“Chaos” is about the only word that I can think of to describe our lives lately! From swimming lessons, to T-ball, camping at the lake, the upcoming fair season, Sydney getting gum stuck in Brienna’s hair, to all the storms we have been having, our household is at the max for excitement. It seems as though time is passing on with out us knowing where it goes. I am assuming that this is just a preview to what our lives will be like for quite some time.


The twins are growing like crazy and meeting new developmental milestones all the time. Both girls are rolling all over and love to spend time on their bellies. This is much different from our other two children who hated tummy time. I believe they like it so much because they can be in on the action of their siblings playing.

On July 16th the twins each got their first tooth with in a couple of hours of each other! They are out to prove just how identical they really are. However, just to throw us off, Brooklyn got her second tooth on Sunday and Brienna has yet to break the second one through.

At the beginning of July, the girls began eating cereal and babyfood! They are growing so quickly! They of course LOVE it now! Brienna had to be convinced but Brooklyn will eat anything you feed her. The twins’ personalities are different on any given day, but neither of them are consistent in their personality. It changes from day to day. But, I guess they are women, right?!?! I can only imagine what they will be like at 13!

We have been spending a lot of time camping in our new camper and the kids love spending the time outdoors. Don’t get me wrong, it is A LOT of work taking the four kids camping but, totally worth it!

With all of that said, this is going to be the last entry I will be making on the blog. The twins are done with doctor appointments and are down to the normal “well-child” check-ups and we are ready to go on as a normal family. If you would like to stay updated and see periodic pictures of the twins, I occasionally post them on Facebook. Just look me up and tell me you were following the blog!

We want to take this opportunity to thank you again for supporting us through our journey with monoamniotic twins! Our lives have changed dramatically over the past year but we couldn’t be happier with the girls at home, safe and healthy. We are truly blessed.

The bible verse at the top of the blog is so true. And included in the “one blessing after another” is our friends and family. Thank you again for all the support!

I would also like to send out a prayer request. A little that girl that I have watched at daycare fell into a campfire on Sunday and is at the burn center in St. Paul. She is doing well and had surgery this morning. Please send up a prayer for Autumn to make a full recovery! Here is her caring bridge site: www.caringbridge.org/visit/autumnaclark

Thanks again for all the thoughts, prayers, and support you provided during this journey. We would not have been able to do it alone and all your acts of kindness are greatly appreciated!



Signing out,

Mike, Kelly, Sydney, Taiton, Brooklyn and Brienna

            Brienna                                         Brooklyn            

6 months old!

It is hard to believe that half a year has passed since I was in the hospital and the twins were born!  But, it is all very exciting and rewarding to have them here and doing so well.  Last Thursday we went in for the twins 6 month appointment and the girls are doing very well!
Brooklyn weighed 16lbs and 11 ounces.  She was 24 1/4 inches long.  These stats put her in the 50-75% for weight and the 5% for height.  She is a little ahead developmentally.  Yesterday, I laid her on the floor and left the room.  When I returned she had moved about five feet by rolling I assume and was playing with a toy that was left on the floor.  She just looked up at me with this huge grin, like she had just won the lottery!
Brienna weighed 16lbs even and was 24 1/2 inches long.  These number put her in the 50% for weight and 10% for height.  Mike calls her the tall skinny one!! :)  She had an ear infection a week ago but has recovered only to get another cold a couple days later!
Otherwise all is well here on the home front.  We are keeping busy of course and loving the sun shine, when we get it!  I hope all is well with everyone and have a wonderful 4th of July!

The Kidney...

It has been a while since I updated, I guess I have been busy!!  Well, on June 9th we took Brooklyn to the specialist to talk about her etopic pelvic kidney.  And, we found out that it is just fine!  Nothing to worry about.  It is just good that we know it is there and if any problems come up we will look into it further but, for now, it will just be there.  The twins will be going back to the doctor on Thursday for their 6 month checkup.  I will update more then and I will try to get some new pictures up then too!  Have a good evening!

Monitors...to keep or not to keep

Well, I am almost as excited as I was when I heard the twins were coming home from the NICU!!  We are returning the monitors to Sanford Health in the morning!!!  This process has come in baby steps and this is another HUGE step in the right direction.  The girls are doing great so now... we will see if I get any sleep tonight!  Have a good weekend and Happy Mother's Day to all those mom's out there!

