Thursday, November 1, 2007

Halloween

This Halloween was all about the Pumpkins. Click here to see the entire album.

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Sunday, October 21, 2007

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the Pumpkin patch today and had lots of fun!

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Monday, July 2, 2007

All smiles... (Well almost)

Noah is finally learning how to do something besides scream and eat! He's getting so big now. The clothes in the last post don't even fit him anymore.


Thursday, June 21, 2007

big boy

All dressed up and ready to go to his first wedding.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Noah's First Video.

Here's a little video of Noah for every one to see. He's getting big. When the doctor weighed him yesterday he was over 9lbs!

Monday, June 4, 2007

He's growing!




Noah is 9lbs 1.5 oz now. The doctor wants us to try him off of the oxygen a few times a day. He's eating and growing and doing great!


Friday, April 27, 2007

HOME


He came home Thursday! He's doing fine. He is still on oxygen. That was a little scary at first but it doesn't seem so bad now. He has to stay home for a while, which is normal. He does have plenty of Dr's appointments though. He has to see an opthalmologist, pediatrician, the pediatric surgeon that repaired his hernias, a home health nurse that comes to the house, and an occupational therapist. So, we'll be busy for a while, but it is so worth it to have him home!

Saturday, April 21, 2007

No more tubes.

Today Noah was breathing completely on his own and didn't require the least bit of oxygen so they took the nasal-canula you see in the pictures below off of him. Now he doesn't have any more tubes on his face. He can breath and eat good without any of them now!

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

new pics
















No more feeding tubes. He's in a big boy bed now. Doing great, and cute as ever! Thank you Melissa for taking GREAT pictures! You're the best!

Monday, April 16, 2007

Excellent News!

Noah is doing great! He pulled out his breathing tube the night before last so they put him on the C-pap. Now he is on the canula. Today the nurse said he was so upset last night and today. So I was able to hold him when I got there. He was sound asleep in my arms. The nurse said he hasn't slept like that for her all day. She even had to give him some medicine to calm him down. I just called the night nurse and she said that he ate ALL of his last two feedings by mouth in less than 15 minutes! She said that and wanting to be held by mom was probably what was making him upset. Now he is sleeping well and not fussy. Yay! Daddy is in California now on a business trip so we both miss him terribly! But he will be back soon to see his little one doing so much better! :) Thank you ALL for your prayers!

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Under the weather, again

Noah is still on the ventilator from the surgery. They tried to take him off a few times, but he couldn't make it. Today we found out the reason. He has pneumonia. His lungs are full of two different kinds of bacteria. So, they're giving him two antibiotics that will last at least seven days. Tomorrow they're going to put a pic-line in because IV's are not staying in very long. He seemed to be feeling better today than he did yesterday. It's really hard seeing him with a tube in his mouth. I can tell that he hates it.
I am glad though, that we know why he's having a hard time and now it can be treated. Thank you Jesus for medicine and doctors and nurses!
Please continue to pray for his strength! Love you all!

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Like a champ!

Noah's surgery went well today. The doctor got him fixed up pretty quick and they used surgical glue to close him back up instead of stitches. He still seems a bit groggy from the anesthesia, but the nurse said he took it like a champ. Today Noah had surgery and tomorrow Jenny (Mom) is going to have surgery. She's finally getting her wisdom teeth taken out. It's been quite an eventful week.

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Getting fixed up.

Thursday Noah is having surgery to fix his hernia. The doctor's don't seem incredibly worried about it, but they want to fix it before he gets to come home and so it doesn't get any worse. He's finally big enough and stable enough that they want to do surgery. If everything goes as well as expected they'll have him fixed up and after a few more weeks of recovery be able to come home!

