Once again momma is behind on the blog! The boys are doing great!!!
Mr. Tryan gave us a little scare 2wks ago. He was on the nasal cannula for oxygen and could not keep his oxygen saturation level where it needed to be. He was put back on the cpap and was still struggling. A sepsis evaluation, chest xray and echocardiogram was performed. The sepsis eval came back negative. The chest xray showed his heart had enlarged a little bit and the echo showed his pda had opened and some fluid was on his lungs. So it was decided that the pda needed repaired. A ligation procedure was done two weeks ago this Saturday. Two little staples were put on the opening to close it. This stops the oxygenated and unoxygenated blood from mixing so he can have better perfusion. For the surgery Tryan had to be put on the ventilator and it took him a couple days to be weaned off. He got off the cpap last Saturday and has been on nasal cannula since!!
Tryan is starting to become very alert and will be wide awake for longer periods of time and he really loves his binky. The boys have been slow to gain weight but have really picked up. Last night Tryan weighed 1266 grams which is 2lbs 11.5 oz. Waiting on him to get to 1500 grams so he can start wearing clothes!
Mr. Jaxson is also starting to become more alert. He still has a heart murmur from his pda but hasn't shown any signs of it causing problems. He will be monitored and have it fixed down the road if need be. We have been monitoring his breathing because at times it does get a little high. So far his oxygen is staying pretty low.
Jaxson isn't a big fan of the binky but will take it occasionally. He really likes to suck on fingers!! Last night he weighed 1454 grams which is 3lbs 3oz. Our goal is to have him be ready for clothes by Mothers Day!!
Every parent treasures watching the kids develop. It has been incredibly surreal to watch these boys continue to develop and their personalities start to unfold. Jaxson is a little bit more laid back than Tryan. Both boys are escape artists in their beds and keep the nurses on their toes!
PRay that the boys keep growing and oxygen requirements continue to decrease!!
Friday, May 6, 2016
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Time Flys!!!
Where has the time gone? Our little Super Heroes are days away from being one month old!! Tryan and Jaxson are growing day by day!
Jaxson had a good week. He has really enjoyed being off the cpap. He keeps his eyes open a lot more and is starting to make facial expressions. Of course, he doesn't comprehend that he is grinning but it's pretty darn cute nonetheless when he starts a grinnin!! Jaxson has also figured out hown to suck on his hands. We have introduced a paci but he isn't quite sure about it. Once they are 31 or 32 weeks we can start trying to nurse! Even though they may be tiny they areally still developing like a full term baby and it is so incredible to watch it happen. Jaxson is our laid back baby, however, he will show you his attitude if you make him mad.
Mr.Tryan got off his cpap this past Sunday. He had been weaned to level 4 on the cpap but wasn't fully ready to go to a nasal cannula. However, the cpap was starting to rub a sore on his nose and his belly was getting full of air. He was put on a high flow nasal cannula. A high flow is a mix between cpap and a low flow nasal cannula. He seems to be tolerating it very well so far and is a much happier baby. This kid is very entertaining. He tries multiple times a day and succeeds to escape his snuggly and work himself to the end of the isolate. He also has shot baby poop out of the isolate and all over a nurse! Tryan has also figured out facial expressions and will grin and try to stick his fingers in his mouth.
We are at the "boring" stage right now where the kiddos need to grow. Last night Jaxson weighed 2lbs 7 ounces and Tryan weighed 2lbs 2.5 ounces. Both boys have been fluctuating back and forth on weight gain. It is driving mommy and daddy crazy!
Today, the boys got a blood transfusion. The levels were right under the qualification. They read the hematocrit levels on them once a week. Last week the levels were above qualification so they didn't get a transfusion.
Mom and dad are doing good, however, we are ready for our family to get back together! Daddy is exhausted from burning up the road back and forth and mommy is tired of the city living!!
Again, we want to thank our family and friends for all the support, love and prayers!! We especially want to thank Carla, Dr.Greg and my parents for keeping the clinic going and to all the clients for the continued support! Also, thank you to Roxie for cooking some delicious foods for us! Everyday we are one day closer to being home!!!!
