Weekend Update

I'm Definitely a Daddy's Boy

I Love When My Mommy Holds Me

Notice Anything Different?

My nurses added a musical toy to my crib. I love it! It really helps me calm down when I'm fussy. I've been a cranky little boy the past few days, but it's only because I've been getting really hungry. That's a good sign that I'm doing better though. I can scream louder than all of my friends:)

Showing off My Cute Legs

Do I REALLY Still Need This Tube???

Well....my doctor still thinks I do, but I'm starting to use it a lot less. I am making a lot of progress and I think I'm getting the hang of this eating stuff that everyone has been talking about. Look at me go! My mommy has gotten me to breast feed really good now and I still usually take at least 50 ml of my bottle afterwards. I'm still getting higher calorie formula mixed in with my mommy's milk, but I'm getting to be a chunky Monkey, so maybe I won't need the extra calories too much longer.

My Mommy Wishes I would Look at Her When She's Taking My Picture

Cheeks For Weeks

2 Weeks Old

Madden's starting to make a lot of different facial expressions.

Here he is.....

Being a Pouty Little Boy

...And Smirking Like His Daddy

When we got to Cooks yesterday, Mike freaked out when he didn't see Madden in his crib. Then, the sweet nurse pointed down to the ground. They had Madden sitting in a bouncer. He was sound asleep. I can't wait to get him home and put him in his own little bouncer that Grammy bought for him.
I could watch him sleep all day long. This was right before we were leaving. It's so hard to leave, but many of the nurses have encouraged us to go home more often and get some rest. We are trying to take care of ourselves, but Madden is our top priority right now.

My Daddy Adores Me.....And I Adore My Daddy!

Look how big I'm getting? I now weigh a little over 7 pounds and 7 ounces.

My mommy is always going

C-R-A-Z-Y

with her camera. She just can't get enough of me!

Madden is definitely going to be used to taking photos. We probably take AT LEAST 20 pictures of him a day. We don't won't to miss a moment. Not being with him 24/7 is very difficult.

Mike and I can not believe that our little boy is already two weeks old. We both kind of feel like we are in a dream still. Cooks has been our home-away-from-home for the past 13 days and it's so surreal that we are going through all of this right now. I now know how difficult things must have been on my mom when Aaron, Erika, and I were in the hospital. Although this feels like a dream right now, I know it will soon be a dream come true....because I have faith that we will be home by Madden's 3 week Birthday. That's our goal!


I want to apologize to all my friends and family. I have been terrible about returning phone calls and staying in touch....that's why this blog has been so helpful. It's not that we don't want to talk to everyone, it's just that I don't get the phone calls until late at night, the middle of the night, or the wee hours of morning. I love listening to all of your sweet voice mails though. It's a great feeling to know that our family and friends care so much and that Madden is already so LOVED by EVERYONE. Please dont' EVER doubt how much we truly appreciate all of you.


Change of plans....Mike and I have thought carefully and due to the situation that we are in with Madden, I am going to have to go back to work earlier than expected. It's only two weeks sooner than planned. I will still get to be off a full 10 weeks. Mike and I did not for see having all of these medical bills rack up so quickly, so we just need to be realistic and smart about me not getting a paycheck. We have to do what's best for our family. We want to thank Nana for the generous gift we received in the mail yesterday. It's going to help us out SO MUCH! We love you, Nana!


Although our life revolves around Madden and it seems that I'm not paying attention to anything else...I want to take the time to say congratulations to Mike's cousin. She had a sweet baby girl yesterday. When Madden gets well, we will definitely come and visit. I also want to let everyone know that I will be a new aunt in the Spring. Aaron and Amy are pregnant!

I started this post last night, but wasn't able to finish it. My eyes just wouldn't stay open any longer. I was so tired! I slept 7 hours straight; which is a good thing and a bad thing. It's good, because obviously that's what my body needed. It's also bad though, because I missed 2 pumping times, my medication, and Mike had to wake up and turn off my alarm several times. I've promised him I will try to listen for my alarm better. I guess my body had just had it!

