Tatum's Nursery Reveal!
Now it's finally time for the big reveal! I hope you didn't have to wait too too long! (Leslie ;)) While we did a lot for Liam's room, I do feel like a lot more creativity on Paul and my part went into the implementation of the actual room!
We wanted the room to be something she could grow with, that could be and we hope will be somewhat timeless! I started with the color palette of Coral, Gold, White and Grey and obviously got a lot of inspiration from Pinterest and Project Nursery.
Gold is totally back in, and hopefully it won't go back out too soon! We had the room painted, from what was previously a dark chocolate color throughout, to three sides white and one charcoal grey accent wall. Once the room was painted, Paul created a to-scale schematic of everything I was envisioning. He placed furniture, lamps and other accents/artwork, and even pre-measured polka-dots on three walls of the room. With Paul's graphic design abilities and my vision, we should come up with an interior decorating firm! It's definitely exciting to take something from concept to reality and be as pleased if not more pleased with the end result.
I wanted to go with a quasi retro 70's feel, and you can definitely see that in the accents in the room.Our fun and unique incorporation of an iconic princess turned out to be something even cooler than we could have initially imagined and is certainly fitting of the hype currently going on with Star Wars! Check out the initial designs!
While the designs are pretty amazing and helped us work through the process more seamlessly, the end result was even cooler than we could have hoped for and we hope you love it as much as we do!
Welcome to Tatum Claire Perdue's domain!
There are so many things we love about her room, but what really makes the room stand out is the awesome graphic we were able to put together for the closet! We used the same system that we used for Liam's room, but created a totally unique style fitting of our little princess! Strong, unique, independent, fun and so much more!
Here are all the details! There are so many things to share!
Crib: Babyletto Mercer Crib (was previously Liam's)
Dresser/Changing Table: Mid-Century Modern Style - From Paul's Family
Ceiling Fan: Harbor Breeze Matte Black Flush Mount Ceiling Fan with Light Kit and Remote (3-Blade)- Lowes
Closet System: allen + roth 8-ft White Wood Closet Kit at Lowes (FYI – “white” is off white – kind of a bummer, but that’s what doors are for!)
Closet Doors: KVARTAL – Triple curtain rail, aluminum color from IKEA. Paul and I created a graphic to fit the three panels from a pop art design we found online of Princess Leia
Sofa: Tufted and Upholstered Loveseat -Threshold™ - Target
Side Table: Mika Accent Table - Brown - Target
And of course the accessories and decor!
Tatum's White and Coral Teepee: Found on Etsy! PlayTeePee Store
Lamps: Target again! Globe Floor Lamp & Gold Table Lamp
Curtains: Threshold™ Non Light Blocking Velvet Curtain Panel - Radiant Gray from Target...
Hamper: Lamont Home™ Carly Hamper in Sun Coral - Bed Bath & Beyond
Storage Bins: Fabric Cube Storage Bin 13" - Threshold™ - Target
Wall Shelf: Threshold Linear 23" Wall Shelf White – Another Target steal!
Comforter/Bedding: Custom order from Carousel Designs (thank you Gaga and Papa - Tatum will love it!)
Sofa Pillows: Pillows were a from various places - feel free to ask me!
Throw Blanket on Sofa: From TJ Max - Home Goods - that was just a lucky find!
Moroccan Poufs: Another etsy find! the marrakechlamp store.
Camera Photo Holders: Another Target find - spray painted two of them gold
Baby Blocks: My Mom and I made these blocks and I might post a separate blog later about the process - but she's got some stylin' baby blocks for sure!
Tatum String Art: Custom by yours truly with help of PerdueVision! Find out how we did that here!
If there’s anything else you’re curious about don’t hesitate to ask! Hope you enjoyed it! :)
Tatum's String Art...
So we are expecting our second little one in a few days and are finishing off some loose ends before her arrival, including the reveal of her nursery. As part of that post I wanted to share one of my Pinterest projects that is definitely a standout feature in her nursery!
I decided to take on the feat of string art based on this pin I found on pinterest! It's based off the below picture and blog post on VintageRevivals.com.
I "loved" how she put the text within the heart of the string art, so we mimic a very similar look with a tilted heart and instead of the word love, we put our baby girl's name "TATUM."
