JEREMIAH COMES HOME TODAY!

Our family will be together!

Update and pics

So, we still don't know if Jeremiah is coming home today or not. My mom and I went to go see him yesterday and got to feed him, but his nurse we so disconnected that she was not offering information to me and when I would ask her anything she was real short and just not nice. We weren't impressed with her! Hopefully, she won't be there today. His doctor will call me this morning and let me know. It is a different doctor then the one that said he would come home today. Nothing has changed, but this doctor said he just has a different comfort level and will assess Jeremiah within 24 hours and let me know - he seems to want to keep him until Sunday. We'll see what happens.

Here are some pictures that I haven't posted over the past few days:

Jeremiah


Jeremiah



In thier picture outfits



Michael in his big boy outfit ready to go home!


Look at those huge shoes on him!


Thank you Uncle Bo and Aunt Wissa for the shoes!!


Saying goodbye to Jeremiah :(




All Snug and ready to go

We're Home! (with Michael)

We came home yesterday with little Michael Dean! Mike and I ran some errands and went out to eat, since those things might not happen as easy from now on, and then we went to the hospital to spend time with Jeremiah and bring home Michael. I was able to breast feed both boys (they did great!) and then we got our little man, Michael dressed and ready to go. After saying a tearful goodbye to Jeremiah we came on home. Of course, Mike drove 10 mph home THE WHOLE TIME!!! He has been such a good baby the whole 15 hours he's been home. He has done a good job staying on his schedule that they put them on in the hospital - he is eating every four hours - once I am solely breastfeeding, they said it should be every three hours. But right now they only want me to breast feed 3 times a day and pump and give the my milk from a bottle with the Simply Thick in it. So after I breastfeed, We offer a bottle with the medicine, and then when I bottle feed, I pump after. The hardest part right now is getting milk to take to Jeremiah, while feeding Michael here.

He went to the doctor this morning and he is doing so well and weighs 4lbs. 15 and a half oz. He also should have 3 or more poopy diapers a day and as of 10 this morning he had 6! So, all systems are go! I will see the doctor every week until their due date and also see the lactation consultant as well. We also met with her this morning and she watched Michael feed and was very impressed with how well he is doing for his age!


My mom and I are about to go see Jeremiah and hopefully they will give us good news on him and we'll see if the plan for his homecoming is tomorrow!

Sad News :(

Well I received a call from the doctor today and he said that Jeremiah had another episode early this morning that required him to be stimulated and that it wasn't around his feedings and so he has to stay in the NICU another 3 days! As I hung up from the doctor, of course, I just cried...I know, I NEVER cry! It just broke my heart to think of them being apart from each other and that Jeremiah has to stay up there alone - I know that he won't remember, but it still breaks my heart! So, Michael will be home tomorrow and they think it should be Friday or Saturday when Jeremiah comes home. Tonight we are going to stay at the hospital and room in with Michael. The NICU provides a room right next to the NICU doors, free of charge for parents to stay in the night before their baby comes home to be able to get "practice" with access to a nurse right there. They will come in to give you their milk and if you need anything you can go get them in the next room. So, we will stay in their with Michael and then bring him home tomorrow sometime!

They both got circumcised today :( When I got there they just got back and they were real fussy for the nurses and then I held them and they were both calm the rest of the time - they just needed their momma! :) Hopefully we can spend some time with Jeremiah tonight before we have to leave him tomorrow :(

I don't know what else to title these, but "Update and Pics"

We got a call from the doctor this morning to tell us that the boys will be coming home in 48 hours!!! He said that since they have given them the "Simply Thick" they have not had episodes and so they know it is just reflux. When they come home I will probably need to breastfeed Michael and bottle feed Jeremiah with the simply thick, and then next feeding, breastfeed Jeremiah and bottle feed Michael with it. Either that, or breastfeed both of them and then followup with a bottle of a little bit of milk and the medicine - we'll see. They had their hearing screens done today and we have two very smart babies who passed with flying colors - they will have no excuse when they are older for not listening! :) They get circumcised tomorrow and they finish up all their other screenings.

