Growing like weeds

Well the boys are definitely growing! It's amazing how big (and incredibly cute) they look in their clothes. FYI Cheri and Laura the clothes that you both bought don't fit! I was really excited that needed bigger clothes but also sad that they didn't get good use out of them. They got to wear a couple outfits but that's about it. I will say that they are getting great use of the hats! So on Sunday I had to go buy some preemie onesies (up to 5lbs). When I opened the package I was thinking man these are going to swallow Jordan for sure and maybe be a little big on Jaxon. WRONG! They fit Jaxon pretty good and they are just a little big on Jordan (he has plenty of thigh room). I was so excited! I guess when you see them everyday you don't see the leaps and bounds they have made so I went back and looked at their pictures from when they were first born. It's amazing how great God is. My mom always jokes that Jaxon is going to eat his way out of the hospital and I think she's right.....my baby is 4 lbs 2 oz!!! That's right folks we have a 4 pounder! Mr Jordan is 3 lbs 5 oz and I say that he is going to squirm his way out of there. I laugh every time a new nurse has Jordan because she doesn't know what she's in for. I have never seen a baby be swaddled at tightly as Jordan and manage to get his arms free with in 5 minutes. I have a little Houdini on my hands. Needless to say all is well with the boys right now, please continue to pray for them.

CPAP Update

Well, they went in and turned the pressure down on both boys CPAPs. They are both now on a pressure of 7. Originally, they started at 12. Jordan has been at 10 for about the last 3 weeks and Jaxon at 9 for the same period of time. There plan is to ween them to 5 next in hopes of possibly removing the CPAPs this weekend if all goes well. Please keep the boys in mind. I am planning on placing more pictures online this weekend. Those will even include ones with them in their clothes. Now I just have to find a preemie Cubs outfit. Please continue to pray for Jordan and Jaxon.

The Boys Are Growing

The boys are doing great.  Jaxon now weighs 3 pounds 14 ounces.  He is receiving 33 ccs of milk every 3 hours.  There are 30 ccs in an ounce so that means that he gets almost half of a pound of milk each day.  Jordan now weighs 3 pounds 1 ounce.  He is receiving 26 ccs of milk every 3 hours.  That means he receives almost 7 ounces of milk each day.

On another note, we should have more news to report today.  The doctors are going to ween both Jordan and Jaxon from their CPAP  They believe that the boys may not need the pressure that is going through them and that they may just need the oxygen.  If this is the case the boys will have their CPAPs replace with a nasal cannula.  Below is a brief description from Wikipedia on just what a nasal cannula is.

The nasal cannula is a device used in the hospital, in a pre-hospital setting, or at home to deliver supplemental oxygen to a patient or person in need of extra oxygen. This device consists of a plastic tube which fits behind the ears, and a set of two prongs which are placed in the nose or nares. Oxygen flows from these prongs. The nasal cannula is connected to an oxygen tank, a portable oxygen generator, or a wall connection in a hospital via a flowmeter. The nasal cannula carries 1–6 litres of oxygen per minute. There are also infant or neonatal nasal cannulas which carry less than one litre per minute; these also have smaller prongs. The oxygen fraction provided to the patient ranges roughly from 24% to 35%.

If the boys are able to get onto the nasal cannula that would be a huge step.  Jordan really hates his CPAP and Jaxon begin to hate his as well.  We will update you when we find out.  Please continue to pray for our boys.

Birthday

Anyone who knows me well knows that I think that birthdays are EXTREMELY important. I tell everyone that my birthday is a national holiday and they should feel the same about theirs. Well today was definately a very special day for very special girl, my sweet angel Ashlyn. I bet she had a blow out party in heaven with all her friends (Brock, Brody, and Josiah) and family. Needless to say today was very hard and emotional for me. There is no pain in the world like losing a child. As time goes by it does get easier but today was like ripping a bandaid off. All the vivid memories and recollection of the events that took place. Everything from feeling intense pain in my side, learning my child was gone, delivery, and all the pain there after. I went through my memory box and it felt as if someone was holding a pillow over my face, I could not breathe. I miss her some much and I know I always will. One thing I can say for certain is if we had not lost Ashlyn, we wouldn't have Jordan and Jaxon right now. I know she is watching over her little brothers each and every day. I can only hope that this day will get easier to get through as the years go on.

