Author: Sherri

Queen of the Juggle > Articles by: Sherri

Family – this is a long one

Posted on by Sherri



There has been so many events that have happened since I posted the homecoming of Gary on October 5. On October 11, 2007, my dad, Gary, suddenly passed away from a heart attack at Carson Tahoe Medical Center. He had been fighting bladder cancer and starting chemotherapy on October 9. He was struggling to breathe when the first treatment was almost done. Soon after he went to the E/R and went into the hospital. Things quickly went from bad to worse. Between 10/9 and 10/11 we were all informed that Gary’s cancer had spread to his lungs. Sadly, it was too much for his heart in addition to his diabetes. His passing was quick and very unexpected. After arriving in Reno as soon as I heard the news and could get a flight, my family and I went to Winnemucca to make arrangements and bury him. It is a difficult time for all of us, certainly for my mom. Oddly enough, his passing occurred 4 months to the day of his surgery to remove his bladder and the initial cancer. A favorite photo of my mom’s of my dad is posted above in his honor. There is so much I could say and stories I could share about how great my dad was. What I would like to say is that he was a wonderful man who loved his family and the outdoors. I will be forever grateful that my dad had been well enough to be in Las Vegas with us when the boys were born and could see them and hold them. I am sad that he won’t be here to pass on the his love of hunting and the outdoors himself to our boys, the rest of my family will pass that on in his honor and memory. I know that he is smiling down on our little miracles every day. October 25 would have been his 65th birthday. It was a hard day, but one we also celebrated his life. I’m happy to have had him in my life for almost 30 years. My life, I am certain would have turned out much differently had he not been a part of it. I think the rest of my family feels the same. I miss him dearly already, but am peaceful that he passed quickly and did not have to suffer through his cancer. He was not that kind of man. He would’ve rather have been enjoying his last days with my niece Tiffany, helping her shoot her first deer. Grandma and I took her out but didn’t see anything. A few days later her dad took her out and she did it! I’m sure grandpa was with her proudly smiling a huge smile from above! She got a buck, as she would not settle for a doe, knowing that Grandpa wanted a buck. She was ready and it was great that grandpa took her shooting just before he went back to Reno for treatment. None of us would have ever guessed that he wouldn’t come home.

My mom decided to come back to Vegas for awhile, so we have an additional hand to help us with these babies who keep us really busy! I drove back with her on Oct. 22 after helping close up her house and prepare to be away however long works for her. It must be bittersweet to move through the house, to feel his presence and know that he is gone, but yet there are the memories that my mom – all of us – will have forever in our hearts.

During the time I was in Winnemucca helping my family make arrangements, the boys were here with their dad. He and Christina took great care. Fred and Celia were here for a few days and lent a very much needed hand as well. Bunny came back out from Florida to help too. We can’t thank the Horton family enough for all the love and support they’ve give the Las Vegas McVeys and the rest of my family during this difficult time and before the babies to prepare. Christina and Chip are baby experts now! Nothing like trial by fire! We appreciate so much all the people who were here and are here to help and support us.

I was away for 11 days. Boy these babies GREW! I also missed the circumcision appointment, which was a relief to me. Chip, Bunny and Celia managed that task and did a fine job. 🙂 It’s so good to have people in our life that will step right up. Each boy is well over 6 lbs. now. All are doing so well, eating 4+ ounces at a feeding. Now we are trying to get them to sleep all night so we can get some sleep! Until then, my mom and Christina are doing morning duty and Chip and I are doing night duty. We get to bed at about 3 a.m. I feel fortunate to get 6 hours of sleep at a time. I wouldn’t change it for a minute! It truly takes all 4 of us to take care of these boys. Everyone does whatever needs to be done and do a great job.

I’ve realized with my dad’s death to rethink my priorities. It’s sad that it takes an event like this to push us to evaluate what is the most important. I find myself pondering what are my true passions? What makes me happy? What is best for my family? How can I both do and be better? It also makes me think of the simple things like taking more pictures. During making arrangements with my family for my dad’s funeral, putting together a memorial slide show, that I had very few pictures of my dad and I and no pictures of the girls and my dad. I was very sad when we chose the photos to put in, but Chip came to my rescue and looked through many old photos to find a few with me and dad. Luckily, there are some pictures of dad and the boys, even though in the pictures you can see that he didn’t feel well. I now am painfully aware of how important these simple things are. I also will try harder to tell those I love that I love them and show that better with my actions, despite being really hormonal after having the boys.

