Family on the Oprah Show

Besure to watch Oprah Friday October 28th. Braden's aunts, Connie and Clara were in audience for that taping. In the metro-plex channel 8 at 4:00 p.m.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weekend Pics

Here is Braden enjoying his cousin Jonathan's birthday party!


After all that excitement, he needed a nap!


One of Braden's best friends, Sam, snuck a piece of cake!


Soon, his other best friend, John, snuck some cake also.


The day after the party was a sleepy day as well!

Hungry, Shots, Football, Birthday and more........

Braden went Friday for a follow up appointment and to get his first round of Synagis shots today. Braden is now 14 pounds 8 ounces. He will have to get one shot every month through RSV season. This is a shot to help premature babies and at risk babies from getting RSV which can cause serious breathing problems. Braden is a real trooper when it comes to shots. I think all those months of being in the NICU and getting poked several times a day has prepared him for the future. Braden received a flu shot Oct.4th and it happened that he received another one today as well. Well our concern was very high but after talking to the doctor's he said the side effects are going to be the same. It will not hurt him that he got two within two weeks, becaue he was going to have to get another one a month after his first one. So now we are just waiting to see if he will have to get a third one. Most preemie babies who receive a flu shot always get another one a month later so we will wait and see. He may get a fever, upset tummy and get very fussy, but if any of you know Braden it does not take long for him to get that way!! He will have to go back to get another shot in a month and continue this cycle till April or May 2006.

Braden is such a big boy now! He is eating rice cereal 2 to 3 times a day now and he had banana's for the first time on Sunday. His babysitter said that he will eat his 4 to 6 ounces of just formula and fall to sleep and then wake up after maybe an hour or so starving to death!!! They will feed him some more and he is happy and will sleep better. That is a good sign that he is ready to eat more and that formula is just not working out for him anymore. He is sleeping MUCH better through the night with a full belly of rice cereal and formula mixture. He will fall to sleep around 9:00 p.m. and sleep till around 2:00 a.m eat and go back to bed. Now he does have his nights where he wants to be up and talking and those nights as cute as they are can be very hard and mom and dad. But we are doing the best we can.

This weekend Braden attended his first football game. Braden's cousin Jackson L. Havis, plays on a youth team, The Kansas City Chiefs, and they had a game on Saturday Oct.22. The weather was nice enough that took Braden for one quarter and then head to my moms house. Braden's Uncle from Galveston will be in town and we will all be together for the first time in at least 3 months. Braden and him had some alone time on Friday afternoon and got a Houston Astros outfit!! Just in time for the World Series GOOOOO ASTROS!!!!!!!!!

On Saturday we also celebrated Bradens cousins birthday , Jonathan L. Havis 7th birthday!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JONATHAN!!!!!!!!!He had a party at his house with family and friends, Braden of course will only be there for a short amount of time. Braden is still very small and we need to make sure that whatever he does is for a short time and that he does not get to exposure to much of the elements that can cause him to get sick. We know that Braden is going to get colds, and we know that he will get sick but if we can help prevent that in anyway we will....

Here are some pictures of Braden in his Astros onesie!

Happy Birthday Jonathan

Jonathan Lynn Havis is 7 today!!!
Braden's cousin

He is having a class lunch birthday party today and will celebrate with family and friends Saturday!!

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear JONATHAN
Happy birthday to you
Love Braden

Getting Cold

Well as the days in October start to roll through we are getting some cold days but it is staying warm for the most part. Braden had his first outing in the cold and it was a shock for him. His eyes got big and he did not know what to think. He has known nothing but warm since he got out of Baylor. But we make sure he is well covered every morning when we leave the house. Braden has been going through some difficult adjustments after his surgery. Being on several different medications has been hard for his tummy. His babysitters, Gammy and Pawpaw are paying very close attention to him and they can tell when something is bothering him, so we like knowing that he is cared for so well. Braden is going to the doctor today for a post operation visit then he will have his first Synagis shot October 20th. This is to help him from not getting RSV this winter. He got a flu shot last week we are trying to do whatever we can to make sure that Braden does not get sick this winter season. We have been so happy with Braden and all his mile stones. He is giggling more and he is talking much more, he gets that from Annie, he is focusing more and he is starting to want to hold his bottle and play with his feet. He is such a strong baby that nothing will get in his way.

We would like to thank everyone again for looking at Braden's blog and keeping him in your thoughts. It makes us feel good knowing that we have people who care so much for our little guy!

Check back around Halloween and see Braden in his secret costume!!

Here are few pictures we would like to share with you all.


Braden is wearing his Janie and Jack jacket he got from Aunt Clara's friends at work!

Braden is checking out his clothes to make sure that he matches.

Braden having his first taste of Rice Cereal, YUMMIE!!!!!

Braden dressed and ready to go to church.

