Saturday, December 10, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
A Great Day!
It's been a little while, again, since we've updated this wonderful thing. Mainly because we have been very busy chasing all of the kids around.
Cooper is driving us crazy, and we are loving every minute of it. He is in to everything, and I do mean everything.
Ok, so we haven't updated everything in the house yet, and Cooper is taking advantage of this. The space between the railing on the steps, is a little wide. We have a gate blocking the steps, but that doesn't stop him. Just the other night, Randy took Lea up to brush her teeth. I was in the living room with the boys, so I thought. In a matter of seconds, and I do mean seconds, he was though the railing and up the stairs to the bathroom where Lea and Daddy were. And he did the same thing tonight, trying to get to Lea.
Tonight, he has kept me on my toes. I have no idea how he climbed on top of a container, but he did. And he tried to stand on top of it. He has no fear and doesn't see things in front of him as obstacles. He is amazing.
He had a check up today with Dr Azarow, the surgeon who did Cooper's surgery. It is just a routine check since Cooper is in the Dhreams Study. But it was a great check. Cooper was standing by Randy when Dr A walked in, and then walked over to Randy to hide behind his leg. Dr A was surprised and happy to see Cooper's progress. Actually he said he was "very pleased" with how he looked and "wished all babies looked this good". Of course referring to other babies that have gone through what Cooper has. He gave us some tips to help us make it through the winter. Actually, his biggest tip was to do what we would do with the other two.
Jaxon wrapped up his fall soccer season with another great season. His team lost only two games all season and in the post season tournament. He did awesome, as always. He also played flag football this fall. He is quite the athlete. He did very well at all positions, but excelled at running back. Funny thing was, he never wanted to play quarterback, but the kid can throw the ball better than anyone else on the team. But I'm not biased at all. :)
Lea is loving preschool. She gets so excited about going, and still wishes she could go every day. I have thought about signing her up for dance, which i know she will enjoy, but haven't jumped in just yet. Mainly because we have been running around for Jaxon so much, I just didn't want to add another thing in to the mix just yet.
Halloween was fun! Lea was a ghost, Jaxon was the Headless Horseman, and Cooper was a purple dragon. Cooper was the only one of our kids that actually kept he costume on his head the entire time.
It's getting late for me, and it has taken me over 4 hours to get this much done. Good night all!
Cooper is driving us crazy, and we are loving every minute of it. He is in to everything, and I do mean everything.
Ok, so we haven't updated everything in the house yet, and Cooper is taking advantage of this. The space between the railing on the steps, is a little wide. We have a gate blocking the steps, but that doesn't stop him. Just the other night, Randy took Lea up to brush her teeth. I was in the living room with the boys, so I thought. In a matter of seconds, and I do mean seconds, he was though the railing and up the stairs to the bathroom where Lea and Daddy were. And he did the same thing tonight, trying to get to Lea.
Tonight, he has kept me on my toes. I have no idea how he climbed on top of a container, but he did. And he tried to stand on top of it. He has no fear and doesn't see things in front of him as obstacles. He is amazing.
He had a check up today with Dr Azarow, the surgeon who did Cooper's surgery. It is just a routine check since Cooper is in the Dhreams Study. But it was a great check. Cooper was standing by Randy when Dr A walked in, and then walked over to Randy to hide behind his leg. Dr A was surprised and happy to see Cooper's progress. Actually he said he was "very pleased" with how he looked and "wished all babies looked this good". Of course referring to other babies that have gone through what Cooper has. He gave us some tips to help us make it through the winter. Actually, his biggest tip was to do what we would do with the other two.
Jaxon wrapped up his fall soccer season with another great season. His team lost only two games all season and in the post season tournament. He did awesome, as always. He also played flag football this fall. He is quite the athlete. He did very well at all positions, but excelled at running back. Funny thing was, he never wanted to play quarterback, but the kid can throw the ball better than anyone else on the team. But I'm not biased at all. :)
Lea is loving preschool. She gets so excited about going, and still wishes she could go every day. I have thought about signing her up for dance, which i know she will enjoy, but haven't jumped in just yet. Mainly because we have been running around for Jaxon so much, I just didn't want to add another thing in to the mix just yet.
Halloween was fun! Lea was a ghost, Jaxon was the Headless Horseman, and Cooper was a purple dragon. Cooper was the only one of our kids that actually kept he costume on his head the entire time.
It's getting late for me, and it has taken me over 4 hours to get this much done. Good night all!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Another fun weekend
So, on friday Cooper had his 9 month check up and it went great.
He is only in the 5th percentile for weight, weighing in at a whopping 17 pounds 8 ounces. He is 28 1/2 inches tall and in the 51st percentile for height. Then there is his big head. He's in the 95th percentile for his head circumference. Dr. Davis said he is great. He has no worries at this point and time. Except that maybe we will be seeing him more for all of Cooper's "stunts" that he has been trying lately. While in the exam room, Cooper almost never sat still, trying to climb on everything. Dr Davis even said "I'm exhausted just watching him". So are we.
The sky's the limit with him.
Cooper has been babbling for a while now, but we haven't really heard him talk other than the occasional "hi" to Gizmo. That's right, he talks to the dog and not to us. However, this weekend we finally have heard him say "dada". Apparently he says it at Teresa's house for her, but just hadn't for us until yesterday. Yesterday, Randy was on the floor with him and Gizmo and Cooper was grabbing the dog's tail. So, I said don't pull his tail and he looks at me, and both Randy and I swear he said "I'm not". We know it had to be a fluke, but it sure sounded that way.
As I'm sitting her trying to type this today, he is all over the place again. Following Lea all around the room, trying to do the things that she is doing. Just like a little brother should. She thinks it's cute now, but give it time and she will be just like Jaxon and be complaining about him following her and getting in to her stuff.
Just another normal household here and loving it.
He is only in the 5th percentile for weight, weighing in at a whopping 17 pounds 8 ounces. He is 28 1/2 inches tall and in the 51st percentile for height. Then there is his big head. He's in the 95th percentile for his head circumference. Dr. Davis said he is great. He has no worries at this point and time. Except that maybe we will be seeing him more for all of Cooper's "stunts" that he has been trying lately. While in the exam room, Cooper almost never sat still, trying to climb on everything. Dr Davis even said "I'm exhausted just watching him". So are we.
The sky's the limit with him.
Cooper has been babbling for a while now, but we haven't really heard him talk other than the occasional "hi" to Gizmo. That's right, he talks to the dog and not to us. However, this weekend we finally have heard him say "dada". Apparently he says it at Teresa's house for her, but just hadn't for us until yesterday. Yesterday, Randy was on the floor with him and Gizmo and Cooper was grabbing the dog's tail. So, I said don't pull his tail and he looks at me, and both Randy and I swear he said "I'm not". We know it had to be a fluke, but it sure sounded that way.
As I'm sitting her trying to type this today, he is all over the place again. Following Lea all around the room, trying to do the things that she is doing. Just like a little brother should. She thinks it's cute now, but give it time and she will be just like Jaxon and be complaining about him following her and getting in to her stuff.
Just another normal household here and loving it.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
This has been a big month!
In the past month a lot has happened.
Cooper has another two teeth and is still using them on everything. He has this fascination with shoes and feet. He likes to use them as his personal teething rings. You always need to "stay on your toes" or he may bite them. Of course he just smiles at you when he does.
He is practically running along the furniture and it won't be long until he is running around the furniture. He loves to run around the house behind one of his walking toys.
This past weekend was quite a weekend for our family. On September 17th, our niece, Victoria, married her soul mate Mooch (yes Mooch, aka Matthew) and both Lea and Jaxon were lucky enough to be a part of their wedding. They looked so grown up in their dress and tux. And they did a great job. While they were posing for pictures, Cooper was doing his own showing off. He decided that he didn't want to be left out and took his first unassisted step. He has since taken several single steps, but nothing more than one step at a time. We give it just a matter of time before he realizes that he can walk all on his own.
Cooper's uncle Andy also got married on the 17th out in Colorado. It sounds like it was a great party. Congrats to him!
Cooper has his 9 month check up tomorrow and we get to see if he has added any lead in his pants. It's a couple of weeks late, but due to everything that has been going on, it has been the only time we have been able to get it scheduled. Can't wait to see what he weighs.
We have been busy running around to Jaxon's soccer and football games and practices. He and his teams have been doing great. You can see the improvement they are making every game. Jaxon has done extremely well. One weekend he had a hat trick in soccer and two touchdowns in his football game.
Until tomorrow...we will update everyone on how Cooper did at his appointment.
Cooper has another two teeth and is still using them on everything. He has this fascination with shoes and feet. He likes to use them as his personal teething rings. You always need to "stay on your toes" or he may bite them. Of course he just smiles at you when he does.
He is practically running along the furniture and it won't be long until he is running around the furniture. He loves to run around the house behind one of his walking toys.
This past weekend was quite a weekend for our family. On September 17th, our niece, Victoria, married her soul mate Mooch (yes Mooch, aka Matthew) and both Lea and Jaxon were lucky enough to be a part of their wedding. They looked so grown up in their dress and tux. And they did a great job. While they were posing for pictures, Cooper was doing his own showing off. He decided that he didn't want to be left out and took his first unassisted step. He has since taken several single steps, but nothing more than one step at a time. We give it just a matter of time before he realizes that he can walk all on his own.
Cooper's uncle Andy also got married on the 17th out in Colorado. It sounds like it was a great party. Congrats to him!
Cooper has his 9 month check up tomorrow and we get to see if he has added any lead in his pants. It's a couple of weeks late, but due to everything that has been going on, it has been the only time we have been able to get it scheduled. Can't wait to see what he weighs.
We have been busy running around to Jaxon's soccer and football games and practices. He and his teams have been doing great. You can see the improvement they are making every game. Jaxon has done extremely well. One weekend he had a hat trick in soccer and two touchdowns in his football game.
Until tomorrow...we will update everyone on how Cooper did at his appointment.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
It's Been Too Long
It has been way to long since I have written on here, and I must admit, I'm a little disappointed in my self. I had intended to get on here at least once a week to at least document the happenings of Cooper and the entire Jensen Gang! So, here goes some long windedness (is this even a word?) to try to catch up.
Let's start with our big helpers. Jaxon is now 8 and started the third grade. He is keeping us on our toes by participating in both soccer and football this fall. He loves both sports. Today he had a hat trick in his soccer game. You couldn't wipe that smile off his face. It was fun to watch. Randy and I were a little late to his first football game last week (thanks in part to work schedules and early starting times for the games) but we walked up just in time to see him take the ball down the field for a touchdown! He is growing up so fast, it's frightening.
Lea has started preschool. She is going two mornings a week. Just getting her feet wet for school. She will have to do another year of preschool, because of where her birthday falls, but it will be good for her. She loves school. One of our good friends (Heather :) )works there, so this has really helped her transition in to school. She loves going to Jaxon's games. She is quite the cheerleader, but can't wait to be out there playing herself.
Cooper is doing great, except for his weight. He is eating like a horse, ok shetland pony. But the little fart is all over the place.
Around the Fourth of July, he was starting to crawl. He had been army crawling and getting where he wanted to pretty quickly. But now, he has the crawling thing down pat. It has been about a month and a half, and you CAN NOT take your eyes off him for a minute. We found out the hard way (well kind of anyway) that he could crawl up steps. I don't think he even knew he could, until he did it. Thanks in part to his big sister, Lea. Where she goes, he wants to go. He did not fall or anything, we just found him on the third of four steps. Now he's a pro at them. Crap!
We have 3 gates and an ironing board up to try to cage him in. A couple of them we can not secure, so there in lies the next problem. He wants what's behind those gates, usually cords of some sort, so he pulls the gates down. This tends to be on top of himself. He doesn't usually cry when he does this, but it sure is interesting watching him crawl out from under them.
