, so they decided to put a chest tube in to drain the fluid off. They got 60 ccs of fluid initially (2 ounces). If you can imagine that much fluid in a little baby's chest, you know he is breathing much better!
Today he is off of all breathing support, breathing great 100% on his own! The new concern is that he may have chylothorax, which is a fluid that leaks around the lungs and is a somewhat common side effect of cardiac surgery. Hopefully his lymphatic system will seal itself off and he can stay the course and get the chest tube out in the next day or so, but if not, he will have to go to a special formula to help control the output of the chyle and it should be controlled fine by that. If that is the case, he'll be on the formula for 4-6 weeks and then can transition back to fortified breast milk.
Another big change will be that we'll be moving in the next day or so to the progressive care unit where Mom and I will be doing more and more of his care so that we'll be ready for the transition home.
Overall, he is doing well, and moving in the right direction. Hopefully we are over the breathing hurdle now and will get this chest tube out in the next day or two.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013
A Good Day
Today has been a good one for Jacob! We are working on taking him off of all pain meds completely (he is well past his dose due for Methadone). He also had two of his IV lines removed (one in his neck and one in his leg); he now just has one IV line in his arm left!
He had another heart Tachycardia last night (actually two of them), but we were able to get it on the EKG so that the cardiologist could look at it (I about had my own heart attack trying to help and wanting to get it stopped - which it did once they suctioned out his nose - the "jolt" shocks his body back into his normal rate). Based on their assessment, they said it was Atrial Tachycardia, which is not a huge deal and preventable with beta blockers (which he'll start tonight). They shouldn't cause any major side effects, so hopefully that will be a bump we will be past shortly. More than likely they'll need to tweak the dosage, so they'll be keeping an eye on it.
I got to hold Jacob for a while this morning for the first time in a long time, and Angie is holding him as I type this!
At this point, they are still really working on his lungs. He just still has some area of his right lung that is really congested and needs to be cleared up in order for his oxygen to come down and the pressure as well. Just a waiting game really and work on the respiratory team to clear it up.
In the meantime, his big brother Ethan is still having fun at the Ronald McDonald house and Angie's mom Rita is a life saver in helping to keep him entertained while Angie and/or I are at the hospital. Ethan has adjusted well to the house and enjoys the play room, playground, and train set (Thomas!). Getting him to eat is usually a challenge because he wants to go go go!
Hopefully in the next day or so his lungs will continue to clear out so that we can start bottle feeding him! It has definitely been a waiting game.
He had another heart Tachycardia last night (actually two of them), but we were able to get it on the EKG so that the cardiologist could look at it (I about had my own heart attack trying to help and wanting to get it stopped - which it did once they suctioned out his nose - the "jolt" shocks his body back into his normal rate). Based on their assessment, they said it was Atrial Tachycardia, which is not a huge deal and preventable with beta blockers (which he'll start tonight). They shouldn't cause any major side effects, so hopefully that will be a bump we will be past shortly. More than likely they'll need to tweak the dosage, so they'll be keeping an eye on it.
I got to hold Jacob for a while this morning for the first time in a long time, and Angie is holding him as I type this!
At this point, they are still really working on his lungs. He just still has some area of his right lung that is really congested and needs to be cleared up in order for his oxygen to come down and the pressure as well. Just a waiting game really and work on the respiratory team to clear it up.
In the meantime, his big brother Ethan is still having fun at the Ronald McDonald house and Angie's mom Rita is a life saver in helping to keep him entertained while Angie and/or I are at the hospital. Ethan has adjusted well to the house and enjoys the play room, playground, and train set (Thomas!). Getting him to eat is usually a challenge because he wants to go go go!
Hopefully in the next day or so his lungs will continue to clear out so that we can start bottle feeding him! It has definitely been a waiting game.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Progress, slow progress
Tuesday, Jacob was successfully extubated and put on CPAP (think Darth Vader helmet). He didn't like it, but he did like it more than having a tube down his throat! He spent the afternoon and evening on CPAP, then early Wednesday morning, they moved him to high flow (basically your normal in the nose oxygen, just with a steady flow of 30% oxygen at a higher rate). He's did pretty well, but had some withdrawal symptoms yesterday as a result of coming off of the pain meds and sedation drugs.
We got to see a lot of his eyes yesterday (which are for now a deep blue) and he was pretty active. His withdrawal symptoms seem to have gotten better throughout the night and was able to rest last night.
