just kidding

so, right before we left the hospital, i got a phone call on my cell from the nurse (who didn't realize i was sitting across the hall). things quieted down in the NICU and malachi wasn't too restless so bethany suited back up and went it. she was so blessed to be able to hold her baby. he liked it too. although they had separated him from his little house, it's continuous warmth, and the routine he's known for months, the moment he was skin to skin with his mom, his vitals signs shot right up. he was certainly happy, longing for the place he really belonged. i think we feel the same way with regard to our Father sometimes. anyway, thanks for praying. he's continuing to do well, and we're praying he stays strong and keeps on keeping on. one day at a time.
-love-
p.s. conley now weighs... two pounds!!

stuff happens

you know how when you're a little kid, and you get it in your head and in your heart that you're going to soon have a great experience (go fishing, get a doll, eat grilled cheese)? and then, you know that feeling you get when you realize you're out of cheese, or your mom got you a slinky instead of a doll. that's the feeling bethany and i have tonight after not being able to hold conley. they had just admitted a new baby across the aisle from him and things were just too busy. plus, he got kind of fussy anyway. the upside of that was that bethany got to do the mom thing and did a great job of calming him and giving him his binky. when mom's hands were in the isolette, baby was happy. so, we wait a little longer. he seems to be pretty bugged by the big oxygen prongs in his mouth and his belly is quite round. however, he's doing okay and is tolerating his feeds. we're praying that his oxygen settings get good enough that he can go off the bubbler. that will give his nose a rest. anyway, we love you all. thanks for your love. God is teaching us true patience, true trust. one day at a time.

little man

conley is doing well. he has been staying pretty stable on most accounts. the things that are of concern are that his belly seems to be getting quite full of air (a pretty common problem with being on the oxygen bubbler), and that he's been needing a little bit more oxygen content and pressure. this could be a sign of him getting a little tired. the part that makes it tough is that his nose is also irritated again and so that could be giving him a hard time, however, the catch-22 is that with such problems, his settings need to go up and the docs certainly rule out just putting him on oxygen (without the bubbler giving him pressure). a tough thing. he is doing well, however. the doctor tonight said that he is hoping to see conley on the bubbler for only a few more days, then on to just oxygen. let's pray that happens, that his nose doesn't swell up between now and then, that his stamina grows, and that his belly vents out all that air (we all know how good that can feel when things finally move on out :) thanks so much for your prayers. bethany has been told she should get to hold him(!) tomorrow night. one day at a time.
-love-

late nights in the big city

bethany and i went up late tonight after a so far in discord concert. it's neat to come this late in the evening, since everything is quiet here. the NICU has the lights down low and our little man is just chillin'. he loves to be on his belly, and was so calm when we came in. i think he likes to hear his mom's voice, too. he's doing well at full feeds, in fact he was increased to 12.5cc's every three hours. that is a very good thing. the doctor told us tonight that he didn't expect conley to get off the respirator as soon as he did and that he's been doing well on it. although we just want to hear someone say "he's going to be okay," he's still got a road ahead of him. he did say, however that he's got quite a bit going for him with his good long stretches off the respirator, full feeds, lack of infections and illness, and good head ultrasounds. not to say that we won't hit any more bumps in the road, but he seems to be motoring right along. monday will be a month, 11 weeks until his intended due date. thank you for all your prayers. we are grateful to He who hears, and you who offer them. one day at a time.
-love-

back in action (both of us)

i got my computer fixed, but i'm pretty sure conley steals the show by going back on the oxygen bubbler and breathing on his own again. he's been doing quite well at it, too. he's continued going up on his feedings (he really is trying to copy me) and those feeds are at full fortified status (i guess the joke about weight gainer fuel wasn't far off). so, he's over 1lb. 14oz. For those of you unfamiliar with the standard measurement system, we're less than 2oz. from the 2lb. mark (oh yeah). So, please pray he continues to do well on the oxygen bubbler and go down on his oxygen requirements (because of his lungs maturing and him staying strong), and that his belly keeps from getting too bloated from the bubbler. Sorry the updates have been delayed. stay tuned. one day at a time
-love-

