The Little Man is coming home today!!!

It's finally arrived!!!! Kolton is going to go home in a few hours. They have been waiting to make sure he's eating okay, and this morning he drank 4 oz!!! He's sleeping right now, so when he wakes up we'll feed him again, they'll take out the IV, and then we'll be able to go home! :-)

Kolton Update--2/28 11 a.m.

The man is starting to feel better today. They took off the oxygen tubes last night, and he didn't need any oxygen last night, which was great! He had a bath this morning and was smiling a whole bunch at his toys and his family! Kaylynn came back with Grandma and Grandpa just a little while ago, and Kolton couldn't take his eyes of Kaylynn. He was smiling and telling her all about his hospital stay. :-) She is usually his favorite entertainment at home, so I know he was missing her.

Kolton still isn't eating very well, though. He's taking only about 1 oz. at a time, so they're going to continue with the IV fluids today. The respiratory therapist also said that his lungs are sounding the same as they did yesterday, so they are not seeing much improvement there. Hopefully his body will continue to fight the bacterial and viral infections. They are going to keep him here another night and see how he does tomorrow.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying and sending messages. Love you all!!

Kolton Update--2/27 8 p.m.

We're still in the hospital, but we have another answer to our questions of what is wrong with the little man...in addition to the bacterial pneumonia he has RSV. The RSV has been mostly responsible for the breathing issues, which are gradually improving. He finally is off oxygen. He still has the tubes in his nose, though, because they want to make sure he does okay through tonight. They also think he has a bit of reflux, and we are starting to thicken his formula with a bit of rice cereal...kinda funny since I always thought it was one of the worst things to do to a baby! :-) He is taking around 2 ounces each time he eats, and he is still really trying to catch up on his sleep. The good news is also that they got an IV in a few hours ago, so he is getting good fluids and also antibiotics...the bad news is that they had to put it in his head...which is somewhat traumatizing for his momma. Overall, though, I'm glad they found out what was causing so many problems in the little guy. I guess it has been a exceptionally bad year for RSV...lots of babies hospitalized. Hopefully Kolton will continue to improve his breathing and start eating better...and then we'll be able to go home soon.

Pneumonia--Round 2

Well, Kolton hasn't been feeling well for about a week now, and yesterday we were advised by our pediatrician to take him into the ER. He was adamantly refusing bottles, was getting dehydrated, and wasn't breathing very well. He was admitted at Holland Hospital, and they tried 12 times to get an IV in...unsuccessful each time. Last night his breathing got worse and we still didn't have an IV, so they made the decision to transport him to DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids. My little man (and his momma) had their first ambulance ride. When we got here, they were able to get an IV started after only 2 more tries (14 total for the day) and he started getting fluids and antibiotics. After about an hour, the IV dried up. He has taken a bit of fluids in this morning through a bottle, but they're going to attempt another IV as he is still retracting while breathing and his respiratory rate is still high 60s-80s...when 30s-40s is normal. Oh, and by the way, the pneumonia is back again. They will be doing additional tests to see if there is something else at play...as this is the second time he has had pneumonia within a month.

There is a computer in the family lounge here, so I will try to update frequently with any news. Please pray for my little man!

Kolton Update 1/30

...the sign outside his hospital room...everyone had to wear gowns and masks.

Well, the man came home on Monday. We finally could leave after he got his final dose of one of the antibiotics he was on. He was very happy to be home...and was extremely happy to be able to bounce again in his jumparoo!

Kaylynn is glad her brother is back home and is anxious for him to go back to school with her. Kolton has been staying home with Grandma all week. Grandma was so good to us that she stayed the whole week so the little man didn't have to go back to school right away. The doctor said he shouldn't go back for a week. Mama is a little nervous about bringing him back on Monday though...

Here's a picture of the hospital bed the little man had to stay in. We called it the tiger's cage...you'll see why.

Here's his poor little foot. He spent the little energy he had trying to pry the IV out. He would wedge his toe on the other foot under the tape and kick!

And finally, the day he came home:

Kolton Update 1/25

So here it is Sunday evening, and I'm just getting home to shower. The man has been doing better today. In fact, this afternoon they put a saline block on his IV, so he's not getting fluids anymore. He still has the IV just in case. It's looking like he will be able to come home tomorrow, as long as he doesn't throw up again. Today he has a much more color to his skin, and he is more interested in his new dog and cow rattles from the gift shop (thanks to Grandma)! This will be his 4th night in the hospital, and this is one mama that hopes this never happens again. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I'm off to shower!

Sick little man...

Kolton Update:

Kolton hasn't been feeling well, so I made an appointment for him Thursday afternoon. He had a fever of 102 for a day already. They tested for RSV, and it came back negative. Our doctor called back at 9 pm that night saying the RSV came back negative. They didn't know why he had such a high fever, so we had to take Kolton to the ER. There he was diagnosed with pneumonia and admitted into the hospital. They were unsuccessful at getting an IV in after many (at least 5) attempts. :-( They also couldn't get at his veins for bloodwork, and eventually got some from his heel. That was also traumatic, because they had to squeeze his foot for at least 5 minutes to get enough out. The results came back as being bacterial pneumonia (instead of viral pneumonia)...which is good from a contagious standpoint. Viral is, I guess, contagious for up to 4 weeks...thank goodness it's not that.

On Friday he started to get better, and was drinking Pedialyte and formula. His fever seemed to be getting better. But then Friday night he started throwing up everything he had eaten. His fever spiked to 103 around midnight. He has been losing weight, too. Today they decided he was getting too dehydrated and decided to do an IV. After 3 more unsuccessful attempts, they finally got it in his foot. I had to leave the room because I couldn't take it. Nate said they even tried in his head. So we will be staying another night in the hospital for sure. Please pray for my little man.

It also has been a rough couple days for me, too. Yesterday I went to the doctor myself and got some antibiotics for my sinus infection. I haven't been feeling very good and, of course, not getting much sleep staying in the hospital. Luckily my mom came over and is helping out a ton!

Well, I am going to try to get a bit of sleep before going back to the hospital. I will try to keep you all updated with another post tomorrow hopefully. Thank you all for your prayers and concern.