Hello Friends and Family,
Today was a much better day than yesterday. Thank you all for your encouragement and faith. Happy Easter, by the way. Christ has risen! He lives, and His power is at work in us all at this very minute. I know so because I saw it happen today with my own eyes.
To start, my dad, mom and sister came and spent a few fun hours at the hospital with us for Easter, and a few precious minutes with Desmond in the NICU. (I think this is surreal to them too).
Last night was really rough. Tanya woke up with a severe case of the baby blues. She woke me around 4am to a very sad, sad sound; so I wiped away the river of tears. A few times. And then a few more. And then she got herself composed enough to go upstairs and have a twilight visit with Desmond. And it was a good visit. We spent a little over an hour just talking to him, looking at him, and loving on him the best ways we know how.
After we arrived, the nurse told us that Des made the biggest poo she’d ever seen from a premie. It was so much in fact, that it more than filled the whole diaper. It made Tanya laugh through her tears, and made daddy proud. I mean, if my premie son is going to do something, sleeping, eating, and pooing is about it.. so go for the gusto Des! That-a-boy! Then, right as Tanya was about to pass out from exhaustion, I wheeled her back to bed.
We woke up this morning to a beautiful sun, gorgeous blue skies, and hope. Hope that Desmond is going to be very healthy. Hope that he is in great hands. Hope, that in spite of all these circumstances, we are here, at the UW Medical Center (one of the best hospitals in the world). God could have arranged it any way He wanted it… But in spite of us, He put us here where Desmond will receive world-class “premie” care. Trust me, it is still very difficult for us.. but we know that that somehow, in someway, this is part of God’s master plan.. and He’s going to work this out for the best.
Later on (and after much effort) Desmond got his first few drops of “liquid gold” thanks to Mama’s hard work and dedication. (You have to understand how momentous this is: most new moms don’t make the goods until 3-5 days after delivery. Mama T is on day 2). How great is that!
Also, Tanya’s dressings were removed and she was able to shower. In her words: “I feel human again.” Then I was able to take her outside for a few precious minutes of fresh air and sunshine. Then we went back and watched the nurse take Desmond’s vitals, change his poopy diaper, and feed him the liquid gold. A very exciting day for brand spankin new parents. What’s more, this morning Des was on 33% oxygen, and by the end of the day they weaned him down to 22% (the same as ambient air, which means his lungs are getting much stronger)!
That’s all for today. I can’t thank all you guys enough for your encouragement, support, love, kindness, and generosity. We are truly blessed to have you in our lives. One last thing: Please leave a comment!! We’d love to hear from you!
Happy (Jesus rose from the dead and conquered death and sin once and for all) Easter! Love,
Nick, Tanya, and Desmond
My Little Pandesal 
My apologies if you are subscribed, you got the version that doesn’t quite flow right.. I fixed it. Its late… time for bed. I have to get up in an hour and forty five minutes to give Tanya pain meds.. so much for sleep.
Please pray that Tanya’s pain disappears. She’s on some really strong stuff right now. Thanks!
And don’t forget to leave a comment.
-Nick
You on on my heart and I so appreciate the updates. Woohoo mama T and liquid gold! I know Desmond loves that!!! Way to go Tanya. Nick and Tanya, you are amazing. Happy Easter! Jesus died that we may have life. May that abundant life fill you and Desmond and those that encounter you in the hospital.
Dear Nick and Tanya my warmest regards to you both. I take care of moms and babies at my work, including NICU moms and have a very little idea of your struggles. May Desmond get stronger fast and may he come with you soon. ((hugs))!!!
My warmest regards. May he get stronger quickly and come home soon. ((hugs))!!!
Love,
Kris aka pinayhekmi aka tintin
Good Morning Nick, Tanya, and Desmond,
Thanks for taking the time to do this post. I know you are exhausted. This is a gift to us all.
Love you all!
Mom
You are all in our thoughts. Thank you for the updates. Looking forward to hear how baby is professing and how you both are holding on. So proud of you Tanya for getting those drops of gold. It’s amazing:). Woohooo:). So glad baby is progressing and I’m sure loving your liquid gold. Hang in there. Love you guys.
Thank you, Nick, for sending out the good news. We’re so happy to hear about Desmond, and to know that he and Tanya are in such good hands. I hope that her strength returns soon. Take care,
Susan
Hi Nick and Tanya! I didn’t even know you had this blog. Thank you so much for sharing the link with me and I’ve earmarked it now so expect me to drop by every now and then.
I first saw Tanya’s PM on FB which I initially checked through my phone but the link to this site wasn’t live so I thought I’d check it when I got to my computer. In the meantime I already gathered from the other messages that Desmond was in the NICU and I thought… well, hey, in my turf. Maybe there’s a few things I could tell them to help them through.
Was I so wrong. As I read on, I started learning more… so much more, about how it goes for the other half of our patients in the NICU because really, our patient IS the whole family. But we’re so concentrated on the babies that we often barely have any idea of how it’s going with the parents… well maybe save for the medical info and stuff. But here I get a glimpse of the total picture… of what goes on with you guys emotionally, and mentally and it’s really true, ya? how these little charmers can and will turn your worlds upside down and inside out. It’s so amazing how precious, precious they are.
And then I realize there is nothing for me to tell you after all. I think that is pretty much covered and you sound like happy, satisfied patients so I’m not going to dip my hand on anything. You already know that it’s not the big leaps we count in the NICU but the littlest steps. That is very important as far as putting things in perspective goes. And if the NICU at UW is anything like where I work and from the sound of it I think it is and for all I know, maybe better, then you can trust me on this… Desmond’s nurses are not just caring for him… they are fighting alongside him and clearing the path so he can take those little steps forward.
May God keep blessing your beautiful family. My prayers to you all.
Hello Hayes Family 🙂
Thank you for all of the updates. It’s wonderful to hear how your little man continues to get stronger. We are looking forward to meeting him when he is ready to make his grand public debut.
You guys are doing amazing. Desmond is so lucky to have you as parents. Just think of the amazing stories you are going to be able to tell him of how he came into the world. Your little warrior is truly going to do great things. Even starting with his poo. 😉
We’ve marked down the weekend you are moving on our calendar and are ready to help in any way possible.
We love you and are praying for your wonderful little family.
Lindsey & Juan
Wow, wow and wow. Those were all the words Mark and I said after reading yesterday’s post and today’s.
Tans you really have a way with kids (remember how kids LOVED you in our school?), your body’s not holding back. I’m glad you didn’t have to go through that pump the first time, because i did and masakit =D … The cut will be painful for a couple of weeks, then you’ll be walking and sometimes dashing without thought (hopefully not, because i did) so get all the rest you can get. You’ll need that tummy healed later so you can do your famous cartwheels and headstands for your Des =)
Keep writing you guys, because it’s very inspiring to know what’s going on with your new family. Galeng ni Lord!
May&Mark Dao