Cozy at Home

Alyssa (left) and Valencia (right) are cozy at home. The girls are doing great, but extra sets of hands are needed now that Dad has gone home. Please check Volunteer Spot to sign up for a time to come visit! Or if you'd like to help in another way, use the "contact coordinator" link on the left of the Volunteer Spot site.

Please also keep Mom in your prayers as she adjusts to all the changes in her life, and certainly misses her husband and their older daughter during these upcoming months. God has brought us this far and will continue to hold us in the palm of His hand!

Go Bibiana!

Mom was able to go to the hospital Friday to spend time with Noah and Bibiana, and was thrilled to see them since she hadn't been since Monday. Bibiana is off the feeding tube, out of the incubator, and now weighs 4 lbs 1 oz! She is doing great and eating well. In spite of his reflux issues, Noah is still gaining weight and is the biggest of the four at 5 lbs 1 oz! He looked especially big to Mom, who has been handling Alyssa and Valencia all week.

Both Noah and Bibiana are still being watched by the nurses for their ability to monitor their heart rate. The nurses like for them to go for 5 days without having a heart rate drop before being discharged. At this point, Wednesday is the earliest they could come home. Dad goes home to Nigeria on Sunday so Mom will really be needing help! Even if you don't have much experience, she likes the company. Please see Volunteer Spot at the upper right corner for the available shifts. Even if you can only cover a portion of a shift, please sign up then send a note to the coordinator (link on the left of the Volunteer Spot site). Most of all, please keep this family in your prayers!

First Doctor's Appointment - Check!

On Wednesday, Alyssa and Valencia had their first visit to the pediatrician. Two babies, two parents, first visit, and only ten minutes late! It was a great visit. We even met with the doctor herself who graciously spent 15-20 minutes with us and did not charge us for her time. Yet another miracle - there is no end to what God can do!

Both girls have gained weight well - Alyssa is 4 lbs 4 oz and Valencia takes the prize at 4 lbs 15 oz! Everything else looked good and Mom and Dad got high marks for the care that they have been giving the girls. We picked up a few tips on feeding and other things, got all our questions answered, and mostly felt very comfortable with the care we received and how everything was progressing. All in all a great success! We will go back for a second weight check with Noah when he comes in for his first check-up. We'll need two cars though!

Giving Noah more time

After a visit to the hospital on Tuesday, the nurses were in agreement that they wanted to keep Noah for a little longer - we can't blame them, he's so handsome! He's still having some difficulty keeping his food down and it's so important that he continue to gain weight that they want to watch him closely for the next few days. We have to keep in mind that at this stage, most preemies are just beginning to learn how to use a bottle! Noah is pretty advanced, and his body just needs to catch up a little. We are so thankful that the nurses and doctors are giving him and all the babies such excellent care. Just like us, the staff have fallen in love with these miracle children too!

Alyssa and Valencia come Home!

Truly amazing - the first baby girls have come home, in birth order! Both girls are doing great. On Saturday, Mom and Dad passed the CPR class with flying colors, and Valencia passed the car seat test. Alyssa didn't pass the car seat test the first time but did pass the next day. After spending 24 hours at the hospital in a private room with Alyssa and Valencia, Mom and Dad got "a pinch" of what life will be like and were exhausted! Since Alyssa still needed to gain some strength, they decided to go home themselves for one more day before bringing both girls home on Monday.

After a lengthy discharge process, pages of paperwork and more car seat checks, the girls were escorted via caravan to their new home. There was so much to do, we barely made it in time for the next feeding (every 3 hours)! Thanks to their gracious hosts, this new family has a wonderful space to stay in and plenty of supplies. If all goes well, we will be back at the hospital to bring Noah home tomorrow! Alyssa and Valencia will meet the pediatrician on Wednesday. Bibiana, who started out as the loud one, has quietly been gaining weight and eating well, just a little slower than the others. She will stay in the hospital for a few more days and hopefully come home by the end of the week or early next week.

Alyssa being discharged from the hospital!

