DUE DATE AND NEW PHOTOS

It is hard to believe that today is the girls original due date. I look at them every day and can't believe how much they are growing and how healthy they are. We have been truly blessed to have them home this past week and half and are excited to be able to watch them grow up. I keep looking at their cute little faces, trying to find little differences so that we might be able to tell them apart. Last week Ruby Jane scratched her face and it gave us the difference for a few days. Right now Ruby still has the hospital bracelet on her ankle and we will be getting their ears pierced as soon as they are old enough so that we might tell them apart. Ruby - with Rubies Charlotte - with little diamonds. I know some people might have their own opinions on piercing babies ears early (actually I do too in a way) but we are terrified of mixing them up. As you will notice in the photos they are getting more and more alike. There have been days (like yesterday when they were dressed the same for Church) where we had to check to see who had the bracelet on.
They are such great little girls. They are on a four hour feeding schedule, though sometimes it can be 3 and the other morning we had a 6 hour solid sleep... I nurse them basically only once through the night.. Normally its feed them around 11PM and then at 3ish and 7 ish.. It works really well and I do find I get a decent amount of sleep. I take the first shift where I get up if they are crying too much or to change the diapers while my husband sleeps with ear plugs. After their middle of the night feeding, I put the ear plugs in and I try to get a solid 3 plus hours. My husband is wonderful with the girls and changes most of the dirty diapers. We are planning on doing cloth diapers and we have some great ones purchased but they are still too big for the girls and we did not want the expense of purchasing new ones for a month or so. With that said it is insane the amount of diapers we are going through. Last week alone we spent about 50+ dollars on diapers! Thankfully we are not having to purchase formula as well for two. The cloth diapers are going to be a lot more work, but it will be worth it (I HOPE).

So it has been a busy week and half since they have been home, but we are doing great. They really are such sweet beautiful girls and their big sister Jazzy just adores them.
We are busy getting the new house organized (yes we moved last Monday to a new bigger house with a POOL) and its amazing how much we can accomplish when the girls sleep 16-18 hours a day!
I will post photos of the new house with the before and after rooms.. but for now here are some photos of our little baby girls!

Ruby and Charlotte


Ruby and Charlotte


Charlotte and Ruby


Charlotte and Ruby


Our little Ruby Jane



I think we are going to have to start making sure that when we take pictures they are always on the same side... Like Ruby is always on the right! If we don't, we are never going to be able to tell them apart. As you can see they are starting to look more and more alike.

The Girls are Finally HOME

I probably should be napping right now because the girls are sleeping, but I just had to write about the exciting news. I am sure most of you know already, but our sweet little twin girls came home yesterday. It was a long 8 weeks but we all made it and now they are home with us. It was so exciting to leave the NICU with the girls instead of having to say goodnight to them there every night. It was a little sad in some ways to say goodbye to the amazing staff who took such great care of our girls. I almost wanted to ask which one of them was going to come home with us.
We left with plenty of papers and instructions and best wishes...
The girls have a very clean bill of health.. The only things we need to give them outside of the regular care is Iron twice a day and Vitamin D once a day.. Ruby has a check up next week to get her left eye checked again and hopefully the spots will have gotten smaller, or disappeared this time.

It was quite an adventurous day for the girls coming home.
Most of you also know we are moving to a new house on Monday and really did not think the girls would be home to be in this home so the nursery was not set up here and was going to be done on Friday at the new house. SO we do not have the cribs here at this house. Thankfully they are little and we can improvise! BOXES! Before anyone calls social services everything is just fine. My siblings and I actually slept in a box (not deep boxes or anything) and it certainly is a lot easier than setting up the cribs here for 5 days and then taking them down.. The house is a disaster but thankfully they will not know that!

They are wonderful little bundles of joy, and though I certainly did not get a full nights rest.. We are SO happy to have them home with us. We were sitting watching the LOST finale with the girls and just smiling that we could hold them and be close to them. I have so missed them these 8 weeks.

SO WELCOME HOME RUBY JANE AND CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH
Mommy and Daddy are so happy and excited to have you home!


Leaving the NICU



Their First Walk



Their Cute Boxed Beds (Note the writing on the boxes!!)

