God Is Good!!

Hey everyone! Lincoln made it through surgery. He did excellent! After talking to Dr. Plunkett this morning...he told us it would take roughly 4-5 hours. We waited for what seemed like days....it took 7 hours to get the report that he was finished. They did all three procedures in this surgery. I wont get into the details now because we are still at the hospital. We will send an update later this evening with some pictures. He is now resting in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. He is still very much in critical condition and the next 24-48 hours are crucial for him. Please be in prayer that his vitals will improve as they were a little questionable after surgery. I know he will get stronger....he has already proven he has a strong heart! Thanks for all your prayers and support! God is sooooo good to us...to Him be all Glory and Honor!

"I'm Ready Guys"

Just a quick note to say when we got to the hospital this morning, Lincoln was ready to go. He had a great night and was very stable for surgery. They wheeled him into surgery about an hour ago (7:30 AM). Pray as the next 4 to 5 hours will be very stressful for the fam. Talk to everyone soon...love you all!

It's Surgery Time

Well, today was a huge improvement from yesterday! Kristen and I actually went back to the house last night and got a full night sleep. We were very nervous considering the previous 48 hours of instability. When we got to the hospital this morning the report was that he improved a little and was somewhat stable. He stayed that way all day and everyone was pleased. We waited for the decision to be made regarding when to do the first surgery. When would be the most opportune time for him to go in? They don't want to put a sick/unstable child into surgery....but if they wait...will he get better or worse and will they have missed the window of opportunity? Well, they decided tomorrow is that day. I guess they think he is ready and can't wait any longer. After going out to dinner with the family, we came back to see Lincoln around 9:00 pm and he looked amazing! His vitals were the best they have ever been. His blood pressure and "blood gas" were awesome. He even got a bath tonight and was able to wear a little bennie. All day today nobody could touch him because he was so unstable...the smallest touch would send his heart rate through the roof...but tonight was different! I guess the Lord knew that he needed his strength for tomorrow.


So the plan is for Lincoln to be sent to the O.R. at 7:00 am tomorrow morning. This is going to be a HUGE surgery! They thought they were just going to open the chest and work on the vessels outside the heart...but now they have decided to make this an "openheart" surgery and correct a problem inside the heart too. This means going on heart/lung bypass machines. The procedures that are going to be done are: 1. Pulmonary Artery Band. This is a band (kinda like a hose clamp) they put around the artery to slow down/restrict the already to much blood flow to the lungs. 2. Coarchtation Repair. This means Lincoln's aortic arch has a kink in it, restricting blood flow to the body. They will cut out the narrow/kinked part and reconnect it together. 3. Atrial Septostomy. They will open the heart and cut out the rest of the wall that they had already opened wider during the catheterization yesterday. This will prevent the wall/septum from eventually growing back together cutting off the blood flow between the two atriums. The surgery should last around 5 hours. We are so incredibly nervous considering this is a very high risk surgery. Please be in constant prayer as Lincoln goes through this. Prayerfully this will make him stronger and ready to take the next milestone. We love you all and we will update after the operation.

Here You Go

Tough Days

Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of correspondence. The last two days have been a little crazy to say the least. Yesterday, Lincoln's blood pressure and stability was very bad. The Dr's rushed him in to do a cardiac catheterization. A section of the atrial septum (wall separating the two upper chambers) has a hole in it. This hole is normally bad and is considered a defect, but because of the unique anatomy of his heart, he needs that hole. However, the hole was not big enough to let blood through, so they had to insert a catheter into the heart and inflate a balloon into the hole and open it wider. This was a crazy day as it brought to surface a lot of memories & dejavue. Lincoln did very well! His vitals improved and we thought we could rest for a week or two. Last night Lincoln vitals were starting to go south again. He has very low blood pressure and circulation. From midnight until 9:00 am he kept everyone on their toes. They also recommended that we shouldn't leave his bedside. He was very sick. Well the past few hours they have stabalized him he is doing ok. He is in very critical condition right now and needs prayers! This is what is expected in the NICU...good days followed by not so good. Its a rollercoaster of sorts. Anyway, Kristen is doing wonderful! They sent her out of the ICU back down to postpartum last night. She will be discharged later today. The Dr's said that as they looked back at her heart function throughout the whole process...they did not see one sign of irregularity or stress on her heart! OK, I know I promised pictures but the past 48 hrs have been a little dicey. They are coming I promise. Just know he looks like his dad...very handsome! Hope all is well with everyone and thankyou all for all of the sweet comments....they are very encouraging! Love you all!

Lincoln Is Here!

