Cleft Lip and Palate...

I first want to thank you all for the encouraging words on my last blog post! It really took a lot for me to post the pictures of Emma on the internet. In my post I am going to attempt to explain more about a Cleft Lip and Palate. 


So onto the questions about cleft lip and palate...

Cleft lip and cleft palate are facial and oral malformations that occur very early in pregnancy, while the baby is developing inside its mother. Clefting results when there is not enough tissue in the mouth or lip area, and the tissue that is available does not join together properly.

A cleft lip is a physical split or separation of the two sides of the upper lip and appears as a narrow opening or gap in the skin of the upper lip. This separation often extends beyond the base of the nose and includes the bones of the upper jaw and/or upper gum.

Cleft lip and cleft palate can occur on one or both sides of the mouth. Because the lip and the palate develop separately, it is possible to have a cleft lip without a cleft palate, a cleft palate without a cleft lip, or both a cleft lip and cleft palate together. A cleft palate is a split or opening in the roof of the mouth. A cleft palate can involve the hard palate (the bony front portion of the roof of the mouth), and/or the soft palate (the soft back portion of the roof of the mouth).

(http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/cleft-lip-cleft-palate)

In Emma's case she has a unilateral cleft lip, which means it occurred only on the right side of her mouth, and she has a cleft palate.

(from today of her sitting in the chair at the hospital)

What causes a Cleft Lip?

In most cases, the cause of cleft lip and cleft palate is unknown. These conditions cannot be prevented. Most scientists believe clefts are due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. There appears to be a greater chance of clefting in a newborn if a sibling, parent, or relative has had the problem.

In Emma's case we are unsure of what caused her cleft lip. We dont have a history of this in either side the family, nor was I taking any medications or anything while I was pregnant or prior to finding out that I was pregnant. 

Surgery?

As of right now, we know that Emma has to at least have two surgeries-one for her lip and one for her palate. The lip portion will take place around 3-4 months for her, and the palate surgery wont take place until she is close 1 years old. They wait for the palate surgery because it is still developing and if its done too early they may have to go back and redo it later. We were told she has to have an impression done to help with her nostril that is involved in the cleft lip, and that should be done fairly soon so it can help push her nostril up so it will be in place until she has her first surgery. 

Currently, at the hospital she is at there is a full team that works with babies born with Craniofacial abnormalities. 

• Plastic surgeon to evaluate and perform necessary surgeries on the lip and/or palate
• An otolaryngologist (an ear, nose, and throat doctor) to evaluate hearing problems and consider treatment options for hearing problems
• An oral surgeon to reposition segments of the upper jaw when needed, to improve function and appearance and to repair the cleft of the gum
• An orthodontist to straighten and reposition teeth
• A dentist to perform routine dental care
• A prosthodontist to make artificial teeth and dental appliances to improve the appearance and to meet functional requirements for eating and speaking
• A speech pathologist to assess speech and feeding problems
• A speech therapist to work with the child to improve speech
• An audiologist (a specialist in communication disorders stemming from a hearing impairment); to assess and monitor hearing
• A nurse coordinator to provide ongoing supervision of the child's health
• A social worker/psychologist to support the family and assess any adjustment problems
• A geneticist to help parents and adult patients understand the chances of having more children with these conditions

Now we are unsure if she will actually need all these people but they are available if we need them! I think the team of people to focus on these patients is excellent because they are all working together. We have been also working with the occupational therapist to help in the feeding process with Emma. 

Whew! This was a lot to explain...thanks to WebMD for helping me in the process! Its crazy because at one point I didn't want to talk about all of this period, and honestly some days are still better than others. I guess I was in a denial stage, but now that I know whats going on I feel like explaining is sort of therapy for me! We love Emma so much and whatever it takes to make sure she has the BEST care, and she is well taken care of is our only concern! Reading all the blogs and websites I feel like this is a minor hurdle for us to jump at the moment. I am realizing that God has put us in this place for a reason, BECAUSE HE FELT WE COULD HANDLE IT! And although there have been many days when I felt like it was too much to handle, I look at that little girl and watch her smile at Darrick and I and I know that's just God reassuring me that He is by our side through all of this! We all have up days and down days, but God is still in Control!

Updates...

WARNING...this blog is a bunch of random thoughts so please bear with me! 

Well my little munchkin is still in the hospital, but I will say she is doing a lot better with her feedings! We have tried many bottles, and I think we are back to using one of the first ones we tried. It took a lot for me to post her picture on my blog, showing her lip. I asked Darrick to see how he felt and he was okay with it too...We are very protective of everything going on with her right now, so I have been unsure if I wanted to post a picture of her cleft lip. But I think she is soooo stinkin' cute so I couldn't resist!!! Little Miss Emma is three weeks old, but she has mannerisms like she is older! She has a feisty personality and its so funny because when she gets upset, she really gets upset!! There is no in-between! LOL!

