Crib in the Kitchen

This story actually starts months ago. In one of the few instances I can point to and say "Look at that, I was pro-active and forward thinking" Callie and I purchased a baby crib from a former co-worker of hers. As I said, we've had the thing for months, just waiting in the basement.

We haven't needed it so far because Saxon and Ella fit into the one bassinet. For the last few days, though I've been meaning to bring it up, as the bassinet is getting to be a little too close for comfort.

Unfortunately, the crib was too big to move by myself and the older boys and I never seem to be home at the same time. Last night (at about 11 p.m.) Tyler and I finally managed to bring the crib from the basement and to the kitchen.

I got out the furniture cleaner and tidied things up and then tried to get the crib from the kitchen to the bedroom. The front hallway did not work because it's too narrow to allow the crib to turn at the bedroom door. Drats!


(Ella shows the proper way to relax after a fine meal.)

That left the utility hallway which has a straight shot into the bedroom. Going this route meant I had to move all of the dirty laundry out of the hall. Fortunately there was not too much of that thanks to some industrious effort by Callie. I also had to move a wall-mounted coat rack and deal with a bothersome closet doorknob and air conditioning vent that narrowed the hallway at exactly the same point.

So all it took was a little push to move the dryer closer to the wall and PRESTO! right in to the bedroom. Yeah, right. The doorway from the utility hallway is about two inches narrower than the width of the crib.

So I had to fight the hallway back to the kitchen where the crib was still sitting when I left for work this morning. Sometime after I replace the radiator hose on the pickup -- an entirely different story -- and go to sleep, I'll have to take the crib down to pieces and reassemble them in the bedroom.


(Saxon was very excited to see Grampa as this picture illustrates.)

Of course, that means I'll have to do the same thing again when we decide to move the crib out of the bedroom again. I can hardly wait!

Last night's sleep total: 5.5 hours. Callie took pity on me and let me sleep through the night. I'm going to try to do the same for her tonight. So if you see me over the holiday weekend and I don't wave, I'm not rude, I'm probably just dead.

A whole week?

First off let me apologize to those of you who check this blog every day. I can't believe I've gone a whole week without an update. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

So, what have we been up to the last week? We've been up to all hours of the night! HA HA HA HA! Ahemm. Sorry about that. The sleep deprivation is starting to affect me a bit more as time goes on.

Saxon and Ella are perfectly healthy and happy, growing well and doing fine. In fact, Saxon is now getting a bit too big for his preemie-sized clothing. We're already moving on to the newborn clothing we've received.


(Grandma and Ella at lunchtime)

The twins have enjoyed meeting some new people and getting re-acquainted with others. Last weekend Grandma and Grandpa made the trip up from Buckhorn to visit. It was a short stay, but a nice time none-the-less.

Both grandparents got to hold and feed a baby and Grandpa discovered the mystery of baby-induced narcolepsy. This is the condition in which the afflicted person is put to sleep while holding and rocking a baby. The baby may or not also fall asleep.


(Grandpa and Saxon looking awake and alert. Both were sound asleep 30 minutes later.)

Saxon and Ella also got their first tour of a newsroom when they visited the offices of the Marshall Democrat News. Productivity in the newsroom ground to halt when we arrived, but I'd been promising a visit for almost a month now.

I also want to take a moment now to thank everyone who has sent gifts. The babies now have plenty of clothes and we are set for most of our furnishing needs. We have also used about a bajillion of the diapers we have received. All the wipes, baby lotions and shampoos are also coming in handy. Thank you, everyone, we do truly appreciate your kindness. It's been very nice having this stockpile to rely on.

Next up for the family: Labor Day Weekend. We have a few possibilities of what we're going to do, but no matter what, I'm sure it will be an adventure. I've been invited to a press event at Worlds of Fun, the K.C. Renaissance Festival starts this weekend and we haven't been to the Lake of the Ozarks yet this year. The possibilities for fun (and exhaustion) are endless!

Hello Babies, Goodbye Sleep!

The good news is Saxon and Ella are perfectly healthy and doing all the things that babies their age should be doing. Unfortunately for us, this doesn't yet include sleeping through the night.

A number of well-meaning people have told me "You just sleep when they sleep." Sound advice I'm sure if you only have one child. What these singleton parents fail to realize is the panzer maneuvers twins are able to perform on their parents. Twins, it would seem, are immune to the effects of the cries of their counterpart. So when one awakes crying to be fed and changed, the other slumbers peacefully. Once you have successfully fed and changed the first, returning him or her to the comfort of your bed, you may -- if you're lucky -- get a brief respite before the other twin awakes and begins the cycle again.


(Saxon catches a nap while I do some driving. So much for "sleep when they sleep!")

