Just chilling

Sometimes after a long day it's nice to come home and just chill at least that's what Kas and Cooper think.




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Life getting back to normal

Life is settling into a routine, I was able to mow my lawn this week for the first time in a month.  It felt pretty good and is a sign that we may be settling back into normal - what ever that is at our house - right.

Friday afternoon Mardee was feeling a little cabin fever so we went for a ride.  Mardee and I took Bailee, Sydnee, Ainslee and Cooper on a leaf collecting ride.  The fall colors are just starting to show and Friday was a perfect day for an outing.  The girls had fun collecting leaves and Cooper was a good sport and slept the whole time.

Friday night Kasadee watched Cooper (while he slept) and I took Mardee out for a quick dinner in Heber.  Kas - you rock!

Because it was nice to get some fresh air I decided a 4-wheeler ride was in order, Saturday Kasadee, Toree and Sydnee went with me for a ride.  We rode from Wasatch State park to the back side of Alta, about 25 miles round trip.  Great day for a ride and we had a lot of fun.  The aspens are a not really turning colors yet, next weekend should be nice.

Kasadee ate a little road dirt

Sydnee, Kasadee and Toree 

Sydnee and Toree at the mine site

Kas - you may have missed a spot

Toree - how does she look cute - even with dirt on her face?

Cooper Update

I know I know, I haven't posted for a week

Cooper updates

Cooper is doing great - he has gained a pound over the past week and his oxygen stats have increased from 70 to 80 so hopefully he can be oxygen free soon and we can finally have a cordless baby.  He is a great baby although we find that for some reason when you hold him time seems to evaporate.  But there aren't many better things to spend a few hours doing than holding him - right.

He is continually watched over, carried, kissed, mauled, and pampered - his sisters are always on hand to help.  I told Mardee tonight most boys can only dream of this much attention from 5 cute girls - yes I am partial but we do have some cute kids.

Grandma Neta stopped by for a visit (I think she wanted to be sure it really was a boy)

Cooper Bath time

Plenty of helpers

Fresh duds

Grandpa Glen holds his first grandson

The girls trying to make Cooper into a smurf

Taking Cooper for a walk 

All together again

What a great day,

I picked up Mardee and Cooper around 9 today at the hospital.  Cooper came home on Oxygen and a monitor system so we don't quite have a "wireless" baby yet but he is home and we are very happy to have him here.

Of course the little guy hasn't been in his bed since he got here.  Not quite sure if he will ever learn to walk because I don't know if he will ever be put down.  I think the term is spoiled - he deserves it.

Mardee took a long nap today which gave me some some dad and Cooper time before the girls got home from school.  It was very nice to hold him w/o being bugged, observed or listening to beeping monitors.  Yep glad to be out of the hospital

Melissa and Kourtnie decorated the house for the home coming and Dolly and Kira brought a nice dinner.  We have awesome friends and neighbors!!

Funny of the day - Toree said "you need to point his weenie down or he pees all over" - lol I think this little boy is going to be a whole lot of new experiences for the family.

I said I wasn't cutting off the arm bands until Cooper was home - just cut them off - yeah!!

Going home!!!!!

On our way home - yeah!!!







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Kasadee and Cooper

From the day Kasadee found out she was going to have a little brother there has been an instant bond between Kas and Cooper. It has been so fun to watch that bond grow each time they are together. Cooper knows all his sisters voices but is especially animated when Kasadee talks. Yesterday when she was in the room he was smiling so much when she was talking that milk was dribbling out of his mouth. We had to make her be quiet because he wouldn't eat - almost like he was performing for her.





Kasadee and Cooper already best buddies.



Kas and her new baby brother.


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Relaxing

With all the running around we have done over the past few weeks we haven't spent much time as a family. Mardee price-lined hotel rooms in Provo so we could spend more time together and be close to Cooper.

It has been a lot of fun - the girls are taking full advantage of the pool to unwind a little and we are only 3 minutes away from the hospital.





