Real Life

We've been home nearly a week- it's so hard to believe that time has flown so fast. Yesterday at 11:11 am, I was thinking back to one week ago and Blake's arrival. It doesn't seem possible that it's been a week.

Life at home has been really great. I hesitate to brag on our sweet baby boy since I know that things can change in the blink of an eye. So far though, we have had GREAT nights. Lights have been out by 10:30, he wakes up somewhere between 3:30 and 4:30 to eat, goes back to sleep, and then I have been waking him up around 7:30. Needless to say, I wish I looked better in these pictures since I have been getting decent sleep, but not so!

Blake has been a real sleeper so far. When he does have his eyes open, we relish the opportunity to talk to him, or rock him and read to him, and basically to enjoy the fleeting moment of awakeness. Hunter continues to do so well with Blake being here. He wants to show him his toys, tells him he doesn't want him to cry and even helped me change a diaper today. What a helper! I cannot believe he will be 3 in a few short weeks. It seems so hard to believe!

Here are my 2 boys and me in front of the stork that Daddy got! I love it!

The three of us hanging out on the couch.

Sweet Blake in his crib for the first time yesterday- taking a little nap.

Big Blake meeting Baby Blake for the first time!

Blake and Mommy just relaxing! He's a sweetheart and a real cuddler!

Baby Blake's Arrival

Blake Taylor Jones is here!!

He is a healthy boy and we are so blessed! He's perfect!
He arrived Monday, November 17th at 11:11 AM. He weighed 8 lbs 13 oz and is 22 inches long! We were very surprised to have such a big boy. I knew all along that he would be long- I just had a feeling, but had no idea he was going to be 8-13! He has blonde hair and quite a bit of it. None of us had ever seen that much fair colored hair on a newborn. From such a rapid descent in the delivery, he has a lot of facial bruising. It was a cause for concern at first because they weren't sure if the blue bruising was bruising or lack of oxygen. Apparently when babies come through as quickly as Blake did, they can take a lot of pressure on their face. However, his little head could not be more round and perfect, kind of like a C-secion baby. He has been an angel so far and we are blessed beyond words. Pics to come!

Me ready to head to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital at 6:00, checked in, got situated in our room and my doctor came in by 6:45 and broke my water. By 7:15 the pitocin was started and off we went.

Here I am in my lovely Labor and Delivery room. Getting excited to meet Blake- this was pre-pain!

He's here!!

Looking at my most precious gift.

The turkey family! In honor of having him so close to Thanksgiving, I could not resist the need to be cheesy and wear our turkey hats. Can you tell he is very bruised?

Big day TOMORROW!!

I can't believe it's our last day as a family of 3! I will have 2 little boys by this time tomorrow probably! Wow!

I definitely have the "need to be busy" and "nesting" instinct. I have been rushing around the house making sure everything is in order for Hunter and his day he will be off at school, writing a list of what to pack for his lunch, cleaning, doing laundry, double checking the contents of my bag, returning phone calls, and basically doing every little chore I can imagine. I'm sure I'll be sorry tomorrow that I didn't take the opportunity to rest.

The past couple of months have been rough in the sleep department. I guess it's God's way of preparing me for being up in the nights. Last night, I figured that after the past 2 weeks of ups and downs, since things were so positive, that I would crash. I got in bed before 10 and finally fell asleep by 11. At 1:45, we heard an ear-piercing beep, beep, beep. Our smoke detector battery was low and it proceeded to beep, beep, beep ALL night long ONCE A MINUTE! Did I mention that it is the one located right outside our bedroom door. Lovely. Needless to say, I was up until nearly 4.

Anyway, we'll be up at the hospital by 6 tomorrow morning- probably a little earlier knowing me! We can't wait to meet Blake and know it will be such a fun day! Thanks for the many prayers.

**As for Dana today- she is stable and under a bit more sedation than yesterday. They are watching a couple of things a little more carefully to make sure that nothing turns into something that could complicate her recovery. Vitals and things like that are still doing great, so we are so grateful. She still has quite a recovery ahead and we are so thankful that the doctors and nurses are watching for anything that could possibly get in the way. She's in the best of care. We'll just continue to pray for God's full healing on her and that soon she will be able to tell us just what went on these past 2 weeks. :)**

Glory to God!

