Day 82!!! Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Halloween everyone!!!  We didn't expect to have Nicholas joining us on Halloween this year, but it was the best treat we could have asked for!  Of course we only wished that Joseph could have been with his brothers today as well, but next year we'll make up for it!!!  

Nicholas had his first doctor's visit with his pediatrician today, and everything looks great!!!  He is continuing to adapt to his home, and big brother Vince is really taking an active role in helping out.  He doesn't quite understand everything that's going on of course but he knows when to lend a hand to Mommy and Me!!  I can't wait to see his face tomorrow when we bring home another one!!!  Joseph is still on schedule, and I'm going to spend some time with him now, for his last night in the NICU!!!

As we prepare our home for having both boys home together, Kalleigh and I have reflected a lot on this whole situation.  We didn't know what to expect, and didn't expect to have it go as well as it did!!!  As we get ready to say our goodbyes to the care givers who have done what they would call their "job" for our boys, we see it a whole lot different.  We cannot begin to describe the amount of appreciation that we have for each and every one of the people in the NICU who have made these past 2 1/2 months as easy as possible for us and our family.   Our boys have received the best care around, and I truly believe that they progressed ahead of schedule because of the love they felt from the people taking care of them.  I'm not going to lie, it's going to be hard to say our goodbyes to the people we have come to know rather well over the past 82 days, and having the long conversations about not only our lives, but theirs as well!  Sometimes I think people forget that nurses and doctors are just people like us with the same worries and issues that we all face on a day to day basis, and although they are used to seeing babies leave the NICU on a daily basis, I can't help but think it's hard on them as well to say goodbye to the families who they have spent a lot of their time with.  The NICU is a place I never really thought about, or to be honest even knew about, it's almost like the unspeakable section of the hospital.  There aren't any signs that point you to the NICU, and even the entrance is muted so not to draw too much attention.  But as Kalleigh and I have found out over these past months, the NICU is truly a special place where miracles really do happen!!!  If it weren't for the overwhelming amount of care and attention Kalleigh and I may not have been so lucky as to be bringing two babies home given the condition that they started.  From the specialist who made the decision to deliver on August 11th, to the nurse that will walk us to the car tomorrow with the last of our belongings, our family will be forever grateful of their care and compassion that was shown to us, and we will always have two beautiful reminders with us that are here because of the truly special people who just did their "jobs".

Vince got a special treat with his candy this year!!!

Day 81!!!

The first night with Nicholas home was a success!!! He didn't sleep much, but that was to be expected, and Kalleigh and I wouldn't have slept great either way so it was fine!  He is adjusting well to his home, and Vince and him are getting along wonderfully!!!  Vince is interested in helping out as much as possible, and knows when the baby is trying to sleep that he needs to be quiet, it's actually pretty cute!!!  

Joseph is doing well and is getting ready for his big day on Friday!!!  We can't wait to have all of our boys under one roof for the first time!!!  I don't know if Kalleigh and I are truly ready to handle this task, because I don't know if anyone can truly prepare adequately for it, but I know God only gives us what we can handle, and apparently he thinks we'll be just fine (Or he's going to be having a fun time watching this show!!!) 

Vince got to hold Nicholas today for the first time, he really showed an interest and we weren't going to pass up on the opportunity!!!  It's amazing to see how Vince is feeling us out right now for what he can and can't get away with, and I'm sure he'll outsmart us the majority of the time, but Kalleigh and I will continue to do this parenting thing with a smile on our faces and laughter in our hearts, because when it all comes down to it, these next few years will be short lived and we know we will miss them when they are done!!! 

Such a proud big brother!!! Wait until he realizes one more is coming!!!

Giving hugs to his new brother!!!

HOMECOMING PART ONE!!!

Homecoming time for Nicholas!!!

Today was the big day for Nicholas!!!  Kalleigh and I went to pick him up around 1:00 today and spent most of the afternoon with both boys while we were prepped by our nurse about what to expect and what had to be done with Nicholas over the  next few weeks!!!  The amount of information we received today compared to that of what we learned throughout this entire process!!!  We are so thankful for all of their help and it was VERY difficult leaving there, even though we left our precious Joseph behind for a few days!!! Speaking of Joseph, he is scheduled to come home on Friday!!!  Obviously this is the biggest week for us thus far, and so far everything has worked out wonderfully!!!   Vince even greeted his new baby brother with a nice "Hi!" and is still figuring out what is going on, but he'll be fine!!!  We were just so excited to be able to have Vince see Nicholas today!!!  That may have been one of the hardest things we had to go though was explaining to Vince via pictures on our phones that those are his brothers!!!  It was obviously a precious moment in our lives!!! 

Nicholas and Joseph saying their goodbyes for a few days!!!

When we arrived to pick up Nicholas we were happy to see him and Joseph in the same crib, bonding for a few more hours until we had to take Nicholas home!  This was one of our favorite pictures from today, but it made it even more difficult to leave as you can imagine.  We didn't realize just how much we would become attached to the NICU and all of the people who have been so wonderful there, and just seeing our boys together there everyday was great!!!  We know we are so lucky to have Nicholas home with us, and we can't wait for Joseph to come home either, but for almost 3 months this has been there home, and because of the care and attention they received they are able to come home sooner than hoped!!!

