Looks like today is the day!

Becca text me on Sunday and said that baby Annie was doing well... just liking to be held all the time : )  Otherwise she was doing very well.  She had gained weight that day - yay!  She seemed to be calming down and did not seem to be in pain like she was before... praise the Lord. 

On Monday, she was sent for another echocardiogram to check her heart and Becca said everything looked GOOD!  They are weaning her off of her blood pressure medicine and had already stopped a diuretic medication that she was on... another praise God!  She is also back to nursing every other feeding too... yet another answer to prayer.

Today, Tuesday, I received a text from Becca that said 'looks like today is the day : ) one more good diaper and they will decide.'

So let's pray, right now, for this:

• ONE more good diaper!
• for Annie's vocal cord to heal completely
• that through the doctor's that performed her surgery, the Lord has made her heart perfect and will never need another operation ever again
• for baby Annie to be successfully weaned off ALL the medicines
• that her recovery will be just as speedy when she goes back home
• and for her mommy, daddy and the rest of their family -- give them everything they need to be all that Annie will need in the days and weeks to come

We also thank you, Lord, for the being with them every step of the way.  Bless everyone who has so faithfully lifted this family up in prayer in the past few weeks.  May baby Annie forever be a reminder to us all of your unfailing love for us.  Thank you for your grace and mercy.  We pray that all the days of our lives we will glorify and honor You in all we say and do.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

I will update of baby Annie's progress once she is back home.  Thanks for all your prayers and for following this blog for her.  I know how much her family has appreciated all your love!  God bless.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11

Update as of Friday Night...

Sorry for giving you this update so late!  I have been a little under the weather the past day and a half myself... thankfully it's just sinuses or a cold, nothing major.

I talked to Becca briefly last night over texting and she said that they had a pretty rough day.  Annie was super fussy and difficult to console, which is sad for her and Joe.    

They did do the swallow study and saw no problems at all with her swallowing... praise God!  The only thing being affected by the damage to her vocal cord is her cry.  It is still hoarse and not very loud.  The doctors said that it will eventually just heal on it's own.  They are still using the slow-flow bottle nipple, but Becca said that she will be able to return to nursing as soon as the cardiac team feels Annie is ready.  I know she is looking forward to this after having to pump all this time.

I asked Becca how her eye was doing and she said it seemed fine... it is still a litte red but not bothering her all.

I hope to talk to her again tomorrow and will update you all as to how the rest of the weekend went.  Let's just keep praying for Becca and Joe as they care for their precious baby (and themselves) and for a quick, complete and total healing for baby Annie.

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the weekend... God bless.

Big day for baby Annie...

This morning started out like the past few days for the Lazorick's... wake up and get ready to go see Annie in the ICU.  Becca's eye was a little red so she sent Joe on his own to check with the nurses to see if it was okay that she still come in.  It took him an hour to come back because Annie was upset and whimpering -- Joe said he could not leave her like that, so he stayed and held her soothie in again.  The nurses advised her that it would be best if Becca got it checked out first just to be on the safe side....

So off to her family doctor she went.  They were unable to determine whether or not it cold be pink eye, so they gave her an antibiotic.  They also instructed that she should allow 24 hours of antibiotics before going back to visit Annie.  Not such good news for a mommy.  Becca somehow managed to find a positive to that though -- she has not been getting much sleep and also developed a clogged milk duct.  So she was going to take advantage of the time and take care of herself. 

She told me that Annie had gotten the chest drain removed.  Baby Annie was ready for that thing to come out whether the doctors thought so or not -- she apparently almost wiggled it out herself.  She is continuing to eat seemingly unaffected by the damaged vocal cord; however, they have been using the slow-flow bottle nipple.  Becca said she thought that the swallow study would be done tomorrow to make sure there is no problems with her eating. 

So that was this morning... then I got a text later this evening from Becca that said that baby Annie is OUT OF THE ICU!  

So praise the Lord!  She is back in her regular room with mommy and daddy -- with assistance from the nurses.  Becca still is not able to touch or tend to her until tomorrow around noon (that is when she will have been on the antibiotic for 24 hours).  So Joe is going to have a long night ahead of him, but they are so happy to have her back with them.  

She has nothing more attached to her except for her heart moniter and some oxygen.  No more tubes in her.  No more morphine.  She is on an oral medication to keep her blood pressure down -- which she will just do outpatient check-ups for to eventually ween her off of those.  Baby Annie needs to be handled with care because, although her sternum is all stitched back together, it will take some time before that bone actually grows back together.  She also cannot really cry right now due to the damage to her vocal cord -- she just whimpers Becca said.  But she was wide awake and alert and staring at her daddy : ) 

What seemed like a "this stinks, but I'll make the best of it" day, turned into a very good day for them.  They have their baby back with them and how quickly she is recovering!  Prayer is amazing and God is so awesome.  It has been such an honor to see how much he has blessed this family in such a short amount of time. 

