We spent a quiet Thanksgiving at home this year, the first in Darth's and my married life. It was fun to put together the whole meal for once. We even got some leaves raked and bagged and watched Miracle on 34th Street. It was different (the theme of this year!) but nice.
Braden mostly hung out in his baby swing and slept the day away. He wasn't overly impressed with the holiday. It sure was a blessing to have him with us though. As we went through our "thankful" list as a family, everyone listed baby Braden. We have much to thank the Lord for!
We have had numerous check-ups each week, between our pediatrician and the Children's cardiologist that visits Wenatchee. Braden's weight is still not up to his birth weight, so we are giving him extra calories using bottle-fed milk with formula added. Hopefully he will gain significantly in the next week and a half. Our pediatrician wasn't overly concerned by it and says Braden is looking really well. Still, the doctor does want to see more growth. Braden had a stuffy nose the past several days and it made feeding and keeping it down a bit harder. He sounds great today and has done well so we are encouraged.
It has been a joy to have Braden spending some more awake time, just focusing on faces or checking out his surroundings. He likes to focus on his black and white stuffed cow and really likes a wall-hanging by the changing table starring Winnie the Pooh characters. Eeyore's tail is a high-light; He just stares and stares at it. Braden has beautiful deep blue eyes and the cutest dimples! We love to sit and admire him.
The surgery date is quickly approaching. December is around the corner and we dread it in part, but look forward to getting on with it all. We just so badly want Braden to be well and have all this behind us. Before, we were looking forward to the birth on our Seattle trip. This time the surgery is the all-encompassing focus and it is overwhelming. But the amazing thing is this crazy peace that covers us. We really should be freaking out at this point. Part of me wants to, but Jesus in His love and mercy won't let me go there. He has put this confidence so deep in my heart that He is in control. How many people face open-heart surgery with their newborn? So scary, but we know Jesus is near, He has not brought us or Braden this far to drop us now. How do people cope with life without the Lord? I never want to know. It is great to celebrate and give God thanks in the good times, but absolutely necessary to know that He will never leave or forsake you in the hard times.
We have heard from so many of you that are praying. Bless you for your diligence and compassion for our son. God has a plan here and we are trusting Him with the results. He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Jenni, Darth and girls
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thank Heaven for Little Boys!
It has been almost a week since Braden came home. What a wonderful week! He has happily settled into life as kid number four, sleeping through all the numerous hugs and kisses from doting sisters.
Braden went to visit our pediatrician on Monday and sees a Children's cardiac team doctor tomorrow for his weekly echo cardiogram. Darth and I feel so good having him home, while still getting such great medical care. As wonderful as Children's Seattle is, it is so good to be home waiting for surgery rather than at the hospital. Braden is healthier for it, getting good sleep and feeding on a regular schedule. He is away from germs and the noise. Of course we have noise galore at our house, but he's used to that, from months of exposure. It just is not so muffled now that he's born. He just sleeps through it anyway.
Baby and I have been basically hibernating at home. That is a drastic change of pace for me since I am usually so involved at the girls' elementary school and with teaching piano lessons. I have to say I am enjoying it! Being forced to just "be" for this period of time is good for reflection and for being able to focus on our wonderful son. He is amazing, such a fighter. Praise the Lord for so many answers to prayer already.
From Braden's Mommy
Braden went to visit our pediatrician on Monday and sees a Children's cardiac team doctor tomorrow for his weekly echo cardiogram. Darth and I feel so good having him home, while still getting such great medical care. As wonderful as Children's Seattle is, it is so good to be home waiting for surgery rather than at the hospital. Braden is healthier for it, getting good sleep and feeding on a regular schedule. He is away from germs and the noise. Of course we have noise galore at our house, but he's used to that, from months of exposure. It just is not so muffled now that he's born. He just sleeps through it anyway.
Baby and I have been basically hibernating at home. That is a drastic change of pace for me since I am usually so involved at the girls' elementary school and with teaching piano lessons. I have to say I am enjoying it! Being forced to just "be" for this period of time is good for reflection and for being able to focus on our wonderful son. He is amazing, such a fighter. Praise the Lord for so many answers to prayer already.
