Baby Christian's Journey to Life

It's Been Too Long

2009-09-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

So, wow... So many hings have changed since the last post. Bad news first... Bryan and I separated. Long and drawn out story, but life goes on and we are both very focused on making sure that our son is well cared for and loved. Now all of the good things... He is talking! Yay! He has become an expert in sign language as I have taught him to communicate that way since he refused to speak. However, the other day, as we were snuggling in bed (our morning ritual) he lay there stroking my arm whispering "Mama, eat. Mama, eat." I was so shocked, but it was the sweetest thing EVER! So I got up and we made pancakes together. When I sat him in his high chair, he pointed to his pancake and said "pancake". Can you believe it!? He just woke up and decided to talk! I love it. He still uses sign all day, but he says new words every day! Goodness this is so exciting! He has been doing well health wise. He had a bit of a bug for about two weeks that really had me concerned, but all checked okay and he was better in no time. He is so dang smart it amazes me! Here are a few new pictures of my little man!

Getting his first haircut... he didn't like it AT ALL!

All done with the hair cut! A much happier baby boy!

He loves balloons. Flashing his signature smile!

His mustache that he got out of the toy machine! He loved it!

All his teeth! Yay! What a cute little smile!

Getting BIIIIIG!

2009-04-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! Is this weather not awesome!? We have made the most of it by spending plenty of time out in the sun looking like white sunblock monsters! Christian loves playing outside... it's almost like pulling teeth to get him back inside! We had to go visit Dr. Chunn, Christian's pediatrician... turns out that our little man has acid reflux. Seriously, if it's not one thing with him, it's another... poor guy. So we have another medication to add to his list. There really isn't too much to report right now... I can't complain though. A calm life is a less stressful life in my eyes! We hope that every body is well and in good health.
Mommy

Very special thanks to Jessica Coleman for taking such beautiful pictures of my son!

He is so beautiful.

A Ray of Light

2009-03-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

As many people are looking for work in central Oregon, I have finally found a part time job in an area I am passionate about, senior care. It is only part time right now and is still not enough to get all of our bills paid, but it is a start. Sparrow club of Sisters has been a God-send, and we have been able to use our funds there for the bills this last month. Thanks you so much to all of our friends in Sisters. Without you, we would be lost. I have the opportunity to test with Seattle Police in May, so keep your fingers crossed that the testing goes well there.
Christian is doing fantastic! He has learned many different sign language signs seeing as how he has refused to start talking outside of the typical mama, dada, nana, duck and yeah. He is sooooo smart. He loves his fishy "Dorothy #2" Dorothy #1 decided that it was time to take an upside down nap last week. Every morning when C wakes up, he points to Dorothy #2 and wants to feed her. What a responsible little guy! He had the flu pretty bad two weeks ago. I was so scared because from the day he was born, doctors have told us that even a cold or flu could kill him due to his severe heart condition. It took about a week for him to recover, and now that our carpets have been shampooed, things are much better. Please continue to keep his health in your prayers.
Another bit of wonderful news, a little baby boy with the same heart condition as Christian recently received a heart! Little Leighton Harper (caringbridge.com/visit/leightonharper) made it through his transplant surgery and has made it home! Please also keep him and his family in your prayers.
We had Christian's pictures done a couple of weeks ago, so please enjoy the new photos! Happy spring to everyone and be sure to hug and kiss your loved ones!
Mommy

Isn't he just the most precious little guy!?

New Hurdles to Jump

2009-02-15T13:51:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a whirlwind of a week for us. I just finished up a handful of mid-terms as well as a testing session with the Oregon State Police. Mid-terms went well and testing with OSP could have gone better. Not only did Bryan wake up with a severe head cold, but myself, my friend Jenny and Bryan all failed the physical portion of the test. Oh well, we have an invitation to try again in September, so wish us luck!

Just as Bryan is getting over his cold, Christian has started coughing... poor guy... he has never had a cold before and the one going around this part of Oregon is especially brutal. We have taken him to get shots that help prevent him from getting RSV, so we are hoping it will just be a simple form of the common cold.

Along with all of the other millions of things going on, I am now looking for a new job. The coffee shop that I managed had to close it's doors. This economy is just too hard for most businesses to survive. Please keep the owners, six other employees and myself in your prayers as we are all trying to find employment in a town that has been sucked dry.

Christian has been growing like a weed (in my eyes) he is still just over 17 lbs, but he is all attitude! No matter what is going on, he has the biggest smile on his face. He is getting his eye teeth, which have been bleeding anytime he bites in to anything, he has had a fever and runny poop, but that does not keep him from being his usual goofy self. He has discovered that the baby in the mirror is himself! Yay! It is the funniest thing! He loves to kiss himself and make silly faces. He has been sleeping through the night which is awesome. For those of you saying "he's just now sleeping through the night" let me elaborate. Ever since he was born, he has had a feeding tube which we used to feed him throughout the day. At nights, he was hooked to a pump that fed him throughout the night. When the doctors told us that he no longer needed the feeding tube, his little body took about eight months to adjust to not getting food all of the time, so he is finally adjusted! Well, he is starting to wake up, so enjoy some new pictures and keep us in your prayers.

Mommy

Just being himself

Silly boy

Trying to fatten him up a bit! Vanilla frosting!

Cutie bug

14 Months!

2009-01-11T18:54:00.000-08:00

We have had so much going on! I have once again started up with my criminal justice degree as well as placing my application in with the Oregon State Police! Yay! Back to school full time, working full time and raising a rambunctious little one year old is quite the life! He is now saying something new almost every day. Yesterday, when he was done eating his breakfast, he raised his arms and said "All done!" We're up to two word combos! He also says "dog", "hat", "hot" and "that". He'll point at anything and say, "that". He is just too darn cute! Still not too much luck in the hair growing department... but the hair that is there is blonde... where did that come from? We love using gel and giving him a mohawk. He is very in to brushing the eight teeth that he has. He has also entered in to the temper tantrum stage! Boy is it fun when he throws himself down and begins to kick and scream... ahhhhh, the joys of parenthood. In a way, it's kind of funny... I find myself trying to hide the smile that begins to inch across my face when he does this. Oh my goodness, and if anyone needs a kiss, he will gladly give you one... he will literally go around kissing EVERYTHING! What a lover. We hope that everyone has had a wonderful begining to their new year. Well, it's off to bed for the little one.

Mommy

These pictures are from a babyshower we attended. Pictures courtesy of K.O. Photography

Me and my baby bug

He loves this little duck!

Sugar high!

Big brown doe eyes.

I LOVE CAKE!

So Many Changes!

2008-12-18T18:37:00.000-08:00

A little spitfire at 17 lbs! Dynamite comes in small packages! He does not walk, he runs... EVERYWHERE! He is so curious too. Always opening everything he can, pushing and pulling things that move and "hiding" things. I have started teaching him to pick up his toys, so when he places a toy back in the toy box, I clap for him. He took that and applied it everywhere. He will take a toy and put in his drawer and then clap for himself! It is so cute! However, now I find his shoes in the potholder drawer, my keys in the bathtub and so on. Another new development is his first word other than mama, dada, baba and nana... Duck! It actually comes out Guck, but it is so cute! He had started saying ga ga ga. You know, "G"'s so I got out his rubber duck and now he runs around holding the duck saying "Guck! Guck! Guck!" Silly baby! He is also being weaned off bottles and mostly drinks out of his sippy cups. I couldn't love anyone more! He is my greatest accomplishment!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Love Mommy

Drinking out of a sippy cup and watching Elmo!

Chillin' in his bath robe! Thanks Auntie Lori!

He is also obsessed with headstands! Gotta love it!

Christians party and our trip to the Oregon coast

2008-11-27T04:02:00.000-08:00

Look at those shiny whites!

Nicole, Bryan and Christian in Pacific City

Christian loves being upside down

Christian wanting Gumba to pick him up

Christian playing with his cute little cousin

Little man at his birthday party.

We cannot believe that he is one already!

His birthday board at the fire station.

Loving his loot!

Big birthday boy!!!!

Christian had his first birthday party at the fire station that Pappy and Gumba work at. It was so funny to see him interacting with everyone. He was walking all over the place and visiting. It was like he knew everyone was there just for him. Very cute. He got so many presents. But the best present he got was the love from all who know him.

Last weekend we all went to the coast for an early Thanksgiving with Pappy's family. We had a great time. Christian was in a great mood even after the 4 hour car ride! Of course I was sitting next to him in the back seat so got to make him giggle a lot and hold his hand while he slept. He enjoyed eating everything but did not want to sleep much. Nicole and Bryan were worn out by the time we headed home.

Again, thanks for dropping in and checking on us. We appreciate it so much.

Gumba

Christian is 1 !!!!!

2008-11-14T12:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday our little man turned 1! We are so excited. Christian would just cut eyes at anyone who sang Happy Birthday to him. It was pretty funny. Pappy dropped by and gave him a cool ball that rolls by it's self and plays music. He liked that. I am finishing up a quilt for him. It is all bright colors and jungle animals. He went to his other grandma's for a special dinner last night and got some awesome and yummy looking cupcakes. I have attached the picture Grandma Sharon sent to me. Enjoy!

