Henry's Surgery

Today was the big day. 

Henry had surgery to remove the patch inside his abdomen

that had been holding his muscles together. 

Here's Henry shortly before surgery, playing with his toys.

The surgery took about an hour and went as well as we could have hoped for.  Dr. Neal Uitvlugt, who had performed Henry's omphalocele repair, also did this surgery.  The one glitch he had was that he wasn't able to close Henry's abdominal muscles, so there remains a hole that may need to be repaired in the future. 

 But all in all, we're grateful for a successful surgery.

Here's Henry about 4 hours into recovery. 

Honestly, it was a tougher recovery than even the nurses expected.  If you know Henry, you know how happy he is, so it was difficult to see him struggle as he did.  The good news, however, is that he was able to come home this evening.  The nurses thought he might do better here, and I think they were right.  It seems since we've been home, he's been more comfortable and has been eating better.  Thanks to everyone for your warm thoughts and kind prayers.  We appreciate them.

From the Top

It strikes me that there might be a few new people following our blog recently, and for those of you who are unfamiliar with our story over the last 6 months, you'll find at the bottom of this post, in small letters, a link that says "Labels: Baby Boy".  You can click on that, and it will  bring up previous posts about Henry.  They'll be in reverse order, because despite my meager efforts, I'm not very computer savvy...so that's the best I can do :)



Oh Henry!

As many of you may know, we now have the pleasure of introducing you to the newest member of our family, our handsome son, Henry Samuel.

Though my C-Section was scheduled for the seventeenth, by about 1:00 a.m. on Thursday morning, my contractions were only two minutes apart, and so we went into the hospital, and I was prepared for an immediate C-Section. Henry was born at 3:47 a.m. - a bountiful 8 lb. 2 oz., 21 inches long. He was taken by the neonatologists to be cleaned and examined and then moved to his room in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). Soon afterwards Joe and I were able to visit with him there, and I tell ya what - He is one handsome little fella!

And now, Joe and I are resting in our room, reflecting on the past 40 hours. What a whirlwind! But I am eager to share with you all the encouraging news we've been getting. We spoke with the neonatologist, whose name is, ironically, Dr. Ben Doctor. He's been doing ultrasounds of Henry's heart, brain and kidneys, and everything is functioning perfectly. We also met with the pediatric surgeon this afternoon as she began the steady process of compressing Henry's omphalocele back into his abdomen, which she does by wrapping it tightly with an ace bandage. She said that in Grand Rapids, they treat about a half dozen babies with omphaloceles each year, but she rarely sees such a case where the baby has no other health concerns. She was incredibly encouraging, saying that while it will likely take 2 to 3 surgeries to repair Henry's omphalocele over the next 6 months or so, the process is extremely manageable and his full recovery is promising. The surgeons will meet again on Monday to assess Henry's condition, but as of now, they're hoping to do the first surgery next week, even as early as Tuesday! Then depending on his recovery, he could be home in a matter of weeks, until he is ready for the second surgery.

As you can imagine, Joe and I are thrilled. There were a lot of unknowns coming into all of this, but it seems like many factors are falling into place to make for the most ideal situation given the circumstances. On a non-medical, more personal note - I just have to brag about our boy. He seems like such a good baby. So content. So peaceful. We love him so much and feel so fortunate to have him in our family. We can't wait for you all to meet him, but in the meantime, we'll continue posting pictures and updates on the blog. Thanks for reading, and thanks especially for praying. We're so grateful for you all.

NST's & OBGYN's & Baby is A-OK

18 days. The countdown continues as we near the scheduled date of Baby's arrival, and I wanted to let everyone know that we're doing well. These last couple weeks, along with my routine OBGYN appointments, I'm having weekly Non-Stress Tests to monitor Baby's activity, heartbeat and my contractions, and today, the Doctor said that Baby seems "happy". And if he's happy, I'm happy - well, as long as he doesn't get too comfortable in there. Ready or not - 18 days - here we come, Little Fella!

Final Ultrasound

Our last look at Baby before the big day!

