Yes! We're Back!

Hello everyone!

Yes! We are back in Winnipeg! We all got back at various times on Thursday.

We have been so busy since we got back to Winnipeg that I haven't had time to write yet. We have been sleeping in (Molly likes to sleep in, so Lee & I were taking advantage of it too), visiting with friends and family, and going to the hospital.

It's a little tougher to get to the hospital now, as it's not just a 5 minute walk across the street. We can't go four times a day like we were before. And since they don't let Molly into the NICU here in Winnipeg, it really makes things tough to see Cory.

I promise I will write more later. Lee is heading in to work this afternoon, so we are going to stop by the hospital before he goes in.

Again... I promise I will update the blog and let you all know how Cory is doing very soon.


To the Playgroup Girls... Yes. I am planning to go to playgroup tomorrow. Molly & I can hardly wait to see you all!

I'm Thinking Thursday!

So it seems that the doctors have decided that we can take Cory back to Winnipeg! He will be flown to the Children's Hospital on Thursday, providing that they still have a bed available by then. So far everything looks good, so hopefully we'll be home very very soon! Lee is going to be driving out on Wednesday morning. He is hoping to get home before me and get our home ready for Molly and I. It is going to be sooooo good to get home!

I am sending most of my luggage home with Lee in the truck. That way I don't have to lug several bags through the airport, all the while trying to keep an eye on Molly. I am also sending the laptop home with Lee, so I won't be able to blog again until I get home.

I have to keep this one really short as I have to finish packing. There's not much left... but I have to get it done because Lee wants to leave early in the morning.

So I guess I'll see everyone very soon! Until then...

Whispers of Winnipeg

It seems it's been a few days since I've written. I do apologize... but Lee & I have been spending more time with Cory at the hospital over the past few days. Cory is doing very well and looks good. It is so wonderful to be able to hold him and to have him gaze at us with his big brown eyes. He is very alert and loves to be cuddled and talked to.

Cory has a couple of little "kinks" that need to be worked out (nothing serious)... and there are whispers going around the NICU that we may be coming home this week! YAY! If they decide that Cory is ready, he will be flown on a medivac plane back to the Children's Hospital in Winnipeg. Molly & I would take a West Jet flight back to Winnipeg, and Lee would drive back and meet us at home. Hopefully Lee & I will find out tomorrow morning if we will be making the journey back home. We have all of our fingers and all of our toes crossed!

Cory is now basically wire free. He had his pace maker wires pulled out this morning. All he really has left is his PIC line and the small feeding tube in his nose. He is being weaned off most of his medications and seems to be tolerating it all very well.

You will notice in this picture that you can actually see some baby now... not just a bunch of wires and tubes. He's a good lookin' little fella if I do say so myself! Notice the bald spot on the top of his head from where they had to shave it to put his IV in. But I'm happy to report that he is already growing his hair back.

Molly mentioned to me that she is a little disappointed that she's not getting very much mention on this blog. So I better write a little bit about her too! Molly is very ready to go home. She doesn't mind visiting her brother in the hospital, but she would rather be at home playing with her toys and her dog. She had gotten so big and had changed so much since we've been out here! She turned 7 months old on Saturday and was 26 1/2" long and 17 lbs. 9 oz. She loves to sing and loves to babble. She loves taking her bath in the big tub and LOVES to splash! She has so much fun splashing in the tub that she gets mad when you take her out to dry her off!

Molly is an exceptionally good baby. She loves it when we go outside and loves to look around at everyone and everything. She sometimes plays shy with strangers, and has the cutest look when she lowers her head and averts her eyes from people.

She LOVES to eat. She can't get enough of her cereal and her fruits and vegetables. Creamed corn is an absolute favourite of hers. She is starting to resist her nap time... but in the end Mommy always wins and Molly ends up going down for at least a short cat-nap.

Molly loves it when Daddy tosses her in the air and bounces her. She squeals with delight and can't get enough.

Molly and Grandma have had such a wonderful time bonding with each other since we've been here. Since Grandma gets up early, she has had the pleasure of playing with Molly until Lee & I get our lazy butts out of bed. I have to admit... Lee & I have certainly taken advantage of our built in babysitter and have enjoyed our leisurely mornings lazing around until 9:00 or later.