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Feeding


Noah is doing better. The sample from the spinal tap has not grown anything, and it's been 48 hours. They are giving him real milk again, in a bottle! I was able to feed him last night and tonight. He drank the whole bottle tonight! He's off of the c-pap. Thank you for your prayers! They worked, once again.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Under the Weather

Please keep Noah in your prayers. He has developed an infection again, Strep B. Right now he is in an isolated area. We have to wear gowns and gloves. They are giving him antibiotics, three of them. He has a pic-line in his head. Which is like an IV, it's just a really long tube they thread through a vein. He also has another IV in his foot. He seems to be doing ok, except he is grumpy because they stopped feedings yesterday. The doctor wants to do a spinal tap on Monday to make sure that he does not have meningitis. He is also on the C-pap again.
Strep B is usually carried by the mother and transfered to the baby. Since he is premature, they are testing my milk that he is drinking to see if he got it from there. There is also another baby in the unit that has it, but the doctor said it is VERY rare for it to be transfered there. So, we will see how things go.
Thanks for your prayers!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

There are more pictures to look at. Just click on the album that says "Noah's first days" to the left.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

New Pictures

Noah weighs 3lbs and 2.7oz! He is doing really well these days. They are going to try to take him off the c-pap his week. He's been pulling it off today and he did fine without it. He was just on a t-bar when I was holding him.
The ophthalmologist looked at his eyes on Friday. He didn't put any notes in the chart so that means his eyes looked good. All of the nurses say he usually calls if there are any problems.
He's eating well, almost an ounce.
He got a bath tonight. He was screamin'. :) But he calmed down once we got to hold him. He's such a sweet baby.
God really did a miracle through him. I was just thinking about the day I called my boss and told her the doctor said he wasn't going to make it. She said, "we're not going to believe that." It's amazing how He can put such an awesome support group in your life when you need it. God is just so smart! :)
Well, here is a link to some pics. Some are from a few weeks ago and some are from Sat.
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Sunday, March 11, 2007

Almost There




He now weighs 2lbs 15.2oz. Only .(point) 8oz away from being 3lbs! Yay! They took him off the c-pap yesterday at noon, but put him back on tonight because he wasn't ready. But we were able to hold him for a while with just the canula (the regular oxygen t-bar everyone is familiar with). Tonight he had has eyes open for the longest we've ever seen them! He's so beautiful. He also moved to the other side of the NICU. The area he is in now is for babies that do not need "acute" care. So, he's doing great! :)

Monday, March 5, 2007

chubby




Well, today was a pretty eventful day for Noah. The first time we visited, we discovered that his diaper had sprung a leak all over his onsie and blankets, so I got to help change his clothes and bedding. Then we realized that he had pulled his feeding tube out. Which wasn't the first time. The respiratory therapist said he pulled it out about four times yesterday. While she was changing is tube, we were able to see him without all of the tubes and hat on. He's getting cuter every day!
The second time we came back with Grandma and Grandpa. Then, I got to hold him. :) We are able to hold him every day, for the most part. He's doing really well. His oxygen is good and he's still eating. He's 2lbs and 10oz.
Noah's neighbor is going to have surgery this week. When I was talking to his mom, she was telling me that before he was born, she had kind of strayed away from God and was wondering where He was in her life. After all of the events with her son, she had become closer to Him. She said that so many people were there for her, and that had an influence. The same pastor that prayed for Noah also visits them. (my friend's pastor) He also made an impact on that family. It is awesome what God can do. Like I said when Noah was born, God will be glorified, and he has.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

YAY!


I got to hold him again! Steven will hold him tomorrow... so look for more pics then! :)

Monday, February 26, 2007






Another doctor said he has heard nothing but good reports about Noah today. He's doing fine. He is eating again and keeping most of it down. They're giving him medicine for acid reflux. His oxygen was a bit better today.
I made a sign to hang by his crib with a list of things that he likes. So, the nurses who have never had him can know what makes his stats stay high. The nurse I gave it to said it was a good idea.
We're taking a class on Wednesday so we can hold him again! I can't wait!
Oh, he's 2lbs 7.5oz.

Friday, February 23, 2007

He pulled his breathing tube out today. So, they put him on the c-pap. That is a good thing! We are praying that he'll stay on the c-pap.
He's having some trouble with eating still. He's not keeping it down all of the time and some of the residual is discolored. So, they're going to give him a break from eating and then try again.
Well, that's about it. :)

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Prayer Works

Last night I was upset about it being so noisy in the NICU, and frustrated that I couldn't get a straight answer about his head ultrasound. So, when I came home, I prayed about it. I prayed this morning that his lungs would grow strong so they would put him in an isolette, also known as an incubator. It is quieter for him and would allow to him to rest easier. One of the nurses said he would be in one when he got off the ventilator. This afternoon when I walked in to see Noah, he was in an isolette! He wasn't off the ventilator, but that's ok. Now he will be able to rest easier.
He is throwing up his food every now and then. While he was doing it today, he pulled his feeding tube out. He's feisty!
My friend Jessica's pastor came to pray for him tonight. I was very thankful for that. I could feel God's power moving while we were praying.
Oh, the nurse practitioner talked to us about his brain scan. She said it was stable, no dilation of the ventricles, and no fluid except for residue. So that's good!
Well, I could type more but I'm so tired! Thank you for your continuous prayers!

