Wednesday, January 25, 2012

January 25, 2012 (A post from Tiff)

Hi Friends and Fam! 
Just wanted to give an update since we haven’t posted in a while! Today we had another appointment with the neonatologist at Riverside. We were INCREDIBLY thankful to hear that Kenzie’s condition is still stable! YAY! THANK YOU LORD!! After being torn away from his morning workout to come see us, our doc told us that her heart to chest-cavity ratio has remained the same over the last 3 weeks, that she has very little additional fluid built up around her heart, and that she’s still growing strong! She currently weighs 2 pounds 2 ounces which is typical and is still kicking up a storm. The doctor also informed us that the fact that he was able to find her pulmonary arteries (although very small) shows that there’s still hope that some blood might be making its way through them to her lungs. Definitely encouraging news!
On a side note, as the weeks go by and we get closer and closer to her due date (I learned today, Lord willing, that I’ll most likely be induced around April 20), I find that I’m allowing myself to be more hopeful that she’ll be okay. Up to date I had decided not to decorate her room at all, not to have any baby showers, and I hadn’t even bought a single item in anticipation of her. Not that I don’t want to do these things of course, but just as a little protection for myself. Although the risks are still high, I believe the Lord is helping me open up a bit and let go of some of the fear of losing Kenzie. In fact, with a little urging from Ryan, we even bought some adorable little clothes for her yesterday (below). Not the absolute best stuff I’ve seen out there, but the cutest pieces we could find at Kohl’s! ;) They are so precious and I just love looking at them!
 
We are continually humbled by the love and support shown to us by you all with your faithful prayers and encouraging notes and messages. A few sweet things… Just today, my friend gave me a beautiful necklace specially made with the Matthew 17:20 verse that we had posted in our last update. How incredibly sweet!! Also, several of you sent us a link to the song “All of Me” by Matt Hammitt from the band Sanctus Real. He wrote this song after his son was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. I absolutely love it and I think Kenzie likes it too because she kicks a lot every time I play it! J Here’s the link in case anyone is interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARIe3PUgu84
Our next BIG appointment is with the cardiothoracic specialist on February 16 when we’ll have another echocardiogram. We’ll post again as the time approaches!  
So do not fear, for I am with you,
Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
-Isaiah 41:10
And no, I do not expect anyone to make me a necklace with this verse on it! ;) Love you all and God Bless!
<3 Tiff

Thursday, January 5, 2012

January 5, 2012

 
 
So we had our appointment(s) yesterday and were EXTREMELY relieved to find out that the fluid around Kenzie's heart has NOT increased at all but has remained the same for now. YAY!!! THANK YOU for all the prayers for that specific request!!! We have no doubt that God heard those prayers and answered them. We want to be sure to give praise to the Lord and thank Him for all the positives as they come. Personally we know we can tend to skip over the good easily and go straight to the bad, but we certainly want to be sure to express our deepest gratitude for His blessings. THANK YOU LORD! Oh, and it wasn't even raining when we left Riverside...nice! :)

As for everything else, she is still growing and developing normally as far as they can tell. She's in the 50th percentile for weight/size which doesn't surprise us coming from two not-super-tall parents. One thing that did concern Ryan and me was the size of her heart. It of course has always been big but it looked as if it had increased a bit more in ratio to her chest cavity. The doc told us a typical heart to chest cavity ratio at this stage is 1 to 3 and hers is 1 to 2...meaning it's taking up just under 50% of the chest. He said this isn't at a super-critical level for now, but it's certainly a concern and something to monitor. If the heart continues to increase, the lungs won't have space to develop (which they cannot tell until she is born) and she will not be able to survive if she can't breathe on her own, let alone pump oxygenated blood. So we'll just keep praying about that one!

The other conditions (Ebstein's Anomaly/Tricuspid Valve disorder & Pulmonary Atresia) are still present and in the same condition as they were last time. Each of these will require open heart surgeries when she's born if they are not miraculously healed by God before then. Another thing to keep praying about!

A few cute little things: We got to see her swallow, cuddle up with her hands, kick up a storm (she's not a big fan of them poking around in there), and yes, we even got to see her pee. She's a stinker...must be her father's child. ;)

Wanted to share a verse that has encouraged Ryan and I over the last few weeks. Matthew 17:20 says "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." I think John MacArthur puts it best in his Matthew commentary when he says "Small faith can accomplish great things only if, like a mustard seed, it grows into something greater than it was. Only when small faith grows into great faith can it move a mountain."  We pray that throughout all this, regardless of the outcome, our faith would grow into something greater! Love you all!

~Tiff and Ryan