After 15 1/2 weeks....both Lane and Sloan are 6 pounds!! We sure have come a LONG way from 1 pound 6 ounces! I was looking back at the pictures of them when they were first born, and I think I was in denial about how small they really were. I remember getting frustrated when people would come and see them and the only thing they would say is "They are so little!" I can admit now how truly shocked and scared I was, and YES they were so little. Looking back, I am glad that I was in a state of denial or I don't know if I would have been able to make it through the first few weeks.
Thankfully, today we are in a whole new place with the babies! We are actually talking with the doctors and nurses about going HOME soon! There are few things left on our "checklist" to accomplish before we take our sweeties to Gruver. The main thing we are working on now is being sure that both Lane and Sloan will take every feeding (8 a day) either by breast or by bottle. Neither one of them have their feeding tubes anymore, and we are hoping those are a thing of the past. They also have to pass the carseat challenge. This is where we bring their carseats in and they have to be able to sit in them for 3 hours without dropping their heartrate. More than likely Sloan will be going home on oxygen, so we also need to meet with a home healthcare to get trained on how to operate his oxygen tank. Lastly, we will be rooming-in with the babies for atleast 2 nights to make sure we are ready to care for them around the clock! So, as you can see...we are getting REAL close!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Off the Ventilator....AGAIN!
At 9:15 yesterday morning, about 12 nurses came into our NICU room and said a prayer over Sloan before he was wheeled down to surgery. Scott and I were once again touched by the love and compassion shown to us from our new friends.
At 9:30 we walked Sloan down to the operating room, and then made our way to the waiting room. After 3 hours, (yes..we were starting to go crazy!) the surgeon came in to let us know that Sloan did great, but that he was going back to the NICU on a ventilator. We knew there was a great chance this would be the case, but we were optimistic that he would be extibated before he left the OR. Sloan rested for the next several hours, and around 11:00 p.m. it was decided that he could come off the ventilator! He has been doing great ever since. I was able to start nursing him at all of his feedings today, and in between we let him sleep.
Scott and I are thankful for all of the support and prayers and to be able to mark his surgery off of the list!!
At 9:30 we walked Sloan down to the operating room, and then made our way to the waiting room. After 3 hours, (yes..we were starting to go crazy!) the surgeon came in to let us know that Sloan did great, but that he was going back to the NICU on a ventilator. We knew there was a great chance this would be the case, but we were optimistic that he would be extibated before he left the OR. Sloan rested for the next several hours, and around 11:00 p.m. it was decided that he could come off the ventilator! He has been doing great ever since. I was able to start nursing him at all of his feedings today, and in between we let him sleep.
Scott and I are thankful for all of the support and prayers and to be able to mark his surgery off of the list!!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Preparing Sloan for Surgery
Well, the night to prepare Sloan for hernia surgery has finally come and Scott and I are full of all kinds of emotions. His surgery is scheduled for 9:30 in the morning, so he will not be able to eat after 2:30 a.m. Our first prayer tonight is that Sloan nurses well at his 2:00 a.m. feeding and remains calm and comfortable until surgery time. Our second prayer is for the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, and the nurses who will be with our son. And our final prayer is for a speedy recovery where Sloan is able to get back on track.
I was extremely touched to learn that one of our favorite nurses went in and said a special prayer over our baby boy before she went home tonight. We are so thankful to be surrounded by amazing nurses and staff who truly love and care for our babies. We will forever be grateful for every one of them!
I was extremely touched to learn that one of our favorite nurses went in and said a special prayer over our baby boy before she went home tonight. We are so thankful to be surrounded by amazing nurses and staff who truly love and care for our babies. We will forever be grateful for every one of them!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
They are getting so BIG!!!
Alexandra, Samuel and Carter
They are smiling, but they are really sad that they cant go in to see the babies
Time to wake up to eat....
What a doll...
Happy.....
That is one chubby foot Sloany Britches
Daddy and Lane
A cute little picture w/Sloan
Daddy berping Sloan
Big YAWN..... wake up, its your turn Lane!!
Aunt BB and Sloan- she looks HAPPY!!
Nanny w Sloan-- VERY HAPPY!!
GoGo giving Lane a snuggle before she goes back to sleep,
Looks like Lane is puckering up doesn't it?
All Bundled Up
Friday, March 18, 2011
100 Days Old!
Wow...100 days ago our lives were forever changed!! Happy 100 days old sweet babies!
Both Lane and Sloan are continuing to grow and progress every day.