To do this we uses the following supplies:
- Plywood Board... a smoother texture wood so that you don't see a lot of grain or texture behind the heart. Ours is pretty big, around 32X46?? give or take.
- White Spray paint. I went through about 3 cans!
- Nails with a flat top/edge (the quantity will depend on size of your art)
- Embroidery Floss (I wanted the gold appeal that we were going for in the room, so we used the gold embroidery floss) about 100 yards - they come in 7-8 yard sets so you'd need to figure what you need. I will say that the metallic embroidery floss was a bear to use as the strands tend to come apart easily.
- Gorilla Glue
- Mod-Podge Spray Sealer
So we started with a template that Paul (my amazing graphic design master) designed and taped it to the board as a template for placing nails. Once I hammered all the nails in, we removed the template and then spray painted the board and nails white.
Then it was go time with the string! I would knot the string to a nail and then randomly move and loop around other nails throughout the board staying outside the lines of the letters. That part is key! You have to stay outside of the letters otherwise you won't see a name!
Obviously only being able to do 7-8 yards at a time I would glue with the gorilla glue, each knotted end of my string to make sure it stayed secure. Once the glue was dry I would trim the extra string left over.
Once I had gotten enough coverage throughout the piece, I then had to do an outline on the name as well as the entire outside of the heart. This definitely makes a difference in how well you can read the text as well as just defining the heart.
And the finished product turned out great! I would say my total time invested was about 12-15 hours and was able to complete it over a period of about 2 weeks in spare time. It's not the hardest pinterest project I've ever done, but certainly not the easiest either! I was definitely cursing the string I had chosen... but after it was all said and done, I couldn't be happier with the result! It's definitely an integral part of our little girl's nursery!
Stay posted as the nursery reveal is coming soon!!! :)
The Happiest Mother's Day Yet...
So I've taken a bit of a sabbatical from the blog, but wanted to share my wonderful Mother's Day video with you! We had a great time with our little man on the beach all day, he was so tuckered out by the end of it all he snuggled up on Mommy and passed out!
Hope you enjoy!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgkA2H0ceIE&w=750&h=422]
Gerber is the Real Deal! Vote for Our Baby Man!
We're so proud of our little man, we just want to share him wherever and whenever we can! It would be so cool if he got lots of votes in the Gerber Photo Search 2013! Click Here to Vote!
Parents.com Photo Contest
So I've entered this pic of Liam into the Parents.com Photo contest. He was #126 and now he's #103! That's an improvement! So I thought I would post to my blog to see if we can't get some more votes! You can vote daily! It would be so exciting if he won!
Pumpkin Fun | 2013
It's that time of the year and pumpkins are all the rage, of course! With a new little one in the family we had to take Liam (aka Baby Man) out to the pumpkin patch for those notorious fall pictures. We headed to the Custom Wood & Garden Shop at Hamilton Mill and I-85. They feature seasonal products, and this time of the year that includes pumpkins! They had lots of pumpkins, bunnies for petting and purchasing, ponies for riding, and jumpies too!
Liam was such a great sport! It was so hard to decide which pictures to share!
After getting a lot of pumpkin shots, we decided to have a little fun with bunnies! Liam really liked petting the bunny, and the bunny was quite tolerable. I was the only one not having absolute fun, worried the bunny would go rogue on Liam and he'd leave the pumpkin patch crying with nibbled fingers. No such thing happen, and no bunnies were harmed! haha But we did get some absolutely adorable shots!
We had the Chunk Master with us, and Paul could not resist getting some classic shots of Chunk and the pumpkins.
I love the shot of Chunk and Liam... they look like the best of friends here. Unfortunately Liam was losing patience with Daddy, so it was only a matter of time before we had to hit the road!
Paul's Mom and our niece and nephew, Kennedy and Trey, met us up at the pumpkin patch for some more fun pictures. Had to get some sweet pics of the "grand-babies" in for GaMa!
We then headed back to GaMa's house for some pumpkin carving! Trey and Kennedy made some creative jack-o-lanterns! As night fell, Paul was able to get some creative shots of all the kids with the glow of the newly carved pumpkins.
I love my photographer Husband! Our house will be filled with beautiful photos of our family! See all the photos from our Pumpkin Patch Shoot Here...
