Sorry, thought I posted this....
Blake's sonogram showed NO hernia. We are so relieved. He will be seen by the urologist in a couple months to monitor the swelling.
Yesterday Grandma and Grandpa Patranella came and watched the kids so we could go to Sara (Jason's sister) and Josh's BBQ/baby shower. They came into town in the morning which allowed Jason and I to go out for some lunch before heading to Sara and Josh's. We hadn't slept but maybe 2 hours Friday night due to the twins' restlessness. So "pawpaw" and "meemaw" tried their best to keep them up yesterday. oops....kids are calling...
K, back again. It was real nice getting out today. I think this is the first time we've been away from home that I didn't catch myself looking to see what time it was and feeling as if I needed to hurry and be out so I can hurry and be back. Meemaw and pawpaw are staying the night tonight so that Jason and I can run some errands in the morning. We sure do appreciate the help from our family!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Big Smile
She did it. Jenna smiled a big cheeky smile while awake today. (Both her and Blake smile often while sleeping). Although she wasn't looking in my direction, it was beautiful to see nevertheless. I was singing a little "ditty" to her and all of a sudden she broke out with the cutest grin. Her cheeks are so chunky and she smiled so big she showed her gums as if she had great pearly white teeth. I can't wait to see it again. Blake continues to coo quite a bit. He usually does while he is swinging or during our play time. Jenna more calls out while she "talks". We (endearingly) call it her squawking.
Blake had his sonogram today to check for a possible hernia. We should get the results tomorrow. He did very well. Jason and I decided to manage this appointment by having him stay home with Jenna while I took Blake to his appointment. This gave us a look into the window of having a single rather than twins. Wow, what a difference!!!!! We feel as IF we were to have any more children, we would be pretty darn prepared to handle a single baby. Certainly not down playing the difficulty of caring for one but after juggling a schedule to maintain structure for two infants.......we are pretty confident we would know how to manage one. Anyways, he missed being there for Blake and it wasn't the same for me to be out without Jenna too. However, it turned out to work out well.
Jenna and Blake were evaluated by the Physical Therapist this week. Blake has been released from her care. He is actually doing well and is ahead of the game in some areas. Jenna is doing well. Now that they are nearing some developmental milestones, she will be seen once a week by PT and they will both continue to be seen by OT. PT said Jenna's periodic rigidity and stiffness MAY be due to immaturity of her nervous system and her lack of comfort at times in spatial awareness. This all pointing to prematurity and likely something that will strengthen and further develop in time. At times, Jenna gets over stimulated and gets "disorganized" in her movements. She either flails her arms and legs, kicks, cries and stiffens up. Good news is that she has more times of "quiet" calm play time. This little gal can sleep just about ANYWHERE. Her OT report is a bit different. Different views by different therapists. Her OT was impressed today with Jenna's flexibility in her legs and her hips. She reports that both are much better this week. We will work on getting Jenna used to being in different positions and holding her upright so as to strengthen her neck and posture. Hopefully the nuerologist will be able to tell us a bit more once he sees Jenna. Her appointment is at the end of August. She may very well have another MRI done to evaulate the status, months following her bilateral IVH (Intraventricular hemmorage). Overall though, she is doing great. I am really hoping to get good news about Blake's sonogram tomorrow. This will definitely be included in our prayers tonight.
Well, I have been fortunate to have enough time to actually post tonight. I better see what else I can squeeze in before the little ones wake for feeding.
Thank you for your continued prayers.
BTW-Jason and I are planning on posting about the events that preceeded my early labor and delivery. We hope to get that up soon. Pictures too!!
Blake had his sonogram today to check for a possible hernia. We should get the results tomorrow. He did very well. Jason and I decided to manage this appointment by having him stay home with Jenna while I took Blake to his appointment. This gave us a look into the window of having a single rather than twins. Wow, what a difference!!!!! We feel as IF we were to have any more children, we would be pretty darn prepared to handle a single baby. Certainly not down playing the difficulty of caring for one but after juggling a schedule to maintain structure for two infants.......we are pretty confident we would know how to manage one. Anyways, he missed being there for Blake and it wasn't the same for me to be out without Jenna too. However, it turned out to work out well.
