July 31, 2008 12:45 pm

Hello everyone! Today starting off to be much better than last Thursday! The doctors did not make any changes this morning during rounds. Laurie is completing her last day of antibiotics. Her rate and pressures have been weaned quite a bit, however she is still requiring too much oxygen to take her off of the vent at this point. Laurie still weighed 1lb. 13 oz. last night. Natasha, Laurie has a very "fancy" bed--it weighs without having to move her! Don't ask me how this works!?! It will even convert her weight from grams to pounds and ounces, which means no calculating for me!!! Thirty grams equals one ounce, so she may gain a few grams at night without the ounces actually changing.

Please continue to remember Laurie and her doctors and nurses in your prayers. Also, remember Todd and Mother has they travel to and from Birmingham tomorrow.

Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 30, 2008 10:30 am

Hi! The doctors made their rounds early today and decreased Laurie's rate and pressures on the vent a little more. Hopefully, she will tolerate these changes and be able to come off the vent soon! Her weight today is 1 lb. 13 oz. As you can tell from the picture most of that seems to be in her cheeks! Cole would have been so happy last night to see her dressed in a cap, shirt, and booties! Of course this was the one time I didn't have my camera with me, but the nurses made some pictures for us. By this morning Laurie had shed the cap and booties--I'm sure she just wiggled and kicked out of them! She still pulls and wiggles anything that is attached to her--like her vent tube, IV, beanie pillows, etc... She would probably get rid of the shirt if she could! It is good to see that she is back to her feisty self!

Please continue to pray for Laurie to come off the vent soon with as little damage as possible done to her lungs. Thanks for your continued love and prayers!

Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 29, 2008 12:30 pm

Hello! We are having another quiet day, which means Laurie is doing just what she is suppose to do--rest and grow. We once again witnessed answered prayers this morning when we received news that Laurie's 30 day head ultrasound results were normal!!! The doctors did not make any further changes to her care plan today. They will continue to wean the rate, pressures, and oxygen settings on her vent. Laurie also weighed 1lb. 12 oz. last night. Please continue to pray for her lung development and praise for the normal ultrasound results! God continues to bless us daily!

Love to all!
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 28, 2008 2:00

I am one month old today!!!

Hi from the RNICU! Today the doctors are continuing to slowly wean Laurie's rate, pressure, and oxygen levels on the vent! The blood and spinal tap cultures are still negative for infection. Her 30 day brain ultrasound was done last night, but the results are not back yet. Laurie has gained another oz. and now weighs 1 lb. 12 oz. We are celebrating Laurie's 1 month birthday with a quiet day for her lungs to grow and develop. A new friend of another baby in the RNICU made her the cutest birthday hat. I just couldn't resist showing everyone her 1 month birthday pictures!!! Thank you all so much for your prayers over the last month! Please continue to remember Laurie, her nurses and doctors, and the other babies in the RNICU in your prayers!

Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 27, 2008 6:30pm

Cole and Laurie--July 27, 2008

Hey everyone! I know some of you have been worried since I have not posted this weekend, but we have had computer problems (this time it was not the me, believe it or not!) and Cole was here, which left little time to deal with computer issues! He was more interested in going shopping to get supplies for "big school"!

Laurie seems to be slowly recovering from the pneumonia and the stress of Thursday's testing! She is back to full feeds of 12 cc every 3 hours and weighed 1lb. and 11 oz. last night! She will have a few more days on the antibiotics, but has completed the IVIG and fluids. She had another blood transfusion (16 cc) today. Hopefully, this will help increase the red blood cells that carry oxygen, making it easier for her to breathe. Overall, she has had a good day today.

Thanks for caring and keeping up with Laurie's progress each day! It helps make us stronger to know that we have so much support, love, and prayers at home! Please continue to pray for Laurie to grow stronger and that her lungs will continue to develop!

