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 27:7-9 "Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, and be gracious to me and answer me. When You said, 'Seek My face,' my heart said to You, 'Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.' . . . You have been my help. . ."

Actual Age: 7 months
Adjusted Age: 4 months
Weight: we'll have an update after our next Dr.'s appointment on Tues. but I'm pretty sure he's gained some as seen in the pictures following :)

We have had a great week at home! Timothy is learning so much. He loves to bat at toys near his head and hands. He gets really excited at playtime - wiggling, kicking, smiling.

His room is upstairs and that's where all his medical equipment and supplies are located. However, thanks to the help of our wonderful day nurse, we have also been able to move him downstairs for the afternoon and evening using his portable equipment which we use to take him to Dr.'s appointments. It's a nice change of scenery for mommy :) and Timothy gets some different visual stimulation as well.

We have a very important doctor's appointment on Tuesday at the BPD clinic in Loma Linda. This is the clinic that will track his lung development, oxygen requirement, and possibly his trach needs as well.

Praise - we have been provided meals by our wonderful Sunday School Department for 2 weeks, it's truly been a blessing
- he is happy and doing well at home

Prayer - Tuesday's Doctor appointment
- we may have some insurance issues over the next couple of months (changes, needs, etc) but we are trusting that God knows what needs to happen there
- rest and health for mommy and daddy

This is outfit is daddy's favorite!

Thank Heaven for Little Boys

Isn't he just adorable?!!

The look of deep concentration :)

This is fun! When I hit the little star thing it moves!

How did I get this thing to move the last time?

Finally sleeping after a long day of play

Isaiah 51:12a "I [God], even I, am He who comforts you. . ."

We really needed some comfort and reassurance on Sunday night as we made our first trip to the Emergency Room.

Actual Age: 7 months
Adjusted Age: 4 months


We have been having some great days at home! Timothy is adjusting well and seems to be thriving. But Sunday he was having large amounts of leaking from the site where his "tummy tube" is inserted into his abdomen. Throughout the day we noticed wet spots here and there, on his crib sheets, blankets, clothing, mommy's pants, mommy's shirt...By Sunday night he was very uncomfortable and fussy which is abnormal for him. We realized he was leaking large amounts of gastric juices (very acidic!) from the site and it was burning his skin. We made some calls to the doctor and she suggested that we take him to the ER. So off we went. They took him in right away and began hooking him up to monitors (just like the "good 'ole days" back in the NICU :). They questioned us a lot regarding his prematurity and breathing issues. We assured them that he was having no breathing problems, we just needed his G-tube site checked. I thnk it was hard for them to beleive that he wasn't there for breathing problems since that is what most babies in his state return to the ER for. Several doctors came to look at him and they finally decided to do a G-tube check. They took him up to x-ray (mommy got to ride on the big bed with him :), then injected a very small amount of radioactive dye into his G-tube and took an x-ray to make sure it was properly placed. They determined that it was and the leaking is still a big mystery! Three hours later, we were on our way home. There has been very little to no leaking from the site since and we are very thankful. We are also thankful that our first trip to emergency was for such a minor issue.

Timothy loves to play in the mornings. He is beginning to reach and bat at objects. He gets very excited and kicks his legs and swings his arms all over the place! He gets quite a work-out. Today, after about 20 minutes, he was flushed and very warm all over, even his little fingers and toes! It is such a joy to share in these fun times with him and to remember where God has brought him from and how He has worked in Timothy's little life!

Praise - ER trip was reassuring, no major problems
- Timothy is growing and developing every day

Prayer - Jon has gone back to work. He needs strength and alertness each day.
- That Timothy's lungs would continue to develop and grow stronger
- That his sucking stamina would continue to develop and that he would consistently take from the bottle (or nurse with mommy - we still try 2-3 times a day when he's interested)

Resting peacefully ( I do this a lot!)