Hampton: Home Sweet Home

I am more than thrilled to announce Hampton has been home for a more than a week now and is doing really good healthwise. We are all settling into our new routine with sweet Hampton. It's been a while since we've had a little one at home so we are getting used to lots of sleepless nights, but after our second stay in the NICU as a family (this one, a lot shorter than the boys thank goodness)... we will take sleepless nights any day for a healthy little bundle of love!!!! Last Friday, Dr. Riley decided Hampton's lungs were doing much better so he had us room in on Friday night at the hospital... getting Hampton used to nursing with me all the time... and on Saturday, we were overjoyed to bring her back home to Tyler!!! If you don't see the family out and about for a while, it is because the doctors want us to again guard our little ones lungs because of the issues she had at birth and the boys too! This H1N1 flu is something we don't want to mess around with! It's a small sacrifice for a lifetime of fun to be had in the near future. It's also nice to have this time with the family to bond.

It was wonderful to see the boys meet their sister for the first time last Saturday. To my amazement, they were not jealous of her, but very intrigued by her arrival. I think they finally understood that was the baby in mommy's tummy the past 9 months. Thank heavens for my mother staying home this past week with me. It is going to be a lot of work when she goes back to work... but I am ready for this wonderful challenge.

These past couple of weeks with the unexpected health scare for Hampton has once again really been a test of our faith... to believe that the Lord was going to heal her the same way he did the boys, but I am so glad I have that blind faith... because Hampton is an amazing GIFT! She is a sweet little girl. She loves to eat, she's been struggling with baby gas, but she's a tough cookie as she proved to us the past 2 weeks!

I have spent a lot of time cuddling with her and watching her sleep. It just doesn't get much better than this. I have 2 little miracle twins who love to have fun, a sweet daughter to comfort and cuddle, and an amazing husband to help me and love us all along the way. He continues to be my strength when I can't muster it and my positive voice when I am worried about what other challenges we could face. This is the best life! I wouldn't change a thing because I appreciate all that I have EVEN MORE! And I appreciate all of you... our friends who pray for us anytime we ask. Now, that is another blessing the Hughey family never takes for granted. May everyone know the power of prayer as we have come to know it over the past 2 years!

Love to you and yours....

Dana, Trey, Ford, Hayden and Hampton

Hampton's Healing Continues.....

Good Morning sweet friends and family! So sorry I didn't blog yesterday. It was a busy day spending time with Miss Hampton, now that we are no longer in the hospital together. Everything just seems to take a little longer: getting her mommy's milk to her & travel-time to her. Of course, it's just a new routine and no big deal for us.

Hampton started a new routine the night before last. She is no longer on oxygen or air flow to help her breathe! I don't want to jinx it, but then I remember with the Lord on our side that is not possible. He wants us to rejoice in his good works, so that is what I want to do... praise the Good Lord for Hampton no longer being dependent on oxygen and that she is started to breast feed and bottle feed a couple of times a day. She still gets some of her feeds through her tube, but she is doing really well. The other night she tried to breastfeed for about 20 minutes, but she fell asleep after getting 7 good minutes of milk. Then she took a little bottle and the rest was given in her tube. Yesterday she didn't do so great at the afternoon feed because she got the hiccups and was frustrated (poor baby)! Last night we had a big breakthrough.... she nursed for about 35 minutes and 25 of that she was latched on really good... GO HAMPTON! She still had to get some of her feed by tube, but hey, Hampton is making amazing strides.

I have to say... I miss that we are not both under the same roof, though I am happy to be out of the hospital. It was; however, easier when a floor separated us as opposed to 15 minutes of Arlington traffic.

Our sweet friend Melissa, and Ford's primary nurse at Cook Children's came to hang out with Miss Hampton and me yesterday. It was so great to spend time with her... she really is like family now. I know Hampton is going to love her when she gets older.

Other than that, Trey and I spent most of the day cuddling with Hampton, praying with and for Hampton and doing regular parent things like changing her diaper :)

Please pray that a light bulb goes off.... and Hampton starts feeding like a champion. That is the hurdle we need to cross before she can come home with us. I have faith in her and the Lord that it will be done VERY SOON!

Lots of love and sincere thanks,

Dana, Trey, Ford, Hayden and Hampton

Hampton Stays Strong.... and So Sweet

Our Sweet little Hampton is such a strong little girl. She is now on high flow oxygen instead of the bubble c-pap for her breathing support. While I wish she didn't need any help to breathe and her lungs were acting more like a full term baby than that of a preemie... I am just blessed she is such a fighter. Hopefully today she will make even more progress as far as her doctor is concerned and not just her proud, very hopeful and prayerful parents.

