Finding our Faith

Update Days 5 & 6

Aug 7, 2010- Yesterday was a good day, full of great news and controlled emotions!

After a rough night on the 6th I was ready for a good day and no crying. I called the hospital first thing in the morning to check on Carter, the nurse informed me that he was doing great. He had slept all night and been very calm, he normally is a wild man at night so for him to sleep all night was amazing! She told me that they were increasing his feeds and he was up to 5!! He also had pooped a few times and his belly ruben had gone down significantly!!! So much that they had turned the machine down, so instead of being under blue lights, he was under yellow ones!

And the biggest news of all.....He GAINED weight!!!!!

He gained 4oz in 24 hours! He is now up to 1 pound 15 oz!!!

GO CARTER! The poor boy was just hungry.

He is like his mom, give us food and we are happy as can be!

Aug 8, 2010-Today has been another up and down day. We got up this morning and called the hospital to check on Carter, the nurse said he was doing great and sleeping peacefully. He has been pooping up a storm and is now at 6 feeds!! She also said that Dr. Anschutz, Carters NICU Dr., was very pleased with his progress especially for only being 5 days old. He really is a fighter and is strong! They will be doing another ECO (ultrasound on the heart)

tomorrow morning to check on the PDA.

I'll explain, at 3 days old they did the first ECO on his tiny heart, they normally don't do these until babies are about 7 days old but we were reassured that there was no need to worry they just wanted a base line due to how young and little he was. The ECO was done and a very small PDA was found, go to EIRMC to learn more about PDA. We were told not to be alarmed, most preemies have one and they usually go away. They also can be fixed with medication. Anyways, Carter will have another ECO done tomorrow morning to see if the PDA has closed or is closing. We are praying more then ever that it is closed, or closing!

We went to church, well sacrament today and I cried. I was a mess! I cried most of the hour, and it didn't help that I was being impatient to go to the hospital. When we got done with the meeting we headed quickly for the hospital. Carter was sleeping peacefully, he is so cute when he is sleeping-ok he is really cute anytime of the day, even poopy diapers are cute! Mike got to hold him today, as much as I missed not being the one holding him, I was happy for Mike to get to bond with our baby. It also was fun to sit and watch all the little movements and face's Carter makes while being held. Precious moments!! Mike loved holding him and feeling his movements. Day by day we are getting a little more confident and comfortable around him and holding him, I can't wait for the time when we can just pick him up and hold him and move him and not feel like he is going to break, or have to have him handed to us by the nurse.

I really enjoy just going and sitting with him. Even when I can't hold or touch him, there is therapy in just being near him and little by little it is helping me. As I've sat by his 'man cave' the past 5 days I've come to realize just how thankful I am for him and how blessed we are to have him here with us, and how much of a blessing all the little as well as big things he does and progress he is making are. Our nurse today told me an analogy that really struck me,

'Carter is like a wonderful birthday present that we

get a sneak peak at but aren't allowed to have until our birthday.'

it's so true, he is a wonderful present and I won't be able to 'have him' until his original birthday.

Over all, things are going well. Carter is doing wonderful and Mike and I are getting through things day by day. I can say that I don't know how people get through rough times in their lives with out the knowledge of the gospel and the knowledge of faith, families, prayer, and blessings. I know that I couldn't, I would be more of a wreck than I am now-that wouldn't be good for any of us. I know that Carter was meant to be here with us, NOW not waiting till October. He has a reason for being on this earth, and we are slowly finding out what that reason is. He is a precious little boy and I love him more than anything else in life-well other than Mike. We continue to pray for him and hope for all the best in his life and progress to come!

"SOMETIMES IT'S THE SMALLEST THINGS THAT

TAKE UP THE MOST ROOM IN YOUR HEART"