God is great!

It has been a great few weeks. Carter has made great strides and is doing well on hi flow. He was moved to the intermediate side of the NICU yesterday and I am soooooo proud of him!!! They always say that God doesn't give you anything you can't handle. I hope I have made him proud. I truly believe our little Carter is meant for great things!!!

Andy's parents came in this past weekend and unfortunatly my Mother in law was to sick to come to the hospital to visit Carter. My Father in law came though along with Uncle Tommy and we got some cute photos. Grandpa held Carter for the first time.

This is a wonderful and exciting week for us. I am looking forward to visiting with good friends this weekend.

Much love and MANY thanks for all the prayers.

Carters Mommy:)

Today I am writing with GREAT EXCITEMENT! Carter is doing very well!!!! It is so exciting to see the progression when there have been so many days of nothing but tears. I bathed him yesterday and he was able to breathe room air without desatting. He is so cute and was just looking around. HE HATES THE CPAP but hopefully he will be on hi flow next week. I have nothing but wonderful news to share.

Andy and I feel so blessed for all the love and prayers that have come our way. It is the power of God that has really pulled him through everything.

Today is also my wonderful husbands BIRTHDAY! So to my husband....I LOVE YOU each and everyday just a little bit more. You are my world, my sunshine and my BABY DADDY!

Much love and prayers- Deanna

I was so excited and honored today when we recieved this certificate from the Secretary of the Army and the Army Chief of Staff, along with an Army lapel pin!

We also feel so blessed that the military is taking such wonderful care of Carter.

Many blessings to our Doctors & Nurses and all who continue to serve daily.

Which way does the diaper go? Help Clarence! (Clarence is one of Carters favorite nurses and ours:)
Are you serious...I can do this on my own!

LOVE BRANDY!

We have been so blessed this week and thank you to the doctors and nurses at the National Naval Medical Center.

Carter had a good week. For the first time, I cried happy tears....He apparently decided yesterday ENOUGH and today he is on CPAP. This is great news for him and he is in an open crib! Clarence, Anya & Brandy have done such an amazing job this week and I just want to say THANK YOU!

Daddy changed his diaper today and held him for the first time!

As a follow up, I am doing the March of Dimes walk in April. I hope you can join me. Information is listed below.

http://www.marchforbabies.org/teams/CarterThomasLinz

Much love...many thanks and MANY blessings-

Deanna, Andy & Carter (and Halo, Josie & Jack :)

Last week I was sitting in the NICU and I looked over and found my self upset that another baby had made it onto the CPAP and Carter had not. This beautiful blessing was born about 4 days after Carter so had been there as long as us and gestationally just as challenged. On Saturday, we could tell he was having a bad day but this to me was just what Carter had gone through. On Sunday, he wasn't there. Please pray for him and his family. My heart breaks for them.

Carter's nurse asked me today why it would bother me if Carter passed away. "Was it because he has been through so much?" I am pretty horrified by this statement because he is my son. Regardless of the challenges we may face...HE IS OUR SON.

People aren't perfect, I am not perfect and life is not perfect. I am married to one of the greatest men I have ever known with a beautiful son and soooo blessed to have the love of friends, family and God with me daily.

Carter's eye surgery went well. We won't know for about two weeks as far as the outcome. We know he will have some vision challenges but it could just be him being near sighted. I pray for a positive outcome so he can see just how special he is.

Please pray for the joy in the NICU that has been with Carter, the children who struggle everyday,our doctor who is deploying and our neighbors in life who live a life we may never know but are heroes in everything they do.

God bless our angels in waiting.

Today we met with Carters opthamologist team. He has ROP. Yes, I feel at times like he has hit every issue in the preemie book. He is having surgery tomorrow on both eyes. Scared, yes but out of everything Carter has been through, I want him to see. On some level, it hit me in a different way because I want him to see the beauty in life, smell the flowers and hear the sounds of life.

Many have asked what ROP is: Retinopathy of Prematurity
The eyes of premature infants are especially vulnerable to injury after birth. A serious complication is called retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which is abnormal growth of the blood vessels in an infant's eye. About 7% of babies weighing 1,250 grams (2.75 pounds) or less at birth develop ROP, and the resulting damage may range from mild (the need for glasses) to severe (blindness). The cause of ROP in premature infants is unknown. Although it was previously thought that too much oxygen was the primary problem, further research has shown that oxygen levels (either too low or too high) play only a contributing factor in the development of ROP. Premature babies receive eye exams in the NICU to check for ROP.


