Driving Lessons

Sam and Dad enjoying some time driving the new remote control car! Thanks to cousin Taylor for the awesome new truck! It's taking a lot of practice to learn to control, but it's still pretty fun while he learns!

Best Buddies!

It's always fun to hang out together! We always forget what a big boy Sam is until we compare him to Alex.

WAY TO GO ALEX!

Way to go is right! We are home once again, and we hope for a longer period of time this round. Alex is doing really well. We are happy to be home. It always seems just a little bit easier to deal with everything when you're all in one place. Of course, Sam is thrilled. Thank you to Kristi for making this homecoming and the last a great one! Our neighbor Kristi is always taking care of us as you can see. The time that she spends welcoming us really means a lot to our family!

Ben and Jami's Wedding

Snug as a bug!

Alex getting into "the zone" at bedtime.

Happy to see Alex!

Once again, a proud big brother. Sam was so excited to see Alex yesterday. He was not happy about having to take him back to the hospital for surgery. He had gotten used to having him home and did not want to turn him back over to the docs (join the club!). We didn't want to take him up while Alex still had all of his tubes. He will get to deal with that later with his other two surgeries, since they will be in place longer with those ones. As you can see we have two beautiful boys, and we couldn't be more proud of them!

Proof in the power of prayers!

As Gary posted, what a difference a day makes. Just thought you would all like to see for yourselves. Thanks to your thoughts and prayers, the power of the priesthood and through the tender mercies of our Heavenly Father, Alex is doing GREAT! Once again , we are so truly blessed in our little family. Since the picture on the right, he has had his oxygen, and the big dressing (arterial line) on his right hand removed. I have not been up to the hospital yet to get pictures today, but I will soon. Thank you again for your prayers. Here's proof they work!!

What a difference a day makes

Alex has really turned a corner over the past day. After we posted the last comment, that night his kidneys kicked into high gear and he is getting rid of lots of fluid. He is now extubated (no breathing tube), he has had all of his lines pulled out and is getting transferred to the floor today. He will be home tomorrow or Sunday most likely. Dr. Hawkins (surgeon) was really happy with how the echo looks. He says the band is just right and should really help him out. He got to eat yesterday and has been eating through the night last night without any problems. He still is a little swollen in the face, but that will clear with time. We are so excited for his progress and how hard he is fighting. He sure is a strong little guy.

Update on Alex

Just a quick update on Alex. He is still doing well, with just a few little bumps. He had his foley catheter and chest tube removed. He has decided not to pee much since the catheter has been removed though. They will continue to monitor that closely. We are hoping that his kidneys will decide that they need to get to work and start getting rid of the extra fluid. He is still pretty sleepy. He does really well for a while with his breathing and so they turn down that ventilator, then he decides he's tired, so he sort of slows down on breathing. They are going to try to wean him again tomorrow morning around 5 AM, and see how he does. We are hoping that if his kidneys get going, they will help clear any of the meds out of his system which will in turn help him to wake up more and breathe better.
He is such a trooper. He is a fiesty little guy and gets mad at them when they do things to him he doesn't like. He just doesn't realize that he turns blue when he does that, so who's showing who?
We are so very blessed! Alex continues to teach us so much about Heavenly Fathers love for each of us. We are all truly loved and considered precious spirits to our Heavenly Father. Thank you to all of you for your continued thoughts and prayers. Please continue to pray for sweet little Alex and Sam. We know that our Heavenly Father hears and answers the prayers that are offered.

More Alex

Somebody loves his mama

The surgery went very well, it took about two hours total time. The surgeon said everything went perfectly. He was taken back to the PICU with lots of tubes and wires. When Camille started to talk to him he opened his eyes (sort of). He is always comforted by her voice. He has been really sleepy and groggy while the medicine is wearing off, so they are hoping to get the breathing tube out by morning. They give him pain medicine and it makes him sleepy and not breathe as well, so we have to find a balance between pain meds and breathing. When we left tonight to come home he is much more alert and responsive, but still pretty sleepy. They hope to be able to remove lots of his lines and tubes tomorrow. He is a little fighter. It is funny to watch him suck on his breathing tube like a binkie, at least something is comforting about it. We hate to see him look this way, but we know that it has to happen for him to really feel better and get this heart issue fixed. If everything goes as planned, we won't have to have another surgery for around six months. The problem is that one will be a much bigger surgery with a longer recovery time, but once it is over he won't have anymore until he is about 2 or 3. At least one is behind us. We appreciate everyone's love, support and concern. It doesn't go unnoticed. We really feel that part of Alex's purpose in life is to help the rest of us recognize the hand of The Lord in our everyday lives. We have seen many miracles take place and know that a loving Heavenly Father is keeping close watch over little Alex. Keep praying for him--we know the prayers are heard and answered.

