Lamar Twinners

19 Months

2011-06-13T10:35:00.002-04:00

The girls are doing great! They both weigh 22lbs(ish) and are at about the 10-20 percentile on the growth chart. They still struggle with reflux and textures but every day is a little better than the day before. I have a video posted that is of Adalyn sitting in her highchair jabbering at Emma. Enjoy!

Some Pictures

2011-04-17T13:40:00.003-04:00

Here are some current pictures of the girls, the babies that they are holding are wearing the girls first outfits.

Walking!!!

2011-04-06T10:07:00.000-04:00

Thats right, both Adalyn and Emma are walking! Life is getting busy! They also love to stand and dance as they watch Praise Baby or play with their toys. Emma is very good at climbing all the way to the top of the stairs before Abi or I even notice she is gone and is very well practiced at keepng us on our toes. Adalyn can also climb the stairs but she is much more cautious. The girls are at the 20% on the growth chart but have had minimal weight gain over the last 8 weeks so Dr. G. has them on a high calorie diet and we need to check their weight again in a couple weeks. The girls have also decided that they are done with bottles, so we don't have to worry about weening them off. They eat some table foods (cheerios, muffins, mashed patatoes, frosting, yogurt, and pudding) but are mostly on baby food yet because their reflux causes them to be gaggy and particular about textures. Both girls are waving and saying hi, they lift their arms above their heads when you ask them how big they are, they love to give us hugs and kisses when we ask for them. They both also say "all yunn" (all done) at the end of each meal. Emma has an adorable way of saying "nigh nigh" when she is tired. Adalyn is a little more vocal than Emma and is also saying down, ball, block and baby. Probably the cutest thing in the world is when they kiss eachother, several times a day they randomly crawl or walk over to eachother and kiss! They love eachother and will play for a couple hours a day all by themsevles and they love to jabber back and forth to eachother. They are great at sharing and rarely get upset when the other steals a toy from them. They both have 6 teeth and have been handling the teething process very well. They sleep about 11 hours at night and take two 1 hour naps during the day. Thank you for all of your prayers! I hope that our girls are a testament to GOD's awesome power and HIS willingness to preform miracles. Sorry that we have been bad bloggers but we do appreciate your support.

Long Overdue

2011-01-05T19:39:00.002-05:00

It has been a long time since we have updated the blog with how Adalyn & Emma are doing. Well things are going great. We are so thankful & praise God for their progress. On November 5th, 2010 we celebrated their first birthday which was an enjoyable and emotional time for us. Recalling what we went through November 5, 2009 and the joy and the fear we felt that day as we welcomed our 2 little 1 lb 15 oz princesses into this world. At their appoitment for their first birthday Adalyn weighed 19lbs 7oz and was 28 inches long and Emma weighed 19lbs 6.5 ounces and was 28 1/4 inches long. The girls are jabbering up a storm, crawling like maniacs (Emma traditional crawl, Adalyn has a super army crawl). Emma pulls herself up to her knees on everything and to her feet on many things as well. Adalyn is more cautious and tends to pull herself up to what she can easily get down from otherwise she gets very scared. We are not walking yet, but doing better and better with standing with just one hand held and walking with both hands held. They are currently fighting colds and doing great.

Rock & Roll

2010-10-12T14:54:00.005-04:00

Wow! What a difference a year has made. At this time last year I was on bed rest at Spectrum and we, along with so many others, were fervently praying that I stay pregnant and that the Lord prepare our twinners for birth. Now, 11 months later, we are celebrating our little miracles and praising God daily for how far they have come. We continue to pray for them daily but our prayers are different this year. Now we are praying for their continued health, growth and development and blessing God for the beautiful twins he has entrusted us with. At 11 months old Adalyn is 18lbs 15oz and Emma is 18lbs 7.5oz. They are doing great! They both sit up 100% on their own like champs with no problems. The are getting up on all four and rocking back and fourth. Emma gets pretty excited about it and rocks so fast that she move backwards, which ultimately frustrates her but cracks Dave & I up. Adalyn likes to practice her rocking in secret in her crib when she is supposed to be sleeping, stinker! The girls are rolling machines and are getting into everything they can. To be completely honest, I was surprised they are gaining weight because they never stop moving! They are trying to get into everything and they cannot even crawl yet :) They LOVE their super saucers (or exersaucers as some call them) and nearly tip them over they get jumping and rocking so hard. EVERYTHING in their reach ends up in their mouth so we have to really watch what is around them. They are tons of fun and have amazing little personalities filled with all sorts of girlie drama :) Here are some pictures of the girls from the past month.

Adalyn & Emma sporting their Maroon Platoon gear & showing each other a little love
Adalyn & Emma at 10 months with their cousins Hudson & Tressa Lamar
Adalyn & Emma at 10 months
The happy family :)
Adalyn & Emma 11 months old
Adalyn 11 months sound asleep in her super saucer after a busy day

Official 9 month update

2010-08-24T16:08:00.002-04:00

Adalyn & Emma are doing great. They had their 9 month appointment today with Dr. G and he is pleased with how they are doing. Adalyn is 17lbs 15oz (26th percentile) and 26.5 inches (11th percentile). Emma is 17lbs 5oz (17th percentile) and 26 inches (5th percentile). So we definitely do not have a of couple giants on our hands, but they are on the growth chart and Dr. G is not concerned that they are short right now. Looks like they will not have to worry about being taller than boys when they start dating someday (probably when they are 30 if Dave has his way). In terms of their development they are rolling (although mostly just from front to back unless the are in their cribs then they roll every which way), sitting supported and unsupported if they are on your lap or at your eye level (they tip over if they have to look up at you), scooting on their stomach and back (not if they are by eachother, then they stay put, so if we want to see them move we have to seperate them and they will scoot towards eachother), standing while holding fingers, jumping while holding fingers or in their super saucers, they love to babble mostly oooo's, ahhhhh's, lots of goos gaaas geees, some ha ha has and recently a lot of da da da das. They also like to do raspberries especially when they have food in their mouths. EVERYTHING they get their hands on ends up in their mouths so we have to keep an eye on what is around them. They chew chew chew on everything, but so far no signs of teeth. They both recently got over ear infections. We are having lots of fun with them. They continue to be good babies and provide us with lots of joy. We praise God for how far they have come. One of our favorite things is how much the girls seem to love eachother. They smile so nice at eachother, talk, and fuss and cry when the other is not near.

Please continue to pray with us that they girls continue to grow and develope well and that God continues to keep them healthy. Also, due to the ear infection Adalyn has not been taking her bottles well so please join us in praying that she begins to eat well again and enjoys it. Oh and one last thing...Dr. G also took them off their preemie formula...woo hoo! So once we are done with what we have at home they will be switching to Enfamil!

9 months

2010-08-19T20:36:00.004-04:00

Some pictures for your viewing pleasure :)

Adalyn: "Is orange my color?"

Emma: "What do you mean I have something on my face?"

Emma: "Does this hat make my head look big?"

Adalyn: "No Emma, you look purtty like me in grampa's hat"

Twinners: "What is daddy doing?

The girls continue to do great. They have their 9 month physical on Tuesday so we will try post an update soon after that with some more recent information.

Beach Babes!

2010-07-13T20:41:00.006-04:00

We spent this last weekend up at Great Grandpa & Grandma Mosterd's cottage. We had so much fun! Grandma & Grandpa Maat were there and Uncle Brandon, Uncle Aaron and Aunt Lauren came for a while too. We thought we would share some pictures with you from the weekend.

Daddy with Adalyn enjoying the lake

Mommy & Emma taking a dip in the lake

Watch out boys here are a couple of real bathing beauties!

Adalyn snuggling with Uncle Brandon

4 generations of Mosterd women, Great Grandma Mosterd, Grandma Maat, Mommy, Adalyn & Emma

Emma enjoying some bath time in the sink at the cottage.

Adalyn having some snuggle time with Grandma Maat.

We hope you enjoyed the pictures!
Love,
Adalyn & Emma

P.S. Mommy & Daddy will write an update after we get our weights checked this weekend but just so you know we are all doing great :)

Lots of firsts!

2010-06-22T15:42:00.004-04:00

Things are going well at the Lamar household. Adalyn & Emma are doing great! They are 7 1/2 months old , 4 months corrected. My how time flies. They have not had a developmental assessment recently, but they do tomorrow. Early on is coming tomorrow and I am anxious to hear if she has any concerns about their development. At this point they are expected to meet the milestone for their corrected age. Both girls seem to be meeting all of their 4 month milestones and then some. They both babble all the time, including when they are supposed to be sleeping and eating. They laugh, squeal, and show excitement with their whole body. Both girls will roll from their back onto their side, but not quite over to their bellies yet. They sit up supported, but they need a bit more trunk & neck strength before they will be able to do it on their own. They both really like their hands and have no problems playing with those if their are no toys around. They have not found their feet yet which is surprising since they both have such nice pedicures :) They love to pull, bat & hold the toys hanging from their entertainment mat & try hard to get most things into their mouth. Much to my dismay Adalyn has become quite the cute little thumb sucker. Emma will suck on her hands or fingers but still prefers her pacifier. They still have thickened feedings but in the last month they have started having a baby food vegetable about once a day. Some days they like it better than others. They both have recently gotten over their first colds & ear infections which they both handled like champs. They had some big outings in the last month as well and have been playing with some friends for the first time which they love. Last weekend they had their first weekend at Grandpa & Grandma Maat's and they loved it! Dave & I got to enjoy a weekend in Mackinac which was lovely, but we definitely missed the girls. They are getting big. Yesterday Adalyn was 15lbs 4.5oz (13th percentile), 25 1/4 inches (9th percentile), and Emma was 14lbs 6oz (5th percentile) and 25 inches long (6th percentile). So we are officially on the growth chart for everything! Needless to say for their corrected age they are big...Adalyn is 85th percentile for length & weight and Emma is 80th for length and 70th for weight.

Update

2010-05-18T16:01:00.004-04:00

We are well over due for an update, sorry about that. The girls are doing awesome! On May 5 they were 6 months old. They are 3 months old corrected. Today we had their 6 month check-up with Dr. G and he said the girls are doing great. We are thrilled to report that Adalyn is on the 6 month growth chart for weight, height & head circumference and Emma is almost there for weight and is on it for her head circumference. Here are their measurements from today:

Adalyn
Weight: 13lbs 5oz (5th percentile)
Height: 24 inches...yep that is right 2 feet tall!!! (3rd percentile)
Head circumference: 41.8cm (25th percentile)

Emma
Weight: 12lbs 5.5oz (just below the 3rd percentile)
Height: 23 inches...almost 2 feet tall (below the 3rd percentile...but getting close!)
Head circumference: 41.1cm (10th percentile)

There development is progressing nice as well. They will coo/babble a story to anyone that will listen, once they get to know you. They smile all the time. They chuckle/laugh...soooo cute! They are starting to get more control of their arm/hand movements and love to play with the toys hanging from their play mats. They are both sleeping through the night for 7-8 hours at a time which is wonderful. They take 3 naps a day which is nice in terms of helping us get things done during the day. Their reflux is doing much better, they have large spit ups once a day to once every couple days. We still have them on Zantac and thickened feeds, but we have slowly been making the feedings less thick and so far they have been doing great. We are down to 5 feedings a day and they take 5-6oz at each feeding.

Another thing that has changed with our family which some of you may not know about is that Dave got a new job. After much prayer and reflection Dave decided to leave his job at CL construction to try something different. He is working as a unit technician on the evening/night shift in the Emergency Department at Holland Hospital. He has been there for about 4 weeks now and is loving it. He seems to fit in well and really enjoys learning more about the medical field. He is exploring what he might want to do when he grows up :) and thinking maybe he might want to pursue some schooling somewhere in the medical field. So hopefully none of you have to head to the Emergency Department at Holland Hospital, but if you do you might see Dave. He is working in triage, which is where you sign in and get your vitals, weight etc. done before being taken to your room in the emergency department.

We covet your continued prayers for the girls as they continue to have some catching up to do with their growth and development. Please join us though in saying a prayer of thanks for how far the Lord has brought the girls in the past 6 months. They are over 6 times their birth weight!!! Please also continue to pray for their health. Pray that God protect them from illness. Pray that if they do become sick that their bodies especially their lungs and immune system are strong enough to handle the illness. Thank you again for your prayers!

God Bless!!!

6 Months Old

2010-05-15T12:06:00.004-04:00

Adalyn With my wedding ring at 1 week Adalyn with my wedding ring at 6 months Praise GOD!

Doing great

2010-04-27T19:43:00.006-04:00

This morning started off with both girls wide awake and ready to hang out after their 6am feeding. While I enjoyed my morning coffee the girls and I chated about our day. Here is a video, this time of Adalyn with a little help from Emma.

This afternoon the girls went to their first appointment with Dr. D the neurodevelopmental pediatrician. Before I talk about how the appointment went, let me tell you how old the girls are today. Today the girls are 10 weeks corrected. For those of you who are not familiar with corrected age, allow me to explain. For preemies corrected age refers to how old the infant would be if it had been born on its due date. This age is used to assess growth and development in preemies often until they are 2 years old. On Thursday the girls chronologic age will be 25 weeks (meaning their age from their birthdate). The reason I wanted to get that straightened out is because Dr. D assesses the girl's growth, feedings, and development based on these ages. Dr. D was very pleased with how the girls are doing in all three areas. In terms of their weight she said they look great and are actually getting close to being on the growth chart for their chronologic age. She is happy with their feeding, amount, thickening, schedule etc. which is fabulous. The best news of all, she said their development is closer to their chronologic age than it is to their corrected age...AWESOME! God continues to help Adalyn & Emma grow and develop everyday. What a faithful God we serve! So we do not have to go back to see Dr. D again until the girls are 1 year chronologic or 9 months corrected. At that visit they will assess the same things they did today and they will also be doing a hearing test on the girls. The girls both passed their hearing screening in NICU, but Dr. D said they routinely do hearing tests on preemies in their office to make sure there are no problems as they develop.

On another note. We have had some people asking us whose baby picture the girls look like. Well Dave thinks they look like my baby pictures so we thought we would share some with you.

Abi 3 months old

Emma

Adalyn

Oh and the girls weights from their doctor's appointment today:
Adalyn: 11 lbs 15 oz
Emma: 10 lbs 15 oz

March for Babies

2010-04-18T19:10:00.006-04:00

Saturday was the March for Babies. It was the first big outting the girls have had since birth and they did great. It was sunny, but windy & brisk, but we enjoyed ourselves. Adalyn & Emma even got to see their friend Melanie Westra from the NICU, she looked so cute all bundeled up in her stroller! Several other friends came out for the walk as well and the twinners enjoyed seeing old friends again and meeting new ones. Thank you to those of you who supported us & March of Dimes through your donations and by walking with us on saturday. Team Lamar Twinners officially raised $2,385 to help support the mission of March of Dimes! Enjoy some pictures from the walk.

Adalyn ready for the walk

Emma ready for the walk

Kennedy Van Nuil taking a nap after the long walk :)

Hudson Windemuller

Rylie Lawrence

On another note here are the most recent weights on the girls from Saturday morning.
Adalyn: 11 lbs 5 1/2 oz
Emma: 10 lbs 5 1/2 oz

The girls are growing & developing great. God is awesome & He is in control!

Story Time

2010-04-13T12:02:00.003-04:00

Please enjoy a story from Emma. Please ignore the commentary from mom :)

5 months old

2010-04-10T16:29:00.003-04:00

Adalyn & Emma are doing great! On March 5 they turned 5 months old, crazy! Today Adalyn weighed 10lbs 11oz and Emma weighed 9lbs 12oz. Let me tell you they have got some chubby cheeks...on both ends :) As well as some nice thigh rolls...I am one proud momma! Yesterday the girls saw Dr. Droste and he said there are absolutely no signs of ROP or prematurity in either of the girls eyes. He said that they should not have any future eye problems as a result of their prematurity. Awesome! Both girls make eye contact as well as fix on objects and follow or track them. They are both smiling like crazy and have also started to give some excited squeals at times. When they are nice and happy they also like to coo which is super cute. We get a lot of the ahhhhhh sound and a little oooooooo and what I like to call the pirate sound, a nice hearty aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh...cutest pirates ever! On average both girls roll from stomach to back about 4 times a day.

Adalyn & Emma enjoying some tummy time. Look at how good they hold their heads up...soooo strong!

Some of you have asked how we are managing their reflux. They are on feedings thickened with barley cereal and a little xanthan gum. Emma is on Zantac once a day and Prevacid once a day. Adalyn is on Zantac twice a day. How did we get to this plan you ask...oh after many many trials and errors. We occasionally get some large & some small spit ups, but for each girl that happens less than once a day which is a HUGE improvement.

We have been loving the warm weather. Every nice day we have had so far we have taken the girls out for a walk. The whole family can use the fresh air. Here are some before walk pictures:

Emma ready for a walk with her cool shades on.

Adalyn looking super cool in her shades from Gramps & Gram Maat.

We are so proud of our strong girls. They are such miracles and we are reminded of that every day. We feel so blessed. God has and continues to take such great care of his children. Thank you Lord for watching over Adalyn & Emma. For keeping them safe, healthy, and for helping them to continue to grow & develop. Thank you also Lord for the awesome news about their eyes, your healing power is amazing!

Happy Babies!

2010-04-03T11:01:00.004-04:00

Adalyn smiling at Grandma L.

Emma smiling at Grandma L.

The girls are doing great! We really feel like we have their reflux under control and they rarely spit large amounts anymore. They are both starting to roll over multiple times during their "tummy time" and have now started to coo with their smiles. On Wednesday Adalyn weighed 10lbs 2.5 oz and Emma weighed 9lbs 3.5oz. They both seem so big to us that we forget that to those who have not seen them before they are still tiny. We are really happy with their growth and development so far a continue to praise GOD daily for our little miracles. Please continue to pray that GOD heals their reflux further and that they continue to stay healthy. Also pray that their development continues at a fast rate so that they can "catch up" to their birth age. Thank Him for Abi and I's continued health as well as our girls and for the strength and support that He has given us.

Feelin Like A Family

2010-03-21T11:56:00.004-04:00

Adalyn left, Emma right

Emma left, Adalyn right

Everything is going really good at the Lamar house. After having the girls home for 9 weeks, Abi and I now have a routine down and even though life is busy we finally are starting to feel like a "normal" family. It is a struggle every day not to take the girls out and show them off but we know that the less they are exposed to the better. The girls seem to now be gaining wait like Dr G. wants them to and yesterday Adalyn weighed 9 lbs 3.5 oz and Emma weighed 8 lbs 4.5 oz. Both girls measured 20 5/8" long. They continue to struggle with their reflux but the thickening/adding cereal has stopped most of their spitting. We now feed the girls every 4 hours at night which means we only have to wake up 1time each night, this has helped Abi and I both get enough sleep and the girls also seem to sleep better and quieter. We have come to realize that we have really good babies, despite all that they have been through they just roll with all of the punches and take every thing in stride, they are rarely fussy, they eat great, sleep great, and are happy babies. Abi and I get frequent smiles and seeing their little faces light-up when we talk to them is the biggest gift GOD has given us yet. While we feed them the girls just study our faces like they are trying to memorize everything. Oh, I almost forgot, both Adalyn's and Emma's eyes are mature!

