Addison and Riley's journey

Proud mama today :)

2012-02-10T12:16:00.002-05:00

Since the boys got sick, back in the beginning on December, they've spent at least part of the night sleeping in my room. And they've also been very clingy and reserved at school.
Last night, they slept in their room the whole night. Addison only cried to sleep on my floor for a few minutes while he laid next to Riley and fell asleep. Even when they sleep in their room, they curl up together in the same toddler bed. One bed has probably only been slept in a handful of times.
Anyways, they got a great nights sleep. I had to wake Riley up at 8:15 this morning.
So, off to school we went, prepared with our valentines for the valentine's party. We missed last week because the lady who watches Terran had a tummy bug going through her house and I wasn't about to take chances with that. I fully expected them to be grumpy and clingy but I was surprised from the beginning when Addison ran up the walkway, not caring if he was holding my hand or not (which has NEVER happened). Addison went right into the classroom, without me, and gave the teacher her candy, then came out to put his jacket in the cubby.
They played with the other kids and more importantly, they played separate from each other! They participated in circle time and sat on the carpet instead of my lap. And, just overall, were delightful!
I was so proud of them when we walked out of school today. And it made me feel better about having just handed over $100 to register them for school next year (where they'll get dropped off and be without me...yikes!).

The days just fly by

2012-02-07T21:47:00.004-05:00

We're dealing with minor colds. Easy peasy! The twins have made their way back to preschool and life has picked back up.

Hard to believe that the baby is 8 months old already! He's doing so great with his physical therapy. She comes every other week and after this quarter, we'll likely go to once a month. Terran rolls all over the floor and is so, so close to sitting up. He has just started to kind of push himself with his feet and scoot along the floor. He doesn't get far but he is starting to get around. He's a whole 15lbs.8oz.! He's got rolls after rolls and big chubby baby cheeks! And he eats baby food. a lot. The twins weren't able to eat food until well after a year and Terran will eat half of a jar at a time.

Twins are doing well. Riley is starting to talk in sentences. It's usually word for word what Addison says but I'll happily take it! Our next big goal is going to be potty training. That is a huge goal. I dream of the day when I only have one in diapers. The money I'd save will help offset their preschool tuition for next year...when they have to be potty trained to go to the next class. Our tuition is a manageable $45/month for both. Next year, it will go to $150-160/month. It's normally $90/month but they give a sibling discount (thank goodness!)

Which brings me to...mama's goin back to work! Yep, at the grocery store. in the deli. Not the most glamorous job and I'm only going back very part time, but, every little bit helps. And, dare I say that after sitting home since last May, I'm kind of excited to be an adult and talk to other adults, even if it's only 15 hours a week.

And, with that, I'm heading to bed after uploading a few adorable pictures. Before I know it, it'll be 5am and time to start all over again. And tomorrow brings a day of keyboard shopping because it's also the first night of Leah's piano lessons!

Me and my snuggle bunny :)

Addison and Riley playing at the Hands on House museum in Lancaster

(Addison in the one in front)

Starting the new year and battling with germs

2012-01-06T08:34:00.014-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. We had a busy but fun Christmas and a fun New Years Eve celebration. Addison was able to stay up until 10:30!
The boys keep asking about Christmas. And Addison's new thing is "I being good boy, Mommy" and he keeps asking to get a new tree. This is the first year they really understood Christmas and it was awesome to see them excited to see Santa, pick out ornaments at the Christmas tree farm, and help decorate the house. In our township, the local fire company spends 4 nights driving through all of the developments with Santa on top of the firetruck. They come through with a police escort and full lights and sirens. And the firefighters had out candy canes to kids. It's really pretty cool and I don't think there is a better combination than fire trucks and Santa for 3 year old boys. They talked about it to everyone who would listen for days!
We were very busy for a few days visiting family. And I think we've been paying the price ever since. We've been passing around germs since the week before Christmas. The twins missed their preschool Christmas party and missed their first day back after their break. Fevers, vomiting, sinus and ear infections. You name it, we've been dealing with it. But, the twins aren't hooked up to the nebulizer non-stop and aside from sleeping extra, we've been able to deal with all of the germs without continuous doctors appointments and no hospital trips.
Here's some pictures. I apologize that they're out of order but my keyboard is not working correctly and thanks to curious 3 year olds, I'm missing 13 keys and I'm not able to click and drag the pictures in order.

The boys with their Christmas gifts

Christmas morning

Next to our Christmas tree

All of the boys with Santa

Our family picture

Life has become a lot busier

2011-11-17T13:43:00.005-05:00

As I posted my earlier post, I realized that the last time I posted to my blog was MONTHS ago. Holy smokes does the time fly by!
I guess I'll begin with Terran. He came home on August 5th, after a 68 day NICU stay. He came home weighing 5lbs. 12oz. and is now a whopping 13lbs.! All breastfed. No fortifiers or formula. This kid can eat. He's still on the apnea monitor and we're hoping to be rid of that in the next week or two. He smiles and coos and is adored by his siblings.

Now..onto the boys. So much has happened since their 3rd birthday.
They are no longer getting in home therapy. They continued therapy until the end of the summer and they were supposed to transition into a preschool setting through the BCIU. They were placed in a class that was rented out of a daycare setting in a horrible part of town. I voiced my concerns to the coordinator there and was told "well...that's where they were placed, so...". So, they refused to place them in another classroom and I ultimately decided against sending the twins there. Since they're not potty trained, they can't go to a traditional preschool class which left me with few choices. Luckily, I was able to get them into a 2 year old preschool class at the preschool my daughter used to attend. It's only one hour, every Friday, and it's a mommy and me style classroom setting so I stay with them. including the twins, there's only 6 kids in the class which is perfect because it's not overwhelming to them. They get free play, circle time with songs and games, arts and crafts, and snack. It's a really good intro into a classroom setting and even though they're not getting specialized therapy, they're gaining much needed social skills while still having to do fine and gross motor skills and speech. Riley has really started to come out of his shell at school. He stands up and tries to participate in the songs and is starting to play with other kids. He also loves arts and crafts. He is always coloring and painting. Addison is a bit more stubborn and he's still really overwhelmed with his new classroom. The one downside.....germs. They've had a runny nose since the 2nd week of school.

First day of school

The boys were recently at the pediatrician for their 3 year check up and they're both just shy of 30 pounds. Addison has a never ending vocabulary and shows almost no physical delays. Riley is still struggling to talk and he still walks like he's had too much to drink. His delays have resulted in a referral to a pediatric neurologist for an MRI and possible CP diagnosis. His appointment isn't until April but according to the office, a second neurologist should be starting in January and our appointment date will likely be moved up. Does this referral scare me? Of course. I never want my kids to have to grow up with labels or a special needs diagnosis. But, it's been a suspicion of mine all along and if we can get some sort of diagnosis, hopefully we'll be able to get him specialized therapies and help that he needs.

They have both had their yearly check ups with the opthamologist. I'm happy to report that they both have perfect vision. There's no lasting issues from their ROP or their Strabisus. They still might need glasses down the road but for now, you'd never be able to tell they had problems. We don't have to go back for a whole year.

The boys have finally moved out of their cribs and into toddler beds. They have these awesome race car beds and Addison doesn't sleep in his. I will lay them down in their beds and Addison will quickly move all of his stuffed animals and blankets into Riley's bed and fall asleep at the opposite end of Riley.

They are transforming into such bright kids. They're definitely toddlers now. They are mischievous, charming, sneaky, happy, and lovable toddlers. They team up with each other for both good and bad. They give the best hugs and have the sweetest smiles. And they love books. They could have books read to them all day and nothing would make them happier.

October 21st

I'm looking forward to the holidays. They know who Santa is now and they're very much looking forward to his visit.

I've got to start wrapping this up because they're now teasing the cat...which is a nice change from teasing the puppy. Yep...we have added a puppy too. Yes, I am crazy. I wouldn't have it any other way :)

At a local dairy

Prematurity Awareness Day

2011-11-17T13:23:00.003-05:00

Today is National Prematurity Awareness Day. Anyone who has visited this blog before knows my twins story and more recently, the premature birth of my newest son, Terran. My oldest son, Skylar, is also a preemie. He was born at 32w3d, weighing 4lbs. 1.6oz. While a 32 weeker pales in comparison to 25 and 28 weeks gestation, it was just as frightening as my other NICU experiences. He only spent 21 days in the NICU but he was my first. Despite all of my boys being early, they're all doing well. They each have problems which may or may not be linked to their early entrance into the world, they're healthy, wonderful children that have made my life remarkably better.

So, please take a moment to visit http://www.marchofdimes.org/ and find out what you can do to raise awareness about premature birth and how you can help to ensure that all babies are born healthy and on time.

Stationery card

2011-11-16T14:07:00.001-05:00

Family Bliss Holiday Card

Shutterfly always has unique designs for our holiday cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Happy 3rd Birthday!

2011-06-18T11:06:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, my amazing little boys turned 3!! We had a little family party for them, filled with Mickey Mouse everything and they were beyond thrilled. We got them a t-ball set, mickey puzzle, and a 4 pack of sports balls (which was the clear winner of their gifts).
Last year, I couldn't take them outside and put them down because they hated the grass. This year, they were outside, hitting the ball, running through the dry grass, in bare feet and they loved it :)
They have come so far and they are so amazing. They impress me every day. Yesterday, I asked Addison whose birthday it was and he would say "Riey Addin" (Riley and Addison), and then I'd ask how old Riley and Addison are and he would say "free" (three). And then I asked him where his ba-ba's (bottles) were and he said "bye bye". Yep, we're getting rid of their night time bottle. And they got a cool new potty seat with Elmo and Ernie on it and hopefully they'll start to get excited about sitting on the toilet.
I sat in the nicu last night, holding my new little boy, remembering how terrified I was 3 years ago when the twins were given a 50% chance of survival. They not only beat those odds, but they beat and continue to beat even more odds.
They've officially been discharged from their in home therapy and are now going through BCIU therapy to help transition them into school. They're going to start going to a classroom in August. I'm so excited but scared for them. I know they'll eventually love it but it will be really hard to put my babies on a bus and send them to preschool.
Anyways, today I am taking them shopping at Toys R Us so they can each pick out a new toy. Should be exciting!
I'll add pictures later tonight. My camera battery is charging.

Addison on the left, Riley on the right

Addison

Riley

I'm happy to announce...

2011-06-05T16:02:00.003-04:00

Addison and Riley are big brothers (3 months early). Little Terran Conner was born May 29th, 12 weeks early. He weighed 2lbs. 3oz. and was 15 inches long. Yes, another itty bitty baby, and it's my last.

He's in the NICU, being cared for by some of the same amazing nurses that took care of Addison and Riley, and he's doing remarkably well. He is getting breastmilk through his tube, his PDA valve closed on it's own, he's already down to 2 litres of oxygen on the high flow cannula, and we've been holding him every day since Thursday. He's going to grow and learn to nurse, and hopefully be home with us in 8-10 weeks.

What a difference 3 weeks and 1 pound make. His apgars were 7 and 9, and he came out feisty, pink, and crying.

in the delivery room

Proud papa, holding his son for the first time!

My sweet baby boy

Another successful March for Babies!

2011-05-14T11:03:00.005-04:00

Ok, so maybe it wasn't as successful as last year when we raised somewhere around $3,000, but we did what we could and raised just shy of $1,000. More importantly, the twins WALKED instead of riding in a stroller. To me, that was worth more than any money I could have raised. We only walked about a quarter of the walk but they walked the whole thing and I couldn't have been more proud to turn around and cross the finish line.

On the trail

Stopping to get a picture with mom!

After crossing the finish line and having a yummy lunch
The boys are doing more and more every day. Riley is finally fully walking, Addison is jumping and running, and they're saying new words every day. Addison can put 3 words together to make some sort of toddler rambled sentence.
It's so unbelievable to me that in just a few short weeks, they'll be turning THREE!! Where in the world did all of that time go? They'll be transitioning from in home therapy to BCIU therapy which is a preschool type setting. They'll be bussed to school and have classmates and all of that fun stuff. I'm terrified for them to head out on a bus without me but I'm making sure they stay together so they'll at least have each other.
Now that it's been nice outside, we're spending a lot more time outside and they twins love it! We planted a garden and they sat forever just playing in the dirt. You know, like normal toddlers should do! And, we were out a few weeks ago and you'll never know how good it felt when someone came up and said "how old are they, about 2 or 2 and a half?" For a stranger to guess their age and be so close felt amazing. I don't get people asking if they're 1 or why they're not walking. I think they might soon not be able to pass for "under 2" when we go out and I'll have to start paying for them. haha.
So, they're getting a baby brother. Poor Leah will be so outnumbered but I'm excited for another boy. Unfortunately, this pregnancy has been tough. I've been getting progesterone shots every week to help my uterus from contracting and just this past week, I had my first cervical length ultrasound which ended up with me being in the hospital for 2 days to be monitored. No contractions but my cervix is short and soft and so I've already had my 2 rounds of steroid shots for the baby's lungs and I'm all but on bed rest. No lifting, no driving, no working, etc. As much as it sucks to have another difficult pregnancy, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to avoid another preterm birth. When I was in the hospital, they wheeled me past the NICU and I just started crying. I don't want to have to do another blog for another micro-preemie. And, hopefully I won't have to.

Addison
Riley

Being cute

Easter egg hunt, Riley in grey and Addison in blue.

It's been a while

2011-03-01T14:49:00.004-05:00

I never seem to have enough time to sit and update and I end up needing to set aside an hour (like now) to update months worth of news. Hopefully I can finish this before the big kids get home from school.

So, my last update was in October. I can't believe it's really been this long.

Halloween and Thanksgiving, the kids spent with their dad. I heard it was wonderful but aside from that, I don't have much to talk about.

Christmas was wonderful. The twins were finally able to open their own presents and they loved all of the excitement.

Addison helped the big kids decorate the tree

Addison was so proud of himself for getting stuff out of his stocking

Yes, Riley really was that excited to get Mickey keys

Aww :)

Addison is now walking like a champ. He's even running! He climbs, talks, and acts just like a toddler. He has a vocabulary of probably 50 or so words. He loves books, Mickey, Sesame Street, balls, and food.

Riley has recently (like within the past 3 weeks) started walking a lot more. At first, we called it a Frankenstein walk. He would keep his legs stiff and his arms straight out in front of him. Over the past week or so, he's become a lot more comfortable and is starting to walk more "normal". He has a much smaller vocabulary but he is able to communicate fairly well. He also loves books, Mickey, and bubbles!

They both love being outside and it's finally starting to be nice again. They're still getting all 3 therapies every week but as of their 3rd birthday, they won't get in home therapy anymore. They'll start to go to a preschool to help get them ready for real school. Just thinking about my babies going to school shocks me.

A friend of mine is an extremely talented photographer and we were lucky enough to be able to have family pictures taken by him in the fall. He did an amazing job and these are only a few of my favorites.

Addison

Addison on the left, being a goofball

So, in a nutshell, they've gone from way behind babies, to toddlers in what seems like no time at all. They're in 2T clothes and are comparable in size to some other 2 year olds we've met. Do they have more catching up to do? Of course. But, they're progressing every day.

And...can I say without jinxing us....NO hospital visits this winter! It's March 1st and we've avoided the doctor and the hospital all winter long! Heck, I didn't even take out the nebulizer. They did catch colds but they eventually got over them. Sick season isn't over yet but I think we've made it through the worst part.

And, lastly, this is probably the biggest news to report. Addison and Riley are going to be big brothers! I met a wonderful guy at the end of the summer and, after the shock wore off, we're happy to be expecting baby in the fall.

One more thing before the kids walk in the door. For the 3rd year in a row, team Macomber Miracles is walking in the March of Dimes March for Babies. There's a box on the right hand side of the blog that you can click and donate directly to our team. This is the one big thing I do every year and I feel like it's a very small way to give back and give thanks to the many people who have helped my boys not only survive, but thrive. Without research that the March of Dimes has done and funded, my twins may not be alive today. Our walk isn't until May so there's plenty of time to donate! Remember, no amount is too small. Every donation is needed and very, very much appreciated!

Look at what Addison can do!

2010-10-18T22:21:00.002-04:00

He's been walking more than crawling today. I think we may have turned a corner in his progress. He's been taking steps for a few weeks now but now he's actually walking to and from things and across rooms and down hallways. :) He's made me so proud lately!

Riley is also taking 2-3 steps at a time. He is so proud of himself when he stands up and takes a few steps and then he gets so frustrated when he falls. I have no doubt though, that as soon as Addison is running away from him, that Riley will have no choice but to start to walk so that he can keep up with his brother.

It's been way too long

2010-10-06T13:02:00.005-04:00

Life has been crazy. Football, school, work, therapy, and everything else that suddenly pops up. I've got so much to share and hopefully the boys will nap long enough for me to be able to type everything.

Addison is WALKING! He's not walking all of the time but he can get halfway across the living room. He runs toys through the house and he wants so badly to just go but he can't. He loves playing hide and seek and he loves chasing Leah around the kitchen.

Addison had a broken collar bone back in August. He took a tumble off my bed at 3am and that was all it took. He healed perfectly with almost no discomfort and is good as new.

He weighs about 26lbs. He says a bunch of "words" now. baba, cat, dog, bus, car, and night night. Recently he's become obsessed with vehicles. Every time he hears a car or truck drive down the road, he drops what he's doing and points to the door and says car or bus.

Riley is also running toys through the house and he can stand independently but he's still not strong enough to take steps. Riley loves animals. He goes crazy over the cats. He's about 24lbs. now.

We've had a super busy summer. The kids all got to go to Dewey Beach for a few days in August. The boys LOVED the ocean. They loved everything about it.

They're enjoyed spending time outside this summer. They don't mind the grass at all and actually really like going in it.

They've both got 8 molars and they have no problem eating anything. They're off of formula but still having a few bottles of milk every day.

They're such beautiful children. They have such distinct personalities and when they're together, they're a hilarious duo. They've developed their own way of communicating between each other and they continue to amaze me every day.

They're still getting all of their therapies once a week and the therapists continue to be happy with their progress (even when they're not feeling like cooperating).

Addison at the beach

Addison's first time in the ocean

Riley's first time in the ocean

Riley at the condo

Lots and lots of updating to do

2010-07-07T08:36:00.004-04:00

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend! It has been a very busy couple of months for us. Lots of changes are happening and I guess the biggest one is that Ian and I are no longer together. We decided, back in March, that we just weren't good for each other and so we've remained friends and have a great co-parenting relationship. I've started working nights and weekend so pretty much all of my time without the kids, is spent at work. Skylar just finished 3rd grade and Leah graduated from preschool.

