Happy Birthday Brantley!

Today, 4 years ago a little miracle was born.... besides the rest of our little babies... Brantley Jackson Forrester. I am a little partial to him. Those of you who read this blog, saw in a previous post Brantley saying the blessing. I told you then that I would share his story later. Well, here goes....His mom, Christie, who is my 1st cousin and like a sister to me, went into labor at 22 weeks. She was on bed rest in Jackson at UMC for 5 weeks until it was time to have little Brantleyat 27 weeks. Brantley came into this world at 2 lbs 5 oz. He immediately had to be put on a ventalator. I was visiting Bo in FL for Spring Training the day Brantley was born. I drove to Jackson the very next day. I didn't relize at how much was really going on with Brantley until I got there. I got to go see Brantley in the NICU that night and I had never seen anything like him. He looked so helpless and had so many tubes hooked up to him. We had several scares over the next few days. We almost lost little Brantley a few times over his first week in this world. He had to have blood transfusions, his lung collasped one night, and was on oxygen for 6 weeks, just to name a few. He thought it was such a big deal when he got moved up to C-Pap(still on oxygen, but he was in an incubator) and then to the nasal canula(this is what you see older people on. this is also what he came home on). We then thought He was the fattest baby in the NICU. Brantley got to come home 3 months later. He was still on oxygen but he had gained up to 8 lbs and was doing wonderful. A little after his 1st birthday, he had to have a shunt, but after that he has not had anymore surgeries. His mom and dad were such troopers through it all. Christie and Shawn stayed all 3 months in the Ronald McDonald House. We went to visit everyweekend. It's amazing what all he went through and has gone through to get to where he is today. Brantley, is now the strongest little boy you will ever meet. Happy 4th Birthday Brantley!!

Brantley's first Easter in the NICU(see the cotton ball tail the nurses made for him)

Brantley at home

Brantley now and below he is holding Brayden