Family, Friends, Prayer Warriors,
With the exception of Jacob being fussy due to the lack of milk the last couple of days, having a pic line installed as a result of continuous veins blowing out, and blood drawn this evening, Jacob had a pretty good day. Sheri and I both agree when he is being held he seems to be the calmest, which I got to do this afternoon. Once he was put on my chest, all was right with the world for him regardless of what previously happened to him. Our plan for tomorrow is Sheri to hold him, while I hold Jordan. Poor little guy, he's had a hard time, but given the other scenarios that paint a heck of a lot worse, we are very proud of all the progress he has made. Today was also the third full day of assessment with the blood and urine culture, which came back negative again. The unofficial feeling is that the scare we had Wednesday was a mild blood infection; throughout these three days since starting the antibiotics, Jacob has not had any issues with his bowels. That lets us breathe a little easier. At any rate, with the antibiotics, it should knock out whatever it is that flared up Wednesday (and it was ruled last night that he will be on those for a full 7 days).
And Jordan is soaring with her progress. For her, the only thing that is holding her back is the CPAP difficulty. But, both of them have been placed on a 4% level CPAP as I previously mentioned, so that should help them with the transition back to cannula soon.
The official numbers for the whole day for both kids is:
Jacob -
4 wet diapers
0 dirty diapers (since he is not on milk, he will not have as many frequent bowel movements, and the ones he does have will be further spread out)
2 lbs. 7 oz.
TPN level 6.2
Lipids .7
1 brady episode
0 desats
vancomycin every 8 hours
tobramhycin every 24 hours
5 mg. daily caffeine
21 % Room Air, 4% CPAP
Jordan -
5 wet diapers
2 dirty diapers
2 lbs. 15 oz. (real close to the 3 lb. mark...yeaaah!)
1 brady episodes
0 desats
26 CC's milk
4% CPAP 21-24% FIO2
6.8 mg. caffeine
We'll have more information for you soon! We want to thank everyone for the sentiments, prayers and frequent visitors to the blog. We also want to thank God for his wonderful blessings he has placed on all of us including introducing us to some new friends; either people taking care of the twins or who we have met while we have been here. It's so amazing to see His endless love, and the connection that has been shown to us by comments posted, the increase of followers to our blog, and the endless notifications we get from family, friends, and prayer groups all over; we could not have come this far without the Lord and all of you! God be with us all!
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-26-10
Friends, Family & Prayer Warriors,
Day 2 for analyzing the blood and urine culture for Jacob continues to show negative. As each day goes by, we rest a little easier recognizing the progress he has made. He definitely is a fighter! Tonight as I was visiting with Melinda to get the report on both of them, Jacob at one point took his pacifier out of his mouth and hurled it across the incubator! Needless to say, Melinda and I had a little trouble getting him to settle down to sleep. To me, that's a good sign he is getting better in addition to the report indicators.
Jacob's official report for the whole day:
2 lbs. 6 oz.
5 wet diapers
0 stools (expected given he is getting the nutritional IV only)
0 brady episodes
0 desats
vanomycin every hours
tobramycin every 24 hours
TPN level 5.6
Lipids .7
Jordan is very close to the 3 lb. marker. Her official weight for this evening was 2 lbs. 14 oz. Way to go baby girl!
Jordan's official report for the whole day:
4 % CPAP 21% Room Air
0 brady episodes
0 desats
4 wet diapers
1 dirty diaper
24 CC's milk
daily dose of 6.8 mg caffeine for her heart development.
Mom, Dad and I got her kind of late this evening (I didn't get off work until after 6 pm), so sorry, no new pictures in the slideshow tonight. But this weekend promises to be very eventful with lots of visitors, so I'm sure we'll have a nice addition to the pictures for your viewing pleasure. Check back soon!
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
Day 2 for analyzing the blood and urine culture for Jacob continues to show negative. As each day goes by, we rest a little easier recognizing the progress he has made. He definitely is a fighter! Tonight as I was visiting with Melinda to get the report on both of them, Jacob at one point took his pacifier out of his mouth and hurled it across the incubator! Needless to say, Melinda and I had a little trouble getting him to settle down to sleep. To me, that's a good sign he is getting better in addition to the report indicators.
Jacob's official report for the whole day:
2 lbs. 6 oz.
5 wet diapers
0 stools (expected given he is getting the nutritional IV only)
0 brady episodes
0 desats
vanomycin every hours
tobramycin every 24 hours
TPN level 5.6
Lipids .7
Jordan is very close to the 3 lb. marker. Her official weight for this evening was 2 lbs. 14 oz. Way to go baby girl!
Jordan's official report for the whole day:
4 % CPAP 21% Room Air
0 brady episodes
0 desats
4 wet diapers
1 dirty diaper
24 CC's milk
daily dose of 6.8 mg caffeine for her heart development.
Mom, Dad and I got her kind of late this evening (I didn't get off work until after 6 pm), so sorry, no new pictures in the slideshow tonight. But this weekend promises to be very eventful with lots of visitors, so I'm sure we'll have a nice addition to the pictures for your viewing pleasure. Check back soon!
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
Friday, February 26, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-25-10
Friends, Family, Prayer Warriors:
Jacob continues to improve from yesterday's scare. His 6 am x-ray already is beginning to show signs of improvement and he has been very active today. The Power of Prayer compels you! God is Great! We are not out of the woods yet, but today's indicators are very much better than yesterday. I spoke with the doctor who had made the determination to stop the feeds and put Jacob on the antibiotics again this afternoon, and due to the first full day of observation on the blood and urine culture taken yesterday being negative, more blood and urine cultures will not be necessary at this point. If a positive indicator is revealed, then more blood and urine will be drawn and the course of action will be re-assessed. Given the progress made so far today and Jacob's behavior, the doctor is leaning towards the assessment of colitis, which would also explain the blood in yesterday's stool. The blood taken tomorrow from Jacob will be for scrutinizing Jacob's CRP (C-Reactive Protein) and CBC (Complete Blood Count) levels. Until the three days have come and gone, Jacob has good stools and is not showing signs of distress, and there is no indicator of infection shown in the cultures, the possibility of NEC cannot be taken off the table. Ultimately, the matter is in God's hands as it has always been, and his will be done.
In the meantime, Jordan continues to do very well. She had 7 wet diapers for the whole day, 5 dirty diapers, was 2 lbs. 12 oz. for the day, 2 lbs. 13 oz. for the night, 0 brady and desat episodes for the whole day, taking 24 CC's of milk, and is maintaining 5% CPAP and 22-23% FIO2 levels. Jacob has had 4 wet diapers all day, 1 large stool this afternoon, 0 brady or desat episodes for the whole day, and is holding at 21% Room Air and 5% CPAP, while continuing his IV feeds of lipids and Total Parenterial Nutrition (TPN, AKA vitamin supplements). He was 2 lbs. 4 oz. for today, and 2 lbs. 5 oz. for the evening.
One thing I would like to caution the readers of our blog on; the information I provide here is indicative of Jacob and Jordan only. As it is my hope to provide as much information as I can and give everyone the complete picture as my way of thanks for the dozens of notifications I have received for prayer groups and individuals, the experiences they encounter cannot and will not be relative to another baby or babies condition who might be going through the same concerns as they develop.
Lastly, I would like to draw your attention to the music playlist at the mid-bottom right of the website. For those of your computers who haven't experienced difficulties of viewing all the components of the website, I would like to point out the song I added to the playlist recently, "An Irish Blessing". This is an Irish melody and features Roma Downey, "Touched By An Angel's character Monica." It is a very powerful song, and has some verbal dictation by Roma Downey herself. Recommend you listen to it at least once. If you really like it, I encourage you to listen to a few other songs on the CD (called "Healing Angel"). If you go to Amazon.com and search this title, well let's just say, I think you will enjoy it.
We'll have more information for you soon!
