Boys, Boys, Boys

 What a whirlwind the past two weeks have been!  I think my head may finally have stopped spinning long enough to update the blog :)

We have been so blessed the past two weeks.  I can't even begin to count how many wonderful things we have experienced since the babies came.   Our new ward has been amazing.  We have had babysitters for the older boys and meals brought in so that we still have something to eat while we are trying to get everything done.  My mom has practically run herself ragged trying to take care of all of us.  My sister came out to help me unpack boxes....and now she can't get home because of the hurricane.  Guess she has to stay a little longer :) We have received flowers, food, books, and more prayers than I thought possible.

The babies have really made amazing progress.  I can't believe how tough these tiny little guys are!  They just keep getting hit right and left with new complications and they seem to triumph over and over.  I don't have any doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father is very watchful over them.  They are such miracles.

Both Charlie and Tripp were on SiPAP machines ( a bit different from a CPAP machine, but sort of the same idea) which allowed them to breathe a little on their own and it gave a little assistance.  Both have graduated to a nasal cannula which just has a continuous flow of oxygen.  They are doing all of the breathing on their own!!  Such a huge thing for them :)  Both babies struggled with episodes of apnea.  Charlie more so than Tripp.  They found that both babies have a valve open in their hearts allowing too much blood to go to the lungs causing bouts of apnea.  This is called a PDA.  Both boys were given a medication to help close the valve.  Charlie's closed during his first round of meds and they can't hear a murmur at all anymore.  Tripp has had 2 rounds of meds and his murmur is still there.  However, he is doing so well breathing on his own that they are going to let it go to see if it finishes closing on its own.

They have also started the babies on breastmilk!  They have both tolerated their feedings really well.  Since their digestive systems are so immature, they have to start off with such a small amount of food to see if they can actually digest.  So far, so good!  Plus, most importantly, it is helping to put some weight back on them!  They lost weight for a little while, but they are both now back to their birth weights!  Yay babies!

We have also been able to hold them a few times!  With preemies, it is hard for them to regulate their temp.  The hospital keeps their beds quite warm and humid to keep their temps normal.  So, when we hold them, they can get cold really fast.  We have to take the hypothermia approach with them and pretty much just get naked.  Ha!  It is called Kangaroo care and evidently works miracles.  Both babies love it and their temperatures stay really stable.  Plus, it allows us to bond a little which is so hard when I only get to see them once a day.

The nurses have a joke about white baby boys.  Apparently they are the wimpiest when it comes to preemies.  They always give the nurses the hardest times, so whenever they have a set back, the nurses say, "He's just a wimpy white boy.  Give him time".  Ha!

This is Charlie in his milk coma.  The orange tube in his mouth is his feeding tube.  They shoot the milk straight into their tummies.  He loves it!

 Here is Tripp!  Isn't he so cute?!  We tried not to get too much of me in the picture since I'm nakie :)

Tripp loves being held.  He is our calm baby.  He is so relaxed and sweet.  He kept trying to lick me so I guess his instincts are trying to kick in :)

Mouth open searching for a hand-out. He is also the pig of the two.  He is on 15 cc's of milk every 3 hours.  Charlie is only on 10.  

Jay trying to give you an idea of their size.  Check out Tripp's binky.  It is so huge, but he loves it.  It is actually preemie sized and still almost as big as his head.

 Charlie holding momma.  I have less pictures of Charlie since he wasn't as stable as Tripp for a while.  He mostly just stayed in his isolette.  However, since his PDA closed, he is much more stable and we get quite a bit more time with him :)

Charlie relaxed after I held him.  He is our busy one.  He always gets out of his little nest that the nurses make and he screws up his oxygen.  He is a mover and a wiggler :)

 Last night I held Charlie for almost an hour.  It was pure bliss.  Our babies couldn't be much sweeter.

Tripp under his phototherapy lights.  They go on and off of them as their bilirubin levels climb and drop.  Binky and sunglasses...so darling :)

Charlie in his too big hat.  

Tripp all snuggled in for the night.

 Jay doesn't want to do kangaroo care.  He says he needs a tan, a shaved chest and a cowboy hat before he is getting undressed in front of the nurses :)  Ha!  Vanity.

Jack and Luke are hanging in there.  We are trying to keep things as normal as possible.  It is pretty difficult to have your children in 2 different places and get enough time with all of them.   They have been patient and sweet through this.  Jack is sad that he can't see the babies.  Luke has absolutely no idea what is going on.

Jack really wanted to be a ghost for Halloween.  Probably the easiest costume on Earth.  Bless him for being so obliging this year :)  Luke was a Robin Hood repeat.  He looked just as cute as Jack did in it 2 years ago :)

People bringing meals have kept us stocked up on cake.  How did they know it is our favorite!?

 Jack and Luke scooping guts out of pumpkins :)  Jack was grossed out.  Luke was in messy kid heaven.

 Good thing he is so cute because he is trouble!

 Jack has been our rock.  Every night we head to the NICU and he says, "Tell Tripp that I love him and tell Charlie that Luke loves him".  He has already assigned babies to each brother.  Pretty cute :)

Please continue to keep the babies in your prayers.  They have a few other issues to work out before they are out of the woods.  It is also pretty common for preemies to take 2 steps forward and 1 step back.  The nurses told us to get our rollercoaster shoes on :) 

And pray that the hurricane doesn't take our power out and destroy the freezer full of milk that I have worked hours on.  Haha!