Tuesday, January 15, 2008

A Few Things

I prayed with Tricia and talked with her about being at peace, and she is doing much better. She seems to calm down when she knows I'm close by.

Gwyneth is doing well. New pic line in today with no problems, and they'll be extubating and placing her on a CPAP Machine. Please, pray that she can "remember" to breathe and will not have to be intubated again. This all means great progress!

Tricia's sister, Megan flew in last night with little Leah, and her husband, Al, and boy, Josh are driving down today...they'll be here for the week! And, my mother is driving up today from home!

Thank you for your concern for Meka the pug. I go home mid-day every day to walk and play and feed her. She is actually in heat right now (parents can thank me later for the conversation starter with their kids), which means I'm getting some good practice with diapers. :)

Thank you for the suggestions for housing. For lots of reasons that I won't take the time to explain, our current housing arrangement is wonderful. As long as God provides for us to stay there, we will stay.

Also, nicknames are completely unoffensive to us. I'm sure we'll have a bunch of different names for Gwyneth in the years to come. Just don't call her ugly. :)

To clarify...I'm completely comfortable with feeding Gwyneth whatever the doctors think is best. Guys will probably understand my previous comment about the milk bank better than the ladies...

If you Facebook, here IS a group to pray for Tricia and Gwyneth.


And, Kim & Matt are taking their boy home TODAY after just one week in NICU!!!! Congrats!!!

Nate

32 comments:

Alison said...

Glad to hear that things are a bit better than the last post...easier on your heart for sure!

Praying for those on the road and for the rest of you as well...

♥Lisa and The Pug Posse ♥ said...

So happy to hear that Tricia is a little more comfortable. I bet she really enjoys hearing your voice and playing the guitar. You are such a wonderful Husband to take such great care of her when she needs you the most.
Sounds like Gwenyth is chugging right along! she is a little trooper! I can't wait to see more pictures of her! she is just a love!
I am so happy that you have Meka to go home to after such a stressful day/night Pugs I swear are the best medication for any ailments and a great stress reliver! You are doing such a wonderful and amazing job taking care of your family. They are so lucky to have you in their lives...Hugs to you and your beautiful family~

Rich and Lauren said...

good to hear the good news! we can't wait to come see your BEAUTIFUL daughter. y'all are being praying for here!

Anonymous said...

Praising God that Tricia is doing better! I will continue to pray for her, Gwyneth and you.

Anonymous said...

Hi Nate.

I just wanted to say that I am praying for you and your "sleeping beauties" and that I truely admire your strength and commitment to your faith. Strength is a huge gift from our mighty creator and I pray that He continues to fill you with what you need. I also wanted to say that I love to read your updates ... you definetly have a way with words and you inspire many to live a life of faith and love. We'll keep praying for you and your family! Oh ... and one more thing ... I totally get the "milk bank" thing and I am a girl, so don't feel bad, I thought it was cute and funny and yep ... I agree, a little creepy if you think about it too much. Ha. :) God's many Blessings to you and yours!

Anonymous said...

Your family's story has inspired me more than I could ever explain! I am praying (here in KY) for Tricia and your baby girl. Your pictures are amazing!

The Mac Fam said...

It's awesome she is weaning off the meds. We are praying all the time in this house. We even have our boys on board, especially after this morning. My 8 year old saw a picture of Gwyneth and at first didn't know what he was looking at. I explained her situation to him and said how much she and her mother need our prayers, he agreed and all the way downstairs I heard him repeating her name over and over. Before he left for school he said "mom I am going to pray for Gwyneth today at school." I told him to also spread the word to his teacher and friends. He has a big mouth :) so count it done. Blessings from Florida.

Anonymous said...

sending my love to you all from CA once again...i just sent out my update to all those ive asked to pray for tricia and gwyneth...im glad the updates have continued to be generally positive. your courage and outlook continues to be inspiring. i look forward to meeting you some day!!
---miriam (tricia's friend from her NJ days)

Anonymous said...

Still praying from Georgia! I know you don't know me, but I love y'all dearly and wish you all the very best of days as you continue to go through this. Thanks for keeping us updated, Nathan!

Love, Jenna

Laurie in Ca. said...

Yay Kim and Matt, taking those boys home today!!!Wonderful news. And someday in the not too far future Nate, Lord willing, we will be saying the same for you. I am so glad to know that your presence calms Tricia down. It is so important to keep her calm. Praying for Gwenyth on the CPAP machine that she moves forward and poops. Glad to hear that you have more troops arriving to help you out.
Prayers continuing non stop here on the West Coast for all of you.

Love, Laurie in Ca.

Love

Shelly said...

thank you so much for the continuted updates! i check them every morning as soon as i get up and just before bed so i can pray during those rocking a newborn in the wee hours of the night hours. thank you for your example of faith and for sharing the beautiful pictures of gwyneth and your love for tricia.

Anonymous said...

continuing to pray for peace and comfort for Tricia - thinking of you guys constantly.

Lots of love,

T, Allison and Colin

Unknown said...

I am glad that Trisha is more comfortable. Please let her know that we are all praying for her, and all she needs to do is rest and heal.

I hope the breast milk bank comes through and helps you all.

Anonymous said...

I am a girl and totally get your "creeped outness" about the milk bank..(it does kinda make you have a shiver!)But, think of the benefits to Gwyneth (and luckily it will be fed to her through a TUBE..not the traditional way! MUCH LESS CREEPY!) C'mon POOP!

Christina said...

LOL :) I totally understand your comment about the milk...

I thank God that some women "over produce" so that babies like Gwen can get such special nutrients

Brooke said...

