GREAT NEWS

Thank you so much for all of your prayers yesterday!  Tayden's MRI went very well.  We arrived on schedule and they got us checked in very quickly.  They explained the whole procedure to us and then I got to go with Tayden to the "holding room."  They gave him some nose drops that really relaxed him and then the nurse blew bubbles while we waited for the next nurse to come and get him.  He loved the bubbles and would get so excited each time she blew more.  It did get harder and harder for him to grab them as the medicine kicked in.  The next nurse arrived and it was time for me to hand him off to her.  He was very calm, which made things easier for me.  They then took him back and gave him anesthesia through a mask to sedate him.  After he was asleep they put in his IV.  The entire procedure lasted about an hour and a half.  They let us go back and see him when he first started waking up.  His breathing was very quick, which concerned us all a little bit.  The doctor kept him a little longer than usual to observe him, but as he woke up and started moving around, his breathing returned to normal.  We would sit him up and he wanted to pull up on the side of the bed to stand, which was impossible due to the IV, so we held him for most of the time.  He was laughing and being his normal self before long.  They finally discharged us after noon.  He took a good nap once he ate at home and then was up for the remainder of the evening.  We were told that the scans would be read last night and that the doctor would get them in the morning.  They even told us to call the doctor today to remind them that we had been in on Monday.  Much to my surprise, I got a call yesterday evening with the results.  Nurse Laura said that all of the scans came back normal.  His head size is not due to any abnormalities - he just has a big head!  This was such great news - another answered prayer!!  God is so good!  They did weigh Tayden and he is now at 22 pounds!  His voice is a little coarse today from the breathing tube and he is coughing some, but other than that he is doing very well.
Brooklyn has had a stuffy nose the last few days.  She wakes up several times a night and is restless and fussy - which is not normal.  We have started giving her Zyrtec to see if that will help.  We will go on Thursday for their flu booster shot.
I found out last night that my co-worker and friend Emely, lost her battle with cancer.  She had been diagnosed in October with Stage 4 liver cancer while pregnant with her first baby.  They ended up delivering the baby early and started her on strong chemo.  She went in for a check-up before Thanksgiving and the doctors could find no sign of cancer in her body.  She continued her chemo, but was anticipating a full recovery.  Last week she began feeling very ill and weak.  Tests on Friday revealed that she had cancer cells in her brain and spinal cord.  They began aggressive treatments, but they did not work.  Emely had a super strong faith and love for the Lord.  She was an excellent teacher and was such a positive force.  Her optimism was contagious.  She will be greatly missed by so many.  Please keep her family in your prayers, especially her husband Jose and their new baby Elizabeth.  She has left her precious child an amazing legacy! 

Tayden's Big Day

We ask for your prayers for Tayden tomorrow as he is having an MRI on his head.  We are checking in at 6:15 a.m. and he is one of the 1st patients, so his procedure should start around 7:00.  They will have to sedate him to keep him still for the 30 minutes that he is in the MRI tube.  I am a little anxious about this since he has never been sedated before.  He will be in recovery with a nurse until he wakes up and then they will move him to the 2nd recovery room where Tim and I can be with him.  They should have his results to us on Tuesday.  We have been praying about this for quite a while now and we know that he will do well - he has proved many times just how strong he is!  Please pray for our sweet little guy - that he will do well with the anesthesia and procedure and that the results will all be normal.  Please also pray for Tim and I to be strong tomorrow and to have patience and peace as we await the results. 
The twins continue to do well.  Brooklyn is crawling faster and further now.  She has started waving hello and bye-bye.  Tayden is so close to crawling - he is scooting and rolling everywhere.  His occupational therapist came last Monday and said that he is making excellent progress.  She had given us a few goals for the month and he met all of them!  Brooklyn was in the exersaucer for half of the visit and when we put her on the floor she took the opportunity to showcase all of her tricks.  The therapist commented that they are both excelling exceptionally well in the verbal expression department.  I wonder where they get that from???  We did make a trip to Dallas yesterday to get a video monitor with two cameras.  Tim got them all mounted in the nursery and we anticipate tomorrow night being their first night to sleep in their beds.  Please also pray for this venture - for the twins to feel comfortable in their cribs and sleep well and for mommy to not worry all night long.
We had the three best babysitters in the world (SueSue, Lolly, and Mimi) on Friday night and I was able to take Tim out for his birthday at the Melting Pot in Addison.  We almost didn't make our reservation because I ran out of gas, once again, on the way home from work.  I was able to coast to a side street off of the highway and my sister Lauri (aka Roadside Rescue) arrived with gas.  My nephew Landon did take the opportunity to give me a hard time.  "Sissa, doesn't your car tell you when you are about to run out of gas?"  When I got home I quickly laid out pajamas, formula, diapers, etc. I threw on clothes and we jumped in the car to fight rush hour traffic.  When we got to the restaurant I went to the restroom and when I looked in the mirror I realized that I had put on two shirts and a jacket.  I guess that "Mommy Mode" has officially set in.  I hope you all have a wonderful week!  I will post again as soon as we have results.

