1 Month Difference.

Just a little comparisson...

1 day, 1 lb 5.9 oz

 1Month, 2 lbs 4 oz - Look at that chubby little face!

Happy One Month Birthday, Cooper Grayson!!!

Can you believe it. In a way it feels like I was posting urgent prayer request on facebook on Memorial day - for Karen. And it also seems like it has been a year. Now here we are, ONE MONTH later and we have such an amazing little man.
I asked Karen if time was going by fast for her, and I was surprised to hear her say yes. I suppose with how busy she and J are, it could only fly by.

One month..Wow!! I could say this over and over... but I am truly one proud aunt!! Cooper is such a little miracle and I am already on my way to spoiling him. Here are his one month prints!

AS FOR UPDATES....

Yesterday morning (or late Tuesday night) Cooper was back on the CPAP. He was doing so well with his breathing, and his numbers were all looking great, so they thought he would do ok on it; however yesterday afternoon  -although he was breathing on his own, he could not regulate his oxygen... SO, for now he is back on the ventilator. A Small setback, but God knows Coop better than anyone and He knows when Coop will be ready. Only in time.

As of this morning... Things are about the same. He is almost up 1 whole pound from his birthday at 2 lbs 4 oz!! Yay!! Go Coop, and Happy Birthday, little man! I love you more than you know!
Look at that sweet little cuddle bug!

PRAYER REQUEST:

Coop's breathing still needs to improve, and he just needs to get it regular. Pray for that to happen and next time he is taken off the vent will be the last.

4 WEEKS OLD!

Cooper is still such a great little trooper!! And he's 4 WEEKS OLD!!!! (holy cow!)

Dr said lungs are looking better. - This is good because all other reports since Coop got the infection was "still the same" or "not any worse" - So... "better" is GREAT!

They have gone down on the vent again. (another YAY!) And Co2 is looking good especially since the vent rate is so low.

They want to try him on the CPAP again in the next few days and see how he does.

Coop weighed in at 2 pounds 2.3 ounces!!! Yaay! They think some of it could still be fluid, so they have given him some lasix to try to flush the fluid out. He might loose a little weight again, but we are getting up there in the 2's!!! My sweet little trooper nephew is amazing!!

Seems with his weight it is 2 steps forward, one step back. In my mind this is an OK route to go... slow and steady. Keep up the hard work, Coop!!!

Cooper got another blood transfusion today. This is his 4th transfusion in 4 WEEKS! Can you imagine? Such a great reason to help him out and give blood next Wednesday, the 6th at our Blood Drive for Cooper! Details are to the right, or visit our facebook page for the event.

I can not speak for K&J&C, but I'm sure they feel this way too.... THANK YOU. To each and everyone of you that has called, emailed, sent cards, words of encouragement, meals, gift cards, gas cards, goodies, and so much more... THANK YOU. And for the outpouring of love and prayer. It is amazing to feel such a comfort. Just on my side {as the favorite aunt}- and to know that there are literally THOUSANDS of people out there that know Coopers story, and already love him and are praying for him to get stronger day by day. Coop is just going to blow these doctors away with all of these prayers happening.

Just. Amazing.

Really.

PRAYER REQUEST:

Keep praying for Coop's lungs to develop and get stronger. Pray that he is ready to get back on the CPAP and start breathing on his own!
Pray that his vent rate and Co2 level will get better and stay that way.
Pray for his lungs to clear up.

Pray for J&K - J started back to work this week, so pray that he gets a schedule going to see Coop, Karen and also gets plenty of rest.
I can see that they are very tired, so pray that they both get plenty of rest.

Pray that this summer will fly by for them.

How Tiny?

You may see some of these pictures and think to yourself, "oh goodness, he is so little..." Yes, but in all honesty, these pictures make him look quite big. We try to throw in one with K&J's hands and such to illustrate how small he really is... but there is nothing like this picture to actually show you how tiny he really is.

Look down at your hand. Look at your fingers, do you have a ring on? Now take it off and look at the circumference of it...  whether you're a man or a woman, boy or girl... that ring is fairly small in comparison to your arm... now look at this picture...

Can you imagine fitting that little ring on your child's arm? On any arm for that matter? It's amazing, really. Cooper's arm is small enough to fit both Jason and Karen's wedding rings on it. And they actually look pretty big on his little arm.

I personally think he looks like he has grown. I mean he is almost 4 weeks old!! They did measure his head, and it has grown a little bit!! Yay!! Go Cooper, keep up the growing little man!!!

No other big updates to report. His breathing is the same. They have increased his feedings AGAIN and he is digesting it well... a.k.a - pooping a lot.