Baby was once again hiding behind his arms, so we didn't get a great picture of his face. I'm convinced he wants us to be surprised at his arrival. I can't get over his chubby cheeks. I can't wait to kiss them.

As far as the ultrasound goes, nothing new to report. He is growing nicely. In fact, he now weighs 4 lb 13 oz - which was how much Claire weighed when she was born at 35 weeks. I'll be 35 weeks tomorrow, so I attached some pictures of her when she was born to give you an idea of Baby's current size.

Oh, she was so cute! It seems like just yesterday she was born; she's grown so quickly. And now her little brother is already working on catching up with her! Not too fast, Buddy!

Let the Countdown Begin!

Me and Baby at 30 weeks.

It's official -- 55 Days and counting until baby boy Puplis will be born. My C-Section date has been set for May 17th at 11:30, which is later than originally thought, but the doctors (my OBGYN, the pediatric surgeon and the Neonatologist) consulted and agreed it's best for me to be as close to full term as possible. So that puts me at only 3 days before my due date, but baby and I are going to try really hard to make that happen! Nonetheless, I am certainly counting down the days on fingers and toes - I have to use Joe's and Claire's, too, for now. I'm sure many of you can understand, in what seems like the looonnnngggest pregnancy ever, it is nice to have an end in sight.

The Neonatologist

Hello everyone. As I mentioned Friday, I had the opportunity to visit the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital to meet with a Neonatologist, a pediatrician that specializes in caring for sick newborn babies. He was helpful in explaining what life will be like after our baby is born. He made it clear it won't be without challenge. A successful surgery is just the beginning of what is often a long and tedious recovery; however, we're grateful to have the wonderful care we do.

The Pediatric Surgeon

This morning I had another ultrasound to check on Baby's growth and progress, and I tell ya, he is growing more and more handsome each time I see him.

Baby's face.

Look at those chubby cheeks!

Once again, the umbilical cord covered his face, but you can still see his little grin.

Oh, how could you not just fall in love with him?

Baby now weighs 3 lb. 4 oz, which is right about where he should be. The doctor was very positive and glad to report "no surprises" during the ultrasound, which translates as good news.

We then met with the pediatric surgeon at the hospital, which I have been anxiously awaiting. I've been eager to learn more about the surgery and the process that leads up to it. The doctor was incredibly encouraging and very patient as he explained what we can expect. He said that omphaloceles can be quite serious because of other health conditions and physical deformities that typically accompany them; however, the good news for us is the remarkable health of our baby. So at this point, the omphalocele is more of a physical nuisance rather than a serious health concern.

There's much we won't know until the baby is born, but the doctor talked us through three possible scenarios to consider. First, is the best case scenario in which the baby's condition allows him to have the hole repaired surgically about a week after he's born, after everything, including the liver, is gradually placed back in position. This is possible, but not necessarily likely due to the severity of the omphalacele. The second scenario is if there isn't enough muscle to close the hole, they could surgically implant a patch to cover the hole and then sew him up. This would take more time, but still, could hopefully be done within a month of the baby's birth. The third possible scenario is to use a multi-step patch system in which they gradually close up the hole through a series of surgeries. This could take up to a year, but that's the worst case scenario, and hopefully won't be necessary.

Ok, that was a lot of information, so thanks for hanging in there with me. To boil it down, while the process can be trying, we have every reason to believe and hope for a perfectly healthy baby boy post-surgery. The only reminder of this experience for him will be that rather than having a belly button, he'll have a scar running across his abdomen. All in all, a very promising prognosis.

Tomorrow, I will see Dr. Luce, my OBGYN, for my weekly appointment, and then Monday I'll be meeting with the neonatologist at the Children's Hospital, so I'll keep you updated on those visits as well. Thanks again for reading, for praying, and for loving us as you do.

***

...And a Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all. Hope you all enjoyed your big, sugary bowl of Lucky Charms this morning!

