Wednesday, March 19, 2008

To Make a LONG Story Short...

Okay, so I realize it has been almost two months since I have posted anything on our blog. Most of you probably know the reasons why, but if you don't, here is a quick overview of the past two months....


Early in February Josh had to go out of town for a week on business. With the twins being just a month old, I decided to not take my chances doing it alone all week, and drove the myself and the kiddos up to Lawrence to stay with my parents. We got there on Monday evening, and by Wednesday it was obvious that something was not right with Wyatt. He started out with a little cold, but it soon escalated into him not eating, beigng very lethargic, and having some breathing troubles. We took him into the ER, and was soon sent to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. By the following day, he was diagnosed with RSV. Because of his small size, he did not do very well fighting the virus on his own, and by the following day, he was transferred to the PICU (pediatric intensive care unit) and put on a ventilator to help him breathe. Needless to say, Josh got on the first plane to Kansas and joined up with us before the week ended.


A few days after this, Brynley started to show symptoms, and actually stopped breathing while Josh was home alone with her. He called 911, and within 5 minutes an ambulance came and had her stabilized. She headed over to the hospital and became Wyatt's roommate in the PICU. Brynley's case of RSV proved to be much milder than Wyatt's. She came home from the hospital after four days. Wyatt, on the other hand, had a pretty rough time. He stayed on the ventilator in the PICU for two weeks, and then, once he stared improving, moved to the regular floor for a few more days. His hospital stay lasted three weeks.

It was a very stressful time to say the least, but we also are so thankful for all of the support and prayers we had from so many people, especially my parents. We returned home to Arkansas at the end of February; our little 5-day trip ended up lasting almost a month.
Now that we are home, we are trying to get things back to normal (whatever that is!). Wyatt is still having some issues with his breathing and throat as a result of the ventilator. None of the problems are permanent, but it has been taking him a little while to really heal from the trauma. Besides a swollen throat, Wyatt is doing great! He has the biggest, cutest brown eyes and is still very inquisitive and alert. He loves to flirt and is full of smiles. Brynley, who I loving call "Chubbers," is thriving. She outweighs Wyatt by a couple of pounds, and is a cute little rolly-poly. She also smiles and laughs and coos the cutest little sounds. She loves to watch the mobile in her crib and to be held close as she falls asleep. We are so blessed to have these two little miracles in our family.
Once again, thank you for your support and prayers! We are happy to be through the rough stuff and get on with life. Hopefully I will be a little better at posting blog updates now, although it is still hard to find 5 minutes to myself at the computer! :)

12 comments:

Beth said...

Yay! I was hoping you would post soon, but I know things are just a tad busy for you. Wyatt and Brynley and the rest of you have been a highlight of our prayers for a while now. We love you guys!

If you ever have a chance to post photos of the cuties, we'll welcome it. I also had fun talking to you today! Much love on your birthday.

Not-so-tiny Tim said...

Is it "hard to find 5 minutes to [your]self at the computer" because your genius children aren't letting you have your turn at it? They need to learn how to share.

Lindsey S. said...

I can't imagine how busy you must be! Happy birthday today! I hope you had a wonderful day!

Leah said...

I'm so glad they are doing better. We wish we could have been out there with you guys more. Your babies are beautiful and we loved getting to see you guys. Give Parker a squeeze for us.

Matt said...

So glad to hear an update. We've been thinking about you and your family so much. Love you and miss you!

The Millers said...

Oh Jenni, so glad you guys are home, and that the babies are doing well. Thanks for the update. And in to future, don't worry about writing anything --- just post pictures of those cute babies!

C Hall said...

Happy (late)Birthday Jenni! I've been thinking about you tons. I am glad to read your post. Wyatt & Brynley are still in every one of Zachie's prayers. (: Take care and know that we love all of you, even from waaaaaayy over here in Oz.

Crazy Zumba Lady said...

WOW!!! Long month for you! We are glad to hear that your twins are doing better!!! We are glad to have an update :) lets see those cute kiddos

Amelia said...

We're so glad that things are going better for the twinners. We love them and look forward to seeing more of them!

Lindsey S. said...

I miss you guys!!

Elisa said...

You have twins. Oh my goodness. Your three children are adorable. I've been tracking down friends and came across your blog. I'm so sorry to hear that they were in PICU and I hope they continue to get better. I would love to get caught up when you have a minute which sounds rare for you. We love you!

Mandy Wollenzien said...

I'm happy to hear your babies are doing well. I had no idea until I found your blog today. Thanks to lindsey. by they way this is Josh's cousin Mandy