I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God.
-Deuteronomy 32:3-
Tuesday July 28th:
We have been so blessed with such wonderful nurses and doctors. I feel like family every time I walk through the NICU. I've even seen some of my maternity ward nurses and they remember my name! Even though this has been a difficult time for us, the medical staff has gone above and beyond to make this situation as easy as possible.
Today the girls had a pretty good day! They had their first back to back bottle feedings and did well with them! Kaylee was so tired during her second feed that she had to finish her meal with the nose tube. The nurses said they may take small steps back, like finishing with the tube, but they will continue to make huge leaps forward.
Amelia did give us a little scare today. She had a small apnea episode, after her feeding, which made her turn color. Thankfully the NICU staff is awesome and it only took a couple seconds for Amelia to wake up to breathe nicely and turn back to her beautiful pale pink self.
The doctor may increase their bottle feedings if they continue to do well! Since they are so little they need extra calories and "goodies" to fatten them up. Amelia will get two packages of milk fortifier and Kaylee will get one package of milk fortifier. Amelia is weighing 4 pounds even but I forgot to get Kaylee's weight before we left. Our poor nurse was crazy busy today!
Wednesday July 29th:
To my surprise this morning, they started the girls on all bottle feedings! They will keep their feeding tubes for if/when they have those little steps back and need to finish with the tubes. Kaylee will now be getting 38mL (1.2 ounces) each feeding and Amelia will be getting 35mL (1.1 ounces) each feeding. They had a bath this morning and had new clothes, bedding and cute hats!
We met the occupational therapist, Lisa, today too! She gave her spill about what she does and what she watches with the girls. She discussed their sleep positions while in the NICU verses while at home. Lisa talked to us about the importance of tummy time and why its needed.
The girls had fabulous eating times today! I wanted the girls to practice breastfeeding since we had only tried nursing twice. I was so excited when Amelia happily latched and started nursing right away! Even our nurse, Alyse, was surprised at how well she did with this being only the third attempt. Amelia went for 18 minutes before she fell asleep and pulled off! Kaylee did almost as well. She was a little hesitant to latch at first but she eventually did and nursed for 13 minutes. We nursed again during their next feeding time and they did well. Both girls seemed worn out by the time we were done for the day and I don't blame them.
They had both gained some weight since their last weigh in! Kaylee is now weighing 4 pounds 1.1 ounces and Amelia is now weighing 4 pounds 7.8 ounces. They are almost getting back to their birth weight!
On our way out the NICU our nurse Alyse stopped us. She told me my milk supply in the freezer is overflowing and that they will let me know when to bring more breast milk. I can't tell you how happy I was to hear this. I have been very worried about my supply with twins but thankfully my body is cooperating this time and is allowing me to supply the girls with more than enough. Now I get to stock our freezer and this makes me one proud momma!
In Him,
Angie K
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Monday, July 27, 2015
Little Weekend Warriors
"You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and rest in safety".
Job 11:18
Saturday July 25th:
Girls are off of their UV lights! Their bilirubin levels are now perfect!
Poor Kaylee had her IV put back in her head last night. I felt so awful for her since they had to work so hard to find a good vein Friday. Thankfully they will be off their IV fluids soon and she won't have to deal with being poke and prodded again.
We practiced breastfeeding again and they both did well. Of course they were being tube fed during practice so it only took about 10-15 minutes for them to happily fall asleep! They are getting 25mL each feeding and will be moving up on their feeding amounts in the coming week. Their nurse said they are "vigorous eaters on the bottle" but are doing well pacing themselves.
Friday night Amelia weighed 3 pounds 14 ounces and Kaylee weighed 4 pounds 5 ounces. Both girls are doing well and just need to gain some more fat and weight!
Sunday July 26th:
Jessie and I got to assist in bathing the girls this morning! They both absolutely love getting their heads washed and scrubbed. But what little girl doesn't!?! They will be "fortifying" their milk with some extra calories, fats, vitamins, etc to help them with the weight gain. The nurses will not be adding fluids to their IV bags but they haven't been given the direct order to stop the fluids and remove the IV ports. Nurse said it could be a day or two depending on how well the girls do. Probably in the next day or so their feeding amounts will increase too!
