June 24, 2011

Just when you think there isn't much to say, there's still a lot! Aaron's bilirubin count was down to 7.8 today, and they removed him from all phototherapy. He doesn't have to wear his shades anymore, so we have tons more opportunity to see his eyes. Not that he opens them very often; preemies like to snooze, and they need to in order to grow and develop.

His feedings were also increased. This morning he was taking 25 ml every three hours with plans to increase by 5 ml every other feeding until he works up to a full feed of 35 ml; this is just over one ounce. As his feedings increase, his IV fluids are decreased. At 3am he will be at a full feeding, and he will then finish weaning off of the fluids. As long as his blood sugars fall within the normal range, the doctor will remove his picc line. The plan is for this to be done either tomorrow or Sunday. Last night, he was wide awake for one of his middle of the night feedings, so the nurse gave him a bottle. He actually drank 7 ml from the bottle, but the nurse said he was exhausted after that; it had taken a ton of energy. He finished his feeding through his tube.

His morning weight was 4 pounds, 3 ounces, and it again appears to be positive weight gain rather than fluid retention. He continues to have good urine output, so that is a positive thing!

His physical therapist came to see him today, and she determined what things make him happy/comfortable and what things agitate him. She also made suggestions in how to calm him.

We continue to pray that Aaron's body stays infection free. We pray that he tolerates his feedings and the weaning from the IV fluids. We pray that the picc line can be removed and that there are no complications from that. We pray that his organs continue to function as they should. We pray that Aaron will be a testimony of God's love and faithfulness! He is already known around the NICU as the miracle baby!

June 23, 2011

Today is a day worth celebrating, though hasn't every day in the past week and a half been? The doctors assign a status to each baby every day; today was Aaron's first non-critical day!

During "kangaroo care" time, Aaron was all eyes. He was interested in everything!!!



Aaron's bilirubin count went down to 9.8 today, and he still on the biliblanket. The nurses expect it to continue going down. His milk feedings were increased to 15ml every three hours today, which is a half an ounce! Each time they increase his milk, they decrease his IV fluids. When he gets up to full feedings and no longer needs the IV fluids, his picc line will be removed. That will be wonderful as any line or tube is an opportunity for infection. He also went up 2 oz today; he is 4 lbs 2 oz! The great thing about this is that it doesn't appear to be fluid; it appears to be positive weight gain!

We are continuing to pray for his bilirubin to decrease and for his feedings to be able to increase so that he can come off of the IV fluids. We are also praying that as the doctors continue to test for possible causes to Aaron's early arrival that they will find no deficiencies in his development.

I am running out of things to update at this point because he is doing so well! That's a positive thing! A few of his previous caregivers stopped by today to check on Aaron. One was a nurse that was at his delivery; she said she was discussing him with my OB nurses, and they were astonished at how well he was doing. She said that miracles still do happen!

Another nurse that cared for him came by and said that she was sad she missed the first time I held him but that she had checked on him every shift she worked. She said it was amazing what prayers were able to accomplish! Finally, the neonatologist from his delivery was the doctor on call tonight. She came in and said that his bilirubin was down, his feedings were up, and his IV fluids were down. There was nothing else to say; I told her I was completely happy with that! Thank God!

June 22, 2011

When I walked into Aaron's room this morning, it took me a moment to figure out what was different. There was something missing, but I couldn't quite place it. Then my mom asked where his oxygen tank was. That's it...he is completely off of oxygen support! He now breathes 100% on his own! The doctor did say that sometimes babies have to go back on oxygen at some point, but we are praying that he is able to sustain himself without it. Since he isn't on it any longer, his blood gases only have to be drawn once a day; they had previously been taking it multiple times a day.

