Defying the Odds

I believe in miracles. If you had asked me this before I might have said that yes, they were possible but I have witnessed more in the last week to make me able to say that I am a firm believer. Dalton's surgery on Friday morning went off without a hitch. It was the most nerve racking 4 hours of my life, but when the surgeon came out to the waiting room to tell us that the surgery was successful and Dalton was doing well it was the most amazing feeling ever. We burst into tears, our prayers had been answered. No one knew how he would handle it considering the small size of the left side of his heart but he took like a champ. An hour later we were allowed to go back and see him in the CICU. It was not easy to see him hooked up to even more machines and lines coming out of him every which way. The breathing tube was the hardest, but watching his little chest move up and down gave me comfort knowing at least he was breathing. They warned us that when anesthesia started to wear off that he would get the shakes and it really scares parents. Understood. We decided to go home and try and get some rest. TRY being the key word.
I have been in a lot of pain since the delivery. And the pain was only getting increasingly worse, not the other way around. That night I was violently sick and we decided to go to the ER. As I was writhing in pain I kept thinking to myself, even though I am unable to pray right now for my son's recovery I know somewhere on this Earth someone is. It was such a comforting relief to know that for 24 hours our son was being prayed over.
Well, it turns out I have a bad infection that is causing all this pain and really I was making myself sick by continually being on the go, back and forth from the hospital. As I laid in the hospital just begging for an IV to take home with me, surprisingly they didn't go for it- I counted down the minutes to when I could come back and see Dalton. Jonathan's phone rang and it was a nurse from the CICU telling us that they were able to take out his breathing tube that morning. We were shocked! We were praying for a speedy recovery but this was mind blowing. This news just pushed me forward as I signed the discharge papers and headed home to sleep for an hour. By the time we got to the hospital they had taken out his foley, the drain line from his incision, and his arterial IV line. He was kicking butt and taking names. The nurses were as surprised as we were. While we were sitting there they told us that they were going to try and give him a bottle. I explained that the Doctors during my pregnancy had told me he would be unable to feed on his own and he would no doubt be on feeding tubes. The nurses said they had been given the okay but told us not to be discouraged if he was unable to take it. Mind you this is 24 hours after major heart surgery on a 4 day old, we weren't expecting much. The nurse handed me the bottle and I coaxed it into his mouth. All of the sudden he was sucking and swallowing on his own. Jonathan and I started to cry as this was no doubt the greatest accomplishment we had ever witnessed. It was at that moment that I wanted to be like "Ha! I told you so! ". I knew I had a fighter on my hands but now he was proving it to me and everyone around him. It was like God was looking down on us telling us we made the right choice keeping him and giving him a chance to prove a point. It was truly a miracle to witness and I think it was at that moment we realized, he was our miracle.
Leaving him that night we felt so confident that he was in good hands and he would only make a positive progression. And we were right. We got a phone call this morning that he had such a good night that they were going to move him to the cardiac step down unit. It was like Christmas morning! Cardiac step down means we are in private room with just us and Dalton, and we get to stay overnight with him. We rushed to get ready this morning so we could come hold our little boy, finally. Walking into a room with just the three of us was the feeling we have been waiting to have for 9 months.
He does have jaundice pretty bad but we are keeping him on one of those cool florescent blankets to help with it. As Jonathan and I sit here and stare in amazement that he has done this well we are so filled with love, worry, and anxiety. Anytime anything beeps within a 30 foot radius we look at each other and are stricken with fear. I always said I never wanted to be that paranoid Mom. Well, welcome to motherhood. It has happened, to both of us.
 The hospital is doing a great job though and will continue to teach us how to care for his incision and administer medicine. There is no doubt in my mind that this is going to be easy by any means and we are not trying to say we are out of the woods with him medically- we aren't that naive. This is going to be a long journey and we have the Lord walking by our side every step of the way. Having the main concern in his heart taken care of no doubt gives us peace of mind. When it comes to the Trisomy 13 it is something that we are going to have to closely monitor and the symptoms may not show up until later, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it. For now we are enjoying the time we have with him. Every time a Doctor says shortened lifespan I still cringe but for now I am continuing to place my faith where it has been this whole time, in the hands of the Father. We hope that Dalton has been able to show lots of people that with faith anything is possible. Please continue to pray for Dalton's continued healing and the strength for Jonathan and I to continue to be the best parents possible.

The video of Dalton taking his first bottle!

Dalton's beads of courage. A different color bead to symbolize each triumph he goes through.

Taking his bottle!

I got this!

The proudest Daddy ever.

All gone!

Mommy, why haven't you been holding me the whole time?

I'm in love.

Aunt Katherine and Uncle Adam finally got to meet me! I'm crying because I wanted to see Lyla.

Aunt Mary Riddick came for a visit.

The new man in our lives. Sorry boys!

Daddy loving every second.