Waiting for a Mended Heart

Daddy feeding Levi the bottle

Levi has been doing great on his own. Although his vitals are lower than a healthy baby, they are great for a baby with a heart condition. The doctors decided to transfer him to a step-down Intensive Care Unit (ICU) yesterday as opposed to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) because he doesn't need such intense monitoring right now that is required in the CICU. The step-down ICU is a private room for the baby with a private bathroom and a couch that turns into two separate sleeping pads. It is so much nicer because I was discharged from the hospital yesterday and now Sam and I can both sleep in Levi's room, unlike the CICU. The CICU is a more sanitized environment and is not set up that way.

Levi with his feeding tube

Nursing has been a bit challenging. The first couple of days, I was not able to nurse the baby because the doctors were just giving him glucose water constantly to bring normality to his glucose levels. There was also uncertainty about whether there was enough oxygen to his digestive system to be able to properly process any milk he was fed. But after a couple of days, they allowed me to nurse. He only nursed once that day and had been too weak because of his lower oxygen levels which makes an already sleepy newborn more sleepy! Now he is on a regular feeding schedule every three hours. Because he is weaker, he typically nurses for a couple of minutes and then has about half through a bottle and then the other half through his feeding tube. I am so thankful he is now getting the nutrients from my milk.

Bathing Levi

Today and tomorrow, they are prepping little Levi for his surgery on Friday, March 7th. The doctors had their conference today and discussed the plan for his surgery. We will hear about it first thing tomorrow. The nurses bathe him with special cloths that have a solution that reduces the bacteria and germs on his body to reduce the risk of infections during and after surgery. We have been thinking a lot about his little body and how relatively healthy he looks and acts that will compare to the next week or so of him being heavily sedated and how we won't be able to cuddle and hold him like we can now. It helps remind us to take in every moment with him now.

It has also been difficult being away from our other two boys. They are currently with my sister-in-law and their cousins this week and I know they are in good hands. She is an amazing mother and we have been so grateful for her sacrificing her time to drive down from Idaho just to watch our little boys, in addition to her three kids! Her youngest is a boy and 2 years old, and our two boys are 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 years old, so she has three little toddler boys that are all 6 months apart, plus her older two kids!

Ephriam ready for bed
Bears given to the boys from
the Moreys

Johnny ready for bed

Since we have been in the hospital, we had only one short visit with our two boys on Sunday, after I had the baby. Then we finally saw them yesterday in the late afternoon. I missed them terribly. I am not use to being away from them. We went to a park and spent the evening with them. I just wanted to cry because I missed them so much. I think the Lord has once again given us this experience to remember to cherish and love our kids that much more. My husband and my children bring me the true joy and happiness in my life. I would do anything to keep them as long as possible. We then read scriptures together and put both of the boys to bed before we headed back to the hospital. As I put my Johnny to bed, I said, "Goodnight! I love you! See you later!" He said, "No see you later, goodnight!" He wanted to make sure we were not leaving. Sam and I had said our goodnights and goodbyes separately and so he did not know what Johnny had said to me. Sam said something similar, except he said goodbye and Johnny responded with, "No goodbye, goodnight, I love you!" I am so thankful that the Lord has sent me to this earth to be able to bring some of His children into this world and to raise them up in truth and righteousness. The Lord blesses each of us in different ways and I am so thankful that He has blessed me to be able to have children and be married to a wonderful husband to help me raise those children. 

Johnny Playing at the Park
with daddy!

Thank you everyone for your thoughts, love, support, and prayers. We feel of your strength. Our hearts go out to the so many families who have endured tragedies and hospital life. We hear so much each day about other's situations whose are far worse than ours. One dad was with his 5 kids and are far from home, taking care of their sick child and they will be here at least another 8 weeks with an unknown outcome or another who is battling over the decision on whether to take their loved one off life support. It really breaks your heart, but then it also makes you realize why we have a Savior, to help mend our broken hearts. We know He can and he will be mending our hearts as well as literally helping to mend our little Levi's heart. We love you once again! May the Lord bless each of us in our lives!