Big News for Devin's Little Heart!!

Devin isn’t even a week old, and he has already had a very productive five days of life. He’s made it through two operations, and has responded very well to both.

Yesterday, Devin was able to reach another milestone with the removal off his ventilator, showing that he is capable of now breathing on his own, with only a little oxygen for support. Now that the ventilator has been taken out of his throat, we’ve now been able to hear him cry and make noises for the first time since his birth last Thursday. This is great because we know his lungs are working, but on the other hand it’s hard not being able to pick up our really cute baby when he is crying. He’s now able to take a pacifier, which good news since we’d like him to take a bottle at some point in the future, and possibly avoid a feeding tube.

People keep asking how Dan & I are doing and feeling. With all things considering, we are doing pretty well! We have been blessed to be able to sleep, thanks to Dan’s sister who lives about a mile from Devin. That has been a huge blessing to have a home away from home. We also know the other 3 boys are in great hands since Dan’s family has stepped in and are taking care of them, to help keep them in their routine. The staff here at Children’s have been absolutely amazing and have done such a great job of keeping us well informed of everything happening with Devin. So, having peace he is in good hands makes all the difference for this mama.

The other HUGE news we received today is that Devin will be scheduled for the Norwood (his first open heart surgery) this Friday morning 4/15. This is very, very, exciting news for us, and honestly a lot sooner than we had anticipated. We are grateful his body has been doing well enough for him to get to this point!

This operation can save his life. While he will never be “normal”, this is the beginning of giving him a chance to live more normally. Of the 3 heart surgeries, the Norwood will involve the most risk. The next 6 months until his next heart surgery are going to be very critical for him.

Open heart surgery on a Newborn heart is obviously very complex and a serious ordeal. So, we take great comfort knowing the surgeon who will be doing Devin’s is one of the best in this field. At the same time, we know that this is a very complex procedure, and there are many complications that could happen. Please be praying over Devin, the surgeon, anesthesiologists, nurses, and all the hands that will be helping this one little baby have a chance at life.

We are really excited that Devin is a candidate for this surgery so quickly, but as consent forms are being signed, and doctors are explaining all the risks; your mind can’t help but wonder if everything will turn out okay. So we ask for prayers for a peace that passes all understanding for our hearts, our boys, and for all our family. Pray that we would choose to lean entirely into the Lord, and not into fear. We truly believe the Lord put this special little man in our lives for a really big purpose, and we trust that God will do what only he can do by strengthening and sustaining us through each step of this great journey.

Devin may be just be 5 days fresh, but we already are getting to know him and his personality. We know he is one tough little cookie. His nurses and doctors keep telling us they like to see them put up a little fight.

His brother’s really, really, love him. They can’t wait for him to come home and play. Gabriel wrote him the sweetest note and said Devin is going to have so much more fun playing at our new house then he did in mommy’s belly, because there is a lot more room. We can’t wait for him to come home either, and we know that so many of you are praying that for us too.

Thank you for your prayers. We have many mixed emotions about this Friday, and we are grateful to have so many prayer warriors lifting Devin, and our family up.

We will continue to keep you updated on our amazing little man!