You GO, Little Oak!

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Today we saw that Ayla's solitary kidney is functioning just right.  It is 95th percentile size-wise for a kiddo with one kidney.  Would you expect anything else from this healthy girl?  You GO, Little Oak!  Of course we know her creator's hand is all over this good news. 

She still has grade 1 hydronephrosis and our follow up appointment is scheduled for June 27th to keep an eye on it until that clears up.

This Week, This Year

It was this week last year that we were twelve weeks pregnant and went in for our first ultrasound.

It was this week last year that our world was rocked; we were told that Ayla probably had Trisomy 13.

It was this week last year that we did not know how our family would adjust to life with a child who, a) may not make it to term.  b) may not make it past one day of life. c) may not make it past her first birthday.  or d) live a life with severe disabilities.

It was this week last year that we prayed harder than we have ever prayed and cried as many tears as we did.

It was this week last year that we heard to, "Be still and know that He is God."

Fast forward to the present.

It is this week this year that we hold our precious and beautiful Ayla Carlene and humbly thank our God who saw us through the tough pregnancy we endured.  We do not want to forget how He saw us through that particular desert and are now living in our Canaan.

It is this week this year that we celebrate Ayla's six month birthday.

A dear friend of Joel's who has known him since he was a teenager gave Ayla this particular shirt (see below).  She did not know the meaning of Ayla's name- oak tree, nor did she know the circumstances under which Ayla's time in utero was filled with devastating news.  (Click here to read the journey we took during pregnancy.)   I chuckled to myself and with Joel when I saw the shirt.  It is so fitting.

It is this week this year that we pray Ayla will live and reflect her name's sake... "An oak of righteousness; a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor."  That some day she may be able to tell her story and her life would be her message.

                

Sorority Girl?

When my mom recovered from giving birth to my siblings and me, her post pardom room was more like a 'group room'.  She explains how six or seven women sat around with their newborn babies and chatted with one another and helped one another with their bundles of joy.  No curtains posed as makeshift walls and they chatted amongst themselves instead of chatting on their cell phones.  They embraced each other and became fast friends who were also a network of support for one another- a sorority of sorts.   (After all, who else will never tire of hearing the nitty-gritty details of another woman's birth story?)   I would have balked at sharing a room with a stranger and was very thankful that I had a private room with Aiden and the bed next to me stayed empty while recovering from Ayla's birth.  Did I miss out?

If my memory serves me correctly, I had 15 friends, family, and coworkers who had babies in 2009, the year Aiden was born.  We exchanged delivery stories, 'how to' books, baby clothes, play dates (sorry, Joel, I had to use that word), prayers, and general moral support.  Little did I know Aiden would help me 'rush a sorority' that had guaranteed acceptance.  I was not in want.

Fast forward to Ayla's birth.  The number of friends who gave birth this year is significantly less.  However, there is a new level to this sorority.  Dear friends of mine have experienced minor and major health scares with their children.  There were even new mommy friends introduced to my life to walk along side me with a poignant purpose.  Some with very similar experiences as Ayla's and some very different.  The common thread:  deep concern for our babies and the need to surrender our children's health to God's care.

As I look back at my mother's experience and mine, it is confirmed:  God provides the right people at the right time with the right support for the right experience.

Though Ayla's one kidney is working with the hydronephrosis improving and her heart murmur is innocent, we still have to be very vigilant with her health.  At 1 1/2 months she was treated for a mild UTI as we caught it early.  Last night, I was at urgent care for four-and-a-half hours while they drew blood, and attempted to collect a urine sample from a newborn- not easy.  Her fever peeked at 101.4 and was lowered with the help of acetaminophen.  She received an injection of antibiotics as the presumption is that she has another UTI.   All the while, Daddy was home with Aiden (who just recovered from pink eye and is currently on antibiotics for a sinus infection).  We follow up with Ayla's doctor today.

Whether you are in this 'sorority' or not, will you please take a moment to pray for our little girl?  Please pray that whatever is causing the reoccurring UTI, that it will be healed.   We know that antibiotics are helpful, but she is only 2 1/2 months old and has taken more antibiotics than one would want.  Thanks for being the right person at the right time with the right support for this experience.

Heart Murmur: Chicken or Dog?

When I was pregnant with Ayla I became exhausted with the number of ultrasound appointments we attended to keep an eye on her kidneys.  Joel and I had to take off work, plan for substitutes, have someone get Aiden to school, yadda yadda yadda...  I began to resent the time we were investing at LPCH (Lucille Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford).

For a quick moment I began to resent the number of appointments I knew we would face while monitoring Ayla's kidneys.  And then there was the heart murmur...  aye-aye-aye!  I can't pinpoint the day or time, but I know I had a major overhaulin' with my attitude.  We have health insurance, we have some of the best doctors and specialists at our fingertips, and my GOODNESS my girl is in good hands.  Would I much rather be snuggling leisurely (without racing the clock for an appointment), crafting, or trying some new recipe for my family?  Sure.  However, that is not in the cards for me or our family right now.  Instead, I look at the times when I sit in the waiting room as moments to thank God for where he has brought her and our family to this day.

Today I had another opportunity to thank her creator in the waiting room of PAMF, Palo Alto.  Once again, Dr. Greene (pediatric cardiologist), listened to Ayla's heart and told us, "There's nothin' wrong with this girl's heart."

