Thank You

I just wanted to write a quick note...thank you thank you thank you to all of you who have been so generous to us. I know we will never be able to remember everyone and I apologize if you do not get a formal thank you but I just wanted to let you know what an encouragement and blessing you have been to our family. Thank you for the gas cards, gift cards, gifts, hugs, prayers, and the meals - oh the meals! Let me just say that we have had some amazing meals over the last month or so and our family has enjoyed them so much. In fact, I just said to my mom today... not having to worry about cooking in the midst of all of this chaos has lifted a huge burden from our shoulders. Thank you! Seth also says thank you because thanks to all of you, he has gained some weight over the last month or so. Seth and I continue to learn from all of you about what it means to be cheerful givers and to love on another in Christ. Thank you!

The Monitor

Oh, the monitor. From what I hear, you either love 'em of hate 'em. Well, to be honest, I pretty much hate it. ...and not because it goes off all the time either - because I hate having cords still attached to my baby. Don't get me wrong - I know it has a purpose and everything but that was one of the best things about bringing Reagan home was no machines or cords...just us and our baby. Cameron handles it pretty well...I think I am the one being a baby about it but every time we want to go somewhere we have to lug this box and these cords around. The monitor has only gone off twice for bradies and they were only a few seconds long - by the time we went to do something...she had resolved herself. I am praying for the doctors to be very pleased when we go to clinic on the 12th and that they will say "good news...no more monitor."

The last few days have been full of craziness and add in a pretty big helping of sleeplessness and it makes for a fun time at the Carter house! We experienced taking the girls together to the doctor - NIGHTMARE!!! I definitely need more practice with that one. Reagan really seems to have gotten her days and nights straight and for a night or so I thought Cameron had too but... I just keep reminding myself how far Reagan has come since coming home from the hospital and Cameron is just still getting used to being at home. We are learning together what works. According to the pediatrician's scale on Wednesday: Reagan is weighing in at 6 lbs. 6 oz. (close to typical newborn size!!) and Cameron is 5 lbs. 9 oz.

Please pray that Cameron's weight gain will be as good as Reagan's has been. I pray that the comfort of being at home will be all she needed for a consistent weight gain...however, she spits up A LOT! and has been pretty cranky the last day or so, so I am hoping that the doctor will be pleased on Tuesday.

I am hoping to post some photos soon of the girls! Thanks for keeping us in your prayers!

The Gang's All Here

After 129 days at Duke, Cameron is finally home with us! I honestly don't know if it has even sunk in yet. This is what we have been waiting for. We are so blessed and thankful for how God has provided for us.


Here are some pictures of Cameron's homecoming:

Cameron redid her carseat test before we left.

Cameron's monitor that must be hooked up at all times except baths.


The nurses cheered for her and blew bubbles as we left!

Aubrey meeting her sister for the first time. She was so excited to see two babies. At first she did a double take but then she had a lot of fun showing everyone that there were two sisters and where they were!

Reunited at last! Sisters together. Reagan on the left, Cameron on the right with the pacifier. So far today they seemed pretty oblivious of each other until tonight. They both started crying at the same time and boy did our house fill with noise! Then, we laid them down in the crib together and they stopped...for a bit.


Cameron seems to slowly be adjusting to being at home. Seth's mom pointed out today that Cameron is almost just like Reagan was when she came home. It is amazing what three weeks at home has done for Reagan - for the most part, she seems calmer and more like a full term baby than previously. Cameron left the NICU weighing about 5 lbs. 4 ounces.


We are so excited to be all at home together...even though that means lots of sleepless nights and chaos - we will do it together. We are so blessed to have the continued support of friends and family and their continual prayers. Our goal for the next few weeks is to establish a routine if possible and to finally all get settled in together - even though we have a ton of appointments in May coming up.


Prayer Requests for the future:


-the adjustment of all of our girls
-Cameron on her monitor - that the need for one would diminish quickly and that if it goes off for a real alarm that Seth and I would be able to address her needs promptly with no real emergency; also that we would not have a need for her cortisol shot and that she would outgrow the need for it soon.
-Upcoming appointments and retesting of Cameron's hearing

I probably will not be posting as often but promise to post pictures as time permits - we are going to be busier than ever but couldn't be happier!

So far so good

So far no bradys or apneas which means....tomorrow is still on. I am holding my breath, though, because we have been here before. I pray that Cameron is just as ready as we are to have her home and that she is going to keep it all together. I am going today to get trained on the monitors and to visit with my baby and then tomorrow morning bright and early we are going to learn baby massage and then bring her home! The baby massage is not for pampering - even though we won't tell the girls that...it is supposed to help them to stay organized and not get so overstimulated. They both are extremely sensitive to outside stimuli like light, sound, too much movement, etc. so this is supposed to help them chill out a bit.

