Nelsons-From One 2 Three

He said "Yellow"

2009-10-04T23:15:00.000-07:00

After two weeks of school in a total communication (TC) classroom where the teachers use signed exact english and speak concurrently, Burke has learned his colors and the beginning of his ABC's. Everyday he asks to go to school, even on Sundays and then signs "crying" after I say "no school today". Regardless of the day (school or no school) we sit together at lunchtime and do a review of what Burke is learning. Usually this involves him quizzing me on my colors in sign. So the other day, this is how it went: I bring out two or three different colored bowls and ask him which colored bowl he wants. Burke then points to each and tells me what color it is, then gives himself a choice of which bowl he wants (and usually chooses blue). The other day, he chose yellow and instead of doing the sign (think of a hang loose sign) he looks up at me with those big blue eyes of his and promptly says "ye-yo" for yellow...aaaahhh...that was a huge amazing step for Burke to spontaneously articulate a difficult word and do it without me prompting him over and over...I think I applauded him for at least a minute (he liked that part!)

The Bug is Dead & Don't Stir Your Poop

2009-09-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

Today Burke learned two very important"life" concepts so naturally I was inspired and decided it was a good day to start blogging again. I can't say that I'll always be faithful to blog everything or even have interesting, funny or smart ideas but I can promise that what I have to say is real, no fluff... that's my policy...

So this is how it happened...Burke has been fascinated with bugs. He knows the sign for bug, he watches a PBS movie about bugs and he will sit and watch bugs crawl around for a long time...it's a really nice distraction actually and I always feel better when Burke is sitting down. So there was this "bug" today who found himself in the living room at the Little People House. Burke loved that bug was in the house and I think he was pretending to put him to sleep (all living creatures take naps with the exception of Burke). Before too long, Burke came to get me out of the kitchen and he was saying "nigh night bug" and wanted to show me...upon my arrival to the Little People House, I discovered that bug was laying very quietly belly up in the corner...it's true, bug was a goner. Upon further investigation, I discovered that bug had been violently run over multiple times by Doc Hudson "the hornet". Poor bug. Burke continued to say "up up" (which means wake up) and sign bug..it was then that I realized we were about to have the "death" conversation and I sickly got really excited. This was so profound, I thought to myself! My 3 yr old special needs child with almost no language was about to learn this way way earlier than I'd ever imagined...I figured he'd be at least 5 yrs old before his language and cognition was mature enough to grasp the obscure "death is not sleeping" concept. So this is what I said, "Burke, the bug is dead"...just like that! He looked up at me and said "up up" and I said "no, the bug is dead", he's dead. In a hurry, I grabbed my trusty new best friend (the sign dictionary), found the sign for "dead" and restated myself while signing concurrently. To drive the point home, Burke and I buried "bug" (who at this point was slowly moving a few of his limbs...uh oh, don't ruin this teaching moment please!) in the dirt outside the sliding glass doors. To memorialize his passing, we gave bug a small grave marker to help us remember his untimely death. Over and over Burke has been passing by the sliding glass door and peering out and signing bug sleeping, bug wake up? Then, the BEST thing happened, he signed "crying" and made a pout face with the stuck out lower lip (so cute) like he was sad...another profound milestone! If you have deaf children or even child with delayed communication for other reasons, you can understand how crazy exciting this is!! An appropriate feeling associated with an event in the right context and communicated correctly is an incredible feat and we parents wait anxiously for these moments and this is why we keep going...this is the fuel that keeps my engine burning and inspires me to blog, etc, etc...my little Burke understands an abstract concept and adds a feeling to it...wow!

OK...now for the stirring poop part you've all been waiting for... At nap time we usually sit on the little boy potty and read a book. Today we read "Plop" which has cute illustrations of a bunny learning to use the potty. Burke loves this book! Today he noticed an illustration of the bunny stirring his potty with a wooden spoon. Hmmm...I wonder why we read this book?! Anyway, he's cracking up giggling and pointing at the bunny stirring the potty and I can just see his brain going a hundred miles per hour...I know he wants to stir his potty too! So I emphatically state "NO, you can NOT stir your POOP"! I repeat myself and over because this is how you teach a deaf child to listen and talk and understand, you must keep it simple and enunciate the words you want them to really pay attention to. Mind you, I only know a handful of signs and so am desperately trying to portrait that this is NOT how we go potty...I think he got the point because he didn't ask for a spoon and promptly laid down in his bed and pooped his pants 20 minutes later (which is the normal routine right now). Later my husband came up to me and said how funny it sounded to hear the words "no you can't stir your poop" coming from the closed bedroom door...thank God it was only a story!!

July 31, 2007...Updates!

2007-07-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

Hey all! Happy First Birthday to Burke and 31st to Chris!

We're doing well.... Burke is on the surgery schedule for his cochlear implant on October 9th! We're so excited! He's doing well with his hearing aids but we're ready for the implant as it will give him even more access to sound for language development. He's being evaluated for growth hormone definciency and currently taking testosterone shots once a month for 3 months to help his little male parts grow :) He's stronger and has hair on his chest (haha...j/k)....actually he's stronger and is holding his torso and head much better. He still needs support to sit but can do it on his own for about 30 secs to a minute if he's well occupied. He still isn't crawling but can spend more time on his tummy and hold himself up on hands and knees...I know just one of these days I'm gonna be putting up baby gates all over the place...he's such a busy bee! (that's a nickname for him by the way...bzzzz...bizzy beeee!)

Nate is currently working on his counseling practice in the evenings and staying home with Burke during the day while I work until 2pm...it's going very well! Burke really likes spending time with his daddy and visa versa! It's really helped him develop physically as Nate is great at doing physical therapy stuff with him during the day. The speech and language pathologist told us he doesn't need feeding therapy...oh my goodness...we were super excited!!! Oral skills and feeding were supposed to be the area that he was expected to need the most help with...we are so fortunate!

So, we're looking forward to a trip to the Washington Coast with the Nelson clan this coming month...we can't wait for Burke's mouth full of sand and salt water :) We still have lots of appointments in preparation for the cochlear implant surgery in October. We have 2 different home visitors (physical therapy and auditory verbal therapy) coming each week along with more testing for his possible growth deficiency. Busy times! All in all, we're in good spirits and so thankful for our happy and amazing little boy who lights up our lives each and every day! praise praise for such a beautiful blessing!

Burke enjoys memorial day weekend!

2007-05-27T01:40:00.000-07:00

Just a few cute updated photos of our boy! We're currently doing well after a big scare on Wednesday morning when Burke stopped breathing after eating his bottle. I (Chris) had to ressucitate him and thankfully was successful. he was blue and limp for approx 1 minute but started breathing again after I gave him mouth to mouth. We took a ride in an ambulance around the block to Childrens and then spent the night in the hospital but all checked out well and the tests on his swallowing and esophagus were totally normal. The experts think he was so upset and refluxing his milk so much that his body naturally shut down his airway to protect itself from aspiration. Burke bounced right back and has been fine ever since...the nurses thought he was so cute and happy in the hospital and asked if he was always this happy...the answer is yes with the exception of Wed morning :)! We're in the process of getting approved for a cochlear implant. We have approx 3 appts per week and they are pretty intense and exhausing for all of us (hence the lack of blogging lately). We hope that Burke will be approved (basically his hearing has to be bad enough to need an implant which we believe it is) and will have surgery sometime in July or August for the implant. The surgery is complicated but we have the best of the best surgeon who is one of the leading experts in our country! We've also discovered that Burke is lacking growth hormone so we'll be going to have more testing done in Endocrinology clinic and then he'll begin to receive injections of growth hormone for the next (get ready...) 16 yrs! aaaahhh...that is overwhelming but we're glad that they are catching this early so he doesn't loose inches or time for growth! Burke is a trooper and we're trying to hang in there with him...he's quite a kid with lots of personality. He's got a great sense of humor, loves to laugh and play, loves music, rides in his stroller, the wind in his face, his kitty cat, his silky green blanky, putting things (everything) in his mouth, the cool grass on his feet, stroking my hair when he falls asleep, eating, socializing and getting a bath. He doesn't like naps or being hungry and that's about it...pretty content for such an "exciting" lifestyle! :) Much love to you all...thanks for keeping up with us! Chris

Awesome DAD!

2007-04-30T01:22:00.000-07:00

Pictures speak a thousand words...Nate you rock!

Burke E. Nelson poses for the camera

2007-04-22T22:38:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, sorry it has been so long that we posted our last blog. Our schedules and appointments have kept us going day after day. Burke has been doing very well and he has been working dilgently at listening, talking, gaining muscle, playing, and growing...he's approx 15 lbs now! We're full on into the process for getting a Cochlear Implant for Burke...we think he's going to be a candidate but there is much testing to be done before they'll make a final decision. Our days are filled with lots of time spent eating, practicing our "auditory verbal" therapy, dealing with his hearing aids (which are working great but are a pain to keep on his ears and from buzzing with feedback) motor skill development and just playing and loving our time with this precious boy. He is soooo happy, content, playful, adorable, funny and giggly! His sweet little personality is really starting to show...he's totally cute! We have more good days than hard days now...but, we're still a little low on sleep and a little stressed with all of the appointments during the week. We hope that after his Cochlear Implant stuff is over the appointments will be slowing down a bit.

On another note, I should mention that these gorgeous photos are just a few of our favorites from a photo shoot that we had with our friend Jenny in Yakima. She offered to take professional photos of us and let me tell you, they turned out amazing! It was so healing to look at Burke interact with us through the lense of her camera...it was like stepping back and getting a fresh perspective on just how amazing he really is and how the hours of hard work are paying off!

Wow, it's been a long road through the winter months and we're sure glad it's springtime...the flowers and trees are in full bloom here in Seattle and we get out at least every day for walks. Yipeee! Burke loves the fresh air and all the sites and sounds on the Burke-Gilman trail! (he even likes going shopping with mommy at U Village :)) We are looking forward to a good summer...we plan a road trip to visit Nina (Chris's mom) in Sacramento with a stop in Central Oregon to visit Uncle Dave, Uncle Stealth, Auntie Shelly and Auntie Jenni (Chris's bro's and sis in laws). We pray that Burke adapts ok to the car ride (he gets a bit antsy in his car seat so we'll be making lots of stops to stretch our legs)!