Monday July 27th:
Today we had Nurse Tammy. I absolutely love her! She is "older" than the other nurses and tells us like it is, which I like!
I walked into the NICU and saw the girls without their IV lines and the lid on their incubators was lifted off. I couldn't help but tear up and cry some. This is a huge milestone for them and I am so proud of how well they are doing. Every nurse that has worked with them says they are big strong girls!
I was so please to do some major skin to skin time with Amelia today. Nurse Tammy brought over one of the lounging chairs and got me to put my feet and lounge back. It was a wonderful bonding time for us. Tomorrow I will have some happy bonding time with Kaylee!
The girl's wonderful nurse practitioner, Jason, came by while we were there. He talked about the fortified milk and what course of action they will take in the future before the girls go home. He upped their feeding amount again based on their weight. Amelia will get 34mL of milk and Kaylee will get 36mL of milk! (I've gotta keep ahead of them!)
For the last several days their feedings have been: bottle, tube feed, bottle, tube feed, etc. Because they are doing so well their feedings will now be: bottle, bottle, tube feed, bottle, bottle, tube feed, etc. When they do very well with those feedings and are able to complete each feeding, he will continue to lower the tube feedings and up the bottle feeds until the girls are only taking bottles.
If they continue with this progress I believe they will be coming home much sooner than we first thought. Of course there are still several factors involved and they need to gain as much weight as possible before coming home.
We were told today that the car seats for the girls need to have a weight minimum of 4 pounds and of course the ones we have are 5 pound minimum. If this is the only little obstacle we encounter through all this craziness then I will consider us blessed!
Again, we can't thank you all enough for the prayers, thoughts and words of encouragement sent our way. God is truly doing some amazing work in these little girls and his awesome power is shining through them each day!
In Him,
Angie K
Job 11:18
Saturday July 25th:
Girls are off of their UV lights! Their bilirubin levels are now perfect!
We practiced breastfeeding again and they both did well. Of course they were being tube fed during practice so it only took about 10-15 minutes for them to happily fall asleep! They are getting 25mL each feeding and will be moving up on their feeding amounts in the coming week. Their nurse said they are "vigorous eaters on the bottle" but are doing well pacing themselves.
Friday night Amelia weighed 3 pounds 14 ounces and Kaylee weighed 4 pounds 5 ounces. Both girls are doing well and just need to gain some more fat and weight!
Sunday July 26th:
Jessie and I got to assist in bathing the girls this morning! They both absolutely love getting their heads washed and scrubbed. But what little girl doesn't!?! They will be "fortifying" their milk with some extra calories, fats, vitamins, etc to help them with the weight gain. The nurses will not be adding fluids to their IV bags but they haven't been given the direct order to stop the fluids and remove the IV ports. Nurse said it could be a day or two depending on how well the girls do. Probably in the next day or so their feeding amounts will increase too!
Monday July 27th:
Today we had Nurse Tammy. I absolutely love her! She is "older" than the other nurses and tells us like it is, which I like!
 |
| Amelia in new bed |
I walked into the NICU and saw the girls without their IV lines and the lid on their incubators was lifted off. I couldn't help but tear up and cry some. This is a huge milestone for them and I am so proud of how well they are doing. Every nurse that has worked with them says they are big strong girls!
I was so please to do some major skin to skin time with Amelia today. Nurse Tammy brought over one of the lounging chairs and got me to put my feet and lounge back. It was a wonderful bonding time for us. Tomorrow I will have some happy bonding time with Kaylee!
The girl's wonderful nurse practitioner, Jason, came by while we were there. He talked about the fortified milk and what course of action they will take in the future before the girls go home. He upped their feeding amount again based on their weight. Amelia will get 34mL of milk and Kaylee will get 36mL of milk! (I've gotta keep ahead of them!)
 |
| Daddy feeding Kaylee |
If they continue with this progress I believe they will be coming home much sooner than we first thought. Of course there are still several factors involved and they need to gain as much weight as possible before coming home.
 |
| Kaylee in new bed |
In Him,
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Pump It Up!
**Disclaimer**
This contains information on breastfeeding and pumping.
I warned you! If you aren't into all the talk and jargon that comes with breastfeeding that's okay! You can become informed or happily close the blog. Either way, it's up to you.
