BIG DAY!

They removed their feeding tubes today!! Do you think the docs are reading my blog? Ha ha! Even better news though is that their NICU doctor called us today to tell us that Brody and Tyler could be coming home as early as Wednesday! We are so excited! Brody nippled every feeding for the last 24 hours and Tyler has also been doing very well (not quite as well as Brody but not far behind). They changed their schedule from care times (and feedings) every three hours to what they call "ad-lib" feeding, which just means feeding them whenever they wake up and act hungry and allowing them to take as much or as little milk as they wish. This is similar to what we will be doing with them at home so they are preparing them for this change. They are no longer supplementing with more breastmilk after I nurse them. They have arranged for their circumcisions, which will happen later on tonight. The nurse gave us a DVD on infant CPR that John and I have to watch and practice. A nurse will test us before we can take Tyler and Brody home. All in all it has been a BIG day for everyone over here.

Weights

The boys are doing great! Both are nursing super well and are gaining weight. Brody now weighs 6 lbs. 2 oz. and Tyler is 5 lbs. 11 oz. so they have surpassed their birth weights in just over two weeks. Brody pulled his feeding tube out tonight and Tyler pulled his out last night. I think they are trying to tell us that they don't need them anymore. I wish the doctors would order for them to be removed. All in due time I guess.

Peatering out

Both boys are doing so great with nursing while I am at the hospital with them. I am able to be at the hospital twice a day for about 2.5 hours each time for a total of about five hours each day. I wish I could nurse them every time but with them eating eight times a day and Hunter unable to visit for more than 15 minutes (NICU rule) it's just not possible. Yesterday the Neonatologist called and said the boys are doing very well and as soon as they can prove that they are able to nipple every feeding (whether by breast or bottle of expressed breastmilk) they will be able to come home. In other words, whenever they can get rid of their feeding tubes is when this will happen. Right now they usually either nurse or take the bottle for about half of their feeding each time and then get the rest of the milk through their tubes. This is because it takes a lot of energy to suck the milk down and this burns a lot of calories for the little guys. They peater out by the time half the feeding is over and fall asleep. They just need to build up their endurance. The goal is to get them to take between one and two ounces of milk by themselves. They are each eating an ounce and a half right now (at each feeding) but half of that is via their tubes.

I might have been getting a little ahead of myself when I mentioned Brody coming home soon (last post). The nurse got me excited when she told me to bring in the car seat. We brought it in but it might be another week before they send either of them home. We'll just keep praying that they get stronger quickly!

Twice in a row

Tyler nursed again today at both care times that we tried. He lasted a good 15 minutes each time. He's getting to be a pro! Of course, Brody nursed as well. The nurse mentioned that we should bring in our car seat. That tells me that they're thinking Brody might come home soon. Before the boys are discharged they do a car seat test. They put the baby in the seat with monitors on them to make sure they don't have any problems with breathing and such while in the car seat before sending them home.

Breakthrough!

TYLER NURSED TODAY!!! YIPPPEEEEE!!! It happened at 7:30 a.m. this morning and I am so beyond thrilled.

The boys are considered "growers" and not "sick babies" so we're just in waiting mode right now. They just need to grow a little stronger so that they can come home. I had a little "talk" with Tyler yesterday about it. I guess he was listening. :)

Time management issues

It's amazing how the days are escaping me and I have found no time to update my blog. Traveling to and from the hospital (and spending five to six hours a day there) twice a day as well as taking care of Hunter, pumping every 2-3 hours, and staying on top of household tasks has really been eating up my days. There's nothing new to report though. Brody is nursing like a champ and Tyler still has no interest at all. This afternoon when I fed Brody they didn't even supplement it with a tube feed afterwards. That's a first! The nurses have introduced the bottle (of expressed breastmilk) to both boys and it's the same story (Brody takes it, Tyler not so much). They are both steadily gaining weight after losing a little their first week of life (which is normal). Brody is now 5 lbs. 9 oz. and Tyler 5 lbs. 4 oz.

No more IVs!

The IVs are gone. YAY! Now we just need to work on their feeding tubes.

