This Is...

 ...where Mom stayed when we threatened to come too early.

 ...the monitors that tracked our thunderous heartbeats.

 ...the final destination of the infamous daily wheelchair ride Mom got during bed rest.

...the room we did our final growing in.

...where Dad slept when Mom wasn't allowed to go home.

 ...how I kicked it under phototherapy.

 ...where we were weighed before and after nursing.

...the board that kept Mom & Dad informed of our growth each day.

 ...the isolettes, or 'heat huts' we slept in.

 ...the room we never saw because we came too early.

...the monitors that gave Mom & Dad frequent panic attacks.

 ...the skype shower Mom had with our extended family.

 ...us passing the car seat challenge.

...the communication center to keep track of all our appointments.

...the pump that has become known as baby #3.

 ...the parking terrace our G8 stayed in all day, ready to take us home, and the sky bridge Mom & Dad crossed several times a day to be with us.

 

...where Mom hid behind a curtain to pump more milk for us to eat.

...the window that looks over the courtyard that Mom never got to see when she was in the room across the way (far left window just above the exit door).

...where Mom & Dad kept all the items they bring in each day.

 

...when we were allowed to co-bed.

 

 ...where the nurses prepared our feedings.

...where Mom sat while she worked & Dad laid when he played Tetris.

 ...the patio Mom ate lunch at one day and wasn't supposed to.

...our graduation photo.

 ...us coming home without Mom's assistance.

 

 ...finally, home sweet home.

Twin Update

Laith loves to move all around and lift his head, he has a ton of energy

Vivienne doesn't smile much but she doesn't get upset much either, she is content most of the time to just hang out.

 The twins are advancing quickly. Vivienne is now 5lbs 3oz and Laith is 4lbs 7oz. Dad got to give them their first bottle feeds and when they have that figured out they will be able to get their feeding tubes out, yeah! They are being weened from the incubator and soon will be in an open air crib. Laith has a stuffed lion and Vivienne has a stuffed horse in their beds with them. The doctor says they probably have a couple more weeks but they are doing great.

I can't stand all the pirate hype that has gone on with the Disney Pirate movies but dang it all if Laith doesn't look like a pirate right here. Arg

One of the nurses takes extra care to help Vivienne always look cute, here is a bow she glued to her head.

Laith loves his stuffed lion, Laith means Lion by the way.

The little guy makes the most interesting faces, makes me laugh.

Once again, Vivienne content.

The twins are now being weened from their temperature control. They get their tops opened and if they continue to maintain good temperature they will graduate to an open air crib, YEAH!

Laith loves to smile, what a goof ball

This hat was made by his Ginger Nanny in England, perfect fit!

Here is Vivienne sporting her new hat from Ginger Nanny, I can't believe how perfect they fit.

Vivienne doesn't smile much but she does love to pose.

Dad spends way too much time hovering over Vivenne with the camera hoping to catch a smile. She probably thinks her dad is a robot with a weird camera for a face.

Laith is always awake and checking everything out.

Mother's Day

 For Jen's first Mother's Day I took her out to dinner last night while the "babysitters"(NICU) watched the kids. We went to Salty's which is right on the Columbia river and always has an amazing view. Between work and the hospital on Friday I was able to slip away to get Jen a gift. This was the only time I had so I didn't have room for error. Not a worry as the jewelery store had EXACTLY what I was looking for.

I had previously purchased Jen a Pandora bracelet and I wanted to add to it. I wanted a letter for each of the twins and then something with their birth stone. Of course I didn't realize that the birth stone for April was diamond, it couldn't be any of the cheaper birthstones... I found these perfect beads. The one has stars laser cut and then diamonds inset into the center of them. I convinced Jen that she should where her nice bracelet to dinner so she brought it with leaving it in the glove box while we did some shopping before dinner. Then when she was ringing up in Baby-R-Us(another expensive place) I went to the car and slipped the new beads on her bracelet. When we arrived for dinner she pulled the bracelet out and was shocked. She had just looked at it an hour before and they weren't there. Of course she tried to work out when I did it. I love it when a plan comes together...

Lamp, long time in the making...