MOTHER'S DAY CUTENESS

I knew today would be hard for me going up to the hospital to see the girls instead of going into their room to their little smiles..
I was right! I cried as soon as I saw them, and cried even harder after I saw the little cards in their little beds.
The NICU nurses are so wonderful and these little cards are just adorable. They are perfect!
Look at the cute little foot prints, and YES those are the twins real footprints!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the mothers out there!

FUNNY CLEAN CHRISTIAN JOKE

I just had to post this joke.. It actually is quite funny!

Jesus and Satan were having an on-going argument about who was better on the computer. They had been going at it for days, and frankly God was tired of hearing all the bickering.


Finally fed up, God said, 'THAT'S IT! I have had enough. I am going to set up a test that will run for two hours, and from those results, I will judge who does the better job.'

So Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away.


They moused.

They faxed.


They e-mailed.


They e-mailed with attachments.


They downloaded.


They did spreadsheets!


They wrote reports.

They created labels and cards.


They created charts and graphs.


They did some genealogy reports .

They did every job known to man.

Jesus worked with heavenly efficiency and Satan was faster than hell.

Then, ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, rain poured, and, of course, the power went off.

Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in the underworld.

Jesus just sighed.


Finally the electricity came back on, and each of them restarted their computers.

Satan started searching frantically, screaming:


'It's gone! It's all GONE! 'I lost everything when the power went out!'

Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the past two hours of work.


Satan observed this and became irate.

'Wait!' he screamed. 'That's not fair! He cheated! How come he has all his work and I don't have any?'

God just shrugged and said,




'JESUS SAVES...!'

New Hair Cut

So I was getting really really bored with my hair. Its so heavy and plain and though I've got shorter before, it has been a LONG time since I have done anything drastic with my hair...
So I did... BANGS
I wanted to do some funky colour and such, but because I've just had babies they do not recommend it until 6 months due to different hormones and my hair could end up a totally different colour!

I could not help but put a Photo booth shot as well...

FIRST FAMILY PHOTO

They are getting so big..
They are on a bit of tough love with their tubes out, meaning if they don't take the breast or the bottle they do not get the rest down their tubes. They do not want them to get lazy...
Still no "go home" date... but they are progressing and gaining weight the way they want them to.
They are such sweet little miracles and we love them!

Alpaca Jazzy Day

On Saturday my husband and I took Jazzy to an Alpaca farm in Portage Vale outside of Sussex.

She was so excited to go see the Alpaca and was telling everyone that day where she was going.

She met Brenda and Mike at a craft show last year where they were selling products from their Alpaca wool. So, we decided since we were going to be in Sussex visiting my parents (and Adam getting fitted for some much needed new golf clubs - his bonus for finishing his Masters last year)

that we would stop to see the Alpaca.

I think they are adorable and cute, Adam thinks they are so ugly they are cute... Jazzy, well aside from being scared of one of them because he moved to fast to get the food, thought they were very 'cute'.. You decide for yourself!

DOUBLE FOOTBALL HOLD!

So I have been able to nurse the girls twice a day.  They are not strong enough yet to be nursed more often as it is a lot more work than they are used to and they get tired so fast.  They do however, take a bottle most of the other feedings which means they are getting stronger.  I love nursing them and it is a wonderful experience to see them grow and develop.

Ruby is actually much better at nursing.  Charlotte seems to be having trouble figuring out the whole breathing and sucking and swallowing thing together so she tires herself out really fast..

The other night we decided to try them both at the same time.. That was interesting, and nothing short of wonderful.  It was not easy to get them into position, thankfully I had help.  I do think it will be much easier when they are just a little bit bigger, and when they have their tubes and cords off of them.  

All in all, I am so delighted to be able to nurse them more and more.. 

GRANDPARENTS

My parents drive up 45 minutes to see the babies.  They have been coming up once a week, but like us in the beginning there was little they could do as the girls were in their incubators.  Now that they have been moved up to big girl beds and we are able to do more with them and their apneas are less, we feel comfortable with other family holding them.  I called mom and dad on Sunday afternoon to let them know they would be able to hold them.  I guess you could say they were a bit anxious to do so as they drove up that evening to see them, and to hold them.  

