REWIND

After over a month, I finally understand what it means why they say you have to take it day by day. One day, it looks like progress is being made, only to come in the next to find we’ve taken a few steps back. While it’s great that some days stay the same as the day before, it certainly doesn’t make for an exciting blog entry – hence the delay! Plus, as the twins get bigger, the more I’m able to interact with them. So let’s rewind the past couple of weeks and catch everyone up!

First and foremost, both are doing well! Parker has made some huge strides and it looks like we could be talking about going home here soon!! As of February 7th, he weighs 6lbs. 12oz. and measures 18.5″. About a week ago, he was able to have the nose tubes removed, and so far, is doing great! He’s getting the hang of taking a bottle, but still doesn’t quite have the energy to take all of his bottles all the time. Once he manages to take them consistently, and goes for five days with no events, he can bust out of the joint! Basically, that’s it! He’s just eating and growing now. Both the physical and occupational therapists stop by once a week to visit and agree he’s doing well.

Hannah, while doing well, has a few more hurdles to overcome. About two weeks ago, she started to have more and more events due to a combination of complications. Since all babies have high blood pressure in their lungs when they’re born, it usually drops a couple weeks after birth. For Hannah, once the blood pressure dropped, it started causing her to work harder to breathe. She’s always breathed fast, but was at least comfortable and didn’t appear to be working hard to due so. Now she’s breathing fast and having to use alllll of her energy to do so. To help, they put her on Vapotherm – basically humidified air that would go into her nose tubes. It seem to work for a couple of days, only for her to dip back down again. After a chest xray showing extra fluid in the lungs and an echo showing blood now crossing the two ventricles between the holes, they started her on lasix and reduced the amount of formula she received at each feed, but increased her calories. It’s been a roller coaster ride the past couple of weeks trying to find the right combination of lasix and formula. It appeared to be helping at first until she began having random de-sats (drops in her oxygen saturation levels in her blood) that weren’t caused by anything that we could physically see. For example, a lot of times, they’ll have a de-sat while feeding, having some reflux, positional, or trying to go to the bathroom. Hannah wasn’t doing any of these… she was basically trying to sleep. They ordered another x-ray and again, there was more fluid and her heart was even more enlarged than it had been just a few days before. While adjusting her lasix, docs have also added an inhaled steroid to the mix. The steroid is extremely safe since it’s inhaled and goes directly to the body that it’s effecting. If it appears to be working by the end of this week, they’ll keep her on it for another three weeks. Through all of these efforts to help Hannah breathe more effectively, she’s also still needs to gain weight. She’s on the highest calorie formula (it’s basically a milk shake), but with the lasix, it could be tricky.

Of course, the docs are consulting with cardiology through this whole process. Keep in mind, they would like for her to be 11lbs before they could do her corrective surgery. The docs have a few more options to play around with before they would do anything, but we have been informed that there could be a good possibility that she would need a surgery before hand to buy her some time and get some meat on those bones for the other surgery. If that’s the case, Hannah would need a PA Band. It’s band they put on the pulmonary artery to restrict how much blood is going from the heart to the lungs so there’s not too much extra fluid. This of course presents a whole new world of challenges…

Even though we’re at a Riley Hospital, all surgeries are done downtown. Hannah would have to be transported by ambulance and admitted down there. She’ll stay down there to recover and is able to discharge home, just in case there would happen to be any complications, they would be able to handle it. Here’s the tricky part – what about Parker? If he’s still in the NICU at the time she would need the PA Band, he would have to stay behind at IU North since they’re not going to admit him downtown and change his care. If he’s been discharged, downtown, they don’t have private rooms like we’ve been in this whole time, (it’s basically like a regular nursey, only for NICU patients) and he wouldn’t be allowed to come with us when we see Hannah. Apparently, IU North is one of the only NICUs where patients that have been discharged may come back with their parents when they come to visit their other child(ren). I shouldn’t say they don’t have private rooms, they do, but they’re for patients that have been outside of the hospital walls. I can ask the cardiologist if she can have a private room since then we would be able to bring Parker with us, but it’s up to him to make the call.

This of course is a game changer and a whole new set issues… but they haven’t made the official call that she does need a PA Band, so let’s focus and the here and now. As of this past weekend, she had lost a couple of ounces, but as of tonight, she’s gained two nights in a row – big gains, too! She currently weighs in at 4lbs. 9oz. and measures 17.5″. I’m hoping that we’re on an upward trend of gaining weight, thus finding the right combination of lasix with formula. (BTW, she’ll be on lasix until she has the repair surgery).

So what’s the game plan? Ultimately, the goal is to get her home without needing a PA Band. If she does need it, they’re hope is to get her to a point where she would be close to going home anyways. Meaning, gaining weight appropriately, breathing better and taking a bottle. This way after she recovered from the surgery, she wouldn’t have to still conquer these challenges. Regardless if she has the surgery or not, the starting point is the same. Today, they started to ween her off the Vapotherm for a couple of reasons. One, regardless of what happens, she can’t be sent home on Vapotherm. She can potentially be sent home on nose tubes, but I sure hope not! And two, we can’t introduce a bottle while on it as well. If she were to have some events while they are trying to ween her down, that’s when they might consider adjusting her does of lasix and fixing the problem that way. Then of course, she’s got to be able to pace her breathing and slow down, because again, she can’t take a bottle breathing this way. Fingers crossed, she’ll continue to progress!

