Gage's Stats

Gage is up to a whopping 9lbs 2oz, and he is 21 inches long! Little Porker! Doctor says he is doing just perfectly, although it didn't seem to me that he did a very good job at "following" the little flashlight, when the doctor turned the lights off.... Let's hope that was just his Mommy's stubborness surfacing. He is supposed to "follow" it right?! Who knows? I think it irritated him. He is only in the tenth percentile, but of course we are not concerned with that, since he WAS eight weeks early.

He is still a perfect a sleeper and eater (as his weight confirms),

and his mommy is still very much in love with him.

I do often find myself wondering "What did we DO before him?!" Every errand, every activity, and every second revolves around this little person, it seems. We must have been very boring people...

This weekend was Collard Festival here in Ayden... Yes, that's right COLLARD festival. We're just livin' in a good ol' country town. Josh and I took Laura Grace and Gage Friday night, where Josh and Laura Grace enjoyed some very questionable rides and danced on the dance floor (street) to live music. LG was SUCH a show-off, and we all had a great time!

Baby shower!

Josh, Gage, and I flew to Michigan this past weekend for our baby shower finally! We had such a great time visiting with family and friends! Here are some pictures of my precious niece and nephew (Chae and Preston), whom I already miss DEARLY, bonding with their newest cousin.

And here is also a picture of precious Livvie, whom I have waited an eternity (it seems) to meet! She is such a beautiful child--looks just like her Mama! Karen was so sweet to drive so far with her little angel, so we could see eachother! Although I could have spent hours more with them and enjoyed every second, I so appreciate her taking her Saturday to see us!

It is always precious time that flies much too quickly when we are with my brothers and their families. God has blessed us all so greatly, and we so enjoy one another's company.

My angel

Gage is truly such a precious gem! My world has changed to revolve around this little peanut, and I am so grateful for the change. I have been surprisingly overwhelmed by the feeling of responsibilty for this little man. I expected the unbelievable love for him, but I never (for some reason) anticipated that feeling of being solely responsible for this tiny miracle in the form of my son.

This morning (oh so early), I went to get him out of bed to get ready to head to work, and I just stared in amazement at this gift God gave to us. He just looked so peaceful and so perfect-the only way to describe it. Anyway, I grabbed my camera and snapped this picture.

So relaxed...

Gage has a first love... his crib, a love for which we are very thankful! He is a great sleeper, and he is most comfortable in his very own bed, which is nice.

He has reached the 5 lb mark-still very tiny, but we are grateful he is gaining. He has had the "sniffles" for the past few days, so we are watching him closely, making sure he doesn't get a fever, etc... Hopefully, we can avoid a doctor's visit.

He and Laura Grace have become fast friends. She celebrated her second birthday last Friday, and we had a great time at her birthday party.

We spent this past weekend at the beach with them, and I enjoyed precious time both mornings cuddling with my little boy on the deck, oceanfront. There is surely nothing more peaceful than that.

This time in our lives is so priceless. I have been overwhelmed with such strong emotions, as I try to savor this time that I know will too soon be gone.

So precious...

Laura Grace has adjusted beautifully to having a new baby around. She loves to hold and kiss him. It is very precious!

Gage is doing well. He amazes us more each day, and we are so grateful for him. He is also a perfect sleeper (so far!). I'm sure we have rough nights ahead of us, but he wakes up with a little movement (hardly EVER crying) every three hours to eat-almost on the dot! He is a great eater-rarely spits up anything, and we have semi-mastered breast feeding. We do a lot of pumping/bottles (mainly so Mommy can have peace of mind that he is getting enough), but so far we have not had to "supplement" at all.

My heart is so full, and we continue to feel incredibly blessed. We truly revel in God's goodness to us. Thank you for your continued prayers! I cannot imagine having gone through this without the love and encouragement of so many of you!

Back to work!

