Evie & Jackson

July 31st, wow!

2008-07-31T05:14:00.000-07:00

This month has really flown by!!

I have been taking a ton of picts lately, gotta make up for lost time!!

Heres some of the twins with a few sides of my pretty little Harley and *gasp* me LOL. Some of these pics are so adorable to me. I love this one of Evie holding her hand up to the camera, like, "no more pictures please" LOL

Its FUN to play with Daddy's shoes!!

I thought it was funny how they both do this.Its *so* cute, especially when they do it in front of the TV LOL

My little Jack in the box!!! And sometimes Evie in the box too!

Okay everyone, LISTEN TO ME! LOL

Beautiful Harley :)

*sigh* me and the lovely Evie who wanted to take pics with me lol

TWIN KISSES!!! Awwwww!

Mama's gorgeous baby boy. Lord i love this kid!

My Sassy Girl!

Playing outside in our backyard - our first backyard EVER! :) And its big and flat and FENCED IN!!!!! YAY! YAY for backyards and fences and level ground!!

And now a few photos of my lovely Mikayla, 11 1/2 yr old, that I just have to share. She is such a beautiful young lady, with a beautiful spirit and personality to match.

Long time, no post!

2008-07-25T07:37:00.000-07:00

Its been a very long time since i updated this blog. Wow, since Halloween (9 months!)! So much has happened since then, i dont even know where to begin.

I will start with the sad part and get it out of the way. On Friday May 16, 2008, my Mother died. Very, very unexpectedly. She was only 58 yrs old. She laid down for a nap and didnt wake up. She had pernicious anemia and was inconclusive for lupus, but was well monitored by her doctors and theres no reason to believe either had anything to do with her death. The coroner's report (along with toxicology) should take 11-14 weeks (what they told my father) so we are still waiting to find out what happened. I need to know. I cannot accept that a 58 yr old woman can just lay down for a nap and not wake up. I am not coping well at all and we are all still very distraught over her death.

Throughout this blog, in the comments, you can see comments from "Mom" or "GramMari". Thats Mom. She had a very close relationship with all 4 of my children and loved them so much. Her loss has had an enormous impact on our family. It is so sad to know that my twins will not grow up knowing her. I am greatful for the time and the pictures we have, and that my older children will remember her.

So, with that part said, the rest of the news...

At the beginning of May my husband was offered a job in Texas. One of "those" offers that you'd be crazy to turn down. So we went for it. Tim started work on a Monday in NW Austin. It was the same week, that Friday, that Mom died. The kids and I were in TN still, so the girls could finish school. Tim came in early June and got the kids and I and we stayed in an extended stay hotel for a month while we looked for a house. We found one, in Round Rock, Texas. Its just about 15-20 minutes from Tim's office so it works out well. We choose this area for the excellent schools. We really like this house and this area. We are happy here :)

Mikayla is 11 1/2 and will be starting 6th grade in August. I am so nervous about her going to Middle School. I think she is a little nervous too but she doesnt want to talk about school because "duh Mom, its summer vacation!" LOL. Harley will be starting 4th grade and is actually excited about a new school, new friends, etc. She has a very adventerous personality so this is all quite exciting to her! She has already made good friends with our next door neighbor's granddaughter and has already had a sleepover! Not even here a month and the girl has a new BFF ;)

I guess thats about it... here are some pictures, some from the hotel (which we affectionatley called "The Suite Life of Harley and Mikayla" LOL and some from the house. Oh I should mention, Mikayla got her hair cut ... 17 inches. Yes you read that right. SEVENTEEN inches. Youch. Its cute tho! :)

Halloween! PICS! LOTS of pics lol!

2007-11-01T20:15:00.000-07:00

For Halloween, Harley, the twins and I went to our Church for a Festival of trick or treating and games! Mikayla didnt want to go so she stayed home and had the BEST time with Daddy all to herself. They went trick or treating and everyone told her how beautiful she was ;) Heres a ridiculous amount of pictures!

Twins and Harley in the nursery at Church, getting some excercise between gaming and treating ;)

Kiddos in their Costumes! (the blonde girl with Harley is my niece Brittany!)

Jack in a Box! (and Evie too!)

TONS of Pictures!!!

2007-10-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

The babes are officially 11 months old!! Lots of stuff going on around here...

Evie and Jackson both can walk pushing a walker toy! Both talk alot!! When Evie gets tired she crawls back to te bedroom and says "nigh nigh". Whenever someone leaves she says "Mama Go!" (if mama is the one leaving lol) Both these babies are incredibly brilliant (im not biased, nope not me lol) and its HARD to imagine how premature they were! They are thriving and growing so well, they act like typical 11 month old babies :)

For Halloween they will be Pooh & Piglet. Theres some pics in here from a Halloween in the Park festival we went to this past weekend. Also of my girls Harley and Mikayla. Harley got glasses! I love them on her, she picked out some beautiful frames :)

Anyway, without further blah'ing, heres an obnoxious amount of pictures to celebrate 11 months!!!

Babies Together!

Jackson!

Evie!

Mikayla and Harley (and some babies too!)

Evie - 10 months old

2007-10-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had to go to my parent's house for something and Evie came with me. I took these pictures there and am just getting around to posting them. I think my favorite of the bunch is the picture of Evie reaching out to Byron, my parent's dog. She LOVES Byron :)

woooh we grow em big!

2007-10-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

Jackson has a viral rash so we had to vist the dr yesterday

J is 17 lbs 15 oz
E is 20 lbs 5 oz!

yes you read that right!!!! Evie is 2 1/2 lbs bigger than Jackson!! :) Both are doing well - cept for Jackson's rash and last week he had an upper resp infection.

bout it for now, typing 1 handed lol

Ticker

2007-10-09T09:18:00.001-07:00

their first birthday ticker

10 month old pics!

2007-09-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

Evie in her pretty white dress!

2007-08-26T20:40:00.001-07:00

My Mom went a little shopping crazy at Carters and bought the babies some new clothes. Heres Evie modeling her gorgeous new dress!

Aint she gorgeous ;)

Grandparents and twins :)

2007-08-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

Our children are very blessed to have 3 sets of Grandparents who love them dearly. Here are some photos :) I am adding pics as i gain permission - so check back if you havent seen everyone!!!

Heres a few pics of my parents with the twins. These twinkies sure do love their GramMari and Granddaddy!!! We are so lucky that GramMari and Granddaddy live nearby, so we get to see them often! Jackson has a special affection for his GramMari i think. He loves to snuggle up to her when she is holding him :)

Here are a few pics of the twins with Granmma Ruth and Grampa Imre! They live in AZ and came to visit in May/June. The babies sure were intrigued by them!!! :) Gramma Ruth says Jackson reminds her so much of Tim as a baby :) You can tell by the pictures how happy they were to meet the babies and spend time with us. We sure miss them and look forward to their next visit! The twins were 7 months old when these pics were taken.

I will be adding pictures of Gramma Janice and Papa Tony as soon as i get permission. You will be floored how much Mikayla and Harley look like Gramma Janice!!!! It pleases me as she is a lovely woman :) They also live in AZ and we desperatley miss them. We have been lucky that they've been able to visit a few times. They came the end of January and are coming again this fall! The girls especially are really looking forward to it! Mikayla has a very special bond with them as they babysat her occasionally as a toddler and then when i was in the hispital to have Harley. Did i mention how lucky we are to have 3 sets of Grandparents? You can never have too many people who love your children!!

Pretty Signature i made

2007-08-23T19:42:00.001-07:00

My beautiful 4!

more pics of my 9 month old twinkies!

2007-08-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

9 month checkup

2007-08-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

It went well! I was lol, my girl is 1 1/2 lbs bigger than my boy!!

Evie is 18 lbs 11 oz and 26 in long
Jack is 17 lbs 2 oz and 26 in long

they are doing very well, everything little 9 month olds should do (which is incredible to me!!) Evie is a big talker, Jackson is our little guy always on the go. He is a mover & a shaker, just cant stay still! Evie is happy to sit and play or roll to her destination LOL We figure once she starts MOVING their weights will even out again! This is the first checkup that their weights were different!

Anyway, they got a shot and had iron and lead levels checked. Iron is great - lead will come back in a few days.

Tons of Pictures!!!

2007-08-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

Get ready for picture overload!

