Griffith's lean thighs. Doesn't get those from me. Must be a Richardson trait.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Griffith's lean thighs
Griffith's lean thighs. Doesn't get those from me. Must be a Richardson trait.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Thursday afternoon -- June 15th
The boys have had a big couple of days.
First off was the two month milestone. Last night Griffith weighed 4 pounds 4 ounces and was 17 inches long. Allan was 4 pounds even and 15. 5 inches long. Both of them got their very first rounds of vaccines yesterday to celebrate (blasted doctors know how to take the fun out of EVERYthing, don't they?). They both seemed to do very well with those, though.
Allan got another bath last night and still loved it. This distinguishes him from his brother who (naturally) throws a fit and hates, hates, hates to have baths. Allan couldn't have been any happier, though, and laid there and looked up at Krista and me as if this was the best idea we had ever had. The docs continue to work on weaning him down and he is tolerating it pretty well. When I was in for his care at lunch today, he was just smiling all over himself. I am glad that he is so happy and God knows it is good to have one who isn't constantly raising Cain, but if I didn't know for sure that they are brothers, I'm not sure I would have guessed it.
Griffith was scheduled to be extubated today and he got to come out for some K-care with Dad last night. So while I was bathing Allan, Dad was holding Griffith. As I was sitting there telling Allan that it was about time to go I hear Jay call for Krista (Allan's nurse) to come and help. Yep, Griffith, operating on his own schedule, had extubated himself. The usual crowd responded and put him on the nasal cannula. He was fairly unsettled, though, so Jay took the first shift and I took the second. Long story short, we've made it to this afternoon with him on the cannula and he's doing very well. He's so much happier than with that vent tube or that awful cpap. As long as he keeps breathing well and without labor, he remains the golden boy. I'm afraid that he is already spoiled. When I got to the hospital, he was pretty fussy and Caitlyn suggested that I hold him. I complied gladly, of course. Little turkey settled right down and that's how he stayed for more than four hours. All it took was being held apparently. And the promise about the pony. And the puppy. And the chocolate cake for breakfast. That's all.
First off was the two month milestone. Last night Griffith weighed 4 pounds 4 ounces and was 17 inches long. Allan was 4 pounds even and 15. 5 inches long. Both of them got their very first rounds of vaccines yesterday to celebrate (blasted doctors know how to take the fun out of EVERYthing, don't they?). They both seemed to do very well with those, though.
Allan got another bath last night and still loved it. This distinguishes him from his brother who (naturally) throws a fit and hates, hates, hates to have baths. Allan couldn't have been any happier, though, and laid there and looked up at Krista and me as if this was the best idea we had ever had. The docs continue to work on weaning him down and he is tolerating it pretty well. When I was in for his care at lunch today, he was just smiling all over himself. I am glad that he is so happy and God knows it is good to have one who isn't constantly raising Cain, but if I didn't know for sure that they are brothers, I'm not sure I would have guessed it.
Griffith was scheduled to be extubated today and he got to come out for some K-care with Dad last night. So while I was bathing Allan, Dad was holding Griffith. As I was sitting there telling Allan that it was about time to go I hear Jay call for Krista (Allan's nurse) to come and help. Yep, Griffith, operating on his own schedule, had extubated himself. The usual crowd responded and put him on the nasal cannula. He was fairly unsettled, though, so Jay took the first shift and I took the second. Long story short, we've made it to this afternoon with him on the cannula and he's doing very well. He's so much happier than with that vent tube or that awful cpap. As long as he keeps breathing well and without labor, he remains the golden boy. I'm afraid that he is already spoiled. When I got to the hospital, he was pretty fussy and Caitlyn suggested that I hold him. I complied gladly, of course. Little turkey settled right down and that's how he stayed for more than four hours. All it took was being held apparently. And the promise about the pony. And the puppy. And the chocolate cake for breakfast. That's all.
Thursday June 15th
Been busy in a meeting this a.m.
No time to post. Eveyone is fine. Will come back from the hospital after lunch and post. I promise.
No time to post. Eveyone is fine. Will come back from the hospital after lunch and post. I promise.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Wednesday afternoon -- June 14th
Happy birthday to Allan and Griffith! They are now two whole months old, if you can believe that.
Griffith is 4 pounds 1 ounce and 17 inches long. Allan was 3 pounds and almost 14 ounces. Alissa hadn't measured him yet so I'll have to update that stat later. Big progress for both of them considering that Griffith was 2 pounds 9 ounces and 14 inches long and Allan was 1 pound 9 ounces and 12.5 inches long.
They are probably going to try Griffith on the nasal cannula this afternoon to see if he can just avoid the Cpap altogether. Everyone agrees that would be for the best because he HATES it so darned much. Cheryl had a big talk with him this morning about containing his temper, but he was throwing a fit when I got there so I'm not sure that it did any good. I told her that it would be very hard for me to say any thing to him about it since it is clearly a Brannon trait. I could tell him to cool it, but I'm pretty sure he would call me out for being hypocritical.
Griffith is 4 pounds 1 ounce and 17 inches long. Allan was 3 pounds and almost 14 ounces. Alissa hadn't measured him yet so I'll have to update that stat later. Big progress for both of them considering that Griffith was 2 pounds 9 ounces and 14 inches long and Allan was 1 pound 9 ounces and 12.5 inches long.
They are probably going to try Griffith on the nasal cannula this afternoon to see if he can just avoid the Cpap altogether. Everyone agrees that would be for the best because he HATES it so darned much. Cheryl had a big talk with him this morning about containing his temper, but he was throwing a fit when I got there so I'm not sure that it did any good. I told her that it would be very hard for me to say any thing to him about it since it is clearly a Brannon trait. I could tell him to cool it, but I'm pretty sure he would call me out for being hypocritical.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Tuesday afternoon - June 13th
I got to the hospital to find that they had just extubated Griffith not long before I arrived. Unfortunately, by the time I left, they were having to put him back on the vent. It wasn't his lungs (his X-rays look "great") and it wasn't his nose. It is just that he hates the Cpap so very much that he gets completly furious and can't settle down. He wiggles and twists and throws his arms around and cries, cries, cries. He worked himself up so much that he pooped and threw up. So, back on the vent he goes for a while longer. I don't know what the plan is -- try him on the Cpap again in a few days or try him on the nasal cannula to see if he can make it with that. It is very disappointing, but we know that he'll do it one way or another and sooner rather than later.
Allan didn't get much attention since brother was causing such an uproar, but he had a "great" chest x-ray, too, and they are working on weaning him down on the vent. He has Alissa again today and she's a big favorite. He'd spent a fair amount of time grinning at her this morning. So much so that he was too worn out to even look at Mom. I've said it before, but -- ingrate.
Allan didn't get much attention since brother was causing such an uproar, but he had a "great" chest x-ray, too, and they are working on weaning him down on the vent. He has Alissa again today and she's a big favorite. He'd spent a fair amount of time grinning at her this morning. So much so that he was too worn out to even look at Mom. I've said it before, but -- ingrate.
Tuesday morning June 13th
The boys had a good night last night. Allan had gained a little weight -- he's a little above 3 pounds 13 ounces. With any luck, he'll make it to 4 pounds by the end of the week. Rumor is that he may graduate to a big boy bed like Griffith the next time they swap out beds. He's doing well with his body temperature which seems to be the main determination. It will be nice when he does because it makes it a whole lot easier to hold on to him and kiss him when he isn't in the incubator.