They are moving him to a new room most likely today. This is good because they consider him sable enough to get out of the admission room!! It is also sad because we are leaving some great nurses in there that everyone has already grown to love.

Keep the prayers for the breathing to improve and for his little lungs to develop fully.

Keep K&J in your prayers too.

Remember that we are having a blood drive for Cooper on July 6th!!!

We have a...

2 POUNDER!!!!!! Cooper officially weighed in this morning at 2 pounds .08 ounces!! Yaaaay! Go Coop Go!!!

I mean he is a little piglet.....

I could not be a more proud and excited aunt!!

In other news, Coop is still truckin' along. They have decreased his O2 level. This is what we want. We want him to be breathing just like we do, and the closer that number gets to 21, the better!!!

Other than that there isn't much to report. K got to hold him again this morning for 2 hours!! And Coop had some very special visitors too!

There are so many people out there that love this little guy! OH! And while we are talking about how many people love this little guy... This blog has had over 15,000 hits in just 3 weeks!! WOW-ZA!! Keep the 15,000 + prayers coming!!!

Growing.

Cooper is growing, and he is almost 2 pounds!! 1 pound 14.8 ounces) Thats so great!!! I haven't  updated much, because besides the amount that he eats, poops and gains... nothing has changed. We hope we have a 2 pounder tomorrow.

He is still the same in his breathing. He needs to get a little stronger and more stable before we try the CPAP again. Once he finishes up with his antibiotics, hopefully he will start getting better and stronger at his breathing. Dr. said his X-Rays of his little lungs are looking good - not any better, but not any worse.

A few pictures to brighten your day...

He is holding his favorite aunt's hand.

PRAYERS REQUEST:

Keep praying for Cooper's lungs that they develop stronger and stronger each day. Pray also that his breathing improves and he can breath on his own soon!

Keep praying for K&J - strength, rest, comfort and love.

3 Weeks! {and 1 day...}

Cooper turned 3 weeks old yesterday!! I failed to wish him a happy birthday, so HAPPY 3 WEEK BIRTHDAY, COOPER!!!

Today, Cooper is looking good. When K&J were there, he was wide awake and looking around!!
He is currently on antibiotics for his infection, which turned out to be pneumonia. He's a trooper, so after 10 days of the antibiotics he'll be good. :-)

His PDA has closed!! {this is GREAT!} A PDA is - patent ductus arteriosus... it is an extra blood vessel that connects a baby's aorta and pulmonary artery while the baby is in the womb. This connection allows blood to be pumped from the right side of the heart straight to the aorta, without stopping at the lungs for oxygen. This artery is usually gone before the baby is born; however is still present in most premature births.

With it still being present in Cooper, the increased flow of blood through the lungs can reduce blood flow to the rest of the body. This can damage other organs, especially the intestines and kidneys. Since it is closed, it should allow blood to flow to the lungs to become oxygenated.

In some preemies, surgery is required for this, so praise God that it has closed on its own!

Coop is still on the ventilator, but since the PDA has closed it raises his chances of getting back on the CPAP. Once he is off the antibiotics and up a few ounces... they will try him on the CPAP again!

Overall, the Dr. said Coop looked good!!

PRAYER REQUEST:

Pray that the infection goes away quickly, and Cooper can get stronger with his breathing.

Keep praying for K&J... strength... and that they also get plenty of rest.

Happy Fathers Day!!

I looked up the definition of "father" and it said - "a man who has begotten a child". Then I looked up "dad" and it said - "informal : a person's father"... But I am sure all of you can agree that it is so much more than that. Whether you are a father yourself or not... you have a dad, a man in your life who played that role or know one that is special to you. A father that raised you. Took care of you in your ups and downs... A dad that drove you to your first date... a dad that changed your poopy diapers, and embarrasses you with pictures years later.... The man that was your idol. Your hero... Your support and encourager. THAT is a dad. (and SO much more) Being a dad is so much more than just a definition.

Jason had his very first fathers day today! The GREAT news? He got to hold his son for the first time! Such a great fathers day gift! He also changed Cooper's poopy diaper and got his first "surprise" tinkle all over him!! I think Cooper was just trying to show his love for his daddy!!!

As for Coop's status - his breathing has improved. He does, however have an infection in his lungs. They believe it is a staph infection and he is already on antibiotics. They took a culture and should have the results back tomorrow to know for sure.

The blood transfusion seemed to help him. Karen said that he looked a lot better after it was done. The prayers are being heard!! Keep them coming!

OH! He has gained a little weight too... He is at 1 pound 8.7 ounces now!

