Graduation Day - Part 1 (of many)

Can you believe today was our eighth trip to CHOP? It's really amazing to look back and think about where we were mentally and physically back on May 21 when we made our first "field trip" to Philadelphia. And now, here we are on the verge of 24 weeks along and after our visit today the doctor told us we were being officially referred back to Dr. Garber's care in Clifton. Woohoo!!! A few things about today's trip (weather and traffic reports aside). We knew after last week's visit that we would be seeing the doc who was the most vocal proponent of "selective reduction" (i.e. termination of Spud) and we weren't looking forward to that pressure again. Legally speaking, once you reach 24 weeks SR is no longer an option so our assumption was that if something had changed with the babies we would get a hard push in that direction. A few miles before we got out of the car we were discussing why we were making this "last" trip since they did give us the option last week. We decided it was because the doc today was going to speak grace instead of the alternative and it would sound much sweeter coming from his lips. Jane, the nurse who has been taking the ultrasounds since we started going on a weekly basis, once again took the ultrasound today but after she was finished gave commentary on what she saw - something she has not ever done in the past. Maybe she knew that today's doctor tended to be more realistic (pessimistic?). Whatever the case, she told us that the doppler flow on both babies was really good, better than it has been for Spud. She gave us a boost of confidence that increased when the doc came in and said we'd been booted. We decided it was not a "booting" but a "graduation" that had occured. An intensive 8-week study on the hearts, bladders, amniotic fluid, doppler blood flow (umbilical chord), weight in grams, etc. and these little babies passed their first course. I asked him how big they were and he said essentially they are each about the size of the palm of my hand. Incredible - that though they are both so small, everything they need is there...completely formed, just needing to grow.

So, on to the next class. We hope this one will also be an 8-week study, not as intensive because the classroom will be in Clifton (about 25 minutes from here) instead of Philadelphia. And we hope it won't be as mentally challenging as the last class was, but it undoubtedly will be. We'll be seeing Dr. Garber on a weekly basis for the same things we were doing in Philly and as I've mentioned previously, he will decide in consultation when it's time for these babies to live on the outside instead of on the inside.

The prayers don't change much this week: 1) Pray for Jeanine's bed rest state. 8 weeks of trips to Philly means 8 weeks of bed rest down. That's a long time to do very little. She's an active person. This has been a challenge for all of us...well, not for Molly...so please keep her mental and physical wellbeing in your prayers. Her appetite is good now, which we're thankful for. And we're starting to think more concretely about where we're going to put these babies when they come. 2) Pray for Spud and DMan's size discrepancy. If their hearts and dopplers continue to be steady, the size is the only problem. Let's go Spud! 3) I can't really think of a third, so consider this an invitation to insert your own prayer request. We've been covered by your prayers...what do you need prayers for?

Thanks again everyone. Another week down, and another night of rest ahead. Thank you God!