Trying to keep the glass 1\2 full...

 

We had our rescheduled hospital tour Monday night (10\28.) Knowing what I know now I wish it couldn't have been rescheduled.  The tour is obviously geared for couples whose baby isn't going to be snatched from them immediately after birth and teleported via secret hospital tunnels to the NICU for massive cardiac intervention.

 

The following phrases are what almost brought me to hysterical tears in a room full of 1\2 pregnant complete strangers. (The only thing that kept me composed was the thought of how mortified Bry would be if I actually had a complete and utter meltdown.)

 

• "Skin to skin is the best thing for you and your baby after birth."

 

• "Breastfeeding is ideal so we always attempt to start that within an hour of birth - even with a c-section we try to get baby fed within 90 minutes. "

 

• "You and your baby will stay right in this room for the 2 hours following labor and delivery - you can even participate in the first bath if you feel up to it."

 

• "We do have a nursery for babies, but it's most common, and best for the baby to be by mom during the hospital stay."

 

Baby and Mama Oosting will not enjoy any of the above things that most new parents take for granted.  Sadness.

 

 

I keep trying to tell myself it is such a huge blessing that we know about this baby's heart ahead of time and we don't have to go through what Bennet and Charlie's families did.  Can you imagine the terror of not knowing why your baby is turning blue and crashing in the hours after birth??  Ignorance is not bliss people!!  Knowledge is power!! This is something I repeat to myself on a daily basis. 

 

If I were to list all of the amazing "God" things that have transpired as a result of the TGA (transposition of the great arteries) diagnosis - the list would go on for days.

 

Example:

 

We had our 35-week visit and growth scan on Thursday.  To say I was nervous about the growth scan would be a gross understatement.  We haven't exactly received the best news from ultrasounds so you can understand my apprehension.  As it turns out our ultrasound lady (Rhonda, you were my angel that day!!) has a 22-year old daughter with a heart defect. (Heart moms are a special breed of people I've come to decide, and they band together like Ninja's!!)  She told us everything she was measuring and estimated the weight for us right then and there.  Thanks to my trusty "What To Expect When You're Expecting" phone app I knew the baby should be about 6 pounds. How big did Rhonda say our little nugget was... 5# 14oz!!!!  Doesn't get much closer to 6 pounds than that!!! Praise the Lord!!  Heart was even pounding away at a solid 145.  Dr. Dood said he doesn't need to see me for another 2 weeks, which was music to my ears -- It made me feel so normal!!

 

 

Getting back to that band of Ninja's - I have been taken in by more heart moms than I can almost count!!  Thank you Dana, Nicole, Jodi, Rachel, Jana, Kim and Stacey.  I'm having coffee tonight night with my 7th grade homeroom teacher. She was quick to welcome me to "the mom heart club" and give me so much hope and encouragement.  On a side note - am I allowed after 16 years to call her by her first name or do I have to call her Mrs?

God's timing is so amazing and this example proves it!!  For a couple of weeks I had been hoping one particular heart mom would call the office to schedule a flu shot or a check-up for one of her kids.  No call, but who do I run into in the Spectrum Health parking lot while on my way to visit this handsome new bundle of joy??

Yup, none other than Stacey!!  I was practically speechless but, at the same time, had so much to ask her. She was so gracious with her time - we chatted for well over 30 minutes. (After a 12-hour shift, don't most RN's just want to get home??) Her Ryan doesn't have what our baby has - but the emotions and experience are similar.  What are the odds her shift would be ending and she'd be leaving at the exact moment I was walking into the hospital? 

How great is our God?!?

I could go on and on about how our cup continues to runneth over despite this initially devastating news. 

The lyrics to Laura Story's "Blessings" hit me hard recently...

 

"Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise."

 

 

 

LET THE PRAYERS RISE!!

Smile...

The last time Bry and I had "formal" pictures taken was our wedding. I think it's fair to say the following photo shoot was a tad over due. (If you asked Bry, he would of course disagree!! I think it must be hard-wired into the male DNA to hate pictures. I played the "heart card" and he was putty in my hands!! Love that guy!!)

I was against maternity pictures initially... But after some convincing (thank you Dana) I'm so glad we did them. 

We now have 3 "transposition" families that have entered our lives. (Thank you Lord for the hope they have given us.) All 3 families independently said how important it is to document our journey. They have warned us how hard it will be to take pictures while our babe is hooked to a million machines with tubes coming out of everywhere, but that these kids will have questions someday and it's good to have a visual reference for them. These maternity pictures were my way of getting the ball rolling. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you see the fear in my eyes? Who puts an 8 months pregnant woman on a crate not suited for a bunny? (Love you Lindsee!)

