Complications and hurdles galore

December 26, 2007
Hello everyone. Today we went to Aiden's eye appointment and the doctor has discovered he has developed a disease called Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). Which means that the retinas are not fully developed. Some of his blood vessels in the immature part of his retina have developed abnormally. Right now the doctor said he is in stage 3 moderate. It could need laser treatment so we have to go back on the 4th to see if it has progressed. His type of ROP can lead to retinal detachment and permanent loss of vision that is not treatable by glasses laser or surgery. If it has progressed then they will do laser surgery and stop the growth the blood vessels and then he will have nearsightedness. So if everyone can please lift Aiden up in your prayers. This little man has been through so much and he has beat so many odds. It goes to show how well prayer pays off.

December 29,2007
Good evening everyone. We have yet another hurdle to jump. Last night I was at the ER at Children's with Aiden. He has some fungal issues around the site of his ostomy as well as a stoma hernia. These can happen since a potential site of weakness is formed with the stoma site. The surgeon is not too concerned with the hernia, but he did say that Aiden will be ready for surgery soon. We go on the 25th of January to see the surgeon and he will then let us know what the plan is. The hernia is not painful, but it can be uncomfortable when he lays on his belly or on his right side (the side where his stoma is). But to help him developmentally we have to allow him time on his sides and belly. As always, I will keep everyone updated.

December 30, 2007
This evening has been pretty laid back. The boys got their baths and are now settling down for the night. When we changed Aiden's ostomy, we noticed that his hernia has grown in size since Friday evening. But the discomfort has not changed any so we are not too worried. Nate has a cough :( If it doesn't clear up by tomorrow I am going to call his doctor and see what he thinks. What true blessings my boys are.

Strong Tiger and Brave Lion

My two beautiful God sent gifts are now home. Aiden was discharged late this afternoon after spending 78 days in the RCNIC. This day has been filled with laughter, joy, and tears. I don't think I can even describe it in words. So I will leave you with these two pictures of Aiden Christopher and Nathaniel Jacob Wilkinson. Let the fun begin....

Tonight I come bearing wonderful news

December 13, 2007
Aiden will be home no later than Wednesday of next week!!!! He has been doing so well with his feeds, he is now on cue based feeding and it is all by mouth. Tomorrow around 2pm they plan on taking out his feeding tube for good! Hallelujah! Our little men will be together once again, soon.. very soon!

Nate had his high risk appointment today to see how he is doing developmentally, and they said he looks great, you can barley tell he is a preemie. He has also gained some significant weight. He weighs 5 lbs 3 ounces! Aiden is now at the 4 lb mark! YAY for growing healthy beautiful God sent boys!

I want to thank each and everyone of you for all of your prayers, thoughts, and love. It means so much to our family to have so much support. I will have pictures for everyone as soon as they get home! Then the fun begins!

Good news!!!!

December 11, 2007
I just received an email from Aidens nurse, and he has taken 2 whole bottles by mouth today! She said here in the next few days she thinks they will put him on cue based feeds... which means his coming home party is not too far away! It sounds like him being home for Christmas is more realistic than we thought! YAY!!

The joy continues

December 3, 2007

So we are over 48 hours into Nate being home, and we couldn't be happier. Well I take that back, we could be happier if Aiden was home as well.... but it is going to be a while for him. Kyle went down today to see him after school and Aiden had not peed for the day yet. So again another time we will pray for a body function. He is still not showing interest in taking his bottle. He is our lazy boy and would rather everyone else do it for him. Nate is adjusting well to be home, but he is a very loud sleeper. Constantly cooing and grunting, which is very reassuring to us since he has had problems with not breathing in the past. Being so tiny I run to him every time he cries not wanting him to be "alone". Which I know I need to get over that quick because I am not going to be able to be there for both of them all the time, and I can not shield them from everything. I am learning to sleep when he sleeps some of the time during the day. Kyle and I are taking shifts with feeds. One of us will do the 12am and 3am feeds and the other will do the 6am and 9am feeds. This way we can at least get a few hours of sleep as a block of sleep instead of our sleep being broken up into 3 hour intervals. It seems to be working well, so hopefully it works when Aiden comes home as well.

NATE IS HOME!!!!

December 1, 2007

YAY! We were able to bring Nate home today! Sadly his brother had to be left behind at the hospital. Other than it being a very emotional day, things are going well! Nate blew out a whole diaper, it went up his back and almost ruining his come home outfit (thank you Tonni). But the good thing is he is pooping! That has been a problem. His first feeding went well here at home, just some minor reflux spit ups. I attached a picture of our dog Emma Jean trying to be mommy with Nate, she loves him already!

Nate is coming home!!

So this is one of the days we have been waiting for! Nate will be coming home on Saturday or Sunday! They switched his formula today so they have to make sure that he is tolerating it and then he can come home! Hallelujah Praise the Lord!!!

Aiden is doing well. They took him off of oxygen today and he is tolerating it just fine. He is still not gaining weight and he is also not maintaining his temperature. They had to bring in a heat lamp to put over him to help with that.

I am not sure if I am going to be able to keep in contact too much the first few days because it is going to be a bit chaotic trying to figure out how to balance Aiden being at the hospital and Nate being home. But as soon as I can I will get new pictures out of him here at home tube wire and hospital free!

