Zoey and Bryce come home

The tenth anniversary of the biggest attack on the United States marks another important date in our home...Zoey and Bryce's due date!  While we will never forget the day that changed so many lives, it is not a negative one anymore for us.  While we are excited that they are now fourty weeks gestitational age, I am actually holding Bryce while Zoey sleeps beside us at HOME!  Zoey and Bryce were discharged from Trinity Hospital on Wednesday, 7 September! 

In the days leading up to discharge both Bryce and Zoey made some quick changes.  On Saturday, 3 September, Zoey decided she was done with her feeding tube and pulled it out.  It isn't uncommon for babies to pull them out but Zoey has a history of pulling out tubes when she is ready.  She did very well without it and didn't need to have it replaced.  She also was taken off all her monitors on Saturday, which ment they were looking toward her going home.  Sunday was the babies 80th day in the NICU so we wanted to take some pictures of the two of them together.  As we were putting Bryce down, he decided to follow his sister's lead and pulled his out his feeding tube.  He also did great without it and was taken off all monitors as well.  The added bonus...we got pictures with TWO clean faces!!!

On Monday, Dr. Carver wanted to continue evualating Zoey and Bryce for two days without monitors and feeding tubes to make sure everything went well and they continued gaining weight but allowed us to begin rooming in!  Rooming in is when Matt and I stay at the hospital with the babies in our own room but the nurses continue to come by to check on them and are avaliable if we have problems or need help.  It is a great opportunity for parents and way to transition into taking full care of the kids!  We roomed in both Monday and Tuesday nights and everything went very well!

We also got the added bonus of getting a visit from Aunt Abbey!  It was her first time seeing the kids without the glass between them and her.

On Wednesday morning both Zoey and Bryce were discharged from the hospital!  Even though we didn't get much sleep the night before, both Matt and I were too excited to care.  We had one last exam from the doctor and said goodbye to all our nurses.  Twelve weeks or eight-four days after the muchkins were born we were finally taking them home!

When we got to the house the dogs were estatic to meet the babies.  We introduced them one at a time, first Lola then Oscar, and they did very well.  They weren't quite sure what to do when both kids started fussing but Lola would run between us and the baby (if we weren't holding them) and grunt to make sure we were paying attention.  She will make a perfect nanny!

After the dogs were introduced we took our first family photograph at our house!

Then we had to celebrate!  We got a great bottle of champaign for our wedding from my Aunt and Uncle which we had packed up for when we got to Minot.  However, we saved it for the next big event.  Since we couldn't have it when we found out we were pregnant we decided we would have it when our babies came home from the hospital.

The afternoon was spent enjoying having the kids at home and get some sleep.  Mimi enjoyed time with Bryce and Zoey while we caught up on sleep from the previous night.

That night some of our best friends brought us dinner!  Abbey, Eric, and Henrik also got to meet and spend time with the babies.  I think Bryce and Zoey were in someone's arms the entire night!  It was a great evening and a wonderful way to end a perfect day!

Thankyou to everyone for all the continued prayers and well wishes for Zoey and Bryce.  They have given us the extra boost to maintain our positive attitudes with the kids being in the NICU for so long.  Zoey and Bryce truly are our little miracles and we are so blessed to have them home with us.  "With God all things are possible."
.katherine.

transport back to minot

On Friday, August 12 the babies were transfered back to Trinity Hospital in Minot.

The days leading up to the transfer were bittersweet.  We were excited to make plans to return to Minot but sad to leave all the wonderful people we had met in Fargo.  We had spent fifty days in Fargo and had developed many friendships.

After a week of planning and preparation, we arrived at Sanford ready for the drive back to Minot on Friday morning.  It took us about an hour to get the kids evaluated, double check all the equipment, and get Bryce and Zoey into their isolette.  They were both in the same isolette, with butts touching, for the ride back to Minot.  They settled in nicely and we were ready to go.  

We left the hospital after saying a few more goodbyes, loaded the isolette into the ambulance, and hit the road.

Mom and I followed the ambulance in her car from Fargo back to Minot.  I had the option to ride in the ambulance but was told I would be much more comfortable in our car.  The kids did very well during the drive.  They slept the entire way and we had no issues. 

When we arrived at Trinity in Minot, Matt was waiting for us.  He was so excited to see us and have us all in the same place.  He didn't stop grinning once!

Bryce and Zoey were evaluated when they got to Trinity, had a few changes, but did very well settling back in.

The transfer went very well.  Both staffs did an amazing job at taking care of us and we are appreciative of all the work that was done to make it possible.  We are so thankful our family is all back in Minot and doing well!
.katherine.

our little miracles

Since they were born, our children have amazed us!  They truly are little miracles.

Matt and I have remained strong and positive through this entire process but it hasn't always been easy.  Many people have exclaimed "It is wonderful that the babies are doing so well" and, while we agree, we had to explain "for fighting so much every day they are doing a great job where they are." 

We know we haven't been great at updating about what they have been through so I want to take a little time to share the big events with you of the last eight weeks:

When the babies were born, they both needed to be intibated.  They didn't breath many breaths on their own but the ones they did were very small.  The doctors attempted to extibate them and move them to Compressed Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) on day three but both babies returned to ventilators.

