HOMECOMING

Nineteen days it took us to learn to eat on our own, but we finally did it! Today the girls finally made it home and we are thrilled to have all the chickies in the nest. Brooke held us up one extra day trying to eat a bit better, but she finally passed all her tests yesterday. We are forever grateful to the wonderful nursing staff and neonatologists at Mo Bap, as they were eternally patient and empathetic to our plight this month. The twins' most frequent and our favorite nurse, Katrena, saw them off today, a fitting ending to their stay.

Big brother Jack accepted the babies in stride. He is very interested in them and has been terribly kind, wanting to feed them and even giving them his favorite new toy, his stash of Dora and Diego bandaids. (No, he doesn't have the actual need for a bandaid, but likes to wear one every day). While sibling rivalry is surely in our future, at this point, all is at peace.

So far as the pictures, Jack is feeding and loving on Caroline. We dressed the girls in the same outfit for coming home, which was a mistake! We can tell them apart, but at first glance, they certainly are twins. Brooke is the one sleeping. Finally, a picture of their cribs in the special needs nursery, their first home. We are so grateful that we are finally out of the hospital!

Feeders and Growers

Tomorrow is our two week birthday and day No. 12 in the special needs nursery. At this point, the girls are referred to as "feeders and growers," basically preemies have to do three things: 1) regulate their own temperatures 2) gain weight and 3) eat all of their own feedings. The last step is the feeding, and thankfully, that's where we are. We are in the "feeders and growers" group, which is the last step before coming home.

Today, Caroline took her 8 a.m, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. feedings all by the bottle, which is the longest stretch she's had of feeding on her own. Brooke is also taking more of her bottle, but is yet to finish one by herself. When she doesn't finish, she ends up getting the rest through the feeding tube, which, to quote Jack, is "No fun." As opposed to last week, we are seeing progress and the nurses and doctors believe that we will have them both home in one or two weeks. This lesson in patience is tough. All of our good doctors believe that the girls are right on track for their age, unfortunately, it takes twins a bit longer than singletons to learn to eat.

Last Thursday, Aunt Emmy came to help out and she certainly has! Not everyone would give up their vacation to take care of their sister's family, but she has and we are forever indebted. Frankly, we don't know how we would manage without her, as the three of us were generally a mess altogether before her arrival. Jack, however, in the last 24 hours or so, seems to be doing better. Susu and Andrew came today and that always cheers him up.

In the above pictures, I am feeding Caroline and holding Brooke. We are incorporating some kangaroo care, basically putting a baby down your shirt....it encourages milk production and helps the babies prepare for PO readiness (ready to eat state). It's also just nice to hold them close like that, they seem to really like it. Jack and Andrew are doing a Christmas gift exchange (Andrew loved the Elmo legos and books) and Aunt Emmy holds the twins.

Thank you for all the messages and emails, I am very behind in responding simply because I am in a bit of struggle getting through the days.....but, hope to catch up once these girls come home! A very merry christmas to all.....

Patience is a virtue.....

On Wednesday our girls celebrated their 1st week here with us. At 35 weeks, they are acting their age, which means that they are still learning to eat. Caroline, who is the middle child and the smaller one, is actually eating better than Brooke. Today, she took a whole bottle at one feeding and several milliters at the others. Brooke did not have a good eating day, though earlier this week she showed some progress. The doctors have told us that, as the smaller twin, Caroline is used to fighting in the womb for nourishment. They often find that the smaller twin progresses faster than the larger one.

Those who know me well know that for me, patience is a Sisyphean task and this waiting for their suckling reflex to arrive is quite painful. Add that to recovery, sleep deprivation, well, making for difficult days around here.

Big Brother Jack has attached himself to Nana, though he seems to be accepting of his parents a bit more each day. He still hates going to sleep.

In this week's pictures.....Daddy is dancing "Fly Me To The Moon" with Jack. Caroline is in the lavender gown. Thankfully, Aunt Emmy arrived on Thursday and is helping us manage our household a great deal better than we were earlier this week. Aunt Emmy is holding Brooke in her shot. Daddy is holding Caroline, who was particularly alert that day!

