Long overdue update on Reid; More FAQs

Long overdue update on Reid

About a month ago, Reid's surgeon said that he would have to start wearing a shaping helmet 23/7. (We take it off for an hour at bath time.) 

Reason: the springs in the front of his head were moving great, but the one in the back wasn't moving as quickly.

After a month of wearing it, she said (last week) that his head had moved some in the back...but not enough. She felt that it will move better if we go ahead and remove the springs next month instead of Jan/Feb and finish shaping his head with the helmet. (Outpatient Surgery: Dec 18th)

Why? ... Well, I don't know. I had toted all 3 kiddos with me to two of Reid's appointments that morning in Winston. They had been great, but were DONE. In fact, while waiting on the doc to come in, my offspring were all crying so loudly I'm pretty sure I felt the walls shaking. Started to feel stressed, but then decided that maybe this would hurry them along. If I worked there, I'd say "Let's skip to that screaming room so we can get them the heck outta here!" :)  Needless to say, the surgeon and I politely yelled at each other over all the crying and off we went to find our mommy van in the giant parking garage. 

Soooooo..... I have several questions for her that I will need to ask via email. 

How long will he have to wear the helmet? <-- I did ask that question. "Until we are satisfied with his head shape." Hopefully he will have it off before summer. 

Comparison after 2 months. (pic taken Nov 4th)

Doctor appt #2. All aboard the tram!  

Nom nom nom

Rule #1- Put a leash on your 3 year old. Rule #2- Bring him food.

Stella and Mommy are both as tired as we look.

Attempting to hang the monkey.

Happy boy during his hour of freedom! (Left leg- MIA)

Sweetness

Fuzzy pic of date night last night. We ESCAPED for almost 2 hours!!!

More FAQs 

Q: How are the babies sleeping? 

A: Stella gets up once. She loves to sleep, just like her momma. Reid was sleeping 5 hrs straight til his surgery at 4 months old. Then he started getting up every 3 hrs. Now that he wears his helmet, he's up every 2-3 hrs to nurse. Is he just hungry? Uncomfortable? I don't know. Hoping this wears off soon. Not sure how mommas do it that have kids who get up like this for years. Probably just get used to it. Bright side: he's healthy. :)

Q: You are drinking REGULAR coffee? 

A: You're darn tootin' I am. One cup a day. Keeps me awake til lunch. ☕

Q: Are you gonna have another baby?

A: Seriously people? Are you really asking me that right now? I'm just gonna pretend I didn't hear that and walk away. 

Q: Are you still cloth diapering? 
A: Yes, about 90% of the time. I mostly use Kawaii brand. Message me if you have questions. 

Q:  Do you nurse them at the same time?
A: Usually, although it's getting harder. They used to nurse so sweetly, while holding hands.  Now, while eating they are poking each other in the eyes, clawing, Stella beats his helmet, Reid throws punches.... Ya know. Typical 7 month behavior.  :)  

Q: How do you do it all?
A: Easy. I don't. I live under a rock. (my house) It's just how this season in our life is right now.  Some days I feel like a rock star mommy.  Other days I think I'm gonna lose my mind.  But I have Jesus.... my awesome hubby... my parents, mother-in-law, and several others who are here for me when I need it. My house is not always tidy right now, but I do try to fix homemade meals. My priorities are my husband/kids, then what we put in our bodies, then the housework.  Typically we have piles of clean, wrinkled laundry everywhere.  Oh well.  It will get ironed and put away one day. Maybe. Or not. 

Thankful for our crazy, messy lives.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  :)  Ok, maybe I'd take more sleep, but that will come eventually!  Happy Thanksgiving!!!  

3 Week Post-Op

3 Week Post-Op

I can't believe it has been 3 weeks since lil man's surgery!  As a momma, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest.  He still has a way to go before his head is shaped like normal, but the worst is behind him.  

Here are some Q & A we have been getting a lot ...

Q: When does he get his helmet? Doesn't he have to wear it 22hrs a day?