Happy First fathers day of many to come, Chandler. You continue to blow me away with how proud you are and how much you have changed, and taken on this role like you were born to do it!! Love you man!

PRAYER REQUEST -

Pray for Cooper and his breathing to continue to improve - BIG TIME!  

Pray for his lungs to clear up and his infection to go away quickly.

Pray for K&J. They are tired and I can see that just by looking at them. They need rest and relaxation, but it is hard for them.

Pray for Chandler too. He is most likely going to be returning to work this week. (after breaking his collarbone 6 weeks ago.)

Ups, and Downs.

When Cooper was first born, practically everyone who worked at that hospital - and everyone who has ever been involved with or has known someone with a NICU baby said "there will be ups and downs"...

Today has been a rough day for Cooper. I've mentioned his breathing troubles the past few days, and they continue.
His CO2 levels are high. He is getting enough oxygen but he is not getting rid of enough CO2. His lungs look a little hazy, so they are testing him for an infection. Karen said that the preliminary test are showing no infection, however the haziness of his lungs is still unknown. Results will be back tomorrow.

He is also getting another blood transfusion today.

Pray BIG for these results to come back clear, and for his lungs to clear up. Keep praying for his breathing to get better and stronger.

Pray for K&J today. They were at the hospital all morning and afternoon, and are tired. Pray for their strength and comfort while they wait for results.

A Special Request

I am starting this post with a special request. A baby that was next to Cooper's bed is no longer with us. She was about 3 weeks old than Cooper and much smaller.  That is really all I can say. I simply can not imagine what that family is feeling. It hurts my heart, and I do not even know them. Pray for this family. For strength and comfort.

As for our Cooper - we still need to pray for his breathing. He is having trouble getting his oxygen level to stabilize, which in turn gives him slight breathing trouble. He is still on the ventilator, and at times he will breath all on his own, but it seems he gets tired, and just stops...so the machine has to pick up for him. This causes less oxygen to get into his blood and it just needs to get better.

Cooper is eating great. And last time they weighed him, he was just under a pound and a half!! YAY!! We will have a 2 pounder before you know it!

Tomorrow is dad's turn to hold Cooper. (we hope...) Very exciting!! That bonding time is so sweet - I saw it first hand!

PRAYER REQUEST:

The family of the baby girl.

Cooper's breathing. Pray hard that it gets stronger and he is a pro at breathing on his own!!!

K&J - for strength. J is working a lot these past couple of days and is tired. Pray that they both get enough rest each day.

How Preemie Moms Are Chosen

I found this on another micro-preemie mom's blog. Grab a tissue.

How Preemie Moms Are Chosen 
by Erma Bombeck

Did you ever wonder how the mothers of premature babies are chosen?
 
Somehow, I visualize God hovering over Earth, selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to take notes in a giant ledger.
 
"Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron Saint, Matthew. 
 Forrest, Marjorie, daughter. Patron Saint, Celia.
Rutledge, Carrie, twins. Patron Saint...give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."
 
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles. "Give her a preemie." 

The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."
 
"Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a premature baby a mother who knows no laughter? That would be cruel."
 
"But does she have the patience?" asks the angel.
 
"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she'll drown in a sea of self-pity and despair.  Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it. I watched her today. She has that sense of self and independence so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has a world of its own. She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."
 
"But Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."
 
God smiles. "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect She has just the right amount of selfishness."
 
The angel gasps, "Selfishness?! Is that a virtue?"
 
God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she will never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't know it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a spoken word. She will never consider a step ordinary. When her child says momma for the first time, she will be witness to a miracle and know it. I will permit her to see clearly the things I see-- ignorance, cruelty, prejudice-- and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side." 

"And what about her Patron Saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in the air.
 
God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

IN LOVE. {and 2 weeks old!!}

I remember when I was a kid, we would go on vacations each summer. We would go all over the United States, and even Canada once or twice. Our family had some great memories from these vacations but one memory I remember from each of them is getting ready to go. We would always drive to wherever we would go {YES! Even Canada} so usually we would leave VERY EARLY in the morning to get a good start on the drive. Well, I distinctly remember being so excited about leaving on vacation, I was usually packed and ready before we were even supposed to get up. I even remember sleeping in my jeans one time... The excitement as a child is like nothing else. Like Christmas Eve, and not being able to sleep... Or like your birthday party you've been planning for the last 364 days....
Well, I can only imagine that this day for Karen and Jason, and their excitement totally surpasses that childhood excitement.