All doctors have said that the girls are progressing well and that while we might not be able to see the progress, they can. Now, we wait and hope this growth process goes a little faster.

And then there were 5.....

Caroline Emily and Brooke Kathryn arrived on December 10, 2008, at 6:05 p.m. and 6:07 p.m. They were 34 weeks old at birth, past the real dangers developmentally and for that we are deeply grateful. Caroline was born at 5 lbs; Brooke was 5 lbs., 10 oz. Their first names are our personal favorites, but their middle names are in honor of two very important women to our family. Emily for my sister, aka "Aunt Emmy," and Kathryn for our dear friend Kate who introduced me and J when we both looked liked hopelessly single individuals. Matchmaker of the century!

Caroline and Brooke are both healthy, but they were born 5 weeks early. As preemies, they are struggling learning to eat by themselves, as babies usually need to be around 37 weeks to suckle at a healthy rate. They are getting stronger every day. The tubes you see in the pictures are feeding tubes. They eat every three hours from bottles. When they get too tired to finish their portion, the rest of the milk is fed to them through the tube, which goes directly into their stomachs. As you can imagine, this is very difficult for us as we really want to bring them home.

So far as when we can bring them home, they need a blessing from the "nipple fairy," as the nurses call it. Essentially, they need 24 hours of eating each feeding by themselves, after which the feeding tubes come out. Then they need another 24 hours of successful feeding, then they can join us at home. Preemies get a "blessing" from the nipple fairy because one day they just figure feeding out. The neonatologist told me today that there really isn't a week when preemies begin feeding consistently and there aren't any other specific signs that indicate that the successful feeding is nearly here. As a Type A, I am struggling with this concept! We are hoping that they can be with us at Christmas.

In the picture of Mom and Dad and the twins, Mom is holding Brooke and Dad has Caroline. Brooke looks just like Jack did at this age; Caroline actually has Dad's nose. Dad thinks that Caroline reminds him a bit of his Aunt Jeri, he may finally have a child that resembles him! Caroline has shown herself to be the spunky one of the bunch. The nurses think she'll be an actress as she has shown a propensity for drama. (Don't know where she would have picked that up!) Brooke is a bit quieter, and they both are terribly sweet.

Big Brother Jack is recovering from the shock. Nana was a hero and stayed with him while we were at the hospital. We are forever indebted and seriously cannot imagine doing this without her help. She is exhausted, though, as anyone is after several days of chasing a 2 1/2 year old. Santa will bring her great gifts this year! As is to be expected, Jack did punish both J and me when we came home. He wouldn't come to us until today; it appears that we have been forgiven now. At least until the twins come home! He did visit them in the hospital and he told Brooke that he loved her. He's going to be a wonderful big brother.

Thanks to all for all the well wishes and thoughts. Send all good thoughts our way and to our little babies!

Holiday Tales

I am happy to report that we have made it two full weeks without any emergency room visits....after my unfortunate flu situation, Justin came down with the flu and severe chest pains, resulting in a night spent in our local hospital here. Several heart tests and a stress test later, he is fine, no blockages, muscle spasms in a bad back causing the pains. That, and everyone's friend, stress. We are all working on calming down.

Lucy and Emily visited us for Thanksgiving week and we had a wonderful time. Justin's Aunt Jerri hosted Thanksgiving dinner, it was so nice and we didn't have to cook! Then Nana came over and everyone put up our Christmas tree as I can no longer get up from the couch. As you can see from the pictures above, she also brought over a beautiful advent calendar, with a treat for everyday until Christmas. While this is a great idea, we found Jack the other night, post-bedtime, having pulled down the calendar from his door and playing with all of the treats on the floor of his room. So.....advent calendar needs to find a new home this year.

In other pictures.....Jack in Santa hat at our local Mexican joint, hanging out with Aunt Emmy and sleeping with Dad (yes, we have severely regressed and pledge to do a better job teaching the twins how to sleep).

