The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

I feel like I'm leaving so much out!

First of all, I was getting kinda loopy while in labor, but I wanted to say to Jessica, your names you kept reading off while hanging out in my room (and avoiding work as much as possible) are really funny looking back on it. It's a little blurry, but funny. This poor kid didn't have a name for like, 3 days! Well, that actually isn't true. When asked by the priest who baptised Jackson what the baby's name was, Ryan Johnston replied "OU/Tex." I wasn't there, but supposedly the priest (who, by the way is Father John The Baptist...? Seriously?) was not amused, but I don't think Ryan was kidding. Colby has been calling the baby that since finding out it was a boy, so that's what his nickname is now. Anyway, props to you Jess, for skipping work and hanging out on the 6th floor with the cool kids...this Bud's for you! :)

Also I wanted to say how cool,cool, cool the rainbow was outside my window right before I delivered. It was amazing, truly. It was almost surreal, everyone gathering around to see the HUGE rainbow over Mercy Hospital. God's promise was shinning down right before Jackson's big arrival...this kid wasn't going to settle for the best doctors, nurses, hospital, family, etc. No, he had to have a red carpet rainbow for his entrance!!! :) The whole thing just feels surreal, I guess. I remember Dr. Reisig coming in to hang out before the birth, just sitting there talking when we noticed the sky...and then I remember after the birth and when the chaos subsided, she sat on the couch and just kinda was amazed...and said something about in all her years of practice...etc. I cant really remember, but she had made that comment a lot throughout the past couple of months. I just am so glad to have been here to be with her, and not in England with whatever doctor I got assigned to that day! :)

Well, since that day, we've been really lucky. More lucky than we deserve, it could be so much worse. We went to a parents meeting that the NICU holds on a regular basis and heard other's stories, and believe me, it could be SO much worse. Jackson is basically a "text book" preemie at the moment, there are no surprises that have popped up, for now. The brain scans looked great, the valve in the heart has closed, and he is taking breast milk well...I think he is at 6 cc's as of today. He has had to have two blood transfusions because the nurses and doctors have had to take so much blood out for testing, so they replenished it. It's sad, they put an I.V. into his head!! It's suppose to be the least painful place for it and the easiest to get veins....but still! He did have a rough week last week, but we've been told that's fairly normal for preemies to do really well at first, and then get tired a few days after birth and kinda dip down. But he has leveled off this week. He is on a ventilator, and his numbers are not bad, especially for his gestation age. It's going to be awhile before he puts on any significant weight...he is at the moment 2lbs, 7oz. He also has been under billi lights for jaundice, and has what they call a PIC line in his arm, which I guess is like or is an IV that goes through his arm and is sitting next to a valve in his heart. (I think!:)) He also has a tube in his nose that goes directly into his stomach for feedings.

Marc and I are allowed to hold him for 1 hour a day...only one of us...because they don't want to stimulate him too much. Usually when they bathe him, he will open his eyes; it's so sweet! He does get pain medicine, or a sedative really, when he gets agitated, but the last couple of days he's hardly had any.The doctors say that it will be at LEAST a couple of months barring no other complications. Jackson is still considered critical, but also doing pretty well...like I said, a text book case at this point.

I'm trying to think of any other questions Ive had from everyone, it's hard to remember everything sometimes!So from the next blog on, it will be daily updates. Please keep him in your prayers!

Crystal