Friday, July 13, 2012
Weight Check
Today the twins had a weight check. Kadence weighed in at 6lbs. 2oz (birth weight was 4lbs) and Liam weighed in at 6lbs. 6oz (birth weight was 4lbs 2oz). I know that 6lb babies are still small and would be a small baby if they were born at this size, but seeing them at 4lbs and seeing them now makes them look so big already! Kadence is officially out of preemie clothes b/c she is getting too long. She's way to small for newborns but they don't make pre-newborn clothes unfortunately. Liam fits into his newborn clothes great, the sleepers are still a little long but he's filling them out fine. Omg, I just remember how fast Noah grew up and now he is a little man and not even wearing diapers (which is great because he is 3 1/2) but these two are going to grow up just as fast!! I want them to slow down already and stay little. Healthy and strong, of course! But little :)
March of Dimes
So I not only have had preemie babies, but this was my second time being a NICU mom. All 3 of my kids have spent time in the NICU. Noah got sick a week after he was born, and for those of you who don't know, when a baby gets sick they have to rule out any major problem which equals A LOT of tests. He ended up having an infection and spent a week in the NICU that was three hours from where I lived. We got to stay in the Ronald McDonald house, luckily.
.png)
Here is my link for donating in Kadence and Liam's name if you feel the urge to give back to the world in any way.
https://www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity/b_new.asp?band_id=71412
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Itzbeen timers
My first official post on a baby product that I love!
The ITZBEEN timer!
The ITZBEEN timer!
I wish I would have know about this product when I had my first baby but I am very glad I found them when I had my second and third babies. Here's how they work...
The top button with the light bulb is a nightlight
The first timer button says how long Itzbeen since the last diaper change
The second timer button says how long Itzbeen since the last feeding
The third timer button says how long Itzbeen since they fell asleep or been awake (your choice)
The fourth timer button is miscellaneous, I use it for pumping.
The small button underneath that lights up the whole timer in order to see it in the dark. The light goes off on its own, unlike the top nightlight.
The switch at the bottom is to remind you what side you nursed on last.
There is also a clock on the bottom of the screen where you can set the time.
Each button has a timer that you can set. For example, I set my feeding button for 3 hours. So I push the button when I start feeding and when the timer reaches 3 hours it will alarm for 30 seconds and blink red until you push the button again!
Definitely recommend this for anyone who has a hard time keeping track of diaper changes or feeding, or if you have people that are coming to help you and you want an easy way to keep track of those changes without wondering if someone else changed your baby or fed them while you were busy or sleeping!
Here is the link for more information
Mommy/Family blog
This blog is not just for families or mom's with multiples, it is for anyone who has kids. Sure I get a double dose of crying, diaper changes, feedings and sleep deprivation but I am basically on the same page as anyone else with a baby and/or toddler. Follow my blog and come with me on this journey where we can share ideas, suggestions and experiences on mommyhood and family life.
Recap...NICU and coming home!
Because I am writing this after the fact, I wrote all my baby updates on Facebook. So now for my personal benefit and anyone who sees this who isn't on my Facebook I can have a nice timeline of how Kadence and Liam progress in the NICU.
June 14, 2012
Baby update: Liam got is oxygen tubes out today and is breathing good on room air. He is getting more food and digesting it which is a good preemie milestone. He is slowly starting to have a little more energy and opening his eyes more. Kadence is a little behind on being able to digest food and has a few brady's during the day (heart rate drops) but overall she is doing good and she loves to look around and especially loves when Daddy talks to her. Today they started their sunbathing under the bili lights and will be have to be under them for a couple days to help with jaundice. I'm leaving the hospital tomorrow morning and I'm pretty bummed out to be going home without them but they are in a good place and getting stronger and I will come and see them everyday as much as I can.
