Praying for Trey

From 1 lb to 1 year

2010-02-01T20:46:00.017-06:00

From 1 lb to 1 year...

January 27th was quite a landmark as we celebrated Treys first birthday!!! As we look back on the previous year, my wife and I both agree that it was the most difficult year either of us has ever had to go through. However we also agree that there has never been a year where we have been drawn closer to God. We also have never felt more loved by God, our family, our church family, and literally thousands of people we have never even met! This past year has been a roller coaster ride for sure, but I’m so thankful for the opportunity to go through it. God has strengthened our faith tremendously by providing every penny of Trey's doctor bills which have now exceeded 3 million dollars, and he has kept our son safe despite 187 days in the hospital (93 in the I.C.U.). If that won't strengthen your faith, I don’t know what will! We were so saturated in expressions of love and support by so many, that it would bring tears to our eyes at times.

A lot of people would look at this as a tragic situation, and even though I would not chose to do it again, I am thankful for the trial God has brought us through and the grace He gave to sustain us when nothing else would. I also thank all of you who kept Trey with us through your fervent prayers for him. You loved and prayed for him like he was your own son, and I believe God saw that and answered those prayers and I’m so thankful He did!!

This post along with the following pictures will be our last. I thought it fitting to close this blog on his birthday since he is doing so well. He is doing great, he is very close to being completely off of oxygen and we can't keep up with him crawling all over the house and pulling up on everything and of course falling off! There are so many people I want to list on here to thank but there’s no way I could do that without leaving someone off. So I thank you all so much! You have done so much, and my family is forever in your debt. We will miss you greatly and think of you constantly. Feel free to come see Trey at church. We will be at South Haven Baptist Church in Springfield Tennessee every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night and would love to see you if your in the area.

Again we love you and thank you so much!!!!!

Love,

James, Naomi, Madelynn, Adrianna, and Baby Trey Sawyers

Merry Christmas

2009-12-18T19:56:00.002-06:00

Trey is still doing OK. He has had a virus, developed a bad cough and has started wheezing again. They have started him on steroids in hopes of keeping him from going to the hospital. Trey wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. We have put some of his pictures, we had made of him recently, hope you enjoy. We plan to dedicate him at our church January 3rd if he stays well enough, please pray that he will. Thank you for your prayers.

VIDEO

2009-11-30T14:32:00.002-06:00

Rolling...

2009-11-24T14:42:00.001-06:00

I don't want to give him bad luck or anything but Trey has had an amazing
three weeks! We have been taking him completely off the O2 for an hour at a
time without him dropping his SATS at all! He is sitting up all by himself
for short periods of time and he is rolling all over the place. (It's funny
because we constantly have to untangle him) We also want to praise the Lord
because the lady with Tennessee Early Intervention told us we could be
cautiously optimistic because she feels that he will not have any C. P.!!!
Please pray now for one more miracle, and that is that the lack of oxygen
flow to the Trey for an uncertain time will have no long term effect on his
brain. I can't explain the relief and joy we've experienced in the past few
weeks seeing him so well and receiving this wonderful news. Thank you again
so much for your prayers, we have no doubt that he would not be where he is
today were it not for the thousands of prayers you offered up for him. We
will send pictures or a video soon.

Admitted

2009-11-11T14:22:00.002-06:00

*UPDATED* - Trey is now home! Praise the LORD!
Nov. 8th- Trey has been admitted into the hospital again for wheezing. An RSV test was negative. They think it may be bronchiolitus. Please pray.

Doing Well!

2009-11-04T21:47:00.002-06:00

Trey has been doing very well since surgery. He weighs over seventeen pounds now! We were hoping they would start to wean him off his oxygen but it looks like they will have to wait till he gets through the winter because they anticipate him requiring to go up on his support throughout the winter. Please pray that he can stay out of the hospital as much as possible during this time. Thank you again for your prayers!

Success

2009-10-28T13:47:00.001-05:00

Trey's surgery went well. They found 1 cyst that will NOT need to be removed. He is recovering so well after surgery that they are allowing him to go home TODAY!!!! Thanks for all the prayers!

Surgery Today

2009-10-28T09:28:00.002-05:00

Trey is scheduled for surgery today. If you remember here, they found cysts on Trey's vocal cords, and today that is what surgery is for. Please pray, and we will keep you updated throughout the day. THANKS!!!

Jumping

2009-10-17T21:14:00.002-05:00

Trey has been flirting with going back into the hospital but he has stayed out so far. He has had a double ear infection twice since our last update and appears to be getting some sort a bug because we have had to raise his oxygen support over the last couple of days. They have put him on steroids again hoping to keep him from going into the hospital again. I'm sorry for the late update. Thank you again for your prayers.

Home again.

