Levi is 2 months old!

Levi turned two months old today. Can you believe it has already been two months? Time truly has gone by so quickly for us. Wow, I used to think that two months was a huge milestone before with my older children; with Levi, I truly see it as being an immense accomplishment. Nurses count the age of NICU babies in days because each day they are still here is something to be noted. I really believe that each of us should learn something from that simple fact in our own lives. Every day we are here is truly a gift from above. None of us should take tomorrow for granted as none of us are promised a tomorrow. Take each day at a time and live it as if it were your last! Levi is once again stable enough to be out of the Intensive Care Nursery. He was moved to Special Care two days ago. He is eating 30cc/3 hours and no longer has an IV (Yeah!!!). We know that we made the right decision to have surgery on our son. Before the surgery, he was on 6 liters of vapotherm (a step or two below the ventilator) and is now only having to have 1 liter. His oxygen level is set at 24-28% with 21% being what the rest of us breath. He is doing so well and getting bigger everyday. He now weighs 3 lbs and 13.7 oz. Unfortunately, I have not got to see him in 6 days due to the cold that I had. I wanted to wait until I was 150% over it before going to visit. Today is the day. I feel great and can not wait to see my beautiful baby!

Levi is 8 weeks old!

Levi is 8 weeks old!

This is Levi's 1st Christmas. He currently weighs 3 lbs and 9 oz. His brother colored him a stocking that said "Baby's 1st Christmas" and his sister colored him a star ornament that has his name on it and with an angel sitting on it. Both of them are decorating his isolette as well as the Christmas card that many of you received from us with all three of their pictures on it. This Christmas is very special to us. We have so much to be thankful for. We are surrounded with wonderful friends and family who have shown nothing but love to us. Words can not begin to describe how thankful we are for the excellent meals they have prepared, endless dishes that they have washed, piles of clothes they have cleaned, not to mention the exceptional care that they have provided for our beautiful children - even when they have been fever stricken and full of tummy aches. We love each and everyone of you and are sorry that you have had to deal with us when we were not "handling things" so well. I am sad to say that I did not actually get to visit with Levi today since I woke up with a sore throat this morning. Justin and I did get to have a very special visit with him last night though. Merry Christmas everyone.

Levi had his surgery

Levi had his PDA ligated on Thursday, December 20th at 10:30 a.m. The surgery went perfectly - Thank you Lord! In addition to recovering from surgery, Levi was expected to "take his first eye exam" this Friday morning at 7:00 a.m. This too he passed with flying colors. Oxygen, while often necessary for premature babies, can be damaging to the undeveloped eye. They dilated his eyes and proceeded to check them for Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). If found, stage V is the worst and stage I is the most mild. As of this morning, Levi is said to have stage zero. (Again, another reason we give the Lord glory and praise). Continue to pray that he gets plenty of rest and recovers quickly and fully from his ligation.

Slideshow - Levi is 7 weeks old!

Levi is 7 weeks old!

Today, Levi Thomas turns 7 weeks old! He is such a blessing and miracle. Last night when we were visiting with him, we learned that a cardiologist recommended that we go ahead and have a PDA in his heart ligated. In term babies, this usually closes itself off close to birth if not shortly after. They have already given him three doses of a medicine to close it off without surgery. While these doses did help to close it for a time, it has gradually gotten back to it's original size. They are confident that doing this procedure will facilitate breathing and allow Levi to get on a smaller amount of Oxygen. Currently he is on vapotherm at 6 Liters and ranges between 25-40% oxygen. Please stand in faith with us that Levi will be protected during this procedure and will recover quickly from it. They will have to put him back into the NICU and put him on a ventilator after his procedure (This past Thursday they moved him up to Special Care Nursery since he has been so stable). We know that God is in control and that he is giving Levi's doctors and nurses complete supernatural wisdom and understanding in regards to his care. His care providers have truly prepared us for the rollercoaster that one rides in the NICU. Levi's brain ultrasound that he had most recently came back great. His vision test had been rescheduled for this coming Friday but that may change with the scheduling of this procedure. Currently his feeds are at 9cc/hour. Levi is still receiving his caffiene to help with bradycardia and a diaretic, aldatazide, to help get fluid off of his lungs to make breathing easier. His last weight was 3 lbs and 2 oz (This is what my father weighed 53 years ago when he was born 3 months early himself). God Bless each and everyone of you!

