A Large Meatball Sub

My hand on my boy

Wow.  What a ridiculously crazy, wonderful day.

Proud momma

After arriving at the hospital yesterday, Colleen was back and forth between Asher and his birth mom all day, which was amazing.  My mom got to the hospital in the early afternoon and Colleen's parents arrived a few hours later.  Unfortunately, the grandparents couldn't go into the NICU to see their grandson, but we were able to show them many pictures and videos.  Colleen and all the parents spent many hours with the birth mom, just keeping her company and supporting her.  Please pray that we can become her family for the next few days, and even following weeks, since we will be in Cincinnati for at least a month while Asher is in the NICU.  She wants to have us around and we've had so much fun talking with her.  She seems very set on continuing her plan of giving Asher up to us, but she still has some time before it becomes official.  She's such a sweet girl and we're praying that we can show her lots of Christ's love in the coming weeks.  

I arrived at the hospital a little after 6pm, after finishing up at work and then frantically searching our house for everything on Colleen's list... apparently I need to do a better job learning where Colleen keeps her clothes and toiletries...  : )  Once at the hospital, I went straight into the NICU to see my son... and it was amazing.  He looked like a toy or a doll on display since he was cuddled up in the plastic incubator.  He has such a sweet little face.  I couldn't believe how small he was/is... his body is the size of a Chipotle burrito with a head and extremities.  I couldn't stop staring at him... it really was breathtaking.

Our little man

We were allowed to open up the little doors on the incubator to touch him, but I didn't want to very much... he was just so fragile, I didn't want to break him!  Also, I have notoriously cold hands, so he didn't seem to appreciate it too much when I touched his soft skin.  I tried to only touch his cute little diapered butt and hat-covered head, which seemed to work better.  Those moments first seeing him are ones that I will never forget.

Other than being born premature, Asher is healthy and doing well.  I feel so bad for him with tubes, monitors, and needles in this nose, mouth, hands, feet and side... but he is a trooper.  His weight was holding steady as of last night and only dropped a few ounces today, which is great.  His lungs are still a concern since he is so small, and apparently the next 48 hours or so are very important to his development, so we'd appreciate your continued prayers. I've been posting a few pictures and videos on facebook, so you can get to them at facebook.com/casonwittig if you're my facebook friend. 

*****

Asher's got some pipes, and he's not afraid to be heard!

Today (Thursday) we got to help change Asher's diaper and see him without his striped hat and CPAP.  His little face is so cute!... though all of the apparatus he's had on made him swollen in spots.  He has quite a bit of hair, but seems to have developed early male pattern baldness since there wasn't much on the front of his head.  Hopefully he'll gain some hair on top as I keep losing mine there!  He's quite a squirmy energetic little guy and DID NOT like having his CPAP put back in his nose.  They had to redo it 5-6 times because he kept knocking it out. That feisty-ness will serve him well on the soccer pitch in the 2032 World Cup...  We also learned his official birth stats were 2lbs 8.9oz and 13.25 inches long.  So essentially an extra large meatball sub.  

Right now, Colleen and I are just sitting by his incubator talking to each other and to him.  He's tried to open his eyes a few times, but seems to be sleeping now.  It is incredible just to watch his little back rise and fall with each breath... it seems like he is breathing quickly to me, but we're told he's in a good range.  Even though they have the CPAP on to help keep his lungs open, they switched him over to "normal" air as far as oxygen levels, which is another positive thing.  We have so much to be thankful for. 

*****

We have been overwhelmed by the support of our family, friends, and church via text, email, facebook, etc.  We are so grateful and blessed!  Many have been asking how they can help and about baby showers.  We dont' have many answers to those questions right now, but we'll put the info out there when we have it.  I thought we had until May/June, so we're definitely not as prepared as we'd like to have been!  Thanks again for keeping up with our lives, for your prayers, and your support.  

Cason (& Colleen)

PS - Been having trouble posting videos to the blog, so those will have to go up on facebook... just check facebook.com/casonwittig if you want to see them.  

One more for the Aunties... Whenever I almost don't post a picture, I just think about how Aunti Adrienne has been begging for more... so up they go.