My New Hobby (...And Baby Makes Three)

There is a saying that goes "who ever ends with the most toys wins". You know that I believe it's about having the most hobbies of course. Thought you might like to "meet" my (our) newest hobby, Greyson. He is now almost 3 weeks old and has completely dominated our time. He is tons of fun to hang out and play with, which is also an important characteristic of my hobbies.

Photographer: Allison Rogers

I am hoping to get to do some scrapbooking while he is napping (all about him of course). My friend Allison (MomBEs Place, Hotwheels & Hairbows) took some gorgeous pictures of him in his second week of life that must be part of his "scrap-baby-book" and there is an announcement that must be sent out as well so there is work to do. You'll be the first to see once I get them done. Now if only he would go back to sleep so I can get back to PhotoShop ;-) Doesn't he know how much others will want to see his beautiful face!

FYI -  I can get you Allison's contact info if you are interested in having her shoot some photos for you.

A Procedure Date Already

We have an official date for the first of a couple of radiology procedures.
Looks like we will be heading back to KC to Children's Mercy for a sclerosis procedure on June 16. We will stay 3 nights again at Ronald McDonald House and hopefully Greyson will not have to be admitted and will stay with us. He will have to be put out for the procedure to make sure he doesn't move and it will take a bit more than an hour. They will insert drain tubes for a couple of days and as soon as those are removed we will get to go home.
The doctor does not think that this will cause him pain since he won't be awake but the drain tubes and dressings will provide some challenges for a couple of days.
We hope that we will see results (shrinking a section under his arm) within a few weeks of the procedure but it could be as long as 10-12 weeks. The doctor thinks that he will wait to do the second round until 10 weeks after the first but that can all change depending on the results. Look for more updates that week.
We are going out for a walk now to enjoy the beautiful weather.
Brooke

CMH - Vascular Anomalies Clinic Visit

Yesterday we headed up to Kansas City to meet with the Vascular Anomalies doctors (Dermatology, Hematology, Plastics, and Radiology + a nurse practitioner, nurse, and social worker). After having labs run we took Greyson up to the appointment and after we waited for almost 2 hours, the whole group of doctors all squeezed into the tiny exam room to talk about their findings and treatment plan for Greyson.
As far as Greyson is concerned, he is doing great - expect for the mass. After looking at pictures, we realized that the growth has shrunk a little. The doctors had thought it would since they felt it was a bit swollen due to "trauma" during delivery; it has gotten a little smaller, has lightened up a little in color (bruising has gone away), and is a bit softer. The really good thing is that he still doesn't seem to be bothered by it at all. In fact, we have been referring to it as he "buddy" or "friend" since he holds on to it and sometimes rests his head on it.
The team of doctors came up with the plan to use a couple of different treatments to take care of the growth. The radiologist will be sclerosing, which is injecting with a chemical that will shrink some of the cysts, targeting some of the larger cysts under his arm first to help his mobility of his arm and shoulder. Then in 6-12 months the plastic surgeons will remove what is left of the mass.
So it looks like we will be back up in KC in a month or so for the first of a few sclerosis procedures (working on scheduling now). We think we will be there for a few days and will stay at the Ronald McDonald House again. Greyson may or may not have to stay overnight in the hospital. The second sclerosis procedure will be done in about a month after the first as long as it works.
With planning for all of these procedures we now have to think about child care. The doctors talked a lot about keeping him well and suggested that we not take him to a sitter with lots of other kids for a while to keep him healthy. Please let us know if any of you know someone that would be willing to watch one child either at their home or our home.
Right now we are just learning how to be parents - today happens to be my first day home alone with him and he has slept through most of it. We have had a few visitors (bringing meals) and I am trying to get things organized (pictures, bills, paperwork, and normal home stuff). I will probably not put up any updates unless we learn more about Greyson's treatments or if things change.
Thanks to all of you that have been providing meals for us which has allowed us to focus on parenting and not cooking (thanks to Allison Rogers for coordinating this). We have enjoyed all of the visitors. If you would like to come see Greyson, just give us a call and we will set something up.

