Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Big Brothers Meet The Quads!

So, as everyone out there with kids knows, there are times when they listen and behave as you would expect, sometimes even exceeding expectations...and there are times when you wish you could string them up by their toes...

...And then there are times like we experienced tonight.

As a parent, you could not ask for anything more from a 2 and 4 year old. Tonya and I were so damn proud of Aiden and Caleb tonight!

Aiden and Cale met Summer, Brock, Cameron, and Dane tonight. Seriously, they were awesome! They brought some new blankets with them for gifts. They said hi, they waved, they said I love you, they inquired about the babies coming home so they could play with them, they asked when they would be able to hold the babies, they asked about their huts, their monitor screens and what everything on them meant, their sensors. They event got to see Summer get her diaper changed. They saw all that and then some and asked about all that and then some. It was great.

They did so well that when we got back to The Manor, we sat in the rocking chairs on the porch and had ice cream cones with the ice cream the Moeke Family brought for Tonya all the way from Cinncinnatti! George and Rebecca, we voted the Raspberry Chocolate Chip tops!

Man what a night! Just love them boys!

So, Quad Update:

Summer remains tapped with an IV for her antibiotics. She had a positive test for a different staff infection a few days back so she has to have the IV thing in for another few days. She is breathing on her own. Brock is doing great. Cam is doing great. Though Cam did have to get the nasal cannyal thing in last night but it was out today. That is common for preemies like ours - sometimes they just need a little assistance. Dane is great. They are all feeding great.

Tonya has started the nursing process. Summer has yet to get a chance as she can't be taken out of her hut yet. Cameron and Dane seemed down with the deal and Brock seemed to just be happy to be out of his hut. By any means, Tonya was very happy to get that ship out of the harbor and it seems as though nursing will be just fine for the babies.

The Heavyweight Title: Dane currently has a 35 gram lead over Cameron. Dane coming in at 1430 grams (3# 2 oz) and Cam coming in at 1395 grams which I think is 3# 1 oz.

Shit, it's all good man! That could change, but these rugrats are pretty tough and we are keeping on them to stay strong.

Tonya is in the process of getting a post together with photos. As you all are aware, she just can't post photos with a simple caption or post a blog that is anything short of a novel. So, by the time she gets that post blog-worthy, the kids will probably be home. I don't do photos - just not part of this cowboys routine.

We have tons of photos, I mean tons. Maybe I should start posting photos?

Interview with The Record Eagle went down yesterday. It went very well. Vanessa was very nice. I hope she puts a nice article together. It will be in the August 21 edition of The Record Eagle in the Well Being section. Thank you George and Kay for getting a nice story for the news...

We have so many thank you's, and we are sorry if we have missed out giving special notice to anyone. Karl and Jen, thanks for the cute clothes - the preemie clothes from Carter's you sent are for sure the smallest we have seen and should result in a good fit. Kris and Jeff and Kris's mom, thank you for the cute hats - loved the "little" and "little bigger" sizing system!

Again, I have to thank the Konieczny family - just good people!

I don't know about anyone else out there in the blogosphere, but I am really anxious for college football season to start - just can't wait to see the "new" Michigan Wolverine squad this year...

Finally, I would like to remind everyone to be thankful for everyday and to live each day like it is your last. Always kiss your wife and kids goodnight. This place, I swear, it really has made me more appreciative of damn near everything. I have a story to share with you all. It is sad. Our neighbors at The Manor left the other day. They were here before we were. They are grandparents. We hit it off as their daughter had triplets. The Mrs.'s chatted with Tonya and me extensively on what to expect at the NICU and when we get to bring The Quads home. She was a great resource, one of the best we have come across. She helped her daughter raise the triplets and I believe they are around a year old. She got to see them the other weekend and was just tickled by their visit. I'm not sure how long they had been at The Manor before we got here. They were at The Manor to spend time with their son who was in hospice. Their son was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 15. He died the other day at the age of 31. She said he defied all odds by living longer than the year or so the doctors gave him at the young age of 15. That's cruel. That's life. That makes me cry and makes me want to go hug my wife and kids.

Be Thankful,
Lew

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Great to hear that the boys met the babies and that the babies are doing so well! I'm sure the boys were pretty excited after waiting a little while to see them. I'm sure there will be plenty more questions today after a little "soak time." Thanks for a reminder about living each day to the fullest--sometimes we get caught up in the day-to-day shuffle and forget the bigger picture.
Love and Prayers,
Dana M.

Anonymous said...

I bet the boys were so happy to see the their baby brothers and sister! Glad to hear Tonya is nursing the babies and everything is going so great!!
Thinking of you!
Love, your cousin Gabrielle

Kara said...

Great update. What great news that the big brothers got to meet the four youngest additions to the family. I definitely agree that we all need to count our blessing daily. We all have so much to be thankful for!!!

Can't wait to see pictures.

Moni Graf said...

I hope you got some great pics of the big brothers meeting the newest members of the family! I'm sure the just soaked up those surroundings like a sponge and will have seemingly off-the-wall questions pop out over the next couple of weeks. The wheels are always turning in those young minds.

It's great to hear the babies are progressing as they should. They're ready to rock this world!

Congrats on the big move coming up. I hope it better suits your current situation.

Livin' and Lovin' in KS,
Moni

Anonymous said...

I am glad the boys met with their brothers and sister.... this is another new beginning......

Anonymous said...

My prayers are with you and your 4 little ones!! My son Evan spent 23 days in the Grand Rapids NICU this past April after arriving 2 months early. I cannot even imagine having the NICU experience x4! My heart goes out to you and everything that you are experiencing: the ups and downs. May God Bless you and may your 4 newest members continue to grow and thrive!

Becky K.
(daughter of Wayne S.)