I went for my last check with my OB doctor and have been “cleared” as healing well after the delivery. There is still quite a big bruise on my belly. It looks much better than a month ago though. Good news for sure but he also reminded me that it will be probably a year before my body is completely recovered. It’s surprising because it seems like 7 weeks is so long ago, that I should be back to normal now. It’s easy to forget how much harder it is to recover from both a c-section and a multiple birth. The whole experience of the pregnancy and the birth has been surreal to say the least. I have mixed feelings when I reflect on it and it is noticeable in my emotions. Love, frustration, pain, happiness, relief and a little sad that it’s over. I am fighting some postpartum depression, but am also aware that I need to take care of myself and am taking appropriate action. Some people around me may disagree with me but all is OK for the time being.

Other than that, the other news is that I will need to go back to work on 11/9/07. I’m a little sad about that, but am grateful, no very thankful, that both Chip and I work from home. It is the best possible scenario that we could have with these little guys. Sounds like so far work is pretty flexible. Time will tell how it will be since our team has gained another market manager which is good! Not sure how much I’ll be able to travel so that will be a factor. We’ll see what the future holds.

Little Gary…AT HOME AT LAST!

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Gary is home at last!!!

2 days before, did tests for aspiration of food into the lungs and to confirm reflux. Mary Beth was there and Allison from Speech Therapy along with myself and Gary’s nurse Trish who is AWESOME! Power struggle between Cruz and the radiologist. I stepped in with strong words. Dr. Cruz won, but not before the radiology director joined us to “oversee” the situation. Again, lovely aspects of healthcare! Ridiculous, but it got resolved. Makes me feel strong to step in and be our son’s advocate.

Dr. Cruz prescribed Reglan for reflux. Also discovered Anemia. Gary needs a transfusion. Transfused on 10/3. Did not eat from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Added rice to his milk to thicken and prevent reflux, but not a guarantee. Gary will stay on Enfamil EnfaCare 22 calorie to help him continue to heal and support his growth.

Took all day to discharge us. I was at the hospital from 11:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. waiting to go home. Finally I took Gary home and it is fantastic to have our babies with us all the time now.

First Pediatrician Appointment

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We had our first appointment for Ben and Ryan today. We saw Dr. Conti, our pediatrician. It was an incredibly long wait…frustrating for us parents. We fed the boys and listened as people ooohhed and ahhed over our “twins”. I felt a little sad that Little Gary wasn’t with us, but soon enough, I am sure!

Ryan now weighs 5 lbs., 4 oz. and is 18 inches long. Ben is 4 lbs., 14 oz. and is 17 3/4 inches long. WOW! Go boys!

After about 45 minutes we were called into a room and waited for another 45 minutes or so. Finally Dr. Conti came in. That’s the hard part. Once we got his attention, it was fantastic. He spent a good amount of time with us and we discussed sleeping, eating and everything else to expect with the little ones. He checked the boys and all is good. W e are trying Conti’s sleep method, which is called EAZ, for Eat (3 oz. during the day, one big feeding of 4 to 6 oz. of formula at midnight), Awake and Sleep, which is Eat food (3 oz. during the day, one big feeding of 4 to 6 oz. of formula at midnight), stay Awake for 30 to 60 minutes after and then let them sleep for 3 hours during the day, but 6 hours at night (from midnight to 6 a.m.). We’ll see if we can achieve 6 hours of sleep within a month or so. That would be great for mommy and daddy, I just hope the boys are ready for it. We talked about my dread with circumcision….I just can’t be there and the Dr. assured me that the boys wouldn’t even cry. We need to get it done within the next 30 days or so. I will wait outside and leave that to the big boy, doctor and the little boys. Conti wants us to switch formula to Enfamil Lipil 20 calorie formula after we finish the high calorie food (current formula is Enfamil Enfacare 22 calorie). The doctor also let us know that our babies should be looked at as “full term” babies now. He wants us to move forward on that path. Dr. Conti also talked to us about how difficult managing triplets will be. Scary. Very scary to me.