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Count our blessings.

Noah is doing well. Our favorite doctor told us we should count our blessings because out of all of the babies in the NICU with a bleed, Noah is doing the best! He’s eating well again. His oxygen level is still pretty high but they want him to come down on his own, no help from steroids. So, we have to help as much as we can to be comfortable. When he gets upset, he starts to desat, which in turn causes him to need more oxygen. Here is a link that pretty much explains the protocol on what the protocol is we are supposed to follow. http://geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/8623/touch.html

I know many want to see him. Please understand that we are trying to do what’s best for him so he can come home healthy and healed! Then we can all hold him and squeeze him all of the time! (after mom and dad, of course! J ) He can still have visitors, but not often. We’ll keep taking pictures though!

Thank you for your prayers!

Monday, February 19, 2007

Weigh-In


So, Steven and I had a bet going as to how much Noah would weigh at his weekly Sunday weigh-in. His weight last time was 2lb and .(point)2 oz. Steven said he would weigh 2lb 3oz. Jenny said he would weigh 2lb 4.5oz. Steven said, "no, you've over bid." Well, this evening the nurse said that he now weighs 2lb and 4.5oz! hehe, I won! :)
The doctor also talked to us. She said she was very pleased with how he was doing. He's eating everything they give him (10 ml now). His brain scan looked good last week so she wasn't sure if the neurosurgeon was going to do another this week. She said she wanted him to gain more weight before she put him on the c-pap so he wouldn't fail again. Tomorrow is the last day of his antibiotics. He's coughing a lot of that stuff in his lungs up still. (I know that sounds gross, but we're really thankful for it).
When we were there tonight he was so feisty he decided to scoot about 3 inches on his own. He's such a wiggle-worm when he's feeling good. :)
So, we're thankful that he is doing so good now and we're praying God will continue to heal him. Thanks for your prayers and encouragement!!

Friday, February 16, 2007

Weight: 2lb, .2oz


Noah is doing fine. He's eating again. 5ml every 3 hours to start off. His oxygen is improving and the antibiotics they gave him are helping a lot. He's getting so much bigger! I love to just look at him. He's also opening his eyes more these days. As I was singing to him last night he was looking at me. He's so cute! :)
When we were there tonight he was really fussy. After a bit he started getting really mad. So, the respiratory therapist came and suctioned his lungs. He was very calm after that. The nurse said it was good that he is getting that stuff out of his lungs.
That is about all that's happening right now. Please be patient with our posts, we are soooo busy! Thanks for your continuous prayers!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Tiny Setback

Noah had to have his breathing tube put back in yesterday. He stopped breathing several times. The nurse calls it premature apnea. He's not neurologically ready to breath so he just forgets, especially when he's tired from fighting an infection. He does have fluid and bacteria in his lungs, which they are giving him medicine for. He also received more blood today and caffeine.
His head ultrasound came back ok. There were no changes, so it's stable.
The nurse told me today that he looked like he was feeling better. I'm praying his lungs will be healed quickly. (I want to hold him again!) :)

Monday, February 12, 2007

Ups and Downs

Well... this day wasn't as good as yesterday. They think he has an infection again. His blood pressure was really low, he was pale, and not moving. So, they started him on antibiotics, took more blood and some other tests. They also gave him some liquid volume. He looked much better after that, even opened his eyes for me! :) I could tell he just didn't feel good. I saw him right after work and he looked ok. When I went back he wasn't moving at all. I hate moments like that. I walk in and the nurse has to tell me bad news and I have to see him hurting. It seems like I'm always alone when that happens.
I'm also having a hard time with the doctor situation. I had requested if we could switch to another doctor that we really like. He informs us often and has a more aggressive approach of treatment. Anyway, I can never get a straight answer as to if we can switch. I found out tonight that he is leaving in a month. So, I don't know what we're going to do. Just keep praying that we'll hear everything we need to hear from his doctor and that God will guide her as to what to do.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Priceless


