Nov 16 2007
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NICU week 2

The nature of preemies

Well the girls have been doing well…not making big strides as they had been, but still doing ok. They were transferred down to the level 2 NICU and then Preslyn started having some apnea (which is when they fall asleep and forget to breathe basically). So they put her on a nasal cannula at a very low rate and that seemed to fix her up just nicely. Ella on the other hand has been cruising along just great, no problems.

Last night BJ and I got to go up to the hospital again and we were going to do Kanga care again. BJ got to do it with Preslyn, but when I tried with Ella, she kept having Brady’s which is when her heart rate goes down and her oxygen saturation trails off too…. so I decided to just hold her and talk to her and love on her instead of doing the Kanga care. It was amazing to see them with so little on their faces. BJ and I hardly recognized them when we first walked up. Plus they are now able to wear little clothes, so it makes them look so different.

We got home after a long day. Hayden’s school called me halfway through the day and informed me that she was running a 102 degree fever out of nowhere. So we had to go pick her up and make sure she was ok, but we think it is her molars trying to come through, because she is totally fine today. She ran fever through the night, but lower and then it finally broke. She keeps saying that her teeth hurt her, so maybe that is what happened.

Anyway, around 11pm my phone rings and it is the NICU calling to say that Ella has all of the sudden wigged out and started having apnic episodes very frequently. All of her vitals are saying that something is wrong. So they started running a panel on her because they immediately think bacteria or infection when that starts happening. It was really scary and to know that my one week old daughter was about to undergo a spinal tap and I wasn’t even there to hold her or comfort her about ripped my heart in two.

So right now we are waiting on the cultures that they took to tell us whether she is sick or just having preemie syndrome. They are leaning more toward it just being from her being a preemie, but it also looks sort of like pneumatosis. They started her on antibiotics in case it comes back and she has an infection, that way it is already able to start fighting a general bacteria. They also took her off her feeds and put her on a nasal cannula. So please say a little extra prayer when you think of little Ella. She needs a boost right now. And you can pray for us too. It’s so hard to know that your little ones are struggling and you can’t help them.

Nov 16 2007
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NICU week 2

The nature of preemies

Well the girls have been doing well…not making as big strides as they had been, but still doing ok. They were transferred down to the level 2 NICU and then Preslyn started having some apnea (which is when they fall asleep and forget to breathe basically). So they put her on a nasal cannula at a very low rate and that seemed to fix her up just nicely. Ella on the other hand has been cruising along just great, no problems.

Preslyn…love the cheeks

Last night BJ and I got to go up to the hospital again and we were going to do Kanga care again. BJ got to do it with Preslyn, but when I tried with Ella, she kept having Brady’s which is when her heart rate goes down and her oxygen saturation trails off too…. so I decided to just hold her and talk to her and love on her instead of doing the Kanga care. It was amazing to see them with so little on their faces. BJ and I hardly recognized them when we first walked up. Plus they are now able to wear little clothes, so it makes them look so different.

BJ and Preslyn Kangarooing

We got home after a long day. Hayden’s school called me halfway through the day and informed me that she was running a 102 degree fever out of nowhere. So we had to go pick her up and make sure she was ok, but we think it is her molars trying to come through, because she is totally fine today. She ran fever through the night, but lower and then it finally broke. She keeps saying that her teeth hurt her, so maybe that is what happened.

Ella Marie

Anyway, around 11pm my phone rings and it is the NICU calling to say that Ella has all of the sudden wigged out and started having apnic episodes very frequently. All of her vitals are saying that something is wrong. So they started running a panel on her because they immediately think bacteria or infection when that starts happening. It was really scary and to know that my one week old daughter was about to undergo a spinal tap and I wasn’t even there to hold her or comfort her about ripped my heart in two.

Ella trying to smile…i think she has dimples, but you can’t see them in this picture.
I was so shocked when I saw them. so cute 🙂


So right now we are waiting on the cultures that they took to tell us whether she is sick or just having preemie syndrome. They are leaning more toward it just being from her being a preemie, but it also looks sort of like pneumatosis. They started her on antibiotics in case it comes back and she has an infection, that way it is already able to start fighting a general bacteria. They also took her off her feeds and put her on a nasal cannula. So please say a little extra prayer when you think of little Ella. She needs a boost right now. And you can pray for us too. It’s so hard to know that your little ones are struggling and you can’t help them.

Nov 14 2007
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Hayden potty training, NICU

Happy 1 week birthday my babies!!!

