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Aiden, Aiden, Aiden

Aiden you are the bravest of three,
Strong and humble we can see.
Your smiling eyes look around,
With determination and faith abound.

A mystery bug got in your belly,
Makes you sick and diapers smelly!
We pray each day that doctors will find,
A cause and a cure for peace of mind.

A silent observer you are in the bed,
Taking in and digesting the words said.
God watches over you every day,
He loves you in a very special way.

We all know you will pull through,
Brave and strong like you always do.
(Written by Tanya A.)
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The surgery took place this past Friday afternoon and the malrotation was corrected. Additionally, the surgeon removed Aiden’s appendix. He felt this would be the best thing to do just in case future complications arose from the surgery then appendicitis could be ruled out. Aiden is recovering and though he is in pain, he is doing quite well. Thanks so much for all your prayers!

The next step will be to determine when to fix the laryngeal cleft. This will depend on how quickly they think he can recover given that he will have to be intubated again. We should know more sometime next week. In the meantime, please continue to keep him in your prayers.

The twins are very happy and loving life! Nothing makes them happier than going for a ride in the car. Every other word out of their mouths is “car”, “keys”, or “car keys.” Manish did survive the weekend alone with the twins (although, Sunday was quite brutal). Thanks to Edith, Cyndi and Carolina for all their help! Without them, he may not have made it 🙂

God Bless

Not Aiden, but Manish! With Grandma gone until Wednesday, he has the twins all by himself. It will be quite a battle and we can only hope that he will survive. He has recruited people during the times he calls “key battle zones” such as early morning diapers (terribly dangerous) and dinner (which can be quite a struggle).

Aiden’s instestinal surgery is scheduled for May 15th. Hannah and Aiden have been staying at a hotel for the last week. Given all the hassle we had getting the insurance company to fly him to Boston, we decided to stay in Boston rather than try and go back for the surgery. Please keep Aiden in your prayers and that the doctors can correct whatever is wrong.

Below are some pictures and video of the twins. Despite Hannah being gone, they are doing very well!

Caged

Trying to “uncage”

Evan, love the PJs

Apparently so does he

Keep them on!

He doesn’t want to hear that

Going opposite ways?

Ethan is so happy these days!

Evan, what exactly is that?

What do you see, Ethan?

Must be birds?

Ethan, that looks dangerous

I guess you accomplished what you wanted

Now what?

Evan’s newest thing: taking out whatever is in between his toes and giving it to me

Stomp, stomp, stomp…

Twins

Evan, where did you get all those stickers from?

Ethan, you too?

No thanks, I don’t want any

Over the past few days, Aiden has undergone several tests, etc. at Children’s Hospital in Boston. One of the radiologists noticed that the intestines appeared to be malrotated. This twisting of the intestines is caused by abnormal development and can cause obstruction. Malrotation occurs in 1 out of every 500 births in the United States. It was about a year ago that a radiologist in Dallas mentioned the same thing and after following up with G.I., they decided it was a non-issue.

This afternoon, they removed his feeding tube to try and determine if there were any intestinal abnormalities. By using fluoroscopy (an imaging technique to obtain real-time moving images of the internal structures through the use of a fluoroscope), they confirmed that there is an abnormality. We view this as good news in the sense that there is finally confirmation that there is an internal issue. We are consulting with the physicians to determine the next steps. Most likely, Aiden will undergo a surgical procedure to correct these intestinal issues.

Additionally, the ENT Doctor agreed to perform the laryngeal cleft surgery after the intestinal/G.I. issues are corrected. While the cleft is not the sole cause of the problem, it could be a contributor and correcting it will rule it out as part of the problem.

In the meantime, the twins are living like princes. With mommy not around, they stay up late with daddy eating junk food and watching TV. NOT! Actually, Dad is much more strict with the twins and they have a very structured bedtime and eating schedule. But, they are living it up! They have enjoyed Grandma’s company very much and are enjoying the ourdoors more and more as the weather heats up. Below are some pictures of their daily adventures.

Evan has learned how to barter. If Ethan has something that he wants, he finds something to give him in exchange for what Ethan has. The other day, Ethan had a little toy owl and Evan brought a little toy guitar, laid it at Ethan’s feet and then took the owl and ran off. Ethan did not approve of the trade. These boys are just too much fun!

So much going on! Please keep us all (especially Aiden) in your prayers.

Ethan loves his little bunny

And his guitar…

Yes, there were ducks in our pool and the boys loved it!

Such a little monkey (or is it porcupine)

Evan, you want to play?

Is that a wave hello or good-bye?

Daddy and Evan

Daddy and Ethan

The boys also loved watching people mow the lawn

So curious

And also a little tired

Evan, what are you doing?

There he goes

A little bear amidst the roses

Ethan, stay away from the road!

They love hitting the bushes

And playing in the little fountain

Classic twins

Ethan fell down and got a cut…he did not even cry

Meanwhile, Evan checked out the cars in the street

Looking for the next car to check out

Ethan is back and making a run for it