Hope you have a great week!
Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

Hello everyone!
Well, I am posting this blog from Elba because the internet at the hospital where Leah uses the computer each day is down. Laurie had a better day yesterday with the doctors leaving her alone and letting the antibiotics do their job. They put her back on feedings of 6cc and have increased that today to 12 cc. Leah said the doctors are trying to slowily wean her ventilator readings and hope to get her back on the C-pap as soon as possible. I will be returning to Birmingham tomorrow and Judy will come home. We are so blessed that we are both retired now and can take turns being with Leah so Todd can be at home to work and see about Cole.
If we don't have a blog again tomorrow, please know that we are still having internet problems. Hopefully, the next few days will be a time for Laurie to get stronger and return to the C-pap.
Thanks for all your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for Laurie's lungs and also for the doctors and nurses taking care of her.

Love,
Nancy

July 24, 2008 6:30pm

Hello everyone! Well, for the last 24+ hours we have been on the "roller-coaster" ride everyone has been warning us about. Late yesterday afternoon Laurie began having trouble keeping her sats stable. The doctors were not able to wean her oxygen rate or pressures without having her de-sat (drop in oxygen levels in the bloodstream). It was an afternoon and evening of watching her monitors and numbers fluctuate from one extreme to another! Mrs. Judy and I finally left the hospital at about midnight when she stabilized. However, during rounds this morning the doctors decided to do another complete work-up because she was still not able to tolerate the decrease in her vent settings and there were inconsistencies in last few blood gases (used to measure levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood). All signs of infection! Laurie has really had a long, hard day of testing! She has had a blood culture, CBC, spinal tap, blood transfusion (7cc), two IVs started, a blood gas, tube adjustment and an x-ray all done today! The x-ray and CBC confirmed that Laurie has pneumonia and a collapsed right lung. They have started her on 3 different antibiotics and IVIG (used to help her immune system). Currently her feedings have been stopped and she is getting IV fluids. Laurie did gain an oz. last night and weighs 1lb. 8oz. The preliminary results from the spinal tap look good--thank God! Please pray for Laurie to respond quickly to the antibiotics, her lung development, and wisdom for her doctors and nurses! Please also pray for safe travel as Todd and Cole come to Birmingham tomorrow! This will be the 1st time Cole will be staying the whole weekend and we had planned to be able to have some time with him. Hopefully, Laurie will stabilize enough that we will have the opportunity to do so!!! Thanks so much for your continued love, support, and prayers! We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful support system!

Love to all!
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 23, 2008 11:45 am

Hello! Laurie is having a good morning! Dr. Carlo began weaning her vent settings more aggressively this morning and she seems to be tolerating it well. Hopefully, she has had plenty of "rest" time the last few days and will be ready to go back on the C-pap soon! There were no other changes in her care plan this morning, so her feeds are continuing at 12 cc every 3 hrs. Laurie's weight stayed the same last night at 1 lb. 7 oz. We hope this will be a quiet day and that her lungs will do well as they wean her throughout the day! We continue to see prayers being answered daily! Thanks for your continued support, love, and prayers!
Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 22, 2008 5:00 pm

Hi from Birmingham! Well, so much for being able to blog by lunch everyday! Our daily schedule is now being set by Laurie and the RNICU!!!

After a 1:00 am wake up call from Laurie's doctor stating that they had to re-intubate her with a larger tube due to her right lung still not getting enough oxygen, I was anxious to see her this morning when the doors opened at 8:15 am! When the doctor called me this morning she reassured me that Laurie was doing much better with the new tube, but I had to see her for myself! When I got here she was resting peacefully and her vent settings were lowered with her tolerating them well. The nurses have discovered that Laurie does better when all routine procedures are done at one time, so not to aggravate her. They are now referring to her as a "touch me not", since she seems to de-sat more often when she is being moved to take vitals, diaper changes, feedings, etc... She did gain 1 oz. last night and now weighs 1 lb. and 7 oz. I was able to stay with Laurie until about 9:45 am when they closed for another baby that was sick. Unfortunately, this was before the doctors had rounded on Laurie and they remained closed until 4:20 pm. I have been able to talk with her nurse throughout the day by phone, but have not been able to see Laurie very much today. This is just one of the frustrations of the RNICU! Yet, it also helps us realize that we are truly blessed to have another day with Laurie! We have witnessed so many families that are experiencing terrible sorrow and loss the past few days. Please continue to pray for Laurie, the other babies in the RNICU, and the doctors and nurses who are caring for them all! We are so thankful for all of you who are checking in daily on Laurie and for all of your prayers!

Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 21, 2008 6:00 pm

"Pretty in Pink" July 21, 2008

Hi everyone! Well, we could not get in to see Laurie today until about 11:15 am due to the RNICU being closed for other sick babies. When we were able to go in, we ended up staying with her for several hours because she still has not stabilized her rate, pressure, and oxygen settings. Therefore, they have not been able to wean her vent very much. They have discontinued her antibiotics today and she is still tolerating her feedings of 12 cc every 3 hrs. She still weighed 1 lb. 5 oz. last night. Laurie has been able to rest today and hopefully regain some strength after having her right lung collapse yesterday. Thanks for all your support and prayers! Please continue to pray for her lungs to develop and for her to be able to come off the vent again very soon!


Love to all!
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 20, 2008 2:00 pm

Hi everyone! Laurie has given us another little scare this morning! Early this morning she continued to have trouble breathing and a chest x-ray was done. Laurie's right lung had collapsed, so the doctors had to increase her rate, pressures, and oxygen levels on the vent to re-open the lung. She also had to have another blood transfusion (12 cc). This has seemed to help some and the doctors are continuing to adjust her settings as she will tolerate. They have just started her feedings back at 12 cc every 3 hrs. Laurie still weighed 1lb. 6oz. Another chest x-ray was just completed and it does look better, but she is still requiring a good bit of help with the vent. Please continue to pray for Laurie's lung development and that she will be able to come off the vent as soon as possible!

Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 19, 2008 (21 days old) 6:30 pm

Hello everyone! God has been so good to us! It doesn't take long around the RNICU to realize this--even when we think we are having a "set-back"! We still have a beautiful little girl today! Laurie is still on the vent and the doctors are working to decrease her rate settings. They tried increasing her feedings this morning to 9cc and again this afternoon to 12cc every 3 hours, which she has been able to handle. If she is still able to tolerate her 8:30 pm feeding of 12 cc, they will stop the IV fluids. She continues to be on a general antibiotic in case of infection. It will be at least 48 hrs. before we hear back from the blood work. Laurie did gain 20 grams last night and now weighs 1lb. 6oz. She is definitely more like herself today--kicking and wiggling around. She was just too still yesterday!! Hopefully she just needs a few more days to rest before trying the C-pap again! Thank you for your continued prayers. Please continue to pray for Laurie's lung development and for there to be no infection found. Also, pray for safe travel as Todd goes home tomorrow and Mrs. Judy comes to Birmingham.

Love to all!
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 18, 2008 3:15 pm

Well, we have officially had our first major set-back of this long process. Laurie's carbon dioxide numbers increased throughout the night and at about 1:00 am she was put back on the vent. She continues to be on the vent today with pretty high settings. The doctors started an IV and antibiotics in case infection was the cause of the high carbon numbers. However, she is not showing any physical signs of infection and we are still waiting on further testing results. When she was put back on the vent, all feedings were stopped, but this morning Dr. Carlo ordered feedings to resume at 6cc every 3 hrs. Laurie still weighed 1lb. 5oz. last night.

This has been a difficult day, but the doctors and nurses have reminded us that this is very common for preemies her size and age. We were told when she came off the vent that 2/3 of all preemies have to go back on at some point. So we knew this was a possibility. We are proud that she was able to stay on the C-pap for so long. We already know that Laurie is very strong-willed and will overcome the vent again!...she just needed to rest a little!

Please pray specifically for Laurie's lungs to not collapse any further and for her to come off the vent again as soon as possible. Also, that there is no infection found. Please pray for Todd as he travels to Birmingham this afternoon.

