Beckham get's the "OK" from Doc to go home!!!!

I got a call from the hospital yesterday (20th) at about 4:30 p.m. from Beckham's Doctor. She said that Beckham had been doing really well and that she felt that there was no longer a need to keep him there. So she said, "I am thinking about discharging him tonight. That is, if you think you would be able to come and get him tonight?" I about jumped through the roof. I was thinking, "Hell, I will charter a helicopter if I have to, in order to get up there tonight!" Haley called shortly after I got off the phone with the Doctor, and she was asking if I had heard anything from his Doctor yet. I was going to try and keep a straight face until I got home and then I was going to start putting his car seat in the car and getting things out of his room, but I could not last 15 seconds and blurted out "He's coming home!" Haley did not believe me at first and it took some convincing. Anyway, we went up later that night and brought him home. Bridget finally got to see her new baby brother. She was so cute with him. She was being very protective and loving with him. She held him and did not want to share with anyone. Haley and I were so glad that she was doing so well with him. He did amazing last night, going about 4 hours between feedings. Although, Dad was up a lot more checking on the little guy. He is a good little sleeper, and he does not cry. I took a really cute pic of "big sister" holding "baby brother's" hand, one of "big sister" holding "baby brother", and one of Beckham in his car seat (he is so little!!!) We are all doing great; Haley is already looking like she never had a baby (she is amazing).

Bridget's fun Lagoon day with Dad!

On Tuesday the 19th Bridet and I went to Lagoon, for my company's party. We also had Bridget's cousin Mckenna and her uncle Jerry come with us. Bridget rode: the boats, Puff the Fire Dragon, the Dragonfly, the Space Ship ride, the flying animal ride (with elephants that try to look like Dumbo), we were going to ride the Rattlesnake Rapids (but everyone getting off of it was soaked and Bridget hates to be wet), and the Rock-o-Plane. Rock-o-Plane is a ride that I can not believe she wanted to ride; it is like a ferris wheel with these little pods that hold two people attached to an axle that allows the pod, and the people in it, to flip all around and upside down. She loved it, even when we were upside down and going all around the whole circle of the ferris wheel. I was a little nervous, but Bridget did awesome.

Beckham is now on an ad-lib feeding schedule!

Beckham was officially moved to an ad-lib feeding schedule yesterday on the 19th of August. When a baby is moved to an ad-lib feeding schedule he/she is very close to being able to come home. What Beckham has to do is: continue feeding well, eating enough calories to sustain growth, maintain/increase his weight, not have any significant oxygen desaturation or heart rate drops, and basically remain stable. All of which he has been doing. There is only one thing that may delay his discharge, and that is that some doctors don't like them to go home until they are 36 weeks gestation age. That would mean another week for Beckham, if the doctor decides to do that. We hope that he does not have to stay that long, but we will do what we need to. We are really just pleased that he continues to do well.

Beckham bottle-feeding every time now!

Beckham was switched to bottle-feeding for every feeding and allowed to basically eat as much or as little as he wants. He has been eating a lot and is definitely improving his coordination with drinking, swallowing, and breathing. In addition, one of his nurses said that Haley could try breastfeeding him, to see how well he would do. The first time she tried he did awesome, he latched on and fed for about 30 minutes. Although this was a very cool thing, we were a little nervous to know if he got enough food, since we have always had to measure how much he ate. The nurse said, "We will watch how long he sleeps, and if he wakes up early and acts hungry. Then, he probably did not get enough." He ended up sleeping until the next feeding, so we assume he got enough to eat. The rest of the night he continued to do well, eating as much as 60 cc's sometimes. They said that if he continues doing so well, he will likely be going home in a few days. Yeah!!!!

Beckham has been doing awesome!