From Braden's Mommy
Friday, November 14, 2008
Home Sweet Home
We are home! It is beyond our comprehension, but yesterday we were discharged. Braden has done so well that the team of doctors decided it was in his best interest to go home and to allow his heart to grow a bit more. Surgery has been rescheduled for December 9. The VSD (ventricular septal defect) is larger than we realized. If his heart is allowed to grow, it will give the doctors more to work with in making that repair; the VSD will remain the same size. This is still a good thing though with the Transposition of the Great Arteries because his blood is getting the oxygen it needs through that large VSD.
We will be meeting weekly with a Children's cardiology team while back home waiting for surgery. Even though it was scary leaving the hospital with a newborn needing heart surgery, we are beyond thrilled to have Braden with us. Can we just say how incredibly awesome it is to have all the wires and monitors off our precious baby boy?! Every time we held him, some beeper would go off because a monitor patch had come off his chest or his heart monitor slipped off wherever it had been placed at the time. His IV is out and the bandaid on his head is the only reminder of where it was.
While still at Children's, we were able to spend a lot of time with Braden once he was moved to the floor, Tuesday the 11th through Thursday the 13th. It was certainly different than NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). He was in a HUGE bed and shared a room with a teenage boy. We had great nurses, but it just felt so strange to have a newborn in that room, looking so small and helpless. It was hard to leave him there. Darth and I took turns sleeping overnight with him, but of course one doesn't really sleep in the hospital. We are pretty much exhausted.
Now that Braden has been discharged, our girls have been smothering him with love and kisses. They beg to hold him all the time; he is in great danger of being spoiled. Oh well. It was fun to bring him in for bedtime prayers with the whole family. We are blessed.
It is hard to think of having to head back to Seattle for surgery, especially so close to Christmas. Darth and I just keep saying, this is God's thing, not ours. He has had his hand on us from the beginning and we will continue to walk in faith and trust and to hold on to what we know is true. And in the meantime we keep praying for that miracle healing, though we admit we have seen huge miracles in the way things have gone even this far. Braden is just doing so well!
Please keep praying!
Darth and Jenni
We will be meeting weekly with a Children's cardiology team while back home waiting for surgery. Even though it was scary leaving the hospital with a newborn needing heart surgery, we are beyond thrilled to have Braden with us. Can we just say how incredibly awesome it is to have all the wires and monitors off our precious baby boy?! Every time we held him, some beeper would go off because a monitor patch had come off his chest or his heart monitor slipped off wherever it had been placed at the time. His IV is out and the bandaid on his head is the only reminder of where it was.
While still at Children's, we were able to spend a lot of time with Braden once he was moved to the floor, Tuesday the 11th through Thursday the 13th. It was certainly different than NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). He was in a HUGE bed and shared a room with a teenage boy. We had great nurses, but it just felt so strange to have a newborn in that room, looking so small and helpless. It was hard to leave him there. Darth and I took turns sleeping overnight with him, but of course one doesn't really sleep in the hospital. We are pretty much exhausted.
Now that Braden has been discharged, our girls have been smothering him with love and kisses. They beg to hold him all the time; he is in great danger of being spoiled. Oh well. It was fun to bring him in for bedtime prayers with the whole family. We are blessed.
It is hard to think of having to head back to Seattle for surgery, especially so close to Christmas. Darth and I just keep saying, this is God's thing, not ours. He has had his hand on us from the beginning and we will continue to walk in faith and trust and to hold on to what we know is true. And in the meantime we keep praying for that miracle healing, though we admit we have seen huge miracles in the way things have gone even this far. Braden is just doing so well!
Please keep praying!
Darth and Jenni
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Happy Birthday Braden!
The Journey...
On Tuesday, November 4th, our doctors decided to send us to Seattle. They wanted to perform daily NST's (Non Stess Tests) on Braden to make sure his heart was handling the contractions well. So we had a couple of hours to pack things up and head out of town. The University of Washington was expecting us Tuesday night for the first test. Everything was going well, then on Saturday morning, Jenni's water broke. We checked in at labor and delivery and after many hours we welcomed Braden into the world at 6:38 PM. His weight was 7.2 oz. and his length measured 19 1/2 ''. He is absolutely beautiful. Jenni was able to hold him for a little bit before he was sent to NICU. Once there, Braden was prepped for transfer to Seattle Children's Hospital. After we had a chance to say goodbye, I followed Braden down to the ambulance. It left at 8:30 PM and I followed later after the Husky football traffic died down. I was able to spend some time in Braden's room at Children's.
