30 March

A little late, but here is the update from yesterday March 30. Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa Page all visited with the boys today. They had to finally give Austin a blood transfusion this morning because his anemia was not getting better. The doctors hope this will help with the A&B episodes he's been having. Otherwise, Austin is still going strong. Aiden is still on the ventilator. He is not doing well with his feedings. The doctors ordered an X-ray of his stomach...results are still pending. He is still having many A&B episodes. The doctors just can't seem to figure out exactly what the problem is. We are praying and hoping that soon Aiden will make some progress and start to do better. Be strong boys! You are never far from our thoughts. We love you both so very much.

29 March

Mom and Grandma Page spent the afternoon with the boys. Austin is still doing very well...just crusin' along with no major issues. He's up to 28ml of milk every three hours and is tolerating that very well. Doctors are still a little concerned about his anemia but not to the point where they feel the need to do a blood transfusion. Aiden is still on the ventilator and probably will be for another couple of days. He is doing better, but the doctors still want to see more progress before they take him off. The source of his infection still remains a mystery; he is on day 4 of his 7 days of antibiotics. He is progressing with his feedings and will be up to 12 ml of milk every three hours starting this evening. He is tolerating the feedings very well which is a positive sign. Both boys had their first eye exam today to look for signs of ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity...read more about it here http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/rop/rop.asp). They boys were diagnosed at Stage II, which is not alarming and their eyes should develop normally. They will be examined every 2 weeks for the rest of the time they are in the NICU to look for signs of the more serious stages. Please continue to keep Aiden and Austin in your thoughts and prayers.

28 March

Sorry for the delay - a lot has been going on.  To catch everyone up, here is a lengthy entry:
o Thursday 3/25 - Mom and Dad could not go see the boys but Grampa and Gramma Page did.  Aiden had a few apnea episodes, but otherwise both boys were doing very well.  (Here comes another big hill on the rollercoaster!)
o Friday, 3/26 - This day was probably one of the biggest valleys of this rollercoaster we've been riding.  We were awoken at 1 am and told that Aiden needed to have a spinal tap because they wanted to rule out an infection in the brain and spine.  After much discussion, Mom and Dad consented and tried to go back to sleep.  Upon arriving at the NICU the next day, Mom and Dad, along with Grampa and Gramma Page, spoke with one of the doctors at length.  It was a good discussion and we got a lot of our questions and concerns answered and addressed.  Aiden also had to be put back on a ventilator as well because he had been having so many apnea episodes to the point where he had simply quit breathing.  He had 10 in 30 minutes at one point.  The doctor told us that he was basically getting tuckered out.  So they had to put him back on the machine and administer sedatives as well in order to keep him calm because the tubes in the throat cause discomfort.
o Saturday, 3/27 - Austin continued to do well and show positive signs.  He went from 16 ml of milk to 21 ml of milk and gained 1 oz to weigh 3 lbs 12 ozs.  Since he hadn't been getting feeds for a while, Aiden lost 1 oz to weigh 4 lbs 2 ozs but started feeds again at 2 ml of milk.  They did take him off sedatives as well but continued with some pain meds.  Aiden also spiked a temperature of 103 degrees Saturday which concerned Mom and Dad as well as the doctors and nurses.  They monitored his temps and got him cooled down gradually, but this gave them more reason to believe that he had an infection they just can't track down yet.
o Sunday, 3/28 - Austin is getting 26 ml of milk every three hours now and the doctors say he is doing very well.  Aiden is at 4 ml of milk every three hours.  Aiden's spinal tap results have not come back but that is a good sign.  If anything were wrong, the lab would have called.  They had extra fluid left over from the spine and sent that off to another lab to have it tested for any possible viral infections (vice bacterial which they have been focusing on).  We will hear about that in 4 to 5 days.  They also took a sample of his saliva and that came back negative for any infection.  Aiden's tummy X-Ray was good showing no gas problems, but an X-Ray of his lungs showed them as hazy which could be an infection, or areas of collapsed airsacs and such, or simple immaturity.  He is still on the ventilator and on a little bit of morphine for the pain but is off sedation meds.  They will do another Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) Line on Aiden today in order to get him off the I.V.  Time to go back inside!  Mommy is holding Austin!  Thank you all for all your support and prayers!

