Deecon's First Halloween

I can't believe this is Deecon's first Halloween. When we went into the NICU today we were given a Halloween package from the nurses, with the cutest pumpkin costume. Unfortunately it was way too big for him so we brought it home to put on at a later date. It is so cute... :) So for Halloween Deecon was still a lil pumpkin, using a orange hat and booties for his costume. Cutest lil pumpkin ever:) It's funny because we had two nurses with very different opinions regarding his Halloween bedding. We would come in one day and he would have skulls and bones for his bedding and then next would be ghosts, pumpkins and cats. Deecon is having problems right now with digesting his food, feeding on and off.. so this was the first time we had seen Deecon put on his belly. It is suppose to aid in digestion and also suppose to help with lessening his oxygen requirement. We are concerned about his weight because he keeps slowly dropping his weight, his lowest reaching 1pd 3oz on Oct26th. The nurses are reassuring that he is getting enough nutrition to sustain life. So we are to be patient and give him time to grow. This week was great for small milestones... we saw Deecon suck and hold onto his own suckie for the first time by himself. It was adorable... he just loves his suckie... he looked like such a big boy holding his own suckie... :) Well now that the good firsts are over with the next one is much more scary... Deecon's doctors for the past 7 days have not heard the murmur in his heart... we have been so excited and very hopeful that the pda has closed and that we have dodged surgery. The doctor had said by the 7th day if no murmur is heard that most likely the duct is closed and shouldn't reopen. I will never forget walking in on the 7th day so happy and just waiting to hear the confirmation that the duct had closed and we were safe, but an echocardiogram today showed that the duct was open still, just a bit. It was not fully closed but we were happy he was not going to have surgery. We had to go home for the weekend and brought his sisters Anastasia and Mackenna back up to the hospital to meet him for the first time. We were so nervous but the girls handled it very well. Daddy and I noticed that he was looking very swollen and frail. Unfortunatley he had to undergo his third blood transfusion, but the girls weren't upset at all about all the tubes etc. they just thought he was the cutest baby ever. Daddy and I kept our concerns to ourselves and the day ended up to be a positive day for the girls. We returned home and I got the dreadful call from the doctor. It was a very sad day for me, I cried for Deecon's duct had blown wide open and the doctors are very concerned and told us that next week we would meet with a surgeon and surgery would be asap. Mommy and Daddy are so scared, meeting with the surgeon was stressful, there are so many things that could go wrong. On Oct28th Deecon had heart surgery to close his PDA duct. Deecon was in a fragile state so they decided to make the NICU into an operation room and perform that surgery right there in his incubator. We waited in the waiting room with Mom and Dad Brown, Tiffany and Chris... it seemed like forever... but soon the surgeon came out and relieved us that the surgery went well.. She reassured us that she did not hit his diaphram and reminded us that once he was extabated from his breathing tube we would find out if she had hit his vocal cords... the cords she explained were impossible to see so she was going in blind... I can't wait until we hear his first little cry :) Now it is time for recovery.. Good job big boy.. now let's recover and grow :)

Mommy's First time Kangarooing

Today was the best day of Mommy and Deecon's life together!!! When we went in to see Deecon, our primary nurse Diane said she thought we could kangaroo him for the first time. Brandon and I decided that I would be able to do this first and he would be blessed with the first diaper change :) I was so nervous and excited at the same time. It was scary seeing them take him out of the incubator with all those wires. It was quite the task, which took at least 3 nurses to complete. Other than a quick touch on his foot and hand, this kangaroo expeience was my first time holding my son. I was concerned about him being outside the giraffe incubator and his temperature being low since it was so humid inside. But as he lay on my bare skin snuggled into my chest I could feel the warmth and the nurse reassured me that he was warmer on me than in the incubator. He snuggled into my chest and slept peacefully for a bit then had his cute moment of awareness. It is so cute how he responds to our voices, as I kangarooed Brandon was able to touch and hold his hand. It was so adorable. Simply a priceless picture.
Studies have prooven that kangarooing is not only good for bonding between baby and parent but also Deecon's vitals improved once he was comfortable on me. He did very well for hs first time, his required oxygen level decreased as well as his heart rate slowed to a more comfortable rate as he lay on my chest synching with mine. He did not set off one alarm and the nurses were very surprised and very proud of him, but not more than his Mommy and Daddy. It was the most amazing feeling, and felt too short lived after two hours snuggling. I felt like I could watch him sleep forever, he is so little and precious. I can't believe that some hospitals don't encourage kangarooing. There are so many benefits of it. I can't wait until our next kangaroo. Actually it is Daddy's turn next to kangaroo and I am excited to take on the diaper adventure. We were told that this was a rare experience because he was doing well and that it may be awhile before Daddy was able to experience it. But today was truly an unforgetable, priceless moment so Daddy will be patient for his turn because he knows it will be so much worth it.