If you happen to be in the area tomorrow, November 15th, stop by the Sisters Fire Station for his big birthday bash.

Halloween 2008!

2008-11-02T21:03:00.001-08:00

Adorable cannot even begin to describe baby Christian this Halloween! He sure was a HOOT! OK OK I know that was a lame joke.

Christian came out to see Gumba and Pappy and go to the fire stations annual carnival where Pappy was working. He had a great time but was very tired and got cranky.

I hope you all enjoy these pictures. He is sure getting fun to take pictures of! I guess he knows he is incredibly handsome and loved a ton!

Thanks for visiting with us again!

Gumba

Who can resist this face??? Not me!!!

2008-10-28T08:07:00.001-07:00

Being as adorable as Christian cannot be easy! I am sure it is a full days work for him. He carries it all very well. The stress has got to be amazing.

Christian is turning one year old next month. That is shocking to me! It seems like just yesterday we were sitting with Nicole and Bryan while the doctors were giving them the choice to abort. A wise decision was made that day and look what we have! An adorable boy that is a complete joy to everyone who meets him!

Christian is such a wonderful addition to our family. He makes everyone smile and laugh. We could not imagine a world without him.

Christian is now 16 pounds! He is walking now and again although he would rather be carried! He is saying some words and trying new things all of the time. The doctor said he needs to start drinking out of a sippie cup with his meals now. I am telling you, he is growing up so fast!

So enjoy these pictures like we do. Know that we love this little man more than anyone can imagine. He is a gift to us and all who meet him.

Ohhhhh... Christian has been chosen to be the Sparrow Child at Sisters High School! Google Sparrow Clubs if you are unfamiliar with the organization. They are wonderful. I have supported the club for many years never realizing my grandson would be a Sparrow Child.

Love you all!!!!

Grandma Whee

Ain't I just adorable?

Konked out on dad. I drool a lot (like dad)

I will call him Mini Me!

What the heck is this thing over me?

Can I be any cuter??? I don't think so!!!!

First Steps

2008-10-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

So our little one took his first steps on Sept. 11th! Yay! He is now pushing his little lawn mower toy around like crazy! He decided to pop out another tooth on the bottom. We're up to seven in there! He says mama and dada . He met his great grandma (GiGi) this week and loves her! This child is growing like a weed! He had just grown in to a size 6 moths this august and is now in size 9 months! Look out normal babies, Christian's catching up! Mommy got promoted to manager! Yay! And Daddy is on a quest for a police officer job. We are sooo excited to celebrate Christian's first Halloween... I'll surprise everyone with what he is when we post pictures. Well, I'll post a few new pictures and we'll write again soon.
Mommy

Well, I can't get the pictures to upload, but I will try again tomorrow!

My Indigo Child

2008-10-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

I truly believe that there are children sent to this earth to teach us new and amazing things. Children who can see things we can't, know things we do not and will change this world in a more dramatic way than we could ever imagine. These children are being sent to help heal our wounded world and bring peace. Their gifts should not be ignored, but rather praised and encouraged.

While I was pregnant with Christian, I went to the state fair. While walking through a building, a woman sitting at a small table stopped me as I passed and said simply this, "Your son will change the world."

She knew nothing of his health nor did she know he was a he. I had never met this woman before. Chills ran down my spine, but I was touched.

That very same day, as I was walking around outside, a man in a wheelchair stopped me and asked if he could touch my stomach. I had been asked this many times, and never minded, so I let him. He reached out his hand to touch my stomach and shut his eyes. When he let go, he look up at me and said, "This little boy is very special. He will do amazing things. Thank you." Again, this man knew nothing of his condition nor that I was carrying a son.

Ever since Christian was born, he has attracted abnormal amounts of attention. He has developed months past normal children his age and has been said to be too attentive for a child his age. His eyes are so deep and feel as if they have seen many lives before this one. He is an old soul.

My son is a miracle, there is no question about that, but there is so much more to him. He is on this earth for a reason, as we all are, yet I can't help but feel that his purpose is much greater. He will change our world. The indigo children are here to bring love, peace, humanity and wisdom to our planet.

Sometimes...

2008-09-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes babies are just so stinkin' cute! Well, they are cute all of the time, but sometimes just more.

I had the honor of babysitting Christian the other day and just had to take these pictures. He was playing on the floor and then just crawled up onto my lap, put his head down on my shoulder and went to sleep. Reluctantly, I placed him down on the couch so I could snap a few pics. I have attached them to this posting.

Please keep a friend of this blog in your thoughts and prayers. Leighton Harper was born almost 2 weeks ago with Hypoplastic Left Heart. He has had his first surgery and is doing OK. He weighed only 3 pounds 10 ounces. Mom, dad and baby are hanging in there.

Thanks for popping in and checking on us!

Grandma Whee

Christian just loves my soft pillows. He snuggles in.
He is just so dang cute sleeping!

This is the friendship bracelet Nicole made for him. Cute cute cute!

Ten months!

2008-09-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

My mom is nagging me to update y'all so here we go! Boy is this child growing... and fast! He is now over 15 lbs. and not only crawling, but standing UNSUPPORTED! He'l be walking any day now! He has four top teeth and two bottom teeth! it feels like I just brought him home and he's almost a year old! Crazy how time goes by! Christian and I took a trip to Eugene to visit a friend who just had a baby two months ago and we had a blast. Not too much more to report, enjoy the pictures!
Mommy

First standing unsupported moment caught on camera!

Crawling crawling crawling!

Cutie little guy!

Walking the butte!

Saved the best for last!

2008-08-04T22:55:00.001-07:00

Christian got his first tattoo at the Deschutes County Fair on Friday. He has the look of a true crime fighter!

Much Needed Pictures

2008-08-04T22:46:00.001-07:00

Sleepy little man... so cute

Enjoying mom's 21st birthday cake
Little man loves his chocolate!

Hmmmmmm... had a few??? Nicoles 21st B-Day

Auntie Kady reading to baby Christian

Christian loves his caps! Ain't he a cutie?

Well here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Nicole and Christian came over tonight for a special dinner and birthday cake. Nicole had her 21st birthday on July 30th and Kyrsten had her 15th birthday August 4th. I made crab, shrimp and mushroom stuffed prime rib steaks on the BBQ for dinner and then we had banana split cake. Yummy!!!!!

Thanks for popping in and checking on us!

Grandma Whee

Time flies!

2008-07-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

Well, again I have no pictures. My camera is in Pappy's truck, but I decided to post anyway...

Well, we have found out some bad news recently. Christian was diagnosed by the neurologist with Cerebral Palsy. It is the mildest form, but sucks nonetheless! The doc says that really the only thing we may notice is Christian might show slight clumsiness. Hopefully we will be getting more info soon as we have contacted the United Cerebral Palsy organization and they gave us some contact numbers of local people to call.

We spent all of last week at Wickiup Reservoir. A great time was had by all! Christian got to come out one day and enjoyed the shade with Pappy while mommy and Grandma Whee fried their skin off sunning out on the lake. I am sure some skin with grow back now that the blisters are gone and I am slightly less lizard like.

Bryan is looking into some employment closer to home. Hopefully it will come to fruition. He sure is an awesome guy, probably a genius too. And talk about a looker!! Also there is talk of possibly a move to Sisters. I have my fingers crossed for that!

Well, that's about it for now. I will have Nicole add some pictures when she gets a chance.

Thanks for popping in!

Grandma Whee

Laine Harper

2008-07-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

We had a response to a post from a Laine Harper. Unfortunately there is no link back to her. We want so much to get in contact with her. Please, if you know Laine Harper e-mail me directly at d_dwheeler@yahoo.com (there is an underscore between the two d's)

We just want to be a support for her and her unborn baby...

Denise (aka Grandma Whee)

Eight Months!

2008-07-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

Our little Christian is eight months old! Wow how time flies! He just started teething again... working on his eye teeth! He came down with viral diarrhea and has been miserable the past three days. The doctors gave me some tips and put him on a special diet until he starts feeling better. His poor bottom is so raw:( Good news is he's crawling! This child is EVERYWHERE!!!! Seriously, there is no need for me to hit the gym when I run around all day chasing after him! He has started saying mama and dada... but usually only when he's crying. Oh well, I'm excited none the less! He's doing great heart wise. Although he is eight months old, he is the size of a three month old. It's the funniest thing to see a baby so small crawling around! I will post pictures as soon as Bryan brings my camera back! Until then, enjoy the weather and thanks for stopping in!

Baby in the water!

2008-07-03T08:14:00.001-07:00

Looks like he is really concentrating!

Goofy little smile... LOVE IT!

Baby and Daddy...

We took Christian, mommy and daddy to Eagle Crest for a day in the pool and sun. Christian seemed to really enjoy the water a lot! We had a great time. Christian got nice and tan while I (Grandma) got totally fried! He really enjoys the water and splashing. It was a wonderful day and we are all so thankful that he is well enough to go places with us.

Christian is now 13 pounds! He is growing like a weed. He really enjoys his food. Especially bananas.

Thanks for popping in!

Found a Cute Picture!

2008-06-10T19:50:00.001-07:00

Well, take out the goofy looking grandma and we have one super cute picture! Doesn't it look like he is giving that all innocent look? But we know better! I have discovered that I can take semi-ok pictures all by myself. I thought my arms were too stubby, but guess not.

