Today Collin began receiving .5 mL an hour more breastmilk and if everything goes as planned, they will up that another .5 mL this evening. (This will bring him to 3 mL an hour!)
The doctor also removed his first cast and is expected to put a new one on tomorrow. He seems to be doing great!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Monday, April 9, 2007
Monday, April 9
Update: We spent an hour with Collin as he slept this afternoon. The transfusion was a success, his blood count is now normal. Apparently every newborn gets anemic, their bodies aren't able to produce new red blood cells until they are about 6-8 weeks. It is normal for a pre-term baby like Collin (who has lots of blood drawn) to become even more anemic and the red blood cell transfusion gives their blood a little "boost" until they are able to manufacture the new red blood cells. Every little thing from rashes to blisters to diaper rash are reason for concern and worry for all of us. Bigger issues (like blood transfusions) that sound so serious really throw our family into a tailspin.
On a positive note, the feeds were increased to 2 mL an hour yesterday and may increase again today. So far he's tolerating them just fine!
Last evening it was determined that Collin's red blood cell count was low, so he was given a blood transfusion during the night. As soon as we know the cause of the low count or any other updates, we will let you know. As always, we ask for your prayers.
Also, today one of Collin's special angels, Tiffany Naylor, deploys for Afghanistan. She is with the 355th Maintenance Squadron from Davis Monthan AFB and will be gone for a few months. Please keep Tiffany and the Naylor family in your prayers. She is bringing her laptop computer with her and hopes to still read here and comment occasionally. God bless you, Tiffany, and Godspeed.
On a positive note, the feeds were increased to 2 mL an hour yesterday and may increase again today. So far he's tolerating them just fine!
Last evening it was determined that Collin's red blood cell count was low, so he was given a blood transfusion during the night. As soon as we know the cause of the low count or any other updates, we will let you know. As always, we ask for your prayers.
Also, today one of Collin's special angels, Tiffany Naylor, deploys for Afghanistan. She is with the 355th Maintenance Squadron from Davis Monthan AFB and will be gone for a few months. Please keep Tiffany and the Naylor family in your prayers. She is bringing her laptop computer with her and hopes to still read here and comment occasionally. God bless you, Tiffany, and Godspeed.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Easter Sunday, April 8
Let the resurrection joy lift us from loneliness and weakness and despair to strength and beauty and happiness.
Floyd W. Tomkins
Floyd W. Tomkins
Easter blessings, everyone! Collin's Mom told her Dad last night before we went to bed that Collin now weighs 6 lbs 4 oz! Nana V mentioned that soon Collin would meet his Mommy's birthweight and it looks like it will be sooner than later.
Today, after Mass, we will bring Collin's parents an Easter dinner. We will have all of our traditional foods and Collin's Mommy will prepare a delicious dessert. Although we will not be celebrating our most Holy day in the way we wish we could; we will give thanks for all of God's blessings and especially our precious and beloved Collin. We know that Collin's parents miss all of their far away family and wish we could all be together today. We will be together in spirit.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Holy Saturday, April 7
Today, when we arrived for our visit we were thrilled and touched to see Collin's mobile playing a piece by Beethoven. He was wide awake so his wonderful nurse, Sherry, made sure he wasn't bored. Small gestures like this make it so much easier to leave Baby Collin at the end of our hour, because we are assured that Collin will be lovingly cared for when his parents or other family members aren't there.
We brought him a little friend for Easter, you might see him in one of the pictures. As always the time went by so fast; Collin's multitude of facial expressions and appropriate-seeming responses to the things we say entertains us beyond description. Most of the photos we took today did not turn out because we could not control the camera being shook by our laughter.
Please enjoy!
>
We brought him a little friend for Easter, you might see him in one of the pictures. As always the time went by so fast; Collin's multitude of facial expressions and appropriate-seeming responses to the things we say entertains us beyond description. Most of the photos we took today did not turn out because we could not control the camera being shook by our laughter.
Please enjoy!
>
Friday, April 6, 2007
Good Friday, April 6
Collin is four weeks old today!
Update: Collin's Mom just called to let us know that Collin now weighs 6 lbs 2 oz! Keep on growing, big boy! We love you!!