Back Home At Last

Braden is back home again. This latest episode was tough to take, just mainly because we had all gotten comfortable and felt the worst was behind us. We tend to forget how early he was born and the complications we may face down the road. We have both good and bad news...I guess we'll start with the bad first...Braden does have 4 fresh scars on his head, one was already there - just reopened, to go along with a existing scar. Good thing is they will heal, just painful to look at right now. We think he is in some pain, which is to be expected. There was two-thirds of an ounce of fluid drained from his rear ventricle of his brain. That pressure relieved has caused everything to kind of shift back into its original place. That can't be comfortable. Braden is taking baby tylenol and ibuprofen, but mainly he just needs to comforted by loved ones. That always seems to work best.

Now for the good news....Within 24 hours of his surgery we started noticing changes for the better. First off, his soft spot on the top of his head was just that, soft again. As you may have noticed in many of his pictures, Braden is very often looking to one side or the other. Now he is looking straight ahead and focusing on what or who is in front of him more. Not being doctors, only speculating, it seems like maybe some of that pressure build up was affecting his eyes. He will stare you in the eyes now and this just started, hard to imagine its just a coincidence. Also, he is laughing and smiling more, again seems unlikely to just be a fluke. We think that pressure being relieved helped almost instantly. Now, as long as the shunt continues to perform it's duties, we can move past this and just continue to get better and better.

We want to thank everyone for their continued interest in Braden's condition. Without the consideration and support of family and friends, this would be a near impossible hurdle t face alone. Braden is so lucky to have such loving family who have traveled from Denton, Plano, Galveston, Sherman, and even the state of Tennessee to be with him. I know they would say all the trips and calls were no problem and they wanted to do it, but we know it can be a strain, physically and financially. Long distance calls and gas aren't cheap, so again we are very lucky. Also, we can't say enough about Braden's newest family member - Gammy. Shirley watches Braden during the week along with 2 other babies (Braden's best friends Sam & John). Her and her family have went out of their way to come to Braden's Baptism, visit him in the hospital and at home. We got very lucky to have crossed paths with them.

Thanks again,
Steve, Annie, & Braden

Braden is Going Home!!!

We just got word that Braden will be heading home today. The doctors are very pleased with Braden's recovery and they will discharge him today around noon! Braden was up all night - but he was not crying nor was he fussy. He just wanted to be awake while his mom and dad talked to him. Sending him home today is such a GREAT sign. We are so anxious to have him out of the hospital and back at his comfy home.

Also, we wanted to share some of the pictures that Shannon took at Braden's baptism.

Braden with his mom and dad in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Denton, TX.


Braden with his parents and his Godparents, Uncle Chris and Aunt Clara.


The proud Godparents, Uncle Chris and Aunt Clara with sweet Braden.

Pre-Op

Braden's day at the hospital went well. First thing they did was weigh him, 13lbs 9ozs. They checked his blood pressure and asked a lot of questions, then just told us what to expect for tomorrow. Finally they drew blood. Braden screamed for a few minutes then in an instant was over it. After that all he wanted to do was eat and then sleep.

Surgery is set for 12:30pm tomorrow (Tuesday). They are hoping to get us in earlier, we have to be there at 10:30am. Of course they could be running behind as well. We'll stay at least 1 night at Children's and then just see how it goes from there. Braden is busy resting up now, he can't have formula past 4am and can't have any clear liquids or anything past 8am. It will be a challenging morning. Thanks and we'll be posting as soon as possible with the results.

Steve, Annie, & Braden

Suit Pics

Hello!

Just wanted to share 2 photos with you that Jonathan took with Aunt Clara's camera at the baptism. They actually came out really well. Jonathan was very excited about Braden's baptism and wanted to snap a few photos of Braden in his suit. And you can also see Braden's single rose boutonniere. We were honored to have our family and friends at the baptism. Braden's two best friends, John and Sam, came with their families.






The photo below was taken by our good friend Shannon, who is also John's dad. He takes the BEST pictures. He was kind enough to take photos at the baptism and we will share them with you very soon. But this photo Shannon took of Braden is too cute and we just had to share.

Thanks for stopping by...we will have info posted tomorrow regarding Braden's surgery.

Surgery on Tuesday

Braden's surgery is set for Tuesday the 27th. I believe it is going to be mid-morning or early afternoon. We are not sure if he will be released the next day or need to stay two nights. After his first head surgery, the next day he was bouncing around and extremely hungry. He was only 5lbs then and over 13 now, so we are hoping the extra strength will help him get through this even better. His Pre-Op is on Monday, and I (Steve) and my mother will take him to Chirdren's in Dallas to have some blood work and evaluations done. Then we'll go back on Tuesday hoping to only stay 1 night there. Thanks to everyone who has expressed so much interest. With so many national disasters and tradgedies going on in our country right now, it is comforting to know so many people still find it in them to care for our situation as much as they do.

