Showin’ Us Some Love!

In the last two weeks, Chris and I have felt more supported and encouraged that we ever could have imagined feeling, given everything that’s happened.  First, when we thought I would be on bed rest for 6-8 weeks, and then when our babies came in a very sudden, very unexpected way…you all stepped up and showed us the love!  We thought we’d show off some of the ways we’ve been blessed, and brag a little bit about the AMAZING people in our lives!

My big sister, Dawn and her husband, Ted swooped in (very quickly, might I add!) and sent some goodies that would help get me through bed rest…instead, I’m using them to recover from surgery, and eagerly waiting to slip into my slippers for some late-night feedings when these babies come home with us…and enjoying shuffling around the house in them for now!

Why, yes, that is the Totally Twilight People magazine special edition, and I AM 30 years old.  Did I mention I have yet to see the movie?  Interestingly enough, I had plans to see it with my Twilight girls (shout out to Katie and Kirsten!) THE night that everything started…guess I’ll be waiting for the DVD!  Oh, and you aren’t mistaken…those are UGG slippers, too.  My sister’s got GOOD taste!

The lovely ladies at Sunshine Schoolhouse (Lois, Susan, and their fearless staff of teachers) sent us this goody basket of frozen goods to stock our freezer…hello, Fed’s pizza to be baked in the comfort of my own home!  All sorts of good comfort foods in these packages!

Excuse the other things on the table…this photo credit goes to Chris, who doesn’t understand the value of moving “stuff” to make it at least appear that our dining room table is clear!  Love you, hubby!

My favorite school nurse, Kelly and her lovely family sent us this DELISH edible arrangement in the hospital.  Chris and I promptly ate the fruit for dessert…it definitely filled in the gaps where the hospital food was lacking (and the fast food for my utterly devoted hubby!).  We even shared some of it with our great nurse, Amanda.

Speaking of nurses, our other favorite postpartum nurse, Jody, got use these adorable stuffed flowers in honor of the babies’ arrival!  So sweet and thoughtful!  The balloons were attached to the edible arrangement…but unfortunately…that’s gone!

My friend, Candi brought me her people magazines when she visited in the hospital.  I have to admit that I read the Jessica and Justin Wedding Album first thing!  She also brought us some sweet preemie caps (that might fit in a few weeks!) that she crocheted as soon as she found out the babies were born!  I don’t have a picture of them…they’re upstairs in the nursery (or what WILL be the nursery)…and I’m on my comfy couch.  We’ll show’em when they’re on the babies!

While we were in the hospital, we had so many well wishers and visitors!  So many of Chris’ clergy friends came to visit, hear our crazy story, and pray with us.  Scott (and Kay!) brought us a Dutch cradle cross, which you know I was all over!  Beverly dropped in after work one day (they’re all kind of a blur!), and Kirsten stopped on Wednesday afternoon after school.  Our dear friends, Katie and Kyle came up from Philly to spend some time with us, and even stopped at the house along the way to put a cone of shame on Izzy…silly dog with her allergies!  Speaking of caring for the dogs, our friends, Melissa and Shanna took AMAZING care of the dogs for a few days, letting them in and out, feeding them, and spending time with them at the house.  The Sunshine Schoolhouse ladies and their families were a big help with the pups as well.  We are so thankful, because it meant that Chris could be with me at the hospital each night after the babies had arrived!

This is a combination of two gifts…the beautiful flowers are from my sister, Rachel’s good friend, Anne and her family.  Now, this is what gets me.  I grew up knowing Anne, and she’s a good friend to my sister, but I live in NJ, and she lives in WI, and I probably haven’t seen her in years.  But, when she heard what had happened, first with the initial complications, and then with the babies coming allofthesudden, I had a beautiful bouquet of flowers faster than you can say Jersey Shore Florist.  Thanks, Krauters!  Oh!  I just noticed that Candi’s hats are next to the vase!  Jackpot!

The bunnies (one for each!), along with the flowers and balloons pictured below, are from Great Grandma DeWolf in Iowa.  The bunnies are waiting for the babies in the nursery…can’t wait to see the babies snuggle with them!

The flowers sure look great on our piano!

