Our Growing Babies

Today I took the babies back to the pediatrician for a weight check. Last week Elsie weighed 4 lbs. 14 oz and today she weighed 5 lbs. 11 oz. At last week's weigh in Elias weighed 5 lbs. 11 oz and today he weighed 6 lbs. 2 oz.

Obviously they both grew more than expected, which is fabulous and a huge load off. At last check last week Elias only grew a half ounce per day, and I worried this past week since that appointment that maybe he wasn't getting enough when nursing. Every time he ate I second-guessed if I was able to give them both enough to grow adequately. Worrying about this may sound silly, but I quickly remembered the same concerns that I had while nursing Emily those first few weeks. Our pediatrician still wants me to continue the supplement of Neosure but doesn't think it will be necessary to continue past four weeks.

I've found that for the most part, people (outside the medical world) aren't too encouraging when I tell them I am breastfeeding my twins. Many people act as though it won't last, and maybe "reality" will set in at some point and I will realize I can't do this. Other people make comments about how I should not feel bad when I can't nurse any more because at least "I tried." True. I won't feel bad if I have to stop nursing. I wish that more moms of twins in the hospital's Special Care unit had the support that I did from my family to breastfeed. But I am pretty sure i was the only mom of twins out of the four other pair who nursed.

There are many things that have been explained to me in the past month regarding milk supply and twins. I've also learned about how a mom's body automatically produces certain amino acids to give to the babies in-utero during the final weeks of gestation, and how when a mom delivers a baby (or babies in my case) premature, the mom's milk supply automatically includes those amino acids so the babies don't miss out on the important amino acids.

All of this information and the new confirmation that YES my twins can thrive on what I supply them amazes me. I am amazed at how God created the entire process. It is so brilliant. It is encouraging. And when I get exhausted from the 8-19 feedings a day times two babies I remind myself that I CAN DO THIS. I was designed to do this. And God will give me strength to breastfeed two babies for as long as He wants me to.

And of course, those who know me know that with every nay-sayer comes a fresh attitude of "I'll show you!" I am stubborn and determined.

First Bath

We took several pictures of Emily during her first bath. I reviewed them recently and it occurred to me that she hadn't yet lost her umbilical cord at the time of her first bath. We were told with the babies that we needed to wait until both had lost their cords, and until Elias' had healed after his circumcision.

So last night was the big first bath. Here are some pictures to highlight the momentous occasion:

8 Things

Who knew I could find the time? :)
Here you go Katie... and have a great time at Ben's wedding today!

Eight things I'm looking forward to...

1. Giving the babies their first bath this afternoon

2. Homegrown tomatoes

3. Scott being out of school for the summer

4. Taking Emily and the babies on a walk across the dam in our new double jogging stroller (thanks Dad!)

5. Emily's dance recital

6. The end of our bi-weekly pediatrician appointments. We love Dr. Cope, but we've seen enough of him for now thanks!

7. Seeing relationships grow between my children

8. Fitting back into my swim suit so I can take Em to the pool at some point this summer

Eight things I did yesterday...
1. Nursed the babies (8 times yesterday X 2 )

2. Went to the lactation consultant

3. Painted my toenails and gave myself a pedicure. Gotta love the Ped Egg

4. Cried when I thought of how quickly the three weeks with my mom here flew by

5. Took a nap

6. Brought the babies to visit my kids in my classroom

7. Turned in my letter of resignation

8. Saw many great friends at work that I love so much


Eight things I wish I could do...

1. Discover oil in South Carolina so my parents could move here

2. Rip out my carpet and install hardwoods (I won't mention the kitchen wallpaper... the list could be endless!)

3. Sleep for more than three hours at a time

4. Slow down the time my little ones are little (Emily included!)

5. Reduce Scott's commute to work to only five minutes or less

6. Sew

7. Add five hours to each day

8. Find balance for all the aspects of my busy life

Eight shows I watch...

1. House Hunters

2. Devine Design

3. Law & Order (its all about the dun dun!)

4. Dateline

5. Diners Drive-ins and Dives

6. Chopped

7. Celebrity Apprentice

8. Desperate Housewives


I tag...

1. Scott (though he won't do it!)

2. Becky

3. Sarah

4. Sam

This week's happenings

There has been a lot going on this week. There have been people who have left phone messages that I haven't returned, and there are many thank-you notes to be written. Please know that even though we haven't returned phone calls or sent notes with promptness, we do appreciate all the excitement and help from our family and friends!

Here are some of the many things this week has brought to the Johnson household:

1. My grandparents arrived Monday. Emily thinks her great-grandpa is her personal play toy, and great-grandma is another great help with everything around the house. We're so grateful!

2. Elsie's big appt. was yesterday. Right after the pediatrician wrote orders for yet another blood work up to be done at the hospital on Elsie, the fax came in with her previous test results. So after he walked out of the room, he was back in shortly after to rip up the orders and to explain the great news that all of her infant blood screen results now showed normal levels in all areas. What an answer to prayer that was!

3. Emily has been so busy with dance and preschool. She's had dress rehearsal, pictures, and awards for dance. And Thursday was her last day of preschool. She dressed up as Mary Mary Quite Contrary for her Nursery Rhyme Celebration.

4. We dropped Mom off at the airport today. This is always so hard. I know that after three weeks away she was worn out and ready to be home... we are too after extended California trips and we understand the relief to be back at home. And she and my dad missed each other so much. However, Scott and I will never be able to explain how wonderful it was for her to be here. We wouldn't have made it through the last three weeks without her. And boy have three weeks flown by!

5. Tomorrow I plan on going to my school to visit my kids who I haven't seen in over a month. I can't wait! Since Elsie's blood work is normal I look forward to introducing them to class and visiting the people I work with that miss seeing every day. I will also deliver my official notice of resignation. That will be hard. I've been putting it off for a long time, but now that Scott signed his contract with his school district, we're comfortable with me putting it in writing.

6. Elsie and Eli are three weeks old today. I promise to send better pictures tomorrow, but these are some of them individually.


