Two Weeks and a Future Husband :)

Happy 2 weeks, baby girl!

It has been an eventful week! Norah celebrated her two week birthday (time is flying!) on Tuesday and as of her weight check yesterday (Wednesday) she has finally made it back to her birth weight of 4 lbs. 13 oz.! We are so very proud. :)

Eleanor's future husband... Under the hat is a whole head of black hair!

And now (written with Nellie's permission.. :), another exciting announcement is the (surprise) arrival of Will Thomas Johnston! He weighed in at 6 lbs. 13 oz. and is 20 inches long. (Maybe he and Norah will be more than friends someday? If he can handle an older woman, that is. ;) He made his debut on Tuesday at almost four weeks ahead of schedule. Nellie had a great delivery, but prayers are now needed for her little warrior as his gender and nationality (skinny white boy :) proved him not quite ready for life on the 'outside'. After his delivery the nurses noticed he was having to work harder than normal to breath and they decided to give him some additional oxygen to help him transition to room air. Unfortunately, that course of action was not enough and after further testing it was discovered that he has 'premature lung disease' which basically means his lungs aren't able to function as necessary due to his prematurity. An additional hurdle occurred when they discovered that he had developed a hole in one of his lungs from working so hard to breathe (as of this afternoon the hole had begun to repair itself - a definite answer to prayer!). Last night the decision was finally made to sedate and put him on a respirator so his little body could take a break. He was also given a synthetic form of surfactant (which the body produces naturally prior to delivery in order to prepare the lungs for air) which will help his lungs develop. Will's doctor explained that every baby has a different time-table on when they begin to produce this which is why some babies (like Eleanor) can be born at 35 weeks and be fine and other babies born at 38 weeks - which is full term - can still have under-developed lungs. (Will came at just 36 wks. 3 days).

Will is a champion, though, and is expected to be home in 2 weeks. Nellie and Jonathan are unable to hold their little man just yet - which has been extremely difficult for them, but he certainly knows they love him and that they cannot wait to bring him home to introduce him to his older sister (Riley) and brother (Tyler). Little Will was given a blessing by his daddy and while he is expected to make a full recovery it doesn't change the fact that he's not home now or the fact that Nellie and Jonathan will face a challenging couple of weeks as they drive back and forth for round the clock feedings (once Will is able to try feeding by mouth - for now he is being given IV nutrients) and visits while also trying to maintain normalcy for their toddlers. I know they appreciate any and all prayers for their little guy to make a speedy recovery! Particularly for him to be removed from the machines so they can hold him.

I was able to visit Nellie and Will in the hospital yesterday. While doing the necessary 3 minute hand-washing session required of all visitors in the Special Care Nursery I struck up a conversation with a nearby mom holding her baby girl. I asked her how long she'd been there (12 days) and how much longer it would be before she could take her baby girl home (she hoped 2-3 days) and then asked what she was 'in for' - referring to why she was in the SCN. The mom then explained that her daughter was born at 35 weeks and had been having breathing issues. That brief conversation completely humbled me as I realized just how lucky Justin and I were that Norah (or Eddie and Jack for that matter!) did not have breathing difficulties despite their early arrivals. (Nellie's older son, Tyler, was also born early (37 weeks) and had no problems which just verifies what the pediatrician told Nellie: "Every baby is different.") Get well soon, Will! There are playdates to make and your future wife to meet! :)

Congratulations on your adorable new son, Johnston Family!