Weight check today, just one day shy of a month old. Kenzie is up to 7 lbs 3 ozs! She is almost 2 lbs heavier than her birth weight! Yahoo! And Lexie is up to 6 lbs 7 ozs! They are growing and I am so happy about that! Tomorrow they will be one month old and I can hardly believe it. One month already. Wow. It makes me happy because I know we are on our way to some really fun times and milestones, but sad at the same time because the time is going to quickly. Tomorrow I plan on taking some pictures of the little ladies and comparing them to their big sister at one month. Kenzie looks more like Madison than Lexie does, but they all look quite a bit different to me!
We are still on a pretty good schedule. They sleep awesome. They eat a ton. They are good babies. I really have no complaints :) We put them down for the night in our room between 9:00 and 10:00. They sleep together in a playpen. They love having their faces next to one another. Lexie is usually the first one to wake up to eat. Since she is smaller than Kenzie, she doesn't eat quite as much and therefore gets hungry faster. She wakes up between 1:00 and 2:00 am. She eats around 3 to 3.5 ozs. I wake up Kenzie at the same time and she eats about 4 ozs. Then back to bed they go. Lexie wakes up again between 5:00 and 6:00 am. Then, they will sleep till 9:00 or 10:00 am. At this feeding, I bring them to the livingroom for the day. This routine pretty much goes throughout the day too. Eating about every 3 hours, they are awake for an hour or two at a time.
Kenzie prefers the bouncy chair and Lexie prefers the swing. And, they both love music. Yeah, that's right. One month old and they are already taking after dad and sister. Ugh, I am in for it. They want their music on. All the time. (Only during the day though :) They can be sound asleep in their swings/bouncy chairs and the music/mobiles turn off, and they wake up and let me know they want it back on! lol. I can't believe it. This makes daddy very happy.
So, all in all, we have had a great month. It has been so amazing getting to know these two little angels and getting to know a different side of Madison. She really is doing great with the babies. I know she loves them a ton. I have also learned a lot about myself too. I am meant to do this! "This" being a mother. I am good at it and I am not afraid to say it. I love my three girls with every part of me. Yes, I get frusterated. Yes, I get tired of being home all the time and I need a break every few days. But, that is all normal. I also love being home with them. I love taking care of them. I love seeing them change every day. I love it.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Best Picture Ever
This is my favorite picture of my beautiful little ladies. I cannot believe how adorable they are!Thank you Mandy Kay Photography!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
3 Week Check Up
Today I took the babies for a weight check with their doctor. Kenzie is definitely putting on the pounds! Ok, well ounces, but still, she is gaining weight like a champ! She weighed 5.6 at birth, dropped to 4.14 at the hospital, was up to 5.9 at her one week check up, and now she is... 6 lbs 12 ozs! Yahoo! She was 19 inches long when she was born and is now 20 inches. She is doing great!
Lexie is just a more petite little lady, which is just fine. She weighed 5.3 at birth, dropped to 4.13, was back to 5.3 at her one week check up, and now weighs... 6 lbs 1 oz! Yay for both babies being over 6 lbs! We work hard at it! She was 18 inches long at birth and is now 20 inches, catching up to Kenzie. I think I am going to have a bunch of tall skinny girls! Look out daddy!
I am continuing to pump and bottle feed both girls. So far, I have had enough milk for both of them for every feeding and have a good surplus going in the freezer. I am very thankful that so far I am able to give them strictly breast milk which is extremely important, especially if they do have VLCAD deficiency. My milk will help keep them from getting sick which is crucial!
