The Boys were baptized today in the NICU

Christian and Papa and Nana Linn and I after his baptizm.

Christian getting baptized in the NICU.

Christian before his baptizm.

Brock right after his baptizm with Papa and Nana Linn and mom.

Brock getting baptized.

Hello- the boys are under their tanning lamps today to work on jaundice. Christian will be tanning all day and Brock will most likely be on most of the day. Brandon and I got a good report from Christian's doctor last night that the whole in his heart (a whole all babies are born with) is closing at the appropriate speed. Yeah!

Brandon and I decided yesterday that we wanted the babies to be baptized. We had the Chaplin on staff meet with us this morning and preform the baptism at 11am. My parents came as did Sara and Bryan. The boys got their tanning lamps turned off for the short ceremony.

Brandon and I got to change the boys diapers today and I took Brock's temperature. It makes us feel like real parents! I was discharged today and we are back at home. It is so nice to be in my own home again.

Brandon's dad is coming in today to meet the boys so within a week of life they will have meet all their grandparents and spent lots of time with their only aunt and uncle. They are certainly well loved already.

More Pics of the boys- They are 3 days old today!

Kathy and Jenn with Christian.

Brandon and Jenn with Christian

Kathy and Jenn with Brock

Brandon and Jenn with Brock.

Hi- We were able to visit the boys two times already today and they were both looking good. Brandon's mom Karen was in town yesterday and today and got to spend lots of quality time with the boys. My aunt Kathy was able to come by and visit the boys this afternoon in the NICU and meet them. I know they love all their family already even though they are not able to tell us :)

Christian got a blood transfusion this morning to help him out and they hope to start feeding him in the morning. He and Brock both will have a brain scan on Tuesday to look for brain bleeds, this is a typical NICU test for premies. Brock was working on keeping his food down today as he is being feed every 6 hours. They tested him without his breathing tube last night and he didn't tolerate just regular air well so they had to put it back in. As soon as they put it back in he ripped it right back out again so they got to put it back in again! Little stinker.

We found out today that they try to touch the boys about every 4 hours and not in between. The boys don't really like to be touched at this stage since their systems don't understand what it is. So... they touch them at 7a, 11a, 3p and 7p. They have said the best time for Brandon and I to visit is on this schedule as to not over-stimulate them. Personally, I get this since I feel like I get overstimulated pretty easily! This won't be such an issue in a few weeks, but for right now we will try to do the same thing.

I can most likely go home tomorrow which will be nice. I am ready to be home for myself and we feel so lucky that we live to close to the hospital.... so many families in the NICU are far away and can't just drive 5 mins to reach their little ones.

Jenn

Baby Photos

Brock- Day 2- He was on the healthy list today and has been feeding through a tube since yesterday. He is on the healthy list today.

Brock Day 2- Look at that dark hair and he has blue eyes that is is keeping closed right now.

Christian, our little troublemaker, Day 2- Also dark hair that is covered up and blue eyes.

Christian Day 2- He is totally off all blood pressure medication today and looking a little more lively. He has not feed yet, but we think tomorrow. He was placed on the "healthy list" today.

The Boys are Here!!!

Well Monday night did not go as I expected. As I was laying in bed, my water broke. I had no pain with it but I woke up my mom and we rushed to the labor and delivery unit of Presby hospital. As you can imagine, I was extremely distressed since the babies are so early at this point. We got into a room and Dr. Nockelburg came down and did an exam. I was not really dilated and I couldn't feel any contractions. They put me on antibiotics and hoped that no real contractions would come. That way, I could make it a couple more days before they were born.

Christian (Baby A) had other ideas for early Tuesday morning and I started to feel contractions at about 130am. At 3am I asked the nurse for some pain meds and as she was giving them to me she noticed Christian's umbilical cord was prolapsed (meaning exposed). This sent everyone into a running blur to me. The nurse put her hands on me and pushed his cord back up. The nurse, Kristin, rode on my bed to an emergency delivery. They put a catheter in and strapped me down and that is just about the last thing I remember. They put me completely under and delivered both babies at 330am. Their birthday is July 28th! It was an incredibly scary experiance for both me and my mom. Brandon was in MN for work and rushed to catch a flight on Tuesday morning first thing.