24 March

(Both pictures are of Aiden) Today was a good day for the boys. Aiden got to be held for hours by Gramma Page! Austin, unfortunately, is back on CPAP full time now, so he can't really be taken out of the isolette (a.k.a. incubator) so well.  So, this was an Aiden picture day!  We wanted to include images of both sets of grandparents with one of the boys and Aiden was the only one we have a picture of with both sets.  Aiden is still getting 12.5 ml of milk every hour and Austin is up to 8 ml every three hours.  Both boys are looking good and doing better and better.  Sweet dreams, little guys!  We love you!

23 March

(Pictures are of Austin [yaaaaawn!] and then Aiden) The twins are doing fairly well tonight. Dad didn't get to the NICU until nearly 10:30pm, but stayed for more than two hours holding both boys for a long time each. Austin is up to 4ml of milk every three hours and Aiden is still getting a continuous feed of 12.5ml every hour (or 37.5ml every three hours). They did have to put Austin back on CPAP, but only for 8 hours a day. The other 16 hours, he is on the normal air flow. Additionally, due to Aiden's minor problems with some acid reflux that were causing some episodes of apnea and bradycardia, they propped him upright and that seemed to do the trick. His number of episodes decreased to almost nothing. Otherwise, mostly a quiet night. Dad even fell asleep for a quick wink while holding each of the boys..! :o)

22 March

The boys were doing well today. Austin is back on mommy milk at 2ml every three hours and he's off his antibiotics. He seems to be tolerating his feedings and he will be watched closely over the next few days to make sure his system is digesting the milk. Though Austin is slightly anemic, the doctors have opted not to do a blood transfusion right now. They will continue to monitor him and reassess on Thursday. Aiden is still on continuous feeds at 11ml per hour. He is tolerating that very well with little residual. These little guys continue to amaze us as they fight to get better. Their strength and fighting spirit gives us hope. We know that someday soon they will be coming home with us. Until that day, stay strong Aiden and Austin...you are in our thoughts and in our hearts. We love you!
P.S. We wanted to add this link for a quick clarification on Apnea and Bradycardia in case anyone was interested:
http://preemies.about.com/od/preemiehealthproblems/f/AsandBs.htm?r=et

21 March

(Pictures are of Austin and then Aiden)  This was quite a day!  Mom held Austin for a long time and he was determined to open his eyes which he did numerous times.  Aiden also opened his eyes a bunch and was very comfortably resting on his tummy.  It's like they are gradually getting used to the dim light which must seem bright to them.  Aiden is still on continuous feed at 11ml every hour, and Austin is still on the IV but the doctors say that the odds of him (or Aiden) having NEC is very low now.  The X-Rays of their intestines are both good showing much better gas patterns now and that the gases are subsiding.  Austin's blood tests came back (testing for bacteria in the blood due to NEC), and are negative.  So that is good.  However, another jarring turn on this rollercoaster ride is that other blood tests on Austin indicate that he is trending toward being anemic.  They plan to run one more test tomorrow and will need to do a blood transfusion of 10ml per kg of body weight if the trend continues.  If the numbers go in the other direction, they will simply continue to monitor his levels.  Aiden is getting meds for some reflux he is having with his feeds.  The meds don't actually stop the reflux; they just make it more comfortable for him to experience it without causing him to have apnea and bradycardia episodes in conjunction with the reflux.  Good night sweet boys!  We love you!

20 March

Well, the doctors have good reason to believe that Austin does not have NEC.  He is doing well and his latest X-Ray was much better than the last so hopefully the gases are passing.  He will continue antibiotics, however, for several more days and should be back on milk in just a few days.  Aiden is doing well but they are concerned that he may be exhibiting early signs of NEC now as well so they went to a continuous feeding schedule for him.  Instead of giving him 33ml every 3 hours, they are giving him 11ml every hour continuously hoping that will allow him to get the food but not build up the gases.  Thank you, everyone, for all your support!

