On the Home Front

We praise God for bringing our little William home after only 25 days in the hospital! Jack and Ben have really enjoyed cooing over him, even if they're still trying to figure out boundaries. William is a little overwhelmed by the new noises and sensory inputs, but he did very well last night. He has made it clear that he's no longer interested in breastfeeding, but he's taking milk and formula by bottle very well and is already outgrowing some of his preemie clothes.

We wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has provided meals, child care, house cleaning, gifts, and other support. We couldn't have gotten to this point without you and your prayers. God has truly blessed us through our friends and family, and our hearts are filled to overflowing with gratitude for the love we've been shown these past few months. (But please forgive me if it takes a while to write all the thank you notes!) :)

We're Home!!

William did very well with his eating for the past two days and is up to 5 lb. 8 oz., so his docs decided to send him home today with NO monitor! We're exhausted and looking forward to a week of settling in at home with our three boys. Praise God! I will post pics and more information tomorrow.

In the Home Stretch!

It's been more than a week since my last update, so here's the latest news and a week's worth of photos. Check out William's long, fuzzy hair, Jack and Ben playing in the SNOW yesterday morning, and a new shot of William without his feeding tube!

I (Dawn) was sick with some unknown bug and could not visit the hospital on Monday or Tuesday--makes for a very grumpy mommy, but at least I got some chores done around the house. Also had more trouble with my incision, but a quick trip to the doctor helped tremendously.

I think William really missed me while I was gone, because as soon as I returned to the NICU on Wednesday, he finally decided that it was time to eat! He started finishing bottles, then very quickly worked his way up to 8 bottles a day--and today, the nurse removed his feeding tube (praise God!). He's also doing pretty well with breast feeding, so that's encouraging. He regained weight, surpassing his birth weight, and now weighs around 5 lbs. 4 oz.

The best news is that William's pediatrician has started talking about sending us home, saying that Will could leave the hospital as early as Wednesday or Thursday! So that means that the next few days will be full of all the things that "normal" babies go through before heading home--hearing test, circumcision (ouch!), car seat check, etc. Bryant and I have completed our infant CPR refresher course and will be re-trained on how to use the apnea monitor that William will probably need at home. So these are all very positive steps in the right direction. Now we just need to finish getting everything ready at home!

Thanks for your continued prayers. Please pray that our whole family will stay healthy and that nothing will prevent us from bringing Will home this week.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's been a busy few days in the Adkins household. We were thrilled that Ben's antibiotics kicked in quickly, so our whole family was able to go see William on Thanksgiving Day. We showed Ben where he spent his first two months of life, and the boys were very well behaved as they met their little brother. They really enjoyed "petting" Will's fuzzy hair! Jack kept saying, "Oh Mommy, I really love my baby brother William." And the biggest miracle was that we got a decent family photo with everyone looking at the camera at the same time!

By Friday afternoon, I (Dawn) started to feel sick, so I went to an after-hours clinic this morning to get tested for strep. So far the test is negative, so I'm just waiting this out to see if I have strep, a cold, or something else. Please pray for quick healing so that I can get back to the NICU to see William. They won't let me in the door if I have any cold/flu symptoms.

William has gained some more weight this week and is up to around 4 lb. 14 oz. He's still not eating well but will occasionally take an ounce or more by mouth. We found out today that one of our favorite doctors from Ben's stint in the NICU will now be overseeing William's care, so that's reassuring. Other than that, there's not much new to report.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support. Hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving! I know we had plenty to be thankful for. Blessings to you all.

"You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." --Psalm 118:28-29

A Few Pictures and Little News

William worked hard today on feeding and has gained a little weight. We practiced breast feeding during two of his tube feeds, and he did really well with the first try. He worked with the occupational therapist on bottle feeding and once again he took about 17 cc's out of 47 total. He still mostly wants to snuggle and sleep.

Ben has strep throat, so please pray that:

1. His antibiotic kicks in quickly so that he can meet William tomorrow. (Our pediatrician says that he shouldn't be contagious after 24 hours on an antibiotic.)

2. Pray that none of us catch strep from Ben and that we don't carry any germs to William.

Everything else is pretty much the same!

