Monday, September 19, 2005

Baby Grace is Home!!!

This is Doctor Catanzarite He is the brilliant doctor who saved baby Grace. He diagnosed Grace with her heart condition immediately and spared no effort to see her born healthy. He was a blessing from God. By the way, two of our doctors have both an M.D. and a Ph.D. They even impressed me! Truly in the presence of two brilliantly gifted men.

Fashion Shots


We are on our way!

Home Sweet Home - This beautiful crib is on loan from a good friend. His dad made it for him when he was an infant. It is a functional work of art.


Grace is home and Jenn is doing well. Her mom is here for the week helping out and trying to keep Jenn from doing too much (good luck!). We have our regular pediatric appointment on Wednesday and are planning on seeing the heart doctor next Monday. He will give us a monitor to put on Grace for 24 hours to see how her heart is doing. From there we will determine how often we need to see him. Right now it will probably be two weeks after that, then a month, then every few months unless any issues come up.

She is so beautiful and so tiny but perfect in every way. Here is one picture that may give you an idea of how tiny she really is.


Words cannot express enough how much we appreciate your love and interest in our lives. We know that we are here, and more importantly that Grace is here, because of your prayers to an Almighty Father. At the end of the day we named our daughter Grace because we knew that only the grace of God would allow us to see this day.

If I have a really good shot I will post a picture on this site. Also, I will give you updates if there are any changes in Grace's condition. I will also use this site from time to time to share any ramblings I have on life especially now that my life is irrevocably altered. Check back in a few days, now that the blogger bug has gotten me I don't think I'll stay away too long. Thanks and I love you.

Feel free to right click and save any pictures you want. I would be honored.

Sincerely,

Dave, Jenn and now, Baby Grace

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone by the Glory!)

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Baby Grace Pictures

Mother and Child


Daddy and Daughter




Close-up


We have recieved news that Grace can go home tomorrow (Sunday)!!! However, since Jenn will not be released until Monday Grace will be brought up to her room for the night. What an amazing answer to prayer Grace continues to be! Thank you for all your love and prayer. God's Grace has sustained us throughout this time.

With Love and Prayers,

David and Jennifer

Soli Deo Gloria

Grace Report

Grace continues to do well in the NICU and she is off the heat lamp and they have taken her off of some of the more intensive monitoring that they often do with babies who are premature and have medical problems.

It is amazing that the body can adjust for a long time to a low heart rate and complete heart blockage. Her oxygen level continues to be at or close to 100%, she is eating well and has good color. She has a slight rash but it does not seem to be associated with the Sjogren's or the neonatal lupus (which is a skin rash we will be looking for because it is also associated with Sjogren's antibody.). It is just plain-old newborn baby rash.

We don't know for sure when Grace will be able to come home. It could be as early as this Sunday or it may be a week or two. What it is most dependent on right now is not the heart condition which is doing fine, but on how well she eats and her general overall health.

Dave

SDG

Friday, September 16, 2005

Good Night Grace Rose Monreal



Dear Grace Rose Monreal,

For the first time I set my eyes on you today. My heart flooded with emotions I didn’t even know I had. How could someone I have never met before fill my heart with so much love and joy? Only seconds after you were born I heard you cry for the first time. As I held your mother’s hand tears of joy began streaming down my face as well.

We were prepared for anything medically, and spiritually our hearts rested firmly upon our Sovereign God. The night before you were born, your mother and I prayed for you and committed you to the Lord. This morning as we prepared to go to the delivery room we listened to worship songs and again prayed to entrust you to the hand of our Loving Father.

After you were born, they quickly rushed you to another table to examine you. We barely had time to catch your birth on video (yeah, we took video). The doctors and nurses gathered around you anticipating that you might have some medical trauma but thankfully you disappointed them. I was anxiously holding my breath but you just kept squirming and crying like a newborn baby does. Your mom got to hold you for the first time before they whisked you away to NICU (Natal Intensive Care Unit).

The rest of the day has been like a dream, the best dream I have ever had. I couldn’t take my eyes off of you. It reminded me of when I met your mom. I just kept looking in awe at the beauty of God’s creation. They took you down to intensive care but you just breezed through it. They poked and prodded but you just rolled your eyes and went back to sleep. A stream of family and friends came by and you blessed them just by being you.

You truly are amazing Grace. You amazed the nurse by eating the first time your mom tried to feed you then you proved everything else was working fine too. Tonight when I held you in my arms I didn’t want to let you go, not now, not ever. I talked to you, introduced myself to you and told you about myself. I asked you not to watch too much television and please don't get annoyed when I try to tell you what I think.

Some day you are going to be a woman with a mind of your own. I will walk you down the aisle and place your hand into the hand of your husband to be. Someday I’ll be there when you are having your first child. But for now, tonight, you are daddy’s little girl. Goodnight Miss Grace Rose Monreal.