9 months old! :)

2007-08-20T06:33:00.001-07:00

Its been far too long since ive posted an update on the little turkies!! :) They are doing incredibly well - almost 9 months old (in 2 days!!)

Evie babbles ALOT - mama, dada, baba, lala, lollie, ooma, nana, etc... she plays VERY well by herself or with Jackson. She will sit in front of a full toy box and take each one uot piece by piece, play fo a few minutes then toss it aside and get another toy LOL She's a very sweet, loving, affectionate baby! She is a very HAPPY baby too! If she's crying, theres a reason! Her personality is just so fun and shes just a fantastic little muffin!!!

Jackson is doing so well too! He crawls everywhere - this boy is a roamer! He is alllll over the place. He is so funny too - he makes the cutest faces :) He is a fun baby, he likes to snuggle and give kisses and love. He has a very good personality and is also well tempered!!

I have tons of new pics to share, new ones and some from the past few months as well. So get ready for major PICTURE OVERLOAD LOL

Our "Day in the Life" - June 22, 2007

2007-06-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

Our "Day in the Life" - June 22, 2007

I took pics throughout the day so friends and family can get an idea of what a typical day is like for us! Hope you enjoy looking at our album as much as we did making it! My big girls and i are going to have the pics printed and put them in a photo album. We are going to try to do one every 6 months or so, what a fun way to make memories!!

DITL 6/22/07

almost 7 months!

2007-06-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

the babies 7 month mark is closing in quickly, i just cant believe it! 7 months old! wow! it feels like time is just flying by, except our difficult days, then it drags! caring for 2 infants is far from easy but it has gotten better. tim works pretty long hours so 6 days a week its just me and my crew of 4. my big girls like to help sometimes and thats good :) they are both very good big sisters!! they ask to chang the babies diapers at least once a day and they both really like to hold the babies and play with them. im very lucky to have big girls who like to help. i dont make them cause im the mama kwim? but when they want to help i always let them ;)

i have lots of new pics to share! evie's big girl hair is starting to grow back in. its very light, but i think in the end her hair will be alot like mikayla's. jackson's hair is getting thicker and is so beautiful! he has such incredible features!

well, im typing 1 handed now so heres some new pics :)

i love this pic of evie. this is her bunny, her lovey object. she fell asleep talking to it the other day ;)

tonight jackson fell asleep and dh laid him down. he looked like such a beautiful angel sleeping, i had to take a pic. that was 2 1/2 hours ago and hes just now going back to sleep afteri woke him up with the flash lol

we went to the park the other day and the babies were awake so i put them in a swing! they liked it!

my gorgeous big girls :)

i love this one of mikayla!

and some more twin pics ...

the babes doing their favorite things...

evie playing with her feet

jackson sticking out his tounge lol

1 more evie pic:

and thats all folks lol!!! until next time ;)

lots of pics

2007-06-04T03:34:00.000-07:00

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6 months old!!

2007-05-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

i know i havent updated in a long time

the twins had their 6 month checkup 5/22! both are the same measurements. they are always very close, but everything was exact, the nurse checked twice because she thought she made a mistake somewhere lol

14 lbs 15 oz
24 3/4 inches long
41.6 cm head

they are doing very well developmentally. the ped was surprised how 'un-preemie like' they are! rolling, talking/babbling, sitting with just needing a little support, grabbing for everything in site, standing supporting their weight just holdng my fingers. they are both doing really really well :) the only thing they dont do is transfer objects from 1 hand to the other.

it was a nice appt and they are officially able to quit the preemie formula and move on to regular baby formula! i am guessing their growth may slow a little because it wont be as many calories, but they are caught up pretty much in size so thats not a concern.

anyway just had to share :) im so proud of these 2 - they are such troopers!!

i have lots of pics to share, just need to upload them!

5 months old!

2007-04-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

well, evie & jackson are officially 5 months old now. doesnt seem real. i just cant believe it! Heres some more pics :)

4 month "what they're doin" update

2007-04-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

I posted on a twin board about what my twinkies are doing these days and thought HEY! I need to stick that on their blog!

So... heres a list of what my kiddos are doing these days. Im SURE i left off alot of stuff.

At exactly 4 months both were 11 lbs 11 oz, 22 1/2 in long (they were 30 weekers, 3 1/2 lbs each at birth)

*both coo, babble *alot*, giggle, smile

*both try hard to sit up when in a cradle position.

*both can sit unsupported for about 3 seconds lol

*both can lift their upper body when on their tummies

*both make "awa" "ewa" "guh" "gah" "aga" sounds. earlier evie mimicked dh by saying "ello"

*both are trying to mimick the lala sound

*both will roll from tummy to back if we lay them down just right, BUT its not something they are doing on purpose yet kwim?

*Evie can sleep 7 hours at a time at night, Jackson has gone 6 or so. Jackson isnt consistent yet tho.

*They are really starting to take notice of one another now and its so sweet i love watching them watching each other!

*Jackson has started babbling to the tv lol yesterday i had evie feeding her and Jackson was in the swing. i turned on noggin and the wonder pets (i think thats the name of the show) was on and Jackson cooed and babbled while they sang about teamwork

yes, theres more!

2007-04-15T16:17:00.000-07:00

more pics, kind of on a frenzy today i guess!

BTW Evie has started mimicking words... Tim was saying hello and i SWEAR she said "ello". We both heard it! Tim keeps asking me "you heard it too, right?" to make sure he wasnt the only one LOL We make brilliant children, what can I say ;)

in the pictures below the babes were sitting on the couch and Jackson was mesmerized by whatever was on his Daddy's 42 in plasma HDTV lol. Like Father, Like Son :)

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holy picture overload batman!!!

2007-04-15T15:11:00.000-07:00

more pics than ya ever need to see lol

love these babies :)

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pictures of course!

2007-04-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

twins first easter - 2007!

i thought this was cute ;)

i liked this one too. Jackson was happy, as usual. Evie was not so happy (as usual lol)

signature pictures

2007-04-08T04:44:00.000-07:00

I made this signature picture using storylife.com

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a sweet mama from sheknows.com made this one for me

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Just wanted to share! :)

4 month checkup

2007-04-08T04:30:00.000-07:00

Ive been neglectful in updating this blog. Life with twins + 2 big girls, ya know? LOL

The twins had their official 4 month checkup at almost 4 1/2 months old. They were both 12 lbs 5 oz and 22 1/2 inches long!! Both officially on the normal baby weight chart YAY!!!!!! They also both have 40 cm sized heads! Isnt is bizarre that their measurements are identical?

They have both been put on zantac for silent reflux. I thought this was an issue but was in denial i guess. We're gonna try the zantac for a month and see if things improve.

They only have to be on their high cal preemie formula for 2 more months YAY!

The dr noted in their chart to watch for GERD. She also said their issues (reflux, reactive airway disease) are common preemie issues.

She was surprised how strong they both are! Also surprised how on track they are for development!!! For 30 weekers they are quite amazing!!!! Doing everything a late blooming 4 month old would do!

Let's see... she also said theres no reason they should be waking so much at night and gave the okay to let them cry for 5 minutes in their beds. BUT... im not a CIO mama so thats not something im going to do...yet LOL If i get desparate enough i may look into other sleep options, but CIO is not my first thought. Right now we have started offering the pacifier when they wake up fussing and last night Jackson actually went back to sleep for 2 more hours. One thing i know for sure is this twin thing is a whole new ballpark and what worked for 1 baby isnt neccesarily the right way with these 2 babies! We just kind of take it day by day, follow our instincts, and when in doubt - wing it LOL

Thats about all

The above was a copy from what I wrote a few days ago... to update - we have decided we do NOT want to do CIO (cry it out) for any reason if we can at all help it. Yes unfortunatley sometimes they cry - if I have to go potty and am alone with them they might cry. But we dont do it on purpose, have NEVER done it on purpose with our big girls and dont plan on doing it on purpose with these babies either. What we have been doing is, when they fuss at night we pop their pacis back n their mouths. That seems to be working VERY well for Evie. The past 3 night sshe has slept, dare i say, WELL! Im talking 6-7 hour stretches!!! Jackson on the other hand is hit or miss. Still working with him. It will come. But at least Evie is doing well for now :)

Their little personalities are developing and they are so cute! Jackson is a real flirt. He LOVES attention and smiles and coos and giggles. He is a real doll baby!! Evie has a few "overwhelmed" issues. She gets very overwhelmed very easily. This causes her to scream. We do our best to avoid situations that we know will upset her but its not always possible. When she is just at home, chillinl, she is such a sweetie pie. She smiles and giggles and coos. She LOVES her big sisters :) Both babies are very strong. want to sit up (and can actually sit up unsupported for a few seconds before tumbling over lol). They still dont care much for tummy time, and we dont push it. We just follow their cues.

