We've been nurseless for the past couple of days, but it's been okay. It's kind of nice to just be here by myself with the kids. It's nice to have another adult to talk to, but it can be tiring to never have any time alone with your family. I think I'm going to cut down to having a nurse three days a week. That way I'll have help a couple of days during the week and one day on the weekend so I can get out of the house and not leave Matt totally stranded with the kids! I don't want to completely stop the nurse care because I like having Will checked out by a medical professional every couple of days just to be on the safe side. And our pediatrician probably wouldn't appreciate it if I brought him in every week!

It's hectic being by myself with three little kids and I feel like I never sit down, but the day passes quickly. There was one hard time today around 4 in the afternoon. The twins were tired and I was going to put them down for a short nap, but neither one went right off to sleep. They were both crying and I was running back and forth trying to settle them and whichever one I wasn't with was screaming his head off. That was tough. I kind of felt like running away from home at that point. But it only lasted about 20 minutes, then Will fell asleep and all was well. But, Lord have mercy, I was tired by 6:00!!! I barely had enough energy to eat dinner!

We have a nurse tomorrow and it will be nice to have another pair of hands, but I'm thinking next week we'll cut it down and see how it goes.

Will had his six month check up yesterday and everything looks great. The doctor thought his lungs sounded good and that his development was right on track. He and Hays are both hitting all of the six month milestones, though they are still working on rolling from back to stomach. They can both do it, but it takes some effort. The next big hurdle is getting them to sit up on their own! The pediatrician wants us to see the neurologist to determine if Will needs a helmet to help shape his head. The right side is still slightly flat and one of his ears is further forward than the other. I'm not thrilled at the prospect, but what are you gonna do? At least he won't have a helmet and a trach! He had to get three shots and he's been a little under the weather today because of it. He has a big welt on the leg that got two injections and he ran a low-grade fever this morning. But he seemed to be feeling better by this evening.
Hays was a happy, talkative little guy today. He's going through the baby food like there's no tomorrow and he's really starting to fill out. He doesn't look so much like a scrawny old man! Now that he's over 10 lbs. we don't have to give him the special preemie formula anymore, so we're in the process of transitioning to regular baby formula. That's awesome because it saves us about $5 a week.
Mason had taekwondo at school today and he is absolutely loving it. I asked his instructors how he was doing and they said he was great- one of the best in the class! I was so proud of him. He went to the football game tonight with my parents and he came home full of excitement (and with a bright blue mouth from his ring pop!) He was telling me all about the game and I loved hearing about it from his point of view. He's such a great, funny kid (which is always easier to recognize when I've had a little time away from him!) and I am thrilled to get to see the world through his eyes.

I took Hays to see the endocrinologist today. He's been on Synthroid, a synthetic thyroid hormone, since he was a couple of months old. He was having trouble regulating his temperature in the NICU and they thought it might help. It did seem to help, but the doctor said he doubted that Hays had true hypothyroidism and would only need the meds for a while. The doctor today agreed, but we're still keeping him on the meds. Mainly because if we took him off and he actually did have a thyroid problem, not having the medication could really interfere with his brain development. My concern was possible side effects from taking medication that he doesn't need. The doctor assured me that the medication is very safe and should not have any ill effects, but I'll be following up with my pediatrician to make sure he feels the same way.
The worst part of the doctors visit was that we had to wait FOREVER!!! We were there for over an hour before they ever called us back to the room (because the doctor was eating lunch). Then it took another hour before we finally saw the doctor. Then another hour to get labs. Well, that was probably only a half an hour, but we had to makle a detour to the NICU to visit everyone! They were very impressed by how big and cute Hays is. They're probably the only people on earth that can look at him and say "Oh my gosh, he's so big!" But I was proud to show him off.
When I got home and put an exhausted Hays down for a nap, I played baseball with Mason in the backyard for a while, and let me tell you, that kid can hit! He is awesome!!!! I can't throw worth squat, but he can still hit most of the balls I pitch to him. He does even better when he's playing with his daddy who can actually throw the ball somewhere in the vicinity of the bat. I see little league in that boy's future! It is both impressive and pathetic that his athletic ability far surpasses mine and he's only four.

