Zoey Kate

Happy Birthday to ME!!

2009-12-14T13:52:00.002-07:00

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-03T21:35:00.005-07:00

Well Zoey is now almost 11 months old...can you believe it?!? We can't...time is flying by...in about a month we will be celebrating her one year birthday! She still continues to show how much prayer works. She has been the healthiest happiest baby and continues to do everything on or ahead of the curve...even though her weight still sits below it. ;) She is now pulling up and will be walking soon. She is very brave and STILL thinks she is big. Macy walked in the other day to her standing on her bumper in her crib with one leg "hiked" like she was gonna just throw it over the crib and escape. They have lowered her crib and now are going to have to take out her bumpers. She is very very smart. Macy will teach her something and in just a couple weeks she does it on command. She has started a new thing of dancing on command, clapping on command, and saying "more" in sign language on command. She is quite the little star around our house and continues to wrap us around that tiny little finger of hers. She has six teeth now and is currently working on a 7th. She insists on trying "big people food" because she wants to show how "big" she is. Zoey was a bumblebee for halloween and managed to put on a happy face in her costume for a few pictures. Here is our miracle, happy, growing little bundle of joy. I threw in a few extra of her in her Grammy's rocking chair from when she was a baby. Grammy just celebrated her 50th birthday :)...Love to all!! Aunt Ash

Game Day

2009-09-05T12:27:00.004-06:00

Well...today is the start of college football for us. Both the OSU Cowboys and the Texas Tech Red Raiders are playing today. Since OSU is on tv today, Zoey is sporting her OSU wear. She looked so darn cute we just had to take some pictures. Zoey is going to be 9 months old in a few days...hard to believe!! She weighs in at almost 14 lbs. now so she is growing. She has two teeth on the bottom and another coming in up top. She is almost able to sit up all by herself. In these pictures she is sitting on her own, but Grammy was close for when she got the "wobbles". She is scooting all over the place. More than likely, we will be crawling within the next month ish. Zoey has also moved up to the second group of foods and doing very well with that. I will post some eating pics later this week. She is such a joy to our lives and we are so thankful for God's provision!! God bless all who have prayed for our little miracle!

July 2009- Almost 8 Months!

2009-07-30T17:32:00.002-06:00

Here are a few recent pictures of our favorite little miracle baby that is almost 8 months old! So hard to believe. Zoey continues to grow everyday. On June 15th she weighed in at 11 lbs. 6 oz. so we are still petite but very long. She measured in at 25 inches long at that point. She is eating baby food now and loves that. She still thinks she is a BIG girl in every way. She started rolling over the first week of June and is now rolling all over the place. Still no crawling but we are getting very close to that. These pictures were taken while she was having fun rolling around a few nights ago. Please keep up the prayers for continued growth and development. We love you all!!

Ashton

6 Months...Can you believe it?!?

2009-06-08T16:37:00.006-06:00

Here are a few new pics for those of you still following the blog. Zoey is doing absolutely wonderful and growing like crazy! She goes to the doctor next week for her 6 month check. It's hard to believe it's already been 6 months since God blessed our lives with this little miracle, and we continue to thank Him everyday for her. We think she weighs about 12 pounds now. She is still very petite but very long. She has started on baby food and has done wonderful on that so far. I will try my hardest to post at least once a month from now on. Loving Life...Aunt Ashy

HAPPY EASTER!

2009-04-13T01:34:00.005-06:00

HE IS RISEN!!

HAPPY EASTER FROM MARK, MACY, AND ZOEY

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2009-03-17T09:38:00.003-06:00

It's been a while...

2009-03-06T22:39:00.008-07:00

Hey Everyone!! Sorry it has been so long since we have posted an update and pictures! I have been falling down on the job. These are some pictures of Zoey from the last few weeks. She is getting so big. She will go to the doctor again for a checkup next week so we will officially find out what she weighs then. We think she is probably 6 1/2 to 7 pounds now. It's hard to believe she is already 3 months old! She is still in her preemie clothes. She is out of her micro-preemie clothes so she is definitely growing. Newborn stuff is still too big for her but hopefully here in the next couple of months she will start to grow into it. She is doing great in every aspect of feeds and sleeping. She still burps like a big girl too! Macy and Mark are now settled into a great routine and schedule with her. Please pray for continued growth for Zoey and strength and energy for Macy and Mark. We love you all so much and again...sorry for the long delay in pictures! Aunt Ashy <><

2-14-09

2009-02-14T15:56:00.006-07:00

Happy Due Date Zoey!!!

Well this is Aunt Ashton again...I told you I would post more pictures of Zoey's announcement shots I took last weekend, so here they are. These today are per request of Zoey's top fan Mrs. Karen Mendenhall. Karen thank you for loving Zoey and being as obsessed with her as we are! We love you and your family so much! Thanks for your continued prayers...Aunt Ashy <><

2-9-09

2009-02-09T21:36:00.003-07:00

Hey Everyone it's Aunt Ashton...here are a few of the pictures I took this last weekend. We took her pictures for her announcements and they are absolutely precious!!! She was sooooo good while we took them. She definitely has her daddy's laid back temperament. Anyway...enjoy there will be lots more to follow these are just a few of my favs. Love to all...Aunt Ashy <><

1-26-09

2009-01-26T15:56:00.005-07:00

Falling asleep during her feed haha

Always smiling for the camera

Why?!?! I just want to sleep!

Psalm 139:13-14 "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

Just let me sleep...

Don't mess with me while I'm bathing haha

Not the bottom mommy!!

Aaahhhhhh :)

Daddy and Pop Pop watchin' closely

You just don't stop do you Aunt Ash??

Hello Again...

Help Aunt Ashton I don't like this outfit!

Finally done...and squeaky clean!

Hello Everyone...this is Aunt Ashton again. I had the pleasure of coming home to help with Zoey last Friday because Macy wasn't feelin' to great. Anyway...I had a fun day of watching/holding/helping with our little bundle of joy. She is so funny when she is awake and is constantly making funny faces. I captioned just a few of them. Grammy, Pop Pop, and I all got to watch as Macy gave her a bath. Zoey absolutely LOVES her baths. It is fun to watch Zoey get COMPLETELY relaxed as soon as she hits the water. Anyway...she is adorable and I had so much fun getting to spend the day with her. Sorry these are so late in getting posted! Love to all...Aunt Ash <><

1-25-08

2009-01-25T21:33:00.011-07:00

Here are some random pictures from the past week. A couple are from our ride home with her in her HUGE carseat. One is of Aunt Becky holding her. The top few with her bow on is from tonight. We had to change her oxygen out and kept it off long enough to snap a few pictures. She has her second doctors appointment tomorrow. Last week she weighed in at 4 pounds 8 oz. She has to go in once a week to check her oxygen levels and weight. We are hoping that she will not have to be on the oxygen long. The doctor thinks that we may even try to start weening her off this week. It will all depend on her. She is on such a small amount as it is. She seems to love being home. We have gotten on a pretty good routine. She eats about every three to four hours. It's really a great schedule. I am managing to get some rest. Cat-naps are my new favorite thing. We are so grateful to be home. I must admit I was nervous to bring Zoey home. The nerves of being a full time new mom, knowing that this four pound miracle is ALL my responsibility was a little overwhelming. Now that we have the first week out of the way, I am feeling more and more confident. It is wonderful. We want to thank you all again for all of your prayers. We will continue to give updates as Zoey continues to grow up under the Lord's protection and grace.
We love you!
Macy