Nicholas where he belongs....HOME!!!

Nicholas is safe and sound in his home along with Big Brother Vince, Kalleigh, Myself and Gucci (our dog!!!).  He is doing great and we couldn't be more blessed right now!!! Joseph is doing great too and he is probably in better hands than Nicholas now!!! Just Kidding (maybe!)!!!  I could go into so much more detail on how we feel and how exciting today has been, but right now we are enjoying having Nicholas with us for his first night home and learning all over again what it's like to have an infant in the home!!!  We better learn quick because double time is happening this weekend!!!

Saying Goodbye for a few days :(

Day 79!!!

We are still on schedule to have Nicholas come home tomorrow!!!  Kalleigh has been doing a great job of finishing up the odds and ends around the house in order to prepare for the big homecoming!!!  We are hopeful that Nicholas will be episode free for the rest of the day and tonight so when we go to pick him up tomorrow he's discharged!!!

Joseph will be in the NICU for at least another week, unfortunately he had an episode last night that had to be documented, so his clock will be reset, but we're hoping he is home by the middle to end of next week!  I'm nervous for both boys to be separated from one another, and I really feel bad about it, but I know it's for the best, and at least Vince will have some time to get adjusted as well as Kalleigh and myself!

I will update the details about tomorrow once I get back from the hospital tonight, and hopefully posts some new pictures of the boys as well!!!

UPDATE 10/28/2013 9:15 PM:  So the prescriptions are filled for Nicholas to come home!!!  We had to drop off his prilosec for his reflux, and his pulmacort for his lung development, which we will have to administer to him two times a day.  Tomorrow we will be briefed by the respiratory doctor on what we have to keep an eye on with Nicholas, and everything else we have to do in order to help his lungs develop to their full potential.  The Neo-natologist will also have a meeting with us to let us know about what could possibly happen, and everything else we need to do for our little guy!!!  Tomorrow will be a day filled with a lot of information for both Kalleigh and I, but I think we're prepared to the best of our ability to be able to handle this, and it will be good to get in a groove with one of them, before Joseph comes home too!!! The doctors and nurses are saying that it's looking like a late afternoon discharge for him, so I'll keep everyone up to date as much as possible, but if I miss a post tomorrow don't worry!!!

To say that we're nervous is an understatement right now, but we have 100% confidence in the doctors and nurses in the NICU that they are going to release our little Nicholas only because he's ready to come home!  Kalleigh and I both know we should get some sleep tonight, because God only knows it's probably the last good night of sleep we will get for a LONG time, but in all honesty we're both super excited among the dozens of other emotions that are going through us right now that sleep may be out of the question!!!   Please say extra prayers tonight for our family especially Nicholas and Joseph who have given us a strength we didn't know we had, and that the strength they have provided to us is instilled into them on their long awaited journey home!!!

11 Weeks!!!

We have a six pound baby on our hands!!! Joseph weighed in last night at just over 6lbs which is really amazing!!! Nicholas is weighing in at 5lb 5oz, so he's still got some catching up to do, but so far so good!!!  We also received notice today that Nicholas is scheduled to come home on Tuesday barring any episodes that happen between now and then!!! We knew it could be any time this week, but now that the nurses and doctors have given us a date it's making this exciting news so much more real!!!  We have really gotten used to living our lives like this for the past 78 days and to think we're going to have to figure everything out again seems crazy, but we couldn't be happier!!! 

Joseph is still doing great off of his oxygen and hasn't had an episode since the 17th of October, so he may be coming home shortly after Nicholas, which will be great so Kalleigh and I don't have to work on feeding Nicholas here and then getting to the hospital to feed Joseph!!!  I'm sure we'll be okay, and we will have to keep a positive attitude toward everything which to be honest has been the best medicine for Kalleigh and I!   We know we'll have some bumps along the road, but we also know that we'll just have to smile and laugh at most of it!!! 

Other than the exciting news of a possible homecoming on Tuesday, there isn't too much more to say!  The boys are testing out the bottles we have at home to see how they respond, and they will be testing out the car seats too!  Speaking of car seats, tomorrow marks the official day where Kalleigh is taking my car and I get hers, so I'm a little bummed, but excited at the same time!!!  I'm also excited that hopefully on Tuesday the push up count gets cut in half!!!  156 today was a lot, and hopefully 160 will be highest we have to go!!! 

Please keep Nicholas and Joseph in your prayers as they embark on what we hope is their final journey in the NICU these next few days, and just know how much Kalleigh and I are forever grateful for the love and support everyone continues to bless us with on a daily basis!!!  Goodnight everyone!!!

Day 77!!!