A Family Affair

Hays with my cousin, Molly


Will and YaYa


Will has had enough!


We had a big family get-together today at my parents house so everyone could meet the babies. My grandparents and aunts and uncles were there, and we were thrilled to show off Will and Hays. My uncle, Mack, and aunt, Anna, and my cousins, McKinley and little Anna, weren't able to make it, so we were dissapointed that we didn't get to see them. Mason was particularly dissapointed because he adores little Anna and was really looking forward to seeing her. But the holidays will be here before we know it and we'll have our whole big family together.


The boys were great. I think the babies were a bit overwhelmed by all the people surrounding them, but they were sweet and tolerant of being passed around from person to person! Mason had a good time showing off for everyone, and all three of them were wiped out when we got home. The babies didn't nap much during the day, so they went to bed really early- before 6:00. So it's been a pretty peaceful evening!

We made it through the day! It was busy, but not impossible by any means. The worst part was when we tried to go to the library. I got the kids all loaded up, got to the library, got them out and put them in the stroller, only to see the sign on the door saying "Closed for staff development." D'oh!!! Unbelievable, but what are you gonna do? We made a Publix run instead and all was well.

I talked to our pediatrician today about Will's sleep study and he agreed that it was very very unlikely that a child who sats in the high 90's all the time would truly have so many apnea events. He feels like as long as Will is keeping his sats up, he really doesn't need oxygen at night. Of course Will had to throw us a curveball! His breathing has sounded kind of rough today and his breathing treatments didn't seem to help. It sounds like he has some inflammation in his right lung. His doctor had us switch from an inhaler to a nebulizer because he thinks the treatments will be more effective that way. Will's sats are a little low tonight, mid 90's instead of high,

We had to take Will to Egleston last night for a sleep study. He didn't mind having 9,000 little probes attached to his head, but he absolutely hated the nasal cannula and pitched quite the screamer. At one point the tech came in and told he had desatted (oxygen saturation levels dropped) and they were putting him on oxygen. They wouldn't tell me how low his sats had dropped or how long it had lasted. This was really distressing because he never has desats at home. It was a very long night and Will was fussy because he was really gassy. The doctor came in around 5 am to discuss the results. He told me that they put him on oxygen because his sats dropped to 75. This must have been right after his fit because he never drops that low. Plus, I know what he looks like when his sats seriously drop and that did't happen while he was sleeping. The doctor also said he had several apnea events where he either stopped breathing or had obstructed breathing. I'm not sure that this was completely accurate either since Will has a tendency to hold his breath when a gas pain hits. This breathholding could be interpreted as apnea. So all in all, I'm not convinced that their results were a true representation. And the doctor really couldn't explain why his sats never go below 98 at home, but yet, they're seeing major desats. He just told me that their equipment is more sensitive. But he also said that none of this is unusual in infants, particularly preemies. And that it's not at all surprising in a child with a compromised airway. He wants Will to be on a small amount of oxygen at night while he's sleeping. He'll just have to get used to sleeping with the nasal cannula, and that's really no big deal. The doctor thinks he should only need oxygen for a couple of months, so nothing too tragically bad.
Tomorrow I am nurseless, and it will be my first full day of going it completely alone. Think good thoughts for me!

I took all the boys out by myself today! Mason had a playdate after school with his friend Hannah at Chick-Fil-A, so I decided to take both of the babies along. It went really well. All the kids behaved beautifully and it wasn't all that hard. It was a little difficult to maneuver the big old twin stroller through the crowded restaurant, but we made it. It was fun to be out with all of them like a regular old mom. Kind of chaotic and crazy, but fun nontheless. You should have seen me trying to get Mason's lunch arranged, feed the twins bananas, and eat my lunch all at the same time! But hey, everyone got fed and we had fun.
My mom got Mason a Halloween costume today. It's a Spiderman costume and it has built-in muscles! He LOVES it. He put it on right away and wore it for the rest of the afternoon. I made him change out of it before dinner, but he really wanted to wear the mask to bed!
Today was one of those days that I just absolutely adored my boys. They are all so sweet and precious and I really enjoyed being with them today. Not all days are like that- some days I'd sell the whole bunch of them for $1.50, but not today. I don't know if they were just especially cute or what, but today I felt like being their mother was, hands down, the best job on earth.