Answering your question, Karen and Alicia, yes, I am back to work! Jim and Michelle have been extremely understanding throughout this whole time, and encouraged me to take as much time as I needed, but as soon as we escaped that hospital, I was ready to get back into a routine again.

I know that it probably sounds crazy to most people, but it is just how I operate. Jim, Michelle, and Laura Grace are our family down here, and their home is our "home away from home," so it doesn't so much seem to be "work" as much as "routine."

After being in the hospital for three weeks-one before Gage was born and two after, I just wanted to be surrounded by family again, and I was anxious to have LG and Gage together.
We know that we are very blessed to have such a wonderful situation for me and for Gage.

So...hopefully, that explains the quick return!

Life as we once knew it...

is no more. For the first couple of days at home, I was still hearing the beeps and alarms of monitors, and if I glanced at the clock, I would think things like "It's almost time for his 'assessment' " I was still on hospital time. I am finally learning to relax and just enjoy my baby without worrying constantly about his temperature, weight, or his breathing.

Today was his first doctor's appt, and he is back up to his birth weight (even a tad more)!! His temp was a little low, but nothing too concerning--shocking that his temp is low in this ninety- degree weather! I feel a little ridiculous, wrapping him up so tightly in blankets and hats, but we will do what we need to of course...

We are getting into a new routine with Laura Grace. She loves him dearly already, and fortunately has not shown many signs of jealousy yet (except for the handful of goldfish she threw at him today, but I do think she was just trying to share:). I am surely enjoying having them both together, and I really think that the adjustment will be pretty smooth.

Here are a couple recent pictures of the little guy, and yes, he does open his eyes, but his sleeping pictures are just too precious to resist.

Gage is HOME!!!!!!!!!

We brought our tiny miracle home early this afternoon, and I cannot begin to describe to you the gratefulness in my heart for your thoughts, encouraging words, and mostly for your prayers. God gave us not only the grace to handle this but the faith to maintain an optimistic view through this time. We were "stretched" certainly, but bringing home a healthy, though tiny (weighing 4 lbs, 3 oz) baby Gage brings enough joy to look past the rough journey. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we all strengthen (especially little Gage). This is certainly not the end--it is only the beginning of a whirlwind of change for us!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

In these pictures, you will see our little guy, praying fervently for his release, and through answered prayer, his sweet face, resting peacefully at home!

The "latest..."

The past couple days have been very draining physically and emotionally! Gage is doing so well- his feeding tube is out--YEA!! NO MORE TUBES OR NEEDLES stuck in my baby! That is such a relieving feeling. They also graduated him from the NICU to "convelescent care." We are so grateful that he is well enough to be moved out of the NICU, but we really want him home! He is doing so well feeding, and keeping his temperature high enough--they are basically just trying to move him slowly, because he was SO early, and I don't really think that any of the doctors can "fathom" his being strong enough to go home this early, even though WE know it is possible. We serve a much higher power than these doctors, for whom we are SO grateful! Please pray for continued strength and patience, as we await that glorious day the doctor tells us he can come home! Josh and I both covet your prayers right now.

Laura Grace got to meet little Gage today! She is showing him a basketball here, trying to distract him enough to swipe his pacifier. She was successful, until Mommy made her give it back.

Our little trooper

This little guy has amazed us every step of the way! Gage is now on the project of "maintaining" his own body temperature, and he did great with that all day. We even got to put clothes on him today! Tomorrow, he will have reached his "goal" in feedings (34 cc), which means his stomach is handling the food fine and we can concentrate more on method (feeding by mouth).

He continues to gain weight--he was 4lbs 3oz last night, and he has surpassed any doctor's expectations. We are so proud of him, and we are anxiously awaiting the day they tell us he can come home. The doctor estimated that he could come home in as early as 3-4 days!! Please pray that we do not hit any obstacles on this final home stretch!

More updates...

First, let me explain that my hand is resting ever so softly on his tiny little head--the "smooshing" was all self-inflicted! He was comfortably sleeping... It certainly does help you understand how very tiny our precious little peanut is...

