RSV, Flu, and Cold Season

We want to start by saying thank you for the outpouring of support we have received from everyone. So many people have done so much for us, and every bit of help we have received truly is appreciated. We are experiencing the biggest challenge of our lives, and we’re lucky to be surrounded by so many family members and friends who have shown us so much love and support. Most people have not heard of RSV. Babies born earlier than 36 weeks are at the highest risk for serious complications like pneumonia, bronchiolitis, and other sometimes fatal complications. Our girls were born extremely premature at 25 weeks, are multiples, and had low birth weights; these are among the highest risk factors for contracting RSV and developing serious complications. Preventing the spread of RSV is very difficult. We must be very careful about keeping our babies safe during RSV season (October through April). The virus is spread through physical contact, in the air via a cough or sneeze, or by touching an infected object. The virus can live as long as six hours on hands and up to twelve hours on objects. We ask that all visitors do the following: 1. When you arrive, please wash your hands, use hand-sanitizer as needed before touching the babies. 2. Please, if it is possible, get a flu shot. 3. Please refrain from coming over if you are currently sick and have not been symptom free for at least 5 days, if you live with someone who is sick, or have been in close contact with someone who is sick. 4. If you smoke, we ask that you change your clothes and shower and refrain from smoking prior to visiting, as a preemie’s lungs are very sensitive to smoke. Most RSV sites recommend against passive smoke exposure. 5. If you are parents to babies, toddlers or school aged children, refrain from bringing them to our house during RSV season. Unfortunately we will not be attending any events during RSV season. Our goal is to make it through this and the next RSV seasons without the girls contracting RSV or any other serious illness. Their lungs are still very fragile and will be until they are 2 years old. Please understand that this post is not meant to offend anyone, just simply to provide an explanation. We hope you understand, and we appreciate your help keeping our babies safe. If either of our girls get sick we will most likely end up in the hospital due to their compromised immune system. I am still trying to decide if we will be having a 1st Birthday party for the girls. It gets me pretty emotional to even think about not having a celebration for their 1st Birthday. I know the girls will not remember having a 1st Birthday party or not, but this is what I have thought about since the day they were born. "If we can just make it a year". We are almost ready to celebrate 9 months so 1 year will be here before we know it.

Cheering on the Wildcats!! Go K-State!

Labor Day 2009

Jordan and daddy having fun.

Look at me I can sit up all by myself!

Rylee and Karly having some fun.


Jordan is having trouble staying awake!


Jordan won't take her eyes off of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Now that is funny!
Jordan is all over the place these days.







Happy Labor Day everyone. We have had a great weekend at home. I haven't left the house since Thursday and have spent some great quality time with our little girls. We survived our two nights without a nurse and was glad to get some sleep last night. We are in the process of getting a new night nurse and our primary night nurse needed some much needed time off. We had Tiny K (infant and toddlers) here on Thursday afternoon and she is very impressed with how strong the girls are getting. She thinks they are closer to their "real" age than their adjusted age developmentally. They are now 5 months adjusted and 8 1/2 months old. She was glad to see they are starting to sit up by themselves. We are still working on feeding the girls some baby food and cereal. I did sneak in some pears yesterday and Jordan loved them. I am going to try to do this with her cereal so that way she doesn't refuse the other baby food. I was very happy last night when Rylee took some formula out of her sippy cup. I think she spit most of it out, but she at least let me put the spout in her mouth and was sucking on it. We will work more on the sippy cup to see if she will like this better than a bottle. Not much going on this week with the girls. Still just keeping them healthy and away from all the germs out there. I was very disappointed that I couldn't take them to our family gathering yesterday, but I knew the second I got there I would be a nervous wreck with all the people. I posted several pictures for everyone since I didn't get a post up yesterday.

8/30/09

Jordan!! That is not very nice.
Our sweeties cuddling in Jordan's bed.
I had it first!
The girls sharing their toy.

Yes, that is drool on Jordan's shirt.




All three of our girls.



1st time for green beans.

We have had another good week and not much going on. We are just trying to keep our ladies free from the swine flu. I have only lost a little bit of sleep just thinking about ways to keep them safe. I went to Target today in Lawrence and probably sanitized my hands 100 times while I was in the store! We went to CMH on Friday with Rylee and she is kicked out of the Occupational Therapy for now. She didn't want anything to do with a bottle and kept gagging when I was feeding her cereal and peas to her. She is doing pretty good with her green beans and peas so far at home. Neither of the girls like the cereal so I might start adding some fruit when they can start getting it added to their diet. The OT therapist is confident that we can meet Rylee's needs through Tiny K (infant and toddlers) so she isn't making us come back. I thanked her for not making us come back because just being in the hospital sends me into a frenzy! Thankfully Nurse T keeps me in check and takes care of the both of us. We don't go back to CMH until October with Rylee. We do have their 9 month developmental screenings at Saint Lukes and their pediatrician appointments in September so that will keep us busy. Tiny K comes to our house about every other week so that keeps us busy too.

8 Month bear pictures

Rylee loves her lamb!



Jordan loves to eat Rylee's hands

I think they have been watching too much ultimate fighting


Jordan and her 8 month bear picture


e Rylee and her 8 month bear picture


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Jordan sitting all by herself!

Jordan's first experience with cereal.




We took the girls to the pediatrician on Thursday and Rylee weighed in at 13 lb 8 oz and Jordan weighed 14 lb 1 oz. The doctor is still impressed with their steady weight gains. We are trying to take one feeding away from Rylee at night and so far she isn't waking up and seems to be doing fine. Jordan was prescribed an antibiotic for a minor ear infection and a nasal spray for her allergies. The doctor did see some fluid on her ears and thinks it is either from her reflux or from her allergies. If the doctor doesn't see any improvement in her ears by next month we will be referred to an ENT at Children's Mercy. I already tried to call to see if we could just take her with us in October when we go for Rylee's appointment and I was told they are not accepting new patients. I thought this seemed kinda crazy that they are not accepting new patients right now. I went ahead and put her on a waiting list just in case the doctor thinks she needs tubes in her ears. The girls will probably start receiving their synagis (rsv) shots next month and will have to go to the doctor each month for these in addition to their regular monthly pediatrician appointments. The girls are both working on sitting up and Jordan can do it for a few minutes and Rylee is doing it for a few seconds. Tiny K was here on Thursday and we gave Jordan some cereal and I am going to start the girls on some green beans tonight. I am not looking forward to the whole baby food experience! It doesn't seem to appealing to me. While Tiny K was here I told them that Rylee had been refusing the bottles. Well wouldn't you know while they were here she decided she wanted the bottle. She hates to have to work at the sucking so we have to make the opening pretty open. She still has to have thickner in her formula so it isn't too easy for her to get through the nipple. We only have one appointment this week at CMH for Rylee's occupational therapy on Friday.