Well, it's been a month since the last entry, so I figured that I should write another update. For those of you who are still checking...sorry that we've become rather lazy in typing entries. This summer has flown by so quickly, it some ways everything seems like a blur. The girls are continuing to develop normally and become more active. Makaila is now pushing her upper body up, rolling around the room, laughing, making cooing noises, grasping toys with both hands and getting ready to start crawling. Faith is basically doing the same things, although she gets more frustrated when she is in the crawling position on her tummy. The other day we started feeding them solids, which they tolerated well (while making many funny faces). At their pediatrition appointment last week, Makaila weighed in at a whopping 13.8 lbs, and Faith was slightly lighter at 12.15 lbs. Both girls are in the 10th-15th percentile for their weight (which means 85-90% of children their age are heavier). Two weeks ago, Makaila had a brief three night hospital stay due to a urinary track infection. I decided to take her into emergency because she had been fighting a fever for a few days, and sure enough, after doing blood work and taking a urine sample, she tested positive for e-coli in her urine. As a s result, she was put on antibiotics for 10 days.
We will be heading off for three weeks of holidays at the end of the month where we will be spending most of our time at Sprout Lake. Graham's parents have offered to take all three kids for three nights, so Graham and I will be staying at a cabin (without kids) in Ucluelet. We also plan on visiting great-grandparents in Victoria as well as my parents in Courtenay. The day after we return from our holidays, Graham will be doing the kick-off for his Wednesday night youth nights.
Thanks for checking back with us every so often. You can assume that no new entries means that life with three children is extremely busy and that there's not much time to do anything else at this time. No news is good news.
Blessings,
The McMahons
Monday, August 20, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
McMahon Family Update
For those of you who keep checking our blog, (Paulette Grieve) we apologize for our lack of blog entries these past few months. Let's just say that our lives are very different now that the girls are home from the hospital, and I have a hard time finding any free time in my schedule to sit at the computer and write.
We cannot thank you enough for your faithful prayers. The girls are both doing extremely well. We have regular appointments with our pediatrition, the infant development center as well as the neonatal follow-up program at BC Children's Hospital for developmental assessments and we're always encouraged by the news that we receive. Makaila is "on track" with her development and is acting like a healthy full-term baby weighing in at a whopping 11.9 lbs. Faith is a little smaller (only 11 pounds), and is doing the same things as her younger sister - she's just a few weeks behind. Countless doctors and nurses that we have come in contact with along the way have stated that our girls are doing 'absolutely amazing' for all that they've been through - and we wouldn't say anything different. The Lord has given us the gift of two absolutely beautiful miracle babies - and an incredible story to tell as well.
On the practical side of things, we've had a constant stream of house guests staying with us to help us out. My mom has been here a total of eight weeks since the girls have been home from the hospital. Graham's parents and my sister have also come to help us out for a week at a time. We're now just getting to the point (almost 4 months later) where we no longer have people phoning to ask us when we want them to stay and help us out. I have several close friends who live in Abbotsford who have also been a huge help - whether it's volunteering to take Isaiah so that I can have a break, helping to clean my house or feed the babies - they've all been amazing.
We're looking forward to a fun summer filled with lots of friends and family and a few trips along the way. In one more week one of my best friends will be visiting for a few days from Saskatchewan with her husband and daughter. We then have a friend staying with us the last weekend of June. In early July I plan on taking the kids to Courtenay for one week while Graham is away in Oregan on a youth trip. We also have plans to head to Kelowna to celebrate my grandmother's 85th birthday at the beginning of August, and have scheduled our own family vacation the first three weeks in September. We're just hoping that some time in between all of these events we'll manage to find time to finish painting our house!
All in all...life seems to be settling into routine now. I'm no longer completely 'freaked out' to be left home alone with all three of my children :-) All I can say is "hats off" to those women who have triplets!!!
We cannot thank you enough for your faithful prayers. The girls are both doing extremely well. We have regular appointments with our pediatrition, the infant development center as well as the neonatal follow-up program at BC Children's Hospital for developmental assessments and we're always encouraged by the news that we receive. Makaila is "on track" with her development and is acting like a healthy full-term baby weighing in at a whopping 11.9 lbs. Faith is a little smaller (only 11 pounds), and is doing the same things as her younger sister - she's just a few weeks behind. Countless doctors and nurses that we have come in contact with along the way have stated that our girls are doing 'absolutely amazing' for all that they've been through - and we wouldn't say anything different. The Lord has given us the gift of two absolutely beautiful miracle babies - and an incredible story to tell as well.
On the practical side of things, we've had a constant stream of house guests staying with us to help us out. My mom has been here a total of eight weeks since the girls have been home from the hospital. Graham's parents and my sister have also come to help us out for a week at a time. We're now just getting to the point (almost 4 months later) where we no longer have people phoning to ask us when we want them to stay and help us out. I have several close friends who live in Abbotsford who have also been a huge help - whether it's volunteering to take Isaiah so that I can have a break, helping to clean my house or feed the babies - they've all been amazing.
