After Math

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for Connor.  His surgery went quite well.  He is all reconnected and boy is he growing fast.  He is up to 5 pounds 8 ounces and he continues to grow every day.  He has pooped a tiny tiny amount, but they are waiting for a larger "sample" before they start to feed him again.  Hopefully he will be able to catch up to full feedings fairly quickly.  In other big news, he has come off of the ventilator!  Thanks to God!  He is still on CPAP which regulates his breath and he still needs oxygen so continue to pray that those would become unnecessary as well.  Once he can come off of the CPAP (even if he needs oxygen still) he will be able to start feeding like a real baby (with a bottle)!  Then, once he can eat a full bottle without choking or passing out, he will be able to come home!  His expected due date was December 3, this is the goal for him to come home.  We are hopefully optimistic that we could have a Thanksgiving baby.  Boy would that be something to be thankful for.  Please pray for Connor's continued development.  I can't wait until he is strong enough to play with. 

2nd Surgery

Connor's second surgery will occur in 3.5 hours. The surgery is to reconnect his small intestine. When he was only 1 week old, he had to have a piece of his small intestine removed as it had a hole in it. He was so little at the time that they couldn't reconnect it and simply left it disconnected and sticking out of the side of his stomach. He has had a colonoscopy bag attached around it serving it's role as an unattractive, see-through diaper. After today, he will no longer have this issue! He will then have to recover, learn to breathe on his own, and learnw to take a bottle before he can come home. But the end is in sight. This is a big step for him and although this surgerys not near as risky as the previous one was, every surgery is risky on a 4.5 lb infant. Thanks to everyone who is praying for him.

4 Pounds

Hey, long time no update.  Connor is doing fairly well.  He continues to skyrocket weightwise.  He now weighs 4 pounds 1 ounce.  Good thing Sara did not carry him to term or she may have broken her back!  He is still on the ventilator and he continues to scare his mama by desaturating his blood oxygen levels.  Hopefully he will start doing better so that he can come off of the ventilator.  He is supposed to be having surgery in a couple weeks if he can breathe well enough.  Please continue to pray for us.  We are very thankful for all the helping hands around us.  I do not know what we would do without all of you.  Thanks so much, please keep Connor in your prayers.

A Real Dad

Connor is doing well.  I was able to hold him on Saturday and umm, I still do not feel like a dad.  I don't know what I'm expecting to feel... older... grouchier... even more insane?  Whatever it is, it has not hit me yet.  It was very relaxing to be able to hold him and he settled down and was doing great (he likes me).  Then when I was done holding him I tried to get a picture of me kissing him.  Unfortunately his ventilator tape was not on very tight and all the weight from the ventilator had been pulling out and as I turned Connor slightly to get a better angle for the camera, he started beeping.  Lots and lots of beeping.  Then all of a sudden there were about 942734892 doctors, nurses, and interns crowding around him.  Sara started to get scared because his numbers were super low and it didn't look good.  Then all of a sudden he was fine and everyone left.  The xray lady came and let us know that his ventilator had been pulled out by one half of a centimeter which had caused him to choke and not breathe right.  He is now fine.  One thing they noticed when they were all standing around him is that he sounded like he had a cold in his lungs.  He is now on some type of medication to help with that.  I have no idea how long he will have to be medicated for.  So that was enough excitement for one day.  Since that time Sara has been able to hold him a couple of different times, which makes me kind of jealous.  Oh well, as long as he says "DaDa" before "MaMa" I'll be alright.

Technicals
Weight - 2 pounds 13 ounces
Length - 1 cubit
Oxygen Levels - 39%
Heart Rate - 165 bpm
Blood Sugar - normal

Please do not forget to pray for this little guy.  Thanks in advance.

1 Month

Connor is doing amazing.  They say that no news is good news, so you probably figured there has been a lot of good news recently.  Sara was able to hold Connor again yesterday - this time she did not need to change into a gown.  She was able to hold him just like a normal, healthy, tiny baby.  Today, I will get to hold him for the first time.  I am very excited!!!  He now weighs 2 pounds 7 ounces.  He has been put on a eating plan and is doing well with it.  His food intake will double every day  until he is a chunky monkey (not pronounced like donkey). 

