Cute Pics and the Easter Bunny

I took some cute pictures of the girls yesterday afternoon in my front yard. They turned out so cute that I felt I needed to post them and show everyone how sweet my baby girls are. I think they look like little angels in these dresses.

Also, today my mom and I took the girls to the mall to visit the Easter Bunny. Here are are our pics from that.

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What? You don't see them sitting pretty in E.B.'s lap? Hmmm, must be because Maddy FREAKED out. She was terrified of him and then because she was so upset and clawing my arms to get me to pick her back up that Morgan started to panic too.

So we didn't get any pics this year with him (Not that the mall didn't try to convince us to go ahead with the picture, cause they did - but I wasn't paying 25.00 for a picture of my child throwing down in the floor beneath the Easter Bunny). They did visit with him though, from the safe distance of mommy and Mimi's arms. They got their suckers, which made them very happy AND very sticky girls and we went on about our merry way. Here is a picture as proof that I did dress them all cute to see the bunny in hopes of a second great EB picture. Oh well, maybe next year!

The Sweetest Thing

My dad is a driver and he has had the same route to Georgia for the past couple of years. Every other night he has stayed at the same hotel on his trip while away from home. He quickly made good friends with the office staff at this hotel. Two weeks ago his route was changed and he was informed that he would have to go to Alabama for a while (hopefully not for too long, but at least for several months). This was a big change in his schedule and would mean he wouldn't get to see the people he has seen every other day for the past couple of years. On his last night at his favorite hotel in GA the staff presented him with going away presents, but instead of traditional going away presents for him they gave him gifts for the girls. Because he talks about "his babies" so much and shows his friends down there our blog, they have come to be like family. They kept in touch with what the girls were doing through the blog and knew dad well enough to know that nothing in the world would make him happier than watching the girls get spoiled with cute Easter toys.

So this weekend dad came over to the house and brought with him two gift bags chocked full of surprises for the girls. They had a blast opening it and playing with all the goodies inside. Morgan love love loved the sunglasses and is still bringing them to me over and over today to put on her. Maddy really like the purses she and Morgan got and has kind of claimed them as both hers. They got these really pretty faint pink butterfly sequin purses I put up for Easter day. I think it will go great with their dresses. Everything they got was so cute. My favorite toys were these little bubble squeezy blowers shaped like Peeps candies. You stick the blower in the bubble solution and squeeze the peep and little micro bubbles go everywhere. We had a lot of fun with that one in therapy today.

To Evelyn, Nina, Tammy(April), Jamie, and Norma:
Thank you so much for all the wonderfully cute gifts for the girls. They had a blast playing with them all. What you did for them and for my dad was just the sweetest thing ever. Thanks for thinking of us and for being such a good friend to him these last few years! Thanks for all the prayers you have sent our way since their early arrival. May God bless you all. Please feel free to comment on my blog anytime or to shoot me an email for updates. I look forward to talking to you all again.

Mandy

Raising Funds for March of Dimes

This year we are working hard to raise money for the March of Dimes in honor of our girls Maddy and Morgan. We are holding a spaghetti dinner fundraiser on March 3rd, 2007 in hopes of raising $500.00 for MOD. Everyone is invited!

If you are in town and would like to come, please shoot me an email or leave me a comment on here. I can then get you directions and details. Tickets are $10.00 a plate and kids eat free. We could really use the support.

We also have a website set up through the March of Dimes WalkAmerica.com to raise online funds. If you would like to make a donation please see the link on the right side of the screen or click this link: Maddy and Morgan's MOD website We are so thankful to have family and friends who support us.

We are so thankful to the March of Dimes for their hard work and continuous efforts to prevent premature birth and birth defects. We believe because of this organization our doctors had the equipment and the knowledge to save our sweet girls. We hope with all of our support and others like us, we can make a difference in the lives of tiny babies born in the future. Maybe they won't have to suffer as much as our girls did; and maybe their parents won't have to worry about NEC and other conditions preemies develop now, but doctor's don't yet know why. March of Dimes mission is "Saving Babies Together" and we just hope to be a small part of that.

Thanks for all of your help, we couldn't ask for better friends and family! You have always been supportive when we needed you most and we can't tell you how much that means to us!

Love,
Mandy and William
Maddy and Morgan

Watch Your Mouth, A Random Thought, and Hot Wheels!!!