Griffith was better last night. A little less snotty. He is still hovering around the 4 pound mark. He had managed to soil so many of his clothes yesterday that I had to raid Allan's stash to find something suitable for him to wear. We are still on hold on his extubation. The docs are planning on lettting him dry out for a day or two before giving it a whirl. I hate to break it to them, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if he didn't just jerk it out again himself. Patience is not his strong suit. Can't imagine where he gets that.
Griffith was better last night. A little less snotty. He is still hovering around the 4 pound mark. He had managed to soil so many of his clothes yesterday that I had to raid Allan's stash to find something suitable for him to wear. We are still on hold on his extubation. The docs are planning on lettting him dry out for a day or two before giving it a whirl. I hate to break it to them, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if he didn't just jerk it out again himself. Patience is not his strong suit. Can't imagine where he gets that.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Monday afternoon - June 12th
Well, Griffith is still all snotty today so they aren't going to extubate him. Maybe tomorrow. Don't want to give it a try and put him under the stress unless the conditions are favorable. Poor little fellow was blowing snot bubbles out his nose. Still and all, it is pretty good news. He is ready to move off of the vent from a respiratory standpoint. It is just a matter of clearing out his nose. He's got a lot of spunk to him, though. He waited until I got his diaper off and then peed everywhere. He hasn't done that in quite some time so I feel like it was pointed. He has reached the end of his tether with me and every one else and he isn't going to hold back.
Sweet little Allan continues on being sweet little Allan. His nurse (Veronica) had put him in his camo onesie. I got some cute pictures of him and will update the photo gallery later this week. His doctors are about to put him to work, though, so the laying around and smiling all the time may come to an end. They have started to work on reducing his pressures (the force of the air going in) and weaning him off of the vent.
Sweet little Allan continues on being sweet little Allan. His nurse (Veronica) had put him in his camo onesie. I got some cute pictures of him and will update the photo gallery later this week. His doctors are about to put him to work, though, so the laying around and smiling all the time may come to an end. They have started to work on reducing his pressures (the force of the air going in) and weaning him off of the vent.
Monday June 12 -- the weekend report
Allan and Griffith both had pretty good weekends. On Friday, Griffith extubated himself again. You have to give it to the kid -- for someone who is only 8 weeks old and isn't supposed to even be here yet, he does a pretty good job of letting you know what he does and does not want. This extubation didn't go well for him, though, because he still couldn't breath through his swollen nose. He has continued to pull and tug on the vent tube all weekend and you can tell that he is mightily annoyed that people keep putting it back in. (The nurses keep telling us that he seems unsettled and angry. Yes, yes, he does. It is going to be an ongoing pattern unless and until y'all decide to quit crossing him.) As my father used to say, I admire his courage but think damned little of his judgment. The swelling seems to have gone down in his nose and there is talk of extubating him and putting him back on the Cpap today or tomorrow. The docs make rounds between nine and noon and should make the decision then. As you can see from the photos, we put Griffith's new camo onesie on him (thanks, Dick, Stephanie and Bailey). I think he was hoping it would help hide him, but those ol' bad nurses keep sneaking up on him and doing rude things. The onesie is very exciting because it is for 4 to 6 pound babies. Griffith has officially moved up one weight class. Fruit fly weight?
Allan also had a good weekend, if less exciting. Mostly he just hangs out and sleeps and eats and smiles. He has put on a little weight and is 3 pounds 13 ounces. He also has a camo onesie, but doesn't get to wear it until he crosses over the 4 pound mark. Or until I decide that it is just too cute not to put it on him. Whichever. Jay is convinced that Allan is very advanced because (and I am just telling you what Jay tells me), Allan will stretch out his hand when he wants you to hold it and will pull it back when he is not so interested. Early admission to Harvard, definitely. I need to get a few more pictures of him. Nurse Jennifer is encouraging me to take picture of his "thunder thighs" to add to the photo gallery. They are pretty cute. On him. On me, not so much.
They both have tapes of Aunt Kathy and of Jay and me reading to them and they seem to respond to them. This weekend especially the nurses reported that Griffith would settle down to listen to it. I guess they decided that it was worth listening to Boom Boom, Ain't it Great to be Crazy over and over again rather than have to deal with his little bitty bad attitude.
If there isn't an afternoon update, don't get worried. I may get to the hospital at lunch and find that they have taken him off the vent. If so, then I will just stay on.
Allan also had a good weekend, if less exciting. Mostly he just hangs out and sleeps and eats and smiles. He has put on a little weight and is 3 pounds 13 ounces. He also has a camo onesie, but doesn't get to wear it until he crosses over the 4 pound mark. Or until I decide that it is just too cute not to put it on him. Whichever. Jay is convinced that Allan is very advanced because (and I am just telling you what Jay tells me), Allan will stretch out his hand when he wants you to hold it and will pull it back when he is not so interested. Early admission to Harvard, definitely. I need to get a few more pictures of him. Nurse Jennifer is encouraging me to take picture of his "thunder thighs" to add to the photo gallery. They are pretty cute. On him. On me, not so much.
They both have tapes of Aunt Kathy and of Jay and me reading to them and they seem to respond to them. This weekend especially the nurses reported that Griffith would settle down to listen to it. I guess they decided that it was worth listening to Boom Boom, Ain't it Great to be Crazy over and over again rather than have to deal with his little bitty bad attitude.
If there isn't an afternoon update, don't get worried. I may get to the hospital at lunch and find that they have taken him off the vent. If so, then I will just stay on.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Friday afternoon report
The boys were doing fine when I went to see them at lunch. Griffith was sleeping and had been most of the morning. I think he is completely worn out from his little episode this morning. The docs are putting him on Neosynephrine for the inflammation in his nasal passages (no joke - it is Afrin.) They are also getting smaller tubes for the Cpap. They are going to give him a little time to heal up his nose and then take him off the vent again. Third time is a charm.....we hope.
Allan was a real sweety at lunch. He was WIDE AWAKE and looking all around at every thing. It really is funny to turn on the tapes and watch him try to figure out where the sound is coming from. (It reminds me of The Muppet Show Animal Hospital skits where Rolf, Piggy and that other nurse (Janet?) all wheel around and try to see where the voice over is coming from.) We have to get him caught up with Griffith before taking him off the vent. He was a little puny from the yeast infection and still has to pick up a little more steam.
Anyway, we hope that we've had all the excitement that we are due for this weekend and that every one behaves for a couple of days.
Allan was a real sweety at lunch. He was WIDE AWAKE and looking all around at every thing. It really is funny to turn on the tapes and watch him try to figure out where the sound is coming from. (It reminds me of The Muppet Show Animal Hospital skits where Rolf, Piggy and that other nurse (Janet?) all wheel around and try to see where the voice over is coming from.) We have to get him caught up with Griffith before taking him off the vent. He was a little puny from the yeast infection and still has to pick up a little more steam.
Anyway, we hope that we've had all the excitement that we are due for this weekend and that every one behaves for a couple of days.
Two steps back?
In our continuing line of Fridays that suck, Griffith ended up back on the ventilator this morning. He was fine all day yesterday and most of last night, but at 4 started having some trouble. As it turns out his nasal passages swelled up and so he wasn't able to breath through his nose. (Don't they have something akin to Afrin in that freakin' hospital?) He was having to work extremely hard and was getting pretty worn out so he was reintubated. He's doing fine now -- just very tired. They will probably give him a couple of days to recover his strength and take him off again. The good news is that his lungs were great and he was breathing like a rock star up until he wasn't.