Dr. Conti spoke to us about little Gary too and his infection. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Summerlin was in contact with him to let him know what was going on since most of the time one hand can’t help the other between health care workers in the same department at the same facility! Good to know that at least he had pertinent information and could talk with us. He indicated that the infection was very serious but treatable.

The office was really busy, and the staff all wanted to see the twins. Lots of people commented that our babies are “so small”. They are growing so fast, they look big to us, however full term babies look gigantic next to our little guys. We also asked for formula samples and they gave us 2 cases. I was so happy they were willing to oblige us!

We will go back in a month for more immunizations and a check up for all 3. We also need to have little Gary checked out when he comes home, sometime next week.

It was a good experience, I just hope we won’t be leaving a 2:00 p.m. appointment at 4:30 p.m. next time.

3 Weeks Old

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Babies are 3 weeks old! It’s been a short 3 weeks, but sometimes seem long…the nights are long, but the days fly. The boys are changing and getting bigger every day. We still miss little Gary while he finishes antibiotics via IV at Spring Valley Hospital. They tell us if all goes well, he’ll be home on Friday. I can’t wait!

Ben and Ryan are eating well and we and the babies are up every 3 hours to feed to help these little guys grow. They are all over 4.5 lbs. and growing! They have a little chub in their cheeks and are starting to see more meat on their legs and body. They are still so very small, but wow, much bigger than when they were born.

Our home looks like a baby village, stuff everywhere, but it’s all good. We have our first pediatrician appointment on Tuesday. I have lots of questions. We are also learning that RSV (a respiratory virus) season is coming and our boys will need an extra set of immunizations for that :(. Poor little guys, poked and prodded in their young life. In any case, we may have to limit their exposure too. Not sure. We also are anxious to see how much weight they’ve gained.

Sleep is still interesting, we are still looking for a pattern that will work for us. Sometimes Chip lets me sleep and sometimes I let him sleep. We manage to work it out, but I’d like a firm “schedule”. My type A persona rears it’s ugly head!!! I’m trying to let go of so much planning and let it be. The goal is to enjoy these boys and watch them flourish. Hard to keep that in mind at 2 a.m., but then when the sun rises, it’s all so much better. Especially after a good cup of coffee to help me wake up. Chip is super daddy already! He was initiated a couple of days ago with a diaper that leaked and was all over! He handled it like a trooper as I understand it. I was visiting Gary, so I wasn’t home to help.

I am working on thank you notes for the wonderful gifts from people. Thank you all in advance for all the thoughtful gifts, emails and phone calls. As soon as I can, we’ll send off a note to everyone as well.

The first days – Mommy’s perspective

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What amazing miracles these little guys are! Each little babe is so different and wonderful. We are at the hospital twice daily for bottle feeds, which is all that can be tolerated by their little bellies. All babies are now back at birth weights. Feeding quantities are being increased at least every other day. All babies are on room air since birth. Our babies are considered “growers and feeders” because they need to grow and learn to tolerate eating, which is learned in the womb at 34 weeks, which is what they are this week if they had not been born. Big sisters Kaitlyn and Gillian have not seen the boys yet because there are very strict rules for visitors that are under 16 in the NICU. We hope that in the next week that they will be able to go visit them.

Here’s mom’s perspective so far….

All the babies: Sleep a lot to grow. Are bundled up like little burritos to keep them from expending their own energy to keep warm. They are now beginning to look at us more and listen to what we say. They are adorable to hold and are still really small. We are so blessed and feel so very grateful for these miracles. Our hearts are full with love for family of 7.

Gary – This little guy sleeps ALL THE TIME! Not much that bothers him. He is quiet and takes it all in. He is really snuggly and loves to be held. Grandma and I both like to call him little G. I really love how tranquil he looks. I also enjoy him the few bits of time we can catch him awake. We’ve decided we’re not sure who he looks like. Maybe the best blend between us. The verdict is still out on that.

Ben – This little guy is our overachiever! Being the smallest has not stopped little Ben from keeping up with eating as much as his brothers. I think Ben looks like a little old man. He’s so skinny and has the tiniest head. I love looking at his little face. Chip says he looks like me. Maybe so. He’s just so little yet, so we’ll see.

