Hello from the Brandon's

We hope that eveybody is doing great and enjoyed the summer and is ready for Fall. Hunter is doing great. He is growing like a weed, he is in size 6 clothes. He started a new preschool and he is doing really well and enjoys going everyday. It also has a daycare for when the baby is born. He is ready to be a big brother, but I do not think he knows what a big brother does and that the baby is here to stay. The baby is due to come by C-section on 9-23 at noon if he stays in that long. I have been feeling good and glad for the cooler weather. For those that do not know, our little guy has a congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot(TOF). This is commonly called the "blue baby syndrom". Thankfully, he has a minor case. TOF has a very broad diagnosis. It is made up of 4 things; 1) a hole between the bottom 2 chambers of the heart (ventricular septal defect or VSD), 2) a narrowing under or at the pulmonary valve, 3) an enlargment of the bottom right side of the heart, and 4) the aorta is lined up just over the hole between the bottom 2 chambers. Out of all that he has the VSD, narrowing of the pulmonary artery area, as well as the aorta that is lined up over the hole. With all that said we do not know how he will be until he is born. As of now with all the echo's he has had they are thinking that he will not be blue, and will act like a normal baby. He may sleep more and not eat as much so he will be small. The only treatment is open heart surgery. Since he has a mild case, the doctors are thinking that he will not need open heart surgery when he is born, but he will need it at about 3-4 months old. On the flip side, if when he is born and is having a hard time breathing or is blue then he will have to have open heart surgery immediately and have a shunt installed unitl his big surgery at 3-4 months old. At the birth, he will be born by c-section and then taken to the neonatal intensive care unit to be observed to see if can breath, retain proper color, and eat good. Because of the mild case the doctors are thinking that he will be able to come home with us. There are a lot of unanswered questions now. We and the doctors will not know all the answers until he is born. We continue to ask for your prayers that he will be able to come home with us, that his heart is better than what they are thinking and that he will need no medication, and grows strong in preparation for his 3-4 month surgery. As a side note, I am glad the movie Frozen came out. Hunter loved that movie and understands it very well. We tell Hunter that the baby has a hurt heart like Elsa and that he has to see a special doctor to get better (luckily not a troll doctor). For now he is happy with that. Sorry for the long and sad post, but just felt the need to get all of you informed in what is going on with our little guy. Love, The Brandon's