gRoWiNg

So, this was given to me today. Lincoln has grown a bit since they last took his foot prints. The foot print on the left was from today at 7.5 weeks old. The foot print on the right is from when he was 1 week old. He is now weighing in at 4lbs 3 ozs.

The nurse captured this adorable face while she was doing a photo for identity pictures! She said he wouldn't open his eyes because it was too bright. As soon as she turned the lights out, he opened his eyes but stopped smiling.

......and this is the little treasure I captured as I was leaving. You know, he sleeps the whole time we're snuggling but the moment I put him back he's WIDE awake. I think he's super smart and knows what he is doing. It's hard for me to walk away when he's awake and he knows it, it's part of his game plan!!

And a Merry Christmas it was!!

This is partially where we spent our Christmas Eve. Lincoln got all settled into his new bed at our local hospital(he graduated from the giraffe isolette...not sure what the new one is called)! It was an awesome feeling to be back!







The rest of the night we had a nice Christmas Eve dinner, opened Christmas jammies, watched Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas, put out milk and oreo cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.

It was an awesome Christmas day! The kids started the day opening presents. Then we had a big Christmas breakfast with Grandma & Grandpa Brown, Uncle Shawn & Aunt Chelsea, and Unlce Kevin.

Then off to enjoy a morning snuggle....

A little weigh in first...

1719 grams which translates to 3 lb's 12.5 oz's!!

Then we ended the day with a nice warm bath and some comfy Christmas pj's

Last but not least.....it's always icing on the cake when you have a handsome Daddy!!

Our day ended with a wonderful ham dinner with my parents!

**Thanks to EVERYONE for the warm holiday wishes!!**

Jolly Old Man

We made our annual trip to sit on Santa's lap today. I told the kids to think hard about what they wanted for Christmas and to make sure they let Santa know. Right then they belted out.....Scottie: "I want an I Pod touch!"....... Savana: " I want a pink laptop!".....Luke: "I want cars and trucks!" Well, hopefully they won't be too disappointed when they receive something a little different!

Ever changing!

It seems like as soon as I make a post about Lincoln's condition or situation a big change happens right after! Well......for this time that is GREAT news!!! We got an early Christmas present.....Lincoln is going to be transported back down to our local hospital. I am so giddy I can hardly contain myself! They'll be transporting tomorrow morning, just in time for CHRISTMAS!!!

Super sweet....but a little mischevious!

Would you believe it if I told you Lincoln has really come a long way?? It's been two weeks since his surgery. Originally they were tapping twice a day at 14 ml's per time. They found that was really helping then they decided it was helping a little too much. They ended up tapping twice a day at 7.5 ml's per time. That also seemed to help, but just a tad too much. The next step was to tap only once a day at 14 ml's per time. NOW they're tapping only once every other day 14 ml's per time!! They did a head ultra sound the following Tuesday after his surgery and discovered his ventricles were decreased in size. They just did another head ultrasound on Monday and the ventricles have decreased even more. The nurse practitioner who was in charge of him last night said she could see a vast improvement not only in his ventricles but his physical state as well.



So many things to be grateful for, but I can't help to think how I would love to have him home or even at the hospital here in town. Hopefully we'll get him back to the hospital here sooner than later....that is a work in progress. He is improving so much though....he has had very few apnea spells. I held him yesterday and it was the first time in just about three weeks that all of his vitals were extremely stable the whole time! He's now weighing in at 3 lb's 9 oz's and is 17.25 inches long. The occupational therapist came by to see him yesterday and he was the most awake he had ever been. She assessed his situation and had nothing but GOOD things to say about his current condition. The nurse from the night before last informed us that when they drew blood for a few tests he wailed and wailed. She could hear his crying through his isolette! The loudest cry we've ever heard out of him was when he was first born. Since then we've only heard but a few peeps. Call me a mean mom, but knowing he can cry and did was extremely exhilarating for me!