So glad to hear about the CPAP machine! This is great progress! God is truly amazing.
When they had to supplement Emery (our 26 weeker)from the Milk Bank, I had true issues with it, so I completely understand. I felt like as a mom, I couldn't provide for her in the way she needed to be, but was thankful that it was available. I will continue to pray for great progress for both!

Sarah said...

I'm actually almost jealous that your hospital is that near to that milk bank. We didn't have that option :( So milk it for all it is worth...ahahahahaha! To give the complete opposite side of the story. LOL

If they can get her onto CPAP today, that'd be amazing. Seriously. The average intubation period for a micropreemie is around 6 weeks, so if she can handle CPAP that's great - even if she only does it for a day or two! Go Gwyneth! On the flip side though, if they can't extubate her, don't worry - she still has plenty of time ;) Also, about the brain bleeds - something like 75% of bleeds happen in the first 7-10 days, so if she's still in the all-clear in that department that is a VERY good sign. Who-hoo!

-Sarah
http://sydney_lou_who.livejournal.com

Anonymous said...

That is very good news that Gwenyth is moving up to CPAP. That is a fantastic improvment.

My husband and I have 4 year old twin boys, they were born at 30 weeks. they stayed int he NICU for 56 days. So we know a little about what you are going through. My son Jason was on a vent for the first 5 days of his life and on CPAP for an additional 7 days. After that he graduated to nasal canulas. I pray that Gwenyth graduates to nasal canulas very very soon.

Just wanted to share something I distinctly remember when our boys were in the NICU, all the nurses would say that preemie girls are WAY stronger than preemie boys. Not that that was what we wanted to hear, seeing as we had two boys. But just wanted to share that with you.

God Bless you and your family,
Fran

The Stiners said...

Yay! Congratulations to Kim & Matt!! That is so awesome!!

I am so glad Tricia has you there by her side - you can make her feel calm in a way I'm sure no one else can.

That is such great news that the doctors will be putting Gwyneth on CPAP! The little mask is kind of scary until you get used it (at least it was to me!) That is just one step closer to a nasal canula and the breathing on her own!

Thanks for all the happy news! :)

Anonymous said...

WOW! That is absolutely amazing that Gwyneth is going to try CPAP! For a micropreemie that is unbelievable! We'll pray it goes well.

Anonymous said...

Just finished watching an old black and white movie entitled "Three Wise Fools" with Margaret O'Brien and Lionel Barrymore. Throughout the movie, the characters kept saying to each other "God sit on your pillow" (kinda like 'God bless you'). Every time it was said, I kept picturing God sitting on the pillows of Tricia and Gwyneth, watching over them as they rest. Strange as it may seem, this brought peace to my heart and mind. Amazing how God reaches us. So...

God sit on your pillow,
Your cousin Amy

Anonymous said...

Gwyneth is absolutely beautiful. No nick names from me. She is my sweet, dear, precious Great neice. As always, happy to hear the updates. I'm sure right now your voice is the most precious to Tricia. Wait til she hears Mommy for the 1st time from
Gwyneth!! What a moment to look forward to. Also, the 1st Daddy. Too precious for words. Again, I'm so proud of you, Nathan. Love you all and constantly in my thoughts and prayers. Love sharing your blog with people that come in the office. I shared with a nurse today. Love you. Say hi to Tricia and Gwyneth for me.

Goerlich Quadruplets said...

Wow! I found your site through another blogger and am totally amazed at your beauty, your strength and your faith. You are glorifying God even through the rain and you will be blessed. Just a few short months ago we had our quadruplets in the NICU and the stress of it was unbelievable. Vents, CPAP, apnea, bradys, feeding tubes - it seemed to just pile on. At one point I just broke down and said "Lord, I cannot do this!" But it's amazing as I admitted that how He showed me that I could. I just took it minute by minute at times and slowly we made it through. I will be praying for Tricia and Gwenyth, your beautiful girls. I'll post your site on my blog in hopes for more prayers. You are an amazing man. "He is your God, the one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done mighty miracles that you yourself have seen." Deuteronomy 10:21

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the link to the Facebook group! I joined! (duh - *wink*)
Great news for your NICU friends!
Prayers continue...
Karla

Just Melody said...

I am praying for you and your family. Lean on the Lord and know that you are not alone.

Emily said...

Oh I am glad Tricia is doing better. She probably won't remember anything after she fully wakes up (I didn't really), and I know having you close by helps. Praying definitely helped me, too! :)
Gwyneth is ADORABLE. She's going to be a heartbreaker like her mom. :)

Emily said...

Oh, and I put all of you in the intentions book at my parish, so when people come to pray, you guys are first on the list! :)

Anonymous said...

So exciting for Kim and Matt. Still praying for your wonderful family. I'm glad God has provided a place for you to stay.

Jen said...

Kim is in my wednesday morning Bible study, how fantastic that she has gotten to meet you! I am excited for them that their little one gets to come home, and pray for Gwyneth to come home as soon as it is safe :)

jillybean said...

Found your blog tonight through another friend...reading your story makes my simple daily concerns seem so petty. Tears are streaming down my face and I can't even imagine all that you are feeling. My 10 month old daughter's name is Lauren Rose, and naturally, I think of the connection with your Gwyneth Rose. I will be praying that she will continue to blossom and grow. She is so beautiful and perfect. I will also be praying for Tricia. What a gift that she has chosen life!

Jill in Ohio

Anonymous said...

Awesome to hear about Kim and Matt and their little boy. If I remember correctly, his name is David. Thanks for the update, I was wondering about them. We'll still be praying for them as they go home.

and continuing to pray for you, Tricia and Gwyneth from here in Michigan...

Bobby J

Anonymous said...

your daughter and wife are just precious and lucky to have a daddy and a loving husband like you..stay strong..i look at your blog everyday and keep up with what's going on w/ you and your family!