Circling the family wagons...need prayers and PD for SIL

[TheOtherVillainess]

In the olden days of the West, for protection the settlers would circle up their wagons at night. That's what we've been doing recently in our family as well. Here's the sitch. My SIL Jess has a friend through her church who has a relative (a cousin I think)who cannot keep her baby. They are going through a Christian adoption agency to adopt the child. But there's a hitch. The birth mother Andrea is only 27 wks right now and in the hospital to stop labor. She went into labor on Mon night and we found out yesterday about what was going on. Andrea only has Medicare, so from what I understand, she hasn't had the best of medical care. From what Jess has told me, I believe Andrea didn't even see an OB/GYN until she was almost 20 wks pregnant. The baby is a boy and the docs have given Andrea medication to stop labor and hopefully contract her cervix so the baby doesn't fall out. They've also given her meds to help him develop more so that when he does get born, he'll be better able to survive outside the womb. We've been circling the family wagons, praying with and for Jess and her hubby Brian, for the baby and the birth mother. Jess wants this baby to live so badly because she wants more than anything to become a mother. So...on behalf of Jess,Brian,Andrea and Baby Boy Unnamed as of Yet, I am asking you to pray (0r whatever it is you do) to whatever deity you happen to favor. I know I've been constantly asking the Goddess to watch over all of them because I know how much Jess wants this baby to live.

TOV

 

[GEM]

I'll be thinking of them all.

If it helps at all, our little guy was born at 28 weeks. He weighed 1lb and 7oz and spent 83 days in the NICU, but he's absolutely perfect! He's the light of our lives - crawling, babbling, and just generally getting into everything! He turns one in just a few weeks. Even at 27 weeks, the baby has a fairly good chance. In fact, it's probably already bigger than Paul was! Paul was more the size of a 24 or 25 week baby, due to a problem with the placenta. He just wasn't getting the nutrients that he needed to grow properly.

Best wishes to everyone involved!

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Thanks, Gem. Last night, when we talked to Jess on the phone, she said the docs were giving the baby an 86% of survival outside the womb if he were born by this weekend. But nobody really knows when the actual delivery might take place and of course, the longer delivery is delayed the better.

TOV

 

[Toby'sFriend]

ah poor little guy. Good Prenatel care can be so important.

I'll certainly be thinking my best for the Mom and the baby.

 

[shortbun]

firing up a prayer for your family and the unborn.

 

[shortbun]

firing up a prayer for your family and the unborn.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

Prayers for the baby boy.

Now TOV how are you doing? Are you feeling any sleep deprivation. I've been thinking about you. I hope you are doing well.

Lori

 

[binny]

prayers on the way!

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Little Bitty (which is what we're calling him since Jess doesn't have a name picked out yet) was born on Weds night at 11:06 pm. He weighs less than 2 lbs and that's really about all we know about him. The hospital, in order to cover their asses, won't let Jess or Brian see him right now, although they did allow them to take some pictures of him shortly after birth. Jess and Brian are trying to get the adoption papers pushed through as quickly as possible so they can get access to Little Bitty. He's so tiny...one of the pictures Jess sent us via email shows Brian holding Little Bitty's hand and he can barely wrap his fingers around one of Brian's. His feet are smaller than Jess's little finger at the moment and there's some sort of feeding tube in his mouth. We still need the prayers (or whatever it is you do to the deity of your choice) for Little Bitty. He's not out of the woods yet.

TOV

oh..and pirate..my problems are a whole 'nother thread entirely. I just don't know if I should post them right now.

 

[Big V]

I will keep them in my prayers.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Hoping Little Bitty does well, and all involved do likewise. My prayers are with them.

 

[arminnie]

Great big huge enormous gigantic larger than life prayers <a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/17/17_1_10.gif' border=0></a> for Little Bitty.

 

[mkcp91]

More prayers for Little Bitty. My DS was a preemie too, though not quite so early (33 weeks).

I would sing to him in the NICU:

For one so small, you seem so strong
My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm
This bond between us can't be broken
I will be here
Don't you cry

I'm praying for your entire family. Please keep us updated!

~Heather

 

[kpgclark]

I wish her good luck. I am also the parent of two wonderful children who are adopted. When is the b-mother allowed to relinquish her rights in her state?

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

There's an update on Little Bitty. He now has a name..Elijah. Also..he is doing better than expected and they are planning on taking out his breathing tube sometime next week and possibly his feeding tube within a week after that. They were having a wee bit of trouble at first with the supposed birth father not wanting to sign the adoption papers but the hospital's legal dept and the adoption agency were all over him. They said he could get a DNA test to make sure Elijah was really his but it would cost something like $500 and the birth father backed off.After that getting the adoption papers pushed through was no problemThe hospital legal team and the adoption agency have gotten the paperwork pushed through, so now my SIL and her DH have more access to him than before and when they take out the feeding tube, they are going to let Jess and Brian feed him and do 'touch therapy' to help him get better. Jess sent us more piccies of him yesterday and his hand is not even an inch long. Yoiks! He's sooooo little. I never realized how little he really was until that picture.

Thanks for the P and PD ya'll. He still needs it, as do Jess and Brian who really need support right now. We're all doing the best we can to support them in this, as are their employers (who are totally awesome).

TOV

 

[Pooh67_68]

Continued
and how about some

 

[Lachesis00]

Thoughts and prayers coming in from Alaska ((((Elijah and Family))))

 

[WhenUwishUponAstar]

I pray that GOD will breathe strength into baby elijah