Jenni was amazing, I have such a respect for mothers!
- Darth
Note from Jenni:
What a crazy time! It was not convenient to pack up and leave mid-week like we did. We threw our things together in a matter of hours and headed to the UW on election night of all times. Our girls have been completely off schedule for days, but are showing their skill at being flexible. We do not regret pulling them from school to be with us, except occasionally when they are whining or bickering with each other!
Some really good things to report:
- We were in the Seattle area early! We were supposed to drive over on Saturday for a Sunday inducement, but my water broke on Saturday. Thank you Lord for taking care of those details.
- Braden only had to be on Prostaglandin for a short while. This means his blood is getting the oxygen it needs without Braden having to be on that medicine and experiencing its side-effects.
- Braden has been nursing and taking bottles with pumped milk or formula!
- He will be transferred out of NICU today (11/11) to go to the floor because he is doing so well. Unless there are complications, he will remain there until surgery.
- Our housing issues are settled and the big sisters are getting used to their new home away from home.
- We have had wonderful help from family, with childcare, laundry, grocery shopping. We could not have done this without them.
- We have felt the Lord's peace every step on the way and know people are praying.
We love and appreciate you!
Jenni
Monday, November 3, 2008
November Update
November is finally here and our excitement is growing. In just a matter of days we get to meet Braden. He is busy wiggling and squirming these days, trying his best to keep mommy from sleeping too much. The girls all agreed tonight that mom's tummy is a watermelon. Thanks! They are counting the days till little brother comes.
We have been so blessed in the past few weeks with showers of love from our church family and friends. The Lord has amazed us again and again at providing for seemingly insignificant things that are really so huge in these stressful days of preparation. Housing is coming together for our stay in Seattle. The financial pressures are being eased with amazing programs we never knew existed. In our gratefulness to agencies and individual personnel, we keep coming back to the realization that God is our Source. He can do anything. We know it in our heads and yet when He comes through in these amazing ways, it floors us with humility to think the Maker of the Universe knows and cares about us, His Children.
The teachers at the girls' elementary school have been fabulous, really rallying behind them, making them feel loved and prepared for the long absence. The materials gathered by those teachers will give us the benefit of homeschooling without the hours of prep. The teachers did all the work! God bless them!
The next post will contain news of Braden's arrival. We will keep you up-to-date to the best of our ability and have pictures as soon as possible.
Jenni
We have been so blessed in the past few weeks with showers of love from our church family and friends. The Lord has amazed us again and again at providing for seemingly insignificant things that are really so huge in these stressful days of preparation. Housing is coming together for our stay in Seattle. The financial pressures are being eased with amazing programs we never knew existed. In our gratefulness to agencies and individual personnel, we keep coming back to the realization that God is our Source. He can do anything. We know it in our heads and yet when He comes through in these amazing ways, it floors us with humility to think the Maker of the Universe knows and cares about us, His Children.
The teachers at the girls' elementary school have been fabulous, really rallying behind them, making them feel loved and prepared for the long absence. The materials gathered by those teachers will give us the benefit of homeschooling without the hours of prep. The teachers did all the work! God bless them!
The next post will contain news of Braden's arrival. We will keep you up-to-date to the best of our ability and have pictures as soon as possible.
Jenni
Monday, October 20, 2008
Last Prenatal Appointments in Seattle
On Friday, October 17, Darth and I spent most of the day in doctor appointments and consultations. It was an informative day and our brains were exhausted by the time we were done. It was great information to receive, however, because we are getting so close to Braden's arrival and our excitement is growing.
We started off with our last fetal echo cardiogram. Braden's condition has remained consistent as far as the congenital heart defect goes. The test showed okay heart function and the plan is still to have his operation sometime after the first week. We also found out that Braden will likely go to the UW Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) before transfer to Children's. Still praying we will get to see him a bit before all that occurs.
