Addie and her Big Girl Bed

Addison got her big girl bed today!!! It's actually Landon's bed, but she will be using it until she and Landry get their bunk beds a few years down the road. I think she loved having all of the space. Mommy went to check on her before heading off to bed and ended up sleeping in the new bed too. It is very comfy and mommy is sooo tired these days that she could fall asleep anywhere!

Nursery

The curtains were put up the other day and some wall art. Addie's crib is assembled and in place! She is getting Landon's bed for now. We are just waiting on mattress to come in. The nursery still needs a few odds and ends, but for the most part it is complete.

My New Love

I've had a lot of television watching time. Nursing and feeding twins gives you a lot of time on your butt, so I've had lots of Game Show Network on and the t.v. on in general. David recorded this "Music With Altitude" concert and I fell in love immediately. It has been awhile since I have liked a new group. The group is called Dashboard Confessionals and I could listen to it over and over and over! I love the lead singer. He seems to always be smiling and really enjoys what he does. That makes him more enjoyable to watch. You gotta love when people seem to love what they do. Anyway, here is a video clip of my new favorite band:

Good News!

Today David and I took little Landry to the pediatric cardiologist. He reviewed her echo from Women's Hospital and listened to her heart. Landry hasn't exhibited any symptoms of VSD. She is growing, thriving, and hasn't had any breathing problems while feeding. Her color has always been good and her face isn't sweating at all. The hole is 2-3 mm. Small!!! He said a hole that size closes 80% of the time. He said if it doesn't close, she can't scuba dive or be an astronaut. He reassured us the hole really isn't even an issue and it shouldn't be a problem for her at all. We go back in September for a follow up appointment. YAY for great news!!

We brought Landon with us. We were in a hurry to get out of the door and we couldn't find his hat. We just had to grab a pink hat. Poor guy. Despite the blue blanket and blue outfit, everyone thought he was a girl. Someone asked how I tell them apart. I said, "He's a boy and I just take off their diapers." I can't keep putting pink on this boy. But, in my defense, he pees on himself and his clothes at least three times a day and goes through three or four outfits to Landry's one. So, when his sleepers run out, I resort to hers!!

2 Weeks Old

We went to our two week well baby appointment today. Here are the stats:

Landry:
Weight: 6 pounds 2 ounces
Length: 19 inches
Head Circumference: 12.5






Landon:
Weight: 5 pounds 3 ounces
Length: 19 inches
Head Circumference: 12.25


Real boys wear pink! Sorry little buddy!



Landry has past her newborn weight, but Landon didn't quite make it there. We have to weigh him again in a week and see how he is doing. He is eating a lot better now than when we brought him home. We struggled just to get 25 ml per feeding in him those first few days home, but now he can take up to 50 ml in half the time. I think he will beef up quickly!!! He gets so mad when we unswaddle him and his cry is very high pitched!! He is very happy being warm! They are both still sleeping most of the day. Landon has been awake a little bit more these past few days. On Monday, Landry will go to the cardiologist for the first time. They said the initial visit will take three hours. Please send good thoughts and prayers for sweet little Landry! One of the characteristics of a ventricular septal defect is a failure to thrive. Based on her eagerness to eat and her weight gain this week, I don't see a problem there! I haven't noticed any breathing problems either. You would never know she has a heart defect and hopefully things will stay that way!

Family of Five (wow!):

One Week Old

The twins are a week old today!!! Landon was able to come home on Tuesday. He is becoming a better eater as the days pass. Both are still having their bilirubin levels monitored, but the level should have peaked so we might be out of the woods there. They went to the doctor yesterday and both gained an ounce in two days. They are both sweet. They sleep all day. We have to keep them swaddled with their hats on for the first month, so most of the pictures will be of them swaddled. Swaddled sleeping on the couch, swaddled sleeping in the pack and play, swaddled sleeping in the bouncer. You get the idea!!! Addie is taking care of her babies as well. I find her dolls all around. I never know where I will see one next. It's very cute. So, in the pictures, you will see dolls in random places. Those are Addie's babies!

Thank you for all the prayers for Landry. We have heard a lot of stories with people with ventricular septal defects and everyone seems to lead a normal life....with exercise too!!! We are still waiting to hear from the pediatric cardiologist so we can make our first appointment. We are very hopeful the hole will just heal on its own with time and it won't even be an issue! Our little girl will be strong and we will support her along the way whatever the road brings us!