Ryan – He’s our little man and can be high maintenance. Ryan doesn’t like to be messed with and will yelp when getting his diaper changed and when the nurses are taking vitals and weighing him. He’s also a champion eater! He has taken to the bottle so well! He’s growing and growing.

Mommy is still very hormonal and emotional! Feeling so blessed and grateful for these little miracles as they slowly grow and learn to eat. We are at the hospital twice a day and this week the girls came back to our house, so it’s been a taste of what is to come with a very busy household. I welcome it, but sometimes it seems overwhelming. How are we going to pull it all together? Can we make it work reasonably? Insecurities creep in and Daddy Chip has been the best support. Listening to my concerns, offering advice. I feel somewhat sleep deprived and know that it won’t change any time soon. Not complaining, but I feel stretched very thin trying to heal, be at the hospital and taking care of the girls. Thank goodness for my parents who are doing all the household chores along with cooking and laundry. They’ve also been taking care of the girls in the evenings, which is good time to spend with grandma and grandpa. Grandma has taught both of the to knit and they are so excited! I can’t even imagine what it would be like doing all of that too and the hospital. Kari is coming in a few days to help us while my parents go to Reno for medical appointments for Gary.

Little Gary is a little ill now, so I have been more stressed. I screamed at nurses and wanted to know what they were doing to him. Chip spoke to the doctor because I was just too upset to do it myself, but I sure took it out on the nurse. The healthcare system is not great and boy it’s been challenging for us. Lots of inconsistency and lack of communication. Different nurses every day. Each one has their own style. Different doctors thrown in the mix too. Very frustrating to say the least. I’ve had enough with all of it and just want to bring the boys home. It no longer bothers me to express my thoughts to the staff.

All if this is so full of joy for us, but also feels like an incredibly big responsibility. I wonder how we can make it work when both of us are back to work full time. With help it will be easier, but when I think about how it can be done, I wonder if I can do it and feel successful at it. I know we’ll find a way to work through it together and soon the boys will be sleeping longer. The days fly by and November is coming when I need to go back to work. The struggle for balance is already weighing heavy on my mind. The next 6 months will be interesting I’m sure.

The McVey Babies – the first days

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I am trying to write as much as I can about what is happening daily with the babies before I forget! So it may not be the most interesting read, but I know I’ll want to remember it later.

Birth Day – Level III NICU Nursery at Summerlin – Mommy went to the nursery after getting up and around. Ben and Ryan were being taken care of by one nurse and Gary was being cared for by another. It was strange, but it was explained that if all 3 babies are together, it could be too much for one nurse, especially if they were very sick babies. Our babies were doing great. Right away on room air, no need for ventilators or oxygen which is very common with preemies. The babies were given IVs and started on TPN and Lipids to help them grow. Gary and Ryan were put in isolettes, but little Ben was in an open heated bed because Summerlin was so busy. They didn’t have an isolette. Dr. Litner was in the NICU with them all the first day.

1 Day Old – We visited the babies early in the day and then I went back to my room. The NICU let us know that Pic lines were going to be put in the babies. For them it’s very good, because it’s one access point rather than sticking them multiple times for blood and IVs in babies don’t last very long. This was difficult for me because we, with Grandma and Grandpa wanted to go to the NICU and see the boys, but they told us repeatedly to call later, come later, they were working on getting them in. I could just envision them screaming in pain while the doctors are trying to work. My Mom and Dad came to the hospital too and we all waited together. Emotions had set in already for me and I was tired from the surgery, but so wanted to see our boys. I wept for no particular reason, just had to let it out. All the babes lost weight from birth, anywhere from a 4 to 8 ounce range. Finally mom and dad left to go back to our house and I tried to manage with the pain and emotion until late in the night. Finally at almost 9 p.m. we went back to the NICU and the babies were exhausted! It made me cry to see them look so limp. They were so tired and had been over stimulated. The babies were being given 2 cc of 20 calorie preemie formula through their feeding tubes every 3 hours.

2 Days Old – Babies were moved to the level II NICU because they are continuing to do great! We had a great nurse, Lisa, in the NICU. She put tie dyed onesies on the babies that she had made. All three babies were in a space all together, which was really nice too. The formula went up to 5 ccs per feeding and we also got to try bottle feeding for the first time. Daddy Chip got a lesson on how to change diapers and he did great!

