Sunday, November 18, 2012

11 months





 11 months old - it's crazy to say that in a month Jackson will be a year old!  Time is just flying by and our little boy is growing up!  He sets up on his own, and is pulling himself into the crawling position -  He's so close - he'll be moving in no time!  He just cut his first tooth - I think that one tooth was 5 months in the making. =)  He's weighing in around 17.5# and 27.5" tall. 

Thank you for the prayers for my (Annie) mother last month.  We continue to ask for prayers as she is now going through Chemo.  We are praying for healing & peace. 



Monday, October 15, 2012

10 months

 Last month we spoke about how
careful we need to be with Jackson in the coming months.  Little did we know we would be dealing with exactly what we spoke about.  Jackson ended up with Pneumonia  at the end of September.  We only had to stay in Iowa city for one night, and were sent home to get better.  Compared to last time he had Pneumonia, 1 day is fine by us, It's just hard to watch him go through it.  He's strong and healthy now and is growing up so fast!  He's weighing around 16.5#  &  27" tall.  He loves his fruits and veggies and has started to try real food.  I can't help myself when he watches me eat something and just stares at me like "can I have a bite mom?" with the cute eyes and the adorableness... Case and point---------->


We can hardly believe we almost have a year under our belt.  We are still so humbled by all the love and support, and are thankful for each and everyone of you!  A special prayer request for my (Annie's) mom - we are currently waiting to hear results on a few tests they are running in Iowa City.  We are praying for health and healing as well as strength for our family.  Thank you









Wednesday, September 12, 2012

9 Months

Can you believe that it's almost fall!!  August went by in a flash, and I think September is going by even faster.  This month will bring a few more doctor's appointments and a small surgery towards the end of the month.  No worries, it's nothing big  - just something that was going to be done while he was in the NICU, but we ended up having to wait until he was a little older/bigger.  We would still appreciate prayers that everything goes smoothly and he bounces back quickly!

Photo by my lovely friend Cherie at  (Cherie Renee photography)
September will also brings us into the start of the Cold/Flu/RSV season.  As a preemie, Jackson's immune system is not what a full term babies would be at 9 months old.  His Chronic Lung Disease makes getting a small cold or the flu much more dangerous.  As we enter into our first winter at home with Jackson, we are going to work hard to keep him healthy.   So you might ask what that means for our family, and what it may mean for you.
If you see us out or come to visit, don't be offended if:
-we douse ourselves in hand sanitizer, or stick a bottle in your face -  it's not you, we promise.  We practically own stock in the hand sanitizer companies. 
-we ask you to wash your hands and use hand sanitizer before touching Jackson.
-We ask if you or anyone you are around is or has been sick.  If you'd like to visit, we ask you've been symptom free for at least 5 days.
- We keep our visitors to adults, except for the occasional child. Please don't be offended if we ask you to leave your child at home.
So, we thank you in advance for being understanding of our situation - I know it may seem a bit overboard to some, but keeping him out of the hospital is our #1 priority!

Anyway, on to the fun stuff!

Jackson has such a fun personality! He is such a happy boy - He  wants to look at everything (and stick it in his mouth)!  He takes everything in when he's in a new place or meets someone new. Below is his typical pose...
 (Cherie Renee photography)
 He also wants to crawl/move so badly, but doesn't quite have crawling figured out yet.  He's weighing in at 15#14oz and is 25.5" long. He's almost sitting, laughs, talks to us all the time & is working on a few teeth (hello drool!)  He has his mom and dad pretty much wrapped around his little fingers! I mean... look at this smile!

 
 




For more information on RSV and what we are facing with this upcoming season, here is a link that 
http://www.preemiecare.org/rsv_resourceshtm.htm

Monday, August 13, 2012

8 months

They say that time flys by when you have a little one....and wow, it's so true!
Jackson is growing so quickly we are just soaking up every second!  He's weighing in at 14lb 14oz and is around 25" long. 
The biggest news of the month is that he's kicked the oxygen!   Our lives have become much simpler, and less tangled ;)
Jackson has done remarkable with the transition, and he all of a sudden is looking more and more like a little boy!
With out the oxygen tubes we've gotten out a little more,  and have begun showing jackson what the world is like with out being tethered to an oxygen tank.  We got rid of the tubes just in time too!  not long after, Jackson began rolling...and rolling and rolling. Set him down and he'll end up on the other side of the room in no time.  It's also making changing his diaper a bit more like a wrestling match!

