Timothy James
"Precious to God"
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.
posted by Sheri
Stats at Birth
Date: December 17, 2003Time: 10:20 p.m.
Weight: 1 lb., 10 oz.
Length: 13 3/4 in.
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Psalm 98:1a "Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done wonderful things ..."
We have definitely experienced the wonders of God during the past 7 months!
Actual Age: 6 months
Adjusted Age: 3 months
Weight: 7 lbs. 1.4 oz. !!!!
I wanted to share with you a very special poem that a wonderful, talented friend of mine wrote for Timothy:
Little Timothy
Little Timothy, we have not met
But yet, you are so dear.
Your fragile frame, I focus on
My prayers, the Lord does hear.
Your mom, she's kept us posted
Your dad, he's kept her strong,
We, as Christ's church, have held you up
Now, look how far you've come.
Your little lungs, they're healing
Your weight is climbing too!
Your arm once broken, now is mending
There's nothing God can't do!
You've been an awesome testimony
Of His immeasurable power and grace
Your fortitude, he's used to witness
No doubters to be traced.
The angels that surround you
Are infinite, at best
I know the Lord, all comforting,
Has held you to His chest.
So, hang on tight, there's more to come
The Lord's just scratched the surface
Of what He has in store for you
Fulfilling God's great purpose.
We have definitely experienced the wonders of God during the past 7 months!
Actual Age: 6 months
Adjusted Age: 3 months
Weight: 7 lbs. 1.4 oz. !!!!
I wanted to share with you a very special poem that a wonderful, talented friend of mine wrote for Timothy:
Little Timothy
Little Timothy, we have not met
But yet, you are so dear.
Your fragile frame, I focus on
My prayers, the Lord does hear.
Your mom, she's kept us posted
Your dad, he's kept her strong,
We, as Christ's church, have held you up
Now, look how far you've come.
Your little lungs, they're healing
Your weight is climbing too!
Your arm once broken, now is mending
There's nothing God can't do!
You've been an awesome testimony
Of His immeasurable power and grace
Your fortitude, he's used to witness
No doubters to be traced.
The angels that surround you
Are infinite, at best
I know the Lord, all comforting,
Has held you to His chest.
So, hang on tight, there's more to come
The Lord's just scratched the surface
Of what He has in store for you
Fulfilling God's great purpose.
posted by Sheri at 11:09 PM
posted by Sheri at 12:16 AM
posted by Sheri at 12:12 AM
Friday, July 02, 2004
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."
We have definitely had ample opportunity to trust in the Lord for the past 6 months. We don't dare rely on our own understanding because most of what has happened doesn't make sense to us, and often doesn't seem fair, and is definitely not what we would have chosen for ourselves. So we are forced to make a choice - live in total frustration, denial, and bitterness OR put our trust in our all-knowing, all-powerful God who has our best interests in mind and leave all the circumstances in His hands. We daily choose the latter, and He gives us the grace and strength we need to face each day and to walk the path that He has planned for us.
Actual Age: 6 months
Adjusted Age: 3 months
Weight: 6 lbs. 15 oz.
Timothy continues to make good progress. His days are pretty routine...
5:00 am Diaper changed
Temperature taken
Trach suctioned
Gavage Feeding (milk is put in a large 2 oz. syringe and
inserted directly into my stomach through
my G-tube AKA "tummy tube")
Diaper changed
Sleep
8:00 Diaper changed
Temperature taken
Trach suctioned
G-tube site care
Bottle feeding - what I don't eat is gavaged in the tube
Diaper change
Sleep
11:00 Diaper changed
Temperature taken
Trach suctioned
Bottle feeding/Gavage the rest
Diaper change
Exercises with my occupational therapist
Playtime with mommy
Sleep
2:00 pm Diaper changed
Temperature taken
Trach suctioned
Trach site care
Bottle feeding/Gavage the rest
Diaper change
Cuddle time with mommy
Etc. I think you get the picture :-)
Praise - good, uneventful days
- mommy & daddy are receiving lots of good instruction on Timothy's care
- insurance changes seem to be running smoothly
Prayer - continued good weight gain, electrolyte, and ph levels
- mommy & daddy to be patient as his coming home seems imminent compared to the 6 months we have spent waiting for this day
We have definitely had ample opportunity to trust in the Lord for the past 6 months. We don't dare rely on our own understanding because most of what has happened doesn't make sense to us, and often doesn't seem fair, and is definitely not what we would have chosen for ourselves. So we are forced to make a choice - live in total frustration, denial, and bitterness OR put our trust in our all-knowing, all-powerful God who has our best interests in mind and leave all the circumstances in His hands. We daily choose the latter, and He gives us the grace and strength we need to face each day and to walk the path that He has planned for us.
