She is almost 7 months!! Time flies!

I am still waiting on details from Presby Plano about the parent room that we'll now be decorating.  I posted this several weeks ago.  We're really excited, and if you know anyone who would like to donate to the cause it would be greatly appreciated.  We're about $7K shy of meeting the $10K total donation.  We'll get there and help would be appreciated.  Don't forget it is tax deductible and we are approaching the end of the year.  

Here is the text from that post:

We are still raising money for Camp Christopher.  We have been approached about considering decorating a parent room in the NICU now vs. a pediatric room.  There is a an immediate need in the NICU to have a parent room where parents can spend some quiet time (away from beeping monitors and alarms), also a room where parents of very sick babies can spend the last moments with them.  We did not have that opportunity with Christopher, the hustle and bustle of the nurses and doctors were an earshot away while we held Christopher.  

Since we have such a strong bond with the NICU we feel this may be a good place to start utilizing the funds from The Christopher & Stevie Hickman Fund, however the room project is still a goal.  I will have more information on this in the next few days and will keep you all posted.  We are so thankful and humbled by the generosity of our family and friends that have given.  

Time flies, doesn't it?  In 2 short days Stevie will be 7 months old.  She is almost 16 lbs now, and growing taller every day.  She is doing really well and we say our prayers everyday for her that she will continue to be healthy and be protected from any kind of funkiness going around out there.  She is still receiving the Synagis shots and will continue to get an injection 1x a month through March to protect her from RSV.  

Stevie is still enjoying her "mommy and me" yoga class.  I think she is going to be a social one.  I can't imagine where she gets that from!

We had a great Thanksgiving! We spent a week in Rockport, which is about an hour from Corpus Christi. The weather was gorgeous and Stevie put her feet in the sand and ocean for the first time.  She loved the beach - thank GOODNESS, we'll spend a lot of time by the water.  

Thank you for the continued prayers!

Love,

Erin

Have you seen the "melamine in formula" emails?

I'm sure most of you have seen the email that is going around about the melamine found in formulas that are made in China, and also tells you to check the bar code which will tell you the country code.  

Stevie is now on Enfamil Lipil & sometimes Nutramigen (made by enfamil - if you're child has a poop problem Nutramigen is the overnight wonder!).  At 10:30pm I read this email and proceeded to my kitchen to thoroughly check her cans of formula for information on where the product was made - it didn't say specifically the product was "Made in ....."  So I emailed Mead-Johnson the parent company for Enfamil.  Here was their response - if any of you are using Enfamil you can be assured it is all made in the USA.  

--------------------

Thanks for your e-mail, Erin, asking where our infant formulas are manufactured. I appreciate having an opportunity to respond.

Our infant and toddler formula products distributed in the United States are manufactured in the United States.

I have passed along your suggestion to modify our labels to add where our products are manufactured. I thank you for taking the time to relay your thoughts.

We appreciate your interest in our products, and I hope this information will be useful to you. Please let us know if you have additional questions about our products or if we can help you again.

Sandy Willett
Product Information Department
Phone: 1-800-222-9123
E-mail: MJProductInformation@bms.com
Websites: http://www.enfamil.com and http://www.meadjohnson.com

6 month shots - done!

Stevie turned 6 months old on November 11.  

She weighs 15 lbs now and is 25 1/4" long.  

We had a good appointment (except for the shots).  She got a flu shot and that made her feel pretty bad for 2 days, but today she is back to her little cheery self - thank goodness!

Stevie is sitting in my lap now as I'm typing this and I decided to take a quick picture with our I-cam.  

We had a great meeting also this week  regarding Christopher's room.  I will have more details early December.  I believe that by May 11 of next year we'll have a completed room - it will be a parent room in the NICU as I described earlier.  

Bye for now!

Stevie Dee & Erin

Stevie's Developemental Follow Up Appointment

This is a long one - lots to catch you up on. 

First - we are still raising money for Camp Christopher.  We have been approached about considering decorating a parent room in the NICU now vs. a pediatric room.  There is a an immediate need in the NICU to have a parent room where parents can spend some quiet time (away from beeping monitors and alarms), also a room where parents of very sick babies can spend the last moments with them.  We did not have that opportunity with Christopher, the hustle and bustle of the nurses and doctors were an earshot away while we held Christopher.  

Since we have such a strong bond with the NICU we feel this may be a good place to start utilizing the funds from The Christopher & Stevie Hickman Fund, however the room project is still a goal.  I will have more information on this in the next few days and will keep you all posted.  We are so thankful and humbled by the generosity of our family and friends that have given.  

The Developmental Update:

Stevie's Weight - 14 lbs 8 oz

Length - 25"

We are fast approaching Stevie's 6 month birthday.  Only 5 more days and our little "Bug" (Stevie's nickname) will be 6 months.  It is amazing how fast time flies by, and I remind myself that we have had her home almost 4 months now!  Everything changes so fast and just when you think you have something figured out you move on to a new stage.  It's so exciting to see her progress, and she is DEFINITELY developing a personality!  We know she has had one all along, but she is really showing her true colors now. 

This Tuesday she had a follow up with her development doctor who saw her on a weekly basis while she was in the NICU.  She gave Stevie a good looking over and then placed her on the floor (on a big blue mat) and showed Stevie different objects and toys.  Stevie did a good job, and the doctor seemed pleased with her progress.  Stevie's chronological age is almost 6 months, however since she is a preemie they refer back to her "corrected" age of 3 months - since Stevie was born at 29 weeks vs. 40 weeks  they consider her to be 11 weeks early (or almost 3 mos early).  

