Hide and Go Seek

He's HOME!

He's finally home! And he's doing GREAT!Payton had to have a car seat check before he could leave. That's when they sit him in the car seat for 1 1/2 hrs. to make sure that he can breath ok in it. The picture above is the nurse and I trying to figure out how to get him in. We loved how he had his hands up at his head like that. It looks like he's really frustrated with us (which he probably was). The picture below is payton in his new car seat...he looks so small!

Here he is at home.
This picture looks like a where's baby kind of thing. We've got our own personal NICU right there in our front room. That o2 tank has a 50' tube on it, so we can walk pretty much anywhere in the house. We've got his diapers and his monitors sitting there too. He's been doing really well since he came home today. Hopefully the equipment will be short lived!

Finally at rest in his OWN home!

The Post You've All Been Waiting For

Payton comes home TOMORROW! With oxygen and monitors, but home none the less! Thank you for your prayers...the nurses have even commented that there must have been something more at work here these last few days as he has amazed us all!

Go Sox!

Thanks Grandma!

Update...again

Thank you so much for your prayers and fasting on behalf of our little man. He has passed "the test". He has amazed us all with his abilities this past weekend. We know there must be something more at work here than just this little fighter. He progressively got better all weekend, to the point that when the doctor came in on Saturday to see how he was doing, he did a happy dance. I was able to meet with the doctor yesterday and he said he's not doing the NJ tube (which I later learned has to be put in at Primary Children's and every time it gets pulled out, you have to go back there to get it fixed). Payton's desats are getting better everyday! The doctor is telling us a week or two depending on his desats and how comfortable I am with handling it at home.
This was SOOO cute. Chris was singing and talking to Payton and he was looking right at Chris the whole time!

This is Payton's lion. The nurses all like to come in and play with it!

Payton

So yesterday the doctor took Payton's feeding tube out...not necessarily because he was ready for that, but in hopes that it would help with the reflux. Payton is really having a hard time taking ALL his feedings by mouth. The doctor lowered his volume that he needed to take. He just doesn't have the energy to take everything by mouth. He had an increased amount of O2 desats yesterday. Today the doctor increased the amount of calories he's getting in hopes that it would give him more energy. They are giving him until Monday to get this going. If he can't handle it, they are going to put in another feeding tube that will go all the way down into his intestines and he'll come home with that. We really don't want to have to put that tube in as it will take a long time for him to get off of it, plus it will decrease his ability to do the oral feedings. We've really hit a huge wall for him to have to climb over. He's working really hard, but he's really struggling with this. He could sure use your prayers this weekend.

First Day of School

I can hardly believe it's this time of year again! Jaxon's first day of First Grade. As you might imagine, it was a bit hectic getting everything together for him, but he did manage to have new clothes to wear...including the shoes. Still need to get a new backpack. He was excited to start after going there last night for back to school night. He has the same teacher he had last year, so that will help his transition. He was so funny this morning. He woke up way early and kept asking if it was time to go yet. I hope he still has this enthusiasm in January!
He made me stay in the car. I guess he's too cool for his mom already!

he said it was a good day :)

5's

Payton was 5lbs 0.o oz last night and he took over 50% of his feeding volume by mouth yesterday! (up from less than 30%)!

6 YEARS OLD!

This picture was supposed to be at the bottom but somehow I messed it up :) The only thing Jaxon wanted was Batman toys. So here is Batman guy he got.

I can not believe Jaxon is 6 years old! The years are just flying by! Here are a few pictures of his birthday party.You might notice that this cake is slightly more simplistic than my last 2 creations. Jaxon hates frosting and loves chocolate...hence this extremely chocolate cake and NO frosting. I asked him if he wanted me to make a bat on it with strawberries...he didn't even want the strawberries!


He is SOOO excited about this fishing pole from Grandma. He is dying for someone to take him fishing today!

New Do

Got a new do...like it?

Payton

A little update on Payton. I took this picture yesterday afternoon. Last week after much deliberation, we and the pediatrician decided to give Payton a blood transfusion. We had hoped to avoid that, but his red blood cell levels were getting worse and worse and the medication we had hoped would help that either didn't, or didn't do it fast enough. Chris and I were a little concerned when we came in the next day to a very RED baby. We had been so used to seeing him pale that he looked really red. He looks incredibly healthy. He's even starting to have a little double chin action going on. We started bottle feeding which is going OK. He started out doing fantastic, but he's really slowed down on that and isn't taking his bottles as well as we'd hoped. He is no longer on caffeine or iron. He had a test done last week that showed that he does have reflux, so he's taking prevacid for that. He still is seeming to have some of the same issues (O2 levels) but not nearly as bad as they were. The doctor is wanting us to push him on the feeding thing, so we are trying every feeding, if he is willing and awake. I was in there this afternoon and he did pretty good. This is a big thing and it takes a lot of coordination for him so it will take a while. The big news...last night we weighed him and was 4lbs 15.7 oz. Tonight I'm sure he'll break the 5 lb barrier. He's really doing well. There are just a few things that are going to take some time for him to develop better. He is such a sweetie. Such a sweet and mild temperment (but of course, that can change!)

Mom and Dad's Visit

Jaxon has been begging and begging for us to take him on a hike. So while mom and dad were here (with Laree and Betsy) we went on a little hike. We had a lot of fun, but we learned quickly that what Jaxon defines as a hike is really rock climbing!

YEAH! Baby!

Jaxon complaining that he wants to go on a HIKE (in the middle of the hike)

we LOVE best-y

he tried to runaway and got caught

her antler

I love dad's head poking up over the rock

After the hike we went to see payton

Update

Payton broke 4 lbs yesterday! And today they are trying to feed him by mouth!

Payton

This is Payton's first "real" bath. Before this they did sponge baths in his isolette or a quick tubbie bath (which is basically another version of a sponge bath.) He was wide awake and lovin' it.

This cute little outfit is actually a preemie size! His shoulders are quite narrow right now and they fit through the neck hole!
One of the nurses told us that mose of the clothes they have were bought by the nurses themselves. So Mom and I went to Wal-Mart and bought a whole bunch of cute little onesies. I took this one out of the bag so he could be the first to wear it. It totally swamped him, but was cute anyway!
Getting warmed up after his bath last night.

A little nosie-nosie with Payton before he fell asleep last night.