Today, we celebrate having our boys home with us for four months! It seems like it has gone by so fast.
Great news to report, we received a call from the boys' pediatrician and it seems that Jared's brain bleed and cysts have resolved on their own! Yeah!
Jared and Anthony are still doing wonderfully and are changing ever minute of every day. Still growing stronger and stronger. Jared is the first to roll from his back to his tummy, but Anthony is not far behind and will be doing the same any day now. It is so funny to watch them learn how to flip their little body over. Jared knew what he wanted to do, and just kept trying harder and harder with a little progress each time, until he finally made it. I never even tried to teach him, he just started arching his back and flipping one leg over on his own. That is the stage that Anthony is in now, arching his back and getting the idea.
With rolling over on the horizon, swaddling has become our next hurdle. Last appointment, I spoke to the doctor about swaddling them, and she said it is safe until they are able to unwrap themselves and then the blanket or wrap become a suffocation risk. Since Jared was showing interest in rolling over, I knew we would have to stop swaddling at some point soon.
One night last week, I thought we would test it out...cold turkey. Huge Mistake!! I was up until 3:30 AM with them on and off until I finally gave up and swaddled them, then miraculously, they slept. But the weird part is that when they would cry, it was actually a scream and when I would go check on them, they were still asleep but screaming and crying so loud. I didn't know what to think. Any time we would put them down without swaddling, I would have to answer to this type of crying. I did a little research online and it seems that this is very common for babies that love to be swaddled as much as Jared and Anthony do. It seems that while they might be outgrowing swaddling due to safety reasons, they are not quite ready to let go of it yet.
So according to my research online, it seems that they are actually having a type of nightmare due to the fact that they do not feel secure that Momma is around and able to be there for them when needed. (It was either that or the startling reflex waking them up, but since they do not actually wake up while crying, it seems that the nightmare/security issue is our issue.) So, after reading suggestions online, we are now going to slowly (day by day) un-swaddle one limb at a time. So currently they sleep and nap with their left arm out, which seems to help, slightly. They are still having crying periods a few times each night, but those should decrease soon (I hope). It was either this, or some Moms suggest shutting the door and not going back in until the morning and I am just not quite sure I can handle that.
I do (not surprisingly) have a hard time letting them "cry it out." I understand that that is the best way for most babies, but I just have such a hard time letting them get to that point after all they have been to. Luckily, bedtime and nap time are relatively easy for them and there is little if any fussing or crying to get them to sleep. They are well into their routine now.
It is so cute, they are finally starting to acknowledge one another now. They often times just sit and stare at each other, it seems like they are saying "Hey, I know you...and you look like me!"
They are still eating every four hours during the day and still love everything they have tried so far. Some type of squash will be our next venture, as for now we are trying out yummy combos...Sweet Potato/Banana mush anyone??
Now that we are eating more, they are flying through the formula and diapers...It really gets crazy with two at the same time. Recently I had to go to the Babies R Us by our house 3 times before they had the formula we use, I tried to explain to the sales associate that I do not have time to be running back and forth. So the next time, I called to check first, and after waiting on hold for 18 minutes and then having to call back to wait another 6 minutes, I could have just driven there myself! Geese - don't they know I have hungry twins at home :)
Many thanks again for your continued love, support and prayers. We owe everything to God's grace.
Fight on Little Fighters!! Love Momma
Welcome to Our Blog! Our Story Starts Below...
Welcome to our blog! We set this up as an information hub about the progress of our little twin boys who were born on January 5, 2010. We along with our little boys first thank you so much for your love and support, and hope that this blog will give you an opportunity to follow their progress as they grow in the NICU at St. Jude Hospital in Fullerton.
Our little boys had a harrowing journey to get here. They were born at 25 weeks and 6 days, which is needless to say, very early. Jared William, was born at 10:49 a.m. feet first, and on the bathroom floor of the delivery room. Anthony Michael was born at 11:30 via C-section after he decided that he wanted to come out hands first.
Our story started on Monday, January 4 after a doctor's appointment with Dr. Gray. Danielle had been feeling generally, "crappy" the day before and reported what sounded like some contractions. The doctor decided to send us across the street to the hospital just to make sure everything was okay. After a couple of hours in labor and delivery the staff confirmed a few contractions, but very far apart. Her cervix was not dilated and the babies were fine.
The doctor sent us home and told us to keep track of the contractions, and so long as they weren't less than 7 minutes apart there was no need for concern. The next morning Danielle started feeling contractions again, but this time they were about five minutes apart. She called the doctor who said to wait another hour and see if they went away.
