MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Well, they have been home for a week now...WOW! All is easier said than done. We've kind of got into a groove now feeding and changing the girls (every 3 hours day and night). They are doing very well but still having apnea and brady spells, thank goodness for the monitors. They had their first checkup with the pediatrician and home nurse and nothing new to report. Both girls are now almost 5-1/2 lbs and gaining at a faster rate than expected (very good news). Kathryn has to see a specialist for her digestive system on Wednesday because she is spitting up a lot, but they think its just reflux but want to be on the safe side. They have thier eye appointment on Monday, so as you can see things are hectic to say the least.

We wanted to keep this update short and too the point and share more pics with everyone including our first family Christmas picture and some funny home pics of all the girls.

Merry Christmas to everyone from the Tom, Emily, Evelyn, Kathryn & Sophia. God Bless!

All Evelyn wants to do is hold the girls, she is a very good sister.

STRETCH!

How did your breakfast taste?

Kathryn doing her impression of Silvio from 'The Sopranos'

Daddy getting some much needed sleep.

Our snow angel.

Our first snow man (cowboy) together.

The finished product, complete with Evelyn's gloves and screwdriver nose (we didn't have any carrots, so Daddy improvised).

Kissing and making up after a rough nap.

Surprise!

10 weeks ago we never thought we would be taking this picture.

Enough to make our hearts melt.

Hi girls! (Sophia not so much)

Some very good cuddle time on Christmas Eve, they love being together.

They spent the whole day like this in front of the tree.

Evelyn heading to her Christmas party (or ball as she put it) with Mum & Pup.

Christmas miracles.

The BEST family picture we've ever taken. An unforgettable Christmas...

(Notice Daddy with no facial hair!)

Evelyn in her cooking dress and new kitchen from Santa.

Christmas presents can wear you out, sleepy head with her new Belle doll.

Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus...

As you can probably imagine, we are a little giddy today...THE GIRLS ARE HOME!!!!!!!

As of Saturday night, Kathryn had not had an episode in 47 hours and was scheduled to come home by herself on Sunday. We thought they might not let us bring her home because of the storm, so we weren't concerned about it and hoped Sophia did not have an episode and they could both come home on Monday. We contacted the hospital Sunday morning and to our surprise the nurses were excited to inform us that BOTH could be picked up today. I was shocked and had to ask, "are you serious?" The Doctors had decided that because they were both coming home on monitors and they were both on caffeine that it was OK to send the both home. Within an hour, we were both showered and dressed and braving the first snow storm of the season to pick up our babies.

It took about two hours to get them fed, hooked up to thier monitors, packed, and out the door and we were home and happy by 2:30 pm. Evelyn was with Mum & Pup (Larry and Teresa) and they brought her home to finally meet the girls. She was soooooo good to them and did not want to leave their side. She skipped her Sunday nap altogether because she didn't want to miss a minute with them. She was gently stroking thier cheeks, silently singing her ABC's and Frosty the Snowman, and reading them books already. I think she is going to be a FANTASTIC big sister, she is already very protective of them. She's held them and helped feed both of them so far and has been smiling ear to ear since they've been home. The girls are doing very good and the monitors have not gone off yet. We are scheduled for our first Pediatrician appointment this week.

I video taped Evelyn's first meeting with them and if I get some time will try to post to the site. In the meantime, enjoy some pics below.

Thank you to everyone that visited and continues to visit this site. Your prayers and encouragement has helped all of us through this. Thank you once again, we couldn't ask for anything more for Christmas this year.

As Tiny Tim would say, "God Bless Us Everyone..."

PS Em will post some thoughts soon...

Kathryn, ready to go.

Sophia, ready to go.

Thier first get together.

Evelyn holding Kathryn.

Fast asleep after a long day (Sophia).

Didn't like the flash, squinting her eyes (Kathryn).

Her new buddies home for Christmas (isn't that a priceless smile?)

No, that is not one of her dolls, Evelyn cuddling with her sister Sophia.

Helping mommy feed Sophia.

Hurry up and wait...

Well on 12/5/07, the girl’s nurse told us she believed the girls would be home in one to two weeks. This past Wednesday was obviously one week, and we’re quickly moving onto week two. They have completed everything needed for them to be discharged: shots, eye/ear tests, paperwork, pictures, eating properly, gaining enough weight (which is now 5 lbs for both of them) – the only thing that they have to do is NOT have a bradycardia episode for 48 hours. This is obviously a lot easier said than done because since last Sunday we’ve been preparing every day to bring our girls home, only to find out each day they’ve had another episode. This shouldn’t be alarming news to anyone because this is still normal behavior for a preemie until approximately 44 weeks (four weeks past a term babies’ due date). The girls are 37 weeks old today. Funny thing is, if one girl makes it 48 hours before the other, then she will be discharged first – they won’t keep both girls until both are ready. And, so far, they keep having episodes within hours of each other like they know they don’t want to leave the other behind. The nurse told me that the Doctors are very strict about the 48 hour rule, not to mention, even if they make it 48 hours and they are packed up and ready to leave and happen to have an episode while in the care of the hospital, then they will start the clock over and keep them there another 48 hours. Right now, it feels like this will go on forever and they’ll never make it home. We understand their logic because they want to cover themselves in the event that something drastic should happen after the girls get home, but we’ve already taken the monitor class, and the girls are coming home on monitors and caffeine so it feels like we should just be able to take them.

