Jenny and the boys!My good friend Jenny came to visit the boys today.
Congrats Jen on your engagement!!!!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Going down memory lane!
As the boys approach almost 6 months old, I find myself thinking back to all we have been through. I love this picture!! This is Kevin trying to help me with a Non-Stress Test. We were trying to locate the heartbeats of both of the babies. This was no easy task. It reminds me of his dedication and determination he had/has! I can't wait to show the boys this picture and explain to them how lucky they are to have such a great dad. I can't wait to tell them how badly he fought for them!! Soooo many stories to tell!
Lately, I have been talking with a lot of parents who are going through the same thing we did, as we speak. It is my mission to give hope to families with TTTS/IUGR. I just want them to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel!! Hang in there and say those prayers!!!
By the way, I would like to say hello and thank you to Lynn. Lynn is a great friend that we actually have never met! She works with our good friend Mike G. She has followed our story and said many prayers for our boys!! Lynn, you are one of a kind!! We so appreciate your sweet and encouraging comments on our blog. They mean more to us then you will ever know! Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our New Home In Construction (pre-flood)
Many of you have asked to see photos of our new home and I have not been very good about posting. Well here we are...going back in time...in the back yard of our new house. This was the one and only time I went off of bedrest. My family and I took a trip to see our house when I was about 25 weeks pregnant. This is one of the only picutres I have where I am actually vertical. I also am wearing the only maternity shirt I owned, which was given to me by my friend Amy. I usually wore sweats so this was fun to put on normal clothes and go out. This was three days before I was put in the hospital. Wow...it seems like a life time ago!
Meet AbbieThis is our four year old Viszla Abbie! She is our first baby! This is the first photo of all three of our sweetiepies together! She has been staying at Kevin's dads house until we move into our new home. My mom is allergic to dogs so unfortunately she has been there since we moved. We miss her dearly! We can't wait to get her back!
THE BOYS UP NORTHThis past weekend we took the boys to our cottage up North. It was so much fun! Lots of doing nothing!!! Sitting by the fire, sipping wine, watching movies and playing with the boys!! There was a huge snow storm too! It was the perfect weekend! By the way, do you think the boys look identical in this picture??
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
BIG NEWS!!!!
Today we had Ben and Jake's developmental delay follow-up appointment and it went very well. Before I tell you about the appointment, I have to tell you about the day we were admitted to the hospital and put on bedrest. We had a neonatologist come in and tell us that if we deliver early, our sons were at risk of everything from CP to problems with vision, speech, hearing, etc. etc. and that was if they survived! We were so fearful that our children would not have a good quality of life. We wanted them to have a full life, like any parent would hope for their child.
We have always felt that the boys were just fine but were eagerly wanting to hear it from a professional. Today put our mind at ease! Here is an overview:
1) Ben is 10 pounds, 9 ounces. Jake is 14 pounds, 5 ounces. Great weight gain for both!
2) Both boys lungs sounded clear and hearts sounded good as well.
3) And the very best news is, at this time, neither of them have any signs of CP or autisim. Our doctor told us that it is actually a myth that it takes years to diagnois these things. She said there are many signs that clue them into health problems early on. This made us feel so much better. No matter what, we would always see Ben and Jake as perfect little guys, but it was so nice to hear, from a medical professional, that the boys have no signs on any health issues at this time. What a relief!!! :) Whewwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
Since we were already at the hospital, we decided to bring the boys by the NICU to visit. It was so wonderful to see our NICU Holden family. It really brought back a lot of emotions. My heart went out to the parents who were there, visiting their children. I just wanted to give them a big hug!! When we were there as patients, they would always announce "Holden Graduates here for a visit!" I always used to wonder if that would ever be us!! And today, on the loud speaker, they proudly announced Ben and Jake as "Holden Graduates!" What a great moment!!!! :)
On a side note, I have to tell you about my favorite new thing that the boys are doing. They are laughing!!! And I mean LAUGHING!! It is so loud, and so funny! They are so interactive! Tonight at dinner, Kevin was just talking with my parents about our latest house situaiton..which by no means, was funny!! But Ben thought it was hilarious!! Once Ben started laughing, Jake started laughing. Then of course, the enitre table was lauging at that point. Their laugh, their smile...it is all so contagious!
Well, we are with out a doubt on cloud nine tonight....and continuting to thank God over and over again!!!! I often think back to a time when several of our doctors suggested that we terminate our pregnancy, and it just makes me sick to my stomach! If we would have listened to them, (which we never would have...that was not an option for us) we would not have these precious sweethearts in our life. Medical miracles happen all the time!!!! We are proof!!
Hope you are having a good night!
Proud Parents to Jake and Ben!! :) :)
Grandpa and BenThis picture makes me laugh because Mr. Ben likes to be held...A LOT! Ben had to be included in lunch time! You can see how content he was just being held by gramps! Also, I need to say a BIG thank you to my parents! They have yet to complain about the bottles and breast pumps that have taken over their kitchen counter, or how their family room looks like Babies 'R' Us, or how we have taken over their spare bedroom and turned it into our baby nursery, or all of the times they have been woken up my baby crys! They are so patient and so kind! We are very lucky!!!!!!!
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Jake & Ben at 5 months oldHere are my big guys!!! Jake is over 14 pounds and Ben is over 10!!! They are doing very well and keeping us on our toes! Ben is still on his meds. for his premature lungs. However, after a visit to the pulmonologist this week we have decided to start to wean him off of his mediacation which is very exciting! His reflux is almost gone too! He is eating well and trying really hard to catch up to his big bro. The big news with Jake is that he rolled over at about 4 1/2 months! They are both all over the place these days!
As for Kevin and I, we are doing pretty well. We did have a major set back with our new house. We were suppose to move into our new home last week but a pipe froze in the upstairs bathroom and flooded most of the house. We have been pretty bummed about the situation. My gracious parents continue to house our big family and we will stay here while construction is under way. The floors, drywall, etc. have to all be replaced so we will be here for a few more months. No matter how stressed out we are..all it takes is one look at my little angels and it melts the stress away!!! We have a new lease on life since we were blessed with Ben and Jake.
Hope all is well and you are staying warm!!
Lots of Love, Danielle, Kevin, Ben and Jake
Monday, January 15, 2007
Pictured from left to right:
Jake, Chloe, Ben & Emma
(Jake & Ben, 4 months old)
Emma and Chloe are the mo/mo twins I spoke of in an earlier post. Another beautiful set of miracles!! Emma and Chloe are two weeks older then Ben and Jake. They were also born at 30 weeks at the University of Michigan. The same doctor delivered all of these babies- Dr. Chames! We shared lots of tears, laughs, and hugs throughout the 8 long weeks we spent together in the NICU. So glad to report their girls are doing wonderfully!
Update on the boys: Poor Ben and Jake caught their first cold from non other then mom and dad!!! We did everything in our power to protect them from our illness...but it did not work. Ben is still on his meds but the pulmonologist said he is on the right track and should be off of them in no time. Jake is almost caught up to his full term peers. He is nearing 12 pounds. Benny boy is following close behind at almost 9 pounds.
Even though the doctors tell us to look at their adjusted age (2 months old based on their original due date) for meeting development milestones...we seem to be more on track with the 3/4 month olds. Mr. Ben actually rolled over several times this weekend. My little one pound, 13 ounce miracle seems to be quite the determined little guy. I guess he has to be after what he went through. I think Jake is close behind in the rolling over department as well.
We can't see too many personality differences with the boys yet. They both love to cuddle and seem very layed back. Big Jake is so funny! He chuckles at almost anything!!! He is such a happy go lucky guy! Ben seems more serious and focused...maybe he will be the intellect! :)
The boys are sleeping about 8-10 hour stretches. The only problem is that they typically don't go to sleep till 1:00 am. Any suggestions on how we can change this bed time to an earlier hour?? We welcome input!! :)
All in all, we are having a great time watching them grow and develop. It is fun to see them come into their own and develop their unique personality traits. We cherish every second with them!
Hope everyone is doing well! XO
Friday, January 05, 2007
Ben & Jake, 3 1/2 months old
The boys are getting so big! Ben is 8 pounds and change and Jake is 11 pounds and change.
If you have 9 minutes on hand, feel free to view this video clip of our journey. It has recent pictures of the boys.
Enjoy!
Danielle
http://www.epicweddings.com/preview_twins.htm
PS) Ryan from Epic Weddings did this. He was wonderful to work with! :)
The boys are getting so big! Ben is 8 pounds and change and Jake is 11 pounds and change.
If you have 9 minutes on hand, feel free to view this video clip of our journey. It has recent pictures of the boys.
Enjoy!
Danielle
http://www.epicweddings.com/preview_twins.htm
PS) Ryan from Epic Weddings did this. He was wonderful to work with! :)
Monday, December 18, 2006
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Jake & Ben, 2 ½ months old
Just thought we’d give you a quick update. The boys are doing very well. Kevin and I are starting to figure out some sort of a routine. We are happy if we get four hours of sleep a night these days. I think your body learns to live without sleep for a while…thank goodness! However, it is more difficult to function on such little sleep. Kevin actually called me from work yesterday to tell me he went to work with two different shoes on…they weren’t even the same color! It was pretty funny!
Jake is about 9 ½ pounds and Ben is almost 6 pounds. Big Jake actually rolled over twice this weekend. It looked like it was sort of accidental but he did it twice in a row, on both sides. He hasn’t done it since but we were so excited! Ben is doing very well too. We have been taking him to the pediatrician for weekly check-ups just to make sure we don’t have a relapse with the breathing issues. So far, so good. They hope to take him off the diuretics by the time he hits 6 ½ pounds which should be next week some time. We think he will thrive even more once he is off these meds. The meds taste bad and he chokes them down and doesn’t really enjoy his feedings. He gets these meds twice a day.
There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t thank God for our boys. I still am in awe at every little thing they do. We love to watch them sleep, eat, burp…hell, we actually get a kick out of changing their diapers!! We actually spent last Friday night giving the boys their bath and couldn’t imagine a better way to spend our time. Parenthood is more then we ever imagined! Our most amazing accomplishment yet!!
Just thought we’d give you a quick update. The boys are doing very well. Kevin and I are starting to figure out some sort of a routine. We are happy if we get four hours of sleep a night these days. I think your body learns to live without sleep for a while…thank goodness! However, it is more difficult to function on such little sleep. Kevin actually called me from work yesterday to tell me he went to work with two different shoes on…they weren’t even the same color! It was pretty funny!