Jenna and Blake were evaluated by the Physical Therapist this week. Blake has been released from her care. He is actually doing well and is ahead of the game in some areas. Jenna is doing well. Now that they are nearing some developmental milestones, she will be seen once a week by PT and they will both continue to be seen by OT. PT said Jenna's periodic rigidity and stiffness MAY be due to immaturity of her nervous system and her lack of comfort at times in spatial awareness. This all pointing to prematurity and likely something that will strengthen and further develop in time. At times, Jenna gets over stimulated and gets "disorganized" in her movements. She either flails her arms and legs, kicks, cries and stiffens up. Good news is that she has more times of "quiet" calm play time. This little gal can sleep just about ANYWHERE. Her OT report is a bit different. Different views by different therapists. Her OT was impressed today with Jenna's flexibility in her legs and her hips. She reports that both are much better this week. We will work on getting Jenna used to being in different positions and holding her upright so as to strengthen her neck and posture. Hopefully the nuerologist will be able to tell us a bit more once he sees Jenna. Her appointment is at the end of August. She may very well have another MRI done to evaulate the status, months following her bilateral IVH (Intraventricular hemmorage). Overall though, she is doing great. I am really hoping to get good news about Blake's sonogram tomorrow. This will definitely be included in our prayers tonight.
Well, I have been fortunate to have enough time to actually post tonight. I better see what else I can squeeze in before the little ones wake for feeding.
Thank you for your continued prayers.
BTW-Jason and I are planning on posting about the events that preceeded my early labor and delivery. We hope to get that up soon. Pictures too!!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Monday June 22
Well, Blake and Jenna have been home with us now for over five weeks. It seems it has been months since we were making our daily trips up to St. David's NICU to spend time with our babies. I dropped by one day last week to return something and when I parked in the garage, I suddenly realized that my NICU parking pass had expired. This time I would not be getting a new one. Funny, I was a little excited that I would HAVE to pay for parking this time. This meaning I was truly no longer a NICU mom. I walked in the main entrance and started on a familiar path. Once the elevator reached the third floor and I stepped out, the familiar scent of the postpartum floor served as a reminder of my time on the ward in Room 219. The wonderful nurses, my visitors, the care packages from family and friends, the calls of support, the amazing support Jason showed me each and every minute. Then there was some reminiscing over the thought (and dread) that I would be on bed rest for the remaining of my pregnancy IN room 219. Then thoughts of how quickly and abruptly things changed and the unexpected early birth of our babies. Collectively, my thoughts of the hospital are positive. Much due to the great care I received and phenomenal NICU that made it possible that we are all at home together today. I decided to run up to the NICU to see if Trinity and Kinsley's mom was there visiting. As I got closer and closer to the infamous NICU double doors, I actually felt like a visitor......not a "resident". What a wonderful feeling! Although the nurses, doctors and front desk staff will always make us feel like we are "home" when we visit now, it is great to be guests.
Uh oh, Jenna is calling......
Uh oh, Jenna is calling......
Friday, June 19, 2009
A Great Gain
Blake and Jenna saw their pediatrician, Dr. Fasci, yesterday for a weight check. In a month, both have gained 2 pounds! Jenna is now 10 pounds 5 ounces and Blake is 9 pounds 11 ounces. Dr. Fasci was very impressed with their gain. Jenna's belly button hernia has reduced in size a great deal and is going away, thankfully. We want to avoid hospital stays/surgeries. After all, we haven't been out of the NICU THAT long. On the flip side though, Blake has some swelling and tightness in his, otherwise known as, " lower extremity area", so will be getting a sonogram to get further examined. We are really hoping it isn't a hernia. If if is, we are looking at surgery. If he has to undergo surgery, it will be his third surgery. I think any surgery at five months of age is a HUGE feat for a little guy, much less it having been the third. He and his sissy are such brave and strong little heroes (mom's proudly smiling). Anyway, hernias are quite common in premature babies. We just hope Jenna's continues to go away and that Blake does not need surgery.