I finally get to hold him.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Squeaker


Our new nickname for Noah is "squeaker." No, not really. When he tries to cry he squeeks. It really sounds cute. We heard him sneeze for the first time yesterday. It's funny how you find joy in the smallest things.
I know the picture is blurry. We were just so amazed at how big he is getting. I had to ask the nurse if there was anything wrong with his belly because I thought it was so much bigger than the day before! But nothing was wrong, he's just eating and getting stronger.
Everything is going well so far. He's eating 12ml, 3 times a day. His head isn't getting bigger and he's still not showing signs that the hydrocephalus is bothering him. I pray that he keeps getting stronger and healthier!!

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Patience?

I'm wondering what it is that God is teaching us. Is it patience? I think part of it is. I do know that whatever the lesson is, God will be glorified. I do believe Noah will be ok and that God will make him well.
When I arrived at the hospital tonight the neurosurgeon was ready to talk to me. Noah's bleed is worse than it was. He now has hydrocephalus. Which means he has spinal fluid built up in the ventricles in his brain. The ventricles are swelling and causing pressure. He is too small to be operated on and the doctor said he is showing no sign that it is bothering him. The signs would be breathing problems and rapid decrease in heart rate. So, he is going to watch him every day and continue to do scans every week. Sometimes the condition can go away, especially since his skull is soft. The fluid can be reabsorbed. If not, they can drain the fluid or put a shunt in when he is bigger. So, we'll just have to see how he does and continue to pray for healing.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Big Baby

Sorry we haven't posted in a few days. We've been busy! :)
Well, Noah is now on a C-pap, which is a mask on his nose that blows oxygen in. He doesn't have the tube in his throat anymore! He is eating a lot, 7ml every 3 hours and taking it well.
We were standing there when the nurse was changing his diaper tonight. Once she took it off, she said, "oh! a hernia." The respiratory therapist said, "oh yeah, it's been there, it does look bigger now." Steven and I both had a look of complete shock and/or horror on our faces. So, the nurse immediately calmed us down by saying it was normal (we hear that a lot) and that it could go away or they can fix it. They wouldn't repair until he is ready to come home. However, if it caused complications, they would have to repair it immediately. Another thing to pray about. (and of course worry)
We did get the opportunity to hear him cry for the first time and see his cute little face with no breathing tube. He is THE cutest baby I have ever seen! :)
He had a brain scan today but we won't know the results until the doctor can read it. I'm calling tomorrow morning to talk to a doctor about it and ask about the hernia. Hopefully there will be a doctor available to talk to!
Thanks again for your continued prayers. And thanks for all of the posts! We love to read them!

Thursday, February 1, 2007

Good Day


The nurse said he had a good day today. The doctor called again to just give me an update. He said his lungs are still not where he wants them to be. They're going to do another x-ray on them tomorrow. They did other tests to check his bones, liver, kidneys, etc... and the doctor said they came back great. He said he is focusing on his bleed and his lungs. I like this doctor. He is filling in for the other doctor while she is on vacation. But, he seems like he is more aggressive in his treatment and really wants to get him better. So, I talked to the social worker that helps parents of preemies and asked her if we could switch. She really understood but wasn't quite sure it was possible. However, she said she would talk to him and see. I pray we will be able to switch.
I went back to work this week. I was glad to be back. Everyone there is very helpful, they are a blessing.
Noah gained 1/2 an oz since Sunday. He's getting fatter! The doctor wants to start feeding him more.
He really is doing well, I just have to remember that it is going to take time for him to be a "normal" baby.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Little Fighter




Noah's doctor is out of town for two weeks so he has a fill in doctor. This doctor calls me yesterday to tell me they're going to start him on steroids to help his lungs get better because his oxygen wasn't going so well. It has gotten better since then. The steroids will stop tomorrow. He also told me that the plates in his head had moved so he wanted to do another ultra sound because there might be fluid in his brain. The results of the ultra sound were the same as they were last Thursday. So, no fluid! He opened his eyes really wide last night and a little tonight. They also did an x-ray of his lungs. Once side is clear and the other is not. They're giving him a massage every 6 hours for 48 hours to break the stuff up. He is looking good still, kidneys are working fine. So, we're just pluggin' along...