No News is Good News

Really don't have much to report. William still hovers around the same weight--4 lbs. 9 or 10 oz. We're still working on bottle feeding, and once he gets the hang of it, we get to go home. We try bottle feeds four times a day and have gotten him to take up to 30 cc's by mouth. Many times he won't take any at all. His current total intake is 47 cc's eight times a day, so most of his nutrition is still through his ng tube.

One great development yesterday...I was able to pump milk for William while holding him, and he woke up and got very hungry from just the smell of milk. We couldn't feed him right away because of the strict NICU feeding schedule, but he stayed awake and cranky until his next feeding. Unfortunately, he wasn't at all happy with the bottle and ended up taking most of that meal through his ng tube. But this is a great sign that he loves Mommy above all others and may have a good shot at breast feeding. I'll never make enough milk to totally fulfill his daily requirements, so he'll still have to learn to take a bottle. But it would be awesome to be able to get rid of the breast pump entirely and just breast feed like a "normal" mom, supplementing with formula or donor milk.

Prayer Requests:

--Ben had a fever yesterday and was up for much of the night. Please pray that he will get well quickly, that none of us will catch his illness, and that William will be protected from illness or infection.

--We just found out that healthy children will be allowed into the NICU on Thanksgiving Day to meet their siblings. Please pray that all of us will be completely healthy on Thursday so that Jack and Ben can meet William!

--Praise God for His continued provision for child care and rides to the hospital. I've stopped most of my pain meds so that I can start driving myself, so please pray that my pain will not get out of control as I continue to heal well.

--Praise God for my wonderfully supportive friends from my MOPS group (Mothers of Preschoolers) who threw me a sweet baby shower yesterday and continue to provide meals, child care, and constant prayers.

"God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!" --Psalm 66:19-20

Same old, same old

William had a good day today. Bryant and I spent the morning at the hospital, and I worked with an occupational therapist to help Will learn to bottle feed. The good news is that he seems to have an effective suck--no real oral motor problems. He's just too sleepy to care about eating at this point.

Talked to his night nurse, and he's gained a little weight--up to 2095 grams or almost 4 lb. 10 oz. He's had only one major apnea episode today, so that's great news! Forgot to take pictures today of him in his cute preemie clothes, so I will try to post some pictures tomorrow.

Moved to Level II!

Had a very busy day today. Started the morning with a visit to my OB to patch up my incision. Was pleased to hear that there's nothing really wrong, and it should heal just fine.

Then stopped by NICU III so my mom could have a quick visit with William. His nurse today was a lady named Sheryl who was one of our favorite nurses when Ben was in the NICU. It was great to see her again, tell her thank you for being so good to Ben, and show her pictures of him.

After a good morning, William was moved to Level II (Bed H149). He's in a nice secluded corner giving us a bit more privacy. He finally started gaining weight and is now 4 lbs. 9 oz. His feedings are still 41 cc's and alternating between tube feeds and attempts at bottle feeding--still not really interested. His IV has been removed entirely, and the only medication he's receiving is caffeine for his heart rate. So all good news!

Bryant and I spent several hours there tonight and worked on bottle feeding with Dr. Brown's bottles--seemed to go a little better. So basically, we're just waiting for William to learn to eat and to stop having apnea and bradycardia episodes. He could figure it all out quickly and come home very soon, or he could take a little longer to mature and come home in a few weeks. He's in charge!

One quick prayer request....a man backed into our new minivan in the parking garage last night. Not a huge dent, but it was upsetting to have our new vehicle damaged. Please pray for a quick resolution with his insurance company.

No Change

It was nice to be back home today with Jack, Ben, and my Mom, but it was hard to have my first full day away from William. Bryant had to return to work but was able to go by the hospital after work.

I spoke with Will's nurse after lunch, and the plan was to move him to Level II this afternoon. Ten minutes later, the hospital called to say that William had another apnea episode and would be staying put for at least another day. We pretty much expected this and are not worried one way or the other. There were only small changes in William's care today--his feedings were increased to 41 cc's and will be administered through his ng tube using a pump system to hopefully keep him from spitting up or having apnea & bradycardia episodes. We'll take him clothes tomorrow as well as some bottles from home to see if he likes them better than the ones at the hospital.

Prayer Requests:

--I'm having some trouble with my incision--please pray for quick healing.

--Praise God for His faithfulness in providing care for Jack, Ben, and me as well as opportunities for us to get to the hospital to visit William. Please pray for His continued provision in this area.