We hope to post more in a few weeks when we have more info about Burke's hearing and CI stuff...keep checking in! :) Love to you all!

Papa Tom's photos from 2-19-07

2007-03-12T03:15:00.000-07:00

Papa Tom had a fun photo shoot with Burke a few weekends ago when we were in Yakima visiting family! Isn't he the cutest?! We think so!

As of Friday 3/9 Burke weighs a whopping 14#~~ gooooo Burke! He's holding his head up much better and tolerates being on his tummy more now (our OT/PT will be very happy to hear this)! Our weekend on Bainbridge went fabulous last week...Burke and Nate had a total bonding experience as they survived a whole 24 hrs without me! Nate later told me that he realizes just how much work it is to be the only one caring for Burke during the day...he is a lot more sensitive to my needs now and knows how to be more helpful...this is great for us all! :) We took Burke out into pulic with us for the first time...went to church with our dear friends Mark & Elle (and Burke's future wife Avery) :) then out to lunch for Indian food..yummy! Burke LOVED it (not the indian food) but being out and about...he's such a social little guy! People were good and stayed away and didn't touch him...I was on high alert and had purell ooooozing out of every pocket just in case! :) This past weekend we took him with us on our monthly run to Target & Best Buy...he sat up in his stroller with his eyes as wide as saucers taking in all of the sights and sounds of the world...he really loved the TV/Speaker section of Best Buy and Nate thinks he thought the lady on the Wii video game was a real person...hehe...I think Nate wants to make a case for why we should buy a Wii for Burke's communication development then he can play with it too..hmmm...these guys...always trying to play video games no matter what age! All in all we feel so liberated to get out and about with Burke...it's so much fun to show him the world and watch his reaction to life outside of these 4 walls (which are slowely closing in on us as we continue to accumulate more baby gear...ugghhh!)

This week we have a big appt with the urologist for evaluation of Burke's undescended testes (don't tell him I told you cause he'd be pretty embarrased!). He may need a minor surgery to bring them down to where they are supposed to be (hopefully no big deal but we'll see). We also have an regular check up with his pediatrician. On wednesday we have a date with our friends Mark & Elle to go to the ballet (complements of Microsoft) and our good friend Elysia will be watching Burke (sleep hopefully). Nina comes in for a weekend visit from Sacramento so we are really looking forward to a full week of fun!

Thanks for checking our blog and keep checking back for more updates!

Big Boy takes a stroll B.O.B Style 2-26-07

2007-03-02T01:07:00.000-08:00

Forget the carseat, we're rollin Big Boy Style!! Our physical therapist ok'd us to use the stroller with Burke looking out at the world. After our appointment, I immediately came home and got him ready for his first big boy stroll. We went to the water to look at the ducks, found some pretty pink flowers to smell and admired the trees from a different perspective! He LOVED it! Burke is so focused and pays very close attention to his visual surroundings...he is a very smart little boy with much patience (just like his daddy)!

Today we had a great visit with Grandpa and Grandma from Yakima and auntie Layci and Uncle Nick from Tacoma. Tomorrow we are adventuring over to Bainbridge Island where I'm attending an overnight Women's retreat with my friend Elle while Nate and Burke stay with Mark (Elle's husband) and baby Avery...it will be an exciting time for Elle and I to enjoy one day and night away and get some good "girl" time and be encouraged! I am a bit nervous about how Nate and Burke will do without me but I have a feeling they'll survive (we've been through worse!) The only trick will be having enough milk for Burke...I'm still pumping by the way (8 months going strong!). We've calculated out the amounts and it looks like we'll have to make a "milk run" mid-day on Saturday but some of the ladies at church have volunteered to transport some milk (40 miles away) so I won't have to miss out on any of the retreat...I guess it's a little awkward to have a special transport set up for milk with someone I don't know but oh well..it's worth it! :)

Burke is such a fun little guy these past few days! His auditory verbal therapist is amazed at his progress and says he's got great cognitive abilities (beyond what she would expect for his age and preemie status)! Burke enjoys play the lights off lights on game...I flip the light switch on and off and point to the lights and he smiles and giggles. He is really getting the whole cause and effect thing now...he is already turning his head back to the light switch expecting me to turn the switch off or on...it's his way of requesting that I keep playing the game...soooo cute! He's becoming very interseted in the cat (who is currently scared of him) and he had a chance to pet her today and it was very cute. He's holding his head up now and able to sit with minimal support and play with his toys. He likes the little blue bird that chirps (Nina sent to him for Valentines day)...he also likes his soccer ball ALOT! (hmmm...I wonder who he takes after (like all of his 9 uncles who play soccer and not to mention his daddy who was a professional))! We've decided to train him to be a goalie...we figure with his sharp visual skills and good hand eye coordination he'll be perfect!

OK..enough for tonight...It's really late and I need to be in bed but was up working from home on a big project. I figure Burke will be up to eat in about 1/2 hr anyway so why go to bed now when I'll just have to get up...but, my eyes are drooping and head is heavy..big day tomorrow with lots of prep and packing for our weekend away...wish us luck and we'll fill you in when we return!

Holding on...2.25.07

2007-02-25T22:01:00.000-08:00

This week Burke has made many accomplishments! He's been holding his own bottle for the whole feed and eats every last drop! yum yum yum!!! He's been scarfing down his green beans (favorite so far) and holds the spoon and feeds himself..(what does he need me for now?) :) We are super proud of how well he's been eating and the determination he has to embrace all the challenges set before him! You go Burke!

Valentine Weekend 2.17.07

2007-02-22T20:47:00.000-08:00

Hi! We had a great long and relaxing weekend in Yakima with the grandparents. We had time to relax, eat great food, get some sunshine and go for long walks! Burke continues to grow and eat well. He sat up in his booster seat at the table with us and it was fun to feed him green beans while we ate! He fell in love with his little soccer ball and now it goes everywhere with him...like daddy like son! We are so proud of Burke and enjoying him more each day. Life is normalizing for us more lately and we are getting more sleep which makes everything better. We are really concentrating on teaching Burke all about words and sounds...we do lots of "radio commentary" all day long. Basically we talk to Burke about everything we do, see and think and try to link sounds, sights, music and expressions to our words. It's exhausting to talk so much and try to think of things and ways to describe the world to him but exciting to watch him starting to comprehend. This week we got an FM system for Burke's hearing aids. Basically either Nate or I wear a small lapel microphone and a wireless transmitter box that clips on the belt. This allows us to transmit our voice directly into a receiver attached to his hearing aids thus direclty into his ears which allows him to hear us more clearly in noisy situations or when there is a lot of feedback from his hearing aids. He seems to be responding well to our voices and we can talk to him up to 150ft away! It's great to be able to comfort him with my voice from the other room...he definitally calms down when he hears our voices!

Well...better get to bed! Uncle Bubba (Tim) comes up to visit tomorrow so should be a ton of fun! Love to all of you and thanks for keeping up with us and please continue to pray for us and especially for Burke's hearing improvement and continued improvement in feeding. Praise God for his grace in our lives...it's because of Him that Burke is so full of life!

2-8-06 Fun times

2007-02-08T20:57:00.000-08:00

Here we are just having a good time enjoying our little guy! This photo was taken last week after we had a nice long walk with grandpa & grandma! Burke loves to get outside and enjoy the fresh air...even if it's raining!

Yesterday Burke weighed in at 13# 7oz....he's certainly growing well and eating like a champ...he tried sweet potatoes today and thought they were yummy.

to see videos of Burke go to www.youtube.com and log in with our user name:Burke 26 and password mayb362676

2-7-07 Amazing Bond

2007-02-06T21:48:00.000-08:00

We've been having a great week! Burke has been so much fun to play and interact with. He loves to laugh and talk...and he especially loves daddy time! This week Burke has been able to eat a few times without being hooked up to his tube for "decompressing"...this has been a very exciting accomplishment!

Nate and I are both experiencing an intense and amazing bond with Burke. Yesterday Burke looked at me in a way that he's never done before...it was like he looked directly into my heart and I completely melted. It was almost like God was speaking through him saying...I love you and it's going to be ok. The really interesting part was that Nate had an entirely seperate experience with Burke that was very similar to mine. It wasn't until this morning when I was describing my experience that Nate explained he had the same! Burke has an incredible ability to communicate and relate to us...he is so "in tune" with his surroundings and the people in his life! His auditory verbal therapist says she would never have known he was a premie by the way he interacts socially...he is exceeding in his ability to communicate and connect...what a huge gift God has given us in this little boy. He inspires me every day!

Hearing Test results 1-30-07

2007-01-30T22:59:00.000-08:00

Burke underwent his last BAER test yesterday...it was literally a "Bear" as he cried and cried for the first 30 minutes until he finally fell asleep. For those who don't know...Burke needs to sleep through the test so the audiologist can get accurate data....the testing usually takes 2 hrs! In order to do this, we had to sleep deprive him and allow him to get hungry so he'd take a nice long nap (he is typically a cat napper)...this is usually not a good idea for preemies and Burke is sensitive to being overtired and hungry! After he finally fell asleep, everything went well and we were able to get more information about his hearing. In a nutshell (there are many details of which are super complicated) his left ear has no measurable response to sound BUT his right ear has more responses to sound than we originally thought. With his "ears on" (hearing aids) he hears our voices and most speech sounds with the exception to the quieter sounds like "s" "th" "k" "f". He is really responsive to our voices and he is even starting to respond to his name...super exciting! :) He is constantly talking and his auditory-verbal therapist (Star) said she's never heard a baby (in her 30 yrs of working) who talks as much as Burke (we can't even get a word in without interrupting him)! Of course we never imagined Burke would have hearing loss on top of all his other medical battles but we are so hopefull that he will be able to learn how to listen & talk. We plan to teach him some sign language but will rely on verbal communication as primary. If you'd like to know a little bit more about the really great program that Burke is enrolled in to learn language, it's called Listen & Talk....http://www.listentalk.org

1-26-06 7 months ago...

