Doing Great!

It's been too long since my last update, but I am happy to be bringing you wonderful news!

Porter Mac has completely stolen our hearts. He is just the sweetest little thing and he LOVES to be outside! He snorts when he gets mad and it's so funny! They are all doing well and settling in to a good routine and just loving every moment with him.

The therapists came to see him yesterday and it turns out he is doing so well, he doesn't even qualify for their assistance! THIS IS JUST THE MOST AMAZING NEWS!!! I would have never in a million years thought that on July 11th, that almost 2 months later, I would bring you the news that he is doing this well.

He is truly our miracle baby!

Thank you too all of you who have continued to pray. His life has been changed by the faith you have had and the willingness to invest in his life. Let us never think again that our prayers don't make a difference!

I have recieved several bracelets in the mail. If you still have yours and would love to put it in his baby book, please mail them to me. I want him to see the ones that supported him throughout this journey and to encourage him in the power of prayer.

I look forward to continually bringing you good news :)

Thanks and Blessings!

Jacquelyn

NG Tube out! Doing great!

I am so sorry it's been so long since my last update. It has been a crazy few weeks around our house and everytime I try and sit down to write, I get up and go see him instead :)

They removed the NG tube last week and he has been eating GREAT!!!! He is so precious and a joy to be around. He is STRONG, Beautiful and I just can't believe that he has only been on this earth 6 weeks. He is beginning all of his therapies and they are still working on his lab work trying to get everything straightened out.

Thomas and Jennifer are doing good. It has been overwhelming and stressful at times, but they are starting to get into a routine with him. Please continue to pray for peace and rest. They are believing God for complete healing and we are too!

We are so thankful to you all who have prayed, donated, visited, fed and just loved the family through out this experience. You have blessed them beyond imagination and we can't tell you enough what comfort it has been.

I would love to collect as many bracelets as I can :) Please mail them to me whenever you can.
Send them to Jacquelyn Ray 746 West Avenue, Cartersville 30120 :)


Thank you again and I look forward to bringing you more great reports soon!

God Bless!

1st Doctors Visit

Porter Mac had his first doctors appointment today and they had a great visit! They didn't know what to expect and were all a little nervous, but they LOVED his new Pediatrician and I think she was pleasantly surprised at how far he has come. He is still slowly but surely getting better with his bottle feeds and they are hopeful that he will be able to come off the feeding tube before the month is up!

As far as the rest of the check up, things were very positive and I think Porter Mac is just going to surprise us all! He is STRONG and will keep getting STRONGER! They are ALL exhausted and will hopefully get some rest tonight.

Keep praying that he will just keep working of his bottle and LOVE it :) He's such an angel!

I promise promise to overload you with pictures soon! :) It's been a pain trying to figure out why my pictures won't come off my SIM card, but hopefully we can get it fixed tomorrow!

Great Day!

Porter McClain had a GREAT day! Jennifer has been working with him so well on his bottle feeds, and tonight he took his ENTIRE Feeding (2 oz) by mouth! It's the first time in his life he hasn't had to have the pump hooked up! We were so shocked and excited! They are lookin forward to his next feeding to see how he will do again!

They are starting to get in their groove and figured out a schedule. Tomorrow will be his first appointment with his Pediatrician and they are excited to see what the Dr. has to say. I also got to see Porter Mac pee all over his daddy, which made me laugh more than I have laughed in a long time.

I could see the confidence growing in them tonight. Thomas starts back to work full time tomorrow so it will be another day of adjusting, but he is excited to get back and so what he can for his family.

Please continue to keep them in your prayers! I promise I will have pictures up tomorrow!!!!

God Bless!

Welcome Home!

Sweet Porter Mac has finally arrived home! We were so excited yesterday and it was definitely overwhelming.

I can't get my pictures to upload for some reason so as soon as I can get it figured out I can get them on here! He looks so good and is such a snuggle baby! They had a long night last night trying to get settled in, so I hope tonight is a little easier. The alarm on his feeding pump went off about every 60 seconds for hours last night until they could get it fixed. Needless to say, it made an already intense situation worse. They were absolutely exhausted today, so pray they can get some actual HOURS of sleep tonight.

He fed from his bottle twice today. 10cc's this morning and 25cc's this afternoon. And they were working with him just a minute ago when I left. Please continue to pray for them as they feel the weight of this responsibility on their shoulders. Coming home from the NICU is a life changing experience. Pray that they will be confident in their abilities as parents and pray that Porter will continue to progress in his bottle feedings.