Kangaroo Care

Last night BJ and I made the journey to see our girlies and did our first night of Kangaroo Care. Oh was it heavenly. BJ had to drag me out of that NICU. I held Preslyn and BJ held Ella and we just loved on each other and snuggled for over an hour. Both girls stats were so good while we were holding them, and a couple of times, they mellowed out so well that their heart rates dropped. Not anything scary, they just got so relaxed. I loved having her little warm body next to mine and hearing her little cry a couple of times and her little kitten noises. Oh I am in love 🙂

My little Preslyn
Changing Preslyn’s Diaper for the first time

The funny thing is their ears are so pliable right now and so when they lay on us for so long their ears get stuck down in weird positions and so we have to physically move them back to where they should be, well BJ didn’t realize that one of Ella’s ears was still squished down so that is why her ear looks smashed 🙂


Then we came home and big sister went peepee on the big potty !!!!! She was so excited and so were we!!! We are in full steam ahead potty training as of this weekend. I am going to get some training pants and we are good to go. Pray that it happens quickly and easily. I’d love to have it done by the time the girls come home. Two babies and a potty trained toddler are what I want for Christmas this year 🙂

So we went to bed and about 1a.m. my phone rings, and my heart starts racing. Its an unknown number which means its the NICU and I am starting to panic, I answer the phone and the first words out of the nurse’s mouth are “don’t worry, your babies are fine.” insert huge SIGH OF RELIEF here. They were calling to let me know that my babies were both on their way to the level 2 nursery to feed and grow 🙂 whahhooooo!!! They are still in isolettes and will be until they reach 4lbs. 6oz. but now they are on manual isolette settings which means they are letting the babies try to regulate their temperatures now on their own, which also means, they can wear clothes!!! Yeah!!! So I’m going to take some things up for them tomorrow when we go so they can look even cuter than they already are.

They are both eating like crazy and constantly upping their feedings so much that they ran out of my milk yesterday! SHEESH! I had pumped a ton so that amazed me. So pray that I can keep up with their little hungry bellies. The good thing is pumping is going great this time around. With Hayden it was so stressful and I just gave up to easily because I didn’t have a lactation lady like I did this time. Now it is so much easier and I feel confident that I can do it this time. Plus I have an awesome pump (THANK YOU HOLLY) that makes it so much better!

Nov 14 2007
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Uncategorized

Baby A –Ella MarieClues:2-E’s1-I1-R1-M2-A’s2-L’s
Guesses:Elaine (Elaine C.)Rachel Erin (Rachel P.)Ellodie (Julie A.)Elle (Deborah)Emeri (Deborah)Marie (Jamie)Miranda (Amanda)Riane (Deborah)Arieana (Michelle)Eva (Rachel P.)Ameris (Jordan)Ella Marie (Melissa, Deborah, Emily, Rachel P., Laura B.)Elle Maria (Rachel P)Emile Lara (Laura B.)Mara Ellie (Laura B.)Mariela Lea (Laura B.)Lela Marie (Jamie)Bella Marie (Uncle Rob)
Baby B–Preslyn KylarClues:1-K1-E1-S1-P2-R’s2-Y’s1-A1-N2-L’s
Guesses:Kate (Deborah and Rachel P.)Sue (Rachel P.)Kylie (Jessica C.)Kaelyn Katelyn (Michelle)Kasey or Kasie (Jamie)Katelyn (Deborah)Kathryn (Michelle and Granny)Skyler (Michelle)Presly (Rachel P.)Kendra (Rachel P.)Persy (Jordan)Kensy Aprryl (Jamie)Presly Karlyn (Jamie)Karly Preslyn (Jamie)Presly Klaryn (Rachel P.)Preslyn Klary (Rachel P.)Serena Pyrkll (Laura B.)Karyn Preslly (Laura B.)Kelsey (Jenny)Presly Kalyn (Deborah)Rylley Spenkar (Uncle Rob)Leslyn (Melissa)Skyler Pralyn (Michelle)Presllyn Kyra (Laura B.)Preslyn Kylar (Laura B.)Karyn Preslly (Laura B.)Apryl Kreslyn/Kryslen (Laura B.)Parker Lynsly (Gayla)Karlyn Presly (Gayla)Sally Kerrpyn (Gayla)Kelly Parrsyn (Gayla)Kyser Lyne (Gayla)
Nov 13 2007
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NICU

A Photo Post

Family pic with Ella
(Hayden was more interested in the syringe the nurse gave her 🙂 )
Getting all of Ella’s wires situated so I can hold her for the first time

Me and my 2nd daughter -Ella

Changing Ella’s Diaper for the first time…it was so tiny..
we had to fold a preemie diaper in half and it still swallowed her

Look at all of Preslyn’s hair!!!
Daddy holding Preslyn for the first time
Ella’s full body shot…she is so long!!