We went up to see them around lunch and I got a chance to breastfeed Jeremiah and he did great!!! Both of the boys were so alert when we saw them!!! Mike and I were both holding them so we didn't get a chance to take alot of pictures - I figured we will have PLENTY of chances soon!! (There are a few of Jeremiah below). After I fed Jeremiah, Mike went to class and I just held Michael until it was shift change and I had to step out, At that time I was feeling horrible! I don't know if it was because I missed my pain medicine or what - but I knew that with them coming home in two days that I needed to get better. So, I called Mike and asked him to come and pick me up. You would of thought I was leaving the boys for the first time again. I was so emotional all day - but I knew I needed to rest! We went back up there in the evening with our friends, Tony and Emily. They got to meet our handsome baby boys!!! They left and Mike and I spent some more time with the boys! We had a very encouraging time with them - they are just so sweet and cuddly!!!

Well, hopefully if everything stays on track we will be bringing home our boys on Wednesday!!!

Jeremiah READY to eat!


Jeremiah tuckered himself out after eating


Me and Jeremiah

Four day old babies! Update and Pics

As of 61 and 38 minutes ago, Michael and Jeremiah turned FOUR days old!

Update on the little people:
They are both doing so well. We are so proud of them! Michael is still off of everything and now Jeremiah is now off of everything! Oxygen, feeding tube and IV! The nurse said the "light bulb" went off and he just took off eating like a champ! He drank all of his bottles beautifully! They don't see any reason why either of them would have to have the feeding tube again. So that is very encouraging! They have continued to have episodes of their heart rate dropping, but after reviewing things over with the doctors, they came to the conclusion that it is probably reflux that is causing it. Everytime the heart rate drops, none of the other stats drop with it. So the doctor is adding a medicine called "Simply Thick" in their bottles that will weigh the liquid down so it won't come up. Since they have been on that (Which they started this morning) Michael hasn't had any episodes and Jeremiah has had one. They both had one prior to the medicine earlier this morning, so that sets them back again and we are looking at 4-5 days from today that they could come home. So please pray that this medicine will solve things and that they will be able to come home in 4-5 days. They could be doing well and then when they try to ween them off of the medicine in a few days, they could have another episode and set the clock back again. So we are hoping they do well and then in a few days, as their body is growing more and developing more to term, that they will grow out of it as their bodies grow. I asked how they would do with breastfeeding, since you can't add the Simply Thick. They said that they might not even have the issue with breastfeeding, because breast milk is the best thing for them and it is the exact temperature that they need. Also, breastfeeding is controlled by the boys - they determine the pace instead of the bottle dripping and the boys having to catch up to it. She said the pace might also help with the reflux. So - we are praying that these little guys grow out of these episodes soon and can come home soon!

Update on the big people:
Today was a much better day but it was still very tough at the same time. Mike and I were going to go see the boys at 8-9 this morning, but I woke up SO tired and after pumping had to get more sleep. Everytime Mike came to wake me up I was still exhausted, so we decided to let me sleep a lot longer and go in later. I felt much better after that - I was more rested, and physically felt a lot better. Once we got to the NICU I had to pump and was still concerned that I was engourged. I talked to the nurses about it and there happened to be a NICU nurse that was also a lactaction consultant that specialized in nursing preemies! She was SO helpful. She said that I was engourged and showed me how to help that. She gave me LOTS of pumping techniques and was there for help when it was time to nurse the boys. Both boys nursed VERY well and both received milk/colostrum. I had been given lots of help prior and been told lots of advice, but didn't realize that with preemies it is totally different - so it was nice to have someone who was trained to nurse preemies help me out! One neat thing she told me was that if I pump at their bedside in the NICU, that my milk will produce antibodies needed to fight germs that are in the NICU! Isn't that amazing! Every day we learn more and more about how our bodies were created to take care of our children and we are in awe of how God designed this!