Watch Your Mouth ...

Maddy and Morgan are repeating everything now. This weekend the we were all over at my mom's house and Poppy said "doo do" as Morgan was walking through the room. Morgan repeated the word "doo do" and kept walking. I know this isn't a bad word but we thought it was hilarious. Poppy was using this word in place of another common bad word and boy are we glad he did, because it wouldn't have been so funny to hear my 19 mo. old saying curse words while strolling through the living room.

Speaking of "Bad Words" ....

This afternoon I turned on the t.v. for the first time all day, just mostly to have some noise. I didn't pay attention to the channel until later when I heard Dr. Phil coming on. I went in the kitchen and got busy and out of the living room I hear "bleep" this and "bleep" that. Really it was bleeps, not real words. They were sensoring whatever the people on the show were saying. The people were arguing and it was almost constant strings of that "bleep" noise. I wanted to go turn it off or onto cartoons but was too busy to break away from what I was in the middle of. A little while later I realized the noise had stopped ... completely. As in there was complete silence coming from the living room. I finally went in to see what was going on, only to find Maddy walking around with the remote control and the t.v. was off. I guess she got tired of the trash talking bleeping noise and decided to just turn it off. That's my girl!

A Random Thought ...

Why do my kids always wait until I have just changed their diapers to poop? Don't they know how expensive Huggies x2 are these days :)

and HOT wheels ...

Yesterday was a gorgeous day outside and so we took the girls out to play in the yard. Here they are playing on the new wheels daddy got them for Valentine's Day!

All of these pics are of Maddy, but don't worry Morgan had her turn to. She was just off playing with something else by the time I got my camera out :)

Finally it Snows!

Well the weatherman said it would snow Wednesday night, but nothing came down. Maybe a few flakes here and there. I was super dissappointed.

Then yesterday afternoon I went shopping and as soon as I got across town, William called me from work to tell me to head back home as soon as possible because it was snowing like crazy and he didn't want me out with the girls in traffic. So I tried to hurry my shopping and in the process made a rooky mistake of taking that third eye off the girls. I looked over at the basket just in time to see Maddy diving over the side of the shopping cart head first into the floor. Everyone freaked out, me included. I picked her up and tried to calm her down but she was crying so hard that her face was too red for me to figure out what was wrong, if anything. After being escorted back to the store's breakroom and getting her calmed down we realized it was just a slight bruise on her forehead and she was fine. She was back to herself relatively fast and I was relieved. I felt, of course, like a horrible mother, but then I remembered how when I was little my grandmother let me sit on the bottom of a shopping cart and I put my hands on the floor and she ran over my fingers with the wheels of the shopping cart. So I know these things happen and I am done beating myself up over it. I am just thanking God that it all ended well and my baby is okay. I will not however be letting my babies sit in the back of one of those little shopping carts again. Learned that lesson!

I got the kids in the car and headed back home. It wasn't snowing where I was. It wasn't snowing on the way home and the roads weren't even wet. The weatherman came on the radio and said the temperature was 35 degrees. I of course thought William was crazy for having rushed me before, but I think he saw snow falling for a few minutes and worried it might not stop and then the roads would get bad. It didn't matter anyway, after the incident with Maddy I wasn't going anywhere after that store except home. I was glad to get home and back to the safety of my little house.

When we headed to bed last night. The weatherman on the news said it might snow but probably would just be rain, so I was shocked when William woke me up early this morning and told me to look outside. Everything here was covered in snow. It was so pretty. We got the girls up and opened their windows so they could see it too. Then we got them bundled up and headed out to play for a few minutes before it started to melt. They were mesmerized by it, especially Morgan. Maddy was excited too, but she has the sniffles and was content to mostly just stay next to William. I did manage to get a few great pictures of them playing in it so I will try to post those today, as well as one of them playing in it last year.

Sticking close to Daddy!

Maddy looks around.

Morgan loves it!

February 11, 2006
One Year Ago. I can't believe how little they were.

NICU Memories Remind Me of How Blessed I Am ...

For the other preemie moms out there, does it still get to you sometimes? Are there moments where the memories come flooding back and you find yourself all teary eyed over your own experiences? I finally feel like our experiences in the NICU are not haunting me anymore but I definately am not so far removed yet that it doesn't still pop up and get to me at random moments.

