NICU Luke - A Family Diary

One Year

2009-10-26T22:42:00.000-07:00

My son Lucas turned one year old today. I feel kind of bad that this doesn't feel like such a major achievement, especially in light of his first few months. The amazing thing though is that the last several months have been so normal, almost like he had a normal birth. He probably weighs 4 pounds more than his big brother Jake did at his first birthday...the kid is a tank! Developmentally he's still a few months behind normal one year olds, but that's to be expected. Other than that, he's happy 95% of the time and he's an absolute joy to be with.

I can't thank you all enough for your prayers and encouragement over the past year. They have really meant a lot to us and we can't wait till Lucas is older so we can show and tell him about everything that went on.

As for prayer, all we ask for is that Lucas will catch up developmentally and that he will enjoy many more birthdays. Thank you!

Luke's NICU Doctor at the reunion picnic

Luke, his transport nurse, and the travelling isolette...I can't believe he used to fit in that thing!

Luke's amazing binky tricks.

Miracles

2009-09-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

A week ago, I read an article about a couple in Kentucky that like me, had a twin molar pregnancy. Abby, the mother, had to deliver her baby at 27 weeks due to preeclampsia. Campbell, her baby girl, weighed in at only 13 oz. (Lucas was 2 lbs. 11 oz.). The doctors declared her dead at birth and passed her over to her father, Nelson to hold. Campbell then began to cry. Her cries grew louder and louder until the doctors took her and placed her in neonatal intensive care. She did well for ten days, and then on Friday, took a turn for the worse. I read today (on her mother's facebook page) that she died early this morning. They are strong in their faith and know that Campbell is now in heaven.

Please pray for Abby, Nelson, and the rest of their family. It is never easy to lose a child, especially one that was a miracle to begin with. All we can do is pray for strength and comfort.

Stories like this remind us of the miracle of Lucas! He continues to thrive. He is now over 10 months old and over 21 lbs.! He is now getting over his first illness (he went 1o whole months without any sickness!) and starting to crawl.

We are blessed by your prayers, support, and love. God is awesome!

Lucas at Six Months...

2009-05-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

Lucas just had his sixth month well baby check-up the other day. He is now weighing in at a whopping 16 lbs. 12 oz. and is 25 1/2 in. long. The Dr. said that he actually registers as a sixth month old on the charts and that we can even begin to feed him solid food if we want to. He's made leaps and bounds of progress and is such a joy. Here's the most recent photo of the little cutie!

Thanks again for your prayers and support!

10 pounds!

2009-02-03T23:00:00.001-08:00

Luke had his second round of shots for RSV today...so we made the trek to the pediatricians office. When he was getting weighed in, I (Wendy) assumed he was going to be 9 pounds +, but imagine my surprise when he he weighed 10 lbs. 4 oz! What a tank! Obviously, Lucas is thriving and doing great. He now gets to try regular formula because the special preemie formula has too many calories! We're pretty happy about that too, because the Neosure (preemie formula) is more expensive than the others. He also grew to 21 inches. Here's a picture I just took with the web cam -- sorry for the quality...but you can see the little chubby guy for yourself!

Thanks for your continued prayers! We are truly grateful and blessed because of them!

Wendy

Happy Birthday Luke

2009-01-23T22:27:00.000-08:00

If Wendy had a normal pregnancy, our son Lucas would have been born sometime around today. Instead, she had a crazy pregnancy and Lucas was born 13 weeks ago.

Today, he's pretty much a normal baby. He weighs around 9 pounds and eats, sleeps, and cries like a normal baby. He even has a screwed up sleep schedule where he likes to stay awake in the middle of the night...I love babies.

Here's a few pictures of the little guy...

Thanks again for all of your prayers and encouragement. It's humbling to hear from all of the people that have been keeping track of our little family. Thank you.

Cheers,
Colin

2009-01-14T21:41:00.000-08:00

Wendy again... Today Lucas had a follow-up appointment with the Pediatrician to make sure his circumcision was healing well. Everything looks great! The best part is...he gained 10 more ounces! Our little guy is getting chunky! He weighed in at 8 lbs. 5 oz. today. It's kind of scary to think that he should still be in utero for another 9 days. Just imagine how big he would've been had he been a term baby!

Here's a picture and video of Luke inside his Christmas stocking. Maybe when he's 16 years old, I'll put a copy of the photo inside his stocking on Christmas day!

Thanks for your continued prayers. Lucas is our miracle baby. We thank God everyday for the gift of our son, and we ask blessings on those that lift him up in prayer continually. God is good!

Wendy

Bad day, but progress!

2009-01-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

This is Wendy writing... I'm getting a break from Mom duties while Colin feeds Lucas. The poor guy had a rough day today. He got circumcised. It didn't go so well. He bled quite a bit, even at the beginning of the procedure when he received the shot of local anesthetic. The pediatrician said that the amount of bleeding was not normal, but told me not to worry...hard for a mother to do! The Dr. gave Luke a Vitamin K shot after the procedure was over -- I'm assuming it was for the bleeding, or because of the bleeding.

Anyway...please pray for his recovery. He's still bleeding -- not a ton, but I think it should've stopped by now. He's also very irritable, which is exhausting!

Enough of the negative...here's the good stuff!

Lucas weighed in at 7 lbs. 11 oz. today! The kid is amazing! He left the hospital 10 days ago -- weighing 6 lbs. 8 oz. and has gained 19 oz. since! Almost 2 oz. a day! The Dr. said that we could reduce the calories in his formula and the Nurse Practitioner said that "he's just a regular baby now!"

The cool thing...Jake was 7 lbs 11 oz. at birth. Then he lost weight and took 5 weeks to gain it back. Luke is 8 weeks ahead of what Jake was according to gestational age. That just blows my mind!

God is good!

Thanks for the prayers! Keep them coming!

Wendy (Colin, Jake, & Luke too!)

A Request...

2008-12-28T21:46:00.000-08:00

Life is actually starting to feel a little normal now, well as normal as it can be with a newborn at home. Wendy and I are getting into a routine regarding nighttime feedings...Luke has to eat like clockwork at 3, 6, 9 and 12 to maintain his growth. It's still crazy to think that he should still be in Wendy for 4 more weeks...and he's so big! He looks like such a normal baby...

October 26, 2008 (Approximately 13 weeks before gestational birthdate)

December 28, 2008 (Approximately 4 weeks before gestational birthdate)

And now for my request. If you don't mind, could you possibly send Luke an email, with a note of encouragement (or something like that), noting who you are and where you come from? The plan is to print out a hard copy of the blog and include a copy of your emails. The primary purpose of this blog was to be a journal of Luke's time in the NICU...a journal that we could look back on in several years to remind us of everything we went through. One key part of this blog has been the variety of people that have been reading it. We've heard from people all over that have enjoyed reading about Luke's progress. Please send emails to me at cwarnes@sbcglobal.net.

Finally, now that Lucas is home from the NICU, I will no longer be updating the blog daily. However, I will post periodic updates relating to doctors appointments or other significant events.

I'd like to thank you all for joining Lucas and our family on this journey through the NICU. I can't tell you enough how much your prayers and encouragement have meant to us the past 8+ weeks. I just hope and pray that none of you have to experience the NICU with a little one like we did...but if you do, be assured that your little one has a great shot at making it.

Cheers,
Colin

Finally!

2008-12-26T22:05:00.000-08:00

2 months to the day...we finally brought Luke home! There's a mix of emotions running through me right now...joy, excitement, exhaustion, fear - it's all a bit overwhelming right now.

I'll provide some more info tomorrow, since i'm having a hard time staying awake as I type here. In the meantime, here are a few pictures from today...

Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement! Thank you God!

Cheers,
Colin

Going Home?

2008-12-26T00:30:00.000-08:00

There's a good chance Lucas may come home tomorrow/today (Friday)...What a relief it is to hear those words! If Luke has a good night tonight regarding oxygen saturation, they'll probably sign his release papers in the morning. It's looking good, but I don't want to get too optimistic - every once in awhile, he'll have a little spell and I get worried that the nurse will determine that he's not ready to go yet (nurses don't make the call, but they give feedback to the doctors). However, his health is our ultimate concern and if he's not ready to come home yet, I will gladly wait.

On the home front, we're in a frantic rush to get everything ready for Luke's arrival. I must admit that we're a bit unprepared due to the chaotic schedule we've been dealing with the past month. Also, I'm in self-doubt mode...it's been 5 years since I've been a dad to a new born...how do you heat up milk/formula again? Please pray that fatherhood is like riding a bike.

Anyway, it's late and I'm exhausted. Please keep the prayers and encouragement coming...we're not out of the woods yet.

Thanks again for your support!