"Pumping Newbie", I feel, is another title I get to add to my name as a mom. In the weeks and months to come I hope to step into the title Professional Pumper or Pumping Pro. Coming from two unhappy breastfeeding experiences with my two other children, now ages 2 and 4, I was very worried about my supply. My worried doubled when we found out it was twins!
With my other two boys I didn't breast feed them for very long. About a month with my first one and then just shy of four months with my second. Looking back I know why we weren't able to go for very long. I will get to that later.
Since the girls were early, a C-section, and in NICU I wasn't able to start the whole skin to skin and nursing process right away. I wanted to start pumping as soon as possible to get my supply going even though the girls would not be eating anything for 24 hours. The nurses were very positive and reminded me that it will take 3-5 days for my milk to come in. They wanted me to pump every 3 hours for 30 minutes to mimic the eating times of newborns. The first 3-4 pumping sessions were hit or miss if any colostrum came.
Our hospital uses donor milk from the local Milk Bank to supplement with until my milk came. I happily signed the form of consent to use donor just in case they were ready to eat but I wasn't producing.
Even after reading dozens of other blogs on breastfeeding, pumping exclusively, and keeping my supply high, I was still crazy nervous about not making enough for them. I had to remember the 3 most important things about milk supply: eat a healthy diet, don't over stress, and HYDRATE! I really do believe a strong habit of drinking water all day has helped me this time around. With my boys I didn't drink enough water during or after pregnancy and I am seeing the difference now! You should get into the habit of drinking half your body weight in ounces! (Example: Weight is 160 lbs so you should drink 80 oz of water each day.)
While I am pumping I try to hide the bottle part that is collecting the milk from my view. At times like this I believe your body can smell fear! Each time I pump I cover up a little whether I am alone or not. This keeps me from being tempted to check how much I'm pumping every few minutes. I do my best to stay distracted and not focus on my supply.
I have now been pumping for about a week. I have a chart that I am using to track my pump times, how long I pump and how much I produce. I am on the same schedule as the girls and pump when they are being fed. Keeping on a schedule as if I am physically feeding them is crucial. Not only does it help you keep you milk supply up but it also allows you to have a routine. This will help me tons when the girls come home from the NICU. We will be on the same schedule and it will be easier on all of us.
To recap on some things:
1. HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE
2. Eat healthy
3. Keep your stress low
Every woman is different. Every milk supply is different. Every baby is different. Listen to your body and watch your baby carefully. If pumping and breastfeeding is not for you or, like me, you have to start on formula I want you to remember one thing:
Yes, breast is best but making sure your baby is eating enough whether it be breast milk or formula is the only thing that matters. Your baby is going to love you no matter how they are fed.
"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?" Luke 12:25
This contains information on breastfeeding and pumping.
I warned you! If you aren't into all the talk and jargon that comes with breastfeeding that's okay! You can become informed or happily close the blog. Either way, it's up to you.
"Pumping Newbie", I feel, is another title I get to add to my name as a mom. In the weeks and months to come I hope to step into the title Professional Pumper or Pumping Pro. Coming from two unhappy breastfeeding experiences with my two other children, now ages 2 and 4, I was very worried about my supply. My worried doubled when we found out it was twins!
With my other two boys I didn't breast feed them for very long. About a month with my first one and then just shy of four months with my second. Looking back I know why we weren't able to go for very long. I will get to that later.
Since the girls were early, a C-section, and in NICU I wasn't able to start the whole skin to skin and nursing process right away. I wanted to start pumping as soon as possible to get my supply going even though the girls would not be eating anything for 24 hours. The nurses were very positive and reminded me that it will take 3-5 days for my milk to come in. They wanted me to pump every 3 hours for 30 minutes to mimic the eating times of newborns. The first 3-4 pumping sessions were hit or miss if any colostrum came.
Our hospital uses donor milk from the local Milk Bank to supplement with until my milk came. I happily signed the form of consent to use donor just in case they were ready to eat but I wasn't producing.