Destination Philadelphia
My cousin Marisa's wedding was fast approaching and with our Baby Man - Liam, we figured it would be a good reason to make a road trip out of the occasion. The wedding was to take place in downtown Philly, so we made a plan to continue our trip beyond the wedding, but our trip started in Philly!
Our first stop once we hit Philadelphia was of course Pat's King of Steaks, and it was definitely true to the classic Philly Cheese Steak. We tried ours with American cheese, but apparently it's supposed to be good with cheese whiz.... hmm not sure what I think about that. So we could check Philly Cheese steak off the list!The wedding was at The Bellevue Philadelphia, and we were lucky enough to be able to share a suite with my parents. It was great considering we had Liam with us! The rooms were awesome and the living space was great for hanging out and visiting with family before the wedding.
What a great view! And of course it was great as my parents were happy to help us out so we could have some time in the city.
After settling in we couldn't resist taking pics of our little man it this posh suite!
So our first night in the city we went to the Philly's game, thanks to my brother. It was ironically the first and only baseball game I've been to this year. It was definitely a fun time, and so convenient to our hotel as we were able to take the subway! And I was happy to get my Phillies cap of ice cream, and was able to bring a souvenir back to baby man!
Day 2 in Philly: We had some time to sight-see and visit with family before the wedding! We got to see the LOVE sign, and I must say it wasn't as impressive as I imagined, but that was another must-do that got checked off the list. Liam really enjoyed it!
And the day continued with a fun visit with family! I was able to meet up with my cousin Beth and her daughter Ramona, who was born just three weeks before Liam! It was a lot of fun, so awesome to get to see everyone! Ramona is a cutie pie, and she and Liam had fun - I can't wait to see how they are together as they get older!
And before we put the camera away, my Dad had to have his photo of all the men, including baby man in their "flat caps!" It'll be fun to share all these photos with Liam one day!
The wedding was fast approaching, and we were getting ready to head to the wedding. Thankfully my parents made arrangements with my Dad's cousin Valerie to watch Liam and she volunteered to take both Liam and Ramona! Thank you again Valerie! You were an amazing baby sitter and it was also very nice to visit with you and catch up for the short time we were able to spend with you!
The evening continued with my cousin Marisa's lavish wedding! It was by far the most extensive wedding Paul or I have ever been to! The ceremony we slow to start (in a funny way), but was a very sweet ceremony! And from there we went to an awesome cocktail hour with shrimp cocktail and oyster, dim sum and sushi, and delicious cheese and meats, not to mention the various items served throughout the room. And the reception was even more pleasing with a delicious salad and shrimp cocktail, a pear sorbet palette cleanser, and a delicious fillet and crab topped white fish! Absolutely amazing! But it didn't end there, they had a 12 or 13 piece band that had no problem getting everyone on the dance floor between courses, and a closing with a delicious piece of vanilla wedding cake with raspberry filling with a scoop of chocolate chocolate chip ice cream! And you'd think that would be enough, but you could also take a little desert night-cap with you of eclairs and other sweet pastries! Mmmmmm...
The evening wound down with more family shots, and we were out until brunch the next morning!
Day 3 in Philly: Started off with an extensive brunch! We were excited as we wanted to be able to show off the little ones. Beth brought Ramona and we brought Liam and both of them got to visit with all the cousins and extended family. It was nice for everyone to be able to gather one more time.
Liam wore his tie and cardigan for the occasion! It really was wonderful to see everyone!
It was our last day in Philly, so we decided we couldn't leave without doing a little more sight-seeing!
First we went to the Philadelphia Art Museum to see the notorious Rocky steps! So cool! The funny thing is the Museum is more visited because of Rocky than because of the exhibits...
We checked Rocky off the list and one last stop before we headed to NJ and NYC! The Liberty Bell! I hadn't been there since I was a little girl and it was definitely cool to see if as an adult. And it's exciting that we were able to take Liam to all these cool places, even if he won't remember any of it.
And last, but not least we decided to stop at my childhood home, in Delran, NJ! It was pretty much on the way, and very cool to be able to share with Paul.
It looks pretty much the same, except they tore down the awesome tree I used to play on that was in the front yard. Was pretty cool to drive through the old neighborhood, even if it was only a small part of the trip!
See more photos from our Philly Trip! Click Here
Dabbling with Some Baby Man Photo Video!