Mother's Day!

It seems as though time has been flying by.  With Mother's Day just around the corner, I reflect on how thankful and lucky we are to have the two little blessings that god has entrusted to our care.  All mom's know what it is like to look at your little one and laugh at the smallest things or just smile while you watch them sleep unable to look away for fear that the moment will pass to fast.  So, I have much to be thankful for and to enjoy on Sunday!
On Monday, a lady from the Birth to 3 program came and evaluated the twins.  The girls are not behind developmentally and are doing quite well.  Brienna didn't track the object she was supposed to but, we will keep working on that and hopefully she comes around.  However, when laid on her belly she held her head but nice and high and then tipped it to the side and she rolled over!  I was pretty excited even though I am sure it was an accident.  We have not yet heard from the apnea clinicn but I will update when we do!  Here are a couple of pics for you too check out!  Enjoy!

Looking so much alike!!!

Little Bit of smiles

Brienna - Look at me hold up my head!! 

Apnea Monitors Gone...maybe!!!

Hello!  I hope that everyone is doing well.  I am not sure how many people still take the time to check the blog but, I thought that I would update after the twins last appointment at the apnea clinic.  The girls have been doing very well and are growing like weeds!  At the appointment Brooklyn was 13# 3oz. and 23 1/4 inches long.  Brienna was 12# 12oz. and 22 1/4 inches long.  They are definitely growing and evidently Brooklyn is growing faster than Brienna!!  I am a little sad because this weekend I have to pack up the 0-3 month clothes and take out the 3-6 month clothes.  If anyone know anybody expecting twin girls let me know!  I have twin clothes to get rid of! :)  The PA downloaded the monitors and will be getting back to us with the results the middle of next week.  IF the girls have had no spells over the last couple of months we will be able to get rid of the monitors!!!  I am so excited and looking forward to the twins being wireless FINALLY! 
I hope that everyone enjoys the weekend and I will update when we hear back from the apnea clinic!
Take care.

FOUR months old!!!

It is hard to believe that the twins are now four months old.  We went in for their four month doctor appointment last Thursday and the girls are almost triple their birth weight!  Both girls are the same weight and the same length, but then I guess they are identical twins!  They were 12 pounds 5 ounces and are 22 inches long.  They are now at the 25% for the regular four months old babies for weight but have not made it on the chart for length yet.  Hopefully that will come with time.  The twins also got their four month shots and are otherwise doing very well.  And for that we are very thankful.
Brooklyn and Brienna also got a new baby cousin this weekend!  Colby Jay was born at 5:42 on Saturday, April 17.  He is doing well and so is his mom!  Congrats to Eric, Jessica, Natalie and Elliot on thier new baby brother!
But I am reminded that just as god brings these little miracles into our lives he also needs more angels to watch over us.  Julie, Kurt and Cameron now have another angel watching over them.  Caden Leslie Loe got his angel wings on Sunday night.  Please say a prayer for the Loe Family that god may surround them with his love in the days and weeks ahead and that he wraps Caden in his arms holding him safe and free from all pain.  Here is the link to their Caring Bridge site:  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cadenloe

Baptism

On March 21st the twins were baptized.  Everything went well and they didn't even cry!  Here is a photo of our family:

Hope all is well and have a good holy week!

Busy...Busy...Busy

I guess the blog is really reflecting how much time I DON'T have to be on the computer!  Who would have thought that having four children and two of them infants would take up so much of my time!!! 
Everything around here is going great!  Thetwins had a doctors appointment on March 18th and they have grown alot.  On that day, Brooklyn was 9 pounds 8 ounces and Brienna was 9 pounds 6 ounces.  Brienna is really catching up to Brooklyn by gaining 4 ounces more.  Everything else looked great.  With the weights at 3 months of age the girls are on the growth chart!  They are at the 3% for normal babies thier actual age.  I guess we will take the baby steps and hopefully they will be even closer to normal at their next appointment.  They also got another dose of the Synagis (RSV vaccine).  Next month it is another round of shots and hopefully that will not be as bad as the last time. 
It is amazing how fast time is going.  Summer will be here before we know it!  I hope all is well with everyone. 