2009-09-29T19:18:00.001-05:00

Trey is at home.

After 2 false-negative flu tests, Trey's blood was sent out and came back positive for swine flu {H1N1}.

We are thankful to be home again. Thank you for your prayers!

Update

2009-09-27T20:23:00.001-05:00

Trey has improved greatly the fever is down and his wheezing is much better. The doctor said if he has a good night he may let him come home tomorrow. Thank you again for your prayers and concern during this stay.

Update'

2009-09-24T14:54:00.001-05:00

Treys condition is not much different. They are calling it a severe upper respiratory infection, but they feel there's a strong possibility that its the flu but with a false negative test result. (they said the flu test is only 60% accurate) they are concerned about his temperature he spiked at over 104 twice last night so they are going to take blood to see if there is a bacterial infection in the blood. Pray that this is not the case. Thank you again for keeping trey and our family in your prayers!

Please Pray!

2009-09-23T16:48:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Trey was admitted again into the hospital.

His O2 had to be increased, and even after 5 hrs. of continuous breathing treatments, he continued to wheeze.

His chest x-ray was clear for pneumonia, and they performed a test for flu and it came back negative also. They do not know if the flu test could be a false negative reading though.

His temperature was elevated & he was retracting while breathing. After an extended time in the ER, he was moved up to the floor.

Please pray for Trey to recover quickly and for the doctors to find the source of the problem. We are heading into a hard season, please pray for extra protection for Trey during the coming months!

Thanks!

Update

2009-09-17T21:25:00.001-05:00

Trey has had a great two weeks. He only had to go to the er once and wasn't anything major. His oxygen requirements have stayed very consistent which is good. This is normally our biggest concern.

We do have one prayer request. treys pupils keep dilating for no reason. We took him to the doctor about it and he wants trey to get an ultrasound of his brain, and he wants him to see an eye doctor. Our prayer is that there is no problem with his vision nor any neurological problems. Of course there is an increased chance of problems in both these areas because of the circumstances surrounding his birth. So please keep him and these exams in your prayers. We will update you as soon as we get the results. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.

Still at HOME!

2009-09-02T12:48:00.000-05:00

Yes its been seven days and Trey is still home and doing real well. Pictured is his big sister helping out giving him one of his breathing treatments. Trey also rolled over for the first time yesterday. Naomi and I were so excited and thankful to God for how far he has brought our little boy!

Going Home (August 26)

2009-08-26T13:14:00.002-05:00

We're headed home again and Trey is pretty happy about it! Thank you for all your prayers!

Hospital again.

2009-08-25T09:31:00.000-05:00

They finally discharged Trey on Saturday, but they have admitted him again this morning he has the same symptoms. It seems that a non productive cough is the reason the secretions keep getting to the lungs causing it to be so difficult to breath.

Going home again! UPDATED

2009-08-21T12:47:00.002-05:00

They almost discharged Trey but he began having a real tough time breathing about an hour before he was supposed to go. So they are keeping him at least another day. Sorry about the wrong information.

Trey has made great improvement and they are going to send him home today. He is still wheezing but his o2 requirements are back to baseline so they think they have the pneumonia under control. He will stay on antibiotics for 7 to 10 more days. Thank you again for your prayers.

Hospital Stay #7

2009-08-20T21:44:00.000-05:00

Please pray for Trey he's been admitted again. His oxygen requirement went up to close to a liter and he was wheezing real bad. X rays show a spot that they think is pneumonia so they have started him on antibiotics. We will keep you updated. Thank you for your prayers.

Going Home!

2009-08-18T16:27:00.001-05:00

Trey is back to normal and going home again! Thank you for your prayers.

Cysts/ Surgery

2009-08-18T08:44:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, when they performed the scope- the found 4 cysts under Trey's vocal cords. They right away performed surgery to remove them. As of yesterday afternoon, Trey was recovering in the PACU. He is stable, but requiring a lot of oxygen & is in pain. He is on narcotics, but that last time caused a few episodes of bradycardia. Please pray for his recovery & that he will require less O2. Thank you!

Home again.

2009-08-17T07:58:00.001-05:00

Thank you for your prayers Trey is going home today. They believe it was just a virus. Pray for him tomorrow he is going to have his scope done. We will update the results of that.

Hospital Stay #6 Day #1

2009-08-15T15:48:00.001-05:00

They have admitted Trey into the hospital again. His oxygen requirement has gone up to .5 liters. They are not sure what it is but they know it's not pneumonia. They have started him on steroids. Pray he won't have to stay long.

15 pounds!

2009-08-14T17:01:00.002-05:00

Trey has been doing very well. There have been a few small episodes but nothing concerning enough to put on the blog. (By the way we will try to update you once a week unless he is hospitalized.) we took Trey to the doctor today and he is 15 pounds!!!! The doctors put
him on another diet by reducing his calories. Thank you again for you continues concerns and prayers.

