He's here...

Okay, so I'm a little sleep deprived and I just lost half of my post. So, it's not going to be nearly as eloquent as it once was. As of 7:20 pm on December 17th, 2008, Andy and I were officially inducted into the world of parenthood. We are proud parents of a little boy, Grayson Miller. No, he's not named after anyone, we just liked it! Although we were expecting a baby, we weren't expecting him to be close to 5 weeks early. He weighed in at a hefty 4 lbs 14 ounces and a lanky 18 and 1/2 inches long. He also happens to be pretty darn cute! We've had a long week of ups and downs, we've made leaps and bounds and also got caught up on some hurdles. All in all he's doing well. His major organs are functioning well and we praise God daily for his lungs being mature. He has come down with some jaundice and that brought all sorts of problems with it. He got very sleepy and had a hard time eating. He also became dehydrated and has had an IV drip in of some sugar water. He's been such a trooper though! We thought we were going to have to feed him through a tube placed into his stomach because he wasn't taking enough nutrition in for what he needs. At his smallest, he dropped down to 4 lbs 4 ounces, but gained 4 ounces since yesterday. Anyways, he hadn't been eating, feeding tube, etc. Now, as an alternative to the tube, we're giving him bottles that I'm pumping that have been fortified with extra calories and he's tolerating them very well. So, for now, no feeding tube! It's kind of a feeding by feeding thing that we'll have to deal with. As long as he eats his required amount, he won't have to have one for that feeding. It has been so amazing to see his progress and the things we didn't think he would be doing that he's doing. It's been hard and the tears come easily, but I am so blessed by this little peanut already. It's hard having him in his light bed because all Iwant to do is hold him, but the more he's in there the sooner I can hold him when I want (and probably when he wants too!). His jaundice levels have dropped, his weight's back up and he's eating...praise God!