Brayden's Stay in the NICU

Friday morning I drove myself down to Phoenix to spend the weekend with Brayden. When I arrived I just wanted to cry. His IV in his leg didn't last 12hours and so being he had already had an IV in both hands they put his new one in his head. Being I myself had just had 2 IV's while in Prescott I felt for him. They hurt going in, they hurt when meds are given, they ache continually and I think the worse is when they undo the tape and pull the dang thing out. Throughout friday the oxygen that was given to him was slowly being lowered. By saturday morning he was just receiving air and by noon the tubes were taken out.

I was able to nurse him for the 1st time friday late afternoon. I was once again able to nurse him saturday morning. By saturday evening he was doing well with the nursing that they took his feeding tube out.

On sunday another chest x-ray was taken and showed that his phnemonia was improving and that WE should be able to come home sometime on wed. Feeling disapointed that it wasn't going to be on tuesday like I wanted I came home that evening to spend some time with my other kiddo's, sleep in my own bed and be able to pump in my own house. During the evening when I am not there Brayden is fed through a bottle using the milk I bring to him.

Sunday before leaving the hospital Kory and I were asked to leave his car seat so that a car seat test could be performed in the next day or two. He has to be able to pass this test before he is released. He's strapped into the car seat and then sat on the floor. He's hooked up to more wires that monitors his heart beat and oxygen levels. Being we live where we do instead of the test lasting for 30min. like for those who live near the Valley his test lasts for 1hour and 15min.
When I arrived at the hospital monday morning I was told he had been tested during the night and failed. Talk about FRUSTRATION!! Mid morning the nurse practioner came in to talk to me. She talked about the car seat test and wanted to try it again that afternoon. She said the nurse that did the test during the night started it about 30min. before his next scheduled feeding. He only lasted 40 minutes. This time she wanted the test done right after a feeding. So after his next feeding I strapped him in and the nurse applied all the wires. He lasted an hour in a half and was still doing great. YEAH!!! The nurse said all we're waiting on now is for the last of his meds to be given. Instead of having to wait until wed. we had a good chance that we could come home on tuesday. Yeah! Not wanting my hopes to be dashed again I didn't let myself get too excited.

Late monday afternoon as I was getting ready to head home for hopefully my last night without my baby, Brayden' doctor came in to check on him. His doctor just happened to be the same doctor that was visiting the Prescott hospital right after he was born. She and Brayden's current doctor had many consultation's on what was best for Brayden before he was flown away. After flipping through his chart like a maniac several times she finally stopped on a page and said, "When do you want to go home?" I replied, "since I'm starting to commute every day now I'd love to be able to take him home tommorrow instead of wed." She then replied, "why wait until tommorrow? If you can stick around for his last dose of antibiotics tonight, make him an appt. for tommorrow with his pediatrican I'll start the discharge papers and you can take him home tonight." YIPPEE!!! I stuck around for as long as it took and was able to bring my baby home monday evening. Thankyou Heavenly Father. My mom was the only one who knew about this sudden change. When I got home I unloaded all of my stuff and then the girls came out to the van with me to "help" with what was left. I wish my camera had been working to catch the expressions on the girls faces when they saw Brayden buckled up in his car seat. Maddie went running inside telling Hunter he had to come see what was in the van. Needless to say the kids were thrilled to be able to touch and hold there new brother for the 1st time.

Beisde having a horrible 1st night home I am so grateful that we were able to come home when we did. I feel blessed that being born 3 weeks early he did weigh 8 pounds, phnemonia was the only thing we had to deal with. It was a humbling experience sitting in the NICU over the apst several days talking with a few parents and learning about there story. We were truly blessed with not having to face a possible fatal illness. We knew that sometime "next week" we would be bringing Brayden home. There were several parents there that have had their child there for several weeks and still had several weeks ahead of them. Just going through what we did this past week I will feel so much more sympathetic to those in the future that end up having an experience with a child in the hospital.

When the batteries are charged again I will take some pictures of the newest member of the family without all the bells and whistles he's been attached to for so many days now. Stay tuned...