Getting Ready

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel finally. As of May 7 at 10:30am, Michael and I are parents to a beautiful little boy, Greyson Shane. I did have to have a C-Section so running is still a bit further away than I want but it is getting so close that I can almost taste it. I am two weeks out from surgery and the doctor said I could be back running in 5-6 weeks.

So far I am feeling pretty good. Tomorrow will be my first real test....a walk. We'll have to see how it goes. Hoping I can make it at least a mile and a quarter but won't push it too hard. I would really hate to over-do-it on the first day with such an embarrassing distance. Tralaine (sister) is coming this weekend and I really wish we could go run but maybe she will be OK with a walk.

Greyson is getting ready himself...working on his lungs a lot but also on his attire.  I, myself, am an Asics fan but he seems to be partial to Nike for now.




Run On!
Brooke

A Day of 1sts - Photoshoot & Pediatrician Visit

Greyson had his first real "photo shoot" today. Allison, who did our maternity pictures, came by to visit and take some pictures. She has posted some on her blog if you would like to see. I think they turned out soooo good and can't wait to get some printed. Again, a wonderful friend, doing a very giving thing for us. http://mombesplace.blogspot.com/2010/05/12-days-old.html
We ventured out for the first time to go to meet Greyson's new Pediatrician, Dr. Wheeler, ini Joplin. He had been briefed by our Neonatologist from Children's Mercy so he was prepared for Greyson's visit. The checkup went well....he is back up to 10 pounds and everything else looked good. They checked his bilirubin and it has continued to drop which is also positive.
For those of you that would like to come and visit give us a call and we will figure out a good time. Also, I probably won't put up anything new until after our doctors visits with Children's Mercy on Monday. We hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Brooke (Michael & Greyson)

All the Comforts of Home

So we made it home yesterday with no problems. Greyson slept the entire way and slept a lot hanging out here at the house. Check out the Gallery for going home pictures and hanging out at home pictures.
He entertained some guests yesterday and slept through most of the visits. His Aunt Bobbie came by for some loving and will be back today and the Carthage Running Club (CRC) also spent some time with him. We must say thanks to all of our Monday visitors - they all brought us YUMMY dinner(s) so we didn't have to worry about cooking anything.

The rest of the week will bring Grandma Shelia and then Grandma Diane, each for a few days to help out. We will have family and friends in and out all week and weekend getting the chance to enjoy some time with Greyson. He is even going to have a little photo shoot with my friend Allison. She is so talented and I can't wait to see what she does with Greyson. For those of you that didn't see - she took some beautiful photographs of Michael and I when we were expecting. If you would like check them out at: http://mombesplace.blogspot.com/2010/05/one-week-to-go.html

Besides hanging out here at home we go to the doctor tomorrow for check up and to check his bilirubin levels. He is looking a bit yellow but we are hopeful that it hasn't gone up.

We'll keep you posted.
Brooke

Sunday Packing

After a LONG night under the lights and a heal blood draw at 4am this morning, Greyson, Michael, and I are finally packing to go home.

Rounds were made a little after 10am and the fill in Attending tried to hold us for another day. Luckily the residents that have been working with Greyson since the day he was born filled him in on everything and let him know that we have a follow up appointment on Tuesday with a Pediatrician and there is already a plan to check levels then as well as the possibility of having a home health care person come to do additional draws if necessary. And along with a reminder that we will be back for more appointments a week from now....and a few of my tears, he changed his mind.
So home this afternoon....short term plan is a go ;) Now let's hope for a long term plan that will start soon.

Will update you on how our trip and first night home is tomorrow. We can't say enough how thankful we are to have you all as a support team. Thanks for all the visits to this site as well as all the supportive and loving comments. We hope that you will all get to meet Greyson in person and experience what a great kid he is.

Thanks again,
Brooke, Michael, & Greyson

A Long Saturday

We had a few visitors today around lunch time. Don came to say hey and brought me a much needed Starbuck's latte. Brandy and Kirk came by so she could love on Greyson now that he is out of the NICU and Gramps and Grandma B came all the way from Fort Scott for a short visit but they each had the chance to hold him before the nurse brought in the bili-lights and we had to put him down. The funniest thing was that I think he slept through all the visits and wasn't very entertaining. It's so funny, when he is out he's out, but when he is awake he is very alert.