We took the whole family on a little grocery store trip today. It's the first time we've taken Will anywhere since he removed his trach. We're scared to death of germs since we know that a cold has the potential to put him in the hospital, but we also can't keep him completely cloistered. We only have a month or so before cold/flu/RSV season really starts, and then we won't be going much of anywhere, so we'd better enjoy some adventures while we can. The twins rode in their supercool new twin stroller and behaved like little angels. Mason, on the other hand, ran around like a crazy little hooligan. He was a wild child today. Too much pent up energy I guess. But it was a successful trip out and I was glad to have all my healthy, happy boys out and about.
Tonight I've been working on Mason's scrapbook. I've done a pretty good job of keeping it up since he was born, but it kind of got away from me over the past year! I've had to spend the last few nights updating it, and it's almost finished. Then I need to start one for Will and Hays. I have a drawer full of pictures (not to mention over 800 on the digital camera) that I'd better get organized before it gets completely overwhelming!

Mason started taekwondo today. They offer a class at his preschool on Fridays and he really wanted to do it. He's so in to Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles, so we figured this would be a good outlet for him. He loved it. He came out showing me all of his new moves and he keeps asking me when he goes back to taekwondo. I'm glad he liked it so much, but it also makes me realize how much he's growing up. He's this whole little person with his own interests, activities, friends- a whole life outside of home. I'm proud of him but also a little wistful that he's growing up so quickly.
I was sitting in the bathroom with him tonight while he was taking a bath and he was telling me about all the kids in his class and what they do at school, and all I could do was marvel at his independence. I don't want him to grow up and away too fast, yet I am thrilled and amazed by the person he's turning into. He's funny and charming and smart and I can't wait to see what he's going to do next.

I'm a tired girl, and don't have much to report, but I do have a funny Mason-ism. Today he got new toothpaste that has a picture of Spiderman on it. Tonight when he was brushing his teeth he said, "Mmmmm, this tastes like minty webs." Funny boy.

Things have been pretty busy around here. The twins have decided that they do not need sleep, and therefore will not nap during the day- at least not for any extended period of time. I can still get Hays to stay down for a couple of hours at some point, but Will is all about the power catnap. I don't think he slept more than an hour total all day, and that was stretched out over three little naps. I'm not sure how I'm going to get them back into a good sleep pattern, but I have to find some way or we're all going to die of exhaustion!
We're also worrying about Matt's grandmother. She's having trouble with her heart and may be facing surgery. At this point the doctors are still running tests to determine the best course of action, but we do ask everyone to pray for her. She's stuck in the hospital and that's never fun, so everyone just pray for comfort and healing. We know your prayers work wonders- look what they did for Will!
Will and Hays had their first physical therapy session with the therapist from Babies Can't Wait. She thought that they both looked great for their adjusted age. She suggested some things we can do to help their development and help them learn to sit up, crawl, etc. but a lot of it was stuff we're already doing. She said that she can see a change in them from when she saw them a couple of weeks ago. It's great to get someone else's perspective on that. Since I'm with them all the time I don't always get the full scope of the amazing progress they are making.

We finally got an adorable twin picture! They are too precious. Hays has been kind of puny the past few days. I think his mouth hurts because he cries when I start to feed him and he's gnawing on his hands constantly. He hasn't been sleeping well the past few days and he's starting to look like a refugee with his hollow, glazed eyes. Poor little guy. Hopefully he'll shake off this little funk soon.

Will is great. He's sucking down bottles like a champ. He finished all of his bottles except one today! We're so proud. If he keeps this up, he'll have that g-tube out in no time flat.