We're looking forward to a fun summer filled with lots of friends and family and a few trips along the way. In one more week one of my best friends will be visiting for a few days from Saskatchewan with her husband and daughter. We then have a friend staying with us the last weekend of June. In early July I plan on taking the kids to Courtenay for one week while Graham is away in Oregan on a youth trip. We also have plans to head to Kelowna to celebrate my grandmother's 85th birthday at the beginning of August, and have scheduled our own family vacation the first three weeks in September. We're just hoping that some time in between all of these events we'll manage to find time to finish painting our house!
All in all...life seems to be settling into routine now. I'm no longer completely 'freaked out' to be left home alone with all three of my children :-) All I can say is "hats off" to those women who have triplets!!!
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Update on Faith & Makaila 23
Last Friday my mom and I took Faith and Makaila into Children's hospital so that Faith could have her second MRI and Makaila could have an eye exam. Both girls did very well - considering it was a very long eight hour day. We were pleased to hear the results of Faith's MRI. Before going into the exam, we had been told that there might be some concern that Faith's head was growing at a faster rate than normal (which could mean that fluid was collecting in her brain). Of course, this concerned both Graham and I, so we were quite eager to receive the results of the MRI for some peace of mind. Later that evening, Dr. Miller called us at home to give us the results. (Dr. Miller is one of eight top neurologists in the world who is following Faith and Makaila's development). First of all he reassured me that Faith's head is a normal size - in fact, it is in the 50% percentile (good news). He then said that the ventricles in Faith's head are a little larger than he would normally expect and that they ARE larger than Makaila's ventricles. Essentially this is due to one of three things. #1 - it could be due to genetics (afterall, the McMahon's have been known to have large heads). #2 - it could be due to previous trauma to the brain (which could have occurred when Faith was first born) - however this is unlikely as there are no other visible signs to indicate that there has been trauma to the brain. #3 - there IS fluid collecting in the brain - which one could assume if her head continues to grow abnormally fast. At any rate, the doctors will continue to keep a close watch on Faith's head size throughout these next few months to rule out the last possible reason for her "larger than expected" ventricles.
In other news, the girls seem to be adjusting well to being at home. I think we're finally starting to settle into a bit of a routine. My mom went home to Courtenay to celebrate the Easter long weekend with my dad, so Graham and I have been doing the parent thing on our own these last few days. Things have gone relatively smoothly - despite a few minor hiccups along the way. I asked Graham to describe these last few days in only three words and he said "fun, complicated and busy". (I'm glad that he's finally had a taste of what my mom and I have been doing for the last month!)
Thanks everyone, for your suggestions on buying a used vehicle. Graham and I are pursuing things with the Motor Dealer Council of BC as well as Mastercard to see if we can get our $2000.00 deposit back. In the meantime, we have made a verbal commitment to buying another vehicle - a 2004 Toyota Sienna LE - from a lady in Whiterock. All the papers will be signed sometime later this week.
Happy Easter everyone! Thanks for continuing to read about our crazy lives!
In other news, the girls seem to be adjusting well to being at home. I think we're finally starting to settle into a bit of a routine. My mom went home to Courtenay to celebrate the Easter long weekend with my dad, so Graham and I have been doing the parent thing on our own these last few days. Things have gone relatively smoothly - despite a few minor hiccups along the way. I asked Graham to describe these last few days in only three words and he said "fun, complicated and busy". (I'm glad that he's finally had a taste of what my mom and I have been doing for the last month!)
Thanks everyone, for your suggestions on buying a used vehicle. Graham and I are pursuing things with the Motor Dealer Council of BC as well as Mastercard to see if we can get our $2000.00 deposit back. In the meantime, we have made a verbal commitment to buying another vehicle - a 2004 Toyota Sienna LE - from a lady in Whiterock. All the papers will be signed sometime later this week.
Happy Easter everyone! Thanks for continuing to read about our crazy lives!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
New Photos!
We have posted new photos of Faith, Makaila, and the family on our photo blog: http://mcmahon-family-photos.blogspot.com/. Check them out!
Also, a few posts ago, Karyn mentioned that we had found a 2004 Toyota Sienna in Vancouver. Well, things went from bad, to worse, to absolutely terrible. To make a very long story short, the vehicle was not what we thought it was because the dealership did not disclose some very important details to us, we decided we didn't want it, asked for our deposit back, and they refused to give our $2000 back to us. So, we are currently out $2000 and we're trying to get it back through other means, but we're not holding our breath, nor do we have much time or energy to give to a lengthy fight. Sometimes we think we just need to write it off as an expensive learning experience (if you want to know what NOT to do when buying a used vehicle and what to look out for, just let us know and we'd be happy to enlighten you). Consequently, we still don't have a van either! So, if anyone knows anyone who wants to sell a 2004 or newer Toyota Sienna (we need the space and the backseat configuration this van provides) for a fair price, we're still looking! Your prayers for a good van we can afford would be appreciated too!