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
Jacob continues to improve from yesterday's scare. His 6 am x-ray already is beginning to show signs of improvement and he has been very active today. The Power of Prayer compels you! God is Great! We are not out of the woods yet, but today's indicators are very much better than yesterday. I spoke with the doctor who had made the determination to stop the feeds and put Jacob on the antibiotics again this afternoon, and due to the first full day of observation on the blood and urine culture taken yesterday being negative, more blood and urine cultures will not be necessary at this point. If a positive indicator is revealed, then more blood and urine will be drawn and the course of action will be re-assessed. Given the progress made so far today and Jacob's behavior, the doctor is leaning towards the assessment of colitis, which would also explain the blood in yesterday's stool. The blood taken tomorrow from Jacob will be for scrutinizing Jacob's CRP (C-Reactive Protein) and CBC (Complete Blood Count) levels. Until the three days have come and gone, Jacob has good stools and is not showing signs of distress, and there is no indicator of infection shown in the cultures, the possibility of NEC cannot be taken off the table. Ultimately, the matter is in God's hands as it has always been, and his will be done.
In the meantime, Jordan continues to do very well. She had 7 wet diapers for the whole day, 5 dirty diapers, was 2 lbs. 12 oz. for the day, 2 lbs. 13 oz. for the night, 0 brady and desat episodes for the whole day, taking 24 CC's of milk, and is maintaining 5% CPAP and 22-23% FIO2 levels. Jacob has had 4 wet diapers all day, 1 large stool this afternoon, 0 brady or desat episodes for the whole day, and is holding at 21% Room Air and 5% CPAP, while continuing his IV feeds of lipids and Total Parenterial Nutrition (TPN, AKA vitamin supplements). He was 2 lbs. 4 oz. for today, and 2 lbs. 5 oz. for the evening.
One thing I would like to caution the readers of our blog on; the information I provide here is indicative of Jacob and Jordan only. As it is my hope to provide as much information as I can and give everyone the complete picture as my way of thanks for the dozens of notifications I have received for prayer groups and individuals, the experiences they encounter cannot and will not be relative to another baby or babies condition who might be going through the same concerns as they develop.
Lastly, I would like to draw your attention to the music playlist at the mid-bottom right of the website. For those of your computers who haven't experienced difficulties of viewing all the components of the website, I would like to point out the song I added to the playlist recently, "An Irish Blessing". This is an Irish melody and features Roma Downey, "Touched By An Angel's character Monica." It is a very powerful song, and has some verbal dictation by Roma Downey herself. Recommend you listen to it at least once. If you really like it, I encourage you to listen to a few other songs on the CD (called "Healing Angel"). If you go to Amazon.com and search this title, well let's just say, I think you will enjoy it.
We'll have more information for you soon!
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-24-10
Friends, Family, Prayer Warriors:
Today has been an eventful day for our little ones. As indicated yesterday, both kids were switched to nasal cannula in the second attempt to progress them to breathing on their own completely unassisted. While they both were off the CPAP for longer this time, at least 24 hours from yesterday, both are showing in their own unique way that they just are not ready to be off the CPAP completely quite yet. As I previously mentioned in posts past, this is a common happenstance for preemies, and as hard as it is, Sheri and I have to be patient and let the kids develop at their own pace.
Jordan indicated that she needed to go back on CPAP by having 5 brady episodes during the day and 1 brady episode during the late afternoon/early evening. Jacob's situation was a little more intense...I'll get to that in just a moment. For the official report for Jordan, she had 8 wet diapers for the entire day, 1 dirty diaper for the entire day, was between 21% Room Air and 24% FIO2, had 1 desat for the day, maintaining her daily 6.8 mg. of caffeine for her heart, 24 CC's of milk, weighed 2 lbs. 10 oz. for the day, and was 2 lbs. 12 oz. for the evening. With the exception of taking her off the nasal cannula and putting her back on the CPAP, that was about all the excitement Jordan had for the day.
Jacob however, is another story. His way of indicating he wasn't ready to be on nasal cannula yet was much more serious. In addition to having 6 brady episodes in the morning, during the afternoon Jacob began to show signs of irregular breathing by taking fast breaths and then holding them, and one of his afternoon stools showed a smear of blood. This was an indication to the nurse staff and doctors that there were signs of a building infection; Jacob was immediately pulled off of his feeding tube, switched back to IV supplements, ordered to get 8 hour doses of vancomycin and 24 hour doses of tobramycin, had one x-ray taken at 4 pm and then again at 6 pm, and had a blood and urine culture taken. The initial prognosis: Colitis, or worst case scenario, NEC (Necrotizing Enteriocolitis. NEC is the premature version of adult colitis (inflammation of the rectum and/or large intestine) and is very serious. Had Jacob just displayed the irregular breathing and the brady episodes, the doctors and nurses would have had chalked up the situation to being tired out from being off the CPAP and not ordered more x-rays and the antibiotics. The blood in the stool is what caught the doctor's eye. The x-rays, which are taken usually once a day to monitor bodily activity per the doctors orders (each incubator bed is equipped with one), also showed an abnormality. When an x-ray from two weeks past which Jacob was on full feeds and showing no signs of distress and the x-ray taken from today were held up together, Sheri and I could see a lot of white areas on today's x-ray. Dark spherical areas of different sizes and shape were explained to us to be healthy bowel movements. A lot of white on the x-ray translates into oxygen, and while the bowels need oxygen to maintain good functionality and you want to have some in there, too much is a concern and usually indicative of infection. These three symptoms (brady's, irregular breathing, and blood in the stool) and the x-ray taken at 3:30 pm made the call for the doctors to stop the feeds, bring in antibiotics and give Jacob bowel rest. The blood cultures and urine cultures were taken to assess how severe things had progressed to and were to be analyzed in the lab for three full days. After those three days, and if tests continued to show negative for infection, Jacob was doing better and he had a history of good stools, then the feedings would resume at the low end and eventually be brought back up to where he left off on the full feeds.
This thought and reaction process is what Hermann Hospital is known for; start off with the worse-case scenario and work your way out, eliminating the bad things first with the assessments and status, and has saved a lot of lives. For now, we are praying, and as we have been updated, you are praying for too for those we could contact through the chaos, that the results after the three days will be either nothing at all, or colitis. Colitis wouldn't be ideal but the alternative of NEC is something Sheri and I do not want to wrestle with at this point.
Jacob's detailed report record for the whole day is: 5 mg. caffeine, 20 cc's of milk before incident occurred, 6 dirty diapers, 8 wet diapers, 2 lbs. 5 oz during the day, and 2 lbs. 4 oz. during the evening.
Please continue to pray with us for the well being of our little miracles.
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
P.S. The answer to the trivia question from yesterday: Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show
P.P.S. the photos discussed in the 2-23-10 update have now been loaded into the slideshow. These are the ones that were taken with Sheri's camera while the photographers from The American Medical Journal were taking their photos for the April 2010 issue which will feature an expose' of Jordan and premature infants and care. Enjoy!
Today has been an eventful day for our little ones. As indicated yesterday, both kids were switched to nasal cannula in the second attempt to progress them to breathing on their own completely unassisted. While they both were off the CPAP for longer this time, at least 24 hours from yesterday, both are showing in their own unique way that they just are not ready to be off the CPAP completely quite yet. As I previously mentioned in posts past, this is a common happenstance for preemies, and as hard as it is, Sheri and I have to be patient and let the kids develop at their own pace.
Jordan indicated that she needed to go back on CPAP by having 5 brady episodes during the day and 1 brady episode during the late afternoon/early evening. Jacob's situation was a little more intense...I'll get to that in just a moment. For the official report for Jordan, she had 8 wet diapers for the entire day, 1 dirty diaper for the entire day, was between 21% Room Air and 24% FIO2, had 1 desat for the day, maintaining her daily 6.8 mg. of caffeine for her heart, 24 CC's of milk, weighed 2 lbs. 10 oz. for the day, and was 2 lbs. 12 oz. for the evening. With the exception of taking her off the nasal cannula and putting her back on the CPAP, that was about all the excitement Jordan had for the day.
