Ekborg's Visit Wes

Tonight Wes had the privilege of meeting the first of many cousins.  Chloe, Will, & Jed stopped by to trick or treat after our day at the hospital visiting Shea.  Here are some pics of their first meeting :)

Chloe, Will, Rob, Wes, & Jed

Aunt Laura, Jed, & Wes

Chloe & Wes

Jed, Wes, & Will

Rob, Wes, & Jed



10-31-10 - HAPPY HALLOWEEN

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM SHEA & WES

Please ignore the pants - we didn't have time to take them off and when you are as skinny as they are you don't have a lot of options ;)

Shea has turned into a true DIVA!!  We are going to have our hands full with her I think :)

Shea and Wes's first Halloween is off to a great start!!  Baby Shea is now on "adlib" feedings. She also had her feeding tube removed - so hopefully it doesn't have to go back in!!!   Shea also passed her hearing test  and carseat test :)  She had her first shot today - her Hepatitis B shot and she did very well.

We just now need to work on eating and gaining weight which will take a couple of days I think and then we will be on our way home!! 

Shea and Wes also wish Winston a Happy Birthday today. 

10-30-10

Can't believe that our babies were 4 weeks yesterday and that on Monday they will be 1 month old!!!  Time has gone too fast.  Wes is doing great at home and eats a lot - he is definitely doing very well.  Shea has advanced on her eating and hopefully will be adlib tomorrow and home sometime this week!!!  As of last night she is up to 4 lbs 14.2 oz's and should be over 5 lbs by the time she comes home :)  We can't wait to have both of them at home!!

Wes in his Sleep sack - which is a lifesaver!!



10-27-10 - YEAH SHEA!!!

So as of last night Shea weighs 4 lbs 10.3 oz's!!  She is gaining weight like a champ.  Her eating up to this point from a bottle has been sporadic at best.  Rob & I have been getting a little frustrated at how good she looks but no real progress with oral feedings which will allow us to bring her home.  As they say, it will happen with time and sometimes you forget that as it seems like we have been here forever.  Then we come in this morning and she is 3 for 4 with downing the whole bottle in under 15 minutes and only had 12 cc left at her 8 p.m. feeding.  She will be moving to 5 attempts tomorrow.  Just goes to show you that she is a little fighter that will do things when she is ready.

We have a constant reminder of how blessed we are.  Shea's two "neighbors" are both named Jack.  One was born on September 2nd at 27 weeks and weight 2 lbs.  He is now over 3 lbs.  Jack to our right was born at 25 weeks weighing 1 lb and has been here 3 months already.  He is up to 6 lbs and his due date is Monday.  He had heart surgery at Children's and was there 10 days but is now back.  He also has a lung disease and they expect him to be here until at least Christmas.  It reminds us of how truly blessed we are to have two happy healthy babies who just needed some extra care in the beginning.  I can't imagine spending the amount of time that they have been here and knowing you have quite a ways to go yet.

10-25-10

Today was a big day for Wes.  He had his check up with his pediatrician - Dr. Betsy Stephenson.  He is now 21.5" long (he has grown 2 inches in just over 3 weeks!!) and his weight is 6 lbs 11 oz's (which is 8 oz's more than when he left the NICU last Wednesday).  She is ecstatic with his growth!!  He is actually off the preemie charts for Height and in the middle for weight so she is going to track him on the normal charts.  His height is still in the 72nd percentile for term babies and his weight is near the bottom of the chart - Not bad for a gestational age of 37 weeks exactly today!!  We are to track milestones by their gestational or adjusted age (based on their actual due date and not the date they were born).  At about 2 years they should be on the same chart as everyone else. 

Shea is up to 4 lbs 7.6 oz's (so almost 4 and 1/2 lbs!!).  She is still on a pathway of 4 oral feedings so hopefully we can progress from their this week.  All we are waiting on is for her to get her eating down so we can take her home :)

I actually had the opportunity to see Shea without her feeding tube last night (as she had pulled it out after one of her feedings).  I fed her 8 p.m. feeding without it being in.  It makes such a difference.  I think Wes and her look alike and have some of the same manerisms.  I can't wait to get her home and have them side by side!!

We saw Dr. Hamill today at lunch and introduced him to Wes.  He stopped in earlier this week to see Shea. :)

Pics of Shea as she hasn't had any new pics on here in awhile.  She is feeling out nicely :)



10-22-10 - 3 WEEKS OLD TODAY!

