Brenner Children's Hospital

At Morehead, under the oxygen hood.

Immediately after Caleb was born, okay not immediately, but 18 hours after Caleb was born, he was transferred via helicopter to from Morehead Memorial Hospital in Eden, NC to Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital, and the building/wing he was specifically taken to was Brenner Children's Hospital.

Dr. Salvador (the pediatrician on call that observed Caleb throughout the day of the 27th at Morehead) was afraid Caleb was having neonatal seizures, apnea, and respiratory distress; and since Morehead wasn't equipped to handle such a situation, Caleb, according to her medical expertise, needed to be transferred. Adam and I had no idea that we should have possibly chosen a hospital that would be equipped in such a manner. We were at a loss for words. As soon as she left the room we balled our eyes out. No parent wants to hear that their child's condition/situation had worsened. When we somewhat pulled ourselves together we called our parents and siblings and urged them to come to the hospital quickly since we weren't sure when the ambulance was to arrive.

Here are the EMT nurses getting Caleb situated

Hours later, Caleb was picked up via helicopter instead. It was horrible sitting there watching the EMT nurses get everything situated to have him in the helicopter. And what was worse was the fact that neither Adam or myself (I wasn't discharged until two days later) were allowed to ride with him. Talk about your stomach dropping. It was such a disappoint that one of us couldn't be there with him. Since we knew that might be the case, Adam and I decided earlier in the day that since I wasn't able to go that he and his family would make the drive to be with Caleb. He was picked up around 7:30pm and made it to Brenner Children's Hospital in no time, whereas it took Adam and his family an hour to get there.

Caleb's humble abode at BCH.

Once they arrived, Caleb was taken immediately into the NICU. The picture to the right was his home for the next four days. The nurses were so sweet to personalize each baby's area; it proved how much they really do care about each individual patient!

Before Caleb even reached what would be his humble abode,  his heart rate and oxygen levels stabilized during mid-flight. Praise God! So when he did get to BCH and to "Pod D" the nurses began an IV on him, gave him a pacifier (which he absolutely adored, especially since Morehead didn't allow me to breastfeed him and all he had to "eat" was what they gave him through his IV), and wrapped all nice and cozy like a little burrito. When Adam and his family arrived they ushered Adam in to see him and that's when we found out about RMHC which you can read about here, but since they got their so late he and my mother-in-law stayed overnight in a parent's room while my father-in-law and brother-in-law stayed at Adam's aunt's house in Greensboro.

Adam "Daddy" holding Caleb for the first time.

The next day, Adam was able to hold and feed Caleb. This was the picture (featured to the left) that was sent to me while I was still at Morehead Memorial. It was so surreal and disheartening to be reminded that I was miles away while my husband was holding our son. Please don't misunderstand, I am not jealous/envious that my husband held our son first, but it hurt that I wasn't there experiencing that moment with him. Adam was anxious and excited about holding Caleb, and the nurses made sure that he felt at ease while doing so. In his own words, "They were reassuring and helpful." They explained everything to him and kept him in the loop. 

Marie "Mama" holding Caleb for the first time

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I finally arrived at BCH on December 29th, just two days after he was born and almost two days after he had been transferred. I felt like a little kid at Christmas. My best friend Hazel drove me to the hospital and when she dropped me off at the front, my husband was there anxiously waiting for me with a wheelchair (I still couldn't quite get around yet on my own). Once I was situated, he wheeled me around and got us to the sixth floor. I'll never forget how he beamed with pride at the nurses and staff while telling them that I was his wife and I was finally here! He rolled me through after washing my hands and I got to see my sweet boy after what felt like an eternity. Here's the picture of me holding him for the first time. How incredible and joyous it was being able to hold my son, it was one of the best feelings I've ever experienced! God was so good to not keep me from holding him any longer, because goodness knows my heart couldn't have taken it!

Our little baby burrito :-)

Though I was only there for two days, the nursing staff at BCH was phenomenal! They treated us with compassion, worked together as a team, promoted and encouraged parents to be part of taking care of the baby process. For example: I wasn't given the chance to breastfeed Caleb at Morehead and the nurses at BCH had this curtain-on-wheels get-up that basically sectioned off our area so that we were given privacy and I could try to feed him! They offered me tips and did their best to help him latch and when he struggled they found a nipple shield which helped him do so. It was the best feeling in the world when he finally latched, but that's a story for another post. I was just in awe (and still am) at the generosity of the nursing staff at BCH---they treated me and my family the way we expected and wanted to be treated, like we mattered, and we did! Their benevolence extended into every area of service, and we could not be more grateful! The doctors/fellows were great to include us in their rounds as well. We were able to talk with them directly, hear their thoughts, and ask any questions we had. Though we did not spend as much time with them as we did the nurses, they never rushed us as if they could only allot a specific amount of time to us and that was extremely important to me.

Finally on our way home!
Thanks BCH for the great care!

God blessed our experience at BCH so much. Not only were the nurses friendly and extended themselves to make us comfortable, but they also kept us informed as to every little detail about what they were doing, how they were going to do it, at the time they were going to perform it, etc. What Morehead lacked in communication, BCH certainly made up for! For anyone who finds themselves in a situation like we did, it is our hope and prayer that they too  will not have to worry about whom is with their child, but instead can focus on the progress of their child. Looking back, Adam and I both said that though we wish we could have changed our circumstances as to why we were there, it was nice to have some guidance and aide in learning how to truly take care of a newborn before we actually got home. It certainly made us feel more comfortable and ready when we did.