They loved every minute of it, as did I watching them!

Ruby is in the yellow and Charlotte is in the Pink

Big Baby Steps

So this week has been a very eventful week for our little twin girls. Today when I went up to visit them and bring back some clean matching blankets and outfits (they do provide them but if you want to bring in their own you take them home to wash them so they don't get mixed up with the Units things). I got to change them before their feedings, which I love doing anything, and to my surprise Jan, the nurse who was in charge of the twins today brought over their feed, but it was in a bottle. I was so excited and was able to feed Ruby while she fed Charlotte. She sucked it back much faster than I had expected, and so to prove to us just how big of girls they are on their one month birthday, they both took their whole feeding by bottle. They won't take all their feedings by bottle just yet because it tires them out so quickly, but they are making great progress. Tomorrow I get to try my hand at giving them each a bath, and they said sometime within the next week or so they are going to try to get them to latch onto me..
Its been an exciting week for the McKim twins and I am so happy our little girls are progressing, and sad Daddy has been sick and had to miss all these events!

Here are the girls together for one of the first times since being born!
Charlotte on the left and Ruby on the right... I will be so happy when they get their little tubes out, but for now, we are happy that is all they need to have!

BIG GIRL BEDS

Look at me.. Two posts in one day.

I went up today to visit the girls (my husband is still sick) and thankfully brought along my camera as today was a BIG day for the girls, they moved out of their incubators and into big girl beds.  Charlotte into a regular big girl bed, and Ruby (because she weighs less) is into a big girl water bed tent... Plus they get to wear clothes now, so some of the really little clothes people have brought and given to us will get used.  The girls are growing so long we were not sure if we would get to use the tiny clothes!

 It is SO wonderful to see them getting bigger and progressing.  It is also so much easier to interact with them and change them and kiss them.  This is exciting news for the girls and us.. 

Charlotte

Charlotte

Charlotte

Charlotte

Charlotte with the hats grammy McKim knit for them

Ruby Jane

Ruby Jane

Ruby Jane in her Tent

Still side by side, just not quite in the same type of home anymore!

MY LITTLE GIRLS ARE 4 WEEKS OLD

I know it has been a long time since I have posted about my every growing little girls.  I sometimes feel like there is nothing new to report except that they are growing every day. However, yesterday was a big day as I got to hold both my sweet little girls at the same time for the first time.  It was wonderful and so sweet to hold my two little girls together.  It was also, for lack of a better term, a bit of a reality check!  I wanted to move Ruby's head to look at me because she was awake, but because I had Charlotte in the other arm I was not able to do so.. It made me realize that holding both of them at the same time will not be the easiest thing, nor will breast feeding at the same time be something simple.  Since the girls are still hooked up to their monitors, the staff had to help me get the girls in my arms.  Thankfully they have a camera there at the NICU as I did not know I was going to be holding my girls today.  We had not held Charlotte in over a week due to her apneas, and Ruby for three days, so I had no clue.  Adam has been sick again and as assumed has not been able to go see his sweet little girls.  It is so hard on him but he is really quite sick right now.  

So our little girls look like my side of the family.  They are Harvey through and through.

They really look like my father and my brother.  I too look like my father, but even the staff who have seen my father come in to visit have commented on how much they look like him.  I wish I had some baby photos of my father and brother on my computer to show you, but there are a couple of my baby photos where I find they look like me too.  The girls are really coming to their own and filling out.  They look more alike in person than they do in the photos especially because Charlotte is still quite pale, and Ruby is still enjoying her nice colour.

Ruby is no longer the smallest baby in the NICU, though she is growing plenty, it is because a smaller baby came in.

They are growing like crazy.  Ruby since she was born has grown in length 7.5 cm (3.4 inches for all the Americans) which is an insane amount of length for less than four weeks at the time of measuring.  Ruby now weighs just slightly over 4 pounds..  Charlotte who only grew 3 cm (1.3 inches) is up to a big 4 pounds 7 ounces.  When they were born they were 10 ounces apart, so little Ruby Jane is making some progress on her sister.  

