Happy 4 Month Birthday Turtlebird!!!

Well another month has come to pass, leaving us so much more to be in awe of and grateful for!  Earlier in the month Jack had a CHOP visit with his Cardiologist, Dr. Szwast, who stated everything with Jack is looking great, there is still a kink in one of the arteries that they have to continue to keep an eye on but as of  today it is not anything to be concerned about as it is not obstructing blood flow.  She does not need to see him until February 2011!!!  He received round 2 of his vaccines which seemed to make him a bit more irritable then round one last month, but nothing a little lovin' and snugglin' couldn't soothe, and believe me there is plenty of that to go around in our household. It was also at this visit where Jack weighed in at 12 lbs 10 oz, given the reluctance of the doctors to solely breastfeed at time of discharge, it is quite amazing that Jack has almost doubled his birth weight at three months....what a big boy we have on our hands.

Speaking of hands, Jack had found his and cannot keep them out of his mouth!  At times he attempts to jam both of them in his mouth at the same time while drool is making its way out of his mouth by the bucket full.  Oh how we love our drool monster...he amazes me everyday!!!!  When his hands are not in his mouth we get to hear Jack LAUGH out LOUD while awake, where as before it was only in his sleep.  It is definitely the cutest laugh we have ever heard and will practically do anything to get him to laugh.  Ah, the joys of being parents, you get to act a fool and nobody blinks an eye...no wonder our parents had many kids:)

I have come to realize that being a parent and being sick do not fall hand in hand...being a parent makes being sick virtually impossible and you can't call out and cash in a sick day.  But his smile makes it all worth it, sick or not....

Jack celebrated his first Thanksgiving by going to his first parade, experiencing his first snowfall and spending time at mom-mom's with family enjoying turkey and dairy-free mashed potatoes, yum!

P.S.  I will add photos later, I still need to upload them

Jack's 3 Month Birthday

Well what can we say...being Jack's mommies has certainly surpassed anything we could ever have hoped for!  He has made so many changes in the last month: smiling so much, recognizing his mommies both by voice and looks, talking more(nothing recognizable but definitely cute), his hair is growing in fuzzy, and he is now over 12 lbs!!!  Jack had his first visit with Early Intervention which is an organization that comes to the house to evaluate his progress with developmental milestones.  Sometimes babies with congenital heart disease are delayed developmentally, however Jack passed with flying colors and that they would check in at around 6 months.  They said he was a "ROCK STAR", but we already knew this.  He also got his first round of vaccines, but he left the doctors office still smiling...he is a trooper and one of the bravest guys I know!

We also had a "Welcome to the World" Pumpkin Patch party for Jack. We wanted to thank everyone and extend our gratitude for all of those who supported us during the difficult time surrounding the surgery. A GREAT time was had by all!!!!

So all in all October was a month of many firsts: my first vaccines, my first Phillies disappointment (which my mommies tell me I should get used to), my first bonfire, my first Halloween, my first Big Hearts to Little Hearts Walk, my first trip to Tyler State Park to walk with Mommy, my first big party in honor of me, the first time my mommy drew blood trying to clip my nails ( she was so sorry!) and the first time I celebrated my Mommy's birthday!

2 Months

First, let me apologize for completely slacking on updating the blog. We are so caught up in day to day life as Mommies that we seem to put a lot to the side. How can someone so tiny completely consume 2 peoples lives?? Just ask Jack. Jack is turning into somewhat of a traveling man these days. Trips to visit family, friends, photographers, doctors appointments, shopping, visiting Mommy at work...

We even took Jack to the Jersey shore for his 2nd time. This trip was a bit more than a site-seeing excursion. On Sunday, October 3rd we travelled to Belmar, NJ with Mom-Mom and Aunt Michele to walk for a great cause - Big Hearts to Little Hearts - an organization committed to supporting research and care for pediatric cardiac patients.

It was an overcast day and very cold, but we did not mind as we felt such a warm connection to everyone who was there. Jack also got a chance to meet his "big heart sister" - Lily. Lily was also diagnosed with TGA and went through all the same steps that Jack did after birth. Lily is now a beautiful 9 month old. Jack is so lucky to have Lily in his life.

Until month 3, enjoy some photos...

Big Hearts to Little Hearts

Dear Family & Friends,
Back in April, we found out that our soon-to-be baby boy had a congenital heart defect. We were devistated.

