It is hard to believe that we have only been home for 3 weeks now. Jack is 4 weeks old. Sometimes it seems like so much longer, I guess cause so much has happened. We tried to start this blog when we were in the hospital to keep everyone updated, but it was just a little crazy to say the least. We really wanted to get it started though so that we could keep everyone updated on our little miracle Jack. So I am going to tell the story from the very begining... be prepared this is going to be a long post...
Sunday October 24, 2010
Well it was the day that I hoped I would go into labor. Everyone was going to be working that was going to take care of us, Dr LeBlanc, and my sisters Lissa and Lauren were all going to be back in town, and I was 39wks. It was time to finally meet this precious baby that we had been praying for! And finally find out boy or girl!
Thanks to Melinda, my L&D nurse for the "nursing orders" to try to get labor started. I layed down after I ate breakfast that morning to take a nap before church. Doyle was going to watch football with my brother Brian and my Dad. When I woke up I was having some contractions, but I had been having them for quite a while. As I was getting ready I started to notice that the contractions seemed to get closer and maybe I shouldn't go to church. I layed down on the couch to see if they would go away but they didn't. Actually, they were more regular. After about 30 minutes of regular contractions I called Doyle and told him he better come home. His response, "Like right now? I just ordered a burger..." Lol, I love my husband. "Yes babe, come home now." Well he actually had to wait for my dad to get there to borrow his truck cause he did not drive there. By the time Doyle walked in I had just got off the phone with the dr, telling her that I have been having contractions every 5 minutes for the last hour. He walked in with his burger to-go and I told him "lets go!" Since we had been to the hospital twice for preterm labor I don't think he really believed this was it.
Doyle wanted to drop me off in the front but I insisted that he just park and I would walk in with him. As we were walking in, I told him "I think my water just broke." But he said my jeans were dry, although by the time we made it to the 3rd floor, that wasn't the case. We got settled in our room, #14, and I as 3-4cm dialated. Thank God labor was progressing pretty quickly because I planned not to have an epidural. My mom and mother-in-law helped by massaging my back during contractions, but I got the most relief when Doyle convinced me to try rocking on the birthing ball. I totally recommend using it. When I was 6-7cm I was on the virge of giving in and getting an epidural. Melinda brought in this NASTY drink I had to drink before I got the epidural. She said take it fast like a shot. I did, and as fast as it went down, it came right back. Doyle jumped across the bed away from me leaving Melinda to help me. Thanks babe. Just before the aesthesiologist was about be there Dr LeBlanc came in to check me and I had already progressed to 9cm so I decided I could make it without the epidural. And then the baby started moving down and it was time to deliver. I don't know that being a nurse and knowing a little of what is going on is always a help. As I started to push I could hear the baby's heartrate dropping. I knew I had to get the baby out fast. Dr LeBlanc decided to use the forceps to help get him out. It was a really surreal feeling, I can only explain it saying it felt like I had an out of body experience. I felt like I was watching myself. And all I could think was, push as hard and as long as you can to get this baby out! When the baby came out Dr LeBlanc briefly held him up in front of me and I yelled, "IT'S A BOY!" He was immediately taken to the warmer to help get him started breathing, and then he cried.... I can not imagine a better sound in the whole world than to hear your baby cry for the frst time. Thank you to all the nurses that came in to help. Doyle got to hold him first and he brought him over to me. It was so amazing to finally hold my baby boy in my arms. Our little Jackson James Fletcher. Jackson weighed 6lbs 12oz and was 19.5in long. He was born at 5:58pm on October 24, 2010!
We kept him in our room and all the family was able to take a turn holding Jackson. He was doing so good.
His nurse told us he had a heart murmur, but I didn't think too much about it because alot of babies have heart murmurs at first. His nurse took him to the nursery to check his blood pressures as we were getting settled in the postpartum room. He had been gone about 30 minutes and I told Doyle "It is so weird to be separated from him when I have had him with me everywhere I went for the last 9 months. Even though he is just across the hall I miss him so much!" Doyle was just walking out the door to go look at him through the window and the Nurse Practicioner from the NICU was coming in... not good. They were taking him to NICU for immediate evaluation. His blood oxygen level was only in the 50's when it should be 90's.