In other news.....he fits right in with the other kids. He's super sweet, but a little mischevious. The nurses have had to put mittens on his hands because he keeps pulling out his feeding tube and nasal cannula!

Squeaky toy

We had asked the nurses when he was first born if we could bring in our camcorder to film Lincoln. They weren't so sure because of privacy issues for other babies. Well, we decided what would it hurt if our curtain was closed?? As I was holding him yesterday, he kept making these little squeaky noises when we discovered he had the hiccups! We couldn't resist....It had to be filmed! Scott used his phone to capture this precious moment.

Listen closely....it's kind of quiet!

I BeLiEvE

Lincoln had his first encounter with Santa
.....It didn't bother him a bit

I can't quite tell what Santa is getting at here. Scottie automatically assumed Lincoln was on the naughty list because Santa is pointing at him.

I think he's on both the naughty and nice list. He can be a little mischevious. His vitals will go all crazy but the second the nurse comes into adjust him he'll self-correct.

But I also think he MUST be on the nice list because he's the sweetest baby ever!

{Just keep growing}

I'm SO super proud of this boy!!! His reservoir is most definitely helping! He hasn't been swinging as much on his vitals as he had been before. They decided they have been taking off a little too much fluid so now they've come to the conclusion that when they tap they will only take half of what they have been....previously 14 ML's, now 7.5 ML's. They will continue to do this twice a day until they see the need is no longer there then hopefully~eventually they will get down to no tapping!

As for his transfer back down to our local hospital....we're on the edge of our seats to even find out a timeline! Hopefully in the next week we will have some idea.

They did an eye exam to test for retinopathy, which is a common issue with preemie's. He passed his test with flying colors!!

Progress

Lincoln is always surprising us with his progress. He has been improving with each day. The latest thing they have been concerned about was his bowel movements. He didn't have one for almost two days. The worry in this is that the digestive system is not working correctly. If that is something that were to continue, it may require surgery. I had called his day nurse yesterday morning and she informed me "still no stool." I became a little worried. The last thing I wanted was for him to have to require another surgery. By the time we got to the hospital last night...still nothing. It was time for his cares, so as Scott and I jumped in to take his temperature and change his diaper, there was a little surprise in there. It was one little poopy! I had never been so happy over a poopy diaper. The nurse grabbed the measuring tape to measure his belly and right after that he made the cutest little face ever!! He was pushing and out came more poop. They have to measure both the urine and stool output and so she retrieved that diaper to weigh it. Oh no....it doesn't stop there, he kept on going. He did this about four times. It was the highlight, besides holding him of course, of my night :) When we first got there, they were also doing a head ultrasound to examine his ventricles and to see how the reservoir was working. I called his nurse this morning to see how he did through the night..."very very well"...and how his morning was so far. She informed me that "the report was back from the ultrasound and that everything was looking good. His ventricles are looking a little smaller and there is improvement." We are SO happy!!




hope (hōp): Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.

faith (fāth): Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.


*When I contemplate these past five weeks I can't help but think of how MUCH the words faith and hope were a part of our every day lives and still are.


grat·i·tude (grăt'ĭ-tūd', -tyūd'): gratitude is a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive.

praise (prāz): In its common usage, praise is the act of making positive statements about a person, object or idea, either in public or privately.


*I also can't help but to think of how much gratitude and praise our family has paid and still owes to our Heavenly Father.


The Plan of Salvation: The great plan prepared by our Father in Heaven before the creation of the world to enable His children to come to earth, receive mortal bodies, and return to live with Him and their families in the life to come. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is central to the plan of salvation, as it makes possible the overcoming of spiritual death, or sin, and the overcoming of physical death by the power of His resurrection.


*But I know it's all worth it in the end. When I think of The Plan of Salvation, it intricately weaves all of these words and definitions so tightly together that there is no denying of the truthfulness of it.


