and the weather man says...

TORRENTIAL down pour!

So I've mentioned before that David can tell the weather - particularly stormy weather. Today is no exception. My poor little guy has been so fussy since this morning that I'm having a very difficult time keeping it together myself. Sweet Mary Louise has waited her turn so patiently for undivided mommy time but today that time has been quite a challenge to find. Enter - rain. It's just started. David is finally calming - it's 1:15 - he's been upset since about 6am. It seems that once the rain is actually here, he has some sort of release and can rest easily. I just wish I could find something to make him happy during his stressful time. I know it's likely the barometric pressure that bothers him - and I haven't heard of anything but sedation helping issues like that. (and that trick was learned as a vet tech - in a different life - and used only on dogs afraid of the weather!) So I just sit, tata, rock, tata, feed, sing, tatatatatata - and tata. If he does fall asleep, there is no way to put him down - it's almost as if he's waiting for me to try and screams hysterically if I even think of putting him in his Nap Nanny, swing, bouncy chair - or even on the bed or sofa next to me.

Anyhow, it's quiet now, and I did get a few minutes here and there to play with Mary Louise. She's hilarious - smiling all the time and she gets so excited about bouncing! I'm thinking of getting a little bouncey chair for her but fear that none with accomodate her small stature safely - she's 8 pounds now. Her quads would make some weight lifters jealous! She is so muscular and strong! I'll have to look into it (the bouncer that is). If anyone has a suggestion of one they just love and advisory email would be very much appreciated. Meanwhile, momma and daddy's laps work just fine for bouncing!

In other news...I have not had to defrost ANY milk this week! Yippeee! and I have also gone up a little on their feeds - they were at 3 ounces for so so long and would rarely take anymore. But with this last growth spurt, I have gone up just 10mls to make it an even 100mls for each feeding. Way to grow guys!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I'm feeling a bit under the weather so I'll be trying to get all the rest I can muster.

Oh speaking of feeling bad - I've started to receive phone calls with automatic recordings reminding me of how dangerous RSV season is for babies and that the season has started so we should be careful and take as many precautions as possible blah blah blah. Though I understand their vigelance, it is a bit strange to receive such calls - almost as if you're being warned of some CDC crisis - " IT'S HERE!! KEEP YOUR BABIES INSIDE!!" What a weird, awful, beautiful, stressful, devastating, lucky, happy, blessed year we've had.

xo, Heather

I heard that!

Mary Louise had her follow up hearing test today. They were finally able to complete all they had to do. She behaved beautifully and passed the tests with flying colors on both ears. So, she is cleared for another 6 months which is when I will bring both babies in. They will be followed for hearing loss / difficulty every 6 months until they are 3 years old.

Just wanted to give a quick update on their progress - more later - they are both fussy.

xo, h

a day of blogging

Ok so I may not have been so consistent about blogging lately, however, in my defense, when I do blog every few days, I make it count! David is so funny in the mornings! I finally captured a few of his most entertaining looks from this AM...

David the Entertainer

and a message to Pops - "Pops, Mary Louise would like a pink and purple pony please!"...

From Pops I want a pony!

"Pleeeeease Pops?"

From Pops I want a pony!

"But I want pink and purple!"

From Pops I want a pony!

"Yes there is such a thing!"

sleeping

Oh this definitely deserves its own post!!! (drum roll puhlease...) David and Mary Louise slept soundly from 9:30pm to 2:30 am last night!!!! HA! how great is THAT?! David has started "cluster feeding" (thanks Astrid for keeping me abreast of the terminology) and has gone a little longer in between feedings at night but NEVER that long! Wow! Brent asked if he'd slept through a feeding or something and pointed out how long they'd slept.

Amazing!

we're big babies now!

David is just under 7 pounds and Mary Louise is right at 8 pounds now!! They are both out of preemie clothes - well David can still wear one onsie - but I'm pretty sure that the current time, is the last time. They are both in newborn clothing and can wear a couple of 0 to 3 month outfits. They are also in size one Swaddlers!! The newborn size was getting a little snug and we had a few leaks, so I switched them to the size ones to alleviate that problem - they are a little big, but work well so that's where they'll stay. This week's goal? start cloth diapering. They are finally getting big enough to handle the extra bulk of the cloth diapers so I think I'll try again this week - I had tried once before with Mary Louise and it worked, but really was just too bulky for her. Since we are home much of the time, I am going to ultimately cloth diaper them here while leaving open the possibility of using disposables when we go out.