Brody is really getting the hang of nursing, while Tyler has absolutely NO interest. He is just so so sleepy. Their nurse mentioned today that it could have something to do with Tyler's elevated bilirubin levels. Apparently, this can make a preemie sleepier than normal. Brody is much more awake than Tyler during care times. Tyler's bilirubin levels have gone up slightly since he has been off of the phototherapy lights but are not high enough to start them up again.

They both got baths today and their hair looks mighty fluffy!

When can they come home?

Today the boys were very very sleepy. We tried breastfeeding but they were way too out of it to be very successful. Brody did better than Tyler but neither really got very much. The nurse told me that the boys get pretty exhausted trying to suck and that I shouldn't be frustrated. It'll come in time.

I forgot to write that last night they removed the bilirubin lights from Tyler's bed.

The boys are getting their IV's removed tonight. I'm happy about that because the lines are currently in their heads. It looks pretty uncomfortable for them. It will be easier to handle them without having to worry about disturbing that area.

I mentioned a few posts ago that the boys were getting a daily dose of caffeine. Most preemies get this because their central nervous systems are undeveloped and oftentimes they will forget to breathe. The caffeine helps them remember. A neonatologist called us at home to let us know that they were taking them off of the caffeine as of yesterday morning. It takes 10 days for this to work itself out of their systems and the boys will not be sent home before then because they want to observe them to see if they can handle it well once it's completely gone. So we're not expecting them home for at least another eight days (after today). That is, if they are feeding well by then.

Big boy beds!

I went to visit the boys at 1:30 p.m. today and they were both in hospital bassinets. No more incubators!! They are maintaining their body temperatures nicely so far. They are also getting weaned from their caffeine doses. I was able to try and get them to breastfeed today. Tyler is a little better at it than Brody but both boys are mostly just experimenting and not really taking in a lot of milk. The nurse supplements with a tube feeding of expressed breastmilk after they try for like 15 minutes. The boys are opening their eyes more and more lately. Brody was smiling at me a bunch tonight while I was talking and singing to him during mom-time. I got to hold them for an hour each tonight when I went back to visit them around 6:30 p.m.

Discharged!!!

Today I got to go home!! I can't tell you how much fun it was just riding in the car on the way home, let alone walk in the door and around the garden. It was thrilling!

This morning before leaving the hospital I visited the boys for their two morning care times (7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.). They had their pulse ox removed off of their feet (glowing red thing that measures the oxygenation saturation in their blood). They had to keep this on for a minimum of 24 hours after the removal of any device used for breathing assistance.

Tyler is still under his bilirubin lights.

I got to snuggle both boys twice today, once for the morning feeding and once this evening at their 7:30 p.m. care time.

Both boys got their first baths tonight. I went back to the hospital to witness this and help. They didn't like it AT ALL. Preemies don't like to be touched much and that washcloth must not have felt too good to them. They cried the entire time until the nurse washed their hair. They liked that part and calmed down. She even combed their hair and parted it to the side. It was cute.

The nurse mentioned that they are weaning the boys off of their incubators by lowering the temperature inside gradually to meet the temperature of the NICU room air. They will then be moved to a "crib" (more like a hospital cart bassinet). I'm not sure how long it will take for this to happen.

Hunter and I had so much fun together at home today. We played games and he showed me his new dance moves. John told me that when they were preparing to leave the house this morning he went and got my car and house keys and brought them to John and said, "I've got Mommy's stuff!" He enjoyed pushing the cart of all of my belongings at the hospital out to the car. It's great to be home!

Big brother time!

This morning I learned that Brody was already taken off his nasal canula the night before and was breathing just fine and they were in the process of taking Tyler off as well. I got to experience "Kangaroo Care" with Tyler for the first time. This is where you have a baby on your chest skin to skin and snuggle for like an hour. What's better than that? This especially helps preemies because the baby is able to hear your heart beat and feel the warmth of your skin as well as feel you breathing. It's very soothing to them. I was able to do this with both boys today; Tyler at his 10:30 a.m. care time and Brody at his 4:30 p.m. care time.

