Day 13: A good day

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

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.

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

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

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!

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

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