NICU

Kory and I arrived at Banner-Thunderidge Hospital wednseday afternoon to see Brayden. I had my bags packed and had every intention of staying with Brayden until he would be released. Braydens room consists of this incubator that is hooked up to several different large machines that are all monitoring something. He has a sink to wash hands and a 4ft. couch. This is all. No TV, phone or bathroom. The nearest bathroom is down the hall and around the corner. Every 3 hours the lid to Brayden's incubator is raised, his diaper is checked, all the wires and monitors are looked over. At this time if Brayden's heart beat is beating at a normal pace and he's not struggling breathing he can be fed a bottle with 2 teaspoons of milk in it. This is called his comfort food. He still has an IV so at this point he's still getting his nutirion through it. If he is able to take a bottle as soon as it is gone he is burped and then placed back in the incubator for another 3 hours. It is true he does better undisturbed but I struggle being told I can only hold him for a few minutes every 3 hours.

Yesterday while there I was able to change my 1st diaper. I can't tell you how exciting this was. While his monitors were being checked Kory was able to hold his pacifier in his mouth and I could rub his little leg. He didn't seem to upset with our touch and so a chair was brought in and I was able to sit and feed him for my 1st time. He drank his 2 teaspoons and burped a few times. Becuase he wasn't getting upset the nurse allowed me to hold him for about 30 minutes. This was the longest I have been able to hold him.

During the hours of 6:30 -8 each morning and night the doctors and nurses get together and talk about each patient. Because each child is being talked about parents and visitors are asked to leave during these times each day. After learning I'd have to leave at least 3 hours of each day, only being able to touch Brayden for a few minutes every 3 hours and IF his vitals were where they were suppose to be I could hold him for a few more minutes, and not having a car a good cry later I decided not to stay at the hospital and come home.

Yesterday it was determined that Brayden does have Phnemonia. He will be treated for this through his IV for a total of 7 days. Being he started the antibiotics while he was still in Prescott we are being told he should beable to come home next tue/wed. His oxygen is improving and we are being told that sometime tommorrow there is a great chance that he will be taken off the oxygen completely. Also starting tommorrow they hope to be able to feed him more then just his comfort foods. By saturday the goal is to have him nursing.

The current plan is Kory and I will be going down sometime tommorrow (friday). We will both probably stay in the valley until sunday. We will spend the day hours at the hospital and then the evenings with Kory's uncle who lives in Mesa. Sunday night we may both come back to Prescott and then Monday morning I will be able to drive myself back to the hospital and have transportaion until Brayden is released.

My mom is staying with us helping out with the big kids. This has been such a blessing allowing Kory and I to be able to go back and forth to be with Brayden. It's a relief knowing that Grandma is home taking care of our other children while we are with Brayden. Thankyou everyone for your prayers for our family, they are being felt.