Babies Situation:
The babies turned 17 months on Wednesday which was also the birthday of my niece Angel who would have been 9 years old. She was born really early at 20 weeks and didn’t make it so she got to spend her birthday with Jesus in Heaven. On a lighter note, the Girls are growing bigger and getting faster! Trinity is around 19 lbs and 29 inches. Kinsley is around 18 lbs and 28.5 inches. Trinity was moved to a convertible car seat this past week – still rear facing though – since she is at the max length for the infant car seat. We’ll probably move Kinsley to the convertible in the next few weeks.
Last week, we switched them over to whole milk which wasn’t an accepted change at first but in the last 2 days the Girls are back to taking 16 oz a day. Their solid food intake is going well too. We have them eating a nice variety of foods. We’ve noticed that Trinity is a meat eater but Kinsley not so much. Trinity will eat all the meat on her plate while Kinsley will eat all her cheese and vegetables(like her Mama). Trinity is also a slower eater like her Dad but Kinsley is more like her Mama eating quickly always waiting for more. It’s so cute. Kinsley will tap her fingers on her tray like she’s bored. She’s somewhat impatient – another trait she has inherited from meL
Sleep wise, the Girls are doing better. With all the changes this summer(bottle to sippy cup, formula to milk, feeding schedule), they have struggled with sleeping through the night. I think they are also teething right now which doesn’t help either. We have our good nights and our bad nights. I’m sure we are on the path to more good nights than bad since we are done with making any major changes for now.
Developmentally, the Girls are running(toddler style). They can make it from one side of the room to the other in seconds. I know if I open a bathroom door or their bedroom closet door, my time is limited before both of them are in there looking for trouble. We’ve been practicing scribbling with crayons which more crayon eating occurs than actual coloring but hey, you have to start somewhere. At this age, I wouldn’t expect anything less. The Girls have also learned to hold spoons. They love this!! Every day, I let them feed themselves yogurt or pudding. For the most part, the food makes it into their mouth. I think Trinity is going to be a leftie like her Mama and Kinsley appears to be right handed like Daddy. Time will tell though. Both Girls can show you where their belly is and Mama’s nose. Not only can they point to my nose but they will even pick it for me if I let them(which I don’t). They have definitely figured out where their noses are and seem to only stick their finger up it when someone is looking. It makes me giggle every time.
Parent’s Thoughts:
This toddler stage is awesome!! Don’t get me wrong that it is a lot of work but watching them grow and learn has been a true blessing. We love teaching them new things or being surprised by them doing something new that they had learned that day. You should see how the Girls light up when they see their Daddy. They both give him this extra special smile that no one else gets. It melts my heart to watch! There is definitely a special connection there. Keith is a great Father and spends a lot of quality time with them. I love all the hugs I get in passing. I sit on the floor as they play and in passing, they stop, climb on my lap, we’ll sing a few songs and give some hugs and kisses, and then they are off to play some more. This happens over and over. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Our Encouragement:
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:6
Birthday and Vacation...
Babies Situation:
The Girls are 15 months, finally 1 year adjusted and almost running!! We have been very busy in the last few months. In May, we had the Girls 1 year Birthday party with around 75 of our friends – it was amazing! The Girls turning 1 year was a big milestone and there was nothing better than to share it will our friends.
In June, we took our first family vacation to Panama City. The drive wasn’t fun but the week we got to spend with my sister and her family and Keith’s brother and his family was amazing! Each family had their own room and bathroom so the Girls slept in back-n-plays in our room. Unfortunately, they were still waking up a few times a night and with the thin walls of the condo, they were also waking up everyone else too. No one seemed to mind though. Everyone would get up the next morning with a smile on their face pretty much laughing at us. The Girls loved the new environment. The kitchen and dining was tiled which was somewhat new to the Girls. They were unsure of how it felt which forced them to walk. Spending this week in Florida really accelerated their walking. The ocean and pool were also new to the Girls. They had been sick for so many weeks before the trip that we never got the opportunity to take them to the pool. Kinsley was fine with the ocean and the pool but Trinity needed some convincing that it was safe and fun. We did see a few tar balls but that was only one day.
Developmentally, the Girls are still doing great. Their “cause and effect” toys are teaching them a lot. They are also loving their riding toy. They fight over it and don’t like to share it. When we push them across the room on it, they get the biggest smile on their face. We are even teaching them to push each other since they are able to climb on and off of it on their own. Trinity is repeating a lot of words these days. She is saying Daddy, Mommy, eggs, Sissy, ashes(from Ring around the roses). Kinsley will randomly say Daddy, Mommy, and sometimes “up” and “cup” from the Dr. Seuss book “Hop on Pop”. She likes to whisper so we can’t always here what she is saying. She is funny though. She whispers when she talks but she screams when she cries. She has learned that the louder she screams, the faster Daddy and Mama move – especially at night. Personality wise, I still find Trinity more dependant wanting to be entertained. Kinsley is definitely independent and will go play by herself with no issues.
Eating wise, the Girls are doing great. Over the next 2 months, we will be weaning them from formula onto PediaSure and whole milk. The pediatrician doesn’t want them on whole milk entirely since they are only in the 5% on the 12 month chart. They are off all jar food and eating all table foods which is great. They eat a well balanced diet of a meat, vegetable, and fruit for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We are still using bottles as well which will change soon. With the Girls taking such a large intake of formula, I don’t want to disrupt it at this time. I feel the large amount of formula intake is due to them trying to catch up for the time they were sick. The calorie intake is very important right now for weight gain. Trinity should be around 18 lbs and Kinsley is 17.5 lbs. Once they come down to taking 20 oz per day, we will take away the bottles and only offer the sippy cup. Once the sippy cup is in full swing, then we’ll move from formula to the PediaSure and whole milk. I am not concerned with pushing either right now since they really just turned 12 months last weekend.
Parent’s Thoughts:
Keith and I thoroughly enjoyed our vacation in Florida. It was very enjoyable for us to have a change in scenery and to hang out with our family. I miss our siblings, especially our nieces and nephews. Next time, we’d like to go for 2 weeks. We weren’t ready to come home after the one week. It was neat to watch the Girls flourish in the new atmosphere too. They adapted quickly and squealed as they explored the new surroundings. The Birthday party was perfect too. I wouldn’t change a thing. A lot of work and preplanning went into the party but it was totally worth it. God continues to bless us day after day and we are very thankful. We look forward to raising these sweet baby Girls in a Christian home.
Our Encouragement:
Let your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
Psalm 40:11
The Girls are 15 months, finally 1 year adjusted and almost running!! We have been very busy in the last few months. In May, we had the Girls 1 year Birthday party with around 75 of our friends – it was amazing! The Girls turning 1 year was a big milestone and there was nothing better than to share it will our friends.
In June, we took our first family vacation to Panama City. The drive wasn’t fun but the week we got to spend with my sister and her family and Keith’s brother and his family was amazing! Each family had their own room and bathroom so the Girls slept in back-n-plays in our room. Unfortunately, they were still waking up a few times a night and with the thin walls of the condo, they were also waking up everyone else too. No one seemed to mind though. Everyone would get up the next morning with a smile on their face pretty much laughing at us. The Girls loved the new environment. The kitchen and dining was tiled which was somewhat new to the Girls. They were unsure of how it felt which forced them to walk. Spending this week in Florida really accelerated their walking. The ocean and pool were also new to the Girls. They had been sick for so many weeks before the trip that we never got the opportunity to take them to the pool. Kinsley was fine with the ocean and the pool but Trinity needed some convincing that it was safe and fun. We did see a few tar balls but that was only one day.
Developmentally, the Girls are still doing great. Their “cause and effect” toys are teaching them a lot. They are also loving their riding toy. They fight over it and don’t like to share it. When we push them across the room on it, they get the biggest smile on their face. We are even teaching them to push each other since they are able to climb on and off of it on their own. Trinity is repeating a lot of words these days. She is saying Daddy, Mommy, eggs, Sissy, ashes(from Ring around the roses). Kinsley will randomly say Daddy, Mommy, and sometimes “up” and “cup” from the Dr. Seuss book “Hop on Pop”. She likes to whisper so we can’t always here what she is saying. She is funny though. She whispers when she talks but she screams when she cries. She has learned that the louder she screams, the faster Daddy and Mama move – especially at night. Personality wise, I still find Trinity more dependant wanting to be entertained. Kinsley is definitely independent and will go play by herself with no issues.
Eating wise, the Girls are doing great. Over the next 2 months, we will be weaning them from formula onto PediaSure and whole milk. The pediatrician doesn’t want them on whole milk entirely since they are only in the 5% on the 12 month chart. They are off all jar food and eating all table foods which is great. They eat a well balanced diet of a meat, vegetable, and fruit for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We are still using bottles as well which will change soon. With the Girls taking such a large intake of formula, I don’t want to disrupt it at this time. I feel the large amount of formula intake is due to them trying to catch up for the time they were sick. The calorie intake is very important right now for weight gain. Trinity should be around 18 lbs and Kinsley is 17.5 lbs. Once they come down to taking 20 oz per day, we will take away the bottles and only offer the sippy cup. Once the sippy cup is in full swing, then we’ll move from formula to the PediaSure and whole milk. I am not concerned with pushing either right now since they really just turned 12 months last weekend.
Parent’s Thoughts:
Keith and I thoroughly enjoyed our vacation in Florida. It was very enjoyable for us to have a change in scenery and to hang out with our family. I miss our siblings, especially our nieces and nephews. Next time, we’d like to go for 2 weeks. We weren’t ready to come home after the one week. It was neat to watch the Girls flourish in the new atmosphere too. They adapted quickly and squealed as they explored the new surroundings. The Birthday party was perfect too. I wouldn’t change a thing. A lot of work and preplanning went into the party but it was totally worth it. God continues to bless us day after day and we are very thankful. We look forward to raising these sweet baby Girls in a Christian home.
Our Encouragement:
Let your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
Psalm 40:11
Catching Bugs (Rough Few weeks)...
Babies Situation:
The Girls have had a rough 4 weeks with catching a few nasty viruses but I think we are finally over this last one. Kinsley has had diarrhea since last Friday but last night was a successful night of no diarrhea diapers – Thank you God!! With Keith traveling for work all week, it has been a very long week for me but it’s over and Kins is feeling better so we are all good.
Developmentally, Trinity is back on track. She is walking 75% of the time and just talking up a storm. Last night, she was brave enough to hold something in her hand while walking across the room. A few times this past week, she attempted to run across the room which resulted in her falling but she tried it a few more times. She is getting more brave! In her high pitched voice, she calls me “Daddy” and seems to be saying “Sissy” randomly. She is now bottle feeding herself which is bitter sweet. I love giving them their bottles but it does get difficult when they are hungry at the same time. One usually had to wait their turn fussing for 10 minutes while the other is getting her bottle.
Kinsley is slowly getting back to her old self. She is Queen of funny faces and in the last 2 days, I have noticed that she is making a lot more than what she’s done in the last week. She is probably walking 50% of the time. I think in the next week she will really take off with her walking if we can keep her healthy. She will say “Mom” once in awhile when she wakes up from a nap or in the morning. Before she got sick, she was jibbering a lot so I’m sure that will come back soon. She is not bottle feeding herself yet which is somewhat our fault. When I do let her feed herself, she gets so interested in watching the formula move in the bottle that she stops eating and starts playing with the bottle. Since she has lost about 1 lb in the last 6 weeks, calorie intake is very important. If we hold the bottle for her, she’ll take what she needs. I think this weekend I will let her bottle feed herself but I will be right there with her encouraging her not to play but to eat.
Parent's Thoughts:
The last 6 weeks have been very difficult for not only the babies but for us. The Girls haven’t slept well since they got sick so we are both lacking sleep. Hopefully we’ll catch up over the weekend!! Between having sick babies and working full time, it has been trialing but we have managed it well. Keith and I are a great team and I am very thankful that he is right in there with me helping. I never imagined how much harder it is with having sick babies. It is heart breaking to watch your babies go through hard times but it is comforting to know that they will build up tolerances which will make them stronger.
On a good note, the Girls are so much fun!!!! We read books, play with toys together, sing our ABC’s (well Mamma sings and they just smile), splash in the bath tub, dance to music and clap our hands to the beat, and they love helping Mama fold clothes and put them away (not really, they actually laugh as they pull everything out of the drawer and enjoy knocking over the folded pile). I cannot believe they are 14 months old, 11 months adjusted. Time flies when you are having fun!!!
Our Encouragement:
Do not withhold your tender mercies from me, O Lord; Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me.
Psalm 40:11
The Girls have had a rough 4 weeks with catching a few nasty viruses but I think we are finally over this last one. Kinsley has had diarrhea since last Friday but last night was a successful night of no diarrhea diapers – Thank you God!! With Keith traveling for work all week, it has been a very long week for me but it’s over and Kins is feeling better so we are all good.
Developmentally, Trinity is back on track. She is walking 75% of the time and just talking up a storm. Last night, she was brave enough to hold something in her hand while walking across the room. A few times this past week, she attempted to run across the room which resulted in her falling but she tried it a few more times. She is getting more brave! In her high pitched voice, she calls me “Daddy” and seems to be saying “Sissy” randomly. She is now bottle feeding herself which is bitter sweet. I love giving them their bottles but it does get difficult when they are hungry at the same time. One usually had to wait their turn fussing for 10 minutes while the other is getting her bottle.
