Happy Thanksgiving!

The day started with Josiah sticking green playdough up his nose and a visit to the ER. Thankful for doctors! Ending with long naps. Thankful for recliners! In between lots of yummy food! Thankful for family!

No one is going to call me BOY!

My momma keeps enough bows on my head to be sure of that!


Ella has been spending a lot of time awake! {Because she was a newbie + being sick + all the meds, she pretty much spent her first 2 weeks asleep}. Her ped started her on Zantac for acid reflux - we want to make sure she eats and keeps it down so she can grow! On Friday she weighed 6lbs 4oz. She has another doc appt tomorrow.

Josiah is officially home and after a first rough day or two, he's doing well. He is SO good with Ella {almost surprising good}. He does have a hard time w/ lack of attention, especially during feedings - but overall he's content to "help".

Ella looks itty bitty in Drew's arms, but she's content there! She snuggles up and I am guessing she is going to grow up madly in love with him!

It's National Adoption Day!

Our family on Josiah's adoption day!

Debunking the Myths: The Facts about Foster Care Adoption

MYTH: There are not enough loving families available who want to adopt children from foster care.
FACT: A national survey commissioned by the Dave Foundation for Adoption and conducted by Harris Interactive in 2007 reveals that 48 million Americans have considered adoption from foster care – more so than any other form of adoption, including private adoption of an infant or international adoption. The research indicates that there are many families that are interested in foster care adoption but that more needs to be done to find ways to connect these families with waiting children. Through National Adoption Day, the Coalition puts a national spotlight on the 129,000 waiting children in foster care in the hope that more people will take steps to adopt.

MYTH: There’s too much red tape and bureaucracy involved in adopting a child from foster care.
FACT: Congress has streamlined the foster care adoption process through enactment of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. This law stipulates that children in foster care, who cannot be reunited with their birth parents, are freed for adoption and placed with permanent families as quickly as possible.

MYTH: Adopting a child from foster care is expensive.
FACT: Actually, adopting children from foster care can be virtually free. Many agencies do not charge for the services they provide to families who are adopting a child from foster care. In addition, a growing number of companies and government agencies offer adoption assistance as part of their employee benefit packages, including time off for maternity/paternity leave, financial incentives, and other benefits. Congress has also made federal tax credits available for foster care
adoptions to help offset required fees, court costs, legal and travel expenses. In 2007, the maximum federal tax credit for qualifying expenses was $11,390. Benefits such as these are enabling more families to adopt children from foster
care into their homes.

MYTH: Adoptive parents must be a modern version of Ozzie and Harriet.
FACT: Prospective adoptive parents do not have to be rich, married, own a home, or be of a certain race or age to become an adoptive parent (Nearly one-third of adoptions from foster care are by single parents). In fact, families are as diverse as the children who are available for adoption. Patience, a good sense of humor, a love of children and the commitment to be a good parent are the most important characteristics.

MYTH: All children in foster care have some kind of physical, mental or emotional handicap; that’s why they are classified as “special needs.”
FACT: The term “special needs” is somewhat misleading, because it can mean that the child is older, a minority or requires placement with his/her siblings. Whilesome children are dealing with physical or emotional concerns, they need the nurturing support only a permanent family can provide. Many children in foster care are in the “system” because their birth parents weren’t protective and nurturing caretakers— not because the children did anything wrong or because there is something wrong with them.

MYTH: State agencies may withhold information about a child’s past in order to get that child placed with a family.
FACT: State agencies are legally required to provide full, factual information about a child to any potential adoptive parents. Agencies have an invested interest in ensuring that parents have a positive experience with foster care adoption so they will continue to adopt and recommend others do the same. For children who have
physical, emotional or behavioral problems, agencies seek to provide the most comprehensive post-adoptive services available to help the children transition into their new homes.