Wordless Wednesday

Transitioning to home

November 27, 2007

Aiden and Nate

The old RCNIC

New private room

Amie (one of the best nurses we have had) moving them to their private room

HEY there! The boys are doing great... so well in fact that they moved them into a private transitioning to home room today! So we have our own little private room where we can even stay the night and take a shower if we would like! Nate is coming home very soon! Starting today he is on cue feedings, so he gets fed every 3 hours, but if he wakes up and seems hungry before then they will feed him. In the nest few days they should be able to take his feeding tube out as long as he is gaining weight and taking his feeds just fine by bottle. Aiden has had some troubles trying to gain weight. They have upped his calories and we are hoping with not having any distractions since we are in a private room will also help his weight gain.

We are praying for poop again. Nate has been having problems with pooping. He was given a suppository in hopes of some return. They are going to also start him on prune juice to help with his stools. Poor little guy can't catch a break!.

SO we are closer and closer to coming home! I plan on taking the car seat in for Nate so we can do his car seat challenge (that is where he has to sit in his car seat for 20-30 min to make sure he can handle it). I also need to do my infant cpr and watch a few videos. One of my little men could be home by the end of next week maybe sooner!!!

Homeward Bound!

Hello everyone! I hope you had a great turkey day! Things are great at the Wilkinson/McLane/Clark house! Today they moved them into a regular crib! I got to feed both Aiden and Nathaniel from a bottle :) Nate is taking 4 of his feeds from a bottle and the rest will be in gavage feeds by gravity. (they put the feed in a small syringe and let it drip down his feeding tube) Aiden is now taking 1 feeding a day with a bottle, today being the first day, and the rest of his feeds are going to done with a pump that is hooked up to his feeding tube that will go over a half hour. They bumped up Aidens calories so he can gain some more weight since he is behind in his weight gain. Aiden weighs 3lbs 2oz (which is 1lb 4 oz more than when he was born) and Nate weighs 4lbs 1oz (which is almost 2 pounds more than when he was born). The Resident doctor told me today that as long as Nate does well on his feeds today and tomorrow that he will go to on cue feedings. That means when Nate wakes up and seems hungry, they will feed him, just like here at home. The doctor also said Nate will be home in 2 weeks or less! It is time to freak out! Aiden will be only a week or 2 after him. Their goal is to get them both home by Christmas. Exciting news! I will keep everyone updated and I will make sure I have some new pictures tomorrow!

Our Hollywood Debut

November 18, 2007
So the boys and I had our Hollywood debut today lol. Seriously though. There is a new reality television show coming out called Clash of the Choirs. It is going to be airing on NBC starting Dec 17-20 starting at 8pm. Basically they have picked 5 stars to go back to their home towns and start a choir. Michael Bolton, Patti LaBelle, Nick Lachey, Kelly Rowland and Blake Shelton. Since Nick grew up here in Cincinnati and his brother was a preemie I guess he felt moved by the work Children's Hospital does. I mean look at my boys and how well they are doing for kids who were not supposed to make it who wouldn't be moved by the work they do? Any who, the 5 choirs will compete against on another to win $250,000 to go toward each starts charity or cause. Nick picked Cincinnati Children's Hospital. The beds that our boys are in and most preemie babies start in is a Giraffe Omni Bed. They cost $45,000 a piece! So with having an over populated RCNIC sometimes, they can be in need of extra beds, so that is what Children's is going to us the money for if Nick wins! They needed a family to be filmed to not only show these beds but to show the good that these beds can do for preemie babies like Nathaniel and Aiden. So he asked me questions about what the hospital means to me and my family and what they have been able to do for us. Nick was on Aiden's side of the bed and I was on Nate's side of the bed while we talked about them and the struggles our family has been through since I was pregnant up until the obstacles they are over coming now. It was very emotional and Nick was a very nice guy and we talked about the boys and our family before and after shooting which was pretty cool. I am posting a picture with this, but you will have to watch the show and vote for Nick to win so that Children's can get this money to help out other preemie babies!!!! Plus you can see my beautiful boys!!

The boys are doing great! Aiden is going to be coming off of his oxygen by tomorrow and they have both been gaining weight pretty well. They now are just working towards taking their feeds over a shorter period of time and then eating from a bottle. The surgeon said Aiden will come home with his colostomy bag and will have his second surgery late January early February. I spoke to the resident doctor today at rounds and he said that the boys will be home the 2nd or 3rd week of December! CRAZY TALK! I am so happy for them to come home but scared at the same time! Please keep us in your prayers!

Exciting stuff here people

November 15, 2007
SOOOO..... Nate is no longer on oxygen and they are now sharing the same bed!!!! I have pictures here for everyone of Kyle and I holding them together. I got to hold them for about an hour and a half and I feel asleep twice lol. Kyle got to hold them for about an hour.

Amazing pictures, Amazing babies, Amazing news!

November 14, 2007
Today was another amazing day with the boys! So Nate is going to be off of the nasal canula by tomorrow! And tomorrow morning... they are going to co bed the boys!!!!! Finally they will be right back where they need to be!!! TOGETHER! I am so excited! God is truly amazing!

Erin visited with us today, and she took some wonderful pictures of the boys and I. True art.

Aiden is in the stripes and Nate is in the blue

Aiden is almost tube free!!

