Boys will be boys

Boys will be boys

Friday, April 29, 2011

Another boob man...

From a girl's perspective boys are infatuated with boobs far too much. Today, I contributed to this social dilemma. Anze was a great boob date... he latched right on and ate until he fell asleep- still attached. The lactation nurse and mom were very proud. We will continue working on it. He's "nippling" (mom or bottle) 2x a day. Once he's only eating from a bottle for 2 straight days he's homeward bound! He also went back into an open crib again. His doctor came in and had the nurses move him to a different section of the room (he's right under the ac vent and next to the door so he's always getting a breeze) to see if that helps him keep his temp up. He was getting his feeding tube changed this morning so I got some pictures of him without any tubes or wires or anything! Gosh, he is just gorgeous!!! He also weighed in tonight at 5lbs!!!!!!!!!!! Keep the prayers coming as his brain scan showed his right hemisphere still had a grade 2 IVH and a grade 1 was seen on the left (doctor doesn't think it's new she thinks it just wasn't caught before...). Prayers that those ventricles close and don't cause any side effects (cerebral palsy).

Luca was still in his big boy crib but back on his oxygen. He has been nicknamed yo-yo as that seems to be what he is doing with his breathing. The doctor is considering putting him on diuretics consistently (like giving him a prescription instead of a single dose). He's currently 4lbs 5oz... gaining weight but not packing it on like his little brother yet. He is also going to wait the weekend out before trying to bottle feed again as he had a hard time multi-tasking (breathing and eating) yesterday. Though he had a hard time pooping and breathing yesterday as well!! What great stories we already have for the future wives!! Did I tell the one about Anze's "exploding butt" while a night nurse changed him- she had to clean his whole isolette (incubator)!!! That made daddy proud of course.

Next week the boys get their eyes checked (they'll be 1 month old- I can't believe it!) and will continue to learn how to eat so they can come home.

Jr has been too much fun this week. He's really talking away (including yelling at Panzer). He's playing and learning how not to share. He and Jayne were stealing from each other all afternoon and fighting to get what they wanted back. It was so cute! They also enjoyed playing in the sprinkler I got. He's spending the night with Babcha and Dido because mom is doing the March of Dimes walk in the morning! Click here to donate to the cause http://www.marchforbabies.org/alymomma

Mom and Dad are doing fine. Dad's been working a lot of overtime but it's for the fam! Going to the Aquarium to get a little family time in on Sunday. Mom's getting a facial/ hand and food massage/hair cut/ make up on Monday care of the March of Dimes for all NICU moms (WAHOO!!).

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend~ Love from all of us to all of you!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Movin' on Up

To a big boy crib... so says LUCA Motruk!!!! WOWIE What a week.

Saturday night we left the boys in 2 separate rooms; one in a big boy crib and the other off of oxygen. And then came Easter Sunday... the boys were in the same room but... Anze back in an incubator because he couldn't regulate his temp and Luca back on oxygen because he was hyperventilating. Mom was quite upset with the setbacks but the doctor's said not every day would be a good day. So we said a prayer or 100 and moved on with the day.

Monday was a sleepy day for Anze. He is still in the incubator as they have to wait a few days before trying again (protocols et al). He hung out with dad and slept our visit away in daddy's arms. Luca was still on the oxygen but just flow- so a little extra air to help him out no to breath for him. Luca was being a pain (I think he's going to be my handful one...); he took every lead, wire, tube, etc that was attached to him off. YES- his feeding tube, oxygen, monitors, IV- all of them!!! He was trying to break out of the NICU! He also kept his stats going all day- up, down, up, down. His poor nurse, Holly, had a run for her money with him that day. He even decided to "d-sat" meaning stop breathing and severely drop the oxygen level in his blood causing him to turn blueish while mom was holding him. What a day!

Tuesday was much quieter although Luca decided to stay awake the ENTIRE time between touch times (yes, he was awake for 3 straight hours!!!). He was happy the whole time but wide awake. The nurse said he could have been withdrawing from the narcotics he had been on for so long thus the crazy behaviors for a few days. Anze again was a sleeping baby the whole visit; still in his incubator a few more days. And according to the night nurse he sprayed poo ALL over his incubator mid- change and she had to scrub everything down and change all his linens (after changing them the touch time before!). Daddy laughed of course!

Wednesday, today... Mom showed up this morning to a sleeping Anze (who pooped 2x for mom in a row making her change a fresh diaper- the joy of boys!) who weighed in at 4lbs 9oz!!!!! He isn't showing interest in his pacifier even with it dipped in breastmilk... work in progress. So mom held Anze and loved on him and talked to him and all those wonderful things and then moved over to say Hi to Luca who had started fussing. Well he was sans oxygen AND IV!!! How exciting! He also didn't set off his monitors while I was there (until I held him!). He got some kangaroo time in with mom as well (after changing 2 poopy diapers from him as well!!!). Babcha came and took some pictures and visited for a bit as well. We left the incubator twins for the afternoon fed, changed and loved... and then dad got off work.

While dad was there tonight he got to dress Luca up and hold/ love on him while the nurse prepped his big boy crib! He's in a "green outfit the nurse picked out" (I think it has dinosaurs on it) and wrapped in a million blankets according to dad. LUCA IS IN A BIG BOY CRIB! What a blessing. He has struggled the past 3 weeks and is now catching up to his brother in strides. He weighed in at 4lbs 2 oz today (lost a little over the past day but not enough to be concerned- obviously since he's in a big boy crib). Dad didn't have the camera so there isn't any pictures yet. Oh I cannot wait for them both to be in open cribs and stay that way.