Kinsley is slowly getting back to her old self. She is Queen of funny faces and in the last 2 days, I have noticed that she is making a lot more than what she’s done in the last week. She is probably walking 50% of the time. I think in the next week she will really take off with her walking if we can keep her healthy. She will say “Mom” once in awhile when she wakes up from a nap or in the morning. Before she got sick, she was jibbering a lot so I’m sure that will come back soon. She is not bottle feeding herself yet which is somewhat our fault. When I do let her feed herself, she gets so interested in watching the formula move in the bottle that she stops eating and starts playing with the bottle. Since she has lost about 1 lb in the last 6 weeks, calorie intake is very important. If we hold the bottle for her, she’ll take what she needs. I think this weekend I will let her bottle feed herself but I will be right there with her encouraging her not to play but to eat.
Parent's Thoughts:
The last 6 weeks have been very difficult for not only the babies but for us. The Girls haven’t slept well since they got sick so we are both lacking sleep. Hopefully we’ll catch up over the weekend!! Between having sick babies and working full time, it has been trialing but we have managed it well. Keith and I are a great team and I am very thankful that he is right in there with me helping. I never imagined how much harder it is with having sick babies. It is heart breaking to watch your babies go through hard times but it is comforting to know that they will build up tolerances which will make them stronger.
On a good note, the Girls are so much fun!!!! We read books, play with toys together, sing our ABC’s (well Mamma sings and they just smile), splash in the bath tub, dance to music and clap our hands to the beat, and they love helping Mama fold clothes and put them away (not really, they actually laugh as they pull everything out of the drawer and enjoy knocking over the folded pile). I cannot believe they are 14 months old, 11 months adjusted. Time flies when you are having fun!!!
Our Encouragement:
Do not withhold your tender mercies from me, O Lord; Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me.
Psalm 40:11
First Steps - Week of May 10th...
Babies Situation:
We have some very exciting news to share!! Miss Kinsley took her first 4-5 steps this week. The Girls will do anything to get their hands on the TV remote so our Nanny decided to entice her with it and it worked. I was pretty skeptical when Nancy told me what Kinsley can do until I tried it and she walked!!! It was amazing!!! Now Trinity hasn’t fallen for the remote trick yet but we will continue to work with her on it to see if we can have her walking very soon. Not bad for 13 months, 10 months adjusted.
We have more good news! Because the Girls are doing so well developmentally and aren’t showing issues with eating, the Occupational therapist has released them from therapy. We are officially on our own except for the GI specialist and he really doesn’t change anything. We give him an update and he tells us to continue with what we are doing. He did suggest that we wean the Girls off their nightly dosage of Prilosec so we’ll start that soon. He also wants us to continue with formula since it is their main source for calories. Both Girls are still pretty small (like their Mama) and in the 10th percentile on the adjusted chart for weight. They are not even on the chart for their real age.
In the last few weeks, we have had some exciting activities. We were able to help celebrate the Reid Twins turning 1. It was a great party and such a huge milestone for micro-preemies. The Reid family is very dear to us and we have enjoyed watching their sweet babies grow over the last year!! We also did the March for Babies last week – what a blast!! We had 5 families walk with us and we were financially able to surpass our goal. Thank you to everyone who helped with that. The March of Dimes is a great cause and we are living proof of their research and support.
Parents Thoughts:
It is such a great feeling to know that your babies are on the right path developmentally. It has been a saving Grace to have weekly visits from the Occupational therapist providing guidance and expertise on how to get the Girls caught up to their chronological age. Her exact words were “they are doing exceptionally well for being micro-preemies”. Thank you God!! Now I just need to get them to eat more or I need the peace and comfort that they are getting what they need so I need to leave it alone!! They are very active and burn lots of calories. Luckily, it hasn’t affected them developmentally but it seems to be a persistent topic with the GI specialist and pediatrician. Both say they are doing great and look great but it is a topic that we discuss at all appointments so it lingers in the back of my head – daily! Overall, the babies are doing great. They love to play all day long and get into everything that they aren’t supposed to be in. True blessings!!
Our Encouragement:
Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah 51:11
We have some very exciting news to share!! Miss Kinsley took her first 4-5 steps this week. The Girls will do anything to get their hands on the TV remote so our Nanny decided to entice her with it and it worked. I was pretty skeptical when Nancy told me what Kinsley can do until I tried it and she walked!!! It was amazing!!! Now Trinity hasn’t fallen for the remote trick yet but we will continue to work with her on it to see if we can have her walking very soon. Not bad for 13 months, 10 months adjusted.
We have more good news! Because the Girls are doing so well developmentally and aren’t showing issues with eating, the Occupational therapist has released them from therapy. We are officially on our own except for the GI specialist and he really doesn’t change anything. We give him an update and he tells us to continue with what we are doing. He did suggest that we wean the Girls off their nightly dosage of Prilosec so we’ll start that soon. He also wants us to continue with formula since it is their main source for calories. Both Girls are still pretty small (like their Mama) and in the 10th percentile on the adjusted chart for weight. They are not even on the chart for their real age.
In the last few weeks, we have had some exciting activities. We were able to help celebrate the Reid Twins turning 1. It was a great party and such a huge milestone for micro-preemies. The Reid family is very dear to us and we have enjoyed watching their sweet babies grow over the last year!! We also did the March for Babies last week – what a blast!! We had 5 families walk with us and we were financially able to surpass our goal. Thank you to everyone who helped with that. The March of Dimes is a great cause and we are living proof of their research and support.
Parents Thoughts:
It is such a great feeling to know that your babies are on the right path developmentally. It has been a saving Grace to have weekly visits from the Occupational therapist providing guidance and expertise on how to get the Girls caught up to their chronological age. Her exact words were “they are doing exceptionally well for being micro-preemies”. Thank you God!! Now I just need to get them to eat more or I need the peace and comfort that they are getting what they need so I need to leave it alone!! They are very active and burn lots of calories. Luckily, it hasn’t affected them developmentally but it seems to be a persistent topic with the GI specialist and pediatrician. Both say they are doing great and look great but it is a topic that we discuss at all appointments so it lingers in the back of my head – daily! Overall, the babies are doing great. They love to play all day long and get into everything that they aren’t supposed to be in. True blessings!!
Our Encouragement:
Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah 51:11
Visit to the NICU - Week of April 26th.
Babies Situation:
This week we took the Girls back to the NICU to visit some of their old friends. We saw many nurses, doctors, and therapists who saw the Girls on a regular basis. It was a nice to see everyone and to catch up. Everyone looked great and their smiling faces once again brought comfort. They will always be heroes to us and we are so thankful for having them apart of our lives.
The Girls are doing great. They are so close to walking. Both will stand without holding on to anything. Trinity does it a little more than Kinsley but Kinsley is very fast at moving around her activity table that is about 12 inches tall. She’ll go half way around it and then turn around quickly heading the other way. These Girls are so active!! They explore every inch of our living room and hardly ever take a break. I like sitting on the floor with them. They will crawl over me and go behind my back as they cross the room. A few times they will run into me with their shopping cart but they are usually in a hurry to get to the other side of the room so I will get a few quick kisses and then they are off again. They also like to go in behind the chair where we can’t see them and they just giggle. There’s a lot of belly laughing going on in our house. They really enjoy each other!
We did change up their feeding schedule. They are now getting bottles and solids at separate times of the day. Since the schedule change, their intake on solids has increased while they seem to be maintaining the same amount of formula. Yeah!!
Parent's Thoughts:
The visit to the NICU brought back a lot of memories. Even just parking in the parking garage. I parked in that garage at least 140 times (since the girls spend 135 days in there and I was in the hospital myself for 5 days). Most days, I made 2 trips to the NICU so that number is most likely double. I did see a few moms pass through to visit their brand new baby and my heart sunk for each and every one of them. I almost felt guilty for being in there with my healthy babies just knowing how they felt and knowing what road lies ahead. To everyone out there – If you think about it today or this week, please pray for all these NICU babies and Parents. They need it!!
Our Encouragement:
For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.
Psalm 71:5
This week we took the Girls back to the NICU to visit some of their old friends. We saw many nurses, doctors, and therapists who saw the Girls on a regular basis. It was a nice to see everyone and to catch up. Everyone looked great and their smiling faces once again brought comfort. They will always be heroes to us and we are so thankful for having them apart of our lives.
The Girls are doing great. They are so close to walking. Both will stand without holding on to anything. Trinity does it a little more than Kinsley but Kinsley is very fast at moving around her activity table that is about 12 inches tall. She’ll go half way around it and then turn around quickly heading the other way. These Girls are so active!! They explore every inch of our living room and hardly ever take a break. I like sitting on the floor with them. They will crawl over me and go behind my back as they cross the room. A few times they will run into me with their shopping cart but they are usually in a hurry to get to the other side of the room so I will get a few quick kisses and then they are off again. They also like to go in behind the chair where we can’t see them and they just giggle. There’s a lot of belly laughing going on in our house. They really enjoy each other!
We did change up their feeding schedule. They are now getting bottles and solids at separate times of the day. Since the schedule change, their intake on solids has increased while they seem to be maintaining the same amount of formula. Yeah!!
Parent's Thoughts:
The visit to the NICU brought back a lot of memories. Even just parking in the parking garage. I parked in that garage at least 140 times (since the girls spend 135 days in there and I was in the hospital myself for 5 days). Most days, I made 2 trips to the NICU so that number is most likely double. I did see a few moms pass through to visit their brand new baby and my heart sunk for each and every one of them. I almost felt guilty for being in there with my healthy babies just knowing how they felt and knowing what road lies ahead. To everyone out there – If you think about it today or this week, please pray for all these NICU babies and Parents. They need it!!
Our Encouragement:
For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.
Psalm 71:5
OT to end??? - Week of April 12th.
Babies Situation:
The Girls are getting stronger at pulling up and moving between furniture. They got their first set of tennis shoes which seems to help. I also got them some new toys from the AMOM (Austin Mom's of Multiples) consignment sale. They now have a table with activities on top of it that requires them to stand while playing, a shopping cart that they push back and forth across the living room, and a talking mirror with lights (it's like a karaoke mirror).
Trinity loves the push toys and goes back and forth all day. Kinsley isn't as strong so she'll push a toy if encouraged but it's rare for her to start it on her own. Julie, the OT, says that Kinsley is a perfectionist so she will walk when she has it mastered. Trinity is the opposite. She'll go for it, fall, pick herself back up, and start again.
Julie has now moved her visits to every other week. She said the Girls are doing great developmentally and they seem to be ok with eating different textures which can be a problem with reflux children. She'll come a few more times and then she thinks they can be released from her care.
Trinity has had a rough week of teething. She has been up throughout the night all week long. She has been able to put herself back to sleep without our assistance. Hopefully, Keith and I can recover on our sleep this weekend. Kinsley was slobbering pretty bad too so she might be entering a bad teething stage now. Oh, a quick update on our first trip to church with the Girls. We decided to try one of the morning services which happened to fall at nap time. From what we were told, Kinsley cried most of the time and Trinity cried out of sympathy for Kinsley. We'll be trying a different service time next week.
Parent's Thoughts:
I cannot believe OT is talking about releasing the Girls. It's a great milestone to hit but honesty, it scares me not having the safety net of someone in the medical field checking on them weekly reassuring me they are where they should be at this point. It was nice having Julie come weekly to show me what the Girls should be working on next. Now I have to figure it out on my own!!! I already do this but I will continue asking God for wisdom as I raise these special little Girls. They bring such joy to our lives!!!
Our Daily Encouragement:
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he sustain you.
Psalm 55:22
The Girls are getting stronger at pulling up and moving between furniture. They got their first set of tennis shoes which seems to help. I also got them some new toys from the AMOM (Austin Mom's of Multiples) consignment sale. They now have a table with activities on top of it that requires them to stand while playing, a shopping cart that they push back and forth across the living room, and a talking mirror with lights (it's like a karaoke mirror).
Trinity loves the push toys and goes back and forth all day. Kinsley isn't as strong so she'll push a toy if encouraged but it's rare for her to start it on her own. Julie, the OT, says that Kinsley is a perfectionist so she will walk when she has it mastered. Trinity is the opposite. She'll go for it, fall, pick herself back up, and start again.
Julie has now moved her visits to every other week. She said the Girls are doing great developmentally and they seem to be ok with eating different textures which can be a problem with reflux children. She'll come a few more times and then she thinks they can be released from her care.
Trinity has had a rough week of teething. She has been up throughout the night all week long. She has been able to put herself back to sleep without our assistance. Hopefully, Keith and I can recover on our sleep this weekend. Kinsley was slobbering pretty bad too so she might be entering a bad teething stage now. Oh, a quick update on our first trip to church with the Girls. We decided to try one of the morning services which happened to fall at nap time. From what we were told, Kinsley cried most of the time and Trinity cried out of sympathy for Kinsley. We'll be trying a different service time next week.
Parent's Thoughts:
I cannot believe OT is talking about releasing the Girls. It's a great milestone to hit but honesty, it scares me not having the safety net of someone in the medical field checking on them weekly reassuring me they are where they should be at this point. It was nice having Julie come weekly to show me what the Girls should be working on next. Now I have to figure it out on my own!!! I already do this but I will continue asking God for wisdom as I raise these special little Girls. They bring such joy to our lives!!!
