Remember a few months ago when I worried that Cohen would not like to be held? I had heard that long term NICU babies like their crib better than being held.........
Well- we do not have that problem here. Cohen has been home for 7 full days, and he is already a major cuddler. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little happy about this. I love getting to hold and cuddle him all the time. He does sit in the swing rather contently, but he much prefers holding. (and so do I)
I remember when Calee was a baby we held her 24 hours a day. I guess I just thought that is what I was suppose to do! I recall her pediatrician asking me if I ever put her down when I was concerned when she walked a little late.......the answer was no!!! My Granny always said you can't spoil a baby. I guess that is the philosophy we are going with.
Ames had his fair share of holding too---now, you can only hold him if you chase him down or bribe him with a truck or train!!!
Speaking of Calee, she sang in her school talent show yesterday. She was AWESOME! I am so proud of her! She is growing up so fast------those of you that haven't seen her in a while would just not believe it! She is also a major baby holder.....as soon as she gets in from school, she takes Cohen for "her turn".
Hope you all have a great weekend! We love you all and thank you for your continued support.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
April 27th
Baby Cohen is having another good day. Seems like some of our G tube issues are starting to resolve (knock on wood). Since we started bolus feeding during the night we have had less leakage. Cohen still doesn't sleep quite as much as we would like, but I know that will just come with time.
The Nurse from Nurses for Newborns came out today for our first visit. It went really well. She will come every week for a while, then switch to bi-weekly, then monthly visits. I was not sure what to expect from the visit. They weigh him, do a quick physical assessment and then ask us lots of questions. I was glad to have a second pair of eyes see the G tube and make sure we are doing everything right with it----she was really encouraging and made us feel good. I am really thankful to have this service. We can also call them anytime for questions or concerns about Cohen. I know we can always call our pediatrician, but its nice to have another contact just in case.
I wanted to say a special THANK YOU to all of our friends, neighbors, and church family that have brought us food since Cohen came home. We are getting so spoiled with all the wonderful meals! It has been so nice not to worry about cooking during this adjustment time. We are so thankful to have such thoughtful people in our lives.
Love and Blessings to you all!
The Nurse from Nurses for Newborns came out today for our first visit. It went really well. She will come every week for a while, then switch to bi-weekly, then monthly visits. I was not sure what to expect from the visit. They weigh him, do a quick physical assessment and then ask us lots of questions. I was glad to have a second pair of eyes see the G tube and make sure we are doing everything right with it----she was really encouraging and made us feel good. I am really thankful to have this service. We can also call them anytime for questions or concerns about Cohen. I know we can always call our pediatrician, but its nice to have another contact just in case.
I wanted to say a special THANK YOU to all of our friends, neighbors, and church family that have brought us food since Cohen came home. We are getting so spoiled with all the wonderful meals! It has been so nice not to worry about cooking during this adjustment time. We are so thankful to have such thoughtful people in our lives.
Love and Blessings to you all!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Getting adjusted....
I didn't think I would blog as much since Cohen is at home, but I find myself needing a link to the outside world!!!! We are so used to being on the go that being home is a little strange. I love it, but its a transition.
Cohen is really starting to adjust to being at home and in a different environment. He doesn't look quite as scared as he did the first day or so! People are still poking and prodding at him quite a bit, but at least it's done by Justin and I now.
He is really a sweet natured little boy. He is very calm and generally pretty happy. We were not 100% sure what to expect when he got home. I think Justin and I both are surprised at how easy he is to handle, and how much more "normal" he seems here. I guess in the hospital still attached to all the monitors and machines made him seem so fragile. We are learning not to be so nervous about him. Justin looked at me yesterday and said "Hey, do you know we have 3 kids?" We laughed. Us. With 3 kids. Whowoulda thought?
God has blessed us beyond measure with 3 amazing children. A few years ago I would have never believed it------=)
The only real challenges we have faced since we got home are the "G" tube leaking and trying to get his schedule down correctly. The original plan from the hospital was bolus feedings at 8-12-4-8 during the day and use the continuous feed pump at night from 10-6. This is so he could get the amount of formula needed to meet his daily "goal" the nutritionist and doctor has set for him, and so he (and us) could sleep without being disturbed by bolus feeding at night.
We thought this plan would work for us.....but the first 3 nights were terrible. We changed his clothes and G tube dressing at least 3-4 times a night due to being milk soaked from the leaky G tube and pump. He was not sleeping at all, and I think it was mostly due to all the commotion, not because he wasn't tired.
My mom is in town this weekend (thank goodness) and she suggested we just try and bolus feed during the night and see what happens. I also called Mary Farris' mom Kim to get her take on it, since she has been dealing with a G tube for close to 2 years. She said she doesn't use the pump at all----I was surprised since I thought this is what I was "supposed" to do. The only reason I was hesitant is because he gets almost 7 ounces through the pump during the night, and there is no way he will get that much with bolus feeds.
We gave it a run last night and are happy to say we had dry clothes, no G tube leaking, and a much, much happier baby. He slept from 10-1:30, and then from about 3-6. Major improvement from the previous nights! We adjusted the feed schedule to 6-10-2-6 a.m. and p.m. We will be losing 1 total feeding compared to the pump, but I think as long as he seems satisfied that it will work out fine. I plan on talking to the nutritionist on our next visit. With preemies it's important they continue to gain weight and I want to make sure he gets the proper nutrition he needs to be big and strong!
I have been hesitant to mention this BIG news I heard a few days ago, because I know how things change in the NICU, but it looks like Cohen's buddy Emma Claire will get to GO HOME tomorrow. Can you imagine? Emma Claire and Cohen getting to go home in the same week? It is beyond a blessing. Emma Claire is such a warrior, which isn't surprising considering who her parents are! Emma Claire is their first baby, and they have waited patiently to bring her home for a long time. Justin and I are so happy for Matt and Emily. We love you EC and can't wait to see you grow up!
