Nervous, but Grateful....

Tomorrow morning will be Caden's repeat hearing test called an ABR. He needs to be asleep for this because they need to make sure he is not registering other sounds or that other sounds are not interfering with the test. He is not going under anesthesia; we just have to make sure he is tired enough by the time we get to the facility that he sleeps through the test. This should be very interesting. The test will begin at 8:00 in the morning. They would like him to be awake for at least 3 hours prior to the test so that he is sleepy enough by the time we get there. So, if you do the math that means he needs to be up at 5:00a.m. He does get up around that time some mornings, but usually conks right back to sleep. I am not sure what we can do to keep a tired, hard of hearing, two-month-old awake for three hours.

I just want to ask for prayers and good thoughts that there will be some hearing seen on this test. How the test is administered is that they attach electro-nodes to Caden's head that will actually pick up on his brain waves. They will be looking for specific spikes of brain activity in response to the sound that they put up to his ears. The test lasts for about an hour. If Caden should wake up prior to the end of the test then we have to come back and repeat this procedure. Oh, Caden, please be very, very sleepy tomorrow.

Whatever the tests results may be I am so proud of how hard Caden has worked in the short month that he has been home from the NICU. He struggles every day to keep his airway clear and this has been especially hard with his cold. He doesn't get the luxury of breastfeeding or any oral feedings that most babies have. He wants to suck so badly, but because of his cleft lip he can't hold a pacifier in his mouth. In times where I get discouraged about things I have to remind myself how far we have come since those early days in the NICU. I posted a picture of Caden right after his heart surgery. He looks like a mess. I am so happy he is home with his family now. Whether he can hear or not and to what ability he may have hearing; I am just very thankful that we have our son. He has really taught me so much about life and love in his little time here on Earth. I certainly would like things to be different for his sake, but I am grateful for what I have gained from having him in my life.

Mary