Today was a wonderful day for me and the boys!!! I got to go into the hospital for the first time in two days and spend time with just myself and the boys!!!  The nurses even left me alone, and I was able to hang with them in peace and quiet, and feed them both!!!  Joseph is off of his oxygen still and he looks amazing!!! Nicholas is doing great and is in day 4 of his countdown, so we are very excited that he may be coming home early next week!!!  Joseph has been episode free for 10 days now, but since he was just taken off of his oxygen he won't be eligible to come home for at least a week, but so far so good, and we hope that he is only in the NICU a few days longer so we can have both boys home within the next two weeks!!!

The doctors put Nicholas back on his breathing treatment that is inhaled for a few minutes, but only because of his spontaneous bouts of fast paced breathing.  The doctors feel this contributes to him burning more calories and not gaining the number of grams on a weekly basis as they would like him too, but the doctor today was very happy with him and how he was responding.  Both boys are still a little anemic, but they are going to hold off on treating it in any way yet and see how their numbers look on Monday when they both get tested.  Kalleigh's milk is a big help in this situation and they are hoping since the boys are both taking at least 50ml regularly that they will be able to get their blood cell count up on their own!!!

Today was a good thinking day for me, and I was reminiscing about their time in the NICU and how it's going to be a very bitter sweet feeling to take them home, especially separately!!!  Don't get me wrong, I want them home yesterday, but Kalleigh and myself, especially Kalleigh, have developed great relationships with all of the NICU personnel, and they have become a very big part of our lives for the past 77 days.  Kalleigh and I will never be able to truly thank them for what they have done for our family, and getting to know each of them over this time has really been a great and unique experience!!!  Plus they have provided a loving and caring home for our boys!!! 

Nicholas after his bottle!!!

Look at Joseph, NO OXYGEN!!!

Day 76!!!

I apologize for missing my post yesterday, but everything is fine with the boys!!!  Nicholas is officially on countdown to come home!!! We are at day 2 of 7 now, and Kalleigh had to bring the car seat to the NICU yesterday!!!  The nurses will put Nicholas in his car seat for a few hours to make sure he doesn't experience any episodes and that he is able to tolerate the moving.  This is a very exciting week for us and we are hoping that Nicholas does great and can come home soon!!!   Of course we will not be too disappointed if he has an episode, because the nurses let us know that this cycle can go on for a little while!  So we will remain cautiously optimistic that one of our babies may be home by this time next week!!! 

Nicholas also passed his hearing test yesterday, and the doctor ordered his caloric intake to be increased because she wanted his average weekly weight gain to increase a little bit.  Nicholas now weighs 5lb 3.75oz, so they are hoping he puts on a few more ounces before he comes home.  He has been doing really good with his bottle feeds and when Kalleigh nurses him as well!! 

Joseph has also been doing really good with his feedings, but he is an eater!!!  He takes a little more concentration while feeding him because he likes to try and guzzle the whole bottle which in turn can make him choke or experience an episode, so we keep a close eye on him during bottles!  But he is doing really good and now weighs 5lb 13.5oz!!!  Joseph will have his hearing test either today or next week, and the nurses will try and take him off of his 'micro flow' oxygen next week!!! 

As we look at the calendar and have gone through 76 days of this, we are amazed by how close the doctors were to their anticipated discharge date of November 12th which was their original due date.  We know that this can change, but if all continues on the path that it has, it looks like we will have both boys home by that date, so we will keep our fingers crossed!!!  Kalleigh and I couldn't be more blessed by the continued thoughts and prayers that we receive on a daily basis from everyone, and we cannot thank you enough for your support during this amazing chapter in our lives!!!

Day 74!!!

Today was another good day for the boys, although Nicholas did have an episode in the early morning that wasn't caused by his feedings so we'll have to reset the clock for his countdown.  Officially he is at day 0 again and if he goes to day 7 he can come home, but the nurses and doctors cautioned us not to get too optimistic just yet, and said they wouldn't be surprised if he stayed a week or two more.  Kalleigh and I both don't mind how long it takes, we just want them to come home when they're ready, so it helps us make the transition a little easier.  Don't get me wrong we really want them home, but after the care they have received over the past two and a half months we are confident that the boys are in great hands and we couldn't be happier!!!

Joseph pulled his NG tube out today, and the Dr. said to leave it out and see how things go! So since 11:45 am he has been without it, and I just got back from the hospital and he is doing great!  He still needs his tiny puff of oxygen, but as the Dr. stated she wants him to be taking all of his feedings orally first and foremost so this is a good step!  

Grandma and Grandpa G. stopped by tonight, and Grandma got to feed Joseph for the first time!!!  I won't go into the details but there is a technique to feeding them since the boys haven't fully developed the concept of eating and breathing, so you have to pace them!  It's kind of nerve racking at first, but Grandma got the hang of it pretty quick! 

The house is almost ready to have the boys home!!!  We've taken our time, but of course now that Nicholas could potentially come home in 7 days we need to kick our butts in gear, but we have more done than we think!!!  I think I'm excited for Nicholas to come home to cut the pushups in half!!! 148 today was not fun!!!  Vince helped us get things situated, and I think he is starting to realize that he has two brothers, but I'm sure it will be quite a shock for him, especially since he'll most likely only see one at first, and then hopefully soon after he'll see the second one, which at that point he'll probably thinking "Mom, Dad, I let the first one go, but two!??"  Just kidding, I know he'll be a great big brother and help out a lot with the boys! 

