Lots to be thankful for!

Our hearts are full of praise this week as we continue to thank God for His goodness!  We were able to have the fetal echo done on Tuesday and everything looked great!  It was nice to have Lyla's cardiologist be the one we had the consult with as well :-)  It was like a weight was lifted off our chest as we heard the news that the heart looks great and everything is on the correct side!  The tech showed us the stomach and I asked her which side it was on.  She just looked at me like I was crazy and said, "The stomach is on the left."  :-)  Not that the situs inversus is a problem, but now we know that we don't have to worry about anything!  Our level 2 ultrasound is on Monday, but we're really not expecting them to find anything else wrong.  Oh and did I mention...we're having a BOY!!!  That was the icing to the cake :-)

Also, I just got off the phone with the MRI scheduling department for Lyla's cardiac MRI.  Her appointment is set for next Thursday, May 2 at 10:30.  Please pray for all to go well as she will be sedated and intubated for the test.  I'm already a mess...it was hard watching her wake up last time and now she's older and more aware.  We continue to thank you all for your prayers as we continue on this journey with our baby girl.  It has been a long road and yet we have seen  God's faithfulness in every step!

Easter :-)

So, I guess I kind of forgot about Easter in being amazed that Lyla is 10 months old :-)  We had a great weekend with family back in Lebanon!  Lyla had her 1st Easter egg hunt (meaning we put eggs in front of her with puffs :-).  She still plays with an Easter egg that made it home with us.  She got to wear her bunny tutu on Sunday as well :-)  It will be exciting when she's older to be able to explain why we celebrate Easter and all the things her Savior has done for her, and the world!

We had her cardiologist appointment today that went as well as expected.  Everything looks the same, which is always a good thing!  She was not so fond of the echo today...being held down is no fun.  It took both Peter and I to restrain her, and even then with all the screaming, the tech couldn't get the pictures he needed.  It was a long day.  They are looking to schedule the MRI in the next few weeks to get a better look at the pulmonary arteries again.  We were expecting that to be done this summer, but I guess they felt like it needed to be moved up.  After that, Lyla's team of doctors will discuss what steps to take next.  The cardiologist wasn't concerned about Lyla's growth and didn't think that her heart has anything to do with how small she is :-)

Another good thing about our visit today, they told us we could go in for our fetal echo as soon as possible!  They actually said that they see patients between 13-14 weeks and then again between 18-20.  So, we kind of missed the first one, but oh well :-)  So, I was able to schedule that appointment for April 23.  Please be praying for peace and accuracy of the test!  It will be a relief to not have to wait longer to see if there are any heart problems!  God is good and we keep trusting Him with this new baby :-)

10 months!

Lyla is 10 months old today!  She has been so happy today which is making it a joy to celebrate with her today :-)  We started the day by going to her follow up weight check with the doctor.  Thankfully, she gained 10 oz since her last check up!  Even though this only puts her in the 3rd percentile for weight, her doctor is completely happy with how she looks and the fact that she's gained weight.  We see the cardiologist on Wednesday, so it will be interesting to get their input as well.

We continue to fall in love with Lyla more and more every day!  She is such a blessing in our life and we can't stop praising God for the wonderful gift that she is to us :-)  This little girl doesn't like to stay still!  She is far more interested in everything else in the house than her own toys.  She likes to go to the steps and play peek-a-boo around the banister with us.  Her new favorite place is the kitchen...I guess simply because we don't allow her in there often :-)

Baby Rauch #2 is also doing well :-)  I got to hear the little heartbeat at my OB appointment!  It's the best noise in the whole world!  We go to the high risk doctor on April 29 for a level 2 ultrasound and anatomy scan.  We are excited to see if Lyla will have a little brother or sister :-)  From there, they will refer us to the cardiologist for a fetal echo.  We're still praying believing that this baby is completely healthy and no other problems are present!

I'll update again after our cardiologist visit on Wednesday.  We should be discussing the possibility of another MRI this summer for Lyla to again monitor how her narrowed pulmonary arteries are holding up.  Pray for wisdom for the doctors that they take the right actions at the right time.  Pray for peace as we wait for these last procedures to be scheduled.  And please pray for baby #2 as we wait anxiously to see if everything is ok :-)