The afternoon proved that Greyson HATES the bili-lights but mostly the mask he has to wear when he is under them. It is very hard to console him when he gets mad so I hope this fixes the problem and we can get rid of them and get to go home. They are going to check his levels first thing in the morning and then again in the afternoon before deciding if we can go home. Not going to jinks anything so no more updates before we find out for sure. While Greyson and I were fighting the lights Michael was fighting the dirty clothes. The Ronald McDonald house room here in the hospital had a washer and dryer there so he spent most of the day running laundry and he even got to have dinner provided by the volunteers.

Hope you all are having a great weekend even with the weather. Hoping for sunnier days.
Brooke

Home Today???

Still thinking we will get to go home today. Greyson's Bilirubin (SP???) did go up a bit again but not sure if that would keep us here. We did have a bit of a rough start for the beginning of the night but by 1:30 he was settled in and slept pretty well.
The rest of the day was a whirl wind....lots of doctors in and out wanting to check in with us before we left. Both Dermatology and Plastics came in to make sure we understood how they would still be involved and how they have communicated with their colleagues that will be working with us when we come back on May 24.
I owe Rachel a huge thank you for helping us do some problem solving with figuring out what this little guy is going to wear. She brought over some different sized outfits of her boys and we did some measuring. Then she went shopping for us and picked out some really cute outfits. So far pants fit correctly but he is having to wear about 9 month sized shirts. Think she thought the payoff was pretty good. She did get to hold him for quite a bit and get her fill of him. So sad that lots of the super cute clothes in his closet are not going to fit now and with not knowing when we might be having any surgery who knows if he will ever get to wear them :(
Ok, hearing test lady is here while Greyson is asleep. Better get cleaned up before rounds. Keep your fingers crossed that he will get to go home today.
Brooke

Not Going Home Today

Doesn't look like we will be going home today...his bilirubin count has continued to go up. They are going to put him under the lights for today and check it a couple of times tomorrow. Disappointed but understand - just wish we had a more comfortable place to hang out. Would love to sit on our own couch, watch our own TV, and put him in his own bed. It will come soon enough I am sure.
Brooke

A Great Night

So our first night with Greyson in the hospital went well...he is such a great baby, hope it stays that way ;-) We got up 3 times for a feeding which wasn't too bad. I am sure this is all going to catch up with us soon.

We are lucky to have our awesome nurse, Emily back for the day. She loves Greyson so much and is very helpful. She is even going to watch me give him a bath all by myself today to make sure I know what I am doing.

Doctors came in for rounds this morning and are still checking his Bilirubin (sp?) in the morning so we will get one more night of needed practice before going home tomorrow. We had the "car bed lady" in this morning and she and Michael installed the car seat. It isn't as stable as I would want but it has been car crash tested. We have our baby appointments made for next week in Joplin and for a follow up here all set up. Lactation came in for a final meeting and things are looking good in that department. We have a Infant CPR class at one and he has a hearing test sometime this afternoon.

Its a busy day but we are excited to have him home soon.
Brooke

Our First Hump Day

Today was another day back at CM with Greyson. We got there before the first feeding of the day so he was able to breastfeed instead of bottle. He has enough milk stored up now that hopefully he won't have to have formula. He is not big on the flavor and he usually spits it up some any way.

At rounds this morning we found out that our insurance company is pushing the doctors to figure out something to do and do it or discharge us. We are waiting around on one service, Radiology, to figure their suggestions before the team meets to come up with a final plan for us to decide on. AHHH just what we need is insurance sticking their nose in....or maybe that will get Radiology to do what they are supposed to do.

I had my follow up appointment with the OB and got the staples out. No issues, they just told me to take it easy and take care of myself. Guess Michael will still have to push me around in the wheel chair down the LONG hallways to get to the NICU.

We had a few visitors this afternoon and it made the day fly -
Rachel came by with a poster for Greyson's "condo" with his name on it. I asked if she might make something since she has picked up a little scrap-booking as a hobby. It is VERY cute (Thanks Rach).
Jonas stopped in for a bit after the afternoon feeding. We shared stories about Greyson and he shared stories about Mia.

