THE FONTENOT FAMILY

RYAN GETS ANOTHER TOOTH

2009-12-12T21:14:00.000-06:00

Ryan has another tooth coming right next to his first one! Unfortunately, it is making him very unhappy today.

Also, Ryan had a visit from the home health nurse the other day and he weighs 16 lb. 3.5 oz! Wow he has really grown hasn't he?

Although the snow last week didn't stick to the ground, Alec had a great time playing in it while it was falling. He was able to put together a large snowball which he put in the freezer.

We are enjoying the colors of the holiday season....all the beautiful lights on trees, houses, buildings, etc. , as well as all of the Christmas specials on TV. This time of year reminds us what is important in life. For us that is our family and friends......

RYAN'S FIRST TOOTH CAME IN!!!!

2009-12-09T00:23:00.000-06:00

With all the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving week, decorating, etc. I forgot to post that Ryan got his first tooth on November 25th! It's on the bottom and it was obvious it was coming because he was so fussy and he kept chewing on his hand.

I haven't been able to get a good picture of him showing it off, but when I do I'll post it.

I hope all our family and friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We look forward to seeing, hearing and keeping in touch with you during the Christmas season.

Lisa

Prayer Request for Joyce Keenan

2009-12-03T00:08:00.000-06:00

As some of you may know, my sister Angela is mentally challenged and lives in a group home close to Baton Rouge.

Many of my friends and family have met Joyce Keenan, Angela's wonderful home manager for over 10 years. Unfortunately, Joyce is again fighting kidney cancer for the second time. Those who have met Joyce know she is an inspiring woman who has always gone far beyond the title of "home manager" and is considered a part of our family and many families of those she cares for.

I ask that you pray to help give Joyce the strength to guide her through this very difficult time. Please also pray for strength for my sister and the ladies of her home, Mustard Seed. Joyce's illness has thrown their very structured world into chaos and they are scared and unsure of the future.

My family appreciates all your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you, Lisa

NOVEMBER 23RD

2009-11-23T22:19:00.000-06:00

We hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving whether you are at work, home or on the road!

NOVEMBER 15TH

2009-11-15T23:21:00.000-06:00

Quick Ryan update....

They nurse forgot to measure Ryan on Wednesday so she came back Friday and Ryan is 25 1/2" long!

We had a busy weekend (me working on my ebay store & Joey cleaning yard), but it was a good one. We got to spend some quality time together (which we hardly get to do). Joey and I also got to catch up on some shows on Tivo, Alec & Joey went to see A Christmas Carol, and I got to watch some great football games this weekend.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Lisa

NOVEMBER 12TH

2009-11-12T15:42:00.000-06:00

Here's an update on Ryan:

The nurse visited today and he weighed 14 lbs. 15 1/2 oz., thisclose to 15 lbs. He received his 2nd RSV shot today and the nurse said he is doing fine - lungs clear and heart good!

Ryan is now eating all the vegetables and fruits in the baby food category 1, as well as cereal and his formula. He seems to like them all (at least for now)

Right now he is smiling and laughing at me and trying to tell me something! LOL

I'm busy, busy on ebay with the holiday season. Things are selling like hotcakes and that's good because it keeps me out of trouble!

Joey is working on several projects and his police station is just about complete and ready to move in. He worked long and hard on that one. I think the next project he's in charge of is a new fire station.

Alec is so geared up for the holidays. He just loves when it gets cooler and everything starts getting decorated for Christmas.

Hope all our friends and family are doing well!

Lisa

NOVEMBER 2ND

2009-11-03T01:53:00.000-06:00

Hi,

We hope everyone is doing well!

We are revamping our blog to include the entire Fontenot family. So please visit often to find out if we are staying out of trouble and what we are up to! We will, of course, keep updating Ryan's progress.

Speaking of, Ryan is almost 15 lbs.!!! He's come a long way since 1 lb. 13 oz. He is doing really well, although September and part of October was rough with illness. But now he is doing better and had his first RSV shot so we hope that helps.

Ryan celebrated his first Halloween on Saturday. The cute little pumpkin outfit he's wearing in the picture is the exact same outfit Alec wore on his first Halloween. Alec really wanted his little brother to wear it. Alec is probably just about on his last trick or treat year. He feels he's getting too old for trick or treating, but not too old for candy! I completely agree.

Lisa is working hard with the retail store, ebay store and website. The holidays are extremely busy, but she really enjoys everything she's doing. It seems there are not enough hours in the day, but she makes sure she's makes time for her 3 boys (hubby included) and football. (LOL)

Joey is busy working on several projects and one of he's in charge of is really close to being completed.

Hope everyone stays well and has a wonderful week!

2009-10-01T19:52:00.002-05:00

I forgot to mention in my last post that Ryan is eating cereal now and will start on baby food Sweet Potatoes tomorrow!

Update on Ryan

2009-10-01T11:30:00.003-05:00

Hi,

I wanted to update everyone on Ryan's progress because he went to the doctor yesterday.

Ryan was 13 lbs. 11 oz. and is 22 inches long. He's still negative in the height category, but his weight and head circumference are almost 5% which is good because that is based on a 6 1/2 month old (not adjusted for Ryan's prematurity).

The doctor was so pleased because Ryan is doing so well. He's been cut back on physical therapy from once per week to once per month. Most of his development is closest to the 6 1/2 month range although one or two things are closer to 4 months (like sitting up and putting weight on his feet). He rolls over, laughs, smiles, "talks" to us (he can say goo, ga, ba) and he is at the early stages of trying to crawl.

We are so happy that he is doing so well! Thank you to all of you for your thoughts and prayers.

Have a FANTASTIC October!

Lisa

Overall, we are so happy is doing so well.

Ryan is doing Fantastic!

2009-09-29T20:50:00.003-05:00

Update on Ryan....

Ryan is off oxygen and monitors........

He weighs over 13 lb. and is 23 inches long

Ryan only has to go to physical therapy once a month instead of once per week

He goes to pediatrician tomorrow so we will find out other news then.....

Thanks for praying and keeping Ryan in your thoughts and prayers.

Lisa

2009-09-19T15:48:00.002-05:00

I have not posted for a long time, but I do have a few quick updates on Ryan......

He's doing fantastic. Yesterday he weighed 13.08 lbs. WOW! The nurse couldn't believe how well he is doing. His oxygen level is great, his color is perfect, he's got baby fat, he smiles and laughs and is doing way better than any of us could have expected!

He is now off of the oxygen and monitor and is doing perfectly fine without them! No more trips to New Orleans.

Ryan gets his 6 month shots and check up this coming week. Can you believe he's already 6 months old? I guess it doesn't seem like that to us sometimes because he's only been home 3 months.

Ryan is doing physical therapy once per week and is progressing very well. The goal is to get him "up to speed" to his chronological age. We work with him at home doing exercises that the physical therapist has taught us. He's doing so well that they may cut it back to every 2 weeks.

Ryan also has a specialist that comes to our house every 2 weeks to check on his progress and he is getting ready to have a speech therapist check on him once a month to ensure that he is progressing as he should.

He does smile and laugh a lot. He seems like a very happy baby. He does sleep stretches of 6-7 hours some nights, so sleep for us is improving. He rolls over on both sides, but does not like being put on his stomach. Unfortunately for him, tummy time is part of our daily routine and exercise. He grabs at his toys, our faces, my hair and can hold is rattles and small toys. He also is starting to babble. He says ga ga or goo goo quite a bit and he also says bayoo alot. We also laugh because when he's hungry and crying it sounds like he's saying "hungee".

Well, I wanted to let you know how Ryan is progressing. I'll have some new pictures to add soon!

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
Lisa

New Pics of Ryan

2009-08-09T14:43:00.002-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted lately. I am so overwhelmed with work, baby, etc. I haven't got the chance to post pics of our little guy. Here are some from earlier this week. He's really growing. He's over 10 lbs., but not sure exactly how much! He's growing well, eating well, breathing well, and on and on. We are so blessed.

