~11 weeks and counting~

WOW!!! We've made it 11 weeks!! AND, more importantly, we have passed our original due date! To add to our adventures of Reed's first 11 weeks of life, we added in a photo session.....so that I could get a picture to put with his birth announcement for the newspaper. HA! Better late than never. I am posting a few of my favorite pics from our session. I am also including the website of our photographer, with all of Reed's pics. We were very pleased with Emy, and highly recommend her if you need pics made. I believe she makes a trip to Fernandina Beach each summer to do family pics there.....which I would LOVE to do!!!  Please visit the site and browse Reed's other pics....I couldn't possibly put them all on our blog.
http://emyaphotography.smugmug.com/Babies/Reed-P/12358402_pBbaW#884004182_5zBD8
Password: Putnal_05282010

Now, to make his mommy really proud, he chose to shoot a bird in the next one...... What will I ever do with him when he gets to be a teenager?????

We did not have a weight check this week, since we did so well last week and were given a two-week break. We will go this next Friday, June 4th. I am VERY anxious to see the progress he has made. His appetite has DEFINITELY increased!

We have had several very rough nights lately, due to stomach aches. We are continuing the Zantac, Gripe Water, AND Mylicon.....with little relief. However, as I have said before, rough nights are indicative of the fact that we have a baby at home, which is a HUGE blessing considering Reed's beginning. We will take the sleepless, crying-filled nights and be thankful that God has blessed us with our little boy.

On this Memorial Day, we are so thankful for all who have served and are currently serving our country to afford us the liberties we enjoy each day. So many have given so much to bestow upon us the lives that we enjoy. THANK YOU, SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN!!!

What has God blessed you with on this holiday weekend? Take time to give thanks to Him and to the military people that you know.

Love to all,

Reflux hits with a vengeance.....

Although we were lucky enough to avoid reflux while we were in the hospital, it has hit us with a vengeance this past week! Poor Reed has projectile vomitted for the past 2 days. He started Zantac last Friday, which has helped with the stomach pains. However, he gags often and actually hurls once a day. Being so little, gagging is super scary - for him and me! This is nothing that we can't handle, though....very minor compared to all we could have encountered to this point. Praying for fewer tummy aches and less vomitting for our little one.
Today I'm thankful for insurance! I will never complain about having to pay for insurance again. I totalled up the current charges for Reed's stay in Macon - $358+ thousand!!!! However, we only owe (as of right now) right at $2,000. God is SO GOOD!!! Reed's birth weight qualified him for Medicaid coverage while in the hospital. However, we weren't told about it until about 2 weeks before we came home. We are still waiting to see what they will cover of his bills.
Love those babies and enjoy every minute you have with them....another baby was lost in NNICU last night in Macon, which could have so easily been our little Reed according to medical personnel...but not according to the Almighty Healer! Love to all,

BEST Night Ever

Oh, what a night! Reed had the BEST night EVER last night. He was up around 11:30 and then slept until 2:00. Ate and slept until 5:00. Ate and slept until 7:00.....and still snoozing! We could surely get used to this! Today I'm thankful for nights full of sleep...and lots of baby snuggling! What have you been blessed with today?

Much love to you as you make this a day filled with blessings,

And the Eye Doctor said......

God is SO good! We have been released from seeing the eye doctor in Albany. There is no sign of any chance of Reed developing Retinopathy. Preemies run a higher risk of being near-sighted......but with my terrible vision, he stands no chance of avoiding being near-sighted anyway. Therefore, this is nothing we wouldn't have expected to happen even if he were a full-term baby! He has to see a regular eye doctor in one year. God has not forsaken us in our journey - but has continually blessed us each step of the way. This afternoon I'm thankful for eyes that see - even if they end up being near-sighted, which is so much better than the alternative. Have you found a blessing on this beautiful summer day????? Use your eyes and see many blessings around you.
Much love to all & kiss those babies,

~~10 Weeks Old~~

WOW!!! I can't believe Reed is 10 weeks old! It's so unbelievable that this amazing journey started ten weeks ago. Oh, the progress he has made in these ten weeks! I wanted to go ahead and post a pic of our ten-week-old baby boy. I will update more later after we see the eye doctor in Albany at 12:30. Pray with us that we will be released after today's appointment. God has brought us through so much already in the last ten weeks, and we fully believe His grace will continue to be sufficient to see Reed through the rest of his journey.