Today the feeds resume! Woo hoo! They are starting nice and slow...1 mL an hour, we're hoping the brief rest allowed Collin's small intestine to heal more and he'll be able to digest the fluids properly.
In celebration of his 4 week mark, his mom asked his nurse if Collin could move into a crib. His wonderful nurse complied and it's pretty neat. His mom and dad went home (after dressing the crib) and brought back Collin's mobile. It has a rainforest theme and it plays classical music. The animals on the mobile are brightly colored, with big eyes (babies like that) and they are all hung at a slant so he can get a good look at them. Highly educational and quite entertaining!
Today a new neighbor moved into the NICU and there was alot of commotion. The soothing sounds of Bach and Beethoven from his mobile lulled Collin back to dreamland and possibly helped calm the nerves of the nurses as well.
It's hard to believe that he's only been a part of our family for a month, yet it has gone by so fast. Having Collin in our lives has brought so much joy to us...thank you, Collin's Mommy and Daddy, for bringing him into the world. We love you!
Update: Collin's Mom just called to let us know that Collin now weighs 6 lbs 2 oz! Keep on growing, big boy! We love you!!
Today the feeds resume! Woo hoo! They are starting nice and slow...1 mL an hour, we're hoping the brief rest allowed Collin's small intestine to heal more and he'll be able to digest the fluids properly.
In celebration of his 4 week mark, his mom asked his nurse if Collin could move into a crib. His wonderful nurse complied and it's pretty neat. His mom and dad went home (after dressing the crib) and brought back Collin's mobile. It has a rainforest theme and it plays classical music. The animals on the mobile are brightly colored, with big eyes (babies like that) and they are all hung at a slant so he can get a good look at them. Highly educational and quite entertaining!
Today a new neighbor moved into the NICU and there was alot of commotion. The soothing sounds of Bach and Beethoven from his mobile lulled Collin back to dreamland and possibly helped calm the nerves of the nurses as well.
It's hard to believe that he's only been a part of our family for a month, yet it has gone by so fast. Having Collin in our lives has brought so much joy to us...thank you, Collin's Mommy and Daddy, for bringing him into the world. We love you!
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Holy Thursday, April 5
Update: We visited Baby Collin for a little bit in the evening. Mom and Dad left to get a special surprise (we'll have pictures later today!) and it was time for the nurse to change some tubing on Collin's broviac catheter. We held his hand as she worked, it didn't hurt him to have the tubing changed because the pieces she moved were away from his skin, but he does NOT like to have his gown opened! lol Collin is very definitely a "warm, snuggly" baby and we are relieved to note, he will most likely NOT grow up to be a nudist. We noticed a small blister on his right chest, under the tape that holds his broviac catheter. We mentioned it to the nurse who had seen it earlier in the day before it was clearly a "blister". The NICU nurse practioner (who is practically a doctor) and the NICU physician both looked at it and decided that they'll watch it to see if it gets bigger. If it does, they will pop it and culture the puss inside to see if there is a bacterial infection. They actually circled it with a pen which I thought was pretty clever although "low tech". Grandpa N suggested they draw another circle on the other side of his chest and create a smiley face. He also laughed at me because I "scan" Baby Collin every time we come to visit...I open his gown and check him out from bottom to top which is how I noticed the blister. Call me obsessed, but I just ADORE this little grandson of ours!
Day three of no feeds...Collin's temperament is good, we even coaxed some smiles out of him this afternoon! Joanna, a friend of Collin's grandparents and a nursing student, even captured a beautiful, crooked smile on camera for us.
Having him on the tpn only is probably harder on his family members than it is on Collin, he is still getting all of his nutritional needs met. We, on the other hand, feel as though we are in a race against time and we are losing. Sometimes feelings of desperation and despair overcome us and it's times like those when we need to reach out to one another and to God.
Collin's Mom, ever the trooper, continues to pump breast milk and freeze it. Baby Collin has accumulated quite a food store, which we wish he was able to enjoy! We are so proud of her, many women who have full term healthy babies don't choose to nurse even though it is the absolute best thing for their child. While Collin's Mom isn't able to nurse her precious son, she spends an hour or more every day providing Collin with the magic elixir that can sustain his life. It's probably difficult to remain dedicated to pumping when he is unable to use it right now, but she remains steadfast and faithful to her mission.