Ohhhh... he had a doctors appt and he is now 12lbs 13oz and they took his feeding tube out. He is nose-noodle less now! YIPPEE!!!!! He is so cute.

Thanks for stopping in!

Grandma Whee

My Little Man

2008-06-09T22:27:00.000-07:00

Maybe chewing these fingers will make me quit crying!
Little man knows how to attract the chicks!

Christian is getting so big! It seems every time I see him he is so much bigger! He is sitting up by himself. He is standing supported. Now maybe he will get some hair back! He is so bald! But thank goodness I love a bald head!

Bryan is gone until tomorrow. He has been gone for 4 days flying. Nicole will be happy to have him back. Christian has decided that he likes to scream. Real loud. Often.

I got to babysit Christian the other day. It sure was fun. But for a little guy with just half a heart he sure has a full set of lungs! He does a scream that makes your ear drums hurt. I am not exaggerating. They actually vibrate so hard that they hurt! I think my hearing is going to be damaged if he does not stop that pretty soon.

Tonight we are bracing for snow. Can you believe it??? Here it is almost the middle of June and we are expecting snow! I had to go out and cover all of my flowers and plants. I have to work the rodeo (remember, I am a medic) this Saturday. I hope it is warmer by then.

Anyway, thanks for popping in and checking on us. Things are pretty smooth going for the little man now. It is just a big waiting game.

Take care!

Grandma Whee

No Pictures, but here is some news

2008-05-25T21:06:00.001-07:00

Can you believe that I am just now looking at the blog after a few weeks??? Here are some updates for you...

The teeth look great! Two big un's on the bottom! Sharp little suckers too!

Porter came home! He was wandering for 8 days! He came home the same day Bryan got home from training! Weird! He was a bit skinny but none the worse for wear.

I have not seen anywhere on the blog but Christian did have a small stroke around the 26th of last month. He is recovering quickly and you cannot even notice anything happened. He has some left side weakness but that is improving everyday. Where he had no movement he now does and he grips with his left hand now but it is just a bit weak. Other than that he is doing great. He goes to the doctor Wednesday and we will see if he gets to take his nose noodle out. He will be so much happier without the feeding tube!

I went on Friday and kidnapped Christian. He got to spend the night with me and Pappy without mom and dad! He did great. Slept like a baby. Up every 2 hours. But he would drink a bit of his bottle and go right back to sleep. He was so wonderful. Bryan and Nicole came over Saturday night to get him and also to enjoy a BBQ here. I made terriyaki chicken out on the grill. I knew that Bryan is not a huge chicken fan so I made him burgers.

Anyway, that's about all for now. I will work on some more pictures. I actually have some but I am on hubby's computer and it for some reason does not like to load pictures. So, I am sure Nicole will add some soon.

Thanks for popping in and checking on us! We love you all!

Grandma Whee

6 Months!

2008-05-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

Happy six month birthday to Christian! Yay! I can't believe that he is half a year already! Amazing! Not too much to report since Saturday. Porter is still missing :( We'll keep looking for him though. Ohana means family... family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten. Bryan gets to come home on Sunday! Can't wait! Here's the best picture I could get of little one's two bottom teeth!

The two teeth he worked so very hard on!

Fireman Boopie to the rescue!

Huston, we have a tooth! Make that two!

2008-05-10T23:00:00.000-07:00

Yay! Christian has been working very hard at getting those suckers to come through. One came through yesturday and the other is just now getting through! As you can imagine, I am thrilled that I may be able to get a moment's peace from the constant crying that tags along with those pesky first teeth. He has been in a wonderful mood today though. Gramma Sharon took him for the day so that I could look for our puppy Porter. Both him and Onyx got out this morning, and only Onyx has returned. Keep your fingers crossed for his safe return. Bryan is doing great over in Denver. He can't wait to get home, but has passed every test. He should be getting home on the 18th of this month. Happy Mother's Day to all of you ladies with babies! Single dads too! I'll post pictures as soon as I can get Christian's squirmy little tongue out of the way of those pearly whites!

First Trip To The Ranch

2008-04-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

Christian and Gramma Sharon with Quinn

Me getting back in the saddle!

Christian awe struck by all of the "big doggies"

Kisses for Quinny!

Christian and I went with Gramma Sharon to visit her horse Quinn. It was 80 degrees and perfect for riding! It was a bit too hot for Christian at first, so he go to lounge around in his diaper while Gramma and I took turns riding. We all had a blast! The weather cooled a bit and the wind picked up, so we called it a day and Quinn back to groom him and let him back out in the field. Christian had sooooo much fun! He loved petting the horses and even gave Quinny a kiss! It was adorable! After a warm day at the ranch, we decided to grab some dinner at Applebees and then settle down for the night.

Grammy Whee left for her cruise yesterday, and Great Grandpa Rex is in town. I think that I'm going to go visit Bryan in Denver this Friday and come back Sunday. Christian can't fly for another 4 weeks. But after that, we plan on doing a lot of traveling this summer. We're planning on visiting at least Hawaii and D.C. Free airline tickets are great!

Christian is trying to pop his first tooth through... and he's been such a gem as you can imagine! He may only have half of a heart, but boy his lungs sure work great! He is eating solid foods a couple times a day now and is doing so well with it! What a big boy! We'll talk to you guys soon!

2008-04-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm...Cookie!

My little cookie monster!

We have been home for five days, and have enjoyed each one of them. Bryan is in Denver for another three weeks of training. Christian is doing so well! He is eating some fruits and has rice cereal in the mornings. He had his first cookie experience tonight at Grammy Whee's. It was adorable! Well, anything he does is adorable, but you catch my drift. His incision is healing well and all stitches are gone. We'll et some more pictures up soon... have a GREAT weekend!

Nicole

WE ARE HOME!!!!!

2008-04-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

Well, with all of us cracking the whip over some heads today we were finally discharged about noon. We went to lunch and then hit the road. We pulled into our (Grandma Whee and Pappy's) house at 5:15 and then Christian and fan club had another 25 minutes driving till they got home. It sure is nice to be back. I know we have more pics but will post them later. Lot's to do to get ready for work tomorrow.

Thanks for checking on us!

Grandma Whee

Still here

2008-04-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

Pappy and Kady playing with Christian.
Grandma Whee playing with Christian
It's tough being so stinkin' cute!
Plum tuckered out!

The view of Portland from the hospital

Well, we ended up staying another night. Christians doctors got a bit side tracked and forgot to lay out the discharge orders for us. SOOOOO hopefully tomorrow will be the big day. There is a ton of snow on the pass and of course we do not have our snow tires on any more. I am sure it is going to be a long drive home. I will let you all know what happens tomorrow...

Grandma Whee

Like It Never Happened!

2008-04-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

Christian is doing wonderful! Only three days after surgery, his is almost back to his normal self; smiles and all! We took a trip with Gramma Whee to the 3rd floor cafe this afternoon and it was so much fun to have him with us! We were supposed to be heading home today, but due to some very minor fluid retention, he has to stay at least one more night. They did a chest x-ray, an echo and a blood test to see if anything was wrong, but all came back negative! We think that it was just a way for the nurses to keep him here. They have all fallen in love with Christian. Please leave a comment to say you stopped in! We'll update again either tonight or tomorrow.
Nicole

(Pictures aren't uploading at the moment, but I will add them as soon as I can)

Thursday 11:30 am

2008-04-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Christian had a rough night. Not always him though. His IV monitor keep alarming and waking him up. He kept bending his arm and it would slow the flow setting off the alarm. So I got about 30 minutes of sleep. I am pooped.

Christian was able to get off the supplemental oxygen at midnight last night. Whoo Hoo! Now, this morning they have taken him off of the IV drip. They still have a small IV port on him but that is just to give him his meds when he needs them. He is still hooked up to the heart monitor but that is to be expected. He still has not pooped but he has tooted ALOT and boy are they killer ones!

This morning he was having a hard time and crying non-stop so I decided that he needed to be held. The nurse helped get him and all his wires and as soon as I picked him up he stopped crying and went to sleep. It was so sweet!

We went for chest x-rays a bit ago. He even sat upright for those and did not cry as long as he could see me. Another sweet time!

Nicole and Bryan came back at 11:00 well rested and ready for a day with the boy. Bryan is holding him right now and enjoying every minute.

So, that's it for now. I will do pictures later and post more news...

Hugs!

Grandma Whee

And we have moved again!

2008-04-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

We are now on the recovery floor of Doernbecher's. Christian is doing so good! Everyone is amazed at how fast he is recovering. His color is totally different from before. He is now a nice pink baby as opposed to a blue baby. It is so nice to see.

Be sure to leave your comments so we can know who all popped in to see us!

Grandma Whee

Look what I found this morning...

2008-04-16T11:45:00.001-07:00

This morning Christian has made a remarkable move to being better! After taking out the breathing tube last night, they took out the drain tubes this morning along with the IV they had in his neck. He was crying and as soon as Nicole came in he quit. Now he is enjoying being held by mommy. I am planning on spending the night with him to make sure he has someone familiar with him. But he sure looks good! He will be moved up to the 9th floor later today for the remainder of his recovery. I cannot tell you how excellent he is doing and looking! Everyone is amazed! I will post later today when we move and give you all the new room number...

