Thursday, December 31, 2009
Andrew Update
We just got great news! The surgery went very well. There were no complications and minimal blood loss. The doctor said it went great. Thank you all for your prayers. God is good.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, December 30
Well, we didn't get the miracle that we had been praying for, but that is OK. We still believe that God has Andrew's best interest in mind and loves him more than we do. We were really hoping that Andrew's valve would close and that he wouldn't need surgery. When we stepped into NICU today, the doctor told us that Andrew's murmur is still pretty significant, and that they would like to do the surgery tomorrow. We met with the surgeon. He's really cool and confident. He performs 40 -50 of these procedures in a year and does the most in the area. He told us that he knows we're scared because of it being a heart surgery, but he told us not to worry. The death rate is very very small. There are some complications that could happen, but again, those chances are very small. They will make a small incision in Andrew's left side under his ribs. They will attach a titanium clip to the blood vessel that leads to the valve and the valve will close. The whole procedure takes about 15 minutes. He will live with the clip for the rest of his life. The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow at 7:15am CST.
Adelaide and Mattie are back on photo therapy. The doctors have told us that this would be a back and forth thing. They both seemed to be really calm yesterday. Adelaide continues to be doing the best, and she had her first poop yesterday. Yahoo! She weighed in at 2lbs. 2oz. before the poop, so we should have a more accurate weight tonight. How much can their poop really weigh? Mattie is yet to have one. Kevin suggested the nurse get her a tiny book or magazine to read while she's in the incubator. Mattie was really feisty again today. She gets upset when the nurses are performing their duties. We're seeing a pattern here. Mattie and Andrew have Kevin's temper, and sweet little Adelaide is just like Tara.
The doctor, who is director over all the Baylor NICUs, told us that Adelaide and Mattie are on "cruise control" and seem to be on "auto-pilot.", and that Andrew is bouncing around from good to bad. The doctor has twin boys, who are now 24, and were born at 30 weeks. He told us that he's treating our babies like they're his own. He also told us that he's concerned for them, but not worried. That was really encouraging.
Praise
12 days of life
Weight gain on all three.
All three doing very well with Tara's milk.
Adelaide's and Mattie's murmurs are small or not present.
Adelaide's first BM.
The girls doing so well.
A long nap yesterday afternoon for Kevin and Tara.
Prayer
Protection over Andrew during surgery.
A successful surgery with no complications.
Skilled hands for Dr. Roughneen (prounounced Rockneen).
Mattie would poop.
Continued weight gain and strength for the babies.
No long term effects from the ventilators. We learned recently that the ventilators, while keeping them alive, also cause scar tissue in their lungs and chronic lung disease in the future.
Adelaide and Mattie are back on photo therapy. The doctors have told us that this would be a back and forth thing. They both seemed to be really calm yesterday. Adelaide continues to be doing the best, and she had her first poop yesterday. Yahoo! She weighed in at 2lbs. 2oz. before the poop, so we should have a more accurate weight tonight. How much can their poop really weigh? Mattie is yet to have one. Kevin suggested the nurse get her a tiny book or magazine to read while she's in the incubator. Mattie was really feisty again today. She gets upset when the nurses are performing their duties. We're seeing a pattern here. Mattie and Andrew have Kevin's temper, and sweet little Adelaide is just like Tara.
The doctor, who is director over all the Baylor NICUs, told us that Adelaide and Mattie are on "cruise control" and seem to be on "auto-pilot.", and that Andrew is bouncing around from good to bad. The doctor has twin boys, who are now 24, and were born at 30 weeks. He told us that he's treating our babies like they're his own. He also told us that he's concerned for them, but not worried. That was really encouraging.
Praise
12 days of life
Weight gain on all three.
All three doing very well with Tara's milk.
Adelaide's and Mattie's murmurs are small or not present.
Adelaide's first BM.
The girls doing so well.
A long nap yesterday afternoon for Kevin and Tara.
Prayer
Protection over Andrew during surgery.
A successful surgery with no complications.
Skilled hands for Dr. Roughneen (prounounced Rockneen).
Mattie would poop.
Continued weight gain and strength for the babies.
No long term effects from the ventilators. We learned recently that the ventilators, while keeping them alive, also cause scar tissue in their lungs and chronic lung disease in the future.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Andrew's Heart - Urgent Prayer
We just left the NICU and met with the director for all the NICUs in the local Baylor system. He was covering for the doctor over Baylor Grapevine, who is on vacation. We learned that after two rounds of medications to close Andrew's PDA valve in his heart, the echo showed that he still has a moderate opening. They are going to consult with the head baby heart doctor. He's got a title that we can't remember. They are going to give Andrew 24 - 48 hours for his valve to close, and then they will make the decision on whether to do a surgery and install a titanium clip to close the valve. The doctor told us they are going to tweak his ventilator and give him a diuretic that might help to close the valve and clear up his lungs. The nurse practitioner told us that the valve would only close miraculously without the help of surgery at this point. Well, we believe in miracles. So, please pray that over the next 24 - 48 hours the extra treatments Andrew receives will close the valve for good and that he would not require heart surgery.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 28
Has anyone ever seen a preemie's poopy diaper? We haven't either. I'm sure there's lots to come, but we haven't had the privilege to see one. Andrew had one the other day, but we missed out. The nurses want Adelaide and Mattie to poop, so please see the prayer request below.
Tara went to the NICU today by herself. Thanks to Kevin's mom for driving her. Kevin stayed home and caught up on work and house stuff. Kevin met Tara up at the NICU for dinner, and then we spent some time with the babies tonight.