I'm sure you can imagine the many pediatrician, OB/GYN, and lactation appt's that we've been attending for the past two weeks. Team that up with the events above, and we really haven't had much time at home! I know that sounds crazy, but it is so true. I look forward to next week (only one pediatrician appt.) when we can hopefully hang out at home and develop some sort of a schedule.

Feeding babies, my big girl, and a glow-worm baby

Feeding the babies is quite the process. Each one nurses well, but when they are done they also are taking a supplement that I add to milk that adds calories and vitamins. They need this because they are so small. I've been bummed about this supplement because part of the benefit of nursing is not dealing with bottles, warming, and mixing. Now I still have to do that, but its okay.

A benefit of both nursing and supplement with a bottle is that others get to feed the babies. Emily is totally a help with this. She doesn't always want to sit still so long while they finish, but most of the time she sits still and very carefully holds the bottle until the baby is done. Another way she is such a big help is waking the babies. Now you are probably thinking that most moms would try to get their preschooler NOT to wake the babies, but sometimes getting them to eat is hard when they are so sleepy. Emily comes in very handy. She talks to the babies and rubs their arms and legs very gently until they wake enough to eat.

Today we had another doctor's appt. for Elsie. The thyroid results were still elevated, but our doctor doesn't seem to worry so much right now because the levels aren't very high above "normal." But her bili levels hadn't gone done, and so we have her on phototherapy. This isn't a blanket, or a bed, but rather is called a "Bilibee." It is like a soft plastic board that slides up her onsie on her back. It plugs in, and also has a battery pack. Elsie doesn't seem to mind it, and has taken great naps today with it. Hopefully this weekend on the lights will do the trick and her levels will be lowered when we return to the doctor's office on Monday. We won't go anywhere this weekend which is a welcome treat after returning to the doctor's office every morning. But I REALLY wanted to go to church since we've missed so many weeks in a row. Oh well.

Tomorrow my mom, Scott, and I are all looking forward to a relaxing morning at home. It will be the first day all week that Mom and I haven't had to run out and be at an appt. with the babies and Emily. We will celebrate with the morning paper and cups of coffee... one of Scott and my favorite Saturday morning routines.

P.S. Thanks to Grandma Sharon for sending the adorable baby clothes for Elsie and Eli, and the cute outfit Emily has on in the pictures. And also thanks for the strawberry jam you sent with mom. It is Scott's favorite, and he has just about finished off an entire jar since its arrival.

Two Weeks Old!

The past few days have been wonderful with our babies home. We have been back and forth to the pediatrician this week to make sure they are both growing, which they are. Eli now weighs 5 lbs 7 oz as of yesterday, and Elsie weighs 4 lbs. 13 oz. Both are above their birth weight.

We are also still monitoring Elsie's bili levels. We go back again tomorrow for a check. I keep telling myself that I won't get upset if we are told we need the special lights at home.

And one last item that we are still a bit concerned about is a couple of blood tests they did on Elsie (standard newborn tests) that came back elevated. We had both tests repeated yesterday, and the results of one came back today still slightly elevated. It is her thyroid, however our pediatrician told us the number was only slightly abnormal, and not anything to worry about or cause action right now. But he will monitor it. The other abnormality is her amino acids that show an abnormally high level of protein. This retest results won't be back until next week.

Our pediatrician tells us that it isn't uncommon of preemie blood work to come back with abnormalities that are actually false. And he says he sees a "very healthy baby" and isn't too concerned. We're praying that everything works itself out and looks "normal" in the coming weeks. Until then I'm thankful for a doctor who is wonderful and kind, and who explains everything patiently to a mom who has a tendency to freak out. (Same doctor who dealt with me during Emily's ear tubes/tonsil/adenoid stuff)

Right now we're just enjoying this time when they mostly eat, sleep, and yuck their pants. Between the tasks of putting milk in, and cleaning what comes out we are left with some great opportunities to snuggle up on both.

It is so fun to see them interact with each other as we co-sleep them in the same crib. Elias did manage to knock Elsie in the head today which didn't please her. But over all they really comfort each other when I place them beside the other. I can't wait to see their bond grow!

We are all home!

Friday Update

Today was a bit frustrating. Not at all because the babies have had set backs, but because I really didn't care for a nurse that Elias had for most of the day. Let me start by saying that EVERY nurse we've had during the entire process has been fabulous. For this I'm grateful. However, today Elias' nurse refused to take his isolette down even a degree. His body temperature was 98.1, and like I said yesterday, the orders said to take the isolette temp down 1/2 degree as long as the body temp remained above 97.5. Last time I checked 98.1 was well above 97.5. But when I asked her about this, she said acknowledged the orders, but said she wasn't comfortable with taking the isolette temp down until he was 98.6. I wanted to shout, "BUT YOU ARE NOT THE NEONATOLGIST!?!?" But I didn't.

So, now Elsie is farther along in her 48 observation that Elias. The good news is that I called in this evening after I knew the nurse shift changed, and spoke with the nurse now on shift for Eli. She basically said she didn't understand why he stayed at the same temp all day, and that she would be turning his isolette down 1/2 degree within the hour. Mind you, he only needed 1/2 degree to be even with room temp, and come out of the isolette all together! We were so close, and yet he stayed the same all day. Not because he couldn't do it, but because he was never given the opportunity to try. Grrrr.

The good news about today is that our Emily is fabulous. She comes with us once a day to the 8 am feeding so she can also see "her babies." Though she gets a bit rambunctious towards the end (every feeding takes 1 1/2 hours with the diaper changing, clothes, swaddling, and loving) she loves her babies, and does a great job helping. She actually gets whatever I need while I try to nurse both at the same time. She helps me keep them awake to ensure they are eating enough food. She gives them their 30 CC bottle supplement after they finish nursing. And today we tried out putting a baby in her arms. She ended up (sort of) holding both at the same time. She was so excited!

While I went back and forth this morning to make the 11 am feeding, Emily and mom were at this great place down the road called "Monkey Joes." They have over ten HUGE inflatables with slides that are a couple stories tall. As you can see from the pictures, Emily isn't afraid of much! Grammy only had to scale one inflatable wall to save her when she got scared. I sort of have a picture of this, but Grammy says she'll kill me if I post it. Sorry.

