Full Term and Good News!

Sunday marked week 40, the normal due date for a full term baby. The boys have been in the hospital for almost 4 months now. The caring staff at Mount Sinai have helped make the hospital seem like our home away from home. We can't say thank you enough for their concern and hard work. The least we can do is bring Kyle and Christopher to their annual picnic in June to show them the work they do is all worth while!

Both boys received their initial RSV shots today. They cried a little when they were injected in their chubby little legs. But the short term pain each month means that there is a much reduced chance that they will catch a severe case this winter. Preemies are especially vulnerable to the RSV virus, which can lead to severe illness, breathing problems, or even death. Understandably we won't be traveling much outside the house until spring.

Christopher's eyes haven't changed according to yesterday's test. He will get his last test next Monday. Since he has a milder case of ROP, it's possible that his eyes will heal on their own.

Christine and I will be getting the H1N1 vaccine at a parent's clinic on Thursday. It would be terrible if we did not and caused someone else to catch it and pass it on to their children. I know I never want to have to see our boys struggling to breathe on a respirator ever, ever again.

And now for the good news. We're planning to bring both boys home next Tuesday! We can't wait! Thank you all for your support and kind words that have helped us through this difficult time.

Big Spooky Halloween Special

We went to see our little pumpkins on dark and scary Halloween night. OK, maybe it was daylight and downtown Toronto was not particularly scary. At least some of the nurses dressed up last night for the occasion.

The exciting news is that Kyle is tubeless just like his brother. His NG tube has been removed now that he is feeding so well. Poor guy has a little red mark under his right cheek from the tape.

We arranged to have the boys together in the same bed for a photo op. Actually, we just moved Christopher ourselves. Kyle had been awake for a while and was starting to get sleepy. Christopher had just been fed and was still pretty active. Gotta like the seasonal threads!

Christopher getting used to the bouncy chair


A different view: big bed, small baby


Kyle has a tiny red dot on his hand and that tape mark


Brothers chillin' out (Kyle on the left)



I just had to show you their feet!

15 Weeks

Christopher is still breathing well without supplemental oxygen. He is strong enough now that his NG feeding tube was removed. When Mommy is not available Christopher is drinking entirely by bottle. He sat in the bouncy chair for over an hour yesterday and didn't complain this time.

Look Ma! No tubes! And I'm really handsome.


Kyle was taken off low flow and was breathing on his own again yesterday. He did have a desat during feeding so he might have to go back on low flow if he gets too tired. Kyle was sitting in the car seat for 2 hours yesterday and had no breathing problems.

Last night I had the privilege of bottle feeding Kyle. He guzzled half of his 60 ml dinner and I was able to get a burp out of him. That reminded me it's been a long time since I burped Adam! When we weren't able to relieve his gas during the second half we called in the professionals and within 15 seconds his primary nurse, Sonya, had him burped.

Daddy vaguely remembers where the bottle goes....


Another shot of both boys. They never seem to be awake at the same time!


Yesterday Mount Sinai stopped allowing visitors to see the babies due to H1N1 fears. Even Adam can't come this weekend. :-(

Day 105

I ended my self-imposed exile from Mount Sinai last night. It was nice to no longer hear the monitor alarms going off so frequently. That's probably the biggest change I noticed in the past 12 days.

Kyle and Christopher are side by side now taking up one end of the annex. Both boys were breastfed four feedings in a row yesterday afternoon/evening, which was good marathon training for Christine! I got to hold the full baby while his brother was being fed.

Kyle weighs just over 7 1/2 pounds now. He is down to minimal oxygen support (only 5 CC) and experiences no more severe swings in oxygen levels. He traveled to Sick Kids today and tested positive for kidney reflux (vesicoureteral reflux?), where urine backs up into his kidneys. It would certainly explain the UTI that he has been taking oral medication for since August. Christopher will also be tested for it as there is a 1 in 3 chance siblings have it. Fortunately, many children outgrow it in five or six years.


Christopher's medication (penicillin G) for his UTI is finished, so his unsightly IV has been removed from his head. His eye examination revealed no change and has another appointment next Monday. He reached the 3kg club yesterday. Kyle is still about 300g heavier.

I wouldn't be surprised if Christopher comes home in the next 2 weeks. He's doing that well! Assuming Christopher comes home first, the nurse kindly said they would set up a cot for him when Christine returns to visit Kyle.
The boys need to pass a 90 minute car seat test (no alarms) before going home. Christopher seems so small during his first practice!


Sometimes I get to hold both babies. Kyle has two tubes......

39 Weeks

Kyle was breathing without assistance for 17 hours today. Hopefully they will continue testing him daily so he can exercise his lungs. However, too much exercise tires him out and causes him to "desat" when his oxygen level drops dangerously low.