All the babies had good days. Andrew and Mattie had Pict lines put in to feed them. The umbilical line they had causes infections after 7-10 days, so it was time to get new lines put in. Adelaide had hers put in a few days ago. The procedures went well, and the x-rays showed that they were in the right place. All of their murmurs are now minimal or not present by clinical exam. Adelaide had an echo today, and it showed that her valve was only slightly open. It also showed that she has two small holes in her heart, which should close as she gets bigger. Both Adelaide and Mattie were taken off photo therapy, and we got to see their faces and heads. It's such a joy to watch their eyes dance behind their lids and the funny facial expressions they make. The nurse told us that she saw Mattie open one eye today, but their lids are still fused shut. Hopefully, they will open in the next day or so. All of their x-rays showed they have scar tissue from the ventilators, which will be less significant as the lungs grow. It could take until they are two years old for them to outgrow lung issues. All the babies are back on Tara's milk. They've got a lot of feeding to do since Tara has a big head start on them. Andrew is still responding well to the oscillator with no episodes of clamping down. We're thankful that they were all relatively calm today, their murmurs are small or not present, and they're back on Tara's milk.
Praise
Andrew being calm and responding to oscillator.
Andrew's murmur not present
Adelaide and Mattie off photo therapy.
Adelaide's echo showed only a small valve.
Adelaide being incredibly calm during diaper and bed changes (Kevin got to help change the bed).
Mattie's murmur not present.
All Pict lines are in and positioned correctly.
Beautiful faces.
Adelaide's long stretches and her flexibility. She's like a rag doll.
Prayer
Ultrasounds scheduled for their heads on January 1.
They would be weened off their ventilators.
Murmurs continue to be not present.
Weight gain and strength.
Protection from side effects of medications.
Poops for Adelaide and Mattie (Even though, according to Kevin, girls don't poop).
Tara went to the NICU today by herself. Thanks to Kevin's mom for driving her. Kevin stayed home and caught up on work and house stuff. Kevin met Tara up at the NICU for dinner, and then we spent some time with the babies tonight.
All the babies had good days. Andrew and Mattie had Pict lines put in to feed them. The umbilical line they had causes infections after 7-10 days, so it was time to get new lines put in. Adelaide had hers put in a few days ago. The procedures went well, and the x-rays showed that they were in the right place. All of their murmurs are now minimal or not present by clinical exam. Adelaide had an echo today, and it showed that her valve was only slightly open. It also showed that she has two small holes in her heart, which should close as she gets bigger. Both Adelaide and Mattie were taken off photo therapy, and we got to see their faces and heads. It's such a joy to watch their eyes dance behind their lids and the funny facial expressions they make. The nurse told us that she saw Mattie open one eye today, but their lids are still fused shut. Hopefully, they will open in the next day or so. All of their x-rays showed they have scar tissue from the ventilators, which will be less significant as the lungs grow. It could take until they are two years old for them to outgrow lung issues. All the babies are back on Tara's milk. They've got a lot of feeding to do since Tara has a big head start on them. Andrew is still responding well to the oscillator with no episodes of clamping down. We're thankful that they were all relatively calm today, their murmurs are small or not present, and they're back on Tara's milk.
Praise
Andrew being calm and responding to oscillator.
Andrew's murmur not present
Adelaide and Mattie off photo therapy.
Adelaide's echo showed only a small valve.
Adelaide being incredibly calm during diaper and bed changes (Kevin got to help change the bed).
Mattie's murmur not present.
All Pict lines are in and positioned correctly.
Beautiful faces.
Adelaide's long stretches and her flexibility. She's like a rag doll.
Prayer
Ultrasounds scheduled for their heads on January 1.
They would be weened off their ventilators.
Murmurs continue to be not present.
Weight gain and strength.
Protection from side effects of medications.
Poops for Adelaide and Mattie (Even though, according to Kevin, girls don't poop).
Sunday, December 27, 2009
December 27
We talked last night and decided to go to church this morning. When we arrived, Kevin asked Tara if she needed some Kleenex before we went into the service. Kevin couldn't find any, so we went in without. A big mistake. We both needed it. As soon as the first song started we began to cry. It was a cry of gratitude for what God has done for us. It seemed the songs we sang to worship God had more meaning and the words in the songs fit perfectly with our situation. One song talked about being knit in the womb and being known by God before birth. It is reassuring to know God knew those babies before they were known to us.
We had the chance to talk to friends at church and give them updates on the babies. Our Executive Pastor stopped to tell us the ministry staff prayed for us that morning. It is so cool to go to a church that is faithful in prayer. We were also blessed with food from friends, who went home to raid their fridge. We did get in a solid one hour nap after lunch. Tara said that Kevin was snoring very deeply. Well, maybe Tara didn't get in such a solid nap.
Today was much better at the NICU. Kevin's parents met us up there. Andrew was responding very well to a new ventilator. After his episodes yesterday, the staff changed him to an oscillator. He's been doing very well on it. He seemed very calm while we were there. The nurse from the night shift and the day shift nurse both said that they could not detect a murmur by listening. A great sign. Hopefully, the valve is closing. He was off of photo therapy for a little while, but was back on by the end of the day.
Adelaide is now 1lb 14oz.! The nurse told us that she's the most stable of the three. Her lungs came back clear from an x-ray. She continues to stretch her long legs straight up in the air. The nurses try to tuck her legs in, but she finds away in a few minutes to stretch them high in the air. No murmur is present while listening, so Adelaide will have an echo cardio gram tomorrow morning to check her valve.
