6 months

WOW! It's hard to believe that Caleb is 6 months old already. He is up to 15 lbs and you can see by his picture he is starting to smile...actually he has been smiling for a while and has graduated to belly laughs. Up to this point from a growth and development standpoint he is doing great. Jayce and Kallie love their little brother and his face lights up when he sees them. I could not imagine any better big brother and big sister.

Please pray for his NICU friend Emily. She was admitted to Cook's Children's hospital almost 2 months ago because she wasn't eating and wasn't gaining any weight. Last we heard she was on a ventilator because she was too weak to breathe on her own. The doctors are still waiting on tests to come back and at this point they are not sure what is going on with her...God specializes in these situations and we are believing in a miracle. Please put little Emily on your prayer list.

Bigger, bigger and bigger

Caleb is growing too fast now! He is officially over 12 lbs as of today. He is smiling all of the time and every once in a while we get a little giggle. He averages about 6 hours of sleep at night but Saturday night was a real treat...he slept 8 hours!

Check out this video his big brother took:

Momma's milk...

It does a baby's body good. Caleb is up to 9lbs 5 oz. We don't realize how much he has grown until we look at the original doll picture.

Pictures!

Here are some pictures that our friend Staci took a couple of weeks ago. She did such a good job - of course she had a great subject. :-)

Caleb was 8 pounds 12 ounzes at his doctor's appointment today! He is such a sweet boy - we are still in awe of how awesome he is doing!

Praise God

Praise God for being our rock, our fortress, our deliverer, our strong tower, our provider, our everything. I forget sometimes that I am an adopted son, an heir to the kingdom. I get in the way of fully receiving what God is trying to pour into me. I try to box him in, I try to see him through tunnel vision, I try and limit him with my tiny human brain. My God is big and he does big things despite my infant faith...he loves to show off for his children. Praise God.

Caleb update: His official due date was July 8th. So today he is really 1 day old. On Wednesday he weighed in at 8lbs and 4oz. Today Valerie and Kallie took him to the development specialist and they said he looked great!

Just a little flash back photo. This is big brother Jayce holding little sister Kallie. Here is what this picture triggered in me: The blessings of the Father will be passed from generation to generation to generation. I speak that over the Chisum family.

Your Opinion: Is Caleb growing?

Jayce and Kallie Home!

Everyone is home now! Jayce and Kallie made it home today and were very happy to see their little brother.

Home Sweet Home!!!!!!!!

Caleb is home! After 8 weeks Caleb was given the final signoff with a clean bill of health and sent packing on Thursday morning.

We want to thank all the great nurses in the NICU at Baylor Grapevine. They did an awesome job and they blessed us through their caring of Caleb while he was there. If you need a great place to have a baby go with Baylor Grapevine.

Cat and dog don't seem to have a problem with Caleb home. Jayce and Kallie come back from Round Rock on Saturday so we are excited to have the whole family under one roof...Finally. Praise God for the journey.

We will continue to post on Caleb's progress with updated info, pics and videos.

Praise God from whom all good things flow.

THURSDAY!

So it looks like we will bring little Caleb home on Thursday. Valerie and I will sleep with him at the hospital on Wednesday night (just to make sure we are o.k. with everything) and then we will bring him home the next day. Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weight update: Little Caleb is not so little anymore...he hit the 6lb mark today.

Once again thank you for your prayers, thoughts and mmmmmmmmmmm meals

End in Sight !!!! / Jayce, Kallie and Caleb reunite

So today Jayce and Kallie were able to see Caleb in person for the first time in over a month. They lifted the ban on children 12 and under from coming into the nursery because of the swine flu. On Friday Kallie will get to hold her little brother.

Weight update: 5lbs 11oz

So the end in sight part...Valerie discussed with the doctor today Caleb MAY be able to go home next week with monitors. They would really like to see his brady's go so they are going to keep him at least another week. He would go home with monitors that would tell us if his oxygen saturation level drops or his heart rate drops.

Thank you for praying for miracles and God's favor!

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 2:14

BONUS...check out the video of Caleb checking out the picture Jayce made for him. It's a message that the nurse's love...Eat, Breathe and Be Happy. Why do we make it so complicated?

Promised pictures

Tube-Less !

Sunday night Caleb, as he has done many times before, ripped out the feeding tube from his nose. The only difference is the nurses left it out! Caleb has been feeding from his momma or the bottle since and we hope he plans to keep it that way...another step home!

This is the first time since Caleb was born that he hasn't had something stuck up his nose or mouth or taped to his face. Pics to come...he is such a handsome boy.

