The Carter Momo Twins

We're Back!

2011-02-16T23:26:00.000-05:00

It has been so long since I have been back to the blogger world and I thought I might just do a quick update for those of you that might still be out there reading...if any of you are still there :) The past year has had so many milestones for our family...Aubrey is potty trained (mostly), Reagan is talking, and both twins are walking and running, and feeding themselves, and fighting, and doing all the kinds of things that two year old twins should do! Reagan has begun to show interest in going to the bathroom on the potty and we have been successfully using it at least once a day. Aubrey is really anxious to learn her letters and is quite the musical child. She loves to live life to song. When she "reads" a story...it is most often put to music.

The biggest and most pressing thing that we are currently dealing with is Cameron's hearing. Cameron and her hearing loss has been quite a mystery from the beginning. She has severe to profound loss in her left ear and moderate severe loss in her right. We have been told that she should have normal speech with this amount of hearing. However, she has not been progressing like she should. So, Cameron has begun going to a special toddler time in a class specifically for hearing impaired children (that either wear hearing aids or have cochlear implants). We also have begun a more intensive speech therapy session with a speech therapist and have to do daily sessions with her at home. We are currently under a three month trial to see how much she progresses. If she does not progress then she may be referred to the cochlear implant team. There has been some research out there that says that some children to extremely well with only implanting one ear and using a hearing aid in the other. We have been going to this new program for 4 weeks now...Cameron has been sick for two of them.

We'll keep you posted on how things progress!

First Vacation with all Five of Us!

2010-06-12T21:10:00.000-04:00

We have just gotten back from our first vacation! It was wonderful. The weather was beautiful and we all had a wonderful time! My parents generously offered to allow us to come along with them to Hilton Head, SC. We had never been before and Seth and I found ourselves constantly discussing what a beautiful place it was.

While, we have wonderful beach scenes to share with you and family photos...unfortunately, they are on my dad's camera. So for today I have some pictures of our time at a place called, The Sandbox, in Hilton Head. The kids absolutely loved it there! Aubrey was so excited that this was a place "for kids ONLY! not for adults" and she reminded us of that fact repeatedly. Here are a few photos from the girls time there.

As you glance over the photos...let me just point out that this was a huge breakthrough for my germaphobic issues that still tnd to hang around a bit since our time in the NICU. Allowing the girls to play and crawl and to touch things that other "germy" kids had touched was not easy. But they were having such a great time, I just couldn't tell them no.

All three girls are growing up so quickly. As far as updates on the girls...Aubrey is officially potty trained...during the day anyway (and most nights). She is getting ready to turn three in July - I cannot believe it! The twins are both going to begin speech therapy soon. They are both using more and more signs. If I can figure out how to post a video, I am hoping to get that on here soon. They can sign, please, more, milk, eat. Reagan is very good at copying signs and is really working on communication as a whole. She signs readily throughout the day the simple signs that we have taught both of the girls and her new favorite thing to do is to say "um" at varying volumes to mean certain things. Cameron is not as quick to sign but will do it when you make her. She loves for us to sign hand over hand with her. Cameron continues to be the hefty eater of all three girls (she can out eat Aubrey at this point) and yet is still a lightweight. Reagan is walking and Cameron is standing on her own and loves to push toys all around the house.

Dedication Day

2010-04-25T21:39:00.000-04:00

Well at long last we dedicated the girls at church today...all three of them! Dedicating means that we commit to praying for them and striving to be Godly parents and the church also commits to supporting us and praying for us as well. Today was so special..as it was also the anniversary of our first full day at home together as a family.

It was beautiful, all the grandparents were there and other special friends were there...the girls had on special outfits and then...we were called up to the front of the church. Now, while I do wish that I had video to show you, perhaps your imagination can give you an even better glance at this. The girls were so excited to have, well let's call it an audience. Aubrey wiggled and wiggled until she had to be held. Once she was being held, Reagan kept pulling her hair. And Cameron talked (VERY loudly) the entire time...so much so it was hard to hear what the pastor was saying. The good news is, the whole church had a great sense of humor about it (I have to admit, that it was definitely a funny sight...I am sure I would have thought it even funnier were it not my family). The other good news is that I wouldn't change a thing...even though it didn't go perfectly I am okay with it. We are not perfect and never have claimed to be. The church got a honest to goodness real life picture of what our family is like and there is never a dull moment at our house. And although in the moment I don't always remember it....I am so grateful for every precious moment.

Thank you so much to such a wonderful, supportive church family. What an honor to share such a special day with all of you who have prayed so consistently for our family. We love you.

By the way, later in the day, we were talking with Aubrey about how wiggly she was being and she told us that she was going to tell the whole church that she was sorry. Now, that too would be a funny picture...we'll see if she remembers next Sunday!

Happy Homecoming Day Cameron!

2010-04-24T22:31:00.000-04:00

One year ago, today, we finally got to bring home the youngest member of our family. At last we were complete. Here are some highlights from that day.

Here she is still all hooked up to the monitors doing her carseat test in order to come home.

She got an exit filled with bubbles to celebrate FINALLY being able to come home!

Cameron had to come home with a heart monitor at first...here she is...obviously pleased with still being hooked up!

Aubrey's first time meeting Cameron at home.

Reunited at last! After being together for a little over six months in Mommy's tummy and four months being apart...we love being together!

Look how tiny they look in our chair!

God is so good and has blessed us more than I know that I deserve! On this day, a year ago, our family finally felt complete. This was the day that the daily trips to the NICU at Duke stopped, the nightly phone calls checking in on babies, hours spent in the car, and hours spent separated as a family. This day signifies completeness - of our family, that is. I am so grateful for all that the Lord has done and all that the Lord has taught me through my daughters. Stay tuned over the next few days for some more pics of what we have been up to lately!

Recap of the Last Week's Happenings

2010-04-03T22:04:00.000-04:00

Well, of course, right after I set my new blogging goals...we end up with craziness here at the Carter house. My poor kids have just been put through the ringer, illness wise and it finally caught up with Cameron. After back to back illnesses she ended up in the hospital last weekend. She was initially diagnosed with pneumonia and we were given breathing treatments to give her...they did not work well enough and so they had to admit her. She could not keep up her oxygen levels on her own so they had to put her on a nasal cannula to assist her.

She was admitted last Saturday and came home on Wednesday. So, Seth spent the week with Cameron in the hospital. Amongst all of this, Reagan also got sick and ended up with an ear infection. After the first day or so, they told us that Cameron just had a virus and that it had to just run its course. So, they gave her breathing treatments every four hours and steroids. She has been diagnosed with some level of Reactive Airway Disease and so she now has to use a Flovent inhaler twice a day until the pediatrician deems that she does not need it any longer.

While we have been dealing with all this craziness though...Aubrey has been busy growing up! She is potty trained...well not at night yet but during the day she has been amazing! I am so proud of her! She decided on this past Monday that she did not want to wear diapers any longer and she hasn't! She has done amazingly!

Happy Homecoming Day Reagan!

2010-03-27T23:12:00.000-04:00

It is so hard to believe that this time last year, on March 28th, we were bringing you home. That was the day that you officially got to meet your big sister and come home to your very own house. Here are just a few pictures of that day my special girl! You are such a miracle...God's perfect little gift. All those days spent praying, learning and anxiously awaiting were here. These next pictures were of your last day in the NICU with your sister. We thought it would only be a week or so before she came home...little did we know it would be a month.

Here we are leaving the NICU headed home. Daddy may not show it but he was very NERVOUS!!!

Your first few days at home were full of laughter, tears, and sleepless nights. Mommy and Daddy soon learned that although we thought we knew about having a baby at home...we had no clue what we were doing!!! You did not follow any of the rules and kept us on our toes all the time...still do!

Happy Homecoming Day Reagan! What a year it has been and how far you have come! We love you so much!

Reagan blowing a kiss to everyone!

A Fun Day at Home With Mommy

2010-03-23T23:21:00.000-04:00

We love pudding!!!!!

Cameron's Hearing Impaired Teacher...

2010-03-23T13:59:00.000-04:00

is a miracle worker. I was so unbelievably blessed today by watching her work with Cameron. She had Cameron vocalizing sounds that almost sounded exactly like the real word - up. Cameron kept saying u,u,u,u,u...which she has been known to do before but this just seemed so intentional. She was so engaged. She had her calling for a duck over and over again. Cameron loves working with her teacher and all of her neat toys!

I also forgot to share that Cameron went back to Chapel Hill to see the Audiologist again. This time they tested her left ear (her worst hearing ear) and they found that her hearing was actually better than expected. Previously results had indicated that she had severe to profound hearing loss in that ear. Last week they were seeing levels more consistent with just severe loss! This is great news obviously! Her hearing loss on both sides seems a little more similar than what we thought!!!

A Whole New Look

2010-03-20T21:07:00.001-04:00

As you can see, I have updated the site...please bear with me...it is a work in progress. I don't really know the direction that the blog is going...just know that you can count on hearing from me much more. The previous design was so...clinical and to be honest...just made me think about life a year ago. I feel like the bright colors reflect the bright future and just how much we have to be thankful for. Things have really begun to "settle" down for us...if that is possible. Don't get me wrong, we still have doctors appointments and therapies all the time but as far as the day in and day out craziness - it just seems more manageable - Praise the Lord! So, I would love to be able to give you a glimpse into our daily lives and how much of a blessing all three of my girls are to me!

I would love to hear from any of you...I am thinking of renaming the name of the blog - any suggestions...keep it or change it?
For now, I will leave you with a photo taken just recently before the girls got hit with a nasty stomach bug! They love hanging out with each other!

We're Back!

2010-03-02T13:56:00.003-05:00

Well, after a very busy and long couple of months I feel like I could write volumes. As you know from the previous posts, the girls have had tons and tons of doctors appointments and God has continued to bless us with more and more praises.

Since our last post, we have been set free and allowed not only to go to church but the girls have even been allowed in the church nursery - which, since it is usually only them and one other baby is not a huge feat but at least it allows for me to actually hear the sermon and sit like an adult for just a few moments!!

Cameron had tubes put in her ears and boy is there a difference. My little girl has just made so much progress. She can hear loud sounds from far away, is learning to turn toward a background noise, knows her name when it is called, and so much more. When we went to the ENT in Dec. Camerons hearing test was measuring her actual hearing at profound deafness...in her good ear! Since getting tubes put in, her right ear is measuring at moderate hearing loss - which is exactly where it should be. The doctors at Chapel Hill said that she is very hard to test because she reads so much off of the people...she focuses more on the testers than on the actual animated animals that are supposed to distract her. She is also picking up more fo the signs that we are using with her...when I sign no, she stops and shakes her head no, when I sign yes, she gets very excited, and on a good day, when I sign mother, she will say "mama." She is a Mommy's girl and always tries to watch where Mommy is and she also has been going through a time of having some pretty significant stranger anxiety.

At our last appointment at Duke, Cameron had an ear infection and so she could not have her developmental evaluation but they did mention that they were worried about her weight gain (she is still weighing in at about 16 pounds) and they also wanted us to switch to regular infant formula as a bridge to transitioning to whole milk. Poor Cameron has been getting sick ever since. Her reflux has returned with a vengeance and she only keeps down about half of her feedings a day. However, just last week she returned to Duke to do her Developmental Evaluation and they also said to try a different formula. Cameron did fabulous on her evaluation...right in line with her adjusted age (even with the hearing impairment - praise God!!!) and she really seems to like this new formula.

Reagan has continued to grow and be a little stinker. She loves her sisters and she loves to take risks (which she gets honestly from her dad!). She can climb the stairs so quickly, is pushing push toys across the room, and has begun to say more than just dada.

Both girls have had feeding evaluations because they were not progressing with eating solids. We are awaiting appointments to begin feeding therapy and the therapists believe that it won't be long before they are caught right up. Just since our evaluations a couple of weeks ago, the girls will now eat the gerber puffs and yogurt puffs and love it!

January

2010-01-30T18:47:00.003-05:00

Sorry it has taken so long to post. January has ended up being an unbelievably hectic month and February is looking to be more of the same. January came and brought several doctors appointments. The girls were real troopers and have really grown up here in the last month or so. The girls just had their first snow and they also just had their first pony tails last sunday for church (on top of their heads...I like to call them sprouts).

I think I will take each girl and tell you about what's new.

Reagan - Is cruising the furniture
-can climb the stairs
-looks as if she will need glasses before Cameron does...she is more nearsighted than Cameron. The Optometrist said that both girls will likely have glasses by the time that they start school.
-Had her developmental evaluation at Duke and is at or above her adjusted age in all areas. They called her "Their Little Superstar."
-Says dada, papa, gaga, baba and only when she is crying she will say mama
-has learned how to blow kisses - It is very cute because she knows when to pull it...she will do something she shouldn't or throw a fit and then look at you and blow a kiss. Little stinker :)!

Cameron-is pulling up on everything
-loves to crawl into tight places or on top of things (she can often be found trying to squeeze under or behind furniture)
*Perhaps the biggest thing that has happened with Cameron is that we realized that for quite some time she had not really been cooing or talking. The only time she would make a sound was when she would cry or laugh but she quit vocalizing entirely. We called the ENT and they said they needed to see her immediately. They said that every time she has been there, she has had fluid in her ears...so they need to put tubes in as soon as possible. Cameron's appointment is this Tuesday (Feb 2). Since that appointment we went for the girls developmental evaluations at Duke, upon arrival Cameron started running a 102 fever and was diagnosed with an ear infection. She was so miserable that they wouldn't assess her but the amazing thing was that once the antibiotic cleared the fluid our little girl was back. Our house is full of all the wonderful Cameron sounds that had once before gone missing. She squeals, coos, and vocalizes throughout her day. It is so beautiful and we are so hopeful that the tubes will bring about even more development for her.

So, that is about it for our household right now. Aubrey is, as always, a wonderful big sister and doing phenomenally. She loves going to school and has begun to really love fairy tales. Her favorite right now is the 3 Little Pigs. She has also learned the art of story telling and enjoys telling stories for the whole family to hear. She loves being a helper. One of the bittersweet things about Aubrey growing up is that she has begun to call us "Mom and Dad" instead of Mommy and Daddy. But on the plus side, her new favorite thing to do is to snuggle with Mommy at night and get warm from the cold weather.

A New Year, New Memories!

2009-12-27T10:38:00.008-05:00

Well the girls are officially a year old. This post will be mainly pictures with a few updates at the end. What an amazing December this has been. I found myself reflecting back over the past year, remembering the feelings and happenings of the previous year and so amazingly thankful that we get to make new happier memories this year.

Cameron

Reagan - sorry you can't see her face...she is into climbing onto everythng and this is the only view we got of her most of the night!

Cameron trying out her cake

Reagan taking a taste.

Cameron proved to have quite a sweet tooth!

Oh we have had quite a year and we count it a privilege that all of you have chosen to go on this journey with us. Thank you so much for all your love and support. The girls have changed so much.

Since their birthday they both have begun pulling up on everything and Reagan demands to stand at all times while she plays! Both girls have become such snuggly babies. And they absolutely love one another and play so well together -except when they climb on top of one another! Happy Birthday Girls!

Miraculous!

