Your Baby is Ready for Pickup

As I have mentioned in previous updates, it has been difficult to determine exactly when Shepherd and Jackson would be coming home. Before the boys can leave the NICU, they must be able to maintain their body temperature, pass a multitude of exams (hearing, eye, car seat challenge), and most importantly drink their entire bottle in less than a half an hour / 8 times a day. Only when these benchmarks are consistently met do parents get to bring their children home.

On Wednesday (11/25/09), after almost six weeks, Vicki received a call from one of the neonatologists informing her that Jack was ready to go home. This incredibly important call, which we have been anxiously awaiting, was surprisingly similar to the call you would get from your local dry cleaner or bakery, letting you know that your order was ready for pickup. We knew Jack was getting closer to going home, but we had no idea it was going to be on Thanksgiving.

So on Thursday (11/26/09), Vicki and I headed to the hospital to celebrate Thanksgiving with the boys and then bring Jackson home. Needless to say, Vicki and I have had an amazing and somewhat exhausting Thanksgiving weekend. Jackson is adjusting incredibly well to his new home. He has already called dibs on a crib and is hanging posters on his side of the room.

At the moment, we are still unsure about when Shepherd will make his trip home. We think of ourselves as being on the baby installment plan. It's basically like those sketchy late night infomercials - we will try Jackson at home for a week and if we like him, we will receive another baby just a few days later. The doctors and nurses continue to be impressed with Shep's progress and believe he will not be in the NICU much longer.

Though they are in two different locations, both boys continue to do well (both boys are over five and a half pounds) and get stronger. Jack's homecoming was definitely a great way to kick off the holiday season and to remind us of all we have to be thankful for. I hope everyone had a great Turkey Day! Please know that Vicki, Shep, Jack and I are thankful for the love and support we continue to receive.

-The Brittons

Kodak Slideshow of Jack's Homecoming

Don't Drink and Drive

Shepherd and Jackson are five weeks old. The boys are now the sage elders of the NICU, sharing their wisdom and life experience with the young kids who come into the unit. The Britton Boys continue to improve on a daily basis and at some point during the last week both boys crossed the five pound mark (Jack is 5 lbs 4 oz and Shep is catching up at 5 lbs 1 oz). Shep and Jack's feeding schedules are like a frat boy's during rush week. They grab a bottle, drink until they pass out and then wake up three hours later and do it all over again. And the similarities don't end there, they also occasionally throw-up on themselves.

Jack has been doing so well with his feedings that he was able to take the Car Seat Challenge (CSC). I find it funny that the quicker you can down a bottle, the faster you get to go in a car, but that's for another time. Now, earlier I talked about the onesie challenge, which is a contest that doesn't really exist, but that I made up to help improve my baby dressing skills (I can now dress the boys in just under two hours). The Car Seat Challenge is a real test that the boys must pass before they can leave the NICU. To complete the CSC a child must remain securely fastened in their car seat with their leads attached for 90 minutes. During the 90 minutes the child must maintain their heart, breathing, and pulse-ox rates without any significant decreases. I am happy to report that Jackson dominated the CSC and passed without any problems (There are pictures below). After watching his brother Shep is anxious to show us his skills and will hopefully take the CSC at some point this week.

In addition to the CSC, the boys have had eye-tests (that came back normal) and Jackson had a hearing test (that also came back normal). We are still unsure of the boys homecoming timeline, but the CSC is one of the last NICU hurdles. The doctors and nurses have told us to be ready and that the boys could be coming home at any moment. It is possible that Jackson may come home before Shepherd, but for the moment we are in a holding pattern.

Another great week in the books. Vicki is doing very well and we are both trying to get the apartment ready for the homecoming celebration. Thank you all for keeping us in your thoughts. New photos are below.

Kodak Slideshow of Shep and Jack Week 5

Video Slideshow

Much Love,

-The Brittons

Some Like it Hot!

Shepherd and Jackson like it hot. In fact the boys like the warm weather so much they have been spending the last four weeks inside enclosed boxes, called isolettes, that help regulate the air temperature around them. To describe the environment inside the isolette, imagine putting on a flannel shirt and sweatpants, wrapping yourself in a blanket, and then going on a summertime camping trip to the Amazon Rainforest. This box of heat and humidity is not my idea of a super cozy environment, but the boys really seem to enjoy it. However, over the past few weeks, the nurses have been slowly lowering the temperatures in the isolettes and allowing the boys to regulate and maintain their own body temperatures. I am happy to report that this weekend the boys took another major step and moved out of their isolette and into an open air crib. Shep and Jack were able to take this step because they have been able to maintain their body temperatures while at the same time maintaining their feeding levels (two things that require a tremendous amount of energy).