Cheers,
Colin

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T00:31:00.000-08:00

I've got Luke duty tonight, so when I walked into his room at 11:30 tonight, I was shocked to find him sitting in a car seat! Before babies can go home, they need to be able to sit in a car seat (all bucked up) for at least the time it takess to drive home...our time is about 20 minutes...Luke fell asleep and was in it for almost an hour without any 'spells'. Additionally, they finally removed his nasal canula so he's back to breathing on his own. Finally, he sucked his midnight feeding down in about 15 minutes.

All of this means that there is a chance he can come home tommorrow...we're not getting our hopes up (I'm just saying that), but it could happen!

This is obviously a huge answer to prayers, especially since I was fairly detached and frustrated during the Christmas Eve service at church earlier tonight.

Thank you God!

Cheers,
Colin

14 Minutes

2008-12-23T21:18:00.000-08:00

Luke sucked down his 6:00pm bottle in 14 minutes today, it was amazing! This is a big deal because he usually takes 25-30 minutes to get down a 52cc bottle. I'm so proud of him.

His breathing was also a lot better today, he was "satting" at 99-100% while I was there. Hopefully they'll turn his oxygen off tonight. His day nurse attempted to turn it off this afternoon, but he was dropping back into the 80's for about 15 minutes so she turned it back on. I think she should have left him on his own for a while to let him get reaclimated...oh well! Life will be a lot easier if we can take him home without oxygen...but a little scarier.

Please continnue praying that his breathing and eating continue to improve...and that he can possibly come home Christmas...that would be an awesome gift.

Cheers,
Colin

That Has To Feel Good...

2008-12-22T21:16:00.000-08:00

The nurse pulled Lukes OG tube out of his mouth today, which means he can only eat by bottle...unless he doesn't eat well and they put the tube back in, which won't surprise us one bit. Lucas can finally stick his tongue out of his mouth! They also transitioned him to Neosure, which is a formula that civilians can buy. Unfortunately Wendy's milk production is not increasing like we'd hope to, so he has to drink more formula...at least he's getting some milk.

It seems like Lucas needs to have some sort of tube inserted into him at an given time. Todays nurse decided to put his nasal canula back in...she was concerned that his oxygen saturation wasn't high enough. She felt it should be 95%, wheras he was at 90-91%. So far this is the first nurse that I've heard say he needed to at least be at 95%. Can you sense my frustration?

Please pray that Luke continues to feed well and breathe better so we can bring him home soon (this week?). Please also pray that Wendy's milk production will increase the more she gets to be with Luke.

Cheers,
Colin

Getting Closer!

2008-12-21T20:57:00.000-08:00

Luke and I had a really good night and morning...that kid is so amazing. His breathing is almost perfect...he only had a few minor oxygen issues and he recovered from them quickly. As for eating, he took all of the bottles that I gave him at 12am, 6am, 9am and 12pm. He is doing great...I can't wait to hear how he did today!

When I left Lucas today, I felt like a horrible dad. There was my son, lying in a crib looking up at me with his beutiful eyes...and there I was, leaving him to do stuff at home. I feel so bad for the little guy. I'm ready for the whole hospital thing to be done...8 weeks is a long time, but we have to be patient.

Thanks again for your continued prayers...now we ask that you pray for his (and our) health and that he'll continue to drink his bottles.

Cheers,
Colin

Late Night/Morning

2008-12-21T01:14:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the late post, but I just got done with Luke's 12pm feeding a little while ago....I'm on kid duty tonight. He had a pretty good day except for some oxygen desaturation episodes earlier today due to them stopping the oxygen. So far it looks like he's good without the oxygen...praise God!

Bottle feeding has been going good as well. He took most of his feeds by bottle today, which is great. The nurse is going give him the 3am feeding through the tube to give him a break, which I imagine he needs. Eating really wears him out.

It's kind of funny though, when you first start bottle feeding him, he's awake. Then after 10 minutes he falls asleep, but keeps on eating. Then with about 5 minutes to go in the feeding (1/2 hour long), he wakes up. I have no idea why he does this...strange kid!

He also had a monster poop today which was good. He's not as regular as he should be, which is odd because he's always pushing and tooting (farting).

That's about it...it's late so good night and thanks again for your prayers, please keep them coming!

Cheers,
Colin

Quickie

2008-12-19T22:45:00.000-08:00

Tonight's post is going to be relatively brief because I'm staying in the NICU tonight and I need to get to sleep soon...I have to get up at 3:00.

Luke had a good day today. They turned his oxygen off completely today around 10:00am and he's done really well on his own. Regarding feeding - he's done well too. He's taken most of his bottles today and he is now up to 5 pounds 12 ounces...he's huge! He's pretty much maxed out his bottle feeds at 50cc's - if he can do more, great!

Thanks again for your prayers - good night!

Cheers,
Colin

Getting Better

2008-12-18T22:09:00.000-08:00

Luke's bottle feedings have been going much better the past few days...his endurance is definitely improving! When I fed him at 6:00 he was asleep the whole time, but drank his full bottle (48cc's). The doctor wrote orders to increase his bottle feedings up to 3 times a shift.

His breathing is improving as well, his oxygen levels are staying pretty consistent, even during bottle feedings. They'll probably try turning off the oxygen tomorrow to see how he does.

On a side note, we got some sad news today...we just found out that one of the babies we shared a room with for a long time back in the main NICU did not make it. The little guy fought for over 5 months, but he just had too many problems. Please pray for his mom, dad, and two sisters (they were triplets)...one of his sisters is now in the PICU (pediatric ICU) fighting cardiac issues.

Thanks again for your prayers, please keep them coming! Please continue to pray that his strength and endurance continue to improve so that he can bottle feed every time. Please also pray that his breathing continues to improve so that he can go off the oxygen completely. Finally, please pray for our health...Wendy has come down with a cold and I'm on the brink...we are just terrified that we'll get Lucas sick and cause a setback.

Finally, we are praying blessings on all of you for your prayers for Lucas and our family. Thank you!

Cheers,
Colin

Innovation

2008-12-17T21:18:00.000-08:00

I came across an interesting article earlier today when I was reading one of the car blogs (autoblog.com). Apparently some folks designed an isolette (the article calls it an incubator) that is made out of car parts for $1,000! The isolette is meant for third world countries that don't have the technolgy infrastructure to keep high-tech $40,000 isolettes running...however they do have lots of toyotas with the parts and know-how to keep them running. Being an engineer and having spent some time around a few isolettes recently, I can appreciate the technology that is packed inside them. So please take a few minutes to review the article here. A simple creative innovation like this could save thousands of babies around the world. Amazing.

As for Luke, he had a good day. He ate both his 12:00 & 6:00 bottles, which hasn't happened in a while. He was really cute today when I visited him...he is really getting big!

Cheers,
colin

Family

2008-12-16T22:10:00.000-08:00

Today was somewhat bittersweet. It's the last day our family will be together until Luke comes home. They're locking down the hospital to all non-sick kids under the age of thirteen until March for RSV season. So here's our last family picture for a while. I can't wait for us to be together again.

Lucas had an uneventful day. He still struggles with his bottle feedings, which is his last hurdle to overcome. Please pray that God will grant him strength and endurance so he can eat consistently and completely. We want him to come home!

Thanks again for your encouragement and prayers, they really mean a lot to us!

Cheers,
Colin

Buzzy Bee

2008-12-15T22:27:00.000-08:00

Well, Luke back-tracked a little bit today, but it's OK. They backed his bottle feedings back to every other time. Better to have him take a full bottle every other feeding than barely a third of a bottle every feeding.

We just found out today that tomorrow will be Jake's last day to visit Luke before they lockdown the hospital for RSV season. Because of this, we want to make the most of the time left so Jake got to hang out with Luke for a few hours. Jake and Luke are starting to really get comfortable with each other, which is awesome. As a dad, I can't help but smile when I see my two boys together. Here's a few pictures and video of my boys.

Cheers,
Colin

P.S. The song Jake is singing is called "buzzy bee". We're not sure if it's an original or something he learned at school...

Losing Patience

2008-12-14T22:25:00.000-08:00

After staying with Lucas the past few nights, I'm starting to lose my patience. I want to bring him home now. I love the NICU and the staff that have cared so well for him the past seven weeks...but now I want to take care of him here at home like normal parents get to.

But I have to be patient. Luke did not do well with feeding last night and today. When we left him this afternoon, he was drinking only a third of his bottle and his oxygen saturation was inconsistent. He was probably tired since they had increased his bottle feedings to every meal (46cc's (1-1/2oz) every 3 hours), but it's frustrating. I want the little guy to do well, but then he loses interest after 10 minutes and stops eating. I don't know if something's wrong with him, if he's tired, bored, or lazy...there's about a thousand thoughts running through my mind when he doesn't do well. I hope that I'm not coming across as being selfish, I don't intend to be, but perhaps I am a little bit. I just want life to be normal again (as normal as it can be for a family with a 5-year old and a newborn).

Please pray that Lukes stamina increases so he can drink all of his milk and hold his oxygen steady. Please pray this so that he can come home to our family soon. But ultimately, please pray that he stays healthy - even if has to stay in the NICU for a long time - I can wait.