Jake is about 9 ½ pounds and Ben is almost 6 pounds. Big Jake actually rolled over twice this weekend. It looked like it was sort of accidental but he did it twice in a row, on both sides. He hasn’t done it since but we were so excited! Ben is doing very well too. We have been taking him to the pediatrician for weekly check-ups just to make sure we don’t have a relapse with the breathing issues. So far, so good. They hope to take him off the diuretics by the time he hits 6 ½ pounds which should be next week some time. We think he will thrive even more once he is off these meds. The meds taste bad and he chokes them down and doesn’t really enjoy his feedings. He gets these meds twice a day.
There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t thank God for our boys. I still am in awe at every little thing they do. We love to watch them sleep, eat, burp…hell, we actually get a kick out of changing their diapers!! We actually spent last Friday night giving the boys their bath and couldn’t imagine a better way to spend our time. Parenthood is more then we ever imagined! Our most amazing accomplishment yet!!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Ben & Jake, 9 weeks old
The boys are doing great. They are enjoying the luxuries of home!!! I still have to pinch myself…I can’t believe they are actually here. They are growing like weeds since they have been home. We have taken them to the pediatrician twice and boy was that an adventure. We were actually a half an hour late to the appointment because we did not allow for enough time to get two newborns and all of their belongings into the car and to the clinic. The doctor’s office was very understanding about our late arrival. Next time we will give ourselves a good hour prior to departure!! :)
The pediatrician said the boys look great. Ben’s lungs sounded clear, his color was good, and his blood work came back just fine too. We will be going to the pediatrician once a week for a few more weeks just to make sure he is still on the right track. We still are a little nervous about his health after all we have been through. I pretty much analyze every move he makes. I know in time we will be more and more confident about his health. He sure looks perfect to us!!
Our first night was very entertaining. We didn’t sleep at all. It was a combination of new parent jitters, excitement, diaper changing, feeding, burping, rocking, etc., etc. Each night we get just a few more minutes of sleep however each feeding takes about an hour and they eat every three hours…so you do the math! :)
I also wanted to update everyone on the pathology report. I just got the results last week and it was very interesting. The findings showed:
1) Jake had about 70% of the placenta and Ben had about 30%
2) Ben’s cord was restricted at the placental insertion
3) There were connections as expected in a Di Mo pregnancy that caused mild TTTS
4) There may have been an infection in the uterus
5) There was traces of meconium found in the membrane
6) Advanced placental maturation for stated gestational age of 31 weeks
As you can see, these boys are a true miracle!!! It’s hard to believe they made it out so safely. The doctor said he is not sure if one of these six problems were more dominant then the other..but he thinks #2 was the number one reason Ben’s growth was restricted. He said we will never really know for sure why things played out the way they did…but the important thing is we had a happy ending.
Well, I must go feed the boys! Hope you are having a good day!
By the way…November 19th was my actual due date. Interesting…huh??
Danielle
The boys are doing great. They are enjoying the luxuries of home!!! I still have to pinch myself…I can’t believe they are actually here. They are growing like weeds since they have been home. We have taken them to the pediatrician twice and boy was that an adventure. We were actually a half an hour late to the appointment because we did not allow for enough time to get two newborns and all of their belongings into the car and to the clinic. The doctor’s office was very understanding about our late arrival. Next time we will give ourselves a good hour prior to departure!! :)
The pediatrician said the boys look great. Ben’s lungs sounded clear, his color was good, and his blood work came back just fine too. We will be going to the pediatrician once a week for a few more weeks just to make sure he is still on the right track. We still are a little nervous about his health after all we have been through. I pretty much analyze every move he makes. I know in time we will be more and more confident about his health. He sure looks perfect to us!!
Our first night was very entertaining. We didn’t sleep at all. It was a combination of new parent jitters, excitement, diaper changing, feeding, burping, rocking, etc., etc. Each night we get just a few more minutes of sleep however each feeding takes about an hour and they eat every three hours…so you do the math! :)
I also wanted to update everyone on the pathology report. I just got the results last week and it was very interesting. The findings showed:
1) Jake had about 70% of the placenta and Ben had about 30%
2) Ben’s cord was restricted at the placental insertion
3) There were connections as expected in a Di Mo pregnancy that caused mild TTTS
4) There may have been an infection in the uterus
5) There was traces of meconium found in the membrane
6) Advanced placental maturation for stated gestational age of 31 weeks
As you can see, these boys are a true miracle!!! It’s hard to believe they made it out so safely. The doctor said he is not sure if one of these six problems were more dominant then the other..but he thinks #2 was the number one reason Ben’s growth was restricted. He said we will never really know for sure why things played out the way they did…but the important thing is we had a happy ending.
Well, I must go feed the boys! Hope you are having a good day!
By the way…November 19th was my actual due date. Interesting…huh??
Danielle
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Jake & Ben, HOME AT LAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today is such a wonderful day. A day we have dreamed about for so long!!!! Our family is together, under one roof!!! We couldn't be happier! The best part is that my family is celebrating Thanksgiving today because my parents are leaving for Florida this week. It was so wonderful having the entire family together for this joyous occasion. We have sooooo much to be thankful for.
Wow, I get tears in my eyes when I think about all of the support we have recieved on this blog. Whether we knew you or you were a perfect stranger...your comments, prayers, and support have given us the strength to keep fighting. We created this to keep family & friends updated because it was so hard to rehash the event each time we talked to someone..but we had no idea how much WE would get from doing the blog. We hope to post again...might not be as interesting...unless you find dirty diapers and sleepless nights interesting! :)
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! We are now moving on to part three of this journey...Life with twin boys!!!
Fondly,
Danielle and Kevin
Enjoy the pictures
Today is such a wonderful day. A day we have dreamed about for so long!!!! Our family is together, under one roof!!! We couldn't be happier! The best part is that my family is celebrating Thanksgiving today because my parents are leaving for Florida this week. It was so wonderful having the entire family together for this joyous occasion. We have sooooo much to be thankful for.
Wow, I get tears in my eyes when I think about all of the support we have recieved on this blog. Whether we knew you or you were a perfect stranger...your comments, prayers, and support have given us the strength to keep fighting. We created this to keep family & friends updated because it was so hard to rehash the event each time we talked to someone..but we had no idea how much WE would get from doing the blog. We hope to post again...might not be as interesting...unless you find dirty diapers and sleepless nights interesting! :)
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! We are now moving on to part three of this journey...Life with twin boys!!!
Fondly,
Danielle and Kevin
Enjoy the pictures
Ben & Jake, 8 weeks and 3 days old
GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!!! We are picking Ben up today. I have been hesitant about posting just because I wanted to make sure it was really going to happen. We called at 6 a.m. this morning and they confirmed Ben's discharge. We are so happy!!!
We will write later! :) Danielle
GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!!! We are picking Ben up today. I have been hesitant about posting just because I wanted to make sure it was really going to happen. We called at 6 a.m. this morning and they confirmed Ben's discharge. We are so happy!!!
We will write later! :) Danielle
Friday, November 10, 2006
Jake & Ben, 8 weeks old
The roller coaster ride continues! We were told Ben was coming home Saturday but his homecoming has been delayed once again. He continues to intermittently breath fast, which they believe is still related to the fluid in the lungs. The diuretics are helping with the breathing episodes but have caused him to loose weight. He went from 4 pounds 12 ounces to 4 pounds 6 ounces. The doctors want to get him on an effective dosage of diuretics and have him gaining weight at the same time. Not sure how long this will take…
We are beside ourselves. I don’t even know what to write… The doctors keep telling us he will be fine we just have to be patient. We are trying so hard to be patient but we worry 24 hours a day. We know things could be a lot worse but seeing Ben in the hospital by himself is so heartbreaking.
Jake is doing really well…other then suffering from separation anxiety like the rest of us. Its obvious he enjoys all of the constant love he is getting. We are making up for lost time! :) Soon enough we can do the same for Ben.
Please keep Ben in your prayers!
XOXO
The roller coaster ride continues! We were told Ben was coming home Saturday but his homecoming has been delayed once again. He continues to intermittently breath fast, which they believe is still related to the fluid in the lungs. The diuretics are helping with the breathing episodes but have caused him to loose weight. He went from 4 pounds 12 ounces to 4 pounds 6 ounces. The doctors want to get him on an effective dosage of diuretics and have him gaining weight at the same time. Not sure how long this will take…
We are beside ourselves. I don’t even know what to write… The doctors keep telling us he will be fine we just have to be patient. We are trying so hard to be patient but we worry 24 hours a day. We know things could be a lot worse but seeing Ben in the hospital by himself is so heartbreaking.
Jake is doing really well…other then suffering from separation anxiety like the rest of us. Its obvious he enjoys all of the constant love he is getting. We are making up for lost time! :) Soon enough we can do the same for Ben.
Please keep Ben in your prayers!
XOXO
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Interested in helping unborn babies???
Check out www.fetalhope.org.
There is a TTTS calendar on their that features TTTS survivors and angels.
All proceeds go directly to the fetal hope foundation for further research of TTTS.
Kevin and I know a few of the families featured in the calendar. What a wonderful cause!!
Check out www.fetalhope.org.
There is a TTTS calendar on their that features TTTS survivors and angels.
All proceeds go directly to the fetal hope foundation for further research of TTTS.
Kevin and I know a few of the families featured in the calendar. What a wonderful cause!!
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Ben & Jake, 7 ½ weeks old
We finally have some answers as to why Ben is still having breathing issues…and hopefully, a solution. Sunday night they did a multi-channel test to see if Ben’s breathing issues were central (related to the brain) or obstructed. Acid reflux, a stuffy nose, and other miscellaneous reasons can cause obstructed Apnea. Ben’s breathing issues are obstructed, which we were told was the better of the two.
In Ben’s case, the obstruction is fluid in his lungs. The doctors are calling this diagnosis “Chronic Lung Disease.” This sounds very scary but we were happy to find out that Ben will be able to play sports and bounce around like any other two year old. He has a very mild case of CLD. Most preemies with CLD are still on the vent and oxygen, neither of which Ben is on. They said this is very common in babies born under two pounds two ounces.
Where to we go from here…Ben is now on a diuretic to rid the extra fluid from his body. We started this yesterday at 2:00 p.m. and can already see improvements. They are going to try to take his cannula out today and hopefully we will see great improvements in the next few days. We hope he will be home by the weekend or early next week. We won’t get our hopes up until he is actually in his car seat and on the way home.