Cereal

2009-08-01T11:34:00.001-05:00

Going Home (July 28)

2009-07-29T14:56:00.001-05:00

This is Trey heading home from the hospital. They discharged us last night, kind of all of a sudden, but that's ok we're just glad were home. Their not sure what the problem was, they did an upper GI and that showed no reflux so they are doing a scope next Monday to check for some sort of obstruction in his airways. Pray for that because he will have to go under anesthesia again.

Hospital Stay #5 Day #2

2009-07-26T16:04:00.000-05:00

Trey had a lot of improvement throughout the night. His wheezing has reduced a lot. There are no rooms open right now so he is still in the er but hopefully they will move him into a regular room tonight. They are giving him breathing treatments every three hours for the rest of the day. Their goal before he goes home is to get him to be able to tolerate only receiving a breathing treatment every 4 hours.

Thank you for your continued care and prayers!

Hospital Stay #5 Day #1

2009-07-25T21:39:00.002-05:00

Trey is being admitted again. He has been wheezing all week and we have done everything we can for him at home (steroids, antibiotics, and increased breathing treatments) and he's not getting better so they have to get aggressive with him. Right now he's on continous breathing treatments in the er. If they can get him down to every two hours instead he will go to a regular room. If he continues to need the constant treatments he will have to go to the icu when a room opens up. We appreciate your prayers and will keep you posted.

Update

2009-07-19T14:32:00.003-05:00

Trey is STILL at home!!!! Almost 3 weeks now! He is over 11 pounds, and they are able to slowly introduce the bottle. He has a swallow study coming up, so please be in prayer that he passes & is not aspirating any liquid into his lungs.

Praising the LORD for His goodness & protection.

Video

2009-07-09T17:06:00.001-05:00

14 days of NO HOSPITAL!

2009-07-09T15:27:00.002-05:00

Trey has been out of the hospital for 14 days straight! That's a new record, shattering his old record of ten days. He seems so much more comfortable since his surgery. I believe this might have done the trick but keep praying.

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T11:58:00.001-05:00

Look who is happy to be home!

We took Trey to the doctor today and he weighs 10 pounds 7 ounces. He seems to have a small respiratory virus so they are giving him some steroids to try to keep him from having to go back to the hospital. Everything else seems to be going okay. Thanks for your prayers.

Pictures!

2009-07-01T09:45:00.002-05:00

Update from HOME

2009-06-29T16:14:00.001-05:00

Trey is home and doing well! They discharged him on Saturday. He goes for
his 4 month checkup on Thursday (he missed it being in the hospital) we will
get an accurate weight on him then and let you know. He has also started
smiling!!! This is a blessing because iy is a small sign of some positive
development. Please keep his development in your prayers. Thanks again.

Possible Discharge

2009-06-26T22:23:00.001-05:00

If all goes well tonight Trey will be coming home tomorrow! He is tolerating all his feeds well and he is back down to his baseline on his oxygen requirments. Thank your for all your prayers for our family through this extended stay and surgery at the hospital this time.

post surgery update

2009-06-24T18:07:00.001-05:00

Trey is improving greatly with his oxygen requirement. However last night he had a few spells where he stopped breathing for up to three minutes. They had to get emergency personnel from the critical care unit to get him to start breathing again. They are not sure why this happened but we haven't given him any morphine since and it hasn't happened again. The only problem with that is that he only has Tylenol for the pain so he's pretty uncomfortable. They are slowly starting to feed him again. He is up to 10 ml of pedialyte every three hours. If he continues to tolerate his feeds well they will slowly increase back to 60ml and then back to breast milk.

OFF the ventilator!

2009-06-23T13:34:00.002-05:00

Trey is off the ventilator as of this morning. He is still on 1 1/2 liters of oxygen. He has times when he has to work hard to breath. Last night he had bouts of bradycardia (slow heart rate). Depending on room availability, he may or may not still be in the ICU tonight.

Thank you so much for your continued care & concern & more importantly for your prayers.

Out of SURGERY

2009-06-22T19:19:00.004-05:00

Just talked to James - Trey is out of surgery. The surgery itself went well - there were a few "bumps". BUMP #1 - They tried for an hour to get an epidural in (to control the pain after surgery) and were unable to accomplish that. The downside of that is they will have to use narcotics to control pain which will prolong the recovery time. BUMP #2 - It was not laproscopic, they had to make an incision on his chest. BUMP #3 - Trey is still on the ventilator. James & Naomi were hoping that he would be able to come off it following surgery, but for now he has to stay on it. The downside of the ventilator is that the longer he is on it - it could damage his lungs.

