No more ventilators!

You will notice that this is the first picture of Trey without a tube down his throat!!!  Yes, that's right, he was extubated this morning.  In this picture he is holding a little oxygen mask, this was just for the move back into the "general population".  Once he was back out next to his sister, he was set up with a cpac. (The "scuba" gear like Stella had so long ago.) He didn't have the smoothest transition and continues to have a fit when anyone bothers him at all.  Hopefully he will settle down, and begin to get used to things.  The infection in his lungs is still there, but today's x-ray showed that it was getting better slowly.  It also seems that the steroids are kicking in and helping him on his way to breathing on his own.  Although he is not finished working hard yet...it was a great big step for Trey...now it is time to continue in this direction. Trey with his head gear...

Stella continues to be an all-star.  She is taking about half of her feedings completly by bottle.  She is gaining weight and just hanging out. (Happy that her brother is back next to her)  We are still waiting for them to move her downstairs, but we think that they are trying to keep that idea "hush-hush" so our family can stick together! 

Grandpa and Grandma Goolden returned to northern NY today, thanks for visiting!  After a basketball game last night, Daddy returned in time to see the big day for Trey. 

Nice Rebound

Both babies made progress today.  Trey made huge improvements on the ventillator settings.  Things are really look good for him - the medicine and steroids must be working!  Today has been such a great turn around from the past few days, and hopefully this positive trend will continue.

Stella took two full feedings by bottle during the late evening and early morning hours.  Attempts during the day were not quite as successful, but she continues to get good practice eating - which will be her ticket out of the hospital.  The doctors continue to keep her upstairs with her brother, but we know she will likely be moved to the transition suite any day.



The PSC girls came to Burlington today and took Mom out to lunch.  It was great seeing them!  Dad headed back to NY for the big game against Chateaugay.

Steady Day

After two "intense" days, Trey seemed to be settled in.  They continued his course of steriods and two antibiotics.  He had no "episodes" of major de-stats, and they were able to wheen some of the settings on his ventilator.  He still has a long way to go, but compared to the last couple of days, mom and dad will take it.  We are hoping that the steriods start to take effect overnight and during the day tomorrow.  It will be no time before we are able to hold him again.

Stella continues to start to eat from a bottle, but just gets tired.  She has done so well that the docs would like to move her down to the transition unit.  Although it will be a pain for mom and dad, we know that it is a sign that she is doing well.  It will be no time before she is riding back and forth to the hospital with mom and dad!

Have A Little Faith

It was another rough day for our little guy.  After several meltdowns they decided to move Trey back into his own private room 'with a view'.  Shortly after being moved he decided to stop breathing from his tube completely, so seven staff members helped him manually breathe until they were able to reintubate him.  Since then he has steadily improved and the ventillator settings are gradually being turned back.  Hopefully this trend will continue through the late evening and early morning hours.  Because the ventillator settings have been turned up so high, if the consistent improvements do not continue he may have to be reintroduced to the oscillator.  On a more positive note, his steroid treatments did start up again today.  The ventillator is essential for Trey's respiratory health right now, but the machine is damaging his lungs.  The hope is that by continuing the steroid treatments he will be extubated faster and finally be free from a breathing tube, but right now whatever respiratory infection he has is requiring that he continue to have help from breathing aids to get him through the illness.

Stella is working on learning how to eat and is doing a marvelous job!  She had two bottle feedings today and completed half of her feeding through the bottle both times.  This is tough work for a 34 week baby so yeah Stella!

Mom and Dad are obviously disappointed in the setbacks Trey is experiencing.  It is very difficult not being able to make things better for him.  The doctors and nurses are doing everything they can to keep him comfortable though, and with each passing day we learn more and more that time spent in the NICU can't be planned or arranged - we will be here as long as it takes for both babies to heal and grow.  Not knowing when we will return home is hard, but we know that sweet sweet day will eventually come.

Steps backward suck......Rough Day

After a very positive weekend, all four of us experienced a "rough day".  Stella recieved  another blood transfusion due to the fact that her red blood cell count was low.  Although this isn't a major issue, for Stella this is the "worst" its been. (It was inevitable that she recieve another one.)