Grandma has absolutely made our stay out here more bearable. She has taken care of Molly so Lee & I could have more time to spend time with Cory after his surgery. And I know that Molly has enjoyed her time with Grandma too. Molly could often be found giving Grandma sloppy wet drooly kisses or pulling on her hair (which in Molly-land means "I love you!") I hope that Molly & Grandma will always have a special bond because of their time together in Edmonton. Thank you so much Mom for being here with us!

Well... I'm going to sign off for now. The sooner I get to sleep, the sooner I find out if I'm going home! I will let you all know what the plan is as soon as I find out.

Take care! And hopefully we'll see you all very soon!

Oh! What a Feeling!

Just a quick update! Cory had his chest tube taken out this morning at about 8:30. He is looking good and doing very well. And I finally got to hold my little baby boy! It felt so good to hold him and comfort him after so long. He fell asleep in my arms and seemed perfectly content there.

Lee speaking here. I on the other hand did NOT get to hold my boy as my wife is a big fat baby hog. She thinks maybe in the spring. She CLAIMS that she gave me every opportunity to have my turn but she also told me we could go back to separate bank accounts if I didn't like the joint one, and we all know how that turned out.

Cory's Big Day

Hi! Sorry I haven't written for a couple of days. To be honest... I think the stress of everything finally hit me and shut me down for a day and a half. The day before yesterday all I did was sleep. And I didn't do too much yesterday but stick around the apartment. But I think it was good for me since I feel so much better today.

Cory has been moved out of the PICU and back into the NICU. Last night when I saw him he looked like he was in pain. I don't know for sure if he was or not... but it tore my heart apart. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing down my cheeks. I wanted to help him and comfort him so badly, but there was nothing I could do. The nurses assured me that he was fine, but he just had this look on his face that seemed to be crying out for his Mommy to make everything better. I really hate the feeling of utter helplessness. There is no worse feeling than not being able to make your child feel better and not being able to comfort them.

This morning, however, Cory looked much better. He looked much more relaxed and rested. His colour was better and his face looked de-stressed. He was awake and he didn't look so drugged up on his Morphine. His eyes seemed to follow us like he couldn't get enough of us. Lee & I were there when the doctors did their rounds and we were so happy to hear what they had planned for him for the day.

The first big step for the day was that Cory was extubated. The respiratory therapists came and took out his breathing tube. I think Cory was so relieved to have that thing out of his nose! He is now breathing on his own. When the respiratory testing came back the results indicated that Cory seems to be doing better without the ventilator than he was doing on it!

Secondly... the nurse practitioner came and took the IV out of Cory's neck. They were no longer giving him any medication through it, so there was no need for it to be there. I was so happy to see that one go. I didn't think that one looked too comfortable.

The third step was taking out his catheter. Again... I think Cory was happy to have that one gone! But now we have to do more diaper changes. Not a bad trade off if you ask me!

This morning the nurses also capped off his pacemaker wires. The wires are still in his chest, but they are no longer hooked up to the pacemaker. So basically Cory is now breathing own his own and making his heart beat on his own. He's such a little trooper!

They also decided to start feeding Cory today. He was getting fed through and IV, but now he is getting the same kind of formula as any other newborn. Granted... he is getting it through a small tube in his nose that goes straight to his intestines... but at least he is finally getting fed!

The doctors were also thinking of taking out his chest tube today, but as of this afternoon they decided to postpone it until tomorrow morning. That will be a big relief when that tube is out because that one is likely causing Cory some discomfort. Shortly after his chest tube is removed I will FINALLY get to hold him again. I was really hoping it would come out today, but I guess it's better to wait one more day to make sure there is no more fluid in his chest that needs to be drained. Tomorrow will be here before I know it!

Grandma and Molly went to visit Cory today too. I still don't think Molly knows that the little guy will eventually be coming home with us, but I'm sure once we all get home she'll be more than thrilled to have her little brother there with us! Lee still hasn't told her that she's going to have to share her pony with Cory though. Not too sure how she's going to like that!

So that was Cory's big day! Lots of good things happened to our Little Superstar! He is doing quite well and we are so excited and proud of him.