Jaxson had a good week. He has really enjoyed being off the cpap. He keeps his eyes open a lot more and is starting to make facial expressions. Of course, he doesn't comprehend that he is grinning but it's pretty darn cute nonetheless when he starts a grinnin!! Jaxson has also figured out hown to suck on his hands. We have introduced a paci but he isn't quite sure about it. Once they are 31 or 32 weeks we can start trying to nurse! Even though they may be tiny they areally still developing like a full term baby and it is so incredible to watch it happen. Jaxson is our laid back baby, however, he will show you his attitude if you make him mad.
Mr.Tryan got off his cpap this past Sunday. He had been weaned to level 4 on the cpap but wasn't fully ready to go to a nasal cannula. However, the cpap was starting to rub a sore on his nose and his belly was getting full of air. He was put on a high flow nasal cannula. A high flow is a mix between cpap and a low flow nasal cannula. He seems to be tolerating it very well so far and is a much happier baby. This kid is very entertaining. He tries multiple times a day and succeeds to escape his snuggly and work himself to the end of the isolate. He also has shot baby poop out of the isolate and all over a nurse! Tryan has also figured out facial expressions and will grin and try to stick his fingers in his mouth.
We are at the "boring" stage right now where the kiddos need to grow. Last night Jaxson weighed 2lbs 7 ounces and Tryan weighed 2lbs 2.5 ounces. Both boys have been fluctuating back and forth on weight gain. It is driving mommy and daddy crazy!
Today, the boys got a blood transfusion. The levels were right under the qualification. They read the hematocrit levels on them once a week. Last week the levels were above qualification so they didn't get a transfusion.
Mom and dad are doing good, however, we are ready for our family to get back together! Daddy is exhausted from burning up the road back and forth and mommy is tired of the city living!!
Again, we want to thank our family and friends for all the support, love and prayers!! We especially want to thank Carla, Dr.Greg and my parents for keeping the clinic going and to all the clients for the continued support! Also, thank you to Roxie for cooking some delicious foods for us! Everyday we are one day closer to being home!!!!
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
2.5 weeks old!!!
The boys are 2.5 weeks old today! Tryan weighs 2lbs 10 ounces and 16 inches long. Jaxson weighs 2lbs 4 ounces and 16.5 inches long. Both boys keep going back and forth on weight gain.
Mr. Tryan decided he didn't like his cpap this weekend and had some respiratory issues. He had to go back up to 7 on his cpap and was teetering on the verge of needing to be put on the ventilator. They did a sepsis work up which involved a cbc, blood cultures, urine analysis and a urine culture. Poor little guy had a urinary catheter placed. He was also put on 2 different iv antibiotics. Chest x-ray showed possible pneumonia or lung collapse. This little boy was covered with strong prayers and by Sunday morning his oxygen requirement came down ALOT. He was so much more comfortable. All his cultures came back negative! They changed out his cpap and from then on he did a complete 180! The power of prayer and the power of Jesus' healing was once again demonstrated!!!!
Jaxson had a episode of reflux on Monday so they did a abdominal xray to check to see what was going on. His cpap was putting a lot of air in his tummy and not leaving any room for the milk. He was all the way down to 4 on his cpap and that's the last level before going to a nasal cannula. They put the nasal cannula in him Monday and he is a whole new baby! He is able to lay on his belly at times and his tummy looks a lot better. The boys definitely look a lot more alike now that a Jaxson has his cpap out!!!
Daddy came down Monday and was here through Tuesday. All three of us were so happy to see him! Daddy got to do skin to skin with both boys while he was down here!!!
Some prayer requests we have is that both boys consistently gain weight, wean Tryan off the cpap, rest for mommy, increased milk supply for boys and safe travels for daddy as he goes back and forth on the road.
We love visitors, especially mommy during the week when she is by herself!! Thanks everyone for all the support and special little gifts that have been given to the boys!!!
Mr. Tryan decided he didn't like his cpap this weekend and had some respiratory issues. He had to go back up to 7 on his cpap and was teetering on the verge of needing to be put on the ventilator. They did a sepsis work up which involved a cbc, blood cultures, urine analysis and a urine culture. Poor little guy had a urinary catheter placed. He was also put on 2 different iv antibiotics. Chest x-ray showed possible pneumonia or lung collapse. This little boy was covered with strong prayers and by Sunday morning his oxygen requirement came down ALOT. He was so much more comfortable. All his cultures came back negative! They changed out his cpap and from then on he did a complete 180! The power of prayer and the power of Jesus' healing was once again demonstrated!!!!