For now, Trey is in the Pediatric Cardiac ICU & they will re-evaluate him tomorrow to see if he can come off the vent.

James & Naomi have not yet been able to see him, but as soon as they get the X-Rays taken & get Trey settled in, they will be allowed in.

Please be in prayer that Trey will be able to come off the vent ASAP.

Praising the Lord for His protection!

Surgery

2009-06-22T14:04:00.002-05:00

2:00 pm - Trey is getting taken back for surgery. Please be in prayer for wisdom for the doctors, Trey to handle & recover from surgery, & for James & Naomi.

Possible Surgery Monday

2009-06-21T14:41:00.001-05:00

They were not able to get Trey in for surgery Friday so they will try again on Monday. Thank you for your prayers. I apologize for the late report.

Hospital Stay #4 Day #10 - POSSIBLE SURGERY TOMORROW

2009-06-18T20:59:00.001-05:00

Trey has come down on his oxygen some and they feel he is stable enough for surgery. If they have an opening tomorrow they are going to try to get him in, if not they will do it Monday. They took another x ray today and found a partial collapse in his upper right lung. They are not overly concerned unless he begins to get worse. They will re-evaluate in the morning to make sure he is still stable enough for surgery. We can't give the time of the surgery because they don't known yet, but it is approx. a 3 to 4 hour surgery and you can bet mom will be very nervous so keep her in your prayers. Our biggest concern with the surgery now is how he will react to the anesthesia and how his lungs will rebound after he comes off the ventilator. We will update after the surgery. Thank you for your prayers!!

Hospital Stay #4 Day #8

2009-06-16T17:11:00.001-05:00

Trey has slightly improved. His oxygen support is now .75 they want him down to .25 to do the surgery. It's still possible that it may happen this week but not very likely. He has lost some weight since he has been here. This is a concern because he was gaining so good before, so please keep that in your prayers. The good but confusing news is the doctors say his lungs sound better than they ever have. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors to know for sure what the problem is.

Update

2009-06-14T14:11:00.002-05:00

Trey is pretty much the same as he was since the last update. His oxygen support is at 1.25 liters, he is still on steroids and they are just waiting for him to get well enough to have the surgery. Their goal is next week.

Hospital Stay #4 Day #2

2009-06-10T14:54:00.002-05:00

*UPDATED* 8:14 pm - They believe that small aspirations have irritated Trey's lungs causing his oxygen support go up so high. They feel that it is necessary for him to have the Nissan surgery and the g tube surgery as soon as he is well enough to be able to be under anesthesia. They have put a temporary feeding tube in hoping to help prevent aspirations from swallowing. They are hoping to be able to do the surgery at the end of this week or beginning of next week.

*original post*
They have given Trey a dose of Lasix orally and we all thought that would work but they have had to go up to 1.5 on his oxygen and they had to give him blow by support all night. They still have no idea what it could be. They are going to try another dose of Lasix through an IV to see if that's more effective. Pray for God to give the doctors insight as to what is wrong.

Hospital Visit #4 Day #1

2009-06-09T20:59:00.001-05:00

Trey has been admitted to Vanderbilt again. They are having to continue to raise his oxygen support. Currently he is on one liter which is ten times his normal requirements. They have given him breathing treatments and steroids which aren't working. The chest x ray came back fine. They tested him for RSV but it came back negative. Not sure what the problem is yet please keep him in your prayers!

NINE pounds!

2009-06-09T15:01:00.001-05:00

Trey is nine pounds! He had a good week. His oxygen has been playing tricks with us though. We had to take him to the ER Sunday afternoon but they released him after an okay chest x ray. He is still requiring more oxygen, so pray he stays out of the hospital.

Update

2009-06-02T14:28:00.002-05:00

Trey's doctor visit went real well. He is eight pounds and three ounces. They were able to increase his feedings to two oz every three hours and his lungs sounded real good! Please continue to pray he will not need the nissen surgery in a month. He has an appointment with the pulmonary doctor next Tuesday so pray he will stay out of the hospital until then. He is in some pain from the reflux and not resting well. The better he rests the better he grows so please pray specifically for him to be able to rest and sleep better. Thanks again!!!!

Hospital Stay #3 Day #7 Going Home!

2009-05-29T11:24:00.002-05:00

A few updates

Trey is going home today
Surgery is postponed for at least a month (they want Trey to get bigger & stronger)
Trey is over 8 lbs!!!