God has continued to strengthen this little guy. Today, they let me "attempt" breastfeeding. I have been pumping, and they have been giving him my milk through the feeding tube, but they encouraged at least "trying." I was more than happy to do that, and he did pretty well, especially considering it was our first time. We will continue to feed twice a day, while he still gets the milk through his tube. Hopefully, we will get the hang of this soon, and they will be able to ween him off of the feeding tube completely.

Tonight, he weighed 4 lbs, 1 oz, so he is gaining weight now, which is also great news of course!

I have been spending most of my day time with Gage and my nights sleeping at home. Josh and I had some sweet time with him this evening. I fed him and cuddled him to sleep, and then Josh "filled him in" on all of the newest sports news, literally. Please pray for continued strength for all of us.

I have truly felt the power of prayer in these past two weeks, and I cannot stress to you all enough how much your encouraging words and prayers have meant to both of us. I plan to save them all for Gage's baby book, so he will know how loved he was right from the beginning!

Great News!

I met with Gage's doctor this morning, and he decided that Gage was ready to be taken off his breathing "help" completely! He had been mostly breathing on his own, but he still had horrible wires taped to his little face and tubes on his nose, so I was VERY happy to hear this. The doctor also decided he was ready to eat, so after they successfully took him off of the oxygen help (he actually started breathing better and more easily when they took him off), he had his first feeding at 3pm. He did very well with that as well, and if this continues, the next step will be to take the feeding tube out and let ME feed him. This is our biggest prayer request at the moment. Obviously, he can't go home until he is eating well without a feeding tube, so this is our primary concern. He has progressed much more quickly than the doctors had anticipated. This is truly a blessing! Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers!!

Happy Fourth of July!

I had a great day today! I did drop down to 3 lbs
15oz, but my doctors are all saying that this is

very normal. Hopefully, they will let me eat

tomorrow, but in the meantime, they are giving

me nutrition through my IV.

I am opening my eyes and stretching lots in these pictures, so you can see how precious I am.

Don't worry about my ear--the oxygen tube makes it look silly, but it really is perfect just like the rest of me!

Thanks for praying for me. I need to get bigger, so they will let me go home!

Holding hands...

This may help you better "picture" his size. He really is so tiny, but most of his pictures make him appear bigger. At first, I could only put my hands in the incubator, so we would just hold hands...

My boys/ Gage Update

The doctor saw Gage this morning, and said he was doing better with his breathing, so he lowered his oxygen help! Praise the Lord! He is still not comfortable enough to let him start feeding though, so that is my biggest concern right now. Please pray that they will let him eat soon!!! He is down to 4lbs--the weight loss is normal--we are just hopeful that he will not go any lower. It is already draining every ouce of energy I have to watch and hold him, unable to "make him better," but it certainly makes one dependent on God.

I held him yesterday morning for two and a half hours, praying and singing to him, and I know that God is going to give me the strength I need to make it through this. Please keep us all in your prayers, especially our little Gage!

His First Kiss

This is an even better representation of that precious moment in time...

Explanation

I probably should have explained the "before he was even cleaned" picture... That was one of the only pictures we have of him before he was all "hooked up!" I love it, because this picture was taken immediately after he was born, and it represents a moment in time I will never forget. I had prepared myself for a tiny baby, likely not able to breath on his own, so you can imagine the joy I felt when I heard that beautiful baby screaming! Nothing can describe it, but that picture will always be precious to me. This picture I am posting now was also taken right after delivery. I will post some more recent pictures soon! I would appreciate your continued prayers, as he is still in the NICU and will likely be here for a few weeks.