3 Days Old – Nurse Maria in the day, Albina at night. We also saw Mary Beth, an occupational therapist who talked to us about feeding and how preemies can or cannot eat. We learned that to burp our little guys we rub their back or head, not pat them. 10 cc per feeding. Ben and Ryan spent a day and night each under the photo lights for slight jaundice (9 on the scale of measure, but 20 to 30 is the risky measure). Met nurse practitioner Dana who is caring for them. This day was the most emotional for me. Very emotional, but it’s all for good reasons. I just found myself weeping off and on all day.

4 Days Old – Z’ Marsha was the day nurse at Summerlin The babies Left Summerlin, and went to Spring Valley via ambulance with 3 nurses. Daddy went to Spring Valley at 8 p.m. to see where babies were and how we needed to visit and meet the staff. Daddy was unhappy with nurse Sina, but took charge and made the situation as good as could be. Levels were still low for Gary, so he did not yet need the lights.

5 Days Old – Nurse Rachelle, I left Summerlin and went home to sleep. Went to Spring Valley to visit and met Dr. Cruz. All 3 babies are together in a private room. The NICU at Spring Valley was much quieter than Summerlin. I wasn’t sure we made the right decision, but would give it a chance. It was supposed to be run just like Summerlin. I needed more sleep and went home to mull over whether the boys were in good hands.

6 Days Old – Nurse Deb, mom and dad came to feed/hold with us. Feedings moved up to 20 cc each, 20 cal formula. We just held our babies and enjoyed the quiet. Grandma and Grandpa came to the NICU as well.

7 Days Old – Nurse Rachelle for the day, Barb at night, Ben’s pic line removed. All babies almost back at birth weight. Gary is moved from the isolette into an open crib! Continued progress is amazing! We are so pleased. We went to the hospital twice for bottle feedings at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. There was a lot of spit up. I didn’t like the faster flow nipples at all. Gary spit up all over himself. Mommy was impatient with staff and how they handled things. Daddy Chip was also frustrated about all the directions he was getting. It was a hard day. We are learning that we need to use our voice to express our issues or things will not change. It’s a fine line when the people are taking care of our babies.

8 Days Old – Nurse Grace in the day, Barb at night, Ryan’s pic line was removed. 33 cc per feed for Ryan on , 30 cc feed for Ben but 22 cal formula, and 30 cc for Gary but staying on 20 cal formula. Gary also needed to get a slow tube feeding to determine whether or not he has reflux or is not ready for more formula. I also asked today that the nurses use only the low flow preemie nipple. They were using another that I feel is the reason they had some heavy spit up going on. Me and daddy went to the hospital for 11 a.m. and 8 a.m. bottle feeds.

9 Days Old – Boys are doing good. Ben and Ryan are both at 33 ccs. They are nippling very well and the preemie nipples are working well too. Gary is back in an isolette because he lost 1.5 ounces in the open air and all the babies need to continue to gain weight and not expend too much energy keeping warm.

10 Days Old – Blood found in Gary’s stool at night and was sent to the lab for a culture. He seemed like his normal self, and he finally drank a bottle almost all the way like his brothers. Ben and Ryan are clipping along. All babies are still on room air, and are doing fine in the Isolettes. All weights continue to go up.

11 Days Old – Dr. Aputia called and indicated that our little Gary has an infection and is sick with something they aren’t sure of and has been taken off of all formula. We also had to wear a protective gown and gloves to touch him. I was having an emotional day and didn’t like that I couldn’t touch our son except with gloves. I decided that I would not touch the other 2 boys, but just give little Gary hugs and love. He seemed more pale than normal and lethargic, but not super sick. Antibiotics are being given via IV and the PICC line Many tests are being done. Ryan was given a bottle feed every other feed rather just twice a day. They are up to 35 cc’s of formula per feeding. Ben has been doing as well as Ryan and we hope it will continue.

12 Days Old – Gary is sick and has been treated with antibiotics. Both Chip and I are forced to wear protective gowns and gloves to handle Gary. It’s too much for me to take. I hate it. It has been a tough 24 hours. He looked so limp, but still fighting. He is a trooper and has been taken off of all feedings and seems to be content without them. Ben and Ryan continue to do well. We keep our fingers crossed each day for more positive things for Gary, as well as Ben and Ryan’s continued success.

