Showing posts with label Preemie Austin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Preemie Austin. Show all posts
Friday, December 25, 2009
Comparison- 34 weeks gestation v. 5 weeks old
These are all pictures of Austin when he was five weeks old. He would have been 34 weeks gestation if he hadn't been delivered prematurely. I am 34 weeks pregnant with David right now, so it is interesting to think that the baby growing inside of me is likely at least this size.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
29 weeks
I can't help but remember what was going on at this point in my pregnancy with Austin. For those who are interested, I will give a little history. Conveniently, the days of the week coincide exactly with this pregnancy's dates, so I will give you a rundown of the events that led up to Austin being born at 29 weeks, 2 days gestation (which would coincide with this coming Saturday).
Monday 9/18/06: Routine doctor's appointment- My blood pressure was a little up, and I was having contractions pretty frequently. I was set up with an appointment for the next week. I stayed home from work that day and was terribly sick all night long.
Tuesday 9/19/06: I went in early that morning to visit the lab and asked if I could see a doctor since I was feeling very ill. At this point, my blood pressure was 150/100. The doctor surprised me with the information that I was developing preeclampsia and had two possible outcomes: #1 I would be monitored for a little while in the hospital, go home and spend the remainder of my pregnancy on bedrest, or #2 I would have to deliver this baby prematurely. As you can imagine, I was in total shock. I was dressed in office attire and planning on going to work after my short visit to the doctor's office. Instead, I was taken down to the labor and delivery unit where the real drama began.
Not only was I dealing with high blood pressure, I was also having pretty frequent contractions. This was of concern to the nurses who were hooking me up to monitors regularly throughout the day. That evening, my contractions were about 3 minutes apart, so they gave me several doses of a potent drug called terbutaline, which is designed to stop contractions. This drug had the terrible side effect of making my heart feel like it was going to race out of my chest. Little did we know that it was doing far more damage to my body than good.
Wednesday 9/20/06: My mom came up to be with me in the hospital since Joseph had to work at night. I don't remember anything about the events of that day. I think they told me I would probably go home within a few days and be on bedrest. However, that all changed in the middle of the night when it became obvious that something was not right. I had been having a strange feeling in my chest all day, but the nurses never could detect anything wrong with me. Finally, late in the night, I was feeling really out of breath and terrible, and one of the nurses checked my blood oxygen levels, which apparently were dangerously low. Thus began the scariest night of my life. I was rushed around the dark and quiet hospital on a stretcher in the middle of the night for various diagnostic testing to see what was wrong with me. They had an oxygen mask on me, and I seriously thought that there was a possibility that I and my baby were dying. God was gracious to me, though. He comforted me with the words of a hymn we had been singing at church. I believe it was A Mighty Fortress is Our God. I know I sang what I could remember of the hymn, though I'm not sure if it was audibly with my lips or quietly in my heart.
Thursday 9/21/09: I was very sick all through Wednesday night and Thursday. The doctors decided that I had developed pulmonary edema, basically fluid in the lungs. This caused my oxygen level to drop, which obviously had a negative effect on both my body and the baby's. I continued to need oxygen, and my blood pressure continued to rise, although nobody really told me how high it got. I was also on a diuretic medicine to get rid of all the extra fluid in my body and in my lungs. The pulmonary edema could have been caused by the severity of my preeclampsia or as a side effect of the medicine they had given me to stop contractions the night before.
Friday 9/22/09: I don't remember anything about this day except that Joseph's parents came into town to see me in the hospital. They brought a ton of baby shower gifts that had been given to us by a Sunday school class at their church. I remember that it was fun to open the gifts even though I was stuck in the bed. I think it was probably on this day that they told us our baby would need to be delivered soon- probably within the week, maybe a little longer. We talked with a neonatologist, who gave us the statistics for a 29 week preemie. He had a great chance of survival and only about a 10% chance of a serious problem like a brain bleed. He said that once you get to 28 weeks, the baby usually does pretty well.