We're up to Iowa city once this month for an appointment - So in the relm of Dr. appointments, we've got an easy month ahead of us.  We're praying for a month of health and growth! Thank you all for your contiuned love and support! 







Sunday, July 15, 2012

7 Months!

Another month has gone by and our little guy just keeps getting bigger! At his last weigh in he was 13 lbs 14 oz and 23 1/2" long.

We went up to Iowa city to visit his Neonatologist at the end of June.  We were told that Jackson is developing & growing well - and that they were very happy with how things are going.  We were able to decrease his Oxygen to 1/4 liter - We will head back up to IC at the end of July to re-evaluate his oxygen needs - We are praying for a healthy month with lots of growing as we make our 1st (and hopefully only) attempt at taking Jackson off oxygen.

The month of June otherwise came and went with Jackson showing us a few new tricks he's learned.  He's began to focus on smaller objects, and has begun reaching for them and sometimes will get his hands on it.  He has begun eating rice cereal and just tried his first veggie a few weeks ago.   He can roll over from stomach to back, and can almost get from back to stomach (that pestky shoulder gets in the way).   He's learned to pout (jutted out bottom lip and all) if he wants more attention.  Jackson has also blessed us with full nights of sleep! He began sleeping for 8 or more hours at a time, and it's glorious!  There is so much more about Jackson that we could "gush" about - he is just such a huge blessing in our lives.
Here's a short video of his laugh









Thursday, June 14, 2012

6 months!

Our little guy is growing so fast!  He's already 6 months old nearly 13 lbs and 22" long!  That's a long way from 1 lb 14oz and 13.5" long! 

Back in the beginning of May, Jackson was admitted to Iowa city's PICU for Pneumonia - we were there for 6 days.  He did remarkably well and bounced back quickly.

Other than that, we've been enjoying all the time we've had with Jackson - he's started to giggle recently, and it is by far the cutest thing we've ever heard.  He's continuing to roll over and interacting with us more.  He loves his play yard and will talk with his friends and look in the mirror for quite some time.  He's also become fascinated by a few random objects in our house - a throw pillow, a engagement photo of Ben and I, and a painting on our wall.  One will catch his eye, and he will just stare at it for a good 10 minutes if you let him.  Every once and awhile Ben and I will start talking about our time in the NICU and how crazy it is that we're where we are today - how amazing that he started out so small and now look at him!!   
Below is a sequence of photos that I've been taking every month since he's been home - the change just blows me away!

Here is the Jackson and the same giraffe when he was in the NICU.

We go back to Iowa City at the end of the month for his high-risk follow up - they are the ones that are in charge of his oxygen requirements & assess his development - We are excited to hear what they say about his oxygen!

Thank you all for continuing to love and support our little family!
--The Hellands

ps.  some of you may have received an email about an old post we wrote back in December titled "oh buddy" - not sure what happened, but Jackson and my Dad are both doing great now,  so no worries!!


Tuesday, May 8, 2012

5 Months old!

Over the past few weeks Jackson has had a few Doctors appointments.
At his last eye appointment we received some great news! First a little overview - Jackson developed ROP in both of his eyes back when he was in the NICU.  ROP is an eye disease that affects prematurely born babies - in a nutshell, the blood vessels that develop in the eye become "disorganized" and can cause blindness if it progresses too far.  His eyes progressed stage 2 with pre-plus - this is the farthest the doctors would let the ROP go before they would treat it with laser eye surgery.  Now after months of eye exams his eyes have finally developed into the last zone and his ROP is inactive!  This means his eyes are healing well, and we won't have to go back for another eye exam until the end of May! 