At 530a I was woken up by someone in the NICU who needed me to sign a release to put Christian on blood pressure medication. He had a tough day yesterday and was on the max dosage of medication but seems to be looking better today. Right after the delivery my blood pressure shot up as well and they put me on magnesium so I would not seize. My blood pressure came down throughout the day and I was taken off the morphine, magnesium and the catheter out at 10pm last night. Brandon and I were moved to a new room at about midnight last night.

They did LOTS of vital checks, pain management and attempted "pumping" for the boys food last night and this morning. So far Christian has not been able to feed, but Brock is feeding a little bit yesterday and today.

We can't believe they are here already and love them so much!!! It is estimated that they will be in the NICU for 8-12 weeks depending on how they do. They need to eat on their own, keep their temperature on their own and breath on their own before we can take them home.

I should be here until Friday and then I will be moved home.

I hope everyone will PRAY for our little boys! We have a long road ahead of them to first get better in the NICU and then be able to lead normal lives once we all get to go home. They are so wonderful and precious to us already and we will do anything we can to help their journey along.

Thank you to everyone for the emails, texts and calls. We are only having family visit at this time as I am very sore and the boys can't really have many visitors. If I have not returned your email, text or call yet, I will we have just been slammed the last two days.

Love Jenn

Monday has arrived! 28 Weeks, 5 Days

Hi! Brandon and I had a nice weekend here. He was able to bike Sat. morning and then have lunch with friends. He packed me a cooler in the morning and I hung out and nibbled out of my cooler and it worked well! We had more visitors on Sat. The Brazeltons, Cliff and The Fowlers all came by and we were outside a couple of hours. I couldn't go in the pool so everyone would just hose me down with the hose every few minutes.

I like Mondays since it means you are close to Wed. which is the day I move weeks. I can see 29 weeks today! It makes 30 feel that much closer.

Brandon is off training for his new job today in Minneapolis, MN and my mom is coming to stay with me for a few days. It will be nice to have her in town!

Keep everyone posted on my Wed. doctors results! Let's hope for stability and no more changes!!!

Love Jenn

Home Again!

Well today was a great day and I was able to come home!!

We had two tests in the last two days. The FFN test which we found out last night was positive. Unfortunately this is not the result we wanted. The test is an early predictor for labor. A negative result means you will NOT go into labor in the next 7-14 days. A positive result means it is inconclusive. They can not say if you will go into labor or not in the next two weeks. Only 15-25% if women go into labor after a positive result which is not many so this test didn't influence my doctors opinion to much.

Then this morning we had a sonogram to recheck the cervix. We were looking for an improvement here from the 1.5 (or 15 I started at). Well the nurse measured an improvement of 2.2 but our doctor measured 1.6 to 1.7. Not a big improvement but it was enough to convince him that I could venture home. It could be the brownies that Brandon baked the doctor :) I think he was ready to have his wife home.

We got back about three pm. and I am already realizing that bed rest at home is going to be more difficult than in the hospital. I already want to jump up and start taking care of things. I am going to have to relinquish control for a bit and let Brandon take over everything. I hope he doesn't get "over me" to quickly since I am now relying on him for every meal and every glass of water etc.

I can lay on the couch, bed and outside so at least I will have some different options for the next weeks to come.

I have doctor's appointments set up for next week for a recheck and I pray that I stay the same or improve. My next big goal is 30 weeks. My personal goal is 35 weeks and my perintologist goal is 37 weeks.

Thanks to all of you for the prayers and thoughts and visits! Let's get through this next few months!!

Love Jenn

27 Weeks, 6 Days!

Well Thank God we are 27 weeks and 6 days!!! All babies have significant improvements at 28 weeks and we are one day away from that milestone!!

My blood pressure has been down a bit and we did the FFR this morning so I will just wait and see the results tomorrow. All blood work came back good.

Keep you all posted!!