Emily got rid of some energy and by noon was ready for lunch. After lunch Mom dropped me off back at the hospital for the 2 pm and 5 pm feedings while they went home to get Emily in her bed for a much needed nap. Then Scott met me at the hospital for the 5 pm feeding, and to take me home. When he comes for this feeding he bottle feeds both babies their supplements.

So that is pretty much how today went. The back and forth between feedings and transportation is pretty much like that every day. We will be so glad when we get to take them home. When I start to feel sorry for myself or get teary I just think of the first time mom of twin boys who are also in the Special Care nursery, and have been since April 6. They still have a long way to go before her boys are discharged.

Between blogging my day's frustration, and being reminded of how lucky we are, and how much God has given us, I will make an exit from my pitty party and get over it. Tomorrow will be a better day! (And with a better nurse, because I overheard the frustrating nurse say she has the weekend off! WOO HOO!)

5-7-09 Update

Yesterday Mom and I were shopping for a few more preemie clothes for the babies. Fed up and a bit impatient Emily sighed and said, "why are we buying more clothes for the babies? They stay naked all the time!"

This was true up until today! Emily was thrilled today, as you also will be, that both Elias and Elsie got to wear their first clothes this morning! Their jaundice levels were low enough that they were taken off the phototherapy lights. They are eating well enough that Elsie's feeding tube (in her nose) was finally removed for good. They don't have IV fluids anymore.

Now they are in the process of being weaned off their isolettes to see if they can maintain body temperature in regular room air with no assistance from the warmers. I was at the hospital for the 8 am feeding through their 5 pm feeding, and when I checked back by phone at 8 pm tonight, both babies had temperatures of 98.5. They will continue to decrease their isolette temp. by 1/2 degree every three hours as long as their under arm temp. doesn't drop below 97.5. They get to be clothed and swaddled. (And you better bet I chose the thickest clothing and socked their feet with booties on top stitched to their onsies, and swaddled them with care! )

Of course I will post an update tomorrow. Hopefully it will say that they are both out of their isolettes and in normal room air. (And in cute baby clothes, of course! :) The next step is to have a 48 hour watch to see if they can maintain or grow their body weight. If that happens, they get to come home! One step at a time! I will probably stay at the hospital much more during the 48 observation time, just because now they are getting half feedings from me, and half feedings of pumped milk by bottle when I can't be there over night. But I feel like they get SO MUCH MORE food when I nurse, rather than the pre-measured amount by bottle. And I want them to eat as much as possible so we can bring them home!!!

And I won't go too much into detail, but I will say that nursing two babies is HARD! I knew it would be, but SHEESH! There is no way that I am quitting because we've come so far. The babies nurse very easily... its me who is having the difficulty! Thank goodness for a supportive nursing staff, husband and mom to encourage me! :)

Wed. Update

Yesterday was a loooooooong day. However, both babies did exceptionally well, and their visit with the neonatologist this morning was great! He decided to remove all tube feedings for both babies. They now take all of their feedings by nursing or by bottle when I am not able to be there. So now I just have to figure out how to balance being at home, and going in feed them. Today I went in for the 8 am and 11 am feeding, they are being fed by bottle for the 2 pm and 5 pm feeding, and then I return for them to nurse again for the 8 and 11 pm feedings, and they get bottles for their 2 and 5 am feedings. While I would love for them to nurse all the time, it just isn't feasible for me to hang around the hospital for 24 hrs at a time. Nor do we live close enough to come home between feedings. And since I am pumping anyhow, they aren't getting any formula. WHen Emily was a wee one she took a bottle or two to allow Scott to feed her (and allowed me to sleep!) and this was a great thing. Luckily, Eli and Elsie have no problem going back and forth between bottles and nursing. Not much holds them back from feeding! :)

ALso, the doctor is taking them both off IV fluids tomorrow, and they will also be done with their photo-therapy lights for the jaundice tomorrow morning. They will also be weened off the isolettes, which until now have maintained their body temperature so they don't have to waste precious calories keeping themselves warm. We don't think they ever had a problem maintaining them temperature, but just didn't want them to lose weight in the process. Now they are at a steady weight and this hopefully won't be a problem.

So all of those things above will be done on Thursday from 8 am to 8 am on Friday. Beginning 8 am on Friday they will be off of everything! They will then start at 48 hour observation time where their weight will be monitored. As long as they remain the same or gain, they will be sent home either Sunday or Monday. If they lose any weight we will have to talk about a bottle supplementation and they may have to stay another couple of days.

Please pray specifically that these two precious ones gain weight over the next three days... especially over the Friday and Saturday observation time. Elsie was born at 4 lbs 7 oz and has steadily gained slowly to 4 lbs 11 oz which is fabulous, and rare. Hopefully her pattern continues. Eli was born at 5 lbs 5 oz and has steadily dropped to 4 lbs 15 oz. While it is normal for babies to lose 10-15% of their birth weight, the doctor just wants to make sure he is gaining and not continuing to lose. The nurses tell me not to worry because he is such fabulous eater, and normally babies will go through a spurt where they will gain quite a bit in a short time after they have lost. Let's hope this is true in Eli's case!

Anyhow, I am very excited to be home for dinner tonight with my family. I miss that so much! But of course there is still part of me that really feels bad about not being with them right now. No matter where I am (home or hospital) it feels like I'm split and missing the other part of my precious family who isn't with me. Thank goodness we're looking towards the end, and how horrible for the mom across the hospital nursery who has already been doing this for almost three weeks, and has a couple more weeks to go. She lives almost an hour away. I don't know how families do it, but somehow they do!

Baby Update

Both Elsie and Elias are doing very well. There billiruben levels were high as of Sunday, and the doctor decided to put both under the special lights yesterday before the levels got any higher. I called this morning at 2 am and they said both babies' blood work came back with lower levels. :)

I was sent home on Sunday, and though the soreness is MUCH worse than when I had Emily I am trying to keep on the 800 mg Motrin three times a day and the pain is very manageable. This is good because yesterday they upped both babies' nursing to three times a day, and today it will probably be upped again to four. This means three or four trips back and forth to the hospital because of course the nursings can't be back to back, they have to be spread out as much as possible.