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Feisty

Noah decided to pull out his oxygen tube today. The nurse said they were able to put it back in right away. He he. She said he set off all of the alarms. He must have wanted some attention. He also gained 4 oz and grew a few cm. His oxygen was better today than it was yesterday. So, we're praying it continues to improve. I posted more pictures to the album.

Haning' in There


Noah is doing well. They did an echocardiogram on Friday of his heart. It's basically an ultrasound. They performed it around 11:00am, told me the results would be in that early afternoon. So, I left and went back early afternoon. The results weren't in yet. After waiting until 6:30pm, they still weren't in and I had to leave because it was a shift change. Steven and I went back up there that night and they were finally in. The nurse said that it came back normal but he does have a PDA . She said it was very small and would ask the on-call doctor to come talk to us about it. I had already known that's what they were looking for and what it was because there is another baby two beds down that has it and they had to do surgery on her heart. So, I was a little nervous. Well, she talked to the doctor and he wouldn't talk to us because our doctor did not tell him why she ordered the echo and he didn't want to step on her toes. I couldn't believe it! But, I understood. So, the nurse advised us to call in the morning. So I called. I was able to talk to the nurse practitioner. She was very helpful. She said the PDA is so small that they won't treat it now in hopes that it will close on its own. She also said his blood and lung cultures came back. Blood cultures are negative and his lungs did have bacteria in them, but were expected. His blood pressure is still good with the medication and kidneys are working. I asked her about his oxygen levels because were very concerned and it seemed as though no one was giving us the answers we wanted. She said he is developing a chronic lung disease that is expected and it will take a while for his lungs to grow stronger. That is why he is requiring so much oxygen and help from the ventilator. Eventually they will be able to reduce the amount they give him. He more than likely will have to go home with oxygen.
He has two primary nurses now. Both of them are very nice and we appreciate the way they take care of him. They each work 3 days out of the week, 12 hour shifts. So, we have to find more primary nurses. They suggested we do that so he will have less variation.
They had to put an IV in his head because the one in his hand went bad. It doesn't look as bad as I thought it would, but still not very comfortable.
We'll be taking more pictures today so be looking for them!

Thursday, January 25, 2007

God is AMAZING!

Well, we talked to the doctor. The medications helped! His kidneys are doing better, his blood pressure is better, and his breathing is better. We won't know where the infection is until a few days from now. They took cultures from his lungs and blood. Also, she said they did the ultra sound of his brain today and his clot is SMALLER and there is no swelling!!! The doctor said she was very pleased. We were so excited to hear that! Now we're praying that the tests come back fine. He looked so much better this afternoon. He was feisty again.
It was alarming to hear the doctor say she was really scared this morning. But I am thankful that she can be so real with us. I asked her if there was a chance his bleed will get smaller and she said, "oh yes, it will get better." She is a good doctor. We were also told that at this age there is nothing they can do if the kidneys fail. I am glad the medications are working and I pray they continue to work.
Thank you all so much for praying!

Rough morning


As soon as I went in to the room today the nurse was trying to get Noah to breath more and all of the alarms were going off. The doctor was there and said she was just about to call me. "We've had a rough morning," she said. Noah's kidneys are not working properly. She thought something was wrong yesterday when his potassium level was high. She said this morning he wasn't moving as much as he normally does. His blood pressure is low and she thinks he has an infection. So, they're giving him an antibiotic for the infection and demorol for the blood pressure. Now, after telling me all of this she said she can't stay and talk because she has other patients to see. She told me to come back later because she'll be there all night and to ask the nurse if I had any questions. I tried my best not to burst into tears, but I couldn't help it. I wanted to stay strong for Noah, but I just got so scared. Through my tears and sobs, I managed to tell him that Mommy loves him and everything was going to be ok. It's even harder to hear news like that because EVERYONE around can hear what the doctor is saying and then can see me crying. I didn't care though, I just let them fall. The nurse said the medicine will help. His blood pressure will be stabilized and will allow more blood to flow to his kidneys. He's so tired now that he's letting the ventilator do all of his breathing. His rate was up to 65% and the machine was giving him 20 breaths a minute. Last week the rate was 21% (which is great, it's what we breath) and he was only given 10/min.
Steven and I are going back up there to talk to the doctor. Hopefully she will be able to explain a little more and answer our questions.
If you read this, please continue to pray for his strength and healing. Love you all!