Let's continue to pray for the following...

• that Becca's red eye and clogged milk duct clear up quickly
• for baby Annie's swallow study tomorrow -- no issues that require any alternative feeding methods at all
• that the damage done to her vocal cord is minor and heals on it's own very quickly
• a speedy, complete and total healing for baby Annie
• for Joe and Becca as they care for her during this healing process
• that her blood pressure would come down and no more medicines will be needed
• for God's will to be done and favor with regard to Becca's maternity leave
• that baby Annie's Turner Syndrome test will come back negative

Thanks everyone for following this blog for baby Annie... the prayers are working and I know Joe and Becca have felt God's love through his whole time.  I will update again tomorrow after Annie's swallow study and first night back with mommy and daddy! 

Hope everyone had a blessed week.

Another update, another prayer to add...

I spoke to Becca this afternoon when she took a quick break from the ICU to take care of some mommy duties...

She said that Annie was not going to be getting the chest drain off today.  She was a little fussy this morning and due to moving around it began to drain more fluid.  So they will leave it on for now.  They thought her fussiness was most likely due to pain, but even with two seperate injections of morphine she did not get drowsy.  Her daddy then had to hold her soothie pacifier in her mouth for an hour : )

Apparently, they have found there is some damage that was done during surgery to baby Annie's left vocal cord.  Becca did say that with surgery on a small baby this damage is very common, usually minor, and most likely will just resolved itself over time.

They had an ear, nose and throat specialist in with her today to observe her as she eats.  Annie did take half an ounce the first time it was offered but there is no real way to tell yet if she was able to swallow it with no difficulty.  They are planning on doing an x-ray as she feeds to see the extent of the damage and if it is affecting her swallowing; however, they cannot do this until the chest tube is removed.  Becca was thinking this would probably happen on Friday.

In the event that the x-ray shows that there is any difficulty swallowing as a result of the damage, baby Annie will need to be fed with a slow-flow bottle nipple.  She of course asked if there was any chance this would cause any problems with her speech later in life and they said it was very unlikely.  All-in-all, this does not sound like a big deal but let's just be praying that it is minor enough not to need the slow-flow bottle nipple and that Becca can resume nursing as she was before the surgery.

This afternoon her blood pressure was still higher than they would like to see it -- so they will continue to try and bring it down with medication.  She will not be able to leave the ICU until it is down to a level that the doctors are comfortable with.

Praise God that Becca and Joe have managed to get some sleep through all of this -- and we pray that they continue to do so.  Once she is out of the ICU and back in her mommy and daddy's care, I suspect she will be demanding their attention around-the-clock.  Although they are anxious for her to get out of the ICU, at the same time they are fine with her being there as long as she needs to be.

One last thing to be praying for is Godly wisdom, guidance and favor for Becca concerning her maternity leave.  She is hoping to get it extended but needs to be able to keep her benefits as well for Annie.

Hope everyone had a blessed day. 

Day Two of Recovery...

I got a text this morning from Becca saying that yesterday was "pretty good".  Baby Annie was pulled off the ventilator, praise God.  She said that was difficult for them because she was whimpering and they were unable to hold or soothe her... she said that part was heartbreaking. 

Annie's blood pressure is still a little high and Becca said it is doubtful that she will get out of the ICU today, she is just not ready.  She still has a chest tube, which is used to drain blood, fluid, or air and to allow the lungs to fully expand (thank you, Google) -- but Becca anticipated they will be removing this sometime today as well.

Joe and Becca are really hoping that she will be out of the ICU on Friday.  She said that she just cannot wait to hold her and see her little eyes. 

Let's just keep praying for the same things... quick recovery according to God's perfect timing, peace for Becca and Joe and plenty of rest, no complications or set-backs, that baby Annie's blood pressure would go down and complete restoration.  Let's also praise God for having this sweet little baby and her parents in His loving arms, taking care of their every need and restoring every cell in baby Annie's little body as she recovers. 

I will update again when I hear from Becca.  God bless.

Isaiah 55:8-9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways." This is the LORD's declaration. "For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Jeremiah 30:17 "For I will restore health unto you, and I will heal you of your wounds, saith the Lord."

Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."

John 15:7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

On the road to recovery...

Praise the Lord, baby Annie's surgery is over and she is on the road to recovery.

Surgery began at 11:30 this morning and I got a text from Becca in the 2 o'clock hour saying that she was off of bypass and they were going to be closing her all back up soon.  Once she was done, Becca and Joe got to run down and see their baby, give her a quick kiss, and then had to leave her again so that the doctors could get her all stabalized in the ICU.