I told Mike earlier, that although my desire would be for the boys to be at home with us, I am not sure what I would have done if they came home with us. I would be exhausted more then I already am. I am thankful that they are being well taken care of and that we have had the support from the NICU nurses to help breastfeed and other logistics with babies. I feel that now I can have a good grasp on feeding them before we bring them home and that we can feel more prepared taking care of preemies!

We stayed up there for about 6 hours and left - although it was a little easier, it was still very tough and I still left crying! I know that is the best place for them right now, but I just hate the thought of us driving away leaving our sons in the hospital - it just breaks our hearts!

Please pray for us this week - Mike starts classes again and he his also going to a preaching conference in town that we paid for back before we found out we were pregnant. I have some friends that can take me to the hospital to see the boys, but Mike won't get to see them a whole lot this week. :(

Well, I am finished pumping and need to go get my rest! Enjoy the pictures from today - The boys weren't very cooperative with the side by side pictures, so we will have to try again tomorrow!



Jeremiah: sorry that it's not his whole face - he was swaddled so tight we couldn't get it undone.


Michael Dean


Me and the boys


Jeremiah with NO TUBES! Poor thing still had red marks from the tape


Side by Side: Michael on the left, Jeremiah on the right (I think)

We're Home - I did not think it would be this tough!

Well, we came home this evening around 5. It was one of the hardest, if not THE hardest, thing I have ever had to do. *tear, tear* We were able to spend sometime with the boys before we left. We attempted to bottle feed Jeremiah, but he tuckered out and we fed him through the feeding tube. While he was feeding, I was able to hold him and then Michael joined us and we got to spend some quality time together, while I was crying - they were sleeping so sweetly! Poor Mike didn't hold him, but he said he felt like I needed to spend that time with them before we came home.
Physically, I am not feeling real well - I am real achy and sore. I think my breasts have gotten engorged - hopefully once my milk comes in it will feel better. I think that is why I feel worse - I feel like I have a fever - real shaky, my skin hurts, I feel cold but hot at the same time. We were going to go back up to feed the boys this evening, but I had to make a HARD decision and not go because I am just not feeling well at all. I knew I would be too tired, sick, and emotional to even hold them. So we are going to go up there in the morning and stay at least until lunch. The boys are just too cute to stop holding and loving on. We are still in awe that they are born and that God entrusted us with them.

The boys are improving every time we go see them. Michael is done with his feeding tubes and is feeding solely by mouth. When I fed him this morning he took to the breast for 30 minutes straight and was doing a great job at sucking. If he doesn't have any more issues with his heart rate, then he will be coming home in 5-6 days. Jeremiah is completely off of his oxygen and his starting to take things by the mouth. I held them skin to skin again this morning, and while I was holding them Jeremiah was doing very good with his oxygen, so they took it out to see what he would do. He kept it at a 100 and it stayed up all day. If I wasn't holding him it was in the low-upper nineties - while I was holding him it would be at a 100. So, he just needs to work on eating and keeping his heart rate up.

Here are some pictures of them today! They sure are cutie-pies! (nobody can deny that! :) )
Michael on the right, Jeremiah on the left


Jeremiah




Jeremiah



Michael
They are Uncle Bo's nephews!
Can you guess who is who?
Michael on the Left, Jeremiah on the right

What do you think? Alike? Different?

HANDSOME BOYS!


Oh - how we love these boys! More pics tomorrow - I promise!

More pics from Day 2

The two of them together! Michael on the right, Jeremiah on the Left
*While I was holding the boys like this Jeremiah's oxygen was the best it had been since he was born. They say that when they are held skin to skin with me, it helps "heal" their bodies and with twins they do MUCH better being near their brother! This was the first time they had been near each other since the womb*

Jeremiah

Michael


Their Names on the NICU door


Jeremiah





Daddy and his son Michael


Jeremiah with his frog from Donna (Thanks Donna!)


