Category Archives: Houston

Happenings @ Brenner’s

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This is what’s happening here @ noon time:

  • Zeke is sleeping … kind of. All the cords and IVs have been removed from Zeke’s left hand, so he keeps wiggling about his crib, rubbing his eyes and nose with his now-free hand. His eyes are closed, but I’m not sure how much actual rest he is getting.
  • Zeke’s left hand isn’t his thumb-sucking hand. But if he gets desperate enough for pacification, he’s certainly smart and resourceful enough to suck his left digit for the time being.
  • Dr. Petty visited around 11 a.m. and reported that, medically speaking, Zeke is doing great.
  • He said Zeke’s puffiness will probably get worse today, which seems to be the case, but should start improving by tomorrow.
  • He is pleased with all of Zeke’s various tests, although he is still keeping options open for a possible blood transfusion. Zeke did lose a little blood during the surgery and his white blood cell count is a tad off. Dr. Petty’s fairly certain this will improve on its own, but he wanted to prepare me should a transfusion be necessary.
  • I was able to breastfeed Zeke on my right breast around 10:45 a.m. After pumping the remaining of the right breast and comparing that to all that I got out of the left, I’d say he consumed about 4 oz. of milk — pretty darn good for a kid who just had major surgery. What a champ!
  • Zeke’s temp, which had gotten up to about 101, is coming down steadily and registed at 99.9 degree during the last reading.
  • In addition to his occasional screaming outbursts, Zeke is doing lots of grunting/whining under his breath. Personally, I think this is just his way of communicating as best as can be expected of a baby who was cut open 24 hours ago, and is currently sedated with anesthesia and morphine. I doubt I’d be cooing, making bird sounds and saying da-da if I was in his position.
  • Zeke was awakened by a nurse a while ago, and became really wide-eyed and curious, checking out all the gadgets, beeps and blinking lights around his crib. He’s back to sleep now, but I certainly think that was a good sign of normalcy.
  • I don’t know why the heck food services has been bringing “food,” since all Zeke has been okayed to eat is Pedialyte and breastmilk. But I sure am thankful, since two meals of juice, broth and jello are all the food I’ve had today. It’s amazing how good simple calories can taste when you’re as hungy as I am.

I just don’t want to leave Zeke long enough to go get some grub and coffee in the cafeteria. Granny is heading this way in a bit to relieve me of my duties here for a while. After inhaling the food and caffeine she is bringing me, I’m going home for a while to shower, spend some time with Stephen and the boys, and pick up a few more things for my future overnight stays at the hospital. Thank God for Granny, who is handling childcare at Clan Dillingham through early Monday, and Gramsey and Papa, who are taking over Houston and Gabriel duties early next week.

Milestone update: Up until yesterday, Houston had been calling both “brud-urs” Zeke. Well, Granny reports that Houston called Gabriel by his actual name yesterday. I guess it took Zeke being carted off for Houston to realize that, even though brothers look alike, that they are actually two separate people.

Mommy update: Nurse Krista has ordered me a breastfeeding tray, which should include some real food options!

A Day @ the Park

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We miss Auntie Merdy a bunch, so we had a play date with her on 5/28 (click the photo below to see all the pics from our outing). We went to a shady and secluded park nestled in her beautiful neighborhood. There were lots of other stay-at-home moms there and plenty of kids who were Houston’s age, not to mention, three other sets of twins! It was a perfect spot for all my zany boys to spread out and play to their hearts’ content. And it was especially nice to spend some quality time with our beloved Merdy.

Auntie Merdy keeps Houston in check as he pushes an unwitting little boy on a fast ride.

Other things in the news:

  • Last month, Gabriel and Zeke uttered their first “words,” which were “da da da” — a milestone that tickles Daddy pink.
  • Zeke also enjoys making bird-like sounds, which is the reason his nickname has morphed from Z-Man to Z-Bird. Happy growling is another way enjoys expressing himself.
  • When Gabriel screams, which is luckily only when he’s tired or hungry, the sound nearly shatters glass. We are fairly certain he’s going to grow up to be a heavy metal singer.
  • Gabriel has dimples way high up on his cheeks when he smiles a big grin — too cute!
  • Auntie Lisa came to visit in May and brought the kids tons of hand-me-downs, which included a Zeki Bird — a toy that came after Zeke’s new nickname. Lisa also passed on other great toys, nice clothes and many books, some of which date back to when Lisa, Dina and I were little tikes in the ’70s.
  • Houston pedaled on his “sickle” (tricycle) a few weeks back — not yet a constant, but I bet he’ll be trucking quite nicely by the end of the summer.
  • Gabriel and Zeke are now doing what I would officially call crawling. Gabriel began first, so his style is a tad more advanced. Zeke can certainly hold his own, but he prefers moving backward, instead of forward.
  • The twins are growing like weeds. I did a home-scale weigh on 5/24; Gabriel weighed 17 pounds and Zeke was close behind at 16.5 pounds. Then Zeke got weighed at the doc on 6/2 and had already plumped up to 17 pounds, 10 ounces.

Gabriel & Zeke also enjoy the park, & have fun investigating Mommy’s cheap sunglasses.

Hyper Houston is all boy. He’s like a Coke bottle — initially calm, excited when shaken up and eventually explosive when the top pops off. So, I asked Houston whether he wanted his nickname to be Bull, as in bull in a china shop, or Taz, as in the Tazmanian Devil. He chose Bull. Mommy and Daddy are working diligently to help Bull keep his cool a bit more. “Horses” (which means, “hold your horses, wait, be patient”), “calm” and “gentle” are oft-repeated refrains these days.

