Recent happenings:

11/27/02:
This morning we had the first of thee therapy evaluations for L & R. This was the occupational therapist (tomorrow is developmental and physical.) Anyway, she said everything looked good with the boys...her focus is upper extremities. When looking at Ryan (who performed like a champ), she told my mom and me that we should be counting our blessings time and time again. In her 8 years, she had not seen a preemie perform so "normally" ( much less one with a grade 3 brain bleed). She looked at us and said that he must have some pretty special guardian angel watching him. Through our tears, my mom and I assured her that he and his brother had the most special papa watching over...........

11/25/02:
Ryan's doctors elected to keep him on the steroids to make sure his hemangioma doesn't grow back into his eye...thus the chubby cheeks remain. Luke loves to giggle. Both boys are so much fun. We will celebrate our first thanksgiving as a family at home with Aunt Mary and look forward to some relaxation. The balance of the Fendleys will be in Virginia. Happy Thanksgiving!

11/8/02:
I take no credit for the boy's adorable costumes. They were dressed for their first halloween by their Grandma Kathy - thank you grandma! Ryan has now officially passed Luke in the weight category (Ryan is 14 lbs. 11 oz. and Luke is 14 lbs 5 oz.). Luke is still longer and rolled over for the first time this week. Ryan's hemangioma is improving and we will (hopefully) be done with the steriods by the end of the month. His personality (happy!) is finally showing over the side effects. We just love watching them grow and are all feeling very well.

10/15/02:
Both Luke and Ryan are near 13 and a half pounds - BIG boys - thank goodness! Both boys are sleeping through the night (Ryan needs us to give him his pacifier, but we don't have to get up and feed them until 5 am or so, a blessing!) On Friday, a nurse will come to our home to give the boys their monthly Synegis (flu shot for babies). We are so glad that our insurance is covering this $2,000 per month expense. It is supposed to be great to ward off the cold bugs that plague preemies and send them back to the hospital. We are already nanny hunting again, since our part-time nanny found a full time job. Meanwhile, thank goodness for Grandmas!!!!!!

9/23/02:
I have returned to work full-time, thanks to help from both grandmas, my awesome husband and a part-time nanny who starts today. Luke and Ryan continue to thrive. At the pediatrician's office two weeks ago, Luke weighed 12 lbs. and Ryan 11 lbs. 3 oz. Both are good at holding up their heads, kicking and following us with their eyes. They also have become very oral and constantly have their hands in their mouth. Ryan prefers the pacifier, but Luke has found his thumb and really enjoys it. This has made it possible for Luke to SLEEP through the NIGHT! Hooray! And Ryan often makes it until 4 am, which is awesome since 5 consecutive hours of sleep is a treat around here! They continue to be very unique boys. Luke is very visual - he loves to read and watches everything intently. Ryan loves to talk (occasionaly leaving us a moment to speak to him), but loves sound and music. They are both so amazing. Each is such a miracle and the fact that we have two is all the more incredible. We are so blessed.

8/29/02:
Thank you for your kind thoughts regarding my dad. Special thanks to those of you that joined me and my family at his services. We are overwhelmed at the amazing number of people that came to comfort us at this incredibly difficult time.

At our Northwestern developmental appointment his week, we received awesome news regarding Luke and Ryan. Both boys motor skills appear perfect (for their corrected age of 2 months) - and the therapist did not believe that either boy would have any trouble walking, playing, etc. We are so happy and relieved about this and cannot wait for the day that they actually walk to confirm this with certainty. We were fairly confident that the boys were going to be ok (motor skill-wise), since they are both moving very well and pushing up with their feet, batting the bottle with their hands, etc. Ryan actually rolled over the week of August 10th (6 weeks corrected age - an amazing feat given most babies do this at 6 months), but hearing this at our appointment from an expert was a big relief. Both boys are "cooing" and smiling at us throughout the day....Luke more laid back (like Mike) and Ryan has been dubbed "Chatty Cathy" (like his mother).

