Go Cocks!

Enough said!

Everyone at home!

(written today by Catherine)

Whew!  It has been a rough journey the last 6 1/2 weeks, but we have made it through, Samantha (and mommy and daddy) have been tough, and we are all home.  To welcome the complete family we had Grandpa and Nana and Great-Grandma and Great-Aunt Mary Anne here.  Great-Grandma bought us outfits with kitties on our butts!

Then mommy got a crash course on how to take care of twins because she was by herself on Samantha's first full day home.  Heidi tried to help and we stuck to a schedule (thanks Jennifer for the Babywise book!) and made it through.  We even were able to take pictures.  I'm the one with the smaller head and darker hair.  Most of Samantha's hair fell out in the hospital when she wasn't allowed to eat, but what she has is very blonde.

Nights have been a little tricky because we aren't big enough yet to eat a full bottle and keep our little tummies full for more than 4 hours at best, but we're working on it.  Daddy was home with us today and we had to go to the stupid doctor and I got stuck with things, but I guess it was over quickly.  Samantha and I both weigh just over 6 lbs, but she is still 1/2 inch longer than I am.  But, I am growing because I barely fit in my preemie clothes.  Unfortunately, regular newborn clothes are huge on me, Samantha looks better in them than I do.  Then we took a walk with Heidi in the neighborhood.  It was such a nice day!  Then mommy's friend, Linda came to visit.  She is very nice and she knit us beautiful yellow and green blankets before we were even born.  They match a pillow that mommy has had since she was a baby, how cool is that?  We have so many blankets from people and we will never be cold.

Daddy took this photo today.  Mommy likes it because apparently that is how Daddy sleeps sometimes.  She just hasn't taken a picture yet.  Daddy likes it because it looks like we are flexing our muscles.  We really don't have muscles :-)

We got to do more tummy time today.

Samantha doesn't like tummy time so much.

Samantha did get to wear the monkey hat Dani got us.

Samantha also likes her passie.  She holds on so tight that sometimes she pulls it out of her mouth and gets mad.  Wonder if she'll figure that out.  I guess it is better than me, I can't really hold it in there.

It is time for mommy to make bottles and our 10pm feeding.  Let's hope for mommy's sake that we can stay asleep for a while after that.  More to come soon.  Maybe I'll let Samantha write.  She's 2 minutes younger than me, though, so I'm not sure if she is ready yet.

Home!

Boy, does this feel good!  More to come this weekend.  Karen is on her own tomorrow and then Dave is home for 3 days so we may be able to update this again.  For now, this pic should hold you over.

more pictures

Just some quick photos for people to see.  One more full day at the hospital and then Samantha comes home.  Thank goodness Dave has the day off, but Karen is on her own all day Thursday with both girls.

Samantha:

Big yawn Samantha!

 Catherine:

 Mommy and her girls:

 Hey, I know you!

Visitors, bath, & freedom

Today Samantha is off her IV fluids!  This is an important step for her.  Next is getting to full feeds on Sunday and then she can come home on Wednesday.  Both girls had an eye exam today and passed with flying colors.

Great-Grandma came to visit on Monday.  The first thing she did was greet Catherine and give out some presents.  She was surprised at how small Catherine is.  That's only because she never got to see her when she was 3 lbs.  Today she is already over 5 lbs.

Also on Monday, Samantha's Godmother Dani came to visit.  She stayed until Friday.  This is her at the hospital with Samantha for the first time.  Dani was an unbelievable help with Catherine.  She woke up early in the morning so we could get some extra sleep.  She also took care of Catherine so we could go to the hospital together to see Sam.  Normally Karen goes to the hospital in the afternoon and Dave goes around 8 pm.

When we went to visit Samantha on Wednesday she was in her duck outfit.  She has graduated out of premie clothes and now wears newborn size.  Probably fitting, she would only be at 39 weeks if she were still in the womb.  As it is, she and her sister are tiny little toothless milk-vampires

One of Catherine's least favorite times is bath time.  Despite that fact that she has a rubber duckie.  When she gets finished, we (really just Dave) like to mess up her hair because it looks really cool.  Catherine still has all the hair she was born with.  Samantha has lost most of hers, and what is left is extremely blonde.  Catherine has dark hair...  for now.

