Feb. 28 - One month in....

Colton is officially 1 month old today. He came into this world 10 weeks early (30 weeks gestational age), low heart rate requiring chest compressions, broken arm, bruised up, wide open PDA and weighed in at 3lbs. 12oz. He now is over 5 1/2 lbs, had his arm and PDA fixed, got rid of all of his bruising and his taking off with his feedings. February 2009 has been a blur and a roller coaster to say the least. But Colton has made tremendous progress, been lifted to great heights through the great care of his doctors and nurses, and of course lifted up in prayer by countless people all over the world.

Wendy, Sydney and I spent some time with him today during and after his bottle feed. He did well again today, only leaving a miniscule 10ml in his allotted feeding time. Slow and steady progress but we will take any progress we can get!

My mom (Kay) left for home today. We would like to thank Sandy, Nick, Joan, and Kay for spending time away from their homes to help us out in our time of need. They helped with Sydney, buying groceries, doing laundry, cooking, etc. We certainly could not have survived the first month without their help. We would also like to thank all the friends and neighbors who brought by food over this past month. Let me tell you how nice it was to not have to worry about dinner after spending a day at the hospital and doing the 72 miles round trip in what has to be the worst traffic in the world - HOUSTON TRAFFIC! I think all 5.5 million people have cars in this town! Anybody that has driven here knows we don't have the best drivers in the world. :)

We would also like to thank everyone who has called, stopped by, or prayed for us. We owe a lot of people for their support and continue to look forward to the day that our debt to you can be repayed.

I continue to admire Wendy's strength through all of this. Not only is she dealing with the same emotions as I am, she is also dealing with that incision. She is definitely improving but we still have a ways to go to get her healed up. It's frustrating to her because she's not one to normally take the time to slow down and let herself heal. However, she is doing what needs to be done to heal now so we'll get her back to 100% in time to get Colton home.

We are so ready to get Colton home and get back to some sense of normalcy. I'll be happy when the most excitement with Colton is that he peed on his outfit during a diaper change. So we are hopeful that March 2009 is when we finally get our little guy home.

BTW - several people have mentioned that they would like to leave comments on the blog. Previously, I had only turned on the feature allowing registered Blogger users to leave comments. I'm turning on the feature allowing anyone to post a comment so keep it clean! ;)

All the best to you and your family....Love, Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton

Feb. 27 - Wendy comes home

Well, we got Wendy home from the hospital today! It's good to have her back home. Moms are the "CEOs" of the household, except they don't always get the big bonuses and bailouts like their business counterparts. Although Wendy will miss being down the hall from Colton, she likely won't miss the constant barrage of nurses taking her blood pressure and temp all hours of the night.

We nearly had sticker shock tonight picking up Wendy's antibiotics. 14 pills that retail for over $1,200! Luckily, my copay was only $50. The clerk at Walgreens gave me the $1,100 price at first and I about fell on the floor. He of course added that's what your insurance saved you! Thanks dude - like my blood pressure wasn't up already. Thank God for insurance! That's like $85 a pill! If we ever have to get it refilled, I think Brinks has to deliver the meds to your house.

Wendy and I hung out during Colton's bottle feed today. He definitely did better this time around finishing a little over 3/4 of his feed in the allotted 20 minutes. His weight today is 5lbs. 9oz. He continues to thrive.

We'll keep the blog entry short tonight as it has been a long day. Check back this weekend for more updates and pics! Love, Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton.

Juicy Couture...Newborn style

Hello! Colton and I have been spending some quality time cuddling in the NICU over the past week. It has been good to see so much of him but very difficult not being with Sydney and Bret. I have missed them very much and I know this has been very difficult for them. I know Sydney has enjoyed her time with her Mimsi and we are very appreciative of the help. The good news is I should be discharged tomorrow afternoon. I am feeling fine. I will have to follow up with the doctor several times next week as he checks the progress of healing and insures infection is not an issue. He anticipates it will take several weeks to completely resolve.

The nurses had noted over the past few days that Colton has had several periods of O2 desaturation. The neonatologist ordered an upper GI for Colton to check for reflux. This is not an uncommon issue for preemies. After all, the muscles are lax and the esophagus is very short in a tiny premature baby. The test showed that he does have reflux which is probably contributing to his desaturations. They are putting him on reflux medication and on nasal canula O2 at this time. He should be able to wean off the O2 as the medication starts to work.

Colton weighs in at 5 lbs 4.4 oz today. He has essentially gained 1.5 lbs in his first month of life. This is pretty much on target with the 1.5 to 2.0 lbs he would have gained had he still been in the womb. He is maintaining good growth despite the reflux. They are eager to get him to full feeds since they have removed his PICC line and he has no IV's for supplementation. He is fed via NG (nasal gastric) tube at this time. He is almost to what would be considered a full feed for his size and age via the NG tube.

Several people have asked me what weight he has to be at to come home. Weight doesn't matter in his preemie world. Birth weight and weight to date don't really matter as much as gestational age and progress. (Unless you are not gaining weight...then weight is an issue! The babies are supposed to gain 6-8 oz per week at Colton's current status). Eight full feed bottles, maintaining your body temperature, and maintaining your O2 sats are some of the major milestones that must be met to come home. Colton has a long way to go with the bottles. He has only tried bottle feeds with the OT 2 times at this point in time. Once he takes a full feed bottle in 20 minutes or less, without any complications then he will be allowed a second bottle in a 24 hour period and so on and so on. It is a slow process to make sure he doesn't burn to many calories trying to eat and being "out of the box". The box is his isolette where his environment is controlled. Most premature babies will go home around their due date give or take a couple of weeks. Colton will be 34 weeks gestation on Saturday. Full term is considered 37-40 weeks gestation. His original due date was April 11, 2009.

One more big milestone for Colton today was getting dressed for the first time! (Hence his post title today!) He has worn the hospital tube top for a week or so with his cast on his right arm and PICC line on the left. Now that both of those are gone, he can wear clothes from home! Colton put on his first outfit today. It is newborn size and is a bit big on him but he looks so cute! Bret picked it out of his closet and brought it up yesterday. Stay tuned for more pictures of him in outfits from his endless supply of clothes! The boy is more than set on adorable little outfits!

I also got to bathe him for the first time tonight! Little mundane tasks like this that we normally take for granted turn out to be very special events.