Even after reading dozens of other blogs on breastfeeding, pumping exclusively, and keeping my supply high, I was still crazy nervous about not making enough for them. I had to remember the 3 most important things about milk supply: eat a healthy diet, don't over stress, and HYDRATE! I really do believe a strong habit of drinking water all day has helped me this time around. With my boys I didn't drink enough water during or after pregnancy and I am seeing the difference now! You should get into the habit of drinking half your body weight in ounces! (Example: Weight is 160 lbs so you should drink 80 oz of water each day.)
While I am pumping I try to hide the bottle part that is collecting the milk from my view. At times like this I believe your body can smell fear! Each time I pump I cover up a little whether I am alone or not. This keeps me from being tempted to check how much I'm pumping every few minutes. I do my best to stay distracted and not focus on my supply.
I have now been pumping for about a week. I have a chart that I am using to track my pump times, how long I pump and how much I produce. I am on the same schedule as the girls and pump when they are being fed. Keeping on a schedule as if I am physically feeding them is crucial. Not only does it help you keep you milk supply up but it also allows you to have a routine. This will help me tons when the girls come home from the NICU. We will be on the same schedule and it will be easier on all of us.
To recap on some things:
1. HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE
2. Eat healthy
3. Keep your stress low
Every woman is different. Every milk supply is different. Every baby is different. Listen to your body and watch your baby carefully. If pumping and breastfeeding is not for you or, like me, you have to start on formula I want you to remember one thing:
Yes, breast is best but making sure your baby is eating enough whether it be breast milk or formula is the only thing that matters. Your baby is going to love you no matter how they are fed.
"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?" Luke 12:25
Saturday, July 25, 2015
The Twincess Story pt 3
For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:9
Friday July 24:
What a fun and difficult day with the girls today. I got some skin to skin time with Kaylee during the mid-morning visit. We met their "speech therapist" later in the day. She assesses their sucking, swallowing, and breathing while they eat. While we were there in the afternoon she was working with Kaylee. She said Kaylee was doing very well coordinating her breathing, swallowing and sucking. She said Kaylee will continue to improve her pacing as she continues to use the bottle and practice on the breast.
We weren't there for Amelia's evaluation but the speech therapist said Amelia loves her bottle. She isn't ready for a bottle while on her back but while laying on her side (as if she is breastfeeding) she does very well! She is doing great practicing breastfeeding too!
Both girls had an IV in their heads when we got there around 11ish. By the afternoon their IV's were making their faces a little swollen and the nurses decided to change them out. It was very hard to watch them pull the tape off of Kaylee's head, with all her hair, while she cried. It was even harder to watch them poke around on her (very carefully) looking for a vein. The had two other "vein specialists" come in to try. After what seemed like forever they were finally able to find a good vein. Thankfully, Amelia's veins weren't too hard to find and the specialist was able to get one pretty quickly. Taking Amelia's head IV out wasn't as bad since she slept through most of it and didn't make too much of a fuss.
It was awesome to hear the nurses say "they are acting older than their age" and "hitting all their marks". I know they still have a while to go before coming home but knowing how well they are doing keeps me thinking positive.
The doctor increased their feeds to 25mL for each feeding time! They will probably be getting off their UV light by the next day.
I'm so glad to see the girls continue to improve every day. I know so many people are praying for them and that is such a blessing to us.
In Him,
Angie K
Friday July 24:
What a fun and difficult day with the girls today. I got some skin to skin time with Kaylee during the mid-morning visit. We met their "speech therapist" later in the day. She assesses their sucking, swallowing, and breathing while they eat. While we were there in the afternoon she was working with Kaylee. She said Kaylee was doing very well coordinating her breathing, swallowing and sucking. She said Kaylee will continue to improve her pacing as she continues to use the bottle and practice on the breast.
We weren't there for Amelia's evaluation but the speech therapist said Amelia loves her bottle. She isn't ready for a bottle while on her back but while laying on her side (as if she is breastfeeding) she does very well! She is doing great practicing breastfeeding too!
Both girls had an IV in their heads when we got there around 11ish. By the afternoon their IV's were making their faces a little swollen and the nurses decided to change them out. It was very hard to watch them pull the tape off of Kaylee's head, with all her hair, while she cried. It was even harder to watch them poke around on her (very carefully) looking for a vein. The had two other "vein specialists" come in to try. After what seemed like forever they were finally able to find a good vein. Thankfully, Amelia's veins weren't too hard to find and the specialist was able to get one pretty quickly. Taking Amelia's head IV out wasn't as bad since she slept through most of it and didn't make too much of a fuss.
