Quiet Day

Today was a quiet day for me. Daddy came to visit me in the morning but he didn't get to hold me this time. My blood gas test wasn't as good as they would like it to be so they held off. Mommy came to visit me later in the afternoon and my second blood gas was better so she got to kangaroo with me. She held me for two hours again. I didn't do quite as good this time as yesterday. I had a couple of "spells" as the nurses like to call them where I forget to breathe and all the alarms go crazy. The nurses are teaching mommy how to push on my back and shake me to wake me up and get me breathing again. They say I'll do this a lot more as I start to wean off the ventilator. I'm so young that I get really comfy and fall into such a deep sleep that my brain forgets to tell me to breathe. Oops. Well, I'm going nighty night now.

I Got Held

Today was such a big day for me. The most exciting thing that happened was mommy got to hold me for TWO hours. That's right, for the first time in almost 2 weeks that I was held. My UV lights got to be turned off and I was doing well enough that they decided to let me start kangaroo care today. That means I get to have skin to skin contact with mommy and/or daddy. As a matter of fact, daddy is at the hospital right now and mommy is hoping that he can kangaroo with me tonight. Mommy was so happy and relaxed holding me that she almost fell asleep a couple of times. (update: Daddy did get to kangaroo!)

The cardiologist also came by today to examine me. He told mommy that the VSD (hole in my heart) is a moderate size and they need to just wait and see for the next couple of weeks to see what it does. If it proves to be a problem for me (like I can't grow) then they will put a band around my pulmonary artery to restrict blood flow and relieve pressure on my lungs. So I will stay at this hospital for probably another couple of weeks before we make any decisions about moving me back to the other hospital. Mommy and daddy still have a lot of driving ahead of them.

The best news for me is that they started feeding me today too. I had two feedings while mommy was visiting me today. They are starting small to make sure my tummy can handle it but so far so good.

Wow, what a big day for me! Here are some more photos for you all to look at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29664626@N07/sets/72157607023620220/

UPDATE: I have a couple of hilarious photos of Colton the day of his surgery. His tongue sticking out was the cutest thing to me. These are courtesy of Grandma Mary. http://flickr.com/photos/29664626@N07/sets/72157607027328475/

Doing Well

Today is a good day. I've woken up from my surgery and am back to my normal self. My oxygenation is good (I'm on "room air" which is what all you people in the outside world breathe) and they are weaning me just a tad off the ventilator. My lung secretions are clear and I am needing less suction. I'm hearing rumors that they might finally try and give me few drops of food tomorrow...mmmmm...I'm hungry!

Mommy got to change my diaper again today and she learned how to clean my eyes and my mouth. My nurse Jami also tried to give me a pacifier for a bit but I really wasn't sure what to do with it. I kind of licked it and decided this wasn't for me...yet. Jami is going to make me practice to get ready for real sucking later on.

Mommy took some more pics of me today. She actually caught a few with his eyes open. Click here to see them: http://flickr.com/photos/29664626@N07/sets/72157606999875844/

PDA Is Closed

It's 4pm and mommy is writing this post instead of Colton. Reason is, Colton is a little sleepy still from his anesthesia. In fact, his little tongue is kind of hanging out the side of his mouth. It really is very cute. His Grandma Mary took some pictures of it so hopefully we can post them later.

Colton did very well in his procedure today, all was very routine. Now we just wait for him to see what he'll do over the next few days. We have been told not to expect night and day changes overnight, that it will be a slow progression to weaning him off the ventilator. Donny and I just feel really relieved that this part is over and that we can now move forward with his development, breathing and feeding! Shouldn't have too much more to post today but wanted to let you all know that it went well and Colton truly appreciates all the phone calls and thoughts and prayers. Keep em coming, they are working!

My New Hotel

My ambulance ride went well and I arrived at Big CHOC just fine. Mommy and daddy came to visit me tonight and talked to all the doctors and our new nurse. They told me that they like the other hospital waaaaay better so hopefully they can get me transferred back when this surgery is over. The doctors told us that my surgery should happen tomorrow (probably in the afternoon) so I'm sure mommy will give a report then. In the meantime, good night and sweet dreams!

Moving Day #2

I'm officially taking the BIG ride today to BIG CHOC over in Orange. Overall I'm still doing well although things are slightly more complicated now.