I want to thank everyone again for all your thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes. And thank you so much for all your comments and emails and phone calls. I do apologize if I haven't replied to emails, but it has been such a busy busy week and a half since Cory was born. Thank you for taking the time to check our blog and look for updates. Hopefully one day soon I'll be able to write about our homecoming! We miss everyone back in Winnipeg and can hardly wait to get back home!

Cory in the PICU

This morning Cory had his chest closed. Even though the surgery was a walk in the park compared to last Friday's surgery... it was still hard to walk out of the PICU and leave him there while they prepared to operate on him. The operation took about an hour, including prep time, and I am happy to report that Cory is doing very well.

He has an external pacemaker helping his heart regulate itself right now, but his heart should take over soon and not need the pacemaker any longer. He has been under sedation for most of the day, so he is back to just laying there with no movement. I'm not sure that when I go back for a visit tonight if he will be awake or not. Little guy's been through so much though, that it wouldn't be the worst thing if he got a good night's rest.

The doctors and nurses have been tweaking his monitors a little, and adjusting some of his medications. But all-in-all, Cory is doing exceptionally well. They are hoping that he will be moved back to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) tomorrow. And hopefully on Tuesday, if all goes well, he will have his breathing tube removed. After that it is just a matter of weaning him off his medications and getting him stronger.

As promised, I am including a couple of pictures. These pictures are from Friday, after Cory's surgery. He has alot of tubes and wires and monitors on him... but it really looks worse than it is. The pictures may be difficult for some people to look at, so be prepared.

That's My Boy!

This morning while Lee was sleeping in I decided to go over to the hospital early to visit Cory. When I arrived, the nurses updated me on Cory's progress over night. He had done really well and was very stable. They said they had to make a couple of minor adjustments to his monitors over night... but nothing serious. I had fully expected to see Cory swollen this morning when I arrived, but was pleasantly surprised to see that he still looked really good, really pink, and really un-swollen. The nurses told me he could still swell later in the day, but as of 7:00 Saturday evening he still has not swollen. That's my boy!

I was also very surprised this morning when Cory opened his eyes and looked at me! I was so shocked! I had assumed that he was still in a state of paralysis (due to the breathing tube), but I was wrong! Apparently after he came out of surgery he was never paralyzed, only heavily sedated from surgery. I can't tell you how much joy and pride and overwhelming relief I felt. I finally got to see what colour his eyes are! I immediately called Lee and told him he had to come to the hospital. He rushed right over and I could see the relief and joy wash over him too. The nurses told us that they actually had to sedate Cory a little more because he was really waking up alot. That's my boy!

I stayed at the hospital for a couple of hours this morning just watching Cory. I loved to see him move just a little and open his eyes and look around. Granted... he's still on medication that's making him a little dopey, but what a different feeling it is watching him moving instead of just laying there. And when I hold his hand he gives me just the tiniest squeeze to let me know he loves me. That's my boy!

The doctors told Lee & I this morning that since Cory is doing so well they are going to close up his chest on Sunday morning (January 11th). Then they can slowly start weaning him off his ventilator and his medications. That's my boy!

So I think I'm going to keep this short for today. I'm exhausted and really need to get some rest. But first I'll go back to the hospital to see my boy.

I will try to post some pictures of Cory in the PICU in my next update.

Take care!

9 out of 10

After a very long day of waiting, Cory finally made it out of surgery. The surgeon came to talk to Lee & I at about 3:00 this afternoon and told us that Cory had done amazingly well. There were no complications during surgery and he said that Cory was expected to make a full and speedy recovery.

We had to wait another hour before we were able to see Cory. The nurses and doctors had to transfer him from the OR into the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) and hook up all his monitors and medications. When we finally saw him, we were so happy and so relieved that he looked so good.

A PICU doctor came to update us on Cory's progress and she also said that he was doing quite well after his surgery. His blood pressure is good, his vitals are good, and he is on less medication than he was before. I asked her to rate him on a scale of 1 to 10... with 1 being not so great and 10 being very very good. She gave him a 9 out of 10. I can't tell you how proud I was of my little fellow for coming out of surgery with such flying colours!

