Carson Surgery Update

I just wanted to take a minute to update everyone on Carson's surgery. Carson had open heart surgery on June 24th to repair his Tetralogy of Fallot. We were extremely excited for him to have the surgery, but nervous about it at the same time. Pre surgery, Carson had a blue tint to his skin, especially his hands & feet, his oxygen level was 65-70 and he would tire very easily eating a bottle. The surgery went very well. It took about 4.5 hrs and they had no unexpected problems. Immediately following surgery, Carson was a beautiful pink color. I couldn't believe it!

He looked so good, but the recovery is really the hard part. He has had a very slow recovery. Carson likes to do things at his own pace. He took his time leaving the NICU as a preemie & he is doing the same thing now. He was in the PICU for 5 days & is now recovering on the 3rd floor of Peyton Manning's Children Hospital in Indianapolis. John & I rotate each day & sleep in the room with him. One with Carson & one with the other kids....it is exhausting some days.

Carson's incision, heart & breathing are doing great. However, he is not eating well. He is on a special formula that is not very popular with the babies. It tastes terrible & he does not want to eat. The formula has a higher calorie count & has no fat. Of course, it doesn't take good. Fat is what makes food good, right? He now has a feeding tube to help him receive the nutrition he needs. This is allowing him to get rest & we can get some rest too!

We are so grateful for the family (especially my sister, Jenn) & friends that have helped us through this moment. We could not be more pleased with the success of Carson. He is off his oxygen, his fluid drainage from his chest is slowly decreasing & he had his last IV removed today. We are hoping he comes home soon. We are all anxious to snuggle & squeeze on him.

I will post some pictures later this week. Thank you for all the thoughts & prayers.

Family Update #2

Having twins has been so much fun, but so much work. John & I are finally getting some sleep, but we are having trouble finding time for each other. Spencer & Kate have been SUPER with the babies & help us out every day. We are slowly learning how to get other things accomplished in a day, like laundry, cleaning up & family dinner time. We have survived 6 months!

Spencer & Graham taking a break

Graham posing on the bed

Carson & Graham...They are starting to look more & more alike. Carson is slowly gaining weight & Graham is looking like a little chunk. Of course, they have blue eyes & very little (almost none) blond hair. They are definitely Downings!

Carson & Uncle Stacy at the Mopps house

Graham & Carson at 5 months old

Graham has acquired the nickname Buster or the baby baby & Carson is known as Peanut. The boys are really good & are very happy babies. They love to get baths, are great snugglers & Spencer says they are "awesomely cute" !

Graham grinning while hangin' with his big brother

They are smiling more & more every day. I can't compare them developmentally to my other 2 kids, but they are progressing well for preemies. Our doctors & specialists seem to think they will be caught up by the time they are 2-3 yrs old. We are very fortunate to have great support & help from family & friends. They are truly a blessing.

Family Update #1

We celebrated Kate's birthday on Feb 18th. She turned 11yrs old. She requested a homemade strawberry cake with cream cheese icing & chocolate shavings. She continues to be my social butterfly. It is hard to get her to focus on anything else, but she does find time to do piano & help with the babies. She is a great BIG sister & makes us laugh every day. She may be more funny than her dad! Kate also got braces in April with another expander. The first few days were torture of all of us, but she is doing great.

Kate was able to celebrate her birthday with a visit from Aunt Maureen, Tamera, Jill & Bea. We are so lucky to have them spend time with us & meet our new additions to the family. We had a good time & wish we could visit more often.

We were also able to bless the babies while everyone was visiting. I am so grateful that John has the priesthood & was able to give our boys their blessing. He did a wonderful job & the boys were great during the blessing too!

We had Easter dinner at my mom's house along with an Easter egg hunt. We got together the Saturday before Easter & had beautiful weather. We brought a dozen eggs each & mom had another 10 each for each child. It was about 100 eggs, but the kids had a fun time trying to find them. There are still a few unaccounted for in the backyard.

The boys are about 3 1/2 months old here. They are good babies & we are starting to see more of their personalities every day.

Family picture on Easter Sunday 2010

We had the NCAA Final Four visit Indianapolis this year. We went downtown Indy & took in some of the family festivities. We were able to watch the All-Star game & we went to Bracket Town. The kids got pictures with the NCAA trophy, played games & other sports activities. It was crazy busy, but a great experience for our sports junkie, Spencer.

Speaking of our sports junkie, Spencer turned 13 yrs old in March. He had an ice cream cake for his birthday, but it wasn't as good as we hoped. We went shopping & bought some new basketball shorts, an IU t shirt, and went to dinner at Noodles & Co. He has decided that he wants to be a sports journalist or sports announcer. He hopes to go to BYU, but is thinking about Ball State University in Muncie. He helps with the boys & loves watching sports with them.

Welcome home Carson

We have been waiting for this day for 6 weeks . Carson was able to come home on Friday, Jan 29th. He was in the NICU for 44 days. We racked up some serious miles & spent quite a bit on gas driving to Indianapolis everyday. IT WAS WORTH IT! Carson came home weighing 4lbs 11oz and measured 18.25" in length.


