Happy New Year!!

Here are a few pictures from spending Christmas with our family in Twin Falls. More pictures are on their way soon.

Aunt Lindsay

Mom and Carson

Grandpa and Mom

Our little thumb-sucker

Update

Here are some recent pictures of the boys. They were circumsized today, and they are still really excited about that. We've never heard them scream so hard. Poor little guys. They were weighed while they were at the doctor's office and both boys are growing very well. Carson is now 5lbs 13.5 oz and Cade is 5lbs 15oz. Both boys gained about a pound this week.

Here's Amy Jo with Cade

Shane with Cade

Carson on the left, Cade on the right


Carson during his "awake" time

The three boys together

Photo Shoot

We thought it would be fun to have a brief photo shoot with the boys. We propped them up on a pillow and let the action unfold. While we didn't capture any real glamor shots we did have a good laugh as they socked each other in the face and fell helplessly into each other's laps. Hope you enjoy the pictures. You'll notice that Carson (on the right in the pictures) will not let his guard down and constantly has his hands in front of his face.

A few more pictures

One Week Old!

Yesterday Carson & Cade had their one week birthday!!! We took them in for a check up and they passed with flying colors. Both have maintained their weight and continue to grow and develop. Cade is still developing his sucking reflux and is having a more difficult time nursing. Carson is doing great in this area but it's hard when they have such individual challenges and needs...makes for some very sleepless nights. Once they mature I know things will get better. I've never felt so happy and so unsure at the same time. My mom leaves this afternoon and Annette will take her shift (I don't know if she realizes what she's in for & I don't want to tell her until she's here to stay!!!). I get really overwhelmed when I think of my help leaving so I try not to think about that. I talked to a doctor with twins and he told me that it took them about 4 months to feel like they could do it on their own and I can definetely see how that would be the case. I know I will be blessed to care for my babies but I am feeling pretty overwhelmed by the task.

I am so grateful that they are doing so well. This experience has made me realize how important it is for babies to spend as much time as possible inside their mommies! Cade & Carson came 5 weeks early and I know that most of my current challenges are because of their prematurity. I just need to give them time. I am overwhelmed with love for these two precious spirits and I want to give them my very best...one day at a time.

We will try to post some more pictures tonight!

A family picture

We finally took a family picture with all four of us today. It's weird that we were a family of two and now we're a family of four. Sounds so grown up.

Family fun

Here's a picture with Carson and Cade's cousin Chase - he's three weeks old, but looks like a giant in this picture

A few more pictures...

We made the trek home earlier tonight. It's good to be home, but we're a little bit scared to have them home without the safety net of nurses. Thank goodness Lori is here to help.

Cade gets ready for his first trip home

Grandma and Grandpa

Cute Cade

Grandpa and Aunt Lauren (she's already claiming to be the boys' favorite aunt)

One proud Dad

Here's part of the current feeding plan - feeding with syringes. They haven't fully developed their sucking reflexes and can't completely breast feed yet. They still try, but afterward they are still hungry so the syringe provides a low-effort method for the boys to eat.

Update

About the delivery. When we saw the doctor on Tuesday morning he did an ultrasound that revealed that Cade was breech (head up), but he thought the boys were big enough to go ahead with a natural birth as planned. Once we were at the hospital Amy was given pitocin to turbo-charge the contractions. It worked mildly, but once the doctor broke Carson's water bag the contractions really started to ramp up. Amy got an epidural as the doctor had suggested since Cade was breech and that could be a potentially painful situation for Amy. At the time Amy received the epidural she was dilated to a 6 and within half an hour she was a 10. They wheeled her into an operating room in case an emergency C-section was needed. I counted heads before the action started and I counted 13 people in the room for the delivery. It was quite the team. They did a great job of coaching Amy as she pushed out both boys. Carson came out first and the doctor immediately started to wrestle Cade. Cade did not flip around so the doctor reached up and grabbed his feet and pulled him out breech. It was an amazing experience for us and we're glad they both arrived safely.
Our boys are fraternal twins and definitely have their own looks. All four of us get to go home together later on today! Pretty amazing!!!

Bath time

Here's a little video of our boys and their first baths

They're here!!

Born at approximately 8:15 p.m. (Carson) and 8:20 p.m. (Cade). Carson was 4lbs 7oz and Cade was 4lbs 13oz.

Carson was hauled off to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for about half an hour for closer monitoring, but he was released and they are both in the nursery now.

Amy Jo was great in the delivery and is quite the trooper. She is looking forward to some well-deserved rest.

Here's Carson

Here's Cade

It's time!!

We went in for Amy's scheduled doctor appointment this morning and the doctor was a little concerned about the growth differences between the boys. He has been concerned all along because baby B has always had more fluid than baby A, but until now they have been lockstep in growth. Since the doctor was planning on delivering the babies sometime this week he decided that today would be as good as any other day this week. He told us to go home, get our stuff and go to the hospital. And that's where we are now.