June 18, 2012
Baby update: the twins are a week old today! Kadence had her IV taken out so now people can hold her beside mom and dad. She is still working on eating more and gaining weight. She is back under the bili lights until tomorrow bc her boli levels are going back up but hopefully it will be resolved soon. Liam is at his max feeding for his size which is a little over an ounce and he is getting his IV out today. Both are doing good they just need to learn out to drink from a bottle and breathe thru their nose at the same time.
June 21, 2012
Baby update!: Kadence is a little trooper! She is eating all her feedings on her own, meaning no feeding tube. She used to be in an enclosed isolette but for the last 48 hours she has been in an open bassinet and is able to regulate her body temperature. Her Dr said to get ready because she will be coming home soon :) Liam, is still having a harder time but the Dr said it's typical for preemie boys. He is back on oxygen mostly after feedings because he has a hard time breathing with a full stomach. He usually only eats half to 75% of his food and then falls asleep so the rest is put in his feeding tube. I'm sure he will catch up with his sister in the couple weeks so he can come home too.
June 23, 2012
Exactly one month before her due date Baby Kadence gets to come home! She is so tiny still (4lbs 5oz) but very healthy and the Dr has no reason to keep her in the Nicu longer. Liam is going to have a longer stay but he is in a bassinet now instead of an enclosed isolette. He's on oxygen all the time now but the Dr says it should help build up his stamina and hopefully he will join his sister at home in the next couple weeks :) thanks everyone for your prayers and support, they are really helping.
June 29. 2012
Baby update! Today Liam got to come home :) he is still on oxygen so the respiratory company came and set everything up. I think he is doing really good at home and him and his sister are so cute together.
June 14, 2012
Baby update: Liam got is oxygen tubes out today and is breathing good on room air. He is getting more food and digesting it which is a good preemie milestone. He is slowly starting to have a little more energy and opening his eyes more. Kadence is a little behind on being able to digest food and has a few brady's during the day (heart rate drops) but overall she is doing good and she loves to look around and especially loves when Daddy talks to her. Today they started their sunbathing under the bili lights and will be have to be under them for a couple days to help with jaundice. I'm leaving the hospital tomorrow morning and I'm pretty bummed out to be going home without them but they are in a good place and getting stronger and I will come and see them everyday as much as I can.
 |
| First time holding Kadence |
 |
| First time holding Kadence |
 |
| First time holding Liam |
 |
| First time holding Liam |
June 18, 2012
Baby update: the twins are a week old today! Kadence had her IV taken out so now people can hold her beside mom and dad. She is still working on eating more and gaining weight. She is back under the bili lights until tomorrow bc her boli levels are going back up but hopefully it will be resolved soon. Liam is at his max feeding for his size which is a little over an ounce and he is getting his IV out today. Both are doing good they just need to learn out to drink from a bottle and breathe thru their nose at the same time.
 |
| Liam and Kadence together for the first time after delivery Me holding twins together for the first time Grandma, Great Annie Krissie, and Cousin Alissa with Kadence. |
June 21, 2012
Baby update!: Kadence is a little trooper! She is eating all her feedings on her own, meaning no feeding tube. She used to be in an enclosed isolette but for the last 48 hours she has been in an open bassinet and is able to regulate her body temperature. Her Dr said to get ready because she will be coming home soon :) Liam, is still having a harder time but the Dr said it's typical for preemie boys. He is back on oxygen mostly after feedings because he has a hard time breathing with a full stomach. He usually only eats half to 75% of his food and then falls asleep so the rest is put in his feeding tube. I'm sure he will catch up with his sister in the couple weeks so he can come home too.
June 23, 2012
Exactly one month before her due date Baby Kadence gets to come home! She is so tiny still (4lbs 5oz) but very healthy and the Dr has no reason to keep her in the Nicu longer. Liam is going to have a longer stay but he is in a bassinet now instead of an enclosed isolette. He's on oxygen all the time now but the Dr says it should help build up his stamina and hopefully he will join his sister at home in the next couple weeks :) thanks everyone for your prayers and support, they are really helping.
 |
| Car ride home |
June 29. 2012
Baby update! Today Liam got to come home :) he is still on oxygen so the respiratory company came and set everything up. I think he is doing really good at home and him and his sister are so cute together.
 |
| First time together at home! |
Friday, July 6, 2012
Recap Continued... Delivery time!