Have a great weekend!
Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 17, 2008 5:00 pm

Hello everyone! We have had another uneventful day--thank goodness! The doctors did not get to us during morning rounds before the unit was closed for another sick baby. They did sit-down rounds since it was so late and therefore we did not have a chance to hear Laurie's care plan for today. However, there have been no changes to her orders. She is still on the C-pap, but with no rate today. They will continue to wean her oxygen pressures on the C-pap. Her feeds are still at 12cc every 3 hours and she is managing this well. She weighed 600 grams last night, which is still 1lb 5oz. We are so thankful for several days with no major changes or problems. This has given Laurie some time to rest and grow! Please continue to pray for Laurie's lung development!

Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole and Laurie

July 16, 2008 3:00pm

Hey everyone! Still not a lot of changes today-which is good! The doctors may discontinue her rate and pressure support with the C-pap today, but Dr. Carlo is not rushing to get her completely off. They increased her feeds to 12 cc every 3 hours yesterday and will not increase anymore today. Her weight dropped again last night to 1 lb. 5 oz (590 grams). Again, Dr. Carlo was not worried about the weight decrease due to several factors-- different weighing times, feeding times, and the fact that she used lots of calories yesterday off the C-pap while I was holding her. Overall, we are pleased with her progress. The nurses keep telling us that she is doing great for a baby of her size and age! Please continue to pray for her to gain weight, for her lungs to grow stronger, and that she continues to have no problems with infection (these are three areas of concern with preemies).


Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 15, 2008 5:15 pm

Hello! Today has been an uneventful day--the kind we like!!! After I posted this morning's blog, I got to hold Laurie! I have added today's pictures! Hope you enjoy!

Love,
Leah

July 15, 2008 10:15 am

Hello! We are having another great day! During rounds the doctor decided to leave Laurie on the C-pap, but will try to discontinue her rate and pressure today. They will also increase her feeds again. Last night she weighed 680 grams (1lb. 8oz.)!!! For the last several days, Laurie has enjoyed laying on her tummy and really will not lay on her back anymore (Not sure what we'll do about this when we get home, since she is suppose to sleep on her back)! She decided last night that the nurse had her facing the wrong direction, so she picked up her head (C-pap and all) and turned her head to the other side! She did this twice while mother and I were with her. She is strong for such a little girl!!! Just a little of that "Killingsworth strong-will"! We are so thankful for the growth and improvements she is making. God continues to bless us each day!


Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 14, 2008 11:00 am

Hi! Hope you are having a great Monday. Mother and I just left rounds with Laurie's doctors and they will continue to try to wean her off the C-pap today. She is still tolerating her feeds with the new schedule, so no changes there. She still weighed 1lb. 6oz. last night. Hopefully, this will be another quiet day to work on breathing and growing! Please continue praying for Laurie! We are definitely seeing God's work everyday!

Love to all,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 13, 2008 5:30 pm

Good afternoon everyone! We have had another good day, with the doctors continuing to wean Laurie's oxygen levels. They have even discussed taking her off the C-pap in the next few days, but we are not telling Laurie (she may have other plans)! Her feedings seem to be doing better with 7cc every 2 hours, rather than 11cc every 3 hours. This is also helping with her breathing. She weighed 1lb. 6 oz. again last night. Laurie and I enjoyed seeing her big brother today! She seemed to especially enjoy his singing. We made a recording of this to put in Laurie's isolette for when he is not here.

Hope everyone has had an enjoyable weekend. Todd and Cole have left Birmingham for another "guy" week at home. I miss them already! Thanks again for all your support and prayers!

Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 12, 2008 11:00 am (14 days old!)

