19 days old

We took the twins for another check up today and we received a surprise...Tate weighs 7 lbs 1.5 oz and is 19 3/4" long. That's an increase of 1 lb 5 oz and 1/4" since birth!! Not to be outdone, Tara weighs 6 lbs 8 oz and is 18 1/2" long. She had an increase of 1 lb and 3/4"!! The doctor was pleased with their progress and we were happy to know why they have been waking up every 1 1/2 hours for food!!

All is well...

Not to jinx things, but everything is going really well around the Keesee house. The babies are getting stronger every day. They are eating over 2 oz per feeding now! They stay awake a little longer each morning and yesterday we tried tummy time...without much success!! Gage is going back to preschool a few days per week and Aubie is working a few days too. It's great to get back to a somewhat normal schedule! I've attached pictures from this weekend.

I have a doctors appointment tomorrow and the twins go for a check up Thursday. I hope everyone has a great week and we will update again soon.

Babies first check up

We took all 3 kids for check ups today...can you say chaos??? Who knew getting 3 children clean, dressed, fed and in their carseats in a timely manner would be so crazy!!! But we made it to Dr. Mettry's office 5 minutes early and without any tears so I consider that a success.

Gage has grown 3 inches since May and has gained 2 pounds. He is a very healthy boy that is suffering from a case of allergies (making him cough and making Mom freak out!!)

Tate weighs 5 lbs 15 oz so he has surpassed his birth weight!! His circumcision is healing well and his jaundice is going down.

Tara weighs 5 lbs 7 oz. The doctor said that ideally babies will be back to their birth weight by 10 days old. They are 9 days old so they're doing great. Her jaundice is also getting better.

It's only been a week...

The past week has been a whirlwind. I guess now that we've had time to think about all of the events, it's a little overwhelming! First, we're lucky that we went to the hospital when we did. My blood pressure was 170/106 and I had 4+ protein in my urine. I had fluid collecting on my lungs. We arrived at the hospital at 7:00 pm and the twins were born at 9:40 pm...so while I tend to downplay most health situations (nobody wants to be a hypochondriac) I was fortunate that we received care before things got out of hand.

Second, we're so blessed to have healthy babies. Yes they had issues and spent 5 days in the NICU. Yes they might have a few hurdles to overcome in the next few months but they're home! They're eating and breathing on their own and I'm able to hold them anytime I want!! That is such a miracle. It was so emotional to see them in the NICU with breathing machines, IV's, feeding tubes and monitors attached all over their little bodies. But we always had the reassurance that they would come home. Our biggest question was "when" they come home...there were some families that we met that had the horrible question of "if" their baby would come home.

And finally, we have been humbled by the outpouring of support and love from our family and community. We never had to worry about our 4-year-old feeling left out or abandoned while we were at the hospital because Mamaw and Papaw went the extra mile to make him feel special and involved in the process. We had lots of visitors everyday that truly express a desire to help in any way. We have been eating like kings thanks to our church!! It's honestly an amazing feeling to be surrounded by so much compassion.

As for the babies, they are eating, sleeping, pooping machines!! They're eating approx. 35 cc at each feeding which is every 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Tate is very much like Gage, very low key and laid back. Tara is starting to show her prissy side! She doesn't want it too hot or too cold. She doesn't want to be wet or swaddled to tight. Tate will cry when it's time to eat while Tara makes little noises all the time...they are the sweetest sounds ever!!

We're home and have pictures to prove it!

We came home from the hospital yesterday. It was great to get everyone in the same place. I wanted to get the pictures posted for all to see. Gotta run - babies need fed. I'll try to have Jackie update later.

From NICU...for the last time

This is Jackie...I'm finally ready to post again. Big thanks to Papa Aubie for all his updates. Actually he deserves a medal for all he's gone through. He's been taking care of me (and I'm admittedly very hormonal) and watching out for the twins and making arrangements for Gage. He's an amazing man and we're all lucky to have him in our lives!

Things change fast around the NICU. The twins are making amazing progress and we were discharged at 6:00 tonight with instructions to be back in the morning for follow up bilirubin (sp?) testing. Since it was late and we live 1 hour 45 minutes from the hospital they let us keep the twins in the on-call suite. So it's our first night with the babies! YAY! The test tomorrow are to monitor their jaundice. If the levels increase they will likely have photo therapy. If they decrease or stay the same they will likely have us return in a few days for more tests. Either way, we should be home, with all the kids, tomorrow!!!!

This has been a wild ride, to say the least. Things happened so quickly that some of the details seem hazy. And did I mention that I'm a hormonal mess?? It is so hard being away from Gage. We have felt so torn between staying with the twins or going home to Gage. So, I'm tired and very sore (did anyone ever tell you that the abdominal muscles are used in almost every movement???) and a little weepy. But very soon this will be in the past and will make a great story!!