On Monday, my sister and brother-in-law sent these beauties to brighten our day (and our dining room)…I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence, but they look suspiciously identical to the flowers from their 2010 wedding.  Hmmm…

One of my oldest friends, Erin, and her hubby, Justin, sent us this sweet card, filled with a gas gift card (that should fill up the Pilot!) and one for Domino’s Pizza…quick dinner ordered from our TiVo box?  Yes, please!  If only hubby hadn’t gotten rid of our TiVo box in favor of DirecTV…guess we’ll have to call to order…on the phone…#firstworldproblems!  Feeling the love all the way from Wisconsin!

Every Tuesday, Chris goes to my school to eat lunch with a student he mentors as part of Kid’s Hope USA through the church.  When he came home this Tuesday, he had a HUGE gift bag that was stocked with goodies…STOCKED!  Our art teacher made super soft blankets for the babies’ isolettes (pre washed in Dreft…Robin knows the NICU rules!), Cheryl gave us some ADORABLE little hats (which I’m assuming might be Peruvian?), and the rest of the staff all came together to give us this stash of restaurant cards and gift certificates.  You guys, this made me cry!  The show of concern for US is amazing…we won’t have to worry about groceries for a month or more!  Oh, and did you see that card?  Totally an Evelyn original!

Along with gift cards and gift certificates to restaurants, we’ve had so many people bring us food!

My mom and sister, Rachel dropped everything to drive out to NJ the day before Thanksgiving.  My mom made us chili to have for a few days, and our Wisconsin version of “hot tamales” (which we should really probably call sloppy joes).  Good old comfort food!

Our friends, John and Rebecca (and Aidan, I suppose, even though he’s just 1 and 1/2!) brought us soup on Sunday, and when I was at book club on Wednesday (funny, I didn’t finish the book…and we didn’t talk about the book.  AT ALL.) she sent me off with some mac and cheese (YUM), herb-crusted chicken (still to be enjoyed), and some chili for the freezer!  Art and Kathleen (and Olivia, Charlotte and William) made us some chicken chili, and also gave us some ADORABLE preemie clothes!  It’s so tiny…just like our peanuts!  Madeline is making us dinner for this evening, and you know what that means…corn casserole…all for us!

I’m always thankful for my hubby, but even more since we’ve been through all this together.  Since Friday is his day off, we started out today with breakfast at Sweet Lew’s (our absolute favorite spot for breakfast!), and I sent him off to see Skyfall at long last!  He’s been waiting to see it, and we’ve been…occupied?  With a free morning, I really wanted him to do something for himself, since he’s been doing things for ME and our babies nonstop for the last two weeks.  It’s going to get easier, slick, and there’s no one I’d rather have by my side through all this!

The moral of this long blog post, is that we are loved, and we are being very well taken care of…we would not be able to have such positive attitudes without the prayers and support from all of you!  For reals, ya’ll rock!

Overachievers

At 10 days old (!), our sweet babies continue to amaze us!

Today’s visit went great, and we were once again encouraged by their progress…go, babies, go!

Henry is back under the UV light for high bilirubin levels…Chris joked about having to follow him around for the rest of his life shining a light on him.  Hopefully that won’t be the case!  I am pretty sure he was just jealous of all the attention that Holland received yesterday.  He’s still on the oscillator, but because his chest x-ray was mostly clear and his blood gas levels were good, they were going to be lowering the levels, and hopefully weaning him to a conventional ventilator by tomorrow.  Baby boy also needs a second round of Indocin (which is the medicine that should close the PDA duct near their hearts).  Dr. Bautista said its not uncommon for preemies to need a second dose of Indocin (over the next three days) to close the duct, and as long as the opening gets smaller, we’re in business!  His nurse, Kate was just about to take care of some business when we arrived, so we got to help with his diaper and temperature.  Since I had done both for Henry before, I let daddy take the reins on this one!

 

 

He’s a natural!  When Chris was all done, Henry put his hand on his chest like this, and just settled in back under the UV light.  Our sweet boy looks bigger to us, but he won’t be weighed until he’s off the oscillator…hopefully soon!