Family pics with Preslyn

Preslyn was able to come off nasal CPAPP last night as well so now both girls are breathing room air!!! Because of this accomplishment, basically all they are doing now is growing and working on learning how to feed, so they are trying to transfer them down to the level 2 nursery today. It is still part of the NICU just a lesser intense area. We are headed up there tonight for our first experience with Kangaroo Care, which is where the baby lays on your chest skin to skin. It is supposed to be very theraputic for them and also increase the milk supply for the mamma. Ella is up to 13cc feedings, which is about 1/2 oz. and Preslyn is at 7.5cc’s, but she is supposed to have them increased today. They are both gaining grams each feeding instead of losing so that is great. We want them to chunk up so they can be fat for Christmas!!!

Nov 13 2007
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NICU, twin update week 1

My girls are fighters

So all I can say is Thank you Jesus. He is answering every prayer for my girls and they are continuously blowing our minds at how quickly they are recovering. We were able to go see them yesterday evening and Hayden got to go in and see them. It was so cute. She kept saying “She is so precious” about Preslyn…by the time we got over to Ella, she was bored and just wanted to touch the buttons and get bandaids. 🙂 BJ got to hold both of the girls for the first time and they were so cute in his arms. They looked even tinier when he held them. Both of them were opening their eyes and looking for our faces.

Today I got a call and they had taken Ella off of CPAPP (which is the nasal ventilator) and Preslyn was an hour behind her!!! They both had their belly lines removed, both are finished with the photo lights for jaundice, and are both taking feeds by a feeding tube now 🙂 The doctor told me that if they remained stable for the next 24 hours they would be transfered to the level 2 nursery to feed and grow!! WAAAAHHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t believe that after less than a week my girls are healthy and being classified as feeders and growers 🙂 God is such an awesome God.

They are both taking 8cc feedings which is about 1/4oz. So they have to start kicking up the feedings so they can start packing on the pounds! They are so cute and we just love them so much already! I have hope they will be home early December, but we are shooting for a late goal of Jan. at the max.

I am LOVING being home in my own bed. I’m still pretty exhausted but starting to feel better pain-wise. I’m still not up to par, but I’m getting there. BJ did a superb job keeping up with the house and had it looking so nice and decorated when I came home. I felt like i was at a resort or something. I’m trying to slowly get all of my stuff unpacked and catch up on the things I have been unable to do for 2 months.

I have tons of new pictures to upload so I’ll try to do that in the morning.

Nov 10 2007
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twin update 32 weeks

My girls are doing so good. Today Ella started feeding through a feeding tube today!!! She is also off of all her antibiotics. She has a small heart murmer that they are listening to and monitoring and she is still on the breathing tube. Preslyn is off the ventilator and only on the nasal CPAPP now 🙂 🙂 She is scheduled to start her feeds tomorrow!!! So they both had a big day with accomplishments!!
I got to change Ella’s diaper tonight and that was so fun. She is so tiny, that we had to fold a preemie diaper in half just to make it somewhat fit her. I was in heaven!

I am going home tomorrow!!! Some people are confused on the visiting rules of the babies, and so here they are.

No one can go into the NICU unless we are there to walk them in. And so many people have been saying they want to just swing by and see the babies through the window, but there is no window like that where you can see them. So really, unless you know we are up there, there is no reason to make a special trip to see them, because you won’t be able to. You’ll have to see them when they come home, which we are hoping will be sometime around Christmas if not before.

I can’t wait to go home!!!! Whooohoooo!!!!!

Nov 09 2007
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Ella and Preslyn's birth, hospital stay, NICU

A formal announcement…info and updates

A formal announcement…info and updates 🙂

Dear Friends and Family,

We wanted to make a formal announcement that our two newest daughters have arrived!!!

Ella Marie and Preslyn Kylar arrived at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in the downtown medical center on November 7 at 5:09 a.m. Ella weighed 3lbs. 12 oz. and was 17 ½ inches long and Preslyn followed her into the world at 3lbs. 7 oz. and 16 ½ inches long.

They are now at Texas Children’s Hospital right next door in the NICU. Since they were 31 week babies, they are in the level 3 of the NICU which is the most intensive care of the NICU. They are both dealing with the same issues, one being respiratory due to their immature lungs. They are both intubated and on ventilators that are allowing them to breathe on their own and assist them about 38%. This is down from where they were at 50%, so they are slowly coming off of the oxygen and may be able to be totally off in a few days if they continue. They are both slightly jaundiced which is also totally normal, so they are wearing their cute little eye masks while they are under the lights. This should start to level out in a few days as well, and when they start them on feeds that should help start to flush out those toxins as well. They may be starting feeds tomorrow or the day after if all continues well.

