Did You Miss Him?

(There is a Hayes update at the bottom) Have you missed seeing this face on my blog? I know I certainly have. It snowed here on Friday around lunch time. Lee and I just happened to be on a lunch date with Price so we got to share it with him. There wasn't a whole lot but he enjoyed what we had. Daddy even showed him how to eat the snow. Yummy!

You can see the flakes in this one
On a Christmas light mission

Notice not only the colander hat but the face that Price took it upon himself to start decorating the tree...with hangers.

Okay, now back to life as I know it. Hayes is doing about the same as he did yesterday. He's had a hard day of coughing. He's trying to get rid of the junk in his lungs but just isn't strong enough to do it. He has been on 1/8 oxygen most of the day but has had to go back to 1/4 when he gets really stressed out (after having his lungs sucked out or getting a bath). The doctor this morning said the xray shows where a little of his lung is collapsed. All this means is there is a lot of gunk where air should be. He can't get air into that portion of his lung. This isn't anything new, but it does help explain why he has had to be on oxygen for so long. His lung just needs time to heal itself. His heart rate has also been up all day. They think it is because he is still working so hard to breathe. So obviously we aren't going home any time soon. We will just wait and see what tomorrow holds.

Still here

We are still here. Hayes is doing just like he has been...a little better today than yesterday (though he did have some rough patches today). Still not great. They did another xray of his chest and his lungs are still pretty gunky and the gunk has moved down to the lower part of his lungs. It is starting to break up but we still have a ways to go. They lowered his oxygen again so now he is only on 1/4. And actually the nurse just came in and lowered it again to 1/8. We will see how he does on it. He still isn't ready for just room air though. His pulse oxygen level drops when he doesn't have the oxygen tube in his nose. He has eaten well all day and is continuing to have wet and dirty diapers. Dehydration is one of their big concerns with RSV because the body is working so hard to breathe it uses up its reserves. Thankfully that hasn't been a problem for us since he is eating so well. They still aren't talking about when we might go home. I can't wrap my head around possibly being in here another week. I miss Price and the daily things that are going on in his life. If I weren't breastfeeding I could be free to come and go and even go home at night and get some sleep. Since Hayes is still eating so well we decided we don't want to change the way he eats. The lack of sleep is starting to take its toll on me but I know this is what is best for him right now. (By the way, I still feel like if the mom has to actually give birth to the baby, the dad should have to be the one to feed it! I guess God had other ideas.) Anyway, thank you all again for your prayers. We still covet them as we try to get our little one healed.

Same Song, 5th Verse

Lee took this tonight on his phone while he and Hayes were "playing" with some balloons Hayes received. He's looking SO much better than he was on Monday!

Today was much the same as all the others. Everyone who saw him (doctors and nurses) that hadn't seen him in a few days said he looks a lot better than he did. While that's great to hear, he still isn't where he needs to be to go home. He is still on oxygen. They tried again several times to take him off of it. He would do okay for 15-20 minutes and then his numbers would drop again. You can tell by watching him though that it is so much easier for him to breathe than it was a few days ago. He isn't having to work nearly as hard. They also said the stuff in his lungs sounds like it starting to break up. So again, we wait. Hoping that he will just keep improving from day to day and we'll be able to go home early next week if not sooner. I cannot tell you how badly I want my whole family under one roof again.

In other news, it did snow here for about 30 minutes today. It just so happens that Lee and I were taking a break from the hospital (my mom was with Hayes). We took Price to lunch and it snowed while we were gone. We were able to rush him home and let him enjoy the snow for a short bit. I have pictures to post but don't have my camera up here with my computer. So those will come later.

Again, we cannot thank you enough for your thoughts and prayers. Please pray for Lee tomorrow as he makes the journey to Huntsville. After little sleep we need very safe travels. And please pray for his family as they say their final goodbyes to our Nanny. I will be here. Waiting...