He is our joy, our blessing and my little fighter.

Today he is 3lbs 3 oz and 15 inches.

Much love-

Deanna, Andy & Carter

Andy and I have been working with America Supports You for over 4 years. As a military spouse, I am so proud and now as a mother touched by it all.One of Carter's attendings is being deployed to Afghanistan. She will be gone for at least a year. My heart aches for her and I pray for her safe return. I think it is so easy to forget but the war continues and our military family continues to deploy.

We have had very bad days and days filled with so many blessings. I never thought my life would be as it is at this moment but feel so blessed for all God has given us.

Much love to all- Deanna, Andy, Carter, Halo, Josie & Jack

Please log onto :

http://www.marchforbabies.org/teams/CarterThomasLinz





As many know, Andy and I were blessed with the birth of our son, Carter Thomas Linz on January 2, 2009. He came into this world at 23 weeks weighing just 1 lb, 8oz..
He has been through pulmonary blebs, IVH, NEC and heart surgery for his PDA. He continues to be our little "rocky" and beat the statistics. We are so proud of him.
This walk is for him....


Join us in the walk that helps all moms and babies.
The money we raise for March for Babies will help:
...support all-important research offering preventions and solutions for babies born too soon or with birth defects
...educate women on things they can do to increase their chances of having a healthy baby
...provide comfort and information to families with a newborn in intensive care
...push for newborn screening and health insurance for all pregnant women and children.
Please help our team help babies— click JOIN THIS TEAM at the top of the page and get started!

The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality..

Snowy Day!

Today it is snowing outside, a lot! I don't think I have seen this much since we lived in Germany.

Carter has had a good few weeks. His lungs are still very sick but he is growing, which is good. Still no feeds but with any luck, today is the day! He is 1285 grams today. Who would have thought that my college math classes would come into play in my lifetime :) Carter is 59 days old today!

Heather Ablondi came to visit Carter and I last week. She had two premature deliveries herself so it was wonderful to have someone who has been there to come visit. She has done remarkable work with the March of Dimes. I have come to use them as a source of information. You can feel very alone in the NICU sometimes but I have come to realize that there are many babies born prematurely. I am going to walk for Carter in April for the March of Dimes. Once I have all the information, I will post it...hopefully you can share in my journey and help to make a difference.

Each day I find us getting stronger, ALL OF US. They always say God does not give you anything you cannot handle. For him, my son and my husband...I am choosing to be the best I can be everyday and do the best I can. As I have said, laying down is not an option.

Things have been quiet with Carter for the last week! Yes, this is good news! Is Carter getting "better"...No but he is getting bigger which is what we need for his lungs. We have been very lucky that his NEC has not progressed. Hopefully on Friday he can start feeds, very small, but still the nutrition he needs. It has been almost three weeks for him.

I firmly believe in the power of prayer and in little miracles. I cannot thank everyone enough for all the love and support that has come our way.

This week was also Halo's birthday. As some may know, Halo was given to me by my Mother and was the last gift I recieved from my parents so she is a very special little girl to us. She celebrated her birthday with Jack & Josie and cannot wait to meet our little Carter.

I also want to thank "The Stars" @ The Bridge Community Church and Rebecca Crosen for their beautiful get well cards for Carter.

Carter is 53 days old today. He is 2 lbs and 11 oz. A friend of mine called him "ROCKY" and the name sticks. He is our fighter, our blessing, and a gift to remind me daily that God is with us and to believe we are never alone.

Some have wondered how I am getting through things. I feel like I am channeling my Father when I say we have choices in life. God gives us lessons and fills us with love. If I lay down now, what good am I for my son.

With much love and many, many blessings...Deanna, Andy, Carter, Halo, Josie and Jack.

Wanted to give an update on Carter. I included definitions as far as what some things are. Thank goodness for Google! This explains things better than I can.



