Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!  First off, thank you so much for taking the time to check us out and follow our journey!  I never really planned on starting a pregnancy or baby blog, but as it turns out, we’ve created a unique little snowflake whose story is already worth sharing.  Our baby (whose name is being kept under wraps until she’s born) has gastroschisis, a fairly rare birth defect that basically means that there is a hole in her belly and her intestines are sticking outside the hole.  I’ve posted more background on gastroschisis here.  The good news is that it’s very treatable, the survival rate is over 90%, and most gastro babies go on to live totally normal lives without any serious complications.  The not-so-good news is that our baby will be in the NICU for the first several weeks of her life.  She may have to undergo one or more surgeries if complications arise, and we won’t be able to hold her for probably a week or two.  Also, gastroschisis pregnancies can get a little rocky in the third trimester, which I have already begun to experience (more on this later).

The question that my husband and I get asked most often is how we are coping with all of this.  And honestly, we’re doing okay!  We’ve had some time to adjust to the news and prepare for what’s ahead.  I won’t lie – it can be easy to fall into a vicious cycle of “Why me?”  When that happens, I try to remember that nobody gets through life without experiencing hardships.  This just happens to be one of ours.  And in the grand scheme of things, it could be so much worse.  We have some extra hurdles to get through before we make it to the finish line, and they’ll be big, difficult hurdles, but we’ll get there.  And after this is all over, we’ll have a happy, healthy Little Warrior to bring home whose strength and courage will amaze and inspire us! 

This blog will provide updates on my pregnancy and hospital stay, the Littlest Warrior’s birth and progress while she’s in the NICU, and the Littlest Warrior’s life at home.  I also hope to provide support and information to other parents with gastroschisis babies or babies facing similar challenges.  Please feel free to leave comments and questions and I will try to answer them the best I can.  Enjoy!

The Littlest Warrior, Week 20. Blissful smile or devilish grin? Only time will tell...