MYTH: Families don’t receive support after the adoption is finalized.
FACT: Financial assistance does not end with the child’s placement or adoption. The vast majority of children adopted from foster care are eligible for federal or state subsidies that help offset both short-and long-term costs associated with post-adoption adjustments. Such benefits, which vary by state, commonly include monthly cash subsidies, medical assistance and social services. More information about federal and state subsidy programs is available from the National Adoption Assistance Training, Resource, and Information Network helpline at 1-800-470-6665.

MYTH: Children in foster care have too much “baggage.”
FACT: This is perhaps the biggest myth of all. Children in foster care—just like all
children—have enormous potential to thrive given love, patience and a stable environment. Just ask former U.S. Senator Ben “Nighthorse” Campbell or Minnesota Viking Dante Culpepper. They were both foster children who were adopted by caring adults.

MYTH: It’s too difficult to find information on how to adopt.
FACT: There are resources available to help potential parents take the first
step towards adopting out of foster care. For more information log on to www.NationalAdoptionDay.org or simply call 1-800-ASKDTFA.

For more information on foster care, please visit Koinonia Family Services.
For more information on National Adoption Month {& Day}, please visit National Adoption Day 2009.

Oh Brother!

Going HOME {take 2}!

Breaking out of this joint!

The NICU head nurse said we weren't allowed to come back and that they were done with free babysitting {cept I am pretty certain once the bills start rolling in we'll see that it was the most expensive baby sitting we'll ever pay for}.

No more NICU! Yay!

Getting clean!

Ahhh!

A good night sleep & snuggles with Daddy! I love home!

Out of the isolette

and into a crib she goes. After having to go back under the bili lights yesterday, Ella was removed today and then also was allowed to be put in a cradle! Yay! She can wear clothes now!

We snuck some photos for your viewing pleasure:



Momma gave Ella a bath and we wighed her ... she ranked in at 6lb 3oz ... back to birth weight!

This morning at 11am she had a voiding cystourethrogram procedure done. We learned tonight that the "non-official" results state that she passed with no issues! At this point, the hydronephrosis in her right kidney is mild and will only require observational treatment {which basically means they will watch it via renal ultrasounds to be sure it is not getting worse}.

We are praying very hard that her bili level in the morning has gone DOWN. It's yet to happen with her off the lights ... if her liver is able to regulate itself, we will be looking at the light at the end of the NICU tunnel! It's scary to think that when we arrived at the hospital a week ago her bili levels were above the standard "toxic" level!

Hoping to go home ... soon!

Reminder to self:

From 9-18-09:"While I spent a good party of yesterday pity-partying it up, asking God why I couldn’t have a normal, ordinary pregnancy … it was impressed on me that God’s glory is greater seen in the extraordinary. So, thank you Jesus for making this journey anything but ordinary!"

2 days old.

Psalm 34
1 I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
2 I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are helpless take heart.
3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
let us exalt his name together.
4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
he saved me from all my troubles.
7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
he surrounds and defends all who fear him.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
for those who fear him will have all they need.
10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

I am a week old! {& a NICU update}

I’d love to show you a photo of how cute I am, but they won’t let mommy and daddy take pics! Sometime in the last 24 hours {mommy can’t really remember when}, Daddy gave me a bath and I weighed in at 5lbs 13oz!

My dr. has decided that I will for sure be here on a 7 day treatment of antibiotics. Today began day 3. God willing my other tests are good, I think I might be able to break out of this joint! Dr. also said that my bili levels went back up {which mommy and daddy figured, since I was showing a bit of a yellow tan, again}. This morning they weren’t high enough for him to want to put me back on the lights, so we’re praying they go back down!! If they get to 13, I am back to the tanning booth! :(

I had my renal ultrasound today and my right kidney showed mild hydronephrosis. The nurse told mommy and daddy that this is not a cause for concern, and that it doesn’t really play a role in this game. Mommy mentioned she heard that it basically clears itself without treatment and the nurse said that was correct. She said everything else looked normal! Praise Jesus! As always, mommy and daddy are eager to talk to my dr. about this in further detail. Tonight mommy said she wishes Dr. T was still taking care of us – not that my new nurses and dr.’s are bad {actually, they are the top of the line!}, but nothing compares to Dr. T’s care!