A lot of people have been asking me if they think I can spot any characteristics that are different between the boys. The only thing I have been able to notice so far is that Brody is a bit feistier than Tyler, (although Tyler's nurse said today that he is giving Brody a run for his money in the last day or so).

They have both been given a peripheral IV line in their hands so that their umbilical lines could be completely removed (they each had one line left going into a vein). Apparently the NICU team noticed via x-ray that the lines had moved a little out of position and rather than putting them in again (which is a sterile surgical procedure), they were stable enough to just have the IV put into their hand instead. This is much better because they are easier to handle and hold without worrying about disturbing that area.

They are taking more and more milk and digesting all of it so far!

Hunter got to meet his brothers today for the first time. He was very curious about all the different buttons on the incubators and in their NICU room in general. The nurse was busy explaining all of their functions. There are a few other babies in the room with our guys and Hunter saw a similar incubator on the other side of the room. He said, "Mom, we have three twins!" John asked him if he wanted to see Brody. He went and got a step stool and brought it over to Brody's "home" so he could peek in at him. He asked which twin it was and John told him "Twin B." He said, "That's not Brody, Dad...that's Milk" (I mentioned on an earlier post that several months ago he nicknamed them Tree and Milk). He was getting antsy after a little while and went up to my hospital room with John while I finished "Kangaroo Care" with Brody. The nurse said they like this care to last at least an hour so that's quite some time for a four-year-old to stay calm.

Tyler's bilirubin count was high enough that he had to start phototherapy lights tonight. He has to wear special eye-wear to protect his eyes while under his "tanning lights." Brody is still avoiding this for now but most preemies and even a lot of term babies will have jaundice so it's no big deal.

I will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow morning. It is bittersweet. On the one hand I am so ready to get home and enjoy the freedom I have missed out on these last 9+ weeks and to spend time with my family but on the other hand I am so sad to have to be apart from the boys. We hope that they can come home very soon.

BIG progress!

Today was such a great great day! When I called the NICU last night they told me they would like to wait until morning to try to get the boys off their vents. So this morning when the phone rang at 7 a.m. I knew what had happened. They moved them straight to nasal canula (forced room air through prongs in their nostrils) and skipped CPAP altogether. We are SUPER excited about that. When I went to visit them during their care time I got to hear them cry for the first time since the OR. They were not able to make any noise with the breathing tubes in. Although they still squirmed and scrunched up their faces and looked as if they were crying. Brody sounded a little hoarse from the tube being inside of him. The Neonatologist said it looked like the boys were showing signs that they want to be weaned off of the nasal canula altogether because they both keep pulling it out of their nose and chewing on it! Since they are not showing any signs of distress they will start the weaning process and will soon be breathing just like you and me!

They have removed Brody's arterial line through his umbilical cord. I didn't realize how far that went into his body until they started gradually pulling it out. It went up at least four or five inches from his belly button and into an artery right near his heart. He didn't squirm or even wake up while they were pulling it out and only bled a little bit. I think this means that we will be able to hold him soon too!

At noon when I went back to visit they said the boys were ready to get a feeding tube put in and start being fed breastmilk. So far they have only been fed nutrients intraveneously. I am especially excited for this because I've been working hard to get my milk to come in. The milk is given through a tube in their nose and goes into their tummies by gravity. I held the tube of milk up and it only took about four or five minutes for it to go down. I think this will satisfy them better because their tummies will be full (versus having the nutrients "fed" intraveneously). Sometimes they cry and the nurse has said, "I know...you're hungry." She explained that even though they are getting the nutrients that they need intraveneously their tummies are still empty. That can't feel too good. I would cry too! Their care times are going to be every three hours instead of every four now that they are getting breastmilk. The boys have a slight case of jaundice but the breastmilk will help them with that as well.

I've made a slide show of the boys. If you'd like to watch it, click here: http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=juliestenen&SID=252553&Show=Y&p=

Extubated?