1-21-08

2009-01-21T10:45:00.003-07:00

Hello Everyone! This is Aunt Ashton...posting from Lubbock. :) Uncle Tay Tay and I made the LONG trip back to Lubbock on Monday. It was long because every mile took us further away from our precious niece...and family. ;) I cried four times that day knowing that I was having to leave but being back in Lubbock has been great. I should have posted these sweet pictures of Zoey the night I took them but we got home late and I was too tired. These are from Sunday night. Pop Pop and I got to go over and spend some time with Grammy, Mark, and Macy and of course, Zoey. We watched her take a bottle and sleep. :) Zoey smiles all the time in her sleep. It is the most precious thing to watch. You just kinda wonder what it is she is dreaming about. Anyway...that night she was smiling so big it almost looked like she was laughing about something. I captured a few of those smiles and yes...she has dimples. You can see them better in person but she definitely has two. :) I also captured dad (Mark) looking down at his precious gift. I think it shows his love for her and the fact that he is wrapped around Zoey's TINY little pinky. For those of you who don't know...I LOVE to take pictures of feet....well precious baby feet not so much adult feet haha. I got to snag a couple of Zoey's tiny toes when Mommy was changing her diaper. I also got one of her LONG legs. She follows in both of her GiGi's footsteps in that respect. :) The picture of Zoey's roses was at Grammy's request. They were so beautiful we just had to share them. Zoey is doing great at home and is still eating and pooping like a champ. She went to the doctor on Monday and weighed in at a whopping 4 lbs. 8 oz and measured at 18 inches long. She will have to go in weekly for a doctors visit because of being on oxygen. Please pray for strength for Zoey as she makes those trips to the doctor because it really takes ALOT out of her. The doctor said he didn't think she would have to be on oxygen long. Please pray for continued growth of her lungs and strength for her tiny body. Mark and Macy are doing well adjusting to having Zoey at home. Please pray for continued strength, energy, and peace for them as they adapt to a new schedule. We love you all and thank you for your continued support and prayers for Mark, Macy, and Zoey. Until next time...Aunt Ashy <><

1-16-09

2009-01-16T22:14:00.006-07:00

Walking into her very own room for the first time!!

Very hungry at this point

Daddy helping with some spit-up

Yes...that is pink camo in Mark's lap and he wears it proudly :)

Hello Everyone! What an emotional day this has been!! This is Aunt Ashton tonight posting for Mark, Macy, and Zoey. They are all doing well and made it HOME safe and sound!!! Zoey did fantastic on the ride home and has loved being at home in her new surroundings. Here are some pictures from tonight. We were privileged to be there right when they got home so these photos are from when Macy brought her in for the very first time. She looks even smaller in her new surroundings. Macy put Zoey on her changing table to change her diaper and it dwarfed her tiny little body. She needs one about a quarter of the size she has but I don't think they make them that small. :) Both sets of adoring grandparents were there as well. I even caught Poppy and Grammy Dodson in the act of wooing (not sure how to spell that one haha) over her. Uncle Tay Tay, Spencer and I all hovered in Zoey's general area tonight. It is so hard not to be right by her all the time!! I included one picture, per Mark's request, of the doodle board that hangs on their fridge. It still says "10 more weeks". I think we can erase that now and start keeping track of Zoey's check-ups since that is DEFINITELY not relevant anymore haha. It was kinda ironic to have one sign hanging saying "welcome home Zoey" and the other saying "10 more weeks" haha. We are blessed that the first is relevant now. Other than the update on Zoey getting to come home, the other was that she weighed in at a whopping 4 lbs. 1 oz. last night. She had a very long day today and slept most of the way home. Mark and Macy were very exhausted when they got home today. As you can imagine, the last 6 weeks are really starting to catch up with them. Please continue to pray for our little miracle. If it weren't for all of your prayers, she would not be home right now. We so appreciate your love and support of our family and for Macy, Mark, and Zoey. Now that they are home the prayer requests will change but for now just pray for rest and peace for Mark and Macy. For Zoey, please pray that her lungs continue to get stronger so she won't have to be on oxygen long. Her first check-up is on Monday so we will know more then. We are so grateful to have everyone home and ready to start this new journey of Zoey's life at HOME!! PRAISE GOD from whom ALL blessings flow!! To Him be ALL the GLORY, HONOR, and PRAISE. :) Until next time...Aunt Ashy <><

1-16-09

2009-01-15T23:56:00.004-07:00

Today should be the day!

Homeward Bound...

Mark, Macy and Zoey

1-15-08

2009-01-15T22:54:00.004-07:00

Starting to get full :)

Not ready to wake up...

Sleeping under the shade of her blanket

1-14-09

2009-01-14T23:15:00.008-07:00

No More Pictures Please...

Here is what is going on in our world...Zoey is eating all 8 feeds by bottle! She is getting better by the day! She is getting so strong and knows when it's time for that bottle. Because she is taking all her feeds like a big girl, she got her feeding tube taken out of her nose! Woohoo! This is a huge deal. Right now the only thing she has helping her is her oxygen. She is amazing. You can tell from the pictures that she is already a happy baby. She rarely fusses. She has the sweetest temperament and is really very laid back. I am giving her daddy all the credit for the laid back part! Another milestone is that last night, Zoey hit the 4 lb mark! She weighs 4 lbs even now. Please continue for her little lungs and for strength for all of us as we get ready to go home. From what the Dr's are telling us, we are probably looking at bringing her home early next week. Today we have been up here 40 days. It seems we have been here forever in a way, but it's gone by fast in a way too. It has been God's grace to get us through each day. His mercies are new every morning! If I have learned anything, it has been that tomorrow will worry about itself. God will give you what you need for that day, that minute. I read a really cool thing that really spoke to me...I will share it with you as I close for tonight.

When was the last time you thanked God for NOT showing you the future? I'm convinced that one of the best things God does for us is to keep us from knowing what will happen beyond today. Just think of all the stuff you didn't have to worry about just because you didn't know it was coming your way!

I trust in You O Lord,..My times are in Your hand.

Psalms 31:14-15

Love,

Macy

1-13-09

2009-01-13T21:56:00.008-07:00

1-12-09

2009-01-12T19:36:00.014-07:00

Tub Time! Today my mom and I gave Zoey a bath! She is so cute. She is going to hate me someday, but I had to get in one picture of her tiny hiney! There is nothing to it...She does so great in her tiny tub. She doesn't fuss or cry or anything. She is squeaky clean now and feels better! They bring in a big heating lamp to help keep her warm. After her bath, we wrapped her up and she fell right to sleep. She has had a big day. They have moved up her bottle feeding to two bottle feeds to one tube feeding. (2/3) She is doing so awesome. She was also weened down a little bit more off of her oxygen and doing great. She is starting to nurse a little bit too. We are starting to get the hang of that. She is amazing. She is weighing in at 3 lbs. 14oz. Four pounds is right around the corner. That seems huge to us! God is so good! Please pray for Zoey tomorrow for a couple of things. She has to get a shot tomorrow! Yuck! I wish I could take it for her. The other thing is they are going to start the process of weening her off of her oxygen completely...so basically they do some 'trial runs'. We are praying that her little lungs will just do great. Thanks for your prayers! God continues to move! More tomorrow...
Love,
Macy

1-11-09

2009-01-11T20:34:00.007-07:00

Well, another day, another miracle. Zoey continues to do awesome on her bottle feeding. She is eating like a big girl. We had a nurse tell us today that she has been doing this for 20 years and doesn't see babies as small as Zoey do so well with bottle feeds. We are so thrilled! She is SO much fun. She is so alert after her feeding. She was bright eyed tonight after I fed her. I think she is going to have big brown eyes like her daddy. Speaking of her daddy, he picked out her outfit for today. We had to get in a little leopard print in! Her oxygen levels have been leveled out. She is at a very low setting and is doing great. It is a real possiblity that we may take her home on oxygen. We pray that that won't be the case, but if it means having her home sooner...We can do that! We had a huge thing happen today...They actually mentioned 'home' in a sentence to us! If she keeps doing well with her feeding, she will continue to move up and eventually take all 8 feeds with a bottle. Once she does that, we are 'home free'. They are thinking maybe in the next few weeks! It's so incredible to think about taking my miracle home. I can't wait to be home and be a full time mommy. We continue to pray for her to have strength and have energy for her 'meal times'. We hope that when we do get home that when people see her, especially all of you who have prayed for her, they will know and see that she is a REAL miracle and a testimony to God's greatness! We pray that you will all be blessed by knowing that your prayers are the reason why Miss Zoey is here. God answers prayers and is still in the business of doing miracles! We are eternally grateful! We will keep you posted as we are hopefully on the HOME stretch!
Love always,
Macy, Mark and Zoey

1-10-09

2009-01-10T20:50:00.004-07:00

1-9-09

2009-01-09T23:18:00.007-07:00

Well, not a whole lot has changed since yesturday. Zoey continues to do well with her bottle feeding. She is up to bottle feeding every other feed! She is doing so great. It completely wears her out to suck on a bottle, but she is working so hard and doing awesome. Please pray for strength and energy for her. She is also out of her isolete and the noise around her keeps her from sleeping as well. Please pray for her to rest well and soundly in between her feeds. She needs to really rest to have her strength to eat and grow. Her Gammy and Poppy Dodson came to visit today. She was excited to see them. Gammy even got to hold her for a while. We have enjoyed them being here. Thank you for your continued prayers. The idea of going home seems to be creeping closer and we can't wait! Well, enough for tonight...We love you all!
Macy, Mark and Zoey.

