Life is Good

Weight Check
William - 7lbs 6oz
Aaron - 7lbs 1oz

They're moving on up!  We've had a few appointments in the past week, I just haven't had time to sit at the computer and type.  There are better things to do these days :)

The boys had their follow up eye exams last week with great results - Aaron's ROP is GONE, and William's is getting there.  He has another appointment in a few weeks to confirm.  They still have a one in five chance of developing future vision problems like needing glasses, but given my eyesight they'll probably need them anyway.  Another cheer for Avastin!

Aaron's circumcision was scheduled for today.  We made it out to Stony Point, he was given the numbing gel, we waited an hour... and then we were advised to wait due to his hydroceles.  This is also why we have to wait with William, but apparently Aaron's weren't as evident in the consultation.  So now they will both need general anesthesia to have it done in about 8 months.

Everything at home is going well.  Anna has adjusted beautifully to having her brothers at home.  She's super cute with her brothers :)  We are not getting much sleep...at all...but that comes with the territory. 

Life is good!

Random Pictures

We framed hand/footprint pictures to match Anna's. The pictures are from the hospital shoot before they left the NICU:



William

 

Aaron



William



Aaron

 

Aaron & William!



Big Sis

Newborns

Weight Check
William - 6lbs 10oz
Aaron - 6lbs 3oz

Everything is good here!  A few people have actually asked if we were "scared" to have them home - no, there's nothing scary about it!  They are typical newborns, aside from some extra equipment and appointments.  They are eating well, gaining weight, and keeping us up all night since they eat every 3 hours...as they are supposed to do at this age :)  Early intervention came out on Monday, and will come back in early November to put a plan in place for physical therapy.  The boys also had their pulmonologist appointment this week, which went well.  William will be on oxygen for at least the next month, but we'll test him at that point to see if he's ready to come off of it.  We also had the follow up appointment with the retinal specialist, and William's eyes are looking much better.  I went back to work this week, for the first time since they've been home, and will continue to work one or two days a week through the end of the year.  Our moms will help out beginning next year so that the boys can stay out of daycare for the first year.

It is harder than I thought it would be to keep this updated right now - when I'm sitting, there's almost always a baby (or two) on my lap, which makes it difficult to type!

Visitation

Our very healthy, non-smoking, adult family and close friends who have had the flu shot are more than welcome to visit the boys.  We are not able to take them out into crowds for a while, as they get stronger and healthier, so the only real option to see them is to visit.  (Feel free to bring dinner if you come by!)  Their little immune systems and lungs are very susceptible to any bugs, and we'll do whatever it takes to keep them healthy, which includes severely limiting their access to the public.  That said, if you meet the criteria mentioned above, we welcome the company :)

Random Pictures

A new meaning to double fisting:

Aaron sucking his thumb:

Funny William look:



Sweet Boys: 



Aaron

William

Settling In

Typically when you bring babies home from the hospital, the philosophy is to sleep when they sleep.  This should be even more important with two...it's a little difficult to do, however, with endless appointments.  We've had five doctors' visits, plus two from the home health nurse, in the past week.  We've been busy!

Wednesday was their due date!  All milestones will be calculated from October 5th, not from their birthday.  We'll now speak of their "adjusted" age - 2 days - and their "actual" age - 3 months.

Weight Check
William - 6lbs 3oz
Aaron - 5lbs 10oz

Urology appointment - The boys could not be circumcised in the NICU.  They need to have it done within the first five weeks after their due date in order to not need anesthesia.  After the initial consultation, Aaron's is scheduled for October 24th.  William, however, will need to wait until he's closer to one due to the hydroceles...which means he will need to go under.  Poor little guy :(

Retinal Specialist appointment - William was checked by the retinal specialist today to follow up on the pediatric opthamologist's concern that his ROP was questionable for treatment.  There was no question today - he needed treatment.  He received the shots of Avastin right in the office, and was a champ.  I believe the doctor had previously only given the injection to preemies in the NICU, which is one reason they had wanted to keep William hostage longer.  William did really well, though, and appears to be having no issues afterward.  His eyes will be checked again next week to see if the injections helped.

General Update - The boys are doing great!  They are eating like little monsters and love to cuddle.  We've made Anna's bedtime into family reading time, and she loves her brothers.  I have taken them on two very short walks around the neighborhood in the Moby wrap, which is fun for me, even carrying the oxygen over my shoulder.  I carried Anna everywhere in a mei tai, so I'm glad to have a similar option for the boys even though they're going to get too heavy much faster.

And if anyone plays Words with Friends on their phone - my name is TheLuckiest06 - start a game with me, I'm an addict and it's what I do while just sitting on the couch cuddling while their sleeping!

William yawning

Aaron relaxing in the bath

Out for a walk



Eye doc & Pics

The boys had their follow up appointment with the pediatric opthamologist today.  Aaron's eyes are still beautiful - the retinopathy is gone.  William now has stage 3 in both eyes, but neither have plus disease or require treatment at this time.  The left eye is slightly worse, and he will be monitored.  It could still resolve on its own at this point, but if it doesn't, we know it can be helped with Avastin.

We are settling in well and getting a little bit sleep here and there.  Getting up every three hours with two kids is not quite the same as it was with Anna! 




Four of the Five



William sucking his thumb after his bath



Aaron sucking his thumb

Anna laying down with William



William & Aaron