Thanks again to everyone for their support.I can't wait until our whole family is at home and everyone can come by to meet our newest member.

Wendy, Bret, Sydney and Colton

Feb. 25 - Let's try that bottle again

Colton had another shot at the bottle today (milk, not alcohol :) and got about half the bottle down within the allotted 20 minutes. He did desat (blood oxygen level drop) some but did not require any oxygen. This is an improvement over yesterday's bottle feeding attempts. The Occupational Therapist (OT) commented today that he is acting just like a typical baby that is 33 weeks gestational age and that feeding will hopefully improve with time. He will rest on Thursday and just be fed through his OG tube and will resume bottle feeding with his Occupational Therapist (OT) on Friday.

The little guy is weighing in at 5 lbs. 3 oz. now. This is close to the birth weight of his big sister when she was born 8+ years ago (she weighed 5 lbs. 8 oz. at gestational age 32 1/2 weeks). Colton will hit 34 weeks gestational age this coming Saturday - still 6 weeks away from being a "full term" baby (40 weeks).

Sydney, Mimsi (Kay - my mom) and I visited with Wendy and Colton again this afternoon. Wendy's incision is showing signs of improvement but still has a way to go before that thing heals completely. It's still difficult to say how long she will be in the hospital but we are hopeful she might come home this weekend.

Sydney enjoys the Sibling Class that some of the nurses hold each Wednesday in the NICU waiting room. They teach the kids all about the NICU and what to expect while their sibling is in the hospital. Sydney is becoming a regular at these sessions and the nurses have gotten to know her pretty well. She has definitely made an impression on them because they always ask about Sydney when we see the nurses throughout the week.

We are 26 days into this adventure. February 2009 has been a blur and a roller coaster ride. Our life isn't normally this crazy although I can see why some people might think that. Since Hurricane Ike, we've had a few curve balls thrown our way. Wendy and I were laughing today about some of the challenges life has thrown at us lately. You have to maintain a sense of humor about these things or you'll go mad. The funny part involves this technician we have gotten to know a little at our vet's office. This tech was with us when we nearly lost our chocolate lab, Katy, over New Year's. Katy developed a severe infection and nearly died. Well, in the midst of Katy's medical issues, our boxer, Jo Jo, also had some eye issues that required a visit to a pet opthamologist. If that sounds expensive you would be correct. So while we were carting Katy from the emergency vet each night and morning (ka-ching) to our regular vet, this tech was super nice and supportive to us. Well, Katy made a miraculous turnaround after being written off New Year's Eve night.

So I take our 3rd dog (yes, we are that crazy) Shadow (black lab) to the vet for a normal checkup on Tuesday morning. First thing I do is catch our vet office up (we have a Gibbs wing opened up after those vet bills in December) on all that has been going on with Colton and Wendy. Then we start talking about Shadow and how we got her. We got Shadow when my brother, Todd, asked us to watch his new black lab puppy while he had training in the field (he was in the Army). He said he wanted us to watch the dog for 6 weeks. Well 6 weeks turned into 8 weeks and the rest is history.

Many of you reading this blog know that I lost my brother in the Iraq War in Dec. 2004. In fact, Colton's middle name (Todd) is in honor of my brother. Todd was a good man (better than I could ever hope to be) and we miss him dearly. But, like me, he also had a great sense of humor. So I'll preface the last part of this story by saying that Todd would find humor in it.

So this tech, who went through Ike like the rest of us in H-town, lived the saga of Katy and Jo Jo this past December with us, and who thought the weight of the world was on us with Colton and Wendy both in the hospital, asks a very simple question: How is your brother doing these days? I swear this lady must think we are the Kennedy family or something because I had to tell her about my brother as well! Wendy and I got a good laugh out of this story because we would go insane otherwise.

There is no doubt that we have had our share of burdens lately (I left off the fact that my company cut my pay and benefits as well this past week) but we have more way more blessings than hardships. We have a strong family that is solidified by the love we have received from our extended families and friends. Our Faith is strong and our belief in a brighter tomorrow keeps us moving forward. In the famous words of one of my personal heroes, Winston Churchill, "Never, never, never give up."

All the best to you and your family...Love, Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton.

Feb. 24 - Not quite ready for those bottle feeds

"Man, what a tough day, I need some sleep!"

Well, Colton tried out the bottle feeds and decided he was not quite ready just yet. The Occupational Therapist (OT) worked with Colton today and things just really didn't go well. Unfortunately, the process was too taxing on his system and he actually had a period of desaturation (blood oxygen levels dropped). He also had one apnea episode last night, a first since his PDA was closed. It's a stark reminder that he still has a way to go before we can get him home. The roller coaster ride continues. However, we keep moving forward and hope for better news tomorrow.

On the positive side, Colton did get his PIC line removed. This is basically a long term IV that is inserted and is used to provide additonal supplements such as lipids. The good news is that he no longer needs these additional supplements. Plus, you want these PIC lines out in the long term as the risk for infection goes up the longer you have them in place. They moved his OG tube (where the milk is distributed to his belly) from his mouth and put in a smaller one through his nose. This allows us to continue to try to out bottle feeds, an important step in getting him closer to going home.

Wendy is still receiving medical care for her wound and no ETA yet on when she will be discharged. The doctor wants to see some good signs of healing in that wound before she can come home. We miss her a bunch but know it's best to get her healed up before she comes back home to us where she belongs.

Our cousins (Nancy and Jerry) came by today to visit with us and brought Colton some new clothes. We also had some friends drop by with more food last night. We continue to be humbled by the love and support of our family and friends.

More updates tomorrow. All the best to you and your family....Love Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton

Feb. 23 - No Cast and No Bad Infections

Good news to report today on both Wendy and Colton. Wendy's cultures came back and indicated that there are no bad infections hanging out in her incision. This is great news as C-section wounds tend to be one of the top causes of major infections. They will likely keep Wendy until her incision shows good signs of healing. On the positive side, she is just 2 floors away from Colton and can visit him anytime.

I visited with Wendy and Colton and got to hold the little guy a while. Well, the x-rays showed that his right arm has healed nicely and the cast was removed! He is moving that arm real well so we don't anticipate any long term effects of the broken arm. In fact, the ortho doc has essentially discharged him.