Long day

Today was a long, slow day. Hayes stayed pretty much the same but his mucus is still really forming and sticking in his lungs. They are still doing breathing treatments every 4 hours and now have started using a cup-like utensil to pat him on the back with to try to loosen the secretions. He is down to a 1/2 liter of oxygen from 1 liter so that's good. They are going to try to slowly wean him from the oxygen. They tried turning it off today and while he did okay he wasn't where they wanted him to be. So tonight he is back on it. They did take out the IV for right now since he is eating so well. It's nice to have one less cord to deal with when picking him up or trying to feed him. When we saw the doctor today she said the same thing they have all told us...we just have to wait while his body heals itself. Hayes just isn't healing as fast as some kids do. They said obviously it varies from child to child. He and I had a long night last night. He is coughing a lot now so its hard for him to stay asleep for long. They also decided to take another chest x-ray to make sure its only the RSV that's causing all the problems. We haven't heard anything about that. I never dreamed we would still be here.

The funeral for Nanny is going to be on Saturday at 2 in Huntsville. It looks like we will definitely still be in the hospital so only Lee will be able to go. I have tried to find ways that I could go but none of them seem feasible. It breaks my heart that I can't be there with the rest of the family. I know this is one of those times I have to do what is best for my child but it doesn't make it any easier. I am to the point where I'm tired of just sitting, cabin fever is setting in.

Long update

This time I'll start with the bad news. I think it was around 3ish this afternoon that Lee got the call from his mom that Nanny had passed away. While it is still incredibly hard it helps a little to know that she's with Jesus and back with her husband that she loved so much. We thank God that she went quick and wasn't in pain. She just slowly stopped breathing. Even as I type this I find it hard to believe that she is gone. I mean I have an email from her from Monday checking on Hayes. It's all so surreal right now. It looks like the funeral will be Saturday. Now we just have to hope Hayes is out of the hospital so I can attend the funeral. Lee will obviously go regardless. Please pray for Brian and Bruce, Nanny's sons. I can't begin to know what its like to lose your parents. I know this is going to be a tough holiday season.

Now on to my sweet baby boy. We saw our doctor this afternoon and he pretty much echoed what the doctor this morning said. Hayes looks better everyday but its just a matter of waiting for his tiny body to heal itself. We can tell he isn't working as hard to breathe as he was. He also has started coughing and his hoarse voice is getting closer to normal. All signs that he's working on getting better. It is so nice that he's out of the tent now so we can hold him a little more and cuddle him. He has been awake more today and eating a lot more. Hopefully we will only continue to get good news on him.

Some of you are probably wondering where big brother has been all this time. He was with Lee's parents until they had to go be with Nanny. Then he spent some time with my parents. Now he is home with Daddy and I'm doing the hospital thing. We want his life to stay somewhat normal so he'll get to sleep in his own bed, play with his toys and just be at his house for a while. I have been leaving the hospital on and off to go spend time with him. We went to library time today and just enjoyed each other company. He was really happy to see me and Daddy tonight at dinner. (Thanks grandpa for staying with Hayes). Anyway, I am just so ready for our little family of 4 to be together again.

Sorry this is so long. Thank you all for your concerns and for just letting us know you are here for us. We truly do appreciate and feel better just knowing you are praying for us.

Sad

Again, I will start with an update on Hayes first. We saw a different doctor this morning. She said he looks good. That he is starting to show good signs of improvement. They took him out of the tent and he is just on the nose oxygen now. Throughout the day the are going to try giving him less and less oxygen to see how he does without it. The doctor said we will have to go 24 hours without oxygen and stay at a normal pulse ox level before we can go home. She said she couldn't give us a definite date on when that may be. We should see Dr. Graham (our doctor) this evening and he will give us more of an idea of when it might be. Hayes had a bath today and has had his lungs suctioned out a few times. He is still making a lot of mucus so we are hoping that stops soon. Other than that we just wait. I think that's the worst part of us, the not knowing when anything will change or when we will get to go home. We just take it a day at a time right now.

Now on to some much less pleasant news. I can't remember exactly what my last update said so I may be repeating some information here. (I haven't slept much, forgive me!) Nanny suffered a massive aneurysm yesterday. She was found in her home and taken to College Station. It has since been determined that there is nothing that can be done to help her. The aneurysm is too large to operate on and it is still bleeding. She was on a ventilator but the family has decided that it would be her wish to not stay on it. She was taken off of it around noon today. Now we all just wait. She will not get better so it will just be a matter of time before she passes away. It was so sudden and we all weren't quite ready to say goodbye. We are thankful she didn't suffer and will soon be with the Lord. It's hard for all of us and we really do covet your prayers. This obviously isn't how we wanted things to turn out but are trying to find peace with God's decision.