Mattie is back on mom's milk and is doing well. Tara got to change her diaper, check her temp, and hold the syringe to feed her. The nurses are starting to hear the return of a murmur. They will continue to monitor her and see if it continues. There may be a need to have another round of meds. Mattie seems to be pretty feisty like her brother. She gives the nurses a hard time when they're doing their exams. She likes to push back with her legs, get her hands in the way, and then get her blood oxygen levels down. The techs have to give her more oxygen until she calms down.
We took a break and had a great BBQ dinner with a friend from church. We are humbled by so many friends and family wanting to help. I hope everyone knows that we are grateful for every meal, note, text, phone call, act of service, kind word, encouragement, and willingness to do anything. We couldn't do this without all of our friends and family. Thank you!
Praise
No murmur present on Andrew's clinical exam.
Andrew's response to the oscillator.
All three had good blood gases in the evening and were weened a little off the machines.
Mattie back on mom's milk.
Adelaide's murmur not present during clinical exam.
Food from friends.
Afternoon naps.
A Cowboys' Win1
Prayer
Adelaide's echo would come back with a closed valve.
Andrew would continue to have no murmur.
Andrew would continue to respond to the new ventilator.
Mattie's murmur would go away.
The babies would continue to grow and gain weight.
X-rays would show clear lungs.
We had the chance to talk to friends at church and give them updates on the babies. Our Executive Pastor stopped to tell us the ministry staff prayed for us that morning. It is so cool to go to a church that is faithful in prayer. We were also blessed with food from friends, who went home to raid their fridge. We did get in a solid one hour nap after lunch. Tara said that Kevin was snoring very deeply. Well, maybe Tara didn't get in such a solid nap.
Today was much better at the NICU. Kevin's parents met us up there. Andrew was responding very well to a new ventilator. After his episodes yesterday, the staff changed him to an oscillator. He's been doing very well on it. He seemed very calm while we were there. The nurse from the night shift and the day shift nurse both said that they could not detect a murmur by listening. A great sign. Hopefully, the valve is closing. He was off of photo therapy for a little while, but was back on by the end of the day.
Adelaide is now 1lb 14oz.! The nurse told us that she's the most stable of the three. Her lungs came back clear from an x-ray. She continues to stretch her long legs straight up in the air. The nurses try to tuck her legs in, but she finds away in a few minutes to stretch them high in the air. No murmur is present while listening, so Adelaide will have an echo cardio gram tomorrow morning to check her valve.
Mattie is back on mom's milk and is doing well. Tara got to change her diaper, check her temp, and hold the syringe to feed her. The nurses are starting to hear the return of a murmur. They will continue to monitor her and see if it continues. There may be a need to have another round of meds. Mattie seems to be pretty feisty like her brother. She gives the nurses a hard time when they're doing their exams. She likes to push back with her legs, get her hands in the way, and then get her blood oxygen levels down. The techs have to give her more oxygen until she calms down.
We took a break and had a great BBQ dinner with a friend from church. We are humbled by so many friends and family wanting to help. I hope everyone knows that we are grateful for every meal, note, text, phone call, act of service, kind word, encouragement, and willingness to do anything. We couldn't do this without all of our friends and family. Thank you!
Praise
No murmur present on Andrew's clinical exam.
Andrew's response to the oscillator.
All three had good blood gases in the evening and were weened a little off the machines.
Mattie back on mom's milk.
Adelaide's murmur not present during clinical exam.
Food from friends.
Afternoon naps.
A Cowboys' Win1
Prayer
Adelaide's echo would come back with a closed valve.
Andrew would continue to have no murmur.
Andrew would continue to respond to the new ventilator.
Mattie's murmur would go away.
The babies would continue to grow and gain weight.
X-rays would show clear lungs.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Dec. 26, 2009
We visited the babies this morning and we were greeted by a very scary sight: four nurses were working on Andrew. He had clamped down, which means that he held his breath refusing to allow the machines to work for him. He was fine, but this is not the only time he has done this. He doesn't like the jet. They have since taken him off the jet and placed him on the regular vent. He is much more calm so far. He still has the heart murmur and they are starting him on the second round of medication. They took him off of photo therapy and he is super cute without his Santa cap.
Adelaide's heart murmur was not present during a clinical exam today; so far she's responding to the meds. They have moved her feeding line out of her umbilical cord and into a vein. This is good news because she no longer runs the risk of infection through the cord. Her lungs still look cloudy. We are hoping they will clear up now that her valve seems to be closed.
Mattie's murmur is still not present to very slight. Her central line has been removed (this line is used to check her blood pressure and blood). They found a tiny artery and inserted a line in her wrist. It's amazing what they can do. This will also help with her circulation. They attempted to put a feeding line in, but it got stuck at her hip. They said they would try again tomorrow. Her lungs are still a little cloudy.
It feels like a tightrope sometimes. We seem to teeter to the edge and then teeter back, take a couple of tiny steps forward and a few slight steps back. Apparently, this is the nature of preemies.But we will continue to praise God. We have made it through Day 8.
Praises
Adelaide's murmur no longer present
Adelaide's new line put in successfully.
Mattie's central line put in successfully.
Mattie's murmur not present.
Andrew being taken off photo therapy.
Andrew responding to the conventional respirator so far.
Christmas time with the Donalson family.
