Crossing Hurdles

Today marked a very important day for Kylan. He no longer uses the ventilator! It has been a long time coming and I am so grateful to God for strengthening my boy. He still has more strides to take before we can take him home. Kylan had an eye exam today and the doctor did not like what he saw. They are preparing to get him started on treatments for his vision next week. I am praying for God to perform another miracle on my baby to heal his eyes. I know He can do it because He's done great things already.

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW...

The meaning of Kylan...it's the combination of Kyle + Ryan. Kyle means narrow. Ryan means king. King Kylan is his name!

I went to visit my baby as I do everyday after work. I had gotten great news that he was now 3 lbs and 13 ozs earlier today. He is also 15.5 inches long. My baby boy is moving right along. When I walked into the NICU he was resting so peacefully. He opened his eyes when I called his name and then he went back to sleep. Today he needed a higher level of dependency of oxygen and he had received another blood transfusion. It's funny how if my baby has a setback how it affects my mood. I was a bit somber because of it. The constant hospital visits are draining at times especially when there are so many memories in that building.

I shook off my personal emotions and focused on my baby boy. I let him listen to his Baby Mozart and then I read him his Dr. Seuss book. Niheim came in and talked to Kylan and video taped me reading to my boy. In the world of preemie motherhood every small situation is sooo important. Who else would video tape their child kicking their feet in the air or reading a book? :)

Kylan is now 3 lbs 6 oz. My fighter is progressing everyday. He's now taking 1 oz of milk every 3 hours. Last Friday when I went to visit him, his nurses were taking out the PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter) that was in his head. The PICC line is basically an IV tube that goes from his head to his belly. It is used to feed him nourishment and sometimes his medicine. Now Ky is well enough to take his milk and meds through the tube that is inserted down his throat. Thr next big step is to wean him off of the ventilator. The more weight he gains the better his lung tissues will heal. The ventilator causes lung issues after a long period of dependency on it. That's our next milestone and I can't wait! That means I will soon be able to hold my baby again.

Kylan's Health Update

God is good and my son is another living miracle by the grace of God. While I was sitting at Kylan's incubator talking to him his doctor came to give me an updated report from his cranial ultrasound. When Ky was at Egleston Hospital he was diagnosed with cranial bleed which could lead to brain damage or severe developmental issues. The doctor's report after yesterday's ultrasound shows NO bleeding! His doctor was shocked at the results and stated his results weren't typical. God is good! Not to mention my son is not the typical either. :) His nurse was teary eyed. She was almost lost for words. She said in her 30 years of nursing she hadn't seen such an alert baby at his age. she knows my son is coherent. He looks her directly in her eyes and holds her hand (he has a tight grip). In most cases with babies at his gestational stage their responses are not up to par. I told his nurse that Ky has soooooooo many people praying for him.

In the midst of the storm God reminds you of his power and who He is.

Kylan's Health Update

Ky is now 3 lbs and 1 oz! Hes gained an half of a pound in a week. He is up to 19 cc's of milk every three hours. On Saturday he had a spinal tap performed to check for bacteria in his blood around his spine and the results are negative! On Monday Ky had his first eye exam which only showed prematurity of retina which is to be expected due to his gestation at birth.

Today was an adventurous day for Kylan and me. It was my first day back in the office after being out since April 16th! As for King Ky, it was his big day to ride in the ambulance again back to Peidmont Hospital. I unlocked the door to my office to find festive "welcome back" decor all over my office. It was a delightful way to start the day. I then looked at my phone and saw that I had 211 voicemail messages and 323 emails to check. Needless to say...I think you know what I did for the most part of my day.

Kylan arrived back at Piedmont approximately around 10am. It was fairly odd not to be at the hospital when he arrived. I called from my office three times to make sure he arrived and that all was well with him. When I finally got off work which seemed like forever, I went to see him. My mother was already there talking to him. He was wide awake and he was looking around as if he knew he was in a different place. For me it was hard to be back in the same hallways where I’d been in the labor in delivery rooms twice in one month. The room where I held Kaiden for the first and last time and the room where I had held Khristian as he took his last breath. It was very hard. I tried not to think about that aspect and just focus on my King…it was hard. The nurses were running around in frenzy because they were short staffed for the evening. I was not pleased with what I saw…my motherly instincts kicked in full gear. I was upset because I felt like Kylan could have just stayed at the Egleston Hospital (Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta). The atmosphere was just totally different there, more nurturing. My mother calmed me down and we left because the NICU was receiving another admission.

I went to dinner with mom and enjoyed Wolfgang Puck barbeque Chicken pizza. After that I met up with the best support system ever Niheim. I vented some more to him then we went back to see Kylan with an open mind. It was the night I shift and things had mellowed out much more. Kylan was at peace and so was I. I played his Baby Mozart CD and read him “I Can Read with My Eyes Shut” by Dr. Seuss. Niheim spoke Japanese to Kylan and went over Spanish. I have to educate him early!