Well, it looks like we may be nearing the end of this part of this little adventure. Word is that Allan is being transferred (we aren't using the h-o-m-e word because of how Griffith reacted to it). We are shooting for Tuesday. He's going to be coming home with some accessories -- oxygen, monitor, feeding tube, kitchen sink. The only thing holding him back has really been this whole inconsistent eating-from-a-bottle thing. Since he's still pretty random and up-and-down on it, we are going with Plan B (or Double Y or Triple P or whatever -- we've had a lot of plans.) Any way, the current plan is that we try to bottle feed during the day and let him take what he does or does not want. Then, at night, we hook him up to the NG tube and feed him whatever the balance of that day's nutrition would have been. It isn't any wonder that the poor little fellow is having problems -- after all the talk of how fat he was, it shouldn't be a wonder that he has an eating disorder. Anyway, he is doing very well, other than being uncooperative. As an example of what a little twerp he is, Allan wouldn't take from his bottle yesterday, but last night was whiny and wriggly until he got a pacifier which he sucked on like a demon. A pretty, uncooperative demon.
Griffith and Miss Flora have taken to each other. She started yesterday and by ten a.m. Griffith had already managed to show her who was boss. She didn't move fast enough while she was changing him and he did a geyser on her just like he had done on me on Friday. She just laughed because she knew better than to leave a little boy armed and ready. After that, they got along just fine. I'm not sure she put him down all day and she sweet-talks him constantly. He loves it. I'm afraid that he isn't going to remember that his name is Griffith. All he hears all day long is Precious and Angel (which he particularly likes). Whatever else you can say about him, Griffith has a way with the ladies. He had a pretty good night tonight, too. He managed to find his thumb and has been working it over quite a bit. We haven't told him about Allan yet. We aren't sure that he is going to react well to having to share attention. Guess we will cross that bridge when we come to it.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Sunday 8/27
All in all we are having a pretty good run of days. Thursday night was a little long, especially for
Dad. He blames Caitlyn. Griffith refuses to sleep during the hours of 2:30 a.m. to about 4 a.m. This cuts in to Dad's sleep time considerably. He thought he was doing pretty well with it all -- until Cheryl pointed out that he had arrived at the NICU on Friday morning with his shirt inside out. Some days are better than others.
Griffith had a very good weekend despite the fact that my pride and joy and I didn't get started of on the right foot. On Friday morning, Rosa was coming to visit so that Mom could go to the hospital during the day. As I was changing his diaper and trying to get ready to go, he decided for the first time in ever to pee. And not just a little. A veritable geyser that hit me in the face, all down my shirt, all over the changing table. (He also hit himself in the face which served him right, little twerp.) So we both had to have a bath. Oh, well, as a result, he was wide awake and smelling like a rose when Rosa arrived. He seemed glad to see her -- she was pretty glad to see him, too. I'm not entirely certain, but I think she held him the whole time I was gone and kept telling him how handsome he is. Child will have no sense at all.
When I arrived at the hospital, Allan was sitting in his bouncy seat transfixed by the birds on the new mobile Cheryl found for him. He looked a little startled by them (a common reaction for Allan). The little birds were really quite charming -- think Disney bluebirds of happiness -- but he seemed skeptical. It just takes him a while to get used to new things. Allan hasn't been doing so well with the bottle-feeding. He had a couple of good days, but, then, lost interest or energy or something. He wasn't taking in enough by mouth so yesterday they put the NG tube back in. They will let him bottle feed for 30 minutes every 3 hours and what he doesn't take by mouth they will give him through the tube. We aren't quite sure how this is going to impact his coming home. They had been talking about next week, but this could delay it. How long we don't know. He could come home with an NG tube, although that would not be ideal. Even so, he has to be taking a certain amount by mouth before the docs would be comfortable sending him home. And some docs won't send him home with an NG regardless. And, of course, we are at the end of another month so the attending doctor will be changing. Again. No one seems to think that this sluggish eating is anything other than an annoyance that Allan will outgrow with time. What we are all coming to appreciate is that he seems to be content to putter along in first gear.
Yesterday, Cheryl came for a visit so that Mom and Dad could have a little time out. We had a nice leisurely lunch and did a little shopping. Just generally acted like real people. A welcome break. And, as much as I am sure that he missed us, Griffith seemed more than content to catch up with Cheryl.
In other news, we think that we have found someone to come and help take care of the boys. Miss Flora is a retired LPN who worked labor and delivery and in the nursery at a local hospital, had 5 kids of her own and has experience caring for multiples - twins, triplets and even a set of quads. Surely our two little ones will pose no great challenge to her. Anyway, she is going to start tomorrow. Once we are all used to each other, this should make it a lot easier for me to get back and forth to see Allan. And, just maybe, take a nap.
