Double Trouble

[buckeyegal]

suga---maybe the bottles will work a little better when they're older and have stronger "sucking skills?". Mine had a very hard time with them at that age too....but I hear other people rave about them! good luck with the refund.

[sugabeanzs]

I dunno...I could not even suck it up! lol. I think it is because I have to add rice which makes it thicker...well I will at least have to keep the one no matter what because I used it. We shall see

[stephjim]

Here is the full story. On the 26th of October, I had to rush to the hospital because I had a blood pressure of 160/100. I got there they checked my urine and I had +3 protein in my urine. (severe preclampsia). This happened all of a sudden. I had no idea it was going on. The only indication, besides my massive cankles, was that my fluid on Ryan's sac was low but the doc just told me to drink fluids and it should take care of it and come back in a week. Well the fluid I was drinking was just going to my legs. We found this out because on the 27th, they checked my fluid level again and it was dangerously low and within 2 hours I was in the OR and they were taking both babies out. Oh and both were breech so I had no chance of delivering vaginally. Emily was 3 pounds 14 oz and Ryan was 4 pounds 14 oz. They are both still in the NICU and growing strong. They are both on room air and starting to take the bottle. Hopefully will only be there another week.



So I got out of the hospital on Friday the 31st at night and then Sunday morning I woke up and could not breath and it sounded like I was passing a bucket of water through my lungs. My husband called 911 and they got me to the hospital. Well at first they were thinking CHF or pulmonary edema with the preclampsia. Basically the fluid all over my body, especially my legs, shifted to my lungs. They gave me Lasix to make me pee stuck a catheter in my bladder and it cleared up the fluid. I was breathing and I felt a lot better. However my Cat Scan showed right lung infiltrates consistent with pneumonia. So they started treating me for that. Oh and every health care workers nightmare, I also found out that I am colonized, not infected, with MRSA in my nose. Which means I am a carrier right now. Isn't that special? So I get to bathe in the stuff surgeons wash their hands with for a week. Well anyways, I just got out of the hospital last night. The only thing that kept me going through all of this was that my precious babies are doing well and we home just one more week in the NICU. I hope to have more pics here soon too send out.


I will be posting pics here in a second.

[sugabeanzs]

Steph: I do not even know what to say! I mean I am SO HAPPY the babies are healthy but holy cow for you! PLEASE get better soon and keep us updated! I can not believe about the MRSA. Gosh. And the fluid. SHEESH! At least you got it taken care of though and got the help you needed! I am so happy your babies sound so healthy! Are they just feeders/growers then? So happy they did not need oxygen. How many weeks were you when they were born? Congrats again hun!!!

Ok, I need help! How do you not spread your cold to the babies? I am so worried about RSV and it starts out as a cold. I am not breathing on them, washing my hands a lot (before I touch them each time), no kisses, etc. YIKES! I am making my husband take over today so I can get some rest to see if that will help speed up the recovery.

[buckeyegal]

Steph---YIKES! Wow--I had no idea the pre-eclampsia could cause so many problems....I"m glad you're okay. Good luck with the MRSA....that would make me so nervous. Hope your kiddos get to come home soon! Post some pics. I've been anxiously waiting!

Suga--Dealing with colds and babies is sooooo hard. I never had to deal with RSV (thank GOD!), but I know it can get pretty scary. Just keep washing your hands as much as possible and rest when you can. I think it's a good idea to have DH take over today. Have your kiddos had the RSV vaccine? If so, then they should be okay, I think. Chances are, they will probably get a cold soon enough---just keep a close eye on their temp, fluids, etc. Good luck!

[sweetmomi]

anyone here use a gestational carrier or surrogate?

Please PM me.

[stephjim]

Sorry I thought I posted pics. I will do that now. Suga, they were 33 weeks and 6 days. Emily was on nasal cpap, then nasal canula and then room air, pretty quick. Ryan, however, is the boy and they have this thing that white boys are the wimpiest of the babies for some reason. He was on nasal cpap, then the vent for 2 1/2 days cause he needed surfactant to help his lungs and then nasal canula and was put on room air about 3 days ago. Now they are feeder growers. He had low fluid for a while and was the one most effected by the preclampsia so he is a little behind on her. He had 2 days on the vent and then had three days where he could not eat because he had to take this heart med for three days. She is up to 4 bottles a day right now and he is at 2, with a goal of 8 before they can go home. Hopefully tomorrow they will d/c his bilirubin checks and they can go to regular beds. I believe they will have no issues keeping their body temp. He is 5 pounds as of last night and she was 4 pounds 4 oz. She is ready to graduate to a big girl bed, I think. They are actually going to probably turn her TPN nutrition iv off tomorrow. So that is the update on the babes. I love them so much.