For the most part, when the girls have an episode, it’s during a feeding because they still have a hard time with coordinating their suck, swallow, and breathe reflexes. The nurse told me this morning that with maturity they will outgrow this, and she still expects they will be home before Christmas. I just tell myself we’ve made it this far and I have to be patient – I’ve placed them into God’s hands and he hasn’t let us down so far.

Onto more positive things, Kathryn had her MRI done on her head because of the Nevus Sebaceous and the results came back negative, meaning that the condition isn’t affecting anything internal – which is excellent news. Also, the girls had their pictures taken by the hospital and they turned out sooooo cute (see proofs below). They finally look like term newborns. They took one picture with them together and they were both very alert and awake and the pictures are hilarious because you can clearly see how different they look while they are side by side. Sophia looks like a little Hansen baby (and still very much like Evelyn) and Kathryn looks like a Short baby (and very much like Tom). Its funny how two people can make such different looking offspring (not to mention they are twins!!!).

As we said once already, hopefully the next post will be a "Welcome Home" post.

Enjoy a few more pics below and Merry Christmas to all that visit!

A rare occasion where they are both awake.

A strange angle pic Em took, one sleeping, one awake.

Kathryn saying her bedtime prayers.

Sophia Grace

Kathryn Lydia

Sophia singing her favorite Christmas carols.

Kathryn's hospital pics.

Sophia's hospital pics.

Double trouble.

Evelyn's Exciting Day!...More Updates...

The most exciting thing that has happened recently is over this past weekend Kathryn and Sophia got assigned a very nice nurse who agreed to allow Evelyn to come into the NICU for a few minutes to meet her sisters! The nurse was a little reluctant since the rule is children over 4 years of age. She only agreed if Tom promised to hold her the whole time and she could only take a peek and then leave. She jokingly said if we told anyone she allowed it, she’d deny it to the end. We explained it to Evelyn that she had to be good, not touch anything, and be very quiet – she did a fantastic job, even the nurse was excited. When she went in she was in absolute aw of her surroundings and of her new baby sisters. She gawked at everything around them and she just stared at them and said, “Awwww, they are so cute and tiny”. Then she giggled because Sophia stretched and put her arm up and Evelyn thought she was waving to her, and so she waved back (see pic below). It was really an exciting and emotional five minutes for all of us. Tom took Evelyn back out in the waiting area and he said that she was just beaming and still so excited. Ever since then she talks more about them and makes comments about missing them and wanting them to come home. I think it made her “big sister” role feel more legitimate.

Other than that, the girls have had a few steps forward, backward, and forward again….such is the life of a preemie. Everything seems to be progressing very quickly lately. After being moved into the “growers/feeders” room, the nurses immediately tried putting the girls into an open shared bed. This only lasted for about two days before Sophia went back into an isolate because she could not keep her temperature up. Kathryn stayed in a single open bed and has been tolerating it well. However, just to be in an open bed they keep on so many layers of clothes and blankets that you can only see their nose and eyes. Good news is, this past Sunday they took Sophia back out in her own open bed and they are going to give it a second chance to see if she can tolerate it, and…so far so good.

Last week both girls went back onto the caffeine to help them maintain their heart rates. I get mixed reviews on whether or not they will try them off it one more time prior to coming home, or if they will just keep them on it, and send them home on monitors. Either way, its okay and it will not constitute them staying in the NICU longer.

And now for the GREAT news - Both girls are doing an amazing job with their bottle feeds and they have even gotten to try breastfeeding. They are currently bottle feeding more than half of their daily meals. They eat 8 times per day, and in order to come home, all 8 meals must be by bottle (or breast if they can handle it). The nurses say at the rate they are increasing bottle feeds they will be preparing to come home soon. I couldn’t believe how well they did their first few tries at breastfeeding. After Evelyn’s resistance to breastfeeding, I was not expecting it to go well, but both girls were able to latch on. Their nurse told me not to even expect that their first few tries because they would be too weak, but they proved her wrong. Today, Sophia latched on and even ate for awhile, where sometimes they don’t have a strong enough suck to get the milk.

The nurses and Physical Therapists say that the girls seem more advanced than their age and they are very surprised with their quick progression. Sophia’s weight is 4 lbs. 7.5 ozs., and she is 17.25 inches long, and Kathryn weighs 4 lbs. 5 ozs. and she is almost 17.75 inches long. That's 2 lbs and 2 inches in 8 weeks! Needless to say we are very happy with how well they are doing, and hopefully we’ll here more news about a homecoming soon.

Enjoy some more pics and God Bless!

Evelyn's first meeting with her sisters (with Nurse Mary)

Meeting Kathryn for the first time.

Waving at Sophia

Big girl Kathryn wide awake.

Something funny?

Daddy's first bottle feeding with Sophia

Not quite sure who is more fascinated

Look closely...

It finally sets in...

Sleeping together for the first time out of their isolate

Happy Mommy

Daddy kisses (can't get enough)

First ever bottle feeding with Kathryn

Cuddle time

Evelyn helping mommy with her surplus of milk

Evelyn in her HUGE pile of leaves (with her cape)

Pretty girl

The best snowman Daddy could make with such little snow