Happy Memorial Day everyone. I hope you all got out to enjoy the beautiful day and honor anyone you know that has or is serving our country.
I'm just posting a short update tonight. It's been a trying week for us. Tyler continues to have issues with eating, digesting, and breathing. We are searching for some answers but the doctors haven't been able to provide us with any yet. Our poor little guy has been through a lot and it's been very frustrating for us to not be able to help him. I won't get into details of everything that has gone on but just know that Tyler needs lots of prayers. He's trying to tell us that something isn't quite right and we're trying as hard as we can to figure out what it is.
Dillan on the other hand has been our super star. She is now being weened into a crib and is taking most of her food through bottles. The doctor said yesterday there is a chance she could come home with us this week. How exciting is that. So we've been trying to get things ready for her to come home. She weighs 4lbs 9oz now and we're hoping she will break 5lbs by the time she comes home.
So, we've had our ups and downs this weekend. We are hoping for some answers as to what's going on with Tyler this week so we can focus on getting him home. He is so big and so handsome we can't wait until he's home with us.
Thanks to everyone for your continued love and support.
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler
Monday, May 31, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
34 Weeks
The kids would have been 34 weeks today with only 4 left to go to be considered full term. We are getting closer to when they should be able to come home.
Got to the hospital today and cuddled with Tyler for an hour. He literally screamed at me once when I was holding him. It was the first time I'd heard his lungs. It was nice that I was able to sooth him because for so long I wasn't able to do that. After that I fed Dillan her once a day bottle. She drank 26 of her 37ml's. Yeah. She did very good and gave me big burps today. This afternoon I had my 6 week follow up appt at the doctor and everything looked good so I'm cleared to return to normal exercise!! It will be interesting to challenge myself now that I know I'm medically ok to do it. Got back to the hospital and had a nice surprise. We got moved to the very, very back corner of the NICU. It's actually a little L cove area with just enough room for twins. It's very private which is nice when you're dealing with the little ones. They like things quiet and dark. When Corey got there after work he cuddled with Tyler until the eye doctor came for their first eye exam. Both kids looked great. No issues or concerns at this point. They will be seen again in a couple of weeks. After the doctor left I cuddled with Dillan while she had dinner from her feeding tube. She slept through the entire thing.
So that was the day in general. No changes were made to Dillans care today. Tyler's feeds were increased to 12ml's per hour. The doctor told me today he has to get to 16ml's per hour to be considered full feeds. He's almost there!!! However, he still isn't pooping. He got another suppository today and it didn't really help. He did pass some gas tonight which is a good sign and I'm sure made him feel better. I think things are moving, they are just moving really, really slow.
That's all for tonight. Tomorrow is Friday and then three day weekends for most. Enjoy the nice weather.
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler
Got to the hospital today and cuddled with Tyler for an hour. He literally screamed at me once when I was holding him. It was the first time I'd heard his lungs. It was nice that I was able to sooth him because for so long I wasn't able to do that. After that I fed Dillan her once a day bottle. She drank 26 of her 37ml's. Yeah. She did very good and gave me big burps today. This afternoon I had my 6 week follow up appt at the doctor and everything looked good so I'm cleared to return to normal exercise!! It will be interesting to challenge myself now that I know I'm medically ok to do it. Got back to the hospital and had a nice surprise. We got moved to the very, very back corner of the NICU. It's actually a little L cove area with just enough room for twins. It's very private which is nice when you're dealing with the little ones. They like things quiet and dark. When Corey got there after work he cuddled with Tyler until the eye doctor came for their first eye exam. Both kids looked great. No issues or concerns at this point. They will be seen again in a couple of weeks. After the doctor left I cuddled with Dillan while she had dinner from her feeding tube. She slept through the entire thing.
So that was the day in general. No changes were made to Dillans care today. Tyler's feeds were increased to 12ml's per hour. The doctor told me today he has to get to 16ml's per hour to be considered full feeds. He's almost there!!! However, he still isn't pooping. He got another suppository today and it didn't really help. He did pass some gas tonight which is a good sign and I'm sure made him feel better. I think things are moving, they are just moving really, really slow.
That's all for tonight. Tomorrow is Friday and then three day weekends for most. Enjoy the nice weather.
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
4lbs
Happy Wednesday all, we had a really good day today with the kids.
I have a new schedule that I'm following with them every day now in order to try to get as much time with each of them as possible. I am at the NICU by 9am in order to cuddle with Tyler for an hour before I have to feed Dillan. That usually takes me until after 12pm. I have to pump and eat and get back to the NICU by 2pm if I want to feed Dillan again and be there when Tyler's care at 3pm. Corey always gets there right after 3:30 and he holds Tyler for another hour or so before we go home for the night. I can usually get out of there a little after 6pm. It's a long day but it goes by fast and I LOVE being there to be involved in the kids care as much as possible.
Ok, updates on the kids. Tyler is still on his new formula and so far things are going ok. He is up to 9ml's per hour which is 27ml's every 3 hours. Before he got sick and started having the stomach issues he was eating 30ml's every 3 hours so he is almost back up to that amount. He is still getting his feeds continuously instead of all at once but it seems to help and we are happy for that. He is not really pooping on his own yet but he gets a suppository once a day and today he had a decent poop. I know it's gross but we celebrate the small things. If Tyler's feeds continue to go ok he will hopefully be off of his IV supplements within the next week and they can remove the central line. That will really free up the amount of cords he has attached to him. Tyler's breathing has been pretty good. Again, he only drops his oxyen when he's bearing down and uncomfortable. Otherwise he's really good. He really enjoys cuddling with Corey and I during the day. He is so comfortable and his oxygen and heart rates are perfect. Today auntie Becky was shadowing the Occupational Therapist (OT) that works in the NICU and they actually got to work on Tyler. He loves his OT and PT (Physical Therapist) and does so well with them. It was great that Becky got to work with him.
Dillan continues to do well. Yesterday I asked the nurse if she could try a bottle. She said they usually wait until 34 weeks before trying it (that would be tomorrow) but if I wanted to try it she'd be there with me. I told her that I really thought Dillan would do well on it and I really wanted to give it a try with her. She's been such a trooper and I wanted to see how it would go. So we gave it a try and she did AWESOME!!! She finished about half of her bottle before he got tired and fell asleep. So we gave her the rest of her feeding through her tube. I was so proud of her.
Today the speech therapist came and sat with me while we did the bottle again. She is the one who evaluates how the babies are doing with the bottle. Well, she said Dillan did awesome. Yeah, happy mom!!! However, the one thing she told me is that it takes a lot of energy for the babies to bottle when they are this little so she only wanted me to do it once a day. Ok, I can live with that. Once Dillan takes over 75% of her bottle then we can increase it and try to do 2 a day. I have a feeling it won't take her long. So, we will do her bottle when she's most awake during the day and just cuddle with her during her other feedings.
