Home At Last

We are home and all is well. Thursday and Friday nights were a little rough. Braden was just coming off his circumcision and in a really bad mood (who wouldn't be?). He wouldn't sleep longer than 2 - 2 1/2 hour increments for those first two nights. Saturday night he did better, sleeping 3,4, and even close to 5 hours straight in some stretches. Great news for all of us! So obviously we have been a little tired, but this is nothing every other parent in the world hasn't went through, so we were also trying to expect it.

Braden wasn't eating as well the first few days. He wasn't eating bad, just not quite eating as much as he had been. Again, this wasn't a big surprise, anytime he has a procedure we go through this. Saturday was a different story. He ate a lot better and slept better, and to me, didn't seem near as fussy. So things are well, we are just still getting our house set up and things unpacked. Thankfully, we have had much support from family and friends. That has helped us out with Braden and allowed us to get stuff accomplished.

Please keep in mind that Braden's shower/coming home party is going to be July 9th. We would love to have anyone who has been keeping up with the blog, and who wants to attend to please come. If you need directions or have any questions, you can email Clara at Cjackso1@pisd.edu
Also, we still have had a lot of people asking about where we were registered, so we'll enclose that info again....Thanks for stopping by...

Steve, Annie, & Braden

www.babiesrus.com - click on baby registry - Type in last name Bunger - First name Annie
city Mckinney state Texas or registry # 39438214 and will pull up our
registry

www.target.com - click gift registries - Type Annie Bunger - Then click on the name Annie
Bunger that pulls up in search - this will list items in registry

Thanks again..

Overjoyed!

I've sat here trying to figure out the best words to describe what we are feeling. I almost can't believe Braden is coming home today. There is a tremendous and overwhelming happiness that has surged through us. This journey has been long and at times, it was extremely bumpy. It would be a lie to say that we haven't had our fair share of heartache. But this journey has also been so much more.

This journey was educational. We've all learned so much about preemies and the workings of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We've learned all the back ways to Baylor hospital, including the DART train and bus routes. We've learned how much nurses and doctors truly care about the babies they help. We've learned that Baylor is a superior hospital with the most knowledgeable, compassionate staff. We've learned the strength and power of prayer. We've learned how family and friends can come together in Christ to offer love and support.

This journey was encouraging. We witnessed Braden's body grow from 1 pound 7 ounces to over 7 pounds. We were there when he fought through ventilators, IV tubes, feeding tubes and surgeries. We've seen him prove his strength many times and we are encouraged to see him grow even more. Braden always encouraged us to be strong like him. He had a way of letting us know that he was going to make it.

This journey was spiritual. We felt so thankful for people like you who would stop by here to read about his progress. We felt closer to God during this hospital stay, mostly because you kept reminding us just how much God is with us. Your prayers, e-mails, messages, card, gifts, etc. were a beautiful reminder of God's presence. Sometimes in situations like these, it's hard to stay strong in your faith. But thanks to you, we kept our spirits up and remained positive. Our faith is solid and could never falter.

Most of all, this journey was rewarding. Braden is the reward that this journey has brought us. Having Braden in our family is a blessing and we're overjoyed that God chose us for him. God could have given Braden to anyone, but Annie and Steve were rewarded with this most precious baby. We all love him so much and I can't even begin to tell you all the wonderful ways he has made our lives better. We cannot wait for you to meet him. He will steal your heart - if he hasn't done so already!

This is the last entry that will cover Braden's hospital stay. In a few days, I am going to hand the blog over to the Bunger family. As Steve mentioned, there will be times when Annie and Steve will post things regarding Braden's life at home, so please check back here!

Again, I want to say thank you for all you've done. Your support has meant the world to us and we're eternally grateful to you. As always, you will remain in our prayers. When Braden does read all this one day, I hope he knows how many people were praying for him and just how much he is loved by all of us.

Below are the pictures I took on our last Tuesday night at Baylor. Thanks again for everything and God bless!