The doctor said today that all they have left to do is gain some weight and bottle/breast feed for 2 straight days and they will be homeward bound!!! So, it's just a short matter of time (I've been hopeful for Mother's Day but I know that's only a week and a half away and asking a lot of my boys). I just want them to come home when they are ready and able without mom and dad having to fear too much about them staying happy and healthy. So... anyone with free time come help me scrub my house down so it's preemie clean and ready because my boys are coming home soon!!!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Easter Ups and Downs

We've been fortunate to have a LOT of up days with our boys in the past 3 weeks. So many in fact that it has made the down days that much harder to deal with. This morning we happily went to visit our boys to find Anze back in an incubator and Luca back on oxygen. Definitely put a damper in the day...

Anze's night nurse felt he was cold and decided to put him back in the incubator. Personally, I think the NICU in general is cool... Needless to say he is still in his incubator tonight and hopefully tomorrow he will get to go back to his big boy bed. He seemed happier there!

Luca was having some breathing control issues. He would take some shallow breaths followed by some real quick breaths (like he was hyperventilating) so they decided to put him back on the nasal cannula to help him steady himself. This is common for some babies to yo-yo back and forth with the oxygen before finally deciding to stick with a normal, stable rhythm on their own. However, it is hard to see them take steps backward...

As I said the good days have so far outnumbered the bad days that it made these setbacks really hard for momma. Combine that with the fact that they weren't with us a family for their first Easter and I lost my "wonder woman" status for a bit today. Luckily, the family was real sensitive and didn't ask many questions about the boys allowing me the chance to decompress so that when questions were asked I didn't break down. Daddy was proud of me!

Yurchik had a BLAST today at Teta Tanya's house. He LOVES Anna and she loves him. Anna and Ivanka hid the eggs in the house (filled with cheerios) for him to find. They took him everywhere he wanted to go and never complained. I know they were both tired as was Yurchik. It was so nice to see him happy and playful with his family. He also looked quite handsome today in his sweater vest and tie. He's growing up so fast!

We pray that everyone had a wonderful Easter and spent it with the loved ones and made some new memories to cherish just as we did. He IS Risen....

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Easter Fun


All the boys took pictures with the Easter Bunny today. 2/3 were quite cooperative! One not so much... LOL.


Jr had no problem being in the same room as the bunny but when you asked him to stand next to the bunny he totally freaked. It was cute and we got plenty of upset pictures to cherish (just like my mom does for me!). Jr wore a big brother shirt to compliment his younger brothers' matching 'little brother' outfits. He also got to make Easter crafts at the hospital and play in the sib room while mom took grandma Pat and Auntie Glo for a visit. We got home and took a nice nap before heading over to Bug's house for dinner (honey baked ham and sides) followed by egg dyeing and hunting. Yurchik thoroughly enjoyed throwing his eggs into the dye and breaking the shells. Both kids enjoyed running around the yard not playing with the eggs! In fact I think the moms picked up more eggs while the dads played catch or keep away from the toddlers. It was a nice day/evening but mom and dad are super tired!!

It was so much fun to dress ALL of my boys for their pictures. Luca got to wear his first outfit ever and slept through most of the dressing process. He was sleeping most of the time I was with him today unlike yesterday where he was awake and trying to check me out (including lift his head up to look at me). He was also being prepped to promote up to the same room as his brother! He is catching up in everything. He's now 4lbs even and eating only 10cc's less than his brother. So very exciting!!!


Anze was a sleepy4 lb 5oz boy today- I guess it was lazy Saturday at the NICU although in Anze's room there seemed to be the NICU Easter chorus going on since everyone seemed to be hungry or upset at once! Nice to hear the sounds of growing babies though! He didn't fuss too much getting dressed either. All in all a successful Easter Bunny adventures.

We hope that everyone has a wonderful Easter holiday... remember the true meaning of Easter and say an extra prayer thanking Jesus for all he has done for our family in the past few weeks alone! God Bless you all!!!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Latest Brain Scan shows...

Smaller ventricle opening (it's shrinking!!!!) and blood clotted and resolving. PRAISE JESUS!!! It's quite evident to us that Anze is just a super happy go lucky kid that is full of smiles and ease.He gets to start "nippling" where they try to get him to latch on to a bottle and start developing those sucking muscles (something they start to do in the womb around 34 weeks so they've been waiting until the boys were that old..). Once he shows capability then he can practice with mom instead of with a bottle. He is officially in his big boy open crib and loves looking around smiling at everyone and everything. Amazing how fast they are growing! I am so unbelievably proud.

Luca is off his sedatives, his oxygen, etc. All that's left is to up his feeds and lower his IV fluids. At the rate he is going he should be IV free by the end of next week! The staff is hoping to move him into Anze's room so they will together (easier for all of us!). Then once Luca is off his IV he can be in a big boy crib with big boy clothes too! It would just be wonderful to have them side by side again!

Tomorrow all 3 boys are going to see the same Easter Bunny. The bunny is going to be available to take pictures with siblings!!!! SUPER AWESOME as Jr wouldn't cooperate with the mall bunny. Fingers crossed he does a great job tomorrow. I'm thinking they all need to be in big bro lil bro outfits... haven't decided yet... Jr and Bug are having an Easter egg dying/hunting date tomorrow so look forward to those pictures!

JR; the big 17 monther today, enjoyed the day with the sitter while mom was with brothers followed by a lunch visit from his "aunts" and his bug. He took a 3 hr nap (giving mom time to pick up the house a bit and nap herself!). He's spending the night with his Babcha and Dido and I'm sure they are all having a blast.

