New Blog

Since we have moved on to a new chapter in our lives, I have decided to start a new blog.
http://motheringmymiraclemultiples.blogspot.com/

4 months

They had their 4 month check up yesterday.

Daniel is 23 3/4 tall and weighs in at 14 lbs, 13 oz

Melissa is 24 1/4 tall and weighs the same.

THEY ARE HUGE!

They are doing great and have been taken off of their high calorie formula and can now take regular formula and milk mixed together.

We are very happy. I can hardly believe these were the same little people who were in the NICU.

They have some serious HAMHOCKS going on. I can't even put my thumb and index finger around their chunky little thighs.

And NO, I did not have a "thing" with the Michelin Man.....

Mommy & Daddy finally out for an evening...

In Memory

Our thoughts and prayers are with this family.

Mary Ellen and Steve

Just this morning...

Who's a pretty little girl?

I'm up to something......

The kids went to their first Super Bowl party last night. They did great. Not fussy at all.
The game was pretty dull overall. I wasn't too keen on either team and watched
pretty much for the commercials (which wren't too great either).

I have finally talked hubby into letting me get a new digital camera.
I am looking at the Canon PowerShot G9. It is a 12.1 megapixel and should
be the last camera I need for several years. I am going to go out this evening after
hubby gets home and check it out although I will probably buy it online and have it shipped.

Miss Melissa is crying her little head off so I must go and tend to her....

Just Amazing

How these little people have changed in the last 3 1/2 months. They are so active. All four arms and all four legs go like crazy. It is too cute. While I write this, I should be folding laundry or pumping while they sleep but decided that I would write instead. As of late, my blogging has consisted only posting pictures. (My children are the most photographed children in history!!!)

I have started at a part time job Wednesday and Thursday evenings to try to contribute something to the household finances. That means that hubby has "Daddy Duty" (or Doodie most of the time). He is getting really good with them. I just feel bad because he is so tired when he gets home and I am immediatly out the door. He fixes them "Daddy Speicals" beofre bed, which consists of thickened breastmilk, formula and rice cereal. It knocks them out and they usually end of sleeping through the night...which is great, by the way. I didn't realize how sleep deprived I was waking 3 times in the night.

Have to pump before work but have resolved that I will try to write more often and even get the birthstory posted at some point in the next few days, weeks, or months...it was quite a kick...

Just getting cuter every day!

But then again, I am somewhat biased.
They slept from 10 pm last night until 6:45 this morning...
Mommy is delighted.

Mama said there'd be day like this....

Well, the kids miraculous ability to sleep the night is apparently selective. They were only up once and I know I should not complain.

This morning has just been comical.

Daniel woke up about 6:45. I changed him, put him back in the crib with his binky and turned on the mobile. He stayed quiet while I went down to warm up the bottles. I came back up and he was fast asleep. I woke him up, put him in the boppy and put him on "autopilot" (bottle in mouth, pillow under bottle...self feeding system...I'm horrible, I know). He managed to spit up all over himself and the boppy. So, I change his clothes and will be throwing the boppy in the wash momentarily. He was also not interested in burping for me this morning so I am sure that he will spit up again.

I had to wake Melissa up. I changed her and gave her her bottle. She, of course, decides to poop. So, I let her finish her bottle and her poop and put her up on the changing table. I change her (what a mess) and decided that I will use a baby wipe to clean her neck folds (which always seem to catch stuff). She hates this. She begins to scream. Keep in mind that I have not yet replaced her diaper. In protest, she pees....everywhere.... So, I put the diaper on her and put her on the floor to dress her. She looks adorable. Pink long sleeve onesie, punk velour pants with little flowers, pink velour jacket. She is radiant and glowing and smiling and looks so cute. I pick up my daughter to hug her and tell her how much Mommy loves her. And then, she spits up, well, pukes rather... everywhere.... The whole side of my cheek and neck, all down the front and side of her. And the child had just burped a huge one not 5 minutes before.

So, it will be laundry for me today....

It is just going to be one of those days.

What a wonderful night

My babies slept through the night for the first time. I am the happiest Mommy in the world!!!
I got up at 6:30 this morning and ran downstairs to count the 6.5 oz premade bottles (a necessity with twins) because I wasn't sure if I got up in the night with the babies. Sure enough, they slept the whole night.

Now, if we can make this the rule rather than the exception......

Oh, and they love the new light up mobile thingy I bought for them at Babies R Us.