After dinner, Braden stretched and stretched, but never woke up.


As he snoozed, I snapped a photo of his Rock Star onesie.


Nothing was going to wake him up.


We turned down the lights and he slept like an angel.

THE NEWS IS IN !! BRADEN IS COMING HOME !!

Well, after just shy of 4 months we got the call....Braden is going to be coming home on Thusday June 23, 2005. We have to room in at the hospital on Wednesday night and he should be released to us sometime after noon on Thursday.

Back to Wednesday, Annie, Braden, & I will stay the night at the hospital where they can monitor us for a night. The doctors & nurses want to be available for any questions/concerns we might have. Braden will be coming home with oxygen, only for when he eats, so they will train us on how to operate his equipment. We have already taken exit classes for CPR and dealing with a premature baby, so really this is it. Hard to believe a quarter of a year has passed us by since Braden arrived. If he had went full term, he was due today. Strange the way these things happen, but we are very thankful.

Tonight Clara will go visit him one last time. She is taking his new car seat for the nurses to put through a series of tests. He also should be getting snipped today or tomorrow. He'll be mad now, but will thank us later.

Please keep checking back on the Blog. We may not write entries everyday, but we plan to continue to post Braden's progress here for anyone who might be interested. We will also list more info on Braden's Baby Shower/Coming Home Party. Thanks to everyone who has taken this journey with us - What a ride it has been. It won't seem real until we are walking out of the doors to that hospital, but we are so close now. Thanks again to everyone, one day when we decide to show all of this to Braden, he will know how much so many people cared about him. We can't wait to get him to his real home...

Steve & Annie

Eat, Eat, Eat

We got some good news. Braden is bottle feeding full time. We are praying that his little body can be strong enough to handle all those feedings. As soon as he can handle being bottle fed every time, he'll get to come home. So let's pray for Braden to show his strength and tackle those bottles!

It's Tuesday which means it's my night to visit Braden. When I wake up on Tuesday mornings, I just can't wait to get the day over with so I can get to Baylor. I love having him all to myself. As anxious as I am for his homecoming, I'm really going to miss our Tuesday nights.

I'll have pictures of our Tuesday night tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by and please keep our little guy in your prayers.

What a Cutie!

Hello! Thanks for stopping by to check on Braden. He's having a great day! He's now 16 weeks old and is technically at 40 weeks of gestation. He weighs 7 pounds 5 ounces and is 19 inches long. I measured his feet and they are about 3 inches long from heel to toe. He is growing so quickly! He eats about 2 ounces of formula every 3 hours and he's getting better about keeping up a steady pace while eating. He has 2 feedings from a bottle and then 1 feeding from a tube. Our prayers are that he will get all of his feedings by a bottle because that means he's ready to come home!

When Braden does get to come home, he will have oxygen with him. He will only need the oxygen to help him while he eats. He gets tired and his little lungs run out of breath. The oxygen helps him to keep that good pacing. Unfortunately, we have no idea when he will come home. The doctors won't give us an estimated date because they don't want to get our hopes up. So we wait and just take one day at a time.

Right now we are in the process of ironing out details for the shower. We'd like to have it at the new Bunger house in early July if possible. Annie and Steve have baby registries at Babies R Us and Target. More details coming soon...I promise! :o)

Annie and Steve snapped some CUTE pictures of that baby this weekend. He's really starting to fill out and he's even more precious with each passing day. Thank you for praying for him and for keeping him in your heart.

Here's Braden getting one of his bottle feeds.


Braden is very alert and when he spots something, his big brown eyes open very wide to soak it all in.


Here's Braden and his mommy hanging out.


This funny onesie was a gift from his mom and dad. It looks like a personal ad from a newspaper. It reads, "Yes, I'm a Ladies Man - I enjoy night feedings, plush toys, and milk by the fire. Best to reach me at my grandma's. Call me."


Braden couldn't wait to wish a Happy Father's Day to his special daddy!