2007-01-26T17:18:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe 7 months ago we had a baby...let alone believe that just 7 months ago we were living an entirely different life than now. These past months have seemed like years but at the same time have flown by. In all ways, our life has been totally transformed but not without much sacrafice. It has been breathtaking to look back at where we were just 7 months ago. What is truely incredible to see is the physical, social, emotional and mental growth that Burke has accomplished as well as the growth of our relationships and faith.

I recently bought a great book entitled "Changed by a Child; Companion Notes for Parents of a Child with a Disablity" authored by Barbara Gill. As you know, Burke has been diagnosed with severe to profound hearing loss...he is deaf and with that diagnosis comes membership to a whole new group of people...the disabled. I wanted to share some very touching and beautiful meditations and quotes from the book that resonated with me... I hope that it gives you a glimps of what goes on in the heart of a mom who has a baby with a disability and may change the way that you respond to those who do.

Sorrow ~ My pain felt like water penetrating into the sand, soundless, into the core of my being. -Anchee Min
When our baby was born we lost something that we were already in love with-our idea of what he should be. No baby could ever completely fulfill that idea or be that fantasy, but most babies approach or overlap our dream baby, because our dreams come from what we know, from our idea of the norm. A child with a disability was not in our picture at all, except maybe as an occasional fear. We who have a child with a disability lost not only our fantasy baby, but our reliance on having a "normal" baby.We feel this kind of loss deep within ourselves. It does heal, but it heals around the edges, leaving an open space in our heart. We grow around the scar and the hole in our heart, and they become part of our architecture, part of who we are. But when the wind blows a certain way, we always hear and feel it. It makes a sad sound. It makes our heart ache.
Difference ~ His deafness is neither a talisman or a curse, but something at once more prosaic and profound; an aspect of himself. -Leah Cohen, whose paternal grandparents are deaf.
What is wrong with this picture? Which one is not like the others? Which one doesn't belong? Picking out what's different is a skill we begin learning as young children. By the time we are teenagers we've become expert at finding who and what doesn't fit. It's a useful skill, enabling us to choose the freshest flowers or avoid the pothole in the road. But it can get in our way when we think about people with disabilities, leading us to focus on what's "wrong" and on how they are different from others , and to believe that disability means "abnormality" or "deficiency". It may lead us to think our own children can't belong because they are different. Our child's disability is a reality, but it is only one part of who he is; it need not define who he is or who we are.

Beautiful Baby...photos to support Children's Hospital

2007-01-20T11:18:00.000-08:00

Our good friend and my co-worker Marcus was able to capture some great photos of Burke in mid December. We've decided to make all of the photos available for purchase to raise money for Children's Hospital. We feel very compelled to support the place that helped to save Burke's life. We realize that without their expertise and state of the art interventions, Burke would not be where he is today.

Please take some time to look at the photos and consider purchasing a few to support Childrens Hospital! http://fdlphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/2293827
Password is: Nelson

Lots of Love and Thanks!
Chris, Nate & Burke Nelson

1/10/07 Little Guy is growing!

2007-01-10T21:40:00.000-08:00

Burke is now a whopping 12# 14oz and 23" long! Overall, he is doing great...growing and changing so much everyday. He especially loves his bathtime and is so cute in his little froggie towel (Thanks to our friend Kate!). We just got his new hearing aids yesterday...they're blue and look great on him (they match his eyes)! He is really responding well to our voices and starting to coo and talk (especially first thing in the morning...at like 4am)! The best part is when we turn on his hearing aids and the first thing he does is smile and giggle at us...it's amazing to experience a connection with him on this level!

Burke has slept through the night for the past 2 nights so we are feeling great...it's amazing how much a little bit more sleep can help all of us! I'm working part time and really enjoying being back in the office with my colleagues..it's great interaction and mentally stimulating so I feel refreshed when I return home! Erica is our nanny and she is doing a great job caring for Burke...she lives next door so it's super convienent for both of us! Nate is also doing well and enjoying his new job with DSHS as a social worker III for the guardianship unit.

God has been so good to us through this past year and we know that 2007 will bring much healing and peace to our family! Keep ya posted...more exciting changes to come!

Happy 2007!!

2007-01-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Happy 2007!!! Sorry for the lack of blogs, our computer went down and by the time we got a new computer the holidays happened.

Burke is doing very good and is healthy and growing. We took Burke to Yakima for Thanksgiving and Christmas, both times were very healing and comforting for Chris and myself. Burke was loved on by family and friends and he loved it. Chris stayed a few extra days in Yakima after Christmas with Burke and continued getting loved on by family.

We want to say again how thankful we are for the support everyone gave us throughout 2006 and our journey. The support we recieved was want we needed and could not have asked for anything more. In the next few days we shall update you all more on the progress of Burke and our family.

Love to all

11-7-06 Turning a corner...

2006-11-08T19:51:00.000-08:00

We've had a great past few days and feel like Burke has really taken a turn for the better. He's been eating more efficiently without taking in or being bothered by so much air and has all around been a happier baby...whoo hoo...and that certainly makes happier parents too! He continues to grow and change each day...more smiles and coos...it's so much fun to interact with him and watch him experience his world and love it! It still amazes me that he can find so much to smile about after everything that has happened...he is truely an inspiration!

Just to update you all on whats been happening on the home front, we've recently found a great nanny to help me during the day for about 10 hrs per week...she is wonderful and is already taking to Burke quite well. The really cool thing is she is actually a neighbor and was introduced to us by her sister who is also our neighbor AND she knows the occupational therapist who works with Burke...she comes highly recommended so we are confident in her ability to care for our precious one! I plan to return to work 10 hrs per week in December so I can have a bit of a break...I think it will really help me cope with my stress! (who would have ever though work would help with stress?) :) hmmmm...

We still continue to need prayer and support in so many ways...prayer for Burke's hearing and use of hearing aids to help him develop the auditory pathways of his brain. Prayer for continued improvement with his feeding and distention from gas. Also, we love getting meals still so if you want to drop one by...feel free! :) Thank you tons...we love you all!

Big Boy updates 11-3-06

2006-11-03T07:47:00.000-08:00

We've had a busy week with appointments and stuff.... thought we'd better let you all know that Burke weighed in at 10# 60z on Monday...wow...what a big boy he's getting to be! It's been a busy and stressful week...despite his great weight gain, feeding Burke has become a bit more complex. He swallows an extreme amount of air during his feeds which causes him tons of pain and he's unable to finish his bottle without a big fuss (and I mean BIG fuss!). It's really frusterating for all of us and we've had to figure out ways to decrease the air intake....we've had to rig up a special tube and syringe deal that allows air to escape through without draining out all the milk he's just eaten. It's hard for me to be at home by myself feeding him with all of these issues so I'm trying to be calm and hang in there...please pray for us as we continue to encounter difficulties along the way...

10-28-06 Burke's new girlfriend!

2006-10-29T20:43:00.000-08:00

Our dear friends Mark & Elle Bullard came to visit and introduce us to their beautiful little girl Avery! In these pics, I'm holding Avery and Elle is holding Burke. Avery was born September 1st and this was the first time either of us had the opportunity to hold each others babies...it was wonderful! We think Burke and Avery make a very cute couple...don't you! :)

Tomorrow (monday) we take Burke for his 4 month well child check and immunizations...should be a crazy day (he'll get 5 shots)!! yikes! I'm really looking forward to knowing his current weight. Nate think's he weighs 10# 2oz and I'm wagering he's 10# 3oz (I've been right most of the time so I think odds are in my favor...hehe!) We have a busy week again with many appts....surgery clinic and occupational/physical therapy on Tuesday and audiology on Thursday. Burke will have more hearing evaluations done and probably fitted for hearing aids this week. We still pray and hope that his hearing will regenerate on it's own but know that the hearing aids will be so helpful in allowing sound to start stimulating the auditory center of the brain to build the necessary pathways so he can hear and speak!

We received great news that great grandpa is sending us a new video camera so we can document Burke's tremendous growth and development. We are pumped to be able to share more than just pics with you all on youtube.com when we get it figured out! :) to be continued...

10-23-06 Sweety Bear

2006-10-25T06:05:00.000-07:00

Our little guy is getting more handsome daily and gaining weight at a positive rate. On this day, Burke was going on a walk with mommy and needed to get dressed for the cool rainy Seattle day. Burke enjoys getting outside in his stroller and checking out the sights. He is very visual and picks up on the shadows and different objects out in the world. It appears in the picture that he knows that he is going outside for another adventure.

Burke is currently weighing in at 9 lbs 11 ounces and displaying some beautiful fat roles. He has been eating very well over the last two weeks and continues to show impressive signs of swallowing, breathing and sucking. Every week Burke goes up 5 cc's per bottle feed and at this point he is at 65 cc's every feed. 600 cc's every 24 hours. The staff at Children's Hospital and Burke's pediatrician are pleased with his weight and consider him on track for his age and specific needs.

We are so proud of Burke and so thankful that he is accomplishing so much after all that he has been through. Every day he is doing something new or showing us signs that he is developing like a child should. What a joy, our little Burke.

Thank you all for continued prayers and help over the last 4 months. The support and specific needs that have been met by so many friends and family has been over the top. Never did we expect so many people stepping up and providing their love and time. From the bottom of our hearts we thank you all and Burke will grow up knowing that he is known and loved by so many people.

10-14-06 Experiencing the world!