Girls unwinding at the pool

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Look ma - no feeding tube

Cooper passed his 24 hour request test last night so his feeding tube was removed today - well he pulled it out before they could get his hands off it - lol


Tonight Mardee is spending the night with Cooper and he comes home tomorrow!!!!!! Yeah







Cooper w/o his feeding tube.

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Two tests down

Cooper passed his 12 hour test - no feeding through the feeding tube only bottle when he wants it.

Now he is doing his 90 min car seat test - which he will pass of course.





Then he will rest for 12 hours and hopefully we can start the 24 hour test tomorrow.

We are getting close - he will come home on oxygen to eat because he can't quite maintain eating, breathing, and swallowing. Overall he is doing great.



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WOW what a week!!

Sorry for the delay in postings this week.  It has been a crazy week and I have neglected to keep the blog updated.  Let me catch up:

First - A huge thanks to my team at work who took on extra jobs to cover for me while I was out last week!!  I truly appreciate all you have done for me and my family.

Mardee is continuing to show improvement - I think she is doing great, she has been cleared to drive if needed - however we are not pushing that one.  She is feeling better each day, the challenge is to keep her from overdoing it.  Yea right....

The girls are feeling the reality of having a new baby in the NICU, as mom and dad are constantly running and not around as much as we would like to be.  They are each being troopers and understand the situation but are anxious to get things back to normal as soon as possible.  Normal - what's that - right??

Cooper continues to show improvement, he has moved to 4 per day feedings with the bottle and even took a bottle last night from the nurse.  He usually doesn't like to eat for anyone besides Mardee and I.  They tried to remove his oxygen today but turned it back up - he still needs oxygen when eating so two steps forward, one step back...  The next hurdle is the 12 hour on-demand feeding which I believe they will start tonight or tomorrow, this is where the nurses let him sleep and wake up when he is hungry to see how he responds to on-demand food.  If he does well with the 12 hour test we move onto a 24 hour test.

Sleeping

Chomp chomp

Smile

Bath time

Asleep in the tub - notice the lounging with the leg out.  

Bailee's Birthday

Today is Bailee's 11th Birthday.  All she wanted for her birthday was to hold Cooper - unfortunately the NICU has a very strict policy of siblings only visiting on the weekend and after several call's to the NICU they upheld their policy and we weren't able to let her hold Cooper today.

For those of you who really know me you know my thought on rules - "for every rule there is a way around it...."  Because of this Bailee and I told a trip to the NICU at 11:30 pm last night for Coopers late night feeding so Bailee got to hold Cooper on her birthday after all....  (for any of my girls reading this I do not condone breaking the rules until you are over 25 and have moved out of my house)

Bailee and Cooper

Cooper continues to show improvement - today they started weaning him from oxygen.  He has lost a little weight over the past two day's.  We think this is because he is using so many more of his systems that he was before - breathing, heating his body and eating three times per day, etc.  Because of this they are putting a few more calories in his milk to help him fatten up.  I offered to give him a little fat but that's not the kind he needs.  Oh well I guess it will keep me warm this winter.

Cooper 8 day's old

Cooper blowing kisses to mom.

3 a day's - Sunday update

When I was in high school 3 a day's meant getting you in shape for football season.  In the NICU 3 a day's mean three bottles per day.  That's what Sunday brought for Cooper.  One more step closer for our little man to come home.

Sunday also brought a visit from Grandma Carol, she got to see Cooper for the first time Sunday morning and was able to hold him after he ate breakfast.  Grandma and Grandpa Godfrey arrived for a visit on Sunday afternoon as well.

Toree and Ainslee missed their chance to hold Cooper on Saturday and were able to finally hold him Sunday afternoon.

Ainslee and Cooper

Toree and Cooper

Cooper had a busy day on Sunday and was pretty tired - I think we will do things differently next week - I thin we over did it a bit with the visits and holding him.  He was pretty tired by the end of the day.

New bed and clothes!

Today Mardee woke up with a cold sore - which unfortunately kept her from seeing Cooper in person - I know it stinks and Mardee being the trooper she is made the best of it by catching up on rest and taking care of things at home.  Great news is we have her on medicine and hopefully she will be able to visit tomorrow.

