Post surgery with no swelling...

Progress!

Well, Brayden is off of the CPAP and is on a full flow nasal cannula. He seems to be doing well with it and they are going to back down the oxygen flow later tonight or in the morning. His blood gas levels are great as well! Brayden is passing a ton of fluid so most of his swelling is gone and he looks like a newborn again! Today the doctors were able to pull out the pace maker wires, they pulled out a few IV's, and they even pulled out one of his chest tubes! Needless to say, Brayden is doing well and is on his way to recovery! He has an NG tube in and is getting breast milk through that... FINALLY FOOD!!!!! He is still in the cardiac unit and will be there a few more days before he goes back to NICU.

New prayer request.... Brayden will have another echo done either tomorrow or Friday so pray for wonderful results with that!

CPAP

Brayden took a small step back today. He had to go back on the CPAP after an x-ray showed his lungs are not fully inflated. MD says is a normal finding and will probably be back on nasal cannula by the morning time.

WOAH!!!

She is pulling up on everything... chairs, people, cribs, furniture! You know what that means, WALKING is next!!!

Pic of Brayden with no tubes...

This is one that was taken prior to surgery without all of the tubes and machines that are keeping him alive right now... just thought a face to go with the prayer might be nice!

Brayden

Brayden made it through surgery today and seems to be holding his own. He is off of the by pass machine but is still on the vent. They were able to close his chest though which is a blessing. He will be completely knocked out (medically induced) for at least 24 hours so that his little body can heal... this was a HUGE surgery for a 5 day old little boy who does not even weigh 8 pounds. Please keep him in your prayers that there are no infections, that the issue was corrected, and they he heals with no set backs. He will be recovering in a cardiac unit for a week and then will go back to NICU for another week or two before being discharged if everything goes well. I know that my cousin appreciates and feels all prayers being sent her way. I remember having to listen to the pediatric cardiologist when I was pregnant with Hope and being overwhelmed with it all. I know she is glad to have this part of the journey over with so that she can focus on her new baby boy and not on the medical terms and issues being thrown at them.

Brayden

My cousin delivered 4 days ago and had a little boy. Brayden Pierce is in DIRE need of prayers. Baby Brayden is going to be having open heart surgery tomorrow morning and they could use all of the prayers they can get.

Merry Christmas!

Well, Miss Chayse celebrated her first Christmas today! We opened presents last night on Christmas Eve and then went to the fire house for dinner tonight with Nathan. Chayse did well opening her gifts and was a very happy girl. We feel so blessed to have her here, safe and sound this Christmas. I will say, this season has had a different meaning to it this year as we are so aware of the blessings we have to have this little girl with us this Christmas season. Today, as we celebrated the birth of one precious baby that was born so many years ago, we said a prayer of thanks for another.

This was Chayse opening up her presents...

The Burgess Family at bed time on Christmas Eve...

Chayse getting ready for bed on Christmas night with her Christmas Elf! This is the elf that has become Chayse's Christmas Elf. Francois is his given name but I am not sure Chayse will be able to say it next year so we will have to see what his nickname becomes! This elf will come every Christmas and will be here with us for the month of December.

From our house to yours, Merry Christmas!

P.S. Francois came to us from a very wonderful lady named Sara. If you ever need an addition to the family, check her out @ http://woolies-woolies.blogspot.com/ or @ http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5078988

My big girl...

We have had some major events happen around here this week! Chayse is sleeping all night!! ALL NIGHT!!! She is only waking up when she needs her paci but for a week now, ALL NIGHT!!! Mama is not sleeping though as I have been up every night for over a year between bathroom trips while pregnant to getting up to tend to a baby so this is a little odd for me!

Little Miss Chayse has learned how to pull up on things so it has made the last 3 days very interesting! While I know that this is a great developmental step, I was not ready for it. I learned of her being able to do this three days ago when I walked into our room and she was standing in her cradle! AGH!!!

So, three nights ago, I sat in the room till she fell asleep and then I went on about my way. Two nights ago, she woke up WIDE AWAKE at 3 am and was up until 6:15. I kicked her out of our room (where she has been sleeping in her cradle since she was born) shortly before 6 and put her in her crib because I was ready to go to sleep! Last night, she spent all night in her crib... for the first time ever!!!! Nathan and I are both a little sad about this... we enjoyed having her in her cradle in our room to tend to in the middle of the night. Now, we are tromping through the house, which is fine, but a little sad. Our baby girl is getting big!

I just happened to take pictures of her in her cradle this week (the night before I found her standing in there!) with no knowledge that these would be the last images I would get of her in her cradle. Chayse LOVES to sleep right up to the bumper in the corner. On this night, she had her feet kicked up and it made me laugh. This is Chayse on her first night sleeping in her crib... sleeping right up beside the bumper in a corner, as always!

Prayers....

I grew up down the street from the Keeter family. I went to school with Kara and her brother Brian. Brian Keeter played basketball at my high school and went on to play in college at NCSU. He was in a wreck on Dec. 14th and is in need of many prayers. This is the link to the blog his family has set up for him... if you get a chance, I am sure they would love all the prayers you could give them.
http://bkrecover.blogspot.com/

Hanging with Daddy...

What more could a girl ask for??

Bounce Bounce Bounce!!!

Endless hours of fun have been had lately in this door way jump up! Chayse wears herself out in it! We were given this as a shower gift from the Fosters and the Waltons... thanks guys-she loves it! We just crack up when she gets in there because she kicks her legs like scissors when she is up in the air... it is just tooooo funny!

Chayse and trees...

Christmas is a big thing around here and we love trees. I grew up with themed trees (my mother has 5 trees in her house) and I just happened to marry a man with a themed tree! While my tree is mostly Barbie, Nathan has a tree mostly fire related. It is looking like Chayse may have a Disney tree but it is still too early to tell! Here are pictures of her helping her folks' with the trees.

She's up, rocking and ready to go!