Luke is almost 11 and a half pounds, Ryan is over 10 and a half. The one problem we are facing now is Ryan's right eye, which many of you have noticed appears to be a black-eye. This growth is a birth-mark called hemangioma, typically a harmless mark (blue or red) that grows in babies until approx. 1 year of age, at which point they start to fade and are eventually gone by approx. 5 years of age. We have known about Ryan's hemangioma for some time, but were not concerned (since it was just cosmetic) until recently when it started swelling and pushing on his eyeball. If left untreated, it would likely blind his eye. We, luckily, found our way to the best dermatologist at Childrens, thanks to an appointment with Childrens' attending opthamologist (Janice Lasky, a sorority sister of mine) who demanded we get in to see the dermatologist immediately rather than the late October appt. that was originally scheduled - thank God! We immediately started a three-month round of steroids, which should help to shrink the growth, but not rid him of it. The steroids have yuk side effects (jitters, less/shorter sleep and unfortunately reflux, which Ryan already has really bad). So, we'll have to live with the puking for a much longer while and with the unattractive cosmetic nature of the mark, but pray that the important treatment will save his eye.

8/2/02:
By now, many of you have received our announcement. The picture is attached and was taken in Ryan's final week at Northwestern - early July. Both Luke and Ryan are much bigger now. Luke has certainly topped 10 lbs. and Ryan is close. Both are doing really well at home and other than massive sleep deprivation, Mike and I are having the best time of our lives. Many of you have inquired about visiting and we would LOVE to see all of you. Our only caveat is that Luke and Ryan are not yet ready to meet kids (we hope you understand). If you do visit, the way to our hearts (as it has always been with Mike) is FOOD!!!!!!!!! We continue getting out a couple times a week to see my parents which is of immense help to me since my mom and Mary are one-on-one with Luke and Ryan when I am there. Whenever we come home from these visits, the boys are so happy.....Mike and I know that it really takes three sets of hands with twins, one for each and the other to do all the things you need to do around the house for them. My dad is comfortable at home in hospice care and we are all praying that he continues to be as peaceful as can be. Please pray for him and the rest of the Fendley family who already miss his spirit immensely.

7/21/02:
Yes it's true. The attached photo is of both boys on their first journey to visit all four grandparents, today. The trip was a success! As we expected, Ryan was discharged from Childrens on Wednesday . . . just one day after surgery. Ryan (like Luke) came home without monitors, although Ryan is taking some meds for his reflux. It is wonderful (tough, but wonderful) having both at home. We have kept their very strict three hour feeding schedule since their continued growth is imperative to good health. If both Mike and I feed the boys together, it takes 90 minutes. When it is just one of us, it takes two of the three hours...so you can imagine our life revolving around their feeding (around the clock - no breaks). So far, Ryan has had a couple "turning-blue" episodes while feeding, so we have yet to be able to get someone else to feed him. Hopefully, soon we will be comfortable having a night nanny helping us (and of course Mary and my mom have been a great help with Luke when possible.) Yesterday was the first time in 5 months that we did not have to leave the house which was really nice. Our life for the balance of the summer will revolve around various follow-up doctor appointments, which are abundant. But we are so grateful for their good health and their rapid growth to date. Ryan is 8 lbs. and Luke is at least 8 1/2 lbs. They are both near the 50th percentile for length and weight (given their corrected age of 4 weeks), which is amazing since most preemies don't get on the charts for a long time if ever. We assume that they will be big boys!!!!! As always, thank you everyone for your kind thoughts and continued prayers.

7/17/02:
Our little fighter came through his double hernia/circumcision surgery with flying colors and is only on Tylenol for the pain. Mike and I believe that his speedy recovery is due to the fact that he received local anesthesia (spinal) instead of general. We had to push hard for this since most docs don't want to deal with it - more trouble for them (too bad). It was however important to us because general anesthesia would have required intubation (the ventilator to do Ryan's breathing) which stinks because it is invasive and invites infection (not to mention he already spent 5 1/2 weeks on the ventilator and we watched some babies die from this during our stay). The other reason is general anesthesia recovery is much tougher for preemies since they often regress to apnic episodes again and therefore must be watched very closely after sugery. Anyway, the end result is such a wonderful one that it looks like we will be bringing Ryan home TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look out Luke, your only child days are nearly done. HOORAY!

