Tuesday 26 February 2008
Tuesday 19 February 2008
Sunday 17 February 2008
Getting Better All The Time
Big news is that we got hoofed out of our private room at the hospital. They offered us a bed on the ward (privacy = a curtain = YOU'RE alright) which we declined gracefully and high-tailed it home with a mixture of relief and sadness as we had to leave poor old Hector behind.
Its such a relief to be home though and great for Pip to be sleeping in her own bed again. Pip's mum Diana and her sister Tansy are staying with us so things are busy and happy and easy.
I've been riding to and fro with deliveries of mother's milk for Hector and today we spent the whole day with him. He's off the drip completely now and this week's task is to get him onto the breast/bottle (he currently receives his food through a tube through his nose down into his stomach and out of the hospital and HOME!!
With all that said here are new pictures:
Actual Brothers
The Secret
Auntie Tansy
WHY?????
Look at them move!
Its such a relief to be home though and great for Pip to be sleeping in her own bed again. Pip's mum Diana and her sister Tansy are staying with us so things are busy and happy and easy.
I've been riding to and fro with deliveries of mother's milk for Hector and today we spent the whole day with him. He's off the drip completely now and this week's task is to get him onto the breast/bottle (he currently receives his food through a tube through his nose down into his stomach and out of the hospital and HOME!!
With all that said here are new pictures:
Actual Brothers
The Secret
Auntie Tansy
WHY?????
Look at them move!
Thursday 14 February 2008
Thanks
Hello. I just read your wonderful comments. Thank you so much. It means so much to hear your kind words. Please keep rooting for Hector, he still needs support and is still in intensive care. XX Neil
Still inside, New pictures
So, Valentine's day and still in hospital. & days after the birth. We so desperately want to come home but Hector is not out of the woods yet. He can't sustain his own blood sugar level yet and is still on the glucose drip. His milk intake is being increased and Pip is beginning to get him back on the breast. Still waiting for test results, still nothing grown from the blood samples so no news on possible infection. His EEG scan was normal and we await the results on this mornings MRI scan.
That's the news on Hector, Henry on the other hand is doing very well, eating round the clock and continuing to make us laugh, which is just what we need in this stressful time...
And now here are a selection of new pictures:
Hector
Hector and Neil
Hector and Neil
Hector and Pip
Hector and Pip
Henry in the Light
Professor Henry ponders the solution.
That's the news on Hector, Henry on the other hand is doing very well, eating round the clock and continuing to make us laugh, which is just what we need in this stressful time...
And now here are a selection of new pictures:
Hector
Hector and Neil
Hector and Neil
Hector and Pip
Hector and Pip
Henry in the Light
Professor Henry ponders the solution.
Monday 11 February 2008
Henry and Hector
Henry Nelson McFarland was born at 11:49 AM on Thursday 7th February weighing 5lbs 1oz followed by his brother Hector __ McFarland at 1:45 PM weighing 5lbs 12oz.
Pippanella Roberts is the most amazing mother and my absolute heroine after she laboured for 25 hours beginning lunchtime in the 6th after being induced the evening before. Never I have I seen such bravery, strength, courage and perseverance as she gave birth with no pain relief whatsoever. She laboured from 12:30 lunchtime and looked likely to give birth at around 11pm but her contractions slowed. She then laboured again until 7 AM when it became clear that without some assistance the labour was stalled due to the incorrect positioning of Henry's head leading to decreased strength of contractions. She was administered a drip to re-start contractions and gave birth at the times above.
Our greatest thanks must go to our Albany midwives Becky and Nicky without whom the pregnancy would not have proceeded as it did IE with no unsolicited medical intervention. Apparently there was quite a crowd of infuriated doctors outside our door smarting at our firm instructions to STAY OUT. Pip gave birth with dignity and confidence and I will forever be in awe of her.
The boys get to know the proud father
We were due to leave hospital the next evening when a blood result detained Pippa. We settled into our room and began to get to know the boys and the joys (!!!! - TWO screaming babies) of parenthood.
