Mack - 1 month old

My friend took some pictures of Mack.  He is pretty fussy most days - therefore he is fussy in most of them.  But so precious when he is sleeping :)

Pictures of Mack

Here are some photos of Mack - I couldn't get them to upload with my last post:

Lexi and Baby brother

Koy was loving baby Mack - look how sweet his face is here :)

This tube down his nose is called a gavage - it went into his stomach, this is how they fed him when he wouldn't eat his bottle on his own.

We found he loves his tummy - it's also suppose to help with reflux

*Kam still sleeps with her bum up like this, cutest thing ever*

Morning going in to be induced - 39 weeks

C-section here we come!

Holding Mack for the first time - they put me on a gurny and rolled me thru the NICU...yep, I threw up right after

This was right after surgery - this is when he looked the worst - he only had this many tubes at one time for a short amount of hours

I think this is day 2...it all runs together

 This was his first bed

 2nd bed

here is the entry point for surgery - the surgeon is known for doing funny drawings on the bandages...Mack's was a football.  He is going to be a tough guy and play football - donating time and money to a NICU :)

Kam's was so happy to hold her brother

Shelby in her proud moment :)

Mike's parents - Marilyn just had knee surgery the week before so it was a sacrifice to get her into the hospital to see the baby...but she did it :)

*I need to find and post more grandparent pictures here...*

My mom also came up for 10 days to help out.  Rob drove her up and went back for work, he drove back up the next weekend to pick her up.  Then they both came back AGAIN the next weekend to help some more.  They definetly sacrificed alot and we appreciated the help.  Mom was so helpful with laundry, cleaning, and running the girls around.

My sister Amber and her boy Mckoy also came up for a week.  She was helpful to run the girls and me around...since I was unable to drive and get around still.  She was lucky and had harvest break in her school district, so she gave up part of it to come up here to spend it with us.

My dad also was able to make it for the weekend to see Mack just before leaving for his new adventure to Africa.  We will surely miss him - we are so glad Mack came before Dad had to leave.  Also they'll be able to celebrate some birthdays together...Mack is the 17th and Dad is the 18th :)

Sisterly love at home

10 days old - and his 3rd bed

cuddling with daddy

So this is how he was in the womb :) - yep that was causing me lots of pain being breech and all, funny he still likes this position

feeding Mack

YAY!! were going home - day 18!!!....yes, he was excited :) haha

Carseat ride

DAY 20 - heading to the pediatritian

My sweet friend Lara had the girls the day we brought baby home.

They made this cute sign to Welcome Mack Home!

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That's all the time I have for now.  It's had finding time to type and upload pictures.  We are adjusting to having FOUR children.  We love our cuddle time with Mack, and the girls are being so helpful.  He's pretty good at night feedings - I stay up til his last night feed 11 or midnight, then he wakes for a 3:30ish feeding and then again at 7 ish, just in time to finish and move onto getting Lexi up and at it for school.

I'm going alittle crazy being housebound - it's been about 2 months of this.  I'm trying to enjoy it, but the lack of social-ness is killing me :) so I'm enjoy the phone calls when I can make them and have time and the visits from friends.  We are doing well though - after going through this kind of experience you cherish things more and realize your many blessings.  Baby Mack and our children are definetly our blessings in life!!

*~~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.