The doctor said he may have to come home on the diuretic but predicts Ben will be off of any meds. by six months old. He also said he should have healthy, normal lungs by the time he is two if not before. This will change our plan of care for him. If he catches a common cold, it can put him back in the hospital. We have to be extra careful with him and exposing him to sick people. I thought I was paranoid before…now I really am paranoid.
When the doctor told me about the Chronic Lung Disease last night I was pretty upset. But when I think about what our prognosis was eight months ago, this seems like a walk in the park. I am glad to know this will not cause any long-term problems for Ben. It just breaks my heart to see my child in distress…whether it is gas pains or breathing issues. You feel so helpless as a parent. You just want to take away their pain, but don’t know how. Thank goodness we have wonderful doctors and nurses.
Our nurses have been so great. Two of our favorite nurses, Casey and Jill, actually gave us their home phone numbers. How nice is that!! I talked to Casey about ten times the night Jake came home. Jill has also been such an advocate for the boys. She treats them like her own. They cuddle with them when we are not there. They make the parents feel at ease. We are so lucky to be at U.M.
Hopefully we will have some good news soon!
Thanks, Danielle & Kevin
We finally have some answers as to why Ben is still having breathing issues…and hopefully, a solution. Sunday night they did a multi-channel test to see if Ben’s breathing issues were central (related to the brain) or obstructed. Acid reflux, a stuffy nose, and other miscellaneous reasons can cause obstructed Apnea. Ben’s breathing issues are obstructed, which we were told was the better of the two.
In Ben’s case, the obstruction is fluid in his lungs. The doctors are calling this diagnosis “Chronic Lung Disease.” This sounds very scary but we were happy to find out that Ben will be able to play sports and bounce around like any other two year old. He has a very mild case of CLD. Most preemies with CLD are still on the vent and oxygen, neither of which Ben is on. They said this is very common in babies born under two pounds two ounces.
Where to we go from here…Ben is now on a diuretic to rid the extra fluid from his body. We started this yesterday at 2:00 p.m. and can already see improvements. They are going to try to take his cannula out today and hopefully we will see great improvements in the next few days. We hope he will be home by the weekend or early next week. We won’t get our hopes up until he is actually in his car seat and on the way home.
The doctor said he may have to come home on the diuretic but predicts Ben will be off of any meds. by six months old. He also said he should have healthy, normal lungs by the time he is two if not before. This will change our plan of care for him. If he catches a common cold, it can put him back in the hospital. We have to be extra careful with him and exposing him to sick people. I thought I was paranoid before…now I really am paranoid.
When the doctor told me about the Chronic Lung Disease last night I was pretty upset. But when I think about what our prognosis was eight months ago, this seems like a walk in the park. I am glad to know this will not cause any long-term problems for Ben. It just breaks my heart to see my child in distress…whether it is gas pains or breathing issues. You feel so helpless as a parent. You just want to take away their pain, but don’t know how. Thank goodness we have wonderful doctors and nurses.
Our nurses have been so great. Two of our favorite nurses, Casey and Jill, actually gave us their home phone numbers. How nice is that!! I talked to Casey about ten times the night Jake came home. Jill has also been such an advocate for the boys. She treats them like her own. They cuddle with them when we are not there. They make the parents feel at ease. We are so lucky to be at U.M.
Hopefully we will have some good news soon!
Thanks, Danielle & Kevin
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Jake & Ben, 47 days old
Update/Ben: We have had a few setbacks this week with Benny. Poor little guy can’t catch a break! As I mentioned, he was suppose to come home Saturday but they delayed his homecoming due to some bradycardia spells. He continues to have them and the doctors are perplexed as to why he is still having them. At this point, he really should be outgrowing them but he still is very small and breathing is directly related to muscle mass and fat. Yesterday, he had an echocardiogram to see if there is something wrong with his heart that is causing these breathing spells. Fortunately, the eco. results came back just fine. Nothing seems to be wrong with Ben. He is eating wonderfully, gaining weight, and maintaining his temperature. They are hoping he just needs a little more time. They want him to go at least 24 hours without a bradycardia spell before he goes home. They are going to do another test to see if sending him home on oxygen would help him with his spells. This breaks our heart that he would still have be hooked up to these machines, but hopefully it would only be for a short period of time.
I often wonder if Ben is having a hard time because of the separation. He was ready to go out the door until Jake left. Ever since Jake has been gone, Ben seems to be having these spells again. My doctor was telling me that studies have been done on co-bedding twins and how they often do a lot better when they are together. Hopefully, once Ben gets home and he is back with Jake, he will start thriving again.
Update/Jake: Oh Jake…my little gassy guy!! We spent Sunday night in the emergency room because we thought he was having breathing difficulties. His breathing seemed very labored. He was grunting, groaning, and holding his breathing on and off for 7 hours. It really made us quite nervous and my parents kept telling us he’s just constipated and that these are normal baby sounds…but we wanted to get things checked out for our own piece of mind. Well my parents were right…the diagnosis came back as a severe case of gas and constipation. Yea…we went to the emergency room at 3:00 a.m. for indigestion. I guess being first time parents, you have to learn the hard way. Thank goodness he is ok!
Update/Us: We are a little stressed out over Ben’s current issue. We were so close to being done with the NICU part of this journey. We see it as a minor setback but still worry that something else might be going on with Ben. My gut feeling tells me he is ok and just needs a little more growing time. When we first took the boys off of the cannula, Ben was in the three pound range and Jake was in the five pound range…Ben was still so little. I think it was too soon for him. Again, hopefully time will be the best medicine.
Life with Jake home is great. He is currently cuddled up on my chest as I type on my laptop. Other then his gas issues, he is such a content little guy. I don’t know if it is a preemie thing, but he doesn’t cry much at all. He seems very content.
As I mentioned before, we are living at my parent’s house till our house is ready. At first, we were stressed about not being in our house when the boys came home but I truly believe this is a part of God’s master plan. It has been so nice being at my parent’s house and having the extra help. After the emergency room debacle, my mom let us sleep for five hours straight while she watched Jake. It was so nice. It has also helped having our parents watch Jake while we go back and forth to see Ben.
I know we have already asked for so many prayers…but could you say one more for Ben? I know he is a fighter and will ultimately be just fine. We just have to be patient.
Thank you for your prayers!
Danielle & Kevin
PS) Jake is 6 pounds and Ben is 4 pound 5 ounces.
Update/Ben: We have had a few setbacks this week with Benny. Poor little guy can’t catch a break! As I mentioned, he was suppose to come home Saturday but they delayed his homecoming due to some bradycardia spells. He continues to have them and the doctors are perplexed as to why he is still having them. At this point, he really should be outgrowing them but he still is very small and breathing is directly related to muscle mass and fat. Yesterday, he had an echocardiogram to see if there is something wrong with his heart that is causing these breathing spells. Fortunately, the eco. results came back just fine. Nothing seems to be wrong with Ben. He is eating wonderfully, gaining weight, and maintaining his temperature. They are hoping he just needs a little more time. They want him to go at least 24 hours without a bradycardia spell before he goes home. They are going to do another test to see if sending him home on oxygen would help him with his spells. This breaks our heart that he would still have be hooked up to these machines, but hopefully it would only be for a short period of time.
I often wonder if Ben is having a hard time because of the separation. He was ready to go out the door until Jake left. Ever since Jake has been gone, Ben seems to be having these spells again. My doctor was telling me that studies have been done on co-bedding twins and how they often do a lot better when they are together. Hopefully, once Ben gets home and he is back with Jake, he will start thriving again.
Update/Jake: Oh Jake…my little gassy guy!! We spent Sunday night in the emergency room because we thought he was having breathing difficulties. His breathing seemed very labored. He was grunting, groaning, and holding his breathing on and off for 7 hours. It really made us quite nervous and my parents kept telling us he’s just constipated and that these are normal baby sounds…but we wanted to get things checked out for our own piece of mind. Well my parents were right…the diagnosis came back as a severe case of gas and constipation. Yea…we went to the emergency room at 3:00 a.m. for indigestion. I guess being first time parents, you have to learn the hard way. Thank goodness he is ok!
Update/Us: We are a little stressed out over Ben’s current issue. We were so close to being done with the NICU part of this journey. We see it as a minor setback but still worry that something else might be going on with Ben. My gut feeling tells me he is ok and just needs a little more growing time. When we first took the boys off of the cannula, Ben was in the three pound range and Jake was in the five pound range…Ben was still so little. I think it was too soon for him. Again, hopefully time will be the best medicine.
Life with Jake home is great. He is currently cuddled up on my chest as I type on my laptop. Other then his gas issues, he is such a content little guy. I don’t know if it is a preemie thing, but he doesn’t cry much at all. He seems very content.
As I mentioned before, we are living at my parent’s house till our house is ready. At first, we were stressed about not being in our house when the boys came home but I truly believe this is a part of God’s master plan. It has been so nice being at my parent’s house and having the extra help. After the emergency room debacle, my mom let us sleep for five hours straight while she watched Jake. It was so nice. It has also helped having our parents watch Jake while we go back and forth to see Ben.
I know we have already asked for so many prayers…but could you say one more for Ben? I know he is a fighter and will ultimately be just fine. We just have to be patient.
Thank you for your prayers!
Danielle & Kevin
PS) Jake is 6 pounds and Ben is 4 pound 5 ounces.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Jake & Ben, 6 1/2 weeks old
Wow!! Life with a baby is wonderful..I can't imagine life with two at home!! It has been so wonderful having Jake home. He is doing very well in his new environment. The first night was a little rocky. He seemed very uncomfortable. He was up for about 7 hours straight. He did cry a lot..we think he missed Ben, as did we! Last night was a lot smoother...we all slept a bit. We still can't believe he is here. We can't take our eyes off of him!!!
Last night about 8:00 p.m. we got a call from the hospital saying that Ben could come home today or Sunday. However, last night at 3:00 a.m., I called to check on Ben and they said they put his cannula back in. We are so bummed! So now they are going back to saying within the week. It was almost too good to be true that he would be coming home so soon.
We all miss Ben so much. I can't stand beeing away from him. His day is very soon! Trying to be positive about the situation, I think it is nice to get used to one before the real ride begins!!
Hopefully we will be posting about Ben's homecoming very soon!
Take Care,
Danielle & Kevin
Wow!! Life with a baby is wonderful..I can't imagine life with two at home!! It has been so wonderful having Jake home. He is doing very well in his new environment. The first night was a little rocky. He seemed very uncomfortable. He was up for about 7 hours straight. He did cry a lot..we think he missed Ben, as did we! Last night was a lot smoother...we all slept a bit. We still can't believe he is here. We can't take our eyes off of him!!!
