Happy Memorial Day

Hey, everybody! We've got some cute, new pics in the May 2004 gallery for you to check out. We're back from McComb, and we had a great trip. Hayden has been smiling and laughing a good bit, and Hank is just beginning to do the same. We weighed on my grandmother's doctor's scales today, which seem to be right on the money with our pediatrician's. Today, Hank was 10 lbs. 5 oz. and Hayden was 8 lbs. 7 oz. It's unbelievable how much heavier 2 lbs. is. Hayden feels so light compared to Hank. Gotta run. Y'all check out the pics and have a great Memorial Day!

The other white meat

Well, we've got some porkers on our hands! Hank is 9 lbs. 15 oz. now (yes, you read that right), and Hayden is 8 lbs. 2 oz. We're in McComb right now and the babies are getting spoiled left and right. We're in for trouble when we return to the real-world of Vicksburg. They started on prune juice this morning to try to kick their stomach problems, and I think it's already working. Thanks for checking up!

Our first all-nighter

Well, we had our first bad night last night. Hank's little tummy is stopped up, and he cried all night. Finally, at 5:15 a.m. I went to Wal-Mart to get some supppositories (lovely, I know). We all finally got in bed at 7:30 a.m. You know it's bad when you read the Sunday morning paper as you're getting ready to go to sleep rather than when you first get up! Hank felt much better after that, and we can't wait until we see the dr on Wednesday to get this problem solved (hopefully). We're dying to know what they weigh now. This cereal looks like it has really put some weight on Hank. He doesn't even look like pictures from just a few weeks ago. Hayden has become the good child over the past several days. I don't know if it has to do with Hank's tummy or what, but she's been an angel, and he's been very high-maintenance. Of course, right as I type this, Hayden just started screaming her head off. Better run. Check for a couple of new pics in the May gallery. Have a great week!

Same ol' stuff

Okay, don't hate me. Sorry I haven't updated, but there really isn't anything to update. Everyone is still doing well, and we are still having fun. I've been trying for a week to get Hayden to roll over for the video camera, and I finally got her the other night--twice. All the other times, she'd do it, I'd run to get the camera, and she wouldn't do it again. Typical. Hank could probably do some tricks, too, if he'd just stay awake long enough. What a lazy kid! Hayden loves to help me update the website and email people, so she's with me now. Where's Hank, you ask? Where he always is--asleep. I should be thankful that they aren't both wide-eyed at the same time! We have no plans for this weekend, so we are looking forward to some family time at home. I put a new picture in the May 2004 gallery. It's nothing big, I just thought H & H looked cute hanging out in my grandmother's chair. Enjoy.

Trip #2

We're back from our second trip to McComb, and again we had a great time. H&H had some more visitors, and were in great moods for all. The cereal is doing the trick, and we aren't spitting up anymore--yay! I know they're going to get so fat now! Hank has already moved up to size 1 diapers. Hayden is beginning to laugh and smile a good bit. We don't know what Hank is capable of doing, since he sleeps the days away...lazy bones! We have no doctor appointments this week, and I am so excited. It's nice to not have to do anything. This is Jay's last week of school, then we'll have a few weeks of family time before I go back to work, then Jay will have them for the remainder of the summer. I'm off to unpack from the weekend. I'll try to take some pics this week and post them Friday. Check back and have a great week!

Eatin' Wheaties now...

We've got some fatso kids on our hands--well, at least one... Hank is 8 lbs. 5 oz. and Hayden is 7 lbs. even. They're about to get even bigger, though--They have acid reflux, so the dr told me to put a little cereal in their milk from now on... They're going to be monsters! Everything else looked great, and we don't go back to see her for 2 weeks--they'll get some of their shots then, too. Have a great week! Oh, I almost forgot--Hayden rolled over twice last night. I wasn't sure if she really did it the first time, so I put her back on her belly, and she did it again... I see gymnastics in her future!

