At the beach...

At the beach is a term the NICU nurses use for babies who are under lamps to treat jaundice.  This is what it looks like...

Pretty cute.

As we speak Wendy is having her catheter and one of her two IVs removed.  She had some jello and can have bland foods now.  The nurses are going to have her sit on the side of the bed and dangle her legs for a bit.  A world of difference from yesterday which was already a much better day than the day before.  She WILL be seeing her girls today.  Yay!

Good News for Mommy!

Happy Bowl Games Day Everybody!  I hope your team wins and their team loses.  I'm sorry this blog is being posted so late in the day but I didn't wake up until about 1 this afternoon.  There has been a really good development with Wendy that I wanted to share.  Since about 15 minutes after the delivery Wendy has been on an IV supply of magnesium to prevent seizures that can result from having high blood pressure.  Although the magnesium is hugely beneficial it does make you feel pretty yucky and out of it.  And it's because of this that yesterday was such a difficult day.  At 3:15 this morning the doctor ordered that the magnesium be taken out of her IV.  Within an hour she was more alert and lucid.  She is feeling much better now and has been sleeping soundly most of the day.  She is ready to see her girls and hopefully that can happen later today. 

The girls continue to do well.  Genevieve has been particularly responsive and she was moved to an incubator this morning (which is a good thing).  Sophia is also doing very well but she gained a little bit of water weight so they backed her IV off just a little bit.  They also gave her a little more air pressure assistance but they both are still breathing room air and breathing on their own.

I have been wanting to take a few more pictures but they have started to spend a lot of time on their stomachs so I'm waiting for an opportune moment when they are positioned more photogenically.  Thank you for your continued support and prayers and love.

Truly a new year.

Because I have not been able to articulate on Facebook everything that we have been going through for the last week or so I have decided to start a blog.  And because an angel came to me in a dream last night and told me that the world needed another self indulgent blog.  Who am I to argue?

First off, we have babies.

Sophia Jane and Genevieve Hepburn came to us a little over 18 hours ago here at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.  Sophia weighs 3 pounds and 3 ounces and is 16 inches long.  Her little sister (by less than 60 seconds) Genevieve is exactly 3 pounds and is 15 and a half inches long.  They were born on their 31 week gestational birthday and are now in the NICU as is appropriate for babies born so prematurely.  They are breathing room air with no oxygen aid, other than a little air pressure, they have wonderful color, and they are already taking formula through little tubes going down to their tiny tummies.  This concludes their life story.  Thus far.

Wendy, mommy, is recovering from her cesarean section as well as from a condition called Preeclampsia that was brought on by the pregnancy.  This is why the babies were delivered yesterday and not 2 months from now.  It will take her a couple of days to come around but she should be good as new very soon. 

I, Preston, dad, am typing a blog post.  I have spent the day filling out paperwork, returning phone calls, fielding text and Facebook messages, and staring at babies.  I have NOT been sleeping 8 hours, watching TV, eating home cooked meals, or changing clothes daily.  This is very ok with me.  I have been completely preoccupied with my wife's well being.  Even more so than the babies, in fact, because they are doing that well. 

A lot of people have been praying for us this week and this blog is for those people.  Please check in and I will try my best to update at least once a day, at least as long as it's easy too.