Prayer Requests

For Trey to stay OUT of the hospital until surgery time
No more pneumonia
For Trey to either NOT have to have the surgery AT ALL or to only need the Nissen Surgery (click link for more info) and not the G-tube placement.
For Trey's continual growth & development
James, Naomi, & the girls

Hospital Visit #3 Day #5

2009-05-27T22:19:00.001-05:00

They got the results from the upper GI and the swallow test and both have showed fluid getting into the lungs. Most likely trey is going to have to have surgery on his stomach the first of next week. This surgery will help close up the top of his stomach to keep acid reflux from going up to his lungs. They also may insert a permanent g tube because of his results from the swallow test. We don't know if they will keep him intill the surgery or not. They are not releasing him tonight though.

Hospital Visit #3 Day #4 - A FEW STEPS BACKWARDS

2009-05-26T13:58:00.003-05:00

I just got off the phone with James & Naomi.

Trey has taken a few steps backwards. The plan was to go home today, but after hearing crackles in the left lung (pneumonia is currently in the right lung) and reviewing Trey's swallow test from yesterday, the doctors are deciding to keep him. The swallow test showed that Trey aspirates some of his milk instead of spitting it up or coughing it up as most babies do. This is what potentially could be causing the recurrent pneumonia. He had an X-ray performed today to check his status on the pneumonia and the left lung, and will be having an Upper GI tomorrow to determine the route they will take concerning the results of the swallow test. A feeding tube has been discussed and will be determined after the GI study.

Please continue to be in prayer for...

the upper GI tomorrow - that the results will be clear and that a plan can be made
Trey's growth and development
the pneumonia to dissipate
wisdom for the doctors & nurses that are caring for Trey
strength, wisdom, & peace for James & Naomi.

Hospital Visit #3 Day #3

2009-05-25T21:17:00.000-05:00

Trey is probably going to stay another night now, but he's doing much better. The good news is he now weighs seven pounds ten ounces!

Hospital Visit #3 Day #1

2009-05-23T21:14:00.001-05:00

Trey came home Thursday, but he has been admitted at Vanderbilt again. The doctors found another spot on his lungs and think it is another small pneumonia. He has a head cold as well, pray his stay will be a short one.

Going Home.

2009-05-21T13:47:00.001-05:00

Trey is supposed to go home today. Praise the Lord! He will go home on a small increase in oxygen but at least he will be at home.

Hospital Visit #2 Day #4

2009-05-19T21:47:00.000-05:00

Thank you for your prayers. Trey is now stable and has been moved out of the ICU. They are beginning to wean off the lasix and steroids. Once that is done, if he can keep his SATS up, they will release him to go home. Hopefully that will be in the next couple of days.

Trey's current room

2009-05-18T15:24:00.000-05:00

Please continue to pray for baby Trey as he is in the hospital. See detailed update below.

Hospital Stay #2 Day #3

2009-05-18T09:07:00.002-05:00

Trey is in the ICU
He has pneumonia
He MAY have a partially collapsed right lung

Please be in prayer for his recovery, growth & development, & for James & Naomi. THANKS!

Hospital Visit #2 Day #1

2009-05-16T12:59:00.003-05:00

*UPDATE*
Trey has pneumonia. Not sure on viral or bacterial. Started antibiotics.
AND he is a whopping 6 lbs. 10 oz.

Trey is currently in Vanderbilt's ER. His SATS were dropping, & the dr. advised them to come on in. Bloodwork has been drawn and XRAYS have been taken. He will stay the night and see a reflux specialist in the morning.

thank you for your continued prayer.

Update

2009-05-13T09:13:00.001-05:00

Trey is still at home and doing okay. We have a visit with the pulmonary
specialist at Vanderbilt on Friday. Our prayer is that they will allow him
to start eating more than one ounce at each feeding so he won't be hungry
all the time. His last weight taken was Saturday so hopefully our next
update we'll have news of a big jump in his weight! Our biggest prayer
requests right now are that he doesn't catch any sickness (any sickness puts
him in the hospital and is hard for him to fight off) and for his
development. There is an elevated risk of Cerebral Palsy because of the
steroid he got at such a young age. (2 weeks) There is also elevated risk of
neurological problem because of the time of restricted oxygen flow to the
brain at his birth.(20 min.) There are many more possible side effects with
a preemie, but these are our biggest concerns at this time. There is no way
of telling if he has these side effects or how severe, until it comes time
for certain "landmarks" for him to reach. (rolling over, sitting up,
crawling, walking, speech, ect.) We have seen the miracles God has done in
Treys life already (thanks in large part to your prayers) and we know he can
work another miracle in Treys development too. However if it is God's Will
for Trey to have a disability then we will accept His perfect will, and be
thankful for the life God has chosen to spare in our little boy. Thanks
again so much for your prayers!

AT HOME

2009-05-08T20:32:00.001-05:00

Trey is home and doing good. We took him to the doctor today and he is SIX POUNDS! Thanks again for your prayers.

Hospital Visit #1 Day #4 - Going Home TOMORROW!