Please continue to pray that GOD heals their reflux and keeps them and us free from illness and infection. Thank Him for all of our good health so far and our for girls great development. He is in Control.

March For Babies

2010-03-08T15:15:00.002-05:00

Every day, thousands of babies are born too soon, too small and often very sick. On April 17, 2010 March of Dimes is hosting the March for Babies in Holland, MI. March of Dimes provided our family with a lot of resources and support throughout the time that Adalyn & Emma were in the NICU. Our team is walking in March for Babies because the money we raise will support March of Dimes research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. And it will be used to bring comfort and information to families with a baby in newborn intensive care. We would love it if any of our friends or family want to join us in supporting this great cause by either walking with us on April 17 or by donating money to March of Dimes. You can join our team, Lamar Twinners, or make a donation by following this link http://www.marchforbabies.org/team/t1377506.

Walk information:
April 17, 2010
East 10th St. & VanRaalte Ave
Holland, MI 49423
Walk Distance: 5 miles
Registration Time: 8:00 AM
Start Time: 8:30 AM

The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Thank you for helping us give all babies a healthy start!

Caught On Tape

2010-03-05T21:24:00.002-05:00

We finally were able to catch some video of one of the girls rolling over. (Adalyn) Enjoy!!!

Wireless Babies

2010-03-01T20:45:00.005-05:00

Hello everyone!!! So needless to say we have been very bad bloggers ever since the girls came home. Things at the Lamar house are busy. However, we should still be blogging because Adalyn & Emma could still use lots of prayers. So do not take our lack of blogging as a sign that we do not need your prayers, because we still do. The girls are doing great & we LOVE having them at home! The have been home for 6 weeks now...wow! They will be 2 weeks old corrected age tomorrow, 17 weeks old true age on Thursday, & 4 months old on Friday. There have been lots of changes with the girls. As of Saturday Adalyn weighs 7 lbs 9.5 oz & Emma weighs 6lbs 11 oz. Both girls are 19.5 inches long & we no longer have to roll their newborn pants up...yay! Both girls are off caffeine & their heart & breathing monitors. So Dave now loving refers to them as wireless babies. At the eye doctor last Tuesday Emma's eyes were completely developed and there were no signs of ROP...praise God! Adalyn's eyes are not quite mature yet and she has slight stage 1 ROP in both eyes, but the doctor said it is almost healed. So she has to go back in a couple weeks to make sure it heals the rest of the way & her eyes fully develop. Both girls have about 2 times a day where they are awake for 3 hours straight and then each tend to stay awake for a half hour after each feeding. They are very alert and love to lay on their boppy pillows and look in their mirrors...their eyes just light up it is so cute. They both are smiling as they fall asleep...our favorite. Adalyn rolled over yesterday while she was doing tummy time. They are both doing a great job at holding their heads up. It is exciting to see them gain strength. Pray that God continues to help them develop. Both girls continue to struggle with reflux, Emma still more than Adalyn. We continue to thicken their feedings and both girls are on prevacid. Please continue to pray that God heal their reflux. It is hard for us to see them be uncomfortable at times. It has also made it a little tricky for them to gain weight. Adalyn has been averaging about 1oz per day of weight gain & Emma just under 1 oz a day & their doctor would like to see them gain closer to 2 oz a day so that they can catch up to where their weight is supposed to be for their true age. So pray that God help them to gain weight better. Also praise God for keeping all 4 of us healthy & pray that he continue to protect all of us from infection.

Dave & I are both back at work full time so that definitely has added to the business in our lives. Both of us cannot wait to get home each day and see our lovely ladies. We are reminded each and every day what a beautiful and truly amazing miracle they are. God has absolutely blessed this family.

I will leave you with their 3 month pictures. I know...almost a month old...what can I say...we will try to be better bloggers :)

Home for 4 weeks

2010-02-14T07:20:00.004-05:00

Adalyn hangin out with her "passy"

Sorry for the lack of updates! For our family the word "busy" has taken on a new meaning. Abi and I are finally adjusting to the 3 night time feedings (I think) and the girls are doing great. We each have our days home alone watching the girls and between changing diapers, feeding and then holding for 20-30 minutes because of their reflux, then washing bottles and mixing breast milk with formula and thickener, it is time to start the process all over again leaving little time to get anything else done. We do have tons of help from family and friends to lighten the load but life has definitely been a blur lately. Both girls continue to sleep great but they both are awake for about 3-6 hours each day. Sometimes it is at night but it is mostly during the day. We have some cool mirrors that stand up by themselves and we place them in front of the girls and they love to look at them. Both girls have rolled over twice and continue to have better control with their head movements.

Emma looking in her mirror(If you click on the picture you can see a larger image.)

We continue to thicken their food and it does help a lot but their weight gain has been a little less than Dr. G wants so on Monday Abi will explore some other options with him so they can get the calories that they need.(Thickening the formula and mixing it with the breast milk lowers the calories significantly.) The eye doctor visit went great last week and both of the girls eyes continue to heal. Adalyn's eyes are mature on the nasal side and are almost mature on the outside. Emma's eyes are almost mature on the nasal side and are almost only a stage 1 ROP on the outside. They are doing so good that the doctor said he only needs to see them every 2 weeks instead of every week.

Adalyn weighs 6lbs 9oz, she is 18-5/8" long, and her head measured 35.5cm. Emma weighs 5lbs 12.5oz, she is 18-3/4" long, and her head measured 34cm.

Please continue to pray that GOD heals their reflux, continues to protect them from infection and sickness, and helps them gain the appropriate weight. Praise His name that their eyes are healing and developing, that they are at least gaining weight, and that they are such good happy babies.

38 weeks

2010-02-02T15:21:00.005-05:00

Emma(left) Adalyn(right)

Right now I am purring like a kitten. As I type this blog on my blackberry Emma & Adalyn are lying on my chest. I am feeling a bit nostalgic since today was the day the twinners were supposed to be born (if I did not have the twins by 38 weeks I was going to be induced today or have a c-section). We all know how often things actually happen as they are supposed to, but still I can't help but ponder what things would have been like if I had made it to 38 weeks. One thing I am sure of, I would be huge! These girls occupy a lot of space on my chest and if they were inside we would still have 2 placentas and all their amniotic fluid as well. I think it is safe to say I would be GIGANTIC! Yes making it to today would have been a much better way for the girls to start their lives. However, then I would not have the amazing bond with them that I have developed over the past approximately 3 months. I may not have as strong of faith as I do now. I may not know first hand that God is still performing miracles. This journey has not been ideal, but as strange as it sounds I would not trade it for anything. Dave & I will always have this unique experience that has brought us all so close together and shown us how truly strong and feisty someone can be at 1 lb 15 oz and up.

Enough of that mushy stuff :) on another note Emma had her eyes checked again today. I am happy to report that her eyes are starting to heal! She is still ROP stage 2 on the outer portions of her eyes, but on the nasal portions she is down to a stage 1. Praise God, I am so pumped about that! Dr. D actually said she did not have to come back for 2 weeks. But since we are coming back next week anyway for Adalyn he said they might as well check Emma and get the 2 girls on the same schedule.

We are continuing to thicken the girls feedings. It seems to be helping. They are still refluxing and spitting, but it does not seem to be as often or as much. I am happy to report that between the 2 girls there has only been 1 brady alarm in the past 24 hours. So hopefully that trend continues.

Please pray that God continue to heal Emma's eyes. Pray that their reflux continue to improve, that they continue to gain weight well, continue to have few to no alarms so that they can come off their caffeine and their monitors and that GOD continues to protect them from infection.

Pictures

2010-01-31T20:24:00.001-05:00

Here are some pictures from uncle Aaron.

Emma

Mommy and Adalyn

Double Time with Daddy

2010-01-30T20:43:00.004-05:00

Today was my first day taking care of the girls all by myself for the whole day. Abi went back to work today so last night I did the 12am feeding by myself and let her sleep so that she could get some good rest. Besides having no time to do anything else, everything went great! The day just flew by and I just love hanging out with my little girls. It is sad how fast those two tiny babies wrapped me around their little fingers. Uncle Brian and Aunt Sue stopped by at lunch time to feed the girls for me and spent some quality cuddle time with Adalyn and Emma, everyone involved seemed to really enjoy their time together.

The girls are still struggling with their reflux and continue to spit up every feeding. Because of this, Abi and Dr. G decided to try thickening their formula. We started at the 9pm feeding last night and so far it really seems to be helping with their spiting. They still reflux but at least they have kept their food down. When Abi got home from the hospital tonight we loaded up Adalyn and Emma into the minivan and snuck them in after hours at the office and got the girls weights and lengths. Adalyn weighed 5lbs 13oz and is 18-1/4" long. Emma weighs 5lbs 2.5oz and is 18" long. Way to go girls! Even with the spit ups they put on an ounce a day since their last doctors visit on January 21. Besides their reflux the girls continue to do amazingly well. Both girls sleep really well in between their feedings and have some good quiet alert times during the day.(Even when they are sleeping they still make all kinds of noises original to them, I fear the day when they start to talk.) We have been giving them "tummy time" before their day time feedings and they actually seem to enjoy it. They both are really good at picking up their heads and moving them from one side to the other. On Wednesday Emma rolled over from her tummy to her back and Adalyn did it today! We know that it is a little soon for this and it was probably a one time deal but we are still so proud.(Abi was really excited both times.)

Please continue to pray that GOD heals their reflux and protects them from illness/infection. Praise His name and give thanks for almost 2 great weeks at home.

GOD Is In Control.

Minivan

2010-01-27T13:52:00.007-05:00

It has been over a week now that both girls have been home and we continue to adjust daily. The twinners definitely keep us hopping and on our toes...and we love it! It is amazing how having children really changes who you are. I never understood how people could be so protective of their children...now I do. I never understood why so many moms drove minivans...now I do. Yeah that is right. Dave won. As many of you know Dave has wanted a minivan for quite a while...even before we had kids. He thought they were great because of all the space they have. Well I was not on the same page as him. I could not get over how unattractive of a vehicle they are (no offense to those of you have have and love your minivan). Well, I changed my mind the day we brought Adalyn home. Allow me to pain you a little picture.

...Dave and I head up to the hospital to pick up Emma. Adalyn is along for moral support. We get both of the girls packed up and into their double stroller (which is much like a stretch limo in terms of stroller size). We head out to the car and get both girls car seats locked into their bases in the back seat of my lovely volkswagen golf. The stroller gets very strategically placed into the "trunk". The girl's monitor occupy the only space left in the back seat. The diaper bag get crammed behind the passenger seat. I get into the car and I am sitting a little closer to the dash then usual, but since I am not really what most people would call tall, I seem to fit just fine. Dave on the other hand looks like a large person driving a smart car...in other words...he just does not fit. His seat has to be so far forward that he has to drive the entire way home with his knees touching the dashboard. Poor Dave had to listen to me giggle at him almost the whole way home. However, it was at this point where I realized that we needed something with more space and really a minivan was the most practical choice.

So in this instance my girls changed who I was in terms of my car. You see I have always become friends with my cars. My little white volkswagen golf was very "me" and I lovingly called it princess. Well we traded princess in at the end of last week for a white chevy venture. And now rather than having a car named princess I have a car that I can very comfortably use to transport my princesses. You see I really no longer care what kind of vehicle I drive as long as it is the best thing for my family. I am still getting to know my minivan so I have not come up with a name for it yet, but I will :)

Things continue to go well at home. Dave & I are still adjusting to getting no more than 2 consecutive hours of sleep at night. We are also adjusting to almost always smelling like spit up. And we are adjusting to the joy of parenting such wonderful miracles. We continue to feel blessed on a daily basis and it is our prayer that it never changes.

The girls had another eye exam yesterday. Emma has stage 2 ROP of both eyes and Adalyn's eyes are still immature, but show no signs of disease. So both girls will continue to go in for eye exams until their eyes are mature which usually occurs between 40-44 weeks gestation.

Both girls continue to struggle with their reflux, Emma still more than Adalyn. Please boldly ask God to heal there reflux. I am okay with them spitting up as long as they gain weight, are comfortable, and do not have alarms. Well they are gaining weight, but there are times where their reflux seems to bother them despite being on Zantac. And they are still having some alarms when they spit up. Please pray that they continue to grow and develop well and that God protect them from illness and infection.

On another note. Dave & I were contacted last week by a reporter from the Holland Sentinel wanting to do a piece about our girls. The story is in today's paper in the Life Style section. It can also be found on there website by following this link: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/feature/x1920340700/Tiny-blessings.

11 weeks old

2010-01-21T23:12:00.003-05:00

I am eternally greatful for the two miracles God has given us. Every time I look at my girls I am reminded of the abosultely amazing gift that they are. 10 weeks in NICU, it really did not seem that long. However when I look back at where the girls started, we have come so far. I am reminded of that every time I look at my girls, and several times a day that moves me to tears. I never thought that at 36 weeks gestation I would have both of the girls home. What another amazing gift. God is so faithful! I love having them home. I love being the one to feed them, to change them, and to console them when the cry. Even though it has been an adjustment, I love getting up with them at night to feed them. Every night at midnight, 3 am and 6 am the Lamars have some family time. Sometimes Dave and I just sit there and smile as we hold our girls and listen to them coo while they eat. I think that one of my favorite things is that I do not have to call their nurse in Grand Rapids to find out how they are doing and what kind of day/night they are having. Although I do miss chatting with the nurses :)

I am currently trying to figure out how to get anything done durring the day since the bulk of my time is spent feeding the twinners. Don't get me wrong, I am okay with that because that is what they need. I just have to make extremely efficient use of my "free time." Dave & I both enjoy not having to make the daily hike to Grand Rapids.

Emma went to the doctor today and she is 4 lbs 10 oz. Adalyn came along for moral support and to get her weight checked again. She was 5 lbs 4 oz today. So their reflux and spitting up does not seem to be affecting their weight gain which Dave & I are very thankful for. However, we ask that you continue to pray that God heal their reflux. We ask that you pray this because the reflux is still uncomfortable for them at times and also because it causes them to have alarms. Please also continue to pray for growth and development and that God continue to protect them from infection.

Day 75: Home

2010-01-18T22:56:00.007-05:00

That's right, both Adalyn and Emma are home!!!
GOD Is In Control

Day 73: A day with daddy

2010-01-16T23:07:00.002-05:00

Today Adalyn and I spent the whole day together because Abi had to work and today was her day to go up and visit Emma. Adalyn did great last night and all day today. She is one noisy baby! She doesn't cry a lot but just makes noise all the time, little grunts and squeaks.(Emma does the same thing so when she comes home it will be even worse.) Abi and I would just start laughing in the middle of the night because of some of the strange sounds she makes. Even though I really missed Emma today it was really nice to sit home all day and hang out with Adalyn. We watched some TV, folded some laundry, and even took a 2 hour nap in the chair together. She did have a few alarms today but they were all quick and self resolved meaning we didn't need to stimulate her. Abi talked to the doctor and nurse while she was at the hospital and they think it is probably from the drive yesterday and the change in scenery so hopefully she doesn't have as many/any tomorrow. Please continue to pray for her to stay healthy and that her reflux will get better.(She did spit up her usual 1ml every feeding today with no other major episodes.)

Emma kind of had a "rough night" last night. She had 1 episode were she alarmed and needed suction and the nurse used the wall suction instead of the handheld ball suction that we have at home so we are hoping that will not set her back at all. She also spit up a lot because her nurse didn't realize she needed to be held upright for about 20 minutes after her feedings to help with her reflux. She had a much better day today with her usual spit ups but that was about it. Emma and mommy really enjoyed their time together but Emma wants to get home soon to be with her sister. Tonight she weighed 4lbs 5oz(1970). She had lost 50 grams yesterday so we are happy with her 20 gram increase tonight. Please pray that GOD heals her reflux, helps both girls gain weight, stay free from infection, and that Emma will be provided the strength to come home.

Day 72: Adalyn is Home!!!

2010-01-15T23:37:00.000-05:00

Thats right, Adalyn is home tonight! I cannot believe that this day is here. If you would have asked me 72 days ago if I would have thought that she would be home before her due date I would have said no, but here she is at 10 weeks and 1 day old.(35 weeks and 3 days gestation.) I have posted a video above so if you can't see it let me know. It has been a long day so I will post more tomorrow on the girls. Emma has had a pretty good day but she lost weight tonight so please pray that she can gain more weight tomorrow. Please also pray that GOD takes away both of the girls reflux and protects them from infection. Praise GOD for how awesome both of the girls are doing!

Day 71: Happy 10 Weeks!

2010-01-14T23:23:00.002-05:00

Wow, 10 weeks. Has it been that long? Has it gone by that fast? This week has been a roller coaster. Adalyn is doing great and we hope to have her home soon. She did gain weight tonight and is up to 4lbs 13oz. There is not much else to say because she has been doing great and she has had no trouble eating since Tuesday. She continues to spit up about 2 ml a feeding and her reflux still bothers her. Please pray that GOD preforms another miracle and takes it away from her. Also continue to pray that she stays free from infection, gains weight, and digests well.

Emma has had another great week! She continues to surpass our expectations and for those who are counting is on feeding number 13 out of 16. The doctors say she will not come home this week but maybe next week. I cannot believe the giant steps she has taken over the last couple of weeks! She is catching up to big sis. Her reflux still seems to be worse than Adalyn's, please pray that GOD takes away BOTH of their reflux. This is what is keeping them there. She has had very few alarms over the last couple of days and the Zantac really seems to be keeping her comfortable. She also gained weight and is up to 4lbs 6oz. Please pray that she can continue to stay free from infection, gain weight, digest well, and that GOD grants her the strength she needs to come home. Please also pray that the doctors be given the wisdom to know when both of the girls are ready to come home.

On another note, even if you don't know them, please pray for our friends from the NICU. Max (Who was sent home 2 weeks ago.) and Wes: Pray that they continue to do good at home and can stay there. Give their parents and nurses the wisdom they need to keep them on the path that GOD has set before them. Also pray for Melanie who went home today so that she can stay healthy and get to know her big sisters!

GOD Is In Control.

Day 70: Swing...and a miss

2010-01-13T10:40:00.000-05:00

As some of you know Dave & I were supposed to take Adalyn home yesterday. We never said a specific day on the blog because the world of premies can change at any moment. Adalyn was definitely the one running the show yesterday. In the morning she was spitting up a lot and a couple of the events lead to alarms and one needed suctioning. So the doctors re-evaluated whether or not she was ready to leave. The consensus was made to have Dave & I room in with Adalyn last night and regroup in the morning after we saw how the night went. Well the night went great, both Dave & I enjoyed hearing her coo, grunt, cry etc. She did have some spit ups, but nothing major. This morning Dr. B (who tends to be a little more on the conservative side) said that all the neonatologists agreed that Adalyn should stay til at least Friday and see how she does. The other glitch is that she lost some more weight. So Adalyn is staying in the NICU with her sister & only God knows when she will be ready to come home. Dave & I are bummed, but greatful at the same time. We believe that Adalyn had this event for a reason. Maybe because God knew it was not time for her to come home yet & if she had something bad would have happened. Maybe it was to better prepare Dave & I for what could happen at home. Maybe it is that Miss Adalyn was not ready to leave her sister.

We will post a little more extensive update later on both girls. Emma is doing well & is taking about 50% of her feedings by bottle and loving it.

Please pray that God heal both girls reflux. That He prepare them for home. That he continue to help them grow, develop and progress in the right direction. And please pray that God help Dave & I be accepting of whatever happens, that He keep us positive, and help us not to get worn down.