On a lighter note, Braden was Baptised yesterday in Denton. He did so well, I think he loved all the attention he received. JJ & Clara, his aunt & uncle are his Godparents, but JJ was not able to be there due to living in Galveston and MS. Hurricane Rita. Chris, another of Braden's uncles, filled in for him. It really went well, Braden didn't even cry when they lowered him chest deep in the water, actually his instincts kicked in and tried to swim. He was kicking his legs and waving his arms, I think if we would have let him go he would've swam to the top. This may turn out to be the ideal sport for Braden since he already seems to have a knack for it, oh great, now we have to think about a swimming pool in the backyard. -- After Braden did his skinney dipping in water we dressed him in his Baptismal suit. It was a little white pair of slacks, a shirt, vest, tie, and jacket. We can't wait to share the pictures with you all. We had a small family "get together" for him afterwards and had plenty of food and drink and fun. Thanks to everyone who went and helped out, it was a real nice time.

Please check back, we'll be doing our best to keep the situation updated. We'd appreciate it if you could squeeze an extra prayer in for Braden, its really a scary time right now.

Steve, Annie, & Braden

Braden's Best Friends

We are still waiting to hear the details about Braden's surgery. He did have his MRI today and he's doing great. We will post info as soon as possible.

As you know, Braden is cared for during the day at the home of family friends. They also keep their grandbaby, John, as well as another family friend's baby, Sam. Those 3 babies have become best friends. They spend their days playing and giggling with each other. They recently took some pictures together and they are absolutely precious. We wanted to share this picture of Braden and his two best friends. This is John, Sam and Braden hanging out in a soft train. John looks quite comfy, Sam looks a little unhappy and Braden has spotted something up on the ceiling. But they all are such cutie pies!

Some Recent Photos

Well we found out today that Braden weighs 13 pounds 5 ounces and is 26 inches long. We are so proud of him; he's getting to be such a big boy! We have no news regarding his surgery yet. He will have an appointment tomorrow for an MRI and we should have a surgery date tomorrow afternoon. Please keep our little angel in your prayers.

Braden gets his picture taken almost every day. We have been trying to get some fun ones to share with you - ones that really show his demeanor and growth. Hope you like these! Thanks for stopping by and we'll post any news regarding the cyst surgery as soon as we hear anything.

Braden's cousin, Jackson, plays on a youth football league for the Chiefs. Braden is ready to cheer him on!


Braden likes to hang out on his comfy pillow.


Here is Steve's mom, Lynda, hanging out with her grandbaby.


Braden caught a cool nap on a hot, Texas day.


This is Braden wearing his first pair of shoes!


Here's a close up of one foot in that darling shoe.


Braden is starting to fit into the clothes he received at his shower.

Results from Braden's CT Scan

Well, we got Braden to Children's Hospital for his appointment for the CT Scan on his head. Everything went smooth, he was in a great mood that day. His Momo & Popo came to be with him. Initially we got good news, the shunt in Braden's head is working, it is draining the excess fluid and has caused his ventricles to recess nicely. Unfortunately, now he has some other issues. The surgeon who performed Braden's shunt insertion believes Braden has a cyst in a rear ventricle. He is certain Braden will need a procedure to correct this. Most likely Braden will need another incision to insert a seperate tubing to drain this new fluid. Dr. Weprin will connect it to the original tubing and it shouldn't be too difficult of a operation, as per the surgeon. Of course to us, we feel like its a kick in the stomach. Things had been going so well, we just hate it for Braden. All that he has been through to have to go through this, its a shame. But, we have dealt with this before and we'll get past this ordeal as well. Braden could have an MRI done as early as the end of this week and then we'll know more, such as an exact date for his procedure.

Braden is so incredibly strong and resilient it is truely inspirational. Whenever we feel sad, we just think of him and what he has went through and it helps us get past it. He is the toughest individual I have ever been around. We feel like everything will be fine, but we ask that you keep Braden in your thoughts and prayers. We know most have you have never let him out, but in the next few weeks we may need a little extra support to help him get through all of this ok. Braden is so big now! He is laughing and trying to talk all the time. He is holding his head up pretty good on his own, doing everything he should be at this age. Thanks for continuing to check back and we promise to have new pictures added in the next day or two.

Steve, Annie & Braden

CT Scan

Hello everyone!

Thanks for stopping by to see our little guy. We just wanted to let you know that Braden will be going in for a CT scan on Friday. From 5:30 a.m. til 10:00 a.m. he can have only have Pedialyte to drink. From 10:00 a.m. til 11:00 a.m. he can have absolutely nothing to eat or drink. That's going to be really tough for Braden, but I think our strong baby can handle it.

