Cloud Nine

It's the morning after my best day so far as a mommy and I am still walking above, not on, the earth. I got to hold my Brody last night!!!!!!!!!!We were so snuggled in, it was so awesome. First I got to help give him his bath, which he didn't love and his Daddy giggled at him; especially when he peed everywhere. Then with my hands in the isolette I held him so his nurse could change his bed, that alone made me loopy with love. Then when his nurse said, "No don't tuck that in yet because you're gonna hold him." I'm sure the look on my face was priceless. We did kangaroo care. It is based on how kangaroo mommas care for their babies. They are born at a young gestational age then feed and matured in their mommas pouches. So I put on a hospital gown backwards and Casey (Brody's nurse) put Brody right up against my bare skin. He was so peaceful, Brent said it was the most peaceful since he came to earth. I got to hold him for nearly an hour (Craig, see why I didn't call you back?) Saying it was awesome seems to minimalize it so it was more than awesome.

The first thing that came to my heart when he was all settled was worship. Brent was over my shoulder looking down on us. I asked Brent to pray. It was the best prayer. It was his heart and mine, B knew how I was feeling and he expressed my joy, my thankfulness, my worship to God and we sang a song to God that Brody got to hear. Off and on during the time I held him, I prayed. I also talked (shock,shock) to Brody and to Brent, and I sang. I can't imagine having an experience like that and not seeing God in it. I can't imagine not giving God the Praise for moments like these. I can't imagine not inviting God to share in our life. So many only pray during their time of struggles. I'm sure there has been lots of prayers go up in that NICU while babies are struggling. My prayer last night (after my giggling joyful thankfulness) was that when NICU parents feel overflowing joy they express that to God also and that they see that we rely on him during all times.

Good Days - Bad Days

The NICU staff said there be days like yesterday. I was too weary to post when I came home last night. Brody didn't have such a great day yesterday. For some reason he didn't handle all of the poking and prodding well yesterday. I was in the room when they did his ecko (heart ultrasound) and he hated it, if he could cry he would have been wailing. He had moved to a rate of 10 and they moved him back to 15. He had been on 21% oxygen and had to be moved up to 26%. He was just upset all day yesterday. But we will still take our little triumps. He gained an ounce, now he is 2lb 8oz and he is off of the blue lights. They were able to take out his belly lines and put in a PIC line. (which made mommy's heart sad - it looks so sore - but I have to keep telling myself it's a good thing)

We have already been there this morning. We went at 9:30 to be there for "rounds" but they did Brody early so we missed his round. Then there was a new admission in his room so we had to go to the cafeteria for 30 minutes. When we got back to the desk to ask if we could enter, they were doing rounds on the baby beside him and we had to wait again. It was a long morning. But he is having a great day, yea! (that makes mommy's heart happy) He is back down to 21% air, down to a rate of 10 and they are getting less dried blood when they suction his lungs. As soon as the secretions from his lungs are clear they will remove the vent tube. Plus today they are going to put in a feeding tube (down his nose - poor guy) but still his body is processing the IV food well enough they are going to feed him. Then he should really start gaining weight. And we put his prayer blanket over his isolette now that the blue light is gone. (The prayer blanket was made by our church, people said a prayer for Brody, tied a knot in the fringe, and signed it - so he is "covered" in prayer.)

I would like to say he looked restful today but that is not my little man. He is a total wiggle worm. I don't think he stays still unless he is absolutely worn out, like yesterday after his ecko. I know while I was pregnant I read that baby should be active in the morning for an hour or so then at night about an hour. Well not Brody, he moved all of the time and is still moving. Brent said Brody is going to be like him (y'all pray for me). B said when he was little he'd hit the floor running and play until he just fell asleep. I said, "What's new?"

The PDA is about the same but it is very little, 1.7mm. They are not being progressive about closing it with medicine because it isn't being a problem. So keep praying, God IS closing it.

God's Promise

Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my absolute favorite verses. "For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you not to harm you but plans to give you a hope and a future." I have had that hope in my heart for years. I have held tight to this verse through my later miscarriages. It's promise IS my hope. I know God loves me this much. Tonight I was reminded again of God's promise and that's when this verse popped back into to my brain and my heart. My God Prompt (Holy Spirit) told me to hold tight to this during this time of uncertainty. But God's promise tonight was this beautiful rainbow in front of Ruby when we went to see Brody at 7pm. It was a full rainbow too not just a half promise. God's promises are complete just like this rainbow. I think of Noah and how scared he must have been during his time of uncertainty but God's promise carried his family through just as it will carry our family as well. And I know, that I know, that I know God will close that PDA tonight because He promised me!!!!!!!

Brody's gettin fat!

Our boy gained 2 oz, woohoo!!! (Dawn you were right) He is now up to 2lb 7oz. I know some of you look for daily updates and I'm sorry there was nothing yesterday. When we came home from seeing him last night we had no electric. They are still suctioning old blood from his lungs, his blue lights will most likely be removed tomorrow, he has a little heart murmur from the PDA. The PDA is a little duct between the heart and lungs that closes when we are born but with premature babies sometimes it doesn't close on it's own. Medication can be given to close it but with his lungs being so fragile they do not want to give him this medicine unless absolutely necessary. If they don't give the medicine or if it doesn't work they go in and clamp it surgically. So prayer today consists of asking The Father to close that duct. I know He can and I know He will.

Those are the facts, now the heart of the matter.....He is absolutely adorable!!! He was laying on his side with one leg on top of his little roll and one stuck underneath. It was like a little foot coming from no where. The little roll is a receiving blanket rolled up that goes around him to make him feel secure. He hates the vent tube. He wraps his hand around it, (I think he is trying to pull it out). When he is alert and I am talking his forehead crinkles and he opens his eyes under his shades. When the blue light is off (and therefore the shades too) and he's alert his eyes are open a lot. They may remove the lines from his belly soon and put in a central line. The belly lines are to administer medication and withdrawal blood. When the belly lines are removed I may get to hold him soon after. I won't be walking on the ground that day.

