Excited Parents!

The title of this first post could have been anything from scared, to nervous, to trusting, to excited.... the list goes on but excited is the first thing that pops into my head when I think about the life that Leah and I are bringing into this world.

Naturally, we will undergo the full spectrum of emotions throughout the pregnancy, as will any expectant parent.  We are preparing for a range of possibilities that are extremely broad and we are faithful that God will work his master plan.  Whatever that plan may be, he will prepare us.
For those of you that we haven't had a chance to talk to, my beautiful bride and I are expecting our first child on October 11th 2011. Parker Mason Brown is the new beginning to our unbelievable family of 3! Last week (week 22 in our pregnancy) Parker was officially diagnosed with a birth defect called Hydrocephalus, this is an excessive build up of fluid in the brain. The root cause is called aqueductal stenosis, a blockage or absense of the path where fluid naturally flows from one part of the brain to the next.

What does this mean? Fluid is building up in Parker's head that would normally circulate through the body and be absorbed. The fluid is competing for space where his brain is trying to form. Yes, this means brain damage is a distinct possibility. Based on the MRI and conversation today, it looks as if all facets of the brain are forming, but the fluid is cramming the brain matter to the edges of the skull. The pediatric neurosurgeon we met at Texas Children's said that it looks like the center of the brain is showing early signs of damage, this is the part of the brain that controls your vision.

Good News, Leah and I are doing extremely well! First and foremost, this news means God has blessed Leah and I with the ability to have a family of our own and we are both thrilled! Secondly, it means we will have to deal with some challenges throughout the pregnancy and throughout Parker's life that may not be normal to most parents and children, but it will be absolutely normal for us.  God will not give us anything that we can't handle and we are in a great position to handle any scenorio that comes our way.

Family and friends are extreme important in our lives and we want to keep everyone informed, educated and comfortable with everything that is and will take place.  We've decided this blog is the best way to do that.
Here are a few of the key things that you may want to know:

This is considered a high risk pregnancy, so Leah will have a c-section.
The day to day managment of the pregnancy will be normal.
The pregnancy is expected to be full term.
Parker will have brain surgery after birth to release the fluid from his head and this will be an attempt to correct the issue that causes the build-up and damage in the brain.  We won't know the extent of the damage until he begins to form his cognitive and motor skills.
60% of children with shunts inserted into their brain will need a subsequent procedure by age 2.
Leah and I are in great hands. We have a team of 5 doctors that are monitoring Mom and baby closely.
Leah will be delivering at St. Lukes in the Medical Center
Parker will then be transferred to Texas Children's for the brain surgery immediately thereafter.
I love my wife and she is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We love all of you and we apologize that we cannot inform everyone individually, but we would love to hear from all of you.  Our goal is to keep everyone informed, interested and praying!  We can't wait to see our little boy, and we can't wait to introduce him to all of you!!!!

Love Leah and Dave

P.S.  I will be posting pictures soon, so stay tuned.