Jaxson had a episode of reflux on Monday so they did a abdominal xray to check to see what was going on. His cpap was putting a lot of air in his tummy and not leaving any room for the milk. He was all the way down to 4 on his cpap and that's the last level before going to a nasal cannula. They put the nasal cannula in him Monday and he is a whole new baby! He is able to lay on his belly at times and his tummy looks a lot better. The boys definitely look a lot more alike now that a Jaxson has his cpap out!!!
Daddy came down Monday and was here through Tuesday. All three of us were so happy to see him! Daddy got to do skin to skin with both boys while he was down here!!!
Some prayer requests we have is that both boys consistently gain weight, wean Tryan off the cpap, rest for mommy, increased milk supply for boys and safe travels for daddy as he goes back and forth on the road.
We love visitors, especially mommy during the week when she is by herself!! Thanks everyone for all the support and special little gifts that have been given to the boys!!!
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Update Finally!!
I am WAY behind in the blog updates but for good reason!! The boys are HERE!!!! I started having some contractions and bleeding March 24th. I was taken down to labor and delivery and monitored for 36 hours. At that time I wasn't dilated. I was given another dose of neuro protective magnesium and steroid shots for the boys. I went back up to my regular room Friday morning and by late Friday night I started having stronger contractions. Back down to labor and delivery we went. My mom was with me because it was Travis weekend to work at the feedyard. This time when I was checked I was fully dilated and baby A was making his way out!! I was rushed to the operating room and Baby A was born naturally at 2:55 am. Baby B was breached so I was put under general anesthesia and Baby B was born at 3:07 am.
Once daddy got to the hospital and mama was awake we went down and saw the boys. Baby A is Jaxson Cody Pitts and was 2lbs 1 Oz and 13 inches long. Baby B is Tryan Lee Pitts and was 1 pound 10.5 oz and 13 inches long. The boys were on the ventilator for two days and are now on a cpap. It's a miracle how fast they got off the ventilator. It is not uncommon for micro preemies their size to be on the ventilator for weeks or even months. We know there is a chance they may be back on at some point but so far so good!!
The doctors are very encouraged at how well the boys are doing. They are chugging right along. Jaxson had some milk feeding in tolerances but hopefully we are getting that figures out. Both boys had to be on some heart medicine for a while to help close up their pda (which is a small hole both humans aND animals are born with and close up within time generally). Tryan is closed up and Jaxson is so teeny tiny that they quit his medicine too. Next step for the boys is to decrease the cpap requirement. Both are very close to having the levels turned down. Last night, Jaxson weigh 2lbs 1 Oz and Tryan weighed 2lbs. Pretty soon Tryan will out weigh brother!!!
Mama and daddy are doing good. Mama is recovering great from the csection. Daddy is super tired. He has been going back and forth from home and Wichita. We were blessed to be able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House across from Wesley.
Thank you everyone again for the prayers and support! These boys are nothing short of a miracle! God is so good and so faithful. We know we have been on a journey and have a long ways to go and we couldn't do it without all of our support. Thank you to everyone back home for helping Travis and I out!
Once daddy got to the hospital and mama was awake we went down and saw the boys. Baby A is Jaxson Cody Pitts and was 2lbs 1 Oz and 13 inches long. Baby B is Tryan Lee Pitts and was 1 pound 10.5 oz and 13 inches long. The boys were on the ventilator for two days and are now on a cpap. It's a miracle how fast they got off the ventilator. It is not uncommon for micro preemies their size to be on the ventilator for weeks or even months. We know there is a chance they may be back on at some point but so far so good!!
The doctors are very encouraged at how well the boys are doing. They are chugging right along. Jaxson had some milk feeding in tolerances but hopefully we are getting that figures out. Both boys had to be on some heart medicine for a while to help close up their pda (which is a small hole both humans aND animals are born with and close up within time generally). Tryan is closed up and Jaxson is so teeny tiny that they quit his medicine too. Next step for the boys is to decrease the cpap requirement. Both are very close to having the levels turned down. Last night, Jaxson weigh 2lbs 1 Oz and Tryan weighed 2lbs. Pretty soon Tryan will out weigh brother!!!
Mama and daddy are doing good. Mama is recovering great from the csection. Daddy is super tired. He has been going back and forth from home and Wichita. We were blessed to be able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House across from Wesley.