Karen got to hold Cooper yesterday. For about an hour.
She said he was so tiny and his tiny little head fit in the palm of her hand. And the actual "getting him out of his isolete and to Karen" was hard, but once he was there...it was easy and sweet. She held him and she held his little hand.
They call this "Kangaroo Care" - in short it is used to help the mother/father and baby bond. It is known to help stabilize the babies heartbeat, body temperature and breathing. The amount of time for holding him will increase for K&J as time passes, and Cooper grows.

On other notes, Cooper is weighing in at 1.69 pounds (that's ABOVE his birth weight!!!) and as Jason puts it... he is "really packing on the ounces" He is eating more and more, I believe he is up to 14 ML's now, and lovin' it!
As for his breathing, he is back on the ventilator again. This is a small setback, but he was just having trouble adjusting to the CPAP. They think they are just going to give him a little bit more time to get a little bigger and they will try it again. (about 700 or 800 grams {or}1.9 + or - pounds) The CPAP was also blowing air into his body - which in turn was causing his belly to fill up and cause a reflux type reaction. He was throwing up his food a little because his tummy was so full of air. This is one reason they decided to switch him back to the breathing tube.
He does has D-STATS from time to time, but they usually get under control by themselves. Repositioning him, or putting a hand on him can also help. (D-STATS is Desaturation which is a decrease in the percentage of oxygen found in the circulating blood supply. In premature babies a saturation below 85 is considered below normal. In most babies, oxygen is adjusted to keep the oxygen saturation at 92-96%.)

Here is a sweet video of Cooper... He has the hiccups and if you look close, he smiles just a bit. I'd like to say it was at me... {his favorite aunt} ... but I wasn't there... Maybe he was thinking of me.....

SAVE THE DATE for July 6th. We are hosting a blood drive in Coopers name. It will be in the FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH of BURLESON parking lot from 11-7. All blood given will be put in Cooper's name. Blood type does not matter. SO GIVE for this sweet boy. As the date gets closer, I'll give more information.
PRAYER REQUEST:

Pray more for his breathing that he gets stronger, and when they try the CPAP again, it'll be for good. We want to say so long to that ventilator.

Pray for his reflux too that it doesn't get too bad.

Pray for K&J's strength...everyday. They need it, and comfort all summer.

I do not think that this has been said on, yet... and this certainly will not be the last time, but Thank you to each and every one of you that is sending prayers, thoughts and support. It is being felt by our entire family. Keep it coming....more and more.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

just small changes... Cooper continues to do well eating. He is now up to 10 ML's. Just last week he was only at 3...so this is great!
There are 2 things that will be happening soon.
1 - He will be taken off the breathing tube and put on the CPAP. - Again, the CPAP is good. It only puts a little bit of air in his lungs so they don't stiffin' up.
2 - they told Karen that she will be able to Kangaroo soon! Kangaroo means she will get to hold her baby boy!!! This kangaroo hold allows baby to be skin to skin with mom and is healing in many ways for mom and baby. This is fantastic!!!

They will not do this all at once. They do not want to much going on for Cooper, so they will either do the CPAP first, or the Kangaroo first. Either way, this is good news!!

PRAYER REQUEST:

Pray for Coopers continued growth and development, and that his breathing gets stronger each day!

Pray that Karen gets to hold her sweet baby boy soon, and finally get that bond she needs with him, and him with her.

Have a great weekend!

Blessings.

If you all listen to 94.9 (or any christian station in your area) you may have already heard this song. Listen to the lyrics. ts a really great word.

Websters definition of MERCY is : a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion - sounds a bit like Cooper, doesn't it. Although he is a tiny little guy, and we wish he would have stayed in  Karen's belly a bit longer; he is here, and he is most definitely a blessing. A beautiful, tiny, lovely and awesome miracle little blessing.

Cooper is still doing well, and we continue to get good reports. Isn't that awesome?? He has gained a little weight and he is almost back UP to his birth weight. He is currently at 1 pound 5.2  ounces. YAY for Coop!! Everything is is still the same He is still on the ventilator, but last report was he was breathing mostly on his own. I believe that they will leave it in a little longer to make sure his breathing is stable before they put the CPAP back on. GREAT NEWS!! He is still a little pig, and they continue to raise his feedings. He is now eating 8 ML's and will probably increase that again soon!

Prayer Request:

Of course, for Cooper's strength. His development and breathing. Pray for his little heart, lungs and brain to continue to develop perfectly.
Pray for his breathing to get stronger and regular - NO APNEA'S!

Pray for J&K as they travel back and fourth. I know it is wearing on them. Pray they get rest and also take a little time to just take in everything that a new baby brings.

Oh, and GO MAV's

WOW!

