Evan, Aidan, Bella & Sophia » December 2004 Journal Entries » AboutMyBaby - online baby scrapbooks, photo albums, videos, birth and pregnancy announcements

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Fri, Dec 31, 2004 7:00 PM
Slawek and I are at the Hospital tonight, "rooming in" with Aidan (in a hospital room). This will be a practice run for us all. Aidan will be unhooked from his monitors (heart rate, respiratory, etc.) and we will have the entire night to feed him and watch him. We are very nervous, as feeding a preemie can be very scary and time consuming. There are so many things to watch out for: oxygen desaturation, apnea/bradycardia episodes (no breathing and heart-rate drops). I don't know how we will get any sleep, but at least we will have the NICU nursing staff about 30 seconds away if we need help. Wish us luck!

Evan is doing great. He takes his bottle most of the time, but still has occasional feedings where he poops out on us. He'll get there! He'll join his brother soon. In the meantime, we continue to work with Evan every single feeding.

Their weights as of last evening:

Evan: 4 lbs. 12 oz.
Aidan: 5 lbs. 10.2 oz.

Aidan is our chunky monkey!!!!! He is almost a pound bigger than Evan these days. Evan is our little chipmunk.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Be safe!

Love,
the Gorczyk family

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Thu, Dec 30, 2004 9:42 AM
Wonderful News: Aidan is scheduled to be released on Saturday, January 1, 2005!

Earlier this week, after about 24 hours of feeding 100% from his bottle, the Nurses removed Aidan's gavage tube (feeding tube). He has done awesome ever since. The Neonatologist scheduled his release for Saturday. Today Aidan has his Car Seat Challenge (his heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation are monitored while he is in his car seat for 30 minutes). As long as he passes the Car Seat Challenge (CSC), he is set to go! Aidan will have his official Hospital photo taken today!! Yippee!

Evan is such a big boy! He has been nippling all his feeds like a real pro. On 12/29/04, he took 7 out of 8 feeds via his bottle. They almost pulled his gavage tube out just to see how he would respond; however, he pooped out and slept through his last feeding. He is almost there!! Hopefully sometime this upcoming week, he will join Aidan at home.

In the meantime, this is going to be very rough for Mom & Dad. Due to RSV/Flu season, children under the age of 14 years old cannot visit the Hospital. This means that once Aidan is released, he is not allowed to come back. Slawek and I will have to take turns - every other night one of us will be at home with Aidan, and the other will be at the Hospital with Evan. Hopefully this schedule doesn't last too long.

Things are very busy for us, of course. We are finishing up a last-minute cleaning of our house, as we know that we will get nothing done once Aidan (and then Evan) come home. But, we will have to get used to that for the next 18 years. Just kidding!

Have a very Happy New Year!

Love, Christine, Slawek, Evan & Aidan

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Mon, Dec 27, 2004 10:59 AM
We hope everyone had a VERY Merry Christmas!! What a whirlwind of a Holiday! Did Christmas actually happen this year?

Evan now weighs 4 lbs. 10.4 oz.
Aidan now weighs 5 lbs. 2.9 oz.

Both are doing well, despite some scares with little Evan over the Christmas holiday.

Slawek and I spent Christmas Eve morning & afternoon at the Hospital with Evan & Aidan. Everything was fine when we left for a small dinner at my parent's house around 3 pm. This was the only dinner or get-together we had planned on attending for the Christmas Holiday. After we arrived at my parent's house, I decided to call the NICU and check on the boys. They had a scheduled 3 pm feeding, and I was curious to see if Evan nippled all his bottle or had to fed through a tube. I called and was told that the NICU nurse was concerned about Evan because he screamed & cried when he was being changed. She thought maybe his abdomen/G.I. was hurting, and/or infected. Evan was also de-satting (oxygen saturation), which was a concern. As a result, Evan's 3 pm feeding was held and a CBC (blood test) and an x-ray were ordered. When Slawek and I got the news, we left my parent's house, skipped our annual Christmas gift exchange, and rushed back to the Hospital. We stayed at the Hospital until very last that evening, until we felt Evan was stabilized. I did explain to the Nurse that Evan gets very upset and cries when you change his clothes and diaper. It's just his temperment.