the morning news

the weaning on conley's respiratory rate last night showed good results in this morning's lab tests. thank you so much for praying. he's just continuing on strong, and he looks really great. one day at a time
-love-

the marathon, not the 50-yard dash

sorry it's taken so long to post again. busyness coupled with computer troubles has made things difficult. here's the score: conley was able to be taken off the hi-frequency ventilator over the weekend (i think they inferred that he partially took his tube out, and so they decided he was ready to step up... i'm not joking). he's been weaning on the conventional vent steadily. it wasn't until last night that the weaning of his settings didn't seem to be timely. they will be trying to wean him the same amount tonight. please pray he tolerates it so he can continue forward. he's up to FULL FEEDS now, (12CC/3hrs). he's going to really start to pack on the pounds. he's at 1lb. 13oz. now and seems to be climbing.
we're pretty sure he's approached this whole thing just like a monroe- go like heck until you burn out and then settle into good, steady progress. he comes by it honestly. thanks for all your prayers. we're so thankful to you for praying and to God for hearing. one day at a time
-love-

better

conley was able to be weaned twice today on his respirator settings. the nurse said he had a good day, and hopefully is DeltaP # (whatever that means) on his blood gas report comes down far enough in the next day or so for him to be put back on a conventional respirator (yesterday it was 14, today 12.5, 9 is the goal). that's awesome. plus, she weighed him today. he was weighed four days ago and came in at 1lb. 10oz. (up from 1lb. 8oz. @ birth). today, he weighed in at..... 1lb. 12oz. he's basically a giant. i've been secretly slipping him whey protein and GNC weight-gainers fuel.
with regard to percentage, that would be similar to me gaining 25lbs. in 2 and a half weeks. i'd say that's good progress for our man. thanks for your prayers. please continue to pray his belly digests his food more effectively. they're feeding him continuously at 1CC/hour. one day at a time.
-love-

rebound

so i was basically freaking out yesterday. i was about ready to give the entire NICU a piece of my mind, aided by a whirlwind of flailing fists and loud four-letter words. no matter how much anyone tells you that a premature child is going to have his ups and downs, successes and setbacks, the first one hits you very hard. thankfully, one of our most favorite nurses came and lovingly told us what was up and did so with a positive outlook. she appears to be quite right. today he was able to start being weaned down on the Hi-Fi respirator and started trickling in the breast milk. he just looks really good today, bigger even. we're praying he continues forward and can be weaned back down to a conventional respirator and then back down to just the oxygen bubbler. but, as always, one day at a time. not to get ahead of ourselves. thanks for your fervent prayers.
-love-

another day at a time

my computer is broken and keeps restarting. so, i'm going to make this quick. conley has been on the high-fi respirator sine a couple days ago. they're trying to get his oxygen stabilized so he can get back so eating. please pray that this happens and that he regains his strength to be able to breathe once again on his own. such setbacks are to be expected with a baby in his situation. we're praying God continues to intervene and helps high keep on fighting. thanks everybody. one day at a time...
-love-

oh, that face

i spoke with the doctor this morning and conley wasn't really liking the conventional ventilator last night so he went on to the oscillating one. this gives him shorter, more frequent breaths and will hopefully be less likely to hurt his lungs. i'm not sure if they're starting him back on milk today, or if they'll have to wait until he's off this ventilator. hard to have a day like today, even though it's a completely normal step for a little guy like him. we've just had so much progress in one direction, now to have to hold up is difficult. i'm not a patient person. God knows what he's doing, though. please keep praying for this little guy. bethany was right though, his little break is giving us the chance to see him again, though. unwrapped and cute as ever. one day at a time. thanks for your prayers. please don't stop.
-love-