Lane Kathryn now weighs 5 lbs 14 oz. She is so close to 6 pounds and is 17 1/2 inches long! Her preemie clothes and diapers are getting a little snug on her belly and chunky legs, so I am thinking she will graduate to newborn sizes soon. When Lane is awake during feeding/assessment times she is able to nurse up to 6 times a day. For the other two feedings, my milk is being fortified with extra calories/nutrients and she is fed through her feeding tube in her nose. During those feedings, she is getting 50 cc.(almost 2 ounces!) of milk. Lane continues to have an eye exam every other Thursday. Her exam yesterday showed that her eyes are improving! We were thrilled to hear that her routine MRI came back clean and she passed her hearing test! Oh, and I don't mean to brag, but Dr. Naqvi mentioned (after examining her) that he believes she is very bright. He thinks she may be at the top of her class! And he is a VERY smart man, so I think he may be right:)
Mr. Sloan Benson is growing and growing as well. He now weighs 5 lbs. 10 ounces, and is 16 1/2 inches long. He got so close to catching Lane in weight the other day, but she just wouldn't allow it:) His preemie clothes are getting a little snug as well, but since he is a little shorter they still fit him pretty good. Sloan is also able to nurse 6 times a day, and he is a pro at it! We both thoroughly enjoy our little time together so much, that when I do nurse both babies together he will shoot a little a "look" at Lane and start crying!! It's pretty funny how jealous he can get. If Sloan is not awake during feeding/assessment time he is getting 46 cc. through his feeding tube. He is on an opposite schedule than Lane for his eye exam, so his last one was last Thursday. It showed an improvement as well! He will be assessed again next Thursday. I am proud to say that Sloan also passed his hearing test and his MRI was clean too! GOD is so good!! We met with the surgeon again this morning and his hernia surgery is now scheduled for Wednesday. While we are nervous to have him back on the vent and risk possible infection, the doctor reassures us that this is a pretty simple procedure. We are praying he recovers quickly and we can make plans to get our sweeties HOME!
Both Lane and Sloan are continuing to grow and progress every day.
Lane Kathryn now weighs 5 lbs 14 oz. She is so close to 6 pounds and is 17 1/2 inches long! Her preemie clothes and diapers are getting a little snug on her belly and chunky legs, so I am thinking she will graduate to newborn sizes soon. When Lane is awake during feeding/assessment times she is able to nurse up to 6 times a day. For the other two feedings, my milk is being fortified with extra calories/nutrients and she is fed through her feeding tube in her nose. During those feedings, she is getting 50 cc.(almost 2 ounces!) of milk. Lane continues to have an eye exam every other Thursday. Her exam yesterday showed that her eyes are improving! We were thrilled to hear that her routine MRI came back clean and she passed her hearing test! Oh, and I don't mean to brag, but Dr. Naqvi mentioned (after examining her) that he believes she is very bright. He thinks she may be at the top of her class! And he is a VERY smart man, so I think he may be right:)
Mr. Sloan Benson is growing and growing as well. He now weighs 5 lbs. 10 ounces, and is 16 1/2 inches long. He got so close to catching Lane in weight the other day, but she just wouldn't allow it:) His preemie clothes are getting a little snug as well, but since he is a little shorter they still fit him pretty good. Sloan is also able to nurse 6 times a day, and he is a pro at it! We both thoroughly enjoy our little time together so much, that when I do nurse both babies together he will shoot a little a "look" at Lane and start crying!! It's pretty funny how jealous he can get. If Sloan is not awake during feeding/assessment time he is getting 46 cc. through his feeding tube. He is on an opposite schedule than Lane for his eye exam, so his last one was last Thursday. It showed an improvement as well! He will be assessed again next Thursday. I am proud to say that Sloan also passed his hearing test and his MRI was clean too! GOD is so good!! We met with the surgeon again this morning and his hernia surgery is now scheduled for Wednesday. While we are nervous to have him back on the vent and risk possible infection, the doctor reassures us that this is a pretty simple procedure. We are praying he recovers quickly and we can make plans to get our sweeties HOME!
Friday, March 11, 2011
The Stedje Twins
Sloany looks at Mommy in Awwww......
Sleepy Baby
Little Lane- So Sweet
She loves her Momma...
Sloan and his favorite nurse Jessica
Makein' me MELT....
GOGO- She's the BEST!
He loves the camera....
Discovering the thumb.... YUMMY!!!
Snuggle Time....
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
No More Isolettes!
I am extremely blessed to say that Lane and Sloan have both had many great days since my last blog!
A huge milestone was reached two nights ago when Sloan hit 5 pounds!! We officially have two 5-pound babies:) They are continuing to put on weight each day. Tonight Lane weighed 5 pounds 10 ounces, and she is 17 1/2 inches long. Our little man Sloan weighs 5 pounds 3 ounces and is 16 inches long. They have both come a long way from 1 pound 6 ounces and 11 inches!