Gage Bryant

After some tenderness in my stomach late last night, my doctor decided to deliver my little guy to avoid a potential infection. Gage Bryant was born at 2:45 am. He weighs 4lbs, 5 oz, and he is 17 inches long--an absolutely amazing size for 32 weeks! He is healthy, breathing on his own, and the most precious thing in the world! It was a rough, nauseating surgery, and early this morning, I may have even said "This will be our only child" to my husband:) However, I am doing well now, recovering quickly. I was able to hold Gage for the first time a couple of hours ago, and if I had been able, I would have held him all night. He is a miracle, as every baby is, and we are so very grateful to have our son.

As an added bonus, and many of you have probably already experienced this, I fell in love all over again with my husband as an amazing father!'

Thank you so much for your thoughts, encouraging words, and mostly for your prayers!

Still waiting...

I am going on seven days in the hospital, but my doctor told me that typically for every day I can keep baby in me is two days fewer he has to be in the NICU, so . . . I am trying to be patient and WAIT. What a task that sounds so simple yet proves to be so difficult!
The fluid around the baby is low, so they are keeping a close watch on that.
The doctors are optimistic, and so are we! Please continue to keep us in your prayers. We appreciate and covet them so much!

Unexpected Blessing!

My mom is here, cleaning my house top to bottom, and preparing the nursery, that I didn't quite get a chance to finish. Today, she came running into my hospital room with my WEDDING RING!! I lost it about two weeks after we found out I was pregnant--around Christmas, and we had counted it as "loss," after many months of searching. She found it in that tiny plastic pocket on the back of our dryer. I cannot tell you how much that has lifted my spirits. Rings can be replaced, but my wedding ring was SO special to me, and I knew that regardless, I would always miss "that" ring!
Just another blessing on this trying road!
I just came back from having a thorough ultrasound, and I am currently hooked up to the baby heart monitor. The doctor will be in shortly to discuss the results. We do know that from the ultrasound, the "estimated" weight is 4lbs 1 oz--better than we expected! Keep praying!

Rough Day

I had a rough sleepless night, and the antibiotics they had been giving me made me severly nauseated. However, I am feeling much better now, they have changed the antibiotic, and the baby is maintaining a healthy heartbeat. Praise the Lord! God has blessed us in so many unbelievable ways with insurance issues (Josh changed jobs two weeks ago), baby expenses, and so much help from family and friends. We are feeling very blessed and resting in a much higher Power to bring us all through this safely.
As an added blessing, the hospital has wireless internet, which allows Josh to work from my room, and of course enables me to keep everyone easily updated.
I cannot thank you enough for your prayers. We know without a doubt that these coveted prayers are being heard and answered!

More News!

A little change in plans came this morning, when I met with my doctor who was going to perform the c-section. He did an ultrasound and determined that the baby is "bottom down" and blocking most of the "break." This has allowed him to build up more fluid around himself, lessening the dangerous position. So, they won't let me leave the hospital, but they would like to hold off as long as possible to give the baby a better fighting chance. And as much as I hate sitting in the hospital (those of you who know me, know that this is not exactly my "cup of tea"), I would MUCH rather be sitting here, than in the NICU, feeling helpless and unable to care for my little man. The doctor says if I made it to 34 weeks, that would be great! He would love to schedule a c-section then--that is two and a half weeks from now. However, he said there is about an 80-90 percent chance that I will go into labor within a week and need to be taken to deliver via "emergency" c-section.
We are just trusting of course that the Lord knows best, and He will take care of us both. I cannot thank you enough for all of your prayers and encouraging words. To know that so many are thinking of us and praying for us is priceless, and this encouragement is allowing us to anxiously await the arrival of our precious little boy!!

PLEASE PRAY!!!!!

Yesterday (Tuesday), my water broke. I drove myself to the Kinston hospital (which is near my work and where I was planning to deliver), hoping it was a "false alarm." However, they quickly determined it was the real deal and transfered me via ambulance to Greenville, where the Neo-natal unit is capable of handling a baby so early. I am only 31 weeks, but obviously they will need to deliver. I am currently awaiting a c-section delivery tomorrow morning (Thursday, June 28). He is breech, and without the fluid cannot be moved or repositioned, so a c-section is the safest option. He will at best weigh just over three pounds, which is going to make his first few weeks very critical. Please pray that he will quickly learn to breathe and eat on his own. I have been given two doses of steroids to boost his lung development, and now that those are in me, they need to deliver quickly to avoid infection (since he no longer has a barrier).

