Graveside Service for Cooper

There will be a Graveside service for Cooper at 11:30 tomorrow, Tuesday, at Memorial Park BabyLand. Due to the nature of this sensitive and personal time, they are asking that the service be more private, and attended only by Family and close friends of Melody & Clay. We know and feel your love for us all, and continue to ask for your prayers. The journey has just begun, and we know our God will provide the Grace needed for what lies ahead.

THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HELD

It is with such a heavy heart that I give this update tonight. Baby Cooper was diagnosed last night at about 8:00 PM with a congenital heart defect, called TAPVR (Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return), which means his pulmonary veins are going to his liver and not where they need to. He would need open heart surgery to survive, and is too small to do that. The cardiologist told Melody & Clay that he would probably not make another 24-48 hours.

COOPER WALKER BURCHETT went home to Jesus at approximately 5:15 pm today--Sunday, October 29th, 2006. I personally feel that his grandaddy Mark was at the entrance to Heaven to carry him in through the gates.

There will be a graveside service for Cooper at Memorial Park, in BabyLand. More details later.

I woke up this morning with this song in my head--It is HELD, by Natalie Grant. I hope it will minister to you as it has to me.

Natalie Grant - Held (From the album Awaken)

Two months is too little
They let him go
They had no sudden healing
To Think That Providence
Would take a child from his mother
While she prays, is appalling

Who told us we’d be rescued
What has changed and
Why should we be saved from nightmares
We're asking why this happens to us
We're asking...
Who have died to live, it’s unfair

Chorus:

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and know
That the promise was when everything fell
We’d be held

This hand is bitterness
We want to taste it and
Let the hatred numb our sorrows
The wise hand opens slowly
To lilies of the valley and tomorrow

Chorus:

If hope is born of suffering
If this is only the beginning
Can we not wait, for one hour
Watching for our Savior

Melody and Clay held baby Cooper for approx. 5 hours today before he went home to Jesus. What a treasure--to be held by your mom and dad--and then held by the arms of Jesus. I can just picture Jesus saying "Come to Jesus, Come to Jesus, baby Cooper".

As Melody & Clay face these next few days and trials, please continue to lift them up in prayer. We know our God will provide - Great Is His Faithfulness.

SPECIFICS ON COOPER WALKER BURCHETT

Cooper Walker Burchett (such a BIG name for a tiny little boy) weighed 1 lb. 5 oz. when he was born yesterday morning--but most important is he was 13 & 3/8 inches in length. He is not a tiny little baby the size of a bird, as I was expecting--just imagine.............. a ruler is 12 inches long--and add another inch and a half. That's the length of Cooper. :o) We have placed him in God's hands for God's perfect will. Cooper was on 100% oxygenization and has had it moved back to as low as 60% this morning, but it has been increased to 70% this afternoon. He will have his bad days and good days. The nurses explained that the first 72 hrs. is the honeymoon period--it could get bad after that time. We know he will need blood soon, because they take blood for tests, and at this age, they do not make more blood. I would like to donate directly to him, as we both have the same O positive blood, and I am checking with LifeBlood to see if this is possible (have to be sure because of medications I take.) We sincerely appreciate your many calls and prayers. Melody will be going home tomorrow from the hospital.

COOPER SAID "I'M BUSTING OUT OF HERE"

I spent the night with Melody on Thursday night to give Clay a break. What a night it proved to be. Melody was in HARD labor all night, and nothing would work. None of the medicines would work--and she noticed some bleeding at about midnight. They put her back on the magnesium and it didn't budge the labor. Her contractions were non-stop, and peaking way on up there in strength. She was feeling these and not liking what she was feeling. I called Clay to tell him about them putting her back on the Mag and maybe he should come because she was having such active labor. Melody commented that she didn't see how her uterus could hold out with these contractions. Sure enough--at about 2:45 a.m., her water broke, and by the time the anesthesiologist arrived and checked her out, she was complete and really needing to push. She had been feeling like she needed to push since about midnight. They did not have time to do the epidural, and Cooper was born at 3:38, weighing in at 1 lb. 5 oz. He is in VERY CRITICAL condition, in the neo-natal ICU. Melody is doing well, healthwise. They have determined after the delivery that she had placental abruption where the placenta tries to detach from the uterine wall. Please continue to pray for Baby Cooper, Melody & Clay. Thank you.

ONE DAY AT A TIME, SWEET JESUS

We are thankful to God for every single day that Cooper can stay inside of Melody and continue to grow and get bigger. Melody has had some very bad days, and a couple of good days--but things are looking up and we are optimistic. She is currently on Procardia and Terbutaline, which seems to be doing the trick for the moment. I believe they are giving her doses every 8 hours of the Procardia. She is still in Labor & Delivery, but we are hoping that she will be moved to the Antepartum floor soon. Today, she is having a couple of contractions an hour, which is GOOD! They say that when she has less than 6 in an hour, that is good. She is not in intense pain with the contractions--she just knows they are happening as soon as they start. The doctor says she must have a very high tolerance for pain. As this is her first time in the hospital, she had no idea her pain tolerance--but I can tell you that she is learning PATIENCE in a big way. She is more up for visitors now, but too much does wear her out.
Clay's birthday was on Wednesday, the 18th, the day she was admitted to the hospital, so we have not had the chance to celebrate his 26th birthday yet--but it's coming!
Melody is able to eat soft foods now--and has enjoyed sharing a spud from McAllisters Deli, some vegetable soup that Marilyn made her, a chicken/rice casserole I took her, and this morning, she even had a Krispy Kreme doughnut! We have to fatten her up!
Yesterday, Wednesday, the hospital delared her at 25 weeks--so we are now shooting for Halloween, which will be 26 weeks. Each week means SO MUCH to baby Cooper, and we are just praying that the Lord's will be done. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your prayers. I am starting to get Christmas decorations down now to decorate her room at the hospital. The doctor says that it is very important that we make her room as much like home as possible. Right now--we'd just like to get her into a room with a WINDOW. :o) And, Maggie wants to see her momma.

