Today was our first Neurological development appointment.  We weren't sure exactly what to expect.  First they weighed & measured him (13lb 13oz, 23.5") and then the physical theropist tested him in all sorts of areas.  If you didn't know what was happening, you would just think she was playing with him, but really she was seeing how he responded to different stimuli - toys, bells, voices, balls, bright colored cubes, my voice versus a stranger's, etc.  After that he had a physical exam with the Pediatrician that specializes in development.  We don't have the official results, but they gave us the quick version (which I didn't catch all of) and basically we didn't find out much that surprised us.  He is behind in some of the areas that are highly influenced by his vision and his same extension issues (arms & legs held straight out away from the body).  He is, however, slightly ahead of his developmental age in speech.  That's my boy!  All of my hard work of talking to him since he was in the womb has paid off :).  It was really neat at the end of the appointment when the Pediatrician shared what a joy it was to see him.  She said that a team meets together ahead of time to discuss the case and reads his history.  She said that they never know what they are going to walk in and find at these appointments.  Being that he was a 25-weeker and has had 5 surgeries, chronic lung disease, and generally a rough start, they were so delighted to see the baby in front of them.  Healthy, growing, happy, and not looking like he has been through what he has!  It was yet another reminder of the miracles of God...only God could do this!

After our appointment we stopped off at the NICU to say hello to some of our friends.  We were only able to see one of Benjamin's main nurses, but it was fun to see her again.  She mentioned that their was a grandmother of a little guy that could really use some hope, and asked if she could send her out to see Benjamin.  The woman came out and was amazed that he was a micro preemie.  She asked if we would follow her to the maternity ward and show Benjamin to her daughter.  It turned out that a little guy named Logan Daniel was born yesterday at 26 weeks, weighing 1lb 11oz.  It was their first baby and boy did I recognize the look on their faces - excitement, fear, confusion, and bewilderment.  We didn't have much time, but we were able to show them our miracle boy, give them a few pointers, and leave them with a little encouragement.  This young family has a long road ahead of them.  Pray for them.  They need it.  It was so good to be able to share hope and the goodness of God.  I pray for more opportunities to do so in the future.  Oh, how good it is to be used as a vehicle for encouragement!

Update & Prayer Request

Life at our house is busy...but good.  I am getting settled into a routine at work, Brian is settling into a new routine of school and hanging out with Benjamin, and Benjamin seems to enjoy his time with daddy, grandma, and aunt Jenny while I am at work.

Benjamin has most definately found his voice.  He "talks" to us quite a bit and also enjoys talking to the light.  As I am writing this he is talking in his room (even though he is supposed to be sleeping).  He is holding his head up very well and he loves to be talked to and sung to.  One of his current favorite toys is a gift from our friend Tracey.  It is a stuffed "Hungry Catepillar" that is crinkly when you touch it and has bright colors and fun tags all over.  We have been working with him on reaching out and touching toys and so a few weeks ago when I put him in the car on the way to church I put it in front of him on his car seat.  As we were backing out of the driveway we heard this "crunch, crunch" and thus the fondness began.

He has been doing very well overall health-wise.  He has had some eating/digestive concerns, but they seem to be resolving without medical intervention.  I will spare you the poo details (even though I am amazed how our nightly conversations often include the subject.)



Tomorrow is a big day for Benjamin - his first Neurological Development appointment.  We get to leave bright and early in morning traffic and head up to the hospital in time to feed him before his 9am slot.  We have heard on the news that the ER there has been overflowing with people due to the whole swine flu ordeal.  That makes me a little short of enthusiastic to be there at this time.  So, I am asking for prayer again for protection from illness, and that all will go well with the exam and that they will be able to see all they need to make a clear analysis.  I am not concerned about the findings since I really believe he is doing well, but we want to do all we can to help him be his best.  One more thing - next week we go back to the Opthamologist to have his eyes checked.  We appreciate prayer for positive results, even though I feel a little silly asking for that since God has answered so many big prayers...our boy is healthy and happy...what more could we ask for, right?!?

Jamie

A Family Photo & A Pumpkin Friend

This last week was "Customer Service Appreciation" week at work.  This meant that I was spoiled with food and treats at work all week.  Part of the week included daily contests.  Wednesday's contest was to carve or decorate a pumpkin.  I wasn't planning on participating because I just didn't have the time, but Tuesday night I told Brian about an idea I had, inspired by our little man.  Next thing I knew he ran to the store and came back with this (Benjamin got ahold of it first of course!)

We borrowed a few items from Benjamin including a binky, a hat that his aunt Lisa had originally made for him, and a diaper similar to the ones he wore when he was first born.  Here is what we came up with:

We won by default (no one else entered.)

Thursday's contest was for the best family photo.  The only rule was that it could not be professional.  I had an idea that I thought would be creative and I would not have to really see myself.

It wasn't perfect since our little guy is a wiggle-worm and never stopped moving, but Brian did some great touch-up and changed it to black and white.  This time there was competition and some really good pictures, but we won again!  It was all Benjamin I think.  And yes, Brian does have huge feet :)  It was a fun little adventure.

A New Season

Time is again escaping me as I realize that Benjamin is rapidly approaching his 7 month mark on the calendar (and up to 12lbs 10oz!)  Well, life at our home is changing a bit as I headed back to work last week and Brian headed back to school.  The transition has not been as difficult as I thought yet since I am have only been working part time for the first week and a half and Brian is only taking 9 credits, but Thursday brings on full days and maybe a little sadness for mommy.  All in all, I really enjoy my job, so as long as I can keep focused, I think I will be ok.  I doubt it will affect Benjamin too much at this stage since he will be spending quality time with Daddy, Grandma, and Aunt Jenny.  We feel very blessed that I have a good job to go back to and that God has enabled close family to take care of him.

