Another First - Thanksgiving

It has only been three short weeks and the girls have survived another "first" as they were manhandled for 12 straight hours during Thanksgiving.  Below are some of the highlights.

Brooklyn and Marley First Thanksgiving

Uncle Bill's Birthday and Marley Visits the Pediatrician

With Marley finally home from the NICU, uncle Bill decided it was time to celebrate his birthday (11/12).  He even agreed to do something casual at home so the girls could attend.  See the pictures below.

Marley and Brooklyn @ Uncle Bill's Birthday

Pediatrician Update:

Marley now weighs 3lb 15oz (that's 6oz since Friday when she left the NICU!) and she has stretched out to 17 1/4 inches (that's 3/4 of an inch since birth).

Tubby Brooklyn now tips the scales at 5lb 6oz!

Everyone is healthy and happy.  Marley will go back in a week for another weight check and then they both get another round of immunization shots the second week of December.

Reunited

After a lot of waiting at the NICU, Marley was finally discharged around 3pm.  Due to ridiculously long wait times for the photographer, we decided to forego the hospital's newborn photo shoot.  We have plenty of pictures and will be taking them to a professional photog in the near future.  For now, you can take a look at the pictures we snapped while loading Marley and Brooklyn up for ride home.

Marley Comes Home

Free!

Marley has gone on a food rampage and officially gained enough weight to leave baby prison (aka the NICU).  She will be reunited with her sister for a photoshoot Friday afternoon and then heads home to begin life outside the walls.

We are excited to have them both home together and it ought to be an interesting transition.  More updates and pictures to follow!

Brooklyn and Marley update!

Both girls are doing so great!

Brooklyn went to the doctor today and weighs in at a whopping 4lbs. 13.2oz.  That is 2oz. more than her birth weight and she is up 6oz. from last week!  She should gain a half and ounce to an ounce a day so she is right on target!  She eats well, but slowly....it seems even slower at 2am.  

Marley weighed 3lbs. 5oz. last night (they weigh her every night between 8pm and 9pm).  She is gaining weight slowly but steadily.  She eats almost double what she is required to in a day!  To come home she has to weigh 1600 grams...they do everything in grams at the hospital and then we have to try to convert it.  Math was never my strong point.  Anyway, 1600 grams is about 3lbs. 9oz.  Marley should be home by early next week at the rate she is gaining.  What a relief. Trips back and forth to the NICU everyday plus trying to take care of Brooklyn is taking its toll.

Thanks to everyone who goes to visit Marley.  Mike and I appreciate it.  It helps us feel like we are not neglecting her and that she isn't so lonely!  Just a few more days....

Brooklyn's first bath at home

Mike and I successfully bathed our infant tonight.  Brooklyn was so good and pretty much slept through it entirely!  I was sure she'd scream like she did at the hospital.  I think she actually liked it and it helped her relax because afterwards she ate and then slept for 3 hours.  I had never bathed a baby that small before but somehow we managed.  Pictures are below - just click the picture to go to the web album.

Brooklyn's First Bath

No More Feeding Tube!

Yesterday little miss Marley pulled her feeding tube out of her nose...so...they left it out!  Since, she has eaten all of her bottles by herself!  This is one of the biggest things that she had to overcome before being able to come home.  We are praying that she keeps eating well on her own so that she can do without the tube.  All she has to do now is continue to gain weight.  Last night she weighed 3lbs. 2.5oz.  Every day she should gain a half an ounce.  Once she gets closer to 4lbs. she can come home with us.

Auntie Carol says she loves the song "You Are My Sunshine"  She sings it to her when she visits and it always makes her smile.  

Brooklyn is giving us some issues with her eating...nothing major just some things we have to figure out - what is the right combo of actual breast feeding, breast milk in a bottle and the formula supplement.  She keeps gaining weight though and has seriously messy diapers!  All signs she is getting plenty to eat.

We are home! Updates galore! Pictures!

Brooklyn Comes Home

Marley

Lucas and Brooklyn - One week old

Bare with me. I have a million updates and pictures to go along with them. Click on web albums above to view pictures and captions. 