Quick update on the boys:

* Jordan is 2 lbs 14 oz
*Jaxon is 3 lbs 8.5 oz

Both are still doing well and we are hoping that they will soon be able to wear clothes! Normally they want them to be at a certain weight (2000 grams) but the nurse tonight said she would talk to the doctors about it since they do so well being contained. That's pretty much all the has changed, please continue to pray for our boys.

Keep On Growing

I would like to first apologize for not updating in a few days. We are now in the Ronald McDonald House. We checked in on Monday, but Tuesday was our first night to stay there. We dropped in to check on the boys before we went to bed last night and they were doing fine. Jordan is 2 pounds 11 ounces and Jaxon is 3 pounds 8 ounces. Yes, I said that correctly. Jaxon Xavier Larry is 3 pounds and 8 ounces. He is really growing. I guess he heard about his brother putting on weight and decided to put some distance between the two of them.

The good thing about staying in the Medical Center is that we have the opportunity to see the boys all the time. During these last few weeks, Crichelle has come up with an observation about the boys' personalities. She believes that Jordan looks like me and acts like her and that Jaxon looks like her and acts like me.

Whenever nurses, or anyone else for that matter, are messing with Jordan he puts up a fit. He throws his arms and legs around all over the place. I was trying to hold his hands last night while Crichelle took his temperature and it was a tough job. He gripped my finger and starting moving my entire hand. He is also starting to let out a louder cry. Crichelle says that he has a temper and that she is responsible for that.

On the other hand, Jaxon is more mild mannered. When people mess with Jaxon you can see that he realizes it and that it bothers him, but he will sometimes just lay there as if he were saying, would you please hurry up so that I can get back to doing what I was doing. Crichelle says that is more indicative of me. Please continue to pray for both of the boys and again thanks to everyone for the thoughts, gifts and kind words. We have been very blessed during these times.

Back on track

It's been a few days since we've last updated but life in the Vaughn and Larry households has been crazy this past week. On Friday we didn't get a chance to see our sweet blessings at all! So here is a quick update one everyone:

* Jaxon is 3 lbs 1 oz
* Jordan is 2 lbs 10.2 oz
* Jaxon is up to 26cc per feed
* Jordan is up to 22 cc per feed

We also moved out of apartment on Thursday and have actually been staying in our house ever since. We will be going to the Ronald McDonald House tomorrow and will be there for a while. A lot of people have been asking about the boy's head ultrasounds so here is the down and dirty:

* Jordan's bleed is almost completely gone!!!
* Jaxon's last ultrasound showed no change

So what does this all mean??? Well Jordan will not have another head ultrasound unless his head swells up. Jaxon's team of neurologists decided that their plan of action is to just monitor him!! He will continue to have his head measured everyday and will have weekly ultrasounds. We were so relieved to here this news. Please continue to keep the boys and the rest of my family in your prayers as we are still grieving for the loss of my uncle.

Jordan Making Strides

On Tuesday night, Jordan weighed in at 2 lbs. 5 ounces while Jaxon was 2 lbs. 15 ounces. I guess once Jordan found out he got upset and started gaining weight. On Wednesday evening our nurse told us that Jordan weighed 2 lbs. 9 ounces. She couldn't believe it so she measured him three times and took the average weight. That is incredible. Also, Jordan had his head ultrasound yesterday and the doctors say that it appears as if the bleeding is almost gone. Jaxon is scheduled to have his head ultrasound today and the team of doctors will make a plan for what they will do next. Please continue to pray for our boys.

Another Quick Update

Jordan now weighs 2 lbs. 5 ounces. He is increasing his feeds after being stopped a few days ago to check his belly out. Jaxon now weighs 2 lbs. 15 ounces. Man he is stepping up. He is now on 23 ccs every 3 hours. That's a little over 6 ounces of food a day. Keep growing little dudes.

