May 29th

So far things have been going well. The day goes by quickly with all the nursing, feeding, and pumping. Before I know it Josh and Elizabeth are home.

Yesterday I had my doctor appointment and everything checked out well. I ventured out with the girls for the first time alone. It was their third outing.

Memorial Day Weekend/We're learning

Ok so we had a major outing yesterday and we are certainly learning as we go. It has been four years since we had one baby so having two babies and a four year old is a lot of work. We got out of the house later than we wanted but made it with plenty of time for our 11am appointment for pictures. Or so we thought

We first learned that we didn't remember everything for pictures when we pulled into the parking spot. We left Elizabeth's dress hanging up in our bedroom closet. OOPS. We ended up buying her another dress to take pictures in. We were then late to pictures because we ran from one end of the mall to the other to find a solid colored dress.

We were at Sears for almost two hours. The picture session went well. Emma and Hannah slept through it and Elizabeth loved getting her picture taken. While the pictures were being loaded we feed and changed the babies.

Today Nanny and Grampy came to visit. My Aunt Alice and my Mom also stopped in to see the girls.

Elizabeth went up to Ellsworth with Nanny and Grampy. She'll be back later this week.

Josh and I ventured out to Hannaford with Emma and Hannah. That was another learning experience for us with two in carseats. We thought we would pack the single stroller for one and then use the cart for the other. When we got to Hannaford we noticed that we were missing the tray to the stroller so we were unable to use the stroller and we each pushed a cart. Next time we will remember the tray to the stroller.

Our first outing to the doctors

We had our first outing yesterday which was to the doctors. The girls did great! Their measurement are based on being 4 weeks old so they are a little bit on the low side but hopefully they will eventually even out by 6 months or so.

Emma had a present for daddy while getting her ready for the scale to be weighed. Then she decided to pee on the scale. What a silly girl!

Emma's weight was 5lbs 14oz which put her in the 10th percentile. Her length was 18 7/8 inches putting her in the 25th percentile. Her head was 13 inches putting her in the 10th percentile.

Hannah's weight was 5lbs 13 1/2oz which put her in the 7th percentile. Her length was 18 5/8 inches putting her in the 10th percentile. Her head was 13 inches putting her in the 10th percentile.

Their doctor had them laying together when she checked them out. They were both wide awake moving around hitting each other in the head. Hannah didn't like her ears being checked and made some noises. Emma had no problem with her ears being looked at. Their doctor could not find anything physically different with them and can see why we still have their hospital bracelets on.

Our next big outing is tomorrow to get pictures taken. Lets hope all the girls cooperate!

May 22 - New Pictures

Hey what's going on over there?

Now, if we just could convince Elizabeth to take a nap....

Proud Daddy

Someone is happy.....

May 20th Josh wants to know if it is the weekend yet????

So I guess we have not been as good posting as I thought. Things have been very busy with the family.

Nanny came down on Sunday to help us out. She took care of the girls on Monday so that Josh and I could go to Elizabeth's yearly appointment with her kidney specialist and ultrasound. Her kidneys looked great but her bladder is another story. She went in today for an x-ray of her colon. They are thinking she might be getting constipated and it pushes on her bladder and then when she hold her urine it causes problems with the shape of her bladder. If it isn't one thing it is another. Now we are waiting for results of today from her kidney specialist to figure out what to do next.

Elizabeth and I had a little time out together yesterday in between feedings. Nanny stayed with Emma and Hannah. We went to one of Elizabeth's favorite stores Kohls and did some shopping then to the bank before heading home. We also played some ball outside after lunch. It was nice being able to spend some one on one time with her.

Josh went back to work on Tuesday. Nanny left today so I was solo with the twins for the first time. It was very busy with all the nursing, bottle feedings and pumping. Thank goodness for naps!

After dinner tonight all three girls had baths and then they were put to bed. Emma was the only fighter to stay awake. She eventually gave in and fell asleep. We are now getting ready for the girls next feeding before heading to bed.

May 16th Bath time!

We were all up today by 7:30am. After the babies were fed Josh and Elizabeth made pancakes and I made blueberry muffins for breakfast.

My cousin Carey and my aunt Gail stopped in to meet the girls this morning. My mom stopped in around noon. She brought over a chicken and the rotisserie to cook it in for dinner. It turned out very yummy and was so easy to use.

Josh and Elizabeth went to his school and Elizabeth played on the playground for little bit. They returned bottles and did some Geocaching in the area. Elizabeth came back with two rhinos from one of the caches for the girls. What a sweat big sister!

Elizabeth and I gave the girls their first bath at home before their feedings this evening. They both enjoyed being in the tub unlike their big sister. Check out the video clips Josh posted earlier.