Everytime I look at my girls I am eternally greatful as I think of how close we came to not having them here with us. I look at them and I do think about the babies out there who didn't make it, who are in heaven now watching over us.

Melissa and I have been actively working on a plan to raise money for March of Dimes this year and I guess it is stirring up specific things in me that I haven't thought about in a while, if at all since the came home.

There is one particular dificult memory that keeps popping in my head.
I was out in the hallway scrubbing in for my daily visit to the NICU when one of the girl's nurses was coming back from lunch. She pulled me aside up to a wall and told me not to be upset but she had just put in an IV for Maddy and because her arms were too tiny to find the veins she had to put in in her head. I was glad she had pulled me aside and I tried to compose myself as I shakily headed to my babies room. When I walked in I lost my complete composure and sobbed quietly at my child's bedside. Here was my sweet little angel with a huge IV in her head and guaze wrapped all around. I felt devistated that day and didn't know if I had enough strength to get through the hour, much less the rest of our NICU days. It wasn't that the IV was hurting her anymore than it would be if it where located anywhere else, in fact it was more stable than many of the ones she had had already or would come to have, but still, it was just the idea of it that broke me down.

This is just one of the memories, I had today while watching her play, it drew me right back in. I probably haven't thought about that moment since we have come home from the hospital but now that it is there it feels so real and so fresh, as if I had just gone through the experience of it a day or two ago. I can still feel the room, see the hallway, feel the stab you in the heart pain of the moment. The trauma was very real and obviously still lingers some. At that moment I was so lost in pain for her and for us that I couldn't see ahead to today. I couldn't imagine there would be a day where she would give open mouth kisses and prance off across the room, play purse on her shoulder.

What I really do believe though is that God was watching over us then; and thank goodness He was able to see ahead to days like today and He alone was able to carry me through. Remembering those painful things is not something I want to do everyday anymore, and I don't for the most part, but it has been a very real part of my life. Those are my memories and they are directly tied to my heart. They are directly tied to the way that I parent and the way that I see my girls. I really do see my girls as miracles of God. Tonight watching them sleep, blankie in hand I realize how blessed we are.

I've Been Tagged ... All About MEME

Casey tagged me to do this MEME and since I have never done one before and I typically find myself pretty boring :) I can't make promises that I can come up with anything funny or interesting you don't already know, but here goes.

**Once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog with 5 facts about yourself. Then choose 5 people you want to tag and list their names. Then leave a comment on their blog letting them know they’ve been tagged.**5 things about MEME...

1. I LOVE reality tv. I know a lot of people don't, but I really do. I don't get a lot of time to watch t.v. these days but when I do fit it in, I almost always pick some reality tv show. I love Big Brother, I love Top Chef and Project Runway. I have watched the new "Dirty Dancing" reality show. I don't watch survivor a lot because I got bored with it but I used to watch it. I like American Idol sort of. I watch the beginning and end of it. I like game shows too, especially Wheel of Fortune, Deal or No Deal, 1 vs. 100, Who want's to be a millionaire reruns. I even Tivo some of them to watch later.

2. I think I am fairly friendly but as I have gotten older I think socially I have become much more shy around new people. Maybe it has something to do with not working anymore and not being around very many people over the age of 1 1/2 on a daily basis. I can talk to anyone one on one, but put me in a group of new people or even people I love and I almost always put up an internal wall. I often leave social engagements regretting things I have said to others. I don't mean that I said mean or stupid things but I always replay my conversations after the fact and I almost always feel very embarassed and a little stupid. I think years of replaying those conversations in my head have now led me to hold back a lot when I am around new people in a group.

3. I am pretty sure I have an anxiety disorder of some type. Sometimes small things that have nothing to do with my daily life will affect me and I will have panic attacks at bedtime about them. One night a few months ago I read an article on the web stating that the government was preparing to retest the drafting system and that night I was up half the night with panic. I have no idea why. It was eating me up inside and even in the middle of the stomach tightening stressful panic attack I was fully aware that I shouldn't be worked up over it at all. It had no bearings on my life at the moment at all. I have thought many times about calling my doctor and asking for medication for anxiety but two things have kept me from doing that. 1) I don't readily have the time or sitters necessary to get to the doctor and so I keep putting it off and putting it off and 2) I hate taking any kind of medicine on a daily basis and am horrible at remembering to do it. I think it would probably do me some good to go though, that or I might need to find a good therapist. :) My mom says that maybe this anxiety thing has manifested itself recently because my nerves are so dulled by the stress and anxiety we experienced with the early birth of the girls. Maybe I had such a hard time then that my coping skills evaporated and now little things just work their way under my skin and I have a melt down. Who knows, it sounds logical to me. My question is how do I get back to the normal me who isn't so irrationally afraid of things anymore.

