Due Day!

It's official, only 4 more weeks. Isaac is scheduled to come Feb. 22, 2012! It couldn't be any sooner for Lisa. It has been an exciting afternoon for her, finally knowing when and where and how much longer. The countdown has already begun! 

Man! There are so many things that we need to do to get ready and plan  for his arrival. The hardest part is planning and orchestrating the watching of our current kids. Thankfully we are surrounded by Lisa's wonderful family and sisters that have already taken on the big job of babysitting while we have attended our many appointments. Not to mention my angelic mother-in-law who has given countless hours in relief and support already. Linda deserves more recognition and thanks than I could ever give her, so THANKS! 

Nothing new other than the scheduled date, all things look good. All the NSTs have been positive. The nurses have been pleasantly surprised by the readings, especially coming from a little guy with a heart condition. The nurse today called him a "fighter" (finally, somebody agrees with me). We are back in Salt Lake to see Dr. Manuck every Tuesday until Isaac is born. I am just so grateful to have these doctors and nurses sharing their talents and gifts with us. It will be their knowledge and expertise that gives us an opportunity to watch Isaac grow and learn. There isn't many things more special than that!

The Testing Begins

We had our second appointment with Dr. McCandless at Primary's. She informed us that Isaac's pulmonary arteries were growing and his trunk wasn't leaking, both very positive signs. She doesn't want to see us again until Isaac is born. What a relief that was and what a great start to what ended up being a long day.

Following this initial appointment, we were given a tour of the Cardio ICU, where Isaac will spend the first few weeks of his life. It is hard to put into words the emotions this brought up. It essentially became real, it hit me that I would see little Isaac in such a precarious state. How humbling it is to know that this is what he needs and how bad you wish he didn't have to go through it.

We also met with Lisa's new OB at the U, Dr. Manuck. After another ultrasound, they had some concerns about the size of Isaac's abdomen. They ran a few more tests to try and determine why this is the case, but everything they looked at appeared to be good and functioning properly. Dr. Manuck prescribed 2 steroid shots and Non Stress Tests (NST)  twice a week until Isaac is born. Well, we now have date nights twice a week, it could be worse.

Dr. Manuck said that in similar cases to ours, they try and schedule baby's arrival in weeks 37-38. If this holds true, it will be the end of February to the beginning of March when we could expect Isaac to make his appearance.

Big Sister and Big Brother

 Eli- All boy; active, loves balls, trucks, trains, and anything big. Can't contain this little ball of energy. Isaac's future hero and favorite playmate.

Emily- All girl; loving and sweet sister that is so excited to be Isaac's helper. Loves to draw, do art projects, paint, going to preschool, and wants to be a teacher (an art teacher), just like her dad.

Little Isaac

Targeted ultrasound pictures

 November 2011

December 2011

Welcome to our blog. This is our attempt to keep everybody informed of Isaac and his progress. In December 2011, we met with Dr. McCandless at Primary Children's Hospital. We were informed he had a heart defect called Truncus Arteriosis. In short, his two main arteries never separated and remained one big "trunk". He will have to have open-heart surgery within a week of his birth and addition surgeries throughout his life to replace the synthetic artery he will have. Lisa will be delivering at the University Hospital and Isaac will then be taken to the Cardio ICU at Primary's within a couple hours after birth. Isaac is expected to be in the hospital 3-4 weeks until he makes it home with us. Lisa is due March 13th, so it is only a few short weeks until we will have Isaac here with us.

As we learn more and progress to birth and beyond, we will share his experiences, good and bad, with you. We are so thankful for all the thoughts and prayers we have received and for the love that has been shown to us as a family. Heavenly Father has certainly wrapped his arms around us as we begin this unexpected journey.