Eye Doctor

Quick note...
Brooklyn "graduated" and her eyes are fully developed!  We don't need to return to the eye doctor until August when they will evaluated wether or not the girls will need glasses.  One more thing done!! 
Also, if you are interested or live in the area the Fulda Free Press has an article in last weeks paper about our journey. 
http://fuldafreepress.net/default.asp?storyid=47743&secid=101
This is only a portion of the article but, you can get the idea!  I hope all is well and have a good week.  We return to our family practice doctor on Thursday and the girls will get their third and final Synagis (RSV antibodies) shot.  Then they will be getting baptized next Sunday.  I will update later!

Commercial is Out!

Well, as of today, Sanford Children's has begun advertising with our commercial on Keloland TV.  They have also posted it on the web for those that would like to see it but don't live in the area.  Our journey has been an emotional roller coaster and the commercial presents a good picture of that. 
Click here for the Sanford Children's Commercial of Twins

The twins are doing very well.  They are getting very strong.  Brienna loves to lay on one side in her crib and if you lay her on the opposite side she will wiggle around until she is laying on the side she wants.  She is one determined little thing. 
Last Friday I took Brienna to the doctor for a cough she had developed.  I was just nervous that it was more than just a little cough.  The doctor reassured me it was not developing into anything else so that is great.  However, she also got weighed and was 8 pounds 9 ounces.  So, they are growing!  We are moving into 0-3 month clothing now!  It is a bitter sweet moment, I can't wait for them to wear some more cute outfits but, at the same time they are not "newborns" anymore! 
I hope that everyone is having a great week and I will update after Brooklyn's eye doctor appointment!

Photo Shoot with the Girls!

Brooklyn (left) and Brienna (right)

Brienna (left) and Brooklyn (right)

Brienna

Brooklyn

I am not a professional photographer but, I really like these pictures!  Enjoy!

Apnea Monitor Results

Well, we are very relieved and comforted with the results from the apnea monitors.  I got a call yesterday morning and the girls are doing wonderfully.  Each girl had only one true spell show up on the monitor report!  Each of them had a bradycardia spell the first week we were home and nothing since then. 
When people say identical twins you usually think of two peole that were born at the same time and look alike.  In Brooklyn and Brienna's case they are trying to prove that they maybe even closer than that!  The spells that registered for the girls happened with in 24 hours of each other, were the same type of spell and lasted the exact same amount of time.  Brooklyn had one spell on January 21 in which her heart rate dropped to 49 beats per minute and lasted 16 seconds.  Brienna had one spell on January 22 in which her heart rate dropped to 47 beats per minute and lasted exactly 16 seconds.  The monitors are set to alarm at any heart rate less than 60 beats per minute.  We are comforted by the fact that the girls have not had any spells for over a month and that all of the apnea spells are just "false alarms." 
On a happier note...we are going to be on TV!  The commercial that we taped for Sanford Children's Hospital is going to air on Keloland TV starting on Monday, March 8.  Following are the shows in which to look for the commercial to air:
KELO Morning Show
Early Show on CBS
Young & the Restless
Oprah
KELO 6pm news
CSI NY
Amazing Race
Cold Case
NCIS LA
There will also be a print ad of the twins in the Argus Leader on March 10th and 14th. 
We are having a wonderful week and NO DOCTOR appointments!  Next week Brooklyn will be returning to the eye specialist to have her eyes checked again for prematurity.  We are hoping for good results to eliminate future appointments there!  I hope all is well with you and enjoy your week!

Double Time

Here is a picture of the girls dining together.  Learning to do things with twins is quite an experience! 

Results from Apnea Clinic Visit

March is just around the corner and it sounds like it will be coming in like a lamb... I am not sure if that is a good thing or not.  I am ready for the snow to be gone and the kids to be able to play outside. 
The twins appointment went very well on Tuesday.  They downloaded the information off of the monitors and we won't have any results from that until early next week.  The CNP thought that a majority of the spells the girls were having were probably due to the leads not reading correctly.  This is because the spells go in streaks and some days one of the girls will have a bunch of spells and other days they won't have any at all.  Since the appointment we have been very carefull about lead placement and the girls have had no spells...so that makes be believe this is the case. 
As far as the monitors go, we will have them for a quite a while yet.  The CNP wants to have two completely clean downloads (no spells) from the monitors before discontinuing their use.  We download the monitors every 8 weeks.  So, we are looking at having the monitors until at least June.  Since June is out of RSV season, we won't have to continue their use for that reason.  They like to have preemies on the monitors during RSV season as a precaution.  Unfortuneately RSV is going around in full force here, so hopefully the virus will move out of the area before the end of March when I return to doing daycare!
We are going to making a trip up to the farm in Brooten for the first time in about 5 months and the first trip for the girls.  Wish us luck!  It could be a long car ride!  Have a wonderful weekend!
Think Spring!