When the nurse came in, she went over his day with me. He had been doing a great job without the oxygen support. His bilirubin had gone up to 10.8 this morning, but they were still keeping him on the biliblanket rather than the overhead lights since he was so much more comfortable being swaddled. She did say that if it didn't continue to go down he would have to go back under the lamps, but she felt confident that it would go down since he is on the blanket and since his body is effectively getting rid of waste. He also lost a little more weight; he weighed 4 lbs, 1/4 oz this morning. They did increase his milk intake from 3 ml every three hours to 8ml. It seems that his belly may have been trained to expect food because right before it was time for him to be fed, he got fussy; as soon as he got his milk in his tube, he was contented.

The doctor removed his final chest tube today. Aaron's chest x-rays have been good; his lungs are fully expanded, and it appears that the holes have healed. There has been no reforming of air pockets. The doctor said he was anxious to get the tube out since it seemed to be inactive and can be an opportunity for infection the longer it stays in. Premature babies are at a higher risk of infection, so we are extremely careful to keep germs at a minimum. In fact, we have placed hand sanitizer all around our home in efforts to get used to using it. We will also be doing a deep clean of our home before he is released from the hospital. Where I was quite relaxed about germs with Isaac, I will have to be on guard at all times with Aaron.

The real treat for me was that after his chest tube was removed and I went back in the room, the nurse brought in a recliner so that I could do "kangaroo care" with Aaron. This meant I got to hold him...for 45 minutes!!! Kangaroo care is a method of bonding with your child that was discovered in Bogota, Columbia. It was appealing there primarily because of its cost effectiveness...it's a free form of therapy! When its use was instituted, it greatly decreased the infant mortality rate! It is basically skin-to-skin bonding, and it has been proven to help the infant develop in many ways. It was a wonderful, peaceful, relaxing time for both of us; I look forward to many more! David came straight to the hospital after work so that he could hold Aaron as well; this was a blessed day for our family.

Big brother Isaac has been so excited to touch his baby brother, and he was able to do that tonight. He is mesmerized!

Aaron has taught me many lessons during his first ten days of life! I have learned to love in the midst of horrific pain. I have learned that many things I have valued are not nearly as important as love, family, and making a way for my children. I have learned that prayer is powerful and effective; it does work! I have learned that true friends surround you with love and support in time of need. I have learned who my true friends are. I have been challenged to be a better friend, daughter, wife, and sister than I am now. I have learned that God is faithful even when we are not, that He cares for me in the midst of my pain, and that He listens when I talk to Him!

As you continue to pray for Aaron, please pray for no infections, for the bilirubin to continue to go down, for him to continue to breathe on his own, and for continued positive development. Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!

June 21, 2011

Compared to yesterday, today was extremely quiet, which was good because Aaron needs his rest in order to grow big and strong! Big brother Isaac came with me to the hospital today to see his baby brother. He loves staring at Aaron!

Aaron's bilirubin count was down to 9.4 today, so the nurse took his two overhead phototherapy lamps off and put the biliblanket under him so that she could swaddle him; he was extremely comfortable this way. It was the first time he had been swaddled.

Aaron's blood gases and sugars were very good today which is great! The blood gas tells us how well Aaron's lungs move oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide from the body. His brain and renal ultrasounds came back showing that they were both normal; this is a wonderful praise report! His doctors were able to remove one of his remaining two chest tubes today, and as long as his chest x-ray looks good tomorrow, they should clamp the last tube in preparation for removal. The nurse removed the dressing from his wound from the first chest tube today, and she cleansed it. There was no more bleeding, and the wound was extremely small and looked wonderful! Last night after one of his feedings of milk, the nurse pulled some mucus from his belly, so she took him down to 1ml of milk every three hours; today's nurse said he had no more of the mucus, so she resumed the 3ml feedings.

During the afternoon Aaron got a bit cold, so the nurse put the hood on his bed down. He got nice and toasty and was able to sleep even more soundly, swaddled and warm!