After 3 days of blood tests, antibiotics, being quarantined to a separate bed from Aidan, and 2 or 3 X-rays, Evan is fine. He doesn't have any type of Gasto-intestinal infection. I feared the worst (NEC), but was reassured by the Resident that Evan is a little old to be suddenly developing NEC. Plus, he has been eating & pooping on his own.

After that very emotional roller coaster, all is well. It is hard to see your babies progressing so nicely and then be told that there is something wrong. I didn't see it. But, I am glad they ruled everything out. Additional blood tests were taken (another liver/bili test, several hematocrits, etc.)

The bottom line: Evan has REFLUX. He is now on Zantac 3 times per day. Every feeding, he has food that vents back up through his gavage tube and into the syringe, and a lot of times when that happens, he either has a heart-rate drop of de-sats on his Oxygen level. Last evening, our Primary Nurse (Robyn) fed him very slowly; over 45 minutes or so. Evan did JUST fine with that regime.

Aidan is doing GREAT. Looks like he may come home sometime this week or early next week. He pulled his feeding tube out last night, and the Resident decided not to put it back in. As long as he keeps up with nippling all his feeds, there is no need for a tube. If he is successful, it is only a matter of days until he comes home with us.

Evan is another story. We are hoping that he is well enough to come home with us by January 10, 2005. He will be 37 weeks old then, so that's my personal goal for him. He is not sick or anything, just smaller in weight and isn't nippling all his feeds. He's catching up though! He is definitely the fiestier of the two!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year! Thank you so much for all the wonderful, kind, and supportive guestbook entries you have added. We love reading them!!

Love,

Christine, Slawek, Evan & Aidan

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Mon, Dec 20, 2004 7:20 AM
Evan weighs 4 lbs. 0.8 oz.
Aidan weighs 4 lbs. 7 oz!

Aidan could be home in just about 1 week! I received a call from the Resident Dr. yesterday, and also spoke with our Primary Nurse, too. If Aidan continues to nipple all his feeds like a big boy, he could come home in a week or so. We'll see! I actually prefer Aidan to stay in the Hospital, as long as Evan is there. The news is good to hear, but I don't want Evan to be alone. Evan is nippling only 1/4 of his feeds right now, he just isn't very interested. I have been told that Evan acts more like a 34-week preemier, and Aidan is being a Mr. Overachiever. Hopefully Aidan can sweet talk his older brother into eating like a big boy. Slawek and I have both fed little Aidan with a bottle. Our Nurses have been working solely with Evan to get him caught up.

Before either baby can come home, Slawek and I will be "rooming in" with one or both babies in the Hospital. We will stay the night in the Hospital and do all their feedings and care. If we need a Nurse or encounter difficulty, we will have the Nurses and Drs. about 15 seconds away!

Both boys passed their hearing test on Friday, 12/17/04! That was a big relief.

Slawek and I gave the boys a tub bath on Thursday, 12/16/04. At first they fussed a little, then they calmed down some. I think they weren't sure what to think about all that.

I am still doing awesome with pumping. I pump every 2-3 hours and now yield over 43.5 OZ of breastmilk every day (over 1300 mL). It's time consuming and can be a pain in the rear with scheduling my day, but is worth it for Evan & Aidan.

Slawek and I will spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with our boys. We want to be with them for their first big Christmas - no matter where they are.

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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Wed, Dec 15, 2004 10:52 PM
Evan & Aidan sat on Santa's lap tonight! I'll add new pictures shortly.

Good news! My little monkeys have both gained weight!!

Evan weighs 3 lbs. 11.5 oz.
Aidan weighs 4 lbs. 1.5 oz.

Today they both start bottle feedings. I hope they can do it! I have to be sure and catch today's memorable event.