Phew, ok, I think that’s where we currently stand! Hopefully it won’t be another two+ weeks before I can update everyone else again 🙂

 

WEEK THREE

How are we already into the third week?? I have a feeling that I’m going to feel this way with each passing week!

Parker can now visit with family!

Parker with Papaw

Grandma & Parker

Monday was certainly not one of my favorite days for sure – not going to lie. And I know it wasn’t one of Eric’s as he had to go back to work this week 😦 To say the least, I was not a fan of our nurse. It was the first time that I felt like the care for Hannah and Parker (especially Parker) was not consistent with all the other nurses we’ve had, and I certainly did I appreciate the way she handled some situations. In the little amount of time Eric was here, he was about ready to box her! Maybe it was a good thing he went back to work because I don’t think he would have lasted all day! Thankfully, Tuesday morning, I spoke to the NICU Manager and requested to not have her again, if at all possible. She was very understanding, and it sounds like we shouldn’t have a problem… fingered crossed!

However, interesting news during rounds on Monday, the original doctor that was on our delivery and that was with us the first week was back and asked for the results of Hannah’s chromosome tests. Come to find out, the real reason why they ordered the test was because her heart condition is considered to be balanced AV Canal Defect, verses unbalanced. I guess patients with balanced AV Canal almost 100% of the time also have Down Syndrome. I think she shocked them all that she doesn’t have it!

Parker and Hannah are doing so well, and really at this point, no big news is good news! They continue to tolerate their increased feedings (Parker is up to just about an ounce and half and Hannah is up to a full ounce)! Iron has also been added into their formula to help with their red blood cell counts. Parker is still on the caffeine until next week, but it really seems to be working. As of Thursday, Parker is getting closer and closer to being able to bottle feed, or at least try! After getting the ok to try from the doctor, he of course hasn’t shown any signs of wanting a bottle with the past few feedings. Maybe by this weekend!

Miss Hannah

Both have had good weight gains throughout the week and while I would love for their nose tubes to come out (it’s a battle to keep them in – both know how to pull them out!), I don’t want them having to work harder to breathe and burn more calories. Hopefully it’s won’t be too much longer! Thursday, we gave them baths and had to take off all of Hannah’s wires and stickers so I finally got to see her pretty little face without anything on it! So cute! I know it won’t be too much longer before we get to take her home, but I can’t help but feel bad for either one of them since I know how much they can’t stand all the tape on their faces 😦

This weekend has brought some exciting new events for both kiddos!  Parker finally started trying a bottle!  He hasn’t taken much, but it’s a start!  He’ll get the hang of it here soon – all the nurses say that once they figure it out, it’s like a light bulb goes off and they act like they’ve been taking a bottle for years, haha.  He also got to try out a swing for the first time! Here we’ve been calling him such a big boy compared to his sister, but once we put him in the swing – he look so tiny again! Parker enjoyed it for the most part, but it was funny to watch when he opened his eyes you could tell he didn’t know exactly what was going on!

On Sunday, Hannah and Parker got baths again, but this time we were able to put them in the tub, which was basically a rubber maid box! LOL Parker finally lost his umbilical cord, so he can finally get a real bath. After their baths, we were able to put them into the crib together so they could meet for the first time in three weeks! I think Eric and I enjoyed it more than the kids!! Parker definitely had that look on his face like “I’m here, and I’ll take a few pictures, but I’m not thrilled about this!” While Hannah still has just a few more ounces to gain before she can move out the isolette, she at least got a taste of what life feels like outside of the box!

In just a week, Parker has gained 10 ounces and Hannah gained 6 ounces, but in the short three weeks, both have gained close to a pound!

Hannah's first tub bath!

Miss Hannah

Freah Baby Parker!

Hannah & Parker 1.22.12

 

HANNAH’S HEART

Way before Eric and I even begun our journey to parenthood, his doctors told us when we did became pregnant we would need to have a heart echo on the baby to check for any congenital heart defects due to Eric’s condition.

In November, we went to a cardiologist that basically performed a normal ultrasound, just zoomed in really far into their hearts. When the doctor started the ultrasound, we saw Parker first (he was really good at showing off his boy parts during visits LOL) and thought that we were looking at his heart… but the handheld thing they use during ultrasounds (I have no idea what that things is called) was really low… which Hannah was always the bottom baby… so instead of being concerned about their hearts, I was freaking out for about 10 minutes that our ultrasound a few weeks back was wrong and we were actually have two boys!! HAHA, all I could think about was telling everyone the next day at our baby shower that anything they bought for a girl was going to have to be returned. Come to find out, we were really looking at Hannah, but the babies had moved the same time the doctor moved so we all got confused who was who for a little bit!

When I was able to go back to focusing on the real reason why we were there, the cardiologist said he couldn’t see Hannah’s heart very well due to her position, so he couldn’t confirm or deny that there could be a tiny hole between two of the ventricles. To be on the safe side, he asked that we come back in a month to take another look since they would be bigger and would hopefully be able to see more.