I can't believe our babies are 3 weeks old today (gestational age is 36 weeks 5 days).  Time has gone by so fast - at it is a blessing that we have one home already.  Now we are anxiously awaiting the time to bring Shea home!!  We have been spending our days with Shea and taking Wes with us.  She started the day off well with drinking all but 10 ml of her bottle by mouth.  The next one she only drank about 10 and the 8 p.m. feeding she drank about 23 ml.  She has to get to 80% of her 4 attempts by mouth before she will progress to 5 tries by mouth.  On a positive note she is up to 4 lbs 5 oz's.  Her weight is doing great and we are just waiting for her to catch on to feeding so we can bring her home!!

Wes hung out with mom tonight while dad went back for Shea's 8 pm feeding.  Here are some picks from our time together :)

Wes's first night at home went well (as did his 2nd).  We were a little more nervous than he was I think.  We got up with every little noise on the monitor.  He only got up when it was time to eat (which we had to wake him for - every 4 hours).  He did not do anything in his diaper besides pee all night, so I am sure you can imagine what happened when we went to visit Shea.  :)  Here are the pictures to document his first blow out.



10-20-10 Continued

So yesterday about 6 pm we left the hospital with Wes.  He was able to go home at 2 weeks 5 days old (gestational age of 36 weeks 2 days).  Although it was a very exciting time, it was also probably the saddest so far at the same time.  I actually cried when we got in the car because baby Shea was not with us.  I never cried during my pregnancy, nor have I cried while they have been here until today.  I have never felt such a high and such a low at the exact same time.  I just continue to hope that Shea gets her feeding down so that she could be home by the end of next week.



Wes's first night at home went very well.  Porter & Winston seem to like the little guy - Porter sniffs him and Winston kind of does his own thing.  When I rock him in his room both dogs lay by the rocker which is cute.  Rob & I didn't get much sleep (not from Wes waking up a lot as he only woke up when he was hungry which was twice), it was just us worrying about every noise or lack of noise coming from him.  So all an all it was a great first night and finally made everything feel more real!!

Going Home - Yes he is wearing a hat with hearts -it belongs to Shea :)

Ready for his first van ride

And believe it or not they will both be 3 weeks old tomorrow - It is already going by way too fast.

10-20-10

WES IS COMING HOME!!!!  

Wes has decided that since today is Aunt Laura's birthday, it would be a great day to come home.  We are so absolutely excited to be able to take him home with us tonight.  We will bring him with us to spend the days with Shea and then he will spend the nights at home with us!!

Shea is still in her crib and doing a great job at maintaining her temp.  We just need to work on her eating.  Hopefully that will start to pick up and she could go home in the next week to two weeks!!!

"Thoughts on Becoming a Mother"

I came across this today and had to share it.  I have always been very open about our infertility.  I also know that the path we have been on although hard, does not compare to the path others have had.  Ours was not the easiest, nor the hardest, but it has made us who we are.  We feel truly blessed.  I would not change any of it for the world and will never take any of it for granted.  Shea and Wes are a constant reminder of where we have been and where we are headed :)  I feel that all who have gone through infertility (by either male or female infertility) can relate to this.

"Thoughts on Becoming a Mother"

There are women that become mothers without effort, without thought, without patience or loss and though they are good mothers and love their children, I know that I will be better.

I will be better not because of genetics, or money or that I have read more books, but because I have struggled and toiled for this child. I have longed and waited. I have cried and prayed. I have endured and planned over and over again. Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation are those who have struggled to attain their dreams.

I will notice everything about my child. I will take time to watch my child sleep, explore and discover. I will marvel at this miracle every day for the rest of my life. I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold and feed him and that I am not waking to take another temperature, pop another pill, take another shot or cry tears of a broken dream. My dream will be crying for me.

I count myself lucky in this sense; that God has given me this insight, this special vision with which I will look upon my child that my friends will not see. Whether I parent a child I actually give birth to or a child that God leads me to, I will not be careless with my love. I will be a better mother for all that I have endured. I am a better wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, neighbor, friend and sister because I have known pain. I know disillusionment as I have been betrayed by my own body, I have been tried by fire and hell many never face, yet given time, I stood tall. I have prevailed. I have succeeded. I have won.

So now, when others hurt around me, I do not run from their pain in order to save myself discomfort. I see it, mourn it, and join them in theirs. I listen. And even though I cannot make it better, I can make it less lonely. I have learned the immerse power of another hand holding tight to mine, of other eyes that moisten as they learn to accept the harsh truth and when life is beyond hard. I have learned a compassion that only comes with walking in those shoes.  I have learned to appreciate life.  Yes, I will be a wonderful mother."

