Our newest and definately SMALLEST nephew!

Atticus Aaron Billette was scheduled to be born around mid November of this year. However, Sandy developed pre eclampsia also known as Toxemia. Most experts define pre eclampsia as an elevation in blood pressure in a pregnant woman of 140/90, with protein in the urine, or swelling (edema) of the feet, hands, and/or face. Sandy's blood pressure was in the 200's and the bottom number was in the 100's (I am not sure of the exact numbers but they were very very high!) She had thought the high BP was an asthma attack at first and was told to go to her primary care provider when they realized her labored breathing was due to the fact her BP was so high they promptly sent her to the hospital. Jeremy drove her over to the hospital and while he was parking the car she walked around trying to find where she was suppose to go. When she finally found the place the nurses were very upset and shocked (not at Sandy) that she was walking around they thought she was coming by ambulance!! In an effort to get her blood pressure down they put her on one and then two drugs neither really worked for any length of time. This high blood pressure put Sandy at risk for stroke and the baby at risk for death (through tearing of the placenta). So the doctors took Atticus Aaron by cesarean on August 15, bringing him into this world three months early. They said he was born at 26 weeks and 5 days. He was 1 lb 9 ½ ounces and 13 1/4 inches long. He almost looked like a miniature skeleton, so tiny and fragile. However, he has proved to be a little tiger.

The LDS hospital in SLC, Utah is one of the very best places little Atticus could be. They specialize in premature births and have an extremely high rating, being one of the top 6 hospitals in the nation.

He was put into a special incubator. He was on a ventilator and was fed special food directly into his blood stream through his umbilical cord. All his vitals and his breathing were monitored. He received 24-hour care. A tiny plastic tube was put down his throat into his tummy to allow air to escape. No one was allowed to touch him except the hospital staff caring for him.

Soon the ventilator was replaced with a C-pap machine which puffs air into the nose to remind him to continue to breathe. He was placed back on the ventilator for a short time to give him a rest. Although the doctors had prepared us for regular setbacks, this minor, temporary, change is the only thing that has happened that could even be construed as a setback. Almost daily, we received good news from the nurse about some definite progress he was making.

He received medication to help a valve in his heart to close off. With rare exception, this little valve gets the signal to close at birth when the baby takes its first breath and cries. With premature babies taken by cesarean, this doesn't happen. Sometimes the doctors will have to order as many as three series of three doses each of the medication in order to get it to close off. Even then, sometimes it will close and then open again. Sometimes surgery is necessary. Atticus was tested after one round (three doses) of medication, and the valve was closed. This was wonderful news, because it meant that he could begin to be fed his mother's milk directly into his stomach. The nurse said he had been fussy due to feeling hungry, so we were really happy for this milestone.

Sandy had been pumping, and the colostrum and then the breast milk had been frozen. The nurses warm the milk and feed him every three hours, giving him larger and larger amounts. He started with 2 CC's and now gets 15. (9/2/07)

He now has no wires hooked to him, just a tube down his throat, and has graduated to a different section in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). He is in a different incubator because he doesn't need as much monitoring. He is gaining strength every day.

Sandy says to tell you he's so cute!

She gets to change his diaper, brush his hair with a toothbrush (to prevent cradle cap), take his temperature, clean out his mouth with a slightly minty wet sponge on a stick, and sometimes lift his body so his bed can be changed. Sometimes Jeremy participates in this as well. His favorite part is holding him with his hands.

The next step is called "kangaroo care" meaning Mom gets to hold baby skin to skin, with baby covered in warm blankets to aid in bonding and increased milk production.

We look forward to the day his Mom and Dad can hold him in their arms, when Mom can breastfeed him instead of pumping, and the great day when he can come home.

If you want to keep updated, Sandy and Jeremy started a blog through the hospitals website, visit http://www.carepages.com/ Atticus' care page is named BabyAtticus.

Thanks to Mom Sandy (Grandma) for writing most of the above info in an email to the family:)