Nurses and more

Dave and I would like to comment on the nurses at the UNC NICU (actually, it's the newborn critical care unit, NCCU).  They are amazing and we would not make it through without them.  They are compassionate, upbeat, understanding, and will go to bat for you against doctors and interns who have a can have a difficult time speaking to parents in a sympathetic way (don't know why they don't make interns take a class on how to speak to parents before rotating through the NICU and pediatric units).  The nurses explain things better than the doctors and know more than the interns and make you feel loved and cared for in the process.  I should say, though, that our first intern was also incredible.

Today Samantha got more to eat and may be up to full feeds and off her IV in a week or less, depending on how slowly they decide to up her feeds.  Slow is fine with us, don't want to push her.  Her GI tract already seems to be tolerating food better this time through than the last two times, so our hopes are up and fingers crossed.  Today she was a stinker and slept through the entire bottle I fed her, and the entire time I was there, but at least she ate and I got some snuggle time.

Catherine is doing well and we are hoping to get her to sleep more through the night soon.   Wish us luck!  She makes the silliest faces and I wish I could show you, but every time I hit the button on the camera it goes away.  My grandma would say she is a scutch (however you spell that word).

On a crappy note, because we can't go one week without something happening, it is going to take $800 to fix my car.  Sigh.  Let's ignore that and focus on silly baby faces.

Tomorrow great grandma arrives with grandpa to see the girls, and then Godmother Dani gets here, so pictures to follow!

1 month old and looking up

Whew!  Today had me really worried.  Samantha had a barium study of her GI tract today to see if she had any places that didn't form correctly and were too narrow.  She passed with flying colors and it took a lot less time than they expected.  Then she got to eat for the first time in almost 2 weeks; a whole 3ml.  They are starting her out slow to make sure her GI tract is healed and ready to process food and that is fine with us.

We took Catherine to see Samantha today for their 1 month birthday and it felt so good to see them both together again.  It also taught us how tricky this is going to be when they are both home.  Samantha needed to be changed and Catherine needed to be fed.  Well, did you know that when a little body is given barium for an x-ray study and it comes out the other side it really smells?  Yikes!  Then, as Karen was changing her she shot some more poop across her bed and into the equipment and tubes and the family pictures we had hanging there.  Dave couldn't help because he had Catherine and Karen was stuck trying to clean and catch and get new diapers and wipes.  However, Samantha felt much better, so I guess it was worth it.

So, here are some pictures of Samantha's 3rd first bottle (if that makes sense), and both girls together.  I can't believe how much smaller Catherine is than her sister!

Pictures!

I'm sure most of you have seen these on facebook or via e-mail, but here a photos of all of us...well, except Heidi, we're still waiting for Samantha to come home to do a family portrait ;-)

Catherine:

Samantha (she has changed so much!):

Everyone!

Maybe Dave can figure out how to post the video of Catherine's bath.  Less traumatic than the first few times for all of us.

Our First Family Post!

Welcome to our blog about the Dave Clark 5!  Yes, we are counting Heidi, our mini schnauzer.  How could we not?  She is adjusting quite well to Catherine being home, by the way.  Of course, who knows what will happen when Samantha joins us...

Well, a lot of people have been asking for more regular updates, especially those not on Facebook, so here we are.  We welcomed our twin girls (not identical) on March 15th, 2011.  Catherine Louise was born at 3:49am.  She was 16 inches long and weighed 3lbs 1oz.  Samantha Jean was born at 3:51am.  She was 17 1/4 inches long and weighed 3lbs 1oz.  The girls' middle names are the same as their grandmothers' middle names.  We had to go home separately.  Karen went home first, then Catherine on April 2nd.  Samantha is still there.  I think she was upset that Catherine went home and got to claim all the 'good stuff' so she created a ruckus at the hospital to gain more attention.  Personally, I think she decided that Catherine started all of this when her water broke, so she decided it was her turn to have drama.  This is not a good sign for the future.

So, we've been splitting our time between Catherine at home and Samantha at the hospital.  Karen had issues with her wound and poor Dave is packing it with gauze twice a day as it heals without stitches.  Dave is her hero for doing something so gross.  It should be over soon though.  Karen's grandmother passed away this Monday and we are all just praying that, over time, we can find some semblance of normalcy with the girls at home and Nana coming up here for a few days to help out.  Keep up with us on the blog, we will do our best to keep up with it.  We are settling into a pattern, which will naturally change once Sam gets home, which will be a very good thing.