Here is part of what the doctor wrote in her report:

Stevie is a former 29 week surviving twin who is now almost 6 months old with a corrected age of 3 months.  She has had a nice interval growth and her growth parameters are well within the average range for her chronological age.  In addition, she is making very nice progress with her development.  Currently her gross motor skills (large movements) are average for 4 months 3 weeks.  Her fine motor/cognitive adaptive skills are at the 4-5 month level and her language skills at the 5-6 month level (of course she's a girl -we're natural talkers!)  Thus her skills are very nicely placed between her chronological and adjusted ages.  

SO, go Stevie go.  You rock little girlfriend.  

Our first mommy and me yoga class

The instructor took pics of each mom and baby.

Stevie and I took our first mommy and me yoga class www.MoMeYoga.com at Cooper this morning. She had a really good time, and oddly enough there was another little girl in the class named Stevie! While you are doing yoga poses you say nursery rhymes, and sing songs (I was a little apprehensive, but Stevie enjoyed my singing so I kept right on!)

It was a great workout too.

Awesome Weekend

On Friday we had a small family memorial for Christopher. It was such a beautiful day and so wonderful to remember him and celebrate his life. We planted an oak tree on Friday afternoon for him. We had the memorial at Steve's family lake house in Emory, TX. It's a special place for us and we knew that is where we would have a service. We waited until now to do this because we wanted to focus on Stevie getting well, and getting her settled in at home.

He was such a sweet and wonderful little boy and we miss him every day.

Stevie and Daddy

Just a quick picture of Stevie and big Steve at dinner last night. We had a nice time with the Sinkey's on the Gloria's patio. Their daughter Kennedy ate 3 bowls of the infamous black bean dip. Chris and Kristen will be having a fun day! :)

On Thurs morning Stevie had her first synagis vaccine to help prevent RSV (since we are beginning RSV season). She'll get a shot each month through March.

Love,
Erin

Preview of Halloween Costume & Life Today Shoes

Here is a picture of Stevie trying on her turtle costume for Halloween. She looks like a little stuffed animal. So cute.

Stevie slept in her crib for the first time last night. She is just too big now for her little co-sleeper bed we bought when she came home. I have put this off for a few weeks now, just because I like the fact that she is sleeping just outside our bedroom door in the living room. We did use the monitor last night, and I didn't get much sleep because she kept making little noises here and there, and the child has major GAS in the middle of the night! I was woken up to our tiny 4.5 month old tooting up a storm. That was very funny and I got some good laughs even though I couldn't sleep.


PS - I was watching Life Today on Daystar with James Robison. They are currently working on a project to provide shoes for 200K children in 25 countries who have no shoes and live in very primitive situations. I think this touched my heart because if you know me you know I love shoes, and my daughter who can't even wear shoes yet has at least 30 pairs waiting - so many kids don't have have the luxury of even 1 pair! I thought I'd share the link if you're interested in reading more about this - a $32 donation will provide 10 pairs of shoes. http://www.lifetoday.org/site/PageServer?pagename=out_shoes

Fun in Vegas

Last weekend Steve and I went to Vegas for a few days. We had a great time. One highlight from our trip was a rolling "live" advertisement for Dunkin Donuts. I was running down the sidewalk to try and get it on video. Here is what I got.....

It did make me want to eat a donut.

Me and my pink bear

It was suggested that I take a picture of Stevie next to her little pink bear that she has had since she was in the NICU. If you look at the photo on this blog that is in the top left corner that is Stevie's little pink bear. That picture was taken when she was about 5 weeks old.

I've added this picture that we took of Stevie last weekend just after her 4 month birthday. You can see just how much she has grown in the new picture, and just how tiny she was at 5 weeks. God is good people. It amazes me everyday to see how she changes and all the new things she learns each day.

All good

Today Stevie weighed 11 lbs 10 oz. You go girl!
23" long

Stevie has had a busy two weeks with doctor's appointments,and we're thrilled to report that each one has been positive! Thank you LORD!

Last week Stevie had her eye exam to check her development. Everything is developing properly and we don't have to see the eye guy (ha ha) again until next year! Thank goodness. Those little mechanisms they use to pry their little eyes open are HORRIBLE!! Stevie was a trooper.

On Tuesday this week Stevie visited the cardiologist again to follow up on the PDA (patent ductus arteriosus) finding after she was born. Per the doctor's report the PDA is resolved and no longer present. Again HUGE PRAISE. She will not need to visit the cardiologist again unless deemed necessary by Dr. Mobley (her pedi).

Today we went for her 4 month shots and checkup. I have been dreading this day all week. There are so many scary reports on vaccines, and varying opinions from people. After a discussion with her doctor this morning I was confident that she would be okay receiving them today (she had 5 vaccines) 1) DTap 2) HIB-IPV 3) Hep B 4) Polio 5) Rotovirus. Stevie went into this appointment on day 7 of no poops! Naturally I was freaked thinking she had a kink in her intestines. The dr again assured me she seemed okay and to try Pedialax..... friends... the Pedialax works.. and works fast! Oh my word - needless to say Stevie is feeling much better now, and just relax from having her shots today. Bless her heart. Overall her appointment went well. She is now on a normal growth chart for her age - she is in the lower part of the chart, but she is on there! Her weight is in the 15th percentile. Head / Length 10th percentile.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Pray for all those people in TX that will be in the way of Ike late tonight and tomorrow.