By the way, for all of you Cub fans out there. I started singing "Go Cubs Go" to Jordan tonight and he woke up and starting smiling at me with his eyes. I know I have at least one Cub fan, now I just have one more to convince.

Please continue to keep Mrs. Vaughn's family in your prayers. Her brother passed away earlier today unexpectedly. Thank you.

Prayers

Crichelle called me a little while ago and let me know that her Uncle AJ passed away today. Andre was one of Mrs. Vaughn's brothers. I know that he has one son that will be graduating from high school this weekend. There aren't very many details, but please keep the Jones family in your prayers. Thanks.

Sorry For the Delay

We apoligize for the delay in information. I guess that the talk that I had with Jaxon about his brother getting closer to him in weight worked. On Friday, Jaxon weighed 2 lbs. and 7 ounces. On Monday, Jaxon weighed 2 lbs. 12 ounces. If you thought I was playing about my boys being competitive you were wrong. Everytime I challenge them, they step up and try their best and that is all I can ask. Jordan is doing fine as well. I am at a seminar on web design so I better go. Take care and please continue too pray for the boys.

Saturday Morning Updates

Yesterday, the boys turned 1 month old.  Here are their stats at that point:

Jordan

1 foot 2 inches long (only 5 feet 6 more inches to go)

2 pounds, 3 ounces

Jaxon

1 foot 2.5 inches long (only 5 feet 5.5 more inches to go)

2 pounds, 7 ounces

Yesterday afternoon, while at the hospital, Jordan's daytime nurse told us that he too was 2 pounds and 7 ounces.  We were all shocked and excited.  I told Jordan congratulations for stepping up to the challenge.  Later on that evening, I checked his weight again just to verify what the daytime nurse said and the nighttime nurse said he weighed 2 pounds 3 ounces.  While Jordan hasn't caught his "little" brother yet, he has closed the gap.  Good job son.  Also, Jaxon has done a good job of keeping his distance as well.  I congratulated Jaxon for pressing on and not being satisfied with his weight.  Both of the boys are competitors and they will make each other better because of it.

As far as the head ultrasounds go, there was no change in the boys ultrasounds.  The doctors are not making plans to do anything as of yet.  They are in a bit of a holding pattern and will monitor the situation closely.  

Thanks again for all of your prayers.  Please continue to pray that are boys continue to receive the blessings that they have received during their first month.  Prayer is a powerful thing.

Smart boys!

Day by day I am more impressed with how our boys are doing but, two days ago I was totally floored. Both of the boys have figured out how to hold their pacifiers in their mouths. It might not seem that big of a deal, but you have to remember these are preemies we are talking about. I got to capture this moment with Jaxon but Jordan was sleeping so peacefully I didn't want to distract him. Both boys really love their pacifiers and really get after them with full force. I did ask the nurses to give them their pacifiers when they eat so the can get used to sucking while eating.

Just a few changes with the boys this week. Jordan is off IV fluids and at first his urine output decreased, but they started giving him a little sterile water through his NG tube after he eats and that has helped tons. Jaxon has his head ultrasound today so please continue to pray for improvement. Originally the neurologist wanted to treat his IVH with a reservoir (basically they go right under the skin and drain the fluid with a balloon type device) but after looking over him more thoroughly they decided it wasn't necessary yet. The good thing is that the IVH is resolving himself on one side so hopefully we will just have to give it time. As scary as this sounds these things are extremely common in preemies.

Tomorrow is a HUGE day for the boys.....1 month birthday! Jyusef and I can't believe it's been a month already. If you go back and look the pictures from the first few days and now you can see how they have gained weight. I will try to take some pictures today so you can really see the difference. I really want to thank everyone for all the support and visits but especially my best friends who just try to keep me from going insane. I got a visit from a friend that has been there for me more times than I can count. When I had surgery almost 4 years ago she drove from out of town to visit me for 2 hours and then went right back home. It took her longer to get here then she actually stayed. Last year after we lost Ashlyn she spent the night with me when Jyusef was out of town and I didn't want to stay by myself. I'm telling you all this because it's people like this that keep you in check. So thank you Ashley! I love you so much and I'm so blessed to have such a good friend like you(for over 12 years now)! We are blessed to have numerous friends like this and I don't mean to single one person out, I'm just trying to make a point. I can't wait for the boys to establish relationships with all these special people in our lives. Brandy, you better prepare Whitten and Titus, it won't be long until ALL of our boys will be playing together.