Can't Handle Much More

I'll start by updating about Hayes. Our doctor came in this evening and said he looks good. That is has definitely improved from yesterday. He still has his ups and downs. Sometimes he is better than others. He is still making a lot of mucous so they are still having to suction his nose often and his lungs every once in a while. I think the big turning point for us will be when that slows down. He is still in his tent most of the time but comes out to eat and when he's fussy. The worst part of today was watching them repeatedly stick him trying to get some blood out of his tiny little veins. They tried for about an hour and ended up getting nothing. It's not an easy thing to watch. His poor little hands are all bruised up. But anyway, his stats are still pretty strong so once again we are just waiting. Hoping he "turns the corner" soon and starts healing quickly!

We need your prayers on a totally different matter tonight. Lee's grandmother, our beloved Nanny, was found unconscious in her home this afternoon. After trying to get a hold of her all day Becky finally had a friend from her town go check on her. Once they got her to the hospital it was determined that she has a bleeding brain aneurysm. She has vital signs but is still unconscious. The weather is too bad for them to fly her anywhere so they had to ambulance her to College Station to a bigger hospital. Please pray for her. She is the true matriarch of Lee's family and all of us are very close to her. Price got to see her this past weekend and has been going on about it ever since. We need God's wisdom and healing right now more than ever. Lee and I are hanging in there but I really don't think we can handle much more. Thank you all for the thoughts, prayers, calls and visits. I hope to report good news on Hayes and Nanny tomorrow.

Update

It's hard to see but he is in there...this is his oxygen tent.

We just talked to the pediatrician from the hospital. He said that Hayes had a good night and looks much better than he did yesterday. He still needs oxygen though and needs to stay in the tent for at least another 24 hours. The doctor said that he is still working really hard to breathe so Hayes has to stop that before we can consider seeing how he does off the oxygen. He also said it is very common for babies to have good days and bad so just because he improved a lot yesterday doesn't mean today will be the same. He said he would expect us to be here the rest of the week. Not the best news but we will do what we have to to help him get better. He is eating pretty well but please pray that his appetite stays healthy and he begins to eat even more. Our family doctor is checking in with us a few times a day so I will post again when we talk to him this evening. He seems to think we could go home sooner. I guess we will see. Thank you all for your prayers and concern. It means so much to us to know that you are all praying for us.

Hospitalized

Hayes started getting a little cough on Thursday. On Friday we noticed a little congestion. On Saturday he started to sound worse and by yesterday we knew something was wrong. We took him to the doctor first thing this morning. After a chest x-ray and an examination the doctor went ahead and sent us to the hospital. Hayes has RSV (an respiratory virus). It means he has mucus in his lungs and all in his sinuses. His breathing was pretty labored. His pulse oxygen level was down to 88 (normal for his age is 100). We have been in the hospital since about 11am this morning and he's doing better. He has breathing treatments every few hours and has been on oxygen, an IV and breathing monitors. They also have to suction out his lungs and nose every several hours. This is not fun because they have to put a tube down his nose and into his lungs. They nurses and doctors assure us that he is doing better though. The doctor just decided he needs to be in an oxygen tent to make sure he is still getting the most oxygen he can. We know for sure we will be here until Wednesday but they said we will know more tomorrow. We covet your prayers and appreciate your thoughts during this time. It's really hard to see such a tiny baby hooked up to so many things and lying in a hospital bed. Hopefully we will all be past this soon. We are all pretty tired and ready for some relief!

A Sweet Story

Today we convinced Price to watch the 1st Toy Story movie. We have had it on before but this is the first time he's really watched it. (None of this is going to make sense if you aren't familiar with the movie.) There is a part where Buzz realizes he is "just a toy" and tries to fly out a window and his arm is broken off. I was watching Price's face as this was all going on. He turned around and looked at me and said "Buzz so sad". I told him he was but that he would get better. Then when the part came where Buzz is actually broken, Price turned to me with his bottom lip curled out and the saddest expression on his face. He kept saying " sad, so sad, Buzz broken, so sad" and was starting to cry. I obviously comforted him and told him that the other toys would fix Buzz and he would be okay. But I was so touched by his feelings for his "friend" Buzz. Price really does have a sweet heart and it was a neat moment to share with him.