Today, Saturday, has been a day full of wonderful news. Chris called me this morning while he was up visiting his mom. They have pulled her off some of the sedatives, and she was actually responsive to their questions and to what they were saying. She was attempting to open her eyes, nodded in response and shook her head at some of their questions. Chris was able to tell her that in 2 days, Blake will be here. I know it was such a relief to him to be able to leave on such a great note. He is home now, and we are just rejoicing over the incredible accomplishments she has made in such a short time. The doctors were just elated that she was doing all that she was. This afternoon, Chris' dad, Scott, reported that she was trying to talk. I know that they want her to rest and not over-extend herself, but what a trooper! She is stronger than anyone could have imagined.

Our plans for the evening are to treat Mr. Hunter to a movie at the real, live movie theatre. We have never done that, so it should be an experience. I wanted to do something extra special with him before the big arrival of Baby Brother, so I think this will be a fun outing.

I am still battling a stubborn cold, so I am hoping to nip that in the bud before Monday. The plan for Monday for those of you who want to know...
6:00 Arrive at NE Baptist and
by 6:15 Dr. Vanover said she would be there to get things going...
We are so excited to meet Blake and are praying that he will be a healthy little boy!

Glory to God for Dana's amazing day! Thank you for your prayers and for checking in with us. I know the prayers are continuing to carry her through this recovery. Blessings to you all!!!

Again, if you want to visit her site, it is www.caringbridge.org/visit/danajones1

Glory to God!!

Great news to report at this time...

Dana did great during the surgery. Chris called me about 1/2 way through to tell me the surgeon felt that all was very positive at that point. She was handling the surgery well, her heart looked very strong, there was no infection around the valve, her lungs were oxygenating well, and the overall news at that point was very positive. Once they took her off of the heart and lung machine, she apparently did not skip a beat and all was good. She will recover in ICU for another couple of days.

The next 24-48 hours are still very critical. The doctors said that the surgery went without complication, but there is always a risk of complication during the post-op time. We will be praying over the next several days that she continues to do so well. It truly is the power of prayer that is evident in the success of today. People all over are so faithful to pray for her and I hope you all know the deep gratitude that we ALL feel.

On another note... this is my 100th post on the blog. People usually make a big deal of this. I can't think of a better post to have than to say that things went as good as they could have. Hallelujah!!

I went to the doctor today and am at 2 and 80%. Apparently I was never at 3 last week, so I stayed relatively the same. Monday is still the plan. I will get there about 6 for the induction and things will get started around 6:15. Yippee! I pray that Monday will be another day of great miracles with Blake's arrival and Dana's continued improvement! What an incredible blessing that would be!!

Oh yea.. as if life couldn't get any more complicated, Hunter has his first ever ear infection. :) Are we having fun yet?


THANK YOU, THANK YOU for the incredible prayers, the thoughtful phone calls and the amazing support you all have shown. We have truly been uplifted through this time and I know that Dana will continue to be carried in prayer in these next several days of her recovery. Many, many thanks!

Here's what I know...

The surgery has been rescheduled for tomorrow morning at 7:30 am.

Please pray for the surgery to be a success, that Dana would do well during and after the procedure. The days following are also very critical and we would ask that people continue to lift her up in prayer over the weekend that no complications arise to jeopardize her recovery.

As far as what Chris knew, she will be placed back on the rotoprone bed for several days in ICU, then hopefully once they feel comfortable, she can be moved to a regular hospital bed to recover further in ICU. We know that the road ahead is long, but we are so confident that God is using His divine timing to guide her through the recovery.

That's what I know for now! :)

Change of Plans...

Chris called me this morning shortly after 6 to tell me that the surgery has been postponed. Apparently the pulmonary doctor found an infection in Dana's lungs and because of that, has postponed the heart surgery for 24-48 hours. That being said, he apparently said that by finding this, it will greatly increase her chances at doing better in the surgery. I honestly don't know any other details or why that is, but will update later as they hear more information.

Important Update- WEDNESDAY

Dana's Heart Surgery is scheduled for THURSDAY morning at 8:00. She will be taken back at 7:15. PLEASE, please Pray for her and the doctors.

We are so hopeful that the surgeons and team of doctors are going to take the most delicate care of Dana through her surgery tomorrow. It had been decided that her mitral valve would need to be replaced, so this surgery is to do just that. Dana's doctors have looked at her heart several times and assessed that she has a strong heart- that was never a question to us. I don't know anyone who loves more strongly than Dana. She is amazing!

Our prayers are of course for the surgery to be a success, that she would do well through the surgery, that her recovery from the surgery would be free of complications and infection, that this would begin the healing that has been needing to take place, and that each day following would bring better and better news about how she is doing.

