Thursday, July 29, 2010

It is my goal to post an update AT LEAST once a week, we'll shoot for every Thursday but I promise I will try to do it more often.

Working through acid reflux...

When dad went to the pediatrician on Friday for Anders' follow-up and weight check, he mentioned that he boys were fussy after eating (for at least an hour or two each time) and that they are spitting up a lot more too. After some further discussion she said that the boys have acid reflux and that shewould be surprised if any preemie baby didn't have it. So she gave him two prescriptions for Zantac and he IMMEDIATELY filled them. They have been on it for almost a week and we are seeing slight improvements. It is now only once in a while that they have a post-feeding fit where they are restless for hours. I'm going to follow-up with the doctor to see if there isn't something more we can do for them (mom & dad) to get them sleeping and eating better.

The boys are continuing to grow and get stronger every day. Aaron and Anders have extremely good head strength and are able to lift them with ease. Asher is coming along as well, but his head is still larger and heavier from his pre-shunt swelling so it may take a little longer for him.
Asher went in again this week to have his shunt turned down as it was draining more fluid that seemed necessary. We are able to monitor this by keeping an eye on his fontanel. If it appears to be sunken in - it should be turned down, if it is firm - it should be turned up. Luckily this is the second time he has had it turned down, thus the jury is still out on whether he will end up needing the shunt for the rest of his life. We'll see, either way he is doing so much better!

The dogs are quite the pair. Athena is the "nuke collector" as we find if we are looking for more than 90 seconds to find a nuke, we should check the basement as she has started bringing them downstairs. We don't mind as she seems to just bring them down there, it would be a completely different story if she actually ate or chewed on them - nukes are expensive! Atlas has been showing some preference towards Anders. It wasn't until the other day that we noticed when Anders cries - Atlas come running. He doesn't seem scared - just concerned or curious. He will stand at the side of the portable crib or at the end of the hallway behind the baby gate just watching - it cute. Asher and Aaron better be nice to him as it seems he has a concerned older brother looking out for him!

Mom and dad have been trying out a new sleep schedule. As of right now it is impossible to get any sleep while once is actually watching them, thus we are now sleeping in shifts. One person sleeps while the other watches the boys. This can make for some extremely stressful moments, especially when all three want to eat at the same time, but it is worth it to get 5-6 hours of uninterrupted sleep. So far so good, but we may reach out to you all for some "helpers" to come with an extra set of hands to help. Dad needs helpers during the day and mom needs some helpers in the evening.

Over all, this week with the acid reflux has been better than last week -- we look forward to next week and hope it gets better every day in between!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

WELCOME home Anders!

We brought Anders home on Tuesday, July 20th - almost 100 days after being born. He started out at 1lb 7oz and is coming home at 6lbs 2oz. He is also coming home on 1/8 litter of oxygen and is accompanied by a apnea monitor for precautionary reasons. We are hoping that when he is evaluated in late August that he will no longer need either.

We are so happy that our entire family is finally together, but WOW - if anyone thought two babies was challenging, just try three! It is amazing how well the three of them coordinate their feedings ... and all at the same time. Now if they could only coordinate their sleeping it would make Mom and Dad's jobs MUCH easier.

Below Ander's is enjoying the comforts of home - luxurious accommodations (boppy pillow), entertainment (rain forest mobile), and prime real estate (full size crib)! Now if there was only something he could do about the service, its quite slow.

Friday, July 16, 2010

ANDERS IS COMING HOME - hopefully on Tuesday!

We just received word that Anders will be coming home on Tuesday as long as everything continues to go well. Mom, Dad, and some helpers are rushing to get "trained" on the oxygen and apnea monitors in preparation for his arrival.

Picture below of Mom & Grandma Carol - holding the little big guy, now weighing in over 6lbs!

Funny picture of Aaron, now weighing over 10lbs - looks like Dad needs to stop dressing him in newborn clothes. Mom is pretty sure this outfit isn't supposed to have 3/4 sleeves and capri styled bottoms.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Anders' big day...

He had his best day ever today! The optometrist approved moving him to 100% oxygen as his eyes are mature and he is down to 1/8 of a liter of air flow. He is now at settings that would allow him to come home!

He also made huge strides with his feedings. They moved him to 12 hours of "ad lib" feedings where he eats as much as he wants, whenever he wants -- AND he has eaten four full bottles in in a row (he used to only do 1-2 every other day)!

We are getting closer each day!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Mom has moved the boy's "updates" from Caring Bridge to a blog site as they allow more flexibility in postings - but most importantly she can post as many pictures as she wants! The blog is open to anyone and should be just as easy to follow as Caring Bridge.

Asher is recovering fabulously from surgery. We could see drastic improvement right after surgery and his head has shrunk down as far as it can right now. He is on his way to a normal looking head as he just has to grow and put some more weight on and you'd never know he had swelling or a shunt. Mom and dad have also noticed a slight change in his behavior as well. Asher is definitely more vocal and is neck-to-neck with Aaron in his bottling amounts. Although they are similar in size Aaron is still about 1/2 -1 in longer and a solid pound heavier.

They big boys are not the best sleepers yet, they have their moments but are not consistently giving mom and dad more than 2 hours of sleep at a time. We are all going to be in trouble once Anders comes home, so mom and dad are not complaining too much as we know it is only going to get more difficult before it gets easier.

Anders has also been making strides in his development. His oxygen percentage and flow are to levels where they would no longer require him to stay in the hospital. His eyes are showing maturity which is a very good sign. Anders' bottling is also improving greatly. The hospital had an occupational therapist help him with his technique as they think he might be having trouble due to some associated injury and numbness from being ventilated. He is now the closest he has ever been to coming home!

WEIGHT UPDATE - Aaron (9lb 12oz), Asher (8lb 5oz), Anders (5lb 12oz)

Below is a picture of the big boys in their swings. They are just starting to use them as they now weigh enough and can keep their heads from slouching.