14 days

It's been 14 days since my little buddy was born. And it has been the most trying 14 days of my life. He's come a long way from where he was, but he's still got a ways to go before he'll be home.

I am so blessed to have this little person in my life. He has already taught me so much and I feel honored that he chose me as his mama. He was a sick, sick little boy when he was born. Not only were his lungs not fully developed, but he developed pretty bad pneumonia, and 4 days after he was born he got a spontaneous double pneuomothorax, which basically means that he developed a hole in each of his lungs so air was collecting in his chest cavity putting pressure on his lungs not allowing him to breath. Saturday April, 16th was probably the scariest days of my life. They ended up having to put 2 chest tubes in and we just had to wait and see what happened. He was almost transported to Primary Children's Hospital, but luckily they were able to get him stablized so they didn't have to. I will forever be indebted to the doctors and nurses at St. Mark's for saving my son's life.

The chest tubes came out a few days later and everything has healed up on it's own. An absolute miracle. He is such a little fighter.

We were finally able to hold him this last Saturday, April 23rd. Not only were we able to hold him, but since he was off the ventilator, we were able to give him his first bottle as well. He's eating!! Such a huge step. He still has a ways to go on his eating, he has to be able to eat a lot more during one feeding to be able to come home, but it's progress!

He's also now holding his body temperature, so they've moved him to a different room in the NICU where he doesn't have to be under the warmers all the time. He's still on oxygen through a cannula in his nose and will probably be on it for a while longer. He's got a ways to go on that. But once he starts eating everything he needs to and gets off the oxygen, hopefully he'll be able to come home. We don't have any dates as to when that will be, but we know that he's where he needs to be to get better.

We love our little man and cannot wait for him to get better so we can really snuggle him and never let him go. John has been my rock through this whole experience and I don't know what I would do without him. I am so grateful for the power of the priesthood and for all of the blessings and prayers that have been given to and in behalf of Nolan, myself, and our family. I wouldn't wish this experience on anyone. But, I am so grateful for the testimony builder it has been for me.

Trust me, I've been struggling. But like I said before, I know that Nolan is where he needs to be to get better and I just need to be patient and have faith that he will get better and will be home before I know it.

I love you buddy. Come home to Mama soon k?