Here is a picture from yesterday with Jacob a little happier and less sedated!
Jacob did have a short period of SVT, which is an elevated heart rate (200+ BPM) that is a somewhat common side effect of the surgery. They have him wired up to a EKG just to keep an eye on it in case it recurs, but his body was able to resolve it itself this morning. It is a bit scary, but we were told of all the arrhythmias to have, this was the least concerning.
His next big hurdle is just getting the volume down on the air so that he can bottle feed (they don't bottle feed at high flow), but he is getting a small amount of momma's milk every 3 hours, so at least he is getting something for his tummy (he also gets nutrients via IV).
Keep him in your thoughts and prayers! Hopefully we will keep taking steps forward over the next few days!
We got to see a lot of his eyes yesterday (which are for now a deep blue) and he was pretty active. His withdrawal symptoms seem to have gotten better throughout the night and was able to rest last night.
Here is a picture from yesterday with Jacob a little happier and less sedated!
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| Happier Baby |
Jacob did have a short period of SVT, which is an elevated heart rate (200+ BPM) that is a somewhat common side effect of the surgery. They have him wired up to a EKG just to keep an eye on it in case it recurs, but his body was able to resolve it itself this morning. It is a bit scary, but we were told of all the arrhythmias to have, this was the least concerning.
His next big hurdle is just getting the volume down on the air so that he can bottle feed (they don't bottle feed at high flow), but he is getting a small amount of momma's milk every 3 hours, so at least he is getting something for his tummy (he also gets nutrients via IV).
Keep him in your thoughts and prayers! Hopefully we will keep taking steps forward over the next few days!
Monday, September 23, 2013
No tube Tuesday?
The weekend was pretty uneventful for our little Jacob. He has been weaned off of just about all but a sedation drug and had a steady weekend. We haven't been able yet to take him off the ventilator yet, he still has had some stuff in his lungs (that we would normally cough up, but he can't with a ventilator) that has kept them from taking it out (we are being extra cautious so we don't have to go through it all again). Otherwise, he is doing awesome. His heart function looks great and everything else is pretty much going as it should. The ventilator is a big hurdle though, and we are definitely hoping that it can come out tomorrow so he can get another step closer to coming home.
Once he comes of the ventilator, he'll go to the NCPAP machine so that he'll still have plenty of help to make sure he is successful. They'll work to wean him off of that so that he can go to oxygen through is nose and then we'll be able to feed him. Each day is a new day, and a step closer to being able to hold him again! Soon enough, he'll be there, we just have to let things go at his pace!
Once he comes of the ventilator, he'll go to the NCPAP machine so that he'll still have plenty of help to make sure he is successful. They'll work to wean him off of that so that he can go to oxygen through is nose and then we'll be able to feed him. Each day is a new day, and a step closer to being able to hold him again! Soon enough, he'll be there, we just have to let things go at his pace!
Friday, September 20, 2013
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Cue the 80's music... The title is appropriate though. Wednesday, they extubated Jacob (took him off the ventilator), took his chest tubes out, and removed his pacer wires and catheter. Needless to say, he had a few less things dangling off of him! After the extubated him, he struggled with his breathing a bit throughout the afternoon and night and was a bit fussy (I would be too). They put him on a NCPAP machine (an anti-apnea machine some adults use, just a lot smaller) to try and help his breathing early this morning, but he was still struggling. After a chest X-ray and some deliberation, the team decided to reintubate him (begrudgingly). It was the right decision as he was just not quite strong enough to breathe on his own yet. His right lung was giving him some issues due to some congestion that caused it to collapse a little bit.
Once back on the ventilator, this morning, his lungs looked great. He is definitely more relaxed breathing now and will hopefully be able to have a couple of days to relax and then will be able to come off the ventilator on Sunday or so. Everything else has been looking very good for Jacob and his heart is working well. We'll be excited to be able to hold him and feed him again and hope it is sooner rather than later!
Once back on the ventilator, this morning, his lungs looked great. He is definitely more relaxed breathing now and will hopefully be able to have a couple of days to relax and then will be able to come off the ventilator on Sunday or so. Everything else has been looking very good for Jacob and his heart is working well. We'll be excited to be able to hold him and feed him again and hope it is sooner rather than later!
