The Sherwood Twins: May 2013

Friday, May 31, 2013

May 31, 2013 6 Days Strong

TRENNA

Yesterday they were able to remove her Umbilical I.V. (This is a vein catheterization that may be a life-saving procedure in neonates. The umbilical remains sustainable till about 1 week after birth to put medically necessary fluids straight into circulation or for transfusions). They were also able to remove her chest tube that evening, and very soon she will be able to be introduced to actual breast milk. She will not need any more blood transfusions and her kidneys are retaining the electrolytes needed.

They have taken her off of her pain meds and beginning to give her doses of caffeine. Gotta get some energy to remember she needs to keep breathing! She is moving around and opening her eyes. Nurses are keeping a good watch on her in case it becomes too much and she needs a little pain meds to relax.

Also, in great news for Trenna, she was placed on the CPAP today! Continuous Positive Airway Pressure is a type of respiratory support to help the air sacs in the lungs stay open. This will give Trenna higher concentrations of oxygen to help maintain good oxygen levels in the blood. Way to go Trenna!

A little thumb sucking time!

Shannon holding Trenna for 1st time and Trevor holding little Ellie!

ELLISON

Ellie is doing wonderful and moving right along.

They are upping her food intake today and hopefully a little more tomorrow. She is out from under the UV light due to her jaundice, and the best part is they took her off the CPAP! Shannon and Trevor didn’t realize that would happen so soon. She is a star!

Ellie has already shown that she is a great sister. She was born early to help save her sister and she will always be reminded of this as she grows.

Shannon got to change her little diaper and give her a clean little tushie today!

Such precious little eyes!

**For those of you who may have missed the news segment from WLEX on these two miracles, check out the link below.

http://www.lex18.com/videos/lexington-twin-battles-birth-defect/?fullsite

**A sweet young girl named Mickayla Fox has decided to have a bake sale/lemonade stand at Trinity Hill United Methodist Church off Tates Creek Road in Lexington, KY this Sunday (6/2/13). She is donating the proceeds to the twins. Mickayla, you have a beautiful and Godly heart and we appreciate your love and support. You are a blessing and God will truly bless you.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Each Day is a Good Day

Shannon was finally discharged from the hospital yesterday and moved over to the Ronald McDonald house. The RM House is truly amazing in what they do to help families in need that are far from home and with children in the hospital. It is amazing they were able to get them in so quickly. They are settled in and I am sure that it is much more comfortable than the hospital bed!

The days are much more calm and quiet. Everyday is a blessing as these little girls remain strong and show improvements. They are both showing that their bodies can work on their own, but they of course just need a little help as it can be tiring for such little mighty mites.

Ellie's got some jaundice, so she is hanging out under a UV lamp right now. This is normal of babies, so nothing worrisome here. She will soon get to come out of the light and Shannon will get to hold her again and kangaroo.

For those of you who may not know what kangarooing is:

Kangarooing is a technique used usually with preterm infants, where the baby wears only a diaper and a hat, and is held skin-to-skin with their mother or father. It was named for its similarity to how certain marsupials carry their young after birth, like the kangaroo's pouch. The baby's head is turned so that their ear is positioned above their mother's heart. This position can help stabilize the baby's heartbeat, produce a more regular breathing pattern, improve oxygen saturation, help control body temperature, give a more deep sleep so more direct energy will help in gaining weight faster, and help the bonding process and feeling of closeness.

Trenna is doing amazing. Everyday she shows a little more improvement. This gal is a fighter. They were able to drop down her blood pressure meds and sedatives as she is doing well. Just trying to keep all her levels balanced out. They are hoping to remove a couple of the tubes from her chest and stomach. So proud of her.

I can't say it enough, THESE GIRLS ARE AMAZING! They really have shown their place in this world already and that they will set out to be something great. Love this sign found in the hospital, because it is so true and these girls have proved it already and they are only 4 days old!

Everyone's prayers are working, thank you so much for everyone's support.

Trevor and Shannon cannot express it enough! They are so happy how God is working in their lives.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Trenna Brinley and Ellison Makenna

Twin girls are on the way!!!!!

