I started reading over the CaringBridge site, just to remind myself of how far we've come. Here is the post I wrote on August 25th of last year...(if you don't know our story, you can see it here).
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No real changes as of today. He is still in the high 30s - mid 40s on his ventilator, and they weaned another ventilator setting today - yes!! We are so happy for our little man, and we are so thankful to God for His goodness to us.
Jonathan had his first evaluation with an occupational therapist today. She evaluated his reflexes and muscle tone, among other things. She said she didn't note anything that he cannot do that a 32 week preemie should do, so more good news! She will see him 3 days a week and do stretches and exercises as needed.
The eye doctor gave us an ok concerning the most recent eye appt., so - more good news!
Jonathan had a head ultrasound today, but we haven't heard anything about it, yet. I expect we will hear tomorrow, and I expect them to say "Nothing has changed!" Even better would be "Nothing is there!"
In light of the news of J getting off the vent (possibly) it is really hard to restrain myself from decorating his nursery. I have been putting it off because things have been so unpredictable, and they still are, really. But I feel like we are getting closer to the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. I may even start registering for things for a baby shower! But even as I write this, I feel uneasy about actually doing it because of how hard it will be if it doesn't work out. But in the end, I am a glass-is-half-full kind of person, and I really do believe J is coming home. So, I will probably be shopping for furniture and all the baby stuff that comes along with having a little one (any suggestions would be nice, especially from preemie moms!)
We cannot wait to have our little hero at home with us where he belongs!!
Please continue to pray that Jonathan's lungs would keep getting stronger. They are our biggest problem right now!
Also, keep praying for protection from infection or damage to Jonathan's digestive system, brain, and eye formation.
Pray for Mommy and Daddy that as we get excited about this news we would still be grounded in God and find our joy and hope in Him, especially because this Preemie journey is such a roller coaster of high hopes and deep valleys.
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It's weird (for lack of a better word) to read this from the other side of that whole situation. Jonathan was only 8 weeks old at this time, and in our wildest dreams would we ever think our little hero would be crawling around just a year later. Can't help but shake my head at the thought of God's incredible goodness to us.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
We have a crawler!
Today Jonathan's Aunt Brittany and I took J to the pulmonologist to get evaluated for his Synagis shots (the RSV vaccine I mentioned before). Afterwards, we went to Babies R Us to look at a new big boy car seat for him (he has to be sitting up nowadays). So we decided on one (thanks to Granny for helping with the purchase!) and started the drive home. We didn't hook it up though because we were in Aunt Brittany's car, so J had to ride in the baby seat for one more trip. I had no idea that this new big-boy car seat would pave the way for another milestone today...
Once we got home and ate, we went to his room to play. I grabbed my camera just in time to get this glorious shot of his first crawling trip! As you will tell from the clapping, he was quite pleased with himself.
Once we got home and ate, we went to his room to play. I grabbed my camera just in time to get this glorious shot of his first crawling trip! As you will tell from the clapping, he was quite pleased with himself.
I wasn't quite convinced that this wasn't a fluke, so I decided to tempt him with his basketball goal again and see what happened.
As you can see, this was no fluke. We have a crawler. This is awesome because this was his next physical therapy goal, and we knew he was on his way, but we thought it would still be a while because he hated to use his arms to move. We literally had to move his hands and knees ourselves. And this was only last week that he hated it.
The doctors told us he was "nonviable" when I went into preterm labor; once he was born he was only given a 30% chance of survival and we were told to expect a poor quality of life.
Take THAT, doctors!
"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." -Ephesians 3:20
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Goodbye, sweet Summer!
Things have been really busy around here lately. Summer is pretty much coming to an end for us, and even though we don't have school-age kids, things are still getting into "school mode". Jeff is in seminary at RTS in Orlando getting his Master's in Biblical Studies. He is about 1/3 of the way through the program, taking some courses online and driving to the campus for others. This semester he will be spending all day one day a week in Orlando.