Enjoy your Monday....for many the first one of summer. Find a blessing for today. Today I'm thankful for a summer at home with all three of my precious children....there is no greater blessing than our children....even in their worst moments.  :)

Much love,

~~10 Weeks Old~~

WOW!! Reed is 10 weeks old!!!! It's so hard to believe that this crazy journey started ten weeks ago and we have come so far! I wanted to go ahead and put up a pic of our ten-week-old baby boy. I will update more this afternoon after we visit the eye doctor in Albany at 12:30. Pray with us that we are released after today's visit! God had been so good to us in this journey, and we fully expect His grace to continue to be on Reed.
Much love,

And Back to the Doctor We Go.....

We went to the doctor on Friday for our weekly checkup. Reed gained 1/2 lb. to put him at 5 pounds 7 ounces. He was 1 ounce shy of doubling his birth weight!!!  Reed is doing so well that we get to skip a week and go back for a weight check in 2 weeks. YAY!!! He started on some Zantac to see if it helps with some of the stomach troubles.....may be heart burn due to reflux. It's so hard to believe that he will be 10 weeks old tomorrow, but still isn't due until next Saturday. Oh, the journey he has had already in his short life.

God has blessed us with such great friends to carry us through this trial with their continued prayers and gifts that have taken such good care of us. You will never know how much you have meant to us as we have journeyed through this.

Today I am thankful for 8 ounces of weight gain....it means Reed is growing. I'm thankful for the nights filled with crying and lacking in sleep because it means we have a newborn in the house....one that's full of life. What has God blessed you with today? Hug your children every chance you get, because we don't know what tomorrow holds.

Love to all,

I'm 9 weeks old!!!

~9 weeks old~

WOW! Reed is officially 9 weeks old! It's still so hard to believe he is already that old. So much has happened in the last 9 weeks. He has endured more than most people endure in their whole lives in his short 9 weeks.

We've had a wonderful weekend. He is definitely back up on his feedings. He was up every 2 hours last night wanting to eat. I can't wait to ask if we can start putting a little rice cereal in his formula to help carry him longer than two hours.

I'm still trying to figure out how to upload pictures on here - mixed with a crying baby..... Will upload his 9 week picture as soon as I can figure it out. :)

He has amazed us so in his short life, and continues to amaze us every day. Today, I'm thankful for nine weeks of life with my son. Have you found your blessing today?
Love to all,

~Two Months Old~

WOW!!! I can't believe that Reed is two months old today! When I look back at the pictures and the posts, I am amazed by how far he has come in his short life. What an amazing story he will have to share with others for the rest of his life! What a testimony to the mighty works that God still does today! Thank you all for sharing in our journey thus far. Please continue with us at our new blog. Your prayers have kept us going through this storm, and will continue to keep us going on our journey.

Lord,
You continue to amaze us each day. You have put before us the HARDEST test we have ever endured. Lord, we hope and pray that we have fulfilled the purpose You wanted as we struggled through this test. You have so graciously blessed us with the life of our son, Reed, even though his life began in such a traumatic and uncertain way. Lord, I can't begin to understand why some of these preemies survive and others do not. I cannot fathom the pain of those parents whose preemies have not survived their journey. I pray that You continue to heal their hurt, Lord, even though we know it will never go away. I don't begin to understand what purpose You have in store for Reed, that You allowed him to be a survivor...in spite of all that he had going against him from his first breath. Lord, I pray that, if there is anyone that was unsure of Your presence before reading about Reed's journey, they can see clearly now that You are still in charge of our world. Our prayer is that Reed's journey has not been for naught...but that someone somewhere has been touched and awakened by the evidence given from Reed's healing. So many people have followed our journey and prayed us through the good and bad days. Lord, we pray that you continue to bless those who have so faithfully lifted us all up during our struggle. Your prayer warriors wrapped us in prayer and carried us through. Please continue Your work in our little boy, always to bring glory to You. We anxiously await the unfolding of Your plan for Reed.

