Logan is having another good day today. He has had 3 good days in a row which makes life that much easier for right now. They tried yesterday to put in his pick line, but it didn't go in. So the only option left is a surgical procedure which they will perform tomorrow morning. He will be getting what is called a broviac, which is an IV line that will be inserted in a vein on the left side of his chest. This line has to be put in because the IV that is in his bellybutton was only supposed to be in there for about a week and tomorrow will be 2 weeks so the risk of infection gets higher every day. As nervous as we are about the broviac being put in, the surgeon at the hospital does not seem terribly worried about it and told us that it is a relatively common procedure. He will not be completely sedated, but they will have to give him some medicine through his IV for the pain. It breaks our hearts to know that he is already having a painful procedure performed, but we also know that it is the best thing for him right now. The broviac will allow the nurses to give Logan his nutrients and draw blood easier. Logan is also getting medicine to close the hole in his heart. He was given the first dose last night and will receive doses tonight and tomorrow night. Assuming he continues to pee and his platelet count does not drop, he will receive all three doses and will have an ultrasound on his heart on Monday. If the ultrasound shows that the hole is closed, they can begin feeding him on Monday and possibly take him off the venthilator.
This is a big weekend for Logan, so please say a few extra prayers for him.
Love, Meghann, Lance and Logan

Logan opened his other eye last night! We thought he was cute before, but those blue eyes just melted our hearts. He is just adorable. He had a pretty good day today. They did not attempt to put in his pick line and are waiting until tomorrow. So we are still on edge about that. But he did pee a number of times and is back off his dopamine. The number of breaths the vent is giving him is still high, but it has come down since yesterday. And he now weighs 460 grams! Some of that might be water weight since his is still not eating, but it still means that he is over his birth weight (430 grams) and we think he is now a few grams over a pound! One of his nurses swears he gained weight in his thighs. He did look great today. His skin was very pink and he seemed to be resting peacfully for the most part.
Meghann had her blood pressure checked today and it was good. It looks like the high blood pressure might have just been pregnancy induced, and she will end up with no problems except some soreness from the c-section.
Keep sending the prayers Logan's way as we head into another uncertain day tomorrow. And especially pray for the pick line to go in without too many problems.
Love,
Meghann, Lance and Logan

Now that we are finally hooked up to the Internet at home, we are able to start giving everyone updates on Logan's progress and Meghann's health. Logan is settled into his (temporary) home at the NICU in Rainbow Babies and Children's hospital here in Cleveland. He is "critically stable" after having started life on the rather small side. His gestational age when he was born was 24 weeks and 6 days, but he was the size of a 22 weeker due to the HELLP syndrome that Meghann had (more about that later). So he came into the world weighing a whole 15 ounces (or 430 grams). He was 10 and 1/4 inches long, and he is a feisty one. The nurses at the NICU just love him and have said that he is the smallest baby they have ever had there. He's already leaving his legacy... He seems to have more of his dad's personality because he fights with the nurses all day long, but he is also very active and stubborn like his mom (who won't sit still even though she just had major surgery). He is a beautiful little boy - perfectly formed just very very tiny. Mom and Dad are in love, and Logan already has them right where he wants them - wrapped around his tiny finger. As far as his progress up to this point, he is about 20 grams away from his birth weight. After birth, he dropped to about 12.5 ounces (or 360 grams) which was pretty scary. Right now, his kidneys are not working as well as we would like, so he is on dopamine to get him peeing more. We never thought we would be so happy to have our baby pee, but we actually cried when he did! He also has a hole in his heart which is one of our biggest concerns right now. All babies have the same hole, but it closes when they take their first breath. Because of his size, it is not going to close on its own, so it looks like they will most likely have to operate at some point in the near future. Our other major concern right now is that Logan needs to get his IV line out of his belly and have a pick line put in. They attempted to put it in yesterday, but because his veins are so tiny, they weren't able to get it in. We are praying they will be able to get it in tomorrow because if not, it would require a surgical procedure and the line would be in his chest. So please pray that the pick line goes in and we have one less thing to worry about (for the day anyway). He did open his left eye on Saturday, so that was a big step. His right is still closed, but he's trying to open it! He is on a venthilator still and was only off of it for about 28 hours right after he was born. Right now, the vent is giving him about 4o breaths per minute which is a little high, but his oxygenation is good and his other vent settings are relatively low. He is not eating yet, but hopefully by Monday they will be able to start feeding him a little. For now, we really live our lives one 12 hour shift (that's when his nurses change) at a time, call and bother the nurses a lot, and say lots of prayers.
As for Meghann, she has been through a lot but is pretty stable. Her blood pressure was still high when she came home, but she is on medication and will have it checked tomorrow. Meghann had what is called HELLP syndrome which is the most severe form of preeclampsia. Pretty much, her blood pressure skyrocketed which put her at risk for seizures. At the same time, her liver enzymes were dangerously high and her platelet count was dangerously low. Meghann did her best to hold on for as long as she could, but to save her life, Logan had to be taken last Saturday night. By the time the decision was made to deliver him, Meghann was at the point where her red blood cells were breaking down and there was a possibility that her blood would not clot during the c-section. The c-section ended up going well, and both Meghann and Logan made it out which we are so grateful for. Meghann is recovering at home for the next few weeks, and is being as stubborn as ever. Although she can't drive for awhile, she spends as much time as she can at the hospital with little Logan. She is trying to pump so Logan can have breastmilk when they are able to feed him. It is taking awhile for the milk to come in partially because of Logan being so early and partially because of the toll the HELLP put on her system. But she's trying her hardest and isn't giving up!
We want to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for the support and love we have received. We didn't realize just how much people cared about us until all of this happened. Everyone has been amazing. We could not ask for better family or friends. All we ask is that you continue to pray for little Logan during the next few months. It is going to be a long hard road and your love and prayers mean more than we could ever tell you. Thank you again.
Love,
Meghann, Lance and Logan

Our Baby Boy is here!

Logan Anthony arrived this afternoon at University Hospital in Cleveland. Although he came much earlier than we had planned we are so excited (and nervous) he is here!

We are going to be using this blog to keep all of you updated on his progress and his growth, as well as how Meghann's health is improving!

Thanks for reading! Watch for pictures and information soon!