During our appointment in December, Hannah still wasn’t in a great position (go figure), but he was able to confirm she did have two tiny, tiny holes. He explained that she has what’s called Atrioventricular Canal Defect (aka A/V Canal or A/V Septal Defect).

A / V Canal Defect

A / V Canal Repair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A/V Canal is a hole in the center of the heart. It exists where the wall between the upper chambers join the wall between the lower chambers. Also, the tricuspid and mitral valves that normally separate the heart’s upper and lower chambers aren’t formed as individual valves. Instead, a single valve forms that crosses the defect.

Normally with this condition, blood would be able to pass into either side of the valves, which would cause extra blood to be sent back to the lungs, making the lungs work harder to pump the extra blood out, thus causing high blood pressure and damage to the blood vessels. In Hannah’s case, the holes are small and it doesn’t appear right now that there is any blood crossing between the valves – yay!! We’re very lucky to have this information ahead of time since she hasn’t shown any signs of this condition and it could very easily go undetected. BTW – the pictures above show a complete A/V canal defect and Hannah’s is not this severe.

Immediately after Hannah was born, doctors in the NICU did an ultrasound on her heart now that they could get a better view. They confirmed that she had two small holes (and really, they act like they’re smaller than what they categorize as “small”) and that it’s not any worse than we suspected. Unfortunately, due to the location of the holes, while the heart might still try to close them on its own, it’s not possible for it to heal itself and will require surgery. Thankfully she’s doing well and they’ll wait until she is at least 11lbs. before trying to do any repairs… which could be 6-8 months down the road. Granted, it is infant heart surgery, but it’s very fixable. That’s not to say I won’t be a nervous wreck the day of the surgery!! There is a possibility that she could require surgery before she reaches 11lbs if her condition were to get worse to allow her time to grow.

One other thing the cardiologist warned us about before she was born was the possibility of having Down Syndrome. Of course Eric and I knew that could be possibility anyways, even for Parker, but they see about 50% of those with Down Syndrome have this condition. Once Hannah made her debut, just by appearance alone, we knew she didn’t, but due to her gestational age, doctors wanted to check her chromosomes since signs of Down Syndrome could still appear later. Tests came back on Tuesday, the 10th, and everything was normal!

Today, at just a week and a half old, she’s doing fantastic!  I’ve talked before about how feedings can be a challenge for preemies, let along preemies with a congenital heart defect. I guess since Parker stole all of her food for the last couple of weeks in-utero, she’s taking all the food she can get!! So far, she’s tolerated all of her feedings. For her, she’s worked up to a full feedings (all of 24mL, just under 1 ounce) since doctors are limiting her fluids to make sure it doesn’t get into her lungs, which is why she’s also on high-calorie formula to help her bulk up. It’s amazing that she hasn’t lost any weight since birth!

Babies also start showing signs high blood pressure in the lungs at about 2 weeks old. While she was doing well with her breathing, when we tried to take her off of her nose tubes for a couple of days, Hannah was having to work harder to breathe. This could mean she has fluid in her lungs (causing the high blood pressure) or that her body is not mature enough yet, so back on the nose tubes for a few more days. Within minutes of putting them back on, her breathing rate came down, so hopefully it just means she’s not mature enough yet to moderate her breathing. Again, the nose tubes aren’t breathing for her, they’re just supplying air flow to help keep her lungs inflated… that’s if she can keep them in her nose!  She’s really good putting them in her mouth, which makes her look like she has fangs!! If her breathing rate be because she has fluid in her lungs, they would do an x-ray to double check and possibly give her a water pill to help her flush out everything.

We’ll certainly keep everyone posted as she gets bigger – hopefully there’s nothing to report for a couple of months!

 

WEEK ONE

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31st, 2011 // NEW YEAR’S EVE IN THE HOSPITAL

Like I had mentioned before, we hadn’t thought much about the twins needing to be cared for in the NICU. We knew there would be a possibility that Hannah would be there due to her heart condition (more on that later), but not both of them… and certainly not for the length of time we are currently faced with… or the amount of complications they could potentially have. When I was officially admitted to the hospital on New Year’s Eve, a doctor from the NICU came and spoke with Eric and I about what life would look like for the twins over the next few weeks. Thankfully, we’re on the tail end of the spectrum with all potential complications since they were almost to 32 weeks.