Thursday Update

Mama's Sleepy Boy

I was too tired to update last night when we got home from the hospital. We were so happy yesterday when we found out that our friend, Janet, was going to be Madden's daytime nurse. We knew if anyone could get him to eat, it would be her. Sure enough, he ate his full feedings with her BOTH times! We were so proud of him! Last night, when we went back up to visit, he was really pooped out. He only did 45 ml at his 9:00 p.m. feeding and 40 ml and his 3:00 a.m. feeding. We were a little bummed, because we really wanted yesterday to be the day that it started "Clicking" for him. The good news is that as of last night he weighs 7 pounds and 5 ounces. His sweet little face is getting chunkier and chunkier. I love it! Mike and I are going to be going up to Cooks shortly. I will post tonight for sure, because today is Madden's 2 week birthday!

Madden's Growing

It's hard to believe that today was supposed to be my scheduled C-section date. Part of me will always wonder if things would have been different if Madden wasn't born at 37 weeks, but I can't dwell on that....I just need to be grateful for the blessing that God has given us.

Mike and I loved being with Madden today. The Dr. said Mike should be well enough to hold him tomorrow. I know he's anxious to hold his baby boy again! He is definitely starting to eat a little bit better. My favorite moment tonight was getting to breastfeed him while he was cavaging. It was such a sweet bond and I can't wait to do it again tomorrow. He was a little fussy this evening, but he was perfectly content being in my arms; which made me feel wonderful. We were so excited when the nurse told us his weight. He now weighs 7 pounds and 1 3/4 ounces. He needs to gain about 10 ounces before Friday. We all need to cheer him on!

Madden's Got Beauty & Brains!

Madden's Ultra-sound

Our precious little Madden had to have an ultra-sound done on his brain today. The doctors wanted to rule out any serious problems linked to his eating. We got the results back this evening and his brain looks beautiful! So, he definitely is capable of learning how to eat more consistantly; it's just going to have to happen on his own terms. They switched Madden's eating schedule up again. He will now be rotating evenly between bottles and cavaging. They are also going to let me breastfeed while he's cavaging, so he could possibly be getting double nutrition during those feedings. I need to start producing more milk though. The lack of sleep is definitely taking a toll on my body. The fact that Madden and I are separated also plays a big role in my milk supply.

He's been scratching his face, so they put these socks over his hands. I loved the way he had his arms positioned. I am so in love with this baby boy! I just wanted to put him in my purse and leave tonight:)

Saturday, Sunday, Monday Update

Our Sweet Bundle Of JoyToday, Melanie took mom and I over to Cooks. We got to spend the whole day with Madden while Mike was at school. Mike has been sick and has not been able to see or hold Madden since Friday night. I know it's been extremely hard on Mike, but I'm giving Madden lots of kisses from his daddy. Today was a very exciting day, because Madden ate 55 ml for me. That's a really big deal. He only had to have 15 cavaged into his feeding tube. Then, he burped 3 super loud burps. It made me feel really good that I got him to eat that much. Our great friend, Janet, is a nurse at Cooks and she shared some eating secrets with me. I really think they are going to start making a difference in his eating. Thanks Janet!
Look at My Big Boy Bottle! There was a volunteer at the hospital today donating crocheted items. We found the perfect blue toboggan to match Madden's outfit. We also picked out 2 blankets and 3 more toboggans. Madden seemed to be a fan of what we picked...he looked all warm and snuggly cute:)
Melanie, Grammy, and Madden

This picture is from last night. Mike took me to Cooks, but had to wait in the waiting room since he's sick. So, I dressed Madden up in his "Daddy's All-star" sleeper. I wanted him to know that he's Daddy's pride and joy. I can see a lot of Mike in Madden. He definitely has Mike's pretty blue eyes. He's changing so much every day. I cherish every minute that I get to be with him and can't wait to bring him home. I'm trying to be patient, because I know he is getting the best care possible right now. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that he can come home before the end of the week.

Here is a picture of our little love bug from Saturday night. Uncle Aaron and Aunt Amy took Mom and I over to Cooks to see Madden that night. This was the first night that Mike started getting really sick again. He doesn't want to take any chances of giving anything to Madden. He plans on going to the doctor again tomorrow after school. Mike will be off from school Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week. I really hope he's all well by Wednesday, because I so badly miss our family time together. I think it's important that Madden be able to see his Mommy and Daddy as much as possible.

Guess how much I weigh now? I am all the way back up to 6 lbs. 15.11 oz. My newborn clothes are still swallowing me up, but I'll eventually grow into them. My doctors say that I will wake up one day and everything will click. I'm still learning the process of eating. Everyone calls me a lazy eater! My Mommy and Daddy are proud of the progress I'm making and I know we will all be together soon. Give me a break....I'm only 11 days old!

