A Quick Update!

Finally, another post! It's been a few days since we have updated the blog, and although we wish there were new, amazing things to share, the truth is there isn't much new or exciting to report at all. We know you are all checking in with us often, which is amazing, and we hope to have big milestones to blog about soon. For now, you are with us on this long and slow roller coaster ride.

We've been using the word "touchy" a lot this week. Both babies are having their own issues, mostly to do with their lungs. Any time they are handled (diaper change, blood drawn, temperature check, etc.) they "spell" or "dsat". We joked today about giving Reilly the middle name Blue or Violet because that is the colour of the saturation line on her monitor, and the line we cant take our eyes off because it fluctuates so much. As soon as they are handled, or even sometimes just hear our voices, they require more and more oxygen to breathe. The problem is that the more they need, the less they are doing on their own and we need them to work on strengthening their own lungs to get those awful tubes out of their mouths. Because they are so touchy, we havent been able to do much with them. Most parents get to hold them, do skin to skin with their babies, change their diapers, check their temperatures and more. On a good day, when the babes are stable we can check their temps and change their diapers, but have yet to be able to hold them outside of their incubators. We can't wait for that! Will be a great day :)

Chase needed a blood transfusion, which they hope will help with his oxygen levels. They've been giving him a sedative to help with pain and to help him relax and sleep but he is as busy as ever. Kicking his legs and stretchings his little arms out as if to say "ta-da"! Today we finally snapped a shot of both eyes open! He looks so cute! So cute that he even picked up a third primary nurse! He is a ladies man, that is forsure. He looks so much more real with both eyes open. We swear he is looking right at us, but they say all he can see at this point is light, not even figures or outlines. The picture doesnt do it justice and is kind of hard to see, but isn't he adoreable? He is getting 10mls every 2 hours, a little beast!

 

Reilly is just as cute! She is up to 580g now (just a little more than a lb of butter), which we think is good because they had to stop her feeds for a couple days after her transfusion and start them all over again, super slow. She is getting 1ml every 2 hours now.  She is swimming in her diaper! Stretched out, its just as long as she is! They have her hands tucked in there so she doesnt yank on all her wires and tubes. She is the trouble maker these days.  She is being treated for an infection right now, even though they arent convinced she has anything. They are super cautious- any sign of infection and they treat right away, and then test her soon after. Fingers crossed she doesnt have anything. It is amazing how much her little body goes through each day. She will be the toughest kid around by the time she is home! One nurse tried to explain to us that one 12 hour shift can equal 7 years of medical issues for them. So the same amount of issues that arise,  blood work, xrays, ultrasounds and doctors visits that a normal baby would have over 7 years these little peanuts have every 12 hours. Crazy.

They still aren't side by side becuase they are on different types of ventilators and they say it is too much machinery to move, and would mean two sick babies side by side :(  They like to have a more stable baby beside a sick baby, like ours, so that it is balanced for the nurses. We are hoping within the next few weeks they will be able to be closer together.

 

Mom & Dad are doing well. Trying to get into a schedule so that we are useful in the NICU and finding time to rest in between. It is hard to be in there when they aren't doing well, but the minute we leave we want to go back. It will be easier when we can do more with them, right now we mostly just sit at their bed side and talk with their nurses, hoping they hear and feel us with them! Dad's thinking about going back to work soon, just not sure when.

 

Thoughts and messages and cards and more continue to come our way and we cant thank you enough. You all have a part in this ride with us, making life a little easier for us day by day. Thanks to everyone who has reached out to our families too, it means so much. We can't wait to have them home in KW. It feels like these are the most loved babies in the world right now, which is exactly what they need. Thank you all so much.

 

Can't believe we had that much to write! Off to tuck the babes in for the night. We'll give them kisses from all of you. xo