Thursday, September 19, 2013
An Exciting Day
Jacob has made a lot of progress from the last update. The first critical 48 hours passed without any real concerns, and he has been steadily progressing. Over the last day, he has been diuresing well (getting excess fluid off of his body) and is getting back to his normal cute size. He has also been opening his eyes a bit from time to time; his eyes are blue from what I can tell, but may change later!
Last night they took out the line going into his belly button and performed a pressure test to see how well he could breathe on his own without the ventilator. He did great! They also removed his dressing from his chest. He will be able to proudly show his scar to the ladies down the road (waaayyy down the road) and make up all kinds of cool stories :).
Today they are now planning on extubating him (removing his ventilator). They will also be removing his chest tubes (which drain excess fluid off of his chest) and pacing wires (which he never needed). A bit later on today, they will be try to feed him by bottle. This is important as it will be key to getting weight back on him and recovering before he can leave the hospital. He still seems to have a strong sucking reflex, so hopefully he'll do well. Needless to say, it is going to be an exciting day!
He started back on feeding through a feeding tube two days ago and has been doing well, digesting his food well. Jacob is definitely growing stronger each day! He thanks everyone for all of his thoughts and prayers, they are obviously being heard!
I'll post some pics up in the next couple days, wish him luck today!
Last night they took out the line going into his belly button and performed a pressure test to see how well he could breathe on his own without the ventilator. He did great! They also removed his dressing from his chest. He will be able to proudly show his scar to the ladies down the road (waaayyy down the road) and make up all kinds of cool stories :).
Today they are now planning on extubating him (removing his ventilator). They will also be removing his chest tubes (which drain excess fluid off of his chest) and pacing wires (which he never needed). A bit later on today, they will be try to feed him by bottle. This is important as it will be key to getting weight back on him and recovering before he can leave the hospital. He still seems to have a strong sucking reflex, so hopefully he'll do well. Needless to say, it is going to be an exciting day!
He started back on feeding through a feeding tube two days ago and has been doing well, digesting his food well. Jacob is definitely growing stronger each day! He thanks everyone for all of his thoughts and prayers, they are obviously being heard!
I'll post some pics up in the next couple days, wish him luck today!
Monday, September 16, 2013
Success!
Jacob went into surgery this morning around 8 AM to be prepped. Surgery began around 9 AM. My mom and my brother David were both here with Angie and I (Angie's parents were taking care of Ethan a few minutes away) in the waiting room getting occasional updates on his progress. Around 2 PM, surgery was finished and Jacob was moved back to his room.
Surgery was a success with no surprises. To put it in the words of one of the surgeons, he was a "textbook" case. So far, so good. I am sitting with him as we speak, and he is stable and recovering slowly. The next 36-48 hours are especially critical and will tell how he will do in his near term recovery, so keep him in your thoughts.
The care here at Levine is awesome. Now that he is out of surgery, he has one nurse on him 24 hours for at least the next couple days (then at some point he'll go back to one nurse for two patients). All of the staff here is extremely knowledgeable and helpful and even after being here 12 hours, they are always upfront, honest, and energetic. It has been a great experience from that standpoint.
I'll save pics for another day, needless to say he has a ton of tubes going in and out of his body at this point (all of which are normal at this point). He is on a ventilator and is still sedated. He will slowly come of his sedation a bit, but will still be mostly sedated until he comes off of the ventilator. He does have pain killers to help deal with any pain he may have as well (pain is indicated by an increased heart rate or blood pressure and irritability).
All of his vitals and many more numbers will be monitored very closely around the clock to ensure he has whatever he needs. I'll post up another update in the next day or so to keep you up to date. Again, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. As always, we appreciate all the support we have received!
Surgery was a success with no surprises. To put it in the words of one of the surgeons, he was a "textbook" case. So far, so good. I am sitting with him as we speak, and he is stable and recovering slowly. The next 36-48 hours are especially critical and will tell how he will do in his near term recovery, so keep him in your thoughts.
The care here at Levine is awesome. Now that he is out of surgery, he has one nurse on him 24 hours for at least the next couple days (then at some point he'll go back to one nurse for two patients). All of the staff here is extremely knowledgeable and helpful and even after being here 12 hours, they are always upfront, honest, and energetic. It has been a great experience from that standpoint.
I'll save pics for another day, needless to say he has a ton of tubes going in and out of his body at this point (all of which are normal at this point). He is on a ventilator and is still sedated. He will slowly come of his sedation a bit, but will still be mostly sedated until he comes off of the ventilator. He does have pain killers to help deal with any pain he may have as well (pain is indicated by an increased heart rate or blood pressure and irritability).