We were up into the late hours playing with all the pictures and some video that we've collected of Liam so far and couldn't resist putting this little video together!
Hope you enjoy, it's short and sweet! I can't imagine what it'll look like when we've got a year of photos!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naU-4fu5eXo&w=750&h=422]
Liam is Almost 3 Months! Boy Does the Time Fly!
Liam is just shy of 3 months, now 11 weeks and he is doing great! He's been right on track with all his growth and checked out great with the pediatrician, cardiologist and neurologist! We couldn't be more excited at his amazing progress! He's an amazing baby "man" and we love him sooooo much!
He's not sleeping all the way through the night just yet, but I'm sure we'll get there soon! He is a good sleeper when he does, and when he's awake he's all about checking out everything and being a part of the action - just like his daddy! He's smiling and laughing all the time, is ok with bath time, but absolutely hates being rubbed down with lotion! We'll have to fix that! We are all about the softness in this house! ;)
Check out these photo collages of Liam from day one until now!
To see more pics of Liam from his 8 week shoot click here!
BABY LIAM - 260 Hours to Home
After close to 10 months of an amazing pregnancy, Liam’s due date of May 5th, 2013 was a week away. Monica was in great shape and had experienced practically no labor pains, limited hormonal complaints and was gripping strong to consistent social involvement with friends and family. At the final Dr. appointment before “D-Day”, Dr. Chua decided it was time to schedule Monica’s induction.
DAY 1: May 5, 2013
The day started pretty slow with breakfast with family, but the time to get everything packed in the car and ready to leave for the hospital seemed to come so fast. On the way to the hospital we made the decision to stop at Jimmy John’s for one last meal before we were confined to the hospital. We came fully prepared, packing enough to fill a large bodied wheelchair to the brim and then some. The nurses thought we were moving in but did say they had see worse. We settled into room 5 at the Emory Johns Creek Labor and Delivery.
While Monica was getting prepped, answering a laundry list of questions and getting blood drawn and IVs in place, I attempted setting up our Apple tv, but to my dismay the hospitals pathetic LCDs were not equipped with an HDI port nor did I bring the standard RCA connections to make this awesome setup work. Fortunately for them, the hospital did have a decent cable setup so watching TV (mostly Peachtree tv) stole our attention and was amplified well with the connection of our Bose stereo. All the nurses were very surprised with the sound quality of the portable Bose stereo system and the biscuit was able to get soothed with a true and high quality sound. I wanted her experience to be top notch. I was doing an awesome job of catering to her every desire. My main concern was her comfort and an amazing birthing experience.
So the beginning of our induction would start with cervidil to soften the cervix. Upon arrival to the hospital as well as the weeks prior, Monica had not dilated at all so we were hopeful that the medication would get the process going, and as fast as possible. The cervidil would stay in for 12 hours and Monica would be checked the next morning to see how things had progressed.
After we got settled in our good friend, photographer, and wanna-be Douala, Elaine Hoyt, made her first visit to see how we were doing and hang out for a bit. She and I began our photo documentation while Monica was all snuggled up in bed.
DAY 2: May 6, 2013
We began the day with the removal of the cervidil and a check on the cervix. Unfortunately we were still at about 1 cm with doubts on how quickly things would progress. Now it was time to start the Cytotec, another tablet with the purpose of softening/ripening the cervix. These tablets would be inserted on 4 hour intervals, so depending on how things progressed we were looking at as much as 12 or more hours before they would even consider starting the Pitocin for contractions. Dr. Anthony was on call that day and came in to check on Monica’s progress, and during her exam she felt as though she was able to “stretch” to 2 cm, but we came to find that the measuring of cervical dilation is variable based on the person doing the exam! Following the exam, Dr. Anthony did want to prepare us that a C-Section could very well be our means of delivering Liam as she felt as though Monica’s pelvis was not conducive for delivery. According to Dr. Anthony, Monica’s pelvic bone was fairly flat in an area where it should be more pointed or curved. This was something Monica was concerned about as her mother too has a small pelvis, and came to find similar issues in the delivery process of her first child.
The question of Monica’s ability to deliver vaginally came up in various appointments with Dr. Chua, and she knew both Monica and I wanted to give baby Liam the chance to come on his own and experience as natural a birthing process as possible. And on top of that, I was also extremely terrified of having the love of my life, undergoing major surgery.
