The low-down

Well, lots has been changing, plenty to say.

The pills stopped working, so to ensure his heart rate stays at a healthy place they will be upping my dosage soon. Hopefully this will last a bit longer than the last dosage, but there are no guarantees.

After they stop working (again) the doctors will take him out. The result of this? Parker will most like (95% chance) be a preemie. We'd like to keep him in there as long as possible but at that point it will be safer for him to be out than inside my belly.

I was given the steroid shots for his lungs a few weeks ago, so hopefully he'll be a healthier preemie.

I will be delivering at the University of Utah so he can be rushed to Primary Children's, where the fantastic cardiologists over there will treat him. He will be getting a pacemaker. I am not quite sure how old he will be when he gets this. I imagine they'll wait until he is at least 1 or 2 days old, but it is important that it be quick. His little body and heart have been working so hard to stay healthy, that time is really of the essence.

Having a pacemaker will make life difficult for awhile, because there are quite a few restrictions that we need to be on the lookout for. He won't be able to play with magnets, so we're going to need to get rid of all Colby's magnet toys and he will not be able to play with our cell phones, and even some remote control cars are too strong and can alter the pacemaker. There are other things that he cannot do in his life- play football, work on a car under the hood, get the wand from airport security, a few medical procedures and tests that use magnets, we cannot hover by the anti-theft devices in doorways... just all completely random things that can alter the way the pacemaker works.

A pacemaker can last anywhere from 3-5 years on battery life, but as he grows older he will need a few more surgeries to replace the pacemaker. A battery replacement surgery isn't a big deal, just a small slit in the skin. I imagine his first pacemaker might stay in there 1-2 years. We'll have to see how it goes and if it is strong enough before we can say for sure.

And now, the million dollar question that everyone always asks- how are you guys doing? Well, as a family, for now, we are fine. We understand that big things are happening and we are trying very hard to stay calm about it. We go to doctors appointments twice a week, and this causes a lot of stress (usually because we don't have 'good news' appointments as often as the 'not so great news' appointments) But we're holding on and thinking good thoughts for our little guy. We know that worry won't do a whole lot for him, so we try to avoid it.

And thank you thank you thank you to all those who are trying to make our burdens lighter. So many well-wishers and special helpers have definitely made this journey easier. We haven't taken up many people on their offers to help, but even offers make us feel good, to know that we are loved! We appreciate it so much, thank you!