November 12, 2007
Today they took out Aiden's ventilator tube! He is now on High flow nasal canula. It was a big day for him and us, so of course I took pictures! I took some of him before during and after. You can see where he is actually trying to push away the little oxygen mask, he is tired of things being hooked up to him, but can you blame him? He has gorgeous plump cheeks and a cute little mouth. He yawned and smiled a bunch as to say he was glad to get rid of the tube in his throat.

Big day for Big brother

November 10, 2007

Adam and Nate Adam and Aiden

Today was a big day for Adam. He got to hold Nate for the first time today. May I say there were tears in my eyes. He was excited to hold him and after he did, he went over to talk to Aiden about some kids at school, Christmas and our dog. So he is getting really excited about the boys and them coming home when they do. He said he can't wait for Christmas... you wanna know why? Not the presents... he wants his brothers to be home. That's what he said today while at the hospital when we were talking to the doctor and the nurse. I thought it was way too cute. Of course there are pictures. They also dressed Aiden today, he only had a little shirt on but it was cute. Nate has been dressed for about a week now :) Both boys are still doing very well! I will keep everyone updated!

Hesitant

November 7, 2007
I have been a little hesitant to send out an update. The boys have been doing great, I mean great! Aiden weighs 2lbs 14 1/2 ounces and is 14 1/2 inches long. Nate weighs 2lbs 13 1/2 ounces and is 15 inches long. Aiden is feeding 8cc's every hour and his target feeding are 8.2 cc's every hour, so he is doing very well! Nate just started back on his feeds not too long ago since the scare of him possibly having NEC, but he is feeding 3cc's every hour with his target feeding being 8.22cc's also. PRAISE THE LORD! I want to thank everyone for all the thoughts and prayers that have covered us and our boys.

Prayers are needed again

November 1, 2007
There is a possibility that Nathaniel might have NEC also. His belly has been distended for a couple of days now, and they have stopped his feeds and ran a PIC line late last night "just in case". He is now on TPN and LIPIDS for nourishment. His x-ray at noon showed some bubbles in his belly, but they were lower than when Aiden started having problems. They might have to intubate Nathaniel because the nasal canula can sometimes cause bubbles in their bellies. I am not sure if I can go through this with both of my babies. Please keep them and us in your prayers.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Aiden and Nate in their Lion and Tiger costume

Adam was a Ninja!

Aiden a bit tuckered out He is a Lion hear him ROAR

Nate as a tiger

October 31, 2007
So Kyle and I had an idea to make the boys their first Halloween costumes, but since we haven't really had time to do so, nor are we to creative we let Grammie make them and we supplied her with the goods. Here are the pictures from today while wearing them :)

By the way the boys are doing well. Nate's belly was quite bloated so they took an x-ray and his belly is just a little distended and is full of a little gas so they decided to stop his feeds and wait for his belly to go down. (Tonni so you can giggle a little for today, pray that he releases some gas lol) Aiden is doing well, and they started his feeds again today! He is now taking 1cc every 3 hours.

Update

Nate always has to cuddle something

Aiden a few days after surgery
still retaining some fluid
October 30, 2007
Aiden is doing much better, and they are talking about feeding him again here in the next few days. Nate is also doing well and is tolerating his feeds since they bumped him up to 23 cc's every 3 hours. Aiden weighs 2lbs and 15 oz, and Nate weighs 2lbs 9.5 oz. I will keep everyone updated.

We got to hold Aiden today!!

Kyle, Kat, and Aiden

Momma Kitten holding Aiden for the first time

Aiden a few days after sugery

Still a little puffy

Nate holding his own stretching out

October 25, 2007
Well everyone, I want to thank you for praying for Aiden to pee! He has
been peeing so well they took out his catheter and he even wet through his
diaper, snuggly and his bedding today! So hopefully since his kidneys have
started to work again, some of the excess fluid (that you can see in the
pictures) will start moving out of his tissues into his blood stream so he
can start getting it out of his body. His lungs look great and the PDA
valve that they were worried about looks small to moderate meaning he won't
have to have surgery pending any future problems! PRAISE GOD! I hope everyone enjoys the pictures!

Aiden needs your prayers

October 24, 2007
Just got home from the hospital not too long ago, and He is not doing well still. Over night last night he had gotten worse. Since Sunday he has gained 15oz in excess fluid weight. He is in acute renal failure meaning his kidneys have stopped working. His PDA valve that had been closed with medicine last week is now open again due to all of his extra fluid build up. They have done an ultra sound and it looks like all the fluid is building up in his bowel and stomach walls. Right now there is not much they can do for him. The surgeons are watching him carefully in case they have to go in and surgically place a draining tube into his abdomen. But that is last resort right now. Prayers are still needed. It is odd to ask, but please pray that he pees. I will keep everyone in touch with updates.

Brothers reunite!

October 22, 2007
Hello all! Aiden is doing well, he is just now coming out of sedation.
They had to redo his PIC line (centralized line that goes straight to
his heart) because it was getting too close to his heart. But other
than that he is great

The awesome news of the day is that tomorrow morning they will be
moving Nate over to children's to be with his brother! I am so excited
to have my boys back together! We will miss UC since we have become
close to a lot of the nurses and doctors, but this way we won't wear
ourselves out so much going back and forth. Plus we will have Linda
Wallace right there with us at Children's! I will be sure to keep
everyone updated as soon as we find anything else out.