taking a break

conley's CO2 was up again this morning so he's taking a break and back on the respirator. that may actually be good for him in the long run, give him some time to use the calories he's taking in on putting on some weight, instead of burning them up by doing all of his own breathing. they also found that his nose was swollen probably because of the tubes being in his nose for a long time. we're praying that the swelling goes down quickly, since he won't go back on the bubbler until it's back to normal. he's started back on the antibiotics just to be safe with infection. when they started back on the respirator, they actually got back an even higher CO2 level, so they had to up the pressure. i'm wondering if maybe they should just give him a chance back on the oxygen bubbler, but they're the pros. please pray that he takes this time to rest and bulk up and that when he gets back on the bubbler (soon, we hope), he'll be set for good. thanks so much. one day at a time.
-love-

mom's day

today was conley's first mother's day. he was nice enough to send mom flowers, (actually, he commissioned malachi and i to get them) and made mom a card with his pictures on it (with a little help from a nice nurse). pretty sweet. he's doing well. they've been increasing his feedings still, however, with the oxygen apparatus that he's on, it fills up his belly with air too, so that makes him bloated. we're praying that he starts to digest a little better. also, his blood gas reports have been climbing in the CO2 department, which could be a sign that he's tiring out from breathing. it also could be that with his belly being so full, he's having a hard time taking deep breaths. he may need to go back on a respirator tomorrow morning if the next report is still high or higher. that's okay if he does, and quite normal for babies his size and age to bounce back and forth. however, our prayer is that his belly empties, he stays strong, and that his lungs do their thing. also, if you could pray for him to stabilize his temperature, he's had a tougher time with that today, which could mean an infection (also quite normal for his type, and he'd need some more antibiotics). anyway, thanks for your prayers. some new pictures today, yesterday was quite busy, so no blog. back in action now. one day at a time. thank you all so much.
-love-

missed

despite the little amount of physical and other interaction we are able to have with our son, it seems like it doesn't take long to miss him. it's so hard not to have him in our arms, but yet we know that he is getting exactly what he needs. words can't really express the joy he already brings to our hearts.
they are increasing his feedings every 9 hours in order to bring him up to a full feeding, which, for his age is 12CC (under an ounce). he's at 3 or maybe 4cc by now. he's had a break from the jaundice lights and his skin color looks really good and normal. his temperature has been stabilizing which is also very good. thankful for every success, praying for him to continue on down this path. one day at time.
-love-

giving Him no rest

my good friend joe came to visit conley yesterday. he said that it had been a while since he had checked the blog, and that while reading, he started at the top and worked his way day, reading in almost every post some success Conley had made, then below it, an earlier post asking you all to pray for it. we are thankful to God that we are able to do that once again. Conley head ultrasound came out normal again (woohoo!) and not only did he start digesting his food yesterday, they've bumped him up from 1cc to 2cc per feeding. what can we say? thank you and thank Him. "I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth." Is. 62:6-9
one day at a time.
-love-

like it ain't no thang

i'm pretty sure in the doctor/nurse meeting the head neonatologist referred to conley as "hero." i think they're pretty impressed with him like we are. he's still breathing well. although his oxygen requirement has gone up a little, nobody goes from the hi-fi respirator to breathing on his own (that's what the doctor said). that's basically a grand slam, walk-off homer, bottom of the ninth. another head ultrasound today, getting the results back tonight. really praying that it's normal again. now, just trying to train his belly to really digest. things are well, and we are so thankful. your prayers are certainly a factor in how things are going. thank you, thank you, thank you.
one day at a time.
-love-

number 4, well, actually number 2

conley did number 2 for the fourth time tonight (saw it with my own eyes). i can't say i've ever been so happy to see excrement (no offense, malachi). he's doing pretty well. they had to hold a couple feedings this afternoon but they fed him while we were there tonight. hoping it digests normally. he looks good. i got to see his eyes open just a sliver. dark portals into the mind of an amazing little guy. thanks for continuing with us in love and prayer. sleep is imminent. here's a picture for size perspective. that's bethany's hand...
one day at a time
-love-

