Looking back it may have been a better idea to write this update before the 37 minutes of sleep we got last night. At any rate here we are, our little family; home after long last. If it weren't for this blog there are definitely weeks that have gone missing from my memory in the last 4 1/2 months. Now, I take a step back and mention how we made our way home.
Marika was ready to be at home sometime last week; Kyra on the other hand had some catching up to do. She still had a feed tube in her nose and was on the monitors while Marika had shed both the week before. The hospital had intentions of sending Marika home first and keeping Kyra till she was ready. Not something we were too keen on; as once Marika left the NICU she wouldn't be allowed back in. As you can imagine, this would have been a logistical nightmare for us and logistics aside we thought it would be in the girls’ best interest to keep them together. Easier said than done. A full hospital and kids from all over trying to get in, then there's us, fighting for our sanity really, the hospital visits to be honest were starting to wear thin; we were now into our 18th week of hospital associated events, and if not for those two bundles of pure joy, I may just have gone squiggly. :-) In the end, they honored our wish to keep the girls together.
Our time in the Abby NICU was a very good one, welcoming, and professional, caring and friendly. We tried to use the time as wisely as possible, asking questions and perfecting tasks that we would have to do over and over on our own in the months ahead. Friends were made and a visit will be in order when the 'lock-down' of flu season has passed.
A window opened and we all climbed through. We were off to pediatrics. A room became available that we all could stay in. Well, this turn of events turned out to be fruitful. We now were able to sleep there and commence being full time parents. I think this was the best of both worlds, around the clock care and a little help if we needed it. I think our sleep was decreased to a measly 3-4 hours a night.
The girls being preemies and having the rough start that they had expectantly have a tougher time dealing with stimulation and change. The nurses and docs on numerous occasions have warned us of this fact but we didn’t really see the effects until the day after we moved. They were unsettled and just couldn't calm down. With the lights low and little in the way of interaction they transitioned over the next day. Kyra initially took a down turn and needed significant portions of her feeds through the 'NG' (Nasogastric Feed Tube). This worried us as we had anticipated only being there a few days to allow Kyra to finish the progress she had made in the NICU. Well, as it turns out she made a bigger step back then subsequently 3 large bounds forward! Her feed tube was removed and we challenged her to eat what she could via bottle and realize that the easy tube feed was not coming. Well she responded in spades. Taking nearly her whole feed for 2 days straight. The doc was up until that point fully prepared to send us home with her tube in, after we had properly learned how to check for placement. The prospect of this seemed a little challenging since neither I nor my wife are nurses, but if it meant sleeping in our own bed again as opposed to the convertible chair thingy that we had been inhabiting, I was all for it. I mean how hard could it be, we're smart people..... Kyra sensed our apprehension and made the decision for us. I think she was scared of me fidgeting around with a tube coming out of her face. ;)
After this, the girls had one more hoop to jump through, the car seat challenge. They had to be able to sit in the seat without having an oxygen desaturation or an apnea. They passed this test with flying colours. The road was now paved for our homecoming. The culmination of thousands of prayers on our behalf, allowed us to walk through our front door as a complete family.
Shortly after unloading and settling in Joanna and I carried this look of shock around with us as the two car seats with two tiny little miracles sat on our living room floor. We then proceeded to stumble around our place looking for the items that the hospital has been providing for the last number of weeks. Drive home; check. Unload and settle in; check. Be crazy excited beyond belief to raise our two little blessings; check.
Well the gloss of our homecoming wore off with a speed rarely seen around these parts. Our girls are extremely sensitive to stimulation and change, and well like many parents of multiples before us; sleep was eluding us as if it had the ring from Lord of the Rings. I think I managed to nod off for about 37 minutes. The upside is that things can only get better.
Our excitement about showing off our little ones is overflowing, so many people have been a part of our journey and yet we are caught right now in a hard place with one of the worst cold/flu seasons, and the amount of hospital time the girls have put in resulting in lowered immunity has put them in a vulnerable spot. All the docs and nurses say ‘just blame us’ when trying to tell people that it is not wise for us to have people over to hold the girls. As time passes they will build up their immunity to their new surroundings, allowing us to gradually introduce new things. I guess this is where I have to be the protective dad and watch out for what I believe is best for my family. This is so hard for us, as we want everyone to see them, snuggle them and hold them. But, in time things will settle down. I will do my best to add more pics, as I have found an easier way to upload them. Yay!
Many people have asked us what they can do to help and have offered to make meals….now is the time that we need this most and are going to take you up on those offers!! Cooking right now has been an adventure…. so thanks to those that have already dropped stuff off. THANK YOU!! This is a huge help for us!
It should be noted that this is our first collaborative blog effort. We will be back to Ryan’s terrible jokes and dry humour as soon as he scrounges together a few more hours of sleep!
A note from Jo: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to each one of you for praying, supporting, encouraging and walking with us through this crazy adventure. We appreciate ALL of you and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your prayers made a difference. The peace and calm that I felt in the midst of everything was incredible. Our two little miracles are truly a blessing from God and we feel so privileged to be their parents. Kyra has made such a remarkable recovery that sometimes I look at her with tears in my eyes and am so thankful. They are both absolutely beautiful and I can’t wait for each and every one of you to meet them.
Ryan & Jo
P.S. Sorry for the delayed blog, entries usually take under ½ an hour, this one took 3 days….. :-)
I think that if you click the picture it will take you to our online album where you can see the pics at your convienence.
