Counting Down

The kids have been asking repeatedly to go to the Museum of Play lately. We had been going every week before Ryan was born, but since then, the kids have only been once with Grandma Marshall and Dad. We finally got out there last week and they were very excited!

Callie is almost two years old now and she is learning new things every day. She still loves stuffed animals and she is getting very good at singing songs and speaking in full sentences. 

Callie and Jack have been playing together a lot more often these days, but they also know how to bug each other sometimes! They mostly laugh and get along well, though, so we'll deal with the occasional spat!

Callie loves animals of all kinds, so she was pretty entertained by these buttons that made animal noises. 

This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago. Ryan's nurse had asked if the kids had seen their little brother yet, and we told her they had only seen him in pictures. The nurse said she could bring him out to the glass and the kids could at least see him "in person." Someone working for the hospital snapped some pictures and gave them to us a few days ago. The quality is not the best, but it's our first family photo!

Here is how we spent Valentine's day. Ryan is now 5lbs 11oz and is done with the feeding tube. It's nice to be able to see his face without all tubes in the way!

At this point, we are waiting for Ryan to get through his "count down." This means he has to go seven days in a row without any episodes of bradycardia (slow heart rate) or sleep apnea (where he stops breathing during his sleep.) So far he has restarted the count down a few times, so we'll see how he does!

We are anxious to have him home with us, but we understand that he needs to be strong and healthy. We're being patient and looking forward to having him join our family here at home!

Still Growing

Here's an illustration of how small Ryan's clothes are. These are Jack's, Callie's, and Ryan's PJs. Some day, soon enough, Ryan will be wearing those big penguin jammies!

On Tuesday evenings, the hospital provides a "child watch" for a few hours. That's the only time we are both able to go visit Ryan together. We usually take turns out in the waiting room, so it's nice to be able to see Ryan at the same time. 

Ryan is continuing to gain weight at a steady pace. He's still in a warming bed and is still getting some help with his breathing. He also still has his feeding tube in place, but was able to take his first bottle a couple of days ago. He hasn't had one since, but it's good to know that he can take one when is he is ready!

Swimming and a Birthday!

The kids started swimming classes at our local YMCA this past weekend. We debated about dropping the classes with all that is going on, but we decided to stick with it so the kids could have something fun to look forward to between all the trips to the hospital. 

Apparently it is illegal in New York to take pictures in a public pool, so we had to put the camera away before Jack's class started. Both kids had tons of fun, though. Callie was freezing by the end of her class, but she still wanted to go back in the pool!

Ryan turned two weeks old yesterday. Sander's mom, Chris, was able to come stay with us for a week, so she and Sander went to see baby Ryan. He is still pretty skinny, so we're working on fattening him up!

This outfit is labeled "preemie." It's still pretty baggy on our little guy. 

Grandma Marshall was able to get some good pictures of Dad and Ryan together. It's nice to have two people visiting the NICU at once so we can actually take pictures of something other than Ryan laying in a bed!

Holding a baby that small is pretty much like holding a rolled up blanket! He is so light and small, it's hard to tell he is even there!

Chris has a much nicer camera than we have, so it's nice to have some good-quality pictures of Ryan. This kid is going to have so many pictures of himself!

And not to be overlooked- Sander turned 32 on the 10th! We had a nice family celebration at home. Sander got some basketball shoes, more clothes and shoes from Chris, plus- a waffle maker! 

 It took a lot of work to light all 32 candles. We're pretty sure it was a fire hazard.

 The cake lit up the whole room! Just kidding. 

We're very glad to be able to celebrate Sander's birthday together as a family!

Kangaroos and E.T.!

I got to go in this morning and hold Ryan for quite a while. He was very peaceful. The NICU encourages "Kangaroo Care," which is holding the baby skin-to-skin. It helps bonding and apparently the babies heal and recover faster with Kangaroo Care.

Ryan stayed plenty warm while I held him, which is a good sign. He doesn't have much body fat, so he has a hard time regulating his body temperature. Hopefully we can fatten him up soon! (And I sure look pasty white in these pictures with Ryan's pink skin next to mine!)

Doesn't he remind you of E.T. with his little glowing hand? He's off the oxygen completely now, so he just has a feeding tube going in his nose to his stomach. They're hoping to take out his I.V. soon, too. The less wires and tubes, the better!

 The nurse held up the measuring tape for comparison. He is still a little guy, but he's growing bigger every day!

He had his eyes open for quite a while today while I took his temperature and changed his diaper. It's very difficult to change a 3lb baby's diaper! He is so very small. Oh, and his skin is not really all splotchy like this picture shows- I took it through the plastic bed thing, so there was a little reflection.

