Short update: We're all still alive!!
Long update: Ugh!
I HATE germs. Between the two girls, We have been to nine doctor appointments, two chest x-rays, six blood draws, an RSV test, and two hospital admissions. THAT'S what's been going on the past three weeks. The girls came down with a nasty bug. It started out with just the simple snuffles, Johnalyn first.... and then it quickly migrated to her chest. Being that they are still considered preemies, they made it clear to me when they were in the hospital for 49 days in Rochester that there is a very low threshold for RSV and/or pneumonia. So, being the hypochondriac that I am, I rushed Johnalyn into the doctor as soon as she coughed the first time (not really... but kinda)... They told us it was most likely due to environmental components. It made complete sense to me because the day before was the day the whole state was being smothered by the smoke and stench of the fires in Canada. The week went on, and she was getting worse, to the point where it was painful to watch her try to breathe and eat. Her intake was becoming less and less, and she was vomiting, I worried about dehydration. I took her into urgent care and they did a chest x-ray, blood work, and tested her for RSV. RSV was negative... HUGE relief. Although it's not RSV season, they still hold a small chance of getting it because of their underdeveloped lungs. The chest x-ray showed some fogginess, so pneumonia couldn't be ruled out. She was started on antibiotics and nebulizer treatments and away we went. Two days later she was still getting worse and spiking a fever, so back into the clinic we went, and they were concerned about her oxygen levels... they were staggering between 74 and 85 percent and they want it 95 or above. The doctor was being very proactive and decided in was in her best interest to be admitted for observation. In the hospital they used, what I call, the 'brain sucker' and they got a lot of mucous out, and I could already tell she was feeling better. They nebulized her a few more times, and her oxygen levels shot back up. We went home and she very quickly turned around and is now back to herself.
Danika: A week after Johnalyn's sniffles started, Danika started in with the sniffles. I braced myself, knowing what was coming. I won't repeat everything because basically everything in Johnalyn's situation, Danika mimicked. She was struggling to breath, not eating much, vomiting... took her in ... blah, blah, blah. She ended up with a hospital stay last Friday. She is now on antibiotics and is quickly bouncing back to her self. We're on the road to recovery... until the next bought of sickness. This mommy doesn't do well when her littles are sick.
Now, the fun stuff!
They are growing beautifully. Johnalyn hasn't been weighed since before her sickness... but she is now... pudgy. She lost quite a bit through her sickness... but there is no concern over her weight now (you'll see in the pictures below). Danika's weight has been fluctuating, but I expect her to gain quite a bit now that she is feeling better. As of their last doctor appointments they were both 11.5 lbs +/- a few ounces ... but I KNOW Johnalyn is WAY more than that now (my prediction is nearing 13 pounds).
On Saturday (July 25th), Johnalyn discovered how to roll from back to belly, so now she is our rollie pollie, and on Sunday she discovered her toes! She is SO proud of herself. When she completes her rolling she will look up at whomever is watching her and give them the biggest smile (Video) She is SO strong. She will hold onto our fingers while laying down, pull herself into a sitting and then hoist herself onto her feet, and then give us the biggest smile. I think she will be our more reserved and laid back girl, but she will be the strength and the eater. She loves to smile and 'shriek' when she's excited... and she likes to babble.
And speaking of babbling... Danika is our talker.(Video) She will babble, no kidding, an hour straight with you. She will babble to her toy bug, to her toes, to her sister... and she will babble herself to sleep. (Video) Her brain is constantly working. She is looking at, grabbing, and studying her toys constantly. She is a pro at rolling from tummy to back, but still working on the back to tummy skill. She can also pull herself into a sitting and then standing while holding our hands, but she isn't as confident in her strength yet.
Since their sickness, they have been struggling to sleep all night... between their snuffles, coughing, and hunger, it's been a struggle. For a few days, we were lucky to get two straight hours. They're getting better now that they are feeling more like themselves. Every day is becoming more and more fun as they learn and develop new skills. I never imagined how rewarding it would feel watching our littles do something so simple, but SO profound in the littlest ways.
We're coming up on their 'half birthday'... I know people say all the time, "it goes so fast, don't blink"... and as much as you hear it, and prepare yourself for that, nothing can really prepare yourself. I have to keep scrolling back to pictures of when they were in the hospital to remind myself how far they have come and what absolute miracles they really are. I feel like I partially blocked my emotions at that time when the girls were born, I can even see it from reading back on my blogs from that time. It's not like I didn't process what was going on at the time, but while on bed rest, I prepared myself for the complete worst (oxygen deprivation, intubation, brain bleeds, heart issues, blindness, cerebral palsy... everything that comes hand-in-hand with prematurity) so when they were born it was a complete joy instead of fear because they had none of the 'common' prematurity issues that many parents are faced with. I knew people around me (family and friends) were still afraid for us, or reserved/held back their joy in part because of the lack of education the majority of people have on prematurity. Not that it's a bad thing... when it doesn't affect you, why become educated on the matter? I just focused on the fact they are were healthy... yes, they were preemie, yes they very thin, yes it looked scary... but the fact that we had two healthy, screaming baby girls is all what I focused on.
Now, I look back at their journey in the ISCN/NICU, I tear up and get overwhelmed. How did we do it? Everyday for 49 days, sitting there watching our girls' in incubators/plastic bassinets with tube feedings, hooked up to wires, unable to be wrapped up in our arms whenever we wanted. With the good Lord on our side, we did it. God gave us strong little girls and they would conquer this... that's what I kept telling myself over and over and over.
God willing, I took the pregnancy as far as I possibly could, and our miracles were ready to do their job when they were brought into this world, and I had complete confidence in them... I had expectations of my little 31 weekers! They are amazing, they are strong-willed, and they are two of the happiest babies I have ever seen, and I still can't believe they're ours.
Phew! I think that's all I got for now. I do have a question for other mama's out there... We're looking at splurging and purchasing a nice baby carrier (we have a Baby Bjorn, but we want another one... a nicer quality one). It's quite the investment, so just wondering if any of you fellow mamas out there have any strong recommendations or are selling their nice baby carrier that is no longer needed?? We're looking at something like the Lille Baby 6-in-1 or the Ergo Baby.... because eventually our mom's won't be around as often, and I'm going to have to start doing laundry again, but with a baby strapped me! Reality bites!! :-)
Pictures! LOTS of pictures!!
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| Johnalyn getting the brunt of her sister's silly personality. |
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| Danika left, Johnalyn right |
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| Daddy painting Johnalyn's toes |
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| Johnalyn getting some rest at the hospital. 7/10/15 |
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| Johnalyn left, Danika right |
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| Mommy comes home from the store to this.... Daddy knows how to parent! |
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| Johnalyn in green, Danika in pink |
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| Danika in yellow bow (not feeling good), Johnalyn in white |
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| Johnalyn showing off her standing skills |
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| Danika watching her oxygen sats. 7/23/15 |
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| Johnalyn in her exersaucer for the first time! 7/24/15 |
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| Danika coming home from the hospital! 7/24/15 |
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| "I got my toes!" Johnalyn 7/26/15 |
