Better & Better

Things seem to keep getting better and better and the dynamic duo is getting better and better at nursing.  Landon nursed for all of his feedings today and Tristan had only one tube feeding because he was just too tired to eat!  Andrea said they are doing great!  Landon checked in at 4 lbs. 14.8 oz, while Tristan was 5 lbs. 3.2 oz. 

Special Moments

Bath nights are some of the greatest times right now.  The boys love their baths and Mommy and Daddy enjoy being close to them during these moments.  Landon had two bradys today while eating after his bath.  They did an ultrasound today and everything checked out.  He still had his cyst, but it was the same size.  They say that half of the population of all ages has similar cysts.  They were both 18 inches long and their heads were 31 cm.  Landon was 4 lbs. 14.4 oz., while Tristan was 5 lbs. 2.6 oz.  Visitors today included Janet Bodammer, Tara Bodammer and Lawrence Jensen.

5 Pounds

Landon is still having a rough time, he is having more bradys and because of the stress, they have decided to put him back on cafffeine.  They keep telling us it is completely normal and he is acting his age.  Due to prematurity this is actually all normal, but still very hard to keep going back and forth.  It was hard to hear they were going to restart the caffeine, but Dr. Wilson once again said I don't consider this a setback.  It is really hard when we have to keep leaving them, we just want to take them home with us.  But at the same time, we would not want them at home when they are not ready to be there.  Momma B has been having some guilty feelings alot lately because they were so early.  People say you couldn't have done anything different but she feels (maybe wishes) she could have.  She just worries about everything, which is a mom's job, right?  She worries about when will they be strong enough to come home?  Will they have health problems later in life due to the prematurity?  Financial issues? When will they come home, will we be ready? And the list goes on and on.  With Christmas and the holidays it has been extremely hard to not have them with us and at home. We just continue to pray that they will get stronger and better every day. Tristan cleared the five pound mark today as he weighed 5 lb. 2 oz.  Landon was 4 lbs. 14.8 oz.

Visitors today were Tara and Dave Ackerson and Amy and Janet Bodammer.

Rough Day for Landon & Mommy

Today was the Bodammer Christmas and we were very excited to introduce the boys to more family.  They both are doing very well nursing and gaining weight for the most part.  We had a funny today as Momma was nursing Tristan, Daddy was changing Landon's dirty diaper and he pooped all over, yep all over Daddy, his crib, his outfit, his diaper... So, daddy started all over and mommy just laughed.  Because of Landon having so many more bradys they decided to put him back on oxygen because of his periodic breathing.  We talked to the doctor and he said they just need to mature and they are acting their age.  He does not consider this a setback at all.  He said their nervous systems just have to develop more. Momma was feeding Landon and he had a brady in her arms and he got real dusky and blue around the lips.  The nurse was standing right there and said he was okay and his color came right back.  It was really scary though.  After Momma calmed down and Daddy arrived, the little guys got to meet the cousins.  The Bodammer cousins came up and our night nurse (Nicolle) was so nice to let us bring the boys to the window so the cousins could see them.  They were all very excited to finally get to see them.  Then, we had to leave the boys and go home for Christmas which was extremely hard with how Landon was.  It would be hard to celebrate Christmas and open gifts without them. 

Landon 4 lbs 14.1 oz
Tristan 4 lbs. 15.8 oz

Visitors Janet, Amy and  Brandon Bodammer
Molly Rooney and  Matt

Merry Christmas to All...

This Christmas as a little different for the Bodammer family.  Most years we would travel to Omaha to be with Jared's family and the week before we would travel to Wesley to be with Jill's family.  As we were very blessed to have our "Own Family Christmas," we would have preferred it to be spent at home with the four of us rather than in the hospital.  We are very blessed and at this time of year we count our blessings twice!  I hope all of you count your blessing and thank God for all you have, as we do every day.  We wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Landon had a rough day today, he had six bradys as Tristan only had one.  We have been having some talks with Landon about getting rid of those bradys and talking to Tristan about talking to his big brother about stopping those bradys.  I told the nurses if they weren't so nice to them they would want to come home:). 

Landon 4 lbs. 14. 2 oz
Tristan 4 lbs. 15 oz
Vistors: Amy and Brandon Bodammer

Here Comes Santa Claus!

Last night Tristan had two bradys, but the doctor does not seem worried as bradys are common in preemies.  Even though mom and dad always seem to ask, "How many bradys did each of them have?" 

Santa made a special visit to the NICU to see the boys and the other babies in the NICU today!  This santa was really special to the boys and the boys loved him.  Even though the boys were sleeping, we are sure they enjoyed it!

Both boys are exact same weight today, weighing in at 4 lbs. 14 oz.

Vistors today were Kris Craighead and her brother and sister in law, Mike and Hillary Strohbeen.