On the morning of Saturday 9th of Feb at 5AM Pippa awoke me concerned with Hector's breathing. I carried my limp looking baby out to the nurses as he collapsed or had a seizure in my hands. A crash call was made and he was rushed to the high dependency unit. The doctors worked with awesome calm and speed and stablised Hector quickly, it is certain that if we had not been in hospital Hecor would have died.
We are still in hospital and that is why we have not contacted anyone for the last week, some of you already know this, to others this is news. Since being admitted to the high dependency unit Hector (who was briefly named Earl) is making positive steps to recovery but as yet we have no definitive answer as to what happened. Infection is the working diagnosis and he is being treated with anti-biotics fed on a drip.
Pippa at Hector's incubator
Pippa and Henry
Serious Henry,
Henry has helped us through these difficult days as we all urge Hector to get well soon.
It seems Hector will be in hospital for at least another week while his infection and other symptoms are treated. Pip and I have a private room in the hospital and Pip's mum Diana is ferrying us real food and clothes. I am writing this blog from our kitchen as I have escaped the hospital for a couple of hours to get news and pictures to the outside world!
Hector off the ventilator.
Henry
We would appreciate you not swamping us with get well wishes by text as its often upsetting to read but please feel free to add comments to the blog here and rest assured we will be in contact as soon as we are on our feet, hopefully by the end of the week. I'd like to say thank you for all your support and look forward to you meeting my two absolutely beautiful sons.
Neil.
Pippanella Roberts is the most amazing mother and my absolute heroine after she laboured for 25 hours beginning lunchtime in the 6th after being induced the evening before. Never I have I seen such bravery, strength, courage and perseverance as she gave birth with no pain relief whatsoever. She laboured from 12:30 lunchtime and looked likely to give birth at around 11pm but her contractions slowed. She then laboured again until 7 AM when it became clear that without some assistance the labour was stalled due to the incorrect positioning of Henry's head leading to decreased strength of contractions. She was administered a drip to re-start contractions and gave birth at the times above.
Our greatest thanks must go to our Albany midwives Becky and Nicky without whom the pregnancy would not have proceeded as it did IE with no unsolicited medical intervention. Apparently there was quite a crowd of infuriated doctors outside our door smarting at our firm instructions to STAY OUT. Pip gave birth with dignity and confidence and I will forever be in awe of her.
The boys get to know the proud father
We were due to leave hospital the next evening when a blood result detained Pippa. We settled into our room and began to get to know the boys and the joys (!!!! - TWO screaming babies) of parenthood.
On the morning of Saturday 9th of Feb at 5AM Pippa awoke me concerned with Hector's breathing. I carried my limp looking baby out to the nurses as he collapsed or had a seizure in my hands. A crash call was made and he was rushed to the high dependency unit. The doctors worked with awesome calm and speed and stablised Hector quickly, it is certain that if we had not been in hospital Hecor would have died.
We are still in hospital and that is why we have not contacted anyone for the last week, some of you already know this, to others this is news. Since being admitted to the high dependency unit Hector (who was briefly named Earl) is making positive steps to recovery but as yet we have no definitive answer as to what happened. Infection is the working diagnosis and he is being treated with anti-biotics fed on a drip.
Pippa at Hector's incubator
Pippa and Henry
Serious Henry,
Henry has helped us through these difficult days as we all urge Hector to get well soon.
It seems Hector will be in hospital for at least another week while his infection and other symptoms are treated. Pip and I have a private room in the hospital and Pip's mum Diana is ferrying us real food and clothes. I am writing this blog from our kitchen as I have escaped the hospital for a couple of hours to get news and pictures to the outside world!
Hector off the ventilator.
Henry
We would appreciate you not swamping us with get well wishes by text as its often upsetting to read but please feel free to add comments to the blog here and rest assured we will be in contact as soon as we are on our feet, hopefully by the end of the week. I'd like to say thank you for all your support and look forward to you meeting my two absolutely beautiful sons.
Neil.
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