They are such sweet babies, and the NICU just loves them and always comments on how sweet they are.  Dr Montessaro walked by me yesterday and commented on how beautiful our little girls are.  I know.. I know.. I am sure they say that to everyone, but it is still nice to hear and see how wonderful all the staff are with the girls.

They were 4 weeks old on Thursday, and I can't believe since being admitted to the hospital as inpatient it has been 2 months.  It seems like so long ago I was spending my first night ever in the hospital.

We have been very blessed with the girls being as healthy has they have been.  They are so fun to go and visit when they are awake because they are further along in development and more interactive.  Last night I was up at the NICU just before feeding and I was changing their nasty filled diapers and Charlotte was crying SO much louder than I've heard her before as she was hungry.  I could not help myself but smile and laugh a little... mostly because I love seeing them grow and her lungs are so much stronger than I've heard them.

We still have no idea what the date is going to be on them coming home... but regardless the little girls are progressing at a great rate, and I keep telling myself they will be home before I know it, and I will be begging one of the nurses to come home with me! 

Mommy and her little girls
Charlotte on my left and Ruby on my right



Can you see any resemblance?

Maybe seeing the resemblance is not as easy in the photo of the twins, but trust me they look like my father and I...

Off to the NICU again.. Hoping to hold them again, this time bringing my camera.

BABY GIRLS UPDATES

It's hard to believe our little girls are already 2 weeks old. Today when I went up to visit and got their update, Ruby who passed who birth weight the other day passed the THREE pound mark and is now 3 pounds 1 ounce. Charlotte is not growing as fast, though she was bigger to start with. She is up to 3 pounds 9.5 ounces. We are hoping Ruby will catch up quickly so they will be able to leave the hospital together. Everyone keeps asking when they will be able to leave the hospital, and really the only answer I can give you is their original due date, May 25th. If it is earlier, it will be wonderful, but all the staff and Doctors tell us to put that date in our heads, and hope that they are ready to leave at that date.
They are both doing very well. They have some dips in their heart rates which are called Apnea. Basically what it means is that because they are so premature, their little brains are not totally developed to tell their bodies they need to breathe. So, sometimes they get too comfortable (especially when they are on asleep on our chests) and sometimes forget to breathe. It is VERY normal for premature babies and they say they will eventually grow out of it as they develop more.
They are such sweet little things. We have been enjoying the Kangaroo Care at night, getting to hold one each for about an hour. If we are around when they are getting fed (all my breast milk which is great) we get to change their little diapers. Do not be fooled, I could not believe how much poo and mess they could both make. Charlotte had a major explosion right before I went to change her, and Ruby (for the second time) decided it would be more fun to wait until I was mid changing her to explode.
They are growing, but they are still so little (though really long).
I am feeling OK. Physically I am getting more energy and trying to adapt my body into not having as much sleep, or more interrupted sleep by having to get up to pump. I suppose it is great preparation for when they come home. Mentally, Emotionally, some days are better than others. I am careful to watch my emotions for any signs of anything major, but my tears are simply a mixture of hormones and my desire to hold my little girls more, or to have them home with us. It still feel VERY odd when people call me mommy, or mother. Maybe it is because they are not home with us, or just the simple fact that I am still surprised that I am finally a mother.
They really are sweet.. I have made them some matching blankets for outside their little warm homes, and also a bunch of matching little blankets for under them..
The staff are so very wonderful to us and with our girls.. They are all happy with how great they are doing. They have plenty of company at the NICU though Ruby is still the smallest baby in the unit.. They have some more permanent company with a set of triplets who where delivered at almost 33 weeks last week.. Though they were also early they were all over 4 pounds and also doing great..
I love going up to see our girls, but it has been tiring going back and forth. Thankfully we live REALLY close to the hospital and the last couple of days while my husband has been away I have walked either up and back, or got a ride up and walked back. It takes roughly 20 minutes at my current pace to walk back, and its good for me to get out and about and get the exercise.

Thank you to everyone who I know have been saying many prayers for all of us and for everyone's support. We have a long couple months still ahead of us, but thankfully they are doing really well.


