Pray For My Tummy!

Before we get into the update we just wanted everyone to know that we will be having an open house baby shower this Saturday. If you are in the area we would love for you to drop by and say "Hi" to Lincoln. It will be held at Campus Bible Church from 2:00-4:00 PM this Saturday, Aug. 19. OK....the update. Lincoln is growing and growing. He weighed in at 8 pounds this week at his Dr's apt. Everything is very stable with his heart and lungs right now, however, we have a huge prayer request. For about three weeks now we have been noticing blood in Lincoln's stools. At first we thought it was from being constipated which is sometimes normal to see, but when he started to become more regular and there was still more blood we had to rule that out. Then they thought it could be an infection, but when they tested the blood and the stools and they turned out negative that too was ruled out. Basically, what they are now saying is that Lincoln is experiencing what they call Colitis which is an inflammation of the colon. There are many things that can bring about Colitis. What they are thinking with Lincoln is that it is a malabsorption or an allergic reaction to his formula. This happens when the colon can not break down the proteins and nutrients in his formula to absorb them and the colon becomes inflamed and sheds off the inner lining of cells and we see blood. Well if you remember...Lincoln had a Chylothorax issue so they put him on a special formula that was already broken down. The ironic part of this whole thing is that the formula that he is on is what they give to babies when they have Colitis or a malabsorption issue. So the plan is to change his diet to a formula that is even more broken down. Hopefully this works because this new formula is basically the most broken down and pre-digested you can get...and if we still see more blood and he is still experiencing pain and a loss of appetite we will have to go to a gastroenterologist (a tummy Dr.) and they will have to take a look at his colon and see what's going on in there. Because of all this, he has lost some of his appetite and is not finishing all of his meal. Because of this we had to reinsert his NG tube. Lincoln is also experiencing an infection on his bum and some conjuctivitis (pink eye) in his eyes which does not help with the over all comfort. It's kinda weird thinking that here we have a baby that has a major heart problem and here we are dealing with all these other issues....praise God that his heart and lungs are strong and stable right now. Well besides all of that, Lincoln is really doing great! He is growing, smiling, sleeping well and is just too handsome. Sorry for the lack of pictures on this update...I guess that's just incentive to come see him yourself at the shower. And for those who live far away...we will post new pics soon! Please pray that: 1 - This new formula works and he can digest it without any problems. 2 - His colon gets better and we do not see any more blood in his poops. 3 - He doesn't experience any more pain. 4 - That he regains his appetite and we can take his NG tube out. 5 - His Conjuctivitis and bottom infection goes away. Talk to you soon...We love you all! J&K

My Tummy Hurts Mommy

Lincoln is doing great! He is getting stronger every day! He does however have a little stomach issue unfortunately. Earlier this week he was still battling some constipation and now....well....lets just say he is too loose ( I wont give you details). You can tell by the way he acts and looks that he has not been feeling well. He has been getting very agitated, tired and has had a loss of appetite. Please pray that whatever he is dealing with in his tummy goes away and that he can digest his food and move it properly without any pain. Other than that he is doing great...and getting bigger by the day! We have more Dr's appts this week...pray for those too! Today we sat at home and tried to get some rest...he even sat on the couch and watched the NASCAR race a little before poopin out.

After we had put Lincoln down for the night we kept hearing weird noises in the room. We came in to find that he had pulled out his NG tube. He had the stomach end of the tube in his hand and was trying to pull it off his face. I guess it was his way of telling us that he doesn't need it any more. Well I guess he was right since that was a week ago today. We have only needed to reinsert it once for a few feedings this whole week...and its still out! Praise the Lord!

We came into our room the other night to check on Lincoln and we found him in this pose. I asked Kristen if she had covered him and she said, "ya...I completely swaddled him and covered him with a blanket!" I guess Lincoln has figured out how to break free and sleep in comfort.

Lincoln got to go to church last Sunday. Him & daddy stood up in front and gave a report on how he was doing. It was truly a blessing to see all the people at our Campus Bible family who have been praying for Lincoln.

Cousins Daniel & Hanna came to visit this week and saw him for the first time