I love you Lucas,
Colin

Any Day Now

2008-12-13T22:02:00.000-08:00

The anticipation is starting to build now...Lucas could come home any day now! Pretty much all he has to do is take a full bottle at every feeding - only he doesn't always take them very well. I can't stand the wait!

Last night went well...he ate well and was a poop factory. It was pretty disgusting. I slept decently except for the monitors going off all of the time...beep...beep...beep. Whenever Lucas's went off, I'd have to get up to see what was going on because his monitor screen was pointing out to the door. Wendy and I are both sleeping over tonight which should be fun...now we can start negotiating over who will get the next feeding and who gets to sleep.

His weight is now up to 5lbs 6oz, but he's still struggling with his oxygen and as stated above - his feedings. Please pray that his bottle feedings and oxygen saturation improve. Thanks again for your blessings and prayers - they mean very much to us.

Cheers,
Colin

Overnight

2008-12-12T22:55:00.000-08:00

I'm typing this post from Luke's hospital room tonight - yep, it's my turn to spend the night with him. I'm really grateful that we have this awesome children's hospital so close to home. What's even better, it's the only hospital in California that features private rooms. These private rooms allow parents to stay with their preemie overnight - something that must be invaluable for new parents. Imagine you've never had a kid - and then you have a preemie with a bunch of special care - I imagine it can be pretty intimidating. So it's pretty cool that parents can get used to the care (and late night feedings) with the assistance of nurses.

Luke had a pretty good day today, he's up to 5lbs 4 oz, but he still needs to poop. He also got a bath today. Finally, Luke had a hearing test today, which he passed!Don't ask me how you do a hearing test on a preemie(we couldn't even do one on Jake at his last appointment.

See you in the morning!

Cheers,
Colin

Big Brother

2008-12-11T21:50:00.000-08:00

I got lucky today...Wendy and Jake stayed late today so we got to be together. The best part was that Jake asked to hold Luke for the first time. We've asked him a few times, but he's always said no. Jake is going to be a good big brother - he looked so big holding Luke in his arms. It was great.

Luke hit a big milestone today...the big chunk hit 5lbs 2oz! That means he's pretty much good to go home as soon as he gets his feedings down. He needs to drink a full 2-ounce (60-cc) bottle at every feeding...currently he's drinking from a bottle every other feeding (and he's usually only getting about 80% down). He's actually doing pretty good for a 34 weeker, the nurses said they typically start bottle feeding preemies at 33-34 weeks so he's still ahead of the game.

Please pray that Luke's feedings continue to improve and that he remembers to poop.

Cheers,
Colin

Full Bottle

2008-12-10T21:49:00.000-08:00

Luke did awesome today...he drank a whole bottle for both Wendy and I. It was awesome. It seems kind of funny that I think this is so amazing...it's just a bottle feeding, every baby does it.

Wendy had a good first night with Luke...I guess he sleeps really well and makes a lot of cute noises.

Luke didn't gain any weight last night, but it's probably due to the extra calories he's burning while bottle feeding. His breathing was also much better, but he remains on the oxygen.

Sorry for the brief report...i'm falling asleep.

Good night,
Colin

Endeavor

2008-12-09T22:26:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days we've been waiting for...Luke moved into the new Endeavor wing in the NICU. Endeavor consists of brand new private rooms where the parents can room in with the baby. It's the last step before going home! Granted, there's quite a few more milestones he needs to reach before coming home. There's a slight chance he can come home by Christmas, but we don't want to set our hopes to high - he'll come home when he's ready.

So Wendy's spending the night with Luke tonight. It's interesting to see her mothering instincts kick into high gear now that she can stay with Luke overnight. She's an awesome mom. Due to work, I'll only be able to stay on weekend nights - I'm jealous.

As for Lucas, they had to put him back on the oxygen today - he was just swinging too much. We weren't surprised since it seemed like they backed off the oxygen kind of quickly. He's also only drinking about half of his bottle during the feedings, but he'll do better. One things for sure, we are learning a lot about patience!

Thanks again for your prayers!

Cheers,
Colin

On His Own

2008-12-08T18:30:00.000-08:00

Well, as of now, Luke is officially doing everything on his own now. The nurse turned his oxygen off this afternoon and so far he's doing OK. He's still swinging (oxygen saturation is either too high or too low), but it's not too bad. We're a little worried that they're making him work too hard too so, but he should do fine. If he gets bad, they'll just turn the oxygen back on - no big deal.

So now he's breathing, eating (more or less), and pooping on his own. Not bad for 33 weeks! His weight is also up to 4lbs 11oz....I can't believe he's almost 5 pounds!

As for the family, we're hanging in there...but I think we're all a bit exhausted. The daily trips back and forth to the hospital are tiring, but I love spending time with him. He helps me forget about all of my worries...

Please pray that the little guy (and us) stays healthy and that he breathes well on his own. Thanks again for your prayers and encouragement!

Cheers,
Colin

Hard to Swallow

2008-12-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

Man, that kid is cute! I got to see him two times today, which was really nice. Earlier in the day, Wendy, Jake, and I went by to see him for a while. Unfortunately Jake gets bored pretty quickly - I can't blame him - I would be too if I were 5.

The second trip was more fun - I was going to get to feed Luke! Although when I got there, it was a little scary - for some reason he was overheating. The nurse and I unwrapped him and after a few minutes all was good. As for the feeding, it was a lot of fun, but lots of work. He usually does pretty good for the first 10 minutes, then he starts to fall asleep. I can't blame him either - it's a lot of work for a kid that's not supposed to do this for 7 more weeks. Anyway, he only finished about half the bottle for me, which was kind of frustrating, but understandable.

Here's a few pictures...

Thanks again for all of your prayers!

Cheers,
Colin

Birthday Party

2008-12-06T22:28:00.000-08:00

Today was a big day for us...it was our first big time birthday party at our house...in celebration of big brother Jake's 5th birthday. Jake has been a real trooper through the whole bed rest and NICU thing....we even had to delay his party a few weeks due to everything going on. The little guy has been really awesome and I can't wait to see what kind of big brother he'll be.

As for Luke, he had another very good day...life in the crib is suiting him well. He's almost up to 4 pounds 8 ounces! They also decreased his oxygen flow to a 1/2 liter - the nurse even said they may try to take him off of oxygen tomorrow. I'm just amazed at how fast he is growing!

One of the best things about Luke being in a crib now is that I can just reach down and pick him up. I can just hold him in my arms and bounce and rock. I love it (and I hope he does too. Babies are a lot of work, but they give you so much in return.

As for prayer requests, Wendy is probably going to kill me for asking, but please pray for her milk production. FYI, Wendy has to pump every 3-4 hours for Luke, but because he was premature and is not breastfeeding, her milk output is not as high. It's a very common situation. Previously it wasn't an issue, but now that Luke is eating more, he's starting to outpace Wendy's milk production. As you can imagine it's pretty stressful for Wendy, since we want to limit his formula. Please pray that her milk production will increase and that she won't stress out (which adversely affects milk output).

Thanks for your continued prayers!

Cheers,
Colin

Stunning

2008-12-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here in bed not sure what to write...I am just stunned. I am so proud of my son Lucas...he is so tiny and fragile, but every day he keeps growing and getting stronger - he is a miracle.

How can I express my emotions about what Luke did today? Sure I can say he moved into his crib, he took a bath and they increased the frequency of his bottle feedinigs today, but that just feels inadequate. To be honest, I feel uncomfortable when people ask how Lucas is doing...I feel like my answers sound so brief and petty, they don't do him justice. How can I put into words my love and pride for him?

Today was a pretty full day for the little guy, so here's a bunch of pictures and video.

WARNING: Don't watch this video if you have a problem with male full frontal nudity.

Thanks again for your prayers, please keep them coming!

Cheers,
Colin

Birth, Part IV

2008-12-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

Today was a very good day...."why" you ask? CHANGE! Luke moved into a new room, this one houses 12 preemies with less critical needs and has a one nurses per three preemies. The new room is much nicer and is actually decorated. The old rooms were just too drab compared to the new one.

As for Lucas, he's up to 1900 grams (about 4.2 pounds). He gained around 100 grams yesterday so I wouldn't be surprised if he loses half of that by his next weigh in. Additionally, they turned off the temperature control in his isolette which means he needs to maintain his body temperature. According to the night nurse, he's doing well so far. If he continues to stay warm, we'll post some pictures of his new crib tomorrow!

Please continue to pray that Luke stays warm, eats well, poops, and breathes consistently.

And now, for the final chapter of Wendy's Delivery Quadrology...

Cheers,
Colin
-----------------
...Next thing I knew, I was in recovery and the nurse was asking how I was feeling. I felt great and had very little pain (good drugs). As much as I wished to still have Lucas inside, I was glad to be over with the pregnancy. And...the magnesium sulfate.

