Adjusting to Home

The good news is that yesterday was pretty uneventful.Carter ate, slept and pooped. His monitor did not go off during the day one time! At this point our only dilemma is being sure he gets enough to eat at each feeding. Bottle feeding is easy, but we're never sure when breastfeeding. He is so tiny that losing only a small amount of weight would be a big deal. He takes 1/4 of a pepcid tablet one a day, as well as some added vitamins and iron. He is doing better about pacing himself when he eats and remembering to pause and breathe every so often. Mom and dad are extremely tired, so I tried to take care of Carter and let them rest as much as possible. Haven't talked to them yet today to see how the night went. We did have to elevate his cradle about 15° to help with his reflux. I feel like he is going through an adjustment period as well with the change to his routine, sounds and smells, and sleeping in a different bed. Hopefully in a day or two things will go a little smoother!

So, Carter survived his first night at home, even with all of us wooling him! Mom and dad say he didn't sleep much in the night, but I came over this morning and he's sleeping like a...baby!  Maybe they just made that up!  His monitor only went off one time in the night, so that was pretty good. He has gained almost a pound since birth, but he is still so tiny. Perfect, but tiny. Anyway, we think we'll keep him!  More later!

Our sweet little Carter is finally home!!! We are so excited! We have all just stared and stared at him. We are taking turns holding him. So far he is not even going to need his cradle - no one wants to put him down! I think this baby is going to be spoiled rotten, and that's perfectly fine with me!  He had to come home with the apnea monitor, so that's a little cumbersome, but it's so nice to have the other tubes and wires off him. More updates to come!!!!

Homecoming is getting closer!

Spent the day with Carter. He is up to 4 lbs. 4 oz. His little face has really filled out and he has the funniest expressions!  We had to have a lesson on how to use an apnea monitor. When he finally goes home, he will have to have that hooked to him all the time. They showed us how to read it, and what to do if it goes off. It is extremely loud, so I don't think we will have trouble hearing it. We also saw the speech therapist today, who didn't really have any concerns about Carter. Then we saw the "car seat lady"   (not sure how you go about applying for that job...) and she showed us all the ins and outs of car seat safety. And the car seat Courtney has won't work! It is rated for babies over 5 lbs. So they got us a preemie seat and there really is alot of different in the placement of the shoulder harnesses. So we test-fitted him in and he fit just fine in that one. He is eating more and staying awake for all his feedings now. They let him breastfeed first and then supplement with a bottle to ensure that he is full and getting enough calories.  They are giving him pepcid because they believe he has reflux. It has to be crushed and mixed with formula and given once a day.  We are not sure how long he will have to take that.  When time draws close to going home, they require a 24 hour stay by mom and dad in a "parent care" room. This is a glorified motel from next to the nicu and they have to stay there and take total care of the baby, with nurses available if an emergency should arise. If that  goes smoothly, they should be discharged at the end of that period. It will be so nice when they finally get to bring him home. Trapsing around the hospital just wears you out.  They did say when he finally gets to come home, not to let him around small children or have him in crowds, such as walmart or church for several months. If he were to catch a child or the flu, it would be a big deal. That's going to be tough -everyone wants to come and see him when he is home, but they may have to wait a bit.

Just a few pictures...

Medical Terms We Never Wanted To Know

We have quickly learned a bunch of medical terms we never wanted to know! And we have decided that when you ask a nurse about how Carter is doing, they each mix facts with an infusion of their opinion. Then we google everything they said ( I know, I know, never read to much on the internet!) But between everything we are able to draw our own conclusion as to whether to worry or not. So they say he has stridor. When he eats, he makes a high-pitched moaning/squeaking noise. One nurse said it was nothing. Another said it was his throat muscles working to strengthen his swallowing and breathing mechanisms. Another said they were a little concerned.  Should we worry? Not sure on that one. And he is supposed to suck 4 or 5 times and then pause to breathe, but he sucks more than that, a little too long, and that causes his heart rate to drop. So when they give him a bottle, they have to count his sucks and pull it out to wait for him to breathe. They do blood tests once a week on him and his red blood count is a little low. They may or may not give him some blood - again, should we worry? And on the same update, they tell us they have increased the amount he is eating and that he is doing well with it. He is still gaining weight and growing in length. When we hold him, if he gets too scrunched up, it blocks his airway and his vitals drop, so we have to make sure his neck is extended correctly. And we watch the monitors in his room like hawks. Sometimes, for no reason, his heart rate and oxygen levels drop. They say it's not too worry if he corrects it on his own and it doesn't last to long or happen too often. It's like there are no "for sure" answers. I realize they can't give definitive answers to all our questions, but it would be nice if they could.  So many unknowns.
Keep praying for us. Spending days there is totally exhausting. His feeding schedule is every three hours, but by the time everything is done, there is usually only an hour left until tis time to be back for the next one, not leaving much time to get a bite or stretch your legs. And it is a long walk from the parking lot to the nicu (or at least it is when you're old and out of shape). And we have to work, but feel guilty for not being with Carter when we are at work. As one of the nurses said, having ababy in the nicu is a tramatic thing period.