Both boys are doing spectacular. Their only task is to learn to feed via bottle and also to keep the apnea/bradycardia episodes away (which they have been doing). Yesterday, Evan was weened from caffeine, so we will see if he does okay without it within a few days.

Happy Holiday Hugs to all!

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Tue, Dec 14, 2004 9:48 PM
Evan weighs 3 lbs. 10.4 oz. (he has lost weight)
Aidan weighs 3 lbs. 15.8 oz (just an eyelash shy of 4 lbs!)

Both are doing well.

Evan will be removed from caffeine today. Hopefully he will not have any apnea/bradycardia issues as a result.

Both boys are receiving additional calories via breastmilk fortifier. (Breastmilk has 20 calories per oz. - both boys are now receiving an additional 4 calories per oz, a total of 24 cal). Hopefully this will help them gain some weight quicker.

The plan is to start letting Evan & Aidan TRY to nipple/bottle feed today or tomorrow. They need to learn how to suck, swallow & breathe (in order). So far, they have only been fed via gavage tube. Whatever they can't swallow on their own from the bottle will be fed through the tube for a while.

I am still thinking the boys have about 3 more weeks to go in the NICU. They have already been in the NICU for 2 weeks now. That's just my best guess, anyway.

Today, Santa comes for a visit! Ho! Ho! Ho! Santa already brought us the best Christmas present EVER, though. I will take some more totally adorable photos to share!

More updates later.... Check out the new Christmas 2004 Photo Album. Mommy and Christy (day-shift Nurse) got a little carried away with the stockings & photos!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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Sun, Dec 12, 2004 9:40 PM
Aidan & Evan graduated from their Isolettes! They are now co-bedding in a big-boy crib! They look absolutely adorable together.

The boys are doing just great. Evan was started on caffeine to help with his Apnea/Brady episodes. It seems to have done the trick! I think they are going to try and ween him sometime next week. (The caffeine helps to mature a part of the brain responsible for contributing to apnea/brady episodes). Both babies are off oxygen altogether, and both babies are off IVs.

Aidan weighs 3 lbs. 13.8 oz (passed his birth weight a few days ago)
Evan weighs 3 lbs. 11.8 oz (passed his birth weight a few days ago, too)

Both of their umbilical cords fell off on Thursday - actually, I was kangaroo caring for both of them at the same time, and I started sweating/leaking milk just a bit. Both of their umbilical cords stuck to my skin and when the Nurse put them back in their cribs, they were no longer on them!

We asked the Doctor approximately when we can expect Evan & Aidan to come home with us. We were told that they would probably go home sometime between week 36 - week 40 gestation. (They are 33 weeks gestation today, and have been in the NICU 2 weeks as of tomorrow). So ~ hopefully within 3 weeks + they will be home with me. The only thing left they have to learn is to nipple their feedings. They will start trying on Wednesday - currently all their feedings are through gavage tubes.

I AM A PUMPING MACHINE!!!!!!! I am so proud to say that I am now up to around 1,062 ml. of breastmilk per day (>1 LITER!) I can't believe it. I struggled with it in the beginning, but now I am doing just great. Even the NICU Lactation consultant said, "my, you are overproducing!" I am pretty committed to it and never stopped, despite the blood scabs & blisters. All is well!

Wednesday the NICU is having a Christmas party, complete with Santa visits and pictures! Grandma Campbell bought the CUTEST little outfits for Evan & Aidan to wear (red velvet with red Christmas caps). I can't wait to take their pictures with Santa!

I can drive to and from the hospital now! After my staples were removed last week, I got the okay to start driving this week. So, I shouldn't have to spend ungodly hours at the Hospital (last week there were days I spent from 8 am - 11 pm at the Hospital).

I'm posting new pictures today!!! Have a great day, everyone!

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Thu, Dec 9, 2004 9:53 AM
I couldn't help but add tons of new photos! Our little darlings are so adorable!!