Again, Mike and I want to thank our amazing friends and family. All the phone calls, emails, prayers, rides to and from the hospital, meals, and dog babysitting has been more helpful than you know. I also want my Team and friends at school to know how much I appreciate all their help. All of you have really stepped up and prepared me for the next 12 weeks of maternity leave. I can't thank all of you enough!

Trying To Catch Up

Happy 1 week Birthday to Madden! Mommy & Daddy love you so much!Madden has had a hard first week of life. Mike and I were so anxious to see him for his 1 week Birthday. Our day didn't exactly go as planned, but we have quickly learned to always expect the unexpected. Mike and I both attended Sneak Peek at our schools yesterday. Then, we had planned to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening with Madden. Well, I ended up having to go to the emergency room. I had another allergic reaction and spent over 6 hours at the hospital. It was 10:30 by the time we got to see our baby boy. Once we got to Cooks, we had completely forgotten about the bad day we had been having. Madden is definitely our medicine! I felt like a real mommy. I got to do all of the "first time" stuff that most mommy and daddy's get to do on day 1. I took Madden's temperature, changed a wet diaper and a poopy diaper (and LOVED every minute of it!), changed his clothes a few times, cleaned his umbilical chord, weighed him, gave him a sponge bath, fed him, and burped him. The nurse was there to assist me, but it felt nice to finally be able to get involved. Madden has gained a little more weight. He's up to 6 lbs. 13 oz. His goal is to be back to his birth weight by the time he's 2 weeks old. They have changed up his eating schedule a little bit. He still has a 65 ml requirement per feeding, but they are rotating his feeding schedule. He'll alternate between taking as much of a bottle as possible and then doing only his feeding tube the next feeding. It seemed to help a little bit. At one of his feedings, he ate a full 65 ml bottle on his own. Go Madden, Go! Although that's great news, he still has to prove to everyone that he can do that independently and consistently for over 48 hours. It's going to take some time, but I'm finally starting to believe that he's going to get there. Mike and I are just taking it one day at a time. We got home at 3:30 in the morning and were absolutely exhausted. I will try to be better about updating more frequently.

Mommy's First Feed

The Two Loves Of My Life

Let's rewind back to Thursday...It felt like we just couldn't catch a break that day. Our morning started by taking Mickey to the vet. He has lost over a pound and the vet pumped some liquids into his neck. Now we have two baby boys who are having trouble with their weight. Shortly after Mike got home with Mickey, I called to check on Madden. My heart just broke as soon as the nurse told me how he was doing. She gave me his numbers from his 12:00 a.m., 3:00 a.m., and 6:00 a.m. feedings. He only ate 5 ml, 10 ml, and 15 ml. Remember, he has to eat a minimum of 65 ml per feed. Whatever he doesn't eat independently, has to be cavaged thru his feeding tube. I spent the rest of the morning crying. I've always thought of myself as a super strong individual, but the situation we are in with Madden is really testing my strength. Mike and I are both struggling, but we just have to have faith that everything will be alright. My mom came and stayed with the dogs, so that Mike and I could spend the rest of the afternoon and evening with Madden. It felt so good to get some quality time with our baby boy. Some of his numbers started to improve throughout the day. He ate 24 ml at 9:00 a.m., 40 ml at 12:00 p.m., 20 ml at 3:00 p.m., 17 ml at 6:00 p.m., and 35 ml at 9:00 p.m. Mike fed him at his 9:00 feeding and Madden burped super loud! I was so proud of Mike. He's definitely a natural daddy! This has been the worst week and the best week of our lives. We never dreamed we would be going on this journey with Madden, but we couldn't be happier that our baby boy has finally entered our world! I will do a Saturday update when we get home...it won't be until like 1:00 a.m. though, but I need to stay caught up. Thanks for all the sweet comments. They are very encouraging and uplifting. Much Love!

Eat Baby, Eat!

Get Well Soon, baby boy!