Allan got to come out and play with Mom last night for over an hour. We hung out and caught up on things -- he was a little jealous of all the attention that Griffith was getting for extubating himself, but may be that will just encourage him to get off the vent, too.
Allan got to come out and play with Mom last night for over an hour. We hung out and caught up on things -- he was a little jealous of all the attention that Griffith was getting for extubating himself, but may be that will just encourage him to get off the vent, too.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Thursday June 8th
Well, we had an eventful day yesterday. The doctors had been promising for a week to extubate Griffith (take him off of the ventilator) but, what with one thing and another, they still hadn't gotten around to it. They were going to do it this morning, but Griffith decided to take things in to his own hands (quite literally) and extubated himself yesterday afternoon. The rule being, of course, if you pull it out, then you have to breathe. They hooked him up on what is called C-Pap which is kind of a snorkle apparatus that pushes air into your nose -- it is midway between the ventilator and the nasal cannula. He's been on the C-Pap before and really doesn't like it all that much, but his buddy Cheryl was there and they hung out and held hands and worked on being calm. Dad and I went last night and switched off on hand-holding and sweet-talking during the night. Griffith was a little restless but really settled down a little after midnight and was an angel all night long. I don't know what he and Dad talked about but we covered a lot of topics. We agree that we are keeping the z3. Allan can ride in the trunk (if he has to come at all -- Griffith believes that he would be the perfect only child, but I'm not going for it.) Going to Florida next year with Bailey sounds like a good idea. Oh, yeah, and that having Mom and Dad pay attention to him constantly is all right. Anyway, I went in just before lunch time and Griffith was doing great. The level of oxygen that they are giving him is coming down and the pressure is, too. His chest x-ray was the best it had been in a month. The docs are going to take him pretty slowly because they don't want to rush him and cause him to fall back. With a little luck, he can wean off the C-Pap and on to the cannula next week.
In other news, Griffith weighed in at a cool 4 pounds last night. He really is a most clever boy.
Allan would have had a long way to go to keep up with Griffith yesterday. Dad gave him his very first bath yesterday which (unlike his brother) he seemed to like. We are noticing a definite pattern --- Allan is usually pretty happy and satisfied with whatever is going on while Griffith resents being messed with and considers other people to be something of a trial. (Can't imagine where they get their personalities.) Allan's weight has remained steady at 3 pounds 12 ounces, but we are looking for some gain today. It is time for us to have 2 four-pounders!
I've taken some new pictures, but what with one thing and another, haven't gotten them posted. I hope to get them up tomorrow.
In other news, Griffith weighed in at a cool 4 pounds last night. He really is a most clever boy.
Allan would have had a long way to go to keep up with Griffith yesterday. Dad gave him his very first bath yesterday which (unlike his brother) he seemed to like. We are noticing a definite pattern --- Allan is usually pretty happy and satisfied with whatever is going on while Griffith resents being messed with and considers other people to be something of a trial. (Can't imagine where they get their personalities.) Allan's weight has remained steady at 3 pounds 12 ounces, but we are looking for some gain today. It is time for us to have 2 four-pounders!
I've taken some new pictures, but what with one thing and another, haven't gotten them posted. I hope to get them up tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Wednesday afternoon June 7th
As anticipated, Cheryl has given Griffith a real talking-to and they have come to an accord on the breathing thing. It really wasn't his fault (he's a lot like his father that way). Cheryl managed to suck out a wad of crud from his lungs that was making very hard to breath. So his noncompliance wasn't willful. He's been an angel all morning. I got to hold him while he was eating his lunch and we had a good time talking about cars. I was driving the Yukon today which is far larger than I am entirely comfortable with. Griffith thought it would be very funny if I just put a baby seat in my car and left Allan and Dad to the Yukon and the station wagon. We are a little too cool for that much suburbia.
Allan continues his streak of happy days. Tina reports that he has been charming and disarming every one with his smiles again today. I don't know why he's so darned happy, but I'm not going to argue with him about it.
Allan continues his streak of happy days. Tina reports that he has been charming and disarming every one with his smiles again today. I don't know why he's so darned happy, but I'm not going to argue with him about it.
Wednesday afternoon June 7th
As anticipated, Cheryl has given Griffith a real talking-to and they have come to an accord on the breathing thing. It really wasn't his fault (he's a lot like his father that way). Cheryl managed to suck out a wad of crud from his lungs that was making very hard to breath. So his noncompliance wasn't willful. He's been an angel all morning. I got to hold him while he was eating his lunch and we had a good time talking about cars. I was driving the Yukon today which is far larger than I am entirely comfortable with. Griffith thought it would be very funny if I just put a baby seat in my car and left Allan and Dad to the Yukon and the station wagon. We are a little too cool for that much suburbia.
Allan continues his streak of happy days. Tina reports that he has been charming and disarming every one with his smiles again today. I don't know why he's so darned happy, but I'm not going to argue with him about it.
Allan continues his streak of happy days. Tina reports that he has been charming and disarming every one with his smiles again today. I don't know why he's so darned happy, but I'm not going to argue with him about it.
Wednesday afternoon June 7th
As anticipated, Cheryl has given Griffith a real talking-to and they have come to an accord on the breathing thing. It really wasn't his fault (he's a lot like his father that way). Cheryl managed to suck out a wad of crud from his lungs that was making very hard to breath. So his noncompliance wasn't willful. He's been an angel all morning. I got to hold him while he was eating his lunch and we had a good time talking about cars. I was driving the Yukon today which is far larger than I am entirely comfortable with. Griffith thought it would be very funny if I just put a baby seat in my car and left Allan and Dad to the Yukon and the station wagon. We are a little too cool for that much suburbia.
Allan continues his streak of happy days. Tina reports that he has been charming and disarming every one with his smiles again today. I don't know why he's so darned happy, but I'm not going to argue with him about it.
Allan continues his streak of happy days. Tina reports that he has been charming and disarming every one with his smiles again today. I don't know why he's so darned happy, but I'm not going to argue with him about it.
Wednesday June 7th - the overnight report
No bath last night for Allan. They had a new kid admitted to his nursery and so we had to postpone until tonight. He did get a new bed, new sheets and new clothes though. He was really sweet, laying on his belly with his little index finger up in his mouth. It is a good thing he's so cute. It makes it easier to overlook the fact that he's starting to get a little greasy.
Griffith had a good night last night. He's won over another nurse so now Rosa and Caitlyn are going mano a mano to look after him at night. Word is that he misbehaved in rather grand fashion this morning by de-sating in a significant way. His episode was pretty short -- just a couple of minutes, but it threw a scare in to him and his nurses. We are hoping that he starts to realize that breathing is NOT an optional activity pretty soon. Cheryl is back today, though. I'm pretty sure that she will give him a stern talking to and that will take care of it.
Griffith had a good night last night. He's won over another nurse so now Rosa and Caitlyn are going mano a mano to look after him at night. Word is that he misbehaved in rather grand fashion this morning by de-sating in a significant way. His episode was pretty short -- just a couple of minutes, but it threw a scare in to him and his nurses. We are hoping that he starts to realize that breathing is NOT an optional activity pretty soon. Cheryl is back today, though. I'm pretty sure that she will give him a stern talking to and that will take care of it.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Tuesday afternoon June 6th
The boys were doing well at lunch. Allan had been awake most of the morning and spent his time smiling and charming his nurse (Tina) who had taken to calling him "Ham" and "Flirt." If he continues his good behavior, then he is in line for a bath tonight. He hasn't had one -- ever -- so this could be good fun for all concerned.
