Two of a Kind

With each day that passes, we can really see that the boys look alike. Preston does have a birthmark on the left side of his jaw/neck, so if the mark doesn't fade we will be able to tell them apart. They are just so sweet and peaceful when they are sleeping! Yesterday we took some fun pictures of the boys together (I'm sure the first of many...)

Katie loves doing "art projects," and yesterday before David and I went to visit the boys she made them each a card. On the back she wrote each one's name and signed it "Love Katie." David and I are "reading" the cards to the boys in the pictures above. Both Katie and Lauren are so anxious to meet their baby brothers!

Growing and Growing...

Preston (being held by Mommy and Daddy) and Parker (top picture with his eyes open) continue to grow! As of 9:00pm last night, Preston weighed 4 pounds, 14 ounces and Parker weighed 4 pounds, 11 ounces. Today the nurse gave each of them approximately half of their noon feeding through a bottle. Yea! Progress! David and I were there for the 3:00pm feeding, so the nurse let us try using a bottle then as well. However, Preston gulped it down and got choked, and Parker took several swallows and then fell asleep. So both finished their feeding through the tube. It is exciting to see them taking these steps in development!

Fun in the Snow

Saturday we had about 6 inches of snow, so Katie, Lauren, and David decided to build a snowman. Since this was the first snowfall this winter that was actually a "wet" snow, the girls had so much fun building their snowman with Daddy. The snow covering the trees was beautiful!

1 Week Old...

Today Preston and Parker are one week old! That is hard to believe...what a week it has been. They continue to make good progress. Today their feedings were increased to 30mL, which is the maximum, so the IVs were to be removed at 6:00pm tonight. Yea! That means that they will only be on the tube feedings and monitors but no oxygen or IVs. Now you can see their little faces much better without so many tubes around them!

Yesterday I was able to take Preston's temperature and change his diaper. Today, David did the same with Parker. They are also able to wear onesies we brought from home. In case you are wondering about the colored paper in the background of some pictures, David had the idea of using different colors to tell the boys apart in pictures. So, Preston's color is green ("Pr" and "Gr"), and Parker's color is blue. Now if we can only remember to put the colored paper in the incubator before taking the pictures...

Introducing Preston David & Parker Drew!

Once we arrived at the hospital, I was checked by my nurse. She got a strange look on her face and paged another nurse. In came nurse #2 to check me, who in turn called another nurse. Pretty soon there were about six nurses around my bed discussing just what it was that they were feeling. Was it an arm and hand? A foot? A prolapsed umbilibal cord? One thing they did agree upon...it was not a head. The doctor was paged, and after what seemed like a very long time (but really only about 10-15 minutes), he arrived and did an ultrasound. Those crazy babies had flipped around (the ultrasound four weeks ago showed them both to be head-down), and they were both now breech. In a matter of minutes, I was whisked off for a c-section (a new experience for me). It's amazing just how quickly anesthesia can be given and babies can be delivered!

Preston David made his entrance at 11:58am weighing 4 pounds, 8 ounces and measuring 17 1/2 inches long (picture #4 above). Parker Drew arrived at 11:59am weighing 4 pounds, 7 ounces and measuring 18 inches long (picture #2 above). It was a beautiful sound to hear each of them crying when they were delivered! Once they were cleaned and snugly wrapped, David followed them down to the NICU. The few hours after that are a blur to me (I was pretty groggy for most of the recovery time), but I was happy to see the friends and family who came to the hospital to welcome our babies into the world.

That evening, a video camera was placed on the boys in the NICU, and we were able to see the boys on the t.v. screen in my room. Katie and Lauren were excited about that, because they were not able to see the boys in person (the NICU is currently closed to children under the age of 16 because it is RSV season). In fact, that's one of the hardest things in this situation; the girls have been so excited for so long about having new brothers, and they haven't yet been able to hold them or see them in person.

Today is March 23rd, and Preston and Parker are still in the NICU. They are making good progress with tolerating increased tube feedings and stabilizing their heart rates. Hopefully, within the next couple of days they will be weaned off of the oxygen they receive through their noses and the IV fluids they are receiving to supplement the feedings. Parker has gained back up to his birth weight (4 pounds, 7 ounces), and Preston now weighs 4 pounds, 10 ounces. Yea! They are such sweet little boys and love it when we talk to them. We have also been able to hold them for over an hour at a time using skin-to-skin contact (called Kangaroo care), and we all enjoy that so much! Tests done after delivery have revealed that the boys are identical twins...I think we're in for some crazy, interesting years! Ha!

I will do my best to keep our blog updated with reports about the boys as well as pictures. Thanks to everyone for your prayers and well wishes! The boys are lucky to have such wonderful friends and family who care about them!

An Early Morning Surprise...

We have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of our twins for months...but it still took us by surprise when my water broke at 3:15 am on Wednesday, March 18th. I was 32 weeks along and not expecting the boys to come for another 3-4 weeks. However, they had different plans! I called the hospital and very calmly explained that my water had broken. The nurse said to come on in...then David suggested that I tell them I was 32 weeks along with twins. Oh, yes...minor details! Once I explained that, the nurse said I should definitely come to the hospital so they could check me. Well, since I wanted to look good for the pictures, I took the time to fix my hair, put on my makeup, and pack my bag. Around 4:00am, the nurse called me back to check on me. I told her I had had a few contractions but they weren't hurting yet. She said, "Well, we want you to be safe, but you need to get here as soon as posssible so we can see what's going on." I guess maybe I was a little too calm?? So we picked up the pace and arrived at the hospital around 4:30am. (The picture above was taken just before we left for the hospital.)

Since I was only 32 weeks along and having twins, my doctor wanted to transfer me to St. John in Tulsa where the babies could receive the best care for preemies. I was given magnesium sulfate to slow the contractions and get me stable. Once that happened, I was taken to Tulsa by ambulance...lights and sirens blaring! I have to say that was an exciting ride! Once I got to St. John, the excitement was really just beginning...