Life: 2 weeks 5 days

Good Afternoon Amirah Nation!!! I hope this finds you in good spirts, and I have to apoligize for the late update. If your wondering why, I'll explain; between work and the trips back and forth to the hospital, its tough to find the time to update this! But never fear Amirah Nation! You hang in there, and keep the prayers coming, and I will do my best to get these updates to you!

I wish I could say that things are getting easier folks, but its not. Amirah has had quite a few up and down moments the last few days.

(this is Johanna now, I'm not as fun to read as Andy, but he cooked dinner again tonight, so I felt I should at least do this).

Starting Friday she started desating with her oxygen. They had to go back and forth with both the amount of oxygen and the pressure over the past few days. They also gave her a blood transfusion yesterday because her hemocrit was low again.

She has been doing great with her feeding. They have increased her feeds to 3.5 ml an hour. And she is growing bigger. She gained 100 grams over 2 days.

Today was the first time we saw her trying to suck her little thumb. She was able to get it in her mouth a few times. It was so freaking cute :).

Every new nurse we have taking care of Amirah tells us what a fiesty little girl she is. It is clear to them and to us how strong willed she is. And every time we hear it we smile. Amirah's strong will is important to her getting better and coming home.

Andy and I had a rough weekend. I think the reality of our situation hit us. Luckily he and I had our down moments at different times and were able to lean on one another to get through it.

Over all we both realize how extremely blessed we are. We are blessed to have all of you (and those you share our story with) praying for us and sending us positive energy. Please keep praying for our little girl. She needs her lungs to continue to get stronger and start to work on their own a little bit more. We want a slow and stead progress.

That's the update for now. We will try and update a little more frequently. Thank you so much for all your love and support.

Life Day 14, 15

Good Evening Amirah Nation!!!! Thank you for joining us on this amazing journey. I want to thank you, constant reader, for your prays, your well wishes, your love and the wonderful energy you have been sending to Amirah. There is such good news, so lets get to it.

Amirah is doing very, very well. As you know, her lungs have inflated. Yesterday, the doctors listened to her lungs, and said they sounded full of mucus. They gave her a medication called Laysic, which was to pull the moisture from her lungs and allow her to pee it out. Well, folks, it worked! her lungs, while still very delicate and immature, are functioning properly, and are clear as of now. Amirah is doing so well that they have been able to significantly reduce the amount of oxygen she is recieving. She is currently at 49% oxygen, and they are providing very little positive pressure support to keep her lungs inflated. Tomorrow they will check her lungs again, so lets pray that they remain clear.

Amirah's intestines appear to be fully functioning! As you know, they started her on breast milk, in attempt to get her digestive system going. They had also given her a little assistance in the poop department with a glycerin suppository. Well, she no longer needs assistance! Yesterday, she had two rather large poops! She is pooping and peeing on her own, and she is doing really well. She has been doing so well, she has actually lost over 80 grams! Now, we warned that would occur, so no need to worry. We want to continue the good vibes, providing the energy, so she can gain weight.

Amirah's last few days has been absolutely WONDERFUL, and her progress has been wonderful, but we are by NO MEANS out of the woods. The doctors continue to warn us that preemies like Amirah can suddenly take a turn for the worst! She still needs you people! Amirah is fighting like hell still, giving the nurses a hard time (and the absoulutley adore her! I once again can not began to express how grateful I feel to the medical staff there!) but she still needs you, devoted member of the Nation!!

Amirah still has a long fight ahead of her, and right now she is beating this thing the way Mike Tyson used to knock out opponents, but she still. Needs. You. She needs your love, your energy your prays. She needs the same energy and love from you that you have been giving since her first day of life. Please, please keep it up.

Nation, Jo and I will continue to post updates, pictures and answer any questions you may have. We both thank you so very much for your prays, energy and love.

Goodnight Amirah Nation, and thank you.

Photos Days 13-14

Photos Days 7 -11

Life Days 11, 12, 13: Joy :)

Hellooooooooooooooooo Amirah Nation! Thank you for staying tuned, thank you for your support of Amirah, and thank you so, very, very much for your prays and energy!

I have great news folks, so I am going to get right too it! As you all know, we have been very worried about Amirah's intestines, and so have the doctors. They have been keeping a close eye on it, and the thing we have been praying for has been... Poop! We'll folks.... We have Poop!!! And from the reports given to us, it's one we would all be proud of!