Some of the events, progress, and milestones that Beckham has accomplished in the last week. He went under lights for jaundice for a couple days, was doing every other feeding by tube, got off the lights, moved to an open crib, was eating all his milk at every bottle feed. So, on Friday morning the doctor decided to have him start trying every feeding by bottle again. He did awesome, and only needed the tube two times at the beginning of the switch to help finish the last 10 to 30 % of the bottle. But, he has been eating all his milk at every feeding since then. So, this morning, Saturday, the doctor said that because he has been handling eating every feeding by bottle so well they are going to remove the tube. She also said that because he is eating by bottle now, and finishing it all; that what we need him to do now is to completely get the hang of drinking, swallowing, and breathing with coordination. She said once he can do that consistently and he continues to be eating enough at his feedings he will be ready to go home. They had been giving him 38 cc's, but they wanted to let him eat as much or as little as he wants this last time, at 11:30 a.m., so they filled it up to 45 cc's; all of which Beckham ate. He is doing awesome and we are getting so excited because we can see that the end is near. We are so pleased with how well he is doing, and with the care he is receiving from his nurses and doctors; although we get very frustrated with them sometimes.

Baby Beckham

It has been a few days since we have updated the blog. A lot has happened since the last post. So, to recap, he had been bottle-feeding really well and generally doing well. He started to look jaundice, so on Sunday they put him under the bili lights. The combination of the lights and the jaundice uses more of his energy, so in order to conserve as much as possible for growing they started to feed through a tube every other feeding. He still feeds from the bottle really well and is up to 45 cc's a lot of the time. He has been digesting food, and his bowels are working; which helps rid the body of the toxins that cause the jaundice. It is funny to see the little guy under the lights, with his shades on (it looks like he is sun-tanning). All the nurses say how amazing he is doing for a 33 week baby (40 weeks is full-term); they also all say how cute he is and just go crazy over all of his dark hair. We are really pleased with how Beckham is progressing. We are also very appreciative of all the work his nurses and doctors are doing, they are on top of things and really want what is best for Beckham; even if Mom and Dad get a little frustrated now and then. We are trying to be patient and wait for that day when we can bring the little dude home.

Haley goes home!

Haley came home on Friday the 8th in the morning. And, it could not have been too soon. They bumped her out of her room into a closet, it was a "walk-in" though. Dad slept on a chair because there was no room for a pull-out bed. The reason we were bumped, we were told, was because it was 8/8/08; and everybody wanted to have their baby on that day. Oh, well. The good thing though is Haley is home now, and she is doing awesome, (but, what else would you expect from her). She is pumping and getting plenty of milk for Beckham; and Beckham has been eating really well still. They have been steadily increasing the volume of milk they wanted him to be eating and they wanted him to get up to 30 cc's. Which he did last night at 11:30 p.m. He has stayed in his open crib and has held his temperature still just fine. He is looking very healthy, and he is very alert. Haley was able to put him in his new outfit and hat yesterday, he looks so cute. Bridget is so excited that she has a little brother, although she is not sure why he is not home yet.

Beckham gets a new bed!

Beckham has been doing amazingly well. He has been bottle-feeding, breathing on his own, on room air, and has been holding his temperature. This morning after his 8:30 feeding, the nurse transferred him from the in-between isolette and into an open air crib with no heat. It is now the afternoon and he has been able to hold his temp on his own, in room temperature. He has been passing every test they throw at him. He truly is an amazing little dude! His feedings have been going very well. They have been steadily increasing the amount of milk that he needs to drink, and he has been finishing every bottle. So, Beckham is proof that you can be tough and cute at the same time.

Beckham is eating!

Beckham is still eating by bottle every 3 hours! He is doing really great. They are slowly transitioning him to an open crib. He is currently in-between an isolette and the open crib in an isolette-like crib, but with no heat to see if he maintains his temperature. He has been holding his temp really well in just room temperature. He is very content.

Beckham had his first meal

At about 11:30 Beckham was able to drink his first meal from the bottle. He is doing so good, in fact, he most likely will be changing beds moving from an isolette to an open crib later tonight.