Love,
Erin

Just another bath photo

Stevie is too cute when she has had a bath. We took a new picture of her this week after bath time. She has some glorious rolls! Our child is getting super chunky. We love it!

Stevie has an eye appointment next Tues on Sept 2. Keep us in your prayers for a positive exam!

Happy Thursday.

My First Friend

Stevie and I took a stroll to my friend Stephanie's house today to introduce our girls to one another. Ella is about 3 weeks old. It was really cute when Steph and I put them down on the floor next to each other. They had a 5 minute conversation in babynese. It was pretty cool - they really do have a little baby language! They are girls too - so naturally they like to talk ;)

Happy Friday!

I met another cousin today!

Stevie met her cousin Rylie Lassen today. Rylie is 5 years old and is visiting her grandmother (my aunt Wicky) for the week. Rylie brought Stevie a very cute dress and a pink crown. So cute. Thank you!

Today we also had a fun time shopping with cousin Alex. Stevie is a great shopper - she comes by it naturally ;) She slept most of the time.

Good night.

A visit with my cousin Alex

Stevie met another one of her cousins this weekend. Alex Bilbrey from Toledo, OH came in to visit her TX relatives. She is staying with Dave & June. Alex is not only super cute with a supermodel build, but she is smart too! Alex is 17 and will be attending UT (University of Toledo)after she graduates HS next year - I thought she meant she was going to Texas when she said "UT". Oh well - Toledo is great too. ;)

Stevie is doing well. She slept from 11pm to 7am this morning! That was wonderful.
We've had a quiet day. I have spent the entire day deleting emails from my work email inbox (I'm sure everyone at Manuel will appreciate the space). I deleted over 5K emails. Scary.

Happy Monday everyone.

I'm getting HUGE!

Stevie Stats: 9 lbs 9 oz ; 22.25 inches long ; head measurement 14.5"

Camp Christopher Total Donations to Date: $2,575 - THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! You guys this is an awesome project to get involved with. We're passionate about these rooms for the children who need to stay in the Presby Plano Hospital. It's a wonderful facility and the staff is amazing. We're working and brainstorming on several ideas to raise additional money for the foundation. We'll keep you all posted. True to the nature of our family, whatever we do, it will be lots of fun!

Stevie had a follow up appointment at her pediatrician this past Tuesday. I almost fell on the floor in their office when they told me how much Stevie weighed - I couldn't beleive how much weight she gained! You guys - she is 3x the size she was when she was born!! Huge relief. Also the doctor said we could let her sleep longer through the night now - THANK YOU LORD!

I hope everyone is having a great week. We will continue to keep you posted on Camp Christopher donations, and any future events.

Love,
Erin

Two of my girls

Today, Ali, one of my nieces came over for a visit and some shopping. Mom watched Stevie while us two girls went out for a bit. Ali is a VERY super special niece and I love her bunches. Stevie really thought she was cool too. Ali will be 8 in October and she will be in the 2nd grade. My nephew Grant will be 10 in Sept! My other niece Bailey is 2 1/2 yrs. I can't believe how fast they grow up. They are super kids and we're so blessed to have them.

Also please continue to check out Jace's blog. His parents are also working on a room project at Presby Plano in the NICU. We're very excited and hope that you will support them as you have us. www.jacemcdougal.wordpress.com

I will update the Camp Christopher total next week. Thank you to everyone who has made a contribution. We can't tell you how thankful we are for each of you.

HAPPY "belated" BIRTHDAY LOR!!! Love you.

Happy Friday everyone.

Love,
Erin

New Stevie Pic

Here is Stevie's latest picture.

Camp Christopher Update - approaching $2,0000. Yeah!


Happy Saturday! Happy birthday to Zoe Tucker - we had a blast at your ice skating party today.

Love,
Steve and Erin

Great Week!

It was a great week - thank you Lord!

Stevie was weighed today at Dr. Mobley's - she gained a little over 1 lb in 2 weeks - that was a relief!
Stevie's current weight - 7 lbs 14 oz (she's HUGE!)
Camp Christopher total contributions to date - $1375 (only $23,625 to go) We can do it!

In addition to having her weight checked this week we also took her back to the pediatric eye specialist on Tuesday morning. She still has stage 1 retinopathy, BUT her eyes are okay, and developing normally. Thank you LORD! We will go back early Sept for her follow up and if all looks okay we will see hime next year!

It's so awesome to hear your child is okay and progressing - my single prayer is that Stevie will have a very long, happy, joy-filled life. I know that is what every parent wants for their child.

We're sharing a new video this week. We think it's funny when Stevie sucks on her pacifier or what we call her Nu-Nu (pr: noo-noo). She makes the craziest noises. I've heard people say that preemie babies have some crazy languages.

Enjoy and happy Friday!
Love, Erin

Friday July 18 - Camp Christopher Total to date

Stevie's new shades from Aunt Daisy. If Stevie is like me she'll have a thing for sunglasses, shoes, and handbags.

Stevie Stats - she's getting bigger and longer

Camp Christopher donations to date (as of Thurs afternoon) - $575.
Thank you thank you! We'll reach our $25,000 goal soon enough - some good things take a little longer to achieve! If you send a check, or call with credit card PLEASE tell them it is for: The Christopher & Stevie Hickman Fund so your donation will be appropriated correctly.