2009-12-07T21:18:00.006-05:00

Miraculous...that is how the Occupational Therapist and the Physical Therapist described the girls' development. They both are right where they need to be or ahead in their development. They were so impressed with our little miracles. As of right now the girls are not showing signs of cerebral palsy either - HUGE PRAISE! There are a couple of things we have to work on.... we have to work on feeding some...positioning of the spoon and such...and we have to watch Reagan because she likes to stand on her toes and not lower her ankles. We have so much to be thankful for.

Updates on what the girls can do: both girls are now crawling and pulling up onto things to their knees. Reagan has just begun babbling and now says baba, dada, gaga...we are still working on mama (but in the middle of the night she can call dada all she wants :) ). Reagan can also pull to standing. Cameron says mama...she has for a while. I don't know if it is intentional or if we will lose it as she develops in her speech.

The girls love each other so much and when the other one is gone...they are sad. They light up when they see each other...it is so cute. Their favorite game is what I like to call, "Thats my paci." They sit with each other and take each others pacifiers out of their mouths over and over and over again. It entertains them for quite some time. Reagan has already proven that she is very independent and likes to push 0ur buttons...she will start crawling somewhere she knows she isn't supposed to go and when you call her name to tell her to come back, she squeals with delight and starts crawling faster. Cameron likes to show her independence at meal time as she will arm wrestle you for control over the spoon and when she wins and dumps her food...she smiles and laughs.

December 12 of last year I checked into the hospital at Duke. It is so hard to believe that they were born ten days later. I am looking forward to our coming weeks in hopes of making new memories that are full of joy and togetherness. I am so excited as we will get to celebrate the girls birth together, Christmas together, and so on. I have such a new found appreciation for togetherness. I remember sitting at the hospital on Christmas morning...so torn between wishing I was with Aubrey to see her wake up on Christmas morning and all the excitement that comes with it, and between the twins who were in the NICU showing us how strong they really were. So many blessings, so many miracles.

Aubrey continues to grow and become such a little lady. She is such a blessing and such a wonderful helper. She loves her sisters and can now tell them apart. She loves to play with them and talk to them and make them laugh. She brings smiles to their faces when nothing or no one else will make them happy. She has really been enjoying school, dancing, books, music, and she wakes up every day and asks her Daddy if they can go to church! She loves it! Her other new favorite thing to do is to watch the Signing Time dvds that we are using to help us learn sign.

Movers and Shakers

2009-11-16T21:02:00.005-05:00

Sorry it has taken so long to post. Things are pretty hectic and yet incredibly monotonous all at the same time (does that even make sense?). The girls are getting bigger all the time and are hitting milestones left and right. Here are just a few:

-Both girls are crawling.

-Both girls have gotten their first tooth and are working on the second.

-Both girls are finally beginning to get the hang of eating baby food.

-Reagan can pull herself up to a standing position.

-Reagan is now 17 pounds. Cameron is now almost 15 pounds.

-Cameron is getting ready for her second set of hearing aids - we think that her first set is not working all the time.

Now that the girls are on the move, they are everywhere. We have to watch them all the time. Reagan is the most curious of the two and is also the faster of the two (for now). So far, we have caught Reagan in the bathroom, getting into the fireplace, underneath end tables, trying to crawl up the stairs, climbing into the bottom of her exersaucer, and crawling on top of her sister. She is so quiet that you don't know where she is but when you catch her she has such a mischevious grin and laugh. Cameron talks nonstop all day long. She must really have a lot to say. I wish so much that I could just peek into her head to see what it is she is thinking.

Coming up the girls are beginning to move in the evaluation stage of their therapies and such. Both girls will be evaluated by physical and occupational therapists in December and in January they will return to Duke for testing (which is routine for all one year olds that were once residents of the NICU), and then in February, Cameron will have an MRI at Chapel Hill to take a closer look at her ears.

It is so hard to believe that they are almost a year old. When I think back to what was going on a year ago, I remember having regular visits with the specialists and discussing when I would be going into the hospital and our course of action once we were in the hospital. I never would have guessed that those two little ones that we saw every two weeks on our ultrasounds would be so amazing. They truly are the coolest (along with their older sister) individuals around. And I do mean individuals...lest you think they were twins or anything...they truly do have the most different personalities - they are excellent foils to one another.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-22T23:12:00.004-04:00

Here are some of the latest pics from the Carters. We were able to sneak out to get to the pumpkin patch nearby but it was freezing and very windy! The girls are all on the mend. Reagan's ears are healing and she and I are both finishing up our antibiotics. We go for their 9 month checkups next week. Both girls are scooting. Cam is just figuring out how it works and is learning to use both her arms and her feet to move. She is also getting up on her hands and knees to wiggle but not crawling yet. Reagan can move very quickly as she scoots and is beginning to get into everything! It won't be long before we have to childproof everything again! It is going to be a busy winter!

Cameron

Reagan

Update

2009-10-13T13:43:00.002-04:00

Well, it has been quite an eventful week and half since Cam went to the emergency room and was admitted. I will try to tell you the quick version. Cam was released the next day and came home. The next day she was a completely different baby...still sick but not as lethargic and without personality as she was previously. The next day, Reagan started and ended up at the pediatrician...flu and pneumonia again. Then, on Thursday night, Aubrey started...no pneumonia...just the flu. Just about all the girls are back to feeling like themselves - still sensitive tummies but more like themselves...except now...I have strep throat! AGGGGHHHHH! So, I have been quarantined away from the family for 24 hours. I don't know what in the world could have caused so much sickness to a family that is so careful with germs...I attribute a lot of my illness to exhaustion.

Aside from the illness...the girls are doing well. Reagan is somewhat mobile now. She can scoot herself backward and rocks back and forth on her hands and knees. She is also extremely strong and can climb very easily. Cam can sit up for a few moments by herself and is also getting good at scooting herself along. She has realized that she can push herself up on her hands and knees but would rather slither like a snake. She, too, can pull up on things and is getting quite strong. That's about it for the Carters.

I am hoping that our next entry finds us all much more healthy and having more fun than we have had the last few weeks.

Pneumonia

2009-10-05T05:43:00.002-04:00

As I write this, I have just gotten the call from Seth (who has been at the ER with Cam for the 2nd time in the last 2 weeks) and they are officially admitting Cameron to the hospital with pneumonia. She went in tonight after running a low grade fever most of the day but as the night went on, her breathing began to get faster and faster. I called the pediatrician to speak to the triage nurse and they listened to her breathe and agreed that it seemed extremely fast. When Seth left to take Cam to the hospital, her fever was 100.8 and upon arrival it was 103 - this is on motrin. They ran a bunch of rigorous tests and so, after 10 days on the antibiotic, then 24 hours off of it, Cam has been diagnosed with pneumonia (this is a definitive diagnosis?).

Right now we really do not know much else at all. The current plan is that Seth will be with her today and then we will take it from there. We don't know if this will be a multi-day stay for Cameron or not. My prayer is that Cameron having already been on antibiotics for ten days will lessen her stay and hopefully the pneumonia is not as severe - of course this is based on just my hopes...not anything medically. So, for now, we pray and wait. Hopefully we will know more soon!

Flu Season Begins

2009-09-26T14:35:00.002-04:00

Well, many of you already know that flu season has not even begun and the drama has already started. Cameron has had her first emergency room visit and we have spend the last week back and forth at the hospital and the doctors office. Long story short, a cold starting going through our house last week and Cameron ended up running a high fever. She has adrenal insufficiency which means that when her body is fighting an illness if it gets too severe, her body does not make enough stress hormone to deal with it. So, when we left the NICU they told us we would have to administer a cortisol shot to help her deal with it and then rush her to the hospital. All of that became a reality this past Wednesday night when the thermometer was reading 102.5. Unfortunately, we couldn't get the vial of stress hormone open so Seth rushed Cam to the hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital Cam's fever read a whopping 99.9 - we were so frustrated. Anyway, they ran tests and long story short...both girls both have ear infections.

The girls have also had their checkups at the hospital. Cameron weighs 13 pounds and Reagan weighs 15 pounds. The girls are doing very well and the doctors were very pleased. They told us that Cameron has outgrown the need for the shot if she gets sick now - which was a huge relief. They also told us that the girls should begin to outgrow the reflux over the next few months. Reagan's gross motor development was very impressive - she can sit independently for quick bursts of time but she is not technically an independent sitter. They predicted that she will be crawling in no time. Cameron has been referred for physical therapy to help with her gross motor development - just to help make sure that she is meeting her benchmarks. She is trying so hard and has really made a ton of progress. The next time we will go back to Duke will not be until January where they will conduct developmental testing. The girls are 9 months old now - so hard to believe! We had been trying baby food wit Reagan but she doesn't seem ready just yet but we are beginning with Cameron - who seems to enjoy it...pictures soon to come!

We begin our quarantine within the next week which means that we cannot take the girls to places that are very crowded and we need to limit their exposure to germs. We are to maintain strict handwashing and ask people who have any type of cold or flu symptom to stay clear of our house or the girls. I am hoping that now that it is cooler that we can still enjoy many afternoons and mornings outside on walks or at the park though - I think it will do all of us some good.

Stay tuned for pictures of the girls. Cameron should have her MRI scheduled at Chapel Hill coming up soon. We are hoping and praying that our sickness drama that we just experienced is all that we will have to endure for a while - we are all still recovering from it! The girls are feeling better and acting more like themselves every day!

The Results...Sort Of

2009-09-16T21:00:00.002-04:00

Today was a very long day. To start out with, due to excessive tiredness on the part of her parents, Cameron was fed at 3 am this mornings - even though she was not supposed to be fed after midnight (oops!). We were worried that that would cancel her procedure but it did not. It turns out her actual procedure did not begin until much later than anticipated due to delays in the ORs for the day.

Anyway, she did well. She handled the anesthesia well and they completed the ABR test. They found similar results to the ABR that was done at Duke and they made sure she did not need tubes. Next, we will meet with the ENT and Audiologists in a few weeks and they are planning on sedating her again to do an MRI. The MRI will determine if there is anything anatomical that is causing such an assymetrical hearing loss.

Regardless, Cameron handled almost all of it beautifully - she just hates going without food - as do most of us. I am praying that for the MRI sedation we can get the first appointment of the day...or atleast I am going to work toward it. We do now know for sure that she is not a candidate for a cochlear implant because if you have decent hearing (with amplification) then you can have normal speech and language - which negates the need for a cochlear implant. I have to say I am a little relieved to hear this because that is a very big decision to make and I am thankful that it is one that Seth and I will not have to make.

Thank you so much for your prayers. We will keep you posted as we learn more.

Quick Prayer Request

2009-09-11T16:31:00.002-04:00

Hello all! Hope you are doing well. Cameron's procedure at Chapel Hill has been scheduled. This next Wednesday, she will go into the hospital to be sedated and to have a repeat ABR (hearing test) done. While she is sedated, they will go ahead and check to see if her ears have too much fluid and give her tubes. They will also redo her ear molds. I do not know all of the details but I have a pretty strong feeling that Cameron will be intubated again for this procedure...which makes this former NICU mama cringe...I had hoped that her days of that were over. Of course anesthesia and procedures all have risks of their own. Please keep Cameron in your prayers, that she would remain safe and that the procedure would help to even further get understanding into her hearing. She has never had a procedure at Chapel Hill, although they come highly recommended, so I admit I am a little apprehensive. I will update you as soon as we are home from the hospital. If you think about it, we have to be there at 1 and the procedure begins at 2:30.

Thanks again for being so faithful!

Humbled

2009-08-29T22:03:00.008-04:00

Well, I am not sure how many of you are still out there reading...but I thought I would post this anyway just in case! I stand amazed even now at how many people I have run into lately that have told me that they were following the blog...what? These were not necessarily people that we are close personal friends with or have even really seen in the last couple of years. My first reaction is shock (hence the what? that I wrote earlier) and then my second reaction is amazement. I am amazed at how God would bring so many people together to pray for my children, for my family, and for me. I am amazed at the faithfulness of God's people to cry out on our behalf for our children and their precious lives. I am amazed at how encouraged I feel deep down in places that I never knew existed...it has been you, all of you, that have increased my faith...not because we have a happy ending (even though I am so thankful that we have) but because I have learned more about God, His Power, His Love, and what it means to belong to His family. I feel more challenged in my walk with the Lord than ever before to be what you have been to me to someone else. So, thank you all. I know it sounds sappy but I just really felt a need to say it and I wanted to do it in one big thank you note. (Sorry I have been so slack about writing the thank yous personally...to be honest at some point I lost track of who I had written to and who I haven't.).

Since I am writing I thought I would post a quick update. The girls are going great. We are going through big changes in the Carter house. Aubrey is starting at a new preschool and will only be gone for three mornings a week. The rest of the time, she will be at home with the rest of the girls. Cameron goes on Monday to UNC to her new ENT. The girls are doing some better with their reflux...but to be honest..this changes like the wind. Reagan has begun to eat rice cereal with a spoon and will be working her way to starting with real baby food. The girls are really getting lots of personality - Cameron spunky as ever has decided that her hearing aids are good to chew on and so I have to watch her constantly. The girls really enjoy being with each other. If they get cranky, all I have to do is lay them down next to each other and they love to play with each other, hit or kick each other, roll over onto each other...just the other day I caught Cameron picking Reagan's nose! The girls have decided that sleeping through the night is not for them for now... hopefully they will decide to do so before too long! Cameron had her checkup at Duke for her eyes...her hemorrhage is resolving itself and they will fit her for glasses in January (just in case they said?). I am still trying to imagine hearing aids and glasses together...we will definitely have to make sure that they are color coordinated! Here are a few shots from the last few days at the Carter household.

First two, Reagan - not sure about the rice cereal but definitely loves this whole new toy called a spoon that flies right into her mouth...the natural place for everything to go!

Third- Cameron after having just been caught chewing on her hearing aids and also wondering why Reagan gets to have all the fun with the food...she gets to start soon!

What the Future Holds

2009-08-17T12:34:00.003-04:00

Things are busy, busy, busy here at the Carter house. We are beginning speech language services with Cameron - the services are more for Seth and I than Cameron. They are coming to teach us how to teach her. Both girls are growing well and are eating well. We still have lots of reflux issues but compared to what we had a few months ago, they are doing phenomenal. Both girls are rolling over now and we are now working on sitting up.

Reagan now weighs 13.5 pounds and Cameron weighs 11 pounds. It is crazy to stop and think about all their similarities and differences. Right now the girls love to play a game where when it is time to sleep - one will sack out and the other will throw a fit and stay awake. They trade places like that all day! Reagan is the chatterbox who loves to coo sweetly. However, don't let the sweet coos fool you, she is also the one who will scream at the top of her lungs if she is not happy...and if she is, she squeals at the top of her lungs! Cameron is the quiet one but also, don't let the quietness fool you. I have this theory that she is thinking up all sorts of mischevious little plots because even though she is sitting quietly, she is watching and she has this look that just looks like she is up to no good! She, too, has the sweetest coo you have ever heard when she wants to talk. She is also the giggler. Once she gets started, she can't stop and it is so contagious that you are laughing hysterically, too!

Seth and I have been enjoying the freedom of summer and being able to take the girls to church, the store, and occassionally out to dinner. However, we have been told that we shouldn't count on it for too much longer because once October rolls around, the girls and I will be quarantined once again. I must admit, I am dreading this time of year. The girls will also begin to have to have monthly shots for RSV and we will have to go back into germ warfare again. At the end of this month, we will meet with a new pediatric ENT to see what he has to say about Cameron's ears and how much the hearing aids are assisting her ability to hear.