2006-10-14T21:47:00.000-07:00

Burke has really grown a ton over the past week ..he is so much more interactive and playful...more and more like a happy healthy baby each day! He's been learning to reach for toys (note the toys are fish as we're hoping to encourage and develop his fishing skills early so he can keep up with his uncles on the river someday (watch out Stealth!) Burke took his first car ride yesterday and LOVED it...he was very attentive to everything...then he fell asleep...good for us but I wonder if he wished he could have stayed awake to explore his world a little more! Burke sure doesn't like to miss a thing these days...I think he's actually learning to enjoy life and relax a bit now. Of course we are still exhausted as he eats every 2 hours all night long but we're so thankful he's eating so well and celebrate with each empty bottle. Praise God for His faithfulness and good work in healing our little guy...please pray as we continue to trust that He will complete the good work He has started in Burke and in our family!

10-9-06 The Three Babysitters

2006-10-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hello from Home! This is a picture of Uncle Nick, Auntie Jill and our very friendly kitty cat babysitting Burke while mommy took a shower (what a luxury)! Auntie Jill came to stay with us for a few days and helped out tremendously...she took over when I was too tired to function..THANK YOU JILLY! It's been pretty overwhelming to meet all of Burke's needs during the past few weeks. He's quite fussy and a bit unpredictable but we're beginning to figure him out (and he's figuring us out too). Burke has really proven to be a fantastic eater and is gaining weight steadily. We rarley need to use his G-tube for feeding as he takes almost 100% of his feeding by mouth (a huge difference from one month ago). He was up to 8# 6oz last Tuesday and will be weighed again tomorrow at his pediatric appointment.

On another note, we recieved confirmation that Burke has hearing loss in both ears (one ear has progressively been getting worse and they believe this is due to receiving high doses of ototoxic antibiotics). His hearing loss will require intervention (hearing aids/cochlear implants). This has been a devastating diagnosis and we are really struggling with the implications this will have for Burke's development and future interactions with others. We are really praying that his hearing will be restored but if not, that we will be able to cope with this new diagnosis and all that it entails. What a road this has been...still on the journey of many unknowns...but we have hope that Burke's life will enrich us all and teach us how to love and life in a much deeper and more meaningful way.

9-30-06 Burke chills with his nina & babba!

2006-09-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

Hello from HOME! Burke is doing fine...eating like a big boy and growing tons. In this picture he's sacked out in his Nina's arms (Chris's mom) after gobbling down a whole 40cc of breastmilk...it's about the only things that gets him to stop crying! :) We've all been a bit frazzled trying to get into a routine here at home but it's getting better day by day. It seems that Burke has his extremes down pat...he sleeps harder, cries harder and plays longer than he did in the hospital so I guess that means he's getting stronger by the day! He had his first pediatric appointment on Thursday and had gained one ounce in a day so that makes him 8# 1 oz now! My mom has been here to help us get organized and soothe and hold Burke so I can do the basic things like use the bathroom/etc. It's also been great to have her help with helping us give Burke his medications and do his wound care. She's also helped us get Burke on a schedule of eating and napping....thank God for grandma's who know about babies! :) We couldn't have made it through this transition so easily without her support! Nate's family came to celebrate Burke's homecoming this weekend and brought tons of food, love and hands to help and hold Burke. Auntie Jill was able to meet Burke for the first time too! This coming week we have 5 appointments to check on Burke's weight gain, hearing tests, wound and g-tube site and occupational therapy....we're also doing this without the help of Nina so it should be interesting! Please pray that we make it through the busy week and stay positive through Burke's ups and downs during the day!

Burke Pics

2006-09-27T22:06:00.000-07:00

9-26-06 Going Home--pictures worth a thousand words!

2006-09-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

9-26-06 We're Going HOME!

2006-09-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

YES, it's official!...we're GOIN HOME! OH MY! In exactly three months Burke has managed three major surgeries, two major procedures,3 nosocomial (hospital acquired) infections, two rounds in the NICU, a million x-rays and florostudies, rounds and rounds of expert opinions and even more trials of ways to feed and gain weight.

As of today, Burke has doubled his weight to 8 lbs and is taking in the appropriate amount of milk by a bottle (binky trainer good bye!)! His esophagus and stomach are slowly but surely starting to coordinate themselves appropriately and Burke is now HUNGRY when his tummy is empty and HAPPY when his tummy is full of mommy's milk! We've managed to convince Children's Hospital Surgical Team, Dieticians, Residents and Feeding therapists that premies with surgical complicaton CAN grow and gain weight on breastmilk alone through a process called Lactoengineering...I've even been asked to publish an article for the Journal of Human Lactation about our experience and the methods we've used to help Burke gain weight! I can't even explain in words the overwhelming feelings of joy and fear that I have at this moment. I am assured that the timing is in God's hands and is always perfect. I know that we will meet new challenges in our home environment but strongly believe we're stepping forward on the path to a healthy recovery for our little family.

"Nothing Short of a Miracle"

2006-09-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

Lets call it, “A Miracle from God”, or the intentional interaction of our Intelligent Designer, or maybe we can call it a theological master piece invented and designed by Jesus Christ himself. Interestingly enough the ministry of Jesus started with the controversial miracle of turning water used for ceremonial cleansing into wine for a Jewish wedding. In a sense I have always wondered what the formula was for Jesus' miracles. While making observations as I journeyed through the gospels a common principle came up over and over again. For example, do you remember the story of when Jesus fed five thousand people? What did he start with? A few fishes and some bread right? What about when Jesus healed the blind man? He used dirt and spit right? What about when Jesus healed the women with the issue of blood? He used a simple touch. All these things seem to have one thing in common. When Jesus would perform a miracle he would ‘start with what he had’ in a sense he combined the natural and the supernatural. It was not like the miracles of Christ came from nothing…Jesus usually used what was around him to demonstrate the glory, love, and power of God.
With this in mind I have been thinking a lot about the miracle of Burkes' healing. My pragmatic side wants to divorce the sacred (supernatural) from the secular (natural) and say that it is simply science and technology that is helping Burke find health. However, to think in this linier way would be to see only one part of the picture. When I dig a little deeper (and think vertically) it is profound how God is doing something that is “Nothing Short of a Miracle”. God has not changed in his principle ways of working miracles. God seems to start with what he has. So what do I mean by this? I mean God is working his miracle (Baby Burke) through the doctors he created, through the technology he allowed them to thinking of, through the prayers of people who love Jesus, and through a mother (Chris) and father (Nate) he considers a significant part of the Family of God. Ok let me try to unpack this a little more. For instance I was with Chris this weekend and she (through the wisdom of God’s Spirit) has develop a high protein, high caloric formula from her breast milk that is all natural and is helping baby Burke to gain weight. What is the method to this marvel, “you start with what you have”! Isn’t it amazing that the supernatural is so simple and yet so profound! I think I always expected a miracle to be God doing something out of nothing like when he created this earth. But God also makes the supernatural out of the simple. He does the extraordinary out of the ordinary. This is the message of the Cross…it is God doing something awesome out of something as common as death and life. Who would think to save the world through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus? God would! With this in mind let us not miss the miracle of Burke and give glory to God for what he has done!

Love Uncle Tim

P.S. I saw Burke this weekend and he is doing awesome. When I walked into the hospital for the first time in almost two months I received a warm welcome smile from Burke when he heard my voice. I also was able to feed him from the bottle that he is now eating from and he napped peacefully in my arms. I feel very special getting to be apart of this miracle!

9-20-06 Quick Update on Burke's Progress

2006-09-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

Well, we're slowly getting back on track with the eating and growing. Burke weighs 7# 13oz now! Burke started eating by mouth on Monday and has progressively been able to tolerate more each day. He is now eating 20cc of breastmilk every 3 hours then is on continuous feeding of milk through his new G-tube at night. He continues to receive some of his nutrition via IV until he can tolerate his full feeding into his stomach. Everything is still in the healing process so we're going pretty slow with things and find his balance. He is currently free from infection and no longer needing antibiotics. We continue to care for the wound on his abdomen that was a result of the perferation of his original G-tube...the wound is deep and yucky looking but healing well. Aside from feeding stuff, Burke has managed to sucessfully pull out every tube possible (IV's, PIC lines, G-tubes)...we think he's trying to tell us something like "hey guys, I don't need this stuff anymore...leave me alone and let me go home!" We continue to have hope that we'll be heading home within then next few weeks...yes, we've said this before but we're really hopefull this time! :)

Another exciting breakthrough is that we've been able to spearhead a new creative research project with feeding Burke high calorie breastmilk through a process called lactoengineering. Burke has some "digestive" issues with fortified breastmilk as the formula they use gives him major gas and blowouts (see July posing called Burke Blow outs)! Now we're using the fat from my breastmilk for fortifying so he can easily digest it without all the discomfort (for him and for dad)! We're super excited to pave the way for other premies and parents who may be in this situation with needing more calories for growth but not wanting to use formula to add them! Go Breastmilk...whoo hoo..it really is all babies need to grow!

Please keep us in our prayers as we push through this next week and plan to go home. Burke specfically needs prayers for his stomach and esophagus to continue to heal properly so he can get all of his nutrition by mouth. Please continue to pray that Burke stays free from infection while in the hospital!

Grandpa, Gary Wood and Baby Burke

2006-09-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a wonderful picture of the loving Grandpa Gary Wood and his new grandson "Burke"! Gary was able to meet Burke for the first time two weeks ago and it was love at first sight. Grandpa Gary has been super supportive through this whole process letting Grandma Julie spend almost every weekend for the past three months, up in Seattle with Chris, Nate, and the Baby.

Love

Chris, Nate, and Burke

9-15-06 Rainbow Through the Rain

2006-09-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not in vain
That morn shall tearless be

Burke continues to battle through with courage, strength and determination. He has improved each day and we hope next week brings reports of good news while he begins to eat again! Thank you for the food, visits, emails and love...we appreciate feeling so connected to you all through this time...you give us so much strength! Love to you all

"In the Arms of the Great"

2006-09-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a beautiful picture of Great Grandpa Chester, Baby Burke, Grandma "Nina", and a very proud mother. I am sure Grandpa was telling Baby Burke a wonderful story with his deep, wise, and melodic voice. I remember being a small child tucked up along Grandpa’s side and the sweet aroma of his Old Spice after shave combined with his neatly pressed lamb’s wool sweaters were always a delight. So here is to generations of love, stories, memories, the wonderful gift of family, and all that is to come!

