The First Two Weeks: Part Three

So, where was I?

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were very much the same. Jett still had the silly straw in his mouth, continually suctioning bile out of his stomach and an IV in his hand. His skin was still rough, but was improving and all the nurses were commenting on how great it looked.

Saturday night, at our house, I was taking a shower at 10pm and looking forward to going to sleep. We had been at the hospital all day and both Kevin and I were exhausted. As I get out of the shower, I can hear Kevin talking on the phone. As I listen, I realize it is the hospital and I panic momentairly. A call from the hospital at 10pm at night is unusual especially since everything was okay with Jett just a few hours before. After a few minutes Kevin interrupted the caller and said "I understand, I feel it was explained to us very well already... can you please tell me the purpose of this call?" Turns out, it was the Resident Surgeon who was calling to get our permission for Jett's surgery that was happening on Monday. Why she thought 10pm at night would be a good time to call, when we had spent the entire day at the hospital where they could have easily reached us, or could have called the next day... I don't know. They've obviously never had a baby in the NICU. I understand that she is a Resident, and is still learning and making mistakes... but common sense says you don't call at 10PM when the parent's baby is in the hospital! We told our nurse about it the next day, and she apologized and started to try to make an excuse for the resident, trying to smooth it over (we weren't angry, we just were retelling our experience to the nurse), but then she stopped her self because she couldn't think of a legit reason for the resident to have called at that hour, and she said "there's really no excuse for that. I am so sorry." It was okay. Kevin's heart attack was only minor.

Sunday afternoon we finally got a call from the Ronald McDonald House, saying they had a room for us. We took a break from holding Jett to go move into our room.

The RMH was amazing! I was blown away at how nice and accomadating it was. It is a gem, unlike most of the rest of Baltimore! It was so shiny there! UMMC: not so shiny. Good thing the superior nurses and doctors there made up for the ancient grungy building Jett had been sent to! Breakfast and Dinner were provided by volunteers, during which we ate with other families staying there. It was incredible to meet people and hear their stories. Everyone was so kind, and the children were so brave...

Then Monday came. Oh boy. We left the RMH early so we could be with Jett as much as possible. We followed the nurse and Jett down to surgery around 10:30am. We sat with him until about 11am when the surgical team was ready and they wheeled Jett down the hall, to the O.R. While I had faith that he was going to be okay I still found myself saying a silently praying that he would be coming back to me in a few hours. I began to cry, and once again a nurse handed me a box of TEENSY tissues, saying "It's a tissue kind of a day..." Yes. Yes it was.

We recieved several updates while we waited for the surgery to be over. They didn't really get started on the actual surgery until about 12:20 and completed around 1:30pm. During those 2 1/2 hours I did a lot of praying and reflecting on our Savior. A few days before, Chad (Kevin's brother) came to help Kevin give Jett a blessing. In the blessing, Jett was told that all medical staff attending to his care and needs were being led by the spirit and that the Lord would be doing His work through them. He was blessed that in time he would be discharged from the hospital and go home to be with his family. It was such a comfort to me to hear these words. I was grateful too, for my knowledge of The Plan of Happiness.

Jett right after surgery

Jett had 5-6in removed from his colon, and the "good" colon was reattached to him. The surgery had gone as expected and we were allowed to go see him. It was such a relief to see him again! He was still waking up, and was pretty swollen from the fluids. His expression made us chuckle though... he was just soooo cute, laying there arms spread out and mouth open, staring at us... trying to keep his little peepers open. Such a sweetie. It was such a relief to have the surgery over with.

We didn't hold him the rest of the day, we just wanted him to rest. It took 5 hours to get his "STAT" order of morphine from the pharmacy... which I was more than a little annoyed about. There had been a mix up in communication, and so his order had not been filled. Luckily, Jett had not shown signs of pain or discomfort, otherwise momma bear would have gotten very angry. Jett had stayed asleep except for a few whimpers and moans he made. Finally, around 7:15pm Jett got his morphine drip all set up. Knowing that he would be okay, we decided to go back to the RMH and go to bed. We made the nurse promise to call us if he was upset or in ANY pain. I would have gone back to be with him no matter what time it was (and trust me, if I hadn't just had major abdominal surgery and had the chairs in the NICU been more comfortable and accomodating for post-partum mothers, I never would have left his side from the moment he began his stay in Baltimore...)

Jett never did show any signs of pain (monitored by heart rate and breathing) which was an incredible comfort to me. We now had Tage and Mason with us, and so Tuesday Kevin and I took turns at the hospital with Jett. Jett had developed a bad, wet cough, and we were worried about pneumonia. An x-ray ruled pneumonia out. He looked so miserable when he would cough, and we would sit him up and pat his back or the nurse would suction his throat. Thank goodness it wasn't anything serious. We held him a lot, and the doctors and nurses listened for bowel sounds. By the end of the day we heard those sounds, which meant on Wednesday we could start feeding him. Wednesday we began feeding Jett a few ounces every few hours. He was eating and pooping like a champ!

Thursday I was allowed to start breastfeeding him, which I was worried that he wouldn't do. He was almost two weeks old and had never nursed. I was so happy when he had absolutely no problems at all! On Friday we spent the day getting Jett ready for discharge... it took all day long. FINALLY, at 5:30pm, I was once again following behind as my baby was paraded through the halls of the hospital. Only this time we didn't go to the back doors of the emergency room. There was no isolete. No monitors. No tubes. No doors shutting me out and Jett in. No ambulances. No long walk back in the hospital. Instead, we were greeted at the front of the hospital by Kevin, with Tage and Mason in the back seat of the car. Tage was so giddy with excitement as Kevin opened the car door and put Jett in next to her! Mason was equally as excited and kept saying "Hi Baby!" In the cutest high-pitched little voice you have ever heard! For the first time ever, we were all together. Our whole family. All five of us!

Jett, waiting to be discharged

We went back to the RMH and ate dinner and packed our things. While we were thrilled beyond belief to have Jett with us and to have everyone congratulate us and say how cute he was, my heart broke a little for some dear friends we had met while there. We actually met them in the NICU but they also stayed at RMH. The mom, Julie (who is amazing in so many ways... I love her and her family!), and I walked to the hospital or rode the shuttle together when we could. While I knew she was happy for us I also knew it hurt her a little to see us with Jett, out of the hospital and on our way home. Her daughter, sweet little Abby, was still in the NICU, with no end in sight and she desperately wanted (what mother doesn't) to be doing the same thing we were- taking our baby home where he belongs. I am happy to say that they took her home just a few days ago. You can read about Abby here . They could sure use your prayers, as their struggles are still far from over.

Mason and Jett at RMH
Tage and Jett at RMH

It was absolutely wonderful to drive home with three kids in stow! I was so incredibly happy to go to bed that night, only to be woken up an hour and a half later to answer the cries of a little baby who NEEDED me. His mother. And, when anyone asks me now if Jett is letting me sleep much, I say "No, isn't it great?!" Because sleeping through the night when you are supposed to have a baby waking you up a gazillion times is not rockin awesome. Having a baby to force you to peel your eyes open and be sleep deprived is.

Thank you for all of your prayers. Miracles happen! God is good.