Cooper wants to walk, but just isn't steady enough yet. I think it is in part to his weight. He's got a big head (he's going to be really smart like his mom) and no weight to help him keep it up. We haven't gone to the doctor to get a true weight on him, but by our scale, he still is only around 16 pounds. Not for lack of trying. The kid only wants real food most of the time. And easily can go through a large jar of food at one sitting, as long as it's something he likes. And we believe he is addicted to those puffs. Couldn't get the other two to eat those, but he can go through a container in 3 days if you let him.
He now has 6 teeth and is starting to chew like a pro. Unfortunately, it is usually not on food. Cords, boxes, us, and occasionally a teething ring. I have tried to look to see if there are any more teeth trying to come in, but that is risky. He likes to bite and those little teeth hurt.
His determination is...AWESOME! When he wants something, he finds a way to get it, most of the time. Of course we have to keep him in check, because what he wants is usually not something he should have. He has lots of bruises and scrapes to prove it already. His level of problem solving already has us a little concerned for what the future has in store for us. We see a lot of trips to the doctor or ER with this one. There is fearless (which Jaxon and Lea were) and there is Cooper.
I know, this sounds like most little ones, but I think for us, with Cooper it just is different. When you have in the back of your mind, every day, that you are just lucky that he is alive, because he wasn't given that great of a chance...it changes your outlook. We have been told and have read that he could have all these different developmental delays and may not ever do certain things, like crawl, that seeing his determination and how quickly he can problem solve (his way around gates and in to everything else) that we truly feel that God is Great! We know that we are not out of the woods and we have no idea what Cooper may or may not be able to do in the future. But for now, we celebrate all that he is accomplishing. We are celebrating all the little things that "people" have said he may never do, and does with gusto.
All children are miracles, but Cooper.....he is proof of God's greatness. We have a little fighter on our hands. So, watch out world!!!
Until next time...(I hope I will be back soon)
Let's start with our big helpers. Jaxon is now 8 and started the third grade. He is keeping us on our toes by participating in both soccer and football this fall. He loves both sports. Today he had a hat trick in his soccer game. You couldn't wipe that smile off his face. It was fun to watch. Randy and I were a little late to his first football game last week (thanks in part to work schedules and early starting times for the games) but we walked up just in time to see him take the ball down the field for a touchdown! He is growing up so fast, it's frightening.
Lea has started preschool. She is going two mornings a week. Just getting her feet wet for school. She will have to do another year of preschool, because of where her birthday falls, but it will be good for her. She loves school. One of our good friends (Heather :) )works there, so this has really helped her transition in to school. She loves going to Jaxon's games. She is quite the cheerleader, but can't wait to be out there playing herself.
Cooper is doing great, except for his weight. He is eating like a horse, ok shetland pony. But the little fart is all over the place.
Around the Fourth of July, he was starting to crawl. He had been army crawling and getting where he wanted to pretty quickly. But now, he has the crawling thing down pat. It has been about a month and a half, and you CAN NOT take your eyes off him for a minute. We found out the hard way (well kind of anyway) that he could crawl up steps. I don't think he even knew he could, until he did it. Thanks in part to his big sister, Lea. Where she goes, he wants to go. He did not fall or anything, we just found him on the third of four steps. Now he's a pro at them. Crap!
We have 3 gates and an ironing board up to try to cage him in. A couple of them we can not secure, so there in lies the next problem. He wants what's behind those gates, usually cords of some sort, so he pulls the gates down. This tends to be on top of himself. He doesn't usually cry when he does this, but it sure is interesting watching him crawl out from under them.
Cooper wants to walk, but just isn't steady enough yet. I think it is in part to his weight. He's got a big head (he's going to be really smart like his mom) and no weight to help him keep it up. We haven't gone to the doctor to get a true weight on him, but by our scale, he still is only around 16 pounds. Not for lack of trying. The kid only wants real food most of the time. And easily can go through a large jar of food at one sitting, as long as it's something he likes. And we believe he is addicted to those puffs. Couldn't get the other two to eat those, but he can go through a container in 3 days if you let him.
He now has 6 teeth and is starting to chew like a pro. Unfortunately, it is usually not on food. Cords, boxes, us, and occasionally a teething ring. I have tried to look to see if there are any more teeth trying to come in, but that is risky. He likes to bite and those little teeth hurt.
His determination is...AWESOME! When he wants something, he finds a way to get it, most of the time. Of course we have to keep him in check, because what he wants is usually not something he should have. He has lots of bruises and scrapes to prove it already. His level of problem solving already has us a little concerned for what the future has in store for us. We see a lot of trips to the doctor or ER with this one. There is fearless (which Jaxon and Lea were) and there is Cooper.
I know, this sounds like most little ones, but I think for us, with Cooper it just is different. When you have in the back of your mind, every day, that you are just lucky that he is alive, because he wasn't given that great of a chance...it changes your outlook. We have been told and have read that he could have all these different developmental delays and may not ever do certain things, like crawl, that seeing his determination and how quickly he can problem solve (his way around gates and in to everything else) that we truly feel that God is Great! We know that we are not out of the woods and we have no idea what Cooper may or may not be able to do in the future. But for now, we celebrate all that he is accomplishing. We are celebrating all the little things that "people" have said he may never do, and does with gusto.
All children are miracles, but Cooper.....he is proof of God's greatness. We have a little fighter on our hands. So, watch out world!!!
Until next time...(I hope I will be back soon)
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
It's almost Easter!!
It's the Thursday before Easter and this Easter Bunny isn't quite ready.
There is no school tomorrow, so Jaxon is spending the night at his friend John's house. Lea is still up, even though it is an hour past her bedtime. We put her to bed, she just won't go to sleep. And Randy just put Cooper to bed. Just another typical day for a family.
But we did get some good news about Cooper today. I took him in for his weight check, and he is back on track. He gained 8 1/2 ounces! He is now 13 pounds 7 ounces. And as long as he continues eating like he currently is, Dr Davis says there is no reason to bring him back for weight checks. Now that he has this down again, we are going to get brave and try feeding him real food.
Work for me has entered a new phase of "what the hell am I doing here". The office is going to be starting construction on Monday, so the business office has had to start pre-registering all of the patients that will be coming in for appointments. Just to give you an idea, we see about 50 to 60 patients a day on an average day. Busy days are upwards of 80 to 100 patients. There are only 5 people in the business office. Oh, and we are supposed to do our regular jobs as well. I have already asked my supervisor for a very large bottle of tequila or a padded, sound proof room so I can beat my head against the wall and scream. She actually agreed.
I am really looking forward to this weekend. Getting away from Lincoln for a couple of days. Spending time with family. Just relaxing. My sister, Angel, makes some of the best sugar cookies, and I can't wait to have some of them. I guess I just need to do an extra workout for all the cookies I plan on eating.
Another day is in the books. I look forward to tomorrow and the new experiences I will have with the kids. Happy Easter everyone.
There is no school tomorrow, so Jaxon is spending the night at his friend John's house. Lea is still up, even though it is an hour past her bedtime. We put her to bed, she just won't go to sleep. And Randy just put Cooper to bed. Just another typical day for a family.
But we did get some good news about Cooper today. I took him in for his weight check, and he is back on track. He gained 8 1/2 ounces! He is now 13 pounds 7 ounces. And as long as he continues eating like he currently is, Dr Davis says there is no reason to bring him back for weight checks. Now that he has this down again, we are going to get brave and try feeding him real food.
Work for me has entered a new phase of "what the hell am I doing here". The office is going to be starting construction on Monday, so the business office has had to start pre-registering all of the patients that will be coming in for appointments. Just to give you an idea, we see about 50 to 60 patients a day on an average day. Busy days are upwards of 80 to 100 patients. There are only 5 people in the business office. Oh, and we are supposed to do our regular jobs as well. I have already asked my supervisor for a very large bottle of tequila or a padded, sound proof room so I can beat my head against the wall and scream. She actually agreed.
I am really looking forward to this weekend. Getting away from Lincoln for a couple of days. Spending time with family. Just relaxing. My sister, Angel, makes some of the best sugar cookies, and I can't wait to have some of them. I guess I just need to do an extra workout for all the cookies I plan on eating.
Another day is in the books. I look forward to tomorrow and the new experiences I will have with the kids. Happy Easter everyone.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Another Roller Coaster Week
So, we (us and the Dr Davis) have been worried about Cooper's weight. As you may have read, we had a crazy weekend with Cooper. It really didn't seem to get better after all. He never really started eating very well again. So, Tuesday, after getting a message that Cooper really wasn't eating well all day, we called the doctor and they said to bring him in to be seen and check his weight. The nurse said that if by some chance he started eating well, we could cancel his appointment for the next morning.
Well, Randy had also come to the realization that about the time that Cooper started eating poorly (about 2 weeks prior) that we had switched to a different brand of formula (due to cost). So, as a last ditch effort, Tuesday night Randy ran out and bought the original brand we had Cooper on to see if that would help. Boy did it help. The previous 24 hours, Cooper had taken about 10 ounces. The next 12 hours, Cooper took 10 ounces. Needless to say, we cancelled the appointment.
I wasn't too worried since he was back to acting like himself and we had his 4 month check up on Friday.
His check up was a head scratcher for everyone. He lost another ounce. He weighs 12 pounds 14 1/2 ounces and is 25 1/4 inches long. That puts him in the 11% for his weight and the 60% for his length. Of course, he is my kid so his head was at 72%. Big heads mean big brains, right?
About his weight, Dr Davis said that because Cooper has previously had so many brain scans, he wasn't too worried that it was neurological. And he had an echo done recently, that was normal, so he wasn't worried about it being his heart. He didn't think that his pectus excavatum would cause too many problems with his weight gain. Basically, he thinks that it is just been bad luck with his upper respiratory infection and then his gastritis that has caused him to not gain weight. Since Cooper is eating like a champ now, he is hoping that we will just have the weight check this coming Thursday and everything will be just fine and back on track. That's our hope as well.
As for the rest of us, Randy and I have just been working and trying to get things done in the yard. If mother nature would just work with us, we may be able to get things cleaned out and planted. We have no idea when we will get our garden planted. Hopefully soon. The kids don't know it yet, but we are looking to get a play set for the backyard. We took out a tree last year, which gave us enough room for a play set.
Lea has been having a tough week. Acting out and talking back, a lot. Don't know if it is just her being 3, or because Cooper has been getting a lot more attention lately.
Jaxon has been doing great in soccer. He and I figured out today that he only has 28 more days of school. He is really excited about that. Me, not so much. Just means paying for 3 kids in daycare. Honestly though, I just can't believe next fall Jaxon will be in the 3rd grade and Lea will be going to preschool. Time goes by so quickly.
Well, Randy had also come to the realization that about the time that Cooper started eating poorly (about 2 weeks prior) that we had switched to a different brand of formula (due to cost). So, as a last ditch effort, Tuesday night Randy ran out and bought the original brand we had Cooper on to see if that would help. Boy did it help. The previous 24 hours, Cooper had taken about 10 ounces. The next 12 hours, Cooper took 10 ounces. Needless to say, we cancelled the appointment.
I wasn't too worried since he was back to acting like himself and we had his 4 month check up on Friday.
His check up was a head scratcher for everyone. He lost another ounce. He weighs 12 pounds 14 1/2 ounces and is 25 1/4 inches long. That puts him in the 11% for his weight and the 60% for his length. Of course, he is my kid so his head was at 72%. Big heads mean big brains, right?
About his weight, Dr Davis said that because Cooper has previously had so many brain scans, he wasn't too worried that it was neurological. And he had an echo done recently, that was normal, so he wasn't worried about it being his heart. He didn't think that his pectus excavatum would cause too many problems with his weight gain. Basically, he thinks that it is just been bad luck with his upper respiratory infection and then his gastritis that has caused him to not gain weight. Since Cooper is eating like a champ now, he is hoping that we will just have the weight check this coming Thursday and everything will be just fine and back on track. That's our hope as well.