1-8-09

2009-01-08T21:18:00.003-07:00

Sorry there are no pictures for today. My ramblings will have to do. Today was a good day for all of us. Pastor Gerry drove up and back to Albuquerque to spend a few minutes with us. He is such a softie when it comes to baby girls (just like Zoey's dad). We are truly blessed to have Gerry as our pastor and friend. Zoey continues to grow and get stronger every day. She just weighed in at a little over 3 lbs. 13 oz. We may have a 4 lb baby by the weekend. She took to her bottle very well today. She actually took the entire 31 cc's. The nurses and doctors continue to be impressed with her progress. They are considering letting her take 2 bottle feeds a day. This is what we need to happen. Her oxygen saturation levels continue to fluctuate. The doctors don't seem worried just frustrated. We have had wonderful nurses today and it has been a blessing. We thank you for your prayers and ask that you continue sending them our way. We serve a wonderful God and feel truly blessed with our situation.

Mark, Macy, and Zoey

1-7-09

2009-01-08T20:41:00.002-07:00

1-6-08

2009-01-06T19:40:00.002-07:00

1-5-08

2009-01-05T21:09:00.005-07:00

Zoey had a big day! Her oxygen levels have been stable now for almost 24 hours. Praise the Lord! Since her levels were stable, they let us try her first bottle feed! It was so exciting. She takes 31 cc's every feed which is equal to one ounce of milk. The doctors don't expect babies to take more than 5 to 10 cc's the first time they try a bottle. My little miracle took 20 cc's!!! She is amazing and amazed the nurses and drs today too. She even burped like a big girl! Her oxygen even stayed up. She made her mommy and daddy proud. She did so well. We will try again tomorrow. We will only bottle feed once a day until she can take her full feed. Then we will move up to twice a day and so on. As you can see from the pictures, she is smiling more and showing so much more expression. It is so fun to watch her. We are praying for another fabulous day tomorrow! Thanks for your prayers! Today was a step toward home. I am so proud of my little one month old, 3 lb 9 oz princess! She is precious! Every step toward home makes me more anxious to get there! Hopefully it won't be long! Thanks for your prayer support! It's making a difference!

Love,

Macy

1-4-09

2009-01-04T18:42:00.005-07:00

Just a quick update...Not much has changed since yesterday. Her oxygen levels are still fluctuating. The more she grows, the better those will get. She continues to gain weight. She is now weighing in at 3 lbs. 8 oz! She is changing in looks everyday. Today she was caught making some silly faces. Ashton caught them on film! We are hoping to start the process of bottle feeding in the next couple of days. It's hard to believe that Zoey is going to be a month old tomorrow! She is getting to be a big girl. Mark had to head back to Roswell to work for a few days. It has been a blessing for him to be able to spend time with us up here. God continues to bless him with good health. He is feeling really great. He will be back on Wednesday. Ashton is up here to stay with me this week. We are looking forward to our time together before she heads back to Lubbock. The pictures are courtesy of her today. As for me, I am feeling good. My blood pressure is doing great. I am hoping to be weened off my medicines soon. God has really taken care of all three of us. More tomorrow...

1-3-09

2009-01-03T16:41:00.008-07:00

What a beautiful little girl! It has been a good weekend. Uncle Brian and Aunt Becky came up to hang out and see Zoey. We don't pretend to think that they came up for us. We know better! We were able to give her a bath today (a first for us) and Macy got to hold her for over an hour. Throughout all of this Zoey's oxygen saturation remained perfectly stable. Her percentage of oxygen was hovering around 28, down from around 80. Our friend, Suzanne Green, shared a scripture with us that really fits. "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life." (Job 33:4) We know that God is in fact breathing for this little girl, and we praise him for this miracle. She is getting stronger and stronger every day. She is weighing in at nearly 3 lbs 6 oz. The difference is incredible. She is already getting that Dodson double chin. :) She has moved up to the big girl pacifier and is taking to it like a champ. The nurse informed us that they are going to start the process of bottle feeding. This will be slow going but it is a very critical step. If there is anything specific to pray about (other than her oxygen saturation) it would be that she takes to this. We thank you for your prayers. They are certainly felt up here.

Mark, Macy, and Zoey

1-1-09

2009-01-01T21:08:00.008-07:00

Happy New Year from the Dodsons! We hope you have all had a wonderful holiday season. We feel truly blessed this season. It's hard to believe that we have started a new year! 2008 has flown by. We will always look back and remember our year of miracles. It has been a year of growth for us. We are so thankful for all that God has done for us this past year. We can't wait to see what God has in store for 2009. Zoey has had a tough last couple of days. Her oxygen levels have been all over the place. Her little lungs are really struggling. She is either really high or really low. They have not been able to find the happy medium. Neither high or low levels are good for her. They were a bit concerned today so they ran a bunch of blood test and ordered another chest x-ray. Her blood tests came back normal. Praise the Lord! On her chest x-ray, it showed that her lungs are still 'under inflated' meaning that they are still really under developed. There was no sign though of any haze or infection. We are believing for our first miracle of 2009 to be a complete healing of Zoey's lungs. We are praying for a speedy development of her lungs. Please believe and pray with us. We will be sure to keep you posted on her progress.

The ups and downs of our situation are wearing. Our nursing staff in our new unit has been a challenge. The information we receive from different nurses is really inconsistent and that has been frustrating. Please pray for strength and wisdom as Mark and I deal with emotions of it all.

More later... We love you!

Macy

P.S. Mrs. Lanning,

We did receive the package that Threads of Love sent us. It was so fun to get a package up there. We love the goodies that you sent us. They have already come in handy. Thank you SO much for thinking of us! Zoey, Mark and I hope to meet you sometime soon.

12-30-08

2008-12-30T17:20:00.013-07:00

Just a quick update...Zoey has had a really good day. She continues to do well with her eating. Her oxygen levels are finally stabilizing. They have been weening her down little by little. Yay! I don't think it will be long before she is off of it. She is holding her temperature. She continues to put on weight. She is 3lbs 2oz! Woohoo! They are letting her sleep on her back now a little bit too. Everything is headed in the right direction. Her daddy and I are so proud of her! Mark is headed back up here tomorrow. We have missed him. My mom and I have had a wonderful time. We are looking forward to Uncle Steve, Aunt Callie, Uncle Brian and Aunt Becky coming to visit tomorrow. We can't wait for you guys to meet our princess! We hope you guys have a fun safe New Year's. Thank you for your continued prayer support and encouragement. Zoey is a miracle and is doing well because God answers prayers! We love you!

Macy and Zoey

12-29-08

2008-12-29T17:03:00.010-07:00

Don't you just want squeeze her?! I know I'm the mommy, but this is the cutest, sweetest baby in the whole world!

We love you Daddy! Hope you have a wonderful day! We miss you!