They went up on Colton's feeds again (33ml) and he will have an Occupational Therapist (OT) consult tomorrow to begin bottle feeding. First feed is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and Wendy is planning to give him his first bottle. The neonatologist is projecting discharge between 36-38 weeks gestational age and we are at 33 weeks 2 days today. So we are looking at probably another 3 weeks and he can finally come home where he belongs.

More updates tomorrow....Love Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton

Feb. 22 - Updates on Colton and Wendy

Colton moving his right arm which is healing nicely - or giving me the universal "talk to the hand" gesture

Mimsi holding Colton for the first time

Sydney, Mimsi (Kay - my mom), and I went to visit Wendy and Colton at the hospital. Wendy is hanging out with IV antibiotics and having her wounded tended periodically. We'll find out moreon the cultures tomorrow but she is not running any fever and her white blood cell count is normal. So we are hopeful that we'll get this issue nipped in the bud and get Wendy back on her feet soon.

Colton continues to thrive and his feeding are now up to 28ml per feeding. All his plumbing is still in good working order and he is properly holding his temperature. Mimsi got to hold her grandson for the first time as well. Last time Mimsi visited with Colton, he was still in Level III with a breathing tube. He's made tremendous progress since day one and I continue to be amazed at how well he has faced down and overcome many of his challenges. As crazy as life has been lately and with all the challenges thrown at us, we are strong because of our Faith and the love and support we have from all of you. I've always believed God won't throw more at you than you can handle but I must admit I look up from time to time and ask - "Just how tough do you think we are!?".

All the best to you and your family...Love, Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton

Feb. 22 - Prayers for Wendy

Good morning. It's Bret posting this morning. I have a special request for my prayer warriors out there. Let me start off by saying the last thing Wendy would want is any focus off Colton and on to her (I feel the same way for myself) but I am concerned about Wendy's incision. Why am I concerned? The Infectious Disease Doctor is concerned about the range of possibilities for infections - some of which *can be* (note I didn't say she has an infection) life threatening. Now Wendy is in good hands at the hospital and has been taking IV antibiotics. The cultures that will tell us what we are dealing with likely won't be back until Monday (Feb. 23). I'm asking my prayer warriors out there to pray for Wendy's well being and that we are not dealing with any of the bad infections that can sometimes arise from these types of wounds. Wendy, I love you very much, you are my soul mate and wonderful mother. I know you probably don't like the fact that I posted a prayer request for you. But you know what? Tough. I love you very much and I will do what I can both medically and spiritually if I think it helps you to get better. Be a good patient (hard for anyone in the medical field) and follow the doc's directions!

We are visiting Colton and Wendy this afternoon and I'll have an update on him later. Thanks for lifting both Wendy and Colton up in prayer. All the best....Bret

Feb. 21 - Wendy and Colton now hanging out

Well it looks like Wendy will get to be closer to Colton now. Her incision has not been healing properly and she has been admitted at Texas Woman's Hospital to treat the incision and prevent against major infections. They are treating her with IV antibiotics and she is under the care of Infectious Disease Doctor. Our gut instinct was that the incision was not healing properly. While it's certainly not the best of situations to have to be admitted back into the hospital, we jumped on this early enough to hopefully prevent any bad infections. So she will likely spend a couple of days in the hospital. She will be closer to Colton now and be able to see him anytime she wants as he will just be down the hall instead of 26 miles away.

I just spoke to Colton's nurse and the news continues to be positive. They went up on his feeds again to 23ml (from 17ml) at 11:00 this morning and he's tolerating that well. His isolette settings have been lowered to 28.5 (was at 29.5 yesterday) and he is holding his temp well. One of the milestones to get him home is that he holds his temperature. The little guy finally broke the 5lb mark! He now weighs 5lbs 1.8oz, a gain of 2 ounces in 1 day. His cast probably weighs enough that he would be under 5lbs if it was removed but the good news is that he continues to gain weight. I'm heading back down tonight to bring Wendy some things and so we can visit Colton.

So tonight I ask that you keep Wendy and Colton in your prayers. Keep checking the blog for updates and thanks again for the love and support....Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton.

Feb. 20 - Checking Things Out

Wendy and I visited with Colton today around lunch time. He was doing well today and got his feedings bumped up again. At this pace and if all goes well, we are hopeful that Colton will move to bottle feeding early next week. His weight stayed the same (4lbs 14.5oz) and he is a little pooping machine. It might seem strange to some of you reading this blog that we would talk about pooping so much. However, his pooping is a great sign that he is properly processing his food and that his digestive system is in working order. Come to think of it, being "regular" is a blessing at any age! ;)

Level II NICU is a totally different experience than Level III. We got used to the quiet and serenity of Level III over the last couple of weeks. Well, there are some really loud babies in Level II! Colton went from being the big guy on the block in Level III to the small kid in Level II. I still say my boy is tougher than most! I know, I know, typical dad bragging on his son! :)

Let me jump on my soapbox for a moment. It's scary times out there right now with the economy and job market and all the other crazy things going on in this world. It would be easy to get down about things and lose hope for a brighter future. While things have certainly been tough on us the last few weeks, we certainly are not the only ones going through tough times right now. We must acknowledge that things are tough, but we don't have to buy in to the doom and gloom for the future portrayed by the media. I know we have leaned on our family and friends for support to get us through tough times. I think if we all stick together, have a little Faith, put in some hard work and have some optimism, we can weather any storm that comes our way. Thanks for being there for us in our time of need and we still look forward to the day that we can return the favor. All the best to you and your family....Love, Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton.

Go Colton Go!

Colton is adjusting to life in NICU Level II and in his isolette. He really seems to like it in the isolette. It is quiet, dark and snug in there for him. He is pooping and he went up on his feeds to 11 mL every 3 hours. He will probably get a chance to eat by bottle sometime next week but for now all his feeds are by tube. When he does eat by bottle, he will start with just one bottle feed per day. Evidently, it is very tiring and requires too much energy that can result in weight loss for preemies to eat by bottle. So they build them up slowly. He weighed 4 lbs 15.5 oz today ... with his cast on! The Neonatologist on call today pointed out to me that the cast weighs 3 or 4 ozs when I said he was close to 5 lbs. He is showing good steady gain. He will probably get his cast off sometime next week, the orthopedic surgeon will make that determination. Evidently, it is usually 2-3 weeks for bone healing in preemies. One of the neonatologist told us that as long as the bones are in the same room, they will approximate and heal.