Mason is going through a little sassy stage. We had to have a talk about stealing the other day because he swiped a Power Ranger from Walmart. Luckily, Matt discovered it as soon as they walked out of the store and they returned it immediately. I'm not sure our talk really got through to Mason. All he said was, "But mommy, I wanted it and I didn't have any money, so I stoled it." We're trying to teach him that that's not really a good rationale for petty theft. So if you see him on America's Most Wanted in about 20 years, you'll know it all started with a pilfered Power Ranger!

Well, the den re-do is almost done, and it looks darn good if I do say so myself! We painted the walls a bright apple green and put dark chocolate brown slipcovers on the furniture. The biggest upgrade was thanks to Matt's parents who gave us a (very) early christmas present- a flat screen tv! Woohoo!!!!! It is pretty fabulous, and Matt is beside himself with excitement. Since we got that, we were able to get rid of our way too big for the room entertainment center. That opened everything up so much that the room looks twice as big. So now we're all fancy-like in our new living room.
All the kids are doing well. Will had a doctor's appointment Friday, and his pediatrician was amazed at how great he looked. He also rolled over for the first time on Friday! Guess he just needed to get those hoses out of his way. I am trying to get some good pictures of Will and Hays together, but one of them looks kind of goofy in all the ones I've taken so far!

All is well on the homefront. Will had another great day. When our nurse got here today, I was feeding Will in the den. Bo automatically assumed it was Hays and went in to Will's room, only to find no baby and the equipment turned off. He came into the den and said, "So I guess he doesn't need the vent anymore?" And I was thrilled to tell him, shoot, he doesn't need the trach anymore!

We found out that we will still have the same ammount of nursing care for now. In a while our hours may decrease, but we'll still have care. Since Will still officially has tracheomalacia (weak airway) he's still at risk for respiratory issues. Because of this, we'll get nurse care for the purpose of monitoring him. But this means that I get to keep my extra pair of hands around the house. Hooray!!!!

We really got to enjoy having an equipment-free baby today.Will's always gotten lots of love, but it was hard to snuggle and cuddle him like you would with a baby that didn't have all that gear.

Miracle on Tuxedo Lane

We're home!!!! And Will has no trach!!!!!!!!! The broncoscopy went well. The doctor found that the weak area is still weak- it was pretty much unchanged. But his airway has grown enough that the opening is large enough for him to breathe through. He still has what is considered a "compromised" airway, but the trach is no longer necessary, or particularly beneficial. Our only real concern is that he may have some trouble breathing if he gets a cold or something. In that case he may require some oxygen or CPAP, but that's something we can handle pretty easily. He's also going to have to go in for a sleep study in a few weeks just to be on the safe side, but that's no big deal.
So now we're home and Will is snug in his bed, sleeping soundly and his oxygen sats are at 100%. We are so thankful and overjoyed, there truly are not words to describe our happiness. All day long my heart has been saying thank you, God, oh thank you. It was so wonderful to be able to just have all three boys in the den and no medical equipment in sight. We laid Hays and Will down on a blanket together and they both were just talking up a storm. Hays was grinning at Will like he was so happy to see him. It was the sweetest thing. The best part of not having the trach is the little things, like being able to carry Will down to the mailbox to check the mail, and especially, being able to hear his voice. I never thought I would think a cry was beautiful, but after six months of near-silence, it is music to my ears.
We have proof that miracles happen and we are so lucky to have been blessed with this one. I pretty sure it's better than winning the lottery!

Today is the big day. The ENT doctors and pulmonologists are going to do a broncoscopy on Will. That means they'll stick a scope down his throat to look at his airway to determine whether we can leave the trach out or not. He's still doing perfectly. His oxygen saturation levels are awesome and he's breathing with no trouble at all. The doctors are very optimistic that he'll do fine without the trach. Matt and I are hopeful, but scared. All signs say that Will is just fine, but you never know what tests can show. The good news is, if the test comes back fine, they should discharge him today so we can take our trach-free baby home!
We're not sure what time they're doing the scope. He's an add-on to the schedule, so they could take him at any time. Everybody just pray that today goes well, and we'll post an update as soon as we can.