Love,

Zoey and Macy

12-28-08

2008-12-28T20:51:00.007-07:00

Today was a big day for Zoey Kate. Today was the first day that Zoey got to wear clothes! I have been waiting to dress my little doll. After I had Zoey, Aunt Ashton bought out the preemie section at Babies R Us in Lubbock. She has been holding her own body temperature better, so they let me put clothes on her today. So, of course we had to have PINK. I got to hold her today for the majority of the afternoon. She continues to do well on her feeding and taking a pacifier. I don't think it will be long before she is nursing and taking a bottle. In last picture, you can see that she is sucking her finger. My little doll baby has moved up a weight class...3 lbs 1 oz!!!! I think I'm seeing her first roll...haha! Her oxygen level is still fluctuating. We are believing that it will level out soon. I know that she hates having that nasal canula in her nose because she is constantly pulling at it. I can't wait until they can take that out. She did not desate one time during the time I 'kangarooed' her. Kangarooed, I think I just made up a word. My mom got here safely. My dad rode up here with my mom for a 20 minute Zoey visit, only to turn around and head back to Roswell with Mark. I just heard from Mark and he made it home. Praise God for traveling mercies. It's hard to believe that Zoey will be 3 weeks old tomorrow. Two babies in our pod got to go home today. I can't wait until it's our turn! God willing, it won't be long! Well, I'm off to bed. Love you guys.

Macy

12-27-08

2008-12-27T20:09:00.004-07:00

Today's pictures are during her noon feeding. They are still giving her full feeds through the tube in her nose, but today we fed her a tiny bit through a syringe. We worked on several steps today to get her closer to nursing. As you can tell from the pictures, she is still trying to figure the whole thing out. She is doing so awesome though. Everyday she is learning more and more. We will continue working on it everyday. Zoey's chest x-ray was done this morning. The verdict was that she does have some tiny air sacs in her lungs that have 'deflated'. The oxygen help that they are giving her is helping to re-inflate them. The doctor told us that this is NOTHING to be worried about. It is just due to the fact that she is a preemie and that her lungs are still developing. They feel like she will only have to be on oxygen for a few more days. They had already weened her oxygen help down a little bit today. Praise God! Zoey continues to gain weight. Last night she had gained another ounce. She is now 2lb. 15oz. We are pushing for 3 pounds tonight! We spent most of the day at the hospital. I was able to hold her for a little over an hour today. I didn't want to put her back. She is so precious and even at two and a half weeks old, you can see that she has a cute little personality. The more they are allowing me to do with her, the more it has set in that I'm really a MOMMY! I am loving every minute of it and know this is the job that I was meant to do. It's such a blessing. Mark is leaving tomorrow to head home. He will be back Wednesday. My mom is headed up here to be with me. Please pray for traveling mercies for both of them. Mark and I wanted to thank all of you who sent us restaurant gift certificates. Your generosity is incredible and we are SO grateful! We have felt so much love and support that we will never be able to express the thanks we feel in our hearts. The body of Christ has been amazing. We pray blessings on all of you! Stay tuned for more Zoey...

Love always,

Macy

12-26-08

2008-12-26T20:27:00.010-07:00

Extreme close up...Look at those BIG brown eyes!

Mommy snuck in some socks.

Just a quick update on Zoey. Her blood work came back with a good report today. Praise the Lord! She is still on quite a bit of oxygen help. Her levels have still been fluctuating all over the place. Her lungs sound good which is a good sign. The doctors have decided to do an x-ray of her chest and lungs tomorrow morning. They think that some of the tiny air sacs in her lungs are not filling up with air and that this may be causing the desating. We are praying that x-ray of her lungs and chest come back with a 'beautiful lung' report. Mark and I are hoping and praying that her chest, lungs and breathing will be healthy. Zoey did have a monumental moment today. She found her thumb! She started sucking her thumb. The nurse told us that this HUGE for a preemie. This means that she is becoming more aware of her surroundings and 'learning'. She continues to take her pacifier like a big girl. Each time she sucks on it, she is becoming more coordinated. Another praise is that, as of last night, Miss Zoey is weighing in at 2lbs 14oz! Woohoo! They have started fortifying her milk with extra calories to try and plump her up. She continues to do awesome on her feeds. The more she gains, the more they bump up the amount of milk she receives. Three pounds is right around the corner! Please pray for her oxygen to level out soon. The sooner it does, the sooner we can work on more steps to get closer home, like nursing and weening her out of her isolet. Everyday we see that she is working hard and we are so proud of her! Thanks for your continued prayers! More later, Macy

12-25-08

2008-12-25T20:49:00.004-07:00

Merry Christmas! We hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas. We hope you enjoy the pictures of our Christmas miracle! This hat came on 12 month old Christmas outfit that was given to us. My 2 pounder fits inside of it! We have had a day of ups and downs. As you can tell from the pictures, Zoey had to be put on oxygen this morning. Yesturday, she started desating. This means that her oxygen saturation level has started dropping. She has not had trouble with this before. She is still breathing on her own. The 'quality' of the oxygen that she is breathing on her own is what is dropping. This nasal canula is helping to give her quality of oxygen a boost. Even on the oxygen help, they have had a hard time stabilizing her oxygen level. The doctors don't seem to be very concerned because her heart rate is stable and she is breathing well. They said it is probably just due to the fact that her lungs are premature. They will be doing blood work on her either tonight or tomorrow morning. She has also been very lethargic today, which is very uncharacteristic of my fiesty girl. We are specifially asking for prayer that her oxygen levels will go back up. We are also praying that the blood work will have good reports. We continue to speak and pray her name "LIFE" over her. She is amazing and God has blessed us this Christmas with a miracle despite the ups and downs of today. Mark and I appreciate all of your incredible prayer support. We feel God's arms around us.

This year Chrismas has taken on a different hue for us. It has been anything but typical. We have missed being home, missed traditions, missed our family. We have seen God's hand, but it has still been emotional and hard. We read a devotion today and wanted to share it with you in summation of what Christmas has meant to us this year:

As the year draws to a close, Christmas offers its wonderful message: Emmanuel. God with us. He who resided in Heaven, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, willingly descended into our world. He breathed our air, felt our pain, knew our sorrows, and died for our sins. He didn't come to frighten us, but to show us the way to warmth and safety.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people. Luke 1 :68

We love you!

Mark, Macy and Zoey

12-23-08

2008-12-23T23:10:00.003-07:00

Finally sleeping....
Holding her paci like a big girl :)

Telling her Aunt Ashton enough pictures! haha

Already stickin' her guns up for Texas Tech :)

A little confused...maybe by the camera or the HUGE paci

"...How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news." Romans 10:15

Sleepin' peacefully with one foot out :)

Giving some perspective with mommy's hand

Sleeping hard before we woke her up to feed :)

This is Aunt Ashton again...just a quick note on Zoey tonight. She is now in a new pod in the intermediate care. She had a big day today. They took out her IV line today and Zoey is much more comfortable. She is still taking full feeds and digesting them well. We need to pray that she will continue to digest well and that she will digest the full feeding without any residual left in her tummy. She now weighs 2 lbs. 11 oz. so she has gained about 1/2 an ounce. Some fun little facts...her head measures 27 1/2 centimeters in circumference and her tummy measures 23 centimeters in circumference. She was about 2 centimeters longer on Sunday when they measured her. (that is a little less than 1/2 an inch) We are so excited about Zoey's step down today to a new unit and can't wait for the next step...HOME!! Thanks for your continued prayers...Aunt Ashy <><

