Tonite

Braden is doing good this evening. He looks good and seems to be content. He is so sweet sleeping most of the time. Which is best for him so he can grow. We haven't spoken with the doctor today but, they have run some routine tests and we will get results sometime tomorrow. Hopefully, they will come back with a good report.

Morning visit

Things are still going well. Braden has his routine testing today to check and see where he is on everything. They had to turn up his ventilator just a bit. He has also been reduced to 11 CC's per feeding so they don't over load him on fluids. He is still getting 28 calories. He was resting comfortably on his tummy and trying to sleep.

Evening visit

Braden is doing good again tonite. We are so pleased. No changes to his routine. He was on his tummy trying to sleep. He opened his eyes a few times for us. He really doesn't like to open them when the lights are shining on him. The nurse didn't have his bed covered this evening. We look forward to seeing him in the morning.

Morning visit

Braden is looking good this morning. Not much has changed for him. He was showing a little more effort towards breathing on his own today. He was awake for most of our visit and responded to our voices. He is such a cutie. We look forward to visiting with him again tonite.

Tonite's visit

Braden was doing well tonite. He isn't off the ventilator. He is breathing on his own about half the time. So, this is progress. He was pretty awake for our visit and had his eyes open a good bit of the time. Braden also has a new hat from Mrs. Melissa B.. He is wearing it in the new photos for this evening. He likes it alot and was even holding on to it.

Morning visit

Braden is doing well this morning. He is now on 13 CC's of food every three hours. They are still trying to get him to breathe on his own. It is really important to get the ventilator tubing out as soon as possible. This will prevent infections and keep Braden healthy. Since he is so premature it isn't natural for him to have to breathe on his own. So, he really likes to have it done for him. They are working with him and hopefully he will get off the ventilator soon.

Tonite's visit

Tonites visit went really well. Braden got his first real bath tonite. The nurse said he really enjoyed it and didn't cry. He now weighs 1.10 Ibs. He was pretty active and opened his eyes for us several times. Hope you all enjoy the new photos.

Morning visit

Our morning visit was good. Not alot different going on.. Braden is back up to 12 CC's for his feedings. So, that is always a good thing. He looked very comfortable and content. He was on his belly and we know he really likes that position. He opened his eyes a good bit for us. We need to post more pictures but, Braden hasn't had his diaper on lately. I promised him I wouldn't post photos without it. :-) If his eyes are open a lot tonite I will try to get another good shot of his little face.

Long day

Well it was a long day driving all that way today to Kaleigh Grace's burial site. Things went well though and were very nice. Thanks to everyone for sending flowers and food. We took it home with us and appreciate all the cards as well. We got home around 9:30 PM and went to visit Braden shortly after. He is doing really well. He was very alert and had his eyes open almost the whole time. He is making small steps forward and we are so happy to see it. We will have to get him a second tape recorder so that we can rotate his stories. The nurses say he loves his story time.

Tonites visit

Well tonite things couldn't have been better. We changed Braden and fed him. I got to hold him for a bit. Grandma Leaveve got to see Braden for the first time and it was a lot of fun. Braden is doing well this evening. He had his eyes open and was looking around a good bit for us. He is such a cute little guy. He lost a little water weight and was 1.5 Ibs but, now weighs in again at his original 1.8 Ibs and has gone from 12 1/2" to 13" in length. It doesn't sound like much but for him this is really good and we are proud of every little step he takes.

We will not have our usual visit tomorrow. We have about 9 hours worth of driving to and from Erwin for Kaleigh's burial. We hope to see Braden late tomorrow evening so please do not get worried. I will try to post once we get home. Which could be late.

Kaleigh's visitation

Kaleigh's visitation was beautiful. Thank you to everyone who sent flowers. The room was full of the most beautiful arrangements I have ever seen. Thank you to Stephen's family, my family and all of our friends and co-workers. We would like to give a huge thank you to Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home for an amazing job on taking care of our little girl. They went above and beyond in so many ways to provide for us. We also want to say how grateful we are for all of the good food we now have in the fridge. We won't have to eat out next week. :-)

Braden is having a good day. I'm sure he will miss his sissy. He had a great report from the Doctor today. His lungs are looking clearer than ever and he is responding well to all of his treatments. We are so glad to have received such a good report on him on such a tough day.