Turn Off the Lights

We were finally able to get some pictures of Ryan that aren't tinted blue from the Bili lights. They took the lights away as of yesterday, but sometimes preemies regress a bit and he might have to go back under them. We'll see.

He has a little IV in his arm. It's kind of sad to see, but it's for his own good! We're very happy with the progress he is making. We still don't really have an idea of when we can take him home, but we're just taking it one day at a time.

Hearts and Hospitals

Here's Ryan again, still under the Bili lights. They are hoping to have him off of the lights tomorrow so we can hold him more often. As he digests more milk and gains more body fat, it will be easier for his little body to process everything and he won't need the lights as much. At least he looks cozy!

We will try to get some better pictures of his face once he's done under the lights. He has tiny features and lots of blonde hair! The doctors gave us an update about his heart. He has an unusual set-up in there! Nothing that is detrimental to his health, but we will follow up with the cardiologist as he gets older so they will know more. The doctors said they have never seen his particular artery growth before, so they don't know how it will affect Ryan. 

Here's the medical info, as we understand it: The aorta is a candycane-shaped artery off the heart that takes blood to the rest of the body. Normally it curves to the left of the heart, but Ryan's curves to the right. There isn't an issue with this but there is a slight complication because of it. While checking his heart for a "PDA," which is a typical issue most preemies have, they found something unusual. There is an artery that is open while in-utero to divert blood away from the lungs since they are not needed. After birth this artery closes. It's still open with Ryan, which is called a PDA, but that isn't the problem as it will close on its own. The combination of the two issues has caused the PDA to branch off the aorta in a place the doctors have never seen before. Because of this, the PDA is in a position to constrict the esophagus and trachea when it closes. Even if this does happen, it won't be a problem until he starts eating solids. If it does become a problem, it can be surgically repaired- a very simple procedure.

This is not something we have to worry too much about and it can be easily repaired if need be. The good news is, though, that even though Ryan does have a "PDA," it does not need to be treated and will resolve itself on its own. So- that's that!

 Here are a few pictures of what the kids have been up to while Mom and Dad take turns visiting Ryan.

 We all hang out in the NICU family waiting area. They have a lot of books and toys for the kiddos. Jack and Callie wanted to play with the stroller quite a bit, but they also tried out the new and interesting toys.

Callie liked the little people chairs and tables. She gathered some play food and sat down to "eat" a meal. Then, apparently, thought it might be fun to stand on the chair. She better be careful...

Callie thought the mirrors were pretty funny. She loved to squish her face into them and laugh at herself. She was having a great time!

And, of course, there was a TV with the kids' PBS shows playing. That kept them occupied for a bit when they were growing tired of waiting in the limited space.

Bili Lights

So far, we've been able to visit Ryan every day at the hospital. We can only stay for a little while, but we can at least check up on him. Today he was under the Bili lights to help with the typical jaundice that all preemies get. He looks a lot more comfortable now that he does not have a big tube in his mouth. 

The doctors said they are going to start feeding him breastmilk today for the first time, so that is exciting. He will have a thin feeding tube going into his stomach and they'll see how he does with digestion. He's getting a scan of his heart today to check on a murmur (very typical of preemies), and he may or may not need some medicine for that. Things are looking good so far!

Ryan's Surprise

Ryan Andrew Marshall was born on December 27th, 2011. He was supposed to wait until March, but he was too excited about Christmas and snow! He came very fast and there was just no stopping him!

Ryan was born at 28 weeks gestation,which is about 2 1/2 months early (considering how late our babies have gone in the past, though, more like 3 1/2 months early!) Despite being so early, he seems to be doing well. He was 3lbs even, and 16.5 inches long. Callie was 9lbs 2oz, by the way! So her little brother was 1/3 of her size!

Since we were not prepared for this birth, we did not have a camera with us. We used our cell phones to take his first pictures. The first three were taken immediately after his birth. They wrapped him in a plastic bag to keep him warm. He cried just a little after he was born, which is a good sign.

A few hours after he was born, he was ready for some visitors. We took a few more pictures of him (via cell phone) as he cuddled in his little incubator bed. He was on a ventilator to help him breathe and has many tubes and wires connected to him. 

He has since been taken off the ventilator because he was doing so well. He is definitely a fighter. He has blonde hair, just like Jack. He can open his eyes, and even cries a little. 

We will post more details as they come. So far, the outlook is very good for our little man. We will visit him as often as we can, but the hospital is 40 minutes away and the kids aren't allowed in the NICU. It will be tough, but we will make it work!