Wow I had no idea how this MEME thing was going to come out but I am finding really weird personal stuff to splay out there. Sorry about that .... Okay okay, think funny or at least interesting ...

4. I am seriously thinking about going back to school in the fall. Maybe doing some online courses first and then some basic classes at our local community college. I think I am pretty serious about pursuing a teaching degree. I am pretty creative and I think I would really enjoy teaching elementary school. It is really up my alley and I know that if I could get started back into this school thing I could finish it and then have the career I have always wanted. The hardest part is trying to figure out how to get back in after ten years of being out of school. I called yesterday and talked to an admissions counselor and I really think I am going to do this. I will have to pray for financial aid of course but I don't think that will be a big deal (being as poor as we are :) )

5. I Love LOVE Love where I am at in life right now. Early 20's were filled with trying to figure out where I belonged in this world and now that I am a few years older I finally feel I am at a place in my life where I am truly completly happy. I have everything I have ever wanted and wished and prayed for. I have a very supportive wonderful husband and two gorgeous sweet baby girls who are healthy and happy. The girls freely give away kisses and say baby gibberish in response to my constant "I love you's" to them which I interpret readily as "I love you too, mom" My days may be hectic some and boring others but there can't be anything better in the world than spending the day with people who love you more than anything else in their world. It feels magnificient to finally be at this place of complete contentment.

Well, I am done. Whew that was hard and easy at the same time.

Five people to tag (if they feel up to it):

1. The newly pregnant Kathy of "All About the Boy" ... not for long :)
2. Carrie Lynn
3. Tonya of "A Mother's Journal"
4. Mandy of "Anna and Emma"
5. Anybody else who wants to do it.

Let me know if you do it, so I can read :)

Runny Noses, Cough, and Fever ... Oh My!

Well I guess winter has finally caught up to us. We were doing so good until this past weekend when both girls started with a cough and runny nose. Then Sunday night Morgan broke out in high fever and it stayed that way till sometime this afternoon. Finally both girls had a few hours of feeling better thanks to our dosing them up on Motrin, Tylenol, Robitussin, and Benadryl (off and on of course). Now that night time has hit, both are running low grade temps. On top of that, I have a sore throat and generally feel like I could go to bed and sleep for a week. Plus Maddy has diarrhea; from all the juice we have been giving them I assume (fever = no milk). They are fussy and grumpy. Maddy has dissolved in tears more than once today when Morgan gets anywhere near her. I assume she thinks Morgan is out to take her toys. William was off yesterday for the holiday and so today was his first day back to work since they came down with the crud. It has been trying and I am hoping tomorrow proves to be better. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Happy New Year!!!

Well, I haven't blogged in FOREVER. I haven't had time and honestly I am pretty bored with blogging. I don't know if I am ready to call it quits or not yet though. My family seems to like being able to check in for new pics and show off to their work buddies and friends. I've been told I have out of town extended family that reads but I am not sure about that either.

We have been doing great. Maddy and Morgan had a fabulous Christmas and literally received an obscene amount of toys. We have no time for the computer because we spend all day rotating toys in and out for them to play with. We had a really nice holiday spending lots of time with family. For New Year's weekend we took the girls to the mountains for a little getaway. We all had a blast. The weather was really nice and the girls love love LOVED walking around in the woods and playing in the mountain streams (okay ... looking at them, it was too cold to touch) William and I really enjoyed the time away from the house and from our regular routine. This was really the first time we have taken the girls on a vacation.

The girls are getting bigger everyday and both are walking and running now. Maddy is almost jumping but she isn't quite able to pick her feet up off the ground yet but she is so cute when she tries. Morgan bounces with Maddy like she wants to jump too. They are both kicking and throwing balls and just generally seem more like little girls everyday then the babies they were. Yesterday I let them eat chocolate pudding with a spoon and it was a mess everywhere but they are really ready to start using utensils I think. They know now that a spoon goes in the food and then to your mouth, though the pudding ended up almost everywhere but their mouths.

