Lawson Andrew & Amelia Paige

GOING HOME TODAY!!!!!!!!! We've been dreaming about this day for close to three months now. What a blessing this day is.

We want to thank each and every one of you for your love and support during this time. Your prayers have meant the world to us. And they have worked. God is SO good!

Weight: 5 pounds 2 ounces

We met with the neonatologist today. Looks like we will be going home on Tuesday. They have to setup all of our followup appointments (eyes-hearing-neorology-endocrine-etc).

Weight: 5 pounds

Lawson slept well last night. We are hoping to go home tomorrow. We will be meeting with the discharge nurse tonight. We have to go through CPR for infants, education on DI and how to give his meds and car seat test.

Yes, we had a sleepless night. It wasn't because of Lawson. We were up for his feedings, to take vitals, and just to be sure he was breathing every other minute:).

Eric and I got a big call from Children's Hospital today. They asked us to "room in" with Lawson. This is where we are placed in a private room with Lawson. We will be doing everything for Lawson while having a nurse close by for questions (i.e. questions about his meds and monitoring his sodium). We are very excited. We will actually become REAL parents:).

Lawson's MRI test results look normal. It showed that his pituitary gland is fully developed. They are not sure why he is not producing enough ADH. There is a possibility that he will grow out of it but we have to wait and see.

Weight: 4 pounds 11 ounces

Lawson had an MRI today. They changed is diaper, fed him and wrapped him in a warm blanket...needless to say...he slept right through it. We won't get the results until Thursday. They are trying to give him his DDAVP once a day. They are hoping to get the dose down to once a day. They are seeing how he tolerates it now (making sure that he is not getting dehydrated).

They changed his formula again. He is now on Similac Neo Care. This has a couple of more calories.

Weight: 4 pounds 10 ounces

Lawson had a renal ultrasound today. It looked good. It showed no issues with the kidneys. It confirmed that his kidney's are responding to the ADH and the pituitary gland isn't producing enough ADH. They began administering the synthetic form of the ADH (DDAVP) through his nose. This is much better than the shots. (They put a drop in his nose while he is sleeping)

They have also changed him to a different formula. It is a higher calorie formula. He seems to be tolerating it.

Lawson was moved to Children's Hospital today. We have mixed emotions. We were sad to leave Brookwood. And we are anxious about going somewhere new. But we know that this is a step closer to going home.

They will begin the test tomorrow morning. They will start by doing a renal ultrasound and lab work.

4 pounds 9 ounces

Today is a good day. Lawson is beginning to make himself known in the NICU. He lets them know when he is ready to eat or when he just needs to be picked up. They are doing a good job with spoiling him.

4 pounds 8 ounces

Lawson is doing well today. He is growing bigger each day. There is still no word from Children's Hospital. We are waiting on a bed to open there. We are not sure how long they will keep us at Children's. It could be a week, or even two weeks. It depends on how long the testing takes.

We are praying that Lawson can come off the shots and that we can administer the meds through a nose spray.

4 pounds 7 ounces

Lawson is staying awake more often and needing a little more attention. He watched Charlie Brown's Christmas tonight. They proped him up in bed and pulled the tv stand in front of him. His eyes were so wide. He was so cute! I believe he is the only child in the unit that needs to watch a movie at this point:). I think he is trying to tell them that he is ready to go home.

Weight: 4 pounds 1 ounce

Lawson is having a restful day today. Just eating, sleeping and pooping. It feels good not to have big news.

Eric and I are praying for some dear friends of ours from the NICU. The couples name is Andy & Dawn Kimbrel. They had a sweet little girl named Emma Kate less than 2 months ago. Emma was in the NICU for about a month. We became good friends with Andy and Dawn at this time. Emma was released from Brookwood about 3 weeks ago. Dawn (26 yrs old) had a mild stroke the first night that Emma was home. They ran a lot of test on Dawn and were unable to find the cause of her issues. She was in the hospital (ICU) for several weeks when she tragically died on Thanksgiving. Her husband, Andy, called us the day after Thanksgiving to tell us the news. Her viewing was tonight. Please keep Andy and Emma in your prayers. Emma will never know the sweet and caring person that her mom actually was.

