Update 11.17.2010

Greetings from the NICU. It’s been a while since our last update. We’ve been busy with growing girls who require more and more hands on time from Mommy and Daddy. Weeks 9 and 10 were stressful for us, but week 11 is shaping up to be a high point on this ride. 

Brenna, as always, has been keeping us on our toes. Shortly after our last post it was confirmed she was in fact battling a urinary tract infection, which can cause many issues with preemies. By the end of the week, Brenna had become very swollen, and all the extra fluid she was carrying forced her back to the high frequency vent she was on after birth. X-rays also showed abnormal gas patterns in her abdomen, which was a cause for concern with her prior stomach issues. She was monitored closely and started on a 10 day run of antibiotics to battle the infection. We are happy to report the infection is under control and she is back eating and tolerating her feeds well. Brenna is still holding a bunch of extra fluid, but she seems to be feeling better. She is a bit more active and will open her eyes when Mommy and Daddy talk to her.  She is off the high frequency vent, but still requires a breathing tube. It’s very apparent she is aware of the tube and she does hate it so very much. Her CO2 levels have been improving slowly, so we pray she is able to get off the vent soon. We think she’ll be a happier girl once that happens. We say it every time, but she is our little warrior. She has more heart than any little girl we have ever met and, we thank God for our little Brenna Bear every single day.

Anna and Lucy have had eventful weeks as well, but for different reasons. Both girls have been breast/bottle feeding for the last couple of weeks. Feeding is one of the hardest things to learn for preemies, and both girls have done outstanding. As a result, they have been gaining weight like crazy. Both girls are well over 4lbs, with Lucy at 4lbs 6oz and Anna at 4lbs 12oz. They were moved out of their isolettes two weeks ago and have had no issues adjusting to open air cribs. Lucy is very vocal these days, and she has no problem letting you know when she’s ready for food/diaper change/attention/etc. Anna is starting to make some more noise, but she’s our quiet girl who waits patiently for Mommy and Daddy.

We are continually amazed at how well Anna and Lucy are progressing at 11 weeks old, which brings us to the high point we alluded to earlier: Anna and Lucy are coming home this week! Last week, the discharge coordinator came to talk to us about starting the process of getting them home. It was first brought up last Monday to start preparing and it sounded like it would be a few more weeks. We got a phone call on Thursday that Lucy was ready and she would be going home this week. Anna had just started feeding so we thought we would get Lucy home, and get adjusted, then bring her sister home. But Anna took to the bottle so well, they made the decision that she is coming home too. She will be on oxygen, but that is a small price to pay to have our two of our girls home. Anna was discharged today, and barring any changes, Lucy will be discharged on Friday. Doctor’s orders are to continue to restrict visitors pretty tightly while the girls adjust to a new environment, so even though they are sprung, it might be a little bit longer before you can all meet them. It’s hard for us to say that, but we are absolutely going to err on the side of caution with our precious babies.

As excited as we are to get them home, we are saddened that Brenna will not be able to join them for a while. With winter coming and the other girls home, it will add another dimension to our already upside down lives, but we’ve said before, “It’s never easy”, and we’ll make it work.  Brenna is improving, but she is still a sick little girl. She’ll have her own room, so she can have the quiet, relaxed atmosphere she needs to get herself back on track. She still has a long road in front of her, but we are encouraged by her progress in the last week.

As always, we appreciate the prayers and ask you continue them for our family. We had thought having one home by Christmas would have been great, but having two at home before Thanksgiving is beyond anything we could have imagined. Thank you for all your support and enjoy the upcoming holiday season.

In His Name,

Brad, Angie, Anna, Brenna, and Lucy Kamps