The omphalocele is still there, but that is no surprise at all! Gavin's stomach finally snuck into the omphalocele. Not what we wanted to happen, but Dr. Jolley suspected that this would happen at some point. This isn't ideal, but this doesn't change anything for our prognosis. We also met with a neonatologist that had to remind us of all of the potential unknowns. We hadn't had that conversation in a while, so it was a grim reminder of some things that could potentially go awry. But, even he stated that he doesn't think that these scenarios are highly likely for us. That was really the only not great news we got. Ryan and I both like to end with the good news, so that is next. You will find that the good news section is much longer. We like it that way!
Okay, so Gavin has an official scheduled birthdate. 3-11-13. Kind of a cool birthday! I, of course, am not looking forward to waiting longer, but if it is best for him then I will survive. Ryan, on the other hand, is completely excited that this whole ordeal will be kicked off on a Monday because he just feels that starting this on a Monday "makes more sense." His OCD ways get the best of him almost always. Either way we will be showing up there at 6am for the 8am c-section slot.
The ultrasound was so much fun. We got the great news that while Gavin's abdominal cavity is measuring small, which is "normal" for O babies, it is growing at the normal rate. So, it grew the correct amount in 4 weeks. This is better than expected, as we were told to anticipate that the rate of growth for the abdominal cavity would start to slow down over time. They estimate that he is already a little over 4 pounds, which is awesome. We want him to come out at a good healthy size, and Dr. Jolley stated he appears to be a good sized baby. We also got to see him chugging down some amniotic fluid! Good grief, the kid can drink. He will be a legend among legends if he ever gets into a fraternity, but given Ryan's and my lack of coolness, he is probably destined for the debate club. Thank God. While he was drinking away we also saw him sticking his tongue out. From there he proceeded to have Dr. Jolley and one of the UW Fellows laughing endlessly. Gavin appears to be very active and was caught playing the air drums on my placenta. Ryan is famous for his love of the air drums, and will play them on anything (my legs/arms/head included), but I have to say I am not sure that even Ryan has played the air drums on a placenta. Since the window of opportunity for Ryan to achieve this is thankfully past, I think that this is an experience that only Gavin will possess. I have been teasing Ryan about how the DeVries' have strong genes, but I think the joke might be on me. Not only does Gavin have Ryan's air drumming skills and inability to sit still, Gavin also appears to look just like Ryan! The ultrasound tech got a shot of Gavin's face in 3d and I do not think that my genes stand a chance. See for yourself:
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| Ryan (Ryan himself wants me to point out that this is a manly cry) |
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| Gavin |
In terms of pregnancy, everything looks great. I do not show any signs of preterm labor. My fluid levels are normal, I am not retaining any water, my blood pressure looks great, and I am STILL jogging on the treadmill three days a week in addition to three lighter work out days! I do have to say that I think I got genetically lucky. It just seems like I have my Oma's genes and will not be slowed down by pregnancy! We are in the final stages of the nursery completion. I will post some photos when we are done. We are SO grateful to Gavin's future playmates, Jackson St. John and Emmett Winterfeld, for passing down tons of stylish clothing. We have no idea what kind of clothing Gavin will be able to wear and when he will be able to wear them for the first few months, so it has been awesome to not have to purchase a ton of clothing that he may never wear. Plus Jackson and Emmett are some stylish dudes, so Gavin will be ready to flirt with the ladies of the NICU (hopefully he is a little smoother than his dad). Also, I had such a great baby shower on the last Saturday of January. I ate a ton of food, and got to see so many of my friends and family that I have not seen in a while due to my crazy work/school/internship/doctor's appointment schedule. It was a really fun day and a reminder that we have a ton of people supporting us.
Well, from here we continue to monitor Gavin. He is still doing great with his non stress testing, which we will continue weekly. We have one more ultrasound on February 25th, then we won't see him again until he is out in the world! We will continue to hope that he keeps all of this positive progress up, and that he comes out with no other complications. So far, so good.
Until next time!
Carly, Ryan and Gavin
How excited to have the date!! So official! Definitely looks like Ryan....wow. Another well written post, always enjoyable to read. Thanks for keeping us all updated!
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