Carter is up to 4 lbs! And God has added odor to his poop!! Every time we open the door to his isolet the smell just hits you!  And he loves to ruin a perfectly clean diaper ! Courtney got to give him a real bath yesterday, which was good, because he didn't smell the greatest. And we put a preemie sleeper on him and he was nearly too big for it! One day when she arrived, there was a gift bag left for her from a mother who's preemie just turned a year old. How nice to remember how traumatic it is to have your baby in the nicu. And yesterday there was a handmade burp cloth someone had made. Thinking we just might need to make that a ministry after Carter comes home. Doctor is still saying middle of October to bring him home, but we are hoping sooner.

Courtney and I saw Carter yesterday. He is growing so much every day!  He is now up to 3 lbs , 15oz.  He must be over 4 lbs to go home, so we are very close! He also has to pass a car seat test, where they will check to see if he would still be able to breathe if his head were to roll or drop down, or if he would be strong enough to move it on his own. They allowed him to breastfeed yesterday, weighing him before and after to calculate how much he was getting. He consumed 1 1/2 times what they are currently feeding him! All the nurses came to talk about it and how great it was - he was the buzz of the nicu!  The speech therapist was there to see how he was sucking but after that, there wasn't much she needed to do!  So now they want Courtney to try and be there at every possible feeding time, because that is exactly what he needs to put on weight and grow quickly. They also let us put clothes on him for the first time!!! Of course, it was a little awkward with all the monitor tubes, but he looked so cute wearing his "big boy" clothes!  So excited! They won't give us a date for him to come home, but now they are saying around two more weeks. We are hoping if he continues growing it will be sooner than that!

Carter is now up to 3 lbs 12 oz. - improving with each day!  He was having some issues with spitting up, so they x-rayed his belly and said everything looks good. They think maybe they increased the amount of food too quickly. They have reduced it a bit and he seems to be tolerating it now. Courtney got to give him a bottle today to see what he would do with it. He took it for a while but then his vitals dropped, so they stopped. The nurses say he basically doesn't have much strength and stamina to remember to suck, swallow, breathe, and let his organs work all at the same time yet. Normal according to them, but worrisome for us! Great Grandma & Grandpa Myers went with Courtney today. I will be going with her on Thursday. So far we are still looking at mid-October for bringing him home.

Went and visited Carter today. He had gained another ounce, now up to 3 lbs 10 oz. His picc line has been removed, so the only tubes he had are his feeding tube and some sticky probes to measure heart rate, pulse and temp. Courtney got to give him a bath this afternoon, and got three skin-to-skin sessions with him. His color looks good. He stayed awake for about an hour at his first feeding. His heart rate dropped a couple of times, which worried us, but the nurse said it was not uncommon in preemies, and as long as they correct it on their own, it's not a problem. We all just sit and stare at him, being amazed by his small size, and also how perfectly formed he is. You forget he is so small until you see a full term baby.  We happened to be there when the doctor came in today, and Courtney asked if he had a ballpark guess of when he might get to come home, and he said optimistically about three more weeks if he continues to gain weight and feed well. It will be so nice when he finally gets to go home!