God is in control!

Day 67: Big Girl Beds

2010-01-10T22:54:00.002-05:00

That's right, both girls are now in their "normal cribs" at the hospital! Adalyn continues to do great and is on 27 full bottle feedings in a row. We also think that she passed her "car seat test" but have to hear the official word from the doctors. We also hope that tomorrow we can talk to the doctors about the date that Adalyn gets to come home. She lost 20 grams last night but was back up 15 grams tonight and is weighing in at 4lbs 11oz(2145) tonight. We think that her weight loss is probably from all the bottle/breast feeding she has done and she is now on the formula she is going home on which has less calories. She seems to be slowing down a little bit with her feedings so please continue to pray that GOD gives her the strength she needs so that she can prove herself ready to come home.

Emma has had a really good week! We are so proud of her and the big steps forward that she has taken. She proved to everyone that she didn't need the CPAP anymore, a couple days later she came off of the high flow nasal cannula, and now they have compressed her feedings to 33ml over 2.5 hours instead of a continuous drip. She tolerated that so well that today we were able to start bottle feeding her 10ml every 3 hours!(She gets the remaining 23ml compressed over 2 hours.) So far she has done that 3 times in a row and she loves it as much as her big sister. She has had fewer spit ups but continues to struggle with her reflux.(We are just happy she is keeping her food down.) Emma gained 5 grams yesterday and 20 grams tonight which puts her weight at 4lbs 3oz.(1910) Please continue to pray that GOD takes away her reflux and that she continues to tolerate her feedings. Please also pray for both girls to stay free from infection.

GOD is in Control!

Day 65: Feedings

2010-01-08T23:03:00.002-05:00

Adalyn is doing great! She has now taken 12 full feedings in a row from her bottle. 2 of those feedings were a combination of breast feeding and bottle and she did both wonderfully. It is so amazing to watch this tiny baby that has never eaten by mouth before just latch on and go to town. She enjoys it so much and makes the cutest cooing noises while she eats. As some of you know the requirements for the girls to come home before their due date are: to be 34 weeks gestation, over 4 pounds and holding their own temperature up, off oxygen and any other breathing support, and to take all of their feedings by mouth for 48 hours(16 in a row) and digesting well. Abi and I talked to the doctor today because Adalyn meets all of these except the feedings and she appears to be well on her way to 16 in a row now that she is at 12. The doctor said that because Adalyn is only just 34 weeks gestation the standard 2 days will not be enough and he is looking for more like 5 days in a row instead. This is just to make sure she doesn't tire out after a few days. Having the word HOME come up in our conversations is really weird/exciting after 9 weeks in the NICU and 14 weeks since Abi was put on bed rest. We have now begun to prepare for Adalyn's departure from the hospital and have everything ready at home. We also have had all our education and training except for her meds because we are unsure of what she will come home on. Her weight tonight was 4lbs 12oz. Please pray that Adalyn continues to do as well as she has been and that she doesn't tire out with her feedings. Please also keep Abi and I in your prayers as we prepare to have one child at home and one in the NICU.

Emma is also doing great! She has now been off the high flow nasal cannula for 3 days and is have fewer alarms. As Abi wrote yesterday, the doctors decided to pull Emma's NJ back to an NG today.(nose to intestines=NJ/nose to stomach=NG) She has done well all day but seems to continue to reflux a lot. She has not had any major spit ups and the Zantac seems to make her much more comfortable. If she continues to do as well as she did today they will probably start compressing her feeds again on Sunday. Abi and I are worried about her reflux and are praying that this doesn't cause her to stay at the hospital too much longer than her sister. Emma's weight was 4lbs 2oz tonight. Please pray that GOD takes away her reflux, she looks so uncomfortable when she does this and it breaks our hearts to see her have that pain. (It reminds us of dry-heaving) Please also pray that she continues to do well off of the nasal cannula and CPAP so that she can put those things behind her. Also pray that she continues to tolerate the NG feeding tube. GOD, thank you for all the many blessings You have showered upon our daughters. We know that You are in Control! Amen.

Day 64: 9 weeks old

2010-01-07T21:46:00.001-05:00

The girls are doing well. Emma has done well off the high flow. There has been an increase in her number of alarms, but nothing more than she had had on the CPAP in the past. They are all quick and self-resolved so the doctors are not concerned. She is still at 10ml an hour on her feedings and doing fine with that through the NJ. They are talking about moving her feedings to NG tomorrow if she has a good night tonight. Her weight tonight was 4lbs 2oz (1875 grams).

Adalyn had a good day as well. She is now allowed to feed by mouth at any of her care times if she is awake and showing interest. She still gets 15 minutes to take as much as she can and what she does not take gets compressed over 30 minutes. So far she has taken all of her noon, 3pm, 6pm & 9pm feedings by mouth. She also got moved to a memory monitor which is the type of monitor she will come home on. Her weight tonight was 4lbs 10oz (2110 grams).

Please pray that...
-Emma continues to do well off the high flow cannula.
-When they move Emma to NG feeds that she tolerates that well.
-Both girls continue to have less and less alarms.
-Adalyn continue to do well with her oral feedings and not get too tired.
-Both girls continue to grow and develop well.
-God protect both girls from infection.
-God heal Emma's reflux.

Thanks for faithfully praying for the twinners!

Day 63: 2 months old!

2010-01-06T23:08:00.000-05:00

So the twinners were 2 months old yesterday, wow! They have come so far in the past 2 months & I praise God for that! I must say they are the most beautiful, most precious, 2 month old twins around :)

The girls are doing well. Emma has had no bleeding since Monday afternoon. So today they took the IV out that they placed monday while her feedings were on hold. They are continuing Zantac for now via her feeding tube to see if it makes her more comfortable from her reflux. And...she is off her high flow nasal cannula and on room air! Pray with us that she will get to stay off! So far so good! Her weight tonight was 4lbs 2oz (1885 grams).

Adalyn is doing well also. She is still doing well taking her full bottle 3 times a day so today they increased it so she can nipple 4 times a day. She has been doing a little more spitting up but nothing excessive. Adalyn's remaining 4 feedings for the day will be compressed over 1 hour. Her weight tonight was 4lbs 9oz (2080 grams).

Both girls continue to have some alarms, pray that this continues to improve. Please pray that Emma can stay off the high flow cannula and on room air. Also, the Zantac that Emma is on for her reflux makes her gut more susceptible to infection. Please pray that God continue to protect both girls from infection. Praise God for the girl's weight gain! And pray that God continue to help them grow and develop well. Please pray that God heal Emma's eyes so that there is no worsening of her ROP.

Day 61: A rocky start

2010-01-04T23:41:00.000-05:00

Adalyn and Emma had a rocky start to their day today. A little background first. Adalyn took a full bottle (36 mL) at 9pm on Sunday and 3am Monday for her nurse Erin. She took the bottles in 15 minutes or less, with no alarms, spit ups, and burped like a champ. Then this morning at her 9am care time she spit up a fair amount and her belly measurement was up 2 cm. So this started the usual process of put the feeds on hold, call the doctors, and wait. Well the docs were not worried. They felt it was pretty appropriate given that she was for the first time in a long time taking a large volume all at once. So they resumed her feeds. At noon she took a full bottle again. Later that afternoon the docs decided to increase her feeding volume to 39 mL every 3 hours. They did not increase how often she is allowed to take a feeding by mouth. So her orders are still that she can take a feeding by mouth 3 times a day and she gets 15 minutes to take as much as she can. What she does not take in 15 minutes gets compressed over 1 1/2 hours. Her other feedings she gets 39mL compressed over 2 hours. So after a rocky start she ended up having a fine day. She did good with her alarms. At 9pm Dave got to give her a bottle. This was her first bottle of the new volume. She still did great, but was only able to get 30 mL in in 15 minutes. So they had to compress 9mL over 1 1/2 hours...seems a little silly :) But Adalyn was pooped and ready to cuddle with Dad anyway. Her weight last night was 4lbs 9oz (2070 grams)...what a little piggy :)

Emma's rough start yesterday lasted a bit longer than Adalyn's. In the morning Emma spit up some dark brown coffee ground looking emesis (which means it is old blood). She has done this before if you will recall. So the nurse called the doctors and they put Emma's feedings on hold and did an abdominal x-ray. The x-ray looked fine so they restarted her feedings at 11mL an hour just like they were before. In the afternoon Emma spit up fresh blood. So her nurse aspirated her OG tube and got some more fresh blood from there. So she called Dr. S who put Emma's feedings on hold again and ordered another abdominal x-ray and some blood work. In the meantime they put an IV in Emma's foot to give her IV fluid so that she would not get dehydrated. They also started her on Zantac and Maalox. The blood work looked fine. The x-ray showed that her OG tube was in too far which is what Dr. S thinks caused the bleed (irritation from the OG tube rubbing on her stomach). So they resumed her feedings at 10mL an hour and left her IV running at 1mL an hour. She is still getting the Zantac which I think is good because it will help her not to feel so uncomfortable from her reflux. The whole rest of the day she did not get any blood out of her stomach via her OG or through spit up...yay! She had another eye exam yesterday which showed that the ROP in her right eye is the same, Stage 1 and that she also has stage 1 in her left eye. I am happy to report that through all of what Emma went through yesterday she hardly had any alarms! Her nurse said that Emma had not had the bleeding in her stomach they probably would have trialed her off the high flow nasal cannula. Oh well, another day. I am just so proud of Emma for being such a big girl through all of that! Also, with a rough day where her feedings were on hold twice she still gained some weight! Emma's weight last night was 4 lbs (1815 grams).

Oh wait, I don't think I ever gave you Sunday's measurements. Adalyn was 4 lbs 7oz (2000 grams) and 17 1/4 inches long. Emma was 4 lbs (1800 grams) and 17 1/4 inches long.

Please pray that God continues to help Adalyn progress well with her feedings. Pray that this is the last time Emma has to have bleeding in her belly. Join us in praising God that the bleeding stopped and there were no signs of NEC. Pray that God heal Emma's reflux so that she can make progress with her feedings. Praise God for both of the girls having few alarms yesterday! Pray that God heal Emma's eyes and prevent any further progression of the ROP. Pray that He protect Adalyn's eyes from developing ROP. Please continue to pray that God help the twinners grow and develop well and that He protect them from infection.

Day 60: Big girls

2010-01-03T17:14:00.005-05:00

Emma

Adalyn

Soooooooooo sorry I have been a bad blogger. I promise I will try get back into the routine of posting a new blog every evening...or Dave will if I cannot. Again, there have been quite a few changes since the last time I posted. Let's start with Emma. On Wednesday when I posted Emma was off CPAP. She remained off CPAP through the night, but according to her nurse Erin she looked tired. So on Thursday afternoon they put her back on CPAP. She did well through the rest of Thursday and Friday morning so around 11am Friday they decided to try her off the CPAP once again (what a roller coaster). They also decided to change her OJ to an NJ and discontinue her OG. Well, within the first hour she had about 3 brady alarms and she was retching. So her wonderful nurse Marsha had the idea to give her the OG back and try her on a high flow nasal cannula (on room air) before she got too tired. So that is what Emma has been on since about 12:30pm on Friday, we are so proud of her! She has been doing well, but she continues to have alarms on and off. The doctors are not concerned because she holds her oxygen saturations with all of them and they are all self-resolved. Her feedings continue to go at 11 mL an hour via her NJ tube and her OG tube is open to vent to help with her reflux. She is still definitely struggling with the reflux and has some retching off and on, but has not been spitting up much with the OG. Emma was moved to an open crib Saturday morning and is maintaining her temperature well. Dave gave Emma her first tub bath today and he did great, and so did she, but I am not convinced she liked it a whole lot :). Emma's weight last night was 3lbs 15oz (1775 grams)...way to go girl!

Adalyn is still in an open crib and on room air and doing great. She has a few brady alarms here and there, but not much. Her big changes lately have been with her feedings. Her feeding orders as of yesterday were that she was allowed to try breast/bottle feed 2 times a day and what she does not take by mouth and for the other feedings of the day she gets 36mL compressed over 2 hours. So, she got to try a bottle for the first time yesterday! Dave fed her and she was allowed to take 10mL which she took like a champ in 7 minutes with no alarms and no spitting up. She also got to breast feed in the evening which she did pretty good with, but it made her really sleepy. Since she did so well yesterday, her new feeding orders for today were that she can try breast/bottle feed 3 times a day and she gets 15 minutes to take as much as she can. What she does not take by mouth gets compressed over 1 1/2 hours. The other feedings of the day she gets 36mL compressed over 2 hours. I got to give her a bottle today and she took all 36mL! It took her a bit longer than 15 minutes, but her nurse wanted to let her keep going because she was doing so well with it. She paced herself (coordinated suck, swallow & breathe) and had no alarms or spit ups. We are so proud. Adalyn also got a tub bath today, her's was from me, and she was not real amused either :) Oh, and Adalyn passed her hearing test the other night and Emma should be getting her's today. Adalyn's weight last night was 4lbs 6oz (1980 grams).

A HUGE prayer request that we would like everyone to be praying earnestly for is that God heal Emma's reflux. Her reflux affects her feeding progression and causes her to have brady alarms. But it also makes her uncomfortable, which is the hardest thing for Dave and I to see. Please pray for this so Emma can make progress towards coming home and so that she can be more comfortable. Emma has another eye exam this week so please pray that there is no progression in her ROP. Please also pray that Emma does not have to go back on CPAP and that she continues to make progress in the right direction so that she can come off the high flow nasal cannula soon. Adalyn's final hurdle at this point before she can come home is that she has to take all her feedings by mouth for 48 hours and have good weight gain. So please pray that she continues to do well with her feedings and weight gain. Please continue to pray that God help Adalyn & Emma develop appropriately and that He protect them from infection.

Day 56: Lots of changes

2009-12-30T23:09:00.002-05:00

Thank you all for you prayers! We had a much better day today. We had a care confrence today with Dr. BR and it was very encouraging. We have never heard him so enthusiastic and optomistic before. He said that if we would have asked him when the girls were born if he thought there was a chance they could go home without oxygen he would have said no. He said he has not seen 25 weekers go home without oxygen before. However he said that he feels pretty sure that as long as there are no major complications neither of our girls will need to go home on oxygen. That is awesome! He also thinks that both girls are on track to come home at or even before their due date. I am going to try plan on the due date still so that I do not get my hopes up. He also said that he would be very suprised if Emma's ROP progressed to anything that would affect her sight at all. At our care confrence we talked about Emma's need for CPAP. He feels that she is ready to be off it and said that he thinks the reason it did not work out monday was likely bad timing. So he talked us into trying her off CPAP again. He had a good talk with the other neonatologist that was on as well as the girl's nurse so that no one "jumps" into putting her back on it. He wants to make sure that she has a fair chance this time to prove herself. So we are praying that Emma gets to ring in 2010 CPAP free with Adalyn. Emma's weight tonight was 3 lbs 11 oz (1665 grams). Earlier today they started compressing Adalyn's feedings over 2.5 hours. Dr. BR said that if she tolerates that they will likely go down to 2 hours tomorrow. He also decided to move Adalyn's feeding tube from an OG to an NG (in her nose instead of her mouth). As long as everything goes well we get to try give her her first bottle this weekend. I have been able to let her nuzzle at the breast twice, but she does not do a ton yet. Adalyn is still in an open crib and doing great maintaining her temp. Her weight tonight was 4 lbs 3 oz (1880 grams).

Some news about the frustrations I was having yesterday. The hospital got their formula order in so we do not have to worry about them running out of that again any time soon. Also I got a call from one of the financial counselors at Spectrum Health and they will pay the premium to have the girls stay on my health insurance. The girls have Medicaid because they are in the hospital over 30 days so I was going to drop them of my insurance and let Medicaid be their primary. However, it benefits the hospital in terms of reimbursement for them to have a private primary insurance so that is why they are willing to pay that premium. That is awesome because that takes away part of that financial burden from Dave & I.

Holy Spirit,
Thank you so much for answering so many of our prayers Lord. Forgive us for ever doubting Your presence or wondering if You are still holding us in Your hands. Lord I ask that you please help Emma to stay off the CPAP for good this time. Please give her the strength and maturity that she needs. Lord also give Adalyn the strength that she needs to be able to handle her compressed feedings. Help her to digest her food well and to have minimal reflux. Please continue to help Emma with her reflux so that she can go back to gastric feeds. Father continue to protect both girls from infection, and help them to continue to grown and develop well. Help Emma's right eye to heal and for their to be no progression of her ROP or any additional signs of ROP in her left eye or either of Adalyn's eyes. Lord thank you so much for the many blessing and miracles you have blessed Dave & I with in 2009. Lord we look foward to walking into 2010 with You and our beautiful twins. Amen!

Day 55: Frustration

2009-12-29T15:55:00.002-05:00

The past couple days have been frustrating for Dave & I. On Sunday Emma was taken off CPAP and did well off it through the night. One of her primary nurses, Erin, kept commenting on how good she looked. Durring the day on Monday Emma apparently had a rough day and had many alarms so around 4pm she was put back on CPAP. Dave and I are so proud of Emma for trying so hard, but we cannot help but be disappointed. We want her off the CPAP because that is one huge thing that needs to happen before she can make good progress towards coming home. The hospital also some how ran out of their preemie formula they get mixed with my breast milk for added calories. Not sure how that happens. Fortunately their nurse Marsha was able to work her magic today and get more formula through the Similac rep. However the girls were still short of calories for almost 24 hours. Hopefully the supply from the rep lasts because it sounds like they will not get their order in until after the new year. We got news this morning that Emma's eye exam showed that she has stage 1 Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) developing in her right eye. Stage 1 is very mild and very common in preemies. This stage does not cause problems and goes away on its own. However it has a potential to progress to a stage that can cause problems so they will be checking her more frequently. So even though at this point it is mild, it was still another disappointment. And it breaks my heart that Emma has another little bump in her road. I also found out this morning that as of the new year I will need to start paying for Dave, Adalyn & Emma to be on my health insurance and this is no small cost. So to say the least Dave & I are both frustrated. I really hate to be all "woo is me" but we both feel a bit like we cannot catch a break. Don't get me wrong we are so thankful for how God has blessed us and how well the girls are doing, we know it could be much worse, but we are just overwhelmed with all of this.

Enough about that, let's talk about the girls. The girls are doing well, but unfortunately Emma was not ready to be off CPAP yet. Later yesterday afternoon Dr. B decided Emma had been having too many alarms and that she needed to go back on the CPAP. I was reassured by Dr. D that this is not abnormal for her to still need the CPAP and that there does not appear to be anything wrong with her that is making her need the CPAP other than the fact that she is a preemie. Emma tried hard and I am so proud of her. We will get there. It is just hard for me because I love being able to see her whole face with no CPAP on and smother it with kisses. I also know that she cannot make feeding progress on the CPAP and she needs to do that and get off CPAP before she can come home. So mostly I am bummed. But I need to be patient. Emma's feedings are at 10 ml/hour and she is doing well with that. Her weight last night was 3lbs 8oz (1590 grams) and tonight was 3lbs 8oz (1600 grams).

Adalyn is still doing well of the CPAP. Her feedings were increased today to 12 ml/hour. The big news with her is that she hit 4lbs (1810 grams) last night! Way to go Adalyn! Tonight she was 4lbs 1oz (1840 grams). When Dave & I left tonight she was all bundled up and they were trialing her in an open crib...so exciting. Hopefully she stays warms so she can stay that way.