Trey, after being started on steroids, had a couple of "episodes".  He didn't want to breathe and decided he was going to throw up and that's not the best when you have a tube down your throat.  The help from the ventilator needed to be increased to an amount that was higher than any amount that he has been on since he came off the oscillator.  These episodes are most likely due to the fact that he is probably battling a bout with pneumonia.  In the words of his mother..."the poor little guy cannot catch a break."  The steriods have been paused and two antibiotics were started.  Hopefully when we look back at this it will only be a minor hickup on the road back to the north country.

Mom and Dad are feeling fine.  We miss home, and continue to think about everyone there.  Although it is mentally exhausting, we continue to find comfort in the support we are recieving from across the lake.  So, again, thank you for your thoughts and prayers, and we can't wait to be able to share our two little angels with everyone.

A wonderful visit from "aunt" Sabrina and "uncle" Adam.

A Good Weekend

Since wireless at RMH hasn't been reliable we weren't able to update the blog yesterday.  We had a good weekend though.

On Saturday morning Grandma and Grandpa Goolden had breakfast with Mom and then headed back to NY.  The Britton's visited on Saturday and helped bring up our second vehicle.  This will make things much easier if Dad goes back to coach another game.  It was especially nice for Mom to visit with Sabrina in person and get some advice from another new mom.  Thanks for visiting guys - and thanks to Sabrina's dad and step mom for watching Gianna so they could visit, and for treating the four of us to lunch!

Since Trey continued to be 'stuck' on the ventillator the doctors gave him an antacid medication on Saturday afternoon to prepare his stomache for steroid treatments which started at 12 am Sunday morning.  He responded well to the first two treatments and by Sunday afternoon they were able to adjust the ventillator settings and turn down his oxygen.  So far so good!  Hopefully the next two days will bring about huge improvements to his lungs - everyone just keep praying for our little guy!  In addition, they have been able to decrease the amount of pain killer he is receiving.  They can no longer adjust the IV medication any lower, so he will transition to an oral pain medication within the next couple of days.  This is great news - soon he should be tube and IV free!

Little Stella also continues to do well.  She tried her first bottle with Daddy today and although she is not strong enough to feed much, she is trying and did make some progress today in the feeding area.  She is always a happy girl, but she continues to be very very sleepy.  In the next two weeks her biggest goals will be to establish sleeping patterns where she is awake more during the day, and to begin taking feeds through a bottle rather than her feeding tube.

We had a nice lunch out today at a Mexican Restaurant in Williston, and Dad watched some football for the first time in weeks.  It felt good to do something which seemed normal for a Sunday to us. 

Pretty In Pink

Mom was able to put clothes on Stella for the first time today, on her 18th day of life.  We dressed her up pretty for Grandpa and Grandma Goolden's first meeting (or peak through the window I should say). 

Trey continued to move backwards through the late evening hours last night, and this morning moved forward a tiny bit, but he has basically hit a peak and isn't making progress.  The doctors continue to discuss steroid treatments, which I anticipate will begin in the next day or two.  Diuretic therapy is continuing, but he will now take the medicine orally rather than through an IV.  One good thing about today is that they decreased the amount of pain killer he is receiving, and he adjusted to the change well.

Although Trey doesn't want to breathe on his own, he is taking his feeds well.  He will be up to full feedings with calories added by Monday.  He is also practicing sucking with a teeny little pacifier that somehow fits into his mouth next to his ventillator tube!

Daddy is coaching a game vs. St. Regis Falls as I write this post.  I wish I could be there to cheer on his team.  We are all looking forward to him returning to Burlington tomorrow.

A Visit from Mom & Dad

I finally convinced Randy to go home for a few nights to be with his boys.  The plan was for him to coach practice today, tomorrows game, and Saturday morning practice before returning to Burlington.  While he's home he'll take care of some work things (grades, leave, supply orders for next year) and he'll take care of some baby things (finishing touches on the nursery, putting together the playyard, and bringing back carseats - although it will be a while before we will need them).  It will be a wirlwind trip.  Since he holds me up everyday, I really wanted him to go home and get rejuvenated - I'm not sure how I could make it if we were both falling apart daily.

