Alan’s Story (So Far…)
Oh, Boy! Alan Wyn did not come quietly into the world. Well, it depends who you ask. Angie woke up to what felt like water breaking at 4 o’clock on the morning of the 26^th and we headed to the hospital full of hope that it was finally the day we were introduced to our son. Upon entry to the hospital, we got a negative result for water breakage, but through the various devices she was plugged into, it was noted that in response to contractions, Alan’s heart rate would drop at a rate of concern to the attendant nurses. As it was early, we awaited word from our OB/GYN as to the next step to take. Pitocin? Patience? We were in no rush, but we were the only ones, and at 7.30am the nurses and our doctor determined that a Cesarean Section was needed to relieve Alan of this stress. By 10.30am, Angie was prepped and ready for surgery.

21 minutes later, Alan arrived. He has a full head of long, dark, straight hair and didn’t so much as utter a sound upon entering the world, but for a small cry. His quiet disposition led us to believe we may have a laid-back little guy, and we were happy to have him here with us in any case. He came back to the room with Robert as Angie was finishing up surgery and met his paternal grandparents while getting a run of tests. He weighed 6.9 pounds and was 19.5 inches long, but he was critically low in blood-sugar and as fast as he left the operating room, he was put in the NICU, where he remains today, trying his best to get back to a blood-sugar level that can set him straight and get him back with us where he belongs.

Becoming a parent is scary, no question. But there is no book or life experience that can prepare you to see your child hooked up to myriad devices and tubes before you can even put him into his mother's arms for the first time. It hurts, deep. But he’s tough as nails and has taken everything from a feeding tube down the nose, an IV, periodic pricks to the feet for blood-sugar testing and a number of different nurses attending to him all in stride, and with very little complaining. He’s our little hero and we know that sooner rather than later he’ll be here with us to share in his mother’s recovery and get the stores of love we’re ready to give him. But he’s here, showing us what it takes to have strength and have life. Nothing is easy and we all have our fights to fight. He’s winning his, and we’re having the time of our lives supporting him.

Alan’s Story (Part 2)

Alan continues to persevere in the NICU today, and Angie has recovered enough to join him from time to time. His blood-sugar is steadily rising and he’s getting a good deal of nutrition, even some from Mom herself. He’s taking slowing to breast feeding but is a quick study. By the end of today he will have gone from not opening his mouth enough to full on feeding in sometimes 15 minute intervals.

Angie has really bounced back from the C-Section and is walking on her own through the hospital and to the NICU regularly to spend more and more time with Alan. They’ve begun to form that wonderful bond; you can see it in each of them. Alan does sleep a lot, but you can tell that there is no place more comfortable for him than with his Mom. She’s much happier now that the numbness has worn off and she can begin to heal, and the smile on her face when she’s with Alan can light the whole building.

Alan has graduated from the heat-lamped crib to a regular crib this evening and is steadily getting through this difficult patch. His blood-sugar has risen from 13 to as high as 67. No concrete estimate has been given for his release date but we are ever hopeful he’ll be spending the night with us tomorrow.