"Look, Mom- No Tubes!"

He loves to streeetch his neck...and show off his nostrils are free of any man made objects!

As of yesterday Weston is unattached to oxygen, feeding tubes, or anything else annoying in his mouth or nose! He first got off oxygen a few days ago, then the night before last night he ripped out his feeding tube. Woops. But, that was okay, because he had just recently sucked down his first bottle, and after screaming a bit about the funny sensation he just experienced as the NG tube came out of his nose, he was ready for another bottle! Yay, Weston! We are so proud of you! He will probably be discharged on Saturday! (He just needs to eat on his own and be gaining weight for 2 days.) They have him feeding "on demand" so I need to get down there so I can feed him as much as possible since he knows me best and tends to feed better when I'm around (they say this is usually the case w/ the primary care giver.)

So, we brought his car seat in for a check and I think I've got a great pediatrician picked out, I just need to call and see if he could get Weston in on Monday. Yes, he will see this pediatrician very often, especially because he was a preemie with complications.

Well, there's my short update- off to the hospital, I go!

Do little boys get any cuter??



Scarfin' his bottle

Very Proud Parents

Just Add Baby

Well, Weston should most likely be home within one to two weeks, and he will have an adorable nursery to welcome him! Last week, my sister in law Michelle and her sister came in and painted like pros, put all the furniture back into place, replaced my blinds and curtain rod, and made cute block letters of Weston's name all before we got home from the hospital one night! I felt like I was in one of those surprise one room remodeling shows like "While you were Out" or something. Take a look at this darling nursery...

A Great Big THANKS to Michelle & Monica!!!

You are so impressive!

2 Week Old Update

Happy Boy in the first outfit we dressed him in

This family pic was taken Friday when the U won the football game.
My "little hero"- so chill.

Weston has been making fantastic progress!! A couple people at the hospital again made the comment that they think it is remarkable he's doing so well and improving so quickly after going from being the sickest kid in the unit at first! Everyone at the hospital is so nice and I'm so grateful for their wonderful care!

Since my last post, Weston now:

Weighs 6 lbs 4.5 oz

Has no problem holding his temperature so no longer needs the heater over his bed.

No longer has any IV's!


Doesn't needs lights for jandice.


Started sucking on a binky.

Graduated from CPAP to the regular nasal canula (thinner oxygen tubes that are less invasive) and from one liter to 1/2 liter.

Since he's less attached to things and completely stable, we get to hold him any time!!! We've been spending a lot of time holding him.

Started to be awake and stir more often and opens his eyes more.

Started learning how to bottle feed. He still is tube fed the remaining portion. He actually does quite well he is just super exhausted as he's recovering from everything he's been through and getting stronger everyday so that he can eat more and more. It's a little tricky to be learning how to breathe and suck and swallow all at once, but he does well- for a few minutes and then poops out. They want him to continue to recover and get stronger and try eating on his own as much as possible but they are also being careful not to push him too much at this point, because they don't want any digression. He tries so hard when he eats from his bottle- we're so proud of him.

He graduated to being in a crib in the NBICU! (Is no longer in the very low birthweight center as well.)

We get to dress him in baby clothes! We've brought clothes to the hospital for him and the nurse even surprised him with some adorable outfits and Uof U paraphanelia!

Finally got his first bath, a.k.a. "Spa night!"

Wide eyes- fuzzy hair. I love this picture!

The little frog looks a little suspicous of this whole bath idea, but it did keep him wide awake for much longer than usual!

Weston in his new crib(above) His bed before he got a crib. Meeting Natalee. They brought him that train set and teddy bear in the back ground from England.

Grandma loves

Our Angel Baby

Our Angel Baby Tanning Under the Jandice Lights.

The lion toy you see in the background was a special present from his first roomate, baby Payton. His parents brought it to us. It also came with a cute card that is written like their baby is writing to Weston. It said, "Dear Weston, I hope you are well. I left rather quickly on Friday and my parents and I didn't really get to say goodbye...Take care of yourself and it was nice to room with you, let me know how you are." and they left their phone #. That is so unbelievably thoughtful for his parents to think of us, especially considering they have twins in the hospital! Mom and Dad always wanting to hold his hand
Cool Dude catchin' some rays.

The machine he's on now is called CPAP. (You can see the tubes and head gear. His eye coverings are to protect him from the lamp. The thing sticking out the top of his head is an IV.) He did SO wonderfully on CPAP yesterday and last night that when I see him today he will be on a regular cannula (sp?)!!

That means I'll get to hold him and start to teach him to bottle feed!

Last night Weston got to meet Grandma (Nicky's mom) and brother Bryan and Cindy. They were very jet lagged, flying in from England but came straight from the airport to see him and they all love him so much!

