Update: 4 months old!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe our babies are going to be 4 months old tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Crazy how quickly they grow up! We took the kiddos in for their 4 month well visit and they got their shots yesterday. They have made amazing progress in weight! Drum roll please... Cohen weighed in at 13 lbs. 14 oz and is in the 31percentile! Meagan weighed in at 12 lbs and is 20th percentile! This is huge compared to their last doc visit we were only at the 1 and 3 percentiles. Meagan's reflux has peeked but with her weight gain we were able to double her dose which should help majorly. Cohen's little hernia looks better and is correcting on it's own. We have been cleared to start introducing solids starting with rice cereal, which we attempted last night with Cohen. Baby steps. It will take some time for him to get the hang of it. He didn't like that is wasn't a constant flow like his bottle. Meagan's reflux was raging so we only tried one spoon. I could barely get her to drink her bottle, let alone introduce something new, so we weren't successful. We'll give it another go today. They are cooing and giggling and melting our hearts on a daily basis! Meagan is a little rollie poley and is trying hard to roll over. Cohen's smile lights up the room! His little neck roll is so ticklish and so are Meagan's armpits. They got to wear their little bathing suits and went swimming in a kiddie pool for the first time last weekend at Lake Livingston. Meagan even wore a tiny lifejacket and went on her first boat ride! I am looking forward to seeing how else they will amaze us this month!

I had a great (and stressful) first 2 weeks back. After a battle with the shingles last week, I finally feel like we're establishing a routine. It was tough leaving them and going back to work. I know they are in good hands so it makes it bearable to get back to doing what I love. We're taking it one day at a time and working out all the kinks along the way.

I just want to thank everyone for all the meals, diapers, gifts, prayers and love that was poured out before and after our miracles were born. I haven't gotten a chance to give a blanket thank you. We are so blessed and appreciate everything so much! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

(Click on picture to enlarge)

A lot has changed since our last blog...

I had to go back and read my last blog to see where we left off! Looking back at those NICU pictures fills my heart with gratefulness. When I think of the nurses who took such great care of them and all of the mountains each one of them had to climb, my heart is full. A part of me misses them. I grew to love those ladies. Think about it, you leave your babies with them, trusting them completely, hoping they will love on your babies while you're away. I miss their smiling faces and warm hearts. As I sit here listening to the lulling sound of pumping, it makes me miss pumping in the little pump room at the hospital. I'd pump the time away while watching Hope Floats in 20 minute increments. Good thing that's such a good movie. I watched it two times... it was the only one in there! I am such a nostalgic person. I am always so glad to move on to new chapters in life, but my heart always hurts when I have to say goodbye to one I've already read. I guess I really cherish all the chapters in life, even the tough ones. Especially the tough ones, since those are the ones you learn the most from. Our NEW and EXCITING chapter is that the babies came home on May 31!!!!! (hence the lack of blogging lol!) Talk about my heart being full! We went from not being sure when they'd come home... to... bring up their car seats they're going home tomorrow!!! :) I remember sitting in the NICU watching other babies get to go home.  A few private tears were shed feeling happy for them, but also sad that it wasn't us. There was another set of twins that were with Meagan and Cohen. They were still there when we left. My heart hurt knowing that that Mama was probably feeling the same way I did, yearning for their turn to be sent home too. I hope they are growing strong and are enjoying being home too by now.  Here are a few pictures of their last days at Katy Memorial Hermann. Thank you Usha, Shree, Diane, Vicki, Carolyn, Amber and Seri (and all the others) for loving our babies for us and taking such good care of them! We are forever grateful, thank you for a making a tough chapter bearable for us! 

Some of our favorite nurses: 

Diane and Vickie & Usha and Mildred

 Our thank you gift for our wonderful nurses! Thanks for helping with the idea Candace & for the visit!

 A little fun with daddy and loving from momma while we wait for our discharge paperwork. 

 All buckled and ready to go!! Thanks Cheyenne for making our car seat straps, we'll grow into them!

Our last time in the NICU, we'll come back and visit one day <3

Check out our new cribs!

We have been moved to the the level 2 B nursery and we are in open cribs!!!! No more changing diapers through little holes! They have done great maintaining their temperature and are even elevated/propped up on one side. We'll be testing out those car seats soon we hope! They are all bottle/breast fed, no more tube feedings! (Unless they get lazy and don't eat then they push the rest of their bottle through the tube.) Their vitamins are also pushed through the tube since those don't taste very good. Momma has been very busy going back and forth for one breastfeeding per shift. Cohen is a breastfeeding machine! Meagan... well she does good once she gets going, but she sleeps (we're trying to teach her it's dinner time and not just a pacifier, lol!) I have been dealing with some clogged ducts= ouch! Hot showers and warm compresses is what I've read to try to help, along with lots of pumping and feeding. On a brighter note, Cohen has now christened both mommy and daddy and has quite the aim! I need to find one of those pee pee tee pees! He still has that diaper rash. It isn't any worse, but is only a little better, so we're continuing with the prescription ointment. Both babies have gained weight too! Cohen is 4lbs. 10oz., Meagan is 4lbs. 2oz. They just gotta keep gaining! We aren't sure when they will be coming home but Mommy and Daddy are anxious to have the family home all together. Thank you all so much for your continued thoughts and prayers for our little ones! <3 

(Don't forget click on the picture to enlarge)

 Check out our new cribs!

 Wide eyed boys! Sleepy girl!