Speaking of feeding levels, the Britton boys are still poppin bottles and packing on the ounces. The boys continue to do well with their bottle feeding and Jack is weighing in at 4 lbs 13 oz, and Shep is still close behind at 4 lbs 7 oz. Jack has done so well with his feeding that the doctors have removed his feeding tube and he now takes all his feeds through bottle. Shep's heart issues make it a bit more difficult for him to feed, but he is still doing very well and takes the majority of his feeds by bottle.

The boys have had a great couple of weeks and are continuing to make huge improvements. We are looking forward to the week ahead and hopefully my next update will contain details about the boys homecoming timeline.

-Hugs and Love from the Brittons!

Jack in his new crib

Shep in his new crib

Baths, Baby Clothes, and Bottle Service

Yesterday marked Shep and Jack's three week birthday. A great deal has changed over the last few weeks and the boys have had lots to celebrate. The biggest news is that both boys were moved to a less critical room in the NICU and for the first time since their birth, they are neighbors. Something I have failed to mention in previous updates is that when the boys were first brought into the NICU they were placed in separate rooms, which is standard procedure in the hospital (separating twins helps reduced commotion and confusion in the NICU). However, as the boys improved the nurses told us that Shep and Jack would eventually be placed in the same room. Vicki and I were ecstatic when we received the call from the hospital letting us know that not only were the boys being placed in the same room, but they would be moving to one of the Step Down (less critical) rooms.
A stay in the Step Down rooms is vastly different and far better than the more critical care rooms. Both are loud and filled with sounds, but Step Down is filled with the sounds of babies crying, not with machines and alarms beeping. The Step Down rooms are focused on preparing the babies, and more importantly the parents, for the transition from hospital to home. Shepherd and Jackson's new home is awesome because it is basically a Parenting 101 class for Vicki and I. Over the past week or so, Vicki and I have received instruction and been able to practice bottle feeding, bathing, and something I like to call the onesie challenge.
We will start with bottle service. The NICU is basically a club for babies (lots of flashing lights, blaring sounds, and everyone wants a bottle) and the doctors, nurses, and parents are the wait staff. Premie babies typically don't have the coordination required for feeding until about 34 to 36 weeks (Shep and Jack are 33), but doctors and nurses like to start the babies as soon as possible. Shep and Jack still receive most of their feeds through a tube (when you look at the pictures it's the tube in their nose); however, Vicki and I have both been able to feed the boys and they are improving every day. Both Shep and Jack are doing very well and have taken entire bottles in one feeding. Though Shep's heart issues make it a bit more difficult for him to feed, he doesn't let it show and is doing just as well as his brother. The feeding is definitely paying off as both boys continue to gain weight. Jack is 4 lbs 3 oz and Shep is close behind at about 3 lbs 15 oz.
Anpther first for Vic and I was bath time. The boys get sponge baths every two or three days. Bath time is not their favorite time of the day (we have to replace their leads, which means pulling off stickers), but they take after their mother in that they both love getting their hair washed. There is lots of squirming involved during bath time and it takes Vicki and I quite a while to just wash one, so we have decided that to save time when the boys come home we are only going to give them a bath once every six months, whether they need it or not. Of course we are kidding, but we are very thankful the NICU is giving us the opportunity to practice. By the time the guys get home we will be as efficient as a NASCAR pit crew!
Last but certainly not least is the onesie challenge. For those that are wondering, there is no such thing as a onesie challenge, but the boys are now allowed to wear clothes (no more IVs!) and that means we have to dress them. I have recently come to find out that putting a baby into a onesie is like trying to put a angry sumo wrestler into mazda miata...it's difficult, and I am not very good at it. Vicki is great with the clothes, but if it was left up to me the boys would be naked all the time or I would need 6 hours of lead time before I had to get them anywhere. Needless to say, I will be working on my onesie skills over the next few weeks.
If you couldn't tell from the tone of this message, things have been great! Vicki, the boys, and I are all doing well. Vicki is feeling great and even started back to work this week. The doctors and nurses are very pleased with everyone's progress and we are still looking at late November or early December as a potential homecoming.
To parents who are reading this, I hope you are enjoying yourselves as you laugh at me. As always, thank you all for thinking about us and sending your love, positive thoughts, and good vibes. There are pictures posted below.

PS Through all the craziness of the last month I failed to mention that Vicki passed her medical boards (she took the exam back in August) and is officially a board certified physician!!! I am a very proud father and husband!

Kodak Slideshow of Shep and Jack Week 3

Video Slideshow

-The Britton Clan