Thank you everyone again for the prayers and support! These boys are nothing short of a miracle! God is so good and so faithful. We know we have been on a journey and have a long ways to go and we couldn't do it without all of our support. Thank you to everyone back home for helping Travis and I out!
Monday, March 14, 2016
24 weeks 1 day!!!!
Sunday we hit the 24 week mark!!! The babies continue to do great. We had an ultrasound today to check fluid levels of the amniotic sacs and the blood flow through the umbilical cords. Everything checked out normal. Everyday the nurses do a NST (non-stress test) to monitor the boys' heart rates and neuro-reactivity, so far the boys have passed every time but they HATE the test and make the nurses' earn their stripes for the day. Momma doesn't like the test too much either because they strap monitors on my belly with belts and they have to get pretty tight to stop the boys from moving around to much. The monitor has to stay on for at least 20 minutes but sometimes it goes all the way up to 40 minutes. The nurses' tell us that as this stage in gestation most babies fail the test-nothing really happens if they fail the test except for more ultra sounding to make sure the babies are developing okay. The doctors are looking to see if the babies heart rates go up and down to determine their neurological development and determine if under normal conditions how stressed the babies become.
I was diagnosed today with mild gestational diabetes. I took the one hour glucose tolerance test and failed. Then this morning I took a 3 hour glucose test and had to pass 2/4 blood tests and I failed that too! Luckily, I do not have to go on medication or insulin yet. All I have to do is modify my diet and take my blood sugar 4 times a day. I am starting to feel like a pin cushion!!! I am on twice daily heparin shots, which has caused my belly to bruise and my arms to bruise where they have drawn blood. This momma DOES NOT like needle sticks!
We had a great time this past weekend. A lot of people came to visit and most importantly Travis came down and stayed the weekend. He has been super busy holding down the fort back home! Travis dad and Sonny also came down to visit and so did my parents, brother, niece, grandma and aunt. We had a small birthday party at the hospital for my 30th birthday! Yes, this momma turned 30!! Our niece gave the babies temporary names. She name one Bubba Dan and the other one Toby Juan (we think she meant to say Baby 1). Not sure where she came up with these names but it gave us all a good laugh!!!
Travis and I are counting our blessings to another week gone by with the babies still incubating. We ask for continued prayers for my health and cervix to continue to cooperate, babies to continue to incubate, strength to sustain this journey and safe travels for Travis and all who come to visit. We want to thank everyone who is praying and encouraging us through this journey!!!
I was diagnosed today with mild gestational diabetes. I took the one hour glucose tolerance test and failed. Then this morning I took a 3 hour glucose test and had to pass 2/4 blood tests and I failed that too! Luckily, I do not have to go on medication or insulin yet. All I have to do is modify my diet and take my blood sugar 4 times a day. I am starting to feel like a pin cushion!!! I am on twice daily heparin shots, which has caused my belly to bruise and my arms to bruise where they have drawn blood. This momma DOES NOT like needle sticks!
We had a great time this past weekend. A lot of people came to visit and most importantly Travis came down and stayed the weekend. He has been super busy holding down the fort back home! Travis dad and Sonny also came down to visit and so did my parents, brother, niece, grandma and aunt. We had a small birthday party at the hospital for my 30th birthday! Yes, this momma turned 30!! Our niece gave the babies temporary names. She name one Bubba Dan and the other one Toby Juan (we think she meant to say Baby 1). Not sure where she came up with these names but it gave us all a good laugh!!!
Travis and I are counting our blessings to another week gone by with the babies still incubating. We ask for continued prayers for my health and cervix to continue to cooperate, babies to continue to incubate, strength to sustain this journey and safe travels for Travis and all who come to visit. We want to thank everyone who is praying and encouraging us through this journey!!!
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Baby Update
Travis and I thought it would be a good idea to journal our journey into parenthood, especially now as it has become rather interesting. After trying for 2 years to start a family we found out we were pregnant in October 2015 and due July 3rd, 2016. We were in for a even bigger suprise when we found out we were pregnant with twins! The doctor then added in the little detail they were identical and there was a increased risk for complications with the babies. So began our journey of multiple doctors, specialists and appointments.
