My new family

2009-07-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

So were going back down to C.H.L.A for another procedure Dr Pruetz says we should only be down there for the day. Please keep us in your prayers.

2009-06-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

I love this face!

He sure loves he's daddy!

Out for a walk..

I had to show everyone the faces he makes when he's asleep sometimes!

2009-06-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

He's 10 pounds now. I look at him and think of all he's overcome and feel that pain all over again. I don't think it will ever go away. Like a nurse told me while we were there "funny thing is he wont be able to remember it and you will never forget it. So true!
Life is truly amazing and beautiful now that he's home.

2009-06-08T11:07:00.001-07:00

2009-06-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

My own little piece of heaven

Homecoming

2009-06-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

I never felt to happy as I did that day walking out of that hospital with my son!

Still fearful of the unknown but mostly just genuinely happy because for the most part my nightmare had ended!

the 6th floor

2009-06-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

After being in N.I.C.U for just a few days they moved him up to the 6th floor. Here Icould stay with him and pretty much take care of him. I stayed there for 4 days and really did not sleep.

He caught on to bottle feeding very well and we were able to go home on May 15,2009!

Recovery.

2009-06-07T11:38:00.000-07:00

His little chest had to stay open for two days before they could sew it back up. The next step was to get him off the ventilator. 48 hours later they tried to excabate him and was not successful. So that day we took a step backward. I guess he just wasn't ready to breath on his own yet. About a week later they transferred him back to the N.I.C.U. They told us he no longer had a heart issue, his heart was doing fine, it was now more of a respiratory issue. He was sent back to the N.I.C.U for two days and finally we were able to excabate him successfully. So now the only tube he had was the feeding tube in the nose!

The roller coaster ride.

2009-06-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

During this time we stayed in the Ronald McDonald House. Which I must say, "If you ever have extra money that you want to donate, this would be a great place to donate to." Anyway there I was, 3weeks after giving birth to my first son and trying to make since of this whole new world I was placed in. The day had finally arrived for him to have his surgery and I was so scared for my little guys life. My whole family, from both my side and Billy's side were there for support. I thank God for that everyday. Waiting for him to come out of surgery I felt so sick to my stomach. Billy was so quiet, but I could see the pain in his eyes and I just wanted to take it away. When they told us he was off the bypass we all shed a tear and a sigh of relief. Not to much longer they wheeled him by us. As they were pushing him towards us I could hear his little heartbeat on the monitor. There he was, 3 weeks old and had just had open heart surgery. He looked a little pale to me but I knew he was going to make it. Such a strong little boy!

Waiting for surgery to end.

2009-06-06T21:00:00.001-07:00

2009-06-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

Maybe we got a little heads up that everything was gonna be okay.

Kolton's blood sugar was a little low so they sent him back to the N.I.C.U. to monitor it. I awoke the next morning to find my baby was still not with me. His pediatrician came in and said that he would have to stay due to some fluid in his lungs. So I asked him, "Are you telling me I'm going home with out my baby?" He said he would be able to come home in a few days and this was a normal thing. Leaving the hospital I felt like something else was wrong and they were not telling me or they just didn't know which scared me even more. I received a phone call around midnight that same night. It was the pediatrician on the other end and he then began to speak these words, "There's something wrong with the baby's heart and needs surgery. We need to transfer him tonight, how soon can you get down here?" I dropped the phone in disbelief feeling like I might pass out and overwhelmed with tears I began sobbing. I say sobbing because this was such a deeper cry like I had never felt. Through the tears I tried to explain to Billy and we rushed to the hospital. He was taken by ambulance that night and would have been air lifted if not for the weather. How was I going to be strong enough to endure this? Why did God let this happen? Will he even live? These were the questions that came to my mind right away. When we got to Los Angeles Children's Hospital, surgery was put on hold due to a brain bleed which was most likely due to the vacuum used at birth. We waited 3 weeks which felt like an eternity.

How I felt.

2009-06-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

It was the most amazing feeling. Looking at this little guy that had been in my tummy for what felt like forever. Like the saying, "Having a baby fills a whole in your heart that you never knew was there."

4/6/2009 Kolton was born!

2009-06-06T19:52:00.000-07:00

On April 6, 2009 we had just finished eating at Del Taco. Walking out to the car my water broke. Which is so funny because I had just got done telling my brother Timmy, "I hope I know when I'm in labor because it's not like my waters going to brake, that only happens in movies." So there I am, in front of Del Taco 37 weeks prego and I'm pretty sure my water had broke. Well since I wasn't feeling any pain I made a few phone calls just to make sure. Pulling up to the hospital there was no doubt I was because the contractions were very strong. I was in labor for 7 hours and pushed for two.