Thank you friends for all your prayers. Please continue to lift them all up. They are just precious. It's hard to be on the outside and want to just fix this for them, but I know that God will supply all their needs.

move that honda!!

They are signing the paperwork and getting ready to come home!!!! I can't begin to tell you all the emotions that are running wild right now, but we are totally in awe of what God has done and will continue to do in Porter McClain's life!

I can't wait to show you pictures of this baby doll once he is home sweet home! Thank you to those of you who have signed up to take them meals. This will be a huge blessing as they try and settle in :)

Blessing to you all! I'm ready to yell "Move that Honda!" :)

Bottle Feeding and Coming Home!

Porter Mac had a great day yesterday! He went from bottle feeding 5cc's, then took 10cc's, and THEN took 25cc's this morning! Once he can do this consistently he can come off the NG tube!!!!! We are so so excited!!!

Thomas and Jennifer have gone to the hospital today and will stay tonight. They are going to have to take care of him, all his feedings, changing, and bathing, to help prepare them for once they are home. They are also going to be taught how to insert his NG tube in case he pulls it out again (which I think they are a little nervous about!) Hopefully he will continue to increase his bottle feeds and won't need the tube much longer!

I can't believe he is almost a month old!!! I am so so excited by the progress he has made!! I know he will continue to grow stronger everyday! Thank you again for being a part of his life and praying for him! It has made all the difference and we are all forever grateful!

So excited about tomorrow! Can't wait to show you pictures of our sweet little man finally coming home! It's going to be an awesome day!!!

Practice Makes Perfect

I'm so proud of Porter Mac! I just love this picture of him working on his bottle feedings! I know that when he gets home and Jennifer and Thomas are able to work with him every feeding it will become easier and easier! He is just a baby doll!

They had a good visit at the hospital today. They are getting all the loose ends tied up and we think he will be home by Saturday! It's going to be wonderful! I am extra excited that I live right next door to them! :) Bear is going to be rotten!

Thanks for all who have asked about takethemameal.com. Instead of you having to email me, the password is Ruff. Original, huh ;)

I will have tons of pictures from the softball tournament soon and can't wait to share with you the news of when he actually comes home!

Blessing on you all!

One step closer :)

Porter Mac has had a great day! He latched onto the bottle for the first time ever and took a few sucks! It's a HUGE Praise and we know that the more practice he has the better and easier it will become for him! He LOVES the mobile attached to his crib and loves to look at himself in the mirror :)

They are trying to get some things figured out before he can come home, so it's been a busy and tiring day. Please continue to lift them all up in your prayers! It's going to be a big adjustment when they get home. They are so excited and just ready to be able to be with their little man.

As far as setting up a feeding schedule, my other amazing sister.in.law told me about TakeThemAMeal.com! It's perfect! If you want to get on the schedule their, just email me Jacquelyn.ray@comcast.net for the password, go to takethemameal.com and then pick your day and see what other meals have already been taken!

Hope you all have a blessed week! I am so so ready to make the "Coming Home" announcement! It's right around the corner!!!

Great Weekend!

It has been such a great weekend! I cannot tell you how wonderful the softball tournament was last night! I don't know how late everyone was out there but I heard a rumor that they played til 4!!! It was so neat to see everyone in their orange Porter McClain shirts! The food was great and everyone loved the raffle prizes :) There was so much love and support, I know it has forever blessed their family! I can't wait to get the final list of all the donors and teams that played! I definitely want to thank you all and I want you to SUPPORT THOSE BUSINESSES!!!! I also have to say that my favorite team by far was "Team Woody," it was definitely entertainment :) Just Kidding Boys :)

I got to see Porter McClain for a while this afternoon and they moved him into a little crib instead of the NICU bed. He looked so good today! He was wide awake and I got to help with one of his feedings :) He sucked on his paci for a while and I was so so so proud of him!!!! They are meeting with the discharge coordinator tomorrow and will then be taught exactly what to do for his feeding :) They are so excited and anxious to get him home. Please pray that everything goes according to plan! He has been spitting up a little, so pray that this is nothing more than normal baby stuff and it doesn't prolong him being released!!!