Saturday 9/23/09 Austin's Birthday: I was actually feeling pretty good on this morning. I was able to get out of bed for the first time, and I remember eating a good breakfast of milk, eggs, etc. (You know, all the food you shouldn't eat before having surgery.) My labwork was looking pretty grim, however, so the doctor said they would be doing my labs every 12 hours or so and if they got bad enough, they would need to deliver the baby. Immediately after the doctor left, the nurse charged into the room in a frenzy, put me on oxygen and said that somebody needed to contact the baby's father because they were rushing me to the operating room. Austin was going into distress and needed to be delivered by emergency c-section immediately! Joseph was actually at home sleeping since it appeared that I was doing better earlier that morning. Somehow he managed to shower, get gas in the truck and race over to the hospital (through a flood at that) and make it in time for the surgery. I think it was like one of those scenes from a movie where they are scrubbing the dad up as he runs down the hallway to the delivery room. If he had been a few more minutes, my mom would have been in there for the delivery. I am so glad Joseph made it, though. Austin was delivered by c-section and rushed up to the NICU only moments after they allowed me a very quick glance at my new baby. For the next 24 hours or so, I was restricted to my bed again since there is a risk of seizures if preeclampsia gets too advanced. The only thing I can remember about the rest of that day is that God comforted me through some scripture verses I had recently memorized. I remember reciting them to my mom immediately after the surgery when they brought me back to my room, and I asked her to read scripture to me. Looking back, it is encouraging to remember God's graciousness to me.
The Next 2 1/2 Months: Austin had been born at 29 weeks gestation weighing 2 lbs, 8 ounces and was 14 inches long. He stayed in the NICU for a total of 72 days and he needed oxygen for about a month after he came home from the hospital. We spent many long days at the hospital visiting and caring for our fragile little son, but God was faithful to us during that trial. Austin is now 3 years old and has been relatively healthy for a preemie. He hasn't had any serious developmental problems and the spinal surgery that he faces next week is completely unrelated to his being premature.
Pregnancy #2 with baby David Noah: The doctors told us there was a risk of me developing preeclampsia with subsequent pregnancies but that there were measures they could take to reduce that risk in my case. As such, I have been on a baby aspirin and extra folic acid and have had more frequent appointments and ultrasounds than is typically routine. I am happy to say that I have made it to the point where Austin was born and am now entering uncharted territory. Every week that David Noah stays inside of me is vitally important. If Austin had been born even a week later, his stay in the hospital could have been half as long. If he had been born a month later, he would have been home in just a few short weeks. 35 week preemies sometimes even go home from the hospital when their mothers are discharged a few days after delivery. We are very encouraged with this pregnancy and are trusting that God is sovereign over the course of events that will lead up to the birth of David Noah, hopefully a scheduled c-section the end of January. Whatever happens, God is in control of the events of our lives and our hope is in Him.
Monday 9/18/06: Routine doctor's appointment- My blood pressure was a little up, and I was having contractions pretty frequently. I was set up with an appointment for the next week. I stayed home from work that day and was terribly sick all night long.
Tuesday 9/19/06: I went in early that morning to visit the lab and asked if I could see a doctor since I was feeling very ill. At this point, my blood pressure was 150/100. The doctor surprised me with the information that I was developing preeclampsia and had two possible outcomes: #1 I would be monitored for a little while in the hospital, go home and spend the remainder of my pregnancy on bedrest, or #2 I would have to deliver this baby prematurely. As you can imagine, I was in total shock. I was dressed in office attire and planning on going to work after my short visit to the doctor's office. Instead, I was taken down to the labor and delivery unit where the real drama began.
Not only was I dealing with high blood pressure, I was also having pretty frequent contractions. This was of concern to the nurses who were hooking me up to monitors regularly throughout the day. That evening, my contractions were about 3 minutes apart, so they gave me several doses of a potent drug called terbutaline, which is designed to stop contractions. This drug had the terrible side effect of making my heart feel like it was going to race out of my chest. Little did we know that it was doing far more damage to my body than good.
Wednesday 9/20/06: My mom came up to be with me in the hospital since Joseph had to work at night. I don't remember anything about the events of that day. I think they told me I would probably go home within a few days and be on bedrest. However, that all changed in the middle of the night when it became obvious that something was not right. I had been having a strange feeling in my chest all day, but the nurses never could detect anything wrong with me. Finally, late in the night, I was feeling really out of breath and terrible, and one of the nurses checked my blood oxygen levels, which apparently were dangerously low. Thus began the scariest night of my life. I was rushed around the dark and quiet hospital on a stretcher in the middle of the night for various diagnostic testing to see what was wrong with me. They had an oxygen mask on me, and I seriously thought that there was a possibility that I and my baby were dying. God was gracious to me, though. He comforted me with the words of a hymn we had been singing at church. I believe it was A Mighty Fortress is Our God. I know I sang what I could remember of the hymn, though I'm not sure if it was audibly with my lips or quietly in my heart.