Griffith continues his reign of terror. He was good in the sense that he felt fine and wasn't having any trouble breathing or anything. He was just being his ornery self though -- lots of squirming and frowning and generally expressing his disapproval of any one who was trying to mess with him. I forgot to mention that he weighed just under 3 pounds 15 ounces last night. If he eats well today, we may have a four-pounder tonight.
Griffith continues his reign of terror. He was good in the sense that he felt fine and wasn't having any trouble breathing or anything. He was just being his ornery self though -- lots of squirming and frowning and generally expressing his disapproval of any one who was trying to mess with him. I forgot to mention that he weighed just under 3 pounds 15 ounces last night. If he eats well today, we may have a four-pounder tonight.
Tuesday June 6 morning report
Allan and Griffith continued their runs of good behavior. Last night Allan and I hung out and listened to his new tape of Mom and Dad reading the classics (Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, But Not the Hippopotamus). He was a little angel the whole time. He gained some more and weighs 3 pounds 12 ounces (this time for real!).
Griffith had snuggle time with Dad for over an hour. I think Griffith would have laid there all night. I didn't get to inspect him, but Dad reports that Griffith, too, has developed nipples.
Well done.
Griffith had snuggle time with Dad for over an hour. I think Griffith would have laid there all night. I didn't get to inspect him, but Dad reports that Griffith, too, has developed nipples.
Well done.
Monday, June 05, 2006
june 5th - monday aftrenoon
The boys had a good morning. Allan was awake on-and-off while I was there, but Griffith slept the whole time.
I realized at the hospital that I am a terrible mother -- I misreported the boys' weights in my earlier post. Griffith is 3 pounds 12 oz. Allan is 3 pounds 10 oz. Still Allan is more of a pudge than his brother. Nurse Jennifer is completely charmed by his elbows -- they have little dimples in them (they are pretty sweet.) In other news, Allan now has nipples. (He was so early that he didn't have them to begin with.) They are teeny-tiny and I don't think they were there yesterday, but they are there now. I didn't get a chance to examine Griffith -- he was all wrapped up and asleep, but I'll be checking him pretty closely tonight.
I realized at the hospital that I am a terrible mother -- I misreported the boys' weights in my earlier post. Griffith is 3 pounds 12 oz. Allan is 3 pounds 10 oz. Still Allan is more of a pudge than his brother. Nurse Jennifer is completely charmed by his elbows -- they have little dimples in them (they are pretty sweet.) In other news, Allan now has nipples. (He was so early that he didn't have them to begin with.) They are teeny-tiny and I don't think they were there yesterday, but they are there now. I didn't get a chance to examine Griffith -- he was all wrapped up and asleep, but I'll be checking him pretty closely tonight.
the weekend review
The boys had a good weekend. They didn't misbehave (or not much) and we are hoping this streak continues.
Allan is a whopping 3 pounds 12 ounces as of last night. His brother was holding steady at 3 pounds 10 ounces and a bit. The doctors had changed Griffith's feedings and it didn't agree with his delicate digestive system -- he was farting and burping audibly. Kind of disconcerting, really -- the sound was disproportionate to his size. I'm glad that Allan wasn't nearby. I'm sure that would have spurred some sort of contest and we don't want to have them engaging in that sort of behavior just yet. Enough time for that later.
Griffith had an especially good weekend. I got to hold him for nearly an hour and a half yesterday morning. He racked out on my chest and slept the whole time. I'm afraid that when we go home that's all I'll get accomplished. These boys may never learn to walk. Their feet will never touch the ground. Griffith was really wide awake last night and spent a lot of time hanging out with his dad. He is working really hard on "scanning" -- trying to focus on your face when you talk to him. He squints and frowns a lot when he's doing it. Either that or he's really skeptical of what his father is saying. (A little from column A, a little from column B......)
Allan was more laid back this weekend. His dad got to hold him for a little while, but Allan got to acting up and had to be grounded. He's really liking his Aunt Kathy's tape, though. He smiles a lot when she sings.
Allan is a whopping 3 pounds 12 ounces as of last night. His brother was holding steady at 3 pounds 10 ounces and a bit. The doctors had changed Griffith's feedings and it didn't agree with his delicate digestive system -- he was farting and burping audibly. Kind of disconcerting, really -- the sound was disproportionate to his size. I'm glad that Allan wasn't nearby. I'm sure that would have spurred some sort of contest and we don't want to have them engaging in that sort of behavior just yet. Enough time for that later.
Griffith had an especially good weekend. I got to hold him for nearly an hour and a half yesterday morning. He racked out on my chest and slept the whole time. I'm afraid that when we go home that's all I'll get accomplished. These boys may never learn to walk. Their feet will never touch the ground. Griffith was really wide awake last night and spent a lot of time hanging out with his dad. He is working really hard on "scanning" -- trying to focus on your face when you talk to him. He squints and frowns a lot when he's doing it. Either that or he's really skeptical of what his father is saying. (A little from column A, a little from column B......)
Allan was more laid back this weekend. His dad got to hold him for a little while, but Allan got to acting up and had to be grounded. He's really liking his Aunt Kathy's tape, though. He smiles a lot when she sings.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Friday morning -- June 2nd
The boys were good last night. Dad was off in Detroit so I had them all to myself. Allan had gained a little weight and Griffith lost a little so they both weigh the same again -- 3 pounds 8 ounces.
I remembered to get Allan's tape out of my bag last night and we sat there for quite a while holding hands and listening to Aunt Kathy read Bad Mousie. It is a cautionary tale of a little mouse who was bad (hence the title) because no one had ever taught him to be good. In the manner of all good children's literature, it is a terrible story and I have no idea why any one would think it was appropriate for kids. In short, Bad Mousie lives with a little girl (Danica) and her mother and he does all sorts of awful things. One day Danica's mother has had enough and embarks on a campaign to rid herself of Bad Mousie -- she ties him to the fence for the owls to eat him (he escapes), puts him in a box and throws it in the washer (ditto), and ties him to a kite and sends him sailing (he eventually drops in to a mud puddle). Rather than skedaddle somewhere with less homicidal (mouse-icidal) people, Mousie decides that he would like to be good and goes home and learns the rules from Danica. A cautionary tale, for sure. The boys should take heed -- this could be you. (Jesus is coming - R U ready?) ANYWAY, Allan was very alert through most of the story, clearly listening and looking around to try to find where the sound was coming from. He fell asleep listening and apparently was an angel all night long.
Griffith got a bath last night. Just in case you were wondering, he didn't really like it. He wriggled and squirmed and looked at Caitlyn and me with pure fury in his eyes. It is hard being so little and unable to fight off these people who seem to live to plague you. He settled down after that, though, and had an uneventful night.
I remembered to get Allan's tape out of my bag last night and we sat there for quite a while holding hands and listening to Aunt Kathy read Bad Mousie. It is a cautionary tale of a little mouse who was bad (hence the title) because no one had ever taught him to be good. In the manner of all good children's literature, it is a terrible story and I have no idea why any one would think it was appropriate for kids. In short, Bad Mousie lives with a little girl (Danica) and her mother and he does all sorts of awful things. One day Danica's mother has had enough and embarks on a campaign to rid herself of Bad Mousie -- she ties him to the fence for the owls to eat him (he escapes), puts him in a box and throws it in the washer (ditto), and ties him to a kite and sends him sailing (he eventually drops in to a mud puddle). Rather than skedaddle somewhere with less homicidal (mouse-icidal) people, Mousie decides that he would like to be good and goes home and learns the rules from Danica. A cautionary tale, for sure. The boys should take heed -- this could be you. (Jesus is coming - R U ready?) ANYWAY, Allan was very alert through most of the story, clearly listening and looking around to try to find where the sound was coming from. He fell asleep listening and apparently was an angel all night long.
