33 Weeks: 63 Days of Life
We celebrated 2 months with our Mighty 3 this week. We also celebrated Abby's 29th birthday and took some time away to celebrate her with friends and family. For the first time since Abby went on bed rest, we left Gainesville to spend a day with dear friends in Atlanta. The day away was much needed but difficult to be so far from the kids.
As the two-month mark came and went, we found ourselves blown away by the amount of time we have spent in the NICU and on this journey. It's hard that our dearest friends and family still haven't met our Mighty 3 (and we still have a long way to go). We are hoping we are half-way through our NICU stay but still no talks of the "H" word, home. We did have a meeting with all three of our doctors this week and they reminded us how far the babies have come and at this point to focus on positive outcomes.
Ryan and I started to see someone once a week that is helping us navigate the hard decisions we are making. He helps us clearly communicate through the pain and making sure we are processing who the Lord is in this journey. We are very grateful for this opportunity to speak with someone that can help us make "sense" of the pain but also give advice on the harder decisions.
Maggie and Miller started the second round of DART protocol to help further their lung development. The protocol is a 10 day round of steroids (found in the previous post). The steroids have consequences but it is still critical for the babies to develop their lungs further. Max will not be starting the protocol at this time because of his E-coli infection. His antibiotics finish in two days.
All three babies have responded well to my breast milk with the plus 8 calories for growth. They have all made it into the 3-pound club! They also started to receive vitamin D shots to help with bone growth. Side story, there was a new baby down the hallway and when I walked by his size stopped me in my tracks. I would have bet that baby weighed 12 pounds! He looked so big, however, he actually only weighed 8 pounds. Haha. My mind has started to forget that babies "start" out biggers than ours!
Maggie
Maggie has officially joined the 3-pound club! She currently weighs 3lbs 2oz. Her feeds are at 27 ml and still getting 8 calories added. Her Brady's are still present, but the doctors have increased her caffeine dosage to address the issue. She is still on Bubble CPAP and is down in the low 20s on her oxygen. Her volume is down to 5. She continues to be very alert and loves her pacifier.
Above: Maggie and her crazy eyes celebrating 3lbs and 2 months old!
Above: Maggie loves her bathtub!
Max
Max weighs 3lb 6oz. His feeds are at 28 ml and is still getting 8 calories added. He started the week on Bubble CPAP, but ended it on the NIV. The reason for the switch was to help his eyes. The eye doctor found that blood vessels in his retina were not growing straight but were spiraling. This is a result of having to be on such high oxygen for a long period of time. The eye doctor came back early Monday morning to see if his eyes had worsened. His eyes had not gotten any worse, but he will need to have injections to stop the blood vessals from growing. This means that Max will need to go to Atlanta for the treatment. The treatment has proven to be effective and it generally is a quick procedure. He may need to stay for a day or two to be monitored for improvement. We ask for prayers that the procedure goes well and the travel back and forth goes smoothly for Max.
Above: Max hitting 3lbs!
Above: Getting to hold Max swaddled for the first time.
Above: Max celebrating 2 months!
Miller
Miller weighs 3lb 9oz and has a very impressive double chin. He is on 30 ml feeds and receiving 8 extra calories. He is still doing well on the Bubble CPAP and his oxygen has continued to be weaned. Miller has become much more alert and has dimples! There are not many updates on Miller this week which we have learned is a good thing. He is still our big boy!
Above: Miller our chunky baby celebrating 2 months!
Above: Miller all snuggled up after his bath
Our thank yous will never be enough to express how grateful we are for each one of you. Every time you share our story or pray with us, we hope that God's Kingdom is growing. Growing in how the Lord is answering your prayers and ours. Growing in the understanding of how God gives peace and comfort in the middle of storms. Growing because the body of Christ is active and is spreading His love to others. Thank you!
Above: Miller and Maggie meeting for the first time!
Prayers and Praises
Praise for Miller and Maggie's eyes and continued prayers for normal development
Prayers for Max and his eye treatment and trip to Atlanta
Prayers for Maggie's Bradycardias
Praise for weight gain
Prayers for continued nutrition
Prayers for doctors, nurses, and RTs
Pray for continued lung development
Pray for Max's brain bleed to disappear
Pray against developmental delays
Please lift up two specific families in this NICU journey: The Taylors and Beidel family
Through the eye of the storm, you remain in control.
-Ryan and Abby