So the kids are doing well. Corey and I are so happy that they continue to make strides towards coming home. We really can't wait. Enjoy the rest of the week. It's been beautiful here so far this week. I hope it stays that way so everyone can enjoy the memorial weekend.
Thank you all for the continued support.
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler
I have a new schedule that I'm following with them every day now in order to try to get as much time with each of them as possible. I am at the NICU by 9am in order to cuddle with Tyler for an hour before I have to feed Dillan. That usually takes me until after 12pm. I have to pump and eat and get back to the NICU by 2pm if I want to feed Dillan again and be there when Tyler's care at 3pm. Corey always gets there right after 3:30 and he holds Tyler for another hour or so before we go home for the night. I can usually get out of there a little after 6pm. It's a long day but it goes by fast and I LOVE being there to be involved in the kids care as much as possible.
Ok, updates on the kids. Tyler is still on his new formula and so far things are going ok. He is up to 9ml's per hour which is 27ml's every 3 hours. Before he got sick and started having the stomach issues he was eating 30ml's every 3 hours so he is almost back up to that amount. He is still getting his feeds continuously instead of all at once but it seems to help and we are happy for that. He is not really pooping on his own yet but he gets a suppository once a day and today he had a decent poop. I know it's gross but we celebrate the small things. If Tyler's feeds continue to go ok he will hopefully be off of his IV supplements within the next week and they can remove the central line. That will really free up the amount of cords he has attached to him. Tyler's breathing has been pretty good. Again, he only drops his oxyen when he's bearing down and uncomfortable. Otherwise he's really good. He really enjoys cuddling with Corey and I during the day. He is so comfortable and his oxygen and heart rates are perfect. Today auntie Becky was shadowing the Occupational Therapist (OT) that works in the NICU and they actually got to work on Tyler. He loves his OT and PT (Physical Therapist) and does so well with them. It was great that Becky got to work with him.
Dillan continues to do well. Yesterday I asked the nurse if she could try a bottle. She said they usually wait until 34 weeks before trying it (that would be tomorrow) but if I wanted to try it she'd be there with me. I told her that I really thought Dillan would do well on it and I really wanted to give it a try with her. She's been such a trooper and I wanted to see how it would go. So we gave it a try and she did AWESOME!!! She finished about half of her bottle before he got tired and fell asleep. So we gave her the rest of her feeding through her tube. I was so proud of her.
Today the speech therapist came and sat with me while we did the bottle again. She is the one who evaluates how the babies are doing with the bottle. Well, she said Dillan did awesome. Yeah, happy mom!!! However, the one thing she told me is that it takes a lot of energy for the babies to bottle when they are this little so she only wanted me to do it once a day. Ok, I can live with that. Once Dillan takes over 75% of her bottle then we can increase it and try to do 2 a day. I have a feeling it won't take her long. So, we will do her bottle when she's most awake during the day and just cuddle with her during her other feedings.
So the kids are doing well. Corey and I are so happy that they continue to make strides towards coming home. We really can't wait. Enjoy the rest of the week. It's been beautiful here so far this week. I hope it stays that way so everyone can enjoy the memorial weekend.
Thank you all for the continued support.
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Eating
I can't believe I'm this far behind and no one has yelled at me for not posting. Here is an update on the kids.
Dillan continues to do well. She is now nursing when I am there during the day and then they feed her the remainder of her food through her feeding tube when she's done nursing. She doesn't get a lot, but if she is awake she does pretty good. Tomorrow I think they will try to feed her with a bottle. I'm excited for that because if she can concur that she is one step closer to being home. She is currently 3lbs 10oz and is still just a little peanut but she is doing very well.
Tyler has had another week of eating problems. On Friday he started having a reaction to the formula he was on and they stopped feeding him AGAIN. Poor guy. They wanted to let his intestines and bowels rest because his belly was very big again and they did an x-rax which showed his bowels were inflamed. So, they stopped that formula on Friday. His belly returned to it's normal size and today his chest actually looked bigger than his belly for once. He still seems really uncomfortable all the time. He grunts and pushes like he is trying to push something out and when he does that he holds his breath and drops his oxygen. When he is calm and resting his oxygen stats are fabulous.
Tonight the doctors are trying something new. Tyler is getting yet another formula and this one does not contain any protein. However, instead of feeding him every three hours like he has been the doctors have him on a very slow continuous feed. That way his stomach doesn't get bombarded with larger amounts all at once. He is currently getting 6ml over a three hour period so it isn't very much food in total and we will see how his belly does.
On a positive note with Tyler tonight the nurse turned his oxygen flow down to 1/2 liter per hour and he has been on room air for most of the day. This is wonderful news for him. They will test how this goes overnight and see if they can continue it tomorrow. Tyler is at 5lbs 1oz now. He really has grown. He is such a handsome little guy. He looked really good today now that his belly is back down to size and he's not so puffy. We just hope and pray that this new formula does the trick and we don't have to worry about other issues going on inside of him.
That's the update for the weekend. Thank you all for your continued love and support.
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler
Dillan continues to do well. She is now nursing when I am there during the day and then they feed her the remainder of her food through her feeding tube when she's done nursing. She doesn't get a lot, but if she is awake she does pretty good. Tomorrow I think they will try to feed her with a bottle. I'm excited for that because if she can concur that she is one step closer to being home. She is currently 3lbs 10oz and is still just a little peanut but she is doing very well.
Tyler has had another week of eating problems. On Friday he started having a reaction to the formula he was on and they stopped feeding him AGAIN. Poor guy. They wanted to let his intestines and bowels rest because his belly was very big again and they did an x-rax which showed his bowels were inflamed. So, they stopped that formula on Friday. His belly returned to it's normal size and today his chest actually looked bigger than his belly for once. He still seems really uncomfortable all the time. He grunts and pushes like he is trying to push something out and when he does that he holds his breath and drops his oxygen. When he is calm and resting his oxygen stats are fabulous.
Tonight the doctors are trying something new. Tyler is getting yet another formula and this one does not contain any protein. However, instead of feeding him every three hours like he has been the doctors have him on a very slow continuous feed. That way his stomach doesn't get bombarded with larger amounts all at once. He is currently getting 6ml over a three hour period so it isn't very much food in total and we will see how his belly does.
On a positive note with Tyler tonight the nurse turned his oxygen flow down to 1/2 liter per hour and he has been on room air for most of the day. This is wonderful news for him. They will test how this goes overnight and see if they can continue it tomorrow. Tyler is at 5lbs 1oz now. He really has grown. He is such a handsome little guy. He looked really good today now that his belly is back down to size and he's not so puffy. We just hope and pray that this new formula does the trick and we don't have to worry about other issues going on inside of him.
That's the update for the weekend. Thank you all for your continued love and support.
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Good Day
I love when I can post about good days at the NICU.