Everything is going great lately. I have been spending every waking moment with the boys (literally, Slawek drops me off at 8 am at the Hospital and we leave together around 10 pm - 11 pm in the evenings). It has been very exhausting, but at least I can nap at the hospital. It makes it convenient to pump too, as there are 4 breast-pumping rooms available. I feed the boys, change their diapers and clothes, and I get to speak with the Drs. every day during rounds.

EVAN - He is doing awesome now. He actually ballooned up (gained >100 grams of weight overnight) and looked like a swollen chipmunk. I voiced my concerns to the Neonatologist yesterday and they decided to run some blood tests to check his kidneys. The initial blood test yesterday showed a low sodium level. After taking him off IV fluids altogether, he has rebounded and looks like a new little man! He is having his PICC Line removed tomorrow, as there is no longer a need for an IV. He is receiving feedings via gavage tube and he now is eating 29 ml. every 3 hours of breastmilk. The Neonatologist started Evan on caffeine yesterday (a bolus in his IV) to control the apnea/brady episodes. He was having an increased amount over time, unfortunately. Since the caffeine, he hasn't had a single episode!!! Yeahhhh!!!! Mommy & Daddy can sleep now. He will continue to receive caffeine once per day in his tube feedings. Good job lil buddy.

AIDAN - What can I say, Aidan seems to be progressing so fast. He doesn't have the apnea/brady episodes like Evan does. He is very interactive and looks dead into your eyes. Aidan is now being fed 33 ml. (>1 oz) of breastmilk every 3 hours. He is digesting his food well, however, he isn't gaining much weight. He gains 10 grams and loses 10 grams - back and forth. So, the Neonatologist has decided to add some additional calories to my breastmilk, to help him gain weight. He is very active - he just doesn't slow down enough to sleep and gain weight! That's our little stinker.

MOMMY - I am doing well. I am so proud to say that I am able to pump >30 oz. of breastmilk per day now (just > 900 ml). The NICU Lactation Consultant met with me yesterday to go over my pumping logs and commended me on my milk "OVER PRODUCTION." I am honestly surprised that I am doing so well. I expected to have such difficulty with it. I have to live by my pump and can't venture too far off without it, but it's far worth it for our premie boys. They need the nutrition.

DADDY - Daddy is doing just great, from what I can tell. He rushes me to the hospital in the mornings before work or during his lunch break - and he comes directly to the hospital after work. He works hard at Kangarooing caring for the boys (as do I) and spends many quality hours with them after work. Slawek is very good to the Dr's and Nurses at the Hospital - always complimenting them on how great they are. And he is the big jokster, telling the Nurses that Evan & Aidan take after me with their hairy legs and back. That's my Slawek for you.

All is well! Thank you for your support and prayers!!!

Love,
Mommy, Daddy, Evan & Aidan

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Mon, Dec 6, 2004 8:25 AM
My c-section and grueling NICU hours are catching up with me - so I am just now able to add some updates and new pictures to the NICU Milestones Photo Album (check it out!)

Both boys are doing fabulously well.

EVAN - Looks like his PDA (heart valve) is totally sealed shut. His blood pressure is consistently good now, as well as his oxygen saturation level. He shows no signs of having the PDA. Evan is also feeding now (via NG tube). He started out at 4 cc's of breastmilk every 3 hours and is now eating 12 cc's of breastmilk every 3 hours. Eat little one, eat! Evan received a PICC Line on Saturday, after the 2nd attempt. This means he will not have to be stuck with anymore IV lines - the PICC catheter will remain inside his central artery to supply him with anything he needs (liquids, nutrition, etc.) He will still receive liquid nutrition for a while, until he works up to about 18-20 cc's of breastmilk. He has a canula in his nose (just some oxygen flowing, but not forced). He is receiving .4 liters of oxygen, which is a relatively low amount. Evan's goal right now is to get weened from the oxygen altogether, and to eat more, of course. Evan did have a mild case of jaundice, and spent all day Saturday (12/04) under the bili-ruben lights. Check out his cool shades in the photo album! Aidan was weened off all antibiotics 2 days ago. He was put on them as a precautionary measure when an intial blood test came back with an infection. His repeat blood test proved negative, so he was taken off all antibiotics.

