A busy week for us

The girls have had a big week. Sunday was the baby shower for us. They were able to meet a lot of family and friends. My sisters out did themselves. The shower was truly beautiful. The girls were very good about being fought over and passed from person to person, they slept through it. We are still trying to put away all the nice gifts we received. I thought I had a lot of room in our new home but when you have twins there is a lot of stuff and their room is jam packed full now. It was very nice people were so generous to the girls. Tony loved the diaper gifts, since we went through 24 diapers in a 24 hour period the other day. A simple task of writing thank you notes is a challenge now. I think the girls conspire against me when I want to do a task like that. One will be angry and I will calm them down, then sit down to write some notes and then it's like they tagged each other and the other one starts crying. Oh, the joys of motherhood with twins, I wouldn't change a thing. They truly are the loves of our lives. They have grown a lot this week, they are pushing almost 7 pounds. Baylee is catching up with Amelia. Their personalities are showing up too. The girls are smiling and laughing, yes laughing, in their sleep. Grandpa Irish was holding Amelia the other day and she was sound asleep when she started chuckling. Grandpa Irish thought that was hilarious and turned to me and said "She's laughing at me". It is really cool to see the grandparents love on them. Grandma Irish won't put them down, Auntie Julie tells her to all the time. But grandma likes to cuddle them. I am ok with that, because at home they hang out in their boppy seats, the floor or their play pen. They are feeding at the same time if not just 15 minutes apart when it is just mom. They are good babies. Nighttime is getting better, they will just wake up to eat every two hours but are going right back to their pack and play to sleep. Mom and Dad are switching shifts so we are getting a little more sleep. It is hard for mom because she automatically wakes up when one of them cry and it is her turn to stay asleep. Dad is coping with the staying up the best he can, but mom loves to watch him truly wake up, one night he picked up his pillow like it was a baby instead of the crying baby across the room. Mom couldn't stop laughing as she feed the screaming baby, Dad didn't think it was that funny (truly it was!!!). The girls had their first visit to the Mall of America this week. Mom had an interview at Children's Place for a part time job. The woman will be calling with the date of her first day of work this week. I was hoping I could wait longer before having to work, but bills are calling a little too much. Diapers, Diapers, Diapers!!!! I took pictures of the girls this week and will post them when I find the cord to the camera so I can download them to the computer. Things seem to disappear at our house now. Our laundry is going to start creeping out the windows. Priorities are different when they compete with two screaming babies. I truly love being a mom and now that we are all healthy it is less stressful. We are at grandma Irish's today making cookies for Auntie Joyce's open house tomorrow and waiting to go pick up the dogs at the groomer's. The dogs were in desperate need of a haircut. We probably won't even recognize them when we pick them up. I will post the pics tomorrow hopefully. Back to reality, there is a baby screaming to eat!!!

Amelia and Baylee tattle on their parents

Hi, it's me Baylee! Hey, it's me too, Amelia!! We thought it was time for us to write in our family blog. Mommy and Daddy can't have all the fun. Mommy has been caught sleeping on occasion, we were in co hoots with Daddy and took her picture. Mommy wasn't happy, but just kept on sleeping. We have decided to let them sleep at night every two hours before our tummies are so rumbly we have to get them up. Because face it we just can't reach the fridge or microwave to make our own bottles. Daddy stayed up more last night and mommy got to sleep. She seemed more alert this morning while she read us some books. We like to listen to Mommy, we keep our eyes open and stare at her and she always smiles at us. We all had to get up early because the home nurse came to weigh us. I weighed in at 5 lbs 9 Oz and my sister weighed in at 5 lbs 12Oz. Yes, we have become little oinkers. The formula/breast milk combo seems to be doing it's tricks. We also got good news, now both those stinky staph infections are all gone in me. I am feeling all better and love to be awake several times a day. Amelia is also showing off, like me of course, and being awake a lot during the day. Mommy and Daddy watch out we are going to give you guys a run for your money. I posted some more pictures, check out mommy asleep and of course the two of us, how can you not say we are cute??? Oops, mommy says that isn't nice to say, but Auntie Joyce says I am the DIVA so I am just living up to the name. Bye oh Amelia says bye too.