Tyler's feeds were increased to 22ml's today. He still has a big belly but has been tolerating his feeds well. He's even started pooping. When the nurse told me that it was music to my ears. Let's hope he can keep that up and continue to do well on his formula. His oxygen level was at 30% for most of today. Right now he usually doesn't have big spells where he just stops breathing. The spells he has are mostly because his belly is so big and it pushes up on his lungs. When that happens he takes shallow breaths and his oxygen level drops. It usually just takes a couple of seconds and he catches up with himself and is back on top of things. Today I finally got to hold him after two weeks of being hands off. He feels like a different boy because he's so much bigger than two weeks ago. He just loved being held. Dad came in when he was out too and got to see him outside of his isolet. One other milestone for Tyler is he got moved up into newborn diapers today. So in case anyone was thinking about it, please don't buy us premie diapers because Tyler is already out of them and Dillan probably will be by the time she comes home.
Dillan had another good day. We tried feeding twice today and she does really well. She doesn't actually get any milk but she latches on really well. Tomorrow we may try feeding before I pump so she can actually try to get some milk. Other than that there were no changes to her care. She's eating well and just keeps growing. They nurse weighed her right before we left tonight and she was 3lbs 7oz.
I can see after today how hectic life will be when we get home. I would hold Dillan and try feeding her and then I would jump to Tyler and just hold him while he ate. By the time we were done with that it was Dillan's turn to eat again. Wow! Thank goodness we have so much support and help around to get us through the really busy first couple of months. We are so lucky.
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler
Tyler's feeds were increased to 22ml's today. He still has a big belly but has been tolerating his feeds well. He's even started pooping. When the nurse told me that it was music to my ears. Let's hope he can keep that up and continue to do well on his formula. His oxygen level was at 30% for most of today. Right now he usually doesn't have big spells where he just stops breathing. The spells he has are mostly because his belly is so big and it pushes up on his lungs. When that happens he takes shallow breaths and his oxygen level drops. It usually just takes a couple of seconds and he catches up with himself and is back on top of things. Today I finally got to hold him after two weeks of being hands off. He feels like a different boy because he's so much bigger than two weeks ago. He just loved being held. Dad came in when he was out too and got to see him outside of his isolet. One other milestone for Tyler is he got moved up into newborn diapers today. So in case anyone was thinking about it, please don't buy us premie diapers because Tyler is already out of them and Dillan probably will be by the time she comes home.
Dillan had another good day. We tried feeding twice today and she does really well. She doesn't actually get any milk but she latches on really well. Tomorrow we may try feeding before I pump so she can actually try to get some milk. Other than that there were no changes to her care. She's eating well and just keeps growing. They nurse weighed her right before we left tonight and she was 3lbs 7oz.
I can see after today how hectic life will be when we get home. I would hold Dillan and try feeding her and then I would jump to Tyler and just hold him while he ate. By the time we were done with that it was Dillan's turn to eat again. Wow! Thank goodness we have so much support and help around to get us through the really busy first couple of months. We are so lucky.
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
5 Weeks Old
The kiddos turned 5 weeks old today and they must have been celebrating because they both had pretty good days.
Tyler is currently 4lbs 8oz. He grows and grows and grows and his body is still trying to catch up. He is still eating 15ml of the formula and seems to be tolerating it well. The doctor did a little "procedure" on Tyler last night to try to stimulate his bowels to poop. I know, too much information, but I like to try to capture everything that's happening. Well the procedure seems to have worked a little because he FINALLY went last night and today. We were so happy. It's amazing what makes you happy living in the NICU. :) Today Tyler's oxygen was up to 30% (21% is room air). He had a couple of spells today where his oxygen dropped and every time they nurses would try to turn his oxygen down he'd have a fit and they'd turn it back up. So, he still needs to work on that part. But I did call tonight and his nurse said he loved his bath and has been a really happy boy all night. We love getting reports like that when we call in the evenings.
Dillan had a big day today. She currently weighs 3lbs 5oz and she looks just like a mini baby. Today we tried breastfeeding for the first time. Again, this may be too many details but like I said, I like to capture it all. The doctors repeatedly told me not to get discouraged if she didn't do anything because she is still very early but they wanted us to give it a shot. Dillan did so well. She latched on wonderfully and even sucked just a little bit. Then she'd just fall asleep until we woke her up. The lactation nurse I was with said she knows she got at least two swallows of milk and that was great for a first time. I was happy. After that we just cuddled while she got the rest of her meal through her feeding tube. That was enough for one day.
Well, so we thought. Tuesday is bath night and we've been helping give the kids little sponge baths but tonight Dillans nurse said she was big enough and stable enough to have a real bath. We were so excited. So, we learned how to give her a real bath and she loved it. The water must have been perfect for her because she just relaxed and took it all in. It was great. Afterwards, she gave mommy another surprise. While I was toweling her off she decided to poop all over the towel. She is such a good pooper, I wish she could teach her brother. But we got her all cleaned up, lotioned, redressed, and wrapped up in a warm blanket. Dillan did so well and we were so happy to take part in one more step of her care. It felt great. It was a big day for our little girl and I'm sure she will sleep good tonight.
Speaking of sleeping, it's off to bed for me. Pumping starts early! Have a good night all and thanks for all your continued support.
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler
Tyler is currently 4lbs 8oz. He grows and grows and grows and his body is still trying to catch up. He is still eating 15ml of the formula and seems to be tolerating it well. The doctor did a little "procedure" on Tyler last night to try to stimulate his bowels to poop. I know, too much information, but I like to try to capture everything that's happening. Well the procedure seems to have worked a little because he FINALLY went last night and today. We were so happy. It's amazing what makes you happy living in the NICU. :) Today Tyler's oxygen was up to 30% (21% is room air). He had a couple of spells today where his oxygen dropped and every time they nurses would try to turn his oxygen down he'd have a fit and they'd turn it back up. So, he still needs to work on that part. But I did call tonight and his nurse said he loved his bath and has been a really happy boy all night. We love getting reports like that when we call in the evenings.
Dillan had a big day today. She currently weighs 3lbs 5oz and she looks just like a mini baby. Today we tried breastfeeding for the first time. Again, this may be too many details but like I said, I like to capture it all. The doctors repeatedly told me not to get discouraged if she didn't do anything because she is still very early but they wanted us to give it a shot. Dillan did so well. She latched on wonderfully and even sucked just a little bit. Then she'd just fall asleep until we woke her up. The lactation nurse I was with said she knows she got at least two swallows of milk and that was great for a first time. I was happy. After that we just cuddled while she got the rest of her meal through her feeding tube. That was enough for one day.
Well, so we thought. Tuesday is bath night and we've been helping give the kids little sponge baths but tonight Dillans nurse said she was big enough and stable enough to have a real bath. We were so excited. So, we learned how to give her a real bath and she loved it. The water must have been perfect for her because she just relaxed and took it all in. It was great. Afterwards, she gave mommy another surprise. While I was toweling her off she decided to poop all over the towel. She is such a good pooper, I wish she could teach her brother. But we got her all cleaned up, lotioned, redressed, and wrapped up in a warm blanket. Dillan did so well and we were so happy to take part in one more step of her care. It felt great. It was a big day for our little girl and I'm sure she will sleep good tonight.