Donations can be mailed to:
Presbyterian Hospital of Plano
Attn: Doug Anderson
6200 West Parker
Plano, TX 75093-9977

indicate on memo line of check "The Christopher & Stevie Hickman Fund"

Now the update on Miss Stevie:

This week has flown by. Thank you to my mom who came over for 3.5 days to take the night shift feedings and to help around our house. It was nice to get a full night of sleep. Steve's mom is coming to watch her Saturday night so we can have a date! We're so thankful and blessed to have our families close by.

Stevie is starting to get her nights and days on track. She is more awake now during the day, and is quiet from 11pm through 9am (she still has her bottle every 3 hrs).

Lastly - I swear this child toots more than any man I've known. I hear this is a good thing though. Keep on tootin Stevie.

Have a great Friday. TGIF!

Happy Birthday Steve - watch the chest fur!

Stevie Stats will not be updated for a few more weeks. We won't know her weight until her next pedi appt.

Stevie has been doing well at home. We think she likes it here so far. Last night we decided (in effort to get more sleep) to keep Stevie's little crib int he living room outside of our bedroom. She did great, and we got better sleep in between her feedings. Yes!

Today is Steve's 34th birthday. His parents brought a great dinner over last night to celebrate.

Today's video feature is of Stevie ripping Steve's chest hair out while he is trying to feed her - I thought it was hilarious so I reached for the camera. I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

Much Love, Erin

Stevie's Homecoming Pictures July 9, 2008

Stevie's Home

Stevie Stats:
6 lbs 12 oz

Stevie was discharged from the hospital yesterday at 11am. She is doing great so far. She thinks night is day, and day is night. Steve and I aren't getting much sleep.

Today she had her first pediatrician appointment with Dr. Mobley. He said she looks great for being a preemie. We'll go back in 2 weeks for a weight check, and then take her back 2 months later for her 4 month shots.

I am going to load a slide show hopefully of pictures from our departure yesterday.

Love to all.
Erin & Steve

She Did It!

Stevie Stats: 6 lbs 11.5 oz

Stevie passed her car seat test! What a relief!! Steve and I are scheduled to stay at the hospital tonight in one of the parent rooms. We'll take care of Stevie all by ourselves from 8pm on. The nurses will check in with us periodically to see how we're doing. It's the first time we'll have our baby girl all to ourselves! This is the plan as of now as long as things continue to go well today. We expect they will.


We're so excited, overjoyed, happy, and a little nervous too - we're comfortable with nurses and doctors around at all times, and now it will just be the three of us. We can do it. We've been praying for this day for a long time. So hopefully tomorrow by 11am we can say our goodbyes to Presbyterian Plano. We've been to that hospital everyday (except 1) since March 24.

We will be happy to leave, but we will miss all the great nurses and doctors that have taken such wonderful care of all us. It will be nice to continue working with the hospital for "Camp Christopher" and future projects enabled by The Christopher & Stevie Hickman Fund. Say lots of prayers for us. Our stomachs are full of butterflies and knots all at the same time.

Also please pray for Kory Klein (one of our good friends and Steve's co-worker). He is in Phoenix, AZ at the Mayo Clinic - he is donating one of his kidney's to a family member. What a selfless act of love and I pray God will bless him with a speedy recovery, and bless the family member with a better life due to Kory's kindness.

A video of Stevie from July 2. There was an excited group next door to us and I think Stevie was trying to figure out who it was. Her eyes were just going back and forth.

Love,
Steve & Erin

Bottles Up!

The first time Steve gave Stevie a bath all by himself!

Stevie Stats:
6 lbs 9.5 oz

Stevie is doing great today. We have been on the bottle roller-coaster since Friday. Friday I had reported Stevie was taking 7 of 8 bottles. I updated the blog in the morning before going to the hospital where they told me later that they were keeping her at 6 of 8 bottles. (see how quickly things change).

So, Friday we stayed at 6 of 8 bottles, Saturday it was 6 of 8 bottles, and today they are trying to get her to take all 8 of 8 bottles. They are keeping her feeding tube in because if she is too tired they'll give her feed through this.

SO we wait for Stevie now to be alert enough to feed 8 times a day by bottle. Also the last thing she needs to pass is the car seat test. When Steve and I walked into see her today another tiny patient was in the middle of their car-seat test. The baby passed. I told Stevie that she had a little competition! They won't do the car seat test until tomorrow night we hope. Pray she passes.

Today they also ran a CBC blood test on Stevie. They wanted to check her red blood cell count, and make sure she had no signs of infections, etc. All looked good. They said it appears Stevie is now making her own red blood cells, which is great.

They also said they heard a little murmur again. They said it was nothing to worry about, and probably indicates a directional change in blood flow now that she is getting older. They told us to have the pediatrician follow it, and not to be concerned. The nurse practitioner said the majority of babies she sends home have murmurs. Big Steve has a murmur and he's okay. Pray that continues to be nothing for Stevie.

We hope you had a great weekend. I am going to call and check the progress of contributions this week to The Christopher and Stevie Hickman Fund for "CAMP CHRISTOPHER". I'll keep you all posted on the progress. What a great project!

Love,
Erin & Steve

Friday July 4th

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

Stevie Stats:
6 lbs 7.9 oz - we're getting closer to a 7lb baby!

Stevie is doing great. She hasn't had any more apnea spells since June 30. Today they bumped her back up to 7 bottle feeds out of 8 total feeds. So she'll only be getting 1 feed through her feeding tube today. Yesterday she did great with all 6 bottle feeds, but she was a little sleepy during the ones I gave her.

On Monday Stevie had her 2nd eye exam. Her eyes are still normally abnormal (if that makes sense). Because she is a preemie they watch their vision development closely. They are watching her vessels develop still. We'll take her back in 3 weeks.