Thanks again to everyone for all the support and prayers. Hopefully, we will have the little man home with us in 3 or 4 weeks!

Wendy, Bret, Sydney and Colton

Back to Level II

Colton has once again been transferred to the NICU Level II nursery. Hopefully, he will stay put this time! Colton will eventually be discharged from this nursery to home. Babies in NICU do not go to Level I newborn nursery before going home. He is probably 3-4 weeks out from being discharged home depending on how he does. Colton's gestational age is 32.5 weeks right now (the age at which his sister, Sydney, was born). So he would be 35 to 36 weeks gestational age when he is discharged if all goes as planned. He is breathing just fine on his own in room air and is beginning to learn to hold his temperature in a controlled isolette environment. He will have to hold his temp in a open crib before he can be discharged home. His feeds remain at 5 ml right now because he did not poop recently. Once he poops, they will begin to increase his feeds. The orthopedic surgeon came by and cut his cast a bit as Colton has grown considerably since the doctor put the cast on shortly following Colton's birth. Colton is weighing in at 4 lbs 14 oz as of today. He will quickly be in 5 lb territory at this rate! Thanks again for all the prayers and support!

Wendy, Bret, Sydney and Colton

Moving Forward!

Colton had a great day today! He is extubated and on room air. He is also getting 5 ml feeds every 3 hours again as of today via an OG tube. I was able to hold him for about an hour and a half today.

His incision is about 2 inches on his back, which looks huge on him right now but should fade rapidly as he grows.

Colton will move into an isolette incubator later today and should move to NICU LEVEL II status tomorrow ...and hopefully stay there this time!

Thanks again to everyone for all their support!
Wendy, Bret, Sydney and Colton

Rest and Recovery

Colton continues to rest and recover in the NICU III. He has been weaning down his vent settings and should extubated tonight. Assuming all goes well, he will begin getting feedings again tomorrow. He will need to spend 48 hours in level III after coming off the vent prior to returning to the Level II NICU. He should get weighed tonight after coming off the vent. He is looking like he might weigh in at 5 lbs! We will hopefully post pictures of him off the vent and being held again tomorrow!

Love, Wendy, Bret, Sydney and Colton

Feb. 15 - Hanging out in Level III

Colton is continuing to recover from his PDA surgery from yesterday. He is still intubated but is on room oxygen only. He is also sedated to minimize post-operative pain. We are hopeful that he will be extubated tomorrow.

Wendy, Sydney, Grammy (Joan) and I visited with Colton today and his doctors. Sydney drew a picture of Colton and cut it out and we taped it to his crib. Kids really pick up on details because Sydney had strategically placed bruises on the picture that matched those that her brother had in the early days. We didn't get to hold him today but we did hang out with him for a few hours. We visited with his neonatologist and pediatrician and they both felt he was doing great after his surgery. His in-hospital pediatrician is actually good friends with Colton's pediatrician that we'll use when he comes home. She is a very competent pediatrician and has a personality and bedside manner that rivals any doctor I have ever met. It's good to deal with doctors who are "real people" and have similar life experiences as you.

We'll visit with Colton again tomorrow and continue to keep you updated on his progress. We don't know exactly how many people are visiting this blog but we have heard through the grapevine that quite a few people keep up with Colton on this website. We truly appreciate your love, concern, support and prayers. Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton

Valentine's Day Heart Repair

Colton had surgery at 9:45 am to close the PDA with Dr. Robert Bloss. Dr. Bloss is a pediatric surgeon who has performed over 3,000 PDA ligatures in Houston. We were told he could do PDA surgeries in his sleep but I asked him nicely to stay awake during the procedure on our son! Colton tolerated the procedure well. Basically they clamped off the PDA with a small titanium clip. The surgery was performed in the NICU III at bedside. They commonly set up in NICU for surgeries for the preemies. They close down the unit during those procedures. Colton was intubated prior to surgery and will remain intubated for 48-72 hours for pain relief medications. He will be NPO during this time and probably for a short time following extubation. He continues to have his PIC line and will receive TPN for his nutritional needs. He will remain in the Level III unit for a minimum of 3 or 4 days. We will keep everyone updated on his progress as we know more. We got to visit with him afterwards and will spend some more time with him this afternoon. Thanks again for praying for our little guy and keep the Faith! Love, Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton

Feb. 13 - PDA Surgery Required

After consulting with Dr. Gee and the cardiology team, we have decided to move forward with the PDA ligation surgery to completely close the PDA. This is something we have been monitoring very closely and discussed with several doctors. Both Dr. Gee, who has followed Colton's case since Day 1, and the cardiologist recommend this procedure. So he is scheduled for this procedure at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow.

Colton needs prayer more than ever now for successful PDA surgery and no complications.

"Grammy" (Joan) is staying with us now and helping us out so we appreciate her being here. Nick (Wendy's dad) headed back to Alabama today and we appreciate all he did for us during his visit. Grammy got to hold Colton today and spend some quality time with her grandson.

We will update you as soon as we can after the surgery. Love to all....Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton.

LEVEL II NICU

Today brings more good news for Colton! He has moved from Level III to the Level II NICU! He will eventually discharge to home from here, but he does still have a ways to go. Colton tolerated his feedings just fine yesterday so he was bumped up to 10 mls every 3 hours today. A baby of his weight should get approximately 45 mls every 3 hours. Don't worry, he is continuing to get his TPN in his PIC line to accommodate his needs as he learns to digest food. Colton will not get to try eating by mouth (he currently is feed through a OG --oral gastric--line directly to his belly) until he is past 32 weeks gestational age mark. That milestone of 32 weeks arrives on Valentine's day. They will probably wait a few days past to make sure he is tolerating all well before asking him to suck-swallow-breath. To all my SLP and OT friends...he is showing good signs with sucking the pacifier and bringing one hand to the mouth!

Colton continues to make great forward progress and I am more than thankful for all the wonderful words of encouragement, prayer and support from our family and friends as well as people who don't know us but have learned of us from family and friends. So many people have shared wonderful success stories of their pre-term infants and it gives me a great deal of hope and peace.