Our Daily Encouragement:
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he sustain you.
Psalm 55:22
Small Sips - Week of April 5th.
Babies Situation:
The Girls had another great week! They are talking up a storm and getting into everything that they shouldn't be getting into. Oh, and how could I forget teething!! They each have 4 teeth now - 2 on top and 2 on the bottom and let me tell you they are sharp!! The Girls have been interacting with each other a lot more lately. They smile and belly laugh at each other all throughout the day. There is nothing better than sitting there watching them communicate like this. What a joy it is to hear them laugh like they do.
Our newest challenge this week is getting the Girls to take their milk from a sippy cup. They do not like it at all!! Nancy tried for the first time yesterday and there was lots of crying. We tried last night and it didn't go over so well. Keith was trying to feed Kinsley and she threw a fit. She kept trying to crawl over to me hoping I would help her. Hopefully, Nancy will have better luck. This weekend is going to be a long weekend if not.
Parent's Thoughts:
We are so excited! We are starting back to church this Sunday. It will be another learning experience for the Girls but a very good one for them. We have not been able to attend church regularly since the Girls came home last July so this is one step closer for us to getting our lives back on track.
Our Daily Encouragement:
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.
Proverbs 4:12-13
The Girls had another great week! They are talking up a storm and getting into everything that they shouldn't be getting into. Oh, and how could I forget teething!! They each have 4 teeth now - 2 on top and 2 on the bottom and let me tell you they are sharp!! The Girls have been interacting with each other a lot more lately. They smile and belly laugh at each other all throughout the day. There is nothing better than sitting there watching them communicate like this. What a joy it is to hear them laugh like they do.
Our newest challenge this week is getting the Girls to take their milk from a sippy cup. They do not like it at all!! Nancy tried for the first time yesterday and there was lots of crying. We tried last night and it didn't go over so well. Keith was trying to feed Kinsley and she threw a fit. She kept trying to crawl over to me hoping I would help her. Hopefully, Nancy will have better luck. This weekend is going to be a long weekend if not.
Parent's Thoughts:
We are so excited! We are starting back to church this Sunday. It will be another learning experience for the Girls but a very good one for them. We have not been able to attend church regularly since the Girls came home last July so this is one step closer for us to getting our lives back on track.
Our Daily Encouragement:
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.
Proverbs 4:12-13
1 Year Old - Week of March 15th.
Babies Situation:
It was a big week for the Girls. They are officially 1 year old!! We had a very intimate celebration with my Parents, the girls Nanny (Nancy), her daughter, and one of the girls NICU nurses (Andrea). It was perfect! We were able to focus on the Girls all day long! A big party is soon to come!! The girls also celebrated St. Patty's Day in style! Grammy O'Brien (even though she is more Italian than Irish) sent the cutest outfits that the girls wore all day.
Developmentally, the Girls are doing great! They pull up on everything and are cruising back and forth across the baby gate and couch. A few days ago, we got them a toy that they can hold onto while walking. As they get bigger, they will be able to ride it. Julie, the occupational therapist, says that they are doing so well that she is ready to decrease her weekly visits to twice/month but our pediatrician has asked that she continue to see them weekly until we know there are no issues with eating solids.
In 3 weeks, Julie will re-evaluate to see if every other week is the right call. Some new things the Girls are doing...We have caught Trinity licking the wall a few times and if Kinsley hears the word "no" it only motivates her to move faster at what she plans to do. Trinity's favorite toy right now is the piano and Kinsley is loving baby dolls!!
Parent's Thoughts:
I have to admit, I was somewhat afraid of what emotions would come with the Girls actual birthday. For sure I would be thankful and happy that we made it and that the Girls were doing so well but part of me was afraid that some of those other memories would creep in of how I felt throughout the NICU stay. With God's Grace, I woke up the morning of their 1 year birthday feeling as if I was free of those memories. Thank you God!! Ever since, I have not thought once of them. I am thoroughly enjoying every minute I get to spend with my babies. They are growing up so fast that I don't want any of it to be taken for granted. Happy Easter!! I hope everyone remembers the true meaning of this weekend!!!
Our Encouragement:
From the fullness of his grace we have received one blessing after another.
John 1:16
It was a big week for the Girls. They are officially 1 year old!! We had a very intimate celebration with my Parents, the girls Nanny (Nancy), her daughter, and one of the girls NICU nurses (Andrea). It was perfect! We were able to focus on the Girls all day long! A big party is soon to come!! The girls also celebrated St. Patty's Day in style! Grammy O'Brien (even though she is more Italian than Irish) sent the cutest outfits that the girls wore all day.
Developmentally, the Girls are doing great! They pull up on everything and are cruising back and forth across the baby gate and couch. A few days ago, we got them a toy that they can hold onto while walking. As they get bigger, they will be able to ride it. Julie, the occupational therapist, says that they are doing so well that she is ready to decrease her weekly visits to twice/month but our pediatrician has asked that she continue to see them weekly until we know there are no issues with eating solids.
In 3 weeks, Julie will re-evaluate to see if every other week is the right call. Some new things the Girls are doing...We have caught Trinity licking the wall a few times and if Kinsley hears the word "no" it only motivates her to move faster at what she plans to do. Trinity's favorite toy right now is the piano and Kinsley is loving baby dolls!!
Parent's Thoughts:
I have to admit, I was somewhat afraid of what emotions would come with the Girls actual birthday. For sure I would be thankful and happy that we made it and that the Girls were doing so well but part of me was afraid that some of those other memories would creep in of how I felt throughout the NICU stay. With God's Grace, I woke up the morning of their 1 year birthday feeling as if I was free of those memories. Thank you God!! Ever since, I have not thought once of them. I am thoroughly enjoying every minute I get to spend with my babies. They are growing up so fast that I don't want any of it to be taken for granted. Happy Easter!! I hope everyone remembers the true meaning of this weekend!!!
Our Encouragement:
From the fullness of his grace we have received one blessing after another.
John 1:16
We're Still Standing...
Babies Situation:
The Girls will be 1 year old next week. Wow does time fly! We have had a wonderful, blessed year. Thank you God. Both Girls have mastered the art of pulling up and are starting to cruise and play with toys while holding on to the baby gate. Kinsley has figured out that there are buttons on the TV. She gets great enjoyment out of turning the TV off and then turning to see your reaction. Smart Daddy has taken care of that one though by putting the baby gate in front of the TV. In the last few days, Kinsley has finally figured out how to sit down from a standing up position. She does it very slowly and carefully - it is actually pretty graceful. Trinity hasn't figured that part out yet. She is very quick to pull herself up on everything but hasn't figured out how to let herself back down. This has not really been any issue until it's bedtime and you find her falling asleep standing up.
Both Girls have had major teething going on this week, especially Trinity. Since last weekend, there has been few naps and broken sleep at night. Trinity cannot even crawl across the room without stopping to put her hand in her mouth. No sleep+poor feedings=fussy babies and sleep deprived parents :( Hopefully, we are almost done with this bad teething spell. Both seem to be getting better each day. We only heard one cry last night and it lasted 3 seconds. We do have a bad habit to break though. Trinity has been in so much pain for the last three nights that we have rocked her to sleep. Last night we tried putting her down without rocking her and she wasn't going to let us get away with her/our normal routine. I think she enjoys it as much as we do... ha. Tonight is going to be day 1 of trying to break the bad habit we have all formed. Please pray for us. I am weak and cannot stand to hear my babies crying.
On a more positive note, both Girls are officially crawling on their hands and knees with the exception that if there is a new, hot toy across the room they know to drop to the elbows for speed. It is quite the show to see two 15 lb babies speed across the room for the same toy. There is lots of huffing and puffing that goes along with it.
Parent's Thoughts:
Overall, the Girls are doing great. Julie, the occupational therapist, said that developmentally they are catching up to their chronological age for being 1 next week. We have really enjoyed watching them develop. What a joy it is to see your babies grow. We go for their last RSV shot today. Yeah!! We have almost made it through RSV season. It is a true blessing that we have been able to avoid this nasty infection thus far. We have been taking them out to eat on patios and trying to get them somewhat exposed to life outside the house. They are slowly adapting. In a few weeks, we will start taking them to church and to indoor facilities like the mall or a store. We are planning at least 1-2 outdoor/indoor activities per weekend. We will be having a 1 year birthday party either late spring or summer (once flu/RSV is minimal) so we need to get them ready to socialize. Please continue to pray for good health and adaptability. We do appreciate all the comments on the blog. The support has really helped us through this year.
Our Encouragement:
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57
The Girls will be 1 year old next week. Wow does time fly! We have had a wonderful, blessed year. Thank you God. Both Girls have mastered the art of pulling up and are starting to cruise and play with toys while holding on to the baby gate. Kinsley has figured out that there are buttons on the TV. She gets great enjoyment out of turning the TV off and then turning to see your reaction. Smart Daddy has taken care of that one though by putting the baby gate in front of the TV. In the last few days, Kinsley has finally figured out how to sit down from a standing up position. She does it very slowly and carefully - it is actually pretty graceful. Trinity hasn't figured that part out yet. She is very quick to pull herself up on everything but hasn't figured out how to let herself back down. This has not really been any issue until it's bedtime and you find her falling asleep standing up.
Both Girls have had major teething going on this week, especially Trinity. Since last weekend, there has been few naps and broken sleep at night. Trinity cannot even crawl across the room without stopping to put her hand in her mouth. No sleep+poor feedings=fussy babies and sleep deprived parents :( Hopefully, we are almost done with this bad teething spell. Both seem to be getting better each day. We only heard one cry last night and it lasted 3 seconds. We do have a bad habit to break though. Trinity has been in so much pain for the last three nights that we have rocked her to sleep. Last night we tried putting her down without rocking her and she wasn't going to let us get away with her/our normal routine. I think she enjoys it as much as we do... ha. Tonight is going to be day 1 of trying to break the bad habit we have all formed. Please pray for us. I am weak and cannot stand to hear my babies crying.
On a more positive note, both Girls are officially crawling on their hands and knees with the exception that if there is a new, hot toy across the room they know to drop to the elbows for speed. It is quite the show to see two 15 lb babies speed across the room for the same toy. There is lots of huffing and puffing that goes along with it.
Parent's Thoughts:
Overall, the Girls are doing great. Julie, the occupational therapist, said that developmentally they are catching up to their chronological age for being 1 next week. We have really enjoyed watching them develop. What a joy it is to see your babies grow. We go for their last RSV shot today. Yeah!! We have almost made it through RSV season. It is a true blessing that we have been able to avoid this nasty infection thus far. We have been taking them out to eat on patios and trying to get them somewhat exposed to life outside the house. They are slowly adapting. In a few weeks, we will start taking them to church and to indoor facilities like the mall or a store. We are planning at least 1-2 outdoor/indoor activities per weekend. We will be having a 1 year birthday party either late spring or summer (once flu/RSV is minimal) so we need to get them ready to socialize. Please continue to pray for good health and adaptability. We do appreciate all the comments on the blog. The support has really helped us through this year.
Our Encouragement:
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57
Back in Action...
Babies Situation:
The Girls turned 11 months on Feb 18th. so they are now 7 1/2 months corrected. We had a good, healthy week. No colds or stomach flu - only teething!! Both are slobbering excessively with hands or toys in their mouth constantly. They cannot even make it across the room without stopping and sticking their hands into their mouth. We know this is a phase so hopefully we'll have a break soon.
We introduced high chairs to the Girls over the weekend. They loved them!! They think it's a new toy which makes keeping their attention on eating almost impossible. From the looks of things, we might have to start over on how much solids we can get them to take. They are more interested in the chair and what's around them rather than the food. Oh well, lesson learned.
Kinsley loves solids so she'll take anywhere from 1 oz to 4 oz per feeding but when she takes around 4 oz that means she only took a few ounces of formula. Trinity loves her bottle so she will finish her bottle but only take 1 to 2 oz of solids. The new position of sitting up makes it harder for Trinity to keep her food in her mouth since she has an over active tongue. I'm sure the OT will be able to help her with that.
Julie, the occupational therapist, has us pretty much working with the Girls on the same things. We are working with them on crawling on their hands and knees, pulling up, and eating from high chairs. Our pediatrician said that we could start introducing stage 3 solids but Julie would first like to start feeding the Girls crackers to see if they will chew their food rather than just swallow it whole. I bought some Ritz crackers for them to practice on. Both Girls are loving to pull-up on the couch (with assistance) but Kinsley did it on her own yesterday. Keith was watching the Girls while I was away hosting a baby shower. When I got home, Kinsley crawled over to the baby gate to say HI and pulled herself up on it to see me. It was awesome!!!
Parent's Thoughts:
Overall, the Girls are advancing great. We had ECI come out and do another evaluation last Friday and they both are ranking at 8 months which is great for micro preemies. They are not delayed at all for their corrected age. Due to being sick for a few weeks, they did loose a few ounces which slowed them down developmentally but they are back on track. We know there will be more set backs but we'll work through them and pick up where they left off. We are not concerned at this time that they are not closer to their chronological age. They have plenty of time to catch up. We are just enjoying them as they are.
Our Encouragement:
May the Lord continually bless you with heaven's blessings as well as with human joys.
