I got to hold Louis again today. Dan even sacrificed his turn, so I could hold Louis for twice as long, and he read to us from The Fantastic Mr. Fox. We have been working our way through the Roald Dahl box set (James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, etc.). We will tackle the Chronicles of Narnia next. We would welcome any book recommendations. [...]

Dan and I were able to hold our boy today. Louis is the sweetest.

I miss my baby.  [...]

Louis' bronchoscopy went well. The whole process only takes a few minutes. They put a little camera down his breathing tube and are able to see if there are any blockages in his lungs, like mucus build up. Then they use a saline solution to flush out any fluid and are able to use that to test for any bacteria cultures. Unfortunately, the testing takes anywhere from 1-3 days to see if it grows any bacteria. Then they can begin treating it with specific antibiotics. Right now, he is being treated with an antibiotic but if the cultures reveal a bacteria then the clock starts over with new medicines.[...]

Louis' surgery has been postponed.

When he was intubated on Thursday (given a breathing tube) he aspirated (inhaled fluid into his lungs). The nurses have been monitoring the fluid and the respiratory therapists have been giving him regular treatments to break up the fluid but there is concern that bacteria may be growing. We want his lungs at 100% so they can help his heart carry the load after surgery.[...]

Louis' condition has maintained through the weekend which is positive going into surgery tomorrow. Our cardiac surgeon has been out of the country this week, but has been kept informed on Louis' progress. We are hopeful that his surgery will happen Monday, October 10th. Things have changed so drastically since our last surgical consult, there is a small chance that the surgeon may want to wait a day or two and reevaluate Louis' condition.[...]

Today I called St Andrews Cathedral and asked Father G to come and baptize Louis. My parents are here, and have proved to be a tremendous help I didn't know I needed. It was a stroke of luck that Louis' godmother was in town and could be here for his impromptu baptism. Father G arrived and gave a quick blessing. He also performed the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for Louis. This is a Catholic sacrament that is prayed to bring spiritual and physical strength during an illness. I found this brief moment of prayer, surrounded by my loved ones (Dan, Mom, Dad, Griff, and Louis), to be so profoundly moving. [...]

Louis has been under constant care here at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Helen DeVos. His oxygen saturation and blood pressure have been inconsistent so he has a team of nurses and doctors working hard, with advanced medical interventions, to help regulate his sats.  It has been a very hard and very scary two days for Dan and me. Louis seemed to defy his odds in the NICU.  We thought we had avoided all the potential risks since were able to take him home but it seems the risks were delayed. [...]

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Louis had an EKG on Monday and Doctor says everything looks as expected. We are still waiting to hear from the surgeons office on a surgery date.
No real news to share, but since you haven't met Louis yet I wanted to share a photo of my boy.[...]

Louis at home[...]