Santa Claus is Comin' to Town

Today we went to the First Annual NICU Christmas Party. Families who had spent time in the NICU from the past 4 years were invited and there were LOTS of people there. It was so neat to see all the kids who had a rough start to life running around the room excited about Christmas. It's also crazy to think that before we know it, that will be us! There were lots of multiples at the party--3 families of triplets and 1 family of quads! One of the triplet families was in the NICU while we were. There last baby was discharged the same day we were. Their babies are just 2 weeks older than ours. A nice family--Dad is in the Navy and they are stationed here until summer of 2012 like us. We have plans to get together soon--Mike and I are really glad to have met them and hope they will be good friends for us during the remainder of our stay here. Obviously, our twins aren't going to scare them off considering they have 3 of their own!

Here are Holden and Nora with their NICU Grad name tags...kinda silly, but at the same it feels like a big accomplishment!

The party also had dancers from a local church come to entertain us. Mike and I weren't in the greatest position to see everything which might have ended up being a blessing as Holden decided the music was much too loud for his taste and cried the whole time. Holden is a much more sensitive baby. We joke he is like me...it takes him awhile to get over things--so even after the music was over he was still fussy and upset until we left. Nora on the other hand is like a light switch...mad one minute, but then all is forgotten the next--like her Daddy. She stayed asleep the whole time, nothing, not even Santa could wake her!

Mike and I had bought the babies Christmas outfits before they were born and then when we went to put them on this morning we realized they were WAY TOO BIG. All newborn sizes...but they were so big when you picked them up...the pants literally fell off of holden and nora's head kept falling inside of her dress like a turtle in his shell. So we improvised with anything we could find that was Christmas colors. Holden was thankfully given a cute Christmas onesie that 'almost fit' and nora did have a red dress in her wardrobe that had a small neck hole so she wouldn't "swim in it".

Since we found out we were having a girl, i have been collecting bows for her hair. Of course Nora's head is so teeny tiny, most of the bows don't fit. The one she had today was okay as long as it wasn't touched, but when we went to get her out of her car seat when we got back home, this is what we found--she was passed out!

Here are a few more pics of of Nora. She loves to stretch out and make funny faces while waking up. I just can't help but think she is adorable--i'm sure you'll agree!

And here she is again, cuddling with me!

We've had a busy past 2 days, so daddy and mommy have no plans tomorrow but to stay at home and try and decorate the house some for Christmas, listen to Christmas music and drink some apple cider. Stay tuned for more pics!

Happy Discharge Day to the Burns Family!

Today we were given the all clear to leave the NICU and take our babies home with us. It was such a surreal yet exciting day for Mike and I. We just kept looking at each other like "is this for real? we get to take these two babies home?" And now here we are, sitting in our living room on the couch, watching some TV, while Nora is sleeping on my chest and Mike is holding Holden and our cat Olie--this is our new family and i must say it's pretty awesome!

NGB in her "going home outfit"

HRB in his "going home outfit"

leaving the NICU

first ride in the stroller

proud new parents

Daddy putting NGB in the car

Mommy and HRB

Twins in the carseats

Olie checking out HRB

Nora's outfit is just a "little" too big!

"Car rides make me tired!"

Olie sniffing NGB

trying out their swings

taking a nap together!

Welcome Home Nora and Holden!

GIving Thanks for our 1 Week Old Babies

Monday was our babies 1 week old birthday. We went into the NICU, dressed our sweethearts, Nora even with a cupcake onesie on. As I fed them, Mike read Dr. Seuss's "Happy Birthday to You" and we told them about all the things they had to look forward to in the coming years.

But at the same time, in the back of the NICU, a little baby girl born way too early was coding and the whole NICU staff was in the back fighting to keep her alive. In the end the baby girl didn't make it. It was a sobering day, everyone was affected by the loss and you could look around at each of the parents faces in the NICU as they were holding their babies and thanking God that it wasn't them in that same situation.

