It's Monday. What a day. Today Justin started the Army recruiting. After today he knows that is not the job for him. Luckily he only has to do it for a few days. I spent the morning holding Jackson. It was a nice time together. His eyes are starting to lighten up. They are not so dilated anymore. Some of the doctor's that work with Doctor Hefner(his head doctor) came by to check on Jackson. They measured his head and said everything looked OK.
Jackson will go up to full feeds tonight. Which is 8 ccs of milk every hour. He is still on continuous feeds. As long as he continues to tolerate everything, they will begin to introduce the bottle to him sometime this week. More than likely they will have to move his feeding tube and have it going through his nose instead of directly through his mouth.
Last night when they weighted Jackson he weighed in at 3 pounds 3 ounces. Nearly up to 4 ounces. They also saw how tall he is now. He is now 15 and half inches long. He has grown 2 inches!
They did take Jackson off the triple mix last night. So that meant they were able to take the PCVC out of his leg. They did insert another IV in his arm to give him his antibiotics that he is only on for a few more days. After that he will only have to deal with his feeding tube. Hopefully that wont be around for to much longer.

Nothing big to report on Jackson. He is still growing and impressing us in new ways everyday. They have started adding formula to the breast milk. They need to add more calories and calcium to his diet. They want to him to really start growing now, that is a big focus right now. He was growing just fine before, but now that he has overcome the big obstacles that is the one thing to focus on now. We will all be so glad when he can get his feeding tube out. Most of all I know Jackson will be glad to have it out. Last night when we went in to say good night and pray over him, he had his feeding tube pulled out and was he was just chillin like the world was just perfect. The nurses were quick to put it back down his throat once I pointed it out. He has got to keep getting his food.
Justin finally changed his first Jackson diaper today. That was so much fun to watch. The nurses especially get a kick out of watching us.

weight gain

Jackson weighed in tonight at just over 2 pounds 14 ounces!!! He is just growing! Here is some more fun video of Jackson and some of his Valentine pictures. I hope you enjoy!

I know that it has been a few days since my last post. Justin and I have had some readjusting to do since we have moved into the hospitality house. Things are good though. Jackson has been doing wonderfully. He is a little sick right now. They had to put him back on the high flow nasal cannula. He has the same little infection that he had a few weeks ago. Today they gave Jackson a blood transfusion of 16 cc's to help oxygenate his blood.

They have started dressing him now. He is pretty much able to regulate his temperature so they have they have the temperature sticker off of him. If he was going to stay here and not be transported to AZ they would be taking his PCVC out. That is his main IV line. His Triple Mix goes in there. They would have him off his Triple mix and all other fluids if we were not transporting him. They have to keep all of that in for transportation; in case something happens.

Justin and I are good. Justin reports at the end of this week to the recruiters office to do so work for them for a few days. And I am just hanging out.
I do have a fun story about Jackson. Today when I was changing his poopey diaper, I wiped his bottom and GUSH, more poopey just shot out everywhere! All of his blanket. It was quite funny for us, especially the nurses watching us clean it up. I could tell Jackson loved every minute of it. He just kept his eyes wide open during all of the commotion and was so alert for a very long time afterward. He is so wonderful!

All by myself!

Jackson is breathing all by himself now!! No more High Flow Nasal Canula. He is breathing with absoulutly no help at all!! No extra oxygen flowing by his nose! Jackson is such a fighter! All we need to worry about now is getting him to digest his food properly. He is down to 3 cc's of breast milk at each feeding. He is having BM's and passing urine. Just not digesting the food. They may have to take his feeding tube and bypass his stomach and take it straight to his intestine. There is also a medicine that they can try that might help get the food to digest the way it is suppose to.

Jackson is still doing well from having the VAD implanted in his`scalp. The surgery site looks fantastic. I did find out that the stitches are not the dissolveable ones the we have all come to know and love. I am not sure when they will remove the stitches. This Monday the 9th they will do another cranial ultrasound to decide when to start using the VAD.
Since the surgery Jackson has started not digesting his all the way. No one is worried about it though. The plan is to keep pressing forward with his feedings. He pooping real well. Yesterday he had to great ones!
Justin made it back to North Caroline yesterday. We went straight to the hospital after picking him up at the airport. Nurse Leslie was expecting us so she had Jackson all ready to be held. Its so nice to be back together.
Jackson is doing so well. He will be in the progressive unit before we know it!

Eyes wide open

Today was a good day with Jackson. He is recovering well from his surgery yesterday. They are allready starting to wing him off the ventalator. He is such a strong fighter!!
After lunch time he really started waking up. He was holding his eyes open for long periods of time. It was so nice to hold his hand and just stare at each other today. I just love that little person so much!
Justin comes back on Saturday!!!

