Our Little Rangers

Happy 1 Week Birthday Baby Ryan!!!!

I can’t help but think how different this day could be. The Lord has blessed us greatly over this past week! Ryan had a very good night last night. They have been able to wean his oxygen again to 34%. He is getting some more platelets this morning. The doctor said that as of right now he no longer needs the phototherapy (blue) light. He is making awesome urine! We need him to continue to make such good urine so that he can get rid of the extra fluid on his body.

When we lost Jackson I found this song and listened to it over and over and it brought me great comfort. I came across it again on my phone today and it seems to fit our current situation also.

Selah - I Will Carry You lyrics

There were photographs i wanted to take
Things i wanted to show you
Sing sweet lullabies wipe your teary eyes
Who could love you like this? people say that i am brave but i`m not
Truth is i`m barely hanging on
But there`s a greater story
Written long before me
Because he loves you like this

So i will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All my life
And i will praise the one who`s chosen me
To carry you

Such a short time
Such a long road
All this madness
But i know
That the silence
Has brought me to his voice
And he says

I`ve shown her photographs of time beginning
Walked her through the parted seas
Angel lullabies no more teary eyes
Who could love her like this?

I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All your life
And i will praise the one who`s chosen me
To carry you

I am just so very thankful today that our son is alive and doing well. I know we have a long road ahead of us! I’m still holding on to the belief that God answered our prayer and brought him into this world before he could be harmed by my body. Now we just trust him and believe that he is carrying us through this time in our lives also!

Ryan’s little body has a long way to go but he is much less “puffy” than he has been! He is the sweetest. As soon as I walk in the room and begin talking he starts moving his little fingers looking for my touch! He loves hand containment. As soon as I take his feet in my hand you can feel his whole body relax!

His oxygen has been weaned further to 30% and his dopamine has been off for around 6 hours!!! The nurse said that tonight he will have his venous umbilical line removed tonight. He will still have his arterial umbilical line in for a maximum of three more days. His blood pressure is holding well but they are going to leave his arterial line in so that they can draw blood from the line instead of having to stick him for blood draws. I am so proud of this little boy! I’m not sure he will ever know how truly special he is to our family but we will sure try our best to show!

Daddy had his first experience with hand containment. I was holding his feet and had his head cupped when our little man became fussy and started kicking my hands away. I knew what this meant. He was finished with Mommy time and he was adamant that it was Daddy time. While in daddy’s hands he officially turned one week old!

For his one week birthday Ryan received a small puppy rattle! Finding toys any kind of small enough for a micro-premie is a chore!! When we found this blue puppy and knew that it was perfect! The ribbon around its neck is from Jackson’s funeral. These ribbons and colors have a great significance to our family!