Please pray for Emma that her ROP does not progress further and that it heals. Pray that she continues to develope so that she can come off the CPAP for good soon. Pray that God continue to heal both of the girl's reflux. Pray that He continue to protect then from infection. Join us in praising Him for their weight gain, that Adalyn is in an open crib, and that we had 3 healthy eyes on the eye exam.

I would also like to ask for prayers for Dave & I. Please pray that God help us with our frustrations. Pray that he help us cope with having our girls in NICU as we are both very ready for them to come home and we know it could be a long time yet. Pray that God help us financially with our extra expenses.

Most of all join us in thanking God for our beautiful daughters! Adalyn & Emma we love you so much!

Day 53: Off CPAP

2009-12-28T07:27:00.003-05:00

Emma in her Christmas Eve outfit. I will have Dave post a video of their Christmas outfit.

Adalyn in her Christmas Eve outfit. The onesie says "Who needs Santa, I've got grandparents"

Sorry the updates have not been as regular. We were quite busy with Christmas festivities so unfortunately the blog took a back seat for a couple days. But we are back and doing well. Around 5pm yesterday Emma was taken off CPAP. For the past couple days the nurses and respirtory therapists kept asking why Emma was still on CPAP. They kept waiting and waiting for one of the doctors to try her off. Well yesterday Emma got at least 4 "drinks" through her CPAP. This means a huge build up of water in the CPAP tubes got rapidly shot up her nose. This is not supposed to happen and Emma did not appreciate it when it did. She would cry and retch and alarm and...well it was not pretty and very hard for mom and dad to watch. Needless to say the forth time it happened the respiratory therapist was fed up and called the neonatologist to find out if they could give Emma a break from the CPAP and see how she did. Well Dr. L wanted her taken off of it completely and only put her back on if she was not doing well. So that is what they have done. Emma has done well. She had about a dozen brady alarms last night since coming off, but they were all brief, self-resolved, and she has been maintaining her oxygen saturation on room air. Praise God! Pray that Emma continues to do well off the CPAP, pray that God keep her strong and breathing good so that she does not have to go back on CPAP.

On another note yesterday was again bath day and Emma decided to give me a run for my money. The girls get glorified sponge baths in their isolettes becase they are not big enough to be in an open crib yet. So for the baths we put down some absorbent pads underneath the girls to absorb the water. When I am ready to clean their bunners I take off their diapers and they lay naked until the bunner cleaning has finished. Well, when I took off Emma's diaper in preperation for this she had a big poopy diaper. So I cleaned her up from this, turned to give the diaper to the nurse and looked down to find that Emma had pooped again. All over the pad, and the seconds she had were enough for her to stick both feet in it as well as drag all her wires through it. Good thing she is so cute :) It took me forever to get that cleaned up and the hardest part was figuring out where to start. I had just gotten it all cleaned up and put a new pad underneath her when she pooped again. Thankfully I saw it coming this time so we were able to keep her feet and wires out of it this time. What a little stinker...quite litterally! Thankfully Adalyn's bath was much less uneventful.

Adalyn continues to do well off the CPAP and on room air. Her feedings are going at 11 mL per hour and she is tolerating that well. Hopefully sometime this week they will try compressing her feedings again. Her weight last night was 3 lbs 14 oz (1760 grams) and her length was 16 3/4 inches.

Emma's feedings are still at 9.5 mL per hour and for the most part she is doing well. She still retches at times and will spit up small amounts of gastric contents, but the nurses are wondering if this will improve off the CPAP. The CPAP gives her really thick saliva and lots of it which she gags on which makes her retch which at times makes her spit up. So maybe without the CPAP she will not gag as often and maybe not retch/spit up as often either. Emma's weight tonight was 3 lbs 7 oz (1565 grams) and her length was 16 1/2 inches.

Please continue to pray that God help Adalyn and Emma grow and develop well. As I asked above, pray that Emma continues to do well off CPAP so that she can stay off. Pray that God helps them to have less alarms each day. Continue to pray that He protect them from infection. And please join us in praising Him for their wonderful growth and that they are both off CPAP!

I also just want to take a moment to thank God for blessing this family with a great first Christmas. And I want to thank Him for such a wonderful and supportive husband. I cannot imagine going through any of this without him.

Day 51: Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T22:01:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post for right now to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and let you know the twins are doing well. Adalyn's weight tonight was 3 lbs 12 oz and Emma's was 3 lbs 4 oz.

Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for the the many gifts you have blessed us with this Christmas. Thank you for the amazing blessing that Emma & Adayn are to us every day. Please Lord continue to help them grow bigger and stronger and more developed each day. Please heal their reflux and continue to protect them from infection. In your awesome name I pray,
Amen!

Day 49: Christmas outfits

2009-12-23T23:25:00.000-05:00

Today was bath day again. Once again neither or the girls were real impressed, but overall they did well. After their baths I put them in one of their Christmas outfits. One of the nurses bought them Christmas red onesies that say "who need Santa, I've got grandparents", so cute! I wil post pictures later.

Emma continues to need CPAP. Please pray earnestly that God makes Emma stronger so that she does not need the CPAP anymore. I ask that you also boldly ask God to heal Emma's reflux. Both of these are hurdles for her right now that really need some prayers to help her overcome them. Her feedings are still the same. She continues to have too many alarms to come off CPAP, but thanksfully they are all brief and self-resolved. Emma's weight tonight was 3 lbs 2 oz (1425 grams). Adalyn continues to do well off the CPAP. They increased her feeds today to 10.5 mL/hour. She is still occassionally spitting up so they are waiting to start compressing her feeds. Oddly enough her spit ups seem to be at the same time as she poops. Is that because she is working so hard or because even she thinks they stink...we may never know :) Her weight tonight was 3 lbs 9 oz (1630 grams).

Please pray for the requests listed above as well as that God continues to help them grow, develop and be free from infection. Also please join us in thanking God that they continue to do well as well as for their weight gain, praise God!

Day 48: 32 weeks gestation

2009-12-22T23:20:00.000-05:00

The girls had a good day today. No changes is feedings. Adalyn continues to do well off CPAP and Emma continues to need the CPAP at this point. Adalyn's weight tonight was 3 lbs 8 oz and Emma's was 3 lbs 1 oz.

Day 47: Exercise

2009-12-21T23:15:00.001-05:00

Both girls had a good day again today. Emma is continuing to do well on CPAP. She had less alarms today than yesterday, pray that that trend continues. Her feedings continue at 9 ml and hour, but now it is the same cocktail as Adalyn. 50:50 breast milk and similac special care 30. So now she is at full feeds fo her current weight, big girl Emma! Her weight tonight was 3 lbs 1 oz (1380 grams). Adalyn is doing well off CPAP and on room air. She continues to have brady alarms, but they are quick, self resolved and less than yesterday. Pray her alarms continue to improve. Her feedings are the same. She got to do exercises today with the physical therapist. She did not really like it and tried really hard to sleep through the whole thing, silly girl. Her weight tonight was 3 lbs 7 oz (1570 grams).

Please continue to pray that the girls tolerate their feedings, have less alarms, gow and develop well, and remain free from infection.

Day 46: PICC free

2009-12-20T22:26:00.001-05:00

I forgot to mention on saturday that Emma got her PICC line out! Praise God! So both of the girls are officially PICC free! They both had a good day again today. Adalyn' s feedings are the same & she is still off CPAP and on room air. We are definitely loving the fact that her feeding tube is the only thing on her face. Her weight tonight was 3 lbs 7 oz (1550 grams) and she is now 16 3/8ths inches long. Emma still has the OJ feedings and OG to chimney. Her feeds are at 9 mL an hour and she is doing well with that. She continues to struggle with reflux so please continue to pray that God heals that. Her weight tonight was 3 lbs and she is 16 inches long. Hopefully now that she is doing better with her feeds her growth will catch back up to her sister's.

Please continue to pray for the twinners growth, development and that God protect them from infection. And join us in praising God for their weight gain and that Emma got her PICC line out!

Day 45: Photo shoot

2009-12-19T23:08:00.001-05:00

Today Emma & Adalyn had their big photo shoot. The NICU is doing a campaign to promote kangaroo care. So this afternoon a photographer took pictures of the twinners snuggling with Dave & I. They looked beautiful :)

Both girls had a good day. Adalyn had a few more alarms today than she has the past couple days. So Dave & I are wondering if they will put her back on CPAP tomorrow. Her feedings are at 10 mL an hour and she is tolerating them well. She is showing signs that she is having some reflux, but not as much as Emma. Her weight tonight was 3 lbs 5 oz (1510 grams). Emma has been having some alarms, but they seem to be getting better. She is still refluxing a lot so they still have her on OJ feeds with the OG tube to chimney. Her weight tonight was 2 lbs 15 oz (1340 grams) so she lost again. She still is at 8.5 mL an hour which is still under her goal which again is likely why she lost weight.

Please pray that God heal both of the girls' reflux. Pray that they tolerate their feeds and have fewer and fewer alarms each day. Continue to pray for their growth, development and that God protect them from infection.

Day 44: Happy Birthday...or shall we say Happy Bathday!

2009-12-18T23:11:00.001-05:00

Well today was my birthday and I had a wonderful day. I spent the mornin and afternoon with my lovely daughters. I celebrated my birthday by giving them baths, I think if they could talk they would tell you it was not a happy experience :) However after I tucked them in all clean and cute both girls took a great big nap. Both girls had a good day, thank you Lord! Adalyn is still of CPAP and has some brady alarms, but they are all self resolved. Today they increased her feedings to 9.5 mL an hour. If her feedings continue to go well they will likely start compressing her feedings again (meaning her feedings will go in over a set number of hours instead of being continous). Please pray that her feedings continue to go well so that this can happen. She needs to tolerate compressed feeds again before they can go back to gavage (fed by gravity, no pump) and she needs to tolerate gavage before they will start trying to nipple feed her. Her weight tonight was 3lbs 4oz (1470 grams). She has likely lost because she is not at full feedings anymore due to her weight gain. Her new goal is 10 mL an hour. Emma is still on a CPAP of 5 on room air. She has still been having some brady & desat alarms, but it has improved with the OJ & OG. Her feedings were increased to 8 mL an hour. She still continues to have reflux, but it is better with the OG venting her stomach. She was very content yesterday. Mommy likes it that she does not have to watch her constantly spit up any more. Please pray that Emma continues to tolerate her feedings, that her belly grows so she can go back to OG feeds, that God heals her reflux. Emma weighed in tonight at 3 lbs (1355 grams). She also has likely not gained weight because she is not on full feedings and she is no longer getting TPN and lipids through her PICC line. She is basically just getting a little desert through there (it is just a dextrose and saline IV solution). So hopefully she will continue to tolerate increases in her feedings so that she can get her PICC line out and start gaining weight again.

Please also continue to pray that the girls grow and develop well and that God continues to protect them from infection.

I would like to thank God for my wondeful husband and beautiful daughters, they are the best birthday present ever!

Day 43: 6 weeks old

2009-12-17T21:50:00.000-05:00

The girls are 6 weeks old today, wow how time flies! Hopefully time continues to fly until they can come home. Adalyn continues to do well with her feedings, no changes there today. She continues to have quite a few brady alarms off the CPAP, but Dr.B said he is not going to put her back on the CPAP at this point because almost all off the bradys are quick, self resolved and she is not desating. We know that can change quickly depending on which neonatologist sees her. Her weight tonight was 3 lbs 5 oz (1490 grams). Emma still has the OJ and OG tubes and she has not been spitting up much. She has been wretching though at times and occassionally spits up gastric secretions. They went up to 7.5 mL an hour on her feedings today. She continues to have periods on and off where she has a lot of brady & desat alarms, but it seems to be better on the CPAP. Her weight tonight was 3 lbs (1355 grams).

Please pray earnestly for Emma to tolerate her feedings, for her not to be uncomfortable due to hunger or wretching, and for her stomach to grow so she can go back to OG feeds. Please pray that both girls are able to progress appropriately in their feedings. Please pray for guidance for the doctors and nurses so that they do not miss anything. Praise God that Adalyn is tolerating her feedings well. Please continue to pray that God protect both girls from infection and other complications. Thank you again for continuing to pray for our girls!

Day 42: Worrying Mommy

2009-12-16T22:48:00.003-05:00

Adalyn all tucked in

Emma wide awake

So today Emma kind of had a tough day. She had quite a few alarms last night and they decided to put her back on the CPAP.(Big surprise) She also had some more spit ups today so they decided to put an OJ tube in. This goes in her mouth, down her throat, and through her stomach into her intestines. They believe that her stomach is too small for the amount of food she needs so they are doing this to give her stomach time to grow. After they did all that, Abi came to her crib because her vitals were jumping around and she had spit up some dark brown fluid.(blood) The doctors believe that this was caused by some more irritation (like she had before) because she has been drooling so much they need to keep replacing her feeding tube. This worried Abi and she has been having a tough day.(I knew I wrote too soon yesterday.) I keep trying to tell her that this is not so bad considering how bad it could be but I know they are hollow words to her ears. No one likes to see their child bleed from anywhere. Tonight Emma weighed 3lbs again but it was a 20 gram increase.(1370) So we are thrilled that she continues to gain weight. Please pray that GOD takes away whatever is bothering her tummy, that she tolerates her feedings better, and that she continues to gain weight.

Adalyn had a much better day. She continues to do well with her feedings and they increased her to 9ml every hour because of her weight gain. She also is doing good off of CPAP and has had only a small increase in her alarms. She weighed in at 3lbs 5oz!(1500) We are so proud of her! Please pray for Adalyn's health in general and that she continues to do good without the CPAP. Also thank Him for both of the girls progress.

We had dinner tonight with Mark and Kate Wiersma which was a lot of fun. It is really nice to be able to talk to people who have gone through/are going through what we are. Seeing their faith during their journey has helped us with ours. Kate dropped of a frame when Abi was admitted to the hospital that said "GOD IS IN CONTROL". As many of you know this kinda became a theme for me. If you are unfamiliar with the Wiersma Family you can read about them at http://mkwiersma.blogspot.com/

Day 41: 31 Weeks Gestation

2009-12-15T22:09:00.005-05:00

Writing 31 weeks gestation makes me remember how I was feeling when the twinners were first born. Looking forward from 25 weeks gestation to 31 seemed so far into the future! We were both so scared and had no idea what was going to happen between then and now. Abi and I prepared ourselves for the worst and I do not think either of us would have believed you if you would have told us how our journey would turn out to be. Most 25 weekers are on the vent for 4-5 weeks, our girls were both on the vent for only 21 hours! (Except for Emma's 24 hours during/after her PDA surgery.) Both Adalyn and Emma have been on a CPAP of 5 on room air for the past 4 weeks and that has been off CPAP for 2 days then back on again for 7ish days. Most 31 weekers have only been on CPAP for 2 weeks and most likely they need oxygen. The girls seem to be right on track with their feedings and are both gaining weight. So far neither of them has shown signs of NEC and have avoided other infections. Adalyn didn't even need a PDA surgery and Emma recovered quickly from hers and was off the vent right away. I almost do not dare to write this because I am so afraid that the second I start believing that our girls are the babies that will fly through the NICU with minimal problems and come home on time, something will happen and I will be devastated. Everyday Abi and I live in fear of phone calls because it might be the NICU with bad news. We both are tired all the time from worry, driving, and work. Despite these things our marriage is stronger than ever and nothing brings us more joy than our 2 baby girls. How can all of this be? Why are our girls doing so well? The answer is simple: Prayer. Because of all of your prayers GOD has chosen this path for us and Adalyn and Emma. Already my daughters have witnessed to more people than Abi our I ever could. I have had complete strangers come up to me and ask if I am Dave Lamar and then tell me that they are praying for me. I have had friends open up and talk to me about GOD like they never have before. His power is awesome and he is using Adalyn and Emma already in ways we could never understand. Please continue to pray for my little girls, it does make a difference.

Okay, now on to the facts. Adalyn and Emma both had their CPAP removed today and this time the doctors think it is for good. (Abi and I are a little skeptical but anything is possible.) Adalyn has had a few alarms mostly related to spit ups. Tonight she weighed in at 3lbs 3oz.(1450) Emma has had more alarms but they are also mostly related to spit ups. Emma's feedings are now up to 7 ml every hour and her goal is 8, so hopefully she can reach this soon and have her PICC line removed. She weighed in at 3lbs!(1350) Way to go girls! Both over 3 pounds! Doctor Droste agreed with the nurse and neither of them are showing signs of eye disease.

Please continue to pray that both girls tolerate their feedings, stay free of infection and NEC, and that they continue to grow and develop into normal baby girls. GOD Is In Control.

Day 40: Sisterly love

2009-12-15T13:02:00.002-05:00

Adalyn (left) and Emma (right) snuggling on dad's chest giving eachother some love.

The twinners are doing well. They spent 3 hours snuggling with mom yesterday and another hour with dad...that is lots of cuddling :) Both girls had their eye exam yesterday. The exam was done by a nurse and she walked me through everything that she saw and said that at this point things are developing normally and there are no signs of ROP (retinopathy of prematurity). She said that both of their eyes appear immature at this point. Today the girls will be examined by Dr. Droste (the eye doctor) to make sure that he agrees with the findings from the nurse (her exam uses a special ultrasound camera that takes pictures of the structures of the eyes, his will be "the old fashioned way" which is by hand, no special tool). If he agrees with her exam the next exam will be in 2 weeks.

Adalyn's feedings cocktail was changed today. She is now getting 50:50 breast milk and similac special care 30. This is to get her more calories, calcium, phosphorus, and protein. This is going to be going at the same rate as her feedings before, 8 mL an hour. She has been spitting up occasionally and having a few alarms here and there, but nothing abnormal. Her weight last night was 3 lbs 3 oz (1440 grams).

Emma's feedings are the same. Dr. B said that he does not want to change things yet since she seems to be tolerating things better this time. He wants to give her a least another day of things going well and then likely slowly increase to her goal. He is hoping to have her there by the end of the week so that she can get her PICC line out. Maybe she will get her PICC line out for my birthday on friday, that would be a wonderful present :) Emma continues to spit up occasionally also and has been having a few more alarms, most of them are self resolved. Emma's weight last night was 2 lbs 15 oz (1345 grams)...almost 3 lbs (1360 grams)...you can do it Emma!

Dear Lord,
I praise you for the good reports on the twinners eye exams yesterday. Lord please continue to help their eyes develop correctly. Father thank you that both girls are gaining weight well and are tolerating their feedings. Please help them to continue gaining weight and to tolerate their feedings better each day. I pray that Emma is able to reach her goal feedings soon so that she can get her PICC line out. Thank you for the beautiful personalities we see in these tiny little ladies. God please help the twinners to keep maturing so that they have less and less alarms so that they can come off the CPAP for good in the next few weeks. In your truly awesome name I pray,
Amen!

Day 39: Nap time

2009-12-13T23:45:00.000-05:00

Today was a good day for the girls. Dave & I did kangaroo care for almost 3 hours and for a portion of that the 4 of us were napping together, it was wonderful! Emma continues to tolerate her feedings so today Dr. D increased her to 6 mLs an hour and also changed to a 50:50 mix of breast milk and similac special care 24. Emma's weight today was 2 lbs 14 oz (1300 grams) and her length was 15 3/4 inches (40cm). Adalyn is also doing well with her feedings and her weight tonight was 3 lbs 1.5 oz (1400 grams) and her length was also 15 3/4 inches (40cm). Both girls are also still on a CPAP of 5 on room air.