2 MONTHS OLD!!!!

Can you believe it!  The twins are two months old already!  On Thursday they had their 2 month well-baby check up and got the needed shots.  They also got the second dose of Synagis (RSV antibodies).  The girls are growing like weeds.  Brooklyn weighed 7# 12oz. and was 20 inches long.  Brienna weighed 7# 6oz. and was 19.5 inches long.  We are getting to the end of being able to wear newborn clothes and that is kinda sad.  The girls have been having quite a few most spells as I had mentioned before and so we will be having the checked out on Tuesday.  We are really hoping that the monitor is picking them up wrong, otherwise we maybe NICU bound again.  I will update with any new information next week.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Time goes on...

Hello Everyone! I hope that you are enjoying this beautiful weather! ;) I am not so crazy about it! I am really looking forward to spring and no more snow storms. The twins are growing like crazy and are doing pretty well. The past five days or so we have seen a significant increase in the amount apena spells the girls are having. We are not sure why but have consulted with our doctor and are going to watch pretty closely. This week is just as busy as the past weeks. Thursday we have a doctor appointment and the girls will be 2 MONTHS old this week! They have to get four shots each on Thursday which will not be a fun experience. Next Tuesday we will have an appointment at the apnea clinic to have the monitors downloaded and find out what the spells have been and how long we will have to continue the use of the monitors. A majority of the girls spells are self limiting (meaning they come back themselves) but some of them they need to be stimulated for. It is not fun to worry constantly so hopefully we get some answers next Tuesday.

A week or so ago, Mike's mom, Linda took some pictures of the girls and the other two kids for us. I will attach them for you to see. I hope you all are having a wonderful week! Take care.

Brienna                                            Brooklyn

Sydney, Brienna, Taiton and Brooklyn

Almost 8 weeks old!

Good evening!

Everything is going really well with the girls.  We went to the eye specialist last Thursday and both girls had their eyes checked to see if they were maturing properly.  Brienna's eyes had fully matured and she doesn't need to go back for another 6 months.  So, that is really good news.  Brooklyn's eyes were "a couple weeks behind" Brienna's, so she will be going back for a follow-up appointment in 4-5 weeks.  He wasn't concerned about any long term effects and thought that everything would be fine, but he wanted to re-check to be sure that they had finished maturing.  So, all in all, it was a pretty good day!

On Friday, we went in for another appointment with the kids' doctor in Brookings.  Again, everything looked good.  Brienna weighed 6 lb 8 oz and Brooklyn weighed 6 lb 15 oz.  Both girls are growing really well and seem to stay right on pace with eachother-with Brooklyn being consistently 6-8 oz heavier than Brienna.

Brooklyn had a couple more apnea spells over the past week, but nothing too serious.  Each time, the monitor only beeps once or twice before she corrects her breathing on her own with little or no intervention from us.

The girls are eating every 3.5 hours during the day and about every 4-4.5 hours during the night, which allows us to get a few hours of solid sleep at a time.  So, things are going really well and we're starting to get into a "normal" routine with things, which is really nice!

Have a good week!

Unexpected Doctor Trip

Hello!  We have had an eventful week and I think it will only get busier!  On Monday, I had my post op appointment and everything went fine.  I can return to normal which will make Tait happy.  He wants me to carry him all the time and now at least I will be able to lift him!
We also had an unexpected trip to the doctor's office on Monday afternoon with Brooklyn.  During the day on Monday Brooklyn had three apnea spells with in a couple of hours, in which her monitor went off.  She has not previously had true apnea spells.  In order for her monitor to go off she has to quit breathing for 20 seconds.  I tried it... 20 seconds is a long time not to breathe!  So, we decided to be on the safe side and take her in.  She is fine and doesn't have any type of virus or anything.  It is believed that she may have some acid reflux that could be related to the apnea spells. 
So, once we got home we elevated her mattress a little bit and try to put her in her carseat or swing during the day to keep her elevated a little bit.  At her current age our doctor feels it is not in their best interests to put them on a medication for the acid reflux yet.  Hopefully it will clear on it's own and we won't need to use the meds. 
Well, watching me type must be pretty boring cause Brienna just fell asleep in my arm!  I hope that all is well and have a good week.  I will update after our doctor appointments at the end of the week.