Fast forward to present day... After undergoing open-heart surgery on his 6th day of life and only spending 13 days in the hospital, our baby boy (now 5 weeks old) is home with us and healthier than ever.

We are so very grateful to the Doctors, Nurses and entire staff at CHOP who gave our son a second chance. There is, honestly, no way to ever re-pay or thank them enough.

Instead, we will be showing them our gratitude by walking. We will be joining families and friends of other cardiac patients in order to raise money for the cause. Please feel free to join us in our walk or donate towards the cause.

Follow the link to register or donate. Big Hearts to Little Hearts Walk- October 3, 2010

http://www.bigheartstolittlehearts.com/

Love,
Amy, MaryAnn and Jack

More good news...

As of this Wednesday, Jack is officially off the oxygen. Check out a few pictures of the new guy - he looks like a man that shaves his mustache:)

Home sweet home...

Even though everyone at CHOP was amazing and we felt secure in their care, we couldn't have run out of there quicker. Jack was officially discharged on Wednesday, August 11th. The past 6 days have been wonderful, amazing, challenging, awesome, tiresome and simply the best yet...

Jack! Jack! He's our man!

Wow how things can change in the blink of an eye. Jack is doing excellent! Most of his swelling is down, he is eating (like a champ) and his vital signs are great. All lines to the heart, that were once giving him medicine directly to the heart, have been removed. He is only still hooked up to the oxygen for a little added help. We have been moved to a private room in the Cardiac ICU. With our fingers crossed, we are hoping to get released by the end of the week. If someone would have told us this last week, we would have thought they were crazy. We can't wait to go home! Although we are hoping they send us home with a few nurses for the added support - but I don't think they will :)

We are so excited for everyone to come visit Jack at home. However, this may need to wait a couple more weeks. The nurses have recommended limiting the number of visitors to ensure Jack does not get sick. Because of his vulnerable state, his immune system needs to build itself up.

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and love - it has truly helped Jack, Mar and I get through the toughest time in our lives.

Rough night

Last night was tough for Jack. Following surgery, Jack was taken back to the Cardiac ICU where he started his journey. All thoughts were positive and Jack was looking great. Mar and I decided to grab a bite to eat with Mom-Mom and GP and then head off for a brief cat nap. When we awoke, we headed straight to see him. We were there for about 10 minutes when all of a sudden Jack's blood pressure began to drop VERY quickly. Before we knew it, the alarms had sounded and 30+ people were running to Jack's bedside. The feeling is indescribable. I felt as if I could not breathe and time was standing still. The Doctors and Nurses quickly stabalized Jack.

...The reason for the severe episode... Jack had fluid around his heart. Our nurse (Kim - she's amazing) worked all night to manipulate the fluid away from the heart. Jack's surgeon (Dr. Spray) came in to check on Jack as well and manipulate the fluid away from the heart.

As of this morning, Jack is doing better. Still not out of the woods but hasn't had any 'episodes'. They are removing the chest tube now and plan on possibly removing the breathing tube later this afternoon.

We truly believe that Jack is hearing your thoughts and prayers and is on his way to a good recovery. We are so extremely grateful for the love and support from all of you - our family and our friends.

Surgery a success

Jack has successfully made it through surgery. We spoke with the surgeon (Dr. Spray) who informed us that the surgery was a success and he foresees no complications. The next 24 hours will be critical to Jack's recovery. We expect to be able to see him in the next 30-45 minutes. Thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers. Yay Jack!!!!!

Jack's big day

Jack has found his place on the surgery schedule. Surgery will begin at 7:00am this morning, Wednesday, August 4th - just one day shy of his original due date. Please keep Jack in your thoughts and prayers. I will send an updated status as soon as the surgery is complete.

Thank you to all of our friends and family for your continued love and support.

...Waiting

We originally thought that surgery would be tomorrow (Tuesday) but later in the day found out that Jack is on the schedule for Thursday. The waiting is very stressful. MaryAnn was discharged today from the special delivery unit but we will be staying at the hospital as long as we can get a sleep room. Sleep rooms are first come first serve and are not as desirable as the conditions we have had. But none of this matters as we are able to sleep just a few rooms away from our little guy. Jack is continuing to breastfeed very successfully.

