Good News & New Glasses

Yay for only one surgery! And double yay for if in the near future more than one surgery is needed (still a slight possibility) the two can be done together!

It was a good day. A long one but a good one.

We met with the urologist and now know that the chordee surgery will be done as soon as Bryce's pulmonologist signs off that Bryce is strong enough to go under general anesthesia. We also learned that Bryce's hydro-seal may very well need to be surgically fixed as if it worsens it could lead to emergency hernia surgery or that worse, he could have a part of his intestine get down into the herniated area and get stuck. This is worst case scenario since if that happened, similar to the NEC that we were always so scared of while in the NICU, a portion of his intestine could die.

The doc wrote the order to fix the hydro-seal while in surgery for the chordee but if it magically goes away on its own before that we could still get out of it.

Then we visited the NICU!!! According to some of our old buds, many moms literally will not walk into the NICU, even to say hi, after going home.

I, on the other hand, simply felt like I was walking into my old high school, or the house I grew up in. It's a little distant, a faint picture where the edges are starting to fade to gray, but still powerfully emotional, evoking another time in my life.

It's odd to think of that being another time of my life but after we visited with all the nurses, lactation consultants, nurse practitioners and doctors working the unit today we met Jennifer, one of our old primary nurses, at Chuy's for lunch. The fact that we were meeting for lunch, seeing each other for the first time in months, proved to me how quickly it's all gone by. Sitting there telling her all about how sweet and happy Bryce is. How he's trying to sit up and can bear his weight standing, how he'd roll if he ever got tired of laying on his belly sucking his hand, how he eats and eats and eats until we worry he may actually be eating too much.

My oh my, how are lives have changed completely, then changed completely and once again, almost as if just for the hell of it, changed completely once more.

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Bryce's ophthalmologist appointment took right at four hours and was excruciating. But he came out with a sample of band-aid-ish patches in camo, blue, boy, boy, and more boy...oh and a pair of the cutest stinking baby glasses you've never, ever even imagined. They are purported to be unbreakable (i.e. plastic) and made in Italy. What else could you ask for, really?

The patch will hopefully help his left eye strengthen, the glasses have already seemed to help him see us from further than arm's length and should also help both of his eyes strengthen. Good, good and more good. Hopefully good enough that surgery will be a moot point before we know it.

So for now, we relish in the joy of a baby boy who sees us coming and wait for the pulmonary appointment to learn of our next micro-preemie adventure.

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Bryce Alexander
Due 9.26.09 - Born 6.7.09 - 24 weeks, 1 day gestation - 4 months early
1.5 pounds, 12"

4/8/10 - 14.5 pounds, 26"

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Every day, thousands of babies, just like Bryce, are born too soon, too small and often very sick.

Wouldn't it be an awesome tribute to Bryce's incredible journey to have a huge group walking in his honor on May 8th down at Auditorium Shores, benefiting the March for Babies?

We sure think so! Register here, it's only 3.2 miles and we'll have team BAM t shirts for sale too!

But, if you just can't walk with us, please help by donating to our team (by clicking here), even $1 will help!

♥ The babies would thank you if they could! ♥