I've got to just say WOW!! This blog has been live for a week, and has gotten over 4,000 visits. THATS AMAZING! 4,000 + prayers... And while I'm at it... prayers from Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Colorado, California, New York, Nebraska, Florida, South Africa, Switzerland, Germany... and I'm sure I left out a few. All this for one little, tiny miracle. THAT'S AMAZING, and ALL GOD!

Update on Coop coming soon!

Long Haul.

As most of you can imagine, the arrival of Cooper was quite the surprise. His due date being September 16th, a memorial day birth was not in the plan...
We are just in the beginning of Coopers journey in the NICU. The doctors, nurses and staff have all said to be prepared to be in the NICU until his due date. We'll hope for before, but be prepared for that "full term" marker.

There are already so many terms and lines and tubes that I am fully lost as to which is which. Each day that Karen updates me, I usually have to ask for a fuller explanation of what's what's...and where it goes...

Cooper's status is about the same. He is still on the breathing tube for now. He got a blood transfusion yesterday because one of his blood levels was low, and dropping. We've been told that it is normal to have a handful of blood transfusions with a NICU stay. They have upped his feedings to 6 ml's. He is a little pig!! :-)

Karen and Jason are well. Tired, and I'm sure a little anxious.
Prayer Request...

Continue to pray for Cooper's breathing and that they can take the breathing tube out. - Also when this does happen, that he will have fewer apneas than before.

Karen and Jason that they continue to have strength. There is a long summer ahead of them, and it's not going to get easier.

Pray that Cooper starts to gain weight... we want to see him with some chubby cheeks...ASAP!

There are a LOT of babies in that NICU, some without parents to visit and love them. Keep them all in your prayers as well.

A couple of pictures...

We think he may have red hair... and he actually already has quite a bit of it! I just love him so much!

Happy One Week Birthday Cooper!

Just got the morning update from Karen.
Cooper was having reoccuring apneas and they have put the breathing tube back on him. The doctor said that they have never had a 24 weeker stay on the CPAP exclusively, and the nurse said this was a good thing so his little lungs could rest a bit from working so hard. The ventilator is breathing  20 breaths a minute and he is still breathing at least that much on his own as well.
He is down to 1.41 pounds and they have increased his feedings to 4.5 ML's. This is more than doubled from just a few days ago.
Karen was able to change another {poopy} diaper. - This is also good...
Of course he is still as cute as can be. :-)

Prayer Needs:

Pray that Cooper's breathing gets better. He is tiny, but we love the fact that he breathes on his own. Pray that his apneas slow down and don't happen as often.

Continue to pray for J&K as they travel back and fourth to the hospital and that they continue to have strenght while at home.

Pray for Chandler also. He broke his collarbone several weeks ago and is still recovering from that.

a sisters point of view...

As a mother, I know that Karen and Jason must be going through a lot. Although I really do not know what it feels like, I know that there must be so many emotions with having sweet Cooper in the NICU.

Now as a sister, I'm broken. Karen is not only my sister, but my best friend. I hurt for her when Cooper was born as much as I rejoiced when we heard he took his first breath. As much as I want to go over and teach Karen everything I know about being a mother(which isn't much...) :-) I feel totally and completely helpless. I don't know what to do for them. I don't know what to say a lot of the time, and I'm at a lose (for once in my life) All I do is pray. For her. For Jason. and for little Cooper.

I see Jason and Karen and have seen how they have just turned into these amazing and caring parents. They are strong, and they have the kind of strength that one could only get from our amazing God.

Karen, Jason.... I love you guys so much. Karen, you are my best friend and I am so excited that you are now a mom and we can share this bond our whole lives. I know I don't tell you this enough, but I am praying for you guys like crazy. I have been praying for my future nephew for who knows how long! (Long before he was even in your tummy) You are already blowing me away with how awesome of a mom you are. Love you sister...
And Chandler... ever since I didn't give Karen the message that you called (to ask her out on your first date) I love ya. You're the best thing that could have happened to KK and you fit into our crazy family just perfectly. You are one proud pappa, and this is a brand new side of you that I am already loving!

And my nephew....my sweet nephew. I just want to hold him and squeeze him and love on him. Seeing his tiny little body in the NICU is one amazing thing. He is truly a work of God and his here by God's grace alone. He will one day be a little firecracker and I can't wait to spoil him....and send him back home! :-)

Many people have texted me, and emailed me, or asked what they could do for K&J. When I asked Karen, she kind of just shrugs and says "There's not much"... So here is what others are doing for hem, and I think that these are the small things that help the most...