JULY 22ND

2009-07-22T14:22:00.003-05:00

Hope everyone is having a great July!!!

Just a quick update on Ryan....

He's still doing well. He's really smiling and laughing now and loves to get his bath! We have a couple of upcoming appointments and I'll update you when I know something.

I'll post some new pictures later this week so you can see how much he's grown.

Take care,

Lisa

MONDAY, JULY 13TH

2009-07-13T22:42:00.002-05:00

I haven't updated in a while and wanted to let you know how Ryan was doing....

Today he weighed 9 lbs. 8 oz. and he's 19 1/2" long. Can you believe it?

Last week we went to the pulmonologist and he took Ryan off his oxygen and monitor except at night. We are very excited! When we go back in August if everything is still going well, he'll be off both.

Ryan is seeing a physical therapist to help with his outward rotation of his legs and arms. However, he's making good progress and should be fine. Joey and I will continue to do the exercises with him.

Just wanted to let you know we are all doing well.

Take care and have fun.

Lisa

2009-07-05T21:21:00.001-05:00

JULY 4TH!

2009-07-04T20:15:00.002-05:00

Hope everyone is having a wonderful 4th of July!!!

Just want to let everyone know that Ryan is doing well. He's growing so fast! He keeps increasing the amount of his bottle which is great news.

He goes to the pulmonologist next week. Hopefully, he will take Ryan off oxygen and the monitor except for at night.

He had a physical therapy appointment last week and they think he is doing well. Joey and I will still continue to do his exercises at home with him and he will go to PT once a month to make sure he's on track.

Most of the appointments Ryan has in the near future are to ensure he's on track. Because he was so early his development is going to be different than that of a full-term baby. However, there are certain milestones he should be reaching for his adjusted age and the doctors just want to make sure he's making them. So far, so good.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lisa

2009-06-24T00:10:00.001-05:00

For those of you still following, Ryan weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. at the pediatrician's today!

I will post some newer pictures later in the week.

Lisa

JUNE 22ND

2009-06-22T21:23:00.002-05:00

Just a quick update to let you know Ryan is still doing well.

I haven't had a weight on him in the last week, so I'm not sure where he is, but I can tell you he is gaining weight because he's eating more. He does have a little reflux problems, but it's not serious yet.

Ryan has appointments at the OT/PT, pediatrician and hospital this week for testing and evaluations. I'll post the results of those visits.

Everyone try to stay cool! It's SO HOT!

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

Lisa

JUNE 18TH

2009-06-18T11:09:00.002-05:00

Ryan's trip to New Orleans to the Pulmonologist was a good one! He has taken Ryan off of his diuretics as the first stage of weaning him off oxygen and the monitor. If Ryan does well in the next two weeks, meaning he doesn't have bradycardia or apnea episodes because he's off the meds, then the doctor will take Ryan off oxygen and the monitor except at night time. We have an appointment in 2 weeks and will keep you updated.

Keep your fingers crossed and those prayers coming!

Have a great day.

Lisa

JUNE 16TH

2009-06-16T19:49:00.002-05:00

WOW! Ryan weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz. today at the pediatrician's! Dr. Wood was so happy because Ryan had gained a whole pound in two weeks. He said everything else with Ryan looked good and he was pleased with his progress.

The only drawback is that he still wants us to keep Ryan homebound at least for another month. Mostly because his due date was just a week and a half ago and it would be bad for Ryan to catch something at this point. Well, I guess that just gives me more time to spend cuddling and loving on Ryan.

We go to the Pulmonologist tomorrow and hopefully will have good news to share. Ryan also has a hip ultrasound this week. This is just to look for the potential of any problems which are common in preemies.

As always, thank you for your support, prayers and love!

Lisa

JUNE 15TH

2009-06-15T16:53:00.002-05:00

Ryan weighed 6 lbs. 12.6 oz. on Friday. He's still growing so well!!!

Ryan has another appointment with his pediatrician this week as well as the pediatric pulmonologist. We hope there will be good news regarding his lungs and hopefully he can be weaned off his medications, oxygen and monitors. We will let you know what the doctor says.

I've posted a few more pictures for everyone, so enjoy!

Have a wonderful week!

Lisa

JUNE 11TH

2009-06-11T20:59:00.001-05:00

GREAT NEWS!!!

Ryan went to the pediatric eye doctor today and she said that his eyes were completely normal. No ROP and they were not immature. He just has to go back for a re-check in 6 months. Yeah!

JUNE 10TH

2009-06-10T13:48:00.003-05:00

I continue to be amazed at our little Ryan. He's smiling, alert, loves his toys...he even turns over from his back to his side. It seems like there is something new and amazing every day with him. Joey, Alec and I are so happy to have him at home.

OK, so maybe he sleeps in the day and is awake at night, but we're working on that...

Yesterday Ryan weighed a whopping 6 lbs. 11 oz.!

We have an appointment with a pulmonologist in New Orleans next week. Hopefully things will be good with Ryan lungs and he can get off the oxygen most of the time. We'll keep you updated.

Have a Great Day!!!
Lisa

JUNE 5TH

2009-06-05T23:56:00.002-05:00

Well today was Ryan's due date and he weighed 6 lbs. 7 oz. this morning and is 17 3/4" long! How time has flown since he was born March 12!

We are so happy he is home with us and so far, things are going well. Of course there is not a lot of sleep happening, but we are both getting enough to function OK...well most days.

Ryan's feedings are much easier and we have to keep adding more to his feedings because he's so hungry. He's had only a couple of episodes on his monitor and it has been days since the last one.

We will continue the frequent doctor visits and the home health nurses are still coming to visit Ryan 3 times per week, but those appointments will be less frequent in time.

We hope everyone is enjoying summer, school being out, vacations, etc.

Thank you for all your prayers.

Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

JUNE 2ND

2009-06-02T20:09:00.002-05:00

We went to Ryan's pediatrician, Dr. Wood, this morning and Ryan weighed 6 lbs. 3.5 oz.!!!

Dr. Wood was very happy with Ryan's weight, color, overall health, etc. He did say that since Ryan was breech when he was born, he wanted a hip ultrasound done. This is commonly done in babies in breech condition at birth. This was the only issue that came up. He thought Ryan's leg and arm rotation looked good. He also said he didn't think Ryan would need to be on oxygen for long. Overall it was a great visit!

Getting to the doctor, however, was much more challenging than the visit itself. It's very difficult to carry Ryan, his monitor, oxygen tank, diaper bag, etc. It takes a long time to get him unhooked to things at home, get him ready for travel, get him in the car and unload him from the car just to get to the appointment. Whew, was I tired when we got home. I'm so lucky Alec was with me. He was a very big help!

Besides the hip ultrasound appointment, Ryan has a trip to the OB, eye doctor, physical therapist and pediatrician (again) in the next week. We will be going on lots of medical appointments in the coming weeks and months. We will try to keep you updated on everything.

I have to say that Joey, Alec and I are so blessed and happy to have Ryan in our lives. We are also blessed that Ryan is doing so well. Ryan could have many more issues to be dealing with than he is now. We look forward to Ryan growing and thriving as the newest Fontenot.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for Ryan and sent good thoughts his way. We know that we could not have made it this far without them.

Thanks,
Lisa

JUNE 1ST

2009-06-01T21:20:00.000-05:00

RYAN WEIGHED 6 LBS. 0 OZ. THIS MORNING!!! He is 17 1/2" long. We can't believe he has already reached this weight. This Friday June 5th was his due date, so he's only a little behind on his weight and length.

Ryan is doing very well! He's eating good and we have had to increase the amount of his feeds because he's getting hungrier. He has a little reflux, but it's not too bad. Lisa feeds him during the day and Joey and Lisa take turns at night and weekends. Ryan seems to be doing well for both of us.