2009-05-06T14:08:00.001-05:00

Going home tomorrow! Trey has turned the corner with his oxygen and they are able to wean him down a little. He will go home requiring breathing treatments every four hours until his oxygen is down back to what it was before we got here. Thank you for your continued prayers for him and us through this situation!

Hospital Visit #1 Day #3

2009-05-05T14:04:00.001-05:00

They are keeping us at least one more night. Trey will be getting some steroid breathing treatments every 12 hours and regular breathing treatments every 4. They are still not able to wean him down on his oxygen at all. They are hoping the steroid will reduce inflammation in his throat allowing air to flow through easier. If this works, they should be able to lower the oxygen support some.

Viral infection?

2009-05-05T07:09:00.000-05:00

They are keeping us at least one more night (last night). They believe Trey has a viral infection and will keep him till he's past the worst of it. Once he's seemed to turn the corner for good they will send us back home.

Trey admitted

2009-05-04T08:29:00.003-05:00

They have determined that fluid overload was not the problem because the lasix did not help. And the blood work came back ok. They are keeping him overnight and he's going to see a pulmonary specialist first thing in the morning. Thank you for your prayers.

Pray for Trey - in the ER

2009-05-03T18:55:00.000-05:00

email via James' sister - James asked me to send you an update on Trey. I don't know if you heard, but they had to take Trey to Vanderbilt today. His SATS were not where they needed to be, and so the doctor wanted them to go to Vandy to have a chest x-ray, to see if there was fluid build up in the lung again. They have taken the x-ray and it looks ok. They are running some blood work now. They have given him a dose of LASIX. He is at .3 liters on his o2 requirements. If they can wean him down to .1, they will send him home. If not, they will keep him overnight. So far, they have not been able to wean him at all. He is currently in the Critical Care Unit at Vandy Childrens Hospital ER.

Dr. visit

2009-04-29T22:30:00.001-05:00

Trey had his first visit at the pediatrician today. She said he looked great so far! He's 5 pounds 6 ounces. He has another appointment on Friday.
Pray for Mama, she's tired! Trey has to get fed every three hours, when he gets fed we have to add calories and vitamins to his milk, change his diaper, take his temp and check his SATS. We can only feed him one ounce at a time because he's chronic lung, so he's still hungry when he's done so he cries a lot in between feedings which set his monitor alarms off. Needless to say Naomi is not getting much sleep. Even when I get up with him she's too nervous to sleep. I can't imagine why!

Please keep praying for his development.
Thanks so much.

so far so good...

2009-04-27T22:07:00.001-05:00

Trey is doing good so far. We finally found enough plugs to plug in all his monitors and oxygen machine. He has taken three bottles and his vitamins. He also got his first soap bath at home.
We will continue to send pics and keep you updated on his progress.
Please keep his development in your prayers. We are praying for no long term effects from all the health issues he had to overcome.

Home Sweet Home

2009-04-27T14:07:00.001-05:00

A 100 post later and micropreemie Trey is

Headed home! GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!!

Today is the DAY...

2009-04-27T07:52:00.002-05:00

Today is the day, that Trey, the 1 lb 14 oz miracle, gets to go HOME. All glory be to God for this wonderful gift!

5 pounder

2009-04-25T21:42:00.001-05:00

Trey is five pounds one quarter oz. We are rooming in the hospital with him tonight and taking him home Monday. That's the plan anyway.

Trey's nursery

2009-04-24T13:01:00.002-05:00

The room is ready and waiting for Trey! He is four pounds fourteen and a half ounces! They are still planning on Monday discharging him, please be in prayer for that.

Maybe Monday?

2009-04-23T08:02:00.001-05:00

They gave Trey another blood transfusion yesterday. They are hoping if all goes well to be able to send him home Monday. His weight is now 4lbs. 10 and a half oz.

Baby Gracie

2009-04-22T13:11:00.001-05:00

Thank you for your prayers for Trey's Aunt Stephanie and cousin Gracie Leeigh Laughman. She was born at 12:03pm 6lbs. 3oz. Momma and baby are doing great!

Stephanie

2009-04-22T07:54:00.002-05:00

Trey's Aunt Stephanie (James' sister) will be induced this morning. She is 36 weeks. Please be in prayer for the delivery to go smoothly & for baby Gracie to be born healthy.

I will update once I hear anything.

Update

2009-04-21T13:18:00.001-05:00

Trey's new crib

They kept Stephanie overnight for observation. Labs show some but not all signs of pre-eclampsia. The good news is that if she had the baby today she should be in good health. All ultrasounds looked good she passed 8 out of 8 tests on her bio physical profile.

As for Trey, due to low counts and a pale skin color, they are giving him a blood transfusion today and possibly another one tomorrow which will delay his discharge probably till next week. We will keep you updated.