For Mike and I, it put everything into perspective. Yes, we had a rough pregnancy and delivery. Our little babies were born with some minor problems and we have been inconvenienced with hospital stays, pushy nurses and silly procedures---but really none of that matters. We are so lucky to have our own healthy baby girl and baby boy that God-willing we get to spend the rest of our lives loving and taking care of. There's really nothing that can be better than that.

Life in the NICU

Hello All! The Burns Family is doing well still. We have begun to settle into life in the NICU. Although hopefully our time here is almost up. Our little ones will be a week old tomorrow and I can’t believe it. After i started to feel somewhat better, Mike and I began to spend most of our time in the NICU with the babies. I mean how could you not? They are just too cute!

I am taking on almost all feedings and also providing milk for the few that we do miss. So really our schedule isn’t that different than it would be at home. Just instead of listening to the monitors for cries, our nurses call us when the babies are ready to eat. I have noticed though that the majority of the time I know the babies are ready to eat and have already awaken before the nurses ever call. A mom thing? Maybe. We also change diapers, take their temps, burp, bathe, soothe, snuggle and love them…really the nurses don’t have much to do with us there! If we may say so our selves, they are the cool the kids on the block. The nurses love to come over and talk and play with them. Especially Nora. It’s her size I think—she’s just so tiny but still healthy and she’s got lots of spunk. Even the nighttime doctor carries her around while doing her job. Spoiled already!

NORA WITH HER NURSE

They have made such great progress in just the past week. They are now both sleeping in bassinets, with no breathing devices, IV’s for nourishment or warming lights. They are maintaining/ slightly gaining weight depending on the baby and day—which is great because it is one of the main factors considered when getting released from the NICU. They have passed their hearing tests, which we knew they would. They are pretty alert and turn their heads when they hear our voices. Especially mommy and daddy’s voice, which just melts my heart! They also passed their 90-minute car seat test, although they are a bit small for the seats. Even mommy and daddy took their NICU discharge class that is offered every Friday, in hopes that we would be sure be home this week. Only other they are both being monitored on right now is their billy reuben levels—which is what causes jaundice. They have been under the little glow lights for the last day trying to lower their levels. Their next check is on Tuesday to see if the levels have gone down. Holden's O2 saturation is being monitored closely again. He had a slight drop yesterday and when that happens it is an automatic 3-5 days on the monitors before they will even consider sending them home. Since the drop happened during a feeding and not while sleeping, we should only be on a 3 day watch...so please pray that everything is fine so our little ones can come home soon.

Originally Mike and I had planned to come home today and then just go back and forth to the hospital every day..but that was before we knew how involved we could be in their lives while living in the NICU. I just can't stand to leave them now and home doesn't quite feel like home without them, so as long as we can keep our boarding room in the hospital...which is available as long as their aren't patients that need them, we will be there.


"HELP, BATHS ARE SCARY!"

"I SURRENDER!"

NORA ALL CLEAN

I am actually home on my first outing today out of the hospital since we were admitted the day before Thanksgiving. I could definitely use the fresh air. Mike and I also want to get home, check on the kitties, do some laundry, try out the stairs to see if I can make it up them and get any last minute things done before the babies come home. We really are excited to start our life at home with our “sweet ones”. Every chance we get we tell them about home and how much more fun it will be than the NICU. We tell them about their kitty brother and sister and about the walks we will take outside, and we’ve also been preparing them for Christmas—singing them songs, talking about Christmas trees and Santa…so much to look forward too!

Before I go, Mike and I gave them their first baths the other night. I had Holden and Mike and Nora. Holden’s bath was quick—he’ s not one to be messed with too much. He gets a very worried look on his face and cries. But just as soon as you cuddle him all is better. He’s such a sweet baby. Nora had a little longer bath, also cried through the majority of it but, she made it through and then had a photo shoot with daddy afterward with her hair all tied up in a towel like mommy’s!

Hopefully next blog we will all be home…so stay tuned!