We are still trying to get the feeding thing down, but the girls are catching on. Sometimes it seems like all we do is feed them, but we are overjoyed to have them home. Isaiah is doing AWESOME!!! Our prayers to have him grow into a loving, caring, and protective big brother are being answered right before our eyes. When someone comes into our house Isaiah proudly introduces them to his little sisters and he's always kissing them and wanting to hug them. We are thoroughly grateful for this and we are so proud of him. Thanks so much for all of your support and prayers...we still covet them.
Blessings,
Graham
Also, a few posts ago, Karyn mentioned that we had found a 2004 Toyota Sienna in Vancouver. Well, things went from bad, to worse, to absolutely terrible. To make a very long story short, the vehicle was not what we thought it was because the dealership did not disclose some very important details to us, we decided we didn't want it, asked for our deposit back, and they refused to give our $2000 back to us. So, we are currently out $2000 and we're trying to get it back through other means, but we're not holding our breath, nor do we have much time or energy to give to a lengthy fight. Sometimes we think we just need to write it off as an expensive learning experience (if you want to know what NOT to do when buying a used vehicle and what to look out for, just let us know and we'd be happy to enlighten you). Consequently, we still don't have a van either! So, if anyone knows anyone who wants to sell a 2004 or newer Toyota Sienna (we need the space and the backseat configuration this van provides) for a fair price, we're still looking! Your prayers for a good van we can afford would be appreciated too!
We are still trying to get the feeding thing down, but the girls are catching on. Sometimes it seems like all we do is feed them, but we are overjoyed to have them home. Isaiah is doing AWESOME!!! Our prayers to have him grow into a loving, caring, and protective big brother are being answered right before our eyes. When someone comes into our house Isaiah proudly introduces them to his little sisters and he's always kissing them and wanting to hug them. We are thoroughly grateful for this and we are so proud of him. Thanks so much for all of your support and prayers...we still covet them.
Blessings,
Graham
Monday, March 26, 2007
Welcome home Faith!
Thanks so much everyone for leaving your comments. It's so good to know that people are still thinking of us - especially as our lives have changed so dramatically within these past few weeks. We always wonder who is still following our journey...
Anyway...yes...we have some big news!!!
On Friday Graham and I went to the hospital to pick up Faith. It was rather strange...just knowing that there would be no more trips to the hospital. Again...feelings of 'surrealness'. Was this REALLY happening??? Is Faith REALLY coming home to live with us??? On the one hand this was the day that we had been dreaming about for so long...and yet it was also a very normal day. Nothing spectacular happened at the hospital. We just loaded her into her carseat, packed up her stuff, received some last minute instructions from the nurse, then we headed back home. It was all so easy. After 142 days of visiting Faith in the hospital and experiencing the emotional roller coaster of having two extremely premature babies...this leg of our journey was finally over. Nothing big and flashy. Just time to move on...
Faith has managed to fit into our daily routine very well. She's a great 'feeder'. (Much faster than Makaila who often spits up). At this point, our lives seem to revolve around food & changing diapers. Isaiah calls both girls "Taya" (a shortened version of Makaila's name). He's very affectionate towards both of them. To our suprise, Isaiah has decided to take potty training to the next level these past few weeks. He's now able to remove his own diaper (which we have discovered several times when we have gone into his room to retrieve him from his afternoon nap). We just know that one of these days we're going to discover something unpleasant in his room. Despite this however, we're excited that he's taking the initiative to potty train himself.
I've basically accepted the fact that it will be almost impossible to go anywhere with all three of our kids right now. At this stage, I think it would be too much hassle (with feeds, naps, potty training etc). We also don't really have a vehicle that would fit all of us and our gear (unfortunately the deal that we had made with buying the 2004 Toyota Sienna ended up falling through). That's okay. We don't mind being "home bodies".
Well...I'm sure there's probably lots more that I could say...but my time on the computer is very limited. Thanks again everyone for your continued prayers. I will be taking Faith into Children's hospital on Friday for her second MRI. Our pediatrition recently told us that her head is growing at a little faster rate than normal - so we're eager to get the results of the MRI. We're not too worried though. In all honesty, I think that she's just inherited a "McMahon head". We'll be sure to post the results when we recieve them.
Blessings,
The McMahon 5
Anyway...yes...we have some big news!!!
On Friday Graham and I went to the hospital to pick up Faith. It was rather strange...just knowing that there would be no more trips to the hospital. Again...feelings of 'surrealness'. Was this REALLY happening??? Is Faith REALLY coming home to live with us??? On the one hand this was the day that we had been dreaming about for so long...and yet it was also a very normal day. Nothing spectacular happened at the hospital. We just loaded her into her carseat, packed up her stuff, received some last minute instructions from the nurse, then we headed back home. It was all so easy. After 142 days of visiting Faith in the hospital and experiencing the emotional roller coaster of having two extremely premature babies...this leg of our journey was finally over. Nothing big and flashy. Just time to move on...
Faith has managed to fit into our daily routine very well. She's a great 'feeder'. (Much faster than Makaila who often spits up). At this point, our lives seem to revolve around food & changing diapers. Isaiah calls both girls "Taya" (a shortened version of Makaila's name). He's very affectionate towards both of them. To our suprise, Isaiah has decided to take potty training to the next level these past few weeks. He's now able to remove his own diaper (which we have discovered several times when we have gone into his room to retrieve him from his afternoon nap). We just know that one of these days we're going to discover something unpleasant in his room. Despite this however, we're excited that he's taking the initiative to potty train himself.