 A number of years ago Lowe's carried a "Cars" lamp. Jen fell in love with the shade but didn't care for the base which was a plastic Lightning McQueen that looked lame. When the lamp went on clearance we picked up the lamp for $5. At this point in time we thought we wouldn't be having kids so we had planned to be the best uncle and aunt possible. We had plans to create a girls guest room and a boys guest room. The plan included using the shade from the cars lamp in some fashion in the boys 
guest room. 

 Well fast forward and now the twins are here. Jen found a cool lamp base which she felt would do the lamp shade justice. I found some parts to make the shade fit and bingo, a cool lamp for Laith. If you look close you will see the advertisement for the Dinoco 400 to take place on Sunday May 20th. It just so happens that this year May 20th lands on a Sunday, in fact next Sunday. Looks like we got this project done right on time.

Raising Arizona

Since the twins were born, lines from this movie keep popping into my head.  The most common line is the one actually used here in this shot, "We're set to pop here honey."  Each time we pull up the chairs and get Laith and Vivienne in our arms, I think "What are you kiddin'? We got us a family here!"

I've always loved this movie, and when the woes of infertility hit our family, it became treasured.  Originally, my most favorite line was "Now y'all without sin can cast the first stone."  I deeply understood the hurt and agony Ed went through, and could relate to H.I.'s angst to make her happy again.  "I even caught myself drivin' by convenience stores...that weren't on the way home."  When we finally learned we were pregnant, and with multiples to boot, the movie took on a stronger meaning.  "We thought it was unfair some should have so many while others should have so few."  "We've been over this.  There's what's right and there's what's right.  Never the twain shall meet."  Even though my initial reaction to the news of twins was shock, I felt completely justified having 'so many'.

The final scene was my most favorite, as it kept the hope alive.  "But still I hadn't dreamt nothin' about me and Ed, until the end.  And this was cloudier, because it was years, years away.  But I saw an old couple bein' visited by their children and all their grandchildren too.   The old couple weren't screwed up, and neither were their kids or their grand kids.  And I don't know.   You tell me.  This whole dream.  Was it wishful thinkin'?  Was I just fleein' reality, like I know I'm liable to do?  But me and Ed, we can be good too.  And it seemed real.  It seemed like us.  And it seemed like, well, our home."

But my most favorite line now is just after H.I. runs back to the car, and tells Ed he got the best one.  He thinks it's Nathan Jr.  And Ed, bursts out with wracking sobs, "I love him so much! (H.I. replies, I know you do honey.)  I love him so much!"  Every night we drive away and as the G8 zooms off onto the freeway, this scene runs through my mind, and I find myself mentally with the same wracking sobs. "I love them so much!"

