There really isn't much to report this morning. And that's not a bad thing. Griffith seems to be getting over the mystery stomach bug. He's kicking up more of a fuss every day so things are getting back to normal. He twists, he turns, he squawls and kicks. I don't know how he manages, but he can pretty much turn himself over. Especially if he is mad. A good Brannon temper tantrum empowers a boy, I suppose. He has some cute new outfits from Aunt Evelyn and from Bailey Marie (a sleeper with an alligator on it to suit his disposition!). He's a huge fan of the pacifier and sucks on it so hard that he sounds like Maggie Simpson.
Allan continues his run of contented days and nights. He is still on the C-pap and doesn't seem to be having trouble adapting to it. I don't like it because it covers up his pretty little face, but, with any luck, he won't have to keep it on for too long. He is also spending a lot of time sleeping. Some of the nurses have said that means they are growing so we'll see. Allan is now the only boy on his ward. He has a harem of 4 baby girls. Life is so much easier for him than for Griffith!
I don't know if there will be a report this afternoon or not. I have to find something to wear to my niece's wedding tomorrow night. If all goes well, I'll be back in after seeing the boys at lunch. If not, then I will be scouring the mall for hours until I find something that won't shame the family name.
Friday, June 23, 2006
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Thursday June 22nd Update
Tuesday night Allan weighed in at 2000 grams (4 pounds 4 ounces or so). Quite the accomplishment! To celebrate (and emulate his brother) he extubated himself yesterday morning. Guess he decided he really is a big boy now. Unlike his brother, he was quiet and calm about the whole thing and really hasn't fought being on the C-pap. He doesn't like it and gets a little cross-eyed trying to look at that thing on his nose, but, other than that, he seems to be doing fine with it. (Isn't that just the way? Griffith had to fight tooth and toenail to get off the vent and Allan just sails along -- lah-de-dah. No wonder Griffith has a messed up stomach. Biitterness will take its toll.) If all goes well, Allan will be on the Cpap for a few days and then, depending on his blood gases, will go to the nasal cannula. He gained a little more weight yesterday and weighed in at 4 pounds 6 ounces.
Griffith still isn't feeling well. His stomach still is upset and although he isn't as puny as he was Saturday night, he still isn't quite himself. They haven't come up with a good explanation. He has a UTI that they are treating with antibiotics and are giving him several other broad spectrum antibiotics trying to catch whatever else he may have. They are also doing a number of rude tests to see if they can hit upon something. He had a tiny baby barium enema yesteday and they are doing an upper GI study today. Since he is on IV's and not eating, he hasn't gained any weight and is still at 4 pounds 3 ounces. So he is now our little boy in every sense of the word. I keep him apprised of Allan's progress in the hopes of encouraging a little healthy competition.
Griffith still isn't feeling well. His stomach still is upset and although he isn't as puny as he was Saturday night, he still isn't quite himself. They haven't come up with a good explanation. He has a UTI that they are treating with antibiotics and are giving him several other broad spectrum antibiotics trying to catch whatever else he may have. They are also doing a number of rude tests to see if they can hit upon something. He had a tiny baby barium enema yesteday and they are doing an upper GI study today. Since he is on IV's and not eating, he hasn't gained any weight and is still at 4 pounds 3 ounces. So he is now our little boy in every sense of the word. I keep him apprised of Allan's progress in the hopes of encouraging a little healthy competition.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
No post tomorrow but don't worry
As noted in the blog yesterday, Momma realized this weekend that we are going to have boys home sooner rather than later. Soooo -- I'm not going to be in tomorrow. I'm going to buy cribs and mattresses and, God willing, baby wipes that will not kill my children. It could be a very harrowing day.
Anyway, I won't be in to the office so there won't be a post.
Anyway, I won't be in to the office so there won't be a post.
Tuesday June 20th - Holding Steady
My pretty boys had a good night last night.
Sweet Allan, finally fed up with all the attention going to Griffith, decided an ambush was in order. His nurse was sitting at the foot of his bed, charting, and I was changing his diaper. Despite having filled it, he apparently saved just enough in reserve so that when I lifted his legs to slide the clean diaper under him, he fired -- on the bed clothes, out of the bed and on to her chart. Without exaggeration, it was propelled a good 3 feet. He is gifted. Gifted, I tell you. And wily. He has done the explosive pooing before, but not for weeks. The pretty face hides a calculating mind. In other news, he continues to gain steadily -- 4 pounds 6 ounces. And that was after the poo.
Griffith isn't quite himself. He's still got the stomach crud, whatever it is it seems to be responding to some of the antibiotics, but he doesn't act as fiesty as usual. Still, he kept knocking part of the oxygen hood off yesterday so that the nurse had to tape the lid on it. And when they came to take his X-ray earlier this morning he tried to fight them off. He's trying to rally.
I am trying to figure out how to use the card reader to post some new photos, but have been defeated thus far. I'll try again later.