My Dad's wife, Joan arrived tonight. My Dad, Nick, will be leaving tomorrow and Joan will be helping us out for this week. I will miss my Dad but I am thrilled to have Joan here to help me out for the week to get things in order for bringing Colton home. I am looking forward to getting more active this week and getting back to driving. I had a "T" incision during the C-section and while it is healing, it is a bit slower than the first C-section with the regular bikini cut.

Finally, I want to thank all my wonderful friend and neighbors who have supplied us with delicious food this past week! I will be getting proper thank you's out to you guys but let me just share with you all what a lifesaver that has been. We are all very appreciative, especially Sydney who has loved all the different dishes and especially desserts!

I hope you like the picture of our little man in his "pimp daddy" hat!

Best wishes and thanks to everyone!

Love,

Wendy, Bret, Sydney and Colton

Feb. 11 - Pimp my crib and pass the milk

Alright - it's clear to me now that someone out there has real close connections with the Big Guy because we had more good news today. First, when we got to Colton's area in the NICU he had graduated from an open crib with a radiant warmer to an isolette (incubator). Now you might be thinking isn't it a bad thing to be moved from an open crib to an isollete? In this situation, it's a good thing. The open crib with radiant warmer was primarily needed for Colton due to the high bilirubin count (light therapy) while also regulating his body temperature. Now that the bilirubin count is down, he just needs a little help keeping his body temp regulated. Eventually, he will likely move back to an open crib but only one without a radiant heat source to regulate his temperature. So this was a positive sign that they don't necessarily believe he will need any more light therapy.

We were however disappointed when we saw a tube back down his throat. Previously, they had that tube in there to remove excess air and/or fluid that was accumulating in his stomach. Well, turns out that the tube is now a gavage feeding tube - which means he is starting to get that nourishing mother's milk! Feeding is another milestone that should not be underestimated in a preemie. We had thought he was still a few days off so this was another pleasant surprise. He is only being fed about 5 ml of milk every 3 hours but had his 3rd feeding of the day when we were there. They will continue to measure his output and increase feeding amounts accordingly. There are so many important nutrients that come from mother's milk that science will likely not ever be able to replicate. I believe that this will help Colton gain even more strength as he continues to fight his way from the NICU at Texas Woman's to where he belongs - with us at home! Mother's milk is to babies as spinach is to Popeye!

Wednesday is sibling visit day so Sydney got to go with us again today. Sydney got to hold her baby brother for the first time today! She was super excited and can't wait to get back up there on Sunday.

He now weighs 4lbs6oz (up from 3lbs12oz) and continues to gain strength and momentum. It's important to celebrate the successes but also remember he has a long way to go. We'll take all the good news that comes our way and pray for even better news tomorrow.

Appreciate everyone's support and love and looking forward to the day that we can return the favor....All the best - Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton.

Feb. 10 - Everything is in "Moderation"

Well - we got a bit of good news tonight! According to the latest heart ECHO, Colton's PDA went from "Large" to "Moderate". What this means is that the PDA is reducing in size and appears to finally be closing! Now of course we need the whole thing to close to get past this milestone. But, the fact that it's starting to close is a very positive sign. We are so grateful, thankful, elated and pumped that we got this great news tonight! Go Colton Go!

Wendy, Nick and I visited Colton again today. I did not get a chance to go by the hospital on Monday as I spent my first full day back at work. I was immediately amazed at the difference one day has made. He is truly starting to look more and more like a full term baby - albeit still on the small side. His color is looking great, he is cooing and making little baby noises when you hold him, and he cleans up real well. He's a good looking kid if I do say so myself! In fact, rumor has it that all the girl babies are on a waiting list to be moved closer to his area. :)

He was completely off his light therapy today which means his bilirubins dropped to an acceptable level. He also had the tube removed from his mouth that helped drained any excess air and fluid in his belly. Remember, he is still being fed by IV as they wait for the PDA to completely close. So today we really got our first glimpse of him without any tube, tape, or anything else stuck to his head or face.

I finally got to hold my boy today for the first time. It was great to spend a little quality time with him and tell him about all the fun things we have planned. I told him I have too much estrogen in my house (wife, daughter, 3 female dogs and 2 female guinea pigs) and needed a little more testerone to help balance things out. Don't get me wrong, I love all my girls but it will be nice having another guy around the house. I told him about all of the football games we'll be watching - hopefully he won't pick up my bad habit of yelling at the TV.

Tomorrow is sibling visit day so we'll have Sydney up again tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, she will get to hold him for the first time.

While we are elated at the great news today, we all realize that this is a process. Wendy and I are both ready to get him home but we are probably looking at mid-March before that happens. But, we will take each success and celebrate it as we did tonight. Colton is a strong kid, is much loved, and has people praying for him all over this great land. I'll never tire of thanking everyone for their love and support. We'll continue to keep Colton in the capable hands of the good doctors and nurses at Texas Woman's NICU and under the watchful eye of God who is definitely hearing your prayers and is in complete control. With love and respect - Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton.

Feb. 9 - Grandpa Nick comes for a visit

Wendy's dad (Nick) is in town this week and got to visit his grandson for for the first time. Even at 30 weeks, it appears that Colton has more hair than his grandpa!

Not much change to report today. A quiet day is typically a good day at the NICU. Colton's bilirubin count fell below 10 as of this morning and will be checked again in the morning. I'm not sure what the trigger point is for removing the light therapy but hopefully that will come sometime this week.

Colton's last dose of indomethacin to close that PDA is at 11:00 p.m. tonight. Around midday tomorrow, he will have his heart ECHO performed again to check to see if he's made any progress on getting that PDA closed.

More updates tomorrow and thanks again for everyone saying prayers for our little guy....Love, Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton.

Feb. 8 - Wendy holds Colton for the first time!

Hi everyone. Sorry to be posting so late but we've had a busy afternoon/evening. We visited Colton today after lunch today and Wendy got to hold him for the first time! The umbilical line has been removed and the PIC line inserted so this finally allowed us to hold Colton. I'm not sure there would be anything you could offer to Wendy in exchange to wait another day to hold her baby. Let me just say it was just what the doctor ordered (for both Colton and Wendy). And there might be prettier sights in this world but I would have been hard pressed to find one at that moment.

Sydney and I both decided not to overstress him by moving him from person to person to be held. He still has tubes running to his PIC line and being held is unfortunately new to him. The most important thing for us right now is to touch him soothingly so he doesn't associate touch with being poked and prodded.