After two doses of Cytotec and little to no progress, Dr. Anthony decided to hold off on the 3rd dose to consult with Dr. Chua. After consulting, they decided to stop the Cytotec and go back to the Cervidil as it was something that could be removed if necessary. So we went into another evening with little progress and were now looking and hoping for delivery on Tuesday!
DAY 3: May 7th, 2013
Tuesday morning started off with some positive results from the various cervical medications. We made it officially to “2-3 cm” and it was time to get things moving. Dr. Chua came by in the morning to check things and decided it was time to try to break Monica’s water. The cervical exams were never comfortable, but the “attempt” at breaking the water was pretty awful! Dr. Chua was able to slightly puncture the sac before she decided to give Monica a break. She was able to get some fluid so she felt as though it was a reasonable time to start antibiotics (as Monica was Group B Strep (GBS) positive). It wasn’t long before the contractions began and Monica was gradually dealing less and less well with the pain. While Monica hadn’t wanted to use the IV pain meds, it definitely seemed to be a little too early to start the epidural.
After lunch time, Monica was feeling some relief from the pain meds. Dr. Chua came back and it was now time to really break that water, and get the Pitocin pumping. It was surprising how quickly things seemed to progress at this point. Contractions were coming and Monica’s pain levels began increasing! With the IV fluids already going, the nurse prepped her for an epidural and relief was quickly on it’s way! It was amazing the relief Monica got from the epidural, barely feeling contractions at all! But what was even more exciting was the fact that Monica began dilating faster after the epidural - She thinks it may have been because she was finally able to relax a bit. While it had by no means been a fast process getting the dilation going, the most progress was made between 1PM and 10:30PM Tuesday. When Dr. Chua stopped by that evening to check Monica, she had now dilated to 7cm! It felt like we were finally getting there! Monica and I joked that Dr. Chua would probably get a call at 2 or 3AM saying it was time! In any case it was looking like Liam would be born on Monica’s Mom’s birthday! While Monica had been hoping Liam would have his “own” birthday, it is a nice little birthday gift for Grandmom, and if Liam is anything like his Grandmother, he would be a very strong person!
The AM hours came and went without any sign of Liam, it was now onto Day 4!
DAY 4: May 8, 2013
As 9AM approached, Monica finally reached 10 cm of dilation and was fully effaced. The nurse on duty decided it was time to start pushing. I set the mood with some Zero 7 playing on Pandora, and some comfortable lighting. While by Monica’s side, I helped to hold her foot and leg as she pushed baby Liam during each contraction. Monica was surprised at how relaxed the mood was and how it didn’t feel as scary to push as she had imagined, even having pushed in 3, 1 hour intervals. And on top of that, the nurse was extremely impressed with Monica’s ability to push considering she had the epidural going!
While things were progressing, every time Liam would descend on the pushes, he would then reascend back when the pushing stopped. He just could not make it past her flat and small pelvic bone. In an effort to give Monica one last chance to birth Liam naturally, Dr. Chua decided to give a few more college tries with the aid of the vacuum. I was quite surprised just how much pressure Dr. Chua was using and yet Liam would still not yield the pelvic bone. It was then and only then that Dr. Chua made the executive decision that a C-Section was the only way this baby was going to arrive.
Dr. Chua and her team quickly wrapped up all their shiny tools and tables and exited the room. Monica was prepped and I was given a set of hospital threads to also prepare for the unknown. I, in all his life, had never felt more terrified of what was to come. Monica was so strong and reassuring me that “they do this everyday...” but I was still shaking and literally crying like a baby. I remembered the anesthesiologist making jokes trying to calm me down. Not even the funniest comedian with the most epic punchline could have pulled a smile from me. The one thing I did respond to was the ability to bring music into the operating room. I quickly pulled together the Bose stereo and my phone with all the cables. The Dr. later instructed I that all I needed was the phone. I think either way it was an opportunity to get me thinking about something other then the major surgery about to take place. The worst part of the this particular experience was having to sign off on the paperwork that legally freed the hospital from the potential liability of Monica and/or Liam’s death.