Carter has had a few quiet days, thank goodness after Saturday. Nothing really has changed except minor changes to his vent. We spoke with the third year fellow last night and he did say to us that in his three years as a fellow he has never seen lungs as sick as Carter. I also blatantly asked him if this can be resolved and he did say yes but he will need to get the advice of others. I am taking this as positive but we know that Carter has really sick lungs. Pulmonary Blebs are uncommon in preemies and being on a vent for 47 days is also damaging to the lungs. They try to be informative and keep us in the reality of it all at the same time. At least they are not giving up hope.



The also spoke with us that there is a POSIBILITY and I say that is more of a … “hey we will keep an eye on it”….that Carter may have NEC.



What Is Necrotizing Enterocolitis?

A gastrointestinal disease that mostly affects premature infants, NEC involves infection and inflammation that causes destruction of the bowel (intestine) or part of the bowel. Although it affects only one in 2,000 to 4,000 births, or between 1% and 5% of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions, NEC is the most common and serious gastrointestinal disorder among hospitalized preterm infants.

Today he is having a head Ultrasound. His platelets are low and have been consistently so they are checking for where they may be going or if he is just not producing enough of them. He has had multiple transfusions. Because he has IVH, they are just doing the ultrasound to rule out possibilities so at this time there is a not a point of concern. We will get results today.



(INTRAVENTRICULAR HEMORRHAGE Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a generic term that refers to bleeding that begins in the germinal matrix of the brain’s ventricles. This condition most commonly affects premature babies. IVH is graded into four categories from mildest to most severe: subependymal haemorrhage or Grade I IVH, intraventricular hemorrhage or Grade II IVH, ventricular dilatation also called ventriculomegaly or Grade III IVH, and intraparenchymal hemorrhage due to rupture of the blood into the brain from within the ventricles or Grade IV IVH.)



They did an x-ray this morning but the doctors have not reviewed them yet. They had a new admit and rounds. By noon, we should know if there are any changes and if anything will change from a medical perspective today. I am just waiting.



It does feel like everyday there is something and Carter is our little “Rocky” as far as continuing to push through. We are very proud of our little man.



Weight 2 pounds, 5 oz and 14 inches

As a Mother in the NICU, I feel incredibly helpless and alone. Carter's last 24 hours have been very rough. We were called at 2am because Carter was have respiratory issues. We arrived at the hospital to find him on 100% oxygen and saturating at 48-60. It was once again the feeling of watching the monitors and praying to God to give Carter strength. His color was a blue grey and he was not his fiesty self. Many hours later Carter was showing improvement due to the great care and the power of God. We then found out upon xray that it appeared that one of his pulmonary blebs (yes, that is actually the technical term)ruptered.The room began to spin and I fought ever urge to scream that Carter needed a break...enough. We waiting as if it did not self resolve we would need to have a procedure where they stick a needed around his heart to release to air. This procedure is very dangerous. Again, we sat, watched the monitors and prayed....as of right now, at this moment our little Carter is stable. I can only judge everything on a moment to moment basis.

As I sit in the NICU I think a lot. Not always good if you live in my head. I am terrified 100% of the time and blame myself for the struggle of my child. I know I have been told it is nothing "I" did but the feeling is always there.

Andy and I feel so blessed for the love of family, friends and prayers. This is truly what gets us through each day and gives strength to our little miracle.

Today we are exhausted....but Carter continue to do all the hard work.

Lois is here this weekend.

Much love-

Deanna, Andy & Carter

What to NOT expect when expecting....

Carter is 41 days old today and 2 pounds. He has not been on feeds for about two weeks so has actually lost weight.

What they never tell you or you never read about (or atleast you don't look for it) is what happens that is not expected.

Carter has been bradying a lot or 22 times by documentation. That and d-satting. One may ask, "what does that mean" and the answer is , " I don't know". This is the same answer you get from the doctors that have had to "bag" him in the last 24 hours. SCARED, yes, NUMB, yes....

I am SOOOO proud of my little Carter. He is a wiggle worm and what I also like to call my little monkey.

Love to all- Deanna, Andy & Carter

PS- Good luck to all competing in VA INT'l this weekend. Deshawn is amazing and it will be an amazing year for you!

Hello-

This past week has been the worst week of my life. I spoke to friends on Friday night and there was probably no doubt I was losing it.(that and Reglan which causes depression) We were told twice that Carter would not make it through the night. I am not sure how one is suppose to deal with that so I think I went into automation mode. I have lost both my parents after surgeries for heart disease and I think I just started to shut off. Carter proved them wrong and I think it is because he knew Mommy and Daddy were with him and weren't letting go.

