Rachel continues forward as well with her progression toward coming home. Rachel is on 1/2 Liter of Oxygen, down from the 3/4 liter she had been on for a while. In order to have Rachel join us at home,she needs to be down to 1/4 of a liter of Oxygen. She is getting closer and closer. She seems to have handled the g-tube/fundo surgery very well. We hope that this is all she needed to push her forward towards home. We are ready to have our precious Rachel home with us and her sister. We hope Rachel will soon be able to start trying to eat from a bottle. We don't know when that will be, but Dr. Hernandez said yesterday that they will have O.T. start working with her on her oral motor skills this up coming week. Rachel does appear to be so much more relaxed since she had the surgery. She is now off the morphine they were giving her for the surgery. She is cruising along, and we are so grateful to Dr. Bloss for his abilities and his kindness toward us and our beautiful girls.
It has been a long road for both girls and we know it is now just starting at home. We know the road ahead is going to be long and stressful at times, but Thomas and I are up to the challenge. We will do anything for our little girls. They have gone through so much, but yet have come so far. We love them more than they will possibly ever know. We are so grateful that our Heavenly Father has allotted us the opportunity to be parents. We know that mistakes will be made, but we will do our very best to raise our girls the way that the Lord has intended us to raise them. We know that our greatest responsibilities lie within our home. Parenthood is a sacred gift given to us by our Father In Heaven. We hope and pray we will live up to our responsibilities as parents.
I am so happy that both girls are on the right path. I am sure it will be a relief when they are BOTH home! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteYou both no doubt are so well equipped by the Lord to parent both of your girls at home, it won't be long that the hospital stay will be nothing but a distant memory.
ReplyDeleteI am very happy for you as you begin this next phase. I wanted to share a resiource that might be useful: a support group called Preemies Today. They have a website and great message boards full of other preemie parents. I've just discovered this group and wish I'd known about it when my 23-weeker twins came home 3 years ago.
ReplyDeleteCourtney,
ReplyDeleteWow 23 weekers!! I did not know babies at this early gestation were saved. I am glad to hear that these micro premies have a chance. Just wondering how your twins made out? Are they healthy and developing normally?
The girls are so precious and what wonderful parents they have been blessed with. Thank you for sharing them. Your testimony strengthens mine.
ReplyDeleteContinuing to lift you guys up in prayer!
ReplyDeletebeautiful babies!! they will do better at home - something about being with mommy and daddy, i think.
ReplyDeletehopeing for Rachel to come home soon. love to you all.
Erma, Midvale Utah
Glad to hear Haley is getting use to her new surroundings. She doesn't know how lucky she has it at home with Mommy and Daddy. Continue to pray that Rachel will be going home soon as well. Again, thanks for sharing your beautiful daughters with the blogging world. Sherri
ReplyDeleteAre they willing at all to let her come home on a 1/2 liter? My son came home on 2 liters, and the hospital he was in had never sent a baby home on more than 1 liter, but for him it was going to take months (in his case, actually years) before he was able to get to that level. Also, if you're interested, there is a great online support group called Preemie Blog Moms here http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PreemieBlogMoms/ . Everyone is a parent of a micropreemie and it's a great support group. Congrats on Haley coming home and hope Rachel is right behind her!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear Rachel's doing so well, and Haley's settling in at home! I remember having 2 at home and 1 still in the NICU, and it is such a juggling act. It was so hard leaving the NICU, but the time did go by quickly. As far as the O2, our littlest guy had a really hard time coming down low enough to come home. He sat at 2L for a long time. What finally worked for him was a course of pulmacort. With that, he finally came down to 1/4L and came home. 3 mos later, he's now down to 1/16L. It definitely does get better! Hang in there mom and dad...you're doing a wonderful job! Keeping you all in prayer.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been by in awhile and am usually a lurker but wanted to pop on and say big congrats! 1 home and 1 getting so close. That is great. My twins just celebrated their 5th b-day but it seems like just the other day I was nervous to bring home my little preemies finally. You are truly an example to us all and these little girls are blessed to have such faithful parents. Enjoy! Loves from Arizona.
ReplyDeleteIm very happy for you. I know you would like to sleep a little bit more, but I'm sure you are happy. Rachel's progress will soon be enough for her to go home too. Then, the whole family will be finally together. I can't wait for that moment. I will continue to pray for all of you. Love, Claudia
ReplyDeleteI am so happy for you guys!! You deserve to have wonderful things come to you and your girls !!! I remember bringing my preemies home on feeding tubes and monitors and all that stuff and always worrying but now they are 20 months and busy, busy!! It does seem a lot to do with having many doctors appointments and Early Intervention coming in but it will settle down and a great routine will form.
ReplyDeleteEarly Intervention is wonderful and helped us A LOT !!
The girls are so sweet and cute!!