Christopher was fed by bottle last night at 9 PM, at midnight 1/2 a bottle, at 3 AM he was tube fed and at 6 AM and 9 AM bottle fed. He's looking very close to coming home! He has an eye exam Monday and a head ultrasound due once the IV is taken out of his head. When those results are back and the IV is out, he just needs to eat without tiring.

Saturday Updates

There have been many positive updates since last weekend. It seems the end of their stay at Mount Sinai is coming closer and closer. Perhaps just another 2 or 3 weeks until they come home???

Kyle has joined Christopher in the Level 2 annex. Kyle has been doing well on low flow for the past week and there are rumours that he might be "challenged" or taken right off breathing assistance on Monday. Christopher has been on room air - no assistance - since Wednesday!

In the milk chugging arena, Christopher has managed to gain over 6 1/2 pounds and Kyle is well over 7. Boy, can that child eat! Kyle was able to polish off a 3 oz bottle of milk in less than 20 minutes. He obviously takes after his uncles.

Both boys passed their hearing tests on Friday which is a great relief. Some of the breathing equipment is very loud inside the incubators so their hearing is closely monitored until 6 months of age.

Unfortunately for Christopher they had to put an IV for his UTI in his head because his veins in his arms and legs aren't suitable. He doesn't seem to mind it too much though. It will be removed by the end of next week.

Daddy can't wait to hold both boys and feed them via bottle. It's been a week since my last visit. My cold has been shortened and reduced in severity thanks to copious amounts of Cold-FX. I hope to be back on Monday or Tuesday.

Christopher Mainlining

38 Weeks

Kyle has spent the past 48 hours breathing solely on low flow and has been taken off CPAP. As a result of his hard work he will graduate to Level 2 in the next day or two. We hope that he will stay close to Christopher but there are only three Level 2 beds in the annex.
Christopher has a urinary tract infection and is being treated via I.V. which has fallen out once already. He continues to eat well though and shows no signs of inactivity like he used to back in the dark, scary days of the NICU. Monday brings his next eye appointment. Our fingers are crossed!
Both boys are feeding "naturally" twice per day and are just beginning to be fed by bottle as well. They are more alert during their waking periods. Kyle made it to 3 kg on Thursday. Christopher is only several hundred grams behind.
Mommy gets to visit and take all the pictures now while Daddy recuperates from a cold. We can't afford to let the boys catch anything that could affect their breathing for the next 6 months. A simple RSV cold to us could cause bronchitis or pneumonia in the boys.

Kyle really seems to enjoy the bouncy chair and likes looking at the different hanging items.


And Christopher likes to sleep sometimes.

3 Months Later.....

We're 3 months or 13 weeks old on Thursday!
When Christine arrived at the hospital Tuesday morning she found a nice surprise waiting in Christopher's bed. One of the nurses had picked up Kyle, removed his CPAP and carried him over to lie beside his brother. Kyle was grumbling and crying a bit because it was his feeding time and Christopher managed to sleep through the whole experience. Okay, so perhaps I was wrong in thinking that Kyle had the bigger head!


The coil on Kyle's cheek is his NG feeding tube. The orange Gum Drop soothers (colour-coded for size) teach the boys to associate sucking with feeding time, exercise their throat muscles and assist in self-comforting. Sometimes they are really worked hard!

As for Christopher's eyes, both are zone 2, Stage II which means "moderately abnormal blood vessel growth. Many children who develop stage II improve with no treatment and eventually develop normal vision. The disease resolves on its own without further progression." If they progress to Stage III, surgery will be required. Yes, I stole that little bit from the Internet....

A Long-Awaited Reunion

First, baby steps.
Christopher has graduated to Level 2! That means he is stable breathing on low flow - no more CPAP. As far as I can tell it also means his diapers aren't weighed any more and his weight is not taken every day. His move to Level 2 means Christopher is now farther away from Kyle's crib. He was moved 3 spots over across some invisible dividing line inside the Annex.
Kyle now weighs over 6 pounds. To me it all seems to be in his head! He surprised everyone Saturday when he stayed off any supplemental oxygen for over 4 hours. That gave him a chance to visit Christopher for their first reunion since they were separated at birth!!!

Mommy holding Kyle and Daddy holding Christopher


Mommy and her boys. Kyle is on your left, Christopher on your right.


A proud Daddy juggles the boys. Kyle is on your left, Christopher on your right.