Many of you have asked me about bringing them dinner once they get home and I have decided to make a schedule starting with next Saturday so that they will for sure be home. You can email me at Jacquelyn.Ray@comcast.net and I will get you on the list! I can't begin to thank you enough. I know I write it every time I blog, but you all really are the most wonderful friends and family in the world!!!

We have talked about what we picture it being like when he comes home and Thomas has cracked me up with how he thinks it will go....bear with me on this.....You know that show Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Thomas says he invisions everyone of his friends and family in the front yard screaming and when they pull up everyone starts screaming "Move that Honda! Move that Honda! Move that Honda!" Then he holds Porter Mac up in the air and everyone starts that ugly crying, passing out, falling on their knees (You know, like the show)ha! And then Ty Pennington says, "Welcome Home Ruff Family. Welcome Home".....Doesn't that crack you up :) We will all probably be in the front yard waiting, and if you want to join us, come on, just park your car in my back yard :)

Much love to you all! I am so glad that I got to meet so many of you last night! Thank you for checking the blog and being a part of this amazing little boy's life! Jennifer said last night, "Just tell them not to change anything, cause whatever they are doing is working! Keep Praying!!! :)"

Sweet Baby!

Thought you might enjoy a little video taken on Porter Mac this morning :)
(Oh, and you will have to go down and pause the play list in order to hear the video!)

Sit, Crawl, Walk!!!

It's really been a great day in the Porter McClain world :) I am so so excited to be bringing you good news!

1. Porter Mac had all his IV's taken out today! That's a great thing! He doesn't need fluids, doesn't need any more plasma, Lasix, anti-biotics, etc! Can you believe it? :) What an amazing thought!!

2. He sucked on his pacifier today in front of Thomas and Jennifer and they were so so excited to actually get to see it with their own eyes!! AND when they talked to the doctor today, she said that he sucked on in 10 times in a row!!! Praise God! This is HUGE!!!!!

3. He is coming home some time next week when they figure out his feeding measurements!!!!!! Can you believe it!?!?!? HE'S COMING HOME!!!!!!!! He will still have the NG tube to help him until he can learn to eat by mouth, but he will have his therapists come to the house 3 days a week to help!!!! HE'S COMING HOME!!!!!!!

It just blows my mind that he has come so far in 3 weeks! It's truly a miracle and he is just doing so great!!! I can now tell you that when the Dr's read his MRI, it wasn't good. It wasn't good at all. It just broke our hearts. Thomas and Jennifer didn't want to me write it, because it was like accepting it. They decided that a test was just a test, and that they would believe God until He told them otherwise. They decided not to box him in with statistics and continually pray that God would intervene. They have prayed over him every time the have seen him. He is already doing so many things that the MRI says he shouldn't, so we have believed for a full recovery!

In the back of their minds, they have wrestled with what his future would be like and wondered about things like sitting up, crawling, walking, etc. And tonight, they decided to ask the doctor about what they might possibly face and she said she fully believes that he will SIT, CRAWL AND WALK! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?!?!? I am just so beyond excited!!!!!!! We all hoped in the depths of our heart and believe he could, but to get confirmation from his doctor was just an incredible blessing tonight!

We are so so excited about the "Play and Pray for Porter McClain" Tournament tomorrow! Ryan McLendon and Matt O'Neal and their amazing team have worked so hard and have blessed this family in ways that words will never do justice! I can't wait to get the list of everyone who helped and businesses who have donated. I can tell you one thing, Cedartown and Cartersville are 2 amazing towns. Please try and make it out tomorrow if you can, even if it's to only grab a burger and see the beautiful pictures of this miracle!

I hope that this fans the flame of your faith. We all ought to pray a little more confidently, and a little more often that we have in the past. I have had to believe God for BIG things throughout my life and He has always moved, so I know to believe in Him for the impossible, BUT THIS has changed my life forever. I hope it has changed yours too. Believe Him for More! Believe His Word, because it is unshakable! I promise you, your faith will be tested again one day, and I hope that you will look back on this time, and know that with God All Things Are Possible!

Please continue to pray for his progress! We are just now awaiting the day he will come home and begin his life with his mommy and daddy. What an amazing family this will be! I can't wait to continue updating you on his life. Please keep checking back on the blog! When he comes home, it won't be the end.....only the beginning!!!

God bless you all!

Bear :)

Porter McClain has had another great day! The therapist put a nipple on a syringe and he took a few sucks off of it! I think he will continue to get the hang of it! I am just so glad he tries his best every day! His feedings have been bumped up to 2 oz. and he is doing great! They are taking out his IV's tomorrow which is huge! It's a great sign that things are headed in the right direction (which is home)!

So as far as the nickname search continues, Thomas and Jennifer have picked "Bear"!

Everyone in our family has a nickname that we go by to each other. We have Jear Bear (Jerry), Honey (Pamela), Big Daddy or 6 Screw:)(Don), Nana (Cindy), T is Thomas, Jenn Jenn is Jennifer, Bo is Keith, BiBi is Rebekah, Porter will call me GiGi, and my girls are called Boo Boo and Sweet Pea. We had a hard time coming up with a nickname for Jody (my husband), so jokingly one night, he said "I want Porter to call me 'War Eagle' so every time I come around Thomas and Porter have to say it!" Ha! The conversation ended up with Jody's name being Weagle (which is in an Auburn cheer our girls love) and we have really gotten a kick out of knowing how much they love Alabama and will have to say Weagle all the time :)

Fittingly, Thomas and Jenn want us to call Porter Mac "Bear" :) I really think it's a cute name for him, and even though it might take a while to roll off our tongue, I think Bear fits him perfectly!! :)

I hope to see many of you this weekend at the Softball Tournament! I told them we needed to go ahead and make Porter some onesies that say "Sponsored by _________" so we could help support the businesses and people who have been so incredibly generous and supportive! :) Words will never be enough, but Thank you Thank you Thank you!

Love and Blessings to you all!

Wonderful Wednesday :)

I got to go see Porter Mac this afternoon and he is doing so so good! He is starting to root which we hope is a prelude to him wanting to suck. Can he suck? yes :) Does he like to? Not yet...But it's just a matter of time before he get the hang of it. He looked the best I've ever seen him today! He now weighs 8lbs 14oz! He is by far the biggest boy in the NICU and compared to the preemies, he looks like he could eat them for lunch :) He has got the sweetest yummy little double chin you have ever seen and I think I am already driving him crazy kissing it :)

I went to a meeting in Cedartown tonight to talk about the details of the Softball Tournament this weekend and I am so excited about this weekend! As far as details, they are going to start serving food at 5 (burgers and dogs so COME HUNGRY!) and the first games start at 6. They will be selling raffle tickets for some great prizes (which you don't have to be there to win), and T-shirts which are $15 (which you can order even if you can't make it!) The generosity of you all has been amazing and I can't wait to look back and tell Porter Mac stories about you all when he is older :)
If you need any more details on this weekend, get in touch with Ryan or Matt on the "Play and Pray" page and I will try and have directions on there as soon as I get them!

Thank you all for your commitment to pray for Porter McClain! He has come sooo far and we know since July 10th we have really had God's attention. This didn't take Him by surprise, and I know He is pleased with our faith in Him! Keep praying friends! We love you all!

Tuesday :)

Porter McClain has had another great day. We are learning that he has a little bit of a temper :) He was wide awake and very active today. The therapists worked with him today and he is getting better, but still not thrilled with the thought of something in his mouth :) He loves for his daddy to talk to him while he's resting and if Thomas stops, Porter opens his eyes to give him a little reminder to keep talking. Thomas and Jennifer are very excited and hopeful of him eating by a bottle soon!

There is talk about taking out his IV's this weekend which is pretty awesome. We are really just amazed and excited about how far he has come! Please continue to pray for his feedings! We know he is sooo close!!!

And can I just say that I love Jennifer Westlake Ruff so much! I am so blessed she is my sister.in.law and I am so proud of her and how she has walked through this experience. I love seeing her and Thomas together. They are amazing and Porter Mac will have the perfect example of what a marriage should be. It's such a blessing to see my brother so happy and see him stand strong for his family.

Oh, and from now on instead of writing Porter McClain a million times, I will now be trying out some nicknames for him :) I have a million and I can't seem to make up my mind of which one fits, so just know that Butter Bean, Mac Truck, Goose, Big Mac, Little Mac, Angel, P Mac, Mac Attack, Little Brother, and Booger Bear are all him :)

Can't wait to bring you more news soon! Keep praying friends! We love you all!

working hard

Porter Mac has been working hard and has had another great day! Thomas and Jennifer had a wonderful visit with him and were very encouraged! The speech therapist will continue to work with him on bottle feeding and tonight he will try and digest formula for the first time. He is doing great with the breast milk, so I'm sure he will do as well with formula.