First and foremost, they would be placed in isolette incubators instead of open bassinets or cribs. The isolettes not only protect them from the outside world, but keep a constant, warm (more like very warm) environment for them while they’re learning how to regulate their body temp. on their own. Both would also need oxygen support, either by an oxygen mask or through nose tubes. Since Hannah’s water had broken, there was a good possibility that she would be the one who needed the mask, especially the longer she stayed in there. Thankfully I had received the steroid shot to help with their lung development just in time. The twins would need a head ultrasound to make sure there was no bleeding in the brain – again, since we were close to 32 weeks, the possibility of it was slim. Of course with any newborn, let along preemie, feeding can become a big issue. Since babies haven’t fully developed the capability to suck, swallow and breathe all at the same time until 34 weeks (and even then, some don’t have the skills until later on), Hannah and Parker would require feeding tubes. Then it’s just a matter of time to see how well they tolerate their formula… and while they work up on their feedings, both would have an IV to supplement the rest of the nutrients they would need to grow. Closer to 48 weeks gestation (so end of April), Hannah will need an ultrasound of her hips since she was in the breech position for so long. When she came out, her legs literally went straight up to her face (we have a picture of it, but it’s kinda freaky!). We learned later in the week from nurses that were in on our delivery that they had never seen a newborn do that!  Maybe she’ll be a gymnast one day 🙂 Finally, the last thing they’ll check down the road, is their eyes to make sure their retinas have developed all the way. Again, it’s one of those things they check due to low birth weight or gestation under 32 weeks. While Parker meets the weight requirement, Hannah doesn’t and even though they’re just a day shy of 32 weeks, they’re going to check both of them to be on the safe side. Of course, both will be closely monitored during their stay in the NICU. They have three leads on them at all times – one for their heart, one for breathing, and another to measure their pulse ox. Lastly, which every parent with a baby in the NICU wants to know is, most preemies stay in the NICU about 2 weeks before or after the 40 week due date… which I was due February 28th.

MONDAY, JANUARY 2nd, 2012 // D DAY

When the nurse said we would deliver today, both nerves and excitement set in came all at once… not to mention contractions and hunger pains all at the same time… lol leave it to me to start having contractions right before breakfast. Of course we wanted the babies to grow as much as possible on the inside – every day was another day of growth – but we were some what relieved that the wait was over. Since Hannah was breech and Parker was transverse, there was no question that I would have to deliver by c-section… all I have to say is that is the weirdest sensation I’ve ever experienced! Unknowingly to either one of us, Hannah was born first but didn’t realize it since we didn’t hear any cries and the doctors hadn’t said anything until we heard “he’s a chunk!!” immediately followed by a cry. I, of course filled with hormones and lots of drugs was crying myself the whole time, but finally started crying out of joy when I finally heard one of them. They told Eric that he could come over and see the babies and I finally had to ask if they had both of them out!  Later in the week we learned that the respiratory therapist had to kinda “jump start” Hannah and then she was perfectly fine. The RT himself was amazed she didn’t need any oxygen support at first! The NICU team checked them out and wheeled them by me on their way to their rooms. I saw Parker first and couldn’t get over how small he was until I saw Hannah – she was so itty bitty!

Parker complete with oxygen mask & IV

By the time I had a couple hours of recovery, they were ready to move me to the postpartum room, but on our way, they wheeled me to the NICU to see the twins. Still sick from the anesthesia, all I remember is the nurse asking me if I wanted to hold him but kindly declining since I knew I wasn’t quite all there yet. That and asking what was on their arms – it look like they were in a cast!  While I knew they weren’t broken, the thought did cross my mind! Come to find out, it was just where their IVs were hooked up.

That evening once I finally came to, Eric was excited to show me pictures and give me an update on the kiddos. They were so cute and I couldn’t wait to be able to visit them in the morning! He told me that Hannah so far hadn’t required any oxygen support, but that Parker was the one who need the mask. Everyone said Hannah was so excited to be able to move since being stuck in the breech position for at least 2 to 3 weeks! They also had checked on Hannah’s heart and it didn’t appear to be any different than we had suspected… I promise I’ll explain her condition later on… it requires a post all on its own!

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3rd, 2012 – SUNDAY, JANUARY 8th, 2012 // WEEK IN REVIEW

Hannah with Daddy

Parker wtih Mommy

They say they grow up quick – and after only a week, I feel like that statement is already true! By Tuesday morning, I started feeling like I could function again and was able to hold Parker for the first time. He was so sweet and snuggly 🙂  As the week went on, during one of their feedings, we were allowed to hold them either skin to skin or swaddled for longer periods of time as long as they were tolerating it. Eric and I switched off each day so we got equal amount of time with them – one day I’ll have Hannah and Eric will have Parker, then vice verse the next. On Wednesday, we started out holding them for about a half hour, then Thursday it was an hour, by Friday, we worked to two hours… and now, depending on the day, we went for three hours – just in time to put them back before their next feeding – and it’s not that the kids aren’t tolerating it, it’s more or less that Eric and I get stiff sitting in the same position (it’s hard to move around with them with all their wires!) or we have to go to the bathroom! haha. Regardless, we absolutely cherish the time we have with them! Our participation in their care is some what minimal, but as time goes on, we’re able to interact with them more.

Besides time we can hold them, before each feeding (every three hours), we are able to change their diapers (which takes talent trying to change them through the portholes in their isolettes, let along trying maneuver around the wires, so Eric and I usually tag team them! AND for only being 2lbs and 4lbs, they’re awfully strong!!), take their temps., and if we’re here for their 8pm feedings, help weigh them… it’s’ almost like instead of the biggest loser, I like to think of it as the biggest gainer! As they get bigger and start to mature, we’ll have a more active role in their care.