It was awesome to hear the nurses say "they are acting older than their age" and "hitting all their marks". I know they still have a while to go before coming home but knowing how well they are doing keeps me thinking positive.
The doctor increased their feeds to 25mL for each feeding time! They will probably be getting off their UV light by the next day.
I'm so glad to see the girls continue to improve every day. I know so many people are praying for them and that is such a blessing to us.
In Him,
Angie K
Little Girls. Big Faith
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. -Hebrews 1:11-
Thursday July 23:
Amelia and Kaylee did very well at theirs attempts to nurse today! They are happily taking the bottle and doing quite well with them. I am so proud of how well they are doing! They are continuing to progress nicely. By this evening they will both be off of their nasal oxygen tubes, their feedings upped to 20mL (0.6 ounces) and incubators down to 27 and 28 degrees Celsius.
Because Kaylee is bigger than Amelia, she is doing a little better controlling her body temp and will more than likely be out of the incubator by the end of the weekend! Amelia is not far behind and working really hard to catch up to her sister!
It's discharge day. My emotions are all over the place. I'm excited to go home but deeply saddened by the thought of leaving the girls. Knowing the girls are in excellent hands is a relief but having them 20 minutes away is going to be very hard. The drive home was emotionally painful. As we walked out of the hospital without the girls I seemed to be doing okay. I was keeping it together until I saw another mom ahead of us with her baby girl, heading to their car. I lost it as soon as I got into our car. I was an uncontrollable mess! Thankfully, I have the best husband in the world! He held my hand as we drove and let me get all my emotions out before uttering a word. All he had to do was say, "I love you." and I began to feel better.
**I'm sitting here typing this and starting to tear up thinking and chuckling to myself about getting emotional, again, for almost no reason at all. **
Not only are the girls in great hands at the hospital but we have the ultimate healer watching over them (and us). God has shown his power in so many ways this week and I know he will continue to do so!
In Him,
Angie K
Thursday July 23:
Amelia and Kaylee did very well at theirs attempts to nurse today! They are happily taking the bottle and doing quite well with them. I am so proud of how well they are doing! They are continuing to progress nicely. By this evening they will both be off of their nasal oxygen tubes, their feedings upped to 20mL (0.6 ounces) and incubators down to 27 and 28 degrees Celsius.
Because Kaylee is bigger than Amelia, she is doing a little better controlling her body temp and will more than likely be out of the incubator by the end of the weekend! Amelia is not far behind and working really hard to catch up to her sister!
It's discharge day. My emotions are all over the place. I'm excited to go home but deeply saddened by the thought of leaving the girls. Knowing the girls are in excellent hands is a relief but having them 20 minutes away is going to be very hard. The drive home was emotionally painful. As we walked out of the hospital without the girls I seemed to be doing okay. I was keeping it together until I saw another mom ahead of us with her baby girl, heading to their car. I lost it as soon as I got into our car. I was an uncontrollable mess! Thankfully, I have the best husband in the world! He held my hand as we drove and let me get all my emotions out before uttering a word. All he had to do was say, "I love you." and I began to feel better.
**I'm sitting here typing this and starting to tear up thinking and chuckling to myself about getting emotional, again, for almost no reason at all. **
Not only are the girls in great hands at the hospital but we have the ultimate healer watching over them (and us). God has shown his power in so many ways this week and I know he will continue to do so!
In Him,
Angie K
Thursday, July 23, 2015
The Twincess Story pt 2
I will apologize in advanced for a long post. I didn't have my laptop with me these last couple days so I will fill you up with information from the last couple days!
Tuesday July 21:
Kaylee had a good night Monday night. She self corrected the few sleep apnea episodes on her own without needing the nurse to rouse her. Today the girls were dressed in a onesie and a swaddling blanket! For some reason all the tubes and wires don't look so scary with her bundled up. With them being clothed the girls will be working on regulating their body temp without the assistance of the of the incubator. Right now the incubator temperature is 29-30 degrees Celsius and the goal for them is 27 degrees Celsius for at least 24 hours. The doctor upped their feeding amount from 5mL to 10mL. They will be slowly reducing their fluid intake as they increase their feeding amount. Right now they are at 21% oxygen, which is the same air we are breathing, and not needing any supplementing. We discovered they love their pacifiers which I am thrilled about! Today I was able to hold both of them, at different times, while they ate!