The twins are doing well, they are about 5 lbs each and next week I start the stress tests. I am hopeful that they come sooner rather than later, but I really hope my own doctor delivers them. At this rate, they would be 8 lbs. each by December 30, carrying 16 lbs. of babies is not something I really wish to try. So, here's hoping they come sooner. STILL no word about the job situation, big meeting next week that might shed some light. If I could know whether or not I have a job and then who my boss is, I might be able to work out a part time or flex schedule OR at least know my options. Thinking about hanging out my own shingle, another option.

More news later....

A picture is worth a thousand.......

This is why a mom of a two-year old need not buy Dior mascara. Yes, it's the best, yes, it works wonders, but in the end, it will be tasted, so stick with the Maybelline! Jack decided to paint himself and the bathroom walls a bit last weekend....this was while, mind you, he had a sinus infection and was running at half speed. I was in the shower for about 3 minutes during this escapade.

I missed a week of blogging, mostly due to a series of small calamities. Jack got sick on a Saturday and luckily, this was an "other" Saturday and his pediatrician's office saw him on VERY short notice. God bless 'em. Sinus infection, etc., but post-antibiotics, he's fine. He also had his 2-year well check up this week, he's 37 inches tall and 33 pounds. If you believe that doubling a 2-year-old's height at two equals his adult height, Jack will be around 6' 1''. Not as big as Daddy, taller than Mamma, more inline with the relatives. (And he had his flu shot and DID NOT CRY. Couldn't believe it. I almost did.)

Then, on Tuesday, I came down with a GI virus (yes, that's the official diagnosis and yes, I did take my flu shot, apparently it would not cover such illnesses. I don't understand medicine.) Long story short, I got dehydrated and had to go into the hospital for an IV. Once I got to the hospital, they also discovered I was having small contractions, brought on by the dehydration, so I had medicine for that as well, resulting in a day that was a real picnic. J was a champion, Nana took care of our little one and 7 hours later we released and fine. They gave me a few days of an anti-nausea drug (perfectly safe during pregnancy), and I didn't realize how often I am nauseous even without a virus. Too bad you can't take that medicine all the way through! The twins are kicking furiously and fine. They need to cook a little longer, full lung development occurs at week 32 (two weeks to go!)

Two days later, I interviewed with the new head of our department at work. He's a twin as well, we had a nice talk. I am hopeful that as things move forward the flex and part time work options will come to pass. Keep fingers crossed!

The c-section has been scheduled for 11:30 am on December 30. New Year's Eve in the maternity ward, J is undoubtedly SO excited! I'll have to sneak in a Jack Daniels and diet Coke, all will be well.

Later in the week, J made a push for Lauren instead of Claire. I'm still thinking about it. Love to all, thanks to everyone, particularly Nana for all the help this week. We'll hope to stay out of trouble for the next little while.....

For our third Halloween, Jack went as a Giraffe, in homage to his lovey, Raffee. My first lovey was a giraffe I used to chew on in my toddler years. I bought Jack a Build-a-Bear giraffe for his first Christmas and I'm proud to say he takes after my love of the safari. No sleeping occurs without Raffee's presence.

Overall, we had a pretty good Halloween, just visiting around 5 or so houses. He had a good time though. Who isn't happy with Halloween Dots? I believe his favorites are Skittles and M&Ms, though. As usual, he was the singing frog, repeatedly saying "Trick or Treat" all day on Friday but not once when he got to a door. Oh, well. He's a sweet giraffe nonetheless.

This week marks Week 29, thank god. Week 32 is safety zone for lung capacity, 28 was safety zone for brain development. We're trying for week 36 or 37, depends on how things look at that point. But, we'll hope for the best. I bought coats and onesies and washed them this weekend. When Emily arrives we'll work on the second crib and we have one of the bassinettes put together. We have a lot to do before they arrive, I need to make a list!

