Answers bring more questions

Thank you all for your prayers, worried texts, and messages of support.

First, the antibodies came back negative. Huge relief.  However, we've learned more about what this test shows, and it's not exactly what we previously thought. The lack of antibodies just means that Katy isn't fighting off the infection caused by listeria (listeriosis). This is great news, because we want Katy to be healthy (not just for our baby, but for her three little babies!) This also shows that hopefully she won't have any more effects from the listeria that she was previously experiencing (contractions, vomiting, fever, etc.), which is ah-mazing.  However, unfortunately the lack of antibodies doesn't mean that the baby wasn't exposed.

Enter: gray area. (We're hoping the area will become a lot more black/white as the weeks progress.)

Our understanding is that it's impossible to ever be sure if Baby M is currently being infected by the listeria, (except through testing the spinal fluid or brain fluid, which can't be done in utero.) So based on what we know so far and what doctors' have seen, we'll move forward with the likelihood that baby M was exposed. This means weekly appointments, ultrasounds, monitoring baby's weight, monitoring changes in the placenta, and weekly stress tests. The second anything changes and we see the baby is in distress through these tests, we'd deliver.  However, many times there isn't a warning, and perinatal death just occurs. So there tends to be a fine line between the risks of a premature birth, and risking the possible effect listeria could have. (ie: do we risk taking him at 28 weeks, when he may have been fine until 34 weeks, and then struggle with the issues of a 28 week premature baby? Or do we risk keeping him "cooking" longer, and then risk the complications from listeria?)

Because we aren't sure, (and the doctors aren't sure) about what week is the magic number, we plan on talking to lots of specialists (both in Houston and in Dallas), as well as talking to some neonatologists (aka: newborn docs). We have scheduled appointments in Dallas with two different doctors on Monday morning (week from today), and hopefully we'll be closer with a plan of action by then. In the meantime, all doctors tend to agree on her same treatment of IV antibiotics, so she'll continue with that.

We'll keep you all updated with what we learn/decide in the next few weeks.

Little patient soul, today you are 23 weeks. Our little "week-by-week" cards tell us that you're forming taste buds this week. I can't wait to see you taste a lemon for the first time or your first lick of an ice cream cone. (Albeit, not likely Blue Bell.) Just please keep hanging in there, as we aren't quite ready to meet you yet. But when you make it here, I promise the taste of life will be worth it.

Love to all,
K & W