Pulmonologist Visit

It has definitely been a day!!!  We got up at 5:45 to get the babies fed and ready for the trek to Dallas.  We left the house at 7:15 and dropped Tim's truck off in Grapevine so that he could be closer to work.  My sweet mom came along to sit in the back with the babies and be on reflux duty.  It took all three of us to get the babies in and out.  We met with the great doctor who was highly recommended by our pediatrician.  He was very thorough and had a great sense of humor.  He said that both babies looked to be working pretty hard to breathe, but that their oxygen saturation levels were both great.  He ordered a chest x-ray for both babies, so we had to walk across Medical City to another building to get those taken.  We then walked back for him to look at them.  (Note to self - next time take the stroller).  He said that the good news is that their lungs do not look "wet," but expressed concern that both babies have a cloudy spot on the top right lobe of their lungs.  He said that it could be their thymus gland, aspiration, or pneumonia.  He called the radiologist who gave her thoughts - it was just the thymus gland, which gets smaller as we get older, and is not cause for alarm - whew!  He changed their breathing medication to a twice daily inhaler and added another medicine for reflux.  He would like to do a swallow study on both babies to make sure they are not aspirating when they reflux and possibly an upper GI.  We are going to follow-up with him in two weeks to see how things have progressed.  He was extremely impressed with how much weight the twins have gained since coming home- YEAH!  He recommended Thick It - a thickening agent that can be added to their formula.  I got some at Walgreens and am eager to see if it helps at all.  On the way home we stopped to buy some cake balls - yes you heard me right.  We saw them on tv and the shop is in Dallas.  They are mini balls of cake covered in icing - yummy!  We were five minutes from home when we ran out of gas - yes I know, my mother of the year trophy should be arriving any day now.  I pulled into a neighborhood and we tried not to panic as my mother fanned the twins with some paper.  I called my older sister Lauri and she came to the rescue with two full gas cans within 7 minutes and then followed us to the nearest gas station.  Thank you so much sis!!!  That is now twice in one week that the Hargrove family has saved us from the terrible heat.  The day was exhausting, but an overall success.  We are reminded every time we are at a childrens' hospital just how fortunate we are.  We met the sweetest little girl today who is in a wheelchair.  She was so very friendly and kept talking to the babies.  She weighed 5 pounds at birth and only 10 pound on her first birthday.  I know her mom has spent many a day in the doctor's office and many a night on her knees in prayer for her precious daughter.  Someone did come and look at the house today, but we haven't heard any feedback.  We are praying that it sells soon so that we don't have to completely move everything around when it shows for too much longer.  Thank you to everyone who called to see how the visit went and for praying for the twins - your support means so much to us.  We love you!!!             

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

Cousin Sandy

Aunt Sara and SueSue - the greatest babysitters in the world

Tayden smiling

Poppy's Garden

Brooklyn smiling

Pawpaw (Great Grandfather) and Brooklyn

Nana and Tayden

The twins with their Great Grandmother

It has been way too long since I last posted.  I worked for two weeks and am now off for six more weeks, so I am hoping to post much more often.  My summer began with a bang.  On Friday when I got home, the house was pretty warm.  It kept getting hotter and by the time Tim got home it was 80 degrees.  I packed up the babies and we had our first campout at SueSue's.  Uncle Craig came over Friday night and again on Saturday and ended up replacing the whole ac unit.  He really saved the day!!!!  On Sunday, we celebrated Tim's 1st Father's Day by eating dinner at Joe's Crab Shack.  Both babies looked around at all of the bright flashing lights and hardly made a peep.  We also took the twins to Poppy's Garden (cemetary) for the 1st time.  We had planned on taking them the day we finally brought both of them home from the hospital, but it was raining.  It is extremely hard knowing that my children will never get to meet their amazing Poppy here on earth.  I know he would have loved them both so very much.  They will grow up hearing all of the stories and seeing all of the pictures I have of him.  Yesterday, my Nana, Pawpaw, and Uncle Shane came in town from Abilene to celebrate a day late.  They were so amazed at how big Brooklyn had gotten and loved meeting Tayden for the first time.  (He was still in the hospital when they were here the last time.)  We showed our house twice last weekend, but both families had children and it was too small.  We are praying very hard that we get an offer this summer so that we can get moved before the school year starts.  We definitely need more space for our mini daycare.  Brooklyn has started to coo and smile very frequently.  She seems to want to really talk at bedtime - go figure!!!  She is now over 13 lbs.  I can't get an exact weight because she won't stay still on the scale.  Tayden is 11 lbs. 10 oz.  He has started to coo every now and then and is able to control his head and neck much better.  I can't wait for the day when they start talking to each other in their own little twin language.  We have an appointment on Thursday with the pulmonologist.  He will be able to determine if the babies are completely over the croup and how Tayden's lungs have developed since he left the NICU.  The doctor is supposed to be great and we originally had an appointment in August, but they called today to offer us an earlier appointment.   