Please continue to pray that they tolerate their feedings, have few alarms, stay free from infection, continue to grow and develop well, and that their eye exams this week show no signs of ROP. Thank you God for another great day and what an absolute blessing Emma & Adalyn are to Dave & I!

Day 38: Squeaky clean

2009-12-13T10:50:00.000-05:00

Both of the girls got baths yesterday. Again, both girls looked like they were not quite sure what had happened after the whole process was done. It is fun for Dave & I though because the girls are wide awake, eyes wide open, with fluffy hair & clean faces looking absolutely beautiful! Adalyn continues to do well with her feedings which are now at 8 mL an hour. She had had a small handful of alarms over the past 48 hours. Adalyn's weight is 3lbs (1360 grams) woo hoo! Emma continues to tolerate her feedings as well which are now at 5 mL an hour. She had one large regurge yesterday & continues to show signs that she has reflux, but so far has been tolerating it much better. She has had a handful of alarms over the past 48 hours. Her weight is 2 lbs 13 oz (1265 grams).

Please pray that Emma continues to tolerate her feedings as they are increased and they begin to add in formula to get her more calories. Please pray that she tolerates her relux and that it does not bother her. Praise God that both girls are doing well with their feedings and that they have gained weight. Also remember to pray for their developing eyes and that no ROP is seen on their upcoming exams.

Day 37: Double time

2009-12-12T00:30:00.001-05:00

So today Daddy got to cuddle with Adalyn & Emma together for the first time. I was not there but it sounds like he really enjoyed it. I pretty much think it is the best thing since sliced bread :)

Both girls had a great day today. Very few alarms, no stim, looked good, very cute.(of course). They restarted Emma's feedings at 11:30 at half the amount (3mL an hour) and she has had one very small spit up but nothing to get excited about. So as of right now she seems to be tolerating things better, praise God! Pray that this continues. Emma's weight tonight was 2 lbs 11 oz (1230 grams).

Adalyn did great with her feedings today. Praise God! Pray that this continues for Adalyn as well. Her weight tonight was 2 lbs 15 oz (1330 grams).

Day 36: 5 weeks old

2009-12-10T23:15:00.000-05:00

The girls are 5 weeks old, wow how time flies! Adalyn is continuing to do well, there were no changes with her today. He weight tonight was 2 lbs 14 oz (1310 grams). Emma has been doing better since they started the antibiotics and stopped the feedings. At 2pm they tried to restart her feedings are she began regurges and having a lot of alarms which needed stim. So they stopped the feedings again until tomorrow morning. Since then she has not had any more alarms and she is looking and acting much better. Since she is not getting fed they have turned up her TPN & lipids. Her CPAP is back down to 5 and she is still on room air. Her weight tonight was 2 lbs 11 oz (1225 grams). The doctors are thinking it is less likely that Emma has a blood infection & more likely that she was having some feeding intolerance.

Please continue to pray that both girls tolerate their feedings and that as they restart Emma's feedings she does better and does not develope any more serious problems. Please also continue to pray for their growth, development and for God to protect them from infection. Also, please pray for their developing eyes. The girls should have their first eye exams next week. Pray that their eyes develop correctly and that they do not develop retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). ROP in its severist form can leave children blind. Please pray that God protect the girls from this so that they are able to see His beautiful creation when they grow up. Thank you again for your prayer support, your prayers do not go unnoticed!

Prayers for Emma

2009-12-10T10:56:00.000-05:00

Emma could really use prayers today. For the past couple days Emma off & on has periodic breathing,lots of bradys, desats & lots of spitting. Well yesterday her skin would also not look good when this would happen. Today her nurse said this is still happening & she is also not acting like herself. So the doctors repeated the same blood work that they did yesterday. Dr.D said everything looks fine, but in preemies there are times when they have an infection, but it will not show up in their blood work until it has been around for awhile. They also did an X-ray of her stomach and lungs and everything looks fine there, no signs of infection. He thinks that she has a blood infection. They took blood for cultures, but those results take time. He thinks she got the infection through her PICC line. He said that often if this is the case the PICC line will not draw blood & this is the case with Emma. They have started Emma on antibiotics and will continue to watch her & wait for her blood culture results to come back. Dr.D said Emma's pulse & blood pressure have also been elevated at times which can also be a sign of infection & can cause weight loss due to the increased metabolic demand. Dr.D said he feels like this was caught early since Emma has not needed any additional oxygen & is still doing well on the CPAP. For now they have stopped Emma's feedings & he said they will restart them when she goes for a while without spitting up. They will likely only start at about 1/2 the amount first and go up based on how she tolerates it. Please pray that Emma is on the right antibiotics and that they wipe out the infection quickly so she does not have the problems she has been having. Pray that God keep Emma from getting any more sick than what she is now. Pray that they are able to restart her feedings soon and that she tolerate things better so that her PICC line can come out so that this does not happen again.

Day 35: Feeding issues

2009-12-09T23:04:00.004-05:00

Kangaroo care with Adalyn (on the left) and Emma (on the right).

Well, I was spoiled today. For the first time since I was pregnant I was able to hold both of the girls at the same time. I did kangaroo care with both girls for 3 hours, I loved it! They seemed to really enjoy it too :)

Emma and Adalyn continue to have feedings issues. Both girls continue to spit up fairly regularly so this morning Dr. K decided to move them both to continuous drip feedings. This means that Adalyn is getting roughly 7.67 mL over the course of an hour and Emma is getting 5.67 mL over the course of an hour. They are hoping that this helps with their reflux which will in turn hopefully help decrease their regurges. Adalyn continues to have some alarms, the majority are associated with spitting up and/or her CPAP care. Adalyn's weight tonight was 2 lbs 14 oz (1300 grams), praise God for Adalyn's good weight gain.

Today Emma was doing what they call periodic breathing. This means she breathes pretty good for a few seconds then she doesn't breathe then she breathes really good for a few seconds and then she does not breathe. She is not having any apnea at this point (apnea is when they do not breathe for over 20 seconds). However at times her periods of not breathing are long enough to cause her oxygen saturations to drop. Dr. K said this can come from a few different things. 1) infection - they did blood work and Emma shows no signs of infection - Praise God! 2)brain damage - Emma's head ultrasound was normal and Dr. K said there is no reason to think this had changed - he said we would know 3) reflux - which we know she has 4) prematurity - once again...we know she was very premature 5) a change in the compliance of her lung tissue (he increased her CPAP from 5 to 6 to help in case this is the cause). So basically what he said is that she needs to get older and this should all get better. Unfortunately because Emma is spitting up more and is not at her goal feedings she has lost some more weight again tonight. Her weight tonight was 2 lbs 11 oz (1210 grams). Hopefully tomorrow they will start adding the Similac Special Care 24 to Emma's feedings to help increase the calories.

The doctors have said that the girls need to get older in order for these issues to get better. I believe that they also need prayers. I serve a God who does do miracles (our girls are evidence of that) and I believe that He has the ability to help Emma with her periodic breathing, help Emma start to gain weight again, as well as help both girls tolerate their feedings better. So please pray that Adalyn and Emma tolerate their feedings better and do not spit up much. Please pray that Emma tolerate the addition of the formula to her feedings. Praise God for Adalyn's good weight gain and pray that it continues. Pray that Emma starts to gain weight again and that she can catch up to Adalyn again. Also pray that the reflux the girls are having does not hurt them. Thank you so much for continuing to pray for our girls!

Stay warm and safe in this storm!

Day 34: 30 weeks gestation

2009-12-08T22:17:00.001-05:00

The girls had a good day today. They both did a little bit of spitting, but nothing to get worked up about. They also have both done better with there alarms over the past 24 hours. Both girls are still on a CPAP of 5 on room air. Adalyn is still at the same for her feedings (1/2 breast milk 1/2 similac special care 24 23 mL compressed over 2 hours every 3 hours). Her weight tonight was 2 lbs 13 oz (1270 grams). Emma's feedings were increased to 17 mL every 3 hours compressed over 2 hours now instead of 1. Her weight tonight was 2 lbs 11 oz (1220 grams). She likely is down due to her spitting yesterday as well as her big poops she had yesterday & today :)

Dear Lord thank You so much for blessing the twinners with a good day today. Please help them to tolerate their feedings. Father thank you for their visible growth, it is so fun to see the changes. Thank you also for the quiet alert times that the girls have when Dave & I are there. Please help the twinners to continue to grow & develop and to stay free from infection. Thank you Lord for blessing Dave & I with these two beautiful miracles! You are a truly awesome God!
Amen!

Day 33: One of those days...

2009-12-07T21:38:00.003-05:00

Emma wide awake after her bath

Adalyn wide awake after her bath

I got to give both of the girlies baths today, I am getting much better at it. Although they may disagree. Durring the baths the girls complained a little bit, but both were wide awake which I loved. It was especially fun to see Emma that way because we have not seen her that alert before.

Emma had a bit of a rough day today. She has been having more alarms and has also been spitting up more again. We are not sure what the cause is. It could be because they increased her feedings to 15 mL every 3 hours, it could be because she is refluxing, it could be that she is being a preemie and is just having a bad day. All we know is that we are praying that whatever the cause is that God help Emma to stop spitting up so much and to have less alarms. On the up side despite the spitting up Emma has still gained weight over the past 24 hours. Her weight tonight was 2 lbs 12 oz (1250 grams).

Adalyn had a little bit of a rough night last night in terms of alarms. She is still doing better with her spitting up. Because of her increased alarms last night the doctors put her back on CPAP. Big suprise :) Durring the day today she had fewer alarms and very minimal spit up. Pray that this continues for Adalyn. Her weight tonight was 2 lbs 12 oz (1240 grams).

Please continue to pray for the girls to have less alarms, tolerate their feedings, grow and develop, and that God protect them from NEC and other infections. Please also continue to pray for Dave and I to be able to cope when the girls have bad days and to remember that God is in control and to continue to trust in Him.

Day 32: Cuddle Time

2009-12-06T18:02:00.004-05:00

Wow, 32 days. On one hand I cannot believe it has been that long already, on the other it seems like sooo much longer! With all the emotions Abi and I have experienced over the last 10 weeks it is no wonder we both are feeling a little exhausted. It is so crazy that no matter how worried or stressed we are the second we get those little girls on our chest we can just forget about everything else. We had taken a couple of days off with the kangaroo care because of the girls spitting up so much and it was really nice to spend all afternoon with them. Another bonus was that the doctor said today that whenever we do kangaroo care we can take the girl's CPAP off while they are on our chests, this makes it a lot more comfortable for both us and them. Both Adalyn and Emma seem to be doing better off of the HMF (human milk fortifier)and have not spit up since we left last night at 11:00pm. They still continue to reflux which causes them to have bradys but at least they are keeping all of their food down. (They probably had 10 bradys each since last night.) Adalyn is still off of CPAP and breathing completely on her own, we still will not be surprised if she goes back on CPAP because the doctors have a really low tolerance because it doesn't harm them to be on it.(It actually helps their lungs develop better even if they can breathe fine on their own.) We talked with the doctor today about Emma coming off of CPAP as well but all 3 of us decided to just take her off during kangaroo care for a while instead. The girls had their Sunday night measurements tonight. Both girls in true twin fashion, weighed and measured the same. Their weight was 2 lbs 11 oz (1210 grams) and they were 15 1/4 inches long.

I still can't believe how much GOD has blessed Abi and I through these 2 tiny girls. Even though we struggle with the situation we are in, we know His love and feel His presence. Once again thank you to everyone who has made us meals, given rides, and the generous gas cards. Thank you to the friends that are part of our support group but also allow us to just be ourselves when we are around them. Please continue to pray for the girl's feedings and their good health. Also continue to pray for Abi and I as we cope with everything that is placed before us.

Day 31: 1 month old!

2009-12-06T00:54:00.004-05:00

Emma looking so cute & sporting the start of a double chin...I love it!

Adalyn looking all cute & cuddly...I wish I could snuggle up next to her.

I cannot believe the twinners are 1 month old already. We feel extremely blessed for how well things have gone the past month. It is truly a blessing from God! And what an amazing blessing Adalyn and Emma have been to us already in their short little lives so far. Both of the girls have been having more issues again with spitting up. Today they increased Adalyn's feedings to 23 mL every 3 hours. She was on the same concoction she was yesterday, until this evening when we decided to try her off the HMF to see if that would help with the spitting and bloated belly issues she has been struggling with off and on. This morning they added the HMF back into Emma's feedings and she has been struggling with the same issues as Adalyn off and on. So we also decided this evening to try Emma off the HMF for a few days to see if her symptoms improve. If they do she will need to be on a breast milk and formula combination like Adalyn in order to get her more calories. If it does not help the girls, they will likely try to add the HMF back in a couple days. Both girls weight 2 lbs 9 oz (1170 grams) tonight...you would think they are twins or something :)

Please pray hard with us that neither of the girls develop NEC. Some of the signs that they have been showing can be sings of NEC. However they also do not show many of the other classic NEC symptoms. Please pray that God continue to protect them from NEC and that He help them tolerate their feedings better and to not reflux as much. Please also continue to pray that the twins continue to do well with their breathing, that they grow and develop well, and that they have less alarms. Please join us in thanking God for a good first month for the twinners and pray the next month goes just a well if not better.

Day 30: Oh the weather outside is frightful...

2009-12-04T22:25:00.001-05:00

Thankfully Adalyn & Emma are nice and warm tucked in their isolettes because it is COLD outside. I wonder what the twinners will be like the first time they are able to play in the snow. Will they like it or will they be like their mommy and be really cold? Something I look forward to experiencing with them in the future.

Anywho, the girls are doing well. Both have had more spitting up in the past 24 hours. They also have had an increase in alarms, but they are self resolved. Both girls are still on a CPAP of 5 on room air. Emma's feedings were on hold for a feeding this morning because her abdominal girth was up and she was spitting up more. So they did an X-ray of her belly and everything looked normal. So they restarted her feedings at 10 mL every 3 hours but without the HMF this time. So far she has been tolerating that better. Emma's weight tonight was 2 lbs 8 oz (1130 grams). Adalyn's feedings are the same because her belly was a little distended and she was spitting up a little more as well. If this continues they will take the HMF out of her feedings. If it improves they will likely increase her feedings tomorrow. Adalyn's weight is 2 lbs 8 oz (1140 grams).

Please pray with us that God help the girls tolerated their feedings better. Join us in thanking God that Emma's X-ray did not show any signs of NEC or other problems. Again (I feel like a broken record) please pray for God to help the twinners continue to grow and develop and that God continue to protect them from infection. Thank you so much for your continued prayers, we feel them!

Day 29: Happy 4 weeks!

2009-12-03T22:12:00.000-05:00

Wow, I can hardly believe it has been 4 weeks already. Thank you God! The girls both continue to do well. Both girls continue to have alarms, but they have been significantly less for the past 24 hours. Today they started adding 1 package Human Milk Fortifier (HMF) to 50 mL of breast milk and giving Emma 10 mL of this mixture every 3 hours. She has been spitting up more with this. Please pray that she tolerate her feedings and not develope any problems. Emma"s weight tonight was 2 lbs 9 oz (1150 grams). Adalyn's feedings are the same and her spitting up has been better today. Adalyn's weight tonight was 2 lbs 8 oz (1130 grams).

Please join us in praising God for another good day. Pray that the girls tolerate their feedings with little regurges and residuals, pray they continue to gain weight, and pray God continue to protect them from infection.

Day 28: Not so alarming

2009-12-02T22:42:00.002-05:00

Adalyn wide awake and looking very pretty after her bath.

The girls had a good day again today. Both girls conitue to be on a CPAP of 5 on room air & Dr. D said to plan on them being on CPAP another week or to. Over the past 24 hours both girls have had fewer brady alarms. All of them were self resolved and many of them were related to CPAP care or spitting up. I got to give Adalyn a bath today. She did not complain near as much as her sister. She was wide awake the whole time and actually looked rather scared...sorry honey :) Adalyn's feedings are the same and she is tolerating them well. Her residuals have been small and she has not spit up for over 24 hours. Adalyn weighed in at 2lbs 8oz (1120 grams). That weight was with her CPAP on and lately they have been weighing the girls without it, so her true weight it probably closer to 2lbs 7oz. Emma's feedings were increased to 10 ml every 3 hours. She has been spitting up every once in a while and has been having some residuals, but at this point nothing they are concerned about. Emma weighed in at 2lbs 8oz (1120 grams) as well, her weight was also with CPAP on.

Lord Jesus,
I come to you praising you for the good day you blessed Adalyn and Emma with. Thank you that they had a decrease in their number of alarms. Lord please help Adalyn and Emma to tolerate their feedings so that they continue to gain weight. Lord please help the girls to continue to grow stronger and to develop appropriately. Father I ask that you continue to protect Adalyn and Emma from infection. Thank you for holding them in your hands and for watching over them and protecting them. Continue to be with Dave & I as we cope with having the girls in the NICU. Thank you for being in control and giving us peace. Continue to help us find balance and to help us grow as a couple and as a family through this experience.
In your awesome name I pray,
Amen!

Day 27: 29 weeks

2009-12-01T21:56:00.004-05:00

Grandpa & Grandma Lamar checking out Emma on Sunday.

The girls are 29 weeks today, and it was another good day! I got to give Emma a bath today for the first time. Emma did not think it was very fun. I get to give Adalyn a bath tomorrow as long as she is doing good. This morning Emma was put back on CPAP because she had more brady alarms during the night. We saw that coming :) Both girls are doing good on a CPAP of 5 on room air. Both girls have been doing relatively well with their brady alarms. They continue to have them, but most are self resolved, and often they are related to suctioning, CPAP care, or spitting up. Adalyn's feedings are the same except they are giving them over 2 hours instead of 1 hour to see if that helps with her spitting up. It seemed to help during the day, but then just before we were getting ready to leave tonight she had a big spit up. Hopefully that is the only one she will have tonight. Emma's feeds were increased to 8 mL every 3 hours. She seems to be tolerating this well. She only had one small spit up so far today. Both girls had nice poopy diapers for us before we left tonight...so thoughtful :) Adalyn weighed in tonight at 2 lbs 5 oz (1050 grams) and Emma weighed 2 lbs 6 oz (1070 grams). Both girls gained weight even after their big poos...we are so proud :)

Please continue to pray that the girls tolerate their feedings well, continue to do well on CPAP, have less alarms, grow and develop well, and that God continue to protect them from NEC and other infections. Again please join us in praising God for a good day and for their weight gain!

Day 26: The saga of the deep freeze

2009-11-30T22:47:00.002-05:00

So our day today began by Dave discovering that our deep freeze bit the dust. He went to pull out a muffin to take to work and the muffin was cold, but not frozen as it should be. Thankfully we were able to rescue my breast milk and move it over to another freezer...whew! Then in the middle of the day we found out that Emma's PICC line went bad so they had to take it out. However, she still needs IV access so they put a temporary IV in. The nurse called to tell me about this because they had to put the IV IN THE MIDDLE OF HER FOREHEAD...yikes! As a nurse I have done this to babies and have always felt bad about it, but I never expected my child to have an IV in their head. Thankfully they were able to get Emma in for a new PICC line today so mom did not have to see her looking like a little unicorn...whew again!