Thursday 9/21/09: I was very sick all through Wednesday night and Thursday. The doctors decided that I had developed pulmonary edema, basically fluid in the lungs. This caused my oxygen level to drop, which obviously had a negative effect on both my body and the baby's. I continued to need oxygen, and my blood pressure continued to rise, although nobody really told me how high it got. I was also on a diuretic medicine to get rid of all the extra fluid in my body and in my lungs. The pulmonary edema could have been caused by the severity of my preeclampsia or as a side effect of the medicine they had given me to stop contractions the night before.
Friday 9/22/09: I don't remember anything about this day except that Joseph's parents came into town to see me in the hospital. They brought a ton of baby shower gifts that had been given to us by a Sunday school class at their church. I remember that it was fun to open the gifts even though I was stuck in the bed. I think it was probably on this day that they told us our baby would need to be delivered soon- probably within the week, maybe a little longer. We talked with a neonatologist, who gave us the statistics for a 29 week preemie. He had a great chance of survival and only about a 10% chance of a serious problem like a brain bleed. He said that once you get to 28 weeks, the baby usually does pretty well.
Saturday 9/23/09 Austin's Birthday: I was actually feeling pretty good on this morning. I was able to get out of bed for the first time, and I remember eating a good breakfast of milk, eggs, etc. (You know, all the food you shouldn't eat before having surgery.) My labwork was looking pretty grim, however, so the doctor said they would be doing my labs every 12 hours or so and if they got bad enough, they would need to deliver the baby. Immediately after the doctor left, the nurse charged into the room in a frenzy, put me on oxygen and said that somebody needed to contact the baby's father because they were rushing me to the operating room. Austin was going into distress and needed to be delivered by emergency c-section immediately! Joseph was actually at home sleeping since it appeared that I was doing better earlier that morning. Somehow he managed to shower, get gas in the truck and race over to the hospital (through a flood at that) and make it in time for the surgery. I think it was like one of those scenes from a movie where they are scrubbing the dad up as he runs down the hallway to the delivery room. If he had been a few more minutes, my mom would have been in there for the delivery. I am so glad Joseph made it, though. Austin was delivered by c-section and rushed up to the NICU only moments after they allowed me a very quick glance at my new baby. For the next 24 hours or so, I was restricted to my bed again since there is a risk of seizures if preeclampsia gets too advanced. The only thing I can remember about the rest of that day is that God comforted me through some scripture verses I had recently memorized. I remember reciting them to my mom immediately after the surgery when they brought me back to my room, and I asked her to read scripture to me. Looking back, it is encouraging to remember God's graciousness to me.
The Next 2 1/2 Months: Austin had been born at 29 weeks gestation weighing 2 lbs, 8 ounces and was 14 inches long. He stayed in the NICU for a total of 72 days and he needed oxygen for about a month after he came home from the hospital. We spent many long days at the hospital visiting and caring for our fragile little son, but God was faithful to us during that trial. Austin is now 3 years old and has been relatively healthy for a preemie. He hasn't had any serious developmental problems and the spinal surgery that he faces next week is completely unrelated to his being premature.
Pregnancy #2 with baby David Noah: The doctors told us there was a risk of me developing preeclampsia with subsequent pregnancies but that there were measures they could take to reduce that risk in my case. As such, I have been on a baby aspirin and extra folic acid and have had more frequent appointments and ultrasounds than is typically routine. I am happy to say that I have made it to the point where Austin was born and am now entering uncharted territory. Every week that David Noah stays inside of me is vitally important. If Austin had been born even a week later, his stay in the hospital could have been half as long. If he had been born a month later, he would have been home in just a few short weeks. 35 week preemies sometimes even go home from the hospital when their mothers are discharged a few days after delivery. We are very encouraged with this pregnancy and are trusting that God is sovereign over the course of events that will lead up to the birth of David Noah, hopefully a scheduled c-section the end of January. Whatever happens, God is in control of the events of our lives and our hope is in Him.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Our Little Peanut
For those of you who didn't know, Austin was delivered extremely premature at 29 weeks gestation due to the dangerous effects of preeclampsia. He came home from the NICU just a few days before his due date, 72 days after his birth. Here is a little slide show of pictures from the hospital.
