Almost there...

So we have a new date - Friday November 13. The lucky Friday the 13th.
I was a little upset when they called the change the date - not because of the 13th, but I thought it wasn't supposed to be a Friday to make it easier for Sick Kids. So I emailed a bunch of people including the neurosurgeon and a coordinator at Mt Sinai. Everyone assures me there isn't a problem with delivering on a Friday. So here we are.

The countdown is on. Less than 24 hours to go. I'm more nervous than excited. I don't think I'll be excited until after his surgery and we're into the countdown for him coming home. But this puts us on step closer.

The nursery is done! Clothes are put away, decals are up, paint is dried, floor is down, crib is together. It looks great! Exactly how I pictured it. Katheryn keeps trying to 'move in'. She keeps bringing clothes into his room! We also moved her rocking chair in there, so she keeps trying to climb on that (which she totally ignored when it was in her room).

So all the bags are packed. Care for Katheryn and Sammie are arranged. Important numbers are written down and we have a bunch of stuff and food for the hospital stay.
I think we are as ready as we can be.

Stay tuned!
Laura will update this weekend and hopefully we'll get some pictures up.
For now please just wish us luck and keep us in your prayers!

And we have a date!

November 16!
Ultrasound and doctors visit today went good. Everything is on track. He's estimated to be 6lbs 12 oz now - bigger than Katheryn at term! I had a talk with him before we went about moving around. He didn't move that well at the last ultrasound, so he cooperated this time. He even had the hiccups for part of it, and kicked a couple of times.
Everything is coming together.

We got Nickolas' room at painted. It is an especially great design (if I do say so myself) and the painters were really well staying within the lines. No really, they were really great (Dad, Laura, Cheryl, and especially Marie, and Shannen). Now its just for the decals, the flooring, the furniture and the baby!

Finally a Date! ... Kind of

So I have my next appointment at Mt Sinai - the one were I was supposed to get a date. Well I have one... actually I have 2! November 12 (Thurs) and November 16 (Mon). Because of the need for Nickolas' surgery they don't want to have my surgery on a Thursday or Friday so there will be equipment and staff and testing for Nickolas during the weekdays. But Monday the 16th was full, so they need to see if they can bump someone.
Personally the earlier the better for me, (screw getting school done), he'll be out sooner, we'll get him home sooner, he'll be that much older at Christmas. Of course I also want full staff at Sick Kids so they can do all the testing - usually a head ultrasound and MRI before the back surgery. I think if he's born on a Friday, they will just do the surgery and do the testing afterwards. AND there is always the possibility of no beds and needing to wait anyways (hopefully not, but they did mention it just in case) and I of all people know sometimes NICU beds get full fast.

We also asked about latex-free setup and they'll do the c-section latex free. We got a bit of a rundown of where Nickolas will be after he is born. While they can't guarentee how things will be, we can get a 'probably this will happen'. Pretty much we'll see him quickly then he will go to the Mt Sinai NICU to be assessed, they put a sterile dressing on his back, bloodwork, IV, antibiotics (Amp&Gent). Sick Kids will be notified. After he is stable and everything is checked out, we'll see him again for longer (how long? - probably not long enough). Then when the NICU bed is ready at Sick Kids he'll be transfered across the street. Kyle will go, meet everyone and they'll have a game plan there. I of course will still be stuck in bed recovering from the c-section.

The ultrasound was ok. He didn't cooperate very much and wasn't moving very much. His head is catching up - it has been smaller (not on the scale yet), now it is on the scale. Apparently typical for spinabifida baby's. Mild hydrocephalus, the ventricles (the part of the brain that fills with fluid that makes hydrocephalus) did grow a bit, from 8 mm and 9 mm, to 9 mm and 10.5mm and I think hydrocephalus is considered at 10mm. But again that is expected. Everything is growing ok. He's estimated to be 2444gm (at 34 1/2 weeks). That is just over 6 lbs. Katheryn was born (at 40 weeks) at 2600 gms. So its not my imagination, he is bigger!

I find he doesn't move as much as before, more rolling around and less kicking and punching - but he does love head butting my bladder. Oh Joy! And he loves rock music! The louder the better and he jumps around in there.

I think that's all the updating for now. Katheryn of course is still doing well and I'm enjoying not having to go into work. But I'm getting nervous about not alot of time left, and thinking it is dragging on forever!
Everyone knows how much I like to plan everything, and can't plan ANYTHING this time around, just a wait and see and take things as they go, and have faith that things will work out. There isn't anything I can do anyways.