Last night about 8:00 p.m. we got a call from the hospital saying that Ben could come home today or Sunday. However, last night at 3:00 a.m., I called to check on Ben and they said they put his cannula back in. We are so bummed! So now they are going back to saying within the week. It was almost too good to be true that he would be coming home so soon.
We all miss Ben so much. I can't stand beeing away from him. His day is very soon! Trying to be positive about the situation, I think it is nice to get used to one before the real ride begins!!
Hopefully we will be posting about Ben's homecoming very soon!
Take Care,
Danielle & Kevin
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Ben & Jake, 6 Weeks Old
Hello Everyone!
Get the car seat ready!!! Tomorrow is the day we will take Jake home from the hospital. We are soooooooo excited! However, I have been really sad tonight thinking about leaving Ben behind. I think about kissing him good-bye tomorrow night and leaving the hospital without him and get VERY upset. The nurses are telling us it should only be another week or so until Ben comes home. A week seems like an eternity!! I know in the big picture it is nothing but I will not rest easy until our family is all under the same roof. I can't wait to have alone time with my family. We have yet to be alone with our boys since they have been born. Soon enough!! Whats one more week?? :)
Well I must go and enjoy my last night of restful sleep! :)
PS) My little chunkers are 5 pounds 12 ounces and 3 pounds 12 ounces. They both have doubled their weight!! YEAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
PSS) Their hearing tests came back perfect. Another thing checked off the list!
Hello Everyone!
Get the car seat ready!!! Tomorrow is the day we will take Jake home from the hospital. We are soooooooo excited! However, I have been really sad tonight thinking about leaving Ben behind. I think about kissing him good-bye tomorrow night and leaving the hospital without him and get VERY upset. The nurses are telling us it should only be another week or so until Ben comes home. A week seems like an eternity!! I know in the big picture it is nothing but I will not rest easy until our family is all under the same roof. I can't wait to have alone time with my family. We have yet to be alone with our boys since they have been born. Soon enough!! Whats one more week?? :)
Well I must go and enjoy my last night of restful sleep! :)
PS) My little chunkers are 5 pounds 12 ounces and 3 pounds 12 ounces. They both have doubled their weight!! YEAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
PSS) Their hearing tests came back perfect. Another thing checked off the list!
Monday, October 23, 2006
Ben & Jake, 5 1/2 weeks old
What a great weekend we had! My mom, grandma, & sister threw a beautiful shower for us this past Sunday. We had such a wonderful time celebrating the birth of our boys! After the shower, we went straight to the hospital to visit Ben and Jake. When we arrived, our nurse informed us that Jake will be home in a few DAYS!!! She said if he keeps progressing as is, he will be home by the end of the week! We are sooooooo excited. We do know that there is a chance that it might get postponed, but the fact that we are so close is wonderful!!! Right now, I do have mixed emotions because my little Benny will not be going home with us. I am so torn and feel so sad he will be alone. The nurse said if she had to guess, he will be home in about two weeks or so. Last night they did try taking his cannula out and sadly it is back in this morning. :( Ben is about two weeks behind his big bro, so he just needs a little more time. We are going to do our best being with him as much as possible the next few weeks while he is by himself.
Neither of the boys will come home on oxygen or monitors. This is great news but also a little nerve-racking. We are so dependent on those monitors while feeding and bathing them. I am sure we will adjust. It will be so nice to cuddle with them with no wires or cords in the way!!!
Today I am going to be setting up baby equipment, buying diapers, doing laundry and preparing to have Jake home!! We have dreamed about the day we can cuddle with our babies all day long..I can’t believe it will be a reality soon!
XOXO
PS) Jake is 5 pounds 6 ounces and Ben is 3 pounds 11 ounces.
What a great weekend we had! My mom, grandma, & sister threw a beautiful shower for us this past Sunday. We had such a wonderful time celebrating the birth of our boys! After the shower, we went straight to the hospital to visit Ben and Jake. When we arrived, our nurse informed us that Jake will be home in a few DAYS!!! She said if he keeps progressing as is, he will be home by the end of the week! We are sooooooo excited. We do know that there is a chance that it might get postponed, but the fact that we are so close is wonderful!!! Right now, I do have mixed emotions because my little Benny will not be going home with us. I am so torn and feel so sad he will be alone. The nurse said if she had to guess, he will be home in about two weeks or so. Last night they did try taking his cannula out and sadly it is back in this morning. :( Ben is about two weeks behind his big bro, so he just needs a little more time. We are going to do our best being with him as much as possible the next few weeks while he is by himself.
Neither of the boys will come home on oxygen or monitors. This is great news but also a little nerve-racking. We are so dependent on those monitors while feeding and bathing them. I am sure we will adjust. It will be so nice to cuddle with them with no wires or cords in the way!!!
Today I am going to be setting up baby equipment, buying diapers, doing laundry and preparing to have Jake home!! We have dreamed about the day we can cuddle with our babies all day long..I can’t believe it will be a reality soon!
XOXO
PS) Jake is 5 pounds 6 ounces and Ben is 3 pounds 11 ounces.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Jake & Ben, 32 Days Old
Today was a great day!
Ben & Jake passed their eye exam with flying colors!! No ROP!!! We were so pleased about this. One less thing to worry about! Also, we weighed them during bath time tonight and both boys had a wonderful weight gain. Almost too good to be true! We are cautiously excited...Jake was 4 pounds 14 ounces and Ben was 3 pounds 3 ounces!! This was a huge weight gain for both of them. Our nurse tonight, took all of their stuffed animals out of their bed because she said it would give a more accurate reading. This was the first time we did that and are now wondering if the other weights were not as accurate. Plus we weighed each baby three times! Our nurse Julie thought the other weights were inaccurate. I guess the important thing is that they both gained!!! The doctor told me today, if they both gained weight, we could up the amount of times we bottle feed them! Good news all around!
Hope you had a good day too! D&K
Today was a great day!
Ben & Jake passed their eye exam with flying colors!! No ROP!!! We were so pleased about this. One less thing to worry about! Also, we weighed them during bath time tonight and both boys had a wonderful weight gain. Almost too good to be true! We are cautiously excited...Jake was 4 pounds 14 ounces and Ben was 3 pounds 3 ounces!! This was a huge weight gain for both of them. Our nurse tonight, took all of their stuffed animals out of their bed because she said it would give a more accurate reading. This was the first time we did that and are now wondering if the other weights were not as accurate. Plus we weighed each baby three times! Our nurse Julie thought the other weights were inaccurate. I guess the important thing is that they both gained!!! The doctor told me today, if they both gained weight, we could up the amount of times we bottle feed them! Good news all around!
Hope you had a good day too! D&K
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Jake & Ben at one month old!!!
I hope they are always this close!! :) :)
UPDATE:
Ben is now 2 pounds 14 ounces and Jake is 4 pounds 4 ounces. They are both taking several bottles a day. They had their 3rd and final brain ultra sound and it came back perfect! Monday is the big eye exam! Cross your fingers & toes!! All in all, we had another great week. Of course it would be better if they were home with us!! Soon enough!
Hope all is well!
XOXO Danielle & Kevin
Monday, October 09, 2006
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Jake & Ben, 24 days old
The boys are doing great!!! I love writing that!!
We accomplished a huge milestone yesterday! Both boys took a bottle for the first time! They did great! The nurses told us to expect some breathing issues while they feed because the whole suck, swallow, and breath thing takes practice. We were fully prepared to see some spells but our little ones, once again, didn’t do what we expected! Neither of them had any issues with eating except that they were very tired after a few minutes of sucking. Each day we will spend more time bottle feeding them until they get their full feeds and we can remove their feeding tube. Oh how I can’t wait for the day that I can look at my little angels with no tubes or wires!
One nice thing about being in the NICU is the education we are receiving. Each day, nurses walk us through the entire bathing, feeding, and overall caring for an infant process. Each day we feel more and more confident taking care of these little guys. Oh by the way, we will not be able to say “little guys” much longer! They are growing like weeds! Ok…they will be little for a while, but after spending our days at the NICU a 5 pound baby seems like a GIANT to us!
Jake is now three pounds twelve ounces and Ben is two pounds eight ounces. The bigger they get, the more weight they will gain. Jake is now gaining about an ounce a day and Ben is gaining about a half ounce a day…it is all relative to their size. Everyone is really happy with their weight gain. Kevin and I just have to be very patient!
At this point, we are just watching the boys grow and thrive. Currently, our biggest fear is infection. We have become paranoid parents and probably going a little over board with our visitors lately. RSV season is starting and the nurses told us it could be devastating to these little guys. If someone has a common cold and the boys catch it, it can actually be deadly. She also told me we are NOT out of the woods once the boys are home. They told us we should not take them out of the house until the spring and limit visitors at the house. This was really upsetting to me because I had a vision that once we were home, we would be able to resume to a somewhat normal life again….just like other parents with newborns! I know, in time, we will be able to do those things. We will do whatever it takes to ensure their good health! I just can’t wait to show them off to the world!!
Do you mind saying one more prayer?? This week the boys have their eye exam, which we are very nervous about. Preemies are at a higher risk for vision problems (ROP.) Please pray that they pass with flying colors!
Did everyone enjoy their sports-filled Saturday? I know my three boys did!! Kevin finally got to put Jake in his MSU onesie. Ben’s is a little big so we hung his on their isolette! I remember when Kevin bought those and we had just been diagnosed with all of our complications. I remember being so encouraged by how hopeful he still was after the doctors told us the news. And here we are, looking at our two healthy little angels…I still am so amazed at all that has happened!
Happy Monday!
Fondly, Danielle & Kevin
The boys are doing great!!! I love writing that!!
We accomplished a huge milestone yesterday! Both boys took a bottle for the first time! They did great! The nurses told us to expect some breathing issues while they feed because the whole suck, swallow, and breath thing takes practice. We were fully prepared to see some spells but our little ones, once again, didn’t do what we expected! Neither of them had any issues with eating except that they were very tired after a few minutes of sucking. Each day we will spend more time bottle feeding them until they get their full feeds and we can remove their feeding tube. Oh how I can’t wait for the day that I can look at my little angels with no tubes or wires!