Cohen is really starting to adjust to being at home and in a different environment. He doesn't look quite as scared as he did the first day or so! People are still poking and prodding at him quite a bit, but at least it's done by Justin and I now.
He is really a sweet natured little boy. He is very calm and generally pretty happy. We were not 100% sure what to expect when he got home. I think Justin and I both are surprised at how easy he is to handle, and how much more "normal" he seems here. I guess in the hospital still attached to all the monitors and machines made him seem so fragile. We are learning not to be so nervous about him. Justin looked at me yesterday and said "Hey, do you know we have 3 kids?" We laughed. Us. With 3 kids. Whowoulda thought?
God has blessed us beyond measure with 3 amazing children. A few years ago I would have never believed it------=)
The only real challenges we have faced since we got home are the "G" tube leaking and trying to get his schedule down correctly. The original plan from the hospital was bolus feedings at 8-12-4-8 during the day and use the continuous feed pump at night from 10-6. This is so he could get the amount of formula needed to meet his daily "goal" the nutritionist and doctor has set for him, and so he (and us) could sleep without being disturbed by bolus feeding at night.
We thought this plan would work for us.....but the first 3 nights were terrible. We changed his clothes and G tube dressing at least 3-4 times a night due to being milk soaked from the leaky G tube and pump. He was not sleeping at all, and I think it was mostly due to all the commotion, not because he wasn't tired.
My mom is in town this weekend (thank goodness) and she suggested we just try and bolus feed during the night and see what happens. I also called Mary Farris' mom Kim to get her take on it, since she has been dealing with a G tube for close to 2 years. She said she doesn't use the pump at all----I was surprised since I thought this is what I was "supposed" to do. The only reason I was hesitant is because he gets almost 7 ounces through the pump during the night, and there is no way he will get that much with bolus feeds.
We gave it a run last night and are happy to say we had dry clothes, no G tube leaking, and a much, much happier baby. He slept from 10-1:30, and then from about 3-6. Major improvement from the previous nights! We adjusted the feed schedule to 6-10-2-6 a.m. and p.m. We will be losing 1 total feeding compared to the pump, but I think as long as he seems satisfied that it will work out fine. I plan on talking to the nutritionist on our next visit. With preemies it's important they continue to gain weight and I want to make sure he gets the proper nutrition he needs to be big and strong!
I have been hesitant to mention this BIG news I heard a few days ago, because I know how things change in the NICU, but it looks like Cohen's buddy Emma Claire will get to GO HOME tomorrow. Can you imagine? Emma Claire and Cohen getting to go home in the same week? It is beyond a blessing. Emma Claire is such a warrior, which isn't surprising considering who her parents are! Emma Claire is their first baby, and they have waited patiently to bring her home for a long time. Justin and I are so happy for Matt and Emily. We love you EC and can't wait to see you grow up!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Baby CoCo
Most of you know, I LOVE a newborn baby. I know that Cohen is 4 months old, but he is very newborn like in many ways. We have amazing pics of Ames at 7 days old, so I am so excited to have these! THANKS AGAIN JEANNIE!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Calee and the boys!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Home....sort of!
Well, we spent the last 24 hours at home with Cohen. We even took him to our pediatrician here in Murfreesboro this morning for his first checkup. He wanted to get a good "baseline" of what he looks and sounds like when he is well. Everything was great!
This afternoon we were are settling in and about to eat a awesome dinner (thanks to Julie) and Justin and I decided to add a little water to the balloon in Cohen's G tube, since it has been leaking all day. They next thing we knew the "button" had flown off and milk was shooting straight up in the air! I stuck the G tube back in and Justin taped in on. (It's really a shame no one was videoing us, it would have been really, really funny)We called Vanderbilt and the surgeon told us to head to the ER since it was after the surgery clinic hours. We were dreading having Cohen in the ER with all the other sick kids.
When we got about halfway there, the surgery nurse practitioner called and told us she would wait for us in the office, so we would not have to take him to the ER. When we got there, she switched out the button to a 1.4 from a .8. She said that he has grown so much since the surgery it must have caused the button to fit incorrectly. She fixed us in about 15 minutes and sent us downstairs to x-ray. They checked the placement to make sure the milk was going into the stomach and not somewhere else, and sent us on our way! We were only there about 1 hour total! AMAZING!
God Bless that wonderful nurse!!!!! If we had to go back, it was the best possible scenario. Other than this G tube blunder, we are doing great and enjoying every second of being home with baby Cohen!
I promise I am working on posting pics, my computer is having some trouble-hope to get it worked out soon!
This afternoon we were are settling in and about to eat a awesome dinner (thanks to Julie) and Justin and I decided to add a little water to the balloon in Cohen's G tube, since it has been leaking all day. They next thing we knew the "button" had flown off and milk was shooting straight up in the air! I stuck the G tube back in and Justin taped in on. (It's really a shame no one was videoing us, it would have been really, really funny)We called Vanderbilt and the surgeon told us to head to the ER since it was after the surgery clinic hours. We were dreading having Cohen in the ER with all the other sick kids.
When we got about halfway there, the surgery nurse practitioner called and told us she would wait for us in the office, so we would not have to take him to the ER. When we got there, she switched out the button to a 1.4 from a .8. She said that he has grown so much since the surgery it must have caused the button to fit incorrectly. She fixed us in about 15 minutes and sent us downstairs to x-ray. They checked the placement to make sure the milk was going into the stomach and not somewhere else, and sent us on our way! We were only there about 1 hour total! AMAZING!
God Bless that wonderful nurse!!!!! If we had to go back, it was the best possible scenario. Other than this G tube blunder, we are doing great and enjoying every second of being home with baby Cohen!
I promise I am working on posting pics, my computer is having some trouble-hope to get it worked out soon!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
HOMECOMING!!!!!
Day 120-
Cohen is home! Cohen is home!
I can't begin to tell you how my heart feels. It has been an amazing day of answered prayers. Thank you to all of you who prayed along with us for Cohen----we are so grateful to all of you for your support and love.