12-22-08

2008-12-22T20:46:00.004-07:00

This is Aunt Ashton posting for Macy tonight. She is very tired and is resting tonight. Her blood pressure was lower today which is answered prayer. She got to hold Zoey for almost two hours today so they both were happy campers this afternoon. Zoey continues to do wonderful and get nothing but good reports from the doctors. She took her first full feeding of 22 cc's this morning and digested it quite well. She had her second full feeding around noon and digested that VERY WELL with not one, but two, dirty diapers that mommy had the pleasure of changing. Her tummy is empty before each feeding which proves that her system is doing exactly what it needs to do between feedings. Tomorrow, if she continues to digest feedings so well, they will completely take out her IV line. This will be so much more comfortable for her as it is pretty big and bulky on her tiny arm. Macy just called into the nurse to see how much she weighs tonight and, like most women, her weight is fluctuating. :) She hasn't lost any or gained any so she is still sitting at 2 lbs. 10.5 oz for the second day in a row. This is good news. She continues to be very fiesty and is getting more active everyday. When Macy and I went in this morning to see her, we uncovered her incubator and she had wiggled out of her straps and was in the process of trying to turn herself over. If those straps had not been there our tiny little Zoey girl would have turned herself completely over with those LONG legs and arms. I put in a picture of her in the process just for proof. She might be tiny but she is one strong little baby. She is also smiling more and more. This morning when I was telling her good morning she peeked at me to let me know she heard me and then gave me a smile. This melted my heart to say the least. I talked to her in utero as much as I could and I think she kinda remembers my voice...either that or the sound of my camera since I have now taken almost 500 pictures of her. :) I love my job and my niece!! haha She gave the camera another great smile today while she was sleeping on Macy during "kangaroo" time. It is the third picture down in case you can't tell. She is so precious and we are so thankful for God's mighty hand at work in her life. Grammy, Mommy, and I are having a wonderful time with it being just "us girls". I will have a couple more days up here to take pictures so I hope you are all enjoying looking at our BEAUTIFUL Zoey Kate. I'm off to rest now...Love to all!! Aunt Ashton <><

12-21-08

2008-12-21T21:34:00.006-07:00

Hey guys! It's Macy tonight. I'm sorry we have not posted in a few days. Mark and I have been wiped out by the time we got home at night. Aunt Ashton contributed the beautiful pictures. In the first one, it's hard to tell, but she is smiling for the camera. She is so precious! She was very active today when we went to visit her. She continues to amaze us. She is still breathing great on her own. They are continuing to up her volume on her feeds. She is eating like a big girl. She is almost up to her full feed. They think that she will be at her full feed by the middle of the week. We are so excited about it. They continue to ween her off of IV fluids. They are hoping to take that big 'pick line' IV out within the next 48 hours! YAY! That IV line makes her a little uncomfortable, plus it makes it harder to hold her. She continues to amaze the Dr's because they originally told us that the pick line would probably be in for up to 4 weeks. Zoey's has only been in a week! Everyday is a new miracle. We continue to see God's hand at work in our baby. She is doing remarkable and blowing every preemie 'stereo type' and time line. We know that God is using our baby to be a witness to all who are around her. The next adventure for Miss Zoey is that she will learn how to nurse. Right now, she is being fed through the tube in her nose. They have started to let her 'taste' the milk and try to give her a pacifier. She is really trying to figure out the whole pacifier thing. They have given her the smallest size and it looks as big as her head when it is in her mouth. I am praying that she will really take to it soon. The sooner the better. Preemies have to learn how to breathe and nurse at the same time. I know she will do great. As for me, I'm still struggling with high blood pressure. The doctors have me on several different types of medicine trying to get it under control. I'm feeling ok. It's just taking some time. We are just praying that they will find something that will work soon. Daddy has gone back home for a few days to work and tie up loose ends. We are missing him already. He did get to 'kangaroo' Zoey today before he left. Zoey has her daddy wrapped around her tiny little finger. We want to thank all of you for your generosity, prayers, encouragement and friendship. It is what gets us through the days! My photographer (Ashton) is back for a few days, so more later.... XOXO's

12-18-08

2008-12-18T21:54:00.003-07:00

One more day in the books for the Dodson family. Unfortunately, there will be no pictures accompanying this text. Our resident photographer took the day off. However, there is plenty of good news to share. She is absolutely beautiful, but everybody already knows that. Aunt Becky and Gammy got to spend some quality time with Zoey today. This was really the first chance for Becky to see her up close and personal. Zoey continues to do well and constantly amazes everyone (doctors included). Everybody loves her spunk and feisty personality. They always comment that she doesn't know that she is only 2+ pounds. Speaking of weight, she has gained 3 ounces since her birth. That means a whopping 2 pounds 12 ounces. Pretty soon she will be jumping up a weight class. Her digestive system continues to handle the increased feeding very well. The doctors are confident enough that they are increasing in bigger increments. The main bit of good news was that they believe she is stable enough to move to a step down unit. This is one more step closer to coming home. The step down unit means that she won't have all of the noisy monitors and lights keeping her awake at night. At this point she is pretty much doing everything on her own. Pretty amazing considering she is only 10 days old. Macy is still struggling with her blood pressure. We need to keep praying for her healing. It is amazing when you think about what her body has gone through this last week (physically and mentally). She is such a tough cookie. It wouldn't suprise anyone who knows her, but she nearly put a beat down on a doctor that told her she shouldn't go see her baby. This was not a smart thing to say. Against the doctor's orders she spent about 30 more minutes of kangaroo care with her baby girl. During that time her blood pressure was probably the lowest it has been in a long time. Both of my girls were in heaven at this time. I just wish there was more time for it. Our spirits are still high at this time. It is kind of sad knowing that we will be spending Christmas in a hotel room, but it is amazing how our priorities have changed. Nothing could take us away from our new family of 3. When you think about it, that is what is important. I can't wait to read the Christmas story to her on Christmas eve, just like my dad did for us. I promise we will always remember this Christmas. I hope that everything is going well for each of you. We appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers. We are blessed to have family and friends.

Mark, Macy, and Zoey

12-17-08

2008-12-17T21:00:00.005-07:00

Can you find Zoey's hand??

Mommy keeping an eye on Zoey's stats.

Well this is Aunt Ashton posting for Mark, Macy, and Zoey tonight. Zoey has had a pretty "chill" day today and has slept most of the day. My mom, Uncle Tay Tay, and I have had some good quality time with Zoey in the last few days. Grammy got to go in first this morning. After Grammy came out it was Aunt Ashton's turn so I went to scrub in with camera in hand...duh! By the time I got in there Zoey was already resting peacefully on mommy's chest. She did have a bad case of the hiccups but only a few minutes of the skin to skin "kangarooing" (yes, I am making up that word) Zoey calmed down and went back to sleep. Let me tell you...Zoey does everything like a big girl. Her hiccups were loud like a big girl and her sneezes today were loud like a big girl. The nurse that was on Zoey today stuck her head around the partition after Zoey had let out two big sneezes and asked me and Macy if that was one of us and we told her "no" that it was Zoey. Her comment after that was "Wow! She doesn't do anything quiet does she." The same sweet nurse told Macy yesterday that Zoey does not know how little she is and that she thinks she is alot bigger than she really is. On that note...the update on Zoey from the doctors continues to be upbeat and encouraging. They did an ultrasound of her brain yesterday. Usually with preemies there can be bleeding in the brain from trauma at birth and such. Zoey's brain in the doctor's words was absolutely beautiful and perfect and there was no sign of bleeding at all. Some other good news on her is that her digestive system is still working beautifully ;) and she is very regular if you know what I mean. Because she is digesting so well, they have increased her feeding now to 7cc's and will continue to increase it every 12 hours if she continues to do well. As of last night she weighed 1 gram short of 2 lbs. 10 oz. so she is back up to birth weight. As for Macy...she had a little bit of a rough day today. She had her blood pressure checked after holding Zoey this morning and it was still high. The nurse practitioner told her to make sure to have it down by tomorrow. This was discouraging for Macy. She called to see if they could up her blood pressure medication and they did, so hopefully that will help alot. Macy's body/hormones are still recovering and the added stress of not being able to take her baby home is very tough to handle right now. Mark ended up coming back up to Albuquerque to be with Macy just until she is physically and emotionally stronger. Please pray for continued strength for Macy, Mark, and Zoey as they continue the journey God has set before them. God has been so faithful to answer the prayers of all the saints who are praying and we thank you as a family from the bottom of our hearts for all the support shown to us during this time.

P.S. There is one special picture for Daddy (Mark) today that went against my religion a little bit, but I did it anyway. I still believe Zoey will choose God's University and be a RED RAIDER like her Aunt and Uncles and the rest of the fam, but for the sake of her Daddy's side of the family we put on the OSU beanie today and snagged a couple of pictures. Don't worry...I will put on the Texas Tech beanie as soon as I get back up to Albuquerque. :) Since Christmas is only a week away, we adorned Zoey's "house" with her pink princess stocking. For now...this is Aunt Ashton signing out to get catch some zzzz's. Love to all!!!

