Happy 2nd Birthday Evan!

I can't believe my sweet little "baby" turned two yesterday! It's been said a million times, but they do grow up so fast! (That's why I have had to keep having babies - HA!)

Evan, you are such a joy to parent. You had such a rough beginning, but you were such a trooper through it all. You are full of smiles and are always wanting to help! You like to be by Mommy's side most of the day (which makes Mommy wonder how you will handle Mommy giving her attention to the new baby!). Your favorite play things are balls and anything with wheels, especially motorcyles. You adore your Daddy and big brothers, but I think Mommy ranks at the top. ;-) You do have some stubbornness/orneryness under that sweet exterior, but it is mild, lol.

Happy Birthday - we love you so much!

July 24th - 34 wks

Yesterday was my weekly MFM appointment with ultrasound, as well as a consult with one of the university neonatologists (we will be delivering at UofL Hospital). The baby looked great on ultrasound and his MCA doppler reading was a PSV of 53 with an MoM of 1.08, a little lower than what it has been! The consultation with the neonatologist went well and together with my MFM we came up with a game plan for when to deliver. Because it can get to the point rather quickly at the end of an isoimmunization pregnancy where the baby is safer out than in, it is recommended that the pregnancy not progress to full term so as not to take the risk of the baby becoming sick (anemic) inutero. So with that, we all agreed on doing a repeat amnio at 37 weeks to check for lung maturity, as well as any evidence of anemia (checking for bilirubin in the amniotic fluid), and more than likely deliver the following week around 38 weeks. In the meantime we will definitely continue the weekly MCA doppler ultrasounds as this is a very accurate gauge of how the baby is doing and if he is developing anemia. One other note is that I had my regular biweekly blood work drawn yesterday to check my titer and we got those results this morning. My titer has risen quite significantly in the last two weeks, going from 1:16 to 1:64. This justifies what the neonatologist was saying in that changes can happen more rapidly the later in pregnancy you get. So with this increase in titer we may have to move the amnio/delivery up a little because the MCA doppler results may POSSIBLY start to increase. These weekly ultrasounds are very important and give us the information we need to make the best decision as to when deliver. I will have two more ultrasounds before my amnio that is scheduled for 37 weeks on Aug. 13th. We will anxiously be anticipating what the outcome will be over the next several weeks! We are all optimistic that everything will turn out fine and we will have a happy, healthy baby in the end. Keep praying - we are getting close! :-)

July 17th - 33 wks

Yesterday was 33 wks and today was my weekly MFM appointment. I was anxiously hoping we might have the rest of the amnio results back, meaning we would FINALLY know this baby's blood type and whether he shares Andy's blood type (Duffy positive) or my blood type (Duffy negative). The results were in, and although we were hoping and speculating that the baby would be negative, he is in fact Duffy positive. This was a little bit of a shock and disappointment because it means that he is definitely at risk for being affected by the antibody (meaning an attack on his blood by my blood, causing any varying degree of anemia). However, with all of that being said, there are definitely some positives in our favor. Firstly, the antibody that I have is Duffy, and because it is so rare we have very little statistical information on it - but, with what little info we have, it tends to be one of the less agressive antibodies. Secondly, this is my 1st affected pregnancy, and 1st affected pregnancies tend to be more mildly affected than subsequent pregnancies. Lastly, we have already taken a measurement of the bilirubin in the amniotic fluid and that result was absolutely ZERO, meaning he is not showing any signs of anemia so far, which is great news considering we now know he is at risk! And today's doppler reading on ultrasound was within the normal range giving us a PSV of 59 and an MoM of 1.26. So all of these things keep us optimistic that he will not need any extra medical attention either before or after delivery. We will continue to have to take it one week at a time and see what each week brings us with ultrasound and possibly more amnio results. Again, we are so appreciative of all of your support and prayers and ask you to keep them coming! :-)

Amnio Results Update

Well, it is late, but I was finally able to get some of my results from yesterday's amniocentesis. With my MCA dopplers being a little elevated this week, we wanted to confirm whether or not the baby was showing any indication of being anemic by looking at the levels of bilirubin, if any, in the amniotic fluid. I am ELATED to report that the result of the bilirubin level is 0.000! Yes, that is the actual result as it is a number that is given as a decimal. My doctor was extremely pleased and says that there is a very good chance that this baby shares my blood type (meaning he is Duffy negative like me), which means he should be completely unaffected by the antibody in my blood. If our blood types are compatible then my blood will not attack the baby's. We will not know for sure what the baby's blood type is for another 1-2 weeks, but will continue to monitor by ultrasound to be on the safe side. We are thanking God for this wonderful news tonight! Thank you for your continued support and prayers!!! :-)

July 9th - 32 wks

Yesterday was my weekly MFM appointment. If you remember last week I was a little concerned about the increase in the MoM with a result of 1.38 and was very anxious to see what the readings were for this week. Both the ultrasound technician and the doctor took several readings and got varying results. Some of the numbers were more normal and some were on the higher side. The lowest MoM reading we got was 1.29 and the highest was 1.52. A result of 1.5 or greater is where you start to be concerned that the baby could becoming affected by the antibody. Since there was not a consistent reading of either lower or higher numbers, my doctor decided it would be best if we double-checked those results by perfoming an amniocentesis. We had already discussed doing the amnio at 35 wks to determine baby's blood type and this would just move it ahead a little and give us our information sooner, as well as serve as a secondary method for checking on the baby's anemia status. I was very comfortable with the doctor's suggestion and so our amnio was scheduled for this morning on the labor and delivery floor of the university hospital. The procedure was not painful, and was relatively quick, although I have to admit I was ready for it to be over as soon as possible. I was monitored both before and after the procedure and sent home with no complications, which are rare. I hope that we have at least some of the results from the test by tomorrow and I can share with you how baby is looking. The baby's blood type we expect to take at least a week to get back so we'll have to wait a little longer on that one. My doctor is confident that all will be well with the results and is really doing it to err on the side of caution, which I appreciate. It is so nice that she feels it is necessary to always try and stay one step ahead of any problems. I am well taken care of! Wanted to let you know and I hope to have an update tomorrow. Also, my weekly appointment next week will not be until Thursday instead of Wednesday, where we will continue the MCA dopplers to get an MoM.

4th of July

Happy belated 4th! We spent part of our day at "Day Out with Thomas" at the Kentucky Railway Museum. The kids got to take a train ride and do various other activities while there. I think their favorite part was playing with the train tables that were set up. Here are some pictures - it started out as a rainy day but once it passed it was pleasant.

Train Ride




Train Tables





Thomas Tatoo




The latter part of the day was spent at our local festival, White Mills Days, where we we enjoyed a fireworks show. Hope you had a good day, too!

July 2nd - 31 wks

Yesterday was my weekly MFM appointment with MCA dopplers. Baby is still looking good with an MoM of 1.38 (PSV of 58.71). This number was slightly concerning to me since it is a little higher than it normally is, but my doctor said it is fine since it is still below the critical 1.5 value. I go back again next week and every week after that until delivery. As we get further along in the pregnancy and get a better idea of when this little guy might be born, we can formulate a better plan for delivery, including where to deliver (at the university hospital or my local hospital).