Leap Year Baby?

Dear Charli,

Your mommy saw Dr. Kirchner the morning of February 29. When Dr. Kirchner checked, your mommy appeared to be ready to go into labor. Because of your condition she took no chances and sent your Mommy straight to the local hospital so you could be transported to the San Antonio hospital.  (The local hospital is wonderful, but doesn't have the level of nursery needed to take the best care of you because you require surgery)

Doctors weren't surprised that Mommy might be going into labor. Everyone expected you to come early. Duodenal Atresia causes Mommy's womb to have a lot of excess fluid, which often causes mommies to go into labor early.

Grammy, Poppy, and Granny all drove to the hospital to meet Mommy just before they put her in the ambulance. We were all so excited that we might meet you soon AND that you might be born on leap year. Your Great Great Grandpa Gunter had a leap year birthday so that would have been pretty cool.





Grammy and Poppy followed the ambulance to San Antonio, and Granny followed us. We didn't want to miss a thing! :)

The ambulance crew took good care of Mommy and got her to the hospital in San Antonio where she was hooked up to monitors that showed you were doing well and Mommy was having contractions, but she couldn't feel them. They kept her there a couple of days to make sure you weren't coming and finally let her go home. They told her she could go home but that she had to take it easy and she couldn't go back to work.
I took your Mommy home where we all waited, anxious to meet you and wondering when you would arrive. We speculated on dates and compared whose birthday you might share.

You were already so loved by so many people! I am still overwhelmed sometimes by how many people love you so much, even before you were here. People have been praying for you, praying about your surgery and health and praying for your mommy.

I knew you were being taken care of by God and that He had a plan for you. Your mommy and I have had some long talks and I'm so thankful that she also loves God and trusted Him with whatever happened with you.

I was very anxious to meet you, see you, and smother you with Grammy hugs and kisses!
Love,
Grammy

Duodenal Atresia

Dear Charli,
On January 24, 2012, I took your Mommy to her first appointment in San Antonio where she met Dr. Huff. Dr. Huff would continue to see you every other week through ultrasounds where he would measure you, measure the amount of fluid in your Mommy's womb, monitor your heartbeats, and see if your "double bubble" changed...all through ultrasounds. It was so awesome to see you move and develop on those monitors. Dr. Huff laughed at the term "double bubble" and said it's not really a bubble at all, and that it doesn't contain any air. He confirmed the duodenal atresia diagnosis and explained that a portion of your intestines had not developed or was blocked and that you could not digest food because nothing from your stomach could pass through until your intestines could be repaired. He explained surgery after you were born would be necessary.

Your Mommy and Dr. Huff:


 We learned that because you had duodenal atresia that you would also have a 30% chance of having Downs Syndrome. Your mommy began to research Downs Syndrome as well as the duodenal atresia. Dr. Huff never saw any signs of Downs in any further ultrasounds through the rest of your Mommy's pregnancy.

We continued to watch you grow through the ultrasounds and grew to love you more and more. Your Mommy would let me feel when you would kick her tummy and it was so cool to be able to feel you move around.

Dr. Huff introduced Mommy to Dr. Parker who she would begin to see in San Antonio every other week when she would go see Dr. Huff too. Now Mommy had a team of 3 doctors she saw for the rest of her pregnancy. They all took such great care of her and of you.


Your Mommy and Dr. Parker:



And the doctor who cared for Mommy from the beginning, Dr. Kirchner:


From the beginning, you have had the best care!
Love,
Grammy