Dad. He blames Caitlyn. Griffith refuses to sleep during the hours of 2:30 a.m. to about 4 a.m. This cuts in to Dad's sleep time considerably. He thought he was doing pretty well with it all -- until Cheryl pointed out that he had arrived at the NICU on Friday morning with his shirt inside out. Some days are better than others.
Griffith had a very good weekend despite the fact that my pride and joy and I didn't get started of on the right foot. On Friday morning, Rosa was coming to visit so that Mom could go to the hospital during the day. As I was changing his diaper and trying to get ready to go, he decided for the first time in ever to pee. And not just a little. A veritable geyser that hit me in the face, all down my shirt, all over the changing table. (He also hit himself in the face which served him right, little twerp.) So we both had to have a bath. Oh, well, as a result, he was wide awake and smelling like a rose when Rosa arrived. He seemed glad to see her -- she was pretty glad to see him, too. I'm not entirely certain, but I think she held him the whole time I was gone and kept telling him how handsome he is. Child will have no sense at all.
When I arrived at the hospital, Allan was sitting in his bouncy seat transfixed by the birds on the new mobile Cheryl found for him. He looked a little startled by them (a common reaction for Allan). The little birds were really quite charming -- think Disney bluebirds of happiness -- but he seemed skeptical. It just takes him a while to get used to new things. Allan hasn't been doing so well with the bottle-feeding. He had a couple of good days, but, then, lost interest or energy or something. He wasn't taking in enough by mouth so yesterday they put the NG tube back in. They will let him bottle feed for 30 minutes every 3 hours and what he doesn't take by mouth they will give him through the tube. We aren't quite sure how this is going to impact his coming home. They had been talking about next week, but this could delay it. How long we don't know. He could come home with an NG tube, although that would not be ideal. Even so, he has to be taking a certain amount by mouth before the docs would be comfortable sending him home. And some docs won't send him home with an NG regardless. And, of course, we are at the end of another month so the attending doctor will be changing. Again. No one seems to think that this sluggish eating is anything other than an annoyance that Allan will outgrow with time. What we are all coming to appreciate is that he seems to be content to putter along in first gear.
Yesterday, Cheryl came for a visit so that Mom and Dad could have a little time out. We had a nice leisurely lunch and did a little shopping. Just generally acted like real people. A welcome break. And, as much as I am sure that he missed us, Griffith seemed more than content to catch up with Cheryl.
In other news, we think that we have found someone to come and help take care of the boys. Miss Flora is a retired LPN who worked labor and delivery and in the nursery at a local hospital, had 5 kids of her own and has experience caring for multiples - twins, triplets and even a set of quads. Surely our two little ones will pose no great challenge to her. Anyway, she is going to start tomorrow. Once we are all used to each other, this should make it a lot easier for me to get back and forth to see Allan. And, just maybe, take a nap.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Thursday August 24th
The boys are doing well. Griffith and I are settling in to something of a routine. He gets up about 5:30 and eats. I try to get him back to sleep. He pretends he's going to. He waits until I am nearly asleep and then starts fussing. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. This morning he had peed through everything so I changed him completely at 5:30. He managed it again at 8 (the diapers are the next size up and a little too big evidently. Then, while I was stripping him down again, he peed all over me, the fresh diaper, the changing pad. And himself. Which outraged him. So we started the day with a bath for him and a shower for me. We took a stroll while the temperature was still cool, but he only made it about 2 blocks before falling asleep. The same thing happened this afternoon when I took him on his second stroll (I'm not very good at being home all the time.) Right now he's sleeping in his crib for the first time ever. Don't know if we'll make it all night or if I'll decide I'd rather have him close in the bassinet.
Allan was pretty and sweet as ever. He weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces tonight. The doctors are trying him ad lib meaning he eats when he wants as much as he wants and that they are not supplementing with the NG tube. We'll see how that goes. The problem is that he runs out of steam before he is 'full' so that he eats more frequently which makes him tired. Lather, rinse, repeat. Still, we had a long talk about all the fun that Griffith is having and that is awaiting him. They are still talking about him coming home next week so we may get to have that reunion soon.