12-16-08

2008-12-16T22:52:00.007-07:00

Hey guys this is Mommy posting tonight. I finally got sprung from the hospital! YAY! I am so thankful to be out of there. My blood pressure is still high, but they sent me home with medicine and we are just praying that it won't flare up again. I am finally feeling better. My swelling has gone down considerably. I actually got my wedding ring on today for the first time in 6 weeks. Mark and I started our morning out with some 'kangaroo care'. We were all three in heaven. The kangaroo care is when they let us hold Zoey skin to skin. The last picture, where mommy's double chin is showing (We tried photo-shopping it out. No such luck. Oh well, God has a way of humbling us, huh?!), shows how they tucked her into my shirt. Zoey was so content and slept peacefully. Mark and I were giddy! Zoey had a big day today. They took her umbilical cord IV out today. They can only keep those for a week so as not to cause infections. They had to make a minor incision in her arm to put a pick IV in. This IV is where they will feed her. It is not real fun for her, but they can keep it in her for up to a month without having to poke her all the time. She was such a big girl! She did great through the procedure. They gave her morphine to make her comfortable. She did great. We have to pray specifically against infection at the IV site. She is completely off oxygen help. She is breathing room temperature air. She is amazing! Zoey continues to feed well. They slightly increased the amount of breast milk that they fed her today. She seems to be doing well. We need to continue to pray that she will keep digesting her feedings. I am praying that she will amaze the Dr's and that she will be breast feeding in a week. She got weighed tonight and she is back up to her birth weight (2lbs. 9oz) She had lost down to about 2lbs 5 oz. Every ounce counts! Mark had to leave today to head back to Roswell. We already miss him. It's not the same without the Daddy here. I know that it was hard on him to leave too. Please pray for him as he is away from his 'babies'. He will come back Friday to spend the weekend with us. Our family has been wonderful to be here with us. We are so thankful. Well, enough of my novel...Hope you enjoy the pictures! We love you all!

P.S. The first picture is one that I took while Uncle Tay Tay stuck his hand in. It kinda gives you a perspective on how tiny she is...and this still won't do her justice.

12-15-08

2008-12-15T18:40:00.004-07:00

Another day, another miracle! Every day that I see Zoey I am witnessing a miracle. I wish that everyone could see her because she is so beautiful. That is not just a proud papa either. I believe every nurse that she has had has fallen in love with her. Nurses that aren't even on duty have stopped by to see how she is doing. It was finally confirmed this morning by an ultrasound that her ductus valve has closed. All signs pointed to this earlier, but this was the confirmation that we needed. She continues to feed off Macy's milk and her system is digesting it well. They will continue to increase the food on a daily basis. Mark got to change his first poopie diaper (with the help of Aunt Stephanie). Let me emphasize what I said earlier. Her digestive system is working well!!! Stephanie will back me up on this one. We got another good sign tonight. They are taking machines away from her station. The first to go was the respirator machine. She is doing so well, they took it to someone that would actually use it. Seven days and she has already sent one machine packing. She is such a strong little girl. She also took to a pacifier this evening and was loving every minute of it. It looks so big in such a little mouth. I will try to post a picture of it later on. She is going to have a big night tonight. They are taking the IV line out of her umbilical cord because its time has run up. They are going to have to give her a big girl's IV in her skinny little arm. This will be necessary to sustain her feeding until she can take Macy's milk completely. Mom (and Dad for that matter) does not want to see this happen. They assure us that she will barely even feel it because they will numb it. Pray for her on this one. We are hoping that she has her dad's veins and not her mom's. I will continue to update as we get information. Now, on to Macy. She has made lots of improvement today but is still in the hospital. We are anticipating that they will let her out tomorrow morning. They want to continue to monitor her and let her rest up. She remains in good spirits (as long as she gets to see her baby). Please pray for the weather. It has snowed continuously since 9:00 this morning and is supposed to keep snowing through tomorrow. This has hampered my travel as I was planning on heading back to Roswell today. I have a lot of catching up to do (paying bills, checking on house, dog, etc...). Once again I want to thank everyone for their prayers. We love each and everyone of you.

Mark, Macy, & Daddy's little princess

12-15-08

2008-12-15T11:47:00.003-07:00

Okay this is Aunt Ashton...I just had to share a little bit of news real quick...this is not by any means the main post for the day but...I just got to go in and see Zoey. While we (Mark and I) were in there he got to change her little diaper and I got to help. We also took her temperature. This helps the feeling of being an aunt sink in a little more. :) While Mark was changing her diaper, I was cupping her head with one hand and had my other hand over her little chest and arms. In the midst of him changing and me holding, Zoey grabbed my finger with her tiny little hand and that was almost enough to make Aunt Ashy break down. I did ,however, hold it together and did not succumb to the Ramsey gene in me. (that will only make sense to my family haha) I just had to share that fun news with everyone...Dad don't be jealous. :) Mark is getting to hold Zoey even as I type this, so we will have lots of fun pictures this afternoon!!! I am in the room with Macy and she is doing great. I wasn't going to post a picture but I have to post just one. They were doing quite a few things to her while we were in there and one of them was changing out the tube in her nose. They also took her feeding tube out of her mouth/tummy so there was a second there when she had nothing except her tape circles on her face!! So I snagged a picture during this rare second and thought everyone should see it. We have decided that she looks exactly like her daddy but has her momma's personality! Enjoy this pic of our beautiful baby!

Aunt Ash <><

12-14-08

2008-12-14T17:20:00.004-07:00

Well, it has been another exciting day in Albuquerque! You are reading this live from room #7 OB Special Care and this is Zoey's proud dad. Our day started off fairly normal with our checkup of my beautiful princess. Macy got to hold her for about thirty minutes and didn't want to give her back. I must say that I am a little jealous because I have only got to hold her once. Everything was good to go on that front so we decided to find a doctor to take out the staples in Macy's stomach. As part of the routine checkup they did a blood pressure reading. The poor nurse nearly passed out when it read 185/125. Even to an uneducated lumberman I knew this wasn't good. They quickly put her in her own hospital room and hooked her up to just about every monitor in the room. With those numbers they were really worried about siezures and possibly a stroke. The first treatment that they put her on was magnesium. This was horrible to witness and I can't imagine what it was like to go through. Thank goodness those Coll girls are tough. It was a 24 hour treatment and we just now finished it. Momma felt better almost immediately and is currently sleeping. This did get her blood pressure down. The funny thing is, her staples are still in her stomach. We were really blessed that this happened when it did. Doctors call blood pressure the silent killer because you don't know you have a problem until it is too late. Anywayz..... on to the good news. Zoey is doing fantastic. There were two things that we have been asking for prayer specifically on, and I have good news on both of them. The doctors were worried about a viral infection that she might have. They did a urine culture and the results came back negative this morning. This is one more of the many miracles in this little girls life. Infections are something that really worry doctors with premature babies. The second prayer request was for her ductus valve to close. We don't have the official results because it is Sunday and they didn't do an EKG. They have one scheduled for early tomorrow morning. However, clinically it looks like it has closed. She is breathing way too good for it to be open. One of the nurses told us that she is ahead of where most preemies are her age. First thing this morning they took the respirator out of her mouth and put a less intrusive breathing tube in her nose. One of the pictures we took was right after this and she looks a little confused on what just happened. This is definitely a good thing because it means that she is pretty much breathing on her own. One more of God's miracles! Every day that passes is just a testament to God's greatness. One last bit of good news. They started feeding her momma's milk this evening. This is a huge step in the right direction. Nothing is better for a baby than what God intended for her. They expect vast improvement with every day that she is feeding. We will keep everybody posted on our crazy life. We feel so blessed to have friends and family like we do. Your prayers are felt and much needed. We love each and every one of you. Continue to pray for strength for Macy and for her blood pressure to stay where it should. For Zoey we need to pray that she takes Macy's milk and continues to get stronger. For Dad we need to pray that he doesn't become the third Dodson admitted to the hospital today. I am actually doing great and it is nice that Shelly, Ashton, and Taylor have come to help. Until next time....