All of his vitals and many more numbers will be monitored very closely around the clock to ensure he has whatever he needs. I'll post up another update in the next day or so to keep you up to date. Again, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. As always, we appreciate all the support we have received!
Sunday, September 15, 2013
The Big Day
Today started out as a pretty normal day for Jacob. He was able to enjoy some sunshine and work on his first baby tan:
Later in the day, he got to spend some more quality time with Mommy and Daddy, as well as meeting his Uncle Dave for the first time. Nana and Pops were there to see him again as well.
In the middle of the day, we found out that Jacob is going in for surgery tomorrow. It was looking like Tuesday, but due to some changes (nothing bad for Jacob), his surgery was pulled ahead. The surgeon spent some time with Angie and I and reviewed many of the statistics for what to expect and walked us through the surgical procedure itself. The procedure, called the Norwood, will take approximately 6 hours or so. Jacob will head down for surgery around 7-7:30 tomorrow morning, with surgery starting around 8:30. This procedure is the riskiest of the 3 surgeries that Jacob will be receiving, so we'll definitely be needing everyone's thoughts and prayers!
We were able to get Jacob baptized this afternoon as well. The hospital even provided a gown for him! He was very cute (as always) dressed up in his gown for the baptism and did well while Mom held him.
Dad (me) got to hold him tonight and feed him for the last time for a little while (he won't be able to feed until at least several days after the surgery). Feeding can be a big issue for these little guys after surgery, so we are grateful to get every feeding that we can so that he'll have the process ingrained in his memory come time to do it again.
It is really tough to see him now, as a seemingly healthy little newborn, knowing that he is going into a major surgery tomorrow. But the reality of it is that without it, he couldn't survive and the sooner he gets it done, the sooner we can take him home!
Please keep Jacob in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow. The first 48 hours after the surgery are critical, so please keep them coming! I'll be sure to post an update soon!
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| Getting a Tan! |
Later in the day, he got to spend some more quality time with Mommy and Daddy, as well as meeting his Uncle Dave for the first time. Nana and Pops were there to see him again as well.
In the middle of the day, we found out that Jacob is going in for surgery tomorrow. It was looking like Tuesday, but due to some changes (nothing bad for Jacob), his surgery was pulled ahead. The surgeon spent some time with Angie and I and reviewed many of the statistics for what to expect and walked us through the surgical procedure itself. The procedure, called the Norwood, will take approximately 6 hours or so. Jacob will head down for surgery around 7-7:30 tomorrow morning, with surgery starting around 8:30. This procedure is the riskiest of the 3 surgeries that Jacob will be receiving, so we'll definitely be needing everyone's thoughts and prayers!
We were able to get Jacob baptized this afternoon as well. The hospital even provided a gown for him! He was very cute (as always) dressed up in his gown for the baptism and did well while Mom held him.
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| Jacob in his Baptism gown |
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| Jacob being baptized |
Dad (me) got to hold him tonight and feed him for the last time for a little while (he won't be able to feed until at least several days after the surgery). Feeding can be a big issue for these little guys after surgery, so we are grateful to get every feeding that we can so that he'll have the process ingrained in his memory come time to do it again.
It is really tough to see him now, as a seemingly healthy little newborn, knowing that he is going into a major surgery tomorrow. But the reality of it is that without it, he couldn't survive and the sooner he gets it done, the sooner we can take him home!
Please keep Jacob in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow. The first 48 hours after the surgery are critical, so please keep them coming! I'll be sure to post an update soon!
Friday, September 13, 2013
Getting Used to the World
Mr Jacob has been doing pretty well all considering thus far. Since his arrival, he spent a couple of days in the NICU where we had the chance to give him his first feeding and change a poopy diaper (no pics of that).
Mommy also got a chance to hold him for the second time while feeding! All the grandparents have gotten a chance to visit at least once, and super-mommy has been discharged as well. His brother was jumping for joy when Mommy came back (that and the fact that he has a little brother!).
Angie is also making plenty of milk for Jacob so he can be big and strong and ready for his surgery. At this point, they are saying surgery will be Monday or probably Tuesday, but we'll know for sure Sunday morning. Yesterday afternoon (when Angie was discharged), Jacob was moved to CVICU (Cardiac ICU) in the Children's Hospital. This is just normal protocol prior to surgery so the nurses and us (the parents) can get acclimated to everything and each other. It is nice b/c Jacob now has his own large room.