Not only is Connor doing well, but so is our family life.  This past week about half of our church came over on wednesday night and helped landscape our yard and get some painting done in the basement.  It was a great success.  I think all the work was done in 1 hour; it would have definitely taken me several days on my own.  Our kitchen sink is installed and our garbage disposal is working, the fridge and the laundry appliances are next on the list. (oh joy)  Still with all of that going on, I was able to make it out to a Tiger's game.  We had great seats and a beautiful afternoon to watch the first place team play just like they did the last time I watched them play (that was in 1992).  It was still a lot of fun and we got to eat tons of junk food, so it goes down as a win in my book. 

On the serious side, please continue to pray for us and Connor.  We started getting the hospital bills - OUCH!  Please pray that the medical assistance would work out well and that medicaid would help cover the bulk of these bills  (these things typically do not work out in my favor).  Or else please pray that God would give us 50 extra dollars a week for the next 50 years.  Either way works for me.  Please also pray that Connor would develop quickly so that he can get his intestines reattached so we can take him home.  It is still a struggle to not have him with us, but we know who is on the throne.


And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28

Pics

The first time Sara was able to hold Connor:

Baby's First Kiss:

Answer to Prayer

Sara just spoke with our favorite nurse (Niki) and she said that Connor is so stable today that we can hold him.  She is on her way there right now.  I am sooo jealous.  This is much earlier than expected, thank God!  Pictures to follow.


From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. - John 1:16

Update!

I've been sooo busy I let the blog slack, my apologies.  Connor is doing good.  He now weighs 1 lb 14 oz.  Only 5 more ounces until we can hold him.  He has been off of insulin for the past 4 days, although they still check his blood sugar every 6 hours.  He continues to stay on the vent as his oxygen levels fluctuate (averaging 35%, high of 60%).  He did get off of antibiotics on Sunday and had started eating.  However, his tummy looked like it was being overworked, so they did an x-ray.  The results were bad enough to make them stop feeding him last night, but this morning's x-rays look good so they are starting to feed him again.  He received a blood transfusion this morning so those extra red blood cells should help his oxygen levels maintain some regularity.  He looks much better now that he is actually bigger than his birth weight (1 lb 12 oz). 

Sara and I would like to thank everyone who has visited, contributed, and prayed.  Some people have brought us groceries and that is just so appreciated.  Not only can we spend extra money on fuel to go back and forth to Grand Rapids, but we do not have to spend that time at the store.  Especially as newly independent people, we do not know all the tricks and tips to shopping cheaply and efficiently.  Several people from our church have brought us meals as well.   This has been awesome as it is a time saver too and as newly independent people, we do not know all the tricks and tips to cooking cheaply and efficiently.  Anyone noticing a trend here?  We also appreciate everyone's prayers.  Connor is doing as well as can be expected (for a newly dependent person).  Please continue to pray for him.  Also give praise to our God who can do all things.


The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.  - Zephaniah 3:17

A Time of Weighting

Connor is doing good.  He continues to go off and on insulin.  Today he is off.  He also continues to gain weight.  He is creeping back towards his birth weight.  He now weighs 750 grams (about 1 lb 10.5 oz).  Once he weighs 1000 grams (about 2 lb 3 oz) we will be allowed to hold him.  Oh I cannot wait!  They say (whoever they are) that the mother feels like a mom early on due to carrying the baby and feeling it move inside of her, but that the father doesn't feel like a dad until the baby comes out and is there and can be held.  Well, I think they are exactly right.  I know that I am technically a dad, but I have not gotten to do anything a normal dad does.  Connor has been doing great though.  If he progresses at his current rate of 15 grams (about 1/2 oz per day).  It will take him about 16 days to weigh 1000 grams.  So, whatever is not finished at our house by September 19 is more than likely going to stay unfinished.

