Home for the Holidays

Merry Christmas Everyone,

Again I apologize for such a late blog, but this one was late for good reason..... NOAH IS HOME. 
What a crazy busy last week we have had.
Noah came home in the afternoon of the 23rd. Just in time for Christmas. We were all quite shocked that he was able to come home as soon as he did. He spent just one month and one day in the hospital. It is still hard for us to believe. To see him from the first few days of being in the isolate with the cpap and ventilator and NG tube and wires.. to one month later he is home and putting smiles on everys face.

There were lots of photos taken over the Holidays, Unfortunately I didn't take any of them. LOL.
I will be getting some and doing a better update soon. Please be patient.


Love
The Schofields

So much in a week....

Good Morning everyone,

I deeply apologize for the delay in the blog. It has been an extremely good but busy week.

Noah has been doing exceptionally.

Last week Noah was moved from the Level 3 NICU Royal Columbian Hospital in New West to the Level 2 NICU St Pauls in Vancouver. Which is closer for us to go and visit him and also a sign that he will be home soon.

Before I go any further I would like to Thank all the Nurses and doctors at RCH for all the work they did with Noah and Julia. A special thanks to all the Nurses in NICU that answered all my dumb questions and helped make what was a very scary and stressful situation, very managable and enjoyable. From the Schofield Family and The Cruz Family, we thank you so much, your hard work, caring, dedication and selflessness will not be forgotten, but shall be passed to all those whose life Noah will touch.

For the Nurses at St Pauls, You have made the transition into a new hospital very easy and calming. Thank you just as much.

Noah has adjusted quite well to his new surroundings and has met some new friends. He doing outstanding. He is quite liking his new home as I am sure he knows that the next address change he makes will be home with his parents. He has shown remarkable progess in the last week. His feeds have increased once again and he is doing much better with feeding from the bottle and breast. He has been able to do multiple feedings in a day on the bottle and breast and not need a top up with the NG (Nasogastric) tube. The removal of the NG will be the biggest step towards his homecoming.
Noahs weight is nearly 5 lbs and he is much more alert and is staying awake for longer periods of time. Which makes it much more difficult to leave from the hospital now as he stares at you with his big blue eyes and holds onto your finger and lets out a cute little grunt, that can only be a plea for us to take him home with us, or gas.

Before Noah was transfered to St Pauls he was very fotunate to have a visitor come and see him. He is being pretty tight lipped on what he told Santa that he wants for Christmas tho. I am sure it is the same thing we are all wanting for Christmas.

We took some photos at St Pauls with the help of the Nurses. Noah much like his mom, NOT A FAN of photos. You wouldn't believe how long it took to get these photos. We had to bribe him with a bottle. He already knows how to work a room, I'm telling you. As long as it took and as unhappy as he was, Daddy still prevailed and got the photos. Don't worry Noah, these are just the first of many years of unwanted photos that I will force you to take. Just as your mom.

Well All, I hope you enjoyed this update and I promise another will be coming much sooner.

Noah meets Santa

He'll do anything for food.





It's Booby Time....

Hi everyone,

I hope your having as much fun reading along as I am watching Noah grow and improve. Noah is doing quite well. Noah's IV was taken out Friday afternoon. That was the biggest relief of all. He still has his monitor wires on and still has his feeding tube but he is doing much better. His weight is upto 4lb 10oz. He has moved up to 39mls of breastmilk per feeding every 3 hours. The best part is ... Noah has started taking the boob. We couldn't be happier. He is doing so well.

Sorry for the short one tonight.. The pictures say more than I could write for this one.

Love Chad Julia and Noah

Do you Believe in Love at first sight.... Have a child

Hello Everyone,

I think Noah has been spending too much time around nurses. He told me this joke yesterday:

How do you save a doctor from drowning?

Take your foot off his head.

His mom really liked it, but definitley a sign too much time around nurses. LOL

Well I hope you all liked the little post that Noah put up himself last time. He is so cute isn't he.
NOT SO MUCH.. haha ... He wasn't so nice to mom and dad lastnight. Daddy got pee'd on and mommy got spit up on. I think that is a sign that he is doing awesome.