Be with us, his parents, as we do our best as to raise him as You want us to. Remember that we are only human, and we still need Your help and guidance to raise Reed, Anna, and Sara. Most of all, Lord, help us to remember that each moment You give us with our three children is a gift to be treasured forever. Help us remember to unwrap each day with the excitement of children on Christmas morning, because this is how we should think of each day....a wonderful gift from You to us. Help us to be Your light to others in need, as others were to us in our time of need.
Amen

At 8:37 p.m., Reed will officially be two months old. I will cease my posts on CaringBridge tonight, and will only post on our new blog from then on. I am so excited that this site can be published in book form for our little miracle to have for the rest of his life to see proof of all of you who helped pray him through his fight for his life. I pray that these posts come to mean as much to him as they have to me during this trying time. PLEASE continue our journey with us on our blog - www.5putnals.blogspot.com

I'm sure we are in for some exciting times with this little fighter! Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for the ride of Reed's life!!! We love you all!

Today I'm thankful for all that we have endured over the last two months because it has made us stronger people and brought us closer to the Father of us all. I'm thankful for all of you who have helped to carry us through with your prayers. I pray that you have been equally blessed. Have you found a blessing today?
Love to all,

Thankful for tummy aches????

Another WONDERFUL day, in spite of the all-day tummy ache. I'm thankful for tummy aches because it means Reed is well enough to eat! Reed will officially be two months old tomorrow!!! He has been through so much in his two months of life....and has already been such a blessing to so many in his short life. WOW!!! I continue to stand amazed at how awesome God is with all that He has brought us through. Were you able to find a blessing in your life today?

Love to all of you,

Another visit with the doctor....

Reed weighs 4 pounds and 15 ounces!!!!!! Thank you, Lord, for weight gain!!! I was so worried that he would lose weight since he hasn't been eating as much as he did those last 2 days in NNICU! He had to have blood work done because he appears to still be jaundiced. I will have to do a better job of letting him work on his sun tan. :) We will go for another weight check next Friday. Reed will start on some probiotics today. This helps to ward off risk of the NEC infection and helps to build up the immune system. He will take it twice a day in his formula.

Get out and spend some time in this beautiful sunshine today. We have all been blessed with another beautiful day. God is good! Love to all,

~Mylicon, my sweet Mylicon~

THANK YOU, LORD, FOR MYLICON DROPS!!!!! That's my blessing for the moment. What did parents do for tummy aches before Mylicon drops??? :)


Reed had a great night. He started back his 3-hour routine. He slept for 3 hours in his pack-n-play and then woke up to eat. Back in the pack-n-play for 3 more hours before eating again. Such a sweet baby!! To be so tiny (and still 2 1/2 weeks premature), he surely is a BIG BOY!!!

We go back to see Dr. V tomorrow - mainly for a weight check. Pray with us that has gained weight since last week.

Have you been blessed today? Have you slowed down long enough to thank God for your blessings? Love to all,

First visit with the eye doctor

We made our first trip to Albany today to see the eye doctor. He said he saw nothing that needed to be worried about. He saw signs of prematurity, but didn't see what the nurse practitioner said she saw on Reed's left eye last week. We will return for a second visit on May 24th. This could be our last appointment with the doctor, or we could have to go once more. This was wonderful news! With Reed's prematurity, we could have had much trouble ahead of us with his eyes. However, God has blessed us again with a clear report.

Have you found your blessing today???

Much love, Heather

Switching from Caringbridge to "5Putnals" blog

Now that we are home from the hospital, we are going to close out our Caringbridge site and post on our blog. We look forward to continuing to share our family with each of you as Reed continues to grow and bless each one of us.