I've basically accepted the fact that it will be almost impossible to go anywhere with all three of our kids right now. At this stage, I think it would be too much hassle (with feeds, naps, potty training etc). We also don't really have a vehicle that would fit all of us and our gear (unfortunately the deal that we had made with buying the 2004 Toyota Sienna ended up falling through). That's okay. We don't mind being "home bodies".
Well...I'm sure there's probably lots more that I could say...but my time on the computer is very limited. Thanks again everyone for your continued prayers. I will be taking Faith into Children's hospital on Friday for her second MRI. Our pediatrition recently told us that her head is growing at a little faster rate than normal - so we're eager to get the results of the MRI. We're not too worried though. In all honesty, I think that she's just inherited a "McMahon head". We'll be sure to post the results when we recieve them.
Blessings,
The McMahon 5
Monday, March 19, 2007
Update on the McMahon family
Makaila has been home for almost three weeks now, and life is starting to settle into routine.
I have continued to visit Faith in the hospital everyday - however I admit it is getting harder and harder. How many days has it been already? Just out of curiousity...I decided to count...and its been 139 days. This means that I have probably visited the hospital over 200 times in the last five months. No wonder I was thinking to myself the other day "...I'm done!!...I can't handle this anymore...I want to get on with my life!!"
Fortunately we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The doctors and nurses are preparing Faith to come home this Friday. Throughout the last two weeks she's been slowly weaned off her diuretics, and as of today everything was stopped. My mom is still staying with us - which is so awesome! She's been a great babysitter, cook, cleaner etc. In preparation for Faith's coming home, tonight Graham and I went mini-van shopping. We've known ever since we first found out that I was pregnant with twins that we would need a different vehicle, but neither of us have been too eager to go car shopping with everything else going on in our lives. We managed to find a 2004 Toyota Sienna in Vancouver for a decent price, so we put a down payment on it. Sometime in the next few days the subjects will be removed and we will be proud owners of a new, used vehicle.
For those of you who still read this blog - thanks! It's great to read the comments and know that people are still thinking about us. You've all been so encouraging! Thanks!
I have continued to visit Faith in the hospital everyday - however I admit it is getting harder and harder. How many days has it been already? Just out of curiousity...I decided to count...and its been 139 days. This means that I have probably visited the hospital over 200 times in the last five months. No wonder I was thinking to myself the other day "...I'm done!!...I can't handle this anymore...I want to get on with my life!!"
Fortunately we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The doctors and nurses are preparing Faith to come home this Friday. Throughout the last two weeks she's been slowly weaned off her diuretics, and as of today everything was stopped. My mom is still staying with us - which is so awesome! She's been a great babysitter, cook, cleaner etc. In preparation for Faith's coming home, tonight Graham and I went mini-van shopping. We've known ever since we first found out that I was pregnant with twins that we would need a different vehicle, but neither of us have been too eager to go car shopping with everything else going on in our lives. We managed to find a 2004 Toyota Sienna in Vancouver for a decent price, so we put a down payment on it. Sometime in the next few days the subjects will be removed and we will be proud owners of a new, used vehicle.
For those of you who still read this blog - thanks! It's great to read the comments and know that people are still thinking about us. You've all been so encouraging! Thanks!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
New Photos!
We have posted new photos from the day Makaila came home. More will follow. Just go to http://mcmahon-family-photos.blogspot.com/ to view them. Blessings,
Graham
Graham
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Update on the McMahon family
Makaila has been home for two days now. Graham and I picked her up from the hospital on Thursday afternoon while Grandma stayed home with Isaiah. We weren't sure how Isaiah would respond to having a little baby around, but he's done very well. He welcomed Makaila home by meeting her on the stairs with a smile on his face and a ball in his hand saying "HI!!!" (in an extremely loud voice). He was eager to share his ball with her and place it in her infant car seat. Amazingly. he seemed to know what to do around her (i.e. pat her head and give her kissess). it was very special watching him interact with her. He even cooperated by partcipating in a fairly lengthy photo shoot.
The community health nurse visited today to check up on things and weigh Makaila. When she left the hospital two days ago, she weighed 8.2 lbs. Now, however, she weighs a whopping 8.6 lbs. I was surprised to hear that she is surpassing most new born babies in terms of average daily weight gain.
Faith continues to do well in the hospital. I've only been to visit her once since Makaila has been home. Tonight my mom decided to go so that I could have a night off to do a few things We've been told that it won't be much longer until she'll be ready to come home.
Well...I'm off to bed! Goodnight!
The community health nurse visited today to check up on things and weigh Makaila. When she left the hospital two days ago, she weighed 8.2 lbs. Now, however, she weighs a whopping 8.6 lbs. I was surprised to hear that she is surpassing most new born babies in terms of average daily weight gain.
Faith continues to do well in the hospital. I've only been to visit her once since Makaila has been home. Tonight my mom decided to go so that I could have a night off to do a few things We've been told that it won't be much longer until she'll be ready to come home.