Colton started his indomethacin medicine to help attempt to close that PDA. He received his first dose today at 11 a.m. He gets another one tonight at 11 p.m., followed by another 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. dose on Monday. On Tuesday, they will run the ECHO of his heart again to check to see if that PDA will start to close. This is our last shot at closing that PDA without the surgical intervention.

Colton's bilirubin count dropped slightly overnight as well. He also got a bath (cleans up pretty nicely!) and weighed in at 3 lbs. 13.5 oz - a slight weight gain. His bruising is improving and his coloring looks good. I've noticed some of the photos I post make his brusing look worse than in person. However, I think it's just some of the camera angles and shadows. Not to say he's still not bruised but he is really looking tons better these days.

Wendy's dad (Nick) is in for the week and will be helping out. Unfortunately for me, I will not be visiting Colton tomorrow :( as I have to get back to work and catch up on a few things. I hope to arrange some sort of flexible work schedule to so I don't miss too many chances to visit with him. I have a great boss (and I'm not just saying that in case he reads this ;) and HP is very family friendly. My boss tells me to prioritize family above all else at this time. So I will hopefully get the balance right while Colton is in the NICU. Even though I can't do much for Colton even when I'm at the hospital, it's tough not spending my time with him. As you can imagine, it's tough laying your head down on your pillow at night knowing your child is at a hospital 30+ miles away. However, we know that it's important to keep up our health as we won't be any good to him when he comes home if we are down and out.

Nick will be driving Wendy to the hospital tomorrow so he can see his grandson in person for the first time. He is spending a week with us and then his wife, Joan, will be here the following week. Wendy and I can never tell everyone how much we appreciate the support of our friends and family. You hear the word "blessed" overused some times but it's appropriate for our situation right now. If I ever had any doubt about the quality of our friends and family (which incidentally I never did), I can put any of those doubts to rest.

We met a gentleman today who actually lives north of us and has been making the trek to Texas Woman's everyday for the last 6 months. His granddaughter was born at 24 weeks and weighed in at 12 oz. Think of this way - grab a can of Coke and that was the size of his granddaughter! He is hopeful that she will get to finally go home this month. He is also a man of Faith and has not given up hope. Small world - he has another granddaughter that goes to the same school (Salem Lutheran) as our daughter (Sydney). I think it's important to remember that when you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders, just remember that your neighbor or someone you know might have it a little tougher. Let's all pray that his little granddaughter gets to go home soon and sees a world beyond tubes, beeping alarms, and nurses.

Thanks again for all the love and support everyone has shown to us and keep the Faith! Love, Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton

Feb. 7 Update - Week #2 Begins!

Well, we all made it through the first week. I think Wendy and I are starting to come down off the adrenaline some and starting to breathe a little more now that Colton is making progress. It's been a rough start for all of us but we are grateful for all the love, support, prayers and hope.

We got to make a 2nd trip up to the hospital to see Colton yesterday. Wendy also got her incisions checked out by one of the docs while we were there. I've got her slowed down a little today because in the midst of all this with Colton, Wendy needs to heal from that c-Section. The incision will take some time to heal but she is getting there. I always said if it was up to men to have babies this would be a desolate planet. I have to say I admire Wendy's strength.

So the latest is the PDA has not reduced in size. Likely, this thing is not going to close on its own. So we hope to talk to the neonatologist (Dr. Gee) tonight or tomorrow to see the next course of action. The PDA is evident on the heart ECHO as well as hearing the murmur with a stethoscope. His breathing is not labored but his respirations are higher than desired due to that PDA still being open. We should have more details on next steps tomorrow.

The little man is still under the lights for his bilirubin although that bilirubin count did reduce slightly overnight. He had a couple of good poops last night so his plumbing is working correctly! He has his splint now on his right arm so that fracture can begin to heal. He also had another ultrasound of his abdominal area to detect any bleeds or other issues and I'm happy to report that came back normal. He had an arterial IV line removed as well. They had difficulty with the inserting his PIC line last night and they will likely try again tonight. The PIC line is more of a long term IV and will allow the NICU to remove Colton's umbilical line. Long term, it's good to remove the umbilical line due to increased risks of infection. Once that umbilical line is removed, we will finally be able to hold Colton. We are hopeful the PIC line is successful tonight so we'll all get a chance to hold him tomorrow (including Sydney).

On a personal note, we are appreciative of all the calls, emails, prayers, food, and support during this time. If we haven't returned your call or responded to your email, please know that we are reading everything and appreciate you. It's tough with the schedule we are keeping right now to get to everything. We are both looking forward to the day that we can repay everyone's kindness. It's important for you tall to know that we won't forget what you are doing for us - that you can take to the bank!

The hardest part for Wendy and I both is not being in control of anything. As a parent, there's not much you won't do for your children. I can tell you that Wendy and I either one would trade places with him right now if we could. While we remain optimistic and are pleased with all of his progress, the worry and fears can overtake you if you let them. We put our faith in the good doctors and nurses at Texas Woman's NICU and most importantly our Faith in God that he is in control 100% and will see us all through this.

Colton started out 10 weeks early, had to be resuscitated at birth, was bruised all over, had a broken arm, was intubated to assist with breathing and had a host of other issues. One week later, the guy is breathing completely unassisted and truly has made great progress in most areas in such a short time. I certainly will give credit to Colton, the doctors, the nurses and all of the trained medical staff for the tremendous progress that Colton has made this week. But I'm thoroughly convinced (and good look convincing me otherwise) that prayer does work and it's more than good medicine coming into play right now. Keep the Faith as will we.....Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton

Feb. 6 Update - Where did that CPAP Go????

Wendy and I just got back from visiting Colton at the NICU today. To our pleasant surprise, the CPAP was no longer connected! This is great news as he is now 100% breathing on his own!

Also, we got great news today from his head ultrasound. No brain bleeds! This had been a concern due to his traumatic entry into this world and the bruising around his head. So we are very thankful for this great news!

The ECHO of his heart did indicate that the PDA is still there. However, Dr. Hernandez does not know the size of it yet as it needs to be evaluated by a pediatric cardiologist. Due to his stability and the fact that he has been extubated, they will try to the medicinal route to try to close that PDA. A pediatric cardiologist at Texas Children's Hospital will read the results of the ECHO to determine if the PDA is closing. We hope to hear news on this later this evening. Keep your fingers crossed and those prayers going that the PDA is starting to shrink!

