4 weeks old today!

Addyson and Braden are 4 weeks old today!

Addyson has officially passed the 3 pound mark - she is really starting to fill in and grow!

Both kids continue to work on learning to eat by themselves without the help of their NG tube - practice makes perfect!

We didn't get many pics yesterday so just a quick update for today!

Shower Day

We didn't get to spend a lot of time with the kids yesterday because we had lots planned. We were able to go to Sunday School and church and then the church ladies threw us a great shower!

Check out all our awesome gifts!!!

And they even let daddy come to the shower!

Ryan is an awesome daddy - he didn't miss one dr. appointment and he's been to see Addyson and Braden every day since they've been born! I couldn't have asked for a better husband :) He didn't even get mad when Addyson pooped . . . and pooped . . . and pooped some more last night when he was changing her diaper!!!

There isn't too much to report on the kids. They continue to do great!

How cute are we?

Ryan held both Addyson and Braden for a while yesterday. He put them side by side laying straight up and down and they were sort of fussy and they moved themselves into this position and fell asleep. I love this picture of our two sweeties!

Braden took most of a feeding by bottle yesterday. Sometimes they'll do well and the next time they fall asleep or don't know what's going on! But they're continuing to practice and progress - as they get a few weeks older they should do better and be more consistent.

We have a full day planned so I better keep it short today! We had a great time with the kids yesterday and were glad that we missed the biggest part of the snow storm so we could make it to the hospital!

Check us out in special care!

This morning Addyson and Braden were moved out of the NICU and into special care on the 3rd floor! They are both in a room that they have all to themselves! It is so much quieter and darker and they seem to really like it! It feels so much less like a hospital ward - there is even carpet on the floor!!

Ryan and I each got to hold both our twins at the same time! It was so cool - this is the first time we've been able to do that. Addyson and Braden seemed to like it too - they put their heads together when Ryan got them together for the first time since they were born over 3 weeks ago. They must have missed each other!!

We went a little earlier in the day because of the weather so for the first time in a month we saw it get dark! It was before the time change the last time we saw the sun go down.

Here are some pictures of what our special care room looks like. I think we'll really like it - we have so much more privacy. We made it through the sleet and snow to see them. The electricity went out for a few hours last night because of the storm - we were so glad Addyson and Braden were getting good care at the warm hospital instead of in our cold house!

Here's a video too!

Braden leaves the box!!

Braden moved out of his isolette and into a crib! He looks like such a big boy now! He had met the weight requirement long ago but now he's keeping himself warm with only the help of his clothes and a blanket instead of the heater he had in his box. It is so nice to be able to see him without looking through plastic walls! He looks like he's all grown up! They both had warm hats on so they're ready for the big snow storm that's coming :)

Addyson passed 1250 grams yesterday which was the required weight to be able to go to special care! So we'll see what the doctors order but they will probably be moving to special care any day! Her heart rate seemed slower while we were there last night - it was only elevated when she got upset which is more normal. They were more concerned about the high rate when she was just resting. So we'll hopefully get an update today!

We are excited about their progress - it makes it easier to realize that eventually they will get to come home!

Addyson lost her umbilical cord

Addyson finally lost her umbilical cord!

Addyson's heart rate has been running high some of the time - they call this tachycardia. I talked to the neonatologist that was in the NICU yesterday. They are watching it but at this point they aren't going to run tests because she is usually in the normal range and only becomes tachycardic for 15-20 seconds at most and to require tests on her heart or things to check for infection or the bunches of other reasons that her heart rate could be high would not be worth it at this point. They would make her mad and she would waste energy, blood etc. and at this point they just don't see any other clues that would prompt them to think that anything is wrong. Please pray that her heart would calm down and that the doctors would have wisdom to see what might be wrong and know at what point or if they should run tests.

They both continue to gain weight and do just great otherwise!