Allan was pretty and sweet as ever. He weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces tonight. The doctors are trying him ad lib meaning he eats when he wants as much as he wants and that they are not supplementing with the NG tube. We'll see how that goes. The problem is that he runs out of steam before he is 'full' so that he eats more frequently which makes him tired. Lather, rinse, repeat. Still, we had a long talk about all the fun that Griffith is having and that is awaiting him. They are still talking about him coming home next week so we may get to have that reunion soon.
griffith - the thumb sucker
Griffith working on figuring out how to get his fist, fingers or thumb in his mouth.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Wednesday - August 23rd
Pretty little Allan continues to do well with his bottle-feeding. He isn't eating his full measure yet, but he takes at least some every time and seems to be willing to give the ol' college try every time. It is a wonder he has any energy at all considering how much of it he expends admiring himself in the mirror. Honestly, when I got there tonight he was gazing at himself in wonder. I really don't have any question where this comes from -- two of his girlfriends were in there today sweet-talking him. I keep telling them to focus on his other sterling qualities (beauty being only skin deep and all) but, as soon as my back is turned, they started talking about how pretty he is again. His "diet" seems to be working -- he is holding steady at around 8 pounds 4 ounces or so. I can't say that he has thinned out much, but he isn't continuing to pack on the pounds like he was. Tonight we worked on some of his stretching and range of motion exercises. Baby yoga -- he didn't cry or protest much (now that I think about it, he is a zen-like little fellow), but he did fix me with the most quizzical stare. You could almost see him doing the cost/benefit -- was it worth throwing a fit or was I likely to stop soon anyway? We'll keep it up. He'll be as flexible as Gumby by the time I'm through with him.
Griffith had an appointment with his pediatrician today. He gained nearly 7 ounces this week and weighs 5 pounds 13 ounces. If he keeps this pace up, he will catch Allan soon. Griff and I also did his stretching and range of motion exercises, but he acts as if I am drawing and quartering him. He isn't sure what I am doing, but it might get worse and he is going to nip that in the bud. We took a stroll this morning and he managed to stay awake for the first five minutes of the walk. Then he was out for the rest of the hour that we walked. He does much better when we sit out on the back deck. He doesn't fall asleep and he is content to listen to the waterfall and watch the light through the leaves.
Time to sign off. Griffith eats at midnight and will be impatient if I don't step lively.
Griffith had an appointment with his pediatrician today. He gained nearly 7 ounces this week and weighs 5 pounds 13 ounces. If he keeps this pace up, he will catch Allan soon. Griff and I also did his stretching and range of motion exercises, but he acts as if I am drawing and quartering him. He isn't sure what I am doing, but it might get worse and he is going to nip that in the bud. We took a stroll this morning and he managed to stay awake for the first five minutes of the walk. Then he was out for the rest of the hour that we walked. He does much better when we sit out on the back deck. He doesn't fall asleep and he is content to listen to the waterfall and watch the light through the leaves.
Time to sign off. Griffith eats at midnight and will be impatient if I don't step lively.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Tuesday - August 22nd
As I try to post, our youngest son is wailng like a banshee. Must be the Irish blood. He has an uncanny sense of timing. Just when I am on the verge of accomplishing something, he insists on my full attention and both hands. I keep trying to explain to him that I Am Trying To Get Something Done, but he really doesn't seem to care. As my father used to say of babies, you just can't reason with them. We are sitting out on the deck, listening to NPR and all of the fascinating noises of the neighborhood: the pond burbling, dogs barking, birds, tree frogs. It is amazing what you hear when you stop to listen. Lest you fear that Griff will be a little tree-hugger, we also have identified the very distinctive chugga chugga of the Bud Light beer truck stoppped at the little store down the street. I think the Guinness truck comes on Thursday. One must learn to discriminate early. Any way, Griff has been very good and has been helping me work in the garden. We have identified all the flowers and birds and all of the colors. If the neighbors are listening, I'm sure they think that I have lost my mind. Whatever. If the kid can't identify a hibiscus, it won't be MY fault.
Allan has had several good days in a row. He has continued to bottle-feed. He is slow but steady. A lot of times he won't feed well two times in a row. He just doesn't have the energy to do that every time. Still, he seems to have turned the corner and, although we aren't telling him, there is some talk of being discharged by the end of the month. We are ready (ish) to get him home, but realize that it took a couple of attempts to liberate Griffith. It is going to be hard to have two since we are only just now adjusting to having one, but it will be nice not to have to split our time between home and the hospital.