To all Friends and Family

Lincoln is here! At 6:21 PM Lincoln entered the world kicking and screaming! He was 5 lbs 9 oz and 18 3/4" long...he has his daddy's legs! Everything that could go perfect in delivery did! We could not have asked for a better delivery! Kristen did great and is now resting in the Cardiac ICU for close evaluation for at least 24 hrs. She did get to hold him for a few brief seconds before they took him to the Neonatal ICU. This will be tough for Kristen since they will be separated for a day or two (she has only seen pictures of him since delivery). Lincoln is stable and is being evaluated by the cardiologist and heart surgeons throughout the night as they decide what steps to take.

For those who know or know a little bit of medical jargon...this is for you. Lincoln's blood pressure is a little shallow but his heart rate it 150 bpm (approx) and in a normal sinus rhythm. They did have to intabate him because he needed some assistance breathing and to keep his oxygen saturation levels up. His APGAR is 8. He has a good temp and his color is great!

OK....getting back....most likely Lincoln will need surgery within a couple of days but it all depends on him and what they find on his Echo. He might just be stable enough for them to hold off for a week or two...but we just don't know. The next 48 hrs are crucial for Lincoln and his stability...so please be praying hard! We have pictures but I cannot post them tonight....sorry! Tomorrow you will see the cutie! We will update you tomorrow with more news....but for now we gotta get some sleep! Thank you and we love you all....GOD IS GOOD!!!

No Baby Yet!

Well for all you that woke up early to see if anything happened....keep waiting! Kristen didn't get much sleep last night because of her contractions and she didn't dilate much either. It is now noon and she still has a long way to go. Dr's are thinking late this afternoon Lincoln will be here...maybe? Kristen just got her epidural and is feeling quite comfortable (she is smiling & giving me orders again!). It is so wonderful being in a place where they are focusing so much on Kristen and Lincoln...they are really on top of things and are ready for anything! Well, depending on how the day goes...it may not be possible to give an update until after Lincoln is born and stable. Thank you all for your continued prayer and support!

Thank you!!

Thank you all of you for your messages and reminders that you are praying! We definitely see and feel God using them! Just a note to give you the schedule for prayer purposes. Kristen is to be admitted tomorrow (Sunday) at 6:00 PM. They will be giving her all the necessary medication for the induction with hopes of Lincoln being born sometime Monday morning or noon. We will give an update sometime Monday and let you know what's going on with Lincoln. Pray hard! We love you all and thanks for your faithfulness!

Waiting & Waiting &.......

Ok, I figured I should write an update or you would start to feel left out...but truth be told....there is not much happening here (which is kind of a good thing I guess). Kristen had a OB check up today, and after a week of walking around, she is still not even close (you know what I mean)! This is a good thing because that means Lincoln shouldn't be coming earlier than expected which helps out with travel plans for family. Also some of the critical people in charge are out of town until Sunday (like the OB & Cardiologists...that would be BAD!!)

All is well with us though! This time has been a blessing for us, enabling us to enjoy each other and take some time to visit some sites down here. Kristen and I have a place we like to go when we want to get out of the house. There is a grassy hill just around the corner from where we are staying that is at the end of one of the runways at LAX. The planes are literally 50' over our head seconds before they land. Why I'm sharing this with you...I dunno?...It's kinda cool though...here is a pic I took.





This is the family we are staying with while we are down here. Ed & Jean Hayes have truly been a blessing to us. They too had a grandchild that was in the hospital for 4 months and is doing great! So it has been awesome to see how God has placed them in our lives & used them to minister to us while we are here.

Lincoln is kickin like crazy...He wants out! Little does he know the road ahead...It is getting very tense and we are very nervous as we met with Dr's today and toured the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). Well there probably wont be another update until Sunday night...so be praying hard! Looking forward to talking to you then!

We're Getting Settled

Wow! LA's crazy! Well, we are getting settled in here. The weather is cool (good for Kristen!). We can't believe the outpouring of love, support, messages and prayers we've been getting....truly amazing! THANK YOU!! Kristen & Lincoln have had tests all day yesterday and today. Things are going pretty smooth right now. Her cardiologist said he felt a lot better about how her heart is doing compared to when he saw her 3 months ago because her tests and symptoms have gotten better. They expect her to do just fine (A big praise!) Here are some updated prayer requests as a result of today's findings:

1. That Lincoln's "Foramen Ovale" (an opening in the septum) becomes bigger or they will have to immediately (minutes after birth) insert a catheter into the heart and open it up with a balloon; otherwise he will not have any oxygenated blood circulating the body...BAD!!

2. He will need to have a surgical procedure done called a "Norwood". We were not expecting this. The prayer is that his aorta will be a sufficient size and there will be minimal valve blockage to last a few weeks before they do this surgery; otherwise they will have to do it as soon as he is born. Doing this later is better because he will be stronger and they will be able to do another scheduled surgery at the same time instead of another separate surgery...plus...he might be able to come home or be transferred if it is done later. It all depends on the aorta and any valve blockage.

Thank you again everyone...we will keep you updated...talk to you soon!
Josh & Kristen