Mystery Gift

So we received this pretty awesome Christmas ornament in the mail today, but there was no name with it so we don't know who sent it to us.

We really do love it though and would like to thank you personally...so if you sent us this gift please let us know!

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!

Welcome to the World!

Welcome to the World!

Nora Grayce Burns
3lbs 5 oz
Born November 30 at 7:52 am

Holden Reece Burns
5 lbs 15 oz
Born November 30 at 7:53 am

I want to first thank everyone again for all the kind words, calls and visits. We are all doing fine and just trying to adjust to this new life!
After spending about 5 days in the hospital because of my pre-eclampsia , the doctors decided it was best to induce labor because of my own health status. We opted to at least try the vaginal labor option although we knew there were many precautions because of the pre-E and twins… but after about 16 hours of trying, a C-Section was still needed for delivery.
The babies are doing very well despite everything. They were born at 34 weeks 6 days gestation and Nora was actually quite smaller than any of us anticipated. Although quite small, she is a trooper! There are no major concerns with her heath, she is only hooked up to an IV and under a warmer but she is breathing perfectly and able to eat on her own! Holden, although the larger one, was having difficulty with some breathing so they hooked him up to a CPAP –the helmet /elephant nose on his head to help him out. He wore this for about 36 hours and then last night they took him off of it---and so far so good! He is also hooked to a feeding tube at the moment to keep the air out of his tiny stomach, but hopefully it to will be taken out soon.
Because of their preemie status, they will most likely be living in the NICU for the next couple of weeks before we can bring them home –just to make sure they can thrive in our environment…ie, regulate their own temps, feed, gain weight, breathe well…etc. Although we wish we could take them right home with us, it may be a bit of a blessing in disguise as I am still not quite well. Besides the recovery from c-section—I am still trying to re-gain my strength from all the side effects of Pre-E. My swelling has not gone down yet making it very difficult to move and walk. Also the meds they had me on are working their way out of my body and I am still a bit sluggish because of it. Not to mention my body is just trying to adjust to not having 2 babies living in it anymore! I may be discharged in the next day, but we are planning to try and board at the hospital, at least until the end of the weekend, to be close to the babies and to help with my recovery. As of right now, my body isn’t ready to step up into the truck, much less make it up the stairs in our house to the bedroom. The babies are being very well taken care of in the NICU. The staff is wonderful and we are able to visit at any time. Hopefully I will be back to my old self in time for them to come home so I can give them all the care and love they need!
Daddy Mike is doing okay too. He is very, very worn out trying to take care of everything I need, spend time with the babies and then take care of anything else needed too. He is wonderful though and I am so lucky to have a husband like him to depend on. And…our babies are lucky to have him too! It melts my heart to watch him hold and talk to our little ones.
Our inet access is limited until we get home for good, so please be patient. But I will leave you with some pics . Hope everyone is doing well!