Disneyland!

Here is the video I made from our amazing trip to Disneyland! Yeah, so it's...ahem...10 minutes long. But I really just made it for myself (who will be watching it repeatedly) and the kids (who may view it every couple years or so) and Weston (who will watch it once if we are lucky). Hope you enjoy!
(Double click to view full screen)

Tiny Miracles

Last Summer we were invited by Timpanogos Hospital to participate in their PR Campaign called Tiny Miracles. I dolled up my two babies and drove down to the hospital where we took pictures (or tried to) and shared our story.  They chose to include Angelyn's picture on their new Wall of Miracles and we were invited to the unveiling.  I'm not sure she fully understood what was happening but one thing is certain.  She felt really special.

Now our video interview has finally been published and I think it turned out pretty nice.  I'm sharing it here for my friends who don't use facebook very often.  Both of you!

Sweet Babies

When Annelise was faced with a birthday cake all ablaze on her 2nd birthday, her reaction was the most priceless I have ever seen.  Not long ago, we celebrated Michael's 2nd birthday and I have been wanting to compile all of our 2nd birthday video footage in order to make the side-by-side comparison of how all our children reacted to the strange phenomenon of lighted candles juxtaposed with the whole room singing and grinning at them. Turns out, all five of them produced distinct reactions fundamentally rooted in their personalities.   It's actually quite remarkable. I won't list my perception of these personality traits but will allow you to draw your own conclusions.  Just know that my children themselves made comments along these lines when they watched the video.

I also decided to include footage of their first steps since this is such a precious moment and worth re-visiting! So sadly, I came to learn that we did not capture this moment for Annelise! Aaargh! Turns out, our camera was broken at the time and now that I think back on it, I remember thinking to myself that I should try to borrow a camera or do something!!! Sadly, I disregarded that intuition and have to settle now for her earliest steps on camera which is Christmas 2009....probably a month or so after the actual event.

Hope you enjoy our Sweet Baby Birthday video...

Christmas Music

My favorite thing about Christmas is the music! It is the most effective way to help me remember the Savior. It also explains a lot about why I invest so much time and energy into the music education of my children. This year we put so much effort into learning our Christmas music that when all was said and done I wanted make a compilation video to journal our exploits. I don't expect anyone to watch it all the way through except for myself.  But I can assure you that I will be watching it enough times through for all of us.  Both to enjoy my children and the beautiful music they are privileged to make, and to make myself feel better for not being able to keep my house clean. Ever.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Newborn(ish) Photos

Thanks so much to my super-talented friend Molly Badger, who took these precious photos!

Feeding Tube Out

Keep your shirt on, though.  This is just a trial run.  If he can't take all his feeds without becoming overly exhausted then the tube will have to go back in.  I am optimistic, however, knowing that he would have to perform very poorly for that to be the case.  Once the tube came out today he was able to nurse well beyond our target volume, gaining 72 ml out of 57. (Honestly, I think it is easier to nurse without something sticking up your nose and down your esophagus.  Ya think?)

Doesn't he look fantastic??

 I admit to being a little misguided last time I posted about how close we were to coming home. Michael's discharge date has been rather a moving target in my own estimation, which wouldn't matter except that I am asked several times a day when he will be released and feel like I have to have some sort of answer.  Of course, in the NICU we have never been told anything but to plan on taking him home around his due date of January 8. It is also true that statistically speaking, white male preemies don't usually become capable of nursing well until they are about 38 weeks. (For us that marker will be Christmas Day)

Since last time we had a baby in the NICU, I suppose I rather forgot what a long waiting game this is, waiting for the baby to have the coordination and stamina to take all his feeds by mouth.  And, believe it or not, it is more of a roller coaster on the old emotions than one might think. Once he finally gets the action of suck-swallow-breathe to work in harmony, then we have to start with test weights, weighing the baby before and after every nursing attempt.  Sometimes the resultant weight is good, sometimes it isn't.  Sometimes we celebrate, sometimes we hang our heads in despair.  Sometimes we doubt what the scale said, be it good or bad, because we know he nursed much better than what the scale said, or much worse. Regardless, we have to roll with it and give him the rest of his feed via tube if he didn't get the full volume. Suffice it to say that he is capable of nursing but it does wipe him out pretty quickly.  Now with the feeding tube out he has to reach a certain volume of milk via breast or bottle during every 12-hour shift.

I won't say if I think he will be home in time for Christmas, since I know that's what you really want to know.  If he is, great.  If not, that's ok, too. 

Good Progress

The last two days have brought some significant milestones, indicating that the time for Michael to come home is quickly approaching. The first big change happened yesterday when I walked into the NICU and found he had been moved from his isolette....

 ...to an open crib.  Ta-da! 

 This means he is big enough to sustain his own body temperature. His last weight was 5lb 8oz.

And for his next trick, Baby Michael will show you that he is off all oxygen support.

Hallelujah!

Not only does this mean he is getting closer to going home, it is going to make nursing attempts easier, and it means he won't have to go home with an oxygen tank like we did last time. This is huge for me.

So basically, all we have left to do now is teach him how to take all his feedings by mouth. We are working on this every day, through what the NICU staff calls "non-nutritive breast-feeding." Basically it's like trying to breastfeed without expecting him to get any milk.  Although, today I was told that after my visit his diaper was twice as full so that means he actually did get something and we will probably switch to nutritive breastfeeding pretty soon. 

I'm thrilled that Michael's progress is so positive and that he seems to be thriving.  My recovery hasn't gone as smoothly as hoped, but I guess for c-section #5 that is to be expected.  I am hopeful that by the time he comes home I will be recovered well enough to keep up with everyone, including him.