Speaking of sleeping, it's off to bed for me. Pumping starts early! Have a good night all and thanks for all your continued support.
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler
Sunday, May 16, 2010
4lbs Weekend Update
It's been another busy weekend for all of us. Yesterday we took a day off from the NICU to take a short trip to the cities in hopes of buying a stroller. Corey's been fighting a cold and trying to stay away from the NICU so we thought it'd be a good day to go. It was a beautiful day for a road trip. We did find our stroller at REI. It's really easy to fold up and fits great in the trunk. We love it and can't wait until the kids are helping us walk the dogs all summer.
Tyler hit 4lbs on Friday. Yippie, another milestone! Today is was 4lbs 3oz. He's getting so big and is filling out really nice. On Friday he started eating a small amount of the new formula they are trying. He had 5ml's per feed on Friday, 10ml's per feed yesterday and today he went up to 15ml's per feed. The doctors and nurses have told me he's tolerating his feeds very well but he still doesn't want to poop. Today they gave his another suppository and as he has in the past he just pushes it out before it has a chance to properly do it's job. So, he pooped a little but nothing like they wanted. So, we will see how his belly does on this formula. Stay tuned. Tyler's breathing continues to improve daily. On Friday they had oxygen flowing into his nose at 1.5 liters per hour. Yesterday they weened that down to 1.25 and today it was down to 1 liter per hour. I saw in his orders that the goal tonight is to get him down to .75 but we will see how that goes. The nurses told us that sometimes he does really well and sometimes he's naughty and needs a little help. He will get there, he just needs a little more time.
Dillan continues to be a little trooper. Her feeds are up to 30ml and she weighs 3lbs 4oz. When she's sleeping she has these perfect angelic cheeks that you just want to touch. She's absolutely beautiful. My exciting news with Dillan is this week we get to start feeding her. It's not really feeding but just seeing if she can start learning the concept. The doctor wants me to pump like I normally do and then put her up to my chest and see what she does. It's more of a trial and error thing this week but it's an exciting step. When she picks up on this concept I will be spending a lot more time at the hospital so I can be there for as many feedings as possible.
It was a beautiful weekend in Superior and today I went for my first walk with Corey and the dogs since last fall. It felt so good to be out and moving but I can really tell I haven't used any muscles for 4 months. Wow. But we will take things one step at a time. At least I feel good enough to get out and give it a try. It's another two weeks before the doctor says I should really be trying anything besides short walks so we will stick with that.
Hope you all had a good weekend. Continued thanks for the love and support!
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler
Tyler hit 4lbs on Friday. Yippie, another milestone! Today is was 4lbs 3oz. He's getting so big and is filling out really nice. On Friday he started eating a small amount of the new formula they are trying. He had 5ml's per feed on Friday, 10ml's per feed yesterday and today he went up to 15ml's per feed. The doctors and nurses have told me he's tolerating his feeds very well but he still doesn't want to poop. Today they gave his another suppository and as he has in the past he just pushes it out before it has a chance to properly do it's job. So, he pooped a little but nothing like they wanted. So, we will see how his belly does on this formula. Stay tuned. Tyler's breathing continues to improve daily. On Friday they had oxygen flowing into his nose at 1.5 liters per hour. Yesterday they weened that down to 1.25 and today it was down to 1 liter per hour. I saw in his orders that the goal tonight is to get him down to .75 but we will see how that goes. The nurses told us that sometimes he does really well and sometimes he's naughty and needs a little help. He will get there, he just needs a little more time.
Dillan continues to be a little trooper. Her feeds are up to 30ml and she weighs 3lbs 4oz. When she's sleeping she has these perfect angelic cheeks that you just want to touch. She's absolutely beautiful. My exciting news with Dillan is this week we get to start feeding her. It's not really feeding but just seeing if she can start learning the concept. The doctor wants me to pump like I normally do and then put her up to my chest and see what she does. It's more of a trial and error thing this week but it's an exciting step. When she picks up on this concept I will be spending a lot more time at the hospital so I can be there for as many feedings as possible.
It was a beautiful weekend in Superior and today I went for my first walk with Corey and the dogs since last fall. It felt so good to be out and moving but I can really tell I haven't used any muscles for 4 months. Wow. But we will take things one step at a time. At least I feel good enough to get out and give it a try. It's another two weeks before the doctor says I should really be trying anything besides short walks so we will stick with that.
Hope you all had a good weekend. Continued thanks for the love and support!
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler
Thursday, May 13, 2010
1 Month Old
What a busy day today is and what a busy week it has been. Today the kids turned one month old. It's hard to believe a month ago I was still sitting in the hospital waiting for something to happen or not happen and today our little babies are a month old.
It's been a busy week and I can't believe I haven't written all week. Well here is an update.
Dillan continues to do well. In fact, today she finally hit 3lbs. She's getting so big and is really starting to look like a little baby. She's such a cutie. She is currently eating 28ml of food per feeding and is doing well. I held her while she ate today.
Tyler is finally starting to feel better. He had another culture today and it came back negative for infection so he just has to finish out his antibiotics. Unfortunately, now he is having some problems digesting his food. On Monday they started feeding him breastmilk again after he hadn't eaten for a couple of days. They fed him Monday and Tuesday and by yesterday morning his belly was really big and hard again so they stopped feeding him. Poor little guy. They give him all the nutrition he needs through his IV, I just wish he could eat. So, now when they start feeding him again they are going to try a formula that has already been broken down into the simplest form so his belly doesn't have to do a lot of work. They will try that and see if that helps him. We will go from there. So, although Tyler isn't eating actual food he is growing!!! Today he was at 3lbs 15oz just one oz away from 4lbs. I expect him to his 4lbs tomorrow. How exciting.
Today we had a conference with the doctors to go over the kids care in detail. It was nice to hear everything beginning from when the kids were born until today. We get great information from the doctors and nurses on a daily basis but it was nice to have it all laid out at once.
The NICU experience continues to have it's ups and downs and daily challenges. We've met some amazing people that help us through and we are so thankful for that. Hope you are all having a good week. I promise I'll try to post more often. :)
Happy 1 Month Birthday to our little Dillan and Tyler. We love you more than you will every realize and can't wait until you are home with us.
It's been a busy week and I can't believe I haven't written all week. Well here is an update.
Dillan continues to do well. In fact, today she finally hit 3lbs. She's getting so big and is really starting to look like a little baby. She's such a cutie. She is currently eating 28ml of food per feeding and is doing well. I held her while she ate today.