Grandma Whee

Extubated!

2008-04-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

Christian was extubated tonight at 8:30! He is doing great! He even let out a nice toot! (That is a very important thing in the medical community.) He is still crying a lot as you can imagine. At first there was no sound, just tears, but now that the breathing tube is out, he makes little hoarse cries. It is the saddest thing EVER! He is waking up more and more, but they keep him pretty drugged up so that he doesn't get carried away and pulls out tubes. His little face is so swollen, it doesn't even look like him. They said that the swelling will most likely be worse tomorrow as will the pain level, but after that, things should be getting better. We'll post more pictures and updates tomorrow. Good night!
Nicole and Bryan

We are in our room now

2008-04-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

Christian is starting to wake up a bit now. He looks so tiny in this big boy crib! He is puffy and a bit snotty and drooly but still super cute. They are going to see about extubating him later this afternoon or evening. That would be nice. Nicole and Bryan are doing very well. Bryans mom showed up at noon and we have had a great time oogeling the boy. I think I am going to be staying tonight here with Christian while everyone else goes and gets a good nights sleep. I will post through out the day...

Grandma Whee

He is done!

2008-04-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

We are going to get to go and see Christian in 30 minutes! He made it through surgery just fine. He will be on the breathing machine for today and tonight and should be able to go home in a week. I will take pictures and post them soon... Grandma Whee

11:01 update

2008-04-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

The nurse just called and said that they were done with the repair. They are just doing another echo to make sure they done before they take him off of the bypass machine. Hopefully he will be in his room in an hour or two. I will post with more news as we get it...

Grandma Whee

9:21 am

2008-04-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

The nurse just called and let us know they had just opened Christians chest. Now the work begins... send those good thoughts!

Surgery day!

2008-04-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are in Portland again. Christian is back with the surgical prep team and should go into surgery at 8:30ish or so. He is supposed to be done at noonish. I will post as news comes in. Please leave comments so we can know who all popped in... Grandma Whee

Back in Portland (Urrrrrrrg!)

2008-04-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

We left for Portland yesterday at 6 in the morning. Christian's first appointment was at 11:30 and we were out of there by three. Everything is looking wonderful for his next surgery. We drove around Portland until we found Washington Square where we just HAD to stop at Build A Bear and make Christian a triceratops! We have lovingly named it Hegleck...yes, Hegleck. (That was one of Christian's first sounds.) He LOVES his dino! We got our room at Ronald McDonald, took a nap and Auntie Ashy and uncle Joshy (My friends from high school) picked us up and we all had a great dinner. We had so much fun last night and Christian was such a good boy. We didn't get back to our room until 10:30, so little one was very sleepy. Unfortunately, with babies, being really tired doesn't always mean that they will sleep! He was up a lot last night! Mostly because he was hungry, but he couldn't eat anything because of his heart cath today! Poor guy! He has been starving all morning! I feel so bad. He is in the operating room right now having a pretty simple procedure done. They are threading a camera to his heart through his femoral artery. He should be done in a couple of hours. Surgery is Tuesday and we're hoping to be back home by the 21st. Keep your fingers crossed! Please keep our little trooper in your thoughts. We'll keep you updated!
Nicole

Enjoying his exersaucer!

Taking his first drink of the good stuff!

Daddy, Christian and Hegleck

Keeping his eye on Whitney (the echo tech)

Getting an EKG

Busy day, but still big smiles!

Sportin' the "gown"

Just realized that he's going to get poked...again!

Much better after some special medicine!

Wow! It has been a while!

2008-04-04T17:30:00.001-07:00

Grandma Whee squeezing my guts out!
Pouty face!
Baby's first Easter
YO! I am so cool and hip!
Check out my new furniture!

Well, a lot of you have been asking when Christians next surgery is. The date is going to be April 15th! He should be in the hospital for just a week this time. So I will have the computer with me again and will update throughout the surgery. Be sure to let us know when you pop in to check!

Christian had his Dr.'s appointment today. That little stinker is 10 pounds 11 ounces and 24 inches long!

He is getting quite the personality. He can be moody. But as you can see by the pictures he is still getting cuter every day!

He celebrated his first Easter surrounded by family. All together there were 19 of us in Nicole and Bryan's new home (which is adorable). We all had a great time and visiting with family is always something to treasure.

I hope that Spring is wonderful for you. We are not too sure what season we are in here. This morning it was sunny, then it snowed, then we had a small tornado hit my work building and do some damage to things left out and shook the building, then it snowed again and got sunny. Right now it is windy and spitting snow. I think I am ready for some nice sunshine and warmer temps.

Anyhow, please comment and let us know how you are doing. Thanks for dropping in!

Grandma Whee

New House, New Job, New Weight!

2008-03-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

Christian had his four month well baby check-up and he weighed in at 9lbs 9oz and 22in! Yay! He has done so well with everything. He can hold his bottle himself, fall asleep on his own and has slept through the night two nights in a row! He is such a mama's boy, it's so funny! He will flirt non-stop at anyone as long as he's in my arms, but boy as soon as you try to hold him, he'll let you know what he thinks. He has such a hilarious personality! So I have a beautiful baby attached to my hip and I wouldn't have it any other way! It's wonderful being a mommy!

I was awake at 4 this morning as I had to bring Bryan to the airport. He will be gone for a month, training to fly jets for Mesaba! So...I get to move to our new house by my self! That will be interesting. Well, little one is calling for me so I'll get some pictures up and get back to you soon!

Holding his bottle this morning!

My beautiful son.

Air guitar! Party like a rock star!

Oh, did I mention that he's teething? Everything goes in his mouth!

Three month size pants! Onsies are still newborn.

Big brown eyes!

You can't see me! Pappy got this for him!

New home!

Mountain view from our bedroom!

February 27th

2008-02-27T22:14:00.000-08:00

He looks really ticked off in that last picture, huh? Had to put that one in. Along with the bath in Grandma Whee's sink (with grandma's fat arms!).

Christian is doing very well. He is now 9 pounds exactly. They are talking of doing his next surgery in April or May. We will keep you all posted on that.

He is just getting cuter and cuter every day. He is laughing and smiling all of the time! He lays and coos at you like he is telling you the most important story. And he is!

We sure do love this little guy!

Bryan has to go for flight school soon. He will be gone for a few months. I think Nicole and Christian will be with us quite a bit. That will be nice.

Thanks for dropping in! I will post more news and photos soon!

3 months and 8.5 lbs!

2008-02-14T17:42:00.000-08:00

Our little man was 8.5 lbs at his appointment a week ago. I bet he's pushing 9 lbs at this point! We celebrated his first Valentines Day and have had a good day. The past couple of days he's been a bit grumpy, but I guess I would be too if I were having trouble "passing" things...poor guy! He has started cooing and laughing and talking up a storm! I just love it! He smiles like it's going out of style and it is just the cutest thing EVER! He has quite the personality! We're still not sure when the next surgery will be, but he has to be at least 11 lbs in order to schedule it. As scary as it is, I'm hoping it will get here, happen, go well and be done so we can have a year or two before his last surgery. Keep your fingers crossed!

Valentines Jammies!

New beanie!

Mommy and me!

Christian's first valentine!

Wearing Kady's "pop diva" headset

With Gramma Whee (Big eyes)

At Grammy Whee's

2008-01-15T20:02:00.000-08:00

Christian and I decided that, while Daddy was out interviewing, we'd spend a couple of days in good 'ol Sisters with Grammy Whee and Pappy. Last night Christian woke up once to eat, then slept until 5:30! Yes, for us, that is amazing! Because he was in the hospital so long and confined to a bed, he associates being in a bed, to not feeling well. We're working hard at getting him to sleep by himself. Last night, he slept in the co-sleeper next to me! Yay! He has thoroughly enjoyed his bath time (until I wash his hair!) and it can now be styled in to the ever-so-adorable Mohawk! He's a rock star! It looks like Daddy has been hired at Masaba Airlines. Yay! We'll get the for-sure thumbs up here soon! Well, looks like it's bedtime for the little man. We'll update again very soon. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures!
Nicole

Relaxin' in the lazy boy

First time in the sink

Asleep in the swing

Big brown eyes!

Getting Big!

2008-01-12T23:34:00.000-08:00

Big smiles!

Goofy face with mommy!

Snuggling daddy...odd position!

My two main men!

Loving his jungle mat!

More smiles!

My sweet baby!

So, for this post at least, mommy is taking over! So much has happened in the past few weeks. My little Christian is 9 weeks and now weighs 7 lbs 3.5 oz! Yay! He is so alert during the day now. He smiles and coos like crazy and LOVES looking at lights! We had a rough week with two days of doctor appointments, each lasting 3 hours! Dr. Tajchman (cardiologist) was Tuesday and my poor little guy needed a chest x-ray (I won't even go into how horrible that was... I cried) The results showed that he had too much blood going to his lungs, so we had to up one of his meds. He's on three meds...two oral and an injection. Two of which are given twice a day and one is three times a day. His appointment on Wednesday brought on four shots! We did however meet another little baby that is just two months older than Christian...so now we have another play buddy! He was pretty cranky Thursday and Friday, but greeted Saturday with smiles and laughs with mommy! We love our snuggle time (which is almost all of the time!) He is definitely a momma's boy! Well, it's getting late and close to C's midnight snack! More to come soon! Enjoy the pics!