As for the rest of us, Randy and I have just been working and trying to get things done in the yard. If mother nature would just work with us, we may be able to get things cleaned out and planted. We have no idea when we will get our garden planted. Hopefully soon. The kids don't know it yet, but we are looking to get a play set for the backyard. We took out a tree last year, which gave us enough room for a play set.
Lea has been having a tough week. Acting out and talking back, a lot. Don't know if it is just her being 3, or because Cooper has been getting a lot more attention lately.
Jaxon has been doing great in soccer. He and I figured out today that he only has 28 more days of school. He is really excited about that. Me, not so much. Just means paying for 3 kids in daycare. Honestly though, I just can't believe next fall Jaxon will be in the 3rd grade and Lea will be going to preschool. Time goes by so quickly.
Monday, April 11, 2011
What a weekend
So, we make it through the weigh in, and then the bug hits. That's right, that nasty little bug that has been going around caught up with the Jensen household starting last Friday.
We received word from Teresa that Cooper threw up Friday morning. No fever, but he was very lethargic. I went and picked him up and he hadn't been eating well all day. That continued threw the night. Then early Saturday morning, he threw up again, a lot. Still no fever, but to be on the safe side, Randy took him in to the doctor. Before he could get him in, Cooper actually ate again and was able to keep it down. The doctor was surprised by this and said that if he was able to do this, then he was already on the rebound. The good news was that from Thursday to Saturday, he didn't lose any more weight.
He still isn't eating well, but he hasn't been sick since Saturday, so that's a bonus.
Randy and Jaxon both weren't feeling the best Saturday either. This bug really didn't last long for them either. 24 to 48 hours for everyone.
Thankfully, Lea and I seemed to have escaped without catching the bug.
Jaxon, Lea and I were able to go to their friend Tanner's birthday party and ran and ran and ran. It wore Lea out, but Jaxon and I went with a group of our friends to the movie Hop. It was quite a cute movie. Will never look at jelly beans quite the same again.
Jaxon won his soccer game on Sunday and scored the only goal of the game. He really loves soccer and is pretty good. I just wish I knew more about the game. I'm learning right along with him. And yes, I'm one of those moms that yells very loudly, all the time.
The Jensen's are back on the mend, and craziness continues to follow us wherever we go. And lovin' every minute of it!
We received word from Teresa that Cooper threw up Friday morning. No fever, but he was very lethargic. I went and picked him up and he hadn't been eating well all day. That continued threw the night. Then early Saturday morning, he threw up again, a lot. Still no fever, but to be on the safe side, Randy took him in to the doctor. Before he could get him in, Cooper actually ate again and was able to keep it down. The doctor was surprised by this and said that if he was able to do this, then he was already on the rebound. The good news was that from Thursday to Saturday, he didn't lose any more weight.
He still isn't eating well, but he hasn't been sick since Saturday, so that's a bonus.
Randy and Jaxon both weren't feeling the best Saturday either. This bug really didn't last long for them either. 24 to 48 hours for everyone.
Thankfully, Lea and I seemed to have escaped without catching the bug.
Jaxon, Lea and I were able to go to their friend Tanner's birthday party and ran and ran and ran. It wore Lea out, but Jaxon and I went with a group of our friends to the movie Hop. It was quite a cute movie. Will never look at jelly beans quite the same again.
Jaxon won his soccer game on Sunday and scored the only goal of the game. He really loves soccer and is pretty good. I just wish I knew more about the game. I'm learning right along with him. And yes, I'm one of those moms that yells very loudly, all the time.
The Jensen's are back on the mend, and craziness continues to follow us wherever we go. And lovin' every minute of it!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Weight Watchers???
It's not what you think. We are having take Cooper in for weekly weight checks because he hasn't been gaining weight like he should.
For instance, last week he weighed in at a hefty 13 pounds 1 ounce. This was a 10 ounce weight gain in one week. Whereas the previous 6 weeks he had only gained a total of 8 ounces. Dr Davis asked us to keep doing weekly weight checks. So, today we took Cooper in again and you'll never guess what happened. He lost 2 ounces. It seems like he just can't catch a break. Hopefully, when we go in next week for our four month check, he will have put on some weight.
We can only assume he lost weight because he is so much more active, and he has yet another cold. Per Dr Davis, the drainage he has fills up his stomach so he isn't eating as much. And he has been eating less then usual.
Randy and I are looking forward to the nicer weather, as most people are, so we can open up the house and get the "bugs" out. Lea, Jaxon, and I will just have to make sure we have our allergy medicine on hand.
Most parents want time to slow down, so their children do not grow up so fast. And I would say that with the first two, that is definitely the case. With Cooper, it's different. Of course I want him to stay little so I can protect him, but at the same time, I wish it were a year from now already. I want his little immune system to be stronger. I want to see him crawl for the first time. I want to see him walk. I want to see him annoying his big brother and sister. I want to see him torture the dog. All the little things that I took for granted with Lea and Jaxon. Those things that I hope he will do someday. There is no guarantee that he will do these things, or that something else won't come up, due to his CDH, that will prevent him from doing a somersault.
Right now, Cooper is right on track to do everything that any other child can do. And every day I look at him and smile at our little miracle. Even if he isn't able to do some of these things, he's here with us. And who can ask for anything more.
Love you Coop!!!
For instance, last week he weighed in at a hefty 13 pounds 1 ounce. This was a 10 ounce weight gain in one week. Whereas the previous 6 weeks he had only gained a total of 8 ounces. Dr Davis asked us to keep doing weekly weight checks. So, today we took Cooper in again and you'll never guess what happened. He lost 2 ounces. It seems like he just can't catch a break. Hopefully, when we go in next week for our four month check, he will have put on some weight.
We can only assume he lost weight because he is so much more active, and he has yet another cold. Per Dr Davis, the drainage he has fills up his stomach so he isn't eating as much. And he has been eating less then usual.
Randy and I are looking forward to the nicer weather, as most people are, so we can open up the house and get the "bugs" out. Lea, Jaxon, and I will just have to make sure we have our allergy medicine on hand.
Most parents want time to slow down, so their children do not grow up so fast. And I would say that with the first two, that is definitely the case. With Cooper, it's different. Of course I want him to stay little so I can protect him, but at the same time, I wish it were a year from now already. I want his little immune system to be stronger. I want to see him crawl for the first time. I want to see him walk. I want to see him annoying his big brother and sister. I want to see him torture the dog. All the little things that I took for granted with Lea and Jaxon. Those things that I hope he will do someday. There is no guarantee that he will do these things, or that something else won't come up, due to his CDH, that will prevent him from doing a somersault.
Right now, Cooper is right on track to do everything that any other child can do. And every day I look at him and smile at our little miracle. Even if he isn't able to do some of these things, he's here with us. And who can ask for anything more.
Love you Coop!!!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Babies that have departed because of CDH. Please help us so we do not have to add any more names to this list!
Pages created to honor the memory of our brave, departed CDH children.
•Aiden Zach Scott Towner
•Allison Corsetti
•Ava Grace Apple
•Avery Mae Ziebart
•Caleb Ray Cox
•Connor Ellis McLuckie
•Dakota Mae Vosse
•Donald Zeraihi Wellman
•Faith Grace Miles
•Gabriel Eric Nava
•Grace Dill
•Gregory Zion Couret
•Jak Thomas Parsons Forshaw
•Jason Lee
•Joel Archie Jed Abel
•John Clinton Hollingsworth
•Jolee Jean Scott
•Judah Matthew Southmayd
•Kasey James Colvin
•Madeline Emiley
•Madison Lillian Schultz
•Mathias Jacob
•McKenna Lynne Varen
•Mert Akar
•Olivia Raine Richards
•Parker Reese Singletary
•Raymond "Drew" Lewallen
•Robert Joseph "Bryce" Southwell
•Ryan and Jesse
•Ryann Hope Smith
•Sarah Christina Lewis
•Taylor Adam "Zachary" Holler
•Aiden Zach Scott Towner
•Allison Corsetti
•Ava Grace Apple
•Avery Mae Ziebart
•Caleb Ray Cox
•Connor Ellis McLuckie
•Dakota Mae Vosse
•Donald Zeraihi Wellman
•Faith Grace Miles
•Gabriel Eric Nava
•Grace Dill
•Gregory Zion Couret
•Jak Thomas Parsons Forshaw
•Jason Lee
•Joel Archie Jed Abel
•John Clinton Hollingsworth
•Jolee Jean Scott
•Judah Matthew Southmayd
•Kasey James Colvin
•Madeline Emiley
•Madison Lillian Schultz
•Mathias Jacob
•McKenna Lynne Varen
•Mert Akar
•Olivia Raine Richards
•Parker Reese Singletary
•Raymond "Drew" Lewallen
•Robert Joseph "Bryce" Southwell
•Ryan and Jesse
•Ryann Hope Smith
•Sarah Christina Lewis
•Taylor Adam "Zachary" Holler
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Our visit with Grandma, Grandpa, and Great Grandma Baumert
This past weekend the entire family took the very long road trip to Howells. I know. I know. It's not that long of a trip to Howells, only 1 1/2 hours. But, any parent can tell you, there are times when 10 minutes can feel like and hour. This was one of those trips.
The drive up was not terrible. Jaxon was such a big help. Cooper decided he was hungry about 30 minutes out from Howells, so, Jaxon actually was able to feed him in his carseat. I was so grateful, because at that point I didn't want to have to stop. So, it was pretty much without incident.
We had a lot of fun playing with Grandma and Grandpa. My sister Angel and her family (Bill and Isabella) came up for the night as well. Lea and Bella played and played. It was very cute seeing them on the big swing together and chasing Grandpa. Grandma took them to the park and they got to go on the merry-go-round. Which is all Lea could talk about doing the minute we told her we were going up to Grandma and Grandpa's. That and of course playing with Bella.
Grandpa took Jaxon on a walk. A tradition those two started many years ago when Jaxon was just a little guy. I know Jaxon loves the walks and Grandpa loves spending time with Jaxon. They always find something new, even in small town USA.
That evening, us Moms and Dads went to the annual Howells steak fry. It's always fun to go and see old friends. For me, it's a mini reunion every year. I only get to see some of these people at this event. The best part of the evening would have to have been the fact that we didn't have to get up with the kids. Grandma and Grandpa took care of them for us. That being said...I was still up just before 7am. Oh well, I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night with Cooper. Yeah!
Sunday, before we headed back to Lincoln, we went to visit Great Grandma in the nursing home. I have no idea why, but those places make me uneasy. I was extra nervous about visiting Great Grandma because the last few times I saw her, she didn't know who I was. That really breaks my heart, but I understand, she's almost 98 and she entitled to forget things. This was a good visit. She actually remembered me and Jaxon. I didn't talk much, mainly because I felt that I could start crying any moment. I don't know if my dad will understand, but for almost a year, she didn't know who I was, and knowing this could very well be the last time I see her, I about lost it. I did keep it together for the kids though. We were able to get some pictures with Great Grandma and the kids. Something I will cherish forever.
The ride back to Lincoln was the longest 90 minutes I spent in a long time. Tired kids + tired parents + one bad headache = One bad trip. "I will have daddy pull this car over if you don't stop it now" was actually used. And did happen. Lea was just screaming about everything and would not stop. Cooper cries anytime Lea does, so Cooper was crying. Nothing seemed to calm either of them down, so Randy pulled over and took Lea out of the car, while I took Cooper out of his carseat to calm him down. Two hours later, ok, maybe only ten minutes, we had two somewhat calm children and we sped home. Jaxon was a little angel through all of this. He tried his best to calm down Cooper, but he just couldn't.