So right now the deal is that both babies just need to continue eating and growing. They both have the suck, swallow, breathe reflex down just great and are nursing very well. Eli for sure is the champ here. He surprised everybody with how well he does eating. Elsie is a little more finicky, and is already showing us that she can be quite the princess. As they eat more and grow, they will increase nursings. Until then the rest of their feedings are still done through a feeding tube in their poor little noses. The nurses explained that at this early gestational age and weight they just don't have the strength to nurse enough to get all the calories they need... hence the feeding tube. Once they grow and can eat more on their own without expending too many calories in the process, they will get to come home.

Until then we are making several trips back and forth to the hospital. Emily comes about once per day. She is very excited about her new additions and wants to help do everything! Of course Grammy is a tremendous help. While in the hospital she was carrying Emily's baby doll, as per Emily's request. Of course Grammy was going all out, and shhhhing the baby and rocking the baby. When we got on the elevator, the nurses at the nurses station just about jumped over the counter, as did everybody coming off the elevator. They all thought mom was trying to steal a baby! :) This made me laugh so hard I thought I was about to bust my stitches! For sure a laugh we all needed to lift our spirits and provide a story we will never forget!

My Mom is here.... and other great things

The top ten reasons I woke up thankful this morning (In no particular order)

1. I slept so much better knowing that my mom is here and anxious to take care of my family. Emily Grace couldn't have been more excited for her arrival and I know Scott finally was able to get the great night of sleep he needed now that my mom was here to help out with Emily.

2. When I went in to visit the babies at 2 am this morning the nurse had lowered Elias' oxygen level gradually until he no longer needed it. As of six this morning he still needed the CPAP, but didn't require any oxygen.

3. Elsie may potentially have jaundice, and while this sounds like a set back, it really isn't because it probably was going to happen anyway. Having it now means getting her under the lights now, not having to bring her in later, and also jaundice makes babies very lathargic which will allow her little body to hold on to those calories and gain more weight.

4. My friend Meesh is bringing me in a Maui Wowie smoothie from Tropical Smoothie this morning, causing instant grins from my hospital bed!

5. One of the nursery nurses is a parent of my fourth graders who also lives down the street from us. She is not in the Special Care Nursery, but it is still great to know she is here.

6. Emily got to show Grammy all around the nursery last night. She was very excited to point out all of the items for the babies, and where they were located. Scott and I tried to include Emily in most of the choices for baby items, and I'm thrilled she has taken such ownership of "her babies."

7. Last night Emily put her hand in the isolotte and was talking to baby Eli. He literally turned towards her and made a noise that Emily decided was him saying hello. She began talking to him, telling him her name, and he flung his little arm out towards her and when she touched it, he grabbed a hold of her finger, wrapping his tiny fingers around it. So precious. Mom has pictures, I'll post them later. I have never seen Emily so full of pride.

8. The cardiologist phoned the nurses station and said my blood levels finally looked how he wanted them. I still need to take the mag sulfate, but by pill which means I can get rid of this IV needle that I've had in my hand since Tuesday night.

9. Room service meals. Seriously. I just order from a menu what I want and they bring it within thirty minutes. And it is good too! Scott and I had biscuits and gravy yesterday with our breakfast and we both thought it was great! Who would have thought?

10. Tomorrow is Sunday. I should get to go home! :) And while it is never fun to be "that mom" who is discharged without her babies, I'm trying to view this as time God has given me to heal so that when Eli and Elsie do come home Scott and I will be able to take on the challenge of infant twins to the best of our abilities!

The babies are doing well this morning. Eli is at 25% oxygen, and they will try this afternoon to move it down again this afternoon. This is great progress! :) Elsie nursed this morning. Not too much, but was able to get her total amount of food which was beyond expectation.


Both are still in the isolletes so that their little bodies don't waste calories maintaining temperature. They both have IV fluids to help maintain weight, and they are both on antibiotics so that the fluid in their lungs don't develop an infection. That is why there are so many wires and are hooked up to monitors. And of course Eli has his CPAP machine that makes it impossible to see his face well.

Lori brought Emily in this morning and we went in to see the babies together. Emily has seen pictures of herself when she was in NICU and we've recently discussed with her the need for babies to sometimes have monitors and IVs when they are so little. I was worried that she would be upset by the wires, but she seemed to understand, and was just so excited to see her little brother and sister! I really loved snuggling with Emily this morning as we watched cartoons together. She is handling this all in stride! She even helped me brush my hair this morning.


Grammy flies in this evening. My mom is such a help, and we haven't seen her since Christmas. It means so much to me that Scott is just excited for my mom to come as I am. He's no dummy, and he totally is looking forward to her help, but he also misses my mom just as much as I do. Emily Grace keeps talking about how the pool in our neighborhood opens today, and she can't wait to go swimming with Grammy! :)

Baby update

This evening my nurse decided that it was a good idea to "detach" me from all my cords. Thank goodness! Between the EKG monitor, foot swelling machine, catheter, IV, and finger oxygen monitor, I was tied up beyond belief! I am so thankful to move around, and even though there has been much more pain associated with this c-section than when we had Emily and some complications, I can tell that moving around is already helping to get things where they should be.

Scott and I went into the special care nursery tonight to visit the babies. The nurses are really awesome, and we got to hold Elsie for about a half hour. She is doing really well... not really requiring anything special. We are praying that Elsie will be able to nurse tomorrow and master the suck reflex to eat. Prayer for that specifically would be awesome!

We still aren't able to hold Elias because he is attached to the CPAP machine to keep his lungs going. The nurse tells us that the process for Eli is that he first needs to breathe without the assistance of oxygen. Right now he is still requiring 28% oxidation. Room level oxygen is 21% and so he isn't that far off. After he is off the oxygen, he will need to breathe on his own without the CPAP machine. He may go right off the machine to breathing normally, or he may need to have an oxygen nose thingy (sorry... I forgot the term the nurse used!) to "remind" him to breathe, as the nurse explained. Then, when he is able to breathe w/o oxygen and w/o the CPAP he will next need to master the suck reflex to breastfeed.

