Welcome to Philadelphia...

Well, we made it here in one piece. We may have forgotten a few items (Emerson's pajamas, charger for the portable DVD player, etc) but we're here. Emerson did quite well on the plane. Mommy prepared her and told her we were going on a plane ride. At the airport, she ran down the jetway - like she knew what was going on.


We boarded the plane and upon take off, she yelled, "Weeeeeeeeee!" and clapped her hands. And here I was, worried her ears would hurt and she'd scream for hours. Don't get me wrong, she had her moments, but overall she did great. [Note to self: always pack an extra pair of clothing for a long plane ride in case of accidents!]

We arrived late to Philly and passed out at our new home away from home, the Carriage House. The house is just a mile from CHOP.


My birthday, yesterday, was a bit rough being away from home. I didn't think I'd be homesick, but I was. I definitely missed the comforts of home.

Today we took the trolley (yes, we're figuring out mass transit) to CHOP for my appointments. We had an ultrasound, met with the OB, midwife, lactation consultant, had a fetal echo and cardiology consult. Most importantly, Zoe's heart is looking good. No further complications seen and we're planning for a normal delivery. Zoe's estimated weight is 5 pounds, 8 ounces. She needs to continue to grow as HLHS babies lose weight after birth/surgery from poor eating habits. The bad news for me is that I'm getting PUPPP again. I suffered through it with Emerson and was hoping to avoid it with Zoe. No such luck. The OB told me (as I'd suspected) that it was starting. I'm hoping it doesn't get too bad and I can manage the symptoms. If not, I may be a miserable mess for the next several weeks.

While at CHOP today, we met baby Jacob - a fellow HLHS fighter and his mommy. He is such a cutie and an inspiration to us. Jacob's mommy let us see his surgical scars and explained a lot about life in the hospital. It will be a challenge, but we're prepared - as much as possible anyway.

Philly weather treated us well thus far, but will take a rainy turn this weekend. Too bad as I was looking forward to Saturday's farmers market down the street and taking Emmy to the Philly Zoo :(

We're still attempting to adjust to the time change. Haven't nailed that down yet.

Our next appointment at CHOP is Thursday, April 22. Be on the lookout for more updates and pictures of the Lihns enjoying Philadelphia!