Critical Concerns

Over the last 2 or 3 hours, Davis has developed a fever that is most likely a result of having had surgery, not an infection. The fever is making his heart rate high. Also, his blood pressure is a little low. He is uncomfortable and trying to pull at his breathing tube. So it's going to be a long night for him. He needs his rest but they can't sedate him too heavily in order to monitor his breathing progress. They are working on cooling him off and keeping his blood pressure up. He's a pitiful little guy right now. Needing some more strength and peace to get through this. :(

Surgery Update - Part 3

I got to see my sweet baby!!!  He is doing really well considering all he has been through today.  In this picture, it looks like he is awake; but don't worry, he is very much asleep.  He is on plenty of meds to keep him comfortable.  He is on a ventilator and the nurses will work with him through the night with a goal of taking him off the ventilator in the morning.  There are lots of tubes putting fluid in and taking fluid out - the nurses patiently explained all the devices and the monitors for us.  We are holding up quite well.  I know he is in good hands.  I am just happy to be able to see him and touch him whenever I want.  We plan on sleeping in the unit with hopes of getting a parent room in order to get a good night's sleep while Davis is still fully sedated.

I hope this picture doesn't bother you or make you sad.  Davis needed this surgery, and he is strong.  The scar will be a reminder of strength and courage.  This will be my last post of the day but I will fill you all in tomorrow with his progress.  Thank you all for helping us get through the day.

Peace baby.

Surgery Update - Part 2 (and card instructions)

We spoke with the surgeon after she completed the operation; she said all went well!  The nurses are getting Davis set up in his room now.  We will be able to see him very soon!

His room number in the PCCU is 5304.

If you would like to send him an E-card, go to ChildrensHospital.Vanderbilt.org and click "send an E-card."  Enter the room number, and volunteers will deliver the card.

To send mail:
Davis Reeves
Room #5304
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt
2200 Children's Way
Nashville, TN  37232

We still have a long road ahead of us; I will continue to update.

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HIM!

Surgery Update

In the holding room waiting to go back to the operating room.  Such a trooper!

Surgery day has gone rather smoothly thus far.  We all managed to get some sleep last night - not as much as usual but enough to function.  Davis did very well coping with not having breakfast.  I got lots of cuddle time with him in between admission and leaving him with the nurses.

All the grandparents are here and so is Aunt Kelli.  Several other family members and friends have been by to see us.  Matt and I are doing just fine - we have plenty going on to keep us distracted.

We've received regular updates throughout the surgery.  As of the last update, the repair had been made and confirmed accurate by an echo.  They are working toward getting him closed, but this will take at least another hour.  Then it will be probably another couple of hours to make sure he is stable and get him set up in his intensive care room.

I'll do my best to update this evening with his progress.  I believe all your prayers are working, and we thank you!  I have enjoyed reading your texts and facebook comments.  I made sure to show Matt all the love you guys are sending our way.

I miss my buddy!

Pre-Op Day

Oh wow, what a day.  We spent eight and a half hours at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital today.  It was a looooooooong day... but Davis is such a trooper.  I was so worried about him being hungry and uncomfortable before his sedated echo, but he was as happy as can be!  He did great during the procedure and woke up happy.  Then we had an x-ray followed by a physical involving urine analysis, blood work, and EKG.  We met with a cardiologist, anesthesiologist, surgeon, and child life specialist.  Fitting feedings and naps into the schedule was near impossible, but we did it.

Davis getting ready for his echocardiogram

Sleepy buddy after echo

However, I discovered my breaking point.  I was attempting to be a strong mommy today!  We were shown pictures of children after their surgeries and told about all the details and risks involved with this type of surgery...and I put on my happy face and thought to myself many times "I can do this."  Besides, it's not me that has to endure the brunt of the hardship, it's my baby.  While I feel the pain emotionally, he feels it physically.  It's a good thing he's blessed with such a calm, strong demeanor like his Daddy.

Getting ready for EKG - it looks like I'm praying over him but I'm singing "You Are My Sunshine;" he was very tired at this point and needed a distraction to get through it - it worked!

