Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
We have great news to share. Over the past few months, Andrew has had several procedures to clear his airway of skin growth (granulomas) by using a laser to graph them out. The first was back at the end of March. We had a follow-up procedure to see how the first surgery went that turned into another surgery when the doctor discovered the airway was still blocked with granulomas. Finally, we had another follow-up procedure a few weeks ago that only lasted twenty minutes where the doctor discovered the airway was clear and there were no further obstructions. The doctor ordered a capped sleep study that Andrew did last week. We went to a sleep institute, and Andrew was loaded up with wires and probes. Needless to say, it was a rough night. Andrew was up a lot and very upset with the equipment he had to wear. If he passed the exam, the doctors where going to clear him to have his trach taken out, but after the rough night we had, we thought we might have to repeat the test. The great news came today. The doctor's office called and said that Andrew did great during the sleep study. We'll be scheduling to have his trach removed very soon. Our two doctors (pulmonolgist and ENT) need to confer on who will do the procedure. We're praising God! Thank you all for your prayers and support during this time, and we look forward to the next chapter in our lives.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Andrew's surgery went very well today. The doctor discovered a granuloma, which is a skin growth that forms around the hole in his throat where the trach is placed. The skin growth had moved into his trachea and was blocking a majority of his airway, so that is why he couldn't breathe naturally. The doctor lasered the growth out, and Andrew is spending the night in the ICU as a precaution. We feel this is the beginning of the end to Andrew having a trach. Praise God.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Well, well. Where have we been? Nine long months have gone by. We've seen a new baby come to our family, a new job for Kevin, and a new minivan. Let's get you caught up.
Charles Mark Peet was born on November 9, 2011. There were no complications. He was 6lbs. 9oz and 19 3/4 inches long. He did spend a few hours in the NICU to be observed by our wonderful staff that cared for the triplets. He had a slight grunting and his heart rate was erratic. It was totally precautionary, but it was great to see the staff. Andrew's primary nurse from his NICU stay "caught" Charley when he was born. It was very special. He is completely different than the triplets. He's growing fast and has lots of baby fat on him. He's also sleeping through the night for about 9-10 hours. Tara's very grateful. He has a wonderful giggle and is an extremely happy baby.
The triplets are doing really well. Adelaide, Mattie and Andrew are jabbering all the time. All of them have attended speech therapy. Andrew's been with a therapist for awhile now, and Adelaide and Mattie have been going for about a month. Adelaide just "tested out" and doesn't have to go back. Miss Mattie will continue once a week until she tests out. They're all normal toddlers: climbing, getting into things, throwing tantrums, playing, running, falling, walking, tripping, etc. Our house seems to be in a constant state of noise and destruction until everyone goes to sleep. Then the fairies (mom and dad) come in and clean and straighten. We haven't been out much with the kids. Until recently, our vehicles couldn't fit our entire family. We now have a minivan that seats 8. No, we're not having any more children. We've also been careful to keep everyone sequestered during cold and flu season because of Andrew's condition.
Andrew still has his trach and feeding button. We were hoping to have the trach taken out last summer, but none of the doctors even mentioned it. We have never been able to cap Andrew's trach to force him to breathe through his mouth and nose. When we cap it, Andrew panics and turns purple. This is a crucial step to train him to breathe on his own and get the trach removed. The doctors feel there is some blockage or something hindering inside his natural trach. Andrew is having a procedure/scope tomorrow where they will put him under and see what is going on inside. We're praying for an answer and solution, so we can move forward. Andrew is doing better on his feeds. He's actually moved along quite well for a kid who has a small tube down the back of his throat at all times. He still takes a bottle of formula, but has been eating stage 3 baby food. He's recently started eating pureed versions of our dinner. He's so brave and willing to try it, but he has trouble with textures and trying to swallow the small chunks. He's still a slow grower, but we're trying our best to put as many calories in him as possible. He's a few pounds lighter than Adelaide.
Kevin spent a year working in sales. He sold home security systems, which is pretty challenging. The whole year was challenging, but God provided everything that we needed. Kevin was working 6 days a week for the home security company. During the fall, Kevin worked a few freelance jobs in video production and was given the opportunity to go to China and India for a video. The timing of the job was just what we needed, and we knew it was a blessing from God. Tara was strained during the time Kevin was gone, but she set her mind to what needed to happen and did a great job of covering while Kevin was working. Our families helped out and came up to help Tara. We've been blessed with amazing family members. While Kevin was overseas, he was contacted by our church to come on staff as the Video Production Manager. We were so excited when the opportunity came up. Kevin accepted the position and has been in his new job since March 1.