Psalm 128:5
The Girls turned 11 months on Feb 18th. so they are now 7 1/2 months corrected. We had a good, healthy week. No colds or stomach flu - only teething!! Both are slobbering excessively with hands or toys in their mouth constantly. They cannot even make it across the room without stopping and sticking their hands into their mouth. We know this is a phase so hopefully we'll have a break soon.
We introduced high chairs to the Girls over the weekend. They loved them!! They think it's a new toy which makes keeping their attention on eating almost impossible. From the looks of things, we might have to start over on how much solids we can get them to take. They are more interested in the chair and what's around them rather than the food. Oh well, lesson learned.
Kinsley loves solids so she'll take anywhere from 1 oz to 4 oz per feeding but when she takes around 4 oz that means she only took a few ounces of formula. Trinity loves her bottle so she will finish her bottle but only take 1 to 2 oz of solids. The new position of sitting up makes it harder for Trinity to keep her food in her mouth since she has an over active tongue. I'm sure the OT will be able to help her with that.
Julie, the occupational therapist, has us pretty much working with the Girls on the same things. We are working with them on crawling on their hands and knees, pulling up, and eating from high chairs. Our pediatrician said that we could start introducing stage 3 solids but Julie would first like to start feeding the Girls crackers to see if they will chew their food rather than just swallow it whole. I bought some Ritz crackers for them to practice on. Both Girls are loving to pull-up on the couch (with assistance) but Kinsley did it on her own yesterday. Keith was watching the Girls while I was away hosting a baby shower. When I got home, Kinsley crawled over to the baby gate to say HI and pulled herself up on it to see me. It was awesome!!!
Parent's Thoughts:
Overall, the Girls are advancing great. We had ECI come out and do another evaluation last Friday and they both are ranking at 8 months which is great for micro preemies. They are not delayed at all for their corrected age. Due to being sick for a few weeks, they did loose a few ounces which slowed them down developmentally but they are back on track. We know there will be more set backs but we'll work through them and pick up where they left off. We are not concerned at this time that they are not closer to their chronological age. They have plenty of time to catch up. We are just enjoying them as they are.
Our Encouragement:
May the Lord continually bless you with heaven's blessings as well as with human joys.
Psalm 128:5
To pooped to pop - Feb. starts with a mess
Babies Situation:
The Girls are 10 1/2 months old, 7 months corrected as of the first week in Feb. Trinity is now army crawling when provoked with the TV remote while Kinsley is zooming around the room on her little elbows. For the next few weeks, we will be working with the Girls on pulling up and cruising the furniture, crawling with their hands and knees, and going from a laying down position to sitting.
The Girls have had a rough start to Feb. with the stomach bug. We noticed their appetite decline about 1 1/2 weeks ago but that was probably due to teething. On Tuesday Feb 2nd., Kinsley vomited on Julie, the girls OT. Later that night, she had her first diarrhea diaper. Trinity was soon to follow. They both made a trip to the pediatrician on Wednesday and we were told to keep them hydrated but also to keep our eye out for dehydration. The issue here is that the Girls are very picky eaters and will only take their formula - nothing else. Their formula is milk-based which in turn doesn't go well with the stomach bug. Long story short, it has been some long days/nights and lots of stinky diapers!! We are giving them Florator for Kids twice/day and 1 oz of pedialyte(through a syringe). The largest syringe we have holds 5 ml. We have to fill it up 6 times to get 1 oz!! eek! After 4 days of this routine, it seems as if they have gotten a bit better (No dirty diapers since 7:30am Sat) - Thank you God!! I hope this is a sign that we are through the hardest part. Now we need their appetite to come back so that they can regain the pound they didn't gain this past month. Trinity weighs 14.11 lbs and Kinsley is 14.2 lbs.
Parent's Thoughts:
It has been a very tough start to Feb. for Keith and me. It has been stressful trying to figure out what the Girls need and how to comfort them. It is not a good feeling to be holding your crying baby and to have no idea what hurts and how to fix it. We have done our research and lots of trial and error to get these Girls better. I think it is finally paying off. Hopefully, we can get some sleep tonight along with the Girls. Kinsley has learned that if she yells (not cries) really loud, we will come running to find a little, round smiling face peering out at us through the crib slates. No matter what time it is though, it still puts a smile on our face.
Our Encouragement:
Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
Psalm 71:17
The Girls are 10 1/2 months old, 7 months corrected as of the first week in Feb. Trinity is now army crawling when provoked with the TV remote while Kinsley is zooming around the room on her little elbows. For the next few weeks, we will be working with the Girls on pulling up and cruising the furniture, crawling with their hands and knees, and going from a laying down position to sitting.
The Girls have had a rough start to Feb. with the stomach bug. We noticed their appetite decline about 1 1/2 weeks ago but that was probably due to teething. On Tuesday Feb 2nd., Kinsley vomited on Julie, the girls OT. Later that night, she had her first diarrhea diaper. Trinity was soon to follow. They both made a trip to the pediatrician on Wednesday and we were told to keep them hydrated but also to keep our eye out for dehydration. The issue here is that the Girls are very picky eaters and will only take their formula - nothing else. Their formula is milk-based which in turn doesn't go well with the stomach bug. Long story short, it has been some long days/nights and lots of stinky diapers!! We are giving them Florator for Kids twice/day and 1 oz of pedialyte(through a syringe). The largest syringe we have holds 5 ml. We have to fill it up 6 times to get 1 oz!! eek! After 4 days of this routine, it seems as if they have gotten a bit better (No dirty diapers since 7:30am Sat) - Thank you God!! I hope this is a sign that we are through the hardest part. Now we need their appetite to come back so that they can regain the pound they didn't gain this past month. Trinity weighs 14.11 lbs and Kinsley is 14.2 lbs.
Parent's Thoughts:
It has been a very tough start to Feb. for Keith and me. It has been stressful trying to figure out what the Girls need and how to comfort them. It is not a good feeling to be holding your crying baby and to have no idea what hurts and how to fix it. We have done our research and lots of trial and error to get these Girls better. I think it is finally paying off. Hopefully, we can get some sleep tonight along with the Girls. Kinsley has learned that if she yells (not cries) really loud, we will come running to find a little, round smiling face peering out at us through the crib slates. No matter what time it is though, it still puts a smile on our face.
Our Encouragement:
Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
Psalm 71:17
Just Sitting Around
Babies Situation:
The Girls turned 10 months on Jan. 18th.!! Yeah! Both are in full swing of teething. Kinsley's second tooth broke through over the weekend but you can only see the first one when she smiles. Trinity still has no teeth breaking through but she has had low grade fevers, drooling, and fussiness so we know it's going to happen soon.
Both Girls can sit. Trinity is a little bit stronger and can sit longer but Kinsley does sit on her own. We started off giving them large, tall toys to play with for them to lean on and practice. Now OT suggests giving them small toys where they have to balance to strengthen their core muscles. It's working!!
The crawling is coming along. Kinsley now whips around the room in her half army crawl(she's about an inch off the ground) getting into everything she shouldn't get into. It's funny to watch her. She first looks around the room to see what's off limits and then goes for it. She like bedroom shoes, cups, remotes, cell phones, plugs, and going behind the couch. Over the weekend, Trinity started moving more. She will army crawl a few inches but that's it for now. She hasn't realized that she can make it across the room. Boy are we in trouble when she does!
Parent's Thoughts:
It has been such a joy watching them grow. They are doing new things every day and it feels great for them to meet their milestones month after month. At this point, they are doing everything they should be doing for 6 1/2 months old. We will continue to work with them on crawling, sitting, and some standing. We have so much fun with them. We all get to laugh and play together which reminds Keith and I what life is really about. Thank you God.
Our Encouragement:
I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
2 Corinthians 7:4
The Girls turned 10 months on Jan. 18th.!! Yeah! Both are in full swing of teething. Kinsley's second tooth broke through over the weekend but you can only see the first one when she smiles. Trinity still has no teeth breaking through but she has had low grade fevers, drooling, and fussiness so we know it's going to happen soon.
Both Girls can sit. Trinity is a little bit stronger and can sit longer but Kinsley does sit on her own. We started off giving them large, tall toys to play with for them to lean on and practice. Now OT suggests giving them small toys where they have to balance to strengthen their core muscles. It's working!!
The crawling is coming along. Kinsley now whips around the room in her half army crawl(she's about an inch off the ground) getting into everything she shouldn't get into. It's funny to watch her. She first looks around the room to see what's off limits and then goes for it. She like bedroom shoes, cups, remotes, cell phones, plugs, and going behind the couch. Over the weekend, Trinity started moving more. She will army crawl a few inches but that's it for now. She hasn't realized that she can make it across the room. Boy are we in trouble when she does!
Parent's Thoughts:
It has been such a joy watching them grow. They are doing new things every day and it feels great for them to meet their milestones month after month. At this point, they are doing everything they should be doing for 6 1/2 months old. We will continue to work with them on crawling, sitting, and some standing. We have so much fun with them. We all get to laugh and play together which reminds Keith and I what life is really about. Thank you God.
Our Encouragement:
I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
2 Corinthians 7:4
The Texas Tooth Step...
Babies Situation:
The Girls have had a good first week of the year. Kinsley is cutting her first tooth but doesn’t seem to be too bothered by it. She has a small, sharp, nobby tooth that just broke the surface. A few months ago, she had more symptoms than now which included eating poorly, broken sleep patterns, and lots of drooling. Trinity is going through all of that right now. She is drooling heavily and eating poorly. She doesn’t want to play as much and is very needy – she wants to be held a lot.
The occupational therapist, Julie, came this week after being off for the holidays. She was very impressed with how much the Girls have changed and improved over the last few weeks. She said both Girls are above their adjusted age of 6 months except for sitting on their own. We will be working on that!! Trinity is stronger throughout her back and can sit a little better and for longer but she still needs assistance. Kinsley is weaker at sitting but she has mastered lying on her side which is the next step to sitting up. Julie feels both will be sitting in the next few weeks!
We are still working on feeding the Girls different solid foods. Today they had sweet potato and absolutely loved it. Yesterday was peas and from what I saw on Kinsley’s face, it isn’t one of her favorites. Julie did tell us that kids with severe reflux will be pickier with textures and taste so she plans to monitor Kinsley’s eating habits. Still today, Kinsley will not eat oatmeal or rice cereal. Trinity will eat everything and anything. You can’t feed her fast enough and she gulps it all down.
Parent's Thoughts:
It has been really neat watching the Girls grow –personality wise and developmentally. Both are very different from each other. Trinity is miss smiley, she loves food, but she doesn’t care too much about anything that she might have to work for. Kinsley is more serious with a sweet smile. Food isn’t her #1 priority but physically, she is all over the place. It seems like the one’s weaknesses is the other’s strength. Overall, we had a good week of health!! Thank you God!!
Our Encouragement:
Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
Psalm 37:5-6
The Girls have had a good first week of the year. Kinsley is cutting her first tooth but doesn’t seem to be too bothered by it. She has a small, sharp, nobby tooth that just broke the surface. A few months ago, she had more symptoms than now which included eating poorly, broken sleep patterns, and lots of drooling. Trinity is going through all of that right now. She is drooling heavily and eating poorly. She doesn’t want to play as much and is very needy – she wants to be held a lot.
The occupational therapist, Julie, came this week after being off for the holidays. She was very impressed with how much the Girls have changed and improved over the last few weeks. She said both Girls are above their adjusted age of 6 months except for sitting on their own. We will be working on that!! Trinity is stronger throughout her back and can sit a little better and for longer but she still needs assistance. Kinsley is weaker at sitting but she has mastered lying on her side which is the next step to sitting up. Julie feels both will be sitting in the next few weeks!
We are still working on feeding the Girls different solid foods. Today they had sweet potato and absolutely loved it. Yesterday was peas and from what I saw on Kinsley’s face, it isn’t one of her favorites. Julie did tell us that kids with severe reflux will be pickier with textures and taste so she plans to monitor Kinsley’s eating habits. Still today, Kinsley will not eat oatmeal or rice cereal. Trinity will eat everything and anything. You can’t feed her fast enough and she gulps it all down.
Parent's Thoughts:
It has been really neat watching the Girls grow –personality wise and developmentally. Both are very different from each other. Trinity is miss smiley, she loves food, but she doesn’t care too much about anything that she might have to work for. Kinsley is more serious with a sweet smile. Food isn’t her #1 priority but physically, she is all over the place. It seems like the one’s weaknesses is the other’s strength. Overall, we had a good week of health!! Thank you God!!
Our Encouragement:
Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
Psalm 37:5-6
A Year of new beginnings...
We are back and committed to updating the Girls’ blog once a week!! We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Babies Situation:
We have so much to report on the Girls. They turned 9 months December 18th and 6 months adjusted yesterday January 2nd. Trinity is just over 14 lbs while Kinsley is 13.5 lbs. Both are growing so quickly!! Both are still getting treated for reflux. Trinity is only getting one dose of Prilosec per day. Her reflux seems to be mild. Kinsley is getting 2 doses a day and is still not keen on eating. We have to be careful with her feeds not to cause any aversion. Some feeds she’ll only take up to 2 oz and we cannot force her to take more. We give her a break and try again in an hour. Overall, the pediatrician wants them taking 18-20 oz per day and we are meeting that requirement. The Pediatrician also gave us the OK to start feeding the Girls two solid meals a day. They get a fruit or vegetable in the mid morning and then oatmeal for dinner. We have been feeding them prunes for the last month to help with their constipation so they have had some practice with being spoon fed. So far, they have seemed to like everything we have given them especially bananas and prunes. They are unsure on the peas and the oatmeal has taken some time to get used to. We still have a bunch of flavors to try!! Yes, the constipation is still an issue. It is getting slightly better but they have not been able to regulate themselves.
