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
Saturday, October 28, 2006
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
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