The Blog

This blog was set-up to share the latest news and events of our upcoming arrival, and for us to keep our family and friends updated on our baby's birth and the months after. Thanks to my dear friend and cousin, Carly, for setting it up for us and teaching me the ways of blogging. Since we have so many friends and family members to keep updated on our heart baby, we thought this would be the easiest way for them to get the most accurate and recent news during our stays in Seattle at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center.

Before setting up the blog, we had emailed our family and friends the news about our baby girl. Here are a couple of those letters...

1/7/2008
Hi there,
We've talked to some of you since last Tues. but thought I'd give you an update on our baby. Last Tuesday (at 25 weeks) we had our 2nd ultrasound in Moses Lake to follow up on finding clearer pictures of the baby's heart. After a very stressful ultrasound exam, they were unable to get what they wanted and referred us onto Spokane. The radiologist did not make a diagnosis of the findings, but did not rule out a heart abnormality and named the possibility of: hyposplastic heart syndrome or pulmonary artesia. So the last week has been very stressful for us. We were lucky enough to get into Children's Hospital in Seattle tomorrow 1/8/08 for an appointment. They'll be doing a fetal echocardiogram, ultrasound, and we'll meet with a Perinatologist. No more wait until the 15th for Spokane! We're very anxious to get over there, having one of the best facilities in the nation figure out if our little one has a heart defect or if Moses Lake was just "extra precautious" on its' heart findings with our last 2 ultrasounds. We have been hesitant on telling anyone yet because we may get over there and there is nothing to worry about (this is what we're praying for!) Please keep our little one in your thoughts and prayers...as well as Bryan and I. We're trying to prepare for whatever news we may be given tomorrow and we're fortunate that if there is a problem, we have the support of a wonderful family and friends. Thanks for your love and support.
Our Love,
Katie & Bryan

1/9/2008
Dear Friends & family,
To update most of you as well as give some of you our news, Bryan and I had our appointments at Children's Hospital in Seattle yesterday. Our 26 week BABY GIRL's!!!! (still can't believe it, always thought I was destined for boys) diagnosis is a Congenital Heart Defect called Pulmonary Atresia and Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome. Basically this means that the right side of her heart did not form/develop correctly. The parts are there, just small and not functioning correctly. This is a rare CHD (Congenital Heart Defect) and they don't know why it happens, developing sometime in the first 8 weeks of pregnancy when the heart was forming. She is doing very well, right on track everywhere else except her heart. We are confident in "the plan" we have set with Children's and U of W for my delivery in April. I'm due April 14th, but will have her between 38-40 weeks to start the process of her heart surgeries, all over in Seattle. The team of doctors we have met with already are incredible, and we're very confident in what they are going to do for her. Bryan and I are doing fine, we have faith that everything will be ok and confidence in our baby girl that she'll be a fighter through all of this. We know that God is with us and will be there every step of the way. What we need right now are your prayers. Prayers for her and a small miracle to fix her little heart. Our unborn baby has the broken heart but we feel like ours has shattered into a million pieces. Please know that we are thankful for all of your support and we were very strong yesterday, due to all of the love and good wishes we received from you.
Our love,
Katie, Bryan, and baby girl