Day 73!!!

I don't know if I have to say too much after these pictures!  This is a priceless moment that we got to see today!!!  Our boys will be sleeping together in the same crib when they come home for a period of time until they get too big, but to see this today was amazing!!! 

Kalleigh and I are going to the hospital together tonight to do night feedings, and check their weights.  Last night Nicholas weighed 5lb 2.8oz and Joseph weighed 5lb 13.2oz, so they are getting up there!  The doctors started Joseph on his diuretic today for three days, in hopes to remove some of his fluids, and get him taking all of his feeds through the bottle or nursing.  The doctor said they want him to be off of his NG tube soon! 

Day 72!!!

Sorry again for the late post, but things were a little crazy today to say the least!  Nothing to do with the boys, just with Vince and the house!!! Our poor Vince has the Croup!  He sounds terrible and we're very worried about bringing the virus into the NICU, but we got some assurance from his pediatrician that the contagious part is over now, and also assurance from the nurses that the scrubbing in that we do daily should be sufficient enough to make sure the boys don't get it!!!  Still it's a very scary thing, we don't want the boys to suffer any set backs!

The boys got a visit from Grandma T. yesterday and today, I'll post pictures this week, they're taking forever to download from home right now!  Kalleigh nursed the boys today and both of them are doing really well!  Nicholas is still off of his NG tube which is a good sign, and we may be getting close to starting the countdown of days for him to come home.  He will have to go between 5 and 7 days without an episode before they will let him come home, but he had an episode from eating today, so they still haven't started the clock!!! Still pretty exciting to think that in couple of weeks he will hopefully be home!!! 

Joseph had his echo today, and the cardiologist told our nurse tonight that everything looked really good!!!  We're hoping to get the detailed report tomorrow, but it's very refreshing to hear that about our little 'big' man's heart considering all of the issues in the beginning!  I don't have updated weights to share since the nurse wasn't able to do it during their 8 o'clock hands on tonight, but I will update the blog tomorrow once I get the news!!! 

Day 67!!!

Sorry I updated this a few days ago, but it never got published!!!!!

I know I promised pictures early but better late than never!!!  Here are a few from yesterday that we took with our phones.  I'm not sure when we'll receive the professional ones, if ever :)

The boys are doing great though, Joseph lost a few grams last night, but Nicholas is up to 4lb 12oz!!!  The doctor put them on prilosec for their reflux, which is common in preemies, but the doctor seems to think it will also help them with their oxygen needs.  The doctor stated that he would try this for a few days, and then see if the boys can be off of the oxygen again.

That's really the only change as of right now, I will be visiting the boys later on tonight and hopefully we see weight gains in both of them again!!!

Looks like a pretty happy NICU to me!!!

My first time feeding Joseph!!!

Nicholas, doing his thing!!!

Joseph getting the spa treatment!!!

Joseph just hanging out!!!

10 Weeks!!!

I can't believe it's already been 10 weeks!  The improvements we have seen over this time is amazing and to see our babies grow outside of the womb has not only been stressful, but amazing at the same time!!!  The boys are doing great, and Nicholas pulled out his NG tube today, and the nurse and doctor decided to leave it out for the time being so all of his feeds are being done orally!!!  He took 2 ounces by bottle this afternoon and Kalleigh and I are heading back to the hospital together tonight to do some more feedings!!  Hopefully Nicholas can keep the NG tube out, which makes it one step closer for him to come home!!! 

Joseph is doing great too, he is up to 5lbs 9oz and is breast feeding really well.  We will attempt to feed him orally again tonight so most of his feedings today were without the NG tube!  Because Joseph is still on oxygen at this point in the development the doctor might try a diuretic to help with the flow, however since he was born with the heart condition we have to be careful because a diuretic can sometimes propose more risk than good, so before they make any decisions Joseph will have an echo tomorrow so the cardiologist can look at his heart.  They haven't had a look at his heart for a while so it "can't hurt" as teh doctor put it today!  So hopefully tomorrow everything looks normal, and they can try the diuretic to get him off of the oxygen this week!  The doctor wasn't concerned though and said their development is right on track, especially for boys who are usually a few weeks behind as compared to girls!!!

No more NG Tube!!!

Joseph resting peacefully!!!

Joseph sleeping away the other night!

This sleeping position seems to be popular for both boys!!!

Day 70!!!

I'm posting crib side again so I won't be able to post pictures until tomorrow, so please don't get too mad at me!!!  Nicholas is off of oxygen again!!!  He has been off since about 2 pm today and hasn't seemed to have any issues!  Joseph was bumped down to .025 oxygen which is the absolute lowest he can go, so the next step is no assistance!!!  The boys received baths today and are really cozy in their cribs.  I missed them since yesterday as each day it gets harder and harder to have them in the hospital.  I know it's only a matter of time before they come home though and I'm so happy they are doing so well here!!