8 days of life
Prayers
Andrew would stop clamping down and they could find a ventilator that works
The next round of meds would close Andrew's valve
All of their x-rays would be clear
There would not be any damage to their bodies from the medications they've been taking
They would be able to put a new feeding line in Mattie
Rest for Kevin and Tara
Adelaide's heart murmur was not present during a clinical exam today; so far she's responding to the meds. They have moved her feeding line out of her umbilical cord and into a vein. This is good news because she no longer runs the risk of infection through the cord. Her lungs still look cloudy. We are hoping they will clear up now that her valve seems to be closed.
Mattie's murmur is still not present to very slight. Her central line has been removed (this line is used to check her blood pressure and blood). They found a tiny artery and inserted a line in her wrist. It's amazing what they can do. This will also help with her circulation. They attempted to put a feeding line in, but it got stuck at her hip. They said they would try again tomorrow. Her lungs are still a little cloudy.
It feels like a tightrope sometimes. We seem to teeter to the edge and then teeter back, take a couple of tiny steps forward and a few slight steps back. Apparently, this is the nature of preemies.But we will continue to praise God. We have made it through Day 8.
Praises
Adelaide's murmur no longer present
Adelaide's new line put in successfully.
Mattie's central line put in successfully.
Mattie's murmur not present.
Andrew being taken off photo therapy.
Andrew responding to the conventional respirator so far.
Christmas time with the Donalson family.
8 days of life
Prayers
Andrew would stop clamping down and they could find a ventilator that works
The next round of meds would close Andrew's valve
All of their x-rays would be clear
There would not be any damage to their bodies from the medications they've been taking
They would be able to put a new feeding line in Mattie
Rest for Kevin and Tara
Friday, December 25, 2009
Friday, December 25
Our babies are a week old, and what a week it has been. We left the hospital today after spending the morning with the babies. We learned that Adelaide's murmur has become more pronounced, so they started her on the medication to close the valve. She will be taking one dose every 24 hours for the next three days. Her lungs also looked murky in her x-rays, which could relate to the murmur. She was put back on photo therapy because the jaundice has crept back in. Mattie seems to be doing pretty well. She's gaining weight, and so far, her valve is still closed. Both Adelaide and Mattie had blood transfusions to replenish the blood they've lost with all the tests. The doctor told us that he could still hear the murmur in Andrew's heart, so there may be the need for another round of medication. Andrew will have an echo tomorrow to see how the medicine did so far.
Tara did reasonably well leaving the hospital. The hardest part was getting home and going in the nursery. We dumped all of our bags on the floor, grabbed a quick lunch, and went to Kevin's parents house for Christmas dinner. We had a great time visiting with Aunt Kate and Dale, who flew in from Delaware. A majority of the family played Texas Hold 'Em poker after dinner. Nothing says Christmas like a game of cards :)
We returned to the NICU to say good night to the babies. It was a little tense in there tonight. There were some new babies that were having serious procedures done on them, and the alarms on our babies' machines kept going off. At one point, Kevin was watching over Andrew when his heart rate dropped and alarms went off. It was the first time that Kevin had seen a nurse rushing to help one of the babies. The rushing part is troublesome. By the time we left, Andrew's numbers were back to normal, and he was resting. We feel numb to what's going on now. We don't know if it's that we're getting used to the ups and downs or that we're so tired.
Praise
Mattie's legs looked good today.
More weight gain for all three babies.
Andrew being taken off the Jet for a part of the day.
The nurses and doctors working on Christmas.
Time with family at Christmas.
Our neighbors who blessed us with a Better Than "Santa" Cake and breakfast for tomorrow.
Our friends who came to see us at the hospital after we had left, but delivered a cake to the nursing staff on our behalf. What a thoughtful thing to do.
Sleeping in our own bed tonight.
Prayer
Andrew's echo tomorrow. That it would show the valve is closed or closed enough that he wouldn't require more medication or surgery.
That Adelaide's medication would close her valve.
That Adelaide's additional photo therapy would help.
That Adelaide's lungs would clear.
Mattie's CO2 would lower.
Rest for Kevin and Tara.
Tara did reasonably well leaving the hospital. The hardest part was getting home and going in the nursery. We dumped all of our bags on the floor, grabbed a quick lunch, and went to Kevin's parents house for Christmas dinner. We had a great time visiting with Aunt Kate and Dale, who flew in from Delaware. A majority of the family played Texas Hold 'Em poker after dinner. Nothing says Christmas like a game of cards :)
We returned to the NICU to say good night to the babies. It was a little tense in there tonight. There were some new babies that were having serious procedures done on them, and the alarms on our babies' machines kept going off. At one point, Kevin was watching over Andrew when his heart rate dropped and alarms went off. It was the first time that Kevin had seen a nurse rushing to help one of the babies. The rushing part is troublesome. By the time we left, Andrew's numbers were back to normal, and he was resting. We feel numb to what's going on now. We don't know if it's that we're getting used to the ups and downs or that we're so tired.
Praise
Mattie's legs looked good today.
More weight gain for all three babies.
Andrew being taken off the Jet for a part of the day.
The nurses and doctors working on Christmas.
Time with family at Christmas.
Our neighbors who blessed us with a Better Than "Santa" Cake and breakfast for tomorrow.
Our friends who came to see us at the hospital after we had left, but delivered a cake to the nursing staff on our behalf. What a thoughtful thing to do.
Sleeping in our own bed tonight.
Prayer
Andrew's echo tomorrow. That it would show the valve is closed or closed enough that he wouldn't require more medication or surgery.