October 22, 2007
When I called the RCNIC at 11, they told me that Aiden is still stable and has been sleeping ever since surgery. So there is not much to tell at this time, but I promised I would update everyone as soon as I called them tonight. Nate as before is coasting right along and he is doing just fine, just missing his brother being next to him.

When I came across this, I can only think of my mother being the angel up in heaven
that helped God pick me to be the mother of two beautiful preemies. Praise God for that.


~*~How Preemie Moms Are Chosen~*~
(Erma Bombeck)

Did you ever wonder how the mothers of premature babies are chosen?
Somehow, I visualize God hovering over Earth, selecting his
instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he
observes, he instructs his angels to take notes in a giant ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron Saint, Matthew.
Forrest, Marjorie, daughter. Patron Saint, Celia.
Rutledge, Carrie, twins. Patron Saint...give her Gerard. He's used to
profanity."
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles.
"Give her a preemie." The angel is curious. "Why this one, God?
She's so happy."
"Exactly," smiles God.
"Could I give a premature baby a mother who knows no laughter? That
would be cruel."
"But does she have the patience?" asks the angel.
"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she'll drown in a sea
of self-pity and despair.
Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it.
I watched her today. She has that sense of self and independence so
rare and so necessary in a mother.
You see, the child I'm going to give her has a world of its own.
She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."
"But Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."
God smiles. "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect She has
just the right amount of selfishness."
The angel gasps, "Selfishness?! Is that a virtue?"
God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally,
she will never survive.
Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect.
She doesn't know it yet, but she is to be envied.
She will never take for granted a spoken word.
She will never consider a step ordinary.
When her child says momma for the first time,
she will be witness to a miracle and know it.
I will permit her to see clearly the things I see--
ignorance, cruelty, prejudice--
and allow her to rise above them.
She will never be alone.
I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life
because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."
"And what about her Patron Saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in
the air.
God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

Day of surgery and confusion

October 21, 2007
Aiden had to have surgery today. It literally formed and took over over night. He had what is called NEC, I explained it previously. They took out 15 cm of his large intestine and his IC valve (the valve that connects the large intestine to the small intestine). He was moved to Cincinnati Children's Hospital and the surgery lasted about an hour and a half. This morning I had went to church to drop off Adam since I couldn't and wouldn't take him with me to see his sick brother taken off to surgery. So when I walked in and told Tonni, she immediately took me down front for prayers. It was such a wonderful thing to know how many people are praying for us, but to feel everyone's hands placed on me, just to be in prayer. I felt God's hand on me the most during those few minutes. Words can not even describe what that felt like. Kevin drove me to the hospital and prayed over Aiden before surgery. He also stayed until the surgeon came out to give us an update. We don't know too much as of right now, but I will keep everyone updated.

Prayer is needed yet again

October 20, 2007
Hello everyone. This morning I got a call from the doctors at the NICU about Aiden. At 8:30 am his stool was bloody. Being a big concern they took an x-ray of his belly and chest. Good news is his lungs have cleared tremendously! But it looks like his bowels are sick. It is called Necrotizing Enterocolitis ( NEC for short).

I am unable to explain it, so here is what the medical journal has to say about it, and it is the same thing that the doc's have told us. "Necrotizing" means the death of tissue, "entero" refers to the small intestine, "colo" to the large intestine, and "itis" means inflammation. NEC typically occurs within the first 2 weeks of life, usually after milk feeding has begun (at first, feedings are usually given through a tube that goes directly to the baby's stomach). About 10% of babies weighing less than 1,500 grams (3 lbs., 5 oz.) experience NEC. These premature infants have immature bowels, which are sensitive to changes in blood flow and prone to infection. They may have difficulty with blood and oxygen circulation and digestion, which increases their chances of developing NEC.

They had to put Aiden back onto the ventilator because he was having difficulty breathing. This poor little guy is stressed with the 9 needle sticks trying to get the IV line in place so they could do a blood transfusion because his hemoglobin is down and he would need blood because his levels were down due to the bloody stool he had earlier this morning. They did a simple ultra sound to find out that he had a few spots near his liver in his intestines that had small pockets of air. They have stopped his feeds for 5-7 days and they started him on two antibiotics. They have not found any perforations, and his liver looks normal. He had another ultra sound at 4pm and it looked like nothing had changed. They are doing another ultra sound around 12-12:30 tonight and will call me with the results. If the antibiotics do not work, they might have to do surgery.

These last few hours have been very tiring and upsetting. I keep trying to remind myself that he is in good hands, but there have been moments where it has been hard.

Nate is doing very well. He is up to 14cc's every 2 hours on his feeds and has dropped in pressure on his nasal canula which is amazing. They are very optimistic on him being home in about 6 weeks.

Prayer is needed. I am not one to ask for prayer on myself very often, but strength is something I am laking right now and I am almost to the point of a break down. Kyle is not too sure on how to deal with things, but he is putting me and other things in front of himself, and not worrying about himself the way he should.