Jack had an Eco earlier today which again confirmed that in addition to the TGA he has narrowing of his aortic arch. This will need to be fixed during surgery. Surgery is scheduled for Thursday and will last approximately 3-4 hours. We will not know the time until the night before.

We thank you all for your continued love and support and will keep you updated.

The experience

Hi All! Sorry for a delayed post but we haven't been able to take ourselves away. We just can't stop staring at him.

Jack Dylan Wojcik-Siedlecki was born on July 29th at 12:17pm.

Let's take a step back though. As we told you before, the Cervadil didn't help much to jumpstart the labor. The Docs decided to try something different to help soften the cervix just enough to start the labor process. Mar started to have more contractions but Jack was not responding well to these contractions. Every time she contracted, Jack's heart rate would drop. The Docs and nurses quickly removed the medication and flushed her to rid her body of the medication. All was going well for about the next 30 minutes until...

A group of Doctors and nurses quickly entered the room with great concern. We were told that an emergency C-Section was needed to get Jack out. Jack was not responding well to labor. They quickly got Mar ready for the Operating Room and before we knew or could comprehend what was going on, we were all in the OR and Jack was coming! Within 4 minutes of the first incision, Jack was here. They quickly grabbed him and rushed him to the next room to check all of his vital signs. Jack was given a breathing tube at this point to help him.

Mar and I were taken back to our room where we were greeted by Mom-Mom, Nana, GP, Aunt Michele and Uncle Robert. Jack was taken to the Cath lab where they inserted a balloon to keep the whole in his heart open to assist the mixing of blood. This helps Jack get oxygenated blood to his body. It's a temporary precaution until surgery.

...So where are we now... Jack and Mom are great! Mar has a bit of soreness from the incision but is up and about and moving a lot - mostly back and forth to see Jack. Jack is excellent too. His oxygen levels dipped a little last night but are back to a good level now.

Before we were admitted, we were told that we would not be able to hold Jack between birth and surgery and that he would not be able to eat. Well... Jack is doing so great that they are letting Mar breast feed him and I was able to give him a bottle this morning. This entire experience has been so extremely surreal. I need to pinch myself a few times a day to realize that this is real.

For now, I will leave you with a few photos and a huge THANK YOU for all of your thoughts and prayers.

Jack Dylan has arrived!

6 lbs 12oz. Mom and baby are great. More info to follow...

Plan B

Our first night at CHOP was a bit uneventful. Around 7pm, Mar was administered Cervadil which is used to soften the lining of the cervix. Throughout the night, she experienced a little bit of cramping. We were both awake most of the night listening to Jack's heartbeat on the monitor and trying to get comfortable. So...onto plan b - we will be trying a different drug that will be administered every 4 hours until the cervix lining thins enough to start the induction.

...Stay tuned.

Sooner than we thought...

Our visit with the OB group today was just like any other...ultrasound to measure fetal markers, check the heartbeat, ensure there was plenty of fluid surrounding Jack and the Placenta was still doing its job. All looks good and Jack is doing GREAT!

...But what about Mom? Mar's blood pressure is still higher than it should be. However, all of the other factors (protein in the urine, blood work results, etc.) checked out fine. The attending resident (Dr. Nahla) sat with us and discussed the situation. Mar does not have pre-eclampsia, but rather falls under the category of 'gestational high blood pressure'. Dr Nahla was great to talk to and showed true excitement for us. Dr Nahla's resolution for Mar's high blood pressure is to move up the due date.

Jack's new 'official' due date is July 29th. This means that if Mar does not go into labor on her own, she will be induced next Thursday. We have 2 more appointments prior to then. We are planning to bring a bag to all remaining appointments - just in case. But on the other hand, it would be great if Jack could wait till July 30th so that he has the same birthday as his guardian angel - JeanMarie:)

To think that we will be Mom's next week blows our minds. Wow has the time flown by.

More to come...

22 more days

Another eventful day at CHOP... After a late night at the Jack Johnson concert, we caught the 6:30am train back to University City for a full day of appointments. First was the Eco. Everything checked out. A few things to watch out for... the aortic arch (to ensure it is big enough and if not it may need to be patched during surgery)... the thickness of the pulmonary artery (it is looking thicker than usual and it may need to be shaved during surgery)... and of course, the corenary arteries (which can never be predicted as they are so small).