A:  He already has it, but they ended up giving him a protective helmet instead of a shaping helmet.  He only has to wear it in the car, stroller, and when he is in "danger" of getting hit on the head.  (Hmm... with an almost 3 year old brother in the house, isn't that always? haha)  

Q:  Does Reid like the hemet?

A: No. He hates it. We are the screaming mini-van. Reid screams.... which makes Stella scream.... which makes Sam cover his ears and scream "DA BABIES ARE SAD!!!!!!!!!!"  :) 

Q: When does he get the springs out?

A: 4-5 months after surgery.  So January-February(ish). 

Q: How is he recovering?

A: He is doing great!  The first few days were rough.  The pain meds pretty much made him sleep 4 days/nights straight.  Here's a few pics I posted on FB. I was amazed at how quickly his swelling went down.  The comparison pic below didn't even show him at his worst that Friday night when his eyes were swollen shut.  God is amazing.  The support and prayers we received from family/friends were also amazing.  

His incision (which is shaped like a W), was supposed to be horizontal across his head. But because his head had grown so long from the fused plates, they had to go vertical. (see pic below)  ....  You can also already see the bulges forming all over his head as the plates move.  The doctor told us his head would get very lumpy for awhile, and she wasn't kidding!  I was surprised how quickly that happened as well as the 'valley' of a soft spot down his head.  Thankfully he doesn't act like he's hurting anymore though.  

Before Surgery

Before Surgery

A poor baby right after surgery. A tearful mommy. 

So sweet

Our strong lil boy

God is amazing

Don't let this face fool you.  He hates the helmet!  :)

The incision

Slightly blurry pic with bad coloring.  But, you can see the bulges across his head forming & the valley at the very top.

That's all for now!  I hear a baby crying... :)

Reid's Upcoming Surgery / Life in a Nutshell

Reid's Upcoming Surgery 

I've had a lot of people ask when Reid will be having his surgery. It's this Wed, Sept 4th at Brenners Children's Hospital. I'm not sure what time. Sometime in the AM, I think. 

I copied and pasted below the details of his surgery from my last post:  

-We will be able to start seeing a difference in his head shape about 6 weeks after the springs are placed in between the fused plates.

-His head will continue to widen the next 4 months while the springs push the plates apart.

-While the springs are in, Reid will wear a protective helmet at least 22hrs out of the day to protect the big soft spot "valley" created by the springs.  

-By the end of the 4 months(ish), his skull will have formed new bone in the "valley".  He should be left with just the normal 2 soft spots.   (That's fast! CRAZY!)

-Then the springs will be taken out in outpatient surgery.  

-The doctor says by age 2.5 to 3 you shouldn't even be able to tell he had this issue.  :) 

I realize there are a LOT of babies/kids that go through much more serious procedures that this one.  I'm thinking in particular of a friend whose baby recently had open heart surgery at around Reid's age.  I can't IMAGINE how he and his wife felt!  But, God is good.  He took care of their little one just like I know He has his hands on ours.  

Still, any prayers between now and Wed would definitely be appreciated!  

Life in a Nutshell 

CrAzInEsS!!  :D  The babies are 4 months old. Sam is almost 3.  Housework tends to take a back burner.  Ben and I run around like crazy 24/7.  ..... But I wouldn't have it any other way.  Ok ok, I WOULD like a butler.  That would be grand.  

Sam- my lil tornado.  Nothing is out of reach. If it can be broken or spilled, it will be.  Hilarious. Loves his "babies."  Will recite 5 Bible verses for $$.  

Reid- my happy boy.  Easy going.  Extremely alert.  Loves his momma.  Serious thighs.   Pitiful cry. 

Stella- my mini-me.  Sweet. Hormonal. Smiling to screaming in 1/2 sec.  Wishes she had more hair. Melts my heart.  