Praises
The birth of Charley.
Growth and development.
Kevin's new job.
Our new minivan.
God's provision over the last year.
God's blessing after blessing.
Prayers
Protection for Andrew during the procedure.
An answer to why he can't breathe on his own.
Andrew would learn to chew and swallow (we're waiting on acceptance to a feeding program).
Skill and wisdom for the doctor.
Mattie's speech would improve.
Charles Mark Peet was born on November 9, 2011. There were no complications. He was 6lbs. 9oz and 19 3/4 inches long. He did spend a few hours in the NICU to be observed by our wonderful staff that cared for the triplets. He had a slight grunting and his heart rate was erratic. It was totally precautionary, but it was great to see the staff. Andrew's primary nurse from his NICU stay "caught" Charley when he was born. It was very special. He is completely different than the triplets. He's growing fast and has lots of baby fat on him. He's also sleeping through the night for about 9-10 hours. Tara's very grateful. He has a wonderful giggle and is an extremely happy baby.
The triplets are doing really well. Adelaide, Mattie and Andrew are jabbering all the time. All of them have attended speech therapy. Andrew's been with a therapist for awhile now, and Adelaide and Mattie have been going for about a month. Adelaide just "tested out" and doesn't have to go back. Miss Mattie will continue once a week until she tests out. They're all normal toddlers: climbing, getting into things, throwing tantrums, playing, running, falling, walking, tripping, etc. Our house seems to be in a constant state of noise and destruction until everyone goes to sleep. Then the fairies (mom and dad) come in and clean and straighten. We haven't been out much with the kids. Until recently, our vehicles couldn't fit our entire family. We now have a minivan that seats 8. No, we're not having any more children. We've also been careful to keep everyone sequestered during cold and flu season because of Andrew's condition.
Andrew still has his trach and feeding button. We were hoping to have the trach taken out last summer, but none of the doctors even mentioned it. We have never been able to cap Andrew's trach to force him to breathe through his mouth and nose. When we cap it, Andrew panics and turns purple. This is a crucial step to train him to breathe on his own and get the trach removed. The doctors feel there is some blockage or something hindering inside his natural trach. Andrew is having a procedure/scope tomorrow where they will put him under and see what is going on inside. We're praying for an answer and solution, so we can move forward. Andrew is doing better on his feeds. He's actually moved along quite well for a kid who has a small tube down the back of his throat at all times. He still takes a bottle of formula, but has been eating stage 3 baby food. He's recently started eating pureed versions of our dinner. He's so brave and willing to try it, but he has trouble with textures and trying to swallow the small chunks. He's still a slow grower, but we're trying our best to put as many calories in him as possible. He's a few pounds lighter than Adelaide.
Kevin spent a year working in sales. He sold home security systems, which is pretty challenging. The whole year was challenging, but God provided everything that we needed. Kevin was working 6 days a week for the home security company. During the fall, Kevin worked a few freelance jobs in video production and was given the opportunity to go to China and India for a video. The timing of the job was just what we needed, and we knew it was a blessing from God. Tara was strained during the time Kevin was gone, but she set her mind to what needed to happen and did a great job of covering while Kevin was working. Our families helped out and came up to help Tara. We've been blessed with amazing family members. While Kevin was overseas, he was contacted by our church to come on staff as the Video Production Manager. We were so excited when the opportunity came up. Kevin accepted the position and has been in his new job since March 1.
Praises
The birth of Charley.
Growth and development.
Kevin's new job.
Our new minivan.
God's provision over the last year.
God's blessing after blessing.
Prayers
Protection for Andrew during the procedure.
An answer to why he can't breathe on his own.
Andrew would learn to chew and swallow (we're waiting on acceptance to a feeding program).
Skill and wisdom for the doctor.
Mattie's speech would improve.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Saturday, June 25
It's been almost three months since our last posting. Time is completely flying by in our life. We some times feel we're in "survival" mode. Just doing enough to get through the day. Tara has been very busy with the babies as they are all really active. Kevin has been working at his new job in home security and working lots of hours. Trying to update the blog has been difficult, so some of our news will be delayed.
First, we are expecting again. Surprise! We are expecting baby #4 in November. We go next week to find out the sex. Of course, we would be blessed with anything God give us, but a boy would be great to even out the field (from Kevin).
Adelaide is doing great. She's walking all over and talking more. She gets into everything and seems to be the boss of everyone. She's turning into a great kid with a funny sense of humor.