Mom and Dad came this evening to keep me company until Randy gets back since I'm not ready to be here alone just yet.  They picked me up at the hospital at 7 and we went out for Chinese.  Now we are just hanging out in our room at RMH.  It feels good to spend time with family.

The NICU was a bit of a let down for us today regarding Trey.  The diuretic that he's had has altered the ph in his blood so they had to adjust the ventillator settings back a bit.  This is our first step backward so needless to say it was disappointing.  The good news is the doctors always have a plan.  He was given another blood transfusion, and they started another type of diuretic to hopefully balance things out a bit.  They also did a blood test for a lung infection which came back negative.  Tomorrow they will test his secretions as a final check for an infection.  If Trey continues to make little progress within the next couple of days the doctors will advance to a more aggressive steroid in hopes of extubating sooner.

Miss Stella continues to do exceptional.  She is always a happy girl and she had nearly three hours of cuddle time with daddy today before he left for home.

  

33 Weeks and Counting

During the night shift Trey made some progress and his ventillator settings were adjusted down some, but the remainder of the day was slow.  Since Trey is so irritable and the nurses felt he seemed a little puffy the doctors ordered a diuretic to help reduce his fluids.  Late in the afternoon they decided to do an x-ray of his chest to see if there were any problems.  They found fluid in his lungs, which wasn't a big surprise, and ordered more of the diuretic.  We are hopful that through this evening that medicine will help him out a little so they can continue to turn down the ventillator settings.

Baby Stella is doing remarkable.  She is now a candidate for the transition nursery, which is on the 5th floor (two floors down).  Fortunately for us that nursery is full right now, and there are other NICU babies who are ahead of her on the list.  We've told the doctors we want to keep the babies together as long as possible, so we are hopeful that she won't get moved too soon!

Mom saw her favorite nurse today, Liz, and although she wasn't taking care of the twins it was good to see her back in the NICU.  Hopefully she'll make it back into our rotation soon.

The babies adjusted gestational age today is 33 weeks.  The earliest most premature babies get to go home is when their adjusted age reaches 36 weeks.  Let's all just keep hoping and praying we get to either go home or transfer back to Malone by then.

Uneventful...but good.

Today there is not a ton to write about, which is not necessarily a bad thing.  Trey's ventilator was turned down ever so slightly, and he continues to advance in his feedings.  Stella is now at full feeds, and the milk is being enhanced with extra calories so the little peanut can try and gain some weight.  That's about it, thanks for all your comments and thoughts, please keep them coming!!

(This is Stella next to a 20oz. soda bottle at 2 weeks old - a comparison at the request of Aunt Jeanie)

Echo, Poop, Tranfusion, and rest...

This is obviously the resting part!!   Stella loves to pose, and she already loves the attention she is getting.  As you can see, she got an IV line put in her little head, and the one in her arm was removed.  This was to allow a blood transfusion to take place; the line in the arm was too small of a tube for the blood.  This transfusion was to combat the fact that her body is not making enough new cells to cover all of the processes that she is now going through.  She has begun to "suck" a little bit on a pacifier, we are sure that see will be eating from a bottle in no time!

Trey continues to be incubated.  He has sort of been on "pause" for the past day or so; he doesn't improve by much, but he doesn't go backwards.  The docs were concerned he hadn't pooped all night, so they gave him a glycerin chip and while daddy was holding him, the magic happened!!  An overflowing diaper; all we had to say was...wow!  He also received a follow-up echo cardiogram.  Everything seemed wonderful besides the fact that a valve that needs to heal closed hasn't done so yet, but the doctors believe it will with some more time. (So this was good news)  His progress is up to him, and the doctors have a plan if he decides to stay "stuck" for a few days.  Hopefully he just decides that it is time to catch up to his sister!

The Todd's Love visitors! Good Weekend...