There you have it. A day in the life of another average American family. You know what, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
The drive up was not terrible. Jaxon was such a big help. Cooper decided he was hungry about 30 minutes out from Howells, so, Jaxon actually was able to feed him in his carseat. I was so grateful, because at that point I didn't want to have to stop. So, it was pretty much without incident.
We had a lot of fun playing with Grandma and Grandpa. My sister Angel and her family (Bill and Isabella) came up for the night as well. Lea and Bella played and played. It was very cute seeing them on the big swing together and chasing Grandpa. Grandma took them to the park and they got to go on the merry-go-round. Which is all Lea could talk about doing the minute we told her we were going up to Grandma and Grandpa's. That and of course playing with Bella.
Grandpa took Jaxon on a walk. A tradition those two started many years ago when Jaxon was just a little guy. I know Jaxon loves the walks and Grandpa loves spending time with Jaxon. They always find something new, even in small town USA.
That evening, us Moms and Dads went to the annual Howells steak fry. It's always fun to go and see old friends. For me, it's a mini reunion every year. I only get to see some of these people at this event. The best part of the evening would have to have been the fact that we didn't have to get up with the kids. Grandma and Grandpa took care of them for us. That being said...I was still up just before 7am. Oh well, I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night with Cooper. Yeah!
Sunday, before we headed back to Lincoln, we went to visit Great Grandma in the nursing home. I have no idea why, but those places make me uneasy. I was extra nervous about visiting Great Grandma because the last few times I saw her, she didn't know who I was. That really breaks my heart, but I understand, she's almost 98 and she entitled to forget things. This was a good visit. She actually remembered me and Jaxon. I didn't talk much, mainly because I felt that I could start crying any moment. I don't know if my dad will understand, but for almost a year, she didn't know who I was, and knowing this could very well be the last time I see her, I about lost it. I did keep it together for the kids though. We were able to get some pictures with Great Grandma and the kids. Something I will cherish forever.
The ride back to Lincoln was the longest 90 minutes I spent in a long time. Tired kids + tired parents + one bad headache = One bad trip. "I will have daddy pull this car over if you don't stop it now" was actually used. And did happen. Lea was just screaming about everything and would not stop. Cooper cries anytime Lea does, so Cooper was crying. Nothing seemed to calm either of them down, so Randy pulled over and took Lea out of the car, while I took Cooper out of his carseat to calm him down. Two hours later, ok, maybe only ten minutes, we had two somewhat calm children and we sped home. Jaxon was a little angel through all of this. He tried his best to calm down Cooper, but he just couldn't.
There you have it. A day in the life of another average American family. You know what, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Starting anew!
As you who have followed via this blog know, it has been quite some time since we have posted anything to update everyone on Cooper and the family.
Everyone is doing great! We had our battles with colds, but we all made it through. Cooper survived his first cold. It did take a toll on him though. He's been struggling to gain weight, but I think we are finally over that hurdle.
We have found over the last month that Cooper's little heart is just fine. He had an echo as part of the Dhreams study he is participating in. While at that check up we noticed that he hadn't gained any weight in the last month. So, in follow up we went to his pediatrician and found that he indeed has only gained 4 ounces in 5 weeks. He told us that he should be gaining 2 pounds a month. So, we have been on an increased calorie diet for the past week. He has gained 10 ounces this past week. Back on track!
In the meantime, life has gotten back to it's crazy self for the rest of us as well. Jaxon's soccer season started last Sunday and will go for the next 7 weeks. He is almost done with his 2nd grade year. Just very hard to believe. He is getting so big.
Lea...well, Lea is Lea. Love the girl to death, but the high drama that comes with her is a little maddening. She loves to be a princess and loves to torture her big brother. What every 3 year old girl should do. It is obvious to me that all the time we spent away from the two of them when Cooper was in Omaha, really affected her. She no longer wants to spend the night places without mom and dad. When she does, she wants to go home immediately when we get there to pick her up. Hopefully she will get over this too.
Randy is loving his work and doing really well. He would really like Cooper to sleep through the night. As would I. We know that he will eventually, but the lack of sleep is starting to get to us.
Me, well, I tried to go back to work part time so I could spend some quality time with Cooper. I only had 2 weeks of leave left after he was released from the hospital. But, my bosses said I had to go back full time. So, I reluctantly went back to work. They love to preach equality amoung the employees, but if you aren't a friend or family of the administration, there is no such thing. I do keep reminding myself, that I am lucky that I have a job and the office politics are in every office.
We have started a foundation to educate everyone about CDH. There are still doctors out there that know very little about CDH. While in the NICU in Omaha with Cooper, we were told about one couple from Sioux City that was told that this was an unsurvivable defect. They didn't accept that answer, researched it, and found UNMC. Their baby is alive and well. We do not want this to happen to any other families. It is completely unacceptable that physicians are giving death sentences to babies because they haven't been properly educated. Our mission is to change this. Please help support our cause to get the word out there about CDH.
In the meantime we are getting on with our everyday lives, and loving having us all under one roof. God has truly blessed us! Our family is home and healthy. We have wonderful family and friends that have supported us through all of this and continue to do so everyday.
Everyone is doing great! We had our battles with colds, but we all made it through. Cooper survived his first cold. It did take a toll on him though. He's been struggling to gain weight, but I think we are finally over that hurdle.
We have found over the last month that Cooper's little heart is just fine. He had an echo as part of the Dhreams study he is participating in. While at that check up we noticed that he hadn't gained any weight in the last month. So, in follow up we went to his pediatrician and found that he indeed has only gained 4 ounces in 5 weeks. He told us that he should be gaining 2 pounds a month. So, we have been on an increased calorie diet for the past week. He has gained 10 ounces this past week. Back on track!
In the meantime, life has gotten back to it's crazy self for the rest of us as well. Jaxon's soccer season started last Sunday and will go for the next 7 weeks. He is almost done with his 2nd grade year. Just very hard to believe. He is getting so big.
Lea...well, Lea is Lea. Love the girl to death, but the high drama that comes with her is a little maddening. She loves to be a princess and loves to torture her big brother. What every 3 year old girl should do. It is obvious to me that all the time we spent away from the two of them when Cooper was in Omaha, really affected her. She no longer wants to spend the night places without mom and dad. When she does, she wants to go home immediately when we get there to pick her up. Hopefully she will get over this too.
Randy is loving his work and doing really well. He would really like Cooper to sleep through the night. As would I. We know that he will eventually, but the lack of sleep is starting to get to us.
Me, well, I tried to go back to work part time so I could spend some quality time with Cooper. I only had 2 weeks of leave left after he was released from the hospital. But, my bosses said I had to go back full time. So, I reluctantly went back to work. They love to preach equality amoung the employees, but if you aren't a friend or family of the administration, there is no such thing. I do keep reminding myself, that I am lucky that I have a job and the office politics are in every office.
We have started a foundation to educate everyone about CDH. There are still doctors out there that know very little about CDH. While in the NICU in Omaha with Cooper, we were told about one couple from Sioux City that was told that this was an unsurvivable defect. They didn't accept that answer, researched it, and found UNMC. Their baby is alive and well. We do not want this to happen to any other families. It is completely unacceptable that physicians are giving death sentences to babies because they haven't been properly educated. Our mission is to change this. Please help support our cause to get the word out there about CDH.
In the meantime we are getting on with our everyday lives, and loving having us all under one roof. God has truly blessed us! Our family is home and healthy. We have wonderful family and friends that have supported us through all of this and continue to do so everyday.
Monday, February 21, 2011
A fund raiser has been started to assist us with Cooper's bills and to help us start a charity, Cooper's DHreams. Any amount will be greatly appriciated. Anyone that donates $20 or more will be put into a drawing to receive a new Panasonic Toughbook W8 lap top computer. Please spread the word. With your assistance we can help other CDH families.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
02-10-11
I know, it's been quite some time since I have updated everyone on how Cooper is doing. He's doing great.
A few bumps in the road so far, but all is good.
We met with one of the surgeons on Tuesday for Cooper's post-op visit. He checked him out and said that he looks great. Of course we have to be vigilant of his respiratory issues. Any change in his breathing, and we need to make sure he gets checked out right away. He was more worried about the hernia recurring and causing breathing problems. He doesn't think it will happen, just that it could. He actually told us that we could just treat him like any other kid. Which was great to hear.
Two days after he came home from the hospital, we went and saw the pediatrician. At that time, Cooper was starting to get a bad case of baby acne. The doctor said that he would outgrow it. This was the worst case of baby acne I had ever seen. Turns out it isn't acne.
First the Dr Davis thought he just had a milk and soy protein intolerance. Cooper didn't have any other signs or symptoms other than the rash. So, Dr Davis said to try Alimentum again to see if this cleared up the rash. One week later, he is still rashy, just not quite as bad. So, now the thought is that he is just a "rashy" kid and he said we could try regular formula if we want. He states that Cooper will grow out of this, as some kids are just "rashy" kids. He just wants us to call him if in a week or so the rash is getting worse.
Other than that, his two month check up went great. He weighs 11 pounds 15 ounces and is 24 inches long. He tolerated the shots well. And they are working on getting his next Syangis shot authorized. He will probably have to have at least 2 more of these to get him though RSV season.
Cooper is really starting to show his personality. He is smiling a lot more and just seems to be a happy little guy most of the time. Even Teresa, who watches him while Mom and Dad are at work, says that he smiles a lot. She just wishes he would look at her more. I caught him looking at her when she wasn't looking at him. He is a crafty little guy.
He looks so much like his sister, it's crazy. He even has the same one dimple. No more appointments for another month. Looking forward to some "normalcy", whatever that is. :-)
A few bumps in the road so far, but all is good.
We met with one of the surgeons on Tuesday for Cooper's post-op visit. He checked him out and said that he looks great. Of course we have to be vigilant of his respiratory issues. Any change in his breathing, and we need to make sure he gets checked out right away. He was more worried about the hernia recurring and causing breathing problems. He doesn't think it will happen, just that it could. He actually told us that we could just treat him like any other kid. Which was great to hear.
Two days after he came home from the hospital, we went and saw the pediatrician. At that time, Cooper was starting to get a bad case of baby acne. The doctor said that he would outgrow it. This was the worst case of baby acne I had ever seen. Turns out it isn't acne.
First the Dr Davis thought he just had a milk and soy protein intolerance. Cooper didn't have any other signs or symptoms other than the rash. So, Dr Davis said to try Alimentum again to see if this cleared up the rash. One week later, he is still rashy, just not quite as bad. So, now the thought is that he is just a "rashy" kid and he said we could try regular formula if we want. He states that Cooper will grow out of this, as some kids are just "rashy" kids. He just wants us to call him if in a week or so the rash is getting worse.
Other than that, his two month check up went great. He weighs 11 pounds 15 ounces and is 24 inches long. He tolerated the shots well. And they are working on getting his next Syangis shot authorized. He will probably have to have at least 2 more of these to get him though RSV season.
Cooper is really starting to show his personality. He is smiling a lot more and just seems to be a happy little guy most of the time. Even Teresa, who watches him while Mom and Dad are at work, says that he smiles a lot. She just wishes he would look at her more. I caught him looking at her when she wasn't looking at him. He is a crafty little guy.
He looks so much like his sister, it's crazy. He even has the same one dimple. No more appointments for another month. Looking forward to some "normalcy", whatever that is. :-)
Thursday, January 27, 2011
01-27-11
It's been several days since I have updated everyone on Cooper.
He has been home now for five days now and is doing well. We went in for our first of many checkups on Tuesday. We met with our pediatrician and he was able to ease some of our fears now that we are on our own taking care of Cooper. This transition has been interesting to say the least.
We did find out that Cooper will eventually need to have physical therapy, occupational therapy, visits to a developmental specialist, along with our check ups with our pediatrician. He may not need all of these for long periods of time, but because of his being on ecmo and all of the narcotics he was on, they do not know how his development will be.