Griffith got a bath last night. Just in case you were wondering, he didn't really like it. He wriggled and squirmed and looked at Caitlyn and me with pure fury in his eyes. It is hard being so little and unable to fight off these people who seem to live to plague you. He settled down after that, though, and had an uneventful night.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Thursday afternoon postscript
I completely forgot -- Cheryl was playing the tape of Aunt Kathy reading stories and singing campsongs for Griffith this morning. He (and Cheryl) really enjoyed it. He was apparently wide-eyed and looking around while it was playing. I keep forgetting to leave Allan's though. (Already favoring one over the other. How awful!) Griffith will be so far ahead of him academically that Allan will never catch up.
Thursday afternoon update
As you can see, I've added a few photos to the site. Have to even up the score with the boys. Don't want it to look like we favor one over the other. It just took me a while to get a picture of Griffith with his eyes open. He's not awfully cooperative with the picture-taking.
The boys are doing well this morning. Cheryl came back today and brought each of the boys new matchbox cars. They are going to have quite a collection before they get out of the hospital. They'll be ready to sit in the dirt under the maple tree at mom's and play for hours. Allan mostly slept while I was there. Griffith started off that way, but when Alissa came in to check on him, he struggled to open his eyes. Ingrate. He's quite the little flirt, that's for sure. I don't know that Alissa wants to fool with him, though. He was working very hard at making a mess of his pants while I was there -- complete with adult-size sound effects. More room out than there is in, I suppose. Especially in his situation. Cheryl and I were discussing child-proofing the house right before I left and I turned to see Griffith grinning like the Cheshire Cat. I'm sure he was thinking, "go ahead, you can try to childproof it......"
The boys are doing well this morning. Cheryl came back today and brought each of the boys new matchbox cars. They are going to have quite a collection before they get out of the hospital. They'll be ready to sit in the dirt under the maple tree at mom's and play for hours. Allan mostly slept while I was there. Griffith started off that way, but when Alissa came in to check on him, he struggled to open his eyes. Ingrate. He's quite the little flirt, that's for sure. I don't know that Alissa wants to fool with him, though. He was working very hard at making a mess of his pants while I was there -- complete with adult-size sound effects. More room out than there is in, I suppose. Especially in his situation. Cheryl and I were discussing child-proofing the house right before I left and I turned to see Griffith grinning like the Cheshire Cat. I'm sure he was thinking, "go ahead, you can try to childproof it......"
Thursday June 1st
Dad reports that the boys had good nights last night. According to Krista, Allan slept the sleep of the innocent all night which made her return from vacation easier. Caitlyn reported that Griffith was also an angel, but that he was wide awake for a long time starting with the 3 a.m. care time -- watching his mobile and listening to music. I am glad that he is keeping himself entertained, but hope this does not become a habit. While I am willing to indulge both of them silly, Momma isn't at her best at 3 a.m. And mobile-watching and listening to Enya has only limited entertainment value for me.
Not much else to report -- Allan's weight was down a fraction (the tremendous poop he had at lunch would probably account for that!) Griffith's was up a bit -- 3 pounds 10.5 ounces.
Not much else to report -- Allan's weight was down a fraction (the tremendous poop he had at lunch would probably account for that!) Griffith's was up a bit -- 3 pounds 10.5 ounces.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Very big day - May 31
The boys had a big day today. They got to meet great-great Aunt Evelyn. Technically only parents and grandparents are allowed in the NICU, but we got special dispensation since we don't have any grandparents close at hand. She has given her seal of approval so we get to keep them. That's good because I'm not sure how we would have gone about returning them any way. Plus, we've grown rather attached to them. They both were on their best behavior. They opened their eyes to say hi and stayed awake for a little while so that we could visit. Evelyn was surprised at how big they are and by the fact that Allan's belly is chubby (he weighed 3 pounds 8 ounces last night.) She thought that she might be afraid to touch them, but realized soon enough that they are just regular little guys. She's ready to sign up for rocking duty just as soon as they come home. We left after they both settled down for their afternoon naps. Other than that, nothing new to report.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Tuesday afternoon May 30
The boys were fine at lunchtime. Allan was pretty sleepy so we didn't get to visit too long. (We take the "never wake a sleeping baby" thing seriously.) I have been told that they will sleep a lot when they are going through a growth spurt so maybe he's trying to overtake his brother. Griffith had a good morning, too. He woke up for his care time and we spent about 30 minutes or so holding hands and catching up on the news of the day. He's spending more time in "calm alert" mode which seems to mean that he has his eyes open and is looking around. He seems fascinated with his hands, opening and closing them up next to his eyes. He has managed to poke himself in the eye several times which comes as a complete shock to him every time it happens. They have decided to hold off on the steroids for the moment. He and Allan have their follow up eye exams on Thursday or Friday and those are pretty traumatic for them. They don't want to go through the stress of getting off the vent and the eye exam all in one week. We hope they'll start with the steroids next week.
Weekend recap
Sorry about the no post on Friday. As you could see, I tried twice, but, for some reason it wouldn't publish. I hope this one does.
The boys had a pretty good long weekend -- no major malfunctions. As of last night we no longer have a "big" boy and a "little" boy. Allan has caught up with Griffith -- they both weighed in at 3 pounds 6 ounces. Griffith is so much longer though that he looks much skinnier than his brother. Allan is taking on the appearance of a little cherub. He's quite the pretty boy.
After having taken a brief hiatus, the boys have both returned to the guerilla pooping tactics. I guess they were just lulling us in to a false sense of security. Griffith managed to soil 3 diapers on his nurse the other night before she was able to wrestle him in to submission. Allan's nurse had a different problem. She knew he had let loose with a projectile poop, but couldn't find where it had gone. That's a pretty neat trick when you consider that he's in an incubator.
Griffith is starting a short course of steroids today (3 days) with the goal of getting him off of the ventilator by the end of the week. He has graduated and is out on a "warming tray" instead of in an incubator. He even has a mobile to keep him entertained. He hasn't quite figured out how to focus on it, but he's working on it. He's still very active and loves to hold hands -- tightly. He's also had hold of his dad's nose on occasion. Aunt Kathy has sent a tape of her reading and singing. We'll see how he likes it as compared to the Enya that Nurse Jenny has been playing for him. The rest of you are going to have to get cracking on the tapes. You don't want Kate to get ahead of you.
Allan has two more treatments for the yeast infection and he is done, done, done. He's a little behind his brother on the whole getting off the vent thing, but now that he's feeling better and picking up weight, he should catch up before long. Nurse Cheryl has already started the boys' Matchbox car collection -- Allan has one with "buzz off" on the side. A sentiment that he feels deeply --- it seems like they are constantly being poked or prodded by someone.
I'm going to put up some new photos, if I can. The older ones apparently archive after some point, but if you play around on the site, you can still find them.
The boys had a pretty good long weekend -- no major malfunctions. As of last night we no longer have a "big" boy and a "little" boy. Allan has caught up with Griffith -- they both weighed in at 3 pounds 6 ounces. Griffith is so much longer though that he looks much skinnier than his brother. Allan is taking on the appearance of a little cherub. He's quite the pretty boy.