Nanny is coming down tomorrow!

Hannah Taking a Bath.

"And her bum?"

Emma Taking a Bath

Big Sister Elizabeth, keeping herself busy.

May 15th We've made it through two nights.

As you can all imagine we are a very busy family. The girls are eating about every three hours. Sometimes they have been snacking and not taking their whole feeding so then they wake up earlier ready to eat. Nursing has been going much easier now that they are home.

Elizabeth is enjoying being a big sister and helper. We need to reminder her to be very gentle with them. She has been helping to change their diapers and get wipes, throwing their diapers away, holding them, feeding them, and best of all just loving them.

We had the visiting nurse come today. She was very nice and helpful to us. She listened to their lungs and checked their heart rates. She also weighted them and they are exactly the same. Again I say it is a twin thing with the two of them. They both weighed 5lbs 4oz. The night before they left the hospital they were 5lbs and 5lbs 1oz.

Elizabeth had a doctor appointment for her four year check up. She is in the 55 percentile for her weight and height. She didn't cooperate very well for the hearing test and did a great job on the vision screening. She is now ready to go on Monday for her kidney specialist appointment and ultrasound. Lets hope it goes as well as today.

Elizabeth went to daycare after her doctor appointment today. She was excited to go and we were happy she wanted to go. She doesn't understand the rest time when the babies are sleeping she just wants to be four and play. Both Josh and I went to pick her up with the girls. The girls just went for the ride.

May 13 - Going Home Pictures

Big Sister

Finally Home


Elizabeth gets to ride in the way back now.


Leaving the hospital and Elizabeth seeing her baby sisters for the first time in almost 2 weeks.

Proud Mommy

May 13th The girls are home!!!

We left the hospital around 2 this afternoon with the girls! We made a stop to Hannaford to get their vitamins. Hannaford needs to order them because they don't carry the polyvitamins with Iron. They should be in tomorrow so it looks like Josh will make a trip in town tomorrow to pick them up.

We had our first feeding at home at 3:30. Emma was a little sleepy and refused to burp. Hannah began falling asleep but took her whole bottle. They are now resting peacefully in the pack and play.

We have moved my car out of the garage to take out totes and get organized. We decided to put together the bassinet but it was missing a part so that is on hold until we get the piece. The stroller arrived today and Josh and Elizabeth are putting it together right now.

Elizabeth is very excited to have her sisters home. She held them for the first time when we got home. She was also a big helper to daddy changing both the girls diapers. Elizabeth wanted to feed them but we told her that was a job for Mommy and Daddy until they get a little bit bigger.

We are a very excited family!! I'm mostly excited that I don't need to travel up to Portland for a while!

May 12 - Coming home tomorrow?!!?!!

So the girls have almost completed two days of feeding from a bottle. This has been their last goal they have been working on. From the looks of things they should be coming home tomorrow. Lets keep our fingers crossed.

Emma and Hannah had their feeding tubes out when I got there this morning. Emma also had her 90 minute car seat test done today and passed. After her test they took off all her cords and wires so she is no longer connected to the monitors.

We did have a car seat glitch. I guess that's often a problem with preemies because the don't make car seats for them. One of the car seats straps didn't get tight enough so we can't use it until they grow into it. We have Noah's car seat which the straps get tight enough so we are going to use that for a little while.

When Josh and I left the hospital Hannah was doing her car seat test. We will call before going to bed to see how much they have grown during the day, how feedings went and how the car seat test went for Hannah.

We are all very excited for tomorrow!!!

May 11th Offically reaching 5 pounds today!!!

The girls have both reached the five pound mark! I was there for three feedings and both girls completed their feedings with out needing their feeding tubes. They both nursed great today even though they were a little bit sleepy.

Before heading over to the hospital today I went into my school and saw the staff and students. I showed my students pictures of the babies before they began their yoga. It was nice seeing everyone over there. It makes me miss my job but as we all know I have another big job of taking care of two babies and of course Elizabeth.

Josh came over after school and was able to help with Hannahs feeding at 3:30 and then both their 5:30 and 6:00 feedings. We got to put the girls together again after their feedings. Emma was wide awake but Hannah was a little bit sleepy and didn't want to open her eyes.

In between their feedings we stopped in to see our friend Katie who had a baby on Mother's Day. Katie and Jamie named their baby girl Mary Morgan. She is just adorable.

Until tomorrow.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Yesterday my parents took Elizabeth for the night so we could go up to Portland and spend some time with the girls. We stayed at the Ronald McDonald house down the street from the hospital. We had a private room with a bathroom. It reminded me of a bed and breakfast.