AIDAN - Aidan is consistently thriving. His blood pressure is great, he consistently sat's at 100 (oxygen), and he is eating 18 cc's of breastmilk every 3 hours. He has really done well with his feedings. Aidan no longer requires the use of a canula - so he is doing well with no extra oxygen in his nose. Aidan's goal today is to be weened off all IV fluids! No more IV's for little Aidan!! Aidan also had a mild case of jaundice and spent all day Saturday (12/04) under the bili-ruben lights, along with his brother.

Weights, as of 12/05/04 at 8 pm:

Evan = 3 lbs. 8.5 oz.
Aidan = 3 lbs. 8.5 oz.

Evan is now back up to his birth weight! Aidan h as a few more oz. to go (3.5 oz. to go) to get to his birth weight.

Evan & Aidan have both started Kangaroo Care. Slawek and I alternate babies and sit with them on our bare chest for approximately 2 hours. You can tell they both enjoy it, as do Mommy and Daddy! It is such a bonding experience. Both babies are so relaxed and content. And I have noticed that both turn to positions on my chest that they were in when I was pregnant with them. It's amazing! Little Evan has fluttery/fast kicks that I definitely remember bouncing off my bladder.

Evan & Aidan are now wearing clothes!! The nurses are working to get them out of their isolettes and into room-temperature air. They will be in cribs soon! They look absolutely adorable in their little outfits. So much bigger!

Pumping is going well for me - Finally. My milk came in and I am producing a sufficient amount for both, plus some to freeze. I turn over all milk to the NICU Nurses and they handle their feedings (refrigeration, freezing, schedules, etc.) My sole job is to pump!

All in all, the babies are doing just great! The Dr's keep us well informed, and the nurses are very attentive.

Mommy and Daddy are very tired. A typical day for us includes arriving at the NICU around 10 am (we like to listen to Dr's rounds at 11:30 am). We usually begin Kangaroo Care sometime around lunchtime and we get to feed them (via their NG tube). Sometime around 2 pm, we usually put them back (time to pump) and take a break. We like to arrive back at the NICU sometime around 7 pm, as both babies are weighed and measured around 8 pm (something to look forward to). We usually get home around 11 pm. With that schedule, plus all the pumping I have to work in, we honestly do not have time for much else. Plus, Aidan & Evan need us to be with them right now - talking to them, holding them. They look at both of us as if they know who we are, and we love it.

That's all for now! Continue to keep our little ones in your prayers!

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Sun, Dec 5, 2004 10:39 AM
THE LIFE OF A NICU MOM:

"Our time in the hospital was the most emotionally grueling experience of our lives. Forget the Hallmark moments of bringing your newborn baby to your breast, posing for pictures in the recovery room... Welcome instead to the world of intimate bonding sessions with your breast pump at 2 am, peeling and chapped hands from the hospital antibacterial soap, total strangers spending more time than you with your baby, and the endless beeping of computer monitoring vital signs. This is the life of a NICU Mom."

THE PREMATURE BABY BOOK, by William Sears, Robert Sears, James Sears, and Martha Sears

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Fri, Dec 3, 2004 6:28 AM
Aidan is digesting breastmilk! I have given the NICU Team about 30 cc. of breastmilk/colustrum so far (Yahoo Mommy! Good job!) Aidan is now being fed 5 cc's every 3 hours. The NICU Nurses check his tummy to make sure he is digesting the milk (before feeding him again), and he is! I was thinking yesterday that he would do well with feedings, simply because when I was holding him he was rooting around and sucked so hard on my finger. Turns out, he is ready to eat!

Evan will follow with feedings either today or tomorrow, hopefully. He needed to finish his treatment of Endocin (for his PDA heart valve closure) before he could be fed. Hopefully soon!