Happy Father's Day

First of all, Happy First Father's Day to Steve!!! We hope all the dads out there have a happy, sweet Father's day!

Steve spent a good part of the day getting settled into their new house. They got moved completely out of their apartment and into the new house in McKinney. But, as you know, unpacking boxes, setting up furniture, and getting settled is a huge job.

Braden had a very good weekend. He's now weighing a little over 7 pounds and he is getting cuter and cuter with each passing day. On Monday, we will post some pictures of Braden and some detailed information about the baby shower. Thanks for stopping by to check on him. Have a great day!

Pictures as Promised!

Hello! Thanks for stopping by to check on Braden. He's doing great! Last night was my night to visit him and we had so much fun. As soon as I got there, the nurse mentioned that Braden had been "doing some work" and might need a pamper change. Sure enough, he did...and he needed it quick! After the clean up it was time for dinner.

Braden's 2 afternoon feedings were done with a bottle, so his nurse was afraid that he would be too tired to have his dinner feeding with a bottle also. But Braden proved to be stronger than we thought! He sucked that bottle dry! He ate all 60 CCs (about 2 ounces) in about 25 minutes - allowing some time for burp breaks. He now weighs 6 pounds 14 ounces.

After dinner, he curled up with me and he fell asleep immediately. His little head was on my left shoulder and we cuddled for about 20 minutes. His hugs are the absolute highlight of my day. They make you feel so warm and happy. You forget that the whole world is moving and you just want to dive into that moment. It's amazing just how much you can love your family.

I noticed that it was 9:06 p.m. and my DART Bus was coming at 9:12. So I put Braden back into his bed and the second I laid him down, he started crying. I immediately picked him back up - I couldn't help it! He had a hard time falling asleep after that. So I put his little head on my shoulder again and I actually managed to hold the pacifier in his mouth with one hand and massage his back with the other hand. It was quite acrobatic, but it worked. He fell back asleep and then....

...he got the hiccups and started crying. He was SO angry that these hiccups were interrupting his sleep. They finally passed and I nestled him into his bed. I arranged the blankets to hold the pacifier in place and he immediately drifted off to sleep. Thankfully, I made it to the bus stop just in time for the 9:42 bus. Whew!

Thanks for checking on him and have a happy Wednesday!

Before dinner, Braden was hanging out.


I still say Braden looks just like Steve.


Braden scratched his face with his fingernails, so I had to put mittens on him.


Check out that adorable double-chin!

A Story from Annie

Hello everyone! Thanks for stopping by to check on my son, Braden. I know there have been requests for pictures. My sister, Clara, is going to the hospital tonight and she'll post pictures first thing Wednesday morning.

I wanted to share a story with you that has been in the Dallas Morning News. It's a story about a preemie baby named Dana and her parents. This story has been verified several times and it's my favorite story to share with a Preemie Mom at Baylor's NICU. I though it would be a nice reminder of a sweet miracle story. Most of you have probably seen this story in the paper or online before. The article in the Dallas Morning News was an interview with Dana and her mom. After reading the article, two things really stuck with me. First, the mom said they were not very religious and didn't attend church regularly. There was no "coaching" involved and Dana's story was simply pure and honest. Second, when people meet Dana they comment about her "old soul" and that's just what so many people have already said about Braden.

Dana weighed 1 pound 9 ounces at birth and Braden weighed 1 pound 7 ounces. Dana is now a healthy 14-year-old girl! I hope you enjoy the story and I promise to have pictures posted on Wednesday.

-Annie

The Smell of God

A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. She was still groggy from surgery. Her husband, David, held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news. That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Caeserian to deliver the couple's new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing.

At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs. "I don't think she's going to make it," he said as kindly as he could. "There's only a 10% chance she'll live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one."

Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived. She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.

"No! No!" was all Diana could say. She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away. But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw,' the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.

There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger. But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there. At last, when Dana turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving - much less living any normal kind of life - were next to zero, Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.