Nicole

More cute pictures of the boy!

2007-12-29T16:24:00.000-08:00

I wanted to show that Christian did not sleep ALL of the time!

Christian is doing real well. He only gained an ounce last week but hopefully that will improve soon. He needs to get some meat on his bones before his next surgery in March.

He is getting quite the personality now. He only loves his mama when I am around. I hold him and he cries. Oh well, I torture him more and keep on holding him! And I kiss him! HORRORS!!!!!!

Nicole and Bryan and not suffering too much from sleep deprivation as Bryan's mom helps out in that department! They are very lucky to have her around.

That's all for now. I am going to dinner with a friend so I need to get ready. Enjoy the pictures!

Grandma Whee

Baby's First Christmas

2007-12-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

Christian had a great Christmas! Of course we did not spoil him at all! LOL But we had a great time none the less. We ended up opening some of the presents on the 22nd since some relatives were leaving on the 23rd. I think everyone had a great time and got many nice gifts.

Christian seems to be doing better since a switch to soy formula. He is not as gassy and does not cry as much. I cannot wait to see how much of a weight gain he will have now that he keeps things down better.

Bryan and Nicole got a bit of bad news just before Christmas. The Airline that hired Bryan went out of business. So Bryan has been filling out applications and sending resumes. So, if you know of any flying positions please let us know.

So, that is about all from this end. Thanks for popping in.

Grandma Whee

A Good Week!

2007-12-18T16:17:00.000-08:00

While we are all adjusting to having a new baby around I fell behind in my blogging! Trust me when I say I have heard all about it! But today I made it a point to update and add some new pictures. I hope you all enjoy them.

Christian got to visit with Santa last week. Of course the photo I have is a PDF file and I need to figure out how to convert it. I will post it when I learn that.

Christian had a doctors appointment today and had gained 3 ounces! Good Boy!!!!! He is so tiny now since the surgery. He is up to 6 pounds 11 ounces. Hopefully he will keep up the weight gaining and get healthier all the time. He is looking real good.

Thanks for checking in. I will work on posting more often, but no promises...

Grandma Whee

We are HOME!!!!!

2007-12-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

Day before yesterday Dave and I went to Portland to help bring the baby home. What a wonderful day it was! The pic out the windshield is Dave and I driving behind Bryan and Nicole when we were leaving. It was such a wonderful feeling!

Bryan went back to work yesterday. I know it is killing him being away from the family. I am not sure how long he is going to be gone this time. Thankfully Bryan's mom is home in the evenings to help out. I am going over for the day today to help reorganize things and MAYBE hold the baby a TINY bit. HAHA ! I plan on holding him a ton today. He is just so tiny now and fragile looking. Hopefully he stays healthy until his next surgery. Ohhhhh, he is also getting circumcised on Monday. Nicole asked me to be there with her for that so this could be interesting! I have never seen that done before. Hmmmmmm... should I take pictures???? When he gets older he may resent me ever owning a camera!

Anyway, off to the shower for a good soaking before heading into Bend. Thanks for stopping in. Only expect cute pictures and good news from here on out!!!!

Grandma Whee

Cute pictures

2007-12-07T07:26:00.000-08:00

How are these for some cute pictures???? RoseMarie Photo came to the hospital and took a ton of pictures. They did this as a courtesy for families with babies in the intensive care unit. This was all for free. So if you ever need pictures and you are in the Portland area look up RoseMarie Photo. You will not get it for free, but they are very reasonable.

Reposted and some new.

2007-12-01T11:47:00.000-08:00

Sorry about some repeats of photos but I cannot keep things straight these days. I am still having internet probs but will post even more later...

Grandma Whee

New stuff

2007-12-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

Well Christian is doing better and better every day. I know I have not posted in awhile but my computer is not working well for me now. Absolutly hate this free wireless connection! I am going to end up plugged into the wall again!

Anyway, I will be posting more pictures this afternoon. But here is the scoop... Christian has been moved back to the other hospital for the remainder of his stay. He now has no tubes other than his feeding tube. He got everything else removed yesterday. Obviously these pics are from before yesterday, but I was behind! He has to learn how to eat again and then gain a bit if weight and then he can go home. So we are looking at a week or 2 at best. But all in all he is doing great. The docs are not concerned at all about the clot he had in his heart nor the collapsed lung and fluid. I am so please that he is doing so good now. For awhile it was something bad everyday. A bit depressing during that time.

I think I will make the trip up there next weekend to hold my little guy. I sure do miss him. Ohhh, I miss Nicole and Bryan too but they do not let me hold them and stroke their hair.

Thanks for checking in!

Grandma Whee

News from Nov 27th

2007-11-28T07:33:00.000-08:00

Just got the update from Nicole along with some pictures. I am always excited to see my little man!

As you know, Christian was having trouble oxygenating and also had a bunch of fluid in the chest cavity. Well they think that he actually had a collapsed lung. But with the "Pigs in Space" placing positive pressure in his lungs, it re inflated, he is oxygenated better and any fluid started going away. So now the mask is gone, the feeding tube is gone, and he is just looking so stinkin cute! They are working on re-teaching him how to eat. That will be wonderful. Advances like that are what is needed to get him home.

Nicole says that they will begin weaning him off of his blood pressure meds now. When he is off of those he can move back to the NICU at OHSU hospital and work on coming home. Don't you know that will be a grand day! I should check on having a parade! Just kidding. Not that I don't think he needs one, I just think they will not comply. Stinkers!

I need to update the newspapers and the radio station that have been following our story. They will be excited to know that Christian is doing so well.

Thanks again for popping in. You may not realize how much your comments mean to us all.

Grandma Whee

Pigs in Space?

2007-11-27T12:42:00.000-08:00

Well, Christian is always battling one thing or another it seems! He is once again collecting fluid around his lungs and also not oxygenating his blood in the capacity they would like to see. So, they put the "pig snout" over his nose and a special hat to hold the tubes where they need to be. They call this contraption "Pigs in Space". I guess they need to do something cute now and again to keep their sanity! This is making him oxygenate better now and even helping to reduce the amount of fluid in his chest cavity. If there is not a significant reduction they may insert the drain tubes again. YIKES!

It appears that the heparin is working. Last I heard they thought that the clot was shrinking. That would be a huge thing for him!

I have tried calling the hospital for an update for today and no one is answering phones, so all this info is from yesterday. It is killing me not being there! I will be so excited when he comes home sometime in December.

Ohhhh, is that not the cutest picture of Christian holding daddy's hand???? Gotta love it!

Grandma Whee

EXTUBATED!!!!!

2007-11-24T22:10:00.000-08:00

His professional consult with his toys. They all concur that he is the cutest baby EVER!

Great Great Grandpa's hand.

This evening Christian was extubated! How exciting to see his adorable little face again. He still has a nasal cannula for supplemental oxygen and the feeding tube, but not the huge tube up the nose and lots of tape. He is sooooo cute. I got a few pictures of him with his eyes open. And even a few pictures with his crazy hair sticking straight up. I got a funny faced one also that I just had to put on. He is doing so much better today than last night. He did not have very many odd beats today and seemed to be more comfortable. His color was fantastic and he was more alert. What a nice thing. I have to go home tomorrow. That is going to be so hard. I will post as I get news. Please keep checking back

Grandma Whee

Doing better

2007-11-24T13:41:00.001-08:00

Christian had a rough night but was better this morning. He is doing better with his heart rate but not fantastic. They will be extubating today and I will post some pictures then with him minus the tube. Then we can see his cute little face again. What a joy!

Grandma Whee

Thrown a curve

2007-11-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

Well this afternoon a clot was discovered in Christians heart. They have started him on heparin again hoping to dissolve it. Of course there is always the chance of the clot moving to his brain or lung with many times is fatal. Nicole has not taken this news well as you can imagine. Bryan, stoic as ever, is supporting her very well. We will have to wait a few days to see what happens. It is going to be so hard going home on Sunday. But I can pop up here again real fast if I need to.

Send those prayers and well wishes our way please. We need em'!

Grandma Whee

Meeting more of the family...

2007-11-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

Last night my father and grandfather flew in from a trip to Texas and Oklahoma. They came this morning to meet Christian for the first time. It was super sweet. Of course there I was with my camera. We were also able to get a five generation photo. Christian, Nicole, me, my dad, and my grandpa. Grandpa Rex came with Grandma Jeanne, Uncle Darrell and Clara. And my mom was still here. So we had a full room and lots of pictures.

Christian continues to heal. He got his chest tubes removed. His little chest looks so good now. He is still throwing out some irregular heart beats but that is to be expected.

I will be going home on Sunday. I know I am going to have withdrawals from my little fighter! I am sure I will be calling a lot and getting updates.

Thanks for popping in!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

2007-11-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

Today is Christians first Thanksgiving! You can probably figure out what we are thankful for here!

Last night Christian was visited for the first time by Great Grandma Sharon. Kady also came for a visit and was not scared by seeing all the tubes. Grandpa Dave was amazed by his grandson, as usual.

