5 Weeks

This week was spent getting better at our scheduling and feedings.  Because of the breathing issues, Jeff and I took turns staying awake to monitor the girls as they slept.  My mom has been here for most of the week, so we were also able to get some things accomplished.  On Thursday, my dad arrived on his way up the hill to 'camp' so we put him to work holding and feeding one of the girls.  I think he is most looking forward to when the girls are old enough to go camping and fishing with him.  They just don't do much at this point.

Jeff headed up to Tahoe Thursday evening for Drew's wedding, so the girls and I spent the night at my parents' condo.  I wasn't ready to go solo overnight with them.  My mom was a great help as she got up with me to feed them.

On Friday, my mom and I headed up to Tahoe with the girls to meet up with Jeff.  We made it just in time for the rehearsal dinner for Drew and Karissa.  Mom and the girls were able to join us because there were a few people who didn't make it.  While they slept through most of it, the girls were doted over by many.  The next day was the wedding.  My mom hung out in the room with the girls because the wedding was outside and it was HOT!!!  They joined us for the end of the reception, where they got to mingle with the bride and groom.

They were tuckered out!

The bride and groom

We spent the rest of the weekend recovering from the trip. My parents spent a few days camping, and then came back to Sacramento on Tuesday.  Mom and I took the girls on the first grocery shopping trip to WinCo.  We each took a baby and a carseat in a cart.  Needless to say, I don't think I will be shopping solo with both girls.  We have also been having the girls test out their crib.  Eventually, we hope to move them out of our room and into their own room.  They will share a crib for a while, and need to get used to the different surroundings.  So far, so good.

4 Weeks

I can't believe the girls are almost a month old!  Oh how time flies!!!  When I look back at photos of them in the NICU, I can really see how much they have grown and changed over these past 4 weeks.  They are getting stronger...and they hit 5lbs. at their appointment today.  They just amaze me.  I am in love.  I am also scared to death.  The girls are still having some issues, and the thought of losing one of them just petrifies me.  More on that later.

4 weeks ago                                                                       This week

I think the highlight of the week was taking the girls to our Bible study group on Thursday.  I hadn't been to this group in months because of my complicated pregnancy, so it was nice to see everyone and catch up.  Of course, I loved showing off the girls as well.  They got passed around to all of the women, and a few of the men.  Lots of 'ooh's and 'aah's were heard.  I think the girls enjoyed it too, because they slept through most of it.

Over the weekend, Jeff and I finally figured out a night-time routine.  Up until this point, we had been getting up together every 3-4 hours to feed the girls.  Jeff decided that this was just not working.  For one, neither of us was getting much sleep.  Second, neither of us is super friendly when first waking up.  We would be moody with each other which was not good for us, or the babies.  So, Jeff came up with a solution.  We would take shifts.  I have been taking the first shift with the girls, which means that I do the 10pm and 1am feedings, while Jeff does the 4am and 7am feedings.  This way, we each get at least 6 hours of sleep.  So far, it's been working out great.  I usually end up sleeping in, as long as the girls will let me.  It's also been handy, because we are now staying awake to watch the girls, as they have been having breathing issues at night.

As I mentioned previously, the girls both have reflux.  They don't really spit up, but they tend to get milk/formula that comes up and out of their noses.  Sometimes, they stop breathing because of this.  The sleeping arrangements are difficult at best with this situation.  Last week, we had the girls sleeping in Grandma's bassinets.  They kept them somewhat upright while still allowing them to sleep comfortably.  This week, we had to move them back to the bouncy seats.

Last night (Tuesday night), Jeff and I went out to the State Fair and left the girls with the grandmas.  All was fine while we were gone, but during my 'shift' I was swaddling Avery on the floor.  She had eaten more than 2 hours before and was only lying flat for about a minute.  She stopped breathing and her lips started turning a little purple.  Of course, I flipped.  I picked her up and grabbed their bulb that the hospital gave us to clear their noses.  Once the nose was clear, she was able to breathe, but still had lots of stuff in her airway and she sounded really congested.  I sat up with her for a while...mostly just to calm myself.  About an hour later, the same thing happened to Sophie while she slept in her bassinet.  Now, Mom is freaked.  I moved the bassinets out and moved the bouncy seats back in.  The only way I was able to sleep last night is that Jeff said that he would sit up and watch them during his "shift".  I kept their monitor near my head as I slept, just to be sure they were ok.

Then, this morning (Wednesday), as I was eating my breakfast, I noticed that one of the girls wasn't breathing again.  I thought it was Avery at the time.  I think that's because she has had more episodes than Sophie.  It was more than an hour later when my mom discovered that it was Sophie...oops.  After a quick Dr appointment, we have some over-the-counter stuff to try before we go with a prescription to help with the acid and the reflux.  Oh, and they are now 5lbs.  YAY!