Brandy came by and we played around with him even more. She fixed his hair (fauxhalk) and had a bit of a photo-shoot (see Gallery). Can't wait for Hank and Greyson to meet.

Gramps (my dad) and Grandma B (Becki) also stopped in for a visit. We sat in "Diner" and had dinner during the 7-8pm shift change. They visited Greyson for a while and then headed home.
At the end of the day today we asked Emily (day nurse) if we might move to a "condo" with a view (an open slot by the windows). The area is a bit bigger and we will be more comfortable for sure. Hopefully the night nurse Kelly will get us settled there before morning.

Better get going - falling asleep as I type. Everyone have a wonderful day tomorrow. We will have lots of visitors again and hopefully Radiology will come by for their consult.

Better go, the storm has set in. Love you all,
Brooke (and Michael)

A Short-term Plan

Today was a big day for Greyson....he started out his day in the NICU in his new window unit which was MUCH bigger than the other unit we were in but by the end of the day he had his very own Private Room. Now he can have as many visitors as he wants and Michael and I get to stay the night. We won't be enjoying that perk for long though, it seems we might be going home on Saturday morning.

We finally heard from the Radiologist today about what he can do for Greyson, but all of the doctors involved think they need more time to hear back from other specialist across North America before they make a recommendation. This is not a run of the mill kind of newborn problem where they can just turn in a book and see the treatment. Many kids are either born with this or it develops over time but it seems that the size of Greyson's mass sets him apart. All the doctors involved want to make sure they have all the information possible before they come up with a plan.

So the short term plan is for us to use a car bed to transport him home, see his pediatrician next week sometime, maybe have a home health care visit to draw blood, and then come back for a clinic visit here at CMH on Monday the 24th when the group will come back together with a few more doctors and develop the long term plan.

We are very excited to get to stay the night with him tonight to practice being real parents. The nurses are only here if we need them and are pretty hands off. They helped with a bath tonight (which he loved and hated) and come in to check vitals a couple of times but not really anything else.

Again we love all the support from our family and friends and know that without all of you we would feel lost. Where I thought when we went home from here things would all be resolved I have learned that this is just the beginning of the journey. I will continue to update the page until we go home and then make updates as we learn more (which will not be every day).

Thanks again,
Brooke (Michael & Greyson)

P-Highlights

Trying to keep this site informative but still fun so tonight's update is brought to you by the letter P (remember Sesame Street???).
Physicians (rounds) - Michael and I showed up early enough to catch rounds this morning which was lots of fun. Dr. Khmour (Greyson's Dr.) came in first leading about 10 others. They not only had residents going over their cases but they also talked to the parents to share information or ask questions. This morning it was a large posse of YOUNG doctors that are all doing their pediatric rotations. I asked the nurse how many will become neonatologists and she said probably none that it takes a special kind of person to be that kind of doctor. They were very concerned about the consults that were coming in from different groups (still missing radiology consult), the EKG that was done this morning which came back clear, and the results from the brain scan and some blood work. They did ask a few questions about when the growth was found and so forth and complimented us on the breastfeeding progress. Dr. Khmour also decided that their is a bit of a concern with mobility of his neck and arm so they called for a PT consult before leaving. The dermatologists also made their own rounds later and measured the growth and determined that it hasn't changed recently (another good thing).

Pee - One of the interesting things in a NICU is that they keep track of everything including pee. Not just how often babies have wet diapers but also how heavy they are. Yes, there is a scale and they weigh them and then put them in the trash. Emily, Greyson's day nurse says that he is quite a pee-er putting out lots of it. The doctors have even lowered his intake of fluids through his central line since he is drinking so much breast milk.


Physical Therapy - The PT consult showed in the afternoon and found that Greyson has great range of motion in his neck and arm when positioned differently and when we make it move. She has some passive exercises for us to do with him and some extra wedges to put under his head so that he won't get a flat spot. We want to make sure when it is gone that he will be able to move around with no problems.

Projectile Poo - The funniest part of the day was when it was my turn to change a poopy diaper. So we (Michael, Emily, and I) were all standing around and Michael was taking pictures since it was going to be my first messy diaper. No sooner than I got to wiping Greyson down then he decided he wasn't quite done and proceeded to have some PP (see section title). Luckily I was quick and caught it all in the diaper but we all got to laughing and it hurts so bad to laugh due the the incision that I had to sit down and Emily had to finish up for me. No worries though...I will have many more to come I am sure.