7/15/02:
Ryan was tranported from NU to Children's today. (I rode with him in the ambulance - the quickest ride I've been on from the Gold Coast to Lincoln Park). He is now settled and with Mike at the hospital while I am at home with Luke. Tomorrow, he will have surgery on a hernia. While under the anesthesia, he will also be circumcised (unfotunately for the second time - he just can't get a break). Assuming all goes well, he will be discharged to us and will be able to join us at home by this weekend. We'll let everyone know how the surgery goes. Prayers in the meantime please!!!!!

7/9/02:
Our two weeks with Luke at home have been wonderful. He is absolutely thriving in this new environment, which makes us really anxious to have Ryan with us as well. Unfortunately, Ryan will not be coming home tomorrow as planned since he is having some problems (bradycardia - heart rate dips). To avoid coming home on a monitor and to make sure that he has outgrown these apnea episodes, Ryan will be spending at least another week at the hospital. It is incredibly difficult for Mike and me to manage both the physical and emotional elements of one child at home and one at the hospital (where the amount of time we get to spend with him just never seems enough), not to mention getting Luke to his continuous follow-up appointments at Childrens and trying to keep ourselves functioning, working etc. But we realize that the priority lies in assuring Luke and Ryan's health continues to improve. We remind ourselves each day of how blessed we are and how far these guys have come in their 16 weeks of life. They are the most amazing babies.

6/24/02:
Luke was discharged yesterday at 6 lbs. 12 oz. He left with no meds/monitors/etc. We had a pretty good first night, after an emotional departure from NU. Luke was the third oldest baby of the 63 total in the NICU, so it was also emotional for the many awesome nurses who have grown attached to him. It was also terribly difficult to leave Ryan, since our family has yet to be complete at home. But, things are looking good for Ryan to be home in the next couple weeks! Thank you as always for your continued prayers and support.

6/16/02:
That's right, they are both 6+ lbs and getting very close to coming home! Since my last email, Luke too was removed from the oxygen. Both Luke and Ryan are being weaned off of the few drugs that they were receiving. They each just need to tackle taking all of their feedings by bottle in order to be released. It is looking like they will be able to celebrate Papa James (my dad's) 71st birthday on July 3rd with him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See my dashing husband on his first Father's Day!

6/12/02:
It's been a wonderful couple weeks for us. Ryan has grown to 5 lbs. 3 oz and Luke (the chow-hound) has grown to 5 lbs 13 oz. Both boys' alert periods are getting longer and their personalities are starting to shine. Luke has an amazing array of facial expressions (all cute) and is a laid back cuddly guy. Ryan has a bright beautiful glow when he is content, and we won't mention the feisty side of him (that Italian blood)...anyone who knows me can figure that out! The major event was Ryan being removed from the oxygen and breathing on his own for a few days now. Luke is very close, sitting at room air (21% O2 most of the time. Luke is also doing an amazing job eating, taking more than half of his feedings by bottle rather than by tube. We are hoping that they will teach one another their strengths, which will allow them to come home when they have mastered both.

5/29/02:
Ryan has grown tremendously in the last week and is at 4 lbs. 6 oz. Because of his growth and his ability to regulate his own temperature, he was moved into a crib yesterday. To celebrate, their nurse posed the boys for pictures last night in Ryan's new crib, see the attached. Luke topped 5 lbs. on Memorial Day and has already grown by another 3 oz. Luke has started to nurse once a day and is (fortunately for me) doing very well. Both boys have been eating a lot (Luke as much as a 2 oz. per feeding). I am now certain that the Novosel boys (all three of them) will be eating me out of the house once they arrive home. Both boys continue to do better at breathing and Ryan spends much of his day at 21% O2, which is room air. Luke usually sits pretty close at 23% or so. They continue to struggle with very bad reflux, which most preemies have. Many of you have asked when they will be home. My guess is sometime in the next month or so - late June/early July, since they still have to get off the O2 support and (preferably) be able to take all of their feedings without the tube. The important age from a medical perspective is their "corrected" age, which is still only 36 weeks gestation, or negative 4 weeks of life. For some years, they are expected to be the size and have the developmental skills of a child born at the end of June, like they were supposed to have been. as always, thank you everyone for your kind thoughts and prayers.