Tomorrow the girls are going over to their Aunt Melissa's house to spend the weekend. It will be the first time they have ever gone anywhere for the weekend. I know they will have a nice time but I don't know what I am going to do with myself with so much freetime. Hopefully get caught up on my scrapbook and have some R&R time to myself.

The girls are the light of my life and things are really good for us right now. I hope all of you are having a happy New Year this year and I hope to hear from you soon.

What a Difference a Year Makes ...

This is our Christmas picture from last year!
Maddy and Morgan 2005

This is our Christmas pictures from this year!
Maddy and Morgan 2006

Are you as amazed as we are to see the changes?
We are so blessed!
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Morgan makes sweet faces for the camera. We said in this one she is saying "Please Pawpaw, buy me lots of presents. I love you .. wink wink"
Morgan watches as we put the lights on the tree

Maddy helps Mommy trim the tree with ornaments

Getting In the Christmas Spirit

Morgan calls our tree "ooo oo" because that is what she says everytime she sees it. We ask them, "Where's your Christmas tree?" and they both point at it. Then Morgan says "ooo oo". It is so cute. This Christmas is going to be so much fun. I can't wait to see their little faces light up Christmas morning when they see all the goodies Santa is going to leave them.

Morgan is mesmerized by her first Christmas tree. Maddy loves the blinky lights

Our First Visit with Santa

Maddy couldn't wait to see Santa. She ran to him.

Morgan was very curious as to who this jolly guy was :)

Our "Official" picture with Santa.

Happy Happy Thanksgiving

We have been so busy around here. William was off for the holiday and we had a nice four day weekend together. We really tried to pack in the family time. He has been working six day weeks for months and months and the time together was such a relief. Thursday I cooked Thanksgiving dinner all by myself down at my dads. I made a ton of food and the turkey turned out perfect. It was golden and juicy. I was afraid before it finished that it was going to be like the turkey in "Christmas Vacation", but thankfully it wasn't.

Maddy and Morgan have been sick since last week. They ran fever all last week and we ended up at the doctor's office last Wednesday. Maddy had a double ear infection and Morgan they said had fever from shots she had had two weeks prior? Thanksgivng day was kinda rough with Morgan, she ran fever all day and was really puny. She really wasn't up for all the festivities and ended up sleeping away most of the day.

Friday both girls perked up and were feeling so much better. We layed around the house most of the day but in the afternoon we took the girls to a Christmas Event here in our town. It benefits the hospital they were in the NICU at and it had all these animated animals and lights to walk the children through. It was indoors, though it wouldn't have mattered since it was such a gorgeous day outside here. Maddy and Morgan loved the exhibit and we walked through it twice so they could get a good look at all the animals. It was exactly the same as I had remembered it from when I was a little girl. We didn't however see Santa there. Because they had been so sick I was wary of more germs. So we just pushed them around in their stroller. After that we headed home and spent the rest of the evening relaxing and working on a puzzle.

Saturday, William woke me up at 9am and asked me if I wanted to take some of our "junk" to the flea market up the road to sell. We haven't done this sort of thing since before I was pregnant. It is really a lot of stuff to get together and seemed too hard to throw together at the last minute. But it was such a pretty day outside and William really wanted to go because his brother was there. So he packed it all up in his nephew's truck and I packed up the girls and the playpen. It was a lot of fun and we made $152.00 in 4 1/2 hours. They do say that "one man's junk is another man's treasure" I was glad we cleaned out some space in our barn and excited to have enough money to get our Christmas stuff out of layaway.

Yesterday we spent the day at home. I wanted to go to church but we aren't able to put the girls in the nursery during RSV season and we didn't line up a sitter. I went to Walmart and got groceries and William worked on his car. The girls played all day and literally had toys scattered from one end of the room to the other. They had a blast but were exhausted by 7:30pm. William and I finished our puzzle and watched a sad sappy Hallmark movie on tv. It was a nice quiet end to our "vacation" weekend.

