Been a While!

Hi All!

It has been quite a while since my last post. This is due to many reasons. At about 24 weeks gestation we were told that one of our twins had Lissencephaly. This was diagnosed by one of our maternal fetal doctors. I had a difficult time in dealing with the news and did alot of praying. I had come to learn how to cope with what was to come and my beautiful wife, Ashley, was instrumental in giving me the pathway to the spiritual fortitude that would be required of me. My wife is truly awesome and I am very thankful to have her.

A few weeks after we found out about our Claire with the Lissencephaly I broke my right femur... ...yay. That was an experience all on its own. I fell through the attic 9 feet to a concrete floor. The EMT group came set my leg and roughly 24 hours later I had a titanium rod installed in the middle of my right femur. I am able to hop around now without a crutch.

The biggest news is that Ashley delivered the twins on 9/22/2010. Both babies came out kicking and screaming. Claire Elizabeth Parden and Daria Therese Parden were born into the world at 2:05 P. M. and 2:06 P. M. respectively. Claire weighed 4 pounds 8 oz. and Daria weighed 5 pounds 3 oz. Claire has Spina Bifida, to be exact a Myelomeningocele on her lower vertebrae. She was flown out to Children's hospital in New Orleans, La for an emergency surgery. Claire's myelo had to be pushed in and sewed up because the membrane that was protruding had a small leak. Claire made it through the surgery very well. I stayed with Ashley while my mom and dad went to New Orleans to stay with Claire. Thanks mom and dad! I relieved my parents from the Ronald McDonald House on Canal Street and have been visiting Claire at the NICU everyday. Claire is so cute and is doing very well.

Right now we are waiting and seeing how Claire's Hydrocephalus develops. Right now there is is mild hydrocephalus. The hydro can either stay the same, get worse, or go away. If the hydro gets worse/stays the same we will most likely have to install a shunt to keep pressure off of her brain. Claire also had a VCUG. The test indicated that she is refluxing contrast into her right kidney. Pretty much we will have to stay intermittently consistent with catheterization and treat her with prophylactic mediation to avoid kidney/bladder infections. The neurologist believes that Claire will walk and have normal to below normal intelligence and could go to college one day. Her feedings are going exceedingly well. She is a hungry little rascal. Hopefully we will be able to go home next week; however, if we can't then we will most likely be able to return the week after next.

Please check out our picasaweb album JD and Ashley Parden. I have been posting pictures there and will continue to do so.