Becca said that she is covered in tubes and still on a ventilator, which she will most likely come off of tomorrow.  Each baby is different so they are unsure how long she will be in the ICU... of course they are hoping it is only for a few short days.  From what I read in the link that Becca sent with the diagnosis, babies tend to bounce back and recover rather quickly from this surgery.  So let's be praying that is the case for baby Annie.  Her blood pressure was a little high following the surgery, but it sounded like from Becca that was to be expected.  They will be trying various pain meds and things over the next couple days in the ICU in order to get her completely stabalized.  For now Joe and Becca are unable to hold her, but they are able to walk down and sit in there with her as much as they want. 

I will keep you updated as she updates me, but in the meantime here are some specifics we could be praying for:

• that the ventilator will come off tomorrow with no complications
• that they are able to get her blood pressure down to where it needs to be
• for Godly wisdom for the doctors to know just what pain meds will do what Annie needs
• discernment for Becca and Joe as there is a lot of unfamiliar medical terminology and information being exchanged right now with the nurses and doctors
• that they are able to hold their baby girl very soon
• that Annie's stay in the ICU be short and that she would have a speedy, complete recovery
• that Annie will have a restriction-free, heart-healthy life, no further treatment ever necessary
• peace for Joe, Becca and the rest of their family as they go through the recovery process
• that Becca and Joe are able to get some sleep over the next few days 

One other thing we can be praying for is that the Turner Syndrome test that they did on Annie when she first got to A.I. would come back negative.  Becca said that it would take a few weeks to get the results back. 

I know how much they have appreciated everyone's prayers, so let's pray them through what's left of this process so they can finally go home with their perfectly healthy baby girl. 

God bless.

Today is the day...

Baby Annie's surgery is scheduled for today, November 1st around 11:00 a.m.  Becca and Joe will have their parents with them as they wait for the completion of the surgery.  They will have a brief time with Annie, post-surgery, then she will be back with the doctors before being sent to the ICU.  Becca and Joe were able to visit the ICU last night, which Becca said was very difficult.  Let's continually pray for them throughout today and the days to come... that they would have peace and be comforted by your loving presence.

Please everyone join with me in praying the following prayer for baby Annie...

"Our Father in Heaven, we thank you for our lives and our health. We love you, Father, and we love baby Annie. We are grateful she is in our lives.

We are offering a prayer before surgery so that Annie may feel your love and our love. And Father, please bless Annie and her family to be comforted and free from worry or stress at this time.

We are grateful for the skilled surgeons and medical staff that are all around them now. We ask you to bless the doctors that will attend to baby Annie, that they will be inspired by you, that their skills be made strong, hands be made steady and sure and that the operation will go smoothly and be a success.

Place your angels around Annie and her parents during this time. We invite you to attend and direct the surgery.

Please, Father, bless this day and those to come to be pleasant, free from illness, infection and stress. Please bless baby Annie's body to respond well to the surgery and all the medications.

Please bless the healing after surgery to be rapid and perfect. Bless baby Annie to live a long, healthy, restriction-free life following surgery. Give Annie strength that she will use her health to love and serve you all the days of her life as you have loved and served us.

Please bless the doctors for their skills and education; and for being able and willing to help baby Annie at this time.

We thank you for all you have given us, and ask for these blessings for Annie in Jesus Christ's name, Amen."

A visit to Annie...

Thankfully, I finally got to pay a visit tonight to Joe, Becca and baby Annie...

Baby Annie was adorable as ever as she slept snuggled up with her mommy.  As soon as Becca began to eat, the surgeon performing Annie's surgery came in to meet the family, Annie woke up and the night nurse began her shift with checking Annie's weight and vitals.  Becca and Joe are, needless to say, a little sleep deprived and certainly have moments where the reality of what is to happen this coming week hits them all over again.  Their family has been in daily as Joe was back to work this week.  Joe's mom in the morning, Becca's parents after that and Joe's dad popping in on his lunch breaks.  They come in and spend time with Becca and allow her to shower and do things she needs to do to keep up their room.  They seemed to have somewhat nestled in to their temporary home, as much as you can in a hospital room anyway. 

As I mentioned, the surgeon who will perform Annie's surgery came in while I was there.  He was able to answer some questions for Becca and Joe and confirmed that they will in fact do the surgery on Monday mid-morning.  He said the surgery takes two and a half to three hours typically and then Annie will spend sometime in the ICU.  Becca and Joe will be in their room waiting as she has her surgery -- with a social worker coming in periodically to let them know how things are going.  They will not be staying with her in the ICU, although they can go sit with her any time they would like. 