My personal goal for carrying the twins was at least 35 weeks. The thought of only going 34 weeks is really scary. I had two completely different pregnancies and two completely different deliveries. My first, I got a normal sized baby bump and went to 38.5 weeks. Noah was was 7.3lbs and 20.1inches. He stayed in my room with me while we were in the hospital, we left the hospital together... On the other hand, my second pregnancy I had two babies, not one. I had a million ultrasounds. I went on bedrest. I went to 34 weeks, and I was probably bigger at 34 weeks with the twins than I was at 38 weeks with Noah. When the Doctor comes into your room and tells you that in an hour you are going to be going into surgery for a C-Section (which was planned anyway since Twin A, the girl, was breech) you think of what you're going to miss out on. First, I was supposed to be pregnant for 3 more weeks at least. Second, the babies were immediately going to be taken to the NICU after being born. Third, I would be staying in the hospital for 5 days without the babies in the room with me. Fourth, I would be going home empty handed to an empty house. Finally, I wouldn't know when the babies would be coming home and wouldn't get the bonding time with them that I wanted since they were at the hospital and I couldn't be there all the time. So like I said, I had two very different experiences.
As far as the delivery goes, I had some great doctors who were very humorous and made the mood a little lighter. I had 4-6? NICU nurses in the room ready to take care of the twins. And this time my husband was actually with me! He was a great help and participated a lot more than I thought he would. He even took video of the babies being born...which I will not be sharing :-) And he cut both cords.
Both babies came out and were beautiful. Kadence was first at 3:42pm weighing 4lbs even and 15inches long. Liam was second at 3:43 weighing 4lbs 2.7oz and 17inches long. The different in size between the two was amazing. Kadence is a tiny little thing and Liam was tiny too! He just looked big compared to his sister.
After the surgery I went back to my room and threw up a couple times and hour until about 11pm. Thank you Mr. Anesthesiologist for not giving me nausea medication in my IV. That was great. I think it made my husband and I closer b/c he had to dump my vomit bucket for me :-) What a great sport. By the time I got to go see the babies around 10pm I barely remember any of it. I was in pain and on pain medication and sick to my stomach. I feel a little jipped that I don't remember the first time I went to see them, although I remember them clearly in the operating room, which I think counts more.
So this was my delivery story. Besides being early, it was pretty uneventful. The real fun begins afterwards when I get to be a NICU mom for a few weeks.
As far as the delivery goes, I had some great doctors who were very humorous and made the mood a little lighter. I had 4-6? NICU nurses in the room ready to take care of the twins. And this time my husband was actually with me! He was a great help and participated a lot more than I thought he would. He even took video of the babies being born...which I will not be sharing :-) And he cut both cords.
Both babies came out and were beautiful. Kadence was first at 3:42pm weighing 4lbs even and 15inches long. Liam was second at 3:43 weighing 4lbs 2.7oz and 17inches long. The different in size between the two was amazing. Kadence is a tiny little thing and Liam was tiny too! He just looked big compared to his sister.
After the surgery I went back to my room and threw up a couple times and hour until about 11pm. Thank you Mr. Anesthesiologist for not giving me nausea medication in my IV. That was great. I think it made my husband and I closer b/c he had to dump my vomit bucket for me :-) What a great sport. By the time I got to go see the babies around 10pm I barely remember any of it. I was in pain and on pain medication and sick to my stomach. I feel a little jipped that I don't remember the first time I went to see them, although I remember them clearly in the operating room, which I think counts more.