The boys are doing so well!! Addison is now about 23lbs. and Riley is almost 22lbs. Addison is so close to walking. He'll walk across the whole house just holding onto one of my fingers. He easily walks toys across rooms and can stand up on his own without holding onto anything. Riley is starting to walk while only holding my hands but he is just a little too wobbly. He can walk a toy across the room but it's not pretty.

They're both climbing onto furniture. They love to climb onto the couch and play. Addison stands up, with his arms straight up into the air, and then falls down on the couch. He thinks it's the funniest thing (and it is pretty darn funny). They're both easily going up the stairs. Addison crawls all the way up the steps in only a minute or two. They don't know how to get down from the furniture or stairs but we're working on that.

Their therapies are going really well too. Ian usually has them during their physical therapy sessions and he tells me that the therapist is really happy with their progress. They're doing great with occupational therapy. Speech is where I think they're making the most progress right now. They can sign "more" "eat" and "please". They're starting to try and say the words "cat", "dog", "baba (for bottle)", and "baby". They're saying "mama", "mom", "out", and they're babbling with a lot of new sounds. They follow directions wonderfully. If I ask them if they're hungry, they'll crawl to their high chairs and try and climb into them. If I tell them it's time for a new diaper, they go to where I change their diapers. I can ask them where something is and they'll either crawl and look for it, or point to it. If Addison wants something, he'll crawl to it and point. We're finally able to have some basic communication between us and it's made things a lot easier.

They're eating basically any food that you put in front of them....and they eat a lot. A normal breakfast for them is 2 scrambled eggs with cheese and milk added, either a half or whole banana, and usually some crackers or toast. We're slowly working on getting them off formula (and bottles all together). When I weaned them at 13 months and switched them to formula, if I had thought for even a second that they would still be drinking formula a year later, I would have tried to stick it out and continue nursing.

They're definitely toddlers now. 2 weeks ago, they were still somewhat babies...but they're 100% toddlers now and many people have commented on it. They each have their own personality and like and dislikes. Addison will definitely be the ring leader and Riley will be the one to watch Addison to make sure it's ok before he does it. Addison gets this sneaky grin on his face and he gives the funniest expressions. He knows when he's not supposed to do something and he'll turn his head over and down but look at you out of the corner of his eyes. Riley is my love bug. He loves to snuggle and be rocked to sleep.

They give each other high five's and shake hands. They love to give hugs and kisses. They make car motor sounds when they play with their trucks. It's hard to believe that they're 2 already. It has been so fun to see them grow and become individuals AND brothers.

Riley enjoying cake that the neighbor made

Addison didn't waste time picking it apart

Both of them sleeping together is a rare sight

Addison being a goof

We're TWO today!!!

2010-06-17T15:43:00.009-04:00

Happy Birthday to Addison and Riley!! I'll try to write a long update this weekend but I couldn't let today go by without writing about their birthday!!

The boys are so happy and healthy and they're doing amazingly well!

Here's some pictures that I snapped today.

Riley playing with his balloon

Addison taking a break after lunch
Addison on the left and Riley on the right

Look what Addison can do!!!!

This is one of Riley's favorite new games

Surgery went well

2010-05-17T15:01:00.002-04:00

We were only at the surgery center for about 4 hours. Surgery went well for both of them. They're home and trying to rest. Poor little guys just want to rub their eyes and they have these plastic shields taped over their eyes.
I was told that day 2 & 3 will be the worst and then they should start to improve.

Surgery tomorrow

2010-05-16T19:30:00.002-04:00

Last Monday, the boys had their routine eye exams to check how their ROP was. We ended up being there for almost 3 hours. Both of the boys were diagnosed with Strabismus. Essentially, the muscles behind the eyes aren't aligned properly and it causes one eye to turn in when they move their eyes. If it's not treated early, the brain will learn to ignore the problem and it will cause a lazy eye. Their surgeries tomorrow will be what's considered a minor outpatient surgery that shouldn't take more than a half hour each. The opthamologist is going to re-align the muscles behind their eyes so that their eyes move together.
Riley definitely has a worse case than Addison but I opted to have them get surgery at the same time so that it can be done and over. They say the recovery time is 1-2 weeks but that they should be up and moving around in a few days. I cancelled all of their therapies next week so that they can just be at home and healing.
I, of course, am a ball of nerves thinking about my boys. This will be the first surgery for both of them.
We have to be at the surgical center at 6am and I hope to be home sometime in the afternoon. I'll try to update tomorrow evening.

We Marched for Babies!

2010-04-26T08:59:00.002-04:00

I'm still waiting for the final totals to come in but team Macomber Miracles raised almost $1,700 for the March of Dimes this year!!!

It was lightly raining all morning and it was windy and about 50 degrees but there was still a great turnout. The kids didn't have such a great time but they toughed it out and walked almost the whole 3 miles.

Unfortunately, because I was also volunteering at the event, I didn't have a chance to take a picture of our team. I'm waiting for the photographer that was there to post his pictures and hopefully I'll have some more pictures to share.

Thank you so much to everyone who donated.

Finally!

2010-04-21T14:24:00.002-04:00

After 1 year and 10 months...the boys are finally on the growth chart for their weight!! This morning, Addison weighed 21lbs. 15oz. and Riley weighed 20lbs. 12oz. Addison is in the 2nd percentile and Riley is in the 1st percentile!! Never before have my boys been "on the chart" for their weight or height. They are both 29". They are both proportionate for their sizes though. Addison was in the 76th percentile for his weight to height and Riley was in the 43rd. They're slowly coming along...chipping away and catching up. It could be all of the happy meals they've been eating lately. Yeah, they're not good for them but I'll happily give them the calories any way that they will take them.
I had a fundraising night at my local Chick-fil-a last week to benefit my March for Babies team. Between the two of them, they polished off 12 chicken nuggets plus a few fries. And, the most awesome part is that team Macomber Miracles raised $165 in just 4 hours!! Last night, was "McTeacher Night" at our local McDonald's to benefit Skylar's school so we loaded up the kids and took them there for dinner. They shared a happy meal. Addison was having no part of his broken up fries. He only wanted them whole. They both drank from a straw for the first time too! They've understood the concept for a while but hadn't actually been able to get anything through the straw.
In other news, Riley was referred to a pulminologist and we were able to go see him last week. Riley has been having horrible problems when he gets sick and he ends up on a ton of meds to help him breathe. He's now on only pulmicort, once a day, for 2 months straight. Pulmicort only works on the lining of the lungs so it will give his lungs a chance to heal and have a break. We go back in September to see how he's doing.
I've been so busy with the March for Babies. Our walk is only 4 days away and as a team, we've kicked butt! I have 5 other people walking on my team this year. I've sold tickets to our local hockey and baseball teams home games, hosted a fundraiser at Chick-fil-a, and have practically begged my friends and family for donations. Here's my last plea for donations. I'm only $135 away from reaching my goal. You can donate any amount by clicking on the purple March for Babies box in the upper right hand corner of my blog.

Surprise, they're not sick!

2010-04-07T15:26:00.003-04:00

So, I'm actually getting a chance to update even though they're not sick. They're currently slipping and sliding on the kitchen floor because they splashed water all over the place. It's hot and they love the water so I figured they couldn't do too much damage by splashing in a little bit of water!

They have been doing so well! They're still hanging on to a little bit of their cold from months ago but they're managing ok without breathing treatments and medicines so I'm thrilled.

We've been getting outside a lot now that it's finally nice. I got an awesome new double jogging stroller that I LOVE! We've gone to French Creek, different playgrounds, walks and jogs through our development, and more. It fits perfectly in the back of my van and man...i should have bought one of these a long time ago. lol.

The boys are progressing well with their different therapies. Addison is walking along anything he can hold onto with ease. Riley is pulling up to a stand and is very, very close to walking along the furniture. It's not looking like either of them will walk for the March for Babies in 3 weeks but I suppose anything is possible.

So, we haven't been to the doctors in probably a month or so but the boys are gaining weight. Last time Riley was at the doctor, he was 19lbs. 8oz. He's easily 21lbs. now. Addison is probably close to 25lbs. They've grown into 18 month size clothing. It blows my mind that at this time last year, they were just barely big enough to fit 3-6 month size stuff. They both eat so much food. The bottles are decreasing and we're constantly introducing new foods. This past week they had chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and baked ziti with ground beef. They loved all of it. They actually ate more ziti than Leah and Skylar.

We've finally accomplished one of our big goals that I've had for a long time. I took them grocery shopping and they were able to sit in the cart!! What a huge deal it was for us to be able to do that. Addison loved it but Riley was kind of freaked out by the vibrations of the cart so he wanted to be held a lot. But...they did it!!! No more pushing the stroller and pulling the cart behind us. Addison also reached another goal. He got his first bath in the bathtub! No more kitchen sink for him!

Riley is sitting with no problems now. He'll crawl to whatever he wants to play with and sit down and just play. They both dance when music is on.

We also plan to finally move them out of their infant car seats at the end of the school year. They'll still be rear facing but we'll move them into big boy convertible seats.

Addison is starting to fuss so I have to wrap this up. Before I go, I want to remind everyone that there's only a few weeks left to donate to our March for Babies team. Our walk is on Sunday April 25th! You can click on the purple March for Babies box on the right side of the blog to make an online donation. Or, if you're local, come out to the Exeter Chick-fil-a on Tuesday April 13th between 4-8pm. Team Macomber Miracles is having a fundraising night and our team gets 15% of the sales from anyone who brings a flyer or mentions they're with our team!

Enjoying their books while at the Please Touch Museum

Addison at French Creek State Park

Playing with easter eggs at Nana's

Splashing water all over the kitchen floor

March update

2010-03-16T21:20:00.005-04:00

So, I know it seems like the only time I write is when they're sick. The truth is...when they're sick, they need lots of mommy snuggling time and it's essentially the only time I can sit at the computer and type out more than a few words.

So, as you have probably guessed, they're sick again. It started out with a cold and turned into a pretty bad cough. Saturday, Riley was gasping for air and the pediatrician sent us to the ER where he got a shot of steroids (decatron or something like that. It reminded me of a transformers name) and a double breathing treatment and after RSV came back negative and the lung x-rays were clear, we were sent home. So, they're both still coughing but they're improving. For the first time in 5 days, it wasn't raining and we were able to open up the house and get some fresh air.

Other than the cold, they're both doing so well!! Riley is crawling all over the place and starting yesterday, he go from crawling to sitting and sit unassisted! He's up to 18lbs. 12oz. and he has a huge appetite. He pulls up to his knees on the furniture and with only a little bit of help, he'll get up on his feet. He can even get back down without falling! His therapists are all noticing that he has more endurance and he's working really hard to keep up with his brother.

Addison is a fearless tank. The kid just continues to do new stuff. He walks along the couches now. He pulls right up onto his feet and can sit back down from standing. He's sitting totally unassisted and has been for a few weeks.

They both LOVE to read books. I try to get a book from the dollar section at Target every time I go there. They'll sit with a book for 10-15 minutes and just flip through the pages. They both play peek-a-boo and clap when I sing "If you're happy and you know it". They can both put shapes into the correct holes of their shape sorter and can stack cups and rings.

They're enjoying life and learning so much every day. It's amazing to see them start to turn into little toddlers. They have different personalities, different likes and dislikes, yet...they're best of friends. They follow each other through the entire downstairs. If one is playing with something, the other will stop and go join them. Rarely are they more than a few feet apart from each other.

I think we're all very much looking forward to warm weather, no sickies, and lots of outside time.

We sold tickets to a local hockey game for the March of Dimes. Here's a picture of Riley with my baby sister.

Addison snoozing away in the exersaucer

Do they look alike? Addison is on the left and Riley on the right.

We're still trying to raise money for our March for Babies walk on April 25th. You can click on the purple box on the main page of my blog to make a donation for our team. No donation is too small and every one is appreciated! We only have a little over a month left and we're still about $750 away from reaching our team goal.

My March of Dimes- March for Babies team

2010-02-26T16:40:00.002-05:00

So, as many of you know, I'm very open about what we went through having twins born at 25 weeks gestation. I'm happy to share our story with other moms of micro preemies or anyone who is curious about the many obstacles that preemies face. I have talked with many other micro preemie parents who have been through and will continue to go through much worse than we have. I'm forever thankful that our story is one of the more positive stories out there.
Our story may have been much worse if it weren't for the research and funding of the March of Dimes. As far as I know, the March of Dimes is the only national charity that helps premature and sick infants have the best start possible. The March of Dimes uses 77% of every dollar for lifesaving research, education and innovative programs that offer hope for preventions and solutions for babies born too soon or with birth defects.
My oldest son was born at 32 weeks gestation back in 2001. He, luckily had no issues and only spent 21 days in the NICU. He caught up within months and at 8.5 years old, nobody would have guessed that he was a preemie. In those few years between my oldest being born, and the twins birth, so much had changed in terms of treatments.
So, having said all of this...I am walking in the March of Dimes March for Babies. This is the second year for team Macomber Miracles. Last year, we had to push the boys in the stroller. This year, I'm hoping to have at least Addison be able to walk some of it! This is a cause near and dear to my heart and I feel like it's one of the ways I can give back and say thank you to anyone and everyone who helped my boys thrive.
So, if you're local to us, I would LOVE to have you join our team and walk in honor of Skylar, Addison, and Riley. If you're not local or not able to join us on April 25th, please consider making a donation to our team. You can click the March for Babies box on the right side of my blog to make an online donation. Any amount, no matter how small, will help.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any help you can give our team.

Long, overdue update with pictures!

2010-02-18T20:59:00.006-05:00

I know it's been forever since I've written anything. The boys have kept me so busy and life just takes over. A few days after my last post, Riley ended up spending 11 hours in the ER getting various breathing treatments and oral steroids. He was having retracting when he was breathing and was wheezing a lot. I had done a few breathing treatments at home and it wasn't helping and I wasn't comfortable going to bed for the night with him having so much trouble. Tested negative for RSV so it was just some virus/cold that really took the boys out of commission for a few weeks. We've made a rule for at least the winter months, that all of the toys used for therapy sessions will be toys we have at home. Having the therapists come in with a duffel bag of new toys is always exciting for the boys but I just can't chance them being exposed to all of those germs.

Therapy is going so well for them! Addison is crawling on his hands and knees and pulling up to stand on anything he can reach. Riley is pulling up to his knees and crawls on his knees and elbows. Addison is putting shapes into the shape sorter and both boys can go from crawling to sitting with no assistance.

This past Friday, while I was at a doctors appointment, Addison stood up in the middle of the living room by himself! Ian said he nearly jumped off the couch to grab him before he fell over.

Both of the boys are developing their own personalities and they are so much fun to watch! They're constantly playing together and they'll follow each other through the house. They have huge appetites and are eating so many new foods. Addison ate an entire piece of pizza for dinner the other night.

Addison enjoying cheese curls!

Sitting all by himself!!!

Riley taking a nap

Cheese curls and yogurt makes for a messy snack!

Feeling better

2010-01-30T22:17:00.002-05:00

After a very long week, the boys are feeling better! They went through the week with 103-105 fevers. The pediatrician wanted us to come back on Thursday if they still had fevers. We went back and they did a nasal swab test for the flu and sent Addison for a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia. Both tests were negative so again, we were told to just wait out the fever. They went to bed Thursday night with temperatures above 104 and Friday morning, they woke up with no fever. They didn't spike a fever all day and they were both acting like nothing had ever happened.
Today, they each ate a huge pancake for breakfast and snacked throughout the day. They hadn't eaten solid food all week because they didn't want to do anything but lay on Ian or myself.
Neither of them have broken out into a rash (a rash usually appears within 24 hours of the fever breaking) but honestly, I'm just happy to have them feeling better.

A horrible, no good day

2010-01-25T22:11:00.003-05:00

Today is one of the hardest days we've had since the boys came home. The have both been running low grade fevers for the past few days. We assumed it was teething since neither of them have shown any other symptoms of being sick. This morning, Riley woke up and had a fever of 103.6. I gave him tylenol right away and had him sit on my lap with a cool washcloth on his head, while we waited for the pediatricians office to open. When I called, they wanted me to bring him right in. I made the appointment for both Riley and Addison since I was already going to be there and Addison had been running a fever also.
I assumed it would be something simple like ear infections. The doctor seems to think that they have roseola. It's a virus that shows no symptoms except a fever (that can go rather high) for 3-5 days and then they break out in a rash. We were sent home with instructions to just be sure we keep the fevers down and to come back if they still have a fever on Wednesday.
So, at about 3pm today, I was sitting on the floor with my legs straight out on the floor. I was holding Riley while Addison climbed back and forth, over my legs. He did a face plant (like he always does when he climbs over things) and just stayed there. At first I thought he was playing but after a few seconds, he hadn't moved. I picked him up to find that his whole body was stiff and his eyes were rolling back into his head. He didn't respond to me at all so I laid him on the loveseat and just tried to get him to regain consciousness. After about 1 minute, I called 911. I was frantic and the poor operator had trouble understanding me at first. He dispatched an ambulance (which luckily is less than 2 miles from my house) and by the time the ambulance got here, he was starting to move his limbs and babble. The medics said it was likely a febrile seizure and asked me to call the pediatrician to see if he should be transported to the ER or if they wanted me to bring him to the office. The ped. instructed him to be taken to the hospital to be checked out. He was stable and acting normal and I loaded him into the carseat and handed him to the medics who took him to the ER. I followed the ambulance with Riley. He had blood drawn to check his CBC and they did a urinalysis which came back clean so the ER doc. agreed that it was a febrile seizure. When he got the the ER, his temp was 101. I had given him a dose of tylenol just before he left.
I hadn't given Addison any medicine today since his temp was under 101 all day. When we were at the doctor, his temp was only 99 so I thought since he was acting just fine, I would give him a break from medicine.
He's fine now. He's been sleeping most of the evening and he ate a bunch of food. Hopefully, this virus comes to an end soon and I can not worry about this happening again.

19 months

2010-01-20T11:25:00.003-05:00

I'm a few days late, but the boys turned 19 months on Sunday. It seems that they've recently taken off and I'm so excited to have so much new stuff to share!