We are all SO incredibly excited for Trevor and Shannon to be bringing these two beautiful, wonderful little girls into the world. They will bring so much joy and they cannot wait for everyone to meet the newest members to the Sherwood/Hawes Family.

When we found out Trevor and Shannon were having a child we were all ecstatic. The first grandbaby/neice or nephew was coming in 2013. Everyone had to know when Shannon's next appointment was because we had to know every update on this exciting news.

A few short weeks later it was a 'Double Feature'! WOW! Wish we could have seen the look on their faces when they were given this news. After the shock, they knew that God had blessed them with two special bundles and were ready for the journey He was about to send them on. We could not wait to start shopping for these two little babes, we just couldn't wait to know what they would be!

We had such a fun gender reveal party. Great food, even better company and more great news for everyone to hear! How much fun can two girls be?! Pink. Bows. Ruffles. Rhinestones. Glitter. And so much more! Trevor and Shannon were so happy to be able to share and have everyone over to celebrate. Shannon even made some delicious cupcakes with her amazing icing and Trevor of course had basketball going on in the background.

In early April, Trevor and Shannon found out that there was tumor growing on Trenna called Sacrococcygeal Teratoma (SCT); which is located on the tailbone. Their doctor referred them to The Cincinnati Childrens Hospital to see a specialist once a week till the babies are here. I couldn't imagine the thoughts going through their heads when they heard this news. It was time to be stronger than ever and rely on prayers and the Grace of God to help them and little Trenna. It has now become a 'wait and see' scenario and Shannon would have to eventually relocate to Cincinnati for the remainder of her pregnancy until the babies are to be delivered. Once they are born, Trenna will need to have surgery to remove the tumor. The main goal is to get these babies growing and healthy enough to be born and ready for surgery.

Trevor and Shannon are in great spirits about these little girls. Other than the tumor, these girls are doing great and are healthy, strong, and not in distress. They are kicking, dancing, and moving like crazy. In the beginning of May, the specialist told them that everything looked better than expected and that the tumor had not grown anymore.

On May 9, "Giving thanks to God today. Hit a huge mile stone getting to 28 weeks and good reports from the dr visits this week. Trenna is measuring a pound smaller then Ellie now, which could be due to the tumor interfering with her growth BUT we are still very hopeful that it could just be the shorties in our families she is taking after. Everything else about the girls are looking good and we are still just going up for a single visit next week and possibly waiting until 34 wks to relocate (maybe even later). God is great and as always, we thank all our friends and family near and far for prayers, love and support! Trevor and I thank you so much!"

This journey has brought a lot of emotion and dependence on God for strength. The prayers from all friends and family have been greatly appreciated and we believe that it is working, but it's not over yet. Shannon is moving into the most critical time of her pregnancy. There is now trouble with Trenna's umbilical cord and placenta; she is not going to grow much more and they don't want to let her stay in utero past 32 weeks. Shannon will be relocating to Cincinnati the last Thursday in May, and it will be decided soon after when they will be delivering these little girls. The next step is the surgery to remove the tumor. We pray that God has His hands on the hands of the doctors who will be performing the operation to free Trenna of the nuisance that is attached to her backside.

Trevor and Shannon are still in need of many items for new parents. Sadly, we were not able to throw Shannon the baby showers she deserves to help them get ready for these little ones arrival; and now they are coming much sooner than expected. In lieu, below is a link to paypal where money may be transferred to a special account to help them purchase these items that they will need to take care of the girls and help with the costs of having to live 2 hours from home. You can also send by mail if rather. Every little bit helps, this is the time for us to show Trevor and Shannon our love and support!!!

Later this summer when the girls are healthy, we would like to invite everyone who has been so amazing to our family and thank everyone for their support. Help us celebrate the homecoming of the Twins with a party for everyone to come meet these little miracles.

If you do choose to help, please shoot us an email to the address below with your name and mailing address or sign your name in the comments below. We would like to send a personal thank you to each of you.
TheSherwoodTwins@gmail.com

Trevor and Shannon Sherwood

100 Steen Pass

Nicholasville, KY 40356