Little Ruby and Mommy



Daddy and Charlotte


Our little Ruby Jane


Charlotte and her cute Blanket I made


Ruby and her little soft blanket


Little Charlotte Elizabeth


Ruby Jane


Charlotte Elizabeth


A VERY CUTE Charlotte Elizabeth

The 12 Steps of a MoMo Pregnancy by Adam McKim

1) THE TWO TINY PINK LINES

And this is where the world of normal ends for this particular story.

2) LADY PUKESALOT

The horror. The horror. I will here speak of it only in the detached form of mathematics. Morning Sickness x 24hrs/day + 10 to 15 daily vomits x 3months = 30 lost pounds. Ugh.

3) THE DOUBLEMINT ULTRASOUND

Have you ever had an ultrasound technician, without looking up, nonchalantly say, "Well, there's two in there." Jenny and I were planning to have a pair of children together and were honestly thrilled at the news; This was efficiency redefined.

4) THE HUNT FOR THIN CLEAR MEMBRANE

So apparently even identical twins have this tough little barrier wall that protects them from each others' umbilical cords. Well, 99% of them do anyway. About 1 in 50,000 pregnancies, however, result in Monoamniotic/Monochorionic twins: Mortality rate: About 50%. After literally spending hours watching Twin Tv through the ultrasound cable box, the doctor is now sure of three things: They are girls... they are identical... and they are in in danger.

5) THE WORRY AND THE WONDER

The only way to reduce that terrifying 50% statistic is to regularly monitor heartbeats and cord status. If things go south and won't come back, the c-section that is automatically scheduled for 8 weeks early happens, well, earlier. For obvious though arguable reasons, Canada traditionally doesn't start such monitoring until 28 weeks. Our MoMo news came at 24 weeks. Jenny (my hero) was admitted to the hospital at 27 weeks... hence the title of this segment.

6) THE SOUNDS OF SURVEILLANCE

The shrill screams of full term baby after baby. The clunking wheels of fetal assessment machines. The sweet rhythm of heartbeats.

7) THE MAD DASH

Thursday, March 19th, 10:06am. The hospital is on my office phone. Ruby is "acting up." This means her heart rate is decelerating and they want me to come in. The escape from school is clean but the giant laundry truck blocking my car is not. The story of the ensuing five minutes is worth hearing in person but here are the basics: Honking my horn, honking HIS horn, attempting to move truck after starting it (failure), attempting to not fatally strangle man slowly walking to my rescue who stops to debate legality of his parking job. (success)

8) THE DOCTOR IS IN(DECISIVE?)

We are at 30 weeks and 4 days. Ruby's heart was "acting up" all morning but stable for hours afterward. She also stopped growing two weeks prior. So better IN or better OUT? The doc is in sync with us... these MoMos are coming out ASAP.

9) THE C-SECTION

I suppose this segment is almost as "normal" as step 1, and I simply could not be happier about that particular truth. Charlotte Elizabeth is yanked out by the head at 2:44pm. She weighs 3 pounds and 8 ounces. Ruby Jane follows at 2:45pm. She is 2 pounds, 14 ounces. We desperately want to hold them but obviously are not allowed. I tell Dr. Sanderson that he is a Rock Star and thanked all the brilliant people that helped.

10) TWISTED SISTERS

They were the ominous x-factor from the moment we learned of their unfortunately interactive nature. Minutes after the births we were told the cords had been photographed for the medical files and were offered a look at them; They lived up to their billing. Tightly twisted for the six or so inches closest to the placenta, they then formed an impressive knot with the thickest cord hanging a full eight or so inches beneath... this would be the part that was apparently wrapped around Charlotte's neck four times. You know, the official Atheist slogan states that "There probably is no God, so quit worrying and enjoy your life." There is a reason the word "probably" is in there.

11) THE NICU FOR TWO

As any parent knows, when their kid skins a knee, has a nightmare, or narrowly avoids a nasty spill, sometimes the best medicine is a simple hug. So despite the simply incredible news that was gushing our way (breathing air on night one, gaining weight, strong colour) Jenny and I, after thanking our lucky stars, couldn't help ourselves from wanting more.

12) KANGAROO CARE

As I wrap up this note one full week after Charlotte and Ruby entered this bright world, I can now happily report skin to skin contact for over an hour with each of them. The experts say this will really help with emotional and physical well being. I can only assume they are referring to all four of us.