Quick Update on Life

I am so sorry I've been so absent from blogging!  We have moved into a new apartment, made a trip to the ER and had multiple doctor appointments. I am about finished with the beginning of Harper Kate's little life.  My plan now is to blog about each month of her life to catch you all up!  I know the few readers I have are ready for me to get back to this!

  Well, like I said, we've moved.  We were living in Peachtree City, but now we've moved to Newnan, GA.  It's about 15 minutes south of PTC.  We got a new apartment that is newer, nicer & cheaper. :)  So, I'm pretty excited about that.  We're all unpacked, but still have to hang the pictures on the wall & get some valences for a couple windows made.  I found some fabric @ Hobby Lobby that I need to go buy so we can get those finished.  Packing the old apartment and moving into the new one with a child is way different than before!  Luckily, we had 2 GENEROUS friends who helped us move up 2 flights of stairs to our new apartment.  I think we might owe them our lives after the hard work they did moving us in!
  I mentioned a trip to the ER.   Saturday and Sunday after we moved, we noticed Harper Kate wasn't feeling well.  Not only was she not feeling well, she slept basically all day and was extremely out of it.  Since extreme fatigue can be a sign of head swelling, we decided to go ahead and take her to the ER.  After bloodwork, a head ultrasound and a x-ray of her tummy, we discovered that she was full of air in her stomach.  It is still a mystery as to how she got all of that air, but needless to say we are all back to normal!  Thank goodness.
  We've been busy with check up appointments and doctor appointments.  The neurosurgeon checked her head ultrasound that we took at the ER and confirmed that there is still no swelling of Harper Kate's brain.  That is huge!  Over 75% of kids that have Dandy-Walker malformation end up having hydrocephalus that require shunts to be put in the brain to drain the excess fluid off.  With all of our other challenges, it would be a huge miracle if we don't have to get this done, but so far we don't!  YEA!  That is a huge praise for us.  We also visited the surgeon as a follow up.  Her surgical site is healing well & at the appointment (which Jarod didn't attend) the surgeon showed me how to replace the tube if needed.  I have a pretty strong stomach, but this really freaked me out.  A hole in her stomach that I'm supposed to put this "button" back in.  Luckily, I thought, the tube really doesn't come out much and I really shouldn't have to replace it much at all!  It hasn't been that way...That story is coming later, but needless to say I've now had to replace it TWICE!  Stay tuned for that drama.   We also visited the GI doctor.  All is going well with her feedings, but we aren't going to up the amount or calories right now.  She is gaining weight fine and seems to be doing well, so we are leaving everything alone for a few months.
  The last appointment we had was a trip to Emory Genetics.  I will blog about this appointment later after I've finished processing.  Basically, Harper Kate is still a mystery to doctors, but she is known completely to our Heavenly Father.  The doctors best guess is that what she has is probably autosomal recessive which means we will have a 25% chance that this same thing could happen in future pregnancies.  They are not certain about this, but like I said it's their best guess.  Jarod & I are not sure where that leaves us and we really haven't finished thinking through and processing.  We know God is in control and will guide us in our decision later.  Right now, I have a precious angel that needs my full attention as her mom.  We would ask for your prayers for guidance and wisdom as we process this news and, in time, decide what this means for the future. 
  That's a quick summary of what we've been up to.  I'll blog later this week about the day coming home from the NICU, one of the best days ever!  Then, I'll begin blogging about each month so that you all can get caught up.  Thanks for being patient.  My life got away pretty quickly.  My sisters quickly pointed out it had been a month since I've blogged.  Good grief...I'll be better! 
Love, Courtney

This is Harper Kate and her cousin Whit....yes, he's an Auburn fan, but we love him anyway!  Harper Kate decided to show him who is #1.  :)  Roll Tide Whit-man!!!