Terran turns 1!

I realized this morning that, as I approach the twins 4th birthday (yes, FOUR, hard to believe, huh?), I never even wrote about Terran turning 1.
We celebrated my last first birthday on May 29th. I have officially moved on from baby-hood. We had a wonderful party for Terran and lots of friends and family came out to celebrate.

Terran seems to forget that he was a mere 2 pounds when he was born. He has no limits and he amazes us every day. He's walking along furniture and just recently, his physical therapist was able to get him to stand unassisted for 5-10 seconds. He loves food. No problems eating at all. And, he's just shy of 17 pounds. I'm so incredibly proud of him!

Another March for Babies has come and gone!

We did well this year, a total of $801 was raised by Team Shining Star. Thank you to everyone who was able to make a donation!
Our walk was at a new location this year. We took a nice, scenic walk around Penn State Berks campus. Last year, the twins only walked the length of a bridge and back but they rocked it this year! They walked more than a mile on their own. They cut out of the walk early and took a short cut to the finish line with their Nana, but I was so proud of them. It was a great day of seeing old NICU friends and doing something helpful as a family.
I was late to the game this year and was feeling so overwhelmed with life that I almost didn't walk this year but I'm so glad I did. The walk is always such a healing process for me. It brings me back to those first few days when I wasn't sure if my twins would come home from the hospital. And, I'm reminded why I raise money every year. If there's a chance that even one dollar that I raise helps another parent not have to wonder if their baby will come home or not, all of my efforts were worth it.

All of us after the walk. Notice Terran passed out in the carrier.

We had a great lunch provided by Sheetz and Clover Farms that the kids devoured.

So, thank you again to everyone that donated, supported, and thought of us. You all helped make this years walk a success!

Now....onto birthday party planning!!! Hard to believe that I'm a few short weeks away from my last first birthday. It's awfully bittersweet. And, before I have time to recover from Terran's party, I'll be throwing a double birthday party for FOUR year olds! As much as I loved having the extra baby time with the twins, I was thrilled when they started the develop into toddlers. Now, they're soon turning four. They grow up way too fast.

5 days until March for Babies

Team Shining Stars will be walking again in the March for Babies on May 6th. This is my 4th year walking and this year, I have one more preemie to walk for. I have had the full range of preemie babies and no matter how long or short their stay in the NICU, they all had their unique medical issues. The March of Dimes has done so much to benefit babies that are born early. Walking in the March for Babies is one of the few things I can do to give back and say thank you for giving my boys the best possible start to their lives. I'm still more than $150 from reaching my personal goal and My team is over $500 short of reaching the total goal. There's just a week left so I'm asking you to please consider making a donation. No donation is too small. If you're not able to donate, please consider joining my team and raising some money.
Here are pictures of all 4 of my preemies on the day they were born. This is Team Shining Stars:




Skylar, born at 32w3d in 2001



Addison and Riley, born at 25w4d, in 2008

Terran, born at 28w in 2011

If you're able to donate, you can click the purple March for Babies box in the upper right side of the blog or you can click on this direct link.

http://www.marchforbabies.org/macomberfamily

Thank you for helping us help babies!

Better late than never

For the 4th year in a row, my family formed a team for the March of Dimes March for Babies. We're back with a new team name. We're now Team Shining Stars. Having 4 preemies, it only seemed fitting to incorporate all of them into the team name. Skylar, Terran, Addison, and Riley were all born between 25 and 32 weeks gestation. Terran was often referred to as a Shining Star in the NICU.
So, while we're late to the game this year, I'm confident that with the help of my wonderful friends and family, that I'll be able to reach my goal of $1,000 for our team. If you're local and would like to walk with us, we'd love to have your support. If you're unable to join our team, I ask that you please consider making a donation to support Team Shining Stars. You can click on the banner to the right and find out more information on walking with or sponsoring our team. No donation is too small and every dollar is appreciated. The March of Dimes funded research that saved my boys lives and I will be forever grateful for their commitment to helping babies that are born too soon.

Parents of Preemies Day

So, I guess Pampers diapers has come up with the idea of having a nationally recognized Parents of Preemies Day. I'll happily celebrate the first one with them. Anything that helps brings awareness to preemies and what kind of impact they have on your life as a parent is ok in my book.