I am grateful to my Heavenly Father who loves us each SO dearly. He knows each of us individually and is painfully aware of our most trying tests in life. I am forever grateful to our Savior, Jesus Christ, who made it possible....no matter what this earthly life brings.....that we may be a family for Eternity.


I am extremely grateful for Lincoln and his fight. The physical trials he has faced so far have been far more difficult than I can imagine enduring and he has richly blessed our lives.

Surgery Update

Lincoln's doing great! His surgery went VERY well! His vitals were a little crazy last night and have still been crazy-but better today. The nurse practitioner said she is very pleased with his progress. We're letting him recover a bit and hoping we can hold him again soon. We're also hoping we get him back to the hospital closer to home!!

Today's the day

Lincoln's getting his surgery today. He's turning into a little chunk! He has been gaining lots of weight lately, which is just what the surgeons wanted. He is now around 3 lbs 2 ozs. The surgery is supposed to only have a 5% complication rate. We're praying hard that it is a success and that this will be just what he needs to fix his problem long term.

Not so long ago

I REALLY wanted maternity pictures while being pregnant with Lincoln since I wanted the same with Colten and it didn't happen. Well....being put on bed-rest made it merely impossible. Scott and I devised a plan that he would try to help me do my maternity shoot. We never really got around to it. I decided to take this picture about three weeks before I had Lincoln. I'm glad I did. I've been meaning to do a post on it since I took the picture, but it didn't happen...'til now!

and so IT begins

^this one was taken by Scottie :)^

the kids BEGGED us to decorate first thing in the morning

So, we'll let them get away with bed-head this time!

No wonder the poor kid is always trying to cut his hair.....LOL

***MERRY CHRISTMAS***

PURE HEAVEN

First off I must say, you have to listen to this song....it's Lincoln's

We cuddled today so......I was in Heaven

It had been two days since I was able to hold him....

Okay, Mom....that's enough. I need my beauty rest!

Oh..and you should know, he's smaller than he appears.
We're pretty proud though, he's 2 lbs 12.5 oz's

Next Week

They say his surgery is now scheduled for next Thursday. I'm not holding my breath. I don't know whether to be happy or disappointed! Of course I don't want him to have surgery BUT if he needs it, he needs it. I know they're keeping a close eye on him and he's in good hands. So, we'll keep praying that everything goes well. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Maybe (crossing my fingers, toes, arms, and legs) it will heal itself and he won't end up needing it.... I don't know. If there were ever a time I had a DEEP desire to fast for something, now would be the time. I'm trying to keep up my milk supply so it wouldn't be a good idea. PLEASE think of Lincoln and include him in your fast this Fast Sunday!!!!

hmmm...

.....ok, it's Thursday now... and still no word from the neurosurgeons! BUT it's only 9 am. Hopefully we'll hear something soon. OR maybe not hearing anything could be a good thing:)

Surgery

So, the verdict has come in. Lincoln will be having the surgery. He is tentatively scheduled for tomorrow. We're waiting to hear from the surgeons to find out the exact time. They are doing a head scan today and will determine if it will be for sure tomorrow. If it doesn't happen tomorrow it will most likely happen on Saturday. We'll make sure to let everyone know when we find out!!

..onto a new journey..

Well, Lincoln went for his very first ride yesterday. He was transferred up to Primary Children's Hospital via an ambulance. The doctors have been watching him closely because of a suspicion of hydrochephalus. This probably was caused from his brain bleed at birth. What's happening is the blood clot is blocking the ventricle not allowing the fluid to flow freely. A good majority of preemies with brain bleeds have this and most often than not it ends up taking care of itself. Lincoln's was quite stable, but then when they measured his head, there was a growth of almost 2cm in two days. The doctors have sent multiple scans up to Primary Children's to determine whether or not he would have to have surgery. UVRMC does not have neurosurgeons, hence the need for a relocation. The surgeons up at PC's wanted to monitor him a little closer to determine if he would in fact be needing the surgery. We have no idea how long he could be up there, it could be days...it could be weeks. Then if they decide to go ahead with the procedure they will keep him until they decide he is stable enough to come back down to Provo.
We will be very busy commuting to SL daily and staying up there for a few hours to visit with him. Scott met with one of the neurosurgeons yesterday after having Lincoln transferred. By looking at him physically, measuring his head, and looking at a growth chart, they determined he may not have to have the surgery. They will be doing their own head scans today to take a closer look though. HOPEFULLY it will take care of itself and he doesn't have to endure surgery. The good news though, is that he is stable enough to have it done if needs be.

