Julia's 4th IUT

Julia had her 4th intrauterine transfusion 2 days ago and she did very well. She may have tried to grab the needle a few times :-o curious little baby! But our doctors stayed calm and transfused the full amount of blood she needed, which was a lot more this time around. She is growing so big. We are already very proud of our little bear. Grow Julia grow. Julia's heart was monitored for several hours after the transfusion and everything looked great. A follow-up ultrasound this morning confirmed she is still doing well. 

We are so thankful to be 30 weeks pregnant! Baby Julia weighs over 3 pounds. Her next milestone may just be her birth in 4 weeks time. We won't have a scheduled date for a while since we are still taking it day by day. It gives us reassurance to know that preemies born at 34 weeks are nearly as likely to survive as if they had been born at term. Of course, we are still very very very nervous how she will respond to life outside the womb, how her heart and lungs will manage given her anemia. We still have no clear prognosis or diagnosis, it's hard to process the unknowns. We try to live in the present.

Please keep thinking of our sweet girl, more updates to come, this next month will surely go by very quickly for us, 

Liz and Tom

Happy girl after her transfusion

Just because

Another great ultrasound for Julia this morning, she was sleeping but still scored 8/8. You go girl ;-)

She finally moved a bit so her placenta no longer blocks her cute face. It is now wrapped on top of her head. We think she looks like William, those cheeks.

Have a happy weekend, everyone,
Liz, Tom, William, and Julia

Julia Joy, 29 weeks 2 days

29 week update

Julia is doing good, everyone.

Her anemia seems to be under control and her heart is responding very well. Last Friday, for the first time Julia's heart appeared to be normal in size (it's always been large just like William's). AND there is no longer any fluid around her heart. This is very very good news. With her heart functioning appropriately from the transfusions, her other organs are able to get the oxygen they need to develop and grow. She has come such a long way. We really can't believe it.

Julia continues to do a fantastic job on her ultrasounds. The sonographers examine a bunch of variables in a test called a biophysical profile (BPP). She has scored an 8/8 every time :)

Keep it up, Julia Joy! Your big brother must be looking down so proud of you.

Next transfusion is sometime next week, please be thinking of us.

Love,
Liz and Tom

From ultrasound last Friday, her placenta is hiding half of her face.

Back home, still pregnant :)

Let's see. So much to update.

First, Julia is doing well :)

Julia had her 3rd intrauterine transfusion about a week and half ago. It went very well. No complications during the transfusion and none afterwards. It was the easiest one so far. To be honest, we were not comfortable with announcing the transfusion ahead of time. We are just so happy to update now that we know it went well. 

Julia's heart was monitored for 2 hours on the labor & delivery floor after her transfusion and looked great. We continued to be monitored around the clock back in our antenatal room later that day. Julia's pre-transfusion blood count was better than anticipated. This means that we can go even longer between transfusions. Next one is slated for about 3 weeks from now and it could be our last before we deliver if her blood count and health is better then expected again.

Last week they let us go home. Julia kicked butt on all her non stress tests and biophysical profiles (two measures of health for babies). Her amniotic fluid levels are back to normal and doctors are confident that the rupture may have sealed. Plus I have no signs of labor and no signs of infection. We booked it out of there and have been living it up at home since.

We are almost 28 weeks now and Julia has no signs of heart failure or hydrops. Next check is later this week.

So much has changed over the last month. We hope this update provides some insight into what we've been through. More and more, we are feeling a mix of heavy emotions. In particular, grief is hitting us hard, but we've come so far and we are feeling that optimism again. Maybe, just maybe everything will work out. Maybe she'll survive. 

Thank you for all the cards, flowers, food, gifts, thoughts, prayers - they brought a smile to our faces in the those scary days in the hospital and kept us busy :) We really can't thank you enough. 

Love,

Liz and Tom

Julia giving us a little peak.

Playing a game in the hospital.

Julia's first Easter egg :)