Thursday, September 27, 2012

Another Surgery

Last week we went to the new neurosurgeon at Vandy. Friday afternoon he called and said he had finally had the chance to really sit down and take a good look at all of Leila's scans. In his opinion, her ventricles have not been stable but have been getting slightly worse. Not what we wanted to hear and not a great way to start a weekend... Monday we got her surgery scheduled and by Tuesday she came down sick....

We have tried our very best to keep these babies healthy. We clean constantly, wash our hands constantly, and have Germ-X all around the house. The only place we've taken them besides doctors appointments is the park to get out and get some fresh air a few times. So, it's very frustrating that she is sick and there's not a whole lot you can do for a little one her age.

Please pray that she gets well soon. We have her surgery scheduled in a couple weeks so we need her well so she can have the surgery that she needs.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Sweet ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ's

Everyone says that when babies are ready to eat more they will let you know. Boy do they! Both babies had been eating the same amount for several weeks and we were starting to wonder when they would want more. For the past couple of days they seem like we just can't get them filled up! They have been eating like crazy sending us back to the kitchen for more each feeding.

And, with eating more they have been sleeping longer : ) Wednesday morning they made it till 5 before waking up, yesterday they made it all the way till 6 (which is when we get up anyway), and today they made it until 6:30! So thankful that both babies are starting to sleep through the night. I think Leila would have for a while now but we were always afraid we would be up twice if we let her sleep and just got Logan up. We had to make a trip to Chattanooga yesterday and I got to make the drive on more than 3 hours sleep which felt REALLY good! (We are done with  the pulmonologist. Another specialist crossed off the list! :))

We're also getting close to being able to try something other than formula. This week we have been able to start giving them a little juice (not sure either one of them are thrilled with it yet) and soon we will be able to start trying baby oatmeal. I can't wait. When we're at the dinner table Leila will watch every bite go from my plate to my mouth...I think that big girl is ready for some real food : )

So thankful that my babies are continuing to get bigger and stronger with each passing day but kind of sad that they are growing so fast...

P.S. Please keep us in your prayers as we will be seeing the new neurosurgeon on Monday. We are just praying for some answers...

This past weekend we decided to get out and get some fresh air. This was our first family outing to something other than a doctors appointment. This is just about all the babies did.

Isn't he handsome?! Our first family trip to the park.

Leila playing with her toy.

Logan with his toy. Thanks Nanna!



Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Update

The last couple of weeks have brought more questions than answers. We've been praying for answers regarding Leila and whether or not a shunt is needed.

Leila's ventricles are definitely larger than they should be. The good news is that her ventricles have not gotten any larger since we left the hospital. She is also not displaying any of the warning signs that her enlarged ventricles are causing her problems. The thing that worries our now former neurosurgeon is her head size. But, here are some things to consider...Leila has doubled her weight since we left the hospital around 10 weeks ago. She has grown so fast! Is he taking into consideration that her length and weight have also crossed percentiles? No. Does he know if her head size is because of her ventricles or because she is growing so much so fast? No. Has he been keeping an accurate record of her head circumference measurements? No. Is he sure that she needs a shunt? No. Is it urgent? No. But if it was up to him she would already have it.

Anyway, all that to say that at the last appointment with our neurosurgeon things just weren't adding up. He couldn't say for sure that a shunt is what she needs but he wanted to do the surgery that week. He also did something that I won't rehash here but it made us not trust him at all. We decided since he said it definitely wasn't urgent that we would go for a second opinion. Soon, we will see a neurosurgeon at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and hopefully have the answers we need. I know we've been praying about this for months but please continue to lift Leila and us up regarding this situation.
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Both babies are doing GREAT! All I have to do is give them a hand to push their feet against and they'll crawl across the floor. They are both holding their heads up a lot better. Both can raise all the way up to their elbows when on their bellies. They are also both so inquisitive. They study people's faces and the things around them. They seem so fascinated by lights, sounds, and...the t.v....

Logan is a little character. He is the comic relief of the family. I'm not sure where he gets his personality. He's always smiling and wanting to play. He likes to try to get out of having to take all of his bottle by stopping in the middle and smiling and playing. I have to admit, sometimes it works because he is just so darn cute when he does it...He is also starting to try and grab things and he tries to mimic you when you stick your tongue out at him or make a facial expression.

Leila is still our little princess. She is also starting to smile at us more and want to play more. I LOVE seeing them smile! They both amaze me every single day.


Crabby Pants

Sweet little feet with Momma's long toes :)

Sweet boy

Sweet girl

A little blurry but it gives you an idea of how good she's pushing up!

So proud of her!
We're in trouble...This is how I put Logan to bed last night...

And this is how I found him this morning! He can officially roll all the way over!