Chunky chunky

Today was Jaeden's third doctor's visit and he is doing very well. He is getting better and as the Doctor said...."He is Terrific!!!" He is weighing a whopping 6 lbs. 9 oz. What a chunky boy we have on our hands. His next appointment is in two weeks instead of the weekly visits. Jaeden continues to sleep well. The longest stretch we had at night was 4 hours and let me just tell you that was a real treat.

Friday, we have an appointment with the opthamologist and we hope all is well.

Here We Are!!!

Looking for us??? Word on the street is that you are missing us. I know, it's been two weeks since our last update and I'm sorry but Jaeden and I have just been having that much fun. LOL. Having him home is such joy and a lot of work at the same time. I think it was quite dilisional of me to believe that I could update the blog everyday. That is unrealistic but I will try my best to update it atleast on a weekly basis.

Sooooo, let's see.....what can we tell you about our past two weeks? He has adjusted quite well. We have gone to a few doctor's visits and the reports have been GREAT!!!! Each visit is further confirmation that Lil Man is just a true Miracle. The last visit to the pediatrician we found out that Jaeden weighed 6 lbs. He gained 9 oz. in a week and still gaining. Jaeden is a solid little boy. He eats every three hours and has been drinking 3 oz each feeding. He wakes up to eat and goes right to sleep. Daddy NEVER hears him in the middle of the night but we forgive him since he has to wake up so early in the morning to make the donuts and put the stripes on the candy canes. LOL (Muah....Love you Daddy! We appreciate you much!!)

Jaeden has had several home visits and everyone has fallen in love with him. This past Sunday, Jaeden had his first outing to visit family. He met his Nana who came to NY from Down South. It was amazing. I am very happy for the both of them. Great Grandmothers are SUPER special.

Everyone is doing great and we are having fun.

We Made It!!!

Jaeden has been home for 24 hours!!! Yay!!!

Jaeden passed his pneumogram and was able to come home without a monitor. He did very well on the ride home from the city and I must say his first night was wonderful. He is very peaceful and hardly fusses. He coos a lot and makes little noises but he does not cry. He may have cried once but that has been about it.

I think the nurses at the NICU are going to miss their "little Gibblet." But they were happy to see he has done so well and did all that he needed to do to get himself home. I thank all the doctors and nurses immensely. They were simply marvelous and if it were not for them and their impeccable bedside manner, I really don't know how I could have made it. But they are heaven sent angels, every last one of them and I thank God for them. God Bless you all!!!! Much love and many hugs!!!! We will keep you posted on his health and we will send many pictures.

Thank you to all friends and family and strangers for your well wishes and all your prayers and visits. We appreciate everything and it has and still does mean the world to us. More than we could ever begin to express in words. Thank you!!!!!

The blog will continue and pictures will still be posted.

Thanks again to everyone. Thanks to the Good Lord!!!!

Well I have to get back to changing diapers. God Bless you all! Good night for now!!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

My apologies to everyone who reads this on a regular basis. Things have been ridiculously hectic. So, let's see....where should I begin???

Well, Friday was a very big day for Jaeden. His two buddies, Annie and Kingston left the NICU to be with their families. It was bittersweet for us all. We are happy for them but we're missing them also. Now they are waitin on Jaeden to leave so that everyone can get together on the outside. It looks like this will be able to happen soon, considering that Friday, Dr. Navez informed us that Jaeden's pneumogram will begin 6 am Sunday, ending 6 am Monday. Once the test is reviewed and provided all goes well, The Jae Man will make his grand debut at home sometime this week. Since we received the news, there has been the mad dash to the laundromat, to Buy Buy Baby and Babies R Us trying to prepare for him to come home. Having been on bedrest and his arrival into the world 13 weeks early, left absolutely NO time to get things together. Once Jaeden was born, our priority was making sure we were at the hospital to see him and to be there for him as much as we could. Not to mention visits to potential pediatricians who for some reason have been giving us the run around. We've been running around like crazy people. I think, we are ok now. Don't quote me on that because I still feel like I am forgetting something.

BTW....I must let the world know that Daddy did put the cradle together all by himself and he did a great job. We all thank Uncle Nelson and Auntie Deborah for handing it down to us. We are most appreciative. Auntie Deborah...Thank you soooo much. It looks great. (wink...wink)

This has been my first time being able to get on the blog to do any kind of updates. My sincerest apologies.