From time to time Caleb has been having these apnea episodes where he stops breathing. At this point that is what is keeping him from coming home. Everytime he has one it means another week in the hospital.

Have we mentioned before that we are ready for our baby boy to come home?

Weight update: Caleb is up to 5lbs 10oz

Once again I want to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Thank you to everyone who has brought us meals...we are so blessed to have such amazing friends and family.

Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. "Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

2 Kings 2:14

Reflux

We need your prayers that Caleb's reflux would go away!

Caleb had a really rough night last night. He had two episodes where he stopped breathing and instead of getting himself out of it, the nurse had to give him a nudge.

The reflux is causing him a lot of discomfort and it is causing him to be congested and that makes it hard for him to breath.

They had to put him in a oxygen dome (it lays right over his head) and it's suppose to cut out the humidity in the air he breathes. The hope there is that it will help the congestion.

Praise God that he knows exactly what Caleb needs and I ask that you call out to Father that he would abundantly bless Caleb.

WOW

Sorry for the lack of updates. No energy, no time. Bad combo.

Thursday morning Valerie and I were able to give Caleb a bath...our first time, fortunately not his.

We are amazed how Caleb is literally growing and changing on a daily basis.

Caleb is now up to 4lbs 12oz ... he has gained two whole pounds.

This past Monday Caleb turned one month old!

On Friday they took him off the doses of caffeine which were assisting him in keeping his heart rate from dropping (having episodes). So he is on his own...another big step in going home.

Tonight he drained another bottle and every one he takes is another step towards going home.

Praise God, we can see an end in sight. We are ready for our family to be under one roof.

I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

1 John 2:14

The Bottle - No Problem

Caleb is doing amazing on the bottle! He has recorded two completed bottles in the past four days. Once again the nurses are amazed that he has been able to do so well. They really expect at the beginning for the babies just to learn the concept. He is already mastering it!

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

James 2:14

It's All Good!

Caleb did great with the bottle today!

Looks like he will be able to start nursing on Thursday.

Caleb has grown 2 inches...he is up to 16 inches, today he weighed 3lbs 12oz

He seems to really be enjoying his new open air bed, today when I took his temp he was at a perfect 98.6.

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death-that is, the devil-

Hebrews 2:14

Monumental Day

Caleb is out of the incubator! Since Caleb has been maintaining his own body temperature for a few days now (the nurse said they basically had the a/c going in his pod) they decided to put him in a regular bed. Pics to come.

Today he weighed 3lbs 12 oz.

Tomorrow he gets to try and eat from a bottle!

All big steps for a little boy. The nurses keep making comments to the fact that he shouldn't be doing all of this yet. Prayer works!..and keep praying that Caleb will be strong enough to get all he needs from the bottle so he can move on to eating from momma and then get his feeding tube removed.

Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.

2 Timothy 2:14

bonus

v15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Check out the video

News from the nurses today is that if he was older he would already be in one of the open beds...Caleb is maintaing his own body temp (they turned the heat off in his little pod). Still breathing on his own and his heart rate drop episodes are becoming few and far between.

Now in his nursery Caleb is famous for two things: 1. He has the cutest hiccups and 2. If you are in charge of Caleb's care it's not if he will poop on you it's a matter of when. We have video of the first and we will spare you having to see #2...it is very funny though..I got to see Valerie experience Caleb's #2 talent the other night. He has yet to get his old man...that's my boy!

http://sharing.theflip.com/session/2ab20026e07f34dfb8aaf4e0893c3f0a/video/4049100

He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:14

Praise God

Before we get to Caleb news please pray for the Ferguson family. My friend Jason Ferguson was killed in a car accident last Saturday. Jason leaves behind a wife and 5 children. Jason was a great man and loved the Lord. Praise God that he restores what has been broken and now Jason is dancing with Jesus. Please pray for his family as they miss their daddy.

Now on to Caleb news...big boy is up to 3lbs and 10 oz! His feedings continue to go really well and it has been amazing watching him grow on a daily basis.

No more oxygen! Last night it was determined that he was doing well enough not to need the oxygen anymore.

We know Caleb is in the right place right now but we miss him. We are ready to have our family all together. Please pray that God will continue to bless Caleb's growth.

Today's message at Jason's funeral was... how do you live out God's love and pass it on to others?... how do you pour out to others what has been poured into you? Thank you to everyone that pours out to our family what has been abundantly poured into you.

Do everything without complaining or arguing.