He saw his Neonatolegist team.  They follow Jackson's oxygen needs, growth, and development.
They were all very happy with the way Jackson is progressing!  They did a "room air" trial  to see how is lungs have developed.  He did very well, and his stats never dropped below the recommended threshold.  We were able to lower his oxygen settings, and at our next appointment we may try to take him off oxygen completely - this however is a few months away and will be dependent on how well Jackson grows and his lungs mature. 

Our litte man is growing so fast!  He is currently 11 lb 5 oz and 21" long!  He rolled over the other day, which was very surprising!  We were putting him on the floor for tummy time and he just flipped right over!  We made him do it a few times to make sure it wasn't a fluke.  He won't do it every time, but it's a pretty awesome milestone!  He is 5 months old (actual) and just about 2 months corrected.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Four Months Old

We have a 4 month old (4 weeks corrected)! How crazy is that! Jackson is growing so quickly - he is currently weighing in at 10lb 3oz and is 20" long.

Jackson had an eye and kidney appointment this past week. His eye exam showed "active regression" in both his eyes!! PTL! They have now downgraded his eyes to stage 1. They were previously stage 2. This is wonderful news and we are so happy that his eyes are getting better!
His Kidney appointment was to check numbers to see if his kidney's are filtering out the right amount of fluid, and that his kidney's are filtering correctly. His numbers looked good! They are happy with where they are, and we do not have to go back for a kidney appointment until he is around 6 months corrected (9 months actual)
God is Good!

We want to take a second to send out a big THANK YOU, to so many people. Over the past few months we were blessed by so many of you with prayers, gifts, cards, food, and encouragement. We tried to get thank you cards out, but we know we missed some of you. Please know we are so greatful, and thankful to have you in our lives!

cuddlin with dad!
Hanging out with mom

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

No place like home!

We've been home now for 3 weeks and it's going well! Jackson seems to be adjusting to his new home and having his mom and dad around a lot more!
We've had a lot of appointments since we've been released, but we've gotten some positive results!
We are still on weekly eye checks, but each week we've been seeing small improvements in his ROP. We were told that we must be doing a good job at home with him, as he gained 2 pounds since coming home! He's now weighing in around 9lb 7oz!! We were also able to lower his oxygen settings to a 1/2 liter! One more step checked off our list! We are very excited for the day that he no longer has to have tubes/wires on him!

We hope you all had a great Easter!

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Home at Last

Well we have been home since Monday afternoon and things have been going well. Jackson has handled the transition well. He continues to eat well and enjoys looking around at his new environment. While he is no where near sleeping through the night, he does sleep well at night and we usually only have to wake up a few times.

He did come home on 1 liter of oxygen and an apnea monitor. We're hoping in the near future we'll be able to begin weaning him down on his oxygen and get rid of the monitor. Other than that, he is on no other medications or equipment. As far as a micro-preemie is concerned, that is pretty darn good!

Friday, Jackson went back to Iowa City for another eye exam. The exam went well and the ophthalmologist said his eyes may have even improved a little; from "pre-plus" to "no-plus". This is an important step in his eye development and hopefully it means that he won't need laser eye surgery in the future. His next exam is Wednesday; hopefully his eyes will have continued to improve. Over the next few weeks/months we'll have a lot of appointments up in Iowa city meeting with various different doctors/specialists.

We are so thankful to be home and so grateful for all of you out there who have been following Jackson's story, and who have supported us through this crazy journey that we've been on. We've been so blessed!

Monday, March 19, 2012

No change, But....

Jackson's original due date is coming up this week (3/22). It's hard to wrap our heads around that he technically is not supposed to be here yet. Not many people get to watch their child develop through these stages - it is a amazing and crazy thing. We pray we don't have to go through this again, but we both would not change the course of events. We've been blessed by this little boy, more than we can ever explain.

The last 15 weeks has been one of the hardest things that Ben and I have had to go through - to watch your child have to go through way more than he should have to is hard, but also humbling. God blessed us with amazing doctors and nurses at both Mercy and UIHC. We would not be where we are today without them.