Took Courtney to Springfield today to see little Carter. I know everyone's babies are the cutest babies ever, but THIS one IS the cutest baby ever!!  He had gained back some weight and now weighs 3 lbs. 8 oz. His breathing is somewhat irregular, which they say is normal as long as it doesn't affect his blood oxygen levels. He was having a little issue with spitting up, but they elevated one end of his bed and they now put him on his tummy after feeding and that seems to be helping. They allowed him a short breastfeeding time today under the supervision of a lactation specialist. She was very helpful and informative. The nurses there are so nice, and we see them just holding and cuddling the babies - nice to know when you're not there they really do care about your baby. And Carter stayed awake for about 30 minutes today, which is a goal they have set, so he will eventually be able to stay awake long enough to feed the right amount and not fall asleep before he's done. Courtney is doing amazing at this point. Still a little sore, but walking better and longer
than I thought she would. And her wonderful husband had supper ready for her when we returned!  All in all, a really good day.

I didn't see Carter today - had to work. I hate that I am not available to go every day, but I haven't won the lottery yet, so I guess I don't have much choice. Courtney and her friend Krystal went today. Carter had lost another ounce, which they thought was because he was expending more energy than they thought he would. So they are going to increase his calorie intake as well as the amount he is eating. They expect in the next couple of days to remove his pick line ( As I understand it, their veins are so fragile that an IV could blow them so they put an IV like in his arm and it runs all the way to his heart to be able to quickly administer needed medication.) The removal would indicate that they do not see the need of emergency medication, which is yet another good sign.
I believe in the next day or two a couple of different therapists are supposed to come see him to check the development, formation and sucking mechanism of his mouth. They were supposed to come today, but the nurse said if your baby is doing really well, he is low on the priority list - more good news.
I am waiting on Courtney and Cole to get back tonight - fixed them supper so they don't have to eat fast food again.
Keep praying!!!!

Just returned from the hospital. Carter is just doing fantastic! Today they are still feeding him through a tube, but they also put some in a syringe and put a few drops at a time in his mouth to see if he could suck and swallow at the same time, and he did! They were checking you see if he dribbled it back out of his mouth, but he kept almost all of it in and swallowed it.  Since birth he had only lost an ounce, so they consider that to be maintaining. Courtney got to hold him twice, and grandpa Gerald and I got to hold him too. The power of prayer is truly amazing. He is doing so much better than what was expected. We are so thankful for God's blessings!
As we sat in the nicu, noticing other tiny babies, there are some there that we have never seen visitors to their room, and others who were there, but I fear those babies will have a tough go once they get home. Such a variety of people there. Sad that you have to go through a rigorous process to adopt, yet they let these tiny babies go home with people who will not tend to their basic needs.
Courtney walked all the way to Carter's room three times today - very tiring, but she made it. She has been such a trooper. And you would think leaving to go home for the night would get easier, but it never does. Heartache and tears come at the end of each visit.
And I have to brag on Cole. He has stepped up and become a loving father overnight, realizing that suddenly your priorities have changed and a little life now depends solely on you. While we were gone, he got a crib mattress and put it in the bed and put the sheet on and got out the blankets that matched, and hung some wall decor. So proud of him!
keep the prayers coming, as we will surely need them!

Carter is making leaps and bounds! He had two bowel movements yesterday, which indicates he is digesting his food. His feeding tube is now in his nose instead of his mouth and they forced an amount of formula into his stomach that would simulate the amount he would take in during one feeding. Until now, they have been giving him food but just letting it trickle slowly in so as not to overload his system.  And normally when you have a baby at term, your body is ready to breastfeed. Not so when they come early, so that has been an issue, but we think things are working good at this point.
The nurses have told us that now that he seems to be stable and doing well, they don't want him stimulated any more than necessary. They are trying to mimic the womb and keep his incubator covered most of the time, and only touch and hold him at feeding time. Doing that will allow him too sleep most of the time and let his body concentrate on growing and maturing.  They gave him a binky and he sucked on it really well - another good sign. We are so thankful that he is doing as well as he is. One nurse told us that statistically, white male babies do the poorest of all, but that Carter is changing that stat!
Getting ready to go up today.
Courtney walked from the parking lot all the way to the nicu yesterday- a great feat for her! This is a good thing because I was fired from steering the wheelchair after running over Cole's foot and banging into a few walls!  Thank goodness I don't drive that way!