Obsessed

Price has become obsessed with Toy Story 2 (Not just regular Toy Story, he WILL let you know if you try to put that one on instead!). It is all he wants to watch and with Hayes being here and me being so tired, he gets his way most of the time. I think I have all the lines memorized. He loves Buzz and Woody and talks about them often. He has also asked Santa for a Buzz and Woody of his own. I figure I'm pretty lucky that he's in love with something I can stand and not something that annoys me like Barney or Teletubbies!

Thanksgiving

Yesterday we spent the day with my parents, Lee's parents and Marci, Kyle and Karlie out at Lee's farm. Becky made a delicious lunch and the kids had a great time playing outside. Karlie finally got to meet her new cousin for the first time. She was more interested in his bouncy seat than in him...I'm sure he'll grow on her though! It was a very nice, relaxing day and we were all reminded that we have so much to be thankful for.

Love him

Too tired to do a Thanksgiving post with pictures so I will save that for tomorrow. For now you will just have to live with a picture of my sweet baby boy. Hard to believe you can fall so deeply in love with someone you've only known for 2 weeks (even if he doesn't sleep!)!

Thankful

I've never felt more blessed than I do now.

2 Weeks Old

Hard to believe Hayes is 2 weeks old today and he's wasn't actually do until tomorrow! I am so glad he is already here and we are getting used to life as a family of 4. We went to the doctor today for his 2 week check up and here are his stats.

Weight: 8lbs 5oz

Height: 21 inches

He is already a full pound heavier than Price was at this age. The doctor said he looks great and doesn't need to see us again until he's 2 months old.

This is what happens...

...when Daddy decides to use gel in Price's hair. The end result wasn't terrible but I think we'll wait a few years to try again. Curly hair is just tough!

So Sweet!

Price seems to be adjusting to having a brother pretty well. He is so sweet with Hayes and is always concerned with where he is. He asks "Where baby Hayes" every time he enters a room. He is still super active and plays hard all day but he takes several breaks as he runs past Hayes to give him a kiss and a hug. He also tells him "Okay baby Hayes" when he cries. He also likes to "play music (for) baby Hayes" and will push one of his music playing toys up to Hayes' bouncy seat. He's a great big brother, just like we thought he would be!

Silly Boy

This is a common scene at our house. He found this hat of mine and wants to wear it all the time. Most of the time he has it over his eyes so he can't see where he is going.

Reflux take 2

After several nights of being up almost the entire night with Hayes fussing, spitting up, having lots of gas, and being just unsettled, I finally called the doctor. I figured he had reflux just like his big brother did at this age and I was right. His doctor called in the same prescription that Price took and it seems to be working. He had a good night last night and is already less fussy and spitting up less. I hate that he had to suffer before the meds but at least now he can get some relief.

Beautiful

I love it when Michelle takes pictures of my children.

Go Bears!

Last night my parents took Price to his first Baylor basketball game. They said he loved it and sat still the entire time. He came home with this huge bear paw and has been walking around with it a lot of the day. He holds it up in the air and says "Sic em bears!". Thanks Mom and Dad for taking him, I know he had a great time!

No Rest for the Weary

First, just some cute pictures...

His shirt says "Best Big Brother Ever"

Yes, you could probably guess that we are having sleeping problems around our house. I bet you didn't guess that it's not the newborn that is causing all the problems. Hayes is doing really well, sleeping pretty soundly between feedings. (I'm sure because I put that in writing he won't tonight!) Nope, it is Price that is waking up several times a night and screaming at the top of his lungs for us to come in there. I have never heard such a terrible, blood curdling noise. When we do go in there nothing we do soothes him. He gets so upset that he shakes and becomes hysterical. All he tells us is that he "want Mommy and Daddy". He wants us to stay in there with him all night or to come to our bed but we really don't want to start that. Lee and I are worn out and would love some advice. We aren't sure what is waking him up but last night he was up 3 different times, once for about an hour and a half...screaming the entire time. I am sure it's just a phase but we aren't sure how to help him get out of it. We try rocking, singing, letting him cry, you name it, we've probably tried it, but nothing helps him calm down or go back to sleep. Anyway, if anyone knows of anything we should try please let us know. Pray for us as we are all in need of some sleep! Who would have thought it would be our 2 year old keeping us up?!