Chris will be in Waco for the surgery and for the hours following. I ask that you all lift up not only him, but his dad, Scott, brothers; Brandon, David and Russell and the rest of the family. I would ask that God give them an overwhelming peace that only He can give to sustain them through the surgery and the days to follow.

As you all know, the induction date for the baby is set for Monday, so we are literally on overload right now. We are so focused on Dana and her situation that it has put our thoughts of this exciting arrival on the backburner. Our prayer and hope is that Monday will be a day of celebration for not only Blake's arrival, but also that of great news about Dana and her remarkable improvement. That would truly be the provision that we ask God for.

Important Update- Tuesday

The procedure from this morning yielded information that Dana will need a mitral valve replacement later this week. Apparently the mitral valve in her heart that has been leaking for some time is a culprit to the reason her lungs continue to fill with fluid. It is essential for her recovery for the valve to be replaced, so surgery is scheduled for later this week. They want to give her a little more time to fight the infection and for her to be in the best possible shape to undergo this procedure.

At this time, she is responding well to the antibiotics that have been added in to her treatment and her vitals remain strong. We are so thankful for that! Our prayer is that she will continue to fight the infection in her body, that she will be strong and stable through the heart surgery and that it will be helpful in her recovery from this scary ordeal. Again, your prayers are so greatly appreciated and certainly felt at this time.

While it is never without concern that you send someone in for heart surgery, it is clear that it is imperative to her recovery, so we are asking for God's web of protection around her at all times. I know that He has her in His hands through these times and He will be with her.

Any other updates on the time of the surgery I will post when I know. Thank you all so much for visiting her Caringbridge site and leaving messages. The entire family is so thankful for your well-wishes and prayers. She will just be blown away at the love from near and far when she gets to read them for herself!!

Calling all of you prayer warriors...

Tomorrow morning will be a chance for the doctor to hopefully see what is causing fluid to continue to fill Dana's lungs. At 8:15 am, she will have a scope look at her heart to see if a particular valve is leaking into her lungs. Another possibility is a secondary infection that is causing the fluid along with increased white blood cell counts. We would appreciate all of the prayers that we can get.

Of course we would hope that these issues would resolve without further complications and that she would continue healing with the course of action that has been taking place.

Many, many thanks to those of you who have been so faithful to pray for her!

Progress

Chris returned from Waco yesterday (Sunday) with more positive news. We were thrilled to hear that his mom was doing better as of yesterday. The morning x rays showed great improvement, which we have been praying for all week. She was able to tolerate time on her back yesterday as well, and that is one of the goals of the bed she is on.

Aside from that, they have seen some notable improvement in her kidneys. We are going to continue to pray God's protection over them and the rest of her organs, that as she is treated that they do not become compromised.

I believe her temperature is holding at a lower degree- again, such a praise! It seemed like everyone felt encouraged by her progress.

Of course, she still has a ways to go, but we are so amazed at the answer to prayers so far. Her good friends have set up a Caringbridge site, so if you are interested, it is
http://caringbridge.org/visit/danajones1

There you can find similar updates as I have here or leave a message in her guestbook. For today, we are continuing to pray God's protection over her, that her progress for the better would continue and that each day would look brighter than the last. Thank you all again for loving and praying for us!

Saturday...

I don't have a lot to report, which is a good thing. Chris made the trip this morning to Waco to be with his family and to see his mom. She is still in ICU under sedation and is still on the Rotoprone bed. The past 2 days have shown improvement on the x rays in regards to her lungs. Friday morning the x ray showed improvement in the left lung, so they spent Friday with her in the prone position to work on improving the right side. I believe that the x ray taken this morning showed some improvement on the right side. Thank you Lord!

As for her temperature, which we asked for you all to specifically pray for, it has dropped to a safer degree. She went from 103.6 to something closer to 99. I do think it has risen a little since then, but it's definitely not as high as it was previously. Of course we want to see that continue to drop and are thankful that it has so far.

We were told that this recovery would be ups and downs, and it certainly is. However, we are so grateful that the past couple of days have come with more and more positive signs and are hopeful that she will continue to improve in the days ahead.

We would ask that specifically people would pray that her organs (kidneys to be exact right now) would respond positively despite this compromised position she is in. The doctors are watching her kidneys today and are trying to be pro-active about their status. We would just ask that the Lord spare her the trauma of any other complications right now.

