Jackson came through the surgery okay. The same part of the bowel that had the narrowing before was narrow again so the Dr. cut a small piece out and everything looks good. He is back in the big NICU room for now until he is off the ventilator that they put in for surgery.

While Jackson was havig surgery Connor got to do something special with Mommy and Daddy, Connor went outside for a walk in a stroller like a big boy. He really seemed to enjoy the fresh air and settled down for a nap quickly.

Keep those prayers coming for Jackson. :o)

Thank you to everyone who is sending well wishes and positive prayers and thoughts for the Baxter family. :o)

Updates

Well Big boy Connor had his scope of his throat and everything was fine. They are going to treat him for reflux and try a different bottle nipple for him. This should make his feedings much easier. Connor is now OFF all his oxygen and because he is not attached to anything anymore he needed to be given one of the ankle bracelets so that no one can take him off the 3rd floor without alarms sounding. (sorry Dad no more dreams of putting him under your shirt and running away from the NICU)

Jackson is scheduled to have his bowel surgery on Friday. I should have an update Friday evening. If Jackson recovers well from his bowel surgery he will be having laser eye surgery to correct his retina and that is scheduled for Wednesday Sept. 5th. The laser surgery is not invasive but because of Jackson's age he will need to be put under using anesthetic, it is only about a 15 minute surgery. This little guy is such a fighter.
please keep this special little guy in your prayers .

Today Big boy Jackson sat in a vibrating chair and loved it. He is a nosey boy so this allowed him to check the whole room out . He also made an amazing discovery today. Jackson found his hands. He is pretty pleased with himself. ( so are Mom and Dad) When I said Big Boy I meant BIG BOY Jackson now weighs 8lbs 4 oz !!!!! :o) I can't believe how big he has gotten. Way to grow buddy!

Connor continues to hang out , it seems almost as though he is waiting for Jackson to catch up with the eating. I think Connor likes to be the center of attention in the NICU with his legendary big boy FARTS!! He has no problems passing those along.
Next week Connor is going to be seen by an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist to make sure that everything is in good condition. The NICU nurses suspect he may have a bit of acid reflux and that is maybe making eating with a bottle a bit difficult.
Connor is now weighing in at 7lbs5 oz!!!! what a big boy he is.Tomorow is his turn to try out the vibrating baby chair. Have fun Connor :o)

HAPPY 3 MONTH BIRTHDAY CONNOR AND JACKSON !!!!!

WOW three whole months old. They have come so far in the last 3 months , These boys are truly miracles. I imagine them as 25 year old men some day telling their friends about their start in life. What a great story of perseverance, strength and pure love it will be.

I don't have much of an update.
The surgeon has spoken to Rhonda and Dace and has suggested that perhaps by the end of next week Jackson will have his surgery. This is stressful to Mommy and Daddy because they just want to get on with things and have Jackson eating and getting ready to come home.( they will not try him on feedings until 10 days after his surgery)
Connor is eating his bottle * sometimes* He likes it best when Mommy cuddles and feeds him. I can't say I blame him for that. Mommy and Daddy continue to enjoy bathtime with both boys . Connor gets a full blown tubby time bath and Jackson gets a sponge bath.

Dace and Rhonda are starting to get things ready at home for the boys homecoming. New flooring, new carpet, new baby furniture. When it is all done. I will be sure to get Daddy to post some pics.

I would like to personally thank all the people who are checking in daily and praying for these two special babies. Keep the prayers coming and please post comments in the guest book. Once the boys come home I would like to have this blog printed for a keepsake for them to have. I will be printing all the posts and comments and the guestbook.

Small update for all of those who are in the Connor Jackson fan club. :o)

Jackson has an infection and is now on antibiotics to clear it up. They have sent some of his blood away for a culture to see what kind of infection it is. He is responding quickly to the antibiotics so hopefully this does not cause his surgery to be delayed too many days . A consult with the surgeon doing the surgery will be on Monday. More updates about his surgery date then. Keep those special prayers coming for this special little guy.

Connor is doing great with his feedings , its almost as though he knows Mom and Dad are worried about Jackson so he decided to get over his bottle aversion and get busy. He is being such a good boy. He loves to be bathed and snuggled before bed by Mommy and Daddy.