While those days were some of the hardest times of my life, God was sovereign. In his tender mercy, he has allowed Austin to develop into the healthy two year old that he is today.
While those days were some of the hardest times of my life, God was sovereign. In his tender mercy, he has allowed Austin to develop into the healthy two year old that he is today.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Two years ago today...
...we brought our 10 week old baby home from the hospital.
Austin was delivered at 29 weeks gestation (11 weeks preterm) and spent 72 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before we were able to take him home with us. Our "newborn" experience was a little different from that of most first time parents. Here are a few things I remember from that time:
It took many long weeks before Austin would sleep at night (I mean for even part of the night.) In the NICU, day and night were basically the same routine for him. He was a particularly demanding little preemie, and I think the nurses gave him special cuddle time at night. I'm thankful that he was well cared for in the hospital, but it took quite some time for him to acclimate to a normal nighttime schedule once we brought him home.
We had a noisy oxygen machine in our living room with a really long oxygen hose that reached all over the apartment. Austin had to use the oxygen 24/7 for about a month after he came home. He also had a monitor that he had to wear under his clothes to make sure he didn't have any heartrate/breathing issues. He also had a strict medicine schedule. He took vitamins, two medicines for acid reflux and a diuretic to keep him from retaining fluids. We also had to mix formula with his breast milk so he would get more calories per ounce of liquid.
We quarantined ourselves in our home so that Austin wouldn't get sick that winter. RSV was a particularly dangerous threat. We are thankful that he never got so much as a sniffle until he was much older and able to handle the sickness.
My Mom helped us hang some modest Christmas decorations around the apartment. We didn't get out our tree that year, but we had some lights and greenery around the windows. Christmas 2006 was a very simple one. The Beckman family came up and spent the day with us, and we rejoiced that our baby Austin was home. He even went without his oxygen for part of the day.
Austin was 3 months old for Christmas that year, but he was the size of a newborn, around 7 pounds.
Austin was born September 23rd and he wasn't due until December 7th. I never imagined that I would have a preemie. I always thought that prematurity was caused by something the mother did wrong. I have learned otherwise. By God's grace, He sustained us through the trial of prematurity. Looking back now, I see how blessed we are to have a healthy, energetic two year old. The Lord was gracious in allowing Austin to develop normally according to his "corrected age" (using his due date instead of his birthdate). He is a completely normal child now and seems to have "caught up" with the other kids his age. Not all preemies are so fortunate.
I am thankful to God that He has given us strength to persevere through the hardest time of our lives. I know that it was by God's grace alone that we were able to endure this trial. We are on the other side of it now and can see the big picture more clearly. My faith has been tried and has proven weak at times, but God has sustained me. Because of our short season of suffering, we are better able to sympathize with others who are enduring similar trials.
I will leave you with this verse of scripture from James chapter one.
Austin was delivered at 29 weeks gestation (11 weeks preterm) and spent 72 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before we were able to take him home with us. Our "newborn" experience was a little different from that of most first time parents. Here are a few things I remember from that time:
It took many long weeks before Austin would sleep at night (I mean for even part of the night.) In the NICU, day and night were basically the same routine for him. He was a particularly demanding little preemie, and I think the nurses gave him special cuddle time at night. I'm thankful that he was well cared for in the hospital, but it took quite some time for him to acclimate to a normal nighttime schedule once we brought him home.
We had a noisy oxygen machine in our living room with a really long oxygen hose that reached all over the apartment. Austin had to use the oxygen 24/7 for about a month after he came home. He also had a monitor that he had to wear under his clothes to make sure he didn't have any heartrate/breathing issues. He also had a strict medicine schedule. He took vitamins, two medicines for acid reflux and a diuretic to keep him from retaining fluids. We also had to mix formula with his breast milk so he would get more calories per ounce of liquid.
We quarantined ourselves in our home so that Austin wouldn't get sick that winter. RSV was a particularly dangerous threat. We are thankful that he never got so much as a sniffle until he was much older and able to handle the sickness.
My Mom helped us hang some modest Christmas decorations around the apartment. We didn't get out our tree that year, but we had some lights and greenery around the windows. Christmas 2006 was a very simple one. The Beckman family came up and spent the day with us, and we rejoiced that our baby Austin was home. He even went without his oxygen for part of the day.