Henry J LOVES to be stretched out.  The nurses usually put a rolled-up blanket around the babies, and Henry always kicks his way out of it.  We tried a number of times to wrap the roll around him, and he managed to find his way out of it.  Silly boy!

Miss Holland continues to show off;  perhaps it’s the curse of being the big sister? When we first arrived, her nurse for the day, Pam, shared with us that she now weighs a whopping 2 pounds, 6 ounces…she’s officially UP 7 ounces from her birth weight!  This is pretty impressive considering 7 ounces is about 25% of her total body weight…way to go, baby girl!  Chris and I had commented a few days ago that we thought she looked like she had filled out a bit, and this news was confirmation of that.  Dr. Bautista shared that she’s doing a great job on the ventilator, and they’re hoping to put her on CPAP (oxygen through the nose) tomorrow, and take her tube out!  Not only is this a step in the right direction toward breathing on her own, it also means we’ll get to hear her sweet voice!  One of the residents came to us while we were visiting, and it was pretty obvious that Holland is her favorite baby in the NICU!  She raved about how well she was doing, and how sweet she was!  Our pretty girl is winning hearts left and right!  Here are some pictures so she can win a few more!

All stretched out on her belly.  We had read that preemies like to be on their belly best (perhaps the pressure on their lungs?), and Kathy/Cathy said the same yesterday.  She also said that once they’re home, back is best…even though “we all slept on our tummies, and we survived!”  Holland was pretty squirmy today, and kept arching her back up and down…we thought she was going to take off for awhile!

And, just for good measure, a close-up!  We couldn’t get over how fuzzy her hair looked today.  Hers is a bit lighter than Henry’s, but they both have very light (like, white-blonde) eyebrows and eyelashes.  We’re thinking we have some blondies on our hands!

So, again, another spectacular day for our Henry and Holland.  We pray that they continue to grow, become less reliant on the ventilators, and keep making progress on all fronts!  We are so thankful for these little guys, and still can’t believe they’ve been entrusted to us.  God is so very, very good!

P.S. Holland and Henry are official!  We have birth certificates in our possession…now it’s time to get them officially covered on my insurance!  Even more to be thankful for!

Puppies…Meet Your Sister!

Last week we brought some receiving blankets to the NICU after we had washed them in Dreft and dried them with unscented, sensitive dryer sheets (thanks for picking those up at Target on BLACK FRIDAY, Mom and Rach!).  We wanted our babies to have a little piece of home at the hospital…and the blankets we chose were just so much cuter than the hospital issue striped flannel!  Henry’s haven’t been used yet, but Holland has had some adorable pink bedding lining her incubator/isolette for the last few days.  Yesterday (after I held her!  See previous post!), we had a laundry bag filled with Holland’s blankets waiting for us to take home and wash…so the baby laundry begins!

When we brought the blankets home, we thought it might be a good opportunity to introduce Holland (or her scent, rather) to the puppies.  Conan and Izzy are truly our first babies…and they are going to have their worlds turned upside down when Holland and Henry join us at home!  Conan (our pug/beagle mix) was VERY interested in the blankets, and gave them a good sniff down.  When I took off my jacket, he was also very curious about MY clothes/chest…clearly he could smell her on me, too!  Check him out…

A very curious puggle…he’s all about the scent!

Izzy was also curious, but not quite as gentle as Conan…her instinct was to put the blanket in her mouth.  Have no fear…this didn’t surprise us!  Izzy is a taker of all things…blankets (especially one in particular…mine!), stuffed animals, socks, bras, underwear…basically anything soft.  It’s probably a good thing we’ve got time to work on this and get her used to it!

There was a time when we wondered how we could love and care for anything more than our dogs…those days have passed…rather instantly.  Case and point?  Last week the phone rang, and Chris was chatting with the person on the other line.  Saying such things like, “Oh that’s great!” “Glad she’s doing well!” “Okay, fantastic!”  My mind was put at ease, and I felt such a sense of relief…clearly the NICU had called and given us a glowing report.  Actual call?  From the vet.  Izzy’s bloodwork came back normal.  Now, I think that’s fantastic, but it’s pretty clear that someone else (x2) has taken up primary residence in my mind and heart (Daddy’s, too)!  🙂  Don’t worry, Izzy and Conan, we still love you, too!