The doctor said they both look fantastic. Their color and skin is great. Their hearts sounds great. They are eating plenty for their size and sleeping well. We are on a 4 hour schedule most of the time. At least at night. They snack a little more during the day because they are awake more, but usually not more than every 3 hours. Our routine at night is pretty good I think. I feed them between 9:30 and 10, swaddle and put to bed. They wake up around 2 for a bottle, then re-swaddle and back to bed. Then they wake again around 6 for another bottle. I put them back to bed again at this time and they will usually sleep until 9 or 10. Not too shabby for 3 week old babies! :) I am trying really hard to get them to know the difference between night and day since they sleep a lot during the day too. So at night, I really don't talk to them. I feed and put right back to bed. I keep the lights off and try not to stimulate them too much. During the day, they are in the living room with Madison, the dog and me. The TV is on, the blinds are open, they swing in their swings. We talk to them a ton and give them lots of snuggles. It seems to be working. They have their awake periods during the day. All in all, they are great little babes.
Today was also the last blood draw for Lexie. Since they are so small, the lab couldn't draw enough blood for all the testing they needed done at once. So last Monday, they took enough for the second PKU and one of the tests. I took them back last Thursday and they were able to get Kenzie's but, they used too small of a needle for Lexie and her blot clotted before they had a chance to put it in the test tube. So unfortunately, we had to go back today and let them re-poke my poor little baby. It is so heartbreaking to hear them scream. I hate it so much! They have such tiny little arms and veins. It is so sad. I know it needed to be done, but I still hate that they have to go through this :(
The blood has to be sent out of state so we won't have the results back for a couple of weeks. Bummer.
So, all in all, doctor's appt went well and it is nice to hear that I seem to be doing everything right so far :)
Lexie is just a more petite little lady, which is just fine. She weighed 5.3 at birth, dropped to 4.13, was back to 5.3 at her one week check up, and now weighs... 6 lbs 1 oz! Yay for both babies being over 6 lbs! We work hard at it! She was 18 inches long at birth and is now 20 inches, catching up to Kenzie. I think I am going to have a bunch of tall skinny girls! Look out daddy!
I am continuing to pump and bottle feed both girls. So far, I have had enough milk for both of them for every feeding and have a good surplus going in the freezer. I am very thankful that so far I am able to give them strictly breast milk which is extremely important, especially if they do have VLCAD deficiency. My milk will help keep them from getting sick which is crucial!
The doctor said they both look fantastic. Their color and skin is great. Their hearts sounds great. They are eating plenty for their size and sleeping well. We are on a 4 hour schedule most of the time. At least at night. They snack a little more during the day because they are awake more, but usually not more than every 3 hours. Our routine at night is pretty good I think. I feed them between 9:30 and 10, swaddle and put to bed. They wake up around 2 for a bottle, then re-swaddle and back to bed. Then they wake again around 6 for another bottle. I put them back to bed again at this time and they will usually sleep until 9 or 10. Not too shabby for 3 week old babies! :) I am trying really hard to get them to know the difference between night and day since they sleep a lot during the day too. So at night, I really don't talk to them. I feed and put right back to bed. I keep the lights off and try not to stimulate them too much. During the day, they are in the living room with Madison, the dog and me. The TV is on, the blinds are open, they swing in their swings. We talk to them a ton and give them lots of snuggles. It seems to be working. They have their awake periods during the day. All in all, they are great little babes.
Today was also the last blood draw for Lexie. Since they are so small, the lab couldn't draw enough blood for all the testing they needed done at once. So last Monday, they took enough for the second PKU and one of the tests. I took them back last Thursday and they were able to get Kenzie's but, they used too small of a needle for Lexie and her blot clotted before they had a chance to put it in the test tube. So unfortunately, we had to go back today and let them re-poke my poor little baby. It is so heartbreaking to hear them scream. I hate it so much! They have such tiny little arms and veins. It is so sad. I know it needed to be done, but I still hate that they have to go through this :(
The blood has to be sent out of state so we won't have the results back for a couple of weeks. Bummer.
So, all in all, doctor's appt went well and it is nice to hear that I seem to be doing everything right so far :)
Monday, March 14, 2011
PICTURES!
I took the babies for newborn pictures yesterday! They look amazing from what I have seen (which is only 4 photos!) And I can't wait to see the rest. The girls did great and were champs the entire time! I never took Madison for newborn pics with a photographer, I just took her to a studio. Big mistake! Mandy was awesome and took the time to get the best pictures possible! She has twins herself so she know exactly how special that bond is and did great getting them posed together in the cutest positions! I cannot wait to make a collage for our wall! I definately have some beautiful little ladies!