Currently, I am trying to figure out a few things in life. Like how I can go back to work after maternity leave with her needing special attention until she has surgery. I know many moms take off for an extended amount of time, so right now I am praying for an answer to come to let me be able to handle everything! Should I try to go part-time, or should I find a part-time job??? Having Emma has been a wake up call on a number of levels, its really been an experience of putting her first in everything Darrick and I do! Darrick and I are also learning lessons of how to stay on the same page even when times get tough. Things have been very stressful but through everything communication is the MAJOR key to overcoming any obstacles! 

I am also debating on if I want to go back into my Higher Education program in school. I ended up having to drop my last class I was taking because it was too much to handle and have a baby. So I dropped my class and now I am debating on if I want to change my major and go into another program or not. I know this will cause me to be in school a longer but I guess being happy in the end is the major factor! This is a decision that I have a while to make, considering I'm not enrolling back in school anytime soon...but I must admit it is bothering me a little bit. Being in the hospital on a daily basis and being around all the children, I think I want to work more with kids, and becoming a teacher is something I have always played around with but never went for it. So I'm considering going into a program that I can get my masters along with my teaching license. I guess thinking about this gives me some since of normalcy since I'm at the hospital everyday!

So I think this is all of my random thoughts...well at least the major items that I have been thinking about (Emma, Darrick and I, Work, and School)...

She's Here...

Well everyone I'm pretty sure you guessed that I have been gone because I had the baby! Yes, Emma was born on February 4th at 8:43pm! She was a whooping 9lbs and .8oz, 21 1/2 inches long...she was a big baby! LOL!!! I must admit this was the BEST day of my life, I have never felt this way about anyone! Darrick and I are completely in LOVE with her!!! Its crazy because in these two weeks I have realized that she has a BIG PERSONALITY (and is very feisty)! 

I'm supposed to be resting right now but I thought I would put a quick note on my blog first, to let my readers know that I haven't forgotten about them and I hope they haven't forgotten about me! I plan to continue blogging, but everything has been put on hold until my little one comes home. She is still in the hospital because she was born with a cleft lip, and although we knew this in advance she has had sort of a tough time with feedings. The doctors are in the process of finding the right bottle nipple for her to feed from, this is a common process with babies born with a cleft lip or cleft palate. Hopefully, we will be able to come home soon, the doctors said that we are probably looking at the end of the week or early next week! 

Thanks for Still Reading...Please Continue to Pray for Us! 

Love,

Carissa

Letter to Emma...

Dear Emma,

Today is your due date! I decided to write you a letter on Sunday, January 29, 2012. I was sitting here thinking that I may not possibly be able to write a post about you on February 2nd (your actual due date) so I decided to do it in advance. 

Where do I start...I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET YOU, ACTUALLY DADDY AND I CANT WAIT TO MEET YOU!!! Although we were scared to death when we first found out we were pregnant, we have loved you from the beginning. We both originally thought we were having a boy, but once we found out you are a girl...we went into full girl mode and you have been Daddy's Little Princess ever since. We constantly pray for your development because we found out that you could possibly have a cleft lip, however, we have put it all in God's Hands, and no matter what you are in God's Hands and there is NOTHING that He CAN'T HEAL! Seeing your face in the ultrasounds we can see you have fat cheeks (you took after your Momma) and I cant wait to kiss them, it brings tears to my eyes each time I see you because I cant believe you will be ours and God has blessed us with such a GIFT! 

As I sit here and type this I can't stop crying because I am so THANKFUL to have you and Daddy in my life! You are named after your Grandmother's Emma (Daddy's Mom), and Renee (Mommy's Mom)...Grandma Batts and Papa (Mommy's side) cant wait to join you in the crew of grand-kids they already have, and Grandma Godbott and Poppi (Daddy's Side) are deceased but I know they are watching over you from Heaven! Your Aunts and Uncles are also ready to meet you, they call daily to see how Mommy is doing and if I have gone into labor...I guess one day they will either receive a phone call that we are headed to the hospital or a phone call telling them what day the doctor has scheduled us to come in. 

By the time anyone reads this letter, hopefully you are already in my arms...if not I know it wont be long before we meet you:) Just please try to come before the Super Bowl per Daddy's request:) If not, whenever you decide to come we will be ecstatic, even if its on Super Bowl Sunday! 

Love Always,

Mommy and Daddy