Tyler is finally starting to feel better. He had another culture today and it came back negative for infection so he just has to finish out his antibiotics. Unfortunately, now he is having some problems digesting his food. On Monday they started feeding him breastmilk again after he hadn't eaten for a couple of days. They fed him Monday and Tuesday and by yesterday morning his belly was really big and hard again so they stopped feeding him. Poor little guy. They give him all the nutrition he needs through his IV, I just wish he could eat. So, now when they start feeding him again they are going to try a formula that has already been broken down into the simplest form so his belly doesn't have to do a lot of work. They will try that and see if that helps him. We will go from there. So, although Tyler isn't eating actual food he is growing!!! Today he was at 3lbs 15oz just one oz away from 4lbs. I expect him to his 4lbs tomorrow. How exciting.
Today we had a conference with the doctors to go over the kids care in detail. It was nice to hear everything beginning from when the kids were born until today. We get great information from the doctors and nurses on a daily basis but it was nice to have it all laid out at once.
The NICU experience continues to have it's ups and downs and daily challenges. We've met some amazing people that help us through and we are so thankful for that. Hope you are all having a good week. I promise I'll try to post more often. :)
Happy 1 Month Birthday to our little Dillan and Tyler. We love you more than you will every realize and can't wait until you are home with us.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Monday
Short update today....
Tyler got to start eating again today. They are trying a small amount of breast milk to see how he handles it. They also put another central line in his arm today. He had one in about a week after he was born but it was removed after his staff infection. So, they put another one in today because they ran out of places to put his IV. When I went there today his IV was in his head. Ouch. I talked to one nurse who said it's a great place for an IV but it sure looks icky. When I left they'd just done an x-ray to confirm that the line was in the right spot. The doctor reviewed it with me. Other than that Tyler had a good day. He still has his cannula in but wasn't requiring any extra oxygen. Yeah, that made us happy.
Dillan continues to just do well. Her nurse today told me to watch out because when you change her diaper she tends to explode!!! Ha ha, that's the third nurse that's told us that, PLUS the time she did it to Corey. I think I'll let Corey change her after she comes home. :)
Corey and I finally worked on the nursery tonight. The furniture is all in but I need to put everything away and wash all of the bedding and clothes. It looks really cute!!! I will post pictures once the bedding is all in place.
Hope everyone had a good Monday.
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler :)
Tyler got to start eating again today. They are trying a small amount of breast milk to see how he handles it. They also put another central line in his arm today. He had one in about a week after he was born but it was removed after his staff infection. So, they put another one in today because they ran out of places to put his IV. When I went there today his IV was in his head. Ouch. I talked to one nurse who said it's a great place for an IV but it sure looks icky. When I left they'd just done an x-ray to confirm that the line was in the right spot. The doctor reviewed it with me. Other than that Tyler had a good day. He still has his cannula in but wasn't requiring any extra oxygen. Yeah, that made us happy.
Dillan continues to just do well. Her nurse today told me to watch out because when you change her diaper she tends to explode!!! Ha ha, that's the third nurse that's told us that, PLUS the time she did it to Corey. I think I'll let Corey change her after she comes home. :)
Corey and I finally worked on the nursery tonight. The furniture is all in but I need to put everything away and wash all of the bedding and clothes. It looks really cute!!! I will post pictures once the bedding is all in place.
Hope everyone had a good Monday.
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler :)
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Mothers Day
Happy Mothers Day to all the mom's out there!!! My first mothers day was absolutely wonderful. I got to have a wonderful lunch with my family and got good updates about the kids today.
Dillan continues to do well. Her feeds are still at 25ml every 3 hours. The doctor told me they just come in and say hello to her, feed her and change her and she's happy. She just needs to get bigger and stronger.
Tyler is doing so much better. What they found out was Tyler has a form of strep which is very dangerous. Usually, this type of strep is passed from a mother to a baby during a vaginal delivery. I was never tested for it and the kids were never tested for it because I delivered them via c-section. The doctor said it's very rare for a child to contract this type of bacteria without that form of delivery. However, now that they know what the bacteria is, the antibiotics for it work very well. He will be on them for 14 days to ensure that they kill all the bacteria. They take no chances because the bacteria grows so fast it can take over a child's entire system and shut it down very quickly. The doctor said Tyler is a great fighter and was very lucky he didn't have to have more medical intervention. He did a great job all on his own. So, we will let the antibiotics run this course and hope our little man gets better soon.
The other thing going on with Tyler is his distended belly. Again last night after his feedings his belly got really big. The doctor said he's pooping some and his belly is soft but they were concerned there was something else going on. They'd done an x-ray on it when he got sick the other day but they did another one today just to make sure they didn't miss anything. The good news is that everything looks good. They think he may have some gas and air built up in his intestines that he's having a hard time getting rid of. So today they stopped feeding him again. They want to give his system time to work out what was already in there before putting more in. We will see how he does tomorrow and if they start feeding him small amounts of food again.
Auntie Becky came up to visit with me today and see the kids. I cuddled with Dillan for an hour while we were there. She really is a little peanut. Both kids had mothers day cards with their pictures in them waiting for me when I got there. They were so cute.
Thank you to everyone for the mothers day wishes. It really is sweet and means a lot. I really enjoyed my first mothers day and got the best present ever. Time with my kids, positive reports that they are doing well, and time with my family. It was a great day. Thank you all for the love and support.
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler :)
Dillan continues to do well. Her feeds are still at 25ml every 3 hours. The doctor told me they just come in and say hello to her, feed her and change her and she's happy. She just needs to get bigger and stronger.
Tyler is doing so much better. What they found out was Tyler has a form of strep which is very dangerous. Usually, this type of strep is passed from a mother to a baby during a vaginal delivery. I was never tested for it and the kids were never tested for it because I delivered them via c-section. The doctor said it's very rare for a child to contract this type of bacteria without that form of delivery. However, now that they know what the bacteria is, the antibiotics for it work very well. He will be on them for 14 days to ensure that they kill all the bacteria. They take no chances because the bacteria grows so fast it can take over a child's entire system and shut it down very quickly. The doctor said Tyler is a great fighter and was very lucky he didn't have to have more medical intervention. He did a great job all on his own. So, we will let the antibiotics run this course and hope our little man gets better soon.
The other thing going on with Tyler is his distended belly. Again last night after his feedings his belly got really big. The doctor said he's pooping some and his belly is soft but they were concerned there was something else going on. They'd done an x-ray on it when he got sick the other day but they did another one today just to make sure they didn't miss anything. The good news is that everything looks good. They think he may have some gas and air built up in his intestines that he's having a hard time getting rid of. So today they stopped feeding him again. They want to give his system time to work out what was already in there before putting more in. We will see how he does tomorrow and if they start feeding him small amounts of food again.
Auntie Becky came up to visit with me today and see the kids. I cuddled with Dillan for an hour while we were there. She really is a little peanut. Both kids had mothers day cards with their pictures in them waiting for me when I got there. They were so cute.