An hour later, with Colin, my parents, and Charlie (my father-in-law) by my bedside, the NICU transport team brought Lucas in to see us. He was in an special isolette (box), hooked up to several monitors, and intubated (on a respirator), but looked great. They told us that he weighed 1229 grams (2 lbs. 11 oz.) which was several ounces larger than we anticipated. I put my finger in his open palm, and he gripped it hard! Then we said goodbye. He had his first ambulance ride at 2 and a half hours old!

My recovery went great. The mole didn't cause any problems for me, and Dr. Mason said I actually bled less than most c-section patients. I was out of bed and walking the hallways 15 hours after my surgery and went home 48 hours later. The hospital gave me a 2-hour "pass" to go see Luke the day after delivery. He was already extubated (no longer on the respirator), and looking good. The Dr. told us that he was doing well and had good results on all the tests he had thus far. God is good!

That's about it... God has been very good to us the past 5 months. I am grateful to be back among the living and we are excited to watch Lucas grow and thrive. Thanks for your continued prayer and encouragement!

Birth, Part III

2008-12-01T21:29:00.000-08:00

Today was a strange day. When Wendy arrived today, the nurse informed her that they might be low on space in the NICU and that they might have to move Luke to St Agnes. Fortunately we were able to work it out so he could stay....life is much easier for us at Children's. Plus, we're sick of St Agnes after Wendy's ordeal.

As for Luke, he continues to do well, but his weight keeps fluctuating. Last night he lost 15 grams (1790g) so he's a little over 3lb 15oz. Now we're just waiting for him to move to his crib...I'm getting impatient.

Please pray that he continues to progress with bottle feeding (suck, swallow, breathe) and that he'll gain weight more consistently.

Finally, I'd like to thank you all for your encouragement and prayers. They really mean a lot to us, especially when we start to get frustrated or impatient with the whole process.

Cheers,
Colin

PS1: Below is part III of Wendy's birth story (it's almost over).
PS2: Sorry for the lack of pictures, I'll try to take some more tomorrow!
--------------
Finally, around 5:15, the doctor on call, showed up. He asked the nurse if I was dialated -- what a concept!?!? She hadn't even checked me! I could've shouted any number of expletives at her at that point. So...in the middle of a very big and painful contraction, he checked my cervix. Very clearly, he yelled "She's bulging, we need a c-section now!"

My room became a whirlwind of activity at that point. My nurse and the tech began untying cords from my bed (my computer and cell phone chargers, clip light, etc.) so that they could move me.

I have vague memories of being wheeled out into the hall and up the elevator. They took my glasses away, so I was pretty much blind, and was contracting every other minute. Colin tels me that the entire hospital could hear me yelling. Once I was in the OR, I had two nurses in my face telling me that I had to stop pushing -- I didn't know that I was pushing, except for the fact that I could feel Lucas starting to come out. Finally, I got enough of a break between contractions that the anesthesiologist was able to give me a spinal block -- relief at last!

Then I remember laying on my back, the nurses were cleaning and prepping me, and debating over whether or not Dr. Mason would make it in time. The on call Doctor came in from scrubbing, looked at me over the drape that was across my chest, and told me that he may have to make a lateral incision on me. Why? I have no idea. All I could think was that my stomach would end up looking like a butt because of the scar and loose skin! Luckily, just as the doctor was about to make the incision, Dr. Mason came in...thank God!

Colin never did get to come into the OR for Lucas' birth. There were too many people -- the NICU team for Luke, and a couple of extra nurses for me because they didn't really know what they were dealing with. At one point, Dr. Mason asked the nurses how many units of blood they had ready for transfusion if necessary. The nurse responded that there were two, but that they couldn't be used because they were too old. Dr. Mason is a very cool and laid back guy...his response was..."I'm about to take out the placenta, I need 3 units of O neg now!" He didn't sound very laid back then! We really didn't know what damage (if any) the mole would cause, and if I would hemorrhage as a result.

When Lucas was born, I didn't hear him make a sound. We found out later that he was actually doing fairly well, his APGAR scores were 7 initially and then 9 at five minutes, which are really good scores. Shortly after the surgery began, I was really nauseated and dry heaving. That is really hard to do when you've got a spinal block. I asked the anesthesiologist to give me something to make it stop...which he did...then I was really out of it for the rest of the surgery.

After the surgery was over, Dr. Mason asked if I wanted to see the mole. It was lying next to the placenta on a table. He pulled my drape back, and pulled the table with the mole on it closer to me...and I could see the "Evil twin!"

Birth, Part II

2008-12-01T21:21:00.000-08:00

Another good day today...Luke hit 1800 grams! Woohoo!!! It should be any day now until he moves into the crib...maybe Wednesday?

Yesterday I posted the first part of Wendy's delivery story...here's Part II:

Cheers,
Colin
--------
....Magnesium Sulfate is very effective drug, used for a variety of reasons (it's a smooth muscle relaxer). In pregnancy, it is used to stop labor, as well as lower blood pressure in women with preeclampsia. The side effects, however, are AWFUL! The initial dose is strong! As it goes through the I.V., it creates a burning sensation in your veins. It felt like my entire arm was on fire. Then, as it spreads throughout your body, you start to feel completely weak, achy, and dizzy. Luckily, I didn't experience any nausea, which is also a major side effect. My entire backside felt like I was leaning against a furnace, and I was unable to focus my eyes on anything. It definitely lives up to it's nickname...it felt like a horrible flu. The initial side effects ease up after 24 hours or so...then it's just the weakness, dizziness, blurry vision, and hot flashes that you have to deal with.

In addition to the Mag, I was given an anti-inflammatory pill called indocin which is an added kick to help stop contractions. It worked. The contractions stopped, and all I experienced was what they call "irritability contractions" -- which are mini-contractions that are random, and shorter than 30 seconds. So...as long as I could deal with the Mag side effects, I was good... until I stopped the indocin. Apparently, indocin can only be taken for 48 hours, once a week (before the 32nd week of pregnancy), because it can adversely affect the baby. So, once I stopped the indocin, on Saturday the 25th, you can guess what happened.

First, my mom tried to give me a shower in the afternoon. I passed out from a combination of the hot water and magnesium in my body. After my mom and nurses brought me back around and got me into bed, I passed out one more time. My nurse drew some blood and the results showed I had too high of a mag level . After two more blood draws, my mag level finally stabilized and I felt better by early evening. Then the contractions began. Sporadic and painless at first, until about 2am on the 26th when I could no longer sleep due to the frequency and pain.

I finally called Colin around 2:30am to let him know what was going on. I had the worst nurse ever that night! I had to call her in twice to let her know that I was contracting and that the frequency and pain were increasing. She was more concerned that the monitors weren't picking up the contractions than the fact that I was going into labor! She even left to take her lunch break while I was in the middle of it all! When she returned from her break, I asked her to call my doctor -- which she refused to do because he wasn't on call. I told her that he wanted to be contacted regardless of whether or not he was on call...it was written in my charts. Apparently she didn't believe me, because she never called him...Colin did! Colin tried to call our doctor's exchange, but it automatically sent him to the doctor on call. The nurse was then contacted by the doctor on call, and she was ticked off because the doctor called her, and he was angry that she hadn't contacted him first! She even came and told me that my husband "Shouldn't of called the Dr. -- that was [her] job." Whatever!

At some point, the nurse contacted our Parenatologist, who decided that the best course of action was to give me a bolus (super dose) of the magnesium sulfate to try and stop the contractions. So...I was back to being on fire again. After insisting that the nurse dope me up with benadryl and zofran to take off the edge and nausea, Colin showed up. I was somewhat out of it because of the drugs, in pain, on fire, and really ticked off...so Colin probably has a better idea of what happened in my room before I was taken up to surgery...

To be continued...

Birth, Part I

2008-12-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

Luke had a good day today (I like posts that start off like this). He gained 50 grams, pooped, and ate all of his food. If only my life were so simple...

In preparation for moving to the crib, they set his box at air temperature (31.1C = 88F) as opposed to setting it to adjust automatically to his skin temp (lowering if he's cool, etc). They do this to see if he can maintain a stable body temperature. He needs to maintain his temp for 24-48 hours before he can move into his crib.

Previously, I had mentioned that Wendy (my wife) had an interesting pregnancy & delivery. Below is Part I of the delivery story from her perspective.

Cheers,
Colin
--------------
I was admitted to St. Agnes Medical Center on Sunday evening, Oct. 12th. I had been dealing with bleeding all weekend, and it finally got to the point that Colin and I felt we should call the doctor and see what he wanted me to do. Dr. Mason (the best OB in the world!), said that it was time to do bed rest in the hospital -- we knew the day would come, but we were hoping it wouldn't come so soon.