So for those of you in Southern Oregon, check out Mandy's amazing work! Mandy Kay Photography. She is on Facebook!
Unsettling News
I got a phone call today from the receptionist from the Metabolic Clinic at OHSU in Portland. She was calling to schedule an appt for Kenzie and Lexie with their doctor. I was completely alarmed when I heard the voicemail and immediately burst into tears. I haven't heard from our doctor yet as to whether or not the girls even have VLCAD Deficiency and now I have a specialist in Portland calling ME???!!! I called back and of course, they have no information for me, just that our pediatrician has been in contact with their specialist and she was told to squeeze us in April 7th when the doctor is in Medford doing a clinic. So, do my girls have this rare deficiency or what?
I called their pediatrician who doesn't work on Mondays, and the nurse called me back. She said she didn't see any results to their blood work in the girls' charts. She said she would look into it more and call me back. Not too much longer and the doctor called me herself. She said that the blood results haven't come back yet, but the specialist is pretty certain that both girls really do have this deficiency and he wanted to schedule an appt for us as soon as possible. She said that she thinks it is a mild case, but we won't really know how severe it is until the results come back and the specialist can make a determination of their condition. Basically, this is a deficiency where their bodies can't make fatty acids. Meaning, they can't fast. Right now, they cannot go more than 5 hours without eating. If they go too long without eating, their glucose levels can drop and they can get really sick. It can cause liver or heart damage if left untreated. If one parent is a carrier of this chromosome, your child has a 1 in 4 chance of getting this deficiency, so how in the world did I get 2 with it! We are praying that it is very mild (or that the initial test results are wrong!) and that we will be able to give them a supplement to help their bodies make what they need in order to stay healthy.
If they do end up having this deficiency, it will be something that we will always be learning about and monitoring. As they get older, we will have to monitor their diets and make sure that they don't go to long without eating. Hopefully the final results will be in by our appt with the specialist and he can tell us exactly what their condition is and what we need to do to keep them healthy. We will need to maintain a relationship with him so that as they get older, we know what we need to do.
Please pray that the initial results were just an error!
I called their pediatrician who doesn't work on Mondays, and the nurse called me back. She said she didn't see any results to their blood work in the girls' charts. She said she would look into it more and call me back. Not too much longer and the doctor called me herself. She said that the blood results haven't come back yet, but the specialist is pretty certain that both girls really do have this deficiency and he wanted to schedule an appt for us as soon as possible. She said that she thinks it is a mild case, but we won't really know how severe it is until the results come back and the specialist can make a determination of their condition. Basically, this is a deficiency where their bodies can't make fatty acids. Meaning, they can't fast. Right now, they cannot go more than 5 hours without eating. If they go too long without eating, their glucose levels can drop and they can get really sick. It can cause liver or heart damage if left untreated. If one parent is a carrier of this chromosome, your child has a 1 in 4 chance of getting this deficiency, so how in the world did I get 2 with it! We are praying that it is very mild (or that the initial test results are wrong!) and that we will be able to give them a supplement to help their bodies make what they need in order to stay healthy.
If they do end up having this deficiency, it will be something that we will always be learning about and monitoring. As they get older, we will have to monitor their diets and make sure that they don't go to long without eating. Hopefully the final results will be in by our appt with the specialist and he can tell us exactly what their condition is and what we need to do to keep them healthy. We will need to maintain a relationship with him so that as they get older, we know what we need to do.
Please pray that the initial results were just an error!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Kenzie and Lexie's Birth Story
Well I made it to 37 weeks and 2 days. I probably would have made it to 38 weeks when the doctor wanted to induce, but I developed pre-eclampsia in a matter of a couple days and that was no longer an option for me.