One nice thing about being in the NICU is the education we are receiving. Each day, nurses walk us through the entire bathing, feeding, and overall caring for an infant process. Each day we feel more and more confident taking care of these little guys. Oh by the way, we will not be able to say “little guys” much longer! They are growing like weeds! Ok…they will be little for a while, but after spending our days at the NICU a 5 pound baby seems like a GIANT to us!
Jake is now three pounds twelve ounces and Ben is two pounds eight ounces. The bigger they get, the more weight they will gain. Jake is now gaining about an ounce a day and Ben is gaining about a half ounce a day…it is all relative to their size. Everyone is really happy with their weight gain. Kevin and I just have to be very patient!
At this point, we are just watching the boys grow and thrive. Currently, our biggest fear is infection. We have become paranoid parents and probably going a little over board with our visitors lately. RSV season is starting and the nurses told us it could be devastating to these little guys. If someone has a common cold and the boys catch it, it can actually be deadly. She also told me we are NOT out of the woods once the boys are home. They told us we should not take them out of the house until the spring and limit visitors at the house. This was really upsetting to me because I had a vision that once we were home, we would be able to resume to a somewhat normal life again….just like other parents with newborns! I know, in time, we will be able to do those things. We will do whatever it takes to ensure their good health! I just can’t wait to show them off to the world!!
Do you mind saying one more prayer?? This week the boys have their eye exam, which we are very nervous about. Preemies are at a higher risk for vision problems (ROP.) Please pray that they pass with flying colors!
Did everyone enjoy their sports-filled Saturday? I know my three boys did!! Kevin finally got to put Jake in his MSU onesie. Ben’s is a little big so we hung his on their isolette! I remember when Kevin bought those and we had just been diagnosed with all of our complications. I remember being so encouraged by how hopeful he still was after the doctors told us the news. And here we are, looking at our two healthy little angels…I still am so amazed at all that has happened!
Happy Monday!
Fondly, Danielle & Kevin
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Jake & Ben, 12 days old
Hello All!
Before I head out to the hospital, I wanted to give an update on the boys. They are doing very well. Jake is three pounds nine ounces and Ben is two pounds five ounces. The doctors are pleased with their weight gain. Both boys are opening their eyes a lot and staying awake for longer periods of time. Their cranial ultra sounds came back normal once again!
Wooo hoooooo!!!
Ben was recently put on caffeine for his bradycardia spells. This is a very common/safe treatment plan. Jake has an intermittent heart murmur that the doctors believe is related to PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus.) PDA is when a valve has not closed that is supposed to close shortly after birth. Sometimes with preemies, it takes a little longer for the valve to close. Jake has no symptoms of this causing a problem for him. The doctors are hoping it will eventually close on its own. If it doesn’t, there is medication or a very routine procedure that can be done. Even though the boys are experiencing typical preemie stuff, every time we see the docs they tell us the boys are doing great!!!
About four days ago they put Ben and Jake in the same isolette. It is so darn cute!! They interact with each other by playing with each other’s hands and trying to pull one another’s tubes out. Every night they fall asleep spooning each other…it is quite a site to see. Whenever we leave them we feel so much better knowing they are not alone!!
Recently, we have been allowed to give them a bath, change their diapers, and help the nurses with their overall care. The bigger they get, the more we can do with them. We are getting used to being at the NICU. These days I don’t get as upset when all the buzzers go off. Sadly, it is something we are getting used to. Even though I know the NICU is saving our boys lives, it still can be a sad place to spend your days. About a week ago, a baby died in our room. It was awful!!!
All in all, we are surviving through part two of this journey. I do enjoy having my independence back!! I drove last week for the first time in four months!! It was very exciting!! Sad…huh?? :)
We continue to count down the days till they can come home! Not sure when that will be. Hopefully in the next five weeks or so…
Have a great day!
Love, Danielle & Kevin
Hello All!
Before I head out to the hospital, I wanted to give an update on the boys. They are doing very well. Jake is three pounds nine ounces and Ben is two pounds five ounces. The doctors are pleased with their weight gain. Both boys are opening their eyes a lot and staying awake for longer periods of time. Their cranial ultra sounds came back normal once again!
Wooo hoooooo!!!
Ben was recently put on caffeine for his bradycardia spells. This is a very common/safe treatment plan. Jake has an intermittent heart murmur that the doctors believe is related to PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus.) PDA is when a valve has not closed that is supposed to close shortly after birth. Sometimes with preemies, it takes a little longer for the valve to close. Jake has no symptoms of this causing a problem for him. The doctors are hoping it will eventually close on its own. If it doesn’t, there is medication or a very routine procedure that can be done. Even though the boys are experiencing typical preemie stuff, every time we see the docs they tell us the boys are doing great!!!
About four days ago they put Ben and Jake in the same isolette. It is so darn cute!! They interact with each other by playing with each other’s hands and trying to pull one another’s tubes out. Every night they fall asleep spooning each other…it is quite a site to see. Whenever we leave them we feel so much better knowing they are not alone!!
Recently, we have been allowed to give them a bath, change their diapers, and help the nurses with their overall care. The bigger they get, the more we can do with them. We are getting used to being at the NICU. These days I don’t get as upset when all the buzzers go off. Sadly, it is something we are getting used to. Even though I know the NICU is saving our boys lives, it still can be a sad place to spend your days. About a week ago, a baby died in our room. It was awful!!!
All in all, we are surviving through part two of this journey. I do enjoy having my independence back!! I drove last week for the first time in four months!! It was very exciting!! Sad…huh?? :)
We continue to count down the days till they can come home! Not sure when that will be. Hopefully in the next five weeks or so…
Have a great day!
Love, Danielle & Kevin
Monday, September 25, 2006
Dear Family, Friends and Blog Junkies!
Danielle and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped us through this very trying time in our lives. We thank you all for your prayers, thoughts, letters, emails, blog posts and phone calls of constant support. We truly believe in our hearts that the positive thoughts and many, many prayers have given our boys this opportunity to thrive in the NICU.
While this experience has been difficult for me personally, I cannot explain how difficult this has been for my beautiful bride. Imagine being bedridden for nearly 4 months straight. After that first week of rest and relaxation, the idle time begins to turn into clock watching, restlessness and the feeling of being unable to be self-sufficient. I cannot begin to explain the amount of respect I have for my wife for doing whatever was best for our boys when they needed it most. I know as parents, we would do anything necessary for our boys, but the consumption of 315 cans of Boost protein shakes warrants high praise. I drank one can myself and I can honestly say it was utterly disgusting. It tasted of medicine, metal and chocolate. A wonderful combination!
So our boys continue to amaze us every day. They are doing exceptionally well in the NICU. They remain on room air with the assistance of nasal cannula’s lightly blowing the room air through their tiny nasal canals. They both have done very well with their feedings, which are administered via feeding tube every three hours. Jake is currently taking about an ounce every 3 hours and his lil’ bro is sucking down about 2/3 an ounce every three hours. I was asked why they were fed so little and it made me think about the amount they were receiving. When you put this amount in perspective it makes a little more sense. Currently Ben weighs approximately 34 ounces ( 2lbs 2 ozs) and he is receiving daily feedings of approximately 5.5 ounces of milk. That amount of milk is over 16% of Ben’s total weight. That would be like a 150lb person consuming 24 pounds of milk…….daily!!!
All in all we are absolutely thrilled with the boys continual progress and their overall good health. We continue to ask everyone that has a direct line to the big man upstairs to continue to give a shout out for Jake and Ben, our little miracles. We hope to update the blog more frequently now that we have somewhat of a routine in order and the dust has begun to settle. Keep visiting the blog for the latest action photos.
Love Kevin and Danielle
Danielle and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped us through this very trying time in our lives. We thank you all for your prayers, thoughts, letters, emails, blog posts and phone calls of constant support. We truly believe in our hearts that the positive thoughts and many, many prayers have given our boys this opportunity to thrive in the NICU.
While this experience has been difficult for me personally, I cannot explain how difficult this has been for my beautiful bride. Imagine being bedridden for nearly 4 months straight. After that first week of rest and relaxation, the idle time begins to turn into clock watching, restlessness and the feeling of being unable to be self-sufficient. I cannot begin to explain the amount of respect I have for my wife for doing whatever was best for our boys when they needed it most. I know as parents, we would do anything necessary for our boys, but the consumption of 315 cans of Boost protein shakes warrants high praise. I drank one can myself and I can honestly say it was utterly disgusting. It tasted of medicine, metal and chocolate. A wonderful combination!
So our boys continue to amaze us every day. They are doing exceptionally well in the NICU. They remain on room air with the assistance of nasal cannula’s lightly blowing the room air through their tiny nasal canals. They both have done very well with their feedings, which are administered via feeding tube every three hours. Jake is currently taking about an ounce every 3 hours and his lil’ bro is sucking down about 2/3 an ounce every three hours. I was asked why they were fed so little and it made me think about the amount they were receiving. When you put this amount in perspective it makes a little more sense. Currently Ben weighs approximately 34 ounces ( 2lbs 2 ozs) and he is receiving daily feedings of approximately 5.5 ounces of milk. That amount of milk is over 16% of Ben’s total weight. That would be like a 150lb person consuming 24 pounds of milk…….daily!!!
All in all we are absolutely thrilled with the boys continual progress and their overall good health. We continue to ask everyone that has a direct line to the big man upstairs to continue to give a shout out for Jake and Ben, our little miracles. We hope to update the blog more frequently now that we have somewhat of a routine in order and the dust has begun to settle. Keep visiting the blog for the latest action photos.
Love Kevin and Danielle
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
We get to hold them once a day for about one-two hours. It is heaven on earth!!! We cherish every second we get to touch them. It is so hard not being able to cuddle with them all day long. This is a picture of us holding them for the first time on day three. I am holding Jake and Kevin is holding Ben.
Jake & Ben 6 days old
Our little boys are almost one week old! We can’t believe it!! We fall in love with these little guys more and more each day we see them! They are so precious!
JAKE AT 3 DAYS OLD
The first week in the NICU has been pretty uneventful. The doctors are very pleased with the boy’s progress. Jake came off the vent after 24 hours and went right to the nasal cannula which just pushes air up his nose to help expand his lungs. They expect to take that out today. His feedings are going really well. He is digesting his food and going to the bathroom as he should. Ben was on the vent for 4 hours, the c-pap for 24 hours and then had his cannula taken out today. He is officially getting no help with his breathing. His feedings are also going very well. Both boys had brain scans that came back normal. We will have another brain scan to look for brain bleeds on Thursday. The doctor said it is highly unlikely that they we will have a brain bleed at this point with as well as they are doing.