Brooklyn and Brienna are 6 weeks old!!!

It seems as though the last six weeks have been a total blur!  The girls are growing so fast.  It is wonderful to see them getting so bigger and being able to stay awake for longer periods of time during the day.  We still wake them to eat every four hours.  The bottling is going much better than a week ago.  This is one thing that I hope improves quickly so that it becomes easier to feed them by myself. 
Yesterday was the first day that Mike went back to work and I was home by myself with four kids.  I think that doing daycare was pretty good prep for caring for twins.  Time management is very important.  But, things went very smoothly. 
Next week is a busy week for the girls, they go to the eye doctor on Thursday to be rechecked and then on Friday gp back to our family doctor.  Hopefully everything will check out great and the girls will have grown.  I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend and we will update again next week after their appointments.

Sleepy Girls!

Well, the girls are doing great!  They seem to sleep ALL the time.  I am sure that will change as they get older so we are trying to enjoy it!  The girls went to the doctor on Friday and everything looked great.  It was good to get in touch with our family doctor again and for her to meet the girls.  The girls also gain a significant amount of weight.  Brooklyn weighed in at 6# 4oz. and Brienna at 5# 15oz. 
Currently they are both sleeping peacefully through the Vikings game!  I hope that everyone is well.  I have added a couple of pictures of the girls.  Have a good evening!

Brooklyn

Brienna

The 6 of us

For the first time in 89 days, our family is finally together again!  The last morning at the hospital was pretty uneventful-we got there, fed the girls, took some pictures, signed the paperwork, packed up, and were on our way home by early afternoon! 
Sydney is very excited about her little sisters being home.  She sat on the couch and was able to hold each of them a couple of times.  We're pretty sure that she'd hold them all day and night if we'd let her!  Taiton is the typical 2 yr old big brother.  He got home, looked in the pack and play at the twins, and said, "What's that?"  He likes to hold them, but prefers we keep it to around 15 seconds at a time.  He is very intrigued by the fact that they have fingers and hair, "just like me"!
The first night went pretty well.  We fed the girls at 9:30 pm, 1:30 am, and 5:30 am and they both slept for about 3 hours between the feedings, which was really nice.  Now, the true test will be whether or not we can keep them on the same schedule!
Both girls have been eating well since being home.  They've each had a few eating-related spells, which is no real surprise to us.  But, aside from feedings, they haven't had any spells.  In fact, their new apnea monitors have been silent the entire time so far, except for when one of Brienna's wires was loose.  So, that is going well.
Today's weather has given us a mix of rain, ice, and now snow and Sydney was home from school by 9:30 this morning.  The bad weather has just added to the blessing that we are all at home and finally have no need to travel!
So, the first day home was pretty uneventful, which is good. Hopefully we can keep it that way. Here are some pictures from yesterday:



Packed up and ready to go home!


Taiton and Brooklyn


Brienna (left), Brooklyn (right), and what I believe was the happiest 4 yr old in the state of South Dakota yesterday!

I'm goin home...to the place where I belong...

Last night Brooklyn and Brienna went through a 12 hour apnea observation.  The results of the observation are that the girls will be coming home on apnea monitors.  They have a form of apnea they refer to as periodic breathing.  This is something they will grow out of in time.  The monitors will record each spell the girls have and we will return with the monitors in a month to have the spells evaluated.  The girls also passed their first test today!!!  Brooklyn and Brienna both fit into the their carseats which was a huge relief!  No need to buy another one for around $300!  They also sat very politely in their carseats for 90 minutes with out any trouble.  So, test passed! 
The fourth chapter in our journey is about to begin! On January 19, 2010, Brooklyn and Brienna will be discharged from the hospital and we will, for the first time, be together as a family of 6. The day before they were born I had many mixed emotions, nervous, excited, scared and impatient. Those same emotions are rushing back. We are very excited and impatient to have the girls at home but, very nervous and scared about being responsible for their care with out the presence of medical staff! This is the part where we are home and hospital free after 89 days!!
Our nurses have reiterated to us that we need to maintain a rather strict visitor policy for the next few weeks, until the girls' immune systems have matured a little more and we'll be following their guidelines for adapting preemies to the "outside world".  So, for now, we ask for your understanding and would appreciate visits from immediate family members (over the age of 10) only.  We'll have continued discussions with our doctor at our weekly appointments and will keep you updated as the girls' immune systems develop.  We know that many of you have been waiting to meet the girls for awhile now, but the last thing we want is for them to end up back in the NICU because of illness.
In addition, any visitors MUST be perfectly healthy before coming to visit, for obvious reasons.  Please call in advance if you'd like to stop by so we can plan accordingly.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding!