Mom and Dad had a good day as well; although dad was stuck in an attic all morning for work. Dad got some snuggle time in with his "squeaky" as he has affectionately nicknamed Anze (Jr's nickname from dad is stinky... Silly daddy!). Whereas mom got snuggles with ALL her boys today!!! Completely made my day to be able to hold each of them and spend 1:1 time with them like that. Can't wait to snuggle all 3 at once (I'm not sure my lap/arms will be able to but I'm going to try!!!). Mom and dad are going to enjoy dinner and a movie on the couch together without any boys (just barking dogs!) and enjoy the time just us while we can!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Good Friday. Thank you Jesus for everything you've done for this family! Love to all.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

PRAISES



Today Luca was taken completely off all oxygen support. He is happily breathing on his own. It took him 3 weeks exactly. We are very proud parents!!! He is doing so well. We cannot wait for him to get stronger and bigger and come home! He's weighing in at 3 lbs 14oz today. Just 2 oz shy of 4 lbs!!! Sooo exciting to see him get bigger and now he is getting stronger every day!






Anze got his IV taken out today.... this meant that mom got to bring outfits to the hospital and dress him up! He's wearing a footed onesie that says "Handsome like Dad". He was super happy to meet his Auntie Glo as you can tell from the picture! Mom cannot wait to dress him up every day! :D He's weighing in at 4lbs 1.5oz!!!!!! He had a repeat head ultrasound and we will receive the results tomorrow or Saturday hopefully.

AMAZING How quickly they seem to be progressing. I can only say that this has to be due to the support group they have that have been diligently praying for them- thank you all!

Dad was able to bypass going in for jury duty this week. He was grateful for that as well (he had 2 trainings and a meeting he didn't want to miss for work). Now if the Kings can win tonight...

Mom went to the OB for a "wound check". All is well. Down 16lbs from the last dr appt I had! So happy about that. She said I'm allowed to walk and swim- which I cannot wait to do. I'm sure I will be exhausted from one trip around the block but I'm still determined to do the March for Dimes walk on the 30th.

JR had a great week with Auntie Glo. Today we lounged around the house until the sibling center was open at the hospital where we dropped Jr off so Glo could meet her nephews. He had a great time! He must have at least because he came home and slept for 3 hours!!!!

Wonderful week so far! Hope everyone else has enjoyed their week as well. Love to all!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

BBONE Promotion

Our little DJ Master BBONE was promoted from the Most Intensive NICU room to the Intensive NICU room... Luca is now in a new room and doing fantastic. He is still on nasal cannula air but at a low flow and volume. He should be able to continue to ween off of it. He is having a hard time keeping all his food down (all babies spit up!) so they are increasing his feeds slowly but he is doing great overall. I actually was bedside during rounds and heard the doctor say she can hardly hear his murmur now!! Praise Jesus!!!

Anze is still lounging out in the Intermediate room just doing his thing. He will be on his full dose of feedings (30 ccs which is 1 oz) by the weeks' end. Tomorrow they will remove his IV lines and begin transitioning him to his big boy bed (this includes lowering the temp in the incubator, keeping the top off, etc to get him used to room air/temp). Tomorrow he gets his repeat head ultrasound to check on his IVH(Brain bleed). Prayers that it has continued to clot and heal itself!!

What a busy week it seems the twins have had... yet it's only Wednesday. Saturday the Easter bunny is visiting the NICU. I may even get to dress them up for their picture with him! I'm so thrilled that the hospital does this as I was so upset earlier in the week thinking they wouldn't get to have pictures with the Easter Bunny on their first Easter...

JR on the other hand won't be having pictures on his 2nd Easter it seems. Today, we took him and his best friend Jayne to get their pictures taken. Yurchik liked to play peek a boo with the bunny but not sit with the bunny and didn't get his picture taken. Jayne has one of her crying her head off (it now matches her 1st Santa picture!!). Perhaps we will try again later in the week. If not then I guess he just won't have one! Oh well...

We've had a busy week outside of the hospital as well. The twins' bedding has been made, Yurchik got to feed ducks and play on the playground at the park. It was so cute to watch him try to walk in the sand! We went to a new restaurant where mom realized she will never be able to eat out again with 3 kids! We haven't gotten much cleaning or organizing done but I'm sure it will be done someday... when the boys are 18 perhaps!

Who knows what the rest of the week has in store... :D

Love to all! Motruk x5

Monday, April 18, 2011

Babcha and Dido

Luca and Anze finally got to meet their Babcha and Dido today. The joys of being sick when your preemie grandsons are born... NOT...Thank goodness everyone is healthy and now happy.

The boys had a great day. Mom spent the morning with them. Anze got some snuggle time with mom since yesterday dad spent a HUGE chunk of time snuggling Luca. They are both eating away (via the feeding tube). Their IV fluids are being lowered slowly as they increase in breastmilk. Once the IV is set to 0 they will take it out and another promotion will take place... to a "big boy" bed aka a standard hospital crib.

Yurchik has enjoyed the day with the sitter, his parents and grandparents and his auntie Glo (she's spending her spring break at our house!!!).

Things are going to busy with fun stuff this week so if I don't blog every day I'm sorry. But I promise to be sure and post the major things that go on!

Love to all... thanks for the continued prayers and support!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

16 days

They've gone by sooo fast but when it comes to holding your kids 16 days seems like a lifetime. Tonight I got to hold Luca for the very first time. His heart rate and blood pressure have been on the high side since coming off his vent and weening from his sedatives but as soon as the nurse set him on my chest he settled down. Amazing how much mommy's touch can change everything! Definitely an hour of my life I will never forget!