So this was my delivery story. Besides being early, it was pretty uneventful. The real fun begins afterwards when I get to be a NICU mom for a few weeks.
 |
| Kadence's first picture |
 |
| Liam's first picture |
 |
| Tangled in cords |
 |
| Had a panic attack at first, but relaxed soon after. |
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Recap and Birthday
I meant to keep up with this blog a lot better than this. Here is a recap of the last few weeks.
32 weeks pregnant: Had a Dr. appointment and ultrasound for a growth check and ended up finding out that my cervix was shortening... I was immediately put on bed rest/pelvic rest until further notice. I also got 2 steroid shots to develop the babies lungs. This also meant that I couldn't go back to work :( I was happy and sad about that because I thought I had a little more time to say bye to people.
33 weeks pregnant: Had a Dr. appointment with fetal monitoring and an ffn test that came back negative which meant that I had a 1% chance of going into labor in the next two weeks.
34 weeks pregnant: Had a Dr. appointment, ultrasound, cervix check and fetal monitoring. Ultrasound showed further shortening of the cervix, cervix check found that I was 2cm and fetal monitoring showed that I was in labor! Ha ha, those contraction didn't feel strong enough for labor but I guess I built up a tolerance from the Braxton Hicks.
So at exactly 34 weeks pregnant (June 11, 2012) I was off to the hospital for further monitoring which turned into an emergency C-section. Luckily, my mom came with me to that 34 week appointment because my husband was working. This is how my phone conversation went while I was on my way to the hospital...
Me: Hi, honey. So don't panic or freak out but I'm on my way to the hospital because my contractions are
2-3 minutes apart and I'm starting to dilate. This might not mean anything so don't worry and you don't
have to hurry.
Hubby: What! Are you in labor!? I have court at 1 o'clock, I'm not gonna go, I'll meet you at the hospital.
Me: I said don't freak out!
Hubby: Okay I'll see you at the hospital.
So I get to the hospital, check in, and my husband gets there almost as quick as I did! I was hooked up to the monitors and after an hour I was checked again to see if I had dilated more. I was at 4cm. So...I checked in at 1230pm and at 3pm I was going into surgery! (Twin A was breech).
32 weeks pregnant: Had a Dr. appointment and ultrasound for a growth check and ended up finding out that my cervix was shortening... I was immediately put on bed rest/pelvic rest until further notice. I also got 2 steroid shots to develop the babies lungs. This also meant that I couldn't go back to work :( I was happy and sad about that because I thought I had a little more time to say bye to people.
33 weeks pregnant: Had a Dr. appointment with fetal monitoring and an ffn test that came back negative which meant that I had a 1% chance of going into labor in the next two weeks.
34 weeks pregnant: Had a Dr. appointment, ultrasound, cervix check and fetal monitoring. Ultrasound showed further shortening of the cervix, cervix check found that I was 2cm and fetal monitoring showed that I was in labor! Ha ha, those contraction didn't feel strong enough for labor but I guess I built up a tolerance from the Braxton Hicks.
So at exactly 34 weeks pregnant (June 11, 2012) I was off to the hospital for further monitoring which turned into an emergency C-section. Luckily, my mom came with me to that 34 week appointment because my husband was working. This is how my phone conversation went while I was on my way to the hospital...
Me: Hi, honey. So don't panic or freak out but I'm on my way to the hospital because my contractions are
2-3 minutes apart and I'm starting to dilate. This might not mean anything so don't worry and you don't
have to hurry.
Hubby: What! Are you in labor!? I have court at 1 o'clock, I'm not gonna go, I'll meet you at the hospital.
Me: I said don't freak out!
Hubby: Okay I'll see you at the hospital.
So I get to the hospital, check in, and my husband gets there almost as quick as I did! I was hooked up to the monitors and after an hour I was checked again to see if I had dilated more. I was at 4cm. So...I checked in at 1230pm and at 3pm I was going into surgery! (Twin A was breech).
 |
| Me checking in |
 |
| Stephen ready in scrubs |
 |
| Hooked up to the monitors, and finding out I'm having the babies today! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)