This coming Sunday, Connor will finish his dosage of antibiotics and (depending on his condition) will be able to start eating again.  Hopefully this will make him gain weight even quicker.  So many hundreds of people (maybe even a thousand) have told me that they are praying for Connor in this group or that group.  I figure if about 1/10th of the people are actually praying for Connor, he will grow up to be the biggest, strongest, healthiest football or basketball  player the world has ever seen (you know, whatever pays more).  Please pray that through all of his successes in life he would make God the center of his life.  There is no happiness in life that can touch the joy to be found when you are living for Him.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

Be Positive

Connor is doing well.  He did have to receive some blood this week, since his red blood cell count was low.  This is fairly common in premature infants so it's no big deal for Connor.  He was just getting tired from trying to grow so fast with so few blood cells.  He has also been put back on insulin since his blood sugar was low, but he continues to breathe room air through the CPAP.  It seems that the updates are getting more redundant and boring.  Thank God for that.  It may not be as exciting for readers, but it is very exciting for our family.

As I talk to people, I continue to hear more and more success stories about premature babies who grow up to be just fine - even outstanding.  Please pray this for Connor.  This is one thing that worries me, the prospect of having to raise a kid who is not fully developed (either mentally or physically).  Connor is doing great and is not showing any signs of permanent damage, however, the possibility is still there; and we would appreciate your prayers for his continued success and full development.  Our God is mighty to save and more powerful than we can imagine. I know that he will give us what we ask for. 


"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  - Matthew 7:9-11

Like Father, Like Son

Connor is doing great, thanks to all the prayer he has been getting.  They put a bag around his stoma (the end of the small intestine that is sticking through his abdomen) which is a good thing.  This means that they will be starting to feed him soon.  Typically, a baby has to have two weeks of rest after surgery before it can eat again, but we all know how Connor feels about waiting.  So hopefully he will be utilizing that bag soon so he can grow up to be big and strong. 

If you have seen Connor, you know how tiny he is.  I know how tiny he is and it still surprises me everytime I see him.  I'm pretty sure his diaper, if it weren't folded down, would come up to his armpits.  As if he didn't look tiny enough with that one (the tiniest of their diapers), they had to upgrade him a level because he will pee straight through and soak everything in the incubator.  "Why do I feel like this is something his father will be proud of?" questioned Sara. She calls the new size the giganto diaper, although it would fit on most dolls.  We hope that soon he will be able to start eating and get bigger... and grow up... and get a job... and move out already.  I mean, sheesh! How long am I supposed to have to take care of this guy anyways? But seriously, we cannot wait for him to be able to come home.

The house is coming along.  It is amazing how God has provided just the perfect people to help me on my house.  I never used to meet so many carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and contractors as I have met in the past month.  Our church has been great with helping out with projects on the house.  It is a completely different looking place from what it was two months ago.  The final paint job has been applied to the majority of the walls.  What a relief!  I have to thank Tom Jones and Chad Green who came all the way from Oklahoma to paint my house. 

Well, they actually came out to visit some Rescue Missions with my dad (we basically do all our consulting work for missions).  They went on a roadtrip through Pennsylvania and Ohio for the first part of the week.  They were planning on stopping in Detroit on Thursday (yesterday) morning but for some reason or other, the appointment fell through.  My dad told them, "Oh, no big deal.  We can just have a nice day, go kayaking, relax, etc..."  Tom Jones replied, "The reason the appointment fell through wasn't so we could go kayaking... it was so we could paint your son's house."  Isn't that ridiculous? The President/CEO of the City Rescue Mission of Oklahoma City painted my house.  It is nice to know that God has plenty of qualified individuals to do His work, and he will pull out the big guns to get things accomplished.  Please continue to pray.

Even before there was a drop in the ocean, 
Even before there was a star in the sky,
Even before the world was put in motion, 
Even before Your hand made the heavens, 
Even before the breath of all mankind,
Even before we had to be forgiven,
You were on Your throne.
MercyMe - You Reign

1 Week

Connor is 1 week old today.  He was still having problems with his heart rate so he was taken off of the CPAP and put back onto the ventilator so that it could regulate the rate and flow of oxygen.  It's crazy to think that just a mere week after he was born sooo early, the biggest thing he has to deal with is being on a ventilator.  When my sister Joy was born a few weeks early she had to be on a ventilator for a while, of course Connor was born 3 months before her!  So we are thankful that he has avoided the worst of it and we will continue to pray against these minor complications.

Please pray for Sara as she is exhausted.  She has been up to the hospital everyday since Connor was born.  There are a lot of emotions for her at this time, as well as stress and physical exhaustion.  She has to use a breast pump every 3 hours, so that means neither of us can sleep through 1 whole night.  It's also hard to breast feed without thinking about the fact that your baby is not there with you. 