That Adelaide's medication would close her valve.
That Adelaide's additional photo therapy would help.
That Adelaide's lungs would clear.
Mattie's CO2 would lower.
Rest for Kevin and Tara.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
December 24
Merry Christmas to Everyone! We had a very relaxing and slow day. We spent more time in the NICU sitting with the babies and that was fun. We also got out before the snow hit and had lunch together, and then took a long nap this afternoon. We're now sitting in the hospital room watching A Christmas Story. It's one Kevin's all-time favorites.
Adelaide is responding to the Jet. She's had two x-rays and her lungs are looking better. Mattie's blood gas showed her CO2 was a little high, so they increased her levels a little. It's really just fine tuning. Kevin's brother, Mark, says that it sounds like fine tuning a car. They make little tweaks depending on their levels. Andrew is still working himself up. He was sedated this morning, but was relatively calm until this evening. He got agitated and his blood oxygen dropped, which makes his alarms go off. It freaks us out, but the nurses work very calmly and re-adjust his levels to get him back where he needs to be. He also gets agitated when his daddy changes his diaper and checks his temperature, which Kevin got to do again tonight. His nurse told us that he had his first poopy diaper last night. We were so excited. We also noticed that the babies are looking thicker. They're still skinny, but we can tell their ribs are showing less. We asked the nurses, and they are gaining weight. Andrew and Mattie have gained one ounce from their birth weights, and Adelaide is only two ounces less than her birth weight. Adelaide and Andrew had lost several ounces since the birth, which is normal. So, they're on the way up.
Praise
Rest and relaxation for Kevin and Tara.
Mattie's heart valve closing.
Mattie's lower extremities circulation is looking better.
Andrew's heart murmur not present during clinical exam.
Weight gain.
Adelaide's x-ray improvement.
Adelaide back on mom's milk.
Your prayers. It's working!
The Birth of Christ - Merry Christmas to you all!
Prayer
Continued improvement in Adelaide's lungs.
Protection over Andrew as he takes these medications for his heart. That his heart valve will close. Tomorrow is his last dose.
Continued weight gain.
Continued improvement in Mattie's circulation.
Tara returning home tomorrow.
Discernment for Kevin as he figures out insurance policies, bills, and finances.
Adelaide is responding to the Jet. She's had two x-rays and her lungs are looking better. Mattie's blood gas showed her CO2 was a little high, so they increased her levels a little. It's really just fine tuning. Kevin's brother, Mark, says that it sounds like fine tuning a car. They make little tweaks depending on their levels. Andrew is still working himself up. He was sedated this morning, but was relatively calm until this evening. He got agitated and his blood oxygen dropped, which makes his alarms go off. It freaks us out, but the nurses work very calmly and re-adjust his levels to get him back where he needs to be. He also gets agitated when his daddy changes his diaper and checks his temperature, which Kevin got to do again tonight. His nurse told us that he had his first poopy diaper last night. We were so excited. We also noticed that the babies are looking thicker. They're still skinny, but we can tell their ribs are showing less. We asked the nurses, and they are gaining weight. Andrew and Mattie have gained one ounce from their birth weights, and Adelaide is only two ounces less than her birth weight. Adelaide and Andrew had lost several ounces since the birth, which is normal. So, they're on the way up.
Praise
Rest and relaxation for Kevin and Tara.
Mattie's heart valve closing.
Mattie's lower extremities circulation is looking better.
Andrew's heart murmur not present during clinical exam.
Weight gain.
Adelaide's x-ray improvement.
Adelaide back on mom's milk.
Your prayers. It's working!
The Birth of Christ - Merry Christmas to you all!
Prayer
Continued improvement in Adelaide's lungs.
Protection over Andrew as he takes these medications for his heart. That his heart valve will close. Tomorrow is his last dose.
Continued weight gain.
Continued improvement in Mattie's circulation.
Tara returning home tomorrow.
Discernment for Kevin as he figures out insurance policies, bills, and finances.
Awesome News
Mattie's heart valve closed with the medication! The doctor said that there is a 20% chance it could open again, but we're really excited. We're also thankful that after one dose of Andrew's medicine the doctor said he cannot hear the murmur. He will still continue with the round of meds for the next two days, but what an awesome report to hear. Adelaide had a routine chest x-ray today and it showed her lungs are a little expanded. She's the only one that's been on a normal ventilator since birth. The doctor has moved her to the more gentle Jet ventilator to help her lungs, but her numbers have looked great. The transition was very smooth, and when we looked in on her, she was sleeping peacefully.
With the weather changing to snow, we've decided to not go home today. We'll stay one more night, so we can be here and not stuck at the house. We're going out for another lunch date! It will be good to take little trips out of the hospital, so Tara can get used to it.
With the weather changing to snow, we've decided to not go home today. We'll stay one more night, so we can be here and not stuck at the house. We're going out for another lunch date! It will be good to take little trips out of the hospital, so Tara can get used to it.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Wednesday, December 23
The roller coaster continues, but we are learning to celebrate the good news and expect the bad news. We were absolutely thrilled to find out about the ultrasound results for Adelaide and Andrew. We went down to the NICU to see them this afternoon and noticed that Adelaide's photo therapy is no longer there. Her jaundice levels have gone down, but it doesn't mean they won't come back. While we were there Andrew decided to pull apart his air hose, so all kinds of alarms were going off. The nurse was right there to figure out what he did and reconnected the hose. He seems to get really agitated, so they try to sedate him a lot. Kevin thinks he's got the Peet temper.