All the tests showed that my PDA didn't close up, it did make a little progress but it isn't totally shut. Also the echocardiogram showed something new that they hadn't seen before. They saw another stream of blood flowing through my heart the wrong direction. Upon closer inspection they have diagnosed me with Ventricular Septal Defect. Basically, I have a hole in my heart in one of the ventrical chambers, allowing blood to flow the wrong way in my heart. This isn't anything they can fix right now because I'm too small for a "real" heart operation and sometimes it closes up with age. They will watch this and see how the PDA fix affects me.

So, right now I'm just waiting for the transport team to come and get me and take me for my ride. Mommy and daddy will come to the new hospital tonight and start learning the lay of the land. Not sure when my heart procedure will be, if it will be tomorrow or Thursday, all depends on how busy these new doctors are. We'll report in later tonight and let you all know that I made it safe up to Big CHOC.

Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

Hi all, sorry to have not posted yesterday but it was a really busy day for mommy and daddy. Lots to report so hopefully I can remember it all. Here goes...

I was being weaned a bit off the ventilator but we had to go back up again on that and my oxygen levels because my lungs are really full again. They think the move across the NICU stirred everything up in there. My carbon dioxide levels are also showing up too high when they take my blood gasses. This means that when I am exhaling I'm not getting rid of my own carbon dioxide. Also my red blood cell count is down (the nurses are saying its because of all the blood tests and because I still have some blood in my lung secretions). My nurse Sandy (I love her) is going to give me some packed red blood cells today (like a transfusion but the red blood cells are much more concentrated than normal blood). Overall, this should make me feel much better and respond better to the treatments I'm getting.

Now for the big task at hand. Getting my PDA (lung/heart tube) closed. As you know, they've been giving me the Neoprofin. They finished my first course yesterday and took an eco-cardiogram. Too bad, didn't take. So they have started me on a second course of the Neoprofin and they will finish it tonight. I have another eco-cardiogram scheduled for tomorrow morning to see if any progress was made. While mommy and daddy are still optimistic about the outcome we are all preparing that I will probably have to take a BIG ride in an ambulance over to big CHOC in Orange. There I'll have my surgery to clamp the tube. But we'll discuss that later when its time to report. That will happen either tomorrow or Tuesday. So what does this mean for me? I'll stay at big CHOC for at least two weeks recovering from surgery and then hopefully (everyone keep fingers, toes, legs and arms crossed) I'll get transferred back to Mission CHOC. Mommy and daddy are really worried about all the driving and being so far away from me.

On a funnier note, I pooped for the first time last night. Great that I did it, but there won't be another one for awhile. We thought that it maybe meant that my digestive system had kicked in but the nurses said no, they are actually suctioning air and bile out of my tummy which means nothing is moving yet. That is actually another side effect of the PDA so we really have to get that fixed.

I know it sounds like a lot of stuff is going wrong but we all have to keep up a good attitude and I am stubborn, so don't think this is going to throw me for a loop! Just keeps mommy and daddy on their toes.

I'll report in tomorrow!

Moving Day

Last night was quiet for me, gave my next dose of Neoprofin and they weaned me a little more from the ventilator. Early this morning they did a chest x-ray to see what my lungs looked like. A "little grainy" as they say, meaning I still have some junk in there, but nothing alarming.

My big adventure today was that they moved me allllll the way to the other side of the NICU. Luckily mommy and daddy arrived at the tail end of this process. They have some sick babies that need to be sequestered in the room that I was in so I get hang out with all the other cool kids in the general population. I'm over by a window in a corner so I'm still kind of quiet over there. Mommy got to change my diaper today. She did a good job navigating all my tubes and wires. Oh, and my nice nurse Kerry took off my UV mask and mommy and daddy got to see my eyes for the first time in several days. I actually have little eyelashes and I opened one eye for just a second. Neato stuff!

Tonight I get my last dose of Neoprofin and then they will do an echocardiogram tomorrow morning to see if my heart valve/tube has made any progress. Tune in, we should have some news tomorrow!

Small Victories

Hi everyone! Live from the CHOC NICU, I have only a little to report which makes mommy and daddy really happy. Last night they gave me my first dose of Neoprofin and I'll get another one tonight and another tomorrow night. On day four they will give me another echocardiogram (picture of my heart) to see if the valve/tube has closed up. Keep your fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I'm just hanging out in my incubator. They have started to slightly decrease the ventilator use so I'm breathing more on my own and they have decreased my antibiotics because I'm not showing any signs of infection. Hooray for small victories! Mommy and daddy will come back tonight to see me before bed. Til tomorrow!