Addison now pulls up to stand. He can't stay standing without help but he will stand up and just use one hand to hold himself. He's just starting to get the idea of being able to put one foot in front of each other. He can very slowly walk across the room with us holding his hands. To see him not only vertical, but vertical and moving, is something we couldn't even wrap our brains around. I mean, it seems like just yesterday I was telling everyone that he crawled. He's now crawling up on his hands and knees unless it's somewhere he wants to go to right away, then it's faster for him to just army crawl. He plays peek-a-boo. Just, out of nowhere, he started covering his eyes and doing it. He has one bottom molar and another just about to pop through the gums. He's starting to chew his food but we still have to break apart stuff for him. Addison sits completely unassisted and is able to go from sitting to crawling with no problem.

Riley is starting to put some weight on his feet. He loves the exersaucer and he spins himself around and uses his legs to help. He's also starting to pull onto his knees. He's been receiving the bulk of the PT and OT since he really seems to be not getting it as quickly. Riley is by far, the better eater. He bites and chews food. I rarely have to break things into pieces for him. He easily eats toast, french toast sticks, veggie sticks (like the potato chip straw things), and more. He's also drinking from a sippy cup. He is starting to be able to sit with his hands propping him but he's still pretty wobbly.

They're both eating most table foods. We've finally done away with baby food and those over priced gerber puffs. They're still drinking a lot of formula although we're slowly trying to replace all of those calories and vitamins from formula with tables foods and drinks. Everything I make them has extra butter, cheese, or full fat.

I've got more to write but both of the boys are awake and demanding my attention!

Addison 1-6-10

Addison 1-11-10

I have the brag for just a second. I got a new camera as an early birthday gift so I've been taking TONS of pictures. Addison usually charges full speed at me as soon as I grab the camera so I don't get many good shots of him. Riley, however, I think looks fantastic in these pictures. He has the most striking eyes and I could just stare at these pictures all day.

Riley 1-6-10

Riley 1-10-10

Riley- 1-17-10

New year, new adventure

2009-12-31T06:35:00.004-05:00

Just when you think you're at a nice steady pace, the troubles of micro preemies become loud and clear.

Yesterday was the boys 18 month well visit. We've had a rough couple of months with physical therapy. We've had 4 different therapists since October. Some better than others. We're finally happy with who we were matched with and I've seen lots of changes in the boys. Addison crawls. He's almost crawling on his hands and knees. He pulls to standing, climbs over things, and is sitting unassisted (as long as you prop him into the sitting position first). He eats table food but prefers to dissolve the food in his mouth instead of chewing it. He has started to clap and does "so big" (puts his hands up in the air when someone says so big).

Riley, on the other hand, does not sit unassisted. Just this week he's regularly able to sit with his hands propping him. He almost never puts weight on his legs/feet. He'll push up and down on my lap as a game but will not pull himself up or put his legs down while in the exersaucer. He's still army crawling but does get up on his hands and knees and rock.

So, I brought it up to the pediatrician and I asked when it switches from "there's nothing wrong and they'll "catch up" to is there something wrong and that's why they're so delayed?" He said there's always been something "wrong" and now it's just a question if it's something neurologically or just a side effect of being born so small. He's referring us to a developmental pediatrician at the Hershey Medical Center. Apparently it could be some time before we're able to get in because there's not many developmental peds. around. I guess once we're seen there we'll get more information towards a diagnosis or cause for their developmental delays. It will allow us to have more targeted therapies and possibly more therapy. We've also been referred for a cranial ultrasound to be sure there's no extra fluid or swelling in the brain. He doesn't think that's likely but since their soft spots are still open, he wants to be sure everything is ok.

Enough about all of that. Christmas was a lot of fun. The boys got very spoiled but didn't have any interest in tearing off wrapping paper. They got lots of toys (almost all with a therapy purpose in mind) and they're enjoying them every day. We only had one sick visit in December and it was just for wheezing and chest congestion. They were both healthy for Christmas and we enjoyed a weekend of friends and family.

Addison now weighs 18 pounds even and Riley weighs 16lb. 10oz. At our doctors visit just 2 weeks before the well visit, they were 17lb. 8oz. and 15lb. 12oz. with their clothes on. They've had a pretty big growth spurt over the past month or so. Part of the reason for the weight gain is because of our awesome speech therapist. She has them eating almost all table foods. I only use their baby food to mix with regular foods. We're going to now start weaning down their formula and switching to part milk/part formula and we're going to try to decrease the number of bottles they're taking in hopes of increasing the amount of meals and snacks. Riley is my big eater. He loves to eat all types of food and he chews everything with no issues. He's also the first one to have a molar come in. He drinks perfectly from a sippy cup too! Addison needs some work. He loves food and will shovel handfuls of food into his mouth but then he lets it dissolve before he starts to chew. He'll eat any and all table foods and so far but doesn't really do well with the sippy cup. He knows what to do but he prefers to dump it on the tray and then play with it.

All of the kids loved their Christmas Eve pajamas!

Addison plays so much in the exersaucer

And Addison has discovered how much fun it is to splash in the dogs water dish

This is about as involved they got in opening presents

Riley didn't want anything to do with wrapping paper

But he sure liked playing in the new ball pit!

Addison liked it too! He sat like this for about a half hour.

I have lots of stuff to share

2009-12-16T21:21:00.003-05:00

The holidays have kind of taken all of our free time and I've got so much to share, hopefully I remember all of it!
We're still fighting with germs. I had the boys back to the pediatrician 2 days ago. They've been coughing and wheezing for more than a week and although their runny noses went away, the wheezing is hanging around despite regular breathing treatments. The doctor took a nasal swab and sent it to the lab to be cultured but we haven't heard back yet. In the meantime, we're just sticking with the breathing treatments.
The therapies are going so well! Their speech therapist has them eating so many new foods. Addison can't get enough. He will grab anything and everything out of your hand and eat it. Riley will eat all types of different foods but prefers to be fed. Riley is drinking from a sippy cup though. He drinks so nice and neat while Addison prefers to bang the cup on the high chair tray and dump the juice on his head. Lately, the boys have been enjoying bananas, banana bread, cheese curls, and chocolate chip cookies. While that may not sound like the healthiest diet, they're eating a variety of textures and flavors and not having any trouble changing between the different foods. That's a huge plus! Since the boys have been sick, we haven't been pushing them too hard. After the holidays, they're due for their quarterly review and we're going to re-evaluate their goals. As of now, our plans are to start adding in actual meals (and reducing the amount of bottles) and to start adding language into their sessions.
Physical therapy is wonderful. She comes Saturday mornings and this past weekend, Addison was standing with just his hands on the exercise ball. They're both up on their hands and knees and rocking back and forth. Addison is almost always found pulling up on something. He easily pulls up on his knees and occasionally will get his feet under him. Riley is really getting around now. He's no longer getting his arm stuck under his body and he crawls all over the place.
Occupational therapy is also going well. Addison plays give and take. They're both holding their bottles and banging 2 toys together. Addison will put things into a container and then take them out. Riley takes things out of a container but hasn't started to put them back in.
They've both had a growth spurt over the past 2 weeks. There were a few night where they were drinking bottles non-stop. They went through a container of formula that normally lasts us about 3 days, in just over 24 hours...twice! We spent a small fortune on formula last week. When we were at the doctor on Monday, Addison weighed 17lbs. 12oz. and Riley was 15lb. 12oz. When we were at the doctor last month, Riley was only 14lbs. 10oz. (which was not much more than what he weighed at his 15 month check-up). They're both getting lots of teeth. Today, Riley got his first molar on the bottom left side. These poor boys have had their gums swollen for days now. They both have all 4 front top teeth. Riley just had his last of the bottom 4 pop through last week. Addison has 3 of his bottom front and no molars yet. They'll be in soon enough.
I'll write more about this when I have time but if you look over on the right side of the blog, you'll see a purple box for the 2010 March for Babies. Last year, Ian and I raised just shy of $600 in about a month. The fundraiser officially kicks off in January but we're able to start raising money now. The walk is April 25th, 2010 and I set a goal of $1,000 in donations for team Macomber Miracles. If you're local, consider joining my team and helping to raise money. If you're not local, or able to join the team, please consider making a donation to my team. No amount is too small and any amount is very much appreciated. The March of Dimes has done so much to benefit premature and sick infants and I'm excited to be able to participate again this year.

This is our 2009 family Christmas picture. Ian is holding Riley.

Addison enjoys some puff snacks.

Riley being a ham :)

What a fun couple of weeks

2009-11-23T18:34:00.003-05:00

We got hit with a few different colds and viruses. Addison and Riley had fevers for 5 days, and were getting multiple breathing treatments per day. We're finally just dealing with a nagging cough and some gunk in their lungs that gets coughed up every so often. We felt lucky that it was here and gone in only a few weeks, and 2 doctors appointments. For a few days, we thought we were going to have a repeat of the 2 month long RSV stuff that we dealt with in the spring. The boys didn't qualify for Synagis shots this year so we're being extra cautious for the next few months.

The boys are all over the place. Addison crawls so fast now. He chases Skylar and Leah over the room, crawls into the kitchen to play with magnets on the fridge, and will crawl down the hallway to find his brother and sister. He'll even crawl over things to get to what he wants. Riley is still getting around but he keeps getting his elbow stuck under his body and will topple over his arm.

Addison has started using his legs to push. If he's on my lap and I put the remote or my phone behind me, on the back of the couch, he'll use his legs to push up to standing and get them off the couch. He's nowhere near being stable enough to stand but he's finally starting to use his legs.

Speech therapy is going well. She has the boys eating lots of new foods. Addison will eat french toast sticks (torn into bite size pieces) and they both had noodles, chicken, and carrots when Ian made homemade chicken noodle soup. We're hoping to start with some simple signs so that the boys will have a basic way of communicating.

Occupational therapy is also going really well. They are both clapping and will bang 2 toys together. They've both developed the pincer grasp and can pick up small things with minimal difficulty. Riley will now hold his own bottle. That's a huge help. She also has them starting to put things in and take things out of a jar with hopes to transition to handing a toy back and forth with us.

Probably the best therapy news is that we've FINALLY found a physical therapist that we love! She's an awesome therapist who works for Easter Seals. She has worked with a friends twins and she was highly recommended. She is friends with the boys speech therapist and is just totally awesome. She was out here at the beginning of last week just to meet the boys and see what they're able to do and even though the boys weren't feeling well, she had them giggling and smiling even though they were doing hard work. We finally feel like we have the perfect team and I'm excited to see what will happen. The replacement physical therapist was horrible for the boys. Ian was working from home for her second week and the minute she walked out of the house, he said "no way". she had a much more laid back approach and we really needed someone who would be hands on and more aggressive.

We finally got a second high chair so now I will be able to feed the boys at the same time and have them face each other to hopefully encourage each other to eat more food.

Lately, the boys have been interacting with each other so much. They both break out into laughter and make each other laugh. They play with toys together, chase the dog and cats tails together, and are just plain cute together. Today they were cracking me up so I had to break out the camera and video tape their silliness. I uploaded 2 of the videos onto youtube so that we could send it to family and friends so I will share it with all of you too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qeoWbmTtJM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eknzjvw89vs&feature=channel

Also, here's some cute pictures :)

Ian with Addison (and Pixie)

Riley

Riley is crawling!! and a summary of Blue Jeans for Babies bash

2009-11-04T20:12:00.003-05:00

So, he's on the move!!! Riley has started crawling! I had to take Skylar to basketball sign-ups and on the way home, Ian called me to say Riley had just crawled! While I was disappointed that I wasn't there to see him, I'm thrilled that Ian got to see one of them crawl for the first time :) He's not moving as well as Addison but he is on the move! Never, ever did I picture them crawling. It's just so amazing. I'm actually excited that I have to buy a baby gate for in between the kitchen and living room.

Therapy is going well. Our awesome new physical therapist has to have back surgery so she'll be out until April. Until then, she's got someone to take her caseload but I'm not too thrilled with this new lady. She was out yesterday for the first time and I may give her one more week before I make any final decisions. I would really like to wait for their therapist to come back but I just don't know if I'm willing to wait that long with someone I'm not happy with.

So, Ian and I had the babies out Monday night so that we could speak at the March of Dimes Blue Jeans for Babies bash. We got to meet the couple who started the fundraiser, 19 years ago. They were such a wonderful couple. We also met the local ambassador family for the 2010 March for Babies. I did my small speech about my pregnancy, delivery, and 87 day NICU stay. We had a wonderful dinner donated by Subway, Berks Foods, Mission Foods, and Sweet Street Desserts (YUM!) They had a raffle for some really neat baskets and we ended up winning a basket full of useful stuff from Berks Foods and tickets to a local indoor football game. Overall, it was a really fun night for a really great cause and I felt honored to have been asked to participate. I'm now looking forward to the March for Babies kickoff party in January. I've got MUCH bigger goals this year.

Sadly, I don't have any pictures to share from the Blue Jeans bash but I do have some cute pictures that I've taken over the days. Enjoy!

Lately, they've been doing a lot of this. Especially when one of them has a toy that the other one wants. Riley is in the blue and Addison is in the navy and yellow outfit.

They freak out for a minute and then they look so innocent and cute :)
Oh, and Halloween, how could I forget to tell you about Halloween? The kids were all so darned cute! It rained a lot and was cold so Ian brought the boys back to the house while the big kids braved the rain and went house to house. Riley was the lion and Addison was the scarecrow.

Great news article featuring our family

2009-10-30T08:01:00.002-04:00

We're speaking for the March of Dimes Blue Jeans for Babies fundraiser this coming Monday and I was interviewed by my local paper about my boys.
Blue Jean for Babies was started in my hometown 19 years ago and has since become a national fundraising drive for March of Dimes.

http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=163429

Wear jeans to work in Berks and help a preemie or two
By Dan Kelly
Reading
Eagle
Ian and Lindsey Macomber's first son, Skylar, was born about eight
weeks prematurely.Lindsey said she knew her son would need intensive care in the
hospital.But she never dreamed the health of her children would be aided by
office employees wearing bluejeans to work.William Gage said he didn't know much
about the March of Dimes when he and his wife, Gwen, started the Blue Jeans for
Babies event in Berks County 19 years ago.The concept is simple enough: Buy a
button for $5 for the privilege of wearing jeans to work.The program started off
modestly but began spreading in its second year and now is part of the March of
Dimes national fundraising campaign. It raises about $35,000 to $40,000 each
year in Berks, Gage said."We had a friend who was involved in the March of Dimes
and she wanted to come up with something unique so we all put our heads together
and that's what we came up with," said Gage, owner of Gage Personnel of West
Reading.
The Macombers say Gage may make light of the contributions of Blue
Jeans for Babies and the March of Dimes, but their 1-year-old twin sons are
living proof.Their twins, Addison and Riley, were born 15 weeks prematurely on
June 17, 2008.Addison was 1 pound, 5 ounces, and Riley was 1 pound, 3 ounces.
Normal is about 8 pounds. Each was a little over 12 inches long. Normal is 18 to
21 inches long."Addison and Riley were also treated in Reading Hospital's
neonatal intensive care unit but the difference in their treatment in just the
past eight years since Skylar was born was amazing," Lindsey said. "The March of
Dimes funds research for babies and I credit them with many of the advances that
have been made."Other than being small for their age and a little behind the
curve in their crawling, Addison and Riley are doing well, their mom
said.Lindsey, Ian and the twins will be at the annual Blue Jeans for Babies Bash
at the Crowne Plaza Reading hotel, Wyomissing, on Monday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in
the Designer Ballroom to share their story and offer their endorsement of the
March of Dimes.The party is open to the public so if you didn't get your button
at work you can get one at the door, Gage said.Contact Dan Kelly: 610-371-5040
or dkelly@readingeagle.com.

If you have a chance, check out http://www.marchofdimes.com/ and look for your local Blue Jeans for Babies event and please consider purchasing a button for $5!

Addison crawled!!!!!!!!

2009-10-22T09:41:00.002-04:00

As I was sitting and eating my breakfast, I had the boys on the floor, in just their diapers. Addison was staring down this ball from one of their toys and all of the sudden, I see his arms stretch out and him pull his legs up and then he pushed himself forward!! So, not really crawling like other babies (on hands and knees) but he pushed himself forward a good couple of inches. And, he got the ball he wanted! I sat there for a second wondering if I had just seen what I thought I saw and then I immediately called Ian and told him the good news! He then did it again a few minutes later. I'm so excited and proud and oh my gosh! he's crawling!!!

New crib and food for the boys

2009-10-18T11:49:00.003-04:00

For their first 7 months home, the boys slept in their carseats because of reflux. When we moved, back in April, we finally set up the co-sleeper and they were able to sleep in there just fine. They quickly began to outgrow the co-sleeper and before we knew it, they were over the weight limit and rolling onto each other. We've talked about getting them a crib and it's kind of been something on our "to do" list.

I was searching craigslist and I saw that a friend was selling her twins cribs. I went over and Addison and Riley had a little playdate with their old NICU twin buddies and I bought one of their cribs. Ian and I got it all set up, put in their new mattress and sheets, and the boys slept so well in it! I put one baby at each end and they stayed there all night. The next night, Addison discovered how much noise he could make when he bangs on the sides so he kept everyone awake for a little bit but they did end up falling asleep. They both have room to roll around without waking up each other but they're still able to stay in the same bed. They're still sleeping right next to the bed but I plan to slowly move them to the other side of the room (no, I'm not able to just move them away from me. I'm a bit crazy and I still get up in the middle of the night to make sure they're still covered and breathing).

Therapies have been going really well. The boys LOVE the Gerber Puffs! They eat at least a handful every day and they still eating lots of baby food. We also started giving them organic yogurt and cow milk. This morning, Ian and I went out for breakfast with the boys (the big kids spent the night at nanas) and Addison ate pieces of pancake! Riley was so tired and he tried a few pieces but he wasn't too into it. Addison probably would have eaten half of the pancake if I had let him.

Riley

Addison

We've met all of the new therapists

2009-10-13T19:45:00.003-04:00

So, last week the boys started with their new physical therapist. She's awesome and I really think we're going to get some results soon. At the end of last week, we met the new occupational therapist. She mostly just did paperwork but she seems to have set some very attainable goals for the boys. She comes back out tomorrow to really start working on their fine motor skills. She has worked with other preemies and is currently working with a 3 year old who was born at 23 weeks.

Today their speech therapist started. She comes highly recommended by a friend of mine and I was very excited to have her work with the babies. She specializes in feeding issues and loves working with babies. Today wasn't too long of a session, she fed them both some stage 2 baby food to get an idea of where they were with their feeding/eating. I have a container of gerber puffs that I bought a few weeks ago and I only tried them once. I broke the tips off of the pieces and Riley gagged on them. I never even tried Addison because he's not as good of an eater. I've tried to give them small pieces of cheerios and they just push the pieces out with their tongues.