God certainly has His hand in this, and we are optimistic that He is going to bless us with a healthy baby. Please pray that our spirits continue to stay positive and focused!

We covet your prayers at this time for the delivery of course, but more so for his quick development and recovery.

Thank you in advance!! I obviously don't know how soon I will be able to update, but I will post again as soon as I have the opportunity.

Bracelet and Bike

Laura Grace is VERY proud of her new bracelet from her dear friend , Chloe! ( I guess they would be more like "pen pals" since they have never actually met...)

She is also advancing in her bike-riding abilities quickly! I am very excited about that milestone. Each new adventure makes me all the more excited about my own little peanut, who should make his debut in about two months! Yippee!

29 weeks and counting!!

I am getting SO very anxious to meet this little guy! He's going to be an ACTIVE munchkin, judging by his present traits! So...this is me...or he, whichever way you want to look at it:)

Everything is still going well. I have one more appointment with a fetal specialist to check for any major problems with baby or placenta, and if everything is still looking healthy, he will then turn me back over to my regular Ob-Gyn, so please pray that all is well! My appt. is Tuesday!

Kiddie Pool Fun!

Isn't it amazing how nice the "kiddie" pools are these days? Amazing. Josh and I bought this pool for Xander for Kindergarten graduation. We are VERY proud of him, not simply because he graduated Kindergarten, but he is a special little guy and as brilliant as they come! We love you, buddy!

...and thanks for sharing your present with LG--she thoroughly enjoyed both the pool and the swimming lesson!

I took LG to support Xander at one of his t-ball games this week;

she was very excited about it,

and even gave him a good luck kiss

before he went to bat!

We spent last weekend at the beach, and we had a wonderful time! Shane, Theresa, and the boys were able to come play for the day on Saturday, and Laura Grace was thrilled to have her "men" there! North Carolina surely has made me a "beach bum!"

Placenta brain?!?!
I have recently been made aware of this term, and I am starting to wonder if there is some truth to it. Now, let me preface by saying that I have been very cautious not to "falsely blame" ignorant mishaps on pregnancy. I am showing very little, so the pregnancy is really not a highlight of discussion with those other than close friends and family.
I have had very few "cravings" if any, and rarely do I "use" the idea that I should have cravings to coerce my hubby into getting some ice cream for me (though I HAVE used it once or twice:). Though I have trouble getting to sleep comfortably and have to get up several times in the night, rarely do I mention it to anyone.
HOWEVER, two weeks after finding out that I was pregnant, I lost my beloved wedding ring--broke my heart and still does make me tear up when I think about it (which is every time I look at my hand). I have lost my phone, blackberry, purse, and wallet on countless occassions. I leave things everywhere, and I am constantly having to make several trips back in the house to get something before we can leave. I leave my keys hanging in the front door (defeats the purpose of locking it, by the way). I lost my camera case with a very expensive camera (gift from employer), debit card, and drivers license (rather important when you are needing to fly back home) at Disney World. Praise the Lord, it was in lost in found. We also had to have our car jumpstarted when we got back from Palm Beach, because I left LG's dvd player on.
While, before I was pregnant, I did have "blonde moments," this is entirely different. I didn't send out Christmas cards this year, I forgot some gifts until the last minute (when I am usually on the ball and ready to roll for Christmas), and twice I have let the dish water overflow in the sink, because I got sidetracked doing something else. Once we got to Palm Beach, we had to purchase a pack n play for LG, because...you guessed it. I forgot it.
Today, I either locked my keys in the car or lost them somewhere in Wal-mart. Laura Grace and I had to call her daddy for a ride back to the house, and Josh (gracious hubby that he is) is on his way here with the other set of keys, so we can go check the car and search out Wal-mart again! By the way, he is catching on quickly and did not even question my stupidity.
So, anyway, this is just a general "wonderingment" (I DO know that is not a word, but I like it). Should I be concerned, or is this a natural tendency of "placenta brain?"

