Lincoln & Maya Maxwell: 2011

Almost home...

Sorry the posts have been few and far between. Soon we will be out of this place :) The girls are doing so well. We are planning to come home this week as long as they both keep their weights up and don't have any significant spells. We are all so ready to be home!
As of yesterday, Lincoln weighed 6lbs 2ozs and Maya weighed 5lbs 7ozs. Lincoln got her feeding tube pulled last week and Maya lost hers a few days back too. The docs have decided that Maya will be kept on O2, but that's ok. We are just happy to get to take her home, hopefully at the same time as her sis! Mom had her shower this past Saturday. Grandma Chicky threw a beautiful party and it was so great to get to see everyone!
Aunt Karrie has painted our nursery and it looks amazing! I will be sure to post pics of it soon.
We'll keep everyone posted on our homecoming. Love to you all!

Here are some random pics from the last couple weeks:

We both passed our carseat tests!

WOW

Dad's on daiper duty

Shower - and that's just the dessert table!

Our Girls

Grandpa Dean

Holy Moly! We are spoiled already!

Lincoln's pretty face - no more tubes!

Cute Hat

Maya Jo

Maya

Mom & Girls

Sister Sister
Look how much bigger Lincoln's head is.. it's huge :)

Just a quick note from Mom

Just wanted to put up a quick post while I had a chance. I can not download pics to this computer, so just some new info for you all.
Lincoln is getting so big and is now 5lbs 12 oz. She had been tooting up a storm and we now call her tootie. Seriously, like that much noise should not come out of such a little person. She is really doing a great job on breastfeeding. Her weight has kind of hovered so mom had to succumb to what we now call the great bottle war of 2011. The docs just felt like she is using so much energy to breastfeed, and that bottle feeding with a high flow would get her orally feeding without all the work. Mom was super emotional and reluctant to give this up, but our fist day proved successful. She gained a whole ounce over night! Plus dad does such a good job at it :) They are really hinting that Lincoln may get to go home soon. Not quite sure how soon, but are keeping our fingers crossed.
This has brought on such mixed emotions. We will be so happy to get her home, but so sad that Maya will still have to stay. Wondering how we will be able to take care of and nurse both girls with Maya still here. Just cant wait to get them both home so we can finally be a family and take care of our own children.
Maya is doing good too. She is actually 5lbs 8oz (not 5lbs 10oz- from last post) and catching up to her sis fast! She is still trying to figure out this whole breathing thing. Lots of up and down with her oxygen. They keep trying to ween her, and then she will start to really struggle again. Preparing ourselves for her to come home on it, but really hoping she doesn't. Yesterday they felt like she was really carrying a lot more fluid and needed to have a nice stool to get her respiratory rates down. And that she did :) Our wonderful nurse was helping to get things moving down there and Maya let go all over her hand!! It was so funny! I have never seen so much poop go shooting out of a baby :) I think she feels much better now!
Sorry we have been so out of touch. I will try to post some pics soon.

7 Weeks!

Hello Everyone, Savannah has asked me to do a quick post for them.

This week has been a long week for the Maxwell's. Savannah is having to stay at the hospital now 24/7, and Dad stays when he can. Both girls are working on breast feeding and it is very important that Mom is there for every single feeding. They are working on coordination of sucking, swallowing and breathing. This is a big task for preemies.

I now call them my BIG girls, as they have both jumped the 5lb mark! Lincoln weighs in at 5lbs 90z. and Maya at 5lb 1oz.

Maya is also working on getting rid of her nasal cannula. She tries a little each day- baby steps. She will get there one day.

Mom and Dad celebrated their 2ND Anniversary this week sitting vigilantly with their new loves.

Each day brings new hurdles to jump, but slowly but surely they are getting there.

I am going to post a couple of pictures of the girls, we are not allowed to use flash on the camera and my camera is not as good as Savannah's, but I will do my best.

Thank you to everyone for their continued support to Adam, Savannah, Lincoln and Maya, you may never know how much each and every thing you have done has meant to them.