So obviously Elias has more that he needs to do before being released than Elsie. The nurses here all call this "whimpy white boy syndrome." Apparently, statistics show that girls always breathe better than boys, and out of just the boys, white boys have the most breathing problems at birth out of all other ethnicities. I think this is fascinating. I have a room-mom at school this year who is a NICU nurse, and she explained this phenomonon to me a few months ago.

Even though we don't have a "potential release date" set, we are confident in the care and growth our precious little ones are getting in the special care nursery. I am not nearly as emotionally wrecked as I was when Emily was born, probably because with twins it was to be expected that they need special care. Scott is thankful I'm not such a mess! :) I'm trying to see this time as a time for me to repair from a painful section. I diffenately hurt more, and hopefully will be over the pain before our babies are released to go home with us.

So Scott and I are in the hospital together for the night, while Emily is with our friend Lori. Emily will get to visit her new baby brother and sister in the morning, and then Scott will take her home. My mom gets here tomorrow via plane. Scott and I can't wait! She is such a help, and Emily will be in great hands with Mom, which will allow us to focus on the babies.

I'm sure I'll have an update tomorrow. We all know how well I do being still, so being in a position where I am sitting or laying all day is dreadful! I am spending my time reading one of the five books I now have on parenting twins, blogging, walking to the nursery, or watching HGTV.

Thanks for all your prayers for baby Elias and Elsie! Hopefully we'll have pictures to post for everybody soon!

Baby Eli and Baby Elsie

Baby Elsie was born this morning at 4:41 am and weighed 4 lbs 7 oz. Baby Eli was born at 4:43 am and weighed 5 lbs. 5 oz. Both babies were crying loudly when they were born, which is always a good sign!

The hospital's policy is that any baby born before 37 weeks go directly to the NICU for a minimum of six hours. But before they were taken there Scott and I got to hold them both, which was fabulous.

Right now both babies are in the NICU and will be for awhile. Elsie is doing just fine, but we're waiting until tomorrow to see if she can feed with the suck/swallow/breath reflex. Elias has a few more problems. He is on a C-pap machine because his lungs aren't developed yet. He is also receiving oxygen, though only at 28% (normal room air is 20%) Once he gets off the machine and oxygen, then he will also need to show that he has the suck/swallow/ breathe reflex.

Both of them are just perfect! What a great gift from God?

Its 2 am and my water broke

I got a sleeping pill in order to make it through the night with all the infant heart monitors, contraction monitors, IV's and things. I am not one much for sleeping pills, so when I woke to a puddle I embarrassingly told Scott that I thought I didn't make it to the bathroom on time.

When I got up it became obvious that wasn't the issue. Luckily my doctor is already here delivering another woman's baby across the hall. She will be in soon. All my OCD self can do until then is blog with updates. Makes me feel better. Oh yeah, and I call and wake my parents up to tell them the news. My poor mother has lived her life the past week with one foot on a plane and one foot off as we try to guess when the best time for her to come is. She has been so patient, but I know she wants to be here ASAP!

Anyhow, it could be a long morning, or if it is anything like when Emily was born, it could go by super fast and we could be seeing our babies soon. :)

Babies could possibly be here tomorrow :)

This afternoon I called my doctor because we've been concerned for a bit about the lack of movement from our baby girl. Today there was literally no movement from her, and so when I called and told my doctor this she said to come in just in case. They did a non-stress test, where they hook me up to external monitors to trace each baby's heart rate. Both babies had great heart rates, but there was still little movement from baby girl. So they decided to do an ultra-sound in the office. Basically the ultra-sound test is called a BPP where they look for eight specific movements, and to "pass" both babies need to show all eight movements within thirty minutes. Baby boy did great, and got all movements right away. Baby girl only got 4/8, which automatically got me a one way ticket across the street to the hospital.

When we got to the hospital my doctor wanted me to be hooked up to monitors to make sure that both baby's heart rates didn't drop during contractions. They told me that if I didn't have contractions on my own, that they would induce contractions with pitocin. That kinda freaked us out because that would send me in to labor, and would mean a c-section this some time tonight. Luckily, I had plenty of contractions on my own, and we were able to by-pass being induced.

Now we wait to make sure both babies do well tonight, and tomorrow morning at 7 am my doctor will do another BPP test with ultra-sound. If baby girl doesn't get all eight movements, my doctor will take the babies tomorrow morning via c-section.

I will be 35 weeks on Friday. I'm glad that we've made it this far, but we really wanted to make it to 36 weeks, as this is when twins are considered "full term." But, everybody says that 34 weeks is great for twins. We're a little nervous, but also very excited. Of course, she could pass with flying colors, but so far this evening she hasn't moved on the monitors at all. This doesn't mean anything is wrong, but my doctor would rather be safe than sorry. She's probably just so low and cramped that she can't move!

Anyhow, the big news is that Scott and I have FINALLY decided on names for both baby girl and boy. We've had Elias David (Eli) picked out for our little boy for months now, but just tonight we finally decided on Elsie Faith. Maybe tomorrow we will get to meet these two precious babies. Maybe not! :) Either way, Scott and I are hanging out in the hospital room, and Emily is at Lori's house. We'll see what happens in the morning!

Something I accomplished while sitting down...

Cloth baby wipes

Thanks to Becky for this great idea! Scott and I have decided to do cloth diapers, but I was leery about cloth baby wipes. After talking with Becky and doing a little internet research, this was my project this afternoon.

One of the things Scott and I felt we "just had to have" with Emily was a diaper wipes warmer. Now I am using this wipes warmer to keep some of the older nastier baby wash clothes from Em in a solution I found on the internet. I think it will work quite nicely, and if I am already washing diapers, what's a few more cloth wipes?

Solution:
2 C. water
1.5 T. Baby Oil
1.5 T. Baby Lotion
1 T. Baby Wash
2 drops lavender oil

34 Weeks

This morning I went to my bi-weekly appt. Scott and I have resolved that our doctor could potentially want to take the babies at any time now if something should alarm her at an appt. Therefore we've each packed a hospital bag to be kept in the car with a fully stocked diaper bag.