Ryan is not having apnea or bradycardia episodes. YEAH! He is sleeping well most of the time, although he's still up more at night than in the day.

The home health nurse came out Friday and today and was pleased with Ryan's progress. They will come out a few times a week the first couple weeks and then taper off.

Ryan is still on oxygen and a monitor for his heart and breathing. They take a little getting used to. The home oxygen machine is big and loud! His monitor can be plugged into the wall or taken with us for travel. He also has a travel oxygen tank.

One problem we have at home is that Ryan can only have a 25 ft. nasal cannula so we can only go in the master bedroom and into the den. Well, we can go all over the house if we want, but we would have to move the large oxygen machine around which is not practical. We will talk to his pediatrician to see how long he needs to stay on them.

Right now we aren't supposed to take Ryan out of the house except for doctor appointments. We have to make sure we wash our hands before we touch him and keep everything really clean. He spends his time either in his bassinet or in his swing or in mom's arms. We do his physical therapy exercises on his arms and legs.

Ryan does look at us, he looks around and seems to recognize our voices. He really loves to be held and cries when mom puts him down. He's smiling and is very alert!

We are SO HAPPY to have our little miracle at home with us. Please keep us in your prayers.

We will keep you updated.

Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

MAY 30TH

2009-05-30T12:51:00.002-05:00

A Quick Update...

RYAN IS HOME!!!!

He came home Thursday afternoon and is doing very well. Joey and Lisa have adjusted to his oxygen and monitoring equipment and he's had no problems.

Feedings are going well. Ryan weighed 5 lbs. 13 oz. yesterday, which was a weight gain from the day before at the hospital!

Ryan is a great sleeper and Joey and Lisa are able to get some sleep in between those 4 hour feedings.

Alec is thrilled to have his little brother at home finally!

We will post pictures and more details soon.....Right now we're going to get some sleep.

Thank you for your prayers. Keep them coming.

Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

MAY 27TH

2009-05-27T11:22:00.001-05:00

Ryan is still coming home tomorrow. Just wanted everyone to know.

I'm going to spend night with him tonight and he will be at home with his family hopefully by noon Thursday.

Thank you for all your prayers. We will keep you updated.

Lisa

RYAN IS COMING HOME THURSDAY!!!

2009-05-26T18:08:00.000-05:00

RYAN IS COMING HOME THURSDAY!!!!

OK we can now say it because it's official from the doctors! Ryan will come home Thursday. It's almost impossible to believe and incredibly exciting.

Wednesday afternoon Lisa will get training on his oxygen, monitor, medicines, etc. She will then room in with him on Wednesday night. On Thursday, hopefully in the morning, he will be able to go home! Home health will follow us home and set up all Ryan's equipment, teach Joey how to use the equipment and then Ryan is all ours!!!

We will continue to keep everyone updated after he gets home!!!

Thank you for all your prayers. They have helped Ryan thrive and grow and helped our family through the past 11 weeks.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We can still use all the help we can get as we start a new chapter of our lives with Ryan at home.

Thank you,
Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

MONDAY MAY 25TH

2009-05-25T21:09:00.004-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend!

Here's the scoop on Ryan:

He weighed 5 lbs. 7.5 oz. last night and he is 17 1/4" long

Also, he is not going home yet....

I "roomed in" with Ryan Friday and Saturday night. It was a completely wonderful experience. I actually got to totally take care of him (except giving meds) for almost 2 days. It really made me feel like his mommy. I can't even describe that feeling in words. I'm so happy that gave me the opportunity.

But, WOW, did I forget what it's like to be with a newborn! As great an experience as it was, it was also a VERY tiring one.

Ryan sleeps during the day and is awake at night, so I didn't get much sleep (maybe 3 broken up hours) each night. I didn't get to sleep in the day much because it was so loud and the nurses came in a lot more in the day, plus I still had to feed him every 3 hours. However, I changed him, bathed him, and most of all held and loved him. It was a great bonding experience.

What was decided is that Ryan wasn't ready to go home yet because of his feeding issues. He is not gaining weight and that's a problem. This is because he exerts so much energy during his feedings that he burns up all the calories he takes in.

We discussed it with the doctors and here's what has changed. Ryan was put back on the low flow cannula - oxygen - at the lowest setting all the time, not just for feedings. Hopefully this will give him more energy when it's time to feed. Also, they have changed his feeding schedule from every 3 hours to every 4 hours and increased the amount he takes each feeding. He has been doing this since Sunday morning.

The good news is that as of 6 p.m. this evening, it seems to be working. Joey did Ryan's feeding at 10 p.m. last night and it went well. Lisa did 2 feedings during the day today, both of which were his best so far. The nurses also have gotten better feeds out of him than in the past. It seems things may be looking up.

I'm not going to post when I think he's coming home because every time I do, it ends up not happening.

However, I will say that as soon as his feeds are going well and he is gaining weight he will come home. He will come home on oxygen, monitors and medication, but we are prepared for anything.

Ryan has made incredible progress and continues to defy our expectations and surprise us at every turn. He is such an added blessing to our family. I know your prayers have helped him through his journey so far. Please continue to pray for him.

Thanks to all of you,
Lisa

MAY 22ND

2009-05-22T15:23:00.002-05:00

Wanted to give you a quick update....

I am so EXCITED!!!! I'm on my way to room in with Ryan!!!

We spoke to the doctor today and she said that if all goes well with Ryan and I tonight, he will probably come home Tuesday. It will take that long because Joey and I have to train on several things like his oxygen, monitors, medications, PT, etc. Also, home health will have to come to our house for an inspection and there is lots of paperwork to do.

Please pray for us tonight so Ryan can come home soon!

Thanks,

Lisa

MAY 21ST

2009-05-21T12:42:00.003-05:00

Ryan weighed 5 lbs. 8 oz. last night!!!

GREAT NEWS!!!

I spoke to the doctor this morning and she wants me to "room in" with Ryan tomorrow night!!! I am so excited! The NICU has rooms that moms stay with their babies in order for the mom to fully take care of the baby before they go home. Basically, I will take care of all of Ryan's needs for a 24 period. The doctor wants to see how Ryan does with 1 person feeding him each feed. She said the consistency of 1 person may help him.

I'm excited because I haven't had the opportunity to do this and I'm sure it will make the transition to home easier. After all, I will be taking care of all of his needs 24 hours a day from now on.

Don't know if I have updated everything on Ryan......He is on room air only (meaning no cannula, just breathing like us), except for his feedings. They put on the cannula before he eats and take it off after he's done. They have tried to feed him without it, but his oxygen saturation level drops dramatically and so does his heart rate.

I think he's doing great though. He was just on 5 bottle feedings per day on Sunday and they upped him to 8 on Monday, so I think he just needs a little time to adjust.

So the big question...When does Ryan get to come home? Well, if he does well with the feedings when I room in with him, then I would expect him home in a few days. Joey and I will still have training to do i.e. oxygen, monitors, medicines, etc. that we have to know how to do before he comes home. However, after that, he'll be able to be at home with us where he belongs.

If he doesn't do well with feedings, then they will reduce his bottle feedings per day and we'll have to wait for him to do 8 feedings well per day. I'm sure if this happens he'll adjust in no time, but it will probably be another week.

Ryan is so alert! He will just lay in my arms with his eyes wide open and look around at everything going on. He makes little cooing noises and is just so adorable. I can't wait for everyone to meet Ryan in person.

Please pray for us that all goes well with rooming in!

Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers. They have worked miracles for Ryan and helped Joey, Alec and I through a difficult time.

Lisa

MAY 18TH

2009-05-18T11:19:00.002-05:00

Hope you enjoy the newest picture!!! It's the first of Ryan with just his cute little face and no cannula!

Ryan was put on room air on Saturday night and has been doing fine! He only needs oxygen when he is being fed.