Prayers have been working

Aiden on the bubble cpap

Aiden looks like a piggy here

Nate right before he gets to eat

Nate getting fed

Nate right after he ate... look at that grin

October 17, 2007
They are doing well, Nate has been off the bubble cpap for over a week now and is still on the nasal canula (old man's oxygen). Aiden is doing better. Both of the babies had heart murmurs, but they were worried about Aiden's valve not closing. So they stopped his feeds 48 hours ago and started him on iv nutrition and meds to help close the valve. Today they did another echo on him and found that the meds worked and it has closed the valve! They never were able to get a centralized iv line in Nathaniel, but the iv line that they had hep locked in case they needed it, the nurse took it out today because the nurse said their is no reason to have it in. Nathaniel is now at 12 cc's every 2 hours with breast milk and when they start Aiden back with food tonight at 6, the will only start him at 2cc's every 2 hours and build him back up. Thats where we are at right now....

We got to hold Nate today!

Proud Momma Kitten and Nate

Proud Daddy and Nate

Nate looking up at his momma

Nate snuggled with Daddy

October 11, 2007
Ok people things are doing very well!!! Both of the boys are off the over head billi lights and only Nathaniel is on the billi blanket only because they have been trying to get a centralized IV line in and they have not been successful so his billi count went up a little. Aiden is feeding every 2 hours and is getting 4cc's/ Nathaniel is getting 5cc's every 2 hours. Aiden is on the bubble cpap still, but they plan on trying him on the "old man's" oxygen in the next few days. Nathaniel is already on the "old man's" oxygen and is responding very well!

We got to hold Nathaniel today! He got to take off his sunglasses and hang out with mom and dad for a little bit. That is one of the most amazing feelings is holding your baby in your arms. Well it was more like we were swallowing the poor little guy since he is so tiny. He actually cried a little bit when we were moving him and he also looked up at me and kyle a couple of times. I got to pick him up out of his incubator and put him on my chest, and sit down with him for about 15 min, and then Kyle took him off of my chest and he went on to his and then he held him for about 15 min. After our time was up, Kyle was able to put him back into his incubator, and then I got to change his diaper for the first time! I never thought I would be so excited to change a diaper! Then I was able to turn him over on his belly so he could go back to sleep. Such an eventful day. There was a new little baby that was being admitted into the NICU so after we finished with Nate we were not able to go over and see Aiden due to privacy laws since they were talking about the other baby.

Praise the Lord

October 10, 2007
So today is another milestone in our little tykes lives. They are taking them completely off the billi lights and putting them on the heat blankets. They are also going to up their feeds again later today. They both are making great bowel movements and the urine looks good. Today while Kyle was down there, one of the nurses I guess "yelled" at him asking why he was not cuddling them yet. Meaning we can now put our hands in the incubators and put one hand on their bottoms and our other hand on their heads. I am excited. Kyle has a short class tomorrow so I think I am going to go down there and sit with them for an hour or so, but it depends on how I feel. They said we should be able to hold them by this weekend! Praise the Lord! I will let everyone know how tomorrow goes!

Doing well

Nathaniel being put back into his bed with the billi lights under his belly

Aiden tanning under his billi lights.

October 9, 2007
The boys are doing well, beyond expectations at this point. Both are off respirators and on c-pap. They are both receiving 3 ml of milk every 2 hours. Aidan is off of the billirubin lights(for jaundice.) Nathaniel is down to one billi light. I will keep everyone up to date as much as I can.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AIDEN AND NATHANIEL

Proud Daddy and Aunt Judy

Proud Momma


Aiden Christopher Wilkinson

Nathaniel Jacob Wilkinson

October 5, 2007
C-section went amazingly well! Nathaniel weighs 2lbs 2oz and is 13.38 inches long, and Aiden weighed 1lb and 14oz and is 12.99 inches long. They are doing pretty well they just took Nathaniel off the ventilator and he is now on c-pap, and Aiden is still on the ventilator. I will keep everyone updated!! There are pictures already!! More pictures and updates to come!!

Time of c-section

October 4, 2007
There is a c-section that is scheduled at 1:30pm for another patient, and they are fitting me in right after her. So it will be around 2:30-3pm when I go into surgery.

My prayer warriors, we need you. I will try and get an email and a post out soon after I get into recovery and start feeling any better. Tonni will be down here with me beforehand that way I can have her here to pray with us before I go into the c-section. I am not sure if she will be here afterwards or not, but I am sure she will get to you all and tell you what is going on.

Lots of love,
In His name,
Kat

Thier arrival is nearer than we thought

October 4, 2007
Good afternoon everyone. I come bearing some hard news not only for me
to tell, but for me to try and grasp. Our little fighters will be here
via c-section some time tomorrow. They are still in the process of
getting us an exact time, since they are scheduling us last minute.

We got our tour of the NICU today. We were able to see a baby that
was born yesterday and she weighed under a pound. Our guys are about
double her size, so they are to an advantage. I have been moved from my
super comfy room to an actual labor and delivery room. It is funny how
much larger this room is compared to the other rooms.

I am excited, yet very scared to see our little guys. They are truly
in God's hands, and he will do His will.

I will be here for 3-4 days after the c-section but I will be back
over in the Women's center, they are trying to save my room for me since
we already got settled in last night.

Prayers are needed full force right now. We have made it to the end
of this road, and now we have to journey down another road that will be
the road that carries our little boys and the adventures they will
endure.

I will keep everyone informed!