Austin was 3 months old for Christmas that year, but he was the size of a newborn, around 7 pounds.
Austin was born September 23rd and he wasn't due until December 7th. I never imagined that I would have a preemie. I always thought that prematurity was caused by something the mother did wrong. I have learned otherwise. By God's grace, He sustained us through the trial of prematurity. Looking back now, I see how blessed we are to have a healthy, energetic two year old. The Lord was gracious in allowing Austin to develop normally according to his "corrected age" (using his due date instead of his birthdate). He is a completely normal child now and seems to have "caught up" with the other kids his age. Not all preemies are so fortunate.
I am thankful to God that He has given us strength to persevere through the hardest time of our lives. I know that it was by God's grace alone that we were able to endure this trial. We are on the other side of it now and can see the big picture more clearly. My faith has been tried and has proven weak at times, but God has sustained me. Because of our short season of suffering, we are better able to sympathize with others who are enduring similar trials.
I will leave you with this verse of scripture from James chapter one.
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and compete, lacking in nothing.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Newborn and Preemie Versions of Austin
This is a newborn version of Austin. He was actually 4 months here.
Here is Austin as a 5 week old baby in the NICU.
Here is Austin as a 5 week old baby in the NICU.
Another newborn picture at home.
And, another preemie picture.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Preemie v Newborn clothes
I got out some of Austin's old baby clothes yesterday, and I wanted you to see just how small Austin really was when he was born. The outfit on the left is a newborn size for babies 5-8 pounds. The blue one on the right is a preemie outfit for babies up to 5 pounds. Austin was wearing the preemie outfit when he was 5 weeks old. It wasn't until then that he was actually able to wear clothes. To give you an idea of comparison, Austin's arm fit perfectly in the sleeves of the preemie outfit which measure slightly longer than my pointer finger. If you think he was small at 5 weeks old, you should have seen him when he was born. He was less than half that size. It is hard to remember back that far, and he is wrapped up in a blanket in most of the pictures we have. The other pictures we have are of him in the isolette, where there wasn't really a good point of reference. So, for all of you pregnant ladies, Austin wore the blue outfit on the left when he was about 34 weeks gestation. That should give you an idea about how big your little one is at that stage of development. I'll post some actual pictures of Austin in those two outfits later so you can what he looked like in them. 
Friday, October 17, 2008
October in 2006 and 2007
I don't really have any new pictures to post, so I thought I would pull some from the past.
This one was taken October 16, 2006 when Austin was less than a month old. He is not wearing clothes in this picture because he was still in an isolette (incubator) which regulated his body temperature for him. Hence, no need for clothes. He actually started wearing clothes a little bit after this picture was taken when they transferred him to a regular baby bed.A little commentary might be in order for some of you, so I'll explain what all the tubes and things are. He has an oxygen tube and a feeding tube in his nose. He was tube fed at least part of the time until he came home from the hospital. He didn't even start eating by mouth until he was about a month old. At 29 weeks gestation, he just wasn't born with the ability to breathe, suck and swallow all at the same time. He has stickies on his chest to monitor his vital signs, and he has a pulseoximeter on his wrist to monitor his blood oxygen levels. If his oxygen levels dropped, the nurses sometimes had to increase the amount of oxygen they gave him. And finally, he has a hat and a warm blanket on while we were holding him in order to keep his body temperature up. He also had something on his body that measured his temperature, so we knew when he was getting too cold. As I remember, we usually kept him pretty warm when we were holding him. Those were precious moments because we were only able to hold him once or twice a day for a short time (less than an hour or so).
And this is a picture from October, 2007. See how much he grew in a year's time, and he has grown even more this past year as well.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Looking Back Since September 2006
2006
Austin spent 72 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after his birth. He had alot of growing and developing to do since he was born 11 weeks premature weighing only 2 pounds 8 ounces. It was a rough start for Joseph and I as parents, but God gave us grace through it all.
Austin spent 72 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after his birth. He had alot of growing and developing to do since he was born 11 weeks premature weighing only 2 pounds 8 ounces. It was a rough start for Joseph and I as parents, but God gave us grace through it all.
In case you are wondering what the blue thing is on his head, it is a little piece of velcro that they used to hold on a pair of "sunglasses" to protect his eyes from the jaundice lamp that he used to sunbathe under.2007
Austin's 1st Birthday was a time of great celebration. He had begun to crawl and pull up to a stand. We had a party at the seminary with family and a few friends.
