Last from New Jersey...hopefully!!

So I start this blog in the hope that it is our last from New Jersey.  Nothing against New Jersey and the Cherry Hill area, it has treated us well, but we're hoping that a room has/or will open up in the Ronald McDonald House that is 1 mile from Chop.  It is our understanding that we are #1 on the waiting list for fetal surgery mothers and that a mother made it to her 37 weeks and had her C-Section earlier this week so we are waiting for her room to open up.  Selfishly, we knew there were two mothers approaching their 37 weeks in late September and we were just waiting for a phone call for a room to be open for us, but knowing exactly what this is all about and the importance of mothers reaching 37 weeks, we were hoping we didn't get an early phone call that a room opened up and that the mothers made it to 37 weeks, which we understand they did!!  Good for them and we're hoping we have the same outcome. 
So, Gov. Christie and the great state of New Jersey, you've treated us well, well...not unless you ask Shawna as the bumping around due to the wretched road conditions (yes Michiganders, we've found a state with worse roads than we have) is not always very pleasant on the stomach and abs that are still very much in recovery mode from surgery, but we're ready to get back across the Delaware River to Philadelphia.  We have appreciated the very low gas prices, but we've noticed that comes with the price of getting a free chiropractic visit (bumpy roads) every time we drive somewhere.  The Garden State, probably not a place we'll be back to soon (so the history teacher in me needs to make sure everyone knows why it's the Garden State...after some serious research by Shawna, well, actually just a quick google search on the way back from our appointment at CHOP this morning, we found out it's the Garden State due to a former famous/important dude calling it that as it's land was eaten up by people from Pennsylvania and New York for farming way back around 1886....it would fool you if you drove over the Ben Franklin Bridge like we have countless times now and all you see is roads and industry....agriculture is actually the 3rd largest industry here behind Pharmacuticals and tourism).
This pic above should give you a brief glimpse into the fact that, yes, we've been "holed" up in a hotel for the past week and will be still for a few more days, but we're now able to get out and about to enjoy some of the local attractions.  Yesterday we made a trip to the Children's Garden in Camden, New Jersey, to find out that it was closed on Tuesday's yet the aquarium next door was open (we planned to visit the aquarium at some point) so we opted to do that instead...thank goodness we did.  It wasn't Chicago's Shedd's but it was still very cool and the crowds on a Tuesday in October were non-existent!!

It's great that Shawna is feeling well enough to get out and about and the boys have a free ride everywhere they go if Mom goes (they love to ride on her lap in the wheelchair....so needless to say, my legs are getting a great workout whenever we go out as a fam!!).  The aquarium is located right on the Delaware River just across from Philly so not only were we able to enjoy the cool attractions in the aquarium but also a beautiful fall day on the walk along the river.

We've become quite adept to hotel living and this Holiday Inn is very accommodating for families like ourselves.  They have a deal with CHOP and we've seen and talked to many families that are here due to the same type of stuff we are.  Shawna has connected on facebook with a spina bifida group and a mother and family are actually coming here tonight to stay for their consultation as they weigh their surgery options for their unborn that has spina bifida.  We're not sure where they're from but she said about 6 hours away.  The hotel pool has been a blessing.  I'd say we spend about 3 hours average there.  Ask Chad and Kath, who visited us this past weekend.  It was great to have them out with Bryce and Brielle and give us a bit of change of pace.  We all made it downtown Philly for some play time at Franklin Park and a walk through downtown with a stop at the Liberty Bell and lunch at a philly cheesesteak joint.  The pool allotted our kids with tons of time to take advantage of Uncle Chad's physical durability (see, I can just play the card of having to carry Myles all over the pool as he's now the only cousin who can't swim by himself or jump on any adult available).  We probably owe Chad a gift card for a massage or chiropractic visit!!  Myles is also taking advantage of some of our downtime by learning with his mother how to crochet (which Shawna is quickly becoming very good at!!...see pic below).  We also need to thank Brielle for only being 6 years old but seemingly going on 16 as her motherly instincts can keep our boys occupied and calmed down!!

Once again today I was reminded of how fortunately we are and that we need to remember that we have a blessing on the way in late November.  First, another trip to CHOP for our weekly visit showed that Shawna is doing a great job of healing and keeping our baby healthy and in place.  All is checking out well...heart looks great, baby is growing, ventricles are still larger than a normal baby but aren't getting bigger as the would in many spina bifida babies, their is no membrane separation, etc.  Peyton really likes sitting in on the ultra sounds and when they listen to the babies heart beat they turn up the volume and he thinks that's great but he woosed out when they offered to listen to his heart rate so Myles let the nurse to a mini-ultrasound on his heart which was great!!  But as I went to workout in the fitness room in the hotel (it's been great for nap time and Saturday/Sunday football viewing to have a place to sweat a bit!!) a guy about our age if not a little younger came into the room and sat down on the exercise bike.  He's been around every day since we've been here so I introduced myself with some small talk as Bill Huizenga was speaking in front of Congress on C-Span (yes, I've turned into a political geek now that I teach AP Government and Politics...and for those of you who don't know, he's our Congressmen) so it gave me a chance to say I'm from Michigan and ask where he was from.  Turns out, Chris, is from South Carolina and he's been here for 3 weeks.  His wife is pregnant with their first kid and they found out in an early ultra sound that their baby only has 1 lung that is functional and it has some tumors on it that only allow the baby to use 25% of that one lung so they were referred to CHOP.  When he asked why we were here, I explained, very briefly, our situation as it is in no comparison to his.  Yes, complications could occur with our #3, but I can start there.  It's our #3.  We've already been blessed with 2 healthy and wonderful boys.  Our next child, now that we're almost to 30 weeks, doesn't really even flirt with the word survival anymore as that is really not a concern of ours now that we're to this point.  Chris told me if the child makes it through birth (it should get to that point as he said it functions very well off of mom while it's in the womb), it has a 5% chance of survival....holy smokes.  I can't imagine what his mind goes through everyday.  He works at a grocery store back home and is trying to make it as a professional bowler but says he tries to do anything everyday that will keep his mind off of what reality probably is for their baby.  So, another day goes by that we are counting our blessings as "whoa is me/us is not an option because it could be a lot worse.
We're looking forward to a visit from Janet and Uncle Kurt this weekend.  It is another transition weekend for the Jockstrap and Bra!!  Kurt, the boys, and I will be venturing back to Zeeland on Sunday.  It will be a much more enjoyable trip if his Sparty's can beat Rutgers in their trip out here (Rutgers is about 45 minutes from us) and my Wildcats can march into Harbaugh country in Ann Arbor and put their mighty meow to the Wolverines!!  If so, I'll definitely be flying my Northwestern car flag as we drive through Ann Arbor on Sunday!!
From Cherry Hill, NJ -

CHOOSING JOY

-Jeff