Baby Collin will be four weeks old tomorrow! We took the obligatory picture of him with his special prayer teddy bear...compare it to pictures of him taken a few weeks ago and you can really see how he has grown. In answer to a question sent to us by email, yes, Collin is now wearing clothes. It's hard to see in the photos because he is usually swaddled well; in today's pictures his gown is almost the same color as the blanket he is wrapped in. Enjoy!
Day three of no feeds...Collin's temperament is good, we even coaxed some smiles out of him this afternoon! Joanna, a friend of Collin's grandparents and a nursing student, even captured a beautiful, crooked smile on camera for us.
Having him on the tpn only is probably harder on his family members than it is on Collin, he is still getting all of his nutritional needs met. We, on the other hand, feel as though we are in a race against time and we are losing. Sometimes feelings of desperation and despair overcome us and it's times like those when we need to reach out to one another and to God.
Collin's Mom, ever the trooper, continues to pump breast milk and freeze it. Baby Collin has accumulated quite a food store, which we wish he was able to enjoy! We are so proud of her, many women who have full term healthy babies don't choose to nurse even though it is the absolute best thing for their child. While Collin's Mom isn't able to nurse her precious son, she spends an hour or more every day providing Collin with the magic elixir that can sustain his life. It's probably difficult to remain dedicated to pumping when he is unable to use it right now, but she remains steadfast and faithful to her mission.
Baby Collin will be four weeks old tomorrow! We took the obligatory picture of him with his special prayer teddy bear...compare it to pictures of him taken a few weeks ago and you can really see how he has grown. In answer to a question sent to us by email, yes, Collin is now wearing clothes. It's hard to see in the photos because he is usually swaddled well; in today's pictures his gown is almost the same color as the blanket he is wrapped in. Enjoy!
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Tuesday, April 3
Update: There are few things in the world that tug our heartstrings more than seeing a daddy hold his son, lovingly. When we arrived at the NICU tonight, we were greeted with that wonderful sight. It is adorable how intently Baby Collin watches his dad's face and listens when his dad speaks. It's a little different than how he is with his mommy...Collin's look and demeanor show that there is nowhere he'd rather be than snuggled in him mommy's arms when she holds him and he wears a look of pure adoration when she talks to him. We could sit and watch our little family for hours it seems. Tonight we captured several of Collin's plethora of facial expressions. Enjoy!
We have received so many private emails and phone calls asking questions about things written in the entries or inquiring about more detail, that we set up a special email account for you to use to contact us about the blog: collinshope@mail.com. Feel free to email us anytime!
Collin is still doing well. The doctors gave him a barium enema today and the preliminary results showed everything as it should be in his lower (or large) intestines. Tomorrow (Wednesday), they will do the procedure again, but instead of an enema, they will send the barium through his g-tube. This will allow them to view his small intestines on an x-ray. The surgeon had warned us previously that babies with gastroschisis always have swollen intestines, Collin's have been just a little more swollen than usual which is probably what has caused him to throw up. We think it's good that the doctors continue to be cautious with his care, and hold off on the feedings for a day or two.
His parents started the "ball rolling" as far as applying for the transplant program at UNMC. Once they receive his medical records, a board of surgeons will look them over and make a determination of whether they can accommodate Collin's needs, whether they currently have space for him and some other criteria including references from his current doctors. We pray that Collin's application is expedited and accepted. (Collin may NOT need a small intestine or liver transplant, however they are being proactive in seeking a space at the transplant center in the event he does need one.)
The next step for Collin's parents will be to have Collin's dad's military orders changed to the Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska. This will be achieved through what is called a "Humanitarian PCS" (permanent change of station). After Collin's dad applies for the humanitarian pcs, which is given due to medical hardships of family members of service people, a board of commanders will decide whether or not to grant it. If it is granted, the application moves up to a human resource level in San Antonio, TX. If (and when) they approve it, and if Offutt Air Force Base has room for Collin's dad in their Firefighter ranks, he will be transferred very quickly. The Air Force will pack up and move his parents to their new home.