Author - Unknown

10-18-10

So first some not good news - Wes will be here at least another day as he is not eating enough.  So hopefully we will work on that today and maybe he can come home on Wednesday.  Now for some good news - Miss Shea is up to 4 lbs 2 oz's and is officially in a crib.  We do know that sometimes they can't maintain their temp and end up back in the isolette - so we are keeping our fingers crossed that she maintains her temp :)

Shea in her Crib!!!

Wes loves to sleep with his arms up

Baby Shea in her Crib :)

10-16-10 and 10-17-10

10-17-10

Today was a big day for Wes.  Wes was able to be "ad lib" which meant that he could eat anytime he wanted and as much as he wanted.  He did not eat quite as much as they would like but he did very well.  He has to eat within 4 hours of each feeding though.  He also passed his car seat test ( all babies under 37 weeks have to pass this test before going home - he had to sit in it for 90 minutes and not have any alarms go off (checking for oxygen saturation and heart rate and blood pressure)and hearing test.  He is on the path to going home - which is so exciting for Rob & I!  He needs to continue to gain weight and if he does that he will go home Tuesday or Wednesday!!!

Wes during his hearing test :)

Wes during his car seat test!

Shea continues to progress with her feedings.  She can try 4 times a day.  She still has a long way to go but she is making progress :)  Hopefully this week her weight will get to 4 lbs so she can be moved to a crib.

10-16-10

Wes's oral feedings were increased to 6 times a day today.  Everything for Shea remained the same.  Not a lot of news to report today.

10-15-10

Our babies are 2 weeks old today.  It seems to have flown by already.  They are continuing to make good progress.  They both also got a bath today given by mom and dad :)

Shea is now up to 3 lbs 14 oz's.  She needs to gain just 2 more oz's to get into a crib.  The doctor things she will be able to be in one this coming week.  She also took a bottle for the first time today!!  We have tried breast feeding and it is a little overwhelming for her.  The bottle allows her to have more control.  I am not opposed to bottle feedings as she is still getting breast milk and it allows Rob to be more involved. 

Wes has lost a little weight and is at 6 lbs 1.2 oz's.  He is up to 5 feedings orally now and doing awesome at breast feeding.  Once he hits all 8 feedings orally he can come home. The doctor things he will come home this week so he will have his circumcision on Monday or Tuesday.  We are so excited that his time to come home is coming up quick.  He also took a full bottle at his 11 p.m. feeding (when we weren't here).  I will now stay for all of his feedings.

10-13-10 and 10-14-10

10-13-10


The nurses made a scrapbook page for Wes and Shea today.  They also did their foot prints and hand prints.  Its crazy to see how big Wes's are in comparison to Shea's.    Aunt Jenny came up to see the kiddo's and Grandma Bonnie stopped by today.  Shea & Wes continued with their normal feedings.  Wes has become more awake which is nice.  As Rob says, its like we have  a real baby now :)  As of 10-13-10,  Wes weighs 6 lbs 2 oz's (so he is finally above his birth weight) and Miss Shea weighs 3 lbs 13 oz's which is just awesome (3 more oz's and she will be at 4 lbs - I am hoping she will be there by the end of the week).

10-14-10

Wes has done awesome today with breast feeding - so far for his first three feedings he has only had 1/2 a feeding through his tube.  He is awake a lot more which helps him to eat orally.  Shea has slept a lot today and has had all her feedings by tube.  We do not push her at all as we know that currently she needs all the rest she can get to continue growing!!  Wes's feedings stayed the same and Shea's was increased from 33 ml to 34 ml.  Today over lunch the whole Ekborg Family came up and had lunch with us in the  cafeteria - it was such a nice break!!  We then took our "walk" with them and it was so much fun and an absolutely beautiful day for a walk :).  I had my 2 week follow up appointment today and Dr. Martin said everything looks great!!  I can now drive and walk etc (no sit ups though).  I go back in 4 weeks and he is hoping to see me with the babies at the next appointment.  I am hoping they both will be home by then!!

10-12-10 Continued

So I just had to add a little to today's post.  Shea's cranial scan came back normal - which is such a sigh of relief!!  Also Wes is back up to his birth weight (we weigh them every night) of 6 lbs 0 oz's.  Shea is still at 3 lbs 11 oz's but she did gain 20 grams!!  So a very great day!!

