So long sweet, crazy summer

So, today is the last day of Summer...tomorrow it is officially Fall. Thinking back on our crazy, insane summer, I realize A) What a bad blogger I am & B)Just how much our lives have changed!
I will very quickly update everyone on what we have been up to since my last post....

Landry Bishop White was born May 19th @ 8:47 (I believe was the EXACT time) he was a very healthy 7lbs 7ounces. As of now all the "heart issues" have resolved themselves, we were cleared by the cardiologist unless the pediatrician feels there is a need for another check up.

Michael got a new job in Illinois...he is the assistant manager at a course in Tinley Park. Unfortunately he had to move up here in April and leave Elliott and I (8 months pregnant) back in Texas. He came up the day before Landry was born and left a week later. We joined him 7 weeks later ( after a ridiculous 2 day, 17 hour drive in a packed car with a yorkie-poo, 7 week old baby and my sister)...needless to say NEVER again will I do that...I will fly (which is how Elliott got up here, with my mom).

We are living about 15 minutes east of Mike's course. The great thing about the whole situation is, we live at one of the course's, in a 3 bedroom house/apartment type place (I don't really now how else to describe it)...rent free and we don't pay electricity or water. Which is great because that makes up for a mediocre salary. The only bad thing about it, is it was probably built in the 70's and it's not exactly an area I would choose to live (a little bit on the sketchy side)...but what can you do?

Mike is enjoying his job for the most part...he works 6 days a week (7 on a bad week)..he's usually gone before we get up and depending on the day (a rare day) he's home before 6 but usually it can be anywhere between 7 and 9 o'clock. Needless to say, we don't see him much, which has been a hard adjustment moving somewhere where you don't know people or your way around. At least I have the babies because I would be BORED...and trust me, they keep be beyond busy!
So now after all of that craziness we may be moving yet again...the final decision will be made Monday. I'm kind of bummed because I feel like I am just starting to get "settled" and meet people. But, you do what you have to do!

The boys are doing good and have adjusted well....I am staying home and taking care of them for now. Which can be crazy with a 2 year old and 4 month old. Trying to get out and meet people...which I HATE because I am probably one of the most dependent people ever (whether it be on friends, family, or my hubby...I hate doing things on my own).

So, there is the past few months of our life in a nutshell....for those who stuck around, I promise the next post will be less boring!!

34 Weeks.....

We have made it to 34 weeks! Thank you, God. We had a few scares with stomach viruses and being in the hospital 2 different times....but here we are!
I went to both doctors this past week. Landry is on track as far as growth and is actually on the larger side of the chart which is surprising since Elliott is ALWAYS towards the bottom. E is actually small for his age so I have been devoting practically every day to stuffing him with food to help him gain some weight...which can be exhausting and frustrating. He's around 25 lbs. He was born at 7lbs 2 oz and lost a couple ounces the first day or so, so not a big baby or toddler! BUT Landry is already around 5 and 1/2 lbs...and at this point babies typically gain around 1/2 a lb a week...so My guess is that he will be larger than E. We will see what happens!
As of now, our plan is this....we have our c-section planned for May 19th. After Landry is born, he will be seen by the Neonatologist as well as the cardiologist from Medical City. They will be doing an echo cardiogram to take a better look at his heart....So please continue to pray that everything turns out to be just fine. He still has a little bit of fluid around his heart....I will have one more appointment with the Perinatologist the first week of May (just to make sure there are no "suprises" on the day of delivery). I am not sure if he will have to stay in the NICU, but I would assume he may have to for a bit, until they have a chance to do a thorough check up. I am really hoping that everything is normal and he will not have to be transfered to another hospital while I stay at Las Colinas.
Mike will be back sometime before or on the 18th. I am glad I have my mom and my sisters help...but its still hard taking care of a (almost) 2 year old "by myself" and being SO very pregnant. He tests me on a daily basis....God is teaching me to have TONS of patience with him right now. I enjoy the fact that he is developing his own personality, likes/dislikes, independence...but we are having a few screaming/ kicking tantrums, which usually revolves around diaper changing. Bedtime is usually a bit of a fight bc of course he wants to watch cartoons in the playroom, eat, go downstairs...ANYTHING other than actually sit in his bed. Mike is really good about getting and keeping him in bed...For me, this is a work in progress...
Mike has finally moved into our new apartment and has started work. He is enjoying it (for the most part) but I know he hates being away from us. Our new apartment will be about 20 mins from the course he will be working at, and is great bc his company pays for it...we just pay cable and internet..we also have a nice sized backyard for the boys. Depending on how everything goes...we will more than likely be moving up there with him about 6 weeks after L is born (around July).
Please continue to pray for our little man and family as we are going and will be going through some very big changes!

