Baby Day is Scheduled

Whew!  Yesterday was intense--we had doctor appointments all day and had lots of questions answered.  We stayed Tuesday night with Stephen's cousin and his wife--they live just a couple miles from the hospital.  We are planning on staying with them once I'm discharged from the hospital while Samuel is still in the NICU.  There have been so many things so far that have shown the Lord's provision for us, and being able to stay with them is one of them.

Our first appointment yesterday was with the perinatologist, Dr. Rinehart.  Everything about Samuel's heart has stayed the same since we first found out about his CHDs, which is the best possible scenario besides miraculous healing.  Dr. Rinehart tells us every visit that Samuel is tolerating the CHDs well, and the sonographers always comment about how much hair he has.  I can't wait to see what our little boy will look like!  He weighs around six and a half pounds right now, so he's on track to weigh about eight pounds at birth.

Next, we met with an RN at the Advanced Maternal and Newborn Institute, which is basically a support program for families with babies who require NICU care.  I preregistered for delivery, and then we toured Labor and Delivery and the NICU with the neonatal coordinator, who was amazing!  She answered all one million questions that we had and was so informative.  During the tour, we met with a neonatologist who is part of the team of NICU doctors that will care for Samuel while he's there.  I was not as overwhelmed as I anticipated, and I'm very thankful for the experience.  There are still many things we won't know about the course of Samuel's care until after his delivery, but it has been so helpful to see where he will be and talk to the doctors and nurses who will care for him.  Medical City has a separate area entirely devoted to babies and children with CHDs.  The doctors are anticipating that as soon as Samuel is stable enough, he will be transferred from the NICU to the CHD unit.  This is great because the nurses and doctors there work specifically with babies with CHDs.  Also, each room in this unit is private, and we will be able to stay with Samuel overnight.  The NICU pods are semi-private, and while parents are able to visit 24/7, they aren't equipped for staying overnight.

Our next appointment was with the cardiologist, Dr. Kao.  We hadn't seen her or had a fetal echocardiogram done in about six weeks, so I had one million questions for her, too.  The echo confirmed that nothing has changed about his heart, and Dr. Kao doesn't anticipate that he will need surgery immediately after birth.  Great news!

Our last appointment was with Dr. Walker, the OB who will deliver Samuel.  SHE IS AMAZING!  I wish she practiced in Tyler.  She is incredibly laid-back and willing to allow many of our special requests.  The remainder of my appointments (only two with each doctor.  HOLY COW) will be with Dr. Rinehart and Dr. Walker.

Cesarean delivery is scheduled for September 22 at 9:30.  I can't believe we're about to meet our little boy!  I'm frantically trying to finish his nursery.  My mom and SIL, Kim, are coming to visit this weekend.  Mama monogrammed his blanket top, and she will bring it with her, so I can finish the blanket soon.  Hopefully, I'll get the last few things done in his room this weekend so I can take some pictures!

Stephen and I are so thankful to be surrounded by family and friends who are so supportive and prayerful.  We are seeing the results these prayers!  Please continue to pray for us as we get ready for his arrival.  Emory's behavior has changed a little lately, and while Harper knows we're having a baby, she doesn't seem as affected yet about it.  Please pray that we will know how to prepare our girls for Samuel's addition to our family, and that the transition to three babies will go smoothly.  Being away from Emory and Harper while we're in Dallas is going to be very hard for me.  Also, pray for the doctors and nurses who will be caring for Samuel and me.