Team Wendorf Report

We recently added a playhouse and sandbox to our arsenal of outdoor children’s entertainment. Here’s a short collection of pics and videos:

…and speak what we hear. This seems a simple and obvious statement, but over the past 3 months Team Wendorf has learned just how complex this statement really is.

Kai Atticus was born 5 ½ weeks early at the UW Hospital. He failed his (now routine) newborn hearing screens at the hospital, however we assumed that he had fluid in his ears which is a common cause of inconclusive results for all babies, especially those born preterm. Being stubborn I did not deem it necessary to take Kai in for further testing and felt it a disruption to the new schedule we were trying to implement with 2 babies in our family.

Upon the urging of medical professionals we took Kai for a follow up hearing screen. The results were the same, Inconclusive/Failed, at which point we were referred to Children’s Hospital. A few more weeks passed before we were subject to extensive (and tense) 2 hours of testing which determined that Kai had a bilateral mild to moderate hearing loss.

Our audiologist was kind and did her job well but due to hospital policy (and a non-urgent diagnosis at a hospital filled with crisis) we were sent away with a hug, a pamphlet on hearing loss and a return appointment 6 weeks later to confirm or correct the results from this day’s tests.

(stay tuned, this is the first in a series of upcoming posts about the story so far regarding Kai’s hearing issues)

So the thing about kids is that they change quickly. Kai and Lucia are both looking older in their own ways. Lucia is starting to take her first steps, and Kai is gaining weight quickly and becoming more aware of his surroundings.

If you click on the picture to the left it will take you to a collection of photos taken over the last month of both kids.

Kai weighed in at a 6lbs 7onz today, which is up from an even 6lbs last friday (his birthweight was 6.5lbs). Not bad for a kid who isn’t supposed to born yet.

Kai (yes, that is his name officially) was released from the baby circus hospital yesterday, he and Kristina are at home and doing well. Thanks again for all your prayers; we certainly have seen the Lord through this birth!

Not much else to report other than that. He primarily eats/sleeps/poops, the usual newborn tricks. At this point we leave entertainment to our daughter Lucia. Here she is recently entertaining passersby in a shop window downtown:

and from another angle:

Yesterday Kai was released from the intensive care unit to the normal nursery on the same floor as Kristina’s room. This meant that he was off of the iv and only being monitored for temperature and food intake. They let him feed in our room, but then would take him back to the nursery after feeding.

This friday morning they discharged him from the nursery and he is in mom’s room fulltime. The doctors want to keep him for another day just to make sure he is feeding ok, but we should be able to bring him home tomorrow!

He isn’t doing much but sleep right now, but he looks great as this video cleary demonstrates…

Click here to see more photos

Last night at 12:30am April 19th the incredible Kristina Wendorf gave birth to our second child; a boy unofficially named Kai. That name will be confirmed shortly.

The birth is a little early and caught us by surprise, so we unfortunately had to deliver in the UW hospital instead of at the birthing center of our beloved midwife Charlotte Geddis. Kristina’s labor was quick and described by her as ‘intense’, which is an understatement.

Because Kai’s birth is at 35 weeks he is considered pre-term, so the hospital has been extra (maybe overly) cautious about monitoring his blood sugar, food intake and temperature. His first day has been spent in an incubator, but we have been able to visit him whenever we want, hold him, feed him, wipe off the black road tar that somehow ends up on his ass, etc…, so it has been more an annoyance than a traumatic situation. We trust God and his purposes in having us deliver in the hospital.

Kristina is doing well considering the nature of childbirth, and Lucia spent the day with her ‘Aunt’ Mandi and apparently had a great time. Jason is counting his blessings in that, at this point, he has only one wedding that he will have to pay for in his future.

Much thanks to everyone who has been praying for us. The evidence of God’s kindness is amazing.

More info soon…

Here’s some video