And now to the two people who perhaps still check in from time to time, SURPRISE! Greetings from the Pitrones! We have much to update...
We arrived home to Denver the beginning of November, sick as dogs. After blood work and stool samples and a whole lot of laying around and re-hydrating, we were on the road to recovery. Thankfully neither of us had a parasite, though we still don't know what plagued our system for those weeks.
The piece of the puzzle that we weren't sharing was that while in Guatemala we discovered that Anna was pregnant - an awesome blessing, but it also freaked us out quite a bit. We'd had a miscarriage early in the summer and were pretty jumpy the second time around, particularly because I was not able to handle the smell of much of anything, and there was very little I was able to feel comfortable eating. That was the main reason for our early return to the States, as we didn't want to do anything to jeopardize the life of the little one.
We lived with Nick's parents for the first two months after returning, and generally had the goal of getting healthy again and getting baby checked up. Beginning of January we moved into a new apartment, and I began substitute teaching and teaching private voice and piano lessons, while Nick began bids and gearing up for another season of painting.
At the end of January we had an ultrasound to let us know that we are having a little baby girl! Very exciting for both of us! Yet at the same time we learned that Baby Girl Pitrone has some major heart defects that will need to be addressed immediately upon birth. For those of you aware of the anatomy of the heart, I'll explain that on our baby, the tricuspid valve didn't form, so there is just a wall in its place. Blood is able to access the right side of the heart due to another defect, the presence of a VSD or ventricular septal defect. And finally, the two main arteries out of her heart are switched around, "transposition of the great arteries". Three surgeries are required to fix the problem; one at birth, one at six months of age, and one at age three.
This has obviously been a very difficult month for Nick and I as we think of and prepare for what is to come for our baby. We've been encouraged by contact with others who have been in similar situations to us, and have experienced "success" for their children. Ultimately we realize that there is nothing we can do... and in realizing our powerlessness to protect our baby girl, we can do nothing but attempt to rely on the Lord for strength. Some days this is easier said than done, though I understand that for those who today have children, it continues to be a struggle throughout their lives.
Today I am fine. Yesterday I was not. The day before I was fine. There are moments when the weight of decision-making is heavy upon me. There are times when I'm sick of how unfair life can be. Other times I am able to think more logically and acknowledge that for every statistic, SOMEONE has to be the 1 out of 16,000.
We'll do our best to keep folks updated on what we learn as we get closer to the due date, in the middle of June. From what we understand now, I'll be able to have a regular delivery whenever it begins, and then baby will be taken down the hall to the NICU to be observed for a few days. After I am discharged from the hospital, they will transport Baby Pitrone to Children's Hospital for the first surgery, if it is necessary. There is a chance that she will do okay without it, which would obviously be a huge prayer request from our perspective.
Even though we're back in the states and not too far away from many of you, we would love to make you feel close and keep you an important part of our life. We need you.
Love from Nick, Anna, and Baby