These two boys made my day. :o)

Today I went up to visit and I finally got to hold Connor. They have grown and changed so much since my last visit. I am such a proud Aunt.

Connor is back to his bottle feedings and is learning each day. He now weighs 6 lbs 4 oz. Keep up the good work. "King of the Pond" (Connors NICU nick name)

Jackson is scheduled to have his surgery on Monday the 20th. He is weighing in at 6 lbs 15 oz.
Jackson is quite the cuddle bug and loves to be held by Mommy and Daddy and even gets a midnight cuddle from one of his special NICU nurses. Jackson's NICU nickname is King of the Jungle :o)

Both boys are starting to outgrow their preemie clothes. :o)

I am so excited to have been able to hold Connor today It made my day to see them both. I can't believe how much they change and grow, It really is a miracle to see how far they both have come.
I am so thankful to the Nurses of the NICU they are loving my nephews 24/7 and making such a huge difference in the lives of all the people who love Jackson and Connor. I can't thank them enough for all that they do.

"So that is what Aunt Tanya looks like "
Connor was so wide awake and curious when I got there to visit today.
As soon as he was in Moms arm his little peepers closed tight,
Until we started to talk about Jackson then he would reach his little arm out to say
" hey don't forget to talk about me too" :o)

Jackson all settled back into his bed after a nice long cuddle with Mommy. What a sound sleeper he is. :o)

Connor is showing us his soother. He sucks on it while he is getting his tube feeding. As soon as he was done eating he wanted nothing to do with the soother. What a noisy little guy he was . The whole time I was there he was snorting and making all kinds of noises. Mommy says he even burps and farts like a big boy. I guess we should assume that trait comes from Daddy.

Jackson having a cuddle with Mommy
He looks so deep in thought with his hand held near his chin.
He has the cutest curl on the top of his head, I tried to get it but it looks like I missed it.
Jackson was not too interested in looking at Aunt Tanya but he did peek out at Mommy while I was there. As soon as I looked he would close his little peepers again. :o)

" Ahh so this is what it feels like to be held by Aunt Tanya"

Yep thats right I am holding Connor in this picture and I must say. I was so happy I was busting . I am so in love with these little guys and to finally get to hold Connor was such a great feeling. He seemed ok with it too and was showing of those beautiful fingers for me. :o)

WAY TO GROW BOYS !!!!!
Jackson weighs 6lbs 8 oz
Connor weighs 6 lbs


Connor is back on his feedings and is getting better at it each day.Mommy and Daddy are persisting with encouraging him to keep learning to suck, swallow, and breath.

Jackson had Upper GI Contrast study and it has shown a blockage in his small bowel. He is going to have surgery in the next week or so to to correct it. The Dr. that did his previous surgery is away on holidays so we need to wait for that Dr. to be back. After the surgery it is another 10 day wait to try him on feedings again. One common saying in the NICU is one step forward two steps back. Poor little Jackson seems to be following this trend. Once his surgery is complete and he is able to tolerate feedings he will likely move quickly from tube feedings to bottle feeding since he already has the suck, breath thing down pat and will just need to learn to swallow. Jackson loves his soother :o)

Mommy, Daddy, Connor and Jackson could really use some prayers for a speedy recovery for little Jackson after this surgery. I will update more when we have a firm date for his surgery. :o)

Connor and Jackson are keeping Mommy and Daddy busy tonight with baths for both boys. Connor once again has pooped up his back, ( he is very good at spreading his poop around) Jackson had a poop yesterday but he tends to keep it together in his diaper. I wonder if this is going to be an indication of the kind of little kids these boys are going to be. I have to say Daces nickname for years was "mud ball" he used to eat rocks and dirt. Our Mom used to tell the story of her digging a handful of rocks out of Daces mouth as he screamed about her taking them away. He has been known to eat a worm or two also. :)
Jackson is still not on feeds he is going to be given another feed on Tuesday to see how he does. He continues to outgrow some of his newborn preemie sleepers.
Connor has decided he really is not crazy about the bottle and would prefer to just be fed through his feeding tube, so Mom and Dad are just waiting it out and trying to coax him back to bottle feedings.
Contrary to the feeding issues both boys are growing stronger and bigger everyday. Keep up the prayers for these little miracles. :o)

Big Hairy brother Sends His love

Big Hairy brother Sends His love

Brady Sending all his love to his 2 Little Brothers.