A day in the life of twins

Well, the girls think nighttime is to be awake. UGH!! It is a good thing mom isn't working right now. Dad is trying to help at night but he really is a sound sleeper with his CPAP machine on. Last night the girls slept more than the night before. We are trying to keep them up during the day. It seemed to help a little but just like when they were in the womb from 12-4 they think it is party time. This time they have invited their parents, which we love but would like some sleep too!!! :) They have both gained weight since coming home from the hospital. Baylee will be tested one more time tomorrow for the last staph infection to be gone. She had one lingering but it should show up negative tomorrow. Amelia's has still stayed negative. The pediatric home nurse will be coming to access the girls tomorrow to do the tests and weights. No fevers to report, thank goodness. They do not like having their temps taken, but we only have 3 days left of that. It seems all is going well. I am surprised at myself that I am not more tired. I do have to admit, which Tony would agree, I am a bit crabbier. I will adjust, just like the girls will eventually start sleeping at night instead of the day. It will just take time. Tony has went back to work and wishing he was at home with the girls. He calls more than he used to, which was only 3 times before now he has doubled that. It is rather endearing, he is such a nervous dad. He wants all of us to be ok. Which we are. He tries hard to get everything perfect, mom says to relax the diaper sometimes goes on crooked in the middle of the night. Just the other day mom put a diaper on Baylee around 1 in the morning and by 1:15 she was screaming because mom didn't have it covering her butt completely and let's just say mom had some cleaning up to do. Everyone makes mistakes, the good thing about it is, they make great stories and the kids will never remember it. Two babies are a lot of work and I can't imagine what the women who have triplets, quads, quints, and up do. I would go insane. They must have around the clock help. The girls are currently sleeping at the same time, YEAH!!! Mom is going to eat lunch and then the three of us are venturing out on an errand, hopefully they like their car seats today. I will post some more pictures later.

THEY ARE HOME!!!!!

We are so excited to have the girls home again. They are healthy. This morning we found out that Baylee had contracted two different staph bacterial infections from a contaminate she got from having blood drawn. Amelia's tests stayed negative, and Baylee has gotten rid of the infections. They are both doing well, they need to gain weight. Baylee lost .5 pounds from yesterday to this morning. Apparently, she didn't want to eat last evening. We wake them up every two hours to eat. Baylee and Amelia have started nursing again, mom is producing some milk since the placenta is now all out. They get a bottle afterwards as well, it is hard to judge how much breast milk they are getting so we still supplement. They were put on a different formula again, this one has more calories in it. It is made for preemies so they can gain weight. We were very pleased with the care they received at the NICU. We also stopped into MPP to say hi to Dr. Calvin and introduce him to the two girls he helped save by doing the rescue cerclage on me. We are home now, feeding and changing two little girls. They are so much more alert now, then before. They both lift their little heads off your shoulder and look into your eyes. Amelia was awake a full hour and half today while dad was grocery shopping. She kept smiling at me too as I talked to her. Baylee was snuggling with her Grandma at the time. Having twins is a lot of work, but I wouldn't change anything. They are really sweet babies. Their skin color is so light and pink now that the jaundice is completely gone. They are a little bruised from all the blood draws and IV pokes, but they will heal. Our goal is to have each of them reach their birth weight by Friday at their two week appointment. I posted some more pictures for all to see. The first four are from the NICU and going home, the rest are from friday and Saturday of last week. They have a photo with their Great Aunt Joan as well.

Life gets crazier

As you can see our lives got a little crazier today. I am recovering from a successful D and C. I will be ok. The girls had an excellent day. They were taken off 2 of their preventive antibiotic as well as Zantac. They will keep them on the last antibiotic until the results of what kind of string the gram positive cocci in clusters is, whether it was a contaminate or an infection. It looks positive towards a contaminate today, because Amelia's is still negative. The spinal fluid is still negative, the urine is too. They had until tonight to grow. All results will be there in the morning, as well as they will be taking blood one more time to make sure Baylee is clear. The nurses called to make sure we are there in the morning for rounding. Once that comes in the girls get to come home. I am thinking positive that all is well, and we are going with the theory the neonatologist had today, the fever came from a virus or small bug they got. The lethargy they had seems to be gone, they are bright eyed today. In the last 24 hours, their feedings have been consistent and they are taking in more. They have both put on ounces. Their jaundice is nearly gone, both are down below 6, YEAH!! The docs also think that may have had a hand in the poor feedings and lethargy. All I know is that whatever it was, it seems to be gone and our little angels are pinking up and have been awake a lot. I couldn't be happier. All I know is that from now on when doctors begin to work with the girls and list everything that could be, we need to stay calm and wait for results. It isn't worth worrying over, because in this case it could be something as small as a virus, but when they list all the things it could be, in my life I have always expected the worse. I am determined that is going to change. I have two beautiful daughters (sorry for the biased opinion) and things will get better for their sake. I am getting healed now with the D and C and they are healthy and ready to come back home. I don't think I would of done anything different. The neonatologists said that no matter what child came in at the age they were and their preliminary lab results, the same measures would of been taken. They don't mess with infants that young. I am glad for what they have done. I remember the first doc told me, he wasn't going to send the girls home until they were eating like pigs. Well, my little oinkers are. The NICU staff was excellent in caring for our girls, they encourage the parents to do all the caring for babies. I changed diapers, feed, took temperatures, measured dirty diapers on a scale, administered all meds that weren't IV related, and anything else they needed. Both Tony and I feel lucky the girls are healthy because a lot of the babies there are not and we pray for all of them and their families. We also are very thankful to my sisters Joyce and Julie for dropping everything to rush to the hospital today to sit with the girls as Tony and I went down to have the surgery. I feel bad that they got behind in their work, if there is anything I can do, I will do it in a heartbeat. This big rain cloud hanging over my head has been blown away tonight. Both Tony and I agree life is going to come to a more uneventful and peaceful, minus screaming babies at night :). I will take screaming babies over another hospital stay any day. I hope that from now on I can be the one called to help someone instead of me calling to get help. Family is the best, I just hope I can return the favors to them, so they know how much I appreciate it. I have always been sensitive and easy to cry and I appreciate everyone's patience with me. How do you thank the people who in your life are your rocks??? Is it possible to express your feelings good enough??? Will they ever know how much you appreciate and love them for being unselfish and loving??? Please know that I am not good at expressing myself well, but I never take what others do for me for grant it. I pray that life starting tomorrow will be calm and uneventful, and I will heal so I can help those who helped us. I will post tomorrow the girls status, which I am sure will be THEIR HOME.-

