Robby on my Due Date
Jake on my due date It has been a long time since I have updated my web site....where to start? (I'm just going from memory on the bigger events and will fill in with smaller details and pictures later)
On June 15th, I transferred the boys from the U of W NICU to Stevens SCU. Both of them just needed to learn how to eat on their own and they would be coming home. It was a VERY tough decision to make because I felt so at home in the NICU. The staff there was wonderful and they felt more like friends after spending 7 weeks there. I knew if one baby went home, I wouldn't be able to bring him back to visit the other and that is one thing that Stevens did differently, plus it was so much closer to home. I cried so much the night before because it was so bitter-sweet leaving, as I was told it would be.
Robby cried a lot of the way there and Jake just slept. I tried waking Jake up when we were between the ambulance and the hospital so he could experience the out doors, but he had no interest. They were both in isolettes, so it isn't like they would actually smell and feel the air.
We had a HUGE spot and everyone there was very nice.
On June 15th, I transferred the boys from the U of W NICU to Stevens SCU. Both of them just needed to learn how to eat on their own and they would be coming home. It was a VERY tough decision to make because I felt so at home in the NICU. The staff there was wonderful and they felt more like friends after spending 7 weeks there. I knew if one baby went home, I wouldn't be able to bring him back to visit the other and that is one thing that Stevens did differently, plus it was so much closer to home. I cried so much the night before because it was so bitter-sweet leaving, as I was told it would be.
Robby cried a lot of the way there and Jake just slept. I tried waking Jake up when we were between the ambulance and the hospital so he could experience the out doors, but he had no interest. They were both in isolettes, so it isn't like they would actually smell and feel the air.
We had a HUGE spot and everyone there was very nice.
After 8 weeks in the two hospitals, Robby decided he'd rather be home, so within 5 days (June 20th), he was discharged home with me. I spent the first night watching him sleep to make sure he was OK....he was! The next night I thought I should probably sleep and I did.
We would go back and forth to the hospital every day to spend time with Jake and work on him learning to eat. It took him 2 weeks before he was released. (June 29th).
Since they were still almost 3 weeks from their due date, they were still just growing. They would both eat every 3 hours, so I'd feed each of them for about an hour and then sleep for an hour through the night. During the day, I'd use those hours for laundry, dishes, naps, eating and whatever else needed doing.
Baylea didn't quite know what to think of them. She would look at their little bodies and hear their little squeaks and look at me wondering what I brought home. They were both just only over 5 pounds each.
4th Of July
The boys took their first ferry boat ride on the 3rd of July as we went to my parent's house in Kingston for the 4th of July festivities. That is pretty much a must do every year. We had a fun time and it was nice having others to help take care of them. Debbie, Ryan and Rachael also joined us.
The boys took their first ferry boat ride on the 3rd of July as we went to my parent's house in Kingston for the 4th of July festivities. That is pretty much a must do every year. We had a fun time and it was nice having others to help take care of them. Debbie, Ryan and Rachael also joined us.
Shortly after Robby had come home, it was discovered he had GE Reflux. The acid in his stomach goes up into his esophagus and burns. It is very painful for him (and me!) and there have been several measures taken since then to try to control it. He must be fed in a special position, sleep in a wedge (that looks like a torture device), take medicine, have his food thickened and be burped more. He has his good days and his bad days. I can't wait until he grows out of it and has no pain.
July 15th -- Two days before their due date
We had attended a church concert with Debbie that evening and made a trip to Fred Meyer. After getting home, I went to change Robby and noticed his face was blueish/gray. After talking to a RN in the NICU and being on hold too long at Children's, Debbie, Jake and I rushed him to Children's Hospital. Debbie squeezed in the back seat with them to watch him and make sure he was continued to breath OK. It turned out the "blue" was not abnormal, but it turned out he did have a flu virus, so he was admitted. After bringing Debbie back to my house, Jake and I went back and spent what was left of the night with Robby. He was doing well, but did stay an additional night and was discharged on July 17th....their due date.
We had attended a church concert with Debbie that evening and made a trip to Fred Meyer. After getting home, I went to change Robby and noticed his face was blueish/gray. After talking to a RN in the NICU and being on hold too long at Children's, Debbie, Jake and I rushed him to Children's Hospital. Debbie squeezed in the back seat with them to watch him and make sure he was continued to breath OK. It turned out the "blue" was not abnormal, but it turned out he did have a flu virus, so he was admitted. After bringing Debbie back to my house, Jake and I went back and spent what was left of the night with Robby. He was doing well, but did stay an additional night and was discharged on July 17th....their due date.
August 5th--- A day of firsts!
