Determined to be Identical

(Meant to publish this week before last...sorry!)

As narrated by John-Raven...

"On Wednesday, we checked in at Cook's for another surgery. No, not for my shunt (which is still working just fine, thank you very much) but for a hydrocele repair. (I know, all these medical terms confuse me, too. Just remember that 'hydrocele' has nothing to do with 'hydrocephalus'. Hydrocele surgery is basically like hernia surgery. Not a big deal, really.)"

"See, my brother, William, had his hydrocele surgery while still in the NICU, and I guess I got a little jealous, so guess what? I decided I needed a hydrocele repair, too! (Hey, if we're going to be identical twins, let's do it right.) Mom spotted the problem a couple of weeks ago and knew what it was right away. So we scheduled the surgery for Thanksgiving break, and off we went."

"Mom got me up super early. We were on the road by 5am! I didn't mind, though. I was pretty happy all morning, really. I got to see lots of nurses who gave me lots of attention, and I didn't even cry when they took me away from Mom and put me under. See that picture above? That was me in 'Recovery 2'. I was so out of it. I opened my eyes once in a while when I heard a little baby crying a few beds down, but other than that, I didn't really want to wake up for a while."

"Mom tried to wake me up to eat, which was something the nurses and doctors said I had to do before they would let me go home, but I was tired and was more interested in sleeping than eating. By the time 3pm had rolled around, I'd had a breathing treatment, a steroid shot in my IV, and an ounce of milk, and we were headed home! I was pretty sleepy the rest of the day, too. Since I'd been wearing my frog pajamas, Mom nicknamed me her little 'Groggy Froggy'."

"I'm all better now, and fully recovered. And I'm looking real tough, too, with a couple of more surgical scars to match William's. Twin life, yo!"

Things We Love

We LOVE to READ!

Grandpa LOVES to read and sing to John-Raven, and John-Raven LOVES The Hungry Catapillar!

Mommy LOVES to read to William, and William LOVES Mother Goose!
It gets him quiet instantly. :)



The Family LOVES us some Halloween!

Mom and Dad recycled costumes from a few years back....wonder why? I can't think of any reason they didn't come up with new and creative costumes this year. The boys have Halloween shirts and Candy corn socks....Mom LOVES the dollar section at Target!




A few new additions to this year Boo-riarhood Party....other than the 4 new little ones on the street....Black Lights in the Garage! All the kids LOVED dancing in the glowing lights!


Most, but not all, of our beautiufl little girls in the hood. They LOVED the candy and getting to hang out together.

Mini Me's

Little Plummer looking studious in Dad's specs.




John-Raven our little nerd also in Dad's specs.



Mom and Dad got a night out thanks to our very gracious friends, the Chavarrias (also parents of identical twins....girls that are 10 weeks older than the boys). They had 2 extra tickets to see U2 and Muse at the new Cowboy stadium. It was worth the lack of sleep! We were able to make it from our home to our seats in 30 minutes! And the same coming home!

On a new note, we visited the Neurosurgeon this Tuesday. Both boys were had head sono's done. The tech had to switch cameras to get a good picture because their fontanelles are getting very small. It was an uneventful day. The doc said the shunt are working. There is still quite a bit of fluid from what he could tell, but the important part is that the shunts are doing their job. We inquired about helmets since the boys have plagiocephaly (flat spots on the back of their heads). He said he wouldn't if they were his kids, but he did give us names of places and prescriptions to have them done. He said he would leave that decision up to us. We will be doing our research and making a decision soon.

Woo Pig Sooie!

This is for all you Hog fans out there.


John-Raven loved calling the Hogs.....

...while William has on his serious game face.

And yes, mommy did teach us how to call the Hogs.

And we are GREAT at it! I bet they can hear us all the way in Fayetteville!

Thanks Jami and Jason for our Razorback tattoos.

La-Z-Boys

"You know, Dad, if you want this chair back, it's gonna cost you."

Alphabet Soup and an Updated Diagnosis

The biggest news we can offer now is the boys' revised diagnosis, which sortof has us swimming in alphabet soup.

Their diagnosis of HPE (holoprosencephaly) has been changed to ASP (absent septum pellucidum) possibly resulting from SOD (septo-optic displasia). Although ASP/SOD still could present some of the same developmental issues as less extreme cases of HPE, the new diagnosis is a better one overall. (In fact, I understand that ASP/SOD used to be listed as a mild form of HPE.)

We're glad for the new diagnosis, and especially thankful to its source, the Carter Centers for Brain Research in Holoprosencephaly and Related Malformations. We took the initiative to contact the nearest location of the Carter Centers (located in the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas) after the boys were dismissed from Harris Methodist. We sent over the boys' MRIs, and we were told that the Carter Centers couldn't help us because the boys don't actually have HPE. But that's a good thing -- with their rejection came a very detailed and helpful explanation of WHY they couldn't help us and why they don't have HPE. We've since been able to take that explanation to other doctors.