Tuesday Update

Jackie is getting dismissed this afternoon. We are going to go home after the afternoon feeding and spend the night with Gage. In the morning, we plan to pack up and move to an extended stay hotel near the hospital. Tate and Tara are doing good - up to 20cc per feeding. They have their feeding tubes out and are nursing bottles. Hopefully their IV's will be removed tonight. They are in the same bed sleeping next to each other for the first time. It's amazing how much more content they are next to each other. I will try to talk the nurses into letting me take more pictures to post on here. The nurses aren't very camera friendly in NICU. Hopefully, in 4 or 5 days we will be able to take them home and get the herd all together. Thanks for all the comments and support. - Aub

Monday morning update

Jackie has walked a little bit this morning, but still has some pain. They are talking about dismissing her tomorrow afternoon or Wednesday. She slept pretty good through the night and is doing pretty good. I got to hold Tate for the first time today (Jackie held him for a minute yesterday), but neither of us have held Tara. She is still a little bit behind him, but is catching up quickly. The Dr. told me this morning that the babies were doing "better than expected". I tried to get the NICU nurse to give me a timeline for dismissal to no avail. They are currently eating 5cc (1 teaspoon) of formula per feeding and they must eat 45cc per feeding before they can be dismissed. They have removed the CPAP from both babies, but they still have feeding tubes and IV's. They also must be able to regulate body temperature, nurse from a bottle, and gain weight steadily before dismissal. We are checking into extended stay hotels just in case we need them. Gage is doing good with MaMaw and PaPaw and seems to be really excited about his siblings. We are fortunate to have such great friends and family to help us through this journey. Please keep the 5 five of us in your prayers. -Aub

Tara and Tate are here!

Well, they are here and I am a proud Papa. Jackie's blood pressure was running high Sat. night so we decided to come to the Dr. As I am ordering dinner she called be and told me to hurry up because we were having babies in about 20 mins. Needless to say I ran to the car to grab the camera, ate dinner in an elevator, and arrived back at the room as they were wheeling her out for surgery. Tate (5 lbs 12 oz, 19 1/2 in) and Tara (5 lbs 8 oz, 17 3/4 in) were born at 9:40 p.m. on January 10, 2009. Jackie is still having some issues with her blood pressure, but it is getting better. Tate and Tara are both still in NICU. Tate will hopefully come out of NICU tomorrow and Tara should be right behind him. She is still on the CPAP (sp?) but may get it removed during the night tonight. Jackie got to see the babies for the first time just a few minutes ago and she even got to hold Tate! We continue to hope for the best. Prayers are appreciated and we will try to update often.

Babies next week!

We're back from the doctor's appointments. My kidney study showed an increase in protein and acid BUT my blood pressure medicine is working...the highest it has gotten is 130/88!! I'm swollen (looks like somebody punched me in the eyes without the bruising!!) and my contractions have gotten stronger. So, considering all things, the doctor decided we should have the twins next week. WOW!! That seems really soon! We have an appointment next Monday and we will schedule the delivery then (assuming I can stay out of the hospital this week!!)

This is getting old...

I have truly enjoyed this pregnancy. I love being pregnant and I'm a little sentimental about it being so close to the end...but running back and forth to L&D is starting to get on my nerves!

Yesterday my blood pressure was high. Like 150/100 while standing and 145/95 while laying down. After lunch I started feeling yucky so I called my doctor's office and they told me to go to the hospital. They ran some tests and started me on blood pressure medicine. We were allowed to come home (they released us at 9:00 last night) with instructions to start a 24-hour kidney study. I guess all of this blood pressure stuff can affect my kidney function so they want to check it out. We are going back to the hospital Sunday for the kidney study, a NST and more lab work. Then we have a doctors appointment Monday. My bedrest was restricted even more with instructions to only get up to use the restroom.

On a very happy note, today is Gage's birthday! He's very excited about his party this afternoon...it's amazing how happy a few balloons and cake will make kids!!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great New Year's Day. Mine was uneventful...the family was asleep by 10:00 New Years Eve! I spent yesterday on the sofa, reading some of the new books I received for Christmas.

Aubie's best friend, Eric, and his wife welcomed their second child yesterday. Easton was born around 2:00 pm Thursday so Aubie spent the day with them. Aub said baby Easton is very cute with lots of hair and chubby legs!!

Gage spent Thursday with my parents. He fed the cows and played trains with Papaw...some of his favorite things!! He is playing with my mother-in-law, Carolyn, today. He was excited to spend time with her and he was hopeful she'd take him to his favorite restaurant, McDonald's (does that really count as a restaurant??) Gage's 4th birthday is tomorrow. I can't believe he is already 4 years-old...he'll start preschool in August!!! We're having a Thomas the Train party tomorrow afternoon. It should be fun!

We have another doctor's appointment Monday so we'll update then. Hope everyone has a great weekend.