I have tons of great pics to post from today, and hopefully my computer will more fully cooperate in the morning and let me post them!
It's still a little hard to believe he is HOME!!!!
Cohen is home! Cohen is home!
I can't begin to tell you how my heart feels. It has been an amazing day of answered prayers. Thank you to all of you who prayed along with us for Cohen----we are so grateful to all of you for your support and love.
I have tons of great pics to post from today, and hopefully my computer will more fully cooperate in the morning and let me post them!
It's still a little hard to believe he is HOME!!!!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
April 20th
I am at the hospital hanging out with Cohen for the night. It looks like tomorrow is still the day! We are hoping to be released about 3 pm. Hopefully we can avoid Nashville traffic and get him home quick. I am not sure it has really sank in yet-- that we are actually taking him home! It probably won't really hit me until we are actually in the car and on the way!
Thank you for your continued support and encouragment! I will post coming home pics ASAP------I can't wait for Ames and Cohen to finally meet!!!
Thank you for your continued support and encouragment! I will post coming home pics ASAP------I can't wait for Ames and Cohen to finally meet!!!
Monday, April 19, 2010
April 19th
Day 118-
Justin had to brave it by himself again today. He is working on his "daddy of the year" status!! I am feeling a little better now, so I am hoping the doctor will let me back in to see my baby! I have missed him so much!
Justin said he had a hard time leaving him this afternoon since he was so playful and awake-- it was hard to not just scoop him up and bring him home. The developmental specialist came today and evaluated Cohen. We haven't gotten the full report yet, but I think she thought he did pretty well, considering everything he had been through . The pulmonary doctor also came back by to discuss what Cohen's breathing treatment regimen will be for home. Surgery team came by and got one last peek at the G tube. I think most of the loose ends are tied up for us to head home.
Speaking of home.....it looks like we will be getting discharged Wednesday in the late afternoon! Justin and I have CPR class from 2-3, and then they will let us go. Remember, this all is subject to change depending on about a million things, but so far they are sticking to the plan.
I am going to "room in" with Cohen tomorrow night, so I can make sure I am 100% comfortable with the feeding pump overnight.
It is hard to believe this journey is coming to an end. It is really bittersweet. It looks like he will be discharged on day 120. The first 70 days we spent at Baptist (85 if you count my stay), and the last 50 days at Vanderbilt. I know I am a broken record---but I just can't help but look back and have so much gratitude for all the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and many others that have contributed to us being able to take home a healthy, happy little boy. We are just beyond excited to bring him home!
I will post tomorrow and let you know if we are still on track for Wednesday afternoon. Love and blessing to all of you!
Justin had to brave it by himself again today. He is working on his "daddy of the year" status!! I am feeling a little better now, so I am hoping the doctor will let me back in to see my baby! I have missed him so much!
Justin said he had a hard time leaving him this afternoon since he was so playful and awake-- it was hard to not just scoop him up and bring him home. The developmental specialist came today and evaluated Cohen. We haven't gotten the full report yet, but I think she thought he did pretty well, considering everything he had been through . The pulmonary doctor also came back by to discuss what Cohen's breathing treatment regimen will be for home. Surgery team came by and got one last peek at the G tube. I think most of the loose ends are tied up for us to head home.
Speaking of home.....it looks like we will be getting discharged Wednesday in the late afternoon! Justin and I have CPR class from 2-3, and then they will let us go. Remember, this all is subject to change depending on about a million things, but so far they are sticking to the plan.
I am going to "room in" with Cohen tomorrow night, so I can make sure I am 100% comfortable with the feeding pump overnight.
It is hard to believe this journey is coming to an end. It is really bittersweet. It looks like he will be discharged on day 120. The first 70 days we spent at Baptist (85 if you count my stay), and the last 50 days at Vanderbilt. I know I am a broken record---but I just can't help but look back and have so much gratitude for all the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and many others that have contributed to us being able to take home a healthy, happy little boy. We are just beyond excited to bring him home!
I will post tomorrow and let you know if we are still on track for Wednesday afternoon. Love and blessing to all of you!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
April 18th
Operation Home is still looking good. Cohen is doing wonderful and seems stronger everyday. Justin and I have been working with all our equipment. It's a good thing we tried it all out at the hospital, because the home health company had already had to come and switch out his feeding pump. It was not working properly----it also looks like we are adding a pulse oximeter ad monitor to our home health supplies. It will be used at night while Cohen gets continuous feeds. I actually am glad for this and will probably sleep better having it.
Like I said, Cohen is doing amazing, and we are seeing him get stronger all the time. I think he will come home mid-week, Thursday at the latest. The developmental specialist is coming on Monday to check him out and give us more information. The pulmonary doctor is also still consulting and trying to decide what meds he needs for at home. HOME! Everytime I type the word I get so excited!
Ovcourse, now that it's this close to discharge, Ames and I have been sick. We have been well all winter so I guess it's our turn! Ames started with a cough/congestion and runny nose about 10 days ago. I took him to the doctor to try and head it off and he is now almost back to normal. I started with a terrible sore throat a couple of days ago----it has worsened over night. I went to the doctor this morning myself and got a shot to hopefully clear me up quickly.
The NICU doctor has told me to stay away for a couple of days to make sure I am not passing it to Cohen. Justin went to visit him today without me and I was so jealous!!! I miss him! He is so sweet and playful now I can hardly stand not to see him. More importantly, I do not want to give him this cold. It would be so hard for him to fight it----
Since we are nearing the end of our NICU stay, we have started having to say goodbyes to several of our nurses that won't be back at work before we are discharged. As you all know, we had a hard time adjusting to being at Vanderbilt. It took us a little longer to find our core group of nurses and be comfortable with all of the changes. Now, after over 50 days here at Vandy, we are SO attached to several amazing nurses. I am especially emotional when I think of how wonderful they have been to Cohen and to us. We have trusted them with our most prize possession and they have not let us down. God definitely answered our prayers and gave us trustworthy, loving nurses here at Vandy. We are forever grateful to them.