Pre-op

Here is Alex just minutes before surgery. He was sleeping when we handed him over, so that was kind of nice. It was hard to hand him over and know that things will dramatically change for him in the next few hours. We felt very confident in the surgeon, anesthesiologist and the other medical staff, but it doesn't make it any easier.

Oh What a Feelin'!

Gas or not, It's still cute!!

ONCE AGAIN, READY OR NOT!

Well, here we go. We met with the cardiologist today. He was very pleased with how Alex is doing. He weighs 8 lbs. 8 oz. and is 21 1/4 in long (he was 7 lbs 11 oz and 20 1/2 " at birth), so he is growing well. The sort of bummer about the appointment is that we heard the word that we didn't want to hear-SURGERY! We knew it was coming, but it's hard to actually have it planned. It's a very bitter-sweet thing. We know that it is something that will improve his health, but we don't look forward to handing him over to the surgeons!
Surgery is planned for this coming Tuesday, June 3rd. The planned procedure is to place a band around his pulmonary artery (PA Banding). This will decrease the blood flow to his lungs which in turn will help him to breathe easier, and allow more blood flow out to his body. The expected hospital stay is 3-5 days after surgery, which we all know can change.
The Docs are wanting to do this procedure now, since he is eating well and gaining weight, instead of waiting until he really decompensates and stops eating well. The better they eat before surgery tends to play a role in how well they eat after surgery.
We appreciate your prayers and hope that they will continue for sweet little Alex and our family!

What a week!

Well, I realized a couple of days ago that we haven't really updated since we've been home. As all of you can understand, time flies.

Things are going really well. Alex continues to do well and amaze us. We know that surgery is inevitable, so we are enjoying every minute we can having him home. His oxygen saturation still remains in the high 80's to mid 90's with frequent episodes in the high 90's. Absolutely amazing! He is a very content baby. He is up just a couple time a night, eats and goes back to sleep. He is eating well, just slowly, but no suprise to anyone who knows his brother (or mom I guess too!) Sam is doing well also. He is adjusting to all the changes that occur at home with a new sibling. He is so kind to Alex and loves to help with everything he can. Mom and Dad are doing well also, although both are sleep deprived! Gary is very wonderful about getting up at night with Alex. It helps a lot to split the workload, especially in the middle of the night! We feel so very blessed in our lives. We know that our Heavenly Father continues to bless our family. Thanks to all of you that offer prayers and thoughts in our behalf. We truly feel the comfort and love from each of you and know that our Heavenly Father hears and answers all of the prayers offered.

We have an appointment with the cardiologist tomorrow for his routine checkup. We hope that he will be as pleased with his progress as we are. We will let you know what he says. Thank you again for your love and concern!

(the sock on Alex's hand is to help hold his O2 sat monitor on, not usually a part of his outfits!)

Splish-Splash

Alex feelin' like a new man after a bath!

Sam is still absolutely thrilled to have Alex home. He is such a great helper with Alex. He loves to feed him (for about 1 minute). He doesn't like him to cry, so whenever it starts (which isn't very often), he is quick to give him his binkie, find a teddy bear, or just talk to him. I am so glad that Alex has such a great brother and example to grow up with. Sam is such a wonderful little boy and we feel very blessed to have both of our beautiful children!

Sleepy Boys

Late nights aren't all they're cracked up to be!

READY OR NOT, HERE WE COME!

Yes, it's true! We are home and very happy about it! Alex is doing great. Sam is thrilled, and we can hopefully enjoy a few weeks at home as a family before his first surgery.

Thank you to our wonderful neighbors and friends. They took the time to give us a great welcome home. We appreciate all that they have done for us, even though it made me (Camille) cry! Thank you for your continued prayers and thoughts. We are so truly blessed!