Sweet Allan, finally fed up with all the attention going to Griffith, decided an ambush was in order. His nurse was sitting at the foot of his bed, charting, and I was changing his diaper. Despite having filled it, he apparently saved just enough in reserve so that when I lifted his legs to slide the clean diaper under him, he fired -- on the bed clothes, out of the bed and on to her chart. Without exaggeration, it was propelled a good 3 feet. He is gifted. Gifted, I tell you. And wily. He has done the explosive pooing before, but not for weeks. The pretty face hides a calculating mind. In other news, he continues to gain steadily -- 4 pounds 6 ounces. And that was after the poo.
Griffith isn't quite himself. He's still got the stomach crud, whatever it is it seems to be responding to some of the antibiotics, but he doesn't act as fiesty as usual. Still, he kept knocking part of the oxygen hood off yesterday so that the nurse had to tape the lid on it. And when they came to take his X-ray earlier this morning he tried to fight them off. He's trying to rally.
I am trying to figure out how to use the card reader to post some new photos, but have been defeated thus far. I'll try again later.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Ups and downs...
We had a big weekend. Up and down, but we are ending in a good place.
Griffith had his first bottle feeding on Saturday and he did great. He's such a clever boy. He drank 25 of 30 mls which is excellent. He slopped and slurped around, but generally knew exactly how to operate a bottle. He got a little worn out with all the work and some times he would forget that he had to swallow after he got a mouthful, but, other than those minor drawbacks, he gets a gold star. Cheryl started talking about his discharge and I suddenly panicked about not having a crib or diapers, etc. So Jay and I spent Saturday afternoon looking at cribs and such. While we were at Babies R Us I thought it would be advisable to purchase a few diapers, baby wipes, etc. Not a lot, just some so that I felt like I had made a start. That did not go so well. Decisions about spending a couple of hundred dollars on cribs, no problem. What baby wipes to purchase defeated me utterly. Over. Whelmed. Sensitive? Scented with calming lavender? Huggies ? Pampers? Apparently, I don't have enough sense to pick out baby wipes and they are going to send me home with two infants who are entirely dependent upon me for survival. What could they be thinking? At any rate, Lee and Jay came to the rescue and tossed some wipes in the cart and moved me along.
Despite having had such a good day, Griffith didn't have a good night. He picked up some bacteria and got sick to his stomach. He felt rotten Saturday night and had to go back on the vent Sunday morning. He didn't even fight with them so you know he was feeling puny. The good news is that the meds they are giving him must be working because he was getting back to fighting form last night -- tugging on his tubes and giving Cheryl the stink-eye because she had put him on the vent, put in a catheter and taken a bunch of blood. There's not much he can do about it now, but you can tell that he'll remember her. Caitlyn called early this morning to let us know that he had managed to extubate himself (again) this morning. He is currently under an oxygen hood and doing well. He was all bright-eyed when I was there this morning. He still isn't quite as fiesty as usual, but he's making a come back.
Allan continued his run of good behavior -- he's doing well with the weaning, putting on weight (4 pounds, 5 ounces). He even managed to make his dad a Father's Day card with his footprints -- or someone's footprints. They seem inordinately large to actually be my short cubby boy's prints, but it is the thought that counts. We get to snuggle tonight so we'll try to make up for all the attention that Griffith is getting.
Griffith had his first bottle feeding on Saturday and he did great. He's such a clever boy. He drank 25 of 30 mls which is excellent. He slopped and slurped around, but generally knew exactly how to operate a bottle. He got a little worn out with all the work and some times he would forget that he had to swallow after he got a mouthful, but, other than those minor drawbacks, he gets a gold star. Cheryl started talking about his discharge and I suddenly panicked about not having a crib or diapers, etc. So Jay and I spent Saturday afternoon looking at cribs and such. While we were at Babies R Us I thought it would be advisable to purchase a few diapers, baby wipes, etc. Not a lot, just some so that I felt like I had made a start. That did not go so well. Decisions about spending a couple of hundred dollars on cribs, no problem. What baby wipes to purchase defeated me utterly. Over. Whelmed. Sensitive? Scented with calming lavender? Huggies ? Pampers? Apparently, I don't have enough sense to pick out baby wipes and they are going to send me home with two infants who are entirely dependent upon me for survival. What could they be thinking? At any rate, Lee and Jay came to the rescue and tossed some wipes in the cart and moved me along.
Despite having had such a good day, Griffith didn't have a good night. He picked up some bacteria and got sick to his stomach. He felt rotten Saturday night and had to go back on the vent Sunday morning. He didn't even fight with them so you know he was feeling puny. The good news is that the meds they are giving him must be working because he was getting back to fighting form last night -- tugging on his tubes and giving Cheryl the stink-eye because she had put him on the vent, put in a catheter and taken a bunch of blood. There's not much he can do about it now, but you can tell that he'll remember her. Caitlyn called early this morning to let us know that he had managed to extubate himself (again) this morning. He is currently under an oxygen hood and doing well. He was all bright-eyed when I was there this morning. He still isn't quite as fiesty as usual, but he's making a come back.
Allan continued his run of good behavior -- he's doing well with the weaning, putting on weight (4 pounds, 5 ounces). He even managed to make his dad a Father's Day card with his footprints -- or someone's footprints. They seem inordinately large to actually be my short cubby boy's prints, but it is the thought that counts. We get to snuggle tonight so we'll try to make up for all the attention that Griffith is getting.
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