Urgent Prayer Request

2008-12-14T03:54:00.004-07:00

Macy called about an hour ago. She is in a great deal of pain and distress from the magnesium treatment she is receiving. She feels as though "I am dying". She has the worst case of flu symptoms, her body is on fire and a migraine headache to boot. Please pray comfort for her, that her pain will subside and that her blood pressure will go down. Her last reading was high again. God is faithful and He hears the prayers of the righteous. I have been praying through the Psalms and know that He is faithful to rescue us in our times of distress and heal us in times of sickness. I can't help but continue to read Psalm 91. The cry of my heart is that God will be Macy's shelter, rest, refuge, fortress, savior, covering, shield, rampart, dwelling, guardian, rescuer, protector, and deliverer. Thank you for your prayers of faith for healing for Macy. Last report Zoey is still doing well. I am continuing to pray that Mark is resting well through this night. This the day that the Lord has made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it. This is Mark, Macy and Zoey's day of rest. Eric

Prayer Request

2008-12-13T16:16:00.004-07:00

Macy's blood pressure is very high, and they admitted her to the UNM Hospital a few hours ago. We need to pray specifically. First, they need to be able to IV treat her, and they are having a very difficult time getting a vein for treatment. Pray that her veins will cooperate. Secondly, we need to pray for an immediate lowering of her blood pressure. Finally, continue to speak words of healing over Macy. None of us realize just how much trauma her body went through earlier this week. She probably has overdone it and her body is reacting to all of the trauma. God is cradling her in his hands as we speak, and she is calm. Mark needs our prayers for wisdom and peace. Pray that the Holy Spirit will descend on Macy supernaturally lowering her blood pressure and healing her. The Great Physician is at work. Zoey is doing great, and today they took her off of the ventilator. We continue to praise God as we see Him at work in Mark, Macy and Zoey. Thank you for praying in faith for healing. Shelly is returning from Lubbock now and will go to Albuquerque in the morning. Continue to pray for safe travel for everyone. EJC

12-12-08

2008-12-13T07:16:00.005-07:00

Well this is Aunt Ashton...the proudest aunt EVER!! I didn't get to post the pictures that I took yesterday because of traveling back home to Roswell and then to Lubbock. Leaving our baby Zoey, like Uncle Tay Tay said, was one of the hardest things we have ever had to do. We each got to go in to say bye to her yesterday morning and she was very active when we were all in there. She actually had the hiccups when I was in there so Macy had her hand over her little arms and chest so she would calm down a little bit. I got the picture of her hand over her and it really helps give some perspective on how tiny she is. Pictures still don't do her justice. All of these pictures are blue because she was sunbathing all day yesterday. You can see her cool sunglasses in these pictures. It is more of a mask but the shades on the outside of them are pretty cute. We put the ruler in with her for a minute but there was a glare from her UV light so we will try to put that in again this next week when I am up there...and don't worry...I scrubbed in the ruler too!! We were trying not to bother her too much yesterday because she seemed a little bit irritated from all the tests they had to run yesterday morning. I added a caption to one of the pictures to let you know she was saying hi to all of you who are praying for her. I think in another one of the pictures she was giving the doctors and nurses the "talk to the hand" gesture...or was telling me enough pictures! haha She has quite the personality and we LOVE it!! I can't wait to get back up there with her. Thanks for the prayers and support of our family during this time...we love you all!!

Aunt Ash <><

P.S. If you click one time on any of the posted pictures, it will make them bigger so you can really see them.

2008-12-12T19:01:00.004-07:00

Hey guys! This is Mommy and Daddy wanting to post a quick update on Zoey today. She is doing well. We got to visit with her this morning for a little while. She has been resting most of the day and we have not been back to see her this afternoon so that she could rest. We are going to head back up to the hospital tonight to tell her good night and to pray over her. We were able to sleep this afternoon and try to catch up on some rest of our own. Please continue to pray for our strength. It has been a struggle to deal with all of the emotional ups and downs. It has been so hard not being able to hold Zoey and not be with her as much as we want.
Here is what we know on Zoey today: She has had to go back under her UV light for the day and will stay under there until tomorrow morning. She wanted to catch a few rays and got to wear some really stylish 'sunglasses' that Paris Hilton would be jealous of. She will get a test done in the morning to see if they can turn off the light tomorrow. Today at 3:00, she received her second dose of ibuprofen. This is the treatment they are using to help close the valve under her heart. The last dose will be given tomorrow at 3:00. They will then do an eco-cardiogram Sunday morning to determine if the treatment has helped it close. Some good news is, they have been able to turn her ventilator down twice today. This is a very good sign that the ibuprofen is taking effect. The nurse also told us that she has been extremely fiesty today. This is also a good sign of strength. All of her levels are within a healthy range (glucose, potassium, sodium). We just pray that they will continue to stay steady. She is quite the 'pooper'. This does not bode well for future dirty diapers, but Mom and Dad couldn't be happier! This just continues to show that her systems are working properly. We are going to head to bed early tonight. We appreciate all of your prayers and support. It is what helps us get through the day. We have been praying scripture over her at night. We would love to read more and have your input if God gives you a scripture for Zoey. More tomorrow....

12-11-08

2008-12-11T22:25:00.001-07:00

Day three has been an eventful one for little Zoey. She is still doing very well. The medical team is very pleased with her progress. Her glucose levels have come back down to the range where they need to be. She has been pooping and urinating like a champ! This is important because it means her bodily functions are kicking in. She is out from under the UV light because her billirubin count is down where it needs to be. Her blood gas and oxygen counts are good. She still has the ductus valve issue, but they began the ibuprofen treatment this afternoon. They determined that the blood was flowing the correct way to be able to treat it. They are confident that the three day ibuprofen treatment will cause her body to close the valve on its own. Macy was able to hold Zoey for two hours today and see her again tonight. Macy has been very sore. Being with Zoey today helped to lift her spirits. She is still very weak and tires easily. Her swelling seems to be getting better everyday. We need to pray for God's strength and healing for her.They have covered her incubator tonight with a blanket so that Zoey will not be bothered. She was pretty worn out because of being held, EKG, testing, etc. Aunt Ashton, Uncle Taylor and Uncle Spencer also got some quality time with her this afternoon, touching her and talking with her. Zoey's weight is now 2 lbs 4 oz which is expected at this point in time. It will increase when they begin to feed her which will begin after the valve closes from the ibuprofen treatment. We posted pictures of her diaper that grandma Coll "lifted" from her room so that you could get an idea of her size. They still have to add cotton padding inside the diaper to get it to fit up next to her tiny hiney. As you can see it still looks big on her. Pray for her strength, valve closure, protection from infection and continued development. It is amazing to watch God's hand in her life. She now has God's word posted on her incubator. One from grandma and grandpa Dodson which is pictured above says "Hazaq" which in Hebrew means "be strong and courageous." Mark and Macy posted other scripture on her incubator tonight. Please continue to pray God's words of life over Zoey, Macy and Mark.

12-10-08

2008-12-11T22:16:00.000-07:00

This is near the conclusion of day two in the life of Zoey Dodson. We are in ABQ and Macy got to spend about an hour and a half with Zoey early this evening. They didn’t get to kangaroo because they moved her to an incubator right before she came. Tomorrow they will kangaroo and Macy can spend some time bonding with her. Zoey is doing well. The ventilator is letting her rest a little bit more. Moving her to the incubator is a good sign that they don’t have to continually poke, prod etc. We do have one very specific prayer request. The ductus valve between the two lower arteries that come out of the heart has not fully closed yet. This normally closes in all babies in about 24 hours. They hope it will close in the next 72 hours. She is getting more blood to her lungs than to the rest of her body and it makes it harder on her lungs and body. They will give her ibuprofen if it does not close. This will help her tremendously for the valve to close.

