A Request...

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!

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?

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!

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

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...

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!