Next came the ultrasound and it went so well. All the concerns that have come up during the past months were just not an issue. Thank you God! The perinatologist (high-risk obstetrician) has us scheduled for an induction at the University of Washington on Sunday, November 9. We hope to have a baby that day, but with an induction who knows. We get to call in the morning to find out when to come in so it's a waiting game for all. Darth and I were told again to expect a month long hospital stay.
We met a neonatologist on this visit that was able to answer questions regarding the process to stabilize Braden. Even though he may not be there when baby boy is born, this doctor was so reassuring about the care Braden will receive. It also gave us an idea how many people to expect in the delivery room! I was envisioning a good dozen, but it looks like about half that many. Who cares at that point! Just take care of my baby! :) We have no grand expectations for this delivery experience. This whole pregnancy has taken such a different direction that our priorities are very focused and practical.
Our last appointment was with one of the two surgeons that will be performing Braden's heart surgery. He told us to not expect surgery before 7 days old. Darth and I were able to ask questions and clarify information we have learned over the months to get an accurate idea of what surgery and recovery will be like. The surgery is long, with prep, actual operation, and such, approximately 7 hours. The surgeon reassured us that really he doesn't watch the clock, he just focuses on the patient and what needs to be done. We just plan on it being a long day.
This is all still really scary stuff for us. Heart surgery on a newborn is unfathomable for me. Yet this is our reality. Should Jesus not heal him in a miraculous way, we are proceeding with the knowledge that He uses doctors too. And we have some of the best on our team; we are so grateful! Children's Seattle is amazing.
By the way, the posted picture of Braden is a 4-D ultrasound picture taken at one of my Wenatchee ultrasound appointments. We received several pictures of his face, a cute foot shot, and one of his hand, showing long fingers. The miracle of life is wonderful. Those pictures have brought so many smiles to our faces to see our little pumpkin Braden!
Thanks for continuing to stand by us and to pray for our family and little boy.
Jenni
We started off with our last fetal echo cardiogram. Braden's condition has remained consistent as far as the congenital heart defect goes. The test showed okay heart function and the plan is still to have his operation sometime after the first week. We also found out that Braden will likely go to the UW Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) before transfer to Children's. Still praying we will get to see him a bit before all that occurs.
Next came the ultrasound and it went so well. All the concerns that have come up during the past months were just not an issue. Thank you God! The perinatologist (high-risk obstetrician) has us scheduled for an induction at the University of Washington on Sunday, November 9. We hope to have a baby that day, but with an induction who knows. We get to call in the morning to find out when to come in so it's a waiting game for all. Darth and I were told again to expect a month long hospital stay.
We met a neonatologist on this visit that was able to answer questions regarding the process to stabilize Braden. Even though he may not be there when baby boy is born, this doctor was so reassuring about the care Braden will receive. It also gave us an idea how many people to expect in the delivery room! I was envisioning a good dozen, but it looks like about half that many. Who cares at that point! Just take care of my baby! :) We have no grand expectations for this delivery experience. This whole pregnancy has taken such a different direction that our priorities are very focused and practical.
Our last appointment was with one of the two surgeons that will be performing Braden's heart surgery. He told us to not expect surgery before 7 days old. Darth and I were able to ask questions and clarify information we have learned over the months to get an accurate idea of what surgery and recovery will be like. The surgery is long, with prep, actual operation, and such, approximately 7 hours. The surgeon reassured us that really he doesn't watch the clock, he just focuses on the patient and what needs to be done. We just plan on it being a long day.
This is all still really scary stuff for us. Heart surgery on a newborn is unfathomable for me. Yet this is our reality. Should Jesus not heal him in a miraculous way, we are proceeding with the knowledge that He uses doctors too. And we have some of the best on our team; we are so grateful! Children's Seattle is amazing.
By the way, the posted picture of Braden is a 4-D ultrasound picture taken at one of my Wenatchee ultrasound appointments. We received several pictures of his face, a cute foot shot, and one of his hand, showing long fingers. The miracle of life is wonderful. Those pictures have brought so many smiles to our faces to see our little pumpkin Braden!
Thanks for continuing to stand by us and to pray for our family and little boy.