I made the 10:30 am feeding trip with Bailee and Kasadee   Today Cooper was taken off the lights and moved to a big boy bed AND is now wearing a shirt.

After I fed Cooper Kasadee and Bailee got to hold him.  You can tell from the smiles on their faces that they are having a good time.

Kasadee and Cooper

Baille and Cooper

Cooper in his new bed.

Sydnee and I made the trip back to Provo for Cooper's 7:30 feeding, he ate much better tonight (might be because I am getting the hang of it!!) and after eating Sydnee got a turn holding him.

Sydnee and Cooper

I think the Nurses think I am the craziest dad they have ever met but seem to be tolerating me.  Earlier today one nurse asked me if I needed her to show me how to change a diaper - I said I will give it a shot, after I changed him she said WOW where did you learn to do that - you did a good job, I said this isn't my first rodeo...

When I arrived tonight our nurse was getting ready to feed Cooper via the feeding tube, I asked if I could feed him - she looked at me and said are you sure?  Have you ever fed Cooper?  I said no but I have fed quite a few calves on the farm - same concept right......

Cooper is making steady progress - doing better each and every day.  Thanks to everyone for meals and helping us out.

Friday Update - Late

Sorry for not posting and update last night - I ran out of gas and crashed but it was a great day.

First Cooper is cordless - or almost - Friday they removed his PIC line and arterial line and at long last I was able to hold our little man - pretty cool!

Later in the day I took Mardee home and went back to the hospital to met Aunt Melanie who of course wanted to visit Cooper.  Once at the hospital I found out they were planning to move Cooper from the ICU to the "Feeders and Growers" area so, Cooper took a little field trip (which is great).  Once settled into his new area I met with Annie who was planning to teach Cooper how to eat at 8:00 - AAAAHHHH, we definitely weren't planning on this since Mardee was in Heber with the girls.  After a bit of scrambling and quick planning.  Melissa brought Mardee and the girls to Provo where Melanie and I met them.  I took Mardee back to the hospital and Melanie took the girls back home (thanks Melissa and Melanie).

At 8:00 on Friday night Mardee was able to feed Cooper his first bottle.  Our little man did great he ate 3/4 of his first bottle and was able to snuggle with Mardee for a bit.

Friday was another day of great progress.

Magical night

Tonight was one of those nights that make me happy and thankful to be a dad.  We took the girls to meet Cooper for the first time.  The ride down the canyon was probably the longest trip to Provo any of the girls have ever made.  They were practically running through the parking lot to see their little baby brother.  I wish I could capture the un-deniable love each of the girls have for their little brother.

Once at the hospital we took each of the girls back one at a time to meet Cooper.  Pictures will never do it justice but I took quite a few.  The order was Ainslee, Sydnee, Bailee, Toree and Kasadee (youngest to oldest).  Ainslee and Sydnee were able to see Cooper on his belly with his sweet shades on then Bailee was in the room when they turned him on his back and our FABULOUS nurse Lindsey let Bailee take his temp (which she thought was pretty cool).  Toree was next and helped change his diaper (poop and all), Toree also got to help Nurse Lindsey listen to Coopers heart.  next Kasadee helped clean out his mouth and feed him through the feeding tube.  The highlight was Nurse Lindsey letting Mardee hold Cooper for the first time.  It was an awesome sight and one that I will never forget.  We brought each of the girls back in to be with Mardee and Cooper and give him a kiss good night before we left.

The girls wanted to kidnap Cooper and bring him home, he is not quite ready to come home and still has a long road ahead of him but he is doing excellent.  I couldn't be more proud of my family - I have been blessed beyond belief!!

Ainslee with Cooper - a little timid - it won't last long

Sydnee all smiles - she wanted to know what every cord and wire was for - our little nurse in the making

Bailee wanted to put cooper in the diaper bag and smuggle him out of the NICU, hopefully they keep closer tabs on him than that.

Toree helping out, did I mention she changed the first poopy diaper of the family - YEAH Toree!

Double click and check out Coopers Face

Instant bond between Kasadee and Cooper - SO CUTE!

Yep - he is right where he belongs

Kas feeding Cooper

Our little man, snug as a bug with mom