Felling really good today.

Just Beyond Cute

My chubby little man....

3 months old....

and she loves elephants just like her mommy!!!

3 months later

It has hard to believe that it has been three months since our little miracles arrived. They have changed so much. There are both nearly 11 lbs and have their own very different personalities. They are huge compared to when they were born. They were so little and helpless and now they seem so big and strong. Daniel is our little "bobble head". He loves to head-butt Mommy when he is hungry. Melissa is a cuddle bug. She loves curling up on Daddy's chest and holds on to him for dear life.

They really are amazing and I don't think that I have ever loved anything or anyone as much as I love them.

I am still pumping and mixing my milk with formula. It would be impossible for me to nurse as I just don't produce enough milk. Once in while, when they are extra fussy, I try but it is so hard with the two if them. Hopefully, my pump will last. It kind of got stepped on last weekend and is now being held together with tape. I still have a large supply in the freezer just in case it decides to not work anymore.

I was so sick yesterday. I lost 4 lbs !!! I don't know of it was something I ate or if it was just a bug that I picked up. I called Hubby and asked if he could come home because I thought I would pass out every time I stood up. He came home and was on baby duty the rest of the day while I tried to rest. My body is still so sore from all of the vomiting etc.... (I know...nice thought).

We are going to Babies R Us today to get the Ocean Wonders Mobile for the nursery. The kids love light! I think they will really like it.

The Many Moods of Miss Melissa

A picture is worth a thousand words....

Me and the kids

To my knowledge, this is the only picture of me and both babies. There are plenty of pictures of Daddy and babies, mostly beacause I am the one who is always snapping shots. This was taken just before New years and apart from Melissa being passed out, I think it is a cute shot.

Daniel...

loves his binkie. He is doing great after his surgery and managed to put on 5 oz in 5 days after his surgery. He is eating like champ and is so much more comfortable now that he is hernia-free.

Miss Melissa...

was being extra cute this evening in between bouts of screaming her head off. I managed to catch a cute shot.

Daniel's surgery

Daniel will be having surgery on 1/3/08 to correct three hernias.
He will have to stay overnight at Abington, and I will be staying with him.
He will have five little incisions but the doctors think that it is best not to wait.
He flirted with the nurses and the doctor at his appointment this afternoon...little cutie.
Hopefully, this will help him to be more comfortable and get Mommy and Daddy some sleep.
That's about it from here.......

update.....from babyville......

We have attempted to settle into a routine. The kids aren't really on board with it yet, but we are trying.

Melissa is 21 1/4 inches long and weighing in at a respectable 8lbs 3oz, followed closely by her big brother at 21 inches and 8lbs 1oz. It is amazing how much they have grown. They no longer look like preemies but real full term babies. They are both sporting double chins and have doubled their birth weight in two short months.

They went to their two month check up at the doctor yesterday and each got 5 shots. They were quite fussy last night, but I would be too. Melissa still has her murmur and will be seen at CHOP tomorrow. Daniel has a hernia that will require surgery after Christmas. That should be fun.

We actually had our first night out since the kids came home. Monday was hubby's birthday and our next door neighbor watched the kids for a couple of hours. Hubby is a real worry wart. He called home at least 3 times to check on them. They, of course, were fine and not having any issues.

On Tuesday, we got the call that it was okay for Melissa to come off of her apnea monitor. So, we decided that Daniel would come off too. That is the best feeling in the world. I finally feel like the babies are mine. They are not attached to a machine for the first time in their lives. The monitors were such a pain. We had more than 60 false alarms with Melissa and at least twice that many with Daniel. Daniel's monitor was a voluntary thing that we did just in case (nervous mommy and daddy syndrome).

I am venturing out for the first time by myself tomorrow with both babies. Melissa's appointment is at 11:30 and I have no one to sit with Daniel so he will make the trip as well. I just have to tweak a few things on the stroller to make sure that the car seats fit. Normally, hubby comes along, but he is scheduled to work (and it is all overtime.....every penny counts when there is only one income). I am sure that I will do just fine. I just hope that the kids cooperate.

Kinda Neat...

Pictures from home

Miss Melissa sleeping

Daniel is excited that he weighs 4lbs 2 oz!

The Proud Papa!!!

The kids are being discharged

from the special care nursery tomorrow. Melissa "failed" her car seat test (the nurses monitor them for 90 minutes looking for apnic episodes or bradycardia) and will now require a car seat bed to come home. Thank you AMH for ripping us off for another $80.00.