So now the update - Jackson had his routine eye exam Wednesday - his left eye stayed the same, but his right eye got a little worse (they are now the same, pre-plus). They decided to check his eyes again Friday to be sure that they were not getting worse rapidly - Thankfully they stayed the same. Just to be sure, they also checked his eyes today and they have still not changed. Because they haven't changed, the doctors won't change anything between now and his next eye exam a week from now. Because they aren't going to make any changes or do any further tests for a week they said.....



WE CAN GO HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!


This is great news that We have been looking forward to for over 3.5 months. We will still be making weekly trips to Iowa City so they can monitor his eyes, but as long as they don't get worse, we won't have to be admitted again.

We are so happy, thank you to all of our family and friends that have helped us so much since Dec. 7th. Thank you :-)

Monday, March 12, 2012

The list

As we get closer to our original due date - we are checking more things off the list of "goals" that we have to meet before heading home with him. We currently only have one more thing to check off that list!

His eyes. He has had no change in the status of the ROP for about 3 weeks. We are still looking for them to improve. He has a eye check on Wednesday, and that would give us a better idea of when we'll be heading home.
He is currently on 1 liter of nasal cannula oxygen - this is the same type of set up we'll have when he is home.

Please pray for his eyes to be improved as that would mean we would be in the home stretch for bringing Jackson home with us. Until Jackson's eyes improve to a satisfactory level, we are not sure how much longer we will be in Iowa City.

He is currently weighing in at 7lb 3oz!

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Life in the NICU - Bay 5

Yes folks, Jackson is in Bay 5! Bay 5 is the transition bay to going home. We still plan to be here for a few weeks, but we are one step closer to coming home.
We still have to work on feeding by mouth, and his eyes need to begin the process of getting better.

So far, Jackson has done a great job eating! He is steadily taking more bottles/nursing per day.

His eyes are still in a holding pattern - We're talking to the ophthalmologist this week to get a better understanding of what needs to happen in order for us to go home.

Jackson continues to grow (he is around 6lb 5oz) and we continue to look forward to the day he comes home with great expectation. Thank you to everyone who has helped us out on this journey to bring Jackson home. God bless!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Life in the NICU - Rolls

It's official - our son has rolls - yes rolls! He is currently weighing in at 5lb 11oz! We can't believe he's almost at the 6lb mark - it's amazing how far he has come!

This week Jackson has had a few tests - Wednesday he had his eye check up. They found no change in the ROP. No progression is good, but we are looking for and waiting for regression of the ROP. They will continue to monitor him weekly until they see change.
He also had a head ultrasound. Back when Jackson was a few days old, we found out he had a grade 4 brain bleed. When we got to Iowa City, they did a repeat ultrasound, and reclassified it as a grade 3. Now that he is 36 weeks old, they did another ultrasound to look for PVL - a really long medical term that basically means damage to the white matter of the brain. The scan showed regression of the bleed (his body is re-absorbing the clot) that his ventricles were not enlarged, and no PVL. All this is very good news! PTL!!!
Jackson has started the process of learning to take food by mouth. He has gotten to try both nursing and a bottle and has done well at both. He will have to take a couple bottles a day to give him a few extra calories, so he has to learn both nursing and bottle feeding before he can go home.
Jackson's High flow was also reduced to 1.5 liters - we can go home on 1 liter, so we're very close to that mark.

Jackson's big hurdles for the next 4 weeks are his eyes, learning to eat by mouth , and getting his oxygen down to 1 liter or lower. Please pray for all these things as we're getting so close to his due date, and we're so ready to get him home!!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

A week of change

This week has seen a few changes for Jackson. He started the week off by getting his high flow setting reduced from 3-liters to 2-liters. This oxygen level is one of the things that Jackson will have to get reduced before he can be released for home.

Tuesday, Jackson had a VCUG test. This test was to determine if the rupture in his bladder has healed properly. Thankfully, it has! The rupture has healed and he
shouldn't need a catheter in any more. He was also moved into an open crib and passed the crib test (sustaining his body temperature for 1 day) We are loving having him in the crib as we are able to pick him up and hold him whenever we'd like these things are a few positive steps towards coming home! PTL!