A couple of things we've learned about doctors and hospitals:

1) NEVER assume anyone is communicating with anyone else. Maybe they are, maybe not. Our first meeting with our neurosurgeon is a good example of that. (That story was pre-blog, so maybe I'll have to revisit it.)

2) A single doctor's diagnosis can have a lot of inertia and may rarely get challenged. The HPE diagnosis, which occurred in the NICU, had enough momentum to carry it along to every other specialist we've seen. Until, that is, the Carter Centers' diagnosis became the outside force that acted on the thing in motion. Challenge assumptions.

3) You are your best (and sometimes only) advocate. Do your own research. Join an online community/forum. Get second opinions. If your doctor doesn't specialize in your or your child's condition, find one who does.

So over the last few weeks, we've had our fair share of visits to/from healthcare professionals, including the neurosurgeon, the neurologist, the early intervention specialist, the occupational therapist, the geneticist, the pediatrician, the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker. (Some of these visits were scheduled, but one wasn't -- We had a little scare one day that John-Raven's shunt was failing, but thankfully, it was a false alarm.)

The boys have an improved diagnosis, they're putting on weight, they're happy (er, most of the time), and they're still cute little stinkers.

Speaking of cuteness...without further delay, I bring you CUTE BABY PICS.


Shirts read: MY MOM RULES and MY DAD IS RAD.
(Thanks, Deneise!)

John-Raven rockin' the horizontal stripes.

"Really, Mom? No Ed Hardy footy-pajamas?"

John-Raven comforts William. "It's okay, I don't think she'll eat us."

Daddy attempts to drink a beer while holding pacifiers. Epic Fail.

Obligatory baby-with-beer-bottle shot.

(Come on, I had to do it.)

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it...

No caption necessary.

When Babies Attack! (Or, The Deadliest Catch)

From May 2008 to May 2009, several nearby families have noted an increase in the population of small creatures commonly referred to as "babies". Warning signs of the creatures' appearance include the onset of flu-like symptoms resulting in extreme swelling in a woman's abdomen followed by the removal of one or more baby-shaped objects. After that, there's sleeplessness, crying, and an unexplained need to re-arrange things. And poo.

The recent rise in the local baby population has resulted in a rash of attacks around the neighborhood. It's an epidemic of...epidemic proportions! But our neighborhood babyhunters are on the case. Below, they gather round to assess their latest catch:

Scary, no? Our house has been attacked by not one but TWO, count them, TWO babies in recent months. Oh, the humanity!

We're learning more about babies every day. To be sure, the clever little creatures appear harmless enough:

But don't be fooled! Only ten minutes later, this candid picture reveals their true abilities:

That's right - NEVER let your guard down around babies. They have been known to strike without warning. Notice how the victim in the pictures below lies helpless from one baby's highly skilled attack:

What ferocity! What aggression! Remarkable!

I actually got close enough to touch one that was sleeping. There's no telling what mayhem would have ensued had he awakened. I'm lucky I lived to provide this rare photo to the public.

But fear not. We will be vigilant in our endeavors to continue to go forth and move on making progress as we take it to the next level going forward.

More pictures and updates to come...if we survive!

Slideshow: Maternity and Hospital Pics

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I'll get some fresh content up soon. In the meantime, for those who haven't seen the amazing slideshow done by our photographer friend Michelle, here's the link:

http://www.mppphotography.com/CobbBirth/index.html

(If you're prone to being emotional, you might want to have some tissues handy.)

Prisonbreak, part 2 (or, The Saga of the Wireless Babies Begins)

With brother already in hiding in a safehouse just outside of town, William made a break for it on Tuesday of this week. In the picture below, one of his accomplices - known on the street as "Daddy" - can be seen assisting in the successful escape.



Though not too happy about being placed in restraints so quickly after getting away, William fell asleep in his carseat in no time.



In case I haven't made myself clear...the Cobb Quad is together at home at last.



Reunited, the twins rejoiced in their freedom by doing absolutely nothing.

No longer looking like a couple of marionette puppets, these babies are free and clear. No monitor wires, no gavage tubes, no oxygen lines, no NICU, and no nurses. (OK, to be honest, we'll actually miss the nurses a lot, and I think the boys will, too.)

Our days of hospitals and doctors aren't done, of course, but we now have wireless babies, and they're home. Thus, the next chapter begins.

