Hank is home!

It's Wednesday afternoon, and we're home. Hank is doing really well. His fever finally broke, and he is back to his old self. We still don't know what was going on, but all signs point to it being something viral. "Something" did show up on his first chest x-ray, but since our ped had never seen his lungs before, she wasn't sure if it was scar tissue from being a preemie and hooked up to artificial respiration and oxygen or if there was a little pneumonia in there. He had another x-ray this morning, but I'm not sure what the conclusion was. All I know is that she said everything was "alright", and we got our walking papers. Hallelujah! Free at last! We HATE being in the hospital, especially with a 17-month-old hooked up to an IV and doesn't understand that he can't teethe on it or jerk it or any of the other tricks he tried. Jay stayed with him the first night while he was all sick and pitiful and groggy. Piece of cake. I stayed with him last night when he was starting to feel better, and he was bouncing off the walls. I thought he would never settle down and go to sleep. I called Jay and told him I wanted to switch, but he didn't go for it. Oh, well. I'm headed to the couch for a nap. Thanks for all the prayers. I'll post some pics of Hank in the hospital later on. Check back.

Hank is in the hospital

We're not really sure what's going on, but he's been running fever (103) since Saturday afternoon. We went to the ER Sat. night, which was a really bad experience that I won't even get into, but they seemed to think that Hank's throat and ears were red, so they sent him home (after 5 hours) with an antibiotic. The fever never went away, plus we wanted a second opinion from our ped, so we went in Monday afternoon, and she decided to put him in the hospital with IV antibiotics. The main reason was that the blood culture that the ER did came back positive Monday afternoon, so it appears that he's got "something", but we don't know what. His white blood cells are normal, but his lymphocytes are up, which is consistent with it being viral. Hopefully, we'll get to the bottom of it soon. The combination of his prematurity and his shunt is causing our dr to be very cautious, and we are so thankful for her. Hank's fever was gone for most of Monday but returned to 103 late Monday night. Please keep us in your prayers, and we promise to keep y'all updated.

H&H are 17 months old!!!

Hayden is walking everywhere now, and Hank is beginning to show some interest in walking. I think he's still convinced that he can just go faster by crawling. Hayden says "light", well, just the "t" part of it, and she points to the light, as well. Hank won't point (it's not polite to point anyway!), but he does look at the light when you ask him where it is. He plays peek-a-boo, and Hayden beats her chest when you ask her where Hayden is. So cute, both of them! Jay & I just got back from vacation, and H&H stayed in McComb for 8 nights. They had a blast and gained whole pound each on that good ol' homecookin'. I'm sure they're bored being at home now, since there were always so many people around to entertain them (or to be entertained!). We took them swimming at Grandma & Grandaddy Harrison's today, and I got some fun pics. Hayden wasn't too sure of the pool - the first time we've seen this side of her. Usually, she's the daredevil. Hank loved it. He splashed and splashed until we were all soaking wet. Check out the June pics to see the latest.

C.R.

H&H's great-grandfather (Sally's mom's dad) passed away on the 19th. We always stayed with them when we went down to McComb, and we had just had a great visit with him on the weekend prior to his passing. Here is a really sweet pic that was taken of him and Hayden four days before he died. I have so many friends that have lost grandparents at a young age, and I am so blessed that I have 30 years of memories with CR. The last year has been so wonderful, seeing him interact with my children. They really put a spark back into him, and he called us everyday to remind Hank not to drive too fast on our next trip to McComb, and to make sure that "Haney" (aka Hayden) wasn't eating all of Hank's food. His mind was still very good, those were just his little jokes with us. I think my grandmother is going to turn his room into a room for H&H, and I don't think that anything would please him more. On a lighter note, H&H are 500 days old today. They are both doing so well. Hayden is walking up a storm, and Hank is finally getting close to standing on his own. We went to church again, and they had a great time (so we hear). We went to eat Mexican afterwards with some friends, and H&H had a cheese quesadilla and some rice. They loved it. There were two birthdays while we were there, so the waiters came out clapping, clanging pot lids, and blowing a big ol' horn. H&H thought it was great! Hayden will "say" light (she actually only says the "t" sound), and she will point to the light, too. And when we sing, "Where is Hayden, Where is Hayden? Here I am, Here I am!" She pats her chest. Hank will clap when we sing patty-cake, and he will snuggle up to me when I ask him to "love Momma". They are so much fun, and we are so excited to be out and about with them now. They will be in McComb all next week while Jay & I go on a vacation to Washington DC. If you're in the area, stop by either of my grandmothers' houses... They've each got joint custody for the week! Thanks for checking in. I'll have some new pictures up soon.