This is very overwhelming from the perspective of someone on the outside looking in, but Collin's Mom and Dad just take each moment day by day and each step one at a time. We are proud and inspired by their strength and resolve. We(all of their parents)are lucky to have such a wonderful and capable son and daughter; Collin is lucky to have such dedicated and loving parents.
An interesting aside is that Collin's Grandpa N received a humanitarian pcs about 9 years ago and was transferred from Sheppard AFB in Texas to Offutt. (So we know it CAN be done!)
We have said, from before we were blessed with Collin's birth, that we are so grateful that Collin's Dad is in the military. The medical coverage for the heroes who defend our nation is wonderful and the paid leave that military "new dads" get is generous. Collin's care in the NICU is about $3000 a day (and that doesn't include visits from specialists like the wound specialist, the pediatric orthopedist or the pediatric surgeons who visit every day.) That is all covered by the military medical insurance, thank goodness!
Later this evening we'll visit with Collin and his parents and promise to bring you some more photos. We are so blessed and gifted in so many ways and have so much for which to be thankful; your prayers and words of encouragement carry ALL of us when things get tough or scary and we are so grateful for them. THANK YOU!
We have received so many private emails and phone calls asking questions about things written in the entries or inquiring about more detail, that we set up a special email account for you to use to contact us about the blog: collinshope@mail.com. Feel free to email us anytime!
Collin is still doing well. The doctors gave him a barium enema today and the preliminary results showed everything as it should be in his lower (or large) intestines. Tomorrow (Wednesday), they will do the procedure again, but instead of an enema, they will send the barium through his g-tube. This will allow them to view his small intestines on an x-ray. The surgeon had warned us previously that babies with gastroschisis always have swollen intestines, Collin's have been just a little more swollen than usual which is probably what has caused him to throw up. We think it's good that the doctors continue to be cautious with his care, and hold off on the feedings for a day or two.
His parents started the "ball rolling" as far as applying for the transplant program at UNMC. Once they receive his medical records, a board of surgeons will look them over and make a determination of whether they can accommodate Collin's needs, whether they currently have space for him and some other criteria including references from his current doctors. We pray that Collin's application is expedited and accepted. (Collin may NOT need a small intestine or liver transplant, however they are being proactive in seeking a space at the transplant center in the event he does need one.)
The next step for Collin's parents will be to have Collin's dad's military orders changed to the Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska. This will be achieved through what is called a "Humanitarian PCS" (permanent change of station). After Collin's dad applies for the humanitarian pcs, which is given due to medical hardships of family members of service people, a board of commanders will decide whether or not to grant it. If it is granted, the application moves up to a human resource level in San Antonio, TX. If (and when) they approve it, and if Offutt Air Force Base has room for Collin's dad in their Firefighter ranks, he will be transferred very quickly. The Air Force will pack up and move his parents to their new home.
This is very overwhelming from the perspective of someone on the outside looking in, but Collin's Mom and Dad just take each moment day by day and each step one at a time. We are proud and inspired by their strength and resolve. We(all of their parents)are lucky to have such a wonderful and capable son and daughter; Collin is lucky to have such dedicated and loving parents.
An interesting aside is that Collin's Grandpa N received a humanitarian pcs about 9 years ago and was transferred from Sheppard AFB in Texas to Offutt. (So we know it CAN be done!)
We have said, from before we were blessed with Collin's birth, that we are so grateful that Collin's Dad is in the military. The medical coverage for the heroes who defend our nation is wonderful and the paid leave that military "new dads" get is generous. Collin's care in the NICU is about $3000 a day (and that doesn't include visits from specialists like the wound specialist, the pediatric orthopedist or the pediatric surgeons who visit every day.) That is all covered by the military medical insurance, thank goodness!
Later this evening we'll visit with Collin and his parents and promise to bring you some more photos. We are so blessed and gifted in so many ways and have so much for which to be thankful; your prayers and words of encouragement carry ALL of us when things get tough or scary and we are so grateful for them. THANK YOU!
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