Today we will be here at the hospital for a few hours and then will go to visit Uncle Darrell, Aunt Kristin, Clara, Grandpa Rex and Grandma Jeanne for a nice Thanksgiving dinner.

So, have a great dinner! Thanks for stopping in!

Grandma Whee

Nov. 21 1:05 pm

2007-11-21T13:05:00.000-08:00

Yes, there is a baby in there!

Today Christian had the procedure to close his chest. While I do have a picture of the procedure (taken by an OR nurse) I will not post it here as it may be too much for most of you. I do have the picture of post closure and he looks wonderful!

They have begun utilizing "Beanie Babies" as props for his legs and all the tubes. It is pretty cute seeing him surrounded by toys. I think he may be comforted a bit also even though he is sedated. They are soft and warm not cold and hard like everything in his bed.

Dave, Kady and my mom are going to be here today to see the baby. I am excited to see them. I will be going home on Sunday so the postings here will slow down a bit. Hopefully you will all keep checking in.

I am going to go and grab some lunch. Bye for now...

Grandma Whee

Nov. 20 update 7:30 pm

2007-11-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

Christian was a bit bloodier this morning as seen in the tube filled picture. Once he was taken off of the heart lung machine and the big huge tubes removed they cleaned him up a bit. He looks much better. Now with the tubes out from under his patch you can see that his chest is still open. They will close that hopefully tomorrow. It is a bit unsettling to see the two sides move when he breaths. YUCKY! But he is doing well. He is still on a ventilator which is the tube in his nose. The tubes in his chest are drainage tubes. He also has a catheter for his urine and 2 IV's, one in each ankle. Looks like an octopus, but a cute octopus!

Thanks for dropping in. I will post again tomorrow unless something happens tonight.

Grandma Whee

Nov 20 update 10:45

2007-11-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

They are gradually weaning Christian from the heart/lung machine right now. He seems to be doing pretty good with it. If he does well for an hour they will be able to take out the huge tubes. Then he will just have the 3 chest tubes and less bleeding. Keep your fingers crossed!

Grandma Whee

Nov. 20th 6:15 am

2007-11-20T06:11:00.000-08:00

Christian keeps the nurses busy, that's for sure! He is bleeding more than they would like to see, but nothing that is not "normal". Of course I think it is way too much, but that is me as a grandma. I made sure the kids went to the Ronald McDonald house last night for a good nights sleep. They left at a few minutes after midnight. Nicole called the room at 2:30 am checking on Christian. I am thinking she did not sleep as well as I wanted her to. I on the other hand slept off and on all night as the PICU has a bed in each room. Of course the lights were on all the time and there were people in here at all times monitoring the heart/lung machine. There were alarms going off all night so it was not restful for any of us. I will take more pics later when he is not quite so bloody. It really is unsettling. Check back later this afternoon or evening and see how things are progressing.

Grandma Whee

He is in his room now

2007-11-19T15:28:00.000-08:00

Tubes are everywhere and there is a lot of visable blood going around. But he looks good over all. The kids are doing so good! Nicole cried a bit when she saw him the first time, but popped out of that. Bryan has been stoic through this although admitted it was the worst thing he has ever seen. I have been having mini-meltdowns but nothing 1 kleenex can't handle.

I will make sure to post as things progress.

Grandma Whee

Update 2:16 pm

2007-11-19T14:16:00.000-08:00

Christian is now out of surgery and in recovery. He will be in his room in about 30 minutes. After they get him settled and the kids go see him I will take pictures. Remember, they will be a bit "much" for some people. The surgery was a great success and he had absolutly no complications at all. YES!!!! What a trooper he is!

Grandma Whee

update at 1:13 pm

2007-11-19T13:13:00.000-08:00

The surgery is almost done. Everything is going along very well. They anticipate being finished within the hour. I will post pics and information then. If you are interested at all we will be in the PICU at Doernbechers. If you are in the area stop by and see us!

update at 11:16 am

2007-11-19T11:17:00.000-08:00

Just got the call from the nurse. The repair is underway and he is doing great. We will get another call around 1:30.

Grandma Whee

Surgery day Nov. 19

2007-11-19T09:50:00.000-08:00

Well Christian was taken to surgery about 2 hours ago. Nicole is currently getting an update so I will post that when she gets back.

It is a cold and rainy day. Hopefully not indicative of things to come! Of course we are worried beyond belief! Nicole is holding herself together very well and has cried just a few times already. I had my little melt down about an hour ago. Bryan has had some tears but has been a trooper. Bryans mom has been the strong one so far. What a woman!

Nicole just back and things are going very good. Christian went under anesthesia just fine. They started 2 IV lines, one in each ankle. Ouch! When he got to the surgery suite he was looking all around and did not cry at all. What a big boy!

I will update after the next update around 11:30.

Check back!

Grandma Whee

Nov. 18th

2007-11-18T20:04:00.000-08:00

Christian got his first bath this evening! Typical for a boy, he did not enjoy it. Not one bit! And he let us know about it too. He yelled and squealed so loud! It was so nice to hear. Of course we say that now. Wait for a few months and see if we still think it is cute! I was so happy to see his eyeballs! We had not seen them before. They are a real nice shade of blue. Hopefully they will stay that way. One of the pictures I put on has him making a funny face. I thought he looked shocked. It was so cute.

He is going in first thing in the morning for the surgery. They will be taking him at 7:00 am. We are all nervous as heck, but know things will be fine. We will be in the PICU at Doernbechers for a few weeks and then moved back to the NICU at OHSU again for a few weeks before coming home for a month or so before his next surgery.

I will post more as we know things. I will warn you though that the next pictures may be too much for some people. He will be on a by-pass machine and hooked to tubes everywhere. He is going to be one sick little baby. But keep checking on us!

Grandma Whee

Just showing Christians cuteness again!

2007-11-17T18:34:00.001-08:00

Today Christian was sleepy. His oxygen levels had been going pretty low all night and this morning. He improved all day long and when I left this evening he had been having sat's in the 90's! It was so nice to see such a fantastic improvement. He even smirked once and I managed to catch it on the camera as shown here. He is just such a cutie. He still has tons of tubes coming out everywhere but the nurse does a great job of hiding them. And I have to say that the nurses and doctors we have had here have been so incredable and nice. They are truely a lifeline for us. They have answered questions, given us great advice, and of course helped Nicole and Bryan emotionally with such caring support. They are just wonderful.

Now, Christian is scheduled for his first BIG surgery on Monday morning. It is an open heart surgery. In a nutshell, this is what is going to happen: They will take the aorta and attach it to the right side of the heart. This will enable the right side to support flow pressure. But to get things going in the right directions they will be building a stent with donor material. The surgery itself will take between 5 and 7 hours. He will need 2 additional surgeries to complete the "reconstruction" of the heart. His next surgery will be when he is 4 months old. His third will be when he is 18 months old. Hopefully this will sustain him indefinately. If he starts to decline health wise he will require a total heart transplant. That was great news since we thought that a transplant was going to be definate. But if he does well he may not need one.

So, there you go. Thats todays news. Good news I think. Check back tomorrow and I will have more for you!

Grandma Whee

Nov. 17th morning

2007-11-17T09:15:00.000-08:00

I just woke up and called to check on stinker. He is doing very well. Last night he was sucking from a syringe and LOVING it!

Nicole was so excited also because her milk came in! Men, sorry about that. But all of us mommies know wonderful that is! She was thrilled.

I guess I am still trying to catch up on lost sleep. I went to bed about 10:30 and did not get up until 8:40 this morning! What a lazy head I am!

I am off to the shower and then to the hospital. I will post pics and news from today later. Thanks for checking on us!

Grandma Whee

Nov. 16th

2007-11-16T19:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Christian was placed on the ventilator. He did very well with that. It helped level out his lactic acid. It did its job and the vent was removed this morning.

This morning also allowed Nicole and Bryan to hold Christian for the first time! How exciting for them! Then this evening I got the opportunity to hold him too! I cried like a baby! He fit perfectly! Little fella was trying to wake up so made some cute noises and squinched his face a lot. It was so cute.

Anyway, his surgery is scheduled for Monday morning. It is supposed to take up to 7 hours. That will be a long day! When he is done he will be at the PICU at Doernbechers for a few weeks and then moving back to the NICU here at OHSU. Hopefully he will be home before Christmas. That is the general thoughts of the docs.

Anyway, thank you all for the good thoughts and wishes. Please leave a comment so we can know who has stopped by.

Grandma Whee

Nicole's new project

2007-11-15T14:56:00.000-08:00

Well, Nicole knows that she is in for a long visit at the hospital and she developed a swap. Go to the following link, sign up and get working!

http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/9266

It's free!

Nov. 15th

2007-11-15T12:59:00.000-08:00

Uncle Mike came to visit! He showed up a day early. This is Bryan's uncle. What a nice guy!

Last night they went ahead and placed Christian on the respirator and he is doing so much better now! He was so miserable yesterday and in so much pain. Now he is sedated and can relax. His little toes and fingers pinked right up.

Nicole is doing very good. She walked to the baby's ICU (NICU) and back. She did call for some pain meds but who wouldn't?

