Luke is 1 Month Old

It seems hard to believe that Luke could be 1 month old already.

This week at your weight check you weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces.  You weigh 1 pound more than you did when you were born.  You were 19 1/2 inches long.

You still have lots of dark hair and blue eyes.  You are nursing well, but haven't got on a schedule yet.  Your awake time is from 8:00 pm till Daddy gets you to sleep usually between 10:00 and 11:00 pm.  You get up every 2-2 1/2  hours at night to eat.

You need to be bundled in order to stay asleep. 

We are working with you to take a pacifier.

You are also starting to like your monkey bouncer.

Happy 1 month to our sweet boy.  We can't wait to see how God blesses our family through you.

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

Psalm 27:14



The Next 23 Days

The next 23 days after Luke's birth were a test of patience.  However, it was also a time in which God's love for our family was shown on a daily basis.  Soon after birth, it became apparent that Luke was affected by the virus that I had.  He remained in the NICU at St. Mary's Hospital until Thursday when they let us know that his condition was above what they felt comfortable handling and were going to transfer him to a children's hospital in Augusta, GA.  This hospital was over 100 miles from our home. 

We would not have been able to make it through this time without the support we received from our parents.  They each spent over a week at our house watching our other children and then both took children home with them so Brett and I could be at the hospital with Luke.  Friends from our life group at church provided meals, groceries, and many prayers.  We received cards from many family members, friends of my parents, and others telling us they were praying for Luke's full recovery and for our family.  Friends of my parents contacted friends they knew who lived in Augusta and arranged for me to stay with them while I was in Augusta with Luke.  The outpouring of support and prayers sustained Brett and I during this time and allowed Luke to do as well as he did.

                                  

23 days in the NICU

Luke on his way to the helicopter for his transfer to MCG Hospital in Augusta

His first and hopefully only helicopter ride!

Vent settings were finally decreased, which put us one step closer to coming off the vent!

Off the vent, starting to show signs of getting better.

 

A lot of our time in the hospital was spent watching Luke sleep, gain strength, and get better.

Final steps- off the nasal cannula and feeding tube

Moved to my big boy bed.  I'm just days away from going home!

Day before discharge-having my carseat test completed.

In my carseat, ready to leave the NICU for home.

A picture of me riding home from the hospital.

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; Mourn with those who mourn."

Romans 12:15

In God's Timing

The past 3 1/2 weeks have been crazy in our house. We were expecting our eighth baby in the beginning of July. The kids had just gotten out of school and we were ready to enjoy a month of summer vacation before our new little one arrived. I had been hard at work preparing a summer schedule to keep us busy.

Throughout my pregnancy the most asked question by our kids was "Mom, when are you going to have the baby?" Our answer was always the same...only God knows when our baby will arrive. I believed this to be true, but still was shocked by the turn of events that happened. The last day of school was Friday, May 18th. Andrew was not feeling well that day. He started with a stomach ache and by dinner was running a low grade temperature. I didn't think too much of it. He wasn't acting too sick. Over the next week, the virus hit all the kids and myself.

The following Friday night, I came down with the virus. I was sick all weekend and by Sunday had noticed that the baby was not as active as he normally was. I called the doctor on Sunday morning to ask about being sick and whether or not it would affect the baby. They suggested coming into the hospital, but I put it off all day because I didn't want to go and them tell me I was fine. By dinner, I was getting worried because the baby really hadn't moved much,so Brett convinced me to go to the hospital. Once there things progressed quickly. The baby had 2 decels in his heart rate and the next thing I knew my room was full of nursing staff. Within a few minutes I learned that I would be having my first c-section because the baby was in distress.

Luke was born a few minutes before 9:00 pm on May 27th at 34 weeks. He weighed 5 pounds and 14 ounces and was 19 inches long. At first glance he looked healthy. They took him to the NICU for observation after I got a quick look and kiss.

"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.  Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands.  How joyful is the man who's quiver is full of them"

Psalm 127:3-5