Mattie is also doing well. She's just now getting her feet under her and doing more walking. She walks very deliberately when she wants to. She's been talking some and loves to help Tara with the piles of laundry we have in the house. She also does a great job of picking up toys.
Andrew has been weaned off the ventilator. Praise God! He does require some oxygen overnight, but hasn't been on the vent since May. We had a great three day stay in the hospital to wean him off, and he responded well. He has been sick lately with a lot of mucus in his stomach, so his oxygen needs have gone up. Recently, we have found small amounts of blood in his trach, but the doctor doesn't seem concerned. He says that it's similar to blood in your sinuses when you're sick. Unfortunately, it looks like he will not be getting the trach out in late summer, and most likely, will have to wait until next spring. The doctor will not want to take it out during cold and flu season. Andrew, like Mattie, has started walking more and more. He's quick as a whip.
Praise
The blessing of baby #4
Andrew being weaned off ventilator.
Mattie and Andrew walking.
All the babies catching up developmentally.
Prayer
Andrew's health. That his cold would go away and that the mucus would lessen.
Andrew's oxygen needs going down.
Andrew would improve on his speaking valve. This is a determining factor in getting the trach out.
Kevin's job would provide what the family needs.
Rest and strength for Tara as she cares for toddlers and carries our #4.
First, we are expecting again. Surprise! We are expecting baby #4 in November. We go next week to find out the sex. Of course, we would be blessed with anything God give us, but a boy would be great to even out the field (from Kevin).
Adelaide is doing great. She's walking all over and talking more. She gets into everything and seems to be the boss of everyone. She's turning into a great kid with a funny sense of humor.
Mattie is also doing well. She's just now getting her feet under her and doing more walking. She walks very deliberately when she wants to. She's been talking some and loves to help Tara with the piles of laundry we have in the house. She also does a great job of picking up toys.
Andrew has been weaned off the ventilator. Praise God! He does require some oxygen overnight, but hasn't been on the vent since May. We had a great three day stay in the hospital to wean him off, and he responded well. He has been sick lately with a lot of mucus in his stomach, so his oxygen needs have gone up. Recently, we have found small amounts of blood in his trach, but the doctor doesn't seem concerned. He says that it's similar to blood in your sinuses when you're sick. Unfortunately, it looks like he will not be getting the trach out in late summer, and most likely, will have to wait until next spring. The doctor will not want to take it out during cold and flu season. Andrew, like Mattie, has started walking more and more. He's quick as a whip.
Praise
The blessing of baby #4
Andrew being weaned off ventilator.
Mattie and Andrew walking.
All the babies catching up developmentally.
Prayer
Andrew's health. That his cold would go away and that the mucus would lessen.
Andrew's oxygen needs going down.
Andrew would improve on his speaking valve. This is a determining factor in getting the trach out.
Kevin's job would provide what the family needs.
Rest and strength for Tara as she cares for toddlers and carries our #4.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Saturday April 9, 2011
It has been almost two months since our last posting. With a new job for Kevin, and the babies becoming more active, it's been very difficult to keep up with the updates. We had a really bad month of March, but everything is better now. To catch you up, Andrew aspirated on March 9th while he was sleeping during a feed. Tara and Kevin had just laid down to go to bed when we heard Andrew's alarms going off. When we went into check, our night nurse and the orientee nurse were over Andrew pumping oxygen into him. He had sat up, burped, and inhaled at the same time. He turned blue and was unresponsive. We called 911, and the nurses worked on Andrew for several minutes. We changed out is trach and by the time the first responders arrived, Andrew's color had returned. We took him to Children's Medical Center, and he spent two days there for observation. He had fluid in his upper right lobe. The antibiotic that they put him on gave him a full body rash after the dose was done. What a surprise. Andrew followed that with a double ear infection. On top of that, all three babies contracted RSV. Luckily, they had been taking shots to lessen the effects of RSV, so none of the babies required a hospital stay. They sounded and looked awful for several days. Also in March, we found a home for our dog, Belle. She now lives in Albuquerque with a 69 year old widower and a chihuahua named Poo-poo. We've heard some wonderful stories about her new life, and we're thankful she's in such a good situation. We are all heartbroken that she's no longer our dog. Adelaide is starting to take her first steps without assistance. She stands for several minutes by herself as well. We have found Adelaide several times sitting in a rocking chair or living room chair unassisted. She had a great checkup at