Their development is coming along great!! Over the weekend, Kinsley has taught herself to army crawl and seems to get into everything she isn’t supposed to have. She isn’t so interested in her toys but loves Mama’s cell phone, computer, the home phone – everything off limits!! Trinity isn’t far behind. She is pivoting well and can move about a foot but she seems content with staying in one spot and playing with anything she can reach. I am now placing toys all around their playmate and blanket to encourage them to reach, pivot, roll, and crawl. They are pros at rolling so we haven’t worked on that in awhile. Right now, we are working on sitting up.
For Christmas, they received a few toys that they are able to sit over and play with. Another favorite activity for the Girls is playing in their jumperoo’s!! We now have two of them and they go crazy when they are in them. Trinity loves to jump and has been jumping for weeks. Kinsley finally figured out that she can jump and loves it. It’s so much fun to watch them.
We still have OT coming out once a week. Julie works with them on reaching, pivoting, crawling, sitting, and feeding. Developmentally, the Girls are at their adjusted age of 6 months but ahead of that with their hand skills. We also have ECI coming out once or twice a month. They evaluate them and then give us a few exercises to work on with the Girls to help strengthen anything that needs work. I am still working full time so Nancy, our wonderful Nanny, keeps them. She is great with them and takes such wonderful care of them.
Parent's Thoughts:
As you can see, everyone is doing great!! The Girls are healthy and growing on track. Keith and I have really enjoyed how fun the Girls have become in the last few months. They are very interactive and love to play. They smile all the time and talk (very loudly). They echo throughout the house!! They are starting to play with each other too. Well, sort of. They are actually starting to take toys away from each other but I’m sure they will share in the future. We still feel so blessed and excited to raise these precious babies. We do ask that you continue to pray for good health. Flu season is here until April so we have 4 more months to keep them at home to protect them from any major illnesses. In the last 5 months, they have only gotten to go to the doctor’s, to a few small house parties, and 2 restaurants so we have done a great job protecting them. We still fear the flu or colds so we will be home bound until May. Thank you for all your love and support.
Our Encouragement:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and to not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11
Babies Situation:
We have so much to report on the Girls. They turned 9 months December 18th and 6 months adjusted yesterday January 2nd. Trinity is just over 14 lbs while Kinsley is 13.5 lbs. Both are growing so quickly!! Both are still getting treated for reflux. Trinity is only getting one dose of Prilosec per day. Her reflux seems to be mild. Kinsley is getting 2 doses a day and is still not keen on eating. We have to be careful with her feeds not to cause any aversion. Some feeds she’ll only take up to 2 oz and we cannot force her to take more. We give her a break and try again in an hour. Overall, the pediatrician wants them taking 18-20 oz per day and we are meeting that requirement. The Pediatrician also gave us the OK to start feeding the Girls two solid meals a day. They get a fruit or vegetable in the mid morning and then oatmeal for dinner. We have been feeding them prunes for the last month to help with their constipation so they have had some practice with being spoon fed. So far, they have seemed to like everything we have given them especially bananas and prunes. They are unsure on the peas and the oatmeal has taken some time to get used to. We still have a bunch of flavors to try!! Yes, the constipation is still an issue. It is getting slightly better but they have not been able to regulate themselves.
Their development is coming along great!! Over the weekend, Kinsley has taught herself to army crawl and seems to get into everything she isn’t supposed to have. She isn’t so interested in her toys but loves Mama’s cell phone, computer, the home phone – everything off limits!! Trinity isn’t far behind. She is pivoting well and can move about a foot but she seems content with staying in one spot and playing with anything she can reach. I am now placing toys all around their playmate and blanket to encourage them to reach, pivot, roll, and crawl. They are pros at rolling so we haven’t worked on that in awhile. Right now, we are working on sitting up.
For Christmas, they received a few toys that they are able to sit over and play with. Another favorite activity for the Girls is playing in their jumperoo’s!! We now have two of them and they go crazy when they are in them. Trinity loves to jump and has been jumping for weeks. Kinsley finally figured out that she can jump and loves it. It’s so much fun to watch them.
We still have OT coming out once a week. Julie works with them on reaching, pivoting, crawling, sitting, and feeding. Developmentally, the Girls are at their adjusted age of 6 months but ahead of that with their hand skills. We also have ECI coming out once or twice a month. They evaluate them and then give us a few exercises to work on with the Girls to help strengthen anything that needs work. I am still working full time so Nancy, our wonderful Nanny, keeps them. She is great with them and takes such wonderful care of them.
Parent's Thoughts:
As you can see, everyone is doing great!! The Girls are healthy and growing on track. Keith and I have really enjoyed how fun the Girls have become in the last few months. They are very interactive and love to play. They smile all the time and talk (very loudly). They echo throughout the house!! They are starting to play with each other too. Well, sort of. They are actually starting to take toys away from each other but I’m sure they will share in the future. We still feel so blessed and excited to raise these precious babies. We do ask that you continue to pray for good health. Flu season is here until April so we have 4 more months to keep them at home to protect them from any major illnesses. In the last 5 months, they have only gotten to go to the doctor’s, to a few small house parties, and 2 restaurants so we have done a great job protecting them. We still fear the flu or colds so we will be home bound until May. Thank you for all your love and support.
Our Encouragement:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and to not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11
At Home - Week 3 (Aug. 17th-23rd)
Babies Situation:
The girls turned 5 Months on the 18th. They are doing great!!! Both girls weigh 9 lbs 5 ounces. Kinsley can now actually sleep a good 6 hours but Trinity isn't quite ready for such a stretch. She wakes up hungry every 3 hours but is now feeding better than Kinsley. She has come a long way from her NG tube - what a blessing.
Both girls had hip ultrasounds this week to check for hip dysplasia. Both came back with no issues - thank you Lord. When you carry a baby breech there is a higher potential for hip dysplasia so we were are very thankful to hear the good news.
The girls also saw their Pulmonologist Dr. this week. Since the girls left the NICU, they have needed caffeine for stimulation during their feedings. Since being on caffeine, they had to come home on monitors to alert Mom and Dad if they have any heart rate drops or apnea. The monitors provide security for Mom and Dad but they also are difficult to maneuver when changing diapers and getting them around. There have been a few incidents with the monitors going off but it has been more user error than issues with the girls. The Pulmonologist confirmed that they are doing well and decided to take the girls off of caffeine. This is another great step in their development. However, they will still need the monitors for another month to ensure there are no issues coming off of caffeine. Your prayers are certainly helping - thank you.
We go through close to 2 dozen diapers per day. It is OK though because they are doing much better with their stools. In fact we only needed one suppository this week - this time for Kinsley. Lots going on but everything has been very positive this week. Thank you Lord for the continued path and care of these little miracles.
Parent's Thoughts:
The biggest issue for us as parents is finding time for rest. Luckily we have had Mimi here and have somewhat of a schedule with a few pockets here and there to get through some of the normal day to day chores. The rigors of taking care of twins is hard enough but the added variables of many different Dr. appointments, meds, and monitors compound the situation. However, we keep reflecting on how lucky we are to be so blessed with them no matter what the situation. We realize that God does not give us anything we cannot handle. We are embracing each day and week as best we can. We have so much support with friends bringing us dinners and checking in to see how we were doing. We can't thank you all enough. Without all of you these times would be much more difficult for us.
Weekly Encouragement:
Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
Luke 12:22-23
The girls turned 5 Months on the 18th. They are doing great!!! Both girls weigh 9 lbs 5 ounces. Kinsley can now actually sleep a good 6 hours but Trinity isn't quite ready for such a stretch. She wakes up hungry every 3 hours but is now feeding better than Kinsley. She has come a long way from her NG tube - what a blessing.
Both girls had hip ultrasounds this week to check for hip dysplasia. Both came back with no issues - thank you Lord. When you carry a baby breech there is a higher potential for hip dysplasia so we were are very thankful to hear the good news.
The girls also saw their Pulmonologist Dr. this week. Since the girls left the NICU, they have needed caffeine for stimulation during their feedings. Since being on caffeine, they had to come home on monitors to alert Mom and Dad if they have any heart rate drops or apnea. The monitors provide security for Mom and Dad but they also are difficult to maneuver when changing diapers and getting them around. There have been a few incidents with the monitors going off but it has been more user error than issues with the girls. The Pulmonologist confirmed that they are doing well and decided to take the girls off of caffeine. This is another great step in their development. However, they will still need the monitors for another month to ensure there are no issues coming off of caffeine. Your prayers are certainly helping - thank you.
We go through close to 2 dozen diapers per day. It is OK though because they are doing much better with their stools. In fact we only needed one suppository this week - this time for Kinsley. Lots going on but everything has been very positive this week. Thank you Lord for the continued path and care of these little miracles.
Parent's Thoughts:
The biggest issue for us as parents is finding time for rest. Luckily we have had Mimi here and have somewhat of a schedule with a few pockets here and there to get through some of the normal day to day chores. The rigors of taking care of twins is hard enough but the added variables of many different Dr. appointments, meds, and monitors compound the situation. However, we keep reflecting on how lucky we are to be so blessed with them no matter what the situation. We realize that God does not give us anything we cannot handle. We are embracing each day and week as best we can. We have so much support with friends bringing us dinners and checking in to see how we were doing. We can't thank you all enough. Without all of you these times would be much more difficult for us.
Weekly Encouragement:
Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
Luke 12:22-23
At Home - Week 2 (Aug. 10th-16th)
Babies Situation:
The girls are doing pretty well overall. The issue of the week is their stooling. They both like to wait days to take care of their business. In the NICU they received suppositories quite often so maybe they are still relying on a little extra help. Trinity has had a harder time stooling this week so we decided to give the suppositories a shot. Thankfully, Mimi stepped up to the plate to administer them when needed (a few times this week). She was astonished by the results. In fact, I even asked if she had any protection ready. Of course Trinity decided once she heard the word protection to foil the plan. She exploded on queue. Even though there was a big mess to clean up it worked great.
Kinsley also is having some serious gas pains. The issues of gas pains really affect their sleeping at night and make them very agitated. Lots of burping and back rubbing is needed right now - almost every time we pick them up they need to be burped.
We decided to change their feeding schedule. They are now eating every 3 hours with the exception of a 4 hour window in the evenings. It seems to make everyone's job a little easier but we shall see if the girls will go along with it as well. The girls are feeding pretty consistently (40-80 cc's per sitting). Their weight gain is about 1/2 ounce per day which isn't bad. They are sleeping more this week in between feeds even though we do everything we can to give them the awake time that they need.
Parent's Thoughts:
Overall we are in a bit of rhythm and things have settled down a bit for all of us. I have been exploring new job opportunities for the past couple of weeks, since my company was acquired in late July. On one hand it is great to be home with the girls but at the same time it has very difficult for me to know that Trena is headed back to work. She is such a great Mom and is doing everything she can for her babies. Thank you Mom. After almost 5 months, she started back at work on Monday. It was a tough week for her knowing she was leaving her babies at home with Daddy and Mimi. With the amount of work at home we kid her about how she has it easy at work - just kidding but not too much.
The OT Nurse comes every Tues to work with both girls and Thursday's to work with Trinity only. We get a pretty good report with a few tweaks to their feedings. We made an adjustment to Trinity's bottle and moved her to the same one Kinsley is using - Dr. Brown. It helps prevent the air intake and should reduce the amount of gas she has later in the night. We also learn some important exercises to help the girls continue to strengthen their muscles around their mouths for better feedings.
We also had new born photo session this week. The girls wanted no part of it as we could not get them to settle down. We were outside quite a bit and it was very very hot and sunny. Hopefully, there will be some good pictures to share with you soon.
Weekly Encouragement:
With Jesus' help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name.
Hebrew 13:15
The girls are doing pretty well overall. The issue of the week is their stooling. They both like to wait days to take care of their business. In the NICU they received suppositories quite often so maybe they are still relying on a little extra help. Trinity has had a harder time stooling this week so we decided to give the suppositories a shot. Thankfully, Mimi stepped up to the plate to administer them when needed (a few times this week). She was astonished by the results. In fact, I even asked if she had any protection ready. Of course Trinity decided once she heard the word protection to foil the plan. She exploded on queue. Even though there was a big mess to clean up it worked great.
Kinsley also is having some serious gas pains. The issues of gas pains really affect their sleeping at night and make them very agitated. Lots of burping and back rubbing is needed right now - almost every time we pick them up they need to be burped.
We decided to change their feeding schedule. They are now eating every 3 hours with the exception of a 4 hour window in the evenings. It seems to make everyone's job a little easier but we shall see if the girls will go along with it as well. The girls are feeding pretty consistently (40-80 cc's per sitting). Their weight gain is about 1/2 ounce per day which isn't bad. They are sleeping more this week in between feeds even though we do everything we can to give them the awake time that they need.