~ 6 weeks ~

So many big steps this week!!
Lincoln came off her oxygen on Sunday and has been off all week. Maya is being weened down and has been doing really well.
Maya has been getting to try breastfeeding now too. Yesterday, mom got to feed both girls at the same time for the first time. It was tricky to keep both girls on, but with dads help we are getting a hang of it.
Today the girls graduated to big girl cribs. It is so nice to be able to see and hear them so much better. Not to mention how much easier it is to change diapers now that we don't have to reach through little port-holes.
Maya now weighs 4lbs 8oz and Lincoln weighs 5lbs!!! And both girls are 18in long now!!!!

5 weeks old!!!

We can't believe the girls are 5 weeks old!!! Sorry I have not updated the blog since last week. Life is very busy now as we get to be more and more involved in the girls' care.
Maya is now 4lbs!!! She is being weened down little by little on her oxygen and seems to be doing well. This week she got to start non-nutritive practice feedings. She has only tried a couple times, but is figuring it out. She really seems to be catching up to her sister.
Lincoln is 4lbs 6oz! She is working on coming off her nasal cannula all together. Lincoln is now working on real breast feeding!! It is so exciting! Right now we get to try for a few minutes once a day before a tube feeding starts. We will work on it everyday until she gets strong enough to take in a full feeding on her own.
Mom and Dad are so amazed at how strong the girls are. We know we have a ways to go but are so hopeful and eager for a healthy homecoming!

4 weeks old!

We are 4 weeks old today!!
Lincoln reached the 4lb mark this week. She lost an ounce the following day and dropped just below, but we are still so excited that she is getting bigger! She is getting to spend quality time at the breast with Mom every day and really seems to be figuring it out. By the time she is strong enough to come off her feeding tube she will be ready! She is doing really well at keeping her temp and may even get to move into an open crib sometime in the next couple weeks.
Maya is still following behind a bit. Her blood transfusion improved her hemoglobin levels, but she is still having respiration issues. She is having a hard time keeping her O2 levels up and despite daily meds her lung x-rays are looking worse. We hope she can get better soon and be able to come out more like her sis. Keep her in your thoughts.

Lincoln has graduated to preemie pampers!

Maya - 4 weeks

Lincoln - 4 weeks

Lincoln's pic of her sis.

Maya's pic of her sis.

January 23 - 25

We are realizing that this experience will be full of ups and downs.
Maya had to get another blood transfusion due to low hemoglobin. She had to get stuck several times before they finally got a good vein in her scalp. Poor thing. But she did really well, and hopefully she will start to feel better soon!
Lincoln has been doing well with her breathing so they let us introduce her to the breast today. Not to eat, but just to get familiar. They are still too young to coordinate suck, swallow, and breath. So they have her suck while she is getting her feeding through her tube. She did a great job and Mom was so happy! It was such a nice reward for all this pumping.

Lincoln's cute duckie outfit.

Mom and Lincoln.

Dad and Maya.

3 weeks old!

Today seemed to fly by too quickly.
We looked so cute in our outfits. Mom and Dad held us all swaddled up and we got to meet up once again.
We had lots of visitors today including Grandpa Bob and Grandma Shirley.
Today Maya weighed in at 3lbs 5oz and Lincoln at 3lbs 8oz!!

Lincoln

Hey, I know you!

Lincoln peeking at Dad.

The Maxwells

1/20 & 1/21

We have enter a trial and error phase. We are both growing and showing signs that we can breath and keep warm on our own, so we are getting a chance to do so.
Maya got her IV out and is now getting almost as much milk as her sister at each feed.
Lincoln is trying to come off her oxygen all together. Yesterday morning she was off for a few hours and then went back on when she started struggling to keep her O2 levels up. This morning we tried again, and she was doing really well. She was having some spells, but we are going to let her keep trying on her own. Mom got some good pics of Dad holding Lincoln today with no cannula on, so you can see her cute face better.
Both girls are doing a pretty god job at keeping their temps up on their own. Today they got to be dressed for the first time ever!! It is so funny because they are still swimming even in the preemie size. We can really tell they are growing. It is funny things like their ears which look more defined and their heads which feel so much larger in our hands now.