19 March

(Pictures are of Austin and then Aiden)  Well, here we go with one step backwards...  Austin had a rough day.  He may have Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC).  More information on NEC can be found at this link: http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/digestive/nec.html
Basically, X-Rays show that he has too much gas in his system in part due to the air being supplied through his nose which can just as easily go into his stomach as his lungs.  This can be dangerous because the gases can burst his intestines and/or introduce bacteria into the bloodstream.  So, they had to stop his feedings and are giving him antibiotics to fight any infections.  They are taking blood tests as well to see if any bacteria got into his blood.  His belly is soft though, he is having normal bowel movements, and does not have blood in his stools (which are all good signs).  So we are waiting now; waiting for the blood test and any more X-Rays they may take.

Aiden is doing well.  We changed his diaper today and he decided to immediately soil the new one before we could even get it around him.  Then he decided to continue soiling everything including his bedding and our hands as we were trying to clean him up!  It was simultaneously the funniest and maybe most disturbing thing I have seen in a long time..!  Just when we thought it was over, more shot out of him!  (Sorry for the mental image!)

18 March

Just wanted to add images of the four leaf clovers..!  :o)  I put them inside cute birth announcement cards that a nurse named Julie made for each of the boys a few days ago.  Thank you, Julie!

17 March

(Pictures are of Austin and then Aiden) So never in my life do I recall having found a four leaf clover.  Not that I have looked that awful hard either, mind you.  So, I am talking with Dinah over the phone today in a clover patch just outside the lobby entrance at my workplace.  Something caught my eye, and I thought surely that can't be a four leaf clover..!  It must be a three leaf clover very close to another one.  I bend down to check it out and lo and behold, a four leaf clover it is!  I couldn't believe it!  So, I picked it and as I was picking it out of the Earth, I kid you not, I spied another!  This cannot be!  But sure enough, it was another four leaf clover..!  Dinah didn't believe me.  After picking that one, I took another glance around the ground because, well ..who can have TOO much luck?!  Right?!  Not another one was in sight that I could see.  So, I proceeded to keep them safe until I got home, wrapped them in plastic, and now they reside right beside each of our boys keeping the luck flowing for them..!  And .. oddly enough, it's St. Patty's Day no less...!

Aiden is back on the blue lights for a little bit as you can see.  He is getting 25 ml of Mom's milk now and weighs 3 lbs 11 ozs.  Austin is getting 29 ml of milk and weighs 3 lbs 3 ozs.  Austin was content chilling out tonight; very relaxed!  Aiden was back to his old self again and pulled his whole feeding tube out.  We weren't there at the time, but the nurse said she ran over and had to stop the flow of milk running out of the tube.  I just shook my head from side to side.  ;o)

16 March

Not much to report this time .. which is a good thing, of course.  Aiden was sleeping peacefully on his tummy and Austin was on his back jumping in sporadic movements.  We swear he must be dreaming - he does that all the time.  Aiden opened his eyes for Grampa and Gramma Ross and then later for Dad.  Both boys are off the CPAP machine now, so that is a step in the right direction.  Hopefully they can stay off the machines because it allows us to see their faces better without all that headgear on..!  :o)  Austin is now taking 29ml of Mom's milk and Aiden is getting 21ml.  We love you!  Keep pushing on!

15 March

The boys were doing wonderfully today when we visited. Austin had his PICC line taken out today which is great news! He no longer requires the extra IV fluid he was receiving. He is surviving solely on mommy's milk at 25ml every 3 hours! Having the PICC line taken out is a major milestone as it lessens the risk of infection and shows that his little body is growing and becoming stronger. Aiden still has his PICC line in and probably will for another few days. But he is progressing well and his milk intake increased to 17ml every three hours. This is a short entry, but the shorter the entry, the better they are doing so we are very happy tonight :).   Sweet dreams Austin and Aiden...we love you!

