Survival Mode....but loving it!

Survival Mode...that is how we have been living for the past week! Until last night I think I have been running on about three hours of sleep a night (after a week, that really starts to catch up with you!). Last night was my first night to get 4-5 hours of straight sleep, and I feel like a new woman today! Let me give you a recap of the week:

The babies are doing great. They came home last Saturday afternoon. I think the only thing scarier than leaving the hospital with a new baby is leaving with two. (We are supposed to take care of these? At the same time?!) They have to be fed every three hours, which I was very anal and exact about for the weekend, and then relaxed a little when we took them into the pediatrician on Monday and saw that they are gaining weight just fine (Wyatt at 5 lbs and Brynley at 5 lbs. 8 oz.). Now I am only semi-anal. :) I did stop setting my alarm at night to get up to feed them. Sure, they still wake up about every three hours, and have their days and nights mixed up, but as long as they get in their 8 feedings a day, I am a little more relaxed about letting them sleep (and letting me sleep). My parents were here for a while, both while they were int he hospital and then after they came home. Between Josh and I and my parents, we were able to get them fed, changed, and burped in pretty good time. So, basically, if I can have a team of four people on hand, I can manage. After they left, I had a little nervous breakdown, then pulled myself together and things have gone pretty well. Josh's mom came on Saturday, which has been fabulous to have the extra pair of hands and loves on hand to help us.



Parker has been great with all of these changes. Here he is in his favorite new toy, the bouncy seat. He can almost catapult (spelling?) himself out of it. He absolutely loves the babies, which is great, but was a slight problem when he came down with the croup the first night the babies were home (yes, just to make that night even MORE exciting for us!). We had to spend the next few days trying to keep him away from the babies and from giving them hugs and kisses, which he was not happy about. I feel bad that we had to confuse him so much : "Look Parker, here are your new brother and sister, don't you LOVE them? Come here, give them a kiss." "Wait Parker, stay in your room and watch another video because you are sick, and don't touch the babies!" Poor kid! :) He is better now and has been so loving and cute with them. He likes to drive his hot wheels all over them, and to help burp them the best.

Here are a few more pictures. Wyatt (on the left)has the biggest, roundest, most exploring eyes. He can already lift his head up and look around. Yes, an overachiever! Brynley is an overachiever at sleeping, especially during the day. She still makes the cutest cooing sounds, and could also challenge any grown man in a burp or farting contest. (How does that come out of something so small!?)I am hoping this week they will do better at the day-night cycle, but I know that can take some time. They have not even hit their actual due date yet, so any progress in that area is good at this point. THey are really sweet babies, very good natured and happy, especially when being held or rocked. Our family has truly been "double-y" blessed.

They're here!!

Okay, so I know many of you have been waiting patiently (others not so patiently) for me to post pictures of the babies. Here are a few...finally! Life has been so crazy the past few weeks, I just haven't been able to take the time to do it until now. Brynley Grace is on the left. Isn't she beautiful? She was born first at 10:53 p.m. on Sunday, December 30th. She weighed in at 5 lbs. 5 ounces. Her brother Wyatt James (on the right) was born one minute later and weighed 4 lbs. 11 ounces. He is just as sweet and handsome as he can be! Here is a short update on what has transpired over the past few weeks:

I had been feeling contractions on and off for a few weeks, so on Sunday December 30th, I decided to sit down and actually time them while Josh and Parker were at church (I was still on "bedrest" at home). I was timing them at anywhere from 12 to 6 minutes apart, so I thought maybe I would make it to the next day (Monday) when I had a doctor's appointment scheduled. Unfortunately, I really started to feel like maybe they were getting stronger, so we decided to head in to the hospital just to be safe. When we got there, they told me that I was dialated to a 4-5 and 90% effaced. I would not be going home, but having two babies that night! YIKES!!!!

Within 2 hours I was being wheeled into the OR and getting ready to deliver by C-section. I cannot describe the mix of emotions running through me at that time. I was scared out of my mind, both at the idea of having two babies and at the idea of being cut open (the anesthesiologist said I would feel pressure but not pain. Yeah right! I've heard that one before!). I was so happy that I did not have to be pregnant for one more day, and also at the idea of meeting these two precious babies that were going to be a part of our family. I was laughing at Josh who was standing outside the door trying to make me laugh while they were giving me my spinal, and laughing even more when the nurses shut the door on him until they were done because he was distracting me. I missed Parker and was worried about how he would do spending the night away from home (and away from me!) and how he was going to react to not being the only child anymore.

It was a quick process, and fortunately the anesthesiologist was telling the truth, because I really did not feel any pain. I just listened and prayed to hear those little lungs start making some noise (which they both did quite loudly). The downside here was not being able to hold them right away, I was wheeled away to recovery and they were taken to the nursery for evaluation. Until the next morning, the rest is kind of a blur.

As of today, they are still in the hospital, they had to stay some extra days to learn to feed through their mouths. They were put on feeding tubes at first because the doctors did not want them to loose too much weight. They were hooked up to heart rate monitors for about a week, but all of that is gone now, we are just waiting for them to make it 24 hours eating completely without assistance from a feeding tube. They are growing and the doctors have been pleased with their progress from day one.

Even though I only see them twice a day for a few hours right now, it is so fun to see their cute personalities already starting to emerge. Brynley is very laid back and a sleepyhead. She is still the bigger of the two and she makes to cutest little cooing sounds. Wyatt, he is my explorer already. He is usually awake and looking around at everything, and tries very hard to lift and move his head when he hears voices or noises to see what it is. I am just so in love with them, I can't wait to get them out of the hospital and home.

I will post again when the babies actually come home, I appreciate all of you and all of your support, love and prayers in the past few months. I know we could not have done it without you! Thanks!!

A few more pictures...

Here is Josh and I jsut before delivering. Look at that huge tummy!!

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Here are Brynley and Wyatt all hooked up to monitors and tubes. Not my favorite picture with all of that stuff, but it really isn't as bad as it looks, it is just heart rate monitors and feeding tubes. Aren't they cute the way they sleep curled upwith each other? They often have their liitle legs intertwined.