Hello everyone! Laurie had a few more "bumps" with her oxygen levels yesterday afternoon, but they seemed to find a good balance of oxygen pressure and rate last night. She is doing much better with her breathing this morning! The doctors also changed her feeding schedule to 7cc every 2 hrs. This change was made to also help with her breathing. With the smaller amounts she is less likely to "forget" to breath. We are learning that this is a constant balancing act and one area, such as feeding, can affect many other areas! Laurie did gain an ounce last night and now weighs 1lb. 6oz!!! The nurse and I have decided that she is "showing off" this morning because her daddy is now here!!! Daddy even had to work on Dr. Carlo's shoulder last night. The nurses and I decided that his shoulder was hurting due to constantly having to push buttons to adjust Laurie's oxygen settings!!!

Thank you for your continued prayers! We wish that each of you could be here to witness how God is answering them hourly!

Have a great weekend!
We love you all!
Todd, Leah, Cole and Laurie

July 11, 2008 12:15 pm

Hi, from Birmingham! I hope everyone is enjoying their FRIDAY! Laurie started the morning off needing a little extra help on the C-pap. After eight days off the vent, the doctors believe that she is just getting a little tired, which is normal for a preemie. They have reassured me that increasing her oxygen rates and pressure will help keep her from going back on the vent. She also seems to need extra help after feeds, so the nurse is going to slow her feeding rate and hopefully it will assist her with breathing (after her tummy gets full, she seems to relax and "forget" to breath!). Thankfully, they have been able to lower her oxygen rates and pressure throughout the day. Last night Laurie weighed 1lb. 5 oz. (back to her birth weight)!

Laurie and I are anxiously waiting for her daddy to get here later today! On Sunday, Uncle Kevin will be bringing Cole, who has lost another tooth this week! I hope he still has some teeth left when he gets here!!! It will be great to have all four of us here together!!! Please remember all the Crowe/Killingsworth family members as they travel back and forth this weekend!

I added a few more pictures late yesterday. Have a great weekend!

Love to all!
Todd, Leah, Cole and Laurie

July 10, 2008 11:15

Hey everyone! Sorry I didn't get to blog yesterday! I was experiencing technical difficulties with the computer! For those of you who know me well or work with me this should not be a big surprise (Weedie, where are you?--I can't even blame my Kindergarteners' now!). Laurie continues to do well! She is still on the C-pap, with a few ups and downs on the oxygen levels. They did have to start an IV to give her fluids. She also had another blood transfusion yesterday (15cc). The doctors did not make any changes with her today at rounds. Her feeds were changed to 11 cc yesterday and will stay the same today. She weighed 1 lb. 4 oz. last night, but this is likely due to all the fluids added yesterday. She was resting comfortably on her tummy when Emily and I left this morning! Hopefully, we will just have another quiet day for Laurie to grow and develop.

Thanks to all of you who are keeping up with Laurie's progress and sending us blogs. It is great to have contact with the "outside" world!! We have enjoyed hearing from old and new friends--it reminds us how truly blessed we are! Please continue to pray for all four of us--we see them being answered daily!!!

Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 8, 2008 5:00 pm

Hello everyone! We are having a good day--with just a few bumps! She is still on the C-pap, but her stats (heart rate especially) dropped several times this morning. The nurses reassured me this is normal with preemies, but it made my heart rate go up!!! She still weighs 1 lb. 3 oz., but they have continued to increase her feeds to 10cc today. As they increase her feeds, the nurses will measure her belly and watch her diapers to make sure she is able to tolerate the increases. Todd and I continue to be humbled by your kind gestures and prayers!

Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 7, 2008 10:30 am

Good morning everyone! Laurie had a very good night and they will be taking out her other umbilical cord line sometime today. She is still on the C-pap using 40-50% oxygen. They are going to increase her feeds again today, probably 1cc at a time, and discontinue all other supplements, so she will only be getting breast milk. She weighs 1 lb. 3 oz. today. So, not a lot of changes today, but she continues to do well. Now we just need time for her grow and wean off of the C-pap. Thanks again for your continued prayers and support!