Oh my gosh... how did my perfect day turn into this? I was terrified of what was wrong. I just wanted my baby to be ok. I called my mom and she was actually still downstairs with Mitzi talking and they came back up right away. I went over to the NICU as soon as I could to see my baby. The cardiologist and neonatologist were already there to examine Jack. Dr Quinones (the cardiologist) did an ECHO of his heart and saw the problem. Jack was diagnosed with Transposition of the Great Vessels. He also has an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) and a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) with Pulmonic Stenosis. Thank God for the ASD and VSD that provided some blood flow mixing.
Now instead of NICU nurse, I was NICU mom. I have a new compassion for our moms. It is a horribly helpless feeling. I just sat there and watched everyone work on my baby. Thank you to all the staff there that night that was so supportive of me and my family. While they were working on placing a UVC (Umbilical Vein Catheter, an IV through his umbilical cord) we went into the confrence room and Dr Quinones drew us a picture of what was going on with Jack's heart and treatments for it. They started Jack on the prostaglandin medication to keep the openings in his heart patent, medication for his blood pressure and also gave him blood. The plan was to get him stable for transfer. He was going to Hermann Children's hospital by Life Flight.
At 3am my baby was being taken across town and I couldn't go. I just wanted to be with him and I felt so trapped. Doyle went with his parents to go be with Jackson at Children's and my parents stayed with me at Clear Lake. It seemed like and eternity. There was no such thing as sleep that night. I just layed there thinking and crying and praying.
Doyle stopped by the house on the way to the hospital to grab a few things and our house had already been decorated by Ryan and Randy (our brother in laws) for a boy!
When they got to the hospital, they were given a room in the Ronald McDonald House. No sleep for Daddy either. Doyle sat up and posted on Facebook a little letter to Jack (by the way, we couldn't access FB at all there since the hospital restricted "social networking" however that night it let him. I guess God thought it was important to let him post this...)
Jackson,
This is your Daddy and I'm writing you this to tell you that I love you very much!!!!! I know we just met yesterday, but I feel like you have been apart of my life for awhile now. It pains me to see what your going through, and I would give anything to take your place!!! If you were just a little bit older, I... would give you my heart to make you all better!!!! I know that your in God's hands right now, but I would give anything for you to be in mine! I am thinking about you min by min, and I know that the doctors are taking good care of you right now. Mommy and I are praying for you every second of the day, and all we want to do is continue our life with you!!!Your my little buddy and my new best friend, and you've got a lot of people praying for you right now who love you very much as well. It's you and me son, and we're gonna make it through this together!!!!!! I LOVE YOU AND I'LL BE SEEING YOU SOON!!!!!
LOVE ALWAYS,
YOUR BEST FRIEND DAD
Monday October 25
Thank God Dr LeBlanc was rounding early that morning. Thank God I did not have any complications and I was doing good she released me to go be with Jackson. I was so glad to finally be there with Jack and Doyle. I never knew I could miss anyone so much.
We met with the doctors there taking care of Jack. The plan was, since he was stable they wanted to finish some other test first, just to make sure there wasn't anything else going on before they started making changes. So Monday was just a waiting game.
As we were sitting in the waiting room waiting to get our Ronald room for the night Mitzi and Doyle (Sr.) showed us the reading in the Daily Word, for yesterday, Jackson's birthday. It could not have been more perfect for us and I have to share....
gotta get the book to type it up :)
Tuesday Oct 26
Jack was scheduled to have an Atrial Septostomy at noon. They went in with a catheter thru a vessel in his groin up to his heart and used a ballon to make the hole (ASD) bigger. Who knew that making a problem worse would actually be a benefit. (Just FYI: we learned later from his Dr. Quinones that the doctor who developed this procedure, discovered it in his garage, just an interesting fact). After his procedure he was a little sleepy but he was doing so well. His oxygen levels were the highest they had ever been! The plan was that they would wean him off the ventilator throughout the night and talk about feeding him in the morning.
