Day 2: As Grandma Bev stated today, "you would never know he had any issues by looking at him. He is truly beautiful!" We couldn't agree more as we are totally in love with him.
The doctor gave us some great advice today and said there is so much information that will be shared and discussed in coming days that we simply need to take one day at a time, one item on the checklist at a time. Given his heart and breathing stability as a result of the prostaglandin, the immediate focus is repair of his omphalocele. Overnight they wrapped his abdomen in gauze and created a suspension system to allow his omphalocele to hang and let gravity naturally pull the organs into his abdomen. With all this technology, it was amazing that a simple design could make such an impact ahead of surgery. Remarkable! Following surgery, the team will then be able to perform abdominal ultrasound to confirm organ presence and location and further refine diagnosis and treatment. As a result, we are all praying for a great surgery in coming days...
Ashley has not been discharged from Good Sam yet, but was able to sneak in a visit to Childrens today (aka. she got a 4 hour hall pass!). She had been away from her little boy since birth and this was the first time she was able to lay eyes on him, kiss him and talk to him once again. She was overwhelmed with excitement and tears of joy as she entered the room. It was a great moment to witness and experience with her. We were so proud of her strength. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to hold him yet given his omphalocele but simply giving him a kiss and holding his hand brought her and the rest of us all happiness.
In preparation for his surgery, Hudson officially unveiled his "Superhero" status by sporting his new "Superman" hat and blanket. He instantly melted the hearts of the staff and his family...and one of the photos has now gone viral! We are all hoping that his strength will continue past the outer apparel and power him to overcome the obstacles ahead in coming days.
Special thanks to nurses Melanie and Katie for their tremendous care of Hudson today and tonight!
Also, an even bigger special thanks to dear friends Steph Diroll and Sarah Tepe for making an 8 hour round trip from South Bend to visit with Ashley and their new pal Hudson. Their friendship is truly inspiring!
The doctor gave us some great advice today and said there is so much information that will be shared and discussed in coming days that we simply need to take one day at a time, one item on the checklist at a time. Given his heart and breathing stability as a result of the prostaglandin, the immediate focus is repair of his omphalocele. Overnight they wrapped his abdomen in gauze and created a suspension system to allow his omphalocele to hang and let gravity naturally pull the organs into his abdomen. With all this technology, it was amazing that a simple design could make such an impact ahead of surgery. Remarkable! Following surgery, the team will then be able to perform abdominal ultrasound to confirm organ presence and location and further refine diagnosis and treatment. As a result, we are all praying for a great surgery in coming days...
Ashley has not been discharged from Good Sam yet, but was able to sneak in a visit to Childrens today (aka. she got a 4 hour hall pass!). She had been away from her little boy since birth and this was the first time she was able to lay eyes on him, kiss him and talk to him once again. She was overwhelmed with excitement and tears of joy as she entered the room. It was a great moment to witness and experience with her. We were so proud of her strength. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to hold him yet given his omphalocele but simply giving him a kiss and holding his hand brought her and the rest of us all happiness.
In preparation for his surgery, Hudson officially unveiled his "Superhero" status by sporting his new "Superman" hat and blanket. He instantly melted the hearts of the staff and his family...and one of the photos has now gone viral! We are all hoping that his strength will continue past the outer apparel and power him to overcome the obstacles ahead in coming days.
Special thanks to nurses Melanie and Katie for their tremendous care of Hudson today and tonight!
Also, an even bigger special thanks to dear friends Steph Diroll and Sarah Tepe for making an 8 hour round trip from South Bend to visit with Ashley and their new pal Hudson. Their friendship is truly inspiring!