Why a blog?

I have been asked this question from time to time, probably because we are typically a rather private family and honestly I went back and forth on whether it was a good idea myself!  So here is a quick explanation of why I started the blog and what I hope to accomplish. 

1. To keep friends/family up to date on the status of Baby Presti

Once he arrives things will get very busy for our family and there will be times when we will not have access to our phones. We have been so blessed to have received so many hugs, calls, emails, texts, etc of support and prayer, and yes we do read and appreciate each one even if we do not respond right away! Once he arrives it will be very difficult and time consuming to timely respond to each of those and explain some of the complicated science behind the procedures and diagnosis, especially when still caring for a one year old too! We are hoping this blog, and some occasional Facebook posts, will serve as a tool to communicate his status and our experience or needs to everyone efficiently.

2.  To help other families in our situation. 

When I first started researching congenital heart defects I found a mix of resources, both good and bad. There were plenty of medical journal articles with a rather cold tone that just laid out the stats regarding CHDs, however what I really wanted was someone to relate with...to know someone who was going through something similar, to show me how they handled the news, what actions they took, and also the light at the end of the tunnel. Someone to show me that what I was feeling was normal. While I know blogs are not scientific records, they do serve a purpose and can be very helpful if you find the right ones. Problem was, there just aren't very many "good" ones regarding CHD's. I want to be able to log our journey and help another family or mom through this...outline the extra steps in care that I took despite the diagnosis (yes there are things you can do!), log how I negotiated and advocated for my rights as a patient wanting a natural pregnancy and birth with minimal intervention, document our hospital experience, extra measures we took, choices we made, and then hopefully our home life and all the possibility that exists in baby P's life after he is home.

3. It's therapeutic. 

I am not going to lie, this is heavy news to receive and while doctors try their best to be emotionally supportive and offer resources, they are often stretched too thin and just hand you a kleenex and throw brochures at you to read at home. We are given so much information at our appointments and it is just my nature to research like crazy. Physically logging this information in and going over it again and again helps me to better understand and then cope with things over time. Its much like keeping a diary and it truly does serve as a release.  


Week 33 begins this Friday, I cannot believe how fast this time has passed and how much we have learned and grown as a family in the last few months. God is good.