I had been looking forward to this day since before they were born. We had tickets for the entire family and a couple of friends to see the Mariner's play. Debbie, Rachael and Ryan came over the night before and spent the night ... (I got a good night sleep because Debbie took over the night duty!). We met our Mom and Dad at the train station and took the Sounder to the game. The place was packed and the game was crazy....we lost, but had a great time! Lynn and Michael bought the boys a great big Mariner Moose that is bigger than them. They also got to meet the Mariner Moose and have their picture taken with him. The game was followed by a BBQ at our house.
I had been looking forward to this day since before they were born. We had tickets for the entire family and a couple of friends to see the Mariner's play. Debbie, Rachael and Ryan came over the night before and spent the night ... (I got a good night sleep because Debbie took over the night duty!). We met our Mom and Dad at the train station and took the Sounder to the game. The place was packed and the game was crazy....we lost, but had a great time! Lynn and Michael bought the boys a great big Mariner Moose that is bigger than them. They also got to meet the Mariner Moose and have their picture taken with him. The game was followed by a BBQ at our house.
Since they were both discharged, we have had many many visits to their pediatrician and speciality clinics at Children's.
The heart problem they thought Jake had should probably resolve on it's own and he doesn't have to go back for another year. The hernias that one doctor thought she felt cannot be felt by the surgeon, so there will be no surgery there. It amazes me how sick Jake was in the NICU and is thriving so well now. He continues to grow and get cuter by the day. Here are a couple of before and after pictures so you can see how different he is now!
The heart problem they thought Jake had should probably resolve on it's own and he doesn't have to go back for another year. The hernias that one doctor thought she felt cannot be felt by the surgeon, so there will be no surgery there. It amazes me how sick Jake was in the NICU and is thriving so well now. He continues to grow and get cuter by the day. Here are a couple of before and after pictures so you can see how different he is now!
Robby, who was my super hero in the hospital, is the one having "all" the problems now. He had a swallow study done on August 14th and it showed that he aspirates (lightly) into his lungs. Luckily, there has been no permanent lung damage and measures can be taken to avoid any permanet damage. The study also showed his reflux, that was already known about. He doesn't have severe reflux (Thank God!), but it still affects him.
A hernia was detected when he was very young and it grew to be quite large. He had it repaired on August 17th at Children's. The surgery went well, but much longer than expected because it was so large. He had a small one on the left side, that they also did surgery on. I was dreading this day because I knew he would have to go 8 hours without eating and he was used to eating every 3-4 hours at this time. He was such a champ! I woke him up at 5am to feed him since he couldn't eat after 5:30. He woke up at 8:30 and was a bit fussy, but settled with cuddling with me in bed. He didn't whimper as we went to the hospital or waited for the surgery. The nurses said he hardly cried while in recovery either. When he was admitted into his room, he was just an angel and slept. I stayed with him and my mom stayed at my house with Jake. He was discharged the next day.
He did "OK", but ended up in the Emergency Room the following Tuesday. He had diahrea since after his surgery and seemed to be in a lot of pain. They did xrays, drew blood and monitored him for quite a while. They couldn't find anything too abnormal, so they sent us home at 3am. He was once again a trooper and Jake slept the entire 5 hours we were there.
As far as I go....I am TOTALLY exhausted! Beyond exhausted! I've had a ton of help from my mom, sister and niece Rachael, but I need more help. The boys are starting to sleep 5-6 hours at a time (as of August 20th), but until they sleep through the night, I can't work. They each take about an hour to change, feed, burp and get back to sleep. Jake likes to stay awake quite a while after eating and sometimes he will just swing or lay there peacefully, but many times he just wants to be held.
A hernia was detected when he was very young and it grew to be quite large. He had it repaired on August 17th at Children's. The surgery went well, but much longer than expected because it was so large. He had a small one on the left side, that they also did surgery on. I was dreading this day because I knew he would have to go 8 hours without eating and he was used to eating every 3-4 hours at this time. He was such a champ! I woke him up at 5am to feed him since he couldn't eat after 5:30. He woke up at 8:30 and was a bit fussy, but settled with cuddling with me in bed. He didn't whimper as we went to the hospital or waited for the surgery. The nurses said he hardly cried while in recovery either. When he was admitted into his room, he was just an angel and slept. I stayed with him and my mom stayed at my house with Jake. He was discharged the next day.
He did "OK", but ended up in the Emergency Room the following Tuesday. He had diahrea since after his surgery and seemed to be in a lot of pain. They did xrays, drew blood and monitored him for quite a while. They couldn't find anything too abnormal, so they sent us home at 3am. He was once again a trooper and Jake slept the entire 5 hours we were there.
As far as I go....I am TOTALLY exhausted! Beyond exhausted! I've had a ton of help from my mom, sister and niece Rachael, but I need more help. The boys are starting to sleep 5-6 hours at a time (as of August 20th), but until they sleep through the night, I can't work. They each take about an hour to change, feed, burp and get back to sleep. Jake likes to stay awake quite a while after eating and sometimes he will just swing or lay there peacefully, but many times he just wants to be held.
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