14 March

Today was another great day on Aiden and Austin's journey home. The doctor didn't have anything new to tell us, which in the NICU world is GOOD NEWS! Both boys continue to progress. Their milk intake continues to increase daily with Austin taking 21ml every three hours and Aiden not far behind at 12ml. They were both sleeping peacefully when we left tonight. It's hard to explain how you can love someone so much so fast, but these little guys have definitely stolen our hearts. Thanks to all our family and friends for all their thoughts, prayers, and help during these times. Your support means more than you'll ever know. Please continue to keep our boys in your thoughts as we continue to pray and hope for their fast progression and eventual homecoming.

13 March

(Pictures are of Aiden and then Austin) Aiden and Austin are doing well today. Grampa and Gramma Ross got to see them today for the first time..! They were overjoyed..! Gramma Ross even got to touch Austin. Dinah and I got to hold each of them tonight which is always fun! They didn't put up too much of a fuss..! :o) Aiden is still having a few episodes of Bradycardia; where the heart rate slows down below 100 bpm. He had four today which is getting the doctors' attention but not alarming them by any means either. Aiden has one more day of antibiotics and Austin is done with them. Aiden is now taking 8ml of mom's milk every three hours and weighs 3 lbs 11 ozs. Austin is taking 18ml of mom's milk every three hours and weighs 3 lbs 1 oz. Good night sweet boys! Love, Mommy and Daddy.

12 March

Today was a good day for both boys. They both had a repeat Echo that showed the holes in their hearts have completely closed. We are very happy and grateful for that! Aiden is back on mommy's milk, though he is taking very little right now (4ml every 3 hours) but we hope that will increase over the next few days. They both will finish their 10 days of antibiotics this weekend. No further signs of infection at this time which is also good news. Tomorrow they will both receive a Synergist shot which will provide some protection against RSV (respiratory syncytial virus; you can read more about this at https://health.google.com/health/ref/Respiratory+syncytial+virus+(RSV). This is a shot that all NICU babies receive once a month. In closing, we would like to say that so far the doctors and nurses in the NICU have been wonderful to us and our boys. They are the most dedicated, professional team we've ever seen. We just can't say enough good things about them. It's hard leaving the boys every night, but we sleep a little better knowing they are in such good hands. A huge thanks to all the staff at NMCP NICU! You guys rock!

11 March

Today was another valley on the rollercoaster we have been riding.  Aiden was having more episodes of respiratory apnea yesterday than the doctors liked so they put him back on the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine and the episodes have decreased dramatically throughout the day today, so that's great.  Because of the CPAP machine though, Aiden had to be taken off mom's milk.  However, Austin has been increased to 14ml of milk every three hours, so that's good.  Additionally, both boys had to have a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) Line put into them which is a line that goes all the way to their hearts and allows the doctors to better administer meds and fluids to them.  Until now, they had received this stuff through their umbilical cords, of course.  They had to do it at least three times, though, for Aiden and it was really stressing us out.  And each time they do it, they have to take a chest X-ray which means more radiation exposure, though they tell us it is a "miniscule" amount.  They were trying to go through his arm and we are told that they finally got it in through his leg and they are performing the procedure on Austin as we type this.  We did find out that both boys have gained weight and that Aiden now weighs 3 lbs 8 ozs and Austin weighs 2 lbs 15 ozs.  So that was good to hear.  They are so precious!
*** UPDATE ***
Austin's PICC Line went in just fine through his leg late last night, and we are told he is doing very well.  We were also told that Aiden returned to his old self late last night giving the nurses a hard time and challenging their every move with his feisty tantrums!  :o)