So, the therapist asked if she could try some puffs and cheerios. She put a piece of puff in Riley mouth and he CHEWED it!! He ended up eating whole puffs. And, to just make it that much better, he picked up a puff from the therapists hand, and with just a small amount of assistance, he fed himself!

Addison went on to eat puffs also. He was a bit lazier though. The first few, he let dissolve in his mouth and then after 3 or 4, he started to chew them. He did better with the whole puffs, rather than the pieces. He didn't really care for cheerios and they kept making him gag.

The therapist said that she's really happy with what they're doing since they're still considered "early feeders" since they've only been consistently eating for a few months.

She gave me the ok to start trying soft foods. Canned peaches or other soft fruit, small pieces of pancakes, etc. She doesn't want me to try dry foods yet but she's confident that they're able to eat soft foods. Next week we're going to try to start using a sippy cup and within the next few weeks, I think we're going to try scrambled eggs.

For now, we're replacing one evening bottle with a second jar of food. It went well tonight and hopefully it will continue to be easy to take away bottles.

So, we feel like lots of good stuff will come from the aggressive, 3 times per week therapy.

I wanted to share a cute picture. Ian and I took the kids to the Renaissance Faire last weekend. The big kids had a blast and the babies were so intrigued by their surroundings that they didn't sleep the whole time we were there. I took this picture while we were waiting for an archery demo to start. It's really hard to get both babies in a picture when they're in the stroller so you're only able to see Addison.

A big step for me today

2009-10-07T20:52:00.004-04:00

I let someone other than Ian watch the babies. I needed to get to the gym and this morning was my only chance today so I walked them into the childcare room and got them situated. I was so nervous to leave them in a strangers care but I knew I would be just outside the room. I only stayed for a little over a half hour and I kept taking out my ear buds to listen for them crying. When I went to get them, they had just started crying. Actually, Riley started crying and when the lady picked up Riley, Addison started crying. But, they did just fine. It was a huge step for me, I haven't even let grandparents babysit (except the one time when Riley was in the hospital but that was out of necessity and there was medical staff all over). A completely child free date night might be able to happen in the near future!

The twins start with their new physical therapist tomorrow morning. I'm excited and nervous but I really believe that this is the best thing for them. Friday their occupational therapist will be here. We're still waiting to hear from the new speech therapist but she does come highly recommended.

whew...where do I begin?

2009-09-29T15:32:00.004-04:00

We were all sick last week. It took me out of commission for 2 days and the rest of the week, I functioned at a minimum. Everyone seems to be just about better except for Riley. He's still got a nagging cough that caused me to drag out the breathing machine. We're doing Xopenex twice a day for now.

We've finally switched out all of the 3-6 month clothes for both 6-9 AND 6-12 month sizes! Addison can actually fit into some 12 month clothing. The 3-6 month stuff had been getting too small for a while but I really didn't want to change out everything and then have to do it again when the weather got cooler. Last year, I bought them both adorable Christmas outfits on a super clearance that are size 12 months. I'm actually concerned that they might be too small.

The boys had their 15 month well visit at the pediatrician last Tuesday. Riley weighed 14lbs. 4oz. and was 23.5 inches long. Addison weighed 15lbs. 7oz. and measured 25 inches long. I had so many questions for the pediatrician that for the first time, I brought a notebook with me full of questions. I asked about the boys shaking when they get startled out of sleep and he wasn't concerned at all. I asked about starting dairy (they either needed to get an ok to start dairy or a prescription for special formula to keep getting WIC) and I was told to go ahead and start giving dairy but to make sure I give them yogurt with probiotics. We talked about their head x-rays that they had done a few months back. Their suture lines still aren't closed but the x-ray indicated everything was normal and the ped. and a neurologist both agreed but want to continue to watch and make sure they close when the soft spots close.

I also asked about their progress with physical therapy and he said he wanted them to get more aggressive therapy. It worked out nicely that today was their 1 year evaluation for Easter Seals/Early Intervention.

So, at today's evaluation, a team of 3 people came out to do a bunch of tests. The boys tested anywhere from 6-9 months in all of their tests so they more than qualify for therapy still. I think we all know it would happen but it's always such a slap in the face when you hear someone tell you that your 15 month old babies are functioning at a 6 month old level.

Ian and I mentioned that the pediatrician wants more aggressive therapy and we all (eval. team included) agree that they need it. They're now set to have 3 therapists a week, for an hour per child. They'll have a new physical therapist which is kind of bittersweet but I think it's the right decision. This therapist works specifically with babies and preemies and was thrilled to be able to take the twins case. They'll be getting a speech therapist. This lady was also delighted to get micro preemie twins. She'll initially start working with them to learn to eat new textures and we'll transition into making sounds and eventually words. Lastly, we'll be getting an occupational therapist to help with their fine motor skills. We're not sure who it will be yet but we hope to hear within the next week.

So, tomorrow will be our last session with our current physical therapist. And, for the record, I think he's an awesome guy but I just don't feel like he's able to push the envelope as much as we want. And, he only has openings in the evenings which really sucks for us.

So, we all agreed that this is the time to start pushing them harder. They've had a year to grow and get the basics down, and now we want to see them do more.

9-19-09 Addison is "Big Bro" and Riley is "Little Bro"

9-20-09 Riley in the black hat and Addison in the Steelers hat

9-28-09 Getting ready to go on a walk. Addison in the red, Riley in the blue

1 year ago

2009-09-11T11:14:00.004-04:00

While the people, including my family, remember the events that took place 8 years ago, today is also a reason for my family to celebrate. Last year, on 9-11-08, Riley was discharged from the NICU and for the first time, our whole family was able to be together. I remember all of the memorials that were taking place and everyone talking about remembering 9/11 and I was filled with joy as I marched out of that NICU for the last time.
It certainly feels like our family has been complete for more than a year. So much has happened. A clothes company, Little Me, sent me 2 outfits for the babies over the summer. When I opened them, I began to cry. It was 2 of the same outfits that they had worn in the NICU, only in 6/9 month size. They're finally fitting into 6-9 month size clothing and 2 days ago, I put Riley's outfit on and cried. I was sad when we unpacked all of his NICU stuff and realized that this outfit wasn't there. I mean, it would have gone back to the NICU when they outgrew it but it was an outfit that Skylar had picked out and just looked so incredibly adorable on my little guy. Back then, we had to roll up the sleeves on his preemie sized outfit and his legs barely reached into the leg holes. To think back then, that they would fit into something bigger was a stretch of the imagination.
It's funny how something as simple as an outfit can bring out so many emotions but for me, it did. This was the only picture I took, and of course you can't see it, but next time he wears it, I'll be sure to post a picture. I laid them down in the co-sleeper to take a shower and when I came out of the bathroom, this is how I found them. Addison is on the left and Riley is on the right.

It's quite a difference from a year ago:

They're both doing so well. Addison is working on his one upper tooth, just on the opposite side of Riley's. They're both rolling all around the floor and pushing themselves up. They can both get onto their arms and knees but as soon as they try to get anywhere, they kick out their legs. Addison is able to sit again, as long as he has his hands down in front of him.

They go back to the pediatrician on the 22nd. I can't wait to see how big they are! They have the whole evaluation team coming out on the 29th to do a 1 year evaluation. I know they'll be considered very delayed in a wide range of stuff and possibly need more therapists, but I'm ok with that. They're making progress and they're taking their time. As long as we know there's no known reason for their delays, other than being early and still very small, we know they'll get there when they're ready.

Lots of new stuff happening

2009-08-31T08:24:00.003-04:00

Is it bad that I had to read my last entry to see what all I've forgot to share over the past few weeks? Our busy summer is coming to an end and Skylar starts school tomorrow, Leah starts another year of preschool in 2 weeks, and football season seems to have taken up all of our free time. Skylar is playing his first year of tackle and he loves it! He's the secret weapon of the defense and he's not afraid to take people down.

So, after Riley rolled a few times, he didn't do it again. Ian stayed home August 17th and we were sitting on the floor with the babies, trying to encourage Riley to roll when all of the sudden, Addison rolled! Riley never did roll that day but Addison has been rolling ever since. As a matter of fact, when you lay him down, he rolls within minutes and he pushes himself up. He's not crawling yet but he has got up on his hands and knees a few times. He does roll around the room and kind of pushes himself with his feet. I don't want to call it crawling, but he gets around without help. He's also starting to sit in a tripod again! As he's pushing himself up, his arms are getting stronger and he can sit and prop himself up with his arms. He can actually stay there fora minute or two. He's eating a lot of food, often finishing a 4oz. jar. He loves his apples and pears. He's babbling a lot and making lots of sounds. He has his favorite toy and will fight Riley for it.

Riley eventually did start rolling and he rolls around the floor even more than Addison. He's starting to push himself up more and more and I can tell he just wants to go. He loves his food! He eats lots of baby food (anything except peas) and we've started again with infant cereal because we have so much of it. About a week after Riley got his bottom two teeth, I noticed a big white bump on his upper gum where the tooth in between his front tooth and canine tooth would be. I started to get worried and then the next day, a tooth popped through. He hasn't got his front top teeth yet but he has his one little top tooth now.

You can't see his teeth in this picture because they were still barely through but I love this picture of him. He smiles and laughs all of the time.

Rollin Riley and other updates

2009-08-10T12:31:00.003-04:00

Riley rolled from back to belly today! He did it a few times when he was a lot smaller but those were all accidental. This time he rolled while trying to reach a toy. And he hasn't stopped since! He's rolled about 5 times already today.

Back on July 28th, Riley got his first tooth. Addison got his bottom right 5 days earlier, Riley got his bottom left on the 28th, then on the 29th, Addison's bottom left broke through, and a few days later, Riley's bottom right came in. In a few short days, we went from no teeth to four teeth!

I've been trying to work with Addison on eating baby food. He opens his mouth and tried to eat but he sticks out his tongue. Saturday, I gave Riley a whole 2.5oz. jar of pears (his favorite!), and then I sat Addison in the chair and tried to feed him apples. He opened his mouth, kept in his tongue, and ATE THE WHOLE JAR! He was happy and he knew I was proud of him.

Addison has been babbling a lot. He says things like, ga ga, ba ba, and he'll even say ma ma. As much as I would like to think he's calling me mama, I know it's just babbling right now. Even though I know he's not saying "mama", when he starts to fuss and says "ma ma ma ma ma" I drop what I'm doing and come right over to him. I like to think he's talking to me :)

Addison has a tooth!!!

2009-07-23T20:43:00.002-04:00

After 13.5 long months, Addison has finally had his first tooth pop through his gums!!!!!!! I thought for sure that Riley would get teeth first, but in true Addison style, he had to be first :) This morning he didn't have a tooth. Tonight at dinner, it was there. It's just above the surface of the gum so it might be a few days before it's all the way in but I will be sure to photograph and share as soon as I can.
Another exciting thing Addison did was eat from a spoon! He finally started to open his mouth for baby food. He got a few good spoonfuls of squash and then went back to blowing raspberries at me. It's a good step in the right direction!

Eating food and a rave for Kolcraft

2009-07-14T15:20:00.002-04:00

The boys had been eating a few baby foods and rice cereal back in March, before they got sick. When they got sick, I stopped giving them food because they were coughing so much and I didn't want them to choke. I'll admit, I've slacked about introducing more foods until recently. I sat Riley in our new high chair and he chowed down on a half jar of baby food. He loves food. He is now eating a small jar of baby food at a time! He opens his mouth and has no problem swallowing (he used to shudder when he swallowed food). Addison still isn't too into food. He's much happier to have his bottle but we're working on it.
I also have to give a huge rave for Kolcraft company. As many of you remember, I searched forever to find a stroller that was compatible with two Chicco Keyfit 30 infant seats. The Kolcraft Contours Tandem fit perfectly so back in October, I purchased one. Within a month, it started to not latch all of the way on one side. It was still totally usable so I just kept using it and a few months ago, it got to the point where the left side didn't even latch and the handle bar was wobbly. I contacted Kolcraft and explained my problem and they offered to replace the stroller, free of charge! I shipped the seats back to the company (since the stroller part is now useless) and last night a new stroller arrived at my house. I'm so impressed with Kolcraft and I thought I'd let everyone know how awesome they are!

First NICU follow-up appointment

2009-07-10T17:52:00.004-04:00

We were supposed to go for a follow up visit with Dr. Brown from the NICU back in April. Somehow, our card to set up a time got lost in the mail when we moved and we were finally able to set up a visit.
Dr. Brown was really nice and after the babies got used to their new surroundings, they were happy as can be. They're making good progress according to him. He thinks their fine motor skills are advanced and they respond well to people. They are behind on their gross motor skills but both of their heads measured 44cm (great size for their age and size) which indicates lots of brain growth. I pointed out the veins that run along the suture lines and he said it was completely normal and that I shouldn't worry unless their soft spot closes and I can still feel open suture lines. Neurologically, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong. He, like their pediatrician and physical therapist, said that one day, they'll just start sitting and crawling but that slow and steady seems to be their style.

He wants me to try to get them to eat more calories but he said they're not malnourished by any stretch of the imagination. We've started to add in more baby foods and some days they're into it, some days, they want nothing to do with food. Today, Riley ate almost a whole jar of apples! Dr. Brown was amazed that they nursed exclusively for 11 months and he said that is probably the reason that they have such nice skin.

When we first got there, they weighed and measured them. Wait till you hear this.....Addison was 13 pounds!!! THIRTEEN! Just a few weeks ago, on June 19th, he was 11lbs. 6oz. Riley has gained a good amount also. He's now 12lbs. 10oz. He weighed 11lbs. 8oz. back on June 19th. I just couldn't believe how much they've gained. It shows though. Addison is noticeably bigger than Riley again. I guess he didn't like being smaller than his brother.

Here's Addison on 7-7-09

I have to brag for a moment. The boys finally made it onto a growth chart. I know this doesn't seem like a big deal to most people but I've been waiting for it to happen. Dr. Brown had a specialized preemie growth chart. Addison hit the 5th percentile for weight, based on adjusted age. They were both right around 40th percentile for head circumference. Riley was almost on the charts for weight but fell just short of the lowest percentile.

So, we go back in 6 months for another follow-up and Dr. Brown said they'll be crawling into his office by then :)

After our appointment, we got to head over to the NICU and visit the nurses. Some of my favorite nurses were working today and two nurses hadn't seen them since just after they came home. They all loved seeing the boys and I'm sure the boys were happy to see them...and then leave.

We've had a busy week and this was a good way to end it. Ian has been on vacation all week and we spent the first few days visiting the Philly Zoo, Crystal Cave, and the Herr's chip factory. Ian celebrated his birthday yesterday and this Sunday, Skylar will turn 8. We recently invested in 2 Snugli type carriers and we've been able to do more things as a family. We've been enjoying Reading Phillies games and Crystal Cave wouldn't have been possible with the stroller.

Here's a pic of all of us after our tour on Monday. I have Addison and Ian has Riley.

And here's a cute pic of all of the kids outside of the Herr's factory.

X-ray results are in

2009-06-26T22:25:00.003-04:00

So, I spoke with the pediatrician this afternoon and he said the x-rays came back normal. The sutures are still open but there's no swelling or fluid causing them to be open. It's just that they haven't closed yet and he said that they should close by the time their soft spot closes (which is usually between 15-18 months in full term babies but will likely be closer to 2 years old for our guys). So, despite all of that, he's still going to talk to a pediatric neurologist to get a second opinion from someone who specializes in this. He said as soon as he talks to him, he'll let me know but he's confident that no further action will need to be taken.

Birthday party fun and on with life

2009-06-23T12:27:00.004-04:00

We all had a great time this past Saturday. We had some of our wonderful friends and family here for most of the day to celebrate Addison and Riley's birthday. Ian made delicious food and everyone left with a full tummy. Thank you again to everyone who came to celebrate!

The boys each got a small round cake (they were free when you buy the big cake) and tonight, we're going to let them dig into them. It was too busy at the party to try and get them set up with their cakes.

As the last guests were getting ready to leave, the rain had stopped and there was this beautiful rainbow glowing over our development!
This past Friday, the boys had their 1 year well visit with the pediatrician. Addison weighed in at 11lb. 6oz. and 22.5" long. Riley has finally passed Addison and he weighed 11lbs. 8oz. and was 22.25" long. They're doing really well with the new formula that the doctor gave us. They're still nursing at night but it was really time to start supplementing. I literally nursed all day long and since I started supplementing, they're eating and gaining better. I'm very pro-breastfeeding but I'm ok with supplementing. I worked hard to breastfeed micro preemie twins, exclusively for 11months, and I gave them a fantastic start.

So, back to the ped. visit. Ever since they came home, both boys have had these veins running down the sides of their heads. And, ever since they've been home, I've been able to feel almost a little bump where those veins run. I didn't say anything before because I assumed that as their skulls closed, it would get better. I finally said something and the pediatrician has ordered x-rays to see if it's just the veins that we're feeling or if the sutures are open in the skull. If the sutures are open, we'll be sent for an ultrasound to see the cause and then possibly referred to a neurosurgeon. He strongly believes that it's just the veins but he wants to just be 100% sure. They're not displaying any other signs of hydrocephalus (I am sure that's spelled wrong) but I think that is his major concern if it's not just the veins. Of course, I'm scared. How could you not be. We go for the ultrasound at 9:45am tomorrow and I'm really hoping that it will be for nothing.

We hit one year and I finally felt like I could breathe a little bit easier. We got through RSV and then another cold, they were making progress with physical therapy, and then something else pops up.

So, please keep them in your thoughts tomorrow. I'll post an update as soon as I have any results.

Today is a very special day!

2009-06-17T08:58:00.003-04:00

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY ADDISON AND RILEY!!!

Can you believe it's already been a year?? Neither can we. So much has happened and the boys have come such a long way. One year ago, the babies were born and we didn't know if they were going to make it to the next day. We've survived 3 months in the NICU, a seemingly endless amount of doctor appointments, weeks of physical therapy, and so much more.

They are happy and healthy and making incredible progress thanks to a great physical therapist. They love their toys and their brother and sister.

So many of our friends and family have helped us over the past year and this weekend, we not only celebrate Addison and Riley's birthday, but we're celebrating all of the people who have been there for us. Ian and I are throwing a huge party. We're asking everyone that, instead of gifts, they consider making a donation to the Reading Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in honor of the boys. The staff there is awesome and they truly care about their patients. They are the reason Addison and Riley are here with us and Ian and I will be forever thankful that the doctors and nurses are so dedicated to their jobs.