For whatever reason, they saved labs for the end of the day.  My poor child was so physically tired and did not want to be poked and prodded at anymore!  The sweet nurses had trouble finding blood-worthy veins.  After unsuccessfully trying a vein on his head, a nurse finally believed she was able to get the one in the fold of his arm.  We had to hold him down (for awhile!); singing, stroking, etc... was not calming him down - and I just lost it.  And it just so happened that during this moment, a fire drill was occurring.  So Davis is crying, I'm crying, the sirens are blaring, Matt is trying to calm us both down, the nurses are being as patient as they can be (they did a good job by the way).  The moment was so surreal it was almost as if it wasn't actually happening.  I am sure I'm in for lots more moments just like it over the next few days.

Napping in stroller waiting to meet the surgeon - so cute!

But altogether, we are holding up well!  Davis ate a good dinner; he's napping now.  He'll have all the milk and cereal he wants tonight, for it will be awhile 'til he will be able to eat again.  I will give him a special bath tonight with special soap to get him extra clean for his big morning.

Surgery will begin around 8:00 a.m. central time and will last approximately five hours, depending upon several factors.  The tricky part of the surgery involves the surgeon basically having to make two valves out of one.  So she has to get them perfect, not too tight and not too leaky.  But this is HER surgery, from what I'm told.  We are in good hands, and Davis doesn't have any risk factors for complications.  Nevertheless, there are always risks.  But I'm trying to tell myself that in life, there are always risks...it doesn't meant we don't take them.  You have to take risks in order to live your life!  And in Davis's case, this is especially true.

After the surgery, the nurses will take a couple hours to get him settled; then we'll be able to see our special guy.  He will be fully sedated when we see him, and I believe we are prepared for what the moment will be like;  that doesn't mean it will be easy.  We saw him hooked to a bunch of machines in the NICU after he was born; this will be more involved, and he will be on a ventilator.  Depending on how he is doing, he will slowly move off sedation and machinery.  I may even get to hold my sweet thing by Monday!

I'm already sleep deprived and not really planning on getting much sleep tonight.  It's a good thing I've got my rock (Matt) to help me through it.  I'll update you guys as much as I can throughout the following days.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate the thoughts and prayers.

And again, I just have to say it, Peace Baby!

Road Trip

Well, we made it to Nashville!  Little Davis has been in an excellent mood all day and full of smiles.  He is an easygoing traveler, loving the car ride and sleeping pretty much anywhere, which makes the pre-pre-op day easier on mom and dad.

The Ronald McDonald House here at Vanderbilt is full tonight, but Davis Sr. (my dad) used his hotel points and booked us a sweet suite (ha ha).  So for the next two nights, we have a living room, full-size kitchen, big bathroom, and bedroom with a king bed.  These amenities will make things much easier on us.  However, I recently realized I left the freezer bag to keep Davis's breast milk cold tomorrow in my parents' freezer; so all we have is this rather sizable cooler to tote a couple of bottles in all day tomorrow, along with his food, utensils, breast pump, diapers, bibs, clothes, and all the other necessary baby accessories you need to get through a day...looks like we may have to make a run to the store for something a bit more efficient.

Tomorrow we will be at Children's Hospital for much of the day.  I will wake Davis at 4:30 a.m. for a bottle; hopefully he will go back to a peaceful sleep for a few hours.  We are due at the hospital at 9:00 for a sedated echocardiogram.  He will also have a EKG and x-ray.  We will meet with Dr. Christian in the afternoon to discuss surgery details.

As of right now, all we know about surgery day (Friday) is we have to be at the hospital at 6:30 a.m.  This will make for a very early morning for us, as we'll have to pack up all our things and check out of the hotel.  At least we are accustomed to the Eastern time zone so that it won't feel quite as early.  We will be able to stay overnight in the hospital but will also be able to keep trying for a room at the Ronald McDonald House.

I want to thank everybody that has expressed your concern for us; I like to hear your sweet, uplifting words.  We know we have a plethora of people thinking, praying, sending good vibes, whatever it is that you do, and I just want to express how deeply I appreciate all the love and encouragement.