Reagan had a tough day with feeding yesterday. Lots of spit ups out the nose and mouth. She choked on her medicine, lips started turning blue, and I got to use my cpr training and choking training from the hospital. Luckily I stayed calm and didn't freak out until after it was all over. Then I called Seth (sorry for those of you sitting near him who may have heard his phone in church yesterday) and started crying. Thank goodness the NICU trained us. Then, I went to visit Cameron with my parents and I was told, put her medicine in her milk...that is what we always do - I thought to myself - would have been nice to know that when she came home a month ago :). Oh well. We made it and are fine.

Aubrey has no clue what is coming tomorrow. I pray that she is just as excited about Cameron coming home as she was Reagan. She loves to help take care of Reagan and has been so loving. Every time she goes by her, she likes to kiss her on the head. She also loves to say that Reagan has stinky diapers - she thinks it is funny. Stay tuned and hopefully the next post will be pictures of Cameron's homecoming!

Emotions

The longer this process goes, the more emotional I seem to get. I am reacting to all of our ups and downs emotionally - whereas before, I at least felt like I was able to keep it together somewhat. For example, tonight I called to check on Cameron and one of the nurses in the TCN that has worked a lot with Cameron in the past had her. I started crying and told her, "I really needed for you to have her tonight. You have no idea." She said that they had already been snuggling tonight and that the other baby she has is with their parents in the care by parent room so she and Cameron would be hanging out a lot tonight. I know that this is just what Cameron needs but it is also just what I need. The assurance of knowing that someone is caring for her tonight that loves her means the world to me. I know that all of the nurses care but sometimes you have a nurse that has really connected with your baby and that is very special.

Cameron had her first full feed tonight. She is only on tylenol for her surgery recovery and got her IV out tonight. She has been pretty irritable, but who wouldn't if they couldn't eat and had a board taped to their arm? So, I am hoping that now that she can eat that she will be happier. The newest plan is for Seth and I to go to the hospital on Monday to get trained to use the monitor that Cameron is going to come home on. Then, on Tuesday, we should hopefully be able to bring her home. All of this will happen only if Cameron does not have any episodes of apnea and brady together. It is my understanding that as long as she doesn't need any oxygen, she could brady and still come home. I am so ready for Cameron to come home, even in spite of the bradys. I am ready for us to all be home together.

Reagan has transferred over to a new formula well. She was doing really well on her new formula mixed with milk except her reflux really seems to be acting up. It burns her when she burps and she will wake up screaming an hour after she has eaten. You can hear her belly making noises and churning. We are hoping that an increase in her dose of Prilosec will give her some relief and help her to feel better. When her reflux isn't bothering her, it is amazing how peacefully she is sleeping. Today has been a tough day for her, she has really been hurting - she gets her new dose of meds tonight.

Please also continue to pray for Aubrey and her adjustment to all of the changes going on at home. She has just gotten used to having one sister at home and we are about to add another.

Good to Go

Well, it seems as if God is once again taking care of His children...specifically Cameron Hope Carter. We got to the Hospital around 8am this morning (Thurs.) thinking that we'd see her an hour before they take her to surgery (which was scheduled at 10am), and ended up waiting till 1pm until they rolled her back in the O.R. No problems or anything...they were just really busy. The actual surgery took less than an hour and went great. Two hernia's (sp?) removed. Two little incisions. The bandages will come off in a week. They're still saying that she should be coming home this weekend. Wshew! That'll be something. I can't wait to see them together again...both in my arms at the same time. We'll be sure to get some more pictures then. Thank you all for your prayers. It's obvious you are praying.

Four Months Old

The girls turned four months old today (but actually they are considered only 2 and a half weeks old adjusted age based on their due date - that is the age we hold them accountable to with benchmarks). Unfortunately, neither girl felt like celebrating today and each of them had a tough day in their own way. Please continue to pray for the girls. Cameron is now NPO - no food but IV fluids in preparation for her surgery - I pray that her poor little tummy isn't causing too much trouble. Please pray that things will go smoothly and that the surgeons would have skilled hands and that she would tolerate the anesthesia and intubation well. Please also pray for Reagan as we try to transition her to formula feeds...that her belly and reflux would cooperate. I wish I had weights and numbers to update you with, but I do not. I can say that yesterday at the doctor they weighed her with her clothes on (Reagan) and she was 5lb 15 oz. but that was fully clothes. Cameron lost weight yesterday, I have called tonight to check on her but her nurse was on break, so I will call back later. We will update as soon as we can tomorrow once we are back from the hospital. The surgery is scheduled to begin at 10 o'clock.