Both boys are holding their own (minus the help of the nasal air for Luca). They are both getting breastmilk via a feeding tube now and doing ok with that. Anze seems to be filling out more and more each day. Luca is playing catch up to his little brother and doing his best to promote to the big boy room!

All 3 boys got to visit with their godparents today- what wonderful friends we have chosen to be our children's godparents. Chris and JoJo love all our boys as if they were their own and we are so grateful to have them in our lives and the lives of our children.

Daddy's been working overtime and hasn't been able to get down to the hospital the past few days and is a very unhappy camper about not seeing his boys. Luckily, the Kings won game 2 in the quarterfinals tonight so that helped to cheer him up in some regard ;)

Mommy's been working to keep the house picked up. There's still A LOT of baby clothes to sort through and find storage for!! LOL... Sooner or later everything will find a home right?!?!

Grandma and Great Grandma starting working on the bedding for the 2nd crib today. I can't wait for it to be finished to take pictures of and post. I know it's going to turn out adorable.

Have a wonderful Palm Sunday! Love to all

Friday, April 15, 2011

Small miracles... big praises

Anze's brain scan showed clotting!!! That means that it is starting to heal itself. The ventricle in question is still open and a repeat scan will be done in a week to check it again but all seems well right now.

The big news however is... Luca's echo showed a small PDA (it shrank!!!!!!). He was also taken off the ventilator and put on nasal air. He has been holding his own mostly for the last 12 hours. He also started receiving feeds and has been tolerating those. Next step: promotion!!!

Thank you everyone for the prayers... they've made all the difference in the world.

JR has been taking his lawn mower everywhere we go. He seems to be on a regular schedule now (for the most part) which is going to help mom out a lot once his brothers are home.

Dad's been working a lot and coming home super tired but has been able to stop and see the boys almost every day this week despite his exhaustion (although he admits to nodding off bedside!).

Mom's been doing well. Pain is minimal and really only evident when I move wrong. I enjoyed real pizza for the first time since Christmas for dinner tonight- it was divine! Also got to visit some old colleagues who continued to lift my spirits. Oh and most importantly- took a break from picking up the house and whatnot and napped with Jr!

Lots of love from our family of 5 to all you! Until tomorrow...

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Frame of Mind...

I'm not having the type of night to write down all my thoughts and feelings. My ability to be super mom is not here right now... plus JR is still wide awake and needs to go to bed (hopefully he will sleep better tonight than he did last night- trying to get 4 new teeth at once is rough on everyone).

Anze had a good day. No changes. He received his scan but we don't know the results yet... promise to let everyone know when we know.

Luca had a hard day. He was taken off the sedatives and although he tested negative for withdrawals he was fidgety all morning. They gave him some medication to "take the edge off" but it made him real lethargic. By the evening he was receiving his 2nd blood transfusion of his little two week life in hopes that that would help him feel better. He had an abdominal scan today because he regurgitated some icky looking stuff- it came back clear. Anze did the same thing just a few days ago. The doctor laughed saying they were just trying to be copy cats. Luca's heart scan showed minimal change in his PDA. Tomorrow I will get to speak with the doctor regarding whether or not to do surgery.

Luca is definitely the cause for my lack of super mom-ness for the evening. I'm keeping my brain busy by cleaning and organizing... you know I'm in the wrong frame of mind when I'm not snuggling on the couch watching the Kings' first playoff game with my boys.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for all.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

A few pictures to get you through the day...



Thought I would update with a few pictures. I cannot believe the boys will be 2 weeks old already! The first is Anze. This is how I found him blissfully sleeping the morning away. The doctor even said he opened the incubator to check his vitals and he just slept away... Just like his momma!.

Luca is still under the lights so his pictures are a little blue... but he' s doing well!

Heart and Brain day...

Tomorrow Luca gets his final heart echo telling us if he is going to need surgery. Anze is getting his follow up brain CT to check on the progress or lack thereof of his brain bleed. We are asking for prayers for both of these. God is in control and healing our boys and we are confident He will continue to do so! I know I've said it before but thank you all for your love, support and prayers. We are truly blessed to have you all in our lives.

A GREAT DAY FOR US! Anze is tolerating feedings and is now getting 4cc's every 3 hours (that's roughly 1/4 of an ounce I believe...never been good at conversions!). He spent the morning trying to get the feeding tube out of his nose! Poor guy. Soon he will be big enough to eat like a normal baby!

Luca tolerated his vent all day yesterday and today. The albuterol(Sp?) is helping to open the closed areas of his lung and his breathing is at a normal rate. They are weening the vent and the sedation.

Jr got a bubble mower today and enjoyed mowing the lawn. He also got a new car seat (a slim design that allows for 3 seats to fit across... HALLELUJAH it works. The infant seats and his big boy seat all fit! Now where to fit mom and dad ;)

Neither mom or dad got the opportunity to hold either boy today, which breaks our hearts but other things happened today that were out of our control and we are just grateful that our boys are thriving. (If you'd like to keep the family of the little girl that lost her battle in the NICU today in prayers as well I have no doubt that family needs all the prayers in the world tonight... ). Thank you Lord for the precious lives you have blessed us with. Watch over them tonight and always. Lord be with the family that lost their baby girl today; only you know the reason Lord....

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Blogging or Sleeping?!?!