This evenings visit..

Braden is up to 28 calories a day. They are working on putting weight on our little man. It'll be interesting to see how much he changes over the next several weeks. He was doing very well tonite and resting on his new snowman blanket. Which we will photograph tomorrow after the visitation for his sister.

This mornings visit

Little Braden is looking good today. He was really sleepy but he did open his eyes a bit just before we left. The doctor thinks things are looking better right now his lungs sound better than she has ever heard. So, she is hoping his treatments are making him better. His little lungs will be an issue because of being born so early. It'll be a tough thing for our Braden to struggle with but, he is in really good shape and is on the road to gaining weight. The bigger he gets the better it will be for him.

Please continue to keep Braden close in your thoughts. He has many months in the NICU before he can come home.

Donations

If you would like to make donations in behalf of Kaleigh Grace. Please make a donation to the NICU at Baptist Hospital by following the instruction.

Please go to this link

https://payments.auctionpay.com/ver3/?id=W033462

Then in the section where it says "I'd like my gift to support" put McCade & Cooper Oakley Special Care Nursery. Please put that this donation is in honor of Kaleigh Grace Harris. The other selections are up to you.

Thanks again for all your support. We have been delayed on seeing Braden this morning so that Mommy and Daddy could get some rest. We will be leaving shortly and post on his progress later this afternoon.

Tonite's visit

Tonite's visit was a little later than usual. We saw Braden around 9:30 PM. He looks really good. He had a busy day so he was very tired. His day nurse Patti took some pictures of him for us when he was bright eyed this afternoon. He looks so cute with his tape off his face. Patti took several that we would have never gotten. She can take better photos because she can take them with his incubator doors open. We will have his photos at Kaleigh's visitation. She would want her brother there too. :-) At this mornings visit Braden had both eyes open for us. He looked around at us for a good bit before deciding to go back to sleep.

This mornings visit and arrangements

Braden is doing well this morning. He isn't going to get off the ventilator right now. His little lungs are so premature. But, they are taking good care of him and he looks really good.

Kaleigh Grace's visitation will be at the Woodlawn Funeral home off of Thompson lane in the Orchid room this Saturday from 11 to 1 PM.
Again we want to thank everyone for their continued support of us and Braden.

Love,
Stephanie and Stephen

Tonites visit 1-23-08

Our visit with little Braden went well tonite. Braden is up to 26 calories per feeding at 12 cc's. He is breathing a good bit on his own and is our little trooper. He even opened his eyes several times for his Mommy and just a little for his Daddy. :-) It did us good to visit with him and we are thankful. Tomorrow will be another tough day making arrangements for our little girl Kaleigh Grace. We hope to remain strong and get thru this most difficult time. We are so grateful for our many friends and family who morn our loss with us. As well as the hospital staff in the NICU who truly loved Kaleigh too. You all mean more to us than you'll ever know.

Much Love,
Stephanie, Stephen and Braden

1/23/08 Evening and morning visits

It is with great sadness that we have lost our little girl Kaleigh Grace. She went home to be with the Lord this afternoon around 1:30. We feel blessed to have had the opportunity to spend the past 12 days with our little girl. We don't know why things happen but we know that God has a will and a purpose in everything that he does. The twins have touched so many lives we feel sure that they have made a difference not only in our lives but in the lives of others. Our little Braden is doing well. Please keep him in your prayers.

Thank you
Stephen and Stephanie

Morning visit

This mornings visit was a hectic one. With Kaleigh and Braden at two different hospitals it made for a tiring trip. Kaleigh is being put thru several tests just to double check everything. Since she has an infection they did not want to put in her PICC line which I though wasn't an option but, it still is... They are going to keep her till Thursday and hope to have her infection cleared up and her PICC line in. Once that is complete she will go back with her brother and we will only have one hospital to visit. Kaleigh seemed to be comfortable and resting well. She is in her own room which is very fancy. Braden is doing well and sleeping all the time. They are now giving him 24 calories per feeding. Maybe he'll put on a little weight soon.

