James has been home for almost two weeks now! I'm not getting much sleep, but it sure helps to have John's mom around to help with cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the girls. Here are some updated pictures of James. The second picture is of him in his sisters' baby doll carrier - he's so little, he fits! The third picture is a family shot of us at church last Sunday. Since it was James' first time at church, when Karen asked if there were any newcomers, John held up James like Simba in The Lion King and introduced him to the congregation. It was cute!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season:

1. Our new baby boy, James Stephen
2. I was able to reach John and my mom when my water broke
3. John and my mom were able to get home quickly
4. My doctor made the wise decision to send me for an emergency c-section
5. Cy-Fair's NICU staff - doctors, nurses, and therapists
6. Cy-Fair is only ten minutes away from our house
7. Our faith in Christ, which has truly carried us through this month
8. Our friends and family, who supported us and prayed for us
9. John's perspective that the most important thing is that James knows and loves Jesus
10. James has drawn our family closer together
11. The girls' love and affection for their baby brother
12. Our moms who stayed with us this past month
13. An abundant supply of breastmilk
14. James came home on his one month birthday
15. God chose me to be James' mother! What an awesome responsibility and privilege!

One Month Old and Homecoming!

James was one month old yesterday, and we got to bring him home! While we are thankful for the NICU staff at Cy-Fair Hospital, we are thrilled that he's home with us. Our house may be a mess, but our family is together. Elisabeth and Abigail were so excited to see their baby brother. They wanted to watch and help us feed him and change him. They even wanted to stand by his bassinet and just watch him sleep. We are so blessed by their perspective on their brother.

GREAT NEWS!

James is coming home tomorrow! He has been taking all of his feedings by bottle since Tuesday, and he's been doing great. His suck and swallow have really improved, and his muscle tone is much better too. He will becoming home on his one month birthday!

We are so thankful for our doctors, nurses, and therapists at Cypress-Fairbanks Medical Center. They really have been a wonderful team to work with. We know that we couldn't have asked for better care for our little boy.

So here's another answered prayer. James will be home in time for Thanksgiving - four days earlier, in fact. Praise God!

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Carseat Test

James got to try out his carseat for the first time today. The nurses put him in it to see make sure he can tolerate being in it without his oxygen levels dropping or his heart rate slowing down. Unfortunately, his oxgyen levels did drop, so we're going to work with the PT and OT on positioning with some foam supports to see if that helps.







James' doctor also ordered his NG tube removed! He's been doing okay with his feedings, so the doctor decided to try him without it to see how he does for 48 hours. If he doesn't consistently drink at least 35 mls of breastmilk, it might have to be have put back in, but we feel fairly confident that he can do it. We so enjoyed seeing his little face without any tubes!

By the way, James is growing and putting on some weight. He now weighs 5lb 7oz!

Good News

James' doctor advanced his feedings this morning. Before this, James was taking every other feeding orally and every other feeding through the NG tube. Now he gets to try all bottles! Once he can finish all his bottles for two days in a row, he can come home. Thank God for this good news.

More Full Feedings

James has been doing well with his feedings. He's now up to four bottles a day, with the other four feedings through the NG tube. Friday he even took two full bottles in a row (3pm and 6pm). We are so proud of our little Superman! Our prayer is that he would gain enough strength to take all of his feedings orally and come home in time for Thanksgiving. We are so thankful for James and all the lessons God has taught us in these few short weeks through him. We are also thankful for everyone's prayers and support during this difficult time. Thank you!

A Glimpse into Heaven

The girls got to meet their baby brother for the first time last Saturday. They were so excited! Elisabeth couldn't stop staring at him and saying, "He's so cute!" It was exactly what our hearts needed to see. It truly was a glimpse into heaven!

A Full Feeding

James took a full feeding by bottle yesterday! His oxygen levels dropped a little during the feeding, though, so the nurse had to take the bottle out of his mouth every few sucks. We are so encouraged by this progress. To come home from the hospital, he has to be able to take all his feedings by mouth, so this is good news indeed.

We are waiting for test results for a rare syndrome. Please pray that these results would be negative. Also, the doctors have asked to meet with us for a family conference tomorrow afternoon. We are trying not to read too much into this request, but it does make us nervous. Please pray for God's peace during this time of waiting.