12 Weeks - Update

12 weeks old. 84 days have gone by. Time seems to be moving faster now. The end of the hospital stay seems a lot closer.
Christopher now weighs 5.5 pounds (2490g). He is breathing with the low flow nasal cannula again full time and is on his second full day. His eyes will be checked again next week to see if he needs laser surgery.
Kyle is a little heavier at 5.8 pounds (2660g). He's up to 6 hours a day on low flow slowly getting used to doing more breathing by himself. The rest of the day he is back on CPAP. The doctor described Kyle's eyes as fine and won't need another checkup for 6 weeks. That's very good news!
The progress both boys are making during attempts at breastfeeding is also encouraging. When they are successful, the nurses have to reduce the amount of milk they receive via their NG feeding tube to ensure they don't receive too much.

...Big boys on the weigh scale...

The Eyes Have It

According to today's examination Kyle's eyes are much better after last week's laser surgery. They seem to be healing well and will continue to be checked each week. Kyle's starting to slowly gain again and weighs in at 2250g. He is still on biphasic CPAP in the NICU but improving. Is that a wee birth mark on your thigh little buddy?

Christopher has one eye that seems to have abnormal growth due to ROP. The results of next Monday's appointment will determine whether he also needs laser treatment. This morning the doctors decided to challenge Christopher's breathing. They took him off CPAP and placed him full time on the nasal cannula. As of this evening he is handling this latest breathing method well and measures 2195g. The preemie roller coaster dictates that he will have the surgery next week, mess up his breathing and won't gain weight for another week. Until then, rest up Christopher!

35 Weeks

Christopher continues adjust well to the nasal cannula spending up to four hours per day on it. He now weighs 2090g! For the past week, he has been spending an hour or two of private time per day with Christine. He has been restless the past few evenings when Mommy goes home but once in her arms he calms right down. From today's photos you can see that it has been paying off. This is what it's all about!


Kyle lost a bit of weight and is 2240g now. Since Wednesday he has moved from ventilator to jet ventilator to biphasic CPAP but is still in his isolette in Level 3. With today's move to the flexible head gear we can once again hold him. He has recovered slowly from the anesthetic but is back on full feeds now. We hope that in a few days Kyle will be back on regular CPAP and can then return to the Annex with Christopher.

10 Weeks - Already?!

Our boys have been through so much over the past 10 weeks. We are so proud of both of our big little fighters!

Kyle had his laser eye surgery Wednesday morning to treat his ROP. We hope that his vision will be as close to normal as possible and will not have to have to undergo further operations. To understand ROP better please see http://www.schepens.com/retinopathy_of_prematurity.htm
Kyle started to wake up Thursday evening and should be switched from the ventilator tube to CPAP later today. The doctors will also try to see if he can tolerate his feeds again. Hopefully he will be moved from Level 3 to the Annex with Christopher tonight. Kyle weighs about 2.2kg now. He is now one of the "giant babies" we remember seeing 10 weeks ago now that he has returned to an isolette in Level 3!


Since his last infection Christopher has been gaining weight steadily and last night weighed just over 2 kg! His breathing also has improved as he matures. The nurses remove his cap and CPAP for several minutes during handling times to clean him and test how he copes with breathing on his own. Oxygen from a face mask is positioned nearby during this period.
Earlier this week Christopher started being taken off CPAP for first an hour then two hours once per day and breathes with low-flow nasal cannula. This is a plastic tube that wraps over the ears and delivers oxygen directly into the nose through two small prongs. It is the final step on his way to breathing without mechanical assistance.
Additionally, Christopher can be held by Christine when he is on low-flow and is being introduced to breast feeding, a new experience for both mother and son. At this preemie age he has problems with breathing, sucking and swallowing at the same time. But he is improving every day.

34 Weeks +

Christopher made it to his new crib on Sunday! Both boys are in massive pediatric cribs designed for much older children. They might be moved to smaller ones if they become available and if the boys stay long enough. We hope not!

New beds mean new clothes. Here's Christopher in an outfit that Kyle's already worn. Don't worry Christopher, you've had your share of firsts and you'll have many more.


Kyle will be going to Sick Kids hospital on Tuesday for a second opinion about his eyes. The doctor examined him Monday and thinks that he will require laser eye surgery for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). It is a fairly common, 15 minute procedure that usually has good results. We will have to wait to see if Kyle and possibly Christopher will wear glasses at an early age.





We love you all you boys.

Kyle's Groovy Threads

We're in the Annex now! Christopher and Kyle were moved there Thursday night from the noisy Level 3 NICU. The Annex is a smaller quieter area where stable, lower maintenance babies are held as they progress towards the Level 2 nursery. The boys will be there for possibly a few weeks until they are no longer breathing with CPAP assistance.
Christopher weighs 1770g on his way to 4 pounds and Kyle is 2070g. Since Kyle has been staying in the steel crib he's enjoyed modeling various haute couture designs.