Surgery Date Moved

Couple quick updates.

1. During the heart cath the doctors found Matthew's left pulmonary artery (PA), which supplies blood from the heart to the left lung, was "tortuous." This is a medical term which basically means coarse which causes some obstruction of blood flow. This is not the kind of thing they would intervene on during a heart cath and they may or may not elect to do so during surgery.
2. Otherwise, the doctors were pleased with everything else they found during the cath.
3. Finally, the surgery has been bumped to Monday from this Friday due to an influx of emergent open heart surgeries at Children's Hospital. 
4. Matthew and family are having a day at the Children's Museum in Boston, thanks to some generous donors at Boston Children's Hospital who make tickets to all kinds of cool events available to families in town for medical care.

Heart Cath Complete

Matthew is in recovery now. Will and Nikki will go back in the next 30 - 45 minutes to see him. He will be required to lie flat for 6 hours and let me just say, I have NO idea how they'll pull that off! This is one of the busiest kids I know.

Good news is Matthew will be able to leave the hospital this evening (there was fear they would have to stay overnight after this procedure) so they will enjoy one more free day tomorrow in Boston before the surgery.

No interventions were done as far as balloon dilation or otherwise. We will know more once they get back there and can speak with the doctor directly and I'll update again then.

I'm guessing Matt Matt is going to have a few words of his own later today!

Coming Home Again!

Check it out! I have a foot!
This is the greatest day of my life!

First, apologies for the delay on recent updates. Both Mimi and Aunt Jen are in Gulf Shores this week for Hangout Music Festival. While we are keeping close tabs on baby Matthew, we have not made the time to sit and update the blog.

Next, and more importantly, I bring you great news... Matthew is being discharged this morning from Boston Children's Hospital. He has made a fantastic recovery from his Bidirectional Glenn Procedure (we expected no less, of course!). Just like in December during his Norwood Procedure (first open heart surgery) the one struggle he had was coming off of the O2, but again, he made a phenomenal recovery this week.

We are working on finding new flights for the three of them, to get them back home to Daphne tomorrow.

Fat and Happy at Mardi Gras!

Mimi pimped my crib for Mardi Gras

Hi Friends! I'm writing less often because... well who wants to keep hearing about how blissfully happy I am these days! I keep getting fatter and happier.

I was starting to worry about my weight and, since I know Mom would never tell me the truth about it (she thinks I'm perfect), I asked Mimi when I stayed with her last week. I asked her if she thought I should go on a diet. Mimi said this is the only time in my life when chubbiness will be "adorable" and I should really embrace it while I can.

On Second Thought...

My first night in a regular bed!! I LOVE being swaddled.

...maybe we'll just stay here in Boston for a while! Hi Friends, Mom and Dad are super busy right now so I have some time to send a quick update. I left Boston Children's Hospital yesterday for the first time since the day I was born! It is REALLY cold outside too! We all slept at the Yawkey Center last night, where Mom and Dad have been staying the last several weeks. It was kind of hard for me to sleep without people coming in the room every hour fussing over me. It was so quiet I could hardly rest at all.

Matthew is Cleared for Takeoff!

Got some great news last night from Nikki. Matthew is cleared for discharge! The three of them have a flight home Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. The final test was to see how Matthew did in his car seat and if his oxygen levels were affected. He passed with flying colors! Doesn't he look cute practicing for his flight?

Looks like all of the love and prayers are working. I know the challenges are far from over but it amazes me that Matthew is doing so well and that he will soon get to see his beautiful nursery meet the rest of his family for the first time.

Please think of Nikki, Will and Matthew tomorrow as they travel!

Family Week!

Aunt Jen, teaching me how to blog

Hi Friends, thanks for all who have been asking about me. Sorry for not writing sooner, but I've been so busy this week with all my family who have been here to visit and entertain me! My goodness it's been such a fun and exciting week. I'll try to catch you up before I fall asleep again.

First, I'm starting to feel like a prince - there always seems to be someone in line to hold me, feed me, even change my diapers. The other day my Aunt Jen, Aunt Addie and Uncle Jamie all teamed up to change the mess of a diaper I had made just for them, right after Mom and Dad left the room. You should have seen the whole thing. I was laughing so hard at the three of them. Let me tell you, I decided to challenge them. As soon as that diaper came off I stuck both my feet into the mess down below. While Aunt Jen was cleaning my feet off, I decided to potty again, just to see how they'd react. Oh, it was a hoot watching the three of them in action!

It Takes a Village

Matthew has a lot of company these days! He's being spoiled rotten by one grandmother, aunt and uncle, with another grandmother and aunt arriving tomorrow. He is absolutely adorable and we fight constantly over who gets to hold him. Uncle Jamie even changed a diaper today! It was the first time in his life (for Jamie, not Matthew) but luckily he had some help from the pros.

Prayers for Nikki and William

All, I don't have any details but please remember Nikki this morning. She is in the hospital (as of about an hour ago) and is being assessed now. Please remember William too, as Nikki is in one hospital and their newborn is in another having a heart procedure this morning.

I'll update you when we know more.

Counting Down

Hi again, friends! Today is the day Mom comes to be with me and Dad. I'll tell ya, Dad is great and I'm super happy to have him, but there's just something about a Mommy that no one can replace (I mean seriously, just look at her here, will ya!). It will be so much fun for all three of us to be together again.

It's been a busy few days here at Boston Children's. They had told me they were going to try again to stick that needle in my belly button. Ouch the first time! But Dad said having it would make it so they don't have to keep sticking me other places. But then all the doctors and nurses got together to talk about my heart. They decided they would have surgery on me the very first day of my first winter, Tuesday (12/21).

My First Blog Post

Can you believe this? I'm not even born yet but I'm already blogging. Pretty cool, huh? I didn't know they made computers small enough to fit in Mom's belly with me! Okay, okay, I'm not really typing this, but I'm dictating and right now my Aunt Jen is transcribing for me.

You're probably wondering why I'm writing to you before I've even taken my first breath. That's understandable. You see, my heart isn't growing the same way other babies hearts grow. My Mom and Dad first learned I had a problem in a routine doctor visit a few months ago.

I was so sad to hear Mom crying, and I heard her say that when Dad went out of the room he cried a lot as well. I sure don't want to be the reason that they are sad so I've been down here working ever since. I've been talking to my heart and telling it to please try to catch up with the rest of my body, so that Mom will only cry tears of joy when she sees me. I don't think it's working though.

For the last week both my parents have been busy trying to find lots of warm clothes and get all the supplies they need. I hear we're going on a long trip and am I ever excited! I haven't been away from my home in Daphne, Alabama yet, but I hear it's really cold where we're going.

Mom was telling my Mimi that we have to go to Boston for me to be born. What an adventure this will surely be! There is a hospital there with specially trained doctors and nurses who will know what to do with my faltering heart when I have to leave this cozy home. We're leaving December 19th.

Even though she was whispering, I heard Mom say that I'll have my first major surgery when I am only 7 days old. I think they are really sad they will be away from all our family over Christmas and New Year's. I will be born by January 3rd at the latest, and I'm sure Aunt Jen is hoping I'll come the day before, on her birthday!

I hear we'll have to spend another 6 weeks or so in Boston. Mom is a nurse who takes care of other newborn babies and my Dad is a tech at the same hospital, and he's also in nursing school. I hate to be such a burden on them but I sure will love them with everything that I have. I waited a long time for them and I know we have lots of really great times in our future.

I can't wait to meet them!

Thanks and Blessings!
Baby Matthew