Friends in the NICU

Liz, Tammy(Karsyn), Kristyn(Kennedy), Deanna, and Teresa

Jessica, Tammy, and Vina

Elise, Vina (Karsyn), Amy (Kennedy),and Vickie

Tammy (again) and Darla

Here are a few pictures of our friends in the NICU!!! I just wanted to thank every single one of them that helped with the girls through this long hard time. I know that we couldn't have asked for a better group of nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, and CNA's to take care of the girls when they needed it most. They were always there to answer any questions we had about what complex thing was going on, or just to talk. There were many times that Kurt would just be sitting there waiting while I would sit and yack with the nurses (I know nobody is surprised)! Thanks to everyone again and we will miss you, but we will keep in touch!

Home Sweet Home

Well we never thought the day would really ever come but it has. We are planning to take the girls home on Wednesday morning after "rooming in" Tuesday night at the hospital with them. Karsyn was ready a few days ago but I thought since it was so close we will just wait and have them come home together! Karsyn is now eating so great, sometimes up to 80 or more cc's. Kennedy is also doing so great,she will come home on oxygen and heart monitors. Karsyn weighs 6lbs 8oz and Kennedy is a wopping 3lbs 13oz, maybe she will hit the 4lb mark before Wednesday!!! Anyway I will probably post some more stuff when they are actually home but we just wanted to thank everyone for all their support. This has been a very trying time for us and we are so glad to start the next adventure, raising twins! We would love to have visitors, but please just remember how delicate these girls are and if you or anyone you have been around is sick please wait to come until you or they are feeling better! Hopefully with everyone's cooperation we will be able to make it through this first year with the least amount of sickness as possible. Thanks everyone,we love you all!

Karsyn

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Looking back on the last 100 days!

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Day 100!

Well it has officially been 100 days since the girls have been in the NICU, what a ride. It shouldn't be too much longer now before the they get to come home with us. Kennedy is still eating like a champion. They have her still eating every three hours but she can eat however much she wants. Whatever she doesn't drink they won't give her through her tube anymore, because she doesn't have the tube anymore if you can see! She is still on about .5 liters on her oxygen flow but only 25-30%, which means she is close on that too because she has to be on .1 at the most before they will let her come home. As for Karsyn, we are starting to make some progress on the feeds as well. The nurses and doctors thought that she may be tongue tied so they had an ENT doctor come in and look and he thought she was too. So he clipped the little flappy thingy, which they said is pretty painless, and hoped that would help her eat. They also decided that we needed to challenge her a little bit and because she is about 6lbs 6oz she can now too eat every three hours still, but she can decide how much she wants to have. This was just yesterday so we will give them both a few days on this and then if they do well with it, continue to gain weight, they will let them be totally ad lib which means they will let them wake up on their own and eat whatever they want, just like normal newborn!!! So that's the news, they are still in the crib together and seem to like it together. Kennedy is still the really really fiesty one and Karsyn seems pretty laid back and mellow, although they say she definately has her moments. We will keep you updated but hopefully it won't be much longer, maybe this next week!!!

As for Logan, she is going into the doctor herself today because,well her 3 year well baby check, and also because she seems to have either croup or bronchitits. She woke up yesterday and had a really barky cough and a slight fever so I called the doctor,since she needed to have her 3 year check up anyway, to schedule an appointment. The doctor wasn't in yesterday so we scheduled for today which was fine because he cough and fever went away. It was gone all day until about 4:00 I went to the grocery store and she fell asleep in my arms at the register. Thank goodness I had been talking to an old friend, Kristy Mortensen's, mom and she helped me with putting my stuff on the belt and then bagging it. You know that is the stupid thing about Wal Mart, they don't ever offer to help even when they see I have a 30 lb toddler, dead weight, in my arms and I am trying to do it myself. Anyway she slept for about 2 more hours and it came time for Kurt and I to go to the hospital so I called my dad and he came down here to watch her while we went. By this time she had started burning up again and could barely breathe, my dad just about took her to the doctor while we were gone because she was having such a hard time breathing. Anyway, I wouldn't have known this because when we walked in she had just gotten up seconds ago and was playing like she wasn't sick at all. We still had her sleep in our bed,just in case, and about 3:30am she woke up really sick again. Anyway, I have her an appointment this afternoon so we will see how she feels and what the doctor says. Maybe I won't be seeing the twins today because I don't want to take anything up to them or have whoever is babysitting Logan get sick.