Thank you to everyone for the mothers day wishes. It really is sweet and means a lot. I really enjoyed my first mothers day and got the best present ever. Time with my kids, positive reports that they are doing well, and time with my family. It was a great day. Thank you all for the love and support.
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler :)
Friday, May 7, 2010
Steps
They say life in the NICU is like a rollar coaster. You take two steps forward and one step back. Yesterday our rollar coaster took a step back.
According to what the doctors tell us Tyler started out having constant spells where his oxygen levels would drop and he looked very pale. They considered this a change in his behavior and decided to do another work up on him. They also tested his white blood cell count and found that to be high which is a sign of infection. They started him on two antibiotics and drew some blood for testing to see if he actually did have an infection.
Also, based on the fact he was so pale (anemic) and they thought he may have an infection they decided to give him some blood. The doctors talked to us about this over the weekend because Tyler had been pale but they didn't want to give him any blood because they want the babies to make the blood that their bodies need. If they provide the blood for them then the body doesn't think it needs to make as much. However, the doctors thought the infection may be affecting his blood production and thought it best to give him the blood he was lacking.
On top of all of this our little buddy was so tired from fighting off whatever was in his system that he didn't have the energy to remember to breathe all of the time so he was put on a si-pap machine. Si-pap is similar to c-pap. It's a little mask that goes over his nose to constantly keep pressure on his lungs. The difference with si-pap is it can be set to only give the pressure at a certain interval. The good news is that Tyler is doing most of the breathing on his own and without extra oxygen. The si-pap machine kicks in every 15 seconds or so and just gives him a boost of air into his nose.
Tylers culture tests came back this morning and he has a strep infection. The last infection he had was a staff infection so this one is different. He will now be on this antibiotic for at least 10 days to fight off the infection. The doctors are hoping he will start to feel better within the next 24 hours and hopefully gain enough of his strength back that he can come off the si-pap machine. We will see. When we were there today he was really fussy and you could tell he really didn't feel good. His color was much better compared to yesterday but the poor little guy just needs to rest and get better. It's heartbreaking as parents to know that your child is in pain or doesn't feel good and there is nothing you can do about it. All you want to do is pick him up and tell him it's going to be ok and you can't. All we can really do is talk to him.
On a positive note, Dillan is doing wonderful. Yesterday her cannula was removed and she's breathing completely on her own now. She really does just look like a really small baby. She makes the cutest little faces and she really talks to you with her hands. No real changes to report other than her breathing is going well.
Corey said yesterday he thinks he's coming down with a cold. He is fighting it the best he can and getting lots of rest. Last but not least my infection came back and I started antibiotics yesterday for mastitis again. Yesterday was really not our day.
That's the update for today. Please say a little extra prayer for Tyler as he fights off whatever is invading his system. He is our little fighter. Hope everyone has a nice weekend. I will update again tomorrow.
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler
According to what the doctors tell us Tyler started out having constant spells where his oxygen levels would drop and he looked very pale. They considered this a change in his behavior and decided to do another work up on him. They also tested his white blood cell count and found that to be high which is a sign of infection. They started him on two antibiotics and drew some blood for testing to see if he actually did have an infection.
Also, based on the fact he was so pale (anemic) and they thought he may have an infection they decided to give him some blood. The doctors talked to us about this over the weekend because Tyler had been pale but they didn't want to give him any blood because they want the babies to make the blood that their bodies need. If they provide the blood for them then the body doesn't think it needs to make as much. However, the doctors thought the infection may be affecting his blood production and thought it best to give him the blood he was lacking.
On top of all of this our little buddy was so tired from fighting off whatever was in his system that he didn't have the energy to remember to breathe all of the time so he was put on a si-pap machine. Si-pap is similar to c-pap. It's a little mask that goes over his nose to constantly keep pressure on his lungs. The difference with si-pap is it can be set to only give the pressure at a certain interval. The good news is that Tyler is doing most of the breathing on his own and without extra oxygen. The si-pap machine kicks in every 15 seconds or so and just gives him a boost of air into his nose.
Tylers culture tests came back this morning and he has a strep infection. The last infection he had was a staff infection so this one is different. He will now be on this antibiotic for at least 10 days to fight off the infection. The doctors are hoping he will start to feel better within the next 24 hours and hopefully gain enough of his strength back that he can come off the si-pap machine. We will see. When we were there today he was really fussy and you could tell he really didn't feel good. His color was much better compared to yesterday but the poor little guy just needs to rest and get better. It's heartbreaking as parents to know that your child is in pain or doesn't feel good and there is nothing you can do about it. All you want to do is pick him up and tell him it's going to be ok and you can't. All we can really do is talk to him.
On a positive note, Dillan is doing wonderful. Yesterday her cannula was removed and she's breathing completely on her own now. She really does just look like a really small baby. She makes the cutest little faces and she really talks to you with her hands. No real changes to report other than her breathing is going well.
Corey said yesterday he thinks he's coming down with a cold. He is fighting it the best he can and getting lots of rest. Last but not least my infection came back and I started antibiotics yesterday for mastitis again. Yesterday was really not our day.
That's the update for today. Please say a little extra prayer for Tyler as he fights off whatever is invading his system. He is our little fighter. Hope everyone has a nice weekend. I will update again tomorrow.
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan & Tyler
Thursday, May 6, 2010
31 Weeks Today
Hi all, I don't have a large update on the kids today. Yesterday everything stayed the same. The kids did really well. Today the kids would've been 31 weeks. It's amazing how fast the time goes by and yet how slow it seems.
Our nurse said the doctor said that Dillan could try going without her oxygen cannula yesterday but I'm not sure how comfortable the nurse was doing that last night. As of the time we left, she was still wearing it. She said it's just easier to give her oxygen if she needs it if the cannula is on. Makes sense to me. As much as I would LOVE to see her without it, I know it makes it easier if they do have to intervene and help her.
Tyler continues to grow and get stronger. There were no changes to his oxygen. He is still having the occasional spell where they have to bump up his oxygen and remind him to breathe. Many people are starting to comment that he looks like Corey.
Last night Corey and I had dinner with three other couples from the NICU. It was really nice to just go out for dinner and relax. We all told stories about our experiences and laughed a lot. I think we all needed it. These are the people that understand the emotional ride that you are on and it was really nice to bond with all of them.
Thank you all for your continued support.
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan, & Tyler
Our nurse said the doctor said that Dillan could try going without her oxygen cannula yesterday but I'm not sure how comfortable the nurse was doing that last night. As of the time we left, she was still wearing it. She said it's just easier to give her oxygen if she needs it if the cannula is on. Makes sense to me. As much as I would LOVE to see her without it, I know it makes it easier if they do have to intervene and help her.
Tyler continues to grow and get stronger. There were no changes to his oxygen. He is still having the occasional spell where they have to bump up his oxygen and remind him to breathe. Many people are starting to comment that he looks like Corey.