Wednesday, Jackson had another eye exam. Previously his eyes had gotten a little worse and if they continued to worsen he could require laser eye surgery relatively soon. The good news is that his eyes didn't get worse this week, but were stable. The doctors said that when a preemie's eyes get this condition, they usually either get better or get worse quickly. Since Jackson's eyes didn't get worse this week, its a good sign that maybe they will get better on their own.

Today (Saturday) Jackson weighed in at 4lb 14oz and around 16" long! He continues to grow and as he gets settled in on 2-liters of oxygen he should be able to start eating by mouth. Once he can take all of his feeds by mouth he should be able to come home!!!

Next week he will be having his 36 week head ultrasound. We re praying that this test will show improvement. He will also have another eye exam - we are hoping for regression of the ROP.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

What a difference a month makes!

A month ago - Jackson weighed 2lbs 4oz today he weighs in at......4lbs 0.2oz!! -- He was on a Ventilator, and as of today, he is on High Flow Oxygen!
He no longer has to have a tube in his little nose, and will just have oxygen delivered through the nasal cannula! We pray that he does well on this, as being on CPap is hard on his little nose, and can be a little uncomfortable for him. Not to mention that we'll be able to hold him more easily!
He also had his 2 month immunizations on Sunday - he was a little trooper, and cried only when they had to poke him.
Jackson had another eye exam on Wednesday - it has shown a little progression in the ROP. We are still not to the point of surgery, but if the ROP continues to progress, he may need eye surgery - so we need prayers for his little eyes.

We have about 6 weeks to go if he comes home around his due date! 6 WEEKS! typing that makes me tear up. Jackson has really done so well for all the stuff he's had to go through. We're so proud of him and so ready for him to be home with us!

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalms 91:4

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Cruise Control

Jackson is 2 months old! Wow! We feel like time has gone so fast, but in the slowest way possible. I know that does not make sense, but it feels like both. Our little man amazes us every time we see him - he's looking much more filled out, and his little personality is just coming through more and more. Both of us have been able to recognize some of this personality traits, and things that he likes and does not like. He LOVES his pacifier! He does NOT like to be woken up (I'm hoping this means he'll be a great sleeper) He is content most of the time, and will occasionally be awake for a period of time and just like to look around - we catch him staring at his tubes every once and a while - It's pretty darn cute because he has to cross his eyes to focus on it. He LOVES to be held by mom and dad...and his mom and dad love to hold him!
Jackson got to experience wearing clothing for the first time! He looks just so darn cute!


Jackson just keeps on growing! He is within an ounce of doubling his birth weight! We are in what the doctors call "cruise control" Not much new happens - he eats, sleeps, and grows and they just let him do his thing.
They have begun to wean him from the CPap - they started him out of a CPap of 10 and is now on a CPap of 8 - once he gets to a 6 or 5, they will put him on High Flow! High flow is much like what adults have when they are put on oxygen. When he gets to this, it will be much easier to hold him and move him around!


Jackson has had a few eye exams over the past few weeks. They have come back with some ROP - which is Retinopathy of prematurity - It has something to do with blood vessels that go to his retina. As of now, he is only in the beginning stages, which most of the time will correct itself after a while. They will continue to monitor the status of his eyes weekly.

Thanks to all of you who continue to read our blog and pray for Jackson - We know we don't know all of you, but we appreciate all of the support!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Grow Baby Grow!

Jackson officially joined the 3 pound club on Wednesday (Jan. 25); today he is 3lb 3oz. Before we know it he'll be a chubby little baby! He is 32 weeks (gestational age) or, 7 weeks old!
Jackson was also moved into an isolete. He started in this style of bed when at Mercy (in Des Moines) but Iowa City they preferred the other style of bed because it allowed for easier access to him. Now that he is getting more and more stable, they want to put him back into the isolate style bed since that will help him grow faster. The next style of bed he will see will be an open crib (and then home)!