In His name,
Kat

Settled in

October 3, 2007
I am finally in my permanent room! I am at University Hospital still, level 3 Women's Center. My room number is 3231 and my phone number is 513-584-9326. For all the people who have been asking, now you know! It is so nice to be able to put my stuff in drawers, and I even have a closet! Kyle has a pull out bed that doubles as a couch, not so comfy but better than the recliner that only reclined half way he was sleeping in the last 2 nights. I have a DVD player and a vhs player which is nice. From what I understand I get to go down to the court yard as well, we will see. I think that I have another ultra sound tomorrow morning so I will keep everyone updated as usual.

In His name,
Kat

Yet again disgard the last post

October 3, 2007
Well in mid tears, after I returned to my washed out white hospital gown
resigning my regular comfy pj's, while the nurse was hooking me up to
the monitors the resident doctor walked in and told us that Dr. Saldana
had made a mistake in his report, and there in fact was NO reverse flow. 
After the doctor had came in to tell me that I was going to be
stuck in this room, and after I had burst into tears telling him I didn't
understand why Dr. Saldana was so pleased with the results and getting
us excited, why he would turn around and write something different in
the report the resident doctor called Dr. Saldana and had him review his
report for any errors.  But the difference of putting a NO in front of
reverse flow, I can see where that can be an easy mistake.  So now,
disregard my last post, the one that tells you to disregard the last one
lol.  

God is good, God is awesome, and he is holding my little guys hands
and setting them on the right path from the start.

Thank you guys again for your thoughts and prayers, and again sorry
for all of this wonderful confusion.  

In His name,
Kat

Disgard the last post

October 3, 2007
After Dr. Livingston looked at the ultra sound results there is still some reverse flow in the umbilical cord flow. So I am going back on the monitors and I am stuck in my little room. Right now I am finding it very hard to be positive, this has just been very frustrating,

Bearing good news

October 3, 2007
Well I blog to you folks bearing good news! The flow in Aiden's umbilical cord has went from reverse back to absent! That is wonderful news! This means that we are taking a step in the right direction. Praise the Lord! We are waiting to hear back from Dr. Livingston and his team on what our next steps are as far as me getting an actual room, to what the possibility of delivery any time soon is, and the next round of steroid shots.

It is so great to be able to give such great news, and I love all of the prayers and thoughts from each and everyone of you. Kyle has been here every night and is sleeping on a recliner that barely reclines, but he doesn't want to leave me alone here over night, bless his heart. I have not been able to see Adam yet, but hopefully he will be able to come down soon because mommy misses her little guy who is a soon to be big brother!

I will be sure to keep everyone posted on the progress on the boys and our little adventure here.

In his name,
Kat

Resident

October 5, 2007
I am now a current resident of University Hospital 's Labor and Delivery ward. Yesterday's ultra sound was not promising. Aiden's umbilical flow is reverse again. The estimated time when they are going to be here is about a week. I have internet access thanks to the Lovely Erin!! I will love emails, and if you would like to visit trust me I will not turn you down!!!! I will keep everyone updated!!

In His name,
Kat

Update from Calagaris

September 27, 2007
Hey there guys! I went to my regular OB yesterday and he said that he didn't see any measurements at all from the ultra sound. So I sat there and thought about it, and they didn't do any measurements at all yesterday! The only thing they did was took the blood flows in the umbilical cord, and heart and such.... So he said to not worry and wait until Monday when I go to see one of the normal doctors that sees me Dr. Saldana. Sad thing is the doctor we had yesterday Dr. Evans... he is the chief of doctors! Scary scary! So I will keep everyone updated, hopefully on Monday I can write and bring good news!

In His name,
Kat

Update on today's ultrasound

September 27, 2007
We didn't have our normal doctor's today at the ultra sound. Dr. Evans said that it seems like both boys have stopped growing. He said on Monday when we go to the ultra sound, their growth from 2 weeks ago will determine when we need to deliver. They can be here as early as next week guys. Please pray that he was wrong. Please pray that there is something he just is not seeing. He was paging Dr. Livingston (the doctor that did our surgeries) when we left. I go to see my Ob today at 2:45, so maybe he will have more news when we get there. These babies are not big enough to be born yet, they are too small. I don' even want to think about the percentages of survival. Right now, Aiden is only like 4th-6th percentile in growth right now, and Nathaniel our larger baby is dropping off as well Dr. Evans said. Our next ultra sound is on Monday at 9:30 am. Dr. Saldana the doctor that diagnosed us will be there, so that is comforting. In a case like this it is confusing to have so many "hands in the pot". I will let you guys know if we hear anything different from Dr. Calagaris today, or if Dr. Livingston happens to call. If not we won't know anything for sure until Monday.

In His name,
Kat


Psalm 18: 1-6, In my distress I called to the Lord, I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, my cry came before him, into His ears. 18:16, He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.

Ultra sound and Kyle's birthday

September 24, 2007
Today we had an ultra sound. Dr. Saldana the doctor that diagnosed us with the TTTS was at our ultra sound and he was very pleased with the babies overall health. Things are slowly starting to get better. Kyle said the only thing he wanted for his birthday was for his babies to still be "baking" and they are "baking" just fine :) Katie snuck me out of the house today so I could go and get Kyle a birthday gift and a card. Yes I was in a wheel chair, I did very little walking. But so far so good guys. Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts.

