10 little toes.....: Weeks 15 & 16: What a couple of weeks!

Week 15...Pop, Pop, Pop!
I've been working really hard getting ready to for a friend's baby shower that I was hosting. So I have been pretty exhausted every night when I got home. This week I definitely felt little popcorn pops in my belly. It is such a cool feeling. It's not everyday, but I still feel it. I can't wait till the movements are more distinct.

Cravings.....I am really eating alot of spicy. I crave crawfish all the time. I get to indulge every now and then. I really would like some salmon sushi, but that will need to wait as soon as I deliver the baby. No big symptoms this week. The belly is just getting bigger and bigger.

I go to the doctor for my check up on 3/26. I will be 16 weeks then. Can't wait for it!

Week 16... What a Week!!
A lot happened this week with our family. I am exhausted.

Our little Superman J
Alot of people have asking so I will share.

We noticed late January that Jett had a bump under his chin. It was hard lump. I gave it a couple of weeks. Of course I went on google to research. After doing some reading online and talking to friends/family I knew it was a swollen lymph node. I read that it was very common when teeth were coming in for lymph nodes to be swollen. I knew Jett was getting his 2 year old molars in. I just thought that was the possibility of why it was swollen.

So around his birthday we took him in for his 2 year check up. They had us come in earlier because I called and told them about the lymph node. They wanted to check him out right away. They did some test and found nothing. Said the same thing to me that I had been reading about.

A week later it got worse. It turned red and a second appeared on the side of his neck. He went back in. They put him on an antibiotic for 10 days and told us to call Texas Childrens to schedule an appointment for whenever we can get it. Since it is very difficult to get an appointment. So I did. It was scheduled in 5 weeks.

Still no change after the antibiotics. It was getting larger and more red. Looked like someone beat his chin. At his follow up they decided to send to him Texas Children's too see a specialist right away. They didn't want to wait another month for his appointment. The doctor called & scheduled an appointment for the very next morning downtown.

The ENT specialist said he had a mild case of TB. It's mainly happen to children because they are putting anything in their mouth's. This is so my son. His eyes are his mouth. So she put us on antibiotics for 21 days and asked to come back in 3 weeks. And told us not to worry. It was not a tumor and what we had was treatable. It is called a type of TB because it has similar DNA as the bad TB that we always here about, but it is a different species. So technically it is very very different. They see it often in their office because children ingest soil that this bacteria. We also had a regular TB test done just to see how bad the TB was. His test was negative.

Getting his TB test done

Jett was not responding to the antibiotics it was only getting worse. The chin one was getting very very large and red. It look terrible!

He went in for the 3 week follow up. She saw the nodes and said at this point they can only do surgery to get rid of the infection. In a matter of couple of days Jett had his first cat scan and surgery.

You can see the red lump under his chin. This was taken 3 weeks before his surgery. It only got worse from here.

Before going into surgery. He was in toy heaven!

He did great. Didn't have to get sedated for the cat scan since he is such a calm patient. Which was great that he didn't have too. The surgery took place at Texas Children's Hospital. The surgeon removed 2 lymph nodes & scraped 1 out. The main lymph node was so bad they couldn't even stitch the skin back so it just a open wound. Our main concern was the hidden lymph node hiding behind the lymph node we found on the side of his neck. It was near the nerve that controls the frown and smile. If the nerve is damaged he would have a crooked smile.

Jett did great during the surgery. As of right now he has a slight crooked smile. It is like his lower lip is lazy. She said it was normal after a surgery because of the swelling and trauma of the surgery. It will take sometime for it to come back. She was optimistic that it would, but there is still the chance. He is recovering right now, which is challenging because he is very irritable and sore. He is super cuddly though, which I love!!

There was not a day during this whole ordeal that I was not scared to death. I always thought of worst case scenario of what could be wrong. Could it be cancer? A disease? Everything and anything ran through my mind about the nodes. The day of surgery I was a mess. I cried constantly. I did not want my son to go under the knife. But I knew God was with us and would watch over our little guy. I was right.

As of 4/4/2013 I got a call from ENT at TX Children's that his cultures of the lymph nodes came back non malignant and negative. There are other tests they are doing that take a while, but they are very optimistic with the tests so far. Jett is doing great his open wound is healing beautifully. He even lets me put his medicine on it. Such the perfect patient! Love our strong superman.

After his surgery. We had to stay over night. He had 3 drains in his neck and an open wound (chin) packed with gauze. Such a trooper. All he wanted to do was play.

With his cousin Evella. Catching up on some playtime. If you notice his crooked smile. He is very swollen in this picture.

On Easter. 4 days after his surgery. He looks & feels so much happier.

Medical Miracle
My 16 week appointment was the same day as Jett's cat scan. Mike & Jett wasn't able to make it because of the timing of everything. It wasn't a big deal since it was going to be just a regular check up. Deep down inside though I was hoping they would do an ultrasound to check my blood clot so we can see that and possibly see the gender.

A resident that was working with Dr. Young checked me out. She found the heartbeat. Then asked if she could do an ultrasound. She really wanted to do one with me. I was jumping for joy. I told her I knew there was a chance that we could see the gender if there was that she could write or put the picture in the envelope and seal it so we can reveal on Easter Sunday what the gender was. :)

We started the ultrasound. Found our precious nugget. Heartbeat 160. I could see the spine, head, arms, etc. I then had to close my eyes for the gender part of it. They were able to find it. WOO HOO!!

Dr. Young came in to check on me. Then he noticed my blood clot was practically gone. He was in complete shock. He said it was a miracle and was amazed that it was gone. I never seen him so excited and thrilled. He really couldn't believe that it was almost gone. He then told me he couldn't tell me early on, but it was the biggest clot he had ever seen. The disappearance of this clot was definitely god's work.

My little jokester.

He is so funny.

Love him!

Easter Weekend & Gender Reveal!!!

We found out at 14 weeks Jett's gender, but we waited to tell anyone till my baby shower, which was my 8 month of pregnancy. This time we didn't want to wait, but still wanted to do a reveal.

This time I was 16 weeks going in for a regular check up. I was praying they would do an ultrasound to check on my clot. I told the resident I knew there was a chance to find out the gender if so if she could put the picture or write what it is in the envelope and put it in my person. She did just that. I shut my eyes tight when she was checking. I promise I did not peak.

We waited till Easter while all the family was over to do the reveal. So I patiently waited for 6 days. Talk about will power.

Here is how the reveal unfolded......