These 2 little babies have come so far in such a short time. We are very blessed to have them in our family :)

fresh april pics

2007-04-06T21:42:00.003-07:00

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Spring Fashion Show

2007-03-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

My big girls did the Spring Fashion Show today - they were so pretty & had so much fun!! :) Jackson & Daddy stayed home, so it was just me and my 3 girls - so heres a few pics!

Mikayla before the show

Harley before the show

My beautiful big girls!

Evie my babiest girl!

My sister holding Evie, I thought this was cute with her looking in the mirror!

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babies smiling!!!

2007-03-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

finally caught a pic of the twins smiling!!

Evie!

and Jackson!

mamas lil things

2007-03-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

twins were weighed thursday at 4 months old - 11 lbs, 11 oz each!!!! cant type much, holdin a squirmy fella ;) heres a new sweet pic!

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Snuggle Bugs :)

2007-03-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

these little darlings love to snuggle. and i love watching them snuggle :)

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we have their 4 month checkup and rsv shots Thursday the 22nd. Ill update stats then! They are both doing VERY well!!! Cooing, rolling some, LOVING toys!! They both love their baby gym - coo and "talk" to it, reach for the toys, smile and giggle. They are such smiley precious baby dolls :)

They are FINALLY starting to sleep a big longer at night HOORAY! They will each go between 4 and 6 hours 1 a stretch at night. Its awesome, especially when it happens at the same time LOL They seem to be bulking up on calories in the evening, resting for about 2 hours, having 1 more bottle and then night-night for 4-6 hours. Wake, have another bottle, then back to bed 3-4 more hours. Its nice getting more sleep.

They are awake alot longer during the day too and honestly, they are FUN babies! They play and smile and giggle. Just delightful little ones! Such a wonderful addition to our family :)

friday pics

2007-03-16T17:04:00.000-07:00

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pics

2007-03-15T20:31:00.001-07:00

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love this one :)

2007-03-06T20:50:00.000-08:00

the babies were enjoying blankie time this afternoon - it was so beautiful outside so i had the front door open letting in fresh air and the babes loved the sunshine coming inside! you cant tell from the pic but evie really did enjoy it lol.

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pics!

2007-03-03T22:50:00.000-08:00

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3 months old!!!

2007-02-23T03:44:00.000-08:00

jackson & evie are 3 months old now!! :) they go to the dr later today so ill have a 3 month weight. lets celebrate with some pictures ;)

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almost 3 months old!

2007-02-20T21:56:00.000-08:00

The babies will be 3 months old in 2 days, i cannot believe it!! They had their RSV shots today. Evie is 9 lbs 13 oz and Jackson is 9 lbs 12 oz!! WOW Almost 10 lbs!!! It seems unreal to me that they have almost tripled their birth weights!!

After the dr visit my sister took me to brunch. Then another sister joined us and we went to the store and they surprised me with a baby swing!! It was really unexpected, and so sweet of them :) We got it home and dh put it together. The babies LOVE LOVE LOVE the swing!!! Of course i had to take pics ;)

Jackson chillin in the swing:

Evie chillin in the swing:

Babies 'posing' in their cute outfits GramMari got them!

My beautiful sister Becki, holding Evie. She is so smitten with these babies!!!

My precious boy Jackson lookin so big in his big boy clothes!

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cuties!

2007-02-19T08:19:00.001-08:00

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my pretty girl :)

2007-02-18T21:17:00.001-08:00

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friday pics

2007-02-16T20:35:00.001-08:00

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blue eyes

2007-02-15T14:25:00.001-08:00

baby blues and Jackson & Harley

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cute!

2007-02-14T22:57:00.000-08:00

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weight update

2007-02-06T22:26:00.000-08:00

took the babes to the dr monday

jackson: 8 lbs 8 oz!!!!!!
evie : 8 lbs 7 oz!!!!

growing so well :)

my baby genius!

2007-02-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

this evening Jackson was awake and bored with me, so i put him in a carseat and attatched a toy bar for him to stare at. As soon as he saw the toys he got really happy and reached up and grabbed at a spinny toy and spun it around the bar! I started to cry - my baby boy played!!!! :) He really loves this thing... he is talking to it now :)

so... 10 weeks and 6 days old, Jackson plays with toy bar on carseat handle! thats one for the baby book!

my 4 kids together!!

2007-01-31T16:45:00.001-08:00

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10 weeks old pics

2007-01-30T17:55:00.001-08:00

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my sweet babies

2007-01-27T21:29:00.000-08:00

im so in love :)

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we're so cute!

2007-01-23T23:19:00.001-08:00

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Evie & Jackson are 2 months old!

2007-01-22T19:34:00.001-08:00

Well my little ones are officially 2 months old today! They had their 2 month checkup and they have both doubled their birth weights!!!!

They are now :

Evie - 7 lbs 4 oz
Jackson - 7 lbs 8 oz

I cant believe it, they are both the size of a regular ole full term baby!

Good news is they are both doing very well developmentally. Grasping for toys and drawing them to their mouths, smiling, staring at their hands (so cute!), making ahh noises at us, lifting & turning their heads while on their tummy.

Of course, as it seems, we cannot have an appt without some drama... they have both been having dark black tarry stools. The dr was concerned and took a sample and tested it. Evie's results werent blue like the dr wanted, so we are collecting stool samples for both babies and the lab will test it. Im going to assume all is fine, but of course it worries me. Dh and I had just assumed it was the iron fortified formula.

They had their 2nd RSV shots today. My poor babies - neither of them really cry, just let out a few little "squals" and then stop. But when they got the shot they cried for about 30 seconds each. It was heart *breaking*. We've been giving them infant tylenol for the obvious discomfort and it seems to be helping. Hopefully they will be feeling better tommorrow.

Well, thats about it! I cant believe my sweet babies are 2 months old already! I would be 39 weeks pregnant today if they had not been premature. I know next Monday, the 29th (my due date) will be very bitter sweet.

cute pics!

2007-01-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

we went to visit my friend today and the babies looked adorable so i had to snap a pic - cute babes, terrible quality pics!

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8 weeks old!

2007-01-18T21:09:00.000-08:00

well, my babies are 8 weeks old now! It doesnt seem possible that they are already 8 weeks old!

They are so precious :) Both are sweet happy babies. They LOVE laying on a blankie facing each other. They make noises at each other and grab each other's hands, faces, pacifiers (lol). They are the sweetest little twinkies :) I am so in love!!

Here are some pics from tonight -

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They have their 2 month checkup Monday, will update then!!

looks like mama?

2007-01-13T23:29:00.000-08:00

my mom sent me this pic of myself at 2 days old... i think evie looks alot like me!

me at 2 days old

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Evie at 3 weeks, 4 days old

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sweet pics

2007-01-13T13:17:00.000-08:00

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Baby Milestones

2007-01-12T22:34:00.000-08:00

my gorgeous baby boy!

2007-01-11T20:49:00.000-08:00

Jackson was quite active this evening after his bottle so i took the opportunity to snap a few pics.. heres my favorite one!

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a few pics

2007-01-07T19:37:00.000-08:00

babies are doing well, we have a weight check on wed. im pumping while i type but heres a few pics

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in these 2 pics the babies are wearing little hats my friend Aimee made. They are the first little hats that actually fit besides the ones from the hospital!

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Twins, side by side

2007-01-02T16:15:00.000-08:00

the quality of this picture is terrible, but here is a picture of the babies laying side by side. I thought it was cute :)

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A development update on the babies - they are really doing WELL! They are doing the same stuff our older girls did at this age (6 weeks tommorrow). They both grab at toys - each baby can get ahold of a toy and draw it to their mouth. They dont "coo" yet but they both do the "ahhh" noise. They make great eye contact. They both seem to get real excited when they are spoken to and played with, or when they see a toy.

Happy New Year!

2006-12-31T22:34:00.000-08:00

Wel, its 2007 and my sweet babies are 5 1/2 weeks old (36 weeks gestationally). they have been home for a week and a half. its so wild to have 2 babies at home LOL they are so precious :) we are getting the hang of the whole "taking care of 2 babies" thing.