The bad news for the day is that Andrew's murmur hasn't improved, so they're putting him on medication to close the valve in his heart. The medication that Mattie is taking is currently on short supply, so Andrew had to take an alternative that he's given three doses every 24 hours. He's going to be taken off Tara's milk while on the meds, so he had a good long run on the milk. Mattie is having another echo cardio gram tomorrow morning to see how her three doses of meds has worked on the valve. She could always get another round if needed.
We're still feeling pretty good about everything despite the news about Andrew. We know God's in control and that He loves those babies more than we do. We pray that through their lives and their stories that God would be glorified.
Tara got discharged today, but we're staying one more night on a courtesy visit. The hospital told us we could most likely stay through the weekend, but at some point we need to get home and get into a normal routine in visiting the babies.
Praise
Adelaide off the photo therapy.
Constant good results on the blood gases.
The babies have graduated to major blood tests on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays and CBCs on Mondays only.
They passed the critical 96 hour mark.
The normal results on all of their ultrasounds. (THIS IS HUGE)
Kevin and Tara having dinner together outside of the room. It was in the cafeteria, but hey, it wasn't sitting in bed.
Kevin and Tara taking a short trip to Target.
Prayer
A good result of Mattie's echo cardio gram tomorrow morning and that her valve is closed.
Protection over Andrew while he's on the three day medication.
That Andrew's valve would close.
Weight gain for them all.
For Tara as she heads home for the first time tomorrow.
The bad news for the day is that Andrew's murmur hasn't improved, so they're putting him on medication to close the valve in his heart. The medication that Mattie is taking is currently on short supply, so Andrew had to take an alternative that he's given three doses every 24 hours. He's going to be taken off Tara's milk while on the meds, so he had a good long run on the milk. Mattie is having another echo cardio gram tomorrow morning to see how her three doses of meds has worked on the valve. She could always get another round if needed.
We're still feeling pretty good about everything despite the news about Andrew. We know God's in control and that He loves those babies more than we do. We pray that through their lives and their stories that God would be glorified.
Tara got discharged today, but we're staying one more night on a courtesy visit. The hospital told us we could most likely stay through the weekend, but at some point we need to get home and get into a normal routine in visiting the babies.
Praise
Adelaide off the photo therapy.
Constant good results on the blood gases.
The babies have graduated to major blood tests on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays and CBCs on Mondays only.
They passed the critical 96 hour mark.
The normal results on all of their ultrasounds. (THIS IS HUGE)
Kevin and Tara having dinner together outside of the room. It was in the cafeteria, but hey, it wasn't sitting in bed.
Kevin and Tara taking a short trip to Target.
Prayer
A good result of Mattie's echo cardio gram tomorrow morning and that her valve is closed.
Protection over Andrew while he's on the three day medication.
That Andrew's valve would close.
Weight gain for them all.
For Tara as she heads home for the first time tomorrow.
Ultrasound Report
We just got the news that Andrew and Adelaide's head ultrasounds came back normal. Praise God! We are so excited, but cautious. They will each have another ultrasound in 9 days to see if the results continue to be normal. They decided to not perform one on Mattie since she received one two days ago and it was normal. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and positive thoughts.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Tuesday, December 22
We started out with a great day when Tara got the opportunity to change Adelaide's diaper and check Andrew's temperature. She was so wonderful talking so sweetly to them both. Kevin was shooting photos and video and started crying watching her. She's going to be an awesome mom.
The doctor gave us an update when we were in the NICU that Mattie's echo cardio gram showed that she has a larger murmur, and they have put her on the medication to close the value. She will be taking three doses every 12 hours, and hopefully, the medicine will help her. The medicine restricts blood vessels throughout her body, so she could stop urinating and may get puffy because of water retention. There are some other high risk factors that could creep in because of the medication, so we are hoping and praying that all she will need is this first round. Adelaide showed a small opening in the valve, and it should be able to close on its own without medication. Andrew's valve is moderate to large, but the doctor's feel he is doing so well that they want to monitor the murmur awhile and see if it can close on it's own. There's a possibility that if the murmur stays around, but he has now complications, he could have a minor surgery when he's around 11 pounds to close the valve.
We have some new rules in the NICU. They now require us to wear gowns and rubber gloves after scrubbing in. They recently had some infections in the unit and are taking precautions to keep the babies safe. We personally would don hazmat uniforms if it meant keeping those babies free from infection. So, this evening, Kevin got to change all three babies' diapers and check their temperatures while wearing the gown and rubber gloves. Andrew was first, and the nurse said that if Andrew had had a poppy diaper, Kevin would have had to repeat the diaper change. Let's hear it for the first time father! Tara was so proud to watch Kevin with his three children. It's amazing the feeling that these children were created by God.
The doctor gave us an update when we were in the NICU that Mattie's echo cardio gram showed that she has a larger murmur, and they have put her on the medication to close the value. She will be taking three doses every 12 hours, and hopefully, the medicine will help her. The medicine restricts blood vessels throughout her body, so she could stop urinating and may get puffy because of water retention. There are some other high risk factors that could creep in because of the medication, so we are hoping and praying that all she will need is this first round. Adelaide showed a small opening in the valve, and it should be able to close on its own without medication. Andrew's valve is moderate to large, but the doctor's feel he is doing so well that they want to monitor the murmur awhile and see if it can close on it's own. There's a possibility that if the murmur stays around, but he has now complications, he could have a minor surgery when he's around 11 pounds to close the valve.