Graham & Carson had many great nurses while in the NICU, but Cheryl was their primary care giver during their stay. We could not have been more pleased with the love & attention she gave them in our absence. She kept us informed and educated us on preemie care & info.

Carson is growing well. He visited the pediatrician on Tuesday and had gained weight. He has reached 5lbs and measures 18.25" in length. He is such a good baby. He reminds me of Spencer. He only fusses when he needs a diaper change or wants to eat. He has beautiful blue eyes, as do all Downing babies. It is great to see the boys together. I think they will look more alike than we thought. Graham is the demanding baby, and Carson is the patient baby.


We are adjusting to the 3 hr changing & feeding schedule. I have decided that sleep & showers are a luxury. I am not sure how I will adjust when I have to return to work. Kate & Spencer have been SUPER helpers! They love to hold & cuddle the boys & make sure they are never left alone. Kate has been great at changing diapers & comforting the crying baby too! She will be a wonderful mother someday.

We are so grateful to have all the children at home. It is crazy that we have 4 children, but we are looking forward to the wonderful memories. Kate still wants a sister, but I believe she is out of luck. We are working to make sure Carson gains weight & stays healthy. We now have many doctor's appts...pediatrician, cardiologist, urologist, neurologist & developmental specialist in the coming months. We pray every day for their strength and are confident that they will develop into healthy strong boys. It will just take some extra effort.

Graham

Graham has been home for 3 weeks now & is doing great. Of course, he gets me up every 3-4 hrs to eat. He has grown 2.5 inches since birth & gained over 2 lbs since being at home. The doctors are pleased with his progress & he has been such a joy.



We are learning about the differences between preemies & full term babies. So many things to be aware of and things we can do to help get them on track. It can take preemies up to 2 yrs to catch up.


Graham is anxious for his twin brother to come home. We don't know that for sure, but we assume he shares our thoughts. Graham has the cutest amount of peach fuzz on the sides of his face, the top of his arms & the tops of his legs. The NICU nurses could not get over how cute he looks with it. It will eventually disappear.

He is wearing newborn sleepers, but they continue to be big. Notice how we have to roll up the sleeves. He'll be wearing these for months.
Graham loves to be held. He sleeps so well when someone is holding him. Spencer & Kate are always wanting to hold & cuddle with him. Spencer lays him on his chest or next to him & they watch sports together. Spencer talks to him & shares all his sports knowledge.

Kate has become quite the little mother to Graham. She helps change diapers (even dirty ones), holds & cuddles him, helps with bath time & is always checking on him. She loves to give kisses and thinks the "baby" smell is the best.

Graham is Home!

Graham loaded in the car seat

The kids & Graham at home


On Monday, January 4th, we got to bring Graham home. He left the hospital weighing 5lbs 1oz and has no health issues. John & I went to pick up Graham & did not tell Spencer & Kate that he was coming home. They were quite surprised when we came in the house with their new baby brother. They were so excited that he was home & couldn't wait to get there hands on him.

We have kept him at home for 2 weeks now and he has done well. He went for a check-up/weight check & now weighs in at 6lbs .25oz. He has grown 2 inches since his birth day too! He is a noisy baby. He doesn't cry much, just grunts and makes lots of funny sounds. The kids think he is funny & love the faces he makes when he sleeps too!

Carson is doing well. He has moved into his own little suite in the NICU & today was taken out of his isolette. Hopefully, he will be able to keep his temperature up. His oxygen level continues to vary, but is normal based on his heart condition. He is up to 4lbs 5 oz and is more alert every day. We are hoping he will be home by the end of January. It will be so nice when both boys are home together.

Christmas 2009

Despite our trips back & forth to Indianapolis, we did need to celebrate Christmas with our families & two older children. Spencer & Kate are getting harder to buy for each year. I love that Spencer is a sports junkie & loves to read anything sports too! Kate still loves her dolls & enjoys playing with her American Girl stuff. However, she does have a love for clothes & lip gloss!

Spencer got some new sports games & a new basketball hoop for his room. We do have to restrict the play times because our bedroom is right next to his room. Both kids have been playing Rock Band since they have more time on their hands. They do a much better job than I ever could do! Kate has been hanging out with Maddie (cousin) and playing dolls, coloring, baking & watching movies. Kate has become quite the baker. Aunt Nessa got her a cake decorating set & she can't wait to use it.

John & I did not buy gifts for each other this year. We did each decide on something we wanted & purchased it for our gift. He got a hands-free phone toy for his car. I thought he already had one, but I guess this one is better. I decided to get a Moby Wrap for my new babies. I am so excited & want to thank my niece, Jill, for her blog post that sparked my interest. Thank you!

We don't need anything. We both just want our family together and our boys to be home & healthy. We are looking forward to the New Year! John is worried about getting old & I am hoping to have time with our twins before I have to go back to work. We are hoping that we will be able to take a family vacation this summer & share our twins with everyone we visit. I know, we are just very proud parents! It has been a wonderful year & are so thankful for our many blessings. Look out 2010....Here we come!