I had a few people mention to me today that they missed my blog last night. So sorry, I feel asleep on the couch! Yuri woke me up around midnight and I waddled straight to bed and bypassed the computer. So grateful to hear from people wanting to know how my boys are- we truly appreciate all your love and support. Ok, enough already- here's the latest.

Anze is doing well. Yesterday he wasn't keeping milk down so they stopped feeding him for a few hours and then started back up and he's been keeping it down fine so hopefully he will stay like that and graduate to the fat farm soon! Once he's fat we take him home- just like turkey on thanks giving... only we'll just eat him up in hugs and kisses! ;) Today mommy got to do some kangaroo care with him for about 45 mins (not much compared to daddy's 1.5 hr or so yesterday). It was heavenly and I wouldn't trade it for most anything...

Except a chance to hold Luca... which may happen tomorrow!!!! Luca was switched over to a regular ventilator today and given some albuterol (sp?) to help open his airways back up that had collapsed; similar to giving an asthmatic their inhaler. He switched at 9 and when dad saw him at 5 he was still breathing regularly and not struggling. If he hangs out with the regular vent overnight then tomorrow we can hold him! I'm already searching the closet for my loosest, low cut shirt. For once I won't care if I look trashy if it means I get to hold my boy! *Disclaimer- they ask you wear a shirt that provides for "easy access" to the baby if necessary* His lungs sound clear with one more day of his heart meds to go... praying that means the valve is closing and all will be well.

Anze has his head CT later this week to check on his brain bleed. Prayers it hasn't progressed... God's works in mysterious ways and we are trusting in Him to watch over both of our boys in the NICU and our toddling one at home (who didn't eat the dinner his mom made tonight to which Grandma Pat said he wanted daddy's dinner not mommy's... guess we know who the better cook is and who is loved more... yes, my mom loves her son in law more than her daughter ;) ), Other than being picky about dinner Yurchik was a super happy boy today. I took him to Jersey (the school I worked at until bedrest) and he was shy around all the teachers but loved the 5th grade girls! Soo silly. He also enjoyed stealing Kindergarten snacks and spilling them all over the floor! Good thing Jessica loves him!!! He also took a 3 hr nap allowing mom to pick the house up; which was of course destroyed within minutes of him waking up!

Yuri Sr went back to work today... he said it was hard to get back in the swing of things but stopping by the hospital on the way home every day is enough of an incentive to get through!

Well, I feel if I don't stop I will be falling asleep at the computer and that won't be as comfortable as the couch ;) Love to all!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Little Luca's heart and Pra Baba's visit

Luca started his second round of medication to close his PDA (valve between heart and lungs). He will receive one dose of medication a day for 5 days. On day 6 or so he will receive a repeat echo to check and see if the valve has closed. If there is no change or not enough he will have to undergo surgery to close the valve. Once the valve is closed his lungs will be clear of fluids (right now the fluid is entering his lungs because of that opening) and weened from the vent. This little valve is the main culprit to all of his current ailments. Extra prayers for him are appreciated.

Anze is doing great. He didn't get any kangaroo care today but tomorrow daddy plans to spend that hour loving on his boy!

Pra Baba (great grandma) got to meet the boys today. The nurse took pictures and gave them to us; a sweet moment. Luca's nurse said she seemed quite emotional with everything. We are so grateful for all the wonderful grandparents are boys are blessed with!

Love from all of us to all of you!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Promotion and Prayers

Anze graduated for the first time today... he moved up two rooms! Both boys began in the most intensive room of the NICU, the next step would be the step down intensive room followed by the intermediate/growing room and then finally the fat farm. Anze is now happily enjoying the intermediate/growing room. We are so proud of how strong he is and how well he is doing. Mom enjoyed an entire hour of kangaroo care (skin to skin time). It was heaven!

Please continue to pray for little Luca as he fights so hard... in fact he's fighting too hard. His right lung is partially collapsed. He is going back on the sedatives and a higher rate on his vent so that he doesn't breath on his own and lets the vent breath for him to give his lungs a break and a chance to mature and strengthen. He is also having a second dose of the heart meds to shrink his valve. If the second dose doesn't work he may require surgery to close it. The doctors are certain if the valve closes it will help his blood pressure and lung function and get him on track.

So keep the prayers coming for both boys but say a little extra for Luca please. Love to all....

Friday, April 8, 2011

End of Week 1/Beginning of Week 2

WOW! I cannot believe my little boys are already a week old. It's been an emotional journey so far and there will be plenty of ups and downs to come we know but this week seems to have been filled with such wonderful joy that no matter what the road has in store for us we know that God has sent us two miracle boys to add to our firstborn miracle boy. Becoming parents was not an easy road; tests, drugs, treatments, tons of dr visits, etc all to get our beautiful Yurchik. We were already so blessed and we decided to go down that road again to have another bundle of joy we had no idea we would fall into the 7% of the people blessed with fraternal boy twins. We made jokes when the ultrasound showed both ovaries ovulating (especially since one never once produced an egg with the months and months of treatments we did with Jr) that we would have twins never truly thinking both eggs would attach- even one was a long shot. Neither of us will forget that 5 week ultrasound after a positive test that showed two sacks. The doctors told us that half the time one doesn't stick so not to get attached to the idea of twins yet... well here we are 6 months later with the sweetest boys we could have asked for. Their road ahead is harder than the road we took to get them here but we have each other, our fantastically supportive family and friends and ultimately God to get us through. I'm sorry if I seem emotional (I am in fact crying while typing) but today was a day with a rough bump in the road followed by something that I cannot even describe...