It was so much fun. I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving holiday. I know this year was more exciting for me because I realized just how very much I have to be thankful for. I look at my two little girls and my heart wants to explode with love for them. I look at them and literally see how much God must love me to have blessed me this much. It was a wonderful thanksgiving for us and I really hope it was for you too.

Test Results and Power Tools

First and foremost. I got the test results from Morgan's EEG and MRI tests she had last week. Both tests came back completely normal and she is scheduled for a followup with her doctor in two months. This is great news and is 100% proof that she doesn't have any brain damage from NICU and no cerebral palsy. We are so excited!!!

Morgan is up and walking more and more now and Maddy is running from room to room like a wild woman. Both of the girls are ahead of schedule on their fine motor skills even if you don't correct thier age, and they are right on target for their gross motor. Our OT is talking about reevaluating them to see if they are ready for discharge soon. Our PT is going to hold off on putting Morgan in leg braces to see if she corrects her funny foot positioning as she gains more control over her balance with walking. This is all such good news for our family. With all the preemie stuff we deal with every day it is nice to finally be heading in the right direction. It is wonderful to hear positive news.

Today Melissa came over and I told her about how I want to put my big Christmas tree up this year. Last year I just put up a tiny tree on a table. It was all I could muster with the girls being so little and demanding and I was so happy when it came time to put it away because all I had to do was fold up the branches and stuff it in a box. The problem I had with the little tree was that it didn't do anything to bring in the spirit of Christmas. I missed my fancy tree and all my decorations. I missed putting the presents under it (last year I just kept them piled up in the closet till time to take them to parties). I really am looking forward to doing a big Christmas this year ... but ... I have been very worried about the stress of keeping two very curious toddlers away from the tree and safe. So I devised this plan to build a box in the corner of my living room and behind it I could put the tree. It really is more of a L. Two long boards screwed together with "L" brackets and then I wanted to cover it with batting and Christmas fabric so if the girls touched it they wouldn't get a splinter or hurt themselves. In my mind this idea made perfect sense.

When Melissa got here I got out the tape measure and we figured out the dimensions we would need and headed to Lowes to buy some wood. Two babies in the cart and two women walking around Lowes must have been more than some of the employees and shoppers could handle. Every turn and every question was answered with condescension like we couldn't possible have a clue what we were going to do. Just a simple request for help with lumber was met with a "You don't know what you're doing" stare. When we got to the station where they cut the wood for you, the cutter guy was friendly but kept asking us the dimensions again like we must have them wrong. At one point he even got out his tape measure and started pretending he was building what we were describing just to see if it was logical. Of course in the end he just cut the wood to the size we needed. He had to ask us like four times the measurements (which were very simple) because he kept forgetting. When he finally passed off the cut wood to us he said something like "Good luck with your project" in a way that sounded like "You can't do it" We walked away sqwaking about it. We had asked the wood cutter what aisle the screws were on and he told us two. So off to aisle two we went. On aisle two we looked up and down for the "L" brackets and screws but weren't finding them. Another employee walked up and we asked him where to find the brackets. He scoffed and told us we were looking in the wrong place and then took us over a couple of aisles. It just seemed like every row we went to people were acting like we were trying to build a house with no instructions. Like we couldn't possibly know what we were doing. I found it humorous. Melissa was aggravated.

We got our wood loaded in the car, packed in the kids, and off we went to Walmart fabric department, where we were treated like we knew EXACTLY what we were doing and then we headed home. While it was quite humorous and times putting together the wall. It was overall very fun and in the end I am so proud of what we did. It is really pretty. It works and fits perfectly in the room. The girls think it is cool and best of all they can't reach over it. It comes up to about their armpit level (18") and it has this pretty fabric with a snowman scene across the bottom. I can't wait to show you pictures but my camera batteries are dead, figures :). I guess I will have to wait till I get my tree all up and then take a picture of the whole thing at one time. I usually put it up Thanksgiving weekend.

Hope everyone is having a great week. I will talk to you all soon :)

Mostly About Morgan ...

Here are some more pictures from recently. I haven't had a lot to write about and most of the things I do have to write about I haven't really felt up to writing about. So I figure I will just write a little and post some new pictures.

Morgan shows off her pretty butterfly shoes. Isn't this just the cutest dress? Someone gave it to us from Baby Gap and it still had the tags on. Would you believe it is a 0-3mo. size. Isn't that crazy?