Update on the boys

September 21, 2007
Today we had an ultrasound and an echo. There was no change positive or negative. Which is not great but obviously it is not bad. The doctor said so far there is no reason I need to deliver right now, so we will wait another week. We are really going week by week now. He wants to wait at least 2 more weeks so the boys can gain some weight. Obviously if they are still doing well in 2 weeks, then e will still go week by week and determine if it is ok to keep baking them, or if it is better to bring them out so they can help them in NICU.

We are well over the 72 hour mark, which we didn't even think Aiden was going to make it past the 24 hour mark. Our babies are fighters thats for sure. So now, every Monday and every Thursday I have an ultra sound so they can monitor them closely.

Bed rest is getting a little boring, but it is going to make me gain weight which in turn will make our babies gain weight, so that is another sacrifice I am happy to make.

I am still a little bit sore from surgery, but they said it will take a little time for that to pass. The incision looks pretty good, the stitches are on the inside and those will dissolve, and there is basically super glue on the outside holding it together.

Everyone who has been bringing meals I would like to thank you so much. It is nice to know that we don't have to worry about when we are going to have time to go to the store or what we are going to have for dinner, and when Kyle is at work, that leaves Adam and I here and I am unable to stand for long periods of time, so me standing up to make a meal is not going to happen.

I will continue to keep everyone informed on our progress. I am just glad to be able to take time to sit and thank God over and over for standing up to the challenge of our true God sent miracles.

Home from sugery, 13 needle sticks and bed rest to boot

September 20, 2007
Hey everyone. Surgery went well. I am very sore, the incision is very small, but they passed over my uterus 3 times, so my insides hurt pretty bad. During surgery the doctors have found out that Nathaniel our larger baby has 85% of the placenta. Aiden the smaller baby only has 15%. They didn't think Aiden was going to make it over the first 24 hours while I was in the hospital after the surgery. I had surgery Tuesday morning, it started at 8am, and it ended around 11. After cutting all the ties between both babies (13 vessels total), as I said they were not sure if Aiden would make it the first 24, let alone 48 hours. Yesterday morning I had an ultra sound to see how the babies hearts, bladders, and other organs were working, and to see if Aiden was doing ok. My doctor was shocked with how well BOTH babies are doing. Since we found out 2 weeks ago, Nathaniel has went from 1lb 6oz to 1lb 9oz, and Aiden the smaller baby has went from only 1lb to 1lb 6 oz! He has gained 6 oz and Nathaniel has gained 3oz! God truly is amazing and is facing this challenge and holding my babies hands through all they have been so far. I came home yesterday afternoon since the doctor was so pleased with the outcome of the surgery. This morning Aiden was actually the one who woke me up by giving me a swift kick in my ribs :) Believe it or not, that is such a wonderful feeling when you are not sure the fate of your unborn child. Today I am 25weeks and 5 days. We really are taking everything day by day, and every minute counts with this. I have tons of new ultra sound pictures that I will have Kyle scan in for me since I am not to get up unless I need to use the bathroom, and when I do that I have to combine my trips to the fridge as well. I will keep everyone updated on progress of the boys, we have to have an ultra sound twice a week to check their health and development. We want to thank everyone for their love and support in this trying time.

xoxo
kat

Emergancy Surgery re-scheduled for tomorrow

September 18, 2007
Many of you know this and many are hearing this for the first time, the babies are suffering from something called TTTS (twin to twin transfusion syndrome) Which means the bigger of the twins is taking all of the nutrients. Last week the dr. did a minimally invasive proceedure that seemed to be working. Unfortunately, we found out today that Nathaniel, the larger of the twins has a thick heart wall, twice as thick as it was last week. The dr. has said that, for either of the babies to survive, they are going to have to do a more invasive surgery. It is scheduled for 6:00 tomorrow morning.

They are going to have to cauterize the blood vessels that the two babies are sharing to try to stop the TTTS. This has so many implications. If Aidan (the smaller twin) has less than 20% of the blood vessels, he isn't going to survive if they go through with the surgery. But, if they don't do it, neither twin will survive. Nathaniel's heart walls will continue to thicken and he'll go into heart failure.

The surgery is being done at Children's. After recovery, I will be transfered to University Hospital for observation. The surgery has a 20% chance of causing labor. The twins are at 25 weeks gestation.

Once allowed home, I will be on bedrest until delivery. I'll be allowed to come downstairs when I get up in the morning and stay there until I go to bed at night. I can get something to eat only when I am up to use the bathroom.

Many people keep asking what I need. It is not me that needs anything, it is my babies and my family that need prayers. That is what I need.

No Surgery!

September 16, 2007
Dr. Livingston was not at this one again today, but the lady who did it was very nice, and tried her hardest to get 3D pictures of the boys, but they were being stubborn as always. Good news is we don't have to have the surgery tomorrow! The fellow nurse called Dr. Livingston and gave him all the readings, and he is pleased and said he is seeing a positive change. We still have a 2 week window from now if we need to do the laser surgery as an emergency. But he thinks that the amniotic reduction is working for our case! The boys fluid levels were almost the exact same, which means that Aiden is producing fluid again, and Nathaniel is not putting out too much! That is such a relief! We go tomorrow for an Echo and an extensive ultrasound then we will meet up with the team of doctors again and see what they have to say about everything. I will post again tomorrow to let you know the news!

