Christmas homecoming

Christmas morning...



Peyton loved Christmas and all the presents, he kept asking me today, "mama, where's my presents?" He thinks every day should be a day with presents!



We love, love, love the Geo Trax train, Peyton had to help dad set it up, and hasn't stopped playing with it since.






Merry Christmas! Mark and I had a wonderful Christmas this year, and we did get to bring Ryker home Christmas afternoon. The hospital called at around 11 am, and said: "Ryker's Bilirubin screen was good so he can go home today." Mark said: "were on our way." We drove right to the hospital, me still in my PJ's... I at least brushed my teeth... and snatched Ryker up before they could change their minds! It has been wonderful to have both my son's home, I haven't stopped hugging either one!

So far Ryker has been an excellent baby, he even tried to sleep through the night... Knock on wood, I know I should be grateful, but my preemie can't sleep through the night! He has to eat every 3 hours!! So I had to wake him up last night to eat! crazy, but true...

One of "those" parents...

So it's a -no go- for bringing Ryker home before Christmas. It looks like possibly the 26th or 27th. All because his bilirubin is high. He has to be on the lights for at least 24 hours, and then off the lights for at least 24 hours with his bilirubin level coming down. He is gaining weight and doing well in all other areas, so I guess "mom" (me) kind of flipped out a little bit. (I guess I'm not a little pushy, I'm at lot pushy...) I got really mad at the doctor for making him stay at the hospital for Bili lights. I think the conversation went something like this:

(Me yelling): You mean my son is going to stay at the hospital, in the NICU, costing 10's of thousands of dollars a day; getting care from 1 nurse to 3 babies, when he could be at home getting care from 1 nurse/mom to 1 baby at home?!?!?! So a nurse is going to feed my baby a bottle when his mother could very well nurse him at home, all for billi lights?!?!?!?
(Doctor, very calmly): Yes.

So now I'm one of "those" parents, talked about by the nurses during report... "watch out for that Taggart mom..."
The charge nurse even came to talk to me/ calm me down today.

I know what these parents are like, and now I am one. Mark has his hands full, I think he wants to blame it on post partum hormones, but we all know better; I'm just like this...

So pray for Mark; he has a baby in the NICU and a crazy wife!

Christmas pictures of Ryker and yet another update...

Ryker is off oxygen, his IV antibiotics are completed, he is nursing well, passed his hearing test and is alert and doing great! However, the "U" wont let him come home until he has completed college.......

Seriously though, he should come home tomorrow unless they can come up with a reason to keep him, I think they like him too much.... the Doctor says he just has to gain weight and be off the bili lights for another day....

I was pretty pushy today though, I brought in the car seat so they could pass it off and made them do all of his discharge stuff, so that if his bilirubin screen is good tomorrow they can just let me take him home!

The "U" has been really great though, they even had a professional come and take these pictures of Ryker for us. Mark and I love them, so I thought I would share them with everyone!

Ryker update

Not much new really.... Ryker is doing so well. he is nursing like a champion and he looks great! the only thing keeping him at the hospital is oxygen. Right now he is on room air, but he has a nasal cannula delivering it, the doctor says he needs the pressure delivering the oxygen/air. Anyway it is so frustrating for me, because he is awesome, but he still has to stay at the hospital for this one thing... (I mean, it is important to breathe and all....) Mark and I are just tired of making the drive into the U everyday and leaving Peyton, but soon enough we will all be together, hopefully by Christmas, but we'll see.....

Ryker Robert Taggart. December 15, 2008

It has been a very exciting and difficult week for our family. the weekend began with lots of contractions that turned into the real deal early Monday morning. Labor!!! the second time is definitely easier on the mom, however Ryker came 4 weeks early and although he weighed in at 6 lbs 10 oz, 19 1/2 inches long; he had a difficult start and was life flighted from Lakeview to the University Hospital. My sweet baby was put on a ventilator and IV antibiotics the first night, but he has quickly come around and is now breathing on his own, although he still has a nasal cannula in his nose giving him a 1/2 liter of oxygen. he looks so big and healthy to me in his warmer next to the really premie babies in their isoletes next to him, but he is still sick himself and will most likely be in the hospital another week! I did get to nurse and hold him today which is a huge step. Mark and I hope to have our little love home by Christmas, but we will have to wait and see..... Mark and I are so grateful to our family and friends who have helped us so much with watching Peyton and this difficult transition, it's been really hard for me to leave Peyton all the time to go see Ryker, I love both my sons so much, (I really want them in the same room and the same time.) Mark has also been a real rock for me as I am a huge emotional wreck!! My milk came in today... Ouch!


Ryker just after he was born, He came 4 weeks early, but a fun surprise... he was born on his Grandpa Bachman's birthday December 15. So we named him Ryker (Robert) Taggart after his grandpa!

This is Ryker early Tuesday morning at just 12 hours old, he has a ventilator breathing for him and he is under billi lights becasue of jaundice.

This is yesterday 12/17. he is trying to open his eyes.... just the nasal cannula for oxygen and and iv in his foot... doing much better!


Keep praying for us! we love you!

Recent pictures of Peyton

Island Park Cabin Campout

So many fun pictures for such a short vacation!!
My brother Bryson is in town for a few weeks and wanted to go to our family cabin in Island Park, Idaho (right outside West Yellowstone) So even though mark had to work, I decided Peyton and I just had to go! Let me just say this, my kid is a "rock star!!" I can't believe how well he behaved for a 2 year old! As you can see we went canoeing for almost 2 hours and he stayed put the whole time! Yeah!

Every year we see moose on the river, Peyton kept yelling: look mama, moose! this year we saw 2 moose, one small female and one male.




Peyton loved sleeping in the sleeping bag! And, surprise! He was always the last one up in the morning!





My Mom and Dad even tried to teach Peyton to fish. Peyton got to reel in a catch, but as soon as he saw the fish he got freaked out!!