Well...I'm off to bed! Goodnight!
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Update on Faith & Makaila 22
Well...the day has finally come!! One of our girls is coming home!! We're planning on bringing Makaila home from the hospital tomorrow. It's been almost 4 months of trips to the hospital, sleepless nights, tears, family visits, typing blog entries, more tears, countless prayers...and FINALLY we get to have one of our daughters at home with us!! Graham and I went out for dinner and a movie last night - knowing that our lives are drastically going to change in one more day. We reflected a bit as we were sitting at 'Ethical Addictions' (a local coffee shop). Are we ready for this??? In one way I would say a resounding "YES!" I have dreamed about this day for soooo long. There is however, a little part of me that is feeling a little nervous and anxious. What is it going to be like having two kids at home? How will Isaiah respond to his new sister? How will we prevent germs from spreading in our house (so that Makaila doesn't get sick)? What if she does get sick...will she need to be hospitalized again? How will I manage with three kids when Faith is discharged from hospital? How much is Graham going to be able to help when he's working full-time and is required to travel with his job? I stayed awake most of the night last night just thinking about all of this.
I've been doing a lot of running around today - buying diapers and other things that I will need when Makaila is here. I'm off now to do some cleaning. I guess as a typical Mom I am experiencing 'nesting'.
I've been doing a lot of running around today - buying diapers and other things that I will need when Makaila is here. I'm off now to do some cleaning. I guess as a typical Mom I am experiencing 'nesting'.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Update on Faith & Makaila 21
We are happy to report that both girls are doing well. Although Faith had a rough week (she had a relapse with her cold), she seems much stronger now. Just yesterday Makaila's NG tube (a.k.a feeding tube) was removed. She's been eagerly taking a bottle ever since (YEAH!!!) This is a huge step towards coming home. She's managing to feed herself entirely on her own, and she's not getting too tired!!! While she's currently still hooked up to all of the monitors, we know that this will be changing soon. Apparently, as parents, we need to get used to seeing our daughters on their own (free from all computer monitoring that tell us how their heart rate and oxygen levels are doing). As soon as we get used to this (which won't take too long)...we'll be bringing her home! Praise the Lord!
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Update on Faith & Makaila 20
The girls are officially 111 days old today. In some ways the time is flying by, while in other ways it seems like it is taking forever for the girls to come home. I went to the hospital this afternoon for the 5:00pm feed. Once again it was a rather frustrating feed. Faith managed to take 20 ml from me and then we tube fed her the rest. She is taking a total of 53 ml now. Makaila, on the other hand, would not wake up to feed so we had to feed her entirely by tube. This is the way it seems to go - one day the girls are eager to eat - and the next day they are too tired. Apparently this is typical behavior for 'extreme premies'. Whatever we do, we cannot push them too hard, otherwise this will just set them back. Graham and I are both trying to be as patient as possible, but at the same time, we desperately want our lives to normalize. I can't wait to stop all of the visits to the hospital!
It seems like the number one question that most people ask us is: "How much do the girls weigh now?" Well...as of two minutes ago (when I last called the NICU) Makaila weighed 7 lbs 11 ounces, and Faith weighed 6 lbs 5 ounces. As a typical mom, I already feel a sense of sadness when I see them outgrowing some of their adorable premie outfits.
On a different note, Larry's time with us is almost up. He'll be heading back to Victoria at the end of February. He's been living with us for the last 3 1/2 months, and he's been such a huge blessing. I honestly don't know what we would have done without him. He's been our 'lifesaver' when its come to taking care of Isaiah and helping out around the house. Just this past week, he babysat Isaiah for a night so that Graham and I could go to Birch Bay WA for a belated Valentine's Day celebration. After Larry leaves, Graham's mom (Terry) will be coming to stay with us for a few days. My mom will then move in with us for the month of March. Thank you God for the amazing parents that you have blessed us with!!!
Thanks again for your prayers. We are happy to report that both girls are feeling much better.
It seems like the number one question that most people ask us is: "How much do the girls weigh now?" Well...as of two minutes ago (when I last called the NICU) Makaila weighed 7 lbs 11 ounces, and Faith weighed 6 lbs 5 ounces. As a typical mom, I already feel a sense of sadness when I see them outgrowing some of their adorable premie outfits.
On a different note, Larry's time with us is almost up. He'll be heading back to Victoria at the end of February. He's been living with us for the last 3 1/2 months, and he's been such a huge blessing. I honestly don't know what we would have done without him. He's been our 'lifesaver' when its come to taking care of Isaiah and helping out around the house. Just this past week, he babysat Isaiah for a night so that Graham and I could go to Birch Bay WA for a belated Valentine's Day celebration. After Larry leaves, Graham's mom (Terry) will be coming to stay with us for a few days. My mom will then move in with us for the month of March. Thank you God for the amazing parents that you have blessed us with!!!