After spending the night in the Labor and Delivery unit, I was moved to the Ante Partum Unit (APU). On Monday the 13th, I started to experience regular contractions. The contractions were not painful, so I didn't really pay attention, but with monitors on my belly 24/7, the nurses picked them up quickly, and I had to receive my first shot of terbutaline to stop the contractions. It worked for a bit. About 12 hours later, I had to have a second shot, and that finally did the trick.

A couple of days later, contractions kicked in again and this time I was put on a regular dose of nifedipine. I never expected premature labor to be an issue with this pregnancy...I just assumed that because of the bleeding I had been dealing with since July, I would eventually begin to hemorrhage, or would begin to experience high blood pressure.

The days passed, and I did fairly well. I had at least 5 or more visitors each day, several phone calls a day, and lots of encouraging notes. I really didn't get a chance to be homesick, and I had more than enough things I could do each day to keep me occupied.

On Thursday morning, Oct. 23rd, my contractions could no longer be held off by the nifedipine in combination with terbutaline shots. The only option left was Magnesium Sulfate -- which my friend Tracy (a critical care pediatrician) said is affectionately dubbed "Flu in a bottle." That was putting it lightly.

To be continued...

Slow Sunday

2008-11-30T18:24:00.000-08:00

Not much happened today...the little guy lost 50 grams this morning, but I'm not suprised after yesterday. The nurses also said he'd start to gain weight a little slower now that he's bottle feeding. Apparently bottle feeding burns a lot of calories.

I've got to say it...the little guy is just cute. Today he was sucking on his binky (pacifier) and he was making the loudest smacking noises...sssmack...sssmack...sssmack! I could watch him for hours...too bad I have to go to work and do stuff around the house :(

Please continue to pray that Luke eats & poops well!
Cheers,
Colin

Blow Out

2008-11-29T22:37:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer - This post contains gross details...if you are a parent, you will understand. If you are not yet...trust me, it's not that bad.

Today was a pretty average day, Luke gained some weight, ate some food, and slept a lot. While I was holding him today, Wendy had the brilliant idea to change him while he was in my arms. I was a little concerned by this, but Wendy had done it before with the nurses so no big deal. In the midst of changing the diaper, the little guy decided he had to poop again...and boy did he. All I remember is Wendy saying he was starting to poop and then SPLOOIRTTT! He shot poop all over (I'm exagerating about the all over part). It was pretty nasty. Once you thought he had stopped, you'd try to put another diaper on and he'd start going again. It took 4 diapers till he was all finished up. All the while, he was in my arms (with blankets in between). The amazing part was that he never got any on me or the blankets.

Thanks again for your prayers!

Cheers,
Colin

Full Bottle

2008-11-28T23:27:00.000-08:00

Luke drank a full bottle today! Not bad for his second day...although he doesn't quite have the breathing during eating part down yet, he's getting there. Apparently they have Occupational Therapists" that help teach the babies how to eat & breathe properly. Though there's no word on if they'll be able to help him find a job when he graduates from the NICU.

Luke also gained almost 2 ounces last night...he's up to 1780 grams, which is 3lbs 14oz! Once he hits 1800 grams, they'll move him to an open crib. I can't wait for him to get out of that box he's living in...he feels so distant and fragile when he's in there. However, the box has done it's job and helped my son thrive...for which I am very grateful!

Please pray that Luke stays healthy and continues to eat and breathe well.

Cheers,
Colin

Giving Thanks

2008-11-27T22:08:00.000-08:00

As you can imagine, we have a lot to be thankful for this year...
-To God for enabling all of this to happen and giving us the strength to stay strong & patient
-Lucas!
-Jacob, an awesome big brother!
-Our families that have helped care for for us and Jake
-For Wendy getting pregnant after so many years of trying
-Wendy's OB that diagnosed her condition and cared for her so that she could give us Luke
-The Ante Partum Unit (APU) nurses at St. Agnes that cared for Wendy the last few weeks of her pregnancy as she tried to keep Luke in
-The NICU doctors & nurses that care for Lucas around the clock
-For Lucas' good health and amazing progress
-The doctors, nurses and preemies that came before Luke to help create the technology & care that enable Lucas to thrive (20 years ago they wouldn't have bothered to save a preemie Luke's age)
-Our friends that have prayed and cared for us and Lucas
-And there's so much more...thank you!

Luke had a good day today...he gained 40 grams last night and continues to eat 33cc's of milk. The best part of the day was that we got to bottle feed Luke today!!! This was an awesome experience, but stressful. In addition to feeding Luke, you also have to pay close attention to his breathing. Apparently one of the hardest things for preemies to learn is to suck, swallow, and breathe. Apparently it's pretty common for for preemies to forget to breathe once they start sucking. To make sure he doesn't stop breathing, you need to keep your hand on his back so you can feel him breathe - if he stops, you pull the bottle out. I'm pleased to report that Lucas did a great job of it (imho)...he ate about 10cc's and controlled his breathing well. I was very proud! Lukes doctor has requested that the nurses attempt to bottle feed once a shift (2 nursing shifts a day).

Please pray that Luke continues to gain weight, breathe properly, poop regularly, and suck-swallow-breathe while bottle feeding.

Thanks again for your support and prayers - they mean so much to us!

Cheers,
Colin

Step Back

2008-11-26T21:56:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days where Luke took a step backwards...he lost about 50 grams (almost 2 ounces) over the night. The nurses aren't sure why, but they weren't too worried. They only worry if it becomes a trend - please pray it doesn't become a trend! However, the loss could be something as minor as a miss-calibrated scale.

On a positive note, Luke turned one month old today! Fortunately Wendy and I were lucky enough to celebrate it with him. Work let everyone go early today, so I got to go to the hospital early...and Wendy was still there! So we got to spend an hour together holding Luke. It was a great afternoon.

His breathing continues to improve, which is a relief. He hasn't had any apnea spells in the last two days!

Please continue to pray for the little guys health and that he continues to gain weight and remain healthy. Thanks again to all of you for your support and prayers!

And now, here's a cute video that Wendy begged me to post...

Cheers,
Colin

Nice Shirt

2008-11-25T21:58:00.000-08:00

Well, actually it's a onesie (the ultimate baby outfit). The cool thing is, this is the first time Luke has ever worn clothes. Preemies have a hard time regulating their temperature so their isolettes are heated, which is why Luke is only dressed in diapers. However, Luke has been doing a great job of regulating his temperature lately so his nurse dressed him in a Thanksgiving preemie onesie. The cool thing is, his nurse bought him that onesie. It's good to know there are nurses out there that care about the preemies and parents enough to get them a commemorative holiday outfit. It may sound stupid, but it's pretty cool.

As for the vitals, Luke didn't gain much weight yesterday. His feedings stayed the same at 33 cc's and his weight remained the same at 3 lbs 13 ounces. Everything continues to look good, please keep praying for the little guy!

Cheers,
Colin

Moving Day

2008-11-24T21:58:00.000-08:00

Luke continues to improve. Today he's up to 3lbs 13oz and his feedings are at 33 cc's. They moved him back to the second room he was moved to...the one for preemies with less acute issues. The room is strange because it is so quiet. The old room sounded like a Las Vegas casino with all of the beeping and flashing monitor alarm lights. Quiet is good. We also have reason to believe Luke will be moved to one of the private rooms very soon. The private rooms are nice because they have sleeping beds and bathrooms so that parents can stay overnight. We can't wait!

Please continue for Luke's continued growth and improved breathing. Thanks again for your love and prayers!

Cheers,
Colin

4 Weeks

2008-11-23T21:42:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that Luke is 4 weeks old. 4 weeks! What's even harder to believe is that if things happened normally, he would still be inside Wendy for almost 9 more weeks! Praise God for modern technology.

Not much happened today with Luke, and that's a good thing. He's up to 3 pounds 12 ounces and his feedings remained at 32cc's. We found out today that he'll be moving to a different section of the NICU in the next few days. The new section is for relatively healthy long-term preemies that need less care than the newborns. We're looking forward to the move!

Cheers,
Colin

Where's Lucas?

2008-11-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

The weekends are nice because Wendy and I get to spend time together with Luke. I enjoy just watching Wendy with Luke...I love watching her interact with him (and Jake too)...she's a great mom, I'm glad she married me.

Luke had another good day...he gained 20 grams and his feedings are up to 32cc's. His breathing continues to improve. We got to hold him for almost 2 hours today which was great. It's fun when we first hold him because he's wide awake...looking all around, moving his arms...then after about 15 minutes he falls asleep in your arms. It's awesome.

Please continue to pray for Luke's continued health and growth. And for everyone that is praying and sending their love for our family - we are praying blessings for all of you. Thank you!

Cheers,
Colin

No Fluke

2008-11-21T19:57:00.000-08:00

I guess it was no fluke....Luke is now 3 pounds 11 ounces! Wendy checked with his nurse today and I guess the nurse from a few days ago had given us some wrong weight info...nevertheless, he gained almost 4 ounces yesterday which is still pretty incredible.