Tonite's visit

Tonite we were in for at least an hour and didn't even realize it. Kaleigh is doing well on her feedings. The plan was to bump her up to 4 cc's but, she is on her way to another hospital for a short visit. They are going to put some other source for meds and nutrition than the current IV thru the belly button. Her little veins are too small for a PICC line. This is a common procedure for preemies. She should be back with Braden sometime later this evening. So, this won't interfere with our morning visit. Braden and Kaleigh now have both eyes open. Braden is doing well and will be working on his second round of breathing on his own this evening.

Morning visit

Kaleigh and Braden both are having a good day. Braden has a little diaper rash and Kaleigh is fighting off an infection but, these are common. Kaleigh is receiving 3cc's of food every three hours today and seems to be tolerating it. If she keeps it up she will be getting regular feedings with increases daily. We look forward to her continued progress. Kaleigh also has both eyes open now and has beat Braden again on that one. Braden is still working on getting both his eyes open and I have no doubt he'll have this done within the next few days. Braden will also be taken off his ventilator again tonite so he can breathe on his own again.

Last nites visit 1/20/08

Last nite's visit went really well. We stayed longer than usual that's why I couldn't update the blog till this morning. We watched their little beds get made, diaper changes and feedings. Kaleigh is still doing well. She is excepting her feedings and is very active. Braden is up to 12 cc's of food every three hours so he is doing very well. He also has very little hooked up to him. Hopefully, over time Kaleigh will be doing as well as Braden. Braden is also close to opening his eyes. He has both of them unfused about half way. Maybe he'll have them open this morning. Kaleigh is still working on getting her left eye open.

Aunt Louise a special note. The babies room is light Green and Yellow if you'd like to make blankets to match their room. :-) We really appreciate it.

Morning visit

Sorry for the delay in posting today. This new schedule is an adjustment and I needed to catch up on my rest.

Kaleigh is making good progress. She is up to 2 cc's on her every 3 hours of feeding and has had several poopy diapers today. This is so good to hear. She was also taken off her jet ventilator and now has the normal ventilator like Braden has... Braden is looking good today but, still very tired. They have been treating his skin with safflower oil to get rid of his flakiness. Kaleigh will be treated later after her back side has time to air out. She has been laying mostly on her back so it's tough on the skin. Their skin is fragile and very thin so it breaks down easily.

We are thankful that they are continuing to progress over the past several days.

Tonites visit

Tonites visit went well. We really enjoyed seeing Braden and Kaleigh looking so good and resting well. Kaleigh would rather be lying on her stomach so she was moving all over the place tonite. A good sign she is doing much better. Braden now has his tape of stories thanks to our friends Lizzie, Billy Jack and Kay. Thanks so much for the books.

Morning visit

Kaleigh and Braden are both doing well today. Kaleigh will be getting feedings again today and has also went down on her oxygen. She is breathing a lot on her own. Braden is tuckered out from trying to breathe all day on his own. He is being given a break and is hooked back up to the ventilator. This is to be expected and is not a set back for him. We were very encouraged to see how well they are both doing.

Tonite's visit

We had a short visit tonite but, a good one. We are asked to leave anytime a new NICU baby arrives. So, we had to cut our visit short. Kaleigh is doing better and progressing well this evening. Braden is doing well off the ventilator. We are so happy to have had another good report.

Morning visit

We are happy to tell everyone that Kaleigh has taken a turn for the better this morning. She looks really good and the Doctor was more than pleased. She is still by no means out of the woods but she is a fighter. We are just thankful she is still with us.

Kaleigh has actually beat her brother on a first. She opened her right eye this morning. Braden's attempted many times to open his without success.

Braden is doing great. He for the first time is off the ventilator. They will let him breathe on his own for a little bit. The more he can breathe on his own the better it will be on his lungs. We are very encouraged.

We still have many obstacles to face and many sleepless nites to follow but, I know we have a great group supporting us. I know our little ones are tough and willing to fight. Thank you all for being here for us and our babies.

Tonite's visit

Kaleigh is still going down hill this evening. We are so worried about her. Kaleigh is really struggling and we just hope she can pull through. It just doesn't look very good for her right now. We did get her to wiggle her feet when we were talking to her this evening. Kinda of the same as when I was holding her at birth. She just gives you a little sign that she is in there and hears you. I am hoping so much that she enjoys listening to her recording tonite and that it helps her hold on.

