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.

Brayden Hancock Heaton

Monday April 27, 2009 I woke up about 6 am having contractions. I had a dr's appt. that morning at 9:15 and was anxious to see if my body was doing anything. I was still having contractions but they weren't very consistent. When my dr. checked me I was dialated to a 3-4. Being I was at a 2 for 3 weeks now I was quite pleased. I was told if I could get my contractions at a steady pace and not stop I could go ahead on in to the hospital. At 2pm I called Kory and asked him to come home and get ready to go. By the time we got the kids settled at a friends house and made it to the hospital it was about 3pm.

I was immediately taken back to a triage room where I was hooked up to monitors. This triage room determines whether I would be sent to Labor and Delivery or sent home. The monitors showed that my contractions were every 5 minutes and I was still only dialated to a 3-4. I let the nurse know that at home walking around the contractions would be 2-3 minutes, just sitting doing nothing the contractions would stay about 5 minutes. She was about to let me out of bed to walk around when for some reason there was a shift change. The new nurse came in as I was getting out of bed. When she heard I was 37weeks to the day she said "absolutely not, your still too early I want you laying here doing nothing to see if we can get the contractions to stop!". So for the next hour I layed in the triage room not able to do a thing. My contractions were still about every 5 minutes. However after laying there for an hour when checked I was now dialated to a 5. The nurse went ahead and sent us to Labor and Delivery. The anesthesiologist was soon called and I soon received the epidural. By 6pm I wasn't feeling anything and I was dialated to an 8. My doctor was called, when she got there my water was broken and then we played the waiting game. Brayden Hancock Heaton decided to make his entrance at 8:21pm.
He weighed 8 lbs. even and was 20.5 inches long. Not to bad for a baby born 3 weeks early. Kory cut the unbilical cord and I was able to hold Brayden for the 1st time. Being it was much later then expected Kory took off to pick up the kids and get them home and into bed. His plan was to bring the kids back up early the next morning. Brayden of course was soon taken from my chest to be wiped down and measured and all the other things they do to a new born. When he was taken from me he soon started to cry and didn't stop. After just a few minutes of crying Brayden began grunting and heavily breathing. He was taken to the nursery to be monitored a little closer. It wasn't very long after he had been taken to the nursery that a pediatrician was called. Brayden was soon put on oxygen and hooked up to several machines monitoring things I had no idea they monitored.

After several hours of different tests and x-rays it was discovered that Brayden had very wet lungs. More tests were ordered but we wouldn't know anything definite for several more hours. As a per caution knowing that phnemonia was a possibility he was started on some antibiotics through an IV.

Tuesday mid morning he had another chest x-ray done which showed no improvement. A neonatal doctor from Phoenix just happened to stop by. After Brayden's pediatricain consulted with this specialist it was decided the best thing for Brayden was to be taken to a NICU down in Phoenix. By 3 pm the paperwork was started for me to be discharged and Brayden to be taken to Phoenix in a bright yellow helicopter. Kory waited for my mom to get here from Utah and brought her and the kids up to see there new baby brother. Unfortunately the kids had to stay behind the glass to see him. Kory was able to hold him for the 1st time and give Brayden a blessing before he was taken to Phoenix. It was a hard day for me. Brayden was hooked up to so many machines that he had to stay in the nursery. I spent most of my time sitting in a rocking chair next to him. He was struggling with his breathing so much that I was told not to try nursing him. He was getting nutrition from his IV. Holding him seemed to put him in more distress so I was asked not to hold him either. I was able to sit by his bed and rub my finger along his arm or touch his head.

The helicopter finally made its appearance at 7:30 pm. The kids were able to see Brayden again on the way out of the hospital. We all sat in the van and watched as our newest addition to the family was flown to Phoenix. Due to the time I decided to go home and follow Brayden the next morning.

Pregnancy Update!

I keep getting asked how my pregnancy is going so I figured I might as well blog about it. As most of you are aware Hunter joined our family when I was 34 weeks along. My water broke early that morning and there was nothing that could be done but allow him to come and pray that his lungs were developed and he'd be healthy. Our prayers were answered. We stayed an extra 12 hours at the hospital than normal but we were able to come home together. Today there are no signs (despite being a little shorter then everyone else his age) that he came 6 weeks early. Kory and I moved to Prescott Valley in the middle of Hunter's pregnancy. For some reason at my last appt. with my Utah doctor we were discussing some of the causes for early child birth. She believed that some women's bodies couldn't handle the extra testosterone coming from the baby boys. So after I had Hunter I mentioned this to my current doctor and she rolled her eyes and laughed. So I was left not knowing what to think.

With both the girls pregnancy's I delivered in my 39th week. Knowing we are now having a boy I couldn't help but think about what my Utah doctor said about the extra testosterone. Last monday I was officially 34 weeks along and just happened to have a doctors appt that day. I mentioned that I had been having quite a few contractions during the past 2 weeks. Being I was scheduled for the Strep B test and had nothing on waist down she went ahead and checked me. To both of our surprise I was dialated to a 2. I was told to take it very easy for the next 7 days. Prescott is not equiped for a premature birth. If I were to go into labor that week I would be flown to Phoenix. I took the doctors advice to heart and have kept it easy going. I am now in my 35 week as of this past monday. I hope to wait it out at least another week. I'd like to be in my 36th week if we're going to have another early baby just for peace of mind. I continue to have contractions regardless of what I do. Early this morning in a little over an hour I had 9 consecutive contractions that took my breath away. They were hard, fast and they just hurt. I have forgotten how bad those suckers can hurt and how long they can last. The past few weeks the contractions were more just those annoying ones but these ones were different. I drank a few glasses of juice and sat down. Slowly but surely they eased up. I've continued to have them all day but now there every couple of hours, some are intense and some aren't. My next appt. is monday morning. It will be interesting to see where we're at.