I'm also pleased to announce that Lucas is now surviving on Wendy's milk alone! The nurse removed his IV tonight, which means no more sugar water. His feedings are up to 29cc's, which is almost 1 ounce of milk. When we take him home he should be eating 2 ounces of milk so he still has a long way to go.

His breathing has also improved quite a bit. He's down to 30% oxygen and 3 liters of flow. His apnea spells have also decreased significantly.

Finally, Luke is had his first eye test tonight. The doctor said his eyes were a little hazy because he's still pretty premature. They'll check his eyes again in two weeks...we'll pray for the best!

Thanks again for your prayers, they are being answered!

Cheers,
Colin

Happy Annibirthsary Day!

2008-11-20T16:38:00.000-08:00

Today is a very special day in our family. It's two important holidays in one! Nine years ago, Wendy and I were married...and five years ago, our oldest son Jacob was born. Trust me, we didn't plan for it to happen that way, but we think God has a strange sense of humor. In addition to Jake's presents, we also took him to see his little brother.

Luke had an awesome day today. The nurses discovered his PICC line had a small leak in it today so they pulled it out and put in an IV. This is good because it means Luke is transitioning away from the more critical care. Also, the only extra nutrition he is getting is Dextrose (sugar water). They also increased his feedings to 24cc's.

What's really crazy is his weight...for some reason, he gained almost 7 ounces today (up to 3lbs 10oz!). I seriously doubt the validity of that number, because most preemies gain around .5 to 1 ounces a day. I hope it's true, but I imagine there was an error during the weigh-in.

Happy Anniversary Wendy and Happy Birthday Jake, I love you guys!

Thanks again for your prayers...they are working!

Cheers,
Colin

I Was Wrong

2008-11-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

Yep, Luke gained 30 grams (about an ounce) this morning (yesterday I bet he wouldn't gain anything). They also bumped his feedings up to 21 cc's. Luke's breathing also improved too, so they dropped his flow down to 5 liters (from 6).

The best part of the day was that Wendy got to hold the little guy for 2 hours straight! He did a great job of holding his temperature during that time, which is important. While Wendy was holding Luke, our Pediatrician stopped by...I guess he stops by most nights while checking on his other patients...he was very pleased with Luke's progress, which makes us feel great. According to the nurses, he's one of the few pediatricians in town that checks on 'his' preemies. It's pretty cool because he's not really supposed to worry about caring for Luke until he's discharged.

On a side note, one of the comments asked about the long term twins (actually triplets) that Luke was rooming with at various times. We're happy to report that they're doing great and have finally (after 5 months) been moved to a less critical room. Their parents are very happy now that their stay in the hospital is almost over.

Thanks again for your prayers, please keep them coming!

Cheers,
Colin

The Big Push

2008-11-18T20:34:00.000-08:00

Probably the most exciting part of the day was definitely the grossest. Wendy reported that Luke was having a lot of trouble breathing. He was writhing around and really struggling. At one point, the Respiratory Therapist was standing by with a manual breathing bag to hand pump Luke if need be. Around that time Luke started to poop...and poop. The nurses started to change his diaper and it just kept coming. As soon as it was over he fell asleep and his breathing returned to normal. The poor little guy must have been working on that for a few days...(sorry for the nasty details).

Unfortunately Wendy didn't get to hold Luke today because of his breathing issues. Fortunately when I got there, things had improved enough that I got to hold him for a while which was cool.

His weight was up 10 grams today, so he's a little over 3lbs 3oz (but after today's events, I wouldn't be surprised if he weighs the same or less at his morning weigh in). His feedings remained at 18cc's, but it should increase tomorrow.

Please continue to pray for Luke's breathing and pooping issues.

Cheers,
Colin

Writers Block

2008-11-17T21:48:00.000-08:00

Luke had a better day today...he's still got some breathing issues, but he's up to 18cc's on milk. Wendy got to hold him for an hour and a half today which is good news because it means Luke's getting better at regulating his body temperature on his own. Unfortunately Luke was having some breathing issues before I got there so the nurse felt it was best that I not hold him.

Rather than write a lot, here's a few pictures we took yesterday...

Cheers,
Colin

Baby Jake....umm, I mean Luke!

2008-11-16T21:40:00.000-08:00

I am now struggling with that age old problem that most parents have (or at least mine did)...calling one of your kids by the other kids name. Since Luke was born, I don't know how many times I've called him Jake (his big brother). I'm getting better at calling him Luke, but I still struggle. Hopefully I won't confuse either of the boys with the dog's, which my parents did a few times while I was growing up.

As expected, Luke got moved back into one of the rooms for preemies with more acute needs. He's still having issues with the breathing, which our doctor thinks is linked to going #2...or more accurately his lack of going #2. Our doctor also said that most babies outgrow these issues by weeks 32-33, so hopefully he'll figure out how to work his plumbing soon. Other than that, he's doing well for a 30 weeker.

They kept his feedings at 16cc's today so hopefully he'll go back on the feeding protocol tomorrow. His weight this morning was 3lbs 3oz.

Thanks again to everybody for their encouragement and prayers - they definitely keep is going!

Cheers,
Colin

New Room

2008-11-15T17:58:00.000-08:00

We got a little surprise today when we went to see Luke today...he wasn't there! I guess they moved him because they got a batch of triplets last night and needed the space in the rooms with preemies with more acute problems. Apparently Luke is pretty stable so his new room is more for long term preemies that have fewer issues. Unfortunately they may have to move him back to a more critical room if his breathing doesn't improve. He still swings from high to low for no apparent reason. This is a sign that his lungs still needs some improvement.

Additionally he's having some issues pooping (sorry, but I have to document everything), which could be why his billirubin levels are fluctuating. He should be pooping more regularly, but he's not. I guess the billirubin gets excreted into his poop and then gets expelled when he goes poop....but if the billi sits in there, it just reabsorbs and his levels go back up.

The two big highlights of the day were that I got to hold Luke for 45 minutes and we took some good family pictures of the four of us (Luke, Jake, Wendy, and I).

As for prayers, we'd like to ask that you please pray that Lukes lungs to continue developing at that he poops more regularly.

3 Pounds

2008-11-14T23:15:00.000-08:00

Luke hit 3 pounds today which was pretty cool. It's not a major milestone that means much to anyone but us...the major milestones come around 4 and 5 pounds. But we'll take 3 pounds any day.

The nurses have taken to calling Luke the "swinger," (not that kind of swinger) because of his swings in oxygen saturation. Ideally the doctors would like to see him "sat" between 90 - 95%...Lucas swings often between 60 and 99%. What this means is that his body is having a hard time regulating how he processes his oxygen. It's not a big problem at this age, but please pray that it improves soon. It's one of those critical milestones he needs to control before going home.

We also got some more good news today. Wendy spoke with Luke's Doctor who said we should hold him as much as we can, even if he's supposed to be on the lights. He said holding Lucas in our arms is one of the best things we can do for him. I'd say we were both hesitant to hold him much because of the billi lights and it's a lot of work for the nurses to pull him out of the box (due to all of the lines)...but hey, doctors orders! Unfortunately we'll likely be limited to 30 minutes at a time because he still has difficulty regulating his body temperature.

Cheers,
Colin

The Routine

2008-11-13T21:12:00.000-08:00

This has been our first normal week since Luke was born and we're starting to settle into a routine. Wendy is lucky, she just drops Jake off at day care and then walks over to the the hospital to hang out with Luke for several hours - she even gets a free lunch because she's pumping (milk). I on the other hand work till 4:30-5:00...then I drive to the hospital (35 minutes) and then hang out with Luke until they kick me out of the NICU at 6:30 for the shift change. Then it's off to home for dinner and then play time with Jake before his bed time (have I ever mentioned that Jake has made getting ready for bed into an endurance event?). Wendy and I then get some time to relax...then she pumps and I journal the days events. As far as routines go, it's not bad...especially since I get to see Lucas. Although he's not changing much between visits...every visit reveals something new.

Luke had another great day. He's up to 16cc's of milk which is about half an ounce of milk. To put it in perspective, he needs to be eating at least 2 ounces of milk every three hours before he goes home. His weight is up to 2 lbs 14.5 ounces and he's still under the lights. Hopefully his billirubin levels improve enough tonight so we can hold him again tomorrow.

Thanks again for all of your prayers for Lucas and our family. We appreciate and need them.

BTW, if you have any questions about this whole process, don't hesitate to ask.

Cheers,
Colin

Box Boy

2008-11-12T21:15:00.000-08:00

It kind of hit me today that my son lives in a box. I'm not angered or frustrated by it...but it's odd. I don't get to do the normal things a dad does with his baby, except change diapers...I still get to do that. Someday I won't have to reach through a porthole to touch my sons hand, or talk to a nurse about how my son was the past 8 hours, or try to ignore the monitors that are telling me how saturated my son's blood is with oxygen, or to have to hold him within 2 feet of his box because of all the cords connected to his body. Someday, I'll get to reach down and pick my son up whenever I want and to go wherever I want with him. I'm not whining...just dreaming of the future. Just dreaming about Luke...