Quick Update and Pics

2009-08-11T12:01:00.003-04:00

The girls continue to do well. We had Reagan's 6 month check-up and in his words, "she is doing PHENOMENAL!" Reagan is already working on many skills that are up to par with her actual age (not just her adjusted age). She is actually on the chart weight wise for her adjusted age (she is only the third percentile but every little bit counts!). Reagan now weighs 13 pounds 5.5 oz. Unlike the previous vaccines she has been given, her shots did not seem to agree with her. She was quite cranky and ran a fever but was back to feeling like herself in no time.

Cameron has her check up this Wednesday. Cameron has just begun rolling over and can actually travel quite quickly. She loves to play on the floor with her sister. When they lay together it is so cute because inevitably Cameron starts to smile a really goofy smile at Reagan and Reagan starts to coo and talk in the cutest voice!

Here are a few of the latest pictures!

I Finally Downloaded Some PIctures!

2009-08-05T08:35:00.008-04:00

This summer has been a busy one. So, here are the highlights and some pictures of the girls. Aubrey is now 2 years old. Reagan and Cameron are growing like weeds and their muscles are getting stronger. Reagan can roll all over the place but she still hasn't figured that if she rolls somewhere and doesn't like it, she can roll back. Cameron isn't rolling yet but has gotten great head control...when she feels like it. Pretty much it has been a great summer so far! Thanks for continuing to keep our family in your prayers!

We found out that Aubrey loves tomatoes and will eat them whole - especially if you leave her unattended with an entire tomato - yes, she did eat an entire tomato!

Here is the birthday girl who has decided that icing makes everything taste better. Last year she wouldn't touch the cake...My my how things have changed.

Here is big sister Aubrey watching cartoons with Cameron. Cameron has found out that she doesn't need a pacifier...she can use her own two fingers. Cameron loves to watch tv - it is a little scary that she already notices it so much. We are trying to limit her exposure but we figured for the picture it was okay.

Can you tell them apart?

And here is Cameron again chomping on those fingers!!

Hearing Aid pictures. Cameron has really become so verbal. She loves to squeal and talk and laugh. She has the best belly laugh you have ever heard! She has also learned to blow rasberries. I haven't been able to catch in on camera yet but trust me. If you hear someone making odd sounds during church - chances are my two girls are the culprits!

Hearing Aids and Progress Report

2009-07-17T09:23:00.001-04:00

Well we officially have cute pink sparkly hearing aids now. I have a picture to post but I still have not gotten that little attachment for my camera yet...so until I get to my parents house to upload it...it will have to wait. The minute Cameron got her hearing aids put in she started talking up a storm. She was smiling and talking more than I have ever heard her. However, once we got home...Seth and I realized that hearing aids are more complicated than we thought - she started to get feedback in her hearing aids. So, we checked with Duke and we are hoping that we have the problem fixed. Last night was one of the coolest nights ever - Reagan was already asleep and Cameron and I were just playing and talking - I would sing and she would coo back - it was unbelievable to think that my little girl can hear all that I say now. What a blessing. We go back in 2 weeks to have them check out her hearing aids one more time and then we are set to go.

Yesterday at the hospital the girls had their checkups. They saw the eye doctor and we found out the Cameron's hemorrhage is still in her eye - it does not appear to be causing any harm but it is still in her eye so we have to watch it. We also found out that Cameron is a little nearsighted and will probably eventually need glasses - which we already knew because it is in her genes to need glasses anyway! Reagan got her hearing checked yesterday and she has normal hearing. The girls were weighed and Reagan weighs 11 pounds 9 oz. and Cameron weighs 10 pounds even. They are doing so well and are finally able to be charted on the growth chart. Cameron is in the 3-5 % and Reagan is in the 10 - 25%. We are hoping that they will continue to grow appropriately. Cameron is officially off of the heart monitor. We are hoping that the company will be setting up an appointment soon to come and pick it up. Cameron did not get tested to see if she has outgrown her Adrenal Insufficiency (cortisol deficiency). They said that they assume that children need it for their first year and after that you discontinue the need for it. I have decided that the girls absolutely hate going to Duke. Every time...and I do mean every time, that we go to Duke one of them has a major accident. Yesterday it was Reagan's turn. She ruined her clothes and then proceeded to christen the doctor's office room twice while we were changing her! I guess that was her way of telling us that she was done with being at the hospital!

The girls got out for their first visit to church last Sunday. What a crazy but unbelievable day. The girls behaved so well! I was so excited at how well they did. We will see if they continue to do so well now that cameron can hear so much more of what is going on! We hope to be able to upload more pics soon. This month has been a good month and it is only getting better - Aubrey will turn 2 on the 31st! I can't believe that she is such a big girl!

We're Getting There!

2009-07-11T16:24:00.002-04:00

Well, the girls are finally starting to act like what I could consider "typical" babies...well, mostly. They have needed a little bit of help. The last couple of days have been spent working very hard to get them on a real predictable schedule in hopes of encouraging them to sleep longer at night and being able to put themselves to sleep should they wake up in the middle of the night. Before we began the past week the girls have been very sporadic in their sleeping and we would be lucky if they slept all of 20 - 30 minutes every three hours or so. AND those few minutes were sleeping while being held. At night the girls were waking up every three hours and one night Cameron woke up every 1-2 hours. So, by the end of this past week I said ENOUGH! We must get some sanity...and what I meant was really I must get some sanity! So, we are on our way and the girls are doing well. They have been sleeping for almost an hour in their own beds (not being held) every three hours. And the best part is that they are sleeping at night - Cam is the champion sleeper so far with 7 hours last night! They are very happy and so is Mommy!

The girls are changing so much and I can't wait until this week is over and we can see what the doctors at Duke have to say. On Tuesday I take Cameron to go and get her fabulously flashy hearing aids! I am so eager to see how differently she will react to our house and all the sounds that she hears! She already is cooing and laughing and getting her voice (which is very loud, I might add). Cameron was weighed on Friday and she is 9 lbs. 12 oz. She has had great weight gain over the last few weeks. We are now really working on her upper body strength and head control. She has spent so long arching that it is hard for her to focus and make her body move the other way. So, we are putting her on her tummy as much as possible - at the beginning she could hardly stand a minute or so and now we are up to several minutes. Baby steps I say. Reagan has grown so much...although we don't know exactly how much yet...we find out on Thursday at Duke. Thursday is their clinic appointments where they will see the main physicians, speech and physical therapists and the eye doctor. I also have to ask to have Reagan's hearing retested since her twin sister is hearing impaired. Reagan is talking like crazy and smiling so much. She is also drooling a ton..she has to get changed between almost every feeding...mainly because of the drool! I keep looking for tooth buds in her mouth but I don't see anything yet. Reagan can roll from her stomach to her back and is working on back to stomach. She loves to play on her belly. The girls are also learning to interact some with each other. The other day they were on their sides with each other and Cameron took Reagan's hands and starting eating them while Reagan just smiled and talked to Cameron. It was amazing!

Beginnings and Reflecting

2009-06-30T21:41:00.004-04:00

Today we met with the Beginnings support person - a free service that is provided to parents of hearing impaired children whose sole purpose is to help parents to advocate for their child and to tell them about services that are available. Today we decided to go ahead and make a speech language referral for Cameron to be evaluated with her hearing aids. This will tell us her strengths and weaknesses. One of the things that he commented on was how well Cameron focuses and watches what you are doing when you are talking - he said that it was a very good skill and he was very impressed. In the meantime, Seth and I have a lot of praying to do as we will have to choose a form of communication for us to focus on using with Cameron. I have mixed feelings because I, of course, want for her to be able to learn to talk and produce normal speech sounds and for her hearing aids to help her to achieve as close to normal hearing as possible. However, realistically, I understand that there are times that she will not be able to have her hearing aids in...so we also, I feel, need to have an alternate plan.

Both girls are doing so well. Lately I have been doing a lot of reflecting on my pregnancy, the day the girls were born, our NICU experience and have been quite emotional when I let myself really think about all that we have been through. Not in an I feel sorry for myself kind of way but in an I stand in awe of God's mercy and goodness kind of way. I found myself thinking of these pictures and comparing then to now. I am so thankful for all of our blessings...but especially the three that are sleeping soundly even now as I am typing.

December 26th, 2008

May 2009

weights

2009-06-26T20:20:00.001-04:00

Cameron - 8 lbs. 13 oz.
Reagan - 10 lbs. even

Tiny Blessings Getting Bigger

2009-06-24T20:55:00.002-04:00

We are growing! Both girls are over 8 pounds (we will have exact weights on Friday) and Reagan is already outgrowing her NB size onesies. We are in size 1 diapers. I can't believe how much they are growing. But coolest of all is to see how much the girls change from week to week in their verbal and developmental milestones. Reagan is beginning to really laugh (not just in her sleep). Both girls are really starting to try to talk and show so much expression. They love to watch things and try to grab at toys. Cameron's visual skills are amazing. She will follow you wherever you go - she always wants to know what is going on. Reagan wants to sit up so bad. We will lay her down on a boppy pillow or lean her up on the couch and she spends the whole time pulling her head up and crunching trying to sit up. Both girls are doing well with head control. We have not been able to do as much tummy time as I would have liked because of the reflux but we have been slowly building more and more into their day. I am trying to get them to entertain each other by facing them together during tummy time. The reflux seems to be doing better but BEST OF ALL - THEY ARE FINALLY SLEEPING!!! Not just for a few minutes but real -6-7 hours sleeping. Okay...wait let me clarify - they did it once. I am not sure if it will continue or not but we will take it. They woke up so happy this morning and I firmly believe it was because they finally were beginning to feel rested.

We meet with the Beginnings people on Tuesday of next week to begin to hopefully line up therapies for Cameron. I am also hoping to find out more about our family learning sign language and about different communication options that we will have. I have been so blessed to be able to talk to so many parents with hearing impaired children that have given me so much encouragement and advice and invaluable information. Thank you to all of you.

This next month brings many milestones for our family including - a wedding anniversary, Aubrey turning two, and Cameron getting hearing aids. I am also praying that it will include Cameron being taken off of the heart monitor and finding out that she has outgrown her cortisol deficiency. Thank you again for all of your prayers and support for our family.

One More

2009-06-23T14:19:00.002-04:00

Here is one more of the girls - it is one of my favorites because it shows their personalities I think.

Photo Shoot

2009-06-20T21:14:00.009-04:00

A friend of mine who is a photographer took pictures of the girls - I love Lisa, I love these photos! Here they are!

Hospital Visit Today

2009-06-17T07:08:00.002-04:00

Today ended up being a rather long day. So here is the short version of what we found out:

1 - Cameron's hearing test was redone and it was similar. They feel that hearing aids will give Cameron good amplification in her right ear for her to hopefully resume normal speech language development with the help of a therapist. They don't know whether they will ever be able to amplify enough for her left ear to hear speech sounds but she may be able to hear environmental sounds like loud sirens, horns, cars, etc.
2 - They want to recheck Cameron's ears again in 3 months to make sure that she does not have degenerative loss in her ear and if it is getting worse...Cameron may be a candidate for cochlear implants. Right now that is currently off the table.
3 - We picked out cute pink hearing aids and a sparkly ear mold so that she will look girly and fashionable. We figure - its not like people won't be able t tell that she has hearing aids so we might as well make them look cute!
4 - Cameron's reflux has been getting pretty bad again. So much so, that her physical therapist insisted she see the doctor yesterday at the last minute. At that appointment we found out that Cameron has resumed good weight gain and is now 8 lbs. exactly. We also found out that we need to increase her medication but that if that does not stop then we will begin adding cereal to her. We are also hopeful that the monitor may be going away within the next month or so.

I think that is the short of it. We were also told by a speech person at the hospital that it might not be easy to get Cameron started with speech therapy. My prayer is that she is wrong. We will be meeting with different folks to hopefully begin to set that up. Cameron's hearing aids should be in in about a month - so hopefully she will be hearing all of us soon.

Our First Illness

2009-06-13T20:31:00.002-04:00

Well, it has struck...we think. A few days ago I started sneezing and then my throat started to be a little sore. I had heard that strep was going around...so I decided to run to urgent care and get a quick test...negative. But upon examination...my throat had red bumps that are symptomatic of strep throat. So, they are sending my test up to the lab and I am now on antibiotics. However, I cannot have any close contact with any of the girls for the next 24 hours - does anyone know how unbelievably difficult that is going to be??? Very! When they are crying, I can't fix it and it kills me. The good news is it is only 24 hours. The doctor said that it could just be allergies but because of the bumps we are going to do the medicine just in case. So, the plan is to sleep like crazy for the next 24 hours so that I can finally relieve Seth tomorrow night and let him sleep all night. I just pray that the girls do not get it! I am so scared because a) they are preemies and more at risk for illness and b) Cameron's immunity disorder. I pray that none of the family gets sick. We all depend on each other. Please keep us in your prayers. We go this Tuesday for Cameron's ENT appointment and to get fitted for her hearing aids.

Answers to Questions

2009-06-09T08:34:00.003-04:00

1 - Why is the PT saying "don't let Cameron stand!" - She says that it can encourage those muscles to stay tight instead of being loose and relaxed which can lead to muscle tone issues. We are allowed to let her stand once she starts pulling up on things - which is quite a ways away. She says that if we let her do it too much and those muscles get too tight then she will walk on her tiptoes when it comes time to walk...which we do not want! I am actually getting more and more concerned about Cameron's muscle tone because she can be so stiff and rigid...especially during feeding - which is probably part of the reflux. I have called the PT at Duke and am having their developmental therapist assess her this week to see if I am completely overreacting or if we do have reason to be concerned.
2- What type of hearing loss - the audiologist thinks that it is sensorineural hearing loss but that is a educated guess...we see the ENT to confirm this next week.
3 - Sign language - No we haven't started sign. To be honest we have heard so many conflicting things and I have been waiting to hear from the people from Beginnings (local hearing impaired resource from NC school for deaf and hard of hearing) to see what they would recommend. I am trying to read as much as possible and trying to keep talking to Cameron - which is what the audiologist said to do. Cameron still reacts to us and will smile and makes my heart soar when she tries to talk. I know that she can hear some things...it is just very limited I think. She said that it is imperative that Cameron see us react appropriately to her needs so that when she can hear she can put them together. How soon should you start sign? We are only at the smiling and cooing stage - should we begin already if we choose to do it?

Marilyn, it seems as if you are very knowledgeable on the subject of hearing impairement - any information or advice you have would be wonderful. I would love for you to email me at lele307@gmail.com

Cameron's Appointments

2009-06-07T17:45:00.002-04:00

The eye doctor visit went well this week. The hemorrage does not seem to indicate that anything is leading towards retinal detachment - which we are extremely excited about. It is still there but has spread out, allowing the doctors to be able to look under it to be sure. Both girls will be going back to the doctor (along with their other clinic appointments) in July. Cameron's next appointment is June 16 for all of her hearing aid stuff. I am so thankful to have been turned on to a free resource for parent education for parents of hearing impaired children. I am in the process of signing Seth and I up for a distance learning course.