We are starting to see their little personalities emerge. Evie is a very happy baby :) If she's awake and not gassy, she just looks happy and content. Jackson is happy as long as he is alert and getting attention ;) They both love staring at their baby toys and both babies will move their hands in the direction of whatever toy intrigues them most. Wont be long before they start grabbing their toys and shoving em in their mouths LOL

im about to feed them so heres a few quick pics! they pretty much sleep most of the time still, so all my pics are of them... napping LOL

Jackson and Evie napping, 12/31/06

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Evie and Jackson napping, 12/30/06

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First Pediatrician Visit!

2006-12-28T13:46:00.000-08:00

The twins had their first appt with their pediatrician yesterday. They were 5 weeks old, 1 week discharged from the NICU, 35w2d gestation.

They both weighed 4 lbs 3 1/2 oz at discharge. Yesterday their weights were incredible!!!!!

Evie : 4 lbs 10 3/4 oz 17 inches long
Jackson : 4 lbs 9 1/2 oz, 16 inches long

my babes are growing so well :) the ped said they both look great - both are 'above average' on the preemie growth chart.

She did switch us back to preemie/higher calorie formula for when we have to supplement. The NICU had used it but then switched to regular formula at the end. The ped also gave me the go ahead and nurse each baby for one feeding per day and we go for a weight check in 2 weeks and by then they should be good to go ahea and nurse as much as we want! :) Im really pleased with this news, but a little worried too. My worry is because i tried nursing Evie last night and she wouldnt latch right. I have a call in to the lactation consultant and im hoping we can go meet with her and she can help get these babies latching well.

The ped also gave me the go ahead to carry the babies in the sling. Evie was alert so i tried her out and she looked so cozy :) Im going to try Jackson and/or both babies later when they are awake!

Well, thats about it for now... the babes are snoozing next to me in the bassinet and I snapped this pic. They are so precious :) We start them out a little farther apart but they always scoot closer together ;)

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It's Christmas!

2006-12-25T19:00:00.000-08:00

and i still cant believe my babies are home! :) Their Babys' First Christmas pics!

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Welcome home Jackson & Evie!!!

2006-12-20T21:28:00.000-08:00

About 12:15pm this afternoon we arrived home as a family of 6 :)

At 4 weeks old - or what would have been 34 weeks, 2 days gestation, our babies were released from the NICU. We can see them, hold them, feed them, kiss them ANY TIME WE WANT!!!!!! It feels so incredible :)

I am pumping before every feeding and after the 9pm feeding Evie actually nursed some after her bottle! I am hoping that with time they will both nurse instead of having to use bottles. I am way too lazy for pumping/bottling LOL

I have a cute pic of Mikayla and Harley with the twins in their double stroller leaving the hospital, but its not uploading right now. Ill post it next chance i get!

3 weeks, 5 days old!

2006-12-18T17:19:00.000-08:00

BIG NEWS TODAY!!

As long as all goes well tonight/tommorrow, Evie and Jackson will be coming home WEDNESDAY!!!!!

They are both doing *well* on their bottles for every feeding. The neonatologist said we could "room in" tommorrow! We decided to room in during the day so tim and i can both be there while our older girls are at school.

Today the dr put them both on "ad lib" feedings - they can have as much as they want! :) At 2pm they both had 40 cc's, at 5pm they both had 50 cc's!!!! I couldnt believe they ate so much, since before they were taking 35 cc's per feeding.

Well... here's hoping they continue to do well tonight & tommorrow...:) Thinking of only having to go to the NICU 2 more times is just... unreal. Thinking of having my babies home, having my family together, is so exciting to me. No more nicu, no more not knowing when my babes would be home...just unreal :)

3 weeks, 4 days old!

2006-12-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

My babes are doing great today! They have taken their bottles well all day :) Evie is a little backed up, but Im sure that will resolve itself overnight.

Evie gained 1/4 of an ounce, Jackson didnt gain anything to raise his ounces, but he did gain in grams. He was still pretty alert after his bottle so i nursed him for a few minutes - he did really well! :)

Our pics of the evening..

Evie & Jackson dressed in their little coordinating outfits. The preemie stuff *almost* fits!! Doesnt it look like Evie is smiling at her brother? :)

Me and my babes!!

Jackson and Evie settling down to sleep after their bottles. They were touching hands like that all on their own, i didnt stage the picture lol! Jackson looks sleepy ;)

and I loved this pic of my sweet Evie, so i had to share it!

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12/16/06, 3 weeks, 3 days old

2006-12-16T21:21:00.000-08:00

Babes were doing great tonight! :) Both gained a little weight - Evie is 4 lbs 1 3/4 oz and Jackson is 4 lbs 2 3/4 oz. Both doing well with their bottles, maintaining temp, etc...

Im very tired so this post is short, but heres a quick picture of my sweeties co-bedding in the NICU

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Our babes are coming home soon!!!

2006-12-16T10:41:00.000-08:00

Last night at the NICU one neonatologist casually mentioned the babes going home soon - today i spoke with the neo who is working this weekend and he expects them to be home Tuesday or Wednesday!!!!!

OH MY GOSH!!! My babes... coming HOME!!!!

Basically he just wants to see them continue taking their bottles well, and see that dh & i are comfortable giving them their bottles. Their weight gain continues to be excellent, they are maintaining their temperature in an open crib well, and are on all bottles.

I just cant believe it Last night after the doc mentioned it i started to cry thinking that i could see my babies all the time, i dont have to go to the hospital to see them.

Im so excited and so terrified all at the same time. Knowing my family will be together and complete is just incredible But then i worry about no heart monitors, no dr around the corner, no nurse watching them 24/7 to make sure all is well.

But wow. My babies!!! They will be 4 weeks old on Wednesday, gestationally they would be 34 weeks, 2 days on Wednesday. and Coming HOME!!!

Last nights weights...

Evie : 4 lbs 3/4 oz
Jackson : 4 lbs 2 oz

and they are both in the open crib :) And of course, a few pics...

"Hey, i remember you!"

and sweet Jackson with his eyes open :)

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Evie's face was pointing the wrong way so i couldnt get any other pics of her..

12/15/05, 3 weeks 2 days old!

2006-12-15T13:38:00.000-08:00

DH and I went up for the 11am feeding today - Jackson was in his big boy crib! :) He is in the double crib and the other side is all ready for Miss Evie!! She should hit 4 lbs tonight (we hope!!)

I was able to nurse Evie for 5 minutes before offering her the bottle!! Only 5 minutes because we didnt want her to get too tired. She did well :) After nursing she did drink her entire bottle! The dr has upped her from 34 cc's to "as much as she wants"!!! YAY Evie!!

Jackson took his entire bottle so well also! :) He is up to 35 cc's! After his bottle i offered Jackson the breast and he latched on but was too sleepy to nurse. That's okay, we will try again! He is doing very well in the open crib, maintaining his temperature! :)

Some BIG news... BOTH babies took bottles for all their overnight feedings!! What a big surprise it was to get this news! :) So they had 8pm, 11pm, 2am and 5am bottles - tube feeding at 8am (i requested, so they wouldnt be too tired for us) and then a bottle at 11am as well! Im not sure how they took their 2pm feeding, im going to call and checkin in a few minutes. But im going back up to the hospital tonight so they should both have bottles at 8pm as well.

I cannot believe how well these babies are doing! :)

Heres a few new pics from today... im sure ill have more pics later if Evie moves to the open crib!

Jackson in his big boy crib!

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and Sweet Evie

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12/14/06 - 3 weeks, 1 day old

2006-12-14T21:42:00.000-08:00

Some exciting news tonight!!

Jackson is officially over 4 lbs YAY!!! He weighed in at 4 lbs 1 1/4 oz and is headed to the open crib after his 2am feeding! The nurse is putting him in the double crib because Evie should hit 4 lbs tommorrow night! Jackson took his whole 8pm feeding very well from a bottle as well. He is doing so well! :)

Evie weighed in at 3 lbs 15 1/4 oz, sooo close! Like i said, she is expected to hit 4 lbs tommorrow night :) She also did well taking her 8pm feeding from a bottle. Some mroe exciting news - after her feeding I was holding Evie and was letting her root around and she latched on and nursed!!! Im talking the full suck/swallow/breathe going for 2 good minutes!! It was awesome, after 3 weeks and 1 day i was able to nurse one of my babies :) She stopped suckling and I unlatched her and she fell asleep. I didnt want to wear her out by letting her nurse more than a few nminutes, especially since she had just finished her bottle.