If you're interested in making a donation, you can get more information here. http://www.readinghospital.org/oth/Page.asp?PageID=OTH000007

A year in numbers:

Addison:

Birth weight: 1lb. 5.2oz.

Length: 12.25"

Days in the NICU-81

Addison's NICU stay bill: $363,831.32

Days on apnea monitor: 75

Physical therapy sessions: 25 and counting

Riley:

Birth weight: 1lb. 3oz.

Length: 12.25"

Days in the NICU-87

Riley's NICU bill: $379,517.09

Days on apnea monitor: 27

Physical therapy sessions: 25 and counting

Trips to the ER: 1

Days in PICU with RSV: 4

And because I can't even begin to sit and figure out who had which appointments, here's a combined total for the past year:

Pediatrician appointments: 30 (along with a $20 copay per visit)
Opthamologist appointments: 14 (with a $30 copay each)

Addison 6-17-09

Riley 6-17-08

Riley (L) and Addison (R) 6-17-09

Something new and exciting!

2009-06-01T19:23:00.004-04:00

LOOK AT ADDISON!!!

Yep, he's SITTING!!!!! Actually, they're both sitting. They're not fully unassisted but they're able to sit alone, for a significant amount of time before falling over or forward. I'm so incredibly proud of them and I had tears in my eyes during their physical therapy this afternoon. Just last week, I talked to Matt (their therapist) about how I feel frustrated that we're not making more progress. They have really struggled since getting sick way back in March. They really slowed down their progress and it was very hard to look ahead and remain positive. They're still trying to get rid of whatever bug they have. They're doing much better and only need the nebulizer in the morning and before bed. They have one more day of Ora-pred and a few more days of antibiotics for their ear infections. They're shaping up to be in perfect health for their big birthday! Hopefully we won't be back to the doctor until June 19th, when we go for their 1 year well visit. Their weight gain has slowed since they got sick so we've started supplementing with some formula. Mostly while Ian is home with them. They just can't eat enough. They're drinking 5-6 ounces every 2-3 hours.

And, as you can tell, I've changed the look of their blog. I had always thought the green was dark and kind of dreary so I found something a little lighter and less gloomy. That picture up at the very top of the blog is Addison when he was 1 day old. It's crazy to look at pictures from their early days and see how well they've grown.

Both boys are awake and ready to play so that's all for now.

Riley used my hair as a handle

Addison enjoying his Bumbo seat

Both boys during physical therapy

Still battling with germs

2009-05-26T18:54:00.002-04:00

Sigh...if I never stepped foot into a doctors office again, I'd be thrilled. Friday I took Addison in for his fever and he had an ear infection. He was put on antibiotics. Saturday was a pretty easy going day, the boys seemed to be showing improvement, Skylar went with a friend to some farm in Lancaster, and Ian put together the kids swing set.
Sunday, I had to take Skylar to the doctor because he had a huge red ring in the middle of his back. He's now on 20 days of antibiotics for Lyme disease. Yesterday, I had to take him to a minor emergency place to get an x-ray of his ankle because he wasn't able to walk on it for 2 days. Luckily, it's just a bad sprain and he just has to take it easy for a week.
The past 2 nights, the boys have had a tough time sleeping, even being upright in their car seats. They're still getting Xopenex and Pulmicort, although, I have to admit that I eased up on the breathing treatments since they seemed to be doing better.
Today, they both had coughing fits so bad that they turned red and couldn't take a breath. I cancelled their therapy for a second time in a row, and hauled them to the doctor.
Riley now has an ear infection and Addison's ear infection looks worse. They were prescribed a stronger antibiotic and some more Ora-pred just to help them get all of the gunk out of their lungs. The pediatrician wasn't worried about pneumonia because she could hear the phlegm moving when they breathe. This has been going on for about 3 weeks so hopefully they're fully recovered before their birthday. Their last round of RSV had them sick for about 5 weeks.
It will be very nice when Skylar is finished school for the summer so that we can take a break from sharing kid germs.

Blogging from bed

2009-05-23T22:29:00.002-04:00

The boys are both sleeping soundly in the co-sleeper and Ian is downstairs so I finally have a few quiet minutes to focus my thoughts. Ian and a neighbor spent 8 hours today putting together a swing set for the kids. He's sunburned and tired and I'm exhausted from trying to keep the kids happy inside while this cool new toy was being built outside.

The twins both still have colds. We made 2 more trips to the pediatrician this week. Both boys went on Monday because they both spiked fevers Sunday night. Friday, Addison still had a fever of 102.5 so after Leah's end of the year preschool picnic, I hauled the crew to the pediatrician again only to discover that Addison has an ear infection. They're both slowly getting better but we're still doing nebulizer treatments every 3 hours with an additional breathing treatment of Pulmicort, twice a day. Riley had to take Ora-pred for 3 days because he was very wheezy but thankfully, he's just got a nagging cough now. They have their 1 year well visit in about 3 weeks and I'm really hoping to not go back before then. The receptionist joked with me about going broke paying co-pays.

I cancelled their therapy this week because they were both so sick. I just didn't want to stress them out any more than needed. Their therapist will be back on Tuesday and I'm going to bring up some concerns I have about their development. I kind of feel like we're at a standstill and I'm wondering if I'm just getting impatient or if there's more that could be done to help them.

Today, I had Addison sitting pretty well. He had trouble staying balanced anytime he coughed but in between coughing fits, he was sitting on his own.

I'm starting to fall asleep so I better shut down for the night. You learn to take sleep when you can get it. If I fore myself to stay up, I'll get so tired that I can't keep my eyes open and then the babies will both wake up to nurse.

11 months old tomorrow

2009-05-16T20:41:00.002-04:00

I finally have a few minutes to write. As you can see, I've changed the blog a little bit. I'm still playing with it a little bit but ultimately, I want it to have a more personal look.

It's hard to believe that in one short month, we'll have 1 year olds. The time seems to be flying by. We're gearing up for their big birthday party. We've had such a big year and we can't wait to spend the day with all of our friends and family who have helped our family.

Riley is sick again. He has a cold and a cough. Luckily, he hasn't had a fever or trouble breathing. I started giving him Xopenex because he was a little wheezy and yesterday, I added in the Pulmicort. Today he started to have a wet cough so I took him to the pediatrician who said to do what I've been doing. It's not in his lungs and as long as he's acting fine, the nebulizer treatments are fine. She called in a prescription for Prednisolone but it tastes horrible and Riley vomited instantly both times that I tried to get him to take it. Hopefully, a week of constant nebulizer treatments will help it pass without any additional problems.

Both boys are still slowly making progress with their physical therapy. We're still working on sitting. I'm still holding out hope that they'll be sitting, unassisted, before their birthday. I try to work with them daily and they seem to love the stretches and different exercises.

They've recently taken a huge interest in toys. They grab them, put them right into their mouths, and shake them.

Well, Riley just woke up to eat so I've got to end this.

Back from another opthamologist appointment

2009-05-08T11:58:00.002-04:00

I was so excited back in January when I didn't have to come back until May. Of course, in the back of my mind, I worried that if we weren't going monthly (or bi-monthly or weekly as it was for a little while) that something would go wrong and it would be months before it would be noticed. Our original appointment was the same day as our settlement on the house so I had to reschedule. It made me nervous because it was just that much longer until they would find something wrong.
So, today I got the boys their baths and got them ready for their appointment. When I got there, I was thrilled to find out that they didn't have to have their eyes dilated. They hate getting the drops in their eyes. The nurses all know the boys and come visit and they were shocked at how big the twins were. We got right into a room and Dr. Klombers came in pretty much right away. He examined both of them and just kept saying "They beat the odds". He also called them "carbon copies" lol. He asked me their birth weights again and when I told him 1lb 5oz. and 1lb 3oz., he was amazed. They have NO lasting problems from being on oxygen for 2.5 months. They have perfect vision. We were pretty much guaranteed that they would need glasses and Addison was at the absolute limit with his ROP where he almost needed laser surgery. And, they're fine. As I was talking to Dr. Klombers, I had tears in my eyes. Just another hurdle that we've jumped and an odd that they've beaten.
We go back in 1 year for another check-up and if everything is still ok at that appointment, we won't need to go back for 2-3 years!!!
Just when I start to get discouraged that they're not "more like normal babies", I get reminded at how incredible and lucky my boys are.

March for Babies

2009-04-26T17:57:00.004-04:00

Our local chapters Wall of Wonder

Ian and the boys before the walk

What a great day. We were up super early so we could be out of the house around 8:15am. We got to the site around 8:30 and I had to sit and fill out my donation envelopes. Ian and I were able to raise $538.13!!! We plan on getting more friends and family involved next year. We'll have t-shirts made and start our fundraising earlier.

The kids were really good. They had face painting, decorate your own cookie, a duck pond game, and a raffle booth. We met our local chapters ambassador who had 2 micro preemies and had gone through a lot of the same things we had gone through. I can't even begin to tell you how nice it felt to be surrounded by people who had gone through NICU stays and understand the roller coaster ride involved with micro preemies. We saw a bunch of the NICU nurses that helped care for the boys. The walk started at 10am and it was a 3 mile walk (a continuous loop so that we didn't have to walk back after finishing the walk). It was HOT! I carried Leah on my shoulders for about half of the walk.

When we got back, everyone was greeted at the finish line with a cup filled with candy and coupons and then Subway and Domino's donated a bunch of pizza and hoagies. It was already 88 degrees out when we got back and the kids were tired so we got our food, said goodbye to a few people, and headed home. It was very nice and well organized and it was somewhat healing for me.

Ian and I would both like to thank everyone so much for their donations. Without research that the March of Dimes has funded, our boys (and many other children) may have a very different story.

Addison and me after the walk

Addison
Riley

Posting from our new house!

2009-04-25T05:42:00.004-04:00

So, last Sunday, we had a bunch of awesome friends help us move. We moved into my moms house, which is only a mile or so from our old townhome. My mom moved in with her boyfriend and she offered to let us rent her house. We put our house on the market and it took just under 6 months to sell but as of yesterday afternoon, we no longer own the townhome. Our new house is perfect for us. 4 bedrooms, huge basement, a yard (we'll have a veggie garden and we're planning on getting a small swing set), and our big kids already know a bunch of kids on the street. Skylar has 2 good friends who live almost directly across the street from us. We didn't have to change schools and we'll actually be saving money because our rent is less than our old mortgage. Yay! Hopefully we'll be unpacked before the boys big birthday party in June, lol.

Onto the boys...They're doing GREAT! They're both finally healthy and back to normal. I can't tell you how happy I am that they're not sick. We've resumed weekly physical therapy sessions and I think being sick for a month set them back a little.

It's early and I almost forgot a big "first". This past Wednesday, they both started eating baby food! They're 10 months old (6.5 months adjusted) and they are able to eat infant cereal so I thought they're ready to start with some real food. They had organic carrots and they loved it! I bought a few different fruits and vegetables so we'll slowly experiment and find out what they like and don't like.

So, this is the last time I'll post about this (until next year) and I know I've e-mailed some of you about this but I'll take this opportunity to talk about the March of Dimes one more time. Tomorrow, Ian, myself, and all 4 kids will be participating in the March of Dimes March for Babies. We'll be walking 3 miles tomorrow (the high for tomorrow is 88, yikes!) and helping to raise money for the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes works hard to raise money to understand the causes of prematurity and birth defects. March for Babies offers hope by raising funds and they use 77% of every dollar donated for lifesaving research, education and innovative programs that offer hope for preventions and solutions for babies born too soon or with birth defects. If the money Ian and I help raise prevents just one person from going through a NICU experience like ours, we've accomplished our goal.

So, the walk is tomorrow and we've almost met our goal. I'm asking you to please consider making a donation to sponsor our walk. No amount is too small. I will be taking lots of pictures and I will be sure to share them with on here.

Here's a recent picture of the boys. This is from Tuesday afternoon. We took a walk to get Skylar off the bus since it was his first time on his new bus.

Back to the doctor today

2009-04-10T19:07:00.002-04:00

As I carried the boys into the pediatricians office, I joked with the nurse that I was just going to move into the room. Riley is coughing up a storm and he's making himself vomit. Addison started with a fever this morning and is starting up with a cough. Turns out Riley has an ear infection (his ears were fine at the doctor on Tuesday) and she tested Addison for whooping cough. The cultures take 3-4 days to come back and she said the culture is most likely to come back positive if you test in the first few days so she didn't bother to test Riley. She called them both in a prescription for azythromyacin (or something like that, I can't even read the label because of all of the warning stickers) and said that it's better to start treating them now. It will also work for Riley's ear infection so we don't have to add yet another medication. I was told to stop giving them Xopenex for now since it doesn't seem to be helping but they're both to get Pulmicort twice a day to help keep their lungs open.
The good thing is that Riley's chest didn't sound tight, he wasn't breathing heavy, and he's not wheezing. Addison had just a small wheeze but she thinks the Pulmicort will help that. So, while it's horrible that they're sick, it doesn't look like we'll be in the hospital again soon. When they fall asleep, they don't really cough so right now, they're both resting comfortably.
Please keep your fingers crossed that this all ends soon. It's been 3 weeks of this and I think I've reached my limit.

Home but not yet healthy

2009-04-08T15:20:00.002-04:00

Riley and I got home from the hospital Saturday evening. Although he's still sick, he was able to keep his oxygen saturation above 90, without getting extra oxygen, and they let him come home. As we were walking out of the hospital, our realtor called us with an offer on our house. We spent most of the weekend going back and forth until they accepted our final offer Monday night. We'll be out of this place in just over 2 weeks (settlement on the 24th).
So, Tuesday morning, Riley woke up and had a fever of 102.5. I called the pediatricians office right away and we were in there for another visit an hour later. He wasn't wheezing and his lungs sounded clear but we were sent for chest x-rays just to be safe. His x-rays came back clear and we were told to just give tylenol for the fever. We're fairly certain that he picked up a bug while in the hospital. He was in an isolation room (anyone coming in had to wear a gown, mask, and gloves) but I guess, no matter how hard you try, germs will be spread. He's slowly getting better. His cough is just about gone and he's getting regular breathing treatments of both xopenex and pulmicort which seem to help.
The same weekend that we move, is the March of Babies. I really hope everyone is well enough so that we can walk as a family. I met with one of the regional March of Dimes ladies this morning. She gave me lots of great info about the walk and tons of fundraising ideas. So far, Ian and I as a team, have raised $169. My personal goal is $250 and I've got $143 so far. There's about two and a half weeks left before the walk. You can click on the banner to the right to make a donation. No amount is too small. Our local branch is currently trying to get a NICU support group formed in the hospital where the babies were born. This would have been fantastic for me back when the boys were in the NICU. I'm excited that this is in the works and I'll be one of the first people to join the group.

Another night in the hospital

2009-04-03T21:54:00.003-04:00

Hopefully this will be my last post from the hospital. Riley is doing much better but he's still hanging onto the last little bit of oxygen and he can't go home until he maintains his O2 levels without the use of oxygen. He's on 0.1 litre of oxygen, which is basically nothing. They weaned him down throughout the day and hopefully by morning, he'll be on room air. We've seen a few of our old NICU friends and it's nice to "show off" Riley to them but I wish it were under different circumstances.

As of this morning, he has gained 3oz. since he was admitted. The pediatrician was concerned that he would not be able to nurse enough and said that if he didn't gain weight, they may have to give him an IV. He has been nursing like a champ!

Everyone here has been great. Riley has been a ham and the nurses all love him. He's starting to act like himself again. When we got here, he wanted nothing to do with anything except being held by me. Today, he's laughing, smiling, and playing with his toys.

So, it's now after 10pm and I've got to try and get a little bit of sleep before the respiratory therapist comes for his next breathing treatment. Riley still gets them every 3 hours and the ora-pred twice a day.

Still in the hospital

2009-04-02T16:11:00.003-04:00

Looks like we'll be here at least until tomorrow. He is starting to sound better and he has been coughing a lot less. He's getting breathing treatments of Xopenex every 3 hours and he's getting ora-pred, by mouth, twice a day. Overnight, his oxygen was turned down from 1 litre to .5 litres and he is still maintaining his O2 sat. When the pediatrician came in this morning, she tried to turn it down more and his sat dropped. We're going to try to turn it down a little bit more and hopefully before tonight, we can take out the cannula and monitor him overnight.
I miss being home and I'm sure Riley feels lost without Addison. Ian has been holding down the fort at home and they seem to be helping and not getting too crazy.
Riley just woke up, I'll update again if there's any new news.

In the hospital with RSV

2009-04-01T12:34:00.002-04:00

Well, we thought we got through RSV season but it looks like we couldn't avoid it. Riley's cough started to get worse yesterday so I took him into the pediatrician. He sounded ok and I was given a prescription for some sort of presnidone. Gave that to him twice yesterday and he coughed so hard that he threw up. His cough started to sound wet so I called the after hours number and talked to the pediatrician on call. He told us to come to the ER for a chest x-ray and a stronger nebulizer treatment.

We got to the ER around 11pm . Chest x-ray was clear but Riley had an uncontrollable cough and his chest was really tight. Finally, around 6am, the doctor told us that his RSV test had come back positive and that we were going to be admitted. We got up to the pediatrics wing shortly before 11am and Riley is finally sleeping comfortably. He has a nasal cannula to keep his O2 sats up and we're planning on being here at least 2 days.

Ian is at home with the kids and luckily I can use a hospital grade pump while I'm here so I can keep up my supply for Addison.

I've got to get a few things done before he wakes up. Please keep him in your thoughts.

Now it's Riley's turn

2009-03-29T09:50:00.004-04:00

Friday, Riley started with a cough and sneezing. He's wheezing and has a runny nose. I was shocked that he wasn't sick after being so close to Addison but I guess it just took him a few days to show signs. He seems to be handling it a little bit better than Addison did. Addison still has a slight cough and they're both now getting nebulizer treatments.
When I took Addison we were given a prescription for Xopenex. It's the same stuff they got in the NICU and it's similar to albuterol, without a lot of the side effects. Their pediatrician called in enough for 48 treatments and 2 refills. I can't wait for them to both be healthy again.