NICU Rock Stars

We should have known today would be a good day when we pulled up to JSUMC.  What was our first clue?  Rock star parking!  We had the FIRST spot in the FIRST row closest to the entrance we use…jackpot!  Things only got better when we made our way up to the NICU…

Dr. Bautista (the neonatologist in charge of our babes for the next two weeks) had called us on our way to the hospital.  We appreciate that he does this after rounds each day before we make it to the hospital…we appreciate even more that we are a “low priority”…meaning there’s nothing negative to report!  🙂  He told us that Henry and Holland were both off of the phototherapy for their bilirubin levels (hooray!), Holland was doing a great job on the ventilator (way to have good blood gases, girlfriend!), and Henry’s lungs had cleared up a TON with the help of the oscillator (a special kind of ventilator…phew!).  Dr. Bautista also shared that both head ultrasounds looked normal…no bleeds or problems…just normal 26-weeker brains!  Talk about lightening the mood!

When we arrived at the NICU, we stopped off at Henry first.  Baby boy was jiggling away (that’s what the oscillator does), and seems to be perfectly content!  He always seems to stretch himself out (as if he’d been crowded for the last 26 weeks or so!), and keep his hands up by his face.  We try to get him to hang on to our fingers a bit, but he can’t be bothered.  It was refreshing to see him under normal lights–the phototherapy UV light made him look a bit like a rap star…he had little shades protecting his eyes, and the light made his incubator look like a nightclub…not quite yet, baby boy!

Chris Brown?  Nope, Henry Jacobsen…doesn’t really sound like a rapper…Henry J, perhaps?

Looking much more natural under some normal lights!  THAT’S our baby boy!

Holland occupied a little bit more of our attention today.  Both babies had their arterial lines (lines into their belly buttons to draw blood from) removed today, which means they are available to be held!  We had been waiting for this to happen for awhile (like the entire 9 days they’ve been here), and were thrilled to hear they had been removed today!  Henry couldn’t be taken out to be held because of the oscillator, but little Miss Holland was showing off her respiratory abilities today on the plain old ventilator…which meant we could finally get our paws on her!  Luckily for me, I was wearing the right kind of top, and Chris chose today to not wear a button-down shirt or one with access to his chest…a mistake he’ll never make again!

One of our favorite nurses, Kathy/Cathy (K or C…unsure of the spelling), first had us take her temperature and change her diaper.  She jacked up her oxygen a bit (it’s so stressful being moved!), and laid her on my chest.  This little girl is a furnace!  She kept herself (and me!) nice and warm, and it felt so good to finally have her where she belongs…in my arms!  (Or Daddy’s, I suppose…).  She and I had a nice conversation about how she needs to cooperate so that we can keep this “kangaroo care” up!  For about a half an hour we snuggled and chatted, and then it was time to put her back.  She was easily re-settled, and Chris and I look forward to having time with her again…and adding Henry to the mix!

We know that not everyday in the NICU will be like today (surely there will be setbacks), but we are so incredibly thankful for days like today.  Days that keep us encouraged, and help us know that our days won’t always be like this…someday we’ll all be home together!

And, now for the pictures…which is why you’re all here anyway (It’s okay…we understand it’s not about us anymore…it’s all about these babies of ours!).

Loving on my baby girl!

Our first “almost” family photo.

So, so tiny!  You can see she’s still intubated, but Kathy/Cathy thought that might change in order to push her a little bit…which could then result in her being intubated again, but this is how they get stronger.  As long as we can hold her, we don’t mind!  🙂

I might have forced her into this, but once I did, she wouldn’t let go!  Way to follow my lead, little girl!

Kathy/Cathy took this one of me admiring little miss…we didn’t want Holland to get cold, but had to show off her perfect little body!

Not to be outdone, here’s Daddy-O taking care of diaper doody (ha!).  We were told that Holland had a very impressive, very dirty diaper earlier…way to go?  It seemed like we should be very proud of this…I just wish I could get Chris to agree to do this all the time, from here on out!

So, mark it in the books…November 28 we held our baby girl for the first of many, many times!  Want to see it again?  I figured so!

