Incarceration

We are t-minus four days and counting until Noah's B-I-G surgery and it is essential that our Little Man stay's healthy.

We had a bit of a scare last week. We took Noah into the pulmonologist because of excessive secretions, coughing, and a trach infection that simply won't go away with antibiotics. While at the office they recommended Noah have a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia.

Are you kidding me???

Pneumonia???

Our Little Man CAN NOT get pneumonia right before a surgery!!!

We have had to cancel a surgery in the past because of pneumonia, I CANNOT do that again.

Fortunately, the chest x-ray came back normal and Mr. Stinkpot is good to go...so far.

We have decided, in an effort to keep Noah as healthy as possible, that he needs to be quarantined...incarcerated...in solitary confinement...just until the surgery.

Everybody needs to have a mug shot before they are locked up.
Behind bars! Locked up!
Don't forget to take your medicine.Only a few more days before we head over to Packard Children's Hospital in Stanford. We are filled with nervous anticipation. Please keep us in your prayers.

Hooked on Pedialyte

Noah's colostomy closure surgery is today...finally. After having to postpone the surgery for seven weeks because of pneumonia, I thought this day would never come, but here it is. In order for Noah's insides to be clean, he has been on a Pedialyte only diet since Sunday. It's been a bit rough for Mr. Man, but he is taking it like a champ. We have been feeding him every two to three hours and boy does he let us know when he's hungry. The surgery is scheduled for 11:00. Please pray for the doctors and nurses as well as for Noah. Wish us luck with our hospital stay (hopefully not more than five days) as well as our first poopy diapers.

Not again

Noah was discharged Monday evening from Children's Hospital and we were all SO happy to sleep in our own beds. On Tuesday, he was a bit grumpy and uncomfortable...we chalked it up to post surgery pain. When he was even more crabby on Wednesday, Nana took him to the pediatrician. With a quick listen to Noah's lungs, Dr. Fields declared he had post-operative pneumonia. This is Noah's second battle with pneumonia – he is becoming a seasoned veteran. The antibiotics Dr. Fields has prescribed are truly doing their job and Noah is feeling MUCH better today. Even with all the drama this week has thrown at Noah, he is able to smile, tap dance, and pack on a few ounces (now that he is not vomiting, our monkey is surely going to be chunky).

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.

Breathing Better

Today has overall been a good day for Noah. Unfortunately, around 1:00 a.m. this morning the nurse discovered a blood clot in the IV in his arm. This is a fairly common occurrence but it meant that a new IV had to be started. Noah does not have "good veins" and after several attempts in his hand and arm, the nurse went for his scalp.
Daddy headed off to work, after only a few interrupted hours of sleep, while the little man and I entertained a string of visitors – Lindsay, Megan and Nana. They brought with them food and encouragement as well as helped me pass the time.

The nebulizer treatments in addition to the antibiotics have helped to clear Noah's lungs. The nurse commented that "he doesn't sound like he has rocks in his lungs anymore". Noah's pediatrician will be by later tonight to give us the results of his lung culture. Once we have the results, we will have a better idea how much longer we will be here. Hopefully tonight will be less eventful and Kc and I will get a bit more sleep. That might just be wishful thinking.

Two Months Old

Noah is two months old today. Kc and I had planned on taking Noah and Sierra to Woodward Park for a picnic. We would sit in the sun (it was supposed to be 79 degrees today), watch Sierra play with other dogs in the dog park, and enjoy a meal together. Instead, Noah woke up at 1:00 a.m. last night with severe vomiting. Because there was a bit of blood in the vomit, we headed straight to the Emergency Room at Children's Hospital.

Noah has been a bit under the weather the past three days. At first, I thought it was because of the vaccinations he received on Wednesday. By Friday, after a few cranky and cough filled days, I thought he had just caught a cold. After several tests in the ER, we found out he has RSV and pneumonia. Our little guy is quite tough – I had no idea he was so sick. He is currently on two separate antibiotics and will be monitored over the next few days. Because of the blood in his vomit, he is currently NPO (cannot eat anything) and will have further tests done. We'll keep you posted.

Kc went home briefly today to pack our suitcase – we'll be at Children's Hospital for at least three days – and brought Ryan bear for Noah's monthly picture. It's a bit challenging to take a picture of the two of them while they are lying in the bed, but here it is.Notice all the tubes and wires that Noah has again. It brings back many memories of our time in the NICU. We have been in great hands so far and hope that bringing our own pillows and down comforter will make the nights more comfortable. Wish us luck!!!