This afternoon we had a visit from Karen, Benjamin's favorite physical therapist.  He is still doing pretty good developmentally.  He is weakest in his head control and still is battling the extension issues that comes from being premature.  This means that he prefers to be straight - arms out, feet stretched, head back.  This position feels natural to him.  If he is in discomfort, it is what he retreats to.  For example, when he is sitting on my lap and is uncomfortable from the need to burp, he will launch himself into extension and bounce off my lap if I am not careful.  Sometimes I wander if I should installing a 5-point harness on my lap.  Ok, that is exaggerating a tad, but this all said, bringing his toes up or his hands in takes a little more work than it would for a full term baby.  It also means that he could be a great high jumper! :)

A couple weeks ago we went "sort-of camping" with some friends (we stayed in a house in the woods.)  I learned that spending the night away from home with a baby is hard work!  Our car was so stuffed full that I had to load items up on my lap to fit everything!  Our poor car probably looked like a dog dragging it's rear end.  I fully understand why a lot of people buy SUVs or vans, but then again I am sure I would fill them up too.  The short trip was fun and I absolutely loved the fresh air and peaceful environment.

As for prayer, protection from illness tops the list, and we could also use continued prayer for Benjamin's development and our family's adjusting to new schedules.

Thank you for continuing to pray with us and walk this road with us.  We have been so richly blessed and surrounded by wonderful people that love and care for our family.  A special thank you to all of you who have blessed us with meals, gifts, shoulders, encouraging words, and just being there.

6 Months of Miracles

Sunday marked Benjamin's 6 month birthday. Today we made a visit to his pediatrician. Nothing too noteworthy other than his stats. To his adjusted age, he is 31% on his weight (11lbs 6oz), length is 22% (22.5") and 27% head. We were very excited to see his progress and thanking God for His continued blessings on our little boy.

Benjamin is generally a happy, smiley baby. Even his doctor commented on his disposition, especially how well he handled his shots. He has been "talking" more and as I write this he is in his bedroom yammering away. I wonder where he gets that from... :)

Please continue to pray for protection for Benjamin. I have had a scratchy throat the past 2 days and am so afraid of developing a full on cold and passing it on. I have been washing my hands like crazy and going through lots of sanitizer and EmergenC. Please pray for protection over Benjamin. Thank you!

Jamie

Time Marches On...

It has been a few weeks since I have written...time goes by all too quickly! Benjamin has continued to stay off oxygen for a month now. It has been so amazing. He is still on the monitor when he sleeps and anytime we travel farther than a few miles and we always have an oxygen tank nearby, but he is mostly like a normal 2-month old at this point. Praise God! Thank you all again for your prayers for our baby boy. Never would I have imagined that night in the hospital as I cried with labor pains and my heart cried knowing my baby had come too soon, that Benjamin would be where he is today. He is a miracle attributed to the Creator alone.

Our little family has been enjoying a few outings before the cold season hits, where we will need to go into a time of as much isolation as possible. We were blessed with a shower thrown by my coworkers a couple weeks ago and came home with many needed items for Benjamin (thank you to my friends at TE!) We have been able to go to church the past 4 weeks as a family too, which has been a blessing as well. Our biggest adventure yet was when we helped Benjamin's Aunt Lisa celebrate her birthday with a 2 mile hike at a nearby park with a couple beautiful water falls. Benjamin seems to enjoy hikes - especially when snuggled in the front pack with mama. :) It was a fun and beautiful day. This past weekend we ventured out and joined my dad's side of the family for a few hours of the annual camping trip up at the woods. It was very rainy and we almost turned back, but the clouds broke up and we enjoyed a few dry hours. We were so glad the weather cooperated so that we could introduce Benjamin to the gang.

Last week we had another visit with Benjamin's physical therapist from the early intervention program. She informed us that he would probably walk early for his corrected age because his extension muscles are so strong, which was a surprise to me. His challenge, however, will be to crawl and roll and she would like to see him do these before he walks. These movements require rotation movements that do not come as naturally to micro preemies. Benjamin is stiff for a baby. He is strong, but not nearly as flexible as a full term baby. He cannot pull his toes up near his face and only touches his hands and feet when we assist him during his stretches. This is a result from missing out on the last months of being curled up in the womb and going straight to a laying-flat position at birth.

Benjamin is such a joy to us. Brian and I can just sit and stare at him or play with him for hours. He is smiling more these days and has learned to frown too. I feel a little guilty, but we love his little frown. It is one of the cutest things I have ever seen. Maybe someday we will capture it on film.

I start back to work 2 weeks from Monday. Though I am looking forward to a "normal" schedule and a little more adult interaction where I can discuss more than the latest diaper blow-out, burping accomplishments, or Benjamin's medical status, I am finding as the days pass I get a little sad and nervous thinking about leaving my baby for 10 hours each day. He will be in good, experienced hands. I am just thankful to have this time and I try to be intentional about savoring special moments of being together. I would appreciate prayer for the transition if you think of it.

Ears To Hear

A quick update on yesterday's visit to the Audiologist...he passed both ears!!! Praise Jesus! We are done with that doctor for another 6 months or so. They will continue to follow him to be sure he does not have progressive hearing loss. She even gave us a print out that shows that he passed and I fully intend to keep it as proof for when he is a teenager. :)