The girls are doing well. We are still having the ups and downs - good days and bad days...but all babies have those - ours are just times 2! They are wiggling and squirming like crazy and both girls are now cooing and interacting with you - those are the most joyful times of the day! Reagan is working hard on rolling - she wants to so bad - you can almost see it on her face. Meanwhile, Cameron would rather try to stand (even though we have been given strict orders to not allow her to do that from the physical therapist so we do our best to keep her from doing so). Both girls love their swings and love their play gyms...most of the time. But most of all they love Aubrey. She can bring smiles that none of us can get. She loves to come up and say "tickle, tickle" and the girls just smile so big for her. They all love each other very much!

Apnea Monitor

2009-06-04T15:53:00.003-04:00

Ah the monitor. I fear that it will be staying with us a bit longer than I wanted. For some reason in the past two weeks it has gone off for apnea and it hasn't done it since she has been home. I think that it is because Cameron is sleeping so soundly but I don't think the doctors will let her come off until they stop. Please pray that things would calm down and that she would be well enough for the doctors to take her off of the monitor or if that is not going to happen that we would see the cause for the apnea that she has been having! I can't help but wonder, though, how many of us have apnea episodes when we are in a deep sleep.

Cameron also has her eye appointment tomorrow to check on the hemorrage in her eye. I pray that it has healed up all on its own.

Thanks again for keeping our family in your prayers.

Smile!

2009-05-30T18:48:00.008-04:00

The girls have really begun to smile and today was actually Cameron's first day really smiling and I caught it on camera! Had to share those and a few other pictures of our little angels!

Reagan

Cameron

Here is a picture of Aubrey enjoying some yummy chicken parmesan that a friend made for us a couple of weekends ago - thanks Jill! We have had so many sweet and generous people make us dinner that I don't even know where to start. Thank you all so much! This night I gave Aubrey her plate, turned to pour her a cup of milk and when I turned around...this what I saw - she said, "Mommy this good! I LOVE noodles!" Aubrey has loved all of the meals and I have appreciated not having to worry about cooking...and Seth, well, he hasn't enjoyed it at all except the guy who can't gain weight all of a sudden can't fit into some of his pants anymore - THANK YOU ALL!

I almost forgot. The girls were weighed yesterday at the doctor. Reagan is now 8 lbs. 3 oz. and Cameron is 6 lbs. 15 oz. We are still working hard to be sure that Cameron maintains good weight gain. Hopefully she will be catching up to her sister soon!

Cameron's Hearing Test Results

2009-05-28T20:48:00.002-04:00

Today at Duke we found out that we are about to enter even more unfamiliar territory with Cameron. She went in for a more specialized test for her hearing...it wasn't successful so they redid the original hearing screen - she failed again in both ears. So, this time she had more diagnostic tests done. The diagnostician found that Cameron has moderate to moderate/severe hearing loss in her right ear and severe/profound loss in her left ear. We asked if there was any way of knowing the cause and she said no. This was her first diagnostic test, however. We will go back for another test in three weeks. On that same day we will meet with an ENT, who will determine if there isn't a blockage of any sort that could be the cause...however, after the tests today, the diagnostician said that she did not believe that it was. She believes that this is pretty permanent hearing loss and doesn't expect for the results to change much. On that same day, Cameron will have molds taken of her ears to be fitted for hearing aids. We will go back a few weeks later to learn how to use the hearing aids. We will begin to work closely with a speech and hearing therapist to learn how we can best serve Cameron.

The audiologist said that she has a very positive outlook for Cameron right now because her hearing loss has been diagnosed so early and that with therapies and hearing aides that she hopes that Cameron will be able to achieve normal communication skills. Seth has been so amazing and positive through all of this - the perfect husband. Today he said, "You know why I have always liked things like x-men and stuff? Well, it is because they were all unique because of their special powers. That's kind of how our family is." I almost started crying because I thought that it was an amazing way to think about all of this. My prayer is that the hearing aids would be an effective tool for Cameron to be able to hear and that Seth and I would be able to learn how to make our family and our home a supportive environment to nurture Cameron in the skills that she needs to acquire.

As a precaution, Reagan has to go back in for additional hearing tests - since the girls are identical but they do not expect to see much right now. They will just do what is called an OAE (I have no idea what that means) and if she passes, she will not have to have any additional tests.

Update from Doctors

2009-05-21T17:55:00.003-04:00

Not much to report...sorry the posts have not been coming as often but life is very hectic here. Today is Seth's birthday and for his birthday he won a trip to the hospital for the girls checkup on their eyes. Reagan's look great and Cameron's also have no ROP...however, when the doctor was looking she kept saying "very interesting" - words you never like to hear from a doctor. Evidentally, Cameron has had a hemorrhage in her eye and we cannot seem to find the cause for it. The doctor said that it may have been the stress on her body with the formula change. She said it is not alarming right now, they are going to watch it but she just found it "interesting." That's us Carter's - never boring! Anyway, we have to go back now in two weeks and she will check it again. Cameron's hearing test is next Thursday - so we will be back and forth to Duke for three weeks in a row. Hopefully, all of it will end with clean bills of health.

Both girls have finally adjusted to the new formula. They both are great eaters right now (we are wondering if they are just really taking off or if they are hitting a growth spurt) and Seth and I cannot wait until next week when they have a weight check at the pediatrician. They have slept pretty well the last couple of days but I almost don't want to say anything to jinx it! They are both smiling and Reagan is really cooing and talking now. They are tracking things with their eyes some - which the doctor said might be a little delayed. She could not believe how loud Reagan's cry was - her exact words were "Wow! That's a big girl cry!" I just wanted to say - You're telling me - you should hear it at 2 in the morning!

All in all, life is going great for the Carter's right now. We are enjoying being one big happy family! Aubrey has been behaving really well and I have goals of potty training and moving to her big girl bed this summer - we will see if it actually happens. She kind of seems to be fighting me on the potty thing right now. That's okay...when she is ready! She is loving playing with friends, the sandbox, sliding, painting, and playdough. Right now, the messier the better!

I Am Amazed...

2009-05-14T19:43:00.003-04:00

-at how many dirty clothes our girls can produce in one day
-at how many bottles we go through a day
-at how the girls can still gain weight considering how much comes back out
-at how I can clean the house and in less than an hour it looks as if a bomb has gone off
-at how one tiny baby can cry so loud and so hard for so long...just because she needs her pacifier back in her mouth
-at how quickly the girls and their abilities can change - yesterday Reagan only smiled in her sleep and today she will coo a little and smile the biggest smiles ever - Cameron is on the verge of following her sister
-at how much the hospital actually cost - the stacks of explanations of benefits is unbelievable - even more unbelievable are the numbers on those papers - thank goodness for insurance!
-at how much the girls can look so unbelievably different and yet so much alike
-at how beautiful of a sight it is to see my family together and loving on one another
-at how if I stop and let myself think about it - I still cry like a baby when I think of where we have come from and how blessed we are to have our little miracles

I am sure that the list will continue to go on but here is the newest update from the visit to the doctor this week.

Both girls are doing well. They saw the doctors and the physical therapist. Both girls are making good growth. Cameron had a renal ultrasound and still has one small kidney stone remaining. Both girls are now on the same formula. They have placed Cameron on Alimentum with her sister - they thought that the major specialty formula was not really giving the results they felt were necessary to continue on it. So, we have had an interesting couple of days adjusting.

The girls are doing so well they don't need to go back to the doctor for another couple of weeks but still this month we have an eye checkup and Cameron's recheck on her hearing.

Family

2009-05-10T21:25:00.004-04:00

What a day. Happy Mother's Day. Who would have guessed a year ago that I would be a mom of three instead of a mom of one? What a blessing. Today was a good day - Aubrey is very good at saying Happy Mother's Day - except she doesn't get who you are supposed to say it to. She said it to my dad, to other kids, anyone that would listen! We had an awesome afternoon visiting with family here at the house! Here are a few more pictures of the girls -

Hope from the Unexpected Places

2009-05-08T12:25:00.004-04:00

Just a quick note. Last night I was standing in the checkout lane and picked up a People magazine to leaf through as I waited. Inside I found an article about micropreemies that were born at 25, 25, 27 weeks along. They weighed anywhere from a pound to 2 pounds. One of the overriding questions that I had and that I think others have is...what does the future hold for the girls because they were so premature? We were never quoted rates or given any specific diagnosis from the doctors (that may come later) but I have chosen to chalk that up to the fact that God was in control and chose my girls - He chose them for something unbelievable and He chose them to help teach me about Him, about love, and about hope. In this magazine it goes on to show how successful these preemies have become...athletic, intellectual, motivated and I have to say that I almost started crying right there in the store. What an amazing way for God to give me hope in one of the most unexpected places. Last night I was reminded of how God chose to show me the true meaning of Cameron's middle name - Hope. All through our journey in the hospital - both girls defied the odds and as a result, we chose hope and as we continue to go through the ups and downs of our first year together, I pray that we continue to choose hope. I realized that if we don't choose hope then we get bogged down by the little stuff, the stuff we cannot control, or the stuff that doesn't really matter and so I am thankful that God gave me a reminder - hope still remains. I find it funny that after all that we have been through, I still need to be reminded - guess that shows how stubborn I am.

Thank you all for your prayers. The girls go back for the first of many appointments at the hospital next Tuesday.

6 Pounders

2009-05-06T10:03:00.010-04:00

Well, both girls are officially over six pounds now. Cameron has gained 7 oz. in 6 days (6 lbs. even) and Reagan has gained 6 oz. in 6 days ( 6 lbs. 12 oz.). This is completely baffling to me because the last few days they both have done nothing but spit up and cry...a LOT! I am so pleased with their progress and pray that they will continue. They are now officially out of preemie diapers and can wear some newborn clothes as well. As I type this right now Cameron is playing on her boppy playmat that was Aubrey's. She has figured out that she can hit the toys but still doesn't seem quite sure of herself. She really seems to be having fun! Both girls are doing well. Here is a picture of the girls yesterday before they got their shots - ouch! I decided to take a before picture instead of an after! There are also a couple of other shots from earlier in the week...including Aubrey who has now discovered that not only does she LOVE strawberries but she loves picking them - if she could just figure out how to do it without putting her finger right through the middle!

Thank You

2009-05-04T20:14:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to write a quick note...thank you thank you thank you to all of you who have been so generous to us. I know we will never be able to remember everyone and I apologize if you do not get a formal thank you but I just wanted to let you know what an encouragement and blessing you have been to our family. Thank you for the gas cards, gift cards, gifts, hugs, prayers, and the meals - oh the meals! Let me just say that we have had some amazing meals over the last month or so and our family has enjoyed them so much. In fact, I just said to my mom today... not having to worry about cooking in the midst of all of this chaos has lifted a huge burden from our shoulders. Thank you! Seth also says thank you because thanks to all of you, he has gained some weight over the last month or so. Seth and I continue to learn from all of you about what it means to be cheerful givers and to love on another in Christ. Thank you!

The Monitor

2009-05-02T13:05:00.004-04:00

Oh, the monitor. From what I hear, you either love 'em of hate 'em. Well, to be honest, I pretty much hate it. ...and not because it goes off all the time either - because I hate having cords still attached to my baby. Don't get me wrong - I know it has a purpose and everything but that was one of the best things about bringing Reagan home was no machines or cords...just us and our baby. Cameron handles it pretty well...I think I am the one being a baby about it but every time we want to go somewhere we have to lug this box and these cords around. The monitor has only gone off twice for bradies and they were only a few seconds long - by the time we went to do something...she had resolved herself. I am praying for the doctors to be very pleased when we go to clinic on the 12th and that they will say "good news...no more monitor."

The last few days have been full of craziness and add in a pretty big helping of sleeplessness and it makes for a fun time at the Carter house! We experienced taking the girls together to the doctor - NIGHTMARE!!! I definitely need more practice with that one. Reagan really seems to have gotten her days and nights straight and for a night or so I thought Cameron had too but... I just keep reminding myself how far Reagan has come since coming home from the hospital and Cameron is just still getting used to being at home. We are learning together what works. According to the pediatrician's scale on Wednesday: Reagan is weighing in at 6 lbs. 6 oz. (close to typical newborn size!!) and Cameron is 5 lbs. 9 oz.

Please pray that Cameron's weight gain will be as good as Reagan's has been. I pray that the comfort of being at home will be all she needed for a consistent weight gain...however, she spits up A LOT! and has been pretty cranky the last day or so, so I am hoping that the doctor will be pleased on Tuesday.

I am hoping to post some photos soon of the girls! Thanks for keeping us in your prayers!

The Gang's All Here

2009-04-28T20:43:00.007-04:00

After 129 days at Duke, Cameron is finally home with us! I honestly don't know if it has even sunk in yet. This is what we have been waiting for. We are so blessed and thankful for how God has provided for us.

Here are some pictures of Cameron's homecoming:

Cameron redid her carseat test before we left.

Cameron's monitor that must be hooked up at all times except baths.

The nurses cheered for her and blew bubbles as we left!

Aubrey meeting her sister for the first time. She was so excited to see two babies. At first she did a double take but then she had a lot of fun showing everyone that there were two sisters and where they were!

Reunited at last! Sisters together. Reagan on the left, Cameron on the right with the pacifier. So far today they seemed pretty oblivious of each other until tonight. They both started crying at the same time and boy did our house fill with noise! Then, we laid them down in the crib together and they stopped...for a bit.

Cameron seems to slowly be adjusting to being at home. Seth's mom pointed out today that Cameron is almost just like Reagan was when she came home. It is amazing what three weeks at home has done for Reagan - for the most part, she seems calmer and more like a full term baby than previously. Cameron left the NICU weighing about 5 lbs. 4 ounces.

We are so excited to be all at home together...even though that means lots of sleepless nights and chaos - we will do it together. We are so blessed to have the continued support of friends and family and their continual prayers. Our goal for the next few weeks is to establish a routine if possible and to finally all get settled in together - even though we have a ton of appointments in May coming up.

Prayer Requests for the future:

-the adjustment of all of our girls
-Cameron on her monitor - that the need for one would diminish quickly and that if it goes off for a real alarm that Seth and I would be able to address her needs promptly with no real emergency; also that we would not have a need for her cortisol shot and that she would outgrow the need for it soon.
-Upcoming appointments and retesting of Cameron's hearing

I probably will not be posting as often but promise to post pictures as time permits - we are going to be busier than ever but couldn't be happier!

So far so good

2009-04-27T09:47:00.002-04:00

So far no bradys or apneas which means....tomorrow is still on. I am holding my breath, though, because we have been here before. I pray that Cameron is just as ready as we are to have her home and that she is going to keep it all together. I am going today to get trained on the monitors and to visit with my baby and then tomorrow morning bright and early we are going to learn baby massage and then bring her home! The baby massage is not for pampering - even though we won't tell the girls that...it is supposed to help them to stay organized and not get so overstimulated. They both are extremely sensitive to outside stimuli like light, sound, too much movement, etc. so this is supposed to help them chill out a bit.

Reagan had a tough day with feeding yesterday. Lots of spit ups out the nose and mouth. She choked on her medicine, lips started turning blue, and I got to use my cpr training and choking training from the hospital. Luckily I stayed calm and didn't freak out until after it was all over. Then I called Seth (sorry for those of you sitting near him who may have heard his phone in church yesterday) and started crying. Thank goodness the NICU trained us. Then, I went to visit Cameron with my parents and I was told, put her medicine in her milk...that is what we always do - I thought to myself - would have been nice to know that when she came home a month ago :). Oh well. We made it and are fine.