her 15 month appointment. She's very good at repeating words. Her vocabulary is expanding. In addition, Adelaide has choreographed several new dance moves. Mattie has been crawling on hands and knees for several weeks now. She walks along our sofa or uses several rolling toys as support to walk around. Mattie said, "mama, up, up!" the other day. She has the most teeth of any of the babies and has perfected the slap. She's very feisty and gets into slap fights with Adelaide over toys. Andrew is doing very well on his bottle feeds. Finally! He had been struggling since the doctor changed his formula. As we now look back, we believe Andrew's ear infection and RSV really affected his eating. There were times when he would only take 5-10ml of formula and fight us the entire time. Andrew walks assisted and really flies around with the rolling toys. Andrew is up to 17lbs. and will hopefully have a three day stay in the hospital to wean him off his vent at the end of the month. Andrew has excelled at chasing things on the floor. He will chase you around the furniture with a banshee yell. Praise Kevin started a new job in February with ADT Security. We're very thankful that he found a job with good benefits. All the babies made it through RSV. God's protection over Andrew during his aspiration. Andrew's improved feeding. Mobile babies. A wonderful new home for Belle. Fantastic nurses. Prayer Andrew's feeding continues to improve. Andrew's weight gain. Vent clinic visit would lead to a weaning of the vent. Continued protection of the babies. Wisdom in the purchase of a car that will fit our whole family. God's provision through Kevin's job.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sunday, February 13
We're having a beautiful day here in Texas and just took the girls for a walk. Andrew is still digesting his food, so we're going to take him on a special walk in a little while. Here's our monthly update.
Adelaide is doing great. She's over 20 lbs. now. She's pulling up on furniture and standing on her own. We've been practicing walking with her, and she does a good job of putting one foot in front of the other. She's making clear sounds like dada and mama. She also calls out to our dog Belle with beh.
Mattie has really taken off...literally. Mattie is doing great crawling. She loves to go down the hall with Andrew and Adelaide where they have "hall parties". She's pulled up on our ottoman and in her crib. This is very special to us because it took Mattie longer to do this than the other two. The wait was long, but so sweet. We're transitioning both girls off their NeoSure formula and to whole milk and Pediasure.
Andrew went to vent clinic this week, and his doctor said his lungs look the best he's seen them. Andrew is at 15lbs. He gained weight since the last vent clinic and was actually on the lower end of a normal daily weight gain. Andrew is being weaned to 14 hours off the ventilator for the next two weeks. If he responds well, he will move to 16 hours off for two more weeks. We would then have a three day visit to the hospital where they would take him off the ventilator completely and monitor him for the three days. He's pulling up and cruising very well. He also has his seventh tooth. Andrew is moving to a new formula, which is more appropriate for his growth state. Andrew saw a GI doctor recently because of some bile he's had. The doctor thought he looked great and felt the bile was normal. We're waiting on x-ray results early next week.
We're sad to announce that we have to give away our dog Belle. It's been too much for a seven year old dog to adjust to the babies. We've had a couple of circumstances where Belle has snipped at the babies. Right now, Tara's brother is going to be a transition home for Belle in Albuquerque. If you know anyone who loves Jack Russell Terriers and would like a well trained, sweet dog, please let us know. Belle doesn't do well with other dogs, cats or babies, but she loves people. We're really hoping to find people who know and understand the Jack mentality and would be accepting to who she is. We're broken-hearted.
Praise
Andrew's great report from vent clinic.
Andrew getting off the vent more and more.
Mattie moving around and pulling up.
Adelaide's great personality and laughter.
Kevin has multiple opportunities for full time work.
Prayer
Andrew's stomach issues would lessen.
Andrew would do well with his new formula and being off the vent.
Some of Andrew's new medical equipment may not be covered by insurance. Please pray that it does.
A new home for Belle.
A decision for Kevin's job opportunities.
Adelaide is doing great. She's over 20 lbs. now. She's pulling up on furniture and standing on her own. We've been practicing walking with her, and she does a good job of putting one foot in front of the other. She's making clear sounds like dada and mama. She also calls out to our dog Belle with beh.
Mattie has really taken off...literally. Mattie is doing great crawling. She loves to go down the hall with Andrew and Adelaide where they have "hall parties". She's pulled up on our ottoman and in her crib. This is very special to us because it took Mattie longer to do this than the other two. The wait was long, but so sweet. We're transitioning both girls off their NeoSure formula and to whole milk and Pediasure.
