My baby is 4 today!
On December 20th, 2002, what was supposed to be 38 weeks into my pregnancy, Jason & I woke up around 5 to arrive at the hospital by 6:30. I was scheduled for my c-section around 8:30 that morning. We arrived at the hospital right at 6:30. The nurses then told us that the time had changed, and my c-section was scheduled for 7! They rushed through and did the pre-op. I had just enough time to quickly say bye to Jakob before they pushed me into the OR. Jason went to wash up and put on scrubs while the doctor was inserting my spinal block. The spinal block quickly took effect, but then the shivers started. (I always shiver when I get them). Jason came into the room, and my operation went by quickly. At 7:41, Brandon was born into this world. I heard Jason say "Oh no." I asked him what was wrong, and the ob/gyn and the ER staff started singing "Happy Birthday" to Brandon before he responded. After they finished, I asked Jason if everything was okay, and he said yes. Our pedi brought Brandon over for a 5 second glimpse and then they ran him out of the OR. I was taken to the recovery room and was told he weighed 7 lbs 9 oz and was 21" tall. When I was able to go into my room, I found out Brandon was premature. The doctors said he was born at the 35-36 week borderline. He had little fat covering his body, was covered in the hair preemies have, and his lungs weren't developed at all. He was immediately put on a respirator and given surfactant. Little did I know when Jason said "Oh no", our pedi was bagging him with oxygen in the delivery room, because Brandon couldn't breathe at birth. Brandon stayed on a respirator for 7 days, and I couldn't hold him at all while he was on it. Nor could he eat, but they were giving him IV fluids. His lungs responded to the surfactant, and they started to breathe on their own on the 3rd day. He then, developed respiratory distress syndrome. He then developed sepsis (blood infection), jaundice, and a staph infection. He was on sick little boy! He wasn't responding to many of the medications, and they finally found out a combination of gentamycin and vancomycin helped him. With those, we had the worry of hearing damage and kidney damage. Brandon also had apnea and bradycardia (he would stop breathing and his heart rate would start to drop), so we had to give him caffine for that. It was a very scary time, and I felt so vunerable and overwhelmed, and terrified, when I was able to take him home. We continued to have a struggle the first 3 or 4 months, but now, Brandon is just doing so well. He is an amazing little boy, and we are so blessed to have him in our lives. He's such a happy baby, always smiles, and he's just such a miracle to us. I still tear up thinking how close we came to losing him, because of my ob/gyn's error on calculating his due date. Yesterday was not only a celebration of his first birthday, but it was also a celebration of his life. I honestly did not think he would be here to celebrate it with the condition he was in at birth. He is an amazing, strong, courageous little boy, and I am SOOO very lucky that God has allowed me to be his mother (and Jakob's too). As much as it kills me to not have any more kids, he will more than likely be my last baby. After one SIDS baby and two NICU babies, we just don't want to chance it again. We've been through so much with all of our children, and I'm not sure I can go through it again. This first birthday was so bittersweet for me, because it will probably be the last 1st birthday I get to celebrate for my babies. I still can not believe Brandon is one. It seems like he just came into my life yesterday. They are growing up much too quickly! ---Four years later, I'm happy to report that Brandon hasn't had any problems from being born a preemie. He has always done things very early for his age, he's VERY strong, he's very healthy, and although he gets into a lot of trouble at times, he's a little boy that any mother would be proud of. 
Here's a few pics of him: Our first peek at him
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2 ... ZsXDds4Ys- 2 days old http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3 ... ZsXDds4Ys- Big hands (notice the restraints? Even at 2 days old, he was pulling out his respirator - a sure sign of things to come) http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3 ... ZsXDds4Ys- Meeting Jake for the first time http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3 ... ZsXDds4Ys- Jake holding Bran for the first time http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3 ... ZsXDds4Ys- The 4 of us http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/j ... _of_us.jpg 2 months http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3 ... ZsXDds4Ys- 3 months http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/j ... randon.jpg 6 months http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/j ... 001610.jpg 9 months http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3 ... ZsXDds4Ys- 1st birthday http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3 ... ZsXDds4Ys- http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3 ... ZsXDds4Ys- Helping put his car together
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3 ... ZsXDds4Ys- 18 months with Daddy http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4 ... ZsXDds4Ys- 2 years http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5 ... ZsXDds4Ys- Pretty eyes http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5 ... ZsXDds4Ys- 3 years: http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6 ... ZsXDds4Ys- 4 years http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/j ... 706007.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/j ... 1166627671 |
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Gail, Give Brandon a HUGE birthday kiss for me!!
  
Looking thru your pictures (btw..are fantastic) I can see the resemblence of you in both the boys...Its the eyes!! Being a premie myself, I can say that nothing has ever held me back, well, maybe myself sometimes.... 
He is truley a blessing...and quite a scrumtious looking kid...  |
| Happy Birthday to him!
Did you guys ever find out how there was a miscalculation with the due date? |
barney1 wrote: Happy Birthday to him!
Did you guys ever find out how there was a miscalculation with the due date? I KNOW the time frame we got preggo with him - Jason was away for OEF so we were only together for one week during a 9 month period. He was stateside for 4 months, we visited him for a week during April, and he left for Turkey that following Friday for 5 more months. That would have made my due date later in January, which is what I told the ob/gyn to start with...and continued to tell him. Brandon is a big boy - he still is and he always measured large on his ultrasounds. Because of his measurements, it had him dated older than he was, and the ob/gyn went with those dates. I think the real reason was that I was dialating a little, having a few contractions, and he was probably worried that I'd go into labor and spoil his Christmas. I know a lot of us give birth that day. I don't know, but if we ever do happen to have another, I won't have my c-section until after I go into labor. The baby can't come out, so I should have time to get to the hospital. |
| Happy Birthday to Brandon!! |
| What a good-looking boy! Happy birthday to him!!!! He must be so excited to unwrap his gifts! |
Joahaeyo wrote: What a good-looking boy! Happy birthday to him!!!! He must be so excited to unwrap his gifts!
We did that last night so he wouldn't have to wait all day for Jason to get home. He's a happy little boy today with all his new toys. |
| Happy birthday, Brandon!!
You've come a long way, baby!! |
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON!!!!
 |
| 8) HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON ( (Don't forget to make a wish) |
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON!!!!    
Its crazy how fast they grow! I always wish they could stay smallish! Especially when they do cute stuff! Nic |
| Happy Birthday Brandon |
| I hope Brandon had a great day, along with the rest of the family.
My daughters were preemie twins too, and they are 22 now! Our son is 3 years younger. His birth was normal, but we still quit while we were ahead.  . I felt like to have more was gambling too much. |
| Thanks everyone. He did have a great day. He wanted a blue Christmas cake with Santa and reindeer so I had to make that one - couldn't order it from anywhere! lol He got a new bike, an 18 wheeler truck that opens up and is full of superheroes, villians, an atv, motorcycle, helicopter, etc... that he loves, and a new game from us. His party is on Saturday, so I hate to see how many toys we add before Christmas. |
| HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY BRANDON. YOU'RE A SPECIAL BOY! |
| Happy Belated B-day Brandon! |
| I feel like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland...oh I'm late...so very late...
Happy Birthday!!! What a wonderful tribute to you from your mom and I enjoyed viewing all the photos. Sending kisses all the way from Canada. 
Marianne and the boys |
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