1st doctor visit today!

We just got home from our first doctor visit today and everything went great! Hudson is on track and in the 90th percentile for his size (compared to other preemies at this stage). He weighs 5lbs 7oz and is 19in long! The doctor said he is developing (perfectly) and gave us a good report! Today is his 4 week birthday and Thursday he will be 1 month old! I can't believe it's already been a month.

We still can't believe that he's technically still supposed to be in my stomach for 3 more weeks! I think the hardest part about being home, isn't the constant feedings or diaper changes or trying to figure out why he's crying, or finding time to do things... it's actually been trying to relax and not obsess over every little hiccup or cough. I didn't realize how paranoid we were since leaving the NICU. We learned so much, but at the same time, maybe relied on it a little too much. Hudson's doctor was great and reassured me that everything you need to know to raise a baby, you already know. He said there are so many people out there that didn't go through training or read all the "What to expect..." books, and they raise kids and do just fine with it. He encouraged us to pay more attention to Hudson instead of all the research and advice people give. I was happy to hear someone finally tell us that we can relax and just enjoy raising him.

Everything else is going great too! I'm still waiting for it to get really crazy like everyone says it will be. Today was my first time to take him somewhere by myself so I was a little nervous, but we didn't have one problem!

I can't wait until a few more weeks when we can bring him out to meet everyone!

Glad to be home

Well we've been home 2 days and things are going great! Even though it was hard having him away from us for the first 3 weeks of his life, there were some advantages to it. He is already on a schedule and his cord fell off at the hospital-so we didn't have to mess with that. One thing I'm really thankful for is that we got to learn how to take care of him and what to look for while he was still at the hospital and how to handle certain situations, like changing a diaper while avoiding being squirted ;) and how to read him and know his different cries. I feel like we came home so much more prepared than most first time parents.

His first night home he did great. His best sleeping times are about 5-6am to 9-10am. Last night we went to bed at 1 and slept until 10am with only getting up once to feed.

Right now it's really hard because I want everyone to get to meet him, however since he's gone through so much with the infection and everything else, he's that much more prone to infections. The nurses told me when we left with him that if he gets sick, don't worry about calling the pediatrician, just take him straight to Le Bonheur. So needless to say, I've been a little anal about germs... which is a first in my life.

We're glad things are starting to get back to normal... well, normal + a baby. Blake has started school and football. He's teaching 2 new subjects-Personal Finance and Economics... which is right down his alley. And as for now, Hudson and I are just chillin' at the house, eating and sleeping... trying to avoid getting sick.

Thanks again for all the support and prayers, he is doing better than we could have hoped. I know things will get harder as he gets older, but right now we feel really blessed to have him home and healthy.

Hudson is finally home!

We said out long-awaited goodbyes to Baptist Women's Hospital and got to bring the little man home today :)

He is doing great and sleeping a lot!

Here are some pictures from his first day home:

Sleepin' like a baby

Lexi figuring things out. (For those of you curious to how Lexi is doing with him, she took one curious look to him and then just went back to normal. She really acts like he's not even here.)

This shows how little he really is.

Blake getting him ready to leave!

Ready to go!

1 more day.

This morning Hudson's lab work came back and showed he did need a blood transfusion. He received that this morning and the doctor said that should do the trick as far as getting his levels back to where they should be. More than likely this was a one time thing and he won't need another one.

The doctor said they have to keep him for 24 hours after they do a blood transfusion, but to plan on him for sure coming home Wednesday morning. So I guess THIS will be our last night of a full night's sleep for awhile.

I will post pictures soon, and looking forward to updating his coming home pictures too!

T minus 1 day and couting... (we think)

Well, it's always something. The latest report is that tomorrow SHOULD be the day Hudson comes home. He had a test run this morning that showed that his red blood count was low. They think this could be from his infection and they want to make sure he is producing enough red blood cells now to compensate for the loss. They will run a test tonight that will show if he is producing enough, and if he is not, then they will give him blood tonight or tomorrow. If they have to do that, it will set him back one more day. Ugh! It seems like he will never be home.

He met with an Endocrinologist this evening because some of his adrenal levels were elevated, but he didn't think it was anything to worry about. He said he will have his pediatrician run some tests at his first check up to see if it's still elevated then.

Other than that, Hudson is doing great! When you look at him you'd never know all this was going on. He looks perfectly healthy and happy. He's a very content baby. All the nurses call him a "thinker" because he always has this serious look... like he's solving all the world's problems in his head.

Here is a picture from today. Hopefully from his last day in the hospital.