The kids are eating great and putting on weight like champs. We are really excited to finally have them home and all to ourselves. We are more delighted that our least favorite nurse is not taking care of them today. I am sure that she means well, but constantly reminding us that we have to keep the babies warm when we get them home has gotten to be a bit much. If the nurses would leave the temperature alone in the nursery, maybe the kids wouldn't need a onsie, a romper, three blankets and a hat to stay warm. They seem to do fine during the day, it is only at night that they seem to get cold....(they take axillary temps which are notoriously unreliable). She also keeps reminding us that we need to make sure that the bottles are warm. Really? I was just going to chip some blocks off the frozen Brest milk and offer it to the babies. DUH woman!!! She has the most condescending tone you have ever heard. It is not like we are 16 year old kids, or some low income family that can't afford our heating bill. Argghhhh.....

Oh, and the only time that either baby has had any "issues" with their breathing / heart rate/ etc is when this nurse is working. Hubby would like her head on a stick for a Christmas present. On the whole, the entire NICU / Continuing Care Nursery staff has been great. We did have the nursing student who couldn't figure out how to put the diapers on but I understand that there is a learning curve.

So, I am off once again, for one of my last trips to the hospital hopefully for a while, to feed and hold my little babies. I just want them home. Everything is ready. We even did the apnea monitor training last night.

24 hours and counting..............

Halloween Pictures

Daniel as an Eagles Player (above)
Melissa as an Eagles Cheerleader (below)

Almost 2 weeks old....

and doing great!
Daniel is back to his birth weight and Melissa is up to 3 lbs, 14 oz. They are both taking feeds from a bottle which is a huge milestone on their journey to come home.

Daniel is continuing to stink out the nurses while filling his diaper. He is the “Atomic Pooper”. Melissa is the “Champion Sucker” when it comes to their feedings.

It is hard to believe that they will be 2 weeks old tomorrow…..I don’t know where the time has gone.

There is going to be a Halloween Party tomorrow in the NICU. Daniel will be dressed as an Eagles Player and Melissa an Eagles Cheerleader. I got the costumes at Build A Bear, which is the only place that had costumes that were small enough for our little peanuts. Should make for some really cute pictures.

10 day update

Melissa's Big Yawn

Melissa in Pink

Daniel in blue

Daniel and his binkie

Daniel and Melissa are doing better than everyone expected. On Wednesday, they were moved to the step down unit and Melissa came off of her nasal cannula. They are both off of their IV fluids and only have their NG (feeding) tubes in place.

We made an attempt yesterday to put Daniel to breast. He made a few good efforts but the nurse also was giving him his milk at a really fast rate and Daniel decided to spit up quite a bit. The nurse was brand new....ok, first time bad on me, second time, bad on you).

Melissa did much better. She took 5 cc from the breast and is a champion sucker!!!! This would be the first thing she has gotten to do that Daniel hasn't done before. I am very proud of her.

They are changing so much every day. They are more awake and are wearing their little onesies that SDM got for them. They look so adorable. (THANK YOU!)

I am sleeping better and only need my pain meds at night. Pumping is going pretty well too. First thing in the morning after a night's rest is the best. I am getting more than 6 oz. I hopefully will be able to start freezing some of my milk so we have a store of it.

I am going back for their noon feeding today after I get some running around done. I have lost 38.6 lbs since I delivered them and and only 8.4 lbs away from what I weighed in high school! I have gotten close to that in several dieting attempts but never made it. Now that I am nursing it is easy. I can eat just about anything I want and the weight is falling off. Kind of neat......

Actual Birth......

The actual video of my c-section on 10/16/07

Kind of bloody and not for the squeemish....

Daniel was first, Melissa was second...

Just wanted to update everyone...

The kids are doing well and have started to put on weight. Daniel is a pooping machine and Melissa is not...she may even need some help in that department. We shall see.

I am still getting up to pee a lot and that of course wakes hubby up. The pain is so so. It is really mind over matter at this point. I have my meds and take them when I need them. I am trying to rest but feel like I have so much to do. Mom and Kirsten were a huge help over the weekend and I will be eternally greatful for all of their undertakings.

For the next little while, my schedule is going to consist of being at the hospital by 7:30 am to pump for Daniel (who eats at 8 am) and then be there for rounds so I can get my updates directly from Dr. Eddie (our neonatologist). Then, Melissa gets her feeding at 9 am. I hold them for about 30 minutes after each feeding. I will then come home to rest.