With school also comes cold and flu season. Last year at this time, Jonathan was still in the hospital so it wasn't too much of a concern for him (unless we caught it and brought it to him). But this year, he is a big boy and spends a lot of time around other kids. There is a particularly dangerous (and very common) virus this time of year called RSV, and babies with damaged lungs like Jonathan has are very susceptible to it. There is a shot he can get every month to protect him from it, but we are waiting to see if our insurance will cover it again. If they deny it, we can appeal, but I pray we don't have to go down that road.
This upcoming season I will be starting my second trimester of pregnancy. We are hoping for a girl but still have a long time until we can find out. Things are remarkably better with this pregnancy than they were last time. At 11 weeks pregnant with Jonathan, I was suffering from a subchorionic bleed and was on complete bed rest. It was no fun, to say the least. This time, everything is going normally, and morning sickness gets the better of me every 3 days or so. Hopefully that will be ending soon though. I am scheduled to see a maternal/fetal specialist because of the way things went with the last pregnancy - more to come on that.
Praying things are well with you all. Much love from the Skipper Family!
With school also comes cold and flu season. Last year at this time, Jonathan was still in the hospital so it wasn't too much of a concern for him (unless we caught it and brought it to him). But this year, he is a big boy and spends a lot of time around other kids. There is a particularly dangerous (and very common) virus this time of year called RSV, and babies with damaged lungs like Jonathan has are very susceptible to it. There is a shot he can get every month to protect him from it, but we are waiting to see if our insurance will cover it again. If they deny it, we can appeal, but I pray we don't have to go down that road.
This upcoming season I will be starting my second trimester of pregnancy. We are hoping for a girl but still have a long time until we can find out. Things are remarkably better with this pregnancy than they were last time. At 11 weeks pregnant with Jonathan, I was suffering from a subchorionic bleed and was on complete bed rest. It was no fun, to say the least. This time, everything is going normally, and morning sickness gets the better of me every 3 days or so. Hopefully that will be ending soon though. I am scheduled to see a maternal/fetal specialist because of the way things went with the last pregnancy - more to come on that.
Praying things are well with you all. Much love from the Skipper Family!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
New Things
"He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” - Revelation 21:5
This blog used to be called "Jonathan's Journey" because that was the biggest thing in our lives for a long time. And in a way, Jonathan definitely is still the biggest thing. But God is doing so much within our family that it seemed like a new blog was appropriate. So here is Skipperific.
God has literally made everything new in our lives. Jonathan is totally healthy and no longer on any medication or oxygen. I am pregnant again and having a completely healthy pregnancy so far. Jeff has completed his first year of Seminary with a 3.8 GPA, while working full-time at the church and being an amazing husband and father. God has provided everything we need, and we are so humbled to see the place of abundance that He has brought us to within the last year. What a journey!
The suffix -fic means "making or creating". This blog will hopefully illustrate how the Author and Perfecter or our faith and lives is making and creating the Skipper family into His image, while keeping long distance family and friend updated about our lives. My hope is that you will see God's sovereignty in our lives, and begin to realize that He is sovereign over yours, too.
This blog used to be called "Jonathan's Journey" because that was the biggest thing in our lives for a long time. And in a way, Jonathan definitely is still the biggest thing. But God is doing so much within our family that it seemed like a new blog was appropriate. So here is Skipperific.
God has literally made everything new in our lives. Jonathan is totally healthy and no longer on any medication or oxygen. I am pregnant again and having a completely healthy pregnancy so far. Jeff has completed his first year of Seminary with a 3.8 GPA, while working full-time at the church and being an amazing husband and father. God has provided everything we need, and we are so humbled to see the place of abundance that He has brought us to within the last year. What a journey!
The suffix -fic means "making or creating". This blog will hopefully illustrate how the Author and Perfecter or our faith and lives is making and creating the Skipper family into His image, while keeping long distance family and friend updated about our lives. My hope is that you will see God's sovereignty in our lives, and begin to realize that He is sovereign over yours, too.
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