But I wouldn't trade all the sleep in the world for these two precious miracles. We had another visit with Dr. Shaffiey yesterday and Saxon and Ella are great. The nurse weighed them with their clothes on, so the numbers are off a few ounces, but Saxon weighed 5 pounds 6 ounces and Ella was 6 pounds 8 ounces. With the deduct for clothes this is still almost a pound gain each since their doctor visit a week ago and well past the goal an ounce a day. We've been feeding them breastmilk and occasionally breastmilk fortified with formula and it seems to be working very well.

Although I am getting used to the lack of sleep, one parenting issue that continues to vex me is why binkies (or pacies, pacifiers, etc) are made of clear material. These things are nearly impossible to see in good lighting, let alone in the dim light of a 3 a.m. feeding. Seriously, binkie makers, what is the deal? Don't I have enough problems without having to search for an invisible binkie?


(Ella enjoys an invisible binkie)

However, one baby purchase I am thankful for is our van. I never in a million years would have guessed that I'd be driving a full-size conversion van (especially with the price of gas) but I can't imagine life without it now. Everyone fits. Everything fits. We have a gigantic tandem stroller that we don't even have to fold up. Plus the open space makes fitting Saxon and Ella into their car seats pretty easy.


(Ella takes in the sights as we drive across town)

A note to new readers

This blog is coming along and getting longer every week. So long, in fact, that the posts now sprawl over three pages. To see the earlier posts, you need to click the "see older posts" link at the bottom of each page. Or you can use the archive links at the left.

One month old already!

What a day today is! Things got started early around our house as it was the first day of class for EVERYONE. Nick and Amanda are off to St. Peter's Catholic School for another year. Nick is glad to be in Mrs. Hartung's class and Amanda is now a middle schooler with her own locker! Tyler is a senior this year at Marshall High School and Eric is starting classes to become an RN at State Fair Community College.

Adding to the excitement of the day is the fact that Saxon and Ella are now one month old. It's hard to believe they've been here so long. It seems like just yesterday that I was witnessing the magic of their arrival. I guess the three-week stay at St. Luke's Hospital kind of created a time-warp. I know those days sure ran together.


(Ella and Saxon sleep side by side. I think he likes it a bit more than she does)

At any rate, things are going well for us. Gifts continue to arrive and we thank everyone for their thoughtfulness. We've got a ton of clothes now and Lynn Milewski sent us some bouncy seats that were a bit of a challenge to put together, but are very nice to have for the babies.

Callie and I also completely re-arranged our bedroom to allow for more space for Saxon and Ella. It was weird the first night, almost like sleeping in a different house. But at least I got some sleep. Poor Callie continues to man the "night shift" taking care of the twins through the night. Where do I submit the "Mom of the Year" award nominations?

Our next appointment is Wednesday, so we'll see how things are going "officially" then.

Steppin' out from the Country Route

Well, Saxon and Ella have been home almost a week and so far they have made three trips. First they went to see their Doctor in Sedalia. Next they cheered Nick and Amanda on at soccer practice.

Dr. Shaffiey says the babies are doing good, but he wants to see them again in a week. Saxon weighed 4 pounds 3 ounces and Ella was 5 pounds 8 ounces. Since birth that is a gain of 12 ounces for Saxon and 9 ounces for Ella. The doctor wants them each to gain an ounce a day between now and their next appointment, so they've been getting fed quite often. Poor Callie is doing her best, but the pace is tough. Thankfully Nick and Amanda are still plugging along as just about the best helpers you could ask for. I am truly proud of how well they have done adjusting to our new life.


(Ella and Saxon discuss their upcoming travel plans)

But these outings were just the warm-up. Their major public debut came last night when we went to the Back to School event at St. Peter Catholic School. Callie fed both of them before we left and they slept peacefully for nearly the entire time.

When they did wake up, they were calm and peaceful as ever, charming the pants off everyone around. The moms at St. Peter were funny to watch, oohing and aahing. The women fell into two groups: Those who couldn't wait to hold the babies and those who were afraid to hold babies so small.

I also saw a lot of these moms giving their husbands a certain look. It was something akin to look a child gives its parents while holding the puppy that "followed me home." Judging from the return looks, I don't think St. Peter's has to worry about a new baby boom any time soon, though.


(So how many kids can you put on one couch?)

We are slowly getting into a routine and discovering what works and what does not. I can say for certain one thing that does work is the awesome stroller my parents got us. It is a Graco DuoGlider and it literally feels as though it is gliding along the ground. It went together easy, fits perfectly in the van and holds a ton of stuff. Thanks Mom and Pop! You guys rock!

We are home!