Last night Corey and I had dinner with three other couples from the NICU. It was really nice to just go out for dinner and relax. We all told stories about our experiences and laughed a lot. I think we all needed it. These are the people that understand the emotional ride that you are on and it was really nice to bond with all of them.
Thank you all for your continued support.
Love
Joscy, Corey, Dillan, & Tyler
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
3 Weeks Old
Hi all, here is a short update from yesterday when the kids turned 3 weeks old. Both kids had a good quiet day yesterday. Their oxygen levels were both down and they were both doing quite well.
Dillan's weight is 2lbs 10oz and Tyler's weight is 3lbs 4oz. Both feeds stayed the same overnight.
Grandma and Grandpa Arnold came up to visit for a bit. Corey had Dillan out and was cuddling with her when they were up so they actually got to see her without being in her isolette. Tuesday night is bath night so I got to give Tyler a bath. Poor little guy. I really stressed him out but we got through it ok and afterwards I cuddled him up in a warm blanket and held him while he ate. Tyler's color and his belly both looked a little better yesterday. It was good to see him feeling good.
That's about all I have for an update today. Quiet days are good days and we are thankful for each one. Happy Cinco de Mayo today!
Dillan's weight is 2lbs 10oz and Tyler's weight is 3lbs 4oz. Both feeds stayed the same overnight.
Grandma and Grandpa Arnold came up to visit for a bit. Corey had Dillan out and was cuddling with her when they were up so they actually got to see her without being in her isolette. Tuesday night is bath night so I got to give Tyler a bath. Poor little guy. I really stressed him out but we got through it ok and afterwards I cuddled him up in a warm blanket and held him while he ate. Tyler's color and his belly both looked a little better yesterday. It was good to see him feeling good.
That's about all I have for an update today. Quiet days are good days and we are thankful for each one. Happy Cinco de Mayo today!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Holding Both
Morning all, here is yesterday's update. I walked in and Dillan had done a number on her blankets so they were changing out everything in her isolette. They asked me if I wanted to hold her while they worked. Sure! So I sat down with her right away. Well, then it was Tyler's time to eat so they asked me if I wanted Tyler as well while he ate. Umm, I think so??? How do you hold two at once??? So they got me all set up and I got to hold both kids at the same time. It was the first time I've had both kids so close to me since they were still in my belly. It was awesome. I told them both that their dad would be jealous!
Dillan continues to do well. Her feedings were increased to 24ml yesterday and she is no longer getting caffeine. She weighs 2lbs 10oz now and just continues to get bigger. She is still at 500ml of flow into her oxygen cannula but she pulls it out of her nose whenever she gets a chance.
We got a little more information on how Tyler is doing yesterday. Tyler's last dose of antibiotics was due yesterday morning but they would've had to put a new IV in him so they decided against giving him the last dose. So Tyler is now IV free. :) Our little man is now 3lbs 3oz and continues to grow and grow. One of the things we asked about yesterday was Tyler looks very pale, especially when you compare him to his sister. The doctor told us that Tyler's body hasn't been able to keep up with the amount of blood that his body needs because he's growing so fast. In the extreme case of this they will give the kids a blood transfusion but they really try to challenge the body first to produce more blood. That is what they are currently doing with him. They are also giving him extra vitamins with iron to encourage his body to produce more blood. They keep a close eye on him to make sure he doesn't look like he's getting sick, and therefore causing him to be pale, but yesterday that was not the case. The doctors just think he needs to catch up with his body.
The other thing we asked about Tyler yesterday was his belly. His belly has been distended (big) for the last couple of days and we weren't sure what that meant. The nurse flat out said he's just being lazy!!! Ha ha here is why. They tried to give him a suppository yesterday to try to get his bowels moving and as soon as they inserted it (they put it directly in their butt) he pushed it back out. He did this twice so they just left it out. They know everything is working with him he just doesn't want to push it out. I think he just likes to make sure we are worried about him.
So overall the kids are doing well. We just got some more info yesterday which made us feel better. The other thing we did yesterday was said we wanted to schedule what the hospital calls a "care conference" for both kids for next week when they turn a month old. Care conferences bring in all the people that care for the kids (doctors, nurses, social worker, OT, PT, dietitian, etc.) and go over the kids from head to toe and talk about what they think the plan is for the kids. It will be interesting to get everything in detail.
The kids are three weeks old today so I'll try to get some pictures posted from today. It's amazing how fast the days fly by and I run out of time to do things. Thanks again everyone for your continued support.
Dillan continues to do well. Her feedings were increased to 24ml yesterday and she is no longer getting caffeine. She weighs 2lbs 10oz now and just continues to get bigger. She is still at 500ml of flow into her oxygen cannula but she pulls it out of her nose whenever she gets a chance.
We got a little more information on how Tyler is doing yesterday. Tyler's last dose of antibiotics was due yesterday morning but they would've had to put a new IV in him so they decided against giving him the last dose. So Tyler is now IV free. :) Our little man is now 3lbs 3oz and continues to grow and grow. One of the things we asked about yesterday was Tyler looks very pale, especially when you compare him to his sister. The doctor told us that Tyler's body hasn't been able to keep up with the amount of blood that his body needs because he's growing so fast. In the extreme case of this they will give the kids a blood transfusion but they really try to challenge the body first to produce more blood. That is what they are currently doing with him. They are also giving him extra vitamins with iron to encourage his body to produce more blood. They keep a close eye on him to make sure he doesn't look like he's getting sick, and therefore causing him to be pale, but yesterday that was not the case. The doctors just think he needs to catch up with his body.
The other thing we asked about Tyler yesterday was his belly. His belly has been distended (big) for the last couple of days and we weren't sure what that meant. The nurse flat out said he's just being lazy!!! Ha ha here is why. They tried to give him a suppository yesterday to try to get his bowels moving and as soon as they inserted it (they put it directly in their butt) he pushed it back out. He did this twice so they just left it out. They know everything is working with him he just doesn't want to push it out. I think he just likes to make sure we are worried about him.
So overall the kids are doing well. We just got some more info yesterday which made us feel better. The other thing we did yesterday was said we wanted to schedule what the hospital calls a "care conference" for both kids for next week when they turn a month old. Care conferences bring in all the people that care for the kids (doctors, nurses, social worker, OT, PT, dietitian, etc.) and go over the kids from head to toe and talk about what they think the plan is for the kids. It will be interesting to get everything in detail.
The kids are three weeks old today so I'll try to get some pictures posted from today. It's amazing how fast the days fly by and I run out of time to do things. Thanks again everyone for your continued support.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Big Move
Yesterday the kids made a big move to the second row of the NICU. The way the NICU is set up the kids with the most medical care are in the first row and the farther you go back the closer you are to discharge. Well yesterday both Tyler and Dillan moved to the second row. (There are three rows total.) We were so happy. The second row is a lot quieter since it's farther from the nurses station and you just feel like you have a little more privacy. I suspect we will spend most if not all of the remainder of our time here.