Here are some pictures from our first week together as a family of five!

Prayers for Landry

So this isn't exactly the news parents of newborns want, but it is what it is. David and I learned last night that Landry has a heart defect. It is called a Ventricular Septal Defect. Essentially there is a hole between her left and right ventricles. There are three degrees, mild, moderate and large. They believe that hers is mild to moderate. We are to see a cardiologist so that the defect can be followed. It is a rare defect that occurs in 1% of individuals. There was another hole in another area of her heart and some valve problems, but the neonatologist assured us that those were not even considered mild and to not focus on them. There is a 30 to 60% chance that the hole will close on its own. 30% for moderate holes and 60% for mild. So, maybe 50/50? The good news is it really should not effect her in any aspect of her life. Worst case scenario....she can't do sports (gasp, I know). So, that is the good news. Of course I took the news pretty hard, no one wants to be told their baby has a heart defect. There are no known causes. The pediatrician saw Landry this morning and told David that of all the heart defects to have, this is the one you would want. I guess that's reassuring in some way. Still it's a hard pill to swallow when your told the news and then the neonatologist is telling you the signs of congestive heart failure.

Landry was able to come home with us last night. She had an excellent first night at home!!!

Landon is under the lights for his bilirubin. He should be done with that by noon today. His temperature dropped yesterday though around 7:30 pm. The neonatologist said he will come out from the lights at noon. If he maintains his temp and has two 30 ml feeds in a row, he will release him since we have a drs. appt. tomorrow to follow up on his jaundice. We are hopeful to bring him home with us tonight if he is ready.

Flexible

So in the short time I have been the mother of premies, I have learned one very important lesson: You have to be flexible. Every hour is something different. The neonatologist came by to tell me he counseled with his collegues and has decided Landon can not go home. Landon's borderline bilirubin combined with his poor feeding skills is equation for disaster if he is sent home. Landon has been taken to be put under bilirubin lights for 24 hours. He might be able to go home tomorrow. The OT came by for his eval, and wouldn't you know it, the boy didn't have a single feed issue. I think the lady thought I was crazy. She kept saying how great he was doing for a 35 weeker. I am grateful we seem to have turned the corner in his feeding!!! Hopefully he will keep up the good work!

Landry and I are still hanging out waiting for her echocardiogram to be completed. She still should be able to come home with us tonight!

Going Home with Babies??

We might get to bring both babies home today! Landon is feeding a little bit better. He actually drank for me today for the first time. He still has a weak suck and an OT eval this morning, but he seems to be improving. His bilirubin levels are borderline so the pediatrician said he would release him (and her) if we had an appointment with our pediatrician tomorrow (we do!).

Landry still has the heart murmur. She is scheduled to have an echocardiogram this morning and the results should be back tonight by 6:00. Hopefully it is just something minor that will heal on its own. Her bilirubin levels are slightly elavated as well.

Pray for healthy babies!

Sisters

David sent a photo of the twins merged with one of Addison when she was three days old. I told him that Landry and Addison look very similar as babies and the proof is in the pic. If Landry weighed two more pounds, I think they would be hard to tell apart. Addison weighed 7 lbs. 14 ozs. at birth and Landry 5 lbs. 10 ozs. Sweet sisters!

Update

The pediatrician came by and neither of the babies will be released today. Both are having feeding issues and Landry did not pass the car seat test. The car seat test will be repeated tomorrow a.m. The doctor on call asked if I wanted to stay and I said yes. Normally, I would have been released, but she said she'll make up a reason why I can not be discharged today. Yay! The occupational therapist is not here today, so Landon's OT eval will be tomorrow. Both babies are very sleepy today and resting peacefully.

The Twins Day Two

The pediatrician came by yesterday morning. He said that Landry has a heart murmur and Landon has a weak suck. Most heart murmurs correct themselves so we are hopeful for that. Landon's weak suck will be evaluated by an occupational therapist this morning. During the night, the twins had car seat tests. They have to sit in their car seats for 30 minutes and maintain their heart rates and oxygen levels. I just spoke to the nurse and she said that Landry's heart rate did drop into the 80's and it's supposed to be above 95. She said her oxygen level dropped as well. They are in the nursery this morning waiting to be seen by the neonatologist. He will decide whether or not they passed their car seat tests or if they need to be redone. Other than Landon's feed issue, the twins have been great so far and we look forward to bringing them home when they are ready!