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Don't worry. It's all perfectly normal...

Jenny and I went to see Noah again today. He seems to be pretty stable. They're feeding him every three hours now and he seems to be doing pretty well with it. He opened his eyes a bit more than he has previously and looked at us for a while trying to focus his eyes. He seemed to be having trouble breathing good, but I think that was partly due to a build up of mucus and gunk in his mouth which they removed. They had his oxygen level quite a bit higher than they have had in the past and that is kind of worrying us a bit. I've read a lot about exposure to oxygen in preemies and lead to eye damage, but no where have I been able to find out what is considered moderate/high levels of oxygen. Of course no matter what's going on with our baby the doctors and nurses all assure us that it's all perfectly normal for preemies Noah's age, but I'm beginning to think if he grew a second head the nurses would tell us that it was normal.

Strength

Today's events:
Still off of the light, yay!
Feedings were increased to every three hours, woo hoo!
Doctor decided to wait until Friday to do ultra sound of his brain... now we have wait even longer :(
I chose the first primary nurse for him. Primary just means she will be assigned to him every time. I asked this nurse because he seems to always be calm when she is with him and she keeps his bed clean.
He opened his eye a little more when I was there.
The doctor wants to take him off of the ventilator tomorrow and put a nose tube in. She's been saying that for a few days so we're not really sure it's going to happen. It just depends on how he is doing.
He looked really good today. The nurse kept saying how feisty he is. I'm glad he is, he is a fighter!

Monday, January 22, 2007

Thankful

Noah's blood counts were low so they gave him his second blood transfusion today. They're going to leave the IV in as long as it lasts in case they have to give him more. Poor guy... He has a tube in his left arm, an IV in his right hand, a tube in his throat for breathing, a tube in his belly for food, and a light strapped to his foot to monitor oxygen. I'm sure there are other tubes or monitors that I am forgetting. His blood sugar level is finally stabilized. They're going to give him food every six hours, so that means he is handling it well! They took the light off again, hopefully it will stay off. I think he is doing well.

Yesterday was a hard day for me. For some reason it was just hard to see him hooked up to everything. His breathing tube looked crooked so it made is mouth stretched to the side. I guess there will be good days and bad days for us too. It helps to have a wonderful husband by my side to tell me everything is going to be ok. I couldn't have made it through this without him. He was there every day and night at the hospital, always there to comfort me and cheer me up. I couldn't ask for a better husband.

I'm also thankful to wonderful friends and family who were either there or called someone every day. Mom and dad came to see us every day. Stephenie and Michelle came every day and brought lots of stuff. My friends at work came to visit and kept in contact everyday. They also supplied me with plenty of things to do while I was laying flat in bed. Our whole family kept in contact with me, Steven, or my mom every day. I know a LOT of people were praying and still are. I am thankful, very thankful.

The thing that keeps this little family going most is God. When we first went to the hospital they told us that any baby born before 24 weeks has no chance of survival. I believe God let him stay in for one more week so he would be more than 24 weeks. I believe that Noah's life is going to be a testimony to God's awesome power. We've seen doctors and nurses already amazed at how strong he is. I know this road is going to be long and have ups and downs, but it's going to lead to something great. I'm excited to apart of it!

Sunday, January 21, 2007

New Bed.


Today Noah got moved into a isolette. There were a few other notable event's for Noah today. The nurses fed him his first breast milk. Assuming all goes well they . Also our little guy has grown half an inch since birth, but unfortunately he's lost about 3 ounces in weight. The nurses assure us that this is perfectly normal, but we can't wait to see him starting to get some fat on him. I also included a picture of Mom next to his new bed. If you would like to see some photo's click here.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Good Days and Bad Days

Every time we mention that we hope Noah's condition continues to go well, the nurses respond with, "he'll have good days and bad days." We believe he will have more good than bad. So far, he has.

Now he is connected to a ventilator to help him breath. His heart rate, oxygen level, blood sugar, and everything else imaginable are monitored. He only needs a little help to breath. The doctor even thinks the tube may be removed tomorrow and replaced with a tube in his nose to help him breath. His heart rate is usually good, with a few drops every now and then. They call it a "brady," which is short for bradycardia. Noah's blood sugar is a little high sometimes, but as of now it is going back down. He was under a blue light for his jaundice, but they were able to take that off today.