Best buddies home together! Sam was so excited to have Alex come home. He even took the pillows from our bed to make a "bed" for him and Alex in the family room. He made sure to get Mr. Bear and Alex's bear "Lucky", so that they could rest well. What handsome boys! We are truly blessed!

Way to go Alex!!!

Alex has been doing so well that they are going to send him home today!!! We are so excited. He looks great. They repeated an echo on him this morning and said things look like they expect them to and that he can go home today. He needs to pass his car seat test and he will be home free. They are planning on surgery in about a month to do the pulmonary artery banding. This will help him to breathe easier and force more blood out to the body and less to the lungs. Right now he gets too much blood flow to his lungs so this should really help. We are happy to have visitors, but with a catch. The catch is if anyone in your house has had any kind of runny nose, sore throat, fevers or any other kind of illness in the past week or so please come and visit when everyone is feeling better. If Alex gets sick it will really set him back and he could end up in the hospital. We would probably want to limit the amount of children that he is exposed to as they are great carriers for illnesses. We really appreciate everyone's help with this. CONGRATULATIONS ALEX!!!

Three Good Buddies

Fun to have all the boys together again! I am so blessed to have such wonderful boys in my life! They are my greatest blessings!

HE DOES EXIST!

Yes, he really does! Sam finally got to see his little brother for the first time since last Monday. As you can see he was all smiles and, of course, dimples! Alex has been moved from the NICU to the Infant Unit. His PICC line has been removed and now it's up to him to eat and get fat! He is doing really well. They are hoping to send him home either Wednesday or Thursday. Sam is so excited to have him come home so that we (as he puts it) "can be a family". It will be very exciting and nerve racking all at the same time! We know that Heavenly Father continues to pour out his blessings upon us. We cannot thank all of you enough for your thoughts and prayers. We know that Heavenly Father hears and answers them.

Four Years Old and Dad Already Has Him Bustin' His Hump

Sam figures if nobody else will, he will get the yard work done. He'll tell you this grass isn't cutting itself. Besides, a little hard work will put some hair on your chest. He has been a great helper and will be a really great helper when Alex comes home. Heck we might even hire him out full time! Anyone else need their lawn mowed?

It's the Mud Monster

Sam the Working Man

Who Has More Hair??

Dad may be winning at the moment, but Alex is gaining fast.

What a Sweet Little Baby Boy

Wow, one week down! Alex is doing fantastic. He is off all of his IV meds and antibiotics and is drinking a full two ounces from a bottle. He has not thrown up and is gulping it down. And to follow suit with his older brother, tops it off with a big belch. His O2 sats are still doing great. They seem to be trending down with time, but they stay right around 90%. They will probably move him out of the NICU tomorrow and into the infant unit. We are hoping that if he continues to eat well he will come home in 2 or 3 days. We are ready for him to come home, but it is a little nerve racking to have any newborn at home, let alone one with complications. We know that there is more help with him than we can see. We are hoping that he will be able to wait several weeks for his first surgery. We want him fattened up. We know that everyone's thoughts and prayers are helping him through the hard times and we appreciate everyone's concern.

A Good Buddy is Hard to Find

Bath Time Ain't For Wimps!!

He may hate his bath, but he at least stays pink while he screams.

Beautiful, What More Can I Say?

You're kidding right? That's all the milk I get??

Got Milk? I do now!!

What a handsome boy!!

A little blurry but still cute

Alex is doing terrific. He is getting more and more alert. He is such a happy baby. He loves to be talked to and loves to be cuddled. He is tolerating his bottle just fine. He has not thrown up and slurps it down in seconds. He would love to have a whole lot more. He is doing great from a cardiac standpoint. He is maintaining his oxygen and heartrate. He looks like a perfectly healthy baby. You would never know that he has any heart problems. We are praying that he will continue to do well and come home soon. We count every minute with him a blessing. We appreciate everyone's comments, thoughts, concern and prayers. We have great family and friends.