Pray for Trey's Aunt & unborn cousin

2009-04-20T19:13:00.003-05:00

Please be in prayer for Trey's Aunt Stephanie - I don't know many details besides the fact that she was admitted into the hospital with some pregnancy complications {she is about 36+ weeks pregnant} Thank you!

a small delay

2009-04-20T14:54:00.001-05:00

Trey has decided to stay a little while longer. He was retracting a lot and his sats were dropping through the night, so the doctor thought it best to keep him until Thursday or Friday. His blood count was low as well so they may have to give him a blood transfusion too, if they do then he will have to stay two more days after the transfusion.

New Room

2009-04-19T22:27:00.002-05:00

Trey's old spot in the NICU

They have moved Trey from his spot in the NICU to the rooming in room. We will be rooming in with him Sunday and Monday and taking him home Tuesday. Please pray for courage as we are real nervous. He will be on oxygen, an apnea monitor, a heart monitor, and a saturation monitor. He is 4lbs. 8.75 oz.

A better day...

2009-04-17T22:17:00.002-05:00

Trey is having a better day. His immunizations are over and he seems to be getting his strength back. The doctors are going to take a chest x ray tomorrow to be sure there's no infection. Thanks again for your prayers. Tuesday still looks like his discharge day.

Please pray...

2009-04-16T19:46:00.000-05:00

Trey has had a few episodes today with his heart and his oxygen. The doctors hope it's just a side effect from the immunization. But they did hear some fluid on his left lung and are going to monitor it close. Please pray it's not an infection. If this continues they will have to push back his discharge day. Thank you for your prayers.

Trey's Bath

2009-04-15T16:29:00.002-05:00

Trey received a bath by his parents today. He is still scheduled for a Tuesday discharge date. He received his 1st set of immunizations yesterday in the hospital. James & Naomi will be receiving training/teaching the next few days on how to care for Trey & the equipment that will go home with him.

Continue in prayer for Trey's growth & development, and for the family to feel calm & reassured as they bring Trey home.

Thank you for all your encouraging comments, prayers, gifts, phone calls, etc... over the past few months. We are truly grateful!

To God be the Glory!

D Day

2009-04-14T07:41:00.007-05:00

Job 8:7 - "Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase."

78 days ago, not by "chance" or "luck", but because of GOD, Trey entered the world alive. Immediate prayer covered this small 1 lb. 14 oz. child. We may have been fearful the first few days checking his blog, but there was a calming peace knowing that the Lord was in control not matter the outcome. Within a few days of his birth, Trey had prayer warriors from around the world, MANY of whom he will never know or meet. Through the days & weeks to follow, there were many highs and lows. We all came together to pray for NO CMV, and a few days later we heard the great news of NO CMV. We watched Trey's WBCs & platelets go up & down and finally stay UP. There was the huge scare of Trey's lungs not responding to the vent, and his blood gases doubling the normal amount. We had the PICC line placement & pneumonia. I know those from "here" remember the Wednesday night in February that our Assistant Pastor preached, due to the fact our Pastor & wife (Naomi's parents) were called to the hospital, because Trey was not doing well at all - his heart rate & O2 had dropped significantly. Trey fought hard, & the Lord chose once again to allow Trey to live. The vent came out, and we all got a better look at his precious little face. James & Naomi was FINALLY able to hold their son! And after a few good days, came the news that Trey was having difficulty keeping his O2 levels up. Over the next few days, it seemed to get better, until finally they did have to put him on a C-Pap. This helped him rest, and in the days to follow, he was off of it and doing well. In the next days/weeks, we all watched with a full heart & (most of us a few tears) - as Trey grew, was able to take bottles, wore all his football gear, had his first family photo, get rid of his vapotherm, & reach the FOUR POUND mark & move up into a crib!

We followed this miracle for 78 days, watching God's handiwork & timing. Praying that God would receive the glory & that His name would be furthered.

And now, without further delay, the BIG announcement!

Trey has an estimated DISCHARGE day of Tuesday, April 21st!

yes - you read that correctly, Trey may be in his own home in 6 days! There are many things to still take place in the days at the hospital. James & Naomi were surprised at the possible discharge date & of course are feeling very overwhelmed with the responsibilty that comes with taking care of a preemie. PLEASE be in special prayer for them, as they have a busy week preparing for Trey to be home, & for the Lord to calm them & give them the strength & wisdom to care for Trey when he does indeed come HOME!

"To God be the Glory"

Over the 4lb mark!

2009-04-13T16:03:00.000-05:00

4lbs. 2.5 oz. Can you believe it?! He is also completely out of the incubator now and keeping his temp up good. He took six bottles out of his eight feedings.

Moving on up to a CRIB!