On Tuesday she had a Neuro-scan. This is where they sonogram Stevie's head to check her brain for bleeding, etc (sometimes common in preemies). Stevie's brain is a-okay. That was a HUGE relief. She had a scan when she first arrived as well. So the 2nd scan she had is just a follow-up before they let her go home.

They also decided not to do another echo-cardiogram. They were going to do a follow up since at one time Stevie had the PDA valve that was open and they could hear the murmur. However (Thanks to GOD above), the valve has either closed on it's own or is so small it is not causing issues. We may have to follow up with her cardiologist after we are discharged, if they feel she needs too.

Stevie still hasn't had her 2nd shot at the car seat test. They are waiting to do that until right before they KNOW we'll be able to take her home. Please keep praying she does well in a car seat and can breathe okay (most important). I did have a dream last night that she passed. I was SO HAPPY, then I woke up and realized I was dreaming, but maybe she is going to pass!

Please continue to pray for our girl. We want a very healthy happy life for Stevie and our family.

Love,
Erin

5 More Days.....

Stevie Stats
6 lbs 4.3 oz

Yeah Stevie for getting bigger!

A dear friends sent this "you tube" link - it's awesome. What would your cardboard testimony be? Copy and paste link into your web address bar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvDDc5RB6FQ

Updates:

Due to 2 apnea spells Stevie is now in the NICU for 5 more days. We're glad she decided to do this while in the NICU and not home with us. One of her apnea spells happened while I was bottle feeding her at 11am yesterday. She was taking her vitamins (poly-visol) - they mixed in the vitamins with 20ml of milk and once Stevie figured out what it was gag, gag, apnea. Poor girl.

Stevie failed her car seat test they did on Sunday morning at 3:30am. The hook the babies back up to the pulse oximeter (measures blood oxygen level - which shows any desaturations "desats"). Stevie had some desats in her car seat and failed. The dr wasn't overly concerned. If Stevie fails again she'll have to come home in a car seat bed.

Stevie PASSED her hearing screen!

If you could specifically pray for the following things for Steveie we would appreciate it so much!!
- no more apnea spells - EVER
- she'll pass her car seat test
- she'll have the strength and energy to complete her bottle feedings
- protection from any infections

Thank you so much for your continued support. We look forward to bringing her home soon!! She is so awesome.

Sweet Jace

On Saturday night Jace McDougal passed away. He was 7 weeks old. Our hearts are broken for his parents JR & Cher McDougal. God will be faithful and give them added grace and mercy just as he has given Steve and I since losing Christopher.

Please pray for JR and Cher during this time. JR and Cher shared this very intimate journey with all of us.

They have information on visitation on Jace's web site. www.jacemcdougal.wordpress.com

I know all of Jace's family that has gone on to heaven before him welcomed him with loving open arms, and I know Christopher probably gave him a high 5 on the way in.

Romans 8:18
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

Praise God.

Say what?

Stevie Stats: Friday June 27
5 lbs 15.9 oz (let's just call it 6lbs!)

Stevie is doing awesome. Praise God. Thank you for the prayers because we have been blessed beyond belief.

The nurse practitioner spoke with me yesterday going over Stevie's progress, and future orders and then told me if Stevie follows everything she needs to do she can come home NEXT WEEK! I thought they were going to have to give me a lunch bag to breathe in. No, I was so excited, and SO nervous.

They started yesterday on 5 bottle feeds per day. They hope by Sunday or Monday she'll be taking all 8 feeds by bottle, and Tuesday or Wednesday night we'll be able to do our parent overnight stay and take her home the following day. Friends, I can't tell you how excited, over-joyed, happy Steve and I are. Just to have our child in our own home will be such an amazing gift!

Stevie still has the following things to do within the next few days:

car seat check: after she eats they will place her in her car seat for over an hour to make sure she is okay and can breathe okay.

hepatitis vaccine: she needs to get her hep B series of vaccines

eye exam: she'll have her 2nd eye exam on Monday to see how her optical vessels are developing

hearing screen: stevie was super fussy during the first hearing screen so they had to re-schedule. I can't wait to see her in the little hearing ear-muffs.

echo cardiogram: they will do another echo cardiogram to check Stevie's PDA valve. At 29 weeks they found that Stevie's valve was open - called PDA - valve that should be closed in newborns as they only need this valve to direct blood flow when they are in utero. They did not detect any murmur after 5 days - HUGE prayer answered, but they want to check before she leaves that indeed it still is not a problem. Please pray that indeed it isn't!

Happy Friday - we'll continue to keep you updated, and please pray for Steve and I over the next few days and weeks as we prepare for her to come home.

Love,
Erin

Thursday June 26

Stevie Stats:
Weight - 5 lbs 14.7 oz

Little Stevie is doing great. She continues to make progress each day. We're so very thankful.

She is still at 4 bottle feeds per day, and yesterday she completed all 4 of her feeds (nothing was left to put through her feeding tube). She completed each bottle in approx 25 minutes. Yesterday morning during her 8am feeding I stared in amazement that she finished so quickly! She even had a good giant burp for me. I know it sounds crazy that I am excited over a burp, but I am!

I'll take some new pictures of her today and load them up tonight.

Have a great Thursday! Please continue to keep Jace McDougal in your prayers. I'm telling you - God is up to something big in that child's life. God is definitely answering our prayers. www.jacemcdougal.wordpress.com

Love,
Erin

Monday June 23

Stevie Stats: 5 lbs 11.8 oz
Our baby is getting ginormous.

