What a big boy!

August 1, 2007

I just got this picture from Becky, who is with Max at the hospital. Doesn't he look big? She told me last night that he weighs 8 lbs. 12 oz.......almost 2 pounds more than his birth weight.
It looks like they've taken the port out of his head, but I don't know that for sure. Platelet count is coming up in the morning. Becky and Todd are "chomping at the bit" to take him home.........even if they have to take him back to be checked several times a week. I think we're getting closer..................

Max, the swinger

July 31, 2007

Now he's a swinger! Becky went in on Monday morning, and the NICU nurses had set a swing up by Max's bed. They said he was bored and fussy when he was awake sometimes, so they brought the swing for him. He loves it! Becky and Todd are so happy! Their little boy is up and swinging!
After she fed him she put him in it and she said it was no time until he was asleep.
Becky and I had a busy day yesterday. We went to tour Little Angel (weren't impressed with the facilities but the people were very nice), then went on to Muscle Shoals High School to work in Becky's room. Oh my goodness! What an overwhelming task! ...........to set a room up, learn all new curriculum, and run back and forth to Huntsville overpowered me (and I'm not even the teacher!). Everyone we met there was super nice; turns out Nolan went to Jr. High with Mr. Noah, the principal, and Becky's dad graduated from Bradshaw in the same class as he! Small world (or just small towns, huh?). Anyway, Becky is very happy to be there; can't wait, but dreads it too............she is very afraid of 10th graders.
While we were working, and intermittently convincing ourselves that Little Angel would be fine for a few hours Tuesday-Friday, Becky's cell phone rang and I saw her look at the number and almost not answer it because she didn't recognize the number. She did answer and it was Muscle Shoals First Methodist Daycare, who she had called last Friday and was told there were no openings there. They had an opening!! Why are we surprised at such things as that after all that has gone on these past few weeks? I don't know, but we constantly go around shaking our heads in awe of how God is paving the way in everything that is happening. We left Becky's room to go to First Methodist, took a tour (I was very impressed!), Becky quickly paid the registration fee, and Max is officially enrolled. Now all we have to do is spring him from the hospital so he can go and meet his new friends in Muscle Shoals. He won't get to start even if he gets out of the hospital until August 14, when he is 6 weeks old. There was a little girl there that was 8 weeks old and she seemed happy as could be. Max will only be there from 7:30 - 11:30, so Becky feels real good about it. He will be less than 3 minutes away from her (literally just around the block!).
The "crown" you see on top of Max's head is the port where they do the transfusions. Rather than continue to stick him every time, they just leave that in his head. Doesn't seem to bother him one bit............makes me happy to know they are not sticking him so much.
Next we'll try him out in his "buzzy" seat!

Max's mommy, the teacher

July 28, 2007
Becky was offered a job at Muscle Shoals High School that was just too good to turn down, so next Monday, August 6, she will begin teaching 10th grade at Muscle Shoals High School. The part that is too good to be true is that she only teaches from 8 until 11:30 every day! She and Todd are touring Daycare facilites on Monday here in Florence. We think we have found a good place for him at Little Angel in North Florence (less than a mile from First Methodist). He will only have to stay there Tues. - Friday from about 8:30 a.m. until noon. I can take him on my way to work and pick him up on my lunch hour.
Meanwhile, he continues to build up his platelet count in the NICU at Huntsville Hospital. They will keep him there until he can stay consistently above 50,000 on his own. A unit of platelets is awaiting him this morning if he needs them (thanks, Andy Betterton, for your help in finding them!) He is suffering from thrush right now and Becky and Todd have decided to discontinue breastfeeding for the time being to see if that will help him build his own platelets faster. (She is still pumping and storing breast milk for possible future use with him).
The stress levels for all of us kinda ebb and flow.................we like the ebbing, the flowing sometimes gets to us. Seems every day has both, so we are learning to "go with the flow" a little better each day. Still looking so forward to the day he gets to go home!
We learned yesterday that a baby has been born in Birmingham with the same problem. Becky and Todd are trying to get in touch with that couple, just to offer support and empathy. Without such support from families, friends, and strangers.(which are now new friends) these past 4 weeks would have been near impossible to bear.

Baby Max's first friends

July 25, 2007

Sterling and Ella Cornelius, 4 months old, pose with a sign made by their mommy, Courtney. Courtney, Sterling and Ella have recently moved to Korea, where their daddy Michael, is serving our country in the U.S. Army.
We miss all of them very much, and can't wait until Christmas when the babies can meet. They have been such sweet little friends, sending encouraging notes and lots of prayers our way during these first few weeks of Max's life. We're looking forward to many happy times together.

Max and his Aunt Amy

July 25, 2007

Aunt Amy and Uncle David came to Huntsville from New Jersey when Max was 5 days old. Amy gave platelets for Max to use if they were a match. At the same time, platelets arrived from Philadelphia and were matched and used before Amy's were typed and processed. Amy and David enjoyed several days and visits with their new little nephew before heading to Chattanooga to spend a few days with their two big boy nephews there.

4 generations

Max and 3 of his favorite fans.....Mommy, Grammy and Mom. July 25, 2007

My baby Becky and her baby, Max

July 24, 2007

Wow! I can hardly believe it! My baby has a baby boy! He was born at ECM Hospital on Monday, July 2, weighing in at 6 lbs., 14 oz. It is very sureal, mainly because he is still in the NICU in Huntsville. After a very tramatic beginning, we have all settled into somewhat of a routine of spending time with Maddox Holden Locke in the hospital in Huntsville.
Today he is 3 weeks and 1 day old, and has come a tremendous way since that night 3 weeks ago. Within minutes of his birth, his Grandmother Lucy and I knew something was very wrong. We stood outside the nursery window and watched this beautifully complected boy pop out in red and blue spots all over his little trunk, arms and legs. Watching the nurses continue to draw blood from his little feet upset us even more. It wasn't long before the Erika Crenshaw, his pediatrician and my friend, called Becky as she lay in the recovery room following the caeserian birth and told her that Max appeared to have a blood complication and he would need to be transfered to Huntsville Hospital.
The following days were as bad as any you can imagine. Todd's dad, Ben Locke, went with Todd and Max to Huntsville and I stayed behind at ECM with Becky. I must say, I have never seen anyone recover as quickly from a C-section as Becky. She stayed in the bed, highly sedated, for just over 2 hours before she was on her feet, walking the halls, trying to prove that she was well enough to join her new little family in Huntsville. She stayed on the internet constantly, seeking information on his condition (neonatal allimmune thrombocytopenia), and what she and Todd could do to help the doctors help their tiny baby.
Today I am in Huntsville, taking my turn at Grandparent's time, when I get to go visit by myself to feed him, rock him, and sing to him. Boy, that 30 minutes passes faster than I can believe! I will be so happy to have as long as I want to be with him. I know Becky and Todd will too; we know that every day is one day closer to that wish coming true.
He now weighs a whopping 8 lbs. 6 oz.........we're hoping that all this strength will help him to make platelets of his own. Sunday's count was only 26,000.............doctors want to see him steady at 50,000 or above in order to go home. Until then, they will continue to give him platelets to keep him in a safe zone. Yesteday and today they gave him another unit of platelets. (One unit of platelets equals 2 transfusions for him). They will check the count toward the end of the week. Please keep him in your prayers............we need him to get busy making his own platelets!