Today we also reached another big milestone...both Lane and Sloan are in open cribs!! NO MORE ISOLETTES!! They are both maintaining their temperatures, and they seem to be much happier outside of their "box". It is so neat to go in there during assessment time and simply pick them up from their beds.
Both Lane and Sloan are still receiving a little oxygen. Lane is now just on a nasal cannula with very little oxygen, and Sloan is on HIFLO and gets between 30-45%. While we were hoping to be completely off oxygen soon, it is not a requirement before we can go home. The doctors and nurses tell us that many babies go home on oxygen and that it is easy to maintain. If this is the case, they will also send us home with a monitor that will let us know if their heart rate drops or if they are holding their breathe.
Nursing is the last thing we need to accomplish before we are able to take our babies home! I am now nursing them each 3 times a day, and they are doing great. The other times they are tube fed through their feeding tube in their nose. I am slowly working up to full feedings which is 8 times a day. They must get full feedings from me for 48 hours and gain weight!
I know after all of this time it sounds CRAZY to be talking about going home, but we are getting so close! They are 38 weekers today....almost full term. They were due to be born March 24th.
Thank you GOD for the progress we have made this week:)
A huge milestone was reached two nights ago when Sloan hit 5 pounds!! We officially have two 5-pound babies:) They are continuing to put on weight each day. Tonight Lane weighed 5 pounds 10 ounces, and she is 17 1/2 inches long. Our little man Sloan weighs 5 pounds 3 ounces and is 16 inches long. They have both come a long way from 1 pound 6 ounces and 11 inches!
Today we also reached another big milestone...both Lane and Sloan are in open cribs!! NO MORE ISOLETTES!! They are both maintaining their temperatures, and they seem to be much happier outside of their "box". It is so neat to go in there during assessment time and simply pick them up from their beds.
Both Lane and Sloan are still receiving a little oxygen. Lane is now just on a nasal cannula with very little oxygen, and Sloan is on HIFLO and gets between 30-45%. While we were hoping to be completely off oxygen soon, it is not a requirement before we can go home. The doctors and nurses tell us that many babies go home on oxygen and that it is easy to maintain. If this is the case, they will also send us home with a monitor that will let us know if their heart rate drops or if they are holding their breathe.
Nursing is the last thing we need to accomplish before we are able to take our babies home! I am now nursing them each 3 times a day, and they are doing great. The other times they are tube fed through their feeding tube in their nose. I am slowly working up to full feedings which is 8 times a day. They must get full feedings from me for 48 hours and gain weight!
I know after all of this time it sounds CRAZY to be talking about going home, but we are getting so close! They are 38 weekers today....almost full term. They were due to be born March 24th.
Thank you GOD for the progress we have made this week:)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Together At Last!
We just left the hospital, and I am wearing a HUGE smile! I was able to hold both Lane and Sloan together for the first time! I can't even begin to describe how amazing it felt. It is was so cute how they just looked at eachother. We like to think they were thinking..."hey, I remember you!" :) I am pretty sure Scott was a little jealous. He said it is his turn tomorrow.
Scott and I were able to meet our pediatrician today too. After visiting with Dr. Walsh for awhile, we can already tell she is going to be a great fit for our family! She comes highly recommended from many of our friends and Dr. Naqvi, so we know Lane and Sloan will be in very good hands. Dr. Naqvi will also follow the babies for the next 18-24 months as well.
Both of our little roommates in the NICU went home yesterday, so it was a little too quiet in our room today. We sure did miss visiting with the parents, but we are thrilled that they were able to go home! I know we will remain in contact with them for many years. We love you baby Curren and Kaylor and can't wait to have a "playdate" soon:)
Lane and Sloan had a pretty quiet day today which is great! Both had a good weight gain tonight. Lane gained an ounce and now weighs 5 pounds 2 ounces. Sloan weighs 4 pounds 9 ounces.
Scott and I were able to meet our pediatrician today too. After visiting with Dr. Walsh for awhile, we can already tell she is going to be a great fit for our family! She comes highly recommended from many of our friends and Dr. Naqvi, so we know Lane and Sloan will be in very good hands. Dr. Naqvi will also follow the babies for the next 18-24 months as well.
Both of our little roommates in the NICU went home yesterday, so it was a little too quiet in our room today. We sure did miss visiting with the parents, but we are thrilled that they were able to go home! I know we will remain in contact with them for many years. We love you baby Curren and Kaylor and can't wait to have a "playdate" soon:)
Lane and Sloan had a pretty quiet day today which is great! Both had a good weight gain tonight. Lane gained an ounce and now weighs 5 pounds 2 ounces. Sloan weighs 4 pounds 9 ounces.
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