I have not been keeping my promises to update my blog; however, I feel like I have 3 great excuses. So I know that you will all forgive me! :)
Things have been going suprisingly well since we've all been home. The first couple of nights were different, but things are getting better. The first night we were all home, Shane and I were jumping and checking on the boys with any noise that we heard. Funny story: we bought a humidifier for our room that gurgles like a water cooler. Anyway, it gurgled while we were both sleeping and it scared us to death! We both jumped out of our bed and went to check on the boys. We were so confused when we saw they they were all sleeping soundly, it was then that we realized it was our new humidifier! :)
We run a pretty tight ship around the Kesler house now! I am sad to report that all of our animals now live outside. We just can't have all that dust and dander in the house with these boys. Also, we are still limiting visitors to the house. I'm afraid that it will be that way for a while per our Pediatrician's instructions. It's just a real heavy RSV and Flu season and we can't risk the boys being exposed to any of that.
Just to give everyone an idea of what goes on as the Kesler House......We feed the boys every 4 hours. Right now, we are on a 7-11-3 schedule. That means that we are feeding them at approximately 7a, 11a, 3p, 7p, 11p, & 3a. We try our best to make sure that none of them eat at the same time because we want to make sure that one person can handle the feedings - this way I know that I can take care of them alone during the day and Shane and I split the feedings at night so we can both get some uninterrupted sleep. An example of a feeding is: 7a - feed, change, etc for Clay. 7:30a - same for Seth. 8:00a - same for Paul. Sometimes we can get them all done in under an hour, sometimes it takes up to 1.5hours - each feeding is different. From what I can calculate we go through 18 bottles and approx 25 diapers in a 24 hour period. So, that's about 126 bottles, about 4.5 cans of dry formula, and about 175 diapers in one week! Holy Cow!!!
Shane and I both consider ourselves so lucky that our boys are home and doing well. They are very happy babies and usually only get fussy when they are hungry (especially Clay)!
People keep asking what we need: We will always need formula, diapers, and gift cards. Our pediatrician has told us that we can use the Enfamil, Enfacare and Similac, Neosure formula - both are a higher calorie formula for premature and small babies. Again, we can't thank you all enough for your love and support. I won't make promises, but will strive to do my best to blog more often.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
We're HOME!!!!!
Paul, Seth, & Clay (in that order)Ready for the ride home to Oxford!
Clay, Paul, & Seth (Left to right)Asleep in one of their cribs, upstairs in our bedroom
Wow - I can hardly believe that we are ALL finally home!
I know that everyone is wondering how we are doing......
We are all doing really well! Shane and I have kept the boys on a pretty tight schedule, a benefit of them being in the NICU.... We've got our schedule worked out and are able to get sleep and keep it together without freaking out! For the last two nights, Shane and I have been splitting up the feedings so that one of us can get uninterrupted sleep. For example, I did the 12am feeding and Shane did the 4am feeding. It's been working out great for us so far.
We take the boys to the pediatrician tomorrow afternoon for a check up with our new doctor. We will also get a current weight then. I can tell that they are all growing right before our eyes.
Oh Boy! Well, boys! There are some good times to come. Be sure to check back often for updates and pics. My blogging should get a lot better now that we're home. (Again, Meg - I am aspiring to be like you! I LOVE YOUR BLOG!!!)
Thursday, January 31, 2008
4 weeks
I can hardly believe that our boys are 4 weeks old already! I can hardly believe that they've been in the hospital for 4 weeks. I can hardly believe that it's been 2 months and 4 days since I've lived at home.
Everyone is doing so good! I was informed just this morning that Seth and Paul may be released from the hospital in just a few short days. They are taking their bottles regularly and if they continue to do so, then they will get to leave. Clay is not too far behind either, just a little smaller. Because he is a little smaller, he just doesn't have the same strength as Seth and Paul. So, he's not able to take his bottles regularly like them. He is taking full bottles, but is not able to do so on a regular basis. I think it will only be a matter of days before he's able to do so! :)
Paul weighs: 5lbs 1 oz
Seth weighs: 5lbs 1 oz
Clay weighs: 4lbs 12oz
Shane and I are SO ready to take them all home!!! We should also let everyone know that we really have to limit our visitors for a while. At least until the boys are a little older. We know that everyone is anxious to meet them all. But you have to remember that they were born 2 months early, so their immune systems are not very strong at all. We have been told by our doctors, nurses, and case managers that we can not expose them to a lot of people. They can especially not be around children and adults that are around children because this is a heavy RSV season. RSV is a respiratory virus that affects infants and small children, especially premature babies. RSV season lasts until April.