Luckily today was not that day. My doctor strapped me into the non-stress test machine with elastic bands and monitors for each baby, as well as a contraction monitor. Basically all I do is sit in this comfy recliner in a special room with a t.v. and watch HGTV for 30 minutes while the computer prints out a strip of both babies' heart rates and another strip that shows any contractions I have. When the doctor came back in she said that the babies' strip looked fabulous... just as perfect as could be! However, I did have some contractions that concerned her. *Side note- I've been telling her for three weeks now that my contractions happen all the time, but she chalked that up with having twins and called it "normal"...until now* She said that now I needed to be on bed-rest... not just "limited activity." At least she understood what I was trying to tell her before, because these contractions get painful!

So now I am on bed-rest. I would say that for the past three days I haven't been up moving around too much at all just because the pressure and contractions get painful, and I sit down. So "bed-rest" won't be too much of a change from the activity level that I had this weekend.

Oh well. I would really like to shoot for 36 weeks, but right now we are just making it day by day, knowing that every day these two keep baking the better! But that doesn't mean that I don't feel a little whiny every once in awhile. I told my mom on the phone this morning "I just want these babies OUT!" But then I remind myself that it wouldn't be good for them to be born now, even it it meant getting my body back! :)

And just for a little perspective... at normal OB appts. the doctor takes a measurement of of a pregnant woman's fundal (sp?) height. Basically the outside measurement of the big 'ole belly from the top of the pubic bone to the top of the uterus. Well, today mine measured 45 weeks. Yeah. So, not that it is possible, but if a woman could go five whole weeks late with her singleton baby, her belly would be as big as mine is right now. Great. I can't wait to see what I will look like in another week! *sarcasm*

Trampoline + Sprinker = A great way to cool off

This is how we enjoyed our Sunday afternoon. Hope everybody else had an enjoyable day as well!

Yucky Dinner

Tonight I decided to make a new recipe for dinner. Basically it was your traditional mexican casserole that layered flour tortillas between a ground beef mixture and refried beans. It called for chopped green peppers, olives, diced tomatoes, and lots of other yummy things that seemed to promise a good meal.

I made the mistake of using ground turkey.

Now normally when I use ground turkey it tastes just fine. But this was absolutely awful. Even the topped shredded cheese and dollop of sour cream couldn't disguise the awful flavor.

Poor Scott wasn't going to say a word, but as soon as I made a comment about how I didn't like it, he looked so relived that I said it and not him.

Here's the thing. Making dinner takes a lot more effort than it normally does. Quite honestly it takes just about everything out of me these days. Team that up with the time I spent and the ingredients that were wasted, and I burst in to tears.

So now I have red eyes, and a family who is still very hungry with no dinner to serve. Looks like we're hitting a drive-thru.

Anybody else have a dinner flop like this? What a bummer, huh?

Is this how you sleep?

Emily has always been a napper. In light of yesterday's lunch-bunch episode (see yesterday's post and updated comment) I thought I would share some recent pictures that showed Emily's ability to literally sleep anywhere. She plays long and she plays hard. Where she passes out to sleep is sometimes your guess as well as mine.

The first is from last night. She had a very full afternoon. First she had a drumstick with her daddy on the front porch, then she played slip and slide with her dear friend "Jofus" (Joseph) on the front lawn while daddy pulled weeds. She played with my friend's puppy until bath time, and then went straight to sleep when she hit the bed. Sometimes you're just too exhausted to move!
The next picture is a little hard to see. This is the box that the babies' dresser came in. Emily played with it for a full week, and on this day she curled up and took a nap in her box. Scott and I laughed pretty hard when we found her passed out inside, with the front "door" closed.

Here are some other favorites from long ago:

Big Day for Emily

Today I drove Emily to preschool. But it isn't just a regular preschool day. Today she gets to stay after for "lunch-bunch." Basically, all lunch-bunch is is a time for kids to stay after, eat their lunch at preschool, play, and do a craft. Normally there is no opportunity for Emily to go because Ms. Shari picks up the kids from preschool at 11:45, and when working I can't pick up Emily when lunch-bunch is over (1:50).

She has been asking ALL YEAR to go to lunch-bunch because her dear friend Ella attends lunch-bunch every day. Ella is a year older than Emily, and used to go to Ms. Shari's house with Emily ever day. Emily misses Ella terribly, and the only time they see each other is in passing at dance, which always results in both of them running to each other with big hugs. It is far too cute!

Well, Scott and I decided to sign Emily up for lunch-bunch this one time. We picked her up together at Shari's yesterday and told her the big news. Then we told her we needed to go to Target to get a new lunch box. She was thrilled! We spent the afternoon getting a cream slush from Sonic, picking out a new super-special lunch box, and choosing the best things for our lunch. (BTW, when asked to pick out a dessert for her lunch, my kid passed up the pudding for mandarin oranges.) What an afternoon!

Then this morning I walked Emily in to her class and before I could inform Ms. Hope of Emily's special lunch-bunch attendance, Ms. Hope said to Emily, "I saw you on the list for lunch-bunch today! How exciting!" Apparently Emily has also been asking her teacher to go to lunch-bunch all year.

As I walked out of preschool my child was beaming. I'm sure she drove her teacher crazy asking, "is it time for lunch-bunch yet?" about a zillion times. I'm thrilled that something that I would consider "no big deal" is such a joy for Emily. I think I could learn from Emily how to see the excitement in even the simple things.

Now off I go to pick her up. Who knows the stories I will be told about lunch-bunch and the accompanying activities. I will make sure to be just as excited as can be while she shares.

I think I have control issues... ??

In the past few weeks there have been many things that I felt are out of my control. Most of all is the birth of the babies. Now before I had my doctor and friend who was planning on delivering our babies 5/15 via scheduled c-section. I felt we had a plan. As soon as the babies were born we would look at the potential "come-home" date. If both babies had no problems and it looked like we would come home within a couple of days, my mom would immediately book a flight and be here. If it looked like they would need some time in the neo-natal nursery, mom would wait until it looked like they were ready to come home. The idea was that I needed my mom during the time we were home.. not during the time they were in NICU. We had this plan. It was a plan we all were comfortable with, and the May 15 date gave me a goal to "stay pregnant" until then, and also a mind-set of "I can do anything until May 15" that helped as the discomfort grew.