A lot can happen in just a few short hours in NICU. We were told by the Neonatologist on duty this afternoon that he'd like to try to have them off of their vents by the end of the day today and moved onto less-invasive breathing assistance!! We are VERY excited for this because then they can start being fed breastmilk (through a tube, I'm sure). Not to mention I can see them sometimes gagging on those tubes and it doesn't look comfortable for them. Although the nurse did tell us that it's good that they have that gag reflex because it's necessary to get them to feed. They've turned both their vents down to minimum assistance and the boys are coping well. They will decide at their 11 p.m. blood draws if they can take them off or not. I'm planning on calling down there at midnight (40 mins from now) to see what the decision is. Brody is now off of Dopamine completely and his blood pressure is stable.

John and I went down for their 4 p.m. care time and I was able to hold Tyler for the first time. The nurse and a respiratory therapist helped him out of his little incubator and brought him over to me. They taped his breathing tube to my shoulder to keep it in position. It was thrilling! He was very peaceful and happy the whole time, just sleeping away (and light as a feather!). The nurse told him not to tell his brother that he was getting "mom-time." Brody can't come out and play yet because he has umbilical lines that cannot be disturbed because they run through an artery. I got to change both their diapers today which was exciting (did I say that?). I feel like I'm helping make them more comfy at least. Both boys had pooped for the first time. The nurse said that they have shown that they are identical in more ways than one! Yesterday when they were hooking the boys up to their vents she told me that they were wheezing in unison.

Thanks for all of the prayers, messages and good thoughts that are coming our way. We all appreciate this so much and are thankful to have such a caring support system to be thinking of us at this time. I think the boys are feeling the love!

Meds for Brody

I just got back from the NICU and both boys were sleeping on their sides. Their nurse told me that we can't hold them yet. We might be able to hold Tyler at his 4 p.m. "care time" depending on his blood gases whatever that means. John will be here by then so that will be nice for support. NICU-land is very foreign to me and sad. The nurses give me all of this medical information that I don't understand. I can't help but cry when I see them like that with all those machines sustaining their lives. I hope they get better soon. Brody is on Dopamine to keep his blood pressure up because he is unable to maintain it by himself. She said this is unusual for "big 34 weekers." Also, they told me that they had to give him Morphine yesterday because he was flailing around and not calm (a sign of pain) but his nurse said he is much better today. I'll keep updating as I get more information.

They're here!!!

Tyler Henry (5 lbs. 9 oz.) and Brody Upton (5 lbs. 11 oz.) were both born this morning at 7:59 a.m. Brody was born first. Before he came out Tyler had his hand sticking out of my incision as if he were saying, "Hey, don't forget me!" The docs/nurses were all saying, "Look at his hand!" I thought they were talking about Brody because I had a sheet in front of me and couldn't see Tyler. I kept saying, "What's wrong with his hand?" but nobody answered. We figured out later what they had meant. Both boys came out crying so John and I took that as a good sign of their well-being. The nurses and docs were all telling them "Happy Birthday" as they were born. I thought that was cute.

The NICU nurses brought each boy over to us briefly but Brody was turning a little blue so they quickly got them to their new temporary home in intensive care. We were told that the standard procedure is to take the parents over to the NICU to see the babies on their way up to the postpartum rooms after recovering for a while post-surgery but when my nurse called to inform them we were on our way the NICU team said they needed an hour and a half before we could come see them because they weren't ready for us. That worried us a little bit. After that time was up and we had settled into my new room we called down and they said we could come anytime. I was nauseous and sick for most of the day due to the drugs given to me in my spinal and so we waited until around 3:30 p.m. to attempt the trip to see them. We got to Brody's isolet and peeked in for a few minutes before the Neonatologist and a NICU nurse started updating us on their status. I started to feel pretty ill and got sick so we had to leave to go back up to my room before even making it over to see Tyler. John quickly snapped a picture before we left but I waited in my wheelchair out in the hallway with the nurse.

Both boys are intubated, which means that they are on ventilators that breathe for them. This is saddening because we didn't think that they would need this much assistance. The Neonatologist seems optimistic that they will be able to get them to a less-intrusive breathing device called a CPAP within a few days. This evening they tried to turn down Brody's ventilator a little to get him to try to breathe a little bit on his own but his blood pressure dropped. They gave him something to regulate it. They haven't done anything to Tyler's ventilator.