After having taken a brief hiatus, the boys have both returned to the guerilla pooping tactics. I guess they were just lulling us in to a false sense of security. Griffith managed to soil 3 diapers on his nurse the other night before she was able to wrestle him in to submission. Allan's nurse had a different problem. She knew he had let loose with a projectile poop, but couldn't find where it had gone. That's a pretty neat trick when you consider that he's in an incubator.
Griffith is starting a short course of steroids today (3 days) with the goal of getting him off of the ventilator by the end of the week. He has graduated and is out on a "warming tray" instead of in an incubator. He even has a mobile to keep him entertained. He hasn't quite figured out how to focus on it, but he's working on it. He's still very active and loves to hold hands -- tightly. He's also had hold of his dad's nose on occasion. Aunt Kathy has sent a tape of her reading and singing. We'll see how he likes it as compared to the Enya that Nurse Jenny has been playing for him. The rest of you are going to have to get cracking on the tapes. You don't want Kate to get ahead of you.
Allan has two more treatments for the yeast infection and he is done, done, done. He's a little behind his brother on the whole getting off the vent thing, but now that he's feeling better and picking up weight, he should catch up before long. Nurse Cheryl has already started the boys' Matchbox car collection -- Allan has one with "buzz off" on the side. A sentiment that he feels deeply --- it seems like they are constantly being poked or prodded by someone.
I'm going to put up some new photos, if I can. The older ones apparently archive after some point, but if you play around on the site, you can still find them.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Friday
Don't know what happened to my previous post.
The boys are doing great -- both are now over 3 pounds. Griffith has started a campaign of terror where he pees at you as soon as you get his diaper off. Still, that's better than his brother who does the same with poop. Griffith got a matchbox car from his nurse Cheryl because he has been so good. He has graduated from the incubator to a warming tray. When he gets a little bigger they will try to ex-tubate him, but not this weekend.
Allan is also over 3 pounds and has stolen Griffith's girlfriend (Alissa) away from him. I hope this doesn't signal a pattern. Griffith does have his roommate (Mackenze) to turn to for solace, though. Cheryl also got Allan a car that says "buzz off" on the side. Just to keep things even.
The boys have actually managed to outgrow some clothes so it is a good thing that Aunt Kathy came through with some more vests -- these have lady bugs on them. She has also completed her tape for them so the rest of you better get busy. You don't want her to get ahead of you.
Have a good weekend and I'll update again on Tuesday.
The boys are doing great -- both are now over 3 pounds. Griffith has started a campaign of terror where he pees at you as soon as you get his diaper off. Still, that's better than his brother who does the same with poop. Griffith got a matchbox car from his nurse Cheryl because he has been so good. He has graduated from the incubator to a warming tray. When he gets a little bigger they will try to ex-tubate him, but not this weekend.
Allan is also over 3 pounds and has stolen Griffith's girlfriend (Alissa) away from him. I hope this doesn't signal a pattern. Griffith does have his roommate (Mackenze) to turn to for solace, though. Cheryl also got Allan a car that says "buzz off" on the side. Just to keep things even.
The boys have actually managed to outgrow some clothes so it is a good thing that Aunt Kathy came through with some more vests -- these have lady bugs on them. She has also completed her tape for them so the rest of you better get busy. You don't want her to get ahead of you.
Have a good weekend and I'll update again on Tuesday.
Ready for the weekend
Sorry for the slow posting. I ended up being out yesterday afternoon and this a.m. No cause for alarm, but we had to meet with the boys' doctors on a few things. All is well.
We now have two three pound babies! Allan was just a hair over three pounds last night. He has nearly caught up with his brother. He has already stolen Griffith's girlfriend, Alissa. She is now Allan's nurse on the days that she is there. Of course, Griffith has his live-in (Mackenze) who is very cute and sweet -- and more his size. Allan's not afraid of a little challenge, though.
Allan has five more days of the 28 day treatment for yeast and he is done. Griffith is through with all of his stuff and they are taking out his IV. Griffith graduated from his incubator to a warming tray and seems quite happy with the transition. We like it because it makes is so much easier for us to reach him and touch him. They have both stopped (for the time-being anyway) with the guerilla poopingg. Griffith has now switched to waiting until his diaper is off to start peeing. He has pretty good aim, too. Especially for someone who can only detect light and shadows. Right now we are just waiting on them to grow so that they can get off the vents and get ready to go home. Apparently when you are very small your trachea is "floppy" (per Dr. Rao) and so even though you might be ready lung-wise to get off the vent, you can't keep your windpipe open until it stiffens up.
Griffith's nurse Cheryl had promised him a matchbox car if he was very good while she was off (she works 3 12 hour shifts per week) and she was as good as her word. Today he had a little car -- a griffin. Close enough for government work. Allan got one that says "buzz off" on the side. They've started both of them on new inhalers which seem to be working pretty well at clearing out lung congestion.
Aunt Kathy made a couple of new little outfits for them which is good because they have managed to outgrow some of their clothes already. I can hardly imagine that. She also has made tapes for each of them with her reading stories and singing so the rest of you had better get busy -- you don't want her to get ahead of you.
Have a really safe and fun weekend. I likely won't update until Tuesday so don't get worried if there isn't any thing new.
We now have two three pound babies! Allan was just a hair over three pounds last night. He has nearly caught up with his brother. He has already stolen Griffith's girlfriend, Alissa. She is now Allan's nurse on the days that she is there. Of course, Griffith has his live-in (Mackenze) who is very cute and sweet -- and more his size. Allan's not afraid of a little challenge, though.
Allan has five more days of the 28 day treatment for yeast and he is done. Griffith is through with all of his stuff and they are taking out his IV. Griffith graduated from his incubator to a warming tray and seems quite happy with the transition. We like it because it makes is so much easier for us to reach him and touch him. They have both stopped (for the time-being anyway) with the guerilla poopingg. Griffith has now switched to waiting until his diaper is off to start peeing. He has pretty good aim, too. Especially for someone who can only detect light and shadows. Right now we are just waiting on them to grow so that they can get off the vents and get ready to go home. Apparently when you are very small your trachea is "floppy" (per Dr. Rao) and so even though you might be ready lung-wise to get off the vent, you can't keep your windpipe open until it stiffens up.
Griffith's nurse Cheryl had promised him a matchbox car if he was very good while she was off (she works 3 12 hour shifts per week) and she was as good as her word. Today he had a little car -- a griffin. Close enough for government work. Allan got one that says "buzz off" on the side. They've started both of them on new inhalers which seem to be working pretty well at clearing out lung congestion.
Aunt Kathy made a couple of new little outfits for them which is good because they have managed to outgrow some of their clothes already. I can hardly imagine that. She also has made tapes for each of them with her reading stories and singing so the rest of you had better get busy -- you don't want her to get ahead of you.
Have a really safe and fun weekend. I likely won't update until Tuesday so don't get worried if there isn't any thing new.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Thursday morning
The boys had a good afternoon yesterday and a restful night. They had both put on a little weight.
Allan is within striking distance of 3 pounds -- he was 2 pounds 15 ounces last night. He has 5 more days of treatment to insure that the yeast infection is well and truly gone. It will be nice to be able to have one less IV to deal with. The docs are trying to put more weight on him and he is now taking 28 CC's of milk at every feeding.