Now that I'm not sitting around the hospital all day, I don't have as much time to keep this blog up-to-date. But to re-cap the last few days:

The babies were ready to come home Friday as planned, but Callie was not. She had to have back-to-back surgeries to remove her cerclage and stop some bleeding. Because they gave her a transfusion, she had to stay overnight.


(The last photo of Ella and Saxon before we left St. Luke's)

We finally got the go-ahead to head for home Saturday evening and by the time we got all the discharge paperwork and procedures done it was nearly 9 p.m. But Saturday night we arrived home and thankfully slept in our own beds with our family together at last.


(Nick and Saxon relax on the couch)

It's been an interesting mix of work, baby care and household maintenance (with small patches of sleep) since then.

Callie and both babies are doing well at home and she and the older kids have gone to Sedalia today for an appointment with the twins' pediatrician. I'm home getting ready to tackle more housework. With Saxon and Ella arriving early, we didn't get to all the things we'd hoped to before they were born. (I don't think we would have gotten all of them done anyway, but no sense fretting about it now.)


(Amanda helps Ella model some new sleepwear)

I'll try to do better about updating this thing and will throw some more photos on when I get the chance.

And we're still in K.C.

What's that saying about the best laid plans of mice and men? After another LOOONG night of rooming in, the babies are all set to go home. However, Callie decided she likes it here so much that we should stay one more night.

Actually, her medical saga continues. The doctors were able to get the last of her cerclage out in a short procedure this morning. However, there was some scaring and a knot in the stitch that caused some problems. Shortly after her procedure was complete, she started bleeding again and had to go back into surgery.

I spoke with the doctor a few minutes ago and he told me they found the cause of the bleed and stopped it. However, they are going to keep her overnight for observation. (Better safe than 2 hours away with a bleeding vein.)

But that's probably enough about that. Callie doesn't like to be the center of attention and this blog is really about the babies anyway. So how about a few more baby pictures?


(Another shot of Nick and Saxon, who look quite a bit alike)


(You can tell that this is an "older" picture of Ella because she still has the feeding tube. It's been gone a few days now)

Still in K.C.

We ended up staying in K.C. afterall, living out our confinement at St. Luke's. Spending time with Callie and the babies has been great, but it's not like being at home.

Saxon and Ella both lost a little weight, but not enough to worry the doctors. It was between a half-ounce and an ounce. Not too shabby considering they've not had any fortified formula added to their feedings.


(Ella stetches things out)

Callie had an appointment with her doctor today. It looks like what's left of her cerclage is the cause of her fevers, so they are going back in to remove it in a few hours. As soon as she is able to travel, we'll be on the road back to Marshall. So we should be home sometime Friday afternoon. The list of things to do there is still quite long, but it will be such a relief to be there at last.

I hate to keep repeating myself, but these really are some good natured babies. There is another woman rooming in today and I'm sure she's as overjoyed as we are to be on the short side of things. But I feel for her, as her baby cries quite often.


(When Saxon isn't eating, he looks like this.)

Saxon has been a bit fussy today, but given what he's been through "down there" I can't say that I blame him. Even so, he is easily consoled and then he's back to being a peaceful baby. It seems like he doesn't like his crib very much though, so he'll probably be a bit of a handful. Of course, he's so darned adorable, I don't think he'll have any shortage of people to hold him.

The Morning After

All is quiet now as I type this. Saxon and Ella are sleeping, Amanda is in the adjoining room watching television and Callie has gone to see her doctor at the clinic here at St. Luke's.


(Ella gives us a yawn)


(Not to be outdone, Saxon shows an even bigger yawn)

It looks like we may not finish the whole 48 room in. The cramped conditions, the bizarreness of staying in a hospital and an inability to sleep are pushing Callie and me too far, I'm afraid. The nurse I spoke with today said this shouldn't effect the babies being able to come home Friday, they'll just have a nutrition plan that calls for bottlefeeding with either fortified breastmilk or formula.

I know I've said it before, but this has all been quite exhausting and I will be very glad when it is all over and my family is at home in our house. I've got my baby CPR class in a few minutes, so this post will be a short one. More will follow when the details of our plan begin to take shape.

Rooming In

What a day it has been. We started out by checking out of the Ronald McDonald House and into St. Luke's Bed and Breakfast. Actually we are in a 12 foot by 12 foot room with Callie, me, Amanda, Saxon and Ella. Needless to say it is VERY cozy!

But we are doing well with our rooming in as both babies gained weight when they were weighed this evening. Ella continues to be the heaviest, tipping the scales at a whopping 5 pounds, 4 ounces. Saxon, however, has seen the greatest percentage gain. Today he hit the 4 pound mark for a total gain of 9 ounces since birth.