Well, it's 11:30 and we just got Courtney settled at home so she could get a good night's rest and be ready to head back to Springfield tomorrow.  My heart ached for her as we had to leave the hospital without a baby. I think we all cried. He is in the best place he can be, getting round the clock care, but it doesn't lessen the feeling of helplessness any. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Why does God allow these things to happen? A question we may never know the answer to. I only know He promises to walk with us and carry us when necessary. It seems so overwhelming right now to think about the next few weeks and how we will do what we will have to do.  One day at a time, thinking only about how to get through the day at hand I suppose.
We checked out the newly opened Ronald McDonald house in the hospital. Not exactly what we had expected. It's pretty much a hotel room in a kind of desolate part of they hospital, and I wouldn't want to stay there alone. And Courtney isn't strong enough to get from there to the nicu on her own and there is no one to help her. So for now we will take turns taking her up every day and see how that goes for a while.
Carter is doing very well. He has begun sucking on his hand which is a good thing, indicating his sucking ability is progressing. And today the moved his feeding tube from his mouth to his nose, which is also an improvement. The nicu nurses are saints. They are very comforting and answer all the questions without complaint. As frustrating as it is, we know we are lucky, as the baby in the next room is continually filled with nurses rushing in and monitor alarms going off all the time - little Carter is holding his own, and for that we are thankful.
Courtney is feeling a little better each day, but very weak and she tires easily. I am hoping she feels a little better after getting some rest at home-seems hard to actually rest in the hospital.
On a lighter note, we were sitting at the stoplight on the way to the hospital, and right beside us is a guy on a Harley jamming to Huey Lewis and the News, and...it's the doctor who did her C-section! And he's wearing a Sturgis shirt! Not that doctors can't ride Har ley's, but it wasn't what I expected.
More to come.

The First Day

So, I've never "blogged" before - bear with me.  Just thought it might be nice for there to be a central place for updates to how Carter is doing.
We had just spend Labor Day weekend at the lake, and were worn out and looking forward to getting back to a normal week.  Courtney had a doctor appointment on Tuesday, Sept. 3.  That, however, was not to be.  She called us about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday morning to say her water broke.  So, there we were, looking like the Marx brothers trying to gather our stuff and get on the road to Springfield, hoping we wouldn't be too far behind Courtney. Turns out, we were right behind them (or maybe we drove a little fast) and got there at the same time.
They took her in and did some assessing and decided they would keep her there for about 2 weeks to try and hold off delivering the baby until it reached 34 weeks.  But after a short while, she began to labor.  They gave her medication to try and stop it and it reduced the severity for a while but then started up again.  So, after about 8 hours of contractions coming every 2-3 minutes and growing stronger, they finally decided they would deliver the baby, who was breach, by C-section. 
Carter was born at 5:40 p.m.
We were all concerned for the health of the baby, but I have to say, as Courtney's mama, I think I was more concerned about her at this point.  I had tried so hard to be positive and strong for her, but eventually the tears could no longer be held back.  I went out in the hall and cried a few times and then re-composed myself and returned to her room.  But when they said they were ready to take her back for the surgery, I couldn't help but cry as we hugged before she was taken.
We had all teased Cole prior to this day that when the time came for her to have this baby, he would have to have a bed too, or would be passed out on the floor, but we were so proud of him!  He was such a trooper and so supportive of Courtney throughout this long day.  He did all the right things while she was in pain, and tried to help her as much as he could. 
Carter was 8 weeks early, but doing very well, considering.  When we first got to see him, he was just so tiny!  And tubes were going here and there, we were afraid to actually touch him. 
Courtney's brother was so concerned about his big sister!  This is the same guy who used to smack her in the head with whatever he could find.  Once, when they were scuffling I actually put them outside and locked the door and told them not to come in until they had made up.  After several minutes of them rolling around the yard, I decided my plan had failed and made them come back in! I worried they would grow up and hate each other, but I thank God they are true pals now.
So, we all survived the birth and have now begun our journey to do what we can to take care of this precious gift from God and get him home as soon as possible.  We know it will be a long process, and covet your prayers for our family. Little Carter has lots and lots of people who already love him bunches, and are ready to do whatever is needed to see that this little guy knows his family is there for him.
More updates will come!