*** By the way... I don't have time to figure out how to get that dern baby ticker off the side of my page.  Can't remember how I got it there in the first place.  Any tips are appreciated.  :)  

CT Scan and Surgery Date / Pics

CT Scan & Surgery Date

I planned on putting up a quick blog post yesterday, but the 3 hours of sleep we got that night was catching up with me! :)

First-- Thank you SOO much for all the prayers!  

We had to be at Brenner's Children's Hospital at 7:45AM for Reid's CT scan..... Leave the house at 6:45AM with 2 infants? Sure, no prob! Ha. (My mom had lil man.)  I had to set my alarm for 4:45AM to give Reid his last feeding in case they needed to sedate him.  I did NOT want him sedated if at all possible. 

They took us back around 8:15.  Of course, Reid wouldn't lay still for the scan because he's used to practically eating every hour!  After they ruled out sedation (b/c they forgot he was premature), our last ditch effort was to allow me to nurse him, swaddle him, and pray like crazy.  We did and thankfully he slept through the whole scan!  WHEW!

Purpose of the CT scan:
-To confirm that the plates in his skull were fused and to make sure his brain looked ok.  Both were found to be true.

Next step:
-Surgery on Sept 4th.  They pushed it back a month to make sure the bones in his skull could handle the tension of the springs.

Other details I learned:
-We will be able to start seeing a difference in his head shape about 6 weeks after the springs are placed in between the fused plates.

-His head will continue to widen the next 4 months while the springs push the plates apart.

-While the springs are in, Reid will wear a protective helmet at least 22hrs out of the day to protect the big soft spot "valley" created by the springs.  

-By the end of the 4 months(ish), his skull will have formed new bone in the "valley".  He should be left with just the normal 2 soft spots.   (That's fast! CRAZY!)

-Then the springs will be taken out in outpatient surgery.  

-The doctor says by age 2.5 to 3 you shouldn't even be able to tell he had this issue.  :)

My question: Why did this happen in the 1st place? 
- Dr. David said (in my paraphrased words) this was not a genetic issue or caused by anything I had done. It was simply a communication error in the cell level.  The cells in the plates told them it was time to fuse together way before it was actually time.  It was kind of a coincidence occurrence, although it's a common issue that she deals with.  


Soooo... it looks like we will just go about our normal lives until his surgery on Sept 4th.  Thanks again for all the prayers!! 

Pics

Here is a picture of my sweet babies at 1 month.  They aren't too happy, but you can see the difference here in their head shape.  I'm anxious to see how different his head will look at Christmas!  

Stella at 1 month: Sweet baby girl with a feisty side ;)

Reid at 1 month: This pic made me laugh!  "What-choo-lookin'-at?!"

Screenshot of the BEST YouTube video ever! My BFF from college's mom told me about it.  It puts my screaming kids to sleep in seconds!!

My wonderful husband arranged for me to have a girls night with the bestie last week! 

Spectator Magnet

Spectator Magnet

So obviously, most of our time is spent at home. If I think I need to go somewhere, I usually change my mind after visualizing getting out with my highly active 2 year old and 2 one-month old babies who prefer to literally be attached to my chest 24/7. .... "Nawwww, we don't need milk for our cereal. Water will suffice."

But lately I have been going stir-to-the-flippin-crazy. I've been grabbing any available friend or family member to help me get out of the house before it completely closes in on me.

For some reason, when about 2 out of 3 random strangers see this sweaty mommy pushing her 3 lil ones in the 'tram', they feel compelled to stop and have this identical conversation. Every. Stinkin. Time.

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Stranger: "Ohhhh!!! (*insert their germy head waaaay too close to my babies*) Are they twins?"

Me: (*fake smile*) Yes.

Stranger:  "Is it two boys?!"

Me: (*Yes, that's why I dressed one in blue and one in pink with a headband*) "No, a boy and a girl."

Stranger:  "Are they identical?"

Me: (*Yep! Completely identical! Besides the whole penis and vagina thing. Oh, and the fact that they look nothing alike. Seriously people, boy/girl twins cannot be identical. Insert half a fake smile.*) "No, they aren't." 