Allan has had several good days in a row. He has continued to bottle-feed. He is slow but steady. A lot of times he won't feed well two times in a row. He just doesn't have the energy to do that every time. Still, he seems to have turned the corner and, although we aren't telling him, there is some talk of being discharged by the end of the month. We are ready (ish) to get him home, but realize that it took a couple of attempts to liberate Griffith. It is going to be hard to have two since we are only just now adjusting to having one, but it will be nice not to have to split our time between home and the hospital.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
The comprehensive update
Where to begin? We've had a busy couple of days. Don't ask what we've done because when I start to list it, it really doesn't sound like a whole lot. Really, how much time can it really take to feed one baby the size of Griffith? How much laundry can two little boys create? All I can say is that some days I seem to be swimming in molasses. Ensuring the survival of Griffith for one more day is an accomplishment, but it isn't exactly something that you can scratch off of your "to do" list.
Cheryl came over Friday to look after Griffith in the afternoon while I went over to visit with Allan. When I left they were watching Paula Deen and her boys. I approve. Those boys sure do love their momma. She swears that she didn't hold him the entire time that she was here and, when I walked in, he was sleeping in his pack and play, but I'm not sure she didn't toss him in there when she heard my car in the driveway....
Saturday was a very big day. We are beginnning to introduce Griffith to some of his family. Stephanie and Bailey brought Aunt Evelyn up for a visit and Aunt Kathy came, too. Although Evelyn had seen Griffith before, she hadn't been able to hold him. The last time she was here was the day before his surgery and he was a little puny that day. Needless to say, she was very impressed with him. Bailey also found him to be quite neat -- although she pronounced him "fussy" and kept calling him "Allan." After being corrected several times, she just took to calling him "the baby" and referring to Allan as "that other baby." After lunch, we went over to the hospital so that Evelyn could hold Allan. We also arranged it so that we could put Allan on a portable tank and take him out to the window where Steph and Bailey could get a good look at him. Bailey didn't quite understand why he couldn't come out or they couldn't come in and Steph explained about germs and the other babies and all. As soon as she saw Allan, though, she said "we've got to get him out of there!" Amen. Allan wasn't very cooperative, though. Little twerp kept his eyes closed the whole time we were there only to turn wide-eyed and precious just as it was time for us to leave.
As part of his diet, they have taken Allan off of the high-calorie formula and they have stopped supplementing the breast milk with extra calories. That seems to be accomplishing the goal of slowing his weight gain. We had thought that his diapers were particularly smelly because of the supplements, but we were apparently wrong. Our child's poop just stinks. Really. The funk hangs around him like a dark cloud. To the point that Jennifer was taking his diapers and putting them in the trash in other nurseries so that she wouldn't be trapped in with his stink. Sort of like the Easter Bunny of dirty diapers. Allan is doing very well otherwise though. The MRI of his brain came back totally normal. His hearing tests show some loss of hearing in his left ear (this can be from prematurity, from having been on antibiotics for a long time, or from being on one of the diuretics for a long time.) His right ear is just fine, though, and he does have hearing in the left so we aren't too wound up about that. This just gives him a ready made excuse for ignoring us. He is also getting the hang of bottle-feeding. He has been taking the bottle every time since Friday. He still doesn't have enough energy to get his whole bottle down every time, but every time he gets at least some and, today, more of it than not. He just needed to be left alone. The trick(s) with him seem to be that he can not be pushed to eat (by applying chin pressure or twisting the bottle) but has to do it his way and in his own sweet time. He is his father's child in that respect. He also does better if there is conversation going on around him and people aren't paying strict attention to him. He freezes if he is the center of attention and will play possum until you leave him alone. He continues to be the vain one of the pair. According to Jennifer, he spent several hours today gazing lovingly at himself in the mirror. He had a really good weekend, though, so we can't complain.
Griffith, on the other hand, turned in to a bit of a pain last night. I had been bragging about how he was a very good sleeper except when he was wet, dirty or hungry. Guess I jinxed us. We aren't sure why -- maybe because he had too much excitement with all the company but he was a regular little tool last night. He was up and fussy most of the night. And so was I. He fed really well at 3 and I was sure that we were going to get right back to sleep, but he refused to cooperate. He would let me put him in the bassinet. I would fire up the vibrate mode and it would seem like we were making progress, but after about 10 minutes he would start to fuss. So I would rock the bassinet in addition to the vibrations. I don't know how he did it because he couldn't see out of the bassinet, but every time I was about ready to drop off to sleep, he would start fussing again. I would look over and see one hand or the other of waving in the air -- kind of like a swimmer going under for the third time. We did that for about a half hour or so and then we relocated to the living room where I was sure that the magic swing would take care of our issues. Didn't. He would stay satisfied about long enough for me to start dorpping off and then he would fuss. The only position that would satisfy was laying on my chest with me jammed at an uncomfortable angle to the side. Any other position would just result in fussiness. This lasted until I was able to pass him off to his father for the 6 a.m. feed. He has continued to be fussy most all day. If this is how company affects him, then we are going to have to remain isolated for a while longer.