Anyway, it was a wonderful visit :) Heres a few pics...

and my big girls...!!!

Mikayla, the day after her 10th birthday!

and my little Harley with weat hair ;)

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12/13/06 - 3 weeks old!

2006-12-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

Today is our oldest daughter's 10th Birthday, Happy Birthday Princess!! :)

It is also the twins' 3 week mark!! I cannot believe its been 3 whole weeks since they were born! Unbelievable!!

I had a wonderful visit with them tonight! Both babes took the entire 8pm feeding from a bottle for me :) Evie weighed 3 lbs, 14 3/4 oz and Jackson weighs 3 lbs 15 1/4 oz!!!!! The nurse expects them to hit 4 lbs tommorrow or Friday! She said she would go ahead and put their name on the double crib ;)

I held them together after their feedings and the babies were just so sweet :) They got along so well (lol) that the nurse said they could co-bed in one of the incubators untl their 11pm feeding. When they got in the isolette they were just so precious!!! They fell fast asleep with their hands and feet touching. It was mesmerizing to me to see their heartrates sinc up again, like they did when i was still pregnant and having the monitoring done every night.

Im exhausted so heres a pic from tonight...

Evie and Jackson, 3 weeks old!

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12/12/06 - 20 days old!

2006-12-12T20:26:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe my babes are goin to be 3 weeks old tommorrow!!

They did very well tonight - both took a whole feeding from a bottle for me!! :) No spitup or problems. Evie weighed 3 lbs 12 3/4 oz, Jackson weighed 3 lbs 13 1/2 oz!! Only a few more ounces and they will both be in open cribs, hooray!!!

Heres some sweet pictures i took tonight - both babes were wearing a preemie gown outfit we got at Walmart (they can be a gown or footless sleeper, depending on how they are snapped)

19 days old

2006-12-11T23:03:00.000-08:00

I couldnt see my twins today - my older girls both have strep throat and my maternal fetal dr called me in some antibiotics to be on the safe side. i dont feel sick, but id rather be cautious than have sick preemies. My older girls both got a pennicillin shot so they should be fine tommorrow.

I miss my babes like crazy but its better to be safe than sorry i guess. Im going to see them tommorrow.

Anyway, i spoke to the night nurse and heres their stats...

Evie : 3 lbs 11 1/2 oz (no change)
Jackson : 3 lbs 11 3/4 oz - he lost some weight but we expected that because of his bloated/backed up issues last night. The nurse said he did have a bowel movement tonight and his tummy looked normal.

Thats about it! :)

Sunday night's baby weights!

2006-12-11T09:42:00.000-08:00

Last night Evie weighed 3 lbs 11 1/2 oz!!! Jackson was 3 lbs 12 3/4 oz!!! However, Jackson was very bloated, his belly was poofy and the neonatologist ordered an xray. He had alot of air so they held off on his 8pm feeding and he had a good bowel movement so he got to have his 11pm feeding. He has been fine since then. Because of the bloating, I dont expect him to hold on to all the weight he had gained. We shall see tonight!

12/10/06 - 18 days old

2006-12-10T10:20:00.000-08:00

I havent had time to update this blog in a few days - we've been crazy busy and ive just been too tired. I havent even uploaded new pics since Wednesday night!

Yesterday I had a wonderful visit with the twins!! Tim stayed home with Mikayla and Harley and I went up to see the babes. At their 5 pm feeding i attempted to give my sweet son a bottle - the little turkey drank like 6cc's and said forgetaboutit! He would much rather cuddle with mama ;) So he got the rest through his feeding tube and I kangaroo'ed him for an hour. It was wonderful :)

After the 6:30-7:30pm shift change i went back in and got to give Evie her little soap/sponge bath. I also got to weigh her! :) She is 3 lbs 10 oz!!!! Then for the 8pm feeding I gave her a bottle. She drank the whole thing in 20 minutes!! :) Afterwards she and I kangaroo'ed for an hour. It was wonderful as well :)

While i was holding Evie, the nurse gave Jackson his sponge bath and weighed him - my boy is 3 lbs 11 oz!! These babes are growing so well :)

The day nurse on Friday told me that oince they hit 4 lbs they will both be moved to an open crib (the double crib where they can co-bed if its available!!). She told me to bring in some clothes for the babies to wear once they are moved because the clothing helps them keep their temperature. The clothes have to cover their arms/legs/bodies and snap up the front for easy access to monitors. I found a few convertible gown/footless sleepers in preemie size at Walmart and got what i could - they only had 2 in each gender tho. But both babes do have a few outfits. I am gonna wash up their baby gowns to take as well so they dont run out of clothes. I also took up several blankets for each baby because the hospital blankets arent as soft as ours.

Anyway... thats about it for today's update! Im going to see my little turkeys in a few hours and may update again later tonight if im not too tired.

12/6/06, 2 weeks old!

2006-12-06T18:38:00.000-08:00

My sweet babies are 2 weeks old today! It seems unreal that it has been 2 entire weeks since they were born! I am humbled and amazed by how well these little ones are doing!!

I have some wonderful news to share :)

*First of all, both babies had another great weigh in last night - Evie was 3 lbs 6 3/4 oz and Jackson was 3 lbs 7 1/2 oz! I will call the NICU in a little while to see, but both babes are expected to be back up to their birth weights tonight!!

*And the super exciting news.... today, at what would be 32 weeks, 2 days gestation, both babies were offered a bottle for the first time!!!!! Evie drank 13 cc's from the bottle and Jackson drank 11 cc's! the rest was given through their feeding tubes. It was wonderful,wonderful,wonderful!!!!!! The criteria for going home from the NICU is to be about 4 1/2 lbs, take all feedings by bottle or breast, maintain body temperature on their own and be gaining weight consistently. It really feels like they may be home for Christmas after all!

Evie was pulling at her feeding tube today so the nurse left it out while i offered the bottle. We got some beautiful pictures of my baby girl without any tubes on her face!! Also, we got some pics of the bottle feeding :)

First of all, my beautiful babies together at 2 weeks old! This was after Evie's feeding tube was replaced.

My little man Jackson, getting a bottle from Daddy!

Evie getting her bottle, being fed by me!

Evie, tube-free!

Sweet Jackson, chillin in his incubator ;)

12/5/06, 13 days old!

2006-12-05T14:45:00.000-08:00

Im updating early today because Tim and I are taking our older girls to Family Movie Night at school, they are showing Santa Clause 2. The girls cant wait ;)

Big weight gain last night for Jackson... he is up to 3 lbs 6 3/4 oz!!!!! Only 1 1/2 oz to go to be back to his birth weight :) Evie also gained, she is now 3 lbs 5 oz. She just has 2 1/4 oz to be back to her birth weight!

Both babes are taking 29 mL at each feeding every 3 hours!

Both babes were doing well today - Tim and I got to hold them for an hour!! We switched after 30 minutes so we both got good time with each baby :)

When we got to the NICU Evie was looking sooooo adorable :) The nurse had put a little bow in her hair (on her head lol) and Evie was grabbing at it, so the nurse gave her the pacifier to grab. Well Evie was chomping down on that pacifier and had the grip of death on it when we got there LOL Of course i took a pic ;) Also, she was very alert almost the entire time i held her! Her eyes wide open, looking around! It was awesome :)

and Jackson was so sweet today - he was awake for a little while with Tim but then fell asleep and stayed asleep when i held him. He was a sleepy boy! He sighs in his sleep! I cant wait to have these babies home!!!

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12/4/06 - 12 days old!

2006-12-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

Our babes are doing well today! :) No real changes since yesterday... last night's weights had Evie up to 3 lbs 4 1/2 oz and Jackson up to 3 lbs 5 1/2 oz!

Heres our "pictures of the day" ;)

Jackson, looking so precious with his hands by his face!

and sweet Evie, looking so beautiful :)

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12/3/06 - 11 days old!

2006-12-03T17:25:00.000-08:00

Today was a BIG DAY for our twins!! They have been moved to the "step down" area of the NICU!!!! Its for "feeders and growers". I couldnt believe it.