I can imagine that Monday and they few days to follow will be very difficult for Becca and Joe -- as expected.  So let's be praying them through that time... praying that God gives them peace, despite what will be going on around them.  Pray that Becca will be able to remain focused on eating, drinking and sleeping as much as she should... all these things are important for her milk production -- the nurses keep stressing this.  Pray that they are able to cast out any imaginations that would tell them anything but the truth, which is that Annie will get through this, she will recover quickly and she will go on to live a normal, healthy life. 

Annie holding mommy's hand

Jeremiah 30:17 "I will restore you to health and heal your wounds," declares the Lord.

Becca said to me that she "cannot believe she is there" -- "can't believe this is happening to her baby", but she also said to my mom that "this is not her" and that she would never imagine that she would be able to handle something like this.  But she is... and Joe is... by God's grace.  

It makes me think of the following scriptures...

2Tim.1:7 "For God hath not given us the sprit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Isaiah 26:3 "He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in Him."

Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall." 

In Matthew 11:28-30 we are told, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

1 John 5:14-15  "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."

Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

We need to carry their burden and keeping lifting them and their families up in prayer.  Matthew 18:19-20 says "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or more are gathered together in My Name, I am there in the midst of them."   So let's gather and let's pray. 

Baby Annie is a fighter... she is alert, she is eating, she is gaining weight, she smiles and she couldn't take her eyes off her daddy when he spoke.  You would never know something was going on in her little body... she looks perfect. 

I will update again if anything changes before Monday, otherwise I will wait until after I hear from Becca on Monday following Annie's surgery. 

Hope everyone has a blessed weekend.

Keep 'em coming...

Philippians 4:6-7  "Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

After speaking briefly with Becca over texts tonight, they are definitely feeling the peace described in the scripture above.  They can feel your prayers and God's love and peace.  So please keep them coming...

Baby Annie in her adorable leg-warmers : )

They did receive some good news from the doctors that they will most likely be staying there at A.I. and not having to go home for any amount of time before the surgery.  Nursing was proving to be a little exhausting for Baby Annie so mommy had to give her a bottle and said that she "took it like a champ"!  She will spend the week, post-surgery, in the ICU so this is giving her a little head start in adjusting to a bottle temporarily.

Nahum 1:7 "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust Him."

God Bless.

A hungry baby and a helpful website...

Becca wrote this morning to express gratitude to everyone who is praying for them.  She said that Annie was happily eating and was certainly not screaming like you would think a sick baby would : )

She gave me the name of the actual diagnosis as well.  So here is a website that can better explain Baby Annie's diagnosis...

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/heart/coa.html

Hope everyone is having a blessed day.

The praying begins...

Baby Annie went in for a routine weight check on Monday, October 25th.  While the doctor was giving a listen to her precious little heart, he noticed that she had a heart murmur.  Heart murmurs in babies are common and usually resolve themselves quickly... this is what they call an "innocent" heart murmur.  In order to rule out that it is not something more serious, the doctor wanted them to follow up at A.I. DuPont Children's Hospital with an ecocardiogram.  This is an ultrasound of the heart that would better be able to determine what it is that is going on. 

As any concerned parent would, they wanted to have this done as soon as they possibly could.  Needless to say, they took her in today... one day after finding out this troubling news. 

Unfortunately it turned out to be not such an "innocent" murmur after all.  Now, I am no doctor so please bear with me when I try to explain their findings...  Becca said that Annie has a narrowing in her aortic valve AND there is another part of the heart that has three strands and two of Annie's are fused together.  There is only one solution to this problem... surgery. 

Surgery, on their almost 3-week-old baby. 

I asked her if this was "common" in babies -- and she said that although open-heart surgery on a newborn is not common, they have seen babies for it and newborns usually do well with it.  Most cases the babies go on to live restriction-free lives, although she will forever have a cardiologist that will make sure things stay perfect.  The surgeon that they want to do the surgery happens to be in Japan right now, so the earliest they could have the surgery would be Friday.  They are thinking that it will be sometime early next week.

After an extremely emotional day and a half, Becca said she has managed to find some peace with the situation.  They are all situated in their room at the hospital where they will hopefully stay until after the surgery.  Becca said there was a chance that they might send her home in a few days and then she would return for the surgery, but her and Joe are really hoping to just stay and not have to go home.  I can only imagine there is much comfort in knowing that they are there with medical professionals.

So what can we do?  I asked Becca after a few concerned phone calls and messages and her response was this...

PRAY.  Please pray for Annie.

She did not give me a list of what to specifically pray for so I've compiled one myself... 

• uneventful few days until the actual surgery -- no additional problems
• wisdom for all the doctors and nurses that will be performing the surgery
• peace for Becca and Joe during this whole time
• that their faith in God would remain strong and they would not doubt
• a successful surgery
• quick recovery and complete restoration for their precious baby girl

I know her and Joe appreciate every prayer and thought as they go through this most difficult time.  I will give updates each time I hear from her on how Baby Annie is doing.  God bless.