The Little Physician

Many people have asked us if we've met Dr. Jen Arnold from the TV show "The Little Couple," since she works in the Level III NICU at TCH. Well today she was serving as William's attending physician and will stand in for his normal doctor for three days. She was very nice and professional and exactly as you would expect her to be. And no, the cameras were not rolling today. :)

We decided to keep William in Level III since he's having occasional apnea and bradycardia episodes (plus Level III has a better staff/patient ratio and is more peaceful, so I don't mind staying). He's still getting caffeine to keep his heart rate up but has stopped receiving IV nutrition (yay for one less tube holding him down!). His feedings have increased to 29cc's every three hours--still getting most through his ng tube since he has no interest in a bottle. He's finished with the bilirubin lights and has moved to an open crib. So lots of good news for today!

I'm checking out of the hospital now, and will head home after a few hours in the NICU. I'm really looking forward to seeing Jack and Ben!

Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate. --Psalm 127:3-5

Psyche!

Went to the NICU this morning to find out that William had a good night and was supposed to move to Level II. Ten minutes later, as I was feeding him his lunch and speaking with his attending physician, he had several apnea and bradycardia episodes (forgot to breathe and dropped heart rate). So the move to Level II was cancelled, and he has been put on IV caffeine to keep his heart rate up. He is also jaundiced, so he spent the rest of the day under bilirubin lights to convert the excess bilirubin in his system to vitamin D. I just love how he looks in his little baby sunglasses!

William's still not really interested in eating, so he took most of his feedings through his ng tube while sucking on his tiny pacifier. He continues to lose weight but is still within the expected range of weight loss. His docs have doubled the size of each feeding to 18 cc's every three hours. He's tolerating both milk and formula well.

I went back to the NICU tonight to kangaroo hold William, and we both took a good nap. He just loves snuggling with Mommy!

I will be going home tomorrow afternoon, then we'll start making the regular trek back and forth to TCH. Please pray that I'll be able to drive very soon so that I don't have to depend on someone else to drive me. Also, please pray that God will continue to provide great caregivers for Jack and Ben and that the boys will not feel slighted when Mommy and Daddy have to spend a lot of time visiting William.

Thanks for your prayers and support!

Just some pictures

Eating Slowly but Surely

Had a good day today with William. Arrived in the NICU this morning to learn that not much had changed overnight--he was still receiving IV nutrition and antibiotics, hadn't pooped, and still had a belly full of gas that was causing issues. His docs ordered another belly x-ray and determined that he does NOT have a perforated or obstructed bowel (praise God!) and said that we could try oral feedings again.

My mom brought Jack and Ben up to the hospital so that they could visit with Daddy while I took her to meet William. She got to feed him and enjoy a good cuddle. Jack and Ben were bummed that they couldn't see their brother but thrilled by my hospital room's view and plethora of buttons to push. One of the advantages to being here at Texas Children's is that there are plenty of activities to do with kids--but I think the boys wore Bryant out! We both enjoyed their visit but needed a good nap after they went home.

Went back to the NICU after dinner. William continues to improve, although he has a big aversion to bottle feeding--probably because he threw up his first two feedings yesterday. The nurses had to give some of his feedings through his ng tube because he would gag when they put the bottle in his mouth. I was able to kangaroo hold him for about an hour, then coaxed him into taking a bottle. He wouldn't actually suck on it but would allow me to manipulate it in his mouth to let the milk drip down his throat.

So we have some work to do before he can move to Level II. Bryant will be home with the boys tomorrow, so I'm going to spend as much time with William as possible to teach him how to eat.

On a very positive note, Will's blood cultures came back showing no sign of infection, so he's off antibiotics. Also, his nurse was able to "stimulate" him to poop, so things are moving in the right direction. :)

Prayer Requests:

--Please pray that William will pick up on eating quickly so that he can move to the Level II NICU.

--Pray that he can tolerate formula since I can't make nearly enough milk to feed him.

--Pray that I'll heal quickly so that I can get back up here to spend time with William after I go home from the hospital on Wednesday.

--Please pray for stamina for Bryant as he balances caring for our family, keeping up with his job, etc.

Also, thank you SO much to everyone who has supported us with visits, phone calls, emails, meals, house cleaning, child care, and all the other ways you've blessed us. We really appreciate and love each of you!