Jacob however, is another story. His way of indicating he wasn't ready to be on nasal cannula yet was much more serious. In addition to having 6 brady episodes in the morning, during the afternoon Jacob began to show signs of irregular breathing by taking fast breaths and then holding them, and one of his afternoon stools showed a smear of blood. This was an indication to the nurse staff and doctors that there were signs of a building infection; Jacob was immediately pulled off of his feeding tube, switched back to IV supplements, ordered to get 8 hour doses of vancomycin and 24 hour doses of tobramycin, had one x-ray taken at 4 pm and then again at 6 pm, and had a blood and urine culture taken. The initial prognosis: Colitis, or worst case scenario, NEC (Necrotizing Enteriocolitis. NEC is the premature version of adult colitis (inflammation of the rectum and/or large intestine) and is very serious. Had Jacob just displayed the irregular breathing and the brady episodes, the doctors and nurses would have had chalked up the situation to being tired out from being off the CPAP and not ordered more x-rays and the antibiotics. The blood in the stool is what caught the doctor's eye. The x-rays, which are taken usually once a day to monitor bodily activity per the doctors orders (each incubator bed is equipped with one), also showed an abnormality. When an x-ray from two weeks past which Jacob was on full feeds and showing no signs of distress and the x-ray taken from today were held up together, Sheri and I could see a lot of white areas on today's x-ray. Dark spherical areas of different sizes and shape were explained to us to be healthy bowel movements. A lot of white on the x-ray translates into oxygen, and while the bowels need oxygen to maintain good functionality and you want to have some in there, too much is a concern and usually indicative of infection. These three symptoms (brady's, irregular breathing, and blood in the stool) and the x-ray taken at 3:30 pm made the call for the doctors to stop the feeds, bring in antibiotics and give Jacob bowel rest. The blood cultures and urine cultures were taken to assess how severe things had progressed to and were to be analyzed in the lab for three full days. After those three days, and if tests continued to show negative for infection, Jacob was doing better and he had a history of good stools, then the feedings would resume at the low end and eventually be brought back up to where he left off on the full feeds.
This thought and reaction process is what Hermann Hospital is known for; start off with the worse-case scenario and work your way out, eliminating the bad things first with the assessments and status, and has saved a lot of lives. For now, we are praying, and as we have been updated, you are praying for too for those we could contact through the chaos, that the results after the three days will be either nothing at all, or colitis. Colitis wouldn't be ideal but the alternative of NEC is something Sheri and I do not want to wrestle with at this point.
Jacob's detailed report record for the whole day is: 5 mg. caffeine, 20 cc's of milk before incident occurred, 6 dirty diapers, 8 wet diapers, 2 lbs. 5 oz during the day, and 2 lbs. 4 oz. during the evening.
Please continue to pray with us for the well being of our little miracles.
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
P.S. The answer to the trivia question from yesterday: Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show
P.P.S. the photos discussed in the 2-23-10 update have now been loaded into the slideshow. These are the ones that were taken with Sheri's camera while the photographers from The American Medical Journal were taking their photos for the April 2010 issue which will feature an expose' of Jordan and premature infants and care. Enjoy!
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-23-10
Family and Friends,
Today was an eventful day for the twins, as they had their first professional photo opportunity this afternoon! The American Medical Journal was visiting the NICU today, and the representatives asked Sheri if she would allow pictures to be taken of the twins and an article written on preemies, which would feature them! This information and pictures will be issued in the April '10 issue, which we will get a complete copy of the magazine (scrap book), and copies of the photos that were taken of both of them. At the same time of the interview and photo op today, Sheri also had taken some pictures with her camera, and we will make those available for viewing as well, very soon. Once we get the magazine and article, I will scan a copy and provide you with all the information if you wanted to go out and purchase a copy (sorry, only one freebie for us and that goes in their baby book).
I also got another education expansion on the workings of the oxygen rate for CPAP and nasal cannula and FIO2 (Fraction of Inhaled 02). As I understand it, in order for a preemie to be switched from nasal cannula back to CPAP (which does happen especially for preemies, but nothing to be alarmed with), two things must be taking place. 1 - the baby has to have a high flow ratio (this is the measured amount of oxygen that is transferred to the babies through the nasal cannula); a high flow is 2 liters or higher. 2 - the preemie needs to be at a FIO2 rate of 30% or higher. If both of these occurrences are happening, this is an indication that the baby needs more time on the pressurized CPAP to develop their lungs and breathing process more to release red blood cells, which gives our skin its pinkish color and indicates a good level of oxygen in our blood. Especially for a preemie, red blood cells are burned faster than an average term baby or child, accomplished by the faster breathing (something that happens when they are this young, and will slow down as they get older, ultimately ending up in the normal pace for breathing and oxygen regulation we have, in which case the red blood cells need to be replenished (which usually happens by a blood transfusion). As the twins continue to develop and get closer to the original due date and due weight, this will hopefully be needed less and less.
Now, for the detailed report:
Jacob:
day - 24% FIO2 with 1 1/2 liter flow, night - 23% FIO2 with 2 liter flow
2 dirty diapers for the day so far
3 brady episodes for the day
20 CC's of milk for the whole day
daily caffeine for heart development of 5 mg
2 lbs. 2 oz (day), night weight (I'll have to get you this tomorrow, the nurse forgot to weigh him before he got his 9 pm feeding)
had transfusion this afternoon to help with his color; ended at 9 pm. Went well, looking like a healthy pink baby again!
Jordan:
day - 24% FIO2 and 1 1/2 liter flow, night - 25% FIO2, 1 1/2 liter flow
4 dirty diapers for whole day so far, 3 wet diapers for whole day so far
daily dosage of 6.8 mg for caffeine, 24 CC's of milk for the day so far. 0 brady or desat episodes. weight for day, 2 lbs. 9 oz, weight for night, 2 lbs. 10 0z.
As one of the lines displayed through the intermissions for the greatest comedians of all time, "Stay tuned! More to come!"
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
P.S. (for those of you who are trivia buffs, who is the comedian referenced above? Answer in the next post!)
Today was an eventful day for the twins, as they had their first professional photo opportunity this afternoon! The American Medical Journal was visiting the NICU today, and the representatives asked Sheri if she would allow pictures to be taken of the twins and an article written on preemies, which would feature them! This information and pictures will be issued in the April '10 issue, which we will get a complete copy of the magazine (scrap book), and copies of the photos that were taken of both of them. At the same time of the interview and photo op today, Sheri also had taken some pictures with her camera, and we will make those available for viewing as well, very soon. Once we get the magazine and article, I will scan a copy and provide you with all the information if you wanted to go out and purchase a copy (sorry, only one freebie for us and that goes in their baby book).
I also got another education expansion on the workings of the oxygen rate for CPAP and nasal cannula and FIO2 (Fraction of Inhaled 02). As I understand it, in order for a preemie to be switched from nasal cannula back to CPAP (which does happen especially for preemies, but nothing to be alarmed with), two things must be taking place. 1 - the baby has to have a high flow ratio (this is the measured amount of oxygen that is transferred to the babies through the nasal cannula); a high flow is 2 liters or higher. 2 - the preemie needs to be at a FIO2 rate of 30% or higher. If both of these occurrences are happening, this is an indication that the baby needs more time on the pressurized CPAP to develop their lungs and breathing process more to release red blood cells, which gives our skin its pinkish color and indicates a good level of oxygen in our blood. Especially for a preemie, red blood cells are burned faster than an average term baby or child, accomplished by the faster breathing (something that happens when they are this young, and will slow down as they get older, ultimately ending up in the normal pace for breathing and oxygen regulation we have, in which case the red blood cells need to be replenished (which usually happens by a blood transfusion). As the twins continue to develop and get closer to the original due date and due weight, this will hopefully be needed less and less.
Now, for the detailed report:
Jacob:
day - 24% FIO2 with 1 1/2 liter flow, night - 23% FIO2 with 2 liter flow
2 dirty diapers for the day so far
3 brady episodes for the day
20 CC's of milk for the whole day
daily caffeine for heart development of 5 mg
2 lbs. 2 oz (day), night weight (I'll have to get you this tomorrow, the nurse forgot to weigh him before he got his 9 pm feeding)
had transfusion this afternoon to help with his color; ended at 9 pm. Went well, looking like a healthy pink baby again!
Jordan:
day - 24% FIO2 and 1 1/2 liter flow, night - 25% FIO2, 1 1/2 liter flow
4 dirty diapers for whole day so far, 3 wet diapers for whole day so far
daily dosage of 6.8 mg for caffeine, 24 CC's of milk for the day so far. 0 brady or desat episodes. weight for day, 2 lbs. 9 oz, weight for night, 2 lbs. 10 0z.
As one of the lines displayed through the intermissions for the greatest comedians of all time, "Stay tuned! More to come!"
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
P.S. (for those of you who are trivia buffs, who is the comedian referenced above? Answer in the next post!)