While the nurse was doing Aaron's care time, she noticed that his blanket was a bit wet. She asked me to come over to one side of her and told me precisely how to stand. Then she surprised me by handing Aaron to me while she changed his blanket! I got to hold him for the first time! It was very brief, only long enough to change the blanket, but still the first time. I had to stand extremely still while she took him from me and put him back in the bed. He can't be held right now because he is on the bilirubin lights and because of his chest tubes which can cause a lot of pain. When she handed him to me, he was screaming, right up until he was in my arms; he immediately quieted. I think he knows his mommy, and that thrills me! I am so glad I was there at this time! He is TINY!!!!



We got a beautiful picture with two gorgeous open eyes today...my amazing miracle son who has renewed an unshakeable faith within me!

As you continue to pray, please pray that his bilirubin count keeps coming down. Pray that his chest x-ray tomorrow looks great and that no air pockets are reformed. Pray that he stays free from all infection as he continues having tubes removed from his body. Pray that his stomach continues to take milk well as he works up to full feeds. Pray that he continues to grow and develop the way that he should! He truly is a miracle, and we love him completely!

See his little blonde spot?

So cute...look how huge the pacifier is next to him.

June 20, 2011

Aaron had a busy day today with all of his testing, and it was another great day! When I walked in this morning, I talked with the nurse. I said that Aaron had come far in his first week of life, and she said that he had come halfway around the world. So right she is! He has amazed his doctors and nurses!

Today his bilirubin count was down to 10, so he remains on two lamps. It is moving in the right direction, so we are confident he will be off of the lamps very soon. The doctor clamped one of his chest tubes, and he said as long as everything still looks good tomorrow, he will remove that one. The doctor said that he hopes to have both chest tubes removed in the next few days. Aaron's chest x-ray looked really good today with no reformation of air pockets! He also received his brain and renal ultrasound today, but those results will not be back until the morning. The doctor told me that at this point those tests were to make sure his organs were formed correctly. They have still been unable to determine the cause of Aaron's early and troublesome arrival, so they are just looking at everything to rule out abnormalities. They originally thought he may have CMV, a common virus in adults that can be fatal to babies; the results of that test came back today, and he was negative. At birth he was 4 lbs, 10 3/4 oz, and today he was down to 4 lbs, 2 3/4 oz; most of this loss was all of the fluid on his body. His doctor from the weekend, the one who took him off the ventilator, looked in on him and was so pleased. He said Aaron is a star!

Aaron's big thing today was the insertion of his picc line and the removal of his UVC (Umbilical Vein Catheter). These procedures were both done without any problems, and the follow-up x-ray showed that the picc was put in the right place! Praise God! He also continued being fed his 3ml of milk every three hours, and the doctor said he didn't think Aaron had chylothorax (where the fat from foods is absorbed into the lungs instead of being carried in the bloodstream). This is great!

Every day Aaron continues to improve, and I am so thankful. It is wonderful to see my baby start looking like a well baby! I am forever grateful to God for this gift! He is faithful!!!

June 19, 2011

This was another amazing day! As you can see in the picture below, the large nasal tube in GONE; Aaron was switched over to quick flow early this morning. This means that he is NOT on a ventilator at all. He is receiving oxygen, but it is room air, and his lungs are doing all the work. Progression!

Aaron's bilirubin count was down to 11.2 this morning, so they removed the phototherapy blanket he was lying on. He is still under two lamps, but we hope to get those off of him soon! When I arrived this morning, I was on the phone and had to QUICKLY get off because I heard my baby crying! Last night I heard a small squeak, but today I heard crying...quiet, hoarse, pitiful, but definitely crying...what a sweet, beautiful sound to tickle my ears for the first time!