Five years later, when Dana was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life, she showed no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she was everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

On a blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked, "Do you smell that?" Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain." Dana closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?" Once again her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet. It smells like rain."

Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells like Him! It smells like God when you lay on His chest!" Tears blurred Diana's eyes and Dana happily hopped down to play with the other children.

Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along. During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

"I can do all things in Him who strengthens me." (Phil. 4:13)

Happy Birthday PoPo!

The family gathered today to celebrate PoPo's birthday (my dad). But it turned out that we were celebrating much more than that! We discovered lots of good news today.

First, Braden's little heart and lungs are just fine. We were worried that they were experiencing stress while Braden was eating, but they are not. Braden is having trouble with his pacing while eating. He gets excited, starts eating too quickly and gets very tired. That causes his heart rate to rise and he looses his breath. Annie and Steve learned some new pacing techniques to use while feeding Braden and it has already proved to be helpful. We were very relieved to discover that this problem was somewhat minor and had an easy fix.

The other good news we received was that the doctors removed the nasal cannula! Braden is now officially breathing 100% on his own. This is a tremendous achievement and we're all so very proud of little Braden. He has been fighting through so much and jumping hurdle after hurdle. This one was a biggie and he did it!!!

What a wonderful day. We spent the evening in MoMo and PoPo's backyard listening to music, grilling and doing our best Waylon Jennings impersonations. It turned out to be such a rewarding, relaxing day. I wish you could have all been there to celebrate with us.

Happy Birthday PoPo!

Heart Echo

Braden has had some trouble over the last couple of days. His feedings have been irregular as well as his bowel movements. The doctors are not exactly sure why he's now having trouble eating. He does take a long time to eat and it's starting to cause minor breathing problems. They're not sure if he's just tired and not in a mood to eat or if there is another problem causing this. To be sure, they are performing and echo on his heart to see if it is under any stress from trying to eat.

An echo is a test in which an ultrasound is used to examine the heart. We have always known that Braden has a small heart murmur. So we are praying that his little heart is not having problems. The echo is today and as soon as we have any information, we will post it here.

Thanks for stopping by and please say a little prayer for Braden's precious heart.

100 Days Old!

Today Braden is 100 days old! Can you believe it??!! If Annie had carried him to full term, she would be at 38 weeks of gestation. So Braden is roughly the size of a newborn now...only he's 14 weeks old. On Monday he got his first round of immunization shots and he is scheduled to have his circumcision soon. We're definitely getting close to having him come home!

Tuesdays are the nights Braden and I get to hang out. It's just us and I have all the time to myself. I love having this special day just for him and me. Truth be told, when my mom goes, nobody gets time with him. MoMo takes up all the time with her grandbabies. So Tuesday nights are my favorites!

When I got there last night, he was naked! They were just about to weight him. He's now 6 pounds 9 ounces and is 18.5 inches long. Then it was time to eat. I fed him and it took Braden about 45 minutes to eat almost 2 ounces of formula. But he sucked the bottle dry...we have an eater on our hands!

After dinner, I changed his clothes and got him ready for the bouncy seat. When I placed him into the seat, he was very confused. I turned on the music and the lights and his eyes grew very wide. He wasn't quite sure what to make of that thing. Then I realized there was a button to make the chair vibrate. As soon as the vibrating started, he was immediately relaxed! I took some photos of him last night and I couldn't wait to share them with you.

Again, we all thank you for stopping by here to check on Braden. Thanks for keeping him in your prayers. He's living proof that prayer works. Have a blessed day!

This is Braden's little leg in my small hand.


Braden and I played peek-a-boo behind his mittens.


This huge yawn was one of many after dinner.


Braden was listening as I read to him.


At first, that bouncy seat freaked him out!


But as soon as the vibrations started, he chilled out.

The Red Team

We have so much good news to share with you! First of all, Braden is now weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces. He's doing well with his feedings and he is really starting to fill out. When he was born, his legs were the same width as my small thumb. Now, they're more than twice that size.