A verse about Will's middle name, Samuel:

"So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him." --1 Samuel 1:20

Samuel means "God has heard," and we chose this for William's middle name because God heard our request for a healthy baby and keeps on blessing us through our children! We pray that William will grow in stature and in favor with God and men and will learn to listen to God's voice, just like Samuel did in the Bible.

That's all for today! Stay tuned for more pics from Bryant.

Still in NICU III

We had a good day today. I was finally able to meet and hold William and speak with his doctors who said that he's doing wonderfully. I gave him his first feeding by mouth at noon, which he didn't like very much, but we managed to get it all in. After resting for the afternoon, we returned to the NICU to learn that William's noon and 3:00 feedings did not stay down. They did an x-ray of his belly and found that his intestines are full of air--normal for a baby who has been on a c-pap that pushes air into his lungs. They've taken him off food for now, continuing IV nutrition, and have given him something to get his bowels moving. He has a nasogastric tube, so once they feel like he has room in his belly, they'll start feeding him breast milk and/or formula by tube. He's also having a little trouble maintaining his body temperature, so he's back under the warmer for now. There's a chance he'll be moved to Level II NICU tomorrow, but maybe not until some of these issues are resolved.

To put all this in perspective, these issues are really minor, especially compared to when we were in that same room with Ben two years ago. It's sort of surreal to even be there at all with William, who actually has tiny fat rolls, jowly cheeks, and a bit of a double chin. What a blessing!

This evening, I held Will kangaroo style for about an hour, and he enjoyed a snuggly nap. He's a grumpy little man, crying whenever he's disturbed but perfectly content as long as he's warm and left alone to sleep. (Makes sense to me!)

Thanks again for everyone's prayers and support. We have felt God's power in this place in His perfect timing to care for our whole family, in the success of my c-section and relatively low pain, and in William's health and progress. And it's been wonderful to see everyone who has come to visit!

We're looking forward to seeing Jack and Ben tomorrow when my Mom brings them up to the hospital. They won't be able to see William--children under 13 are no longer allowed in the NICU--but I will enjoy hugs and kisses from my boys.

"But I trust in Your unfailing love. My heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me." --Psalm 13:5-6

Our other kids

John Bryant Adkins Jr. and Benjamin Allen Adkins also got their start on www.blogspot.com. Here are the links to those two adventures

Benjamin's entry --> http://benjaminallenadkins.blogspot.com/

Little Jack's entry --> http://babyadkins.blogspot.com/

Dawn is recovering

Dawn is recovering much better after William than she was after Benjamin. She experienced a few very unpleasant hours in recovery before the pain became manageable. She was able to go spend several hours with William this morning.

Picture from our room

We're in room 2535 at St. Lukes. Dawn's Dad took this photo

William is making progress

William was given pressurized air for less than 24 hours, so he no longer has that blue tube on his face. He's being given some antibiotics, but that is about it. We expect to be promoted out of the Level 3 NICU today or tomorrow into the Level 2. He'll get to go home when he can eat and maintain his body temperature. That may be a week, maybe more, maybe less. We're grateful to be in good hands. We know that the process may be slow, and William will tell us when he is ready.

Pancakes

As is our Saturday morning tradition, I started making cranberry pancakes for the family around 7 am. Dawn started having some bleeding, but we weren't sure just yet. Realizing I did not have enough cranberries for a quadruple batch, I decided to make 1/2 of them chocolate chip pancakes. Somewhere around then, I agreed that the middle name of this child would be Samuel instead of Tucker. Around 8:00, Dawn thought she felt her amniotic fluid leak, so we asked her mom to take both Jack and Ben to Austin to visit our cousins. (Previously, she was just going to take little Jack.) After the call, Dawn refused to eat my chocolate chip pancakes, so we had to go to the hospital. I had made a trip to the grocery Friday night to get baking powder and cranberries, so obviously I was a bit upset of her refusal to try my chocolate chip pancakes. She just wanted the cranberry.

We went made it to St. Lukes around 10:30 am, and shortly after we were informed that we would be having a baby. We did not expect to go to full term, but I was hoping we could at least get to 36 weeks. The C-section was uneventful, Dawn elected to listen to Jazz while Dr. Boswell and her team performed the procedure. The anesthesia worked well, although she really, really felt it when it wore off.

William came out screaming at 2:45 pm. He peed on a doctor, then was ushered off to the NICU for observation and preventative care.