Andrew went to vent clinic this week, and his doctor said his lungs look the best he's seen them. Andrew is at 15lbs. He gained weight since the last vent clinic and was actually on the lower end of a normal daily weight gain. Andrew is being weaned to 14 hours off the ventilator for the next two weeks. If he responds well, he will move to 16 hours off for two more weeks. We would then have a three day visit to the hospital where they would take him off the ventilator completely and monitor him for the three days. He's pulling up and cruising very well. He also has his seventh tooth. Andrew is moving to a new formula, which is more appropriate for his growth state. Andrew saw a GI doctor recently because of some bile he's had. The doctor thought he looked great and felt the bile was normal. We're waiting on x-ray results early next week.
We're sad to announce that we have to give away our dog Belle. It's been too much for a seven year old dog to adjust to the babies. We've had a couple of circumstances where Belle has snipped at the babies. Right now, Tara's brother is going to be a transition home for Belle in Albuquerque. If you know anyone who loves Jack Russell Terriers and would like a well trained, sweet dog, please let us know. Belle doesn't do well with other dogs, cats or babies, but she loves people. We're really hoping to find people who know and understand the Jack mentality and would be accepting to who she is. We're broken-hearted.
Praise
Andrew's great report from vent clinic.
Andrew getting off the vent more and more.
Mattie moving around and pulling up.
Adelaide's great personality and laughter.
Kevin has multiple opportunities for full time work.
Prayer
Andrew's stomach issues would lessen.
Andrew would do well with his new formula and being off the vent.
Some of Andrew's new medical equipment may not be covered by insurance. Please pray that it does.
A new home for Belle.
A decision for Kevin's job opportunities.
Peek-a-boo
The girls have now learned to peek-a-boo together at the dinner table. We had a good chuckle, and we hope you do too.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Tuesday, January 11
We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We've missed blogging and keeping everyone updated. It's been over a month since our last blog - again. It's so hard finding the time between feeds, changing diapers, playing, wrangling, and work. The holidays were pretty busy for us and not what we had anticipated. We hope next year will be less hectic on Christmas Day, but more about that to follow. Get ready for a long read because we have a lot to type to catch you up.
At the beginning of December, the state weaned our hours for nurse care since Andrew was on the ventilator for only 12 hours a day. We talked about how to wean the hours and since Tara's been tutoring in the evenings, we thought it would be good to wean a few hours in the early morning and all day on Saturday. Tara gets up at 5:00 to watch Andrew until 7:00. The girls typically wake up around 7:30, so the plan works on most days. Kevin helps if they get up early and watches them while Tara grabs a quick shower before starting her day with the girls. The first few Saturdays of taking care of Andrew on our own was overwhelming and frustrating. We have had to adapt our schedules, so one person isn't caring for him for too long at one time. Andrew is very active and has special treatments and needs that require constant attention. He's also on a schedule for all of his treatments, so if one thing goes wrong, it can get pretty frustrating. We're thankful that the last two Saturdays have been great with our new schedule.
We had photos taken for a Christmas Card and to hang on our walls to celebrate their first year. Our friend at jmphotoimages.com donated her time for the session and gave us free prints of the pictures. We want to thank her for doing a wonderful job and for being so generous. You can see some of the pictures on previous posts on the blog.
On December 18th, we celebrated the babies' first birthday. We only had our family over for a party to limit the amount of people due to the cold and flu season. Unfortunately, Tara's parents and brother-in-law both had colds and weren't able to attend. Tara's mom did make the cake and cupcakes for the babies. The theme was Little Blue Truck, which is one of their favorite books. Each baby had a cupcake to smoosh between their fingers. This was the first sweets that they've ever tasted. Their diet has been formula, cereal, fruits, and vegetables. Adelaide and Mattie took to the cupcakes, and Mattie was the first to discover how good sugar is. It was hilarious watching them lick their fingers and smear blue icing all over their faces. Andrew was less interested and got overwhelmed with all the attention from people watching him. He ended up falling asleep in his high chair after crying for awhile. The babies received awesome toys for learning. They have Discovery Toys, Little Einstein, V-tech, and Leap Frog toys that will help them develop.
Christmas Day was not what we had envisioned and anticipated, but the afternoon was much better than the morning. We were caring for Andrew that day, and thankfully had a nurse that was willing to come in and help us in the afternoon. The whole family had been fighting colds and little sleep for the week leading up to Christmas, which added to the frustration of the day. Andrew had come down with a cold and was on increased treatments and medicine. It seemed like he had something every hour that had to be done. We had a thirty minute window to open presents before Andrew had a treatment, so that was really rushed. When the nurse arrived, it seem to calm down. It's very helpful having a third person to help. We gathered up the babies and headed to Kevin's parent's house for Christmas dinner and to open presents with his family. We had a great time despite being tired and fatigued.