Yesterday I took Morgan to the hospital to have her MRI and EEG. It was not a fun experience to say the least but we did get through it. We ended up being at the hospital for eight hours total. We don't have any of the test results yet but I am hoping that by tomorrow we will have some clue as to when we will at least find out the results. I called the neurologist office today and they are going to call me back tomorrow and set us up an appt. or give us the results over the phone? I don't know. I love the doctor but the office seems a little scatterbrained to me.

Here are some pictures of Morgan's post "EEG hairdo" It was crazy stiff and she still has paste in her hair today from the procedure. I think I washed it at least four times last night, put baby oil in it, and combed and brushed it for about an hour and still there is stuff stuck to her head today :)
Because she was such a good baby all day long and was put through the ringer with these tests (three sticks for an IV to sedate her) and hours and hours with no food or drink. She deserved a balloon. This is her balloon...and a teddy bear ... which Maddy kept taking while Morgan was getting her hair brushed. So we have had an adventurous week so far and it is only Wednesday. I hope the rest of the week is calm and more collected :) Hope to hear from you. Going to go brush up on some of the blogs I haven't had the chance to read lately. I hope to update more this week.

Happy Halloween

We had a really happy Halloween. We had a very busy day out and about. We went trick or treating at my mom's work and at my old job too. The girls were so cute and they loved all the attention they got. Last night we went over to my mom's house and handed out candy to all the cute little kids. Maddy and Morgan had a blast. They really don't eat candy yet so we put Gerber Fruit Puffs in their pumpkin and they had so much fun digging down in it to get their "treats" out.

Here are some pictures of them in their cute little poodle skirts.

Our Pumpkin

Taking a Break

Things have been fine around here. I just needed a blog break. I have been spending a lot of time playing with my girls and haven't felt like taking the time to upload pictures and type up thoughts on the computer. But I didn't want everyone to forget about us so I figured I better get back on here and post something.

Here are a couple of pictures of the girls in their fuzzy new houseshoes!

Let's Celebrate

One Year Ago:
Maddy comes home!

Morgan comes home! Swaddled babies, Morgan and Maddy!

Today: A celebration
Mommy makes pink cupcakes to celebrate! Yummy!
Maddy waits patiently for more icing ...
Yay, presents! Mommy got us this tent to celebrate
Morgan checks it all out!

Happy Homecoming Girls

Happy Homecoming Anniversary to my sweet baby girls!
One year ago today we were getting everything set to bring Maddy home from the hospital. Oh, it was such a sweet day. We chose to room-in with the girls on that Sunday night. Maddy for sure was scheduled to come home the next day. But when we got to the hospital to stay for the night, we found out that Miss Morgan was one ounce shy of four pounds and since that was the required weight to leave the hospital, the doctors wouldn't even let her spend the night in our hospital room with us and her sister.

That evening the nurses wheeled Maddy to our room in her crib and brought along with her all the monitors and contraptions that she would need. It was the first time we were ever really alone with her. William and I were just enamored with her. We sat in the room just staring at this tiny baby. She was four pounds two ounces. It was quiet. There was no beeping or alarms going off all around us and I think that was the first time we ever had a really quiet moment with our daughter. It was of course bittersweet though because her sister was still in the NICU across the hall from our room.

That night I got up every couple of hours to feed her and after she was settled back in the metal crib, I would walk over to the NICU and feed Morgan. Me in my pajamas and all, sitting in the NICU rocking chair at two a.m. spending time with Morgan, whom the next day I would leave behind all alone at the hospital.

The next morning the nurses knocked on our door. Surprise! They had weighed Morgan that morning and she was four pounds even so they wheeled her bed into our room to be with her sister for awhile. Now they were together again. We took Maddy from her bed and put her in the crib with Morgan. Both girls were side by side for the first time since before they were born. They seemed instantly to be at peace that way.

We played for a while and then we all went back into the NICU to get Maddy ready to go home. We were hoping the doctors would take Morgan's morning weight and let her go home with her sister but they didn't. The doctor wanted us to wait one more night. So sadly we took Maddy home that day and sweet Morgan stayed the rest of the night in the NICU. It was the first time in her life that I didn't spend almost the entire day with both girls.

