Together again

Just a quick update to say our boys our in fact, back together again and we couldn't be happier. They seem to be happy too!

O' Happy Day

Great news for today. Drew is coming back to Mercy after 4.5 weeks away at UCD. Having them back in the same hospital will make it so much easier to visit them, not to mention they get to be together! We are so excited. Here is hoping it actually happens! Drew is actually doing very well right now. He is eating 10 ml every 3 hours and is tolerating it beautifully. He is still getting the fluid from his brain tapped every other day. He weighs 2 lbs 11.7 oz. He wore his very first outfit on Saturday! We cannot believe how much he has grown and even though he has been through a lot he is doing so well. We are so very proud of him!

Brody continues to do awesome! He is off his C-pap and on to a high pressure nasal cannula. He is on full feeds (22 ml every 3 hours with added protein and calories) and continues to gain weight. He weighs 2 lbs, 9 oz. He is wearing clothes like a GQ model! Brody is very happy that his brother will be joining him, they will be celebrating tonight with shots of boobie milk!

Monday update

Brody is still doing very well. He is still off the vent for a week now, whohoo! He is on c-pap and doing very well. His feeds are up to 20 ml every three hours and he is doing great with that. He weighs 2 lbs, 3 oz and is growing and growing. He has started to wear clothing which we think is so cute! He is pretty much holding his own. We are very happy with his progress.

Drew is doing okay. His surgeons put in a reservoir in order to better access his brain to tap his fluid. They gave thought to putting in a shunt but changed their minds as he is still too small at this time. He did okay with the reservoir placement, but they have not fed him since Thursday. He has been having problems with his oxygen and Co2 so they have raised his vent settings. He has pneumonia and is being treated for that. The poor little guy has had so many things wrong with him we feel so bad. They used his new reservoir to tap him and removed 15 ml of fluid. He seemed more comfortable after that. He weighs 2 lbs, 5 oz. We have noticed that he does not really sleep he just cat naps that should make things interesting when he comes home ;)

Amber held both boys today. It has been about 2.5 weeks since the first time we held Drew. Drew did well and he hung in there for about an hour and a half. Ever since he has been at UCD he doesn't really sleep. It is really loud there and they just have him in a bed where all the noise can be heard. We can't wait until he goes back to Mercy. At Mercy the swaddle them and allow them to rest. Mercy is also much better with parents and giving updates daily.

Brody loves to be held and talked to. They are even talking about taking him off the C-pap and moving him to a nasal cannula. Big step!

The Tiniest Cry

Brody came off the vent again today. He is eating and his feeds are going well. They are adding 1 ml every 12 hours. As of midnight he was eating 11 ml and tolerating very well. We haven't been able to hold him again since he went back on the oscillator, but after work last night I went back to the hospital and I got to hold him and hear him cry for the very FIRST time! It was very tiny but so cute. He did very well and seemed to enjoy being held. He is also up to 2 lbs now! Lil porker!

Drew got tapped on Sunday and they removed 9 ml of fluid from his brain. They expect that they will have to do it again today (Tues). He is still not tolerating his feeds very well, but he has had lots going on. He is gaining weight also and weighs 1 lb 14 oz.

One Step Back

We got some news about Drew last night. He has developed hydrocephalus or fluid on his brain. It is fairly common in babies with Grade III or IV intraventricular hemorrhage. They noticed that his head circumference had increased in size so they performed an ultrasound of his brain and discovered that his bleed has improved (good news) to a grade II on the left and a grade III on the right. This is when they discovered that he had hydrocephalus (bad news). So in the next few days they will have to tap his brain. A thin needle will be inserted into the brain to extract the fluid. He will eventually have a little port put in his head in order to be able to more readily access the site. He may also eventually need to have a shunt placed. This is a step back but we were fully prepared for this as it is very, very common in children with bleeds. They continue to try his feeds and he is doing okay with that. He will likely remain at UC Davis for sometime.

Brody is still doing well. Still on the oscillator vent. But up to 6 ml every three hours on his feeds which is awesome. They may trying taking him off the vent again in a few days. He is still on antibiotics for his infection, other than that he is doing great!

Just a few pics of us holding Mr. Brody

Brody and Drew's birth story

So I waited three weeks to do this I will try to remember as best as I can.

Amber had been in the hospital on bedrest for three weeks prior to the boys birth. On Thursday night (June 18) Amber had been having cramps and pain starting around midnight. She was told by her nurse that she was having the cramps because of a bladder infection and that she was not emptying her bladder all the way. She continued to have pain and told her nurse that she had bladder infections in the past and they did not feel like this. They put her on the monitor and no contractions were picked up. This continued all night and into the next morning. When her new nurse came on in the morning she told her the same thing. Carleigh and I were supposed to come and see her that morning but she asked us not to come because she was not feeling well. The pain and cramping continued. She was given a shot and additional meds to try to stop her labor. Finally someone called the doctor and told them they were going to check her. She was completely dilated. By this time I was already on my way to the hospital. She called me and told me they were taking her for a c-section. I arrived at hospital (before doctor I might add) and they were prepping her for a c-section. We knew the boys would be small (24 weeks, 3days). I went into the OR and she was as white as sheet from vomiting. At 3:35 pm Brody Daniel was brought into the world weighing 1 lb 12 oz, his brother, Drew Steven followed at 3:37 pm weighing 1 lb 12.5 oz. They intibated both boys in the delivery room right in front of us. The first hurdle was them making it out of the delivery room alive. They did that and although it has been a roller coaster. Drew had had two surgeries one his intestines because he perforated due to necratizing entercolitis. They removed 2 cm and he has an ostomy. He also had PDA ligation. They will be three weeks old tomorrow. It is going to be a long road but they are fighters and we follow their lead.

I decided to start a blog for the boys to keep people updated on their progress and I will also try to post recent pictures of them here.

Brody- He is doing well today. He actually went back on the oscillator due to elevated C02, but the doctors have assured us that he is doing well and they have upped his feedings to 3 cc every 3 hours. WOW, buddy. He weighs 1 lb 13 oz. or 840 grams.

Drew- Drew continues to do well. He started feeds yeterday and he is not tolerating them as well as Brody, but we are happy he is eating. He will have an x-ray of his abdomen and chest today as well as an ultrasound to check his brain bleed (as you know he has a Grade IV bleed). I will post those results soon! He weighs 820 grams or 1 pound 12 oz.

We love our little boys so much. Thank you for all the positive thoughts, well wishes and prayers. More to come soon.