Thanks.......

Remember me talking about Kaitlyn's "scooting", well, this shows how much she's moves. Her butt used to be under the left "strap" and you can see the "bean bags" that she pushes her head against and moves upward. But she really likes being on her stomach.

See the little "bandage" on Kaitlyn's back? This was from her heart surgery.

10/27/05

Well, Kaitlyn had her try off the ventilator, but starting at 4am on Thursday she started having a lot of destats and her CO2 levels went back up again, so they decided to put her tube back in again Thursday morning. During the day, she had some major episodes where she even wasn’t responding to her oxygen levels being turned back up, so by the time we went home on Thursday we were very bummed, sad and worried.

I know we are warned to be prepared for the up and downs of the NICU, but we had gone to bed being so excited that she was doing well off the ventilator, now it’s like she’s starting over again, as she has to recover from the trauma. This road is so hard to travel down.

10/28/05

Kaitlyn seems to be much quieter today and her levels are coming back up again, but not to where they were before the pulling of the vent. The doc wants to now wait at least a week and try to get her weight up some so she will have more strength to breathe on her own for longer. So, we are back on the waiting game. The doc did tell me that she may allow for me to actually finally get to hold Kaitlyn, even if she is on the vent.

That was really exciting news to me, but today, Kaitlyn was still too wiped out from the pulling of the vent. I might be able to hold “Kangaroo” her over the weekend, which would make me a very happy mom indeed. Kangaroo Care means that I’ll get to hold her skin to skin, as it is felt that preemies know and respond to mom’s heart beat, energy and warmth. Up till now, the docs have really wanted Kaitlyn to come off the vent first and to become less irritated by being bothered, but I think the doc sees that mom and daughter probably really need some bonding.

Brian today wants to make sure that Kaitlyn is really up to it, so we’ll just have to wait and see how she does over the weekend.

The other news is that even though it might be because she had a lower urine output last night, but Kaitlyn is finally over 2 pounds! Tomorrow we’ll check again to see if she really has started to gain weight, but wow, 2 pounds. (2 pounds really isn’t much still, but it’s something!).

She’s up to 4 cc’s every 2 hours and tonight may go to 5 cc’s every 2 hours!

Update on Liz:

Well, my incision continues to heal, Brian tells me (as I still don’t like to look at my abdomen being completely open to the world) that it indeed is healing. He said it’s “nothing” to look at now compared to in the beginning. He even said that he doubted that it could heal itself as it was a large open wound, but it is getting smaller. Thank goodness, because the pulling tape off and packing it is getting very tiring.

I’ve been feeling a little “gastronomically” challenged the last 4 days or so. As I had such a bad infection and my abdomen is open, it makes me a bit worried (and continues to make me really tired), I’m crossing my fingers it just something I ate or something, but I do feel “weird” inside. How do you explain that to someone?

Thank you!!!!

How is it possible that 3,200 people have viewed my blog? And that’s just in 2 months! Wow!

We are so thankful for all of the support. I’m still not the best on returning calls/emails quickly, but please know your calls, emails, cards and comments here on the site have really helped us to know that so many people out there are thinking and praying of us every day. It helps me not feel as alone though all of this.

I wanted to give some special thank here on my site:

The wonderful multiples group here in Marin has graciously collected money from its members to provide Brian and I fabulous healthy prepared meals. I have to say, I don’t know what we’d do without the food, as we really have no desire or strength to cook. (Well, I for sure don’t, and Brian is very tired of it always falling on him). I am truly overwhelmed by the incredible heart and giving nature of the group’s members. We understand from Allison that so many members contributed to help us that there is enough for weeks more of food! Thank you thank - you everyone!!! Once I can get my butt back to work, we won’t be in such dire straights any more financially – obviously this whole experience hit us very suddenly.

I’ve also had other friends and supporters who we’ve never met before offer and bring home-cooked meals. In fact, today a really funny thing happened, Lisa from the multiples group (who I’ve never met before and also happened to go to the same high school I did in southern California) called and said she was bringing by some chicken enchiladas for us, then 15 minutes later a woman showed up with chicken enchiladas. Brian met her outside (as he was working on his therapy – his land-cruiser restoration project) and said he was expecting her and it was nice to meet her. But she said she wasn’t Lisa and that she was Shauna, had met Brian before, as she was a fellow fire-fighter’s wife and not Lisa. Then, 15 minutes later Lisa actually did show up with the same dish, chicken enchiladas! We were very confused for a minute then realized that it was a very coincidental happening and we got a few chuckles over it (which is always a good thing for us to laugh). And we do love chicken enchiladas! Thank you Lisa and Shauna - we really appreciate the home-cooked meals - thank you so very much!!!

The San Anselmo Volunteer Effort (SAVE) Board on which I served, but had to resign once this ordeal began provided us with a gift certificate for prepared meals.

Julie from the twins group with always being there to lend an encouraging word and update the Marin multiples group.

So many PROM list members who have sent me many emails and encouraging emails/website posts who I have not had time to respond to.

The Redwood High School Ultimate Team sent me a picture of the team in my honor. I helped form and coach the team last year, and obviously haven’t been able to do much this year to help. I’ll put a copy of the picture here on my blog as it’s really cute.

Our favorite nurse Rosa from the hospital has become like an Aunt to Kaitlyn, who we’ve shared many tears with from day one. She gave me the sweetest card and plant while I was still in the hospital, “Written From Kaitlyn to her mommy”, that still brings tears to my eyes when I read it, as it says I’m going to grow up big and strong some day soon.

Sue my high school friend from Southern Calif., who besides being a pediatric OR nurse is also a mother of twins.

Deb from the Marin Multiples group, a fellow PROM mom and a mother of triplets, who sent us our Preemie “bible” that we’ve recommended that our parents purchase so that they can better understand all the medical jargon we are now always talking about.

And, so many others of you, you are just all too many to mention, but your calls, cards, flowers, etc are appreciated more than I can even express. Thank you everyone. So many have mentioned that they appreciate this website to give them updates, and it also helps me to keep a journal of Corinne and Kaitlyn’s lives so I’m glad that you enjoy reading it.

I’m still working on posting pics, including ones of Corinne.