Ryan weighed 5 lbs. 5 oz. last night! I can't believe how fast he is growing.

Everything looks on track for Ryan to come home this Friday or Saturday. He may come home on oxygen (just for his feedings) and he will come home on a monitor. We are very busy trying to clean up the house and get all the baby things ready.

We've waited patiently for Ryan to come home and now we're a little nervous. It's been a long time since we've done this, but we can't wait.

Thank you for all your prayers. Please keep them coming!

I'll keep you posted, Lisa

MAY 16TH

2009-05-16T15:19:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone,

We've got a couple of days to catch up on and lots has happened.

Ryan weighed 5 lbs. 1. oz. last night!!! He actually went over the 5 lb. mark on Wednesday night.

BIG NEWS!!!!
We spoke to the doctor today and she said that we need to be prepared for Ryan to be home by next weekend!!!!!
We were totally in shock because we thought it would be at least 2 weeks or more.

They are starting Ryan on 8 bottle feeds per day tomorrow, Sunday. He must do that well before he goes home, however, they are hopeful he will.

He hasn't had a bradycardia attack since the 11th, so they are going to try to wean him off the oxygen in the next week. If he can't be, they will send him home on it. He will also probably come home on a monitor.

We are so excited about getting so close to Ryan coming home!!! We are ready to have our little guy at home where he belongs. This week will be a very busy week getting things ready for him.

We don't have the nursery ready yet, but Ryan will be staying with us in our room for a while (especially if he's on oxygen and a monitor) so we have time.

We want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. They have helped Ryan get this far. Please keep them coming.

We'll keep you updated.

Lisa, Joey, Alec & Ryan

MAY 13TH

2009-05-13T13:52:00.005-05:00

TAKE A LOOK BELOW AT A NEW SCRAPBOOK.

Just a quick update......Ryan weighed 4 lbs. 15.2 oz. last night. He's almost at 5 lbs. I bet he gets there tonight!

The doctor said Ryan can come home when he can do 8 bottle feeding per day well. He's currently doing 4 well. It's completely up to Ryan. It could be a week or it could be 2 weeks.

He is also breathing better. We are very hopeful that he will not have to come home on oxygen. However, he will probably come home on a monitor.

I tried to breast feed Ryan for the first time last night. It went OK. He and I are both going to have to work on it.

Keep us in your prayers. Hope you have a great day!

Lisa

I created another scrapbook of Ryan. This one has pictures that I have not posted before along with others you have seen. Hope you enjoy!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

MAY 12TH

2009-05-12T17:20:00.004-05:00

Hi! Hope everyone is doing fine. We hope all the mom's had a wonderful Mother's Day. It's been a few days since we updated so here's what has been going on.

Lisa had a migraine on mother's day and didn't get to go to the luncheon at the hospital for the NICU mom's. Alec was sweet and gave her a gift he made at school - a coupon book for special things. Lisa's migraine wasn't as bad by night so she went up to see Ryan for a little while and had a nice visit.

Unfortunately, about 1 a.m. (Monday) Lisa woke up and couldn't breathe, had tightness in her chest, and was vomiting. Joey took her to the emergency room. Thankfully, she did not have a heart attack. They were also concerned it might be a blood clot, but that wasn't the case. However, her blood pressure was sky high and they gave her some medicine, watched her for a few hours and then let her go home. They really didn't give an answer, but thought that it definitely could be stress. She's fine now and following up with the OB and primary care physician.

Now about Ryan...... Monday night he weiged 4 lbs. 14 oz. He's gaining weight well, even though he's still on the diruetic. Can you believe he has gained over 3 lbs. since he was born? He'll be (a real) 5 lbs. before we know it!!!

He is getting better at bottle feeding. He is actually getting a "well" score instead of poor or fair. They will try to increase his feed schedule until he can do 8 bottles and/or breast feeds per day. Once he has reached this milestone he should be able to go home. Lisa is going to try to breast feed Ryan for the first time tonight.

We are hoping he will come home in two weeks (Yeah, I know we've said that before), but it is looking good. He will probably come home on oxygen and monitors. We don't know what that entails, but we'll get training and support.

Please continue to keep Ryan and Lisa, Joey and Alec in your thoughts and prayers!

Thank you to all for your support.

Checkout the Digital Scrapbook of Ryan

2009-05-09T19:29:00.003-05:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

MAY 9TH

2009-05-09T12:27:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Joey got to bottle feed Ryan for the 1st time! Of course, Ryan did perfect for him and dad made it look easy. (See the picture)

Ryan is doing so much better now that he is on the chronic diuretic. He's much less puffy and his breathing has improved greatly. Because his breathing has improved, his bottle feedings are easier for him and he is starting to pace himself. This is one step closer to home!

We spoke to the doctor this morning and Ryan weighed 4 lbs. 11.8 oz. He did lose weight, but that was to be expected with the diuretic. The doctor has upped his bottle feedings to 5 per day and increased his feeding amount. On Monday, Lisa will get to try to breast feed Ryan for the first time. It's all up to Ryan if takes to breast feeding. If he doesn't, Lisa will continue to express milk and feed him from the bottle. If he does take to it, she will be able to breast feed some feedings and still express milk and bottle feed other feedings.

We will keep you updated on when Ryan will be able to come home. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.

Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

MAY 8TH

2009-05-08T11:18:00.002-05:00

Ryan and I had a very nice visit with his Mimi, Patricia Landry (Joey's mom) last night in the NICU. She arrived just after Ryan bottle fed and she held him for a while. He did very good for her and I got some great pictures, one of which I've posted.

The doctor didn't make any major changes for Ryan today. He's still on the diuretic which has made him less puffy - good news. He's still on low flow nasal cannula. He's pretty much making progress in baby steps, but he's moving forward.

I tried to bottle feed him last night and it didn't go well. There are so many things to remember i.e. hold him properly, make him relaxed, support his chin, make sure he is sucking, swallowing and breathing in that order all at the same time. It takes a little getting used to and I'm sure I will be a pro before he comes home.

Joey and I go up to bottle feed Ryan this afternoon. Joey gets to try his hand at it for the first time. I'll be sure to take pictures and update you on how it went.

I've posted a few new pictures I took of Ryan last night. He's really looking better now that he's on the diuretic. But he's cute no matter what!!!

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Lisa

MAY 7TH UPDATE

2009-05-07T15:29:00.003-05:00

First, GOOD NEWS....Ryan weighed 5 lbs. 1 oz. last night! Can you believe our little guy has gone from 1 lb. 13.4 oz. in 8 weeks?!

I spoke to Ryan's doctor this morning and she is going to put him on a chronic diuretic to help with the fluid in his lungs. This is a longer term medicine that is different than the diuretic he was on yesterday. He is still on the low flow cannula (oxygen) and will probably stay on that for a while. He will probably also lose some weight, so don't be surprised if he dips below 5 lbs. However, he is still pretty healthy and growing well. She added another bottle feeding per day so he's up to 4. I've got to do several feedings with him and am getting better. Tomorrow Joey will get to try it.

I asked the doctor about when it may be possible for Ryan to come home. She wasn't sure. She said that it was all up to him. He needs to be nippling better (bottle feeding) and we need to see how the diuretics work first. She said it is possible that Ryan will have to come home on oxygen and a monitor.

I completely understand why they use the term "rollercoaster" in conjunction with a preemie or NICU baby. One minute everything is up and the next minute the bottom seems to drop out. Although Ryan's fluid problem could be a long term issue, we are all hopeful that he will recover completely and come home soon. We could be dealing with more serious issues and feel blessed that Ryan has made such progress.

GOOD NEWS...I spoke to the nurse this afternoon and she said that Ryan already looks less puffy and better from the diuretic yesterday. That was great news! She also said he seemed to do better on his bottle feeding.