Both boys are experiencing random bradycadira spells. This is where their heart rate dips down and pops right back up. The doctor told me he expects babies of this gestational age to be doing this. He said they will out grow these spells. Thank God!!! They are really hard to watch! The nurse usually has to go over to the baby and tap his foot to get his heart rate to pop back up. Every time I see this happen my eyes well up with tears. The nurses said I will get use to seeing them but I don’t think that’s possible!
The boys have to meet three goals before they can come home. 1) Breathing on their own, which we have accomplished, 2) Sucking and eating via a bottle. Usually babies don’t develop their sucking reflex until 34 weeks and that’s when they will begin bottle/breast feeding. 3) Maintaining their body temperature. So one goal down and two to go! Today they actually lowered Jake’s isolette temperature which means he is almost ready for goal number two.
Our little boys are almost one week old! We can’t believe it!! We fall in love with these little guys more and more each day we see them! They are so precious!
JAKE AT 3 DAYS OLD
BEN AT 3 DAYS OLD
The first week in the NICU has been pretty uneventful. The doctors are very pleased with the boy’s progress. Jake came off the vent after 24 hours and went right to the nasal cannula which just pushes air up his nose to help expand his lungs. They expect to take that out today. His feedings are going really well. He is digesting his food and going to the bathroom as he should. Ben was on the vent for 4 hours, the c-pap for 24 hours and then had his cannula taken out today. He is officially getting no help with his breathing. His feedings are also going very well. Both boys had brain scans that came back normal. We will have another brain scan to look for brain bleeds on Thursday. The doctor said it is highly unlikely that they we will have a brain bleed at this point with as well as they are doing.Both boys are experiencing random bradycadira spells. This is where their heart rate dips down and pops right back up. The doctor told me he expects babies of this gestational age to be doing this. He said they will out grow these spells. Thank God!!! They are really hard to watch! The nurse usually has to go over to the baby and tap his foot to get his heart rate to pop back up. Every time I see this happen my eyes well up with tears. The nurses said I will get use to seeing them but I don’t think that’s possible!
The boys have to meet three goals before they can come home. 1) Breathing on their own, which we have accomplished, 2) Sucking and eating via a bottle. Usually babies don’t develop their sucking reflex until 34 weeks and that’s when they will begin bottle/breast feeding. 3) Maintaining their body temperature. So one goal down and two to go! Today they actually lowered Jake’s isolette temperature which means he is almost ready for goal number two.
It is very hard to leave these little angels every night. I usually have a good cry on the way home after leaving them. I know they are in great hands but it doesn’t make it any easier. We are just so grateful that they are doing well. I just pray every night that they can stay on this path. We are so grateful for all of your prayers. I know I have said that a million times..but I can’t thank you enough.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Our Birth Story
September 14, 2006
Kevin and I are proud to welcome Jake Francis and Benedict William into the world!!!!!! We are so happy to report that the boys are doing very well. Jake was born at 4:37 p.m. weighing 3 pounds two ounces. Ben was born at 4:39 p.m. weighing two pounds on the nose. It was truly the most wonderful day of our lives!!!!!
The birth of our boys may be a shock to most of you as it was a snap decision made on Wednesday afternoon. We are so sorry that we have not been able to call or email anyone till now. We always had this vision that on the night of their birth we would spend the evening calling friends and family…but with the way the day went we were lucky to get a minute in edgewise to do anything. We are hoping things will settle a little so we can catch up on some calls and chat with some friends.
RECAP: Wednesday we went to our routine ultrasound and we found continued reversal flow of Ben’s umbilical artery. We also did two other Doppler scans (DV and MCA) that showed Ben was not getting what he needed and time was running out. Our doctor pulled us into the conference room and said Thursday will be the day!!! He wanted to give us one more steroid shot to further the boy’s lung development, which needed a 24 hour period of time to go into full effect. At this point, delivery was planned for 1:00 p.m. on the 15th.
We were feeling very good about this plan until late Wednesday night when we were doing our routine NST (Nonstress Test) when we saw Ben have a significant deceleration. His baseline also went from 150/160 to 120. Kevin had just stepped out to get dinner for us when the nurse asked me where my husband went. I asked her why and she replied, “Can he get here as soon as possible?” At this point, I started to panic. I called Kevin and told him not to panic but to get back as quick as possible.
They moved us back down to the high-risk floor where they prepped us for delivery. They set me up with the I.V. and all the monitors. They said if we don’t deliver tonight, you will need to be on 24 hour monitoring all night just incase we have an emergency. At this point, I felt it was time to deliver and did not want to put these boys in jeopardy any longer. I tried talking the doctor on call and Kevin in to delivering these babies NOW. They both calmed me down and said if we can make it to Thursday morning, the babies will have received that extra boost they need from the steroid shots, plus Kevin and I desperately wanted our doctors and nurses there that we had hand picked for the surgery. The plan at this point was to try to make it until morning, but if something comes up…we were going to go for it.
Wednesday night was the most challenging night of my life. I was either starring at the heart rate monitors or the clock all night. I just kept praying that God would give us those few extra hours we so desperately needed. Time went so slow. Finally, at 7:00 a.m. I heard my nurse and doctor’s voice in the hallway and started crying because I knew we made it!!! Plus Ben’s heart rate looked great so the team was comfortable waiting till our scheduled time at 1:00 p.m.
Our immediate family arrived around 10:00 a.m. We all sat their anxiously awaiting the nurse to come in and tell us it was time. Unfortunately, because of a backed up schedule we did not get called back till 4:00 p.m. They got us prepped for delivery and we began the c-section. My very good friend Amy, a new mom herself, told me not to let my nerves get the best of me and to cherish every moment of this miracle. I did just that! I loved every minute of it! After being told such tragic news at week 17, we couldn’t believe we were going to see our little miracles for the first time. Yes, it was painful at times but as soon as I heard each of the boys cry I became overjoyed with happiness. Kevin was soooooooooooo strong!!! He actually videotaped the entire procedure…a video I am not quite ready to see yet!
The doctors showed me Jake but could not show me Ben, but just hearing his little cry I knew he was ok. The boys were rushed to a room where they would get stabilized and then off to the NICU. Well the boys were being treated, the doctors told us something we had been waiting to hear for so long…the answer to this entire mystery. Why had Ben not grown appropriately and why had we experienced so many complications during our pregnancy. Pathology still needs to do their report, which can take 6-8 weeks, but at first glance of the placenta and the cords, the doctors were able to tell us a lot. They said Ben’s cord was extremely narrow at the umbilicus insertion. Initially, this probably caused the growth discordance between the boys. By the way, Dr. Sue (A.K.A. mom/our case manager) predicted this complication before a doctor even suggested this could be the case. The latest decline in Ben’s restriction was probably due to IUGR. It looked like about a 65/35 split at first glance. This means that Ben was getting approximately 35% of the placenta and Jake was getting 65%. Ben was starting to outgrow his portion of the placenta. This will all be confirmed after the pathology reports come back. We will also know what sort of TTTS connections Jake and Ben were sharing. Our neonatologist told us if you have a growth restricted baby, this is the best kind to have. Ben’s slower growth was most likely due to the placenta insufficiency and cord narrowing versus a chromosomal problem or infection.
Once I got stitched up, it was off to see our little guys for the first time. They are so beautiful!! They are so tiny and so perfect!!! Sadly, we could not hold them but we could stick our hand through their isolates and touch their cute little bodies. We still can’t believe they both belong to us. It was so hard splitting our time between the two of them. Jake has a lot of hair and is our big boy. Ben, our little guy, is just as feisty as we imagined he would be. Actually, the nurses said they both are very active.
We were so happy to hear that the doctors said “they had a perfect start into this world.” That was probably the best news we have ever heard. We know that things can change, but we were so happy our boys had the best start possible. In fact, Ben actually went off the vent only four hours after delivery!!! He is now on a c-pap and doing well. I could not believe it when they told us that. He said their lungs are in excellent condition and Jake should be off shortly too. The boys also got an 8/9 out of 10 on their Apgar test, which we were really pleased about also. It was good news after good news last night.
It was so hard to leave them last night. We actually did not sleep well again and called down to the nursery several times to see how they were doing. I can’t wait to go see them again today!!!
For the first time, we feel at ease. We know our boys are getting exactly what they need and are being monitored 24/7 by an excellent team of people. We pray to God they continue to do well. The first week is really important and indicative of their prognosis. Again, I have a great feeling they are going to do very well!
Now for part two of this journey. We are ready to embrace the NICU. It is now time to move on from pregnancy 101 to NICU 101. Lots of studying to do!!
Thank you very much for everything and we will keep posting to update you on the boy’s progress.
Love,
Kevin, Danielle, Jake, & Ben
September 14, 2006
Kevin and I are proud to welcome Jake Francis and Benedict William into the world!!!!!! We are so happy to report that the boys are doing very well. Jake was born at 4:37 p.m. weighing 3 pounds two ounces. Ben was born at 4:39 p.m. weighing two pounds on the nose. It was truly the most wonderful day of our lives!!!!!
The birth of our boys may be a shock to most of you as it was a snap decision made on Wednesday afternoon. We are so sorry that we have not been able to call or email anyone till now. We always had this vision that on the night of their birth we would spend the evening calling friends and family…but with the way the day went we were lucky to get a minute in edgewise to do anything. We are hoping things will settle a little so we can catch up on some calls and chat with some friends.
RECAP: Wednesday we went to our routine ultrasound and we found continued reversal flow of Ben’s umbilical artery. We also did two other Doppler scans (DV and MCA) that showed Ben was not getting what he needed and time was running out. Our doctor pulled us into the conference room and said Thursday will be the day!!! He wanted to give us one more steroid shot to further the boy’s lung development, which needed a 24 hour period of time to go into full effect. At this point, delivery was planned for 1:00 p.m. on the 15th.
We were feeling very good about this plan until late Wednesday night when we were doing our routine NST (Nonstress Test) when we saw Ben have a significant deceleration. His baseline also went from 150/160 to 120. Kevin had just stepped out to get dinner for us when the nurse asked me where my husband went. I asked her why and she replied, “Can he get here as soon as possible?” At this point, I started to panic. I called Kevin and told him not to panic but to get back as quick as possible.