With that in mind, I'm excited to say that this morning I received a call from the head NICU doctor at the hospital where all 4 of my boys spent the beginning of their lives. He asked me if I would be interested in joining the parents advisory council for the NICU. I'll be helping to coordinate support groups for parents with babies in the NICU and also helping to write family friendly policies for the NICU. That's really as much as I know right now. I'm supposed to hear from another lady in the next few days who will give me more information. But, I'm so excited! Ever since the twins came home, I wondered how I could help and have it directly benefit the NICU at the Reading Hospital. March of Dimes is great and all, but having experienced so much of NICU life, I thought it would be great to give back to the people who are in there every day, navigating their path through the ups and downs of a baby in the NICU, and adjusting their lives to prepare themselves for what the future will bring. I can't think of anyone better to give support than people who have sat in those same exact rocking chairs, scrubbed their hands in the same sinks, and sat for endless amounts of time in their breastfeeding room both pumping and trying to teach their tiny baby how to breastfeed. I've been there and I've come through it a stronger person (not without scars though. I truly believe I have some leftover PTSD from the twins birth and first year of life) and so have many other parents. I truly feel honored that I was asked to do this and I can't wait to join the other parents!

First dentist visits

I finally found a wonderful dentist who is great with the kids. The twins finally had their first dentist visits yesterday. They did go well! They went back, to separate rooms, and me and Skylar switched back and forth so that someone was with them the whole time. They counted teeth (both have 20!), and gave them a quick cleaning. No cavities! And, the best part (at least for the boys) was getting cool Lightning McQueen toothbrushes when they were finished. They proudly carried them out of the rooms, and were eager to show them off to everyone when we got home. They couldn't wait to open them and brush their teeth. And first thing this morning I heard..."you brush mine teeth wif mine yeitning queen toofbrush"
Tomorrow Addison goes for his pediatric psychologist visit for an IQ test to see if he qualifies for SSI. Wish us luck. I'm curious how well an hour long appointment with this psychologist is going to go considering Addison rarely talks to strangers. I'm sure it will be interesting.

Diagnosis day

Yesterday was our long awaited appointment with the pediatric neurologist. Riley got the referral back in August or September of last year because our pediatrician was concerned that Riley wasn't talking and that his gait was so off. He suspected that there would be a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis given.
And there was.
The doctor was wonderful. He seemed very knowledgeable and he was great with the kids.
The good news is that Riley doesn't have muscle tone problems and hopefully, with therapy, he'll improve. He diagnosed him with mild CP, likely due to PVL. He wrote a prescription for ST, OT, and PT and I have to speak with the social worker at St. Christopher's Hospital later today and try to get some services lined up. We decided to not do the MRI now because, at least right now, it wouldn't change his diagnosis. He wants to see Riley back in 6 months and if therapy hasn't helped, we'll proceed with the MRI. I want Riley to get the help he needs, while causing the least amount of trauma. The MRI would be done at St. Christopher's in Philly, while under sedation. That's something I'm more than willing to put off for 6 months if it means we might not have to do it.
So, this now opens a new world of medical stuff for us. And it's kind of overwhelming. I think I just kind of pushed all of this to the side and didn't do much research, which is so unlike me. I knew, deep down, that he probably had CP but I think a big part of me was hoping he'd just catch up. I think actually having it be official is just sinking in. Riley has Cerebral Palsy.

Proud mama today :)

Since the boys got sick, back in the beginning on December, they've spent at least part of the night sleeping in my room. And they've also been very clingy and reserved at school.
Last night, they slept in their room the whole night. Addison only cried to sleep on my floor for a few minutes while he laid next to Riley and fell asleep. Even when they sleep in their room, they curl up together in the same toddler bed. One bed has probably only been slept in a handful of times.
Anyways, they got a great nights sleep. I had to wake Riley up at 8:15 this morning.
So, off to school we went, prepared with our valentines for the valentine's party. We missed last week because the lady who watches Terran had a tummy bug going through her house and I wasn't about to take chances with that. I fully expected them to be grumpy and clingy but I was surprised from the beginning when Addison ran up the walkway, not caring if he was holding my hand or not (which has NEVER happened). Addison went right into the classroom, without me, and gave the teacher her candy, then came out to put his jacket in the cubby.
They played with the other kids and more importantly, they played separate from each other! They participated in circle time and sat on the carpet instead of my lap. And, just overall, were delightful!
I was so proud of them when we walked out of school today. And it made me feel better about having just handed over $100 to register them for school next year (where they'll get dropped off and be without me...yikes!).

The days just fly by

We're dealing with minor colds. Easy peasy! The twins have made their way back to preschool and life has picked back up.

Hard to believe that the baby is 8 months old already! He's doing so great with his physical therapy. She comes every other week and after this quarter, we'll likely go to once a month. Terran rolls all over the floor and is so, so close to sitting up. He has just started to kind of push himself with his feet and scoot along the floor. He doesn't get far but he is starting to get around. He's a whole 15lbs.8oz.! He's got rolls after rolls and big chubby baby cheeks! And he eats baby food. a lot. The twins weren't able to eat food until well after a year and Terran will eat half of a jar at a time.