Miss Adelaide - Adelaide is the one we have to wrangle the most. She's still crawling all over the place and goes on the most "adventures". We'll find her down the hall or standing at the gate that leads to Andrew's room crying for him to come out to play. To tell the truth, she really wants in his room to explore. Adelaide and Mattie love to talk and giggle to each other. She pulls herself up to a standing position and has taken a few steps. She has four teeth total with two more on the way. She's just under 20lbs.
Mattie Jane - Mattie got her helmet off just before Christmas, and she looks beautiful. Her head shaped very nicely, and her face changed as well. Mattie was the last to crawl, and for awhile, we were worried that she wouldn't. Recently, she's been crawling to the gate at Andrew's room or down the hall to the nursery. The other evening, Kevin was watching the girls while Tara tutored. Adelaide had crawled between our love seat and sofa, behind the love seat and then to the gate leading into the kitchen. Mattie decided to follow, but she was delayed halfway on the trip. We keep several of their toys in bins behind the love seat. She stopped to play and pull things out. When Tara came home, she asked, "Where's my Mattie?". Kevin told her Mattie had gone on a "walkabout". Suddenly, Mattie started to giggle from behind the love seat. It was such a neat feeling to have her moving around. Mattie weighs around 18lbs.
Andrew - Andrew had a check up before he got sick, and the doctor wanted to wean him even further off the ventilator to 16 hours. After discovering that Andrew had only gained 1lb. in two months due to the calories he burns trying to breathe on his own and being so active, Tara asked the doctor to wait on the weaning and keep him at 12 hours. She wanted him to gain weight first, knowing that he would probably lose weight being off for 16 hours. Well, Andrew gained 1lb. in 3 weeks. His cold did slow him down, and we're thankful that he wasn't on the 16 hour wean when the cold hit. It could have been very hard on him. He's doing a better job of holding his feeds down, but the added mucus he has doesn't sit well on his stomach. He's thrown up just mucus on several occasions. We have a speech therapist that works with Andrew a couple of times a week. He is much more vocal now, and we can hear him make noise even when on the ventilator. It's a sweet sound. Andrew is close to 15lbs.
Praises
Our babies are a year old.
Mattie is crawling.
Adelaide and Mattie, and their games of peek-a-boo.
Strong, healthy, and thriving babies.
Andrew's voice.
Prayer
Sleep and comfort for teething babies.
Protection during cold and flu season.
Sleep and rest for Kevin and Tara.
A full time job with benefits for Kevin.
The clearing of the mucus that Andrew still has.
Growth for Andrew.
At the beginning of December, the state weaned our hours for nurse care since Andrew was on the ventilator for only 12 hours a day. We talked about how to wean the hours and since Tara's been tutoring in the evenings, we thought it would be good to wean a few hours in the early morning and all day on Saturday. Tara gets up at 5:00 to watch Andrew until 7:00. The girls typically wake up around 7:30, so the plan works on most days. Kevin helps if they get up early and watches them while Tara grabs a quick shower before starting her day with the girls. The first few Saturdays of taking care of Andrew on our own was overwhelming and frustrating. We have had to adapt our schedules, so one person isn't caring for him for too long at one time. Andrew is very active and has special treatments and needs that require constant attention. He's also on a schedule for all of his treatments, so if one thing goes wrong, it can get pretty frustrating. We're thankful that the last two Saturdays have been great with our new schedule.
We had photos taken for a Christmas Card and to hang on our walls to celebrate their first year. Our friend at jmphotoimages.com donated her time for the session and gave us free prints of the pictures. We want to thank her for doing a wonderful job and for being so generous. You can see some of the pictures on previous posts on the blog.
On December 18th, we celebrated the babies' first birthday. We only had our family over for a party to limit the amount of people due to the cold and flu season. Unfortunately, Tara's parents and brother-in-law both had colds and weren't able to attend. Tara's mom did make the cake and cupcakes for the babies. The theme was Little Blue Truck, which is one of their favorite books. Each baby had a cupcake to smoosh between their fingers. This was the first sweets that they've ever tasted. Their diet has been formula, cereal, fruits, and vegetables. Adelaide and Mattie took to the cupcakes, and Mattie was the first to discover how good sugar is. It was hilarious watching them lick their fingers and smear blue icing all over their faces. Andrew was less interested and got overwhelmed with all the attention from people watching him. He ended up falling asleep in his high chair after crying for awhile. The babies received awesome toys for learning. They have Discovery Toys, Little Einstein, V-tech, and Leap Frog toys that will help them develop.