Mother's Day

We had a great Mother's Day. First, on Saturday H&H went to the soccer field for the first time. They had a blast. They played with their soccer ball, and loved crawling around in the grass. We were so worn out! Then, Sunday they got all dressed up to go to church for the first time! We had baby dedication and lots of family came for the service. H&H were great--nobody cried or got upset. We left them in the nursery for the rest of the service, and they had a ball. Hank ended up crashing in some sweet lady's arms, but Hayden (of course) wouldn't dare miss anything by falling asleep, so she played and played, then passed out in the car. We took them to a restaurant for the first time, and they behaved so well. They ate all sorts of food, and they both discovered strawberries. Hayden had about 6 of them! We all came home and took a 2-hour nap. We were exhausted. It was a great day, and we were so glad to get out and about with the kids. It's a start of a new chapter! Enjoy the pictures that I put in the Feb-May gallery. Hope everyone had as wonderful a Mother's Day as we did.

A wedding, some shoes, sweets, and church

H&H have had a fun few days. Friday they went to their first big party! Ms. Donna, who takes care of them each day, got married, and we all went to the reception. The kids were great, and Hank loved bouncing and clapping to the music. Then he promptly passed out and slept through most of the evening! I've posted pictures in the Feb-May gallery below. Today, we took Hank for a checkup with his neurosurgeon. He had a CT scan, and his ventricles look great. They have definitely decreased in size since his surgery, and the dr was very pleased. Afterwards, we all went shopping and got H&H their first pair of shoes! Since we haven't been allowed to get out of the house much, we haven't had the need for shoes. Imagine going 15 months without shoes! I've got a pic of Hank with his on, but Hayden's are being ordered. They also had their first chocolate chip cookie today. They LOVED it! They also tried a little bit of mom's ICEE, which they thought was so much fun to sip through a straw. This Sunday (Mother's Day) will be baby dedication day at church, and H&H's dr has given us the okay to start going to church and leaving the kiddos in the nursery. We are so excited about that! So, this Sunday will be a big day for all of us. We are ready to get out among the living. Enjoy the new pics and check back next week for pics from Mother's Day. I hope to have some cute ones of the kids all dressed up.

Overdue Update

I know it's been forever since I've updated, but as H&H become more mobile it seems that our free time is getting more scarce. These little boogers are everywhere! Hayden still isn't really walking, but she'll take a step here and there. When she realizes that she isn't holding on to anything, she just sits down - chicken! Hank is getting more and more steady on his feet. He's cruising well, and can get anywhere he wants to go. He was 20 lbs at our 15 month checkup Monday, so he got to turn around and face forward in his carseat. Hayden was a petite 17 lbs 11 oz, so she'll have to stay rear-facing for a while. Both kids are healthy, and we got the go-ahead to get out a little more, although we were advised to still limit our contact with children until May or June, then it will be back on house arrest once the cold & flu season starts in Sept/Oct. Hayden is a champion bye-bye waver. She says bye-bye whether we're coming or going. She knows where Mommy's nose and mouth are, and she loves to clap for herself. Hank is learning to drop things and will entertain himself forever just picking things up, dropping them, and doing it all over again. He, too, loves to clap for himself and still uses his mouth as a third hand to carry whatever he doesn't have room for in his hands. They eat grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta, veggies, mac-n-cheese, scrambled eggs, and anything they can pick up. They are so much fun, and when people remark that they don't know how we do it with two babies, we just say that we don't know what we'd do if we just had one. How boring! :) Thanks for checking in with us after all this time. We're doing great, and I promise to keep updating--even if it takes me a few weeks. Y'all check out the new pics in the Feb-Apr gallery.

Videos

I've got some great videos for y'all to see if your internet connection is fast enough. Hayden took her first steps on Thursday, and I have a video of it. Also, we went to the playground for the first time today. Hank laughed the entire time he was swinging with his Daddy (it sounds like he's crying, but I promise he's laughing.) That video is out there, too. I'm going to start sharing more videos as time goes by. The links to the videos are on the right of this page. Y'all enjoy!

Happy March!