The hardest part has been not to be able to hold them. They both have belly lines in their umbilical cords which allow them to not have to be stuck continuously for blood work, etc. but when they are in we can’t hold them. The good thing is they only leave those in for 7-10 days, and after that we can hold them!!! Oh how that will be such a great day! It is still up in the air when they will be home…probably at a minimum in 4-5 weeks, but it could be sooner, it could be later, we just have to go day by day, because things change on a daily, hourly basis.

BJ has been by my side helping me to recover. It’s been nice to get to spend time together just the two of us, even though mostly we’ve been just so exhausted we can hardly keep our eyes open, it’s been refreshing. Since I’ve been here at the hospital for 45 days, we are enjoying the time together. I am scheduled to go home TOMORROW which is an unbelievable thought. We are praying the girls will have a speedy discharge, so we don’t have to drive back and forth every day, but it will probably be a few weeks until that happens.

Hayden has been a trooper. She was able to see the babies shortly after they arrived, but didn’t seem too interested. She was more concerned with where was mommy J She is doing really well though and I am anxious to get back home and be a part of her life again.

My recovery is going well. The day of the surgery was pretty rough, obviously, but I have slowly been gaining back my mobility and am feeling better with each day.

The girls were scheduled to be delivered today, but during my monitoring on Tuesday they were very unreactive in their heart rates. They were having no heart accelerations and they were not moving inside me. So we watched and did an ultrasound, but it was inconclusive. They said there were many factors that could be causing them not to be reactive, but most of those could only be determined upon delivery, so instead of being sorry, the doctors decided to do an emergency c-section. So I called BJ at 3 am and two hours later we welcomed our precious girls into the world. We didn’t have much time to alert many people, so we are trying to backtrack and make sure everyone has been informed.

We really appreciate all of your support and prayers through this pregnancy. So far our girls are doing great; they just need time to mature. Thank you for those who have visited and sent flowers and messages. They are beautiful!

For those who are going to want to see the babies when the do arrive home, please get your flu shot!!! Right now is one of the most dangerous times to have a baby, since it is RSV season, and we will have to be extremely careful so that they do not get it. RSV can be life-threatening to a baby, even more so a preemie. Most likely we will not be able to take them out of the house for a while, so we ask that you get your flu shot so you can come see them at the house.

As always, we will keep our family blog updated with pictures and news so please check it out!! http://www.munsons.blogspot.com

Much love,

BJ, Lindsay, Hayden, Ella and Preslyn

Nov 08 2007
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NICU, twins

Day 2 of Twirl life

Last night I finally got enough energy to go up to see the babies in the NICU. They are so tiny compared to how huge Hayden was. They are so cute and soft and fuzzy 🙂 And they both have really long feet and hands. Today their hair didn’t look as dark as we thought it looked yesterday, but they do have a lot of hair for only 31 week babies, and it still may be curly…they haven’t gotten baths yet because they have so many tubes hooked up to them, that it is not a high priority right now.

Here are a couple of new pics of the girls from last night.

Preslyn

Ella
As of right now they are both intubated because they are having some respiratory issues due to their immature lungs and they are also a little jaundiced. But hopefully these issues will start to clear up soon as they start feeding them and getting their systems to flush out the toxins. We haven’t gotten to hold them yet since they are intubated and have belly lines, but as soon as those are out we should get to hold them. I can’t wait for that! It is so hard to see them in there and not be able to hold them and cuddle with them.

Nov 08 2007
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Ella and Preslyn's birth, NICU

A Picture Update

Waiting for BJ to get thereElla Ella Marie
Preslyn Kylar


Hayden seeing her sisters for the first time!
Seeing my girls for the first time.
Well I still can’t believe my girls are here on this earth. They are so beautiful and have dark curly hair. They are so cute and soft.
Ella was born first at 5:09am weighing 3lbs.13oz. and was 17 1/2 inches long.
Preslyn followed her in the same minute at 5:09am weighing 3lbs. 7 oz. and is 16 1/2 inches long.
We are both so exhausted since it happened so suddenly I had not been able to go to bed yet, so I have been awake for about 36 hours now. I will post more as I can keep my eyes open.
The babies are both doing really good. Ella is a little better off than Preslyn, but she is doing good as well. Thank you all for the prayers and messages….now pray for us to have renewed energy and strength, because we are flat wiped out.
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