Success!

Yesterday Brinkley celebrated five weeks of life with his first surgery.  Around 11:30 am Bryan and I suited up and escorted our baby down to the OR.  Several members of the surgical team spoke to us and explained their part in the surgery.  Dr. Gates, the surgeon, talked with us last and told us to expect Brinkley to be with them for about an hour.  

Bryan and I went to the cafeteria for lunch and then to the NICU waiting room.  Eventually Dr Gates came into the room and told us that everything went great and that Brinkley had been moved back to his spot in NICU 1 to recover.  He told us that our nurse was finishing up somethings and would be in to get us soon.  After a short wait, a nurse came and escorted back to Brinkley's bedside.  

I must admit that it was a little hard to see my baby with an incision and a tube coming out of his belly.  The thing that is helping me to be strong is knowing that this means we are one HUGE step closer to having him home.  This tube is going to allow us to relax and let him do this in his time when he is ready.  

Wednesday the Lord sent me a little confirmation about our decision to get the G-tube.  For Brinkley's 9 am feeding I was not the least bit concerned about how much he took of the bottle.  I knew that bottle was no longer going to be holding my baby captive in the NICU.  Brinkley took all but 7 ml of that bottle.  That is the most he had taken in almost two weeks!  I was completely relaxed and apparently that helped him.  My hope is that this is an indication of how things may go at home.  

I will share more about this surgery in the week to come with pictures of the tube.  Hopefully this will be helpful to someone else that may be struggling with this decision also.  For now, here is a picture of my little bit relaxing before I left the hospital tonight.  

I'd say he looks pretty comfy!

Thank you for praying for Brinkley!  I had a huge peace that he was going to be just fine and I know that your prayers contributed to that.  Our Cardiologist, Dr. Rauniker, reminded us before surgery that Brinkley was in the hands of The Great Physician.  There is no better place I would want him to be!