The Calm Before

With the end of February, we quickly crossed the line from "the baby is coming next month" to "the baby is coming in just a few weeks!" For some reason, this has pushed me (Chris) into the place of realizing just how much still needs to get done before I feel ready -- in other words, I've realized that no matter how much more I plan and prepare, I'm not going to feel ready.

So, for the brief update... Not much has changed. Last week we went up to Kansas City for our final "full team" check-in at Children's Mercy Hospital. After another echocardiogram (and visit with the cardiology team), ultrasound (and visit with the high-risk OB team), and several other consultations -- all interspersed with surprisingly good snacks from a kind nurse during our 6 hour visit -- we had this takeaway: while there is (of course) still a major heart defect (see previous two posts ago for all the details on that), there are no other issues that are likely to impact delivery itself. This means unless something changes, the team will let Mary Erin go full-term and plan on a typical delivery with no special interventions.

One thing we learned that calmed my mind a bit is that the reason they aren't looking at inducing early (like is sometimes done with high-risk pregnancies) is that with a heart issue the team wants the baby to continue to grow as long as possible inside the mom. This is because Mary Erin's heart and lungs are doing the heavy lifting for the baby right now and providing a level of stability and protection that will go away after birth. Essentially, the longer the baby stays inside, the longer the heart has to grow stronger.

The plan, at least for now, is to head up to Kansas City in about two weeks. That will get us there about one week before the due date (the request of the CMH team). There will be more scans (of course) and then we wait. If the kiddo doesn't show up by the due date, then (as Mary Erin says) "eviction notice" -- they will induce. How long we stay in KC after delivery is totally dependent on how things go on lots of fronts, but could be about two weeks.

We are lucky to have the help of my parents who will stay with our other two kids while we are in KC. This will allow us to (cue laugh track) maintain some semblance of normalcy and routine for them.

I Want To Help…

Several folks have asked how they can help during the coming weeks / months. While the big answer is "we're not really sure" there are a few specific ways you can help.

People in Kansas City - We will be staying at the Ronald McDonald House at Children's Mercy for several weeks. They provide lodging, but not food. We are confident that at some point we will grow tired of hospital meals, so if you want to share a meal (or gift card) that would be lovely.

People in Springfield - Meals will be helpful here too, both while my parents are with the kids, and maybe even more once we get back from KC (depending on how involved care for the baby is). We are also looking for a couple people my parents could call if they need help (ie watch the kids for a bit, need local advise, etc).

If you want to get us something - While we are lucky to have a fair bit of stuff left from previous babies, there are a few things we could use. We've created a Target gift registry for those (tap here to see the list). We could also use gift cards to Target or Costco for baby supplies in the coming months.

Everyone - Our biggest need, however, is your prayers. This is a very exciting, but very overwhelming time in our lives. Our family dynamic is about to change in ways that we can't really predict, and although we are confident there will be lots of joy, there is also going to be lots of stress.

Please keep checking in with us, asking how we are doing, asking how you can help. Please also know that if we don't respond right away it isn't because we don't care, it's probably because we haven't slept in...a long time...and we are just trying to make it to the next day.

We truly are blessed to have such amazing friends and family. Thanks for being here for us in the midst of it.