Griffith is so big that he has actually managed to outgrow an outfit, if you can imagine that! He had put on a little weight but hasn't quite made it to the next cut-off -- he's 3 pounds 2 oz still. He is still bound and determined to pull his vent tube out and works on that every chance he gets. All the nurses pass along the warning about him, though, and so he spends a fair amount of time swaddled. Our very own baby burrito. He has lost most of the darker hair on the top of his head, but has kept it around the sides. He looks like he has a receding hairline which is fair enough considering his namesake. Or his Uncle Mark.
Kim and Jennifer sent cute little circus-themed nightshirts for them. As soon as I get a chance to wash them up, we'll put them on and take some pictures. I doubt I can find a clown nose that will fit them, but a maraschino cherry might work....
Allan is within striking distance of 3 pounds -- he was 2 pounds 15 ounces last night. He has 5 more days of treatment to insure that the yeast infection is well and truly gone. It will be nice to be able to have one less IV to deal with. The docs are trying to put more weight on him and he is now taking 28 CC's of milk at every feeding.
Griffith is so big that he has actually managed to outgrow an outfit, if you can imagine that! He had put on a little weight but hasn't quite made it to the next cut-off -- he's 3 pounds 2 oz still. He is still bound and determined to pull his vent tube out and works on that every chance he gets. All the nurses pass along the warning about him, though, and so he spends a fair amount of time swaddled. Our very own baby burrito. He has lost most of the darker hair on the top of his head, but has kept it around the sides. He looks like he has a receding hairline which is fair enough considering his namesake. Or his Uncle Mark.
Kim and Jennifer sent cute little circus-themed nightshirts for them. As soon as I get a chance to wash them up, we'll put them on and take some pictures. I doubt I can find a clown nose that will fit them, but a maraschino cherry might work....
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Wednesday May 24th
The boys had a good day yesterday and they both got to come out and play for a while last night. Jay got Griffith who behaved like a little angel. I got Allan (who usually does better of the two) and he acted rotten so he got grounded after about 30 minutes. Dad graciously let me hold Griffith -- who then promptly began misbehaving just like his brother. Little ingrates. I brought them in to this world......
Griffith weighed in at 3 pounds 2 ounces (about 1400 grams.) Once he gets to 1500 grams, they'll see about taking him off of the vent again.
Allan weighed in at 2 pounds 14 ounces last night so he really isn't that far behind his brother.
The game plan seems to be hanging out and waiting for them to grow.
Griffith weighed in at 3 pounds 2 ounces (about 1400 grams.) Once he gets to 1500 grams, they'll see about taking him off of the vent again.
Allan weighed in at 2 pounds 14 ounces last night so he really isn't that far behind his brother.
The game plan seems to be hanging out and waiting for them to grow.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
no worries
I had a meeting at lunch so I didn't make it to see the boys as usual. I'm going over for the 3 o'clock care instead and won't be back at the computer until tomorrow. Just didn't want to cause any one any worries.
Tuesday morning - May 23
The boys recovered pretty well from their eye exams yesterday. Allan gained a little weight -- nearly 2 pounds, 13 oz now - and he got all snuggly in his new baby-blue flannel robe. He was pretty worn out but in a good mood -- he kept smiling in his sleep.
Griffith, as usual, was a little more of a handful. He didn't gain any weight yesterday, but, considering that he lost his entire lunch because he was sick from the medicine that dialates your eyes, that's pretty good. He wasn't very happy about having his diaper changed or being weighed, but once he got settled in we had a good visit. We held hands for about an hour (actually he held my pinky) and he smiled a couple of times, too, which is far more unusual for him than for Allan.
Their nurses report a very good nice for Griffith and a pretty good night for Allan.
Griffith, as usual, was a little more of a handful. He didn't gain any weight yesterday, but, considering that he lost his entire lunch because he was sick from the medicine that dialates your eyes, that's pretty good. He wasn't very happy about having his diaper changed or being weighed, but once he got settled in we had a good visit. We held hands for about an hour (actually he held my pinky) and he smiled a couple of times, too, which is far more unusual for him than for Allan.
Their nurses report a very good nice for Griffith and a pretty good night for Allan.
Monday, May 22, 2006
monday afternoon postscript
Griffith's nurse (Cheryl) called to let me know that the boys had their exams and tolerated them much better than any of us expected. The opthamologist opined that they have "immature eyes" and will need to be re-examined in two weeks. According to Cheryl, this is exactly the diagnosis one would expect at this point.
Which begs the question: if it is too early to tell any thing about their eyes, why put all of us through this?
Oh, well, the silver lining is we didn't get BAD news, so we've got that going for us. Which is nice.
Which begs the question: if it is too early to tell any thing about their eyes, why put all of us through this?
Oh, well, the silver lining is we didn't get BAD news, so we've got that going for us. Which is nice.
Monday afternoon
The babes had a pretty good morning, but the afternoon ain't lookin' so good. They are going to have their first eye exams which meant that they had to have drops put in their eyes. Allan went first. Drops in eyes, crash and burn -- immediate desating, refusal to breath. Griffith, same deal, 10 minutes later. It is all very necessary, but neither one of them is interested in that kind of explanation. I cleared out after the boys were stable again, but before the actual exam. I don't want them to hold me reponsible.
The weekend in review
We now have a three pound baby! Griffith tipped the scales at a little over three pounds on Saturday night. Last night he weighed in at three pounds, two ounces. Allan is doing what he can to catch up with his brother and he weighed in at two pounds, twelve ounces. We may have two three pounders before long.
Unable to keep himself on the straight and narrow, though, Griffith decided to bronchospasm on Sunday morning and throw every one in to a panic. As with a lot of this stuff, the doctors say this is just something that preemies do. Still, it isn't any fun. Essentially, they get so stressed/irritatated/angry that they "clamp down" and refuse to breath. Not an inconsiderable feat seeing that they are on a ventilator or are beging bagged and are forced to take in air. Apparently you can force them to take the air in, but you can't make them profuse it (distribute it in the blood). This is, as you might imagine, concerning to the medical staff (not to mention the parents). There really isn't any tried and true medical remedy for this -- they just have to keep fiddling around with them until they relax and let the air flow. They took out Griffith's tube and replaced it and that was enough to end this little episode. He's fine now, but was worn out all day yesterday and apparently slept like a rock last night. I'm going to report him to his day nurse (Cheryl) and see if she can't have a word with him about cutting one's nose off to spite one's face. I don't seem to be having any luck getting through to him. The easiest thing would be to tell every one to quite p*ssing him off, but I hate to concede control this soon.
The boys are amassing quite a wardrobe these days. Aunt Kathy made each of them two little sleeping robes out of soft, soft flannel. We'll get some pictures up soon. And Uncle Dick, Aunt Stephanie and Bailey Marie have added to the haute couture as well: sweet little gowns and, best of all, teeny-tiny preemie camo onesies! (Maybe Aunt Kathy can make a hunter-safety orange vest to go with them.) The onesies are a little one big side still, but it is something for them to grow in to.
I'll post the afternoon update after lunch.
Unable to keep himself on the straight and narrow, though, Griffith decided to bronchospasm on Sunday morning and throw every one in to a panic. As with a lot of this stuff, the doctors say this is just something that preemies do. Still, it isn't any fun. Essentially, they get so stressed/irritatated/angry that they "clamp down" and refuse to breath. Not an inconsiderable feat seeing that they are on a ventilator or are beging bagged and are forced to take in air. Apparently you can force them to take the air in, but you can't make them profuse it (distribute it in the blood). This is, as you might imagine, concerning to the medical staff (not to mention the parents). There really isn't any tried and true medical remedy for this -- they just have to keep fiddling around with them until they relax and let the air flow. They took out Griffith's tube and replaced it and that was enough to end this little episode. He's fine now, but was worn out all day yesterday and apparently slept like a rock last night. I'm going to report him to his day nurse (Cheryl) and see if she can't have a word with him about cutting one's nose off to spite one's face. I don't seem to be having any luck getting through to him. The easiest thing would be to tell every one to quite p*ssing him off, but I hate to concede control this soon.