Slideshow - Levi is 6 weeks old!

Levi is six weeks old!

Our little warrior is now 2lbs and 14.5 oz and he measures approx. 40cm in length. Levi is still on vapotherm (Hooray!!!). He is currently on 4 liters and is staying anywhere from 30-40% right now. They check his blood gasses frequently and they have been great. His feedings have increased to 8.2 cc/hr. In addition to the Human Milk Fortifier, he is also receiving Neosure, Similac's version of preemie formula, in his breastmilk. This puts him at 27 calories/25cc vs. the 20 calories/25cc that he would be receiving on breastmilk alone. He has graduated to a larger diaper and got to wear clothes for the very first time yesterday for his 6 week "birthday". He was so alert and just begging the nurses to love on him that they let him come out of his isolette to take some snapshots with him. Last night when we went to visit, I got to kangaroo him for one and a half hours. I can not fully put this experience into words. He is absolutely amazing. I am convinced that there is no other experience on this earth that will ever compare to holding him to my chest - I do not feel worthy of partaking in such an event. We are sad to say that Levi will be saying goodbye to three of his nurses this week. They are travelers that will never be forgotten. (Thanks for all you do ladies - we know that where ever you go next, they are going to love having you around). Levi said to tell all of you hello for him. He said that he is truly experiencing the fruits of all of your prayers - keep them up.

Slideshow - Levi is 5 weeks old!

Levi is Five Weeks Old!

Last night, I got to hold & "kangaroo" my beautiful son for the very first time. He turned 5 weeks old yesterday (Tuesday, December 4th)- so hard to believe. He is off of the Ventilator (Praise the Lord!) and weighs 2 lbs and 11 oz now. They removed his IV - he is really happy about that and had another brain ultrasound done yesterday morning that came back Normal =] He is now on vapotherm at 4 liters and has even been able to go down to 21% Oxygen several times today! We are sooo blessed.

Slideshow - Four Weeks Old

Levi is One Month Old!

Levi is now one month old! He turned four weeks old this past Tuesday, November 27th. The Lord is so good! We are truly humbled by this entire experience. Tonight was very special for me. He fixed his beautiful little eyes on his Mamma as I got to hold his hand and cup my hand around his perfect little head for a long time. He must have really enjoyed it because he did not desat any for me while I was touching him. He is very quick to let you know if he does not enjoy something by dropping his sats (saturation of oxygen in the blood). He now weighs a whole 2 pounds and 8 ounces. Today we were very excited to find out that they took away his IV fluids and he is receiving "full feeds" = 6.5cc/hour. For every 25cc of breastmilk, they recently began adding a pack of breastmilk fortifier. This gives him 2 additional calories (24/25 cc) to help him turn into a little butterball =] The only medication that he is currently on is caffeine which helps with his blood oxygen saturation & heart rate. After 10 days of being only on vapotherm (a little bit of oxygen to the nose), he decided he needed a break and was ready for the ventilator again. He remains on a very low setting on the ventilator and breathes quite a few breaths independently over the b/min that he receives from it. Levi was able to get down to a setting of 10 on the ventilator so they attempted to put him on C-PAP (continuous positive airway pressure): Air is delivered to a baby's lungs through small tubes in the baby's nose. The tubes are attached to a ventilator (respirator), which helps the baby breathe, but does not breathe for him). He did not care for it too much so they tried something called a Nasal IMV (Nasal Intermittent Positive Pressure Ventilation). He really did not like that. So they let him have his way and put him back on the ventilator. Two nights ago, Levi extubated (took it out) by himself so, again, they attempted to try him on C-PAP. Every time that he does this, they want to try C-PAP to get him weaned off of the ventilator. They are discussing using Lasix which is a diuretic to get any fluids off of his lungs to facilitate breathing. Each day he produces more tissues in his lungs that make him stronger. We are certain that God has our son in the best of hands at Richland's NICU. God has granted these amazing individuals with divine wisdom and understanding. They are all so awesome up there. His oxygen level stays between 25 – 30% for the most part. 21% is the goal and is what the rest of us breathe. He is scheduled for another brain scan on the 4th of December. The first one came back perfect which of course was very encouraging. He is scheduled for his first vision test on the 17th of Dec. He will not receive a hearing test until it is time for him to come home. Levi loves the recording that we made for him. Every night when we visit, we add a recording to it when we read him his Bible story. Bedtime prayers with him are also amazing. He has a picture of Teddy and Naomi that he gets to see all the time. His isolette (bed) is decorated with pictures that they have colored for him as well as a John Deere quilt that I made for him. He knows how much he is loved. We love and appreciate all of you, your prayers, and your support!!! May God Bless each of you in His great abundance and may each of you grow in your faith as a result of our little Miracle child.