She has an amazing network of people praying all over. It's truly so powerful what the Body of Christ can pull together and do and I know that she will have quite an amazing story to tell of the healing power of prayer. Thank you God for your faithfulness!

I will continue updates when I know more. Thank you for your prayers!

Baby Jones quick update

At my appt today I was 3 cm and 60%, apparently a lot of progress for one week. Although she assured me that she was not good at guessing size, she thinks he will be about 8 lbs. Also, since he is both high in my ribs and down low, she anticipates that he will be long and lean. Can't wait to meet this little stinker!

Still scheduled for the 17th unless he decides to come sooner.

Update

Thank you again for the many prayers! We are so thankful.

Dana had a better day yesterday and was able to tolerate a total of 8 hours on her back. The goal is more and more time on your back, and seeing as a couple of days ago she did not tolerate it well, it was a great praise to hear that she managed two extended periods of time on her back! Glory to God!!

Today we are encouraged by the news that yesterday was a step in the right direction. We are prayerful of her fever that has remained high for the time that she has been hospitalized. The doctors would like to see that begin to diminish. The question is whether or not there is another infection causing it to stay high. We are adding to our prayers today that it would fix itself without having to take any additional measures by the doctors. Of course, we remain very hopeful that she will continue to show signs of improvement each and every day.

Please continue to keep her in your prayers that she would continue going in the right direction and that her doctors would be encouraged by her progress. I cannot tell you how much we all appreciate the prayers!!

So grateful for your prayers!

(A Picture of Dana, Summer and I about a year ago in New York)

We are so incredibly grateful for the many people that are lifting Dana up in their prayers. I am so confident that God is with her during this difficult time.

As most of you who read this know, Dana was admitted to the hospital Sunday early in the morning. She was quickly diagnosed with a severe case of pneumonia and admitted to the ICU. By mid-day Sunday, they had to sedate her and place her on a respirator to assist her breathing. On Tuesday, the decision was made to do a tracheotomy and place her in a state-of-the-art therapy bed called a Rotoprone. It has the ability to turn her body to the prone position (face-down), turn her on her back, or simply lift one shoulder or the other. These position changes apparently help clear some of the fluid that accumulates and enables the antibiotics to get in and work where they may not have been able to. She has been in the prone position for the majority of the time with small sessions on her back. The goal is for her to be able to tolerate more and more time on her back. We also pray that her vitals remain strong and that there are no further complications.

We have been so humbled by the incredible support of our friends and I know that the entire Jones and Copeland families appreciate all of the prayers. We would just ask that you continue to lift her up in your prayers. Of course we are praying for a full recovery, for progress to be seen soon, and that she continues to get the best possible care available. Chris will go back to Waco this weekend to be with his dad and family and of course his mom. I, in the meantime, am willing this little baby to stay put until the 17th. I feel pretty sure that he will, but you never do know!

I have placed Scripture all over the house to remind Chris and I that God has this under His control. He is the ultimate Healer and Physician- I have no doubt! I also give Him all of the glory for every single piece of good news that we hear.

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD. ~Psalm 136:1

Halloween 2008

Hunter with our pumpkins! He still did not want to get into the messy part of carving the pumpkin this year. He was perfectly happy watching me pull all of the goop out.


We had a fun, eventful Halloween. By 9:45, Hunter was geared up as Buzz Lightyear and ready to hit the trail. We stopped off at Daddy and Bab's office and he was thrilled to show off his blinking lights and cool costume. From there, we met up with his class at the church that was trick-or-treating room to room. After that, we stayed at school for a little party. It was a treat to see all of the other 2 year olds dressed up in their costumes.

After a very reluctant nap (thanks to sugar galore), we re-dressed in the costume and headed to the annual Halloween party. On our way there we made a quick stop off at Babs and Sha Sha's and since they were leaving town for the lake, they pretty much let Hunter clean them out of candy. Yippee! Hunter had a ball at the party jumping in the jump house and riding around on toys. He and Kate had to have their annual picture together! Too cute!

After the party, we made a stop at Aunt Nancy and Uncle Steve's house and loaded up on a few more sweet treats. When we got home, I realized that several of our neighbors had their lights on, so I took Hunter to a couple of houses while Chris went and picked up dinner. He loved going door to door and ringing doorbells. Once we got home, he loved answering the door and helping us hand out candy. It was a fun night!

Family picture at Daddy's office!

Buzz and the Bunny! How cute!

Hunter got a kick out of hitting things with his impressive wingspan!

I love this picture! The purple headpiece made me laugh all day long!