Our energetic toddler has been taking swimming lessons with Daddy at the YMCA. Houston indubitably possesses a rebel streak, wanting to make his own rules and swim against the tide, so to speak. He didn’t want to participate in any of the group activities during his first lesson. He’s not afraid of water or getting his face wet because he loves taking baths, playing in the hose and swimming in his kiddy pool. (Hence, the reason his upcoming birthday party is going to be centered around water activities.)

We’ve concluded that during his first visit, he may have just been overwhelmed by all the goings on at the Y. Daddy says Houston did much better at the second lesson, although he still wanted to take things at his own pace and branch out with some individual play. Houston simply has a unique learning style, as do so many boys, so it’s a darn good thing we plan on home-schooling our kids, or else he’d most definitely be pushed Ritalin by our public school teachers.

Houston was quick to make friends in the sandbox.

Houston’s seasonal allergies are still raging, despite his being on Claritin and prescription eye drops. I’ve tried a few natural remedies, like the juice of half a lime squeezed in his regular juice daily. Not sure if it’s helping all that much, but I figure it couldn’t hurt.

Also, his previously moderate skin allergies — they had been occasional bouts that never seemed to bother him all that much — have developed into a full-on dermatologic issue. Poor ol’ Houston has eczema on the insides of his elbows and behind his knees, and battles patchy dry skin on his face. Yesterday he complained that the “hummah” (hummus) he was eating was hurting his face. So sad. Right now I slather him with Eucerin lotion and lanolin, but I certainly plan on getting him in to see a derm doc once we have Zeke taken care of.

Zeke attacks the Zeki Bird with gusto!

Speaking of our darling Z-Bird, he goes in for surgery this Thursday morning. I’m lucky that I lead such a busy life ’cause I’ve rarely had time to dwell on how freaked out I am about having my almost 8-month-old son cut open and then having one of his lung lobes removed. But we didn’t name our youngest Ezekiel for no reason. That boy earned his name, which in Hebrew means “strengthened by God,” during his treacherous time as the “stuck” baby in Mommy’s bum placenta. He is not only a survivor, having defied the odds with TTTS, but Zeke is also a thriver, making it through his preemie birth, his NICU challenges and all the subsequent trials those entail for newborns.

I have total faith that God is not yet ready for Zeke in heaven; I believe that God would rather keep our sweet Zeke here to be the constant ray of light he is to anyone who is fortunate to meet him, as well as those of us who are blessed to be loved by a true angel.

Be sure to check out all the May – part 2 pics, which include birthday-suit shots of the twins and Houston wrestling with Daddy.

Busted Lip

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On 5/14, Houston did a face plant into our steps out front. He was playing with his friend/our neighbor, Alyssa, when he fell smack dab into into the brick. (Note: Right before the injury occurred, I was telling Alyssa’s mom how much of a “bull in a china shop” Houston is ’cause he’s always falling, walking into stuff, tripping, knocking things over, etc.) Of course, being a mouth cut and all, blood started gushing everywhere and Houston started screaming. The gash looked horrible and deep, although his teeth and gums seemed fine.

Brave-boy Houston shows off his fat lip.

I actually held it together better than I would have expected of my emotional self. Alyssa’s mom, Heather, stayed with the twins till Stephen could get home from work, and Heather (who assists us with childcare and also works as a caregiver for the other Heather’s oldest daughter) accompanied Houston and me to the urgent care. She rode in the back of the mini-van and helped calm him down, keep him from messing with his lip and applied a frozen teething ring to the cut, while I drove. We’re very lucky to have Miss “Hed-ur” in our lives! Houston made a lot of new friends in the urgent care lobby while we waited to see the doc. He didn’t need stitches and his lip is healing amazingly quickly. (Click the above photo to see all the May pics, including more fat lip shots.)

While gazing into a mirror, Zeke wonders, “Who’s that cute boy looking at me?”

Other things of interest:

  • Houston is now eating in a regular chair;
  • Gabriel and Zeke are diligently working on sitting up solo;
  • Gabriel seems to be trying to talk beyond his baby screeches and coos (I’m sure Zeke will follow suit soon);
  • Strong boys Zeke and Gabe, who turned 7 months old today, constantly try to stand while being held;
  • Both twins are starting to laugh hardier, sounding more like big boys than little babies;
  • And Houston tasted his pee pee the other night while on the potty. Yes our children are strange.

Houston — who’s distracted by his ball that’s in the road — plays in the rain for the first time.

Another funny note … while signing in at the doctors on 5/13, I asked a couple of ladies standing in line standing behind me, “What’s the date? Is it the 6th?” Needless to say, they both looked at me like I was insane. I quickly explained to them that I at least know the day of the week (so I won’t miss appointments, trash pick-up and such), but as a stay-at-home mom with three kids under the age of 2, it’s shocking I can even remember it’s 2009. That is the year, right? Just a funny illustration of how zany life is around Clan Dillingham!

“I smile & laugh w/ my big mouth — a trait I get from Mommy,” says Gabriel.

Somehow in the midst of all the craziness, we’re planning a party for Houston’s 2nd birthday, which is just around the corner (June 26). It’s going to be a Veggie Tales-themed outdoor affair with a kiddy pool, a slip-n-slide, badminton, etc. “Tales,” as Houston calls it, is his ultimate favorite thing these days … even cooler than Spider Man … so he should be very happy to see that Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber will be present for his birthday celebration.