13 Days Old – Gary is still sick and has been transferred back to Summerlin hospital where they were born. It has been a really long day of lots of information related to Gary an his blood infection. We also learned today that test results from 2 days ago were not flagged for review and weren’t seen by the doctor as high priority. Not the fault of the doctor, but of the lab. Dr. Aputia was not happy and may be suspended on our behalf for freaking out on the lab. Gary has a “gram negative” bacterial infection. Both of us are very fearful of what the bacteria could do and want to wipe it out as soon as possible. Antibiotics are treating the bacteria, whatever it is. Belinda is the transport nurse who is also taking care of him. We go visit after the transport. The NICU is crowded with sick and premature babies. I worry that he may catch something else being there. The theory is that bacteria somehow got in the PICC line, but no one is sure.

14 Days Old – Ben and Ryan are still at Spring Valley but are co-bedding in the same crib! All feedings are on bottle feeds. The best part of today was that Ben and Ryan got to meet their sisters! Kaitlyn and Gillian were allowed in the NICU for an hour. Both girls held the babies and we took pictures and video. Gary is at Summerlin in the level III NICU. Lisa, our favorite nurse is his nurse. He needs a 3rd platelet transfusion to fight the bacteria. The atmosphere at Summerlin is colder than we remember and we wonder if we’ve made the right decision. Nicole is the night nurse and does not treat Gary the way we’d like. I have a very hard time with her gruff ways and get emotional. She shoves a pacifier in his mouth. I ask about test results and Nicole brings the charge nurse to tell us that she has no results in the computer. We still anxiously await the lab results of what the bacteria is. Gary is more feisty now and cries more.

15 Days Old – Gary is still in Level III NICU at Summerlin. Lisa is his nurse again. I am still disturbed at the prior night staff and talk to Lisa about it. She says she’ll talk to to the charge nurse. Lisa says that Nicole indicated that Gary “cries all the time” and thank goodness Lisa had taken care of him before and knew he wasn’t like that. This further stirred my anger/resentment because anyone who was fighting infection and being poked and prodded would not be happy. I was encouraged by his increased crying that he was getting better. When we went to see Gary, he had several wires unhooked and only had 1 IV remaining. It was a wonderful surprise that he would be moved to the level II NICU! We learn that the bacteria in his blood is Klebsiella and is 2nd in being dangerous only to E. Coli, which had been the theory of what he was trying to fight prior to really finding out what the bacteria was. Gary is improving with his color and doing better. Lisa told us he would have a lumbar puncture to find out if the bacteria had traveled to the brain. I was hoping this was not another invasive procedure, but it needed to be confirmed. Gary did well, according to the night nurse. I was so relieved.

16 Days Old – We found out that Ben and Ryan will come home tomorrow when we go for the morning feeding at Spring Valley, and before we go to Summerlin to see Gary. We are so excited, but sure wish Gary could come home with his brothers. Both Chip and I really looking forward to our boys coming home, but miss Gary too. It is a relief that will not have to go between 2 hospitals.

17 Days Old – We see Gary first at Summerlin today. He continues to get better. We are happy with the treatment of antibiotics, but are sad he has so many IV sticks. Ben and Ryan get to come home! Ben weighs 4 lbs., 2 oz., and Ryan weighs in at 4lbs., 7 oz. It takes awhile to check out of Spring Valley, but we finally get the boys packed up in the minivan and head home. It is bittersweet without Gary. Chip will go see Gary in the evening so I can be home with the other boys. Kari and my mom and dad are here to help and we work quickly to get things in order. We have a lot of stuff, but none of it is organized. I’m sure it will be interesting the first few days to iron out the kinks and get a routine down.

18 Days Old – My mom and dad leave today since my dad has some appointments in Reno. It is hard to see them leave, but they will be back soon. The weekend of October 26 for sure. Kari is here to help and it’s good to know we have an extra set of hands. I’m so happy the boys were home for a day before they left. The first night was tiring, but we are keeping the 3 hour schedule for feeds. Ryan doesn’t like the Avent nipples. I worry he’ll lose weight. Ben, our littlest guy is so adaptable and took right to the other nipples. He takes to the new bottles no problem. I go up to Summerlin to see Gary in the morning with Kari and he’s doing well, but I am stunned to see an IV in his head. I learn later that his little veins are being taxed by the IVs that need to be replaced every couple of days. I worry about what part of his little body will be poked next. I am very emotional about him being in the NICU. Dr. Cruz wants to transport Gary back to Spring Valley because he seems to be doing very well as far as the bacterial infection in his blood. There are so many babies at Summerlin that I’m happy to get Gary over to Spring Valley where it’s not as busy and we know all the staff. Gary’s condition weighs heavy on my mind. I’m so grateful that we don’t have more complex problems, but will worry until he can come home. It’s so hard to leave him there.