Both babes are doing well :) Evie is taking 28 mL now, same as Jackson, at each feeding. Both are tolerating their feedings very well - no residual in a few days!! Last night Evie weighed 3 lbs 3 3/4 oz and Jackson weighed 3 lbs 4 1/2 oz!!

Im really tired so this update is short... but it was a really great visit today :) Heres a pic of each baby!

My sweet little Evie :

and my precious Jackson :

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The birth of Evie & Jackson

2006-12-02T07:20:00.000-08:00

I decided to take the time to get this typed up while it was still fresh... the birth of Evelynn Brooke and Jackson Alexander!

-------------------------------

This story begins long before 11/22/06. It actually begins at 21 weeks when my first real preterm labor episode started. We had a scary several weeks, between 21 and 28, on bedrest and medication to stop preterm labor. I had weekly appts with my perinatologist (my ob had handed over fulltime care at 13 weeks)and at 28 weeks 4 days my dr checks my cervix and informs dh & i that i need to be admitted to the hospital until i deliver. You see, before i was 3 cm dilated on the outside but just 1 cm on the inside. At this appt i was a full 3 cm throughout and my cervix was very thin.

I was admitted about 4pm that day and was contracting - hard. As soon as i was hooked up to monitors they realised i was in full on labor. They quickly started an IV, put in a catheter and started the awful "mag". Over the next 5 hours i had several boluses of mag. I also was given indocin. At some point my dr checked me and i had dilated to 4cm and effaced some more. They moved me from ante-partum to an actual LDR room. By the grace of God and the miracles of science they managed to get my labor under control. It was Friday evening and I was 28w4d. I had my first steroid shot at noon that day. The goal at this point was to get me to noon Sunday, to give the steroid shots time to work. I continued to contract the entire weekend but my cervix behaved and we got to Sunday. My dr later told me he was afraid to leave the hospital because he was certain i would deliver that weekend. My husband stayed with me the entire time and one of my sisters kept our girls with her at her house.

Sunday at 12:20pm my dr ordered to stop the mag. It had been successful at getting me to our initial goal, but was having a bad affect on me. The dr said at this point it would do more harm than good. I continued the indocin and was also started back on nifedipine.

Over the next almost 2 weeks I had several more incidents of labor...after 4 days in LDR i was deemed "reasonably stable" and moved bakc to ante partum. Contractions continued, never actually stopped. but usually they were braxton hicks. I learned quickly the best way to keep them from really hurting was to saturate myself with as much water as i could tolerate, keep my bladder EMPTY and stay off my back.

On 11/21/06, after 11 long days in the hospital, i started to feel "different". All along my nurses had told me if i felt different or the contractions changed i needed to let them know immediatley. I let my nurse know about the different feeling i was having - more pressure on my cervix, a change in the contraction pressure. She honestly brushed me off and said it was normal, babies moving around, blahblahblah. It was 9pm. Her shift was over at 11pm. I told her a few more times in those 2 hours and she never took me seriously. At 11pm my new nurse came in and i told her what was going on. She hooked me up and we saw some very regular contractions on the monitor. After 20 minutes she called my dr and was told to give me some stadol to see if relacing would help. (i was fully hydrated, had an empty bladder and was not on my back). The stadol defintley helped me relax but did nothing to ease the timing/frequency of my contractions. I was 5 cm dilated at this point and 100% effaced. A few hours later it was decided I was defintley in labor and because the medications to stop my labor had had such a bad effect on me the previous 12 days, it was decided we'd go ahead and have some babies. I was moved to a LDR room.

I called my husband, my sisters, my mom... noone knew how long it would be, but by this point i was 6cm dilated and my dr wanted me to go ahead and get the epidural because waiting for the pain to get worse may be too late. (and if they had to do a csection i would have to be knocked out, which i didnt want.) So i got the epidural about 5:30am on 11/22/06.

I labored throughout the day, resting, chatting with dh and occasionally my mom & her best friend. My contractions continued but werent as strong as before. I was okay with however long it took. I figured the longer it took, the better for the babies.

About 6pm the dr on call from my peri's office came in. This woman is amazing to me. I have always been "start struck" by her, as she is considered the top maternal fetal specialist in Tennessee. Before moving their practice to another hospital, she had been the Director of MFM at Vanderbilt, Director of OB Intensive Care and Director of a dept specialising in Diabetic moms to be.

Suffice it to say, I was very happy to see her. I trusted all 3 of the dr's in the practice, had a good relationship with all 3, but this one - well, even the other 2 dr's would tell you that she's the BEST. I couldnt think of anyone id rather have deliver my babies than her.

She checked me and I was 8 cm dilated, but the contractions just werent strong enough. Baby A's head was "right there" but would move up if pushed on. My Dr decided to do a little pitocin to get the contractions a little stronger and see from there. She had to leave for about 15 minutes and told them to wait until she called to start the pitocin - she didnt want to risk not being there.

A little bit later they got the orders to start the pitocin. It defintley picked things up right away. Because i had the epdiural alread I had no pain. DH and I used this time to focus and relax a little. We talked, he relaxed me, encouraged me to rest. We couldnt believe we were about to meet our babies.

Soon after, maybe 45 minutes after the pitocin was started, I felt the urge to push. We waited a few more contractions, to be sure it was real. It was! Things happened very quickly after that. I was checked, ready to go - a full 10cm. The nurse made eye contact with me and said "She's ready!" (in reference to Evie, our baby A, being ready to deliver). I started to cry. She was ready!

I was moved to the operating room, moved to the operating table. Baby A was head down and ready. Baby B (Jackson) was footling breech. The plan was to deliver baby A and then the dr would do a breech extraction of Baby B. The sound of this scared me, but again - i fully trusted my dr.

Once things were ready to go in the operating room the said i could push when i wanted. I immediatley had that urge... 1 contraction with 4 pushes later and Evelynn Brooke was born. It was 9:39 pm on 11/22/06. She weighed 3 lbs 7 1/4 oz and was 15 inches long. The dr handed Evie off to her nicu team and started working on Baby B. 3 minutes later, with only a tiny push from me, and Jackson Alexander was born. It was 9:42 pm on 11/22/06. He weighed 3 lbs 8 1/4 oz and was 15 1/2 inches long. After Jackson was born I reached down and touches his precious little head. I couldnt believe how much hair he had! Then we noticed he was peeing on the dr lol. It was realy funny The dr handed him off to his NICU team and he promptly peed on one of the crew! The dr finished up with me as i watched my babies being taken care of.

The babies were aready to be moved to the NICU and they let me hold Evie for about 30 seconds. Then i held Jackson for about 10 seconds. I couldnt believe how beautiful they both were!! and how *tiny*.

They were moved to the NICu, dh went with them. After the dr wasd done with me i was moved back to my room. A few minutes later my mom's best friend came in with my girls. It was such a wonderful sight, to see my girls. Mikayla is almost 10 and Harley is 7 1/2. They were such a sight for sore eyes They were very excited about their brother and sister being born and Mikayla declared she wasnt leaving the hospital without seeing them lol.

DH came in a little bit later with their birth weight/length info and their little hats and a crib card for each baby. At this point it was just a "waiot a few hours" ganme for the Neonatologist to come tell us we could see the babies.

Dh and I decided the girls would stay with usand everyone else went on home. The girls stretched out on a big couch and went to sleep and i fell asleep in the hospital bed. DH made a few phone calls to spread the word of the birth of our twins.

About midnight or so the neonatologist came in and told us the babies looked good for being so early. And we could go see them and so could our girls

My nurse got me up and did the neccesary post partum stuff with me to get me out of the LDR room, had dh take all our stuff to the post partum room, then we were ready to head to the NICU.

I cant even describe how amazing it was to see my little babies. They were so small, but so perfect. We were all about to touch both babies.

That was 10 days ago. The twins have gone through all the typical NICU stuff and are doing really well considering!! As of today Jackson is 3 lbs 3 3/4 oz and Evie is 3 lbs 3 1/4 oz. He is taking 28 mL of breastmilk every 3 hours and she is taking 27 mL. Both babies are off their cannulas and doing well on room air We are able to hold and kangaroo care both babies. Im hoping they will be home by Christmas (35 weeks gestation) but understand it could be a little longer.

They get sweeter everysingleday. I just cant believe they are ours and are so perfect. I miss them so badly when im not at the hospital but i know they are where they need to be. That doesnt make it hurt any less tho.