Of course feeding time in general is a big deal. To start with, both were give only 2mL of formula!  (Keep in mind 30mL is an ounce.) They start them out slowly to see how well they take it and then with each feeding, if they didn’t have any left in their tubes (or didn’t spit it up), they would increase the amount by another 2mL. Considering we know Parker likes his food and Hannah had been missing out for the past few weeks, it was no wonder that they both tolerated their formula well!  Even still, it’s a HUGE deal for preemies to take to their food as well as these two have. And as I mentioned earlier, they had IVs to supply the rest of the nutrients they would be missing out on until they worked up to full feedings. Leave it to Miss Hannah, being the feisty one she is, to pull / knock out her IV! Nothing like being woken up at 4am by the doctor just 2 days after delivery to be told your daughter pulled out her IV. Still trying to wake up, I of course was nervous to learn what they had to say. The doctor told me they tried a couple of times to replace it, but didn’t want to stick her any more, so they were going to insert the IV through her umbilical cord. It was a completely safe procedure but we had to sign off of on it. Everything went as expected and was relieved to learn it was all ok! By Friday, Parker had started to move around enough to loosen his IV, but since he was close to his full feedings, they went ahead and took it out! You could tell he was much more comfortable without everything on his arm! Then, by Saturday night, Hannah had hers removed as well 🙂

In the NICU (or anyone in the hospital for that matter), equipment being removed and taken away is always a good sign. By Tuesday morning, Parker already had his oxygen mask removed and was just on the nose tubes… but so was Hannah. The nose tubes were there to supply constant air to their lungs to keep them filled, even though both are breathing completely on there own. The tubes will remain in until they don’t have any events that require the use of oxygen… so it cold be a couple of weeks before they’re removed. (An “event” is when they either forget to breathe momentarily, heart rate drops, or pulse ox drops and requires medical attention to get them back on track. Most of the time, they bounce right back and don’t need any assistance.) To help Parker, the doctor ordered caffeine be added to his formula in the morning! Yes, caffeine!  The more active he is, he’ll start to regulate his heart rate and breathing. He’ll have a dose of caffeine until he’s 35 weeks gestation. In the mean time, Hannah and Parker are REALLY good at pulling them out – LOL. The tubes can be found anywhere but in their nose – in their mouth, by the forehead, and down by their chins. Yes, even confined in an isolette, they’re already being mischievous!

Hannah under the bilirubin lights

Hannah has already been showing her inner diva with the nice purple shades she sported for three days. It’s not uncommon for newborns to be a little jaundice and have to be under the bilirubin lights. Unfortunately for Hannah, it required her to expose as much skin as possible in the isolette so the lights could reach her, but it also meant she also had to wear goggles to protect her eyes. Needless to say, she wasn’t a big fan… all newborns love to be swaddled and feel secure. Thankfully her bilirubin levels went down and the lights got shut off by Friday!  You could tell she instantly felt better!

While in the isolette, you’ll notice the twins are surrounded by… well, for lack of a better description… miniature body pillows, and can be found on their tummies at times. When you start to think about it, it seems odd considering new studies have come out and new parents are HIGHLY encouraged that babies sleep on their backs and no other objects, even pillows, be placed in their cribs. While this is true for full-term newborns, for preemies, not only are the still looking for boundaries that they would normally find in-utero, their airways aren’t fully developed and are still “floppy” so it’s actually better for them to be on the tummies at times… and of course they’re on monitors, so should they need turned to their backs because they’re not breathing well, we would all know immediately. Once they are able to regulate their body temp. outside of the isolette, they’ll be moved to an open bassinet and will be swaddled.

Parker in his monkey outfit

Hannah in her pretty flowers

It’s weird to think about, but it wasn’t until Sunday before they were dressed for the first time! Due to the IVs, Hannah’s bilirubin lights, and both needing the heat supplied by the isolette, Sunday was the first opportunity for them to have onesies on. Eric and I walked in their rooms Sunday morning, said “hi” to Hannah as we put our bags down, then walked over to say “hi” to Parker when we noticed Parker had monkeys on! So we immediately turned around to check Hannah and she had pretty little flowers on her onesie. We loved it! They looked so cute! Granted, we could take our own clothes in, but considering we only have a couple of preemie outfits and haven’t had time to go shopping for preemie clothes, at this point, it’s one less thing to worry about… and makes less laundry! (We barely get laundry done for ourselves, haha!)

It’s hard to imagine that at only a few days old, Hannah and Parker are making the great progress that they are. It just goes to show, yet again, that things happen for a reason. They might be in the NICU, but it’s the best care they could be receiving and something my body couldn’t do for them. We are so so thankful to have access to one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation! All the nurses and doctors are wonderful! None of them hesitate to allow us to interact with them and answer our questions very well.

SIDE BAR // VISITATION

If anyone would like to come by and visit, please don’t hesitate to ask! We LOVE visitors. Just give one of us a call, or text us, for when you think you’d like to visit. We’re there during the day and usually stay til 7-8pm depending on the day, then head home to sleep in our own beds.