Monday, February 22, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-22-10
Family and Friends,
Exciting activity for the twins today as they each were taken off of the CPAP this afternoon, and switched to nasal cannulas! The doctors let us know on their rounds this morning that they would give it another go, to see if they could stay on them for longer. Keep in mind, as we were educated before, if they need to go back on the CPAP, its perfectly normal, you have to build up their stamina to breathe on their own unassisted, and this is the best way to do it. They will struggle a little bit, but they will get it down. Even better news, after the twins were switched to the cannula's, Sheri got to hold both of them together! A tremendous first and exciting day for her! The twins got to interact with each other for the first time since being out of the womb, and if you go to the full album (which you can get to by clicking on "view" as the slide show is running, or "view complete album" after the slide show finishes, you can see these great pictures! Jordan is depicted in a few pictures, actually moving a little closer to Jacob on Sheri's chest, or reaching out to touch his arm! Magnificent!
Also, one of our primary's, Jennifer, who is also following our blog now, has given me some more education on the description of how the CPAP's oxygen levels are described. Specifically, 21%, aka Room Air, I previously explained is what you and I breathe normally. Anything above 21% (for example, 22%, 23%, etc. which I have indicated in past posts that they sometimes do (again, perfectly normal) is not referred to as "Room Air", instead it is called officially "FI02" which applies to any source of oxygen whether it be a ventilator, CPAP, or even nasal cannula. This is another example of a superb support team we have at the hospital so far; not only do our primary's look after our kids with a genuine heart, they also take the time to explain in detail and make sure we understand everything that is going on as they develop and grow. Awesome and much appreciated!
The detailed report is as follows:
Jacob was on 5% CPAP and 21% Room Air, had 3 dirty diapers, 3 wet diapers, weighing 2 lbs. 3 oz. during the day and 2 lbs. 2 oz at night (he lost a little bit when he went to the nasal cannula, which is normal), taking 20 CC's of milk, and got his daily dose of 5 mg of caffeine for heart development. During the night, he had 2 brady episodes (again, normal seeing he just switched to the nasal cannula, so his body has to adjust), at a FI02 rate of 30%, still taking 20 CC's of milk, and had 2 wet and 2 dirty diapers.
Jordan was on 5% CPAP and 21% Room Air, had 2 dirty diapers, 3 wet diapers, weighing 2 lbs. 10 oz. during the day and 2 lbs. 9 oz at night (she also lost a little in oz. due to the switch from CPAP to nasal cannula), had a blood transfusion today (nothing to be alarmed about, just to help her progress better), was getting 24 CC's for the whole day, and got her daily dose of 6.8 mg caffeine. During the night, she had 1 brady episode (switch from CPAP to nasal cannula), still at 24 CC's, had 1 wet diaper, and was at a FIO2 rate of 25%.
Check back soon for more!
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
Exciting activity for the twins today as they each were taken off of the CPAP this afternoon, and switched to nasal cannulas! The doctors let us know on their rounds this morning that they would give it another go, to see if they could stay on them for longer. Keep in mind, as we were educated before, if they need to go back on the CPAP, its perfectly normal, you have to build up their stamina to breathe on their own unassisted, and this is the best way to do it. They will struggle a little bit, but they will get it down. Even better news, after the twins were switched to the cannula's, Sheri got to hold both of them together! A tremendous first and exciting day for her! The twins got to interact with each other for the first time since being out of the womb, and if you go to the full album (which you can get to by clicking on "view" as the slide show is running, or "view complete album" after the slide show finishes, you can see these great pictures! Jordan is depicted in a few pictures, actually moving a little closer to Jacob on Sheri's chest, or reaching out to touch his arm! Magnificent!
Also, one of our primary's, Jennifer, who is also following our blog now, has given me some more education on the description of how the CPAP's oxygen levels are described. Specifically, 21%, aka Room Air, I previously explained is what you and I breathe normally. Anything above 21% (for example, 22%, 23%, etc. which I have indicated in past posts that they sometimes do (again, perfectly normal) is not referred to as "Room Air", instead it is called officially "FI02" which applies to any source of oxygen whether it be a ventilator, CPAP, or even nasal cannula. This is another example of a superb support team we have at the hospital so far; not only do our primary's look after our kids with a genuine heart, they also take the time to explain in detail and make sure we understand everything that is going on as they develop and grow. Awesome and much appreciated!
The detailed report is as follows:
Jacob was on 5% CPAP and 21% Room Air, had 3 dirty diapers, 3 wet diapers, weighing 2 lbs. 3 oz. during the day and 2 lbs. 2 oz at night (he lost a little bit when he went to the nasal cannula, which is normal), taking 20 CC's of milk, and got his daily dose of 5 mg of caffeine for heart development. During the night, he had 2 brady episodes (again, normal seeing he just switched to the nasal cannula, so his body has to adjust), at a FI02 rate of 30%, still taking 20 CC's of milk, and had 2 wet and 2 dirty diapers.
Jordan was on 5% CPAP and 21% Room Air, had 2 dirty diapers, 3 wet diapers, weighing 2 lbs. 10 oz. during the day and 2 lbs. 9 oz at night (she also lost a little in oz. due to the switch from CPAP to nasal cannula), had a blood transfusion today (nothing to be alarmed about, just to help her progress better), was getting 24 CC's for the whole day, and got her daily dose of 6.8 mg caffeine. During the night, she had 1 brady episode (switch from CPAP to nasal cannula), still at 24 CC's, had 1 wet diaper, and was at a FIO2 rate of 25%.
Check back soon for more!
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-21-10
Family and Friends,
Today the twins hit their official 1 month old mark! Both kids had another good day; Jacob was 2 lbs 3 oz for the whole day, now taking 20 CC's milk (from yesterday's 19), had 3 wet diapers (day), 2 wet diapers (night), 1 large dirty diaper tonight, 0 brady episodes (whole day), and is holding at 5% CPAP, 21% Room Air.
Jordan was 2 lbs 9 oz (day), 2 lbs 10 oz (night), now taking 23 CC's milk (1 CC increase from yesterday), had 2 dirty diapers (whole day), 4 wet diapers (day), 1 wet diaper (night), and is holding at 5% CPAP 25% Room Air.
Both babies have also had 0 desats today. Jacob is getting his daily dose of 5 mg. caffeine, and Jordan is getting 6.8 mg of caffeine each day.
Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital offers its patients the opportunity to request nurses who have been working at the hospital for at least 1 year to be assigned to their babies upon request when they work their shifts. The program is called "assigning a primary" and has to be requested by Sheri and I to each individual nurse we like. We have been very fortunate to have a lot of great people working with our twins; so far
we have Jennifer (our weekend primary, depicted below) who has agreed to help,
and Melinda (our nightly primary, also depicted below) who also has agreed to help.
These ladies are a class act, very knowledgeable and friendly, and really do an overall awesome job with the babies! They also have been very helpful with providing us with information we send to all of you, and we truly appreciate everything they do! In addition to these wonderful ladies, we are also looking for other nurses who have been regulars with the twins to primary for the weekdays.
Here is another treat for you, some motion files of Jacob and Jordan! Jacob, seen below, is working his eye to hand coordination by grabbing his pacifier (which he spit out at first, and then changed his mind and wanted it back:
And Jordan, squirming her way to freedom!
Check back for more updates soon!
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
Today the twins hit their official 1 month old mark! Both kids had another good day; Jacob was 2 lbs 3 oz for the whole day, now taking 20 CC's milk (from yesterday's 19), had 3 wet diapers (day), 2 wet diapers (night), 1 large dirty diaper tonight, 0 brady episodes (whole day), and is holding at 5% CPAP, 21% Room Air.
Jordan was 2 lbs 9 oz (day), 2 lbs 10 oz (night), now taking 23 CC's milk (1 CC increase from yesterday), had 2 dirty diapers (whole day), 4 wet diapers (day), 1 wet diaper (night), and is holding at 5% CPAP 25% Room Air.
Both babies have also had 0 desats today. Jacob is getting his daily dose of 5 mg. caffeine, and Jordan is getting 6.8 mg of caffeine each day.
Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital offers its patients the opportunity to request nurses who have been working at the hospital for at least 1 year to be assigned to their babies upon request when they work their shifts. The program is called "assigning a primary" and has to be requested by Sheri and I to each individual nurse we like. We have been very fortunate to have a lot of great people working with our twins; so far
we have Jennifer (our weekend primary, depicted below) who has agreed to help,
and Melinda (our nightly primary, also depicted below) who also has agreed to help.