A Step Back

2006-09-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with Chris this morning and have the latest update on baby Burke. Unfortunately we took a step backwards this weekend. Although we had the loving presence of Great Grandpa Chester and Grandpa Gary little Burke had a complication with his G tube. Chris describes the situation this way:
“It seems like every time we try to help Burke something goes wrong. If we just let him be a baby he would be ok.”
For example the doctors have prescribed enhancement additives to the breast milk which Baby Burke has been eating. The additives in turn have upset his very sensitive stomach and given him lots of gas. The intestinal gas causes Burke to cry and on Saturday his G tube became dislodged from these intense expressions of grief.
The G tube is an alternate feeding source that was surgically placed into Burke’s stomach on Tuesday. It looks much like a small plastic valve that you use to blow up a pool raft or float. Two days after surgery they began to feed Burke through the tube. However, because of major stomach irritation the G tube was dislocated which in return cause leaking. The leaking of breast milk into the interspatial tissues between his stomach and abdomen has caused infection and required and emergency surgery on Saturday/Sunday.
Currently Burke will not be able to feed with out the aid of a pick-line for about a week or until the abdominal wound is healed (open wound). On the phone Chris described the scenario:
“Tim, it feels like we go from one extreme to the other. From being completely unhooked from any machine and ready to go home, back to complete dependency upon the hospital for at least another week.”
I know Chris is tired and honestly living on a thread. She, Nate, and Burke covet your prayers and support. I think to keep it simple…if we could all pray:
“Father we are ready for Chris, Nate, and Burke all to go home back to there little apartment... Thank you for how far you have brought them even though we still have a long ways to go. Please bring comfort to Chris, Nate, and Burke through this and help them to feel your presence and hope in the fact that you know best and you never make mistakes! WE LOVE YOU LORD…AMEN”

Love Chris, Nate, and Burke

9-5-06 The Three Little Bears!

2006-09-05T21:29:00.000-07:00

So sorry about the lack of recent blog updates from us! We have been keeping busy with a more normal baby routine of feeding on a 3 hr schedule with diaper changes and crying in between...hope all you faithful blog readers weren't too worried about us! So, we remain at Children's hospital in what I like to call my "mamma bear den" where I've established a daily routine of caring for our little cub and fighting off any threatening medical people who come with needles/probes/tubes/etc! (it's a tough job but someone's gotta do it!) Burke's been doing so well that we were able to take him out of the hospital on a two hour "pass"! We strapped him into his sweet new stroller and took him to the casa where we introduced him to his big sister "mamma kitty" who unlike the rest of us, is not so anxiously awaiting his arrival on her territory! Burke slept through it all until we made it all the way to UVillage Jamba Juice and he decided to cry...uh oh...what does a new parent do in public with a screaming baby (with a tube to add?). Well, we picked him up and carried him in our arms for a while until the screaming stopped then realized it was all due to him being too warm...so simple, yet so complex! It was super fun to be "normal" for the first time since his arrival 10 weeks ago...wow...it's amazing how the little things mean so much more when we have to wait patiently for them to be realized!

Tube updated: Today Burke had a surgical procedure to place a gastric tube (G-Tube) directly into his stomach for feeding. The current NG tube will be removed from his nose in a few days. We all agree that the NG tube is causing much irritation and slowing down his progress with oral feeding. The G-tube will be a direct entry into his stomach bypassing the fragile tissues in his nose/throat/esophagus. Burke will need support in feeding for the next few months while he continues to advance on his oral feeding...soon he will be able to take 100% of his food by mouth (currently he's only taking about 10%).

My (Chris's) mom is here for the week to help get the house ready for Burke to come home. We still aren't sure on an exact date but hope it will be within the next 7-10 days! Great Grandpa and Grandpa Gerry from California come this weekend for their first visit...we are super excited!

Much love to you all...

Nelsons 3

8-29-06 Cuddled up with Uncle D

2006-08-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

Uncle Derek and Burke had some serious bonding time over the weekend...Burke had a great time playing and snuggling with Uncle D! As you can see in the sleepy picture, Burke was out for the count.

8-28-06 Perspective

2006-08-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

There is such comfort and rest in the faithfulness of God and his vast love that is beyond all measure! Watch as His glory is revealed through Burke's life. We wait patiently for Him to fulfill his promise to restore us.

8-21-06 Binky Training 101

2006-08-22T01:56:00.000-07:00

Just in case anyone was wondering what "binky training" is here's a picture for ya! In this pic Nate is feeding Burke a small amount of breastmilk through a tube attached to a pacifier. With each suck, Nate slowly & steadily pushes down on the syringe that contains the milk and it flows into the tube and out the end of the binky into Burke's mouth! This teaches Burke what it feels like to suck, swallow and breathe all at the same time! Both my boys are doing great...Nate is so patient with Burke and Burke is so patient with Nate...they make a great team! :)

Burke has been taking 10cc's (30 cc = 1oz) about twice a day and hasn't had any problems with aspirating or choking...we are super proud of him! In the next months, he'll continue to get a larger amount through his binky trainer and when he's ready, he'll graduate to a bottle. I've also started nursing him but we need lots more practice latching on and sucking. I'm very hopeful and know he'll get the hang of it!

8-20-06 Surviving the Hospital

2006-08-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

Well...we're still hanging in here at Children's and trucking along in the right direction (homeward bound). We're still just "talking" about going home so there are no official plans yet but we hope it will be sometime later this week. Burke's official due date is Aug 24th so we hope to be going home around then! In order to get there, Burke must gain weight steadily and have stable breathing. His weight gain has been slow but is on the rise and he weighs 6lbs as of yesterday! He continues to have 1 to 2 episodes of oxygen desaturations during the early morning hours which has been somewhat concerning as the doctors can't quite figure out why they're occuring. Burke hasn't been negatively affected by these episodes and doesn't require extra breathing support/oxygen which means his body is strong enough to recover nicely on his own. An expert plans to visit us tomorrow to help uncover the meaning behind these episodes and we pray she'll be able to tell us they're no big deal and we can go home!!! Burke is also being tested for respiratory viruses just in case these episodes might be related to possible development of a cold or infection. So far, he hasn't shown us any major signs of being sick (this would be a real bummer as it would keep him in the hospital longer).

Nate and I had a great weekend with family and friends who came to help us while we continue to get ready at home for Burke's official arrival! Nate and I had our first date night on Friday thanks to Jeremy & Larissa's babysitting help. The Nelson clan came over Saturday for a visit and to celebrate Grandpa Gary's b-day with baby Burke. We were also able to get some sleep for a few hours at home while Elysia & Kelvie babysat on Sunday! It's been so wonderful to have the support here in the hospital so we can leave for a few hours here and there. We love spending all day with baby Burke but being in a hospital setting can be quite stressful day in and day out. Just getting fresh air and sunshine is a real treat these days.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we anticipate another exciting but challenging transition to going home. Nate will also be starting his new job the first week of September so we have lots going on that may cause extra stress in our lives both with time management and finances...we trust that this new chapter will be full of hope, joy and peace as we trust God to provide in all ways (as He already has!)

Love to you all...and thank you for keeping up with the blog...we LOVE getting your encouraging messages!

8-15-06 Surrounded by friends!

2006-08-15T23:41:00.000-07:00

Burke has been doing really well this past week! As you can see, he enjoy's hangin out with his little buddies & sucking on his beloved binky. He's becoming much more interactive now...it's so much fun to watch him experience the world around him. His old roomate and buddy Logan & his mom stopped by to visit. Logan is just 8 months old and has been at Children's for cancer treatment (which is going well). As you can see, Logan really wanted to get into Burke's crib and play....it was sooo cute! Unfortunatley (for Logan) we had to postpone his playdate until Burke gets a bit bigger.

As for Burke's medical progress...he continues to wax & wane with weight gain and is now receiving a high calorie formula (30 K/cals) added to my breast milk to help him along. As of tonight he weighs 5# 12oz which is about where we started last week so he's starting to make up the few ounces he's lost! He is now taking 6ml of breastmilk by mouth during his binky training sessions twice a day and LOVES it! Wow, it's so encouraging to see him actually suck and swallow milk! As soon as he can tolerate 10ml twice a day we plan to try putting him to breast to see how he does...exciting progress :)!

He had his hearing screened today but didn't pass the screening in his right ear. The audiologist thinks the background noise may have interfered with the test so will repeat it next month. She counseled us on the fact that Burke is at higher risk of hearing loss due to his prematurity and the fact that he received certain antibiotics that are ototoxic (cause hearing loss) ...we won't know if this is true until they can re-test him next month. She did reassure us that even though the test wasn't "passed" today it did show that he is able to hear at most frequencies (phew) so can respond to our voices and sounds around him.

Please please continue to pray for Burke's steady weight gain, ability to tolerate taking in milk by mouth directly into his tummy and the subsequent testing (hearing, etc) that are still pending. The battle we fight daily is to not be anxious about the unknown but to just take one day at a time and rejoice in the life and love that we have for that day!

8-9-06 Growing stronger!

2006-08-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

Burke remains in good spirits as he continues to work on growing and gaining weight! :) Over the past few days he's lost about 4 ounces but nothing too alarming or unusual. Because of this, we are now adding more calories to his milk to help "beef him up" a little more! The doctors would like to see him gain weight steadily before he can go home. They've also suggested to us that he likely will go home on tube feedings. How this works is Burke will continuously receive milk through a syringe pump hooked up to his tube. Basically milk drips into his intestines 24/7 which helps prevent the dreaded "reflux" that causes the errosion and stricturing of his delicate esophagus. At this point, Burke doesn't necessarily feel "full" or "hungry" but is satiated. Once he tolerates these feedings (and the reflux) well, he will begin to get milk directly into his tummy through the tube feedings and swallowing it down via breast or bottle feeds. We have no idea what the timeline for this will be...it all depends on how Burke is able to adjust to these new changes. Nate and I have learned how to set up his tube feedings and give his medication...Nate actually taught me how to do it all...he is a pro! All in all, we've made teriffic progress! Just think, a little over one week ago he was on CPAP for respiratory support...this little man amazes us each day...we are so totally proud to be his parents!