Christmas Day was not what we had envisioned and anticipated, but the afternoon was much better than the morning. We were caring for Andrew that day, and thankfully had a nurse that was willing to come in and help us in the afternoon. The whole family had been fighting colds and little sleep for the week leading up to Christmas, which added to the frustration of the day. Andrew had come down with a cold and was on increased treatments and medicine. It seemed like he had something every hour that had to be done. We had a thirty minute window to open presents before Andrew had a treatment, so that was really rushed. When the nurse arrived, it seem to calm down. It's very helpful having a third person to help. We gathered up the babies and headed to Kevin's parent's house for Christmas dinner and to open presents with his family. We had a great time despite being tired and fatigued.
Miss Adelaide - Adelaide is the one we have to wrangle the most. She's still crawling all over the place and goes on the most "adventures". We'll find her down the hall or standing at the gate that leads to Andrew's room crying for him to come out to play. To tell the truth, she really wants in his room to explore. Adelaide and Mattie love to talk and giggle to each other. She pulls herself up to a standing position and has taken a few steps. She has four teeth total with two more on the way. She's just under 20lbs.
Mattie Jane - Mattie got her helmet off just before Christmas, and she looks beautiful. Her head shaped very nicely, and her face changed as well. Mattie was the last to crawl, and for awhile, we were worried that she wouldn't. Recently, she's been crawling to the gate at Andrew's room or down the hall to the nursery. The other evening, Kevin was watching the girls while Tara tutored. Adelaide had crawled between our love seat and sofa, behind the love seat and then to the gate leading into the kitchen. Mattie decided to follow, but she was delayed halfway on the trip. We keep several of their toys in bins behind the love seat. She stopped to play and pull things out. When Tara came home, she asked, "Where's my Mattie?". Kevin told her Mattie had gone on a "walkabout". Suddenly, Mattie started to giggle from behind the love seat. It was such a neat feeling to have her moving around. Mattie weighs around 18lbs.
Andrew - Andrew had a check up before he got sick, and the doctor wanted to wean him even further off the ventilator to 16 hours. After discovering that Andrew had only gained 1lb. in two months due to the calories he burns trying to breathe on his own and being so active, Tara asked the doctor to wait on the weaning and keep him at 12 hours. She wanted him to gain weight first, knowing that he would probably lose weight being off for 16 hours. Well, Andrew gained 1lb. in 3 weeks. His cold did slow him down, and we're thankful that he wasn't on the 16 hour wean when the cold hit. It could have been very hard on him. He's doing a better job of holding his feeds down, but the added mucus he has doesn't sit well on his stomach. He's thrown up just mucus on several occasions. We have a speech therapist that works with Andrew a couple of times a week. He is much more vocal now, and we can hear him make noise even when on the ventilator. It's a sweet sound. Andrew is close to 15lbs.
Praises
Our babies are a year old.
Mattie is crawling.
Adelaide and Mattie, and their games of peek-a-boo.
Strong, healthy, and thriving babies.
Andrew's voice.
Prayer
Sleep and comfort for teething babies.
Protection during cold and flu season.
Sleep and rest for Kevin and Tara.
A full time job with benefits for Kevin.
The clearing of the mucus that Andrew still has.
Growth for Andrew.
Christmas Card Pictures
Here are a few shots from our photo session for our Christmas card. Thanks to jmphotoimages.com for donating her time and doing an awesome job.
Monday, November 29, 2010
We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We were able to celebrate over at Tara's parent's with all three babies in tow. Kevin's mom was going to host our family, but she came down sick the day before. Our nurse for the day was able to get Andrew ready by 10:30. It was a great day with family and time for us to be thankful for our many blessings. We're thankful every day, but it was good to think back over the past year.
Our babies are now 11 months old, and boy are they changing every day. There's so much going on with them that Kevin's been compiling a list to share.
Adelaide now has two teeth on her bottom and working on one or two on the top. We have several toys that play music, and Adelaide loves to bounce and bob her head when the music comes on. She seems to be the most musically inclined. She also crawls all over the place. Adelaide loves to crawl into Andrew's room, so we've put a gate up because of all the equipment in his room. She also enjoys crawling on us as we sit with them on the floor, which she's doing right now as we're typing. A few weeks ago, she weighed in at 17lbs. 9oz.