Parent's Thoughts:
Overall we are in a bit of rhythm and things have settled down a bit for all of us. I have been exploring new job opportunities for the past couple of weeks, since my company was acquired in late July. On one hand it is great to be home with the girls but at the same time it has very difficult for me to know that Trena is headed back to work. She is such a great Mom and is doing everything she can for her babies. Thank you Mom. After almost 5 months, she started back at work on Monday. It was a tough week for her knowing she was leaving her babies at home with Daddy and Mimi. With the amount of work at home we kid her about how she has it easy at work - just kidding but not too much.
The OT Nurse comes every Tues to work with both girls and Thursday's to work with Trinity only. We get a pretty good report with a few tweaks to their feedings. We made an adjustment to Trinity's bottle and moved her to the same one Kinsley is using - Dr. Brown. It helps prevent the air intake and should reduce the amount of gas she has later in the night. We also learn some important exercises to help the girls continue to strengthen their muscles around their mouths for better feedings.
We also had new born photo session this week. The girls wanted no part of it as we could not get them to settle down. We were outside quite a bit and it was very very hot and sunny. Hopefully, there will be some good pictures to share with you soon.
Weekly Encouragement:
With Jesus' help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name.
Hebrew 13:15
At Home - Week 1 (Aug. 3rd-9th)
Babies Situation:
Trinity made it home late Sunday night (12 hours earlier than expected) as signs showed negative lab results. This was great news. We are hitting the reset button as a family with everyone officially home together again. It is a little bitter sweet but still an awesome feeling.
Trinity still has her NG tube inserted for continuous feeding through a pump at night time. Unfortunately, the feeding pump that we were given has not worked properly, since we were discharged last week. This is causing some problems. Essentially, she is getting her entire feed in half the amount of time. We feel so bad for her as we know her stomach must be expanding and contracting at a furious pace. Throughout the week, we exchanged 2 pumps and by Thursday August 6th we finally received a hospital grade pump (our 3rd pump) that worked for her - thank you Lord.
In the meantime, Trinity took maters into her own hands. She ripped out her NG tube twice in 2 days consecutively. This compounded the issues for us as we tried to insert the tube 3 times on Wed. night but were unsuccessful. It was in OK but we were not sure if it was in the right spot as we would get residuals one time but not the next. On Wed. we were fortunate to have our friend and Nurse, Nicole, help us with the insertion. Wed. night worked great with the new pump. However, on Thursday Trinity again took advantage of the small window and her little fingers to rip out the tube - she is a feisty little one. That afternoon, our OT nurse fed Trinity and she took almost 60 cc's. Since the tube was already out and she had done well with her feedings today, we decided to leave it out and bottle feed her throughout the night. What a miracle. She took to the bottle well. Hopefully, her NG tube and feeding pump is completely behind her now.
Their heart and respiratory monitors have been on for about 16 hours/day and all has gone well with the exception of one going off for 15 mins straight. It was like a smoke alarm so it was really unpleasant. The alarm could not be turned off even it was powered down and showing it to be off. Thankfully, it was a tool error and not something caused by a low heart rate or apneic spell.
On Thursday evening Trena's Mom, Terre (Mimi to the girls) came in to help us. What a blessing it is to have her here. These girls are a lot of work as I am sure you all know if you have kids. The girls love having Mimi here and so do the parents.
The girls had another Pediatrician visit this Friday and all seemed to go well. Most of the discussion surrounded the NG Tube, Feeding Pump, and their gas/reflux/fussiness. We have a couple of ideas to help alleviate some of their gas pains - prune juice and mylicon. Hopefully, this will help them stool and release the gasses.
We have had many friends swing by but Sunday the girls had their friends, Taylor and Leighton, come visit them. The four of them met in the NICU. You may know them as the Davis's. It was such a great visit to see them all together outside of the hospital. We have all been though so very much. We are blessed to now know them and call them our friends.
Parent's Thoughts:
We are very overwhelmed. Small things that are usually not bothersome seem to be huge. We are all tired short on sleep but know that we are doing all we can to help them. The girls have progressed this week and we are very thankful that Trinity may no longer need her feeding tube and pump. Thank you Lord. Mimi's help is also a true blessing to all of us. Our appreciation cannot be explained. We are trying to take it one challenge at a time. It is hard to keep all of their medications in check but we do have a self made schedule to help. We are tracking all feedings, stools, diaper changes, and meds as well. Even though it has been a difficult week we are very fortunate to have them home. In time we pray it will get a little easier for them and us.
Weekly Encouragement:
In this you greatly rejoice, through now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:6-7
Trinity made it home late Sunday night (12 hours earlier than expected) as signs showed negative lab results. This was great news. We are hitting the reset button as a family with everyone officially home together again. It is a little bitter sweet but still an awesome feeling.
Trinity still has her NG tube inserted for continuous feeding through a pump at night time. Unfortunately, the feeding pump that we were given has not worked properly, since we were discharged last week. This is causing some problems. Essentially, she is getting her entire feed in half the amount of time. We feel so bad for her as we know her stomach must be expanding and contracting at a furious pace. Throughout the week, we exchanged 2 pumps and by Thursday August 6th we finally received a hospital grade pump (our 3rd pump) that worked for her - thank you Lord.
In the meantime, Trinity took maters into her own hands. She ripped out her NG tube twice in 2 days consecutively. This compounded the issues for us as we tried to insert the tube 3 times on Wed. night but were unsuccessful. It was in OK but we were not sure if it was in the right spot as we would get residuals one time but not the next. On Wed. we were fortunate to have our friend and Nurse, Nicole, help us with the insertion. Wed. night worked great with the new pump. However, on Thursday Trinity again took advantage of the small window and her little fingers to rip out the tube - she is a feisty little one. That afternoon, our OT nurse fed Trinity and she took almost 60 cc's. Since the tube was already out and she had done well with her feedings today, we decided to leave it out and bottle feed her throughout the night. What a miracle. She took to the bottle well. Hopefully, her NG tube and feeding pump is completely behind her now.
Their heart and respiratory monitors have been on for about 16 hours/day and all has gone well with the exception of one going off for 15 mins straight. It was like a smoke alarm so it was really unpleasant. The alarm could not be turned off even it was powered down and showing it to be off. Thankfully, it was a tool error and not something caused by a low heart rate or apneic spell.
On Thursday evening Trena's Mom, Terre (Mimi to the girls) came in to help us. What a blessing it is to have her here. These girls are a lot of work as I am sure you all know if you have kids. The girls love having Mimi here and so do the parents.
The girls had another Pediatrician visit this Friday and all seemed to go well. Most of the discussion surrounded the NG Tube, Feeding Pump, and their gas/reflux/fussiness. We have a couple of ideas to help alleviate some of their gas pains - prune juice and mylicon. Hopefully, this will help them stool and release the gasses.
We have had many friends swing by but Sunday the girls had their friends, Taylor and Leighton, come visit them. The four of them met in the NICU. You may know them as the Davis's. It was such a great visit to see them all together outside of the hospital. We have all been though so very much. We are blessed to now know them and call them our friends.
Parent's Thoughts:
We are very overwhelmed. Small things that are usually not bothersome seem to be huge. We are all tired short on sleep but know that we are doing all we can to help them. The girls have progressed this week and we are very thankful that Trinity may no longer need her feeding tube and pump. Thank you Lord. Mimi's help is also a true blessing to all of us. Our appreciation cannot be explained. We are trying to take it one challenge at a time. It is hard to keep all of their medications in check but we do have a self made schedule to help. We are tracking all feedings, stools, diaper changes, and meds as well. Even though it has been a difficult week we are very fortunate to have them home. In time we pray it will get a little easier for them and us.
Weekly Encouragement:
In this you greatly rejoice, through now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:6-7
Sunday August 2nd
Babies Situation:
What a crazy weekend. We had both their Occupational Therapist and their Home Health Nurse came out early Friday morning to meet the girls and start their work with them. We also took both Girls to see the Pediatrician for the first time Friday afternoon. We were there for 2 ½ hours while they got to know our history, measured and weighed them, and gave the Girls their 4 month vaccinations. We thought all was good until Trinity woke up with a 103 temperature Friday night. Long story short, Keith had to take her to Dell's Children’s Hospital. After already getting 4 shots this afternoon, she got many more tonight and had to be admitted. Luckily, they think it was only a virus not a bacteria infection - thank you Lord. She should get to come home this evening.
Parent's Thoughts:
This was another heart wrenching experience for us. As I held Trinity in my arms before Keith rushed her to the ER, her little cry was definitely a sick cry. It broke my heart, especially when Keith called me to tell me that they were admitting her into the hospital for the weekend. We only had her home for 36 hours before she was once again in the hospital and dealing with everything that she had just left behind. She had to get a spinal tap, multiple pokes for trying to get blood work, and an IV put into her head as they were unsuccessful through the 3-4 veins they tried. One of the hardest things in the world is to watch someone hurting your baby. Thankfully she is OK now and will be home tonight. We are hitting the reset button and hope that this time around will be a bit smoother for all of us.
Our Daily Encouragement:
God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
Acts 17:24-25
What a crazy weekend. We had both their Occupational Therapist and their Home Health Nurse came out early Friday morning to meet the girls and start their work with them. We also took both Girls to see the Pediatrician for the first time Friday afternoon. We were there for 2 ½ hours while they got to know our history, measured and weighed them, and gave the Girls their 4 month vaccinations. We thought all was good until Trinity woke up with a 103 temperature Friday night. Long story short, Keith had to take her to Dell's Children’s Hospital. After already getting 4 shots this afternoon, she got many more tonight and had to be admitted. Luckily, they think it was only a virus not a bacteria infection - thank you Lord. She should get to come home this evening.
Parent's Thoughts:
This was another heart wrenching experience for us. As I held Trinity in my arms before Keith rushed her to the ER, her little cry was definitely a sick cry. It broke my heart, especially when Keith called me to tell me that they were admitting her into the hospital for the weekend. We only had her home for 36 hours before she was once again in the hospital and dealing with everything that she had just left behind. She had to get a spinal tap, multiple pokes for trying to get blood work, and an IV put into her head as they were unsuccessful through the 3-4 veins they tried. One of the hardest things in the world is to watch someone hurting your baby. Thankfully she is OK now and will be home tonight. We are hitting the reset button and hope that this time around will be a bit smoother for all of us.
Our Daily Encouragement:
God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
Acts 17:24-25
Friday July 31st
Babies Situation:
We are all slowly but surely adapting to our new lives. Keith is a great Daddy. We take turns feeding the Girls and helping each other out. We work as a team. We are running on little sleep but we each take turns catching up where we can. Since the Girls are home, we won’t be making daily updates but will continue to update you all on their progress at a minimum of once a week. We want to thank you all for your Prayers but we hope that you continue to pray for us. We have to keep the Girls healthy especially over the next year, since their immune system is still weak.
Parent's Thoughts:
It is so nice not having to visit the NICU anymore. We will miss all the friends we have made in the last 4.5 months but we place to keep in contact with everyone we have grown to know. We had such a wonderful experience at St. David’s. I highly recommend this hospital to everyone.
Our Daily Encouragement:
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.
Ecclesiastes 7:14
We are all slowly but surely adapting to our new lives. Keith is a great Daddy. We take turns feeding the Girls and helping each other out. We work as a team. We are running on little sleep but we each take turns catching up where we can. Since the Girls are home, we won’t be making daily updates but will continue to update you all on their progress at a minimum of once a week. We want to thank you all for your Prayers but we hope that you continue to pray for us. We have to keep the Girls healthy especially over the next year, since their immune system is still weak.
Parent's Thoughts:
It is so nice not having to visit the NICU anymore. We will miss all the friends we have made in the last 4.5 months but we place to keep in contact with everyone we have grown to know. We had such a wonderful experience at St. David’s. I highly recommend this hospital to everyone.
Our Daily Encouragement:
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.
Ecclesiastes 7:14
Thursday July 30th
THE GIRLS MADE IT - THEY ARE HOME...
Praise the Lord. We have made it. The girls came home today after 4.5 months. It was an interesting evening and day in the NICU. We were very fortunate that their primary Night Nurse, Andrea, was able to change her schedule so that we could all be together for one last night. We also were able to spend the day with Crystal, the girls primary daytime Nurse. These 2 Nurses have meant so much to us as a family and especially the girls. Along with all of the Doctors, these amazing people, kept the windy road of the NICU bearable. We love them all for all of their efforts, patience, guidance, and pure love for us and the girls. They are truly special people that have the very difficult job of managing not only what needs to happen on a day to day basis for the health of the all the babies that they care for but also the emotions of all of the family members they encounter along the way.
I also have to quickly comment on the NICU's Sleep In Room. We were fortunate as we were the first family to stay in their recently redone room. It was really nice. They have done a great job trying to replicate a feeling of home there. I can say it made a big difference this past evening.
Mom and Dad were pretty much on our own (Full Duty) but we had a couple of visits from Andrea. We gave them all of their medications, did their assessments at the appropriate times, and bottle fed Kinsley. Trinity took her first continuous feed throughout the night through her NG tube so she just needed to be assessed. All went pretty well but little sleep for Mom and Dad.