Anze has a small (grade 2) hemorrhage in his right ventricle of his brain. It's extremely common in preemies under 32 weeks (1/3) and at the moment there's nothing to do but wait and see what is does. Right now it's not causing any issues. There's a 25% chance of cerebral palsy from it which is the biggest concern long term. He will receive another scan next week to track the bleed and see if it gets better or worse and then there may be options or not- it's really out of our hands and in God's right now. I have a friend who's sweet baby girls turn one this month after being born at 30 weeks and one had a similar situation and her proud parents did as we will do and trusted in God and now their beautiful angel is happy and thriving. We are trusting in God that he will get Anze through this as he has everything else for both of our boys. Bump in the road as I said...

But the road straightened out instantly- Anze is off the blood pressure meds, the vent AND the breathing mask. He had nothing on his face but his feeding tube today! What a handsome little guy he is already. Mom and dad were thrilled to see his whole face and hear him cry (first time since he was born we got to hear that sound) and watch him open his eyes and check us out. Then the nurses told us something I will not forget for a very long time. They said we could hold him. Actually pick him up and put him in our arms and hold him. I'm proud of myself for not crying right then. Dad was the first to hold him and as I took a video the tears came. What an amazing dad my boys have. The look on his face as the nurse gave him his youngest son, the words he spoke to him about how much he loved him just melted my heart and I fell in love all over again. My boys are so blessed. I just sat and held Luca's toes and watch my boys together praising Jesus for the moment. As I got my time to hold him I couldn't do anything but look back and forth from son to son and be in awe of them. They are so strong already. In that moment I knew that no matter what other bumps came our way that our family would never be the same again, that our boys would thrive in this world and become great men and do amazing things.

The day for Luca wasn't as exciting. He had no highs or lows (except his brain scan came back clear and won't be repeated until he's ready to come home). All his stats were similar to the past few days; he's still off the bp drugs, still on the high vent and light. No news is good news in my book. He is a sweet little boy that loves to stick his tongue up and curl his legs in. Momma can see he's going to be the cuddle bug of the two for sure. He gets a repeat heart echo tomorrow to check on his PDA (open valve) and then the dr's will decide if he needs another course of the medication to help it close. The first dose did help it shrink some so it's possible that it continued to shrink and he won't need the medication.

An amazing day... now we anxiously await tomorrow when we can hold Anze again and we wait in anticipation to hold Luca for the first time knowing what an amazing experience it will be. It's a step closer to bringing them home! Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers throughout this. Thanks to those that have given blood- the donor staff is impressed by our family's generosity to give knowing that even if the boys don't use it someone somewhere will. Thanks to those that have contributed to the March of Dimes to help other preemies. We love you all!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Day 6

Mom and Dad and big bro spent a lot of time today working on things around the house so that all the clutter and whatnot of our lives will be put into proper places by the time twins come home. Katie and Bug came and helped as well. Who knew Jr had so many toys... and so many non toys in his toybox! LOL We had a lot of family time outside on the swings, playing bball and driving in the geeksquad bug. Lots of love and laughter throughout the day.

Well, enough about those of us at home... on to the important kiddos! LOL (Mommy loves you Yurchik, you'll always be #1).

When we got to the hospital this morning we saw that Anze was off his vent and using his hockey mask to receive ample oxygen. He's also still off the blood pressure meds. He was squirming around making mom and dad laugh (we took a short video that will be posted soon). He got an extra light for his jaundice; it's not up but it's not down so hopefully the extra light will kick it! He also started feedings today and has been keeping his mommy noms down. YEAH! It's a good thing he's starting to feed because our freezer is running out of room for all the supply we are stocking up!

Luca was off the blood pressure meds and almost off the sedatives. He also has been put on to a new vent that is allowing him to breath with it unlike the jet that was doing all the work. Further proof he is getting stronger! His lung xray showed improvement with the fluid in his lungs although he is retaining a lot of fluids externally which is giving him a puffy, swollen appearance. Stabilizing all his other stats is the priority and then they will work on giving him a diuretic to release that extra fluid. He had a repeat heart echo and we will know the results tomorrow and that will tell us if he is going to get another round of heart meds or if the first round did their job (seems all his stats are improving so we are hopeful).

Both boys got routine brain echos and we will know those results soon as well. The night shift said they are doing great and we can't wait to see them in the morning. Extra excited because we are taking great grandma Mary with us so she can finally meet them after being out of town for their arrival.

Thanks all for the love, prayers and support. Reminder if you'd like to donate blood the paperwork is all filed so just let the hospital know you are designating it for the twins. Anze can accept B and O blood and Luca can accept everyone's blood!! Also you can check out www.marchforbabies.org%2F4Anze_Luca&h=6fd13 to donate funds to the march of dimes which has been helping preemies for years and without past donations our boys wouldn't be getting the level of care that they are today. Love to all!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Day 5

I really miss telling the boys happy birth day every day. It's a small price to pay to tuck Jr into bed every night. I cannot wait for all of my boys to be home with us!

JR had a great day. He spent the morning at the sitters (he loves her to death! and the whole family loves him). He spent the afternoon playing with mom and dad and then Auntie Glo came over to watch him while Gma Pat went to the hospital to visit his brothers. The best part of the day was coming home from the hospital and having him only want mama. It was the perfect ending to a good day.

