Austin Kimmey: AUSTIN IS 4 MONTHS OLD!!!!!! (bottles, RSV yikes)

Austin is doing well. He started bottle feeds on Monday. He finished the entire bottle on his first feed ever!!! He has finished EVERY bottle, but one (choked and brady'd so we didn't continue). I am so excited to see him do so well with the bottle. This is a HUGE step towards coming home. We will start to really concentrate on his feeds and getting his O2 flow down. He will be coming home on oxygen, that's pretty much a "given" so we just need to comfortably get him to adjust to a lighter flow. I can not believe how long we have been in the NICU. Its insane to me! Austin is 4 months old today! He is such a doll! I love him so. He is really alert and interactive these days! It is so fun! Austin's current weigh in is 9 lbs 10 oz. Chub-a--wub!!!

Austin did have a couple episodes two nights ago. He had yanked out his NG tube (feeding tube in his nose). When his nurse replaced it, he clamped down and brady'd to 78 and sats dropped into the 40's. He did have to be bagged, but did recover well. They call these type of episodes "caused" or mechanical, meaning it was his body reacting to something they were doing, something unnatural for his body. However, while he was sleeping, a few hours later, he had another episode, same stats and was again bagged. The second one raises a few questions because it is very uncommon for Austin. A few babies started to have a's and b's and began to act a little off. The doctors decided to pull an RSV wash on all babies. BINGO. Thank God, Austin pulled negative twice.... but there were several babies that tested positive. To a baby with lung issues, RSV could be fatal, and will always be major steps backward. WE DO NOT WANT AUSTIN GETTING RSV!!! THIS IS WHY ITS IMPORTANT HE STAY SECLUDED FROM THE WORLD FOR A WHILE! I was a nervous wreck. He has come so far and is finally making some huge, major progress. We do not want to go backwards!!! There are so many babies with RSV that they have now opened one pod to just RSV babies. The unit has cut off all visitors other than parents and make sure that hand washing is being done properly (kind of sad you have to remind an adult to wash their hands before entering an unit full of sick babies). God has once again blessed us and Austin is back on track again today, sucking down his bottles in no time at all!

I am also participating in MARCH for BABIES, (March of Dimes). I am fundraising for research to help prevent preterm labor. If anyone is interested in participating and/or donating, (any amount helps), here is my website: www.marchforbabies.org/akimmey I hope to raise $500 myself, $2800.00 as a team. I think that I have found a new passion. I really feel that there is a major lack of premature birth awareness. I also feel that most people have an unclear view as to why premature births happen. I feel most people think its caused, whether it be lack of prenatal care or drug abuse, etc. That is not the cause, most of the time. I hope you all will support me in spreading the word.

Another fabulous story.... The Cincinnati Reds, major league baseball team, sent us an amazing package. The story behind this.... Last season my husband ordered a multi-game deal. Sales called this year to offer the package, he just let her know he wasn't interested, she started into her sales pitch, he simply stated "its not that we don't want to, we simply cannot this year. We have a premature son in the NICU and we do not know when he'll be home". She thanked him and that was that. Twenty minutes later she called back and asked if there were anything they could do for us. She asked if she could send our older son something, anything. He told her that would be fine and sent her our address. We both had forgotten about it. Last week the Reds organization sent a box FULL of stuff for all of us. Here is a picture.

Austin has also been featured by a basketball organization here in Cincinnati, too. www.sherwinstars.com I wrote a short version of Austin's battle and included a few pictures. Prayers from every where... its so cool!!! He is so inspiring to so many people. It warms my heart. I have also been in contact with our local Parents magazine about raising premature birth awareness, feeling with March for Babies right around the corner this to be a perfect time of year. I have been contacted and we will be doing a story on Austin and the March for Babies. I am so excited!!!

NOW TIME FOR PICTURES!!!!!!!