The boys are amassing quite a wardrobe these days. Aunt Kathy made each of them two little sleeping robes out of soft, soft flannel. We'll get some pictures up soon. And Uncle Dick, Aunt Stephanie and Bailey Marie have added to the haute couture as well: sweet little gowns and, best of all, teeny-tiny preemie camo onesies! (Maybe Aunt Kathy can make a hunter-safety orange vest to go with them.) The onesies are a little one big side still, but it is something for them to grow in to.
I'll post the afternoon update after lunch.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Friday afternoon update
Just in from visiting with the boys.
Allan was all dressed up in a fancy new vest -- wrong side out, but still cute. (That's what happens when you let him dress himself!) He was a little worn out when I got there -- his bloodwork was a little out of whack so they adjusted his o2 a little and he seemed to be feeling better about things. As Dr. Rao says, this is just normal behavior. Allan's going to feel better some days than others. Still, overall, his lungs look pretty good and he was awake and checking me out when I first got there.
Griffith was feeling better today, too. He was wearing some inordinately large blue crocheted booties and that was ticking him off. Still, it was giving him something to work on other than pulling out his vent tube. The docs are just waiting on him to put on a little more weight before they try him off of the vent again. Unless he pulls the tube out again. In which case, they expect him to give it the ol' college try. He was pretty wide awake when I was there, too, and we were able to hang out for quite a while before I had to come back.
So, so far so good again. Here's hoping they don't get rowdy this weekend.
Allan was all dressed up in a fancy new vest -- wrong side out, but still cute. (That's what happens when you let him dress himself!) He was a little worn out when I got there -- his bloodwork was a little out of whack so they adjusted his o2 a little and he seemed to be feeling better about things. As Dr. Rao says, this is just normal behavior. Allan's going to feel better some days than others. Still, overall, his lungs look pretty good and he was awake and checking me out when I first got there.
Griffith was feeling better today, too. He was wearing some inordinately large blue crocheted booties and that was ticking him off. Still, it was giving him something to work on other than pulling out his vent tube. The docs are just waiting on him to put on a little more weight before they try him off of the vent again. Unless he pulls the tube out again. In which case, they expect him to give it the ol' college try. He was pretty wide awake when I was there, too, and we were able to hang out for quite a while before I had to come back.
So, so far so good again. Here's hoping they don't get rowdy this weekend.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Thursday afternoon update May 18th
It has been good to hear from so many of you. I'm glad that you've been able to check in on the boys. I'm still learning how to post, etc., so bear with us on that.
Allan has now assumed the mantle of Golden Boy (we can't have two at the same time, but more on that later.) He's been an angel for 8 days now. When we got to the hospital last night, he had been very fussy for about an hour -- kicking and flailing and generally making a nuisance of himself. The nurse wasn't sure that he was going to tolerate being taken out for K-care, but let us give it try. Golden Boy snuggled right in, hung out with me for about five minutes and then fell into a deep sleep. I got to hold him for about an hour. Apparently all he needed was a little lovin'. His weight is fairly steady at 2 lbs 9 oz. He was very peaceful all morning, too. As Dr. Rao said, he is now the happy twin.
Griffith, being all boy, did not wish to take a bath last night. (He takes after his cousin Thomas. I will have to have the same talk with him as Thomas and I had when he decided to stop taking baths and/or using soap and shampoo. Essentially: Boy, kids always remember who the stinky kids were and who picked his nose and all sorts of crap like that. You don't want to be the stinky kid. You will never get a date to Prom if you don't take a bath. With soap. And water.) Anyway, Griffith was very irritable and unsettled so we didn't get to give him a bath or Kcare. He has a lot of crud in his lungs that keeps blocking his tube and causing him distress. They are doing some tests today to see if they can figure out why he's so mucus-y. If he doesn't straighted up, he is going to go from Golden Child to Snot-Nosed Brat in a hurry.
Still, the misbehavior we are seeing right now is pretty minor, comparatively speaking. Here's hoping for another 8 days like this.
Allan has now assumed the mantle of Golden Boy (we can't have two at the same time, but more on that later.) He's been an angel for 8 days now. When we got to the hospital last night, he had been very fussy for about an hour -- kicking and flailing and generally making a nuisance of himself. The nurse wasn't sure that he was going to tolerate being taken out for K-care, but let us give it try. Golden Boy snuggled right in, hung out with me for about five minutes and then fell into a deep sleep. I got to hold him for about an hour. Apparently all he needed was a little lovin'. His weight is fairly steady at 2 lbs 9 oz. He was very peaceful all morning, too. As Dr. Rao said, he is now the happy twin.
Griffith, being all boy, did not wish to take a bath last night. (He takes after his cousin Thomas. I will have to have the same talk with him as Thomas and I had when he decided to stop taking baths and/or using soap and shampoo. Essentially: Boy, kids always remember who the stinky kids were and who picked his nose and all sorts of crap like that. You don't want to be the stinky kid. You will never get a date to Prom if you don't take a bath. With soap. And water.) Anyway, Griffith was very irritable and unsettled so we didn't get to give him a bath or Kcare. He has a lot of crud in his lungs that keeps blocking his tube and causing him distress. They are doing some tests today to see if they can figure out why he's so mucus-y. If he doesn't straighted up, he is going to go from Golden Child to Snot-Nosed Brat in a hurry.
Still, the misbehavior we are seeing right now is pretty minor, comparatively speaking. Here's hoping for another 8 days like this.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Up and Running (Finally!)
Okay, everyone, we are up and running.
I'm just now trying to get some new pictures processed and posted.
The afternoon update ---
The boys have now managed to put together 7 whole days in a row of good behavior. Griffith is still on the vent, but is on minimal settings according to Dr. Rao and they will either let him pull out the tube himself (which he does pretty frequently) and leave it out or they will take him off again when he has gained a little more weight -- another 100-150 grams or so. We are going to get to give him his bath tonight which will no doubt p*ss him off royally. I can't wait and hope to have pictures soon. Allan, too, is acting like a little angel. He is still puffy, but not as much as he was. He is still on the vent and they are weaning him down on his O2 slowly but steadily. No bath for him yet, but it isn't as if he is out there playing in the dirt (not yet any way.)
Anyway....all good reports so far.
I'm going to try to put up some more pictures. Let me know if you have any problems with the site.
I'm just now trying to get some new pictures processed and posted.
The afternoon update ---
The boys have now managed to put together 7 whole days in a row of good behavior. Griffith is still on the vent, but is on minimal settings according to Dr. Rao and they will either let him pull out the tube himself (which he does pretty frequently) and leave it out or they will take him off again when he has gained a little more weight -- another 100-150 grams or so. We are going to get to give him his bath tonight which will no doubt p*ss him off royally. I can't wait and hope to have pictures soon. Allan, too, is acting like a little angel. He is still puffy, but not as much as he was. He is still on the vent and they are weaning him down on his O2 slowly but steadily. No bath for him yet, but it isn't as if he is out there playing in the dirt (not yet any way.)
Anyway....all good reports so far.
I'm going to try to put up some more pictures. Let me know if you have any problems with the site.
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