ONE WEEK OLD !!!!

One week old!!! Caiden is still in the NICU :(. He is doing better his billie went down again today. They said that if it is lower tomorrow that they will take him off the lights. Which would be nice so then we could cuddle him longer then we can no with him being on the lights.

Thanks to all the great nurse's and doctors at the NICU.

Not much to report today. Hopefully we will have been news to report tomorrow!

Our Little Fighter !!! 2.20.09

First Time in Papa Poulsen's Arm's

Grammy and Papa with Caiden

Grammy cuddling Caiden

Braxton at Isolates and Ice Cream


Today was another good day. We started the day with a trip to my doctor's office. I got to get my staples out !!! YEAH !!!! Then we went to the hospital to check on and feed Caiden.

When we got to the hospital Caiden was on Two Billie Lights again. A little set back but they are not to worried about it right now.

Thanks to everyone for watching Braxton while we have been heading up to the hospital.

Caiden did really well nursing today !!! Caiden's feeding have been up'd which is really good and he is handling them well. So they told us today that they were going to stop his TPN feeding's. If he does well with out those then they will be able to pull his Centeral Line(IV). This would be the last line in Caiden except his feeding tube in his nose.

NICU has this awesome class called Isolates and Ice Cream. This is a class for Older Brothers and Sister's to come and learn about all the tube and wires that are hooked on their brother or sister. Braxton was the only brother there so it was nice the nurse went in and found out what was on Caiden and placed the same on the baby doll. It was really cute Braxton was so cute asking questions and color a picture to place on Caiden's bed side. Braxton really like this cause he got a Popsicle when we were all done!!!

So at the 5 pm feeding. Gary stayed home with Braxton (since he is having a really hard time with this whole thing.) for a little Daddy and Brax time. Grammy Poulsen drove up with me and Papa Poulsen meet us there. They did move Caiden to a window bed which is nice so Brax and other can now see Caiden a little better.

This was really a nice visit since Papa Poulsen has not held Caiden due to all the tube that he had they scared him. Also Grammy got to hold him as well.

I also wanted to tell all the nurses at the NICU Thanks for taking such great care of

"OUR LITTLE FIGHTER"!!!!

Moved Rooms 2.19.09

Caiden with Daddy
Caiden looking up at Mommy
So today was a good day, with a little step back. When we arrived at 11 am for the feeding, Caiden was off the O2, and breathing on room air. They told us that they no longer have to check his blood sugars since he has been able to control them.

The little set back was the his Billie jumped up 4.5 points so they had to place him back on one of the Billie Lights. But they are hoping that he does not have to be on the light for long.

The nurse said that they might be moving Caiden to the next room(He was in room 1 which is the HIGH room). But she was not sure that it would be done today or when.

So my parents when up at 6pm and there was a sticky note on the sign in book that said "your baby has been moved to Pod 2".

Then we went up at 8p for his feeding. He did not eat this time he was really tired. It was really weird to be in the step down room. It was alot quieter in this room not so many alarms going off and only 2 nurses to 6 babies instead of one nurse to one baby.

I am doing ok I get to get my staples out tomorrow!!! Yeah!!!! I am hoping that all goes well. I will keep you all updated.

Pictures of Caiden

Grammy holding Caiden's hand
Mommy holding Caiden

Daddy holding Caiden

Caiden holding Mommy and Grammy's hands

Step's in the RIGHT Direction !!!!

Daddy cuddling Caiden
Caiden sleeping in mommy's arm's

Caiden in Daddy's arm's

Today we went up to the hospital for the 11 am feeding. I was hoping that Caiden might have one of the Billie Light's off, since the doctors said that this is what they were hoping for if his Bili stayed the leaves it was at.
So when I walked in to the NICU and Caiden had a BLANKET over his incubator I almost started to cry!!!! The light were GONE !!! ALL OF THEM !!!!! The Heidi(nurse) said that he was doing so good. She turned off the lights and he was sound a sleep so she did not want to wake him by taking the SUN GLASSES Off. So she left them on. She said the next time she came over to check on him he had taken the glasses off. She said he even undid the latch on them. He is already being mister independent.
I asked what his sugars have been since that also has been an issue. Heidi(the Nurse) said that they were stable and that they are going to take out the ART Line (this is a IV line that goes directly in to his Arterial Artery.) later today after his next blood draw. Another BIG STEP in the right direction!!!
I also wanted to give a really BIG THANK-YOU to Gary!!!!! Gary has been a WONDERFUL HUSBAND AND FATHER through all of this. I was so grateful that he has been there for me and for Braxton. He stayed the night at the hospital with me 2 out of the3 nights that I was there. He has been a shoulder for me to cry on and believe me there has been alot of CRYING!!!!
We are all so blessed that he has the priesthood to give blessing and everything that we need. Gary and Braxton have had a lot of daddies and brax time which is really good.
Today when I was getting ready Brax asked me " Mommy why is Caiden not home with us ?" I started to cry and had to explain to him about the whole situation that is going on . Then he told me that he wanted him home so he could play with him. I am so glad he is doing so well with this. It's hard to explain everything to a 3 1/2 years old that you have a brother but you can't see him yet, but he is doing so well.
Sorry that the post lately have been a little longer. Just trying to keep everyone updated. Thanks for all the prayers and meals and thought that all of you have given to us.