Now that my doctor is out on bedrest with her own pregnancy I am seeing another doctor in her practice. First things first. This doctor is also amazing, and I am so thankful that she is in the practice for me to go to. However, her approach is slightly different. She says 5/15 is a good goal, but she really doesn't see the need to take them at that time if they are still growing. She sort of has a "wait and see" approach. This if fine of course, and honestly sounds like the best plan for the babies. But it leaves me thinking, "Then what exactly is my 'due date'?" All of the sudden our plan won't work, because even if I make it to 5/15 that doesn't mean we will have a c-section that day.

Of course now there is thought that I may not even make it to May 15. This thought has grown in light of last week's hospital stay.

And what exacerbates my feeling of being out of control is all of the end of the year events that Emily has coming up during that time. Between her preschool end of year activities, dance recitals, friend birthday parties and more I can barely keep it straight! Just the dance recital alone has my head spinning. First there is the informative parent meeting. Then pictures, costume dress rehearsal, final dress rehearsal at the theater, call times, instructions for everything up to what color blush to wear on their cheeks, etc. This all the week that I was "due" to have the twins. Hmmm. I'm feeling a bit out of control.

So what did I do today? I dropped Emily off at preschool, and went to Panera. After a decaf coffee and a cinnacrunch bagel with non-fat cream cheese I left with a fairly clear head. After a nice nap (sleep was an issue last night) I plan on typing up directions for every activity with a date and time posted to the front so that whoever it is helping, whether it be my grandma, Mom, or friend, will know exactly what to do, where to go, and how to get Emily there.

Maybe accomplishing this task will help me feel a bit more in control of life.

33 Weeks

I went to the doctor on Monday. Sorry for the late update. I wasn't dilated on Friday when I was at the hospital, but I was slightly Monday. No worries though as the doctor said I could stay the same way without progressing for weeks. They did an ultrasound to check the fluid levels around both babies, and that came back just fine. I go back in Monday for them to check again.

Here are some pictures of baby Eli. He is in a better position that his sister, so both pictures are of him because we aren't able to get any of her. Anyhow, here's the thing about twin ultrasound pics.... everything is so squished in there that there really have never been any fabulous shots of either of them. Also the "4-D" is actually computer generated, which means the ultrasound tech takes a still picture and then does some work with the imaging. But our boy never stays put long enough for her to do that, and it results in a blur. Hence the blurry "hand " that you see on the first picture on the left side. But I still enjoyed getting to see his little nose and mouth. Very cute!

The second picture is my favorite, even though there isn't too much to see because he is actually sucking his thumb in this picture. That was so fun to see on screen!

We can't wait to meet these two!

Um... now what?

Today is my first day of no working, "limited activity." We decided to continue taking Emily to Ms. Shari's because having her here would mean little rest for me, and no fun for her.

So its 8:45 am and Emily is at Shari's, Scott is off to work, and I am at home by myself. I have a doctor's appt. at 10 am this morning.

And then what?


I need to find something good to read. It is going to be a long three weeks.

Moving towards ready

I have been looking for the perfect diaper bag for months. I had certain criteria that had to be met in order to be considered, and ended up with no considerable bags to speak of. I've looked on-line, in multiple stores, and even fancy boutiques (where I was reminded I am so NOT a boutique type of girl.) After looking for two hours on-line last night and coming up with nothing, my friend Meesh went to Target, picked up two bags that came the closest to meeting my list of "must-haves" and came over. She told me my indecision about a diaper bag was driving her nuts, and I must chose and pack one today.

So I did. And I played with both until I found the perfect diaper bag. Success! :)

Another great accomplishment that our afternoon brought was the van. Scott detailed the entire thing. He was out there from 1 p.m. until dinner time. He pulled all the seats out, wiped down the dash and all knobs, steering, and upholstery. He vacuumed and shampooed the rugs and installed all of the car seats. (2 infant seats, and Emily's new "big-girl" booster seat.) My blue mini-van sparkles just like it did the day we bought it. I couldn't be more excited with the cleanliness!

I guess my brief hospital scare really got both of us thinking about everything that still needed to be done before our little ones arrived. My personal hospital bag has been packed, with the addition of a new "mommy jammies" for the hospital. And now with the seats in stalled in my sparkly-clean van, and the packed diaper bag... we are ready for some babies! (Though another week or two of growing would be nice!)

Until then, I laugh at our baby boy's game that he plays with us. He presses his foot as hard as he can against my belly until the entire thing is pushed out and totally visible. I push it back in. He moves it over and pushes it out harder. I push it back in. Over and over we go as he moves his little foot and presses all over my belly. It is sort of like "whack-a-mole"

Saturday Plans

Yesterday I was released from the hospital around five. Thank goodness. Everybody was very nice, but still. It was a hospital. I didn't get any sleep on my over-night stay because they kept me continuously connected to monitors for each baby for their heart rates. They connect the monitors to my belly with 3-inch wide elastic bands that wrap all the way around me. There is one for each baby, and another that is to monitor contractions. Every time I would move, or a baby would move the nurse would come in and have to re-adjust them. Then they had to make sure they had two separate heart rates, and not two of the same. Needless to say, they were making constant adjustments all day and night.

Anyhow, I slept in until eight this morning. Those of you who know me well know that eight is totally sleeping late for me! :) Scott brought Emily downstairs and they have been watching "Captain Planet" marathon episodes in honor of Earth Day while I slept.

Scott has his computer test for the National Board certification this morning at 11:30. A friend of mine is going with me and Emily to the mall to pick a few clothing items that will complete my hospital bag. If the past few days did anything, they showed Scott and I that we need to prepare to have these babies at either time. Next on the list is installing the baby seats.

And finally, the very day I get my mini-van back from being fixed, Scott's truck goes in because of a check engine light. Turns out it will cost over $300. I don't think it is ironic that just last night our state tax return got deposited into our checking account. I thought that was very cool.