Well I guess I should stop rambling on and on, sorry about the big lapse between posts. Enjoy the picture!

HOORAY!

I am one excited momma tonight! Jordan has reach the 2 pound mark!!! I almost jumped out of my chair when the nurse told us tonight. I'm so proud of both of them and I continue to be amazed at their progress each and everyday. As far as care goes, not much has changed today. Jordan should be done with his IV in the next day or so. He is no longer getting TPN's just dextrose. They were originally going to discontinue the IV on Saturday but his sodium level was a little high so they have kept it a little longer. His sodium is much better now so hopefully tomorrow the IV line will come out.

Now that we are at Children's things are done a little differently. The main thing is that we can hold the boys as much as we want. I held both of them today and nothing feels better than your children knowing right away that their momma has them. As I mentioned in an earlier post Jaxon is not as big of a snuggler as Jordan but, when I hold him it's a completely different story. I LOVE IT! This afternoon when I was holding him it was like he just melted in my arms. I held Jordan tonight and he was really fussy when the nurse was taking him out his isolette. As soon as the nurse handed him to me he opened his eyes and instantly relaxed. I thank God everyday for precious moments like these. It wasn't too long ago that I wondered if I'd ever be able to experience something like this. I have to admit that when I hold my boys I often think of my sweet angel Ashlyn. It's hard not to think about the what would have been when you lose a child. As much as I miss her I know that God has a plan. Every night before we leave we pray with our boys and always thank God for everything. When I rock them I remind them of how many people love them and how lucky they are to have so many people praying for them. I also remind them that they are lucky to have their own guardian angel watching over them that just happens to be their big sister. We will never forget our sweet Ashlyn and we couldn't ask for a better angel to watch over the boys.

Please continue to pray for the boys. We love you guys!

Clarification and Update

First of all, I want to clarify something I said in an earlier post.  I originally stated that Jaxon was only receiving milk from mom and that he was finished receiving nutrients via IV.  This statement is correct.  He is no longer receiving nutrients via IV.  He is only receiving milk, but the milk has fortifiers in it.  The fortifiers ad more calories to his feedings.  He and Jordan are both receiving fortifiers although Jordan is still receiving nutrients via IV.

As far as the "daily" update, we stopped by to see the boys this evening after church.  Here are a few things that the nurse said:

• Jordan's IVH is now considered a Grade I
• Jaxon's IVH is considered a Grade II on one side and a Grade IV on the other
• Jaxon's head is growing normally so they are just going to continually monitor it
• Jaxon is now up to 20 cc's every 3 hours
• Jordan is up to 18.5 cc's every 3 hours
• Jaxon weighs 2 lbs. 6 ozs.
• Jordan weighs 1 lb. 14 ozs.

Yesterday, the daytime nurse told us that she came in and saw that our boys were small and thought her job would be easy.  Then she said that our boys were feisty.  I feel sorry for people who will be competing against the boys throughout the courses of their lives.  They were born fighting so why should they ever stop.

Again, Crichelle and I would like to thank everyone for everything they have done for our family.  We really appreciate the kind words, gifts and most importantly prayers.  Please continue to pray for our boys as they get closer to one month on Friday.  Can you believe it has almost been a month already?

Texas Children's Hospital

After a long day, Jordan and Jaxon are now settled in at Texas Children's Hospital. Friday was one that was very long for the boys. They went on their first trip and got new beds and all the things that go with transferring to a different school. Imagine going to a different college and getting all the paperwork together, buying new books, getting a new room, well the boys did that at day twenty four. Most people don't do that until they get to be close to year twenty four, but we all know that our boys like to do things early.

Yesterday was one full of emotions. Here are just a few of them:

• We learned of the move and thought the boys would be separated.
• We experienced a ton of joy when we found out they would be together.
• We saw them trying to get acclimated to a new environment.
• We had to get acclimated to a new environment.
• We met a lot of new caregivers that will be taking care of our boys.