Getting closer...

Well, the first half of the week seemed to be going very slow.  But, yesterday made up for it!

Brienna is now bottling whatever she wants, whenever she wants it, which is the end of the feeding program.  She's been doing very well with that and is still gaining weight.  Today, she is 5 lb, 3 oz.

Brooklyn is now bottling her full volume every three hours and will move to ad libitum (same as Brienna) tomorrow.  Brooklyn has been a little behind because she still needs to be paced quite a bit when she eats, otherwise she forgets to breathe.  Due to the pacing, she had been moving through the steps a little slower than Brienna.  Brooklyn currently weighs 5 lb, 9 oz.

They will have an apnea test performed on Sunday night-this was postponed from Thursday night because they were still having too many feeding-related spells.  We will get the results of the apnea test on Monday afternoon, and IF the tests come back OK, then they will send both girls home on Tuesday!  Both girls have occasional spells, so we're unsure what the result of the apnea test will be-they may need medication and/or apnea monitors.  If they are put on medication, that will likely mean an additional 5 days in the NICU. 

Both girls will also need to pass the "car seat test" on Monday, which involves sitting in a carseat for 90 minutes without any drop in heartrate or Oxygen levels.  We've been told that Brienna may need a special carseat, since she's still too small for her regular one.  We'll find out more on that on Monday.

Have a good weekend!

Relative Size!

Here is a picture that hopefully will show the relative size of the girls!  This is Mike and Brienna.  Have a good evening!

Twins - Day 26

Good Monday morning, everyone!

Well, it's hard to believe that the twins will be 1 month old at the end of the week!  Time has certainly flown by!  Brooklyn weighed 5 lbs 2 oz and Brienna weighed 4 lbs 11 oz yesterday.  So, both girls are growing very well.

Bottling is going pretty well for both girls.  Yesterday, Brooklyn was receiving 35cc 4x per day.  Her total volume is 43 cc, so she's not quite receiving her full volume yet.  Also, since they receive 8 feedings in a day, she is taking half of her feedings by bottle and the other times she is fed through her feeding tube.  Brienna is now receiving her full volume (40cc) by bottle and is being bottled 6x per day.  So, as far as feedings go, Brienna is a couple days ahead of Brooklyn.  But, both girls are doing well at their respective levels and are getting very good scores for the most part.

This weekend, for the first time, we were given a glimpse into when we could expect the girls to come home, and if everything goes well, we're hoping to have them home in about 2 weeks!!  They have scheduled a couple different tests for the end of this week.  They will receive vision tests and head ultrasounds, which is standard procedure for premies.  The head ultrasound is to check for bleeding on the brain.  They had one ultrasound shortly after birth and everything looked good, so this ultrasound is basically to make sure that nothing else has developed.  They will also have an apnea test, since they still struggle with "spells" from time to time.  This test will give the doctors a more detailed explanation of why they are having the spells. 

Also, early last week, we were approached by the case manager and she told us that they are going to be putting together a TV commercial for Sanford Children's hospital and they would like us to be in the commercial!  So, we agreed to do that and the recording took place on Friday afternoon!  It was a fun experience and something that will be fun to show the girls when they're older.  The film crew showed up at 1 pm and proceded to interview us for just over an hour.  They also interviewed a nurse for 30 minutes, and then spent about an hour recording us and the nurses taking care of the girls.  So, it took about 3 hours total, which was more than we expected for a 30-60 second commercial! 