They just put Amy on the monitor to check the babies and we anticipate that sometime today we will have two little boys. I will try to post on the blog as soon as I can after they are born since I know there are a few of you out there waiting to hear.

Cruisin' to 36!!!

We've been slacking since we've been home and thought we'd better give a quick update. We've been home for a little over a week and have been loving it...well I've been loving it!!! Poor Shane has had a few more dishes to take care of but is surviving! It is hard to sit and not help in your own home but that will change here soon enough so I'm trying to just enjoy it!!!
We had a great Thanksgiving here in Boise with my family, my Grandma & Grandpa Luke, and the Rays. So nice to be home in time for the holidays. Pretty sure the hospital Thanksgiving dinner just wouldn't be the same! Friday marked 35 weeks! Pretty darn exciting! I started tapering off some of the medication this weekend and will see my doctor on Tuesday. I won't be completely off medication so it'll be interesting to see how this week goes. I will also be increasing my activity as the week goes on. Once we get passed 36 weeks, my doctor would feel comfortable scheduling a delivery. So, we'll see what this next week brings. We are excited and nervous all at the same time but I know that's pretty normal. We'll be sure to post an update as soon as we have one! Until then...

Here's Carson's corner

Another picture

Here's my certificate

Pictures

Here's Amy's Certificate

Home again

As promised, we were able to come home yesterday. It was exciting and a lot of work. I made about five trips from our room to the car with all of our belongings. I crammed everything in our little car and then wheeled Amy out of the hospital. Amy was given strict orders to be on complete bed rest for the entire week. So far she is being very compliant... I think that's partially because she gets winded when she moves too much.

It was a bittersweet experience leaving the antepartum unit at St. Luke's. We've grown to love the nurses and staff there and we can't express enough gratitude for their service and care in our behalf. As we were leaving last night they handed Amy her last certificate and to our surprise they also made me a certificate for 68 days in the antepartum unit. Now I know why Amy always looked forward to those certificates each week, it felt great!

We had another pleasant surprise this week when we found that our second crib had been assembled for us. You may have noticed it in its box in the nursery pictures that we posted last week. Thanks to the anonymous helpers that did that for us. You're very sneaky.

I am having problems with the blog website right now and I am not able to post pictures. I will put up some pictures of our certificates and the new crib when the technical difficulties subside.

In At 24, Out At 34!

I just wanted to give a quick update. I am scheduled to be discharged on Friday!!! Woo Hoo! Friday marks 34 weeks. I will continue the medication and strict bedrest at home for another week and then at 35 weeks (the day after Thanksgiving) we will start tapering off the meds and will increase my activity level. If the boys haven't arrived by 36 weeks, the doctor will go ahead and schedule delivery. So, that's the plan. We should have healthy babies that can go home with us in two weeks!!! It's hard to believe how far we've come. When we first checked in, I honestly could not wrap my brain around the idea of being here this long. It really was a day-by-day, week-by-week mindset. Here we are 66 days later!!! Hard to believe. My nurse told me yesterday that we're getting close to the "Antepartem Record." Shane thinks it would be worth it to stay a little longer to set a new record...not really a title I want to hold!!! We are excited to be going home and at the same time feeling a little overwhelmed by it. We've just gotten into such a routine here and have everything we need right at our fingertips. It will be different at home and I'm going to do my best to be compliant and stay down for at least another week! Shane has been mourning these past few days the loss of the high-speed internet and cable TV (ESPN), seeing how we don't have those luxeries at home! I think that if they'd let him, he'd opt to stay as the patient and hang out here...sad but true!

We feel so blessed and know that it is because of the faith, fasting, and prayers in our behalf. Thank you, thank you for all the love and support. We have been well cared for and are so grateful! TWO MORE DAYS!!!

Nursery Update

Amy was able to take a "pass" again this weekend, this time for 5 hours. We went home again so that Amy could supervise the decoration of the nursery. Amy's mom and sister were here to help with the decoration. As many of you already know, Lori has quite the golden touch when it comes to decoration. We're glad to have her help in preparing the "nest". Thanks Lori and Lauren.

Here's Carson's side of the room. His crib still needs to be assembled. Lori made the letters that spell out the boys' names.

Here's a close up of one of the letters. The room theme is a cowboy/antique toys theme with brown and blue. It's 100% boy so hopefully there aren't any surprises in the delivery room.

Here's Cade's side of the room. We put together his crib before we came to the hospital (it's not favoritism, I promise)

Here's another shot of Cade's side.

The Wall

Here's a shot of the wall here in the hospital with all of Amy's diplomas.