Beckham Mitchell Henderson

Beckham Mitchell Henderson was born weighing 4 lbs 10 oz. and he is 17 inches tall. When he first came out they had him on some blow-by oxygen at 25 % (atmosphere is 21%) but he only stayed on it for an hour. He pulled the nasal canula out and since then he has not needed any more oxygen, and he has been SAT'ing fine on room air. He is doing awesome, I can not believe how well he looks. His look has improved from just last night. Beckham is strong and a fighter, we are so happy he is here and doing so well. We appreciate everyone's support.

Baby Boy Henderson is Here!

4:25 p.m. Baby Boy Henderson was delivered! He had his cord wrapped around his neck twice, and quite tight. Haley had signs of Placenta Abruption, a potentially dangerous condition. After Dr. Boheen cut the cord from around his neck and she pulled him the rest of the way out, I heard him cry, a good strong cry! It was a blessing he came early. He looked cute and had a lot of dark hair. The NICU is currently stabilizing him and I will be able to go back and see him shortly.

Baby is on his way!

This morning Haley had a little bleeding, they checked her and she had progressed in dilation. They decided to start her on Pitocin at about Noon. It is almost 2:30 p.m. and Haley is having contractions very close together. The baby will be here shortly! Haley is currently dilated to a 6 and is going to get her epidural within the next 10 minutes or so.

Haley finally got a shower!

This morning Haley went to meet with the Perinatologist and have an ultrasound done of the baby. The baby is doing fine and he actually weighed more than we thought; he came in at 4 lbs 11 ounces, awesome! The Dr. said that they wanted to wait until Haley was 34 weeks before they start labor. But, she said that if Haley starts on her own they will not stop it. The only major concern is the risk of infection, if there is a sign of it they will start her. So, we are playing the waiting game. The good thing about having the baby stay longer, is that everyday he is in the womb is about two days less in the NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit). The baby has received the full benefit from the two steroid shots, he is a good weight, and he is practicing breathing right now in the womb. So, all these things added up means he will likely have a short stay in the NICU. The other good news is that Haley does not need to be on the monitors 24/7, nor does she have to be on the I.V. any longer. They even said she could shower and wear her clothes. So, as soon as we got back to her room Haley ran into the shower. She put on her clothes and put on make-up. Again, we are just waiting for our little guy to say, "I am ready!"

Events prior to Hospital

Early Saturday morning at about 4 am Haley woke me up and said "I don't know for sure but my water may have broke." She said she felt a "gush" of warmth and then went to the bathroom and emptied her bladder. We thought no way could she have "broke her water" she is only 32 weeks along. So we decided to wait to see if it happens again or if something changes. An hour later, at 5 am, she said she felt another "gush", so we decided to call her doctor to see what she thought. Her doctor said to go in to make sure everything is OK. We went to Ogden Regional and were checked in, the first nurse had her give a urine sample and then she would check her with a swab that detects amniotic fluid. But since she gave the sample and cleaned up, the test came back negative; not detecting any fluid. The nurse said go home and gave us a sheet on how to determine, "true labor." We went home, but she kept on leaking and filled up several pads of clear fluid with a tint of blood. Haley did not want to believe that this could be happening. After, she leaked a lot, I told her to call her doctor and explain what was happening to her. Her doctor said "go to the hospital and get checked again, it sounds like it may be something." We went back to Ogden Regional and sure enough her water was broke. In fact, when she took her pants off fluid started dripping on the floor. They gave her antibiotics and a steroid shot for the baby to help develop his lungs. They wanted her to hold off for 48 hours, which would maximize the benefits of the medication for the baby. She has been doing awesome and the morning of the 4th they took Haley off the medication that stops her contractions. Now we are waiting for the time when the baby says, "I am ready!"

Haley at Hospital

Haley getting a pedicure by her sister Brittney. She was supposed to go with her mom on Saturday to get them done, but we had a change of plans. Haley has been doing so awesome. She finally got some sleep last night, and because we are at the 48 hour mark, Dr. Boheen decided to take her off the Mag. (stuff that stops her contractions). We are just waiting now for the baby to decide he is ready to come and say "Hello!"