Oh ya, when he was on the ventilators all the tubes down his throat blocked his vocal cords making it impossible for Weston to make any noise. Well, now he can. It's been fun to hear his little voice, and whimpers and cries. He complains once in a while, which they like because it means that he's feeling better and he's a determined fighter. I can't remember if it was the charge nurse or the Dr but yesterday they said something like, "He was the sickest baby in here at one time, but now he's progressing so quickly!" It's true. At first he was often surrounded by different Dr.'s and nurses coming in and out or gathering around and trying to figure out how to stabilize him, now everyone is so delighted at his speedy progress! I am so thankful for this and I know that the many prayers and love sent our way has been heard and felt. Thank You. I think this hard start has made his parents stronger, and I'm sure it will make Weston stronger as well.

1 week old!

Weston was 1 week old yesterday! We love him so much and we're so proud of him! It was a good day for him because he got rid of his ventilator and graduated to a CPAP. Basically, tubes going through his nose rather than his mouth. All the Dr's and nurses says he's doing beautifully, but as the parent, this new machinery still isn't any easier to look at than the other, so I just have to believe them. Especially since he's no longer sedated it sort of feels/looks to me like he's struggling compared to when he'd just lie there and be heavily sedated. But that's a good thing and it's making him strong so he can come home soon. I love to just hold his hands and be there with him as much as possible. I am happy to see him not have to have a bunch of tubes fill up the corner of his mouth though, and I'm sure he appreciates that. Late last night his oxygen got down to 25%, which is great! This morming when we called they said he's 2 steps away from getting off the CPAP. When he gets off of CPAP he'll be on normal oxygen- the kind that you see people wear in public. And they don't keep babies in the hospital just because they're on oxygen, but for preemies learning to eat and gain weight before they leave (to suck, breathe and swallow) can be the tricky part since they've been tube fed and have had breathing problems.
He got his last tube that was nourishing him through his belly button and where they would pull blood for his GAS tests pulled out as well since he's eating so nicely and his GAS's have all been okay. They thought he would have to be on the billyruben (sp?) lights for jondis (sp?) but he had some poopy diapers and was peeing good too, so he kept his levels below the level that you need lights and we'll see if he'll need them today.
Sorry no pictures, I forgot my camera yesterday when I went to the hospital.

The Weekend in Review

SATURDAY:

Weston is getting tube fed formula now! (Before he could only handle sugar water)

Mommy made him look like a little dinosaur with his mohawk...

she needs practice because it's crooked. =)

We took a break to go to Brett's Uncle Tom's wedding. It was nice to dance and have some fun. Denae, Weston's cousin

We brought a brag book to show everyone pictures of the baby.

SUNDAY:

We got to HOLD Weston!!!

Precious Baby in Daddy's Safe Hands

A nice nurse brought in respiratory therapy and she, the nurse, and Brett maneuvered all the cords and things so that they were attached to me so that I could hold him! It was wonderful! It felt SO good to feel his warmth and his little body relaxe against mine when I got to hold him in the "kangaroo" hold on my chest. I just began to cry because it's been nearly a week and I've just ached to hold him. The night before we held him up while they quickly changed our sheets and we were stoked about that, but this was such a bonding moment and my heart felt as if it would explode with the love that I felt for him. It was by far one of the best moments of my life. The nurse said she could tell by the monitors that he was lovin' it too.

What's a Pneumomediastinum? (For the Curious)

Weston's pneumomediastinum has improved so much that the newest x-ray, the Dr.'s said if they didn't know it had been there, they wouldn't have even seen it!!! Again, thanks everybody for your many prayers, and I just know that they are helping Weston and his recent vast improvements!

What is a pneumomediastinum, you ask? I copied over an article about it for the curious. I also read in a different article that it is very rare as in, it occurs in about 6 in 100,000 for males (less occuring in females.)