In December we had an appointment with a maternal-fetal-medicine specialists in Wichita to confirm if the babies were fraternal or identical. A nine-week ultrasound was preformed and it was confirmed that the twins were indeed identical. The concern with identical twins is whether or not they share a placenta and/or a amniotic sac. If the babies have their own individual placenta and amniotic sac the risk for complications decreases greatly for the babies. Our two little ones share a placenta but each have their own amniotic sac (technical term is monochoriantic-diamniotic twins or shortened to mono-di twins). Approximately 15% of mono-di twins develop a condition knows as twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, which usually develops around 18 to 26 weeks gestation. TTTS (abbreviation), happens when the blood flow in and out of the twins' umbilical cords is not evenly distributed. One baby may get more than the other and sometimes the blood flow will reverse backwards out of the umbilical cords. This can result in one baby growing way too big and the other one growing way too small. Two other complication of TTTS is unequal amniotic fluid levels between the two babies and a increased growth discrepancy between the two babies.
We have been going back and forth to Wichita since January once a week to have ultrasound monitoring to monitor the babies development. Everything with the babies has been developing normally as far as TTTS. There was a little scare that Baby B was 15% smaller than Baby A at 18 weeks but our ultrasound at 22 weeks showed the babies now only have a 8.5% growth difference and both babies weighed over a pound!!!!
We went into the hospital at 23 weeks, which was this past Sunday to have neuro-protective Magnesium and steroid shots to help develop the babies if they should be delivered early. The babies are being rocks stars but unfortunately my cervix has not been wanting to cooperate and has shortened significantly in the past couple months. The good news is I have not externally dilated but there is concern I could at any time. Since the shortened cervix is such a high risk our maternal-fetal-medicine specialist (mfm) has ordered hospital bed rest until the babies arrive. Although, this is not the ideal situation, we have been blessed to have the best care possible to keep our family going on this journey! Currently, I am at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita being monitored for early delivery. So far so good and we are 3 days away from being 24 weeks gestation. Every little hour these babies can incubate the better off we will be!
Please keep us in your prayers during this time. Travis and I feel the overwhelming presence of God in this situation and this situation has been a true testimony of faith and character building. We have been so blessed by how many people have supported us and continue to pray for us during this time. We will keep you updated!!!
In December we had an appointment with a maternal-fetal-medicine specialists in Wichita to confirm if the babies were fraternal or identical. A nine-week ultrasound was preformed and it was confirmed that the twins were indeed identical. The concern with identical twins is whether or not they share a placenta and/or a amniotic sac. If the babies have their own individual placenta and amniotic sac the risk for complications decreases greatly for the babies. Our two little ones share a placenta but each have their own amniotic sac (technical term is monochoriantic-diamniotic twins or shortened to mono-di twins). Approximately 15% of mono-di twins develop a condition knows as twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, which usually develops around 18 to 26 weeks gestation. TTTS (abbreviation), happens when the blood flow in and out of the twins' umbilical cords is not evenly distributed. One baby may get more than the other and sometimes the blood flow will reverse backwards out of the umbilical cords. This can result in one baby growing way too big and the other one growing way too small. Two other complication of TTTS is unequal amniotic fluid levels between the two babies and a increased growth discrepancy between the two babies.
We have been going back and forth to Wichita since January once a week to have ultrasound monitoring to monitor the babies development. Everything with the babies has been developing normally as far as TTTS. There was a little scare that Baby B was 15% smaller than Baby A at 18 weeks but our ultrasound at 22 weeks showed the babies now only have a 8.5% growth difference and both babies weighed over a pound!!!!
We went into the hospital at 23 weeks, which was this past Sunday to have neuro-protective Magnesium and steroid shots to help develop the babies if they should be delivered early. The babies are being rocks stars but unfortunately my cervix has not been wanting to cooperate and has shortened significantly in the past couple months. The good news is I have not externally dilated but there is concern I could at any time. Since the shortened cervix is such a high risk our maternal-fetal-medicine specialist (mfm) has ordered hospital bed rest until the babies arrive. Although, this is not the ideal situation, we have been blessed to have the best care possible to keep our family going on this journey! Currently, I am at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita being monitored for early delivery. So far so good and we are 3 days away from being 24 weeks gestation. Every little hour these babies can incubate the better off we will be!
Please keep us in your prayers during this time. Travis and I feel the overwhelming presence of God in this situation and this situation has been a true testimony of faith and character building. We have been so blessed by how many people have supported us and continue to pray for us during this time. We will keep you updated!!!
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