Dylan in Clothes

February 20th - February 23rd

Another milestone. We just had to send photos of Dylan's first outfit (aside from hospital wires, tubes and of-course diapers). He's still doing great. 3 pounds 4 ounces! Brandi got to hold him last night wrapped in warm blankets and this little sleeper. Oh, the joy!

Six Week Update

February 10th – February 19th

Today is Dylan’s 6 week birthday and he is doing amazing. The doctors say that he is already trying to escape the incubator by rolling around and every so often he pulls the nasal prongs out and thinks that he can breathe completely on his own (which he does). I think he got his stubbornness from both his mom and dad.

The progress that he has made in the last three weeks is remarkable, from removal of all arterial and interveneous lines, to removal of the oxygen mask and almost all medications, to the almost doubling in size from 1lb 10oz to 3lbs 1 oz.

It is truly a miracle!! Dylan’s will to live is beyond our wildest hopes and dreams. He looks and feels like a real baby now! We thought Andrew was small at 6 pounds but now I can't even imagine what Dylan is going to look like at 6 pounds because he seems so big at 3 pounds! (What a change in perspective)

Brandi has been spending more time with Dylan lately as he is stable enough to be held for longer periods of time. We are also very optimistic that he will be able to come home in early April.

Four Week Update

February 3rd – February 9th

It is difficult to think of the intensive care nursery as being home for our son for three months, but it’s comforting to know that we have already made it through one month. We have come to appreciate the incredible nature of modern medicine and well-trained doctors, but the most amazing part of it all is how strong and resilient even the smallest child can be.

This was quite possibly Dylan’s best week so far as the doctors continued to cut back on his medications for blood pressure and have been able to turn down the pressure and oxygen levels on his breathing mask. He did have another blood transfusion last night, but we hope this is the last one he needs.

Most importantly, we have been able to hold Dylan for about an hour every day. It is almost like there is nothing else going on around when Dylan is in our arms.

It is amazing to see his progress, from increasing his feedings from 1ml to 18ml every 3 hours, and just today to cutting back the now unnecessary intravenous nutrition. The doctors are even talking about taking off the oxygen mask as early as next week.

However, the real confirmation was when the doctors told us that Dylan has a greater than 90 percent chance of survival (from less than a 75 percent chance at birth). Those with a glass half empty mindset may dwell on the fact that there is still a 10 percent chance of him being taken from us, but we are overwhelmed with joy, that he has come this far and optimistic about bringing him home in April.

Today is Dylan’s 1 month birthday and, although it may not sound like much, we are happy to say that he is now 2 pounds 9 ounces!

Dylan's 3 Week Update

January 31th-February 2nd

On January 30, 2009, Dylan Thomas Klintworth turned 3 weeks old and at a meager 1 lb 12 ounces, we watched as they put him in the ambulance to transport him from Children’s Hospital to John Muir.

When he arrived at John Muir, we immediately thanked God that he was back in Walnut Creek as the doctor exclaimed, “Dylan loved the ride in the ambulance and did very well. He is one of those babies that you could probably put on the washing machine and he would immediately go to sleep.”

Dylan immediately settled into the environment as the nurses kept the lights dim and tucked him in tightly to his quiet isolette. He must have gotten a bit too comfortable as his blood pressure dropped significantly to the point where the doctors were a bit worried about him. However they reacted quickly to get him the medication he needed to bring his blood pressure up in a relatively short period of time and ensure that his kidneys continued to work appropriately.

Uneventful days are the best possible days at the ICU for Dylan. This is exactly what Saturday, Sunday and Monday brought as Mom and Dad relished the time with him in the ICU while he was stable and seemed to be doing better daily.

However, the most amazing part of this is the fact that both Mom and Dad were able to spend time holding him. There are many times during our lives where we have enjoyed time bonding, but this was the ultimate. It was a time where Dad was overjoyed to be able to say that he had a family of 4 and was more than timely therapy for Mom. Some of the littlest things these days seem to be significant in our lives.

As of today, Dylan is 2lbs 1 ounce and doing very well in the ICU, but things are changing each minute of the day (We hope for the better!!). I am sure that he is very excited to have a visit this week from Aunt Janelle and Grammy.

Thanks to all of you that have been praying for Dylan and have been a constant support to us through the past three weeks (Food, Babysitting and Wishes). We would not have been able to get to this point without all of you!!!