It takes two

Where to start???

Well, we had a few visitors yesterday and once everyone left, there were still two babies here. It was so strange and surreal but I was loving every minute of it. I found myself yesterday grabbing my phone to call the NICU.  Sean and I both wish we had 3 hands, if that tells you anything. The boys are sleeping great during the day but not as good at night. I think it was 3am and Luke was a little fussy, so we just rocked and rocked and we snuggled. I closed my eyes and before I knew it it was 4:45am. The babies are doing great adjusting to their new home. They can nap anywhere and sleep through all sorts of different sounds. They had their first doctor appointment today and the pediatrician was really impressed with their growth and development as preemies.

All snuggled up

Sean and I make a great team! We switch off feeding at night so the other can sleep. We're a little tired but we wouldn't have it any other way. What Joy!

Home Sweet Home

Sean made three trips to the car and he looked like this each time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet little Luke

Cute little Carter

Home at last!

Each month we'll take a picture with their pillow to show how much they've grown.

Their LAST NIGHT: NICU Day 89

Can you believe it?? We made it!

We made it through eighty-nine days of the NICU roller coaster. We are finally done visiting our newborn sons and we can finally be together as a family. I'm proud to say that We Are Okay. I didn't think I would ever say that as this journey seemed to last a lifetime. God has watched over us through this entire experience. What would we do without him by our side? He has worked miracles, he has healed our babies, and he has comforted us through it all. I cannot imagine how much joy he will bring to our lives in the next few days. We finally get to be a normal family living in our own home tomorrow. We are extremely excited to bring the boys home as healthy little babies. Luke is now over seven pounds and Carter is almost weighing eight pounds. Tonight, we will stay at the hospital and the babies will be with us in the room. They will not have anything attached to them tonight as that is the way they will be coming home. Yes, you read that correct. All the worries we had about bringing them home on oxygen and a nasal cannula is out the window! The boys will sleep tonight with no monitors, no tubes, no wires and there will be nothing helping them breathe. We no longer have to hop over chords and IV poles. We get to take home two healthy little babies. We cannot wait to hold, kiss and love on them unconditionally. Did I mention Hold? Yes, I don't think I will put either of them down. Sean will have to fight me for a baby. Tears of Joy! This is the best feeling in the world! Hallelujah.

From the bottom of our hearts, we appreciate the help, support, prayers, cards, gifts and all of the kind words you have all sent our way. We have had so much support through this roller coaster and we probably could not have done it without all of the specials prayers. As of today, we've had over 11,000 views on our blog so Thank You, Thank You for following our journey. We will continue to update the blog of Carter and Luke's progress as they continue to grow.

Much Love,
The Coffey's

The boys.

The nursery at home is all ready for their arrival.

Thanks Aunt Angie!!

Ummmmm lady! NICU day 87

The nurse fed the boys tonight around the time we always come so we weren't too happy when she told us to just come at their next feeding, 11pm. Ummmmmmm lady, we work in the morning! (If you can tell, we didn't know this nurse) So, we didn't get to see the babies tonight. I guess, we'll take advantage of this time and get in bed before 9pm. This may be the last we Ever do get to do this.

The boys are doing good. No bradies and both passed their car seat test. We're getting really anxious around here. 

We got the second bedding set today from Carter and Luke's Bunco Aunts!! Thank you, Thank you! The nursery will be complete as soon as I do the wash. ohhhh Lisa!!!!????

Look at our faces! NICU Day 85

NO MORE CANNULA, OG TUBES OR OXYGEN!!!!

Sean took these last night and I am still trying to figure out who is who. Luke always has a little wrinkle in his forehead but I'm not seeing a wrinkle anywhere. My luck, this is the same baby. Okay, Sean...who is who??

Today: They got circumsized this morning and both did really well. Luke took almost 3oz today during his feeding and Carter is now taking just under 4oz.

Yesterday was not the best day...today will be better. Positive thoughts, positive thoughts. They are doing great and I am thanking God for it every minute!

tired of crying

and just plain tired of doing "this."

I don't wanna have to call and see how they're doing.

I don't wanna plan my evening around when they wake up.

I don't wanna eat fast food anymore.