We also had a concern with him not moving his right arm. Well, turns out he had good reason for not moving it. His humerus is broken! An x-ray did confirm a fracture of his humerus that was not initially seen on his first x-ray due to the angle of the image. Dr. Epps evaluated Colton and he will be splinting him tonight. We told you he had a rough start!

Colton is also opening his eyes some to see all those scary people hovering over his crib. He also protests profusely when his diaper is changed. Today, I turned on my cell phone video camera when Wendy was changing his diaper. He definitely let us know his displeasure as you can see in the attached video on this post! That cry is music to our ears and we will gladly welcome that cry at home.

More updates soon! Love Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton.

Overnight Update....by Wendy!

Hello!

Col-T continued to do very well overnight! His night nurse states he has been on the 6 setting for cPAP since midnight and appears to be tolerating it just fine. His bilirubin did spike up to 14 overnight and so he is back on the lights. We totally expected this as they were pulling the lights to decrease his fluids to trigger that darn PDA to close. He has not had the echo yet today but it is scheduled for later today. We should know by this evening if it has closed. The nurse said he was moving his right arm more for her overnight. She has been with him several nights and been able to observe him. She also said Colton protested some over the night. She believes he might be beginning to feel hungry and asked if it was OK to offer the pacifier. I told her that is fine, I had observed his oral care being done by the nurse yesterday and he seemed to like it and would attempt to suck on the sponge, so it might offer him some comfort. He won't be given a tube feeding until the issue of the PDA is resolved. Once that is resolved, it is my understanding he will get an NG or OG tube and be given the tiniest amount of milk to see if it is tolerated. Bottles will not even be in the picture until 2 criteria are met. The first is that he has to tolerate 8 tube feeds per day and he must be over 32 weeks gestation. He will be 32 weeks gestation on Valentine's day. He will be fed EBM. (expressed breast milk). The nurse told me they have already performed his head ultrasound this morning and results will be available later today. The plan as I understand it for this weekend is to pull his umbilical line vein and place a PIC line. While I am not thrilled with him having a new line, this transition will allow him to be held, which will be wonderful! I can't wait to hold my tiny baby boy.


Hasn't Bret done a fabulous job with the blog? I am so proud of him not only for the blog but for how well he has handled everything from his wife in complete denial that she is in labor to every challenge we have faced in this week. I am lucky to have such a wonderful husband.

I am also very lucky to have such vast support from friends and family. I have been blown away with the e-mails, text and phone messages. I can not tell you how much they all mean to me. I know I haven't been able to respond to each one yet, but I want you to know I am getting them and they are just what I need to keep my spirits up. I am doing well and healing well. I have had a marked decrease in post operative pain over the past 12 hours and can actually get out of bed by myself now!

Thank you all for your love and support! We will update again this evening.

Wendy, Bret, Sydney and baby Colton

Feb. 5 Evening Update

We went to visit Colton about 11:30 today. He continues to make progress with his respiratory system. His CPAP settings will be reduced from "10" to "8" today and he is still only on room oxygen. If he shows progress at the 8 setting, then they move him to 6 and finally to 4. What this all means is that if he continues at this rate, he will be CPAP free within a few days. This is a huge milestone in moving from the Level III NICU to Level II.

We spoke to his neonatologist today (Dr. Hernandez) and she is removing his light therapy (for bilirubins) and reducing his fluids for now. She hopes this will help trigger the body in closing that hole in his heart. He still has the murmur so the hole is still open. However, he will have his heart scanned tomorrow to see if that hole is starting to close. If the hole is closing, that would be some of the best news we have received yet. If it isn't closing, he might be doing well enough on some of his other targets to try the medicinal route to close that hole. At any rate, we should have answers by tomorrow afternoon on if the hole is closing or not. We continue to pray for a good outcome on his PDA.

We got to remove his hat today and see a little more of his face and head. Wendy got to change his diaper today which was really good since she has not been able to hold our baby. She also held him up as his little bedding was changed. Colton decided to relieve himself a little more when his diaper was off! So his urine output is good which is yet another good sign of kidney function.

We also got to hear the little guy cry for the first time today! With that breathing tube in, he was not able to make any crying noises. Wendy kept messing with his right arm (as a pediatric physical therapist is prone to doing) and he showed his complete dissatisfaction of being messed with! We've determined that he has his mom's disposition when he is mad.

We do have a new concern with his right arm. He's not really moving it although he does make a fist and move his fingers on that arm. Wendy's pediatric physical therapy instinct kicked in and she brought it to Dr. Hernandez's attention. Colton will be evaluated by a pediatric orthopedic specialist tomorrow to determine what's going on. Wendy suspects something with the brachial plexus but that diagnosis will need to be made by the orthopedic doctor.

All-in-all, a good day for Colton. Continued stability of vital body functions, respiratory improvement on CPAP, and quality time with mom and dad. More updates tomorrow! Love - Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton.

Feb. 5 Morning - Let There Be Poop!

We called the overnight nurse this morning to check on Colton and he had a good night. Sorry for the catchy title but the fact that Colton had a good poop is a great sign. His bilirubin, which had been creeping up, has leveled off and actually went slightly down (went from 9.2 to 9.0 overnight). His breathing continues to do well with the CPAP. He will be evaluated later this morning and we will find out the next course of action for his PDA. Look for another update this evening and keep praying! Love, Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton

Feb. 4 Evening Update - A new milestone reached!

Wendy, Sydney, Mimsi (paternal grandmother) and I visited Colton at 4:00 today. Earlier, his neonatologist (Dr. Hernandez) came by to let us know that the breathing tube was coming out! When we visited Colton, he was only wearing a CPAP which is a form of ventilation covering his nose. Removal of the breathing tube (extubation) is a positive step and important milestone in his continued improvement. His nurse had assessed him at 4:00 today and said all of his vitals looked good. So we were very happy to have this bit of good news today!

As far as the PDA, Dr. Hernandez and the other docs in her practice are discussing Colton's case this evening as to next steps: wait and monitor hole in his heart to see if it will start closing or go forward with the surgery. We should know more on that tomorrow.