After a second trip to the window in as many days, it is easy to see that Stella loves attention!  I think she loves being up and mobile.  I'm sure her brother will be the same way when he decides he would like to be out of bed more.  Thank you Mike and Linda for coming to visit.  We are continually reminded about how lucky and blessed we are to have such great friends and family.  Without your support and thoughts, this experience would be intolerable.

The babies continue to stay on the right path, although only baby steps were made this weekend.

A visit from Grandma Todd

Daddy was able to hold Trey for the first time today which was really exciting for our family.  Mommy sat next to them with baby Stella and introduced her to breast feeding - she is not strong enough to actually feed, but just like with all things in the NICU you take baby steps to reach true success.

Trey's arterial line in his belly button was removed today, and replaced with a line in his tiny little head. He is holding his own though, and although the ventillator settings have not been changed, his oxygen levels are improving and he continues to be weaned off pain killers. He was given a new home today by advancing up to an isollette just like his sister.  Stella is sweet and content like always, and now she just needs to start gaining some weight!


Grandma Todd came for a visit today and saw Stella through the NICU window. We had a nice lunch at AppleBee's and gave her the grand tour of our new home at RMH. We turned in early tonight instead of staying late at the NICU so we can get some rest.

We are thinking of everyone at home and are looking forward to the day we can bring the babies home. For now we just wait for the babies to decide when they are ready.

Stella is wide awake!

Trey and Stella are back together!!

Trey was finally moved back onto the NICU floor today right next to his sister!  The final attempt at inserting Trey's IV was a success too, so Trey had a great day.  He also began getting some breast milk to start establishing feedings.  His weight is currently 3 lbs. 5 oz, (2 oz. bigger than his sister).  Mommy finally got to ditch the robe and was able to do Kangaroo Care with Stella two times today.  Hopefully Trey can be held tomorrow.

Mike, Jane, and Josh Sevey visited today after a doctors appointment and treated Mom and Dad to dinner at the Texas Roadhouse - thanks so much guys!  It was so great to see friends from home!

Grandma and Grandpa Goolden are at the Todd house tonight keeping Cole company and tidying up the house.  Grandma Todd is visiting Burlington tomorrow.

Mom did a load of laundry today for the first time in over a month and it felt really good to do something domestic (I guess the mandatory spoiling from dad has ended...).

StellaTrey

The twins...next to each other again, although they are in separate beds.

Slow and Steady

It was a quiet day in the NICU for the Todd Twins today.  Stella continues to grow each day as they increase her feedings - today she has returned to her birth weight!  Trey is holding his own on the ventillator, although you can tell he desperately wants to breath on his own.  After several attempts to insert an IV for Trey, the staff decided to give it one more try tomorrow morning so keep your fingers crossed (otherwise the IV will have to be surgically placed).  Mommy and Daddy both had some cuddle time with baby Stella today.  Overall, both babies continue to make positive progress!

Stella loves to pose! (photo is a few days old)

P.S. We forgot to mention that Mommy changed Stella's diaper twice today.  Unfortunately the second time Mommy made her cry a little, which was only the second time we've ever heard her cry!

Engines Off, Lights Out

Sorry for the late posting!  This update is really from yesterday, Wednesday, January 13.

Baby Trey had a huge day - he was taken off the oscillator (so now his room is empty and much much quieter!), and was put on a regular ventillator.  He responded well to the transition so he was able to be taken out of bed for the first time, after 10 long days.  Mommy was able to hold him for nearly two hours!

Baby Stella also made a big step today - they turned out the final photo therapy lamp so now she gets to rest peacefully in some darkness!

Mom & Dad went to the mall (which is literally a block and a half from the RMH) after being at the hospital all day so Dad could get his hair cut.

Stell Belle needs no help!!

Things continue to progress in a positive fashion.  The big news...Stella is no longer aided by any breathing equipement.  She is a very content little girl, patiently waiting on her brother to move back next to her in the NICU.  Now you can see all of her beautiful little face, besides one little feeding tube in her nose.  After a day of no big improvements (monday), Trey made some small positive strides today.  He is no longer on any muscle relaxant, or blood pressure medicine.  The oscillator continues to be "wheened" down.  With any luck and a good night, he may be on a normal ventilator (near his sister) as soon as tomorrow!

