Meet Holden Joseph Parker

Holden Joseph Parker was born this Valentine's Day morning at 8:30AM. He is 4 lbs. 3 oz. and 16" long and as you can see, has a full head of hair!

Holden is in the NICU and is being well cared for. He has immature lungs and will need a little help with his breathing. We should know more in the next couple of days and will keep you posted.

Daddy was able to visit Holden, talking to him, holding his hand and telling him about all the people who have been praying for him. Mommy is still recovering from her C-Section, but should be able to visit this evening.

Thank you for continuing to keep Holden in your prayers!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Baby Parker Week 34 Update

So we've made it to week 34! Baby Parker continues to prove to be a fighter. This morning's ultra sound estimates his weight between 4lb. 1oz. and 4lb. 6oz. So the little munchkin grew about one and one half pounds over the past 2 weeks. I guess those cheeseburgers hit the spot for him too!! BP continues to pass his daily heartrate monitoring tests and LOVES when we sing and play music while on the monitor.

Reece and I plan to have our best Valentine's Day ever, tomorrow, as we welcome Baby Parker into our family (and into the world)! Once things settle down, we'll either shoot out an e-mail and/or update the web page. It is hard to believe that the next time we update this page, the munchkin will be here.

Thank you for the continued prayers for our Son!

Love,
Christine & Reece

Baby Parker Week 33 Update

Baby and Mommy survived another week on bed rest. Daily ultra sounds and heart monitoring continue to show that the little munchkin is doing great. My amniotic fluid continues to go up and down, but overall, things are good. We can see the baby practice breathing and moving on the ultra sound and based on his daily monitoring, he's been called a "happy baby"! We play music and sing to him during monitoring. He seems to love it and responds to all kinds of music: classical, reggae, lulabyes, kiddie tunes, pop and 80's favorites!

We have confirmed that we will be welcoming Baby Parker into this world on Valentine's Day (Week 34 + 1 Day). The doctors feel that due to my low fluid and his slow growth, he will do better at that point, with the care he'll receive in the NICU. He will be a true blessing delivered on a day full of love and we know God will be looking over him!! We look forward to introducing him to all of you. We'll be sure to post an update, once our little guy is here!

This past weekend was very special, as my best friends, Sheila, Trish and Yvette flew into town from Florida to host a baby shower for us here at the hospital. In addition to having both of BP's Grandmas and Great Grandma here, we were surrounded by our family and closest friends. It was so good see everyone, and we were very grateful for the wonderful gifts that were given for Baby Parker.

Reece is already proving to be "Super Dad" balancing work, time here at the hospital, caring for Alex, house work, running all my errands (bringing me cheeseburgers) and everything else life throws his way!

Reece and I have been very touched by the outpouring of support. We can not thank you enough for your thoughts and prayers. Please keep Baby Parker in your prayers on Valentine's Day!

Love,
Christine & Reece

Baby Parker Week 32 Update

Well despite a challenging night last night for Mommy (and Daddy who was here for support) - Reece and I just got the great news that we will be able to hold out on delivering Baby Parker until Week 34! (Thank you, God!)

Baby Parker is doing great. He grew another 8oz and is now a total weight of 2 lb. 12 oz. His vitals continue to be strong and he has been described by the doctors/nurses as being a "happy" baby, based on everything they see during his monitoring and ultrasound (We also learned that he has a head of hair!!) I will continue on bed rest and as long as things stay stable and we will likely deliver on or around February 13.

Believe it or not, I have not yet gotten bored on bed rest. As I mentioned in my last e-mail, my mornings stay busy with doctors and nurses coming in and out. And we've been blessed with visits from family and friends just about every day. Thanks to many of you, I think I have every woman's magazine currently on the news stand. I am enjoying catching up on the latest celebrity gossip, recipes, home decor, parenting tips, etc.

Thank you again for all of your thoughts and prayers. Your love and support means the world to us. We look forward to introducing you to our son in the near future.

Love,
Christine & Reece

Northside Hospital
Room 127
404-459-1127

1/28 Baby Shower - SMP Girls!!

Friends from Stone Mountain Park came out on Monday, January 28 to throw a shower for me here in my hospital room!

Thanks ladies! I had a great time!!! Y'all rock!!

Baby Parker Week 31 Update

So we made it through our 1st week of hospital bed rest. Overall, not that bad, other than Mommy having a soar tush (It reminds me of the Dr. Seuss Book, Horton Hatches an Egg). Baby Parker doesn't seem to mind it at all! Our daily monitoring/vitals continue to be strong. We are on a heart/contraction monitor twice a day for an hour at a time. I am able to hear the little munchkin's heart beat, along with every little kick and hick up. I use these 2 hours to talk and sing to him (I know, poor kid!!) and I play him both classical music and some of my favorite songs. We stay busy with nurses, doctors, technicians, etc between 7AM- 11AM, so the mornings fly by! And we've had a chance to visit with many friends. Reece has managed to come by every day to keep me company and occasionally bring me a cheeseburger!!

We do have some good news to share. Our doctors met today and decided that things are going well enough to wait another week (until week 32) before making any decisions about delivery. This will give them the opportunity to again measure Baby Parker (as they need a minimum of 2 weeks growth for a true comparison). Getting past week 32 would be a big deal and help the little guy get past some of the obstacles preemies are sometimes faced with. If at 32 weeks, BP shows good growth, they will likely continue to take things day by day. If his growth has stopped or slowed further, we will need to discuss our birth plan.

We can not thank you enough for all your thoughts and prayers. The love and support has given the THREE of us the strength we need on this journey! I have faith that everything is going to be okay and Reece and I will be introducing you to our healthy son in the near future!!

For those of you who have had trouble tracking me down, I apologize. I've moved a couple of times since my last update. I am now in room 127. My number is 404-459-1127.

God Bless.

Love,
Christine and Reece