Our Newest Miracle.....

Thanks to JJ who told me a way to load pictures 

around Blogger's present challenges....

I am able to post today....

For those of you that don't know....

the reason I was away to Florida 

was 

because my daughter Kimberly 

was due to have her baby.

We wanted to be there when she went into labor

and to be there for the birth of our newest grandson.

Kim was two days overdue.

We walked and walked the beaches 

to help to get her into labor.

Finally, early in the morning, my daughter telephoned us in our hotel room

to tell us to meet them at the hospital

because it was time!~!!

We were excited to be there and to help soothe her during her labor.

When it was time to push, we left the room for her and Nick 

to welcome our newest grandson into  the world.

All in all, her labor went well.

And she delivered a 7# 9 oz. boy!!!

But....

there were complications.

Scary ones.

Complications that a Grandma and Grandpa don't want to hear.

First, his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck when he was delivered.

They got it off quick...

and

my daughter said that she felt the baby having hiccups while being born.

Unfortunately, it was the worst time for him to get hiccups.

He aspirated meconium and ambiotic fluid in the birth process because of this.

So, he was born in respiratory distress...

Kim could only hold him a moment..and they whisked him away to the Special Nursery.

He needed to have oxygen and Xrays and it was discovered that he had aspiration pnuemonia.

As a first time mom and dad, his parents were scared.

We were scared.

He had to be put on antibiotics through IV's (which continually failed and he had to be poked several times to restart the IV's!)

Kim and Nick could not even touch him, as the extra stimulation caused him to breathe irratically.

For two whole days, all they could do was look through the nursery window.

It killed us.

Then, on the third day, two at a time, we could go and touch him....

but

we weren't allowed to hold him  yet.

It continued to kill us.

Finally, we could hold him for short periods of time...but he was all wired up to heart monitors, blood pressure monitors and IV lines.....

But, 

slowly.....

ever so slowly...

with many prayers from our friends and family....

he

got

better and better.

The Doctor said he was not deprived of oxygen long enough to cause mental or physical problems 

(whew!!) and that he just had to get rid of the pneumonia with the help of the IV antibiotics.

Finally, on day 6 he could come off IV's and eat.

They could finally feed him and have him in their room (Kim was discharged from O.B.but stayed in a room in the hospital to be by the baby)....

and on day 7, all the wires and IV's were gone and 

finally, last Thursday,

he 

got

to

go home!!!! 

We decided to stay in Florida until he was out of the woods

and Kim was a little more rested.....so we stayed for a day or two extra.

So, without any further delay....

here is our little angel:

This is Mama Kim beside Nicholas Ryan when he was still wired up in the Special Nursery.

They say newborns cannot smile and that it is "just gas"....I wonder...because when he heard his Mama's voice? That is what he did....

Alert and adorable....

The statistics...only that is not the complete last name..they don't put it all for confidentiality in the nursery.

I couldn't hold him and cuddle him enough when we were finally allowed to do so!

Look at that grip!

His cutie little foot with curved toes....

and heels that were full of lab draw pokes (poor little sweetheart!)

But, the GOOD NEWS is:

Kim called me today and the baby's check up with the Pediatrician

turned out perfect...

he is one healthy newborn now...growing and happy at home with  his parents...

We are so grateful.

It was the Mother's Day gift I wanted.

A special thanks to some of  you Bloggers out there who knew what was going on and wrote to give us support and encouragement during the ordeal...I really appreciated the prayers and hope  you gave us.

And now...this Michigan Grandma is already trying to plan when the next trip to Florida is going to be...

P.S. I will be working tomorrow on getting the April photos loaded so you can see the gorgeous pictures everyone entered into the contest..I will get them up for all of you to see as soon as I can!