Most wonderful 2 weeks!!

I hope that all of you who read this are also my Facebook friends because these past 2 weeks have been the craziest, most wonderful 2 weeks of my life and I have not found the time to update this until now.

My hospital stay got much more exciting Wednesday June 16 when I starting having contractions and strange pain that made the nurses and doctor afraid my placenta was abrupting. Mom was staying with me that night and around midnight I made the call to Brad that this may indeed be it. As he made his may to the hospital, my doctor was on his way too, and we all prepared for an emergency C-section. There was a strange calm and even excitement that we would soon meet our son.


Timothy Ryan was born at 2:11 AM on Thursday, June 17th, and he let out a small cry that let us know that his lungs worked to some degree! He was 3 lbs 3.7 oz and 15 3/4" long. The NICU team immediately started working on him and were very encouraged by the condition he was in. He was put on a ventilator to help him breathe easier and was taken to his new home in the NICU to grow bigger and stronger.

One third of my placenta had torn away so it was definitely the right call to go ahead and deliver Timothy at 29 weeks.  I spent the next 3 days at the hospital recovering from surgery and then it came time to pack up what had been home for the past 9 weeks and head back to my real home.

I never expected the tears that came that Sunday afternoon. I always thought I would be rejoicing to leave and go back into the real world. Looking back now, I know some of it was due to a huge hormonal shift, but I was also so grateful for all the nurses I had grown to know and it was very difficult to leave while my baby stayed.

It was also surreal to get in a car for the first time in 9 weeks, see places that had been affected by the flood that I had just seen on the news, and walk back into a house I hadn't seen in several months. Over the past two weeks, I have been recovering from surgery, trying to gain strength I lost on so many months of bedrest, and going to see our sweet son almost every day.

The journey continues in the NICU and is best described as a rollercoaster ride. We have joyous days and then days of setbacks, but overall Timothy is doing great! After dropping down to 2 lbs 15 oz

he is up to 3 lbs 10 oz today and is eating very well. 

He has been on regular ventilators, oscillating ventilators, nasal cannula, CPAP, and on nothing at all over these past 14 days. He has even pulled out his own ventilator tube on one occasion!

One benefit to Timothy's birth date that I still cannot believe is that I got to be the maid of honor in my sister Katelyn's wedding, June 26th. We had initially had plans to Skype into the ceremony from the hospital room, but not only was I there, but I walked down the aisle right before my sister during the ceremony. Tears are flowing now just thinking about how good God is to give me that special gift. Truly overwhelming!

As we go forward, Timothy will remain in the NICU until he is able to breathe and eat well and is at least 4 1/2 pounds. As a general rule, they say babies are normally discharged on their due date, which would be September 1st for him, but it could happen a few weeks earlier or later as well.

Life has definitely changed, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. When I look at his sweet face or get to hold him, I know without a doubt that this entire journey with all its complications and struggles was well worth it. He is truly a miracle baby and I give God all the glory that he is here. Thank you also for all your prayers. This child has been lifted up by thousands and we are humbled and amazed. Please continue to pray for him as he seeks to get bigger and stronger. Please pray specifically that his lungs would continue to develop and that the doctors and nurses would have wisdom to make the right treatment decisions at the right time.

To God be the glory, great things He has done!!