The doctors have informed us that the next 24 hours are critical... but they are confident that everything will go smoothly for Cory. Cory is still hooked up to his breathing tube and is still paralyzed, but he will be weaned off of the ventilator over the coming week. The doctors have the skin on his chest sewn up, but his sternum is still open. This allows for swelling to occur, which is normal after open heart surgery. They hope to close his chest on Sunday or Monday.

So as you can imagine, Lee & I are very proud and very relieved parents. And once again... I have to thank everyone for all your thoughts and prayers and well wishes. They certainly have helped our little guy pull through his surgery!

And a big thank you to my playgroup girls in St. Adolphe for the special necklace! It is so nice to know that you are thinking about us! Thank you!

Until next time...

He's in!

Lee & I went to the hospital this morning at 6:00am to wait with Cory before his surgery. The nurse told us that he had a very good night and was all ready to go for his surgery. We had been told the night before that they would likely come and get him to prep him for surgery at about 7:00am or so. 7:00 rolled around and no one was coming for Cory yet. 7:30 came and went too. Lee & I were starting to get a little worried, but we just assumed that things were held up a little.

At 7:45 the anesthetist came out of the OR and asked if we had heard if there was a bed open in the PICU yet. (This is where Cory will go after his surgery.) She said that the OR hadn't been advised there was a bed available, and if this was the case, Cory's surgery would be cancelled. She went off about her business and left Lee & I sitting there, not sure what to think. We had be gearing up for Cory's surgery all night and all morning, and now in the blink of an eye everything may be cancelled.

We continued to wait. It was now 8:00 and it had been a long morning of clock watching and waiting. The minutes seemed like hours. Finally the doctors came to do their rounds. The neonatologist and the surgeon who would be performing Cory's surgery were both in the group. They came over and advised us that everything was set to go ahead, as they definitely had a bed in the PICU for Cory. I can't tell you how relieved we were!! It's amazing how many emotions a person can go through in such a short period!

Finally at 8:30 the OR team came out and got Cory ready for surgery. They checked all his monitors, conferred with each other, then unplugged all his machines and apparatus so he could be wheeled into the OR.

Lee & I got to wish Cory good luck and give him a kiss before he left for surgery. I can tell you that I have NEVER felt so helpless in my life. Watching them wheel Cory into the OR was one of the most heart-wrenching moments of my life. Knowing that he is going to go through a very complicated, very long surgery tore me apart. But knowing that this operation is going to save his life gave me a great sense of relief.

I know that Cory is in good hands. I know Dr. Ross is one of the best pediatric cardiac surgeons in North America. I know that my son will come out if this with flying colours.

So now we wait. We were told that the surgery will likely take between 4 to 6 hours. Lee & I came back to the hotel to rest and regroup. When we walked into the hotel room, Molly's little face just lit up and she let out one of her super squeals. Thank God for her. She will certainly be a welcome distraction for both of us while we wait.

I will try to let everyone know how things went later on this afternoon or later this evening. Thanks for all your prayers to date... and please keep them coming over the next few hours.

One Month Down...

Well... we've been here for a month now. It has been a very long month, but at least it's a month behind us.


Looking back on the month, I guess you could say we've had some fun. Molly has been a constant source of entertainment for all of us. She never fails to make us laugh! What a change in her over the past month! Her personality is really starting to shine now! She knows what she likes and what she doesn't like. For instance... She doesn't like peas. She doesn't like taking her nap. And she really doesn't like being ignored! She DOES like hanging out with Daddy. She likes sitting beside someone on the couch and playing with her toys. She loves going outside in the stroller for walks. And most of all... she loved Christmas presents! (Sounds a little like someone else I know! She definately takes after her Mommy when it comes to presents!)

Grandma and Grandpa Myers were in Edmonton for Christmas so we all celebrated the holiday together. We went to a hotel for Christmas dinner... which was kind of wierd. I must say that I really do prefer a home cooked meal with family and laughter and lots of presents around. Molly looked as cute as a button in her Christmas dress and loved all the lights and decorations on the huge Christmas tree in the hotel lobby.

New Year's Eve was different than any other I've ever had before. I never imagined that I'd be ringing in the New Year alone in a hospital room. Lee & Mom's New Year was WAY more exciting than mine. They watched Shrek 2 and were both fast asleep by 11:00. Woo hoo! Party on!