One thing I haven't had the chance to mention is that the staff here throughout the hospital have been awesome. There are a lot of knowledgeable, energetic people here and everyone has taken great care of both Angie and Jacob. When Jacob was being delivered, there was something like 8 people in the room (other than Angie and I) and they all worked together well and
We are all getting settled back down in the Ronald McDonald House now that Angie is out of the hospital and sharing our time between Ethan and Jacob (which is quite a challenge).
And of course, Mommy couldn't resist a model shoot today. Jacob played his part well!
Thank you to everyone for your support and prayers, we are doing our best to stay positive and definitely appreciate it all! We will continue to keep you updated. Keep Jacob in your thoughts especially as next week rolls around. We will have some tough times ahead, but with the Lord's help, Jacob will come out on top!
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| First Feeding |
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| Jumping for Joy! |
One thing I haven't had the chance to mention is that the staff here throughout the hospital have been awesome. There are a lot of knowledgeable, energetic people here and everyone has taken great care of both Angie and Jacob. When Jacob was being delivered, there was something like 8 people in the room (other than Angie and I) and they all worked together well and
We are all getting settled back down in the Ronald McDonald House now that Angie is out of the hospital and sharing our time between Ethan and Jacob (which is quite a challenge).
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| Snuggle Bunny |
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| With Mommy |
And of course, Mommy couldn't resist a model shoot today. Jacob played his part well!
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| Little Brother |
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| I am a Miracle! |
Thank you to everyone for your support and prayers, we are doing our best to stay positive and definitely appreciate it all! We will continue to keep you updated. Keep Jacob in your thoughts especially as next week rolls around. We will have some tough times ahead, but with the Lord's help, Jacob will come out on top!
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Welcome to the World
He's here!!! Jacob was born yesterday, September 10th and 9:10 AM (9/10 at 9:10!). He weighed 7 lbs and was 21 3/4 inches long (just a little longer than his brother was). He came into the world quicker than expected: all Angie needed to get going was the "ripening" medication. The contractions got going quickly later that night around 2 AM. Around 7 AM we moved to the delivery room and Angie quickly progressed to being ready to deliver. 5 or 6 pushes later, Jacob was out! He was ready to be in the world and had a great start!
Jacob scored 9 and 9 on his Apgar, so he looked very healthy and strong. Here he is right after birth with his proud parents!
After we had our few minutes of snuggling with Jacob, he made his trip down to the NICU to get stabilized and started on prostaglandin (which is a medication used to keep his ductus open - which allows him to be stable until surgery). They then proceeded to do a cardiac echo. During the echo he stopped breathing due to apnea caused by a side effect of the prostaglandin (they just had to jostle him to keep breathing), so as a precaution, they intubated him (put him on a ventilator) so that he would be able to breathe without worrying of apnea bothering him. So he then got settled in the NICU.
Well, Jacob is a fighter! He did so well once he got settled down, that they took him off the ventilator after a few hours! All of his stats are looking good, his O2 saturation levels importantly are good as well. Hopefully we'll find out something when surgery will happen today. I'll leave you with a picture from last night, after the ventilator was removed!
Jacob scored 9 and 9 on his Apgar, so he looked very healthy and strong. Here he is right after birth with his proud parents!
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| Happy Momma |
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| Proud Daddy |
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| New Addition |
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| Our Little Boy |
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| Happier Boy |
Sunday, September 8, 2013
The Start of the Journey
Well, I won't go into gory details, but it all started about 9 and 1/2 months ago; Jacob Riley Kuhlman was conceived! Somewhere in those first 8 weeks of development, something didn't go quite right in the development of little (and I mean little) Jacob's heart. His aorta, a blood vessel feeding the left side of his heart, or something else wasn't as big as it should be, and as a result, the left side of Jacob's heart didn't grow proportionally to the right side. Jacob has a condition known as HLHS, or Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.