4 Months Old

The Nap Nannies

Sambo wasn't sure what to think

Our anniversary table setting

Brooklyn and Mommy

Tayden and Mommy

SueSue and Sara gave Brooklyn bunny ears

The babies are 4 months old today!!!  Everyone warned us that time would fly and I didn't understand what they meant until now.  My week back at work has been great.  I have been able to see my co-workers and go out to lunch.  Having my mom and Aunt Sara here every day has been more wonderful that words can express!  My aunt sends me pictures of the babies throughout the day so that I can stay connected.  We come home to two happy babies, clean bottles, clean baby clothes, and yesterday they surprised us with an anniversary dinner complete with roses and balloons!!!  They left us dinner for tonight as well and even put food in the freezer!!! They have definitely spoiled us!  I am still trying to find a way to convince them that they should move in for the summer - haha.  The babies are getting bigger everyday.  According to our home scale they have crossed over into the 11 lb. territory.  Brooklyn is smiling more each day.  She babbles when you talk to her and will watch you very carefully.  Tayden has been eating more and his neck is getting more stable.  I know that he will be smiling before long.  This week they have been going to bed around 11-12 and sleeping until 5 or 5:30.  Brooklyn's spitting-up has gotten better, but she does still reflux from time to time, but not as bad as she did in the past.  Tim has put our house back on the market and we are hoping that it will sell this summer before I go back to school.  We love our house, but we definitely need a little more space for our mini daycare.  As of this week Tim and I have known each other for seven years and have been married for three years.  Last night we repeated our vows and they have a whole new meaning after enduring the events of the past few months.  You truly have no idea when you commit to spend forever with someone, the journey that you will take as a couple.  I loved and respected Tim three years ago, but I love him and respect him even more now that he is the father of our children.  I had no idea that the hand I put a ring on was the same hand that would lead me to the incubators to see our babies for the first time, the same hand that held my hand for two months as we sat in the NICU watching our babies get stronger, or the same hand that I hold each night while we pray thanking God for giving us two perfect miracles.  I know that our journey is just beginning and I am so very blessed to be married to such a great man.     

15 Weeks Old - 10 pound babies

Tayden

Brooklyn

Hanging out in the pack-n-play

Tayden relaxing in his Nap Nanny

The twins have hit the 10 pound mark!!!  On Thursday Brooklyn weighed 10 lbs. 12 oz. and Tayden weighed 10 lbs. 2 oz.  This is great considering that they both lost some weight when they were sick.  Both babies are back to their old healthy selves and Tayden has developed a love for eating.  They have started sleeping through most of the night YEAH!!!  We usually feed them between 10 and midnight and they will sleep until 5 or 6 a.m.  During the afternoon hours they are very awake and are starting to be more interactive which is so much fun.  I went back to work on Friday - which was very hard, but very nice at the same time.  It was great to see all of the kids and all of my coworkers.  I had missed talked to them every day and I was able to get caught up on everything that has been going on.  My mom texted me throughout the day to keep me informed on all that was going on, so I felt very connected.  I start two weeks of training on Monday and then I will be off for another seven weeks before the school year starts.  My sweet Aunt Sara is flying in tomorrow evening from Houston to help my mom with the twins next week.  We are so blessed that she is coming and so excited for her to see how big the babies have gotten.  She came to the hospital the day after they were born, so they have definitely changed a lot.  We got out tonight and went to Dairy Queen - yeehaw!  When we got home we realized that the SueSue fairy had been to our house and brought Tayden his very own Nap Nanny!!!  We put him in it and he has been sacked out ever since.  I will never be able to thank my mom enough for all that she has done for us.  I pray that I can be the kind of mother that she has been to us - encouraging, caring, loving, and supportive.  Becoming a mom has shown me a whole new kind of love that she always told me I would understand one day.  I love you mom!       

Just Hanging Around

Everyone was sound asleep

SueSue

Brooklyn

I realized that it had been way too long since I posted some pictures.  I secretly took the one with Tim last night as he snoozed away.  Both babies fell asleep in his arms.  I used the opportunity to go to the mall - haha!