VAD

Yesterday the 4th of February, I received a phone call at 10:30am from John, one of Jackson Nurse Practitioners saying that results from Jackson's last Cranial Ultrasound showed a lot of fluid that needed to be taken care of immediately. So, yesterday afternoon they inserted the VAD in Jackson's little head. The procedure itself only took 15-20 minutes. Everything went pretty well. When the doctor was cutting the skin on his scalp it tore just a little bit. So that may make the healing process a bit more difficult.
The doctor was able to pull 23 cc's of fluid of of his brain. Amazing huh! Even with the swelling from the surgery, I could tell a difference! I am so happy that we have this technology.
They will do another cranial ultrasound this coming Monday to check the fluid. That will determine when they will begin using the VAD to draw fluid off.
It is looking like Justin will be here on Saturday!

2 pounds;3 ounces and some change

Jackson weighed in tonight just over 2 lbs 3 ounces. He is gaining that weight. I am so proud of him. We still have not gotten the results from the cranial ultrasound that they finally got to this morning. His nurse Leslie said that she saw a lot of fluid still and from her experience they will want to put the VAD in, and more than likely have it in by the end of week. I know it needs to be done, but I just wish Justin was here when they go to do it. I really need his shoulder right now.
Over all Jackson had another good day. Tonight after shift change when Mandy took over his care I just held his hand and we gazed at each other for good while. I just love it when Jackson just stares at me. Something funny, when Mandy changed his diaper, Jackson decided to pee out the side of his diaper and caused Mandy to have to change his blankets. Poor Jackson, he just cant help that those diapers are to big for his tiny body.
Justin went and looked at a house this afternoon. I am waiting patiently to see the pictures of it. Hopefully we will know something in the next day or so about when he will be comming back to NC. I really need him here!

Busy day in the NICU

Today was a very busy in the NICU. When Lori and I arrived shortly after lunch to see Jackson,I signed in, washed up and started back through to doors to Jackson's nursery to be told by a nurse that the nursery was closed. The reception desk did not inform me of this so I was a bit disappointed. I was all washed up and prepared to see Jackson just to be told I could not see him at that time. It was nearly 2 hours later when I finally got to see him.
Once I got back there there was so much commotion going on I was unable to hold Jackson. At shift change we went down stairs and had some dinner. After shift change Mandy was Jackson nurse tonight. I was able to hold Jackson for about an hour when all of a sudden the baby right across the way started to crash. It was pretty scary. This was a new baby who had a lot heart problems and with that had more tubes coming out of his tiny body than I thought possible. Once all of that excitement began, the nurses took Jackson from me and asked me to leave the nursery. Nearly an hour later I called and they were still trying to recover that baby. Justin called about an hour after that and no one answered the phone.
With all of the commotion, I left my camera in the rocking chair I was using and then with out thinking I left Jackson dirty blanket bag in the waiting room. I sure hope it gets turned in and I can get it back.
Jackson had a good day today. He is getting 5cc 's of milk each time they feed him. Very exciting! His LP was good today. They pulled 3cc's of fluid out and the color is lighting up. They never did get his cranial ultrasound done today like they were suppose to. Nurse Mandy was going to be looking into that tonight. Jackson was not the only baby who did not get there ultrasound done today that was suppose to.

Weight Gain!

Jackson is officially over the two pound mark. He is weighing 2 pounds 2 ounces! We are all so excited about that! Today I got to the hospital around 3pm. His temperature was a little low so I could not hold him until he warmed up. So around 4pm he had warmed up enough for me to hold. I held him for about an hour "kangaroo" style. I fall more and more in love with him each time I am with him.
The lumbar puncture was not successful today. It breaks my heart to pieces knowing that. He went through that pain for nothing. Other than that he had a pretty restful day. Nothing major. No d-stating.
Tomorrow is a big day. He will have his Cranial Ultrasound. The doctors should make the decision on the VAD.
I will also be putting together a Red Cross message to send to Justin's new command. They will need that to get him back here in North Carolina. I have also talked to Justin and my mother in law about the possibility of getting my dogs here from Texas. Even though there are already 6 dogs living here, I really need my girls. I miss my Baily girl so much. I really think having her with me would help with some of the pain I have.
Tuesday I go in for another blood draw to check my kidneys. Being as sick as I was has caused some more damage to my kidney's. My creatine is staying at a 1.1. So, we will see what the doctors have to say.
Please continue to pray for our strength, both physically and spiritually. Especially for Justin, he has to be strong for me and Jackson.
One thing I am excited about for tomorrow are the rings that Justin ordered us are in. He got us matching white gold bands with Jackson's birthday,initials and Heb: 13:5 engraved on the inside.
"Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you"