Other than this, the appointment went real well. She was very impressed with their growth and development as well as the strength they showed with lifting and turning their heads. Dr. Fasci isn't concerned with Jenna's muscle tone. She says it is minimal at this point and appears to not be causing any problems developmentally. We will continue to monitor and perform daily therapuetic and preventative exercises. Again, we will know more when she reaches her milestones. So far so good. We will be seen again for their 6 month check up next month. It is still strange getting used to having "two ages". Although the kids are five and a half months old, they appear and are developmentally six weeks old.
Being a homemaker now I have a couple regular television shows that I watch, Oprah being one of them. I saw a very inspiring show yesterday, it was "Heroes Among Us". It caught my interest because for me, Blake and Jenna are my heroes. It was about children who have experienced great life challenges. There was a segment about a couple who at 30 weeks of pregnancy, found out their little boy had Trisomy 18. This is a disorder in which "his DNA sends faulty information to each cell of his body" and has a very low survival rate. They did not expect him to make it to birth. The couple beautifully wrote letters to Eliot every day before and after his birth. They celebrated his birthday every day with a picture and often times a cake. Both his mother and father had an amazing and inspiring attitude and lived each second of Eliot's life to it's very fullest. His mother would often tell her husband, " I'll be sad tomorrow", and lived each day with happiness caring for her terminally ill angel. They attended their NICU reunion just nine days before he died. His father reported that his wife was so proud and just beemed with excitement to show off her little boy. They were both so proud of him. He lived only a few days following a very special moment for the family. This moment being that he was able to come off of oxygen support and the tubes that were taped to his precious face were removed for a photo opportunity. This brought back memories of great joy for me of when after months following birth, were able to see our babies faces without medically necessary devices. From before Eliot's birth and throughout the tremendously challenging journey, this little boy had the fight and will to survive long enough to set eyes on his parents and live with them for as long as his body would allow. He lived for 99 days. At his funeral they released 99 balloons, each representing a day in which he lived. The video tribute to Eliot from his mom and dad is on utube. I have watched it many times and it chokes me up every time. This family is very special and is the epitomy of strength and positive thinking. When you see the pictures of Eliot you see a gorgeous little guy who had so much love to share with his family. The producers of Oprah selected his story to air on Wednesday's show, entitled "Heroes Among Us" and if you choose to view the video, you will clearly see why.
Each day I think about how fortunate we are to have Blake and Jenna with us. After all, who could imagine one pound babies surviving at all. Between their prematurity and the various "scares" along the way while in the NICU, we couldn't have even imagined having ten pound babies at home. We tried to take one day at a time and celebrated each small forward step. Now that they are home, we have certainly gotten comfortable and have found ourselves in the daily routine of caring for "normal" newborns. However, our journey from birth through NICU graduation will remain at bay. Our experience have certainly taught us that sometimes, the tiniest of creatures are the biggest of heroes.
Sorry, a little emotional but I was so touched by this story that I felt like sharing. Here is the UTUBE link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0
By the way, this family is still celebrating the time they were given with their little boy by keeping their memories alive and celebrating his yearly birthday. The father reported that the only thing keeping them apart is the time he and his wife have left to live on Earth. On the show, they were also happy to report that Eliot will be a big brother in two weeks.
Other than this, the appointment went real well. She was very impressed with their growth and development as well as the strength they showed with lifting and turning their heads. Dr. Fasci isn't concerned with Jenna's muscle tone. She says it is minimal at this point and appears to not be causing any problems developmentally. We will continue to monitor and perform daily therapuetic and preventative exercises. Again, we will know more when she reaches her milestones. So far so good. We will be seen again for their 6 month check up next month. It is still strange getting used to having "two ages". Although the kids are five and a half months old, they appear and are developmentally six weeks old.