They moved us back down to the high-risk floor where they prepped us for delivery. They set me up with the I.V. and all the monitors. They said if we don’t deliver tonight, you will need to be on 24 hour monitoring all night just incase we have an emergency. At this point, I felt it was time to deliver and did not want to put these boys in jeopardy any longer. I tried talking the doctor on call and Kevin in to delivering these babies NOW. They both calmed me down and said if we can make it to Thursday morning, the babies will have received that extra boost they need from the steroid shots, plus Kevin and I desperately wanted our doctors and nurses there that we had hand picked for the surgery. The plan at this point was to try to make it until morning, but if something comes up…we were going to go for it.
Wednesday night was the most challenging night of my life. I was either starring at the heart rate monitors or the clock all night. I just kept praying that God would give us those few extra hours we so desperately needed. Time went so slow. Finally, at 7:00 a.m. I heard my nurse and doctor’s voice in the hallway and started crying because I knew we made it!!! Plus Ben’s heart rate looked great so the team was comfortable waiting till our scheduled time at 1:00 p.m.
Our immediate family arrived around 10:00 a.m. We all sat their anxiously awaiting the nurse to come in and tell us it was time. Unfortunately, because of a backed up schedule we did not get called back till 4:00 p.m. They got us prepped for delivery and we began the c-section. My very good friend Amy, a new mom herself, told me not to let my nerves get the best of me and to cherish every moment of this miracle. I did just that! I loved every minute of it! After being told such tragic news at week 17, we couldn’t believe we were going to see our little miracles for the first time. Yes, it was painful at times but as soon as I heard each of the boys cry I became overjoyed with happiness. Kevin was soooooooooooo strong!!! He actually videotaped the entire procedure…a video I am not quite ready to see yet!
The doctors showed me Jake but could not show me Ben, but just hearing his little cry I knew he was ok. The boys were rushed to a room where they would get stabilized and then off to the NICU. Well the boys were being treated, the doctors told us something we had been waiting to hear for so long…the answer to this entire mystery. Why had Ben not grown appropriately and why had we experienced so many complications during our pregnancy. Pathology still needs to do their report, which can take 6-8 weeks, but at first glance of the placenta and the cords, the doctors were able to tell us a lot. They said Ben’s cord was extremely narrow at the umbilicus insertion. Initially, this probably caused the growth discordance between the boys. By the way, Dr. Sue (A.K.A. mom/our case manager) predicted this complication before a doctor even suggested this could be the case. The latest decline in Ben’s restriction was probably due to IUGR. It looked like about a 65/35 split at first glance. This means that Ben was getting approximately 35% of the placenta and Jake was getting 65%. Ben was starting to outgrow his portion of the placenta. This will all be confirmed after the pathology reports come back. We will also know what sort of TTTS connections Jake and Ben were sharing. Our neonatologist told us if you have a growth restricted baby, this is the best kind to have. Ben’s slower growth was most likely due to the placenta insufficiency and cord narrowing versus a chromosomal problem or infection.
Once I got stitched up, it was off to see our little guys for the first time. They are so beautiful!! They are so tiny and so perfect!!! Sadly, we could not hold them but we could stick our hand through their isolates and touch their cute little bodies. We still can’t believe they both belong to us. It was so hard splitting our time between the two of them. Jake has a lot of hair and is our big boy. Ben, our little guy, is just as feisty as we imagined he would be. Actually, the nurses said they both are very active.
We were so happy to hear that the doctors said “they had a perfect start into this world.” That was probably the best news we have ever heard. We know that things can change, but we were so happy our boys had the best start possible. In fact, Ben actually went off the vent only four hours after delivery!!! He is now on a c-pap and doing well. I could not believe it when they told us that. He said their lungs are in excellent condition and Jake should be off shortly too. The boys also got an 8/9 out of 10 on their Apgar test, which we were really pleased about also. It was good news after good news last night.
It was so hard to leave them last night. We actually did not sleep well again and called down to the nursery several times to see how they were doing. I can’t wait to go see them again today!!!
For the first time, we feel at ease. We know our boys are getting exactly what they need and are being monitored 24/7 by an excellent team of people. We pray to God they continue to do well. The first week is really important and indicative of their prognosis. Again, I have a great feeling they are going to do very well!
Now for part two of this journey. We are ready to embrace the NICU. It is now time to move on from pregnancy 101 to NICU 101. Lots of studying to do!!
Thank you very much for everything and we will keep posting to update you on the boy’s progress.
Love,
Kevin, Danielle, Jake, & Ben
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
30 Weeks 3 Days (14 weeks of bed rest, ONE DAY TO DELIVERY)
That’s right……We only have one day left of being pregnant with these little miracles! Kevin and I are excited to announce Jake and Ben will be born on September 14th, during a scheduled c-section at approximately 1:00 p.m. We are excited, nervous, anxious, etc., etc.
This morning at our routine ultrasound the doctors detected persistent reverse flow of the umbilical artery. This indicates that Ben is experiencing increased resistance from the placenta. Ben looked great otherwise. He had wonderful activity, normal amniotic fluid, and was practicing breathing movements for a sustained amount of time. The doctors believe this is the best time to deliver because he is stable. They do not want to let things progress for the worse. They feel its better to deliver a healthy baby versus a sick baby.
We feel very good about this decision. Ben held out as long as he possibly could. He gave his big brother Jake the very best chance for survival. I am so proud of both of them. They are such fighters. I know they will continue this fight throughout the NICU journey.
Tonight we are celebrating our four year anniversary and enjoying our last night as a family of two. I cannot believe at this time tomorrow we will be a family of four...ok five including Abbie! We are so grateful for everyone’s continued support and we will be sure to post a quick update Thursday night as to how things went. As you can imagine, the next two weeks are going to be very crazy and we ask that everyone would kindly wait until the boys are stable before visiting. Trust me, as soon as we can show these boys off, we will! We will be sure to post pictures as soon as possible.
Thanks again!
Love,
Soon-to-be Mom & Dad
That’s right……We only have one day left of being pregnant with these little miracles! Kevin and I are excited to announce Jake and Ben will be born on September 14th, during a scheduled c-section at approximately 1:00 p.m. We are excited, nervous, anxious, etc., etc.
This morning at our routine ultrasound the doctors detected persistent reverse flow of the umbilical artery. This indicates that Ben is experiencing increased resistance from the placenta. Ben looked great otherwise. He had wonderful activity, normal amniotic fluid, and was practicing breathing movements for a sustained amount of time. The doctors believe this is the best time to deliver because he is stable. They do not want to let things progress for the worse. They feel its better to deliver a healthy baby versus a sick baby.
We feel very good about this decision. Ben held out as long as he possibly could. He gave his big brother Jake the very best chance for survival. I am so proud of both of them. They are such fighters. I know they will continue this fight throughout the NICU journey.
Tonight we are celebrating our four year anniversary and enjoying our last night as a family of two. I cannot believe at this time tomorrow we will be a family of four...ok five including Abbie! We are so grateful for everyone’s continued support and we will be sure to post a quick update Thursday night as to how things went. As you can imagine, the next two weeks are going to be very crazy and we ask that everyone would kindly wait until the boys are stable before visiting. Trust me, as soon as we can show these boys off, we will! We will be sure to post pictures as soon as possible.
Thanks again!
Love,
Soon-to-be Mom & Dad
Saturday, September 09, 2006
29 Weeks 6 Days (13 weeks of bed rest, 2 left to go!!!)
Yea, you heard me!!! Two weeks left to go! We have set a delivery date for September 25th. As of today, we have a scheduled c-section the morning of the 25th. Jake and Ben will be 32 weeks and one day. Our doctors do not think it would be a good idea to go beyond this point. Ben has started to demonstrate something called a brain sparing effect. This sounds very scary but it actually is a good thing. Due to his small size and restricted blood flow, his body is sending all of his blood to his head to protect his brain. When this stops, we know his time is up! Right now he is doing exactly what he should be doing. We don’t know how much longer he will continue to do this and that is why the doctors don’t think it’s a good idea to let me keep going. They feel 32 weeks is also a good time for Jake too. A baby is done developing neurologically at 32 weeks. My doctor said long-term complications are very rare at this gestational age. We are praying we can make it two more weeks. If anything happens before then, we will go ahead and deliver but we are holding out for the big 32!!
We are very nervous and very excited at the same time. Lord knows I would sit in this bed for another three more months if it would help but I can’t deny that I am happy this part of the journey will be over soon. I have so enjoyed being pregnant but I have not enjoyed the restrictions. I will be a free woman soon!!! We still will be at the hospital 24/7 with the boys but I will actually be able to walk again!! Woo Hooooo!! The things we take for granted!
What’s nice about having a scheduled c-section is that we can actually hand pick our nurses and doctors. We also can mentally prepare for the big day. I just can’t believe we are going to be parents in two weeks!! I am so excited to meet Jake and Ben!
Tonight I am sitting at home while my entire family is celebrating my niece/God Child’s 1st birthday. I am so sad I can’t be there. My sister planned a huge party for her little girl that I am sure is going to be outstanding. Kevin is videotaping for me so I can see her eating her cake. He is also bringing me a plate of food so I don’t have to eat hospital food tonight, so that will be nice.
Oh by the way, my dedicated husband found an air mattress that he can squish between my bed and the bathroom door so he can stay the night with me. He actually said it is better then the pull out chair he has been sleeping on the last three weeks. He is so patient and never complains. He gets my vote for “father of the year!” :)
Well I better get going…I have lots to do!! :) I am in the process of planning FAD #30!!!!!
Thanks for staying in touch and we will keep you posted!
HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY SOPHIA RENEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yea, you heard me!!! Two weeks left to go! We have set a delivery date for September 25th. As of today, we have a scheduled c-section the morning of the 25th. Jake and Ben will be 32 weeks and one day. Our doctors do not think it would be a good idea to go beyond this point. Ben has started to demonstrate something called a brain sparing effect. This sounds very scary but it actually is a good thing. Due to his small size and restricted blood flow, his body is sending all of his blood to his head to protect his brain. When this stops, we know his time is up! Right now he is doing exactly what he should be doing. We don’t know how much longer he will continue to do this and that is why the doctors don’t think it’s a good idea to let me keep going. They feel 32 weeks is also a good time for Jake too. A baby is done developing neurologically at 32 weeks. My doctor said long-term complications are very rare at this gestational age. We are praying we can make it two more weeks. If anything happens before then, we will go ahead and deliver but we are holding out for the big 32!!