Many thanks to those bringing the yummy food to help Nate and I stay strong too...we appreciate you all so much! :)

8-7-06 The Burke BLOW OUT!

2006-08-07T23:31:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, what you see is poop on Nate's shirt (at 2am) after a major explosion took place during "daddy's turn" at diaper changing! The nurses all agree that Burke has officially set the hospital record for biggest poop blow out of all time...his excrement shot 72 inches (yes we really measured) from his rear end, through daddy's shirt and over to the bed where I was sleeping! Incredible for such a little squirt! hehe! Fortunatley, I was spared from the mess but Nate had to spend the rest of the night in a hospital gown and pants. Thanks Burke for holding strong to the "Burke" family tradition...you've definitally proven yourself and you're uncles will be so proud :)

8-6-06 A weekend with Uncle Dave & Auntie Shel

2006-08-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend with Dave & Shelly (Chris's brother & sis in law from Redmond, OR)! Burke was very content in their arms...we are convinced that the love surrounding him has a tremendous healing power! Thank you Dave & Shelly for spending the weekend with us!

8-5-06 We've Moved!

2006-08-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

Burke is doing well...so well that the doctors agreed he is stable enough to be on the "big boy" floor with the other big kids! So this means we are no longer in the NICU but residing on the medical/surgical floor (Giraffe 3) in room 3018 bed 1. Burke is up to full feeds on moms milk and is no longer getting supplemental IV fluids! He is tolerating everything well so far...we are one big step closer to home (we pray)! Uncle Dave and Auntie Shelly are here this weekend from Redmond Oregon...they have already been such a help! Burke loves to look at Auntie Shelly...I think he might have a crush! :) We'll post a picture soon. Happy Seafair weekend to all you Seattlelites!

8-3-06 Cuddle bug

2006-08-04T00:18:00.000-07:00

Our precious baby just gets cuter everyday! He loves to be cuddled in his blanket and snuggled in our arms! Today he discovered his little hands...aren't they so cute all folded up!

8-3-06 Sweet times with Nelson Grandparents

2006-08-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

It was a great day today! Burke is feeling much better and so are we! Rosie and Gary came to help out and do some holding while mommy went to shopping for baby stuff at target! :) Burke LOVED all of the attention today (needless to say). It was especially wonderful for G-pa & G-ma Nelson to spend time cuddling their first grandchild!

Burke's made terrific progress this week and we expect him to be moving out of the NICU to the regular medical/surgical floor within the next few days. This means he's more medically stable now! He had his first taste of mom's breastmilk during his first "binky training" session. The occupational therapist said he did a great job of sucking and swallowing his first few drops of milk...he earned an A+! He continues to get more milk through his ND tube (nose to duodenum or upper intestine) and is gaining weight well! So, for the next few weeks we'll be working on feeding/swallowing and trying to control the reflux so his esophagus can continue to heal.

Also we'd like to thank all of our friends and co-workers for the fabulous food...you guys are awesome!

A Dad with Heart

2006-08-02T23:08:00.000-07:00

Baby Burke is a lot like is dad already. When Burke was born my brother David nicknamed him 'Lion-Heart' during a prayer service. The character quality of having a great heart has been evident in both baby Burke and his Father Nate. Through out this time a lot of the focus has been on Chris and the Baby (understandably so). However, behind the scenes is a loving, compassionate, and supportive husband. Nate has been a pillar through this struggle for Burke’s life and a true hero. I have seen him love and care for my sister in ways I never thought possible. He has been positive, optimistic, and his faith is leading their marriage and the quest to see their boy restored to full health. I thank God that he gave my sister such a wonderful husband who has risen above the challenge by waiting upon the Lord (Isa. 40:31).

I talked to grandma today and she said the pneumonia is clearing in baby Burke’s lung and he is experiencing progress at this time. Thanks for your continual prayers!

Love

Nate, Chris, Burke, and Family

7-31-06 Special day

2006-07-31T21:05:00.000-07:00

Papa Tom and baby Burke had their first bonding moment today...it was an intensely beautiful experience for them both. Burke slept peacefully in his arms while his respiratory rate and oxygen was the best it's been in days! Burke continues to improve but still needs support for breathing...we hope he'll be off the CPAP machine in a few days. Burke is now getting breastmilk again...not much but it will increase slowly over the days to come.

Remodeling, Baby's and Kitchens...

2006-07-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

As you may have heard there are all kinds of repairs going on during this time of life. The doctors are repairing and remodeling some of baby Burke’s plumbing while Dad, Nate, Gary, and I are remodeling and fixing the plumbing in Chris’s kitchen. It is a lot like the Burke/Nelson family to have many things going on at once, but I think this takes the cake.
In spite of all the remodeling that is taking place, our family has had wonderful times of worship and prayer. Within the last two days we have been on our knees before the throne of grace as a family pleading with the Lord. We have been by Burke’s bed side laying hands on him and praying for him. We have stood in circles holding hands and praying together. But, my favorite was Saturday night when the Spirit of God prompted us to give thanks. It seems like we spend so much time asking God to help us, we rarely direct a whole prayer time to giving thanks for what he has done. As a family we have been so please and so blessed with how God has graciously preserved and strengthened the life of our Baby Burke. It is a miracle that we have made it this far and we know God will do things above and beyond what we could ever ask or imagine. (Do you know why? Because it’s all about His glory not ours!)

Yesterday the nurse showed us some x-rays of Burke’s lungs. One lung is much bigger then the other because of his pneumonia and we must pray that the infection clears out a.s.a.p. so he can be restored to full health. There are two things that happen when a lung collapses, first it puts and extreme amount of pressure on the good lung to provide the oxygen needed for the body. Second the over inflated lung pushes the heart out of place. In Burke’s case the lung is starting to clear, but we must pray that no other organs are over stressed because of this complication. Otherwise, his blood saturation levels have improved and he seems to be resting.

Thanks for all your support.

We love you!

Chris, Nate and Family

7/29/06 Hope

2006-07-29T23:39:00.000-07:00

This is mom writing today...I'd like to say that Uncle Tim has been such a wonderful help in keeping us coordinated with family & friends and of course updating the daily blog! Nate and I have so appreciated all of your help this past week...the good food, stoping by to see us, cleaning & working around our house and praying forus has really meant so much. Thank you for the encouraging emails and voicemails too...we love it!! Please know that if we haven't responded it's not because we haven't received your messages but is because we just don't have much time outside of being with baby Burke or sleeping. We cherish hearing from you, even if it's just a "hello and thinking about you today" message.

Baby Burke's had a rough time over the past 2 days. Today he struggled to breathe so much that the doctors ordered more testing and discovered that he has a partially collapsed right lung. The cause is still unknown but they suspect either a plugged or weakend bronchial tube (airway to the lung). His lab tests showed that he has an infection in his lung which is likely to be pneumonia. He's now on more antibiotics and breathing support called CPAP with helps him get more oxygen to the areas that are collapsed. Burke has really amazed us today! He is handling this set back well despite the odds. Even with only one fully functioning lung he's breathing well and improving slowly. We are hopeful that with antibiotics and CPAP he'll feel better and the lung will reinflate over the next few days. Unfortunatley this pushes back the date when we'll start feeding him breastmilk again...hopefully he'll recover quickly and he'll start getting the good stuff soon! Oh yeah...he's gained weight through it all! He's now 5# 10oz...getting to be a big boy already!

On the home front: Nate and I are trying to get some sleep. Nate's been busy with work this week and a training this weekend. Tim and dad are working on the kitchen remodel...tiling and installing a new sink and appliances. Rosie and Gary were here this weekend and brought lots of food and spent some quality grandpa/grandma time with baby.

We're gonna make it one day at a time and couldn't do it without you all behind us.

What a Beautiful Mom and Baby

2006-07-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Baby Burke, Chris, and Nate have had a pretty good week. Yesterday the doctors dilate Burke's Esophagus and things went very well. After the procedure they where able to take out the NG tube and allow the baby to swallow on his own.

The not so good news came this morning when my mom called me and told me the baby was having complications after yesterdays procedure. Because they enlarged the babies Esophagus stomach juices have been giving him bad indigestion. This has effected Burkes breathing and we seem to be right back where we started. As of this morning his respiratory rate has weakened and the doctor have had to give him oxygen. When I got off the phone with my mom they where taking Burke back in for another examination.

My dad and I will be working on the kitchen this weekend and hope to get everything in order fo Chris, Nate, and Burke. Thanks for your prayers when I have more info I will let you know.

love Tim

Grandma and Baby

2006-07-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

I wanted to thank everyone for their gracious responses in the last couple of days. Chris and Nate’s community group from Marrs Hill Church brought food for the next couple of days and cleaned the apartment from head to toe (thank-you)! They probably have enough food to last them until the weekend. Chris and Nate wend on a picnic to the park thanks to other thoughtful friends (thank-you). You all have been so wonderful and I find it my opportunity to help coordinate things during this time so if you have a special way that you would like to minister to Chris and Nate please give me a call (503-961-3273) ask for Tim.

Some have asked me how they can come and see the baby. I would suggest giving Chris a call, but much of the time she is in the NICU with the baby and can not have her cell phone on. So, here is a good game plan if you would like to come by and hold the baby. First call, if she does not answer, then you can stop by the house and see if she is home (if you need directions call me (503-961-3273 or email me: timburculosis@aol.com). The nice thing about stopping by the house is that it’s a 3 minute walk to the hospital. The path to the hospital is just up the hill (on 45th) from their condo and to the left! So if she is not home please feel free to head over to Children’s Hospital and ask directions to the NICU. If she is there they will buzz her and you can go in and see baby Burke. One last thought if you want you can call me and I may be able to tell you her location.

