Day 2 Day Joys: Mar 27-Apr 2

Week of March 27

Sunday Best!!

We have a Easter Breakfast at the church this morning. It was delicious! Thank you to all the people who helped us pull it together and make it a success!

Sunday snuggles with my baby!

Some of the many faces of Drayden!

Keeping me company while I pump! :) What a dear!

Ryken has been working on hitting the ball with a bat more and he has improved! It's been fun to watch and to see his excitement when he gets it!!

Tuesday afternoon, we left the hospital WITH Drayden! He got to come home. His weight was up and everything else seemed to look good, so we got the go ahead! It was a wonderful - yet, scary feeling! But we are so thankful that we do not have to continue to go back and forth to the hospital! And we are excited for the kids to see Drayden again - Sorraya's first time!

We did not tell the kids we were coming home with Drayden today, because on Friday when we thought we were coming home with him, we didn't end up doing so and it was hard for the kids as we had told them he was coming home! So we figured we would just surprise them with him!

When the kids hear the garage door open, they run downstairs and sit quietly on the bench right inform of the garage door into the house and wait for whoever is coming home. Usually, when we open the door, they squeal and shot whoever's name it is that is coming in the door. Well this time, those squeal and shouts stopped quickly as they noticed there was a car seat in daddy;s hands and there WAS intact a baby in the car seat! :) They knew who it was immediately. Chris said Sorraya was shaking and twitching as she was processing all that was taking place! Ryken whispered for the first hour he was home! :) I thought it was sweet!

First family picture of our family of FIVE!!!

Snuggles in our own chair, with our own blankets and in our own house! 10x sweeter!! :)

They kept taking turns kissing Drayden and checking in on him!

Ryken asked a number of times to hold Drayden before we got around to letting him! It was fun to see his excitment about his little brother!

Raya wanted to be a big helper during the feeds! :)

It was such a nice day out today that we went out with soccer balls, ball and bat and enjoyed the time together outside. The neighbor boy came over and was hanging out, but also he shared his lady bug collection with our kids! Sorraya, very much enjoyed it!

Snuggling up sweetly!

When I was changing Drayden's bag, he squirted poo and it landed on my shirt.

For now, we have two places to watch for squirting bodily fluids on Drayden!

Ryken asked to make pictures with googily eyes! 

Ryken made a beaver and a house, while Sorraya made a bunny!

Silly girl!

Sleepy smile from Drayden!

This is when things started to look bad for Drayden and Chris and I had a feeling things weren't right. 

Aside from the many bag changes that were happening maybe every 6 hours, Drayden's feedings decreased. He wasn't eating much and that was concerning. Along with that, his output had increased tremendously. Chris was up with Drayden most the night and the output was high every time - not a good sign, especially when we knew his feeds were low. 

We knew we had an appointment with the Doc in the morning - and we were also getting help for the ostomy bags after the appointment with the Doctor - so we knew we could wait for morning. 

Well morning came and we went to lab first at 8:30 so he could get his sodium levels checked, as they had been low and we were supplementing him with sodium chloride. If you were wondering, he didn't care for little shots of salt in his mouth, but shoot, neither would I! 

After lab, we went up and met with the surgeon who wanted to just look at Drayden and see his progress and talk about the plan forward. In the morning, before we left, Drayden's bag was leaking agin and we didn't have time to change it AND we figured someone would be taking it off to look at during one of our appointments. So we just put one of Raya's size 4 diapers around his waist and called it good. haha! When the surgeon look at the bag and stoma she was laughing at how we put the diaper around. She said we MacGyvered it. Chris appreciated that as it was his idea and he likes that show! :)

So we are done with our appointment with the surgeon and are now waiting to get help from the Wound nurse about the ostomy bags. While we were waiting, we got a call from the NICU doctor that  Drayden's lab came back bad - abnormal and she wanted us to take him to get them redone. Because if they came back a second time with these bad results, that was going to be a problem. So we of course got little information, but we knew we would be re-doing labs here in a bit.

The wound nurse really helped us. She gave us a new bag to try and it is far easier to put on and to take off. We are so thankful that we received the help that we did. When we were waiting to go back to lab, Chris and I were talking about how so much stress has left and how much calmer we feel now that the bag issue seemed to be fixed - or at least MUCH better! 

Back at the lab we went and Drayden was a champ as they took blood from his arm this time, instead of just pricking his heel. Chris was concerned it was going to be a blood bath, but Drayen did so well and so did the nurses. We were thankful! 

Now back up to meet with the Doctor about the lab results. It took about 45 minutes to an hour before they were back. So we waiting in a room until she came to tell us what was going on. From the phone call from the NICU nurse it didn't make it sound like it was any good news. So we really didn't know what it could be. But when the Doctor came in, she got right to the point and said there is bad news. The bad news was that his sodium, potassium were low as well as his electrolytes. He would have to be readmitted to the hospital to get the help he needed. Honestly, we were disappointed, but at the same time, relieved that they hospital can do something to help him, where as at home, we couldn't do a thing. 

They had to prepare a bed and room for Drayden, so they said they would call us in an hour or so and let us know when it was ready for him. So Chris ran to work to finish up something that had to be done that day and I went to lunch. Drayden and I went to Smiling Moose for lunch. I got my sandwich for free! After I ordered, the lady said some people left these gift certificates that were expiring that day and they wanted them to be used on the next customer. That was me, it was such a blessing. And just another way God's hand of grace and goodness was evident during this time!!

After an hour, like they said, we got the call that room 490 was ready for Drayden! So off we went and it was a much nicer room - or at least much different than the NICU ones. It was an actual room, not just a space with a curtain to pull. There was a bathroom in each room, where as before, in the NICU, there was no bathroom, not even more the nurses and doctors. You had to leave the NICU each time to use the bathroom and then wash your hands for 2 minutes as you entered! There was also a TV and xBox in each room. We appreciated a little more privacy this time!

Relaxing on his new bed in his new room!

A tour of the room

Sleeping away!

Drayden likes his pacifier, but can't keep it in on his own!

I stayed the night the first night, and I was able to see the sunrise! It was beautiful and I was thankful! 

I don't see the sunrise very often...I am not what you call an early bird!!

Drayden turned 1 month on Friday, April 1. I am that kind of mom that I had to get his one month picture. So I brought the calendar, tape and brought the photo shoot to Drayden instead of bringing Drayden to the photoshoot. The nurse that day was sweet and helped me. We got a good one and I am so thankful for that. 

It is crazy that a month has passes already. It has been a ride, but it actually flew by. Chris and I both felt that way! We are thankful for that as well! :)

We are getting more snuggles lately, as mom and dad are gone more. :(

They sure are sweet!

We took Ryken to the Home Depot workshop again for the first Saturday in April. He was so excited to go again. He put his apron on and stuck his tape measure in his pocket! :) Such a cute kid!

He did not care to do the hammering this time, but he was excited to use the screw driver and did very well at it as well!

Raya got to come this time as well!!

Painting the wood is Ryken's favorite part! It's fun to see him take the painting so seriously! :)

And once again, he made sure to measure his finished product once it was done! ;)

It's a butterfly house!

As we left, we stopped by all the cool riding lawn mowers! 

After the excitement at Home Depot, we all went to the hospital to see Drayden!

We are so thankful that Sorraya was allowed to see Drayden in his new room!

Sorraya now likes her sunglasses! Before she wanted nothing to do with them! :)

She wears them proudly and is just too cute! :)

Celebrating the ordinary moments that make life extraordinary!!