Being a homemaker now I have a couple regular television shows that I watch, Oprah being one of them. I saw a very inspiring show yesterday, it was "Heroes Among Us". It caught my interest because for me, Blake and Jenna are my heroes. It was about children who have experienced great life challenges. There was a segment about a couple who at 30 weeks of pregnancy, found out their little boy had Trisomy 18. This is a disorder in which "his DNA sends faulty information to each cell of his body" and has a very low survival rate. They did not expect him to make it to birth. The couple beautifully wrote letters to Eliot every day before and after his birth. They celebrated his birthday every day with a picture and often times a cake. Both his mother and father had an amazing and inspiring attitude and lived each second of Eliot's life to it's very fullest. His mother would often tell her husband, " I'll be sad tomorrow", and lived each day with happiness caring for her terminally ill angel. They attended their NICU reunion just nine days before he died. His father reported that his wife was so proud and just beemed with excitement to show off her little boy. They were both so proud of him. He lived only a few days following a very special moment for the family. This moment being that he was able to come off of oxygen support and the tubes that were taped to his precious face were removed for a photo opportunity. This brought back memories of great joy for me of when after months following birth, were able to see our babies faces without medically necessary devices. From before Eliot's birth and throughout the tremendously challenging journey, this little boy had the fight and will to survive long enough to set eyes on his parents and live with them for as long as his body would allow. He lived for 99 days. At his funeral they released 99 balloons, each representing a day in which he lived. The video tribute to Eliot from his mom and dad is on utube. I have watched it many times and it chokes me up every time. This family is very special and is the epitomy of strength and positive thinking. When you see the pictures of Eliot you see a gorgeous little guy who had so much love to share with his family. The producers of Oprah selected his story to air on Wednesday's show, entitled "Heroes Among Us" and if you choose to view the video, you will clearly see why.
Each day I think about how fortunate we are to have Blake and Jenna with us. After all, who could imagine one pound babies surviving at all. Between their prematurity and the various "scares" along the way while in the NICU, we couldn't have even imagined having ten pound babies at home. We tried to take one day at a time and celebrated each small forward step. Now that they are home, we have certainly gotten comfortable and have found ourselves in the daily routine of caring for "normal" newborns. However, our journey from birth through NICU graduation will remain at bay. Our experience have certainly taught us that sometimes, the tiniest of creatures are the biggest of heroes.
Sorry, a little emotional but I was so touched by this story that I felt like sharing. Here is the UTUBE link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0
By the way, this family is still celebrating the time they were given with their little boy by keeping their memories alive and celebrating his yearly birthday. The father reported that the only thing keeping them apart is the time he and his wife have left to live on Earth. On the show, they were also happy to report that Eliot will be a big brother in two weeks.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Links to all Photo Albums
Here are the links to all the web albums. Hopefully this will make it a little easier to find.
Enjoy!
June:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/June?feat=directlink
No place like home:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/NoPlaceLikeHome?feat=directlink
May:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/May?feat=directlink
End of April:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/EndOfApril?feat=directlink
Happy Easter:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/HappyEaster?feat=directlink
End of March:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/EndOfMarch?feat=directlink
Reunion:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/Reunion02?feat=directlink
Mid March:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/MidMarch?feat=directlink
March:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/March?feat=directlink
Mid/Late February:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/MidLateFebruaryPics?feat=directlink
Valentine's Day:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/ValentineSDayAndBathPictures?feat=directlink
February:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/February?feat=directlink
Special Gifts:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/OurSpecialGifts?feat=directlink
Enjoy!
June:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/June?feat=directlink
No place like home:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/NoPlaceLikeHome?feat=directlink
May:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/May?feat=directlink
End of April:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/EndOfApril?feat=directlink
Happy Easter:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/HappyEaster?feat=directlink
End of March:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/EndOfMarch?feat=directlink
Reunion:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/Reunion02?feat=directlink
Mid March:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/MidMarch?feat=directlink
March:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/March?feat=directlink
Mid/Late February:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/MidLateFebruaryPics?feat=directlink
Valentine's Day:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/ValentineSDayAndBathPictures?feat=directlink
February:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/February?feat=directlink
Special Gifts:
http://picasaweb.google.com/blakeandjenna/OurSpecialGifts?feat=directlink
3AM
Here it is, 3AM on Wednesday. Blake has been sleeping for about an hour and a half and Jenna is in and out of a light sleep. Each time I think it's "safe" to lay down for some shut eye, she stirs causing her paci to fall out and she cries. If only there was an invention that helped keep paci's in babies mouths in a safe way parents would sure get a lot more sleep. On nights like this, I find it easier and less frustrating to just stay up until both are sleeping deeply rather than laying down and getting to the point of dozing off then five minutes into it, needing to tend to one or the other.