Cheryl came over Friday to look after Griffith in the afternoon while I went over to visit with Allan. When I left they were watching Paula Deen and her boys. I approve. Those boys sure do love their momma. She swears that she didn't hold him the entire time that she was here and, when I walked in, he was sleeping in his pack and play, but I'm not sure she didn't toss him in there when she heard my car in the driveway....
Saturday was a very big day. We are beginnning to introduce Griffith to some of his family. Stephanie and Bailey brought Aunt Evelyn up for a visit and Aunt Kathy came, too. Although Evelyn had seen Griffith before, she hadn't been able to hold him. The last time she was here was the day before his surgery and he was a little puny that day. Needless to say, she was very impressed with him. Bailey also found him to be quite neat -- although she pronounced him "fussy" and kept calling him "Allan." After being corrected several times, she just took to calling him "the baby" and referring to Allan as "that other baby." After lunch, we went over to the hospital so that Evelyn could hold Allan. We also arranged it so that we could put Allan on a portable tank and take him out to the window where Steph and Bailey could get a good look at him. Bailey didn't quite understand why he couldn't come out or they couldn't come in and Steph explained about germs and the other babies and all. As soon as she saw Allan, though, she said "we've got to get him out of there!" Amen. Allan wasn't very cooperative, though. Little twerp kept his eyes closed the whole time we were there only to turn wide-eyed and precious just as it was time for us to leave.
As part of his diet, they have taken Allan off of the high-calorie formula and they have stopped supplementing the breast milk with extra calories. That seems to be accomplishing the goal of slowing his weight gain. We had thought that his diapers were particularly smelly because of the supplements, but we were apparently wrong. Our child's poop just stinks. Really. The funk hangs around him like a dark cloud. To the point that Jennifer was taking his diapers and putting them in the trash in other nurseries so that she wouldn't be trapped in with his stink. Sort of like the Easter Bunny of dirty diapers. Allan is doing very well otherwise though. The MRI of his brain came back totally normal. His hearing tests show some loss of hearing in his left ear (this can be from prematurity, from having been on antibiotics for a long time, or from being on one of the diuretics for a long time.) His right ear is just fine, though, and he does have hearing in the left so we aren't too wound up about that. This just gives him a ready made excuse for ignoring us. He is also getting the hang of bottle-feeding. He has been taking the bottle every time since Friday. He still doesn't have enough energy to get his whole bottle down every time, but every time he gets at least some and, today, more of it than not. He just needed to be left alone. The trick(s) with him seem to be that he can not be pushed to eat (by applying chin pressure or twisting the bottle) but has to do it his way and in his own sweet time. He is his father's child in that respect. He also does better if there is conversation going on around him and people aren't paying strict attention to him. He freezes if he is the center of attention and will play possum until you leave him alone. He continues to be the vain one of the pair. According to Jennifer, he spent several hours today gazing lovingly at himself in the mirror. He had a really good weekend, though, so we can't complain.
Griffith, on the other hand, turned in to a bit of a pain last night. I had been bragging about how he was a very good sleeper except when he was wet, dirty or hungry. Guess I jinxed us. We aren't sure why -- maybe because he had too much excitement with all the company but he was a regular little tool last night. He was up and fussy most of the night. And so was I. He fed really well at 3 and I was sure that we were going to get right back to sleep, but he refused to cooperate. He would let me put him in the bassinet. I would fire up the vibrate mode and it would seem like we were making progress, but after about 10 minutes he would start to fuss. So I would rock the bassinet in addition to the vibrations. I don't know how he did it because he couldn't see out of the bassinet, but every time I was about ready to drop off to sleep, he would start fussing again. I would look over and see one hand or the other of waving in the air -- kind of like a swimmer going under for the third time. We did that for about a half hour or so and then we relocated to the living room where I was sure that the magic swing would take care of our issues. Didn't. He would stay satisfied about long enough for me to start dorpping off and then he would fuss. The only position that would satisfy was laying on my chest with me jammed at an uncomfortable angle to the side. Any other position would just result in fussiness. This lasted until I was able to pass him off to his father for the 6 a.m. feed. He has continued to be fussy most all day. If this is how company affects him, then we are going to have to remain isolated for a while longer.
Equal time for Griffith
Griffith got equal time with Aunt Evelyn. This was the first time she got to hold him.
Great-great Aunt Evelyn with Allan
Aunt Evelyn came for a visit yesterday and spent some time with Big Allan.
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