A Much Needed Update

so i actually feel like i have real information about the baby for the first time in three weeks so i figured i would post it.

the baby still has an irregular heart beat but everything else seems to be developing fine. since it isn't affecting anything physically the doctors think that she will probably grow out of it but they recommend she have at least one EKG after delivery to be sure.

The part of the brain the doctors were originally concerned about (the cerebellum) looks fine after the MRI. that means the baby doesn't have Dandy Walker like we were told originally. they did find however that the baby's left ventricle in the brain is enlarged. this could be nothing but if the swelling continues they might need to drain it. we wont know about that part until they do the follow up MRI on the baby after delivery. apparently she moved too much in the first one and after she is born they can sedate her so they can get a clear picture. i am not thrilled about knocking my baby out when she is that little but if it helps them treat her then i will just have to deal.

overall i am really sick of having people look at my baby. it seems like the more they looked at her the more they found "might" be wrong with her. i am really glad that the serious stuff seems to be working itself out. it is weird. if someone told me a month ago i would be excited about brain swelling i would have told them they were crazy but it doesn't seem like such a big deal now. one of the doctors consulting on my case actually has the same thing.

i have been a little nervous because a pediatrician i have never met was getting to decide whether or not i could deliver in Winston or Lenoir. we finally got all my records back to my midwife and she sent them to the pediatrician who said he thought everything looks fine to deliver in Lenoir. so in the end it looks like i can deliver with my midwife in Lenoir. YAY! also they might be able to do the MRI on the baby in Lenoir after delivery which would be great. that way i wont have to drive to Winston with a newborn and while i still feel like crap and josh is working two jobs. another thing was that i had to get in touch with the pediatrician i chose up here and tell him about the baby and see if he was OK still treating her. i talked to him today and he said everything was fine so i am glad i didn't have to find a pediatrician in Winston. i really love this pediatrician so am extra excited about this.

i tell you, if they were trying to stress me into labor they did a really really good job. i finally feel like i can breath a little bit though. i do still have three doctor appointments next Thursday but they are mostly follow ups and treatment plan stuff so that is not so bad.

for those of you who are bored and/or overloaded with all this information here is a little reward. since i have had to get like 20 ultrasounds i have gotten some cute 3D/4D pictures. the Dr even managed to get her smiling a little bit in one. her hand is up in the first one and she is face down in the second one so we could only get the side of her face but it is still pretty cool.