Braden is still doing very well. We are so glad that he is progressing and continues to do well each day.

Please continue to keep them both in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you so much for your support.

This mornings visit

Well today is the beginning of our rollercoaster ride. Kaleigh has suffered a good bit of lung damage and the only thing that can fix it is time. Kaleigh will have a long fight ahead of her to keep stable and to overcome this great obstacle. This is one of the biggest issues a preemie can face but, not impossible to overcome. As she grows she will develop new lung tissue around the damaged areas and potentially can have little long term side affects. So, we will keep our sites in a positive direction and do our best to help Kaleigh continue fighting.

Braden our tough little guy is still doing well. We know that he has a long road as well no matter how well he is doing. He too can have some bad days ahead.

Many of the stories we have heard and read have more bad days than good but in the end their babies survive and many do very well. We take courage from those who have survived this same journey.

The nursing staff has talked with us about putting a tape recorder in with the babies. So Stephen has bought a recorder for each. We are going to read to them and talk to them even when we cannot be with them. This helps them in their recovery and to bond with us. We are excited to have a way to keep close to them.

Thanks again to everyone for your support.

1/16/08 Evening Visit

Well the weather has cost us a nite without visitation. It was a tough decision but we know they are safe and sound with the hospital staff. We called for a report and we are so proud that Braden is doing great and Kaleigh has digested two feedings with success. She has also had a her first poo. lol Which seems funny to say but, you have to remember that's a big deal at 25 weeks to have your first one. :-) Today the babies are 25 weeks.

1/16/08 Morning visit

Our morning visit went well. Kaleigh is on a new ventilator to help her relax and enable her to obtain a little more oxygen. She seems to like it and was resting well. Kaleigh is also beginning her first day of meals. Hopefully, she will adjust well to them. Kaleigh is also working on opening her right eye. Our nurse told us that she had a little peak this morning out the corner of her eye. It didn't last very long but maybe within the next few days she'll have one or both opened. Braden raises his eyebrows as if he is also trying to open his eyes. They haven't unfused at all on him so maybe his sister will one up him on something. lol Braden's feeding amount has jumped today. He is excepting food extremely well. He is having another really good day. We are so proud of them both for all their progress.

Thank you to everyone for all of your encouraging comments. We are truly blessed to have so many good friends and family supporting us.

1/15/08

Today's visits went well. The neonatal staff are working to prepare both of our darlings to breathe on their own. They will still have ventilators from time to time but, they want to begin the process of letting them breathe for themselves. Both were sleeping very peacefully this evening and we are encouraged by their progress. As Stephen reminds me they are only 5 days old and look at all they have done. :-)

1/14/08 Evening photos

Last nites visit was a good one. We were finally able to get a shot of Kaleigh's little face. They are very sensitive to touch right now. Their little nervous systems are not developed enough to tolerate much handling. So, when their beds are changed or IV's messed with they tend not to like it. Braden is already showing a temper. His is less tolerant than his sister.

1/14/08 A Huge Thanks

We would like to thank the paramedics (Lisa, Eric, Randy and Daniel) that saved our babies life on 1/10/08. Without their help Braden and Kaleigh would not have survived their delivery into this world. We would also like to thank the staff at the hospital and the nurses that are taking care of them in the NICU. We have been extremely encouraged by all of our friends and family who have given us so much support. We are so thankful for everyone who has been touched by our two little miracles.

1/14/08 Today's update

Today the twins are doing well. Braden has been excepting regular feedings with good results. Both twins have past their first milestone. Three days of life. We are encouraged by all the staff comments and the long history of success they have shared with us. We have met one family in a very similiar situation. They are doing very well and have offered much encouragement.

The twins were born at home on 1/10/08 Kaleigh at 3:50 AM and Braden at 3:58 AM. At only 24 weeks Kaleigh weighed in at 1 lb 7 oz and Braden weighed in at 1 lb 8 oz. If you look to the right at Kaleigh's photo you can get a glimpse at just how small they are by the hands taking her temperature.