 Take me out the ball game! Burrito baby! 

 Buddy checking out these new little clothes. Baylee... not so interested. 

2 Weeks Old!

I can't believe our babies are 2 weeks old today!! They have come so far in those two weeks!When I called last night to check on them their weights were: Cohen 4lbs. 6oz, Meagan 3lbs. 15oz. They now get 6 out of 8 bottle feedings, that's only 2 feedings on the tube per day (one per shift!) Breastfeeding is going better and better each time. They both know exactly what to do! My milk supply is doing pretty good too, in fact I was told I could freeze the next couple of days! Both of their umbilical chords fell off, and they have cute little belly buttons now! Another positive event was I got to drive today, it's been so long, I'm glad I didn't forget, lol! The morning shift nurse thinks they will be coming home soon! She was very impressed with their progress and told us to make sure we have the car seats ready, they may ask us to bring them up and start getting them used to sitting in the upright position. :) Don't want to get too excited yet but this is definitely a step in the right direction. This evening, Cohen weighed 4lbs.8oz and Meagan weighed 3lbs. 14oz. She lost a little.  Both babies got some vitamins, Meagan didn't care for them and spit them all up! :( I need her to eat, keep it down and gain some weight! Our favorite nurses aren't there tonight...both babies did not enjoy their bath and cried quite a bit, hoping our babies get some good rest tonight. Here's some pics from the last few days. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers for our little ones. <3

 Look at me holding it all by myself!  I love my hairbows, just like Mommy!

 Mommy and Daddy love us so much!

 I'm all wrapped up like a burrito! Meagan making bubbles!

Thanks for your help Aunt Cheyenne! 

A blessing in disguise...

Well this being a mom stuff just keeps getting better the more I get to interact and do with my sweet little ones! Last night was an amazing experience. I got to breastfeed both babies (not at the same time yet) and I can't explain the feeling of closeness I felt with each one of them. Today I got to breastfeed them both tandem style (both at the same time!) Really neat experience! I guess one "good" thing about them being in the NICU is that I get "training" lol! I am so thankful that they have showed us how to check their temperature and hold their little arm down, how to bottle feed and hold them with your finger under their little chin to help them get a better grip, how to put a clean diaper under the old one before you change it, (this has saved some linens a few times already let me tell ya!), how to make sure they get a good latch, how to swaddle them up like a burrito... all of this in small doses but still I love not feeling clueless and these nurses have really helped ease me into motherhood.

Health Update

We are gaining weight! Yesterday Meagan was 3lbs, 13oz and Cohen was 4lbs. 4oz! Today Meagan was still at 3.13 and Cohen went down to 4.3. Still good though. They are up to 3 bottle feeds and one breastfeed per day. Cohen's little bottom looks a lot better. 

We meet again! And Our First Family of 4 Picture! 

Sweet Sleeping Meagan! 

(She does this a lot)

Daddy Time! 

Back to Birth Weight!!!!!!

Sorry it's been a few days since my last post, I've been one busy mama! I am looking forward to Wednesday when I get my driving privileges back and can start doing more things around the house to prepare for their homecoming (which is yet to be determined, probably a few weeks). Still monitoring my blood pressure. I have good news... I have my ankles back! So long kankles and sausage toes!! Enough about me, let's talk babies!

Health Update

Meagan is completely off oxygen and is breathing great on her own and has been since Wednesday!!!!Both babies are now getting 2 bottles a day and are getting weened off of their feeding tubes! They are supposed to be able to finish a bottle within 30 minutes. Meagan did it 11 minutes last night! She has been spitting up a bit but, when I talked to her nurse this evening she hadn't had any spit  up. Cohen seems to be tolerating his feedings too. He has a pretty severe diaper rash that is being treated with  a prescription ointment. Ouch! Both babies are back to their birth weights: Cohen 4lbs 1oz, Meagan 3lbs 11oz!!!!! Both babies need to be able to gain weight, independently feed without tube while showing no strain or saturation of breathing or decrease in pulse. Since they only have a feeding tube and monitors, they get to wear clothes now. :) Here's some pics from the past few days.
(P.S. you can click on the picture to enlarge)

Meagan and Cohen 

 We love Grandma Time!!

Thanks Aunt Cheyenne for bringing Mommy for a late night milk run and snuggle! 

Check out our cool clothes! 

One week old!

Another great day being a mommy!! Not only did I get to hold Meagan for the first time today, I also got to hold them both together! They have been separated from each other since they were born (tomorrow they will be a week old... already!) They were so snuggly with each other! I held them for 3 hours and could have done it all day!

Health Update

Cohen and Meagan both had their IV removed today! They will both keep their feeding tubes and will get breast milk with added fortifiers (formula if needed to supplement). Their amounts per feedings has increased:Cohen to 25ml and Meagan to 23ml. Cohen only had 1ml of residual out of 20 ml of food! We need them to keep gaining weight, today Meagan was 3.10 and Cohen was 3.14. Meagan was taken off of the Vaportherm but will continue with oxygen. She will slowly be weened off of this next. Cohen had a little explosion and his daddy got to clean it up! :) Gotta love these nurses! 

Looking forward to seeing what these little miracles will accomplish tomorrow! Here's some more pics from today. 

Cohen before they took the IV out of his sweet little head...

Cohen after the IV was taken out, our poor baby boy!

Our twins reunite! <3

Cohen sleeping soundly, Meagan sucking on his ear! 

Meagan sleeping like a princess!