10 March

The shorter the blog, the better the news..!  They are doing awesome!  Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers!  I cannot tell you how much we (and Aiden and Austin) appreciate that.  We believe it is making a world of difference...  There are no images today, but they were very calm, rested, and looked really good.  Aiden is still on the blue light pad.  Both boys are now getting 10ml of mommy's milk every three hours, so that is good.  They were getting 3ml yesterday.  The doctors said they want to be aggressive with the feedings and see how they do so hopefully they take it all well.  Daddy was a bit sick so he didn't stay long in the NICU, but Mommy and Gramma Page did and laid their hands on them for a long time.  They like that.  :o)

9 March

(Pictures are of Austin and then Aiden)  Big day!  Grampa and Gramma Page came to visit the twins!  Grampa unfortunately was a little ill so he didn't go inside the NICU, but Gramma Page did go in and got to see the boys for the first time!  They are doing wonderfully today.  Aiden was as feisty as ever and Austin was snug as a bug in a rug on his tummy..!  The doctor had nothing but good things to say about both of them.  They do plan to continue the two broad spectrum antibiotics on both boys for the full course which is about 3 to 4 more days.  Aiden was lying on a photo therapy blanket because his biliruben levels had increased slightly.  Everyone agrees that Austin favors his Daddy's looks (poor guy..!  Haha!) and that Aiden with his dark hair and complexion favors Mommy...!
Aiden still has episodes of his heart rate dropping but there have been fewer and fewer incidents so that is good.  No one can calm either of the boys down quite as well as Mommy can..!  Gramma Page took the second photo!

8 March

(Pictures are of Aiden and then Austin.) Both boys on meals getting Mommy's milk now! They can no longer hear murmurs in either heart but both boys supposedly still have a very small hole in their hearts. They say they don't plan to administer another round of meds though. They suspect they will either close in time or simply end up not being a problem for them at this point. Austin's numbers are solid. Aiden has had several episodes when his heartbeat dropped below 100 bpm and it should be 140-160 bpm. So they are keeping a watchful eye on him. Aiden is still very fidgety and active. Austin just chills out and seems to always look like he is lounging on the beach..! He throws an occasional stretch and yawn in there too just to mix it up..! We got to see their chest X-Rays today too. The doctor explained a lot to us basically saying that the infection the boys seem to be fighting may be pneumonia. But the hazy X-Rays may also just be fluid, the fact that they are immature lungs, or air sacs in the lungs that are "collapsed", or simply not filled with air. Bottom line, however, is that the X-Rays look MUCH better today than the films they had from 3 and 4 days ago and their vital sign numbers look better and better. Austin even opened his eye for us and Aiden continued to rip off his leads, probes, and hoses; whatever he can grab really..! We changed their diapers too, and boy was that enlightening! We saw the fountain! Daddy was wiping Aiden with a cold towelette and the fountainworks began! He peed straight up in the air and all over Dinah's fingers! Daddy found it humorous but didn't get a picture of that! Haha!

7 March

(1st and 3rd pictures are of Aiden and 2nd and 4th are of Austin) Aiden has also now been put on antibiotics due to elevated white blood cell counts. Good news with Aiden is that they can no longer hear a murmur in his heart. So hopefully the meds worked for his PDA. They can still hear a murmur in Austin, however, but they won't be able to say for sure whether the holes are closed up in either of the boys until they repeat the echocardiograms Monday. That said, the boys look really good today! They took the blue lights away because their biliruben numbers are down below the threshold. They seem more relaxed, their breathing is much less labored, and their skin colors look a lot better; they're not so dark anymore. The reason they are both on antibiotics is because X-Rays of their little lungs show them being "hazy" indicating possible pneumonia. Their O2 saturation levels have been outstanding all day (hovering around 100), and their blood pressures are great indicating that if they do have an infection, it is not affecting them too much. We are told that, at this hospital, they treat what they see and don't wait around for symptoms to get worse.
It's funny, Aiden is constantly pulling at his breathing tubes. And Austin seems to sleep like I do! Mouth open, on his back, with his hands up by his ears! Mommy and I were commenting how peaceful, rested, and relaxed they seem today. We heard them cry the other day and they cried a bunch today too. It's wild to hear. They definitely voice their opposition when nurses (or I) touch them or agitate them when they didn't want to be disturbed!
We got to hold them both today! Mommy held Aiden and Daddy held Austin. It was an overwhelming moment!