Iffy ultrasound

September 15, 2007
Today Dr. Livingston said he would be at the hospital with us while we have our ultra sound done, but he sent one of his partners to do it instead. We got there a little before 9am, and she didn't even get into the room until 10:45. She had an ultra sound, so we had to wait for her to get done and all. She got the umbilical cord flows mixed up and got our hopes up since it seemed as if Aiden's blood flow in his cord looked almost identical to what Nathaniel's looks like, well it turns out she had just mixed them up, and when we got the reading for Aiden's actual cord flow, there was no change good or bad. So we are still going to have the laser procedure done on Monday. I have to be at Children's Hospital at 6am, and it will take a few hours to do, and I have to stay over night. After this surgery, I am on strict bed rest, and that really scares me.

We have another ultra sound again tomorrow, so I will give everyone an update as soon as we get back.

We are home!!

September 14, 2007
So I was supposed to be in the hospital for 48 hours, but there was a positive flow difference in Aiden's blood flow in his umbilical cord. We had out follow up ultra sound today, and Dr. Livingston was happy with the positive change. I had a steroid shot yesterday and there was a nurse named Bob who was wonderful! I HATE needles, and when he gave me my shot it was in my left hip, he pinched me really hard and said okay I am going to pinch you a little your going to feel a sting, and I will wiggle the sting out, then you tell me when your ready for the shot. I said go ahead, and he let go and said good I already gave it to you. LOL. Food believe it or not is not that bad in the hospital and since I was on the Labor and Delivery ward, not only did I get to order from the regular menu, but they give you extras to choose from in addition! Today getting discharged took forever! I was pretty upset by it, but hey I am home, the babies are doing well and I am happy! We have another ultra sound tomorrow to make sure that he is still improving. I will let everyone know whats going on, now I am going to play some WOW and eat some fattening foods for my babies!

Hospital for 48 hours

September 13, 2007
They are admitting me for 48 hours at UC Hospital. They are going to administer steroids for the babies lungs in case of early delivery. I should have my cell on me, so you can get a hold of me that way. We are doing the laser surgery on Monday. There was no change in Aiden's (our donor baby) blood flow in the umbilical cord, so they are concerned about that. They will re evaluate me tomorrow and as well on Saturday to see if there is any change. I will get you guys updates as soon as I can.

Amniotic Reduction

September 12, 2007. We had our amnio reduction procedure today. They took off 1 and 1/3 liters of fluid from Nathaniel sac. I posted pictures of my belly I am literally half my size now after all that extra fluid is gone. All of the pressure that I was feeling on my cervix and where my stomach was so tight is because of all the exta fluid Nathaniel had around him. We have another ultra sound tomorrow to make sure that they are both producing fluid now not just one. I will keep everyone updated.

Fetal Care Center

We went and saw Dr. Livingston today at the Fetal Care Center in Cincinnati Children's Hospital. We found out that we are Stage 3A. There are 5 stages 1, 2 3 ab&c, 4 and 5. Tomorrow we are going to go ahead and do the amniotic reduction procedure. The babies hearts looked great, Nathaniel's (our recipient baby) heart wall was a little thicker than normal but not too much. But other than that the only concern they had was with Aiden (our donor baby) his end dialostic flow to the umbilical cord was abnormal. We will have the procedure tomorrow afternoon, and then an ultrasound Thursday, and then another echo on Monday and assess what else needs to be done from there. Thank you for all the prayers and thoughts.

Fetal MRI and such

September 7, 2007, we went at 8:30am this morning for a fetal MRI. It it took 45 min since the babies were moving so much. The big appointment is going to be sometime next week, I believe that it is going to be on Tuesday. Not much to report until they talk to us next week.

Roller coaster of a day

September 5, 2007 was one of the worst days in our pregnancy so far. This is my post from that day from my other blog.

Today we had our ultra sound and doctors appointment. I am 23 weeks and 5 days. The twins were diagnosed with TTTS Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome. www.tttsfoundation.org This is a great website that can explain it better than I can. But all in all, Nathaniel whom is on my left is larger then Aiden on my right. Nathaniel weighs 1lb 6oz, and Aiden only weighs 1lb. That doesn't seem like a huge difference but it is. Aiden only ha about 1/4 of the amniotic fluid and Nathaniel has the other 3/4. This is what we had been praying wouldn't happen. I am waiting to hear from the ultra sound techs to find out when we will go to the specialist at Children's Hospital. There I will have a full day of tests that will include an extensive ultra sound, heart echo's, possible MRI, and then we will meet with the board of Doctors and find out what all of our possible options are. Friday will be my last day at work, he no longer wants me to work. I am not on bed rest yet, but they will talk about those options as well during our visit to Children's.

It's a boy! X's 2!!!!

July 7, 2007 was a very interesting day for us! This was the first ultra sound that Adam was able to go to, and this was also the first ultra sound they were going to attempt to find out the sex of the Wilkinson twins. They said with twins that only being 15 a/2 weeks along we might not be able to find out if they were boys, girls, or one of each. But sure enough our BOYS are not shy! Kyle and I were not the only ones that were totally excited! Adam was totally relieved to find out that there would not be two little girls ruining his little world.

Now the important thing we needed to do was think of names for baby a and baby b. The cool thing with having both of them being the same sex, Kyle and I could each pick and agree on a name. After 3 days, low and behold Aiden Christopher(baby b) and Nathaniel (Nate, baby a) Jacob Wilkinson have been named!