Love to all!
Todd, Leah, Cole and Laurie

July 6, 2008 9:00 pm

Hello everyone! Prayers are being answered daily! We have had another great day! Laurie's second head ultrasound was normal! She is on 40-50% oxygen with the C-pap and one of her lines has been taken out of her umbilical cord. They have increased her feeds again to 8 cc. I was able to hold Laurie again for about an hour and she did great being out of the isolette. Although he wasn't ready to leave, Todd went home today. He and Cole are going to try to get back to a somewhat normal routine this week. Please pray for all four of us as we begin this new transition period of seeing each other mainly on the weekends. My mother, Mrs. Judy, sisters, and friends are going to take turns staying here in Birmingham with Laurie and me during the week. Thanks again for all of your love, support, and prayers!

Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 5, 2008 4:30pm

Praise God for another great day in the RNICU! Laurie will be be one week old in 2 hrs. and is doing great on the C-Pap. The doctors have increased her feeds to 6cc today and are watching her belly closely to make sure she is able to handle the increase. She weighs 1 lb. 3oz. today. She also continues to have wet and "poopy" diapers!! The most exciting news is that I got to hold her for the 1st time today! It takes a little time to get Laurie and all her wires out of the isolette (made her Daddy very nervous) but it was worth it!!! Laurie seemed to handle it very well too! They will do another ultrasound of her head this weekend since she is now 7 days old and another on day 30. Please pray that the 2nd ultrasound will be normal, just as it was earlier. Thanks for your continued prayers and support!

We love you all!
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 4, 2006 11:30 am

Hey everyone! We got a little nervous late yesterday afternoon and last night, as the doctors adjusted her vent settings several times and her sats began dropping. We were not able to see her from 7:15-11:00pm while doctors performed a procedure on another baby. This was a very long wait for us!!! When we left about 11:30 we were told that they would not make any further changes and let her rest. However, this morning we were surprised to learn that they removed the vent and started the C-pap. She seems to be doing very well with it! They have also removed the light for jaundice. She also had to have a blood transfusion (10 cc) last night. We were told several days ago that this would probably be necessary. They are increasing her feeds to 5 cc today, so we hope she will begin "putting on the ounces" soon!!!! Overall, we are very pleased with her progress! Thank you for your continued prayers! We hope you have a great 4th of July!!!


Love,
Todd, Leah, Cole, and Laurie

July 3, 2008 11:25 am

Hi! We have just finished visiting Laurie and sitting in on the Doctor's rounds. They have decreased her vent and are hoping to have her off in the next couple of days. She will then go on a C-pap. They have told us that 2/3 of premature babies have to go back on the vent, so it will be back and forth trying to find the right balance for Laurie (between the vent and C-pap). They are also going to increase her feeds, possibly later today. Hopefully, by tomorrow they will take the light off of her, if her jaundice numbers continue to decrease.

We are trying to sit in on rounds every morning sometime between 9:00am -12:00 noon and will try to update the blog after lunch each day. Dr. Carlo and Dr. Sims have been wonderful to not only include us in morning rounds, but are great to come over and talk with us about updates when they see us at her bedside.

Thanks for all of your continued prayers and support! God continues to bless us daily!!!

Love to all!
Todd, Leah,Cole and Laurie

Pray for Ben Wilks

We wanted to share a prayer request with all our faithful prayer warriors.
While waiting on our supper we ran into a former student of Leah's mother(Mrs. Nancy)
We believe her maiden name was Renea' Wambles, formally of Elba. She married Ben Wills from Enterprise. On Friday Ben went to Enterprise Hospital then to Flowers on Saturday and on Sunday the doctor sent him to UAB. He is currently in MICU with what is believed to be a severe Staph infection. He is 27 years old and is newly married. Please lift Ben and his family in your daily prayers. We talked at length with the family and they are broken and desperately need your prayers for Ben as well as for the family to have strength and comfort to carry them through the days ahead.
We Love All Of You!
Thank you so much,
Leah and Todd

Hi everyone! We have had another good day! As of 6:00 pm Laurie's feeding was increased to 2cc every 3 hours and she is tolerating it well. Her jaundice numbers are improving. She continues to receive antibiotics due to her elevated white count. The doctors continue to adjust her ventilator as needed to keep her breathing comfortably. We continue to thank God for her progress today! Please continue to pray for another good day tomorrow! We also are amazed by your continued outpouring of support, love, and prayers! We are so blessed with family, friends, co-workers, and our wonderful church family!