We spoke with his doctors and asked a few questions about his status and what to expect in the coming weeks. Here is what they had to say:
He is still on CPAP, and is doing well on that - we hope in the next few weeks, they will try to wean him off of this type of support and move onto the next.
His kidneys & bladder are functioning well at this point - they plan to run a few tests shortly before he goes home - this will hopefully give us a little insight into what has happened and what we might expect in the future.
We asked if he was on track to be able to go home around his due date (march 22nd) and they said that as long as he continues on the path he's on, they see no reason we shouldn’t be bringing our little man home in about 8 weeks! We are so incredibly excited to bring him home and can’t wait for the end of March to arrive!!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Progress

Jackson has continued to grow over the past week - he now weighs in at 2lb 12oz - only 2oz shy of 1lb over his birth weight of 1lb 14oz! Before we know it he'll have doubled his birth weight! That is not the big news of this post though!

Jackson is officially breathing on his own! Tuesday morning the doctors decided that they wanted to extubate him and put him in CPAP. CPAP stands for "Continuous Positive Airway Pressure". He does all the breathing, but this provides him a little extra back pressure to help him inflate his lungs. He has done a great job so far being off of the Ventilator - he really is a strong little boy!

With his breathing tube being removed, we have been able to hear Jackson's "voice". It's so nice to be able to hear him make noises, Our favorite thing is to hear him sneeze!

We continue to be able to hold him for longer periods of time, and more frequently - he really snuggles in when we get to hold him for a long stretch of time. Both of us are looking forward to many many more snuggles when we get home!


So through all this - we have come to rely on a lot of people - our parent's and siblings, extended family, and friends, even strangers...You have freely given us your love, and support with out hesitation - You have prayed for us, you have supported us, and you've given us grace. We've had to drop out on commitments, be away from work and family, and so many of you have stepped in to help, and for that we are so thankful. We won't lie, it's hard to be a preemie parent - It's hard to be away from Jackson when we have to be at work, and it's hard to be away from home when we're with Jackson - but with all your help, you have all made it easier for us.

We can't forget one person who without his help, we'd be more lost than we already are. Jesus - yes, it sounds a little cliche, but without a doubt he is the reason we are in the place we are now - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We have felt great peace (for the most part) over the past 6 weeks. Now don't get us wrong, there have been times where we have been outright angry - At God, at oursleves, and others. So it has not been an easy 6 weeks full of roses and rainbows - but a lot of questions, and fear. We know God has a plan for our family, and we're excited. With a lot of Prayer, and a lot of Trust, we've gotten to a point of peace and excitement for what the future holds.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Philippians 4:4-9
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Time to Grow


Jackson is growing a little each day. The nurses have said that the next phase of his time in the NICU is called the "growing stage". We've been told that the doctors and nurses in Bay 2 are really good at helping babies grow! Jackson is now 2lb 8oz - nearly 1 pound more than his birth weight!!
His kidney's continue to develop - and as of now, the doctors are happy with the way his kidney's are functioning. The rupture in his urinary tract seems to be healing! Once Jackson gets a little bigger they will begin to do some testing, and be able to go in and fix what they believe caused the rupture to happen in the first place.
His lungs have taken a little bit of a step back - They have started him on Hydrocortisone (a steroid) to help his lung development - he will be on this treatment for 7 - 10 days and it should begin to help fairly quickly. If all goes well, he will be extubated in the near future.
Jackson had a repeat head ultrasound earlier this week, and it showed no change. They will continue to check this periodically during our time here - We pray that his body will begin to absorb the blood in the coming weeks/months.
He will have his first eye check next week to check for any damage. This is something most (if not all) preemies are checked for.


So, now we wait...most if not all of these things require a certain amount of time before we know anything. For some, we can wait a few days, or weeks. Some will be months and even years before we may know, or even notice anything.
For Ben and I, the waiting has become a normal part of our lives, but it's not easy. We want answers so badly - we want to bring him home more than anything - and we don't want to wait anymore! But, some very wise people told us to take each day, and focus on that. Not tomorrow or the next day, but to love Jackson, and to enjoy every moment we get with him...and that makes it a little easier. He is just so perfect - made fearfully, and wonderful by God - How could you not just be in awe of the miracle of life - It blows me away every time I look at Jackson. So tiny - but perfectly formed - He has hair, and fingernails - and the cutest little nose!
We are also happy to report that we now can hold Jackson nearly everyday! Both Ben and I have gotten some wonderful cuddle time with him! He really seems to enjoy it!