(Wave your hands in the air like you just don't care)

Right after we got here today, I got a lesson in baby massage today, working on Saxon. He loved it and I thought it was pretty fun too. Unfortunately for Saxon, the day took a sad turn after that. The little guy got his circumcision done early this afternoon. The procedure went without a hitch and he is now recovering.

Callie and I got training in how to use the monitors the babies will come home on. So far tonight we've had a couple of alarms from Saxon, but we think they might have been caused by the Tylenol they gave him.

Home again

It's just after midnight and I'm getting ready for bed in Marshall. Nick and I returned without the girls or the babies, but we may have done so for the last time.

Saxon and Ella's lead nurse told us today that they are doing so good they may be coming home this week! It's still very tentative and there are still conditions to meet, but Friday could be the day.


(Nick thinks the babies are pretty cool.)

The plan as it now stands: I have to work Monday and Tuesday, but I will be going to Kansas City Tuesday night. First thing Wednesday, we begin the rooming in period. If everything is copacetic, we come home Friday morning.

A few things still need to happen for that to take place. The babies need to keep gaining weight. They need to pass their carseat test. (Saxon may need to borrow a carseat from the hospital as the ones we bought are rated for 5 pounds and up). I also need to take an infant CPR class. The hospital offers it and hopefully I will do good at it.

Both the babies are feeding well and Saxon now weighs 3lbs 13.5oz and ella weighs 4 lbs 15oz. She has finally made it back to her birth weight now and is ready to go up over five pounds any day now.


(Saxon waves hello to the people out there on the web)

The house is quiet now, but hopefully it will be a buzz of activity in the coming days. Eric, Tyler and Nick have been charged with cleaning the house and making things ready for the arrival of the babies. (Fingers crossed on this one!)

Pooping machines

Dear sweet merciful heaven! These babies can go through some diapers. I've gotten to change a few myself and I have to say I'm still behind the learning curve here. Of course it doesn't help that Saxon usually decides to empty things out while I am midway through the diaper change. Ella is much easier to deal with.

I drove up last night after work and got to hold Saxon while he took his tube feeding. I know everyone dotes on their babies, but they really are about the sweetest natured babies I have ever seen. They hardly cry at all and when I hold them it is magical.


(Callie holding Saxon and Ella together for the first time)

They are both good eaters and are starting to really take to nursing. I guess the sucking reflex normally develops in the womb around 35 or 36 weeks of gestation. That's about the point we would be at now, so they are right on track.

Callie actually nursed both twins at the same time today with some help from Jenny, our favorite lactation consultant. She's really great and seems to show up just in time to help Callie meet the next breastfeeding challenge.

Callie also got to do Kangaroo Care with both babies at the same time after Amanda and I had left. I'm super jealous. If any of you parents missed out on this with your babies, I can't tell you how sorry I am for you. Feeling the skin to skin contact is warming, soothing and, well, I just can't say how much more I feel bonded to the babies after having done it. Callie said the babies had their heads apart, but their legs tangled together. They seem to really like being in contact with each other.

I don't remember off-hand what their weights are, but I know they both went up. All that breastmilk is giving them a bit of jaundice, however. (Incidentally, that's what the phototherapy was for.) The doctor says they may go off breastmilk for 24 hours and then back on. Apparently the off/on cycle can cause the jaundice to stop.

Still no word on a date for coming home, but the list of goals to meet is getting shorter. We still have to pass a car seat test, get Saxon circumcised and "room-in" (stay with the babies for 48 hours). As I understand it, the rooming in process is basically Callie and I taking care of the babies while the nurses keep a "hands-off" watch on us. They want to make sure we can take care of them and I know one of the requirements is the babies have to gain weight during the 48-hour period.


(Is it just me or do they look like they're dancing?)

I'm also not sure who to thank, but have you seen the price of gas? I know $3.57/gallon is still rediculous, but thats more than 40 cents per gallon cheaper than when the babies were born two weeks ago. A tank of gas now costs me less than $100!

And, yes, I've taken new pictures, but they are still trapped in the camera! I will get them on here ASAP, but it will probably be Monday before I can get to it. Nick gets back from his Civil Air Patrol trip tonight and then we're back to Kansas City until Sunday night. He is the last one to see the babies as his summer travel schedule took him away right as they were being born.

As an update to the previous post about what we need:
1. My mom and dad got us the stroller. (Thanks guys, we love you!)
2. We may use the one crib for both babies after all. The jury is still out on SIDS risk and, as the Kangaroo Care session showed, they very much like being together.
3. I was right about needing the sleepers, but not about the sizes. We need preemie for Saxon, but newborn for Ella. (Hey, I'm learning as I go here!) We've also got plenty of "one-sies" We bought them thinking it would be warm when the babies were born. We were right about that, but didn't take into account the fact that they would be spending 100 percent of their time in cool, air conditioned hospital rooms.