Anyway, Christian is in getting his heart cath done right now. I will post again later tonight with an update.

Grandma Whee

He is here! (forgotten stuff!)

2007-11-14T21:15:00.000-08:00

I forgot to tell you that Nicole was induced at 8 am on November 12th. They decided that they would do an emergency c-section after 36 hours of labor! C-secton took 3 minutes. Hmmmmm. Sounds like a good deal to me! Anyway, enjoy the pics in the previous update!

He's Here!!!!

2007-11-14T19:42:00.001-08:00

I tried to update earlier today but it was way too busy! So, here are the pics from yesterday and a few from this afternoon.

I am sorry if the umbilical IV bothers some of you, but we wanted to show what all is going on with Christian.

Anyway, here are the stats!

Born November 13, 2007 at 4:56 pm.

He is 6 lbs 15 oz and 19 3/4 inches long. He had perfect APGAR scores!

This evening Christian was placed on a ventilator and will have the first surgery Friday or Monday. He will have a heart cathetar placed tomorrow. I will be taking more pictures and updating as soon as I can tomorrow for all of you anxiously awaiting!

Take care and check back soon!

Grandma Whee

2007-11-14T19:36:00.000-08:00

Labor! 11-13-2007

2007-11-13T00:23:00.001-08:00

Well, we are finally going to have a baby! The kids are so excited! So are us grandmas! This morning began with some different induction techniques and then moved to oxytocin. They have stopped the labor so Nicole can sleep a bit this evening but should be in in an hour to begin in ernest the oxytocin again. They said we will have a baby between 6 and 10 in the morn. I threw in a pic of Nicole from day before yesterday. Boy did a\she get big these last 3 weeks! She is wanting to see her feet again without leaning over. Heck, I have not seen mine in years and I am not even pregnant!

Anyway, I will be updating as time and sleep allows! Keep checking back!

Grandma Whee

Off to Portland!

2007-11-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

Well, Monday is the day! Nicole will be induced and about 24 hours later we will have baby Christian here to smooch on! Begining at 6 am on Monday Nicole needs to start calling to make sure they have room for her. They very seldom do not have space, but you never know.

Nicole had a real quick ultrasound on Friday and things look good. There is plenty of amniotic fluid and Christian is just over 7 pounds. So hopefully he will be stable enough for a few days before rushing into surgery.

Dave, Kady and I are leaving in just a few minutes for Portland. I have had my car packed for weeks now. It is strange that I am finally getting to go. YIPPEE!

My sister-in-law has a sister that has a vacation home in Portland and has allowed us to use it for however long we need to. How wonderful that this opportunity opened up for us!

I will be updating the blog daily (thats my intention) after the baby is born so check back often for news and pics.

Grandma Whee

The Waiting Game

2007-11-01T20:43:00.000-07:00

Well, here we still are! Waiting.

Bryan completed his training for Big Sky Airlines and will begin his flight rotations soon. Hopefully after the baby is born, but maybe before if Nicole does not have Christian soon.

Nicole and Bryan went for a nice long walk in the park this afternoon that sent her to the hospital with contractions. They were not real hard or consistant so she was sent away. But the doc said anyday day now and we will have a baby.

I know the updates on this site so far are pretty sporatic, but once the baby gets here we will update daily since there will be stuff to report then!

Thanks for stopping in again. You are all so wonderful and we love you all. It is nice to know that people care.

Leave a comment so we know you were here...

Grandma Whee
(aka Denise)

Falling Behind

2007-10-22T23:41:00.000-07:00

Well, Nicole has moved to Portland to wait out the remainder of her pregnancy. She is visiting the doctors once a week now. She went last Thursday for her check up and she has begun to dialate. She is anxious now and thinks the baby will come sooner than we all think. I do not know if this is true or if it is wishful thinking. But we are all ready to go on a moments notice for the 3.5 hour drive when the time comes. We are hoping that the roads will be good and there will be no delay in the respect. We have had some pretty good snow fall already on the pass.

Nicole had a wonderful baby shower and got some wonderful gifts. I am thinking the baby will not need any clothes for a few years now! He also has a ton of books and toys. I am anxious to see that little guy play with everything.

Nicole is feeling great. She looks wonderful. Soon she will be looking a bit ragged I am sure!

Bryan is almost done with his flight training for Big Sky Air. He came home Thursday and will leave tomorrow (Tues.). They had a great time together. Hopefully he will be home when the baby is born.

Thanks for stopping in again. I will post as we know things...

Grandma Whee

Cute Belly

2007-10-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

Today we rushed out to the woods to take some pregnant belly photos. We wanted it to be above 50 degrees and it hit 55! So, we worked fast! We took a ton of pictures and this was one of the favorites. Look at that belly button poking out! Just wanted to share this with all of you...

Grandma Whee

Sept.21st Appointment

2007-09-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

Well, as we have discovered not all appointments give us good news. Like this last one. After the echo and the ultrasound Dr. Rice came in and informed us that was once again a little bit of backflow through Christian's Mitral valve. His aorta, while allowing some flow was very constricted and not well enough to support life. The left side of his heart was smaller yet and will continue to shrink until it's progress is stopped surgically. He is definitely going to begin the 3 surgery procedure a few days after birth to rebuild the aortic arch and descending aorta. That is so much for a little guy to go through. But we are all pulling for him and know at some point he will be a normal little boy.

Bryan left this morning for Montana to attend the ground school for the airlines he was hired by. He is due to be home on November 2nd. That is good because they are wanting to induce Nicole anywhere from November 4th to the 11th. Perfect timing.

Anyway, that is about it for now. I will post as things come up...

Grandma Whee

Sept. 7th doctor appointment

2007-09-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

Well, we just never know what to expect when we go to the doctor. Usually bad news or even worse news. That was not the case Friday.

Thursday evening we headed north to Portland. A nice 3 and 1/2 hour drive. We got a hotel room and relaxed for the night. Friday morning we were at Doernbecher Children's Hospital for another huge round of tests, meetings, and stress.

Nicole had a fetal echo cardiogram first thing. Then Dr. Rice came in with this strange look on her face. Immediately we thought the worst. Then she says "We are a bit confused with Christian's heart. It is not doing anything that we expected." Again we thought the worst. She followed by saying that the mitral valve no longer had the backflow problem like it had every time previously. Now was the valve thickening and not allowing flow or was the valve strengthening and that was the reason for no backflow? She did not know and would not know until Christian is born. Another perplexing thing was that now the blood was going through the aorta pretty well where before it had not been flowing but just a trickle now and again. Very strange all around let me tell you! We met with the cardiac surgeon and he was very optimistic that Christian may not be as traumatised by surgery if his flow is improving and may even need less invasive procedures later on. Good news! So we left with our hearts being a little lighter.

Anyway, we did get some more cute 4-D pics of Christian but I do not have them in my possession yet. I will put some on when I do.

Thanks for checking in on Christian. It does look like he will be making his appearance in 6 to 8 weeks.

Grandma Whee

Fundraiser results...

2007-08-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterdays fundraising event was very successful! A huge thank you to all who donated, bought raffle tickets, or just wished us good luck! With the procedes from the Brightspot Juice and Java, the tip jar, and all the donations, we made $2,086.21. Can you believe it? We did not expect so much! We were so happy to know that some of Nicole's outstanding medical bills can now be paid. How wonderful.

The winners of the raffle prizes are as follows:
Block Donation (Gift cert from Brightspot, the car wash, and Sno-Cap): Cassie Watson
Mona Vie gift bag: Deri
40 lbs. National Dog Food: Dave Berray
Candle from The Culver House: Helen Young
Hand made quilt: Allen and Katheryn Godsiff
Handmade beaded necklace: MaryAnn Abbajay
Mona Vie gift bag: Tammy (at Suttle Lake Resort)
Hen's Tooth gift set: Jamie Sampson
Meal time gift set from Wisteria Chic: Dr's Kevin and Eden Miller
1 lb. of coffee from Sisters Coffee Company: Jason Spencer
1 lb. of coffee from Sisters Coffee Company: Carisa Gregg
40 lbs. of dog food from National Dog Food: Cary Kiefer (who owns a chiawawa)
$25.98 gift cert. from Your $12.99 Store: Daryl Tewalt (who gave it back for Nicole to use)
$25.98 gift cert. from Your $12.99 Store: Terry at Sno-Cap
$25.98 gift cert. from Your $12.99 Store: Andrew Gorayeb (Welcome to Sisters, Andrew!)
Handmade memory box: Sharon Watson
$100.00 Cookie Lee Jewelry gift cert.: Toni Turner

A HUGE thank you to all who purchased tickets for our prizes and another huge thank you to all the businesses and individuals who donated items for us to raffle off! We could not have done this without you.

And to Deri, who owns the BrightSpot Juice and Java, thank you so much for inviting us to hold the fundraiser at your business (30 N. Pine St., Sisters). Without your advice, help, and willingness we would not have had the success we did. Your heart is so huge and you are a great friend. Thank you.

Hugs to you all,
Grandma Whee
(Denise Wheeler)

Tomorrow is a big day!

