John and I are going to attempt to update the blog every couple days for the next few weeks, but things are very crazy right now so please be patient. If you read the last blog, things have improved remarkably since then!
Both babies are doing very, very well. Nicholas is now taking the amount of food that was his goal - some feedings through the gavage tube that goes from his nose to his stomach and some through a bottle. When we got to the hospital yesterday we had a wonderful surprise - he was out of his incubator and in an open crib!!! That means that his body now has to work a little harder to maintain it's own temperature, so he will be very sleepy for 24 - 48 hours while his body adjusts to this new task. Another exciting development - his IV is out! This means that Nana, Baba, Grandpa, etc can hold him now and he can also wear clothes!!!
Ava has made incredible progress in the short 6 days that she's been alive. She only needed slight respiratory help for a little over 2 days. She's breathing on her own beautifully now and is quickly catching up to her brother! Her IV should be out by tomorrow and by then she, too, will have reached her feeding amount goal. Yesterday I gave her the very first bottle and she took it readily, even wanting more once she was done! She should be in an open crib soon as well.
Now all these two little cuties have to do is keep increasing the number of feedings they can take by bottle and we will be able to bring them home!!! Once they can take all 8 daily feedings by bottle for 2 days in a row they'll be out of there. My guess is that this will for sure happen within at least the next 2 weeks, but I also would have bet a million dollars that they wouldn't be born before Christmas so what do I know?
It's funny how these two tiny babies already have their own little preferences and personalities. Nicholas is very particular and likes to be swaddled tightly with his hands up by his face - anything else is unacceptable. If he doesn't get his way, he will tell you about it but so far he's been a great baby. He makes lots of silly faces and has already developed a reputation as a crazy pee-er. He peed all over his dad the first time that John held him and the next day got the nurse! He is already known as John's mini-me because the resemblence is undeniable. Ava is just a little bitty sweetie pie with a heart of gold. She is laid back and easy going with a squeeky little cry that you don't hear very often. She was allowed to wear clothes for the first time yesterday and as I was struggling to dress her in a little pink gown that Nana bought her, she never protested once despite my lack of skill with dressing her through the two little holes of her incubator in an outfit with no snaps! Both of them are little fighters and are trying their best to grow strong enough to come home with Mommy and Daddy. It won't be very long!!!
The new mom is feeling pretty darn good. The soreness is starting to subside and I'm picking up a little speed - no longer walking 10 feet behind John like I'm from the Middle East. This new constant state of tired is something that we'll just have to get used to because we know it's not going to go away any time soon. Leaving our babies at the hospital when I came home was incredibly difficult but we know they're where they need to be right now and it won't be for long. Seeing some of the other situations in the NICU reminds us daily just how very, very lucky we are.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
A Christmas to Remember
WHAT HAPPENED?
At 1:45 AM Christmas Eve morning Kristie woke up to a sharp pain and a wet rear. She exclaimed that her water had broken. After a moment of "no way, you have to be kidding" I saw the seriousness in her face. While she got herself ready to go to the hospital I called the doctor's office so someone could meet us there. As we were walking out the door Kristie remembered something she had forgotten. Her bag was packed and waiting for us in the car so I didn't know what in the world she needed. Hair mousse! I'm still waiting for the rest of the story on why mousse was so important at that precise moment.
By running three red lights and speeding down I-75 it didn't take long for us to arrive at the hospital. Contractions started off relatively easy but quickly progressed to longer and more severe. When they were less than two minutes apart it became obvious to us that the babies were coming sooner rather than later.
Because Nicholas was still in a breach position a C-section was the only option. At 6:52 Nicholas Riley Gage arrived with his little sister, Ava Anne, arriving only a minute later. Kristie made it through the operation without incident.
By Christmas morning Kristie was up and walking around but still a little sore.
Because they were born a few weeks early, at 33 weeks, they are in the newborn intensive care unit. Nicholas is in very good health but needs to add a little weight and learn to eat before he can go home. Early attempts to feed him through a feeding tube had mixed results. The first feeding went perfectly with Nick digesting a third of an ounce of a breast milk/formula mixture. The second feeding wasn't as successful. The food was found in his stomach three hours after the feeding - he couldn't/didn't digest it.
Ava is the smaller of the twins and has a few more problems. Her lungs aren't fully developed so she is on a breathing machine. The air Ava is breathing is normal air, the machine just provides the necessary pressure to properly open and close her small lungs with each breath. She also has a problem with retaining fluids. This is causing her to appear puffy and her diapers to be dryer than normal. Neither of these problems are severe and she is capable of breathing on her own, but it requires a bit too much effort so she's just getting a little help. She's already been down-graded to the amount of air pressure they have her on, so progress has already been made!
Both babies will need to fully develop in the NICU before they can go home. We are hoping Nick can come home in a week or less. Ava has some more growing to do so it's likely to be a few more weeks before she can come home.
All in all mom and babies are healthy and happy making this the best Christmas ever!
Dad & Mom
At 1:45 AM Christmas Eve morning Kristie woke up to a sharp pain and a wet rear. She exclaimed that her water had broken. After a moment of "no way, you have to be kidding" I saw the seriousness in her face. While she got herself ready to go to the hospital I called the doctor's office so someone could meet us there. As we were walking out the door Kristie remembered something she had forgotten. Her bag was packed and waiting for us in the car so I didn't know what in the world she needed. Hair mousse! I'm still waiting for the rest of the story on why mousse was so important at that precise moment.
By running three red lights and speeding down I-75 it didn't take long for us to arrive at the hospital. Contractions started off relatively easy but quickly progressed to longer and more severe. When they were less than two minutes apart it became obvious to us that the babies were coming sooner rather than later.
Because Nicholas was still in a breach position a C-section was the only option. At 6:52 Nicholas Riley Gage arrived with his little sister, Ava Anne, arriving only a minute later. Kristie made it through the operation without incident.
By Christmas morning Kristie was up and walking around but still a little sore.
Because they were born a few weeks early, at 33 weeks, they are in the newborn intensive care unit. Nicholas is in very good health but needs to add a little weight and learn to eat before he can go home. Early attempts to feed him through a feeding tube had mixed results. The first feeding went perfectly with Nick digesting a third of an ounce of a breast milk/formula mixture. The second feeding wasn't as successful. The food was found in his stomach three hours after the feeding - he couldn't/didn't digest it.
Ava is the smaller of the twins and has a few more problems. Her lungs aren't fully developed so she is on a breathing machine. The air Ava is breathing is normal air, the machine just provides the necessary pressure to properly open and close her small lungs with each breath. She also has a problem with retaining fluids. This is causing her to appear puffy and her diapers to be dryer than normal. Neither of these problems are severe and she is capable of breathing on her own, but it requires a bit too much effort so she's just getting a little help. She's already been down-graded to the amount of air pressure they have her on, so progress has already been made!
Both babies will need to fully develop in the NICU before they can go home. We are hoping Nick can come home in a week or less. Ava has some more growing to do so it's likely to be a few more weeks before she can come home.
All in all mom and babies are healthy and happy making this the best Christmas ever!
Dad & Mom
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