19 Days Old – Today Dr. Cruz called to ask us to come to Summerlin as soon as we can to sign the release to move Gary back to Spring Valley. Somehow it doesn’t work out today due to lack of staff at Summerlin. There are babies everywhere over at Summerlin. Gary is having trouble with severe spitting up, which may be reflux. We aren’t sure yet. After each feeding, he projectiles some of his food. Sometimes it’s a lot of what he’s eaten. Doctors are watching him closely. The nurse today, Sybil about drove me nuts. Everything I did and every way I did it was wrong…I just smile and nod and know that our baby will be out of here soon….OMG! The nurses tend to be less compassionate than I would like, but I guess it must get that way when you do the same thing day in and day out. Ben and Ryan are doing great and had their first bath tonight! Daddy and Kari got it on video, but we didn’t take any still photos. We will next time. There are so small, wiggly and slippery, I was hoping we could get through it without injuring anyone! Both boys enjoyed it and all was fine. We bathed them in the little tub they give you from the hospital. It was really fun!

20 Days Old – Gary went back to Spring Valley. I signed the papers and Summerlin Hospital apologized for not making it work yesterday. I followed them over and he seems quiet and content to be out of the noise of the busiest NICU in town. There are only 3 babies and Gary at Spring Valley! Very quiet. Gary is still having issues with the formula staying down, but it’s getting better when we take burp breaks more often. Ben and Ryan continue to do well at home. Chip and I are tired, we haven’t found our rhythm yet. Kari is awesome and doing whatever needs to be done, which is a huge help! The girls came home after spending the week with their dad. It is so cute! They hover over the boys and want to hold and feed them. I helped Kaitlyn feed Ben on the boppy pillow. The hardest part is balancing getting both girls involved and still communicate that the babies are small and that we have to be gentle and careful with them. So far though, the girls are doing great with it. Chip and I both told them that there will be plenty of feedings and diapers to change as the next few months come and go. I think maybe there is no concept of what is to come. Especially when all 3 boys are home.

21 Days Old – 3 weeks! These boys are 3 weeks old today! Gary is doing well, still working on the spitting up formula problems. Hopefully it will not last too long. The nurse mentioned it may be a side effect of the antibiotics or perhaps reflux, which I am learning is common with preemies. They took a belly X-Ray which turned out to be fine. I went to the hospital this morning to see Gary. He looks so good. His bright eyes are beginning to focus on faces and he seems to look at me with such intensity. He is such a sweetie…it is painful to leave. The bright side is that Daddy will be back to do a feeding at 8:30 p.m. Ben and Gary have enjoyed a whole day with their sisters. They have been fed and diapered by both big sisters. Kaitlyn and Gillian are both really enjoying being big sisters.

Babies have ARRIVED!!! – 9/8/07

Posted on by Sherri

We arrived at 6 a.m. at Labor and Delivery at Summerlin hospital. The staff there asked us to wait until 6:30. So we sat in the waiting room and watched TV and joked a little bit. At 6:30 we were directed to triage to find the babies on the monitor and start my IV and asked tons of questions. I was tired because I hadn’t slept much the night before because I was both excited and fearful. Excited the boys would be here, but scared of having a c-section. So right away, I learned that I had “done it wrong” because I had 3 sips of water and did not know that it’s not a good idea to eat or drink anything 8 hours before major surgery. The nurse asked me “haven’t you ever had surgery before?”. Nope, never. So I was shaken up because the anesthesiologist ultimately made the decision and opted for an epidural instead of a spinal block for the c-section. So my first nurse encounter wasn’t very fun and I began to cry. Then nurses Nina and Stephanie came in and took great care of me. Dr. Biscoff is also my hero for putting in a great epidural and talking me through so much. It really made things easier. Also, Dr. Bohman, my favorite doc stopped by and and eased my fears before cutting me open. My parents had come in from Winnemucca the night before, so it was very meaningful to have them there. They came up to the hospital at 8 a.m. and we were rolling into the O/R about 45 minutes later. Mom and Dad stayed in the waiting room, but I’m sure it wasn’t very long.

