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