Timothy James

I was admitted to the hospital on Dec. 8th because my amniotic sac was leaking and I had begun to dilate. I was ordered to lie flat on my back until the baby came ( I was due April 2nd!). Well, on Dec. 17th my water broke at 7:15pm and Timothy James decided to come early. He was breech and already on his way out, so the doctor did an emergency C-section and at 10:20 pm he was delivered. He went straight to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and has been there ever since. Timothy was only 25 weeks along in his development (a "normal" pregnancy lasts 40 weeks) so he still has a lot of growing to do.

Psalm 31:24 " Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the LORD."

Age since Birth: 13 weeks
Gestational Age: 37 weeks
Weight: 3 lbs. 9.5 oz.

Timothy is experiencing lots of ups and downs in weight gain as you can see, common for preemies.

His doctor is quite concerned about his liver and spleen function. Both organs seem to be enlarged and they know that his liver has 2 fluid-filled areas. On Monday he will have several procedures done - an abdominal ultrasound to take a look at these organs more closely as well as a biopsy taken of his liver to look at cell growth. They will also aspirate, or take out some of the fluid in the 2 areas to test and see if it is blood, pus from infection, etc. These last 2 procedures will involve sedation and putting him back on the ventilator during the procedure. Kind of an intrusive procedure, but not considered to be surgical in nature. It will be done right at his bed in the NICU.

God has brought him this far and we acknowledge His sovereignty in Timothy's life. We are trusting Him for this next phase as the doctors seek to help improve his liver function.

Praise - there are still measures they are trying to take to improve his health and quality of life
- his doctor is willing to get other opinions and actually seeks the advice of experts in each field that involves Timothy's health

Prayer - for the procedures on Monday to go smoothly
- quick recovery, weaning of sedation, and removal of the ventilator after the procedure
- wisdom for those analyzing the specimens and results of the procedures
- patience for mommy & daddy as this new issue seems like a setback; trust/rest in the Lord

Psalm 31:19 "How great is Your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear You."

Age since Birth: 13 weeks
Gestational Age: 37 weeks
Weight: 3 lbs. 12.9 oz.

Timothy wore his first outfits today! I say "outfits" plural, because the first one got "dirty" so we had to change it tonight. I guess this is just a glimpse into what the future holds for my washing machine! :-) He looked absolutely adorable, of course. We should have some new pictures up in about a week or so.

He is having trouble maintaining his platelet level. This is important because platelets help his blood to clot and stop bleeding, an important feature when he has regular blood tests scheduled.

His bilirubin (jaundice) level is also high again. His doctor is consulting with a gastroenterologist to see if they have any advice and or can diagnose some complication which she has missed.

He has a lot of secretions in his nose and throat which need to be suctioned out frequently, since at times, they can inhibit his breathing.

Praise - he continues to gain weight
- he is growing and developing more each day

Prayer - that his liver would heal and that the doctors might resolve the bilirubin issue
- healing of his eye condition
- improved platelet count and maintenance on his own

Psalm 28:7 "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped. Therefore, my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him."

Age since Birth: 12 weeks
Gestational Age: 36 weeks
Weight: 3 lbs. 12 oz. (almost 13 ounces!)

Timothy seems to be gaining weight gradually.

Feedings are up to 32 cc's every 3 hours.

Today he had an eye exam to check for Retinopathy of Prematurity, a condition common in preemies. It is abnormal development of the retina due to high levels of oxygen. The eye doctor saw some spots of abnormal growth of blood vessels in each eye, but what he saw is not the usual indicators of retinopathy, so they're not really calling it that. Because of the abnormal growth he wants to monitor the situation closely, so instead of the usual check every 2 weeks, Timothy will have follow-up exams every week. These exams are not particularly pleasant and he experiences some pain during them. Ouch!

Praise - Timothy likes to be held (as indicated by his good vital signs during periods of being held). He seems to particularly enjoy his daddy's arms :-)
- weight gain
- God's power evidenced in the many aspects of healing and development in his little life so far *today his nurse told me all the staff want to change his middle name to "Miracle" :-)

Prayer - the abnormal growth condition in his eyes would not progress and that it would even normalize
- minimal discomfort during eye exams
- fewer bradycardia spells
- begin to maintain body temperature

Lamentations 3:21-24 "This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I have hope in the Him.' "

Age since Birth: 12 weeks
Gestational Age: 36 weeks
Weight: 3 lbs. 11 oz.

Timothy continues to practice his breathing with the occassional bradycardia spells.

He is now receiving 15cc's of breastmilk per hour for 2 hours (this is still through a tube inserted into his stomach). Then he has 1 hour of rest. So in a 3-hour period he receives a total of 30 cc's which is equivalent to 1 ounce. In a 24-hour period he is getting 8 ounces!

He had a follow-up ultrasound on his brain this week. It showed no change in his PVL (periventricular leukomalacia) condition. That is good news.

Praise - no change in PVL condition of the brain
- daddy got to hold him tonight

Prayer - fewer bradycardia spells
- that after this week, he would no longer need to be on any medications
- times of deep sleep during which he heals and develops
- wakeful periods while mommy & daddy are visiting so we can interact

Isaiah 41:10 "Do not fear for I am with you; do not look anxiously about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Age since Birth: 12 weeks
Gestational Age: 36 weeks
Weight: 3 lbs. 11 oz.

Timothy is still doing great breathing on his own. He has been moved into a covered Isolette and transferred to a new part of the nursery for babies who are more stable.

Since before Timothy was born, his daddy and I have been praying that God would use his life to His glory and that he would have a special ministry to people. Here's just one story (I'm sure of many) that shows how God is working through him:
Today one of his nurses shared with me how Timothy has touched her life. She is a Christian and knows that there is power in prayer. She said that sometimes, working in the NICU, she loses sight of that fact in the face of the pain and suffering of so many babies and their families. But she said that Timothy has reminded her that there is power in prayer and she has seen God at work in him. She said she could see how he has been blessed through the prayers of his parents, family and church. And in turn, she has been blessed and encouraged through his little life.

Thank you to all of you who have been praying for Timothy and have shared your encouragement with us through e-mail. We love to hear from you, even if it's just to tell us that you're checking the website frequently. It's a blessing to us to know that we have so many people concerned for the well-being of our little family. :)

For those of you who have been praying, please continue to do so! :)

Praise - God has brought him such a long way and is continuing to sustain him
- for the wonderful doctors and nurses who care for him each day

Prayer - continued healing and development of his whole body
- strong lungs and heart
- weight gain
- appropriate blood counts

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 a hope and a future.' "

Age since Birth: 12 weeks
Gestational Age: 36 weeks
Weight: 3 lbs. 12 oz.

Timothy continues to breathe on his own with just a little oxygen support.

Occassionally he has some bradycardia spells (dramatic drops in his heart rate) and desatting spells (trouble getting/processing oxygen).
They last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes.

I was able to hold him skin-to-skin this morning. This is also known as "kangaroo care".
It is different from previous holding experiences because the baby is not all wrapped up in blankets. He is only in a diaper and placed directly on my chest, skin-to-skin. Studies have shown this to have very good effects on healing and development. Hopefully I will be able to do this each morning.

Feedings are still at 9cc's per hour.

He will remain on the antibiotic and antifungal medications for 1 more week.

Praise - he is maintaining his own breathing
- he has more wakeful periods where mommy & daddy can begin interacting with him (this really just means we make eye contact :)

Prayer - continued opportunities for "kangaroo care"
- maintain appropriate blood levels (his platelet count is still low; he received a platelet transfusion on Saturday)
- growth and development of his lungs
- fewer bradycardia/desatting spells