Where does the time go? Not much is going on here, but I thought I'd post since I got in trouble yesterday (by Ms. Pat) for not updating enough. My 30th birthday was Friday, and the kids got me the cutest cards. Jay & I went out to eat and to the school play, which was really good. And when we came home, the kids were already in bed, which was the best present ever! They have been so fun to watch lately--chasing each other around and interacting with each other much more. Of course, Hayden is still the boss, but Hank is becoming more assertive. Hayden has had nightmares a few of times, but they are usually around 6 am. And we think Hank is scared of the dark. We can put him down for a nap during the day, and he is fine to play in his bed until he falls asleep, but he will NOT do that at night. We aren't really sure what's going on there. We have a little friend named Hays who is very sick right now. In fact, he's been in the hospital since right before Christmas, and it's been very grave at times. Hays was a preemie, and is a few months older than H&H, so you can imagine what it's like for him and his sweet parents to be stuck in a hospital for months, especially after they have already endured a very trying NICU stay. Please put him on your prayer list, and if you live in our area, there will be a benefit for him on Saturday from 1-5 at Maxwell's. There will be children's games, crawfish, door prizes, etc.

Fun day in Jackson

Hi, friends! Since our last update, Hank has had a checkup with his neurosurgeon who couldn't be more pleased with his progress. Hank will have a CT scan in May to give us a look at his brain and how well the fluid is draining. We spent a long President's Day weekend in McComb, staying with both sets of great-grandparents. The kids had so much fun! The weather was wonderful, and H&H got to play in the grass for the first time (which also included eating it!). Hayden hated the grass. Hank loved it. I've posted pictures in the February album so you can see for yourself. Today, we had a long, but very fun day. We went back to Baptist Hospital for their developmental appointment with the folks from the NICU. They were amazed at how well the kids are doing and told us that they didn't need to see us anymore! They also cleared both H&H of any cerebral palsy--this had been a strong possibility for Hank with the degree of brain hemorrhage he had at birth. After visiting the therapists in the clinic, we saw Dr. Temple, one of the neos that cared for them in the NICU. He did a quick health checkup on them and was extremely pleased. We were asked right before the babies were delivered to take part in some research regarding breathing assistance techniques at birth for babies born at 26 weeks and under. The doctors at Baptist were so excited to have us sign on for the study last year, and they will continue to track H&H to see how often they get sick, and if they end up with asthma or allergies. Dr. Temple walked us up to the NICU so we could visit all of the nurses that took such great care of the kids while they lived there for 94 days. It was so good to see those ladies, and it made me so proud everytime someone said how pretty H&H's heads turned out to be (I worked so hard rubbing and positioning their heads so they wouldn't have the preemie-peanut head!). To our surprise, Dr. Temple also rounded up Dr. Perry (high-risk maternal/fetal specialist) and Dr. Gebhart (my OB)--both of whom delivered H&H. We were so happy to see them, and I think they were also happy to see us and know that H&H are doing so well. One of the ladies at Labor & Delivery even looked in the computer to see if the nurses that were assigned to me during my stay were on duty today, but they weren't. We felt so special, seeing all of these folks who became like family over the course of 3 months. We came home and ended our day with a fashion show, put on by Hayden. She got a new bikini and modeled it for us. You'll have to check out the pics in the February album. Enjoy!

Happy February!

Time is flying by! Hank is healing well from his surgery. Other than the scars, you would never guess he'd had anything done. Dr. Parent told us to expect some developmental improvement in the weeks to come, and we are already seeing it. Last night, we found Hank standing up in his bed! That was a big first for us. We have felt that Hank's gross motor skills were lagging a bit, so it's great to see things happening in that area. Hayden has had a couple of firsts herself. She has begun saying her G's and sounds quite frustrated when she does so. This is what it sounds like: "god, god, god, god, god, god, god". It's really funny to hear come out of her sweet, little mouth. She also has begun to play peek-a-boo now. She's always loved for us to play it for her, but now she really takes part. She pulls her bib up over her face, then lets it down. She is SO cute! She loves to clap her hands and has learned to "strum" her lips to make noises. Both H&H are enjoying feeding themselves finger foods. Jay & I never know what kind of treat we'll pull out of their cracks and crevices (slices of cheese can fit in the strangest places!). Hank likes to share pancakes with me in the morning, while Hayden loves pasta dishes. Hank is like a chipmunk, storing food in his cheeks for up to an hour! While Hayden is the fastest eater on the planet. Hayden got slighted on having her photos posted to the web while Hank was in the hospital, so I made up for it tonight and posted some of just her. They're in the February album below. I hope you enjoy them. We are having tons of fun, and I wish each of you could experience just a teaspoon of the joy we have each day. Thanks for being great friends!

We're Home!

Hank's feeling great, and so are we. He is such a champ! We'll go back for a check-up on Feb. 11, and then he'll be monitored reguarly for the rest of his life (in case you didn't know, this shunt stays in his body forever). I just uploaded the pictures from the hospital into the January album below. Warning! There are pics of Hank's incisions. They are covered with steri-strips, but some of you still may find it a little graphic. I do have some cute pictures of him prior to surgery, so you'll want to check them out. The graphic pictures are numbers 157-161, so as you are viewing the slideshow, you may want to skip over those. I don't think they're gross, but some of you may. Hayden is still with my family in McComb having the time of her life. She loves the spotlight, and there’s no doubt she is center-stage down there. Hurricane Hayden will arrive back in Vicksburg on Sunday. We are so thankful for all of your thoughts and prayers--you never let us down!