In the midst of this crazy week, we managed to take the girls to get some photos done.  The session took about 3 hours, but the end result will be so worth it.  The photographer was great with the girls and they were little troopers.

I can't believe my little girls are almost a month old!!!

Mom and I took the girls to the mall.  It was nice to get out, but our stroller proved to be a two-person contraption that I will probably not use very many times.

The girls received these cute chairs from Jeff's cousin, Rhonda.  We had to get a photo of them sitting in them.

3 Weeks Old

At this point, the girls have been home with us for as long as they had been in the NICU.  It's amazing to me how time flies.  Jeff and I are slowly adjusting to parenthood and life being changed forever.  We're having to learn a 'new normal' as he would put it.  There have been bumps in the road, but we are both committed to getting through all of it together.

The week started with the 4th of July.  This was the girls' first official holiday, even though we really didn't celebrate it.  "Mommy" wanted to get them cute outfits, but by the time we went shopping, there wasn't much left.  All I could find were newborn onesies, which were WAY too big.  We made our first trip to Grandma and Grandpa Glover's house for dinner.  The girls handled it like any newborns...they cried.  Of course, Grandma had to pick them up and make them feel better.

The next couple of nights, we battled with learning the girls both have reflux.  We had a few episodes of breathing issues and milk coming out their noses.  The poor girls were miserable.  They screamed so loud.  Jeff and I didn't handle this well.  I hate to see my babies in pain (or discomfort) of any kind.  After a late-night call to the pediatrician, we learned that the girls can't be flat on their backs for long and would have to sleep at an incline.  We moved the bouncy seats into the pack n play to test this out.

After a couple of nights in the bouncy seats, we borrowed the bassinets from Grandma and Grandpa Osgood.  These allow the girls to sleep more horizontal, but not enough to cause more reflux.

On Monday, we packed the girls up and headed to Redding to visit the grandparents on my side.

We also got to introduce the girls to many of our friends up there.  They seemed to enjoy hanging out with the grandparents, but not as much as the grandparents enjoyed having the girls there.  Dad and Lisa got to hold both girls for the first time, as did Great-Grandma Bert.  It was definitely a special time.

Bath time with Grandma Judy

We took another 4-generation photo














Visits with friends

The boys played around taking photos of the girls

The girls are 3 weeks old.

More photos

Second Week Progress

The girls continued to make great progress this week.  When they were only 9 days old, they were moved from their isolettes, and into cribs.  That means that they are able to maintain their own body temperature...one of the last hurdles before getting to come home.

On day 10, Jeff and I had a sleepover at the hospital with our girls.  They have a family room where parents can spend the night with their little one(s) before taking them home and being on their own.  We put the girls in one crib for a bit so they could spend some time together.

The next morning, they got some more "sister time" before heading back to their room and their own cribs.  Mom and Dad didn't get a whole lot of sleep.  I know I was nervous and listened for every little sound they made.  We also had to get up every 3 hours for feedings.  Overall, it was great to spend some quality time together as a family.  I also discovered that I can tell them apart.

On day 12, our girls were discharged from the NICU and came home.  We were so excited to have them close to us.  The grandparents were all very happy as well.  Now we can really start bonding with our girls.

The grandmas finally got to hold and feed the girls.

Two Weeks Old

Family Photos

Four generations on my mom's side...

Grandma and Grandpa Glover

Grandma Judy                                                                                             Grandpa Tom

Auntie Lisa

First Week Progress

This was my first visit up to the NICU to meet my little girls.

Avery                                                                          Sophie

I was still receiving Magnesium through my IV for 24 hours following the delivery, so I wasn't feeling my best.  It was so great to finally get to hold my girls.  Both had feeding tubes and IVs, but no oxygen.  They were small, but looked so much better than I had expected.

I spent most of that day in bed, in a fog.  My blood pressure was still high, (reason for the magnesium) and they had given me another medication to stop the hemorrhaging from the night before.  I was sure glad when all of that was over!

My wonderful husband brought me 2 Winnie the Poohs after delivery.  He said that since I couldn't have my girls in the room with me, he wanted me to have something to represent them.  Our nursery theme is Pooh.

Over the next few days that I was in the hospital, we visited the girls often.  They were doing amazingly well for being 6 weeks early.  Their feeding tubes were removed after only 2 days.  They continued to receive antibiotics through their IVs for a few days, but those were removed after less than a week.

Avery                                                                                                                      Sophie

On day 5, the girls had a little bit of jaundice.  They were put on bili-lights for a couple of days.  These lights were nice and toasty.

...and then...My babies were a week old.