It's still hard to believe that I'm pregnant. Even with this gigantic tummy, it's hard to believe. It was in January of last year that Greg and I had our serious talk about really trying to start a family. In fact, it was on the way out to a race at Primm and when we got there I was so excited to tell my dear cousin Mo that we had decided to be parents and you know what her response was? "I'm pregnant." Now here it is a year later, she's got her adorable Madeline and is getting ready to have a son, too, just two months after I'm due! And my little brother, Bobby, and his wife, Tarra will be welcoming their little girl just a couple weeks before I'm due. And then there's my cousin, Amber, who, along with her husband Russell, just had a little boy. AND there's my step-dad's son, Chris, and his wife, Suzie, who just had a little boy, too! We are experiencing quite the baby boom in our family this year!
I got pregnant just a month after we moved 500 miles from our families, from Southern California to Northern California. Apparently the pine trees and fresh mountain air agree with my girly bits. It has been strange going through such a joyous time so far from our loved ones, but it has given me a lot of alone time to plan for the baby and contemplate just how much our lives are going to change.
Oliver is due in July. We found out just a week ago that he very likely has a birth defect called esophageal atresia and/or tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF). Basically that means he will not be able to swallow properly without surgery. The esophagus does not reach the stomach and there may also be a connection between the esophagus and the trachea which can result in saliva, food, and stomach acid to be breathed into his lungs. A hundred years ago this would have meant a death sentence (by starvation or drowning), but today it can be repaired, thank goodness. It won't be an easy road ahead, but we will get through it. We are learning as much as we can about the condition and what challenges may lie ahead.
I have been very fortunate to have found some moms in our area who have children who have had the condition corrected or who are currently waiting for surgery. A couple of the moms are even in the same hospital as we will be, with the same surgeon! EA/TEF occurs in every 3500-4000 births. There have been five cases at our hospital in the past year. Seems a little high, doesn't it? Unfortunately they don't know what causes the problem and it seems to affect parents across the board from all different ages and backgrounds (although there does seem to be higher incidences in white folks). We still have so much to learn and prepare for. We see the surgeon later this week and hope that we will be able to learn more.
Although the baby seems to be growing just fine in every other way the condition does result in me having a higher level of amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios - normally babies swallow and absorb some, but since Ollie doesn't swallow that's not happening). This can result in preterm labor, but I am hoping so hard that he doesn't come early. I'll be at 30 weeks on Friday and I've read a lot of stories of moms going into labor as early as 32 weeks from polyhydramnios. So, I've been busy getting my hospital bag together and making lists of things to prep for, just in case. It seems surreal to be packing a bag for Oliver when he's not even here yet. So many of the things I've been putting away in his nursery are now being pulled out and packed into bags (he will not get to come home with us for anywhere from weeks to months - the neonatal intensive care unit will be his home for a while).
This past week has been one of the hardest of my life and the scary thing is I know that it will pale in comparison to the experiences we have coming up. But, I am not letting that overshadow the anticipation of the joy we will have when our little guy gets here. It hurts my heart to know that he will have to go through so much as he starts out his life, but I am eager to sooth and comfort and be the best mom I can to him through it all.
