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/