While I was waiting at the desk just outside the operating room, the staff were quickly adjusting and setting up the room for the C-Section. Monica had already been moved into the room. Then that fateful moment happened. They called me into the room and set me next to Monica on a black swivel stool. I began caressing her face and cheeks and with all my power, trying to maintain sanity. This was the last thing I ever wanted to happen and frankly it was the most terrifying experience I have ever had. But little did I know it was about to get worse.
Just behind Monica’s head was what appeared to be a large plastic container that slowly and then more quickly draining blood, the placement of this apparatus did not help with either my or Monica’s anxiousness. I begin to start breathing very quickly and another surgical staff member had to help calm me down. “You have to breathe slower, take slow, long and deeper breaths”. I remembered this being repeated several times. All I could focus on was how strong Monica was being. She never grimaced, cried or showed the slightest concern even though I was literally loosing my mind. It was actually quite ironic how at this given moment I recognized that the song currently playing over the room speakers was that of an episode from Grey’s Anatomy - I had been forced to watch several episodes with Monica as this was and is still her favorite show. It however was not an appropriate tune for the current situation and honestly only made things that much more emotional. And honestly with the events to precede it seemed fitting as it honestly felt like a scene from Grey’s Anatomy.
Then came a moment that I would never forget. An experience and memory that will always stay embedded in my mind. The baby was out, and Dr. Chua passed a little 5 lb and 13 oz lifeless body, over to a team of NICU staff. The team started yelling out questions like, “was there cord?” and began counting “One, Two, Three... One, Two, Three...” For what seemed like an eternity, this team worked on Liam to revive and get him breathing. Liam unfortunately had inhaled meconium and it was thick and even in his sinuses that they were not able to suction out without causing more issues. After a few endless moments, I was called over to see my little man. I remember standing over him, no color, no movements and what appeared to be no life. I began excessively hyperventilating, so much to the point where the surgical staff said “we need to get him out of here.” They quickly rolled a chair over for me to sit down. They knew I was a few breaths away from dropping to the ground. I was quickly rolled out and sat in the lobby while the doctors finished their work. I did not know what the status of Liam was nor that of my beloved life partner, Monica.
After a few moments, I was able to get up and walk outside where I met up with Elaine. It was everything that I could do not to break down again. We walked outside into the sunlight and Elaine knew that something was not right. I looked like a ghost and had no expression. It was not long before I received a text to return back to the labor and delivery room 5 where they would be returning Monica shortly.
I remember her bed being wheeled in and felt somewhat of a comfort seeing that she was ok. At the same time, while looking into each other eyes, we both knew the fear that existed in each of our hearts. What is happening with Liam? A period of about 2 hours passed before the NICU team came to the room with news about Liam. Dr Suskin, the neonatal specialist, entered the room and with a serious face and mannerism began to divulge Liam’s situation.
“Liam is a very sick little boy. During the delivery process Liam experienced a traumatic labor where at some point the flow of oxygen was cut off to his brain. Its commonly known as HIE (hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy) where lack of oxygen frequently damages not only the brain, but other organs as well. Often these include heart damage with abnormal blood pressures or heart rhythms, liver damage with elevated liver enzymes, kidney damage with low urine output and abnormal kidney function, gastrointestinal problems with abnormal feeding, low or high tone with floppy or stiff muscles and/or impaired control of breathing often requiring ventilation. Many babies will not survive these injuries. Those who do often have permanent brain injury and may be ultimately diagnosed with hypoxic brain injury or cerebral palsy. But it is possible to have severe brain injury associated with birth that does not result in cerebral palsy. The location and extent of the brain injury will dictate what your child’s future limitations may be. In an effort to avoid any possible damage Dr. Suskin stated that they need to get Liam to the Gwinnett Medical NICU where they would administer Cool Cap therapy. “
The only hospital in GA that offers this Cool Cap therapy is the Gwinnett Medical NICU. Click here to learn more about Cool Cap therapy. http://www.natus.com/index.cfm?page=products_1&crid=284
Liam had to be transported to the NICU at Gwinnett Medical Center (GM) within the first 6 hours of his life in order to receive this therapy with the best chances of success. Now keep in mind Monica had not yet seen, touched or held our new baby boy. It seemed like another eternity waiting to get the next word. I quickly signed all appropriate documentation and waited by Monica’s side. I was called next to go back to the Emory Johns Creek NICU to see Liam before he was transported to GM. Liam was hooked up to every wire, tube and cable you could imagine. He was not moving and with camera in hand, I began to take photos and video so I could show Liam to Monica. The nurse on duty walked me through all the details about Liam, there was a tube inserted in the side of his left rib cage that was allowing fluid in the lung sac to drain as it was swelling. Liam’s acidity was extremely high and they were administering several different fluids though a tube in his belly button. He was on a paralytic to keep him from moving, dopamine to regulate his heart and blood pressure, morphine for pain, sugar, antibiotics for the acidotic (base), ampicillin and a few others I am not sure of. A tube was inserted into his throat to manually respirate him.