Actual Age: 6 months
Adjusted Age: 3 months
Weight: 6 lbs. 15 oz.
Timothy continues to make good progress. His days are pretty routine...
5:00 am Diaper changed
Temperature taken
Trach suctioned
Gavage Feeding (milk is put in a large 2 oz. syringe and
inserted directly into my stomach through
my G-tube AKA "tummy tube")
Diaper changed
Sleep
8:00 Diaper changed
Temperature taken
Trach suctioned
G-tube site care
Bottle feeding - what I don't eat is gavaged in the tube
Diaper change
Sleep
11:00 Diaper changed
Temperature taken
Trach suctioned
Bottle feeding/Gavage the rest
Diaper change
Exercises with my occupational therapist
Playtime with mommy
Sleep
2:00 pm Diaper changed
Temperature taken
Trach suctioned
Trach site care
Bottle feeding/Gavage the rest
Diaper change
Cuddle time with mommy
Etc. I think you get the picture :-)
Praise - good, uneventful days
- mommy & daddy are receiving lots of good instruction on Timothy's care
- insurance changes seem to be running smoothly
Prayer - continued good weight gain, electrolyte, and ph levels
- mommy & daddy to be patient as his coming home seems imminent compared to the 6 months we have spent waiting for this day
posted by Sheri at 11:49 PM
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Psalm 116:5 " Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate."
Actual Age: 6 months
Adjusted Age: 2 months
Weight: 6 lbs. 10.4 oz.
As you can see Timothy is really growing. He is alert throughout the day and is sleeping pretty well through some of the night (so the nurses tell me).
He does have a little "bug" growing in his trach tube. This particular bug is a common occurence in babies who have been on antibiotics. He is being treated with medication and feeling better.
We will be transferring to Loma Linda probably some time next week. It all depends on how he heals from his current infection and when they have a bed available. Please pray that this transition will go smoothly and will not hinder the discharge plans and timing. There are also a few insurance issues to take care of.
He got permission to go for a stroller ride around the 3rd floor. It was quite an event! It took 2 nurses, 1 respiratory therapist, and mommy & daddy to stroll him and all his equipment! But it was fun!
Praise - good weight gain
- they diagnosed the infection and are treating it
- God provided clear direction regarding our decision to move to Loma Linda
Prayer - that we will have peace about the move to a new hospital; it will take some adjusting and we will miss the friends we have made at our current NICU
- healing for Timothy with regard to this current "bug"
Actual Age: 6 months
Adjusted Age: 2 months
Weight: 6 lbs. 10.4 oz.
As you can see Timothy is really growing. He is alert throughout the day and is sleeping pretty well through some of the night (so the nurses tell me).
He does have a little "bug" growing in his trach tube. This particular bug is a common occurence in babies who have been on antibiotics. He is being treated with medication and feeling better.
We will be transferring to Loma Linda probably some time next week. It all depends on how he heals from his current infection and when they have a bed available. Please pray that this transition will go smoothly and will not hinder the discharge plans and timing. There are also a few insurance issues to take care of.
He got permission to go for a stroller ride around the 3rd floor. It was quite an event! It took 2 nurses, 1 respiratory therapist, and mommy & daddy to stroll him and all his equipment! But it was fun!
