Our nextdoor neighbors have a pool and when I came home from my night working in the library at the church Jake was splashing around and having a blast. The things Daddy's will resort to when they are watching the kids . . . Holly (in step with her typical baby sitting role) got put on "motor" duty pushing Jake around the pool, and Jake loved their toys so much he wanted to hold all of them at once. :)
We met with Dr.Rice this Wednesday for our last fetal echo before delivery. I've made a Care Page for all future updates on our baby's condition, that way this is more of a "fun" blog and anyone that wants to know details about our baby and his appointments/surgeries can check that site. You have to create an account to visit his page, but then you can choose to have it automatically email you whenever we update it with new information. If you have any questions on how Care Pages work, feel free to post a comment here or email me directly.
The link to our carepage is: Baby Stecker Care Page
Here's a description of Care Pages from their website: "CarePages are free, easy to use Web pages that help family and friends communicate when a loved one is receiving care. As a CarePage member, you have the opportunity to be there for a family like never before. Rather than wondering or worrying, you will be informed when updates are posted to the site, and you can read and leave messages for the family on the message board anytime."
We are scheduled to visit Doernbecher's on July 11th for a non-stress test, ultrasound to measure growth, and a meeting with the doctor who will be there during delivery. Hopefully we will have an induction date by the time we leave!
After eating it, rolling in it, and throwing it on people, Julie finally figured out sand is fun to play with too!
The day started off sunny but by the time we took this picture at the end, you could hardly see ten feet in front of you. The people next to us were playing Marco-Polo on the beach!
I found a picture of the newly returned missionary. Hi Brian!
Our self-appointed official guardian against seagulls wore herself out!
I had to sneak in one more picture of Jeremy with curly hair. He keeps threatening to buzz it all off with this summer heat we've been having. Personally, I like the curls, but maybe that's just me.Our dear Uncle Brian came home last Thursday from his mission in Cleveland, Ohio!! I actually remembered to bring my camera this time, but none of my pictures turned out (stupid airport lighting). :( Hopefully I can steal some pictures from my family to post up here. Needless to say Jake was ecstatic to see his "best buddy" again and Julie was all smiles meeting her long lost uncle for the very first time.
Thanks for serving a mission Uncle Brian. You set a great example for Jacob who wants to leave on a mission right now if he could! We missed you but know you were doing the Lord's work and our family was blessed because of your service.
Brian was a little disappointed that we didn't have more world events to fill him in on that happened while he was gone the last two years. If you guys have any suggestions, let us know so we can fill him in! :)
Two other ladies in my ward are expecting little boys this summer - Gwen is due with her second boy a month before me in July, and Sara is due with kiddo #4 at the end of August. Technically we have all had boys before and shouldn't fall under the baby shower category but thanks to Anna, April, Lizzie and everyone else, all three of us ladies got a triple baby shower together! It was so fun talking with everyone and eating all the yummy food. The get-to-know-you game was a little embarrassing for me personally, but the ladies seemed to get a kick out of it! ;)
Pictures of everyone at the party would be much more entertaining, but sadly I forgot my camera. So, I'm settling for a "loot" picture and one showing off the diaper cakes that both April and Sara made us (Jake got to Sara's before I could put it up high and my pathetic recreation doesn't do her justice). Thanks again everyone, it was a blast! :)
Jeremy heads to New Orleans tonight and will be gone all week so I thought I'd share some of our special Daddy pictures. Hurry back Daddy!
This last Tuesday (6/3), the cardiologist from OHSU traveled down to Eugene and gave us our latest echo. Right away she noticed a small amount of blood flow on the left side of our son's heart. When I heard this news, my hopes shot through the roof. Previously the doctors told us his heart wasn't growing due to lack of blood flow on that left side, and we've been praying for blood flow ever since.
Well . . . apparently blood flow can be a bad thing in our situation, if you can believe that! If both valves on the left side are completely closed off, that's "ok." If both valves are slightly open, that's "ok" too. But, if one is open and one is completely closed off then it can either signify or create (sorry I can't remember which) blockages in other coronary arteries. At our last echo our baby had both slightly open but since then the aortic valve has closed off completely. She said that since it closed at such a late stage that it might me nothing, or it might mean everything.
If he does in fact have blockages in other coronary arteries, he will definitely need a heart transplant because the surgeries would not repair the blocked coronary arteries. Before this news, we have been feeling pretty confident in our decision to stay at Doernbechers for the 3 surgeries, but they don't do heart transplants. In fact, Oregon does not have a pediatric heart transplant facility at all so if we end up needing a heart transplant then we would be shipped off to Loma Linda in California.
Unfortunately, we will not be able to know for sure whether there really are other blockages until he is born and they can do a cardiac catheterization. The cardiologist said that even with a catheterization we might miss blockages that would put him at a higher risk during and after the surgeries.
So, for now we are seriously researching hospitals that deal with pediatric transplants and trying to decide if delivering at Doernbechers is still the best choice. I know the Lord has a plan for our son and our family and pray He will direct us.