I don't wanna wake up each night worrying about them.

I don't wanna think about them being There and us Here.

I don't wanna DRIVE to see my babies!

I don't wanna cry anymore.

I'm so tired of all "this!" Just, plain. tired.

I have no motivation at school, my attitude is changing and I'm just not happy. Ninety some days in the NICU, why is this happening to us? I was doing great carrying the boys. What happened? Was this really God's plan? What went wrong? H o n e s t l y, I don't think we will ever. know. why.

I want to be tired from holding them. And taking care of them. I want to feel like a real mom. I want our family to be a family. We don't want this anymore!

The anticipation:NICU Day 84

The boys did not have any bradies last night and are sleeping right now. The nurse will feed them around 9-9:30 depending on when they wake up. (They have been doing pretty good with the 4 hour schedule.) The doctors will be evaluating in a couple of hours and we're suppose to call back around 1 or 2pm for an update.

I cannot even think straight. I'm unsure of what's going to happen today. I've prayed all morning that the babies are healthy enough to f i n a l l y come home. The waiting hurts..

Will update in a few hours..

Carter had a brady right after Sean called this morning so this adds A N O T H E R five long and dreadful days. Luke is doing great breathing at 21%. When he wakes up, the nurse is going to take his cannula off and see how he does without it. The tentative plan is to Room In at the hospital on Saturday and bring the babies home on Sunday.

This is longer than we had planned but as you can tell, they need more time. We have been so incredibly patient and to wait another week just eats me alive. I just want to hold my babies! Do I sound like a child?? Think about the last time you wanted something so bad and you just couldn't have it. Only replace it with your brand new little baby.

Hmf! :NICU day 83

Today I got to nurse the babies..no, not at the same time. =)
Carter did pretty good and Luke did okay.  Our nurse knew we were coming at 2pm to meet the lactation specialist but she gave them bottles at 12 so they weren't very hungry. Hmf!

 

They were so content when holding them today. It was really hard putting them back and leaving. We're getting so close to bringing them home so it makes it that much harder.

As of today, there are no changes. We will know more tomorrow after the doctor reevaluates.

Add 5 - NICU Day 82

Last night both Carter and Luke had a Brady. This means the count-down starts over again. The soonest they could come home now is Wednesday.  

Carter weighs 7 pounds 1 ounce
Luke weighs 6 pounds 11 ounces

Not Tom Brady: NICU Day 80

..a bradycardia. The ONE thing you don't want to happen right before going home.

Bradycardia=5 extra days.

Carter had a bradycardia last night while I was holding him. What can I say? He just got sooo comfortable. He is doing fine. Brady's can happen while drinking, burping, sleeping or passing a stool. We weren't expecting them home on Monday quite yet anyway so we aren't too bummed, but you can see how upsetting it could be. They want us to stay in the Overnight Room in the NICU for two nights before we take them home so I'm not sure just yet when we'll do that. My guess, we'll stay at the hospital Monday and Tuesday night and hopefully take them home Wednesday or Thursday. Luke could possibly stay a day or two longer if he doesn't do well when they take him off the oxygen. Everything is up in the air right now and it can change any day. They will reevaluate both boys on Monday and we'll know more details then. Stay tuned....

I went camera crazy last night with Carter !!

Aren't babies soooooooo cute when they sleep?

As of today @ 1pm. Luke is now on .1 liter on his flow!! Woooooohooo!

The RIGHT DIRECTION: NICU 79

All good news!

Carter is OFF ALL OXYGEN (or the compressed air he was recieving) and the nasal cannula is GONE!!!! Priase God! He no longer will be recieving breathing treatments and they were able to stop all other medications. So, basically he is now a normal little baby laying in a hospital crib with only one need, To Be Fed!  And boy, can that boy eat!

Luke is now down to 1/2 a liter on his flow and he's sitting at 25% oxygen and doing great! Yaaaaay! Come on Punkin......I'm praying for this little guy constantly!!

Last picture of Carter with the cannula on.