Sleep deprivation has set in, no doubt! Between getting little to no sleep and having some anxiety of Jason returning to work, the last coupls days have been challenging for me. I am just trying to find the best ways to manage the care for both on my own for the eight to nine hours Jason is at work. No matter how well you plan though, days are unpredictable. I just go with the flow as best I can. I usually feed whoever is stirring first. Sometimes they are both ready to feed at the same time so I set one in a bouncy and feed with one hand while I have the other on my lap on the floor feeding with my other. I plan time for playing and exercising on the floor as well as story time. Other than feeding, changing and playing, I get NOTHING else done right now. I know that will change when they are sleeping more at night and I don't have to nap when they nap as much. However, for now when they sleep, I take every opportunity to catch a few Zzzs. We are so lucky that they are both great babies. They both have great dispositions and neat little personalities. Jenna is so fun to watch when she looks around. Her eyes are so wide and bright blue. Blake is a lot of fun to watch too. When he cries he has THE cutest pouty face with the biggest frown. I am anxiously awaiting more smiles. Right now, you can catch them smiling sometimes in their sleep. Too cute.
Today I had a doctors appointment so the mom and dad Nobrega watched the kids. They were kind enough to let me leave early to go out for lunch and run a couple errands before my appointment. It was really nice to get out into the world-haha. A break from the 24/7 focus of caring for twins is soooooooo needed. Hopefully I will get good news tomorrow. I went in for some blood work, as I suspect I may be having some thyroid issues again. (Not so) Funny thing is, two symptoms are fatigue and irritability. Well, I definitely have both but whose to say that's not due to sleep deprivation? ha! The symptom I am suspicious about is a sore feeling I have in my neck. It feels as if I have been kicked in the neck, much the same feeling I have had in the past. So, in my prayers tonight, I pray that my blood work comes out fine. I need good health and energy to care for these two lil blessings.
Even with the challenges of sleep deprivation, each day Blake and Jenna bring such joy to our lives. I thank God for giving us the gift of being Blake and Jenna's parents. We pray that he continues to give us strength, patience and good health. We pray that Jenna's therapy continues to help her work through the muscle tone and that she and Blake get another clean bill of health on their next check up on Thursday.
Well, I THINK both are sleeping well enough now that I may be able to get a couple hours of sleep although their next feed is in 30 minutes. Think I will let them sleep until they wake hungry.
Sleep deprivation has set in, no doubt! Between getting little to no sleep and having some anxiety of Jason returning to work, the last coupls days have been challenging for me. I am just trying to find the best ways to manage the care for both on my own for the eight to nine hours Jason is at work. No matter how well you plan though, days are unpredictable. I just go with the flow as best I can. I usually feed whoever is stirring first. Sometimes they are both ready to feed at the same time so I set one in a bouncy and feed with one hand while I have the other on my lap on the floor feeding with my other. I plan time for playing and exercising on the floor as well as story time. Other than feeding, changing and playing, I get NOTHING else done right now. I know that will change when they are sleeping more at night and I don't have to nap when they nap as much. However, for now when they sleep, I take every opportunity to catch a few Zzzs. We are so lucky that they are both great babies. They both have great dispositions and neat little personalities. Jenna is so fun to watch when she looks around. Her eyes are so wide and bright blue. Blake is a lot of fun to watch too. When he cries he has THE cutest pouty face with the biggest frown. I am anxiously awaiting more smiles. Right now, you can catch them smiling sometimes in their sleep. Too cute.
Today I had a doctors appointment so the mom and dad Nobrega watched the kids. They were kind enough to let me leave early to go out for lunch and run a couple errands before my appointment. It was really nice to get out into the world-haha. A break from the 24/7 focus of caring for twins is soooooooo needed. Hopefully I will get good news tomorrow. I went in for some blood work, as I suspect I may be having some thyroid issues again. (Not so) Funny thing is, two symptoms are fatigue and irritability. Well, I definitely have both but whose to say that's not due to sleep deprivation? ha! The symptom I am suspicious about is a sore feeling I have in my neck. It feels as if I have been kicked in the neck, much the same feeling I have had in the past. So, in my prayers tonight, I pray that my blood work comes out fine. I need good health and energy to care for these two lil blessings.