Here he is all bundled up, wide-eyed and bushy tailed strapped up on his stretcher.

I joked that this will probably be the most expensive car ride he'll have .

Funny story....We followed the ambulance in our own vehicle on the way up to SL. We had seen a few puffs of black smoke from the truck and didn't think twice about it. We were about a mile away from the exit when suddenly the ambulance pulled onto the shoulder of the freeway. My heart started thumping and just about jumped out of my chest. We were debating back and forth as to why they would have pulled over. We figured if it were the baby they would have flashed their lights on and taken off faster. We remembered the smoke from the truck and though it must be that. The nurse in the ambulance called me on my cell and informed me the truck had broke down and another ambulance was on the way. She also told me not to worry about my baby, he was fine. Not five minutes had passed and the other truck pulled up. They took Lincoln's stretcher out and put it in the other ambulance then we were off! You know the saying...'If I didn't have bad luck then I'd have no luck at all'...? That would have to be mine and Scott's motto for this last year. We can laugh at the truck breaking down though....now if he were critical, that would be a different story. ;)

...sigh...

I'm so excited!!! I know I shouldn't get ahead of myself, but it's too tempting! Lincoln is on his third day with no ventilators. He is breathing well on his own with a little assistance from the high flow nasal canulla!
You can actually see his face :) Now all we need to aim for is a little meat on his bones. This should be possible since how they're increasing his feedings everyday...knock on wood....and unless anything goes wrong he should be up to full feedings by the 29th.

I could just eat him up!!

Kanga and Roo

Well, he got just plain exhausted!! He tried the CPAP for almost a good 24 hours, but didn't last any longer. They felt his carbon dioxide off-put and oxygen in-take levels weren't where they needed to be. At this time they felt it in the best interest to put Lincoln back on the VIP ventilator. I'm okay with that. I feel like they need to do whatever is BEST for Lincoln. Their strategy is to make sure he makes progress, but to be safe while doing it. Their plan of action is to try it again in a few days.
NOW on to better news:

I FINALLY got to hold my baby boy!!! This is what they call the Kangaroo hold. It is so very important for these little fragile preemies to feel the skin to skin contact with their Mommy. Touch...and a positive touch.... helps him to remember me. Holding him helps him to hear my heartbeat as he once did while in my womb. They say, especially once you start feeding them their mommy's milk, they will recognize their mommy's smell. I've chosen one place I touch him every time I go in and that gives him another chance to recognize me, I hold his hand. My voice is something that is familiar to him and I make sure he hears it when I go in twice a day. When I was pregnant with him, I often sang the same song while in the shower. I make sure to sing or hum that song to him while I visit.

LOOK AT ALL HIS HAIR!!

Magical

With all the crazy events that have taken place over these last two weeks, I haven't got around to posting the wonderful 8th birthday party that Scottie had on the 7th of November.

Scottie's Uncle Shawn has always had a love for magic. We came up with a great idea to have a magic show party for Scottie's 8th birthday. Of course, that automatically meant Uncle Shawn would have to be our magician. He was AWESOME!! Thanks Shawn!
The kids LOVED it. One of my nephews even said, "This is the best birthday party ever! Can I have my birthday at Aunt Megan's house?"

Happy Birthday Scottie.....we love you!!

had to make capes for our magician's in training

can't have capes without wands....

good eatin'

good company

and last but not least...good entertainment