At around 6 p.m. I have been starting to feel much better (less dizzy and not as nauseous). I hope to make it down to visit them first thing tomorrow morning.

Birthday

I had a great birthday today. Lots of people remembered and called, sent messages or stopped by. I appreciated it because it really helped keep my mind off of tomorrow's BIG event. I'm pretty nervous about it but also optimistic that things will go well.

Yes, tomorrow is the big day for us and we are pretty excited it has finally arrived. This has been the longest pregnancy EVER! My platelets dropped to 64K today but nobody seems concerned about it.

I will post an update as to how things go tomorrow as soon as I feel up to it.

Two days left!

My platelets are up to 74K!! Woo hoo!!

Kim was discharged from the hospital today so I've lost my "neighbor." She stopped by my room to give me a birthday gift before leaving. I forgot to mention that yesterday Karen Anderson, Kim's mother, came by and brought me flowers. Between that and the planter that Becky gave me yesterday my room is much more colorful and fragrant!

Hunter and I took our last bath together in the whirlpool tub today when he visited. He cried when he found out I would be in a different room next time we would see each other.

Tomorrow I will start packing up my room!

Weight measurements

It has been three weeks since their last measurements were taken so today was the day. By their estimate, Baby A weighs 5 lbs. 6 oz. and B weighs 5 lbs. 9 oz. To me that sounds pretty big and while I do feel enormous and very uncomfortable of late I just would be amazed if this estimate is accurate. We'll know more on Saturday!

My platelets were 64K today. There is no plan to give me steroids. I guess we just hope for the best the day of surgery. Only two more days of being a mommy of one.

My friend Becky came for a surprise visit tonight to bring by an early gift for my birthday and one for the twins. She also came to visit Kim and meet Annalee. We both went up there together.

John and Hunter came this afternoon as well. Hunter and I played with my craft supplies since I've already started sending stuff home with John in preparation to be moved upstairs to postpartum. Hunter's toys are already gone. We made due with some punches, paper and buttons. He had a blast!

Typical Tuesday

My platelets were 66K today.

John and Hunter visited this morning. Elise, Sarahbeth, Raven and Kim were here tonight. I went upstairs to see the Jerabek family briefly around dinnertime.

Nothing else new around here.

8 weeks today

I have been in the hospital for 8 weeks now. Have I mentioned that I'm ready to go home? Five days to go!!

My friend Kim gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Annalee last night at 1 a.m. She weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz. I was able to visit her several times yesterday while she was waiting to dilate. My nurses allowed me to go up today to meet her (Annalee) sans wheelchair which was so liberating! It was so nice to actually walk down the hallway and onto the elevator by my own power to get to their room. She is a precious little bundle and it was so much fun to hold her! Hunter and John came to visit tonight and we took another trip up there so they could meet the baby too.

My friend Mo came by to visit tonight as well. She spent several hours here chatting with me so the time passed by very quickly tonight.

My platelets were 69K today. The BPP was normal, both babies were practicing their breathing right away. I was weighed and have gained 48 lbs. total so far.

One more week!

I am so excited to have reached the "one week to go" milestone. I am so READY!! Ready to meet the boys, ready to be done with the heartburn and back aches, ready to stop being poked and prodded and having my privacy invaded, ready to be with my family for longer than a couple of hours a day (if that) and read Hunter bedtime stories again, ready to walk around my house and garden, ready to prepare and eat my own food, ready to drive my car, ready to sleep in my own bed, ready to wear normal clothes that actually fit, ready to just move on with my life, READY!!! I hope this week goes by SUPER fast.

My platelets were 74K today.

My friend Kim was admitted to this hospital tonight to be induced and is right down the hall from me. She and Bryan came to visit already while the nurses were preparing her room. It's nice to have a friend nearby.

Beautiful!

My platelets were up to 78K yesterday and are 73K today. I hope they stay that way! The babies are both doing great on all the NST's and scored 8/8 on their BPP again today. Such overachievers!