Send J&K gift cards to restaurants. They are making 3 or 4 trips to the hospital a day, and do not have a lot of time to cook at home.

Send them gas cards to help cover the cost of gas with all of their trips to the hospital.

Send easy pre-cooked meals for them. Breakfast, snacks, lunch or dinner.

Give them a call, email or text and offer your help, love, support and congrats. (they may not accept the help, but it is good to know they have it)

And also give your prayer. Pray without ceasing.

Little Coop is one week old today, and still needs prayers. He'll need prayers all summer.
I put his picture on the wallpaper on my phone. When I see it, I just whisper a little prayer for him.

Lil' Cooper

Cooper's updates are about the same as they have been - which is good. Thats why I didn't post an update yesterday.
We want an uneventful of a stay as possible... Boring,steady and strong... And that's how it is looking so far. His breathing is still good and the Dr. said his lungs sounded good too.

Karen got to take his temp and change his tiny diaper for the first time, and I {very carefully} got to touch him! He tried to hold my finger. Cutest little thing in the world. He is so strong and such a trooper!!

Here is a picture of Coop holding his mama's hand.

A Letter From Your Nana

Dearest Cooper,

My precious Grandson, you are a true gift from God.  Even your middle name, Grayson, will forever proclaim that you are here by the ‘grace of God.’  You are a miracle.  Don’t ever forget that, and always use it as a testimony to proclaim the goodness of our mighty God.

At 6:42 a.m. on May 30, 2011, Memorial Day, I received a text from your mother saying, “On way to Harris SW.  Having contractions.  Probably nothing.  Don’t worry about coming.”  As any good mother would do, I did not listen.  Your Papa and I prayed before we even got out of bed, I texted your mother we were coming, and then got up to get dressed.  I don’t even remember putting on my make-up.  We were out of there and on our way to the hospital in a flash.  

We arrived at the hospital to find mom & dad a little down, but not too worried.  Early reports from the nurse were she didn’t see anything happening, so they started some medication to stop the contractions.  But they continued.  I sat by the monitor watching and listening to your precious heartbeat.  Papa & I both picked up our cell phones and started texting people to start praying and to call others.  That’s when a miraculous thing happened.  People all over the United States as well as Europe and Africa started praying for you and your family.  Literally thousands of prayers were being lifted up for you.  Then the nurse came in and said something was happening.  An examination verified that suspicion.  They began talking about transferring your mom to Harris downtown ‘just in case’ something happens because they had one of the best NICUs in the area, and they could handle preemies much more capably.  They gave meds for you ‘just in case’ you decided to make your appearance.  In an hour or so, you were on your way to Harris DT.

When mom arrived at Harris DT, she was given a high-tech sonogram and examined by a high risk doctor.   I was with your mom & dad when the doctor came in to deliver the news.  After several tests, the doctor determined in order for you to have a chance to survive, you must be born that day.   There was an infection around you, there was no fluid, and you could not survive if you were not born today.  My heart just sank for your mom & dad.  It was hard for me to listen to, but the doctor was telling this to my little girl.  I wanted to take her pain from her, but I could not.  All I could do was hug her, cry with her, and pray for her.  And I did many times throughout the day.  Again, cell phones came out.  More specific prayers were now being offered up.  Calls, texts, Facebook, Twitter, emails, etc. were being used to get the word out.  It’s amazing how God can use things like these for His glory.   By the time you read this and can comprehend it, these forms of communication will probably be antiquated, but that night, they were a mode of getting word out and asking for prayers.  They were also a mode of receiving encouraging words and prayers.  God’s word says in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.”  Many were calling to Him that night on your behalf, and He began to show the world His glory and grace.  Never let go of Him.

I was also with your mom when the preemie baby specialist came in.  I liked him right away.  He was drinking a Dr. Pepper, the official soft drink of the Milburn clan.  He was very blunt and to the point.  He left nothing unturned.  He did not try to sugar coat anything.  At 24 weeks, he did not paint a very pretty picture.   He told of the rough roads ahead and the bumps and potholes that would be faced, if you survived.  My heart ached as it never had before.  I tried to be strong for your mom, but again all I could do was hug, cry, and pray.  Then the waiting started.  That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. 

The one thing the doctor did not know was the innumerable prayers being lifted up for you and the family at the time.  We have a strong & almighty God that formed your perfect little body in your mother’s womb.  He knew you from the very beginning.  He knew all the days of your life before they even began.  He has plans for you for His glory.

We were encouraged by many stories from friends who knew someone born in the same hospital weighing 2 pounds or less and now they were now anywhere from 3 years old to 30 years old.  It’s amazing how God sends people in your path for encouragement when you need it.