Today the doctors did a little work on baby Burke. They tried to dilate the esophagus, but where not able to because the opening is too tight. This means tomorrow they will use a little different procedure to get the job done. They also did a bronchial study and found that the baby has a small amount of Tracheal Malaysia (not sure on the spelling), but that means that trachea is a little soft, but not collapsing completely. They also drew blood today for the genetic testing and where able to get everything that they needed. Grandma said that the baby looks good today and is napping. Chris is also napping on the couch and is feeling a little groggy from some sleep aid that she took last night. Thanks for your prayers and support. Here is a verse that has been encouraging me about the ‘ministry of presence’; it deals with how Job’s friends ministered to him during his trials: Job 2:13 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

Chris, Grandma, and Baby Burke

2006-07-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

Baby Burke has made some good progress in the last couple of days. The doctors and nurses decided to move his NG tube to the middle of his esophagus where they performed surgery three weeks ago. I was really proud of Chris during this time because she was one of the main proponents who suggested the repositioning of the NG tube. This has allowed the baby to swallow much easier and kept saliva from pooling in his throat. Her nursing skills and intuition have really helped baby Burke through this ruff start. I know that the good Lord allowed Chris to be a nurse so she could have the kind of wisdom needed to help her child through his early stages. We are so thankful as a family that God has been so faithful to us and that all of you who love our family are praying and ministering to us. I ask that you would continue in our commitment to help us through this marathon.
Currently my concern is more for Chris and Nate then it is for baby Burke. He is actually doing much better, but Chris is struggling. We are all aware of the fact that this week they are doing genetic testing on baby Burke. This is a very frightening thing for our young mother who wants her baby to be ok. My sister has been on the internet doing a lot of research and some of the conclusion have left her with negative outcomes. However, the geneticist came in yesterday and where not to overly concerned by what they saw, but will do a little more investigating. I would like to ask you to pray specifically that baby Burke would be ok genetically! I would like to ask for anywisdom you can give Chris and Nate in the area that God is supernatural and we cannot limit him soly to the pragmatic results of our research! We must trust that God will and can do things exceedingly abundantly above what we can ask or imagine! I would also like you to pray for Chris and Nates marriage. These times are tough and they need prayer support and people to ask them how their marriage is going!

In conclusion, my mom will be with Chris the rest of this week and then my dad and I will be returning to work on Chris's kitchen, Friday 5:30pm through Sunday. We are doing some remodeling in the kitchen and trying to get that all fixed up for Chris. If any of our supporters would like to help us finish remodeling the kitchen this weekend we would welcome your knowledge and support. I know we will be installing appliances, tiles, countertops, and cabinets. If you have any skills in this area and would like to help please call my dad or I. Here are our #'s 503-961-3273 ask for Tim; 509-930-7074 ask for Tom.

"Many hands make light work"

Love in Christ Uncle Tim

Uncle Tim and Baby Burke

2006-07-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to hold my precious little nephew yesterday for about three hours. Baby Burke slept in my arms as I sang him songs and talked to him about all the things I am looking forward to doing with him when He gets a little older. I know he will be a good soccer player and a true fly fisherman.

If I could help to discribe this sweet little boy, he is warm, he smells good like a baby, he has a cute little snore, he has a handsome face and big beautiful eyes. He is a great cuttle bug and loves to be held. Some people have asked what they can do and I would suggest that you call my sister (or just come to Childrens hospital) and spend time holding this precious little bundle of joy. Chris needs other people to cherish her baby along with her during these hard times.

We had a big scare on Thursday night when they had to call a code on baby Burke about 4am because his blood oxygen level was not doing so well. Chris was in the room with him when this happened and it really frightened her. Baby Burke was in a regular hospital room but has been returned to the NICU for more intensive care. Monday is a big day for baby Burke. He is having a bronchoscopy and a genetic evaluation. So please be praying that is bronchual tub is in good order and that genetically he is ok. Since they moved baby Burke to Childrens hospital they are being a little bit more thourgh.

People often ask what they can do for Chris and Nate and I would like to suggest that if you ask them they probably will not say much at this time. I think since this week has been so tough they are both suffering from shock. What they really need is for people to bring meals over every evening. They need people to stop by in the evenings after work and pray for them and comfort them (just 30 minutes of your day). They need people to stop by Childrens hospital when they are there and offer to hold the baby for a while. They need people to help clean their little apartment. They need people to help them get out of the house. What they really need is for the body of Christ to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit! If you believe the Holy Spirit is prompting you to minister to Chris and Nate in some way please act upon that! They need comfort and support! I know as the big brother at times it does not feel like you can do anything to fix the problem and believe me we would all like to fix it. However, this is not about fixing this is about being. This is about being here for Chris, Nate and Burke. This is about comforting and praying!

To be honest with you they are both suffering from depression. This time is taxing on their marriage, bodies, emotions...you name it. They are having a hard time sleeping, eating...etc.

I wanted to thank everyone for their prayers and for enduring this marathon with us! Please continue to battle in prayer and provide comfort by coming over. Phone calls really are not what they need at this time. They need to be huged, spoken to in person, and cherished(true incarnational ministry)!

If you need directions to the house please call me (503) 961-3273

with all that I am in Christ

Tim

7-19-06 Children's Hospital

2006-07-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

We're sorry for being so out of touch. The last week has been a whirlwind for us. We transferred to Children's Hospital Monday and have been getting adjusted to the very new environment here. Burke is in a regular hospital room which he shares with a roomate. We (along with the nurses) are his caregivers 24 hrs/day...this is much different that the NICU environment where we could leave him with his nurse and go out to do things like sleep/eat/etc. Nate and I are now taking shifts around the clock and thankfully we are less than a 5 min walk to our condo so can go home to sleep. There have been many doctors, specialists, consultants and teams of people in and out to see us. They come in and out all day and it's a bit overwhelming! They are re-doing many of the tests that were already completed in Tacoma just to be "sure" that things are still ok. Burke had a rough last few days and they have stopped his feedings of breastmilk until they recheck his esophagus and make sure it's still not leaking. He had extra secretions in his nose and mouth and started spitting up more. He also had episodes where his heart beat went too low and his oxygen saturation decreased where we need to stimulate him and put oxygen near his face to get him to breathe. He bounces right but but it's incredibley scary and intense for us to see our litte guy go through this. Needless to say that with everything going on, we are a bit on edge and in need of much prayer for strength, endurance and peace.

The new doctors have told us that Burke will need a lot of time to start eating normally. It'll be up to him to tell us how much time he needs so we may be in the hospital another month or so. Nate starts work again next week so this may pose another logistial challenge. I thankfully am off work until December so can be here to care for him. We appreciate your outpouring of support and offers to help. If you would like to visit us, please call the hospital directly 206-987-2000. Currently we're in room G-4018 bed 2. Here is the website to the hosptial http://www.seattlechildrens.org

7-15-06 I'm so cute

2006-07-15T23:24:00.000-07:00

It was another good day today. Burke rested peacefully and continues to breathe well...so well that they discontinued the oxygen that was being given through his nasal canula (yay..one more tube gone). He's also in the process of being weaned from the morphine...it's a slow process but the doctors have reassured us this is very common and the babies do just fine without any long term side effects! We are super proud of his progress. Monday he will be transfered to Children's Hospital...we are very excited to be closer to home. Please continue to pray that the transfer goes well and that he responds well to being weaned off the morphine. Thanks...we appreciate you all so much!

7/14/06 I love my morphine (a little too much)

2006-07-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

Uh oh...baby Burke now clearing his next hurdle... morphine withdrawls! For the past 2 weeks he's been getting small amounts of morphine for pain control and today, we discovered that if he doesn't get it for long periods of time, he gets a little bit fussy! He is doing fine (no worries) but his body will need to be slowly weaned from the morphine over the next few days. Overall he had a great day though. I held him for almost 2 hrs...he slept for the first hour and then woke up and gazed at me while sucking away on his little binky...soooo cute! He changes so much everyday...I'm always so encouraged by how much stronger (and more handsome) he seems as each day goes by. His lungs, heart and esophagus are all working well. He's almost off the oxygen completely (they'll remove the nasal canula from his nose soon!) The surgeon reassured us again that his esophagus is healing much better than she expected..wow...praise God for his healing hand on our son! They've increased his feedings to 5ml/hr through his nasal gastric (NG) tube. He weighed 4# 13oz today! At some point within the next few weeks we'll teach him how to suck and swallow so he'll be able to eat more normally.

Within the next few days we hope he'll be transferred to Children's hospital where we'll be in walking distance from our condo. It will be so nice to have him closer to home although I must say that (as weird as it may sound) I will miss this place....the nurses and doctors have been amazing and we love them!

I read a great verse today that has encouraged me so much that I wanted to be sure and share it! We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33:20-22

7/13/06 Daddy's little gift...

2006-07-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

Another great day today! Daddy got to hold Burke for the first time and it was beautiful! Nate did a great job of holding, rocking and singing every song he knows...his favorite is "you are my sunshine". The nurses even love it when Nate sings to baby! Burke slept comfortably in daddy's arms for over an hour! Burke is feeling good today and sucking even more vigorously on his binky. He had two big poops and is getting more breastmilk now (2mls/hr). The doctors and nurses are working on getting him transfered up to Children's hospital maybe as soon as tomorrow! Wow...when our little guy makes progress he sure knows how to step it up! We are so proud of him.

7/12/06 Holding Burke for the first time...

2006-07-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

YES!!!! As the neonatologist expressed the news to Chris that she could hold her presious baby for the first time, the look on her face said it all. Now that Burke had a day of breathing on his own and the chest tube was removed, the doctors and nurses felt that Burke was strong enough and ready to be held. We have waited for this moment since June 26 at 3:21 pm. Burke took well to the holding and laid comfortablly on Chris's chest and drooled a little on her shirt. Did this bother Chris, oh no, this was just fine for Chris. This may have been the most content I've seen Chris and baby Burke since this whole ordeal started! Progress continues to keep steady with Burke including his feedings which he is receiving mom's milk at 1 ml an hour. This will increase daily as Burke takes well to the milk. The plan with the feedings is that Burke will go up to 11 ml and not require his IV anymore. He'll need the oxygen in his nose for a little while longer. He's been sucking strong on his binky which shows us that he's very capable of feeding and swallowing...
Lots of praises today...we are so encouraged!

