2 Month Well Visit

We made it home safe and sound! As you probably can tell by the lack of posts, we have been a little busy around here...feeding babies, changing babies, unpacking, etc. We are starting to get into a daily routine now. The babies are eating every four hours. We feed two and then the other two. The total feeding time with changes takes about 1 hour 1/2...so we have 2 1/2 hours until it starts all over again. Not too bad! The babies are really good. If they are a little fussy, its usually nothing a little snuggling can't fix.

During the pregnancy, we joke about everything being "times 4." I had my first taste of it when we took the babies to their 2 month well visit last week...4 new patient forms to fill out, 4 copays, and 4 sets of shots and consent forms! I am proud to say that all the babies are healthy and over 7lbs!
Sloan - 7lbs 2 ozs, 19 1/4"
Rocco - 7lbs 0 ozs ,19 3/4"
Madden - 7lbs 2 ozs, 19"
Jagger - 7lbs 1 0z, 18 1/2"

Madden is still on the oxygen but still has not had any apnea episodes. He is scheduled to go to the pulmonologist next Thursday. I am praying he will not need the oxygen anymore. Poor little dude, he hates having the canula in and is constantly tugging at it. So many times I find him looking like this...


Our dogs, Lucy and Buddy, are loving their new brothers and sister. It's really cute how Lucy has turned into a little momma. Here are more pictures as promised.

My 3 little guys (L to R: Madden, Rocco and Jagger)

Madden and Sloan snuggling

Our 4 little glow worms (L to R: Rocco, Jagger, Madden & Sloan)

Headed home!

Sloan and Aunt KeKe

Feeding time

Momma Lucy

It feels so good to be home!

Love,
Kami

At Last!

We will all be under the same roof tonight and forever! It feels so good to have my family together. Madden came home on Wednesday night and we took Rocco and Jagger home today. Madden still requires oxygen so he is hooked up to a portable tank and an apnea monitor. The alarm has not gone off since we have been home. The last few days have been a bit hectic with travel arrangements and such. But it is definite...we will be flying home on Tuesday! Home. I can't believe the time has finally come. After five months, I get to go home with my family...four healthy babies. The Lord is so good. As I sit here typing this, I am staring at 4 sleeping miracles. To think back to where we started and where we are now...well, I cry joyful tears every time. It's indescribable.

Please pray for us as we travel. Grandmama and Grandaddy will be flying here on Monday so they can help with the babies on the way back. We will have six adults (me and nick and the grandparents) for the four babies. Because of the airline restrictions with the oxygen, my parents will be flying on a different airline with Madden, but we will all be arriving home around the same time late Tuesday night.

We have loved our time here in Arizona. We have grown to love all the people that have been a part of our lives over the last 5 months. We will miss everyone terribly...but I will save our goodbye's for a later post!

Pictures will be coming...I promise!

Love,
Kami

Sloan's Home!

She's actually been home since Monday night, but we have been a little busy to squeeze in a post! We have had two wonderful nights and days with her. She really has been so good...she is spoiling us! Today she had her first outing...to the audiologist for her follow up hearing test. She passed in both ears! Her first appointment with the pediatrician will be on Friday.

It's so awesome to have a baby home...or half-way home, at least! I used to dream of the day when I could just watch my baby sleep, comfort her when she cries, feed her when she is hungry, and yes, even change dirty diapers. Believe me, I am enjoying every single minute of this. I am ready to have my whole family home but know that it will come in His time!

Goin' home!

First bath at home

Her first road trip

Jagger was scheduled to be home today, but when we got to the hospital last night he was back on the oxygen again. Danielle, our nurse, said his stats were just not where they need to be so they put him back on. He just needs a little boost for a few days...hopefully, it won't be long before he can come home!

One down, three more to go!

Love,

Kami

We Don't Need No Stinkin' Tubes!

