Introducing .....

JackRyan Gatherum. Born Monday, June 25th at 5:26 pm. 6 lbs 14 oz and 19 1/2 inches long.

He is finally here! I can't tell you what a relief it is having him out of my stomach! He is the cutest darn thing ever!

Here's the update -- Jack is still in the NICU but is doing so much better. It's amazing how quickly he is healing and how much better he has started to look. The doctors have finally narrowed down to what the problems are and they have been able to start treating the problems instead of doing a million tests to figure out what is wrong. Thank goodness!

Problem #1: His lungs may have been a little underdeveloped. This isn't that big of a deal but then sometime over the first couple of days, Jack popped a bunch of vessels in his lungs. This basically means that he had a bunch of holes in his lungs that a lot of the air escaped out of. He isn't getting the oxygen he needs so he has to breath fast to compensate. They put him under this space helmet thing for a day or two that supplied him with a ton of oxygen so that his lungs can seal up the holes. As of this morning, the doctors think most of the holes have healed. His respiratory rate is back down to near normal and he was able to take the space helmet off and just use a tube in his nose for oxygen. Anyway, HUGE news for us!

Problem #2: He might still have an infection somewhere in his body, so they need to do 7 days worth of antibiotic treatments just to make sure he's ok.

Problem #3: Jack has a crazy heart. It's something called SVT (stands for something I can't say) and his heart will randomly increase to 3 times the normal rate. The doctors have given him some medicine but are still trying to figure out the dosage. We'll have to keep him on the medicine and work with a cardio guy up at Primary's when Jack comes home. I don't know too much about this but can figure it all out once we get him out of the hospital.

Other than that, things are looking good. He is taking a bottle pretty well now and we might get to take the feeding tube out tomorrow. I get to hold him fairly regularly now which has been so great for me! It was absolute torture not to hold him or touch him!! We hope to be able to bring him home by the end of next week ... keep your fingers crossed! I came home from hospital yesterday and it is so good to be home! I miss my little Jack like crazy but I know he needs a lot of help and the nurses up there are fabulous.

Below are some pictures from over the last couple of days. Only a couple of you have actually been able to see him .... these pictures don't do him justice! He's darling!












Me & Gator heading off for the C-section. I was absolutely terrified! Notice the arm-band of death .... I have the bruises to prove it!
















Ella and Jack "Bidu" Gatherum. She was so excited to see him! She's going to be a great big sister!








Jack in his space helmet.










Getting sleepy. He just finished his dinner and had a great big poop. I'd be tired too!