Happy Birthday Brody

One week old today. One week down of our 10 - 12 weeks in the NICU. I'm gonna try to make it to "rounds" tomorrow morning to hear our next goal. We are down to being assisted only 15 times per minute on breathing. His bilirubin (jaundice) numbers are still slowly coming down. So I'll find out in the morning when the ventilator tube is removed and when he no longer is the "blue light special".

Brent spoke to a group of teens tonight for an area wide devotional. He read John 17: 20-23. It speaks of God being in me and me being in God. That is a hard concept to grasp except when I look at Brody. It is obvious we are in him, I see Brent's long fingers, the same legs (and cute little tush), Papaw's toes, Brent says he has my nose, and without the shades I think those are my Daddy's eyes. And I know Brody is in me. He flinches and I say, "I know that move, I remember that, I wondered what he was doing." He lives in my heart, he is in me. I also see The Father in him. He is a miracle!!! I see how his tiny hand wraps around my finger. I see how wonderfully and intricately he is made and I know God is in him - completely. And I KNOW Brody is in God. Brody is in God's care 24 hours a day. I feel the angels around his isolette. He is completely in God at this point in his life, it's all he knows. I needed to hear that from God tonight. I needed to remember to rely on Him and know He can take better care of Brody than I ever can and He (the almighty creator) is in Brody. If only every parent in the NICU could have this peace. I pray each parent and nurse we encounter see Christ in us. Because isn't that the goal?

Nightly Visit

We just got back from telling Brody goodnight. The nurse was changing his bedding and he wasn't very happy. He was just squirming and making faces. But when she got done he went right back to sleep and got all snuggled again. I took a couple of pictures tonight without the blue light on him but honestly when I got home they look too pitiful to publish. He was born weighing 2lb 10oz and now he is down to 2lb 5oz and he looks like a wrinkled old man. He is less jaundiced so maybe he won't be a little smurf for much longer and he'll gain some weight then I'll get some better pictures. No big updates tonight.... he is still holding his own well. I will, however, celebrate tomorrow - one week accomplished in the NICU, that's one more week closer to bringing him home.

Updates

I really should let Brent give the medical updates. You all know how I can get my facts easily confused (and lyrics - no teen comments, lol). But I'm gonna try, then Brent can correct any of my mistakes next post. They are not going to start a feeding tube or remove the vent until at least next week. They feed him through an IV right now, the nurse said he gets equivalent of Gatorade and fat. He is doing well on his oxygen, he is on the same % we breath, he is assisted half the time, the other half he does it on his own. His lungs are not bleeding as badly instead of bright red coming from them it is pink. He had to have a blood transfusion on Friday and did really well with it. He pooped (I can't wait until he is 16 and says, "Mom, I can't believe you told the world wide web I pooped."). But it's a big thing, that means his pipes are working.

We went to visit last night and they just had a new admission so we had to wait an hour. Off to Starbucks we went. I hadn't been to see him all day. I thought it best to rest instead of fighting game traffic. So when they said we couldn't visit I was more than bummed. But when we went back an hour later we went right in. I wanted to run from the hand-washing sink to his room. He looked so cute last night, shock shock. I was singing to him and I could see his forehead wrinkling above his shades. So I bent low so I could see up under his shades his eyes were open and he was raising his eyebrows, so cute. I have a feeling I'm gonna think everything he does is adorable, even pooping!!!

Brody's Arrival Story

Well we have a blog set-up for Brody. I told him yesterday that he is going to be famous. He's been prayed for all over this country and in a few others before he was even born and I know everyone is continuing to lift him in prayer. First and foremost, THANK YOU for your prayers. I know we wouldn't have gotten him this far with out them and it is what will carry us through this and bring him home.

For those of you wanting to know more details of how our little guy came to earth.......I wasn't feeling well on Sunday, cramping woke me up but I figured nothing has been normal with me yet so why worry. It didn't feel like labor (not that I knew what that felt like). I went to church, went to my mom and dad's - still cramping but nothing I could "time". On the way home Brent said we should go home and take a nap. I said to go home, change clothes, and go to the hospital, I didn't feel well.They determined that it was premature labor and admitted me. I was put on meds to stop labor, which only put it at bay it never completely stopped. I was bummed because I thought I was looking at bed rest for the last 3 months. Monday - we rested - still contractions some but not hard and not consistent. Tuesday at 2:30 am the contractions woke me and when they seemed to have a pattern I woke Brent (maybe around 4am, not sure) and got the nurse. At sometime Brent called our parents. It is all a blur to me but at one point 3 docs and 2 nurses stormed the room with a portable ultrasound and were shoving on me to find the baby's heartbeat and then they put oxygen on me. They came in and said that Brody was not in distress but in stress and I was not going to an emergency c-section but I was the first one of the day (in 20 minutes). He was losing blood and they couldn't figure out why and it would be better to take care of him on the outside. I remember looking at the clock it was 8:55am when I heard his wee little cry. I looked at Brent and said, "He sounds so little." The nurse came and asked B if he wanted to see him. He came back in the OR a few moments later and lifted his scrub shirt to expose two perfect little footprints on his t shirt. He said he was little, bruised, but good.
Labels: Brody's Arrival from Deedee
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Brody is Born!

Brody Michael Wilmoth was born on September 18, 2007 at 8:55 AM at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, WV. He weighed 2 lbs. 10 oz. and is 14 inches long. He is currently being held in the NIC-U at the WVU Children's hospital.