I know I ask for a lot of prayers from all of you but they really do help and if you could please say a prayer for my Brother in law Tom's father who had emergency open heart surgery Friday.  We hope he has a speedy and ful recovery!

Vince and I spent the day down on the farm with his cousins and Aunt Sheri, while Kalleigh got to spend a lot of quality time with the boys!  Kalleigh has done and is doing an amazing job with these boys and I can't say enough how proud of her I am!!!

Ill post pictures from the weekend tomorrow, I hope everyone has a wonderful evening!!!

Day 69!!!

We go your 5 pounder last night!!! Nicholas weighed in at 5lb 2oz!!  It's pretty exciting that both boys are now over 5lbs, we just need to get them off of their oxygen now!!!  The boys took most of their feeds orally today and both nursed at the same time today!!! Kalleigh said it was efficient so hopefully she can continue!!!

Vince and I took a trip down to Bloomington to give Mommy a break and let her spend a lot of time with the boys!!!  We're doing the father son bonding as well as hanging out with his cousins !  Not too much else to update on though tonight!  I hope everyone has a good weekend!!!

Day 68!!!

The boys are really starting to take their bottle feeds well!  It seems as though the effects of the vaccinations have worn off and they are becoming more and more active!  Both boys are now up to 45ml of breast milk every 3 hours!!!  Joseph was getting a little feisty for his feedings today so that's a really great sign!  The boys also got their eye exams today and so far everything looks great! They will be reevaluated in two weeks, but so far so good!!!

Joseph is up to 5lb 6.8oz and has kept a slow but steady pace of growth.  As of last night Nicholas was 4lb 15.25oz!!!  I'll be headed to the hospital shortly for his weigh in so hopefully he hits the 5lb mark tonight!!!  It will be great to have both boys over that milestone! 

Last night Dad and I spent some "guys" time with the boys and Grandpa G. got to hold Nicholas for the first time!!!  He had held Joseph a few days ago, but now he has gotten to hold both boys which is a big accomplishment for him since he gets really nervous around the babies because they are so small!!  The boys also got some out of town visitors from Florida today when Great Uncle Sammy and Aunt Marie visited them along with Great Uncle Joe G.!!!

Grandma G. and I will be off to the hospital soon for hands on, and like I said hopefully tomorrow's update includes the news that both boys are over 5lbs!!!  Keep those pushups going, 68 (136) today!!!!

Day 66!!!

Kalleigh and I got to spend the morning with the boys!!!  The hospital sent their photographer to our room to take pictures of us with the boys!  Ill post some of them soon!  I wrote to the hospital to thank them for everything up to this point and they asked if we would be willing to have pictures taken for them to use in PR and Marketing pieces.  After all the NICU has done for us and our boys we didn't hesitate!

Joseph now weighs 5lb 6.5oz!!! He looks really big now but can't seem to get off of the oxygen yet!  He got a nice bath today though and looked like he was in a spa!  Nicholas is up to 4lb 12oz, so were hoping to have 2 five pounders by the end of the week!!!  Nicholas was moved down to a micro flow oxygen and is doing really well!  We're hoping he comes back off of his oxygen by tomorrow or Thursday.

I'm posting from my phone, but I'll post pictures later tonight or tomorrow early!  Have to get some work done though!!!

Day 65!!!

I haven't called to receive an update on the boys yet this morning, but I'm assuming since we didn't hear anything from their nurse last night that not too much has changed.  I will of course update the blog once I know more, but I wanted to get these pictures posted today. 

Joseph enjoying his pacifier!!!

Little Nicholas back on his O2, but doing great!!!

Day 64!!!

Well I have to say we had a little set back with Nicholas :(.  He wasn't handling his vaccinations too well and his oxygen saturation was drifting a little too much, so he had to be placed back on a low flow oxygen assistance where he is receiving about 1ml of air per minute, but still on room air.  He's doing a lot better tonight (another update crib side!) and the nurse may try to wean him down a bit, but as she explained the vaccinations can take a lot out of healthy babies let a lone 2 month old preemies!  They ordered blood work for Nicholas and it came back normal, which is good!  He'll be okay though, I know he'll fight through it.  Joseph remains on his micro flow and hasn't really had any noticeable side effects from his vaccinations.

Joseph now weighs in at 5lb 2oz and Nicholas at 4lb 9.5oz.  Those are last nights weights but they haven't had a weigh in yet today!  They have both been doing well on there bottle feeds, but since they were a little tired from the shots they received mostly NG tube feedings today.  Hopefully tomorrow we wake up to no oxygen for both and more bottle feeds, but the NICU personnel fully prepared Kalleigh and I for setbacks from day one, and we have truly been very blessed not to really have experienced anything negative since the first few weeks!!!  They'll be fine though as the nurses have reassured us that these things are very normal, and our boys are going to be fine!!!

Day 63!!!