I keep a blog with daily updates and lots of pictures if you are interested in seeing my little sweeties.
http://evieandjackson.blogspot.com

12/1/06, 1 week 2 days old

2006-12-01T17:44:00.000-08:00

I am physically and mentally exhausted so tonight's post will be short.

Evie : Gained last night! Up to 3 lbs 2 3/4 oz. She is doing well without her cannula. I got to kangaroo hold her today and it was awesome :) She is such a precious baby girl! She snoozed the entire time, she seemed so cozy & content. I cant wait for these babies to be home with us so I can hold them whenever i want!!!

Jackson : a good gain last night for him too - up to 3 lbs 4 oz!! Jackson is also continuing to do well without his cannula. He was so sweet today, he had the hiccups while Tim was holding him. They went away by the time i got him tho. We did the kangaroo care also and it was awesome! Jackson was so tired and was sleeping but whenever i spoke he woke up. He was really adorable, doing his little hum-sigh noise. Really melts my heart!!!

I didnt get a good picture of Evie today because by the time Tim or I had a free hand she was back in her isolette facing the other direction. I feel guilty having Jackson pictures and not Evie... but Tim did take a cute one of Jackson while i was kangaroo holding him. So, here is that pic! His little hat had fallen off so i placed it on his head but couldnt get it on good. He looks like a little elf ;)

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11/30/06 1 week, 1 day old

2006-11-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

Today's visit went well. Harley was having allergy issues so Tim stayed with her in the nicu family room while i visited with the babies.

Evie : Last night's weight had her gaining a whole ounce YAY!! 3 lbs 1 3/4 oz. Still at 26 cc's every 3 hours, with human milk fortifier. Pooping well still. I actually got to change a poopy diaper this morning, and she had that good healthy breastfed baby poop :) Who'd a thought id be so happy over poop lol Evie's BIG news today.... she is OFF THE CANNULA!!!!! And even better, her pulsox has been at 100 throughout the day according to her day nurse!! I didnt get to kangaroo Evie today because they wanted to be sure she would be stable without the cannula, but defintley will get to tommorrow :) Today I settled for holding her for about 30 minutes (nurse let us have a little extra time!) and holding her while she got her feeding. Something absolutley cool... when i first got there Evie was wide awake and alert. She looked like a regular ole baby laying there, eyes wide open and moving her arms and legs in a normal baby way (not fussy or jerking movement). She looked so beautiful and so good :)

Jackson : Also gained weight - his biggest gain!! 3 lbs 3 1/2 oz! Almost a 2 ounce gain in 24 hours!! He is doing so well with his feedings, hasnt had any residual at all the past few feedings today and earlier it was very minimal. I did get to kangaroo hold Jackson and it was wonderful! :) He snuggled against my chest and had one arm stretched out and kept moving his little fingers against my skin. He felt so wonderful to hold so closely. I couldnt help but cry a little. I was talking to him and he "talked" back. He has this sound he makes, its not a whiney or fussy or agitated sound..more like an "i hear you" type sound. Like a happy sigh. He seemed so cozy and I sure was. I hated for it to end. I admit, im feeling kind of sad the past few days, really missing my babies. I know how lucky we are they are so healthy and in a place where they are getting the best care, but that doesnt make me miss them any less.

Heres a few pictures from today.

Evie, cannula-free!!!

Jackson looking oh-so-precious :) His feeding tube was retaped above his mouth, he has a little mustache lol

11/29/06 - 1 week old!!!

2006-11-29T19:34:00.000-08:00

Well, my precious babies are a full week old today! They have both made such incredible improvement, it seems unreal!

Last night after i posted I talked to their night nurse. Both babies had lost some more weight (after gaining back a little...). Evie got down to 3 lbs 3/4 oz and Jackson got down to 3 lbs 1 3/4 oz. Both babies began receiving "human milk fortifier" mixed with the breastmilk at each feeding. It contains an additional 4 calories per feeding, to help them gain a little weight. I hope it works and quickly! Ill be glad to see them back up to their birth weights!

Let's see... it was a very exciting day for us with our babies. We arrived at the NICU and both babies were in their new beds... basically they had been in some special beds that had equipment attatched to them already. Now they are in the regular heated isolettes. My Mother had bought the babies each a special blankie, so i washed them and took them up today. The nurse draped the blankets on top of their isolettes, their little area looks more inviting now.

Jackson had his cannula removed yesterday - well he has done so well without it they removed his pulsox monitor this morning!! These little changes are very exciting and also very scary at the same time! Im glad he doesnt need it anymore but also worried he doesnt have it anymore, in case he does need it. I hear this is a common concern among nicu parents when changes like these are made. He was also taken off the billilights!! So with the exception of his feeding tube and heart monitor (and i think 2 other little sticker monitors) Jackson is free from wires!!! He is actually "mobile" - he can be completley unplugged and carried like a regular baby! :) Some great news, Jackson is finally pooping regularly!!! Like, with every feeding pretty much LOL He seems so much more comfortable now when he is receiving his feedings and even tho he does continue to have some residual, its improved GREATLY!!

Evie is doing well too! :) She is still at 2 liters of oxygen, but they expect that to be turned off and remove the cannula sometime tommorrow!! She is also off the billilights! As of right now she has the cannula, feeding tube and various monitors, but that should change tommorrow. She is tolerating her feedings so well... has only had 1 residual incident! Her bladder and bowel are working well and everything really seems to be going good. Today i held her while she received her 11am feeding and she sucked on her pacifier the entire time. This girl has an amazing sucking reflex!!! Once she was done with her feeding she stopped sucking. Like she realises the whole sucking/feeding connection. She's so brilliant ;)

The BIGGEST news of the day - I got to hold the babies together for the first time today :) It was only for about 5 minutes, but long enough to snap a few pictures and watch in amazement as my little ones were together again :) Their day nurse told me on the phone earlier that she let Jackson hang out with "big sister" Evie in her bed for about 20 minutes this afternoon. She said they really seemed aware of one another and held hands. She took a pic for us - I cannot wait to see it!!! :) She also said that when Jackson had to go back to his own bed, Evie's heartrate dropped a little - like she knew her brother was gone and she wanted him BACK! Well, she will have her way soon. The NICU, thanksfully, encourages co bedding for mulitples once they are in an open crib. So as soon as that happens my babies will be together all the time!

Also, tommorrow we get to start kangaroo care!!! That on top of getting to hold them for 20 minutes. Im REALLLLY looking forward to this :)

Well, thats about it i think. Im sure im leaving something out but im so tired i cant think of what it is im forgetting. Heres a few pictures of my sweet little ones *together*.

Evie is above Jackson in this one...

Jackson on left, Me, and Evie on right!

Images hosted at HoldThatPic.com

11/28/06 - 6 days old

2006-11-28T19:51:00.000-08:00

Short update tonight as im exhausted and needing some sleep.

Evie : oxygen is at 2 liters and room air! She has done well on this all day, no spells or trouble to mention. Shes getting 26 cc's per feeding now, every 3 hours. Not having any residual except for 1 time. Her billi counts are improving and she should be off the phototherapy in a day or so. She was moved to a regular isolette - tho its pretty much just like the bed she's been in - i really dont see any difference.

Jackson : He is officially cannula FREE!!!!! Totally on room air, no more breathing help for my boy! :) He is getting 27 cc's per feeding but unfortunatley he is having residual at nearly each and every feeding. Its upsetting to me and I wish they would take things a little slower. I held him today while he was getting his 11am feeding through the feeding tube and he seemed so uncomfortable. Like he wasnt tolerating it well. He burped a few very quiet burps and spit up a little bit. He has had about 1-5 cc's of residual each time and the nurse said thats not a concern - but Evie hasnt had any except one time and its hard to not compare her lack of residual with his frequent residual. Jackson was also moved to an isolette today. Again, no idea what the difference is!

My Mom got to come with us today to see the babies and it was really awesome! :) We got some beautiful pictures but i havent had the time or energy to upload them yet. Will be sure to do it tommorrow!