Crystal was very nice and brought us breakfast tacos - so good. Thanks Crystal. During the day we had so much to go through. All the questions, paperwork, and review of everything that they needed for the days and months to come. It was an exciting but scary time for us. The girls were ready to leave but were sad to say bye to Andrea and Crystal.
We got all of their prescriptions and will need to fill them on the way home - Caffeine, Iron, Multi-Vitamins, Reglan, and Zantac. It is a crazy schedule of meds but necessary to the girls. Both Trinity and Kinsley get these meds at different times through syringes. Looks like we will be running a Pharmacy out of the house but hopefully not for too long. The girls each will be coming home on monitors to alert us if they have a heart rate drop or any Apnea. These monitors sound like Fire Alarms so hopefully they will not go off to often. They also will go off if there is a loose connection - oh no. Trinity comes home with a Feeding Pump for continuous feeds at night as she still is not taking her entire bottles during the day. She will be put on a nighttime rate based on her consumption during the daytime feeds.
As you can see there is a lot going on but that is OK with us as we will finally be together as a Family. Thank you Lord for this path and please give us the energy and patience in the coming days and months.
Our Daily Encouragement:
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, is the Rock eternal.
Isaiah 26:3-4
Praise the Lord. We have made it. The girls came home today after 4.5 months. It was an interesting evening and day in the NICU. We were very fortunate that their primary Night Nurse, Andrea, was able to change her schedule so that we could all be together for one last night. We also were able to spend the day with Crystal, the girls primary daytime Nurse. These 2 Nurses have meant so much to us as a family and especially the girls. Along with all of the Doctors, these amazing people, kept the windy road of the NICU bearable. We love them all for all of their efforts, patience, guidance, and pure love for us and the girls. They are truly special people that have the very difficult job of managing not only what needs to happen on a day to day basis for the health of the all the babies that they care for but also the emotions of all of the family members they encounter along the way.
I also have to quickly comment on the NICU's Sleep In Room. We were fortunate as we were the first family to stay in their recently redone room. It was really nice. They have done a great job trying to replicate a feeling of home there. I can say it made a big difference this past evening.
Mom and Dad were pretty much on our own (Full Duty) but we had a couple of visits from Andrea. We gave them all of their medications, did their assessments at the appropriate times, and bottle fed Kinsley. Trinity took her first continuous feed throughout the night through her NG tube so she just needed to be assessed. All went pretty well but little sleep for Mom and Dad.
Crystal was very nice and brought us breakfast tacos - so good. Thanks Crystal. During the day we had so much to go through. All the questions, paperwork, and review of everything that they needed for the days and months to come. It was an exciting but scary time for us. The girls were ready to leave but were sad to say bye to Andrea and Crystal.
We got all of their prescriptions and will need to fill them on the way home - Caffeine, Iron, Multi-Vitamins, Reglan, and Zantac. It is a crazy schedule of meds but necessary to the girls. Both Trinity and Kinsley get these meds at different times through syringes. Looks like we will be running a Pharmacy out of the house but hopefully not for too long. The girls each will be coming home on monitors to alert us if they have a heart rate drop or any Apnea. These monitors sound like Fire Alarms so hopefully they will not go off to often. They also will go off if there is a loose connection - oh no. Trinity comes home with a Feeding Pump for continuous feeds at night as she still is not taking her entire bottles during the day. She will be put on a nighttime rate based on her consumption during the daytime feeds.
As you can see there is a lot going on but that is OK with us as we will finally be together as a Family. Thank you Lord for this path and please give us the energy and patience in the coming days and months.
Our Daily Encouragement:
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, is the Rock eternal.
Isaiah 26:3-4
Wednesday July 29th
Babies Situation:
The girls are ready to break out of the NICU. They are really being active and fussy. In fact, our Nurses have to put them in a sling and walk them around more often to settle them down. Plus the girls like to visit with everyone else there (social butterflies). They are getting restless and need the development and stimulation at home which is great but I think our Nurses just want to have them close to them, since they are leaving soon. I also think the girls may realize that their visit will end soon so they make our Nurses carry them around. The girls want to be near our Nurses as well. We are still working through a lot of items and details of how we are going to manage everything when we get home. More details to come tomorrow on these items.
Parent's Thoughts:
We are so close. What a journey filled with so many emotions. The end of our stay in the NICU is upon us. It has seemed like our stay passed quickly but also felt like we were there for a lifetime. It is officially rooming in night so there is much to do to prepare for them to come home - Lots of questions to be answered, Lots of thank you notes and hugs to be delivered, Lots of celebrating to be enjoyed. We will update you on our stay tomorrow and everything we will encounter in the days to come.
I know we have written this before, but all of you have played such an important role to our family in this process - more than you will ever know. I hope you take great joy in celebrating with us. These little miracles have endured the ups and downs of a NICU life to this point. We have been blessed that they have avoided many of the major surgeries or issues thus far, have had the best care we could have ever imagined, and have had all of the support from all of you out there. Even though we may be leaving the NICU, the challenges in the coming days, months, and years, will still remain. We will all continue to stay at an even keel, taking it one day and 1 challenge at a time. We understand that God is in control. As you have seen, we have had many more positive days than negative - a true blessing. Thank you all and most importantly thank you Lord.
Our Daily Encouragement:
The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.
Psalm 116: 5-7
The girls are ready to break out of the NICU. They are really being active and fussy. In fact, our Nurses have to put them in a sling and walk them around more often to settle them down. Plus the girls like to visit with everyone else there (social butterflies). They are getting restless and need the development and stimulation at home which is great but I think our Nurses just want to have them close to them, since they are leaving soon. I also think the girls may realize that their visit will end soon so they make our Nurses carry them around. The girls want to be near our Nurses as well. We are still working through a lot of items and details of how we are going to manage everything when we get home. More details to come tomorrow on these items.
Parent's Thoughts:
We are so close. What a journey filled with so many emotions. The end of our stay in the NICU is upon us. It has seemed like our stay passed quickly but also felt like we were there for a lifetime. It is officially rooming in night so there is much to do to prepare for them to come home - Lots of questions to be answered, Lots of thank you notes and hugs to be delivered, Lots of celebrating to be enjoyed. We will update you on our stay tomorrow and everything we will encounter in the days to come.
I know we have written this before, but all of you have played such an important role to our family in this process - more than you will ever know. I hope you take great joy in celebrating with us. These little miracles have endured the ups and downs of a NICU life to this point. We have been blessed that they have avoided many of the major surgeries or issues thus far, have had the best care we could have ever imagined, and have had all of the support from all of you out there. Even though we may be leaving the NICU, the challenges in the coming days, months, and years, will still remain. We will all continue to stay at an even keel, taking it one day and 1 challenge at a time. We understand that God is in control. As you have seen, we have had many more positive days than negative - a true blessing. Thank you all and most importantly thank you Lord.
Our Daily Encouragement:
The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.
Psalm 116: 5-7
Tuesday July 28th
Babies Situation:
We had another good day with the speech therapist. We are in the process of trying many different bottles for Trinity to determine which one is best for her. We already figured it out for Kinsley (she likes Dr. Brown). Today, Elizabeth was very gracious again in both her time and the resources at the hospital. She started with a nook nipple but quickly changed over to a Soothie (sounds good to me) and then finally back to her peach nipple. Overall Trinity did great taking the most she has in weeks - 37 cc's. Way to go! Everyone was very encouraged and excited about her slow progress. Kinsley on the other hand needed Mom's touch. She was very fussy for Crystal and even Dad in one of her feeds. Mom came in, calmed her down, and was able to give her the entire amount - 70 cc's. Soon they will be asking us for more but right now we would be content for them to take what is given to them. I guess they will just have to wait for dessert - more for Dad.
Parent's Thoughts:
Today was a difficult day for Mom. It was her turn to insert the NG tube into Trinity. She did a great job for her first time. It went right in and only needed a small adjustment as it was not inserted deep enough based on her measurements. Trinity seemed to be OK with it as well. Maybe that was the trick to ensure she ate more during her feed. We also received pump training as we will be bringing one home to feed Trinity until she can take her whole bottle. The pump is smaller than the one they use at the hospital and mobile. It should work well if we ever have to take her out. We spoke with Dr. Untalon about all of the things that were coming home with us - monitors, tubes, caffeine, and many other items. He has been so good to us and the girls. Thank you. We are so excited. We are getting close. We have been looking forward to this day for 4 months and 10 days - Thank you God.
Our Daily Encouragement:
We had another good day with the speech therapist. We are in the process of trying many different bottles for Trinity to determine which one is best for her. We already figured it out for Kinsley (she likes Dr. Brown). Today, Elizabeth was very gracious again in both her time and the resources at the hospital. She started with a nook nipple but quickly changed over to a Soothie (sounds good to me) and then finally back to her peach nipple. Overall Trinity did great taking the most she has in weeks - 37 cc's. Way to go! Everyone was very encouraged and excited about her slow progress. Kinsley on the other hand needed Mom's touch. She was very fussy for Crystal and even Dad in one of her feeds. Mom came in, calmed her down, and was able to give her the entire amount - 70 cc's. Soon they will be asking us for more but right now we would be content for them to take what is given to them. I guess they will just have to wait for dessert - more for Dad.
Parent's Thoughts:
Today was a difficult day for Mom. It was her turn to insert the NG tube into Trinity. She did a great job for her first time. It went right in and only needed a small adjustment as it was not inserted deep enough based on her measurements. Trinity seemed to be OK with it as well. Maybe that was the trick to ensure she ate more during her feed. We also received pump training as we will be bringing one home to feed Trinity until she can take her whole bottle. The pump is smaller than the one they use at the hospital and mobile. It should work well if we ever have to take her out. We spoke with Dr. Untalon about all of the things that were coming home with us - monitors, tubes, caffeine, and many other items. He has been so good to us and the girls. Thank you. We are so excited. We are getting close. We have been looking forward to this day for 4 months and 10 days - Thank you God.
Our Daily Encouragement:
The Lord himslef goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 31:8
Monday July 27th
Babies Situation:
The Girls had great feeding days today. Speech came to assess Trinity and she ended up taking 27 cc’s without a fight. She was like a different baby today. Maybe she’s improving-Please God!!!! Kinsley had a good day taking between 50-80 cc’s per feeding. Yeah!! The Girls are having their sleep study done tonight. If it goes well and if there are no set backs in the next few days, we will be rooming in Wednesday night and bringing our babies home on Thursday.
Parent's Thoughts:
Since we are getting close to bringing the Girls home, we have started to train on the different procedures that we will need to do at home. Today, Keith learned how to put the NG tube in Trinity’s nose. Luckily for the both of them, he did a great job and got it in on the first try. I think it was harder on me than either of them. My stomach was turning and I had to look away. My turn is tomorrow and I am terrified. Please pray for me. I can be so weak and somehow I continue to be challenged with things that seem to be too much for me to handle but I always make it though. I know where my strength comes from though-Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Daily Encouragement:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.
Galatians 5:22
The Girls had great feeding days today. Speech came to assess Trinity and she ended up taking 27 cc’s without a fight. She was like a different baby today. Maybe she’s improving-Please God!!!! Kinsley had a good day taking between 50-80 cc’s per feeding. Yeah!! The Girls are having their sleep study done tonight. If it goes well and if there are no set backs in the next few days, we will be rooming in Wednesday night and bringing our babies home on Thursday.
Parent's Thoughts:
Since we are getting close to bringing the Girls home, we have started to train on the different procedures that we will need to do at home. Today, Keith learned how to put the NG tube in Trinity’s nose. Luckily for the both of them, he did a great job and got it in on the first try. I think it was harder on me than either of them. My stomach was turning and I had to look away. My turn is tomorrow and I am terrified. Please pray for me. I can be so weak and somehow I continue to be challenged with things that seem to be too much for me to handle but I always make it though. I know where my strength comes from though-Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Daily Encouragement:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.
Galatians 5:22
Sunday July 26th
Babies Situation:
The Girls weekly measurements are in!! Trinity still weighs 8 lbs 9 oz and is 19.75 inches long. Kinsley also weighs the same as yesterday at 8 lbs 7 oz and is 19.75 inches too. WOW!!! The dietitian gave us the recipe to the Girls’ formula. We are another step closer to bringing them home. We should be taught how to insert the NG tube in the next few days and we should be good to go.
Parent's Thoughts:
We are anxiously waiting to bring our sweet babies home. I try not to think about it or get too excited but it is so close. We still don’t have a date of when we will bring them home but we are hoping to have them home by the end of the week.
Our Daily Encouragement:
Two are better than one….If one falls down, his friend can help him up….If two lie down together, they will keep warm.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-11
The Girls weekly measurements are in!! Trinity still weighs 8 lbs 9 oz and is 19.75 inches long. Kinsley also weighs the same as yesterday at 8 lbs 7 oz and is 19.75 inches too. WOW!!! The dietitian gave us the recipe to the Girls’ formula. We are another step closer to bringing them home. We should be taught how to insert the NG tube in the next few days and we should be good to go.
Parent's Thoughts:
We are anxiously waiting to bring our sweet babies home. I try not to think about it or get too excited but it is so close. We still don’t have a date of when we will bring them home but we are hoping to have them home by the end of the week.
