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!
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