Now, down to business…things to pray for:

*Both babies have been receiving a special dose of medicine to close a duct near their hearts; please pray that the ducts would close to allow for efficient blood flow and improved respiratory function.  This is common in preemies, and should take care of itself with the medicine!  Henry is receiving his last dose tonight, and Holland is receiving a second round (3 more days)…

*Continued success and improvement on the ventilators…we’d love to see Henry J off the oscillator!  You know, I think that rapper name might stick…is it working?

*That the babies should begin to take in breast milk in a few days (once the doses of medicine are done).  While we are sure they’re enjoying this Mountain Dew-like substance (they are their father’s children after all), we’d love nothing more for them to start eating what’s meant for them!

Seriously, check out that IV bag…totally looks like Mountain Dew…where are we?  Appalachia?!?!?  (I kid, I kid!)

How Did We Get Here?

So, I’ve enjoyed reading blogs (and have been known to feel like the authors are my friends, even though I’ve never even commented on their blog, much less met them in person!), and it seems I now have some inspiration of my own…twins who combine to make 4 pounds of bouncing (well, really more like twitching) baby joy!  This blog will serve as a way to keep the masses updated on the progress of Henry James and Holland Joy!

Now for some background…

Chris and I are college sweethearts (aww!), and we were married shortly after graduation in 2005 (that’s almost 8 years ago!).  We promptly gathered our meager belongings and moved east to New Jersey so that Chris could attend seminary.  Sarah secured a teaching job that same summer, and thus began our happy little New Jersey life.

(Enjoying our cake top for our “1st-ish” anniversary. For the record, it didn’t taste great.)

Fast forward 7 or so years, and we find ourselves gainfully employed in our chosen career paths (Chris is a pastor, Sarah is a teacher), “masters” to two pups (Hi Conan and Izzy!), and eagerly awaiting our first child…oh wait, make that childREN, because did I mention it before?  We’re having TWINS!  On July 2, 2012, our ultrasound tech uttered the words “It looks like two…,” to which Sarah responded “SHUT UP!”  (It was a good “shut up”!) and Chris let out a nervous laugh (I wanted to write giggle, but didn’t think it would be appreciated by hubby!).  No matter our initial reactions and fears, we were thrilled!  2 babies to love! (2 of everything baby!) 2 giggling voices! (2 screamers in the early mornings!) 2 children to bless and enrich our lives! (2 college educations!)  Gulp.

(12 week ultrasound picture)

I had a stellar pregnancy with NO morning sickness, flawless (well, for me!) skin, rock star doctor appointments, thickened hair, and very little discomfort…until around my 26th week.

(6 weeks: checking out the Grand Canyon.  4 hour road trip in a Hyundai rental?  Ain’t no thang!)

(16 weeks or so: Wearing red for the Week of Respect at FLC!)

(24 weeks or so: Completing a next-to-impossible-but-we-totally-did-it corn maze)

On Saturday, November 17th (26 weeks, 2 days), I started bleeding…not just a little, either.  A lot.  So much so, that it scared hubby and I into calling 911.  A Freehold Boro police officer was the first on the scene, followed quickly by some very capable EMTs.  Chris spoke to the doc on call from my ob/gyn’s office, who directed us to go to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, instead of Centra-State (where I intended to deliver…in 3 months!).  Her logic there was that they have more capabilities in dealing with premature infants in their top-rated NICUs.

*Disclaimer: I did not think we would be needing a NICU.  I was sure that I had lost the babies, OR that everything would be fine in a few days…

When we arrived at Jersey Shore, I was taken into the emergency room where my always-cool-under-pressure husband explained what was happening to the nurses…as he did, I felt a kick!  I don’t know that I’ve ever felt so relieved as when I felt that jab in my side!  Once I was taken up to labor and delivery (again, seriously?  You think I’m having these babies?  In NOVEMBER?), doctors were easily able to find BOTH heartbeats (phew!), and assured us that both babies were fine.

I was admitted, my utterly devoted husband spent the night on the most uncomfortable recliner ever, and we waited for my perinatologist to come the next morning…in the mean time, I was given a dose of Magnesium Sulfate to stop small contractions that I was having.