Aubrey has no clue what is coming tomorrow. I pray that she is just as excited about Cameron coming home as she was Reagan. She loves to help take care of Reagan and has been so loving. Every time she goes by her, she likes to kiss her on the head. She also loves to say that Reagan has stinky diapers - she thinks it is funny. Stay tuned and hopefully the next post will be pictures of Cameron's homecoming!

Emotions

2009-04-24T21:11:00.003-04:00

The longer this process goes, the more emotional I seem to get. I am reacting to all of our ups and downs emotionally - whereas before, I at least felt like I was able to keep it together somewhat. For example, tonight I called to check on Cameron and one of the nurses in the TCN that has worked a lot with Cameron in the past had her. I started crying and told her, "I really needed for you to have her tonight. You have no idea." She said that they had already been snuggling tonight and that the other baby she has is with their parents in the care by parent room so she and Cameron would be hanging out a lot tonight. I know that this is just what Cameron needs but it is also just what I need. The assurance of knowing that someone is caring for her tonight that loves her means the world to me. I know that all of the nurses care but sometimes you have a nurse that has really connected with your baby and that is very special.

Cameron had her first full feed tonight. She is only on tylenol for her surgery recovery and got her IV out tonight. She has been pretty irritable, but who wouldn't if they couldn't eat and had a board taped to their arm? So, I am hoping that now that she can eat that she will be happier. The newest plan is for Seth and I to go to the hospital on Monday to get trained to use the monitor that Cameron is going to come home on. Then, on Tuesday, we should hopefully be able to bring her home. All of this will happen only if Cameron does not have any episodes of apnea and brady together. It is my understanding that as long as she doesn't need any oxygen, she could brady and still come home. I am so ready for Cameron to come home, even in spite of the bradys. I am ready for us to all be home together.

Reagan has transferred over to a new formula well. She was doing really well on her new formula mixed with milk except her reflux really seems to be acting up. It burns her when she burps and she will wake up screaming an hour after she has eaten. You can hear her belly making noises and churning. We are hoping that an increase in her dose of Prilosec will give her some relief and help her to feel better. When her reflux isn't bothering her, it is amazing how peacefully she is sleeping. Today has been a tough day for her, she has really been hurting - she gets her new dose of meds tonight.

Please also continue to pray for Aubrey and her adjustment to all of the changes going on at home. She has just gotten used to having one sister at home and we are about to add another.

Good to Go

2009-04-23T21:09:00.002-04:00

Well, it seems as if God is once again taking care of His children...specifically Cameron Hope Carter. We got to the Hospital around 8am this morning (Thurs.) thinking that we'd see her an hour before they take her to surgery (which was scheduled at 10am), and ended up waiting till 1pm until they rolled her back in the O.R. No problems or anything...they were just really busy. The actual surgery took less than an hour and went great. Two hernia's (sp?) removed. Two little incisions. The bandages will come off in a week. They're still saying that she should be coming home this weekend. Wshew! That'll be something. I can't wait to see them together again...both in my arms at the same time. We'll be sure to get some more pictures then. Thank you all for your prayers. It's obvious you are praying.

Four Months Old

2009-04-23T01:40:00.002-04:00

The girls turned four months old today (but actually they are considered only 2 and a half weeks old adjusted age based on their due date - that is the age we hold them accountable to with benchmarks). Unfortunately, neither girl felt like celebrating today and each of them had a tough day in their own way. Please continue to pray for the girls. Cameron is now NPO - no food but IV fluids in preparation for her surgery - I pray that her poor little tummy isn't causing too much trouble. Please pray that things will go smoothly and that the surgeons would have skilled hands and that she would tolerate the anesthesia and intubation well. Please also pray for Reagan as we try to transition her to formula feeds...that her belly and reflux would cooperate. I wish I had weights and numbers to update you with, but I do not. I can say that yesterday at the doctor they weighed her with her clothes on (Reagan) and she was 5lb 15 oz. but that was fully clothes. Cameron lost weight yesterday, I have called tonight to check on her but her nurse was on break, so I will call back later. We will update as soon as we can tomorrow once we are back from the hospital. The surgery is scheduled to begin at 10 o'clock.

The Carter Hair Genes

2009-04-21T21:47:00.009-04:00

So, all of the girls seem to have Seth's hair genes. Lots o cowlicks that make it very unruly. Here are just a few examples.

Cameron and Aubrey both love their do's thanks to their dad!!! Here are a few more photos...after some work on the hair.

Cameron has been eating like crazy today...maybe she will have some big weight gains because of it. They are checking to be sure that she does not have any infections in preparation for surgery on Thursday. Please continue to keep both girls in your prayers!

Message for Papa

2009-04-21T06:29:00.002-04:00

Dad, Mom wanted me to leave you a message on here because she knew that you would be checking it. Once you get into a country that you have the ability to call - please call her. She was wondering if you wanted to go and see Cameron on your way back from the airport on Thursday. Hope you are having a safe and productive trip. Love you.

Hernia Surgery

2009-04-20T16:41:00.001-04:00

Well, here is the newest - yes I know it changes like the wind. So, Cameron is scheduled for hernia surgery on Thursday at 10. Then, hopefully she may be discharged over the weekend. Please continue to pray for her. Today I was heartbroken as I sat and watched two other babies go home from the Special Care Nursery and knowing that we were to go home today as well. But I trust that this is the best for Cameron...even if her family misses her terribly. I pray that this extra time will allow for us to straighten out the feeding issues with Reagan so that we can smoothly transition home.

2009-04-20T09:13:00.002-04:00

Just got a call from the Nurse Practitioner at Duke...Cameron won't be coming home today. She has had bradys for a couple of days in a row and she had three yesterday - one of which was a pretty big dip in heart rate. They think that they are due to reflux but just in case, she has to stay until at least Thursday. Please pray for her little body and how it is handling the reflux. We are pretty bummed for today but are thankful for the people at Duke and for their wisdom through this process.

The Big Day

2009-04-19T21:49:00.002-04:00

Today was one of those days where almost nothing went as planned - ever have one of those days? To start off with, I started feeling icky yesterday and have continued to feel so today. This kept me away from my hospital visit that I was planning today. Also, though, it has me worried about bringing Cameron home because she has her whole cortisol issue. I may not have ever mentioned it but basically, if she gets really sick - I mean major sick, her body does not have enough of this stress hormone to deal with it - so we have to give her an injection if she ever gets majorly sick. So, obviously I am praying that I feel tons better by tomorrow or else I will have to just let Seth handle both girls all by himself!!! Ha ha! I will be sure to take pictures if that happens! We also found out that Cameron's brady yesterday has earned her a chance to come home on a monitor. I believe that she will just have to use it when she is eating but we will find out for sure tomorrow. The doctors still have to check with the surgeon to see if they want to do her hernia surgery before she leaves but I doubt that they will work to clear their OR schedule just for that. So, we will probably be back later for that. Seth and I will be busy trying to get everything ready to go and get Cameron and we should get to hospital around lunch time. Now that we are going to be trained on monitor usage and hernia care...I am not sure how long we will be there but hopefully by dinner time we will all be home together. Please pray that I will feel tons better and don't have to worry about getting any of my family sick. Also, please pray that Cameron makes a safe and smooth transition home. Stay tuned for some awesome pics of the Carter family together at last!

The Frenzy

2009-04-18T21:12:00.002-04:00

I will not take long because, well, to be honest I just got back from WalMart and have been working all day and need to go and degerm myself from all of the days activities. Seth went camping with the youth last night (they had a blast by the way) and Seth's mom was cool enough to stay over last night and help take care of Reagan so I could get some sleep. My mom also came over and they helped with cleaning, laundering and stuff to get ready for Cameron to come home. Although, I know she will never remember that the house was clean when she came home, I fully intend on reminding her of this fact when she is older and I have to come over to her house and it is a wreck - I will say "when you were a baby, I worked hard all day to get the house clean just for you..." you know the rest.

As I look toward next week, I have a number of feelings...the most is relief and thankfulness. I am so incrediby amazed at God's grace and how much He has chosen to bestow on our little family. I am so much in awe of how His hand has been at work in our lives these past four months. I can honestly say that when Seth and I first heard the stats when we were 10 weeks pregnant - 15% chance they will make it, then 50% chance, and now look at us! Just take a glance back at the pictures from December and then look at them today - aren't they amazing! Isn't God good! I know that our lives are forever changed - and not just because we now have three girls. I pray that we forever live our lives in light of the work that God has done in our lives and that when others come in contact with us that they can benefit - that God would allow for us to be used to help others. As thankful as I am for the NICU doctors and nurses, I cannot wait until their faces are not the ones that we see on a daily basis. I am so ready for us to have all this stuff figured out - not the parenting thing because I know that will never be figured out - but the feeding stuff mostly and then we can settle into the routine that will be the life of the Carter family.

Today as my Mom and I worked on putting together some meals for the freezer for those crazy days ahead, I realized that Seth and I are still going to need your prayers more than ever! Our life is about to get way more complicated and we are going to be challenged in ways that we have never realized before. I pray that I can be the Mom that these girls all deserve.

So, here is the plan (although as always, it could change) - Cameron is coming home Monday. We are to go and get her around lunch time. The doctor is double checking with the surgeon, though, to make sure they don't want to do her hernia surgery before she leaves...but more than likely we will have to come back when she is closer to 3 kg (not sure in pounds) and stay overnight for her surgery. She is eating more and more and seems to love this new formula that she is on - unfortunately, Reagan does not seem to love it....or any other formula for that matter - she is being very picky!

We are so excited that at this time in two days, the girls could be laying side by side together at last!

Next Week

2009-04-17T23:15:00.001-04:00

Well, it is all set...Cameron should be coming home next week as early as Monday. The only reason that would change is if they decide to go ahead with her hernia surgery before she goes home - but that rarely happens. She failed her hearing test again today and so she will have to go for outpatient tests after she comes home. Please continue to keep both girls in your prayers.

everything changes

2009-04-16T14:08:00.002-04:00

Went to the hospital today and found that Cameron was no longer in the TCN...she has been moved to the Special Care Nursery...which isthe last stop before you leave! She is now 4 lbs. 14 oz. They told us to plan on her coming home on Tuesday. Please keep her in your prayers...she has failed her hearing screen twice and they say it is common for it to happen but please pray that she will be cooperative (the doctor said the last time she was really agitated - probably because of the reflux.). Keep praying and hopefully we can pray her home!

Overachievers

2009-04-14T20:35:00.004-04:00

Today at the hospital we got some great news about the girls -

1. Both girls are fully regressed in regards to retinopathy. They do not have to be seen weekly anymore and can be seen monthly now. Hallelujah!

2. Reagan has gained to 5 lbs. 6 oz. and has made better progress than a lot of babies that they typically see in clinic when it comes to continuing to gain.

3. Cameron has now been over 24 hours without a brady that needs oxygen and she is not spitting up like she was. She is sleeping more soundly and seems to like her new feeding plan.

4. Cameron may be able to come home sooner than we thought but she will more than likely have to come home on a monitor...or at least that is on the table for discussion right now. We will see how the week goes and then we may be having some exciting news for the end of the week.

5. Reagan's reflux is significant but it is not getting in the way of her gaining weight so aside from medication...the only other thing we are going to do right now is try her on Cameron's formula to see if that reduces some of the spit up for her. This decision makes things easier as far as both girls being on the same formula but stinky on the pocketbook because it is pretty expensive!

All in all, it seems that things are looking good...just learning what to expect from our girls since we have never had preemies before. Thanks for your prayers.

The Short Version

2009-04-14T09:28:00.002-04:00

So here is the short version of sort of what has gone on in our lives the last few days:

Reagan - 5 lbs. 4.5 oz.
Cameron - 4 lbs. 11 oz.

Cameron - totally starting over with feeding stuff in hopes that we can stop the bradys and figure out the feeding stuff.
Reagan - evidentally her spitting up is a bigger deal than we thought, headed to Duke today to meet with clinic docs to see if we can do anything else to help her - we just thought it was reflux. Also, Reagan getting eyes checked today.

Please pray that Seth and I will be of sound mind to convey our concerns for both girls today and that the Lord would intervene for us to help us make sense. We have had zero sleep - the roughest night yet of parenting (including from when Aubrey was little). It is tough not being able to soothe your daughter who is obviously in pain!

Hopefully all will be resolved. We will fill you in later.

At Least Another Seven Days

2009-04-12T14:34:00.002-04:00

After a few good days, last night Cameron had a rough episode that bought her another 7 days in the NICU at least. She bradied when she was burping and couldn't come out of it on her own...they had to help her and give her some whiffs of oxygen. She has not had bradys like this since she was back in her early days in the NICU. Poor Cameron. I don't know what is going to happen next. They are not currently changing anything in her plan of care right now but are thinking that this brady thing is something that she may just have to outgrow. As long as she is requiring help, though, she cannot come home. Once she pulls herself out of them consistently, then she may be able to come home on a monitor (something I was praying that would not have to happen). Oh how I pray that we can miraculously find a solution to this problem.

Today was a wonderful day at our house but I still feel strange about living our lives here without Cameron. It did not feel like a complete family day today without her being here. I miss her terribly and long for the days when troubles like this are a distant memory (at least I pray that we will get to that point). Anyway, here is another picture of the big sister helping out.

Okay...So Mom Needs Photography Lessons

2009-04-10T21:24:00.007-04:00

After many attempts...here are the best of our Easter photos...I guess that there is a reason that people pay professionals to do these!

As you can tell, Cameron was very pleased to be posing for pictures today! Poor thing, she will kill me one day when she finds out that I posted pictures like this for all to see but I have to be fair and share pictures of both girls don't I? I owe her some beautiful pictures once she gets home - being at home allows for you to catch them when they are in the right mood, you know? Plus those plastic bassinetts are so cumbersome and hard to maneuver around!

Here is the latest. Right now as I write this, everyone in the house is asleep except me. For Reagan to be soundly sleeping and not grunting is a first for us in about a week. She has not been sleeping very soundly - which is common for preemies I hear but very difficult when the mom ears kick in and you hear every sound they make.

Cameron has officially made it through 2 straight shifts with no bradys or big throw ups (sorry I know that is gross). The rice cereal really seems to be doing the trick. They are continuing with the specialty formula for the next week but she has been chowing down like crazy the last 24 hours. She has eaten every 3 hours with several snacks as well....which shows because she is almost 4 lbs. 8 ounces tonight! She has gained 2 ounces the last 2 days. That rice cereal is really packing on the pounds not to mention a few extra meals a day can do that to a girl you know? I am so thankful for some relief for Cameron and some positive news for today. I pray that it will continue.

Can I Please Speak to My Sister?

2009-04-09T19:29:00.005-04:00

Reagan, just like the rest of us, is very eager for her sister to be home. However, as each day goes by, that seems to be a day a little further off than we originally thought. Maybe I should just present the facts. Cameron is on this new specialty formula...still having bradys and still throwing up during or after her bottle. So, now they are trying to add rice cereal to it to help it stay down more. I do not know how she is doing since they have done that. I pray that this miraculously will help and that we will have our problems solved amazingly.