Anze is off of the dopamine and weening from the vent (he will transition to the face mask that he had after birth). He has been very feisty; always fidgeting whenever the nurses touch him. Today he had an echo because the doctor's notice a heart murmur. He has an open valve like Luca but it's moderate so they are going to check in later on to see if it closes on its own since it's not systematic or causing any other problems.He still has the jaundice raybans but the levels are lowering. He may be off the light tomorrow which may give us the opportunity to see his whole face and maybe even some eyes! Both boys have brain scans scheduled for tomorrow; a routine exam given their prematurity to check for bleeding, swelling, etc...

Luca (which I may have forgotten to write yesterday was held by his proud mama during a bedding change- the nurse lifted him and put him into my hands while she changed his bedding... not the way mom wants to hold him but I take what I can get right now!). Anyway... Luca's dopamine was lowered a lot today. This is hopefully a sign that the heart medication is doing its job and closing that valve which is likely to help with his pressure and lung issues. He had his light turned off today so he wasn't wearing any shades and we got to see a small sliver of eye as he tried to look around at his world. He's retaining fluid from the meds so his poor little self is swollen a bit and I'm sure that hindered him from fully opening his eyes. He is also being weened from his sedatives and they are trying to get him off of the high pressure vent and on to the regular one. His sodium and a few other levels are on the high side so they are trying a variety of meds to get everything metabolically stable which will also help with the bp and lung function.He received a blood transfusion which seemed to help pink him up and hide that jaundice color a little! The nurse was able to ink his feet for his souvenir birth certificate. Not sure where the big feet come from in the family but all the boys seem to have it (though JR's are fat not long like the twins).

I was able to bring blankets from home to put in their incubators. The smell of us is said to be helpful as they get to know us that way. They already have "loveys" which we can take out of the incubator and put in our shirt to put our scent on them. It's neat to think that they always have us even when we aren't there. The night shift is supposed to change the bedding so I look forward to seeing it in the morning and getting more personalized pictures! Next, I need to choose blankets to cover the top of their incubators while they sleep. I can't decide what I'd like them to have...

Mom and Dad are doing well. Dad is enjoying mom being up and about and able to help with JR (my first official off bed rest duty was changing a stinky diaper!). Mom is doing well, no real pain but the leg/ ankle swelling is annoying. Trying to keep my legs up and elevated but it's hard. Bed rest wasn't kind to them either... cannot wait until I'm able to walk around the block again! Dad gave blood today. He said the snacks they have for afterwards are yummy! Reminder that Luca can receive all blood types and Anze can get B and O. I encourage everyone to donate somewhere just for the sake of donating as people are always in need. The hospital will ask you if you're designating- just tell them Motruk twins; everything is set up for them. The donation hours aren't the greatest but if your able we'd be so grateful.

I feel I am rambling so that's my sign to say goodnight. Happy 5th day of life my boys. Your family loves you!

Day 4

Mommy went home today. Bittersweet but coming home to two boys makes it easier than if I were alone all day. Anze had a good day. He started to ween from both his dopamine and his ventilator. Hopefully he will be able to transition back to the oxygen mask in the next day or two. All of his stats, bloodwork, etc have been coming back great as well. He is doing very well. He also enjoys "lounging". He loves to sit with his legs hanging over his body pillow with his "shades" on as if he is hanging out by the beach. Momma loves the little feet hanging out!!

Luca had a harder day than Anze but a good day all the same. He got a blood transfusion(anon. as the donor center was not open over the weekend for anyone to give... paperwork should be at the hospital Tuesday for people to designate the boys... Anze can receive blood from any B or O donor and Luca can receive blood from everyone) today to keep his levels up (they have been borderline so the transfusion was just to help him out, not an emergency). He also got an xray to check his lungs which still show some fluid so he will stay on his super vent (called a jet and requires sedation) for a bit until his lungs clear. He also was scheduled for a repeat echo on his heart (either got it at night or will get it in the morning). This is going to check and see if the valve that didn't close has started to on its own or if they need to give him some medication to help it. It's crucial to get this closed so that his BP and other stats start improving. We hope it is closing on its own as they will have to keep him heavily sedated if he goes on the meds. He also gained about an ounce in the last day... :D

Mom hasn't seen her boys since the early morning. Planned to go visit on the night shift but fell asleep on the couch at home (who knew after 7 weeks being stuck on your bed or couch and you'd still want to come home to them?! Just proof that the hospital bed isn't the greatest!!). Daddy saw the boys in the afternoon and there wasn't any changes from the morning so we know they had a great night and start to Day 5.

PS- JR is loving having his mommy home. We walked down the block, swung on the swing, ate dinner together and enjoyed being able to finally interact together after 7 weeks of "separation". It's good to be home but we can't wait for everyone to be home and be a complete family of 5!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Twins Day 3

I'm tired tonight so I apologize if the blog is a bit short. Today was a quiet day for the boys. They are both being weened from the dopamine medicine so hopefully they will be successful with that and keep their blood pressure stable. Luca is still heavily sedated but did react to touch and even did some slight sucking on the swab with breastmilk on it.

Anze sucked on the swab until he got tired... He also is becoming easily annoyed with all the bells and whistles attached to him. They are irritating his skin and he starts to complain by flinching and twitching and whatnot. He seems to do this only when mom is visiting so she's taking it personally ;).

Both boys have lost around 4oz in weight. Their fluids are being upped as it seems they are peeing like crazy. We just want to be sure they aren't getting rid of the good stuff in their bodies at the same time.

Mom had the first not so great nurse interaction tonight... luckily it was just a nurse that was "watching" Luca while his nurse was on break. At least we know now in case either is ever officially assigned to her.

Since Luca's nurse was on break while mom was there we still don't have official results of the echo. Mom and Dad plan to sit down and chat with the doctor before mom is discharged...

