Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Lovin on my little man

Guess what I got to do today???



Yes, that's right! I got to hold my little man!!! My nurse today told me she'd set it up so I could hold Bodie - and she did (and I kind of understand why the other nurses were reluctant to let me do it, since it took her probably 20 minutes to get everything set up for me to hold him)! It was awesome - he slept so peacefully in my arms! (A big thank-you to those of you who encouraged me to keep asking to hold him in spite of the vent!!!)

This was my view of my sweet little guy:



And the best part??? Check out these sats (the number in green)- yes, this is the number that we've been trying to get over 72 or so for days now. His sats were in the mid-80's the entire time I was holding him!!!



In other good news, since Bodie did well with the Pedialite yesterday, they started him on breastmilk today! YAY!!! Finally our little guy is getting the good stuff - it's still in small increments, but at least it's something! (and it's pretty nice to know that the exhausting round the clock pumping is actually being put to good use!) AND, they're pretty sure they know why his sats have been so low - turns out he has pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding his lungs. Essentially, the fluid is compressing his lungs, not allowing him to take the deep breaths he needs to. They're pretty sure that's why they've been having such difficulty weaning him off the vent. They're really happy to have an explanation, since he had essentially stumped them up to this point (btw, the pacer did work, but didn't end up making a substantial difference). So they put him on a higher dieuretic to try to get him to pee out the excess fluid. We're hopeful that will work - if he's not able to do that, I think they may have to put chest tubes back in to drain the fluid out - and it can often become a chronic problem if so.

So tonight, please pray for little Bodie's body to get rid of the excess fluid naturally - that should be the last thing standing between us and weaning off the vent!

19 comments:

  1. What a beautiful long-awaited day! So glad you were finally able to hold sweet little Bodie. Precious moment. And he was able to drink milk and his sats were high! So much great news for one day. I am rejoicing with you, praying with you and looking forward to more good news tomorrow. Praise God.

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  2. Awwwww I'm so happy you got to hold him <3 The pictures are just beautiful!! I'm so glad his sats went up and he's getting a little BM...I will continue to pray and pray the extra liquid leaves his body.


    Love,

    Maria & Landon

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  3. Amy,

    This was the best news yet! From being able to hold him, to better sats, and a possible explanation for why they were so low. Go, Bodie! He is so, so beautiful. And GOD BLESS the nurse who took the time to let you hold him. The power of that can't be underestimated. I would give her a hug if I could!

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  4. Amy - We are so happy for you and Bodie. The pictures made me cry with joy for you. We will keep praying - specifically for the fluid to come out. Love & Prayers, Bonnie & the Kerrs

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  5. :) :) :) :) :) :) To sum up, I'm so happy for answered prayer!!! Loved the pics!!! Nothing like a mommy and baby. :) :) :) :) :) I can't stop smiling! We'll keep up the prayers. Love, Erin

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  6. You don't know me, I'm an acquaintance of Dusk -- My family is praying for you every day. I appreciate your blog - Hang in there.

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  7. Wow Amy, you're glowing! What truly beautiful pics. Awesome news that his sats are up. I hope they stay that way.

    Love Stacey, Sean, Rhys and baby boy...

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  8. YAY Amy!!!! I am so excited that you finally got to hold your little miracle and that it only did him good to be held by momma.... I love the pics.
    Keep up the good work momma!
    Prayin,
    Sharon

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  9. I was so so happy to read this Amy. You holding him did nothing but good for both of you guys but I do understand what work it is to be able to do that with all of those tubes. He is such a handsome little man and a strong fighter. My prayers continue for you guys every day! xoxoxo

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  10. amy, such wonderful news! thanks for sharing all of your ups with us - we are all there with you! go bodie!
    xo

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  11. I'm a fellow heart mom, and found your story through a Christian mothering board. What a blessing to be able to hold your little boy. Such an incredible nurse to set it up for you.

    I remember so well how exiting it was when my Elijah finally started getting my breastmilk. You work so hard to get him the good stuff, and it finally feels like you are doing something to help him through all of this. Keep with it. I was able to successfully transition Elijah from 100% bottle feeding to 100% breastfeeding at 5 months old, and we havne't looked back. It is possible.

    Praising the Lord for Bodie's day of successes. I pray that the dieuretics work, and he is able to be extubated soon. There's nothing quite as wonderful as finally getting that tube out, and being able to hold him whenever you want!

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  12. I knew mommy would be the best medicine!!! LJ's stats were so much better when I was holding him. They just know their mommy and I think it really helps them to bounce back. So I hope you hold him all you can!

    Don't hesitate to ask the nurse for what you want. YOU are the mommy and you should be able to hold your little man anytime you want. The nurses are there to take care of him but they are also there to help you bond with your boy and to make sure that this experience is as easy as possible.

    Have you decorated his room at all? We weren't in the hospital long enough (the max stay for us was only a week) but those who were there longer had their kiddos' rooms decorated and I thought it was cute. They made a sign with their baby's name on it for the door. It was pretty darn cute.

    I love the pictures and I am glad you are posting them. He is just so incredibly handsome. He makes me melt!

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  13. The miracle of a mother's touch...

    I'm so glad you were able to hold him, Amy. You can tell he loves being in his mommy's arms.

    Still keeping you all in my thoughts an prayers...Bodie is definitely a fighter. Looking forward to more good news. (HUGS)

    Leyna

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  14. We continue to pray! God knew Bodie needed his momma's arms to be close to her heart so he could breathe better. I am so glad for your blessing!
    Julie

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  15. Amy I am crying looking at these pictures....soo happy you got to hold your little guy...beautiful bond between Mommy and Son!!! Praying soo hard for your little man but I'm sure he'll be off the vent in no time.
    Love,
    Kim, Ella, and Ethan

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  16. Hi!
    I came across your blog today. I am so happy you got to hold your little man. I am sending prayers your way, and just know that everything will be ok. Stay positive. I have a 2 year old daughter, Cassidy, who was born with Tetralogy of Fallot w/ PA & MAPCA’s.
    I think blogs are a great way to get the word about about CHD’s and I commend you for what you’re doing.
    My wife and I are also on a mission to spread the word about CHD’s. We just started a jewelry company called Lucky 10. All of our products are handmade and pertain to Heart Defects and the Heart Community in general.
    Please check out our site when you get a moment. If you could help us get the word out about our new business we would be very grateful. It’s a project that’s very dear to our hearts.
    www.lucky10.etsy.com
    Thanks so much and we look forward to reading more on your blog!
    Thanks,
    Vito Lisa

    P.S. If you want to keep up with Cassidy’s journey here is her Carepage info:
    www.carepages.com , Page name: cassidylisa

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  17. Amy, such a joyous moment and thanks for sharing! I am so excited to hear and see things are progressing. I will continue to pray and hope that Bodie will soon get rid of the excess fluid!! It is so awesome though to see you holding your precious baby!!! Love to all, xoxo Nicole

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  18. Jumping for joy!!!! So so excited you got to hold him and his stats reflected how much he loves his mommy!! I will be praying for that fluid to disapear so we can see lot's more pics of mommy holding her little fighter :)

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  19. What a beautiful pair you make! After what seemed like ages I remember the day we were told it might be possible to hold Nick. Once we knew it was possible from the doctor, Michael simply said "She wants to hold her son" so gently yet so powerfully, the nurse made it happen that day and it was the most exhilarating, frightening, miraculous experience to finally hold my boy! I'm so happy for you both. He knows Mama is the comfort zone and always will. Can't wait to see Dusk get to hold him, too! Much love and prayers coming your way! Hugs, ~Jeannette

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