We really need you to continue to specifically pray for him to adjust to the bottle. The doctors said today they believe this is more of a "when" than an "if", so we aren't so concerned for "if" he will take a bottle, its more "when." We know this is going to take some work, but we have seen him make huge steps forward and believe he will with this as well!

Thank you again, for standing with us in faith for Porter McClain! He is an amazing little boy and I just truly believe in my heart, he will continue to amaze us all through out his life!

God bless and I look forward to sharing more pictures with you soon!

Sunday's Update

Porter Mac is doing good! They have still been feeding him by the NG tube, but have been bumping up his feedings and he is now taking an ounce! I got to snuggle with him for 2 hours today while Thomas and Jenn went to take a shower and eat. He is a snuggle bear! I just wanted to put him in my pocket book and bring him home! Tomorrow the speech therapist will be back to work with him on his sucking reflex. Let's pray that he warms up to it easily, he wanted NOTHING to do with it today :)

Thomas and Jennifer have been so blessed to have the room outside the NICU to sleep in and stay close to Porter Mac, but they had to move out today so a new family could stay there. I know they don't want to leave, but they also know what this new family (which has a baby that was just put on the cooling therapy) is feeling and that they need to be close to their baby. Just pray that they can rest easy tonight, knowing that Porter Mac is getting better by the day!

We are looking forward to a great week!! Thank you all for your continued prayers and we are so excited about the softball tournament this Saturday! They are also selling Porter McClain T-Shirt to help raise money, so if you are interested in one, check out the "Play and Pray" page at the top of the blog!

God Bless!

14 days

Happy 2 week birthday Porter McClain. It's hard to believe that 14 days ago you were brought into our lives! It seems like we have known you forever and our lives have forever been changed by your coming! I look back over the past 14 days (which feels like months) and I cannot believe the progess that has been made! Since yesterday he went from 2cc's, to 8cc's, to 16cc's to now 24cc's of milk! While they aren't making him suck for it, they are putting some in his cheek and he is learning to swallow it. They have also been checking for residuals to see if he is fully digesting it and he is! He is needing a little help getting rid of extra fluid, but they are working on that now.

I am hoping and praying that we are at the half-way mark with his hospital stay. There are a few more things that he needs to accomplish, but I am sure that since he has come this far, that there won't be too many more challenges for him to meet. He is such a babydoll! I finally got a chance to hold him for the first time and he made me melt like butter! I am anxious to put some more pictures on here but I am waiting until I have a picture of all the "grands" getting to hold him! :) Hopefully I will have them posted tomorrow!

Thank you for your prayers. Please pray for a renewed strength for Thomas and Jennifer and that Porter Mac will be able to start trying a bottle this week!

God Bless!!

2 cc's

Porter Mac took 2 cc's of milk by mouth today and swallowed it! Thomas was so excited! All it takes is for him to keep making one little step (or cc) at a time and then they will be stepping through the front door :) I can't wait to get down there tomorrow! I was going to go today, but stayed in town to take care of a few things, and whoever cut Thomas's grass today...THANK YOU!

I can't wait to hold and snuggle that little stinker tomorrow! Please pray that he continues to be able to eat by mouth. It's amazing that he has already started today! Also, I would love for you to start praying for Thomas and Jennifer when they bring their little angel home. With any first time parents it is overwhelming to bring your baby home, and I can only imagine how much more the anxiety will be intensified with them. I know that they are trusting God, whatever may come, but pray that they will have peace and that they will feel the presence of God with them in their home.

Again, I will say thank you for all your prayers, we will never be able to say thank you enough. Your faith and generosity is indescribable and we will forever remember how your have helped carry us through this. You have been used by God in a mighty way. You are His hands and His feet. We love you all.

Sweet Friends

It's been another great day. Porter Mac has spent the majority of it resting and growing stronger. :) I just wanted to share with you two of the cutest little supports of Porter Mac! I can only imagine what their friendships will be like in 10 or even 20 years :) My goal is to have this blog bound into a book after documenting his first year, so I definately want him to see these beautiful girls wearing their orange bracelets! I can't wait to have pictures of their first play dates!!! :)



The little angel on the left is Ms. Anabella Rozier and the angel on the right is Ms. Kate Smith :)