I started the babies on probiotics a little over a week ago and have noticed subtle digestive differences: less discomfort, less gas, easier stooling. Anyhow, Brent and I have been very pleased with the results. That along with stopping the Fenugreek seems to have fixed the issues we were having. I think that the amount of Fenugreek I was having to take to increase my milk supply in conjuction with their immature digestive systems was just a bad combination. They were on probiotics in the NICU for awhile as there is some research that shows that it helps to guard against NEC. The research is debatable - with the bottom line being "it might help and it will not hurt". Anyhow, we turned to the probiotics again and have almost stopped using Mylicon - which umm P.S. doesn't exactly work wonders. David's reflux has lessened as well - which likely has little to do with the probiotics but is a notable difference in his digestion all the same.

Mary Louise and David both consistently "help hold" their bottles. They follow objects and faces without noise or prompting of any kind. They hold their binkies with the backs of their hands. Though they haven't made any obvious advancements in rolling over or crawling, they will both "walk" if you hold their forearms only and stand them on the floor. We're still working on the holding the head up from being flat on the floor - though both can do it with an incline as an assist. Mary Louise is still quiet, David still chatty. But both are making appropriate sounds for their adjusted age. We have our eye exam in the middle of next month which will be interesting. I am so hoping that they don't need glasses yet!! (oh my gosh - can you imagine 2 newborn sized glasses wearing kiddos?!) But if they do need them, we will take that in stride as well and work things out. At this point, I'm just so so thankful they can see at all!

Yesterday, we went on our evening family walk and David FELL ASLEEP!!!! Oh I'm just beyond thrilled about that! I've been trying to put him in the stroller a few times a week but always end up having to stroll Mary Louise and put David in the sling. I've been waiting for him for so long (it seems) to tolerate riding in the stroller. Though I don't expect a daily repeat of yesterday, it seems to be a step in the right direction. I will be running again after all!

The little ones have both made vast advancments with nursing as well. I have been trying to nurse them more and more and although I still have to supplement some with the bottle post feeding, it's not near as much as I used to. They are also getting more efficient - I am getting less and less when I pump post nursing. We still have quite a road ahead really if I want to strictly nurse, but if they stopped right now, I'd be more than pleased with our progress.

They both cry when they can't see me and calm when they can - most of the time! They have developed different cries for different wants, but momma is slow and still learning their cues poor dears.

We had an exciting beginning of the week with the rain storms here. If you came in and viewed our home during the night, you'd think we were preparing for a tornado or something. The dogs have long shown a pattern of becoming increasingly afraid of the rain. Lizzie takes one bath mat, Tootle the other and Chester gets under the covers in our bed. Mills sleeps in our closet - all but Mills must have a full view of our bed at all times. But, David was something I was not expecting. He puts on quite the show - only letting me hold him - screaming inconsolably otherwise. He screams if he is put down, is restless all night and fussy and clingy all day. He does not sleep more than about 30 minutes at a time. (and I am so not kidding - though I honestly wish I were embellishing this at least a little!) The excitment comes just before the rain gets here and lasts until it is over. Then he is my sweet grumpy David all over again.

I think Brent believes he will be a "Momma's Boy" forever. I keep telling him, that'll change over night and eventually he'll not want anything to do with me but poor Brent doesn't believe me.

Meanwhile, Mary Louise is pleased as ever to have the undivided attention of her daddy. She grins ear to ear when he walks in from work and falls asleep every night lying on his chest listening to his heart beat.

With both babies settled for the moment, I'm going to try to rest a bit. Hope everyone is doing well!!

xo,
Heather

Oh - David's hair is finally growing a bit - it's coming in red...genetics - what a funny thing.

Off to the races!

Today is the very first day the babies and I exited the house (and entered the car) for something other than a doctor's appointment - or a trip 'round the state park. We bravely went to the race Brent's running club was putting on.