The transport team was on their way, and there was limited time, but Monica was wheeled in (bed and all) to see Liam before he was moved to GM NICU. Monica could barely see her little man and was able to just slightly caress his little toes before the transport team arrived. I went to gather my things, and the team quickly began prepping Liam and introducing themselves to Monica as they all had a specific role in this process of moving Liam. Monica signed some final documents and they had to wheel her away to get Liam in route. I said my goodbyes to Monica and was off to follow Liam over to GM.
I was not allowed to ride in the ambulance with Liam so my mother, Marty, drove me over in Monica’s car to GM NICU in rush hour traffic. Talk about a long and uncomfortable ride. Once arriving I quickly entered the NICU and was briefed on more information then I could ever expect to learn about HIE or cool cap therapy and what comes along with both. Dr Leigh was very informative and direct about Liam’s condition giving no ounce of assurance. Later Dr. Leigh would joke about just how many questions I asked to get an answer from him as to Liam’s rate of success. Dr. Leigh could only express to me that they would not know anything for the next 72 hours as this is how long it takes to administer the cool cap therapy.
Because Liam had possibly minor to severe brain damage, the cool cap technology was only used in the prevention of further damage. It was explained to me that when a brain cell dies, it dies in 2 ways. One it will die and that is it, the other is death with shrapnel killing all local brain cells. Its impossible to know with any baby that has HIE what the extent of the damage is, if any. Worst case scenarios include death and/or Cerebral Palsy with CP taking until the age of 2 to diagnose. Now with the multiple questions I had for Dr. Leigh, I did find out one that really put things in perspective. This technology is only 5 years old (FDA approved) and Liam is about 1 of the 8-12 babies in a year receive this treatment at GM NICU. That really identified just how serious and isolated Liam’s situation was.
Day 5: May 9, 2013
I sat by Liam’s side until 4am. The nurse on duty that evening was Vanessa and one of the most passionate, kind, caring and educated nurses I had met yet. She was very attentive to Liam and did not eat when the other nurses left to eat. She was dedicated to Liam’s success. We had to re-blood type Liam because they could not take the word of another hospital (per policy) and needed his type to order plasma and platelets from the blood bank. A normal baby has 121k platelets and Liam’s were just under 31k. His plasma was also very low and needed to be replenished. I remembered examining all the devices that were hooked up to Liam and asking Vanessa for details about each. This probably happened at least a dozen times over the course of the next few days.
Monica (mom) was staying at Emory Johns Creek and her parents were keeping her company while I (dad) was aside Liam praying and hoping for his speedy recovery. Miracles happen all the time right? It was not long before Facebook and both Monica’s and my phone started blowing up. People wanted to know what was going on. Monica and I were still deep in the woods of this traumatic experience with little information to ease our own minds, let alone anyone elses. We did not want to talk to anyone outside of our immediate families due to the overwhelming uncertainty and pain of our situation. Monica was very emotional and delicate and needed time to recover while I was having to be supportive and involved with Liam and his treatment.
Day 6: May 10, 2013
Liam was stable and they continued monitoring him, it was now a countdown to get through the 72 hour treatment on the Cool Cap. On the ventilator, the NICU staff were seeing that Liam was gaining more and more breathes on his own. As the day progressed we began to see Liam transform. The first huge steps that were taken happened this evening when they removed the chest tube and took Liam off the ventilator. He was now breathing 100% on his own and only with a nasal cannula that you may remember seeing an old person wear at a retirement home. It was not breathing for Liam, but rather providing additional support to the breaths he was taking on his own. Now all that was left was the Cool Cap, needle brain probes stuck in his scalp and a line inserted through his belly for supplementation.