We have a lot to be thankful for, and we continue to pray and ask for prayer for healing for our little man!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

One Month Old

On Jan. 7th, Jackson turned one month old. He is now 2lb 4.4oz and has continued to grow and look better. He is now getting 16cc of fortified milk every 3 hours.

Yesterday, Annie and I both got to hold him each for about an hour. Since he was doing better and he had fewer lines connected to him, we were able to hold him on our chest which was a very comforting feeling for both of us and Jackson was able to handle it very well.

This morning the surgeons came in and took the penrose drain out of his side. The nurse said the hole left should heal up on its own and may or may not continue to drain a little fluid as it heals but that shouldn't affect the healing process.

Other than this, the doctors haven't told us what their long term plan is for Jackson other than to feed and grow.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support as Jackson continues to grow. He has a long time to go but things are starting to look a little better; Thank you LORD!

Kangaroo care with Mom and Dad

Friday, January 6, 2012

Life in the NICU - Milestones

Jackson hit a few milestones over the past few days! He was moved into Bay 2 on Wednesday! Bay 2 is the next step on our way to going home, and is a big accomplishment for him as it signifies that he has improved and grown while being in Iowa City. The nurses have told us that Bay 2 is typically where most of a baby's time is spent while in NICU. After Bay 2 - Jackson could be transferred to Bay 4 or 5 (Bay 3 is the same as Bay 2 so we'd skip that one) Those bays are used to help babies who are very stable and their parents prepare to go home. Most preemies are expected to be in the NICU until around their due date (Jackson was due March 22nd) So we are praying that we'll be taking our little man home around that time!

Jackson also is on "full feeds" - meaning he no longer needs supplement nutrition through his PIC line. Now that he on full feeds, he has started to gain weight and we hope to see a consistent gain of about .5 oz a day; he currently weights about 973 grams (or 2lb 2.3oz) Yay! He has officially surpassed his birth weight of 1lb 14oz)! We are hoping to see his PIC line removed in the next few days - it is great to see him with less and less tubes!!

And finally Jackson will be a month old on the 7th. It is very exciting to get some time behind us. As Jackson gets older, he will get stronger and more stable/developed - and we are excited for more milestones to come and pass!

We continue to ask for prayers of healing, growth and development for our little guy!

All snuggled up for tummy time

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Years from IC NICU!

Jackson is now being fed 6 ounces of milk every 3 hours – they are fortifying it to give him more calories to help him gain weight. He is currently 1 lbs 13.3 oz. As he tolerates these feeds well they will increase the amount by about an ounce a day. Once he reaches about 10 ounces every 3 hours they can stop giving him supplemental nutrition through his IV fluids.

The urologist came in on Friday and was pleased with the output through his catheter. The drain continues to have very little to no output – this could mean that the rupture around his bladder is healing. Once he consistently has no output through his drain they will be able to remove it! An ultrasound on his kidneys will be performed sometime in the next few days to see their status.

Jackson has continues to do well on his ventilator. If all goes well, within a week or so they may try to extubate him (breathing tube being removed) and simply use a constant pressure ventilator in his nose.

Annie was able to hold Jackson again on Thursday night. He handled it very well, and was able to stay out of his bed for around 45 minutes. We are limited on the total time we can keep him out because his body is still not able to keep it’s body temperature up. We hope to hold him again in a few days.

We were told tonight that Jackson is now the “first out” baby in Bay 1. This means that if they get a new baby in that needs to be in Bay 1, Jackson will be moved to Bay 2 to make room for him/her. Bay 1 is used for the sick-est/smallest babies and Bay 2 for the less-sick babies, so Jackson being able to move to Bay 2 is a good sign that he is continuing to grow and develop as he should.

Annie and I are going back to Pella this coming week. It will be hard to be away from Jackson for a few days but it is good to know that he is continuing to do well. Thank you for all of your continued support and prayers. Happy New Years everyone!