A Healthy Heart

This morning's ultrasound with the pediatric cardiologist could not have gone any better. While Baby was not eager to cooperate for pictures, he did great through the heart exam. The doctor was able to get an ideal view of the heart and examined it thoroughly. He studied every nook and cranny, and after extensive observation, was able to give us the news we longed to hear. He reported there was no heart defect! It looks and functions as it should. On top of that, the sonographer saw no sign of the brain cyst that had earlier been detected, and the left hand, which was thought to be slightly deformed, also looked perfectly normal. All around, Baby is growing just as he should be. We don't take good news for granted, so needless to say, we're thrilled! Baby will still need surgery to repair the hole in his abdomen. I didn't meet with the surgeons or neonatologists today; I'll be doing that in another month, so we'll have to wait to hear how they plan to handle that. But for now, we continue to celebrate each victory as an answer to prayer.

The doctor did note that for the safety of the baby, they will need to do a Cesarean delivery. There's just too much risk in damaging the baby's liver with a natural delivery, but at this point, we're fine with that. We'll do whatever is best for the baby.

So without further ado...a few more pictures of baby. As mentioned earlier, he didn't want to cooperate for the pictures. Apparently he was too busy playing with the umbilical cord in front of his face to let us get a good look at him. He's definitely our son!

3D view of Baby playing with the umbilical cord.

Baby's profile with his arm in front of his face.

Baby's face

A short video of Baby

(There's not much to be seen, but still kinda fun!)

Briefly on Baby

Hi everyone! I wanted to offer a brief update on Baby. As of now, there's not much to report, but I will be going in Thursday morning for another ultrasound, along with meetings with the cardiologist, pediatric surgeons and neonatologists. We expect to get much more information as to how Baby is progressing and what is to come after his birth.

I met with Dr. Luce this morning for my regular check-up, which went well. Baby is active and growing. She did mention to me that in their recent board meeting with all the doctors, specialists and geneticists, our baby was presented as a case study for group evaluation. They discussed his condition and how to best repair his omphalocele, which might be more complicated than usual because of its severity. She reassured me, though, that the surgeons are incredibly skilled and that Baby is doing very well. I will, of course, offer an update after our meeting on Thursday. If you could, please pray for us. I am a bit nervous, but also trying to be optomistic. Thank you....and a Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

Chromosome Count

I wanted to share with you all a bit more good news we received last night. The doctor called with the full and final results of the amniocentesis, which showed no abnormalities with baby's chromosomes. This is great news, which leaves us optimistic, though cautiously so. The doctor explained that while it is good for baby's prognosis that the chromosomes are normal, it does leave the doctors without explanation or a "road map" for what to expect with his condition. So we'll just have to continue taking this one step at a time. The next step is another ultrasound on February 17 in which they will take a closer look at baby's anatomy, and a cardiologist will examine his heart.

For the moment, we are just grateful for the news we have received, and we will, of course, continue to pray for God's healing of our son - for his heart and abdomen in particular. Also, as many of you know, it is easy in situations like this to become fearful and anxious. Please pray that Joe and I will continue to feel at peace. A thousand thanks could never express how grateful I am for every prayer said on our behalf!

And now, an instructional sidenote....I included a diagram of what a normal chromosome count looks like. Through this experience I've received a refresher course on the matter, and it's actually quite interesting. Healthy babies have 23 pairs of chromosomes; one chromosome in each pair is from the father, and one is from the mother. Trisomy 13, 18 and 21 are the more serious chromosome abnormalities that doctors ruled out last week. Trisomy 13 and 18 are typically fatal, and Trisomy 21 is more commonly known as Down Syndrome. These all develop in a baby when there is an extra chromosome of that particular number. Other abnormalities, like Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome, develop in a baby when chromosomes are formed improperly. That is what doctors ruled out last night. Interesting huh? Who knew blogs could be both fun and educational!

Baby Steps

Peekaboo! Baby hiding his face behind his right hand.

There you are handsome!

****

As you know, I went in yesterday for some additional testing to check on baby's condition. My mom went with me since Joe had to work. I will tell you now, that tonight we are celebrating, and we have good news to report. However, that wasn't the case 24 hours ago.