We are very nervous and very excited at the same time. Lord knows I would sit in this bed for another three more months if it would help but I can’t deny that I am happy this part of the journey will be over soon. I have so enjoyed being pregnant but I have not enjoyed the restrictions. I will be a free woman soon!!! We still will be at the hospital 24/7 with the boys but I will actually be able to walk again!! Woo Hooooo!! The things we take for granted!
What’s nice about having a scheduled c-section is that we can actually hand pick our nurses and doctors. We also can mentally prepare for the big day. I just can’t believe we are going to be parents in two weeks!! I am so excited to meet Jake and Ben!
Tonight I am sitting at home while my entire family is celebrating my niece/God Child’s 1st birthday. I am so sad I can’t be there. My sister planned a huge party for her little girl that I am sure is going to be outstanding. Kevin is videotaping for me so I can see her eating her cake. He is also bringing me a plate of food so I don’t have to eat hospital food tonight, so that will be nice.
Oh by the way, my dedicated husband found an air mattress that he can squish between my bed and the bathroom door so he can stay the night with me. He actually said it is better then the pull out chair he has been sleeping on the last three weeks. He is so patient and never complains. He gets my vote for “father of the year!” :)
Well I better get going…I have lots to do!! :) I am in the process of planning FAD #30!!!!!
Thanks for staying in touch and we will keep you posted!
HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY SOPHIA RENEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, September 07, 2006
29 Weeks 4 Days
Our little Ben grew!!!! He still is a little peanut but he is now one pound eleven ounces. He is starting to fall off his growth curve and is under the 10th percentile but the doctors feel it is still best to stay pregnant for now and let these babies cook!!!
Our little fatty cakes Jake also did some awesome growing too!! He is now two pounds fifteen ounces and I like to round up and call him three pounds!!! He is in the 46th percentile. The boys now have 40% growth discordance.
Kevin and I are very happy! Even though Ben is very small, he is still growing and showing other very encouraging signs. He got an 8 out of 8 on his B.P.P. (Biophysical Profile) and has excellent amniotic fluid and movement.
Overall, they hope we can get to 32 weeks. Hopefully, that would get Ben over two pounds. As the docs keep telling us, as long as he has the maturity, we can fatten him up in the NICU.
Since we are going on our 4th week in the hospital and remain stable, they had to move us to a different room. We are very sad. We loved our nurses and our accommodations in “apartment 4.” Now we are in “closet #45.” Our room is not even half the size it was. There also isn’t a bed for Kevin to sleep in which will force him to go home and get a good nights rest, which he really needs!!! This definitely made things a bit more challenging, but on the upside, we are still PREGNANT!!!!!!
Your prayers are working!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!
Our little Ben grew!!!! He still is a little peanut but he is now one pound eleven ounces. He is starting to fall off his growth curve and is under the 10th percentile but the doctors feel it is still best to stay pregnant for now and let these babies cook!!!
Our little fatty cakes Jake also did some awesome growing too!! He is now two pounds fifteen ounces and I like to round up and call him three pounds!!! He is in the 46th percentile. The boys now have 40% growth discordance.
Kevin and I are very happy! Even though Ben is very small, he is still growing and showing other very encouraging signs. He got an 8 out of 8 on his B.P.P. (Biophysical Profile) and has excellent amniotic fluid and movement.
Overall, they hope we can get to 32 weeks. Hopefully, that would get Ben over two pounds. As the docs keep telling us, as long as he has the maturity, we can fatten him up in the NICU.
Since we are going on our 4th week in the hospital and remain stable, they had to move us to a different room. We are very sad. We loved our nurses and our accommodations in “apartment 4.” Now we are in “closet #45.” Our room is not even half the size it was. There also isn’t a bed for Kevin to sleep in which will force him to go home and get a good nights rest, which he really needs!!! This definitely made things a bit more challenging, but on the upside, we are still PREGNANT!!!!!!
Your prayers are working!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
29 Weeks 3 Days
Thursday is a really big day for the four of us. We are getting the boys growth scans at our routine ultrasound. We are really nervous. If Ben has not grown in two weeks we might be making a decision as far as delivery. The doctors feel that both boys are at a safe point to deliver if we need to make such a decision. We all would obviously like to get a few more weeks if we can.
I have a very good feeling. I know the boys had a big growth spurt in the last week or two. I am starting to feel whole body parts sticking out of my stomach. I think I have a pretty good idea which baby is which.
Two weeks ago (at 27 weeks), Jake was two pounds one ounce (39th percentile) and Ben was one pound five ounces (10th percentile.) They were at a 34% weight discordance. We are praying very hard tonight for some big growth!!! :)
Thursday is a really big day for the four of us. We are getting the boys growth scans at our routine ultrasound. We are really nervous. If Ben has not grown in two weeks we might be making a decision as far as delivery. The doctors feel that both boys are at a safe point to deliver if we need to make such a decision. We all would obviously like to get a few more weeks if we can.
I have a very good feeling. I know the boys had a big growth spurt in the last week or two. I am starting to feel whole body parts sticking out of my stomach. I think I have a pretty good idea which baby is which.
Two weeks ago (at 27 weeks), Jake was two pounds one ounce (39th percentile) and Ben was one pound five ounces (10th percentile.) They were at a 34% weight discordance. We are praying very hard tonight for some big growth!!! :)
Saturday, September 02, 2006
28 Weeks 6 Days (3 months of bed rest)
We are in the process of planning FAD (Fetal Appreciation Day) #29!!! Yup, we made it one more week! We have been told that everyday we are pregnant is about five less days in the NICU. Our goal is to keep those babies cooking as long as possible, which I think is quite possible at this point. Our doctors have actually said they are perplexed by our case. Jake and Ben have a mind of their own and continue to defy the odds. As my doctor said, babies do not read the textbooks.
At our ultrasound yesterday, no reverse flow of the umbilical artery was detected. Ben actually had more amniotic fluid then Jake, which was a first. When a baby starts to decline and they are not getting the blood/oxygen/nutrients they need, they are unable to produce amniotic fluid. Ben’s fluid continues to be stable if not better, which doctors are happily surprised about.
Jake is doing so well. He continues to inspire his little brother to grow. Ben is holding out as long as he can to give Jake the best chance possible. I am so happy they have each other. They have already impressed me with their strong will.
The last three weeks we have become very close with this couple going through a very similar situation with their twin girls. They have mo mo twins, which means they have one placenta and one sac. As you may remember, we have one placenta and two sacs (di mo twins.) The outcome for an identical twin pregnancy depends on how many days after conception the egg splits. Read below to see the five variations of identical twins.
We are in the process of planning FAD (Fetal Appreciation Day) #29!!! Yup, we made it one more week! We have been told that everyday we are pregnant is about five less days in the NICU. Our goal is to keep those babies cooking as long as possible, which I think is quite possible at this point. Our doctors have actually said they are perplexed by our case. Jake and Ben have a mind of their own and continue to defy the odds. As my doctor said, babies do not read the textbooks.
At our ultrasound yesterday, no reverse flow of the umbilical artery was detected. Ben actually had more amniotic fluid then Jake, which was a first. When a baby starts to decline and they are not getting the blood/oxygen/nutrients they need, they are unable to produce amniotic fluid. Ben’s fluid continues to be stable if not better, which doctors are happily surprised about.
Jake is doing so well. He continues to inspire his little brother to grow. Ben is holding out as long as he can to give Jake the best chance possible. I am so happy they have each other. They have already impressed me with their strong will.
The last three weeks we have become very close with this couple going through a very similar situation with their twin girls. They have mo mo twins, which means they have one placenta and one sac. As you may remember, we have one placenta and two sacs (di mo twins.) The outcome for an identical twin pregnancy depends on how many days after conception the egg splits. Read below to see the five variations of identical twins.
- Dichorionic and diamniotic (DI DI): These types of identical twins develop 2 separate placentas and 2 separate amniotic sacs (similar to fraternal or non-identical twins). They generally occur if the fertilized egg splits before 3 days after conception.
- Monochorionic and diamniotic (DI MO): JAKE & BEN ARE DI MO’s These identical twins share 1 placenta (monochorionic) but develop 2 separate fluid sacs (diamniotic). This is the most common type, accounting for around 75% of identical twin pregnancies and happens if the split occurs between days 3 and 8 after conception.
- Monochorionic and monoamniotic (MO MO): OUR FRIEND’S BABIES These twins share 1 placenta (monochorionic) and 1 sac (monoamniotic). This is the rarest type of identical twins, occurring if the split does not occur until 8 to 13 days after conception. Monochorionic/monoamniotic twins are associated with more pregnancy complications for the babies.
- Conjoined or Siamese twins: In very rare circumstances, the twins do not split until the 13th to 15th days after conception. This leads to the babies themselves being physically joined together to some degree, as well as sharing 1 placenta and 1 amniotic sac (monochorionic and monoamniotic). The joining may just involve the baby’s skin on some part of their body (being easy to surgically separate soon after birth), or it may involve the babies sharing vital organs such as their brain or heart (making surgical separation more involved or not possible). These babies need to be born by Caesarean, with any proposed surgical separation being performed at some stage after they are born.
- Acardiac twins: This is a very rare type of twinning that is similar to conjoined twins, except the babies share one heart. Separation may be possible, but the second twin cannot survive. However, the condition itself is also life threatening for the first twin because of an overload on the heart trying to support both babies. This can lead to heart failure (in 50% of cases). Again, the babies need to be born by caesarean and any proposed surgical separation is performed at some stage after they are born.
The splitting of a developing baby to create twins is not possible once the pregnancy is more than 15 days after conception.
We have two different types of pregnancies, but have had very similar treatment and monitoring plans. They had to come in three times a day to be monitored so they would always stop by and chat. It has been quite a bonding experience.
Last night Kevin and I were coming back from a wheel chair stroll with some friends only to find out it was time for our friends with the mo mo twins to deliver. At 30 weeks they delivered two healthy three pound baby girls. We are so happy to report the girls are doing very well. This experience made things very real for Kevin and I. Seeing them head off to the OR for the big moment made us realize our day to be parents is right around the corner. A feeling of excitement came over us. With all of the hardship and constant worry, we have forgotten that the most amazing experience of our life is going to be here before we know it!!! We are so excited to meet Jake and Ben. However, we have told them we will wait as long as we need to!!
All in all Kevin and I are doing well. Our spirits are much better. We are very confident there will be a positive outcome. Other then sore backs and nasty hospital food, we are doing pretty well. We can’t thank you enough for your prayers and well wishes. I can say without a doubt the reason we are here today and doing well is because of the power of prayer.
Happy Labor Day!!
XOXOXO
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