This is how he originally described what he heard back in May:
"If you hear something "cluck" on the other side of a door, you can tell it's a chicken.  There's no way it's a dog.  Or if you hear a motorcycle coming up from behind your vehicle you know it's not a big rig.  You know these sounds and you know them well through experiencing the sounds repeatedly."  He used these metaphors to explain how he knows the sound and difference between a heart murmur that is innocent and one that is caused by some type of heart malfunction.  Her murmur is definitely innocent (a chicken) and NOT a murmur caused by malfunction (a dog).  The reason he is having us check on her murmur is to make sure he heard a 'chicken'.  He is sure it is a chicken, but he wants to make SURE he heard a chicken.  He told us if he hears a dog when we see him again that it was a dog all along and he would have misdiagnosed her heart from the get go.  I trust his 45 years of pediatric experience (yes 45!) in diagnosing her with an innocent murmur, yet appreciate his humility in making sure he diagnosed her correctly by monitoring her murmur for some time.  We will see him again in a year.

We left the appointment with Ayla's heart "clucking" and mine overflowing with gratitude and thankfulness for the good news.

Let the Good News Roll

Ayla experienced the third ultrasound of her life today.  The technician was a pro with infants and spoke in babyease which allowed the entire ordeal to go smoothly and quickly.  She was skilled and sweet- perfect for an eight week old.  Her mission: check on the right kidney with hydronephrosis and look for the 'missing' left kidney.

Just an hour after the ultrasound I met with Ayla's doctor to go over the results.  Here are her stats:
She weighs in at a whopping 14.7 pounds (with diaper and clothing) and she is 23" long.  That's my GIRL!  Her right kidney is now at a level i of hydronephrosis (which is an improvement from level ii) and it is growing at a good pace to take over the work for the missing left kidney (which is still missing).  This is great news.

Though Ayla can kiss a boxing, rugby, or football career good-bye, she will be able to live a healthy life with this one working kidney.  We are scheduled to have it checked in six months to ensure that the hydronephrosis is healing and disappearing.  We continue to have faith that God will work his miracles.  Did you know it can take up to 18 months for a kidney to completely atrophy and disappear and hers did it in about 7 weeks?  We saw the unhealthy kidney in utero at 33 weeks gestation... God is amazing.  Her heart murmur follow up appointment is next Tuesday.

Outside of doctor appointments, Ayla loves to be swaddled and sleeps really well in the day from about 8 am - 2:00 in the afternoon.  The afternoon/evening hours are sketchy on sleep and contentment, but each evening seems to get a little better.  Last night I was able to get half the dishes washed before she vocalized her need for Momma to pick her up.  Thankfully she is worn out by 9 or 10:00 pm and sleeps until about 4:00 am.  We just know that accomplishing ANYTHING is off the list for evenings these days.

While Ayla is being bounced, held, rocked, swayed, shushed, fed, (wash, rinse, repeat) her brother is digging in the dirt around our complex with the new shovel, rake, and hoe that Guamie gave him.  He also likes to explore the complex looking for Tangerine (the neighbor's cat).  He also uses his real tools (hammers, screwdrivers, and wrenches) on the wood that Grandpa sanded and stained on which he can pound and nail away.

While holding Ayla, Aiden will crawl into my lap and say, "I want my two babies," which means he wants me to hold him and her at the same time.  He nuzzles in close like a baby and my heart explodes. We are a thankful family with our hands full; we wouldn't have it any other way.

"Big Brother's with you, Sweet Girl."

We are expecting our endorsement check from Sam's Chowder House any day now. ;)

Talk about Baby Blues!

The computer he built

He also gets the guiltar swag goin' on!

"My two babies."

Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner!

At five weeks and five days old, Ayla is revealing herself to us daily.   'Little Miss, Little Miss Can't Be Left Alone' is a little diddy you will find Joel and I singing throughout the day...  We love her dearly and she is proving to flex our parenting muscles in a new way.  I find myself surrendering to a sink full of dirty dishes, 'file piles' growing daily, and watching the summer season from a seated position or a pacing route around our house or  complex while simultaneously bouncing up and down with a bundle of girly loveliness in my arms.

We continue to be relieved with news regarding her health.  The heart murmur that was brought to our attention just after she was born was cleared by a pediatric cardiologist as an innocent heart murmur.  Basically, we can hear the blood in her heart pumping, but there is nothing wrong with the functioning of her heart.  All people have murmurs, we just can't hear them.  Check!

Though they were unable to detect her 'bad kidney' on the two ultrasounds performed she appears to be functioning at a 'normal' level with all of her little plumbing parts.  Ayla has been taking a small dose of keflex (antibiotic) since the day she was born just in case there was reflux happening with her system.  She endured three attempts at a VCUG with the final one being the one clarifying the fact that there is NO REFLUX with her urinary tract.  She no longer has to take the antibiotic and we have a follow up appointment with the pediatric urologist next week.  I anticipate having to go in on a regular basis to monitor her good kidney as she has grade ii hydronephrosis (on a scale of i - v) in that one, but we have faith that things will only get better from here.

In the meantime she is doing a great job of growing.  Our little girl is already almost twelve pounds and never once fit 'newborn' clothing.  Three month clothing is getting tight.  To quote my OB, "You make big babies."  Looking forward to getting ripped while caring for her. ;)

Pregnancy and Tools

Aiden is currently very interested in tools and his Baby Sister.  Most conversations head in either of these directions.  This particular conversation intertwined them both.
With an inquisitive look Aiden pulled his thumb from his mouth and asked, "Her pregnant, Momma?" as he patted Baby Ayla.
"No, Honey.  She's not pregnant, but Momma was pregnant with her."
"Her comed out of you?"
"Yes, Honey.  Ayla came out of Momma."
"Her slide out?"
"Yes, she slid out of Momma and the doctor caught her."
"Her use tools Momma?"
"Yes, the doctor used tools to catch Ayla."
"I say thank you for Baby Sister," as he pointed to her and kissed the top of her head.