Weight: 4 pounds 1 ounce

I can hardly believe that we are up to 4 pounds. Lawson is doing well. He is taking 1.5-2 ounces of milk in each feeding. He is also being spoiled by the sweet nurses in the NICU. They pick him up and tote him around the nursery half the day.

Weight: 3 pounds 15 ounces

Lawson is doing well today. His sodium is in the normal range and he continues to get the ADH shots. After speaking with the doctor (Dr. Mena) today, we believe that our next step is to transfer to Children's Hospital. It will be a step before coming home. He will see the specialist (Endocrinologist & Nephrologist) there for additional test. They will try to administer his ADH med through a nasal spray (instead of two shots a day). They will also run additional test to determine whether this may be something that he will grow out of and whether any other hormones are affected. We may be moving to Children's as early as next week. We will find out on Monday.

Weight: 3 pounds 15 ounces

We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Our sweet baby boy is growing each day. We are thankful for his life and his strong will to survive. We are thankful for his every breath and every gram gained. We are also thankful for the wonderful doctors and nurses at Brookwood.

Weight: 3 pounds 14 ounces

Lawson is doing well today. His sodium has been in the normal range. He gets a ADH shot every 12 hours (2 a day). They are talking like we will be giving them at home too. I dread giving Lawson a shot but if that is what it takes, so be it. Hopefully the meds can eventually be administered through a nasal spray. We are not sure yet...

Weight: 3 pounds 13 ounces

Packing on the pounds :). Lawson is doing well today. He has been off IV fluids for two days now. His urine output is not as high because the antidiurectic hormone is regulating his fluid retention.

Today I pray for our new NICU friends that are taking home one of their twins (George) today. They are anxious and excited. They hope to be taking their little girl (Ann Bonds) home soon.

Weight: 3 pounds 11 ounces

Lawson looks really good today. We can actually hold him without being hooked up to any tubes/monitors/etc. It feels so good!

He is getting 2 ADH shots a day. He seems to be responding to the shots.

Weight: 3 pounds 10 ounces

Lawson's sodium looks good today. The ADH shots are really helping. Lawson has been on a 7-day count down of being off of the Theoflin (the drug that reminds him to breathe). He has done really well so they are taking him off the SAT monitor. That is one less monitor -- Yeah!

Lawson is feeding really well. He took 40cc's of milk for me today. He seems to be getting stronger each day.

Weight: 3 pounds 7 ounces

Lawson is doing well today. His blood work came back and ADH (antidiuretic hormone) hormone was low. That is what triggers the kidney's to flush out the sodium. The pituitary glad (in the brain) produces that hormone. I believe they referred to it as Diabetes Insipitus (DI). It isn't like sugar diabetes in adults...it is about producing enough of the antidiuretic hormone (ADH).

They gave him a shot (of the ADH) and he responded. That is good. They will continue to tweak the meds and monitor his progress. They want to verify that there are no problems in addition to the ADH. We will know more as time goes by.

Praise the Lord for some answers. We are getting closer to a diagnosis. We thank everyone for your prayers!

Weight: 3 pounds 5 ounces

Lawson's sodium is higher than it has ever been today. We are waiting to hear from the doctor to see what steps need to be made. Mom and Dad are anxious to get this under control.

PLEASE GOD WRAP LAWSON IN YOUR HEALING HANDS. PLEASE GIVE ERIC AND I THE STRENGTH TO MAKE IT THROUGH ANOTHER DAY. WE ARE READY FOR THE ROLLER COASTER RIDE TO BE OVER. WE LOVE YOU AND NEED YOU LORD!

Weight: 3 pounds 5 ounces

Lawson looks good today. The central line is now in place and ready to be used at any moment. He is taking is bottles well today. His sodium is still elevated.

Weight: 3 pounds 4 ounces

Lawson is 2 months old today. Another milestone for us. We couldn't imagine being this far along 2 months ago. Lawson is truly our sweet little miracle.