I am getting my cough drops and kleenex and heading back to bed. I will keep you all posted on the coming home progress. Thanks to all of you for the continued prayers, calls, texts, thoughtful cards and love you are sending our way. We are so thankful to you all.
Like I said, Cohen is doing amazing, and we are seeing him get stronger all the time. I think he will come home mid-week, Thursday at the latest. The developmental specialist is coming on Monday to check him out and give us more information. The pulmonary doctor is also still consulting and trying to decide what meds he needs for at home. HOME! Everytime I type the word I get so excited!
Ovcourse, now that it's this close to discharge, Ames and I have been sick. We have been well all winter so I guess it's our turn! Ames started with a cough/congestion and runny nose about 10 days ago. I took him to the doctor to try and head it off and he is now almost back to normal. I started with a terrible sore throat a couple of days ago----it has worsened over night. I went to the doctor this morning myself and got a shot to hopefully clear me up quickly.
The NICU doctor has told me to stay away for a couple of days to make sure I am not passing it to Cohen. Justin went to visit him today without me and I was so jealous!!! I miss him! He is so sweet and playful now I can hardly stand not to see him. More importantly, I do not want to give him this cold. It would be so hard for him to fight it----
Since we are nearing the end of our NICU stay, we have started having to say goodbyes to several of our nurses that won't be back at work before we are discharged. As you all know, we had a hard time adjusting to being at Vanderbilt. It took us a little longer to find our core group of nurses and be comfortable with all of the changes. Now, after over 50 days here at Vandy, we are SO attached to several amazing nurses. I am especially emotional when I think of how wonderful they have been to Cohen and to us. We have trusted them with our most prize possession and they have not let us down. God definitely answered our prayers and gave us trustworthy, loving nurses here at Vandy. We are forever grateful to them.
I am getting my cough drops and kleenex and heading back to bed. I will keep you all posted on the coming home progress. Thanks to all of you for the continued prayers, calls, texts, thoughtful cards and love you are sending our way. We are so thankful to you all.
Friday, April 16, 2010
April 16th
Cohen is still doing great. He is off all oxygen and we are working out his feeding schedule. It looks like he will get "bolus" feedings every 4 hours during the day, (8,12,4,8) and continuous feeds on his pump from 10-6 at night. All of this is still being tweaked a little to see what works.
The home health rep came to the hospital this afternoon and brought all our equipment and trained us on it. I literally feel like I am back in school! We will have a feeding pump, nebulizer and suction machine at home. The machines themselves are not hard to use, all the supplies that go with them are a little overwhelming. Justin and I are both planning on staying at night for a couple days to make sure we are tip-top experts on everything.
Operation home......I should have known better than to believe they would stick to an exact day! It looks like Sunday is turning into around Tuesday or Wednesday. None of this is because Cohen isn't doing great. It is more about tying up loose ends and making sure we have consulted everyone and everything we can.
Last night they moved him to 7 South, the step-down/training unit I told you about. When you move here, you also switch the entire doctor team. The new doctor is not comfortable sending him home without a couple of second looks at some issues. She had the pracitioner for surgery here this morning working with his G tube, and she is having the pulmonary doctor come and re-eval some things.
Hopefully all this can be done over the next few days and we can go home! It doesn't matter to us what the exact day is, we will just be so excited and thankful to be home with our precious little miracle!
I will keep you all posted on the big homecoming! Thanks for all your kindness and support!
The home health rep came to the hospital this afternoon and brought all our equipment and trained us on it. I literally feel like I am back in school! We will have a feeding pump, nebulizer and suction machine at home. The machines themselves are not hard to use, all the supplies that go with them are a little overwhelming. Justin and I are both planning on staying at night for a couple days to make sure we are tip-top experts on everything.
Operation home......I should have known better than to believe they would stick to an exact day! It looks like Sunday is turning into around Tuesday or Wednesday. None of this is because Cohen isn't doing great. It is more about tying up loose ends and making sure we have consulted everyone and everything we can.
Last night they moved him to 7 South, the step-down/training unit I told you about. When you move here, you also switch the entire doctor team. The new doctor is not comfortable sending him home without a couple of second looks at some issues. She had the pracitioner for surgery here this morning working with his G tube, and she is having the pulmonary doctor come and re-eval some things.
Hopefully all this can be done over the next few days and we can go home! It doesn't matter to us what the exact day is, we will just be so excited and thankful to be home with our precious little miracle!
I will keep you all posted on the big homecoming! Thanks for all your kindness and support!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
April 15th
Justin and I are busy at the hospital today trying to get everything in order for Cohen to come home. It is amazing all the coordinating that has to be done. We do think Sunday is going to he the day. He is going to be moved to Vandy's version of a "stepdown" unit later today or tomorrow. They call it 7 South or the treehouse. It has a place for parents to sleep, so we can "room in" with him before we go home. Justin and I are each going to stay one night and do the complete G tube feeds.
We are getting so excited! We talked about it all the way here this morning....its hard to believe after 4 months we will finally take him home! I will keep you updated!
We are getting so excited! We talked about it all the way here this morning....its hard to believe after 4 months we will finally take him home! I will keep you updated!
Meet the Pflueger twins!
Meet Ellie Kate and Jake. They are about as sweet as they come. I got to love on them some yesterday. I cant wait for Cohen to get to play with them!I also want you to know how rare it is to have a photo of Marcy and I together. We almost never let anyone take our pic, but I figured this was a special occasion!Wednesday, April 14, 2010
What a beautiful day!!!!
My heart is so full of good news this morning I could bust!!!
The Pflueger twins are here!!! They were born this morning and are doing GREAT! Jake weighed 4 lbs 12 ounces and Ellie Kate was 5 lbs 6 ounces! Marcy is the most amazing person when it comes to having babies (she delivered her other son Will in like 3 minutes). I literally talked to her at 7:30 this morning and she was just hanging out waiting...she called be back before 8:30 and the twins were here and being weighed and measured. AMAZING!