These ladies are a class act, very knowledgeable and friendly, and really do an overall awesome job with the babies! They also have been very helpful with providing us with information we send to all of you, and we truly appreciate everything they do! In addition to these wonderful ladies, we are also looking for other nurses who have been regulars with the twins to primary for the weekdays.
Here is another treat for you, some motion files of Jacob and Jordan! Jacob, seen below, is working his eye to hand coordination by grabbing his pacifier (which he spit out at first, and then changed his mind and wanted it back:
And Jordan, squirming her way to freedom!
Check back for more updates soon!
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-20-10
Family & Friends,
The twins had another good day yesterday; here is the official report for Sat. 2/20/10:
Jacob was 2 lbs. 2 oz during the day, he now is at 2 lbs. 3 oz (yeaaah!), has had 6 wet diapers and 2 dirty diapers for the whole day, received 5 mg. of caffeine at 9 am, is getting 19 CC's of milk from Sheri, no brady or desats reported for the day, and is holding steady at 5% CPAP and 21% Room Air.
Jordan was 2 lbs. 8 oz. during the day, she is now 2 lbs. 9 oz, also holding steady at 5% CPAP 21% Room Air on her CPAP, received 6.8 mg. of caffeine at 9 am, had 8 wet and 3 dirty diapers, 22 CC's of milk, and also had 0 brady episodes and desats for the day.
We were also told that both kids are scheduled to come off of the CPAP and switch back to nasal cannulas on Monday (cross your fingers and hope for the best!). Both babies also had a recent visit from the NICU Optometrist, and currently both sets of eyes are working efficiently. Let's hope their eye color stays blue (one can dream, right?)
I am happy to report the blog Web page which will now capture the twins development from here on out is finished. Please follow the hyperlink http://cordovaandtwins.blogspot.com/ for updates and photos. This took a lot of time to create, but I am happy with the result, and I think it will be easier for everyone to access and follow. I also have attached above the last photo zip sets which should take everyone up to this point.
For those of you getting this email for the first time, I'm sorry I haven't contacted you sooner. But, I have included in the email chain below everything that I could keep straight that has brought us to this point. You may notice a small gap in the chain information, but I have transcribed my notes on the blog page, so please see the post log for details to fill in the blanks. If I have missed anyone in this email transmittal (as I am sure I have given the current circumstances) please forward this progress email and the blog link to them as well.
Thank you for all your prayers and kind sentiments.
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
The twins had another good day yesterday; here is the official report for Sat. 2/20/10:
Jacob was 2 lbs. 2 oz during the day, he now is at 2 lbs. 3 oz (yeaaah!), has had 6 wet diapers and 2 dirty diapers for the whole day, received 5 mg. of caffeine at 9 am, is getting 19 CC's of milk from Sheri, no brady or desats reported for the day, and is holding steady at 5% CPAP and 21% Room Air.
Jordan was 2 lbs. 8 oz. during the day, she is now 2 lbs. 9 oz, also holding steady at 5% CPAP 21% Room Air on her CPAP, received 6.8 mg. of caffeine at 9 am, had 8 wet and 3 dirty diapers, 22 CC's of milk, and also had 0 brady episodes and desats for the day.
We were also told that both kids are scheduled to come off of the CPAP and switch back to nasal cannulas on Monday (cross your fingers and hope for the best!). Both babies also had a recent visit from the NICU Optometrist, and currently both sets of eyes are working efficiently. Let's hope their eye color stays blue (one can dream, right?)
I am happy to report the blog Web page which will now capture the twins development from here on out is finished. Please follow the hyperlink http://cordovaandtwins.blogspot.com/ for updates and photos. This took a lot of time to create, but I am happy with the result, and I think it will be easier for everyone to access and follow. I also have attached above the last photo zip sets which should take everyone up to this point.
For those of you getting this email for the first time, I'm sorry I haven't contacted you sooner. But, I have included in the email chain below everything that I could keep straight that has brought us to this point. You may notice a small gap in the chain information, but I have transcribed my notes on the blog page, so please see the post log for details to fill in the blanks. If I have missed anyone in this email transmittal (as I am sure I have given the current circumstances) please forward this progress email and the blog link to them as well.
Thank you for all your prayers and kind sentiments.
Kind regards,
The Cordova Family (Andy, Sheri, Jacob & Jordan)
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
Friday, February 19, 2010
Jacob & Jordan 2-19-10
Family and Friends,
I wanted to take a moment to thank each of you for your prayers and kind gestures. I got a chance to see both of our twins yesterday evening, and it is an absolute miracle to see how much they are thriving. They are truly in God’s hands, and that is shown to Sheri and I each time they are held, move around, look at us with those big currently blue eyes (hope they stay that way) and the daily reports we get from the nurse staff.
It’s been a roller coaster since they came into this world, but each day we have with them is a blessing, and while they do have small setbacks, which is typical for their prematurity, they take two sometimes three steps forward and never stop amazing us. And both myself and Sheri are taking as many opportunities, as well as our family on both sides, to let the twins know that they are loved, cared for, and have a widely encompassing support team, both here on Earth and in the Heavenly realm.
I know many of you have asked for updates, my apologies for not being able to get the information out in a more timely manner. I am working to finish a blog page that I have started which will be able to show everyone photos, timelines, and a few other neat widgets. Once I publish it, everyone will be able to visit the site via web browser and see the progress of these two little miracles as often as they wish. It’s just been difficult to allocate time to sit down and finish it (not to mention getting photos from my family members, and converting them to a size everyone can see and not blow up their email or computer), but it is my hope with a little bit of time this weekend to have it completed (that is my goal). Currently (and this is from speaking to the nurse this morning), Jacob is 2 lbs. 1 oz., taking 19 CC’s of mother’s milk and a great output for his urine and stools. Contrary to his prematurity, he is vying for his father’s spot on the porcelain throne ;). Jordan, is now 2 lbs. 7 oz. and is taking 22 CC’s of mother’s milk and also has done very well with her outputs for urine and stools (she just doesn’t have as many as her brother). Both have come off and had to be put back on the CPAP head gear (you might recall, this is the device which looks like scuba gear and through the nose pushes warm pressurized air into their lungs, much like a sleep apnea device for adults). The fact they have gone off and back on the CPAP is no cause for concern, it will happen as they grow out of their prematurity to full term infants.
Sheri and I would like to thank each and everyone who is with us on this journey for your love and support. God truly works wonders, and we are so blessed to have you in our lives. I’m sorry I don’t have any pictures just now to share with you, but I will very soon.
Kind regards,
Andy Cordova
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
Night report Jacob & Jordan:
Jacob -
1 dirty diaper
5 wet diapers
5% CPAP 21% Room Air
19 CC's milk
0 Brady episodes
0 Desats
2 lbs. 2 oz.
Jordan -
1 wet diaper
2 dirty diapes
5% CPAP 23% Room Air
22 CC's milk
0 Brady epiodes
0 desats
2 lbs. 8 oz.
I wanted to take a moment to thank each of you for your prayers and kind gestures. I got a chance to see both of our twins yesterday evening, and it is an absolute miracle to see how much they are thriving. They are truly in God’s hands, and that is shown to Sheri and I each time they are held, move around, look at us with those big currently blue eyes (hope they stay that way) and the daily reports we get from the nurse staff.
It’s been a roller coaster since they came into this world, but each day we have with them is a blessing, and while they do have small setbacks, which is typical for their prematurity, they take two sometimes three steps forward and never stop amazing us. And both myself and Sheri are taking as many opportunities, as well as our family on both sides, to let the twins know that they are loved, cared for, and have a widely encompassing support team, both here on Earth and in the Heavenly realm.
I know many of you have asked for updates, my apologies for not being able to get the information out in a more timely manner. I am working to finish a blog page that I have started which will be able to show everyone photos, timelines, and a few other neat widgets. Once I publish it, everyone will be able to visit the site via web browser and see the progress of these two little miracles as often as they wish. It’s just been difficult to allocate time to sit down and finish it (not to mention getting photos from my family members, and converting them to a size everyone can see and not blow up their email or computer), but it is my hope with a little bit of time this weekend to have it completed (that is my goal). Currently (and this is from speaking to the nurse this morning), Jacob is 2 lbs. 1 oz., taking 19 CC’s of mother’s milk and a great output for his urine and stools. Contrary to his prematurity, he is vying for his father’s spot on the porcelain throne ;). Jordan, is now 2 lbs. 7 oz. and is taking 22 CC’s of mother’s milk and also has done very well with her outputs for urine and stools (she just doesn’t have as many as her brother). Both have come off and had to be put back on the CPAP head gear (you might recall, this is the device which looks like scuba gear and through the nose pushes warm pressurized air into their lungs, much like a sleep apnea device for adults). The fact they have gone off and back on the CPAP is no cause for concern, it will happen as they grow out of their prematurity to full term infants.