on the move

the moment we've all been waiting for. our little hero has pooped. this is very good news. he pooped a couple of times today, they've told us. that will help keep his bilirubin levels (jaundice) down, and is just a good thing in general (as i'm sure you all know). He did digest the rest of his food last night and they fed him at 11PM. today, he's taking his time digesting so they've had to wait a little on feedings. understandable, as his stomach is brand new and about the size of a superball. we'll be going up to see him tonight. here's one of those pictures the other NICU dad took last night. told you he was cute on his belly. the headgear he's got on (similar to the apparatus used by avid football-game watchers/beer drinkers) is his oxygen bubbler. they have him rigged up in such a way as to help him breathe through his nose and to keep the tubes from hurting his head. he's the only guy i know who wears a winter hat in a sauna. what a fighter. one day at a time.
-love-

yummy, mummy

we didn't have our camera again tonight. turns out that it's actually up in waterville in bethany's mom's vehicle. however, another NICU dad had his camera so he took a picture of conley on his belly. he should be emailing them to me tonight. i'll put them up as soon as i can. he's such a cutie. he's had a great day today, with his blood gases (the absorption of oxygen and carbon dioxide into his blood) doing even a little better. he was fed 1cc of milk today 3 times and when they went for the 4th feeding tonight, he had only really digested about 1 of those total 3cc, which is okay. please just pray that his little stomach can really start to process that milk in order to help him grow. also, we hope that he continues to stay off the ventilator, but if he does need a break from breathing on his own, we pray that the doctors and nurses will know when it's time. thanks so much for your prayers. it's a daily grind for our little guy, and for us. he's still a ways from being truly out of the woods, but so far, he's been running at a pretty good pace toward the open air. thanks for your prayers. lastly, please pray that he not only makes it home with us, but that his development continues as normal as possible so as to dodge any lasting effects on him. we love you all. one day at a time.

every step counts

the coolest thing about this whole blog and the huge community of faith that surrounds our family is that when i'm by conley's incubator, and the nurses are telling me what is going on with him and what the next steps are, i can bring those needs, concerns, milestones, right to you all and we can pray specifically for what's on his little plate. thanks for being so faithful to stand with us in prayer and in support of our little guy. THANKS SO MUCH for all your wonderful comments. they really bless us and mean a lot to us, more than you all know.
well... he's still doing well off the respirator, and they're just hoping his blood gas levels don't spike up, in which case he'd need a break from breathing on his own. he's breathing room air right now, no extra oxygen, which is great. tomorrow they want to start feeding him breastmilk. that can be tough on little guys whose stomachs are so immature. please pray that he surprises us again and just digests it really well. the sooner he can start drinking milk, the better for him, his weight, and the development of all his organs. also, they're hoping to take one of the IV lines out of his tummy today. that's good. thanks be to God for each step of progress. we know that with a situation like this, setbacks are very common, and we'll be prepared for that. until then, we revel in every hurdle that he overcomes.
"With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall." Psalm 18:29
one day at a time.
-love-
p.s. i hope to take some new pictures tomorrow. we got to see his face today!! a little swollen from the air tubes but still so cute. he gave us a couple little cries and the nurse said he opened his eyes for her earlier! pretty cool.

every step counts

the coolest thing about this whole blog and the huge community of faith that surrounds our family is that when i'm by conley's incubator, and the nurses are telling me what is going on with him and what the next steps are, i can bring those needs, concerns, milestones, right to you all and we can pray specifically for what's on his little plate. thanks for being so faithful to stand with us in prayer and in support of our little guy.
well... he's still doing well off the respirator, and they're just hoping his blood gas levels don't spike up, in which case he'd need a break from breathing on his own. he's breathing room air right now, no extra oxygen, which is great. tomorrow they want to start feeding him breastmilk. that can be tough on little guys whose stomachs are so immature. please pray that he surprises us again and just digests it really well. the sooner he can start drinking milk, the better for him, his weight, and the development of all his organs. also, they're hoping to take one of the IV lines out of his tummy today. that's good. thanks be to God for each step of progress. we know that with a situation like this, setbacks are very common, and we'll be prepared for that. until then, we revel in every hurdle that he overcomes.
"With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall." Psalm 18:29
one day at a time.
-love-