Synagis #2 and 20 pounds

The twins had their 2nd Synagis shot today and I think it went a little better than the first one.  Tim and SueSue requested that there be two nurses present so that they could administer the two shots at the same time, instead of sticking one leg and then sticking the other leg.  The babies were weighed in and we have officially hit the 20 pound mark.  Brooklyn was 20 lbs. .1 oz. and Tayden was 20 lbs. .7 oz.  Their weight gain is great news as it shows that the regular formula is being effective!
Brooklyn is in full crawling mode.  She is picking up speed with each passing day and every item in our house is fair game.  We have rearranged our living room twice to make it more crawler friendly.  Our house has become one giant playroom!  Tonight she managed to dump half of my Sonic tea on the rug and then when Tim jumped up to grab something from the kitchen, she somehow found his fork and was happily swinging it around.  YIKES!!!  We never quite understood the need for baby fences until now!  She is busy all of the time.  She wants to stand up and pull up on everything and then she gets bored and will crawl on to the next item.  She now eats about 2 1/2 jars of baby food a day and enjoys almost every bite!  She loves music and will wave her hands in the air when she gets really excited. 
Tayden is now moving from sitting up to being on his tummy with ease.  He rolls from tummy to back and back to tummy as well.  He sees sister pull up and he tries his very hardest to do the same by grabbing my shirt and pulling.  He is getting quite good!  He now eats about 3 jars of baby food a day and can wipe out a jar in about 2 minutes!  He loves music as well and smiles from ear to ear when we sing to him.  He loves playing with his red hammer, or should I say banging his red hammer on other objects.  It is only a matter of time until he is crawling all over as well.
My goal for the two weeks I will be off is to successfully transition the twins to sleeping in their cribs.  They are getting to where they can twist their way out of their Nap Nannies, so I know that it is time.  We have been researching dual video monitors so that I can see them and hear them from our room.  I am hoping that this will give me peace of mind.  They are still sleeping through the night - which is very nice!
Tim lost his very dear friend PK Benton last week.  PK was such a wonderful man!  He sent Tim cards often telling him how much he appreciated their friendship and he always included scriptures.  PK recently celebrated his 40th birthday and was greatly looking forward to the birth of his unborn child.  He went to sleep on Monday evening and didn't wake up on Tuesday morning.  This tragic loss was a painful reminder of just how fragile life is.  I originally learned this lesson when my dad died unexpectedly, but there have definitely been times since then that I have been guilty of taking the great gift of life for granted.  Tim flew to Louisiana to attend the funeral and said that it was a very moving service celebrating the life of a wonderful Christian man.  Please keep PK's family in your prayers, especially his wife, son, and unborn daughter.  

She always goes after the remote!

Crawling like crazy!

 

Christmas and 9 month pictures

My dear friend Ann Marie does AWESOME work!  Check out her blog for more information:  http://www.beautifullyblessedphotography.blogspot.com/