Stranger:  "Do twins run in your family?"

Me: (*Why ask this?! If we were friends, I'd tell you about our infertility issues. But I don't know you from Adam...avoiding eye contact now.*) "Nope!"

Stranger:  *insert long story about someone they know who has twins*

Me: (*Trying to chase down my two year old and calm a baby.*) "ohhhh." 

Stranger:  "Well you sure have your hands full."

Me: (*Doing my best to walk away*) "Yep! Sure do."

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For real-- that conversation happens every aisle at the grocery store and every so-many feet anywhere else! I don't mean to sound rude, but just 'smile' at us and let me get in and out as fast as possible!!  Thank you!!

Side note: I don't mind stopping and talking to my friends. Most of them anyway.  ;)

Another side note: before I had the babies, I shared this YouTube video on facebook that my friend showed me. Scary how accurate it has become!! Video still makes me laugh. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT-lgB_HGEE

Last side note: Our family and friends rock. Thank you sooooo much for all your help!!!

First appointment at Brenner's / Who needs sleep??

First Appointment at Brenner's

Today was Reid's 1st appointment at Brenner's Children's Hospital at Baptist. The pediatric plastic surgeon he saw was extremely nice and highly recommended from friends, our pediatrician, and Women's Hospital. 

Dr. David felt Reid's head and said by the looks of it, she believes he will probably need surgery.  But, we will need to do a CT scan on June 11th to make sure. Immediately following the CT scan, we will see Dr David again and she will determine if surgery is necessary. If so (and it probably will be), then we will schedule surgery for when Reid is 3 months old. (End of July)  

It appears that both the back and top of Reid's skull have already fused together. If they do surgery, they will make a small incision in the top of his head & place two springs in between the plates. This will cause his plates to slowly separate, giving his brain room to grow. 

Good part: the first surgery will only require a 1 night hospital visit, and the 2nd surgery to remove the springs a few months later will be outpatient. 

Bad part: No momma wants to see her baby go through any of this!!! :(

However, I am SO thankful this is treatable!!  Reid is a very very sweet little boy. I'm so blessed to be his, Stella,& Sam's mommy!!

Who Needs Sleep???

We were spoiled with Sam. He was an easy baby. (He's actually been a pretty easy toddler too!) Still... I thought with 1 baby I was tired.  Pshhh!  

The twins are 3 weeks old today. Seems crazy! Almost everyone asks, "How are they sleeping?" ...to which we laugh...or cry... depending on the day. ;) 

Some nights I'm up every hour, some nights for 2 hours at a time, and other nights for random 30 min intervals. 

But ya know what??  Lack of sleep just comes with the whole newborn territory.  Especially when you have two of them.  Sucking it up b/c before I know it, they will be grown and I'll be wishing they were tiny again.  

Conclusion: 

-Sleep is overrated.

-Coffee is underrated.

-Tandem nursing is gonna be a MUST if I wanna get some decent sleep. For this to happen, the hubs and I tag team... He helps me hold babies on the giant nursing pillow, keep them awake, change diapers, feed me Ben & Jerry's, keep me awake, etc.  He rocks. :D  
-We are blessed. 

Birth Day - Short n Sweet / Birth Day - Longer Version / NICU / Appt at Baptist

( Couple days before delivery )

35 weeks pregnant with twins

Birth Day - "Short n Sweet"

Thing 1 and Thing 2 were born at exactly 36 weeks on Tues, April 30th just after lunch.

Stella Lynn - 6lb 10oz 19in ... Born vaginally, no problems! 

Randy "Reid" - 6lb 12oz 19.5in ... Born via Emergency csection. 

Birth Day - "Longer Version"

The week before I went into labor, I was up 4 nights with false labor.  Kinda strange to me that I only had contractions at night or if I was trying to catch a quick nap. Anyway, by Monday morning (April 29th) I was pretty tired.  I started having some pains/discomforts around 8:30am.  This time, instead of having contractions in my belly, it was back labor.  (Same kind that I had with Sam)  The contractions were pretty consistent throughout the day and slowly becoming stronger.

