Milestones

This is a picture of the ladybug that lived in the first high-care room we inhabited in the NICU. I ask tonight for prayers for my cousin Jill's baby, Christian James Miller. I don't know if he is in the ladybug room yet or where but he is in the NICU. He was born 9 weeks early. He is doing well right now but we know the roller-coaster ride they have awaiting them, so please keep Jill, her husband Jimmy, and mostly Christian in your prayers.

Brody is doing so many great things.....not only the normal baby things, smiling, cooing, and (today) laughing but he is sleeping at night without his slope & swing (daytime naps he still uses his it), he is off of 2 of his medicines (only on his prevacid and his heart med), he has been off of oxygen for over a month, instead of 2 monitors - just one, and he has gotten over his first virus. Brody and I both had a stomach virus last week. I think I picked it up when I took Bro for his pediatrician visit on the 15th, then I gave it to baby Bro. We found out at his appt that he is growing too. He weighs over 13lbs and 23.5" long. We are feeling better but still recovering. That icky thing just zaps you. But Bro kicked-it, he is so amazing.

Keep our friend, Waylon, in your prayers too. He may go home this weekend.

Heart Strings

Ok for the detailed updates on Brody's heart conditions.

SVT - Supraventricular Tachycardia
This fast heart rate involves the upper and lower chambers. It has to do with the electrical system. He has an extra electrical wire that makes his heart beat too fast occasionally. Sunday morning at 4:45 when his AB Monitor alarmed his heart rate went to 300 for a baby his age it should be around 150. The medication he was prescribed lowers his heart rate. 50% of babies "recover" from this condition by age 1. The other 50% will recover by are 3 and the rest will battle it and have to have catheterization as a teenager, some go away and come back. The longer he goes without having another episode is encouraging that he will not have continuing problems. With some research, we have found that he did have an episode once in the NICU.

WPW - Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome
This is related to the SVT, it means that the electrical conduction pathways are larger. This type of SVT sometimes can be undetectable except by EKG.

Coronary Artery Fistula
This means that Brody has an extra channel (artery) between the coronary artery and the pulmonray artery. Also sometimes repaired by a catheterizaon.

These conditions can be serious but don't have to be. We found them early, he is responding well to medication, and the fistula is tiny (a good thing). We will be following up with the pediatric cardiologist, DR. Phillips, and will find out more detail and treatment plan then. But so far so good. God is good all the time, I am so thankful that we found these early.

It wouldn't let me use the picture thingy tonight, sorry. Or the spell check, lol.

Home Again Home Again Jiggity Jig

Alleluia, we are home. Brody is doing well. The medication that the pediatric cardiologist prescribed is working and his heart is no longer racing. I am sure we will have some more testing. As it stands right now he may have 3 different heart conditions, unrelated to being a preemine and unrelated to one another. When I get unpacked tomorrow (after some sleep :) and find all of our information I will share with you. It does appear that all of the conditions can be "outgrown". When the echo-cardiogram gets read and we see the Dr. we will have aven more answers.

I know some of you have been asking for the blog...I am sorry that I haven't given you any information. I saw so many people that asked or called about Brody followed by, "I never go on the blog anymore.", many didn't even know I hadn't been blogging. Then the comments got less and less - I truly assumed no-one was checking it except 3 people. Therefore, the way to keep me finding time to blog I need some encoragement. Even if you comment, "I was here."

Thank you for your love, support, and prayers.

Let's go to the PICU Daddy

For all that have heard from this morning that we had to return Master Brody to the ER this morning, it is true and he has been diagnosed with Supraventricular tachycardia. This is best discribed by me as he over reved his heart tachometor. His heart rate was very fast this morning and we could not get him settled down. We took him to the ER (thanks Susan) and they were able to diagnose and treat him and get him settled down to normal rates. They are keeping him overnight for sure and perhaps Monday night; we will re-eval tomorrow.

This little guy just seems to keep us on our toes. This has nothing to do with his previous conditions and is something he should out grow. Surprisingly common, but serious none the less.

We appreciate all the prayer already and welcome more as we will be spending the night on our knees and welcome all who want to jump in on the line. God has taken such good care of us through all of this that we just have to praise Him in this storm and trust that He is up to something else that will prove to be amazing.