11/27/06 - 5 days old

2006-11-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

Both babies are doing well today :)

Evie : previous weight had dropped to 3 lbs 1 oz, tonight she is up to 3 lbs 1 3/4 oz!! Her weight loss is over & now she is starting to gain back YAY!!! Oxygen is 4 liters and room air. Umbilical catheter (belly button IV) has been removed! Tim and I held her for 10 minutes each and she snoozed the whole time ;)

Jackson : previous weight had dropped to 3 lbs 2 oz, tonight he is up to 3 lbs 2 1/4 oz! So he has also finished loosing weight & is gaining back! :) His oxygen is 2 liters and room air! His umbilical catheter was also removed. DH and I also held him for 10 minutes each, Jackson was actually awake and opened his beautiful little eyes :) We got some great pictures!!

I love this picture, Jackson clutching his Daddy's thumb. Whenever Tim tried to move his hand Jackson would grip tighter. This boy looked so content in his Daddy's arms.

Proof Jackson really does have eyes! ;)

This one is just too precious not to share. Its also Jackson.

And now for Ms Evie...

You can see how tiny she is, holding on to Daddy's thumb!

She was so precious, scrunching up her little face!

Leave me alone, im trying to sleep!

And these 2 pictures... well I guess they are the Supahstars of the NICU lol Dont they look so cozy ;)

Ms Diva... I mean Evie ;)

And Jackson lookin all cool with his "sunglasses" on!

Our first picture together as a family of six!!

2006-11-26T20:40:00.000-08:00

About 3 hours after the babies were born Dh, Mikayla, Harley and I were able to go in to the NICU and see the babies!! A nurse took this photo for us - our first picture together as an official family of SIX!!

From left to right : Evie in her NICU bed, Mikayla, Harley, me, DH, Jackson in his NICU bed

Another post from 11/24/06

2006-11-26T20:33:00.000-08:00

Post from a mama board on 11/24/06 at 251 pm

After 12 days of being in the hospital in preterm labor, I had my babies 11/22/06. Evie was born first, vaginally, at 9:39 pm and Jackson was born footling breech at 9:42 pm.

Both babies are of course in the NICU on nasal cannulas, a tube down their throat to get rid of air i think, an IV in their belly buttons for blood and medication, and a handful of leads/monitors. he neonatologist said after their birth they may be home around 35 weeks gestation, which is Christmas Day.

Heres my precious babies

Jackson Alexander, 3 lbs 8 1/4 oz & 15 1/2 inches long (the official "baby" of the family now since he was born after Evie!)

and Evelynn Brooke, 3 lbs 7 1/4 oz & 15 inches long - the spittin image of big sister Mikayla as a newborn (but 3 lbs smaller)

Its hurtin like crazy being away from my babies, its gonna be a long several weeks until they come home.

Post from 11/24/06

2006-11-26T20:31:00.001-08:00

I typed this on a moms of mulitples board 11/24/06 at 11:41 pm

i had my sweet babies at 30 weeks and 2 days, after 12 days in the hospital for preterm labor.
First came Evie weighing 3 lbs 7 1/4 oz and 15 inches long. 3 minutes later Jackson was born at 3 lbs 8 1/4 inches and 15 1/2 inches long. Both born vaginally, Evie was head down and Jackson was a footling breech/breech extraction. It was honestly a pain free birth for me - just had some no-pain pressure. I had 1 contraction with 4 pushes and out popped Evie. I dont think i even pushed with Jackson. I reached down and touched his little head after he came out. And cried LOL It was a very emotional 2 weeks for my husband and I and it was honestly what i would call the most beautiful moment of my life when these little ones were born. the connection between dh and i, the birth, watching him cut their cords... it really was amazing. We both feel so extremely blessed.

I did have the steroid shots for their lungs but they both still needed that medicine to inflate their lungs. they each have a nasal cannula, a tube in their mouth for removing air i believe, an IV type thing in their belly buttons, a handful of leads/monitors. they have both made improvements in how much help they need to breath and tonight i was checking on them and the nurse said she didnt have dr orders yet but it looks like Jackson's will be turned down again. hey have both lost 3 oz since birth, but we know thats normal. they both started phototherapy for jaundice today as well. im kind of glad they started because we knew they would need it and it feels like the sooner it starts, the sooner its over and they can come home

they started getting 4 cc's of formula in their iv fluid thing today, but once i get some milk pumped they will be getting breastmilk. i started pumping yesterday and have been drinking tons of water and pumping every few hours - i got enough colostrum this evening from one side to cover the bottom of the little bottle, didnt have any height the it but it did cover. So it seems to be going well and hopefully i will have some yummy breastmilk for my sweet little ones tommorrow or Sunday!

Let's see, what else... OH!! they both have a great sucking reflex already, trying to put everything in their mouths to suck on from their fingers to their cannulas LOL, so they each got a little preemie pacifier their night nurse said they both love the pacifiers and Jackson sucks on his pacifier while she is giving him his feeding and then afterwards he falls asleep with it hanging out of his mouth. Precious!! And Evie loves her so much she sucks on it during her feedings and then keeps on going LOL! Im so pleased they have a good sucking reflex already!!!

Last night and this morning i got to take their temps and change their diapers it truly was wonderful And last night i was taking Evie's cannula out of her mouth (yes i know lol she pulls it out of her nose and gets it in her mouth to suck on, silly girl!) and she sucked on my finger!!!! I loved it AND... i also got to hear them both cry - Evie last night and Jackson this morning. And of course i cried too - my first time hearing anything more than a soft whimper from either of em!! It was only like 2 wahh's from each baby, but it was still amazing. And they have such different cries! Sound nothing alike!

Well... im sure im leaving something out. I came home today and am glad to be home with dh and my older girls, but i miss my babies so despratley. Im doing my best to keep my emotions in check by really focusing on the positive things happening but ive had a fewlittle breakdowns since ive been home. my girls asked me earlier if i was glad to be home and i said oh yeh... i spent 12 days crying for them in the hospital and now im at home and crying for the babies, ill be so happy when they come home and our family will be all together 3 hours after their birth the neonatologist said they may come home as early as 35 weeks gestation, which is Christmas Day!!! So maybe dh and I will have our complete family home for Christmas - what a blessing that would be Im not banking on anything tho, but it is a good thing to focus on during my super sad times.

We are heading up to the hospital tommorrow morning after breakfast - hoping to spend some good quality time with my babies its hard not being able to walk down the hall and see them whenever i want but i admit i am resting much better at home.

Evelynn Brooke and Jackson Alexander

2006-11-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

Our twins, Evelynn Brooke and Jackson Alexander were born Wednesday November 22, 2006 at 30 weeks & 2 days. Both born vaginally, Evie came first at 9:39 pm and 3 minutes later Jackson was delivered footling breech at 9:42pm. Evie weighed 3 lbs 7 1/4 oz, 15 inches long and Jackson was 3 lbs 8 1/4 oz and 15 1/2 inches long. By the time they were born I had been in the hospital for 12 days - hospitalized at 28 weeks & 4 days due to preterm labor and being 3 full cm dialated. With the help of magnesium sulfate, endocin and then nifedipine after the mag was stopped we were able to hold off delivery long enough for me to have the beta methosone steroid shots. My doctors (maternal fetal medicine) all expected me to deliver that first weekend and were very surprised we made it as far as we did. While difficult at times, the time spent in the hospital was well worth every second. My babies both had amazing birth weights and even tho they didnt work 100%, the steroid shots did help mature their lungs some.

Their updates as of today - 4 days old - are...

Evie : weighs 3 lbs 2 oz, oxygen is at 3 and 23% (21% is room air, almost there!!), taking 14 cc's every 3 hours for feeding. that amount should be increased to 16 cc's at her 11pm feeding and then 18 cc's at her 11am feeding tommorrow. Friday and Saturday she had preemie formula (except for 1 feeding on Saturday) but as of today theres enough breastmilk to cover her for 24 hours, and I already have pumped enough for 5 feedings for Tuesday that Ill take in tommorrow. By the time we go I should have enough for all of Tuesdays feedings. She loves her preemie pacifier and doesnt like having her temperature taken or her diaper changed lol I held her for the first time today!! She is allowed to be held once a day for 20 minutes. It was so amazing! Tommorrow dh and I are going to share her, he will get her 10 minutes and Ill get her 10 minutes ;)

Jackson : weighs 3 lbs 4 oz, oxygen is 3 and 21%!!!!! He should be off his nasal cannula in a day or 2! Everything else i said about Evie is the same for Jackson.. only thing different was his weight and oxygen :) Oh, and he had his first bath Friday night!

My plan for this blog is this... Im going to copy and paste what I have typed up about the babies on various websites to bring everything up to date, then I will just update this blog as information changes.