Thanks again for your prayers. We are happy to report that both girls are feeling much better.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Update on Faith & Makaila 19
Faith and Makaila have both had colds the last two days. They have been stuffed up and have had a difficult time coordinating their sucking with their 'plugged' little noses. As a result, my efforts to breastfeed have been rather frustrating and we've resorted to feeding by tube instead. With their colds, they have also been very exhausted and have spent most of the last two days sleeping. Yesterday our nurse moved Makaila to an incubator to help her with her breathing (the humid air is much easier to breathe). Faith is still sleeping in her cot, however, she may be moved to an incubator as well if things don't get better soon. Apparently last night both girls experienced spontaneous episodes of 'brady' (low heartrate) and 'desats' (low oxygen levels), which required giving them oxygen (with a mask) and chest compressions to remind them that they needed to breathe. I've been told that there have been fewer incidences the last few hours - so that's good!
With the exception of the fact that the girls are sick right now, we did have some positive things happen this week. On Wednesday morning when I visited the girls, I found them 'co-bedding' together in a crib. They looked so cute snuggled together in their cozy pink blankets - just like it was meant to be. Makaila was wide awake staring at her big sister who was just inches from her head. She looked quite excited and was moving her little arms around - almost like she was trying to grab Faith's hand. This was a moment that I had been waiting for since I first found out that I was carrying twins. My girls - together as last!! Needless to say, I was quite 'teary-eyed'.
I talked to our pediatrition this week (Dr. Cohen), and she said that while Faith may still be in the hospital for at least one more month, Makaila could come home earlier (depending on how her feeds continue to progress). At this point, I just want them to both be healthy again. I get quite emotional just thinking about the fact that they are having a difficult time breathing. Yet again - we feel the up and down motion of the roller coaster continue.
Graham and I can't wait to get off the ride.
Thanks so much for your prayers.
With the exception of the fact that the girls are sick right now, we did have some positive things happen this week. On Wednesday morning when I visited the girls, I found them 'co-bedding' together in a crib. They looked so cute snuggled together in their cozy pink blankets - just like it was meant to be. Makaila was wide awake staring at her big sister who was just inches from her head. She looked quite excited and was moving her little arms around - almost like she was trying to grab Faith's hand. This was a moment that I had been waiting for since I first found out that I was carrying twins. My girls - together as last!! Needless to say, I was quite 'teary-eyed'.
I talked to our pediatrition this week (Dr. Cohen), and she said that while Faith may still be in the hospital for at least one more month, Makaila could come home earlier (depending on how her feeds continue to progress). At this point, I just want them to both be healthy again. I get quite emotional just thinking about the fact that they are having a difficult time breathing. Yet again - we feel the up and down motion of the roller coaster continue.
Graham and I can't wait to get off the ride.
Thanks so much for your prayers.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
New photos!
We have posted some new photos on our family photo blog (mcmahon-family-photos.blogspot.com) so be sure to check them out! We have some more recent ones from the MSA hospital in Abbotsford that will be posted soon. Enjoy!
Blessings,
Graham
Blessings,
Graham
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Update on Faith and Makaila 19
The girls have been at MSA hospital in Abbotsford for one week now and they are both doing well. Makaila weighs almost 7 lbs. and Faith is approximately 5 1/2 lbs. They are even starting to outgrow some of their premie clothing! I (Karyn) have been going to the hospital for two feeds every day. This takes about 4 hours. It's quite a long process to feed two little girls who are just learning how to suck. Right now they are both doing a combo of breastfeeding, bottle and tube feeding. As they get stronger and can suck for longer periods of time, the tube feedings will eventually stop. While both girls are considered stable, we were reminded the other night just how fragile they still are. Faith had a massive "brady" (low heart rate) and "desat" (low Oxygen level) following one of her feeds. She turned blue and took a few minutes to recover. Needless to say, it was a very scary moment for myself and Grandpa (who was also there to witness everything). I left the hospital that night feeling relieved that they are not at home with me yet.
So far nothing has been said to us yet about when we can expect the girls to come home. We know the date isn't too far off though, so we're busy getting our home ready. We've recently been trying to get Isaiah accustomed to sleeping in his "big boy" bed - which has been a challenge. We were hoping that we could contain him in his crib a little longer (until he was 2 maybe?), but he started climbing out of his crib last week and had a few rather painful crashes onto the floor. He still doesn't understand that he has two sisters who will be joining our home shortly...so we're trying to do everything that we can to make the transition as easy as possible.
As always, thanks again for your ongoing support. We cannot thank you enough for your encouragement, visits, cards, gifts and most importantly...prayers. We have felt people around the world praying for us. Our God is so amazing! I feel absolutely overwhemed with thanksgiving that Faith and Makaila are both doing so well. They are truly MIRACLE babies!
We love you all...
Karyn, Graham, Isaiah, Faith & Makaila
So far nothing has been said to us yet about when we can expect the girls to come home. We know the date isn't too far off though, so we're busy getting our home ready. We've recently been trying to get Isaiah accustomed to sleeping in his "big boy" bed - which has been a challenge. We were hoping that we could contain him in his crib a little longer (until he was 2 maybe?), but he started climbing out of his crib last week and had a few rather painful crashes onto the floor. He still doesn't understand that he has two sisters who will be joining our home shortly...so we're trying to do everything that we can to make the transition as easy as possible.