Reagan had a rough night last night but has slept beautifully today - why wouldn't she - she wore herself out last night. We had a wonderful photo shoot today for Easter pictures with our assistant Aubrey helping. The plan is to take Cameron's Easter pictures tomorrow and then we can share them. Here are the girls pictures from 2 days ago.

Food Issues

2009-04-07T23:07:00.002-04:00

Another week - at least. I have put off writing this because...well, to be honest...it just bums me out more than I can say. I went to visit today to hear that Cameron has continued to get sick and had another brady today. The good news is that she is bringing herself out of them and not needing stimulation...the bad news is that they are now starting from scratch when it comes to her food. As of tonight they have now taken her off of all of mom's milk and formula and are giving her an elemental formula called Elacare. What that means is that it is made up of very simple elements - amino acids, simple sugars, etc. The doctor said that doing this helps to identify if Cameron has a milk protein allergy. She will have to be on this formual for at least a week. (Which means that Cameron will not be home in time for Easter) Then, they will be able to tell me if I have to start eliminating dairy from my diet to feed her or if we have to move on to specialty formula because she cannot handle it at all. I am still not sure what this means for Reagan as far as her food but it kind of seems like a waiting game. It could be that she too has this issue but it just wasn't diagnosed in the hospital. I did take a picture today of both girls and will post them tomorrow. Please pray for the girls and the whole food picture for them. I want for them to be able to eat and not hurt. I want for them to love to eat to help them grow. I can deal with spit up and messy clothes but I just pray that we can find a solution for their poor tummies to make them finally feel better. I am thankful that this was diagnosed in the hospital for Cameron and that we are not having to do all of this trial and error from home. We will let you know how things go.

Updated Photos

2009-04-06T20:28:00.005-04:00

Here's the big sister photos finally. These were taken this weekend. Aubrey loves to help with Reagan as much as she can. She likes to play Mommy.

More Delays

2009-04-05T11:29:00.002-04:00

As I write this, I will not lie, I am so discouraged and frustrated right now. I cannot stand to see my girls in pain and this whole reflux deal is TERRIBLE!!! I wish I could take it from them but I cannot. Cameron continued to have bradys and desats yesterday so they have completely taken her off of all formula - just mom's milk and have brought down her volume to the bare minimum. They are also adding an additional reflux medication - reglan to her regimen. They say it should take about a day to work. I just called this morning (Sunday) to check on her and they say that she seems to be feeling some better just hungry. They are hoping to try her back on some formula tomorrow to see how she handles it. This should tell us if the problem is a reflux issue or a formula intolerance issue. So, now the earliest she will be home in Wednesday. Yesterday was one of the roughest days we have had in the NICU in a while - not so much because she cannot come home but because she is in so much pain and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about it.

Now to Reagan, who lately has been showing some of the same symptoms as her sister...she has had trouble keeping her food down as well. We are scheduled to go and weigh in at the pediatrician tomorrow and I am praying that we can get an appointment with him to talk about all the new developments. Because they are identical, it is likely that Reagan would need this additional medication. But I really just want some relief for her. I called the doctor on Friday to let them know she was spitting up so terribly and asked if I should take out the formula additives for her and they asked me to wait until tomorrow for her to be weighed. I will be interested to see what her weight is tomorrow and what actions follow.

Please continue to keep our family in your prayers.

Delay

2009-04-03T20:16:00.002-04:00

This morning when I called to check in on Cameron the nurse told me that Cameron has been spitting up quite a bit and today she had a brady and some pretty significant desats along with it. She was refluxing and her bed and had been laid flat instead of raised up. So, she cannot come home on Sunday because they want to watch her and if she has even a hint of trouble then she will have to probably stay another week. If she also has trouble then they will also take another look at her feeding plan and kind of start from scratch with her. So, it looks like we have a while yet.

Reagan has also been spitting up quite a bit and after she is weighed on Monday we will be taking a new look at Reagan's feeding plan as well. Poor girls...this reflux stuff seems pretty stinky. Aubrey continues to want to "help" Reagan as much as possible. Each time it happens, I think - Where's the Camera? and then I realize that I can't get it because my hands are full with a toddler and a newborn. So, eventually I am hoping to get it together for some family photos. I am going to try to go the hospital late tonight or early in the morning and should have some updates shots of Cameron for you, too. I cannot wait until she is home. I know it will be very busy and will take some getting used to but this hour and a half round trip is getting very old and I am feeling very torn between all three girls. Please pray that I am able to meet all of their needs as best as possible.

Things I Have Learned About Reagan Since Coming Home

2009-04-01T21:59:00.006-04:00

Since coming home there are a few things I have learned about my daughter now that she lives with us and is with me 24/7.

1 - She loves her pacifier most of the time, except when she want to try to use her thumb...which she is slowly getting better and better at doing - see picture one.

2 - She loves relaxing with her Daddy. She loves just having him sit quietly and holding her.

3 - She has a red birthmark in between her big toe and her pointer toe and a regular birthmark on her foot and Cameron does not. So, if they ever try to pull a switcheroo on us we can say "Let us see your feet!"

4 - Before approaching check for the "stop hands" - you can see those in the second picture - those mean that she is either using the bathroom or that she is refluxing and her belly hurts. Beware, if it is that she went to the bathroom then watch out because she hates to have her diaper changed!

Just a few little tidbits from the Carter house and plenty more to come. Tomorrow - hopefully pics and little factoids about Cameron.

Not so Fast

2009-04-01T15:47:00.002-04:00

Well, I knew it sounded too good to be true. Yesterday both girls had some feeding issues with adding some formula in their milk. They just plain did not want to tolerate it. While Reagan seems to gag and spit up some, Cameron seems to want to toss her cookies everywhere (sorry couldn't think of a nicer way to put it...I think they call it emisis? in the hospital). So, long story short, Cameron can't come home yet. They don't want to send her home until they figure out the feeding thing for her. Today they are trying a different supplement called Alomentum I think and it is supposed to be gentler on her stomach. I have called the pediatrician today to see what he would like for me to do with Reagan as well. Reagan has been having a little bit of formula added to her milk for some time now and seems to tolerate that but if I add any more then she doesn't seem to like it. Ah well, I would rather us clear up these mysteries before both of them are home. On other news, Cam is only short one ounce to be at the weight requirement for coming home. Reagan has no retinopathy in one eye and in the other it seems to be going away quickly. She took her eye exam like a champ today. Last night Seth and I were able to actually get some decent sleep - Hallelujah! So, maybe we are getting into the groove of things. Aubrey is continuing to love on Reagan more and more and when she cries she will say "Don't cry Cameron" (yes she still calls Reagan Cameron but that is okay) and then she will say "paci?" for pacifier because she knows that Reagan likes her pacifier. It is very cute. However, I can't wait to see how confused Aubrey is when there are two babies here since every baby's name is Cameron it should be interesting!

Plans for the Week

2009-03-31T21:10:00.003-04:00

Get ready for Thursday or Friday.....Are you kidding me???? By this weekend my whole family could finally be at home together???? What great news! Both girls had surprisingly similar days today - in fact my report from home was about the same for Cameron at the NICU. Cameron is taking her carseat challenge test tonight and if she passes I guess we will find out soon which day is for sure. Tomorrow I take Reagan to Duke for her eye checkup. I pray that she will be retinopathy free. That's all for today!

Reflux

2009-03-31T00:13:00.002-04:00

As it turns out, we now have two babies that have been diagnosed with reflux and interestingly enough their pH's are exactly the same. They have started Cameron on zantac but she, too, had a gastric pH starting out of a 1 - (with a 4 or above being normal). Today I went up to the hospital to visit with Cameron and she was scheduled to meet with the OT today and if all went well...they were going to probably dismiss her from therapy! Talk about progress! They did a lot of bloodwork on Cameron today. Also today I saw more similarities between Cameron and Reagan in their disposition but to be honest I think it was due to the reflux more than anything.

Reagan had her first visit with the pediatrician today and it went well. According to the scale she has gained 5 ounces since she came home! Today her poor belly has been rumbling and grumbling and as to be expected she hasn't been as crazy about eating today because of it. Reagan got her first bath at home tonight and now she smells like a bed of roses (I love baby smell even if it doesn't last very long!).

So, the girls weights are as follows - Reagan 4 lbs. 6.5 oz. and Cameron 3 lbs. 13 oz. Either tomorrow or Wednesday I am going to take Cameron's carseat up to the hospital for her to take her carseat test. Reagan gets her eyes checked on Wednesday.

One other cool twin thing - just called the NICU and both girls have been laying awake now for a while - Reagan here at home and Cam in the TCN - isn't it cool how they sometimes will still do things just alike?

Adjustments

2009-03-29T21:32:00.002-04:00

We have officially been home with Reagan for 24 hours and I would say that we are all adjusting pretty well. Aubrey seems to like her little sister, but all the same I think we are dealing with some normal adjustment issues that anyone deals with when they welcome a new addition. When Reagan is awake, she runs into the room and yells - "Hey Reagan!" or "Hey Baby" and then says "Hold?" So, today I let her "help" mommy hold Reagan and she was so proud of herself. However, she has also been on super warp speed running around the house, tearing into things, and had some trouble with listening a bit - adjustment or just normal 20 month going on 2 behavior? Who knows but even still I look at her and tears come to my eyes sometimes when I realize how blessed we are to have not just one amazing daughter but three. Once things settle down a bit and we get into more of a routine I think she will be fine.

Reagan seems to be adjusting to life away from the NICU well, too. She (in my opinion) has not been crying nearly as much. This could also be due to the fact that they changed her reflux medication. She is sleeping well in between feedings - although sometimes she likes to sleep on Mommy or Daddy's chest instead of her bed - but for now I don't apologize one bit for it because for quite some time we didn't know if we would ever have the chance and I am going to savor every moment of it (even if we are spoiling her a bit). Seth and I have talked all day about how different life is without the monitors and wires. How much more peaceful life is without constantly glancing up to check to be sure that her heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, respiratory rate, and oxygenation are doing! I think that she definitely enjoys being away from the wires, too! Another awesome thing that has helped with our adjustments have been some of the amazing folks that we have had bring us dinner - THANK YOU!!! What a relief to not have to worry about cooking. Your generosity and thoughtfulness have definitely been well appreciated!

Tomorrow will be a busy day. Today while we adjusted to having Reagan home and Aubrey came home from Mimi and Papa's I stayed away from the NICU. My parents went to see Cameron and said that she is doing great!!! She ate 50 ccs with Papa today and they are working hard to fatten her up! The nurses at the NICU all love her and fight over who will get to be with her! Last night she gained about a half an ounce. They have now officially removed her NG tube and her temperature probe. Tomorrow I will drop Aubrey off at daycare and then head to the hospital for some special Cam and Mommy time. Then, I will rush home and later in the afternoon we will head to Reagan's first pediatric appointment.

This week is a big week for the girls as we have appointments and tests being run this week. I pray that all will continue to go well for them and that we will be finding out a specific day that we are to bring Cameron home!

We're Home

2009-03-28T21:18:00.007-04:00

As we speak, Reagan is in bed grunting away because she has lost her pacifier, Seth is watching the NCAA tournament and I am eating some yummy food that some friends dropped by for us! Here are some pictures of our day and our journey.

A Few Photos from Rooming In

2009-03-28T08:45:00.004-04:00

See all the clothes and rags around Reagan right there...well those are there because we placed them there to store because reflux is very messy business! She had already gone through 3 blankets and outfits that day with spitting up and tinkling all over the place!

Not Home Just Yet

2009-03-27T17:00:00.003-04:00

Well, as you can tell by the title...Reagan is not home yet. Last night was a wonderful and yet bittersweet time. I found myself being very excited about the possibility of Reagan coming home and yet so unbelievably sad to be leaving Cameron. I am so thankful that she will not remember this. I told Seth that for some reason leaving one at the hospital is way harder than leaving them both because at least when they were both there they were together like twins should be. I often wonder if they even know that they are twins anymore because although they were together in the womb, they have now been apart for 86 days. Can you believe that they are 86 days old?

Anyway, last night Reagan continued to spit up and to be very uncomfortable during periods of the night. Aubrey hardly ever spit up so having a baby with reflux is a HUGE change! We did not get very much sleep and neither did Reagan. They did another gastric pH test this morning and found that they needed to put her on a stronger medicine so they have changed her meds. In doing so, they offered to have her stay tonight to watch her and for all of us to get some rest (I think the doctors took pity on us when she saw how exhausted we were!). So, tomorrow after Seth finishes with his basketball tournament, we will go to get Reagan from the hospital. And we were told today to expect Cameron within a week or so!

On the prayer request side - please pray for our family's transition to having the girls home, pray for Reagan's reflux - that it would be subsided by the medicine so that she can be comfortable (it is so hard to see her in so much constant pain...she hardly ever lays still and is constantly grunting and moving and curling up into a ball), please pray for Reagan's eyes - that they would continue to heal. Please also pray for Cameron - she is having a bunch of tests run this week...she failed a portion of her newborn screen and they are redoing it on Monday, that her hernia would either resolve itself or stay the same size, and she has also had a few bradys this week. They will not let her go home until she is brady free for a certain amount of time.

Bumps in the Road

2009-03-25T22:08:00.002-04:00

Short version of today:

-The last couple of days Reagan has had some trouble with spitting up pretty bad and being extremely cranky at times - this may be due to her reflux. But we are a little concerned and are hoping to talk to the doctors about it.
-Reagan passed her carseat test.
-Reagan had her kidney ultrasound and tests today. We will speak with the doctors tomorrow but I do know that something did show up on the ultrasound but the nurse said that it does not need treatment (I guess we will find out more tomorrow).
-Cameron has had her food switched to being supplemented with formula and seems to be tolerating it well. The nurses want to try to have her switched to additional feedings taken by bottle - instead of every other feed.
-Cameron is now 3 lbs. 10 oz! Way to go Cam!
-The surgeon came to look at Cameron's hernia today and the nurse said that he also will speak to us soon but basically they want for Cameron to come back a month after she is discharged to have the surgery to correct the hernia.

-Seth and I are set to room in tomorrow and to get trained in CPR tomorrow.

The Plan

2009-03-24T13:50:00.002-04:00

FRIDAY!!!! Friday is the big day! Not much time to fill in right now but Seth and I will spend the night at the hospital on Thursday and as long as Reagan passes her carseat test and she stays above 1800 grams she will be coming home on Friday! We will still have to bring her back to get her eyes checked because she still has some retinopathy that they are watching to see if the lasering proved to be effective in her surgeries. Cameron is now 3 lbs. 6 oz. (I think) and she now has no more retinopathy in her eyes. She does, however, have a hernia that they are going to have the surgical team come and consult on. I guess this is normal, though, and typically they do not have surgery while still in the hospital they will wait until they are older to have surgery for it. I think that is it for now. I will update as we have time this week!

Praises

2009-03-23T15:03:00.002-04:00

Just a few quick notes about how awesome God continues to provide in the Carter's life:

1 - We now have a van! Hallelujah! We will post pictures later- Seth hasn't even made it home with it yet!
2 - Weights for the girls - Reagan is only 25 grams shy of being 4 pounds and meeting the weight requirements to go home (so technically she is 3 lbs. 15 oz.) and Cameron is now 3 lbs. 5.5 oz. They are really growing!

Daddy is going to spend some special one on one time with the girls tonight! So, we will have a better update for you later!