Landon and Landry

Landry

Papa and Landon & Nonny and Landry

Daddy and Landry

Landon

Big Sis Arrives on Scene

Addison came today to see her little sister and brother. It was a whirlwind of activity as soon as she entered the room. She was eager to help. She wanted to get the bottles and feed them, give them their pacis, "pet" them, put mommy's chapstick on them, and hold them. She was excited through the morning to see them and David had his hands full. Hopefully she'll calm down a bit and not want to be so hands-on with them, otherwise we'll have a lot to contend with. I think once she learns her boundaries with them, she'll be a great big sis because she is SO EAGER to help! You can see how excited she is in the following photos! Who can blame her?!

Addison holding Landry

Addison holding Landon

Addison and her Sibling Cake

The girls!

We Welcome our Little Firecrackers!!!

Happy Birth Day to Landry Elise and Landon Reid. Born today, July 4th, at 3:30 a.m.(Landry) and 3:41 a.m. (Landon).

At 8:30 on July 3rd I called the doctor's office to let them know I was still having frequent contractions on the higher dose of terbutaline. They scheduled an appt. for 2 that afternoon. I had a feeling I would be admitted to the hospital, so I packed and brought my bag. The non-stress test showed two contractions and lots of irritability for the 20 or so minutes while I was on the monitor. Dr. A did an exam and said I was 80% effaced and 2-3 cm. dilated. On Monday, I was only 1centimeter dilated. Since these contractions were obviously changing things, he said to go ahead and go to the hospital and he'd try and stop them.

Around 4:00 off to the hospital I went. He started me on a pretty high dose of magnesium sulfate. The first hour or so I noticed about six contractions, but the next hour they were becoming more frequent and stronger. By 11:30 the doctor on call said she called my doctor to tell him that they weren't stopping and he said to go ahead and move me to labor and delivery. I was shocked!!!

The sequence of events:
11:45 p.m. Dr. A shows up at hospital to deliver me (Yay!!! I was so excited!)
12:00 a.m. 2 centimeters dilated and Pitocin is started
2:15 a.m. 4 cm dilated and Epidural is administered
3:00 a.m. 10 cm dilated and nurse says I'm ready to push. What? Holy smokes, that was fast. She calls the doctor and asks if he would like for her to have me start pushing in the room or go ahead and move me to the operating room where they will be delivered. He says to start where we are. She has me push one time and says stop. Baby Landry is RIGHT there so we head off to the operating room.
3 to 3:30 a.m. They move me and prep me. Just when they have me in position, they scoot me down and then all of a sudden they are telling me to stop talking. Landry started to come out without any pushing at all. That was easy. Dr. A cuts her cord, gives David and I a quick look and she's off to the NICU for evaluation.
3:30-3:40 a.m. Dr. A sees how Landon comes down and is head first and is helping him. I hear something about a cord around his neck. Turns out the cord was wrapped around his neck three times. From what I understand, after his head was out, Dr. A. unwrapped the cord, but then there was a knot in the cord. Dr. A. had to undo the knot inside of me and had to force Landon's head out of the way. Something about cutting the cord before he was all the way delivered to do undo the knot. Poor Landon took a beating with Dr. A trying to do this and his little face was all bruised. Dr. A says he has never had to do that trick before. Thankfully there weren't any complications with it and Landon cried right away. He was whisked off to the NICU too.

Both babies spent about 7 hours in the NICU for observation. Neither required any oxygen or other support. We are very blessed to have two healthy babies. Landon went to the well baby nursery first, but ended up back in NICU because he couldn't maintain his body temp. He went back to the well baby nursery after a few hours and has been there since. Both babies are doing fantastic and we might be able to take them home with us if they keep doing so well.

Happy Birthday Landry and Landon. Big sister Addison can't wait to meet you!!!!

Landry Elise:

Date/Time of Birth: July 4, 2008 at 3:30 a.m.

Weight: 5 lbs. 10 ozs.

Length: 18.5 inches

Landon Reid:

Date/Time of Birth: July 4, 2008 at 3:41 a.m.

Weight: 5lbs. 5 ozs.

Length: 18.75 inches

July 4th!!!!

Looks like we are having July 4th twins!!!