They will interview one of the doctors and do the editing in the coming weeks and then we will be able to view it before it goes on TV.  We'll also be given a copy that we'll try to put on this site for those of you that will not be able to see it on SD TV channels. 

We've been told that it's hard to judge the relative size of the girls in the pictures that we've put on the site so far, so we've been working on taking pictures that show their size better.  We'll work on getting a picture or two posted later tonight.

Have a good day!

Twins - Day 22

The twins are 3 weeks old today!  They are at 35 weeks gestational age and maturing every day.  We have been snowed in for two days at the house in Elkton and I am really looking forward to going to see the girls tomorrow.  I miss them alot! 
On Tuesday through the night the girls had a couple of set backs.  Before the morning both girls were back in isoletts.  Neither of them could control their temp enough to be in the cribs any longer.  We are hoping this is just a short term thing and that they will be back in the cribs by the weekend. 
Bottling was a struggle on Tuesday night and Wednesday also.  We believe that the girls temp and respose to bottling are connected.  We were hoping that if the girls are not stressed about maintaining thie body temp they will do better at bottling.  This must have been the case.  After a day in the isoletts the girls are scoring at the top for their feeding scores getting a 5 out of 5 possible points.  Brienna is currently on step 6 of bottling and Brooklyn is on step 4.  Their are 9 total steps.  Hopefully Brooklyn will move up to step 5 tomorrow to start to catch up to her sister!
As of last night Brooklyn weighed in at 4 pounds 13.5 ounces and Brienna is at 4 pounds 7 ounces. 
I hope that everyone is well and warm!  Have a good evening!
Kelly

Twins - Day 20

Well, we are on the right track!!  The girls are doing wonderful and both have moved into "big girl" beds!!  Both girls are able to control their body temperature on their own and have moved from the isoletts to cribs.  This is one of the four things the girls have to accomplish before being able to come home.  So, this was very excited news for us.  Following is an update on the rest of their stats:
Bilirubin:  Both girls' jaundice has been classified as a breast milk jaundice.  But, the bilirubin levels in both girls have begun to drop.  So, they are no longer concerned about those levels and will not be checking them anymore unless another problem seems to arrise. 
Weights:  The girls are growing like crazy!  Brooklyn is 4 pounds 10 ounces and Brienna is 4 pounds 5 ounces.  We looked at pictures from about a week and half ago and we can see them filling out already! 
Bottling:  Over the past couple of days we have had some struggles with bottling.  The girls have been dropping their heartrates during bottling occasionally and so the doctors are not bumping up their feedings.  Brooklyn is currently recieving 15cc 4 times a day by bottle and Brienna is recieving 20cc 4 times a day by bottle.  Brooklyn did very well today and hopefully will be bumped up to 20cc tomorrow.  Both girls have been put on preemie nipple to help them pace themselves while eating.

Since the girls are in cribs we are now able to dress them in sleepers (my favorite part!).  So, we took some pictures today of them together.  Thought I would share them:

I hope that everyone has a wonderful week.  We are hoping the snow storm is not to bad so that we can make it to Sioux Falls tomorrow!!  Take care!

Kelly

Happy New Year!

Hello!  I am sorry we haven't updated recently, the time just flies by when you have two kids at home and two in the NICU!  The twins are doing wonderfully! 
Bottling:  Last Wednesday, the feeding readiness observation was taken of the girls and they got scores of 15 and 16 which was enough for them to start bottling on Thursday!  I was very excited as this is just another step closer to going home!!  Today the girls are up to 10cc of breast milk in a bottle four times a day.  The remainder of their feeding is then given through the gavage tube.  Brooklyn does good bottling if she is awake.  Brienna is usually pretty hungry when it comes to meal time so she does quite well.  Mike and I are able to do the feeding.  It is great to be able to take an active part in their care. 
Bilirubin:  Billi lights are off but their bilirubin numbers are on the rise.  The doctors believe that they have a breast milk jaundice now and will not treat it until it gets much worse. 
Weights:  The girls are gaining quite well now.  Brooklyn weighed in at 4 pounds 9 ounces.  Brienna weighed in at 4 pounds 3 ounces.  The girls have both surpassed their birth weight and continue to grow quite rapidly.
We look forward to a "normal" week with the older kids home and Mike back to a semi-normal work week.  Hopefully the girls will be home soon!  We wish everyone a happy new year!
Kelly