The two month vaccinations wore out our little Nicholas, his nurse said he was drifting a lot during the night, but it wasn't anything to be worried about.  Joseph was doing fine and slept good during the night.  Joseph actually got off of oxygen for a little while today!!!  The nurse pulled him off of the oxygen at 8am this morning and he lasted until about 1:30 pm!  This is a great sign, but the doctor still told us that he may come home on some oxygen assistance.  They warned us in the beginning that this may happen, so it's not anything we haven't been prepped for if that is indeed the case! 

I'm off to see the boys shortly, Vince and I had a stop at our cousins football game this afternoon!  They won and Vince and I got some good father son bonding time, so all in all it was a great afternoon!!!  I tried to upload these pictures last night from their room but better late then never!!!

Close together in their new room!!!

Our precious Joseph sleeping off his shots!!!

Nicholas, not so much!!!

Very proud of both of my boys!!!

Happy 2 Month Birthday!!!!

I can't believe it's been 2 months!!! It's been an amazing journey thus far, and hopefully we are entering the home stretch for these two troopers!!!  The boys got kicked out of the penthouse last night due to a new set of twins that were admitted last night, who need more devices than our boys.  I know our boys left a good vibe in that room and well say prayers for those two new babies to get well soon!!!!  The boys are still together in a room similar to when they each had their own.  It's nice and cozy and allows the boys to be closer to one another which is what we like!

Joseph is back to over 5lb 1.5oz again and Nicholas is catching up at 4lb 9oz!!! They both received their two month vaccinations today, and have completed their epogen doses.  They will both have bloodwork done next week to test their red blood cell levels.  Other than that we are cruising along pretty well!!!

We are so blessed to have these two boys, who have given us a new outlook on life and in a few weeks when God willing we are all home together, we will look back on this experience and smile.  It's not easy by any means but because of the love and support we continue to receive and the love and care of the NICU nurses and doctors we are forever comforted and grateful!!!  Happy 2 month birthday my boys!!!!

Day 61!!!

Joseph hit the 5 pound mark last night!!! It was quite a milestone and I wanted to share the fun with all of you since you have been a part of these boys lives since day 1!!!  Joseph gained 55 grams in one day, which is pretty impressive if you ask me!  I had guessed he would be 5lb 1/2oz, but as you can see he hit 5lb 1.5oz!!!  He is doing so well and we just need to get that little "puff" of oxygen that he is receiving off of him!  He went through more than Nicholas though so he's entitled to that in my opinion! 

Nicholas now weight 4lb 6.5oz, he gained 20 grams again from the night before, so were hoping that within a week or less that he can reach the 5lb milestone too!  He was very alert last night when I was changing him, but as you can see from his pictures with his hat, he still is holding a lower than hoped for temperature at 97.9.  The nurse said that earlier in the day he was doing great in the 98.6 range, but he may have just been tired from all of his activity the last few days.  We are going to let him rest a little to see if that helps, and we'll keep the hat and warm clothes on him to make him comfortable! 

Officially 5 Pounds!!!

Big man Joey!!!

Nicholas getting weighed!!!

Joseph relaxing!!!

Giving some scale to their size! Nicholas and Daddy!  Sorry it's sideways, wouldn't load right!

Day 60!!!

I'm sitting crib side again and it's soooo calm in here right now.  The boys are doing great and are sound asleep!  The nurse has left the room and the monitors are not ringing nearly as much as they used to for the boys!  It's a surreal feeling right now, and I'm enjoying every minute!  It's really a good time for me to reflect on everything that has happened and really feel a bond with my boys!  This may sound crazy but sometimes I miss the commotion in their room, I guess because I felt that the nurses and doctors were constantly looking after my boys and we could get an update every hour with news.  I know that it's wonderful that everything is so calm in their room now,  and I know that no updates are wonderful too because the boys are doing great!  I guess I just felt a sense of security when the nurses had to constantly be with them, especially when Kalleigh or I couldn't!

The  boys had their feedings  increased today,  Joseph is now receiving 40ml and Nicholas 38ml.  They both did good breast feeding today and have taken their bottles as well!  I'm here for the weigh in and hoping to see a 5 pounder tonight!  I'll update the blog when I get the final results!  Other than that no changes to report, but the prognosis looks great for both boys!!!

Day 59!!!

Updating from the hospital again!!!  Boys are doing great and got to spend a lot of time with Mommy today!  The boys received their 5th dose of epogen today, but really look good as far as the anemia is concerned.  Nicholas weighs in at 4lb 5.75oz now and is still getting 33ml.  He breasted like a champ today!!!  He's not holding his temperature too high, he's at 97.7 but the nurse said he will be fine and put a hat on him to snuggle him up!!!

Joseph is back up to 4lb 15.5oz! So were hoping tomorrow night is the big weigh in!!!  I got to give Joseph a sponge bath tonight which was my first time bathing him!!!  Joseph is having a little more difficulty breast feeding than his brother, but he is still eating like a Gallelli!!!

Day 58!!!

Well Joseph didn't hit the 5lb mark last night, instead he lost a few grams, but the nurses weren't worried at all since he put on a lot of weight this past week.  His weight was back down to 4lb 14oz, but hopefully this week he'll push past that 5lb milestone!!!  Nicholas put on a little weight and is now 4lb 4oz, so he has a chance to play catch up and hopefully close the gap on Joseph!!! 