All in all a wonderful day with the boy. He met our friend Bob at lunch time and said good-bye to Grandma Shelia and Papa Charlie for a few days. I have added some pictures from the day...enjoy.
Brooke

A Slow Start

Hoping today doesn't fly by as fast as yesterday but i think it already might be. Michaeel and I are still getting around to head up to see Greyson since we overslept :( Think we might b a little tired????
We are going to leave and be up to the hospital by 9am. I had called to leave a message with Emily, Greysons Nurse, so that she would know when I could feed and she called right back to let me know he has already had a couple of tests this morning and is hungry now. She just wanted to check to see if we could come earlier but not to worry if we needed more time :) She is great!

I plan to try and put up a post from the hospital from the family resource room if possible and maybe try to take an afternoon break in one of the napping rooms provided by Ronald McDonald House at the hospital. You all wouldn't believe all the support provided by these two facilities. For those of you that wonder who you could donate to or volunteer for - I think it would be hard not to put these two facilities at the top of my list. Michael says he agrees. Must go, time to clean up and get up there to see our guy.
Brooke

For those of you that know me best - you will get a kick out of this. I have figured out how to multitask and be more proficient by learning how to type an update with one hand while holding the pump bottles with the other. Gives me 15 more minutes ;-) (Sorry for those of you guys that talking about "breast stuff" gives you the willies)

LONG Monday

It was a mad dash to get discharged from St. Luke's this morning, then off to get prescriptions filled, stopped at the Longfellow Park Ronald McDonald House to check into (move into) our new home, and finally to get to Children's Mercy to see Greyson, feed him, and meet with doctors throughout the day. Sorry to everyone that I didn't get an update posted today but at almost 1am on Tuesday morning, I am just now getting my computer turned on and adding some new photos to the gallery, making an update, checking comments, and catching up on email. Needless to say this update may be short and sweet but I am sure you all understand.

We did get settled into the Ronald McDonald House and have some new contact information to share if you need to get a hold of us. Mail can be sent to 2502 Cherry, Kansas City, MO 64108 and we can be reached in our room at 816-234-3340 or you can leave a message for us. This is a beautiful facility but I am not sure how often we are going to be here besides the sleeping hours.

Greyson was, of course, awesome again today. The nurses are in love with him and a few have asked if they could request to be his primary care nurse when they are on duty. My mom and Charlie spent the morning with him since we weren't able to get there until after noon. They had a wonderful time and even talked to a couple of doctors as they did rounds.

Rachel came to visit today and seemed to be smitten. He entertained her as doctors were in and out throughout the day talking with Michael and I about options in dealing with the growth. Greyson attempted breastfeeding again today with more success. The growth does cause a bit of a challenge so we are also feeding him with a bottle. Michael got to feed him his first breast milk bottle today and as I hear it Greyson sucked it down and I left him with a few more for the night.

The day ended with a visit from Gramps and Grandma Beck and then Michael and I went back for some quite time after dinner. It is amazing how calm it is in the NICU after dark and I love watching and listening to all the nurses - they love these kids so much and I know they love our Greyson as well.

So far there is no word from the doctors about what exactly is going to be done with him. The doctors that have evaluated the situation and run different tests are all supposed to put their heads together towards middle to the end of the week to figure out what the best possible solution for Greyson will be. Michael and I will be brought in (hopefully by Friday) and will make the final decisions. It is hard waiting but know it is all about getting Greyson better and not rushing into a decision just because we want something/anything done now.