I have to give a shout out to two very special ladies right now! My mom has been amazing these last few days! She has spent tireless hours at the hospital with me and plans to continue to do so. She helped me physically and emotionally during this very stressful time. My mother in law has been an absolute blessing as well. She has selflessly given up her time and energy to take care of the boys. There is absolutely no way Jessie and I could have managed without the love and care of our mothers!
Wednesday July 22:
Today's "touch time" was amazing! I was able to hold Amelia while she tried nursing. She mouthed for a little bit but din't do much. We were very pleased with how she practiced! Kaylee did very well too and both girls had their feeding tube moved from mouth to nose too! They began receiving their photo-therapy today too. Their doctor said they shouldn't need it for long since their belirueben levels weren't extremely high. All in all the girls are doing quite well! They are strong little ladies working hard to grow big and strong.
In Him,
Angie K
Monday, July 20, 2015
The Twincess Story pt 1
"Thank God for this gift, too wonderful for words." 2 Corinthians 9:15
From this post on I will be telling you all about our little girls and their new life in this world!
Here is the long version of the story from Saturday July 18th until Monday July 20th:
7pm on Saturday July 18th I started timing contractions. For two hours I contracted and decided to give the night nurse call. Apparently they were busy because it took about 30 minutes to call me back. She decided to send me to the hospital to get looked at and see what all was going on. Our boys were asleep so I told my husband to stay with them and I will drive to the hospital. If I need him to come we already had a plan in place. By this time I informed my mom, who lives about 2 hours away, what was going on.
By the time I had made it to the hospital it had been 3 hours worth of contracting but they weren't horrible ones. I got hooked up to monitors and the doctor did a preterm test on me which came back positive. I was dilated to 1.5 This means I was going to stay the night, be monitored and given meds to slow/stop the contractions. My mom and dad decided to drive down at 12:30am. They gave me some meds which knocked me out for a little bit. When I woke up my contractions were still around but pretty strong. When they checked me again at 3:40am I was dilated to a 4 and the doctor decided since I was in labor that the girls needed to be delivered.
One hour later on Sunday July 19th at 4:47am and 4:48 am Amelia Grace and Kaylee Jo were born via C-Section. Amelia was born first weighing 4 pounds 2 ounces and 17 inches long. Kaylee Jo was breech, feet down, weighing 4 pounds 9 ounces and 17.25 inches long. They were taken to the NICU while I was put back together and take to recovery. I was unable to see them until 1:00pm Sunday since I didn't have all the feeling back into my legs/feet.When I did get to see them it was a very emotional moment for me.
The girls are hooked up to all different wires and tubes. I wasn't able to hold them or touch them yet. I know God is going to take care of them but it was still very hard to hand them over to him.
They are on 21% oxygen which is room oxygen. They are not having to supplement. I'm not real sure what that mean but the nurses seem really positive! Kaylee is having some sleep apnea episodes so they are giving her some caffeine to stimulate and boost her breathing and stuff. Other than that they had a really good first day and night!
Monday July 20th:
I wasn't in too much pain this morning but as the day went on and I was doing more walking I could tell the pain was going to get worse. I was able to shower and remove the bandage from my incision. Even though the shower helped me feel nice and clean this was also the most painful part of my day. I was also finally given an abdomen binder which will help keep my stomach and stuff in place while I am up and moving.
The girls are having a good day. Amelia had some sleep apnea episodes, the nurses were not surprised, so she is now getting some caffeine too! The doctor let them have a little bit of milk today; 5 mL each which is only a teaspoon. I was able to change Kaylee's diaper earlier this afternoon! This evening Jessie went down to see them when he got off work and he was able to hold them!
As soon as I figure out how to post pictures on here I will put some up! Check back for more updates about the girl's as grow! God is good and is working in so many ways right now!
In Him,
Angie K
From this post on I will be telling you all about our little girls and their new life in this world!