Friends from St. Adolphe, Clint & Angie and their boys drove through Edmonton on their way home from vacation in B.C. It sure was a nice to see familiar faces from home! We all had dinner together, then Clint and Angie went with Lee for a quick visit with Cory.


We still haven't ventured off to West Edmonton Mall yet, unless of course you count the time we tried on Boxing Day and only made it as far in as the parking lot. And IKEA is still on the agenda for some time in the next week or so.



Update on Cory


Cory is doing very well today. The nurses told us that he had a very good night and all his stats have leveled out and are where the doctors and nurses want them to be. It was really nice today when we visited with Cory that everything was quiet around him and there wasn't a group of specialists hovering around him. It was nice to be able to visit with Cory without dozens of interuptions.


Lee & I met with the surgeon this afternoon to discuss Cory's surgery, which has been scheduled for Friday at 8:00 am. There is a possiblity that the surgery will get postponed due to lack of beds in the PICU, or an emergency surgery the night before, or if a transplant surgery takes precidence. But we are hopeful that all the stars will align and Cory will get his surgery as scheduled. We are told that the surgery will take about 4 hours and that it is a very complicated and complex surgery. But Dr. Ross told us that since Cory is a good size, and was delivered at full term, and was diagnosed prenatally, and has not had any serious complications thus far, that those are all very good qualities in his favour. So we are very optomistic that everything will go fine and he will pull through the surgery with flying colours.


We were told that recovery is 6-8 weeks, but it is possible that Cory can be transfered to Children's Hospital in Winnipeg after a few weeks if he is stable and doesn't need additional surgery due to complications.


So now Lee & I are patiently waiting until Friday. I know it is only a day away, but I think it is going to be a long day. Once I see the doctors wheeling Cory into surgery on Friday I will be able to relax knowing he is in the best hands possible.

So I guess I will sign off for now. As usual, I will keep you posted as things progress.


And as usual, thank you all so much for all your support and prayers!

NICU News

Over the past couple of days, Lee & I have been back and forth between the hotel and the hospital to visit Cory. The first couple of days were relatively easy… getting used to seeing Cory with an IV line, a couple of monitors on his chest, a blood pressure gadget taped to his right hand. Everyone was telling us that he was doing so well… that he was quite healthy… that they were really impressed with his progress. Lee & I were able to hold Cory and cuddle with him. It was difficult with all the lines and monitors attached to him, but we were still able to spend some time bonding with our son for an hour or so at a time. We’ve been asking the nurses and doctors a lot of questions… trying to gain a little more understanding about our son’s condition and what we’ll be facing in the coming days and weeks. We were feeling pretty confident as our little guy was doing so well and looking so good.

Yesterday (January 4th) they decided to insert a PIC line to replace Cory’s IV tube. Not a big deal. The PIC line is a little more permanent and more reliable than the IV. No problem. Cory still looked good. The nurses were telling us that some of Cory’s stats were a little off. They were keeping a close eye on his blood pressure, his oxygen levels in his blood, his breathing. Everything was being monitoring and the nurses were keeping on top of everything. Again... no problem.


This morning (January 5th) the hospital called us and told us that they were going to have to insert a breathing tube into Cory to regulate his breathing and to help regulated his stats (blood pressure, oxygen levels, heart beat, etc.) more proficiently too. Lee & I were somewhat prepared for this as the previous day the doctor had told us to expect that a breathing tube would likely have to be inserted in the next couple of days. Lee, my Mom, Molly, and I went to Cory’s bedside to see him before the breathing tube was inserted. We were able to spend some time to holding him and cuddling with him. About an hour later we all left, deciding that it would be best to let Cory get some rest before they inserted the breathing tube.

When Lee & I went back to the hospital later that afternoon, we were not as prepared as we thought we were to see Cory hooked up to the breathing apparatus. He has a tube running up his nose and down his throat which has now taken over breathing for him. The machine is doing all the breathing for him, in hopes of getting his stats to acceptable levels. Cory has also now been given medication to keep him in a paralyzed state so that the breathing tube does not get moved or pulled out by accident. He is on pain medication as well because they can’t tell if he is in pain or not because now he can’t move, can’t cry, can’t do anything on his own. We spent another hour or so with Cory this afternoon, then decided that we should go home, get some supper, and let our brains wrap around everything that was happening to our son so far.