Another new thing for Aaron today was feedings! They did this through his nostril tube which goes down to his belly. As I said yesterday, he is being introduced to food very gradually. He got 3ml every three hours today...that's less than a teaspoon each time! They just want to be sure his body tolerates it well, and they will gradually increase it. This means today was the first time he had Mommy's milk!
What a cutie!
A big event for our family today was that Isaac was able to see Aaron for the first time. We were waiting for him to be off some of the machines because we thought that might be a bit overwhelming for Isaac. Mimi took Isaac to Build a Bear today to make a monkey for Aaron; Isaac loved it. He said a prayer over the heart that goes inside, but he refused to kiss it because, "I don't kiss hearts." This is when Isaac first saw Aaron; he just wanted Daddy to hold him up there so he could keep staring. He said he wanted to touch him but not enough to use the hand sanitizer. He had lots to say about Aaron, but he wanted to know most importantly if we were going to keep him and if we could take him home. This is truly the beginning of a beautiful relationship!

Aaron has received a lot of gifts...thank you! This is his beautiful set up!

We left to take David to dinner for Father's Day, and when we returned Aaron had been bathed and his bed had been changed. He had the same nurse as last night, and she remembered the story about Isaac naming him Lightning McQueen, so she brought some blankets from home to use for his bedding...so thoughtful!

Earlier today I was looking at Aaron, and I thought I noticed a blonde streak, but I wasn't certain whether it was that or the lights gleaming off of him. After dinner, the nurse was talking to us, and she asked if we had noticed that he had a blonde streak, and I told her I thought I had seen it earlier but wasn't sure. She took his hat off, and, sure enough, after his bath it was CLEARLY blonde...crazy!

Aaron was also weaned from his dopamine today. This means that the only medication he is receiving is morphine as needed for pain which is due mostly to the chest tubes! Praise God that just one week (four hours from now) ago this child which didn't have much of a chance is astounding his doctors and nurses left and right! Many of those who cared for him early in the week stopped by today and yesterday, and they are AMAZED at how he is doing. I have spoken with the neonatologist and the neonatal nurses who resuscitated him at birth and cared for him immediately following. They were so concerned, and they are astounded at what has happened! I have heard from many that they have been praying for him. Several of his nurses called throughout the week to check on him. The doctor who cared for him immediately made sure that the nurses on her team saw him and how well he was doing. Every time I say thank you, tears flow. I am blessed...so blessed! Aaron is such a gift, and they were instrumental in giving him to me!

Tomorrow will be a busy day for Aaron! He has a chest x-ray to see if they can perhaps begin clamping his chest tubes and to check for air pockets. He has an ultrasound on his brain to once again check for bleeding. He has a renal ultrasound to check that his kidneys are functioning properly. One of his umbilical lines was removed today; the other will be removed tomorrow. He will be receiving a picc line which is what he will be fed through until he is able to nurse. This is a lot in one day, but God has proven His faithfulness already!

Pray that all of the tests have great results. Pray that his bilirubin count continues to go down. Pray that the picc line is positioned properly, and pray for no infection in Jesus' name!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Today was one of those days...you know the type...where God does exceedingly, abundantly above all you could ask or imagine...yeah, we had one of those!

I went home last night, David spent the night at the hospital, and we planned to trade places this morning. When I got to the hospital, I met today's doctor right away with news that he planned to move Aaron from the oscillator to the ventilator. I was unprepared for this, and I prayed over him that God would keep him safe and help him do well with the transition. The doctor actually invited us to be part of his rounds with Aaron's nurse. He was amazed at how much Aaron has improved over the past few days. Aaron had been monitored on the ventilator before the switch, and the doctor felt like he was ready for it. Quickly after this discussion, Aaron was changed over to the ventilator, and the doctor was immediately thrilled with his performance. The ventilator was actually doing very little to help Aaron; he was doing most of the work on his own. He was shortly after taken off the nitric oxides. Two huge machines in his room...GONE!

At this same time, the doctor began to wean Aaron from his heart medication. He was gradually weaned over a period of six hours, and he has done great without the medication. His blood pressure stayed right where the doctor wanted it.