Hoping for a peaceful night for everyone. Yurchik is spending his first night in his toddler bed... hoping daddy doesn't find him wandering the house or trying to get into mom and dad's bed in the middle of the night. Also, that he doesn't go crazy in his sleep and fall out or something! LOL

Love to all!

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Luca and Anze day 2

Luca: Luca is sedated with a special ventilator which is allowing his lungs to take a break and get stronger without being worn out. He also is on medication to keep his blood pressure stable. He got a catheter this morning because the sedation is causing his muscles to not work. He's lost some weight because of this but it's just water and the doctor is okay with that because he is doing a great job producing urine. He also has been wearing his jaundice shades and light and has kept his level pretty steady so far. He got a heart echo (ultrasound on his heart) today due to the presence of a murmur. The murmur may be a valve that hasn't closed yet (usually closes within 24 hrs after birth in full term babies; very common for preemies). The results of the echo are not in yet. Other than that he spent the day holding hands with mom, dad and grandma Pat. Dad got to help check his diaper for changing and take his temperature today. Mom got to feed him his first "mommy noms" (breastmilk) by placing milk on a cotton swab and swabbing his cheeks. He didn't react to much (except holding fingers) today but that is part of the sedation for sure. All in all a much better day than yesterday- nice and calm day #2.

Anze: Anze is on a standard ventilator to help his lungs get some rest and not work so hard. He is also on medication to keep his blood pressure stable. With both of these he is somewhat sedated, but much more alert than his big brother. He has his cool jaundice shades and light and spent the day with his feet up on the pillow in the incubator looking like he was lounging by the pool. Yes, I took pictures of his feet up! He spent the day similar to his big brother; holding hands with mom, dad and grandma Pat. Mom changed his diaper and took his temp as well as fed him his first mommy noms. He actually reacted and sucked on the swab a bit. It was a wonderful sight to see and made mom and dad very proud. He had a very good day as well.

Yuri Jr: Yuri spent the morning with babcha and dido and the afternoon with grandma, poppy and auntie Glo. He was a happy, chatty boy today. He even got to take a trip to the hospital to visit mom and dad. He was super excited to see his mommy sitting up and able to play with him (as much as possible given staples and stomach pain!). Lots of hugs and kisses and cuddles for mom. He went home to be with daddy... his first time home since his brothers joined the family. He was happy to be home with his toys, his dog and his dad.

Mom and Dad: We are doing well. Every day is a new day and we are trying to prepare for whatever may arise and trusting in God to watch over our boys every step of the way and to guide the doctors in their care over them. We are so grateful for everyone that has shown support- it is truly appreciated! Here's to a wonderful day #3!!

Luca and Anze birth and day 1

Mommy started hemorrhaging around 9pm on Thursday, March 31st. Daddy called 911 and an ambulance came and took us to the hospital. The bleeding was severe and there was possible separation of the placenta as well as broken water for baby A so we were rushed into an emergency C-section. It only took 4 minutes to cut mom open and get you both out (even though B was breach and came out feet first). Daddy got to cut the cords while mom was put back together and B even showered daddy with his first pee! We couldn't be happier and more proud parents at that moment. Mom went to recovery and dad went with the boys to the NICU since they came 9 weeks early (born 30 weeks 5 days). Mom was out of recovery and in post partum quickly (she was eager to meet those new boys!!). Dad and Babcha went and met the nurses and doctors that were going to watch over you the first night of your life and most importantly- they got to meet both of you!! A was born at 10:12pm weighing in at 3lbs 7oz and 16 1/4 in long. B was born at 10:14pm weighing in at 3lbs 11oz and 16 in long. B was breathing strong on his own and was put on a breathing mask to help regulate his breathing so that his lungs didn't overwork. A was having a harder time and was given some medicine to help his lungs and put on a ventilator (he had to be intubated)to help control his breathing. Both boys had their sugar, blood pressure and many other things tested and monitored. In the morning, mom finally was able to see you both. A was getting the medicine his brother got the night before to help his lungs work. Everything was looking great but you were both getting upset about all the tests and tubes and everything so mom and dad left for a while but first we chose which boy looked like which name. Baby A is officially our little Luca and Baby B is our Anze. Grandma Pat came to see you but it was a hands-off session. She can't wait to really get to reach in and touch you! Luckily the nurse let her squeeze now named Luca's foot while giving him some more medicine for his lungs. He now has had the medication 2x. The doctors and nurses are working hard to keep all your stats stable- you two aren't making that job easy. After a quiet rest for mom (dad and gma went home) and a nice meal she went back to visit her boys. Luca wasn't doing as well as he was in the afternoon. He was getting a 3rd dose of the lung medication and a new ventilator that was going to do all his breathing for him instead of helping him. This also meant he needed to be sedated. The doctor's are hopefully that he will begin to improve in his lung function soon (mom and dad are praying he will as well!). Unfortunately, Anze's breathing mask wasn't helping enough. He was going to need a 2nd dose of medicine and probably ventilator to help him with his breathing more than the mask was. Mommy was all alone to learn of these issues as well as the problem that neither was keeping a consistent blood pressure. She left the NICU, shortly after wishing you both a happy 1 day birth day, very sad and called daddy. They talked all about what was going on. Mommy said a prayer for you both to get big and strong. After an hour or two of worrying mommy finally wrote down about your first day of life hoping it would help her sleep. She's still praying you both have a peaceful night's sleep and she can't wait to see you when she wakes up in the morning. Your family and friends love you very much Anze and Luca. Keep fighting, stay strong... all our love!