Life Is Good: Remembering...

Friday, March 14, 2008

Remembering...

I'm really tired tonight, so I thought I would post a picture of Ryan from one year ago. It's a reminder of how far he has come.

My mom came home from the hospital today. It was a long day for all of us. Ryan and I left the house around 9 this morning. We got home around 2 this afternoon. I'm very glad that mom is home now. Ryan is very glad to not be at the hospital anymore. He doesn't understand why he isn't allowed to crawl around on the hospital floor picking up small caps off syringes to chew on. I'm ready to be able to get back into a routine around here. Don't get me wrong...I'm not complaining. I feel incredibly blessed that I live close to my mom and have been able to be with her everyday these last 2 weeks.

As far as "Ryan News":

Ryan has learned three things recently.

1: He has learned he can get loud. He thinks it's great to see how loud he can scream

2: He has learned how to spit...or rather to stick his tongue out and blow bubbles.

3: He has learned how to throw a fit! Oh my! Can terrible two's start at 13 months. No really...it's not that bad...yet. He gets mad...mad because he fell down...mad because he can't pick up the washing machine soap cup...mad because he dropped the can of tomatoes on the ground...mad because he doesn't like how the tile feels on his knees...mad because I didn't give him the bottle quick enough...mad because I left the room without taking him with me...and then he screams! If I can get a video of him throwing a fit I'll post it. For now it's not that offensive, but I'm sure the time will come when it is anything but cute. At least for us. You might think it's still cute, afterall, you don't have to deal with his temper tantrums.

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Brandy Danielle

Brandy is our firstborn, our precious angel baby girl. Her entry into this world wasn't without excitement. At 26 weeks I started preterm labor with contractions 5 minutes apart. With 10 weeks of strict bedrest, most of which were in the hospital, she made it to 36 weeks.
Brandy was diagnosed with "possible/probable" heart defect around 28-30 weeks gestation. After her birth she was whisked away to the NICU for monitoring and after a few days her defect was formally diagnosed and labeled...atrial septal defect and a cleft mitral valve.
Brandy, upon indications of failure to thrive and pulmonary hypertension, underwent her first of 2 open-heart surgeries at 4 months of age. A week after her surgery on the day of her anticipated discharge home Brandy coded for 13 minutes...a stoke.
From that point on Brandy's life was full of doctor's visits, endless crying, pain and suffering. She underwent another heart surgery, fundoplication and g-tube surgery, treatment for infantile spasms, and a mountain of tests and procedures. Her brain damage was extensive.
Upon counseling of our wonderful, most amazing heart surgeon, Dr. Christopher Knott-Craig, and many hours of prayer, we finally called in hospice and called off all of the extensive medical interventions and surgery needs that would prolong her suffering while possibly prolonging her life. Brandy, our precious baby girl...our angel...passed out of our arms and into the arms of her Saviour, Jesus at the tender age of 17 months.

Ryan Andrew

Ryan, our micro-preemie miracle, is a ball of life. After nearly a year of trying to conceive imagine our delight when we finally knew he was on the way. My pregnancy with Ryan was uneventful at first. It seemed perfect and with all of the precautions for preterm labor being taken and monitored we entered this pregnancy with cautious anticipation covered over by a whole love of naive excitement.
At 20 weeks we discovered our "Baby Peanut" was going to be a little boy. We began to make plans and began dreaming about the day we would meet our son.
Almost 2 weeks later everything changed in our lives. It wa a whirlwind of fear and emtions as I began to bleed, was sent for monitoring in L&D and eventually had an appointment with my OB only to find out that it was serious. I had incompetent cervix with hourglassing membranes. The doctor admitted me to the hospital immediately and an emergency cerclage was placed. The statistics were grim, but the hope was to keep our son inside for at least 10 more weeks. We only made it 10 more days.
Early in the evening of February 11, 2007 our son, Ryan, came into this world in emergency fashion at only 23 weeks 5 days gestation. He weighed 1 pound 8 ounces and was 12 ½ inches long. He was so tiny. All I could think of was “oh my goodness is he really that tiny? And is there any way he could actually make it?” I tried to hold on to hope, but in all honesty I had never met anyone with a baby born that early and that small that ever made it.
Ryan did make it! It was a long, hard road, but in the end he spent 90 days in the NICU. He was on a ventilator for 2 months. Finally on one fine glorious day in May we bundled up our 4 pound 4 ounce baby boy and went home...May 11, 2007.
Ryan is now a spunky, lively, strong-willed little boy. His laughter is contagious and his spirit is compelling. He is our miracle. There are no words strong enough to share our delight and joy that God has blessed us with this little boy.

Evan Alexander