They have taken their bottles really well and still seem hungry so now the nurse will give them as much as they can take. Yikes! I'm thinking about two things right now: Three boys and The Pantry. The doctor wants to allow some more flexibility in their schedule. So, instead of being woken up every three hours the nurses will allow them to wake up on their own and be fed then. Hopefully this will help them sleep better without as many frequent interruptions.

The joy and excitement that I am feeling right now is about to explode outta my ears! We appreciate everyones thoughts, prayers and support throughout this whole journey. And I apologize a million times for all my wordy thoughts and the grammar errors.

2 of these & 2 of that: NICU day 77

The babies are doing excellent and cute as ever.

Carter is almost a whopping 7 pounder! {I realize that's not really a word, but it fits}
Luke is only 6lbs 7oz but he seems like the chunkier one.
They still seem so small to me, but in the words of one of their Aunts, "They're filling out their blankets!"

Carter is on 1/2 a liter on his flow.
Luke is on 1 liter on his flow and receiving 30% oxygen.

We did some gift card shopping today to get some miscellaneous things we'll need.  It was so hard to not throw everything "cute, small, soft or I think they'll like this" in the basket. I mean really, of all the things we get, do the babies really have a say in the color, fabric or taste? Pshh, it doesn't matter, Amy!!! We ended up only using one gift card so we have plenty for "stuff" later. Wait, did I say stuff? I meant, Similac FORMULA! The formula that the babies need while I am not nursing is outrageous in cost! So, the first thing we did when we got home was email Similac and Pampers so we can get some coupons!  I guess I'll email some other MOMs (Moms Of Multiples) and see what they've done to save. eek!

Hey, by the way will you do us a favor and SAVE YOUR COUPONS? =)

Our house is pretty much ready, or as ready as we think it can be. We are beyond ready for this adventure. My new camera is charged and ready..as if I'll have time to take pictures, ha!

We can see the light: NICU day 76

Update

Bottles:
Carter is recieving 8 bottles a day. He takes them so well and so quickly.
Luke is also receiving 8 bottles a day. He just started taking all eight so we'll see how it goes after day 2.
They have done extremely well taking the bottles; the nurses have been quite impressed! 

Oxygen:
Carter is breathing room air.
Luke is still requiring 21-30%.

Pressure of air:
Carter is on level 1 (he's just receiving compressed air since he does not require oxygen).
Luke is on level 2.

Time left in the NICU:
Doctor Foster said today that they will be coming home early NEXT WEEK!!!!!! If all continues to go well and as long as they don't have any brady's (which adds on 5 days) or get sick.

Our thoughts:
Well, we are obviously ecstatic!! We're runnin' around trying to prepare everything so I'll write again tomorrow or Tuesday after more updates.

Continued prayers for Luke that he will be able to be weened off all oxygen. We would love to bring these little ones home wire and tube Free!

God is so good!

What's one more? : NICU day 74

Dr. T called me with some updates
.
Both boys are on level 2 flow. To go home, they need to be on .5 or 0. He said the lowering of this pressure has taken them a little longer than expected. If their lungs can not handle lower than 1 or 2 we will be bringing them home on oxygen. Yes, I dread that! Pleaseeeeeeeeeee Lord, heal these little lungs and make them strong!! They've done soooo incredibly well, growth, weight gain, bottles,  and now we just need these lungs to rev up!

Carter can now recieve 4-6 bottles a day.
Luke can now recieve 2-4 bottles a day.

Both have increased their feeds. (They are taking almost 2oz now)

And......................he predicts three more weeks. 

I guess, what's one more week when we've waited over seventy?

Snow Happy :NICU day 73

I was sooo happy to see the boys tonight. I gave Luke a bottle and he did great.

Pics from tonight. Crazy-Hands Carter on the left and Ol' man wrinkles on the right. (If you haven't caught on, Carter is ALWAYS on the left, Luke on the right.) And yes, it will be like that when they come home too.

And...some snow pics that we'll share with the boys one day.

hungry little boys: NICU day 72

I'm home sick again today. I hate it and I hate missing work and having a sub try to figure things out but it's the smartest choice. I want to see the boys so bad and I knew if I went in to school today, things would not get better. I remember a few days ago I posted about Sean and I physically being drained. It all makes sense now. What always happens when you wear yourself thin? You get Sick! Sean didn't feel too great this morning either, I'm hoping he doesn't come down with anything.