I just love how sweet she looks and how well she holds her crayons! Laura Grace really loves to color!

KINDERMUSIK

I had some friends inquire about Kindermusik, so I thought I would share a little about it. It has been wonderful for Laura Grace. I am sure that the success of it with your individual child is contigent on that child's interest and even more so on the individual teacher with whom you work. Her teacher happens to be wonderful--very outgoing and friendly.
You purchase your materials at the beginning of the semester, which include cds (of the music you hear in class), books (also that you read in class), and an instrument (typically UNannoying ones:). All of these materials coordinate with that particular semester's theme, and that is obviously based on his/her age group. Each class begins with the teacher singing a "hello" song, individualizing it for each child, and always ends with the "goodbye" song, which LG sings ALL the time at home. The kids dance and sing, listen to poetry and ryhmes, have storytime with the teacher, and work on different things such as high/low, loud/quiet, long/short sounds, etc...
Obviously, this is going to be different for each age group. Laura Grace started in the 18month-3 year class when she was 14 months, and she did very well. She may not have learned very much in the beginning, but she caught up to the other kids very quickly as far as participating and learning. A couple of things to remember is that it is very involving of the parent or caregiver (some days I feel like I've just finished an aerobics class!), and it also requires outside reinforcement (at home). Singing the songs at home and listening to the music has put Laura Grace at a great advantage over those kids who clearly haven't had that.
It is fun for me too, since I don't get a LOT of adult interaction during the day, and because LG lives in a different city than I do and than where I attend church, I don't know many people in her area, so this has opened doors for meeting other children her age.
Hope that is helpful at least a little. I think it is a great learning tool.

All dressed and ready to head to Kindermusik.... I just had to post this picture!

I am a little out of order here, but I forgot to post about our wonderful trip to Disney with our dear friends, Aaron, Selena, Rese, and Evan. We had such a great time with them, especially since it had been almost TWO years since we had seen them last (at our wedding).

We stayed at a great condo with them (thanks to THEM), and had 4 day park hopper tickets (they actually had 5 day tickets and arrived a day earlier than we did). We visited Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, MGM Studios, and Epcott. It was SO FUN!

Josh and I were so blessed this past weekend. My employers, Jim and Michelle took us to Palm Beach, FL via private jet to help with Laura Grace and enjoy the holiday weekend with them! They put us up at the Four Seasons Resort, beachfront. Our room had a beautiful view of the ocean, and the weather was perfect!

I have now passed my half-way mark in my pregnancy, and I am looking forward to seeing this little guy at my next ultrasound on the 18th. The positive side of having a "complicated" pregnancy is that I get to see lots of my little man! I can't wait to have him in my arms!

Here are a couple of pictures of our Easter weekend in Florida!

Update: Just a quick note to thank everyone for your prayers. God has been very good to us--He always is, of course! The specialist ruled out any major problems, that could have been a reason for the abnormal blood counts and concluded that the problem lies in the placenta rather than the baby. I will just have to be cautious, so as not to go into labor too early, and they will likely not let me go past my due date.
And.....it's a boy!
Thanks again for your prayers and thoughtful notes! Please keep this baby boy in your prayers as apparently I haven't created the best "home" for him at the moment. I have promised him that I will make it up to him though! :)

Isn't she just precious?!?! She had beautiful long curly hair, but at twenty months, it just became unmanageable, so she got her first real hair cut. I think it is very sweet.

Pregnancy Update: I have recently had some complications--an abnormal blood test, so I will see a specialist on Wednesday. I would appreciate your prayers! I am presently at seventeen weeks, and I am already so in love with this baby!