The Great Houdini

Last night was a great night even if Momma B was up most of it overseeing supply and demand.  It was the first full night with the twosome.  What a great feeling to be with your babies all night - all three of them loved every minute of it!  Some people may take that luxury for granted.  Nursing went really well throughout the night for both boys.  Landon is still getting nursing down, so he also still gets some feeding through his tube.  The big news of the day was that Tristan got rid of his feedin tube!!!  Yet another monumental step!  Both boys also got a workout in today.... about a mile each on the treadmill.  Actually, the occupational therapist came in to show us how to work with them and we did some stretching and tummy time.  They both did great and did not fuss at all.  They seem to like to workout, just like their mommy and daddy.  Tristan also pulled a Houdini today, somehow as Momma changed him, he managed to pee through all of his clothes without her noticing.  She finally noticed when she went to pick him up and he was soaked.  So, now it is Landon Dean and the great Houdini!

Landon is 4lbs. 13.7 oz
Houdini is 4 lbs. 13. 6 oz.

Your Way, Right Away!

LD and T-Magic are now transitioning to more of an on demand feeding schedule.  Basically, they eat what they want, when they want... just like their pops!  Tristan set the nursing record today with 21 minutes.  The nice thing about this plan is that they get to sleep a little longer between feedings.  Momma B is staying the night tonight so we will see how this plays out.  Tristan also had two more bradys today (9 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.)....so sad.  He is still doing great and growing well, it is just a part of being a preemie.  While we don't want them to grow up too fast, we would like them to grow strong enough to bust them out of this place.  Tristan checked in at 4-15.4, while Landon was 4-13.9.  Visitors today included Wendy Wilde as well as Shawn & Jenny Mansfield.

No More Frappachinos...

Landon lived up to his big boy status as he got off caffeine today.  We are excited to see how he does!  Landon was 4-13.5 today, while Tristan was 4-14.9.  They were both exactly 17 1/2 inches long and their heads were 31 cm.  Angie Hoffman stopped by see the dynamic duo today! 

Graduation Day!

Nope, not what you thought.  They have not graduated from the NICU, but they did graduate from their preemie pacifiers to a bigger one (from preemie purple to aqua).  They are two stylin' little dudes and pretty much chick magnets!  The nurses tend to fight over them and they had two gals in the room with with today (Kris Craighead and Susie Strohbeen).  Landon was 4 lbs. 12.9 oz and Tristan was 4 lbs. 14.4 oz.

And the Stockings Were Hung...

Today was another good one for the boys.  Tristan is pushing towards five pounds as he weighs 4-14.  Tristan had two bradys or B's (bradycardias-a slow heart rate) in the past 24 hours though and he can't get out until he goes a week without having one.  Bradycardias sometimes go along with A's or Apnea's which are pauses in breathing.  Because of that, we will not be bringing them home for Christmas.  So, today we took their stockings up (which we got as a gift from Madison Craighead) and hung them above their cribs.  Landon is now 4-11.8.  Daddy read several Christmas books and the boys stayed awake the entire time!  The boys are also able to have a few guests now and as a result Jeremy and Kris Craighead came up today and held the boys.

Rub a Dub Dub!

We both spent a little more time up at the hospital early in the day because we had a Christmas party tonight.  Tristan (4-12) has been nursing pretty well and sometimes will not receive any supplemental milk from his feeding tube.  Most of the time, Landon (4-10) is doing half nursing and half feeding.  As soon as they start getting full feedings from mom, they will go off the feeding tubes.  Right now, they are too tired to eat much as they sleep through about every other feeding!  We gave the boys their first tub bath this evening and then dressed them up for a family picture.  Up until tonight, we were just washing them down for their baths.  The nurses arranged the Christmas tree and chairs to take our first family picture since we were already dressed up for the party.  What an adorable family!

Ouchies!

Three weeks in the NICU and counting...  We noticed last night that Tristan had some irritation and sores under the tape that held his feeding tube in.  The nurses showed the doctor and he prescribed two different ointments (Nystatin and Mupirocin).  They switched which side their feeding tubes were on and we have to alternate the two creams every three hours.  It is already looking a little better!  Kristi also did Landon's hand and footprints on canvas.  It will look great hanging in his room!  Landon was 4-7.5 today, while Tristan was 4-10.5.

A Change of Scenery!

The boys moved to a room with a view!  It seems a lot bigger and having a window is nice.  However it is quite a bit cooler in there.  We have to keep the heat turned up to make sure they keep their temps up!  Yesterday, Landon moved back to a crib and today he came off oxygen.  Landon was 4-6 today, while his lil' bro was 4-9.

Landon Bounces Back!