The babies were sound asleep when I called a couple hours ago. I love when they're sleeping because then I don't worry about them being wide awake looking around for mommy and daddy. It breaks my heart that I can't be there more often to just hold them and talk to them. I posted yesterday that Carter is doing great on his feeds. He is taking four bottles a day now and apparently he loves it! He took a bottle(48ml) this morning in 11 minutes! Guess, he was hungry! He's still on 21% and his flow is down to 2. I cannot wait to get that cannula out of their noses. Luke is doing great. He's taking two bottles a day and the nurse said he's taking them just as fast as his brother. Luke is on level 3 flow.

Keep on keepin' on
-Jack Ingram

back to resting and a little finishing up in the nursery.

Missin' the babies: NICU day 71

Well the babies are doing great but I can't say the same for myself. Lets see, Sunday the weather was bad so we didn't make it to the hospital. Monday after school, I wasn't feeling too great and didn't want to risk seeing the boys. I went in to the doctor this morning and it turns out that my body has been making a bunch of white blood cells to fight off a bacterial infection. Yuck! I'm hot and cold and can't seem to get comfortable but my immune system has always been pretty strong so I'm sure I'll be feeling much better tomorrow. I can't go see the babies until Thursday so I'm sending Sean today to give them lots of love for me.

Update on the little ones:
They are 10 weeks old today. (37 weeks gestation)
Luke is now taking two bottles a day.
Carter is now getting a bottle every other feed and they lowered him to 2 on his flow.

That's all for now, I need to sleep.

P.S. As of today there have been 9,376 views on the blog (does not include my visits)
Thank you for the support!!!  We truly appreciate all of you and for keeping us in your thoughts.

Sean just sent me these

Luke. "Leave me Alone!"                Carter. "Hey Mom!"

I'm out numbered, buttttt I think I'm going to like it..A Whole Lot!

chunky monkeys:NICU DAY 70!!!

Carter is up to taking three bottles as of today and he now weighs 6 POUNDS! I envision our family already. (Mom 5'3, Dad 5'11, Carter 6'3, Luke 6'2)

Luke is still getting one bottle. He has done great the past two days but they don't want to push him too hard or else he really starts breathing heavy. My guess, they will try a second bottle on him by Wednesday. =) Fingers crossed.

I hope everyone in Dallas enjoyed the snow this weekend. Hopefully no one slipped on their toosh when getting out of their car this morning. Oh wait, I almost did that! Rain boots have NO grip, what can I say? It looks so pretty outside; I love it..for a short time anyway. And for all of you up in Nebraska, we actually got some good snow..the kind that sticks when you roll a ball! You should see the massive snowmen around town. I'll add a couple pics later.

Can't wait to get home and have some Hot Chocolate with a drop of Baileys! oops, did I say that?

Happy Winter!

Fillin' out: NICU day 69

 The boys oxygen flow has been turned down to 3 and are both breathing room air, still with the cannula. 

Luke got a bottle yesterday (which I had no idea about) and he finished the whole thing!!! I have no doubt that these boys will be big eaters.

The babies are really filling out, cheeks in all! As of last night, Carter weighed 5lbs 13oz and Luke weighed 5lbs 7oz. They are really looking like normal little, healthy babies. 

Here's a comparison from day 5 to day 67.

 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8

We did not make it to the hospital today as the weather was a little crummy {Beauitful snowy skies but crummy roads} so we got an update after calling three or four times. Carter took one bottle today and finished it in 15 minutes, which is really great! He will be getting a SECOND bottle tonight. Did you hear that?? Yes, a second bottle. Now remember, bottle feeds can usually only start when babies reach two on their flow. We were just on five several days ago and Carter is already taking two bottles at a flow of three. He is really doing great. Luke got one bottle today and he finished it in 25 minutes, yea Luke! Please continue to pray for us, smooth bottle feeds, strong lungs and continued patience as we round the end of this journey.

We still do not have a specific date of welcoming these little Joys home but if they continue to do well, it will be the first week in February. My heart just pitter-pattered thinking of it. Less than thirty days..less than thirty days!