Nicholas and Joseph are both doing great with their feedings too!  Feeding completely by mouth is one of the requirements for the boys to be discharged, and right now both are getting the majority of their feedings from either Kalleigh or by bottle!  If they don't finish their required amount in the bottle, then the rest is administered through their NG tubes, but both have been pretty much finishing their entire feedings, at least once or twice throughout the day!!!

The boys also had a visit from Great Grandma Mosey over the weekend!!! This was the first time since the day they were born that Mosey got to see them!!!

Nicholas looking nice and warm!!!

Joseph really trying to figure out how to grab that pacifier!!!

Nothing like a Great Grandma Visit!!!

8 weeks!!!

8 weeks ago we were praying that these two fighters would both survive, and as I sit by their bedsides to update you tonight I can only smile and be thankful for the love and support we have received from everyone, and how truly blessed we are to have two babies doing so well!!!  Nicholas is watching me update the blog intently and Joseph is sound asleep!!!  But I know they are thanking everyone for the prayers too!!!  

Not too much news to report other than their weights as of last night.  Nicholas remains at 4lb 3.75ozs and Joseph is on the brink of 5lbs at 4lb 15.5oz!!!  We're hoping that tonight's weigh in puts him over the 5lb number tonight!!!  Depending on when they are able to have their weigh ins I will update everyone ASAP!!!  Until then I hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing Sunday Night!!!

Day 56!!!

Today was a big day for us!!! Kalleigh and I got to go visit the boys together this morning because Mosey (Kalleigh's Grandma) is visiting and volunteered to watch Vince for us!!!  It's always nice to go see the boys with Kalleigh, we really don't get to do it too often, but we cherish the moments we get to see the two boys together! 

I got to give Nicholas his bath today!!! I must say I was very nervous, but Kalleigh and the nurse stood right by my side and made sure everything was okay, so after a few minutes I was good!  I was so nervous that I would hurt him or something, because they boys still seem so fragile to me! But they're pretty tough and he handled everything great!  I also got to dress him and attempt to feed him after his bath, but since he went through kind of a lot in such a short time, he wasn't taking to his feeding too well, so I put him back in his crib, and he received the remainder of his food through his NG tube!  Nicholas did great last night feeding though, at his 3am and again at 6am he took the full 34ml through a bottle, which the nurse said was very good for his development stage!  Normally they look to give them a bottle every few feedings, but the nurses were reading his queues and he wanted that bottle!!!  This was very encouraging news, so I wasn't disappointed that he didn't want the bottle I was giving him! I also got to take Nicholas temperature today for the first time, I got it on try one and he was holding strong at 98.2!!!

Joseph got a bath from Mommy again today, she's an old pro at it, just took over and made it look so easy!  Kalleigh might need to watch me take the boys temperature because it took her three times to get it right for Joseph!!!  In all reality she did great, and he was holding his temp at 98.1!   Joseph still remains on his micro flow oxygen receiving about .5 liters of air per minute, but the nurses and doctors weren't discouraged at all by that.  Joseph went through a little more than Nicholas, so it will take him a little longer to come off of the oxygen.  Joseph also took two feedings in a row by bottle last night!!! I can only imagine what it's going to be like when they're both hungry at the same time when they come home!!!

With that being said, when we were speaking with the doctor today, for the first time he brought up a possible time frame for the boys to start coming home!!!!  Of course this is very preliminary but the doctor stated that if all continues to progress the way it has over the past few weeks, he can realistically see them ready to come home in 2-3 weeks!!!!!  Kalleigh and I were overjoyed to hear this and nervous at the same time, because we want to make sure they are good and ready to come home, but we know the doctors will make the best decision for the boys!!  We were also very cautious with our excitement because we know that things can change in a matter of seconds and the boys stays could be longer than we had ever hoped!  Right now the only thing we care about is the boys' health, and as long as they remain stable, progressing in their development, and gaining weight, Kalleigh and I couldn't be happier!!! 

Joseph says, "Good morning Mommy!!!"

Dad giving Nicholas his first bath!!! I think he looks pretty happy!!!

Drying off!!!

Look at Joseph's hair!!! Sleepy after his bath!!!

Day 55!!!

Okay, I'm back on track after a few off days, some of you know what I'm talking about, but now back to solid updates on our two growing boys!!!  As you can tell from last nights brief update Nicholas is now over 4lbs!!! He hit the 4lb mark on Wednesday night on the mark, and last night he put on 75 grams to bring him to the 4lb 2.75oz!!!  As you can remember from Joseph he is now able to go into an open crib, and as of last night around 2:00 am he is in his new "open air" home!!!  The fact that both of our boys are now out of their incubators is an amazing accomplishment to this point and a wonderful milestone for our family!!!