For now, we will have weekly weight checks with the doctor, along with our regular check-ups. So, far, his weight has been averaging about 10 pounds 15 ounces. We have to make sure that he is eating well, so we are also keeping track of every ml that he is taking. Cooper likes to eat just enough that the doctors won't be putting him back in the hospital with the feeding tube in again. Some days I really have to make sure that I harass him enough to get every ml in him that I can.
Jaxon and Lea enjoy having their brother home. Lea tries to be such a big helper, but gets upset when she is unable to do certain things like feeding Cooper. It has been interesting, but wonderful.
Right now I am enjoying watching Cooper giggle in his sleep. I truly feel blessed.
He has been home now for five days now and is doing well. We went in for our first of many checkups on Tuesday. We met with our pediatrician and he was able to ease some of our fears now that we are on our own taking care of Cooper. This transition has been interesting to say the least.
We did find out that Cooper will eventually need to have physical therapy, occupational therapy, visits to a developmental specialist, along with our check ups with our pediatrician. He may not need all of these for long periods of time, but because of his being on ecmo and all of the narcotics he was on, they do not know how his development will be.
For now, we will have weekly weight checks with the doctor, along with our regular check-ups. So, far, his weight has been averaging about 10 pounds 15 ounces. We have to make sure that he is eating well, so we are also keeping track of every ml that he is taking. Cooper likes to eat just enough that the doctors won't be putting him back in the hospital with the feeding tube in again. Some days I really have to make sure that I harass him enough to get every ml in him that I can.
Jaxon and Lea enjoy having their brother home. Lea tries to be such a big helper, but gets upset when she is unable to do certain things like feeding Cooper. It has been interesting, but wonderful.
Right now I am enjoying watching Cooper giggle in his sleep. I truly feel blessed.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
01-23-11
Cooper is HOME!!!!
We got the good news this morning and we were able to bring him home at about 1pm today. It was such a great day!!
Jaxon and Lea were both so excited to get him home. Or in Lea's words, "I so sited! I so sited!". Even our dog Gizmo seemed excited to see what this new thing making noise in our house was. He has been eating well, but not sleeping well. Probably because of everything new he has to check out.
He is sleeping now...in his swing. We're realizing that Cooper is too big for even his cradle. Never would fit in the bassinet. We may have to quickly figure out where we can set up his crib and get Lea into a regular bed since her bed uses the crib mattress.
I just keep looking at him and it is just surreal to actually have him home. Something as little as going into the other room to get his bottle, instead of having to drive to the hospital to give him a bottle, is such a wonderful feeling.
I want to thank you all for your prayers. It has been a long journey to get to where we are today. I know that we would not have made it through all of this if it wasn't for all of our family and friends supporting us and taking care of us and our kids. And of course everyone that has said prayers for Cooper and our family, another big thanks.
We got the good news this morning and we were able to bring him home at about 1pm today. It was such a great day!!
Jaxon and Lea were both so excited to get him home. Or in Lea's words, "I so sited! I so sited!". Even our dog Gizmo seemed excited to see what this new thing making noise in our house was. He has been eating well, but not sleeping well. Probably because of everything new he has to check out.
He is sleeping now...in his swing. We're realizing that Cooper is too big for even his cradle. Never would fit in the bassinet. We may have to quickly figure out where we can set up his crib and get Lea into a regular bed since her bed uses the crib mattress.
I just keep looking at him and it is just surreal to actually have him home. Something as little as going into the other room to get his bottle, instead of having to drive to the hospital to give him a bottle, is such a wonderful feeling.
I want to thank you all for your prayers. It has been a long journey to get to where we are today. I know that we would not have made it through all of this if it wasn't for all of our family and friends supporting us and taking care of us and our kids. And of course everyone that has said prayers for Cooper and our family, another big thanks.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
01-22-11
Another Saturday. Except this may be the last Saturday that Cooper spends in the hospital.
The doctor is cautiously optimistic that Cooper will be released from the hospital TOMORROW! She says that he looks good, but she needs to check his numbers from today and tomorrow to make sure that he is still doing well.
We took today to get ready for Cooper's homecoming. Aunt Verleen helped us out yet again, and fed him last night and today. She was able to get a really cute picture of Cooper smiling last night. I think that helped win her over even more. While she was helping with Cooper, Rowney came over and helped Randy build the platform for our new bed. I think the two 6'4" guys forgot that I'm a foot shorter than them. It's a little high, but still looks good.
I have cleaned so many things around the house hoping to get rid of as many germs as possible, but it seems like there is always something else around the next corner to clean. I guess he will have to be exposed sometime, but for now I think I will keep him confined to certain areas until I can get everything cleaned really well at least once.
We ran into a little snafu yesterday with the car seat. The one we had was too old. Thankfully, one of Randy's co-workers had one that wasn't and we could borrow. Needless to say, he didn't get his test yesterday. Hoping that they will get that done today.
I'm anxious to go in tomorrow and see what the doctor says. Cooper had lost some of that weight, so as long as he doesn't put on a large amount again tonight, we should be ok. I guess we will just have to see what tomorrow brings.
If you happen to be in the Lincoln area tomorrow and hear a very loud scream for joy, it's just me and we are bringing Cooper home.
The doctor is cautiously optimistic that Cooper will be released from the hospital TOMORROW! She says that he looks good, but she needs to check his numbers from today and tomorrow to make sure that he is still doing well.
We took today to get ready for Cooper's homecoming. Aunt Verleen helped us out yet again, and fed him last night and today. She was able to get a really cute picture of Cooper smiling last night. I think that helped win her over even more. While she was helping with Cooper, Rowney came over and helped Randy build the platform for our new bed. I think the two 6'4" guys forgot that I'm a foot shorter than them. It's a little high, but still looks good.
I have cleaned so many things around the house hoping to get rid of as many germs as possible, but it seems like there is always something else around the next corner to clean. I guess he will have to be exposed sometime, but for now I think I will keep him confined to certain areas until I can get everything cleaned really well at least once.
We ran into a little snafu yesterday with the car seat. The one we had was too old. Thankfully, one of Randy's co-workers had one that wasn't and we could borrow. Needless to say, he didn't get his test yesterday. Hoping that they will get that done today.
I'm anxious to go in tomorrow and see what the doctor says. Cooper had lost some of that weight, so as long as he doesn't put on a large amount again tonight, we should be ok. I guess we will just have to see what tomorrow brings.
If you happen to be in the Lincoln area tomorrow and hear a very loud scream for joy, it's just me and we are bringing Cooper home.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
01-20-11
Happy Thursday.
I missed yesterday, but the only thing that really changed yesterday was that Cooper didn't get his circumcision. That happened today. It was not very pretty. I shouldn't have watched. But it's done now and that is one more thing off his list of to dos before he can go home.
Tomorrow afternoon they are going to do the car seat test. He has to sit in his car seat for two hours with the oximeter on to make sure that he doesn't desat during that time.
He has been on demand now for two days and seems to be doing ok with it. He is also on soy formula and hasn't really shown any difference since changing formulas. Hopefully he keeps going this way for the next few days.
He has gained weight a little too fast. The doctors want to watch him for the next two days to see if he can self regulate this issue. It is a sign that he is retaining fluid again and they are concerned about pulmonary edema, but his oxygen saturations have been great. They will not do a chest x-ray unless he doesn't lose some weight again. He has been going back and forth the last couple of days with his weight. As of last night he was back to 10 lbs 10.5oz. The nurse has not weighed him yet tonight.
If he can self regulate and shows "good" weight gain, the doctors are now saying they would like to see Cooper go home Sunday. I have been praying since they told me this.
It is almost surreal that he could be coming home in a couple of days. He is six weeks old tomorrow. The thought of him actually being at home soon just hasn't set in yet. We don't even have his bassinet set up yet. I think we both have been a little afraid. Just don't want to jinx it. The last six weeks have felt like a lifetime already. Can't wait to have Cooper at home to really start our lives together.
Asking everyone to say just one more big prayer that Cooper will be able to come home Sunday. That would be a great start to the next week and next chapter in our lives with Cooper.
I missed yesterday, but the only thing that really changed yesterday was that Cooper didn't get his circumcision. That happened today. It was not very pretty. I shouldn't have watched. But it's done now and that is one more thing off his list of to dos before he can go home.
Tomorrow afternoon they are going to do the car seat test. He has to sit in his car seat for two hours with the oximeter on to make sure that he doesn't desat during that time.
He has been on demand now for two days and seems to be doing ok with it. He is also on soy formula and hasn't really shown any difference since changing formulas. Hopefully he keeps going this way for the next few days.
He has gained weight a little too fast. The doctors want to watch him for the next two days to see if he can self regulate this issue. It is a sign that he is retaining fluid again and they are concerned about pulmonary edema, but his oxygen saturations have been great. They will not do a chest x-ray unless he doesn't lose some weight again. He has been going back and forth the last couple of days with his weight. As of last night he was back to 10 lbs 10.5oz. The nurse has not weighed him yet tonight.
If he can self regulate and shows "good" weight gain, the doctors are now saying they would like to see Cooper go home Sunday. I have been praying since they told me this.
It is almost surreal that he could be coming home in a couple of days. He is six weeks old tomorrow. The thought of him actually being at home soon just hasn't set in yet. We don't even have his bassinet set up yet. I think we both have been a little afraid. Just don't want to jinx it. The last six weeks have felt like a lifetime already. Can't wait to have Cooper at home to really start our lives together.
Asking everyone to say just one more big prayer that Cooper will be able to come home Sunday. That would be a great start to the next week and next chapter in our lives with Cooper.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
01-18-11
Crazy day today.
Cooper did take another full bottle through the night. Surprised me. Then the doctor came in and changed the rules on us. In a good way.
Dr Tan said that we are changing him to soy formula starting tomorrow. We are thrilled for several reasons. The main reason is the cost. Alimentum is expensive and soy is just a little more than regular formula.
She also said that instead of 110 mls every four hours she is letting him take up to 110 mls. He needs to take at least 90 mls, and if he doesn't, then they will gavage the rest. The doctor said she will consider him on demand for his feedings. They will not let him go more than 4 hours without eating, but she is going to change him from 110 mls every four hours to a set amount over 24 hours. He hadn't hit this magic number of 90% yet, but this doctor is more about Cooper and not the numbers. She is confident that he has it in him to eat what he needs when he needs it. I guess we will see because he pulled out his feeding tube tonight. We are hoping that they will not need to put it back in. He looks so good without it.
He gets his circumcision tomorrow morning. Hopefully this won't set him back like they say it possibly could. Another thing we will have to just see about.
Aunt Verleen helped us out and took the 4pm feeding today. Apparently the nurse we had told that she would be there to feed him, didn't pass on that message. Several people came in to find out who she was. She is such a big help to us that I just feel bad that the communication by the staff wasn't there.
Here's to hoping that Cooper continues to do well and will be home by the end of the week. I am taking my book with me, just in case I need to be there all day for his feedings.
Cooper did take another full bottle through the night. Surprised me. Then the doctor came in and changed the rules on us. In a good way.
Dr Tan said that we are changing him to soy formula starting tomorrow. We are thrilled for several reasons. The main reason is the cost. Alimentum is expensive and soy is just a little more than regular formula.
She also said that instead of 110 mls every four hours she is letting him take up to 110 mls. He needs to take at least 90 mls, and if he doesn't, then they will gavage the rest. The doctor said she will consider him on demand for his feedings. They will not let him go more than 4 hours without eating, but she is going to change him from 110 mls every four hours to a set amount over 24 hours. He hadn't hit this magic number of 90% yet, but this doctor is more about Cooper and not the numbers. She is confident that he has it in him to eat what he needs when he needs it. I guess we will see because he pulled out his feeding tube tonight. We are hoping that they will not need to put it back in. He looks so good without it.
He gets his circumcision tomorrow morning. Hopefully this won't set him back like they say it possibly could. Another thing we will have to just see about.
