Update on Baby Ollie

Today we had our follow up level II ultrasound to review baby Ollie's heart.  Last time we really didn't know much about Ollie's heart defect other than Ollie had a hole between the ventricals that may heal itself.  Today we found out that Ollie has an AV Canal Defect.  It's a more serious defect than Jade & I had originally thought, and we feel a little knocked down by our news today.

We will continue to see our specialist probably every 4 weeks to monitor Ollie's growth & heart.  We will also have an appointment soon with a pediatric cardiologist in Peoria to review Ollie's heart.  Our Dr. told us that we will most likely deliver normally in Mattoon & take Ollie home.  That ideally they will wait until Ollie is 3-6 months so he/she has time to grow, then we face open heart surgery.  This is typically not a heart defect that will heal itself and will require open heart surgery.  Basically we're facing a hole between Ollie's ventricles and when the heart pumps, it creates a bigger hole between all 4 chambers of the heart.

With this type of defect, the Dr. believes that Ollie does have Down Syndrome, although he was sure to remind us this isn't certain until birth, but 50% of babies with this defect have DS.  Which we are still perfectly fine with Down Syndrome, this possibility doesn't worry us at all.

Just so no assumptions are made, Ollie is perfectly fine while I am pregnant & will most likely be fine after birth.  The surgery has a high success rate so that is something to be extremely grateful for, and our Dr. said we will just love Peoria and the doctors and surgeons there - also a blessing.  So please keep praying for our entire family, friends, doctors, nurses and surgeons.  February seems far away, but will be here before we know it.

Thank you again for all the outpouring of love.  We are doing extremely well considering what we are facing & we are still confidant we will have a long, exciting, and perfectly happy life with Ollie, Aubrie, & Everett.  Do not greive or be sad for us, we still have a miracle in the making & God is blessing us daily with family & friends that love and support us.

God Bless!

If you are just now stopping in - start here with our Previous post about Ollie

PS - Ollie is a baby GIRL!!

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!"

Psalm 139:13-18