No more feeding tubes! Sloan, Rocco and Jagger decided that they could do without them so they just pulled them out themselves. Madden was a little more patient and let the nurse take his out. All the babies are doing well without them and nippling all their feeds. Jagger and Madden were both taken off their oxygen today for a trial. As of tonight, Madden was back on oxygen but on a very low flow. Hopefully it will only be a couple of more days and he will be on room air also. Rocco is doing great since his surgery. He was taken off the vent on Friday and they have weaned his oxygen back down to what it was before his surgery. Thank you so much for all of your prayers for him. The nurses have said many times how he has done so much better than expected...we give all the glory to God. Alot of steps forward today...we even learned that Sloan may be coming home on Tuesday and Jagger later in the week! Of course that could change if they have any bradycardia or apnea spells...please pray that they don't. We are so ready to have them home! We had a little taste of what it will be like today because we were able to put all the babies together for our first family picture (they were quite of few takes...and really I don't know if we got a decent one where someone's face wasn't covered by someone else's hand, etc.) Check it out.

Sloan is playing peek-a-boo and Rocco is already filling his role as the big brother! I can't believe we actually caught this on film....too funny! (Click on pic to see a better view)
Could Momma and Daddy at least look at the camera!
This will have to do!
A close up (L to R: Sloan, Jagger, Rocco and Madden)
with GG and Big Pop
Madden got stay a little while longer to play with Jagger. Take off their colors and are we in trouble or what?!?

Jagger without tubes!
Madden's cute hiney!
Daddy and Sloan...can we say wrapped?!?

Love,
Kami

Post-Op report on Rocco

Rocco did good through the surgery and the doctors were able to close his PDA. During the surgery, they found some inflammation on the outside of his lungs. The inflammation is not due to the PDA - it is due to prematurity. This may cause Rocco to stay intabated a little longer and make his recovery time longer than initially expected.

We want to thank all our nurses (Danielle and Felicia), the respiratory team, anesthesiologist and doctors who helped Rocco in today's procedures. Also thank you to all who said special prayers to lift Rocco and the staff up. Most of all we want to thank and praise God for the gifts he's given Kami and me. Please continue to keep Rocco in your prayers as he recovers from the surgery.

- Nick

Rocco is having surgery today

Nick here - the doctors all met on Monday morning to discuss treatment of Rocco's PDA. Their decision was to recommend doing aligation surgery for his PDA. Kami just called me and the surgery will be today at 2pm AZ/4pm CST. Because he'll have to go under, Rocco will be intabated before and after surgery. The cardiologist will be putting a titanium clip on the PDA to close it off. Please keep Rocco and the operating medical staff in your prayers before, during, and after the procedure.

Kami and I have prayed about this for some time and asked God to show us His will for closing Rocco's PDA. We're assurred that this is what's right for him and what God wants us to do for him - we really have a peace about it. We'll continue to praise God for all He's done for us and all He'll do for us in the future! We'll try to provide updates as soon as we can.

Our kids are starting to really suck...

Literally! Okay, sorry for the bad joke! :) They are not taking the whole bottle every feed, but they are really getting the hang of it.

Miss Sloan taking her bottle
Momma and Madden

Jagger drinking like a champ!

Rocco was feeling a little puny yesterday so he had a break from the bottle, but he still loves his paci.

The babies are doing well. Madden is finishing up his round of antibiotics for his UTI...so far the follow up results have been negative. Jagger had his two week eye check up. He does NOT have ROP but the retinal blood vessels are still not fully mature. He will have another exam in 2 weeks. Please pray that Jagger's retinal blood vessels will mature over the next 2 weeks. Rocco had labwork drawn yesterday because he has been a little pale and lathargic. He also had an echo yesterday to check his PDA. His PDA is now considered a large one. The doctors will discuss again on Monday to determine if Rocco is becoming symptomatic and if the surgical ligation would be the best route. Please pray for the doctors wisdom in determining what is best for Rocco. Sloan is cruising right along. If she can get her feeds down (nipple full feeds), I think she will be able to come home.

Big Pop is here! He will be here until we all come home. He hasn't seen the babies since they were about 6 days old. They have changed so much in such a short time! There is no word yet when we will be coming home. Usually they say a good rule of thumb is your original due date which is April 26th...of course it could be a little before or even later.

Big Pop holding Jagger
Lil' Rocco with is lovie

P.S. Congratulations to our new neighbors in the NICU...the Puig family! Lorena and Enrique Puig welcomed their five miracles into the world on March 18th.

Love,
Kami