7/11/06 Yipee...No Leaks!

2006-07-11T23:49:00.000-07:00

Baby Burke has had some very exciting and positive happenings over the past 2 days! On Moday the 10th, he had his esophogram. A radiologist put a dye contrast down his esophagus to test for any leaks in the repair that the surgeon did 2 weeks ago. Nate and I anxiously watched the procedure (it was intense...we think Burke handled it better than we did)! We received the great news that his esophagus has healed well and is not leaking fluid out into his lungs or abdomen!! The esophagus remains small so there is some pooling of fluid that causes him to gag a bit but the surgeon seems to think this will go away with time. Since then, his chest tube was removed and he was weaned completely off the ventilator! He is such a trooper! He is now breathing well on his own without support (he just gets a little oxygen (the concentration of room air) through a nasal canula in his nose)! He looks much better without all that sticky tape on his face! He has a NG tube (feeding tube) that goes from his nose to his tummy. He started getting more of my breastmilk today through the tube so this will help him get stronger. He is already very fiesty and tried to literally stand up in his crib today when he got upset...I didn't think a 33 wk old baby could be so strong! He has a sweet little cry...it's a bit hoarse from the ventilator tube being near his vocal cords but it is the sweetest sound we've ever heard....we LOVE to hear our baby boy cry! :) Now that we can see his face a little better, we've decided he looks even more like his daddy and even has his handsome dimples!

Nate and I are back in the parent apartments here in Tacoma until Saturday. The doctors are already discussing the option of moving Burke to Children's Hospital in Seattle sometime soon (this could be days to weeks as "time" has it's own meaning here in the NICU). We are thankful to be so close now that Burke is more awake and active....we hope to be able to hold him tomorrow if all goes well!

Please continue to pray that he gets stronger and that his breathing is maintained without the need for more support. Praise that his esophagus is healing and that he started feeding today. Our little boy is such a miracle!

Thank you for your support and love....we are so grateful! Lots to come in the next few days...we'll keep you posted!

7/9/06 Holding Strong

2006-07-09T22:18:00.000-07:00

Today Burke was holding his own. Blood pressure, heart rate, respirations, etc are looking good. He is getting ready for a big day tomorrow when they will check his esophagus to see if it healed properly and is not leaking. If there is no leak, the doctors will take out his chest tube and remove the ventilator!! (that will be wonderful). He is showing us signs that he can breathe well on his own without support...he is now "chomping" down on his ventilator tube and we can almost hear him say "get this thing out of my mouth!" He is opening his eyes more now and responding to our voices and gentle touch. Yesterday afternoon our eyes locked in a gaze and it was one of the most special moments I've had with my boy! He is soooo sweet and definitely knows when his mommy & daddy are there with him. We've had to move back to Seattle until Tuesday so it's hard to be so far away. We're commuting to Tacoma every day to spend time with him. My mom is here until "further notice"...she's been a huge support! So, tomorrow is a big day and hopefully full of answers (good ones). Please pray for us and we'll keep you all posted. Love to you all.

7/8/06 Daddy's boy

2006-07-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

Lots of progress over the past 2 days! Baby Burke is now getting my breastmilk through a feeding tube placed in his nose and is tolerating it well (he's never had anything in his tummy until now!). Prior to this he's been fed via an IV directly into his veins but now he's able to get a good dose of mommy's "medicine". He had a big poop this morning...we are thrilled about poopy diapers (never thought I'd say that!). They are weaning him off the ventilator and he is breathing more on his own. They say that he should be completely off the ventilator by Sunday night. Monday he will have a esophogram which will evaluate the surgical repair to his esophagus and detect any leaks or problems. Burke is trying so hard to wake up now...he opened one eye and looked at us yesterday! So cute! He moves his hands and legs and acts like he's trying to cry...this is good as it shows us signs that he's waking up and acting more like a healthy baby! Yesterday we got to see his little face without all that tape around his mouth...he looks JUST like his daddy! :) ...please continue to pray that his lungs work well without support, his esophogram is normal and that he stays infection free! We appreciate you all so much.

7/6/06 Mommy & Baby Burke

2006-07-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

Isn't he cute! :) He looks like daddy but with darker hair! He's doing ok today (post heart surgery) but still needs help breathing as his medications for pain cause him to not take as many breaths on his own. We are very very proud of his strength and endurance for the past 10 days of his little life...what a fighter! Thanks for your continued prayers...we feel them!

7/5/06 Post Surgery

2006-07-05T18:49:00.000-07:00

Burke did well through his surgery today! Praise Praise!!! The cardiac surgeon closed the open vessel in his heart . This was a huge step for his baby steps toward improvement and healing! Post surgery he is sleeping soundly and comfortabley (with lots of meds on board). The nurse said his bloodwork and blood pressure are starting to look better already. In the next few days they will be weaning him off the ventilator and blood pressure medication. Hopefully by next week we'll start introducting fluids into his little tummy through the tube in his nose (NG tube).

We are doing ok...it was a long day at the hospital but we took a short nap this afternoon. We're about to head back to our little apartment down the street, make dinner and go to bed early. I think we'll both have a glass of wine to celebrate a good day! (yes, for all you breastfeeding folks, I'll "dump")! Thank you for your prayers today...we felt them and so did Burke.

Thank you to our family!

2006-07-04T23:34:00.000-07:00

Burke's proud family: Papa Tom, Nina (grandma) his Uncles and Aunties on mom's side! Thanks for your support...we love you! More photos of dad's side of the family to come...

For more photos you can check out Uncle Derek's photo page at: photos.yahoo.com/dnelson_1971

7/4/05 PDA Surgery

2006-07-04T23:24:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday 7/5/06 Burke will under go his second surgery of life. Before birth, there is a natural opening between the aorta (the main artery to the body) and the pulmonary artery (the main artery to the lungs) called the ductus arteriosus. This opening usually closes shortly after birth. PDA occurs when this opening fails to close; PDA occurs in about 10% of infants.
PDA is often treated initially with a medication called indomethacin but Burke's PDA didn't close on its own or with indomethacin so surgery will be performed. A small incision is made on the left side of the chest. The ductus is either ligated (tied off) or cut.

We are hopeful that this surgery will go well and have been reassured that it is simple and quick. After this surgery, we look forward to Burke coming off the ventilator and his blood pressure stablizing without the need for medication. Please pray for a safe surgery & quick recovery!

NICU Life for Burke

2006-07-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

Baby Burke is being well taken care of by a team of NICU nurses, neonatologist and surgeons at Tacoma General Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. He is currently hooked up to every kind of tube and wire imaginable! There's lots of beeping and buzzing but he doesn't seem to mind. This picture doesn't show it but currently he's on a ventilator to assist him with breathing so he doesn't have to work too hard and expend the vital energy and calories he needs for healing.

He had surgery on Tuesday June 27 (less than 24 hrs old) to repair his esophagus. Praise God that his surgery went well and his body is healing. The nurses have been keeping him comfy with little does of morphine for pain so because of that, he doesn't move around much, cry or open his eyes yet.

We're able to talk to him, stroke his head and hands gently...he definitally knows when we're there at his bedside! We visit him at least 4 times a day where we read stories and sings songs to comfort him. We hope to get to hold him for the first time in the next few weeks...that will be a good day for mommy! :)

6/27/06 Tracheal Esophageal Fistula (TEF)

2006-07-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

On Monday night we found out that Burke was born with a congenital anomaly involving his esphagus (swallowing tube) and trachea (breathing tube). This is called Tracheal Esophageal Fistula with Esophageal Atresia (see first picture in diagram to the right). There are a variety of different scenarios but fortunately Burke has the most common type which can be fixed with surgery (95% success rate)!

Basically this anomaly starts forming during the 4th - 8th week of his development. A part of his trachea and espophagus grew together to cause a fistula (connection). When these two tubes are connected it can cause fluid that from his stomach to back up into his lungs which could affect his ability to breathe and cause major infection. The other part of his esophagus (the top part) was not connected to the bottom half of the esophagus leaving a big space (called atresia). So bascially all the parts were there but not plumbed into the right places. This left Burke unable to swallow nutrients down to his stomach.

During his time inutero, Burke wasn't able to normally swallow and process the amniotic fluid through his stomach and intestines. This caused an imbalance between us so I began to retain extra amniotic fluid (called polyhydramnios). My body couldn't maintain all of this fluid so my membranes ruputured prematurely which sent me into premature labor. This condition is very difficult to diagnose and only happens in about 1:4,000 pregnancies. Sometimes infants with this condition also have other developmental anomalies but fortunatley Burke has been cleared of any other major concerns with his other organs. Also, this condition isn't genetic so we aren't concerned about it happening in subsequent pregnancies.

good website for more info: http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site2191/mainpageS2191P0.html

6/26/06 Baby Burke is Born

2006-07-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

We welcomed our precious baby boy " Burke Elias Nelson" into the world on June 26, 2006 at 3:21 pm! He decided to come early at 31.5 weeks weighing 4# 0 ounces & 17.5 inches long. Mom and Dad are doing well but baby Burke needs your prayers as he remains in the hospital with some complications involving his esophagus (esophageal atresia) and heart (patent ductus arteriosis).

Labor started with my water breaking on June 24th at 8:30 am while we were on our first camping trip of the summer near Mt. Rainier. After a few moments of panic and with the help of our dear friend Elysia we rushed to Tacoma General Hospital and were admitted right away. I was given medication to stop the labor but nothing was standing in the way of our little guy...he was determined to come into this world and on his mommy's 30th birthday even! What a precious gift. We are so thankful for our sweet sweet little boy...he is such a blessing to our family already!