Computer Problems

Mommy, Daddy and I are doing just fine, however, we have been experiencing problems with somthing called a computer (whatever that is). As soon as we are back up and crawling, we will give an update on what's been happening.

Noah Is A Swinger

Noah LOVES his swing. Thanks to Jim and Nancy for letting us borrow theirs while it's not being used. Noah frequently eats lunch in the swing – you can see his NG tube connected to a syringe that holds his milk. If you scroll through the pictures fast enough, it almost looks as if he is swinging back and forth.
A big thank you also goes out to Ellie and Brody for the cool Strength Bear onesie. Noah can finally fit into it and he loves it (I know because he has yet to spit-up on it).

Rattle-N-Hum

When I was a little girl, I had a sterling silver rattle that I apparently loved (it has the dents to prove it). After Noah came home from the hospital, we got him his own silver rattle. Up until now, he has not been interested in it. Lately, however, he has been sticking his hands in his mouth...perhaps looking for a thumb. We put the rattle in his fist last night and he LOVED putting it in his mouth. Too cute!

Noah's New Kicks

On Thursday, Noah finally got his new braces. They are super cool with dinosaurs on the middle strap. He needs to wear them 23 hours a day (we can take them off for bath time) until he starts to cruise around. He doesn't mind them too much. The first night he was a bit fussy, but he is now quite used to them. It is funny to watch him kick his legs around while lying down...when he kicks one, the other leg follows.You can see Noah's black and white leads between his legs. Whenever he is asleep or in the car we plug him into an apnea monitor that records his heart rate and breathing rate. Because he cannot cry or tell us if there is a problem with his trach (plugged or fell out) the monitor makes sure he is always breathing. I love asking Kc, "Did you plug Noah in?", whenever we get in the car.

Another Trip to Los Angeles

We got up early, very early this morning and headed down south for Noah's eye procedure. We arrived at Children's Hospital Los Angeles at 5:45 a.m. and Noah was prepped for the procedure. He was NOT happy with his choice of hospital gown...it was way too big and had funny ties on the back.
The nurses took Noah back to the operating room and Dr. Song hooked electrodes to his head while lights flashed over his right eye. Dr. Song was able to determine that Noah's right eye is non-functioning. The doctor will be consulting plastic surgeons over the next few weeks to make a decision about the next course of action. We were relieved to learn, however, that Noah's left eye is doing well. Dr. Song has advised us to slowly discontinue the use of his eye drops - what a joy.
When Noah was in recovery, Kc and I were allowed to see him. He was quite sleepy but VERY happy to see us. After about an hour of waking up we were allowed to leave. We met up with my dear friend Robyn (of Team Noah shirt fame) and had a wonderful lunch full of great conversation. It was the fuel we needed for the long trip home.

Off To LA

Well...we're off to Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Noah will have the procedure done to determine if his right eye is functioning. Because we are Dr. Song's first procedure of the day, we need to be at the hospital at 5:45 a.m. That means that we're leaving home at 2:00 a.m. Wish us luck!!!

Happy Easter

We hope your day is filled with hope, joy and love...hope in our Savior who died for us, joy in the family you are surrounded by, and love of eating the ears off chocolate bunnies.

First Bath

After Noah got his casts removed, we were finally able to give him a proper bath. At first, he wasn't sure if he liked the feeling of water all over his body. After a few moments, however, the smiles began to show. He decided that bath time was pretty good...until Mom pulled out the soap and washcloth. Like most boys, he would rather play in the water than get scrubbed behind the ears.

Smoking With Daddy

Now that we're home from the hospital, and all members of the Jackson family have caught up on their sleep, life is beginning to return to "normal". One new addition to our daily routine are Noah's nebulizer treatments. We have our own portable nebulizer that administers an antibiotic mist into Noah's trach. Daddy just LOVES to spend time with his little guy!

No More Casts

Today Noah got his casts removed!!! We went to Dr. Gerardi's office early this morning and he removed Noah's casts and we got to see his legs for the first time in seven weeks. Noah did not like the sensation of people touching his feet and was not happy when I tried to wash the four weeks of grime off his legs in the doctor's office. Dr. Gerardi said that his feet look great and now we just have to keep them that way. We left the doctor's office and headed straight to Valley Orthopedic for a brace fitting. Noah will wear his "snow boarding" boots that are attached to a bar until he begins to walk. Because the braces are custom made, we will have to wait a week to get them. Until then, Noah will be cast and brace free!

Bumbo

Noah LOVES to sit in his Bumbo seat. Now that his neck is stronger and he is able to hold his head up, his Bumbo is his favorite place to be. He looks all around and smiles at us as if to say, "You people should try this sitting up thing. It's GREAT!!"

Noah reclines in his Bumbo after a hard day of eating and pooping. Pretty soon Daddy is going to have to fight him for the remote control. Will is be ESPN or Club Disney? All you Dads out there know who is going to win that fight.

We're Home!!!!!

Noah got the go ahead from the doctor this afternoon and I couldn't pack fast enough. I called Kc and told him that Noah needed more clothes and asked if he could stop by the condo to pick them up before coming up to the Hospital. He was quite disappointed that we might have to spend another night there. I packed up the car as fast as I could – it took three trips to the car to load everything up. Noah and I arrived home in enough time to unload the car and park it in the visitor parking at our condo. When Kc "stopped" by the condo we were here waiting for him. The look on his face was priceless.
He dropped his keys on the floor and said, "WE'RE HOME"! We're going to celebrate tonight with a steak dinner and plan on sleeping through the night without anyone interrupting us and coming in our room. It's a glorious sight to see my husband holding our son in our own home!!!

One More Night...Hopefully

Well...it seems as though Noah is not quite ready to go home. The Dr. came in around noon and listened to his lungs. They are still a bit raspy and probably need a bit more time to heal. Let's hope twenty-four hours is enough time to recover...Mommy and Daddy would LOVE to sleep in their own bed tomorrow night.

The Dr. also noticed a rash on his chest that she thinks is due to the detergent in the hospital blankets. Noah also has some skin irritation on his right cheek from the tape that keeps his NG tube in place. I guess my little guy has sensitive skin.

Wubba

Clifford Wubba is quite protective of his little man. He has been keeping an eye on both Noah as well as the nurses taking care of him. Wubba checks Noah's vitals every hour.
He makes sure Noah's IV placement is still good.
Wubba listens to Noah's heart and lungsand takes his temperature every three hours.
We're so fortunate to have a "guard dog" looking over Noah.

Noah was taken off oxygen at noon today and is doing OK. If all goes well tonight, we may be going home tomorrow evening. As wonderful as the accommodations are at Children's Hospital, there's no place like home!!!