As I type this, Wendy is getting her staples removed and we are preparing to all go home for the evening. Starting tomorrow, Wendy and I will make the daily trip to see our little guy and get updates on his progress.

I am attaching a few photos that we took today. Colton's color is looking much better although the bruising is still evident.

Thanks again for all the prayers and support (we are humbled) and keep praying for our little guy. Love to all....

Feb. 4 Morning Update

Hi everyone: Thanks again for all the prayers and support. We are appreciative and look forward to the day that we can return the favor. Wendy and I hit a low point yesterday after the new of the hole in his heart and the likely surgical intervention. We did however feel better after visiting with Colton's nurse (Sara) yesterday as she was a wealth of information. It turns out that the procedure to close the hole in his heart is done bedside by a skilled surgeon who had done thousands of these procedures. It does require anesthesia and is certainly not without risk but it's not the full blown open heart surgery with the rib spreader. They evidently go into his left side and do the procedure through an incision. They would go between his ribs and stitch the opening in his heart. As with any surgery, there are some risks involved, including anesthesia and possible damage to his vocal cord due to the proximity of the nerve that controls the vocal cords during this procedure. It's one of those judgment calls you have to make to decide which option has more downside and which option is riskier. It's something we'll continue to monitor for now. It also helped having a visit from my good friend Ron and his wife Marian. Ron is one of those guys that is naturally funny and can always bring a smile to your face. He has a twin brother and they were born at 30 weeks as well. He weighed in at a whopping 2 lbs at birth and this was over 40 years ago. As he likes to point out, he more than made up for weighing 2 lbs. Let's just say he weighs a little bit more these days!

They are also slowly trying to get Colton's breathing tube (intubation) out by reducing his dependence on any assisted breathing. As mentioned before, he is taking most breaths on his own. As they get him to the point of unassisted breathing, they will monitor his vitals (CO2 emmissions, blood oxygen saturation, etc.). They already reduced some breathing assistance and his vitals remained stable. They will likely move it down another notch today. If he maintains vitals properly over the next day or so with no assistance, the tube can then come out. They also will likely start backing down from the sedation levels on morphine. Removal of the tube and discontinuing sedation are both milestones that could help trigger the body to start closing the hole in the heart. When a baby is in utero, that artery is open as vital blood between mother and baby travels through it. When a baby is born, the cord is no longer connected, air enters the lungs and other post-birth actitivies help trigger the body to start closing that hole. The hope is as Colton starts doing more things on his own, this will help trigger his body to start closing that hole. Although it's likely the surgical intervention to fix the hole is needed, this does at least give us some hope of the hole closing on its own.

They also will likely start backing down from the sedation levels on morphine.
Wendy will be released from the hospital today. She is obviously sore from the c-Section but that has not stopped her from visiting her boy in the NICU at night. As in nature, never try to keep a mother away from her babies!

Sydney and Colton's paternal grandmother (Kay "Mimsi") will be visiting during family hours today. Sydney will also attend a class for siblings of babies in the NICU as well as get another chance to visit her baby brother. It should be a good experience for Sydney and will give her the chance to talk to other kids her age that likely have some of the same questions. We'll then take Wendy home and start the process of daily visits to the NICU. It's about a 72 mile round trip daily but a small price to pay to see your child in the care of one of the best NICUs in the country.

More updates as we get them - Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton.

PDA is large

Bad news on the hole in his heart (PDA). It is a large one and will likely require surgical intervention. We will likely give it a day or two to see if it closes but looking like surgery will be in his future.

Feb. 3 Update - Pray for PDA closure in heart

Wendy and I visited Colton at 11:00 a.m. this morning. Let's start with some good news. First, he remains stable in terms of heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. His anemia seems to be resolved from the blood transfusions he received yesterday and they will continue to monitor his progress there. He has developed a heart murmur which is suspected to be caused by the PDA (artery that typically closes after birth) not having closed. They will check the size of the PDA opening via an ultrasound today. If it is deemed to be too large and not closing on its own, it will require surgery to close. We ask for prayers that this artery will close and be resolved without surgical intervention. Medicinal treatment for this PDA is not recommended as it may cause issues with the kidneys and/or his gut. We are hopeful that the murmur has appeared because the PDA is actually closing. In some cases, the murmur appears as the PDA becomes more narrow and starts to close. We are hopeful that Colton's PDA will be closing and the little guy won't have to be subjected to surgery. In terms of the possibility of a brain bleed, that situation still exists due to the aggressive extraction at birth. One thing we have working in our favor is that Colton has not had any seizures which are typically classic signs of a brain bleed. Please continue to pray for our little guy and we will update you with more details as we have them. Love, Bret, Wendy, Sydney and Colton

February 2 Update

We visited Colton at the NICU at around 1:30 today. He is still under the lights for bilirubin. The big concern today is that he is anemic and appears to be losing blood somewhere. They have ruled out possible bleeding in the abdominal area as well as the lungs. The concern would be a possible brain bleed. However, a scan of his head won't happen until about Day 10. In the meantime, he is getting blood transfusions and will be monitored closely. In addition to the anemia, he will have a spinal tap this evening to rule out meningitis. We spoke with both his neonatologist as well as his pediatrician while he is here at NICU. The pediatrician stated that he is doing well for his start and gestational age but mentioned that he will have to be monitored closely. The positive to take away today is that he is stable. Please continue to pray for Colton and we'll keep you posted as we get more details. Thanks to everyone for their prayers, thoughts and support. Bret and Wendy.

Happy Birthday Colton!

Baby Colt arrived January 31, 2009 at 7:59 pm. He weighed in at 3 lbs 12 oz and is 17 inches long. He was born at 30 weeks gestation. He is in the NICU level 3 Nursery and intubated at this time. He is expected to be in the hospital for 4-8 weeks. We will have more information in the upcoming days on how he is doing. He is still being assessed by the neonatologist and adjusting to life outside the womb.

He was born via c-section. He was in a position that they had some trouble getting him out and that is why there are bruises on his body. In addition, he had to be resuscitated at birth. His APGAR at one minute was 4 and 8 at five minutes.

Sydney was very excited and got to spend a few minutes meeting him on Sunday.

We will update on his status as much as we can in the upcoming days and weeks.

Thank you to everyone for all their love and support during this time.

Love, Wendy, Bret, Sydney and Baby Colton