Better get to be....exhausted. Enjoy the pictures and there are more to come.
Brooke

End of Day, Mother's Day

Greyson still has a touch of Jaundice and is under the "bili-lights" and is now getting some nourishment through IV to help with his dehydration. He did get some formula this evening (about an ounce) and was moved up a size in diapers....think the newborn size was a bit small to start with ;) He has lost a bit of weight and is now below 10 pounds but not by much. Hope that breastfeeding will be on a regular basis now that I won't have to spend so much time traveling between hospitals but I will still have to rest and recover.
Not much more to update about changes in Greyson's health but he did have a full afternoon and evening of visitors.
We had the chance to introduce him to friends this afternoon with more to come in the days to follow. John, Don, and Jackie all got to see him but couldn't hold him :( due to the need to keep him under the lights. Not sure how many more days that will last but we hope not many. It isn't very fun to not be able to hold him and love on him when we go see him. Michael and I had head back to St. Luke's so I could rest a bit more and recover and it was VERY hard, but we left knowing he was in good hands with Gramps (my dad) and Grandma Beck and then later in the evening, Grandma Shelia and Papa Charlie. It is so nice that Children's Mercy will let grandparents in when we aren't around....that leaves more opportunities for lovin'.
So far it sounds like I am getting out tomorrow (I hope early) after Dr.s rounds when I should get my staples out and get a prescription for some pain pills. Then we will get set up in Ronald McDonald house (Longfellow House) and FINALLY have some uninterrupted time with Greyson and a chance to talk to some doctors.
I couldn't have asked for a better gift for Mother's Day. Counting my blessings for sure and thank you for all the wonderful messages. We hope that all the Mother's reading about our family had special days themselves ;)
Brooke

Afternoon Mother's Day

One visit down and another to go. We spent the morning at Children's Mercy with Greyson and had the chance to try and feed him again. He is not eating much these days but any time we get to hold him is great. Feeding and burping are challenging but we are getting it done with a little help from Kyla our nurse in the NICU. Check out the new picture in the Gallery of Michael burping him.

It seems that little Greyson was all about getting a tan today. He developed a little Jaundice over night and has been put under the big lights and is sporting a rock star set of shades. It is a slight case and is not expected to get worse. He is also a little dehydrated and is getting some extra fluids tonight.
We also talked to the plastic surgeon and have an appointment to talk with him further about what we might do tomorrow.

Leaving now to see him again. May update again or sometime tomorrow.
Brooke

Early Morning, Mother's Day

It's early and I can't sleep...think it is in anticipation of getting to go see Greyson again today. Hoping to make two longer visits around his feeding times and trying to see if he will be up for more nursing. Trying to coordinate some friends visits so that maybe they can come and see him as well. Can't wait to share him with everyone.
Dad and Beck were able to visit us last night and then headed over to see Greyson. They said he didn't fuss a bit and was, of course, the most beautiful baby. Wish they could hold him but with all the stuff he is hooked up to it is very hard....maybe next time. Michael went over and spent some time with him as well. He talked to the nurse about how his first formula feedings went and she said he did spit up a bit of it so they are going to talk to the Dr. about that and hope it doesn't continue. He has lost a bit of weight and is just under 10 lbs but still doing good.
Michael ended up staying here with me last night and we both got some much needed sleep. I don't think he has moved a bit since laying down in the recliner and is sleeping so hard he isn't even snoring (yeah).
Thinking about Mother's Day and my mothers that have been there for me for my whole life (or just parts).... think I might "get it" a little bit more now. I need to give them more than just an "I Love You" and a card today and thought about what better place than here to tell everyone how wonderful they are and how lucky I am to have them all. Thanks Mom, Diane, and Beck. They are all giving so much to make Greyson's entrance into the world easier and I know will give and do so much more to make him happy (and help me out as well).
It is so special to have this little guy in our lives and I still can't imagine how much he is going to change it all. I will send out an update or two later today. To all of our friends, enjoy your Mother's Day and your Mothers.

Saturday Update

Wow, it has been a long day. Michael stayed with Greyson last night at Children's Mercy while I recovered at St. Luke's and neither of us got much sleep so today has been a tiring one.

Greyson ended up having to have a blood transfusion late last night due to anemia. After blood tests this morning we are happy to say that that issue has been resolved for now. There were a few scans done as well and doctors are now up in the air about the type of growth it is. We are getting lots of speculation about what can be done to take care of him and how long it might take. Hopefully after the plastics doctors see him tomorrow, or maybe even Monday, we can get a better idea of a plan. Until all of the doctors meet we really don't know what is going to happen.

