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Saturday, January 31, 2009

One day after surgery...

Jeff and I are definately riding the roller coaster of the NICU. One minute things can be so encouraging, and the next minute you can be going down fast. The hours after surgery were part of that "going down fast." While we trust that God has Jacob in his hands, that doesn't make it any easier to experience. Jacob's vitals were very unstable throughout yesterday afternoon. This is related to post-surgery. An X-Ray found that air had collected in his chest and abdomen outside of his lungs, possibly due to new lung tissue on the right side being expanded. Air was leaking out through the right lung tissue, which caused Jacob's vitals to drop within minutes. Jeff and I were standing at his bedside and we felt a change in Jacob, then within a minute or two his vitals had dropped. As part of the surgery, they had placed a line in his chest to drain excess fluid. Once they opened this tube, immediately the air was evacuated from his chest and his vitals began to improve. This is just one example of the "roller coaster" ups and downs we experience since entering the NICU. After that episode, Jacob climbed up the hill and remained stable most of the evening and into today.

Here are a few pictures we captured of our sweet baby boy. He continues to fight. Keep on praying!

Jacob (post-surgery)

Precious Little Feet

Beautiful hands

22 comments:

  1. He is beautiful little warrior! We're praying for God to continue to work miracles for him.

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  2. Thank you for keeping the blog updated. I am praying hard for all of you. I will give an update to my Sunday School class in the morning. Sending up all the prayers I can.

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  3. I can't imagine the roller coaster you guys are on . . . we are continuing to pray! Thanks for all the updates - so many are checking all the time! I'm so glad you are taking pictures of his sweet features - what a gift from God!

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  4. Oh that hand! That beautiful, beautiful baby boy's hand! Isn't it just miraculous?

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  5. I wish that I could ease the pain of what you are experiencing right now. Unless you have had a baby in the NICU you can't begin to understand what a roller coaster ride this is! My heart goes out to you. I somewhat understand what you are going through because of my years of working in the NICU. I understand the medical terms, the lab values, the vent settings, etc. As a parent I understand the feelings of wanting to take away all the discomfort(s) your baby is experiencing. But... I have not had a baby in an intensive care unit so I cannot truly understand the emotional ride which you are on. Only those who have experienced it can understand. Just know that we are all praying for baby Jacob. We are praying that God will continue to place His loving arms around both of you. To give you comfort and strength as you make decisions regarding Jacob's care. You have displayed such incredible faith and courage. Hang in there! We will continue to pray for you. Thanks for updating us.

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  6. Jeff, Julie & Jacob

    We are standing with you and praying for all of you. One of my favorite books in the Bible is Psalm 91. I pray this for all of you especially, Jacob:
    Psalm 91:14-16 Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him, and let him behold My salvation.

    I want this sweet child to play t-ball, ride a bike, swim in the ocean, open presents on Christmas morning, kiss a girl, go to college, have a beautiful wife, 3 sons of his own and play with his great grandchildren. Have a story of faith that all will marvel at !! He already has a wonderful story of faith and hope. We serve a mighty God.
    We love you and are praying for you.

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  7. I second Jenny's comment above....I think the photos you are capturing of Jacob and the intimate details like the curled fingers are incredible! You know he's thinking "I love when I grasp my mommy and daddy's pinky with my hands...ahh I feel so loved"!

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  8. I was up at 2am praying for you guys and Jacob. Love the sweet pictures

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  9. The pictures are precious! Thank you for sharing these moments with us, so that we can get to know a little bit about your little fighter. We are continuing to pray for Jacob and his strength to continue fighting. For his wonderful parents that you may continue to have the strength to go through everyday on this roller coaster. And for the doctors and nurses who are working with Jacob that they are given the wisdom, the knowledge, and the steady hands to care for sweet Jacob.

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  10. Gabe and I are praying hard for your family! At church this morning Dean said a special prayer just for Jacob and your family. It was very touching. Let us know if you need food or anything else.

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  11. As always, we love you and are praying for you.

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  12. Julie and Jeff,

    I love the pictures of Jacob's hands and feet. They are absolutely precious. Please treasure and remember these moments. We are praying for you and your family throughout this time. Remember that in order to appreciate the rainbow God gives to us all, we must go through the storm. We are all here for you and we love you more than words can say. From one mom to another, your son is precious.

    Love,
    Ryan and Jeremy

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  13. although i don't know you personally, you and your precious family have been constantly on my heart the past few days. i am praying for God to work a miracle for sweet little Jacob. He is beautiful--what sweet little hands and feet.

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  14. Still praying for you, Jeff, and sweet, strong Jacob.

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  15. Jacob is so beautiful! It was a joy to get to pray for you all at church this morning. We continue to pray for you at home too and have asked our friends to read your blog and pray for you all constantly. You continue to be in our thoughts and prayers!
    Jessica Cook (Woodmont)

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  17. I'm a friend of Chad and Laura Beth's and I've been praying for you and your sweet little guy the past few weeks. We will continue to keep you in our hearts and prayers.

    Love, Ericka Maple

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  18. This morning during church the 3 of you were especially on my heart. We were singing and proclaiming this Psalm, one of my favorites . . .
    Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.
    Give thanks to the God of gods.
    His faithful love endures forever.
    Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
    His faithful love endures forever.
    Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles.
    His faithful love endures forever.

    . . . Give thanks to Him who skillfully and lovingly knit Jacob together
    . . . Give thanks to Him who has time and again given the miracle of breath and life
    . . . Give thanks to Him who has blessed you with so many precious moments with Jacob
    . . . Give thanks to Him who gives you the strength and love to endure even the wildest of roller coasters
    His faithful love endures forever!!

    I love you! You are continually in my thoughts and in my prayers!

    Jenna

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  19. You are all in my prayers continuously throughout each day.... Bob showed us a dvd in worship this morning of pictures of Jacobs journey this far from when you arrived at the hospital, it was so awesome! Stay strong, and keep on believing... God is GOOD, ALL the time. Love you guys,
    ~Hugs~ Marie

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  20. I continually pray for your beautiful baby boy! I pray that the Lord keeps you both strong and that one day you won't have these things to worry about anymore! Just knowing that God loves your baby more than you can imagine is such a BLESSING! He will keep him safe no matter what! I truly believe this! Hang in there...God will guide you all!
    ~Heather

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  21. I talked to Gramma Jo today. She wants you to know that she was able to talk and sing to Little Jacb and when she reached down to touch his little hand, he would not let go of her finger (special moment). Remember "God is able..."

    Love,
    Dad (Papa Bear) and Mom (Gramma Jo) Winkler

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  22. He is such a beautiful little boy...every little part of him! I catch myself checking your blog so often to check for any update! We are continuing to pray for Jacob and for both of you! May God continue to bless your precious family! ~The Byrd Family (friends of the High's)

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