For those of you that know Marcy and Eric, you know what a long, curvy road this has been for them. I am so grateful to God for answering their prayers and blessing them with these awesome additions to their family! CONGRATS!!! Can't wait to get a peek at them later today.
On the Cohen front, we are still having a great week and chugging right along. I am thinking he really will be home in just a couple of days.....Emily, (Emma Claire's mom) and I were talking this morning about the elements of taking home a NICU baby. We are both nervous wrecks about it! Please pray that Cohen and Emma Claire take it easy on us! She and I have both learned so much in the last few months about babies, complications and what all can go wrong...gone are the days where ignorance was bliss!!!!
Love and blessings from the Bryant's today!
The Pflueger twins are here!!! They were born this morning and are doing GREAT! Jake weighed 4 lbs 12 ounces and Ellie Kate was 5 lbs 6 ounces! Marcy is the most amazing person when it comes to having babies (she delivered her other son Will in like 3 minutes). I literally talked to her at 7:30 this morning and she was just hanging out waiting...she called be back before 8:30 and the twins were here and being weighed and measured. AMAZING!
For those of you that know Marcy and Eric, you know what a long, curvy road this has been for them. I am so grateful to God for answering their prayers and blessing them with these awesome additions to their family! CONGRATS!!! Can't wait to get a peek at them later today.
On the Cohen front, we are still having a great week and chugging right along. I am thinking he really will be home in just a couple of days.....Emily, (Emma Claire's mom) and I were talking this morning about the elements of taking home a NICU baby. We are both nervous wrecks about it! Please pray that Cohen and Emma Claire take it easy on us! She and I have both learned so much in the last few months about babies, complications and what all can go wrong...gone are the days where ignorance was bliss!!!!
Love and blessings from the Bryant's today!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
April 13th
Cohen is doing wonderful----so wonderful in fact that they want to SEND HIM HOME! What a difference a week can make. I think he has really, truly turned the corner this time. He is just looking awesome. His right lung is 100% functioning. He is on room air. Justin and I are doing some last minute G tube and CPT training, just making sure we are experts at everything he needs.
If all goes well, HE SHOULD BE HOME BY FRIDAY OR SATURDAY! I cannot believe the time has finally come. It has been a long road, but we hope we are on the downhill slide.
Thank you for all your love and support. Everyone I have talked to has been so excited for us, and we thank you for sharing in our triumphs and joys. I am just beside myself with excitement...and a little nervous! We are trying to get everything squared away and ready for him. I will update you tomorrow on the "Operation Home" progress!
If all goes well, HE SHOULD BE HOME BY FRIDAY OR SATURDAY! I cannot believe the time has finally come. It has been a long road, but we hope we are on the downhill slide.
Thank you for all your love and support. Everyone I have talked to has been so excited for us, and we thank you for sharing in our triumphs and joys. I am just beside myself with excitement...and a little nervous! We are trying to get everything squared away and ready for him. I will update you tomorrow on the "Operation Home" progress!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Hat Show
Cohen and I were a little bored today so I decided to try a few hats on him. He has gotten so many sweet little hats from the hospital and for gifts. I know some of you are thinking I should let the baby rest----but it was playtime and he really liked it!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
April 11th
Day 110-
Sorry I haven't kept you updated this weekend. We have just been so busy playing with baby Cohen. He has had a terrific couple of days. On Friday, we found out the milk scan came back normal. That means the nissen surgery worked correctly and reflux is not longer a problem. (thank goodness) They also took Cohen completely off the vapotherm. So, far he is doing great on ROOM AIR! It is so fun to see his pretty face without tape and tubes attached to it!
The ENT is supposed to come Monday to do a scope and recheck his vocal cords. He also had another chest x-ray this morning. It showed good improvement in the lungs. The upper lobe on the right lung is still not 100% clear, but they said it looks promising. They will continue the 4x per day breathing and chest percussion treatments and redo an x-ray in a couple of days. (Tuesday I think) They are also calling the lung specialist to come back in and take a look.
Our goal now is for Cohen to keep the lung inflated. If it can continue to improve and not collapse, we are well on our way to home. We ask you to continue to pray for Cohen and that his lung improves.
I hope you can tell from all the pictures that Cohen looks AWESOME! Justin and I have said all weekend it is hard to believe he is still in the hospital. He just looks and acts like he feels perfect-------
We have had several special visitors over the weekend. Cohen has been showing off and telling everyone how good he feels! We love you all and thank you for your unwavering support.
Sorry I haven't kept you updated this weekend. We have just been so busy playing with baby Cohen. He has had a terrific couple of days. On Friday, we found out the milk scan came back normal. That means the nissen surgery worked correctly and reflux is not longer a problem. (thank goodness) They also took Cohen completely off the vapotherm. So, far he is doing great on ROOM AIR! It is so fun to see his pretty face without tape and tubes attached to it!
The ENT is supposed to come Monday to do a scope and recheck his vocal cords. He also had another chest x-ray this morning. It showed good improvement in the lungs. The upper lobe on the right lung is still not 100% clear, but they said it looks promising. They will continue the 4x per day breathing and chest percussion treatments and redo an x-ray in a couple of days. (Tuesday I think) They are also calling the lung specialist to come back in and take a look.
Our goal now is for Cohen to keep the lung inflated. If it can continue to improve and not collapse, we are well on our way to home. We ask you to continue to pray for Cohen and that his lung improves.
I hope you can tell from all the pictures that Cohen looks AWESOME! Justin and I have said all weekend it is hard to believe he is still in the hospital. He just looks and acts like he feels perfect-------
We have had several special visitors over the weekend. Cohen has been showing off and telling everyone how good he feels! We love you all and thank you for your unwavering support.
Naked Face Pics
We have only seen Cohen "naked" faced a handful of times. Wanted to show you a comparison from the first time to now. The top pic is @ 6 days old, he weighed about 2 lbs 8 ounces that day. The lower pic from yesterday, he weighs 8 lbs 3 ounces. 