Hardest Day So Far.......

So today had to be the Hardest Day of my life !!!!!! So I got discharged from the hospital. Most mom's are happy to leave the hospital, but the MAJOR differance is that they get to take their babies home with them. That made me cry when they took me out and I did not have my little Caiden with me.

So as if having to leave the hospital with out my baby was not enough........................ No I get slammed with, Caiden's blood count is low,so they think he might have a bleed on the brain. That is not what you want to hear when you are in the NICU sitting by your self( Gar went home to spend the night with Brax, and then they were going to come and get me), holding your little one in your arm's!!!

Speaking of Brax he has had a nasty cough so we decided that we need to go get him checked out (thanks to a nudge from Dr. Mike my uncle) to make sure it was not RSV. After we checked out of the hospital we headed over to Brax's doctor appointment. Great news no RSV, just a virus.

So then Gary, my Mom and I headed back up to the hospital for the 5 pm feeding. I was hoping that the doctor would be there so that I could talk to him about the results of the Ultrasound of the Brain. Dr. Christiansen was there YEAH!!!!! I am so glad that he was there. He took the time to pull up the Ultrasound and go frame by frame and let us know that everything is NORMAL!!!!!!! I was so relieved !!!!!

That is the update for today I will post again soon to keep you up to date.

Caiden Update 2.16.09

Ok I want to keep everyone up to date with what is going on with Caiden. I have been pumping since last night hoping that Caiden would be able to start eating today!?!?!?! Which in it's self is a blessing since it did not work with Braxton.

So I told my mom that if she wanted to come and hold Caiden she would need to be at the hospital at 11am. So we went over to the NICU and I got to change Caiden's diaper, ,let me tell you that was a great moment it made me feel like a REAL NEW MOM, Not someone that had surgery and is in the hospital.
So then the nurse asked it I would like to attempt to feed him which did not work at the 8 am feeding. This time Caiden seemed a little more interested in the whole situation. So when we were done with the whole nursing thing. My mom and I switched places and she got to hold Caiden which was really cute. My mom has been the first person on both Braxton and Caiden to hold them besides Gary and I. Let me tell you that is a moment that I will never forget !!!!
So his blood sugars are stable and his bil has gone up which is what they wanted.
I am so greatful for the wounderful nurses adddnd respetory people. It makes it a little easier know that he is being well taken care of while I am away!!!!

Update on Caiden

OK so today is Day # 3 in the NICU, Caiden is doing so great !!! His blood sugars are doing so great he has had 5 stable one's which is GREAT!!!! He is starting to act like he is hungry so we are going to TRY and start to feed him today!!!! I went over the at 7 am to check on him. I got to hold him for the 2ND time today for a total of 3o Min's (So Far hopefully) . I will try and keep the blog updated with picture and updates as much as I can. My doctor is coming in the lunch hour so we will see what the plan is then. Thanks again to all those that have been up to see us and check on us and Thanks to my mom and dad for taking Care of the First munchkin.

Caiden was holding on to my thumb for the longest time he would not let go.

Caiden has a little Jaundice so he is Sun Bathing !!! I love the Sun Glasses

Grammy watches to many Grey's Anatomy she would not touch anything she had to be like the doctors on Grey's

Papa Poulsen, Auntie Stevi, Grammy Poulsen SCRUBBING In to go see Caiden.

Pictures of Caiden

Caiden off the vent

First Family Picture ( Most of the Family)

Hospital Trip # 3 = Caiden

So......It is official Caiden Lloyd Cooper was born February 14, 2009 @ 8:32 pm 6 lbs. 11 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long.. So since the last post we went to the hospital Friday the 13Th with contractions, was sent home. Was told to come back if the contraction's get worse ?!?!?! So Saturday I was having really bad, I mean bad contractions. I call the answering service and the doc's told me to head to the hospital. I was dilated to a 1. But Caiden was going in to distress so we decided to deliver him by C-Section. It was really hard I did not get to see him till he was a few hours old!!! I did see pictures which made it nice. Thanks to Gar. I never thought that I would get such a great Valentines present. It will make his birthday easy to remember. I have to thank my parents and Gary's parents and Kati and Ty and Stevi for taking care of Braxton during the C-section.
Caiden did have to be placed on a ventilator for a while. Since he was pre-mature he needed a little help to Breath. But I was so glad when I went to the NICU today and he was off the vent breathing on his own!!!! Now we are working on getting his Blood sugars under control.