Just waiting for the call...

So today marks 24 hours since Hudson has been consistently taking a bottle. We're hoping we get to take him home today!

He has done great with his feedings. The nurses figured out that he likes to burp... a lot! He weighs 4-13... 2oz heavier than when he was born!

He's getting so big! Here's a video from yesterday.

I will hopefully update more when I hear from the doctor!

Sorry it's been a few days since the last update. There's nothing terribly new to report. Hudson is still doing great and getting very close to coming home! He has 2 days left of his antibiotic and he's feeding good. They need him to stay consistent with his feedings for a day or 2 before they will discharge him.

I will update again soon, hopefully with the news of him coming home!

Here are a couple of the latest pictures with Dad and Nana.

A nice surprise!

Ok it's been a long day, so I'm going to keep this entry short and sweet!

While we were visiting Hudson for his 1:00 check, I asked his nurse how he was doing and she said that he was doing great and that the doctor was debating on whether to start his feedings today or not. Originally they had told us that he wouldn't start back his feedings for at least another week! So about 10 minutes later, the doctor came in and told us that he was going to start his feedings today! So he will continue with his feedings while finishing his antibiotic. I think at this point they are watching his feedings more than anything. They started him out slow to make sure his stomach is tolerating it well... and so far he's had 3 feedings and done great with all of them.

I have been told that he wouldn't go home on the antibiotic, but then I have been told too that they can be sent home with an antibiotic as long as they are feeding well. I'm not really sure what this will do to his already estimated arrival, but it sounds like it's for the better!

I'll try and upload more picture and/or videos soon!

Thanks!

Happy 2 week Birthday, Huddy!

Today is Hudson's 2 week birthday and it was about this time 2 weeks ago when we first got to meet him!

When we went to see him tonight, he just looked so happy. The nurses say he's doing very well. If we are ever there when he needs a diaper change, the nurses will let us do it, just because at this point, any interaction with him is better than nothing! So Blake and I tag-teamed it... I changed the diaper while he held all his cords and wires out of the way, and while I'm trying to take my time and be careful, of course Hudson decides to tinkle all over himself. The nurse just laughed... I'm sure they see that all the time. I better get used to it!

I feel like depending on the nurse or doctor we ask, we always get different estimates when we ask questions. When I was asking the nurse tonight, she was actually looking at his chart to see the specifics and she said he will be on the antibiotic 6 more days, then on the 7th day they will start back his feedings. She said they will start him back with just a little bit of milk and if his stomach doesn't handle it well, then they will test for scarring in his intestines, however if he does handle it well, they will bump him up some more. If he does well with the next feeding, then they will start to increase the amount of his feedings more rapidly. She said if he feeds well and there are no more problems... best case scenario, he could possible come home in a week and half.

So that's what we are praying for! We want him home, with us, as soon as possible! She also said he wasn't a fussy baby and that the last 10 days, he has pretty much slept through the night. I hope that will be the case once he come home!

Here are some pictures from tonight!

First Bath

Sweet Hudson had his first bath today. According to the nurses, he loved it. He would go from a serious, "I don't know what's happening" look to a happy smile. You could tell he felt so much better after having his first bath in 2 weeks!

There really isn't any more information about his infection. It's basically a waiting game now. They want to make sure his stomach is completely rested and healed before they try to feed him. After that, they will make sure there is no scarring, then once he is consistently feeding again, he's good to go!

Here a some recent pictures from today :)

This was him sound asleep with his uncle Beau.

Uncle Beau holding him for the first time.

Taking in his first bath experience

I think he looks like a little monkey in this one... (of course a cute monkey)

I caught the end of a smile

This is "The Hudson Look"... he looks like he's thinking really hard all the time.

Enjoy!

Happy Boy

Hudson is feeling better and better by the hour. His stomach has gone down a lot and his bodily functions have pretty much returned to normal. They had a suction tube down his throat to constantly suction out any stomach acid. He did not like that at all and would chew on it and try and pull it out. They finally took that out today and he instantly felt better. He smiled the biggest smile right after they took it out.

It's so funny how much personality he has at such an early age. He seems to be a happy baby, especially in spite of everything that he has been through. Whenever I go up there and he isn't asleep, he's just laying there looking around, not making a noise... like he's just laying there patiently. There's only been one time where I heard him really cry. Other than that, he'll just whimper a bit.