 

 

 

Rejoice always

Pray without ceasing

In everything give thanks

For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

 

 

 

LET THE PRAYERS RISE

 

Shifting Perspective

My husband can thank our baby’s heart defect for the fact that he got to go to Game #3 of the Tiger's Playoffs. Let me explain...

We were scheduled for our hospital tour Monday night - but 48 hours before "go time" Bry got offered a ticket to game #3. (Go Tiger's!!)

My OB said at the first visit (circa April) to schedule the hospital tour soon because they fill up quickly and you don't want to miss out.

Being the person I was then - I immediately called upon leaving the office and scheduled us for Oct 7th at 7pm.

Let it be said the “old me” would have thrown a fit.  I would have said this has been on the calendar for months and proclaimed that this is our first baby and that we NEED the tour!!

Well...

The “new me” says "Go and have a good time.  I'll try and reschedule but, if we can't, I'm sure we won't be the first couple to not take the tour and yet still have a child at Spectrum."  I know husbands that have passed out on that tour so maybe it's not for us (i.e, Bryan) anyway.

(Did I not mention last time I was a changed person?!?  Told you so...)  

Thanks for the outpouring of love, support and prayers over the last week in relation to our precious baby and its heart.   Bryan and I are both overwhelmed and comforted by the amazing community we have around us.

Remember that our baby is not the only one out there that needs prayers.  (Please don't stop praying for our miracle though.)

I have never prayed for more babies than I have in the last couple of weeks.

 

• Pray for the mom whose baby’s definitive health situation will remain unknown until it actually arrives. Give peace.

• Pray for the mom struggling with health issues of her own while trying to carry the baby to full term. Give patience.

• Pray for the mom at heart who struggles with infertility.  Give hope.

• Pray for the mom who lost her baby too soon.  Give comfort.

• Pray for the young mom. Give wisdom.

• And lastly, pray for all my girls having "normal" pregnancies … if there even is such a thing.

 

 

 

Let the prayers arise...

Precious Baby O

What used to matter…

 

I used to think that getting our Christmas tree up before Little Oosting arrived was so important…

 

I used to apply coco butter like it was my job, because I didn’t want stretch marks…

                                                                   

I used to feel that having this baby in the crib from Day 1 was critical to getting our lives back to “normal”…

 

Well….

 

Four weeks ago at Baby Oosting’s 28 week checkup a congenital heart defect was detected. Our world was obviously turned upside down and what used to matter – matters no more!! Within days we learned more about the innerworking’s of the heart than we ever cared to know… and I work for a pediatrician so that tells you something.

Baby O’s heart has a technical diagnosis of “Transposition of the Great Arteries.” You may run to Google, but we were warned against it!! As my pediatrician\employer stated early on – to put it in simple plumbing terms - this baby's hot and cold water valves are mixed up.  We have a babe who’s oxygenated (good) blood will immediately go back to its heart (it should be going out to its precious little body) and whose unoxygenated (poor) blood is going to continually be sent out to its body.

 

It doesn’t take a cardiologist to realize that this is a big problem!  Fortunately for us we serve a BIG GOD and have the faith that He will bring our family through this.

In the last couple of weeks we’ve met… 

 

·         A fetal-maternal medicine ob-gyn (He actually prayed with us the day of the diagnosis! How great is our God?)

·         A pediatric cardiologist

·         A pediatric cardiovascular surgeon

·         2 social workers

·         A neonatologist

·         And a partridge in a pear tree… just kidding – trying to keep the mood somewhat light!!

 

The typically beginning of life for a “transposition” baby includes open heart surgery at 3-5 days of age, followed by a hearty (no pun intended) stay in the NICU\PICU. 

 

Our world has been entered by two small, but feisty hearts that have already gone down this road!! The blessing and encouragement that these families have been to us is priceless. We cling to Bennet and Hudson’s success stories and pray their journey continues to go so smoothly as ours is just beginning!! We had a wonderful sermon 2 weeks ago about how God transforms your story -- even the darkest, most hopeless stories can be redeemed in Christ.

 

Take a peek at these heart breakers...

 

Hudson - 13 months

Bennet - 8 months

We are praying for a complete miracle for this little one – and we rest in the assurance that ‘The Great Physician’ has this baby already in His hands!! 

We welcome your prayers on behalf of our little one - and thank everyone who has reached out to us already these last couple of weeks. We are blessed to have such wonderful friends and family!!

LET THE PRAYERS RISE...

Bry, Kelli & Little O