As always, thanks again for your ongoing support. We cannot thank you enough for your encouragement, visits, cards, gifts and most importantly...prayers. We have felt people around the world praying for us. Our God is so amazing! I feel absolutely overwhemed with thanksgiving that Faith and Makaila are both doing so well. They are truly MIRACLE babies!
We love you all...
Karyn, Graham, Isaiah, Faith & Makaila
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Update on Faith and Makaila 18
The girls are on their way to MSA Hospital in Abbotsford by ambulance as I am typing this! We are very excited that they are coming home and that we can all now live in the same city! This is a huge blessing, and we are so grateful for all of your support and prayers over the past months! We will continue to keep you all updated on their progress...thank you for everything!
Blessings,
Graham
Blessings,
Graham
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Update on Faith and Makaila 17
Wow! I didn't realize it has been so long since I have updated our blog. I guess I was waiting for something different to post, because the girls were so stable and their conditions remained unchanged...which is good news. Now, there's been some changes that are definitely worth letting you know about!
The girls are still in BC Children's hospital, but they are getting very close to being transferred to the hospital in Abbotsford (provided there are two beds available, which might mean a transfer to a hospital closer to us, but not necessarily Abbotsford). Faith just came off of CPAP on Wednesday and is doing well. She is on the nasal prongs with minimal oxygen and is also eating well. She now ways 4.7 pounds.
Makaila has been off of nasal prongs for quite a while now and has been doing very well breathing on her own without any assistance. The only tube she still has in her is her feeding tube. She now ways 5.8 pounds. She had another MRI yesterday and the doctors told us that everything looks fantastic.
So the goal right now is to get the girls to learn how to breast feed and/or take a bottle. Now that they are both off of CPAP, getting Faith off of the nasal prongs and both of them on the bottle or breast are the last things that need to happen before they can come home. We were told last night (Thursday) that there is a good chance that the girls may get moved to the hospital in Abbotsford today, which is very exciting. This is also a bit of a reminder that very soon they will be coming home and that we are still a ways from being ready to have them come home. We have all been sick as of late, especially Isaiah, so we also have to get better in preparation for their coming home.
We will keep you updated on the events of the next few days. If you don't hear anything, it's because they haven't moved and not much has changed. As soon as the girls have moved to Abbotsford, I'll let you know. Thank you for your support and prayers.
Blessings,
Graham
The girls are still in BC Children's hospital, but they are getting very close to being transferred to the hospital in Abbotsford (provided there are two beds available, which might mean a transfer to a hospital closer to us, but not necessarily Abbotsford). Faith just came off of CPAP on Wednesday and is doing well. She is on the nasal prongs with minimal oxygen and is also eating well. She now ways 4.7 pounds.
Makaila has been off of nasal prongs for quite a while now and has been doing very well breathing on her own without any assistance. The only tube she still has in her is her feeding tube. She now ways 5.8 pounds. She had another MRI yesterday and the doctors told us that everything looks fantastic.
So the goal right now is to get the girls to learn how to breast feed and/or take a bottle. Now that they are both off of CPAP, getting Faith off of the nasal prongs and both of them on the bottle or breast are the last things that need to happen before they can come home. We were told last night (Thursday) that there is a good chance that the girls may get moved to the hospital in Abbotsford today, which is very exciting. This is also a bit of a reminder that very soon they will be coming home and that we are still a ways from being ready to have them come home. We have all been sick as of late, especially Isaiah, so we also have to get better in preparation for their coming home.
We will keep you updated on the events of the next few days. If you don't hear anything, it's because they haven't moved and not much has changed. As soon as the girls have moved to Abbotsford, I'll let you know. Thank you for your support and prayers.
Blessings,
Graham
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Update on Faith and Makaila 16
We have good news to report! Faith is doing well on CPAP and has even had two cuddles with Mom! She has also moved out of her incubator and into a crib! This has helped because she likes being wrapped up and she was too hot being wrapped up in the incubator. So now she can be wrapped up and not get too hot (try saying those last two sentences fast). She still needs to get stronger and she still hasn't been on CPAP that long, so keep praying for her...it's working!
Makaila is continuing to do well. Today she tried breast feeding for the first time which is a big deal! This is a big step towards being transferred to Abbotsford, however, this is usually a very difficult process because premature infants don't have the same sucking reflex full term babies have and they tend to not eat and breathe well together. They can forget to breathe when they are swallowing so you have to give them a little shake or smack to get them breathing again (we've heard of babies going blue, yikes!)...or they forget to stop swallowing when they breathe and they choke. So, we don't expect this to be a smooth or easy process, but so far so good. Makaila took to sucking right away and took breaks in between to breathe (or so we think) but she only latched on for a minute or two.