The first thing I did yesterday morning was have an ultrasound. It was then that the doctor noticed some things that concerned him. The baby does have a heart defect. At this point we're not sure to what extent it is. I'll be meeting with a cardiologist in about a month to learn more. Also, there are a couple of things, including a cyst on the brain and a pinkie finger that crosses over the ring finger on the left hand, that in and of themselves, might not be a big deal, but the doctor said that they are, along with the baby's severe omphalocele (hole in the abdomen), a definite flag for Trisomy 18, which is a chromosome disorder that would be fatal for our baby. Typically babies with Trisomy 18 live only a matter of hours after birth. This is certainly not the news I was expecting or hoping for. He talked to me about our options, but I knew that as hard as it would be, I would carry and we would love this baby as long as the Lord allowed us to.

After that came a bit of blood work and then the amniocentesis. The amniocentesis went very well. I was expecting the worst, and so it really wasn't so painful. It was over pretty quickly actually. The last stop of the morning was to talk with the genetic counselor, who spoke to us about chromosome disorders and how to prepare for them.

Needless to say, the news from that morning was devastating. I was so sad to think of losing our son. They told us that preliminary results from the amniocentesis would be back in 24 hours, which would let us know if the baby did indeed have Trisomy 18. So today was a long day of waiting, and to be honest, preparing for and expecting the worst. That's why I am so excited, and a bit in shock, as I can report that the test results came back negative for Trisomy 18. So while we wait to find out more on baby's condition and prepare for some challenges ahead of us, we are celebrating tonight. I will have a doctor's appointment Monday morning with my main doctor, and then some meetings with specialists, cardiologists, pediatric surgeons, etc., coming up in the next month or so. But one "Baby Step" at a time...

We praise God for His hand in this. We know there isn't always a happily ever after in life, and so we cling to His promise to be near us through all of life's circumstances. He loves our son far more than we can ever imagine, so we're trying to trust His plan for him. We also want to thank the many, many people who are praying for us. I am blown away by the support we've received so far. I truly believe God hears each prayer said on our son's behalf, so thank you again for that.

Baby News

As we enter a new year, I am realizing how quickly our baby's due date is approaching. Soon enough, we will meet our beautiful new baby, which we eagerly anticipate. Monday, Joe and I went in for our scheduled ultrasound, and while it was wonderful to see our baby, the doctors noticed something that concerned them. Our baby has a condition called an Omphalocele, which basically means there is a hole in the wall of the abdomen in which some of the organs are exposed. This hole could mean one of two things. We are hoping and praying that it is simply an isolated problem that can be repaired surgically once the baby is born. However, there is a chance that there might be chromosomal abnormalities as well. The good news, though, is that typically when there are problems with the chromosomes, other indications would have been detected in the ultrasound, and baby seemed to check out just fine in every other aspect. The brain, heart, spine, hands, feet and facial features are all developing perfectly, which is encouraging for us.

This coming Tuesday, I will be having an amniocentesis done, as well as another ultrasound, to better determine if there are in fact abnormalities with the chromosomes. I will also be meeting a team of high risk pregnancy doctors who will be watching both me and baby closely throughout the duration of the pregnancy. We feel so fortunate to have both the advanced medical help and the caring specialists that have been made available to us. Joe and I remarked at how incredible it is to have doctors and nurses who value our baby's life so dearly. This baby's life has just begun, but it has been filled with so much love and care already. And on that note, onto some exciting news....

Initially, Joe and I had not planned on finding out the gender of the baby. With the news we received, however, and with the many tests and ultrasounds to follow, we both felt it would be better for us to know. We want to pray for this baby specifically and know this baby as well as possible through all of this. So....drum roll please....we are having a little baby boy! We're very excited and now look forward to naming our sweet son. In the meantime, I like Hercules :).

We want to thank each of you for celebrating with us in the good times and for praying with us through the difficult times. We will keep you posted on developments along the way.