His antibiotics seem to be controlling the infection well. They will continue taking x-rays and monitoring him to make sure he stays on track. It is very frustrating knowing that he might have been home already if there had been better precautions taken by the nurses to prevent cross contamination from other babies in the NICU. All in all, it could have been worse, and we just pray that there is no permanent damage to his intestines. Once they resume his feedings, they will watch to see if he relapses, and if so, it could mean that he has scarring in his intestines from the infection. If that is the case, then he would have to have surgery to remove the scarred sections. But we pray that is not the case.

Here is a video from today of our happy little boy:

Diagnosed!

We got some test results back and Hudson has "Clostridium Difficile". This is a bacterial infection that results in inflammation of the colon. It releases toxins in his body that causes damage to the gut wall. They adjusted his antibiotics and will keep him off his feedings for about 2 more weeks. When they resume his feedings, they will do so slowly to make sure that there isn't any scarring in his intestines. 

The doctor said that he's not sure what could have caused it, but from what I've learned about it, most people who are exposed to the infection, catch it during a hospital stay. So, more than likely, he caught it from the NICU. 

He is steadily feeling better and showing signs of improvement. We will continue to update on his condition and pray that the infection didn't cause any scarring to his colon or intestines. 

Goodnight to all!

Improving!

Hudson is doing better this morning. His color is looking better, more pink than yellow. His stomach was swollen yesterday, but it has gone down a bit. He is more alert and less fussy, so he seems to be more comfortable. So all in all, we still don't know what is causing it, but the antibiotics seem to be working.

They put a PIC Line in his arm, which is basically a catheter that they will use instead of a standard IV. It will protect his arm better since he will be getting so many fluids through it.

They haven't been able to send off for a couple of tests that they wanted to do because they require stool samples and all of his soak into his diaper, so they have been unable to get enough to send off until this morning. He decided to go #2 while his nurse was changing him, so she was able to get a sample to send off. I never thought I'd be happy that our soon pooped on his nurse, but oh well! Haha.

Best case scenario is that this is in fact a virus or infection and that the antibiotics have already started working and that it will be cleared up in 5-7 days. Then, it might be a week and 1/2 - 2 weeks before he comes home. The doctors have not officially called it this yet, but all the nurses I've talked to seem to think this is what it is.

Thanks for all the prayers, we have no doubt that is why is he doing so much better. I will update more as things change.

:)

Looking better...

We're closing in on a long day. All in all, things are looking better. They still won't know anything for sure for a few more days, but it seems like he's responding well to the antibiotics. His nurse said he's been sleeping better and seems to be more comfortable, which is exactly what we wanted to hear. It's one thing for him to be sick, but we just wanted him to be comfortable.

They did another round of x-rays tonight and the doctor said they didn't show any signs of NEC. I think they are leaning more towards it being a virus or infection. If that's what it is, then they will keep him on antibiotics for about a week, and then resume his feedings.

The doctor will see him again in the morning and give us another update.

Goodnight!

Tests

We just got back from visiting Huddy and he seems to be doing a little better. We spoke to the doctor today and he's not sure yet what is causing his illness. They are running several tests to narrow down what it might be. The best estimate that the doctor could give us was either it is an infection, virus, or a digestive issue called Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC).

Here is a website that explains more about (NEC): More About Necrotizing Enterocolitis

They have already started him on treatment. They hooked him back up to an IV and stopped his feedings. They don't want to put anything into his stomach that could irritate it more. He will get all his nutrients from the IV until everything clears up. They took x-rays this morning and the doctor said that there was no indication from the x-rays that it would be NEC, however he isn't ruling it out yet. Hudson is on 3 different antibiotics right now until they figure out which one they need to keep him on. It might take up to a few days to get all his lab work back. So if you could just pray that the antibiotics kick in so that he isn't in pain. They don't want to give him anything for pain because they are afraid it will slow down and relax his breathing too much.

Thanks for the prayers and we will update with more when we know something.

NICU - Day 10

Yesterday when I went to see Hudson, he acted really fussy. It was easy to see he wasn't feeling well. The nurses thought it could've been gas or something I had eaten that just didn't sit well with him.

I called in to check on him early this morning and the nurse had told me that the doctor checked him and that he has an infection. They have started him on 3 different antibiotics until they find out what exactly it is. He had just been moved to the NCCU which is a room that they go to to help them transition into going home, but because of the infection he had to go back to the NICU. The nurse said that this will set him back a bit on coming home since they put in an IV and aren't continuing his feedings until they know exactly what it is.

If you think about it, just pray for him. We want him to come home soon and hate to think of him being sick and up there at the hospital.

I will be sure to update with more information when we get it.