I have another test in the next few days … a dye test which checks for blockage. That one doesn’t sound too fun to me!

Me and mommy talked daddy into leaving the hospital today to watch my biggest bro play football. I was bummed because this was supposed to be my first football game! My nana brought Josiah to the hospital and he and daddy headed to the game. I am glad my daddy got some boy time in – I hear Jay is having a hard time! My nana came with mommy to feed me and we got to snuggle! Anyway, Drew rocked the game, and was a huge star! Daddy told me all about it when he got back!

Mommy says she wants smooth sailing from here on out, with no more surprises. I can’t promise anything, but I guess I can try!

I haven't brushed my teeth in 72 hours {& other NICU ramblings}

The low down:

Over the last couple of days Ella’s bili has dropped from 24 to under 10. Yay! She’s now off the lights and no longer has to wear her super cool sunglasses! She’s more alert and looks good.However, her urine sample came back positive for bacteria. Her CBC was normal, so they were thinking the sample might have been cross-contaminated. They ran a second test to verify, and unfortunately, it came back positive as well – her urine had E.Coli in it. She’s been on antibiotics via IV for the last 24 hours, and will likely remain that way for the next 7-10 days. :( Which means NICU for another week, at the minimum.

Ella will have a renal ultrasound done {along with some other tests} to check for abnormalities. I am very curious to talk to her dr. tomorrow about this and the possibility of it having anything to do with the excess fluid. Please pray these tests come back all perfect and that there’s nothing more going on than a UTI {which likely caused the Jaundice}.

We are still able to use the family room, which is seriously smaller than my mother’s closet, but it has a bed and a door, so we are super grateful. There are only 2 of these rooms {a lot of more critical NICU babies have rooms where parents can actually room in with them, not an option for Ella}, and I am constantly hearing families asking for them … which makes me even more thankful to have a place to snooze. {Here’s where I explain why it pays off to occasionally be the crazy, hormonal mom: when we were admitted, and I was uh, bawling, a sweet lact. consultant took me under her wing, and today explained that she got us into the small room herself, and choose this room b/c we’re less likely to get kicked out of it. She’s also hooking us up with cafeteria vouchers and has been such a help in assisting with breastfeeding – I am really grateful Ella and I have had so much time to work with her! Anyway …} If another family has a critical baby and needs the room we will be asked to move out of it {and will, obviously!} but for now we LOVE that we have our tiny space of privacy. And for someone not fond of public bathrooms I have to say that I am getting pretty acclimated to living out of one.

We go to Ella every 3 hours to take her stats, change her diaper {pee and poo is weighed!}, and feed her. She’s in a NICU room w/ about 12 other babies. We sign in, scrub in, open doors with secret buttons using elbows and knees and basically get to feel we’re on Greys. We spend an average of about an hour with her and then have 2 hours to eat or sleep or try to spend some time with Jay {whose abandonment issues are not really being helped right now – sorry buddy!}. We drag ourselves around, drugged up on Visine and smile at all of the other NICU parents who look pretty much like we do {NICU parents get special badges, so we know who is who}. We're attached to pagers that are used to "call" us back anytime Ella or a nurse needs us.

The nurses are mostly awesome. And I really have a super amount of compassion for families who are required to live at the NICU for months on end. I can’t imagine!

We’re off to grab something quick to eat {happen to actually like cafeteria food – so many things to choose from!!} before our 9pm date w/ an adorable little girl!

Thank you so much for praying for us! It is so very appreciated! We fully know our girl is in the hands of an AMAZING God!

{These were taken on the day she was born. I want to share her birth story, but haven't had the chance yet, coming soon!}

First family photo - Sat. afternoon!

Monday, November 09, 2009

Ella's in the NICU

... for high billi levels. She'll probably be here at least 4 days. For now, we got into a family room so we can sleep at the hospital and breastfeed with mommy & daddy touch time every 3 hours. Please pray for her billi levels to drop and for complete healing/ health.

Thanks!

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