I have not been getting out to the hospital as much as she or I would like.  I have been working on our new house non-stop in an attempt to make it livable.  So many people have been helping on this so we can move in on Saturday.  This should make our lives a whole lot less crazy.  To see that house transform has been really neat.  To smell that house transform has been even neater.  I cannot wait until the day when I can bring Connor home to our very own house.  It will be very momentuous.

It's quite interesting how much of an analogy that is for the way Jesus has been preparing a place for us in heaven.  I bet he is excited for us to get there!  We have no idea what it will be like.  We can fathom the greatness of heaven in the same way that Connor can fathom the greatness of our house... we can't.

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  - John 14:2-3

Bradycardia

Connor is doing well.  We are so thankful that his ultrasounds went well.  What a relief that he will not have brain damage.  It is great how strong he his to be put back onto room air already.  However, he has been having some issues with his breathing now that he has been taken off of the ventilator.  His heart rate has been dropping randomly and down to under 100 beats per minute at times.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about infant bradycardia: [it] is defined as a heart rate of less than 100 beats per minute. (Normal is around 120-160 beats per minute.) Premature babies are more likely than full-term babies to have bradycardia spells; their cause is not clearly understood. Some researchers think the spells are related to centers inside the brain that regulate breathing and that may not be fully developed. Touching the baby gently or rocking the incubator slightly will almost always get the baby to start breathing again, which increases the heart rate.

Sara and her mother stayed in Grand Rapids with Connor all day yesterday.  He "brady-ed" only a couple of times that day but they were able to stop it.  During the night he "brady-ed" a couple of times as well, but he was able to correct it on his own. 

This baby is such a prayer hog and I feel like Moses praying for Joshua when the Israelites were fighting the Amalekites.  Whenever he had his arms raised they would be winning the battle, and whenever he lowered his arms they would be losing.  I'd like to thank everyone who is praying for my baby and a special thanks to the grandparents for helping me hold my arms up.  Please pray for Connor, not merely that he will win this fight for life, but that he will grow up to be a strong and fearless lover and follower of Jesus.


Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His loving-kindness to a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.  - Deuteronomy 7:9

Another Miracle

Today Connor had typical 5-day-old heart and brain ultrasounds.  Typically in a preemie there is bleeding or broken vessels and in an extreme preemie (before 29 weeks) this is very often the case.  When they got the test results back, there was absolutely no signs of bleeding in either the heart or brain.  How many times will this baby prevail against all odds?!  His 2 major valves in his heart are working perfectly, the minor ones are not quite perfect yet, although if they were the doctors would be shocked.  He has been taken off insulin and his blood sugar has continued to be steady.  In fact, he is doing so well that they will be taking him off the ventilator and putting him back onto the CPAP where he will be breathing room air.  Thank God for Connor's strength.

And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. - Psalm 9:10

Monday

Connor is recovering from his surgery, but he seems to be pain-free.  A lot of junk has came out of his stoma (the end of his small intestine that is sticking out of his tummy, I know, gross.)  which is great news.  We were initially told it would be 2 weeks before he could try to eat, now the doctors think he could be eating in just a few days.  He is still on the ventilator because of the surgery, although his oxygen level is down to 20 (whatever that means).  They would take him off of the ventilator because he breathes so good, but with the gas in his stomach they don't want to make any changes for a few days.  His blood sugar has been all over the place, first it was high and he needed some insulin, then it was low so he needed some glucose, right now it is okay but we expect that to change.   So please continue to pray for him, he is stable for another day.

First Surgery

On Saturday night, Sara and I went home from the hospital and left little Connor in the competent hands of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).  We were sad to leave Connor at the hospital, but we were glad to be able to sleep in a real bed for more than an hour without a nurse interrupting.  At least, that's what we were hoping for.  What a horrible feeling to be woken up at 5:30 in the morning with a call from the NICU. 

They told us that they noticed Connor's stomach bloating.  So they had done an x-ray.  It showed a gas leak in his tummy.  They would have to cut into his abdomen and find the holes in his small intestine that were releasing toxins into his tummy and causing infection.  At this point, we were very scared.  We rallied the troops (called the grandparents) and set off to the hospital.  We got there as they were prepping for surgery. 