I went out for a little bit, and when I returned the doctor popped in and said that he wanted to watch Aaron for a total of twelve hours from the time he went on the ventilator and then, if all was well, to extubate him (take the tube out of his throat). Sure enough, he was pleased with Aaron's performance! Aaron had done most of the breathing on his own, and he showed no signs of apnea. He was extubated and put on the nasal tubes. We were able to take some pictures of his full face for the first time! I was able to hear him just a little bit,too! The doctor was again immediately please with the results, and he almost left Aaron on the small nasal tubes, but he decided to put the larger ones in rather than push him since he had accomplished so much for the day.

So, as I said, God has done exceedingly, abundantly MORE than we could have asked or imagined! Aaron's team of caretakers today was amazing!!!

The next prayer focus for Aaron is that he continues to breathe well. Also, within the next few days he will be introduced to food. We need to especially pray for this because there is a concern that he has a disorder which causes the fat from his food to be deposited directly into his lungs rather than his blood. The thought is that this may have been why he was so fluid-filled at birth. When they introduce the food, they will do it very slowly in order to determine if this is occurring. If he does have the disorder, it can take weeks to heal. Please pray that this is not the case.

Once again, thank you for standing with us through this entire situation! God has been faithful! You have been amazing encouragers, but even more importantly, your prayers have been heard!

On a very lighthearted note, Aunt Amber took Isaac out to see his cousins on Thursday. While she had him she asked if he remembered his baby brother's name. Isaac said no; Amber reminded him. Isaac said, "Oh yeah, Aaron. And Lightning McQueen; that's the name I picked for him." Aunt Amber bought a Lightning McQueen for Aaron from Isaac. They are going to be such great brothers!

This is Aaron is his regular attire...huge breathing tube sticking out of his mouth

Here he looks like he is praying

Here he is, about to be extubated!

The first time I saw his entire face!!!

In his new attire with the nasal tube...yay, Aaron, we knew you (and God) could do it!

June 17, 2011

Today has been a great day! Aaron was stable overnight, and he made many progressions throughout the day! The doctor told us last night that he would like to remove one of Aaron's chest tubes today, so we were a bit surprised when he decided to remove two because of Aaron's progress. He removed two, and the follow-up x-ray was good.

Aaron's bilirubin count did go up overnight from 15 to 15.9, so the nurse added a third phototherapy lamp; he now has a large and a small lamp on him, and he also lies on a third lamp. I was able to change a couple of diapers, and we had a teensy bit of poop...this is good as it will help his bilirubin count to go down. The count should also start going down due to his bruising starting to fade.

Throughout the day Aaron continued to have great urine output, and the respiratory therapist was able to gradually decrease his nitric oxides. I was able to speak with his doctor late this afternoon, and I was very encouraged to hear of his plan for the next week. It is his goal that by next Friday Aaron is off of the oscillator and perhaps even beginning to wean off of the ventilator. He also plans to wean him off of two medications that he is currently taking. We were thrilled to hear such positivity in his voice because this is the same doctor who initially was quite concerned Aaron wouldn't make it. He actually told me today that he was afraid of that the first couple of days. He apparently had yet to see what God was capable of!

We did have a minor setback tonight. Aaron's second follow-up x-ray showed that an air pocket had reformed. The nurse and respiratory therapist turned him which enabled some of the air to escape, but another x-ray showed that he would need another chest tube. He got through the procedure just fine, and the air began to flow immediately. In fact, the nurse practitioner pulled 8ml of air right away. When I left him, he was prepared to have a restful night.

Without

Today I was able to come home from the hospital...without my beautiful son, Aaron Joseph. I have so very many mixed emotions right now. The past several days have had me in a whirlwind. I have mentioned many times that I kind of feel like I am on the outside watching someone else's life take place. But this is very much my own life, and here I am...sitting in bed typing...without.

I know that it is important for me to be home to rest overnight. I realize that I just went through major surgery and that I must recover. But I also realize my son is lying in the hospital...without his mommy. His daddy stays with him, and Mommy will be back in the morning, but until then, Aaron is...without.