Time passed very slowly that day.  Again, I was sitting at your mom’s side (I had been kicked out once, but came back in after an hour claiming a mother’s right) and I was watching the monitor.  Watching the contractions come closer and harder.  Watching your little heart beat steady as could be.  There were times when you would even kick the monitor and it sounded like someone testing a microphone.  Then that steady line dropped right off the chart.  The nurse came running in and turned up the monitor so we could hear the heartbeat louder.  She began to search for the heartbeat.  No sound.  As she continued searching, all I could do was bow my head, close my eyes, and listen for that first heartbeat.  It didn’t come.  I was praying, but I didn’t know what I was saying.  I just know I was praying.  My heart again ached as never before.  Then the nurse asked us to leave your room.  My emotions overwhelmed me.  As your Aunt Katy and I walked to the waiting room where the rest of the family and friends were, I held back, I could not face them at the time.  Your Papa came around the corner to see what was happening.  I explained to him what had happened.  He said, “I’m going to go ‘loiter’  in the hall to see if I can find out anything.”  He was back in less than a minute and said a whole team of doctors and nurses just went in the room with an incubator.  So your Papa and I walked closer to the room.  A nurse came out and said she just delivered.  Nothing else, but said we could stand close to the room until the doctor came out.  I wasn’t leaving your doorside, so out came the phone again and I texted your Aunt Katy (even though she was just around the corner) – “Just delivered.”  Within a minute she was there.  The doctor finally came out and said you were about this long and held up his hands.  He said you had a heart rate and a breathing tube had been placed in your lungs.  You were alive and well!  We stood there until they whizzed you by on the way to NICU.  I couldn’t see you for the blanket, but I knew you were there.  My heart sang.  News was passed quickly.  Many praises and prayers of thanksgiving were lifted up.  Our God is good.  You were born at 9:32 p.m.

We waited.  Everyone left but Aunt Katy & Uncle Jason, Papa & me.  We hung around as long as we could.  Then the word came.  We could see you.  That’s what I was waiting to hear.  I didn’t want to leave the hospital until I saw the little miracle, the precious gift from God.  So at 2:30 a.m., which happened to be your Aunt Katy’s birthday, I laid eyes on you for the very first time.  Gentle tears of joy were in my eyes as I was looking on your perfectly formed little body.  You only weighed 1.5 pounds, but you were perfect.  You even had eye lashes and fingernails.  It was a beautiful ending to a long, hard day.

Cooper Grayson, you are here by the grace of God.  You are a miracle.  You are an answer to many prayers.  You are a gift.  Always cling to the One who formed you and brought you into His creation.  He has a special purpose for you.

                                                                I love you, little Cooper.

                                                                             Nana

Cooper - Day 4

First, I want to say WOW MOM WOW! This blog has been live for just under 24 hours and it has gotten almost 1,000 hits. THATS AMAZING! It is so amazing that the internet....can be such a great tool as to get people from coast to coast praying for one little baby boy.

There are so many of you praying for little Coop - and it's obvious that God is in control.

Coop's status this morning is great! Dr. said Coop's breathing right now is a 10! He is doing extremly well with his breathing , and the doctor even mentioned how unusually well the CPAP is going for a baby so small.(SEE, God is good!)

They have also removed the blood pressure monitor because Coop's BP has been so stable! (again, WOW!)
They are also going to start feeding him more today!! (he had his first dirty diaper yesterday!)

Night before last, Cooper had a couple of apnea's. This is very normal and expected, however the Dr. again was surprised that this was his first and he only did it twice. Don't you just love it when doctor's are surprised? There is only one cause for that... :-)

Cooper has also been a little jaundiced. He was under lights yesterday, and they will test him this morning sometime to see how his levels are.

I wanted to include another picture today. This is when Coop was just 8 or so hours old. It is a picture withhis mama'a hand and shows just how tiny he is. It's amazing, really...

I somehow managed to get by without mentioning his favorite aunt.... oh wait, no I didn't!! I just love that little guy!


Prayer Request:

Continue to pray for Cooper and his development. We have had nothing but good news this far, but there could be many hurdles ahead. Pray that we go right over those hurdles and continue to just blow the doctors away!

Continue to pray for J & K. THey are home now and adjusting as new parents...only without their new baby at home with them. THey will be making several trips to the hospital each day. Pray that they have strenght, feel love, and understanding in the next several months.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. GO MAV'S!

What's in a name?

Cooper Grayson Chandler - Sweet boy is an impatient little man, wouldn't you say? I mean he just insisted on making his apperance into this world 4 months early, and on that note - just a day before his favorite auntie's birthday. (like how I get that in each post?)