2007-08-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

Well here we are almost 11:00 at night. Tomorrow is the big fundraiser at Brightspot Juice and Java. Nicole decided we should have some of those awareness ribbons for people to wear. So while we were in Salem today visiting the state fair, we dropped into Craft Warehouse and bought some light blue organza ribbon and 800 little pins for them. We got home and made the signs for people to hold by the highway pointing the way to the fundraiser. The fumes from the pens were very strong! But we got the signs done and also a huge card for people to sign that will go to Doernbechers when Christian is born.

While at the fair Nicole got a Henna drawing on her cute tummy. Henna and flowers are supposed to bring good luck for pregnancies, so we went for it!

Cute, huh????

So now we will see how tomorrow goes and will update the blog as things transpire. We will also list the winners of the raffle here along with the prize won.

Come and see us tomorrow!

Grandma Whee

August 21, 2007

2007-08-21T21:23:00.000-07:00

Isn't this a much cuter picture?! I know these 4-D pictures always make the poor babies look like they have some strange deformities of the head and a skin condition. But be assured that it is just the picture and not really the baby!

We have been keeping busy getting ready for the fund raiser on Saturday. I made an informational brochure and copied it off 200 times. Now we are in process of tri-folding them. My thumb is getting a bit paper burned! I also made some signs that are being put up in shops around town to advertise it. Deri (the owner of the Brightspot who is doing the fund raiser for us) has had some items donated for us to raffle off. Then a friend of mine at Bank of the Cascades donated a handmade quilt (thanks Angie!). I am donating a $100.00 gift certificate for Cookie Lee Jewelry. I am going to hit up some of the local business owners and see if they can help out. It should be successful and help out the fund that has been established at Bank of the Cascades here in Sisters. Let me know if you would like to make a donation and I can give the address of the bank.

Nicole has an appointment at 11:00 tomorrow for another ultrasound. We have an interview with a local radio station (99.7 The Mountain) on Thursday morning. The fund raiser on Saturday. Next week we go to Doernbecher Hospital to meet with the cardiologist and the surgical team and get the date that they will be inducing labor. So things are moving right along and we are now anxious to see what the future holds for this precious baby.

Thanks for checking in. I will post again after the fund raiser and let you all know how it went. Drop us a note to let us know you were here!

Grandma Whee

P.S. I am having a problem with this blog tonight smushing all of the paragraphs together into on big long one. Sorry about that!

Back from San Francisco...

2007-08-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

I know, I know... you are wondering why it was not posted that we were going to San Francisco. Well, there is a good reason. It was decided on Wednesday afternoon that we would go to San Fran Thursday morning. So, between packing, planning, and general pandemonium I did not have a chance to update the blog. Then when we were there I did not have wireless internet anywhere! I was very frustrated!

So, this is what went down. Wednesday we heard that the state was not going to pay for the procedure. We were LIVID! So, we decided that after reviewing the information we had that the in-utero surgery was a must have and we would all chip in what we could to get it done. So we flew to SF on Thursday morning and we were scheduled for a full day on Friday filled with testing and meetings.

Friday we all gussied up and headed to the hospital. Nicole had an Ultrasound that was very in-depth and took over an hour. Then the doctor came in and did another scan and was impressed by the baby's brain (I assured him that the baby got that from me!). We then went to the fetal treatment center and was then sent to the echo lab where they did a fetal EKG. There has been just a bit of decline in the heart's health over the past 2 weeks. We met with the perinatologist (before the echo) and she informed us that UCSF has done the suggested procedure only 3 times and with each case the baby died during the procedure! We were floored as this was NOT the information we had been given before! After the echo the entire team of surgeons, ped. cardiologist, and other staff was gathered and we had a meeting to determine our best course of action. Needless to say, the kids made the decision to forgo the in-utero procedure since the track record is not too hot!

So, now we are going to wait for the baby to be born and then he will begin undergoing a 3-step surgical plan that will leave him with just one ventricle and then will be a candidate for a transplant later in life. How much later? We just do not know.

That's our update for now. I know it is a lot of new information and the kids are doing such a fantastic job of handling this situation.

Thanks for dropping by. I will post information as it comes in regarding doctors appointments and such.

OHHHHHHHH... Bright Spot Juice and Java is hosting a fund raiser for baby Christian on August 25th. They are donating 1/2 of all proceeds of the day. We also get to make a brochure and set up a table with donation jars. The radio station I listen may be doing a remote broadcast from there also! Can you believe it????? What a wonderful woman Deri is for doing this for the baby!

That's all for now!

Grandma Wheeler

Sunday the 5th

2007-08-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

Well, we are still here... hmmmmmm

Friday I spent the day with Nicole while paper work was being done in Salem and Portland. Someone really has some issues as there was one signature missing on a form and that has delayed any scheduling until Monday at the earliest. ARRGGGHHHHHH! I know I am totally frustrated, I can only imagine how Nicole and Bryan feel right now. Thankfully Bryan's mom, Sharon, is so good with the people regarding insurance and she has been such a huge help to them. She is a wonderful woman and we are very lucky to have her help.

I will post as we know more...

Grandma Denise

Thursday

2007-08-02T21:10:00.000-07:00

Well today was a bunch of run-around and have nothing to show for it. I got up with the mother of all migraines, nausea, stomach pain, the works. But I still made it down to Bend to help Nicole with the final paperwork for insurance by 8 am. Noon saw us doing errands to prepare to be gone for a while. Then I was on the phone for hours with different people trying to arrange the household things for while we are away.

It looks like (and this is just looking like, not set in stone) we will be leaving for San Francisco Sunday. UCSF needed some additional items that they failed to mention before. Those will be taken care of tomorrow. Then we need to get our flights and transportation. All of that should be easy as Dave's Uncle Butch lives in the San Francisco area. We may be staying with him and utilizing him as a driver.

So tomorrow we should know more and I will post then. Take care and thanks for all of you leaving comments for the kids. It is wonderful.

Grandma

Great News!

2007-07-31T19:58:00.001-07:00

Nicole and Bryan got the call today that San Francisco wanted to do the in utero surgery. We will know tomorrow what day, but they wanted her there the end of this week or the beginning of next week. We are so excited! Now I am needing to make a bunch of casseroles to freeze and catch up on laundry. I still do not know if we are going to fly or drive yet. But either way I am done with daycare on Friday. So I do not need to worry about that while I am gone.Anyway, thats all for now. I will post as things transpire. Also, I will be posting to Christians blog while we are in San Francisco.

Friday's News

2007-07-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well, on Friday we all met with the pediatric cardiologist. It went well and there were no new surprises. After the new echo and fetal EKG Dr. Rice came in and chatted with us. So, here is the scoop...

There is no change in the diagnosis of endocardial fibroelastosis. The EFE has caused aortic stenosis. Basically a thickening and closure of the aortic valve at the heart. There also is some abnormality of the mitral valve allowing for backflow but it is still functioning just not as efficiently as they would like. SOOOOOO, Dr. Rice is sending information to San Francisco (the University there) and requesting review for the in utero procedure. If they say no then the baby will receive a series of 3 operations beginning at birth to stabilize him until he can get a heart transplant. The surgeries are described really well at this web site: http://heart.health.ivillage.com/pediatricheartsurgery/norwoodprocedure2.cfm

It sounds like he is going to need the surgeries regardless but I need to double check that.

Well, thats it for now. We have to hurry up and wait again. Keep checking in as I plan on posting some new pictures when we get them...

Just What the Heck is Endocardial Fibroelastosis?

2007-07-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

That is what we all wanted to know! So, here is the official definition of EFE...

Endocardial fibroelastosis (EFE) is a rare heart disorder that affects infants and children. It is characterized by a thickening within the muscular lining of the heart chambers due to an increase in the amount of supporting connective tissue (inelastic collagen) and elastic fibers. The normal heart has four chambers. Two chambers, known as atria, are separated from each other by a partition called the atrial septum. The other two chambers, known as ventricles, are also separated by a septum. Valves connect the atria (left and right) to their respective ventricles.The symptoms of endocardial fibroelastosis are related to the overgrowth of fibrous tissues causing abnormal enlargement of the heart (cardiac hypertrophy), especially the left ventricle. Impaired heart and lung function eventually lead to congestive heart failure. Endocardial fibroelastosis may occur for no apparent reason (sporadic) or may be inherited as an X-linked (EFE2) or autosomal recessive (EFE1) genetic trait. (INFORMATION TAKEN FROM THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE: http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdbdetail_abstract.html?disname=Endocardial%20Fibroelastosis)

A lot of medical jargon but so far this is the best I have found.

Friday we get to venture to Portland to meet with the pediatric cardiologist with OHSU. She will give the final thumbs up or thumbs down on the in utero procedure that we were informed of last friday. Lets all hope for the thumbs up!

Nicole and Bryan are doing very well handling all this information. Better than the grandmas most days I think! Bryan is of course concerned with the everyday issues of running a family. Bill paying, moving, job changes. It is a lot for him. Nicole is concentrating on the baby and still having a life. I am amazed at how well they are doing.

So, that is it for now. I will post as events unfold. Be sure to comment so we know who popped in!

Denise

Welcome to Baby Christian's Blog

2007-07-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

Thank you for stopping in! This new blog has been created to keep family and friends informed as to Christian David's ongoing fight for life. Please stop in often. Be sure to post comments when you do so we can know who popped in!