Addison is still sick

2009-03-24T20:56:00.003-04:00

I just finished giving Addison his first nebulizer treatment. His cold seemed to be steady and today he wasn't getting any better and towards the evening, he started to get worse. He's got a horrible cough and still clear snot. He's a little bit wheezy but it's not in his lungs (that I can hear anyways). He slept most of the day and his temperature has been around 99.5. I thought his condition warranted a call to the on call doctor and she thought he would be ok to be seen in the morning. There's a bad stomach virus going through our hospital and we didn't want to risk exposing him to anything with an already weakened immune system. She said that when I come in, they'll try a nebulizer treatment and that if he responds, they'd send me home with a machine. I told her that I already had albuterol, saline, and a machine from my daughter so I was instructed to try a treatment to see if it helps.

Addison was really intrigued by the mask and the steam coming out. It seems to have helped a little bit. He's not wheezing as much and he is acting a bit happier. He's very raspy from coughing for days and he's not showing any signs of RSV. The on call pediatrician will have the nurse call first thing in the morning to schedule us an appointment. We still haven't heard any results from his culture on Sunday. I guess no news is good news.

Our first cold and Marching for Babies

2009-03-23T13:35:00.003-04:00

Saturday I noticed Addison coughed a few times. Yesterday he woke up and I suctioned some clear snot out of his nose and he seemed to be coughing every few minutes. I called the pediatrician and we were able to get him in around lunchtime. Have I mentioned how much I love that my pediatricians office is open 7 days a week??? So, Dr. Moffit, the boys regular pediatrician happened to be the one working this weekend. Addison had a low grade fever of about 100.3 but his lungs sounded clear and his breathing is completely normal. He has a cough, a runny nose with clear snot, and sneezes every so often. Dr. Moffit was not worried about RSV at all. He took a culture from each side of the nose and I'm patiently waiting to hear back. We should be hearing from them at some point today. He said it looks like a regular cold and possibly some allergies. He's still able to breathe through his nose and he's nursing fine except for when he coughs and gags. He's still his happy self.
I'm waiting for Riley to start with a cough and I'll be shocked if he doesn't get sick. We've had a few scares but this is our first "official" cold and I hate that he's not feeling well.

On another note...notice the new banner on the side of the page? If you click on that, it will take you to my sponsor page for the March of Dimes March for Babies. The March of Dimes is a fantastic organization that helps prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. They fund research, education, and advocacy so that one day, all babies will be born healthy.
Every year, they have a fundraiser called the March for Babies. This year, our family will be walking, not only in honor of Addison and Riley, but also in honor of our oldest son, Skylar, who was born at 32 weeks gestation. Please consider making a donation to help sponsor our family. Every little bit helps.

Finally some time to write

2009-03-20T05:16:00.004-04:00

So, it's 5am, and I finally have some quiet time to update. So many things have happened in the past few weeks. Every time I try to sit down and type, I get interrupted and then my list of stuff to write about grows and it's hard to find time to just type.

So, where do I begin? The boys are doing fantastic! They both ran a few low grade fevers but I'm now convinced it was due to teething. They never ended up with colds or any other symptoms of being sick. They still haven't had teeth come through the gums but they're getting close. They both chew on their hands and toys. They're both able to hold toys which is awesome. They're tolerating tummy time better so they're working on pushing up. They roll from belly to back with ease. Riley can almost roll from back to belly. They're both still working on sitting and can stay upright for about 10 seconds.

Riley has been working really hard to catch up to Addison. He not only does everything that Addison does (he used to be about 2 weeks behind in development) but he is practically the same size as him! We had to go to a WIC appointment yesterday. Because the boys are considered "nutritionally at risk" I have to take them for weight checks for every appointment. Now, they weigh them with their clothes and diapers on but the boys were wearing the same outfits. Addison weighed in at 10lbs. 8oz. and Riley was an amazing 10lbs. 4oz.!!!!! At 9 months, they're finally passed the 10lb. mark! They're almost doubled in length since birth.

Riley had his first taste of rice cereal on the 15th. He didn't seem to like it as much as Addison. Addison has had it a few times now and he opens his mouth for the spoon and manages to get most of it in his mouth.

The boys went in for their last round of RSV shots on the 6th. RSV season is "officially" over in the beginning of April. We were given the ok to slowly venture out into the real world. I have spent much of the past 6 months, inside my house. Ian and I had been waiting for the day when we could do something as a family. We ended up going to a big pet store in Lancaster to pick up some stuff. We had an open house and we had to be out for a few hours. The big kids got to touch stingrays and as silly as it sounds, it was SO nice to be out, as a family.

Physical therapy is going great! Their therapist hopes to have them crawling (not necessarily on their hands and knees but at least creeping around on their bellies) by their birthday. I just can't imagine these guys moving around but I'm excited that they're developing as expected.

They're still nursing wonderfully. Most days I feel like all I do is sit and nurse but I wouldn't have it any other way.

One of the other big things is they're sleeping in their bassinet!! No more carseats and no more reflux problems!!! Often times they end up cuddled against each other.

Things are just going really, really well. They're happy babies who make me smile and laugh every day.

Small update with lots of pictures

2009-02-27T11:32:00.005-05:00

I know this blog has been neglected over the past few months. Life seems to be flying by and it's quite a task to try to sit down and type more than a few sentences.

Last weekend, Addison gave us a little scare. Saturday evening, he spiked a fever. His temperature was 101. The pediatricians office was closed for the day and he didn't have any other problems so I decided to just wait and see how he was the next morning. Sunday morning we woke up and his temp. was 102.6. I had to wait 2 hours for the pediatricians office to open and then another 2 hours before they could see him. He had no other symptoms but I spent that morning freaking out. Both of the big kids are getting over some pretty bad colds and croup and I was certain that Addison was getting whatever the big kids had. We finally got to the peds office and it was determined that it was just a mystery fever. She said it could be from his teeth coming in, a late reaction from the dtp shot he had got 2 days beforehand, or a random virus. She also said that it could be the start of something more and that I just caught it too early. She told me to give him Tylenol as needed and if the fever lasted more than 24 hours, to bring him back. Well, we got home that afternoon, I gave him a dose of Tylenol, and he hasn't had a fever since.

Other than that fun event, the boys have been doing well. Their physical therapist is happy with their development so far and we've moved from working on their rolling to working on them sitting unassisted. They can both sit for 5-10 seconds before they start to fall.

They're both overall happy babies. They are almost always smiling and they babble all of the time. Almost every time they lay next to each other, they try to steal pacifiers.

Addison got to have his first taste of infant cereal. He managed to eat a little more than half. Riley still hasn't had his turn yet. His head control is just a little bit behind Addison's and I thought it would be better if I wait until he's a little bit stronger.

And, here are a few pictures of Riley. He's started sucking on his fingers. If I try to give him his pacifier, he pulls it out and puts his first 2 fingers in his mouth.

8 months old

2009-02-19T21:31:00.002-05:00

It's so crazy to think that my boys are already 8 months old. Today we were at the pediatricians office and there was a baby girl who was crawling all over the waiting room, sitting up, and just too darn cute. She had these adorable chubby cheeks and looked huge compared to my boys. The mom and I chatted for a few minutes and I found out that her daughter was only a month older than my boys and then I kind of got a reality check. Although my boys are making huge progress and they look huge to me, they'll never be "normal" babies and it makes me kind of sad. I know that in time, they'll hopefully be doing all of the things that other babies do. Leah, my daughter, was walking at 9.5 months. And, I know, all babies develop differently, blah blah blah, it doesn't make it any easier. Although they're having a much different start to life, they're perfect and I'm more than thankful that they're alive and healthy.
So, enough of my ramblings. The boys had their 8 month well visit today. They were actually 8 months on the 17th. I had mentioned to Ian a few times that I was sure the boys were going through a growth spurt. I spent 3 days literally sitting on the couch and nursing. They were eating every hour and a half. I wasn't surprised that when they were weighed, Addison was 9lbs. 10oz. and Riley was 8lbs. 14oz. Riley is 20.5 inches long and Addison is 21 inches. The doctor was really happy with their growth and development. In fact, he was so happy with their progress that he doesn't need to see them back until June! He also told me that I could start trying to give them some infant cereal. I plan to try small amounts of cereal, mixed with breastmilk, and we'll see how they do.
They're still getting weekly visits from the physical therapist. They're both easily rolling from belly to back and they're doing a small amount of back to belly rolling. They will both sit with some assistance and the therapist and I are working hard to get them sitting unassisted. They're both very funny. They coo and babble, and the LOVE diaper changes. They are both really ticklish and whenever you change their clothes or diapers, they crack up. I've been trying to get video of them laughing so I can share on here but they get distracted by the camera.
So, all in all, things are going well. Even though they're not on the go yet, they keep me very busy. I think everyone is looking forward to the warm weather so we can spend time outside.
It's getting late and I've got to finish writing and try to get some sleep. I will post some new pics before the end of the weekend. My grandparents just moved back up here from Florida and they just adore the boys so we're planning on visiting this weekend (which means lots and lots of pictures!).

Growing more and more

2009-02-04T23:53:00.002-05:00

I wanted to write a lot earlier tonight so this may be shorter than I had planned.
The twins went for their Synagis injections today. Addison was 9lbs. even and Riley was 8lbs. 4oz. It seems like they nurse all of the time and I was actually expecting that they'd weigh more but I'll take a one pound gain in just under a month! Riley like to sleep next to me and just nurse/snack all night. Just the other day I mentioned to Ian that Riley seemed to have gained a good amount of weight.
I'm trying to transition them into their pack and play so that I can put it next to our bed and then we can do away with the car seats and me sleeping on the couch. Their reflux is so much better and they actually are able to nap in the pack and play. They only have trouble right after they've nursed for a long time.
So, they're both doing well with their physical therapy. Addison easily rolls from belly to back, in both directions. Riley has his good and bad days. He rolls if he's well fed and rested.
Addison has really started to grab things. He'll sit in his bouncy chair and grab the toys and bring them to his mouth.
They're both babbling a lot. They laugh at each other, and at the rest of us. They're ticklish and they crack up for something as simple as a diaper change. They both make the cutest little noise. It sounds like they're saying "A-keyh" and they just do it over and over again.
I've got some pictures from the past few days that I want to share but my camera card is not in my computer so I'll have to post the pics tomorrow.
I'm sure I'll remember things that I wanted to post but for now, I've got to get some sleep.

Sharing some cute pictures

2009-02-01T23:43:00.003-05:00

It's late and we've all had a long day and night but I really wanted to share some of these pictures from tonight.

The boys go for their RSV shots on the 4th so I'll have a nice long entry to type, including current weights.

Addison was enjoying some milkies out of a Steelers bottle

Riley was too interested in watching the game

And, our first full family photo. I put my camera on the mini tripod, sat it on top of the entertainment center, and used the timer.

Life is good

2009-01-20T21:39:00.003-05:00

Ian and I were watching news recaps of the day and both of the boys fell fast asleep on my lap. They sat and my lap and babbled to each other before drifting off to sleep. Ian had to snap a pic and I have to share it.

Addison is in the blue, Riley is in the yellow, and yes...I realize there's spit up on my shirt.

The rest of my ramblings

2009-01-18T21:46:00.005-05:00

I was exhausted last night when I was trying to write and I'm sure if I go back and re-read, I'll find a bunch of typos. I'm just now getting a few free moments (in between plays during the Steelers game) to type more. The boys were awake for almost the whole day. They usually take turns napping and I get an hour or so where they're both asleep. That wasn't the case today. They were playing with toys and watching the football games. They must be feeling much better.

We were all sick last week. Ian's still got a pretty bad cold but he always seems to get it worse than everyone else. The boys had stuffy noses and were really sleepy. They were also pretty cranky and they had very low grade fevers. I did call the doctor and he told me not to worry unless their temperatures were over 101 and they never came close to that. Riley had become quite the mamas boy through all of this. He sleeps best when he's cuddled up next to me and nursing. I wish there was room on the couch for both of the boys because it would be so much easier for nursing. So, anyways, they're both doing much better.

I snapped some cute pictures of them playing earlier today. Riley is in the striped onesie and obviously, Addison is in the blue onesie.

Riley tried to have a staring contest with the zebra but sadly, he lost.

He did have a lot of fun talking to it though.

Isn't he just adorable??

He was not happy about being on his belly so he cried while rolling over

Addison really likes to look at himself in the mirror

And he loves the Bumbo seat (even though its purple)
Smiling at his Daddy

And one more cute one of Riley and Ian

And, that's all I've got for today. This ended up taking much longer than expected because I got caught up watching the Steelers win their way to the Super Bowl!!! Prepare yourselves for lots of pictures of kids in Steelers clothes. lol.

7 months old

2009-01-17T22:28:00.002-05:00

A year ago, I got my positive pregnancy test. It was also my due date for the baby we lost in July 2007. The few short months of my pregnancy were filled with ups and downs. I was incredibly sick, thought I was having another miscarriage and then finding out there were twins, and then delivering them only a few short months later. I certainly didn't think I'd be sitting here, 1 year later, with 7 month old twins.
So, Riley went to the opthamologist this past Thursday. His left eye is perfect! His right eye still has some ROP but it's drastically better and he doesn't have to go back until the end of April.
They both continue to do well with their physical therapy. Addison is consistently rolling over. He actually pushes himself over now. Riley doesn't like being on his belly at all so while he can roll, he doesn't unless he has to. They both have very good core strength and they hold their upper bodies really well.
We somehow picked up a cold. Ian and the big kids seem to be affected more than the babies and myself. The boys were not themselves for a few days, were on the warmer side. They didn't have fevers but the doctor didn't need or want them to come in. They had stuffy noses and a slight cough. It seems to be just about passed. As much as I'd like to keep going, I keep nodding off to sleep. I'll continue this tomorrow and include some pics.
Good night everyone.

Not much to write about

2009-01-09T14:25:00.002-05:00

Life has been kind of slow. It's a much welcome change from the past 6 months.
The boys went for a Synagis shot this past Wednesday and Addison was 8lbs. even and Riley was 7lbs. 5oz. They've been growing so quickly.
Probably the biggest news to report is that both of the boys have started teething! About a week and a half ago, they started to drool a lot, they've been sucking on their hands, and they have been more fussy than usual. When I was at the pediatrician, I asked about them teething and she said it looked like their gums are starting to harder so that the teeth can pop through. There are little white bumps on their gums but they might not have a tooth pop through for months.
I was able to find a used infant swing on craigslist for $20 and they love it! It's one of those swings that swing side to side. They love it so much that I wish I had skipped spending money on 2 bouncy seats and just bought 2 of these swings. They will sit in it and Skylar will go over and play with them and they just sit there and laugh.
They've been doing really well with their physical therapy. This week was their 3 month evaluation. When they started therapy, they could barely hold up their heads. They're now rolling from tummy to back and Addison is working torwards sitting! The therapist brings a big exercise ball and he uses it to help them roll and sit. When he sits Addison on the ball, he smiles and laughs the whole time.
So, that's my ramblings for the day.

Whew!!

2008-12-27T19:50:00.004-05:00

What a crazy couple of days. Christmas is a lot different when there's 2 infants.

Addison had an eye doctor appointment on Christmas Eve. His eyes are looking great and there's some scar tissue from where the blood vessels grew but they're pretty much to where they should be. His next appointment isn't until APRIL!!!! The opthamologists next concern is that the scar tissue will cause some near-sightedness so he'll start to monitor his vision at the next appointment.

They're both starting to focus and rarely go cross-eyed. They've also started to laugh. They coo and babble with a huge smile on their faces.

Anyways, after Addison's eye doctor appointment, I decided I'd take my chances and brave the mall, on Christmas Eve, with all 4 kids. I had promised Skylar a visit with Santa and he was supposed to be at a smaller store near the house but he didn't show up because of the ice. It was Christmas Eve, I was just down the road from the mall, and I had dressed them all in cute Christmas outfits. We were able to park close to the door closest to where Santa is and there were only 2 people in line ahead of us so we were in and out fairly easily. It was only 10am so the mall wasn't very crowded. Skylar was stoked, the boys didn't even realize what was going on, but Leah was terrified. I had to kneel down next to Santa's chair so Leah could sit on my leg. That was as close to Santa as she was going to get. I got a cute picture though (please excuse the glare, it's a picture of the picture):

We had a fun Christmas Eve, the big kids and I made cookies and I found foam craft kits on clearance at Michael's so the kids were building those. All of the kids had matching pajamas and we read some Christmas stories and let the big kids each open 1 gift. Skylar really wanted to sing the babies Christmas songs so he held Riley, who was wide awake, and Riley LOVED it!

Christmas day was fun but crazy. We had Ian's parents over in the morning for pancakes, eggs, and bacon and then we opened gifts. We had a small snack and then went to my moms for an early evening dinner. My grandparents (who are visiting from Florida), my aunts, uncle, cousins, sisters, nephews and nieces were all up. It was chaotic but great to see everyone. We then came home and had a small dinner with a good family friend. Everyone slept well.

Yesterday, we had to make our house look like Christmas didn't happen since we had our first showing this morning. The lady loved the house but didn't like that you have to walk from the parking lot, down to the front door. We have an open house next weekend so we'll be trying to touch up things all week.

I'm about ready to head to bed. Ian is out with one of his good friends and all of the kids are sleeping. This is the most quiet time I've had in a long time.

6 months old

2008-12-20T12:55:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe that they're 6 months old already. It's been half of a year, full of many ups and downs.
The boys went for their 6 month check-up this past Thursday. Addison weighed in at 7lbs. 6oz. and 19.75". Riley weighed 6lbs. 11oz. and was 19" long. They both gained 11oz. in just 13 days!! They both eat all of the time and it seems like they're finally taking off.
They're both smiling and starting to laugh. We went to visit the NICU nurses and bring them Christmas bagels and cream cheese and they were both loving the attention. All of the nurses were gathered around and the boys were smiling and cooing at them.
I also have to share an awesome ebay seller with everyone. I found an adorable Christmas ornament on ebay and it's just too cute.
Here's a link to her store http://stores.ebay.com/Carolyns-Clay-QTs
And here's a picture of the ornament for the boys

Weekend pictures of Riley

2008-12-15T11:39:00.005-05:00

Riley was being such a ham this weekend. They're always so happy but Riley was even more awake and happy then usual so I had to pull out the camera and snap a few shots.

And here's a few that I took of the boys last Thursday. Addison is in the dragon outfit and Riley has the green stripes.

A new picture

2008-12-08T08:31:00.003-05:00

So, it's a little bit late but I was starting to fall asleep at 8pm last night so I wasn't able to post. While Ian was at a football party and I made sure the kids all had on their Steelers clothes so we could take a picture and send it to Ian. It actually turned out better than I thought it would.