When hubby gets home from work, we will go back over to the hospital for their mid afternoon feedings or evening feeding, whichever time permits. Daniel eats at 12,4,8,12,8,12 again, Melissa is an hour behind.
Daniel is up to 20-30 mls per feeding. Melissa is up to 12 mls. Can you say "Mama Moo". I am one pumping individual at this point.

They are doing great! Daniel is off of his photo therapy lights and Melissa never needed them at all. Melissa still has a small supplement of oxygen and they both getting a bolus of caffeine every morning. Like mother like daughter and son. I need my caffeine too.

So, if you can't reach me at home, try my cell phone. If I am not answering, it means that I am probably with the kids in the NICU and I will get back to you.

Thank you for all of your love, prayers and support. We are very blessed.

Introducing "The Vise Squad"

Daniel Allen
Melissa Elaine

ARRIVAL

Daniel and Melissa joined us on tuesday at 12:41 and 12:42 pm on Tuesday, October 16th, 2007.
They weighed 3 lbs and 9 oz and 3 lbs and 13 oz and were 16" and 16 3/4" long.

They are both in the NICU and doing well. I am home now and will write more and post pictures as soon as time permits.

We made it to 31 weeks.

I cannot believe how fast the time has gone. It seems only days ago that I was staring at the picture of our little 5 celled embryos and now there is a solid 6.5 lbs of baby in my belly that are constantly reminding me of their presence.

The perinatologist told me last week that if contractions started after 32 weeks, they most likely would do nothing to stop them. I am not really in that much of a hurry and would like to let these puppies cook until they are good and ready and the risk factorys for RDS are alot lower. Not that I want to be in the hospital any longer than necessary.... He feels that any time that we get after Halloween is bonus. My regular doctor, however, thinks that I will make it to Thanksgiving....he keeps telling me not to worry and that I "will stretch". HA! I literally feel like I cannot stretch anymore. My bellly is sooooo hard.

We had a great time at the baby shower on Sunday. There were a few less people than I would have hoped for but a good time was had by all nonetheless.

We got lots of stuff for the babies and I spent most of Monday sorting through the gift bags that took up 3/4 of my kitchen. It looked like "Babies R Us" threw up all over the place.

I am fighting a little bit of a cold right now. It is the really the first time I haven't felt good since the morning sickness subsided around 14 weeks. I think I have been very lucky. Better to have a cold now than when I am at the hospital. I kept poor Hubby awake last night with my snoring....paybacks can be sooooo sweet! He does this to me nearly every night despite the use of the breather right strips.....

I am getting excited. I am slowly putting together my "hospital bag" and picking up last minute items that we did not receive as gifts. It is just so surreal that in a few weeks, there are going to be 4 of us, not just 2. I mean, I am going to be someone's mom, two people's mom....that just seems so weird to me.

Next week I start my Fetal Non Stress Testing at the hospital. I will be going twice a week until the kids arrive. I also go back to the OB's office for another check up.

The kids are kicking and have discovered that they can get their heads up under my ribs. That is almost as uncomfortable as when the discovered they can kick down and back and kick me in the guts. They are going to athletes....I can tell!!!

So, I guess we are in the final "stretch". (No pun intended!) I have put on 22.5 lbs since my first visit to the doctors at 12 weeks. I am pretty happy with that since it seems reasonable that I will be able to lose that weight pretty quickly. My goal is to get back to my pre IVF weight (the same as I weighed in high school). I have done it once before and I am sure that I will be able to do it again.

Baby Shower....

( Daniel and Melissa's Cake)

( Bottle Challenge)


( Clothesline from Julie and Janet)

Well, we had a blast at our baby shower yesterday. Daniel and Melissa received lots and lots and lots of goodies. Today I am sorting through everything try to find places to things. These kids are going to be the best dressed kids in town.

We played a few games, including "the diaper game" with melted candy bars. Go Julie and Janet...you are both winners to me!

Some of the guys took the bottle challenge and raced to see who could finish their bottle first. This was hysterical! 4 grown men and alcohol in baby bottles!!!

We also had a beautful cake with pink and blue booties on it! I have tons left over if anyone wants some......

I am a little tired today, the kids, however don't seem bothered by my exhaustion. They are still pretending they are George Foreman and Muhammed Ali right now. They had me up at least 4 times in the night. I know...get used to sleep deprivation......