There are just a few rules we have to follow. The first time you come, they do ask you to fill out a quick questionnaire just to make sure you haven’t been exposed to any contagious germs recently. For that reason, anyone under 18 unfortunately is not able to visit (basically school-aged kids) 😦  Needless to say, JD, Kennedi, and Katie are having a very hard time with this – they patiently waited for months and now that they are here, we’re telling them they have to wait even more! And of course if you do meet these qualifications, we’ll ask you to scrub your hands good once you get to their rooms, but Eric and I are still the only two who are allowed to touch the kiddos. We promise once we’re home, we’ll have to have an open house or have you to take a number so everyone gets a turn hold them!!

 

WEEK TWO

MONDAY, JANUARY 9TH

I can’t believe they’re officially a week old! In just a week, Hannah has already gained 6 ounces (yet to lose any weight) and the doctors are already talking about moving Parker out of his isolette into a bassinet by the end of the week!!  So excited!

Beautiful flowers from my loving husband 🙂

I also got a little surprise myself today… during our snuggle time with the twins, our nurse told us we had a “beautiful” arrangement of flowers at the front desk (we can’t have flowers back in the NICU). So after our time was over and we put the kids back in their beds, I went up to see what we had gotten… I saw the flowers came from a florist near where I work so my first thought was that we had gotten them from BMA, but low and behold, Eric had sent them to me! (No wonder he didn’t want to go with me up to the front desk!) I was completely surprised and probably could have started crying right there with the amount of hormones still left in me!

TUESDAY, JANUARY 10th

Bath day!! More like spot cleaning, but none the less, they got spruced up! Before their feeding, we got to help our nurse give them a wipe down. Just a little bit of warm, soapy water on a wash cloth was all that was needed, but it’s quite the process considering all the extra stuff around them and being in their isolettes! Then, the nurse swaddled them and ran warm water over their heads in the sink to wash their hair. After a quick brush of the hair, we got them in their onsies, snuggled them into their beds and fed, they were happy campers. Hannah really woke up during the whole experience – mostly because nothing was around her and you could tell she felt out of place! Her eyes got really big and her arms and legs were all stretched out looking for her boundaries. Of course the whole time we were with Hannah, Mr. Parker was sure to let us know he needed some attention! It is a great sign that he is waking up close to his feedings and while he was getting fussy, it was still quite cute!  He was much happier when it was his turn 🙂

It was also another day of good reports. They’re weights stayed close to the same as they were the night before, Parker’s head ultrasound came back clear and Hannah’s complete chromosome test came back normal as well (surprise, surprise). Both have reached full feedings for their size. Parker is currently taking 38ml (so almost an ounce and a third) and Hannah is at 24ml. Hannah’s feedings will be a little trickier because they want to limit the amount of liquid she receives due to her heart, which means she’ll require high calorie formula. Both are actually on high calorie formula to get them to bulk up. If I’m thinking correctly, normal formula has 20 calories, and theirs has 24 calories… which sounds so funny that an extra 4 calories is considered “high”! Parker is in a new weight bracket, if you will, so instead of increasing his food by 2ml each feeding like they have been, he’ll get more food once he gains more weight.

Hannah getting some snuggle time in with Daddy 🙂

What big eyes you have!

Mommy with Mr. Parker

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11th

Some how or another, the kids seem to amaze me each day… I’d be happy if the doctor’s said that everything was the same and they weren’t experiencing any set backs, but each day they get awesome reports! Yesterday, they thought Parker might need the bilirubin lights since he was looking a little more jaundice, but his levels are actually down today! Sounds like Parker made the nurse work hard for her paycheck last night – while neither one of them had any events until this morning (Parker had one during a feeding, which is pretty common to have), he apparently peed through his diaper soaking his onesie and his bed linens… not just once, but four times!! What a little rascal! She also had to weigh him a number of times to make sure the weight was correct… some how he gained 100 grams and is now back up to birth weight! Hannah gained as well, just not enough to make a difference in ounces… but considering she has yet to lose any weight since being born, that’s fantastic! Both are getting their oxygen levels lowered and from the sounds of it, they could have their nose tubes removed within the next day!! Docs were just going to lower Parker’s, but with Hannah’s heart, her pulse ox levels can be lower than Parker’s but have always been just as high as his, so they want to see how well she tolerates the lower levels to make sure her heart isn’t getting overworked. Finally, they are both getting vitamin D added to their formula.  All in all, a pretty good report!

Now you can see her pretty face without the nose tubes!

Mr. Parker free from nose tubes!

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12th

Yesterday just kept getting better after posting Wednesday’s update. It’s official, both Hannah and Parker got their nose tubes removed!!  So excited!  At their 11am feeding, they turned the flow of the oxygen down to see how well they would tolerate it and by their 2pm feeding, the tubes were completely removed. Of course we always have that little thought in the back of our heads hoping that they don’t have a set back and pray as we walk in the morning that they haven’t put them back on, but all went well through the night!  Both look so much more relaxed without the tubes and extra tape on their faces.

Surprisingly the nurse also made comment yesterday that they could potentially try bottle-feeding for Parker as soon as this weekend!  He’s starting to show signs that he has the energy to take a bottle and goes to town on his pacifier especially when it’s meal time!

Today during rounds, both got good reports – no events during the night and they’re tolerating having their nose tubes out. Hannah had her head ultrasound this morning and it came back normal! They’ll repeat the ultrasound after a month to check on the development of the brain since it’s still too early to tell right now.