Philippians 2:14

Little Warrior

Our little Warrior spent a lot of time on room air today. That is the nurses' term for they turned his oxygen off. While I held him tonight Caleb's oxygen level stayed at over 90% They like to see it stay above 87%. The past few days while I was holding him his oxygen levels dropped and he was having bradys (heart rate dropped to scary levels), but none tonight.

His feedings went really well today and he kept everything down. Today he weighed in at 3 lbs and 8 oz! The nurse told me yesterday that over a 7 day period they like to see babies gain 24 grams and he had gained 27 grams (I believe those were the exact numbers).

Caleb is doing great. It's amazing we can see him growing and visibly changing everyday.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.
Ephesians 2:14

Bless you guys!

Oxygen

Big boy had to be put on oxygen today. His oxygen levels kept dipping down and they decided it was best to give him some help. They believe it's because his stomach is getting filled out and it's taking up breathing space.

Caleb now has the pleasure of getting fed through his nose! Yesterday he yanked out his feeding tube that WAS going through his mouth...like a normal person's would. I guess he thought it would be more fun to have the tube stuck through his nose...hope it's not a sign of things to come.

If everything goes well with the oxygen they will take him off the i.v. and everything he needs will be coming from mommy's milk via the feeding tube.

We are very blessed by a great staff of nurses at Baylor. Praise God for how they care for and love our little boy.

Praise report: Val had an appointment today to get her incision checked out and everything looked really good. No sign of infection!

2:14 verse of the day:

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

2 Corinthians 2:14

Caleb is fighting but he needs help

Caleb had a rough night Tuesday night. He had a couple of episodes as we call them (he forgets to breathe and his heart rate drops). Also his Oxygen levels dropped a few times throughout the day, below where they like to see them. They did an x-ray to make sure everything was ok and it was, so that was good. They also did blood work to see if there is any type of infection but we will not know the full results from that for about 48 hours. The prelim results of the blood work looked fine. Pray for little Caleb.

Good news Caleb gets his I.V. out tomorrow!

Bad news because of the swine flu outbreak children 12 and under are not allowed to go into the NICU. Jayce and Kallie were very bummed.

Please pray for Valerie that infection will stay away and she will be fully healed.

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthinthians 2:14

Caleb is starting to fill his skin!

What an awesome day!

Caleb was moved into the part of NICU for stable babies! He has graduated!

Today they moved his feedings to 17 cc's and he weighed...drum roll please...3lbs 5oz! WOW!

Since he is doing so well they will increase the amount of mommas milk he is fed through the feeding tube and they will decrease what they are administering through the I.V.

Please pray against these apnea episodes where he forgets to breath and his heart rate drops. He does it a couple of times a day and he always recovers from it himself. We pray that God would heal him completely of that.

Really big news for Jayce and Kallie today, they were able to hold their little brother for the first time. They loved it.

Bonus Chisum family news, Kallie lost her first tooth today! In an attempt to knock it loose she shot it with Jayce's nerf gun and by golly it worked. We are praying that God will use our strong willed prayer princess for his glory. She doesn't mess around.

Today Jayce and I were riding in the truck together and Jayce had the idea to look up verses in the bible that corresponded with Caleb's birth weight 2lbs 14 oz...example Luke 2:14, Ephesians 2:14, you get the idea. So we wanted to share a few of those because we thought they were pretty cool.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests

Luke 2:14

A Very Blessed Man,

Jeff

p.s. We are trying to get updated photos soon to document all the current goings on! Thank you for your love and your prayers.

Plumping up

Keep up those prayers for plumpness! Caleb weighs 3 lbs 2 oz! I will probably post more pictures tomorrow since my photographer is going to take me to the hospital!

Update on Caleb

First of all we want to thank everyone for your thoughts, prayers, meals, rides to the hospital, encouraging words and most of all your love for our family. We are so blessed and God is so good.

Caleb is doing awesome. We prayed for a miracle so we shouldn't be surprised but he amazes us everyday.

Some pictures show Caleb under the lights because of the jaundice but he is done with that already!

Caleb came into the world breathing on his own and that hasn't changed. He still has not had any type of breathing assistance (miracle! considering he was born at 28 weeks)

He is already eating momma's milk from a feeding tube. Another fast advancement, he started at 3 cc's and is already up to 11.

At this point we are anticipating 6 weeks in the hospital. Please continue to pray for Caleb's growth and development (he needs some fat!), pray for our family as we go 20 different directions, please pray for his Mom as she deals with not having her baby boy at home.