late nights

visiting conley late at night is nice. things are chill and quiet in the NICU. he just hangs out, waves at us from time to time, and breathes (without a respirator, still). i got to change his diaper (about the size of a baseball card when folded) and take his temperature. that was neat. we don't touch him a whole lot because too much stimulation isn't good for him. but when i get the quick chance to put the tip of my finger snugly into his little hand, or just rest my hand on his body in order to help him be calm, it's like a small serving of a really great meal that your mom is cooking. when she's not looking, you pick up the cover of the pan and spoon out just a little. just enough to keep you going until 6:00 when it will be fully served up. we can't wait to just hold him. thanks for your thoughts and prayers. one day at a time.
-love-

surprise surprise

still off the respirator, conley is going strong. they do expect him to go back onto it at some point. they were fully expecting him to be back on by midday today but his blood gas levels were doing even a little better earlier this evening. please continue to pray that those improve and that they will soon be able wean off his oxygen tubes (different that a respirator) and take out certain lines in his tummy in order to start to feed him milk. he'll then be able to bulk up. that will take time but hopefully he can start down that road soon. everything that we have all prayed for has been really progressing. the prayers of the righteous are definitely powerful and effective. thank you.
one day at a time.
-love-

medical insubordination

thanks so much for your prayers about conley's breathing. after i posted the blog at 11:00pm last night, 4 hours later, he pulled his own breathing tube out of his mouth and started to breathe on his own. no joking here. i called up at 8 this morning and he had been breathing without the respirator since then. the nurse seemed quite amazed and i think she thought we'd be upset. quite the contrary. she said he'd probably tire himself out this first time around and have to get back on the respirator, but it's definitely a really amazing step. thanks again for your prayers. one day at a time.
-love-

halfway home

we are halfway home. the four-piece monroe family has gone from having two members at the hospital to just one. it's good to have mommy back around. she's still sore from the c-section but is doing well. i think i know where conley gets his fight from. malachi is happy to have his home pretty much back in order.
conley passed his first head ultrasound, which is awesome. thanks be to God and thanks for your prayers. he'll have another one in 10 days. he's a high risk for bleeding in his brain because of his size and also because he's still relegated to a respirator. we really can't ask much more from him, though. in the morning meeting with doctors and nurses today, the head neonatologist (little baby doctor) told me they were going to have to start making things up because they didn't really have any complaints with his progress. that was nice to hear.
conley is probably encouraged in his personal race by the early lead the red sox have in the AL East pennant race. Big Papi, meet your protege, conley roger lee.
anyway, please do pray that he'll soon be balanced in the oxygen and co2 absorption of his lungs so that his respirator can be weaned. it's amazing that so far, that's our only real big request. thanks everyone. one day at a time.
-love-
p.s. thanks so much for checking in on this blog. thanks to those who comment. your comments mean A LOT to us, and the only reason we don't really personally respond to the comments is because there are so many of them. that's a good problem to have, we think.

one day at a time

another day passes. conley had a really good day today. he did everything the nurses asked him to, including play them a song on the guitar.
we are still waiting to hear back on the ultrasound they did of his head. please pray, as the doctor will be analyzing the results tonight. please pray that he continues to do well and that he can soon be off the ventilator, in which case he'd be able to begin drinking milk. stay well. thanks for checking in with us.
-love-

hero

conley means "hero," and it's a perfect name for this little guy. he's doing well, and moving a lot. he's a feisty kid and is even grabbing onto stuff (tubes, blankets, nurses hands). he needed a special respirator to give his little lungs a break, but he's also requiring a lower percentage of oxygen, which is good. please pray that his lungs continue to develop quickly. also, tomorrow, a very important sonogram will be done on his brain to check and see how things are going there. please pray that everything checks out and that the only thing they find is some scattered thoughts (that will further identify him as his father's son). thanks so much. these are some pictures from bedtime tuesday night. thanks for your prayers. much love!

conley roger lee

Hi everybody. Conley Roger Lee Monroe was born at 1:08PM on April 30th. He's 1lb. 8oz.
he's doing well. at his premature stage (25 weeks, app. 6 months along), everything is one day at a time, so we ask that the awesome amount of prayer that you all have offered for him will continue. he's our hero and one heck of a fighter. thanks for your love and prayers. we love you all very much.

ty, bethany, malachi and conley