The worst birthday ever

As many of you know Tuesday, Nov 27th was my 30th birthday. As many of you know Lily has been sick. I never imagined what would happen on this day and where I would be right now. The day started out fine after taking Lily to the Dr on Monday we were told to keep sucking her nose out and keep the vaporizer on her and watch for fever or wheezing. Well in the afternoon about 2 I was giving her a bath and finished up and started to bathe Preston. Mama Jean came into the kitchen with Lily and screamed Staci she is not breathing. I took one look and grabbed her. She was completely blue and limp. I yelled for my mom to call 911. I started patting her back and laid her on the counter and started CPR. I gave her 2 breaths and she started gasping and coughing. She finally started crying when the ambulance arrived. My whole world stopped it felt like it took an hour for the ambulance to arrive. They took her to the hospital and admitted her for bronchitis. They ran a bunch of tests and did a chest xray that showed she has fluid in her lungs. I have no idea how we went from the pediatrician on Monday to this. I don't know if the fluid in her lungs was there on Monday. All I know is she stopped breathing and I never want to relive that. She is still in the hospital on breathing treatments every 4 hours and she is on oxygen. She is eating well and alert. She just looks so sad with her oxygen in her nose. : ( I called Aaron in Scotland on our way to the hospital and he boarded the next plane he could. He got in yesterday at 7 pm. His mom has also come in from LA.
Now for Preston. He started having the same symptoms as Lily so I took him to the Dr yesterday. The pedi said the same thing to watch him and do the vaporizer. I thought this advice was unacceptable because I was not going to be sent home with another sick baby after what happened to Lily. So I decided to take him to the hospital and have him observed and tested through the emergency room like Lily was. Glad I did. He has Pneumonia. I mean seriously how can a pedi listen to a chest and not order a chest xray or something on a 4 week old? Now both my babies are int he hospital 3 rooms apart. Preston is not on oxygen and getting antibiotics everyday for 7 days. This is standard procedure for Pneumonia. Lily will be in for 3 to 5 days they said. We will know more about her once they started weaning the oxygen and she can breath on her own.
Please keep our family in your prayers and I hope no one ever has to go through the horror that we have gone through.
We have had people ask how they can help. The best help people can offer us right now is meals. We are switching off at the hospital. Aaron's mom and grandma are up there now and Aaron and I came home to sleep, eat and shower. It helps alot when there is food here and we don't have to cook or eat out.
Staci

Poor Lily!

She has been congested since Saturday. I started using saline drops in her nose and sucking out the gross stuff with the nasal aspirator. She didn't get better and started getting fussy about midnight so I called the doctor. He said that the saline and the nasal aspirator were the right things to do and to also start rubbing Vick's Vaporub on her chest. We also got a vaporizer and put it in the room and we have been keeping her elevated. These were all the instructions given to us from the Doctor. He said that's about all we can do since they are so little and they don't give antibiotics for babies this small or young. I took her to the Doctor today just to be sure that nothing has gotten into her lungs or that it isn't RSV. He said it's just an upper respiratory infection and to continue with the home remedies we have been doing. I am so grateful that they seem to be working. It's hard when they are so little and they get sick and stuffy. I got a flu shot while we were at the doctor. I figured it couldn't hurt. I have never had one but I also never had to worry about premature babies getting every germ we bring into our world.
Breastfeeding has been put on the back burner for now until I can get these babies well. They get breast milk at every feeding but I mix formula with it also. Right now they eat 3 oz at each feeding and 2 oz of that is breast milk. I know it is tough but I am keeping at it. Oh and Lily weighs 6 lbs 7.5 oz. BIG GIRL!!!!
Mama Jean has been great. She made gumbo on Saturday and tonight she made baked chicken. I don't know what I will do when all this help leaves and I have to start taking care of all this on my own. I guess that's the real world though.

love, Staci

I know it has been a while.....

but at least I have a good excuse. The babies are doing good. We all are. The babies are growing like crazy. They are on their way to being fully breastfed. They eat every 4 hours and I breastfeed but also give them a bottle afterwards since they still act hungry. It will take some adjusting.
We had a great Thanksgiving. We went to my sister's and had tons of food. It was so great to get out and spend time with my family. I just love hanging out with them. Some people don't like their families. Mine are my most favorite people. Aaron's Mama Jean (gma) came on Friday to spend the week with me while Aaron is in Scotland. He leaves Sunday and will be back on Saturday. She has already been a big help with feeding and taking care of the babies. Right now she is cooking gumbo..... yum!!!!
I have uploaded more pics onto our web album. I am just going to put all the pics there since it is so easy and the link will be on the left side of the blog.
I haven't really taken that many pics of them. It seems when all you do is eat, sleep and change diapers the day goes so fast.
All about the babies: I don't see much of their personalities yet. Lily is laid back and patient. Preston is the cryer, when it is time to eat he will let you know. Lily has had a few reflux episodes where she throws up everything. and it comes out her nose. This has only happened 3 times but it's enough to scare the crap out of me. We have been making sure she burps and keep her elevated after she eats. They both do well at night after each feeding we rock them or sooth them back to sleep and they go down pretty good. It's nice to be feeding every 4 hours.
Ok well that's all for now.
Take care- Staci

Lots of pictures

Here are all the pics in our baby web album. We will be adding more so check the album often.
http://picasaweb.google.com/stactheacetx/Babies

Dr visit: We took the babies to the Dr on Tuesday to be weighed and checked out. The weigh 5 lbs 7 oz for Lily and 5 lbs 8 oz for Preston they gained more than the Dr thought they would. He said he was impressed and that next week when they are 3 weeks old they should be over 6 lbs and we can start feeding every 4 hours instead of every 3. That will be a huge help for the night time feedings especially with Aaron going back to work. They are already eating over 2 oz at each feeding. They average about 70 ml. They won't have to go back to the Dr until January when they will be 2 months old to get their shots. : (
We have been doing well the past 2 weeks. We try to sleep as much as possible. Aaron's mom was here the first week and was a huge help. She did laundry, cooked dinner and helped with the babies. I don't know what we would have done without her. Thanks NANA!!! Aaron will be leaving the Sunday after Thanksgiving to go to Aberdeen and we have enlisted Mama Jean (his gma) to come stay with me to help. I am not ready to tackle the babies by myself 24/7. I can't wait for Mama Jean to see the babies she is going to love and kiss them so much. : D
That's about all for now. We can't wait until Thanksgiving. YUM!!!!

Staci

Waking babies II

Waking babies

Preston's bath pics

Yes that is a pink towel. :)