Yes...we are alive...

In the hospital in Mesquite
In the NICU at UMC
At home

(1 week old)

We just had to take a little time off to welcome in a new member of our family. Iken Jay Tobler was born last Thursday, February 19th, 2009. Weighing in at 7 pounds 6 ounces and 21 and a half inches long. He of course had to make his entrance interesting and was born with the cord very tightly around his neck. So tight that the doctor had to stop and cut the cord before he could be fully delivered. The cord was also wrapped around one of his feet. Other than that, the delivery was normal except for the fact that my fluid level was high and I had a lot of fluid which is what cause him to be able to get tangled in the cord. This poor little guy has had a rough go at it for his first week. While still in the hospital he began throwing up bile after about every other feeding. The pediatrician wasn't able to find any blockage or obstruction but felt he needed further testing that they could not perform in Mesquite. So, at less than 24 hours old, he had his first ride in an ambulance as a NICU team came from UMC hospital in Las Vegas to pick him up in Mesquite. He had an IV and a tube in his nose down to his stomach that was sucking out all the mucousy stuff. I was released from the hospital just 16 hours after he was born so that I could travel with Steven to Vegas to be with the baby. All of the necessary tests were performed on Friday after he arrived at the NICU at UMC. All of which showed no signs of blockages or obstructions. The only problem found was a meconium block that was cleared from his system. Even though they found the problem that day, he still spent four and a half days in the NICU. It was a long and drawn out step by step process to get his feedings up to a big enough amount so that we could bring him home. They had to monitor him closely to make sure that he could digest the formula and that he could also keep it down. He has had no problems with throwing up since that first day. We were finally able to bring him home on Tuesday night. It was very hard on all of us having him finally here but not able to have him home with us. Steven and I travelled back and forth from Vegas several times to be able to spend time with the girls and be in Vegas for the baby. My Aunt Dorlene was nice enough to let us stay with her and my sister Sally was awesome and watched the girls most of the time. They also spent a couple of days with Grandma and Grandpa Tobler. Finally we have him home and he is healthy and doing fine. So far he is a very good baby and only fusses when he is ready to eat. His sisters are so happy to have him here. They are wanting to hold him at all times. They are all so very helpful. It has been a roller coaster of a ride this past week but finally we can all sleep in our own beds every night and get back to our routines and our lives.