Noah has been moved to the other side of the nursery, the more relaxed side. We are able to pick him up whenever we go there now and he is currently on his last IV.. and should be IV and Tube free after lunchtime today.  He will still have a few wires on just to monitor his Resp. Rate,02 intake and BP, but it will be such a relief to get to see him without any needles poking or proding him. I think it will make him a happier baby as well.
His feeding is up to over 30mls a meal every three hours. It is an amazing sign. It looks as tho Noah will be on the boob sooner than later. We are very optimistic that he can start breastfeeding either tonight or tomorrow. After watching the way he attacks a soother... Julia is too excited. Even one of the nurses commented lastnight that she "Felt Sorry" for Julia.
He is able to hold his eyes open for extended periods of time now, which makes it very hard to leave as he only opens his eyes after we are done holding him and put him back into the cot. He then opens his big beautiful blue eyes and with the look only a child can give his parents, asks us with his eyes, please don't leave me. I may just have to put him in my pocket and bring him home.

Noah has requested no pictures from lastnight as he had the IV in his head and well.. he is his mothers son. However I will add a few tonight or tomorrow without the IV and his eyes open.

Stayed tuned and thanks for reading.

Noah and his parents.

What a great day...

Hello everyone, Its me Noah. I am writing tonight because my dad is tired from an long exciting day that we had together. My mom and Dad showed up this afternoon and I thought I would surprise them. I moved out of my Isolate and into a cot today. My breathing is much much better and my meals have been increased again. I like my new home, now my parents don't have to look at me thru plexiglass anymore. Another surprise that my dad got was that he got to change me today for the first time. I thought I would be nice and not make it a real messy one for his first time. He's not as tough as mom, but he did a good job. Also he got to hold me and feed me today. It was a great day for both of us and he did a great job. He really loosened up, man he can talk alot.. and he kept blabbing something about playing center in something called Philadelphia.. I am not sure what that meant, but I think he is buying me a new cup as a homecoming gift when I get there. Well everyone I just wanted to let you know what a great day me and my dad had today. I think he will be smiling about today for a long time.

Tonight my mom is coming to see me and she said she is bringing grandma and pa. I can't wait. I haven't seen pa since my first day. This is going to be great.

Thank you all for all your wishes and prayers and thoughts. My parents appreciate it as well. I can't wait to meet you all.

PS.. thanks Auntie Renee for showing my dad how to post pics on here. :)

Love Noah

 

magnificent night

Noah had a magnificent night tonight. For the first time in his short but amazing night he was able to be held by mom and he took advantage of every second of it. I truly believe he was smiling the whole time. He seemed so content with mom that he didn't even want to hold my finger. He is a mommas boy already.

His health is doing great. He is up to 9ml of milk per feeding. Although he is still feeding thru a tube.. Dad got to hold the syringe and feed him. Also there was another first tonight. Mom got to change his diaper.  It was great to see how he was advancing tonight. His weight has dropped slightly from yesterday but that is good as he has been going to the washroom more.

Noahs last bit of antibiotics is tonight and that will hopefully reduce one tube from his IV. We can't wait till there are no tubes.

Well we wish there was more to report but he was so happy to just be with mom tonight.. we just let him be.

Tomorrow is another day...

G'night

Noah 2

Good afternoon everyone,

Just got back from visiting Noah and he is doing exceptionally well. He no longer needs any breathing aparatus and he has had his Arterial Line taken out. Both of which are huge improvements. His weight has gone up and his coloring is exceptional. All the nurses love him and constantly comment on his fiesty attitude. We have learned that he doesn't like being touched so much but he is very content to lay there and hold your finger. He is eating 6 meals a day now. We are going back up tonight around 9pm so that we can be there when he is getting weighed. The nurse told us today that we could hold him tonight because there is no Art Line. We are really looking forward to it. I will update more tonight.

More to come...

Chad

Noah

Hi Everyone,

I am writing this blog so you can all keep up with how little Noah is doing. He is doing awesome.
Julia and I have just come home from the hospital and everything is optimistic and looking great.

For those that don't know.

Noah was born on Monday November 22 2010. He was born 8 weeks early. He is currently in the NICU at the hospital.

Just a quick note.

Everything is looking great. All signs show that he is improving. His gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) are looking great. His respiratory  rate is much better, he is spending more time in the 50's and 60's than in the 80's and 90's. He is eating on a schedule now, not very much but its a good sign none the less. The RT (resp. therapist) is hoping that he will be able to come off the ventilator very soon and he has been going to the washroom which is a good sign as well.

That is all that I have for today. Stay tuned for more updates and pics and fun stuff.


G'Night