Together again!

Well when KURT and his parents went to see the babies last night they came into a SURPRISE...the girls were sharing a crib for the first time in their lives, 3 MONTHS and 3 DAYS OLD. I unfortunately missed this MILESTONE because I have spent the last few days stuck in my bed unable to function. After talking to different people I guess I have MASTITIS, an infection in my right boob (TMI I know). I have to admit, I can't remember ever being this sick pretty much my whole life, I literally didn't get out of BED almost all day Saturday. I am starting ANTIBIOTICS and hopefully will be able to get feeling better soon. Since what I have isn't contagious at least I can go see the babies right!! Anyway Kurt said that the GIRLS are doing really well, especially KENNEDY who is taking most of her feedings with a BOTTLE. I think we starved her for so long when she was sick she is ready to eat. KENNEDY is down to 1.5 liters on her oxygen and about 30%(if that means anything to some of you), but that is AMAZING considering where she was even one week ago. That proves how strong our little Kennedy is and that she ISN’T THE TYPE TO GIVE UP. Now the weird part will be is if Kennedy comes home before KARSYN who just doesn't seem to want to eat. We will see but it looks like it shouldn't be much longer before we get to BRING THE GIRLS HOME!

Hey everyone the rollercoaster is on its way up!

I know I already posted a million things today but I can't leave this out. Everyone in the NICU at Ogden Regional has been amazing. I feel like I have made about 40 new friends,and that many mommies for the girls, that once this is over I will truly miss. As you all know Kennedy and Karsyn are now 3 months and the nurses, RT's , and doctors all put together a special little party for us and the girls. The best part of tonight was that big sister Logan was allowed to go in and see her sisters for the very first time! She was so excited and was so good the whole time we were in there. As you can see in the pictures, Logan instantly fell in love with her sisters. Karsyn started to wake up to her sister Logan's voice that she hadn't heard for a while, but I know she remembered! Logan also spent a little time with Kennedy and so did mom. I was able to hold Kennedy for the first time in a while(since she has been sick). You can also see the funny get-up that Kennedy is wearing now, this is a C-PAP which helps her keep her lungs expanded since she decided to take out her vent early this morning. Because she seemed to be holding her own without the vent, Dr Simmons decided to change her to this and see how she does. Bless Dr Simmons for coming in at 2:00am this morning and staying until around 5:00am until Kennedy was OK again. Dr Simmons and Kennedy have such a strong bond and I can just see how much he loves her, has done so much for her and us. All the doctors have but, even when Dr Simmons is off he is calling to see how his girls are doing and even said he had a hard time sleeping because he was thinking about Kennedy while she was so sick. We have gotten to know so many people from the hospital and will in no way be able to repay them for all their love, time and devotion to our babies lives. They would not be here with us today if it weren't for these nurses, doctors, and RT's. Anyway, I just wanted to post a few pictures of today because all our friends at the NICU made it such a special one. We took so many pictures I decided to just put it in a slide show. They even bought Logan a bunch of birthday gifts, cake, ice cream, cupcakes,and then matching outfits for Karsyn and Kennedy! Thanks again and we love you all with all our hearts.

Oh PS yes Karysn is off of her oxygen all together!!! She has been doing room air trials the last week or so on her own but need the oxygen once in a while but now she is just fine without it. Kennedy also took her 2cc's of milk that she is eating right now through a bottle because she is showing that she is really interested and that she was,she gulped it right up! Hopefully when she feels better and her bowels start kicking into gear again she will do great with the bottle- Karsyn will have to take notes from her little sister. Karsyn can show Kennedy how to breathe and Kennedy can show Karsyn how to eat! What a pair. Thanks again to all the staff at ORMC NICU, you are like family right now and when we ever get these girls home we will miss you guys so much.