I forgot to take pictures today!!!  So no cuteness to share tonight, but I'll be sure to get some tomorrow.  My understanding is we won't be allowed to take video during our hospital stay but can take all the pictures we want.  So there will be cuteness to come, I promise.

Matt has managed to stay awake as I've typed this in order to get in bed together with our sweet angel resting next to us in his portable crib.  So I better go so that we can try to rest as much as we can while we can; I'll update tomorrow evening with surgery day details.

Peace Baby!

The Time Has Come

kristendave.com

Oh, where to start...it's been quite awhile since I've updated you guys about Davis.  Since I last posted, we moved (twice).  Moving AND taking care of a baby is a LOT of work.  But we are finally getting settled in our beautiful new home outside of Chattanooga in Soddy Daisy.  It's on over an acre right by the lake, close to shopping and restaurants, and twenty minutes to downtown...you can't beat it.  And Davis loves it - he has a big room and continues to be mesmerized looking at everything in the house - he really enjoys being outside on the covered deck, taking in the scenery and listening to the neighbor's farm animals.

Davis is 6 months old!!!  Wow, time flies.  He is just a little doll; we are enjoying him more than words can express.  He is eating fruits and vegetables now - he could live on a diet of vegetables if I let him, he LOVES them.  He rolls over in all directions - all the way across the room if we turn our heads.  And he is getting really strong through the neck and shoulders, spending lots of time holding up his head.  We want him to do this as much as possible now because in less than two weeks, he won't be able to have tummy time for awhile.

Davis's heart surgery to repair his AV Canal is Friday, September 7th (read this post to find out more about his condition).  We expect to stay in the hospital approximately ten days.  The surgery itself will take a good part of the day.  We will have to take special precautions several weeks after the surgery as Davis heals, including being unable to leave the house for a few weeks and keeping germs outside the house as much as possible in order to prevent illness and infection.  Family will be able to visit Davis in intensive care, assuming there are no major complications.  Visitation rules will be less strict once he moves to the regular pediatric floor.

You may be wondering how we are coping with all this.  I will admit that as surgery day gets closer, I get a bit more nervous and restless.  I try not to worry too much because I know I'll be doing plenty of worrying in the hospital.  I'm trying to take it day by day and focus fully on the present, which includes being able to care for and enjoy my sweet, precious, happy baby.  Every day with him feeling well and loving his life is a gift.  Matt, on the other hand, isn't a worrier...anyone who knows him will testify he has a naturally easygoing personality; while I have to try not to worry, that comes easily for Matt.  So all in all, I guess you can say we are doing well at the moment.  We've known before our baby even had a name that he would require surgery; we are just ready to get this behind us and have our special boy healthy and home.

I will be updating the blog regularly before, during, and after the surgery and hospital stay.  Become a member on the site, sign up for emails, or add me as a friend on facebook to keep up with Davis.  Davis will be able to receive mail and e-cards, which I think is totally cool - you can go to the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital website, enter his room number, and send him an e-card.  The hospital then prints it out and volunteers deliver it to his room.  As soon as we have a room number, I will post mailing and e-card instructions.

I want to thank everyone for all your thoughts, prayers, and concern for Davis Matt, and me.  I also want to apologize to anyone that I may have neglected or pushed aside as my son's surgery is getting closer - my thoughts are 100% with Davis, and I am not as quick to remember or participate in special events in other people's lives right now.  I am sure I will behave similarly the next couple months, so I apologize in advance for that!  I just hope you understand and realize that if you are a family member or friend in my life, you are important to me!

I will leave you with two quotes, which are really more for me but I want to share them.  I drink a lot of tea (helps me keep my sanity), and these inspirational quotes were on today's Yogi tea bags.  Also, I would love to hear from any of you throughout this journey any words of inspiration from yourself, a quote, or scripture (you can post as a comment) that you think would provide us some comfort in the following days and weeks.

"When you are in tune with the unknown, the known is peaceful."

"Live for something higher, bigger, and better than you."