"For I know the plans I have for you" Declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Good Afternoon Everyone-
As I walked through the door yesterday I just had a sense it was going to be a homecoming of sorts. It all felt so good to me.....good to us. I picked up the phone and the door unlocked. I was greeted with smiling faces and a rather large hug from Gavin's NNP. She said the most beautiful, yet simple words to us in her embrace...."Welcome Home!" Those words mean so much to us in their simplicity.
I am pleased to share with you that Gavin has made his big trip back to Littleton Hospital and is resting comfortably in his new apartment there. He rode in style for his trip. He had on his little robe that they gave him at PSL and a new hat. He was pretty darn cute when I saw him if I might say so myself. He handled the transfer with ease and very little if any problems. He arrived in style in his big green ambulance at around 330 yesterday afternoon.
We spent the morning working with the doctors to understand the plans for Gavin in the coming days. The goal of his care at this point is to help him to gain weight. They have switched him from breast milk to a more gentle, partially digested formula. Eventually this will be changed to a formula with added calories to help him grow. In several weeks once he has started growing he will then be put back on breast milk with added fortifier. Gavin's tummy could not handle the breastmilk fortifier at this stage of the game. He remains on the ventilator and there is some uncertainty as to when he will come off of that. At this point they are working to determine if Gavin is working too hard on the ventilator, thereby causing him to burn calories or if the ventilator helps him just enough to help him gain weight. In the coming days they will be evaluating this and making a more educated decision with regards to this. We worked with the wound care team and the illeostomy team today as well. They are trying several different approaches to getting the illeostomy bag to stick without interrupting the actual wound site itself. Currently, Gavin is a poopin machine.....as a result of much prayer.....and now there is a need for the bag to be in place. They have one attached to him today and will monitor throughout the day and night to make sure it stays affixed and is not leaking into the incision itself......so far so good. Gavin still weighs in at 740 grams or 1lb 10oz.
The doctors and nurses were thrilled to see him and they are so excited to be working with us again. I am confident they will provide only the most supreme care possible. Gavin loves to look around at his new place and is quite precocious with his hands these days. He likes to pull on his ET tube and he likes to put them down in his diaper. Both places are probably not recommended for Gavin at this moment in time....but boys will be boys. The kids will be excited to know that we can decorate Gavin's apartment for Halloween.....so I am sure they will have some fun in the coming days.
As for Colin and I, a huge weight has been lifted off of our shoulders. Over the coming weeks we hope to be able to spend more time together as a family and not be so divided as the weeks past have been. We are excited to be home and be able to eat as a family tonight and to eat at 5pm rather than 8pm. The kids will be able to see Gavin now daily if they want to and we are much closer to home which makes the burden less all in and of itself.
The Lord has been so good to us. I know I have said it before and I am sure I will say it many many times again. The power of his love and grace in our lives right now is so great that we could run to the ends of the earth and not escape it. We have been surrounded with such wonderful people and touched by so many we don't even know. Our table has been filled with food and our hearts filled with love.
Please continue to keep us in your prayers. We pray for Gavin to gain strength and start to grow into a chunky baby. We pray for strength for our family as we look to the months ahead of us.
Thanks again for all of your love and support......Peace to all!
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