Our Daily Encouragement:
Two are better than one….If one falls down, his friend can help him up….If two lie down together, they will keep warm.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-11
Saturday July 25th
Babies Situation:
The Girls are getting so big! Trinity now weighs 8 lbs 9 oz and Kinsley is 8 lbs 7 oz. I never thought I’d be bringing home 2 8lb babies. They are both on 24 calorie formula which as you can tell, helps them gain weight pretty quickly. I think we found a trick to help Trinity eat. We are now starting her tube feed a few minutes before we give her a bottle. This way, she has some satisfaction in her belly so she isn’t as agitated when it comes to the bottle. Kinsley remains about the same on her feedings. She is still doing pretty well.
Parent's Thoughts:
We have a very special prayer request. Our friends Dave and Allie Alter were blessed with Jada Reese Alter earlier this week. Unfortunately she was born early at 24 weeks and lost her twin sister. We ask that you keep them in your prayers. We all know the ups and downs that come with having a 24 weeker but we also know that prayer works and that God has a plan. Here is their blog: http://alterfamily.wordpress.com
Our Daily Encouragement:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.
1 John 5:1-2
The Girls are getting so big! Trinity now weighs 8 lbs 9 oz and Kinsley is 8 lbs 7 oz. I never thought I’d be bringing home 2 8lb babies. They are both on 24 calorie formula which as you can tell, helps them gain weight pretty quickly. I think we found a trick to help Trinity eat. We are now starting her tube feed a few minutes before we give her a bottle. This way, she has some satisfaction in her belly so she isn’t as agitated when it comes to the bottle. Kinsley remains about the same on her feedings. She is still doing pretty well.
Parent's Thoughts:
We have a very special prayer request. Our friends Dave and Allie Alter were blessed with Jada Reese Alter earlier this week. Unfortunately she was born early at 24 weeks and lost her twin sister. We ask that you keep them in your prayers. We all know the ups and downs that come with having a 24 weeker but we also know that prayer works and that God has a plan. Here is their blog: http://alterfamily.wordpress.com
Our Daily Encouragement:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.
1 John 5:1-2
Friday July 24th
Babies Situation:
The Girls had their hearing tests today and both passed. Yeah!!! We feel so blessed that they both have had such a wonderful path so far. The feedings have been a struggle but we would rather have this issue than any of the others that could have popped up. I was able to get Trinity to take 14 cc’s today. That’s not much but it is better than anyone else could do. Kinsley was a rock star for me today. She took 80 cc’s the first time I fed her and 75 cc’s the second. Once again, that was more than the nurses could get her to take. There must be something special about Mama’s touch!!
Parent's Thoughts:
The Girls were pretty sleepy today. The night nurse propped them up on bobby’s and I think they really enjoyed the new angle. Since both of them slept most of the day, I didn’t have to juggle which crying baby to pick up. I was able to hold and rock both of them to sleep after their feedings. It feels so good to be a Mom.
Our Daily Encouragement:
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:6
The Girls had their hearing tests today and both passed. Yeah!!! We feel so blessed that they both have had such a wonderful path so far. The feedings have been a struggle but we would rather have this issue than any of the others that could have popped up. I was able to get Trinity to take 14 cc’s today. That’s not much but it is better than anyone else could do. Kinsley was a rock star for me today. She took 80 cc’s the first time I fed her and 75 cc’s the second. Once again, that was more than the nurses could get her to take. There must be something special about Mama’s touch!!
Parent's Thoughts:
The Girls were pretty sleepy today. The night nurse propped them up on bobby’s and I think they really enjoyed the new angle. Since both of them slept most of the day, I didn’t have to juggle which crying baby to pick up. I was able to hold and rock both of them to sleep after their feedings. It feels so good to be a Mom.
Our Daily Encouragement:
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:6
Thursday July 23rd
Babies Situation:
The Girls are 43 weeks today. Trinity weighs 8 lbs 5 oz, weighing more than her sister who weighs 8 lbs 4 oz. Trinity had another poor day of bottle feeding. She took the most for me which was only 20 cc’s. Kinsley did well taking 45 cc’s or more each feeding. The tube in her nose was removed. They will now monitor her for the next few days to see if she will continue to gain weight as she eats whatever she’ll take per feeding. The GI doctor never made it in today. Hopefully tomorrow!!
Parent's Thoughts:
I got to hold both Girls at the same time multiple times today. I even figured out how to pick them both up at the same time with no help! This might come in handy a few times in the future. With them both having more awake time now, they are requiring more stimulation and a lot more holding. Two babies crying in your ear at the same time can make you feel very overwhelmed but getting to cuddle with two precious babies at the same time is truly a blessing!! Thank you Lord!
Our Daily Encouragement:
Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord; Let Your loving kindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
Psalm 40:11
The Girls are 43 weeks today. Trinity weighs 8 lbs 5 oz, weighing more than her sister who weighs 8 lbs 4 oz. Trinity had another poor day of bottle feeding. She took the most for me which was only 20 cc’s. Kinsley did well taking 45 cc’s or more each feeding. The tube in her nose was removed. They will now monitor her for the next few days to see if she will continue to gain weight as she eats whatever she’ll take per feeding. The GI doctor never made it in today. Hopefully tomorrow!!
Parent's Thoughts:
I got to hold both Girls at the same time multiple times today. I even figured out how to pick them both up at the same time with no help! This might come in handy a few times in the future. With them both having more awake time now, they are requiring more stimulation and a lot more holding. Two babies crying in your ear at the same time can make you feel very overwhelmed but getting to cuddle with two precious babies at the same time is truly a blessing!! Thank you Lord!
Our Daily Encouragement:
Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord; Let Your loving kindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
Psalm 40:11
Wednesday July 22nd
Babies Situation:
Good news!! No more talk of the G tube surgery at this time. Our doctor met with the surgeon this morning and the surgeon doesn’t feel that Trinity is a candidate yet. 2 GI doctors from the Dell Children’s Hospital will come assess the Girls tomorrow and we will plan for follow-up appointments once we leave the NICU. Trinity will go home with the NG tube (the tube that runs through her nose to her belly). We will have to feed her what she doesn’t finish from her bottles through it. If Trinity doesn’t drastically improve in a month or two, I am sure it will be time to talk about the G tube again. Kinsley had a good bottle feeding day. Today, they fed her what she wanted and will weigh her tonight to see if she gains weight. Tomorrow, they are going to switch her over to half breast milk half formula to see if she will tolerate it. If so, they will be able to give her a higher calorie formula. With this new mixture, she won’t have to take as much volume and should still gain weight.
Parent's Thoughts:
Keith and I feel relieved that we don’t have to think about Trinity getting surgery anytime soon. We will have to learn how to put the NG tube through her nose to her belly but I know we can do it. We will do what it takes to avoid surgery. See, the prayers are working!!! Thank you God!
Our Daily Encouragement:
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1 John 4:12
Good news!! No more talk of the G tube surgery at this time. Our doctor met with the surgeon this morning and the surgeon doesn’t feel that Trinity is a candidate yet. 2 GI doctors from the Dell Children’s Hospital will come assess the Girls tomorrow and we will plan for follow-up appointments once we leave the NICU. Trinity will go home with the NG tube (the tube that runs through her nose to her belly). We will have to feed her what she doesn’t finish from her bottles through it. If Trinity doesn’t drastically improve in a month or two, I am sure it will be time to talk about the G tube again. Kinsley had a good bottle feeding day. Today, they fed her what she wanted and will weigh her tonight to see if she gains weight. Tomorrow, they are going to switch her over to half breast milk half formula to see if she will tolerate it. If so, they will be able to give her a higher calorie formula. With this new mixture, she won’t have to take as much volume and should still gain weight.
Parent's Thoughts:
Keith and I feel relieved that we don’t have to think about Trinity getting surgery anytime soon. We will have to learn how to put the NG tube through her nose to her belly but I know we can do it. We will do what it takes to avoid surgery. See, the prayers are working!!! Thank you God!
Our Daily Encouragement:
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1 John 4:12
Tuesday July 21st
Babies Situation:
Elizabeth, the speech therapist, is back!! She fed both Girls this morning. Results of her assessment of Trinity indicated that she still has a weak suck, especially on one side. Trinity's swallow on that same side is weaker as well. Long story short, she recommends that Trinity continues to get tube fed until she is able to take all her bottles. Trinity will either keep the tube in her nose or the doctors will put in a port into her belly (G-tube). The tube feedings could last 2 weeks, 2 months, or longer but eventually she will get it down. Kinsley did well for her today finishing her bottle. Elizabeth will work with her swallow reflex once a day while she remains in the NICU.
Parent's Thoughts:
Keith and I are hesitant on Trinity getting a G tube since it requires surgery but unfortunately it sounds like it is the best route. We will be talking to the doctors in the next few days to see what the pros and cons are and to ensure we know all of our options. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. We thank you for the great support and especially the prayers. Prayer works!!
Our Daily Encouragement:
Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! For who among us can know the mind of the Lord? Who knows enough to be his counselor and guide?
Romans 11:33-34
Elizabeth, the speech therapist, is back!! She fed both Girls this morning. Results of her assessment of Trinity indicated that she still has a weak suck, especially on one side. Trinity's swallow on that same side is weaker as well. Long story short, she recommends that Trinity continues to get tube fed until she is able to take all her bottles. Trinity will either keep the tube in her nose or the doctors will put in a port into her belly (G-tube). The tube feedings could last 2 weeks, 2 months, or longer but eventually she will get it down. Kinsley did well for her today finishing her bottle. Elizabeth will work with her swallow reflex once a day while she remains in the NICU.
Parent's Thoughts:
Keith and I are hesitant on Trinity getting a G tube since it requires surgery but unfortunately it sounds like it is the best route. We will be talking to the doctors in the next few days to see what the pros and cons are and to ensure we know all of our options. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. We thank you for the great support and especially the prayers. Prayer works!!
Our Daily Encouragement:
Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! For who among us can know the mind of the Lord? Who knows enough to be his counselor and guide?
Romans 11:33-34
Monday July 20th
Babies Situation:
The Girls had decent bottle feeds today. Both had a few good and bad ones. The speech therapist was out sick again today but is supposed to be back tomorrow. Hopefully, she will have time to assess them. Trinity cries, arches, and tongue thrusts through most of her feedings. From the looks of it, her reflux is not getting any better.
Parent's Thoughts:
Our friend Emily visited today and stayed throughout the afternoon. It was really nice to have her there to talk too and to help hold. The Girls got spoiled today and loved every minute of it!! Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Please pray that the Girls will start completing all their bottle feeds so that they can come home.
Our Daily Encouragement:
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered.
Joel 2:32
The Girls had decent bottle feeds today. Both had a few good and bad ones. The speech therapist was out sick again today but is supposed to be back tomorrow. Hopefully, she will have time to assess them. Trinity cries, arches, and tongue thrusts through most of her feedings. From the looks of it, her reflux is not getting any better.
Parent's Thoughts:
Our friend Emily visited today and stayed throughout the afternoon. It was really nice to have her there to talk too and to help hold. The Girls got spoiled today and loved every minute of it!! Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Please pray that the Girls will start completing all their bottle feeds so that they can come home.
Our Daily Encouragement:
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered.
Joel 2:32
Sunday July 19th
Babies Situation:
The weekly measurements are in!! Miss Trinity now weighs 7 lbs 15 oz and is 19.7 inches long. She has almost caught up with Kinsley who weighs 8 lbs 1 oz and is 19.9 inches long. Both Girls had some minor changes made to their bottle feeding. Trinity is now getting bottle fed every other feeding and is getting 72 cc’s per feed. She still doesn’t like her bottle. She averages around 25 cc’s per bottle feed. Kinsley is starting to have better more consistent bottle feeds. Her orders now state to attempt a bottle feed each feeding. Her minimum is also 72 cc’s. She finished a few bottles today which is an improvement! Good job Kinsley.
Parent's Thoughts:
The Girls need more stimulation now that they are considered to be at a corrected age of 2 ½ weeks old. Trinity is very picky about how she is held. She gets bored in certain positions and wants to see what is going on at all times. Kinsley just likes to be held and be close to you. She is a little cuddle bug. Both love sleeping on our chest. It gets harder and harder to leave them at the hospital each day but we know we will have them home when the time is right and they are ready.
Our Daily Encouragement:
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.
Colossians 1:3-6
The weekly measurements are in!! Miss Trinity now weighs 7 lbs 15 oz and is 19.7 inches long. She has almost caught up with Kinsley who weighs 8 lbs 1 oz and is 19.9 inches long. Both Girls had some minor changes made to their bottle feeding. Trinity is now getting bottle fed every other feeding and is getting 72 cc’s per feed. She still doesn’t like her bottle. She averages around 25 cc’s per bottle feed. Kinsley is starting to have better more consistent bottle feeds. Her orders now state to attempt a bottle feed each feeding. Her minimum is also 72 cc’s. She finished a few bottles today which is an improvement! Good job Kinsley.
Parent's Thoughts:
The Girls need more stimulation now that they are considered to be at a corrected age of 2 ½ weeks old. Trinity is very picky about how she is held. She gets bored in certain positions and wants to see what is going on at all times. Kinsley just likes to be held and be close to you. She is a little cuddle bug. Both love sleeping on our chest. It gets harder and harder to leave them at the hospital each day but we know we will have them home when the time is right and they are ready.
Our Daily Encouragement:
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.
Colossians 1:3-6
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