She's steadily gaining weight. Her ticket out of the NICU is now to get through her feedings. They still have her on 4 bottle feeds per day. Right now she is completing most of them, but they are still giving her the remainder through her feeding tube. Between gaining weight, and working hard on eating from a bottle Stevie is exhausted (like mommy and daddy). I haven't really seen her open her eyes too much over the past 2 days.

The nurse practitioner told me today that in a week or so Stevie will have no problems with her feeds and most likely take all of them.

We're starting to get information on Stevie's departure from the hospital. It is so great to talk about Stevie leaving the hospital soon - I once thought that day wouldn't get here! They are getting everything in order because it will be soon!

Tonight's video feature is of Steve burping Stevie during her 8pm feed. She sounds like a miniature billy goat. It's hysterical (at least to us it is).

Thank you for continuing to pray for Stevie, and pray for us too.

Love, Erin

Sunday June 22

Stevie Stats:
Weight - 5 lbs 8 oz (a big weight gain)

It's been a big weekend. They have taken Stevie off caffiene, and they removed one of the sensors that monitors the oxygen level in her blood. This sensor is the one that alerted us to when Stevie was having desat's. Since she has been having desats primarily with feedings they removed the monitor - her heart rate was not dropping when she desat'd so they felt confident to remove it. I was nervous because rely on this monitor to know what is happening with her oxygen levels. They still have her hooked up to the monitor to see her heart rate and breathing rate.

Now when we are feeding her we have to pay close attention to her coloring, and if she starts to turn a little blue-ish we know she needs to stop, take a break, and breathe to catch up.

So between taking her oxygen nose tube off last week, and taking the pulse-oxygen monitor off - last week was big in many ways. It's really making us lean on faith knowing she's okay, without a monitor confirming this. We know the nurses are keeping a close eye on her at all times too.

She really is doing amazing and I know it's because God is answering our prayers and getting her through this time. She is now up to 4 bottle feeds a day and up to 50ml per bottle. She is about 75% on these bottle feeds right now. It's exhausting for her to get through these, so now that we're piling them on she's super tired. She can do it though. It won't be long now before she can come home - if she continues to progress and do great she could be home in 2 weeks!!

Thank you again for the prayers, support, and kind notes & emails. It means the world to us.

Much love,
Erin

June 19 Thursday

Stevie Stats - she turned 35 weeks old today (in gestational age)
Weight - 5 lbs 2.8 oz

We're thankful again for a great day. Stevie did a good job with her bottle at 8am this morning. She started a little slow and the nurse told me that I was distracting her by talking to her while she was eating (was i?). I guess she was right. After I shut my trap Stevie chugged her milk like the rock star eater she is. I was able to talk to her while I burped her, bless her heart. SO, I'll continue to try the "no talking while eating" method tomorrow.

The dr increased her bottle feeds to 3 times a day. It really does feel like there is an end in sight. I asked the dr today if they could give me a tentative timeline of when they think Stevie can come home. The dr replied that Stevie has to be off her caffeine, and not having her apnea and heart-rate drop episodes. This in addition to taking 8 of 8 bottle feeds a day WITHOUT having issues. So this could be 2 weeks or longer. We're not pushing it, we're just taking it a day at a time. The fact that Stevie was taken off oxygen yesterday is a big milestone.

We'll take one step at a time.

Thank you for continuing to pray for her. She is such a cool little thing. We just love her so much. Being a mom is the best.

Also - thanks so much for keeping Jace McDougal in your prayers. He had such a good day yesterday, prayers were answered.

Love,
Erin

Wednesday June 18

Stevie Stats: Weight - 5 lbs 1.1 oz
She's broken the 5lb barrier!
Now - we're on to 6lbs!

Stevie had a good day today. Praise God. I'm thankful for every good day, and I'm thankful for the awesome nurses and doctors that take such good care of her. I know she is in good hands. Stevie had a good bottle feed at 11am today. She only took 25ml of 45 - it's still great that she took over half her bottle. She can't be a bottle feed rock-star all the time. We'll see how she does during her 8pm feed. We don't want to push her too much, she will get there in good time.

They also removed her oxygen tube from her nose today. They are testing her to see how she'll do, and if she passes then no more oxygen tube. Her big hurdle will be getting through her feeds without having breathing problems.

Please pray she'll continue to make amazing progress and for God's favor to cover her. I'm putting a video below so you can see more of her sweet little face. Happy Wednesday.

Love, Erin

Pray for Jace

Good morning. For anyone who is reading Stevie's blog this morning I want to ask that you will please pray for little Jace McDougal at this very moment. Please pray for his mom and dad too (JR and Cher). This is such a precious family.

JR updated Jace's web page this morning - please vist and pray as you feel led. I'm praying that GOD will breathe renewed energy and strength into Jace's little body today, and that HE will provide a miracle today. All things are possible.

www.jacemcdougal.wordpress.com

Tuesday June 17

Stevie Stats:
Weight - 4lbs 15.8oz (almost 5lbs! only .2 oz to go!)

Stevie had a great day. She did a good job with her bottle feed at 8am this morning. I did a better job burping her today (she didn't throw up on me or the dr today). They will do her 2nd bottle feed at 8pm tonight.

Before her 8am feed she pulled her feeding tube out of her nose. She grabs her nasal tube and feeding tubes like it's a handlebar. Let me tell you - when the nurse put her feeding tube back in Stevie was NOT a happy camper. She was so upset, which made me upset, but we both got over it as quick as it started. The above picture shows how much Stevie likes to touch her face, and is evidence that she likes to grab her nasal tube.