Very soon I was in the O/R and nice and numb. Chip was at my head and was doing a great job being supportive. I was having a bit of a difficult time keeping my emotional composure, but was so ready for the boys to be brought into the world. Chip said they were starting and I didn’t even know it! The next thing I knew, I heard Dr. Bohman say “10 seconds until first baby” and then I heard a beautiful cry. I started to cry too. Then more crying came from both me and the babies as each baby came out. There were 17 people in the delivery room when the boys were born, including Dr. Litner, the head of Pediatrics for Valley Hospitals as well as several nurse practitioners and nurses. It seemed like forever before I saw a doctor and or nurse come over to show me the babies. They were beautiful! WOW! It was all over in 15 minutes. I’m fairly certain that it took much longer to sew me up. Dr. Bohman did a fantastic job.

Chip, now a proud papa, and mom and dad went off with the boys to the Level III NICU. Soon they were back with me in recovery before heading to my room. Several people were in and out of the room and it was nice to see so many friendly faces. I really wanted to go to the NICU that night, but just didn’t have the strength until much later.

Chip did a fantastic job with the videos and pictures. How he supported me, watched the boys, and took pictures and videos. Mom took a ton of great pics too! Once in my room, I was tired and slept some. Mom and Chip called family. There was a nice hum of activity. It was so good to hear all the kind words and congratulations to our family. We never realized we had so many that cared about us! It was amazing. Both photos and movies with instructions on how to download them can be found via the links below:
Here is the main photo link:
http://www.metaforge.net/personal/publish/1%20McVey%20Babies%20Due%2010-25-07/BIRTHDAY/

And here is a link to a page that gives some info about the movies:
http://www.metaforge.net/personal/publish/1%20McVey%20Babies%20Due%2010-25-07/BIRTHDAY/1%20-%20README.html

The movies are very large. Please use the .avi files to watch smaller and quicker videos.

My nurse for the first 2 days was Andi, who was really laid back and helped manage the pain. I didn’t realize that it would be a longer stay than I wanted, but I tried to just take it all in and sleep. I wanted to sleep, but with all the excitement I just couldn’t. Also, the pain had set in. The doctor had prescribed Percocet and I had a terrible reaction. After changing to Loratab, things were much better.

I spoke to lots of friends and family and hope I was coherent because I genuinely thought I was really with it.

Chip and I finally talked that night and it was a conversation I’ll never forget. His smile was so bright with happiness and pride. Both of us had tears in our eyes, knowing that this is what we’ve been wanting for 3 long years. It had not always been an easy road and we were so close to giving up. His love for his sons very clear and apparent. We agreed that it was one of the most amazing moments we’ve ever shared. That we have this family of seven now that we are so proud of. The overwhelming emotion of love for these new little lives almost didn’t need words. We are so happy and feel so fortunate to have been blessed with these babies.

Daddy Chip bedded down next to me on a rollaway bed provided by the hospital. I’m sure it was uncomfortable. Despite his feet hanging over the end and being pretty uncomfortable, he stayed every night with me which was great because the nights are the hardest and the staff is the worst at night, except for Nurse Mona who was fabulous.

Overall, hospitals are no fun. Bad food and even worse service! If Chip wasn’t there to help me to the bathroom and take care of me DAILY, I think it would have been 100 times worse! I must say the whole healthcare industry really scares me. I ended up staying at the hospital for 5 days and needed a blood transfusion – they gave me 2 units of blood. I was severely anemic and when they tested my hemoglobin, it was 6.2. The average persons hemoglobin is about 14. I felt like crap, but thought it was just the fact that they cut me open. My doctor said I didn’t lose a lot of blood, but somehow became anemic. They said I could go home after the transfusion, which took like 6 hours. I thought I would never get out of there. I was done at around 5 a.m. and Chip and I left as soon as we could after that! We arrived at our house about 6:30 a.m. Mom had put the couch bed out, so we dropped there and got some sleep.