I went for my ultrasound on February 22nd. It was just routine to make sure the girls were still growing and that they had enough fluid. They checked my blood pressure and it was sky high. Then they told me that the girls were not growing at the same rate anymore and I needed to go to RVMC to be induced. They estimated that Lexie weighed 5 lbs 15 ozs and Kenzie was 5 lbs 5 ozs. I asked if I could go home to get my things and tell Madison that I was going to be having the babies and she was going to stay with Grandma for a couple of days. I wanted to be the one to tell her. That didn't happen. The doctor told me I needed to go straight to the hospital and not go anywhere else. She said it was important that they get me and the babies on the monitors as quickly as possible. I started panicking. I was worried that something happened and the babies were in danger. I called David who met me at the hospital. I called my mom to let her know I was going to be induced, and managed to drive myself to RVMC (which was only a block away from where I was at, but it felt like it took forever!)
We got checked in and put into our room. I noticed right away that it was the room closest to the operating room and the NICU. I knew I had to deliver in the OR because we were having twins, but it was still unsettling to be so close. They hooked us all up to monitors and the babies were handling everything just fine. My body, however, was a different story. My blood pressure was getting higher and higher, my blood platelets were dropping dangerously low and I felt horrible. They decided to put an IV in of Magnesium Sulfate that made me feel worse and really sleepy. My doctor arrived at about 3:00 pm and broke my water. The contractions were intense at that point with no breaks in between. I asked for an epidural but they wouldn't give it to me because of the blood platelet issue. They were afraid my blood wouldn't clot and I would have to have a blood transfusion. The doctor told David to make sure he was ready to move to the operating room by 5:00 because she knew that is when I would be ready to deliver.
Sure enough, we moved to the OR at 5:02. Miss Kenzie Grace made her entrance with one push at 5:10. She weighed 5 lbs 6 ozs. I didn't get to see her because they whisked her away to make sure she was breathing, and besides, I had another baby to deliver! Doctor Stone broke my water for baby #2 at 5:13 and Miss Lexie Noelle appeared two minutes later at 5:15 with one push. In fact, David said she practically flew out :) She weighed 5 lbs 3 ozs. Not quite the extreme weight difference that I was expecting.
We went back to our room before 6:00 and both girls were with us! :) They were completely healthy! And Beautiful! I couldn't believe I managed to deliver them both naturally!
We had to stay in the hospital until late Friday (the 25th) Kenzie and Lexie had trouble keeping their body temperatures up the first couple of days, partly because they were so small and partly because neither one was too interested in latching on. On the third day I decided to pump and bottle feed so they would have an easier time eating and that way they could gain weight. Apparently that did the trick because they managed to keep they temps up and were released.
My blood platelets continued to drop while at the hospital and got down to 57. 40 is the magic number for a transfusion. My blood pressure continued to stay up, and they had to put me on medication to control it. I think it was just all the stress of how I ended up at the hospital and worrying that the girls were not ok.
A week later we took the girls for a weight check. Lexie was back up to birth weight and Kenzie passed hers by 3 ozs. Yay! They are doing fantastic and next Tuesday we go back to check their weights again. I am so excited to see how much they have grown. They eat like little piggies! I am still pumping and bottle feeding which works really well for us.
So, easy delivering, not such an easy hospital stay. But, we are all healthy and happy and together and that is all that matters!
I went for my ultrasound on February 22nd. It was just routine to make sure the girls were still growing and that they had enough fluid. They checked my blood pressure and it was sky high. Then they told me that the girls were not growing at the same rate anymore and I needed to go to RVMC to be induced. They estimated that Lexie weighed 5 lbs 15 ozs and Kenzie was 5 lbs 5 ozs. I asked if I could go home to get my things and tell Madison that I was going to be having the babies and she was going to stay with Grandma for a couple of days. I wanted to be the one to tell her. That didn't happen. The doctor told me I needed to go straight to the hospital and not go anywhere else. She said it was important that they get me and the babies on the monitors as quickly as possible. I started panicking. I was worried that something happened and the babies were in danger. I called David who met me at the hospital. I called my mom to let her know I was going to be induced, and managed to drive myself to RVMC (which was only a block away from where I was at, but it felt like it took forever!)