Leah is holding Addison and Skylar is holding Riley.

It's been a while

2008-12-05T18:38:00.003-05:00

Life has me so busy lately that I haven't had time to write. The boys are FANTASTIC! They had a great first Thanksgiving and were nice enough to let me cook. They only decided to cry when we all sat down for dinner.
They've been really alert over the past few days. They smile all of the time and you can't help but to laugh and smile back. They love to be talked to and they're happy to just lay there and watch your mouth move. Two days ago I was nursing Riley and Addison was lying in his carseat, wide awake. I looked down and saw him staring at this toy that was dangling from his carseat handle. He was staring at it with this huge smile on his face, and he was squeaking. I'm sure he was trying to laugh but he was making the cutest little squeaks. They continue to blow my mind every day.
They got their second Synagis injections today (to protect them from RSV). The power in the hospital went out shortly after we got the boys weighed and the poor nurses were using flashlights. We had to take the boys into the hallway, under one of the few back up lights, and one nurse held a flashlight while the other gave the injections. The big kids were kind of bummed that they couldn't watch but the boys only cried for a second and we were on our way.
Addison is up to 6lbs. 11oz. and Riley was 6lbs. even!! That means that, in a little more than 3 weeks, Addison gained 10oz. and Riley gained 12oz.! They go for a regular pediatrician visit on the 18th and I'm excited to see how much they gain.
Riley had another opthamologist appointment yesterday to check his ROP. It looks a lot better and the doctor didn't need to see him back for another 6 weeks. He said he thinks Riley will only need a few more appointments until he's given the all clear!
Another exciting thing is the boys have been approved for medical assistance because of their prematurity. It will pick up everything that our primary insurance doesn't cover except for our pediatrician co-pays. The ped. I take them to doesn't participate with state insurance and he's too awesome of a doctor for me to switch. Having to only pay pediatrician co-pays is nothing compared to the thousands of dollars we've spent on other co-pays so far.
We've got a busy couple of weeks. Our house went on the market last week and we've got to get out the Christmas decorations and try to put out enough to make the kids happy but not so much that it's too cluttered for showings. We've got at least 3 more doctors appointments before Christmas and physical therapy once a week.
I will try to put a new picture up this weekend. They starting to look more and more alike!

100% wireless!

2008-11-18T23:16:00.005-05:00

We got the call today from the pediatrician that Addison is ok to come off the apnea monitor! It's been about 3 weeks since his monitor alarmed and I've been taking him off of it during the day, when I'm close by, and he's been fine. I'm so, so glad to be done with monitors!

I took all 4 kids to Sears yesterday for pictures. We got the first appointment of the day and I brought my own blankets so that we could minimize germ exposure. the pics were not much better than I could have done with my camera but I'm getting a huge portrait package for $5 so I won't complain too much. I doubt I'll ever go back there but I'll share the pics with all of you. Addison is in the beige outfit and obviously, Riley is in the blue outfit. They turned 5 months old yesterday.

Busy, busy!

2008-11-15T20:56:00.002-05:00

I haven't had time to update because we're getting ready to put our house on the market. It was supposed to go on a few weeks ago but we've pushed the date back so that we can have everything freshly painted and mostly decluttered. It's a lot harder to pack a house with 2 newborns!
Addison had another opthamologist appointment yesterday. If you remember, his appointment 2 weeks ago was the deadline for his ROP to start improving or we'd have to take him for laser surgery. 2 weeks ago, it had just started to improve so he decided to hold off on surgery. Yesterday, he said his eyes were showing drastic improvement! He also said that he was glad that he held off as long as he could without surgery. We don't have to take him back for another month! It's so nice to finally not be at a doctors office every week.
The boys have also started to smile at me. They've been smiling since they were a few weeks old but they've started responding to me talking to them. Addison had a few small smiles yesterday and today, Riley smiled at me twice. They will just lay there and stare. They are starting to focus on faces and toys (they love mirrors!) and sometimes they go cross eyed. The opthamologist said it's still completely normal and Ian and I actually think it's pretty cute when that happens.

On a roll!!!!

2008-11-10T21:56:00.003-05:00

Yep, you guessed it, the boys are rolling from their bellies to their backs! The physical therapist that has been working with them is awesome! They've made such huge improvements with their head control and they're pushing themselves up on their arms. Ian and I are so proud of them!

The boys went in for their first Synagis shots last week. The Synagis shots help protect them from RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus). RSV is a seasonal, easily spread virus that is similar to a cold but babies who have under-developed lungs can have serious complications from RSV. So, the Synagis shot is a dose of antibodies that is given every 30 days during RSV season (which happens to be early November-late March in my area). The shot doesn't prevent them from getting RSV but if they would happen to catch it, the antibodies from the shot make the infection less severe. They were weighed before getting their shots and Addison was 6lbs. 1oz. Riley was 5lbs. 4oz.

They're making progress! It's hard to believe they're going to be 5 months old soon.

Finally have a pic of the stroller

2008-11-01T16:06:00.004-04:00

We took Leah and one of her friends to our local dairy/petting zoo for a hayride and ice cream. We had her birthday tea party on Wednesday, with family, but I wanted her to have a day with her friend. They had a blast and while I was snapping pics, I remembered to take one of the stroller and carseats. I call this my Cadillac stroller. lol. You have no idea how much attention this thing attracts. Amazingly, it pretty easy to push and steer (as long as you're not trying to make a tight turn.

And here's a pic that Ian took when we got home this afternoon. I look like crap (what else would you expect from a mother of 4 who sleeps about 3 hours per night :) ) but I think the boys look adorable so I had to share!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T22:42:00.003-04:00

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween! After running errands all morning we took the kids trick or treating in the development where my mom lives (we'll be moving there in a few months if all goes as planned!!) and everyone had a great time!

I updated earlier about Addison's surgery but I wanted to post some pics real quick.

No surgery for Addison!!

2008-10-31T11:45:00.003-04:00

I only have a few minutes so this will be a quick update but we just got home from the opthamologist and have great news!
Addison's eyes are starting to show signs of improvement. His left eye looks a lot better than last week and his right eye has finally decided to start healing. He had been going every week for monitoring and he's now going to be seen in 2 weeks.
Riley's eyes are really improving also. His right eye is back to stage 1 (the least severe) and his right eye is right on the border of stage 2 and 3 but it's getting better also. Riley doesn't need to be seen for a month!
They both seem to be improving but they're nowhere near "better". They'll continue to have check ups for at least the next few months.

Taking a short break to write another post

2008-10-24T13:44:00.003-04:00

I'm in the middle of packing up all un-needed items in the house so that it can be ready to go up for sale in 2 weeks. I wanted to post since I actually have more to say than "they're doing well".
They both started physical therapy through Early Intervention this past Monday. It went great. The therapist is a really nice guy who has been a therapist for a long time. He'll be coming out once a week to continue to work with them to develop their muscles.
Addison had another opthamologist appointment yesterday. His ROP in his left eye seems to be getting better. His right eye is kind of "stuck". He noticed that there were very small spots of blood at the ends of the blood vessels which indicates some tugging but the blood vessels aren't attached to the retina. We go back on Halloween for another check-up and if it isn't any better, Dr. Klombers will recommend laser surgery. The surgery is pretty routine and safe but Addison will have to be put under anesthesia which scares the crap out of me. I do have to say, if I could pick any opthamologist to do the surgery, I would pick Dr. Klombers. He's a fantastic doctor and very experienced with preemies.
So, please keep your fingers crossed that when we go back next week, his eye looks better.

4 months old!

2008-10-17T20:33:00.003-04:00

It's crazy to me that they're already 4 months old. It's been a long 4 months but it's gone by so quickly.

The boys are doing great. They're exclusively nursing. We've stopped the Zantac since it didn't seem to be helping and we've eliminated the need for bottles. They only get a bottle a few times a week, when I drink coffee.

Addison was at the eye doctor yesterday. His ROP is still at a stage 3 but not far enough to need laser surgery. It hasn't progressed over the past 2 weeks but it also hasn't gotten better so we have to monitor it once a week until the blood vessels start to pull back towards the front of the eye. Riley's eyes are getting better and he's now being seen every 3 weeks. They're both starting to focus ad stare at things. They will stare up at me when they're nursing and it's the sweetest thing ever.

We were at the pediatrician this afternoon for their 4 month check-up. Addison weighs 5lbs. 6oz. and is 18in. long. He's finally about the size of a newborn. He should be ready to move into newborn clothes and diapers in a few weeks. Preemie diapers are not cheap, don't come in bulk sizes, and aren't made by generic companies. lol.

Riley weighs 4lbs. 8oz. and is 17in. long. He's still got a while to go before he outgrows preemie stuff.

They're sleeping well, content most of the time, and it's so much fun to see them grow every day. They seem to be in the middle of a growth spurt. They've been nursing every 1.5-2 hours. Needless to say, I haven't been off of the couch much.

Our 3/4 of a million dollar babies

2008-10-15T06:42:00.003-04:00

We've received the big bills from the hospital for both babies and I am SO glad we have insurance.
My c-section was $13,394.66
Addison's NICU stay- $363,831.32
Riley's NICU stay- $379,517.09

Grand total- $756,743.07

Of that, we owe only $2,100 in co-pays.

With all of their doctors appointment, I'm sure they'll pass a million dollars over the first year of the lives. I'm so glad we have good insurance. We'll have many more co-pays throughout the next year but it's such a small price to pay to have our healthy boys :)

My hunt for a stroller is over!!

2008-10-10T20:23:00.002-04:00

I'm sure the people at Babies R Us are sick of seeing me. I bought the Kolcraft Contours Options Tandem Stroller http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2646209 (walmart has it for $159) It's a HUGE stroller but BOTH Chicco Keyfit 30 carseats fit!! You have to purchase a second infant seat attachment but I was able to find one at babyage.com for about $20. On a side note, I did talk to someone at Chicco who said they were developing a double stroller for the infant seats but it wouldn't be out for sometime. It's a tight fit but they sit on the bars and the strap keeps thm nice and snug. The stroller was easy to put together except for the screws for the handlebar that I had to have Ian screw in. It even matches the carseats. lol. I called Ian down to inspect it and he approves so tomorrow we'll test it out when we go to Skylar's football game in the morning. We haven't all been to a game or scrimmage and I'm so excited (as is Skylar) to be able to support him as a family. I'll be sure to take pictures of the stroller tomorrow.
It feels so nice to not have to worry about this anymore!

Busy day today

2008-10-09T22:57:00.002-04:00

Another day full of running around. After I dropped Leah off at preschool, I headed over to the midwives office to weigh the babies. Addison weighs 5lbs. 2oz. and Riley weighs 4lbs. 3oz. They're still not gaining as much as they should but they're going steady and I think it's perfect for m tiny little guys.

We had another appointment with Dr. Klombers. Riley's eyes are looking better. Both eyes have started to regress and he said that if he had to guess, the chance of Riley needing laser surgery were about 1%. He wants to see Riley again in 3 weeks and he expects that to be the last or second to last appointment for him. Addison's left eye is still getting better but his right eye has stayed the same since 2 weeks ago. He wants to see Addison back in in 1 week. He didn't seem overly concerned but he wants to stay on top of it.

Haven't posted this much in a while

2008-10-08T19:34:00.002-04:00

So, I was able to go to the NICU to get some sticky leads. I took the boys in to visit and the nurses were thrilled to see them and love on them. One of our favorite nurses was there but doing a training class and they couldn't get in touch with her to have her come see the boys. I told them I'd be back if the boys ever outgrow their preemie clothes. I was overwhelmed with emotions after being back there. I was reminded again just how lucky we are to have them both home and healthy.
So, back to the monitor. I have 2 sets of sticky leads and the medical supply place will have 2 more sets on Friday. His one lead keeps coming unstuck but I'd rather deal with the monitor going off all night and having to re stick it, than to have it rubbing against him. Once his sore clears up, I'll put the velcro patches back and just try to pad it a little bit so it doesn't rub against him again. After talking to a nurse at the pediatricians office twice, we decided that I didn't have to bring him in since it's not looking infected. We have our 4 month check up next week so hopefully we'll be able to stay out of the peds office until then.
Tomorrow we go for a final weight check at the midwives office and then we have another eye exam in the afternoon. It will be a busy day but it's nice to have it all done on one day.

Poor Addison

2008-10-08T09:57:00.002-04:00

I'm almost ashamed to write this. Poor Addison has an awful raw/crusty sore from one of the leads on his apnea monitor. I change their clothes at least twice a day and check the leads daily. Thursday when we were at the midwife, he was a little red but there was no broken skin. Friday there was a little bit of peeled skin so I took off the leads, cleaned them really well, put some antibiotic cream on the tiny red spot, and have checked it since. Last night when I was changing his outfit, I noticed it was all red. I pulled up the lead and it's bright red and crusty. It was not like that 2 days ago. I have had his monitor off since last night and I put some more antibiotic ointment on him this morning. I have a call into the pediatrician to see if he wants me to bring him in and I called the medical supply rental place and they have to special order the sticky leads and if they order them today, they won't be in until Friday. He's going to order them but I'm hoping that the pediatrician can help me figure out how to get him on the monitor while we wait. The monitor currently is a velcro belt with 2 black plastic squares. The squares have little stems on the bottom and that's what rubbed him. I was up all night, minus a few quick naps, to make sure he didn't have an apnea event. I was already nervous about Riley being off the monitor, having them both off was almost too much for me to handle.
I hope he heals quickly. It looks so painful and it makes me feel so bad to look at it. I feel so horrible for not seeing it sooner.

Riley is off the apnea monitor!

2008-10-07T20:54:00.002-04:00

Ian got a call right after Skylar and I left for football practice. It was Dr. Worrel from the NICU calling to say that Riley no longer needed to be on the monitor! After looking at the downloaded info, almost all of his alarms were false alarms. So, after we got back from football, I took him off his leash. I was able to walk upstairs with Riley and say goodnight to Ian, without wrapping a cord around my arm and carrying the monitor.
Addison is expected to be on his monitor for another 4-6 weeks. I fully expected to have Addison on longer. He had a good amount of low heart rate alarms where his lips would turn blue but he hasn't had one like that in probably a week. His alarms have gone off only a few times in the past week. I'm almost certain that after the next download, he'll come off also.
Nursing is going really well. I've only used 2 frozen bags of milk and it was so I could drink coffee. We go to the midwife for a final weight check and then to Dr. Klombers (the opthamologist) on Thursday.
Although having Riley off the monitor is fantastic, I will probably be up most of the night. Of course, I'll worry about his breathing all night.

Weight check update

2008-10-02T19:41:00.002-04:00

I had his weight wrong last week. Addison went from 4lbs. 12oz to 4lbs. 14oz. I nursed him while we were at the midwife to make sure his latch was good and that he was getting enough to eat. After nursing for about 10 minutes (and having nursed only 2 hours prior), he was 1.5oz. heavier. There's no question that he's eating enough. Riley was 4lbs. 0.3oz. He was too sleepy to nurse but I'm fairly certain that he's doing just fine :) I called the pediatrician to make sure their weight gain was ok. The ped. said they should be gaining a little bit more but they weren't concerned enough to have them come in before their 4 month well visit.
The medical supply place is coming out tomorrow to do the first download from their apnea monitors. They're such a pain in the rear but part of me is scared to have them off the monitors. Addison still drops his heart rate and his lips turn blue about one a day. Riley has a few but his are much more mild. We'll know if they're coming off the monitors within the next 2 weeks. The NICU doctor has to review the downloads and then approve them to come off. He then calls the pediatrician with his decision and then they'll call me.

Boys had their therapy evaluations today

2008-10-01T15:25:00.003-04:00

Just writing real quick while they're sleeping and before Skylar gets home.

The boys had their evaluations with an occupational therapist and a physical therapist from our local Early Intervention Unit. I don't think it's any surprise that they qualify for therapy. They both tested out at a newborn level except for one social part where they tested at a 2 month old level. Not too bad considering they were only supposed to be born this past Friday. They'll have a therapist come out once per week, for an hour each, to work with them. Riley's muscles are more stiff than Addison's but they have pretty much the same issues. We're hoping to start that within the next 2-3 weeks. Because they qualify for therapy, they apparently automatically qualify for medial assistance. We were told to apply for it when they were 2 months old but decided not to because we have decent insurance. I think though, I'm going to end up sending in the applications for them as a secondary insurance. We've already spent $100 out of pocket, for the pediatrician alone. We have yet to get the bills from the nicu and the eye doctor. I'm not even sure if the opthamologist is covered by our insurance. lol. Guess we'll find out. It's not like they could skip the appointments anyways.
We go back to the midwife on Thursday to weigh the boys. I would be shocked if they haven't gained a good amount of weight. It seems like all they do is eat, sleep, and poop. Their reflux is getting better. They spit up a little bit but it's way less than when they first came home. I'm not even giving Riley his Zantac.
Also, a quick update to my stroller saga. The Kolcraft Contours Options Tandem seems to fit the Chicco seats. I went to Babies R Us and tried the seat in the infant seat attachment and it did fit nicely in there. The only issue is the stroller only comes with one infant seat attachment and Babies R Us didn't sell a second attachment. I found one at babyage.com for $20 and ordered it but I'm still waiting for it to get here. I'm a little bit concerned that the seats will overlap but it seems like there will be just enough room. It is a huge stroller though. The manager at Babies R Us even joked that I was lucky enough to get the biggest double stroller available. It's got to be easier than dragging all of their equipment through parking garages and doctors office buildings.

Busy weekend!

2008-09-29T15:58:00.002-04:00

Saturday I was surprised with a "welcome home Addison and Riley" baby shower. It was a nice little gathering of some family and good friends. Got LOTS of diapers. lol. The boys got to be loved on and everyone got to spoil them (after washing their hands ;) ). Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated them and gifted us some much needed supplies.
The boys are doing really well. Over the weekend they suddenly seemed to "get it" They've both been nursing a ton. Friday, between 10am and 1pm, Riley drank 5oz.! They've both graduated from their 2oz. bottles from the hospital and they're now drinking 2.5-3.5oz per feeding. They both went from one poop per week to several poops per day. They've both been awake more and alert. Their reflux seems to be a little bit better but I'm still not able to drink caffeine. I usually save my pumped milk and try to drink my coffee when they're due for meds so that it doesn't affect them too much.
I'm hoping to get some pics from the welcome home shower and I'll post them as soon as I can. I have to head out to babies r us, again, to try and find a darn stroller that is compatible with their carseats. They are in Chicco Keyfit 30's and Chicco doesn't make a double stroller that fits their carseats but they don't fit in any of the universal strollers. There's one stroller that will fit the seats but of course, it's like $600! There's one more at babies r us that I can try and if that doesn't work, I'm stuck carrying 2 carseats, 2 apnea monitors, and the diaper bag every time we need to go somewhere. Since they're not 5lbs. (Riley isn't even close), they aren't big enough for other infant seats. The Chiccos are the only seats that fit 4lbs. and up.

