Watching Rhett overcome so many things over his short 8 days of life has been so amazing. It’s hard to say what I expected from this experience, but getting to watch Rhett tackle challenge after challenge, and to see my wife be so strong, and the support and love from family and friends and people that don’t even know me, and Talon interact with his little brother has turned what I thought would be weeks of sadness turn into days full of smiling and happy tears. Also, yes I know that was like the worst run on sentence in the history of sentences.

I can’t express enough how thankful Amanda and I are for all of the messages of support that we have received. It’s been overwhelming in the best kind of way. The CICU staff has been so great and supportive in making us feel good ever single day. The nurses and doctors are nothing short of amazing and we’ve even had the chance to meet some of the other parents. Getting to share some of our story with them and offering them encouragement and them being able to do the same for us as we all are going through this separately, but together. With that being said, I’d like to ask that you also say some prayers for the families of Daxton, Hazel, and Leon as they are all going through their own struggles.

 

I wanted to thank Christi for her entry about Rhett on her website thewaterwife.com

http://www.thewaterwife.com/team-rhett-write-31-days-day-12-storm/

 

I’d also like to thank my friend Ashley for her online makeup sales event for Younique over the next 10 days October 15th to October 25th where she will be donating all of her commission to Rhett.

Go check out here online store at https://www.youniqueproducts.com/AEY

Join the event on facebook here! RAISING FOR RHETT

But don’t order until tomorrow!!!

 

Amanda and I got to celebrate our one year anniversary at Cook’s on the 11th. Hard to believe it’s been a whole year, but what a year it was. She is the perfect mother and wife and she has managed to smile all the way through this. We have managed to have fun throughout our stay at the CICU INN and when I go home to get good sleep, I still miss her. Thanks for an amazing year, my dear!

So much has happened in the few days since my last blog post. This week has felt like a month! Rhett has been closed up, the breathing tube has been removed, his swelling is all but gone, he’s pee’d and pooped on his own, I was able to get him to take a bottle, he’s had countless drainage tubes removed, and momma is now getting to hold him every day.

Holding him… It’s quite an event. Don’t take for granted the ability to just pick up your baby when they are crying. Holding Rhett for us means that we need at least two nurses to come over, lift Rhett and transfer about a million wires as well as him over to Amanda who has to sit right next to Rhett’s bed and pretty much let him lay on a pillow in her lap still attached to all of his machines. There are so many times when he’s crying that we wish we could just pick him up and hold him. We try to stay close by and lean into his bed to be with him, but we both long to just grab him and pick him up. I’m trying to upload a video to youtube but apparently my internet wants to upload super slow. Once it’s finally ready I’ll include it here if you’d like to watch the video of Amanda holding Rhett for the first time after surgery.

I’m hoping that some parents who are about to go through what Amanda and I have endured over this past week somehow manage to find this page and find some comfort. I saw a mom and dad in the waiting room yesterday who looked to be about our age and it was just the two of them. It was about 9:30 and Dr. Tam had just finished their child’s surgery. Although it was only a short time ago that Amanda and I took that walk in to see our Rhett for the first time, but obviously the emotions I felt will never be forgotten. I reached out to them and told them that they are about to experience the worst part, but I assured them that things do get better. There will be giant leaps forward and baby steps back all throughout their stay in the CICU, but you just have to take it a half day at a time. Take the good with the bad, and KNOW that things are going to get better and the little baby that you saw the first day will return and the only difference will be the battle scar left on their chest and the amount your love has grown when you thought your heart couldn’t be more full.

So for anyone who hasn’t quite started their journey yet. It will be hard, you will be tired, you will cry, you will smile, you will want to break, you will feel on top of the world, but keep pushing forward. IT GET’S BETTER and the best thing you can do is just be there for your baby. When they are covered from head to toe in wires and sensors and bandages, find an clear patch of skin on their forehead and give them a kiss. Lean on your family for support and if you don’t have much support you can message me and I’ll be there for you. I wish there was a big brother/big sister type program at the hospital where parents who have been through this and parents who are about to go through this can be linked together for guidance. I wish I had someone who could’ve given me the harsh details of that first look at Rhett when he was swollen beyond belief and hooked up to a million machines. The doctors are amazing and science can achieve impossible things. Have faith in the hands that guide the hands of all of those who are there to make your kiddo better. Slowly but surely, it most assuredly gets better.