Answered Prayers

The past 24 hours have been some of the most challenging and rewarding hours of this whole ordeal with Brooks.

After his extubation yesterday, he was requiring support from CPAP to breath comfortably.  

He not only didn't like CPAP, he hated it. He hated it so much that he was inconsolable for the majority of the time on it.  So much so that in his rage he ripped out his central line in his neck.  

Thankfully, this morning the doctor agreed that we should attempt a lower oxygen support for him and the CPAP was removed. He still has support of continuous airflow but it isn't as strong as CPAP. It is tolerable for Brooks and he is more pleasant. 

Because he was sedated for so long, he is dealing with some withdrawal from the medication.

He is running a bit of a high temp and seems a bit jittery and difficult to calm. 

However, this is still a step in the right direction. 

Today he was able to be held and he even nursed!

As soon as I held him he began to root and we were both so thankful to hear that we could try eating.

He did well so the feeding tube was removed tonight.
During our first feeding, Brooks looked me right in the eye and smiled so big.  It was just what I was waiting for.

Marie, Bennett, and Daddy came this afternoon/evening.

Marie was anxious to give Brooks a box of butterflies and prayers from her classmates as well as hold her little brother.

Although this is not home, we treated our room as such. We each did our own thing pretending the hospital room was our living room. The kids colored, watched a movie, ate supper, and we went for a walk to enjoy the mild weather.

 

Aunt Keri and Uncle Paul also visited this evening. 

We can't even begin to thank all the people for prayer, calls, texts, and support. 

It is so humbling to know our little family has that many people pulling for us.

Tomorrow we are hoping that we can continue to wean the oxygen support, increase Brooks' nursing, and wean from the last few medications. 

A step forward

Today was a busy and somewhat restless day for Brooks.

He was extubated in the morning and taken off the ventilator support. 

We were all happy to see that tube leave the picture but it was scary at the same time. 

The first little while off vent support was fine but soon it was clear that he was starting to fatigue.

Little by little we added a little more oxygen support and now he is on a CPAP machine (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) to assist with breathing. It is not a vent, but a machine that gives constant flow into his nose to ease the workload for his lungs which are still recovering. 

At first he did not like the CPAP machine and was fighting the air pressure. This made his afternoon restless and a little nerve racking for Mom and Dad. 

We spent a lot of time patting his belly and rubbing his head, singing songs, and wishing we were holding him.   We are close to holding him but still need to wait for him to be more secure with his breathing.

We are feeling a bit defeated today even though this was a big step for him.
The road to recovery is not straight. It is filled with ups, downs, twists, and turns.
 We are needing to find strength in little things right now.
Because Andy was on paternity leave in January, we were able to spend extra time with the kids.
We each had one on one time with both of them.
As we sit here with Brooks, we are grateful for those moments with Marie and Bennett, and we can't wait until our moments here with Brooks are simply memories. 

Special Visitors for Brooks

Today has been a great day for Brooks.

Doctors have begun to challenge him by taking away some medications and breathing support. He is still intubated and on a ventilator but (fingers crossed) he will be extubated tomorrow or Tuesday. 

First, he has to prove that he can handle a few trials at different lengths of time. 

Another plus for today is that his big brother and big sister came to visit him!

Marie and Bennett started their visit with a little tour of the Castle Hospital before going to lunch.

The kids chose cheeseburgers, fries, and ice cream.

Next, Marie, Bennett, Mom, and Dad went to the Butterfly Museum. 

We got to touch starfish and sea caterpillars.

A butterfly hung out on Marie's finger. Bennett stalked and chased quail. 

Most importantly Andy & I were able to cuddle our 2 older kiddos. 

We were so thankful for our time with them. 

 After the museum, it was time to visit Brooks for the first time. 

A child life specialist assisted us with this by showing the kids pictures of Brooks and explaining why he had tubes and machines around him. 

The kids responded very well to her and before we knew it they were on their way to Brooks' room.

They each were given a stuffed animal to keep and a stuffed animal to give to Brooks.

Both kids wanted up close to Brooks right away. They kissed him and loved him up as best they could. Brooks responded positively to their voices and touch right away. His vitals and breathing got better immediately upon their arrival.

 

We enjoyed our visit even though it was over too fast. 

It was very difficult to say goodbye to the kids but Andy was able to go home with them for the night. 

Marie is so caring and tender. She expressed how much she missed me and her worries for Brooks.

Bennett is the first to ask about Brooks and wants to know why he can't be at home with them. 

Thankfully, our family has been an unbelievable support during this and our kids have so much love around them.  

Prayers for Brooks

On Thursday, January 22nd, Brooks experienced his first ride in an airplane. 

Unfortunately, it wasn't on the way to Disney World like we thought his first plane ride would be. Instead it was a medical plane that was his ambulance to Sanford Children's Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Brooks came down with a runny nose and little cough on Monday night but he continued to eat well and stay alert. On Thursday he began sleeping longer and not eating as well.

While holding him in my arms Thursday evening, he stopped breathing. I was able to revive him 2 times but it was clear we needed to get to the Emergency room. He was pale almost to the point of being transparent. We rushed to the ER while a friend of ours stayed with Marie and Bennett. 

While at the ER he continued having periods of apnea. The doctors decided we needed to transfer him to either Omaha or Sioux Falls for his care. It was clear that he had become very sick. His first diagnosis was pneumonia but we were still unclear as to what was the main cause of all his symptoms.

While Brooks flew to Sioux Falls, Andy & I went home to say goodbye to Marie and Bennett and pack a bag. They stayed at home with Grandma Nel for the night. Although they were sad to see us go, we had remained as calm as possible for them and they knew it was necessary for us to be with their baby brother.

While we were driving to Sioux Falls, we received a call from the doctor at Sanford asking for permission to intubate Brooks as soon as possible and put him on the ventilator. Breathing was too hard for him and he needed to rest as much as possible so he could heal. 

Next would begin a series of tests and tubes.  He is sedated and connected to a ventilator to help him breathe, he has a central line in his neck for fluids, medication, and monitoring, NG and NJ tubes for feeding and stomach decompression, suctioning for the removal of mucous and secretions, blood pressure medication, and he has a catheter for his urine output.  

He continues to make strides but is still very sick.  It was confirmed that he also has RSV which is a respiratory infection. Because he was a preemie, his lungs and body are not equipped to handle this infection like a term baby would be able to. However, he is feisty and fights the ventilator which is inspiring to see. 

He is a tough little guy and we are in the right place for his care. 

Marie and Bennett have been with Uncle Chris, Aunt Mindy, Grandma Nel, Aunt Keri & Uncle Paul. 

They have stayed busy with tractor rides and all kinds of fun. 

We look forward to our first visit with them on Sunday. 

Brooks is getting superb care. His nurses are very loving towards him and he has had many visitors. He enjoys the noise and laughter that our family brings and seems to thrive on it. His vital signs are always the best when the room is noisy...I'm guessing he will prove this point when he hears Marie and Bennett's voices soon.

We are reading books, singing songs, watching basketball, and he even gets a massage now and then. 

Andy & I feel very helpless at times but we are finding strength we never knew we had. 

We covet and appreciate all thoughts and prayers while we are on this journey with Brooks. 

God brought us to this and he will bring us through it stronger than before. 

Soaking in the Sun

Our family enjoyed a surprisingly warm January day. 

Everyone went for a walk to feel the sun, smell the fresh air, and listen to the crunching snow. 

The dogs enjoyed a game of fetch while the kids crunched snow. 

This past week was also the official listing of our home. 

It is for sale and we have already had a few showings. 

Although it is a strange feeling, we are excited to move into our new home in Spirit Lake!