2009-04-10T21:57:00.001-05:00

Bring on the crib! 1809 grams 3 lbs. 15.8 oz.

no more vapotherm!

2009-04-10T21:54:00.003-05:00

Trey is off the vapotherm!!! He is on a nasal cannula with oxygen only no pressure. So far he is doing great. He is 14.5 oz. Only 26 grams away from being able to go into a crib. Doc said should be home in the next two or three weeks.

Almost in an open crib!

2009-04-09T14:41:00.002-05:00

They have dropped Trey's vapotherm pressure to one liter. He is now 3lbs. 13 and a half oz. Which is 1739 grams. When he hits 1800 grams he goes to an open crib! The doctors said today it won't be long and he will be coming home. Thanks again for all your prayers.

3 lbs. 11 oz.

2009-04-07T14:37:00.004-05:00

Notice the difference Trey's size compared to the wedding ring in the first 2 pictures.

Wedding ring on Trey's arm - 2.1.09

Wedding ring on Trey's hand - 4.7.09

Trey is 3 lbs. 11 oz. Today. And he took a bottle in five minutes and thirty seconds (for daddy)! He is allowed to try four bottles in a 24hour period now and so far he's taking them well! He is down to 28% oxygen support at two liters, so he's not to far away from kissing the vapotherm goodbye! After that he will be on oxygen support without a liter flow of pressure. It still doesn't look like he will be discharged by his original due date (April 27th) but hopefully it will be close.

Getting bigger!

2009-04-06T07:24:00.002-05:00

Ready to go hunting in his camo!

Trey is now 3 lbs. 8 and a half oz. And we can hold him for more than twenty minutes a day. He is also taking 3 bottles a day very well. The doctors have also lowered the flow on his vapotherm down to two! God is so good!

Go Broncos!

2009-04-02T12:23:00.001-05:00

First family Photo

2009-04-01T19:46:00.003-05:00

Mr. Football

2009-03-31T15:46:00.003-05:00

Smiling!

2009-03-30T21:06:00.001-05:00

Trey can wear clothes and appears to like it! He got up to 3 lbs. 5oz. And now back down to 3 lbs. 4 and a quarter oz. But he is over 1500 grams (1501) so he gets to wear a shirt now and he doesn't have the incubator helping him keep his temperature up anymore he has to do that on his own. He is trying to take two bottles now in a 24 hour period, which he is not having much luck with now but he is improving. He is still on three liters but he is only requiring about 27% oxygen on average. He still requires a feeding tube but the nurses can't keep one in him because he keeps pulling them out and pulling the tape off his face, so they are only putting one in when he eats. Thanks again for your prayers!

Improving little by little!

2009-03-28T15:32:00.001-05:00

Trey is now three pounds three and a half ounces, and they have dropped him down to three liters on his vapotherm. This is amazing because they expected him to be on 4 for three weeks and he was only on it for ten days! He has also clearly expressed his favorite football team and this is very encouraging to his father! :)

Future Football Player

2009-03-27T08:07:00.002-05:00

Bottle time!

2009-03-25T15:27:00.002-05:00

Naomi was able to feed Trey a bottle today. Apparently by the looks of the video - he enjoyed it :)

Growing like a weed! 3 lbs & 2 1/2 oz!

2009-03-25T11:18:00.000-05:00

Trey is growing like a weed! He is up to three pounds two and a half ounces! He is still on four liters on the vapotherm. The doctor said he could be for up to three weeks because he is retracting a lot when he breaths. I'm sure you are wondering when he will get to come home. The doctor said if all goes well, the middle of May.

No News is good news!

2009-03-23T22:25:00.002-05:00

No news is good news! Trey is about the same which is very good news. They have quit giving him lasix because he doesn't seem to need them any more. He's two pounds fifteen and three quarter ounces. We're hoping he goes over the three pound mark tomorrow.

First sneeze

2009-03-21T16:16:00.002-05:00

Every thing is pretty much the same today. This is Treys first sneeze caught on video.

Answered Prayer

2009-03-20T16:55:00.001-05:00

Just got the eye exam and everything looks good. They want to check again in three weeks. Praise God for this!

Oygen level is coming down!

2009-03-20T15:19:00.001-05:00

They have reduced Trey's liters to 4 toda,y so pray he does well. His potassium is high as well so they have taken that out of his feedings. They should be doing another eye exam any day since it's been three weeks since the first one that was too early to tell anything. We will update as soon as we get the results. Please keep this in your prayers!

Hanging tough at 2 lbs & 11 oz!

2009-03-19T14:53:00.003-05:00

Every thing is pretty much the same with his oxygen today so they went ahead and let Naomi hold him again for about twenty minutes! Its been fourteen days since she held him so she was real excited! He is 2lbs 11 oz. And 14.75 in. Long.