It is hard to believe that it has been a month today since I was first admitted to the hospital when Addyson's umbilical cord flow became absent. What a lot the Lord has done in a few weeks! Sometimes we feel like the time has gone rather quickly - we are thankful that we really haven't minded the drives to Wichita. Things really have gone well for the kids and we've enjoyed most of the time that we've gotten to spend with them in NICU. We still have our days where we wish we were all home. There aren't very many days that we go to the hospital and don't meet a mom and baby waiting for the car to pick them up to go home so it is still a challenge to not be jealous of the fact that we don't have our babies at home with us. Or that we don't have normal baby pictures and that the twins haven't gotten to be close to each other. But we look forward to the day they do get to come home and what a celebration that will be! We are so grateful that the Lord gave them to us and we really cherish the times when we hold them! What a blessing they are!!

Sleeping Beauties

Both kids are doing awesome! They are so much fun. They were both sleeping so cute last night.

No big changes yesterday - they continue to grow!

3 weeks old today!!!

Today the twins are 3 weeks old!

They both slept really good yesterday - they are both so calm when they are wrapped in their blankets!

Addyson wore her own clothes yesterday - she is so cute!!!

Addyson is wearing clothes!

Addyson is now wearing clothes! She is nowhere near the weight limit required to wear clothes. But since she is an IUGR baby (intra-uterine growth restriction - which means that she has been really small for her age since she was developing inside of me) she is just as developed as her brother even though she is much smaller than normal for her age. When she is all wrapped up in her burrito blanket she is much calmer and doesn't wiggle around flailing her arms and legs. They think this will help her grow even better if she can remain calm; she was able to keep her temperature well yesterday so she'll probably continue wearing clothes! We'll take her some of her own today!

Braden has officially passed the 4 pound mark! What a big boy! We continue to try daily to see if he can eat on his own instead of through the NG tube that he's been using. He knows what he's supposed to do - he just can't get it all figured out! But he's trying - he's still young so it's not a surprise that he's still learning how it's all supposed to work!

We were glad we got to spend a lot of time with the kids yesterday - but we are looking forward to the time when we can have the kids at home and not have to worry about following crazy rules in the NICU. We will probably be headed to special care in around a week if everything continues to go as they expect! Then we'll have a little more freedom with some of the rules too. We are just so thankful that the kids are doing so great!

Thanks for all the prayers and comments on the blog. We appreciate knowing that you're thinking of our family.

Continuing to Grow!

Addyson and Braden continue to gain weight. Braden gained another 2 1/2 ounces and weighs exactly 1800 grams which is just short of 4 pounds! Addyson gained an ounce and she now weighs 2 pounds 7 ounces.

They are doing good and we enjoyed spending more time with them yesterday!

Braden tries a bottle

The nurse tried to give Braden a bottle yesterday! He sucked on it a little bit but as soon as milk started coming out he wasn't sure what to do with it! So he got fed through his tube like normal. The doctor has asked them to try once a day to give him a bottle. He's still pretty young but he's showing signs that he might be ready for a bottle so they'll keep trying!

Both kids are gaining good weight the last several days. Braden especially has been chunking it on but Addyson is doing well also.

Braden can move out of his isolette and into a crib soon hopefully. He is getting close to the weight requirement and he is not getting much assistance to keep warm since he's doing most of it himself.

Addyson continues to do well, she just has much further to go!

Braden plays peek-a-boo!

We were blessed with another quiet day. Both kids gained weight yesterday and we got to hold them for our normal time. It is so good to be able to hold them - we miss them so much when we are away from them.

Braden was all wrapped up but peeking out - it looked like a good game of peek-a-boo!

They gave Addyson a little bit bigger snuggly and she seems to escape less, but she's still our little wiggleworm! She continues to gain weight and is doing great! Normally kids need blood transfusions because they do so much lab work and other things and the babies aren't able to replace their blood supply very well yet. We thought Addyson especially might need some blood several days ago but her lab came back fine so she didn't have to have a transfusion which is good news!

They haven't had to do as many labs on them either because at this point they're doing well!

We continue to be amazed at their progress and are so thankful that they continue to do so well!