The awesome thing is that Greyson is doing great besides the growth. He is so cute, sweet, beautiful, and more. I was able to get a pass to go to Children's Mercy today - it felt so weird to be going to see our baby for just the 2nd time in 24 hours. Michael was the perfect dad who knew all the ins and outs of the NICU and what Greyson needs and wants. Greyson and I finally got to get to know each other and he even got to eat a bit. With the help he latched on and did great (thanks to my sister Tralaine for her guidance). We will have to supplement with formula for now but hopefully not for long.

Again, THANK YOU to everyone that has sent us the caring messages. They help us remember all the people who are rooting for us and have our backs. Michael, Greyson, and I are very lucky to have you all.

Other updates - I have been moved to Room 2437 at St. Luke's and will be discharged on Monday morning and we plan to go on to the Ronald McDonald house from there. If you would like to talk please call 816-932-2947, my iPhone is again having problems and I can't seem to get any texts or phone calls so please email or call the hospital for now. Hopefully we will get that fixed by Monday. Also, I added a couple more photos to the gallery.

Keep us in your thoughts. More updates to come tomorrow and days to follow.
Brooke (& Michael)

Greyson Transfer

So it's Brooke...sitting here in the hospital laid up while Greyson has been transferred to Children's Mercy. I am sure they are taking care of him but still I am sad that I am stuck here. It's comforting to know that his Dad is by his side.

It seems that what we thought was a Lymphangioma is really Hemangioma which means that the vascular system is involved. The doctors are assessing him now with some blood test and a MRI. Michael is keeping us posted.

If you need to contact us, our cell phones are not operating in here so call my room number 816-932-2949 and/or e-mail.

Thanks for all the messages and we will let you know more as we know more.
Brooke.

He Has a Name

Welcome Greyson Shane Higgins! He is going to Childrens Hospital
for further evaluation and Brooke is going to the mother/son room
at St. Lukes.

He is Here!

Our new baby boy is here and he is resting and so is mother
Brooke! They are both fine and doing well.

(Posted by Step-dad Charlie G)

He's a Long Boy!

He has a dark head of hair, is 20 and a quarter inches and 10 lbs 6 ounces. He is the biggest boy in the room!

Grandpa Charlie G.

Getting Ready

We are here at the hospital and all set up. Expecting C-Section to start at 10am. Family will post an update soon after with pictures to come later. We are so excited and can't wait to meet our new baby.
Brooke

Too Close for Comfort

They say close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes but today was a bit to close for comfort. After the Amnio today I started having some pretty strong contractions that didn't seem to want to go away and was monitored by the doctors office and then sent up to labor and delivery to see what was going on. They had us (Allison and I) practically convinced that I would not be going home and would be having the baby early. Luckily by the time the doctor came in the contractions were not as bad and she went ahead and sent me home to relax and rest and be ready to go on Friday.
Whew, that was a little too close...all I could think was that poor Michael was going to have to pack for us since all I left the house with was an emergency hospital bag with some toiletries and some clothes. I am so happy to be home to pack properly and prepare in our own home.
The best part of the day was that we found out the baby's lungs are good and we are a go for Friday 10AM. Check back after that for an update and hopefully some pictures.
We owe Allison BIG - she kept me calm and helped communicate what was going on with Michael and others. She even drove me home. Thanks again to all of our family and friends for the support. This baby is sure loved ;)
Brooke (& Michael)

Carepages Info & More

Another week down and one to go. Time is really starting to fly now and the to-do list is of course growing. My last day of work is Monday and Michael will work until Thursday. The baby is doing well, moving around a lot, kicking and pushing, and letting us know he is getting bigger and running out of room.
We have been reading the messages some of you have left for us. Thanks for all the well wishes and kind words. Unfortunately, we can not respond to the messages, only read them. So if you would like us to respond you can email my Gmail account: higgins.brooke@gmail.com .
Also...you can set this up so that new updates are sent directly to your email. That way you won't have to log in over and over to see if have added anything new. I think you need to scroll to the bottom of the main page and it is below the "donations" section.
The plan now is to add another update after our doctor's appointment on Wednesday to confirm that we will deliver on Friday and then update again on Friday once he is here; we hope to include a picture as well. After that, we will update daily or as we get more news about the baby's progress.
Thanks again for all your support,
Brooke & Michael