Ronald McDonald House

On the evening Caleb was transported to Brenner Children's Hospital, Adam and his family (and myself though I wasn't there yet) were worried about trying to find a place to stay and how affordable it would be. Would we have to spend $$$ to stay the night? Thankfully, and praise God for looking out of us, the nurses in the NICU told Adam and our family about the Ronald McDonald House across the street from the hospital. They offered a  room with  a queen size bed and a set of bunk beds as well as a pull out cot and a bathroom. Plus, the house comes with a well stocked kitchen which included plenty of meals and lots of cozy, comfortable seating to hang out. It became our home away from home. Check out the pictures below.

Source: http://picklesandcheeseblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/ronald-macdonald-house-in-winstonsalem.html

Best of all, they asked for a $10 donation for each night you stay. That was LOADS cheaper than any hotel we could have stayed in for the four nights we were there! Not only did they offer us a warm place to stay, but the house was still decorated for Christmas so it made the atmosphere that much more inviting. But that's not all! Not only was the RMH available to us but there was also a Ronald McDonald Family Room available on the sixth floor at the hospital to visitors, parents, and siblings of children that are patients in the NICU/PICU. This room offered food, drink, a place to relax, and use the Internet, all with only being a few steps away from our little one.

Our first family photo (outside a hospital)
at the Ronald McDonald House

Adam and I are so thankful for what the Ronald McDonald House Charities provided us with---a worry free experience while we were with our little one. The foundation is able to support itself from "individuals, organizations, and other corporate donors."  Though Adam and I had each heard of the RMHC (thanks to McDonald's) we were both naive and unaware of the good it truly did until we needed them. It is our goal and hope to take some of our tithes and give them to the RMHC. We want other families to be able to focus on their children and not have to worry where they may stay the night or get their next meal. The RMHC took care of us when we found ourselves in need. We hope to be a blessing to it and other families as well. Be sure to check out their website for more information by clicking this link: Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Happy 1 Month, Caleb!

Caleb, 

I can't believe a month has passed already! Our journey from birth to home was a rough one. You can read about that here. We're so thankful for all that God has done in your life and in ours. First you made your grand appearance at Morehead Memorial Hospital, but due to a complicated delivery were transferred to Brenner's Children's Hospital which is part of Wake Forest University Baptist in North Carolina by helicopter! I can't believe you got to have your first helicopter ride already, dad was jealous, but not for the reason of your transference. You stayed four days at Brenner's and were discharged to go home on December 31, 2012. You made it home just in time to ring in the New Year. And ring it in you did, with lots of crying and adjusting to life at home.

That first week home was a bit rough on us all. I experienced the typical baby blues, but it only lasted a week thank goodness! What was really tough was that Oma wasn't able to stay with us like we'd hoped because she got bronchitis. Instead, GramMarty stayed with us taking care of some household chores like washing dishes, keeping up with the laundry, fixing dinner, and taking care of you so we could get some rest. Auntie Hazel also came down that week and boy was she a big help!!! She came in and took care of getting all the Christmas decorations down (almost) single-handedly, got the house sparkly clean -- I mean cleaned everything to a "T," and even took on some of the night shifts of feeding and changing you so we could get some extra sleep. Your Papa & Uncle Nate came over a few nights to visit as well. Once Oma was better she did her share of seeing you and your Pawpaw stayed until he had to go back to work and returned as soon as he could to see you and take GramMarty home. It did us good to see so many people and to have so much help because by that Friday (January 4th) Dad had to return to work. It was a bit scary being home alone, just the three of us. We weren't sure we'd be able to do the job, but God provided us the skills necessary to be your parents and we've LOVED it!

We went to the doctor three times this first month. You had your first visit on January 3rd second on January 10th and both with Dr. Self at Martinsville Pediatrics. Your third visit was with the NP on January 22nd (we had you checked out because I thought you had thrush but you didn't). At that first appointment you were 8lbs 12oz, 9lbs 5oz by the second, and 9lbs 12oz by the third! It'll be  interesting to see how much you gain by next month! We call you our little piglet for a reason. ;-)
Be sure to check out both the banner pictures which include some fun facts, stats, and milestones from this month!

Some things that you'll probably want to know when you're older is "Was it tough taking care of you?" And the answer is: yes and no! You're an excellent baby, you're not colicky which is great, and we're following the "on-demand"  schedule which means we take care of you, when you show signs that you're hungry, sleepy, want to play, etc. although you've pretty much set your own schedule (e.g., you wake up every night around 4-5am). You're not fussy and you're pretty relaxed no matter what's going on. Plus, you didn't pee on us, which was awesome, although you did get your Oma pretty good the first time you met her! You sleep through practically anything thanks to all the noises that you heard at Brenner's Children's Hospital when you were in their nursery. The only thing you seem to struggle with is burping--you hate that and always cry when it comes time to do so (especially since we burp you after every ounce to two ounces). You also struggle with latching on for breastfeeding--you prefer the bottle for sure! You hated your first bath and cried all the way through it, but after that first one you realized it's not so bad after all, especially since we're there with you! All in all it's been a good month, we're looking forward to more sleep in the next and of course making more memories! We love you and we thank God for Him allowing us to be your parents!

Love,
-Mom & Dad