Even with the challenges of sleep deprivation, each day Blake and Jenna bring such joy to our lives. I thank God for giving us the gift of being Blake and Jenna's parents. We pray that he continues to give us strength, patience and good health. We pray that Jenna's therapy continues to help her work through the muscle tone and that she and Blake get another clean bill of health on their next check up on Thursday.
Well, I THINK both are sleeping well enough now that I may be able to get a couple hours of sleep although their next feed is in 30 minutes. Think I will let them sleep until they wake hungry.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The first month
Figured I would post a summary of our first month at home with the kids.
We were super super happy that both of the kids were ready to go home at the same time. We really agonized over the possibility that we may have to bring one home, while leaving the other in the hospital alone. That may be an over dramatization, but in our minds (mine at least) it felt like we'd be "leaving" one. As a vet, "never leave a man behind" is ingrained into us at the deepest level, so this was something that really bothered me. As luck (& our friends in the NICU) would have it, they were both ready at the same time.
Rooming In:
Ehhhhh That was a so so experience. We'd spent sooo much time at the hospital and had done all the "Parent" things like changing diapers, bathing, feeding, etc etc that we were very ready to have all the responsibility to ourselves. So, rooming in was more of a formality & pain in the butt for me.
For whatever reason, lil B dawg didn't really want to sleep that night, so I pretty much sat and rocked him for most of the night while watching Jenna & mom sleep a bit.
Our exit from the NICU was pretty anti-climactic as all our regular friends were off for the day. Dr. Su was awesome and called to congratulate us. He really wanted to be there, but his lil girls bday was that day. So, on a rainy Sat, the four of us made a quiet exit from St. David.
At home:
The first couple days they were home they were a bit fussy and didn't sleep as well as they normally did. By fussy, I mean that they didn't seem very comfortable. They didn't really cry more, just wiggled around a lot more and didn't settle into sleep as quickly.
One of the nurses told Kim that they would be very different babies once they got home and adjusted to their surroundings. Just about all the advice the nurses gave us turned out to be 100% true.
After about 3 days, Jenna really chilled out, and her firey attitude really calmed down. Blake was pretty much relaxed and chill the entire time. I think that's just his core personality.
Right off the bat, Kim and I both tried really hard to care for both babies and give the other some relax time. I think this really helped in the beginning as it gave Kim a little more sleep that she may have got otherwise. That got easier and easier as we all fell into our routines.
Our biggest challenge and worry was feeding. Blake was not as strong of a feeder as Jenna, so we really had to be vigilant with his feeding to ensure he was getting enough. After about two weeks, he started getting stronger and taking more and more with each feed. After Jenna perfected "pacing" while in the NICU, she never had a problem with feeds after that.
Around the second or third week, Jenna really had a noticeable change in personality. Before, she would go from "just fine" to "supper pissed" and screaming in about .025 sec. Around that time, she really relaxed and mellowed out. Now she'll kinda fuss and wiggle about before she starts crying. When she does cry, she starts off slow and soft and slowly increases her volume until we get the point and attend to her. That's not to say she can't work out the lungs when she wants to, she just doesn't seem to feel the need to go to that level very often. THANK YOU Jenna!
All in all, they have both been really good babies. They generally only cry when they are hungry or not feeling good due to gas. They've both gotten better about not having to have a passie in their mouth all the time. Then often time just chill and look around during their awake periods, with no stimulation or attention from us. Not saying that we ignore them, just that we don't have to hold or play with them every waking second.
Dare I say, they have actually been much easier than both of us had prepared ourselves for. That's not to say they aren't a hand full, cause they are, they just aren't as difficult, nor do they cry nearly as much as I would have imagined. Then again, I guess it was better that we prepared ourselves for the worst, and can appreciate how good we have it.