No ROP for Hank

The eye dr appt went very well. In fact, Hank's retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) has healed, and he won't have to go back to the eye dr until he's a year old! Hayden is one step behind him and will have to go back in two weeks, but that will probably be her last visit for a year. Many of you remember my mentioning the Allen twins born back in February at 22 weeks and just over a pound. They are still in the hospital but are doing way better than they ever expected. You can check up on them by visiting their site www.babiesonline.com/babies/b/blaneanddylan If you get a chance, please say a special prayer for Blane as he has surgery on Thursday to insert a shunt into his head. He will have to be transported to UMC for the surgery, and I know his parents would appreciate the prayers. Thanks, friends... Y'all are the "bestest"!

Our first road trip

Wow! It seems like forever since I've updated. We've been in McComb since Thursday, and we had the best time. We got to see lots of family and friends that hadn't seen the twins yet, and H&H got to meet their great-grandfather Gilbert. How exciting! They slept the whole way there and back, and didn't miss a beat the entire time we were there. In fact, we plan to go back this coming weekend since Jay will be out of town for a soccer tournament. I went to my friend Deedre's wedding (congrats to her and Jim!). She was beautiful, and the wedding was so sweet. I got to see a couple of friends from high school there, one of whom has boy/girl twins also. The highlight of our trip was a special Mother's Day gift that I received today. Actually, it's for both Hayden and me. My aunt passed down to me my great-grandmother's engagement ring, and one day it will be Hayden's. How special is that? We have an eye dr appt in Jackson tomorrow (Mon.), and I will update tomorrow evening on the results of that. I will be uploading later tonight some new pictures from our McComb trip to a new photo album entitled "May 2004". Enjoy!

Gaining weight...

Our pediatrician appointment went great. The babies have gained 6 oz. putting Hank up to 7 lbs. 10 oz. and Hayden at 6 lbs. 9 oz. It's only a pound difference, but Hank looks like Hayden's older cousin, not her twin brother--he's huge!!! He feels like a bucket of lead, while she feels like her bones are made of drift wood. They are so different--in looks and temperament. Hayden is very demanding--when she's hungry, she's hungry, and she wants food right now! Hank, bless his little heart, he's so laid back that he'd starve to death before he caused a scene. We think that Hayden has reflux, she spits up a good bit, and it really ticks her off. So now, we sit her in her car seat for 30 minutes after each feeding. We just started this today after our appointment, so we'll let you know how it goes. The twins and I are making the big trip down to McComb this weekend. My good friend Deedre' is getting married, and I wouldn't miss it for the world. And I also want the babies to meet their great-grandfather who is unable to make the trip to Vicksburg. The doctor said that traveling is not an issue--fill their bellies up and they'll most likely sleep the hour and a half it takes to get there. The main thing is just making sure they're in a good environment when we get there--no smoking, pets, etc., and still keep them confined to the house (my grandmother's). We've got that covered, and I'm so excited about getting to show them off to family that haven't met them yet. We will see the eye dr again on Monday and the pediatrician on Tuesday, so we'll have new weight updates then. It's driving us crazy not knowing their weights on a daily basis like we used to when they were in the hospital. I'm considering sneaking them out to Kroger in the dark of night to weigh them on the produce scale! Just kidding, of course! Y'all have a great week!

Hungry, hungry hippos

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. As you can imagine, things are quite crazy here at home. The babies are great, but all the laundry and bottle-washing is insane! We've been putting the twins in the same bed during the day, and they are so cute. They snuggle up with each other, but as the next meal time approaches they start trying to eat each other! Yesterday, Hank was sucking on Hayden's forehead while she was sampling his arm. Of course, they wiggled out of position before I could get a picture. I'll try to take some cute pics this week and post them. Thanks for checking in--we're all doing great!