Twins are doing well. Riley is starting to talk in sentences. It's usually word for word what Addison says but I'll happily take it! Our next big goal is going to be potty training. That is a huge goal. I dream of the day when I only have one in diapers. The money I'd save will help offset their preschool tuition for next year...when they have to be potty trained to go to the next class. Our tuition is a manageable $45/month for both. Next year, it will go to $150-160/month. It's normally $90/month but they give a sibling discount (thank goodness!)

Which brings me to...mama's goin back to work! Yep, at the grocery store. in the deli. Not the most glamorous job and I'm only going back very part time, but, every little bit helps. And, dare I say that after sitting home since last May, I'm kind of excited to be an adult and talk to other adults, even if it's only 15 hours a week.

And, with that, I'm heading to bed after uploading a few adorable pictures. Before I know it, it'll be 5am and time to start all over again. And tomorrow brings a day of keyboard shopping because it's also the first night of Leah's piano lessons!

Me and my snuggle bunny :)

Addison and Riley playing at the Hands on House museum in Lancaster

(Addison in the one in front)

Starting the new year and battling with germs

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. We had a busy but fun Christmas and a fun New Years Eve celebration. Addison was able to stay up until 10:30!
The boys keep asking about Christmas. And Addison's new thing is "I being good boy, Mommy" and he keeps asking to get a new tree. This is the first year they really understood Christmas and it was awesome to see them excited to see Santa, pick out ornaments at the Christmas tree farm, and help decorate the house. In our township, the local fire company spends 4 nights driving through all of the developments with Santa on top of the firetruck. They come through with a police escort and full lights and sirens. And the firefighters had out candy canes to kids. It's really pretty cool and I don't think there is a better combination than fire trucks and Santa for 3 year old boys. They talked about it to everyone who would listen for days!
We were very busy for a few days visiting family. And I think we've been paying the price ever since. We've been passing around germs since the week before Christmas. The twins missed their preschool Christmas party and missed their first day back after their break. Fevers, vomiting, sinus and ear infections. You name it, we've been dealing with it. But, the twins aren't hooked up to the nebulizer non-stop and aside from sleeping extra, we've been able to deal with all of the germs without continuous doctors appointments and no hospital trips.
Here's some pictures. I apologize that they're out of order but my keyboard is not working correctly and thanks to curious 3 year olds, I'm missing 13 keys and I'm not able to click and drag the pictures in order.

The boys with their Christmas gifts

Christmas morning

Next to our Christmas tree

All of the boys with Santa

Our family picture

Life has become a lot busier

As I posted my earlier post, I realized that the last time I posted to my blog was MONTHS ago. Holy smokes does the time fly by!
I guess I'll begin with Terran. He came home on August 5th, after a 68 day NICU stay. He came home weighing 5lbs. 12oz. and is now a whopping 13lbs.! All breastfed. No fortifiers or formula. This kid can eat. He's still on the apnea monitor and we're hoping to be rid of that in the next week or two. He smiles and coos and is adored by his siblings.

Now..onto the boys. So much has happened since their 3rd birthday.
They are no longer getting in home therapy. They continued therapy until the end of the summer and they were supposed to transition into a preschool setting through the BCIU. They were placed in a class that was rented out of a daycare setting in a horrible part of town. I voiced my concerns to the coordinator there and was told "well...that's where they were placed, so...". So, they refused to place them in another classroom and I ultimately decided against sending the twins there. Since they're not potty trained, they can't go to a traditional preschool class which left me with few choices. Luckily, I was able to get them into a 2 year old preschool class at the preschool my daughter used to attend. It's only one hour, every Friday, and it's a mommy and me style classroom setting so I stay with them. including the twins, there's only 6 kids in the class which is perfect because it's not overwhelming to them. They get free play, circle time with songs and games, arts and crafts, and snack. It's a really good intro into a classroom setting and even though they're not getting specialized therapy, they're gaining much needed social skills while still having to do fine and gross motor skills and speech. Riley has really started to come out of his shell at school. He stands up and tries to participate in the songs and is starting to play with other kids. He also loves arts and crafts. He is always coloring and painting. Addison is a bit more stubborn and he's still really overwhelmed with his new classroom. The one downside.....germs. They've had a runny nose since the 2nd week of school.

