Little Sleep

We're adjusting to being home with Toby. He's really a very good baby and doesn't cry unless he's hungry or uncomfortable. The biggest challenges of the last few days have been making sure we catheterize him properly, keeping him awake enough to eat, and caring for his incisions, etc. We're also trying to function without sleep. Toby likes to be held while he's sleeping in the middle of the night, so that makes it difficult for us to sleep. Thankfully the doctor said we could try cathing every 4 hours at night and every 3 hours during the day, so hopefully this will allow us to get some more rest. Bruce and I both miss Conor and Garrett. They'll be home on Monday. It's very quiet around here without them. I'm trying to appreciate that, but I think we're ready to have our family all back together again. Thankfully we do have help these next 2 weeks, so I won't be completely on my own yet. Pray that we have wisdom differentiating between normal baby behaviors and behaviors that would tell us his shunt is malfunctioning. This is one thing that has been stressful for us. Thank you for continuing to lift us up.

Carrie is Discharged

Thank you to Erika for starting it up so friends and family could stay updated. I was discharged from Riverside Hospital yesterday, and I'm feeling pretty good. I was actually able to walk to the elevators today while seeing Toby today, instead of being wheeled up in the wheelchair! :)
Toby is doing great! His back is healing from surgery, and he's drinking bottles and nursing well when I'm there to feed him. He's such a piggy - gained 8 oz. since Saturday! :) He weighed 6 lbs. 2 oz. today.They performed the CT scan of his head this morning, and it only took about 5 minutes. He opened one eye as if to say this is comfortable, and then went back to sleep (He was wrapped in his blanket and had cotton around his head so he wouldn't move during the scan). We don't know the exact results of the scan, but tomorrow morning they are doing surgery to put the shunt in. Surgery is scheduled for about 7:30-8:00 a.m. They will insert a rubber valve (which is the shunt) into the fluid filled part of the brain, and feed it through his neck and body cavity into his stomach. As fluid builds up in the ventricles of the brain, the shunt drains the fluid down the tubing and into the abdomen. The surgery should only take an hour. Please pray for us as it will be a long day at the hospital, and for a quick recovery for Toby.We've been blessed to have my family here visiting and taking care of the house and the boys. Last night Grandma and Grandpa Holt stayed with Toby so we could celebrate a late Christmas. Today the boys left to go to Michigan with my parents, and it's been a little difficult, but we know this is the best place for the them, and for us. My sister Lynsey is staying with us this week to transport me to the hospital when needed and to take care of us. She cleaned the house today, which was a huge blessing. Bruce and I are so thankful to our parents and siblings for taking care of the boys, being with Toby when we couldn't be, and just being there through all of this.God has been so good to us. I just can't even express His goodness. Things have gone much smoother than I could have even imagined, and we are continually encouraged by everyone's prayers and the love poured out on us.