1st Bath

We gave Hayes his first sponge bath at home. (We can't give him a real one until his umbilical cord falls off.) He hated it for the most part and was happy when it was over. The only thing we have found that this little boy hates is being cold!

All of that hair was just asking for a mohawk!

My boys

Having 2 kids has been better than I expected...of course we'll see what I am saying once Lee goes back to work tomorrow! Price is still sweet with Hayes but doesn't pay him much attention overall. It's funny how different they already are.

Visitors

We have had lots of visitors since Hayes was born. We have enjoyed visiting with all the friends and relatives that have come. We look forward to more company tomorrow!

Memaw and Pepaw

Grandpa
Nana

Grandma

Uncle Coco and Aunt Marci

Aunt LaJuan

Nanny

Even cousin Sage came to visit

Aunt Manda

Coming Home

We came home from the hospital yesterday and are still getting settled. Hayes had a good first night at home and Price seems to be adjusting well. He is throwing some extra fits and being a little more whiny but I know it's to be expected since he doesn't have all the attention anymore. Overall though he loves his brother and kisses and hugs him often. Here are some pics from our day yesterday.

Heading home (Thanks Michelle for the awesome car seat cover)

Some of you will remember that we took Price's picture on this frog every month for the first year of his life. To see his first picture click HERE. We are planning to do it again with Hayes but of course Price wanted to joy in.

Wow, look at the difference 2 years makes!

And finally, Hayes' first time on the frog.

Hayes

Here are some more pictures of Hayes. We are home and adjusting to life with 2 kids. I think it's going to be a little crazy for a while. I couldn't resist posting these pictures Lee took today while I was in the shower at the hospital. Stay tuned tomorrow for pictures of our 1st day home.

Some of you wanted pictures of all of his hair. He has a lot!
Love his expression.

Not the best pictures (taken by the nurse) of Hayes but it will do!

Brothers

Price came up to the hospital to meet his new baby brother today. Lee took Price to the gift shop to get Hayes a gift before they met. Price picked a stuffed dog for Hayes and a stuffed horsey for Mommy. When they came to the room Price was so excited and kept giving Hayes hugs and kisses. It was really sweet. Hayes held his attention for about 10 minutes until he went back to being a typical 2 year old, running all over the room. I cannot wait to see the relationship these two form over the coming years. I am so blessed by the 3 boys in my life.

Happy Birthday Hayes!

7lbs 9 oz 19 1/2 inches long born at 8:40pm!

Hayes is here! When I went to my doctors appointment today she said I was at a 5 so she wanted me to head to the hospital. I was still not feeling contractions so she wanted to go ahead and deliver the baby so I wouldn't be in labor at home and not know it. Anyway, Lee and I got to the hospital around 4:30. She came a few hours later and broke my water. I had my epidural this time so the contractions that followed weren't bad at all. Thank heaven for good pain drugs! Once I got to a 10 I only had to push 6 times to get him out. So much easier than it was with Price! Once he was born they noticed he was growling a little when he breathed. They took him to the nursery to observe him. I have only gotten to hold him for about 2 minutes so I am ready for him to be back from there! I am doing just fine, trying to wrap my head around the fact that we have 2 kids now! Hard to believe. Anyway, we will post more pictures tomorrow when people get to see him and hold him. For now it is way past bed time!

No More Monkeys...

Jumping on the bed! Karlie came over to play last week and she and Price had too much fun playing on his mattress on the floor!

Hayes' Shower

Yesterday some of my wonderful friends threw a shower for baby Hayes. It was so nice to be around people and out of the house! Thank you so much Brooke, Jennifer and Michelle for all your hard work. It was all so nice!

Wow, what a belly!

Me and the hostesses (Jennifer had to stay home, she's recovering from swine flu)
Mom, Grandma and Auntie Jo

Part of the AMAZING scrapbook that Aunt Marci made for Hayes

Opening gifts, this banner is from Lee's parents and I adore it!

Thank you, everyone who came. We missed you Jennifer! Hayes got a lot of nice things and it made it all the more real that he is actually going to be here soon!

Be Prepared

You never know what kind of trouble you can get in while mopping up sand on the back porch...its best to wear your helmet just in case.

*Note, these pictures were taken a few weeks ago. Price is feeling better but still isn't 100%.