Last Wednesday the doctor informed us that he has a grade 4 bleed or IVH(Intraventricular hemorrhage) on the right side of his brain. She was thankful that it was only on the right side. There's nothing they can do about it now, except to monitor it. If the condition gets worse, they could treat it. It could eventually cause hearing, vision, or another type of learning problem. The doctor said that it could be reabsorbed and just go away. So, they're going to do a scan next week.

We are thankful for all that God has done so far and pray that Noah will continue to grow and be strong with little complications.

Friday, January 19, 2007

An unexpected surprise (continued)

We soon found out that the reason for all our troubles was because of a condition that my wife had all along, but no one knew it. She has what the doctors refer to as an “incompetent cervix”. Her cervix just isn’t strong enough to withstand the forces of gravity pushing against it during pregnancy.

Although Jenny remained dilated and was forced to stay in bed the next few days went by extremely slowly and were somewhat uneventful. Every morning a nurse would come by surprised to see us still there.

On the 10th of January one of the nurses discovered that my wife’s water was slowly leaking and ultra-sound showed that two thirds of the fluid around the baby was no longer there. To make matters worse it was clear that the baby was in a breach position which could only lead to more complications during birth. In full-term babies if they were breach a doctor would recommend a c-section, but with the doctors advice we decided to have a natural birth if the baby was going to be born before 26 weeks. This was an extremely difficult decision to make because if the baby's head gets stuck during delivery it could harm the baby.

On January 13th around 3am my wife woke me up because she was having strong contractions. Unfortunately this time they would not subside. After more than 12 hours of of labor the doctor decided that it was time to for my wife to start pushing. Since Noah was only 24 Weeks the neonatal doctor was called in to attend the birth. At which time she asked us if we wished to resuscitate him. This was certainly the worst decision either of us have had to make in our lives. I wasn't even sure how to reply at first. We eventually came to the agreement with the doctors that they would try to resuscitate and continue to do so as long as he continued to be responsive.

Just a few minutes later my wife gave birth to our son Noah at 4:13pm. He came out butt first with his hand and arm hanging down. Fortunately his head did not get stuck for any period of time and Jenny only had to push a few times since he was so small. He weighed 1 pound and 11 ounces and although he required resuscitation, he was very responsive.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

An unexpected surprise.

I'm sure no parent's are truly prepared when their first child is born, but my wife and I were completely blind-sided when our little bundle of joy decided join us 17 weeks early. We were planning on at least another three months of our everyday routine before being thrust into parent hood.

When we kicked off the new year in 2007 my biggest worry was completing our kitchen renovation before the baby was born. Which didn't seem like much of a problem since he wasn't supposed to be here until May 1st, but just a few days after the new year our world was turned upside-down. Around 1am on January 3rd Jenny started having cramps after she went to bed. She had cramps occasionally during her pregnancy and neither of us really thought much about it, so I did what any caring, concerned husband would do, I went to sleep. Around 6:30 that morning I woke suddenly to the sound of my wife screaming franticly so I rushed to see what was wrong and she whaled something that I couldn't possibly have understood, but I realized what was going on when I saw all of the blood everywhere. She was unmistakably in labor. I was still sleepy-eyed and half asleep, but after asking my wife very nicely to shut up for a second and calm down, I remember just concentrating on and getting all of the things done that I would do every morning before going to work.

Pants? Check.
Keys? Check.
Wallet? Check.
Put Dog outside? Check.
Dog have water? WHO THE HELL CARES YOUR WIFE IS IN LABOR!

So I loaded up my wife in to the truck and speed off to the hospital. On the way I tried to console her and tell her I was sure everything was going to be alright, but I honestly had no clue what was going on. I was just as startled and confused as she was, but one of us had to drive us to the hospital.

After we arrived at the hospital a couple different nurses came by and poked on my wife and ran ultra sounds on her while talking amongst themselves. I'm certainly no doctor, but I could tell by their tone that it was something serious. They couldn't tell us anything; We had to wait until the doctor got there to find out what was going on. We were convinced that the doctor would just say that the cramps caused some bleeding, but everything would be Ok. In reality what the doctor would say was much worse than either of us where prepared to accept.

Dr: "Are you the Baby's Father?"
Me: "Yes."
Dr: "Well, I am very sorry, but I don't think we are going to be able to save your baby."