I tucked the little ones into a Moby wrap - which I should have been using long ago - it was really great once I got used to the technique of putting it on. Really, you could barely see them - I just looked really lumpy. I put a light blanket on over the wrap so the wind didn't get to them and set off with Sean to meet Brent. He was helping at the finish line. We stayed for 2 hours, the babies slept and/or grinned - they really did beautifully. People respected our space and just seemed happy that we could attend. It was a really nice morning followed by a fantastic 2 hour family nap!!

The boys are now watching THE football game and I am once again pumping. It's going very well and the babies seem pleased as punch that I've weaned off of the Fenugreek. I am able to give them all fresh milk for about a day and half to 2 days before having to add a little frozen for a day. I still hope to eventually be able to keep up with their total demand with fresh, but for right now, this is a vast improvement.

I must say, I sort of forget sometimes how isolated I am here - being a hermit of sorts out of general necessity. It felt good to get out even for a few minutes - a little disorienting - but nice. So, if you do see me with a bewildered look on my face, please bear with me. In addition to sheer exhaustion, I don't get out much - everything is a little exciting and little scary at the same time when you've essentially been locked up for 7 months. (The babies will be 6 months on the 19th and I was in the hospital a full month prior to them being born).

I should mention - David has been quite the chatter box these days. He proudly says "agoo" over and over with a huge grin on his face, he giggles upon occasion, and he says "a" sometimes as well. Mary Louise is starting to chime in with her own "agoo" sound and makes a sort of motor boat sound as well. She is surprisingly quiet compared to David though so I must make sure to talk to her often as David typically demands a bit more attention. She is a little more advanced with her motor skills but is still working on getting her noggin up from lying flat on the floor. They both sort of instinctively scoot when put on their bellies, but don't get their heads up quite enough yet to get anywhere. We are working very hard though and they are getting stronger by the day.

Thanks to everyone at the running club for making our first outing such a pleasant experience!!

From babies first time out

Platinum babies

First: milk production: the Fenugreek I was taking was causing some serious gas and tummy problems with the babies so I had to cut way back for their comfort. In consequence, my milk production went down again. (it had finally come back up a bit). I am still diligently pumping every 3 to 4 hours, etc. The Domperidone came in yesterday afternoon. The pediatrician was very familiar with it and discussed it with me patiently assuring me it would be just fine to take it. He looked almost as worried as I was about my decreased production and wished me much luck.

Ok, I've thought alot about discussing finances on here. Mainly because it's always a sensitive topic with people. But also because I don't want to solicit funds or fish for sympathy. Honestly, I think our bills are a bit amusing (you'll see why shortly). I follow other blogs (in my - ha- copious spare time) and much of this doesn't seem mentioned. Finally, along with the rest of this blog, I haven't left anything out thus far and really hate to leave this hilarity out now - I'd like to look back on this post and see the rigmarole we went through...Having said that, please don't feel the need to tell me "not to worry about finances". I AM NOT WORRIED!! (I promise - at least not this year - next year, maybe a little, but we'll see...thanks to the generosity surrounding the babies' donation account, much of the financial pressure has been lifted from our shoulders!) I think this side of things is interesting - especially as a nurse. We never know what the patients go through on the business end of their care.

Ok - estimated total for all hospital care for the babies (this includes Kuylen's 5 days in the NICU which was just over 200k): just under 6.5 million (I said million dollars). HA! Have you ever seen the Austin Powers movies? That's all I can think of when I hear that number. Dr. Evil asking for a bada billion fa fillion dollars. Anyhow, I've thought a bit about it throughout this whole ordeal, but with it being 2 months after the babies' homecoming, the bills have started to roll in. So it has been high on my mind this past week as my part time job of calling about our medical coverage has quickly begun to take up a bit more of my attention. (P.S. in case you're wondering, my hospital stay alone - delivery excluded - was 95k - this is not included in the total above).