Tonight Lee & I went back to visit Cory. We arrived to find a new tube poking into our son. This one was a little more disturbing and took us aback when we saw it. Turns out that the medication that Cory was getting through a tube in his hand (on the same arm where the PIC line was inserted) had to be moved to a different location because his hand was quite swollen and they couldn’t be sure that he was getting the medication he needed through the swollen hand. This medication is the one that keeps the ductus open in his heart… which is crucial to Cory at this point. They moved the line from his hand into the right temple area on his head. We were definitely NOT prepared for that. I’m really not sure how I kept from passing out.

So now that Cory has both the breathing tube AND the medication going into a vein in his head, Lee & I will no longer be able to hold our son. The nurses tell us that he can hear us and that he can feel us touching him… but that is little consolation. Our little boy is only four days old and we can’t even hold him any more.

I guess it is reassuring knowing that there are so many qualified people there to take care of Cory. As Lee & I were sitting there tonight we watched as the nurses consulted each other, the respiratory therapist checked and rechecked one of his monitors, and some other woman was called in to consult on something else. And we were only there for less than an hour tonight. It really is mind boggling to think how many people are taking care of our son around the clock. As the group of them were watching Cory’s monitors, I found myself looking up at them too. Looking at all the numbers and readings and blips on screen as if I knew what they were all about. I don’t. But somehow it seems reassuring to look up there and see his heart is still beating, the blips are still blipping, and that he is still our little trooper who just wants to get this over with and go home.

Tomorrow the cardiologists, the surgeons, and the neonatologists are supposed to be doing grand rounds to decide on a surgery schedule. It really is sad when you find yourself hoping that your son is sicker than the other kids on the floor so that his surgery can be scheduled sooner than later. The nurses have told us to expect that Cory will soon start to look sick. It is so heart breaking to see your son laying there… knowing that there is nothing you can do to comfort him or to help him. The only thing we can do is pray that he remains strong and will make it through this whole ordeal.

I want to take a minute to thank everyone who has sent emails and has phoned us at the hotel with well wishes. I can’t tell you how much it means to us to know how many people out there care so much for our son’s recovery. Please keep your comments and emails and phone calls coming, as it really does a world of good for Lee & I. Thank you so, so much.

In the movies...

In the movies, when a woman has a baby her water always breaks when she is in the middle of dinner with her husband at some fine restaurant. They rush off to the hospital in a taxi, with the woman doing her breathing exercises along the way. Next scene shows the woman in the delivery room and the husband pacing in the hallway. After a few "arrrr's" and "eeeeee's" and some sweat dripping off her forehead the woman delivers her little bundle of joy. The husband and wife then hold their new baby on the terrace of their hospital room, all the while gazing into each others eyes while a fireworks display is going off in the near distance.

In reality, it's not so much like that.

Cory Scott Myers was born on Friday, January 2nd at 8:09am. He weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. and was 21" long. He looked healthy and pink and had all his fingers and toes. You'd never know by looking at him that he was in need of open heart surgery.







I was taken to the hospital on December 31st to be induced. Junior's heart rate had been up and down over the past couple of days, so the doctors decided it was time to get him out. After laying on a really hard stretcher with monitors on my belly for over 4 hours, I was given some medication to help Junior make his appearance. I was finally moved to a room with a more comfortable bed. I thought "This is great! I can catch up on some reading... relax and watch TV... get some much needed sleep..." This was not to be the case. Doctors and nurses were constantly in and out of my room, monitoring me and Junior. Then finally, when it was time to sleep I discovered that my roommate snored louder than anything I had ever heard in my life. It was incredible. It was like trying to sleep across the way from a dozen freight trains. I swear the whole floor of the hospital was shaking! Honestly!

A nurse came into my room just before midnight of New Year's Eve to monitor Junior. His heart rate was really low. Doctors and more doctors were called in to decide what to do. Lee was not allowed to be in the room after visiting hours so I was ringing the New Year all by myself, worried sick about my unborn baby. The doctors finally decided that an emergency C-Section would not be required and told me to "get some rest". Ya, right! Like I could get some rest after that! I assumed that after all the commotion that Junior and I would be monitored closely for the rest of the night. That was not to be the case. So between the freight train roomate, the near emergency C-Section, and the new roommate who was wheeled in shortly after midnight with her very loud husband who insisted on wishing everyone a Happy New Year about a dozen times, I finally nodded off for an hour or so.