They found a source of his infection which is a staph infection in the MRSA family but not drug resistant. He is on new antibiotics and seems to be responding. He still has very sick lungs which is not related but is making impressive strides I think by clinical standards. (proud Mommy talking)

I have often talked about perspective but this week I had a good dose of it. I believe so much in little miracles and the power of prayer. The love of family and good friends continues to see us all through and the love of God. Sometimes when you lose those in life you lose faith in life, in people and in God. I was lost, but now found and God is with us daily and with Carter each second.

Carter is stable, good no, but doing better. He is my living angel and continues to remind me that life is about love, family and faith. For that we are so blessed....Carter is 37 days old today.....2 pounds, 2 ounces.

Much love-

Deanna, Andy, Carter, Halo, Josie & Jack

Carter has had a rough few days. A few words I have come to hate in the NICU are this is, "something expected in a preemie born at his gestational age", this is "common" or "he is in a better place than he was"....He is getting great care but to Andy, Carter and I nothing about this situation is expected and it certainly is not common.

Carter suffered from an infection last Friday and since then his lungs collapsed. As of right now, at this moment....he is better. I have learn to gage things on a moment to moment basis as they change so quickly. I live in an anxiety of the phone ringing if we aren't there and that the alarms will go off if we are.

Carter is beautiful and opened his eyes yesterday which excited Andy and I. He had been so endemic that we have not seen his beautiful eyes since last Friday.

It is day by day, moment by moment so thank you for all the prayers. He is our strong little man and much like his Daddy, very happy the Steelers won the Superbowl.

Much love-
Deanna, Andy, Carter, Halo, Josie & Jack

Yesterday afternoon, we were told Carter would not make it through the night. The next 12 hours were critical. Carter was septic and has chronic lung disease. Common in preemies, a statement I have come to hate.My Mother and Father in law came down. Carter made it through the night and today. We did nitrate Oxide treatment today but is still have lung issues. He is our miracle. I love our little Carter. He continues to prove them wrong....

Carter was born on 1/2/09 at 318am. He was a miracle as many told us he would not make it. Each day continues to be a journey. He had heart surgery last Friday and his lungs continue to be a period of up and down's. He was born at 1 lb and today was 920 grams...roughly two pounds. Before he was born the doctors told us he would not be alive and we had to make the decision whether he should be recessitated. Carter came out breathing and fighting. He does need help but initially he made the choice for himself.

Our little miracle......

Carter looks like Andy and was named after both of our Father's. "Thomas" is Andy and my Father's name. Carter is his Mom's maiden name. I think my Dad would have been proud.

The last few months have been challenging for Andy and I and have held a few surprises. Andy and I have been trying for five years to have a child and have had a few loses. We found out we were pregnant at the same time we found out about a few other female issues. We were told that our little Carter would not make it and at 23 weeks...he came out fighting. He had heart surgery last Friday and everyday is another blessed day.


I will write more later but since this made it to facebook, I thought I would share.

Much love and photos to follow....

Andy, Deanna & Carter (halo, josie and jack)

Heart Health:
National Wear Red Day is February 6.

Being stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan isn't much of a way to spend the holidays. It's a time when a soldier can't help but think of the comforts of home — a warm fireplace, ribbon-bound packages with loved ones gathered around — all of the things that we take for granted this time of year.

They have a job to do, and they're willing to do it — for the sake of their families and your family, too. And we can do something in return. We can help bring a genuine taste of holiday spirit to them, however far away they may be.

There's no time of year when the USO means so much to our soldiers. Faced with a ruthless enemy, bearing up under stifling desert heat or terrible mountain cold, they look to us — and to you — for any taste they can get of a back-home holiday season.

Won't you help us help them? It's everything from a concert ringing with joyful music by a top entertainer — to something as simple and personal as a prepaid phone card that brings the voice of a loved one. Please find it in your heart to be generous to the people who are fighting for our freedom in distant and dangerous places — and who ask nothing more than knowing that, in this special time of year, we appreciate their sacrifices, we remember, we care. And we do a little something to help.



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