Jaeden is great, he is still guzzling down 2 oz of milk and he weighs 5 lbs 3 oz. Things are great. So, my dear friends, please keep Jaeden in prayer. We pray he passes his pneumogram with flying colors as well as his car seat test which he will take tomorrow.

Unofficial word

So..today we received good news. The nurse told us that the theophylline is out of Jaeden's system and that the pneumogram will most likely be done on Sunday into Monday. Ok, a pneumogram is a 24 hour recording of heart rate, respiration and O2 Saturation. Oxygen saturation is the percentage of hemoglobin saturated with oxygen. This will evaluate Jaeden's respiratory activity to confirm that Jaeden is ok with breathing well on his own and is clear to go home. We pray that he will pass the test and then we can move on to the next test, which is the car seat test. This test also looks for stable respiratory and heartrate patterns while Jaeden is sitting up in the car seat. So it looks like we are looking at Jaeden coming home before the end of next week. Whooo hoooo!!!!!!

I say Thank you to the Doctors and the Nurses at the NICU for the unofficial word that Jaeden will be home. This is a great Birthday Gift. He is not home but the news was surely great enough to make my day!!!!

Prayer for Jaeden's friends' HEALING!!!

Dear Father, it is with a humble spirit I come before you in the name of Jesus, first to give thanks for Annie, Jaeden, Kingston, Mekhi and Tristan. They are truly a blessing from you and that is how we all hold them to our hearts. These children are a marvel and we know it is all because of you. Lord, you said if we ask anything in your name you shall do it. Heavenly Father, I ask that you heal Kingston and Mekhi from their ailments. They have had surgeries and I ask that you keep them in your care and please do not turn away from them. I know you have the perfect plan for them and I ask that your will be done, always! I ask that you watch over Annie as she has her test done in order for her to go home. Her family is ready for them to come and they are ready to end this emotional roller coaster. Please heal Annie that all may be well so she can go on home with her parents and her big brother who anxiously awaits her to get home. Please watch over Tristan and heal him. May his family be encouraged and see all the good and the possibilites for Tristan. Tristan is strong and he will overcome everything. It is my prayer that his family will believe that and know that you have full control over everything. All these families are ready for a healing and ready for deliverance from this most trying time. Father, you know my heart and while I may not have the perfect words at this time to ask of you for these babies and these families you know what they need and what they should have. I just want them to be happy, healthy and together. There is no more room for sickness. May all these families receive their healing in the name of Jesus. Father, I also pray that you will continue to watch over Jaeden. Lord, I am faithful and I know that you will bless everyone according to your plan. In Jesus name I thank you for everyone's healing. I already claim the victory for Annie, Jaeden, Kingston, Mekhi and Tristan. In Jesus name I pray..

AMEN!!!

(7-30-08 post) Getting Close

What an interesting day it was. The plans for today were to do Jaeden's laundry so I could take more clothes to him in the afternoon. Daddy had different plans for us. Unfortunately, Mr. Gibbs, Daddy that is, hurt himself. He left work early, we went to the Emergency Room and after about 3 1/2 hours and some test the diagnosis was achilles tendonitis. So now Daddy is on crutches and somewhat out of commission for a couple days.

Needless to say, after doing the laundry at 6:30 am and spending over 3 hours in the ER, I was Whuppped!!!!! We opted to go to sleep for a few hours before we going into the city to see Jaeden and possibly make it for his 10 o'clock feeding. 8 o'clock came around but I was working in SLOW motion. We did, however, make it in right on time for Jaeden's 10 o'clock feeding and let me just say that the little man is not so little and surely was ready to eat. It was our first time hearing Jaeden cry because he wanted to be fed. Daddy held him for a few minutes while I prepared his bottle and all of a sudden we realized the he stopped crying. Of course, when I turn back to find out what had him so intrigued to take his focus away from eating, I see this little one with his thumb in his mouth and his lips just going. I know you saw the picture of him sucking his thumb so I guess it is official. Jaeden has discovered his fingers and he will be a thumb sucker. I suppose I can let him get away with it...FOR NOW!!! ;-)

The Big news is that....

JAEDEN IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!

All the signs show that he is a healthy little boy. He is a preemie but he is a soldier who has been fighting to beat all the odds and we can say that he definitely has. He is getting really close to being home and we are all so excited. We are just beside ourselves as his discharge day arrives. We don't have an exact day, but at the rate that Jaeden is going it is around the corner. He is drinking 2 oz (60 cc's) of milk now and is just a few grams shy of 5 lbs. It doesn't get any better than that. Well, actually, his arrival home will be priceless, but we are loving all the progress he has made and continues to make. I left my camera home, but you can see the tremendous difference in him instantly. You can see the weight on him and he is just a completely different baby. Jaeden did forgive us for not going during the day. We explained the whole deal to him and after seeing us during the night shift, I think we made it up to him. ;-)

Thank You Father!!