Our 24 Hours

0700     Wake up, use restroom, grab pumping gear, set up pumping session
0745     Finish pumping, ask Bryan to get bottle to store milk to take to babies, clean up pump gear
0800     Walk out to office, log into skype, find out needs of work for day, accomplish as much as possible
0845     Hopefully at good stopping point with work
0915     Finally found the stopping point, walk back to bedroom, grab pumping gear, next pump session
0945     Finish pumping, pour contents in bottle, clean up pump gear
1000     Jump in shower, if water hits the drain, shower has taken too long
1015     Gather pump gear, load up diaper bag, load up Metallica bag
1020     Rushing out door as fast as waddling allows, load car
1025     Arrive at breakfast destination of the day
1035     Haul butt down the freeway to hospital
1045     Arrive at hospital, drive up parking terrace to level 6 as plenty of spaces close to elevator
1050     Step off elevator, waddle quickly across sky bridge, get on elevator
1055     Step off elevator, waddle quickly around two corners, pick up phone to gain access to NICU
1059     Arrive at Room 426, nurse ready to do hands on time
1100     Wake Laith & Vivienne for diaper changes and if lucky, first hold of the day, try luck at nursing
1105     Unplug from monitors, bundle, carefully pull through side door, put nursing baby on scale
1110     Pick up nursing baby off scale, move to comfortable chair, arrange pillows
1130     Finished with practice nursing, press call button for nurse, place baby on scale again
1135     Sit back down in chair, cuddle baby while nurse hooks up gavage feeding
1215     Gavage feeding complete, press call button for nurse
1220     Transfer babies back to heat huts, usually change one diaper again, bundle for sleep
1225     Waddle down hall to restroom, waddle back down hall to Room 426
1230     Gather pumping gear, set up station to pump
1255     Finish pumping, pour contents in bottle, clean up gear
1310     Waddle down hall to leave NICU, step on elevator, go to cafeteria to pick up food supplies
1330     Back on elevator, waddle around two corners, pick up phone to gain access to NICU
1345     Hurriedly eat lunch
1400     Wake Laith & Vivienne for diaper changes and try luck at nursing
1405     Unplug from monitors, bundle, carefully pull through side door, put nursing baby on scale
1410     Pick up nursing baby off scale, move to comfortable chair, arrange pillows
1430     Finished with practice nursing, press call button for nurse, place baby on scale again
1435     Sit back down in chair, cuddle baby while nurse hooks up gavage feeding
1515     Gavage feeding complete, press call button for nurse
1520     Transfer babies back to heat huts, usually change one diaper again, bundle for sleep
1525     Waddle down hall to restroom, waddle back down hall to Room 426
1530     Gather pumping gear, set up station to pump
1555     Finish pumping, pour contents in bottle, clean up gear
1600     Waddle down hall to leave NICU, step on elevator, walk across sky bridge, elevator to level 6
1615     Leave hospital grounds to find food
1645     Rush back to hospital, drive up parking terrace to level 6 as plenty of spaces close to elevator
1650     Step off elevator, waddle quickly across sky bridge, get on elevator
1655     Step off elevator, waddle quickly around two corners, pick up phone to gain access to NICU
1659     Arrive at Room 426, nurse ready to do hands on time
1700     Wake Laith & Vivienne for diaper changes
1705     Unplug from monitors, bundle, carefully pull through side door
1715     Sit down in chair, cuddle baby while nurse hooks up gavage feeding
1745     Gavage feeding complete, press call button for nurse
1800     Transfer babies back to heat huts, usually change one diaper again, bundle for sleep
1805     Waddle down hall to restroom, waddle back down hall to Room 426
1810     Gather pumping gear, set up station to pump
1840     Finish pumping, pour contents in bottle, clean up gear
1855     Waddle down hall to leave NICU, step on elevator, walk across sky bridge, elevator to level 6
1900     Leave hospital grounds to find food
1950     Rush back to hospital, drive up parking terrace to level 6 as plenty of spaces close to elevator
1955     Step off elevator, waddle quickly across sky bridge, get on elevator
2000     Step off elevator, waddle quickly around two corners, pick up phone to gain access to NICU
2005     Arrive at Room 426, nurse ready to do hands on time
2005     Wake Laith & Vivienne for diaper changes and hold for last time, try luck at nursing
2010     Unplug from monitors, bundle, carefully pull through side door, put nursing baby on scale
2015     Pick up nursing baby off scale, move to comfortable chair, arrange pillows
2045     Finished with practice nursing, press call button for nurse, place baby on scale again
2050     Sit back down in chair, cuddle baby while nurse hooks up gavage feeding
2130     Gavage feeding complete, press call button for nurse
2145     Transfer babies back to heat huts, bundle for night
2150     Waddle down hall to restroom, waddle back down hall to Room 426
2155     Gather pumping gear, set up station to pump
2215     Finish pumping, pour contents in bottle, clean up gear
2225     Give a tearful goodbye to Laith & Vivienne, giving each instructions to hurry and grow
2230     Waddle sadly down hall to leave NICU, step on elevator, walk across sky bridge, elevator to level 6
2245     Leave hospital for the day, slowly drive down parking terrace
2255     Arrive home and sadly waddle inside
2300     Gather pumping gear, set up station to pump
2325     Finish pumping, pour contents in bottle, clean up gear
2335     Have a midnight snack, do a little work, pay a few bills
2400     Set alarm, head hits pillow, sleep follows instantaneously
0230     Wake for pumping
0235     Gather pumping gear, set up station to pump
0255     Finish pumping, pour contents in bottle, clean up gear
0310     Set alarm, head hits pillow, sleep follows instantaneously
0530     Wake for pumping
0535     Gather pumping gear, set up station to pump
0555     Finish pumping, pour contents in bottle, clean up gear
0610     Set alarm, head hits pillow, sleep follows instantaneously
0700     Start all over

Meet with doctor during 1100 feeding time, meet with lactation at 1400 feeding time, squeeze a few minutes of work while pumping and any other possible time, eat and drink constantly, nap time usually bypassed...but it's all worth it for this: