The last 3 email updates I've sent out:

UPDATE: Sent October 26

Hello all !  well here is the quick update since I'm trying to type
from a hospital bed it is not the easiest  So sorry for any typos.

Announcing the arrival of Brieanna Ruth Hope Massung
Arrived Oct. 25, 2007 at 8:39am.
She weighed 1lb. 5 oz.

I was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia and admitted to the hospital
on tuesday night of this week.  In prepping for the birth they were
able to give Brie 2 shots of lung stimulants and then delivered her by
c-section this morning.  She is stable and the next 48 hours will be
the most critical along with the understand that the months ahead will
have good days and bad days.

At this time we are please stating no visitors and/or no phone calls
- we are trying to get our rest and also just trying to take in the
lay of the land here.  I, mom, am doing well and feeling pretty good.
We aren't really in need of anything right now-  we are doing fine at
this point.  We are at Iowa Methodist here in Des Moines IA.


Hopefully more later including a website we are hoping to set up for
the peanut who is just beautiful.
Love to all, thanks for the prayers and concern.
Ben, Brenda and Brieanna

UPDATE: Sent October 29 2007

Brieanna Ruth Hope Massung
Born October 25, 2007
1lb. 5 oz. 12 inchles long


Brie had a great day today!  She is continuing to do well and had
several stinky poopy diapers today, one of which her daddy volunteered
to change.  I was so impressed with his desire to jump right in there
and handle changing such a tiny little mess- which was a huge mess.

I will update more later - I'm off to bed for now!

Here are some new pictures - we were hopefully able to help y'all gain
some perspective on just how big she is!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2013389&l=87acd&id=152000252

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Brieanna Ruth Hope Massung

Born October 25th 2007  8:39 am @ 25 weeks gestation

1 pound 5 ounces

12 inches long

First of all for those who haven't heard - We had our baby girl - she came a bit early - due to severe preeclampsia - and we'll have the whole story on her carepage by this weekend.

And again for now you can check out pictures at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2013389&l=87acd&id=152000252

Brie is doing fantastic-  She has had no setbacks so far and the doctors have found nothing wrong with her in all of the testing that has been done.  Basically she is a healthy baby who just came too early.  We have a long road ahead filled with infections from just being in a hospital – so direct those prayers to continue to keep her body strong and for her to have the ability to fight off the infections.  She was taken off of the ventilator on Saturday which is a HUGE accomplishment for a baby of her gestational age.  She is now on a CPAP which just runs air over her nose and she does all the work to breathe it in.  The oxygen level that is in the air is the same as the air we breathe in a normal room!  So that is amazing.

The doctors and nurses keep telling us that she just doesn’t know she’s only 25 weeks old.  And we’re aren’t telling her either!  Tomorrow she will begin her 26th week –and 1 week out of the womb.  She is back up to her birth weight – in fact she’s just over her birth weight (1 pound 5.5 ounces)– which could continue to fluctuate.  She started on my breast milk this weekend.  They start her out very slowly and gradually move her up, as they move her up they will lower her IV – and they only “problem” is that they may need to increase her oxygen level in the CPAP – but that would just be because she is working harder to digest the food.  But since being on my breast milk they have not had to increase her levels at all.

She had a PIC line put in today and that will help with just having one central line to put things into.  She had a line in her belly button – but they like to take those out once they start eating.  So now she has NO more lines in her belly!! 

This is the last “update” I’ll be sending out by email, only because we are starting a carepage hopefully tomorrow or on Friday.  Adjusting to all of the pumping, visiting and recovery has left me with time that escapes me.  So – her page is set up – you can just go and register – and you can select to be emailed every time we update the page.  We are hoping to update at least every other day. 

I’m hoping this link works -

http://www.carepages.com/ServeCarePage?cpn=Massung&extrefid=tlcinvite2

If not – go to carepages.com

And sign up – and her Carepage name is:  Massung

We appreciate your continued prayers – our biggest need at this time is for continued rest, and recovery.  Especially for my body and specifically for my blood pressure.

Thank you all!

Ben, Brenda and Brieanna Massung

Well I suppose it's time to update...

We moved to Des Moines in May. 

We celebrated our one year anniversary in our new apartment and got settled in.  Ben and I both started our new jobs on the 15th of May.  He as a youth pastor, and I as an assistant teacher in a 4's & 5's year old room at a preschool/daycare downtown.  I LOVE my job and he LOVES his.  We ended the month by celebrating Brenda's birthday.

In June we said goodbye to our dog Baylee, she was getting to big for our apartment, but more importantly she need a yard where she could run ALL the time and whenever she needed. 

We also added a new addition - Tobie - he's a Bichonpoo which will only reach 10 - 13 pounds full grown. 

July we attended a few weddings and primarly continued getting settled in. 

Now it's August and almost September!  I got a new position as the lead teacher in the 3 & 4's room at my center and Ben is underway with his fall youth makeover/kickoff.  We celebrated Ben's birthday on the 16th of August with another addition to the family - Shyanne - a mini-beagle.  She will be at max 20 pounds full grown. 

 So now we have 2 dogs and 2 cats and an 1200 square foot apartment.  We went to an I-cubs game with the dogs and my brother - these are pics from that.