Today Lawson is getting a central line. This will allow him to continue to get fluids and not be stuck every day. The central line is necessary because his little veins are weak and can't handle many more sticks. He will have to continue to get fluids until his sodium level is under control.

Nurse: Amanda/Suzy
Doctor: Dr. Mena
Weight: 3 pounds 3 ounces

Lawson's sodium is up a little from yesterday. They continue to watch it. He is enjoying his milk (gained 2 ounces from yesterday). He is getting bigger and stronger each day.

Nurse: Annette/Lindsay/Joan
Doctor: Dr. Mena
Weight: 3 pounds 1 ounce

Lawson is doing well today. He is taking his bottles well. His sodium is about the same. He seems to be resting well. It is time for his vaccines and immunizations. He will get those this week.

Nurse: Annette/Lindsay/
Doctor: Dr. Strange
Weight: 3 pounds 1 ounces

Today I got to bottle feed Lawson for the very first time. He was a bit sleepy during his feed. His sodium was down a little.

Today Lawson moved out from "Critical Row." That is what I call it:). It is the middle row of the NICU where the nurses keep a close watch on each baby 24 hours a day. The goal is to move under the clock (where he is close enough to be watched) then to the wall (where he requires a bottle every 3-4 hours). We are now under the clock. This is a big step.

We pray that Lawson gets bigger and stronger each day. We pray that his kidney's mature each day. We also pray for the friends that we have met in the NICU (Rachelle & Chad - their twins, Anne Bonds & George) (Kirsten & Tim - their baby boy who is making progress and his twin sister that he lost last Friday night) (Dawn & Andy - their baby girl, Emma). We are so blessed to have met these people. There is a comfort in knowing that they are walking in your shoes.

Nurse: Caroline/Tara
Doctor: Dr. Mena
Weight: 3 pounds

Yeah...Lawson is right at 3 pounds. He is taking a bottle every other feed (tube feeding in between so he doesn't get too tired). He is still on IV fluids for his sodium. It continues to be a little high. They are thinking that it is due to his premature kidney's. And they hope that they will come around and that level will even out on it's own. We continue to pray that this is the case. Only time will tell.

Nurse: Lindsay
Doctor: Dr. DiCarlo
Weight: 2 pounds 15 ounces

Lawson's sodium has come down even more. It is heading in the right direction. Hopefully it will continue to go down. His breathing has been very stable and he seems to be enjoying his feeds. Only 20 grams away from the 3 lb. club.

Nurse: Caroline
Doctor: Dr. DiCarlo
Weight: 2 pounds 15 ounces

Lawson's sodium has come down some. But they will continue to watch it. He is on 3 bottle feeds a day (30cc's = 1 ounce...Wow). This is his first day to try 3 a day. They give him a bottle, three hours later - they tube feed, then three hours later - they bottle feed. He did well on his first bottle then he got a little tired on the thrid one. He continues to do well off the C-Pap machine. We are happy about that.

We pray for his sodium to continue to come down. We also pray that he can maintain the level on his own (without IV fluids).

Nurse: Caroline
Doctor: Dr. Strange
Weight: 2 pounds 14 ounces

Lawson is back on IV fluids. His sodium is back up. The doctor says that it should regulated by now. So they are talking to a specialist and trying to tweak things to see if it will come down.

They are letting me feed him a bottle today. He gets one bottle a day and his other feeds are through his tube. I can hardly wait to get to the hospital.

We pray that his sodium level comes down and that his kidney function is normal. Today is day 48....I pray that the Lord give Eric and I the strength and patience to make it through November.

Nurse: April/Lesley
Doctor: Dr. Strange
Weight: 2 pounds 14 ounces

Lawson was an NBA basketball player for Halloween. Build-A-Bear didn't have a huge selection of comfortable outfits. But he looked so cute. At times he had that "what are ya'll doing to me" look on his face. But we had to capture his first Halloween.

Lawson took his first bottle today. It was a big step. He loved it and had it down in less than 15 minutes. He did really well.