We got checked in and put into our room. I noticed right away that it was the room closest to the operating room and the NICU. I knew I had to deliver in the OR because we were having twins, but it was still unsettling to be so close. They hooked us all up to monitors and the babies were handling everything just fine. My body, however, was a different story. My blood pressure was getting higher and higher, my blood platelets were dropping dangerously low and I felt horrible. They decided to put an IV in of Magnesium Sulfate that made me feel worse and really sleepy. My doctor arrived at about 3:00 pm and broke my water. The contractions were intense at that point with no breaks in between. I asked for an epidural but they wouldn't give it to me because of the blood platelet issue. They were afraid my blood wouldn't clot and I would have to have a blood transfusion. The doctor told David to make sure he was ready to move to the operating room by 5:00 because she knew that is when I would be ready to deliver.
Sure enough, we moved to the OR at 5:02. Miss Kenzie Grace made her entrance with one push at 5:10. She weighed 5 lbs 6 ozs. I didn't get to see her because they whisked her away to make sure she was breathing, and besides, I had another baby to deliver! Doctor Stone broke my water for baby #2 at 5:13 and Miss Lexie Noelle appeared two minutes later at 5:15 with one push. In fact, David said she practically flew out :) She weighed 5 lbs 3 ozs. Not quite the extreme weight difference that I was expecting.
We went back to our room before 6:00 and both girls were with us! :) They were completely healthy! And Beautiful! I couldn't believe I managed to deliver them both naturally!
We had to stay in the hospital until late Friday (the 25th) Kenzie and Lexie had trouble keeping their body temperatures up the first couple of days, partly because they were so small and partly because neither one was too interested in latching on. On the third day I decided to pump and bottle feed so they would have an easier time eating and that way they could gain weight. Apparently that did the trick because they managed to keep they temps up and were released.
My blood platelets continued to drop while at the hospital and got down to 57. 40 is the magic number for a transfusion. My blood pressure continued to stay up, and they had to put me on medication to control it. I think it was just all the stress of how I ended up at the hospital and worrying that the girls were not ok.
A week later we took the girls for a weight check. Lexie was back up to birth weight and Kenzie passed hers by 3 ozs. Yay! They are doing fantastic and next Tuesday we go back to check their weights again. I am so excited to see how much they have grown. They eat like little piggies! I am still pumping and bottle feeding which works really well for us.
So, easy delivering, not such an easy hospital stay. But, we are all healthy and happy and together and that is all that matters!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
I'm going to do it!
So many of my friends have started blogging and I love reading them! It is great to see what everyone is up too and read about their experiences. Now that I have three daughters, I have decided to start keeping a blog as well. That way I can keep track of how the twins are growing and changing and hopefully keep those who want to know, updated on our lives. Wish me luck!
Lexie and Kenzie are amazing! They have already won me over and I am so happy that God decided to bless me with twins. I was apprehensive at first, I couldn't imagine having twins (or three kids!) but now, I know that this is the life for me and I already couldn't imagine not having one of these precious girls in my life!
The girls already have such distinct personalities. I love it! Lexie is more laid back. She barely cries at all. She loves to "talk" while sleeping or having a bottle. She is such a petite little thing. She was a lot calmer while living in my tummy than Kenzie. She kicked me a lot less frequently, had a slower heart rate, etc. So, I think she is going to be my calmer child. At least I got one!
Kenzie is a little more high maintenance. She reminds me more of Madison. She cries when she is hungry, when she is tired, wants to be held, when she is away from Lexie, etc. She has big bright eyes and loves to be snuggled.
Madison is doing really well with them. She loves to hold them and watch me feed them and change their diapers. She talks to them whenever they are awake and is learning how to be a great big sis. I know she will love it when they are a little bigger and she can play with them more.
She is getting so big and I can't believe she is already over four years old! I am blessed that I am now able to be home with her, although, she and I both are ready for her to go back to pre-school at least a couple days a week. She is just one of those kids that needs structure. She has so much energy and loves other kids. We will be looking into pre-schools shortly.
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