First day of school

The boys were recently at the pediatrician for their 3 year check up and they're both just shy of 30 pounds. Addison has a never ending vocabulary and shows almost no physical delays. Riley is still struggling to talk and he still walks like he's had too much to drink. His delays have resulted in a referral to a pediatric neurologist for an MRI and possible CP diagnosis. His appointment isn't until April but according to the office, a second neurologist should be starting in January and our appointment date will likely be moved up. Does this referral scare me? Of course. I never want my kids to have to grow up with labels or a special needs diagnosis. But, it's been a suspicion of mine all along and if we can get some sort of diagnosis, hopefully we'll be able to get him specialized therapies and help that he needs.

They have both had their yearly check ups with the opthamologist. I'm happy to report that they both have perfect vision. There's no lasting issues from their ROP or their Strabisus. They still might need glasses down the road but for now, you'd never be able to tell they had problems. We don't have to go back for a whole year.

The boys have finally moved out of their cribs and into toddler beds. They have these awesome race car beds and Addison doesn't sleep in his. I will lay them down in their beds and Addison will quickly move all of his stuffed animals and blankets into Riley's bed and fall asleep at the opposite end of Riley.

They are transforming into such bright kids. They're definitely toddlers now. They are mischievous, charming, sneaky, happy, and lovable toddlers. They team up with each other for both good and bad. They give the best hugs and have the sweetest smiles. And they love books. They could have books read to them all day and nothing would make them happier.

October 21st

I'm looking forward to the holidays. They know who Santa is now and they're very much looking forward to his visit.

I've got to start wrapping this up because they're now teasing the cat...which is a nice change from teasing the puppy. Yep...we have added a puppy too. Yes, I am crazy. I wouldn't have it any other way :)

At a local dairy

Prematurity Awareness Day

Today is National Prematurity Awareness Day. Anyone who has visited this blog before knows my twins story and more recently, the premature birth of my newest son, Terran. My oldest son, Skylar, is also a preemie. He was born at 32w3d, weighing 4lbs. 1.6oz. While a 32 weeker pales in comparison to 25 and 28 weeks gestation, it was just as frightening as my other NICU experiences. He only spent 21 days in the NICU but he was my first. Despite all of my boys being early, they're all doing well. They each have problems which may or may not be linked to their early entrance into the world, they're healthy, wonderful children that have made my life remarkably better.

So, please take a moment to visit http://www.marchofdimes.org/ and find out what you can do to raise awareness about premature birth and how you can help to ensure that all babies are born healthy and on time.

Stationery card

Family Bliss Holiday Card

Shutterfly always has unique designs for our holiday cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Yesterday, my amazing little boys turned 3!! We had a little family party for them, filled with Mickey Mouse everything and they were beyond thrilled. We got them a t-ball set, mickey puzzle, and a 4 pack of sports balls (which was the clear winner of their gifts).
Last year, I couldn't take them outside and put them down because they hated the grass. This year, they were outside, hitting the ball, running through the dry grass, in bare feet and they loved it :)
They have come so far and they are so amazing. They impress me every day. Yesterday, I asked Addison whose birthday it was and he would say "Riey Addin" (Riley and Addison), and then I'd ask how old Riley and Addison are and he would say "free" (three). And then I asked him where his ba-ba's (bottles) were and he said "bye bye". Yep, we're getting rid of their night time bottle. And they got a cool new potty seat with Elmo and Ernie on it and hopefully they'll start to get excited about sitting on the toilet.
I sat in the nicu last night, holding my new little boy, remembering how terrified I was 3 years ago when the twins were given a 50% chance of survival. They not only beat those odds, but they beat and continue to beat even more odds.
They've officially been discharged from their in home therapy and are now going through BCIU therapy to help transition them into school. They're going to start going to a classroom in August. I'm so excited but scared for them. I know they'll eventually love it but it will be really hard to put my babies on a bus and send them to preschool.
Anyways, today I am taking them shopping at Toys R Us so they can each pick out a new toy. Should be exciting!
I'll add pictures later tonight. My camera battery is charging.

Addison on the left, Riley on the right

Addison

Riley

I'm happy to announce...

Addison and Riley are big brothers (3 months early). Little Terran Conner was born May 29th, 12 weeks early. He weighed 2lbs. 3oz. and was 15 inches long. Yes, another itty bitty baby, and it's my last.

He's in the NICU, being cared for by some of the same amazing nurses that took care of Addison and Riley, and he's doing remarkably well. He is getting breastmilk through his tube, his PDA valve closed on it's own, he's already down to 2 litres of oxygen on the high flow cannula, and we've been holding him every day since Thursday. He's going to grow and learn to nurse, and hopefully be home with us in 8-10 weeks.

What a difference 3 weeks and 1 pound make. His apgars were 7 and 9, and he came out feisty, pink, and crying.

in the delivery room

Proud papa, holding his son for the first time!

My sweet baby boy