ITS A ROLLER COASTER--GOOD DAY, THEN BAD DAY, THEN GOOD DAY...............

SUNDAY NIGHT POSTING
Well, the terbutaline pump did not work on Melody--they stopped the magnesium and had her on the terbutaline pump and she was in labor all day. It was just not effective on her. RATS.

Tonight, at about 8:00 PM they had to put her back on the magnesium. Before I left, it was already slowing down the contractions. I hope she can sleep tonight. She did get to eat--the dr. said she could have a soft diet--so her father-in-law got her some mashed potatoes and gravy from Kentucky Fried Chicken and I brought in a kid-size frosty from Wendys. She was in heaven. :o) She ate a few bites of both--was afraid to get full, since the mag made her throw up so much last time.

I have a full day of teaching tomorrow--I told her to behave.

SATURDAY POSTING

It is just a roller coaster--today is a good one--I pray it continues. She is still on the magnesium, but they should be weaning her off of it soon because they have put her on the Terbutaline pump.

Hopefully, this will be what she needs. She is now having maybe 1 contraction an hour--today--that is--it could change at any given point--but things are looking up right now. The nurses are just wonderful at Germantown Methodist and came in today and took off the headboard of the bed and put big garbage bags at the end and washed Melody's hair--then blew it dry--then gave her a complete bath (in the bed), shaving her legs, etc. I was helping but they did 90% of it. She feels like a new person. I have taken 3 pics of her in the hospital today and hope to get them uploaded to the blog on my next posting. The terbutaline pump should keep things under wraps--at least, that's what they are shooting for. Her cervix is so thin (90% effaced), that is what we are worrying about mostly--and hoping her water does not break.

TODAY WAS NOT A GOOD DAY AT ALL

Today was not a good day. The day began with an ultrasound, and that ultrasound showed Melody was 6 centimeters dialated. NOT GOOD NEWS. Then, the neo-natal specialist came in and just packed 'em with a wallop, telling them that the baby would be born by tomorrow, at this rate, and that the baby would have a 50-55% chance of survival, etc. Told them they would have to make a decision as to whether they wanted Cooper intubated if he was delivered and was not breathing, then went on to explain rather harshly what all he would be facing, being born this early. Melody and Clay were so upset--and she did let him know that she is a nurse in pediactics ICU at LeBonheur, and she does know exactly what they are facing. I got the phone call and flew to the hospital. Just as I got there, her specialist in high-risk pregnancies (can't remember what they are called) got there and told her that she wanted to examine her, because she said, "UItrasounds can be wrong" and they were all just as upset that she & Clay were upset. Sure enough, the ultrasound was wrong, and Melody was not dialated--she was exactly like she was when she went in on Wednesday, just that they had gotten the labor stopped with the magnesium. The OBGYN doctors were furious that the neo-natal guy did what he did and said what all he said.

Well, the examination made her labor start back and we have been fighting it all day. I just got home and she is much better. Right now they have her with no visitors but immediate family only. It's just a roller-coaster, up one minute, down the next. They had to increase her magnesium--after gettting it down to 1.0 yesterday, they had to increase it back to 4.0 today, and then, she was so sick, she could not breathe and they had to put her on oxygen. When I left tonight, it was back to 2.0 and she was doing better. Clay has not left her side. We are shooting for Halloween, which would be 26 weeks. That is our short range goal for right now. Long range goal--is Christmas.

Thank you so much for your prayers. She, Cooper & Clay have a long road ahead.

Carole

TIME OUT! IT'S NOT TIME, YET COOPER IS TRYING TO APPEAR

Today has been a very long and frustrating day. It is 11:15 PM and I have not been home long from being at the hospital.

Melody has not felt well the last couple of days and today, she insisted that the doctor see her, saying she would just feel better if she just saw the doctor. Yesterday she complained of "menstrual-like-cramps" all day, and worked a 12 hour shift. The doctor examined her and said she was 60% effaced, and sent she & Clay immediately to Germantown Methodist Hospital, putting her on maternity leave also--stating she would be staying at the hospital until she delivers. She had not dialated, thank goodness, and her water has not broken. YET, she was having contractions every 2 minutes when she got there. After lots of magnesium and other medicines, things have calmed down, but she is 90% effaced now. The next 48 hours are URGENT. She has a catheter in and is on complete bed rest, she cannot get up for anything. She will stay in the hospital until delivery. Please pray for her and Clay and baby Cooper. She is only 24 weeks, so if she delivers now, this is not a good thing.

24 WEEKS AND GROWING!

I just went to see Dr. King last Monday, the 9th, for my checkup and measured 24 weeks. I have gained 14 lbs. total, and the doctor seems very happy about that. :o) This is my latest picture that Mom took on Saturday, Oct. 14th. I met Mom and Christy and Aunt Anna Grace (dad's aunt) at Raffertys and had a wonderful lunch!

Due Feb. 7th, Baby Burchett has to bake in the oven a few more weeks!

Melody & Maggie - boy, is she in for a rude awakening!


Clay is measuring my butt! He says it is getting big! He is wrong!
Cooper is really showing now! I am 20 weeks along here.