Deecon Wade Brown born Oct6,2008 ~ One pound 10oz

Our baby boy.. came as a big surprise to us on October 6, 2008, at just 24 weeks and 4days gestation. I didn't even realize I was in labour, until my contractions were five minutes apart. After timing my feelings of pain I then knew it was much more that just a stomach ache so at 9am it was off to my family doctor. It was funny because I thought I could drive myself LOL well just as I tried to find the car keys, I realized it was not possible. My husband drove me in a panic to the doctors. She took a quick look at me and sent me right over to the hospital. Once we were there I was greeted by rude nurse who questioned why I was there, I think she thought I was having Braxton Hicks.. I would've loved to see her face when they informed her I was in labour. At the hospital I then waited for my midwife to arrive to examine me. I can still picture her face as she looked up at us, blotchy and red. She explained in disbelief that I was already 5cm dialated and my anmiotic sac was falling out and she proceeded to rub my leg and whisper those scary words no pregnant mother wants to hear "I'm sorry but I think you are losing your baby." In disbelieve my husband and I looked at eachother as if she had spoke a different language. She then raced off to call the OBGYN on call. He eventually showed up around an hour later and examine me again. His first question was "How far along are you".. not knowing what the right answer should be I said my gestation according to my ultrasound 24 weeks and 4 days. He then went into his speech about how if I were just another couple weeks. I quickly explained that we could not really be positive of his gestation and that I would like to go to another hospital, one that could handle a preemie born at this gestation. I could see him think of what to do and then he was off trying to find a hospital that would have a bed for me and my baby if he should come today. My midwife then gave me meds to try and slow or stop the contractions as well as a shot of steroid in my butt to help the babies lungs create surfactant to assist him in breathing at this early gestation. The OBGYN after about an hour came back with the results that London, Windsor and Detroit were all full, but Hamilton would take us. Then it was a challenge to find the helicoptor and get it to Chatham as soon as possible. Unfortuneatly the earliest time was 7pm, and we were just around 5pm. The meds unfortunately did not slow or stop the contractions as I prayed they would, I was contracting now 4 minutes apart. The final option was to transport me in the ambulance but the OBGYN had to put together a medical team to accompany us in the ambulance, in case I delivered on route. This took additional time, after 6pm we were off. The ladies in the ambulance timed my contractions at 3 minutes apart and 45 seconds in length. They did this consistantly for 3 times. Then they looked at me and told me to tell them when something changed. LOL "What" I thought.. this was my first baby and we had just went to one labour and delivery class.. I didn't know what I was doing LOL not long out of Chatham did I notice that something was different and that I was feeling immense pressure. The doctors thought it was because I had not been able to empty my bladder before we left so they thought the best thing to do was to cathaderise me and empty it to hopefully relieve this pressure. I have never had this done ever in my life.. and let me tell you it was very interesting having it done for the first time in an ambulance with 5 doctors flying down the 401 going over 130km/hr. Two doctors held me open while the other doctor swayed side to side but finally it was in and effective. Unfortunately it didn't relieve my pressure but made it more intense. I remember the one lady telling me to do this one particular breathing technique, she called it something but for the life of me today I don't know what.. but she gave me an example and I imitated her.. at this time I was desperate for some relief. The OBGYN then thought he would examine me to see what had happened only to discover in a panic that I was now fully dialated. In fact my full bladder had been holding the sac and baby up and now it was emptied they fell down into place. They talked amongst themselves as I white knuckled this "holy sh@* bar" as I call it.. It was my life saver bar on the side of the ambulance wall. I owe it a lot as I gripped it throughout all my pain. They then decided as we just passed the exit to take me as an emergency to London St. Joe's. I was panicked because they said they didn't have any beds but they reassured me that they would be prepared. They called ahead to have the delivery team ready. We then did an emergency uey to fly back to the exit. The OBGYN at this time has moved up to my head and is holding my free hand and reassuring me it was going to be ok.. we were not going to deliver this baby in the ambulance. I knew I could do it because I was so determined to give my son the best start that I could, but it was challenging. I had been holding him in the push position now for over 1/2 hour and we still had to make it to the hospital. I remember they were yelling out to me land marks in London so that I knew we were getting closer. It's funny cause I wasn't familiar to London at all but it gave me something to focus on. I remember thinking as we slowed at each light.. wow does London have a lot of lights LOL .. it was like music to my ears as I heard the words "We are Here!!" They then wheeled me down on the stretcher to the delivery room.. funny thing is I can remember looking back at the ambulance driver who is rushing me down the hall and saying "are you going as fast as you can?" LOL He responded yes as I starred at the lights in the hospital ceilings fly by above. It seems like an eternity but later I found out I delievered 7minutes from the door. When we arrived at the room they had to transport me from the stretcher to the bed. Just as they told me to go straight as a board I had another contraction but I remember thinking just do it, it is almost over with.. Once on the bed the doctor said don't push yet.. Come on now I have been not pushing for almost 40 minutes by now and I am ready.. He then gave a quick check and said ok your fully dialated... REALLY...LOL The room was polluted with tons of people, the next day many of them meantioned me doing well in delivery but I didn't remember none of them. One long push and the contraction was done.. I looked at the nurse to my right and asked if I could push again even though I didn't have a contraction and she said if you think you can.. Sure can and I did and he was out with that push.. I can remember the silence.. no cry.. not much at all .. just the sound of rushing around.. Then the doctor informed me that I gave birth to my baby intact in his amniotic sac. He explained this was the best thing I could've done.. Another doctor soon after came back into the room and said "congrats on your girl"...???? I thought wait I was suppose to have a boy... I kinda of chuckled and told him no it was a boy and he went back out of the room and came back with a smile to confirm.. "congrats on your boy".... This is how my precious miracle son was born.. Welcome to the world Deecon Wade Brown..... Mommy&Daddy love you big boy.... xoxoxo