2008Austin had a blast on his 2nd birthday. He really enjoyed opening presents and eating his cupcake. His grandparents (Joseph's parents) came up for the day and took him for a birthday lunch to Burger King (chicken nuggets and fries are a favorite meal for Austin). This year, he can run, talk and really interact with others. He is full of energy and excitement. We are so proud of how much he has grown since September 23, 2006!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Prematurity
As most of you all know, Austin was born 11 weeks premature. He spent 72 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit hooked up to oxygen, feeding tubes, and monitors. By God's grace, we were able to bring our little boy home, and he is much recovered.
While Austin was in the hospital, our family was very much impacted by the work of the March of Dimes. They sponsor a walk-a-thon every year to raise money for prematurity prevention and research. Next month, our family is going to participate in this 4 mile walk to show our support for this cause, which is dear to our hearts. Please join us in the walk or pledge your support through our fundraising website www.marchforbabies.org/ourlittlepeanut If you would like to learn more about Austin's NICU journey, check out our old blog at www.shareyourstory.org/ourlittlepeanut
Sincerely,
Emily
While Austin was in the hospital, our family was very much impacted by the work of the March of Dimes. They sponsor a walk-a-thon every year to raise money for prematurity prevention and research. Next month, our family is going to participate in this 4 mile walk to show our support for this cause, which is dear to our hearts. Please join us in the walk or pledge your support through our fundraising website www.marchforbabies.org/ourlittlepeanut If you would like to learn more about Austin's NICU journey, check out our old blog at www.shareyourstory.org/ourlittlepeanut
Sincerely,
Emily
Friday, February 15, 2008
March for Babies
We are gearing up for this year's March for Babies, an event that promotes prematurity awareness and research to prevent prematurity. Last year, we walked in Murfreesboro, TN, but this year we are walking in Lousiville. Check out our fundraising website www.marchforbabies.org/ourlittlepeanut to donate online or to join us in our walk.
Monday, October 8, 2007
One year ago
These pictures were taken about a year apart. Just a little comparison to show how much Austin has grown.
Here is a link to a blog post that I made on Oct. 9, 2006.
http://www.shareyourstory.org/webx?14@723.hEhfal9rXeN@.ef1451e!discloc=.ef14aae
http://www.shareyourstory.org/webx?14@723.hEhfal9rXeN@.ef1451e!discloc=.ef14aae
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
A Little Comparison
Austin at 2 weeks old
Less than 3 pounds
Austin at 8 1/2 monthsAround 18 pounds
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Just Look At Me Now
I thought I would show you two tummy time pictures to compare the Austin of today with the Austin of 7 months ago.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Growth Chart
Here is an up close view of Austin's painting. Isn't it beautiful! I thought it was suppose to be flowers, but Austin told Joseph that it is suppose to be fingers. Funny, isn't it.
I got the growth chart out last night to see where Austin is at compared to other kids his age. Two weeks ago, he was a little more than 16 pounds and was in the 10th percentile. If he has kept growing at the same rate, he will be in the 25th percentile by next week. Isn't that crazy!!
Austin tried squash for the first time yesterday. He likes eating solid food, so we are trying to feed him three solid meals a day.
I've noticed that Austin's hair is getting longer on top. It is probably an inch long in some parts.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
First Blog on our New Website
I decided to start a new blog for all of the Gould family's non-NICU adventures. After all, Austin has been out of the hospital for over 5 months now.
Joseph will be out of school for the summer after he takes his final exam on Tuesday. Whoo hoo! We are looking forward to having some normalcy around here. Austin was pretty high maintenance during Joseph's last break so we didn't really get to enjoy it. This summer is going to be fun. Austin is getting more active every day and will enjoy going for outside adventures.
We just got back from a week long trip to Tennessee to visit both sets of Grandparents and a set of Great-Grandparents. It was a great visit. We participated in the March of Dimes WalkAmerica event to support prematurity research. Just in case you didn't know, Austin was delivered at 29 weeks gestation (due to preeclampsia) and spent 72 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. He came home on oxygen, medicine and an apnea monitor. Thankfully, we have gotten rid of all three NICU reminders and Austin is steadily closing the developmental gap between himself and the other babies his age.
I have attached a recent picture of Austin. He is such a charming little boy.
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