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 :)
Sunday, May 9, 2010
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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