The dr also ordered her oxygen flow setting to be decreased today, and he increased her feeds to 42ml (up from 40ml). Her Apnea spells (which cause the desats) - seemed to be better today - please keep praying she'll grow out of these soon. We have faith in good time she will.

Monday June 16

Stevie Stats:
Weight - 4lbs 15.6oz (WOO HOO - we almost have a 5lb baby!)

Today was a great day. I was able to really help with her bath. We weren't able to help with her last bath due to timing. Stevie is going to be a spa girl I just know it. She was so chilled and relaxed.

She is still having her apnea and desat moments (when she plays the "let's not breathe" game. They seem to be getting better BUT it still freaks us out. Again we're assured she will grow out of this. She is was on a lower oxygen amount today - each day gets a little better.

Stevie did an excellent job with her 8am bottle feed, and not so great during her 2nd bottle feed at 5pm. They said since she got a bath in the middle of the day it tired her out too much. She is still at 40ml of food. During her 5pm she took about 17ml, and then the nurse had to put the rest through her feeding tube.

Please keep us in your prayers for a very speedy recovery for Stevie, and that she'll grow stronger each day. Also pray her bottle feedings continue to be successful. Please also continue to pray for the McDougals. Jace is stable. Please visit his blog www.jacemcdougal.wordpress.com - they have set up a credit system for blood donations with Carter.

Love,
Erin

Sunday June 15 - 1st Bottle Feed

Stevie's Stats: Weight - 4lbs 14.3oz (2219 grams)

Stevie had her very first bottle today and she did amazing. She is now eating 40ml of milk, and today on her very first bottle she was able to eat 32ml! We were all so excited - including the nurse. I will go back to the hospital for her 5pm feeding and we'll try again. We're attaching the video of Steve bottle feeding her for the first time!

For now we will try to feed her by mouth 2x a day. The other 6 feedings will go through her feeding tube. She isn't strong enough yet to do all 8 feedings by mouth, and even when we bottle feed or breastfeed she may not take her entire 40ml feeding so they will put the balance of her feed through her tube.

The dr increased her caffiene today to help her breathing. She seems to be having a better day today with her apnea spells. Most of the day on Friday her alarms were going off because she kept desat'ng (means the oxygen level in her body goes low since she doesn't have an oxygen store yet). I think Steve and I were at our wits end by the time we left on Friday night. For every improvement we are THRILLED and THANKFUL!

Friday June 13th - Stevie's Photo Shoot Day

Stevie's Stats for today:
Weight 4lbs 11.1oz (2130 grams)
**Only 5.9oz to go and we'll have a 5lb baby!**

We are starting to work with Stevie on her feedings - whether we decide to breastfeed or bottle feed. We tried yesterday at 2pm and she did pretty well, and we'll try again today at her 5pm feeding. Everyone has different opinions on the breastfeeding vs bottle feeding. Seriously - each person I have spoken with at the hospital has varying opinions. We're going to let Stevie decide what works best for her at this point. Her oxygen settings are still between 21% - 28%. The past few days she has been ranging between 25% - 28% - the dr said it is reflux from her feedings. Stevie still has a feeding tube, but they have moved it back to her nose so her mouth is free and clear for "feeding training". They put her feeds in a large syringe and hook it up to a timed pump. Her feedings were given over the time of 2hrs, and now just within a few days she is down to a 60 minute feed.

We're still praying for her daily that she will grow out of her apnea (desat) and brady spells soon. Lord willing this will be soon.

Today was a really special day because Stevie had her first professional pictures taken in the comfort of her little section in the NICU (the photo above is not Patti's). Patti Brown who is one of my sorority sisters from East Texas State is an AWESOME photographer. She is in town from Virginia and offered to take Stevie's pictures while she was here. We had a really great time with Stevie, and I think Stevie enjoyed herself being naked for a while. I can't wait to see how they turn out. Patti's website is www.pattibrownphotography.com - really amazing stuff. THANK YOU PATTI!!

Happy Father's Day to all you dad's. To my DAD - thanks for taking such good care of us. To my brothers who are now dad's - you are both amazing fathers and it's been a blessing to watch you raise your children. To Grand Pa Pair - your a super father in law. To my sweet husband - so thankful to have you, and you are an amazing husband and new dad!

Continue to pray for little Jace McDougal. He's doing well at MCD and is stable. www.jacemcdougal.wordpress.com

Have a great weekend - we'll catch up on Monday.

Love,
Erin

June 12th Stevie Stats - She's 34 weeks today!!

Our little baby is starting to be a big little baby! Today Stevie weighs 4lbs 9.6oz (2090 grams) She is still almost 18" long. The nurse assured me that some babies don't get taller over a week's time - I just said as long as our baby doesn't end up being a basketball we're okay.

I thought I'd share Stevie's bathtime video from last week. They will let Steve and I give her bath on Friday night. We're very excited. It's really nice to be more hands on with your child. Not sure where on this blog it will attach. I admire people who are so computer savvy, it has taken me a lot of time to figure out how this works!

Today Stevie is 34 weeks!! WOW! It's amazing to think that she might be able to come home within the next month or so - depending on how she progresses. She is still on her oxygen, but her desat spells have been getting better. I can totally tell when she is holding her breath now so I'm catching on to her game. They bumped up her caffiene a bit to help her "remember" to breathe. This has also helped. We're so thankful each day for her. She's just pure joy.

