Update

Emma and Levi have been doing well.  As of today they weigh the exact same thing.  3 lbs 9. 1 oz.  They are getting so big!  I can't believe it!  Once they get closer to four pounds they get to come out of their isolettes! I cannot wait for them to be in a different bed.  Next week they will also begin to bottle/breast feed.  They will be four weeks old or 34 weeks gestation on Wednesday.  They will start off with one bottle/breast feeding a day and will continue to get the rest through their feeding tube.  this is one step closer to us brining our sweet babies home.  Right now we are thinking they will get to come home towards the end of June!  Each day I pray that they will continue on the positive path that they have been on so that they can come home!  I never imagined how hard it would be for them to be in the NICU. I know that they are getting the care that they need and that right now this is the best place for them but I still get sad each day when I leave them. I feel guilty when I am not there and constantly long for them.  Here are a few sweet pictures of the babies from the past couple of days. I am so happy that they are wearing clothes now. They look so cute in their tiny preemie clothes. 

Emma with her bowe that the Nurse made!

Levi sleeping!  doesn't he look like Clayton

Levi and mommy during Kangaroo Care

Emma with her cute onesie with her name! Thanks Jamie

Levi in his froggy outfit

Levi snuggling with daddy

Emma being swaddled.  She was not happy being put back in her bed!

A quick update

The babies are three weeks old and 33 weeks gestation.  They have met some new milestones this week! 

Levi now weighs 3 pounds 5 ounces and gets to wear clothes now!  He looks so different with clothes on. I need to get him some more outfits. I was so hesitant to get them preemie clothes but now they need a few.  Here is a picture of Levi in his first outfit! 

He looks tiny still! 

Emma is also doing well this week. She weighs 3 pounds 4.3 ounces. She just needs to gain about 3/4 ounce in order to be able to wear clothes also! I am so excited for them. I hope that they will continue to do well.  Yesterday was a scary day as they thought Emma had an infection and also might need a blood transfusion. They went ahead and started antibiotics while they are waiting for the blood culture to grow. So far nothing has happened so I am hoping that there is no infection. Yesterday her red blood cell count was low. This could mean that she is anemic or it could of been from the infection if there is one. They were concerned that she may need a blood transfusion. Today after retesting her level was back up. So they are holding off on the blood transfusion and will retest next week.  Please pray that she will be free of infection and also will not need a transfusion.  I am on pins and needles everyday hoping and praying that these sweet babies will stay healthy and continue to grow and be strong so that they can come home soon!

Mommy and Emma during Kangaroo time!

Emma's first bowe!!!! 

Our New Normal

• We go to the hospital every day. Sometimes for hours. It is so hard to be away from the babies but I am still healing and need time to rest so I know they are in the best possible place for them and that they are getting great care.  
• My breast pump has become my best friend!  I am currently pumping for the babies. I pump 8 times a day.  
• I love taking part in kangaroo care.  For those of you who don't know "kangaroo care" is when you hold a baby skin to skin on your chest.
• Emma and Levi are both over three pounds! Im so happy that these little guys are gaining weight. Each day I pray that they will eat well and continue to gain weight. 

Please continue to pray for these sweet babies.  Please pray that they will take to breast feeding as well as eating from a bottle.  Please pray that they will continue to gain weight. Please pray that they will stop having bradys (when their heartrates drop).

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for Emma and Levi.  It is all the prayers that have helped get these babies to where they are today! 

Happy Two Week Birthday to Emma and Levi

I cannot believe that Emma and Levi are two weeks old today.  It's hard to beleive that these two sweet babies are here in the world and how much I love them already.  Here are a few things these miracles have accomplished in their short life already.

Emma~
She weighs 2 lbs 11 oz and is tolerating my milk fabulously.  In a day or two they will be weaning her off of the oxygen.  She is having less and less bradys (dips in heart rate) and loves to be held.  Emma has contracted MRSA.  It is just colonized in her nose and she does not have the infection.  There are several babies in the NICU that have it and Emma was moved to be with those babies.  She had a brain scan the other day and there is no evidence of bleeding on the brain! YIPPEE!!

Levi~
He is back up to his birthweight and weighs 2 lbs 14 oz.  Levi has been off of all oxygen for a couple of days and is doing very well.  He too is having less and less bradys and loves to be held.  As of right now Levi does not have MRSA.  levi also had a brain scan and there is no evidence of brain bleeds! 

I pray each day that these sweet babies will continue to grow and be strong enough for them to come home.  It is very hard to leave them each day but I know that they are well taken care of!  Here are a few pictures of the babies.  The ones of Emma are dark and I will have to get some new ones in the next day or two.


                                         Levi and Mommy

Levi and Mommy

Emma snuggled in!

Emma and Levi's Birth Story Part 2 and an Update

So when we left off last time I left with what was happening around 9 o'clock. I started having contractions again for the second time that day but wasn't thinking much about them since I had been having them for days.  But before I tell you the rest of the story let me tell you a few things first.

Earlier in the week we found out the hard way that I am basically allergic to not one but two of the only medicines that they have to stop contractions.  This will come into play later in the birth story. 

I had a terrible UTI.  I hadn't really gone to the bathroom for several hours. The nurses suspected that this was part of what was causing the contractions.