While we are still a ways from being transferred to Abbotsford, some of the babies that have been around Faith and Makaila in the NICU are being transferred to other hospitals. This has got us thinking that one day they will be coming home and that day is at least 2 months closer then when they were born. They could be transferred to Abbotsford within a month and then home a few weeks after that (these are generous guesses). We are both excited and overwhelmed: excited to have our girls home, but overwhelmed by what we need to do, buy, and get to be ready for them and do all this while Karyn lives most of the week in Vancouver and while I work in Abbotsford and travel to and from Vancouver (oh ya, and then we'll have two infants and an almost 2 year old in our house to care for...yikes!). We would appreciate your prayers as we attempt to prepare for Faith and Makaila's homecoming.
Blessings,
Graham
Makaila is continuing to do well. Today she tried breast feeding for the first time which is a big deal! This is a big step towards being transferred to Abbotsford, however, this is usually a very difficult process because premature infants don't have the same sucking reflex full term babies have and they tend to not eat and breathe well together. They can forget to breathe when they are swallowing so you have to give them a little shake or smack to get them breathing again (we've heard of babies going blue, yikes!)...or they forget to stop swallowing when they breathe and they choke. So, we don't expect this to be a smooth or easy process, but so far so good. Makaila took to sucking right away and took breaks in between to breathe (or so we think) but she only latched on for a minute or two.
While we are still a ways from being transferred to Abbotsford, some of the babies that have been around Faith and Makaila in the NICU are being transferred to other hospitals. This has got us thinking that one day they will be coming home and that day is at least 2 months closer then when they were born. They could be transferred to Abbotsford within a month and then home a few weeks after that (these are generous guesses). We are both excited and overwhelmed: excited to have our girls home, but overwhelmed by what we need to do, buy, and get to be ready for them and do all this while Karyn lives most of the week in Vancouver and while I work in Abbotsford and travel to and from Vancouver (oh ya, and then we'll have two infants and an almost 2 year old in our house to care for...yikes!). We would appreciate your prayers as we attempt to prepare for Faith and Makaila's homecoming.
Blessings,
Graham
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Update on Faith and Makaila 15
My apologies for the long gap between this post and the last. We have been in Vancouver for most of the holidays and between being busy with the family and the sporadic internet access, we have found it difficult to get updates up. So, if in the future there is another long gap, just assume that no news is good news! So, here's what's been happening in the worlds of Faith and Makaila...
Makaila has been doing very well on the nasal prongs, only needing just the slightest bit of oxygen to help her with her breathing. She was able to come out of her incubator about a week ago because her body temperature reached 28 degrees Celsius so she is now in a small NICU crib. This is great because we have easier access to her and it's just one more step in her journey towards coming home. Her weight is now 1790 grams (almost 4 pounds) and she is looking more like a little baby girl rather than a premature baby.
Faith needs a lot of prayer right now. She went in last Friday to have her bronchial tube examined because there was a chance that she might have scar tissue forming as a result of the reflux she had been experiencing. They were able to conclude that her bronchial tube was fine and that her airway was simply small because of her premature age. They put her on CPAP the next day and she has been on it since, but has really struggled at times. The medical staff (and Karyn and I) really don't want to see her go back on the ventilator because this will set her back another two weeks. She's had several dips where her heart rate and oxygen levels have dropped, and at one point needed chest compressions to get her heart rate back up, which it quickly did. They have given Faith a dose of caffeine and plan to do give her more tomorrow, so we hope this will help her to remember to breathe. So, if you could pray that Faith would be able to stay on CPAP and catch up to her little sister, we would really appreciate that! Faith currently weighs 1465 grams (almost 3 and a quarter pounds). She was much closer to Makaila a short while ago, but has slowed down in her weight gain.
So, that's it for now. We will be posting updated photos of Faith and Makaila soon, so check out mcmahon-family-photos.blogspot.com
Blessings,
Graham
Makaila has been doing very well on the nasal prongs, only needing just the slightest bit of oxygen to help her with her breathing. She was able to come out of her incubator about a week ago because her body temperature reached 28 degrees Celsius so she is now in a small NICU crib. This is great because we have easier access to her and it's just one more step in her journey towards coming home. Her weight is now 1790 grams (almost 4 pounds) and she is looking more like a little baby girl rather than a premature baby.
Faith needs a lot of prayer right now. She went in last Friday to have her bronchial tube examined because there was a chance that she might have scar tissue forming as a result of the reflux she had been experiencing. They were able to conclude that her bronchial tube was fine and that her airway was simply small because of her premature age. They put her on CPAP the next day and she has been on it since, but has really struggled at times. The medical staff (and Karyn and I) really don't want to see her go back on the ventilator because this will set her back another two weeks. She's had several dips where her heart rate and oxygen levels have dropped, and at one point needed chest compressions to get her heart rate back up, which it quickly did. They have given Faith a dose of caffeine and plan to do give her more tomorrow, so we hope this will help her to remember to breathe. So, if you could pray that Faith would be able to stay on CPAP and catch up to her little sister, we would really appreciate that! Faith currently weighs 1465 grams (almost 3 and a quarter pounds). She was much closer to Makaila a short while ago, but has slowed down in her weight gain.
So, that's it for now. We will be posting updated photos of Faith and Makaila soon, so check out mcmahon-family-photos.blogspot.com
Blessings,
Graham
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