At 1:00 on Friday we have an appointment with the doctors to discuss all the results. The doctor who did the shunt surgery will be in this meeting so we are praying for good results. We are hopeful that his shunt is working its magic and that Braden's development is good. As soon as we have the results, we'll post them here. Thanks so much for your prayers and for remembering Braden. He weighs about 13 pounds now and is still teething. Every day is a blessing with him - he makes the whole day better and he makes life happier.

A Note from Braden

Hello everyone! I wanted to send a note to let you know that I now weight a little over 12 pounds. Isn't that great!! I am 25 inches long and I'm just starting to get some teeth. Teething makes me grumpy but my parents give me some good medicine for that.

Anyway, I wanted to let you know about some new rules when you come to visit me. In the fall and winter, we will be in RSV season. RSV is a respiratory virus that affects nearly all babies and can even be fatal. My doctors do not want me to catch this - it could cause very serious problems for me. So if you are feeling sick, you should not come visit me. If you can come visit, you will have to really wash your hands. Go to this website: http://www.rsvprotection.com/ to find out more.

Thanks for stopping by. :o)

Love,
Braden

New Pictures

Clinton and Clayton

Hello everyone. We wanted to share an update regarding the passing of Braden's preemie friends, Clinton and Clayton White. Annie will be attending the memorial services for the babies.

Clinton and Clayton are the sons of Joel and Kim and those babies gave a lifetime of blessings in their short lives. We know those angels are smiling at us and watching us from above. "Some people only dream of angels. We held two in our arms."

Hi Gran!

Braden wanted to send a big hug and kiss to his great grandmother, Gran. She had surgery earlier this week and thankfully the surgery was successful. Gran is doing fine and Braden sends his love!

Braden has also been doing fine. He weighs 10.5 pounds and is growing every day! He's really happy at day care - he is truly surrounded by such loving people there! We do have some new pictures to share with you!

Here is Braden all ready to head to day care!


Braden likes to have some stretch time on the floor.


But he doesn't like to stay there too long.


His shirt says it all!


Braden's favorite place to nap is on a pillow tucked into a couch corner.

Braden's Friend Clayton

Hello everyone. We wanted to ask those of you reading this blog to take a few minutes today to say a little prayer for one of Braden's friends. His name is Clayton and he has not yet been born. His mom is still carrying him and they are in the maternity wing of Baylor in Dallas.

Sadly we found out that Clayton lost his twin brother over the weekend. And now the doctors are worried about Clayton. Clayton's mom, Kim, is doing everything she can to keep Clayton healthy and we all know that she is in the BEST care at Baylor.

So please say a little prayer for Clayton and his mom, Kim.

Thanks!

First Day of Daycare

Today was Braden's first day at his day care. You would think that I would be used to leaving my baby after 4 months in the NICU, but I was not. I cried all the way to work. I am extremely happy and comforted to know that Braden is staying with family friends. Even though we call it day care, it really is much more like a family setting for him. He is with wonderful people who love him and will take such good care of our little guy. I tried to hold out as long as I could before calling to check on him. I made it all the way to 10:00 a.m. and had to call. Of course, he is doing great.

The last few weeks at home with Braden was the best! It gave me a much deeper sense of being a mom. It was such an amazing thing to watch him grow. Each day, it was something new and exciting. Braden definitely trained Steve and I very well. He gets us up for middle-of-the-night feedings, diaper changes and tons of hugs. Steve and I have really learned so much and we are so grateful to have these experiences.

It's fun when people call now to check on Braden because I get to give such fun reports. They often ask how I am doing...and I can tell you that I haven't eaten a good meal since he came home. I'm lucky to get a shower by noon and if I'm really lucky I get 2 consecutive hours of sleep in a night. But, obviously, I love every minute of it. Braden's health continues to improve and he gives us a million reasons to smile.

We recently found out that Braden is on the Newborns In Need web site! If you'd like to see him, he is on the main page here: http://www.newbornsinneed.org/. You can also read some of his story and see more pictures at this page: http://www.newbornsinneed.org/html/urgent_needs.html . We send so many thanks to the Newborns In Need organization for helping Braden and so many other beautiful babies.

Below are some recent photos of Braden that we wanted to share. Thanks for checking on Braden and we hope you continue to stop by!

P.S. Braden is weighing about 10 1/4 lbs now !!!! 22" long !!!

Here is Braden having play time with his mommy.


Aunt Clara snuggled up with Braden in his duck towel after a bath.


Cousins Jackson and Jonathan gave Braden this onesie from their vacation to Galveston.


Steve and Braden enjoy their afternoon naps on the couch.


Here's Braden hanging out on the couch.


Braden got a "Mexican Woobie" which is a tradition on Annie's side of the family.


This is the boppy pillow that Braden loves so much.


Braden snuggled and slept with his Grandbob.