Dr. Fernandez arrived bright and early with his ultrasound machine in tow.  He looked at the fetal monitors, said the babies looked good, and gelled up my baby belly to take a look inside…

Again, both babies looked great, but he was concerned about the amount of fluid around one of the babies; it appeared that the sac had ruptured.  He projected that my water had broken, and what looked like blood to us was actually fluid from baby A’s sac.  What did this mean?  Bed rest until the babies could be delivered…so, hopefully for 6-8 weeks (to get to 32 or 34 weeks)…did I mention that it would be IN the hospital?  Not an enticing thought, but we knew that it would be the best outcome for everyone in the end!  The Magnesium drip had stopped the contractions, and I finished my dose on Sunday night/early Monday morning.

I sent my utterly devoted husband home that night (through tears), knowing that if I was going to be in the hospital for 6 weeks, he couldn’t stay the whole time.  My contractions had stopped, and I was given oral meds to stop further contractions…which worked…for awhile.

On Monday morning, things continued looking good…the babies were so stable, they even took off the monitors.  I could go to the bathroom on my own!  I was told I would even be able to shower after lunch!  LUNCH!  Did I mention I had been starved since Saturday night?  I had orders not to eat or drink in the event of an emergency c-section…I think we all know how likely I thought that was…ice chips, ice chips, ice chips!

Around 10:30 on Monday morning (November 19th), Debra (the day nurse) came in to strap on the fetal monitors for their hour of monitoring for that shift).  After about a half an hour, she came back, and noticed that one of the babies’ heartbeats was being a bit funky.  One heartbeat would be strong at 140 or so, and then dip down to 70 for a minute, go back to 140, and dip back down to 70.  Apparently this is a problem.  A slew of residents came in and started throwing around words like “delivery,” “obstructing blood flow from the cord,” “baby in distress,” and “emergency c-section.”  I quickly asked if I should call my husband (who was going to come later, but had checked in the church office for the morning), and was told not yet…about two minutes later, a doctor came in and said I should call my husband.  That was 11:23 am (I texted him 2 urgent texts, and called him…blubbering through tears once again).

I was rushed to an OR, where I was administered general anesthesia (no time for an epidural/spinal whatever), and when I came to in recovery, hubster was waiting!  The nurse asked if we had names for our beautiful (and oh-so-tiny) babies, and without missing a beat, we gave them…

Holland Joy comes from my pride in my Dutch heritage.  I biked across the Netherlands/Holland in the summer of 2010, and am simply in love with anything having to do with Holland.  You could say my husband likes Dutch things, too…like me?  Get it?  Joy is simply because we know she’ll bring us much joy, and she’s a pastor’s daughter.  A vast majority of the pastor’s daughters that I know have JOY as a middle name…coincidence?  Not anymore!  🙂

Henry James is a mix of family names.  My maternal great grandfather was named Henry (and my grandmother was Henrietta), and James was my dad’s name, which we were obviously thrilled to be able to use!  (Oh, and it’s also my cousin Riley’s middle name…which automatically makes it awesome!)

Side-tracked talking about my babies…here’s the dirt on them:

Holland Joy had been born at 11:48 am, weighing 1 pound, 15 ounces.

Her “little” big brother, Henry James, was born at 11:50 am, weighing 2 pounds, 2 ounces.

And just like that my healthy, 26-week-along pregnancy had gone from pre-term labor, to the birth of extremely premature babies in less than 48 hours.  Don’t worry, we’re still trying to figure it all out, too!

So, that brings us to a week ago…our babies have done well in the NICU, continuing to develop, and being very cooperative without giving their parents any further heart attacks!  It’s our hope that this can serve as a way to keep those who love Henry and Holland updated on their progress, our feelings, and anything else that pops up along the way (we just love to talk about our pups!).  We have felt so supported along the way, and want to keep you all informed; we are so thankful for your prayers, generosity (for reals, you guys really are generous!), and general support and well wishes.  We are super blessed!

Come back tomorrow for the first baby update…and maybe some pics of the babes!  We are hoping to be able to hold them and begin “kangaroo care”!