Steve and PoPo went up to the hospital to give Braden his very first bath in a baby tub. They were so excited to have this opportunity all to themselves. Braden hated the bath. He cried the whole time and even "made bubbles" in the water. He was so relieved to be back in his clothes and all curled up in his blankets.

We found out that Braden can now use a bouncy seat at the hospital! He actually doesn't have one yet, so we'll try to get him one today. I am curious to see how Braden will react to the smooth vibrations and upbeat music of those seats.

And now for the best news! Over the weekend, Braden was moved to the Red Team. That is the last team a baby is on before discharge! That tells us that he's extremely close to coming home. We are praying that his discharge will be soon. We can't wait!!!

Of course, that means the baby shower/welcome home party is right around the corner. Annie and Steve have decided to have the party at their new home in McKinney. Since Annie and Steve will barely be moving into the new house next weekend, the party will most likely be in July. We're shooting for the second weekend in July. They have set up a baby registry at Babies R Us and at Target.

Thanks for checking on Braden. We're so happy that you come by here to see how he's doing. Have a great day!

This was taken just minutes before his first bath in a baby tub.


They stripped him down for his bath. You can see how much he's grown in this photo.


Braden absolutely hated that first dip.


Once he got out of the tub, he was very cold and in a bad mood.


The nurse took some time to clean his eyes and dress him.


Once all the fuss was over, a very overwhelmed Braden laid down for a nap.


Here's Braden getting doing his afternoon prayers.


Braden loves his 3 Grandmas!

Almost There

Braden is doing great! We're so happy with his progress. His recovery from his 2 surgeries is moving right along. Also, he's getting better with his bottle feedings and he's slowly gaining more and more weight. He's now eating 50 CCs of formula every 3 hours by bottle. We'd like for him to eat 60 CCs (or 2 ounces) of formula so we're praying for increased appetite!

Annie and Steve just can't wait to get him home. Annie and Steve had to attend a hospital discharge class to prepare them for Braden's release. Also, they became CPR certified. They've already set up his car seat in Annie's car - all they need is that baby!

Thanks for keeping sweet Braden in your prayers. We appreciate all of you so much! Have a safe, happy weekend.

Shortly after Braden's eye surgery, this photo was taken. You can see how red his eyes were. Now, his big brown eyes look great!


Braden and his mom love to sleep!


Here' s Braden on one of his last days in North Hall.


Here's our angel sleeping the day away.


Steve and Braden were hanging out on a sunny afternoon.


PoPo finally got to hold Braden!


Braden's shirt says, "Preemie Prince." And what a prince he is!

Gaining Weight

Braden is really starting to gain weight. Last weekend, we celebrated Braden hitting 5 pounds by giving his nurses 5 dozen assorted cookies. And we just found out that his current weight is just a few ounces shy of hitting 6 pounds! Yikes!! Preemie clothes don't fit him. He's now wearing Newborn sized clothing (0 - 3 months or 6 - 14 pounds.) We are so happy to see this weight gain - we want even more!

Last night, I went to the hospital to see him. Tuesday nights are all mine. It's the only day of the week where I get Braden all to myself. I spent some time redecorating his crib. We're excited about packing him up to go home. So his new decorations are suitcases, luggage tags, taxi cabs, and good-bye statements.

Braden was really fussy last night. He had just eaten his dinner and he had a fresh pamper, but he was still fussy. I started to read to him, but he would make a sad little face and then start crying. It was a loud gut-driven cry. So I stopped reading to him and gave him his pacifier. He started chomping on it and that's when the yawning began. If the pacifier fell out of his mouth, he'd cry and cry. So I had to stand there for 20 minutes holding his pacifier until he fell fast asleep. I know that's spoiling him but I just couldn't help it. I have a feeling most people would have done the exact same thing...especially MoMo. :o)

So far Braden is doing very well and he's enjoying his new home in the South Hall. We will keep you posted on any news. Thanks for checking in on him and have a happy Wednesday.