Jenni
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Five weeks and counting
The past several weeks have been filled with much preparation as we get ready to welcome little Braden to the world. Tomorrow (October 6) it will be 5 weeks until the inducement and it seems there is so much to be done between now and then with the daily commitments of work, home and family.
We wanted to share some areas of gratitude! For starters, God has worked some amazing miracles in providing for our family financially during the last several days and we give Him all the praise for taking care of us. This faith walk we're on gets more and more amazing all the time. Our current situation has caused us to reflect on all the times the Lord has come through for us in the area of finances in the past. Those experiences has proved invaluable for trusting Him once again in this new life adventure. Our medical bills were starting to pile up with all the tests and appointments. Even with the great insurance we have, Darth and I were starting to think, "OH MY! We haven't even HAD Braden yet and the bills are stacking up!" Kind of scary territory. But, we know Jesus is our source of hope and His timing is very humbling. Last week we found out we were approved for financial aid with one medical facility and that our account balance showed zero! This past week we were also able to get rid of some credit card debt that was really hanging over our heads. Our stress level has been significantly reduced! Thank you Lord!
Another good report is that we have had tests every week here at home in Wenatchee since our last Seattle appointments and Braden looks great. I have had two non stress tests (NST) and an ultrasound. There has been no noticeable excess of amniotic fluid and Braden has passed both NST's with flying colors. The ultrasound brought up an area of concern that was cleared up by the second NST so really things are going well. We are relieved with every good report and are choosing faith over fear with the others! And, this will come as a shock, but the ultrasound showed Braden already has a good amount of hair. All our babies have had a full head of hair, with each one having more than the last. It will be fun to see what Braden looks like! He is almost 5 pounds according to the ultrasound so his growth is right where it should be.
Lastly, we are getting encouragement almost daily with phone calls, cards, and conversations, people telling Darth and I that they are praying, encouraging us with their own stories of trusting God and His faithfulness. We know our family is walking in peace because of those prayers and words of encouragement. We are worriers by nature and this whole thing is so out of our control. But God, who knows exactly what we need when we need it and who know precisely what tomorrow holds, is our Rock during uncertain times.
The Lord bless you and keep you, make His face shine upon you, and give you peace.
Jenni
We wanted to share some areas of gratitude! For starters, God has worked some amazing miracles in providing for our family financially during the last several days and we give Him all the praise for taking care of us. This faith walk we're on gets more and more amazing all the time. Our current situation has caused us to reflect on all the times the Lord has come through for us in the area of finances in the past. Those experiences has proved invaluable for trusting Him once again in this new life adventure. Our medical bills were starting to pile up with all the tests and appointments. Even with the great insurance we have, Darth and I were starting to think, "OH MY! We haven't even HAD Braden yet and the bills are stacking up!" Kind of scary territory. But, we know Jesus is our source of hope and His timing is very humbling. Last week we found out we were approved for financial aid with one medical facility and that our account balance showed zero! This past week we were also able to get rid of some credit card debt that was really hanging over our heads. Our stress level has been significantly reduced! Thank you Lord!
Another good report is that we have had tests every week here at home in Wenatchee since our last Seattle appointments and Braden looks great. I have had two non stress tests (NST) and an ultrasound. There has been no noticeable excess of amniotic fluid and Braden has passed both NST's with flying colors. The ultrasound brought up an area of concern that was cleared up by the second NST so really things are going well. We are relieved with every good report and are choosing faith over fear with the others! And, this will come as a shock, but the ultrasound showed Braden already has a good amount of hair. All our babies have had a full head of hair, with each one having more than the last. It will be fun to see what Braden looks like! He is almost 5 pounds according to the ultrasound so his growth is right where it should be.
Lastly, we are getting encouragement almost daily with phone calls, cards, and conversations, people telling Darth and I that they are praying, encouraging us with their own stories of trusting God and His faithfulness. We know our family is walking in peace because of those prayers and words of encouragement. We are worriers by nature and this whole thing is so out of our control. But God, who knows exactly what we need when we need it and who know precisely what tomorrow holds, is our Rock during uncertain times.
The Lord bless you and keep you, make His face shine upon you, and give you peace.
Jenni
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