Another day older

Addyson and Braden had another uneventful day. Addyson gained well over an ounce and Braden gained just a couple grams.

It was a pretty quiet day and I can't really think of any other updates to share. Just some more cute pictures of our tiny miracles!

Another good day!

Both kids continue to do great. They had a pretty uneventful day yesterday. There were no changes made. Neither of them gained weight yesterday but once again they had big poops so that's probably part of the reason! They both made such a mess!

We were able to hold them once again and enjoy some time together. We are so thankful that the Lord is taking such good care of them and that he has gifted nurses and doctors to look after them - they are such special people with caring hearts.

2 weeks old!

Today the twins are 2 weeks old!

Braden has lost his umbilical cord but Addyson still has hers. Both kids had giant poops yesterday! Addyson's tummy had seemed big and last night while I was changing her diaper she continued to poop and every time she seemed done I would grab a new diaper and she would proceed to fill that one also. I think we went through 5 diapers before we finally got her changed for good. So I got lots of good practice for changing tiny diapers!

The kids continue to eat more and more every day! Addyson gained close to an ounce again -

Braden didn't gain any but they're not concerned.

They are old enough that they don't need the covers that completely cover the isolette. Instead they have small covers that only cover the top part so it's easier to see them.

Addyson was feeling much better after her huge pooping episode and was wide awake and playful! We continue to do about 1 1/2 hours of skin-to-skin each evening. We switch who holds each kid every night so one night I'll hold Addyson and the next night Braden. It is so great to have two babies so we each have one to hold and we don't have to share!

We got a tour of special care which is the next step after NICU. The main requirement that they haven't met yet to be able to move is that Addyson is not big enough and they'll try to keep Braden and Addyson together as much as they can so unless space becomes an issue or one has a huge setback and the other is progressing really fast they'll move at the same time. Addyson would need to weigh at least 1250 grams and currently she is just over 1000. If she continues at the rate she's gaining the last few days, they might move in a couple of weeks. In special care they would be in their own room - it looks more like a traditional hospital room instead of the way NICU is with everyone just lined up in one huge room. It was nice to see where they're headed next but we realize that it will be best for them to stay in NICU until they are for sure ready to move because it would be worse for them to move too early and then end up back downstairs in NICU.

We also met the babies' doctor on the elevator while we were looking at special care and he came and talked to us for a little bit. We hadn't talked to him since being in the OR during my C-section when he gave us the first update that the babies were stabilized in NICU. That has been a good thing - if you see the doctor that usually means something isn't going well with your baby because otherwise they aren't seen too much in NICU. It was good to talk with him and he said the babies are doing great and that the only concern he has is that they stay free from infection and sicknesses so please continue to pray that they will be able to stay well.

Ryan has been able to work more the last few days. There is starting to be plenty to do on the farm and he is trying to balance working and seeing the kids. Please pray that we will do well with adjusting to a new routine and splitting up our time.

Braden gets his own clothes - Addyson tries to escape

Yesterday was a good day. Ryan and I were able to go to church and hear a sermon we needed to hear. We were reminded to hope in God's sovereignty and have confidence in God's total control.

II Corinthians 12:9-10
But He said to me "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I don't think either of us realized how much we had missed worshiping together and just being at church so that was a great encouragement to us. And it was good to have something "normal"!

Both kids continue to do great. They both gained an ounce yesterday. They like to see them gain 1/2 ounce so they are both doing above and beyond what is expected.

We bought Braden some of his own clothes and I was able to dress our little boy for the first time yesterday! Daddy is very proud of his Big Truck outfit - he looks so much like a little boy. Even though it's big, the preemie outfit didn't swallow him up like we thought it would!

Addyson continues to make us laugh. When we got to the hospital yesterday afternoon the nurses had taken more pictures of her. She is always laying in some crazy position. Last night right before we left she had gotten herself into this position. We put her back several times and she continued to move herself around. She looked like she was trying to escape! She is hilarious and makes us smile!