Isaiah 63:7 - I will tell of the kindness of the Lord,

the deeds for which he is to be praised,

according to all the Lord has done for us -

yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel,

according to his compassion and many kindnesses.

***********************************************************************************

Jaeden is holding on strong. He is in great spirits and seems to be doing very well post circumcision. It will take about a week for him to heal completely but he is recovering and doing great. His feeds are between 45 and 50 cc's and his weight is 4 lbs. 14 oz. Can you say "5 lbs is around the corner?" Go Jaeden! Go Jaeden! We are waiting for the Theophylline to get out his system so we can see how he will perform without the medication. We will be home very soon. I have no doubts. Daddy fed Jaeden again today and got a real good and loud burp out of him. Daddy was very excited.

Jaeden is going on his eighth week in the NICU. It has been very trying on our spirits but our faith has always remained very Strong. Prayer changes things! God is truly the Great Healer. He is indeed a miracle worker. To see Jaeden now and remember how we started, there is no doubt that God has the perfect plan and he is in charge. As I see each accomplishment Jaeden makes, and all the steps he has taken forward there is no way that I could waver or believe that the Good Lord did not have a hand in his healing.

From day one things could have played out totally different. Jaeden has undergone three blood transfusions. He has been on and off phototherapy. He had a central line for a series of IV's. He has overcome so much by leaps and bounds. Every time a nurse said it would take time for Mr. Gibbs to do X Y and Z, Jaeden turned around and proved everyone wrong.

The biggest concern my husband and I have had regarding Jaeden was the IVH. (Intraventricular Hemmoraghe -Stage II). This has been monitored via head ultrasounds on a regular basis. Every week, I would dreadfully ask about the ultrasound hoping for the best knowing there would be a possibility to hear the worst. Week after week, we went through this and today we received the best news confirming that God is AWESOME!!!!! and he alone is worthy of all the praise!!!! The clot in Jaeden's brain HAS COMPLETELY RESOLVED ITSELF!!!!!! IT IS GONE!!!!! YES, you read that correctly.......There is no more IVH. Is that a miracle or what.

My Jaeden is truly a miracle child and we owe it all to God!!!

We are happy and truly thankful.

Recovering

The day started off rather great. Jaeden is 4 lbs 12 oz. and still drinking 50 cc's of breastmilk and holding it down. Sleeping, eating, pooping is pretty much the normal routine of the day. The last dose of theophylline was 6 am this morning. Now we shall wait a few days for it to get out of his system and pray to God that all continues to go well and that he will breathe on his own without medication with NO problems or causes for concern.

This evening Jaeden was circumcised and now he is recovering. He seems to be ok for now and all is well. The procedure was quick and over before you knew it. It is heartwrenching for me because I was not there for him today. Kiara's Girl Scouts had family swimming day so that is where I was with her and Tyler. The girls had a ball which is great. We will be sure to get to Jaeden as early as we can tomorrow. Daddy, however, was with Jae and definitely was stressed. I think he felt the pain more so than Jae. Daddy told me that Jaeden consoled him more than he consoled Jaeden. They had their bonding time. Daddy held him, fed him, burped him and put him to sleep. They had their eye contact and their quality time. How SPECIAL!!!!!! Awwww! Jaeden continues to recover and I trust he will be just fine.

Please keep praying with us!!

Running Things

NEWS FLASH FOLKS!!!

Jaeden is the official ring leader of the NICU Step Down Room. He has announced that no one can leave until he is all set to go. Tomorrow, they take him off the theopyhlline and he needs his support system close by to root him on. Sorry Annie, Kingston and his twin Collins girls. It looks like Ramnarine may get away but that's ok. We wish him all the best and hope he and his family go in great health. We will continue to keep them in our prayers.

Jaeden's feeds are going well. We made it in for his 4 o'clock feed and he guzzled down 50 cc's like a champ. His weight for today was 4 lbs 10 oz which means he is gaining the weight even now without having to be on the special care formula, so that is awesome. His diaper rash is getting better. He's a little cutie patootie. We love him lots and cannot wait to take him home.

