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
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
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
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
Thursday, August 27, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
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
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, August 24, 2009
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
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
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
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
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