I usually love election day, being somewhat of a poll watcher and the like. However, this year I have had enough. Too long of an election season, too long on the commercials, too many debates....particularly long primaries. I wish that Hillary had had one-tenth of Sarah Palin's personality, we'd be looking at a different election. My old liberal sensibilities have perked up from time to time, god knows Obama can preach with the best of them, but I really hope that he picks experienced, knowledgable people to help him. At the very least, the race made people take a second look at politics and it seems to invigorate a lot of people who would have otherwise not voted. So, for that reason, I fall into the hope camp this year. Noting, however, that as a family with a small business, McCain is the better fiscal choice, as we run the numbers. People should not be penalized for providing JOBS! But, I digress.

Looking forward to Thanksgiving!

Thomas the Train

All boy as he is, Jack dearly loves all cars, trucks and trains. His favorite, however, is Thomas the Train. Thomas visited our town this weekend and we, along with all the other preschool-aged children in the vicinity, took a ride. The Thomas people need to work on their brand image and packaging, but Jack had a good time, which is all that matters. And hats were purchased, what else could one want? (Perhaps a location not located in East St. Louis, but we're too picky?)

The doctor's appointment went well, the twins look good and are on a good growth track. Should everything continue as it is, it looks like the twins will arrive the week after Christmas. It will be good to be home for the holidays, despite my growing discomfort. Long time friends will note that I've come a long way from my infertility days in a by-gone era, so I take nothing for granted so far as family and children go, but seriously....in addition to not being able to sleep horizontially, eat anything much and a variety of stomach aliments....we're adding to the list of discomforts excruitating charley horses in my calves at night. J, the hero that he is, has been waking up and applying massages and flexing my feet and the like, but this is all becoming quite tiring. The end result(s) will be fantastic and worth every minute, but the long slog toward December 27 seems quite daunting. Any tips to relieve some of these ailments is greatly appreciated.

Work continues to challenge with the merger hopefully going through by the end of the year, which will allow for some more certainty in all things. Wishing for independent wealth today!

Love to all,

More Fall Fun!

Fall is, by far, my favorite season....the returning to school, smell of leaves, smores, football games, mums, sweaters, I love it all. Topped off with the celebration of another year with our precious Jack, definitely the greatest time of year.

Two of these pictures are from Eckert's Fun Farm, visited for a neighbor's birthday recently. Jack embraces the Red Baron (a little fast for my taste) ride, rejects entirely the pony ride (much more tame). No amount of coaxing from dad would entice him to ride. Oh, well, he's still such a little guy.

Jack is really conversing with us now. Upon our usual morning wake up call at 6-ish, he states, "Want Milk," and "See Elmo," with quite a bit of emphasis. He did say, "Thank you, Daddy," this morning when J brought him his milk, which was quite endearing. Oh, and after days of wrestling with the concept of crying the kid out in his new 'big boy bed,' we put him down on Sunday night, didn't lay down with him and after only two times of having to put him back in his bed, he went to SLEEP. BY HIMSELF. Without crying. He even told me, "I close the eyes, Mommy." (As J says, "The inmates are running the asylum.").

Friday is the next ultrasound and doctor's appointment. Fingers crossed that all goes well. Next week will be 7 months -- about 6 weeks or so to go. We're starting to buy some girly things, onesies and the like. We bought some sleepers at Target last week, made the whole situation become more real to us all!

JACK TURNS 2 AND OTHER TALES.....

No, I haven't blogged in a looong time. For shame. I blame the terrible 2s and pregnancy. Nonetheless, let me catch up. Our wonderful son celebrated his 2nd birthday, complete with cake, ice cream and bounce houses. He had a great time at his party, most of our friends and the neighbors dropped by for some fun. Jack is moving incredibly fast on the learning curve of all things.......conversing, eating, sleeping and learning to use the potty.

A few weeks ago, he moved out of his crib into the "big boy" bed. While this is a great stride, we seem to have regressed to needing help going to sleep at night.....to J and my horror, the situation could be pointing toward another 'Crying Out' scenario, which we dread. Me in particular, because the only way we were able to do it at age 1 1/2, was when we were fortified by a little vino (for us, not Jack!). Gestating as I am, this crying out attempt will make transition MORE difficult!