Sheri and I would like to thank each and everyone who is with us on this journey for your love and support. God truly works wonders, and we are so blessed to have you in our lives. I’m sorry I don’t have any pictures just now to share with you, but I will very soon.
Kind regards,
Andy Cordova
cell - 281-300-6212
email - maverick2601@hotmail.com
Night report Jacob & Jordan:
Jacob -
1 dirty diaper
5 wet diapers
5% CPAP 21% Room Air
19 CC's milk
0 Brady episodes
0 Desats
2 lbs. 2 oz.
Jordan -
1 wet diaper
2 dirty diapes
5% CPAP 23% Room Air
22 CC's milk
0 Brady epiodes
0 desats
2 lbs. 8 oz.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-18-10
Jacob:
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (Day - night [DN])
19 CC's milk (DN)
0 brady episodes (DN)
0 Desats (DN)
5 wet diapers (DN)
5 dirty diapers (DN)
2 lbs. 1 oz. (DN)
Jordan:
5% CPAP 21-30% Room Air (DN)
5 wet diapers (DN)
2 dirty diapers (DN)
2 lbs 7 oz (DN)
1 desat (DN)
0 brady episodes (DN)
22 CC's milk (DN)
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (Day - night [DN])
19 CC's milk (DN)
0 brady episodes (DN)
0 Desats (DN)
5 wet diapers (DN)
5 dirty diapers (DN)
2 lbs. 1 oz. (DN)
Jordan:
5% CPAP 21-30% Room Air (DN)
5 wet diapers (DN)
2 dirty diapers (DN)
2 lbs 7 oz (DN)
1 desat (DN)
0 brady episodes (DN)
22 CC's milk (DN)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-17-10
Jacob:
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day - night [DN])
4.4 caffeine 9 am
2 lbs. 1 oz (day), 2 lbs 2 oz (night)
0 brady episodes (DN)
0 Desats (DN)
18 CC's (DN)
4 dirty diapers (DN)
6 wet diapers (DN)
Jordan:
2 lbs. 5 oz (day), 2 lbs. 6.8 oz (night)
5 wet diapers (DN)
3 dirty diapers (DN)
21 CC's milk (DN)
0 Brady episodes (DN)
0 Desats (DN)
6.8 mg caffeine 9 am
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day - night [DN])
4.4 caffeine 9 am
2 lbs. 1 oz (day), 2 lbs 2 oz (night)
0 brady episodes (DN)
0 Desats (DN)
18 CC's (DN)
4 dirty diapers (DN)
6 wet diapers (DN)
Jordan:
2 lbs. 5 oz (day), 2 lbs. 6.8 oz (night)
5 wet diapers (DN)
3 dirty diapers (DN)
21 CC's milk (DN)
0 Brady episodes (DN)
0 Desats (DN)
6.8 mg caffeine 9 am
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-16-10
Jacob:
2 lb (day), 2 lb. 1 oz (night)
0 Brady episodes (day - night)
0 desats (day - night)
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day - night)
18 CC's milk (day - night)
6 wet diapers (day - night)
4 mg. caffeine 9 am
Jordan:
2 lbs. 4 oz (day), 2 lbs. 5 oz (night)
21 CC's (day - night)
5 wet diapers (day - night)
2 dirty diapers (day - night)
0 brady episodes (day - night)
0 desats (day-night)
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day - night)
6.8 mg caffeine 9 am
2 lb (day), 2 lb. 1 oz (night)
0 Brady episodes (day - night)
0 desats (day - night)
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day - night)
18 CC's milk (day - night)
6 wet diapers (day - night)
4 mg. caffeine 9 am
Jordan:
2 lbs. 4 oz (day), 2 lbs. 5 oz (night)
21 CC's (day - night)
5 wet diapers (day - night)
2 dirty diapers (day - night)
0 brady episodes (day - night)
0 desats (day-night)
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day - night)
6.8 mg caffeine 9 am
Monday, February 15, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-15-10
Jacob:
1 lb. 14 oz. (day), 2 lbs (night)
blood transfusion (day) doing well (night)
1 desat (day-night)
4 wet diapers (day-night)
2 dirty diapers (day-night)
17 CC's milk (day-night)
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day - night)
Jordan:
20 CC's milk (day-night)
2 lbs. 3 oz (day), 2 lbs. 4 oz (night)
5 wet diapers (day-night)
5 dirty diapers (day-night)
5 % CPAP 21% Room Air (day - night)
1 lb. 14 oz. (day), 2 lbs (night)
blood transfusion (day) doing well (night)
1 desat (day-night)
4 wet diapers (day-night)
2 dirty diapers (day-night)
17 CC's milk (day-night)
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day - night)
Jordan:
20 CC's milk (day-night)
2 lbs. 3 oz (day), 2 lbs. 4 oz (night)
5 wet diapers (day-night)
5 dirty diapers (day-night)
5 % CPAP 21% Room Air (day - night)
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-14-10
Jacob:
switched to nasal cannula 21 % O2 (day)
switched back to CPAP 5% 21% Room Air (night)
8 wet diapers (day - night)
4 dirty diapers (day - night)
0 residuals (day - night)
3.3 mg. caffeine 9 am
4 brady episodes (day)
17 CC's milk (day - night)
1 lb. 15 oz (day-night)
Jordan:
switched back to CPAP 5% 23% Room Air (day)
2 lb. 2 oz (day-night)
8 wet diapers (day-night)
3 dirty diapers (day-night)
2 brady episodes (day only)
19 CC's milk (day - night)
switched to nasal cannula 21 % O2 (day)
switched back to CPAP 5% 21% Room Air (night)
8 wet diapers (day - night)
4 dirty diapers (day - night)
0 residuals (day - night)
3.3 mg. caffeine 9 am
4 brady episodes (day)
17 CC's milk (day - night)
1 lb. 15 oz (day-night)
Jordan:
switched back to CPAP 5% 23% Room Air (day)
2 lb. 2 oz (day-night)
8 wet diapers (day-night)
3 dirty diapers (day-night)
2 brady episodes (day only)
19 CC's milk (day - night)
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-13-10
Jacob:
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day-night)
1 brady episode (day - night)
1 dirty diaper (day - night)
5 wet diapers (day - night)
1 lb. 15 oz. (day - night)
16 CC's milk (day - night)
3.3 mg. caffeine 9 am
Jordan:
2 lbs. 2 oz. (day - night)
5 wet diapers (day - night)
3 dirty diapers (day - night)
2 brady episodes (day - night)
1 desat (day - night)
18 CC's (day - night)
25-30% O2 nasal cannula (day - night)
6.8 mg caffeine 9 am
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day-night)
1 brady episode (day - night)
1 dirty diaper (day - night)
5 wet diapers (day - night)
1 lb. 15 oz. (day - night)
16 CC's milk (day - night)
3.3 mg. caffeine 9 am
Jordan:
2 lbs. 2 oz. (day - night)
5 wet diapers (day - night)
3 dirty diapers (day - night)
2 brady episodes (day - night)
1 desat (day - night)
18 CC's (day - night)
25-30% O2 nasal cannula (day - night)
6.8 mg caffeine 9 am
Friday, February 12, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-12-10
Jacob:
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day - night)
15 CC's milk (day - night)
4 dirty diapers (day - night)
4 wet diapers (day - night)
0 brady episodes (day - night)
1 small residual (night, .4 CC)
3.3 mg. caffeine 9 am
1 lb. 14 oz. (day), 1 lb. 15 oz. (night)
Jordan:
18 CC's milk (day - night)
25-30% O2 nasal cannula (day - night)
1 brady episode (day), 2 brady episodes (night)
1 desat (night)
3 dirty diaper (day - night)
3 wet diaper (day - night)
0 residuals
6.8 mg caffeine 9 am
2 lbs. 2 oz (day), 2 lbs. 1 oz. (night)
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day - night)
15 CC's milk (day - night)
4 dirty diapers (day - night)
4 wet diapers (day - night)
0 brady episodes (day - night)
1 small residual (night, .4 CC)
3.3 mg. caffeine 9 am
1 lb. 14 oz. (day), 1 lb. 15 oz. (night)
Jordan:
18 CC's milk (day - night)
25-30% O2 nasal cannula (day - night)
1 brady episode (day), 2 brady episodes (night)
1 desat (night)
