*~~Baby MACK has arrived~~*

Baby Mack Anthony Dean joined our family on September 17 at 9:28am weighing in at 6 pds 8 ounces.  He has been our biggest babe yet (only by an ounce).
I must say it was one of the most stressful days of our lives.  We went in for a scheduled 7am induction - knowing Mack was breech, my doctor wanted to take him a week early so we could still try for a regular delivery with him in the 'frank breech' postion.  Well by the time we got in our room, hooked up to everything, including the lovely I.V. (poked again TWICE...urrr), my dr. came in to do a quick ultrasound on Mack's position...and that's when things changed.
Mack was not gonna let us take him that way - his cord and feet were coming out first.  So my dr. said we definetly were doing a c-section, and right then because I had already been dialated to a 3 only 5 days before.  So I learned all I could about c-sections and what would be going on in about 10 minutes from my amazing nurse.  The minute my dr. said C-section, the room began to buzz with people. 


They moved me to the O.R. and I began to feel a bit of fear and aloneness with Mike gone.  I remember laying on the table ready to start and wondering when my husband would be coming.  The rest of it went fine.  Then Mack came out great, having swollowed some fluid (a blessing really) because they tried to get in out, and he still had it, so they stuck a tube down his throat and it wasn't going in...this raised concern.  Immediately they rushed him off to the NICU with Mike and filled Mike in on the way there.

We then learned his esophagus was not connected to his stomache -
Esophageal Atresia -> Tracheoesophageal Fistula. (TEF)
He then had a 2 1/2 hr surgery the following day - it was scary, but he pulled thru without a hitch.  We then had to sit back and wait 5 days for them to test his esophugus for leaks.  All went well so he was started on pedialyte and breastmilk.  They pulled his I.V. and now we just have to wait for him to eat the amount they want him to eat through his mouth.  It is a frustrating stage we are in.  He is still so tired and exhausted and they wake him every 3hrs to feed.  Whatever he doesn't take thru mouth is then gavaged thru his nose tube to his tummy.  So he still gets fed, but doesn't have to put forth much effort - this is the frustrating part.
But yesterday (day 15) he rocked it and on 3 of his feedings he intook about 90% thru mouth :) yay!!!!!!!  so hopefully everyday he'll just get stronger, more alert, and ready to eat so our sweet boy can come home with us.  I love being his cheerleader while I am there feeding him.  It just breaks my heart not to be there for all his feedings - I think he would do better.  But we still have a family to run at home and we are doing our best to juggle everything.  The girls want to hold their brother so badly - I think they don't really get it.

I can tell you now that he will forsure be spoiled because I'm going to hold him and snuggle him like crazy.  This has been so hard not having a baby at home.

During my pregnancy I feel like I was being prepared for this moment.  I have learned and grown soo much over the last 2 weeks.  My testimony and prayers have grown tremendously and I'm so thankful for my Heavenly Father being by my side through this trial in my life.  He has not left us alone.  I have realized what a rock my husband is to me.  My first few days without him at the NICU were so hard and emotional.  He balances me well and I'm so thankful for him and his testimony.  I'm also thankful for the priesthood, that he is able to give our sweet little son blessings.

Things are still going to be hard when Mack gets home - he has trechea malaysia and CAN NOT get sick, especially RSV - or it will be real bad.  So we'll be housebound for sometime and we'll be germ-aphobics.  But we'll have an adorable little boy we can hold whenever we want and that will be priceless.