And In This Corner...

Weighing in at 2 pounds 14 ounces is Samuel Wyatt who has already gone below and rose back up almost 9 ounces over his birth weight of 2 pounds 5 ounces. He is still on 24 hour continuous feeds with steady increases of 1/2 mL every 12 hours. He is starting to look a lot bigger. We are hoping once he reaches 3 pounds, they may take him out of the isolette to try and let him regulate his own body temperature. This will make it a whole lot easier to hold him and interact with him. He is doing very well overall and is starting to have regular bowel movements. I got to "kangaroo care" Wyatt this evening and was hoping that he wouldn't choke on any chest hairs. Fortunately, a catastrophe was averted.

Emerson Parks is now at 5 pounds 6 ounces, 4 ounces over his birth weight. He is practicing nursing a couple of times a day. He keeps adding weight each day, which is a big step towards us taking him home. At two weeks old, he has already learned how to self-soothe. Yesterday, we watched him take the thumb on his left hand, place it in his mouth, and commence to sucking. He could not fully coordinate forming his hand into a fist so all four fingers lay draped across his face like octopus tentacles. Moments later, we saw him repeat this feat with his right hand in exactly the same manner and form.

Keeping Odd Hours

Randi and I have been settling into a routine this last week. I have gone back to work, and Randi is at home recovering from surgery. We have been trying to visit the boys twice a day in the afternoons and evenings. We are also able to call at any time for updates on how they are doing. Randi has been cheating a little and driving up to the hospital for visits between 2-6 p.m., and I usually meet her up there after work. We then go home, grab something to eat, and return for either the 8-10 p.m. or 11 p.m.-1 a.m. visitation. We prefer the 11-1 period because there is hardly anyone there, we can get more assistance from the nurses, and not have to listen to the constant "pings" of monitors as the other babies get stimulation from their parents. Although, this does not bode well for getting up early for work.

We have been able to hold both Wyatt and Parks regularly. We are able to feed, bathe, change, check vitals, and recently Randi has been able to nurse Parks during our visits as well. He has been taken off IV nourishment in hopes that he will gain weight from breast milk alone. They are steadily increasing his feeds about 5 ml per day. He is currently up to 40 ml per feeding with our goal being 60 ml in order for him to go home. We had a very encouraging day yesterday when Randi successfully nursed him for 15 minutes, and it appeared that he took in a good amount because he would not take very much from the bottle afterwards. Parks still has a little bit of jaundice, but his levels continue to drop each day. We also had echo's done on both boys' hearts. Parks results looked very good. He only showed a slight intermittent heart murmur. Most likely he will be making his departure from the ICN sometime this week.

Wyatt is, of course, on a much slower pace. He is still in the isolette regulating his body temperature. He is on continuous feeds via a nasogastric tube. They have been steadily increasing his feeds and decreasing his TPN, additional fluids and nourishment. We are still concerned about his little bowels. He has been taking the feeds well, but has not had many bowel movements. Sometimes his intestines appear to be distended. The nurses and neonatologists are keeping a close eye on what he does here. They weigh his stool, measure his belly circumference, check his stool for blood, and look for the twists and turns of his intestines to show through visibly on his belly. All of this to try and ward off any complications. Recently, on a bad day, they took an x-ray of his intestines to make sure they were no blockages. They did not appear to be so, and he was finally able to use the bathroom with stimulation. Wyatt also has had his heart checked out with an echo cardiogram. He also showed the benign, intermittent heart murmur the Parks did, but no real issues with him either. We are still projecting another 3-4 weeks that he will be in the ICN before we can take him home. All in all, he appears to be doing very well. We are a little on the paranoid side because what we've read tells us that severely growth restricted babies do well at first and then begin to have complications days to weeks after birth. The Lord has been so faithful as have you all, and we know that He is in control. He has blessed us beyond what we could have imagined. We just have to continue to give this one to God and let him handle it.

...And Even More Pictures

Wyatt wearing my wedding ring with his feeding tube in

Wyatt holding the pen like a javelin

Who does Parks look like? (see below)

Why it's Randi as a newborn

Update

Hi everyone! So sorry we haven't posted in a few days. I have lots to share, so let's see how organized I can keep this...

First of all, everyone is still doing great. Parks is eating from a bottle, and they have discontinued his TPN (IV nutrition) in hopes that he will take more by bottle. He is now back up to his birth weight. Wyatt is on continuous feed through a nasogastric tube. He is doing well and is now 2 lbs. 7.3 oz., well above his birth weight. He even looks bigger to me!

Both head ultrasounds were done late Monday evening. We received the results from the Neonatologist last night. If I understand correctly, Wyatt may have had a Grade 1 bleed in utero that is now classified as Choroid Plexus Cyst (CPC). The choroid plexus is the part of the brain that makes cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid that normally bathes and protects the brain and spinal column. In about 1 percent to 2 percent of normal babies -- 1 out of 50 to 100 -- a tiny bubble of fluid is pinched off as the choroid plexus forms. This appears as a cyst inside the choroid plexus at the time of ultrasound. A choroid plexus cyst can be likened to a blister and is not considered a brain abnormality. As I did a little research last night, it seems that most of these CPC's are diagnosed in utero. This makes me very curious because I remember the U/S technicians measuring both babies choroids' almost every time we had an U/S. Maybe I'll ask the peri next time I see him. Regardless, it sounds like it may be completely benign and not something we should be worried with. Parks passed his scans with flying colors, no abnormalities whatsoever. They will both have a repeat U/S in a month to see if there have been any changes.

I am continuing to recover from the c-section. Everyone says they are a breeze, but I think they have just forgotten, much like women seem to forget all the bad stuff that occurs during pregnancy. I had a very rough first day and am still in some pain, but I am getting around much better. I can only imagine if I had both babies home with me. I would need some serious help!

Todd and I feel like Parks could come home any day now. The NICU doesn't like to predict these things, so we feel like they'll probably let us know he's coming home a few hours before he actually does. We are working hard at home to get everything ready for him. It's going to be tough having one at home and one in the NICU. I hate that they have to be apart for so long, but I cannot wait to get him home.

It's almost time to feed Parks, so I better run. Thanks to everyone for your faithfulness and prayers.