Mom continues to feel physically better and better with each passing day.  Daddy is fine too. (He loves his kangaroo time with his little princess)  We both cannot wait to do the same with our little boy.

On a side note, as we walked into the hospital today, we encountered a familiar face.  Jerry Hourihan ("Houli") was standing in the lobby with some of his family.  They were there for another reason, but we had a nice conversation with them.  Daddy got to talk a bit of basketball, which was nice.  It was good to see a familiar face, but of course it made us miss home a little bit more.  We miss everyone, but it will all be worth it because when you see us again there will be two little angels in tow!

Moving Up!

The last two days have been eventful to say the least.  Mommy and Daddy were moved to the third floor of the Ronald McDonald House Monday - which means they now have a private bathroom, a tv with three whole channels, and a refrigerator to store breast milk between hospital visits!

Trey's rapid improvement has begun to plato, but he is certainly not moving backward.  An attempt to ween him from some muscle relaxants was unsuccesful, but keeping him comfortable right now is a main priority while his lungs heal.

Stella continues to do well respiratorily and has been enjoying kangaroo care with Daddy regularly.  They are both so peaceful and relaxed when they share this special time!  Monday was a tough day for her though, as they removed the feeding tube from her belly button and inserted an IV into her arm.  With small veins this was  a difficult process which took several tries, but she was brave and there was success.  Another major accomplishment was her ability to finally have a normal bowel movement - yeah Stella!

A weekend with Grammie and Pa visiting...

Today Grandpa and Grandma Goolden came to Burlington for a visit.  They did lots of favors for mom and dad - like laundry and shopping.  It was wonderful to see family!

Today was a BIG day for both babies:

Trey has made very positive changes and although he's not ready to give up his own room yet, his lungs are clearing and he is making strides toward coming off the oscillator.  He even had some spontaneous breaths: this is one of many small steps in the right direction. 

Stella was upgraded to a Condo!  She is now in a covered isolette which will give her more of an isolated environment and an opportunity to grow stronger each day.  She also had some cuddle time today with both Mommy and Daddy!  Since Mommy is still sick she wasn't able to have skin to skin contact, but she layed in the Kangaroo hold with Daddy for nearly two hours without her breathing aids!

Trey...5 days

 His own room; it has a great view.  He is already the king of the castle!

Stella Angeline...5 days

Holding mommy's hand.

THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE

Not being near home while the babies are in the NICU is not going to be the most ideal situation for so many reasons. Not being able to see friends and family, or spend time working on our new house, or even give our beautiful cat Cole a hug. (Miss you buddy) Luckily, the Ronald McDonald House tries to take some of those discomforts away. It is a beautiful Victorian house with an iron gate all around it in downtown Burlington, only a mile and a half away from the hospital. We will both probably gain weight while we are here, due to the plethora of food that is in the kitchen. We can do laundry, watch TV, play games, and they even offer rides to and from the hospital. There will be other parents here so we can go through this stuff together; it seems like it will be a nice support system while we are here. We still love all of the support from home, so please keep it coming. To start off our first night here, we thought it only appropriate to have a Big Mac and Double Cheeseburger for dinner…so daddy went to go it!

MOM GETS DISCHARGED…

It is day 4 after delivery and Mommy is finally starting to get her ankles back, but the weakness and exhaustion persists. The abdominal tenderness from the delivery is still present, and the intestinal illness diagnosed on day 2 hasn’t improved much, but with stable vital signs Doctor Maria and Doctor Jones agree to discharge her. The discharge process takes all day though, because if you’ve read the ‘Their Grand Entrance’ piece you know how unexpected things happen in hospitals! At 5:45 pm the nurses on the Mommy and Baby floor finally receive a discharge notice. Daddy gives the nurse the birth certificate applications and loads up a baggage cart. Meanwhile, Mommy gets settled into a wheelchair for the commute down to the lobby. While Daddy picks up the car and loads everything, Mommy visits the hospital pharmacy to pick up prescriptions for the intestinal illness and for pain (just in case!). Stepping outside for the first time in two-weeks, the bitter cold actually feels great.