With Maddie I went to the hospital 3x and got sent home. I was having intense contractions that were less then 5 min. apart so I went to the hopital. By the time I got there and was hooked up to the monitors the contractions were getting less and less intense and weren't doing anything so after a few hours they sent me home. I found this to be quite embarassing. I've always said I 'm not going to go through that again. So my plan is not to go in until I know that this little boy is coming and the hospital won't try to stop my labor. That's why I figure if I can wait until after this coming monday (36th week) we should be good to go. I am hoping that if this happens when the Doctor is called knowing I've been dialated to a 2 for at least 2 weeks by then and hopefully be at a 3/4 when I get to the hospital they won't try to stop my labor. So now coming up with my plan watch him wait and follow after the girls. I guess time will tell!

Mesa Easter Pageant

After dying the easter eggs on friday we loaded everyone up and headed down to Mesa. There we met Kory's cousin Saul and his family. They brought dinner for us and we all ate on blankets on the temple grounds waiting for the Easter Pageant to begin. This was our first year we attended the event. Before the show begins the characters/actors walk around and visit with the audience. Thanks to Tonya she was able to gather 8 of the 11 kids around the Roman Soldier for a group shot. We had a Johnson Family Reunion Saturday at a park where the kids had a blast. We had an easter egg hunt, games, canoeing, auction and lots of food to go around. We all had a great time visiting with extended family that we don't get to see often enough. I was dissapointed to discover my camera didn't make it for this trip so no picts of all the fun.

Cousin's and Easter Eggs

Late last thursday night Kory's sister Harmony and her family came for the weekend. Friday when Hunter got home from school we had the eggs ready for the 6 older kids to dye. This is Esther who is 6 months older then Hunter.

Maddie is about 6 months older then Ruth. Rachel is 2 days older then Emily. The kids had fun playing with cousins there ages.

Everyone looks so serious dying there eggs. I couldn't get anyone to look at me for a picture.

They all had fun together and now I'm left with 3 dozen boiled eggs.

Hunter's officially "6"

Hunter was so excited to turn "6". He woke up to his favorite breakfast. Pancakes!! Being he had a birthday cake at his Wii party and none of us care for cake we put his candles in his breakfast.

After an early breakfast and before dad went to work Hunter was able to open his birthday gifts.

He was such a good sport allowing his sisters to help him.

He's been wanting a Wii shirt for quite some time now. A few days before his birthday I found this Super Mario Galaxy t-shirt at Wal Mart on clearance for $3.00. I couldn't resist.

All year long Hunter has been contemplating what treat to take to school on his birthday. We finally decided on homemade carmel popcorn balls. He was so excited when he came home from school telling me what a hit they were. They had watched a movie that day and ate his popcorn balls at the same time. He thought that was the coolest thing. Happy Birthday my big man!

Hunter's 6th Birthday Party

Hunter will be turning "6" next thursday. However that night I happen to have Enrichment that I am in charge of and Kory's sister and her family is coming to our house for the weekend that night. Hunter has been invited to a few WII party's and that is what he asked to do for this party. Being this coming weekend is going to be crazy we had his party last night. Hunter did his own invitations It says, "Come join Mii and my Wii". Being we have a total of 4 wii remotes he invited 3 friends to his party.

He was in heaven being able to play the wii for 2 hours with his most treasured friends.

For dinner we served pizza, chips and soda.

Hunter wanted me to make him King Boo as his cake. However in the end he decided he wanted to help. He wanted to decorate the crown and he didn't want King Boo to have a mouth so this was the finished product. I don't like that my kids are getting opinionated. I'm trying to let some of my control issues go and let my kids help. Especially with things that I am doing for them. After all it's his birthday cake. Right??? So I put his 6 candles in as his mouth so King Boo doesn't look to silly.

It's cute to see all the kids crowd around when it's time to open presents. And the opinions they share while each gift is ogled over.

The cake and ice cream was a sucess!

Thankyou for those who came and made his party a sucess. This "Wii Party" was definetely the most easiest party we've done. Even though we had 6 kids total, with 4 being 6/7 yr. boys it was a pretty relaxed/quiet party.

A futute Beautician?

The other morning Maddie asked if she could paint her nails. I had just gotten out of the shower, we had an appt. that morning and I still needed to blow dry my hair. I told her she could get everything ready on the table and as soon as I was done I'd help her before we had to leave. I came out to this. Apparently Hunter felt he was old enough to be the supervisor. Not only did he help Maddie but he also painted Emily's fingernails and toenails while I was getting ready. He did a pretty good job. There were no spills, no polish on the floor or table. What mess there was, was kept on the paper towel. Emily *REFUSED* to let me take a pict. of the finished produst so this is all I've got. Unfortunately they were pretty much done when I came out.