So folks, we are now flying five by five as the jet jockeys would say, and Amirah is currently resting comfortably! They are slowly weaning her down on the oxygen. She is currently floating between 50% and 60% percent oxygen (she goes up while the nurses are checking her. I qoute "She gets really fiesty if I mess with her."). She is being feed 1.5ml of breast milk an hour, and she is only receiving fats and a calorie booster. She is doing extremly well right now, and no small thanks to you, Amirah Nation! Apparently the universe and that big ref in the sky is hearing you, so please, please keep it up!

We spoke with her doctor today, and he wanted to stress a few things to us. Amirah's progress is excellent, and she is doing well. However, she is still, extremly early, and her systems are still immature. Amirah's lungs are fully inflated, however they are still full of mucus and gunk. Also, her lungs are so little, and so delicate, they did sustain some damage from the ventilator. It's going to take time to heal. She is still very susceptable to infection, and basically her systems will need time to develop.

We are by no means out of the woods Amirah Nation. She is still fighting like hell, and giving the nurses a hard time :) Amirah needs you nation! She is currently healthy, and looking good, and we want her to stay that way!

Amirah currently has this thing on the ropes, and we need you to please, please, keep sending her that energy. Please let that ref know she is too precious to NOT win. She has a long, long fight ahead of her, but if we can keep her stable, comfortable and on the climb, we will win.

Thank you again for taking even a few seconds to think of my daughter, to send your prays about her, to send your love and energy. I will update win we have another major update.

Untill then Amirah Nation! Keep Cheering! Keep Praying! And Keep sending the energy!!!

Life Day 9, Day 10

Welcome Back Amirah Nation!!! Once again I just want to thank everyone who has spent a moment in prayer for my daughter, or sent her some positive energy, or told someone who then in turn sent some energy and said a prayer. I know I have said it before, but I really believe her progress is due in part to you! So thank you for your all your well wishes and good thoughts, and please, please keep it up!

Our little half pound fighter is starting to turn this thing around! As of this morning, Amirah's lung has fully re-inflated. I'll explain a little more about Amirah's condition as it stands right now. Inside your lungs, you have what most people commonly refer to as air sacks, which medically are called alveoli. Your lungs while in the womb, are not inflated, since mama acts as the lungs. The other reason they are not inflated is that when your lungs are fully developed, you have a mucus coating around each alevola, which helps it stay inflated, and acts like a lubricant, to keep them from sticking together (which would inhibt breathing). Amirah's lungs have not had time to develop this coating properly.

Well, the doc's (and you Amirah Nation, aways you!) have managed to get her lungs back open. Now, we are not out of the woods here. There is a chance they could collapse again. But we are keeping the energy up, the prayers going, and with you, thats not going to happen!

The second bit of good news is just as great. As you know, the doctors where worried about her stomach, intestines and bowels, and have been keeping a close eye on her. Well, yesterday, they decided that with no changes in her stomach, to try her on a little water to see how she would tolerate it. She seemed fine so this morning they have started her on formula. Little Amirah has had her first meal today!! She is getting a whooping .5 ml an hour. The better news is with this added to her system, that little blockage in her bowel will clear right up with a nice poop (yes I am giggling here, and it's okay.)

They are trying to wean her down on the oxygen (becasue she needs to get it on her own). She is currently at 72%, coming from the jet ventialtor. Her progress over all is good, and If you have seen the pictures on facebook, you can see a remarkable change from her first day here.

She is not out the woods, and she still has a ways to go, but folks, she has had two VERY good days. We still need your support, all my Amirah Warriors out there!! She still needs your energy, your love, your support.

The outpouring of love is felt, and greatly appreciated. If there is ANYTHING anyone wants to know about Amirah's condition, any questions, please ask.

I will keep the updates and posting coming as fast as I can. Once again, thank you for your support, and keep sending the love.

Untill next time Amirah Nation! keep the energy up, keep the prayers coming, and lets help Amirah get through this.

Welcome To Amirah Nation!! Life Day 6/ Day 7

Well if your reading this, you have become (or already are) a member of Amirah Nation.

First and foremost, If haven't thanked you about a hundred times for your love, energy and prayer... Well THANK YOU again!!! My daughter is in a very precarious state right now, and I know without your love, prayers and energy... well we wouldn't be sitting in a bit of sunshine! I wish I could hug each and every one of you! I also want you to know, that you are part of something that quite frankly shocked me. When I first posted about Amirah Nation, I was hoping to get family to just pray for us and send some energy. The next thing I knew, people that I have never meet not only sent well wishes, thoughts and encouragement, they where asking THEIR friends to pray for her as well.

Well here we are folks. There where so many requests for information, my wife had the brilliant idea to start this blog. And here we are.