For those of you reading this, please keep Jaeden in your prayers and will him to do phenomenally well as he comes off his theophylline. It will take a few days for it to get out of his system and for us to really get to see how well he really breathes on his own. We know that Annie, Kingston and the Collins girls has his back as he does theirs. He really wants everyone to be able to go home. He just needs a little support this week. We hope that you don't think he's being selfish. Lo siento mucho! (So Sorry!!)

So Much Love

Oh what a wonderful day. Jaeden was on his best behavior. He is eating almost 50 cc's of breastmilk only. They took him off the special care formula since he is now weighing 4 lbs 9 oz. He is three quarters of the way to getting himself home. EXCITING...EXCITING...EXCITING!!!

What is even more exciting is that Daddy took Jaeden's temperature, changed his poopie diaper, fed and burped him today. No folks, I don't think you understand. Daddy, did this all by himself. I think that is rather impressive. He made us very proud. Go Daddy! Go Daddy!! Daddy Gibbs certainly was the talk of the NICU this evening. He made us moms, the nurses and Jaeden very proud.

Jaeden had a whole bunch of visitors today. The love was definitely overwhelming and Jaeden must have known that special trips were made from far away just for him because he did try to be a trooper to open his eyes and keep them open for almost everyone. He tried and did very well. Apologies for those who didn't get to see him with his eyes open. A preemie must get all the sleep they can so they can grow and get stronger. ;-)

Ms. Arlanna, Jaeden said the next time you come he will open his eyes just for you. Nick was lucky today, but he will make it up to Arlanna which will be when he gets home. Jaeden was very happy to meet you both. He did tell me that. ;-)

A very special thank you goes to Jaeden's God Parents from Maryland. They drove (car accident and all) here last night just to see Jaeden today. Jaeden opened his eyes for God Daddy Steve and I just knew that God Mommy Erica would take that up with Jaeden since he didn't open his eyes for her, but we let her hold Jaeden for a little while so I think they're cool now. ;-) No hard feelings. Jaeden fought to stay awake for Nashawn and Domenisha and they were able to see him. ( I sure hoped I spelled your names right. I'm so sorry if I didn't)

God Mommy and God Daddy: THANK YOU for all the gifts. We will definitely take pictures and post them up for you to see, so stay tuned. We love you guys very much. Thanks again!!!

It means the world to Arthur and I when folks come to visit Jaeden. It feels good that you all would take time out your day/weekend and not find it robbery to come and sit for just a few minutes with him. It touches us greatly and we are very thankful to you. We love you for it!!

Just another day in the neighborhood

Today was great. I was able to spend a lot more time with Jaeden. I bottlefed him three times today and he was simply wonderful. His feeds increased to 40 cc's and then decided that they would give him whatever he wanted to drink after that. The 10 o'clock wasn't so successful because the little man preferred to sleep rather than eat. He did give me a hard time with that one but it was all good.

All of Jaeden's vitals are great. He continues to behave very well and he's enjoying his company. The Three Muskateers are hanging tough in the special care unit. (Annie, Jaeden and Kingston) I truly believe that they do not want to leave until they can all leave at the same time. They have their own plans and they are bigger plans that what the parents have in mind. Hmmph! So there!

Bottoms Up

Overall, Jaeden continues to be overwhelmingly well. Everything pretty much remains the same. Not much change. Somehow, Jaeden developed a rash on his bottom and has been prescribed an ointment. (Nystatin) This will now go on for about another week. I suppose, in the grand scheme of things, compared to the more serious things Jaeden has had to overcome, this is a walk in the park.

Today was his follow up eye exam and all appears to be going well. Jaeden is a preemie so his eyes are not fully developed but things are going as they should and he will still need more follow ups to make sure things continue to develop as they should.

Today Jaeden is officially 35 weeks gestation and tomorrow he will be 7 weeks old. I still cannot believe it has been 7 weeks. Sheesh! It actually went by quick. We have about 2 more to go.

Bring on those bottles

Once again, Jaeden insists on emphasizing who IS the BOSS. We went from one bottle per shift to now being fed ONLY by bottle. Jaeden has been fed by bottle since 4 o'clock yesterday. The tube came out his nose, so the only way he can eat is by bottle. So far so good. And hopefully the same will hold true tonight as well.

Jaeden is looking remarkably well. He is showing off and is really acting like a big boy. His weight is up 2 grams. While it is not much, every little bit counts.

Today, is Daddy's Birthday and Jaeden gave him a few smiles and we believe he said Happy Birthday Daddy! At least that is what we're going with. We are sticking to that. Right Jae? ;-)