Needless to say, Crichelle and I were very tired this morning. If we were tired, I am sure the boys were exhausted. Just an update on their weight, Jaxon is now 2 lbs. and 4 ozs. and Jordan is 1 lb. and 13 ozs. They have really been doing quite well. Jaxon had his permanent IV removed at about 2 PM today. He is now purely on his mom's milk and finished with the nutrients that were being fed through his IV. Jordan has a little more growing, but he should be getting close to finishing with his permanent IV as well.

All and all, Crichelle and I both believe that this is a good move for the boys. We like the hospital a lot, that's not to say that we had any problems at Texas Woman's Hospital. They are both fine institutions with great people working there. We are excited about the care our boys will receive while they are here.

Please check back later on today. I plan on updating the boys' photo albums so that you guys can see more pictures. Thanks again for all of your prayers. Please continue to remember the boys.

Update

Just a quick update to the previous post. Needless to say, this momma was NOT happy when the doctors told me they were gonna to split up my boys. Shortly after Jyusef spoke with the doctor, I went to the hospital to sign consent forms. I insisted that they both be transferred and what do you know....they are BOTH being transferred. The charge nurse agreed that twins tend to progress better when they are together. Now, I don't know if she really meant that or if she was just saying that because there was a narotic momma standing in front of her. All that matters is that they are together. Please continue to pray for the boys and all who are taking care of them.

Change in Scenery

Please pray for the boys and for us. For the last three weeks, or I guess longer than that, Jordan and Jaxon have been together. For the first time, it appears that they will have to be split up. Due to the IVH mentioned in previous post, doctors believe that Texas Children's is the best place for Jaxon to be right now. While we are very excited that Jaxon is moving to place in which he can receive better care, we are also saddened due to the fact that he and his brother are being separated.

As mentioned in previous post, Jaxon has a Grade III IVH. If you need to be caught up to date on what IVH is please read the "Bump In The Road" post on April 18th. I would just make a link, but I am at school and cannot get to the page through the firewall. They have been monitoring the situation over the past two weeks and have decided that it is best that he be moved to Texas Children's Hospital. They have a team of neurologist there who will be able to provide better care.

We are still awaiting the results of Jordan's head ultrasound. They should be back later today. I just finished speaking with the doctor at Texas Woman's to check and see if there was anyway that Jordan could be moved there as well so that the boys would not be separated. She said that it was possible, but that it wouldn't happen at the same time. Basically, they will put in a request for a transfer because his brother is there. Then, when there is room, they will move him to the same place. We are anxious for that day to come, because we believe that the boys really do sense one another pretty well. We know that they will be excited to be reunited as well.

While this is most definitely a change for all of us, and to be quite honest a little scary, we know that the Lord is the Great Physician. We know that he is able to do things that our human minds can't comprehend. We have faith that the Lord is taking care of Jordan and Jaxon and that this move is a positive one. We sing the boys a song occasionally that really describes this situation,

He's got the whole world,
In his hands,
He's got the whole wide world,
In his hands,
He's got the whole world,
In his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands.

He's got Jordan and Jaxon,
In his hands,
He's got Jordan and Jaxon,
In his hands,
He's got Jordan and Jaxon,
In his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands.

We truly believe that the Lord is in control of it all. We know that from the very first moment that the boys were born, and even before then, he has been looking out for them and holding them in his hands. While we sometimes fool ourselves into thinking that it is us who provide for people, we need not to forget that it is the Lord who is in control. He knows just what we need. He always has and he always will. Please pray that the Lord take care of Jordan and Jaxon and enable them to continue to progress during these difficult times.

Stepping Up To the Challenge

Jordan is stepping up to the challenge that has been placed in front of him.  Since I challenged him a few nights ago to catch his brother in weight, he has really stepped up.  He was 1 pound 9 ounces then, now he is 1 pound 12.2 ounces.  Jaxon, I told you not to let Jordan catch you.  Grow, grow, grow!!!