I am so thankful that I have God to rely on through this process. He has truly been my only sustenance in this time, and I am grateful that He is faithful. So there is God...He is with me.

And He is with Aaron. He has been faithful to heal Aaron's body. Aaron has already come through many barriers that we weren't sure he would pass. Aaron is not without God!

And we are not without friends and loving support! I have been humbled by the many people who have stepped up to pray us through this trying time. God is so faithful in providing us with this family of sorts. Thank you for all you have done.

So perhaps in many ways we are more "with" than "without." We have God, you, and each other.

Aaron's Belly

This is Aaron on Wednesday at about 5am. You can see that his belly is extremely swollen and discolored.

Here he is later in the day on Wednesday. His belly has definitely lost some fluid, but you can still see some of the discoloration.

This is from tonight. You can definitely see that the swelling has diminished. What is not quite so evident on this picture but is obvious in person is that the discoloration is completely gone! Praise God!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Today has been a good day. Aaron continues to have good urine output, and his swelling has gone down tremendously. Two nights ago, his nurse was going to do his footprints for us, but there were no wrinkles in his feet due to the swelling. This afternoon I was amazed as I gazed at him; his feet looked quite normal, wrinkles and all. I was also amazed to look at his abdomen. There is a picture from a couple of days ago where his tummy looks swollen and shiny; today his tummy looks great. I will post comparison pictures in a little bit.

Aaron has remained stable today. He went from his blood pressure being on the high side last night to being on the low side today. This is due to a combination of factors: he is on the oscillator which causes his lungs to stay inflated, which presses on his heart, making it work harder. They are working with different medications to keep it under control.

Aaron has had a three chest tubes over the past couple of days in order to drain the fluids and air pockets out of his lungs. None of the tubes are currently draining anything, so they have clamped two of them with plans to take them out tomorrow. This is great news! His daily tests have also looked good: the chest x-ray, the ECHO, and his blood gases. They have decreased his nitrates some more, which is also good news.

Please, please, please continue prayers. The prayers of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16b) Aaron's lungs still need strength. Pray that the chest tubes are taken out tomorrow and that he remains stable and without infection. Pray that his blood pressure remains stable. Pray that they can start reducing the oxygen more. Pray for complete and total healing! This baby boy can be a tremendous testimony of God's power!

On the Mommy side of things: I got to change Aaron's diaper today...what a thrill!!!! The nurse noticed some dry spots on him as well, and I rubbed Aquaphor on them. I was also able to take his temperature last night. The little things that new moms take for granted (or dread) are my moments of pure pleasure right now!

Thank you for praying for my little bundle of joy. Please continue. As your prayers go up, God's healing pours down!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Today was a good day. Aaron had good urine output overnight, so they took out his catheter this morning. He has continued peeing, and this is an excellent sign toward getting his fluids down. To put this in perspective, on Monday during a 12-hour period, he had 25 ml of urine. On Tuesday during a 12-hour period, he had 69 ml of urine, and today in a 12-hour period he had 207 ml of urine. This is great progress.

Aaron did receive more blood today because some of his counts were back down; this was expected. When I went to visit him this afternoon, I was able to spend about an hour completely alone with him. I read him a book that my sister and her husband had bought for him. When I saw him this evening, he was a bit uncomfortable, so I was able to contain him, which is as close to holding him as I can get right now. I placed one hand on his head and with the other hand I held his arms close to his chest. This was very calming for him...and me.

He was given a chest and an abdominal x-ray tonight. The chest x-ray has been done daily to monitor his lungs. The doctor said that it wasn't looking perfect, but it also wasn't bad enough to warrant inserting another chest tube. The reason for the abdominal x-ray was his swollen, discolored belly. Following the x-ray, however, the doctor said that it appeared that the swelling and discoloration was due mainly to delivery and was unrelated to any current problems. The doctor told me that she was expecting a quiet night from Aaron, and that is my prayer.

