Hudson

Many of you may be wondering how Hudson is handling all of this. The truth is, being two is a blessing. He doesn't really understand what's going on,why his schedule has changed, or why his little brother can't come home. He knows when Tucker or I are away that we are with Davis. He will say "Davis at the hospital to get better.", and he will often ask to go see him, "See Davis?". We do take him to the hospital for short visits. He gets to talk to Davis, hold his hand, and pat his back during tummy time. If anyone has sacrificed the most during all of this, it has to be Hudson.

Because of this, we do everything we can to do fun stuff while Hudson is in Birmingham with us. He has been to the McWane Science Center, the Birmingham Zoo, and a Birmingham Barons baseball game. We also go to Railroad Park a lot. Hudson loves to watch the trains as they pass. I can't tell you what it means to us to have that time together as a family. We can't wait to do all of these fun things with Davis!

 Fun at Railroad Park

 Hudson loved playing with the trains at the McWane Science Center. 

 The water station was a blast!

 Playing the piano just like in the movie "Big".

 He didn't want to leave.

 Checking out the "elepants" at the zoo.

 Train ride at the zoo.

 His favorite part of our zoo trip was feeding the Lorikeets.

 Birmingham Barons game

Celebrating the first game of the season with Davis.

Another blessing in all of this, is that neither Hudson or Davis will remember any of this. We do our best to keep Hudson's schedule as normal as possible. Even while here in Birmingham, his routine is pretty much the same except he's not at his house.  He has adjusted better than any of us. The good thing is, we know that this season of waiting will not last forever. We will eventually get to go home, and when we do, Davis will be with us. We look forward to that joyous day!

Amanda 

Two Months {Davis}

The past two months have felt like two years. Looking back, I'm reminded of God's faithfulness, His supreme goodness, the many answered prayers, and the miracles performed. There was a point and time when I thought I might not get a chance to write about Davis at two months of age, yet here I am. My boy is thriving despite his circumstances. God has been with him and us, at every corner, closed door, and step of the way. God has given Davis strength to fight every battle and to fight it exceedingly well. God has also given Tucker and I the strength to get through this and the wisdom to make the best decisions for our family.

When I asked God to heal Davis' lungs, He delivered quickly. Davis is now breathing room air only, which is huge! He's also weaned off  his sedation and anti-anxiety medications. It is such a blessing to have him awake more and acting like a normal baby. He also got upgraded to a crib. Poor thing, his feet were nearly hanging off the little bed with the warmer. He's also taking some formula by mouth. He basically had to learn how to eat again; it's hard work to coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing. There is a risk of aspiration, so his speech therapist wants to be extra cautious. For now, he's limited to 15 mLs per feeding using an ultra preemie nipple. He gets the rest of his formula through a feeding tube. He gets 95 mLs per feeding, which is pumped through his tube over an hour. This helps to keep him somewhat on a normal baby schedule.Tomorrow he will go for a swallow study. The swallow study will determine if he is aspirating. If he does well, he will be able to take more formula by mouth and maybe move up to a preemie nipple. His nutritionist adds micro lipids to his formula, which increases the amount of calories per ounce of formula. He's had steady weight gain, which is great. Right now, he weighs 11 pounds 4 ounces.

Davis has a physical therapist who comes to work with him daily. She works with him on holding his head up and tummy time. This week, he took his first wagon ride and first field trip down to the atrium at the end of the hall. He loves riding in the wagon and sitting up to enjoy the sunshine. He also enjoys visiting with all his friends. The nurses all come down to see him and tell him how cute and wonderful he is. I don't know what he's going to do when we get home, and all he has to look at is his mama. Ha! Both his physical therapist and occupational therapist brag on Davis and his development. They have reported that he is very appropriate, which is amazing considering all he has gone through. It is such a relief to know that he doesn't have any developmental delays.

 Going on a field trip.

 Thankful to God for our two perfect gifts.

 Tummy time

 Hudson is the BEST big brother!

 Holding his head up all by himself.

Davis loves tummy time!

This week, they also had to change out his Berlin machine. This is the machine that keeps the Berlin Heart pumping. They mentioned to us last week that it would need to be switched out for maintenance. This has to be done after so many hours of use. Thankfully, the machine was switched without any problems at all. Another answered prayer!

So now we wait. Being in a season of wait is hard. If there was a countdown or some end in site, this would be so much easier. All we can do is take it day by day, and trust in the Lord's perfect timing. We are so thankful for every day that Davis is healthy and making progress. Please continue to be in prayer for Davis and also for the donor family. It is a difficult position to be in, knowing that in order for your child to live another child has to die. This is something Tucker and I have struggled with. The guilt of it all weighs enormously on our hearts. When we pray, we don't even know what to pray, but we know that God knows our hearts, and we are thankful for the Holy Spirit that intercedes for us.

Much love and many thanks,
Amanda