We will be needing some help this week with caregivers during the day - we didn't expect to have these babies so quickly! Please click on the Volunteer Spot link at the upper right of this page. We will also need some help this week with organizing all the new goodies at the new living space, and dropping off milk at the hospital for Bibiana and Noah. After Dad leaves next week, we will need LOTS of help with caregivers around the clock. Please consider if you have time to spend with these beautiful babies.

Valencia is ready to go!

Alyssa and Valencia Leap Ahead

As of Thursday, Alyssa (left) is in the lead to come home first! Mom and Dad will need to spend 24 hours in the hospital with her before her release, which could be Sunday or Monday. They will stay in a private room which is a wonderful opportunity to begin to bond as a family. Depending on her development, Valencia could join them as well. She is now out of her incubator - hooray! Another blessing is that Dad is now able to stay through the end of next week before returning home - I'm sure Mom is grateful and happy! God has continued to bless this family by providing a pediatrician willing to work with the babies.

Noah, although still strong and out of the incubator, has begun to develop some

reflux. So in spite of his other improvements, he will require closer monitoring to ensure that his airway doesn't become blocked after a feeding. The nurses have added a little rice cereal to his milk to help it expand and stay in his stomach. It's likely that he will stay in the hospital for another week or so. But he's already shown himself to be a strong (and loud!) boy so we are confident he will do great.

Bibiana and Valencia (right) continue to do well and gain weight. All babies have been nursing and taking the bottle fairly well. This alone is miraculous. They are not yet 36 weeks and most preemies are not this developed at this age. We try to make the "rules" but it is God alone who knows us inside and out.

A THANK YOU NOTE TO OUR BELOVED BRETHREN AT NORTHLAKE CHURCH OF CHRIST

Some heartfelt words from Dad and Mom:

Dear brethren,

Ever since you welcomed us into your midst, we always thank God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you because we have seen your faith in Christ Jesus and the Love you have for all saints including us whom you never knew before.

We thank you for allowing us to share fellowship with you in His kingdom of light, the Church. And for joyfully ministering to us in our most critical time. This you did by your deliberate choice to bring so much joy to our family. The baby shower that was organized by this church is indescribable. This shower of love has not only supplied our many needs but is overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. You have clothed Alyssa, Valencia, Noah and Bibiana with the numerous clothes donated. You needed to see how beautiful they look in some of the clothes you brought in. It is amazing the many gifts that were donated by brethren in spite of obvious economic recession—car seaters, strollers, bassinets, bath tub, diapers, cribs, clothes, foods etc. The list is endless. It was as if the brethren planned, long before now, the arrival of the babies. We were particularly touched by the gifts the refugees contributed. How refreshing it is to see the deep desire they show for the things of God. There are certain people we thank in our prayers for things we appreciate so much, but try as we may, we sometimes can't say the words that we want them to know. They are people who often go out of their way to pitch in when there is WORK to be done, they show understanding, they lighten our problems--they help us in more ways than one. Knowing how busy their own life is makes their thoughtfulness even more special. The Northlake Church of Christ community of Christians is such a people. We can never forget this congregation of brotherhood. We can never forget Vicki & Carson, Kimbra & Brent, Carol & Richard, Cathy & Jeff, Julie & John, Denise & Brandon, Susan & John and Faye & David and many others. We can never forget Northlake church of Christ. It’s amazing the depth of love that you all have shown and are so willing to continue to show.

The number of Christians that have approached us to give us a welcome hug and kiss since we arrived in your midst is unbelievable. Perhaps the kids feel same and are growing in manner that confounds the nurses and other paramedical staff. God moves in a mysterious way and HIS ways, who can fathom? You guys can’t understand how much impact you have made in our live and the lives of our four kids. By your act of love, you have shown how deep, how long and how wide the Love that we share in Christ Jesus is! We look forward to being able to give back to the church someday and also to extend similar love to others that come our way.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to Him in Northlake church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21.

Brethren, your thoughtfulness meant much more than words can say.

Thank you very much. God bless you. Thank you again.

Stylin' Babies and Valencia's Prize!