Prayer requests - Tomorrow both girls will get their eyes checked tomorrow - the pediatric opthamologist must sign off on Reagan's eyes in order for her to go home.

I also continue to pray that the Lord would not allow for either of the girls to come home before they are completely ready to have a smooth transition home. I would prefer for their sakes and for mine that they not have to come home and then go back to the hospital.

Thanks again for continually keeping our family in your prayers!

Big News....Big Day

2009-03-22T19:06:00.002-04:00

After church today, I went with my parents to the NICU to see the girls. We were met at the door with a nurse with a screaming baby...that yes, happens to be mine. She was screaming like crazy because she had to have a bath and she was hungry. I cleaned up and got ready to feed Reagan. The nurse practitioner came in and spoke with me about this coming week - it is full of a lot of big things - including having Reagan come home by the weekend! The transition will likely not happen until at least after Thursday so that Reagan can have several days to continue to gain weight, continue to do well with all of her feedings, pass her carseat test, get her eyes examined and determined that she does not need to be at the hospital for treatment, and get her renal ultrasound. Then, if ALL of those things happen, Seth and I will room in at the hospital to get ready to take Reagan home. Don't worry though because she will need to come back to get her eyes checked each week and then also be seen by the pediatrician every few days in order to continue to get weighed to be sure that she is still gaining weight and feeding well. Talk about overload! My goodness! I am so excited and even more so - thankful because Reagan will not come home with any type of monitor or assistance at all! Her nurse even mentioned how much she acts like a term baby to her! What a miracle! Praise the Lord! Then, to top it all off - the nurse practitioner said that Cameron is not far behind her!!! Cameron got moved out of her isolette today and we pray she will not ever have to be in there again! She now has a bassinett like her sister! I am so thankful for our girls. They will be at 39 weeks gestation this Thursday and then on April 3rd will be considered full term and their adjusted age will begin. We will keep you posted as we can but have a feeling that this will be one of our busiest weeks yet! Please continue to keep the girls in your prayers and Seth, Aubrey, and myself as we work to get ready for the girls homecoming!

New Pictures and Update

2009-03-21T20:48:00.004-04:00

Both girls were sleeping peacefully yesterday at the TCN. Here are their newest photos. The first is Reagan. As you can see, she did not want to be disturbed but has had trouble sleeping with her IV in her arm for her medicine. She keeps raking it across her face. See that tube that is hanging in Reagan's bassinnet - that is how they give her whatever she doesn't eat with the bottle. When she is finished, they hang it up and pour whatever is left to go in through her NG tube. But guess what - it isn't there anymore!!! They took it out today. And all day, Reagan has only eaten with bottles today and has eaten all of her food. Her nurse today said that I better get ready because she is ready to come really soon! I asked her if she could still come home with her infection and she said that she could...they would just change her medicine to something she could take orally. Cameron, was also resting peacefully. She is so cute because she wakes up now and is so alert for so long! It really shocks me how long she can stay awake...which is great while she is in the TCN...not so great for Mom and Dad when they want to sleep through the night!! I will be interested to see, once she makes the transition to the bassinett, if she is still really alert or if it will tire her out more. Cameron wasn't very interested in eating from the bottle today for some reason. Normally, she takes the whole bottle and today she only took a small amount. Maybe she needed a break. You may also notice Aubrey's picture...both girls have a picture of their big sister watching over them during the day!

On other news, we sold our car today so right now we are a one car family (huge Praise!!)- which can make it interesting trying to schedule hospital visits. We are hoping to get a van the first of the week.

Weight update - Just spoke to hospital - Cameron lost today. Looks like today was an off day in general for her. Reagan finally really gained some weight and is now 3 lbs. almost 14 oz! Getting closer!

The Countdown Begins

2009-03-20T22:23:00.002-04:00

Today at the NICU I went in to visit the girls and wound up chatting a while with the nurse practitioners. During our conversation they told me that if Reagan can gain some more weight and make progress with her feedings (taking all of them by mouth) then we could be rooming in at the hospital getting ready for her to come home as early as next weekend!!! Since I heard that news my mind has been racing! Right now the nurses are attempting to bottle feed all feeds unless I can be there. While she attempts, she does not yet take the full feed every time. Tonight she lost weight to 3 lbs. 10.5 oz. Her nurse and I were talking that we think it might be her temper...if she doesn't get fed right when she wants it then she throws major fits and as a result burns more calories. Also today when I was visiting, she was not super happy that I put her down and worked on feeding with Cameron (Cameron however, seemed to know that she had stolen Mommy from Reagan for a while and would look up at me and smile a very sheepish grin as she heard Reagan crying - I can only imagine how much more this will be the case once they come home!). It also doesn't help that Reagan is sick, no one feels great when they are sick and they can be more irritable - which may also lead to her weight loss. Reagan will also have a renal ultrasound and test as a precaution to follow up after her infection is cleared up.

Cameron is now 1500 grams! She is officially at the weight where she can come out of the isolette and they will begin to transition her from off of all the neonatal additives and begin to add formula as a supplement instead (to boost her caloric content). So both girls continue to make progress with their feeding and I believe that maybe they are working together to be sure that they either come home together or within a very short time of one another. In the next few weeks Cameron will have another newborn screen test to check her metabolic levels - which have come back abnormal previously. The doctors think that her TPN levels skewed the results previously so they will redo the test again at full term.

We are so thankful for the great progress the girls are making. Please keep the girls upcoming tests in your prayers. Their eyes will also be rechecked on Tuesday.

Aubrey Meets The Girls

2009-03-19T14:30:00.002-04:00

Today Aubrey couldn't go to daycare until late and so we decided this was the perfect time for Aubrey to see the girls. We primed her all morning and when we got to the hospital she looked scared to death. I scrubbed up and then Cameron's nurse and I held the girls up for Aubrey to see. She said, "Babies?" "Reagan, Cameron?" "C'mere Mama...babies?" She got so excited and smiled so big and wanted to touch them so badly. It was very cute. And right as Aubrey was talking Reagan opened her eyes and grinned at her. So, it was a fun morning for us. I don't know that she will remember it but at least we made the effort! And boy was it a lot of effort - but it was worth it.

Both girls are ravenously eating their bottles and making great strides. Cameron's nurse even said that she only took one feeding through the tube yesterday - she said that Cameron has just seemed to have taken off and she is now eating almost her entire feed through the bottle. Cameron is determined to catch up to Reagan. Both girls now have a reputation of making pigs of themselves - but we are fine with that! Reagan has to be on the antibiotics for seven days but good news - no head IV. They were able to get one after all in her hand.

Sweet Medicine

2009-03-18T16:37:00.002-04:00

I am so thankful for all three of my girls. It is amazing...I can feel horrible, be discouraged, feel tired...anything and being with them, it all melts away. I love spending time with them. Both Reagan and Cameron were very funny today. They would scream and fuss when the other was being held by mom and then when I would hold them finally they would smile a smile that seemed to say - ha! I got my way! They have such cute little grins. Reagan does have an infection so they have begun antibiotics this afternoon and are running a few other tests to be sure that she does not have a blood infection. They had to start another IV and Reagan's veins weren't cooperating...so they had to put the IV in her head!!!!!!! WHAT!!!!! Sorry I just feel so sorry for poor Reagan - she really has had a lot this week and now a needle in her head - poor baby. I am thankful that they waited until after I was gone to do all of that - I think had I been there I probably would have been crying right along with her. Cameron is handling her new feeding schedule well.

Its funny today at the hospital I was loaded down with clean clothes and blankets for the girls in bags and someone in the elevator said - "Someone must have had a baby girl." I told them two and they said congratulations. I found myself thinking - I still can't believe that I have twins. They are twelve weeks old and I still can't believe that God would bless our family so much. I am so humbled by how generous and loving God is. What two special gifts and miracles.

Surgery Update

2009-03-17T15:08:00.003-04:00

I spoke with the nurse after lunch and Reagan's surgery is over. She had to be placed back on the cannula for the surgery and is now off of it again. Her oxygen saturation is not as high as usual but is fine and she should have begun eating again around 2. I pray that she will continue to recover but we are going to let her rest for the remainder of the day. She has had a really busy couple of days! Cameron is doing well today. She was able to take two bottle feeds today and her feeding schedule has now been moved to every three hours...like her sister - which is one step closer to a typical newborn feeding schedule.

Reagan has continued to do well today and has returned to her spunky self. Now she is resting. She weighs 3 lbs. 11 oz. Cameron has begun to show her hunger cues and is throwing fits if she is not fed right when she wants it. Cameron weighs 3 lbs. 1 oz. They are both really growing!

Ups and Downs

2009-03-17T10:15:00.002-04:00

So, after Seth's shocking news last night about Reagan - my mind was reeling with all of our to do's that we still have to do! We then found out that Cameron has been having some desats last night - the first culprit is blood - but they checked her and her levels are fine. They are continuing to watch her today to see what is going on. Reagan's blood tests from yesterday came back fine and they are still waiting on a culture to see if she has an infection. But as it turns out Reagan is going to have another big day ahead of her. Her other eye is in need of laser surgery for ROP. They are beginning probably in about fifteen minutes - if you get a chance please say a little prayer for her. The doctor said that the eyes that have been lasered for both girls look good and he is watching carefully where they had developed the stage 3 ROP but so far so good. We should hear back around lunch to hear how the surgery went. Reagan has had quite a week so far. Hopefully it will begin to calm down. Please also pray for Cameron that whatever was causing her to desat would either just disappear or that they would be able to figure out what is causing it as well. We will keep you posted as we hear back!

Tic Toc

2009-03-16T21:08:00.003-04:00

So I just got off the phone with our nurses and they seemed like everything was going fine with the babies. That's probably because they're asleep. Reagan's nurse said she was sleeping very peacefully. She didn't have the test results back in for her yet, so we'll have to wait a little longer to see what's going on with her reflux. Cameron's nurse said she was doing fine. She took 10 cc's of milk from the bottle and had to be fed the rest through the "nose-tube." Hopefully we can get more consistant and larger bottle feeds. They told me that a good goal is for them to consistantly drink 30 cc's, which is one ounce, at each feed without any problems (bradys, desats). Cameron got 30 once, and Reagan, of course has had more success. They upped Cameron's feeds to 40 cc's today...I think that means 40 cc's every 4 hours. But the biggest heart jolt for me was when I asked their nurse how long she thought it'd be until they came home. "Reagan will definately go home before Cameron, but it might be 2 weeks until Reagan goes home," she said. WOW! 2 WEEKS! I can't wait. I bet they're ready too.

Ever Had One of Those Days?

2009-03-15T20:26:00.003-04:00

Reagan has! Poor baby has had a very rough day! This morning she started having some trouble with bradying and desatting during her bottle feeding. So, this morning when I was there the speech therapist worked with us to see what was going on. During that feeding she was having a super high heart rate, red faced, very agitated and sounded very congested and kept gulping a lot. She was very difficult to feed - which was a big change from before. She would also periodically get a big spit up smell - which was also new - and the speech therapist said that this is consistent with reflux as well. So, the doctors rounded this morning and decided to run some tests. 1 - urinalysis to check for infection 2- blood work to check white blood cell count to check for infection 3 - gastric pH check for reflux. After the order came in, the nurse tried to get all of the samples she needed for the tests and lets just say that Reagan was less than cooperative. During the course of ten minutes she went through 3 or 4 diapers, pulled out her feeding tube, yanked off all of her leads (the things that measure her heart rate, oxygen saturation, temperature, etc.) and proceeded to cry and scream so loud that she made herself gag over and over again because she was so upset. It was horrible! I thought watching your kid get vaccinated was tough!

I do not have the test results just yet but pray that whatever is going on is not something major or not something that has Reagan in a lot of pain. During all of this Cameron was wide awake trying to check out all that was going on. Her heart rate was also over 200 but she appeared to be completely calm. So, her nurse said that she might need blood - I told her that even though I had hoped that she wouldn't need it anymore that it did not surprise me. The way our course in the NICU has been so far, Reagan usually needs blood and then Cameron usually follows within a week. I do not know if they took blood to check her hematocrit or not but I guess they probably will if her heart rate continues to skyrocket. Cameron was also not really in the mood to eat with the bottle today. She just wanted to hang out with Mommy and be out of her isolette. I think she knows that Reagan is out and she wants to do the same. On a good note, I am getting a little better at changing the girls diapers and clothes over all the wires and leads. I will keep you posted as to what we find out. Please pray that the girls can remain healthy so that we can work towards them coming home as quickly as possible. I also pray that they are able to pinpoint what is going on with Reagan so that she could hopefully be treated and back on track quickly. Although I would prefer for her to not have to take medication for anything longterm, I do not like seeing her in so much pain like I did today. So, if she needs medication for reflux (if she does have it) then so be it. Also, please continue to pray for the girls eyes. Tuesday is the big day where we should really see improvement. I pray that their eyes have not progressed and that the doctor would see a dramatic improvement!

Just spoke with the NICU...on a good note - Cameron is now 3 lbs!!! Reagan's nurse said that her white blood cell count came back fine, her gastric pH came back at a level that is just above the cut off for giving medication for reflux. She said that Reagan is acting as if she may have aspirated some of the reflux into her lungs. They have decided to take Reagan off of all food by mouth for the night at least. They cannot check for aspirate by x-ray until the morning (it wouldn't show up until then) but she also said that even if it is that they cannot do anything for her but let it resolve itself. In the meantime, they are trying to elevate her bed further to help deal with the actual reflux. It appears as if reflux is the culprit of today's drama. I only pray that we can find some ways to help Reagan be comfortable and not in pain.

Weight Update

2009-03-15T08:09:00.002-04:00

Really quickly...we did not make it up to the hospital yesterday but the nurses said that the girls were good and behaved themselves. They each worked with therapists but I do not know the exact reports. I do know that Reagan decided that she did NOT want any food through her feeding tube if possible. Yesterday during the day shift she drank 3 out of 4 feedings through a bottle - mostly because she got so mad during the time they tried to gavage (spelling? - it is her feeding tube) feed her she was mad for the entire feed and then the entire 3 hours following! So, they gave in and bottle fed her. Then, she was too worn out last night to care! Reagan is now 3 lbs. 10 oz. and Cameron is now 2 lbs. 14.5 oz. I think that Cameron is tired of playing catch up and is ready to be out of her box, too! She only has a couple hundred more grams to go! Go Cam! Reagan is not gaining as quickly because her body is having to adjust to maintaining its body temp in her bassinnett and she is eating so many feedings orally now - all of those things use up calories. So, I think once her body adjusts, she should resume gaining bigger numbers (hopefully!). That's all for now!

Anybody Want to Buy a Highlander?

2009-03-13T23:46:00.002-04:00

Today I went to go and buy a used snap n' go stroller and got some other baby stuff and boy did I forget how much room baby stuff takes!!! It was then that I finally made peace with the idea that yes, we must have a van! The dreaded van that I always swore that I would NEVER drive! So, if anybody wants to buy a Toyota Highlander that our family outgrew in less than a year - let me know!