Aunt Verleen helped us out and took the 4pm feeding today. Apparently the nurse we had told that she would be there to feed him, didn't pass on that message. Several people came in to find out who she was. She is such a big help to us that I just feel bad that the communication by the staff wasn't there.
Here's to hoping that Cooper continues to do well and will be home by the end of the week. I am taking my book with me, just in case I need to be there all day for his feedings.
Monday, January 17, 2011
01-17-11
Today was a great day!!!
Cooper was faking us out and ate 70 mls at the morning feeding. All the other mornings he was just messing with us. He could do it all along.
Then the nurses suggested that we bring in bottles for him to get used to them and see if they would work better. Since we didn't have any bottles, I asked if there was one they would suggest that might help him out with his reflux. They suggested Dr Brown's. So, I went and got one to try with him. He didn't skip a beat and took 75 mls at the noon feeding. This was turning out to be a good day.
Then the 4 pm feeding came and he surprised everyone. Especially me. He took 90 mls in 25 minutes. Then with a little more prodding I was finally able to get him to finish the entire bottle in under 45 minutes. YES HE TOOK THE ENTIRE BOTTLE! His first one ever. This was a great day! Even the doctor was impressed.
So, going in for his 8 pm feeding, I really wasn't expecting him to take more than 70, but was hoping. It's not usual for babies to take 2 full bottles in a day, the first day they take a full bottle. But with a lot of prodding (and I do mean a lot) by me, I got him to finish another bottle. Well, close anyway. There were 3 mls left in the bottle, but the nurse called it good.
I do not expect them to get him to take full bottles though the night. Only a parent could bug him that much to get him to eat.
The other changes made today were that they are no longer adding calories to his formula. He is gaining well, almost too well. He is up to 10lbs 10.2 oz. He's up 3 ounces in the last 24 hours. They have put him on a multivitamin with iron. He is still a little anemic, so they think that about of month of this and his formula should get him back to a normal level.
The doctor also gave him a shot for RSV. It is called Synagis. It is a passive vaccine and will help him against RSV. He will need to get doses of this every 30 days or so until RSV season is over. This is a very expensive drug and because of his CDH qualifies to receive it. The doctor said it's about $1000 per vial and because of his size he would need to get about a vial every dose. Thank goodness he qualifies to have insurance cover this.
This doctor does not like Alimentum, so either tomorrow or Wednesday she is going to change his formula. She isn't sure what yet, but probably a soy formula. We are happy because even soy is cheaper than Alimentum.
It was a big day for the Jensen's. We are so happy that Cooper is just that much closer to coming home. Both Jaxon and Lea asked if Cooper would come home tonight because he ate his first bottle. Let them know that he has to do this more often before he could come home. They were still excited that he is starting to eat. We might be getting Cooper home very soon. We just keep praying that it will be any day now.
Cooper was faking us out and ate 70 mls at the morning feeding. All the other mornings he was just messing with us. He could do it all along.
Then the nurses suggested that we bring in bottles for him to get used to them and see if they would work better. Since we didn't have any bottles, I asked if there was one they would suggest that might help him out with his reflux. They suggested Dr Brown's. So, I went and got one to try with him. He didn't skip a beat and took 75 mls at the noon feeding. This was turning out to be a good day.
Then the 4 pm feeding came and he surprised everyone. Especially me. He took 90 mls in 25 minutes. Then with a little more prodding I was finally able to get him to finish the entire bottle in under 45 minutes. YES HE TOOK THE ENTIRE BOTTLE! His first one ever. This was a great day! Even the doctor was impressed.
So, going in for his 8 pm feeding, I really wasn't expecting him to take more than 70, but was hoping. It's not usual for babies to take 2 full bottles in a day, the first day they take a full bottle. But with a lot of prodding (and I do mean a lot) by me, I got him to finish another bottle. Well, close anyway. There were 3 mls left in the bottle, but the nurse called it good.
I do not expect them to get him to take full bottles though the night. Only a parent could bug him that much to get him to eat.
The other changes made today were that they are no longer adding calories to his formula. He is gaining well, almost too well. He is up to 10lbs 10.2 oz. He's up 3 ounces in the last 24 hours. They have put him on a multivitamin with iron. He is still a little anemic, so they think that about of month of this and his formula should get him back to a normal level.
The doctor also gave him a shot for RSV. It is called Synagis. It is a passive vaccine and will help him against RSV. He will need to get doses of this every 30 days or so until RSV season is over. This is a very expensive drug and because of his CDH qualifies to receive it. The doctor said it's about $1000 per vial and because of his size he would need to get about a vial every dose. Thank goodness he qualifies to have insurance cover this.
This doctor does not like Alimentum, so either tomorrow or Wednesday she is going to change his formula. She isn't sure what yet, but probably a soy formula. We are happy because even soy is cheaper than Alimentum.
It was a big day for the Jensen's. We are so happy that Cooper is just that much closer to coming home. Both Jaxon and Lea asked if Cooper would come home tonight because he ate his first bottle. Let them know that he has to do this more often before he could come home. They were still excited that he is starting to eat. We might be getting Cooper home very soon. We just keep praying that it will be any day now.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
01-16-11
We are trying to find out if Cooper just isn't a morning person, or he is just plain stubborn. He hasn't taken as much the last two mornings as he does the rest of his feedings. He still is doing very well, just not as well first thing in the morning. In the last 24 hours he has taken more than 60 mls 5 of the 6 feedings. And 3 of those were at least 70 mls. He is really doing very well.
I was able to give him a bath today and in the sunlight, his hair almost looks reddish. It will be interesting to see what his hair color turns out to be in a few months when his hair starts to come in fully.
Randy went up to Omaha today and "checked us out" of the Ronald McDonald House for the last time. He also took a little thank you over to the NICU at UNMC. We are grateful to all of them for all they did for Cooper.
We are hoping that Cooper will continue to keep moving in this direction and be able to come home soon.
I was able to give him a bath today and in the sunlight, his hair almost looks reddish. It will be interesting to see what his hair color turns out to be in a few months when his hair starts to come in fully.
Randy went up to Omaha today and "checked us out" of the Ronald McDonald House for the last time. He also took a little thank you over to the NICU at UNMC. We are grateful to all of them for all they did for Cooper.
We are hoping that Cooper will continue to keep moving in this direction and be able to come home soon.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
01-15-11
It's great to be in Lincoln! Don't think I can say that enough.
Cooper is doing well and teaching his new nurses how things are going to be. His nurse today learned early that when he wants to eat, he wants to eat. And if you wait too long, he will use all his energy showing you how ticked off he is that you haven't fed him yet. Needless to say, he is a little off his schedule now because he is wanting to eat a little sooner than every four hours. He wants to eat about every 3 to 3 1/2 hours. He is still taking the same amount just over a little less time. Hopefully, this means he is really starting to figure this eating thing out.
He is still at over 50% by bottle and he has not spit up yet since being in Lincoln. We are hoping that he is over that phase, but he is still on the prevacid to help with this, just in case.
Aunt Verleen was there today at 3:30 to feed Cooper, but he had decided that he was hungry before that. He was done eating by bottle by the time she got there. But she did get to change his dirty diaper. Actually, she ended up spending some quality time with him and was still there when I got there at 6:40. And again Cooper was a little off schedule and was eating when I got there. So Aunt Verleen did get to feed him after all.
Then the gang came by. Teresa, Tina and Heather came by to meet Cooper for the first time. He tried his darndest to flirt with them and win them over. Don't think he had to work to hard at this. It was a really great night for me. I was very happy to share him with the girls.
An old friend I haven't talked to in over 11 years (except on facebook) works in the post-partum unit and stopped in to say hi. It was nice to see Wendy after all this time.
Getting Cooper moved to Lincoln has just been a major blessing to us in so many ways.
Cooper is doing well and teaching his new nurses how things are going to be. His nurse today learned early that when he wants to eat, he wants to eat. And if you wait too long, he will use all his energy showing you how ticked off he is that you haven't fed him yet. Needless to say, he is a little off his schedule now because he is wanting to eat a little sooner than every four hours. He wants to eat about every 3 to 3 1/2 hours. He is still taking the same amount just over a little less time. Hopefully, this means he is really starting to figure this eating thing out.
He is still at over 50% by bottle and he has not spit up yet since being in Lincoln. We are hoping that he is over that phase, but he is still on the prevacid to help with this, just in case.
Aunt Verleen was there today at 3:30 to feed Cooper, but he had decided that he was hungry before that. He was done eating by bottle by the time she got there. But she did get to change his dirty diaper. Actually, she ended up spending some quality time with him and was still there when I got there at 6:40. And again Cooper was a little off schedule and was eating when I got there. So Aunt Verleen did get to feed him after all.
Then the gang came by. Teresa, Tina and Heather came by to meet Cooper for the first time. He tried his darndest to flirt with them and win them over. Don't think he had to work to hard at this. It was a really great night for me. I was very happy to share him with the girls.
An old friend I haven't talked to in over 11 years (except on facebook) works in the post-partum unit and stopped in to say hi. It was nice to see Wendy after all this time.
Getting Cooper moved to Lincoln has just been a major blessing to us in so many ways.
Friday, January 14, 2011
01-14-11
So Cooper has been in Lincoln for about 36 hours now and it really agrees with him. In the last 36 hours he has taken just over 50% by bottle every feeding. AND he has not spit up/thrown up yet since being here.
He seems to be a bit happier as well. Couldn't be that mom and dad are happier and less stressed, could it?
We had more visitors tonight. Great Aunt Marilyn came by and kept Cooper and I company while he ate. Then Grandma and Grandpa Baumert came down and joined us. We had a nice visit with all of them.
Grandma and Grandpa came back to the house so they could spoil, I mean spend time with Jaxon and Lea. The kids enjoyed them coming by. Lea and Grandma played her "fishy" game and Jaxon and Grandpa played with one of his new race tracks. They had fun and it was nice to see them again.
Tonight, Aunt Verleen met Randy at the hospital to "learn" how to feed Cooper. I told her that she doesn't need and excuse to visit Cooper. But she is feeding him tomorrow at 4 for us so we can go to Jaxon's first basketball game. I'm guessing she just wanted some reassurance that she could do this. I have no doubt that she can.
This was a good day!
He seems to be a bit happier as well. Couldn't be that mom and dad are happier and less stressed, could it?
We had more visitors tonight. Great Aunt Marilyn came by and kept Cooper and I company while he ate. Then Grandma and Grandpa Baumert came down and joined us. We had a nice visit with all of them.
Grandma and Grandpa came back to the house so they could spoil, I mean spend time with Jaxon and Lea. The kids enjoyed them coming by. Lea and Grandma played her "fishy" game and Jaxon and Grandpa played with one of his new race tracks. They had fun and it was nice to see them again.
Tonight, Aunt Verleen met Randy at the hospital to "learn" how to feed Cooper. I told her that she doesn't need and excuse to visit Cooper. But she is feeding him tomorrow at 4 for us so we can go to Jaxon's first basketball game. I'm guessing she just wanted some reassurance that she could do this. I have no doubt that she can.
This was a good day!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
01-13-11
Cooper made it to Lincoln!!!
He arrived at St E's about 10:15ish. We got there about 10:30 and he was in his new room and getting weighed and settled in. It was great to make the quick drive to see him.
So, he left UNMC about 9:10 with just a little food in his tummy. Only about 20 mls. They didn't want him to go on a full tummy, just in case he were to get sick in the ambulance. The isolet they use for transport is small. Really small. Cooper had no problems with the ride down to Lincoln. He slept most of the way. He only gave them heck the last 15 minutes or so. Needless to say, he was hungry. After they did all of their necessary checks, they finally talked to us about the fact that they didn't have his formula in powder form, so they couldn't add the extra calories like at UNMC. They actually had to send someone out to get some formula so they could. In the mean time, we gave him the regular Alimentum. And he did great.