Sleeping:
After about a week or two, they started sleeping a bit longer and got closer to 4hrs vs 3. They still don't sleep super hard and will start to stir and sleep softly after 1.5-2hrs. Unfortunately their sleep & stir cycles are slightly off, so that often keeps us busy ALL the time.
I sooooo can not wait for them to sleep 5 or 6hrs solid, let along through the night. On the positive side, there have been a few nights when they both slept 6+hrs. They are still infrequent, but hopefully we'll be putting more and more of those together. please please please
Traveling:
So far the kids have been doing great with traveling. We've taken them to the store several times and they seem to do just fine. We keep the sun shade on the baby carrier pulled up, so curious people won't just stick their hands in there, but we don't mind showing them off when people ask. We've also taken them for several walks around the neighborhood. We've decided to try to keep them used to traveling as frequently as possible. We certainly don't want to be those parents that get trapped in the house and never leave. Screw that.
Along with that, we didn't want to be the type of parents that won't/can't leave their kids for a few hours. Both grandparents have come over to watch the kids and give us a break for a bit. Surprisingly it really wasn't difficult to step out and leave them in their care. Heck, they raised us and our siblings without any catastrophic problems, so they should do ok with our kids. ;)
Dr.'s & Therapists:
We see them often. Very often. We have 1 or 2 therapist visits a week and at least one Dr. apt a week. So far everyone has been happy and impressed with their current health and development, considering what they've been through. That has been very very reassuring and has taken a huge stress off our shoulders.
The therapists continue to mention that Jenna is a little tight in her hips and isn't quite as flexible as they'd like. While this has been a re-occurring theme, I wonder how much different she is from "normal". One thing just about every parent has told us is that every baby is different. They are always giving us examples of how their kid reached some developmental milestone after the "normal" time, and yet their kid is perfectly normal and healthy.
So.... we are trying to take things somewhat lightly until they get older and get to bigger developmental stages (rolling over, crawling, sitting, etc) that will give us a better representation of their true development. I should note that when the therapists tell us that, they also say that it's pretty minor and shouldn't be something that she can not work through. So... we'll see how it turns out.
Well, I think that was long enough for one post.
Sorry for the infrequent posts, but between being supper busy, and not too many "new" things to report, our posts will probably continue to be slower. I'm thinking 2 or 3 a week, with posts for big or specific news.
Please feel free to post comments, questions, or anything else that may be on your mind.
In addition to a way for us to keep our family and friends updated, the blog has really helped us keep in touch with people & get an outside perspectives. So don't be shy.
-J
We were super super happy that both of the kids were ready to go home at the same time. We really agonized over the possibility that we may have to bring one home, while leaving the other in the hospital alone. That may be an over dramatization, but in our minds (mine at least) it felt like we'd be "leaving" one. As a vet, "never leave a man behind" is ingrained into us at the deepest level, so this was something that really bothered me. As luck (& our friends in the NICU) would have it, they were both ready at the same time.
Rooming In:
Ehhhhh That was a so so experience. We'd spent sooo much time at the hospital and had done all the "Parent" things like changing diapers, bathing, feeding, etc etc that we were very ready to have all the responsibility to ourselves. So, rooming in was more of a formality & pain in the butt for me.
For whatever reason, lil B dawg didn't really want to sleep that night, so I pretty much sat and rocked him for most of the night while watching Jenna & mom sleep a bit.
Our exit from the NICU was pretty anti-climactic as all our regular friends were off for the day. Dr. Su was awesome and called to congratulate us. He really wanted to be there, but his lil girls bday was that day. So, on a rainy Sat, the four of us made a quiet exit from St. David.
At home:
The first couple days they were home they were a bit fussy and didn't sleep as well as they normally did. By fussy, I mean that they didn't seem very comfortable. They didn't really cry more, just wiggled around a lot more and didn't settle into sleep as quickly.
One of the nurses told Kim that they would be very different babies once they got home and adjusted to their surroundings. Just about all the advice the nurses gave us turned out to be 100% true.
After about 3 days, Jenna really chilled out, and her firey attitude really calmed down. Blake was pretty much relaxed and chill the entire time. I think that's just his core personality.