Lucas had another good day, although he's back under the billirubin lights. He's up to 2.84 pounds (1292g)...just 1.16 pounds till he gets out of his box! He was pretty cute today...who knew preemies can cross their eyes! Sorry for the blurry picture, but it's the best I could do under the circumstances.

Many people have been asking how Lucas eats, so here's a picture of his milk dispenser. Basically it's an open syringe connected to a small tube that goes to his stomach. Basically they tape the syringe to the top of his box and let gravity do the rest. It's pretty efficient and totally harmless.

Cheers,
Colin

Another Day in the NICU

2008-11-11T21:39:00.000-08:00

Nothing too exciting to report today (which is great), except that both Wendy and I got to hold Luke today...hopefully we'll be getting to do that a lot more often now.

Luke's feedings continue to go well - he's up to 13cc's. The Doctor explained to us that Luke's now on a feeding protocol, which is special matrix that multiples his weight by a multiplier to tell the nurses how much to feed him.

We're getting to know more of the other long-term* parents in the room which is good. It was kind of frustrating going into his room everyday and there's all these parents huddled around their kids, but we're encouraged to keep to ourselves so none of us talked to each other. It's pretty hard to do though when you see the same people day in and out and we all share the same concern and love for our kids. It's good to finally be able to share some stories about each of our circumstances.

*NOTE: Long-term parents are parents like us where our kids will likely be in the same room for an extended period. Short-term parents are those whose kids will only be in the room a few days...I have to admit that I'm a bit jealous of the short-termers.

Please continue to pray that Luke stays healthy and continues to grow.

Cheers,
Colin

That NICU Smell

2008-11-10T22:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is, but the NICU has a very unique odor. It's not a bad odor, it's actually quite nice...a little bit sweet mixed with a dash of sanitary combine to make that distinct NICU smell that is different from the rest of the hospital. Maybe it's the soap we use when scrubbing in...

Not much new to report from from Luke today...he was up to 10cc's today and is tolerating his feedings very well. Wendy talked with our doctor today about the apnea and he's not concerned which is good. Most preemies have it and they usually grow out of it by the time they leave.

On a side note, Lucas smiled at me today which was super cool. Granted he probably had no idea that he was smiling, nor did I likely have anything to do with it, but it was cool.

On a sad note the baby that I mentioned in a post the other day did not make it. We were in the room yesterday while the family was there. Their priest came in and baptized the little guy which was cool. Please continue to pray for the little boy's family as they mourn.

Please continue to pray for Luke's health and continued growth.

Cheers,
Colin

Some Photos...

2008-11-09T22:09:00.000-08:00

Luke is doing well, he's up to 2lbs 12oz (1oz over birth weight!) and they increased his feeds up to 8cc's. The only problem is that he's still struggling with the apnea, so they may have put him on a CPAP machine - which isn't great, but it's better than a ventilator.

We got to spend a lot of time with him this weekend, which was great. Here's some pictures...

Please continue to pray for Luke's lungs and his continued health!

Cheers,
Colin

Time Flies

2008-11-08T21:57:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that Luke's been with us for almost two weeks now. It's amazing how fast the time goes when we are with him in the NICU. I'm glad the time seems to be passing quickly - we can't wait to bring him home!

Lucas is doing pretty good, although he's still having the apnea spells. It weird, for much of his first week, he was on 2L of air flow and had virtually no apnea spells. Now he's up to 5L of air and has a few spells every day. I don't get it!

His weight is 2lb 10oz, so he's almost back to his birth weight. They also increased his milk input to 5cc's today. He's filling out pretty good.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, I'll post a few tomorrow.

Cheers,
Colin

Life Can Be So Fragile...

2008-11-07T21:18:00.000-08:00

Luke did pretty good today, except for a few apnea spells. It's pretty scary when your kid stops breathing...but it's pretty cool too when you can see it happen on the monitors, then you look at his chest and see that it's stopped moving...and then you shake him a little and then he starts back up again. Don't worry, it's one of the most common things that can happen to preemies, but it's also easy to correct. The whole event is still pretty scary though. But I saved my son today (Wendy and the nurses have done it too).

The title of this post is about life being so fragile. We know that every day Luke's life hangs in the balance...but there's a little boy that just moved in next to Luke who's in pretty rough shape. He is 24 weeks old, weighs less than 1kg, and is on a very special ventilator. While Wendy was visiting Luke today, the boys parents were there crying by his bedside. Then the Doctors called them away to talk...it doesn't look good for the little guy. Please pray for him...please pray for his parents...please pray for his grandparents, aunts, and uncles...please pray for everyone that loves him.

Thank you for your prayers, but please don't stop...Luke needs them.

Colin

He's so small!

2008-11-06T20:35:00.000-08:00

Today was an awesome day, I got to hold my son! It was probably one of the best 45 minutes of my life (along with holding Jake for the first time almost 5 years ago). He was awake when the nurse put him in my arms...he was wriggling around and looking all over. In my mind, I imagine that he can see me smile at him, but the nurses have said that I'm only a blur to him if I'm a few inches from his eyes. It's so fun to watch his eyes...the muscles are so weak that his eyes are always rolling back in his head when he opens them.

It's also sad but totally funny when some moisture goes through his breathing tube into his nose. He absolutely hates it and chokes a little bit when it goes down his throat...but the voices and faces he makes are so cute. Don't worry, the nurses say it's normal.

As you can probably imagine by now, his health is almost back to normal. His oxygen saturation is back to normal levels, but his flow is still up at 6 liters. The doctors also bumped his feedings up to 3cc's every 3 hours. After about 20 minutes of holding Luke, he fell asleep in my arms...it was so good. And now, it's time for the family to go to sleep. Thanks again for your prayers, they really mean a lot to us.

Cheers,
Colin

Hard Day

2008-11-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

I got a call from Wendy today that Luke was not having a good day. The doctors and nurses do everything they can to prepare you for the eventual bad days, but after so many good days - the bad ones can hit you pretty hard.

Apparently his breathing was pretty labored this morning so they were keeping a pretty close eye on him and ran some tests. One of the blood tests found increased levels of acid, which was causing him to have the labored breathing. To neutralize the acid, the doctor gave him some sodium bicarbonate. The next challenge was to figure out why his acid levels were increased. The doctor had two main hypothesis, 1) possible infection or 2) his PDA re-opened causing an inflamed digestive track. During all of this, they decided to stop his feedings.

Around this time, Wendy had to go pump. When she returned, the transport team was bringing a new baby into Luke's room which can take up to an hour. Unfortunately no one can be in the room during a transition so Wendy had to leave without knowing how Luke was. Wendy was frustrated and called me to let me know what was going on.

I got to the hospital around 5:30 after having numerous scary thoughts about Luke pass through my mind during the drive. Fortunately things had improved quite a bit - Lucas was sleeping on his stomach and looking very comfortable.

The blood tests revealed that he did not have an infection and the scan did not show that his PDA had opened. The only thing they could think of was that he was very exhausted, which was causing him to breathe heavier, which affected his acid levels for some reason. To alleviate the breathing issues, they increased his oxygen saturation and flow - up from 2 liters to 6. The increased air flow helped take the strain off of his little body. If things get worse, they may have to put him back on the ventilator.

In the meantime, the doctor had also given the green light to restart the feedings which was good. He was also off of the billirubin lights which means I might get to hold him tomorrow if he's stable!

So what did I learn from today? God made babies tough and he gave doctors & nurses about a million ways to help them.

Please pray that God will sustain Luke with the energy to keep pumping that little heart and lungs of his which are so critical to his development.

Cheers,
Colin

Election Day

2008-11-04T21:07:00.000-08:00

I imagine Luke was a bit oblivious to today's events. I just pray that our leaders will guide our country in a positive direction so that Lucas, Jake, and all the other kids will live free and have a chance to thrive and succeed.

On a medical note, Luke is doing great. His Doctor bumped his feedings up from every 6 hours to every 3 hours. He's still on the billirubin lights, but his levels are down so hopefully he won't need them much longer (which means the sooner I get to hold him!). Here's a crazy camera phone picture of Luke under the lights...

On a side note, Luke is a cute kid (imho), but it can be scary watching him breathe... his chest heaves in and out so much its pretty freaky. The nurse said it would be a few weeks before his rib cage is solid enough to not make it look so bad. I have to admit it's pretty cool to watch my son develop before my eyes...development that would normally be hidden in Wendy's womb for the next 12 weeks.

Wendy got some great news today, her Doctor said she could remove the steri-strips that protected her incision. This means that Wendy can drive again - something she hasn't been able to do for almost a month - FREEDOM! Additionally, the pathology report on the mole came back negative (more on that in a later post). The best news is that her pregnancy hormones are down significantly and hopefully they will continue decline (from 1,700 now to 1 or 2). Elevated numbers are common after molar pregnancies, which can be an indicator of a mild form of cancer called gestational-tropholactic-something-or-other disease (but it's highly treatable).