Hope everybody has a great Saturday!

Hospital Tonight

Today as I was at school alone in my class while my kids were on a field trip with out me. I was putting together lesson plans and basically prepping everything for a sub in case I can't make it the next two weeks when my long-term sub is available.

Sure enough, around 2 pm this afternoon I began having a few "issues." Not to be too graphic, but fluid leakage... not like the water break when I was pregnant with Emily, but surely a problem.

Basically, after three hours of different tests we really aren't sure where the fluid is coming from. And the ultra-sound showed our baby girl was not really moving the way they wanted her to.

They gave me a shot of trebutiline (sp?) which is what I took in pill form when pregnant with Emily and on bed rest all those weeks. It immediately stopped cramping/contractions.

Now I am just spending the night so they can monitor the babies heart rates and to make for certain the fluid isn't amniotic fluid.

Scott brought me a cheeseburger and a large chocolate milkshake :) and Amber came by to sit with me to ease my boredom. And anybody who has every had that shot knows how jittery and fidgety it makes you feel. I feel horrible for the poor nurse who has to keep coming in and altering my monitors every time I shift a few inches.

Thanks to my friends who took care of Emily this afternoon. I went straight from school to the hospital, so I haven't seen her at all today. Scott is at home with her now, and she called on the phone and asked if I could read her "Fancy Nancy." Naturally I didn't get the words just right since I didn't have the book in front of me. Emily made sure to point out my mistakes. I love that girl. She cracks me up.

I'll keep you posted. (if not my parents will just about freak!) Love you mom!

My school

Today my fourth grade team threw a baby shower for me. It was wonderful and fun to sit and chat with the people I work with. Everybody was so kind and everybody is is excited about the twins. I love how everybody is excited right a long with me. I walk down the hallways and everybody is checking to see how I am doing. They are all so supportive.

Right now there are five pregnant teachers on staff, and what amazes me is that our awesome principal comes to every one of the baby showers. He sits and eats cake with us as we ohh and ahh over the baby outfits. I'm sure it means just as much to the other ladies as it does to me that he is willing to take time to do that. And he didn't even get upset with me today when I poked fun at him for asking what a onsie was. :)

Then there is my team. I work with some of the best people I know. This year there are only four of us, and we are tight. We celebrate with each other, vent to each other, and give each other advice. We collaborate about everything from science lab lessons to dealing with strange parent situations. They are a lot of fun to be with. Every one of them is the type of person I would chose to spend time with even if I didn't work with them. I love all three of them!

Next comes Miss Julia. Miss Julia is one of the hardest working women I have ever met. She cleans our hallway and takes care of all of us on the OPES blue hall. We've always known she was unbelievable, but thought it pretty cool that our district thought so too last year when she was voted staff member of the year. No one is more deserving. She checks on me all the time, and helps keep my kids in check. One day I was toting around my heavy book bag as we returned from the computer lab. She followed me into the class and addressed my students saying, "Now listen here. This is your teacher, and you need to take care of her. Next time I see her carrying this heavy book bag you all will have to answer to me." My kids shook their heads in agreement and all you could hear was this mumbled, ashamed-sounding, "yes Miss Julia."

Tomorrow the fourth grade is taking a field trip and I am unable to go. (Can't travel more than 30 minutes away). When our instructional assistant was asked if she would go in my place, she excitedly agreed. She even posted her status on facebook as "excited to go on the fourth grade field trip tomorrow!" Isn't it awesome that she is so willing to go? And I know my students will have such a great time and have fun with her.

Can you understand why I love my job? I'm not even talking about the kids... these are just the adults! How many teachers enjoy working with the other adults in their building? How many people, period, enjoy working with the adults in their building? I am very lucky.

Hostile?

Today could be described as "hostile." Scott and I have had three things going on today that just aren't pleasant.

First of all, is our van. One of the automatic sliding doors has never worked right and the dealership has had the car for three days now. They think they know how to fix it, but have literally taken apart the entire inside to replace an electrical componant. That part won't be in until possibly Tuesday, and they don't want to put the car back together until it is replaced. Mind you, our van is only two years old, and this is the eighth time we have brought it in for this issue. Yes, that's right. Eight times. I'm not saying its their fault... they are doing everything they can. But it is their product. So I asked them for a rental. They said no at first, but eventually saw my point (EIGHT TIMES!?!?) and I am now a not-so-proud drive of a Ford Focus. Oh well. I'm thankful for that.

Then there is the insurance hassle. I didn't personally notify my insurance company that I was pregnant until I was in my second trimester. Therefore, I will now be assessed a "penalty" that allows no out of pocket maximum, and will charge me for the first $200 for every service I receive while in the hospital having the babies. Never mind the documentation that I have showing that my doctor's office contacted them on 10/15/08 and received confirmation FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY stating that I am in fact covered. So I got to write a wonderful letter of appeal today.

Finally, there is the medical and childcare reimbursement claim that we have. Basically this is a program that takes money straight out of my paycheck before taxes to reimburse us for childcare and medical expenses. Some how the company representatives are "unable" to receive emails from us containing the PDF claim forms and documentation that would reimburse us for over $700 of expenses. Four phone calls and seven emails later, still no luck.

Scott jokingly said the dealership probably added the word "hostile" next to my name in the computer. You know, I feel hostile today. But if we get these issues worked out, that would be great. (deep breath)

This week's Emily-ism

On Sunday we went to second service like normal, but ran in to a friend (my doctor actually) after the service. By the time we were finished chatting the third service had started, and in the lobby they were frantically trying to get people to take some of the donut holes that they obviously didn't want to keep.

I took one from the nice lady, and Emily I told Emily she could get one too. She did, but was uncharacteristically timid about it. We walked out the door as I popped mine into my mouth, and Emily just held hers. As we walked to the car where Scott was waiting I told her to take a bite. I told her it was just like a small donut.

A look of relief swept across her face with a smile and she said, "Oh! I thought that lady was trying to get me to eat a rock!"

Oh Emily. She constantly keeps us laughing!