Even though it may be a while before Ryan comes home, we are trying to get together everything we need for him! Ryan will initially sleep in the bedroom with Joey and I. How long depends on if he is on oxygen, monitors, etc. We do have a nursery upstairs for him (once Joey clears out his office). I do want to thank everyone who has sent Ryan gifts. They are greatly appreciated.

Please continue to keep Ryan and our family in your thoughts and prayers because they are definitely working!

Thank so much,

Lisa

MAY 6TH

2009-05-06T21:38:00.003-05:00

Today I got to bottle feed Ryan all by myself (well with the OT/PT there), but it was exciting. I had a little trouble getting started, but ending up doing well with him. Ryan doesn't just take a bottle easily like a full-term healthy baby. He has had to learn to suck, then swallow, then breathe. As I've mentioned before, he sometimes doesn't do them in that order or he forgets to breathe. He is much better now that he is being bottle fed 3 times per day. There is a scale from 1 - 10 and he usually gets a 5, which is a poor. However, lately he has been getting 6 & 7's which is fair. We'll keep working on it with him and both of us will get the hang of it soon.

Ryan is still retaining fluid so the doctor is giving him a diuretic again. They will keep an eye on it and see if they need to do anything else. Ryan is also still having some breathing issues. He is still on the low flow nasal cannula. They have tried him on room air and he doesn't do well yet.

We are hopeful that Ryan will be able to come home in 2 weeks. He will most likely come home on a monitor for his heart rate and breathing. He will probably have some issues for a while, but we will deal with them. The hospital will give us any training needed before Ryan comes home. We are a little nervous about it, but once we know what we are dealing with we will be OK.

Please keep Ryan and our family in your thoughts and prayers!

Lisa

2009-05-04T19:25:00.003-05:00

If you want to see all the pictures that have been posted on this blog, go to Ryan's website at:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ryanjamesfontenot

Click on Photos near the top and you can see all the pictures that we've had on this site.

MAY 4TH - UPDATE

2009-05-04T18:27:00.004-05:00

Well having a baby in NICU is definitely a rollercoaster! Some days are up and others are down. Some days you have ups and downs in the same hour. We got a few updates today on Ryan and we wanted to share.

First, good news. Ryan will now be feeding with 3 bottles per day. He is still doing fair, but is ready to try more and that is a good thing. It's something that puts him one step closer to home. Also, Ryan does seem to be holding his own temperature which is great!

However, there is another thing which takes him one step back from coming home. Ryan is puffy and retaining fluid again. This is related to his breathing and being on the mechanical breathing for an extended length of time. The doctors will decide tomorrow whether to give him the same medicine as last week or look at a longer term medicine program which will be more complicated. He has been having more problems breathing because of the fluid retention, which is to be expected, but he is being monitored closely. This is also why he has gained weight so rapidly this week.

Also, his weekly tests today showed he had low blood levels. He had this issue before and had a blood transfusion a few weeks after he was born. There was a follow-up test done today to see if he had "potential" for making a sufficient amount of blood and the test was good, so for now the doctors will keep an eye on him and retest him.

Please keep Ryan in your prayers today.

Thank you for your support and love,

Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

MAY 4TH

2009-05-04T11:28:00.002-05:00

Sorry we haven't updated for a couple of days. Besides visiting Ryan, things have been very hectic in the Fontenot house.

Last night Ryan weighed an unbelievable 4 lbs. 11 oz.!!! Can you believe how much he has grown?! He's got "baby fat" and a double chin. I'll post a picture later.

Yesterday, Ryan's Mimi (grandmother) Patricia Landry got to hold Ryan for the first time!!! It was a really beautiful moment and we will post a picture later for all to see! His Paw Paw, Art Landry, and Aunt, Danielle Landry, got to visit also!!!

Ryan is still doing about the same as he has been. He's still on low flow nasal cannula and trying to bottle feed twice a day. He did have a couple of bradycardia episodes on Sunday, but he was having gas issues at the time and the nurse said that does happen. He was fine the rest of the afternoon and night.

His progress is slow, but it is progress FORWARD and that's what matters. We really hope he will be able to come home in three weeks - that is our wishful thinking!!! We love him and want him to be at home with his family.

Please continue to pray for him.

Thank you,
Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

MAY 1ST

2009-05-01T19:05:00.003-05:00

Ryan weighed 4 lbs. 4 oz. last night.

Today, while mom was on a swamp tour with Alec's class, dad went to the hospital to visit Ryan. He watched him being bottle fed and they showed him how we should hold him when he's eating. They also showed him how to do his leg exercies. Joey also held him for a while AND got to change his diaper several times!

Ryan is still on the low flow nasal cannula (oxygen) and is doing well in the crib. We will keep you updated on his progress and any changes made.

Please continue to keep us all in your prayers.

Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

APRIL 29TH UPDATE

2009-04-29T19:36:00.004-05:00

Today I spent a fantastic day with Ryan. He completely amazes me! I can't believe how far he has come since being born 7 weeks ago at 1 lb. 13 oz. He was 4 lbs. 1.7 oz. last night.

I was able to watch PT feed Ryan his bottle. He's still not doing very well with it, but he is making baby steps and doing a little better each time. He's trying to learn how to suck on the bottle, swallow and then breathe. He doesn't always do each step or in the right order, but he's sure trying.

I then got to hold Ryan for about 2 hours, change his diaper a few times, change his outfit a few times and just spend time with him. His being in the crib really makes a big difference in our contact with him. It was VERY hard for me to leave him today.

The rest of the family is doing well. I have an appointment with my OB just to make sure everything is OK. I do feel like I'm "back to normal". It doesn't feel like I had a baby 7 weeks ago. Mostly Joey and I are tired from middle of the night breast pumping, but we better get used to it because once Ryan is home it's going to be baby crying, changing diapers, etc. (but we can't wait). Joey has his architect license and certificate and is working on several projects. Alec is glad school is almost done - less than 1 month left!!! He is looking forward to having his little brother at home. He really doesn't like the hospital and I don't blame him, either do I.

Please keep Ryan in your prayers. They are working miracles for him.

Lisa

APRIL 29TH - BIG NEWS!

2009-04-29T08:52:00.003-05:00

Well, we had a really big surprise when we went to visit Ryan last night. He was in a crib!!! We are so excited because it is just one step closer to home. They moved him because he seemed to be staying warm enough on his own and didn't need extra heat added to his environment. They do have him wrapped in a blanket and he has a hat on, but he's doing well.

Ryan is still on the low flow nasal cannula, but I expect they will try to see if he can breathe on his own soon. They took him off of the diuretic and are going to see if the doses he received worked well enough.

Ryan is still working on bottle feeding and hasn't quite got the hang of it yet. Lisa is going up to the hospital this morning to meet with the PT, watch him bottle feed and do Kangaroo Care. We will keep you updated.

Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers.

Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

APRIL 27TH

2009-04-27T21:55:00.006-05:00

Here are Ryan's weights for the last couple of days: Saturday night 3 lbs. 15 oz.; Sunday night 3 lbs. 14.7 oz.; Monday night 4 lbs. even.

Ryan is doing well on the low flow nasal cannula. He is also still on the diuretic and we will see how he is doing by Wednesday and go from there. He is having trouble nippling (eating from the bottle), but that is expected in a preemie.

Lisa visited with Ryan for a while today and held, changed and fed him. She also met with the physical therapist who showed her how to do an exercise to help with Ryan's outward rotation of his legs.

Many of you have asked when Ryan might go home. We still don't know when, but we do know there are certain things he must be able to do before he can leave the hospital. Some of these things are that he must be able to maintain his body temperature (he's not yet, but getting close). He must be able to take 3 bottles a day without problems (he's still working on 1 bottle). He must go 5 days without an apnea or bradycardia episode (so far he's still having 1-3 per day). There are many more, but those are among the most important. It is possible he could come home on some kind of monitor, but we don't know that either.