We were able to talk to some other families in NICU last night so that was encouraging for all of us. We were reminded yesterday especially that God brings these things into our lives for a reason and we pray that we will respond in a way that is honoring and glorifying to Him.

Addyson got her IV out today! Now both babies have so many less cords attached to them! They each have a feeding tube but the rest of the wires are just monitors to watch their temperatures, heart rates, etc.

They're both gaining weight and doing well!

Braden got rid of his snuggly (the thing that they lay inside that keeps them snug) since he has clothes, but they wrap him up really tight in a blanket to help keep him warm and snuggly feeling. He looks like a little burrito! Braden makes the funniest faces when you hold him - he is so cute!

Addyson is a long way from wearing clothes but she continues to gain weight and do well. This picture with daddy's hands shows just how little she still is! She seems to be getting in some good rest over the last couple days so that should help her concentrate on growing. She had a bunch of A's and B's yesterday in a short time period - the nurses say she seems to do them in spurts and they're not too concerned. Maybe she just needed some attention :) She's so little that they expect that to happen.

The kids are doing really well. We're getting settled into our routine and I think it just hit me yesterday how long of a haul this will be - it's just hard for them not to be home with us even though I know they're getting the best care possible.

Braden is wearing clothes!

Braden now weighs enough to wear clothes! He is wearing the tiniest little sleeper that I have ever seen! He looks so cute!

Both kids are continuing to eat more every day and gain weight! They had a pretty uneventful day which is such a blessing! Neither of them were in the "sun" today and they continue to breathe on their own.

We are so blessed to have them and so grateful that they are doing amazingly well!

The kids are still doing well. Both of them have started gaining weight instead of losing which is encouraging! Braden should be weighing enough that they will have him start wearing clothes in the next few days! Addyson has been spitting up a little bit so they backed her feedings down a little bit since her tummy isn't quite ready for that much. Braden is eating enough that he doesn't need his IV to get him liquids anymore and Addyson is close to getting hers out too once she stops spitting up.

Addyson got herself scrunched to the bottom of her isolette and she looked hilarious - the picture is a little hard to see but she was so cute!

Continued Progress

Another good day! There really isn't much to report - both kids are still breathing on their own and doing really well. Addyson got HMF added to her milk (Braden has had this for quite a while already). These are extra vitamins that they add to help them grow and get stronger.

As of last night Braden had no A's or B's for the day and Addyson only had 1! They are doing great and we did our daily skin-to-skin which went well!

There was a new baby born that became our new neighbor and he didn't seem to be doing that well - alarms kept going off and the dr. was working with him a lot. And our other neighbor just wasn't having a great day either according to his parents. It made us sad for their families and reminded us not to take for granted just how awesome our little ones are doing. We have so much to be thankful for!

Addyson and Braden are doing well. They are still completely breathing on their own and neither of them got "sun". Both of them had less A's & B's yesterday (A is for apnea which is when they forget to breathe and B is for brady's or bradycardia which is when their heart forgets to beat or slows down). Addyson especially had quite a few in previous days but as of last night when we left she had only had a couple which is a great improvement. For their age and size it is normal that they will have some it is just better the less that they have!

Braden got skin-to-skin time with daddy and Addyson had skin-to-skin with mommy last night. Addy spit up for the first time while we have been around - I feel like a real mommy now that I got stinky spit up on me and got to wipe her mouth and clean her up. And we get to check their temperature and change diapers when we're there. It's weird how we enjoy all of those little things that normal parents have to do every day but for us it's almost a special treat to be able to experience the "normal" baby stuff.

Ryan and I both got naps in yesterday which made us much happier campers! Braden is doing so much better. He just seems like a different boy than he was - he is so much more relaxed and happy and he gave Grandpa Vogt a smile last night! Ryan and I were looking back at all our pictures last night and it is just amazing to see how far we have come in only a week. We all look more relaxed and healthy and happy. It is good to be able to see how far God has brought us and to remind us just how far we have to go yet.