Thursday, October 27, 2011

Wishing You a Happy Halloween

from Infinity and Beyond!
-Buzz and Woody
2011

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Newborn Shoot- Part One

How else do you celebrate being two weeks old but stripping nakie and doing your first photo shoot?  Well at least in this family this is what these babies do.  This is just a quick and very small sneak peak at some of the amazing shots Lisa took.  These babies are going to have quite the port folio by the time we are done with them.

Nevea in daddy's hands

Ammon and Mama


Ammon

Nevea

Ammon



Nevea

Nevea's toesies

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Five Years

Monday was our fifth wedding anniversary.  We waited until tonight to celebrate.  My parents babysat while D and I went out for sushi.  Mmmmm, sushi.  Possibly the biggest sacrifice made in the name of pregnancy.  So after months and months of abstaining from the craving, this mama finally got her fill.  That was good enough of a celebration for me.


So what do we have to show for ourselves after all this time together?

Five Years.  Four Kids.  One incredible Life. 
 Here's to an eternity more of anniversaries....

A Big Boy Transition

Today was a big milestone.  We went from this:


To THIS:  

Finally!  Zade is in a twin bed.  I whipped up his headboard today and we got everything put together.  


I think Dace was more excited about the big boy bed than Zade.  He especially loved all the firetrucks.  

Dallin had to lay beside Zade tonight to get him to sleep but I think he did pretty good for his first night in transition.  It will be a work in progress but I think he will adapt quickly.  I guess we will see.....

Monday, October 10, 2011

A Beautiful Word

HOME.

We are home.
These little bubbas are more than content to be home and reunited in their own crib.  Snug as little bugs.

My alarm went off at 7am Sunday morning and somewhere around 7:25 I realized I was not yet out of bed.  I  started gathering the courage to get up when my phone rang.  I knew instantly.  If it was a 912 number, my babies would be coming home today.

And it was.

The wonderful nurse that we had had Saturday gave me the great news that Dr. Wright had discharged them and we could come get them anytime.  I talked briefly with him then both of us got out of bed, more than ready to start the day.

Let me backtrack just for a  minute- When mom and I got to the hospital on Saturday morning, our nurse said that Dr. Wright had moved them both to all bottle feeds.  This shocked me since the day before they thought Ammon was a day or two behind her.  But I guess he caught up real fast.  When she told me they were both all bottles, I burst into tears.  I knew we were so close to getting home.  She said that because they were such  great weights, if they did good on a day of all bottles, they might go home without staying the usually mandatory 48 hours on all bottles.

So when the phone rang that early, it was a huge weight off my shoulders.  Its over.  The long days at the hospital, the seemingly never ending hospital stay was finally over- 1 day short of a full month.  Wow.

The boys did so great meeting their new brother and sister.  Both were so gentle and sweet and Zade kept giving them kisses.  My dad recorded it all- I'll need to edit the long clip down and post it here later.  The twins of course slept through the whole thing.  They sleep about 95% of the day still.  The noise of their older brothers didn't bother them and they have settled into their new surroundings quite nicely.

I have gone into slow motion nesting mode.  I was just getting into that phase when I was admitted to the hospital so I had some time to make up for.  We spent the rest of the day cuddling babies, organizing clothes and the nursery and me tidying up countertops and other areas of built up clutter that I cannot live with.  But it felt great to be doing something other than sitting around reading or watching tv. And have I mentioned how amazing it is not to be pregnant anymore?  So amazing.

Thus ends another trial/adventure of the dean team and thereby starting another.  I am looking forward to being a mom of 4 under 4.  Well aware it is going to be super challenging some days but I also know the blessings will outweigh the stresses.  So let's get started.....

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

No News is Good News

Sorry for the delay in updates.  I was discharged from the hospital on Saturday but allowed to room-in for two more nights.  Then I was booted out of my room and haven't been on my computer much since.  I finally decided to come home for the nights monday which was very hard to do.  But I was tired and didn't feel like sleeping in a rocker for the night. 

So now I spend the days in the hospital and come home at nights. 

Ammon has been spending his days like this for the last 4 days:
My parents got into town last night and stopped in at the hospital to meet the twins and to pick me up to take me home. 

This morning when me and Mom got to the hospital, Ammon was out of his light box.  Yay!!!  We got to snuggle him all day long.  His levels are great and now it's just a matter of getting their feedings down pat and then we'll be heading home.  There was some miscommunication about my requests with their feedings and had there not been, we would be a few days closer to being released.  It's a long story.  Anyway, I'll be talking to the doctor tomorrow and hopefully getting some sort of date to look forward to.  And hopefully he can count the last few days of bottle feeding towards their credit.  Because all their levels are great and they take the bottle so well.  They nurse well too but they fall asleep too quickly to eat a whole feeding from nursing.  They have to have all their feedings by mouth and be able to keep it down without any problem in order to go home.   I know they are totally fine and will be fine with it but the nurses are very hesitant at pushing them too  much, even though they have had no regression. 

Anyway, i'll let you know what the doc says tomorrow.  For now, here is a couple pics and video clips to fill you in.

Her fist might be wrapped around daddy's thumb but she sure has him wrapped around her little finger. 

Double duty.  Gramma is in heaven!


Saturday, October 1, 2011

No More NICU!

And the miracle continues!

Nev and Ammon were moved to ISN, a step down from NICU this morning and their IVS were taken out.  This is huge!!!!  Ammon is under the Bilirubin lights to treat his jaundice.  He'll be in there most of the day then they will check his levels again. 

Lori and I went to see them in the ISN this morning at 1030, their breastfeeding time.  Ammon was fussing so I took him first.  He opened his eyes for the first time and was really intrigued to see his mama.  It was a beautiful moment to see his eyes and make eye contact.  What a wonderful bonding experience.  He wasn't interested in nursing.  He did latch on and his sucking is 5times stronger than yesterday.  So when he decides he's hungry enough to actually eat something, he'll be a champ just like his older sister.  He is more interested in snuggling in and sleeping while being held that food through his tube is good enough. 





Nev was sleeping peacfully when we got there but once she heard voices, she woke up to have a visit.  Lori snuggled her while Ammon nursed and she fell back asleep.  She latched on a little bit but again was more interested in the snuggles. 


Both are barfing up their formula.  Ammon threw up 3 times while we were there this morning, poor little guy.  We really, really need my milk to come in.  That is the current prayer request.  Once that comes in and they start keeping it down, we should be able to be sent home.  I really, really think we should be home by next Friday.  That is the goal.  We just really need the milk.