After the Eco, we met with the OB group. Here's where our day got a little scary. As soon as they saw Mar, they suspected something was not right. Upon taking her blood pressure, we found it was a bit high, her swelling was getting worse and her skin seemed to be pitting (a term I just learned:)). They informed us that it could be pre-eclampsia and if so, she would need to be admitted. Before they could say for certain, they took a series of blood for testing.

So many thoughts ran through our heads as we walked to our next appointment - we didn't have our bag packed for the hospital... Mar didn't get to enjoy any time off... Amy wasn't finished putting the nursery together.

Our next appointment was with the surgeon (Dr Spray). Dr Spray went over the surgical procedure and the risks and odds. I have to admit, I was a bit in awe meeting the man that will hold our son's heart in his hands.

Before finding out if Mar would be admitted, we had one last stop - an MRI. The MRI is to check Jack's brain activity and ensure he will be really smart:) The results... He is a smart guy!

Now back to the OB group for our final appointment. The results were in. Everything looks good. The protein in the urine was slightly elevated but all other findings were normal. Just to be safe, we will need to visit CHOP 2x per week until delivery.

Stay tuned as we will try to post as much as possible moving forward. Thank you all so very much for your love and support.

32 Week Check-up

Yesterday was our 32-week check-up at CHOP. We met with the OB group, the Cardiac group and a Lactation Consultant. Jack is doing great! He is weighing in on target and we even got to see his eyes open for the first time during the ultrasound - weird but cool! The entire staff at CHOP is amazing. Everyone is so friendly and really listens to what we have to say. We finished our day with a tour of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU). The tour was hard for us. We got a little taste of the reality we have been putting to the back of our minds. Immediately after birth, Jack will be taken to the CICU and remain there for most of his stay. We will be able to visit with Jack anytime.

Thank you to everyone for keeping Jack in your thoughts and prayers.

58 more days!

Showered with Love

We had an amazing time at our Shower! We are so appreciative of Mom-Mom, Aunt Michele and Ja-G! Also, special thanks to Madeline for use of her beautiful house; To Carol for her help with the amazing decorations, to Denise for making the yummy and very cute party favors and to Jamie Lynn for capturing the best photos of the day.

We couldn't have asked for a better day. The weather was great. The food was great. And the company was the greatest! It was so nice to spend time with our family and friends.

Thank you all so very much for your love and support. We are extremely grateful to have you all in our lives... Jack Dylan is too:)

The diagnosis

As most everyone is aware, we found out at our 20 week ultra sound that we are expecting a baby boy. We couldn't be more thrilled! We need a bit of testosterone in our home:) Jack Dylan is expected to arrive on August 5th, 2010. We also found out that our "little man" has a serious, rare heart disease called Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA).

Normally, in the human body, oxygen-poor (blue) blood returns to the right side of the heart from the body, then is pumped through the pulmonary artery into the lungs where it receives oxygen. Oxygen-rich (red) blood returns to the left side of the heart from the lungs, and then is pumped out to the body. This whole process ensures that the blood delivers oxygen to the body and then returns to the heart and then to the lungs to pick up more oxygen, and the process repeats. In TGA, the aorta is connected to the right side of the heart, and the pulmonary artery is connected to the left side of the heart- the exact opposite of the anatomy of a normal heart. So what happens is de-oxygenated blood continues to loop from the body to the heart to the body, never picking up any oxygen along the way and the oxygenated blood continues to loop from the lungs to the heart and back to the lungs...therefore the blood never mixes and oxygen is not delivered to the rest of his body. As long as Baby Jack is inside his mommy's belly his body is receiving all it needs in terms of oxygen and nutrients. It isn't until after he is born when the heart adapts to life outside the uterus that TGA becomes problematic.

What does this all mean? Jack has all the working parts...but in the wrong order. Jack will need surgery shortly after birth to switch the 2 main arteries of his heart to ensure that his body is receiving oxygen. We will be delivering at CHOP - one of the best children's hospitals in the nation.

Why did this happen? No one really knows. There is no known cause. It occurs in 1 out of every 10,000 babies.

But what we do know is that regardless of why this happen we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our little angel, Jack Dylan.

Nesting Period

For the past few months, we have been "nesting". Remodeling, painting, cleaning... The first 6 months of the pregnancy seemed to drag - just as we were dragging to get the house in order for our new arrival. Now, with only a little more than 2 months till Jack's arrival, we are scrambling to finish old projects and get the nursery ready.