Slideshow - Levi is three weeks old!

Slideshow - Levi is two weeks old!

Slideshow - Levi is here!

Levi is here!

On October 27th, we were sitting in the living room and I was commenting on the fact that Levi was kicking pretty good. All of a sudden, I looked at my husband and said "we have to go to the hospital". My water had broken. My lovely sister who "just happened" to be staying with us was able to put the kids to bed as we raced off to Lexington Medical Center. Upon arrival, we told them that we were 23 1/2 weeks pregnant. Immediately, they took me to Labor and Delivery where the sweetest nurse came in and told me that the only thing I could do was to pray that the Dr. would decide to have me taken to Richland Memorial. She grabbed my hand and began to pray with me. As soon as she said the word "Amen", a nurse came in and said that I was being rushed to Richland (Praise the Lord!!!). After going code to the hospital with my husband following right behind me, we were admitted to a room where they wanted to do an ultrasound. We had just had one showing that the baby was breach and the Dr. at Lexington believed me to be 5 cm dilated. If this was the case, they informed me that it would require a c-section for myself and no hope for my child. After looking at the ultrasound, the Dr. at Richland discovered that the baby was now head down (Hooray) and that I was only 1 - 3 cm dilated. A team of doctors came in to let us know that if the baby was born between now and 24 weeks that they would not be able to treat the baby. It is only after 24 weeks that they consider a baby to be "viable" and worth saving. Full of faith, we prayed and believed that God would protect us and see us through at least 3 more days. A nurse then came in and said that it was inevitable for anyone who had broken their water prematurely to become infected and the baby would have to be taken. Again, I prayed and believed God that that would not be the case for me. In Psalm 91, God specifically promised me in my Spirit that "No plague would come near my tent" and that God was going to give Levi a "long life and sustain him". The nurse did encourage us that some women can lay in the bed for the duration of their pregnancy which would have been February 19th for us. I was completely prepared to lay there for the next four months so I could be his incubator. On October 30th, we finally reached our "Oasis" as my doctor called it of 24 WEEKS :) They moved me to a room on the East wing where other women, like myself, wait and wait perfectly still for the arrival of their babies. That evening, I felt Levi moving around a good bit and asked my husband to press the nurse button. His grandparents that we were visiting with were asked to leave the room for a moment while they hooked me up to the monitor to make sure I wasn't beginning to have contractions. The doctor came in and was getting ready to do an ultrasound when all of a sudden she decided to "take a peek" J and realized that his head was crowning. Just as in the movies, it was "STAT" and off we flew down the hall to the nearest delivery room. We entered into a room of about 15 doctors just watching in awe as I had our beautiful son - at 24 weeks. The entire time, I just kept for praying aloud and thanking God– sometimes in the Spirit - for his perfect health and protection. We know that he is a miracle and a gift from God. We are just thankful to be considered Levi's parents. Later that night we learned that he was born at 8:09 pm weighing 1 lb 9.2 oz and measuring 12 5/8 inches in length. We got to go to his room once he was considered stable. I put his little hand around my pinky finger and we said his first good night prayer with him. He is so beautiful. Ever since then, we have been blessed with praise reports from his doctors and nurses. Two mornings ago, they did an ultrasound on his head to determine if there was any bleeding or other concerns. God just told me to thank him that Levi has the mind of Christ. Just this morning, we got the report from his nurses that the Ultrasound came back saying he was normal, normal, normal J. We serve a big God. We are blessed and know that Levi is covered by the Blood of Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, and surrounded with warring and ministering angels. Jesus is in the business of doing miracles. It is our prayer that God would use Levi to bring others to believe in and know Him on a personal level. We have peace that surpasses all understanding and joy in all circumstances. It is our desire and hope that each and every one of you will begin to live your lives this way. Every moment is a blessing. We love all of you and are soooooo thankful to have you in our lives. God bless you richly in His great abundance!!!