Life Day 6: Exhaustion. That is the word in a nut shell that seems to describe my family. Amirah's status has not changed much. Last night, She was on a Jet Respirator, which the doctors consider the gentlest they have. They had placed her on it to help increase the oxygen in her system, and to help protect her delicate little lungs. Her lungs are developed, but are so delicate that the other respirators are where to rough on her. Well, in that regard she is already doing better, because they moved her to the next step down :) She is responding, and if you look closely at the attached picks, I think you can see a remarkable difference! Her heart is the next bit of good news. The valve that had remained open upon her birth has closed, her heart responding to the three day course of medicine the doctors prescribed(Ibuprofen). So two very, very serious problems they where having has fixed themselves (with that Valve closed, her lungs should no longer have extra blood in them. One delicate system fixed, in no small part to the power of so many :)

Amirah's scans are coming back negative so far. No bleeding in her brain, no problems detected in her belly. She is active, and fiesty, and when I saw her tonight, just a we bit ticked off :) Jo and I swear it appears almost like Amirah is growing in front of our eyes. The doctors have moved her off the jet respirator (it quickly blows air into her lungs at a rate of 300 puffs a minute) and back to the osccilator respirator. This is yet another small victory. Amirah is becoming so active, the doc's felt it nessary to give her a bit of anti - anxiety medication. Everything that we see seems like a small miracle, and to see the progress is great.

Unfortunately, Amirah is by know means out of the woods. The doctors have detected a blockage in her bowels, but at this point they are unable to determine what it is. It could be mucus or stool, or it could be something else. This is where you come in Amirah Nation!

Amirah is still incredbile weak, and she needs your prayers, your love, your energy. Please help envision Amirah's bowel clearing up. I am going to go ahead and get it out the way and put a smile on your faces. We need to ask that powers that be to give Amirah what she needs to.... yes ladies and gentleman.... POOP!!!! Thats right, we need to invision this is a simple case baby constipation, and that the "works" get to working. This is a common problem in premmies this young, and it can be a serious one. Her big cousin had this problem, and things could go from tough to down right scary! But thats not going to happen, and the reason that is not going to happen is becasue of you!

I was already given the proof of positive thought, and how positive energy from large numbers of people can change the world. People from Africa, Spain, England, France and Italy have taken the few minutes to send energy and good thoughts Amirah's way. The outpouring of love has been AMAZING, and will never be forgotten.

I will do my best to keep you informed to Amirah's Condittion, and I think you in advance for continue to keep my beautiful daughter in your thoughts.

Why Amirah Nation?

Below is the post that Andy put on Facebook (and the updates that followed) and is how we came to Amirah Nation...

Today around 11:00 am
Amirah has suffered a partial lung collapse, and the doctors are worried about internal bleeding. That valve in heart really needs to close, so she can breath a little easier.

As I stated yesterday, Amirah is in a heck of a fight, and it looms like this is going to be a tough round. She can really use your prays and good energy today.

If you ever cheered on your favorite sports team, or yelled at the tv in excitement, Amirah can really use that energy! I'm cheering louder then I do when I watch a John Cenna match! For those that don't know, I am a huge WWE fan. John Cenna is my favorite wrestler because of the message he sends out.

He says never give up, never quit. He says if you believe in something, or want something, then even if you are knocked down, you get back up. John Cenna has an army of followers, called Cenna Nation.

Please, Join "Amirah Nation". If you can spare five minted in prayer or thought, and send her that message. That she is loved, and to never quit fighting, to never give up, I'll be extremely grateful. Thank you.


Today around 1:30 pm
Okay ANOTHER update: Okay Amirah Nation! Good news. I just got to see an x-Ray of Amirah's heart, and it appears the medication is working!! They will be checking her brain scans in a bit, and if clear, the final dose is tonight. Remember, we get that valve closed in her heart, and we take a LOT of pressure of her lungs!

Regarding her lungs: the human lungs have 5 chambers; 2 on the left, 3 on the right. Two of her chambers on the right side is basically clogged up! It's like she is in a sleeper/ choke hold!

So once again, I need you in the nation to get excited! Send your love and energy to Amirah, way so we can cheer her to her feet!! Let that big ref in the sky know who you want to win!! I saw her eyes today, and while she is fighting, she is tired!! So please, please, please, if you can spare ANY time today, your prays and good energy will be gratefully appreciated. ... See More

If you could re-post this, and ask your friends and family to send some good will and love to Amirah, it would be very, very, appreciated.

Thank You all for your love and support!

Today around 2:00
Quick update: Amirahs brain scan was negative!! I knew u could do it people!!!! Thank you!!!