I continue to trust God, and I ask tha you will join me in praying for Aaron Joseph. He is a precious little guy, and I want to see him grow to be that mountain of strength!

Praising God for Each Step

Aaron had such great urine output overnight that they removed his catheter out at 5am this morning! David spent the night in his room, so he was able to catch this picture when they were turning him this morning. His eyes have been covered because of the lamp he is under, and this is the first time we have seen those beautiful things! They had to cover them right back up, so I missed it, but thank God for cameras!

Aaron Joseph

Aaron means "mountain of strength."

Joseph means "Jehovah increases."

Amen!

Today's News

Today has been a rough day for me as I battle my emotions. I know that my sweet little baby boy has many battles ahead of him. I know that each moment is a gift from God! I have had moments of joy today, and I have had moments of grief. But right now my baby continues to fight. Thank you to all who are fighting with him through prayer! That is precisely what we need! I am overwhelmed by the love I have experienced from friends over the past couple of days. There are literally thousands, and perhaps tens of thousands, of people praying for Aaron around the world.

These are lyrics from a hymn titled "Be Still, My Soul": "Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side. Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order or provide; in every change He faithful will remain. Be still my soul, thy best, thy heavenly friend through thorny ways leads to a joyful end." I hang onto this and to the Word of God to get us through this time of turmoil.

Today has been a good day. As of this morning, though he had urine output last night, the doctors were looking for more, so they added two medications to increase the output. They also added a medication to help his heart development as an ECHO showed that his ventricles weren't contracting as well as they should. They inserted a third tube into his chest for draining his fluids; this helped his lung to reinflate perperly, and he has had lots of drainage from that tube. Last night they were weaning him from his nitric oxides; they had gone from 20 to 9; they had to increase back to 20, however, because he was not continuing to adjust well to it. He is still receiving 50% of his oxygen from a ventilator, and he is on the oscillator still. He has had good urine output tonight, though they are continuing to look for more.

Our Aaron is extremely sick, and we are certainly not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination. I am taking each moment delicately because I am aware that we could lose him. We rejoice in each improvement. We trust God in all of this; He is truly in control of Aaron's life. As you pray, right now a major need is for Aaron's kidneys to work properly so that he is urinating. He needs to get rid of the excess fluids in his body. His lungs need to begin to operate better so that they can wean him from the ventilator.

Please pray for my baby. Please pray for us. This is most certainly the hardest thing David and I have ever faced. I am sure it is the hardest thing my parents and sister have faced as well. I don't want to lose my baby boy; I love him with everything that I am and all I have. One of the most difficult things is feeling so helpless. The nurse tonight did allow David to take Aaron's temperature, and she encouraged us to rub ointment on his skin if he has any dry patches. She is really trying to help us be involved.

Sweet Baby Aaron, Mommy loves you! So does Daddy! And we are praying and believing for a miracle in your little body. We know God is in control! Rest in Him, and keep fighting this battle!

Aaron Update

This beautiful boy continues to amaze me. Aaron has been through a lot in his first 24 hours of life. They have had him stabilized since Monday early afternoon. They did three blood transfusions, and his blood work after that was perfect. He did have a high bilirubin count, so they put him under the lamp to prevent jaundice; that is why his eyes are covered. He still has a long way to go; he continues to be in a paralyzed state (through medication), and he remains on the ventilator. Last night, the doctor was concerned that his kidneys weren't working because he had no urine output. After about 25 minutes on dopamine, Aaron was producing urine. I am praying for continued improvement. It is so difficult to have a baby and be unable to hold him, feed him, and interact with him. I am looking forward to all of those milestones to come!

All in God's Timing

It is somewhat ironic that I just a few days ago posted that we were expecting the arrival of our second son on August 11. He surprised us by showing up just yesterday morning, June 13, 2o11.

