Well maybe not wide open but Drew is trying so hard to get his precious little eyes open wide enough to see his Mommy and Daddy. We were so excited to be there today when he was awake so that we could look into our little guys eyes. He is still doing well and we are so grateful for these good days. The artery by his heart that should have closed at birth has re-opened which is causing some circulation problems. They started him on the same medication that they gave him earlier called indocin which should help to close that artery quickly. Drew's little lungs still have a lot of fluid in them and they are still very immature but we believe that they are getting better. We have been very blessed to spend a lot of time with him and he is looking better every day. We love our little Drew so so much!
Monday, December 3, 2007
Eyes Wide Open!
Posted by Eric, Jenn, and Drew at 10:15 PM
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7 comments:
Yay Drew! It's so good to hear that he is continuing to do a little better. Your little family is constantly in our thoughts and prayers. Stay strong! Just know that I love ya Jen!
Love, Nat
How exciting to see Drew's little eyes open. He seems to get stronger every day. You are wonderful parents and support for him.
We put your names in at the temple today.
I miss seeing him (and you)!
Love,
Grandpa W
Jen - I received this e-mail today and I thought that you needed to read it. It is really touching and I think it will comfort you to know that Heavenly Father is always with Drew and holding him in his arms. It is pretty emotional in the beginning but, please continue to read to the end and hopefully it will leave you with the amazing feeling that it left me with to know how truly close to the veil little Drew is and the amazing love and comfort that he is surrounded with.....
A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. She was still groggy from surgery.
Her husband, David, held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news.
That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver couple's new daughter,
Dana Lu Blessing.
Weighing only one pound nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature.
Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs. "I don't think she's going to make it," he said, as kindly as he could.
"There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one"
Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived.
She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.
"No! No!" was all Diana could say.
She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four.
Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away
But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw', the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love.
All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.
There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger.
But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there.
At last, when Dana turned two months old. her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time.
And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.
Five years later, when Dana was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life.
She showed no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she was everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.
One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving , Texas , Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing.
As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent . Hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked, "Do you smell that?"
Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain."
Dana closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?"
Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet. It smells like rain."
Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced,
"No, it smells like Him.
It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest."
Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily hopped down to play with the other children.
Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along.
During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.
WE LOVE YOU JEN, ERIC , and DREW.
Love, Callie & Zach
Ok that is the cuttest thing ever by fare. I love this blog thanks for all the updates it is nice to know whats going on without having to feel nosy. I wish you guys the best and cant believe how strong the both of you are. This will for sure bring the two of you closer than you have ever been. Love you guys and wish you nothing but the best. What a good looking little drew...
Hi Eric and Jen,
What a special little boy. I just found out about him, and I'm so sorry I did not know sooner. Our familys love is extended to you during this difficult time. We will pray for you and your little Drew.
Much love- Cousin Andrea and Danny Heid
Please send me your email to ontherunmom@gmail.com, and I will add you to our blog.
Jen, this is Emily Becker (Anderson). I just found your blog through Laurie's. I read the whole thing and can't believe what a miracle little Drew is! What wonderful parents that he has been so blessed to come to. We will pray for your sweet family every day. I felt the spirit so strongly as I read, and it is obvious what a special little guy Drew is!
It's unbelievable that he is opening his eyes to see his sweet mom and dad. What a great moment and a great picture. We are praying hard for his little lungs to mature.
You two are amazing...your love and faith and strength are keeping Drew fighting!!
We love all three of you
Karen and Ron
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