That evening we were told that his pod would be closed because one of the other babies was going to have to have surgery. This little boy's name is Reginald. We met a couple families while we were there and each time we prayed for Jackson we were praying for his podmates. Halen is another little boy whose family we met there and keep up with. We didn't know much about Reginald just that we observed that he wasn't doing good. Praise God now he is though! So... that night we were in our Ronald McDonald room getting ready for bed. I had just finished pumping and usually I would go see Jackson and take the milk down to be stored, but when I called they were still doing surgery and the pod was still closed. Jack's nurse was out of the room so I was asking the other nurse how Jack was doing. I was trying to find out if they were able to wean his ventilator at all. I asked how much oxygen he was on and she said "room air" and then I asked her what his vent settings were and she said "wait, you are talking about Fletcher, right?" well my heart just sunk into my stomach cause I was thinking something bad was going on. Instead she tells me "he isn't intubated... he is breathing on his own without any supplemental oxygen! He is just laying there sucking a paci, acting like a normal newborn!" I was beyond excited! I couldn't wait till I could go see him again, tube-less! At 4am I woke up to pump again and when I called they said that the unit was finally open again and we could go see our little Jackson. It was so awesome to hear him cry again. Such a sweet cry. I felt so bad that he was upset, he just wanted to fill his tummy but he couldn't eat just yet. His nurse then told us that at about 10p Jack actually pulled out his own breathing tube. I guess he thought they were not weaning fast enough and just decided to help them out. They said he was doing so well there was no need to re-intubate him. Now just to get to start feeding him....
Wednesday October 27
In rounds that morning the neonatalogist said "we are going to get that boy some food today!" and since I am a NICU nurse he said I could feed him as long as my nurse was ok with it, but this is the only time I could use my nurse card, otherwise I am just Mom. And I was totally ok with that! Jack did so good with his first feeding, all 7cc of it. He ate it in less than 2 minutes. Poor baby he kept looking for more. Throughout the day they increased his feeding as he tolerated and decreased his IV fluids. We were able to bottle feed him from then on, so Doyle and I took turns feeding him.
Thursday October 28
More great news.... new orders say that I can hold my baby skin to skin (as long as it is ok with my nurse, since he still had his umbilical IV in). After he ate at 2p I was finally able to hold my baby boy for the first time since he was born. Almost 4 days is incredibly too long. I just sat there with him and cried. Oh how I love this little boy! At 5p we went in for his next feeding and Jack was swaddled and my first thought I asked the nurse was "oh no, is he getting really fussy?" and before she could even answer me I saw the IV was off! and his UVC was out! Now we could hold him without restrictions. The only thing he had left now was his NG tube in case he needed if for feedings and his monitors. Later in the evening he had graduated to ad lib feeds, meaning he could eat as much as he wanted and that I could nurse him again. By then his NG tube was out too. I was sure he wasn't going to latch on since it had been so long but he is a little champ eater. He doesn't care how you give him the food just give it to him. He can take the bottle or breast and does awesome.
Friday October 29
Morning rounds again brought good news. Jackson would be coming to our room. It was so nice to have him in our room and just hang out with him in a little more relaxed setting, and guess what, no monitors. No wires, no tubes or connections of any kind, just baby! We got to take care of him in our room all day and it would be our first night with him. We did it! We made it through the first night. He woke up right on time to eat every 3 hours.
Saturday October 30
Yeah!!! The doctors wrote discharge orders! We did not get to leave til about 6:30 in the evening, but that was ok, we were going to be in our own home, in our own bed, in our own shower! We loaded up in the car. I was sitting in the backseat with Jackson and all the sudden I started to cry. I was overwhelmed with emotion. I was excited yet so nervous to be taking Jackson home. I just want to be the best mommy I can be for him. Doyle made me laugh though when he said he wanted to buy me a tank to drive. It was our first time out on the road with him and we had a 45 minute drive home on the freeways. Daddy did a good job driving us home safely. When we arrived to the house we decided it would be best to first say hi to our dogs, Mini and Mia, that we had not seen in a week and then bring Jack in. Aunt Lissa came across the street to sit with Jack. The dogs were so excited to see us. They did so good when Jack came in too. They just wanted to smell him. Daddy walked Jackson around to show him the house and his new room. What an amazing feeling to have our little family. We had prayed so long for this baby!
Please continue to keep Jackson in your prayers.
