Proud "Big Brother" Abe

Happy Bithday Lydia Joy

My camera was stolen out of my car at LeBonheur. Thanks to Jessica I have some pictures of Lyida's birthday.

Lydia Joy - 3 Days Old

Here are a few pictures of Lydia Joy when she was 3 days old. These were taken during our few hours at home between hospitals stays. Thanks Staci for your great photograpy skills and for capturing the moment. She already does not have those checks anymore.

We're Home ... Again!

Great News! We were finally able to bring Lydia Joy home once again. All of her hospital tests came back negative, showing no long-term effects from her aspirating episode last Thursday night or the viral meningitis. She does, however, have severe acid reflux. She's on two different medications to help combat the reflux and has to be kept in an elevated position at all times. Other than that, she was given a clean bill of health.

We're so glad to be home with her and looking forward to settling into our new life as a family of four. Thank you again for all your love, prayers, and support.

Lydia Joy

As some of you already know, Lydia Joy Smith was welcomed into our family last Monday, July 13th, 1:59pm, 7lbs 6oz, 19 3/4 inches, lots of dark curly hair, big blue eyes. We left the hospital Tuesday afternoon, ready to head home as a family of four. Things changed quickly as, later that night, around 3am, Lydia Joy had a choking/seizure episode which prompted us to call 911. The medics checked her vitals and everything checked out fine. The next morning we headed to our regularly scheduled appointment with the pediatrician. After we went through the basics, I let the doctor know about the 911 episode and expressed my concerns regarding her long stints of sleeping without eating, her jaundice and 12% weight loss. Our amazing doctor left to order a billirubin test and came back with an ambulance, waiting to take Lydia Joy and I to LeBonhuer Children's Hospital. Several hours later, after lots of prods and pokes, a spinal tap determined that she had contracted some form of meningitis. Intravenous antibiotics were begun immediately.

The past 72 hours have been spent running test after test, and, thankfully, all signs seem to point towards viral meningitis, rather than bacterial. Today the doctors will run several more tests, checking for any long-term effects of the meningitis, namely hearing loss. As long as everything checks out, Lydia Joy and I should be able to head home tomorrow to join Big Brother Abe & Terry Wayne.


Thank you to everyone who has been praying for our family these past few days. It has been a scary journey and we are extremely grateful for all the love and support of our family and friends. Praise be to God that we caught the meningitis as early as we did, that our pediatrician had the wisdom and forethought to re-admit us to the hospital, and that Abe has adoring grandparents who have been helping Terry Wayne and I by caring for him in our absence.

Obviously, in light of all that Lydia Joy has been through this past week, visitors will be limited to immediate family only. Thank you again for all your love, prayer, and support. We'll see you in three months when her quarantine has been lifted :)