Today went by fast with all of my visitors! My friend Erin came over with Joseph and Jacob this morning and they brought yummy Panera treats. MMMmmmm! Another friend, Alicia came to visit this afternoon and John came this evening and took me outside. The weather was gorgeous! Truly the best weather EVER!

Not much else going on around here.

Better mood now!

So sorry if you read my crabby post earlier. The day is going much better now. John and Hunter came to visit (that has a lot to do with it) and we had so much fun together. Hunter was busy asking my nurse (Tammy) all about more buttons in the room. She was very accommodating to his relentless inquisitiveness and even lifted him up so he could feel the baby warmer heat up and touch the suction machine. He is the most curious little boy! He told John and I a while back that he wants to be a nurse, "just like Tonya" (his favorite of my nurses).

He has nicknamed the twins "Tree" (A) and "Milk" (B). That's what he told us he will call them. He has even addressed them as such while talking to my belly.

My platelets are back up to 72K today. YAAAAAYYYYYYYY!! The BPP was the fastest one I've ever had. The babies both showed they were practicing breathing instantly and both scored 8/8.

Forgotten patient

Yesterday was pretty busy for the nurses. I hear that Tuesdays are their busiest days because doctors like to schedule inductions and c-sections on that day so that patients are released by the weekend and then they don't have to come in and do rounds. Anyway, I felt like the "forgotten patient" a little bit because I either kept getting left on the monitors for too long or put on late or both. I took myself off a couple of times due to persistent back aches. I also had more variety of nurses because one would get busy and ask another to come in to put me on. It normally wouldn't bother me but the night schedule was all messed up. I'm normally monitored at 11 p.m., 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. to start the next day. They had me on from 9ish until after 10 p.m. when I finally took myself off. I then stayed up late expecting to be put on one last time before bed. Nobody came. I finally went to bed a little past midnight and the nurse came in at 2:00 a.m. I was left on until 3:15 a.m. and now I'm up too early for the day (in my opinion...I wouldn't normally get up at 6 a.m. by choice). I said something to my morning nurse and am hoping today will be better. I got fewer than five hours of sleep and it wasn't continuous. I guess it's good practice for when the babies are at home. If I would've known I would've gone to bed right at 10 p.m. but my "revised schedule" wasn't communicated to me.

My platelets dropped again yesterday. They were 72K and now they are 63K. I haven't had my blood drawn yet today. The lowest they have been since I got here was 59K. I'm not sure why they're dropping so much. One of my favorite nurses, Tonya, said that you can't do anything about it. It's sort of like having "crappy veins...either you have 'em or you don't." I still have a week and a half to pray that they stay where they are or increase so that I don't need more steroids.

I did have a lot of fun earlier in the day when Hunter and John came to visit. Hunter and I played with his new Play-doh Spaghetti Factory that we got him for his birthday. He had a lot of fun making spaghetti, linguine, ravioli, and other pastas. Also, my friends Kim and Elise (fellow scrappers) came to visit last night for a few hours. Thanks guys!

Sorry for the crabby blog post. This hospital stay is dragging on and on. I'm so ready to go home. "Only" 10 days left (plus four post-op days).

All is good...

My friend Mo came over and wheeled me outside today. The sprinklers were on and it was pretty windy so we kept getting sprayed. It was pretty funny.

John and Hunter came by this evening as well. It was so nice to see Hunter again. This last weekend seemed to drag on and on. He was excited to see me too and told me all about the fun times he had at Noni and Nona's!

The twins are doing well. They both scored 8/8 on their BPP (via ultrasound) and are extremely active today. Lots and lots of kicking! My platelets went down to 72K. They just need to be above 50K before I deliver. I'm still contracting (have been since I got here) but it is not affecting my cervix so nobody is worried about it. Terrible back aches and heartburn are my latest complaints. John looked at me tonight and said, "I don't know how you can get any bigger. Your belly extends out past you at least a foot longer than normal!" Two weeks left and then I will have instant relief, although then I'll have an incision that needs healing.