Introducing Rocky

Let me introduce you to our latest family member.  We're going to call him Rocky for the blog's purpose.  That's not his name, but let me tell you why...after posting a picture of course.

He is going to be Rocky because we have quickly learned he is a fighter.  Rocky entered the world at 9:01 a.m. on Wednesday, January 19th after a 12 hour labour.  He was a tough one...but the birth story will come later when I have had a moment to process everything.  How has Rocky proved he's a fighter?  Let me tell you.

Thursday morning we were just about ready to head home and be discharged.  The nurse was doing her last checks on Rocky and I and did a jaundice test...it came back high, really really high.  About an hour, a blood test and some consults later we were wheeling little Rocky down to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as quickly as we could and words like blood transfusions, lights, and lemony yellow were being thrown at us.  I was in my pajamas, exhausted, and suddenly as I stood there they were hooking my baby up to all of these machines, several nurses and doctors were around talking about things we didn't understand, and Kevin and I were just standing there.  Suddenly, the tears were pouring down my face.  I didn't know what was happening and didn't know if my baby would be okay or not.

All hooked up in the NICU

Mommy gets to feed! My only time to hold him!

Daddy's snuggle time

Comforting him to sleep

There's a lot that runs through your mind in a moment like that, and for us, we were just crying out to God.  Well, God is good.

The entire story will come sometime when I am less tired and when Rocky is home with me, maybe snuggled up asleep next to me as I type, but it boils down to blood imcompatibility.  It's called ABO Incompatibility and you can google it if you want to know more.  Our little Rocky has been in the NICU for three days now, although it feels like forever, but they are figuring things out and he is getting better every single day.  We are probably looking at a week before we can bring him home, but this little guy is fighting...he is fighting hard! 

A few things I have learned since Thursday morning when they rushed him there:

• God is good.  I knew that already, but the way He orchestrated things and the incredible timing of the nurses and doctors and even random tests, well, it's just a miracle.
• NICU nurses are AMAZING. AMAZING!  I wish I could send every single one of them on a vacation to Hawaii or something.  The care that they show for your baby and for you is just beyond description.  They build you up, explain things in detail, love on your baby and even love on you.  They cheer with you when things are going right and they stroke your baby's cheek in care.  They are amazing...and tireless!  
• Prayer is incredible.  So is technology today.  Within hours of Rusty going into the NICU there were people praying for him from Vancouver to Ontario to Kansas to Texas to I don't even know where!  AMAZING.  If you were/are one of those people praying...well, thanks is just about all I can say.  If you could see my eyes right now you would see that they are crying just thinking about you.  You are lifting us and our boy up and we can feel it!
• Rocky is a tough little guy, and super sweet.  He's going to be able to handle what comes his way, with God's help of course.  We are in love and can't wait until we can bring him home and snuggle him any time we want.
• Those moms and dads that have babies in the NICU for weeks on end?  They are INCREDIBLE.  They are AMAZING.  They just go in there and make it home for their little ones.  They are tireless.  They are champions.  They are part of the club...as my friend put it today, "you are in the club now Stacy, unfortunately membership is not optional, but we are a group."  Well, if I am in a group with these incredible people I can only say that they amaze me and inspire me.  My baby is the biggest baby in there and he is likely to come home in a week.  Those little babies are all champions and fighters and their parents are leading the way.  Inspiring!

I can't wait until we are all home, settled, and just being a family of four.  When that time comes I will tell you the birth story and the rest of it...for now...thanks for the prayers and HERE'S ROCKY!

first bath on Wednesday

Family of Four