Update on baby White:
After a very happy visit with our specialist last week, we are SO relieved to let everyone know that our baby has only a tiny amount of fluid left in his heart. Thank you God and thank you everyone for your continued love and prayers.
I think back on the past couple of months and feel so grateful for this miracle that was given to us. I don't know why, but I do know how lucky we are and think about all those families that aren't.
I still worry, later down the road, this may all point to something after he is born and we may be faced with some new information...but at the same time, our doctor told us that we may never have any type of medical explanation for the cause of this abrupt formation as well as (almost) disappearance of this fluid.
I feel like after 7 months of being pregnant I can finally relax and enjoy the rest of this pregnancy. I don't think I ever let myself go there, or even think about who he might look like, if he would be anything like Elliott or any of the "normal" pregnancy type stuff someone might think about, just because of the fact I didn't feel like I should get my hopes up. Although, I always felt like, regardless of the outcome, this child's life was worth something...his life mattered, and God was using him for something.
I came across this blog the other day, as I read it, I remembered that same feeling driving to the pediatric cardiologist's office when we were told we needed to have our child's heart looked at, because they weren't able to tell us that it was normal and had formed correctly....

What she said was:

“In my darkest moment today, I told our doctor today that I had come to peace with God using Lucy for whatever it was he was trying to accomplish---but I wanted her back when he was done. I know it does not work on my terms like that, but that's the deal I want to make. God, you can use her (although I don't like it or understand it), but I want her-- I need her-- back when you get done.”

Isiah 49:16 says: The Shepherd knows his sheep. He knows each one by name. The Shepherd knows you. He knows your name. And he will never forget it. I have written your name on my hand.

He knows our child and has written his name on His hand, Landry Bishop White.

A little bit of good news....

Today Mike and I went to our Perinatologist appointment, just like we have every week since the beginning of January. We finally received a little bit of good news! The doctor told us that although the fluid around the heart is still present, there seems to be a little bit less than there was last week. Thank you, God! We will continue to see the doctor, but for now it will be every two weeks. He continues to grow, blood flow is good. Please continue to pray for the health of our baby boy.

Phillipians 4:6
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

The results are in....

So, to make a long story very short....it seems we are back at square one.
The good news is that the quad screening looked good and that there was a very tiny chance the baby could have downs syndrome (so, there is no reason to continue testing with an amniocentesis since the chances are very low).....the results for any type of virus, came back negative....as well as the results for anemia.
I asked the doctor what his experience was with this type of case, and basically, his exact words were....I have been teaching at the medical school for many years, I have spoke to many of my colleagues, and no one has seen a case like this.
Well, that's reassuring. Our baby is a medical mystery....we have no idea what to expect. So, I don't know anything....which is frustrating. I have done research on the Internet on this type of case, mostly there are a few medical journal articles that have been published and that's about it.
As of now, I will be following up with the specialist on a weekly basis. He will be keeping an eye on the fluid. As of now, there is not enough fluid there...so we don't have to think about the process of draining it. Which is good, because apparently the lungs have to be moved out of the way to insert a shunt...which could slow the progression of the lung formation.
We continue to hold on to the hope that this will all clear up on it's....Please continue to pray for our family and most of all for our sweet baby boy.

Oh Boy!

Thank you friends and family for the continued prayers and support of our sweet baby. Here is an update.....
We did in fact find out, last Tuesday, that we are having another boy! We were both excited...and a bit shocked. After our routine 20 week sonogram, the doctor told us that, during the sonogram, there was a lot of fluid seen around the heart. They were unable to see the different chambers...and check that everything was the way it was supposed to be.
After 2 VERY long days of waiting, we went to see the perinatologist, who specializes in high risk or complicated pregnancies. After doing yet another anatomy check of our baby, the doctor told us he could not figure out what was going on, or even where all the fluid was coming from....he immediately sent us to the childrens/fetal heart doctor at medical city where the baby had an echocardiogram to look at every chamber, vessel, and the blood flow of his tiny heart.
It's amazing the things they are able to see! The doctor confirmed that everything was there....the blood was flowing in and out of the heart as well as the umbilical cord. What she told us, was that the fluid was more than likely caused by something other than the heart...and that the list of possibilities was quite large.
Today, I went so do some blood work and check the blood flow from the brain...which looked normal, but we wont know the outcome of the blood tests for an ENTIRE week....which will be hard, but there is the comfort in knowing that it is more than likely not a congenital heart defect, and measurements are where they are suppose to be. They are doing a few different tests for viral infections, downs syndrome, and anemia. Obviously if it is downs syndrome, there is nothing that we can do to change that, but from the sound of it, there would more than likely be other factors that would point that direction. If it is anemia, the next step will be a blood transfusion for the baby, which will we done asap. As far as the viral infections...I am not quite sure what the options are there.
Best case scenario, the doctor said, was that this is a very isolated incident and the fluid will clear up on it's own....this is what we are praying and hoping for!