In the morning I was told I couldn't eat anything, in case I needed to be rushed to surgery. I asked when I'd be getting Junior's heart monitored again, and the nurse told me she would do it later in the morning. I insisted that she do it immediately because of all the hubub the night before. She finally hooked me up and discovered that Junior's heart rate was still very erratic.

After waiting all day to see a doctor, I was finally wheeled back up to the 4th floor for more constant monitoring. Junior had all the doctors scratching their heads. They consulted with each other, monitored us some more, then consulted with each other again. They finally decided that it was time to get Junior out. They decided to put off the C-Section for the time being, as that would make it nearly impossible for me to get around and especially difficult for me to take care of Molly. I still wasn't allowed to eat, just incase I needed surgery.

I was given some drugs that were supposed to really bring on labour. They helped a little, but not too much. The medication did, however, make my contractions much, much stronger. The nurse suggested that I try the Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) to ease the discomfort a little. What can I say about the laughing gas. Not so great for pain... but oh boy was it good for a buzz!! I had the whole room spinning and I was as giddy as a school girl! Then another contraction would come and I was instantly transfored from giddy school girl to foul mouthed truck driver! I'm pretty sure my head was rotating in full circles too!

Finally the nice man with the epidural came. Initially he was not my friend. How on earth is someone supposed to stay still while a needle is being inserted into your back during nasty contractions. I was told it's Ok to curl my toes, or talk through the contraction, or grip someone's hand... but I was not allowed to move my body even a very little bit as that could really complicate things. The anesthetist finally got everything in place and he suddenly became my very best friend. After that labour was a breeze!!

While I drifted in and out of sleep (this would be about 8:00pm or so on January 1st) the doctors and nurses continued to monitor Junior and I. Things were still very touch and go. All through the night they had to adjust my medication to accomodate Junior's erratic heart rate. We were again back to a possible emergency C-Section. Finally Junior decided he wanted out. I told the nurse I was ready to go but she didn't believe me. My regular nurse came back from her coffee break shortly after and I told her the same thing... that Junior wanted out now. She thought it might be too soon, but checked things out anyway. To everyone's surprise Junior really was ready to go!

We were wheeled into the operating room for the delivery. There were so many people in there it was insane! We had several nurses, two obstetricians, a neonatologist, the NICU transfer nurse, and a few more I can't remember.

When Junior finally arrived I was so relieved that he had made it and was healthy and pink. He also had a good set of lungs on him! After the neonatologist checked him out they let me hold him for a few minutes before he was taken to the Children's Hopital. It was really hard to let him go, but I knew he was in good hands. Lee followed the ambulance to the hospital and stayed with Cory for a few hours.

So Cory is now at the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton. We are hoping that he will have his surgery around the 8th or 9th of January. Right now he is stable and breathing on his own and looking very good. He has dedicated nurses who take care of him around the clock. He has a few monitors on him, an IV, and some other tubes going through his belly button. We are hoping he won't need a breathing tube to be put in until close to his operation.

It is very difficult to hold him with all the wires and such around him. I haven't been able to spend too much time with him yet, as I only got home from the hospital myself on January 3rd and I'm still recovering from the delivery. Lee has been spending a lot of time with Cory and bonding with his son. Molly visited her brother on his first day in the hospital. She didn't have too much to say about him yet... but I think she's going to love being Cory's big sister!

Well... I think that's all I've got to say for now. I'm going to go visit Cory and see how he's doing. It's really tough not having him here with me... not being able to feed him, or hold him, or change his diapers, or comfort him when he cries. But I know he's in good hands and will be home with his family soon.

Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes. I will keep up with my posts, hopefully more regularly now that Cory is finally here. I will also likely be changing the name of the blog from "Adventures in Edmonton" to some other title for the next post. Keep you comments coming, as Lee & I love to hear from you! You can comment either here on this site, or at my email address: kmyers@mts.net

Take care everyone! And Happy New Year!