I didn't go to the hospital today until late because my best friend, Emily, had a baby today!!! Yeah, Tommy was born today at 2:23 - and he is oh so cute! I am so excited for her and her husband! I never realized how big a full term baby would look in comparison to my girls, though. It was quite a reality check! Anyway, Reagan got blood today and yes, she was very cranky! She did still gain weigh today, though, and for that I am thankful. She ate very well tonight - 30mLs! and then she took a quick nap on Mommy. Cameron also had a great day but got a little too excited and used the bathroom all over her isolette - so, she had to have everything cleaned...including herself - which completely wore her out for my visit tonight. But she looked very peaceful afterward! Cameron also gained weight - she is now 2 lbs. 12 oz. The doctor called and told me that they hope that this will be the last transfusion for Reagan and hopefully Cameron will not need anymore. Even though Reagan's body wasn't making red blood cells efficiently enough, Cameron's has begun to make them pretty well - so they are hopeful that we are done with the transfusions for the rest of our stay!

Feeding Time!

2009-03-12T19:45:00.003-04:00

Last night Cameron decided she had had enough...enough of watching Reagan get to have all the fun! She decided that she was very hungry last night and ate 15 mLs all on her own. Then, this morning she decided that she wanted to do the same! Reagan also had a hungry night and ate her full bottle for the third time so far! They have now moved Reagan to being fed four times a day by bottle. Cameron has now had the order written by the doctors to have one feeding a day by bottle. But her nurse said that she went from nothing to being a pro because even though she only ate 15mLs - she did it in five minutes flat! Her nurse had to stop her and put the rest of the food through her tube because Cameron's belly is not used to having so much food in it so quickly. She usually gets a continuous feed for 2 hours. I expect that the doctors will be trying to switch her to being fed once every three hours (for an hour) soon to help her transition.

Reagan moved to her new home today. I plan on taking pictures of her home tomorrow. I just wanted to wait to be sure that it sticks before I celebrate too much! Today Reagan helped to teach Daddy how to feed her with the bottle and Daddy is a pro! She ate 30mLs out of 36. She did great! Then, she was so tired she took a nap against Daddy's shoulder. It was so sweet to watch Seth with the girls - he has such a calming effect over them! They are Daddy's girls already - which he loves. Seth has already decided that we need to invest in another rocking chair or glider because we both love to sit and rock with them - actually Seth loves to nap while holding the girls! He looks forward to visiting with the girls because not only does he get to visit with his precious angels but sometimes he gets a good nap, too!

Tomorrow they will be rechecking Reagan's iron and hematocrit levels to see if she will need to have a blood transfusion. When they have to have a blood transfusion she cannot be fed for 4 hours before, during the actual transfusion, and 4 hours afterward - which could be interesting since every three hours on the dot, Reagan begins to cry and throw a fit if her belly is not being filled in some way (they call it hunger cues!). It could be an interesting day tomorrow!

Spunky and Sweet

2009-03-11T22:43:00.002-04:00

"Your girls are so sweet." "Your girls are beautiful" "They definitely have personality" "You wanna know which one of your girls has an attitude?"

All of these are comments from the nurses lately...and you know what? I love every bit of it! I eat it up! Of course I think they are beautiful because I am their mom but most of all I am so happy that they are healthy enough to be so spunky and to keep the nurses on their toes! Of course I say that now but when they are home and continuing to plot together to keep me running around like a chicken with its head cut off I may think differently!

Weight Update: Last night Reagan was around 3 lbs 9oz and Cameron was around 2 lbs 10oz. They are really growing. I know that Cameron maintained today but have not heard about Reagan yet.

This morning when I arrived at the TCN I was informed that Reagan had been very busy in the early morning and yanked out her NG tube ( I think that is what the tube in her nose is called that her food goes through). So, her nurse decided to bottle feed her for this feeding and then put her tube in. Reagan drank her entire feed through her bottle (which I believe is now at 33 mLs)! What a big girl! Then, when I got to her isolette Reagan had decided to play hide and seek and had wiggled her way all the way down to the bottom of her blanket that she was swaddled in - all you could see was a few hairs sticking up! After such a hard working morning she was not that interested in feeding with Mommy but that is okay. Tomorrow she gets to help Daddy learn how to bottle feed her. Cameron was sleeping so soundly and did not want to wake up to try to eat either. But, after a while she woke up and did the cutest thing - her eyes would meet mine and then she would smile the biggest grin - it melted my heart and made me cry. I do believe that is one of those mom moments that I will remember for the rest of my life - the first time she smiled at me. Could it have been gas? Maybe but I choose to believe that it was because she recognized her mom and was happy to see her. Of course afterward, she chose to show me that she loved me by dirtying her diaper (3 times!)- but that is beside the point!

Tomorrow is the big day for Reagan - they are supposed to try her out of the isolette! Her heart rate is still running pretty high and she is beginning to have quick desats despite giving her the iron. They are trying to hold out until Friday to see if she will need a transfusion but I hope all this hoopla will not get in the way of her transitioning out of the isolette. Reagan's nurse commented tonight to my dad that she really thinks that Reagan is really making great progress and I believe that Cameron has been taking notes because she has really been working hard, too!

I spoke with the physical therapist today and she said that the girls did really great on their initial assessments. She was going to examine them today outside of the isolette and then make a plan on skills to work on. I am eager to hear how their visit went and got some tips on ways to help the girls muscle tone improve and stay like it would have been had they continued to stay in utero.

Eye Update

2009-03-10T21:57:00.002-04:00

Well, tonight at 6:00 we got a phone call from the pediatric opthamologist and he had good news! The goal was for their eyes to remain the same - meaning that the ROP had not progressed. He said that Cameron's eyes are already showing marked improvement and that Reagan's eyes had not progressed. I am continuing to pray for even more improvement the next week.

Today was a hectic day with a very short visit with the girls but here is what has been happening - Cameron drank from a bottle for the first time!!! YEAH! She is working hard to catch up with Reagan. Cameron drank 10 mLs on her first try with a bottle! Today, Reagan drank 20 mLs for one feeding and then 5 for the next. Her nurse said that she was very agitated with the eye exam today and took a long time to calm down so that really wore her out. It turns out that 11 o'clock is her very alert feeding time and that tends to be when she performs the best! Reagan's heart rate has been pretty high, so they did some bloodwork and saw that her hematocrit was a little low and also that she was low on her iron. They are giving her iron starting tonight and going to check her "crit" again later to see if she still shows signs of needing a blood transfusion. Thursday seems to be the day that they are working to try to get Reagan out of the isolette - I hope that all this mess with the transfusion won't mess things up. They say that the older the girls get, the less transfusions they will need because their body will be more proficient at replacing the blood cells and making blood (I think that is right - some of this medical stuff runs together) but I guess Reagan isn't quite there yet.

11 Weeks Old!

2009-03-09T21:23:00.006-04:00

It is so hard to believe that the girls are 11 weeks old today! It is funny to hear the nurses call the girls old - because they kind of are - they aren't newborns anymore. They have come so far. I am so proud of them both. Cameron is now 2 lbs. 9.5 oz and Reagan is 3 lbs. 5 oz. Reagan lost some under the 1500 gram mark. So, we are hoping that she will gain it again tomorrow. Reagan has been switched to feeding orally 3 times a day. Both girls worked with the OT today and got to practice feeding with Mommy today. They are getting their eyes checked tomorrow. I am praying for no progression of ROP - that will be a step in the right direction. The pictures up above are of Reagan and Cameron yesterday. The ones below are from today. Unfortunately Reagan was looking for her pacifier when I was taking her picture - hence the funny look on her face! Cameron was napping so sweetly when it was time for her picture. Mommy had just placed her back in her isolette to nap after spending time together.

Chunky Munky

2009-03-08T22:41:00.002-04:00

That's Reagan I'm referring to. She's the whopper of the two. Sounds funny calling a 3lb 5oz baby chunky, but seeing where they've come from...that's almost trippled their birth weight. Leslie just told me I spelled trippled wrong, but I'm not changing it. I'm sure there'll be more mispellings to come. Oh, yeah...Cameron is up to 2lb 9oz now too. Both of the babies are growing up well! Reagan has reached the weight requirement to come out of her isolette. They will not move her out until later in the week, but it looks like it should only be 3 to 4 more days really. She's got to maintain her own body temp at a good level, and continue to maintain or gain weight before the transition comes. Let's hope and pray all the feedings go well and that the babies eye reports come back well, and that Leslie and I will get our house in order for our two new tenants.

Bottle Feeding

2009-03-07T17:09:00.002-05:00

Today I worked with Reagan to bottle feed and she took 16mL (a drastic improvement from the 5 mLs the other night). She did so well but boy is it different than feeding Aubrey was! Reagan gained weight and is now 3lb. 3 oz. Cameron lost weight but is still at around 2lbs. 7 oz. Cameron worked with the OT yesterayto see if she was ready to work on bottle feeding but she could have cared less! She was not interested! Today out of curiosity I asked the doctor about a timeline and what would be the earliest Reagan may come home and she said about 4 weeks or so! Crazy! I worked with speech today and tomorrow we will work with the OT. Hopefully I will continue to improve the more that I do it. We have a lot of work to do if we are going to be ready in time. The criteria are: at least 4 lbs., taking all feeds orally, maintain body temperature in an open crib, pass the carseat challenge test (sitting in the car seat for approx. 1 hour with no bradys or desats). Reagan's nurse said that we would know it is getting close when she is at oral feeds 3 times a shift. Wow! I can't imagine!

Feels like I'm a Mom

2009-03-06T15:33:00.002-05:00

8:00 am was an early appointment today - too early. How I previous got up to go to work every day at 5:30 I have no idea. Now, it seems as if my eyes will not even open before 7 after being up throughout the night! Anyway, Reagan was sleepy too so we just played together today. Today I was taught how to take the girls in and out of the incubator, I changed her diaper, practiced nursing her, swaddled her, and made more appointments to meet with the OT and Speech therapist to work on bottle feeding with the girls. Apparantly a year's worth of practice with Aubrey did not teach me anything...it is a whole new ball game with the girls. Cameron was supposed to work with the OT today on bottle feeding and both girls get to practice feeding with Mommy this weekend and on Monday. Today I feel so empowered. I can't shake this feeling. I actually feel like I might learn how to do all this. I still don't have pictures - when I have my hands full with a baby I can't take pictures too. I will have to remember to ask the nurses to take pictures for me...or see if I can schedule appointments when Seth can go too. I am hoping that in a few weeks we will be able to bring Aubrey to the hospital and let her finally see the girls through the window at the TCN. I met the docs on the team for the TCN today and I really like them. They are adding more to Cameron's milk - or rocket fuel as they like to call it. Hopefully we will see the difference in her weight over the next few days. Cameron got to sit with her Papa today and she loved having him talk to her and rub her head. I guess that is all for today. I have to be at the hospital tomorrow morning to work with the OT so I should have more for you then!

Today's Visit

2009-03-05T23:02:00.002-05:00

Well, the much anticipated visit occurred today. It was wonderful...yet exhausting - I had forgotten how much trekking back and forth to Duke once or twice a day was! The girls looked beautiful and slept for much of the time that we were at the hospital. Did I mention that our family was going to be famous and our girls are already modeling at the young age of 10weeks? Just kidding. We really were a part of a photo shoot for Duke today for a publication. They needed a picture of a family with babies and I guess we won. Cameron was the main attraction today...originally it was supposed to be both girls but since they were not together in the TCN side by side, they decided to just use Cameron for most of the shots and then towards the end they let me go and get Reagan and we added her in as well. Cameron did great and really enjoyed Daddy holding her. Oh yes, Cameron was moved back to TCN today during the day shift...which we are so pumped about. Then, I came back tonight with my mom and Seth's mom and we held the babies. I attempted to bottle feed Reagan and boy do I stink at it! You would think that I had never fed a baby before but I was so scared. Just to let you know how much I stink...when the nurses feed her she takes about 20 mL...when I fed her she only drank 5! I hope that I will get more comfortable and learn quickly. My goal is to be there to learn as much as possible - feeding, bathing, taking them in and out of the isolette, changing their clothes. Many of these tasks are things that we did with Aubrey but it all seems brand new now that we are dealing with babies this small!

So, here is the report that I have for you tonight. Reagan is up to 3 lbs. 2 oz. Cameron lost weight and so I think she is still around 2 lb. 6 or 7 oz. Reagan is now drinking a full ounce for each feed! Cameron had a kidney ultrasound this week and she does have small kidney stones but they do not appear to be causing her trouble right now - her heart rate was in the 140s when we were there tonight.

I think that is all for the report for tonight...I have to be back at the hospital tomorrow morning at 8am to meet with the lactation consultant to work with the girls. So, not long to sleep for me!

Our hearts are beating a little faster now.

2009-03-04T23:27:00.003-05:00

Reagan is now 3 pounds 1 oz! Slow down girl! I don't think we're ready for you to come home. Well, of course we want Reagan to come home, but you know...all these, "We're not ready..." thoughts are coming into our heads. Leslie and I are totally in "go mode" right now. I'm all frantic trying to get the house in order for the babies to come home, now because the way things have been going, it seems more of a reality now than ever. And the funny thing is, it's not like I'm worrying about getting their room in order. I'm so mixed up and happy-frantic that I'm telling myself I've got to clean out the attic and stuff like that which really won't affect our preparedness for the twins being comfortable at home. Anyway, I guess I just feel like if I ever want to get anything done, I better do it now. Okay....so to more info on the girls.

Cameron is doing just dandy. They started her back on food today. We forgot to ask how much she weighs. She's still not in the same room as Reagan. The docs are waiting for a room to open up. Reagan had a bath tonight, which wore her out too much to drink out of a bottle. Leslie and I are going up to see the babes tomorrow, and we'll get to hold them too.

Back In the Saddle

2009-03-04T16:13:00.002-05:00

This morning at 5 am I called to check on the girls and heard that Reagan was doing better and had resumed all of her feedings through the NG tube but they decided not to feed her with the bottle because she was still so tired. Cameron woke up and they took her off of the ventilator straight to room air. She was doing great. She did have some tummy troubles and they ended up having to do a belly x-ray but that seems to be resolved now and they have resumed her feeds as of this afternoon. Cameron is still in the NICU but the doctors want for her to be back in the TCN as soon as possible. It may happen today...it depends on bed space because there are a limited number of beds in the TCN. Both girls met with different therapists today and Cameron has grown quite a bit in the last week but was still pretty sleepy from her busy couple of days. I do not yet know how Reagan's went because her nurse has not been available when I have called today. I am hoping to hear soon.

The Lord willing, tomorrow should be the glorious day that both Mommy and Daddy get to go and hold and see the girls again after a long time away. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I have even been planning my outfit - as if it matters but that is how much I am aniticipating this visit. I pray that Aubrey will continue to feel well and that Seth and I would remain symptom free as well.

Surgery Update

2009-03-03T17:11:00.002-05:00

The girls both had their surgeries and they went well. The surgeon said that we will not know if the surgery was a true success for another couple of weeks. Next Tuesday when he examines them, we want to see that their retinopathy progression has stayed the same and then the next Tuesday we want to see that it has improved. Some babies have to have a second laser treatment. I pray that one is all we needed. When I left the hospital Cameron was still out but they were doing blood work to see if they could wean her ventilator settings. Reagan was beginning to wake up.

On a good note, last night I heard words I never expected to hear - "You know Reagan is going to be ready to come home soon - be sure that you are ready!" I was in complete shock. Reagan drank her whole bottle last night which was a full feeding. They are hoping to begin working on feeding with Cameron by the end of the week (depending on how she recovers from surgery).

Please continue to keep our girls in your prayers as they recover from their busy day today.