Pneumothorax, Pneumomediastinum and Pulmonary Interstitial Emphysema
What are Pneumothorax, Pneumomediastinum and Pulmonary Interstitial Emphysema (PIE)?Normally the air that we breathe goes down the trachea (windpipe) to a series of branches of the windpipe called bronchi. The air then goes to the air sacs where oxygen is delivered to the blood and carbon dioxide is released. If the air sacs become overfilled with air, the air can break out of the air sacs and get into spaces where it should not be. This condition is sometimes referred to as air leak and includes the following:
Pneumothorax where the air is trapped inside the chest between the chest wall and the lung, causing the lung to collapse. [This did happen to Weston]
Pneumomediastinum where air is trapped in the middle part of the chest.
Pulmonary Interstitial Emphysema (PIE) where air is trapped between the tiny air sacs, encircling the smallest blood vessels and bronchi.
Less commonly, air can encircle the heart, (Pneumopericardium),[this is where Weston's was], get under the skin, (Subcutaneous Emphysema), leak into the abdomen (Pneumoperitoneum) or surround the kidneys (Pneumoretroperitoneum). A baby often has more than one form of air leak. For example, PIE can progress to pneumomediastinum and/or pneumothorax.
Which babies get air leak?Although air leak can happen in any baby, it is more common if:
the baby has underlying lung disease, the more severe the disease, the higher the risk for air leak.
the baby needs CPAP or mechanical ventilation for treatment of lung disease
Why do preemies get air leak?The lungs are not yet fully developed and the air sacs are more susceptible to rupture.If the baby has lung disease, some air sacs are open and others are closed. Like blowing up balloons, it is easier to put lots of air into an air sac that has been opened previously than it is to put a small amount of air into an air sac that has never been opened.There is more space between air sacs where leaking air can collect as interstitial emphysema.
What can be done to treat air leak?Some forms of air leak are more easily treated than others. Approaches to treatment include:
If the air leak is small, not increasing, and not causing significant problems, it may not need to be treated. The air gradually reabsorbs into the body.[Since Weston's was near his heart they went with this approach and it worked!]
Occasionally a pneumothorax can be treated by inserting a needle into the chest and sucking out the air with a syringe. Often, however, the air will recollect.
If a tube can be placed in the area where air is collecting, continuous suction on the tube can remove the air until the leak seals over. This is the most common treatment.

In a pneumothorax a chest tube is placed between two ribs and into the chest cavity between the lungs and the chest wall.
In a pneumopericardium a tube is placed between the heart and its covering, called a pericardial tube. [They wanted to leave this as a last resort because it can be quite dangerous]
In interstitial emphysema and in pneumomediastinum, the spaces containing the air are sponge-like and cannot be treated with tubes.
If your baby has interstitial emphysema and is on a ventilator (breathing machine), your baby's doctor may change to a different pattern of ventilation (breathing)[which they did]. This may mean giving more rapid, but smaller breaths or changing to a form of ventilation called high frequency ventilation.
Is air leak serious?Depending on the amount of air and the space where it is located, the symptoms and seriousness of air leak may vary from mild to catastrophic. A large pneumothorax or a pneumopericardium usually causes sudden and rapid deterioration. Interstitial emphysema usually occurs more gradually.
When will it get better?As your baby's underlying lung disease improves, the air leak also improves. However, babies who have had air leak often improve more slowly than babies who have not. When the tubes no longer drain air, they will be removed. Once the tubes are out for more than a day and the baby is off the breathing machine or CPAP, airleak usually does not recur.

5 Days Old...

Yesterday was awesome because Weston seemed to really respond to Brett and my voice. We have been with him as much as possible and read or sing or talk to him and so I think he really knows who we are. He even opened his eyes and started to look around when I first got there & I started to talk to him. (Brett was jelous because he was at work. But he went back up really late and he did blink his eyes a little bit.) Considering he's been highly sedated since shortly after he was born and we haven't really seen him awake since those first two or three hours, I was so excited to see him open his eyes, yawn, and start to stir! They're starting to wean him off of the ventilators and meds, and his chest x-rays and GAS (blood) tests looked lovely yesterday! GOOD JOB, BABY! I think being awake made him really tired though, and he was pretty asleep the rest of the day.

Holding Brett and Aunt Laura's hands.
Vesna brought me a huge surprise when she came to visit...Our friend Setareh from out of town!!! She got there just in time to see him with his eyes open.
The sunset as I was leaving the hospital last night.

We're hoping to keep getting "green lights" for Weston's healing.

The Road to Recovery

Yesterday began as a very good day. They told us that his X-rays showed that his lungs were no longer deflated (which means that they should be taking in air like they were supposed to), and although the pocket of air hasn't gone away and is slowly diminishing (if at all) it is not expanding or spreading, which is overall very good. His blood gasses were excellent in the morning and they started weaning him off the ventilator by diminishing the pressure and the oxygen. He actually got down to 32% oxygen yesterday.

He even opened his eye and we got to interact with him a little bit. I don't know if he was awake for 15min or 1/2hr because I forgot to look at the clock. The time he spent awake though, just wore him out and he was zonked for hours after that.

Come afternoon, however, his IV's began to expire and they had to re-stick him. I was concerned about this because I was afraid he would digress a little. But Weston is strong and though they had to turn the oxygen back up to 36%. It was still minimal and he remained pretty much stable through the rest of the day. When we stopped in, after the baby showers to read him a bedtime story and wish him "good-night," the nurse said that he had been so stable that he wasn't requiring much attention. Yea!!!

Weston also had some visitors from out of town.