Thanks!

Little Trooper

Hudson has been in the NICU 9 days now and hopefully will be coming home very soon. It's hard for the doctors/nurses to give an estimate because every baby really is so drastically different. He has progressed very fast on every other mile marker, however I think his feedings are a little harder. He started taking a bottle very well and still is, but he can only take an ounce before he gets worn out and falls asleep. They need him to take about twice that before they can send him home. That's why they still have the feeding tube in his nose- the remainder from each feeding goes in through a tube feeding.

Other than that, he has done very well. From what the nurses tell me, he is a very alert baby and does not like to have a wet or dirty diaper!

We are very ready to have him home! If he can keep progressing on his feedings, then it might be sometime next week.

Here are a few pictures from the last couple of days!

Coming Home Soon!

Hudson is one week old today and officially a trooper!

He has been making amazing progress! He was moved to a normal crib yesterday and they are waiting for a spot in the "step down area" to open up so they can move him. They started him on a bottle yesterday morning and he wasn't interested. The nurse said sometimes it takes a while for babies to take to feedings. She said that would be what would keep him there. She even said it might be a couple of weeks before he takes to it. So that was a little discouraging.

Last night we went up there because yesterday was the first day that anyone but my parents have seen him. They had only let parents and grandparents back to the NICU up until yesterday. So Beau and a few other friends got to see him.

While we were up there, I was talking to the nurse about his feedings and she said since he didn't take to it the first time, they probably would only try once a day. I asked her if I could try and she let me. So she fixed me a bottle and helped me get started and he took to it! He drank a lot more than the nurses thought he would! He's been drinking about a tablespoon more each feeding! The nurse said if he continues like that without any problems, he could come home within 2-3 days! She did say though that sometimes babies will get started really well then have trouble with larger feedings, so she said if that happens, it could be about another week.

So that is the update, and hopefully we will be able to bring him home very soon!

First smile :)

Okay, so I just realized that I could get a little crazy with posting pictures and videos, so I'm going to try and keep it to the ones where there's actually something going on.

Hudson is still doing great! He is only on a nasal feeding tube, and they are going to try him on a bottle possibly today. If he can take to that, that will be a huge step in him coming home! He's steadily gaining weight and holding his body temperature well.

We have still only held him twice, but he loves it! The more he can accomplish on his own, the more we can hold him and have interaction with him.

Here are a couple of videos and pictures to look at...

Videos:

Hudson is doing great!

Again, words cannot describe how well it feels to be home. Everything has worked out so well. We have some amazing friends that got the nursery ready as a surprise. It looks amazing... all we have to do is add the crib! Here are some pictures! (Credit goes to Elizabeth Gordon and Grace Walker)

Elizabeth made the headboard and pillows!


Grace painted this dresser. Notice Daddy's helmet and Hudson's helmet next to it!

This is a rocking chair that Elizabeth bought, refinished and covered for me!

This is our bedding... now we're just waiting on the crib :)

As of today, if Hudson continues to progress like he has, he might get to come home in 2 weeks. They said he needs to be able to keep a stable body temperature, be able to consistently gain weight and be able to feed on his own--in order to come home. He's done great and made very swift progress. He is always impressing the nurses. Everyone keeps commenting on how big he is for a preemie. I think that is mostly because of who his daddy is :)

He is off oxygen and still on room air. They will try and wean him off of any kind of air support in the next day or 2. When he is breathing completely on his own then they can take the tubes out of his stomach and we will be able to hold him. After that point, they will also try and give him a bottle to see how well his coordination is.

Everyone in the NICU has been so nice. They are extremely packed with little babies right now, so even though normally anyone could go with us to see him, they are only asking that parents and grandparents go back. So as of right now, only my parents have got to see him. We're trying to take lots of pictures and we're starting to take more videos--those are just more fun to watch! We can visit him whenever we want, 24 hours a day. They check his vitals and assess him every nine, one and five o'clock. They also encourage us to call up there whenever we want, as many times as we would like. I have to admit, I've made a couple of 4am calls :) We've been going up there a couple of times a day. We try to make it up there around his check times since he's usually more awake then. We've only gotten to hold him once because of the tubes that are in his stomach. Those will hopefully come out very soon! If we are with him during his check times, usually we will get to change his diaper and take his temperature. We really like getting to do that since it's really the most interaction we have with him for now.

Okay, I'm going to post some videos. He's been more alert lately, and his eyes were swollen from the tubes in his nose, but that's going down now. Can't wait to see who he looks like!

Hope you enjoy these!