Now for some pics:

Our sleeping angels:

The Hospital:

This is where Dr. Martin & Dr. Hamill took excellent care of them during our Pregnancy - we couldn't have had two better doctors :)

2nd Floor is where the babies were born and 3rd floor is where the NICU is located.

Pictures from our daily walk around the hospital:

A gift from my best friend Shana and her husband Todd who are currently in Peru, South America:

Thanks Shana & Todd :)

10-11-10 and 10-12-10

We have gainers again!!  As I like to call Wes my "Chunky Monkey" and Rob always sings "Chunky Cheeks" to him - we are glad to say that Wes gained again yesterday and is now up to 5 lbs 14.1 oz's.  But not to be out done is little Miss Shea - she is up to 3 lbs 9 oz's - another 2 oz gain for 4 oz's in the last two days.  We are so excited for them and hope they keep gaining at the same pace so they can come home soon.  Wes got his second bath today and mom and dad did all the work :)  He of course slept right through it again - I think he really loves his bath.  Wes also had a good day of working on breast feeding.  They also started receiving a multivitamin today.  I did here our doctor state that he thought Wes would be here 2 more weeks and Shea would be in the isolette 2 more weeks and then most likely a crib for 2 more weeks.  So hopefully we will be able to bring them home soon!


10-12-10

The last two days have been pretty uneventful.  Shea is up to 3 lbs 11 oz's today so she is doing AWESOME at gaining weight.  Wes is also up to 3 lbs 15 oz's which is also good.  Wes made it to 5 minutes today with breast feeding which is considered 1/2 a feeding so he only got 1/2 through his line.  This is a pretty big accomplishment (although he has slept thru the last two times we should have tried - must have worn the little guy out)  Shea had a cranial scan today and a urine analysis done so hopefully we will get the results back today or tomorrow.

We also received some beautiful flowers and a teddy bear from SHANA & TODD!!!  We are so thankful and can't wait for our little ones to meet them!!! :)

10-10-10

Today was a great morning!  When we arrived back at the hospital - Wes was still in a crib!!  It is so nice to just sit and listen to him now.  He makes a lot of noises!!  It is hard to truly interact or even just get a gage for them when they are in the isolette.  It is also nice to be able to hold him more.  When they are in the isolette we try not to bother them much (just feedings, diapers, temps) as they need all their strength to concentrate on growing.

Wes getting ready for his start to the day (diaper, temp, feeding - 8 a.m.)

Wes in his big boy crib

Wes & Dad

Wes & Dad

And we have more awesome news - Shea did not spit up last night!  It is so crazy how the smallest things make us so excited now!!  If either of them spits up now they will have stomach x-rays.  Shea's came back normal yesterday, but with preemies they can turn on a dime so the doctors are overly cautious which we appreciate.   The doctor also mentioned that Shea will most likely be in an isolette for at least another 1.5 weeks.  If they were to move her now she might be able to maintain her temp, but she would not be able to do that AND gain weight and grow.  So therefore it is more important for her to grow.  After that time, they will reassess and see if she would be able to do both outside of the isolette.  Wes is continuing to do well at breast feeding - now if we can just sustain it for longer periods of time.  Grandma Raylene stopped by to visit Shea and Wes today.  Shea also got her 2nd bath today and Mom and Dad did 90% of it :)

Grandma Raylene & Wes

Shea after her 2nd bath

Wes is up to 5 lbs 12.7 oz's and Shea is at 3 lbs 7 oz's so she is above her birth weight.  Hopefully they both keep gaining!!  Shea & Wes would also like to thank cousins Connor, Chloe, Will, and Jed for the dog miss you cards they made.  They really like the dogs on them.  Wes and Shea can't wait to get home and
finally meet all of their cousins!!!

Cards from Connor, Chloe, Will & Jed

Rob and I also went for a walk today around the hospital.  It is so beautiful out here - they have incredible landscaping and then the surrounding neighborhood has 3 ponds (2 with fountains) close to the hospital.  The walk is about 20 minutes.  We plan on doing it every day around lunch time!!  It is just nice to get out and get some fresh air and the babies are sleeping at that time.  We also just truly feel blessed to both be able to be here now with our babies every day.  It is a once in a lifetime experience and I can't imagine not having Rob by my side to share it with.  I also can't wait for us to get them home and to continue having time together as a family before life starts again :)