On Day 6 (20 June) I held Zoey for the first time.  We started kangaroo care (skin-to-skin contact between baby and parent) and got thirty minutes together.  While it was the shortest thirty minutes of my life but it was incredible to finally hold her and get to know my baby girl.   

Bryce was extibated on Day 8 (22 June) and was transferred onto CPAP.  He did very well with extibation and was starting to take breaths on his own.   

Getting ready for the transport to Fargo on Day 9 (23 June) was the first time I held Bryce.  I helped to transfer him from one isolette to the other and had just enough time to give him a kiss.  While it was very short it felt great to have my son in my arms for those few minutes, especially before such a big night.

On Day 10 (24 June) Matt got to hold Bryce for the first time!  He was glowing with excitement and Bryce immediately cuddled against him.  It was also a happy moment for me to see my two boys so close together!

Zoey extibated herself on Day 13 (27 June) and was transferred onto CPAP.  This was the third extibation and she did very well with it.  She decided she was ready to continue and let us know...we will be in trouble when she is a teenager!

This day was also the first time Matt was able to hold Zoey.  Again, he was thrilled and she quickly got comfortable.  It was beautiful to see Matt begin to bond with his children.

On June 28th we got rooms at the Ronald McDonald House in Fargo.  They had enough space for Mom to have one room and Matt and I to have another.  The two rooms are connected and have a doorway between them.  The facility is amazing and has more amenities that we could have dreamed of.  Check out their website to learn more about them or donate to a wonderful organization.

Day 18 (July 2nd), my Dad arrived in Fargo for the weekend and met the babies for the first time.  We had a great visit and even though he was scared of the babies he was able to hold both of them during his stay.  It was wonderful to see him and introduce him to his grandkids.

That same day, Bryce came off CPAP and onto blended flow oxygen.  He started at 2 liters of support and did very well with it.  We continued to be amazed with how quickly he came down on his oxygen support.

July 8th (Day 24) Zoey came off CPAP and onto blended flow oxygen.  Like Bryce, she started at 2 liters.  She also did well but took a little more time coming down on her support.

Day 24 was also the first time we were able to have Zoey and Bryce side-by-side.  Mom was able to hold both of them (I wasn't feeling well and they both needed to be loved on) and they cuddled right into each other.  This is the closest they had ever been!

Day 25 (9 July) Matt's parents came out to Fargo and meet their grandkids.  They were able to stay for the week and Syd even went back to Minot for a few days with Matt to work on the house.  They both got to spend lots of time with both babies and even had the opportunity to hold them.  It was a great visit and a joy introducing our children to more family.

July 23rd Bryce came off all oxygen support.  He did really well with the transition and seemed to love not having the tubes in his nose.

On the 25th of July Bryce started nippling (eating from a bottle).  It took him a little while to adjust and he only started by taking about 7mL of his 40mL feeding.  That is still very good for the first time.

Dad also returned to North Dakota the same day to help with the house but made a stop in Fargo to visit his grandkids!

Bryce and Zoey got to meet Uncle Sean on the 30th of July (Day 46).  He had just finished ten months with the Denver campus of Americorps and was on his way back to Virginia.  He made a few day stop in North Dakota to meet his niece and nephew and help with our house. 

Day 48 (1 August) Bryce went into a crib.  It was a slow transition that took about 24 hours of slowly adding more clothes to him while turning down his isolette temperature.  He did really well with the transition and was able to maintain his temperature once he was in the crib.

On the 4th of August, Zoey came off all oxygen support.  However, the next morning she needed to go back on a low-flow of oxygen.  She only received about 10 mL of support but it is enough to make her more comfortable and keep up her oxygen level.

Bryce got his first tub bath on Day 53 (6 August).  While the babies are in the isolette they get a sponge bath inside the isolette so they don't get too cold.  Now that Bryce was in a crib he got a "real" bath and he loved it.

On the 7th of August, Zoey started nippling.  She took 10 mL the first time which is great!  We thought she would do really well with it since she had been cueing for several weeks.

In addition all of this, Zoey has had two blood transfusions and Bryce has had one, both of them have been on meds to jump start their red blood cells to replenish themselves, both have been under lights for jaundice, and both of them have been working through some reflux problems. Yet, through all this they are continuing grow and develop beautifully.  God truly does amazing things!

Also during the last eight weeks, my mom, "Mimi", has been able to be out in North Dakota with us.  It has been a huge blessing to have her here.  She has helped with the house, hospital runs, late night break-downs, and everything in-between.  Having her here has made a stressful situation more relaxing.  Plus, the babies love her...they both open their eyes when she talks and smiles when she holds them.  I am truly blessed to have such a supportive mom.

While it has been a long eight weeks, we have been extremely blessed to watch God perform miracles in front of our eyes.  The well wishes and prayers have been extremely helpful and we now have healthy babies that are continuing to grow and develop as they should.  While it will still be several more weeks we are getting excited about getting them home!
.katherine.