Praise - good weight gain
- they diagnosed the infection and are treating it
- God provided clear direction regarding our decision to move to Loma Linda
Prayer - that we will have peace about the move to a new hospital; it will take some adjusting and we will miss the friends we have made at our current NICU
- healing for Timothy with regard to this current "bug"
posted by Sheri at 8:10 AM
posted by Sheri at 8:08 AM
posted by Sheri at 8:08 AM
posted by Sheri at 8:05 AM
posted by Sheri at 8:04 AM
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Psalm 138:1-3 "I will give You thanks, O God, with all my heart; I will sing praises to You...And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth...You made me bold with strength in my soul."
The Lord continues to give us strength during this 7th month of Timothy's hospital stay. New challenges continue to arise, but God continues to be faithful to His promise to never leave us or forsake us and to be our strength and our help as we face decisions and new circumstances.
Actual Age: 6 months
Adjusted Age: 2 months
Weight: 6 lbs. 9 oz.
Sorry it's been a while since the last update. We have been very busy this week!
Timothy continues to thrive off the ventilator. He is breathing strongly on his own, although yesterday we suctioned some abnormal secretions from his lungs. Please pray that he won't develop a new infection!
He continues to feed from a bottle about 3-4 times a day. He has slowed down some and now only drinks about 20-30 mls (milliliters) which is 1 ounce, before he gets tired.
His ph balance is looking good and his other blood and electrolyte levels are fairly stable. His calcium and phosphorus levels are still on the low side (normal for most preemies) so he receives supplements in his milk.
Praise - his doctor is back in town, is pleased with his progress and indicates that he could be ready to home in 2-3 weeks!
- his chemical levels are balancing out with the help of only 3 medications
- God continues to grow and develop all his little body parts
- he is happy and content, most of the time :)
Prayer - that he would not develop any respiratory infections which could set back his progress toward coming home
- there is a possibility that mommy & daddy will need to make some insurance changes; please pray that the transition will go smoothly
*His doctor shared some info with us this week that could impact plans for going home. She said that if Timothy goes home and has to be rehospitalized for respiratory illness (which is highly likely considering his condition) he will be transferred to the Kaiser in LA because they are better equipped to handle his situation. This would be a huge strain on Jon and myself. She suggested that we look into transferring him to Loma Linda before he goes home so that when he has to return to the hospital after discharge he can go there and be closer to home. They have the specialists he needs to see to treat his fragile condition. We will probably be deciding what to do in the next week. Please pray that God would give us wisdom and clarity as we make this big decision.
The Lord continues to give us strength during this 7th month of Timothy's hospital stay. New challenges continue to arise, but God continues to be faithful to His promise to never leave us or forsake us and to be our strength and our help as we face decisions and new circumstances.
Actual Age: 6 months
Adjusted Age: 2 months
Weight: 6 lbs. 9 oz.
Sorry it's been a while since the last update. We have been very busy this week!
Timothy continues to thrive off the ventilator. He is breathing strongly on his own, although yesterday we suctioned some abnormal secretions from his lungs. Please pray that he won't develop a new infection!
He continues to feed from a bottle about 3-4 times a day. He has slowed down some and now only drinks about 20-30 mls (milliliters) which is 1 ounce, before he gets tired.
His ph balance is looking good and his other blood and electrolyte levels are fairly stable. His calcium and phosphorus levels are still on the low side (normal for most preemies) so he receives supplements in his milk.
Praise - his doctor is back in town, is pleased with his progress and indicates that he could be ready to home in 2-3 weeks!
- his chemical levels are balancing out with the help of only 3 medications
- God continues to grow and develop all his little body parts
- he is happy and content, most of the time :)
Prayer - that he would not develop any respiratory infections which could set back his progress toward coming home
- there is a possibility that mommy & daddy will need to make some insurance changes; please pray that the transition will go smoothly
*His doctor shared some info with us this week that could impact plans for going home. She said that if Timothy goes home and has to be rehospitalized for respiratory illness (which is highly likely considering his condition) he will be transferred to the Kaiser in LA because they are better equipped to handle his situation. This would be a huge strain on Jon and myself. She suggested that we look into transferring him to Loma Linda before he goes home so that when he has to return to the hospital after discharge he can go there and be closer to home. They have the specialists he needs to see to treat his fragile condition. We will probably be deciding what to do in the next week. Please pray that God would give us wisdom and clarity as we make this big decision.
posted by Sheri at 8:14 AM