In other news – we’re getting working TVs installed in their rooms!  The TVs that are here don’t work and apparently the parts aren’t made any more to repair them so the hospital is putting flat screens in all of the rooms (we are in Carmel, haha), wooohoo!! We’ve also discovered that they like to get hiccups at the same time! I don’t know how it happens, but it must be their twin thing for the time being.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13th

Go figure, on Friday the 13th, both would need their nose tubes back on 😦  They enjoyed the past two days without them at least!  But if this is the only thing that is considered a set back so far, that’s not bad at all! Since Hannah is breathing a little fast and Parker has had a few more events, they’re putting the nose tubes back on to make sure the twins aren’t burning any extra calories. Plus, babies blood pressure in their lungs can drop two weeks after they’re born. While it’s still too early for Hannah to show signs of that, if she would have her blood pressure is starting to drop in her lungs, they would get fluid in there, causing her to work harder to breathe – part of the reason why they’re limiting her fluids with her heart condition. Therefore, the nose tubes can combat that and in just the first few minutes of being back on, their breathing has already gotten better. Again, it’s just a half liter of air flow, the twins are completely breathing on their own. Hopefully they just need a couple of days since they’re still so tiny and young and they’ll get them removed. It’s all about trial and error at this point and taking it day by day.

On the bright side, Parker has been tolerating the temperature decrease in his isolette, so after our cuddle time at their 2pm feeding, it sounds like they’ll leave the top off of the isolette and keep in swaddled to see how he does in room temperature. If he does well, he’ll be moved to a bassinet!  Go Parker Go!

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14th

It’s moving day!  Hannah and Parker moved into new rooms today, complete with TWO recliners (woohoo) and a view for Parker!  Our original rooms were down the back hallway and kinda away from everyone else since one set of twins moved out a couple of days ago. Now we feel apart of the group and can see what all is going on… though gossip around the NICU is slim, haha!

Parker is still working on moving into an open bassinet, but it shouldn’t be too much longer! Last night, Hannah weighed in at 3lbs. 3oz. and Parker (for the second time this week) is back up to birth weight! He tends to go up and down on his weight, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he went down tonight. But, due to their weight progress, both were able to increase on their feeds today. They are also doing well with their nose tubes in, though Hannah did have to get her air flow increased since she’s still breathing a little fast.

While speaking with our nurse today about what life might look like once we all got home, she did make mention that if things keep going the way their going, her prediction is that Parker could be home in another three weeks. Granted, I don’t like putting “expectations” on their health, but that was very exciting for us to hear! Hannah will more than likely be here a little be longer just due to her size. We’ll just have to wait and see!

 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15th

What an exciting day for Parker – he graduated to a big boy crib! Now that he is able to maintain his body temperature, they have moved him out of his isolette into a crib. Originally, they were going to place him into a bassinet, but since we want to co-bed Parker and Hannah once Hannah is able to come out of the isolette, they went ahead and moved him into a crib. Not only is this exciting for Parker, but this also means that family can now start to hold him!! After waiting nearly two weeks, you can imagine that everyone is dying to get their hands on the twins! It so funny to watch everyone either fold their arms or place their hands around their backs to make sure they don’t reach out and touch them!  As long as Parker keeps maintaining his body temperature and stays in the crib, family can start taking turns lovin’ on him 🙂  Hannah still has a ways to go until she moves into the crib with him, but others can now start helping Eric and I change her diaper and give little touches on her just before feeding time. She won’t be able to move out of her isolette until she’s at least 1800 grams (which she’s now in the 1400’s) and can start maintaining her temperature.

Both are doing well with their increased feedings and we’ve already noticed big gains in their weight – Parker is now at 4lbs, 9oz and Hannah is at 3lbs, 4oz!!  The physical therapist also stopped by this morning to do an assessment on the kids. Basically they are looking to make sure they’re positioned well and have good range of motion. Hannah so far passed the test so they’ll check in on her about once a week. Parker also did well, but they did notice now that he’s strictly on his back in the crib, he tends to keep his head turned to one side. They’ll keep an eye on him about once a week as well, but recommending that we switch up his position in bed so he’ll want to turn his head to see what’s going on so he doesn’t keep his head one way.

 

3 YEARS IN THE MAKING

As many of you know, Hannah and Parker have been a dream of ours for a number of years. When Eric and I started talking about expanding our family beyond Biscuit and Blue back in February 2009, we had no idea it would turn into the journey that it has. Today, we can honestly say it has made us stronger, not only as individuals, but in our marriage. We have learned to trust in God and have patience… which we will need a lot of over the next few years! After rounds of doctor appointments, Eric undergoing surgery in July 2010, trial and errors, by March 2011, we were pointed in the right direction.