3 dirty diaper (day - night)
3 wet diaper (day - night)
0 residuals
6.8 mg caffeine 9 am
2 lbs. 2 oz (day), 2 lbs. 1 oz. (night)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-11-10
Jacob:
5 wet diapers (day - night)
4 dirty diapers (day - night)
0 brady episodes (day-night)
0 residuals (day-night)
15 CC's (day - night)
1 lb. 12 1/2 oz. (day), 1 lb. 14 oz. (night)
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day - night)
Jordan:
5 wet diapers (day-night)
4 dirty diapers (day - night)
0 brady episodes (day), 1 brady (night)
28 - 30% O2 nasal cannula (day - night)
caffeine increase to 6.8 mg from 4.5 mg
2 lbs. (day), 2 lbs. 2 oz. (night)
5 wet diapers (day - night)
4 dirty diapers (day - night)
0 brady episodes (day-night)
0 residuals (day-night)
15 CC's (day - night)
1 lb. 12 1/2 oz. (day), 1 lb. 14 oz. (night)
5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day - night)
Jordan:
5 wet diapers (day-night)
4 dirty diapers (day - night)
0 brady episodes (day), 1 brady (night)
28 - 30% O2 nasal cannula (day - night)
caffeine increase to 6.8 mg from 4.5 mg
2 lbs. (day), 2 lbs. 2 oz. (night)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-10-10
Jacob:
5% CPAP 21% Room Air
Caffeine at 9 am
2 Brady episodes (day only)
1 lb. 12 oz (day), 1 lb 12 1/2 oz. (night)
14 CC's milk (day), 15 CC's milk (night)
3 dirty diapers
4 wet diapers
Jordan:
3 Brady episode (day), 0 brady episodes (night)
caffeine at 9 am
28% O2 level nasal cannula (day), 24-30% nasal cannula (night)
1 lb. 15 oz. (day) 2 lbs. (night)
17 CC's milk (day & night)
3 dirty diapers
5 wet diapers
5% CPAP 21% Room Air
Caffeine at 9 am
2 Brady episodes (day only)
1 lb. 12 oz (day), 1 lb 12 1/2 oz. (night)
14 CC's milk (day), 15 CC's milk (night)
3 dirty diapers
4 wet diapers
Jordan:
3 Brady episode (day), 0 brady episodes (night)
caffeine at 9 am
28% O2 level nasal cannula (day), 24-30% nasal cannula (night)
1 lb. 15 oz. (day) 2 lbs. (night)
17 CC's milk (day & night)
3 dirty diapers
5 wet diapers
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-9-10
Jacob:
14 CC's milk
5% CPAP 21% Room Air
5 wet diaper
2 dirty diaper
0 Brady episodes
Jordan:
switched to nasal cannula, 27% O2 level
17 CC's
5% CPAP 23% Room Air
6 wet diapers
2 brady episodes
14 CC's milk
5% CPAP 21% Room Air
5 wet diaper
2 dirty diaper
0 Brady episodes
Jordan:
switched to nasal cannula, 27% O2 level
17 CC's
5% CPAP 23% Room Air
6 wet diapers
2 brady episodes
Monday, February 8, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-8-10
Jacob:
Pic line taken out today
14 CC's milk
CPAP 5% 21-23 Room Air
2 Brady episodes for day
1 lb. 13 oz. (day), 1 lb. 10 oz (night)
8 wet diapers
2 dirty diapers
Jordan:
2 lbs.
17 CC's milk
5% CPAP 21-23% Room Air
8 Wet diapers
3 dirty diapers
Pic line taken out today
14 CC's milk
CPAP 5% 21-23 Room Air
2 Brady episodes for day
1 lb. 13 oz. (day), 1 lb. 10 oz (night)
8 wet diapers
2 dirty diapers
Jordan:
2 lbs.
17 CC's milk
5% CPAP 21-23% Room Air
8 Wet diapers
3 dirty diapers
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Jacob & Jordan 2-7-10
Jacob:
1 lb. 15 oz.
2 Wet Diapers
5% CPAP 21% - 23% - Room Air
1 Brady episode
still on caffeine
Jordan:
1 lb. 12 oz.
1 dirty diaper
2 wet diapers
5% CPAP 23-25% Room Air
1 lb. 15 oz.
2 Wet Diapers
5% CPAP 21% - 23% - Room Air
1 Brady episode
still on caffeine
Jordan:
1 lb. 12 oz.
1 dirty diaper
2 wet diapers
5% CPAP 23-25% Room Air
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-6-10
2-6-10:
Today was a very big day for me; for the first time, I had the chance to hold both of our children (at different times of the day, but none the less very exciting and slightly emotional). Sheri had already had that joy previously during the week, so each setting we alternated kids. It was great! The 2-6-10 zip file includes many photos of both of us holding each baby (and even now, I still feel their little fingers moving across my chest even though they are sound asleep in their incubators). Jordan had 5 wet diapers, 2 dirty diapers (yes sport fans, I got to change both of their diapers after each holding too), 13 CC's milk, 5 % CPAP 23% Room Air, 1 brady episode, and still on caffeine. Her weight for the day was 1 lb. 15 oz.
Jacob was 5% CPAP 21% Room Air, had 6 wet diapers, 2 dirty diapers for the whole day, is at 12 CC's milk, 1 brady episode for the whole day, his lipids are still on and still on caffeine. His weight is 1 lb. 13 oz.
Both kids have made tremendous progress in the last two weeks. We both feel that they are at the best place they can be, and it is showing in their progress. Forecasts from the doctors expect to have the nutritional IV's possibly taken out next week if they continue to tolerate the milk feeds well (they have to be taking at least 14 CC's with little to no problems and they will come off the iv's), and the next hurdle is to get them off the feeding tubes and go to bottle or breast feedings depending on what they choose. Sheri continues to increase her milk output and the babies are responding well. As their weight continues to increase also, the next step for them is to get them off the CPAP machines and onto nasal cannulas, and then completly breathing room air unassisted. We continue to hope and pray for the best! The Good Lord's workings are a wonderful thing, and he is definitely watching over our little angels.
I've also added a little bonus for all of you; mom was able to make a recording of Jacob and Jordan crying, and Jordan having the hiccups. Enjoy!
For those of you getting this email for the first time, I'm sorry I haven't contacted you sooner. But, I have included in the email chain below everything that I could keep straight that has brought us to this point. If I have missed anyone in this email transmittal (as I am sure I have given the current circumstances) please forward the progress to them as well. I am still working to create a blog page that you all can access easier; as I previously mentioned, things have been very crazy, and I will send the link to everyone as soon as I have it created. We'll be sending you more info as soon as possible! Stay tuned!
Today was a very big day for me; for the first time, I had the chance to hold both of our children (at different times of the day, but none the less very exciting and slightly emotional). Sheri had already had that joy previously during the week, so each setting we alternated kids. It was great! The 2-6-10 zip file includes many photos of both of us holding each baby (and even now, I still feel their little fingers moving across my chest even though they are sound asleep in their incubators). Jordan had 5 wet diapers, 2 dirty diapers (yes sport fans, I got to change both of their diapers after each holding too), 13 CC's milk, 5 % CPAP 23% Room Air, 1 brady episode, and still on caffeine. Her weight for the day was 1 lb. 15 oz.
Jacob was 5% CPAP 21% Room Air, had 6 wet diapers, 2 dirty diapers for the whole day, is at 12 CC's milk, 1 brady episode for the whole day, his lipids are still on and still on caffeine. His weight is 1 lb. 13 oz.
