Grandpa and Grandma Bunch's First Grandchild

Alexis' Grandpa and Grandma Bunch traveled to St Louis the first night to see Lexi and support us, and they have been in town ever since. They've wanted grandkids so badly for the last few years that Grandpa even asked us if we needed a 'how to' manual. Needless to say, they worry about Lexi's condition every bit as much as we do, but they are thrilled to have their first grandchild five weeks earlier than expected!

Lexi's Long Road to Recovery

Mom and Dad still can't feel the thrill of holding her to comfort her, but we visit her every few hours, talk to her so she can hear our voices, and interact with her gently. Alexis was slow to react immediately after the surgery due to the effects of the anaesthesia and pain killers, but several hours later she was once again responding to voices and touch. The NICU nurses have told us it's like she's on a sunny beach with margaritas going through her IV's, and we've taken the path of ignorance and chosen to believe them.

The Coolest Baby on the Block

In order to ensure jaundice does not become an issue as it typically does with premature births, Alexis hangs out these days underneath a lamp aimed at reducing Billy Ruben levels. It is pretty tough on Mom and Dad to see little Lexi breathing from a ventilator, having a Broviac embedded in her chest, having stiches in her abdomen, having an ostemy near her hip, and having IV's in both arms and one foot. However, we still can't help but still think she looks like a pretty cool cat chilling in the NICU. No child should have to spend her very first 4th of July in a two-hour surgery and then recovering in the ICU afterwards, but her surviving the surgery made for quite the Independence Day celebration on our part!

Alexis Recovers from Surgery

Thanks to the accurate diagnosis and steady hands of neonatal specialist Dr. Coln, Lexi's 2-hour surgery was a success. An incision was made in her abdomen, and all life-threatening issues with her GI tract were addressed. The enlarged, healthy portion of her small intestine was redirected out the side of her body, where an ostemy will be attached for her to use during the first 6-9 months of her life. The blockage in the small intestine was repaired to prevent it from becoming toxic, and another piece of the small intestine also was redirected out the side of her body for easy access in future surgeries, when Alexis is strong enough and her intestines developed enough to permanently repair and connect the intestinal tract.

Mom holds Lexi for the First Time

One of the most difficult parts about Lexi's surgery and condition for us has been not being able to hold her and comfort her. Finally, before she went into surgery, the nurses briefly placed her in Mom's arms. It was the best feeling a mom can have, especially after waiting two days to experience that wonderful feeling for the very first time! We gave her lots of kisses and told her to be tough. We told her how many people were thinking about her and praying for her, and that her papa was in heaven watching out for her. We hoped that brought her comfort during this awful surgery at such a young age. We also hoped that our voices and touches gave her peace. Something must have worked, along with our wonderful doctor's skills, and we can't wait to hold her again when her condition has improved. For any parent, they know that holding their baby is a special, special feeling.

Tests and a Trip to the Operating Room

Thursday night and Friday morning, Lexi's first major problems were discovered and diagnosed. The mass at the base of her umbilical cord actually contained a portion of her intestines, which were outside the body and not functioning properly. We were informed that all babies' intestines begin forming outside the body in the womb, and later in the pregnacy, the abdominal cavity closes around the intestines and effectively seals them in. This process did not happen properly with Alexis' intestines, and it resulted in a significant portion of her intestines developing outside the body. Subsequent X-rays in the radiology dept also revealed her small intestine had a blockage just before the point it connects to the large intestine, resulting in a dilated small intestine that was significantly larger than her undeveloped and tiny large intestine. Surgery would be required to correct this problem, but unfortunately, it would require multiple surgeries given the extent of the problem and the frail nature of our premature newborn baby girl.

Dave, Cori, and Family Visit

Dave, Cori, Avery, Addison, and Beckett came to see their new niece and cousin. Family has been such a great support throughout this. We weren't quite ready for Lexi, so we didn't have car seats in, the pack n' play set up, etc. Dave and Cori graciously took care of things like this for us, so we could focus on Lexi's tests and progress at the hospital. It was fun to have visitors. The girls were sad they didn't get to see their new girl cousin, as children aren't allowed in the NICU. However, we are hoping to get her home in the near future, and they and Beckett can meet her then!

Tell the Paparazzi to Leave me Alone!

No, Alexis is not in pain. Her proud parents just won't stop taking her picture. Almost all pictures have been taken with the flash off, but not this one! She doesn't mind getting her picture taken normally, which is nice. She seems like a natural to us. She is very patient with doting mom and dad and all the wonderful nurses poking and prodding her on a regular basis to ensure she's okay.

Our Little Prize Fighter

Alexis has proven time and again to be quite the fighter, but she needed to go on oxygen again on Thursday, day two, and you can see the tubes in her tiny little nose. You also can see the arm board on her right arm, which keeps her nourishment and antibiotic IV's in tact on the inside of that arm. Underneath the saran wrapped area around her belly button lies the golf ball sized mass at the base of her umbilical cord. The NICU nurses kept this area moist and protected until an ultrasound could be performed to determine what was inside. Before tests targeting this problem would be performed, though, x-rays, blood tests, and other procedures would be done to ensure all vital organs were functioning properly. Thankfully, all such tests proved one-by-one that her organs were healthy, although some slightly underdeveloped from her inability to be carried to full term.

Late Night Play Time in the NICU

Mom and Dad got to make a late night visit to the NICU after Laura recovered from the surgery and we got settled into our room. Although still nervous about what would be discovered in the battery of tests being scheduled for the next day, we were thankful her vitals completely stabilized late that first night, and we weren't going to miss the opportunity to play with her and interact with her a little bit. Dad asked Lexi if the reason she came over five weeks early was to arrive in time for the big Cubs/Cards series in town over the weekend, and she smiled, but did not comment.

Laura's C-section a Big Success

Laura's C-section was a success, and within hours we were in the recovery room in which we would be spending the next four nights. Not having Alexis in the room with us was very difficult, but we still were thankful the procedure went well, and we knew Alexis was in very good hands.

Alexis Lauran Bunch Arrives 5 Weeks Early!

Alexis Lauran Bunch was born on Wed July 3rd @ 5:53 pm, weighing in at 5 lbs, 8 oz. Her middle name honors her grandmothers Deb and Phyllis, whose middle names are Larae and Ann, respectively. We were expecting her to join us much closer to her Aug 7th due date, but a blockage in her umbilical cord discovered in an ultra sound was deemed life threatening, so they performed an emergency C-section almost immediately after discovering the blockage. Neonatal specialists of every kind were on hand during the delivery prepared for the worst, but the procedure went well and Alexis came out breathing and crying, so it was an especially exciting moment for us. There was a golf ball sized growth where the umbilical cord entered her abodomen, so tests and treatment were going to be necessary to diagnose and fix the problem, but her health surpassed expectations at the point of delivery. Dad got to briefly hold Alexis after the delivery, but she was having some respitory and blood pressure issues, so they needed to rush her to the neonatal ICU shortly thereafter. Fortunately, Alexis proved strong despite being less than 35 weeks old and stablized relatively quickly in the NICU, and Mom handled the surgery very well, so the first day was a worrisome, but very joyous one!