Hannah and Emma had some visitors besides their Mommy and Daddy yesterday. Baa and TT stopped in to get a peek at the girls. They were in town for a graduation.

Both girls did great at their first feeding. On their second feeding Emma took most of her bottle and finished it off in her feeding tube. Hannah was way to tired to get any of her feeding through a bottle. She was fed her whole feeding through her feeding tube. After this feeding Josh and I went out to get some dinner and stopped at Sam's Club. We didn't make it back for Emma's feeding but was able to do Hannah's. She was more awake but still did not finish her whole feeding with a bottle.

We said goodnight to the girls at about 10:15pm and headed to our bed for the night.

Hannah Emma

(Hey, Hannah, you want to try and break out of here tonight?)

This morning we were at the hospital for 8:00am. In Emma's room her board said Happy Mother's Day and there was a card with a poem and these two pictures of the girls. It brought me to tears of course.

Josh and I were around for one feeding today. Emma took almost all of her feeding and Hannah took half of hers before falling asleep. They both nursed so that has often tired them out.

Kevin stopped in to see the girls this morning. It was a nice visit from a good friend.

We left the hospital at about 11:00am and headed to my parents house to pick up Elizabeth. We picked up a pizza and slush puppy on the way home for lunch. After lunch we played some Hungry Hippo and worked on her Tinkerbell wings she got for her birthday.

Later this afternoon we are meeting up with my sister and she is going to take Elizabeth for a few days. She misses her cousins Cassidy and Cadence and is very excited to spend some time with them.

Tomorow I'm hoping to stop by my work and show some pictures before heading up to the hospital.

May 8th First bath given my Mommy!

The girls did well for feedings over the night. Their weights from last night Emma was 4lbs 12oz and Hannah was 4lbs 11oz.

I gave Emma her first bath before her 11:30am feeding. She loved the water and didn't make a sound. She breastfeed for several minutes before dozing off. She took most of her bottle and was fed the rest through her tube again. She took her whole bottle feeding at 2:30pm.

Hannah took her noon feeding without any problems and even breastfeed for several minutes. She was very alert and happy. Before her 3:00pm feeding I gave her a bath and she also loved being in the water and was very happy and alert. She was very sleepy breastfeeding so we attempted to bottle feed. She only took a small amount so the rest was tube fed.

The nurse put the girls side by side today before Hannah's feeding. They are so identical. We really are going to need to mark one of them to know who is who. The doctor even said how similar looking they were and suggested painting a toe nail.

After the girls morning feedings Josh's Aunt and Uncle stopped in to check out the girls.

We are hoping to have the girls home by the end of next week! Tomorrow we are bringing up their car seats so they can do the 90 minute car seat test.

May 7th First time driving since March 14th

So I drove myself to the hospital today. I'm feeling a little bit sore from it all.

Both the girls took 5 bottles throughout the night and morning. They also decided to take out their own feeding tube. I guess they are saying they are done with those. Last nights nurse kept them out because they were taking the bottle well. This morning Emma was very sleepy so they put the feeding tube back in to finish her feeding. Hannah made it to her noon feeding to get her tube put back in. The girls need to have two days of feeding without the feeding tubes before they can come home.

Both the girls did some nursing and combined it with bottle feeding. Emma was sleepy the first feeding so she had her feeding through the tube. Hannah started a bottle after nursing but fell asleep and had no interest in the bottle. The second feeding was better for Emma. She took a whole bottle for me and only dribbled a little bit. Hannah drank half a bottle and the rest was fed through her tube because she was falling asleep. She is a very fast sucker but doesn't always swallow so she dribbles a lot.

Today my mom, sister and grandfather came by to see the girls. My grandfather was certainly happy to see the babies today.

It looks like we will have a few new visitors tomorrow. Josh's aunt and uncle are going to be in the area tomorrow and plan to stop in to see the babies.

Until tomorrow.

May 6th Another day down!

Another great day at the hospital with the girls. Janis drove me up to the hospital before headed back home. She was able to hold both girls today before feedings.

Both girls did a good job nursing today. Emma was a little bit upset when she realized it wasn't as easy as taking a bottle and she needed to work to get anything. I guess that is part of the confusion when they are getting bottle, tube and breast feedings.

Josh came up to pick me up and visited for a short time before we had to leave to get Elizabeth from daycare.

Tomorrow will be my first day driving since I went into the hospital. My mom is bringing my grandfather up to the hospital to get a peek at the girls.

May 5th Could cry over spilled milk.

The girls were both feed three bottles over the night and did very well with sucking, swallowing and breathing. Today they both nursed at feeding time. They were also given feedings through their tubes.

