Another Good Day

It’s Ashley; my husband who has turned into a blogaholic had to head back to Lewiston this evening so he could return to work for the next four days. The good thing is that I finally got the computer back; the bad news is that I miss him terribly.
Other than Bryan leaving, today has been a very good day on the Howland front. I had my first follow up appointment with the OB hospitalist and my incision is looking great. I also lost over ten pounds since last week before the boys were born. I was a little nervous about jumping on the scale but was pleasantly surprised. Plus my swelling has finally started to go down. No more “Fiona legs” (Fiona off of Shrek) as one of the nurses put it. The nurse practitioner, who my appointment was with, was very nice and made sure that all of our needs were being met. I will follow up with her again next week and then again in April if we are still here. They have such an outstanding program up here. I can’t even explain how they have turned one of the most frightening and stressful times in our lives into such a wonderful experience.
Yesterday I received a call from outpatient services for some one week post-op questions. The nurse asked me all the appropriate questions about my incision, pain, etc. Then she asked me if there was anything they could do for us and if there was anything at all that we needed. She told me that not only were they there for any of my medical needs but that I could consider them the other arm in my support system, especially when Bryan was out of town. It really helped to ease some of my anxiety about Bryan leaving. I could tell that they genuinely cared about our well being.
After my appointment we headed up to the NICU to visit our little guys. We timed it just right because the doctor had come in to do rounds and we were able to get a report from her. She rounded on Braylon first and said that she was more than pleased with how he was doing. Then she rounded on Kaden, who has still been on c-pap. She told the nurse that she thought it was time to wean him off and suggested that he alternate between a high flow nasal cannula and the c-pap every four hours. I was stunned and so happy I started to cry. I knew that this meant I could finally hold him. It has been so difficult to hold one and only touch the other. She was so pleased at how well both boys have taken to their feedings she has decided to leave their umbilical lines in a couple of extra days so they can advance a little more in their feedings in order to avoid placing an IV or PICC in either of them. This means the boys will be off all IV fluids and on strictly breast milk and will avoid one less poke. The other good news is that Braylon is doing well enough; he got moved to a “not-so-sick baby bed”. He is one step closer to being out of a warmer completely. Bryan told the doctor that if she could keep rounding on our babies if she kept bringing good news like that and she said, “If they keep doing how they are doing they will be on my preferred list.”
After we finished up in the NICU Bryan and I decided to go back to our hotel room for a little while and take a little break. We had not been there very long before receiving a call from our nurse telling us we had a room at the Ronald McDonald House. We were not expecting to get in for a little while longer. It had worked out perfectly because we were a little concerned that they would call while Bryan was down in Lewiston and he would not be here to help me move our stuff, since I am on weight restriction from the c-section. We quickly packed our stuff and moved it over to the RMH. I am able to drive six blocks from the RMH to the hospital and park for free in a parking garage that is only a sky bridge away from the building the NICU is in. This means I can make it to the later care times and not have to worry about being out alone at night. Tonight we were able to park right next to the entrance to the sky bridge.
Okay so now for the funny part of the day. Although I have lost ten pounds, this has been an ongoing problem. After we finished dropping our stuff off at the RMH, Bryan’s dad and one of his friends took us to lunch. We decided to go to Chili’s. I admit I have had a hardy appetite now that there is more room for my food without the boys in my belly and from pumping breast milk. So we finished eating and the waiter picks up our plates, which I had cleaned, and he says, “Oh, you’re eating for two.” Everyone at the table got dead silent. I didn’t even know how to respond so I just smiled. After he left and everyone figured out I wasn’t going to freak out we all busted out laughing. This is the third time this has happened. The day I had been released from the hospital we had to go pick up some supplies and clothing. We had to go to the Maternity store in the mall to get some more nursing bras. After a busy day of shopping, I was really hurting. While walking through the food court to head back to the car one of the information clerks asked, “Are you okay?” I know she thought I was in labor. The next day we walked through the door of the main lobby of the hospital. I was still not strong enough to walk all the way up to the NICU so Bryan had been pushing me in a wheel chair. When he wheeled me by the front desk the clerk asked, “Is she in labor?” Bryan and I smiled and said “No, we are going to visit our babies in the NICU.” So apparently even after a ten pound weight loss, I still look pregnant.
We returned to the NICU after lunch for the boys 4pm care time. It was time for them to switch Kaden over to the nasal cannula. I was so excited. We were able to enjoy looking at his face for longer than a few minutes and he looked so much more comfortable and he was more alert and had his eyes open. Bryan was able to hold Braylon (I decided to share since he will be gone for four days). Braylon was also awake and spent most of the time looking at his daddy’s face than sleeping. It was great. After Bryan left to go back to Lewiston, and I finished shedding some tears, I returned for the boys 8pm care time. I was finally able to hold Kaden. He did so well that the nurse let me hold him skin-to-skin for over an hour. I loved every minute of it. I felt bad that I could not hold Braylon too and didn’t even get a chance to get involved with his cares tonight but starting tomorrow I will get to hold both of them during their different care times. The nurse today said I could probably hold them up to two times per day now. This is what I have been waiting for. I just keep praying for many more days like today.