After Dave got out of work we went for some very quick deep freezer shopping. We found the best "deal" (not sure that word really fits since it seemed a bit pricey) at Menards. So Dave brought it he and his dad met him there to help him get everything switched over. As they were putting the new one in the garage they discovered the new one was dented...really! So Dave's dad was nice enough to run it back to Menards to exchange it for a new one. Come to find out it was they last one in stock and they would not give us $ off the damaged one we had. They said we could buy the floor model, but they would not give us a discount on that either. Hmmmm...a bit of a predicament seeing as how we needed a deep freeze since ours was busted and stuffed to the brim with food that needed to go into a working deep freeze. So Dave's dad called the company which made the deep freeze and explained to them the situation. They are shipping us a new one...so nice! In the mean time we can deal with a dented, but functioning, deep freeze. Thanks Big C for all your help!

Needless to say by the time we were on our way to the hospital Dave and I were both a little frustrated with the days events. However, as soon as we started cuddling with our girls, nothing else seemed to matter. That is all both of us wanted to do all day was spend time with our girls. As we were cuddling a hundred deep freezes could have stopped working and it would not have mattered...I love the affect the twinners have on us :)

Anywho, the girls are doing good. They both continue to have bradys, but the majority are still self resolved. Adalyn is still on a CPAP of 5 on room air & tolerating it well. Her feedings are now 20 ml every 3 hours. She needs more calories now so she is getting 1/2 breast milk & HMF & 1/2 Similac special care (a higher calorie formula). She has been doing a little more spitting up with this so pray that her stomach gets used to this and she stops spitting up. Her weight last night was 2 lbs 5 oz (1060 grams) and tonight was 2 lbs 5 oz (1040 grams).

Emma actually decided today that she did not want her nasal cannula anymore. The nurse found her twice with the nasal cannula in her mouth. Emma there is a reason it is called a nasal cannula :) So they decided to leave it off and see how she did. She has been maintaining her oxygen saturations wonderfully. She is still having bradys so mom thinks they are going to put her back on CPAP soon, but we will see. In the meantime Dave & I really enjoyed her cute little bare naked nose :) Emma's feedings are still at 6 ml every 3 hours and she is tolerating this well. Emma's weight was 2 lbs 4 oz (1010 grams) last night and 2 lbs 5 oz (1050 grams) tonight. Please continue to pray that God protect the girls from infection, help them tolerated their feedings, keep their breathing strong, help them to have less brady's and to help them grow and develop. And please join us in praising God for blessing our girls with another great day!

Emma saying hi to her cousin Hudson

Day 25: Emma's break from CPAP

2009-11-29T20:43:00.003-05:00

Emma in her new dress Grandma Jody made her

Adalyn stretching in her new dress

The twinners with mom & dad

Dave & I were fortunate again to spend the majority of our day today with the twinners. Both girls continue to do well. Adalyn had more brady/desat alarms over night last night. The majority were self resolved. This could be due to her being off CPAP and/or her larger feeding volume which is causing her to have some reflux. The doctors have decided to treat this in 2 ways: 1) they are giving Adalyn's feedings over an hour so that her reflux hopefully calms down 2) They decided this evening to put her back on CPAP. Dr. B said that he was doing to have a low threshold for putting her back on so Dave & I were expecting this. We are not at all disappointed since the CPAP is not harmful to them, and helps their future lung function. However we are still glad she got and break and that we were able to enjoy her CPAP free face for 2 days. Adalyn's feedings are up to 20 mL every 3 hours and besides the reflux and increased alarms she is tolerating them well.

This afternoon, after 24 hours with no alarms, the doctors decided to give Emma a break from CPAP! They have her on a nasal cannula just like they had Adalyn on. We were able to enjoy both girls today with no CPAP, it was wonderful. We are fully prepared for Emma to have to go back on the CPAP soon, but again, we are thankful for the break. Emma has been doing much better with her feeds over the past 24 hours. She has not had any more blood in her stomach since yesterday morning, she has had very little residuals, and has not been spitting up. Her feedings were increased to 6 ml every 3 hours today and she has been tolerating this well.

We are so thankful for how well both of the girls are doing. We also feel so blessed with the amount of time we have been able to spend with them the past few days. It has especially helped mommy :) We ask that you continue to pray that the girls tolerated their feedings, continue to do good with their breathing, that God protect them from NEC and other infections, and that they grow and develop appropriately.

Praise God for a good day!

Day 24: Adalyn's break from CPAP

2009-11-28T21:49:00.003-05:00

That's right, they took Adalyn off of the CPAP today! The doctors say that it may not last for long but they just wanted her to have a break and see how she does. I spent 3.5 hours with Adalyn today and she did great, she is still on a nasal cannula with just a sniff of oxygen but she seems much more comfortable. Her feedings are up to 18ml every 3 hours today which is the goal for her weight so guess what? More good news! Adalyn had her PICC line removed! This is awesome because the PICC line is a popular place for infection to enter the body. Adalyn weighs 2 pounds 5 ounces tonight. Please pray that Adalyn continues to tolerate her feedings, that she stays free from infection, that she continues to have few alarms, and that her need for a PICC line does not return. Praise GOD for these awesome gifts we received today!

Emma had a great day today but a rough early morning with her feedings. She spit up alot last night and had some alarms with/because of this. Emma also continues to have a little blood in her stomach, the doctor says this is normal in a preemie and is probably just irritation from the feeding tube. They dropped her feedings down to 3ml every 3 hours and seems to be tolerating that better. She is doing great on CPAP and is at room air with her oxygen. Abi and Emma cuddled for about 3 hours today. She held her same weight of 2 pounds 4 ounces which is were she was last night. Please pray that Emma tolerates her feedings better so that she can catch up with big sis and get her PICC line removed. Please also pray that whatever is irritating her stomach goes away so that she can heal. And finally, please pray for her to stay free from infection, have fewer alarms, and for her comfort in general. Thank GOD for all the progress Emma has made since her surgery!

Day 23: Hangin out

2009-11-27T22:40:00.003-05:00

Emma with all her CPAP off while they cleaned off her pretty face

Grandma Pammy giving Adalyn a little love

Today Abi and I spent the whole day at the hospital with Adalyn and Emma. I was able to hold Emma for the first time since last Monday. Abi was a little greedy today and held both girls for 2 hours!(That's 4 hours of pure cuddle time!) While I was getting Emma positioned on my chest her CPAP fell off but she was doing so good they let her take a break from it for the 2 hours that I held her. She did Awesome! Emma's recovery is going really well and they restarted her feedings at 3 ml every 3 hours for 2 feedings and then bumped her up to 6 ml every 3 hours which is where she was before surgery. What an answer to our prayers! She has been tolerating them pretty well, but is still spitting up at times and having occassional residuals. Please pray that Emma will tolerate her feedings so that they are able to continue advancing them. Emma weighed in tonight at 2lbs 4oz (1010 grams). Adalyn has had a good day today as well. She continues to do well on CPAP and her feedings were advanced this morning to 16 ml every 3 hours. Just like her sister she spits ups every once in a while and also has occassional residuals. Please pray that she continues to tolerate her feedings so that they are able to remove her PICC line in the next few days. Adalyn weighed in tonight at 2lbs 4oz (1040 grams). Please pray that GOD continues to protect both girls from NEC and infections. Please also pray that He continues to help them grow and develope as He has so faithfully done in the past 3 weeks. Join us in thanking GOD for His many blessings that He has given us and the girls! Please also pray for Abi as she continues to recover and learns how to cope with being away from the girls as well as the many ups and downs we are experiencing.

GOD is in control!

Day 22: Happy 3 Weeks!

2009-11-26T22:07:00.000-05:00

Wow, 3 weeks old already.(Thursday, November 26) I can't believe how fast the time goes but I am thrilled because every day we get closer to the day when the girls can finally come home. Yesterday afternoon Emma was doing awesome with her recovery from surgery so they started to ween her off of the vent. Things were going great until 4:00pm when for some reason things started to go in the wrong direction, they brought her vent settings back up to where they were right after surgery. She continued to do poorly until 7:00pm so they did a chest x-ray but didn't really find anything except that her breathing tube was a little too far in and her right lung was not fully inflated. Since there was no other explanation as to why Emma wasn't doing very good they decided to pull the breathing tube out a little and while they were doing this the Respiratory Therapist noticed a mucus plug in her airway. They removed the breathing tube and replaced it with a new one and Emma instantly started to do much better, she remained on the vent until this morning. Last night Emma and Adalyn both weighed 2 pounds 3 ounces. Adalyn had some good cuddle time with Abi yesterday and her feedings went great! She is doing awesome!

This morning Emma was doing so good they put her back onto the CPAP and has been doing great all day. She is much more herself today and you can tell she is feeling much better. Her feedings are on hold while she recovers from her surgery. Adalyn's stomach was measuring a little big this morning so they put her feedings on hold until she had time to finish digesting all of her food. They resumed Adalyn's feedings at 9:00pm at 14ml every 3 hours. Today I was able to hold Adalyn for the first time since last week Tuesday. Praise GOD that I didn't get sick while Abi had the flu and that the girls both stayed healthy.

Please continue to pray for Emma's recovery and that both her and Adalyn stay free from infection. Please also pray that Adalyn continues to tolerate her feedings and that Emma does good enough so hers can be restarted.

Day 21: PDA ligation

2009-11-25T10:49:00.001-05:00

Adalyn's beautiful face

Emma resting

Emma's new scar

Emma has had her surgery & praise God, everything went great. It took a little under an hour & there were no complications durring the procedure. Emma is still paralyzed right now from the medicine they gave her for the surgery. This should start wearing off in the next couple hours & then she will start moving again. She will be getting morphine as needed for the next 24 hours for pain. Right now she looks very peaceful. Much more than before the surgery, she does not like her ET tube (the intubation tube). Pray that Emma heals well & does not develope infection. Pray that as she wakes up she fights the ventilator so she can be extubated. Pray that her belly heals while she is not being fed so her feedings go better when they are restarted.

Side note: Adalyn is doing good, in case anyone was wondering :)

Day 20: Gearing up for surgery

2009-11-25T10:47:00.001-05:00

I will have more of an update on their day yesterday later on.

Surgery

2009-11-24T14:04:00.000-05:00

We received word from the pediatric cardiac surgery team. Emma will have surgery to close her PDA tomorrow morning at 8:30. Please be praying accordingly. Dave & I will be heading up to the hospital early tomorrow morning to spend some time with Emma before her surgery.

Day 19: Care Conference

2009-11-24T10:44:00.003-05:00

We had a care conference yesterday with our social worker and neonatologist. We learned that both girls are doing well. We were reminded how awesome it is that both of our girls are off the vent. We were also reminded that we are not out of the woods in terms of the possibility of either of them needing to go back on the vent. At this point there is not reason for this, but if either were to start to go down hill drastically it could mean that she would have to be intubated again. The neonatologist said that the longer they stay off the vent the less likely they are to ever have to go back on it. Please pray that God continue to keep them strong, breathing well with the CPAP, and not needing to going on the vent.

Adalyn in having some alarms, lately just for desats (dropping her oxygen level). They have been self resolved most of the time which means most of the time they do not need to turn up her oxygen. She and Emma are still on a CPAP of 5 on room air. Adalyn's feedings are at 12 ml every 3 hours (still with the HMF to bring the calories to 22/ounce). To put that into perspective for you, there are 30 ml in an ounce...so she is getting almost 1/2 an ounce...big stuff! In the words of her nurse this morning she is "handling her feedings like a champ". She has had some small residuals and one small spit up this morning, but nothing that they are concerned about at this point. When Adalyn gets to 18 ml every 3 hours she will not need any TPN and lipids anymore. Which means she can get her PICC line out. SO if she keeps tolerating her feedings well and advancing like she has been Adalyn could be getting her PICC line out by the end of the week. This is huge because the PICC line is a huge source for potential infection. So getting that out means we significantly lower Adalyn's risk of infection. Please pray she continue to tolerate her feedings well so that her PICC can come out soon. Adalyn weighed in last night at 2lbs 5oz...easy piggy piggy piggy :)

Emma continues to have brady alarms, but she did not have an excessive amount yesterday and most of they were self resolved. Emma is back up to 6 ml every 3 hours on her feedings and has been having some issues. She has not been spitting up, but she is not digesting all of her feedings. Thankfully they have not had to hold or stop her feedings, but in order for her to progress she needs to tolerate her feedings better. Please pray that Emma starts digesting her feedings and tolerating them so they can continue to increase the amount that she is getting. Emma has still been occasionally getting some brown aspirate of of her tummy. The doctors feel this is still do to stomach irritation likely because of the ibuprofen she was given to before to help close her PDA. Please pray that God heal Emma's tummy and that the doctors are not missing anything.

Emma had her heart echo today and it showed that she still has a moderated PDA and that she has some enlargement of her right atrium. Our neonatologist said that he needs to discuss Emma with the other 8 neonatologists to come to a general consensus on how to manage her PDA, but he said due to the enlargement of the right atrium it is likely they will be recommending surgery. Please pray for the doctors as they make this decision. Please also pray that if surgery if what they advise, that God already begin to prepare the surgeon, nurses, and anesthesiologist that will be involved so that they can have sharp, clear minds at the surgery, steady hands, and caring hearts for Miss Emma. A few concerns with the surgery to be praying about:
1. One obvious concern is surgery on such a small baby, please pray that God protect her from bleeding and infection and hold her in His hands.
2. The nerves that control one of Emma's vocal cords runs right along the PDA and there is a risk that when they clamp off the PDA they could damage the nerve. This would paralyze one of her vocal cords which can lead to voice changes and feeding problems. Please pray that the nerve goes undamaged.
3. Emma will have to be intubated for the procedure and put back on the vent for a minimum of 24-48 hours. Putting her back on the vent means a risk of her becoming dependent on it and having trouble coming off it. Please pray that Emma is strong and begins breathing on her own again so that she can come off the vent ASAP.
4. In order to operate on the heart they must collapse her left lung for the duration of the procedure, meaning the right lung must do all the work. Please pray that God protect her lungs as this has a risk of causing some damage to one or both lungs. Please pray that her left lung re inflates after surgery with no problems.

Because of Emma's fluid restriction she was on for a few days as well as her issues tolerating her feedings, she has lost a little more weight. Emma is now down to 2lbs 1oz. Again please pray that Emma will start tolerating her feedings better so that she can gain weight. And also so we can get her to the point where she can get her PICC line out so that she can get rid of that source of infection.

As always please continue to pray that the girls grow and develop well and that God protect them from infection. Thanks again for your faithfulness in praying for the girls!

Day 18: Ups & downs

2009-11-23T10:33:00.004-05:00

Today we will start off with Miss Emma. She had a really good night Saturday night & a good day Sunday. She was tolerating her feedings well (still at 4 ml every 3 hours) and was having minimal alarms and was not needing much if any stimulation. Her neonatologist was very encouraged and said that if she remained relatively symptom free she would not need surgery for her PDA unless her symptoms came back. Sunday the nurse practitioner also noticed Emma had greenish drainage coming from her eyes, so they started her on antibiotic drops. They are not sure if it is an infection or plugged tear ducts, so they started the drops to be safe. Last night Miss Emma had a bit more of a rough night. She had an increase in her brady alarms, she needed mild stim for a couple, and she had more residuals with her feeds. Emma's murmur is still there and she has a cardiac echo this morning to see if the PDA has changed at all. We have a care conference later this afternoon with her neonatologist so we should find out what the echo showed and what the plan is. It scares me to think of her having surgery for her PDA, but if it means that she will do better with her feeds and have less alarms, I know that God will take care of Emma during and after the surgery. Please pray that the doctors do what is best for Emma. Please pray that God give Dave & I peace about whatever decision they make.

Miss Adalyn is doing well. She has been having a few more alarms now that her feedings are up, but they reassure me that it is nothing abnormal. Adalyn is on 10 ml of breast milk every 3 hours and they are also adding human milk fortifier (HMF) to bring the calorie content of the breast milk up to 22 calories per ounce. This will help Miss Adalyn gain weight. For the most part Adalyn has been tolerating her feedings well, she did spit up a couple of times during the night, but nothing excessive. Both girls are still on a CPAP of 5 on room air. Please pray that Adalyn continues to do well.

Emma's weight Sunday night: 2lbs 2oz (970 grams)
Adalyn's weight Sunday night: 2lbs 3oz (990 grams)

Please continue to pray that God protect both girls from infection. Also continue to pray that God help Adalyn and Emma grow and develop appropriately.

Day 17: A murmur

2009-11-22T09:42:00.006-05:00

WARNING!
The photos you are about to see are of two VERY cute babies. The diapers are not trying to eat the babies, they are trying to keep the linens dry as apparently the babies have figured out how to pee out of the micro preemie size diaper.
(Dave went to the hospital yesterday to drop off breast milk and the nurse snapped a few quick pictures of the girls for us. Apparently she felt the micro preemie diapers were too small as the girls were peeing out of the diapers. So she put them in preemie size and mom thinks it looks quite hilarious as the diapers are HUGE on them.)

Emma in her preemie diaper...loving being on her belly!

Adalyn in her preemie daiper...also loving being on her belly!

First off, a quick update on me. I have been fever free for over 24 hours! I am feeling good too! However, I am back to having to wait 7 days after my symptoms started to see the girls. The CDC recommends waiting this long to be around immune compromissed individuals which both of our girls are. So as much as I miss them (which is a ton) it is not worth exposing them to something. We found out that the nurse told us wrong, Dave has to wait 4 days after my fever is gone. So that means we both can go visit on wednesday. Hard, but so worth it to keep our girls healthy.

We will start off with Miss Adalyn first. She is doing well. They increased her feeds yesterday to 10ml every 3 hours and so far she is tolerating that great. She did not poop last night so hopefully she does that today. She is still having brady alarms, but not too many & she is not needing any stimulation most of them time. She is still on a CPAP of 5 on room air.

Miss Emma had another rough night friday night in terms of number of brady alarms. Saturday morning her nurse came in and heard a murmur on her. So the doctors ordered a heart echo and her PDA is back. It is moderate size which is what is was before she got any medicine. The doctors said that this could explain why Emma has been having periods of more alarms, needs a little more oxygen at times and also why she spits up more at times. The PDA can open and close on its own so that is why the symptoms may not occur all the time. However, the fact remains that the PDA is back. The doctor said that PDAs can reopen for different reasons, but one is an increase in fluid volume in the body. Well, this has been happening in the form of increased feeding volume. So they have decided that at this point Emma's symptoms are not severe enough that she needs surgery, but rather they want to try decreased her feedings to 4ml every 3 hours, leave her TPN & lipid volume as is, and watch her til monday and see if the PDA will shrink or close again on its own. So Emma will have a echo again on monday as long as her symptoms do not get worse. Emma had a good day yesterday and last night in terms of brady alarms. She had minimal alarms and needed minimal stimulation. She also did not need any oxygen and was not spitting up. One other thing her nurse decided to change was to get rid of her and Adalyn's Z-flo beds (these special foam beds that they can mold to any position). The nurse felt that these beds may be contributing to the problem since both girls are very sensitive to position and these beds are not the most supportive. They can still hear Emma's murmur, but we are encouraged that for the past 24 hours it has not been causing her any problems. Please pray that the Ultimate Physician, the God of miracles, our Amazing Heavenly Father, do His work with Emma and close her PDA so that she does not need surgery.