Tubes Out, Clothes On

Alex just keeps doing better. He had his tube out of his mouth all day yesterday and did fine, this morning the nurses said he is a little bird with his mouth open. A binkie just doesn't cut it when you haven't eaten for four days. He is getting 9 ml of milk every three hours to see how he handles it. He gulped his first 9 mls down in about two seconds. Then he just feels like he is getting teased and wants more. Hopefully they will advance him pretty quickly if he is tolerating it. He got the IV out of his head and they are finally dressing him (even if you sometimes just want to lay around naked). He is a strong little guy and will keep doing great. We are so excited for him. Sam is excited to have him home so that he can be the big brother. Thanks for all the support.

Being the Big Brother is NOT an Easy Job

Kinda Groggy

Things are going really well, better than expected. Alex continues to do well, not requiring any oxygen. He is doing great. Today they pulled the tube out of his mouth, he didn't like it coming out, but I'm sure it felt better once it was gone. They are going to start feeding him tomorrow if he does OK with the tube out. They have had a hard time keeping his IVs working, so now he has one in his scalp. He also got a new PICC line so they don't have to worry about keeping his IVs ok. The cardiologist is anxious to get him eating to see how he does. He says he won't likely have to have surgery for several weeks, and that if he seems to be eating OK that he will be able to come home soon.
Camille was discharged yesterday. She is doing really well, just the normal postpartum things. She is running in a thousand directions trying to make time for Sam and Alex. We continue to see blessings being poured out on our little boy and our family. We appreciate everyone's concern, support, phone calls and all those who have helped in so many ways.

Paging Dr. Hood. Sam is sure a good doctor. He loves to take care of his hospital buddies. Primary Childrens does activities for siblings of the NICU patients. He can't go in until they declare RSV season over. This has been good for him to have his buddies to help him until he gets to see Alex. He has been a great little boy (go figure) through all of this. He has such a mellow personality that has been really helpful.

The face of an angel (literally)

Yep, I got my mom's big feet

Speaking of mom, she is doing great. She is holding up so well. Says she is about ready to go back to the gym. She is tired and tries to rest when she can. She is a rock. She loves her Father in Heaven and has an immovable faith in Him. No child has ever had a mother that loves him more. We are all lucky to know such a strong and faithful person. I am amazed at her strength and ability to love unconditionally. Please keep her in your prayers.

I Get Better Looking Each Day, Kinda Like My Dad

Alex is doing great!! He is not requiring any oxygen, his levels stay in the mid to high 90's. The cardiologist said that there is nothing too unexpected on the new echos of his heart. He has been throwing up a little bit and they have been doing x-rays of his abdomen and did an upper GI scope and said that he has normal anatomy, but does have reflux. They said from some of the things that they saw on the x-rays he may not eat for several days, but they are feeding him through his IV to give his belly a rest. They have a tube in his mouth that goes to his stomach to keep him from throwing up. He is doing so well he may not require surgery for a few months, (we'll believe it when we see it). We just hope he continues to do well. He is a strong little boy with huge determination. He has a sweet little spirit that is very evident when you see him. Everyone's prayers and thoughts are helping him more than we will ever know. Please keep him in your prayers.

Thanks everyone for all of your support, prayers and thoughts. It really means a lot to us. We have seen the hand of the Lord in our lives. We have a beautiful new little son who is doing remarkably well. We know that our Father in Heaven loves us and listens to our prayers. Please continue to pray for us and especially our two boys. The road may be long but with the support of great friends and family it is certainly more easy to bear. Miracles truly do happen as you can see in this photo.

WELCOME ALEX!!!

Alexander Kent Hood was born at 16:40, May 12, 2008. He was 7 lbs 11 oz, and 20 1/2 inches long.

He was pink and screaming and breathing just fine. He is perfect.

Mom is doing great as well, just exhausted. Sam is so excited to be a big brother, finally.

Alex is at Primary Childrens on the fourth floor in the NICU. Everything looks great so far, we will talk to the cardiologist in the morning.

Preparing for this week

We found out new news about the delivery. We are planning on an induction Monday the 12th. Alex and Camille may decide to do it sooner. Her doctor is not sure she will make it that long. Camille is ready to get this kid out. She can only take so many headbutts to the bladder. Sam keeps asking her when that tummy is going to pop.

We would love to have visitors in the hospital, we are not sure how it will work for the baby. We don't want him exposed to any colds or other illnesses. Camille and Gary would probably appreciate the company. Keep checking back and we will keep this updated as things progress.

Thanks for everyones support.