Praise God for two poopey diapers today!! Her digestive system is kicking in. She is a little jaundice and has been doing some sunbathing in her incubator with her cute sun glasses. That is very common for someone her size. We need to pray for her protection from infection too. This next week will undoubtedly be filled with many emotions. However, there is an overwhelming sense of peace since we know that you all have been praying for Zoey and Macy and God is watching over her and ministering to the many needs that she has.

Macy was a little overwhelmed tonight with the emotions of being with Zoey. She was disappointed in not being able to hold her and looks forward to tomorrow. She is doing very well with the breast feeding. She lost about 2 liters of blood during the time period prior to Zoey’s birth so she is a bit anemic and still pretty weak. We need to pray for quick healing and energy to minister to Zoey.

Mark is doing really well. It was great for him to be able to lead the way tonight with Macy. He says he is resting pretty well at night. He is such a rock and we see that Zoey is already becoming a “daddy’s little girl”. Please continue to pray for his health and wisdom as he guides his little family. He is so precious to us, and the best son-in-law in the world.

God is revealing much to us all. Please pray specifically and in faith. Let’s also take time to thank God for our families and the bond we all share as brothers and sisters in Christ. It is awesome to see the body of Christ at work. We give God all of the Glory for the great things he has done and will do through Miss Zoey.

Thanks again for your support and prayers. Of course this update comes with pictures of the most beautiful grand baby around, compliments of Aunt Ashton! Macy’s hands in the picture give you some perspective on this little angel’s size.

12-9-08

2008-12-11T22:11:00.000-07:00

Praise God Macy had a very good night resting. She is up and about this morning, has showered, and started walking to build up her strength. She is going to stay one more night tonight in the hospital as they watch her blood count to insure no infection, etc. She would love to have visitors in the afternoon and evenings. She is in room 226 of Roswell Regional.

Praise God Zoey is doing very well too. She had a wonderful flight last night without any incidents. Even though the plane flew threw rough winds, snow, sleet, etc. she just relaxed and stayed toasty warm in her isolette. She was taken off the ventilator and put on a CPAP machine to keep alveoli working in the lungs. She is breathing on her own. Her blood oxygen level is at 94% which is awesome. She is pink and warm. They are going to start feeding her some other nutrients this morning by IV. They expected her to be “sick” or more distressed so the staff is very pleased. We need to continually pray for her stability, development and growth in the first few days. She is in Gods hands and his angels continue to minister to her. Keep praying.

Praise God Mark slept well last night. He is at the hospital now getting updates and watching God’s handiwork for all of us. Yall pray for Pat and Bob as they minister to Mark and care for him over the next few days. It has been and is such a blessing to watch the Coll and Dodson families and the greater family of God all working together to minister to one another.

Your prayers have been incredible. Your words of encouragement mean more than you will ever know. We have prayer warriors literally around the world who have lifted up this child to God in prayer. Thank you Ben and Libby, and thanks to you all for your faithful prayers.

We will keep you updated as we know more. To God be the glory for the great things He has and continues to do!!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Quick update. Zoey is still doing well. She has had a long day and a half. All of the testing and stimulation has tired her out. Mark got to hold her today, change her diaper etc. On the breathing, she still wants to do everything on her own. Her independent Dodson spirit is showing through (she might get a little of that from her Coll side too!). This evening to allow her to rest, they have put her back on the ventilator so that she can put her energy into other parts of her little body. They said her lungs are really looking good. They want her to store up energy and sleep without tests etc. tomorrow because tomorrow night she and Macy will do what they call a “kangaroo” to bond. They will place little Zoey skin to skin on Macy so that Zoey can hear and feel Macy’s heart beat, etc. Macy is really having a more difficult time tonight emotionally being away from Zoey. Macy is doing well physically, off all IVs, eating well, walking, etc. She will be released in the morning. We anticipate leaving for ABQ tomorrow after lunch.

Pray for Zoey’s body to rest, grow, and continue to develop. Pray for Macy, Zoey and Mark as they are united tomorrow evening. Pray for safe travel and clear weather for all that will be traveling over the next few days and weeks.
They told Mark that everyone in the unit really loves Zoey. She is the smallest premie in her unit, but already one of the healthiest and of course the cutest. Use the following link to see some pictures of her that grandpa Bob took tonight. She is “sleeping like a baby”.

http://picasaweb.google.com/markdods/Zoey?feat=email#

Thank you again for your prayers and words of encouragement. Please continue to pray in faith declaring God’s words of life over Mark, Macy and Zoey.

12-8-08

2008-12-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

Well much has happened since I last wrote and some of you may be receiving this for the first time. Zoey Kate decided to arrive earlier than expected. Macy was 30 weeks of a normal 40 week term. Macy had a placental abruption instead of the placenta previa which basically meant the placenta had separated from the uterine wall. Once identified the doctors decided to do an emergency C-section.

At 12:44 pm MST, Zoey Kate Dodson was born. She weighed in at a whopping 2 lbs 9 oz and was 16 ¼ inches in length. Praise God for Rick Mooney, Steve North, and Callie Dodson and Roswell Regional staff. God gave them great wisdom on all of the amazing decisions that they made throughout the last 24 hours. At about 7:30 pm MST, Zoey wrapped up snugly in her little isolette began her journey to Albuquerque to UNM hospital and her first plane ride. She is doing very well and is a fighter. She is breathing on her own, but they have her on a ventilator so she can rest. Color, temperature, activity, blood oxygen, etc. are all looking very good. She has dark brown curly hair and is perfect in every way. Daddy Mark is flying with her to Albuquerque. We will get another update on her soon.

Macy is resting, of course in some pain because of the surgery, etc. She was able to see Zoey for the first time when the wheeled her in prior to taking her to Albuquerque. Macy will likely be in the hospital until at least tomorrow evening. We hope to get her to Albuquerque on Wednesday.

Here are the specific things we need to pray for: Zoey stability, lungs, growth, etc. as they run tests etc. over the next few days. Also pray specifically that they can use both of the arteries in the umbilical cord to feed, care for, check vitals, etc. with Zoey. They have IV in the vein of the umbilical through which they are feeding her sugar solution. For Macy pray for rest, healing, and a quick recovery to be able to minister to Zoey. She is going to breast feed. For Mark, please pray for rest and wisdom as he is with Zoey in Albuquerque.

For all three of them and family, please pray for the continual peace that passes all understanding. God’s peace in this whole situation through His Holy Spirit has been miraculous. We know that the saints of God have been praying for Mark, Macy and Zoey. She is a miracle of life and is living up to the meaning of her name which is life.

Here are some pictures of Zoey in her amazing traveling isolette. One is of her tiny little foot after getting inked and printed. Isn’t she beautiful. So fearfully and wonderfully made! We are very proud grandparents!!

We love you all and appreciate your words of encouragement and prayers.

12-7-08

2008-12-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

The beginning...We had a little bit of a scare tonight. Macy had been throwing up early in the evening, and then she started bleeding. She went to the hospital. After the doctors and providers did exam, ultrasound etc., they said that she is experiencing what is called placenta previa. Basically, the placenta is between Zoey and the door. She probably has a small rupture in the placenta from the vomiting which is causing the bleeding. She is staying in the hospital overnight. She will be put to bed when she goes home for the next 10 weeks until Zoey decides to arrive. Zoey is doing very well. Macy and Zoey are a bit dehydrated from Macy throwing up earlier in the evening, but they got the IV started and are going to get her hydrated. Macy is not in any pain. She is a bit concerned and upset, but was better when Shelly got to see her tonight.

We are praying that the bleeding will stop and that the placenta will move up in the womb. We are also praying for the peace that passes all understanding to come upon Macy. The less her pressure is up, the less tears, the less stress, etc. the better for her and the baby. Mark is doing well and we need to pray for rest for him and peace. Doctor Mooney (who delivered Spencer) said he will know more in the morning. We will keep you all updated.

Thanks for your prayers of faith. Our pastor preached on prayer today and praying that God’s kingdom will come and that God’s will be done in our lives. God is at work in Macy and Mark’s life through baby Zoey (whose name means “life”).