Today was their due date

2008-09-26T23:16:00.004-04:00

My original due date was October 4th and it was then moved to Sept. 26th, after an early ultrasound. It's crazy to sit here, on my due date, and hold my 14 week old twins. Our lives have been one crazy story for the past 6 months. We went from thinking we were having another miscarriage, to finding out there were twins, and then having them born 2 months later, and now to have them here, after beating so many odds. We have all been so, so lucky.

I took the boys to the midwives office to introduce them to Robin (my midwife) and just to check their weights. Addison was 4lbs. 14oz. and Riley is still not gaining much and is only at 3lbs. 14oz. I'm going to take them back to the midwife next week for another weight check and if Riley hasn't had a significant gain, I'm going to call the pediatrician and get them in before their next scheduled appt. I really don't want to have to supplement Riley. He didn't tolerate either of the fortifiers that the nicu tried and I just don't want to mess up his system. He must know what's up though because today, between 10am and 1pm, he drank 5oz. of breastmilk. I've been giving him fresh pumped milk in a bottle so that I can see how much he's eating. Addison is nursing so well. Most of the time, I don't even use the shield. I've been tandem nursing and I just love sitting there with both of them and watch them watch me.

We had our follow up appointment with the eye doctor today. It's their first appointment since coming home and Riley's ROP has started to get better. Addison's left eye is also getting better but his right eye progressed a little bit. He did say that he thinks the ROP has peaked and that he didn't think for a second, that either of them will need laser surgery. We go back in 2 weeks again for another check.

Tuesday we had a social worker come from the county's early intervention program to do intake paperwork for the boys. Next week we'll have 2 therapists and the social worker come out to evaluate each of the boys. If they're behind by at least 30% for their age, they automatically qualify for therapy. They will definitely qualify just because of how early they were and we'll most likely start them with a physical therapist in the next few weeks. She'll work with them for strengthen their neck muscles and work on proper body movements.

So, a lot of stuff is going on. We've got tons of doctor appointments and my house needs so badly to be cleaned.

I took some cute pictures tonight. I got their adorable outfits at babies r us. I had been eyeing up the "twins rock" onesies since we first found out I was having twins. After they were born, I finally knew that I needed 2 blue onesies but when I went to get them, they were sold out. I was there Wednesday night and they had a ton of them again so I had to buy them. Addison is the one wearing the brown pants.

It's just now after midnight and I've got to get some sleep. skylar has a football game first thing in the morning and Ian is going to stay home with the younger kids so that I can finally see one of Skylar's games.

3 months old

2008-09-20T20:51:00.003-04:00

So, I'm a few days late since they turned 3 months old on the 17th but I'm just now getting time to write. They're both doing really, really well. As I'm typing, Ive got Addison in my lap, getting his night time bottle with zantac and poly-vi-sol. It's hard to believe that they've only been home, together, for a week. It seems like they've always been here and aside from having to plan extra time to get ready in the morning, they've slipped right into our lives and hearts :)

They went to their doctor (Dr. Moffit, who was my pediatrician when I was a kid) for a weight check and quick check-up. He was on vacation the first 2 visits so this is the first he's been able to see them. He's happy with Addison's weight gain. He weighs 4lbs. 10oz. He wasn't too thrilled with Riley's weight gain though. He's only 3lbs. 14oz. He ideally wants them to gain an ounce per day but is happy with a half ounce. One ounce per day seems like a lot when you're talking about a baby who's not even 4lbs. They're both still just getting plain breastmilk with only vitamins and zantac. I've been getting an insane amount of formula mailed to me by various companies and I still have 3 different types of fortifiers from the hospital. Our next doctors appointment is for their 4 month check-up so if Riley hasn't gained a significant amount of weight, I may try to introduce a fortifier again. Riley has started spitting up so Dr. Moffit put him on Zantac to see if it makes any difference. Other than a few common preemie issues, they're super healthy.

They've been sleeping and eating well. Addison has just finished his 2oz. bottle and he's still rooting. Riley sleeps more and Addison eats more. They've already started to show their personalities. I can tell the difference between their tiny cries and they each have their own little sounds and quirks. Ian has even pointed out that he's surprised I know them so well.

Ian went back to work on friday. It was a bit of a challenge. He had been home since Addison came home (he worked from home until Riley came home) and such a huge help. He did almost all of the cooking, cleaning, and care for Leah and Skylar. I now have an idea of what time I need to be up in the morning so that I'm able to get myself ready before the kids need stuff.

Addison finally fits into preemie clothes. He actually almost fits Gymboree newborn clothes. A friend sent matching Gymboree outfits for them and they're for "up to 7lbs." and they only hang about 2 inches past his feet. The sleeves are just a tiny bit too long but they fit enough that I'll put them on when I'm out of preemie sleepers. Riley still doesn't come close to fitting the gymboree outfit but he's almost the right size for preemie. Hopefully Dr. Moffit is right when he said that one day, they'll just start to take off with their weight gain.

Sorry for the crappy picture, it was taken late last night with my cell phone. Riley is the closer baby.

A great first weekend

2008-09-15T21:24:00.002-04:00

The boys had a great weekend together, at home! We went to the doctor yesterday. Addison is 4lbs. 8oz. and Riley is 3lbs. 13oz. Both are gaining enough weight on plain breastmilk so the doctor isn't interested in trying to mess with fortifiers. Addison is starting to nurse without a nipple shield. Riley has latched on without a shield but he was slow to pick up on nursing to begin with so I don't want to try to push him.

They both sleep well (for now) and their monitors rarely go off. I think Riley's has only gone off since we left the nicu (once was before we made it out of the hospital). Addison's goes off 2-3 times per day for low heart rate. He turns blue and I have to pick him up. Usually he just needs a good burp and a little tickle on his belly and he perks back up. It always happens when he's in a deep sleep. We're fully expecting Riley to be off the monitor after the company comes and downloads the first reading. Hopefully Addison will only have it for 2 months. The apnea monitors are a small price to pay to have both boys healthy and home. They're a bit tricky to keep from getting tangled and they irritate their skin a little bit but it's nice to have that peace of mind. With Skylar and Leah, I remember putting my hand on their chests to feel if they were breathing.

We've had a decent amount of visitors since the boys come home. No kids have been over but close family and friends have been allowed to come and see, but not touch. We've got Purell all over the house and soap at every sink.

We've been going through a lot of blankets, spit-up rags, and outfits. I'm not used to babies with reflux. I feel silly running a load of laundry daily just for the baby's clothes and blankets but we really go through that much stuff.

It's been a lot of fun having both of them home. My house is not as clean and clutter free as it used to be, Ian and I are tired, but it's well worth it.

24 hours with both boys

2008-09-12T14:28:00.003-04:00

It has been fantastic!! I tandem nursed last night. It was a huge accomplishment to me and it makes all of the hours I spent, hooked to the breastpump, worth it.

We took Addison up to the nicu when we picked up Riley so that we could have those silly hospital pictures taken. I always thought the hospital pictures were over-priced and that they weren't very professional looking. Leah and Skylar both had pictures done when they were around 3-4 months at different photography places but because of the boys immune systems, we won't be able to take them to a germ infested photography place. I thought about having a local place come to us and take pics but our house is not very nice for pictures and it will soon be too chilly to take them outdoors. So, we paid the almost $30 to get 8 wallets and 2 3x5's. I have to say, they turned out better than I had expected. The package included a free welcome baby website so I was able to e-mail it to most of our friends and family so they could see the picture.

So, anyways, Riley has not been tolerating any of the fortifiers that are available in stores (the fortifier they use in the hospital is not available to the public so they try to wean them to something available at stores before they go home). He's been on just straight breastmilk and his weight gain has kind of tapered off and he actually lost just a little bit of weight the night before he came home. The nicu doctor wants me to talk to the pediatrician and try to figure out what to use to add extra calories but I'm not sure if that will be needed. At home, they're both allowed to eat whatever they want, whenever they want. Riley has been taking close to 2oz. from a bottle when I give him his vitamins. They have another doctors appointment this coming Sunday so we shall see how much they've gained.

It's so hard to put them down. I just want to make up for lost time but then I feel bad that they don't have any time to be together so I'll lay them in the bassinet (we have a pack and play with the bassinet attachment over the whole top) facing each other and just let them be close. They sleep so well when they're next to each other, it really is amazing.

We had a good first night. They took turns waking up and nursing but they slept side by side in the co-sleeper and neither of their monitors went off.

Riley's monitor went off a few times and Addison's goes off 1-2 times per day. It's been for a low heart rate all but 2 times since he's been home. Usually all I have to do is pick him up and burp him and he's good to go.

We got a call this morning from the nurse manager asking if there were any nurses who went above and beyond and there are 2, Tricia and Barb, who were absolutely amazing through all of this. We also got a call from Dr. Brown to just ask how everything is going. I thought that was nice of him.

So, we're all finally together and it will be a tough adjustment (especially when Ian goes back to work) but very much worth it.

One adventure ends and another begins

2008-09-10T20:46:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow morning, we call to check on Riley and unless some extreme issue happens overnight, we'll get the ok from the doctor to come pick him up. We have their hospital pictures scheduled at 9:30am. We get to take Addison back in so they can have their pictures done together.
Tomorrow will be 87 days since they were born. 87 days. As I was sitting on the couch with Addison, I turned to Ian and said, "our boys are almost 3 months old". We've been through a lot and tomorrow we will walk out of there and be a complete family.
I'll never forget the nurses. I've grown close to some of them. They have been beyond wonderful and I don't think we could have asked for better doctors and nurses.
Riley is less than 4 ounces from being 4lbs. so he was tested in a Chicco carseat and passed with flying colors. He passed his hearing screening and he's been eating well.
The odds were against our boys. They were tiny and sick but they are fighters and they've beaten the odds. The fact that they are both "walking" out of the nicu with nothing more than some vitamins and an apnea monitor is nothing short of amazing. They're both nursing. I never thought they would be able to do it. I tried so hard to keep up my supply. Spending 4 hours a day, hooked to a breastpump is not even a little bit fun but I know it ws what they needed. They took to nursing better than I could have hoped. Addison is now nursing without a nipple shield and Riley latches right onto the shield.
They will start physical therapy through our state program. They have eye exams in 2 weeks to follow up with their ROP, and we'll have lots of visits to the pediatrician. We have to go back to the nicu in 4 months for some sort of evaluation with the doctor and while it sounds like a lot, I'd do it every day for those boys. We've already learned a lot from them in their short time with us. They've scared us, amazed us, made us laugh and smile, kept us up at night, and brought our family closer together.
Our family and friends have been our rock through all of this. Everyone has bent over backwards to help and we want everyone to know how much we appreciate it.
I have to say a quick thank you specifically to Martha. She has been extremely generous and helpful. She went above and beyond and we are so thankful for everything she has done for us.
To everyone who has said a prayer, sent a card, helped babysit Leah and Skylar, sent things for the kids, offered to run an errand, or just listened while I vented, cried, or tried to have some sort of normal adult conversation, THANK YOU! We have some of the best friends and family members.

It's been a few days

2008-09-08T12:36:00.003-04:00

Thought I would take some time to finally write. Addison is tuckered out from his first visit to the doctor and he's sound asleep. He weighed 4lbs. 6oz. at the doctor today. They did say the scale may be off compared to the hospital scale so we're going back in a week for a weight check. The doctor said he looked good. His heart and lungs sounded great, he's eating plenty, and although he hasn't pooped since he came home, his belly looked just fine. The nicu gave me some glycerin and the doctor told me to give it to him if he still hasn't gone by tomorrow night. He's had a lot of food changes in the past week so we're giving him a little bit longer for his belly to settle. He was sent home with instructions to add Neosure formula to a few bottles per day (he gets 3 bottles per day so that i can give his poly-vi-sol and Zantac) but the nicu doctor told me to just give him regular breastmilk for now. Riley started spitting up the Neosure fortified breastmilk (I would too, who wants to drink the good stuff with nasty formula mixed in??) so he's also just getting straight breastmilk.

This weekend has been a lot of bittersweet fun. Addison is a perfect baby. He sleeps and eats well, loves to be cuddled and held, his monitor rarely alarms, and although I wish we could get rid of the nipple shield, he's nursing and that's more important than getting rid of the shield. The kids are so in love with Addison. Leah wants to talk to him and tickle him. Skylar loves to be my "look out" and sit with him while I run to the bathroom or fix a bottle. Leah's having a little bit of a hard time adjusting to being the center of attention but she starts school tomorrow so hopefully that will help her feel important too.

Skylar had his first football game of the season this past Saturday. We all went because I didn't know exactly where it was so I knew Ian would never be able to find it. Of course, as soon as we got there, it starts to rain so Leah, Addison, and I stayed in the van. I missed Skylar get his first touchdown but it was nice to be out as almost a complete family.

So, we were hoping for Riley to come home today but early yesterday morning, he had to go back into the isolette. His temp was down a little bit so they bundled him and left him in the open crib and for his next feeding, his temp was still low. I called this morning and was told that he's going into the open crib again this afternoon and his nurse moved him to a different section of the nicu where there is less of a draft. There was a big vent in the wall right behind where his bed was so hopefully he'll do better in this spot. He weighs 3lbs. 11oz. We're hopefully shooting for Thursday as a discharge date now and I don't think there's any way he'll hit 4lbs. by then so he'll probably come home in a carbed. He's eating really well and not having any reflux issues. He had one event yesterday but none so far today.

One down, one to go

2008-09-05T18:12:00.005-04:00

After 81 days in the NICU, Addison is HOME! We got home with him just before dinnertime. He is on an apnea monitor for at least 3 months and he has a prescription for Zantac but otherwise is completely healthy. He weighs a whopping 4lbs. 5.3oz. (3 pounds above birth weight).

Ian and I both had busy mornings but all of the hardwork is worth it.

Our day started off with a visit from my good friend Jenn who brought us a meal and tied balloons out front. Then we had a porch fairy (Amy) leave a balloon and goody bags for Skylar and Leah on the front porch. When we came home from the hospital, my sister had tied more balloons outside and put one of those stork signs in our flower bed. I always thought those signs were so silly but having him be celebrated felt so great! We were scared to celebrate too much when they were born since they had only a 50% chance of survival. So now, we celebrate!

Riley should be coming home before the end of this coming week. He's supposed to move to an open crib tonight and if he does well, he could come home as early as Monday. He was 3lbs. 9oz. as of this morning so he may make it to 4lbs. and not have to come home in a carbed.

I've been typing this one-handed for a long time now so I'll end this for tonight.

I will try to keep updating daily at least until Riley comes home, but if I don't, you know why :)

It's been a long road!

2008-09-04T22:04:00.002-04:00

Mr. Addison Ryker Macomber will be joining us at home tomorrow afternoon, and per the head neonatologist Riley may be joining us as soon as Monday; however, he will certainly be home by the weekend of the 13th!

We'll know for sure this Sunday. Thank you everyone for everything. It looks like we're all but there!

There is so much to do tomorrow, and I will be working from home on top of that, so I best get to sleep.

Ian

Back to an open crib

2008-09-03T22:56:00.003-04:00

Addison is playing a not so fun game of flip flop. Today at 1pm, he went back into an open crib and so far, so good. I went in to nurse them at 6pm tonight and his temp. was just fine. He's 4lbs. 4oz., eating well, and doing everything that he should be doing. His reflux is much better now that he's back on the zantac. I just called his nurse to get a late night update and he's doing wonderfully in his crib. He's doing so well that she got rid of the isolette!!

He has been having some trouble taking bottles though. He gulps and gulps and forgets to breathe and de-sats really low. She had to give him a little blow-by oxygen (holding the oxygen mask her his face). He does so much better nursing and the nurse says that once he's home, he'll likely take bottles better because it will be less stressful.

Riley is still in an isolette. Their primary doctor is in tomorrow (I think) and hopefully I'll get to talk to him about when he plans to move Riley to a crib. He is the opposite of Addison when it comes to eating. He'll take a bottle like a champ but he doesn't quite get nursing yet. He will latch on and nurse but not until he's had 15 minutes of just lying there, doing nothing. His nurse tonight said that she thinks he's going to be a thumb sucker. He always has his thumb in his mouth.

Ian and I go for our apnea monitor training tomorrow evening and I think I'm still planning on doing an overnight. We're not ruling out a Friday discharge date but we're thinking saturday or sunday is more probable. I'm making cookies, brownies, pumpkin muffins (Sandi's wonderful recipe), and possibly cheesecake if I'm feeling ambitious as thank you gifts for the nurses. I've taken them donuts and bagels with cream cheese before and everyone has always loved it. I hear many of them talk about how they don't get their meals or don't have time to eat and it's nice to take them something that they can grab in a minute to hold them over.

Downstairs carpets got shampooed this afternoon, tomorrow I plan to tackle the upstairs rooms. I'm going to go stock up on some stuff at the store so that Ian will only have to run out and grab basics. We're ready!

I'm up way too late tonight. I've actually been getting to bed at a somewhat reasonable hour and I got sucked into Sarah Palin's speech since I was curious as to what she had to say.

Back to the isolette

2008-09-02T22:10:00.003-04:00

So, Addison didn't do too well in the open crib. By noon, his temperature dropped from 36.5 degrees Celsius (the minimum temp. allowed) to 36.0. He will likely try again tomorrow and him not doing well today doesn't necessarily mean that coming home Friday is out of the question. Hopefully, he'll be home by the end of the weekend, at the latest. He is back on zantac and having much less events than yesterday. He's also not having any spitting up caused by the zantac. He's still on the 22 calorie fortifier. He weighed 4lbs. 3.9oz.

Riley weighs 3lbs. 6.3oz. and has downgraded to the 24 calorie formula. He's also allowed to have up to 40cc of milk. He's having no more than 1 event per day and he just needs to grow a little bit more before going to an open crib.

My grandparents are up from Florida to visit and to attend my cousins wedding. They came in to meet the boys tonight and my nana was thrilled to hold them. They were both wide awake for her and I got some good pictures.