Keep praying!

Cheers,
Colin

So Jealous

2008-11-03T21:37:00.000-08:00

Wendy emailed me a picture today...of her holding Lucas! (I'll post the picture tomorrow) I was so jealous, here I was at work and she was holding our son for the first time. I'm not jealous that Wendy got to hold him first, it's just that I wasn't there for it. Oh well, it will happen soon.

Luke is feeding much better, his doctor increased his feedings to 2cc's every six hours. However, he had to go back on the bellirubin lights again which is why I didn't get to hold him tonight. I've got a feeling he'll being on and off the 'lights' for a while, which is fairly common. Luke also had a ultrasound on his head today, which came out OK.

Wendy and I both agree that we really want to give Luke a kiss. It's so frustrating when you can't hug or kiss your child!

Cheers,
Colin

One Week Down

2008-11-02T19:44:00.000-08:00

Well Luke made it through his first week, woohoo!

Also, we got some great news...Luke no longer needs the belliruben lights, we found out his PDA closed, and he is tolerating his milk better! Overall a pretty good day. Thanks God and thank you to all who have been praying for Luke.

Cheers,
Colin

Fall Back

2008-11-01T23:06:00.000-07:00

Today was a bit of a frustrating day. Luke is looking and breathing great. He had a big poop (which I got to change) which is good.

However, the nurses tried to feed him some milk again today. The neat thing about his feeding tube is that it works both ways...they can pump food in and suck out whatever may be in his stomach. When they start feeding preemies for the first time, the nurses will suck out whatever is in his stomach about three hours past the last feeding. Typically the stuff they pull out is supposed to be clear...Lukes was dark green. That's a sign that he's not digesting his milk well. The nurses said this could happen before we even started the feedings so it wasn't a shock...but it's frustrating when you want the little guy to thrive.

Additionally, we don't think the hole in his heart (PDA) has closed up yet since the nurses kept telling us that the test was performed this morning, but the doctor will have to tell us the results. We think this is nurse code for "the hole is not closed and he will need surgery, but we can't tell you this because a doctor has to," but we may be jumping to conclusions. The surgery isn't bad...if he needs it, just do it!

So prayer requests...please pray that the hole (PDA) will close in his heart and that he will digest the milk properly.

Thanks again for your encouragement and prayers!

Cheers,
Colin

Happy Haldoween!

2008-10-31T22:17:00.000-07:00

That's not a typo, that just Jake. Today is Halloween of course and Jake's school (day care) went on a parade to the Admin offices at Luke's hospital. Jake dressed up as a Power Ranger. Afterwards Jake, Grammy and I went into to see Luke for Halloween, where we were later joined by Wendy & Gramma. Incidentally this could be the last time Jake gets to see his little brother until he comes home. To protect the babies, the hospital closes the NICU from November to March. We're trying to think of a good way that Jake can bond with his little brother without seeing him. Any ideas?

Luke is doing great. When we saw him, he was getting some 'tummy time.' I guess he really likes laying on his tummy, it really relaxes him. I guess the little guy is pretty active when he's on his back.

The big news was that he got his first taste of his momma's milk today...granted it was only 1cc, but it's a start. Once the hole* closes up in his heart, they can feed him more. Hopefully he'll digest the milk properly - sometimes preemies have a hard time with it.

He's pretty much off all of his meds now, except for the caffeine to help his heart. Yeah, they give him a shot of Starbucks every morning to keep his heart going. His oxygen levels and isolette humidity are pretty much atmosphere right now, which is really good.

*NOTE: some folks were concerned about the reference to the 'hole in the heart' comment...here's Wendy's reply, "The hole in the heart is normal. It allows oxygenated blood to flow back and forth between the chambers while the baby is not oxygen dependent in utero. Under normal circumstances, the hole closes upon birth when the baby takes its first breaths of oxygen...Since preemies have little lungs, they rarely are able to take in enough oxygen necessary to close the hole, thus the need for medication (ibuprofen) to do it for them. If the medication doesn’t work, then surgery is required, but our nurse assured us that it is a very short and routine surgery and is really no big deal!"

Achoo

2008-10-30T22:38:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. Luke got his belly button tube removed, which means he'll get to start feeding soon (once the hole in his heart closes up). They also reduced the humidity and temperature in his isolette which means he's getting better at regulating his body temperature. Finally, he should only have one more day under the Bellirubin lights. All of this is leading up to the time we get to hold Luke. I CANNOT WAIT TO HOLD MY SON!

Tonight was rough for us. Jake really wanted us to stay home with him so we could play together with some Halloween stuff. He has been awesome throughout this whole ordeal and has been very accomodating. It's going to be a challenge for us to balance between spending time with Luke at the hospital & Jake at home.

If you are wondering why I titled this entry "Achoo" it's because I heard Luke's first sneezes...they were really quiet, but unbelievably cute.

Here's some video of Luke stretching while sleeping.

Cheers,
Colin

The First Few Days...Tuesday

2008-10-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

Wendy got out of the Hospital today...one day ahead of schedule. Wendy is doing great. It's really great to have her home feeling good after two weeks in the big house (more on that later). She's really had a crappy past few months so it's good to see her normal again...except that she's slow and has to roll into and out of bed due to the C-section. She'll be fine in 6-8 weeks.

Nothing too exciting happened with Luke today. He's been under the Bellirubin (sp?)lights pretty much all of the time. These lights help keep the jaundice at bay. His "levels" are improving daily so hopefully he doesn't need the lights much longer. Basically the lights consist of several hundred blue & purple LED's that look like a Light Brite toy (but this one probably costs $10,000).

Every visit is a little frightening..his chest heaves in and out so deep, it just breaks my heart. It's tough to look at him sometimes...I don't know why, it just is. Do I feel like a bad dad because I feel that way? Yes but I try not to let it bug me. I'm just glad I get to be in his presence, I hope that he knows who I am, that I'm there, and that I'm in love with him.

I pray constantly that Jesus will keep him safe, help him grow, and guide his care team.

The First Few Days...Monday

2008-10-29T22:10:00.000-07:00

Monday was pretty cool, I took our Doctor friend Tracy in to see Luke. Tracy works in a PICU in Iowa and serves as the unofficial family Doctor to Wendy's group of girlfriends. She was very impressed by Luke's progress - we even got to see him extabated (sp?), which is the medical way of saying they took his breathing tube out. I guess it's pretty good that they were able to take it out so early...although they reminded us it could go back in at any time. Tracy also said his blood gasses looked great which is some magical doctor way of telling how healthy someone is.

I also got to change Luke's diaper today. This was probably one of the scariest moments in my life. I have Essential Tremor which makes my hands shake. My biggest fear is having a tremor freak-out and hurting my son. Fortunatley everything was OK and he's suprisingly resilient. He also had his first poop. Very cool!

Wendy got a hall pass from her hospital today. She got to go see Luke for 2 hours. It was pretty cool to see her and Luke really bond for the first time. Wendy is an amazing mom.

Cheers,
Colin

The First Few Days...Sunday

2008-10-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

SUNDAY, October 26

Wendy started contracting again early Sunday morning and I got the call around 4:30am to come in. When I arrived, her contractions were about 3 minutes apart. The On-Call Doctor soon came in and pronounced that Wendy was in delivery mode. We rushed her upstairs for a "stat-section" (emergency C-section). Fortunately Wendy's real Doctor (the best OB in the world, imho) arrived just in time to make the cut. Lucas was born at 6:04. The Mole (which I'll discuss later) was extracted with no signs of invasion into Wendy's uterine wall.

Once Luke was out, the Transport Team prepped him for the drive to his new home. Around 8:30am, the Transport Team brought Luke in so we could see him for the first time. My emotions were a mix of shock, fear, pride, and most of all love. I was expecting this weird looking baby, but he looked normal...small but normal. His skin was red and he had lots of fine blond hair all over his body, which is perfectly normal. He also had a full head of hair, just like his big brother Jake. Overall he was a very cute boy, once you looked past the nest of tape, wires and tubes attached and inserted into his body. I can't wait to see him without tape!

My son and my wife were OK.

Cheers,

Colin

Welcome

2008-10-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

Well here it is, my first, and possibly only blog. I decided to create this to document the life of my new son Lucas, aka "Luke" or "Luky Luke" who was born on October 26...about 13 weeks early. My wife had an interesting pregnancy (that I'll describe in future posts) that unfortunately caused the premature delivery. Fortunately Wendy is doing well now and Luke is living the NICU life. He has a bunch of awesome doctors and nurses that are giving him around the clock care. With any luck, we'll get to take him home in mid January.
Birth Length: 12 7/8"
Birth Weight: 2lbs 11oz
10-29-08 Weight: 2lbs 8oz

Cheers,

Colin