Both kids have made tremendous progress in the last two weeks. We both feel that they are at the best place they can be, and it is showing in their progress. Forecasts from the doctors expect to have the nutritional IV's possibly taken out next week if they continue to tolerate the milk feeds well (they have to be taking at least 14 CC's with little to no problems and they will come off the iv's), and the next hurdle is to get them off the feeding tubes and go to bottle or breast feedings depending on what they choose. Sheri continues to increase her milk output and the babies are responding well. As their weight continues to increase also, the next step for them is to get them off the CPAP machines and onto nasal cannulas, and then completly breathing room air unassisted. We continue to hope and pray for the best! The Good Lord's workings are a wonderful thing, and he is definitely watching over our little angels.
I've also added a little bonus for all of you; mom was able to make a recording of Jacob and Jordan crying, and Jordan having the hiccups. Enjoy!
For those of you getting this email for the first time, I'm sorry I haven't contacted you sooner. But, I have included in the email chain below everything that I could keep straight that has brought us to this point. If I have missed anyone in this email transmittal (as I am sure I have given the current circumstances) please forward the progress to them as well. I am still working to create a blog page that you all can access easier; as I previously mentioned, things have been very crazy, and I will send the link to everyone as soon as I have it created. We'll be sending you more info as soon as possible! Stay tuned!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-5-10
2-5-10:
Jacob - little concern with intestines, feedings were stopped (known as "bowel rest) while blood tests and x-rays run. Test results came back negative. X-ray also showed slight clot in feeding tube, changed out for new one. Feedings resumed at 10 CC's milk. nutritional IV still being given caffeine and vitamin A. 3 stools, 7 wet diapers for total day. no problems with pic line. lipids turned off during day due to high levels of triglecerides, but turned on again in evening. Caffeine IV was switched from being fed by IV to feeding tube. Still receiving vitamin A injections. 2 brady episodes for whole day. lipids turned off during day, turned on in evening. 1 lb. 12 oz. (day), 1 lb. 13 oz. (night) Brain scan performed 2-4-10 at two weeks old to test for brain bleeds or other abnormailities, clear.
Jordan - 13 CC's milk whole day, IV switched from left foot to left hand (note: once that vein gave out, we were told her progress had brought her far enough to not need the nutritional IV anymore. Sheri kept the last IV as a momento of her progress :)), and nutritional IV was removed that evening. 4 stools, 6 wet diapers for day. very small residuals for whole day, processing increase in feeds very well. Brain scan performed 2-4-10 also clear. 5% CPAP 25% Room Air.
Jacob - little concern with intestines, feedings were stopped (known as "bowel rest) while blood tests and x-rays run. Test results came back negative. X-ray also showed slight clot in feeding tube, changed out for new one. Feedings resumed at 10 CC's milk. nutritional IV still being given caffeine and vitamin A. 3 stools, 7 wet diapers for total day. no problems with pic line. lipids turned off during day due to high levels of triglecerides, but turned on again in evening. Caffeine IV was switched from being fed by IV to feeding tube. Still receiving vitamin A injections. 2 brady episodes for whole day. lipids turned off during day, turned on in evening. 1 lb. 12 oz. (day), 1 lb. 13 oz. (night) Brain scan performed 2-4-10 at two weeks old to test for brain bleeds or other abnormailities, clear.
Jordan - 13 CC's milk whole day, IV switched from left foot to left hand (note: once that vein gave out, we were told her progress had brought her far enough to not need the nutritional IV anymore. Sheri kept the last IV as a momento of her progress :)), and nutritional IV was removed that evening. 4 stools, 6 wet diapers for day. very small residuals for whole day, processing increase in feeds very well. Brain scan performed 2-4-10 also clear. 5% CPAP 25% Room Air.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-4-10
2-4-10:
Jordan - 6% CPAP 21% Room Air, 11 CC's, 4 wet diapers, 1 stool, periphial IV shifted from left foot to right foot, back to left foot, 1 lb. 14 oz.
Jacob - lipids turned off, due to high triglicerides but turned back on in the evening, 2 brady episodes for day, 1 stool, 4 wet diapers, 10 CC's milk, 2 CC residual which held 9:00 pm feed, pic line doing well, 5 % CPAP 21 % Room Air, 1 lb. 12 oz.
Jordan - 6% CPAP 21% Room Air, 11 CC's, 4 wet diapers, 1 stool, periphial IV shifted from left foot to right foot, back to left foot, 1 lb. 14 oz.
Jacob - lipids turned off, due to high triglicerides but turned back on in the evening, 2 brady episodes for day, 1 stool, 4 wet diapers, 10 CC's milk, 2 CC residual which held 9:00 pm feed, pic line doing well, 5 % CPAP 21 % Room Air, 1 lb. 12 oz.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Jacob & Jordan Update 2-3-10
2-3-10:
Jordan - 21% Room Air 5% CPAP (day), increased to 23% Room Air (night) CPAP - no change, still on face mask CPAP, 5 wet diapers, 2 stools, 6 CC's milk (day) increased to 8 CC's milk (night), still on caffeine, 1 lb. 12 oz. (day), 1 lb. 14 oz. (evening)
Jacob - 1 brady (day), 1 lb. 12 oz., 6 % CPAP 21% Room Air, 6 CC's milk (day), 8 CC's milk (evening), still on caffeine, pic line still doing well, still on face mask CPAP, 1 stool, 4 wet diapers
Jordan - 21% Room Air 5% CPAP (day), increased to 23% Room Air (night) CPAP - no change, still on face mask CPAP, 5 wet diapers, 2 stools, 6 CC's milk (day) increased to 8 CC's milk (night), still on caffeine, 1 lb. 12 oz. (day), 1 lb. 14 oz. (evening)
Jacob - 1 brady (day), 1 lb. 12 oz., 6 % CPAP 21% Room Air, 6 CC's milk (day), 8 CC's milk (evening), still on caffeine, pic line still doing well, still on face mask CPAP, 1 stool, 4 wet diapers
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
2-2-10:
Jacob - 1 lb. 12 oz., 4 wet diapers, 2 stools, 6% CPAP 21% Room Air, still on caffeine, 4 CC's breast milk, No bradys recorded, feedings went well, small residual in evening (.5 cc), increased to 6 CC's milk in evening, pic line still doing well.
Jordan - 1 lb. 13 oz., 7 wet diapers, 4 dirty diapers, 5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day), during day fluctuated between 21%-26% room air (perfectly normal), still on caffeine, 4 cc's milk (day), 6 cc's milk (evening) had 1 brady episode, very small residual (.5 cc)
Jacob - 1 lb. 12 oz., 4 wet diapers, 2 stools, 6% CPAP 21% Room Air, still on caffeine, 4 CC's breast milk, No bradys recorded, feedings went well, small residual in evening (.5 cc), increased to 6 CC's milk in evening, pic line still doing well.
Jordan - 1 lb. 13 oz., 7 wet diapers, 4 dirty diapers, 5% CPAP 21% Room Air (day), during day fluctuated between 21%-26% room air (perfectly normal), still on caffeine, 4 cc's milk (day), 6 cc's milk (evening) had 1 brady episode, very small residual (.5 cc)
Monday, February 1, 2010
Family and friends,
Apologize for the delay in reports everyone; it's been a very busy week. Below are notes by day that I jotted down each day upon speaking with the nurse staff for the 31st on through 2/6/10 along with some photos taken by my family:
2-1-10:
Jacob - 4 brady episodes, 4 wet diapers, 1 stool, 6% CPAP 21% Room Air, still on caffeine, 4 CC's milk, on face mask CPAP, pic line put in evening (direct line through vein in the arm running thin line next to heart for better distribution of IV fluids) only 1 residual (very small), 1 lb. 9 oz.
Jordan - 2 stools, 2 wet diapers, still on caffeine, face mask CPAP, 4 CC's milk, 5 % CPAP 21% Room Air, 1 lb. 12 oz.
Apologize for the delay in reports everyone; it's been a very busy week. Below are notes by day that I jotted down each day upon speaking with the nurse staff for the 31st on through 2/6/10 along with some photos taken by my family:
2-1-10:
Jacob - 4 brady episodes, 4 wet diapers, 1 stool, 6% CPAP 21% Room Air, still on caffeine, 4 CC's milk, on face mask CPAP, pic line put in evening (direct line through vein in the arm running thin line next to heart for better distribution of IV fluids) only 1 residual (very small), 1 lb. 9 oz.
Jordan - 2 stools, 2 wet diapers, still on caffeine, face mask CPAP, 4 CC's milk, 5 % CPAP 21% Room Air, 1 lb. 12 oz.
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