The Babies Are "Stylin"!
Today Mom dressed Alyssa, Bibiana and Valencia in pink outfits and Noah in a blue one. They are quite a hit in the nursery in their new threads. Mom is becoming a pro in changing diapers around the monitor wires too. All of the babies ate well at their 2:00 feeding, either nursing or taking a bottle. It is such hard work for them, and they are exhausted afterwards and just want to be wrapped up and put down for a nap. It must be noted Valencia (see photo) got the prize today for the burp registering the most decibels, and her nurse expects her to be moved out of the incubator tomorrow. What a joy and a blessing it is to be a part of this beautiful experience with Mom and Dad. They are a faithful and courageous couple.

After much searching and deliberation, two double strollers with carseats and bases were purchased today. Thanks to all of you who contributed to this effort. Now the babies have a safe way to travel when they are released from the hospital.

Family Memoir

We've added a new link to the right under "Family History". Mom and Dad have written a beautiful beginning to their life story so far and shared it with us. Please take the time to read a little about their life and how they came to be with us. Dad especially has not written anything like this before and was excited the more he wrote at how much he enjoyed it and how important it is for his children to have a record of their lives. Let's encourage them to continue writing!

Things are Getting Exciting....

Toady was a busy day at the hospital! The babies are eating well and getting used to seeing Mom and Dad. Mom is now needed at the hospital every day for two feedings, and it's really important that we do what we can to get her there. Please check the VolunteerSpot (see link to the right) to sign up for driving her to or from the hospital. Even if you can only help in one direction - drop off at the hospital before 11am or go from hospital to home after 4pm - that would be greatly appreciated.

Three separate nurses have pulled us aside to say how miraculous these babies are. They had been preparing for the arrival of the four babies for weeks - rearranging vacations and everything in anticipation of babies that needed intensive care. We have surprised them all! Each baby is developmentally well beyond where they were expected to be, and it is by God's grace that they are each perfectly formed. The nurses are getting the babies onto a schedule and want Mom and Dad to bring some clothes in - they will begin putting the babies in regular clothes!

Because the babies are doing so well, we are expecting Noah and Alyssa to be coming home as early as next Monday! It's possible that Valencia and Bibiana will be joining them by Friday. There are many discharge requirements - please be in prayer that this will go smoothly. Also, Dad is needed back home in Nigeria to be with their daughter Chavela and to go back to work. Mom will need additional support once he's gone. We will be updating the VolunteerSpot with several shifts each day for those who can volunteer to spend time helping to feed and care for the babies. Please consider if there is time in your schedule to sign up for a recurring weekly timeslot or an occasional visit. This family is a joy to be around and you can see from their posts below how grateful they are for our involvement.

A Note from Mom

A message sent in gratitude of a shower given today:

Thank you - you all make me speechless. I don't even know how to say thank u. I am overwhelmed by your love and care. My husband and I are very grateful for the very big party today. My guests that came around were all amazed at the numerous gifts presented. I was particularly touched by what the refugees contributed. U guys are doing a great job in God's vineyard. Thank u.

Hooray Alyssa!

As of Saturday, Alyssa (see photo) is the first and only baby to be completely off the feeding tube - bottle fed only! Good job sweetie! She recovered so quickly from her infection - from being in special care on oxygen on Tuesday to off the feeding tube on Saturday. Another little miracle. She does an excellent job with the bottle and should soon be big enough to be out of the incubator. Valencia is now over 4 pounds, the usual size for babies to come out of the incubator. Although she is progressing well, she is not yet able to regulate her own body temperature so she will be staying in for a little longer. Bibiana is about 3 pounds 6 ounces and gaining well. Noah is still out of his incubator, feeding from both the bottle and feeding tube and gaining weight. All four babies began nursing on Saturday. Bibiana, who had not been very interested in the bottle, surprised us all by doing incredibly well. Alyssa also took to it immediately. Noah and Valencia will need a little more time, but all four babies were happy to be close to Mom. During this visit, Dad finally got his wish of putting all four babies together for pictures. It was quite a circus and even the nurses got excited. The babies did great, it was mostly the adults making all the fuss! Dad thinks he'll now be allowed to fly home, as long as he brings the pictures of the babies with him.

The prize-winning photo....

