Andrew's Journey

Our lives were completely changed over the Thanksgiving 2007 holiday with the unexpected arrival of our son, Andrew Nguyen Warden. He was born very prematurely on November 23rd, weighing only 1 lb. 10 oz. Needless to say, this has been a very difficult time for us, but Andrew has shown us that he is one strong little boy.

We have shed our share of tears, said our share of prayers, and tried our hardest to support each other and remain strong for our infant son. We have truly felt the support of our families and friends, and want to thank everyone who has said a prayer for us, kept us in their thoughts, reached out to us, or helped us during this difficult time.

Andrew is an amazing little fellow, who has done very well, so far. While we know that there will be many ups and downs ahead of us, we are encouraged by his fortitude and strength, to date.

We also know that we have a long journey ahead of us, and that Andrew will have his good days and his bad days. We will need your continued support for quite some time. Please continue to keep Andrew in your thoughts and prayers, as we know that he gets stronger because of all the support he receives from you.

Andrew continues to be a strong little boy. Just this morning, Trang and I learned that his weight had increased to 1205 grams, which equates to 2 lbs. 10 oz. So, he has put on a full pound since his birth! Woo-hoo! Over the past month or so, we have been blessed with many more good days than bad ones, and his progress has been fairly steady, for the most part.

His lungs have gradually matured, to the point that he is now completely responsible for his own breathing, without the aid of any additional respiratory device. He actually removed his nasal canulla by himself this past Wednesday night, and the doctors agreed that he was ready to try to start breathing on his own.

His most recent head ultrasounds have shown that the enlarged brain ventricle on his left side, seems to be "under control," and has not increased since the middle of December. The doctors will continue to monitor, but don't seem to be overly concerned about it.

He had an eye exam on January 10th, and was diagnosed with a Stage One case of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), which is a disease that affects the blood vessels in the eyes. We've been told that this is very common in children born prematurely, and that it may still resolve itself over the coming weeks. He will be checked again next week, and in following weeks.

At this point, of most concern, is Andrew's ability to tolerate his feedings. Over the New Year's Eve holiday, the doctors had to suspend feeding him, because his abdomen showed signs of distention. This can lead to serious complications, so we we were very concerned. But, after 36 hours and the application of a suppository, they were able to resume his feedings. We're hopeful that he can continue to tolerate his feedings, as he needs to add calories and grow.

Andrew continues to "chug right along." He weighed in at 1845 grams this morning, which equates to 4 pounds, 1 oz. His feedings are up to 40 ml every 3 hours, and he seems to be able to tolerate his feedings without too much difficulty. He's begun "recreational" breastfeeding, which is designed to introduce him to the breast. So far, he's making steady progress. Over the next few weeks, the hope is that he can move from "recreational" to actual breastfeeding. Another highlight from this week, is that he was moved from an isolette to an open crib! Here's are a couple of pictures of him in his crib that we took this morning.

As for the enlarged brain ventricle, and the Stage One diagnosis of ROP, there has been no change over the last few weeks. We are told that this is good news, in that neither issue has gotten any worse.

Andrew was discharged from the hospital today! Trang and I knew this day was coming, but found ourselves unprepared for how fast everything happened during the last few days. We were intially told that he might be discharged later in the week. But Tuesday night, we received a phone call letting us know that it got moved up until Wednesday. Needless to say, we were in immediate scramble mode, but so far, so good!

Andrew had a good first night at home. He got up twice for diaper change and feeding, but went right back to sleep, like a good little boy. We're both taking some time from work to bond, and get adjusted to our new lifestyle. Mom and Dad are doing fine, and truly thankful to have our son home.

He weighed 6 pounds even on his discharge date, and we're happy to report that the eye doctors have determined that his Stage One diagnosis of ROP has completely resolved. They don't see a need for follow-up, so we're thrilled to check that off our list.

We have our first appointment with his pediatrician on Friday, the 22nd.

We hope to have photos up soon. For now, please visit our video page. We've posted a video taken on Thursday, the 21st!

It seems hard to believe that Andrew is 7 months old today; almost harder to believe that he's been home for longer now than the many months he was in the hospital. Our little "Booh" bear isn't so little any more, weighing in at 12+ pounds the last time that we weighed him.

In the past few months he's enjoyed his bonding time with Momma and Dada, travelled to Massachusetts to visit his Nana, started to suck his thumb, and last night graduated from his bassinet to his new crib (see new video on the video page).

Andrew has cheerful disposition, is quick to smile and laugh, is very attentive and curious, though lately has turned into a bit of a "slobbermouth." We feel blessed to have such a wonderful son, and that he's healthy and happy.

We hope to have updates (including more pictures) soon, so be sure to check back from time to time.