The flight was smooth...

...but apparently, the roads in Life are a bit bumpy.

So Amelia and Baylee have been taken off their monitors and meds save for one antibiotic for Baylee's blood infection. The doc today was optimistic that the infection was no more than a skin infection that contaminated the blood cultures when they took blood out, so another culture is being run through to verify that. Provided the outcome of this test will determine when the babies can leave, either by tomorrow or by next week. Hope that the culture is negative.

But the bump happens this morning when Jill reports not feeling well this morning and what seems to be very heavy bleeding. Turns out per her docs at MPP that she still has a sizable chunk of placenta still inside her, so they went in this afternoon to take it out and she'll likely need to go home or get a separate room for the day to rest up and lay down. Everything went well as far as the removal goes, I'll keep updates if anything changes, but just pray some type or normalcy falls on us soon before we go nuts.

Unfortunate news

The girls were admitted to NICU at children's hospital yesterday. Jill noticed they were warm and took temps. Amelia had a 100.2 so Jill called the clinic and they sent us to the ER. By the time we got to the ER both girls were over 101. They did urine, blood and a spinal tap test. Jill held them fine throughout all the poking, I am not able to watch so I stepped out. After the fourth attempt of putting an IV in Baylee, they told Jill they needed to put the IV in her head. Well, for the bravest mom and wife, that was enough to cause Jill to cry. The nurse understood and sent us on a walk with Amelia until Baylee was done. The girls got their first taste of sugar. To put in an IV they give the girls a little ball thing filled with glucose to help their veins pop. Let's just say they have a sweet tooth like their mom. OH NO!! Today was a hard day waiting for results. The cultures take 48 hours, only 24 to go. Baylee's blood test came back positive for gram positive cocci in clusters. This is a bacterial blood infection, they think came from the vaginal birth. Jill feels guilty, but they turned off all her meds when she had the reaction to the epidural, so the antibiotic was not in her system when she delivered. Jill blames herself even though everyone here in the NICU is praising her for watching and worrying about the girls enough to bring them in. This infection left untreated is fatal in newborns. I am very proud of her. She knew something wasn't right with the girls since she brought them home. The signs of lethargy, not eating, losing weight and fever, even though some are common with preemies, were not normal all together. Jill hasn't left their side, unless forced by nurses and myself to eat. I can't express how proud I am to have her as the mom of my children and my wife. Honey, when you can read this, YOU ROCK!!! Jill is staying at the hospital with the girls, it is called rooming in. They are in room 38 in the NICU. If you want to talk to her you have to call the NICU to be connected to their room. The phone flashes, doesn't ring, Jill sometimes misses it. There is a answering machine, she will check it and try to give calls back. You can write an email as well, I am bringing up our laptop to her in the morning. The estimated time of stay is currently 1-2 weeks. Jill is upset they will miss their baby shower, but wants them to get better. Well, I am heading back to work in the morning, I wish I could be there for the ladies in my life, but I have to bring home a paycheck. If anyone wants to visit, adults are allowed with photo ID accompanied by Jill or myself. Children are not allowed in the NICU unless they are a sibling to the baby. However, children are allowed to be in the family room with one adult while the other adult visits the babies. There are rules in the NICU, when visiting Jill or myself will explain the rules. This isn't the way we imagined their first weeks of life, Jill did such a good job keeping them in and this is killing her having them be sick, she blames herself. We all know it isn't her fault but the nurses said her hormones will make her more sensitive. I will try to update, Jill probably will too. We just pray they get better and the culture for anything else stay negative.