Nurse: Kim/Tina/April
Doctor: Dr. DiCarlo
Weight: 2 pounds 14 ounces

Lawson's sodium is elevated today. They are trying to give him time to correct it himself. We are praying that he can correct it on him his own and that he doesn't have to get back on IV fluids. His breathing has been a little up and down today. They gave him an extra dose of Theoflin to help remind him to breathe. They adjusted the dose based on his weight. He has done well after the dose.

Lawson looks really good today. He acts like he is feeling well.

Nurse: Joy/Lisa/Joan
Doctor: Dr. DiCarlo
Weight: 2 pounds 12 ounces

Lawson is doing well today. He looks so sweet in his little clothes. It is hard to believe that the preemie clothes are so big on him. I can't imagine him growing out of them but I'm sure it will happen before we know. Eric held him today. He looked around and seemed so content.

Lawson's sodium is still elevated. It isn't extremely high but they are watching it. He continues to eat well. He is taking 26cc's of milk every 3 hours. That is close to an ounce. He is doing well with his breathing. He is on minimal settings on the C-Pap machine.

Nurse: Tiffany/Tara
Doctor: Dr. Strange
Weight: 2 pounds 13 ounces

Lawson's sodium went back up a little. We are praying that with time, this level will improve. And with time, his kidney's will become stronger. I did get to hold him again today. It was heavenly. He looks a lot like Eric today. And he looks great in clothes. I got to change him from his layette gown to his onesie. I have to hand it to the nurses...it was quite a challenge with all of the cords. He was snug once he was changed.

Nurse: Tiffany/Kim
Doctor: Dr. Mena
Weight: 2 pounds 12 ounces

Lawson gets to wear real clothes today. His preemie clothes still swallow him whole. He looks really good today. His sodium level was down a little bit today. That is good. It just needs to continue to come down. He is breathing good on the C-Pap machine. Hopefully he'll come off of that in the next couple of weeks. Oh yeah, he is really enjoying his passy too. Hopefully this means that he will do well with bottle feeding. We'll see. It may be a little while before they are able to try the bottle feeding.

We pray that his sodium continue to come down and level off. This will be a big determining factor in coming off of the IV fluids.

Nurse: April/Tara/Kim
Doctor: Dr. DiCarlo
Weight: 2 pounds 10 ounces

Lawson's sodium has dropped a LITTLE. They are hoping that it continues to come down. The low sodium formula seems to be working well for him. He actually tolerates about anything that he gets (lactos free formula, breast milk and low sodium formula)...so that is a good sign that his tummy isn't extra sensitive. Eric got to hold Lawson for the second time today. They were both in heaven. I think Lawson knew that he was in his daddy's arms.

Nurse: Robyn/Michelle
Doctor: Dr. Strange
Weight: 2 pounds 10 ounces

Lawson started a low sodium formula today. Hopefully his sodium will come down. He is back up to 20cc's of milk (every 3 hours). Lawson is doing well on the C-Pap machine (vapor therm). He is much more comfortable on the vapor therm. It allows him to move around more. I got to hold him again today. It was great. I didn't want to let go. I'm missing him tonight. We keep telling ourselves that he will be home before we know it.

Nurse: Robyn/Tara
Doctor: Dr. Strange
Weight: 2 pounds 11 ounces

Lawson is resting well today. He is still on the C-Pap machine and they are alternating the vapor therm and the type that presses his nose down (alternating every 6 hours). Dr. Strange is a little concerned about Lawson's sodium level. It has been a bit high and they are trying to figure out why. They went up on his fluids and down on his milk (15cc's). They want to see if his sodium level changes. They are trying a number of things. We pray that his sodium level comes down. It could be that his kidney's are still very premature and they need more time to mature. We just have to wait and see.

Nurse: Caroline
Doctor: Dr. Strange
Weight: 2 pounds 10 ounces

Lawson is still on the C-Pap today. They put him on a breathing mask so that his little nose could rest. They also had to start an IV in his head. The one in his arm had gone bad (they are usually only good for 72 hours). He is up to 19cc's of milk (7cc's of breast milk + 12cc's of formula). He is a wild man today. He pulled out his feeding tube, pulled off some of the stickers (leads) on his belly and kicking his legs. I guess he's trying to tell them that he is ready to go home:).