We have some new rules in the NICU. They now require us to wear gowns and rubber gloves after scrubbing in. They recently had some infections in the unit and are taking precautions to keep the babies safe. We personally would don hazmat uniforms if it meant keeping those babies free from infection. So, this evening, Kevin got to change all three babies' diapers and check their temperatures while wearing the gown and rubber gloves. Andrew was first, and the nurse said that if Andrew had had a poppy diaper, Kevin would have had to repeat the diaper change. Let's hear it for the first time father! Tara was so proud to watch Kevin with his three children. It's amazing the feeling that these children were created by God.
Praise
Adelaide and Andrew currently don't need medication to close their valves.
Tara's milk production. The folks in NICU are amazed at how much she's doing. They have provided her the largest bin in the deep freezer for storage.
Getting to touch, talk to, and help our babies.
Speaking with another couple in NICU with a very similar story - same gestation, same valve issue, and their baby is doing well.
The babies look better and better each day.
All of their blood gases looked great today.
Andrew continuing on Tara's milk.
Prayers from our friends and family.
Tara's blood pressure is going down slowly. She might be discharged tomorrow.
Prayer
All three will have ultrasounds on their heads tomorrow to determine if any hemorrhages are present.
Mattie would only require three doses of medication to close her value.
Adelaide's and Andrew's valves would close on their own.
Adelaide's stomach bile would clear, so she can start again on milk.
Weight gain for all three. They are super skinny.
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Three Peets' Arrival
For all of you who are new to the blog, here's the original email I sent about Adelaide's, Mattie's and Andrew's arrival.
Hi Everyone,
Tara and the babies have had a roller coaster couple of days. Tara was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday with high blood pressure and elevated liver enzymes. The doctors evaluated her and monitored her blood work for a couple of days. Her blood pressure stablized, but her liver enzymes continued to trend up. One of the baby's blood flow was bad as well, so the doctors decided to deliver them at 26 weeks and 2 days.
The babies were born on Thursday, December 18th at 4:14pm, 4:16pm, and 4:18pm. The delivery went very well for Tara. Adelaide Ann was born at 4:14pm and weighed 1lb 11oz. Mattie Jane was born second at 4:16pm, and she weighed 1lb 3oz. Andrew Tweed was born last and weighed 1lb. 9oz. There were complications with Mattie and Andrew at birth, but the NICU team was amazing. All three babies are stable and in the NICU now, and they will stay there until around their original due date of March 17th. They are very fragile right now, so the next few weeks will be critical. They've prepared us for more ups and downs. They will most likely go home at different times since each of them has their own struggles.
Tara is resting and feeling very tired and "loopy" from the drugs. Please keep us and the babies in your prayers. We are trusting that God is faithful, He knew them before they were born, and He loves them very much.
Love,
Kevin, Tara, Adelaide, Mattie, and Andrew
Hi Everyone,
Tara and the babies have had a roller coaster couple of days. Tara was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday with high blood pressure and elevated liver enzymes. The doctors evaluated her and monitored her blood work for a couple of days. Her blood pressure stablized, but her liver enzymes continued to trend up. One of the baby's blood flow was bad as well, so the doctors decided to deliver them at 26 weeks and 2 days.
The babies were born on Thursday, December 18th at 4:14pm, 4:16pm, and 4:18pm. The delivery went very well for Tara. Adelaide Ann was born at 4:14pm and weighed 1lb 11oz. Mattie Jane was born second at 4:16pm, and she weighed 1lb 3oz. Andrew Tweed was born last and weighed 1lb. 9oz. There were complications with Mattie and Andrew at birth, but the NICU team was amazing. All three babies are stable and in the NICU now, and they will stay there until around their original due date of March 17th. They are very fragile right now, so the next few weeks will be critical. They've prepared us for more ups and downs. They will most likely go home at different times since each of them has their own struggles.
Tara is resting and feeling very tired and "loopy" from the drugs. Please keep us and the babies in your prayers. We are trusting that God is faithful, He knew them before they were born, and He loves them very much.
Love,
Kevin, Tara, Adelaide, Mattie, and Andrew
Monday, December 21
Thanks to everyone for your prayers. We are feeling it and so are the babies. We've had another day of ups and downs both with Tara and the babies.
Tara's blood pressure is still really high. It was high last night before going to bed and the nurse suggested she skip a pumping session and get some solid sleep. She still had high blood pressure in the morning and throughout the day. Her pressure tonight is still elevated, but she's been on medication since this afternoon. Her liver enzymes are still fluctuating. They haven't trended down, which the nurse told us depends on each person individually.
The babies had an okay night last night. Adelaide is still doing the best out of the three. She's on the normal ventilator. She is still not on Tara's breast milk, but they will try again in a few days. Andrew had a good night. He's been on Tara's breast milk now for two whole days. Mattie's CBC came back with a significant drop in her blood count. We feared that she might have suffered a brain hemorrage, so they performed an ultrasound. Praise God that those results came back negative! They think that because she is so small she is having trouble replenishing the blood they take out to run tests. They have given her a blood transfusion to help. The doctor came to visit today and told us that each baby has a heart murmur, which is typical for preemies. They are each receiving an echo cardio gram early tomorrow morning to determine how sever. The murmur is caused by a small value that is open in their heart and can be treated with medication or surgery. If the opening is not significant then they will not need either procedure. All the babies' colors are looking good, but Adelaide's is really looking good. She's a beautiful dark pink. Mattie and Andrew both have on Santa Claus hats, which is really cute.
