Jones was born January 3, 2010 by an emergency C-section; he was 8 weeks early and weighed 2 pounds 3 oz. So tiny yet even from the beginning a strong little boy. Trip said he came screaming into the world. Ashley had developed something called H.E.L.L.P Syndrome which is a serious complication of pregnancy that has only been diagnosed in recent years. Everyone should be aware of the symptoms as it is very dangerous and is often masked as another less serious isolated condition.
Immediately after birth, Jones was transferred to the NICU at Mission Hospital (Asheville NC). Fortunately, Trip and Ashley are living in Asheville as Jones spent the next 8+ weeks in the hospital. What seemed at the beginning like an eternity, and I know was a very long time for Jones' parents, passed moderately with much help from friends and family; their church family was amazing offering prayers, support and providing dinners nearly every night for at least 6 weeks. One thing for certain Trip and Ashley did not go hungry with some of the best gumbos, casseroles, and salads that anyone has ever tasted thoughtfully prepared and appearing nightly on their doorstep. This was such a tremendous help as it allowed them to spend the days at the hospital with Jones, come home rest and get ready for the following day. It is also a reminder to me how I need to be more thoughtful when friends are undergoing certain traumas in their lives. The cards, the casseroles really do make a difference!
The neo natal units are amazing. The one at Mission Hospital serves all of western North Carolina and a portion of Tennessee. Again, how fortunate that Trip and Ashley were in a community where they had the best medical care available to both mother and baby. The NICU is quite large and can accommodate maybe 60 babies. The nurses are highly skilled, most have decades of experience with premature babies so they offer reassurance to parents and grandparents when the buzzers go off and the alarms start ringing. Almost immediately after Jones' birth, Trip and Ashley were able to hold this wee infant by a technique called kangarooing. The baby is placed bare skin against bare skin on the Mother or Dad's chest, and they would sit for as long as two hours at a time holding him against their warm bodies. I am certain that this has enormous benefits to the development of the baby and surely survival.
After birth, Jones dropped some weight which is typical; he was weighed in grams and weighed less than 2 pounds for a short time. Even from birth he had perfect little hands, long skinny legs and huge feet, taking after Trip and Al with their adult size 13 feet. He had lots of dark hair, his skin was so translucent that you could see his veins and because there is no fat under the skin, it was stretched tightly over his little bones. He was so tiny, you could hold him in one hand; his first diapers were so small that they would not even fit a baby doll. In the beginning the medical team doesn't want too much stimulation so you can touch the babies but you are not supposed to stroke them. They want the babies to rest quietly so that they will continue to develop without any trauma or stimulation. Although there were a few scary times, for the most part Jones progressed and we are so grateful that he did not have many of the problems babies born at 31 weeks can encounter. He had a blood transfusion, which is not uncommon as premature babies don't make their own blood, and Trip said it amounted to only something like a few teaspoons. Still scary. ( If I don't have all the facts correct, I know that Trip and Ashley will help me correct things.)Then, when he finally reached about 5 pounds and approaching his gestation birth date of March 8, he was put in a transition room where he was only connected to a few monitors. Ashley and Trip were now able to stay with him 24/7 and began taking care of him as if they were home yet knowing there was nursing care just outside if a problem arose. Still so tiny, the hospital is carefully monitoring the blood saturation levels and Jones had to refine his ability to breathe and nurse simultaneously. Soon he would be ready to come home. After about a week in the transition room, the doctors were telling Mom and Dad they could begin preparing for Jones' homecoming.
On Thursday March 11, Jones came home. He weighed 5 pounds 6 ounces and was 17 inches. He is gaining weight every day and doing great. His most recent doctor's appointment showed everything to be progressing normally, as if he had been born at full term.We are continually amazed at the miracle of excellent medical care, the neo natal specialists and the wonder of prayers. And, the nurturing care of loving parents.
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