Mattie is doing very well with her helmet. Her head is shaping up nicely, and we anticipate it coming off at the end of December. Mattie is very thoughtful and observing. She's a watcher for sure. Mattie just got her first tooth. She was the last to cut one. She hasn't crawled on her own yet. We give her assistance by placing our hands behind her feet to give her something to push off. She can roll to toys on the floor, but we're working with her on the crawling. Mattie says mama very well. She likes to say it while crying when Tara leaves the room. Adelaide is also saying mama. Mattie weighed 16lbs. 8oz. a few weeks ago.
Andrew is doing very well. He's off the ventilator for 12 hours a day now. He has required oxygen while sleeping at night, so we're monitoring him and may need to go back to 10 hours off the ventilator. The big news is that Andrew has four teeth. He's got two bucky beavers up top that are so cute. He doesn't crawl as much as Adelaide, but his crawling is better. He can move around on hands and knees, goes from stomach to sitting up, and pulls himself up to standing position. We're guessing that he'll be the first to walk. Andrew still smiles the biggest smiles you've ever seen, and has a great disposition. He's been working with a Speech Therapist, and we've heard his voice several times through a speaking valve. He's even speaking through his trach as well. Andrew weighed 13lbs. 4oz. last week.
We recently took family photos to celebrate the babies first birthday and to use as a Christmas card. We're having a hard time deciding which one to use. We shot them at the Botanic Gardens, and they turned out wonderful. Keep an eye on the blog for future postings.
For a little fun, we gave the babies American Indian names in the spirit of Dances with Wolves. Adelaide (Voice like Thunder) Mattie (Stares at Face) and Andrew (Crawls like Worm).
Praise
The babies growth and development.
Andrew weaning off the ventilator.
The babies saying "mama".
God's provision for our family.
Crawling babies.
Prayer
Andrew's lungs would continue to strengthen.
Andrew would gain weight and strength.
Mattie would crawl.
Our nursing staff has been a little depleted. Please pray for qualified nurses.
For peace and joy in our house.
Kevin's still searching for a staff position. Please pray that the right job would come.
Our babies are now 11 months old, and boy are they changing every day. There's so much going on with them that Kevin's been compiling a list to share.
Adelaide now has two teeth on her bottom and working on one or two on the top. We have several toys that play music, and Adelaide loves to bounce and bob her head when the music comes on. She seems to be the most musically inclined. She also crawls all over the place. Adelaide loves to crawl into Andrew's room, so we've put a gate up because of all the equipment in his room. She also enjoys crawling on us as we sit with them on the floor, which she's doing right now as we're typing. A few weeks ago, she weighed in at 17lbs. 9oz.
Mattie is doing very well with her helmet. Her head is shaping up nicely, and we anticipate it coming off at the end of December. Mattie is very thoughtful and observing. She's a watcher for sure. Mattie just got her first tooth. She was the last to cut one. She hasn't crawled on her own yet. We give her assistance by placing our hands behind her feet to give her something to push off. She can roll to toys on the floor, but we're working with her on the crawling. Mattie says mama very well. She likes to say it while crying when Tara leaves the room. Adelaide is also saying mama. Mattie weighed 16lbs. 8oz. a few weeks ago.
Andrew is doing very well. He's off the ventilator for 12 hours a day now. He has required oxygen while sleeping at night, so we're monitoring him and may need to go back to 10 hours off the ventilator. The big news is that Andrew has four teeth. He's got two bucky beavers up top that are so cute. He doesn't crawl as much as Adelaide, but his crawling is better. He can move around on hands and knees, goes from stomach to sitting up, and pulls himself up to standing position. We're guessing that he'll be the first to walk. Andrew still smiles the biggest smiles you've ever seen, and has a great disposition. He's been working with a Speech Therapist, and we've heard his voice several times through a speaking valve. He's even speaking through his trach as well. Andrew weighed 13lbs. 4oz. last week.
We recently took family photos to celebrate the babies first birthday and to use as a Christmas card. We're having a hard time deciding which one to use. We shot them at the Botanic Gardens, and they turned out wonderful. Keep an eye on the blog for future postings.
For a little fun, we gave the babies American Indian names in the spirit of Dances with Wolves. Adelaide (Voice like Thunder) Mattie (Stares at Face) and Andrew (Crawls like Worm).
Praise
The babies growth and development.
Andrew weaning off the ventilator.
The babies saying "mama".
God's provision for our family.
Crawling babies.
Prayer
Andrew's lungs would continue to strengthen.
Andrew would gain weight and strength.
Mattie would crawl.
Our nursing staff has been a little depleted. Please pray for qualified nurses.
For peace and joy in our house.
Kevin's still searching for a staff position. Please pray that the right job would come.
Friday, October 15, 2010
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