10/29/2009

Kindness

In the midst of craziness, confusion, medical terms, tests, dumb comments, hospital trips, etc. there has been a large amount of kindness that has come out as well.

We've had several people drop off food at our house so we don't have to cook in between working, running to the hospitals, Chris finishing up school, and keeping tabs on what's up with CJ as he gets through his last few weeks of school too. We've gotten some gift cards for places to grab dinner while we're doing the hospital rounds. Chris' step-mom threw a shower for us this past Saturday. There was a ton of food. A huge box of diapers, 2 giant boxes of wipes and a bunch of bedding that she had made herself. Some people at Chris' work donated some PTO or sick time for him to use since he is almost out of time when the babies came. That way if stuff is going on with them they that he wants to be there for, he can be there. The people at my work decided that they wanted to make sure any milk I was getting wouldn't go bad before the babies needed it so they showed up last week with a new chest freezer for us. Tomorrow, they are having a fundraiser lunch at my work for the two little turkeys.

Too bad they don't realize how many people are thinking about them and waiting for them to come home.

Even though it doesn't seem like it's enough - thank you.

10/26/2009

Kangaroo-ing

I spent 3 hours at the Med Center today. Everything was fine. Parker isn't in trouble. I finally got the approval to hold him for the first time. They call it kangaroo care when you hold them skin to skin. Him and I settled in the recliner that's in his room for over an hour and a half. Parker snuggled on my chest and I wrapped my hospital gown around him just like I did when I held Payton a week ago.

They both are so snuggly. They get so warm. It's about all I had to stop my self from falling asleep with them.

I can't wait for them to come home so we can cuddle with them. We can take turns with them and pass them back and forth.

Now we have to get dad his turn.

10/23/2009

Week 2

Happy Brithday Payton and Parker - 2 weeks old today.

Ms. Payton is already at 2 lbs. 2 oz.

Mr. Parker is a strapping 2 lbs. 1 oz.

Way to go kiddos!

One day at a time.

Mommy and Daddy love you

10/22/2009

Latest poop...or lack there of

Ms. Payton decided on Sunday that she wasn't going to poop any more. After a little more checking they figured out why - she had an infection. Her system was more busy fighting that than moving things along. They identified it as a type of staph infection. So the milk feedings have stopped for now since she isn't able to move it through her system for now.

Mr. Parker is moving right along with his drain. They are starting to remove it a little at a time and hoping it will be completely removed in a few more days. There really isn't anything coming out of it any more. Once that happens, then we will get to hold him for the first time. Yesterday he was back up to 2 pounds (his original birth weight).

They are both pretty stable. Their numbers keep improving. They also improve when they know we're there. They both have their favorite nurses and calm down when they are there. The nurses love them. Payton's favorite day nurse, Carla, always makes sure she has her because she loves her. Parker's night nurse the past couple days, Kelsey, made him a little sign and hung it in his room with his picture. We are changing some diapers, helping with oral care, taking temperatures and helping weigh them.

Looks like the prayers are working, please keep them coming.

10/18/2009

The latest scoop

Ms. Payton - the "big sister" is doing ok. She is still at Bergan. She has had a pic line placed that she will be getting her feedings through, and that they will be doing other stuff though it without having to poke her all the time. She got her new vent tube yesterday. The one she had didn't fit quite right and she was getting an air leak around it. Her new one is a new size. They bumped up her milk feedings on Friday (she gets milk from momma for strictly TPN feedings and fluids through IV. No formula). The little girl is getting 1.5 mL per hour. Probably will get bumped up a little more on that in another couple days. She also had a transfusion yesterday. Normal to happen for little ones her size/age. All went well with that too.

The nurses think that she needed some pink so she has a pink bow on her head and a pink blanket on her incubator over the cover. Hopefully she can have a quiet day today without too much going on and get some rest. Although she does like to peak open eyes when she hears voices, especially daddy.

Mr. Parker - He is at UNMC after discovering that he has a small perforated bowel somewhere on his little system. He has a little drain to get some gunk out of his abdomen. When it is done, it will be removed. At some point in the future there will be surgery on the little man to repair it. He's been taken off his milk and is just getting the TPN feedings and fluids (which has all the calories he needs). He got his pic line yesterday and tolerated it well. The doctor is impressed with how stable he is, and that his numbers have continued to improve everyday.

He has his little blue stocking cap to help keep him warm if they have his incubator open or are doing stuff to him. And his blue and orange blanket went with him from Bergan to UNMC so he has it over his incubator.

Mom and Dad - are pooped and sore (well I am). Trying not to hang on to "why" but "what do we do now" and "what's best for both of them". We're quickly getting our degrees in neonatal care. We're creating a list of nurses and doctors that everyone should use. We're trying to find moments when its quiet to be us for a few minutes and to slightly fall apart when needed.

Prayers are still being accepted. Please send one to each hospital.

10/16/2009

For lack of a better word








Or lack of a better words as it might be...I can't believe all the stuff that has happened in the past week. I will post more updates on Payton and Parker this weekend. Now the words just aren't there to do it. So, instead, a few pictures (from my phone so not the best quality) and

Happy Birthday Payton and Parker - 1 week old. :)

(Best week of mommy's life - I think daddy's too)

10/12/2009

Trick or Treat

So many surprises.

It snowed over the weekend. I know that makes some people really happy but it's a little too early for me. Luckily its already melting.

Last Thursday I had an increasing back ache all day at work. I thought it was funny that I just couldn't get comfy. It has been that way for a few days and was worse on Thursday. I already had an appointment scheduled for that afternoon so I just dealt with it. I went to my appointment. The good news was that I wasn't diabetic. The bad news was my backaches had actually been labor all day. My cervix which they measure and had been awesome 2 weeks before was suddenly shrinking. They sent me over to the hospital straight from the doctor's office and called Chris to meet me there.

By the time they got me admitted and in bed, I was already dilated to 2 cm.

We watched the Nebraska vs. Missouri football game while they tried different medicines and combos to try to get the labor to stop. Nothing worked. At 5:30 I was getting the feeling like I wanted to push and they checked me again. I was fully dilated and ready to go. No turning back or stopping.

Chris and I were in the operating room and into recovery within an hour. Both babies were out. They actually have the same birthday - 10/9/09 at 6:17 a.m. Payton is technically 20 seconds older.

They are pretty little, having delivered at 26 weeks. But my two little turkeys are pretty stable and holding their own down in the NICU. The nurses all already know that he's quiet and a sweetie and she's the antsy one.

We're hoping to go home tomorrow, mostly so mom and dad can be more comfy. Not that we're looking forward to leaving them here. But we know that there's no better place for them to be right now.

So any extra good baby vibes, prayers, thoughts, sparkles or whatever you have would be most appreciated. Please point them to beds 4 & 5 in the NICU.