I promise to post new pictures soon, I am just not able to for a few days. I am staying at the hospital in a "sleep room" outside of the NICU so that I can take care of the boys every time they wake up. I only have a dial up connection on my computer while I'm at the hospital, so you can imagine that it would take forever for me to post new pics.
Everyone is doing so good! I was informed just this morning that Seth and Paul may be released from the hospital in just a few short days. They are taking their bottles regularly and if they continue to do so, then they will get to leave. Clay is not too far behind either, just a little smaller. Because he is a little smaller, he just doesn't have the same strength as Seth and Paul. So, he's not able to take his bottles regularly like them. He is taking full bottles, but is not able to do so on a regular basis. I think it will only be a matter of days before he's able to do so! :)
Paul weighs: 5lbs 1 oz
Seth weighs: 5lbs 1 oz
Clay weighs: 4lbs 12oz
Shane and I are SO ready to take them all home!!! We should also let everyone know that we really have to limit our visitors for a while. At least until the boys are a little older. We know that everyone is anxious to meet them all. But you have to remember that they were born 2 months early, so their immune systems are not very strong at all. We have been told by our doctors, nurses, and case managers that we can not expose them to a lot of people. They can especially not be around children and adults that are around children because this is a heavy RSV season. RSV is a respiratory virus that affects infants and small children, especially premature babies. RSV season lasts until April.
I promise to post new pictures soon, I am just not able to for a few days. I am staying at the hospital in a "sleep room" outside of the NICU so that I can take care of the boys every time they wake up. I only have a dial up connection on my computer while I'm at the hospital, so you can imagine that it would take forever for me to post new pics.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Movin' on up....well, movin over anyway! :)
I was shocked not once, but twice today when I went to visit my boys in the NICU......
This morning when I walked in Clay was missing! Well, not really - he just got moved over during the night near his sweet brothers. Of course, not being use to change just yet, I was shocked when I didn't see him in his usual area. I said very loudly as I walked in and noticed my missing child, "where is my baby"! The nurses kindly pointed out to me that he was just a few feet over by his brothers. (Everyone should note that this is the FIRST time that they been so close together since they were born.) It was wonderful to be able to sit in the middle of all of my boys, whose beds were placed in a U-shape to that I could see all of them together.
When I went back for the afternoon visit, my boys' nurse kindly came to see me at the scrub sink to let me know that 2 of my boys had been moved to the step down NICU. Let me tell you, it was REALLY weird to go in to the regular NICU and see just Paul in the little back corner area where all 3 boys have been for the last 3 weeks. BTW, today is their 3 week birthday! (Got to love the number 3!) Anyway, I made sure that Paul was okay and of course he was. Then I went right next door to check on Seth and Clay in the step down unit. It is really quiet in the step down unit and I think my boys are just going to love it over there. Don't worry, Paul will be going over first thing in the morning. They can only allow 8 babies in the step down until and one little baby is going home tomorrow (not mine of course), but this will allow room for Paul to come over. Then, we will ALL be happy because my boys will once again be in the same area.
All of the boys are doing so well. When they are in the step down NICU the babies are referred to as the "feeders/growers". They are only on apnea monitors - which just makes sure that they are breathing - and in open cribs. Shane and I will get to take a more "hands on" approach with them and WE get to take care of them, not all the wonderful nurses. The boys are at a good weight to come home, they just have to learn to take their bottles.
Everyone is practicing on their bottles and doing so well. Big Paul actually took a WHOLE bottle the other night!!! I couldn't believe it!!! :) It was the only time that he has done that, but I know he is going to do it again any day now. (I am hoping that his daddy will be able to have a talk with him and convince him this weekend!) Paul and Seth are taking about half of their bottles everytime we try with them. Sometimes we offer them a bottle every 4 hours, but if they look real tired we will wait until the next feeding. Clay is taking just a little less that half of a bottle when we try with him, about 20cc. It just takes SO much energy for them to drink from their bottles. Our goal is for them to drink a whole bottle, but we don't want them to work so hard that they are losing weight. It's a hard balance. We want to push them, but not too hard.
All of the nurses and doctors just keep telling us that they will take their bottles one day and it will just click with them. Shane and I know that our boys are like us - they will do what they want and in their own time! ;)
Their updated weights are as follows:
Paul: 4lbs, 13.8 oz
Seth: 4lbs, 10.8 oz
Clay: 4lbs, 7.7 oz
This morning when I walked in Clay was missing! Well, not really - he just got moved over during the night near his sweet brothers. Of course, not being use to change just yet, I was shocked when I didn't see him in his usual area. I said very loudly as I walked in and noticed my missing child, "where is my baby"! The nurses kindly pointed out to me that he was just a few feet over by his brothers. (Everyone should note that this is the FIRST time that they been so close together since they were born.) It was wonderful to be able to sit in the middle of all of my boys, whose beds were placed in a U-shape to that I could see all of them together.