Luckily the next morning came fast and the nurses called and told us to come pick up Morgan. When I arrived at the hospital I left my mom and Maddy in the car and ran up to get Morgan. They had her all packed up and waiting on me. Finally we were a family. All together. All in one place and for the first time ever, not in a hospital. It was a wonderful moment for me.

Happy Homecoming Maddy (October 10th) and Morgan (October 11th) I have loved every single minute of the last year at home with you. I have loved watching you grow and play together. Your bond as sisters, as twins, is stronger than any I could have imagined. I love you both so much and am so excited to spend the rest of my life watching you grow and mature into the beautiful smart girls I know you are becoming. I love you both very much.

Love, Mommy

NICU Reunion

Today we attended the girls first NICU reunion. We didn't think we were going to be able to make it at first because the girls had been sick earlier in the week with fever but all turned out well and since they are feeling much better (no fever in 48 hours) we went ahead and went over.

I can't begin to describe some of the emotions I had just pulling into the parking lot again. Looking at the hospital where so much took place, where we spent day in and day out for so many weeks. It was so nice to see all the nurses and staff that were such a part of our everyday life just one year ago. Next week is the one year anniversary of the girls homecoming.

The girls were so excited by all the activity and it was really sweet how everything was all set up. Morgan went crazy over all the colorful balloons. This year's theme was Disney.

We arrived and registered and they gave the girls name tags that said "NICU Graduate", their name, and their birth weight. I looked around at some of the other kids and realized that my girls were some of the tiniest ones there. There were tons of people and tons of multiples. We even saw quads. We met up with our buddies the Hurts. They have triplets and we have kept in touch since meeting in the NICU last August.

We all had a really good time going around to all the "stations" that were all set up. We took pictures with our favorite nurses, we took pictures with Cinderella and Prince Charming. We took pictures with Donald and Daisy Duck. Then we headed down the hall where they had pictures of the girls and other NICU graduates on big posters lining the walkway. In a conference room (the same one we took childbirth classes in) they had a weight station set up. Nurses took the girls weight and height and entered it on cute little certificates that said "Look How We've Grown" and had their birth weight and today's weight. Maddy was 18lbs. 11oz. and Morgan was 17lbs. even on their scale (She had a full diaper and heavy shoes on, she was 16.4 at the doctor's office on this past week). Then they got their handprints made in this colorful foam stuff that is supposed to harden. We saw a video with pictures of babies that were the size the girls were when born but looking at it seemed unreal and impossible for a child to survive that small.

In the cafeteria they had a snack station set up and we ran into one of the girls main nurses, Carole. She took Maddy and leaned in to hug me. She said "We were just talking about you the other day". I looked puzzled and she talked about how her and a couple of the other nurses had been wondering how we were doing. She said "You really had it rough here didn't you sweetie" and all I could say was "yes".

She was referring to the girls bowel perforations at a week old and the news that Maddy was gravely sick just two days after her sister was air lifted to the children's hospital and then they were taking Maddy too. The girls had colostomy bags that near the end began to tear their skin off thier little tummies and cause substantial amounts of pain to all of us, but especially them. She was right. I really had it rough, but look what I gained from it. Sometimes I feel like I walked through fire and out came this wonderful life with two beautiful perfect in every way babies. I wonder if all NICU mommies feel that way. You could tell there was a commraderie there between the parents. The way we smiled at each other and celebrated with each other. Like we were members of a secret club that truly understood the happiness associated with the days festivities.

Here are some pictures of the girls today:

Morgan goes crazy over this big redbird.
She kept laughing and lunging at it. It was so cute.
We got another picture of him holding her and she is all
arched back trying to grab his beak.

Maddy and Ms. Deloris. She was one of our favorite nurses.
She always kept me laughing.

Maddy standing around. Having a good time.

Who could resist a picture with Daffy and Daisy Duck?
Not Maddy or Morgan :)

This is Ms. Lori. She was another favorite favorite nurse.
She would always let me hold the girls when I wanted to. I would cross my fingers everyday hoping we would get her!

This is when we first arrived. Maddy was content just sitting back having a bottle. But Morgan wanted to get out and see everything.
She went crazy over all the balloons and colors.

This was Ms. Carole and Maddy at the snack station.
I could always tell she was a really caring person. Today when she hugged me I felt like she really had sympathy/empathy for all we had been through.
A very good nurse.