I'm still not producing enough breast milk for all of their feedings. I was not very happy with the lactation consultant today. I thought they are suppose to be encouraging me but instead I felt like she was insulting me by having a breast reduction and lack of producing with Elizabeth. She asked me where I had my surgery done and who did it and if he said I would be able to produce and then she began venting about how those doctors should check back with their patients to see if they really did produce. I was a little bit taken back by all of it. She also gave me a handout about breastfeeding after a reduction and a website. I went on the website and there really was not a lot of positive feedback for women who have had a breast reductions and trying to breastfeed after.

The girls both passed their hearing tests and are a step closer to coming home. The doctor said they are only working on their feeding and have done great so far!

During Emma's last feeding today her nurse was pushing down on the tube and dumped half her feeding which just happened to be breast milk on the floor. I could have cried since that was at least two pumps worth of milk. She was very apologetic to me.

Josh came to visit the girls and pick me up after school today. He held Emma while I nursed Hannah and then while I pumped he held Hannah who was awake and very alert.

I'll try and post another update tomorrow night.

May 4th Another great day for the girls!

Janis brought me up to Portland this morning and when we arrived in the girls room they were both in open cribs! Yeah!!!

While I was there they were both struggling to keep their body temperatures up so we added several blankets to them. They both slept the whole time I was there. I guess that was a good thing for them because when Josh called this evening they both had gained weight. It must be a twin thing because they both weighed 4lbs 8oz.

They also took their first bottle this evening. Each of them took 39ccs with no problems. It looks like they can suck, swallow and breath. Lets just hope nursing doesn't become a problem.

May 3rd - New Pictures

Here are some new pictures. We had a short day with the twins today. We went up to the hospital after having a Birthday lunch with Elizabeth at the Olive Garden. Really they are doing the same as yesterday. They both have gone up in their feedings. Both are getting 39 c.c.s which when they first started with a feeding tube they started with 30 ccs.

That's it for today. Enjoy the pictures.

The Great Grandparents (Nana & Papa)

Emma giving the "rock on" sign.

Together for the first time since being born.


Emma

Hannah

May 2nd -Busy Day

So this morning Josh and his mom went to a yard sale that is put on by the Greater Portland Mothers of Twins Club. They found some really good deals.

We had both sides of our families at the house today for Elizabeth's birthday party. She turns 4 tomorrow! (where does the time go?) We had hamburgers and hot dogs, and then cake and ice cream. She got lots of nice gifts and had a great time with all of her cousins and friends at her party.

Josh and I then went up to the hospital so that Nana, Papa, Julie, and Shayna could get a peak at the girls. We actually were able to take both girls out of their "glass houses" at the same time. Today was the first time that they have been side by side with skin contact since being in the womb. Josh and I sat on the coach holding both girls. It felt very real!! Both girls are continuing to do well. Emma spit up all of her vitamins today, but all of the nurses say that most babies don't keep them down. When Josh called last night, Emma weighed 4 lbs 4 oz. and Hannah weighed 4 lbs. 3 oz. They weigh them every night around 11 p.m. So both girls are continuing to gain weight.

Guess that is it for now. We will try and put up some more pictures tomorrow. It has been a long day and bed is calling our names!

May 1st - Discharge Goals

So we are back at he hospital this morning. Yesterday, Josh went and picked up Elizabeth during the afternoon so that she could come and visit for the first time since Sunday. She was all about being a bigger helper. She helped holding them and was helping to change diapers. We are glad we decided to bring her up yesterday because when we got home a NICU nurse called and said because of the Swine flu going around all children under 18 are not allowed to visit the NICU and the CCN (Continuing Care Nursery) until further notice. We have not told her this, but it kind of stinks because this is her birthday weekend and we have lots of visitors coming to her birthday party and then coming to the hospital to see the twins for the first time. We know it is a saftey procaution, but it just bad timing.

Anyways, both girls are doing great. Yesterday we got a checklist of things that both girls need to do before they can come home. (We also understand that one of them may accompish these things before the other and they may not come home together. We'll see so far they have been doing the same things....must be a twin thing!)

Here are the Dicharge Goals:
-Maintain temperature in open cribs
-Steady weight gain
-All feedings by breast or bottle for 2 days in a row
-Hepatitis B vaccine
-Hearing screen
-Follow up with the Pediatrician
-Car seat test
These are things that we need to do:
-CPR video/practice
-A class/session on Back to Sleep education

And then we get our official Parents of Twins license. (Just kidding.)
And then we go home! So it's not about them gaining a certain weight before they can go home. It's about accompishing and maintaining these goals.