I just got off the phone with her night nurse, who said she's been having a good night. She just had an xray and will also get some blood work this morning. They will be checking to see if her xray has gotten any better, less hazy and to also check on a pneumothorax she has in her lungs. That is a pocket of air that she could possibly need removed via needle or chest tube, but I'm praying she just works that out on her own. Her blood work will be checking her billirubin level. She has been looking slightly jaundiced... so she might have to go under the lights... again, I pray that is not the case, but it is possible. We are also waiting for a blood gas to see how she's handling being off the bubble c-pap and on less support with the high flow oxygen.

We will likely get a new nurse today since the sweet nurse, Cassie, we've had the last couple of days is off. That's always an adjustment to learn someone else's ways and demeanor, especially when it comes to your baby! As you can tell, I can't sleep. I need more of it, but constantly wake up thinking and praying about Hampton.

As far as Dana the patient goes, I should get out today. I am feeling pretty good. Still sore from the c-section, but I will be just fine.

Oh, I forgot to mention, I was able to hold sweet Hampton twice yesterday. Trey snuggled with her as well! She is so beautiful and cuddly. That was definitely the best part of my day!!! I continue to pray she quickly overcomes her unexplained preemie lungs and gets to come home soon. Also, please pray that I get some patience with the doctor who has a different bedside manner than works for Trey and me. I know the true physician is the Lord and he will heal our little girl!

Sincerely,

Dana, Trey, Ford, Hayden and Hampton Hughey

Hampton Update

I wish I could say Hampton was off, but it just hasn't happened yet. We just got back from seeing her in the NICU and it is so hard to leave her there. Mothers, I am sure you understand this, but leaving her after we've spent the last 9 months together is simply heart wrenching. I want to be stronger than I am and I leave no room for her just healing and getting better, but I wish with all of my being she and I could just cuddle, feed and cuddle some more.

I am going to use the blog tonight to make my prayers known to the Good Lord. First of all I just want to thank him for my amazing family and all he has done to heal Ford and Hayden and will do for my sweet little Hampton. I just pray that her recovery starts kicking into high gear and the fluid starts lifting from her lungs and she starts breathing like the doctors would like her to do. I pray that I get to hold her soon and tell her how proud I am of her for working so hard to get better. Lord knows, I never thought I would have to endure another child in the NICU, but I pray God gives me the strength be patient while Hampton is healed. I also pray for all of you and whatever you're going through tonight, because without the support of my amazing friends and family.... I would be mush, pure mush!

Hampton is beautiful, so beautiful! She has progressed to taking some feedings today and her xray looked better.
Thanks for your support,
Dana, Trey, Ford, Hayden and Hampton

Hampton's Not So Smooth Arrival

Well, our sweet little Hampton made her debut into the world.... with some complications. This is something I did not prepare for, nor did we expect. This has been an ideal pregnancy so I never imagined we would find ourselves back at the NICU at MCA Arlington.


Hampton Malone Hughey on Bubble C-Pap, poor darlin!
After the c-section, Hampton was working too hard to breathe and keep her oxygen levels so the nurses took her to the NICU while my amazing doctor finished my surgery. We were hoping and praying she would only spend a few hours in the NICU, but she continued to struggle breathing. That's when the neonatologist decided to put her on bubble c-pap to keep her little lungs inflated. He also ordered x-rays and blood gases to monitor her lung situation. At this point, Dr. Riley believes she has fluid on her lungs from taking a big gulp of amniotic fluid before or during labor. Normally during regular labor that gets squeezed out as the baby exits the birth canal, but this does not happen in c-sections so.... there can be complications... as in Hampton's case. Now, the Dr. tells us there could be other more serious reasons for her breathing issues, but we are all hopeful she is just having trouble breathing because of the fluid on her lungs making it difficult. I sound sane right now, but I have been boo-hooing all night.

I just hope and pray Hampton is as strong as Ford and Hayden. I have only seen her twice because of the c-section and having to recover myself which makes it hard on me emotionally! Trey has seen her several times and is so optimistic and faithful. I need more of him in me. I WORRY, WORRY, WORRY! She is such a big, beautiful baby that I never would have guessed the NICU would even enter into the picture. She came into this world weighing 7 pounds 14 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long.... so you'd think her lungs would be mature enough? Of course, I feel like this is my fault that I some how couldn't protect her longer so that this would not happen. We had the c-section at 38 weeks so I started to feel bad for wanting to have her now instead of at 40 weeks, but my doctor informed me yesterday that I had already dilated to a 3 so I was about to be in active labor.


Thank you so much for your prayers once again! Please keep her on your prayer list... we already love her so much and want her to have the same resolve and strength of her brothers, Ford and Hayden.

Love,
Dana, Trey, Ford, Hayden and Hampton