Jack tells us what he wants and is starting to have little conversations with us. It's truly a miracle to see this little guy grow up. With a promise to blog more frequently.....

We have moved into week 26 of the twin pregnancy. Doctor thinks things are going very well and he even let me stay working full time for a bit longer. Our next ultrasound and doctor's appointment are next Friday, hopefully we'll have more good news then. At this point, we think we'll have a Brooke and Claire. (No one reflect back on the Brat Pack movies and quote Judd Nelson telling Molly Ringwald that "Claire's a fat girl's name." I've heard it, I remember it, thanks. I'm still not changing my mind).

TWIN GIRLS

J and I found out on Friday that Jack's little siblings are girls! Thankfully, they are very healthy and all looks fine. We are still a bit shocked, as I had really assumed that we'd have more boys (I'm not sure why, but I was really certain.....so much for maternal instinct!)

We have been talking to Jack about the twins, he now points to my belly and says, "Babies sleeping," and then kisses them. VERY cute kid we have. He is also astute and knowing when he's getting a time out. When he gets caught these days, he looks at me and says, "No time out, Mama." Hard not to laugh!

36-37 weeks is optimal for twins, which means the week of Christmas or shortly thereafter. More than halfway there!

Send your girl names our way! We have some ideas, but will take suggestions......

Joie de Vivre

Much as I cannnot believe it, our Stinker turns 2 in September! As you can tell, he is embracing the toddler independence with spirit. He is a darling boy (I'm not at all biased).

I was the proud owner of an imaginary friend as a young child, mine took the form of a purple mouse. Where I came up with this, who knows? I had the purple mouse in my pocket until I was around 4, upon which I 'lost' it. I cried and carried on for days. Not much poor mom and dad could do to console at that point. I seem to have passed on the imaginary friend trait to Jack, who constantly shows us "Monkeys," in the closet, in the bedroom, under his bed, sometimes in the kitchen cabinets. Our wonderful nanny thought maybe we had a video or went to the zoo recently, but no. Now that we've told him there are no monkeys inside the house, he is now sadly saying, "No monkeys." I feel we've disappointed him. A trip to the zoo is certainly in order for the weekend. Happy Friday!

The Little Gym

Just a plug for one of our favorite toddler past times, The Little Gym, http://www.thelittlegym.com/. We've been taking our little one since he was a crawler, it's a nice way to meet other families and provides socialization. Jack graduated from "Beast" level (how appropriate for toddlers) this weekend. He's very proud and can do a forward roll with great panache.

Has it been two weeks already?

I suppose that after nearly two years of being a Mama's boy, turnabout is fair play. J has been on the receiving end of much love the last few weeks, I am chopped liver. I am, however, the "Go To" in times of minor injuries and illnesses, so I'll count my many blessings. It is a great joy to see daddy and baby so in love, though.

Last week was rather harrowing at work, let us not dwell on too much, but suffice it to say that in the midst of all the m/a drama a little political problem popped up in the corn fields, landing me with much juggling of egos and explaining to do. It appears to have passed, leaving me more time to obsess about other things, namely the gestation of the twins.

This week is week 17 and necessitates another check up with the doctor this Thursday. (Everyone keep fingers crossed!) In three or so more weeks, we'll have another ultrasound and likely find out the genders. We are all very excited though remaining a bit worried about everything and one. Hopefully, all will be well.

July 30, 2008

Okay, okay, a year later.....not a great blogging record.....

But as of today, I am going to update on a weekly, if not more, basis. While the blog began as a more detailed baby book, now it will be an update on life in the K household as we know it. I'll share our insignificant, but funny, and significant details.

For friends who may not have heard, Jack will be a big brother to twins come this December. He has been kissing pictures of babies in books, here's hoping that he will kiss the real ones! Jack is growing up and has a very funny sense of humor. Yesterday he rummaged through my diaper bag and walked into the living room wearing a diaper on his head and laughing. Gets it from his dad.

The picture is of 'pure joy' and from our mini-vacation in Naples, Florida, Nana's snowbird destination. More later.....