Colton's Kangaroo Club - Delivery Day!

What a special day. We finally got to put all of your donations to good use today and were able to deliver the gliders to the CHOC NICU. We were greeted by my CHOC support system (Marta and Candice) at the loading docs and unloaded the gliders. We then went into the lobby of CHOC and met up with both sets of Colton's grandparents. We were taken up to the 2nd floor of the hospital where we were able to follow all of the chairs into different parts of the NICU. I was fine as we went into the hospital, but something about getting up to that second floor where we spent so many days and hours got to me.


I got to see all the people there that I loved and missed (because the staff there is truly wonderful) and it felt like just yesterday that we were there visiting Colton. In a way I guess it feels almost like we left him there. It was the last place we were with him when he was alive and we literally spent his entire life there. For better or for worse it was home because that is where Colton was. So, in a way, we went home today. That's what hit me as we were standing in the hallway waiting to go into the NICU.


We watched as the gliders were brought into each wing of the NICU and happy nurses and mom's got to start using them right away. We know Colton's story will be told over and over again. That makes me happy. As we made our way through, we of course got to put one in room 208, bed 4 (known to us lovingly as Colton's Corner) where he spent all of his stay except for a few days. How appropriate was it that when we walked back there a little girl, a micro-preemie, like Colton was in his corner. Mom was kangarooing her in one of the old chairs and we left her one next to the isolette. It was bittersweet. I loved the fact that we could see a chair in his corner. But to see it without him there was harder than I thought it would be. I felt like I should be able to go up to the isolette and see my little man in there, like time had never gone by.


Overall this was an absolutely amazing experience, filled with love. Sure we had our emotional moments but visiting the NICU was good. We saw wonderful people and felt Colton with us the entire time. Thank you all for making it possible for Colton to live on, thank you for letting us go home again, thank you for all the love that will be experienced in those gliders for years to come.


To see some more pics from our Delivery Day click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29664626@N07/sets/72157615737678667/

Three Months

Wow, I cannot believe three months have gone by since Colton passed. That's an entire business quarter, a season, a stretch of time that I couldn't have imagined three months ago. I look out my office window and the tree is popping out new leaves, signaling spring. It makes me sad to leave winter as there will be no more rain, my little comfort that reminds me of Colton. I am watching the babies that were born at the same time as him grow so fast. I hold them and imagine that this is what Colton would be doing if he was still with us. It is both comforting and sad at the same time. I know that Colton's little brain was so broken that he wouldn't have had a good life but I still want him here. I watch Donny hold other babies and it makes me tear up every time. He is so good with them and loves them, I wish he could hold Colton. I miss you so much my little man.

On another note, Colton's Kangaroo Club will be happy to hear that the gliders arrived! We are scheduled to deliver them to CHOC on Monday, the 23rd. We'll post lots of photos so you can see! Thank you again! The staff at CHOC is really thrilled about this and can't wait to get them. Love to you all!