His name had been debated upon ever since we all found out he - was a "he". K & J had tossed around a few names here and there... but never really did decide on one 100%.

I (being a bit impatient myself) just started to call the little guy "Javier". It was the first name that came to me when writting out Karen's mothers day card...so it stuck. "Little Javie"

Well, when his BIRTHday came around...and he was born, K & J were pressured to come up with a name. EVERYONE put their input in... Lets see.... We had Calvin (Cal Ripken), Shanikwa (don't ask...), Wilson, Lane, then of course we had Trooper... Chandler Chandler and Javier came sneeking its way back in, Chris (suggested by Chris Wigley).... but none of those seemed to fit.

They had pretty much narrowed it down to Cooper for the first name. They are both baseball lovers and actually got the name from Cooperstown, Home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. They were 50/50 on a middle name. They liked Cooper Lane... but just didn't feel 100% about it.

Then, in the waiting room... sweet Ernestine Ross suggested the name "Grace". Because he was born, and with us by the Grace of God.
Ernestine is all heart and one of the sweetest ladies I know. She giggled a little and said it was a girls name, but then sugested Grayson.

My mom shared the name with K & J and they loved it and finally (2 days later) decided that this little miracles name would be Cooper Grayson Chandler.

He is certianly here by the GRACE of our awesome God. And he is one special little boy.

Keep the prayers coming! I'll update on his status in the morning!

Love and Hugs,
Katy

Cooper - Day 3

Sweet little Coop has been breathing on his own for 2 days now! He was only on the breathing tube for the first day and was switched to CPAP. The CPAP lets air into his lungs so they do not stiffin' up. He also has a feeding tube that goes down into his tiny tummy.

He is able to have his mama's milk which is a great thing for his development.

Karen and Jason are headed home today after lunch. Many prayers for them as they do this. I know that leaving a child behind at the NICU can not be easy, but with the prayers and the comfort from our amazing God... I know they will get through it.

Prayer Needs:

Continually Pray for Cooper. Although we are getting nothing but good news right now... he is still out in this world 4 months early. He needs prayers every minute of every day for strength, health and nourishment. His heart, lungs and all other organs still have some developing to do - so pray without ceasing.

Pray for Jason and Karen as they head home. With 2 kiddos of my own, I can not imagine how they must be feeling. Pray that God grants them comfort, strength and understanding.

Pray for the NICU team at Harris Downtown. They are said to be one of the best around - but God IS the best... and can (and already has) work miracles everyday.

Much Love,
Aunt Katy

Cooper Grayson

The story:
Sunday, May 29th at 24 weeks and 3 days pregnant; Karen started to have what she though were Braxton Hicks Contractions. Lightly, and a tad uncomfortable at first she went on with her day. Sunday night as the contractions started to get stronger and more uncomfortable she was up all night. When 6 AM came around Monday morning (Memorial Day) Karen called her O.B. and he instructed her to head to the hospital to make sure everything was okay.

When Karen and Jason arrived a an hour later that morning they found that they were in fact labor contractions and Karen was given medicine to stop the them and for safety precautions Karen was transferred to a hospital with state of the art NICU, since she was still early in her pregnancy. Shortly after the arrival there, Karen's water broke and the news that Baby Cooper would be joining us 4 months early was given. There was a lot of heartbreak, nervousness and worry with this news.

It was found that Karen had an infection in her amniotic fluid that caused her labor to start. It also caused her to have little to no fluid for baby.

After pitocin was started, several hours passed, and Karen and Jason had SO many prayers and visitors. We as a family are so truly blessed with an enormous support system. It is amazing...Really amazing.

Baby Cooper was born shortly after 9 PM weighing a whopping 1 pound 5.9 ounces and measuring 12.5 inches long.

The NICU team took him immediately and started to work on him. After 20 or so minutes they whisked him away to the NICU where the awesome folks there got him hooked up to everything to help him breathe, feed, and nourish himself.

The doctor gave good reports that he was breathing and had a regular heartbeat.

As of now, at 2 days old Cooper Grayson (more on his name later) is breathing on his own. He has a CPAP on and, as the doctor said "is doing remarkable"

I have to say that this is truly a difficult experience. Even from my view as the {favorite} aunt. BUT, the support, love and prayer is AMAZING. Facebook, texting, emails... it is simply amazing.
Thank you for your prayers... and your continued prayers.

Cooper, Jason and Karen will need them for many days to come.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above.” James 1:17

prayers for baby cooper
prayers for baby cooper