Emma is doing fine with her feedings, but she also needs to poop. Never knew I could be so hung up on poo :) Emma is also on a CPAP of 5 on room air. Please continue to pray that God protect Emma and Adalyn from infection, that they tolerate their feedings, that they continue to grow & develope appropriately. And please join us in praising God for protecting the girls from my illness. It has been 4 days since they were exposed to me and if I had Influenza and either of the girls caught it from me they should have shown symptoms by now. Praise God!

Oh weights. Adalyn & Emma both weighed 2 lbs 3 oz (990 grams) last night...ladies and gentlemen we have a tie :) The nurses tell me that they look bigger...Mom can't wait to witness this on her own!

Day 16: Good night, Good day

2009-11-20T22:52:00.004-05:00

Both girls had a good night last night. Emma had 4 alarms all night and Adalyn had 6. Adalyn's hemoglobin was low so she got some blood this morning. Neither of them spit up with any of their feedings. Adalyn had one large residual with one of her feedings during the night, but a much smaller residual at the next & none at the next. Dr. S decided to keep Adalyn at 8 ml every 3 hours (we accidentally reported yesterday that she was at 10ml...oops...she was at 8 ml), she has tolerated that well during the day today. Emma is still at 6ml every 3 hours and tolerated that well through the night and during the day today. Last night Adalyn weighed 2 lbs 1 oz (940 grams) and tonight weighs 2 lbs 3 oz (990 grams). Emma weighed 2 lbs 3 oz (990 grams) last night and 2 lb 3 oz (1kg) tonight. Both girls are still at a CPAP of 5 on room air and doing well with that. Dave and I are thanking God that in our absence the girls are doing well and that they have not shown any signs of illness. Continue to pray that they continue to grow & develop well, that they continue to tolerate their feeds well, that their number of alarms continue to go down, that they do not require any higher CPAP settings, that God continue to protect them from infection, and Praise God for continuing to hold them in His hands!

I thought that I was on the upward swing today. I went 10 hours after my last motrin with no fever. And then...it reared it's ugly head again. At 4pm I had a temperature of 101.5...grrrrrrrrrrrr! So please continue to pray that I get better. Praise God that Dave has not gotten sick! Pray that God continue to protect him from illness. I know at some point this will end & I will be able to go see my girls again, I just miss them. I have definitely learned some serious lessons about patience through out these last couple months. One way I have been coping is by calling to check on Adalyn & Emma every couple hours. I am probably driving the nurses nuts :). The phrase "no change, we are having a good day" was music to my ears all day today.

A big thank you!

2009-11-20T13:29:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you that have helped us out. I have wanted to do thank yous, but I have run in to a couple problems with that.
1. I do not have many of your addresses
2. Up until my sick time at home I did not have any spare time

So forgive me, but I am saying a big thank you here on our blog. Thank you so much to everyone who provided meals, gifts for me while I was on bed rest, gifts for the girls, cards, words of encouragement, prayers, hugs, phone calls, emails, gas cards (we have been going through a lot of that lately :) ), flowers, and I am sure I am missing stuff, but thank you!

The generosity of our friends, family and coworkers has really opened our eyes to what it really means to be part of the family of God, taking care of those in need.

You all and God have been so good to us through all of this. I always thought that God was a busy guy, but last night while pumping (I know...kinda strange, but I have to keep myself awake somehow) I was marveling at how truly busy he must be. All the prayers that are going up for the twinners and all the other babies is NICUs all over the world, let alone prayers for everyone else...WOW! Holding all of those babies in his hands and watching over them while still be able to watch over all of us...WOW! And in the midst of all of this He remembers each of our individual needs...WOW! I serve an absolutely amazing God!

I hope that each of you in some way is blessed today and also that you bless someone else. I know that I feel blessed today, I have 2 beautiful 2 week old girls who are doing well, Praise God!

Day 15: Quarantine!

2009-11-19T20:13:00.002-05:00

Happy 2 Weeks!

Today was a good day for Adalyn and Emma, not so good for Dave and Abi. Abi has influenza! She talked some more with the doctors at the NICU and they said she doesn't have to wait until next Wednesday to see them, she just needs to be symptom free for 24 hours.(Good news?) Now for me, because Abi has the flu and I don't, I cannot go to see them for 4 days! The reason for this is that they need to be sure I haven't contracted what Abi has. So even if Abi feels better tomorrow she can go on Saturday but I can't. This is hard on both of us, with only a limited time each day with the girls due to work and life in general, we are really going to miss our time with them over the next couple of days. It feels like we're not being good parents because we can't be there for them but in actuality staying home is the way we can help them the most. Tough. Once again I'm thankful that one of our "bad" days has to do with us and not with Adalyn and Emma, they are both still doing so good!

Last night at Emma's 2:00am feeding she started to brady again because she was spitting up her food. She continued to do this through her 5:00am feeding and had 25 brady's and many of them she needed stimulation to get her going again.(Sit her up, rub her belly, basically just move her.) The doctors decided to hold her feedings for a couple of hours to give her a break until they could see her. She did really well the rest of the day with very few bradys and they resumed her feeding tonight, she is at 6ml every 3 hours. They did her blood work and gave her a chest x-ray and everything is looking good, they said it is typical for preemies to need a break every now and again from their feedings. Emma has had no blood in her stomach for almost 48 hours and we are very thankful for that. They also increased her caffeine dosage to help her breath easier. She continues to be a good pooper:) Adalyn has been a trooper with only a few spit ups(again, normal for preemies) and is up to 10ml every 3 hours on her feedings. She is also a good pooper and seems to be tolerating every thing really well.

Please pray for Abi and me as we have to stay away from the girls for a couple of days. Please ask GOD that he keeps them safe and comfortable while we are away. Also thank Him for their continued health, weight gain, and growth as they are now 2 weeks old!

Prayer warriors we need your prayers!

2009-11-19T13:20:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to post a quick note to ask again for your prayers. Your have all been such faithful prayer warriors so far. I still have a fever today and my doctor thinks that I may have influenza. Please pray that God protect Adalyn and Emma from infection. As I said in my post from last night please pray that if they have contracted this from me already that God heal them before they ever show symptoms. Please also pray that God bring me comfort as the neonatologists have asked that I wait until 7 days after the onset of my symptoms to come visit. Which means that I cannot see my girls until next wednesday and I am having a really hard time with this. Thank you again for all of your prayers and praise God that so far the girls do not show signs that they are getting sick. Please also pray that Dave does not get sick so that at least he can still be up there with our girls.

Day 14: Mom is missing the twinners

2009-11-18T22:14:00.005-05:00

Adalyn just chillin

Emma holding daddy's finger

Last night after coming home from visiting Adalyn & Emma, I came down with a fever. I was feeling fine yesterday. This morning I felt a little more punky & tonight even more punky. I had some blood work done & gave a urine sample & they are not sure what is going on. I was started on Augmentin as a precaution. Please pray that I get better so that I can go see the twinners. Today was hard not being able to see them. Please also pray that the twinners do not catch whatever I have if it is contagious. Pray that God continue to protect them from infections of both bacterial and viral nature.

First of all, praise God, the girls had a good day. We will talk about Emma first. Emma had a little bit of a rough night having multiple brady alarms, but the majority were self resolved. After drawing her blood work during the night they found out Emma's hemoglobin was low. They gave her some packed red blood cells to help bring this up. They suspect this is part of why she had so many alarms last night. She had much less alarms during the day today. They said Emma's hemoglobin was most likely low due to the frequent labs she needs and the inability of her body to keep up. They said it is not uncommon for preemies to need to receive blood products. Emma had 1 aspirate from her feeding tube today that was slightly brownish. No fresh blood though. The doctors are not concerned about this. They also do not think that this contributed to her lower hemoglobin. Emma went up to 6 ml every 3 hours on her feedings today and so far has been tolerating them well. She is still on a CPAP of 5 on room air (these are the lowest settings). Emma's weight yesterday was 2 lb 3 oz (990 grams) and tonight was 2 lbs 3 oz (1000 grams or 1 kg). Oh and Emma did have a big poop during the night last night :) Praise God that Emma had a good day!

Adalyn has still been having occasional brady alarms, but again the majority self resolved. Today they increased her feedings to 8 ml every 3 hours and so far she has been tolerating them fine. Adalyn is also on a CPAP of 5 on room air. Adalyn's weight last night was 1 lb 15 oz (880 grams) and tonight was 1 lb 15 oz (890 grams). Praise God that Adalyn had a good day!

Lord Jesus,
I come to you first of all praising you for the good day you gave Adalyn and Emma. Thank you Lord for watching over Adalyn and Emma and for holding them in your hands. Lord I ask that you continue to protect the twinners from infection. I ask that you protect the girls from whatever I have. Lord if either of them have contracted what is making me ill, I boldly ask you to please heal them before they become sick. Father please heal me so that I can go up and see my girls again. Lord thank you for the many blessings you have already given Adalyn and Emma and please continue to bless them each day. Thank you for the blessing that Adalyn and Emma are to Dave and I and for the amazing gift that they are. Lord please continue to help them grow bigger, stronger, and to develop.
In your awesome name I pray,
Amen

The twinners saying hi to mommy

Day 13: A good day

2009-11-17T21:31:00.002-05:00

Today was a good day for both girls. Emma had a little more of the brown stuff in her tummy early this morning but hasn't had any more all day. Emma's weight last night was 2pounds 2 ounces, she is showing up big sis. Today they changed Emma's feedings the same as they did Adalyn's yesterday and she is at 4ml but she hasn't had a good poop yet so hopefully that happens tonight. Adalyn's weight last night was up to 2 pounds! Today they moved Adalyn's feedings up from the 4ml yesterday to 6ml and she has been digesting great.

Abi and I were both able to do Kangaroo Care again today and it was awesome. It was my first time since Saturday and it was a little hard getting used to the CPAP and working around that for me. Please continue to pray for healing in Emma's tummy, for both of the girls to keep tolerating the CPAP, and for both to continue to have less bradys.

GOD You are in Control and thank you for the good day that Adalyn and Emma had today. Please hold them in Your hands tonight and keep them from harm until Abi and I can see them again. In Jesus Christ Name, Amen

Day 12: A slight scare

2009-11-16T20:59:00.002-05:00

Last night miss Emma gave us a bit of a scare. When her nurse went to check to see what was in her stomach before her 11pm feeding she found a brown substance which was most likely blood. She called Dr. S, the neonatologist that was on, and he immediately came to examine Emma. His initial impression was that the blood was caused by irritation from her feeding tube. He did not believe it was anything more serious because her belly was nice & soft, she was not requiring oxygen and she was not having an increase in her alarms. He decided to hold her feedings and continue to check to see what was in her stomach every 3 hours. Though the night she did not have anything, but this morning when her nurse checked at 8am she again had a brown aspirate. So Dr. B, her neonatologist, decided to order an x-ray. The x-ray just showed gas in her stomach, which is common with the CPAP. There was no signs of anything more serious, such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Dr. B said that his exam was consistent with this. She was not showing any signs of NEC or any other intestinal issues. He agreed with Dr. S that the blood was likely from her feeding tube. Her old tube was pulled and a new one was placed. Dr. B restarted Emma's feedings and thus far she has been tolerating them with no more blood. Praise God! Please pray that she continues to tolerate her feedings and does not have anymore blood. Please pray that God protect both girls from NEC.

NEC is an infection in the intestines that can result in portions of the intestines dying off. At times it can require surgery and can be quite severe. They cause of NEC is not known but studies have shown that feedings preemies breast milk lowers their risk for NEC, but it does not protect them from NEC. Both girls are getting breast milk exclusively. Dr. B said that the girls are at high risk for NEC until they are 30 weeks gestation, so for about 3 more weeks.

Today they went up on Adalyn's feedings from 2 ml every 3 hours to 4 ml ever 3 hours...big stuff. So far she has been tolerating it well. Pray that she continues to tolerate her feedings. Emma is due to go up on her feedings tomorrow if she does not have any more problems.

Both girls are still on CPAP, on room air. Both are still having some alarms, but less than they were having yesterday. Dr. B said he would like them to be "symptom free" before they come off CPAP again. For the most part for the twinners that means no more alarms. He said that at this point keeping them on CPAP as long as they are having alarms with protect their lungs in terms of future problems. He said they could likely breathe fine without it, but if they are having alarms it could result in some damage to their lungs. And it could result in them having to be on oxygen which at this age can cause damage to their eyes. So mommy & daddy are okay with this, whatever is best for them. We just think it looks so uncomfortable.

Adalyn has earned her sunglasses back again. Her bilirubin was slightly elevated so she is back under the phototherapy lights.

Sorry no weights to report yet for today. We will have those for you tomorrow :)

Please also be praying for Dave & I. We have both been feeling the stress of being back home, driving, being away from the girls. We both would love to be up there all day every day, but life will not allow that. Please ask that God help us find balance and that he help us cope with not being able to be with the girls as often as we would like. Also, we are rather germ shy these days so if you are sick in any way we will be keeping our distance. If we contract anything it means that we could accidentally give it to our girls which would be devastating and if we get sick we can not go see the twinners. Please pray that God keep Dave, Adalyn, Emma and myself healthy. Thank you all so much for your prayers.

Day 11: A day away, sort of.

2009-11-15T22:19:00.004-05:00

Emma all sprawled out.

Adalyn all tucked in.

So last night I went up north to get a little hunting done. It was really nice to take a break and get away from the hospital and the worries that have been on my mind for the last couple of weeks. But... this morning as I woke up at 5:20am and put on my hunting gear and walked out to the deer blind, I felt like I was missing something. I enjoyed the fresh air and watching the wildlife, but I couldn't seem to relax. It was hard to get comfortable and I couldn't even concentrate enough to read, that's when I realized I missed ALL my girls.(Really! After only about 12 hours! What is going on!) By the time I got back to the hospital on my way home at 8:00pm I was feeling tired and sore from the drive and the 12 hours in my deer blind, I was even a little crabby. I passed Abi in the hallway as I got up to the NICU and she was on her way to go pump, I was a little short with her but she acted like she didn't notice. As I walked into the nursery I was still crabby, sore, and tired. I went to help out with Emma's care and as I folded back the blanket on top of her crib I just took a moment to admire her, one of my two little miracles. My headache and stiff muscles relaxed and went away, I forgot I was tired, and I was instantly in a good mood. What an amazing thing, just looking at my daughter turned my whole day around. Do we have that affect on GOD? Does GOD really love me as much if not more than I love those girls? I think I'm just starting to understand what an amazing GOD we serve.

Okay, now on to the updates. Both girls are still on the CPAP today and have had a lot less brady's, it really seems to be helping them. They both have been on room air with the CPAP since late last night.(another good sign) The nurse said "It kind of depends on the doctor, but if they have another day tomorrow like the one they had today they could possibly come off again for a few days." So far both girls have been tolerating the CPAP really well and they don't seem to be uncomfortable. Adalyn gained 2 ounces since last night and is weighing 1 pound 15 ounces!(Back up to birth weight!) Emma still has the lead in the weight department with her astounding 2 pounds 1 ounce. Emma's heart echo results came back this evening and the doctors say her PDA is minuscule! For now they are going to stop the medicine and just keep a close eye on her, they think it will close the rest of the way on its own.

Please continue to pray that both girl's PDAs stay closed and that they continue to stay comfortable while they are on the CPAP. Also, thank GOD for Emma's good news and for both of the girl's weight gain.

Day 10: Back on CPAP

2009-11-15T16:46:00.003-05:00

Sorry I am posting this a day late. Believe it or not we had a busy weekend :) Both girls are doing good, praise God! Yesterday morning Emma went back on CPAP too, so now both girls are. They both still seem to be tolerating it fine, abother sign it was needed. They both continue to have alarms for bradys (dropping their heart rate) and low pulse-ox (oxygen level). They are having less than they were before they were put back on CPAP & they are not requiring any stimulation. Meaning when they drop their heart rate and/or oxygen level they are coming out of it on their own without the nurse having to go touch them or sit them up. Adalyn's appear to be due to apnea of prematurity (she stops breathing for a few seconds) which is normal for a 25 weeker. The nurses have said they have not noticed this as much with Emma. Mom thinks maybe Emma is refluxing because she seems to have more alarms after her feedings and I notice her swallowing. At least this is what I have noticed when I am there. Reflux is also very common in preemies due to their immmature muscles. Mommy could be wrong about this though, time will tell.

Both girls are still doing well with their feedings. They are due to go from 2 ml every 3 hours to 4 ml every 3 hours soon...big stuff! They both gained weight last night. I cannot remember what their weights were...sorry...still having trouble finding some of those crayons :)

I had a hard time with the girls going back on CPAP. Largly due in part to the post partum hormones, but also because I do not like seeing that on their pretty little faces. So I had to get some much needed reminders from the nurses yesterday about how good they are doing for 25 weekers and how they should still be intubated. Mommy just has some high hopes, as unrealistic as they may be, I believe in the power of prayer. So I pray for things that medicine says should not happen. Like cervixes going backwards in dilation and effacement :) It was good for me to hear though because I need to remember how far they have come already in their 10 days and how much God has blessed us and them. Just please continue to pray that God continues to do the unexpected in the twinners and that they continue to do better than what a 25 weeker should.

Some people have requested I update how I am doing in my recovery. I am doing well. I have not taken any Vicodin since friday morning, just some occassional motrin. I am getting around MUCH easier than before. Dave still makes me ride in the wheel chair at the hospital even though I tell him I am fine. I have an appoitment tomorrow with the Maternal Fetal Medicine doctors to check my incision. We are supposed to find out then if the studies that were done on my placenta at Mayo showed any cause for my preterm labor. I joked that I with some friends that I was going to put something on the blog about my belly button...and they thought I was kidding. I wasn't. I was so excited yesterday morning when I woke up to an inny belly button again. Woo Hoo the belly is shrinking. Sorry. Besides seeing my daughters it was the highlight of my day :)

Thanks again for all your prayers. We ask that you please continue to pray as our girls have a lot of growing and developing left to do.

Day 9: All dressed up

2009-11-13T18:14:00.006-05:00

Emma in her cute outfit her nurse from last night found for her

Adalyn in her cute outfit

Adalyn (left) & Emma (right) in their first picture together since birth

Emma & mommy doing kangaroo care

Adalyn & daddy doing kangaroo care

Ladies & gentlemen...I am back :) Everyone keeps telling me what an awesome job Dave is doing, and might I add I agree, but I thought maybe a few of you would like to hear from me again now that I am off mag & making sense. Well sort of, I am still having some trouble locating some of the brain cells I lost between pregnancy & the mag, but I am trying :)

Well yesterday was the girl's 1 week birthday so we decided to spoil them with some girly blankets to decorate their cribs. So if you notice the cute blankets in the pictures...that was their birthday present from mommmy & daddy.

Emma had her repeat heart echo on Thursday and it showed that her PDA went from moderate to small. So they are continuing the ibuprofen for another round (3 days) and will do another heart echo on Sunday. Just like in adults, ibuprofen in neonates can affect the kidneys. Emma kidneys have been showing some effects, but not enough that they need to stop the medicine. So please pray that her kidneys do not show any more effects from the medicine so that they can complete this round. And pray that her echo on Sunday shows that the PDA is closed or is continuing to shrink.