Basically, we take 1 day at a time, pray, and visit Ryan whenever possible. Lisa goes every single day and Joey and Alec make it about 5 days per week.

For those who have sent Ryan preemie clothes (thank you so much), be on the lookout for pictures with him wearing them. Because he does not have as many monitors and sensors hooked to him (and he's big enough) he can wear his preemie clothes now.

Please continue to keep our darling little miracle Ryan in your thoughts and prayers. He's such a blessing to our family. Also, please keep Lisa, Joey and Alec in those prayers too.

The Fontenot's (Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan)

APRIL 26TH

2009-04-26T11:24:00.002-05:00

We wanted to update you on Ryan's breathing and fluid issue. This morning the doctor said they are going to put him on a diuretic for 3 days to see if they can reduce the fluid. If that doesn't work they will try another medicine for a longer length of time. We aren't getting too worried yet about Ryan having Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia because they wouldn't diagnose it in his case unless he was 36 weeks gestational and he still wasn't breathing on his own.

Otherwise, Ryan is still doing well. His breathing is good and they changed him from a high flow nasal cannula to a low flow nasal cannula yesterday. Lisa did Kangaroo Care with him last night and he did very well! He is still gaining weight and eating well. He is having some trouble with eating from the bottle, but that is not unusual for his gestational age (34 weeks).

He is going to have a physical therapist look at him on Monday. He has an external rotation of his legs. It looks like "frog legs". We have noticed that Ryan does hold his legs in this position most of the time. It is very common for preemie's and there are exercises that can be done to fix it.

Please continue to pray for Ryan and our family. This experience has been and continues to be very difficult emotionally, mentally and physically and is starting to take its toll. There are so many ups and downs in just one day with Ryan, that some days it just drains us.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

Lisa, Joey and Alec

APRIL 25TH

2009-04-25T15:57:00.003-05:00

Sorry it's been 2 days since I've posted. There have been good changes and concerns so let me update you.

GREAT NEWS! Ryan weighed a whopping 4 lbs. 1 oz. the night of April 24th (although he had just eaten and had a full belly)! But it's wonderful that he has made it to the 4 lb. mark. Ryan has been moved from the high flow nasal cannula to the low flow nasal cannula today. They will see how he does breathing more on his own.

NOT SO GREAT NEWS! There are some concerns about Ryan's lungs. He has been breathing fast. He may have fluid on the lungs which they can give him medicine to treat. Or he may have a condition called Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia which is a lung condition that affects premature babies (babies born more than 10 weeks early, under 2 2/1 lbs., and having breathing problems). It is a form of lung disease and can be caused by the pressure of mechanical ventilation i.e. the oxygen machines Ryan has been on to keep him breathing.

We don't know Ryan has this condition yet, but please say an extra prayer for him and continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

MORE GREAT NEWS! Ryan's head ultrasound came back normal!!

Thank you to all of you have been so supportive, loving, and caring!

Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

APRIL 23RD

2009-04-23T17:20:00.002-05:00

Ryan weighed 3 lbs. 10.6 oz. last night! He will be 4lbs. before you know it!

He's doing pretty good on the high flow nasal cannula. He's having very few breathing episodes, which is good news. He is still not able to regulate his body temperature on his own, but he is getting closer.

Lisa got to hold Ryan today and he did really well. She also got to watch him get bottle fed. Since he's so new at it the nurse had to do it, but hopefully she can help soon. Look for pictures to be posted later of his bottle feeding.

GREAT NEWS! Ryan has been upgraded from a Level 3 to a Level 2, which is like going from critical to stable. He still has a long road to travel to come home, but it's a wonderful step in the right direction.

JOEY NEWS: Joey is now a licensed architect!!! He has his certificate now!

Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers,

Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

APRIL 21ST

2009-04-21T14:46:00.003-05:00

Ryan weighed a whopping 3 lbs. 9 oz. last night! He has almost doubled his birth weight (which was 1 lb. 13 oz.).

He's doing pretty well on the high flow nasal cannula and only had 2 bradycardia episodes, which is pretty good considering he's doing most of his breathing on his own.

Lisa got to do Kangaroo Care with him last night and give him a bath too!

Will keep you updated on any new developments!

Don't forget to visit his other website too for lots of pictures:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ryanjamesfontenot

Thank you for your support, prayers and love!

Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

APRIL 20TH

2009-04-20T18:56:00.003-05:00

Ryan weighed 3 lbs. 6.3 oz. last night and was 15 1/2" long!!! He's growing so well.

He's doing really well on the high flow nasal cannula, which provides extra oxygen while he breathes. So far he is doing well and we will continue to watch his progress.

Exciting news today is that Ryan got to bottle feed today for the first time and he did really well!!! Right now he will be bottle feeding once a day with the goal to get him bottle feeding 3 times per day. Once he can do that successfully, he can be breast fed.

All of his Monday test results came out good! His bone test numbers went down again and are almost normal now. His big test this week is his six week head ultrasound.

We are just one step closer to having Ryan come home with his family.

Please keep Ryan in his thoughts and prayers!

Thank you for all of your support, prayers and love,

Lisa, Joey and Alec

APRIL 19TH

2009-04-19T15:21:00.002-05:00

Ryan weighed 3 lbs. 4.9 oz. last night!

We spoke to the doctor this morning and they said since Ryan is making progress in his breathing, they are going to take him off of the Vapotherm and see how he does. We are very excited with this development.

Please keep Ryan in your prayers!

DON'T FORGET TO VISIT RYAN'S OTHER WEBSITE FOR MORE PICTURES:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ryanjamesfontenot

Thank you. Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

APRIL 18TH

2009-04-18T17:55:00.002-05:00

Ryan's weight last night was 3 lbs. 4 oz!!!

Lisa got to do Kangaroo Care (skin-to-skin) with him Friday and Saturday and he did well for both sessions.

The doctor is going to reduce the Vapotherm pressure from 2.0 to 1.0 tomorrow and see how Ryan does with it. The last 2 days he has been breathing at around 24 - 28% oxygen, so he is improving.

The next step is to wean him off the Vapotherm and get him started on bottle feeding (with breast milk) and then on to breast feeding.

We are so pleased that Ryan is making progress and are so blessed he is in our lives. Please continue to pray for him.

Lisa, Joey and Alec

APRIL 17TH

2009-04-17T13:28:00.003-05:00

Ryan's weight last night was 3 lbs. 2.8 oz, so he continues to grow.

I just spoke to the doctor and they are lowering the Vapotherm pressure from 3.0 to 2.0. He is having few apnea and bradycardia episodes and the goal is to get him breathing on his own. They also are trying to get him ready for breast/bottle feeding.

Please keep Ryan in your thoughts and prayers.

Lisa, Joey and Alec

APRIL 16TH

2009-04-16T13:53:00.005-05:00

Ryan still weighed 3 lbs. 1 oz., which is normal! His new feeding method is going well so far.

He's having less apnea and bradycardia episodes and they have reduced his Vapotherm pressure from 3.5 to 3.0. He has been breathing at less than 30% oxygen much of the last few days.

Ryan had his first eye exam and it was normal. Premature babies are prone to get Retinopathy of Prematurity. This is the result of abnormal blood vessels or scarring of the eye's retina. The problem often resolves by itself, but can result in permanent vision impairment or blindness. However, Ryan's eye exam was normal and we are encouraged by those results. They will follow up in 2 weeks with another exam. Ryan will have to be monitored closely by an ophthalmologist for the first few years to ensure that his eyes have no damage.

Yesterday, mom and Alec visited Ryan in the afternoon and dad visited in the evening. He got to hold Ryan for the 2nd time, which he really enjoyed!

DON'T FORGET TO SCROLL DOWN, I'VE ADDED MORE PICTURES.

ALSO DON'T FORGET TO VISIT RYAN'S OTHER WEBSITE:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ryanjamesfontenot

Thank you for all of your support and prayers!

Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

APRIL 14TH

2009-04-15T09:57:00.002-05:00

Ryan was 3 lbs. 1 oz. on April 14th. Since he is growing, feeding well, and reached 3 lbs., he is being fed in a different way.

He still has the feeding tube, but now instead of a steady feed all the time, he is being fed every 3 hours. They fill a large syringe with breast milk and the nurse holds it until he has eaten it and it is empty. This helps get him used to a regular feeding schedule and ready for breast feeding.

Lisa got to do skin-to-skin contact with Ryan and it went very well! She also got to feed him the breast milk!

Ryan is doing better with his breathing. He is having less apnea and bradycardia episodes. Also, his bone test came back from this week and his numbers have gone down which is exactly what we wanted.

Please continue to keep Ryan in your thoughts and prayers.

Lisa, Joey and Alec

APRIL 13TH UPDATE

2009-04-13T22:57:00.000-05:00

RYAN WAS 3 LBS. EVEN THIS EVENING!!!!

Joey Passed His Final Test!!!

2009-04-13T16:16:00.002-05:00

Since so many of you who visit Ryan's blog also have been following Joey's journey to get his architect license, I'd thought I give up an update.

He passed his final test and will receive his architect license soon!!!

Congratulations to my husband!!! For those who don't know, he took his final test on the day after Ryan was born (we all agreed he should). I'm extra proud of him because I know he was under a tremendous amount of stress and pressure that day.

Lisa

APRIL 13TH

2009-04-13T14:21:00.004-05:00

Ryan's weight as of yesterday is 2 lbs. 14 oz. and he is 14 1/2" long!

Ryan is doing a little better on his breathing and is having less apnea and bradycardia episodes. He's still on Vapotherm, and they have lowered the amount of pressure from 4 to 3.5.

Ryan will be having an eye exam this week. Evidently, there are some special concerns for preemies regarding their eyes. He will be looked at by an ophthamologist on a regular basis to make sure there is nothing out of the ordinary. I will keep you updated on this matter.

Mom is going this evening to bathe Ryan and hopefully hold him if he's doing well.

We haven't got to posting the new pictures, but will do so later today, so be on the lookout.

Again, thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

APRIL 12TH

2009-04-12T23:07:00.003-05:00

Today was Ryan's 1 month birthday!!! We made a small banner for his incubator and had a really nice visit.

They reduced Ryan's Vapotherm amount from 4 to 3.5, which means he is breathing better on his own. He also breathed at 25% oxygen yesterday and today and even at 21% for a little while (healthy people breathe at 21%).

Lisa's going to try skin-to-skin contact again tomorrow since Ryan is having less breathing episodes.

DON'T FORGET TO SCROLL DOWN AND CHECK OUT OTHER PICTURES!!!

Thank you to all of you who have been so supportive. Please continue to keep Ryan in your thoughts and prayers.

Lisa, Joey & Alec

APRIL 11TH UPDATE

2009-04-11T23:31:00.002-05:00

Ryan weighed 2 lbs. 13 oz. tonight, which means he has gained 1 lb. since being born!!!

Also, tomorrow April 12 is Ryan's 1 month birthday!

Please keep us all in your prayers!

Thank you.

Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

APRIL 10TH

2009-04-11T11:35:00.003-05:00

Ryan lost a little weight, less than an ounce and is 2 lbs. 10 oz., but we know he will continue to grow and it's not uncommon for weight to fluctuate by small amounts. They are increasing his calories so that should also help.

Ryan is still on the same breathing program he has been on for the last two weeks. The doctor says that it is common for preemie's to have trouble for a while. He should start seeing improvement by gestational week 34 to 36 (he's just now 32 gestational weeks).

I'll be adding some pictures shortly, so come back.

DON'T FORGET TO ALSO VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ryanjamesfontenot

Thank you. Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

APRIL 9TH

2009-04-10T11:56:00.004-05:00

Today Ryan weighed 2 lbs. 11 oz.!!! We are creeping up on him gaining 1 lb. since he was born!

Ryan is pretty much the same regarding his breathing. It's just going to take a while for his lungs to mature and for him to be able to breathe on his own. On the website, I'm explaining a little more in detail about his breathing plan and what it means.

We have some really cute pictures we'll be posting later today (Friday), so check out the blog and website.

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ryanjamesfontenot

Again, thank you to all of you who keep Ryan, Lisa, Joey and Alec in your thoughts and prayers.

APRIL 9TH

2009-04-09T16:12:00.003-05:00

In addition to this blog, we have found another website in which to keep family and friends updated on Ryan's progress.

This new website will allow guests to leave us messages, view pictures easier and sign up for journal updates. We will, however, keep this blog updated too!

PLEASE VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ryanjamesfontenot

Thank you. The Fontenot's

APRIL 8TH

2009-04-09T16:09:00.002-05:00

Today just dad visited Ryan because mom has an infection and fever (not contagious) and really felt bad. Hopefully, all three of us can visit Ryan tomorrow.

Ryan is doing about the same as far as his breathing goes. He is still on Vapotherm, which forces air into his lungs. He is making "baby steps" towards being able to breathe on his own.

Otherwise is weight is 2 lbs. 10 1/2 oz. and he is 14 inches long!

Please keep Ryan in your thoughts and prayers.

APRIL 6TH & APRIL 7TH

2009-04-07T22:57:00.002-05:00

Ryan's weight on April 7th was 2 lbs. 10 oz., so he continues to grow!

On Monday, Joey got to give Ryan his bath and change his diaper! He's getting more comfortable with it. It's just a little hard because you have to give the bath and change him while he's in the incubator and hooked up to so many things, but we're both getting better.

On Tuesday, Lisa got to hold Ryan with skin-to-skin contact for over an hour. He did very well and Lisa enjoyed holding him so close. She'll continue to do this every other day until he can tolerate it every day. He also had a visit from his Mimi, Patricia Landry and Joey.

Ryan is not having as many difficult breathing episodes per day. Yeah! They have increased his caffeine and it seems to be helping.

His tests on Monday were good. They are watching one concerning his bones. They will follow up with another test and can give him calcium if needed.

Thank you all for following Ryan's progress! Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Have a great day. Lisa, Joey and Alec

APRIL 5TH UPDATE

2009-04-05T22:00:00.003-05:00

Ryan's April 5th weight is 2 lbs. 9 oz. He gained 2 oz. in 1 day!!!

Lisa did get to hold Ryan with skin-to-skin contact for 45 minutes this afternoon. It was a wonderful experience and only the 4th time she has been able to hold him. Hopefully, as he progresses, she will be able to hold him more often with skin-to-skin contact.

Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR MORE PICTURES

APRIL 5TH

2009-04-05T15:32:00.003-05:00

Ryan is now 2 lbs. 7 oz. as of April 4th!!! He is continuing to grow and the doctors are pleased with his progress.

His breathing issues are continuing to improve slowly. We are so happy that there is improvement.

Lisa is very excited that she will get to hold Ryan (skin-to-skin contact) when she visits later this afternoon. She hopes he tolerates it well, but just can't wait to hold him, even for a minute.

Tomorrow, Monday, they run all the weekly tests so we will update everyone on the results.

Please keep Ryan in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you, Lisa, Joey and Alec

APRIL 3RD & APRIL 4TH

2009-04-04T20:15:00.003-05:00

Ryan is now 2 lbs. 6 oz. and growing!!! They continue to increase his feeding amount almost daily which is a positive thing.

Ryan is having less respiratory problems, which we are happy about. He still remains on the same breathing treatment he has been on the whole week. Right now it seems to be helping him so they don't want to change it until they feel he can breathe with less help.

Because of his breathing issues, Lisa is still unable to do skin-to-skin contact, but is hopeful that we can try again next week some time.

Lisa and Joey are getting more comfortable with handling Ryan and giving him a bath and changing his diaper! He's just so small and it's sometimes difficult to work on him because he's in the incubator and you have to reach in. However, it is wonderful to be able to touch him.