Angie and I found out just before Memorial Day weekend. Needless to say it was a shock like we have never had in our lives to find out first, that we were going to have a little boy, but then second, that this little helpless baby had a major medical condition. All we knew at this point was that there was a serious structural defect with his heart... We'd have to go to a specialist a week or so later to get an exact diagnosis. It was a trying week to say the least, but we made it to the next appointment. Angie's doctors in Rutherfordton were really supportive and caring, but the week still dragged on. Once the appointment day came in Asheville, we went hoping that nothing was wrong, that maybe they were just mistaken. Unfortunately, it was not to be. The specialists confirmed after a couple long hours of scanning the diagnosis we are now very familiar with.
HLHS, if you haven't already read or heard about it, is a fairly rare and severe heart condition that affects about 1 in 5000 kids. In a child with HLHS, the left side of their heart, specifically the left ventricle, is undersized and cannot properly pump blood to the body. If left untreated, the child would not survive past their first 5-20 days of life. Thankfully, over the last 30 years a palliative treatment has been developed that helps to manage this condition and enable children to live fairly normal, healthy lives if all goes well. The treatment consists of 3 surgeries performed at birth, around 6 months, and last 2.5-3 years of age. The goal of the surgeries is to reroute the circulatory system so that the body can be run with only the right side of the heart.
So, we then had to cope, and we coped fairly well all considering. There were good days and bad days, but we've made it through. More appointments, and a plan was made: we are going to deliver in Charlotte, where Jacob will have his first surgery. We are very fortunate that one of the best Pediatric Cardiologist surgeons was right at our back door (Dr. Peeler at Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte). As I write this, we are sitting in the Ronald McDonald House (yet another blessing) anxiously waiting Angie's induction which will begin tomorrow night.
I couldn't begin to describe the emotional roller coaster we've been through. Just having a child is enough of a change to throw most people for a loop, but this is something we would have never expected, something you don't think would ever happen to you. Yet here it is! We are definitely excited to be bringing another little boy into the world and wish to no end that we could just take him home after a couple days. Instead, it will be a longer wait, not quite the beginning we'd like, but nonetheless, we still are planning on bringing home a little boy ready to meet the world!
This blog will be a way for us to keep our friends and family up to date on this journey of ours. In the end, we can't wait for you all to meet our wonderful son!
Here's a preview - Jacob at 36 weeks!
Angie and I found out just before Memorial Day weekend. Needless to say it was a shock like we have never had in our lives to find out first, that we were going to have a little boy, but then second, that this little helpless baby had a major medical condition. All we knew at this point was that there was a serious structural defect with his heart... We'd have to go to a specialist a week or so later to get an exact diagnosis. It was a trying week to say the least, but we made it to the next appointment. Angie's doctors in Rutherfordton were really supportive and caring, but the week still dragged on. Once the appointment day came in Asheville, we went hoping that nothing was wrong, that maybe they were just mistaken. Unfortunately, it was not to be. The specialists confirmed after a couple long hours of scanning the diagnosis we are now very familiar with.
HLHS, if you haven't already read or heard about it, is a fairly rare and severe heart condition that affects about 1 in 5000 kids. In a child with HLHS, the left side of their heart, specifically the left ventricle, is undersized and cannot properly pump blood to the body. If left untreated, the child would not survive past their first 5-20 days of life. Thankfully, over the last 30 years a palliative treatment has been developed that helps to manage this condition and enable children to live fairly normal, healthy lives if all goes well. The treatment consists of 3 surgeries performed at birth, around 6 months, and last 2.5-3 years of age. The goal of the surgeries is to reroute the circulatory system so that the body can be run with only the right side of the heart.
So, we then had to cope, and we coped fairly well all considering. There were good days and bad days, but we've made it through. More appointments, and a plan was made: we are going to deliver in Charlotte, where Jacob will have his first surgery. We are very fortunate that one of the best Pediatric Cardiologist surgeons was right at our back door (Dr. Peeler at Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte). As I write this, we are sitting in the Ronald McDonald House (yet another blessing) anxiously waiting Angie's induction which will begin tomorrow night.
I couldn't begin to describe the emotional roller coaster we've been through. Just having a child is enough of a change to throw most people for a loop, but this is something we would have never expected, something you don't think would ever happen to you. Yet here it is! We are definitely excited to be bringing another little boy into the world and wish to no end that we could just take him home after a couple days. Instead, it will be a longer wait, not quite the beginning we'd like, but nonetheless, we still are planning on bringing home a little boy ready to meet the world!
This blog will be a way for us to keep our friends and family up to date on this journey of ours. In the end, we can't wait for you all to meet our wonderful son!
Here's a preview - Jacob at 36 weeks!
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