Monday, December 17, 2007

Road map of milestones: Part 3

FEBRUARY:
2/2: My last day of work
2/3: My mom's b-day
2/4: Super-Bowl party at our house. Tony ordered catering from Bajio's. New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts - GO COLTS! (They won)
2/5: SNS Feedings begin (Supplemental Nursing System). Don't even ask...
2/6: 1st set of immunizations
2/7: 3rd eye exam. Dr. Carver said the girls' eyes "are perfect!"
2/8 2nd set of immunizations
2/9: RSV Shot #1
2/11: First bottle feeding

2/12: "Car-Seat trial" (Rebecca pictured below)

2/13: Pics with Primary Nurses Pam Ashton & Tracy

2/13: "On-request" trial feedings begin 6:00 pm - 6:00 am. Spent the next several days LIVING at the hospital in the Parent room - not sleeping, but pumping like a sleep deprivated maniac. This is my favorite pumping room

2/14: Happy Valentine's Day! "On-request" begins: 10:00 pm - 10:00 am


2/15: Pics with Primary Care Nurse, Emily Wankier - she loved our girls!

2/15: Feeding Tubes removed - oh my heck!

Mary-Gail's NG tube removed

2/15: Mary-Gail's last head ultrasound. Nate Clements is the Ultrasound Tech - went to school with him and his little sister, Allison Clements. Can you see the "butterfly" shape" in the 3rd picture on the computer monitor? The "butterfly" is the ventricles of the brain, which house the cerebral spinal fluid. Mary-Gail's ventricles were severely dilated, causing her brain/head to swell (her head circumference grew 2 cm in one week! That's a HUGE growth caused by her brain bleeds and hydrocephalus).

2/15: Rebecca has PCG test (5 hours long) to see if she needs any O2 or monitors when she comes home... She looks like Hannibal Lector in the 2nd photo (the plastic across her mouth & nose measures the O2 input, and CO2 output). Rebecca passed and did not need any oxygen or monitors. Thank heavens!

2/15: On-Demand feeding beings 10:00 am - forever!!

2/15: Met the Home-Health folks who explained Mary-Gail's O2 tank and Apnea monitor to us.

2/16 - 2/16: Rooming-in! Tony comes and spends the night with us. Girls are moved to our room down from the NICU in the hospital. We "see" if we can care for the girls through the night.

2/16: We get discharged! Did I say that...? Discharged? YESSSSSS! WE'RE GOING HOME!!!

2/16: Wonderful reception at our home for our little babies. My sisters had painted a HUGE sign and hung it on the front porch. They'd also gotten red and purple balloons and tied them to the banister leading to the house and up the front stairs.
I basically haven't slept since Tuesday, 2/13

2/23: 1st doctor visit after being home.
Rebecca: 7 lbs
Mary-Gail: 6 lbs, 13 oz

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Kemp Kuties on the Charleston Pier

Kemp Kuties on the Charleston Pier
September 2007