Friday, April 9, 2010
Rub-A-Dub
After Cohen's milk scan this morning, his nurse and I decided he could use a bath. While I am here waiting on results, I thought I would show you how much he LOVED it!
We ended up so cute and cuddly....and SLEEPY!
He heard us talking and wasn't so sure about it.....
Then we filled this up..
We put him in the water and scrubbed him down
We then used lots and lots of this pink lotion (my FAVORITE smell on earth)
We ended up so cute and cuddly....and SLEEPY!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
April 8th
Just got home from Fine Arts Night at school. It was awesome---Calee and her class did a cute performance, and the art show was great. Mostly, it was GREAT to see all my co-workers and sweet little students I haven't seen in a while. Things have been so busy, I haven't been by school much this winter. I really miss my buddies at work and the kids, but I am so thankful to have time off with Cohen---I can't imagine having to go to work everyday while he is still in the hospital.
Cohen is still having trouble with his right lung. He just can't seem to keep it from collapsing. The doctors now think there is a "plug" blocking the upper right lobe. This possibly happened during surgery. They are still batting around solutions to get it undone. He started breathing treatments and chest compressions 4 times a day. Hopefully this will help--------I will keep you posted.
I think the week is catching up with me....I am super tired! Will let you know more details tomorrow.
Cohen is still having trouble with his right lung. He just can't seem to keep it from collapsing. The doctors now think there is a "plug" blocking the upper right lobe. This possibly happened during surgery. They are still batting around solutions to get it undone. He started breathing treatments and chest compressions 4 times a day. Hopefully this will help--------I will keep you posted.
I think the week is catching up with me....I am super tired! Will let you know more details tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
April 7th
Day 106-
The doctors finally came and rounded and just left the room. As almost everyday, it is a good news/bad news situation. Cohen looks great today, he is up to 8 lbs 3 ounces, he is still on vapotherm of 4 liters of flow per minute and 21% (room air) oxygen. He is taking feedings perfectly with his G tube. As of today, he will get the feedings every 3 hours through the pump over 30 minutes each time.
The x-ray from this morning was almost exactly the same as it was on Monday morning. The lung is up, but the upper right lobe is still clouded. In all of the x-rays we have had here at Vandy (over 10), this spot has never been cleared up. Our new attending, Dr. Fike, was very honest with me and said she doesn't know why this lung isn't clearing. She wants to halt everything and call our ENT, Dr.Wooten, and figure this out. She wants to get a plan paved out with ENT, and see what we have to do to fix this.
We have been at Vandy over 5 weeks now. I remember saying on one of my early posts from here that I felt we would be diagnosed at Vanderbilt. I guess I still feel that way. I still think we have an underlying problem to why Cohen's lungs won't completely heal. I do have alot of hope that it is just a small issue, that we can hopefully fix and move on from. I don't think he would be doing this well if it was a really big problem. I feel like I have typed "I think" several times in this post, which is scary!!! I am thinking WAY to much!
The bottom line is Cohen is amazing. He is doing great and I am grateful. He is holding his head up and looking around like a big boy!
I also wanted to tell you that Cohen loves visitors, so if you live near us and would like to get a peek at him , now is the time! When we get home we will be locking the door and throwing away the key --so to speak!! It will be hard to keep him all to ourselves, but that is what the doctors say must happen. Thanks for understanding this.
We thank you for your continued prayers and support. LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!
The doctors finally came and rounded and just left the room. As almost everyday, it is a good news/bad news situation. Cohen looks great today, he is up to 8 lbs 3 ounces, he is still on vapotherm of 4 liters of flow per minute and 21% (room air) oxygen. He is taking feedings perfectly with his G tube. As of today, he will get the feedings every 3 hours through the pump over 30 minutes each time.
The x-ray from this morning was almost exactly the same as it was on Monday morning. The lung is up, but the upper right lobe is still clouded. In all of the x-rays we have had here at Vandy (over 10), this spot has never been cleared up. Our new attending, Dr. Fike, was very honest with me and said she doesn't know why this lung isn't clearing. She wants to halt everything and call our ENT, Dr.Wooten, and figure this out. She wants to get a plan paved out with ENT, and see what we have to do to fix this.
We have been at Vandy over 5 weeks now. I remember saying on one of my early posts from here that I felt we would be diagnosed at Vanderbilt. I guess I still feel that way. I still think we have an underlying problem to why Cohen's lungs won't completely heal. I do have alot of hope that it is just a small issue, that we can hopefully fix and move on from. I don't think he would be doing this well if it was a really big problem. I feel like I have typed "I think" several times in this post, which is scary!!! I am thinking WAY to much!
The bottom line is Cohen is amazing. He is doing great and I am grateful. He is holding his head up and looking around like a big boy!
I also wanted to tell you that Cohen loves visitors, so if you live near us and would like to get a peek at him , now is the time! When we get home we will be locking the door and throwing away the key --so to speak!! It will be hard to keep him all to ourselves, but that is what the doctors say must happen. Thanks for understanding this.
We thank you for your continued prayers and support. LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!
1st G tube blunder!!
I am waiting on the doctors to round this morning and to read the latest chest x-ray, so I thought I would post this to show you what we are up too----
Justin and I have been making bets for the last couple weeks about who would make the first G tube "blunder". Basically, who would forget to clamp the cord, drop the syringe or just so something clumsy. I just knew it would not be me.............
Then the tube apparently somehow came unclamped (not because I didn't secure it properly)
Cohen didn't seem to understand what all the fuss was about, it was just a little spilled partially digested milk (Calee said that is just nice words for vomit)
Justin and I have been making bets for the last couple weeks about who would make the first G tube "blunder". Basically, who would forget to clamp the cord, drop the syringe or just so something clumsy. I just knew it would not be me.............
It started like this.....take note the tube taped to Calee as it's "venting"
Then the tube apparently somehow came unclamped (not because I didn't secure it properly)It ended with this face from Calee....