Million Dollar Babies

We had a great checkup with the pediatrician today. She said that Hayden & Hank are both "super". She has no concerns with them right now, and thinks they are both a little ahead of where they should be at this point (I knew they were smart!). They've both gained 9 oz. in the week that they've been home--Hank is 7 lbs. 4 oz. and Hayden is 6 lbs. 3 oz. She would like to see them weekly, just to keep an eye on their weight gain, which right now is right on schedule. We got our hospital bill today... Many of you have asked how much it was going to be, and many of you have wondered but weren't sure if it was appropriate to ask. We don't mind telling--so far, the tally is $698,691.75!!! Thank goodness for insurance and Medicaid (all babies born under 1200 grams automatically qualify for Medicaid, and ours were 840 and 800). That means we aren't responsible for one dime of the bill... How awesome is that??? (Thanks to everyone for paying their taxes! Betcha didn't realize you weren't just PRAYING for H&H, you were PAYING for them, too!) I better go check on the kids--Hayden spit up in her bed, so I had to strip the sheets. Putting more sheets on is a two person job, so I'm waiting on Jay to come home to help. In the meantime, the twins are in the same bed, and I hope they don't kill each other. They are both so mobile, scooting and clawing at everything. Keep checking in for more updates...

HAPPY 100 DAYS OLD, H&H!!!

The babies had an eye doctor appointment today, and everything looked normal. He has been seeing them weekly since they were 5 weeks old because of possible eye problems associated with prematurity and prolonged receipt of oxygen. He even checked them today to see what the prognosis was for glasses down the road, and he doesn't think that they will need them as toddlers, which is also good news. The kids did great on the trip over to Jackson--they slept the entire time--even through their exams. Hank woke up briefly in the waiting room, but Hayden was sacked out. They began to stir when we were just a few blocks from returning home. What troopers! Tomorrow (Tues) we have our first pediatrician appointment. It will be interesting to see what they weigh--we got spoiled with daily weight updates while they were in the hospital, and it's killing us to not know if they are getting enough food. We'll be sure to update with the latest stats from tomorrow's appt. Have a great Tuesday!

Home Sweet Home

Y'all, we are having so much fun! These babies are absolutely precious and keep smiles on our faces all day long. We've had lots of family visiting over the past few days--enjoying unlimited snuggle time with the twins. The babies are adjusting well, staying on their schedule for the most part. Hank is a great baby--sleeps right up until feeding time with just a little play time in between feedings. Hayden, on the other hand, falls asleep while eating, then wakes up hungry a couple of hours later. I talked to one of the NICU nurses tonight, who told me to do my best to keep Hayden awake, so I did, and it worked. She's still asleep, and there's 3 minutes until the next feeding. Thanks for keeping up with us... I know everyone is just about as excited as we are!

WE ARE HOME!!!

All four of us came home today, and my feet haven't touched the ground since Sunday--I'm floating! It is so good to see these fat, healthy babies with no tubes or wires, and hold them any time I please. We had a great time with Hayden & Hank the past 2 nights in the hospital. Everything went very smoothly, and we never had to call for the nurse at all. We all slept really good, and they were no trouble. We finally got to play the long-awaited game of dress-up in some day gowns that my grandmother Gilbert and her mother made 50-something years ago for my mom, aunt, and uncle. We took lots of pictures, and I hope to get them uploaded tonight. H & H eat at 9, 1, and 5, which isn't a bad schedule for us. Their discharge weights were Hank--6 lbs. 11 oz. and Hayden--5 lbs. 10 oz. We have really enjoyed having them home. They are adjusting fine and are sleeping soundly right now. They also slept the entire trip home in the car. I got some cute pics in their car seats... they looked so grown-up! We have our first pediatrician appt in Vicksburg on Monday, then it's back to Jackson on Tuesday for an eye dr appointment. I'm going to catch a few Z's, but before I do I, along with H&H (in their slumber), will thank the Lord for all of you who have prayed for us and kept up with us over the past 3+ months. We really couldn't have done it without you!

Happy 3-month B-day H&H!!!