Mother and Mrs. Judy met a family from Clanton yesterday who lost their 4 month old baby boy while waiting for a heart transplant. Please remember the Cleckler family in your prayers!

Our new address at the Birmingham Baptist Townhouse is:
UAB Townhouse
2008 University Blvd.
Box 712-Todd and Leah Killingsworth
Birmingham, AL 35233

July 2, 2008 8:47am

Laurie had a good day yesterday! She is able to eat all her milk and keep it down. Laurie's white cell count was still high and she is still on an antibiotic. However, the doctors say she is not showing any signs of infection. The doctors continue to lower her ventilater for a little while and then raise it back up. Doctors say that it will help to wing her off the ventilater in the future. We got her first bag of dirty clothes to wash. Well, it was a blanket! :)Laurie had a good night last night! Leah and Todd stayed up all night at the hospital with Laurie and are at the townhouse sleeping! Pray, they will rest well this morning. Leah is still pumping every three hours and Laurie is able to hold all her milk down! Thanks again for your Prayers! Please continue to pray for Laurie, Leah, Todd, and Cole!
We Love all of you!
Crowe and Killingsworth Family

Hello everyone! Today I finally have a chance to sit and write my own blog to update you on Laurie. I would like to say “thank you” to all the friends and family who worked on getting this set up and adding the pictures, so that you can be informed and see our little angel! I have really depended on friends to get this page going—as you can imagine that last few days have been a whirlwind for us!. Todd and I will never be able to say “thank you” enough for the all the gestures of love, both big and small, that you all have shown over the past few weeks!

First I would like to update you on Laurie’s current health:

Laurie had a great day yesterday (6/30/08) and last night the doctors told us that the results of her ultrasound were normal—no bleeding on the brain! Praise God!!! We also witnessed several other blessing yesterday as she began her sucking reflex and even “practiced” on the tiniest pacifier that I have ever seen! She is also able to handle all (1/5^th tsp.) of breastmilk given to her every 3 hours and has now had several feedings. Consequently, she has had several full diapers! We realize that everyday will not be as rewarding, but we are so very thankful that she is doing well!

I can’t forget to mention, her big brother, Cole, lost his first tooth on Sunday also!!! Possibly more exciting to him than Laurie’s arrival!

Next I would like to give you a little background information on what her anticipated arrival has been like for the past few years:

Today is my birthday and as always family members began several days ago asking, “What do you want for your birthday?” The last three years the answer in my heart, but not spoken out loud, has been the same—a baby.

I was reminded of this again last week as I sat in the hospital trying to prevent Laurie from coming too soon. I was reading scripture for a daily devotional and saw a note in my Bible dated July 1, 2007. This quickly brought back memories of where I was in my life one year ago today. On that day Rev. Matt Smith, the Minister to Students, at our church gave his personal testimony on the power of prayer (1 Peter 2:1-3) and at the end of the service there was a special baby dedication held. As many of you who know me well can assume, I cried through the whole service! Yet, on that day I was reassured that through prayer and God’s grace, I too would one day have my birthday wish. You see only two weeks before, we had experienced our third miscarriage and my heart was broken.

In July we began working with an infertility specialist and over the following months I thought of that Sunday message often and continued to trust that our prayers would be answered in God’s time! On February 1, 2008 we found out that I was expecting and were thrilled! We tried to keep our secret through the first trimester, but I’m not very good at keeping surprises a secret!

So, today as I turn 33 years old today and my daughter, Laurie, celebrates her third day of life, my birthday wish for the last three years has finally come true! Todd and I have also seen proof of the power of prayer and we look forward to Laurie’s special baby dedication, giving God all the praise for this tiny miracle!

"For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath granted my request.”

1 Samuel 1:27

Leah