The specialist Doctor Uitvlugt (who only operates on babies and small children) explained the process to us.  They would cut out the area of small intestine that had holes in it and they would leave the end sticking out of the abdomen until Connor was big enough to survive the reattachment to the rest of the small intestine and large intestine.  For two weeks he will be unable to eat while his infections heal.  He will have to be fed throuh an IV and arterial line.  Once he has healed he will be able to try food again.  However it will only be able to pass through the small intestine up to where it was cut (the first hole) so he will not be able to absorb very much.  There is a chance of fatality with any infant surgery.  We were very concerned and upset.

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? - Luke 12:25-26

The surgery was expected to take 1 to 2 hours, so we started praying.  Within half an hour the surgeon came back and told us that Connor was just great.  The surgery was a huge success.  Thank God!  Not only was Connor a strong little guy with steady breathing and a consistent heart rate, but the problem with him was the smallest possible and had the best possible outcome.  The hole was at the very end of his small intestine, right where it connects to the large intestine.  This means that when he has recovered from infection and starts to eat, he will be able to absorb as much food as if he didn't have a hole.  What a blessing.  We plan on still bringing him home around his due date of December 4, 2009.

Please pray for our family.  Pray for strength and development of Connor.  Pray for grace and peace for his parents and grandparents.  Pray for faith and hope for all of us.

Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! - Luke 12:27-28

MMMM

"Hey everyone, it's me Connor.  Today I decided to eat real food.  I know that 24 week old babies don't do that, but I listen like my daddy (not very good).  I like my mommy's milk, it's yummy.  It makes me have to go to the bathroom.  I don't know why, but everyone seems to think it's a good thing that I can pee already.  Don't they know that my daddy peed on the doctor right when he came out?  Of course I can pee!  Uh oh what's that? Ooh! That is stinky.   HEY NURSE!  I HAVE A BIRTHDAY PRESENT FOR MY DADDY!"

As you can tell from the above paragraph, Connor is doing quite well.  Eating and pooping are just not usual for a baby so little.  We thank God that he is doing so well.  Please pray for all of his systems to develop properly.

And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.  For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.  But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.  - Luke 12:29-31

Early Birthday Present

On Thursday morning at 6:52 the world was drastically changed forever - Connor Zachary Foster was born.  He came into the world weighing a pathetic 1 pound, 12 ounces (which isn't that pathetic considering he was only 24 weeks and 4 days old).  He was quickly swept up by the neonatal team who had been standing by as Sara courageously pushed him forth into the world.  Within seconds they had cleared his lungs of amniotic fluid, within hours he was breathing room air.  This was a great sign that the painful steroid shots that Sara was subjected to were working fantastically.

Sara had been in labor for 34 hours with contractions coming every 2 - 7 minutes and increasing in pain each time.  She was hooked up to two sets up IVs, one in each arm.  Now I know what you're thinking, "Ouch, a needle in each arm!"  Well, it was worse than that, the first IV alone took 3 tries to get into her delicate, beautiful veins.  On top of that she had to have shots to slow down her labor and to increase Baby Boy's development.  By the end of the ordeal, the number of shots she had received reached into the double digits.  In case you were unaware, Sara is not a lover of needles.  As a matter of fact, she's not even a liker of needles or a tolerater of needles.  Fortunately for Connor, she is very brave.  The actual delivery was described by her as "easy" and "nothing compared to contractions."  She couldn't see "why everyone would complain about that."  Of course this was after she had been injected with morphine, stadol, and an epidural.

Two hours later.  The grandparents had arrived and we were allowed to take them into the neonatal nursery to see little baby Connor.  He is the smallest baby I have ever seen.  In fact he is the smallest baby that most visitors have ever seen.  As his great-aunt Linda so eloquently put it, "1 lb. 12 oz! That's just 7 sticks of butter."  However, small as he was, he is doing much better than expected.  We were warned that the first few days are the honeymoon period, so we expect some complications to occur.  However, we are very trusting that the Lord has a hedge of protection around Connor.  He knows what He is doing and He loves our baby very much.  Thank you all so much for your prayers.  Please continue to pray for Connor's development and continued health.

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. -  Isaiah 46:10