When we got to Cooks today, we found out that the doctors increased Madden's eating requirements. His new goal is to eat 65 ML per feeding. Mike fed him tonight and he took 30 ML, so the remaining 35 had to be put into his feeding tube. We really enjoyed the time we got to spend with Madden today. Mike even got to change his diaper. Hopefully I'll get to change it tomorrow. It's sad that Madden is 6 days old and his own mommy and daddy haven't even got to do the normal things with him yet. I'm hoping to get some more bonding time with him tomorrow. The doctors say the only thing keeping him at Cooks is his eating issues. I called to check on him at 11:00 tonight. I was disappointed to hear that he only took half of his feeding at 9:00 and he lost a little more weight. He is currently weighing in at 6 pounds 10.8 ounces. We just want him to hurry and turn into a little piggy. It kills us to walk pass his nursery or just to know that our home is not complete without him. Please continuing praying for baby Madden.

Mike and I wanted to say thank you to Melanie, Judy, Grammy, and Laura. Melanie, your dinner was so delicious! Grammy, thank you for the super cute baby book! Judy, Mike loves your Neiman Marcus bars! Laura, it was so nice visiting with you. I really appreciate all of you for coming to visit tonight.

Let's pray for a better day tomorrow for Madden....More eating....less feeding tube!

BABY MADDEN

Fresh Out Of The Oven!

Madden Reid Morris

7 lbs. 11.5 Oz.

21 Inches Long

Born 8/14/09 at 9:00 a.m.I was originally scheduled for a C-section on 8/26, but my doctor admitted me to the hospital on 8/12 due to high blood pressure. We spent Wednesday and Thursday in the hospital on bed rest. They ran a lot of tests on me and my doctor re-scheduled my C-section for 8/14. Madden was born at 9:00 a.m. As soon as he was born, he was taken to the NICU due to some breathing problems. He was in the NICU for just over 6 hours. It was there that they first noticed his blood sugar was low. He then went to the regular nursery, where we got to see him and try to get him to eat. He had a lot of trouble eating Friday and they told us early Saturday morning that if his levels didn't improve he would have to go back to the NICU. At noon, we were told that the NICU was full and they could not wait for a space to open. Madden was transported to the NICU at Cooks in Fort Worth. They put him on an IV and continued to monitor his sugars. They improved that day, but on Sunday he started having more trouble eating and had an apnea episode. Monday morning they put a feeding tube in Madden's nose. I was discharged from the hospital at 5:00 in the evening and Mike took me straight to Cooks to see Madden. Mike had been really great about taking pictures and video taping Madden for me while we were separated. Monday night, while I was holding Madden, he had another short apnea episode. His lips turned purple and his monitors started going off. It was very scary, but he came out of it on his own; which showed it was just some temporary shallow breathing. Madden is continuing to be fed by a combination of bottle and a feeding tube. I am also taking everything I pump over to Cooks. We still haven't had a full day where he has eaten independently, but we are hopeful that he will get to where he needs to be. Last night, on our way to visit Madden, we had a blow out on highway 820. Aunt Jayme was able to come pick me up to see Madden; while Mike waited on the tow truck. Then, the police officer drove Mike to the hospital after that. As of this morning, Madden has lost a pound. He is down to 6 lbs. 11 oz. We do not know how long Madden will be a patient at Cooks. Yesterday he was moved from the NICU to the PNICU; which shows he is now in the progressive stage. Once he gets out of the PNICU, they will put him with Mike and I in a family suite where he can be monitored. This past week has definitely been a whirlwind of emotions for us, but we are trying to hang in there. We want to thank our friends and family for supporting and loving us during this difficult time. We know Madden is in good hands at Cooks and his pediatrician, Dr. Mann, is keeping a close watch on him. Since Madden's condition and status change from day-to-day, I will start updating the blog nightly. I hope this will allow everyone to keep up with the latest details of Madden's progress. Enjoy the pics!

Mommy Loves Madden!

Our First Family Photo

Daddy's Boy

Here's Madden at Cooks. This is my first time to hold him since the day he was born....It was the best feeling EVER!

Last night we took him his own hat to wear. We know it's too big, but he still looks sweet in it.

Mommy, Madden, & Grammy

MiMi & Madden

The day it all started...

My final pregnancy pic! The night before Madden was born.

Official Due Date!

Today was our 36 week check-up. My c-section has been scheduled for 8/26 @ 1:30. It feels so nice to know an exact date. I was measuring at 40 weeks today, but my doctor said that has a lot to do with my high-level of amniotic fluid. I'm hoping everything stays well and I can make it 3 more weeks. My doctor feels like this is a safe delivery date for Madden, so we are thrilled! This means that I will be able to teach the first two days of school and stay home with Madden until 11/18!