Another big milestone yesterday, Tyler hit 3lbs!!! Yeah, we are so happy that he continues to grow bigger and stronger. Today he was up to 3lbs 2oz. He is still eating 26ml of food per feeding but the nurse tonight was going to try feeding him without the extra calories in his milk. She thinks they may be causing him some extra gas which can affect his breathing. So, we will see how that goes tonight. Tyler is still at 2L of oxygen which is quite a bit of pressure going into his nose to remind him to breathe. Because he's got so much air going in, he tends to swallow extra air which makes his tummy really full. This could be another area affecting his breathing because if his tummy is full of air, there isn't as much space for his lungs to expand out. Another big milestone for Tyler, he was upgraded to preemie diapers. There are two sizes in the NICU before regular preemie Pampers and both kids had been in one size smaller than preemie. Finally, Tyler should be finishing up on his antibiotic tomorrow and then his little IV can come out. One less cord for him. :) So Tyler had a lot going on yesterday on the first of May.
Dillan is also growing and starting to fill out. She is currently at 2lbs 8oz. It seems weird to say she's filling out at that weight but you can really tell a difference. Dillan is still eating 22ml of food per feeding and is doing well with the extra calories. Dillan also still has the oxygen in but her pressure is down to 500ml. She has been at that setting for a couple of days now so we will see how long she stays there before she can try breathing on her own again. Dillan has very few spells where her oxygen levels drop so it could be soon. She continues to be our little trooper and are so happy that she's doing well.
Today at the NICU Corey held Tyler and I did some skin-to-skin kangarooing with Dillan. Grandma and Grandpa Skandel came to visit and can really tell the kids are growing. Corey is just finishing setting up the kids cribs tonight and soon our spare bedroom will start to look like a nursery. I can't wait.
All in all the kids had a pretty good weekend. Thanks everyone for your continued love and support.
Another big milestone yesterday, Tyler hit 3lbs!!! Yeah, we are so happy that he continues to grow bigger and stronger. Today he was up to 3lbs 2oz. He is still eating 26ml of food per feeding but the nurse tonight was going to try feeding him without the extra calories in his milk. She thinks they may be causing him some extra gas which can affect his breathing. So, we will see how that goes tonight. Tyler is still at 2L of oxygen which is quite a bit of pressure going into his nose to remind him to breathe. Because he's got so much air going in, he tends to swallow extra air which makes his tummy really full. This could be another area affecting his breathing because if his tummy is full of air, there isn't as much space for his lungs to expand out. Another big milestone for Tyler, he was upgraded to preemie diapers. There are two sizes in the NICU before regular preemie Pampers and both kids had been in one size smaller than preemie. Finally, Tyler should be finishing up on his antibiotic tomorrow and then his little IV can come out. One less cord for him. :) So Tyler had a lot going on yesterday on the first of May.
Dillan is also growing and starting to fill out. She is currently at 2lbs 8oz. It seems weird to say she's filling out at that weight but you can really tell a difference. Dillan is still eating 22ml of food per feeding and is doing well with the extra calories. Dillan also still has the oxygen in but her pressure is down to 500ml. She has been at that setting for a couple of days now so we will see how long she stays there before she can try breathing on her own again. Dillan has very few spells where her oxygen levels drop so it could be soon. She continues to be our little trooper and are so happy that she's doing well.
Today at the NICU Corey held Tyler and I did some skin-to-skin kangarooing with Dillan. Grandma and Grandpa Skandel came to visit and can really tell the kids are growing. Corey is just finishing setting up the kids cribs tonight and soon our spare bedroom will start to look like a nursery. I can't wait.
All in all the kids had a pretty good weekend. Thanks everyone for your continued love and support.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
It's May
Morning all, I have a fun story for you. Corey had the day off yesterday because he worked an overnight shift the night before. So he slept until early afternoon and we headed up to the hospital. We got there just before Dillan's 2pm feeding so Corey volunteered to change her diaper and take her temp. Mid change I heard this big bang. It was Corey's arm banging against the isolette because after he'd taken Dillan's diaper off she decided to poop all over him, her clothes, and all her blankets. It was great. Here are Corey and I, first time parents, trying to figure out how to clean all of this up and change her clothes through the two little holes in the isolette. I'm pretty sure it took us 15 min but we finally got her cleaned and then Corey went back to redressing her. It was a great first time parenting experience.
Let's see, I didn't get Dillan's weight last night but she is eating 22ml per feeding with the extra calories added in. Her oxygen level is at 1/2l and she does really well. 1/2l is the amount of pressure that the oxygen is flowing into her nose. It was lowered yesterday from 3/4 to 1/2 so she is moving in the right direction. Corey had her out holding her for over an hour and she did really good.
Tyler continues to be our little fighter. He is up to 26ml per feeding also with the extra calories. However, his oxygen was increased yesterday to 2l to see if that helps with some of his spells. Both Dillan and Tyler also get a boost of caffeine in their feedings once a day which is supposed to help with the spells they have. Tyler has 2 days left of antibiotics and then his little IV can come out. I had him out for over an hour as well yesterday and he did really well. He always seems to when he's with mom and dad.
When we had the kids out yesterday our nurse took a picture of all of us. If I have time this weekend I will post it. It will be our first family photo. Today our plan is to work on getting the kids room set up. We've got a lot of work to do there but it should be fun. Later this afternoon my sister-in-law Jen is coming up and we may actually go register at Target for baby stuff. I never got a chance to do it before the kids were born so we're doing it after the fact. I'm really excited. Hope everyone has a great Saturday.
Love
Corey, Joscy, Dillan & Tyler :)
Let's see, I didn't get Dillan's weight last night but she is eating 22ml per feeding with the extra calories added in. Her oxygen level is at 1/2l and she does really well. 1/2l is the amount of pressure that the oxygen is flowing into her nose. It was lowered yesterday from 3/4 to 1/2 so she is moving in the right direction. Corey had her out holding her for over an hour and she did really good.
Tyler continues to be our little fighter. He is up to 26ml per feeding also with the extra calories. However, his oxygen was increased yesterday to 2l to see if that helps with some of his spells. Both Dillan and Tyler also get a boost of caffeine in their feedings once a day which is supposed to help with the spells they have. Tyler has 2 days left of antibiotics and then his little IV can come out. I had him out for over an hour as well yesterday and he did really well. He always seems to when he's with mom and dad.
When we had the kids out yesterday our nurse took a picture of all of us. If I have time this weekend I will post it. It will be our first family photo. Today our plan is to work on getting the kids room set up. We've got a lot of work to do there but it should be fun. Later this afternoon my sister-in-law Jen is coming up and we may actually go register at Target for baby stuff. I never got a chance to do it before the kids were born so we're doing it after the fact. I'm really excited. Hope everyone has a great Saturday.
Love
Corey, Joscy, Dillan & Tyler :)
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