Praise
A negative ultrasound on Mattie's brain
Rest and sleep
All the babies's colors
Positive results from their blood gases tonight
SSI - a secondary insurance the babies qualify for that will help us with costs
Friends and Family support
Answers to our prayers
The babies being removed from anitbotics due to no infections
The doctor telling us the babies are "doing reasonaly well" and "are better than middle of the road"
Prayer
Lowering of Tara's blood pressure and liver enzymes
A postive outcome to the echo cardio grams. We need to pray that the heart murmurs are not significant enough for medication or surgery
Strength for Kevin
Peace for Tara and Kevin
Continue growth and strength for the babies
Tara's blood pressure is still really high. It was high last night before going to bed and the nurse suggested she skip a pumping session and get some solid sleep. She still had high blood pressure in the morning and throughout the day. Her pressure tonight is still elevated, but she's been on medication since this afternoon. Her liver enzymes are still fluctuating. They haven't trended down, which the nurse told us depends on each person individually.
The babies had an okay night last night. Adelaide is still doing the best out of the three. She's on the normal ventilator. She is still not on Tara's breast milk, but they will try again in a few days. Andrew had a good night. He's been on Tara's breast milk now for two whole days. Mattie's CBC came back with a significant drop in her blood count. We feared that she might have suffered a brain hemorrage, so they performed an ultrasound. Praise God that those results came back negative! They think that because she is so small she is having trouble replenishing the blood they take out to run tests. They have given her a blood transfusion to help. The doctor came to visit today and told us that each baby has a heart murmur, which is typical for preemies. They are each receiving an echo cardio gram early tomorrow morning to determine how sever. The murmur is caused by a small value that is open in their heart and can be treated with medication or surgery. If the opening is not significant then they will not need either procedure. All the babies' colors are looking good, but Adelaide's is really looking good. She's a beautiful dark pink. Mattie and Andrew both have on Santa Claus hats, which is really cute.
Praise
A negative ultrasound on Mattie's brain
Rest and sleep
All the babies's colors
Positive results from their blood gases tonight
SSI - a secondary insurance the babies qualify for that will help us with costs
Friends and Family support
Answers to our prayers
The babies being removed from anitbotics due to no infections
The doctor telling us the babies are "doing reasonaly well" and "are better than middle of the road"
Prayer
Lowering of Tara's blood pressure and liver enzymes
A postive outcome to the echo cardio grams. We need to pray that the heart murmurs are not significant enough for medication or surgery
Strength for Kevin
Peace for Tara and Kevin
Continue growth and strength for the babies
Sunday, December 20, 2009
The First Few Days
We've had a very emotional couple of days. Since the birth, Tara has recovered well. She was on magnesium for the Pre-eclampsia, and it made her very groggy. Yesterday we celebrated the removal of her iv and monitoring devices. After 24 hours, she was able to visit the babies in the NICU for the first time by wheel chair. She couldn't get over how small our precious babies are. They seem so helpless laying in their incubators with many wires and devices attached to them, but we know the technology God has provided is amazing and only helps their progress.
Tara had another celebration today when she had her first solid meal since Friday. She enjoyed a big breakfast, a shower, and walked down to the NICU at noon, so we could be there during the touching time. Preemie babies are only touched minimally at 4, 8, and 12. This is to lower the risk of brain hemorrhages. Each baby is assigned one nurse and while the nurse is performing procedures like changing diapers, adjusting devices, and caring for the babies, we were able to touch them.
The babies have had their own individual struggles over the last few days, which is something that we're learning is to be expected. One day Mattie was doing the best out of the three, and the next day she was being moved to a different ventilator and one of her lungs had collapsed. Collapsed lungs are common in preemies. The new ventilator is called a Jet and vibrates soft puffs of air into their lungs. Apparently, we should expect the babies to be switching back and forth based on how their doing. Andrew is now on the Jet as well since his numbers haven't changed that much. All three babies cultures came back as negative for infection, which is an answer to prayer. Preemies are vulnerable to infections. All three were also started on small amounts of Tara's milk yesterday every four hours. All three were able to digest the milk for 3 doses, but Adelaide had to stop after they discovered some bile in her stomach. Mattie and Andrew have continued on the doses since yesterday at noon.
Hopefully, I can send some more updates tomorrow. Good night for now.
Tara had another celebration today when she had her first solid meal since Friday. She enjoyed a big breakfast, a shower, and walked down to the NICU at noon, so we could be there during the touching time. Preemie babies are only touched minimally at 4, 8, and 12. This is to lower the risk of brain hemorrhages. Each baby is assigned one nurse and while the nurse is performing procedures like changing diapers, adjusting devices, and caring for the babies, we were able to touch them.
The babies have had their own individual struggles over the last few days, which is something that we're learning is to be expected. One day Mattie was doing the best out of the three, and the next day she was being moved to a different ventilator and one of her lungs had collapsed. Collapsed lungs are common in preemies. The new ventilator is called a Jet and vibrates soft puffs of air into their lungs. Apparently, we should expect the babies to be switching back and forth based on how their doing. Andrew is now on the Jet as well since his numbers haven't changed that much. All three babies cultures came back as negative for infection, which is an answer to prayer. Preemies are vulnerable to infections. All three were also started on small amounts of Tara's milk yesterday every four hours. All three were able to digest the milk for 3 doses, but Adelaide had to stop after they discovered some bile in her stomach. Mattie and Andrew have continued on the doses since yesterday at noon.
Hopefully, I can send some more updates tomorrow. Good night for now.
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