We think being in Lincoln, with a less stressed mommy and daddy, really agrees with him. He took 45 mls at that first feeding here. Then at the 4 o'clock feeding, he took 70 mls for me. Finally at the 8 o'clock feeding, he took another 55 mls for Randy. In those 3 feedings he is already up to 50% by bottle. And he didn't spit up at all. Let's hope he keeps going in this direction. This is a great day.
He has already had visitors today. Aunt Verleen and Uncle Rowney were there tonight to help welcome him to Lincoln and to learn how this feeding thing is done. They will be our back up when we can't make it there ourselves for some reason. Like on Saturday afternoon when we have to go to Jaxon's first basketball game. It is really a great feeling and weight off our shoulders to be here and have all the support close by.
I know that I am looking forward to spending time at home and with our friends. I'm sure that Randy feels the same way.
I can't say it enough. It's a great day.
He arrived at St E's about 10:15ish. We got there about 10:30 and he was in his new room and getting weighed and settled in. It was great to make the quick drive to see him.
So, he left UNMC about 9:10 with just a little food in his tummy. Only about 20 mls. They didn't want him to go on a full tummy, just in case he were to get sick in the ambulance. The isolet they use for transport is small. Really small. Cooper had no problems with the ride down to Lincoln. He slept most of the way. He only gave them heck the last 15 minutes or so. Needless to say, he was hungry. After they did all of their necessary checks, they finally talked to us about the fact that they didn't have his formula in powder form, so they couldn't add the extra calories like at UNMC. They actually had to send someone out to get some formula so they could. In the mean time, we gave him the regular Alimentum. And he did great.
We think being in Lincoln, with a less stressed mommy and daddy, really agrees with him. He took 45 mls at that first feeding here. Then at the 4 o'clock feeding, he took 70 mls for me. Finally at the 8 o'clock feeding, he took another 55 mls for Randy. In those 3 feedings he is already up to 50% by bottle. And he didn't spit up at all. Let's hope he keeps going in this direction. This is a great day.
He has already had visitors today. Aunt Verleen and Uncle Rowney were there tonight to help welcome him to Lincoln and to learn how this feeding thing is done. They will be our back up when we can't make it there ourselves for some reason. Like on Saturday afternoon when we have to go to Jaxon's first basketball game. It is really a great feeling and weight off our shoulders to be here and have all the support close by.
I know that I am looking forward to spending time at home and with our friends. I'm sure that Randy feels the same way.
I can't say it enough. It's a great day.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
01-12-10
YYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tomorrow morning Cooper will be transferred to St. Elizabeth's hospital. This is the next best thing to him coming home.
He had a great night last night, then I think mom's stress about today got to him and he didn't eat very well for me. So, we know he has it in him to eat, and hopefully now that he will be closer to home, he will be able to eat better all the time.
We were able to get the green light on the transfer about noon today, but knew that we would have to pay for the transport to Lincoln. At first, we were having to come up with the cost of UNMC's transport service. Which was about $4500. This was a big stress on us, but then wonderful Denise from UNMC, along with a little help from Dr Anderson and a few other calls from other birdies, St E's waived their nursing and supply fees to transport him to St E's. This was a $3000 savings to us.
So, tomorrow morning (Thursday) the St E's team will leave there about 7:30 to head to Omaha to get Cooper and bring him back to Lincoln. He should be at St. E's by about 10:00. We are very happy. It will be nice to drive down the road, instead of driving to Omaha to see Cooper.
It was nice to come home, but didn't expect to have to take 2 hours to get the kids to bed. Apparently me be gone for the last 5 days means I have to read nearly every book to Lea and Jaxon. Glad we will be able to get back to our routine.
Just want to put out there that the power of prayer is mighty and we are grateful to everyone out there for the prayers. I really believe that Cooper has done so well and he is able to be transferred to St E's because of all the prayers.
Tomorrow morning Cooper will be transferred to St. Elizabeth's hospital. This is the next best thing to him coming home.
He had a great night last night, then I think mom's stress about today got to him and he didn't eat very well for me. So, we know he has it in him to eat, and hopefully now that he will be closer to home, he will be able to eat better all the time.
We were able to get the green light on the transfer about noon today, but knew that we would have to pay for the transport to Lincoln. At first, we were having to come up with the cost of UNMC's transport service. Which was about $4500. This was a big stress on us, but then wonderful Denise from UNMC, along with a little help from Dr Anderson and a few other calls from other birdies, St E's waived their nursing and supply fees to transport him to St E's. This was a $3000 savings to us.
So, tomorrow morning (Thursday) the St E's team will leave there about 7:30 to head to Omaha to get Cooper and bring him back to Lincoln. He should be at St. E's by about 10:00. We are very happy. It will be nice to drive down the road, instead of driving to Omaha to see Cooper.
It was nice to come home, but didn't expect to have to take 2 hours to get the kids to bed. Apparently me be gone for the last 5 days means I have to read nearly every book to Lea and Jaxon. Glad we will be able to get back to our routine.
Just want to put out there that the power of prayer is mighty and we are grateful to everyone out there for the prayers. I really believe that Cooper has done so well and he is able to be transferred to St E's because of all the prayers.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
01-11-11
Cooper had a better day today.
For the last 12 hours he has been taking nearly 40% of his feedings by bottle. This is great considering when I talked to the doctor at 9 this morning, he had only been taking 30% by bottle. Hopefully he will continue this through the night.
He still is throwing up a bit, but not every feeding. And he has gained weight the last two days, so the doctor is not too worried.
I have worked with insurance companies for many years trying to get claims paid or services covered for patients. Now it's my turn to sit back and wait to see if the hospital can get either the transport to St E's or the hospital stay once he's there, covered. Hopefully both, but we will take the hospital stay. I didn't know that the insurance company may say that it's cheaper to stay in Omaha, so they wouldn't pay for the hospital stay even if we paid for the transport to Lincoln. But, I have faith that the people here at UNMC know what they are doing and what needs to be said or done to get this paid. Now it's just waiting to see if the insurance company has a human being on this case or a robot that has been put there to protect the bottom line.
If the insurance won't pay, and we have to stay in Omaha, I only hope that Cooper finds a new gear and gets this eating thing down a little faster. Can't stand staying up here anymore. Very grateful to have a place to stay and the facility is nice, but some of the other people staying here are just so incredibly rude. The couple in the next room have been fighting the last couple of nights as late as midnight.
Then of course there is the entire missing my other kids. It would be so nice to have everyone together. I guess we only have another day until we find out. Saying extra prayers.
For the last 12 hours he has been taking nearly 40% of his feedings by bottle. This is great considering when I talked to the doctor at 9 this morning, he had only been taking 30% by bottle. Hopefully he will continue this through the night.
He still is throwing up a bit, but not every feeding. And he has gained weight the last two days, so the doctor is not too worried.
I have worked with insurance companies for many years trying to get claims paid or services covered for patients. Now it's my turn to sit back and wait to see if the hospital can get either the transport to St E's or the hospital stay once he's there, covered. Hopefully both, but we will take the hospital stay. I didn't know that the insurance company may say that it's cheaper to stay in Omaha, so they wouldn't pay for the hospital stay even if we paid for the transport to Lincoln. But, I have faith that the people here at UNMC know what they are doing and what needs to be said or done to get this paid. Now it's just waiting to see if the insurance company has a human being on this case or a robot that has been put there to protect the bottom line.
If the insurance won't pay, and we have to stay in Omaha, I only hope that Cooper finds a new gear and gets this eating thing down a little faster. Can't stand staying up here anymore. Very grateful to have a place to stay and the facility is nice, but some of the other people staying here are just so incredibly rude. The couple in the next room have been fighting the last couple of nights as late as midnight.
Then of course there is the entire missing my other kids. It would be so nice to have everyone together. I guess we only have another day until we find out. Saying extra prayers.
Monday, January 10, 2011
01-10-11
Cooper is one month old today.
This lovely weather made it interesting to get over to the hospital today. I called the shuttle so I didn't have to drive in this snow. Never been so nervous to ride in a van for 6 blocks. Lots of cars stuck and sliding everywhere.
When I did make it there, it was another day in the struggle to get Cooper to eat. He still is taking only an ounce every feeding by bottle. I did talk to the doctor about this, and she reassured me that this is normal and that he is still ahead of the curve. She said that on average it takes 4 to 6 weeks after the hernia repair for babies to learn how to eat. We are just over 2 weeks in, so we have possibly 2 to 4 weeks more. However, there have been cases where it takes 3 to 4 months. Hoping that it's only 2 to 4 weeks more.
He only gained 3 ounces over the last week, so they have added calories to his formula to help. They want him to gain an ounce every day. Regular formula is 20 calories per ounce. They have added 2 calories per ounce. Yeah, I know, doesn't sound like a lot. He is going from taking 480 calories a day to 528. They hope this will help him get the calories he is burning from working so hard to eat. If not, they will increase it to 5 calories/ounce.
The only big news from the day would be that I did talk to Dr Anderson about transferring Cooper to St Elizabeth's. She did give the green light, but we have to wait to see if insurance will cover any of the transport costs. Unlikely, but we can hope. If not, we are still going to pursue this option. It would be so much easier for Jaxon and Lea if we were in town. They could see their brother more and we could have dinner together every night. Also, we would be able to sleep in our own bed every night. Here's to hoping that we will be able to get him to Lincoln if not home soon.
This lovely weather made it interesting to get over to the hospital today. I called the shuttle so I didn't have to drive in this snow. Never been so nervous to ride in a van for 6 blocks. Lots of cars stuck and sliding everywhere.
When I did make it there, it was another day in the struggle to get Cooper to eat. He still is taking only an ounce every feeding by bottle. I did talk to the doctor about this, and she reassured me that this is normal and that he is still ahead of the curve. She said that on average it takes 4 to 6 weeks after the hernia repair for babies to learn how to eat. We are just over 2 weeks in, so we have possibly 2 to 4 weeks more. However, there have been cases where it takes 3 to 4 months. Hoping that it's only 2 to 4 weeks more.
He only gained 3 ounces over the last week, so they have added calories to his formula to help. They want him to gain an ounce every day. Regular formula is 20 calories per ounce. They have added 2 calories per ounce. Yeah, I know, doesn't sound like a lot. He is going from taking 480 calories a day to 528. They hope this will help him get the calories he is burning from working so hard to eat. If not, they will increase it to 5 calories/ounce.
The only big news from the day would be that I did talk to Dr Anderson about transferring Cooper to St Elizabeth's. She did give the green light, but we have to wait to see if insurance will cover any of the transport costs. Unlikely, but we can hope. If not, we are still going to pursue this option. It would be so much easier for Jaxon and Lea if we were in town. They could see their brother more and we could have dinner together every night. Also, we would be able to sleep in our own bed every night. Here's to hoping that we will be able to get him to Lincoln if not home soon.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
01-08-11
Cooper is doing great. Another boring day in the NICU for us.
The only change they really made was that they changed his feedings from every three hours to every four. Of course this means he has to drink more every feeding. Instead of 80 mls every 3 hours, it's now 110 mls every 4 hours. Of course they didn't change the rate, so he is still having to take all 110 in 60 minutes. This is one way to stretch his stomach out.
He is back to below 50% of his feedings by bottle. It would be kind of nice if he had the same nurse more than once. Now with the new CDH baby in the NICU, all the good nurses have been put on that case and we get all of these other nurses that have never seen Cooper before and half of them did not even know that he's had surgery. We have to tell them about him because they are not necessarily reading the chart. Randy has spoken with the charge nurse about this and hopefully things will get better, however we had another new nurse today.
We really have no idea anymore when the end to this hospital stay might be. Right now hopeful would be within 2-3 weeks. He's not sick anymore, so no one is really worrying about him and they just keep telling us that it will take time. It would just be nice if he could come home before I have to go back to work. But now. . . we just don't know.