I called the NICU at 12 am and 6 am, and both Evan & Aidan are doing very well.

PS. You should have seen Daddy's face when he saw how much breastmilk I had pumped for little Aidan & Evan. He was so proud of me. He is such a great support for every little thing - even little accomplishments like 30 cc's of breastmilk!

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Thu, Dec 2, 2004 8:23 PM
I got to hold Aidan!! I held him tonight for a solid 2 hours. He is such a sweet baby, opening his eyes and looking all around. He has very round, small eyes. I was surprised at how he seemed to look around - I didn't expect to see eyes that did that (I think I expected more floating eyes). He is absolutely adorable. His suck reflex is very strong, too. I can't get over how well he is doing. Both babies have looked at me now, which melts my heart.

I got to change both Evan & Aidan's diapers at 4 pm today, and Slawek got to change their diapers at 8 pm. It was a memorable event!

I have to say - I am not sure which baby looks more like Slawek yet. To be honest, they both do, even though they look different. Both of them seem to have Slawek's naturally curly hair. They are so sweet and beautiful. I really think Evan looks dead-on Slawek, though. They are such little cuties.

Aidan has had a few Apnea/Brady episodes; however, he hasn't required stimulation to breathe again - he seems to fix himself and start breathing on his own. Everything is normal, though.

All-in-all, everything seems to be just great. I am hoping to keep up the trend of good news! I can't wait to see them in a few weeks - and see how well they are doing!

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Thu, Dec 2, 2004 5:20 PM
To keep up the trend of good news - Evan's CPAP was removed this evening!! Now both Aidan and Evan are resting comfortably without their CPAP forcing oxygen through their lungs. Their oxygen saturation level has both consistently remained above 90, which is a good thing. Both boys have the best carbon dioxide gas tests each day now, which is another good sign.

Unfortunately, poor little Evan had trouble getting his PICC (PCVC) Line today. Slawek and I signed the consent forms so he could get one (rather than get a new IV every day in a new vein). They started the catheter in his main artery, but once it reached his shoulder, they couldn't get it to go around the shoulder bend and toward the heart. :o( The entire time the procedure was being done, I was praying that God not let him feel what is happening to him - and for God to give me the pain instead. These babies have already been through so much.

Both Evan & Aidan will get PICC Lines tomorrow - or the attempt will be made. Please pray that the procedure goes much more smoothly.

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Thu, Dec 2, 2004 12:00 PM
Today marks a memorable occasion! Aidan is doing so well, Dr. Kallupur had his CPAP removed!! No more of those messy, clunky tubes coming out of his nose. He hasn't needed supplemental oxygen for a while, and his saturation (oxygen) rate is so high, that the decision was made to remove the tubing. I got to see Aidan's hair for the first time, and boy does he have a lot! A lot of fuzzy blondish-colored hair. And he opened his eyes and looked at me for the longest time. Awwwww.....

And ~ I get to hold and feed Aidan for the first time THIS AFTERNOON. For now, my job is to pump, pump, pump, and get some colustrum downstairs early this afternoon.

Evan is also doing much better!! His carbon dioxide gas test came back better than ever last night, his blood pressure is remaining consistently normal, and his oxygen saturation rate is consistently high, too. His CPAP was lowered to 4 and it is only a matter of time until his CPAP is removed, as well. Dr. Kallupur told me that Evan was sooo close to being intubated yesterday - but after 48 hours since birth, he has made a total turn-around. Evan does have the PDA (heart valve that needs to close). He is on 3-rounds of Endocin to close this valve. Dr. Kallupur doesn't seem concerned whatsoever that it won't close - especially with the consistently high blood pressure and oxygen sat. levels. There will be no repeat echo-cardiogram after all - not with all the good signs coming from Evan.

Today is a good day!! I was so happy to call Daddy and Grandma and give them today's report!