I'm Number One!

Rather uneventful night/day in the NICU for me. They aren't doing too much to me because they are trying get my lung secretions clear enough to give me the Neoprofin (the Ibuprofin I talked about in my last post). I am tolerating suction much better now too. The doctors took another picture of my heart today and decided that the valve/tube is opening more and they don't like that. So they suctioned me some more and are seeing enough improvement in my lung secretions that they are going to move on ahead with the Neoprofin. They are also going to give me some FFP (fresh frozen plasma) to boost my platelet count, which will help me be stronger when they give me the Neoprofin. All this should happen this afternoon and evening so hopefully we'll have some new news come morning!


Mommy took some new pictures this morning. Notice my lovely sleeping mask...actually that is to protect my eyes from the UV lights they have on me. See, I'm like daddy already....gettin a tan! And...the reason for the title of this post...I'm number one! Just had to tell you all that in case you didn't know.

Here's the link with the rest of today's photos. http://www.flickr.com/photos/29664626@N07/sets/72157606859186090/
Until next time...

I'm tired.

Today was a very busy day for me. The doctors met with mommy and daddy this morning and told them all the things that they were going to do to me today. Get ready for an anatomy lesson!

So, when babies are in-utero they have an extra tube that goes from their heart to the lungs. It allows the oxygenated blood to pass easily straight to the lungs and bypasses the other half of the heart. Basically, it lets mommy do most of the work while I just grow. Well, when you were born full term that tube just sort of closes up and goes away and your heart and lungs start functioning on their own. Since I am so early that tube is still there and hasn't closed. Its causing a lot of fluid build up in my lungs so they keep having to suction me (I hate it) and they can't take me off the ventilator. So, guess what the fix is? Good old ibuprofin. But, they have to do a bunch of tests on me to make sure it is safe to give me the ibuprofin also. They did all the tests today and as soon as the results come back tomorrow they can give it to me.

Also, my poor feet were getting really bruised and swollen from all the pricking and testing they were doing. So they put in this really neat line through my umbilical cord artery and now no more poking! I'm under the UV lights right now too so my jaundice will go away.

So, as you can tell, its been a big day for me and I'm tired. A looooong nap is in order. Mommy and daddy are coming back later tonight to visit with me and if any big news comes their way I'm sure they write about it. Nighty, night!

I made it!

Hi, I'm Colton Chilla. My mommy and daddy will be writing for me as they get updates and photos out for all the people that I know are thinking about me.

First, how I got here...my temporary home (mommy's uterus) decided that I had overstayed my welcome and when I was 26 weeks old she went into pre-term labor. We stayed in the hospital for a week on strict bedrest and lots of medicine, but come Sunday, August 17th, we'd all kind of had it. They tried lots of medicine (ask mommy and daddy if you want to hear the gory details) but it was too late. So I entered the world at 2:55 am Sunday morning. I weighed 2 lbs. and am 13 1/2 inches long.

All the doctors and nurses are really excited at how big I am and that I am breathing pretty well on my own. I am up in my other temporary home, the NICU. They say I'll stay there at least two months, so I'm getting comfortable.

So far they have me on a ventilator to help me breathe but they have been telling mommy and daddy that I'm doing well and my oxygen levels are good. Today they were thinking about taking me off the ventilator but when they started to suction my lungs, I really didn't like it and my heart rate and oxygen went way down. They say this is because I'm acting like a premie....well I am! So they might try tomorrow. Also they found a heart murmur, but, again this is probably related to me being really early. Mommy and daddy found out that all babies have open valves in the uterus and by the time they are born they have closed up. Since I was so early, mine isn't closed yet which can lead to fluid in my lungs. Tomorrow they are going to do an eco-cardiogram (a picture of my heart) just to make sure it is what they think.

Overall, I am resting well. Tomorrow they might try to let mommy put me on her chest. I can't wait! Here are today's pictures you can see of me. I'll probably pose for a photo session about once a week or if I do something wonderful!

http://flickr.com/photos/29664626@N07/sets/72157606818661585/