When I went back for the afternoon visit, my boys' nurse kindly came to see me at the scrub sink to let me know that 2 of my boys had been moved to the step down NICU. Let me tell you, it was REALLY weird to go in to the regular NICU and see just Paul in the little back corner area where all 3 boys have been for the last 3 weeks. BTW, today is their 3 week birthday! (Got to love the number 3!) Anyway, I made sure that Paul was okay and of course he was. Then I went right next door to check on Seth and Clay in the step down unit. It is really quiet in the step down unit and I think my boys are just going to love it over there. Don't worry, Paul will be going over first thing in the morning. They can only allow 8 babies in the step down until and one little baby is going home tomorrow (not mine of course), but this will allow room for Paul to come over. Then, we will ALL be happy because my boys will once again be in the same area.
All of the boys are doing so well. When they are in the step down NICU the babies are referred to as the "feeders/growers". They are only on apnea monitors - which just makes sure that they are breathing - and in open cribs. Shane and I will get to take a more "hands on" approach with them and WE get to take care of them, not all the wonderful nurses. The boys are at a good weight to come home, they just have to learn to take their bottles.
Everyone is practicing on their bottles and doing so well. Big Paul actually took a WHOLE bottle the other night!!! I couldn't believe it!!! :) It was the only time that he has done that, but I know he is going to do it again any day now. (I am hoping that his daddy will be able to have a talk with him and convince him this weekend!) Paul and Seth are taking about half of their bottles everytime we try with them. Sometimes we offer them a bottle every 4 hours, but if they look real tired we will wait until the next feeding. Clay is taking just a little less that half of a bottle when we try with him, about 20cc. It just takes SO much energy for them to drink from their bottles. Our goal is for them to drink a whole bottle, but we don't want them to work so hard that they are losing weight. It's a hard balance. We want to push them, but not too hard.
All of the nurses and doctors just keep telling us that they will take their bottles one day and it will just click with them. Shane and I know that our boys are like us - they will do what they want and in their own time! ;)
Their updated weights are as follows:
Paul: 4lbs, 13.8 oz
Seth: 4lbs, 10.8 oz
Clay: 4lbs, 7.7 oz
Sunday, January 20, 2008
2 weeks old
Mom & Clay4lbs 1oz
Dad & Seth
4lbs 6oz
Mom & Paul
Dad & Seth4lbs 6oz
Mom & Paul4lbs 7oz
Happy Late Birthday Ricky (Big Daddy)!!!!
We are all thinking of you Aunt Priscilla
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Raising 3 boys is going to be wild..........
Clay's bed/incubator for the last 14 days - approx(He wanted out SO bad!!!)
Guess what?!?! He got out today! :)
This is Clay in his new "big boy" bed.
He's so happy - there is a ton of room to move around.
Mom and Daddy are SO proud of him for Movin' on Up!
This is Clay in his new "big boy" bed.He's so happy - there is a ton of room to move around.
Mom and Daddy are SO proud of him for Movin' on Up!
Now, I'll get to my title for this blog entry! I learn A Lot of interesting things being in at out of the NICU several times a day. Most things I learn about my boys, some things I learn about other people. Well, today I learned a lesson from my smallest son, Clay. It was a BIG lesson!!!
Let me begin by saying that I know you've got to watch little boys when changing their diapers, as they tend to "void" aka "pee" in all sorts of directions. I didn't know they could poo in other directions as well! I was changing Clay's diaper and I had him good and clean, it was a pretty nasty diaper. Anyway, I lifted both of his legs up to get another diaper under him and what did my sweet baby do???? He projectile pooed about 1 and 1/2 feet and it landed on the inside of his incubator that he was moving out of. It was the craziest thing I've seen. I think that he was REALLy ready for that "big boy" bed and wanted to make sure that he wouldn't have to go back into that incubator! It was hands down the funniest thing that I've witnessed in a while! I'm sure it won't be the last! Maybe it was funny this time because it wasn't at my house.....oh no, what have Shane and I gotten in to??? ;) LOL
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Our growing boys!
Clay3lbs 10oz
(He's always wiggling around - spending those good calories! LOL)
Clay has been putting on about an ounce each night.
Paul4lbs 3 oz
(Look at those cute chubby cheeks.)
I just want to squeeze those cute cheeks, but I just can't do that to my sweet P!
Seth4lbs .4oz
(His first "big boy" outfit.)
Nurse Christy was showing him off to all the ladies, which he was loving!
His daddy was so proud! ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