I found out last week at my regular doctor's appointment that I had failed my one-hour glucose tolerance test. I went in on Saturday morning for the three-hour test. This baby has always been a mover, and so adding a high concentration of sugar to that, he was having a party in my belly Saturday afternoon. Later that evening, I didn't feel him moving which was odd because that is typically his active time. I thought perhaps he was just calmer because of the all the sugar and activity earlier...this was his crash.

The next morning, I still wasn't feeling him move, and I told David that I was concerned. We went to church, had lunch, then came home...still no movement. I drank a tall glass of ice cold water and lay on my left side for a half hour. After I felt no movement, I called my doctor. He told me to immediately report to the emergency room. Once I was escorted to labor and delivery triage, the nurse hooked me up to a fetal heart monitor, and we heard his heart beating right away...major sign of relief. They had me drink tons of ice water, some milk, and I ate peanut butter toast. Still no movement. My doctor told them to screen with an ultrasound. During this, they are basically looking for five things: my fluid levels, the baby's heartbeat, the baby's lungs, small fetal movement, and large fetal movement. Each portion is a pass/fail, receiving either a 0 or a 2. During the first screen, the baby scored a 4 (fluids, heart); second screen, baby scored a 6 (same as before plus small movement); third screen, a 4 again...the doctor was very concerned and called for an emergency c-section. At 31 weeks pregnant, I was scared!

Aaron Joseph Bunts was born at 4:32 am on June 13, 2011, weighing 4 lbs, 11 oz. The problem was immediate: he was not breathing, nor was his heart beating. Toledo Hospital had sent a team from their NICU (neo-natal intensive care unit) to take care of him immediately upon delivery. Thank God they were able to get his heart beating and to get him breathing. I couldn't see him, couldn't hear him...nothing!

Very shortly after his birth, I was told he was very sick. He has a virus which was causing major concerns, and this was probably why he had stopped moving in utero. The outlook was extremely dismal. Honestly, I was prepared to lose my baby. My OB told me that he was very sick, and the neo-natologist told us that it was very possible that he would die. Not what I wanted to hear, but at least the truth.

I saw him for about five minutes before he was taken to Toledo's NICU. He was bundled up in his incubator on a ventilator among other things. When he arrived at the NICU, the doctor called me to say they were there. His infection was being treated with antibiotics, and he would remain on the ventilator. His liver was enlarged, and he was extremely bruised, due to low blood platelets. He was being given blood transfusions. He also had some swelling around his soft spot, and they were going to do an ultrasound to see if he had bleeding. Again, the tone was very concerned.

We got another call a few hours later. Aaron was being put on a different ventilator, and they were going to place him in a paralytic state to keep him still. At this point, the doctor was extremely concerned, and he said that someone needed to be there with the baby; David was on his way. Here is our beautiful Aaron Joseph...please pray for him!

Our Summer Visitor

I have a goal of enjoying this summer to the fullest with Isaac because by the end of the summer, he will no longer be an only child. He is so excited about his baby brother, and I know he will be a wonderful example for him to follow. I also know, however, that he has a huge adjustment ahead of him. We will welcome our new baby this August!!!

Madison's Birthday Party

Isaac is not always the most photogenic child:)

But he usually smiles when he takes a picture with Mommy
What a handsome boy!

Our First Trip to Disney

For Christmas, my parents blessed our entire family with a trip to Disney. We stayed at a beautiful resort with an amazing pool. We also had a six-day pass to the parks; we hit all of them once, then repeated Epcot and Magic Kingdom. This was an AMAZING trip that we hope to make again in the near future!

Our little (but growing) family at Epcot

Carson, Isaac, and Christian with Papa and Mimi
One of the best things we did outside of the parks was the Pirate Adventure...this was a two-hour excursion which the boys thoroughly enjoyed!

Isaac, Christian, Carson, and Chloe with two of their favorite characters at Hollywood Studios!

Isaac and Mommy at Pizza Planet:)