Project Boys Room

Magnet Wall! When we were in Arizona a little while ago we went to a children's museum. One of the rooms had a magnet wall with a variety of PVC pipes in various shapes and sizes that you connected and could roll balls down. A larger than life marble game, if you will, that the kids had a blast with. I have been wanting to make one ever since, but Rose said I had to finish the basement first... done mostly ;)!

So with the help of my Dad we got it up yesterday! We still need to make the tracks but the kids are having fun with it still in the meantime.

Bella Baby

My job has lots of perks. One of them is a free baby photography session with the hospital photographer. Normally this is done in the hospital on the postpartum unit where I work. Since our babies were in the NICU the photographer offered to come to our home and take the pictures. I am forever grateful. She captured so many adorable moments and all in the comfort of my own home. I loved all of the pictures but there were too many to post so I chose my favorites.

Minis at 3 Weeks

The Minis had weight checks today at the Pediatrician's. They are doing well. Taggart weighed 5 lbs 12 oz last Monday and today he weighs 6 lbs 4 oz.

Sienna weighed 6 lbs 12 oz last Monday and today she weighs 7 lbs 5 oz.

It's hard to console two crying babies. So I've figured out how to hold both. Having two  babies makes one baby seem like a piece of cake.

I think about times when I had one baby to feed, burp, diapers to change, bath, etc and I didn't realize how easy I had it.

 

There is never a dull moment with the Minis.

Minis First Holiday

The Minis first trip to Heber was a success.They are generally pretty happy in their car seats unless it is close to feeding time. We celebrated their first holiday, Pioneer Day, at a BBQ with my family.

The bouncy chair at my parent's house is extra wide so they fit in it together. I just had to roll up a cloth between their heads to keep their heads from squishing together.

I can't get enough of these two. I'm constantly taking a picture of them.

She looks a lot like Lynnlee.

Favorite Aunt Betsy and Sienna.

 

The rest of the pictures are from different days.

Marshall placed Taggart in this box.

My first plan for feeding them was alternate who got to breastfeed at each feeding and the other would get a bottle. This all changed after I realized how long they each took to breastfeed. All my friends with twins said to feed them at the same time. I definitely couldn't breastfeed one and bottle feed the other by myself at the same time. I decided to pump right before each feeding and then they each get a bottle at the same time. Its not easy but doable.  

Monkey Girl

Cuddles on the couch.

Close ups

The Minis at Two Weeks

The Minis are two weeks old. It felt like the longest two weeks while they were in the NICU. The NICU was a blessing in that they were feeding them around the clock while I was at home getting a pretty good amount of sleep just waking up to pump one time a night. Now the Minis sleep 6 hours at night so I feel like we were lucky and got off easy not having to feed them around the clock. Marshall helps me feed them at 11:00pm and then again at 5:30am. He and Taggart have it all figured out. Marshall has him fed, burped, diaper changed and back to bed in twenty minutes.

They love being swaddled and sleep better when they are swaddled up.

They got the cutest outfits from my friend. Even though I'm not a photographer I decided to try a few shots just for fun.

Kaden has adjusted very well considering he gets less attention now. He always wants to hold them and anytime they make a peep he is the first at their side.  Don't get me wrong, he definitely has had his moments when he wants attention so he dumps his cereal bowl on the ground on purpose or squirts toothpaste everywhere but it could be worse.

James has daily cuddle/bonding time with Taggart.

Lynnlee reminds us daily that Sienna is her favorite.

Multitasker

Marshall has been holding back on me all these years. He is really good at multitasking. I guess it's a case of  when the going gets tough, the tough get going. We are out numbered and out of hands so we find ways to make it work. Marshall has been a huge help with all the kids and especially the minis.

Home Sweet Home

I got a call from the nurse this morning saying today was for sure the day. I got to the hospital around 10:00 and got them dressed and loaded up in their car seats.

Grandma Ruth helped James, Lynnlee and Kaden make a sign while I was at the hospital.  

They were all so happy when I pulled up. They were all climbing in and taking peeks at them before we could even get out of the car. Then they all wanted to help get them out of their car seats and hold them.

James was so happy and had the biggest smile on his face.

Kaden couldn't get enough and constantly wanted to hold each baby. At one point James and Lynnlee each had a baby and Kaden was so upset. Guess I should have had triplets ;)

Lynnlee kept asking if she could help and was so excited to hold Sienna. She's pretty much in love with her new sister.

Set Backs

There's always got to be a set back when trying to leave the hospital, right? I came to the hospital excited to take Sienna home today. She passed her car seat test and other screenings. The only hiccup was her bilirubin. They checked it yesterday morning and her level hadn't come down. So they put the lights on her and rechecked it this morning. Yesterday the doctor said if she was under 11 then she could come home. Her level today was 10 so she should have been good to go. Today there was a different doctor and he said he wanted to check her level tomorrow and then she can go home. I'm definitely disappointed but since Taggart is there until tomorrow it's ok knowing that they will be there together.

She was a champ during her car seat test. She looks so little.

The plan is for Taggart to come home tomorrow. So far he is doing great and there shouldn't be anything to get in his way of going home.

I really hope they both get to come home tomorrow!

The Plan

Sienna and Taggart are doing really well. He got his feeding tube out today. The plan is for Sienna to go home tomorrow and Taggart on Saturday. Hopefully everything works out as planned. We are so excited to bring them home! Thanks for all your prayers!

Taking Off

Sienna has really taken off in the past day. She has been way more awake for every feeding and has been eating on her own the last 24 hours. So today they took out her feeding tube. If she can continue for the next 48 hours then she can come home!

Taggart is doing well but he is still too sleepy to get all his feedings down all by himself. It will be hard to have them separated but hopefully he will follow her home a few days later.

The Minis

These two get to snuggle even closer now that they are off the bili lights and IVs. Its so cute to see how they interact. One day they were both wide awake when they were suppose to be going to sleep. The nurse placed them facing each other and they just looked at each other for awhile before they fell asleep.

They are healthy and doing really well. They have finally stopped losing weight and are now gaining weight to get back to their birth weight. Taggart isn't that far off. He weighs 5 lbs 6 oz now and his birth weight was 5 lbs 8 oz. Sienna is 6 lbs 3 oz and her birth weight was 6 lbs 9 oz. 

We wanted them to have a priesthood blessing to help them continue to have good health and strength. Marshall's dad met him there so they could do that. It's so nice to feel the peace that comes from blessings! Marshall's mom also met up at the hospital to have some snuggle time.