Beth is beginning to gain some of her independence back. She walked all the way to the NICU on her own. She pumped for the first time on her own. We are sure she will be back to herself within the next week or so.

Friday was a good day for Stella and Trey. Stella continues to do well in the respiratory area. She will try for a second time tonight to “accept” some of mommies’ milk. Trey continues to be on the oscillator; his lungs have only shown minimal improvement in the past two days, but even the smallest positive step, is a step in the right direction. He has quite a climb ahead of him just like his father did when he was a baby. He is going to fight, and that continues to be all we can ask from the little guy.

THEIR GRAND ARRIVAL

It was another Monday night in the hospital. Their dad was relaxing, trying to watch Around the Horn, and mommy had just returned from a kidney biopsy. While in the bathroom trying to have her catheter removed with the help of our favorite nurse Diana, when something didn’t feel right. There was a burning sensation and all of a sudden Diana says to Randy “Oh my god, pull the cord!” Expecting a scary site, Randy glanced into the bathroom to find our nurse holding part of Beth’s amniotic sac. (picture a sandwich bag) Nurses came running, hearts began racing, and mommy wondered if it was Stella’s head. We said no, but she as well as dad continued to be terrified. That is when it became a scene from a movie.

Dr. Maria, about to go home for the night, came flying and checked over the situation. Giving direct orders, she believed we would not have time to make it to the operating room; we were going to have them right there! We were not in labor and delivery, where they are prepared in each room, so the thought of having them there added to our anxiety. But seconds later, everyone was in a sprint down the hall. Beth on the bed, 6-8 nurses around her bed, and dad right behind. We need to travel over two buildings and then go up two floors to the labor and delivery OR. Daddy took the stairs because there was no room in the elevator. (Running in slippers is not recommended to future dads.)


So, we made it to the OR in time. Two NICU teams were immediately assembled. We are still amazed at how fast and thorough everyone organized to make sure that mommy and the two new Todd’s were in the best hands. After a brief ten or so minutes of pushing, Stella came out with clenched fists swinging. She was swiftly passed to one of the NICU teams after a brief glance at her beautiful mommy. Checking to see where our son had positioned himself, Dr. Jones said that everything looked wonderful to deliver Trey naturally also. Again, some brief pushing produced a brother for Stella only six minutes after she was born. Their mom was a superstar in labor, in spite of no birthing classes. From the bathroom till the time Trey was born, only 35 minutes passed!! It was a wild ride to say the least.

The NICU teams did their thing, and stabilized the two angels and rolled them away, but not without letting mom and dad have a quick peak. (as the tears flowed…) It was the most exciting experience of our lives, but also one of the scariest. Not only did things happen so quickly, there was the unfortunate reality that they had come way too early. We continue to KNOW that things are going to be great for both of them, but we know that they are going to have to fight and struggle far more than any newborn should have to. They are strong and this can only build character and make them even stronger. They had a beginning that was made for the movies, and this can only mean that they are going to have a storybook ending!!

The twins are here!

Stella Angeline arrived at 546pm on monday January 4th. Her brother Trey came six minutes later at 552pm. They were born at 30 weeks and 5 days. They are in the NICU in Burlington VT. Mom is doing ok. She is tired and on some antibiotics to kill off some bacteria that took over in her abdomen. Hopefully she will be feeling better soon.

Both babies were incubated at birth. Stella is doing wonderful, and she is beautiful with a bunch of hair. Her brother (just like her dad) is taking things a bit more slowly. His lungs are not responding like Stellas'. He is now on an oscillator and he doesn't want to do things on his own. (yet)

Hopefully we will keep this blog updated; we are tired and realizing that we need to take care of ourselves also. We miss everyone at home, and we love all of the support and prayers that everyone is giving us. Please keep them coming.