The day after

Hank is back to his old self today. He basically slept all day yesterday, but awoke this morning a new man! He hasn't tried to touch his head or belly, though he continues to teethe on his IV. He's had no pain meds (Yes, I said NO meds!), and honestly doesn't act any different than he did before we got here. It's so amazing. If it were me, I'd be out of commission for 6 weeks and milking it for all it's worth! He's back to his regular feedings and is taking his afternoon nap on his daddy's chest right now. Going home tomorrow is a possibility, and I'm really ready to get back to normal... whatever that is... Thanks for praying, y'all!

Hank did well

I just saw Hank, and he's doing great. The surgery went well, and the dr said that the fluid started flowing immediately when they put the tubing in, which means there was definitely some pressure in there. He's a little disoriented and grumpy, which is normal, so we'll be making sure he gets lots of loving tonight. It looks like we'll be here until Fri or Sat. I'll be putting some pictures of ol' Hank on the website tonight, so check back later on. Thanks for your prayers!

Hank's in surgery

Thanks to Grandaddy Harrison we've got a laptop up here with wireless internet access, so I'm able to update you from the family waiting room in the surgical unit. Hank went back about 11:40, and they just called to let us know that he was doing great and they were finishing up. Everything has gone well so far, except the poor little man was starving since he couldn't eat/drink after midnight. We'll update again as soon as we get a chance. Hayden is enjoying the undivided attention down in McComb and probably won't want to come back! Thanks for checking in!

Bad news

Hank’s neurosurgeon decided that Hank needs a VP shunt to relieve the fluid pressure in his brain. He will be admitted to Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital at UMC tomorrow. He will have surgery sometime Wednesday morning. You can do an internet search for VP shunt to learn more about the procedure. Please keep our family in your prayers.

Neuro Checkup Today

This morning Hank has a CT scan at UMC and an appt with Dr. Parent, his neurosurgeon. We'll update when we get back from Jackson.

Yay for Hank!

Yesterday morning, he was found sitting up all by himself in his crib. He is also pulling up alot quicker and more steady than he has been. He also has a tooth up on top. Tooth race: Hank 3, Hayden 2. Hayden is beginning to get more steady on her feet, too. She can hold on to something with one hand and bend down to pick something up with the other hand. She's even let go and stood by herself for a couple of seconds. What will we do when they start walking???

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAYDEN & HANK

Hayden & Hank are a year old today, and we have so much to be thankful for! They are healthy and growing so fast. We held their party yesterday, and had so much fun. Since we got so many toys for Christmas, we had a book party for their birthday. They got so many great books, and we can't wait to read them all. I've posted pictures below, so y'all check them out. Thanks so much for everyone who is still keeping up with us a year after they were born. Y'all mean the world to us. Enjoy the pics!

Big Birthday Coming Soon!

Hi everyone! We are officially on the birthday countdown. I can't believe they'll be ONE in a matter of days. They had their one-year checkup yesterday and got a great report. We can start making the transition off of formula and onto whole milk, and they can start eating basically any table food they want. This is huge news for us, because making 8 bottles of formula each night is no picnic! Hank weighed 16-15, and Hayden weighed 15-4. The dr said that Hank is just a little skinny for his length, so we're supposed to start feeding him more. And Hank's head hasn't grown, which is really great news. Hayden is in the 10th percentile for size. She's such a tiny, little thing. Our dr isn't concerned though since my stature is small, too. Hayden had another ear infection--maybe the same one from a few weeks ago that never completely went away. She put her on a stronger antibiotic this time, so we'll go back in two weeks to see if it's gone. They'll also get another RSV shot along with their chicken pox shot. We'll see Hank's neurosurgeon on the 24th for a CT scan and checkup, and we're really excited about that. Hayden is crawling all over the place and can pull up in the blink of an eye. She's even started to hold on with only one hand and take a couple of tentative steps. It won't be long before she's walking! Hank does the commando crawl, pulling himself along the floor with his arms. He's trying to pull up, but can only get to his knees right now. We just finished re-doing their playroom, so they have lots of room to roam these days. We'll be having their birthday party on Sunday, and I know they can't wait to show off for all of the family (especially Hayden, who loves the spotlight!). Thanks for checking up on us! And make sure you check back at the beginning of next week for pics from their party!