After a few backward steps, Landon is again moving forward.  He moved back into a crib today as he is holding his temperature well.  He is still on oxygen, but its room percentage (21 percent) and on caffeine.  Both boys are nursing well.  Tristan getting half of feeding through nursing and half through feeding tube.  Landon is still on a full tube feeding, but the plan is to scale that back starting tomorrow.  Landon is 4-6, while Tristan is 4-9 (one pound over birth weight).  Our night nurse Christy is going to do Tristan's hand and footprints for us tonight.  She is going to wait on Landon's because he just moved back to the crib and they want to make sure he stays there!  We Skyped with Steve and Allison and Ryan and Danielle!  They were excited to see the boys live!

Cuddle Time!

Landon was 4-4.3 today, while Tristan was 4-8.  Both boys are getting saline drops in their noses to keep it moist and to help make breathing easier.  Landon sounds better than he had. Above: A little cuddle time! And so you know, Landon is on the left and Tristan on the right.

A Rude Awakening...

Landon had a rough early morning.  He had periodic breathing and with it, a few bradys.  He was placed back in an isolette, on oxygen and caffeine at about 2:30 a.m.  They also gave him Lasic to help his breathing and to clear liquids out of his system like fluid in the lungs.  He also had an xray of his chest, a cardiograph and a blood test and all eventually checked out fine.  Doctor B thought his heart had an odd shape, but after further tests, all is well.  We were a little upset that no one called us, so we walked into the hospital to find Landon back in an isolette and hooked up to everything.  We hope he will catch onto this whole breathing thing!  Tristan is doing well in his crib and both boys breast fed today.  Tristan seems like more of a natural!  Landon was 4-5.5, while Tristan was 4-6.3.

Stork Bites?

Tristan was moved to a crib today, joining his brother in the free world.  Tristan was 4-5, while Landon checked in at 4-4.5.  Both boys have what they call a stork bite on the back of their heads.  It is basically a type of birthmark, which will fade with age.  We found Landon's first and thought it might be a way to tell them apart, but nope, they are identical of course!

No News is Good News...

Not much new to report today.  Both boys are doing well and according to the doctor, doing better than can be expected!  Landon is 4-3.5, while T-Magic is 4-2.1.

A Crib to Call Home!

It was a big day today for the Bodammer family, especially for LD.  Landon moved to a crib today and they upped both feedings to 34cc's.  The Bodie Boys are the first set of twins at St. Luke's to not get moved into the same crib.  Since they will not share a crib at home, we decided to keep them apart.  It is also the safer option as studies have shown.  Landon is 4-1.5, while Tristan is 4-1.

A Couple Four-Pounders!

That's right, the boys each hit the four pound mark today!  Landon's isolette is down to 27 degrees, while Tristan's is 28 degrees.  They also passed their hearing tests, so although they may learn to ignore us, they CAN hear what we are saying!  Both are doing better at latching on and sucking... not getting much, but getting the process down.

Nearly the Same

Both boys weigh 3-15 and once they reach four pounds and isolette gets turned down to 27 degrees celcius, they get moved into a crib!  Landon's isolette is 28 degrees, while Tristan's is 28.5.  Made some progress today as Landon got off oxygen and Tristan got off caffeine.  Both are doing well with learning to attach and suck.

A Double Dose of Love!

Momma B got to hold and nurse both boys at the same time again this evening.  She loves that!  They are still learning the ropes, but seem to be picking it up.  Landon is 3-12, while Tristan is 3-10.9.  Nicolle says she is going to take some more pictures of the boys later this evening...

Finally Two Peas in a Pod!

Today was the first day that we were able to hold both boys at the same time.  How precious!  Landon checked in at 3-10.1 today, while Tristan was 3-10.3.  It's officially a race to the four pound mark!  Our night nurse, Nicolle put them together after we left and took some great pictures.  Both boys got off oxygen, but Landon went back on only seven hours later!

The Steady Climb

LD was 3-10 today, while T-Magic was 3-8.8 as they climb back to their birthweight.

The One Week Mark...

It has been one week since we met these two little miracles. Landon (on the right) was 3-10, while Tristan
(on the left) was 3-9.  Both went backwards a bit in the weight department, but it was not by much.  Feedings are 31 for Landon and 29 for Tristan (30 cc's is an ounce).  Here is their one week photo!

Just Another Day

Still in isolettes and on oxygen.  Landon weighed 3-10.4, while his brother weighed 3-9.5.

The NICU Waltz: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Both boys came off the UVC's today and both went back on oxygen in their isolettes.  Tristan checked in at 3-8.9, while Landon was 3-10.5.

Daddy's Birthday Present

Daddy's birthday today...  They boys got me a birthday card and a movie to watch with them, it was all I needed as they had already given me such a great early b-day gift!  Landon was 3-10.1, while Tristan was 3-7.5.  Still in isolettes, no oxygen...