The only change they really made was that they changed his feedings from every three hours to every four. Of course this means he has to drink more every feeding. Instead of 80 mls every 3 hours, it's now 110 mls every 4 hours. Of course they didn't change the rate, so he is still having to take all 110 in 60 minutes. This is one way to stretch his stomach out.
He is back to below 50% of his feedings by bottle. It would be kind of nice if he had the same nurse more than once. Now with the new CDH baby in the NICU, all the good nurses have been put on that case and we get all of these other nurses that have never seen Cooper before and half of them did not even know that he's had surgery. We have to tell them about him because they are not necessarily reading the chart. Randy has spoken with the charge nurse about this and hopefully things will get better, however we had another new nurse today.
We really have no idea anymore when the end to this hospital stay might be. Right now hopeful would be within 2-3 weeks. He's not sick anymore, so no one is really worrying about him and they just keep telling us that it will take time. It would just be nice if he could come home before I have to go back to work. But now. . . we just don't know.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
01-05-11
So, yesterday, Cooper was impressing everyone at morning rounds with the fact he was taking 37% of his feedings by bottle. Today it was up to 45%. (Keep in mind this is always the previous 24 hours.) For the 4 feedings I was there today, he was up to 50% by bottle. He is doing great!! Now it's Randy's turn tomorrow to see if he can beat mom and get him to take even more at each feeding.
He also was able to stay off the oxygen all night and today. He did need another dose of lasix today, as expected. And we will find out later if he was able to lose any weight today. He seemed to be doing a little better today with his breathing. Randy will find out tomorrow if he will need another dose to help him out even more.
So, tonight I am home with the rest of the family, and it is nice to come back to a little normalcy. Even though I'm not sure what normal is anymore.
It's like Randy and I have been taking Cooper 101 for the past 4 weeks and we are not quite sure when we will be able to graduate to Cooper 102 (Cooper at home). We are slowly learning all his little quirks and noises. Example: today after Cooper had eaten at the 11am feeding, he was laying in his bed not quite asleep. Then, he started making this little gurgling sound and I got up to check on him thinking he was going to throw up. Sure enough, as soon as I got up to the bed and grabbed a burp rag, he threw up. Fortunately but unfortunately I know what he sounds like when he is about to throw up.
The new CDH baby should be born tomorrow. I can't help but think what the parents are thinking right now. So many questions are running through my head for them. My heart goes out to them as this long process is just starting for them.
He also was able to stay off the oxygen all night and today. He did need another dose of lasix today, as expected. And we will find out later if he was able to lose any weight today. He seemed to be doing a little better today with his breathing. Randy will find out tomorrow if he will need another dose to help him out even more.
So, tonight I am home with the rest of the family, and it is nice to come back to a little normalcy. Even though I'm not sure what normal is anymore.
It's like Randy and I have been taking Cooper 101 for the past 4 weeks and we are not quite sure when we will be able to graduate to Cooper 102 (Cooper at home). We are slowly learning all his little quirks and noises. Example: today after Cooper had eaten at the 11am feeding, he was laying in his bed not quite asleep. Then, he started making this little gurgling sound and I got up to check on him thinking he was going to throw up. Sure enough, as soon as I got up to the bed and grabbed a burp rag, he threw up. Fortunately but unfortunately I know what he sounds like when he is about to throw up.
The new CDH baby should be born tomorrow. I can't help but think what the parents are thinking right now. So many questions are running through my head for them. My heart goes out to them as this long process is just starting for them.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
01-04-11
Today was a yet another good day.
Cooper has decided he likes this bottle thing a little more. Starting with the 5 am feeding, and every feeding since, he has taken at least an ounce by bottle. His last two bottles he has taken 40 mls and 50 mls. Hopefully his breathing won't hold him back through the night. It would be great if he would just take 30 mls per feeding throughout the night.
Cooper remained off oxygen the entire day. However, by tonight he was having a hard time keeping his saturations above 95%. When we weighed him tonight, he was 9 pounds 12 ounces. Up 4 ounces. They only wanted/expected him to gain 1 to 2 ounces. I won't be surprised if he needs another dose of lasix tomorrow. It really seemed to help him yesterday and this morning. My untrained eyes could even see that his breathing was better controlled and not so fast after the last two doses of lasix. I will not be surprised if he is on oxygen by tomorrow morning.
Over all, he is still doing great.
On another note, I found out today that another CDH baby may be arriving soon in the NICU. We had heard that for some reason they seem to get CDH babies in threes. We were the first, and I had heard before that they were expecting the others in January and February. Well, the January baby is expected to be arriving soon. I hope that everything goes well for them. And hopefully we will be able to help them through some things as parents who have just gone through the same thing.
Good Night.
Cooper has decided he likes this bottle thing a little more. Starting with the 5 am feeding, and every feeding since, he has taken at least an ounce by bottle. His last two bottles he has taken 40 mls and 50 mls. Hopefully his breathing won't hold him back through the night. It would be great if he would just take 30 mls per feeding throughout the night.
Cooper remained off oxygen the entire day. However, by tonight he was having a hard time keeping his saturations above 95%. When we weighed him tonight, he was 9 pounds 12 ounces. Up 4 ounces. They only wanted/expected him to gain 1 to 2 ounces. I won't be surprised if he needs another dose of lasix tomorrow. It really seemed to help him yesterday and this morning. My untrained eyes could even see that his breathing was better controlled and not so fast after the last two doses of lasix. I will not be surprised if he is on oxygen by tomorrow morning.
Over all, he is still doing great.
On another note, I found out today that another CDH baby may be arriving soon in the NICU. We had heard that for some reason they seem to get CDH babies in threes. We were the first, and I had heard before that they were expecting the others in January and February. Well, the January baby is expected to be arriving soon. I hope that everything goes well for them. And hopefully we will be able to help them through some things as parents who have just gone through the same thing.
Good Night.
Monday, January 3, 2011
01-03-11
Yet another Monday in the books.
Cooper is still doing well. The boring days they talked about have officially started.
He had his PICC line removed yesterday and doesn't seem to miss it at all. They do still have him on prevacid. They are able to give this through his feeding tube so he doesn't have to taste it yet.
And the last two days they have been giving him lasix to help with the fluids he has been retaining. They think that this might help him and his breathing. The doctor thinks that a lot of his big weight gains could just be fluid, and judging by how much he has lost over the last two days, I would say they are right. On Saturday night he weighed in at 10 pounds 1 ounce. Tonight, he weighed 9 pounds 8 ounces. This was a big weight loss today and they were a little concerned, but think it was expected after the big weight gain at the end of last week. We will have to see if the doctor continues the lasix tomorrow.
Cooper is still struggling with the eating part. He has figured out how to eat from the bottle, but doesn't have the stamina to drink everything by bottle. Today he is still at 80 mls. He did take at least half 3 times today. Now to get him to take half at every feeding would be a great start.
Sonya
Cooper is still doing well. The boring days they talked about have officially started.
He had his PICC line removed yesterday and doesn't seem to miss it at all. They do still have him on prevacid. They are able to give this through his feeding tube so he doesn't have to taste it yet.
And the last two days they have been giving him lasix to help with the fluids he has been retaining. They think that this might help him and his breathing. The doctor thinks that a lot of his big weight gains could just be fluid, and judging by how much he has lost over the last two days, I would say they are right. On Saturday night he weighed in at 10 pounds 1 ounce. Tonight, he weighed 9 pounds 8 ounces. This was a big weight loss today and they were a little concerned, but think it was expected after the big weight gain at the end of last week. We will have to see if the doctor continues the lasix tomorrow.
Cooper is still struggling with the eating part. He has figured out how to eat from the bottle, but doesn't have the stamina to drink everything by bottle. Today he is still at 80 mls. He did take at least half 3 times today. Now to get him to take half at every feeding would be a great start.
Sonya
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
01-01-11
Happy 2011!
First day of the new year and we are starting on a positive note. Cooper is back on track.
Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Baumert, both of us were able to make it up to Omaha today. Not that we didn't have lots of people offering to watch Jaxon and Lea, but Grandma and Grandpa were happy to spend some time with them, so it worked out for all us.
So, we made it up here for Cooper's 11 am feeding and found that he had been moved up to 80 mls every 3 hours. And he was able to take 35 mls by bottle. It does take quite a while for the rest to be fed to him by feeding tube, which tends to cause issues with his next feeding. He sleeps well after he eats and doesn't want to wake up for the next feeding. The 2 pm feeding he only took 10 mls by bottle and at 5 pm they just fed him by tube because he was sleeping and the surgeons only wanted him to feed by bottle 3 times per day because of his reflux. The nurses are going to check with them in the morning since they seem to have his reflux back under control. Cooper took 43 mls at the 8 pm feeding, which is fabulous. We are hoping that by morning we will be able to feed him more by bottle and get him back on track to getting out of here.
They will have him up to 90 mls, or 3 ounces, tomorrow and will be able to pull the picc line. NO MORE IV!! That will be great! Then we will only have the wires monitoring his vitals and his oxygen keeping him attached to anything. Nurses think that he might be able to come off the oxygen in a few days. Just need him to get his breathing under control and then his O2 saturations should remain stable. Just tends to breath too fast some of the time and then his sats drop, and the reason he needs O2.
We were told today that Cooper will have to have a MRI of the head. They said it is standard protocol with every baby that has been on ecmo. They want to make sure that they didn't miss any brain bleeds and check for any possible brain damage that could have possibly occurred while on ecmo and heparin. They are not worried, but need to follow protocol. Hoping that they are right and there is nothing to worry about.
We are hoping that we will soon have to bring Cooper's car seat up for them to check out. They need to check for recalls and they also place him in the car seat to make sure that he doesn't have issues while sitting in the car seat. They do this a couple of days before his is able to come home. That will be a good feeling to bring that up to the hospital. Can't wait.
First day of the new year and we are starting on a positive note. Cooper is back on track.
Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Baumert, both of us were able to make it up to Omaha today. Not that we didn't have lots of people offering to watch Jaxon and Lea, but Grandma and Grandpa were happy to spend some time with them, so it worked out for all us.
So, we made it up here for Cooper's 11 am feeding and found that he had been moved up to 80 mls every 3 hours. And he was able to take 35 mls by bottle. It does take quite a while for the rest to be fed to him by feeding tube, which tends to cause issues with his next feeding. He sleeps well after he eats and doesn't want to wake up for the next feeding. The 2 pm feeding he only took 10 mls by bottle and at 5 pm they just fed him by tube because he was sleeping and the surgeons only wanted him to feed by bottle 3 times per day because of his reflux. The nurses are going to check with them in the morning since they seem to have his reflux back under control. Cooper took 43 mls at the 8 pm feeding, which is fabulous. We are hoping that by morning we will be able to feed him more by bottle and get him back on track to getting out of here.
They will have him up to 90 mls, or 3 ounces, tomorrow and will be able to pull the picc line. NO MORE IV!! That will be great! Then we will only have the wires monitoring his vitals and his oxygen keeping him attached to anything. Nurses think that he might be able to come off the oxygen in a few days. Just need him to get his breathing under control and then his O2 saturations should remain stable. Just tends to breath too fast some of the time and then his sats drop, and the reason he needs O2.
We were told today that Cooper will have to have a MRI of the head. They said it is standard protocol with every baby that has been on ecmo. They want to make sure that they didn't miss any brain bleeds and check for any possible brain damage that could have possibly occurred while on ecmo and heparin. They are not worried, but need to follow protocol. Hoping that they are right and there is nothing to worry about.
We are hoping that we will soon have to bring Cooper's car seat up for them to check out. They need to check for recalls and they also place him in the car seat to make sure that he doesn't have issues while sitting in the car seat. They do this a couple of days before his is able to come home. That will be a good feeling to bring that up to the hospital. Can't wait.
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