I was just getting ready to walk out the door to work when Danielle had a contraction that just about doubled her over. Deciding something wasn't right, I called the doctor and said we were coming to the hospital.
On our way to the hospital Danielle was having severe pains in her lower back every three minutes. When we arrived at the hospital Danielle was hooked up to the machines which registered no contractions at all. The doctors and nurses did not think her pains were contractions but constipation. After several attempts to alleviate that Danielle went into the bathroom still having severe lower back pain.
After a minute, I heard a scream, and Danielle was screaming that her babies were coming out. The nurses came rushing, as did the doctor, but Jared was too impatient to wait. He was born on the bathroom floor. After Danielle was moved to the bed, Anthony wasn't so cooperative and an emergency C-section was performed.
The NICU unit was quick to respond and help the teenie little babies breathe and fight for life. Jared was 2lbs. 1oz. and was 13 and 1/2 inches long. Anthony was 1lb. 15oz. and was 13 inches long.
The whole thing was totally unexpected, and frankly more traumatic than happy. But we are blessed with two gorgeous little miracle babies!
Our boys came home to us on March 26, 2010, after spending 81 days or about 12 weeks in the NICU at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton. As you may note from our previous posts below, the journey was not without its bumps in the road.
There were highs, and there were lows. We and the boys braved two laser eye surgeries, and countless other obstacles and scares. But, we never lost confidence in the medical team in the NICU, and always kept our faith that God would lead us through this time.
Our steadfastness paid off, because now the boys are happy and healthy at home! This of course brings with it a totally new set of challenges that we are exicted and eager to experience. The task of caring for twin newborns is a daunting one, but a welcome one.
So, just because the boys are now home, don't think the blogging will stop. It may not be as consistent as before, but we will do our best to keep you all updated on their progress, and give you a window into our lives raising twin boys.
Enjoy!
Our little boys had a harrowing journey to get here. They were born at 25 weeks and 6 days, which is needless to say, very early. Jared William, was born at 10:49 a.m. feet first, and on the bathroom floor of the delivery room. Anthony Michael was born at 11:30 via C-section after he decided that he wanted to come out hands first.
Our story started on Monday, January 4 after a doctor's appointment with Dr. Gray. Danielle had been feeling generally, "crappy" the day before and reported what sounded like some contractions. The doctor decided to send us across the street to the hospital just to make sure everything was okay. After a couple of hours in labor and delivery the staff confirmed a few contractions, but very far apart. Her cervix was not dilated and the babies were fine.
The doctor sent us home and told us to keep track of the contractions, and so long as they weren't less than 7 minutes apart there was no need for concern. The next morning Danielle started feeling contractions again, but this time they were about five minutes apart. She called the doctor who said to wait another hour and see if they went away.
I was just getting ready to walk out the door to work when Danielle had a contraction that just about doubled her over. Deciding something wasn't right, I called the doctor and said we were coming to the hospital.
On our way to the hospital Danielle was having severe pains in her lower back every three minutes. When we arrived at the hospital Danielle was hooked up to the machines which registered no contractions at all. The doctors and nurses did not think her pains were contractions but constipation. After several attempts to alleviate that Danielle went into the bathroom still having severe lower back pain.
After a minute, I heard a scream, and Danielle was screaming that her babies were coming out. The nurses came rushing, as did the doctor, but Jared was too impatient to wait. He was born on the bathroom floor. After Danielle was moved to the bed, Anthony wasn't so cooperative and an emergency C-section was performed.
The NICU unit was quick to respond and help the teenie little babies breathe and fight for life. Jared was 2lbs. 1oz. and was 13 and 1/2 inches long. Anthony was 1lb. 15oz. and was 13 inches long.
The whole thing was totally unexpected, and frankly more traumatic than happy. But we are blessed with two gorgeous little miracle babies!
Our boys came home to us on March 26, 2010, after spending 81 days or about 12 weeks in the NICU at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton. As you may note from our previous posts below, the journey was not without its bumps in the road.
There were highs, and there were lows. We and the boys braved two laser eye surgeries, and countless other obstacles and scares. But, we never lost confidence in the medical team in the NICU, and always kept our faith that God would lead us through this time.
Our steadfastness paid off, because now the boys are happy and healthy at home! This of course brings with it a totally new set of challenges that we are exicted and eager to experience. The task of caring for twin newborns is a daunting one, but a welcome one.
So, just because the boys are now home, don't think the blogging will stop. It may not be as consistent as before, but we will do our best to keep you all updated on their progress, and give you a window into our lives raising twin boys.
Enjoy!
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