We knew we were in the right place at the right time when everything started to align. My doctor had referred us to Dr. Jarrett – one of the top fertility specialists in Indiana, not to mention throughout the nation. Anyone who has been referred to a fertility specialist knows it can take months to get an appointment. Much to our surprise, we only had to wait a few weeks for our initial consultation because there had been a cancelation before we called. Right then, I had a good feeling going down this road. At the appointment, due to perfect timing with all of our biological clocks, we were able to start the process that evening. Just after Eric’s 30th Birthday in May, I started the first of close to 30 injections. Thankfully, my body responded well and didn’t experience any side effects so we were all cleared for the two procedures it would take to make everything come together. Tuesday, June 7th, 2011, we went in for the retrieval… literally a 17 minute procedure. The next morning, we received the phone call that all 10 eggs were inseminated, and 6 had fertilized – this was great news! That Sunday, we had 2 eggs that had matured and were transferred back, and received word Monday that 2 more had matured and were able to preserve. Now the waiting had begun.

I wish it was as easy as peeing on a stick and waiting 5 minutes. It would be 12 days before we could test of the first time, then another 2 before testing the second. Our luck would have it that after the first two tests, we would have to test of a third time. Thankfully, it was worth the wait. We couldn’t have been happier when we knew we were officially pregnant! By the time we were scheduled for our first ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy, I had convinced myself there was only one, even though I had been hoping for at least twins the whole time. I remember looking at the ultrasound screen seeing two babies and couldn’t believe my eyes! Eric and I left the office on cloud nine. I’m pretty sure my mom was crying on the other end of the phone when I called to tell her the good news, which was pretty much the same reaction everyone had that day!

29 weeks & 3 days

There are plenty of women that experience all the fun side effects of pregnancy with just one baby. Somehow I was lucky enough just to be able to sit back and enjoy by quickly expanding belly… which starting growing so quickly that I had to go shopping for maternity clothes before I even knew my due date! Once we were given the ok to go back to my regular OB, the next milestone was waiting to find out what we were having.  During our close to two hour ultrasound, the nurse had found Parker first and I thought for sure that we were have two boys. Not that I would have cared, but I would be lying to say that if for a few seconds the thought of not being able to buy cute girly clothes and hair pretties left me slightly disappointed. Thankfully, just a few minutes later, we saw that we were also having a little girl – the best of both worlds!

Looking back, the rest of the pregnancy flew by. Besides the swelling in my feet, I was lucky to have the easy pregnancy that I did. It was until mid December that I felt like I started to go downhill. A week before Christmas I was placed on couch rest and worked from home. We thought we had a couple more weeks after a check up had shown that no more progression was being made – Hannah was head down and ready to go when she turned and was in a breech position. The following week, after showing a couple signs of preterm labor, my doctor called me in to take a look. Everything seemed fine, but was given a steroid shot just in case to help with the development of their lungs should I happen to go into labor. That night, Eric ran around town picking up last minute items while my parents and I had started separating baby clothes. Early Saturday morning, I was almost positive my water had broken. We had already planned on going over to the hospital anyways to get my second dose of the steroid shot, but didn’t expect not to come home, so we left the house with everything everywhere… even told the girls that we would be back in a little bit. I was correct, my water had broken and would stay at the hospital until I delivered. Eric and I are so lucky to have the wonderful family that we do who came to the house to pack our bags for the hospital, de-decorate everything from Christmas, get some more stuff done in the nursery, wash baby clothes, and take care of Biscuit and Blue (which Eric and I felt horrible that we didn’t even say bye to them)!

You always hear about women’s water breaking and then going straight into labor. Surprisingly, that isn’t the case! Who knew your water could break and the baby would be safe up to a month still inside!! That said, the whole weekend Eric and I felt like we were going to deliver at any moment, to it could another week. I started having contractions on Saturday, but they weren’t painful and eventually went away by the evening – thankfully just in time for dinner, haha! Since I had heart monitors on me the whole time to keep an eye on the babies, I hardly got any sleep and was mentally and emotionally exhausted by Sunday night. The doctor had said that if I had made it 48 hours, there was a good chance, I could go another week. While I wanted the twins to grow as much as possible, the thought of waiting another week wasn’t going over well with me. By Monday morning, at hour 49, I started having contractions again, and this time they were getting stronger. Hannah apparently wanted to come out and see the snow! It was official, we were going to deliver by c-section. Both excitement and nerves set it all at the same time!!  At 12:37pm, Hannah Grace was born weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces and measuring 16″ long. A minute later at 12:38pm, Parker Ethan was born weighing 4 pounds, 7 ounces and measuring 16.75″ long.

Going back and looking at their progress throughout the pregnancy, there hadn’t been much discrepancy between their weight. The last time I had an ultrasound that measured grow showed Hannah at 2 pounds, 14 ounces and Parker at 3 pounds, 6 ounces – only a half of a pound in difference. Just like everything else in our journey, God stepped in and took care of us since it appears Hannah hadn’t grown at all in the las

The Green Family - Eric, Erin, Hannah and Parker

t three weeks. All the doctors and nurses have said, by divine intervention, she needed to come out and grow on the outside. (Apparently, Parker took all the Christmas cookies and didn’t share with his sister!!)

Today, we can’t believe they’re already here! I can’t count the number of hours day dreaming about when we see their faces for the first time or be able to hold them. Granted, it was never apart of our dreams that they would be in the NICU, but all things considered, they’re thriving well and we couldn’t ask for them to be in better hands. Now we’re taking things day by day and know they’ll be home before we know it!