Here is the long version of the story from Saturday July 18th until Monday July 20th:
7pm on Saturday July 18th I started timing contractions. For two hours I contracted and decided to give the night nurse call. Apparently they were busy because it took about 30 minutes to call me back. She decided to send me to the hospital to get looked at and see what all was going on. Our boys were asleep so I told my husband to stay with them and I will drive to the hospital. If I need him to come we already had a plan in place. By this time I informed my mom, who lives about 2 hours away, what was going on.
By the time I had made it to the hospital it had been 3 hours worth of contracting but they weren't horrible ones. I got hooked up to monitors and the doctor did a preterm test on me which came back positive. I was dilated to 1.5 This means I was going to stay the night, be monitored and given meds to slow/stop the contractions. My mom and dad decided to drive down at 12:30am. They gave me some meds which knocked me out for a little bit. When I woke up my contractions were still around but pretty strong. When they checked me again at 3:40am I was dilated to a 4 and the doctor decided since I was in labor that the girls needed to be delivered.
One hour later on Sunday July 19th at 4:47am and 4:48 am Amelia Grace and Kaylee Jo were born via C-Section. Amelia was born first weighing 4 pounds 2 ounces and 17 inches long. Kaylee Jo was breech, feet down, weighing 4 pounds 9 ounces and 17.25 inches long. They were taken to the NICU while I was put back together and take to recovery. I was unable to see them until 1:00pm Sunday since I didn't have all the feeling back into my legs/feet.When I did get to see them it was a very emotional moment for me.
The girls are hooked up to all different wires and tubes. I wasn't able to hold them or touch them yet. I know God is going to take care of them but it was still very hard to hand them over to him.
They are on 21% oxygen which is room oxygen. They are not having to supplement. I'm not real sure what that mean but the nurses seem really positive! Kaylee is having some sleep apnea episodes so they are giving her some caffeine to stimulate and boost her breathing and stuff. Other than that they had a really good first day and night!
Monday July 20th:
I wasn't in too much pain this morning but as the day went on and I was doing more walking I could tell the pain was going to get worse. I was able to shower and remove the bandage from my incision. Even though the shower helped me feel nice and clean this was also the most painful part of my day. I was also finally given an abdomen binder which will help keep my stomach and stuff in place while I am up and moving.
The girls are having a good day. Amelia had some sleep apnea episodes, the nurses were not surprised, so she is now getting some caffeine too! The doctor let them have a little bit of milk today; 5 mL each which is only a teaspoon. I was able to change Kaylee's diaper earlier this afternoon! This evening Jessie went down to see them when he got off work and he was able to hold them!
As soon as I figure out how to post pictures on here I will put some up! Check back for more updates about the girl's as grow! God is good and is working in so many ways right now!
In Him,
Angie K
Triumph over Tears
"Thank God for this gift, too wonderful for words." 2 Corinthians 9:15
This was the verse I received in my email the day we found out I was pregnant in December 2014. God has had his hand in this pregnancy from day one. I admit that when I found out I was pregnant I was not happy. I didn't want to be pregnant. It wasn't the right time for me. I didn't feel healthy or fit. We were't planning on getting pregnant for several months! It took me a few weeks to finally be "ok" with being pregnant. I knew this pregnancy was going to be different from the start. I just didn't realize HOW different!
The day I found out I was having twins was a day I will never forget. Not only was God allowing me to be pregnant but now we were going to have two! I was torn between shock and horrible fear. We are a one income family. How in the world will we be able to afford twins? What about me homeschooling Jonah in the fall for preschool? What about having to buy a bigger vehicle? Why would God do this to us? To me?
So many questions and worries ran through my mind everyday. If I had to pinpoint a major sin of mine it would be worry. I tend to worry about everything instead of handing it over to our Lord. I questioned him so many times when I should have asked him for help and handed all my burdens to him.
I came to the point where there wasn't anything I could do to "fix" this. I had a night of crying, confessing, pleading and asking for forgiveness for my sins that finally opened my eyes. It's crazy how one major conversation with God can be a life changer. God opened my eyes and helped me see the good in his plan.
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
What an amazing heavenly father we have! All praises to him.
Stay tuned because my next post will be about how God continues to work in his majestic ways especially in surprising situations: the early birth of our girls!
In Him,
Angie K
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