Bottles: NICU 68

Carter took another bottle on Friday and he finished the whole thing! Today he will either get one again just to see how well he does or they may start him with trying a second bottle. Either way, it's a huge step in the right direction. Carter's oxygen has stayed at room air for the last three days. Luke's is set on 23%. Both still on a flow of 4.

Carter now weighs 5lbs 13oz
Luke now weighs 5lbs 5oz

Drained: NICU day 66

What Mom???

Carter and those little hands of his...he is too funny!




Sean and I are physically and mentally drained from everything going on. We are so thankful for all of the prayers through this journey thus far but getting through these last weeks is completely wearing on us and it seems like everything has finally caught up with us.  We will be so glad to end the hospital visits (we will miss the nurses though), the meals on the go, the frequent gas fill ups and the piles of other things we have put off..like LAUNDRY and lesson plans!

Feisty little Luke

On two really positive notes: Both boys have been lowered to 4 on their oxygen flow.

...And Carter was given his FIRST bottle tonight. He did so well! Although, he got a little sleepy he still got over halfway through finishing. The nurse said she was really impressed with his interest in the bottle this early. He managed breathing and swallowing very well. We will try the bottle with him again on Friday to see if he can get through the whole thing. Luke, like most of this experience is just a few days behind. He'll catch up to his brother one day, I know it!

 So proud.

 

Hallelujah! Funniest picture yet.

Snuggle Bunnies: NICU day 64

I'm excited to annouce that we have two 5 POUND BABIES!!

Carter is trudging along at 5lbs 6.6oz and Luke is 5lbs 1.4oz

Both have been lowered on their oxygen levels to 21% and 23% at a flow of 5.

Bottle feeds should start this weekend or early next week. Bottle feeding can be pretty stressful I hear, so we'll take it one day at a time and continue praying for strength and strong lungs.

Touchdown: NICU day 62

 Happy New Year!!!

As we look back on 2010, aside from this experience which is making us stronger as a couple, I can truly say that God blessed us with a really wonderful year. I started my second year teaching elementary Art and Sean started his second year teaching 8th grade U.S. History. We bought our first house together. We purchased our first SUV together which was definitely a necessity with the twins on board. And last, we had two little boys that we weren't expecting until 2011.=)

We have A LOT to look forward to as a population of 4. BABIES, BABIES, and staying SANE! This year is going to teach us so much and we're going to experience so many new things that I cannot even wrap my mind around. First on my To Do List: Join a Mother's of Multiples Group! I need advice, advice and a lot more advice.  I was a nanny for over five years but I feel like it taught me nothing now that we have two of our own. We now have two extra mouths to feed, four extra hands to clean, twenty little fingers to clip, two carseats to carry, a double stroller to fit, push and fold without going crazy And two extra little beds to make! It's going to be a huge challenge but Sean is the best teammate anyone could ever have and with him, I am looking forward to all of this. So, Cheers to 2011 and lots of dirty diapers!

We spent the first day of the new year watching football (Tech and TCU games specifically) and we spent a lot of quality time with each other. Sean has been full of surprises lately and one of  his surprises to me was tickets to the Tickey City Bowl, Tech vs. Northwestern. It was really windy and cold but the game was great. Here's one pic I took of the band. 

Tech 45

Northwestern 38

Wreck 'em Tech!

 The babies were in the football spirit too..

Kenny and Connie, thanks for the TCU and Tech hats!

            

Carter and Daddy.. Go Frogs!

ROSE BOWL (Towe Family, we were looking for ya'll on TV)

TCU 21

 UCONN 19

And Luke and I.. Go Tech!

The babies are doing really good. They both still have the nasal cannula on flow 6 and both still have the feeding tube. This week, the nurses are going to start the bottle feeding process. During that time, they will lower the oxygen flow to a 2  to see how they handle it.  FINGERS CROSSED it all goes well. I am so anxious to get everything off of their little faces.

The two week break has been so nice but it's back to reality tomorrow. I get to see my other 540 kiddos. This next month should fly by and then I'm off again for the remainder of my maternity leave of 7-8 weeks. So much to look forward to..

May your New Year be blessed with all good things!

Much Love.