From left to right in birth order: Alyssa, Valencia, Noah and Bibiana together for their first photo shoot! Mom and Dad could not have been more proud. Alyssa was alert the whole time and poor Valencia just wanted to sleep. Noah was quite hungry and let everyone know it. By the end he had found his thumb to suck on. Bibiana was tolerant and alert even though Noah had his arm around her most of the time. What a beautiful blessing!

Go Noah, Go!

As of our hospital visit Tuesday August 10th, Noah (see photo) is out of the incubator! Go Noah! He is now over 4 pounds and doing great. It was wonderful to see him out in the open and sleeping like a normal happy baby. Valencia is right behind him. She is 3 pounds 14 ounces and should be out of her incubator shortly, as soon as she reaches 4 pounds. Bibiana has made great strides, putting on a lot of weight since the weekend and seems strong. She may be the smallest, but she's the loudest! Alyssa is also improving greatly after a minor setback. She had a small infection, which has now been treated. She was given oxygen and antibiotics, and was recovered enough to come off the oxygen and back into the room with the other babies. She is very independent, and didn't particularly like how we posed her for a photo! All four babies are looking healthy and strong. Please continue to keep them in your prayers, as well as prayers for Mom's healing.

A Note from Dad

Thank you for this link. I am glad to inform that the babies are doing great. As at 8/08/2010, Valencia and Noah weighed about 3.14 pound while Bibiana is now about 2.15. Alyssa is currently on a ventilator because she had some breathing challenges last week. However she gained about 1 ounce. Please lets continue to pray for the kids and my wife who is still experiencing some pains and needs to recover from the very hard pregnancy and severe expansion of her uterus. I trust God that you all are doing fine and i hope to update you after my next visit to the hospital. remain blessed in Christ. Thank you

Tips on using Volunteer Spot

When you click on the Volunteer Spot link (top right of this page), you'll be asked to enter an e-mail address which you will confirm before logging in. There will be a welcome message at the top left - click "See More" to read the whole message. The calendar will show the dates where there are tasks available (an orange Sign Up clipboard) or where the tasks are all filled (gray Full clipboard). Some dates have more than one task. If one task is full and the other is available, for example someone is transporting to the hospital but no one has signed up to bring food, the calendar day will still show as available. Click on each day to see exactly what is available.

Once you decide to sign up for a task, click the calendar day. Another window will open showing the tasks, then click the Sign Up Here button (you can always remove your name from the task if plans change). Save and close out of that window. Be sure to click the red Confirm button at the top right to complete your sign up. You will receive a confirmation e-mail, and also a reminder e-mail closer to the date of your task.

The tasks that show up under each calendar day will include details about that task. For the food items, you will see a list of ideas for what to bring. For the trips to the hospital, you will see the time they like to go and the phone number to call and confirm the evening before. Also, the sidebar to the left of the calendar includes a link called "Location". This will give you their address and other details.

Once you have registered on the site, the easiest way to access it again is through the e-mail that was sent to you. Find either the welcome e-mail or a confirmation e-mail and use the link in that e-mail to get back to the calendar. You should not need to register with a password on the site.

You can also contact the organizer using the link on the left with other questions. Happy Volunteering!

Welcome Babies!

Meet our sister in Christ from Nigeria who was expecting quadruplets, and recently arrived to the US to deliver her babies. On Wednesday July 28th, she delivered 3 girls and 1 boy! Their names are Alyssa, Valencia, Bibiana, and Noah. The smallest was just one ounce under three pounds. Her husband arrived from Nigeria on Saturday July 31st. Their 4-year-old daughter Chavela will be staying in Nigeria with her grandparents.

The couple are staying with friends but are in need of a living situation that can accommodate the babies and caregivers when they are ready to come home. They are also in need of baby supplies (see list on Volunteer Spot), grocery supplies for meals, and transportation to and from the hospital. Volunteer Spot (see link to the right) has been set up to handle these specific needs.

Above all, please remember this family in your prayers:
-The friends of the couple who are currently housing and caring for them
-Peace and comfort for big sister Chavela while her parents are away
-Mom as she recovers from a hard pregnancy and surgery
-For the babies' health and development
-For all of us as we seek to know how to assist our new family from Nigeria!