Cohen didn't seem to understand what all the fuss was about, it was just a little spilled partially digested milk (Calee said that is just nice words for vomit)I am sure this is just the first of many tube blunders we will make!!!!!
Monday, April 5, 2010
April 5th
Day 104-
We have a functioning right lung! YEAH! The x-ray looked much, much improved. I was able to look at the last 2 on screen side by side, so that was awesome. The lung is almost completely re-inflated and clear of pneumonia. They will repeat another one on Wednesday morning just to make sure the last little bit comes up. This is a HUGE victory for Cohen.
The doctors are leaving him on 4 liters on the vapotherm for another day. Today is also the last day of his antibiotics. They changed his G tube feeds to 45 minutes on the pump per feed from the 1 hour we have been doing. He did well with this today. They want to move slowly on this to make sure he is not refluxing. He shouldn't be, since he had the nissen surgery, but they want to make certain. He did have to get another IV in his head.....I hope so much this is the last one he gets! It makes him look so much worse!
Cohen was feeling great today, and stayed awake more than I have ever seen him. We had Heather, another one of our fave nurses today. She and I talked alot about what to expect when we go home, and she gave me some good insight about going home on oxygen. I have been hoping we would be home without it----but, the more I think about it and talk to people, it may not be as bad as I thought. I guess we will see what happens in the coming weeks.
Justin suggested I post some pics of Cohen's G tube. I guess if it were me, I would want to see it. I am a visual kind of person. So, here are a few photos from today of Cohen and his new parts!
Cohen with his new IV and G tube
Here it is in proportion to his body. I think it looks bigger in the pic than it really is but that may just be me getting used to it.
We have a functioning right lung! YEAH! The x-ray looked much, much improved. I was able to look at the last 2 on screen side by side, so that was awesome. The lung is almost completely re-inflated and clear of pneumonia. They will repeat another one on Wednesday morning just to make sure the last little bit comes up. This is a HUGE victory for Cohen.
The doctors are leaving him on 4 liters on the vapotherm for another day. Today is also the last day of his antibiotics. They changed his G tube feeds to 45 minutes on the pump per feed from the 1 hour we have been doing. He did well with this today. They want to move slowly on this to make sure he is not refluxing. He shouldn't be, since he had the nissen surgery, but they want to make certain. He did have to get another IV in his head.....I hope so much this is the last one he gets! It makes him look so much worse!
Cohen was feeling great today, and stayed awake more than I have ever seen him. We had Heather, another one of our fave nurses today. She and I talked alot about what to expect when we go home, and she gave me some good insight about going home on oxygen. I have been hoping we would be home without it----but, the more I think about it and talk to people, it may not be as bad as I thought. I guess we will see what happens in the coming weeks.
Justin suggested I post some pics of Cohen's G tube. I guess if it were me, I would want to see it. I am a visual kind of person. So, here are a few photos from today of Cohen and his new parts!
Cohen with his new IV and G tube
Close up of the G tube-this is during a feeding, so the tubing is hooked up 
and the latch is hanging down. It looks just like a latch on a beach ball.
and the latch is hanging down. It looks just like a latch on a beach ball.
Here it is in proportion to his body. I think it looks bigger in the pic than it really is but that may just be me getting used to it.Sunday, April 4, 2010
Baby's First Easter
Cohen has had a restful first Easter. Justin and I went to early church with Calee and Ames and then headed to Vandy to see Cohen. Our primary nurse Rachel is working today, so we didn't feel like we needed to rush and get there this morning. We knew he would be well taken care of----such a blessing!
We haven't taken the kids to church in a while, Justin's parents have been taking them so we could spend extra time with Cohen. It felt great to be there as a family (minus Cohen). As we sang hymns, I thought about what an AWESOME day it will be when we can take Cohen to church. I can't wait! I know it may be a while, since after he comes home we will be "quarantined" to the house, but I am still getting excited about it.
Cohen is still on 4 liters of flow, but was on 21% (room air) oxygen, so that is good news. We are waiting for the chest x-ray in the morning to see the status of his right lung. Hopefully, it will be back up and we can start weaning the vapotherm again. If it is not, they will look to do some further assessments and testing this week. He looks and acts really happy today, so we are hoping it's back up----I will let you know as soon as we find out! I am posting some pics below of our Easter, with Calee and Ames..and with Cohen!
We are extra grateful on this Easter that HE LIVES! Rejoice, Rejoice, O Christian, Lift up your voice and sing! Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the KING!
We haven't taken the kids to church in a while, Justin's parents have been taking them so we could spend extra time with Cohen. It felt great to be there as a family (minus Cohen). As we sang hymns, I thought about what an AWESOME day it will be when we can take Cohen to church. I can't wait! I know it may be a while, since after he comes home we will be "quarantined" to the house, but I am still getting excited about it.
Cohen is still on 4 liters of flow, but was on 21% (room air) oxygen, so that is good news. We are waiting for the chest x-ray in the morning to see the status of his right lung. Hopefully, it will be back up and we can start weaning the vapotherm again. If it is not, they will look to do some further assessments and testing this week. He looks and acts really happy today, so we are hoping it's back up----I will let you know as soon as we find out! I am posting some pics below of our Easter, with Calee and Ames..and with Cohen!
We are extra grateful on this Easter that HE LIVES! Rejoice, Rejoice, O Christian, Lift up your voice and sing! Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the KING!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
7 years and counting!
I forgot to mention that 7 years ago today I went on my first date with the greatest guy on earth! I am so grateful to God for placing Justin in my life. He is not only an awesome husband, but an AMAZING Daddy! I love you J! Can't wait for many more years together!
April 3rd
Day 102-
Cohen is still having some post-op issues. His right lung collapsed again Friday morning. The doctor increased his vapotherm back up to 4 liters. She did this more to try and re-inflate the lung, not because he was doing poorly at 3 liters.
