Baby Owen

October 16, 2009 our third child, Owen Alexander was born. Just 4 hours after he was born he was taken to the NICU with breathing trouble. He was placed under an oxygen hood but was still having trouble. His oxygen dependency got up to 65% by Monday and his lung x-ray was showing cloudiness. The neonatologist informed us that his lungs were premature even though he is a full term baby. He wasn’t producing something called surfactant which coats the lungs and helps the air sacs in the lungs to open up and allow him to breathe. He was put on a c-pap machine and we were told the next step was a ventilator if his breathing didn’t improve. He was also breathing very fast at over 100 breathes per minute…I believe it got up to the 150’s but I am not sure of the exact number. They want him to breathe at a rate of less than 60 breathes per minute. He also had signs put at his bed that said “Minimal Stimulation”, which meant we couldn’t touch him much. He gets very irritated and loses his breath when touched.

Yesterday we visited and his oxygen had gone down to 42%. I called before bed last night and his oxygen had gone down to only 38%. We were very pleased with this news. This morning we visited and found his oxygen level was at only 27%, PRAISE GOD! His breathes are down to 78 per minute, wonderful news. I am so thankful to God above for his perfect healing. Of course I would love for it to be instantaneous and much quicker than what it has been but I am thankful He has His hands on our boy.

Times like these make you so appreciative for what you have. Yesterday the nurse let me change his diaper, which was the first time I had changed him. Today she allowed me to change him again, the first poopy diaper I got to change. Most people don’t see that as a big deal but to me it was wonderful. I hope I will get to be the one to give him his very first bottle. I haven’t even got to hold him since the day he was born. I haven’t got to dress him, feed him, or any of those things, but I am so thankful to know that I will get that chance soon. They are saying it may be a week before he gets to come home, but I am believing that God will allow it to be much sooner than that.

Thank you for the many prayers going out for us. Owen needs the prayers to be healed and we also need prayers to stay strong and healthy. Please pray for us all.

Also, please pray for all the babies and thier parents in the NICU. There are babies in there much worse than Owen I am sure. The parents are probably very stressed out and emotionally exhausted. Keep them in your prayers please.

Thank you!