January 10, 2010

January 10, 2010

We are adjusting to being home. I will be trying to play catch up for some time. The kids are in love and fight over who gets to hold the babies. Ruben is nursing like a champ and gaining nicely. Tayla is nursing better but we still need to give her part of her food by bottle as she still is not transfering the milk as well as her brother. We have doctors appointments on Tues and it will be our first outing. I am not looking forward to it as we will be gone most of the day. We also will be going to Children’s Care to finish getting Melissa’s new wheelchair fitted to her.

Jan. 10, 2010

Life has been taking us along for the ride the last six months that I have not updated. Melissa is doing great. She is a big sister to a brother and a sister for those of you who have not seen the siblings update page. She is taking this great and seems to really be adjusting well. She spent the month I was in the hospital at home with her siblings and did very well.

She is growing and growing-she is almost the size of a normal 5 year old. Just since Sep she has grown 3 inches! She is now 39 in long.

Since doing Hyperbaric she is a different girl. She is so much stronger. Every time she is on the floor now she rolls over from her back to her front. She is able to support herself on her tummy and hold her head up nicely. Her ability to sit up is amazing-not quite all on her own but very close.

She is doing a good job when she decides to answer a question. She seems to use yes and no the right way. She is getting into reading books with Josiah. They like to read the “I Spy” books.

Melissa going to Children’s Care did not work out. It has turned out to be a blessing that she is still at home. Melissa is now getting therapy in our home. We are working with the school district and she gets PT, OT, Speech, and Special Ed. We will continue with pool therapy when we get back to normal now that the babies have been born.

We finally figured out what we are getting for a wheelchair for Melissa. She will be getting a bigger Kid Kart. We go next week to finish getting it fitted on her.

January 3, 2010

January 3, 2010

It is looking like we are going home tomorrow!!!!!!!! Ruben has been eating all by mouth since 6am yesterday. He got his tube out today and has been eating well since. We are rooming in tonight. Speaking of rooming in he just woke up and need to eat. Tayla is with us too.

I will not be able to update very often when we get home as we do not have internet at home and we will be trying not to go anywhere when we go home.

January 2, 2010

January 2, 2010

Tayla has been discharged! I will still be able to stay in the rooming in room in the NICU with her. I can take her out of the NICU and bring her back in as long as we do not leave the hospital and no one holds her.

Ruben has taken the last 6 out of 9 feeds by mouth. I am hopeful if he follows what Tayla did that by tomorrow he will be taking all of his food by mouth.

I was told that it was -28 degrees this morning at 3:30am. Wow I hope it is warmer then that when we bring the babies home.

January 1, 2010

January 1, 2010

Tayla is still rooming in with me! She is still taking all of her feeds by mouth. She has woken up over the last day and wants to be held. I will love it when I am able to just be with my babies and not have to go three floors down get my food without my babies.

Ruben continues to improve. It makes sense that Ruben would be behind Tayla since he had the respitory issues that she did not have. I can’t remember how many feeds he took by mout in the last 24 hours but he did take the last two for sure. He is taking at least 50% of his food by mouth. Unlike Tayla who is getting most of her food by a bottle Ruben is getting most of his food by nursing.

It is looking more and more like we will be going home within the week!

Kelly and the kids came down tonight it was good to see them.

December 31, 2009

December 31, 2009

Happy New Year! We have some things to celebrate. Tayla is still eating all of her food by mouth. She has been rooming in with me since last night. She gained 3 ounces over night! She had just maintained her weight for the two nights before that. She is now up to 5lbs 10oz.

Ruben is up to about half of his feeds by mouth. H took two full feeds in a row today that was very exciting. I’m very hopeful that in the next few days it will become full feeds all the time that is how it happened with Tayla. He broke the 5lb mark tonight. He is 5lbs 1/2oz.

We are so close to going home yet it seems so very far away. My Josiah called me last night sobbing that he couldn’t sleep because he missed me soo much. I know all the kids at home feel the same way. Home is not coming soon enough even though it is at least now in sight.

Thank you to every one who has been so wonderful during our almost month long stay here.

December 30, 2009

Tayla and I are rooming in!  She had her feeding tube taken out today.  She had been taking all of her feedings by mouth for a day and a half.  We are rooming in in a special room in the NICU so we are close to Ruben.

Ruben has taken three complete feedings by nursing in the last 24 hours.  Most of his other feedings he has taken at least part of it by mouth.  One of his feedings he took 70cc. he needs to take at least 48cc.  He was a big eater for that feeding.  Then he woke up early for the next feeding and took 34cc the next time.  For those of you (which I’m sure is most of us) there are 30cc in an ounce.

December 29, 2009

We are well on our to going home!  Tayla took the last six feeds all by mouth.  She has been doing great since yesterday.  We are talking about doing what they call ad-lib tomorrow to see if she wakes herself up and regulates her feedings.  If she does a good job usually it is about 24-48 hours until a baby goes home.  Ruben slept most of the day but took a full feed by nursing!  We tried using a bottle with him but he seems to do better nursing.  So we will stick to nursing for him.  Tayla on the other hand is taking most of her feeds by bottle and doing quite well with it.

The kids came down again tonight and it was good to see themagain as I didn’t get to see them much yesterday.  Shelby got to feed Tayla tonight and she was amazed at how small the babies are compared to Cade.  Although it wouldn’t take much for any baby to be smaller then her baby as he is 16lbs at 3months old.

December 28, 2009

<strong>December 28, 2009</strong>

One good thing about writing every day I always know what the date is.  Since I haven’t looked at a calander in over three weeks.

The babies had a good day today.  Tayla took about five complete feedings by mouth and the rest she took at least part of by mouth.  Mostly through using the bottle but she did have one time today that she nursed and took 20cc her feeding right now is 50cc.  Ruben took a bottle for the first time today.  Today was the first time that he had enough energy to try something else after he nursed.  The last several days if he is awake he will take about 20cc nursing before being tube fed.  His biggest number so far for nursing is 26cc and his feeding right now is 46cc.  They both seem to be beginning to get it!

They continue to gain Ruben is 4lbs 13oz and Tayla is 5lbs 7oz.

If we continue on the path with continuing to feed so well I dare hope that we will be coming home this weekend.

Shelby and Cade are leaving for home I guess today as it is after midnight.  For those of you who are going to yell at me for not being in bed I just got done feeding babies and I still have to pump.  Shelby had planned on leaving on Christmas so that Clint, Cade, and herself could spend Christmas together unfortunately that huge snow storm kept her from being with her husband. Not to mention that the snowstorm knocked out the power at their house so they had no powder, no heat, and a water pipe broke so they didn’t have any water either.  They have everything back now. Shelby does have to go home as she is going back to work on the 4th of Jan.  I hope that she will have enough time for the three of them to settle back into life before she has to go to work.  Thank you Shelby for being with the kids that last two weeks!