Day 79 Update

Hi Everyone! So much for the posting daily! I have been quite exhausted after all the running around this week and haven't had a chance to even think about posting.

Tuesday we had a break from doctor appointments, thankfully. Wednesday we had the urologist for Micah. The appointment was scheduled for 8:45 am and they said to be there a half hour ahead of time if it was your first appointment, so 8:15 am! We got out by 7:15, dropped Harry off by my dad so he could take him to school and headed out. We got there a few minutes early and found no one even there! So annoying. We rushed for nothing. We sat there and waited until someone appeared behind the window and I interrupted her to find out if we had time to get some breakfast at the cafe across the hall. Luckily we did and we felt much better afterwards. They took us at about 9:15 am and even then the doctor wasn't in the building yet. Anyway, he examined Micah and said that he has testicular hydrocoeles on both sides not just one. He did an ultrasound to make sure nothing else was going on and said that we should just watch it. If we see that his scrotum looks larger at a particular time of day then it might indicate a hernia and we should bring him in. If not, then we have to return in six months and by then it should have resolved on its own. In the event that it hasn't they will intervene (probably surgically) to reduce the swelling.

After the appointment we headed over to see Golda. Since we were planning to take her for her appointment on Friday we had to be fully trained in her care. It's amazing how much we needed to learn. We went over CPR, baby Heimlich, how to prepare and administer her feeding, how to end the feeding and clean the tube and the bag, how to ensure her feeding tube is properly positioned, how to work the portable suction machine, how to change her bandage on her g-tube. We still needed to learn how to replace her g-tube and repogle in the event that they came out, but we didn't have time. It was quite overwhelming and really re-enforced why she isn't at home.

Thursday Jon had to go into work for his bi-weekly meeting so Deena and I were on our own for the appointments at the high risk clinic. I also had to stop by Golda beforehand so they could install the car bed in our minivan for the appointment on Friday. We were quite pleased that it had arrived in time. We went upstairs and I left Deena with three sleeping babies and two bottles for when they woke up. I met up with the occupational therapist who was going to install the car bed and we went upstairs to learn how to position Golda in it. It was pretty simple and she was not pleased. It kind of looked uncomfortable since her legs couldn't stretch out. We went back downstairs and he started installing it. We got it all in place and I realized that we had tilted the car seat back too far backwards and I wouldn't be able to get the other car seat back in there to go home! That stunk since it was so difficult to position the car bed and now we had to remove it again. And, unfortunately once we did and we returned the car seat back to its proper position, we couldn't get that stupid car bed back in securely again. We even got two other physical therapists over to help and every time I was able to pull it loose quite easily. When 12:00 rolled around and it still wasn't in, I had to go because our high risk appointment was at 12:30. It was decided that since it couldn't be secured in the car and we had to cancel the transport that day to avoid charges, Golda would go in the transport this time and next time she would be big enough for her car seat and it wouldn't matter.

The high risk appointment involved seeing the neonatology fellow and attending from the hospital, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist and an education specialist. They each examined the babies to make sure they were developmentally okay and showing no delays. They weighed and measured them too. Leah weighed 8 lbs. 11.5 oz (I guess the new formula mix is doing it's job!) and was 20.5 inches long. Micah weighed 11 lbs. 1.25 oz. and was 21.3 inches long. The cool part is that on the preemie chart and the regular chart (adjusted age) Leah was 50th percentile for height and length and Micah was between the 75th and 95th percentiles for weight and between the 50th and 75th percentiles for height! The doctor was really pleased that they were not only on the full-term charts but plotting so well on them! While we were talking about it, Micah cheesed all over my shirt and pants and the doctor's desk and floor. Oops. She said "And there goes the reflux, yup, he has it alright!" I wiped it all up and we continued. Then while I was holding him for the scale, I said out loud - "this is really dangerous, not keeping him covered" and then he peed all over my shirt, the floor, the scale and Leah's car seat cover! Argh! That was the first time either of my sons has gotten me like that. Any hoo... all of the specialists were quite pleased with both of the babies muscle tone and strength. They were doing exactly what they should be doing at this point for full-term babies, not adjusted! We have to return in March.

Today was Golda's ophthalmology appointment. I left the house at 9:30, stopped by my parent's house to grab Golda's blanket and headed out. I got there around 10 am and found her fast asleep, finishing up a feeding. I got her stuff ready and then got her ready. They weighed her before we left - drum roll - she was 2.33 kg (5 lbs. 2.18 oz.)!!! Woo Hoo! The physical therapist who helped me the day before came by and said they did a car seat trial with Golda and she performed fine. She said that if I wanted I could take her by myself, but since Jon wasn't there to drive while I watched her we needed to use the transport anyway. That was fine since I wasn't fully trained yet. The ambulance arrived and off we went! Let me just say that my ears are still ringing from the incredibly loud sound of that stupid portable suction machine. I had two options for the transport - Golda could ride in her car seat even though she might be a bit small for it or I could ride on the stretcher and hold her. Do I need to say which option I chose? She looked so tiny in her car seat with all the blankets piled up and all the medical equipment around her on that big stretcher! But Golda was up for the adventure! Her eyes were wide open the whole time we were bundling her up, setting her up on the stretcher, heading downstairs, loading on the ambulance and the first half of the drive (especially this part). Then it lost its luster and she started yawning and fell asleep. She woke up when we got there and looked all around again. She didn't care for the eye drops and made that known, although by the second round she was much calmer. The doctor came in and examined her using the instruments (unlike the other doctor who examined Leah and Micah). You know the ones - that thing they used to keep Alex's eyes open in Clockwork Orange. Golda was very upset about that and cried and cried (and being that she was on a heart monitor we heard the alarm beeping like crazy). After she took the instrument out there was an impression on her eyelids for a while. I wasn't too thrilled with this whole procedure, especially since the other doctor was perfectly fine not using the tools. Oh well, we don't have to go back to this one again. Golda was cleared for retinopathy of prematurity and doesn't need to be seen for another six-twelve months. When we got back to St. Mary's the nurse helped me settle her and I got her next feeding going. Then I sat down to snuggle my little girl. I held her while she ate until she conked out. She was so exhausted by her adventure that she didn't even stir when I put her down in her crib! When I got home I found a strung out daddy. Micah and Leah kept him hopping all day. One would cry and when he finally settle that one, the other would start. The only good part is that they are so tired now that they are fast asleep!

That's all here for now! What a busy week! Next week - no doctors! Phew!