As Dave mentioned on Day 7, the girls have been showing some signs that they are working a little harder to breathe. Adalyn has been having more bradys (when her heart rate drops). Most of the time it comes back up on its own, but occasionally they have to stimulate her to get it to come back up. Yesterday the turned her high flow oxygen up to give her a little more time off CPAP. Today Dr. S decided that Adalyn was ready to go back on CPAP. He said that preemies do not have the muscle strength needed to keep their lung fully inflated at all times and that is frequently when they have bradys. He said when they begin to have multiple episodes on this like Adalyn has they put them back on CPAP to allow them a break & fully inflate their lungs again. He said that he is hoping she just needs a short time back on to "reset" things to how they were before when she came off CPAP, and then she should be able to come off again. But he said it is also possible she may need to be on it for a while, it is up to Adalyn. Mommy & daddy think Adalyn was ready to go back on because she did not even put up a fuss when they put it on. Give her some time, she will be feisty again :) Please pray that the CPAP does what it is supposed to, that Adalyn stays comfortable and that she only has to be on it for a short period of time. Emma actually has had less bradys today so for now she gets to stay on the high flow oxygen through the nasal cannula, but she may also eventually have to go back on.

Our lovely ladies have been gaining some weight back for the past couple days. Adalyn's lowest weight was 1 lb 10 oz and Emma's was 1 lb 8 oz. Their weight's as of last night were Adalyn at 1 lb 12 oz and Emma at 1 lb 13 oz.

A big thank you to my friends on 7 center at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital for the flowers, so sweet, thanks guys!

Day 8: Happy 1 week!

2009-11-12T22:09:00.005-05:00

These pictures are from last Saturday, many people have requested the "wedding ring" photos.(Emma is the one with the CPAP)

Today Adalyn and Emma are 1 week old, praise GOD. This past week has flown by and when we take a step back and look at where we started and where we are now it is incredible. Last Thursday I woke up at 4:30am to my phone ringing, I missed the call and noticed I had missed eleven calls before this most recent one. Disoriented with sleep I called the most recent number and it was my mom saying my dad was on the way to wake me up and I had to go to the hospital. I flew out of bed and threw on clothes(for some reason a Deleeuw Lumber t-shirt was the shirt I picked for the day my daughters were born) and jumped in the car and made a call to my dad I barely remember telling him I was already on my way to the hospital. When I became fully aware of what was going on I called my mom back and asked her to pray for Abi, the twinners, and for me as I drove. I then called Abi and told her I was on my way. Upon arriving at the hospital Abi and I had little time to cry, pray, and get excited about meeting our children. As I walked into the operating room after they had gotten Abi ready it was like walking into a different world. The lights were so bright after the dark room where Abi had spent the last week and there were probably a dozen people in the room. As they started Abi's c-section I remember sitting down next to Abi and thanking GOD that we were more excited than scared. The next 20 minutes flew by as they pulled first Adalyn(To which Abi said "You were right, its a girl!), then 2 minutes later Emma out and into our lives.(Abi's tearful reaction to Emma was "No wimpy white boys!" The doctors all laughed at this, realizing Abi was from the medical field.) As we waited in the recovery room our girls were brought to the NICU. While we waited we experienced both joy over our two daughters and fear for there well being as we waited for the call that they were stable and we could go see them. Again I thanked GOD that we were more excited than afraid, I didn't want the birth of our children over shadowed by the fear of their premature birth. When we finally went to see them we were over joyed that they were alive and doing well on the vent. We began mentally preparing ourselves for the long road ahead. Now, 1 week later, we would have never guessed that our little girls would be off the vent and breathing on their own! Not a day goes by that a professional in the medical field doesn't say that Adalyn and Emma shouldn't be doing this well and most say they haven't seen progress like theirs before. GOD's hand is clearly seen in our daughters lives.

An update on the girls: Adalyn received her PICC line last night and that went fairly well.(they had to try twice) Adalyn gained 2 ounces and is up from 1 pound 10 ounces to 1 pound 12 ounces. Emma put on 2 ounces as well and is now weighing in at 1 pound 13 ounces. Until now they have both been slowly loosing weight so it is exciting to see them put some back on. Both are doing great and seem to enjoy the Kangaroo Care as much as Abi and I do. Tonight Emma peed on me and took a poop in her diaper while I was holding her.(I guess I'll let it go this time, but next time she is in trouble:)) Adalyn slept the entire time Abi was holding her except for the last 5 minutes when she got the hiccups. (A 1 week old micro preemie with hiccups is about the cutest thing I have ever witnessed!)

GOD Is In Control.

Day 7

2009-11-11T20:43:00.004-05:00

Today the girls are still doing great. Abi had Emma today for Kangaroo Care and I had Adalyn, we both enjoyed our time with our other daughter. It's amazing how much this helps us bond with our little girls, every day we feel more like parents and it is a little harder to leave. The girls are starting to show signs of getting tired from all the hard work they have been doing with their breathing. Today they put them on the high flow nasal cannula(high flow oxygen) to give them a little break. They are both still breathing on their own but this just helps blow the oxygen into their lungs. This has been doing the trick all day but the doctors just want us to be prepared that they may have to go back on the CPAP for a couple of days just to give their little bodies a much earned break. We are okay with this but we still hope it isn't necessary, we feel bad for them for how hard they have to work and are so proud of them with how far they have come.

The last thing I ask for today is this: I know how easy it is to get comfortable when the good news keeps pouring in every day and we start to "forget" to pray in earnest. GOD has blessed my family more than I could have hoped for and to be honest probably more than I would have thought he would. Please stay vigil and continue to pray for Adalyn and Emma every day and also thank GOD daily for the many miracles he is working through these two precious daughters of HIS.

Again thank you GOD! Thank you for all the wonderful and supportive people You have placed in and around our lives. Please hold Emma and Adalyn in Your hands this evening and keep them safe. AMEN

Day 6: Kangaroo Care!

2009-11-10T21:30:00.008-05:00

Daddy and Emma

Mommy and Adalyn

Another day for good news, Praise GOD! The results are back from both the brain ultrasounds and the heart echos. Both girl's brain scans showed no bleeding and "look to be normal premature brains." Awesome. Adalyn's heart echo showed that her PDA was closed and that is good news, they will recheck her in a couple weeks just to make sure it stays closed. Emma's showed that hers was open so they started her on medicine that will hopefully close it. The medicine is a 3 day "course" and they say that 80% of babies have their PDA close after 2 courses. If it doesn't close they go in and close it at the bedside in a 45 minute surgery that they say is as routine as any heart surgery on a premature baby can be. We hope this doesn't have to happen but we will continue to trust in GOD.

So today Abi and I had the awesome opportunity to hold Emma and Adalyn skin to skin to our chests in what they call Kangaroo Care. They place the diapered baby to our bare chest and we just relax for 1-2 hours, it was another moment we will forever remember.(I may have cried for the first 2 minutes.) Studies show that this increases weight gain, regulates their heart and breathing rates, they will spend more time in sleep, spend more time being quiet and alert and less time crying, maintain their body warmth, and have a better chance of successful breast-feeding. They both were so calm and relaxed and seemed to enjoy it as much as we did!

Dear LORD,
Please continue to hold Adalyn and Emma in Your hands, watch over them and protect them from sickness and harm. Thank you for the many blessings you have already shown us and the many wonders you are working in our little girls. Also LORD, please watch over Max as he has had a "roller coaster day", continue to protect and heal your little son and allow him to go home with his parents.

In Jesus Christ Name: AMEN

Day 5: Abi goes home

2009-11-09T01:00:00.010-05:00

Emma off of CPAP

I took a day off on the details yesterday so today I have a little more info for you all. Abi is feeling much better and was down to see the girls 3 times on Saturday. She was still uncomfortable but is slowly on the mend. Saturday night I took part in the care of the girls: I was able to change their diapers, take their temperatures, feed them, and help weigh them which meant I held them again.(Abi is jealous)

Sunday Abi continued to feel better but we both took it a little bit easier and requested less visitors for the day. When I went down to say good morning to Adalyn and Emma I was greeted with good news: Adalyn is off the CPAP and breathing completely on her own! Also, Emma was moved down from 40% oxygen to 21%!(room air) Emma's PICC line also went in flawlessly and she is doing great. Both girls have been receiving 2ml of breast milk every 3 hours since Saturday afternoon and so far are digesting well.(including cute little poops) Both of their Billiruben levels were good so for right now they no longer need to be under the phototherapy lights.(They most likely will need to be put back under the lights for a short time again.) Sunday night I helped again with Adalyn's care.(I still cannot get over how awesome it is to help out and hold them!) Abi was feeling better after a little rest and joined me as I was finishing up. We hung out with Adalyn and Emma for a while and said a prayer with both girls. As I was checking Abi and I out of the NICU the docs decided to pull Emma off of CPAP so we hung around for awhile longer and she was doing well as Abi and I went back to the room with tears of joy in our eyes from all of GOD'S blessings.

Monday: Going Home

This morning when I went down to see the girls they were both doing great! Adalyn is still breathing on her own and so is Emma!!!! Emma still is having just a little more trouble breathing than Adalyn so she is on 40% oxygen the same way you or I would be if we were at the hospital and needed a little help.(No CPAP for either of the girls so far.) We are so proud of both girls and cannot give GOD enough thanks for their progress so far. Abi had a few more visits today to the NICU than she has so far and was able to take part in the care of both girls, she is as happy as a clam.(temp, feeding, diapers, and weighing) Adalyn and Emma both had their heart echos and brain ultrasounds today but we will not here the official report until Tuesday.

So, the doctors let Abi make the decision if she was going home today or tomorrow and she is feeling so good she decided to go home tonight. This meant I was in the middle of a whirlwind of clothes, food, magazines, and pink as I scrambled to pack everything up so we would be ready to go home after our evening visit with Adalyn and Emma. I worked so hard I decided to take a short nap from 4:00pm to 6:30pm. This set us back a little but we still had an enjoyable evening with our beautiful daughters. We are now home and less emotional than I would have thought for or first night "away" from the girls, we know that they are in great care with the nurses and that GOD is holding them in HIS hands. Abi is doing awesome with the breast pumping and she is producing plenty for the girls so far. I cannot believe what a strong, caring, wonderful woman Abi is.

Again, thank you to everyone for their continued support and prayers. GOD has blessed us with great families, friends, and neighbors. Most of all: thank you to all of your children who are praying for "the twinners", I really believe these are the prayers that GOD pays the most attention to.

After a huge poop, Adalyn only had enough energy to open one eye!

Day 4: Praise GOD

2009-11-08T10:54:00.006-05:00

Here are the girl's cribs, both are off the phototherapy lights!

Adalyn is breathing completely on her own!

Emma is still on CPAP, but is on room air.

Dear Lord,

We come before You this morning to give You thanks and praise Your Name. Thank You for Your healing hands with Abigail and for her continued health. We also are left speechless while we witness Your Holy Power as You watch over Adalyn and Emma and continue to bless them with their health and improvement day after day! Lord, please continue to give them strength as they journey down the long road ahead. Tomorrow please help the results of the chest echos and head ultrasounds show us that their hearts are strong and that they have had little or no bleeding of their brains.

Again, Thank You GOD, You Are In Control!

Amen

Day 3

2009-11-07T07:50:00.009-05:00

Emma on CPAP.

Emma on the vent.

Adalyn on CPAP with her eye open.

Adalyn on the vent.

Good morning everyone! Today Adalyn and Emma are still doing great! Emma is still having a little bit harder of a time with the CPAP than Adalyn but is still doing good. Both girls are under the light today to help breakdown their Bilirubin level.(This is completely normal at this stage.) Emma's UVC is too low so they need to take it out.(this is in her belly button right now to provide her with fluids.) She will now need a PICC line in her arm or leg and will get that today. They are little miracles already and Abi and I are very excited about their progress so far.

Last night the pain became unbearable for Abi and the surgeon (Dr. Leary) came to visit us around 7:00pm. Earlier in the day Abi had a CT scan and they discovered clotted blood about the size of a hardcover book left over from post-op bleeding. During the exam Abi was having trouble breathing because of the pain and Dr. Leary decided to go back in and remove the clot. Fortunately they were able to take her in right away and she was in the operating room by 9:15pm. After about an hour Dr. Leary reported that everything had gone smoothly.(They actually discovered more clotted blood than they had first thought was in there.) Abi was returned to her room at 11:00pm and was feeling much better, she was even doing her patented "finger dance" to some music on the TV. This morning at 6:30am the nurses got Abi standing and I took her down to see the girls! This was an important visit for us and both our spirits are much higher today.

Last night wasn't all bad news, while Abi was in surgery I went to visit with Adalyn and Emma and I was able to hold them both while the nurse changed their bedding! That will be a moment in my life that I will NEVER forget. Trent was also up here last night(our pastor) and said a blessing over the girls, prayed over Abi, and prayed with me and Abi's parents. This was also a very calming time for me.

Please continue to pray for Abi, Adalyn, and Emma.
GOD Is In Control

Day 2

2009-11-06T11:31:00.003-05:00

Good news for Day 2! Adalyn and Emma were graduated to CPAP at 5:00 this morning and so far are doing great. Adalyn is on room air but Emma still has 44 percent oxygen because she is having just a little bit harder of a time breathing on her own than Adalyn. We praise God for this and hope the twinners can continue to breathe on their own.

Abi had a rough night last night and continues to have a long recovery. Her Hemoglobin level was a 5.8 so they have given her 3 units of blood.(They think she may have lost more blood during surgery than they first etimated.) She also had a fever last night and put her on antibiotics to help with infection.

Please pray for a safe and fast recovery for Abgail and continued progress for Adalyn and Emma.

God is in control-Dave

Happy Birthday!

2009-11-05T12:46:00.000-05:00

This morning we welcomed 2 beautiful twin girls into this world. At 7:54am Adalyn Jean Lamar entered this world at 1lb 15.4 oz and 14 inches long. Her sister Emma Gail followed at 7:56am weighing 1lb 14.7 oz and 13 inches long.

As of right now they are both doing fine. Both are intubated due to their age. The neonatologists call this the honeymoon phase & say the next 48 hours are really critical. So please be praying that thet are strong, healthy, and surrounded by God's strength and power. The neonatologist already commented that they are fiesty & he knew nothing about how they were durring the pregnancy. So keep it up girls, you are strong & mom & dad love you so much!

25 weeks 1 day

2009-11-04T14:27:00.000-05:00

Last night I continued to have some irritability & contractions. The docs checked me & I am the same (dilated to a 3, 60% effaced). So they decided to give me a special "cocktail" at bedtime to help further relax the uterus & help me really sleep. Well, apparently I am a cheap date. The cocktail was a morphine & phenergan shot (oh yes in my bum again) and I still cannot keep my eyes open. I guess that is one way to pass the time :) So we are continuing on the same path & taking it day by day. The nurses call me their little time bomb, no one knows when I will really blow :) Thank you for the continous prayers and support!

25 weeks!!!

2009-11-03T10:13:00.000-05:00

We are so thankful that God has kept the twinners inside this long. Each day is a blessing.

Last evening I was contracting every 8 minutes again so they turned up my mag to 3 grams an hour. My contractions have slowed down. Dr. Z does not want to check me because she does not want to stir things up if she does not have to. I am staying on 3 grams an hour of mag because it seems to be working. Unfortunately that has brought my mag level to 6.8 and I am feeling pretty crummy. Please pray that God give me the strength & patience I need to tolerate feeling this way. Also, as usual please continue to pray for the twinners.

God bless!

24 weeks 6 days

2009-11-02T15:33:00.000-05:00

We are still hanging on. I continue to have periods of uterine irritability and contractions. Twice today my contractions have been 6-8 minutes apart, but then they space out on their own. This morning when Dr. Z checked me she said I am the same as yesterday, dilated to a 3 and about 60% effaced. She is going to leave me at my current mag dose (2.5 grams per hour) and leave me on labor & delivery. She said we will not move me to OB special care until I am stable for a least one full day. What that means I am not quite sure :)

I got to move to a bigger room since I am staying on this floor. I now have 2 windows...yippee! I have been quite tired the past couple days. I think it is a combination on the mag & the contractions. So I am just trying my hardest to relax as much as I can.

Thank you again for being our prayer warriors. Keep it up!

24 weeks 5 days

2009-11-01T11:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday evening I started to notice more contractions and uterine irritability. At midnight my nurse put me on the monitor & the irritability as well as some regular contractions were showing up on the monitor. So the doctors turned my Mag up to 3 grams an hour. At midnight my cervix was dilated to a 3-4, 60% effaced, & they were able to feel the bag of water bulging into my cervix. At about 5am I was the same except I was dilated to a 4. Around 8 this morning Dr. S checked me and said I am the same except dilated to a 3. The contractions and irritability have calmed down so they have turned my mag down to 2.5 grams an hour. Needless to say I am not feeling too hot again. Better than thursday, but not great. So they are going to keep me on the 2.5 of mag and recheck me later if I continue to have irritability and contractions.

Again we are thankful for each day God blesses us with. We just ask again that you pray for strength & health for the twinners for whenever God has planned for them to be born. Thank you for the continuing prayers and support!

24 weeks 4 days

2009-10-31T11:49:00.000-04:00

This morning we are blesing God for another day! What a difference it can make if you put your hope & trust in our heavenly father. He is in control!

I have been having some slight irritability & contractions, but mostly just when I have to pee so the docs do not seem real concerned about that. Dr. S rechecked me today and he said I am a 1-2, 20% effaced, and more posterior. Meaning he cannot feel either of the babies and in his words "you are even further away from active labor." Praise God!

We know this could change at any moment, we are just continuing to trust in God & are so thankful for each extra day. Dr.S has dropped my mag to 2 grams an hour to see how I tolerate that. Meaning, do my contractions &/or irritability increase. He said that he is going to talk with his partners about possibly putting me on a terbutaline pump as an alternative to the mag. I do not know much about that, but my guess is it must be better in terms of side effects related to long term use. We will have to do some more learning there. So we are praying that things do not get to harry here as they play with my meds, but if so we are ready & can handle it with God at our side.

So for now Dr.S wants to keep me camped out on labor & delivery until we get my meds figured out. I am okay with that, where ever is the best place for the twinners & I to be :)

I hope everyone has a safe, happy & dry Halloween! Wish I could see all your cute kiddos in their costumes. Feel free to send me pics :)

God bless!

Additional update for today

2009-10-30T16:16:00.000-04:00

To God be all glory and praise!

This morning I was having a little bit of cramping. I had 2 contractions, 1 at 10:30 & 1 at 12:30 and so far none since. I am at e
2.5 grams per hour of Mag & tolerating it better. I am off oxygen, eatting, coherent & relatively alert mag eyes :)

Dr. S came to check me again because he wanted to make sure I was not progressing even though the contractions had slowed. I am elated to report I am dilated to a 2 and 20% effaced! We gained ground. Something none of us expected. Dr. S called me a marvel. Medically who knows why or how that happened, but my faith tells me that is just God in control, as we already knew. Who knows what this will buy us in terms of time, but even if it is a day we are grateful!

Like Dave said, I hate scares like that, but I will take many more if it means we get more time. Amen! What a super man I married! I just love him to pieces :)

So I get semi bathroom priveleges back, and I get to go to intermittent monitoring. I will be staying on labor & delivery for sure through the day.