Mom, Dad, and Brooklyn came home on Monday afternoon. Marley will remain in the NICU for a few weeks. She weighed 3lbs. 2 oz. at birth but did not need oxygen or any other help thriving upon delivery. She was actually crying louder than Brooklyn. All she has to do to come home is eat completely on her own - right now she takes bottles of breast milk and if she doesn't eat enough on her own they feed the rest through a feeding tube to her. The second is gain weight, which obviously would be a direct result of her eating more on her own. She dropped to 2lbs. 14oz. on Friday night but today, Marley weighed 3lbs. 1.5oz. She's headed in the right direction!

Being at home is great but we miss Marley. Brooklyn is the best baby! She sleeps all the time and we have to wake her up to feed her. She cries only when her clothes are off and she is cold. We are on an every 3 hour feeding schedule that takes about an hour to accomplish - so we sleep two hours, up one hour! Very tiring, but manageable.

Kirra is doing okay with the baby. She likes Brooklyn a lot. Right now she is a little overly excited and it is overwhelming to Brooklyn.

I feel pretty good. The c-section was very easy compared to every thing else I have been through. The only place I hurt is where my epidural was. The doctor said it is remaining spinal fluid and will go away in a few weeks. I get to keep taking pain pills, but I keep them at a minimum - mostly sticking with Motrin.

Dad is awesome! He helps me so much. He's great with the girls...burping them, feeding them, cleaning things for me, running downstairs a million and one times, getting up first when I am too sleepy, making me food, taking me to the hospital every day to visit with Marley. I could keep the list going on and on. Brooklyn and Marley love their daddy. Brooklyn eats more for him than anyone else and Marley always wakes up when he's around.

Brooklyn met her cousin, Lucas, for the first time today.  They hung out in the pack and play for a bit.  Lucas is almost 6 weeks old and weighs close to 11lbs., which is normal!  But next to Brooklyn he looks like a beast!  Too cute!

This is just the best feeling ever. We are a new family and we are so in love! I cannot imagine not having them.

Thank you to all who came to visit at the hospital, brought us food and gifts! We appreciate it so much! Lots of love to you all! Enjoy the pictures and we will keep updates coming.

Pictures!

Here are all the pictures and a video clip from today so far.... more to follow.

Brooklyn and Marley Birth

They're Herrrrrrrrrrrre!

At 12:42pm and 12:43p today, Brooklyn and Marley finally came out to say hello.  BK weighed 4lbs 11oz and Marley weighed 3lbs 2oz.  Marley had to go to the NICU because of her size but it should be a short stay.  BK had no problems and has been hanging with us and is getting her first bath (much needed).  Both have curly/wavy brown hair.

Mom is fine and loaded up with percocets for now.  Pictures will come soon, stay tuned.

We are having the girls tomorrow!!!!!!

Well did we ever have an eventful doctor's appointment today!  I went in for my ultrasound first and it was not so great news.  One twin is 4lbs. 12oz. and the other was barely measuring at 4lbs. They call this Intrauterine Growth Restriction.  It is very common in multiple pregnancies.  The poor little girl is just out of room to grow!

My doctor decided to let the perinatologist read the ultrasound and make a decision....deliver the girls tomorrow (11.06.08) or monitor them twice next week via ultrasound to see how the smaller baby is growing.  There comes a point where they will actually grow better outside the womb.

And the verdict is.....c-section tomorrow at 11:30am!

We will keep everyone posted on the status of the girls and let you know when we can have visitors.  The girls will definitely spend time in the NICU at this point and very few people are even allowed to visit them in there.  We appreciate your thoughts and concerns and hope to introduce you to Brooklyn and Marley very soon!!!  

Brooklyn and Marley's dream palace!

I haven't had anything super exciting to post lately except updates on me...and those have not been full of much information either.  So, since the girl's nursery is now complete, I'd figured I'd show a few pictures of it for those who have not seen it or those who have seen it in transition.  It is a little cramped, but hey, I'm sure they are used to it after spending almost 9 months in my belly!

Click on this picture to view the web album!

babies' room