DON'T FORGET TO SCROLL TO THE PAGE BOTTOM. WE POST LARGER AND DIFFERENT PICTURES TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL.

Please continue to keep Ryan, Lisa, Joey and Alec in your thoughts and prayers.

APRIL 2ND

2009-04-02T22:42:00.002-05:00

Today only Joey went to visit Ryan because Alec was at home sick so Lisa stayed with him.

Joey showed up just in time to help with Ryan's "bath", which consists pretty much of wiping him down with a wet towel. However, it was great since Joey had not had an opportunity to be with Ryan at bath time before. Joey said that Ryan did not like his bath and fought against it! Afterwards he was awake and rested comfortably.

Ryan is still having respiratory issues, but they have not worsened. The doctors are tweaking his oxygen and caffeine to help him breathe easier. Still, for being born at 28 weeks and 3 weeks old, he is doing fairly well.

Please keep Ryan in your thoughts and prayers!

Lisa, Joey and Alec

APRIL 1ST

2009-04-01T22:15:00.003-05:00

Today, Ryan weighed in at 2lbs. 4 oz.!!! So he is growing and they continue to increase his feeding amount. Tonight Lisa (Mom) got to change Ryan's diaper for the first time. It was amazing how tiny the diaper is and how hard it was to change. Ryan was very alert, awake and active this evening. We talked to him and he grabbed on to our fingers with his tiny hands.

He's still having some respiratory issues, but they are improving. We're not doing the skin-to-skin contact right now because he has not tolerated it well, but as soon as his breathing improves, we can try again.

Please continue to keep Ryan in your thoughts and prayers.

2009-04-01T17:44:00.001-05:00

DON'T FORGET TO SCROLL DOWN TO BOTTOM OF PAGE. I POST LARGE PICTURES OF RYAN!!! LOOK FOR UPDATE LATER TONIGHT ON HIS NEW WEIGHT.

MARCH 30TH

2009-03-30T21:24:00.004-05:00

Today Ryan is 2 lbs. 2 oz.!!! He's doing well with his feeding and is growing. They have upped the amount of nutrition he is receiving and he is tolerating it well.

He is, however, having some respiratory trouble again and has been put on a special oxygen regiment. He hasn't been put back on CPAP, but if this doesn't help greatly, he will. However, we know that making progress and then taking steps back is all part of having a preemie NICU baby.

Please keep Ryan in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.

Lisa, Joey and Alec

March 28th & 29th

2009-03-29T23:28:00.001-05:00

Lisa got to hold Ryan with skin-to-skin contact on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday went well and she got to hold him over an hour. Sunday, Ryan was a little fussy so she only got to hold him about 20 minutes, but it was wonderful. It will take some time for both of them to get used to the holding, but Lisa is going to try it every day.

Ryan is doing well physically. His respiratory episodes are fewer and he's off CPAPS. He's still only around 2 lbs., but is tolerating the nutrition and breast milk well and should start growing.

It's amazing at how tiny Ryan is, but he's a fighter. The nurses say he can't seem to keep still and he's always kicking himself out of his diaper or pulling on one of his cords. It's possible that he may be moved up to a less intense NICU ward in the next week or so. His size is the big factor right now.

We are so blessed to have Ryan in our lives. Please continue to pray for him!

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers, Lisa, Joey and Alec

March 27th - We Hold Ryan for the 1st Time!!!

2009-03-28T12:31:00.001-05:00

Today, March 27th, we got to hold Ryan for the first time. We cannot put into words our joy at holding our little guy for the first time! It was beyond any words we could express.

Ryan did well while we held him for about 45 minutes. He is still on oxygen and having very few respiratory difficulties (although they still come and go). He dropped back down to just below 2 lbs., but we expect him to gain more weight in the coming weeks.

Tomorrow Lisa will get to hold him with skin-to-skin contact. That's where she holds him on her chest and covers him up and holds him for at least an hour. Joey will also try this in the next few days. This encourages bonding between baby and parent. We will also get to help change him and bathe him. We can't wait!

Please continue to keep us all in your thoughts and prayers. We really appreciate all the outpouring of love and kindness we have received.

Lisa, Joey, Alec and Ryan

RYAN IS NOW 2 LBS.!!!

2009-03-25T22:59:00.000-05:00

Today Ryan reached the 2 lb. mark!!! He's 2 lbs. 0.1 oz. He is still on the CPAPS and they are helping him breath better and maintain a more consistent heartbeat. They have increased his amount of nutrition and breast milk. Ryan moves around so much he messes up his sensors sometimes - he's just a strong little guy! Keep us all in your prayers!

MARCH 24TH

2009-03-24T13:28:00.000-05:00

Here's the newest picture of Ryan. Hope you can see that he has his eyes open a little.

Ryan has had some trouble breathing so he's been put back on the CPAPs. This is common for preemie's his size. Good news is that his blood tests have come back the way they should. There is a lot of 3 steps forward and one step back with an NICU baby.

We are visiting Ryan this evening, so look for some different pictures and another update. Please keep Ryan in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you, Lisa, Joey and Alec

RYAN NOW WEIGHS 1 LB. 15 OZ.

2009-03-23T00:53:00.000-05:00

Ryan continues to breathe room air which is a a blessing. He still has an oxygen supplement to help maintain his heart rate and continued lung growth. Ryan has grown to 1 lb. 15 oz. Yeah!!!

Ryan had a bath today and the nurse said he seemed to enjoy it. Hopefully mom and dad will be able to help with some basic care soon.

While mom, dad and Alec visited today, Ryan opened his little eyes. We know he can't see us yet, but it was wonderful to see him with his eyes open. It's hard to tell but they look brown or darker in color.

Also, Ryan made little "squeaking" noises which is the first time we've heard him do that!

2009-03-21T22:19:00.000-05:00

Today Ryan is off the cpaps and breathing room air with help of a little oxygen. His artery was closed so right now nothing needs to be done. He's now fed not only nutrition, but small amounts of mom's breast milk. His doctor's are pleased with his progress. We appreciate all of the prayers and kind thoughts we have received!

2009-03-19T22:53:00.000-05:00

THURSDAY MARCH 19TH

RYAN IS PROGRESSING WELL IN HIS BREATHING. HE IS STILL ON HIS CPAPS, WHICH HELPS HIM BREATH ON HIS OWN. HE DOES HAVE A SMALL ISSUE WITH AN ARTERY THAT SHOULD BE CLOSED BUT MAY BE OPEN. HE WILL HAVE A CHEST X-RAY TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AND WHETHER OR NOT HE NEEDS MEDICATION. HIS WEIGHT TODAY WAS 1 LB. 13 OZ.

2009-03-17T19:08:00.000-05:00

TUESDAY, MARCH 17TH

Today Ryan stayed off the ventilator and on the cpaps which help him to breathe on his own. He blood gasses look good and he is being given nutrition. Hopefully he soon will be able to accept breast milk. But we take one day at a time. When Lisa was visiting this afternoon, Ryan was kicking strongly and letting mom know he heard her voice.

MONDAY, MARCH 16TH

2009-03-16T21:28:00.000-05:00

Today Ryan was moved from a ventilator to another breathing method which includes medication. He is breathing more on his own with less assistance from machines. However, he could be moved back to the ventilator which is very common. His oxygen levels have gone up. They also have started to give him nutrition through a tube. Please continue to pray for him.

Lisa, Joey and Alec

Ryan James Fontenot

2009-03-16T21:04:00.001-05:00

Hello to our family and friends! This page has been set up to keep you updated on Ryan James progress in NICU. We will post daily hospital updates, as well as pictures so everyone can keep up with his growth. Please keep Ryan in your thoughts and prayers and pass on this info to others. We truly believe in the power of prayer and know that it will help Ryan grow stronger each day.

Lisa, Joey and Alec