Love,

Daddy

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Grace has arrived!







God is good all the time. This photo is a demonstration of God's grace and goodness in our lives. With literally thousands of people praying around the world for our baby Grace, she has lived up to her name. The heart doctor was just in and said that things could not be better and that Grace can go home as soon as the perinatal doctor gives her the okay. As far as her heart goes we will have regular check-ups and eventually will need a pacemaker but not today!

Jenn is resting and she is doing well. Grace ate for the first time like a champ then immediately demonstrated that the other end also was in working order. She had her first bath and mother and daughter are resting comfortably.

I will post more pictures soon.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

It's a go for Thursday!!!

Dear Friends,

We have final confirmation that Grace will be born sometime shortly after 9:00 AM tomorrow morning. The next post I send will give you an update on how the C-Section has gone and if Grace needs a pacemaker immediately. The doctor is optimistic that she won't but we will wait to see at the time. Please keep us in your prayers. Thanks for your love and support.

Sincerely,

Dave

Soli Deo Gloria

Grace May be Delivered Tomorrow

The doctor was in this morning for an ultrasound and things are looking good. Grace is at 5 and a half pounds and her lung development seems good. Her movement is a little below normal but that is most likely a small side effect of the Lovanox that Jenn is on. After considering the entire situation the doctor decided to do an amnio (checking the amniotic fluid) and visually it looks like Grace's lungs are developed enough for her to be delivered.

We are waiting for the lab results to confirm what he has seen visually. If everything comes back fine (which he assumes it will) we will be delivering Grace tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM (Pacific Time which is noon on the East Coast and 11:00 AM in the Midwest). I will keep you informed as to what is happening moment by moment and I will have my digital camera and a video camera. I will post pictures once she is here. Sorry for being a slacker so far about that for those of you who have commented about that (you know who you are).

Look here for the latest information as it becomes available.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Jenn and Baby Grace - September 8

Dear Friends,

Our doctor has seen Jenn again and taken another ultrasound. The levels are up to an acceptable level being around 7.1cc which is the good news. However, the doctor thinks that they have increased due in large measure to the IV that Jenn is on in the hospital. That being the case it seems that he is prepared to keep her there until the baby is born next month. He has been vague as to the specific plan of action or if there is any possibility of her coming home anytime in the next month.

Jenn asked him why the fluid level has dropped like this and he seems to think that it is because of Jenn's other medical condition having Lupus anticoagulant which has the tendency to cause low fluid levels during pregnancy. Also, because the heart rate is slow Grace is not urinating as frequently as she would otherwise. Jenn is taking the situation well all things consider and we realize that this is a small sacrifice to pay when we consider the long-term health of our baby.

For my part I try to be with her in the hospital as much as possible realizing that my first responsibility and first ministry is to my family. Fortunately she is in such wonderful hands that when I cannot be there I know that she is being cared for by the best medical staff possible. She is doing great otherwise other than being bored and getting sick of lying down or sitting on a chair with an IV in her arm.

If you have any questions feel free to email me at GodFollower1983@cox.net and I will try to answer anything that you want to know.

Soli Deo Gloria

Monday, September 05, 2005

Back in the hospital for now - Continued

The doctor came back this afternoon to retest the fluid. Once again it was at 5.5cc which is what it was yesterday. A night of IV and fluids has not brought it up substantially. Jenn will be in the hospital tonight and will be evaluated again tomorrow. In addition to the fluid being low in the measurements it is visibly low when they are looking for pockets of fluid to measure.

Tomorrow we will have two significant tests. First, we will have the ultrasound to see if the regiment of fluids and IV are working. In addition to that we will have the echocardiogram if the doctors are able to come over from the other part of the hospital. We were told today that we would not be able to travel over there for the test. It will be disappointing not to be able to find out how her heart is doing since it has been a month since the last test. We have another one scheduled next week as a backup.

We appreciate your love and prayers very much. Please feel free to send words of encouragement as well. Jenn and I both appreciate them very much. Things are not always easy but God is always good. We know that His hand is in this situation and is on our lives as well as on Grace's life. We don't know why we are going through this or what He has in store but we know that ultimately it will redound to his glory.

Soli Deo Gloria

Back in the hospital for now

Yesterday when Jenn went in to the morning appointment the fluid level was again low. The reading was at a 5cc which is below what is acceptable. It would be great to have it around 9-11cc. They have her on an IV and are continuing to have her drink three liters of water and a liter of Gatorade. Our primary physician is on vacation but should return tomorrow. We also have a heart checkup tomorrow which will also give us further information on what is happening with Grace's heart.

I will write again this evening and let you know what the fluid level is today and if Jenn will be coming home.

Soli Deo Gloria