Prisonbreak, part 1

Local authorities today received an anonymous tip that a 19-inch tall infant was spotted escaping the NICU of Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth. The infant, identified as one John-Raven Lee Cobb, is wanted for unlawful possession of a fully loaded, fully automatic poopy diaper (classified as a lethal weapon in Texas, but available without a permit). Recent sightings place the infant in the vicinity of Arlington, TX.


Above: The fugitive en route to a secret location.

A few days earlier, the hidden-camera picture below was captured of John-Raven at bathtime, during which he could be heard warning of his impending escape by shouting, "Ahh...aaaa...wah-waaaaaaa!" or, "I am not a prisoner! I am a free man!"



Temporarily left behind is John-Raven's twin brother, William "Babyface" Cobb. Earlier today, William underwent a simple hernia (hydrocele) procedure and is reportedly recovering well. Officials speculate that he may soon also attempt to break out of the Harris NICU to join his brother. William was unavailable for comment.

[Editor's Note: Yes, John-Raven is really finally home now. William had his hernia procedure earlier today and all went well. He's recovering nicely and will likely come home within the next couple of days.]

Word of the Day: Hyrdocele

William has to have an operation for hydrocele, something similar to (but apparently not as bad as) a hernia. It doesn't seem to be all that uncommon or a source of major concern, but still...he's had so much done to him already, and both boys are so close to going home now that we hate the idea that he'll have to have yet another operation.

As for going home, here's the doctor's requirement: The boys need to feed on their own (meaning they can't be tubefed) for two days. So if they're tired and not wanting to eat, they get tubefed. When that happens, the clock starts over.

So our goal at this point is to get the boys to stay off the tubefeeding for a couple of days and then to get William's hydrocele taken care of. They've been eating much better lately, so let's keep our fingers crossed.

And now, some pics of hands and feet - thanks Brandy!

Below: William's feet, which look just like John-Raven's. Imagine that.

Below: Daddy holding John-Raven's hand.



Below: William grabbing Mommy's finger

And last but certainly not least...

Jerri, one of the wonderful nurses at Harris, caught the cute picture below of William one night last week. Both boys will sometimes make random cute faces like these, but capturing one with a camera seems almost impossible (unless you're Jerri).

Catching Up

Prior to the boys' VP shunt surgeries, William was up to taking a bottle or nursing every other feeding, and John-Raven was taking a bottle or nursing a few times daily. After the surgeries, they took a few steps back. William was on IV and John-Raven was just tube feeding. Since then, they've slowly been catching up to their former selves.

Now they're bottle feeding and breastfeeding most of the time. The oxygen monitors were removed because their levels have been stable. Once the feeding tube is removed altogether, the boys will be close to coming home.

I also need to do some catching up. Since I've fallen behind on my posting, here are several pics.

Below and Above: Phone pics of Mom giving William a bath last week. The arms look blurry because he was wiggling them around in excitement. (Or terror?) I've since bathed him and John-Raven, and both tolerate the process fairly well (to an extent).

Below: I placed my hand in this pic from last week to give some perspective on William's size.

And below, a few pre-surgery pics. These are from a digital camera that we left in the NICU so the nurses could take pics while we were away. I think they had fun. (The nurses and the boys.)

Don't they look like a couple of little old men?

-"Say, bubba, whachoobeenupto?"
-"Eatin'. Poopin'. Sleepin'. A li'l screaming."
-"Say...'em nurses sure are cute."
-"Yep."

Can you tell which is which?

Above: I think they know each other's feet more than their faces. That's what was in front of them for several months.

They're gaining weight and eating more. It's only a matter of time before they're adding their cries to the chorus of screaming infants around Briarwood.

Feeding Time

A couple of pics below - Mom with William, Dad with John-Raven. Notice how they're checking out the camera.

Hard to deny the cuteness, isn't it? We're a bit biased, though.

(Pics by Anh Pham. Thanks Anh!)

New Digs

The boys are moving up in the world. After proving that they could keep their temperatures stable, William and John-Raven have been moved from incubators to cribs. To me, their "cribs" are more like clear plastic tubs, or at least they seem that way after the incubators. I doubt these units will show up on MTV any time soon, but you won't hear us complain. The change means that they're improving, which makes them one step closer to coming home (whenever that will be). They're also eating much better, they're more alert, and their oxygen levels are steadier.

Mom with John-Raven. Cribs seem so small compared to incubators.

Close-up of Mom and John-Raven.

William, not looking thrilled at having his picture taken. (Sorry it's sideways. Not sure how to flip pictures in Blogger, and I'm too lazy to figure it out right now.)

If I haven't made the point clearly enough before, let me say we've had some fabulous, caring professionals looking after William and John-Raven. Virtually all of the doctors, nurses, and techs we've dealt with at the Harris NICU and at Cook Children's have been kind and helpful beyond words, and the progress the boys are making is a testament to the dedication of those looking out for them right now.