Thank you so much for the prayers and support! Please also keep Jace McDougal in your prayers - he is still at Medical City Dallas - and Praise God he has been stable. He hasn't had any surgery yet. Please visit his site at www.jacemcdougal.wordpress.com

Love, Erin & Steve

The ROOM project is a go!

We had a great meeting this morning with Doug Anderson at Presby Plano. We were able to tour the pediatric floor and take a closer look at all the amazing murals, colors, fabrics, etc. For anyone who is just now following our story I'd like to let you know a goal we hope to accomplish with the support of our family, friends, and anyone who would like to participate.

On March 24 I was 22 weeks 4 days pregnant. I went to my doctor for a routine visit only to discover I had grossly ruptured. A sonogram determined it was Christopher's sac that ruptured, Stevie Dee's sac was still okay. Dr. Herzog immediately sent me to labor and delivery down the hall from his office. I was terrified. I was so afraid I was going to lose my babies. For so long Steve and I tried to start a family and in a single moment I thought that dream was gone. We prayed for our children long before we ever knew we were pregant, and we did find out early November we were both over the moon, and when they later told us we were having two we were both ecstatic.

I was laying just about flat in a hospital bed from March 24th to May 11th. We had made it 7 weeks. This is something the dr's didn't expect. It was truly a miracle because most people who rupture deliver within 24-48 hrs I was told. I'm not a medical expert, but I'm telling you it was a miracle those babies stayed put for 7 weeks. We had daily visits from Dr. Herzog, and weekly visits from Dr. Albert who was our perinatologist. Each sonogram report was good. Each report showed a little fluid left around Christopher and that he was continuing to grow normally despite being in a small amount of fluid. What no one would have been able to tell us is that Christopher's lungs never developed. Almost a day after he was born he passed away in our arms.

Rewinding back to my time on bedrest I was able to be put on a stretcher while Steve rolled me around the Presby Plano campus. We took several strolls through the 4th floor pediatric section because you couldn't help but smile seeing all those intricate, detailed murals on the wall. I also noticed there were still lots of rooms left un-painted. Wouldn't that be the pits to be the kid that comes to the hospital and had to be a plain room because all the other cool rooms were taken?

After Christopher passed away we wanted to find a way for his memory to live on. We thought a room on the pediatric floor with a lakehouse / fishing theme would be perfect. This would be great for kids of all ages. The hospital can be an intimidating experience for children and their parents. Staying in an interesting room certainly helps. I'm an adult and I would have loved to have had a room like that during my 7 week stay in bed.

There is a need for these decorated painted rooms in the soon to be Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). We feel this will be a perfect spot for a lakehouse room. We need to raise $25K for the room to be completed. Our goal is for the room to be completed by Christopher and Stevie's birthday - May 11, 2009. There are so many other needs we hope to meet through the Christopher & Stevie Hickman Fund at Plano Presby. The first goal is completing a room.

If you have any questions please email me at ehickman@manueldesigns.com, and/or I can mail an information package including pictures.

Donations can be sent via CHECK, CASH, or CREDIT CARD to:
Make checks payable to:Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation; The Christopher & Stevie Hickman Fund

Mail to:
Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation
Attn: Doug Anderson
6200 W. Parker Road
Plano, TX 75093

You can also call Doug with credit card information at 972-981-8387

I know this was a super long blog today, but we're so excited to be moving forward on this project!

Much love,
Erin

June 10th Update

update on Stevie Dee:
Today she weighs a whopping 4lbs 6.6oz (2002 grams).
On Monday she had her eye exam which is standard - her eyes are "normally immature" - she's is only 33 wks 5 days so of course her little eyeballs are immature. However they did tell me that the major blood vessels coming off her optic nerve are almost developed (which is exceptional for someone her age). She still only sees black and white - I didn't know that new babies don't see color for a while (this is why they tell you to put black & white objects in front of them - and they can only see about 12 inches in front of them).

She is still on oxygen and they are continuing to wean her down on the settings. She is on a lower flow of oxygen and she stays between 23% and 28% level - this isn't much. We all breathe 21% oxygen. She is still have desats and a few low heart rate spells, but the dr told me this is probably due to reflux, and he was happy with her progress to date. It still scares us because alarms sound, but we're learning more and more what is normal preemie behavior.

On Thursday or Friday we will begin training her on bottle feeding. Everyone has told me this is the most frustrating part, but I'm praying she'll pick it up quickly like the super preemie baby she is. This can take a few weeks I've been told.

We're hoping that we can bring Stevie home within 4 weeks. Criteria to bring her home is:
1) consistently gaining weight
2) maintaining her own body temperature
3) eating 8 feeds a day via bottle or breast feeds without having any bradycardia spells (drop in heart rate)
4) No apnea or bradycardia spells for 5 days - if we are getting ready to take her home and she has a heart rate drop they will keep her there for another 5 days.

Thank you for continuing to pray for us and Stevie. She is so much fun even though we haven't really gotten to be with her 24/7. That will be a great day for Steve and I.

Please continue to pray for Jace McDougal www.jacemcdougal.wordpress.com
He was born a day before Stevie and Christopher at 24 weeks. He and Stevie were neighbors in the NICU for 2 weeks. His parents are amazing. Jace is now at Medical City Dallas due to his heart problems. Praise God Jace seems to be stable right now. You can read his latest updates on the link above. He's a fighter.

Praying for complete healing for Stevie,
Erin & Steve