Here are the pics.

























More to come.

[buckeyegal]

Oh, they are beautiful Steph! Sounds like they are doing really really well. Congrats! Get some sleep....they'll be home before you know it.

[sugabeanzs]

Congrats Steph! I remember those IVs in the head I hated them! lol. Too cute! I am jealous you got pics of them being born! We did not take pics of the actual birth cause my husband could not even look over the curtain (he does not like surgery). Congrats again!!!

[stephjim]

Thank you. We even borrowed my sister's good camera. My husband had been through 2 c sections for his other two children so he knew what was coming. The part I hated the most was I felt clausterphobic whenI could not move my legs. I would not be a very good paraplegic. I got anxious laying there with every happening so fast. We got to bathe both of them today and they are doing a new thing in the nicu with the babies where they leave it up to the nurse to feed a bottle. So if the baby is awake enough they will feed a bottle otherwise they put it through the tube. So Emily got three bottles while I was there today. The last one she fell asleep on but she had a lot today. They are also off the heaters as of today and maintained their temp even with the bath. So, hopefully not muchlonger. They do have some issues pooping some times but hopefully that will resolve soon. I am keeping my fingers crossed that by next Sat they will be home. Monday will be 2 weeks and my friend had hers there 2.5 weeks and 3 weeks with the same gestational age.

[kholtan]

Well everyone. . ..we have some news! I just took a home pg test and guess what?????? We are pg again!!!!! Who would ahve thought it! We aren't telling anyone yet so I had to tell someone and who better than you women I have shared my babies entire lives with! We are in total shock and disbelief! Life is crazy huh?

[buckeyegal]

OMG---Kholtan! congratulations!!!!!! HOly cow! How are you handling this news? I know you had mentioned maybe wanting more. Are you excited? I'm assuming this was a "natural" pregnancy? Good for you! You must keep us posted. Hope you're feeling okay!

[kholtan]

Thanks Kim! We only wanted more if it happened naturally and obviously it did. We weren't planning it but we weren't preventing it either. The only clues I had were a light headache for a few days and then last night I was really looking forward to eating these brustle sprouts I make and they smelt wonderful and all but when I went to eat one my body just totally rejected it! I didn't get sick but I just couldn't eat it either. Also, I had given away my very last baby item last night before dinner. Yep, we have NOTHING!

We are just still in shock as I'm sure Xrayem and Kimi both were as well. Doesn't seem real yet! Funny how life happens when you're busy making plans!

[buckeyegal]

Oh no---you got rid of everything! You sound like me!!!! I figure if I hold on to stuff, then I'll never get preggo again. If I get rid of it, then I might have a shot! (Although, my kiddos have been such tyrants lately, that I honestly can't imagine another one right now for us!). Plus, we just bought a new car....no room for another kid!

Good luck! I hope your pregnancy is as easy as your first one. Let me know if you need anything.....I bet I can find some stuff through my twins club. BTW---are you still bfing at all? If so, are you gonna give your bb's a break before the new arrival? Speaking of which, when are you due?

I am so happy for you. You are a super momma--I can see you strapping another baby on and just going everywhere!

[kholtan]

Thanks for the offer to locate new baby stuff Kim! I hope I can talk the other mothers into giving mine back when they are done with it. Fingers crossed because I had some good stuff!
Right now I have NO IDEA when I am due. NONE! I had a couple really light periods so I could be as many as 2.5 months or just 3-5 weeks. My guess is 7 weeks but who knows?? I have to get into my OB to get it all figured out for sure. Also, I only have one tube and it is very damaged so who knows if this will even end up going to term. I hate to think that way but I need to keep realistic for now.
My little ones have kept us so busy lately! Bodie has had a mean streak and they both just get into everything! I have no idea how we will manage one more but I guess I'll strap on the bjorn, get the double stroller and go! I'm sure many others have gone before me and made it. Having 3 babies under 2 years old though. . . say that out loud and it makes me wanna run!!!!

What kind of car did you get?? My Tahoe has two captains chairs in the center and it is going to suck pucking a child in the way back now. What have the babies been up to? Their HAlloween costumes were AWESOME! Super cute!

Better run! Have a great night!