So anyway.  As the rest of the evening went on the contractions were getting worse and I was beginning to get worried. I called Clayton and told him to come back to the hospital. I also called my mom and told her to be on standby.  By the time Clayton got to the hospital  the contractions were in full force.  I got another shot of pain medicine which they hoped would stop the contractions.  Well around midnight with the contractions being about one minute a part I was wheeled down to labor and delilvery to receive the magnesium that could be one of the worst things ever. I was not happy about this and Clayton was sensing my destress. He called my mom and told her to head to the hospital.  While in labor and delivery I was hooked up to the magnesium but was still having major contractions. You see magnesium is supposed to help stop contractions. Well it was NOT working. I was in extreme pain.  I never thought I would be one of those women who cried out in pain but I was out of mind.  I don't know how woman have natural child birth. More power to them.  I was literally crying out for help and something to relieve the pain.  I started to feel a lot of pressure and after much convincing the doctor decided to check me to see if I was dialating more.  In fact I was and the decision was made to head for the OR.  A few minutes later the epidural woman came in and she could not work fast enough. Well the epidural did not work.  I was in so much pain that they had to move me around.  I was wheeled into the OR and they gave me a spinal .  Well this didn't work right away either.  The doctor kept having to give me doses of medicine to get it to work. Finally I was completely numb.  The next thing I knew I heard Levi cry. Such a tiny sound and all I could ask was if he was ok.  The I felt a lot of pressure as they were trying to turn Emma to get her out.  Then two minutes after I heard the greatest sound ever I heard the second greatest sound ever. Emma cried out!  Both babies were doing well. Clayton got to hold them and he showed me our babies. I barely remember this as I was highly drugged at this point. 

I woke up later in recovery and was wheeled to see the babies.  I was already so in love with these sweet little people.  Levi William joined the world on May 4 at 4:43 am and Emma Gentry came shortly after at 4:45 am. 

Update:
Levi and Emma are doing well. Both will be in the NICU for several weeks.  I cannot wait for the day when I can bring my babies home.  Both babies are breathing on their own and have been since birth.  They were recently taken off the CPAP machine and only have a little oxygen.  They both had their IV's taken out and are getting rid of their jaundice. 

Today we found out the sweet little Emma has contracted MRSA which if you don't know is a staph infection that is resistent to most antibiotics.  The MRSA is only in her nose and is not an infection right now.  She will start antibiotics tomorrow and has been moved to a different section of the NICU with other babies who have this.  There is a high chance that Levi could get it but as of right now he has tested negative.  We are praying that Emma will not get the infection and will not have any symptoms of MRSA. 

I have been told by many people to expect ups and downs with preemie babies.  We are trying to stay positive and be thankful that they have done so well. 

Here are a few of the latest pictures!

Emma

Levi

Emma and Levi's Birth Story Part 1

So I havent been able to write this mainly because I am exhausted and also because it is hard to remember.  So for many days before the babies arrived I was having contractions.  For three nights in a row they would start up in the middle of the night and last for a couple of hours. They were pretty bad and they would wake me from sleep.  Each time I would call my nurses and they would give me a shot of mainly pain medicine. You see my body is allergic to the one drug that they can give you to stop contractions. Nice!  So luckily each night with the pain medicine the contractions would stop or at least calm down a bit. These contractions resulted in two late night trips to the hospital by Clayton who finally decided he would be spending the night with me. 

On Tuesday morning after all the contractions my doctor decided I needed to have a sonogram to see if I was dialating anymore.  I went to my sonogram and sure enough the doctor couldn't see any more cervix.  We all knew it would probably be a matter of days and hopefully weeks.  As soon as I got back to my room I started having contractions.  They got pretty strong and were coming five minutes a part. So they went for another shot!  Let me tell you at the time I thought these shots were really painful but I would later find out that they were nothing. Luckily the shot worked! At this time it was around noon and I was exhausted. The nurse said she wouldn't be surprised it they started up again later in the day. 

My mom came to the hospital after school and we did our normal evening routine. We had dinner and watched TV. Clayton finally decided to go home to see the dogs and shower and my mom left for the evening around 9.

Sure enough shortly after they both left I started having contractions. They werent regular and weren't strong so I wasn't worried.  Little did I know what would be happening later that night.

To Be Continued....

Here are a few pics of the babies.  FYI: the babies look more fragle than they are. There are a lot of wires and tubes but they are doing great and most of it is just a precaution. We are hoping to take them off the CPAP tomorrow and also to get their IV out! Praise GOD!

Daddy and Emma

Emma

Levi and Mommy

Welcome to the World!!!

Levi William and Emma Gentry joined the world via c-section on May 4.  Levi came to us first with a tiny little cry weighing 2 lbs 13.5 oz, measuring 14 3/4 inches long at 4:43 am.  Emma joined her brother a few mintues later at 4:45 am weighing 3 lbs even and measuring 15 1/2 inches long.  Both are doing well, breathing on their own and getting used to the NICU.  Mommy and Daddy are doing well and are adjusting to being parents.  I will post their birth story in a few days. It was quite eventful. 

Here is Clayton readyn to go the OR.