Nicholas, aside from growing at a great pace has been doing great with his breast feedings, and last night I got to bottle feed him for the first time!!!  I must say it's not as easy as one may think!!!  With Vince it was pretty easy, give him the bottle, burp him in between, and continue until he's done, then burp again, simple enough right?  Well with Nicholas I have to first hold him so he is on his side, almost like carrying a football, then you have to give him the bottle a certain way so he can pool the milk in his cheeks and swallow, instead of swallowing directly because he could choke!  I then have to count the number of sucks he makes at the bottle and then give him a break in between to let him breathe, but I can't remove the bottle because he'll have to start the process all over.  Burping him is another task that I have yet to master properly, although after a few tries I got one good one out of him, but I'm so scared to "tap" his back with fear of hurting him!!! The nurse said I had such a nice rhythm going and was being too gentle that I was putting him to sleep!!! But finally he did his thing and continued eating.  It's amazing because basically he's learning how to eat properly!  I was pretty nervous needless to say, but he was able to take 32ml out of the whole 34ml that he is on from the bottle while I was feeding him!!!  Nicholas remains off of his oxygen, but the nurses said don't be surprised if he has to go back on while learning to eat because it's a taxing on their little bodies and he may not have the strength to handle everything yet, but so far so good!!!

Joseph is one fast growing little baby!!! I can't believe that he is nearing 5lbs, in such a short period of time!!!  Joseph was able to breast feed yesterday as well, and he also was being helped by the speech therapist.  Why a speech therapist for a preemie you ask?  I was thinking the same thing, but apparently the speech therapist is able to help the boys develop their sucking reflex properly!!!  I tried to feed Joseph last night but he wasn't having the bottle and started to have episodes when we made the attempts, so instead Grandma G. got to hold him while he got his feedings through his NG tube!!!  Joseph is now up to 37ml of breast milk every three hours, and we are hoping by next week he hits that 5lb mark!!! 

Both boys will be receiving their third dose of the epogen today for their anemia, and so far so good, but we'll continue to monitor their progress!!! To this point both of the boys' Grandmas have gotten to hold Joseph, and Grandma G. has gotten to hold Nicholas too.  It's nice to see the Grandmas able to hold the boys, and next we'll need to get the Grandpas involved, but I know at least Grandpa G. is a little nervous, but we'll get him to do it!!!  Due to some unforeseen circumstances I had to take a few days off of double push ups, but was back at it this morning with 110, so hopefully if you're continuing to participate you feel great!  

Joseph with Grandma for the first time, just chillin' during his feeding!!!

My first attempt at feeding Nicholas!!! I'm calling it a success!!!

Nicholas with NO TUBES!!! His NG tube went back in after though :(

Remember this on my wrist!!! Joseph is growing!!!

Yes he loves his Daddy!!! (It said I love Mommy too FYI)

The Boys together!!!

Day 54!!!!

Sorry for the late post but were still at the hospital!!!  Lots of good things happening!  Will post early tomorrow or late tonight!  Quick note Joseph is 4 lb 11.25oz and Nicholas is 4 lb 2.75 oz!!!

Day 53!!!

So I'm having Internet issues at the house and I'm not going to do a big update from my phone!!! A few big points today, Nicholas and Joseph both got to bottle feed, and Kalleigh got to help!!!  I'm hoping tomorrow or the next day I get to feed the boys too!!!  I'll update pictures tomorrow of the big event today!  We haven't heard the weights tonight as of right now, but were hoping Nicholas is over 4lbs!  There was also a correction on Joseph's weight, he was 4lb 7 oz last night, not 4lb 9oz!!!  Sorry for the short update but my thumbs are tired!!!  Goodnight everyone!!!

Day 52!!!

There are a lot of good things happening with the boys on a daily basis now it seems!!!  Today was a big day for Joseph.  He was able to breastfeed like a champ for about 10 minutes!!!  That is a really good sign, and they will continue to try and have him breastfeed at least every other day right now until he gets used to it, then they will try everyday.  This is a big step because one of the requisites for the boys to come home are them feeding orally!!!  Kalleigh was also able to give Joseph his first real bath today!!!  She said he was so good and relaxed during it, and it was so heartwarming to be able to do it for him!!  Joseph also took a big jump on his weight up to 4lb 9oz!!!  We are a little worried about that weight gains since it's so significant (about 120 grams) but we will wait on the reading tonight to verify!  Other than that he is still on the micro flow but doing really good, and hopefully he will come off of the oxygen assistance by week end!

Nicholas is also doing really well!!! He didn't get a chance to try breastfeeding today though, he was passed out and really comfortable so the nurses and Kalleigh didn't want to wake him.  He will get his attempt on Thursday.  Nicholas is weighing in at 3lb 14oz, so hopefully tonight he makes it to 4lb so they can try putting him in an open crib like his brother!!!  Nicholas remains off of his oxygen and is doing great on his own!!! 

Both boys will continue to receive their epogen treatments tomorrow, and hopefully we can avoid another blood transfusion!  Other than the anemia issue, which again is very common for preemies, there hasn't been any real set backs, and their progress continues not only to impress us, but the doctors and nurses as well!!!

Joseph getting hi f