Michael with his bear from Donna (Thanks Donna!)


Our Family

We are going home today, so I will update later on with the latest on the boys. I will be going up there in a few minutes to try to feed them and spend some time with them before we go home. Please keep praying for them and especially for little Jeremiah to start getting better. They tried to ween him off the oxygen again last night, but were unsuccessful. He is also continuing to have episodes of dropping his heart rate. Michael has had them as well, but Jeremiah's are more frequent. Like I said earlier, they said it is completely normal, but every day that they continue to have them is one extra day they have to stay in the hospital.

Day Two! Update and pics!

Both boys are doing well, however Jeremiah is still having a tougher time then his brother. Michael is completely off of his oxygen and is in his own crib doing a great job of holding his own temperature! He has to be able to feed from a bottle and/or the breast all on his own with out the IV supplementing for 48 hours. I have been able to breastfeed Michael three times now. Due to them being preemies the doctor said that the little bit of colostrum that I have gotten contains more antibodies and "good" stuff then the average full term post-partum mother. Isn't that neat how God designs our body to take care of our children. He has been doing good at learning how to feed - this last time that I fed I only had to re-latch him 3 times and he was sucking a good 5-7 sucks at a time. Also, because they are preemies that get worn out very quickly and he didn't seem to have enough energy to feed very long. Jeremiah, on the other hand, was able to go to the breast this afternoon and that little one latched on FIRST try and sucked for 5-10 minutes STRAIGHT! I was so proud of him! He got tired after ten minutes, but stayed latched so we kept him on while the nurse gave him his food through the feeding tube, so he could associate full belly, with breastfeeding. (The nurse did that also for Michael's feeding). Jeremiah will hopefully get off of his oxygen tonight or in the morning. They tried to ween him off this afternoon but he didn't do well with that. They said they would also try to remove him from the warmer and place him in a crib so he can start holding his own temperature. Even though he is a tad behind Michael he is doing SO WELL! We are very proud of both of them! They will not be going home for at LEAST 5-6 days because they both had episodes of apnea. This is where their heart rates drop and they stop breathing for just a second or so. The doctor assured us that they are fine. She said it is very common in preemies and it can be caused by a burp or reflux. She also said that alot of times they go back to "placenta mode" and they think that they can just relax and not breathe, like they did in the womb. Everytime they have an episode it starts the clock back and they won't be able to go home for 5-6 days from that last episode. Hopefully today was their only times to forget that they are not in the womb, and they can go home soon. She didn't seem concerned and was confident that their issues remain normal 35 week preemie issues. We are so thankful for them and we are confident that the Lord is taking care of them - He is sovereign and in control!

Well, here are some new pictures - we were able to take more pics of Jeremiah - they are both so HANDSOME!

Pictures of Jeremiah (He had his bath so he is done with the "womb hair" look - his hair just wasn't brushed right away)






More adorable pics to come soon - the computer isn't working.

Update and new pics.

We went and saw Michael and Jeremiah this afternoon. Michael is doing great and Jeremiah is still having a rough time. They said he is just struggling with the transition from Womb to World. Michael is off his oxygen and now only has to be able to hold his own temp for 48 hours and be able to feed from a bottle 3-5 times. He will not be coming home with us, but seems to be able to come home very shortly after. That is encouraging because the last thing we heard was that it would be 2-3 weeks before they would be home. Jeremiah needs to be able to ween off his oxygen and then hold his temp and feed from a bottle. His last tests came back very well and they are gradually weening him off. He still has not had a bath because they said every time the mess with him he sort of freaks out! Michael however has had his bath and, I must say, it quite a handsome clean fella! We got to hold him for about 45 minutes today. We are going back up there in just a few minutes and should be able to hold Jeremiah! It is still so surreal. Here are some pics of Michael after his bath - isn't he just so cute!!!