Day 7: May 11, 2013
Everyday Liam was looking and acting like a new baby. Monica was being released today, it would be the first time she’d see her son since his birthday. Monica was so happy that she would finally be able to see our little bundle of joy. At 11:30 Monica and I headed straight to GM NICU. She got scrubbed up and entered the room where Liam was being cared for. You should have seen the joy and happiness on her face to finally truly and effectively examine her baby boy. Looking over every inch of his body even with all the tubes and surrounding equipment. The look on her face was true contentment. “He is so beautiful” she said while touching his little toes. Both Monica and I knew that Liam had come so far and done so well.
Later that evening, the NICU staff would begin the warming process where once complete they could remove the cool cap. Monica and I were very excited about this and knew that every day Liam was doing a little bit better. She was even able to pump while at the NICU, next to Liam’s bed. That night Monica and I went home and for the first time, got to relax on their sofa and take a deep breath knowing in their hearts the God had potentially saved their baby. Still uncertain of the future considering the fact that only time would tell if Liam had truly triumphed over HIE.
In my time sitting next to Liam I had done much internet research and felt very comforted that Liam had not experienced any seizures like some of the more sever cases of HIE. Also every single post of Cool Cap therapy online had shown amazing results that these little ones had no issues growing into normal children and adults.
Day 8: May 12, 2013 (Mother’s Day)
Monica and I returned to NICU Sunday morning (Mothers Day) to see Liam for the first time without the cool cap. He looked so amazing. His color was very good, he was for the first time lying on his belly all snuggled up and not shaking for once. He looked like a normal little guy sleeping soundly. It was not long before the nurse asked mom if she would like to hold him. I bet you know the answer to that one. Liam woke up and cried a little bit and before long, Monica had him sleeping in her arms. Liam was giving several good neurological signs of progress. He had good range of motion for his arms, legs, feet and hands. He was also able to suck very good on a pacifier. It was amazing to see how beautiful Liam was the more he lost all that medical crap he was hooked up to.
I, not being a woman and 35 years old with no kids, had really enjoyed living without them. He always hated going to restaurants and seeing other kids who badly needed a spanking or just general discipline. For once in I life I loved something more then anything in the world. Just hearing him cry literally brought tears of happiness.
Day 9: May 13, 2013
On our visit to the NICU, it was now my turn to finally hold my little man. He seemed very content with daddy mad baby handling skills. Today Liam was getting a decrease today in his IV supplements so Dad got a chance to feed Liam and squeeze his little soft cheeks! Liam had also lost his nasal cannula. This was the first time that I could look at Liam and notice a difference in the shape and size of his face and facial features. His eyes were not swollen and his double chin had disappeared. I for a moment thought they had swapped him out with a new baby but he just looked too much like me. He was so alert and looking all around. Looking at me, the bottle, the biscuit and back to me. It was really a blessed sight to see.
Day 10: May 14, 2013
Back to Monica’s turn and this time she got to give Liam some boob! He did a great job for his first time. We were extremely pleased with how much more progress our little man was making from day to day. Before we left, we dropped him in the NICU provided 4MOM Mamaroo baby swing. It was super modern looking and also had a travel path unlike any swing I have ever seen. Liam absolutely loved it and soon was passed out. Monica signed off on his “snip snip” circumcision. I was not about to have a signed concern of any penal loss risk (listed on document). Now I can confidently say that was your moms fault should anything bad happen. I am sure he will be golden though!
Day 11: May 15, 2013
I stopped by after my dermatology appointment to find Liam all dressed up in a blue shirt and grey pants. The only connection was his heart rate monitor. I could tell he was in even better spirits not having that line in his belly. The nurses said he was a bit more fussy but I am sure that is because he is now relying 100% on his Perdue belly for all supplementation and these need excessive fuel. Monica got to breast feed and bottle feed Liam yet again today! We both found that Liam likes to sit up and be a sociable part of the conversation. We look forward to chilling with him at home.
Day 12: May 16th, 2013
HOME...
A huge thank you to all of our family and friends that have been such a great support through this process, without you getting through this would have been impossible! We couldn't be more excited at how far Liam has come, and that our little miracle is now snuggled up at home!
P.S. Big brother Chunk, spent the night on the sofa in Liam's nursery, his first night home - he didn't want to leave his side! Chunk stay there all night to keep an eye on his little brother, Liam.