This time is very different with the lung collapse. He is still looking pretty good, and not laboring or retracting as hard as last time. I think he is getting stronger and able to handle it better. I keep asking the doctors when this lung collapse stops becoming an after surgery problem and becomes a serious issue. They have told me if by Monday he hasn't been able to recover the lung, we will contact the ENT and Pulmonary specialist for further tests.
It irritates me to think more can be done. What further tests? Why haven't we already done it?
One of my concerns when we came to Vanderbilt is they would never understand how weak his lungs were in the beginning. I know they can read the chart, but I think they consider his lungs to be a normal 28 weeker.....I do not think that is the case. I strongly still believe my water being broken for so long in Teri caused his lungs to stop developing way before he was born. I think all the problems he has had after the surgery prove it------he was not as strong as we thought.
He really looks good today considering he is working on one lung. He is alert and enjoying being held by Daddy as I type. I will try and post some pics later.
In more positive news, Cohen hit 8 lbs last night!!!! We are so excited that he is continuing to grow and thrive despite a few other setbacks.
Justin, Calee, Ames and I went to a surprise birthday party for a dear friend last night. We had a great time seeing lots of friends we haven't gotten to visit with in awhile. I am always amazed when I think about all the prayers being lifted up for Cohen, and at the people who tell me they read the blog daily. Thank you all for the love and encouragement.
I also spent alot of time yesterday thinking about our friends the Jackson's. Last year on Good Friday, their house was destroyed by the tornado that hit Murfreesboro. It was a horrible devastation------alot of us helped them move what was left- literally in about 3 hours . Samantha was 9 months pregnant, and had Alli Grace only 5 days later! I really think they should write a book, it was such an amazing story. Samantha was supposed to be home on bed rest, but thankfully she is stubborn and was out getting a pedicure! They are an awesome example of overcoming unexpected obstacles with faith and grace! I am thankful for the inspiration they have given me.
Talk to yall soon.
Cohen is still having some post-op issues. His right lung collapsed again Friday morning. The doctor increased his vapotherm back up to 4 liters. She did this more to try and re-inflate the lung, not because he was doing poorly at 3 liters.
This time is very different with the lung collapse. He is still looking pretty good, and not laboring or retracting as hard as last time. I think he is getting stronger and able to handle it better. I keep asking the doctors when this lung collapse stops becoming an after surgery problem and becomes a serious issue. They have told me if by Monday he hasn't been able to recover the lung, we will contact the ENT and Pulmonary specialist for further tests.
It irritates me to think more can be done. What further tests? Why haven't we already done it?
One of my concerns when we came to Vanderbilt is they would never understand how weak his lungs were in the beginning. I know they can read the chart, but I think they consider his lungs to be a normal 28 weeker.....I do not think that is the case. I strongly still believe my water being broken for so long in Teri caused his lungs to stop developing way before he was born. I think all the problems he has had after the surgery prove it------he was not as strong as we thought.
He really looks good today considering he is working on one lung. He is alert and enjoying being held by Daddy as I type. I will try and post some pics later.
In more positive news, Cohen hit 8 lbs last night!!!! We are so excited that he is continuing to grow and thrive despite a few other setbacks.
Justin, Calee, Ames and I went to a surprise birthday party for a dear friend last night. We had a great time seeing lots of friends we haven't gotten to visit with in awhile. I am always amazed when I think about all the prayers being lifted up for Cohen, and at the people who tell me they read the blog daily. Thank you all for the love and encouragement.
I also spent alot of time yesterday thinking about our friends the Jackson's. Last year on Good Friday, their house was destroyed by the tornado that hit Murfreesboro. It was a horrible devastation------alot of us helped them move what was left- literally in about 3 hours . Samantha was 9 months pregnant, and had Alli Grace only 5 days later! I really think they should write a book, it was such an amazing story. Samantha was supposed to be home on bed rest, but thankfully she is stubborn and was out getting a pedicure! They are an awesome example of overcoming unexpected obstacles with faith and grace! I am thankful for the inspiration they have given me.
Talk to yall soon.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Day 100
Day 100 has been a good day. Cohen was much happier and more himself. We had some ample snuggle and love time. The fever is gone and his bloodwork has all come back good. Hopefully we are back on the right track. The G tube is still leaking a bit, but they promise me it takes time to get the "balloon" adjusted correctly.
I keep forgetting to update you on Cohen's weight. He now weighs 7 lbs 11 ounces, which is the same as Calee when she was born! He is now more like a regular newborn, looking around and responding to our voices.
Cohen also had some pretty special visitors today, Stacy (our AWESOME nurse from Baptist) and Emily (Emma Claire's sweet mommy). I am so mad at myself for not taking a picture while they were there! I guess I was just too excited. They could not believe how big he is- It was great to see their prospective, since they remember Cohen being little bitty! I loved every minute of time we spent with them today. I truly believe they are some of the angels God has sent us in this journey.
I was also happy to get a good report on Emma Claire today, she is soooo close to 4 lbs! She is down on her vapotherm and taking bottles like a champ! God has been so good to Emma Claire and Cohen. They have both come so far in a short time.
It is easy to be encouraged on a beautiful day like this. I hope you all have a wonderful Good Friday and Easter weekend. Love to you all.
I keep forgetting to update you on Cohen's weight. He now weighs 7 lbs 11 ounces, which is the same as Calee when she was born! He is now more like a regular newborn, looking around and responding to our voices.
Cohen also had some pretty special visitors today, Stacy (our AWESOME nurse from Baptist) and Emily (Emma Claire's sweet mommy). I am so mad at myself for not taking a picture while they were there! I guess I was just too excited. They could not believe how big he is- It was great to see their prospective, since they remember Cohen being little bitty! I loved every minute of time we spent with them today. I truly believe they are some of the angels God has sent us in this journey.
I was also happy to get a good report on Emma Claire today, she is soooo close to 4 lbs! She is down on her vapotherm and taking bottles like a champ! God has been so good to Emma Claire and Cohen. They have both come so far in a short time.
It is easy to be encouraged on a beautiful day like this. I hope you all have a wonderful Good Friday and Easter weekend. Love to you all.
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