Hubby and I decided to go ahead and head to the hospital around 1pm.  (Especially since I was 95% effaced and dilated to a 4 almost a week ago.)  No change.  We stayed at the hospital a couple hours walking the halls with no progression and then went home.  

My mom kept little man with her that night since I was pretty sure I'd be heading back to the hospital.  I labored at home until they were around 6min apart, then hubby drove the 30min to the hospital.  (Just after midnight)

As soon as I got there they checked me and said I was at 8cm.  They offered me an epidural, but I had been doing so well I wasn't sure I wanted it.  The 2nd time he asked me I decided to go with it b/c I knew my risk of a repeated csection and I really didn't want to be put under general anesthesia again. (if there was no time to waste)  So, epidural was in ... my pain was gone ... and my labor slowed.  Boo.  

Feelin' No More Pain

Labor slowed... Ben catching a nap.

Around lunch on Tuesday, it was go time.  I pushed for about 15-20min.  When the midwife and nurse saw the head, they called in a giant crew of people.  (standard procedure for twin births)  There were doctors, nurses, NICU ppl, a pediatrician, ....probably even the cafeteria staff... all to witness the birth of Miss Stella Lynn.  Still, everything was perfect.  She was perfect.  :)  We were able to have delayed cord clamping like we wanted. 

Daddy and Stella 

About 10 min later, my water broke again and it was time to start pushing.  When instructed, I began pushing... only to be told to STOP.  The midwife and nurse saw that baby boy's cord was prolapsed.  After confirmation from the doctor, the whole crew of people started moving very quickly.  My heart was racing as they rushed me down the hall to the OR.  (**Oh, did I mention that a sweet nurse had to jump up on the bed with me, shove both hands/arms "up there" to push baby's head back off the cord that was being kinked?  I was PRAISING GOD that I had an epidural!!!)  

Ben came and sat next to my head.  I felt like they were ripping this child from my gut.  (Thankfully felt no pain though)  A min or so later, I heard Randy "Reid" cry... which made me cry.  

Ben went to look at him, then came back to tell me that Reid was being taken to the NICU.  I asked to see him first, and was really scared when I saw all around his lips/nose were blue.  He looked like he had a blue goatee and a really swollen upper lip.  

Reid's blue goatee 

I insisted that Ben go with Reid b/c I didn't want our baby being alone with all the doctors.  :(  

I was so shook up laying there as they stitched me up.  A sweet nurse rubbed my head and face, which really helped to calm me down as I prayed.  

I found out later that Reid's face was blue-ish b/c of the prolapsed cord.  The blood tests do not indicate that anything resulted from the short time of less oxygen.  He also had a partial collapsed lung.   

NICU 

Stella was able to come home with us on Saturday, but Reid ended up staying in the NICU from Tuesday April 30th to Tues May 7th. We were soooo glad to bring him home!  :)  

Twins re-unite for 1st time since the womb!  

Daddy visiting Reid in NICU

Almost time to get outta this place!!

Reid going home!!  

Stella <3

Appt at Baptist

A week from tomorrow, Reid has an appointment at Baptist with a pediatric plastic surgeon.  It looks like the plates in the back of his skull have already fused together. They aren't supposed to do this until age 2. Because of this issue, Reid's head is very narrow and goes to a point at the back.  Something will have to be done about it or his brain won't have room to grow. (probably surgery)  To be honest, some days I am worry free and totally trusting God ... but in the blink of an eye I start to contemplate the "what if's" and I spiral down into tears and stress.  I have to consciously stop myself and say, "No!  ... Jenn, God's GOT THIS. You serve a big, BIG God.  He loves you and loves little Reid.  There is NOTHING that He can't do!" If you think of it though, say a prayer for us.  We'd definitely appreciate it.  :)  

Mother's Day 2013 -- SMILE, KIDS!!