Right off the bat, Kim and I both tried really hard to care for both babies and give the other some relax time. I think this really helped in the beginning as it gave Kim a little more sleep that she may have got otherwise. That got easier and easier as we all fell into our routines.
Our biggest challenge and worry was feeding. Blake was not as strong of a feeder as Jenna, so we really had to be vigilant with his feeding to ensure he was getting enough. After about two weeks, he started getting stronger and taking more and more with each feed. After Jenna perfected "pacing" while in the NICU, she never had a problem with feeds after that.
Around the second or third week, Jenna really had a noticeable change in personality. Before, she would go from "just fine" to "supper pissed" and screaming in about .025 sec. Around that time, she really relaxed and mellowed out. Now she'll kinda fuss and wiggle about before she starts crying. When she does cry, she starts off slow and soft and slowly increases her volume until we get the point and attend to her. That's not to say she can't work out the lungs when she wants to, she just doesn't seem to feel the need to go to that level very often. THANK YOU Jenna!
All in all, they have both been really good babies. They generally only cry when they are hungry or not feeling good due to gas. They've both gotten better about not having to have a passie in their mouth all the time. Then often time just chill and look around during their awake periods, with no stimulation or attention from us. Not saying that we ignore them, just that we don't have to hold or play with them every waking second.
Dare I say, they have actually been much easier than both of us had prepared ourselves for. That's not to say they aren't a hand full, cause they are, they just aren't as difficult, nor do they cry nearly as much as I would have imagined. Then again, I guess it was better that we prepared ourselves for the worst, and can appreciate how good we have it.
Sleeping:
After about a week or two, they started sleeping a bit longer and got closer to 4hrs vs 3. They still don't sleep super hard and will start to stir and sleep softly after 1.5-2hrs. Unfortunately their sleep & stir cycles are slightly off, so that often keeps us busy ALL the time.
I sooooo can not wait for them to sleep 5 or 6hrs solid, let along through the night. On the positive side, there have been a few nights when they both slept 6+hrs. They are still infrequent, but hopefully we'll be putting more and more of those together. please please please
Traveling:
So far the kids have been doing great with traveling. We've taken them to the store several times and they seem to do just fine. We keep the sun shade on the baby carrier pulled up, so curious people won't just stick their hands in there, but we don't mind showing them off when people ask. We've also taken them for several walks around the neighborhood. We've decided to try to keep them used to traveling as frequently as possible. We certainly don't want to be those parents that get trapped in the house and never leave. Screw that.
Along with that, we didn't want to be the type of parents that won't/can't leave their kids for a few hours. Both grandparents have come over to watch the kids and give us a break for a bit. Surprisingly it really wasn't difficult to step out and leave them in their care. Heck, they raised us and our siblings without any catastrophic problems, so they should do ok with our kids. ;)
Dr.'s & Therapists:
We see them often. Very often. We have 1 or 2 therapist visits a week and at least one Dr. apt a week. So far everyone has been happy and impressed with their current health and development, considering what they've been through. That has been very very reassuring and has taken a huge stress off our shoulders.
The therapists continue to mention that Jenna is a little tight in her hips and isn't quite as flexible as they'd like. While this has been a re-occurring theme, I wonder how much different she is from "normal". One thing just about every parent has told us is that every baby is different. They are always giving us examples of how their kid reached some developmental milestone after the "normal" time, and yet their kid is perfectly normal and healthy.
So.... we are trying to take things somewhat lightly until they get older and get to bigger developmental stages (rolling over, crawling, sitting, etc) that will give us a better representation of their true development. I should note that when the therapists tell us that, they also say that it's pretty minor and shouldn't be something that she can not work through. So... we'll see how it turns out.
Well, I think that was long enough for one post.
Sorry for the infrequent posts, but between being supper busy, and not too many "new" things to report, our posts will probably continue to be slower. I'm thinking 2 or 3 a week, with posts for big or specific news.
Please feel free to post comments, questions, or anything else that may be on your mind.
In addition to a way for us to keep our family and friends updated, the blog has really helped us keep in touch with people & get an outside perspectives. So don't be shy.
-J
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