We did finally find a way to get the Medicaid supplement for all 3 babies. I had so many moral issues at first with taking it but any hesitation was quickly dropped when I heard their first week alone broke the million dollar mark. I honestly went into this thinking that we had been responsible - that we had increased our insurance to the premium policy when we found out I was (finally) pregnant; that we had saved and saved in preparation for starting a family. I still think we were responsible - but could never have anticipated this!! The supplement lasts for their first year and is based solely on their low birth weights. After their first birthday, their cases will be re-evaluated based on our income and we will loose coverage from what I understand.

So, this week, David's hospital stay bill came in - this excludes added surgeries and only addresses his stay here - not the transfers back and forth or the New Orleans stay. It is 1.67 million dollars. I feel I should frame it. We got the entire bill because our primary insurance company has dragged their feet on payment. Someone is probably still standing there looking at the paper work with their mouth wide open I'd say - in total shock of a young family - otherwise healthy with no claims - and suddenly, the dam breaks...then again, I suppose this is a likely senario in the insurance business. It's fair to say you're healthy until you're not right? So, I didn't know what had happened - and why we got the entire bill at first. Brent said I should send them $20. Instead I phoned the hospital. The sweet girl on the end of the line sounded like she felt embarrassed about telling me the total - as if I didn't know what it was or something. I thought about asking who I should write the check out to and telling her, while trying to maintain a straight face, that I'd have my accountant there to "take care of it" shortly. Ha - she went over their billing processes with me and I was able to request an immediate review from our ins. and a hard copy of the records is being sent to the Medicaid office. What a racket.

The hospital bill is a bit like all of the other bills we've received. We'll get a total, denied by insurance. I'll call, and an hour of phone recordings, "press one now" later, I'll find out (when I finally stay on hold long enough to speak with a real person) that the wrong form was sent in for the claim or the claim was made to Medicaid before it was made to our insurance company. With a little determination, alot of borrowed time and perserverance, I am pleased to say that I have always been able to get the claim reconsidered and paid appropriately. I do wonder though, how much extra money the insurance company makes by denying claims for people that should have been paid on the basis of improper filing. Once you pay a claim from what I've found, there is no reimbursement.

Perhaps the worst system to deal with? The Medicaid system. I have found myself on the phone with some of the rudest most disrespectful people while trying to work my way through that mess. They originally didn't have our primary insurance on file. I had to spend 3 hours with numerous departments - most of the time on hold - in an effort to work out the confusion - and that was just one afternoon. I have pumped on the phone, fed, changed and burped babies on the phone, sung lullabies on the phone, cooked dinner, balanced the check book - anything to take my mind off of the fact that I had in fact been on hold for a full 30 minutes. I have been beraded for having multiples that I "cannot afford" by the state workers. I have been told that "I didn't do my job" when I requested a change in the listing of our insurance. Ha - I was trying to essentially save them money and still was met with snyde remarks. Ultimately though, I have worked things out to our advantage and I'm proud to say that we did things honestly and legitimately - using programs put in place specifically for situations like ours. Without getting too political however it does frustrate me that even though we did as far as I'm concerned prepare properly for expanding our family, we were basically set up for having to relying on the system eventually with the ridiculously inflated cost of healthcare.

Seriously - over 6million dollars? The first time I heard it, I smiled, then giggled out loud. It was as if it was absolutely nothing and everything all at once. Really, how does one even begin to stress about such an abstract concept? So, I've resigned to simple enjoy these little ones, every day, and be thankful that their caliber of care is even available to us. It gave us our family. Who can really put a price on that?

The babies are doing better today as far as their tummies go (this post is another that has been 2 days in the making). They slept a little more last night as well which was nice. The Domperidone seems to be working already - just 2 days in so I'm hoping that continues and appreciating what I can do now. Since Mary Louise and David are gaining in their head control each day, we tried Mary Louise (since she weighs more) in her Bumbo today. She did beautifully! Funny to see such a little thing being so grown up. Before we know it she'll be smashing Play Doh into her brother's hair!

Uncle Bean (my youngest brother Sean) came in last night to stay with us for his fall break. We've had a nice lazy visit so far...

Mary Louise and Uncle Bean

From Mary Louise in her Bumbo

Brent and David

From Mary Louise in her Bumbo

Mary Louise in her Bumbo

From Mary Louise in her Bumbo