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Thu, Dec 2, 2004 2:00 AM
I called the NICU just now (2 am) and spoke to one of our favorite NICU Nurses (Julie Miller). She said Evan is doing better than ever before!!! I am so happy to hear this news, finally!! Evan's blood pressure has normalized (much higher) and his oxygen saturation levels are so good now, they lowered his supplemental oxygen on his CPAP! (Aidan is no longer receiving supplemental oxygen on his CPAP, either - but is still receiving forced, room air through it.) Julie also said that both Twins are EXTREMELY active now, wiggling all around and such. This is also good news. Their skin tones (profusion, I think) are good. Evan will still have the 2 more rounds of Endocin to ensure that heart valve seals shut, and he will have a repeat Echo-cardiogram tomorrow morning.

I have been breast pumping since they were born, and I can't say this has been the best experience--not that I expected it to be all fun and games. I have met with a few lactation consultants and Nurses and I keep hearing the words, "I have never seen this before." I am having some scabbing/skin problems. Nothing I won't work out, eventually! I keep telling myself, "If my boys are dealing with this torture, so can I..." But the Nurses and Slawek keep telling me to "stop trying to be a hero." I guess I am determined.

The Nurse did come in and speak with us last night. She was concerned about me because #1-I never ask for pain pills, and #2-I am never in my room. I can't help it! I have 2 sons in the NICU, what do they expect? As far as the pain goes, I am in a lot of pain from the C-Section, but I haven't had time to think about pain pills - nor did I know I should be requesting them regularly. She made me take 2 Percocets last night and go to bed. I can't say they took the pain away, but I did feel like I was having touch/vision hallucionations and I did fall asleep fast.

That's all for now! Please God - keep the good news coming!

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Wed, Dec 1, 2004 2:30 PM
Evan is showing consistently low blood pressure numbers and low oxygen saturation (compared with Aidan & normal numbers). His heart is listened to several times a day, and a heart mur-mur has not been detected so far; however, an echo-cardiogram (ultrasound of Evan's heart) has now shown that a valve close to the heart has not closed yet. Apparently all fetus' in utero have this valve open, but once a baby is born, it has to seal up. Aidan's has sealed; Evan's has not sealed. This is the reason why his blood pressure is very low and his oxygen saturation is low, as well.

Evan will now go on a 3-part series of Endocin, which hopefully will seal the heart-valve. He will have 1 dose every 12 hours, and should be finished by tomorrow evening (12/02 around 9 pm). Please pray for our little Evan, that his heart valve seals shut and he doesn't have to have heart surgery to close the valve.

Aidan is doing absolutely wonderful. He continually is making improvements.

Mommy is exhausted - and so is Daddy. Well, so is Grandma & Grandpa Campbell and Aunt Melissa. They are here with me every single day, talking with Dr's and Nurses, holding Evan & Aidan's head and bum. I see those full-term, chubby babies in the hallways with their new parents and it brings me to tears. I can't wait to see our little boys get so chubby, big & healthy. And I can't wait until these first 2 weeks are behind us and we can relax a bit more.

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Wed, Dec 1, 2004 8:15 AM
Evan had an issue with A&B today (Apnea & Bradys). Apparently he needed some intervention from the medical staff, because he stopped breathing - which began decreasing his heart rate. Although the thought of Apnea & Bradys really scare me, we were told to expect them with premies. It doesn't make it any easier on us, though. The Nurses massaged his back until he was stimulated enough to breath again.

Today I am starting to feel emotionally exhausted from it all... everything. I can't stand looking at those 2 precious little boys and all they must endure. Even having their blood pressure taken has proven to be too much stress on them.

Now the Nurses and Residents are talking about putting "Picc Lines" in Evan & Aidan. I am very afraid of this procedure. Basically, it involves running an IV cather up the main artery and very close to the heart. I don't understand why we can't use the IV that works for us now, but the Nursing staff is assuring me that it will be better, as there will be no need for multiple sticks with a needle.

That's all for now. I filled out their Birth Cerficate & met with the are Coordinator today.

Please say a prayer for us and our little ones. This is so stressful to exprience.

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