6 March

Austin is back on antibiotics due to elevated white blood cell counts. Aiden's white blood cell counts are ok. While on the meds for the holes in their hearts, they don't get meals. (Daddy would starve!) :o) The meds are vaso constrictors and reduce blood flow to the stomach among other organs, so they have to stop meals but the boys still get nutrition via the IVs in their umbilical cords. Aiden squirms around like nobody's business; always kicking, stretching, moving, etc..!! Funny to watch. Austin has his moments but is usually more calm. Austin has such long fingers! Both are still under the blue lights today. Neither boy loves being touched by Daddy! We think Dad's hands are simply too cold. haha. They love Mommy's hands though! :o) Austin's hole is 2.6 mm and Aiden's is 2.5 mm. Both are also said to have low velocity meaning that the blood is rushing through the hole at a slow rate so that is very good. The holes are called Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDAs) and are explained pretty well here: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/pda/pda_what.html

5 March

Took them off antibiotics today. Did brain ultrasounds on both boys to check for bleeding in the brain and preliminary results say they both scored "1" which is best on a scale of 1-4. Austin has no evidence of a heart murmur, but Aiden does. It is loud enough that they plan to get an echocardiogram on Aiden this evening and will go ahead and do Austin as well this evening. Aiden has a hole in his heart which is causing the murmur they can hear through the stethoscope. The hole is normal when in-utero but usually closes later in the pregnancy. Austin's apparently closed already. Depending on the size of the hole, they will either wait on it, administer drugs that help it close, or in the extreme case, will have to perform surgery and put a patch on it. They tell us it is not cause for concern at this time. Fingers crossed. You cannot believe how unimaginably beautiful these two little boys are to see, speak to, and touch. :o) We love them with all our hearts...
*** UPDATE ***
Talked with the NICU late tonight and were told that Aiden and Austin, in fact, now weigh 2 lbs 11 oz and 2 lbs 7 oz respectively..! That is a 17 oz drop and 9 oz drop since birth..! We were never told anything about their weight so we were quite concerned but after talking with a doctor, it is normal for newborns to lose weight in the way of fluids and stuff after they are born. They just don't want it to be more than 10%. And in our boys' cases, they are suspecting that the birth weights were erroneous. Let's hope so! Additionally, both boys were diagnosed with holes in their hearts (patent ductus arteriosus). I guess Austin didn't want Aiden to be alone..! They are on medication (indomethacin) to try and close it. They will do another echocardiogram this weekend to see if the meds are working... ughhhh. All that said, however, the doctors and nurses continue to assure us that Aiden and Austin are doing very well as measured by the air they breathe on their own, their blood tests, their urine tests, the way they act and react, the scans of their brains, etc. So that is all good to know...

4 March

(Pictures are of Austin and then Aiden.) Boys improved Thursday morning so they didn't reattach the ventilators. Mommy and Daddy got to see the boys get their first meals of Mom's milk..! Dad took lots of video! Mom and Dad also named the boys today! Aiden Jameson and Austin Alexander. Started photo therapy around 2pm (where they lay under blue lights) to treat biliruben.

3 March

(Pictures are of Austin and then Aiden.) Plan to remove them from ventilators today. They do so while we are there visiting. They had a rough night though and the docs are considering putting them back on ventilators Thursday. Mommy and Daddy stayed until 9:30 pm or so and said good night. Dad has tons of video and pictures..!

2 March

(Pictures are of Aiden and then Austin.) Bundles of joy are born into the world at 11:01 am and 11:02 am. by C-Section. They are immediately taken to the NICU and cared for. Daddy visits at 12:30 and later that afternoon. Mommy recovers and finally gets to visit at 10:30 pm. Mommy is very tired but loves seeing the boys! Dad took tons of pictures and video!