I can't believe it's been that long, and the end of the hospital stay is finally in sight. We're still on go for Tuesday. Jay & I will spend Sunday and Monday nights at the hospital. The babies will room-in with us, and we will be completely responsible for them during that time. The nurses will come in and check on us throughout the days and nights to make sure all FOUR of us are alive! Basically, it will be a trial run for us as parents with premature babies, and for the babies in an environment outside of the NICU (but not too far from it, just in case). We are so excited about having them all to ourselves, with no wires, and the freedom to hold them and touch them whenever we want to (not that the nurses don't let us, but that we're so far away from them and only see them about an hour a day). We're also a little sad about leaving the hospital. We've made some good friends there--other parents and many of the nurses. We were joking last night that we've been there so long that we've just made ourselves at home. We no longer have to tell the lady that answers the NICU door who we are. We know the other babies in there, how long they've been there, and which parents go with which babies. We know about many of the nurses families and backgrounds and how long they've been working in the NICU. We know which ones we can joke around with and which ones are all business. But we know that all of them love our babies and spoil them rotten when we can't be around. We will be forever thankful for the entire staff at Baptist, but mainly the nurses that have tended to our children. They will always be so special to us, and we plan to keep in touch by sending pictures and attending the annual NICU reunion. Just because the babies will be home soon, don't think that we'll abandon this website. We'll still update it with all of the twins' "firsts", and of course there'll be pictures! The site is doing something different with the photo gallery now, so it will be a little while before I get pics re-uploaded, but I can assure you that there will be plenty of pictures to be shared in the future. Thanks for everything, and please keep your fingers crossed that we make it home with both babies on Tuesday. We'll update as soon as we get a chance and let you know if we all survived the trip home. We love y'all!

The countdown has begun...

More great news! Both babies are doing so well that the dr is projecting a Tuesday homecoming for BOTH!!! We are so excited! I'm typing without my contacts in, so I'll write more tomorrow when I can see what I'm typing. I hope the twins don't inherit my eyesight--blind as a bat! Have a great day!

SuperHank...

Great news! Hank has been off of his oxygen since 9 a.m. (it's 11:30 p.m. now). He doesn't even have prongs in his nose anymore. He's been doing really well, except for one little episode while he was eating earlier, but that's expected. He weighs 6 lbs. 4 oz. and is eating about 70 ml (2.3 oz). Hayden is still doing well. She hasn't had a spell since 1 a.m. which was also feeding induced. She is eating about 2 oz. and weighs 5 lbs. 5.8 oz. They are both doing so well, and we are so fired up that these road trips to Jackson are about to end--We've put over 9,000 miles on my Tahoe since the twins were born... and we can't even boast some great vacation... just trips to Jackson, MS! Thanks so much for checkin' up!

Happy Easter!

A Tuesday homecoming for Hayden is off now. She continues to drop her heartrate during feedings, although today has been a good day for her. She is still off of her oxygen and doing well other than at feeding times. I think she heard that she was coming home, and she didn't want to leave Hank all by himself, so she decided to sabotage the plan. Hank was 6 lbs. last night, and Hayden was 5 lbs. 3 oz. They are both champion feeders--Hank took 3 oz. yesterday! He had a bad spell last night in his sleep, and they think he probably had too much to eat, so they have cut him back to 2 oz. They were sweet as can be today, and the Easter Bunny managed to find them in the hospital and left some goodies. Have a great week and Happy Easter!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAY!!!!!

The babies are doing very well. I'm not sure if Hayden is going to get to come home on Tuesday. Jay & I are both scared that she's just not ready. And the doctor told me that it is a possibility that Hank will bring his friend Mr. Oxygen home with him when the time comes. We are not excited about that. We are dying to have them both home, but we want them home with no dependencies. I don't know if I'll have time to update since we've got some family coming in, so everyone have a wonderful Easter!

A homecoming ahead???

It looks like Miss Hayden might be making the trip home to Vicksburg on Tuesday if all goes well between now and then. She actually was supposed to come home tomorrow, but she wasn’t eating very well this morning, so they want to watch her a little longer. We kind of kept that information to ourselves, since we knew that her homecoming was only a possibility, and we didn’t want to get everyone too excited if it didn’t happen. Her doctor has high hopes that Tuesday will be the day, and hopefully Hank won’t be too far behind. They are growing so fast—Hank is 5 lbs. 12 oz. and Hayden is 5 lbs. 1 oz. They are taking about 2 oz. of formula every 4 hours, although Hank has been known to take 2.5 oz. (oink!). Thanks so much for your prayers--we couldn't do this without you!