Merry Christmas

Well...A few days late now, but our Christmas is always filled with LOTS of family hopping and when you add two trips to the hospital to spend time with Parker and Tyler, what do you get? Two pooped parents! We've finally recovered from all the festivities and hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas Day...We sure did! The boys were so adorable in their little outfits and both of them woke up for a while for a few pictures and kisses. They got far too many presents, but we're so grateful to have family so excited for their arrival that they felt like the babies just had to have gifts too. We feel like we got the best gift ever from above and that is two healthy children that are doing incredibly well and working hard to come home to us. It's amazing how much our lives have changed since this time last year! We are very fortunate and truly blessed.

A little update: We thought we'd be bringing Tyler home in the next few days, but he's started having little heart decelerations once a day and they cannot send him home until he hasn't had one in 5 days. It's nothing to be really concerned about because it's always a VERY quick dip and he recovers on his own (and it's normal for their age), but it does keep him in the hospital. We all think he's doing this to stay with his brother...He's just not ready to leave Parker. Once a NICU baby is discharged they aren't allowed back in (even to visit their twin), so if the boys go home separately Matt and I will have to switch out time with the baby still in the hospital while the other one of us sits in the waiting room with the baby that has been sent home. Parker is getting pretty close to coming home as well. He's not quite taking all of his bottles yet and still having the same heart decelerations, so he's probably about a week or so behind his brother developmentally. Both the boys are just incredible! They progress by leaps and bounds every day and we feel so lucky that they've done so well. Tyler is over 5 lbs now and Parker hit 6 lbs yesterday (12/26) so they are filling out quite nicely and getting their little chubby cheeks. Enjoy the pictures and videos and have a Happy New Year!

Tyler

Parker

Family Picture

Follow the links for the videos!

http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii71/aparliam/The%20Twins/?action=view&current=033.flv

http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii71/aparliam/The%20Twins/?action=view&current=036.flv

Christmas Eve

Just a couple pictures from the babies first Christmas Eve. I have all sorts of traditions that I want to continue from my childhood and a few that Matt and I want to begin, but those will have to wait until next year. For now Tyler and Parker are still growing and thriving in the NICU. We found the cutest little reindeer socks and adorable little onesies for this special night. We have more adorable outfits for tomorrow, so expect more cuteness to come.

Our Family (I love how alert Parker is in this picture)

Parker

Check out my cute socks

Tyler

My socks look about 10 times too big

Another Big Day!

Goodness, our little boys are just growing up so fast! Today Parker finished his first bottle for me. He's a few days behind his little brother, but I think his competitive side will kick in soon and he'll be caught up in no time. The nurses and nurse practitioners have started talking a lot about going home. I can't believe it's happening so quickly now. We're supposed to bring their car seats up for a vitals check within the next few days and it's looking like we'll be taking home at least one of the boys NEXT WEEK! As of today, Tyler is taking all 8 bottle by mouth and they took out his feeding tube today, so now he HAS to eat. Parker is taking 5 of his 8 bottles by mouth and now that he's finishing them consistently things will probably start moving pretty fast. No lazy babies here :)! We plan to get lots of pictures of the boys and hopefully of our whole family together over the next two days. We're so thankful for our amazing Christmas gifts this year!

Parker with his first finished bottle for Mommy

Tyler NGT Free!

1st Bath

Now that the boys cord stump has fallen off, Matt and I got to experience our first bath with Tyler and Parker on Friday (12/19). They did such a great job and really seemed to enjoy it. The nurses taught us a method called "Swaddle Bathing" which basically involved us wrapping the boys up in a blanket and putting them in the warm water with the blanket still on. We'd wash an arm then put it back in the blanket, wash a leg then put it back in the blanket, and so on. This keeps the baby from feeling too free and helps them to relax during the bath. Of course, we got a couple of fun pictures to share.

Parker

Tyler

Our Amazing Boys!

We've had such a big week! The boys are both bottle feeding twice a day and on Monday 12/15 Tyler finished his for the first time. Parker hasn't finished one yet, but he is SO close. The great news is that they aren't having any problems sucking or swallowing while breathing...they just get pooped about half way through. Every day they get better and better and we know they'll be sucking them down in no time. The open air crib is going very well and they have had no problems holding their heat in since the big move. Tyler hit 4 lbs Saturday (12/13) and Parker hit 5 lbs today (12/16). We also talked to the Nurse Practitioner today and she told us today is their last day of caffeine (which is supposed to help remind them to breathe). They have to be off caffeine for two weeks before they're allowed to go home so she told us that for now we're setting a tentative homecoming date of 12/30. They have to continue to hold their temperature well, take all 8 feeding by mouth, and be alarm free for 5 days, but as long as all that happens, we'll have our boys home for New Years! Keep your fingers crossed that they continue to do so well!

Open air crib

The boys sharing a crib

Tyler's first finished bottle

Daddy holding both boys for the first time

Go Longhorns!

Super Progress

Our last few visits with the boys have been fabulous! Our little Parker is off the oxygen and breathing room air! He's been doing great so far and we're so proud! There was a tornado watch a few nights ago and they had to move his bed to another pod away from the window, so now the boys are in rooms right next to each other. The neat thing about this is that the wall folds in so when we kangaroo the boys now, Matt and I can sit next to each other instead of across the hall seperated by curtains. Our boys got to see each other for the first time since delivery on December 9 and it was such a sweet moment to have my whole family together. At our visit last night the Nurse Practitioner said that she thinks the boys are ready to try bottle/breast feeding. I'm a little beat up from pumping, so breast feeding isn't quite an option yet, but we scheduled their first bottle feeding for 5:30 tonight. We're SO excited and can't wait for this big moment. When I called this morning to talk to the nurse, she told me the boys are now sharing an open air crib! This is HUGE! They're holding their own temp and getting to snuggle up close again. Go Boys Go! I've also been initiated in the mom club...Tyler peed on me on Tuesday and last night Parker spit up on my chest...More of both to come I'm sure!

Parker's NICU Pod

Tyler's NICU Pod

Parker nasal cannula free!

1 Week

I can't believe that it's already been a week since the twins were born...My how time flies! We had a great visit tonight and *MILESTONE ALERT* the boys are wearing clothes!!! They are so cute in their little outfits and poor Tyler is so tiny he could swim in even the smallest outfits we found. This is a big step for our little tykes because it means they are starting to hold their own heat. Their little incubators are still helping them out quite a bit, but we're taking baby steps towards them becoming big boys and getting to come home. Hopefully it goes well tonight and they can keep on moving forward. Here are some pictures of them from this evening.

Tyler

Parker

Parker bundled up

Tyler bundled up

Nursery Pictures

We finally finished the nursery today!!!

Happy Birth Day!

We are thrilled to announce the birth of our sons! Parker Kyle Higgs and Tyler Mathew Higgs were born on December 1, 2008 at 9:11 AM (yes, both in the same minute). Parker weighed in at 4 lbs 13 oz and measured 18 in long and Tyler weighed 3 lbs 12.7 oz and was 16 in long. Both babies came out screaming and we were instantly wrapped around their tiny fingers. They are in the NICU for now and we are not sure how long they will have to remain in intensive care, but the doctors have told us they will almost definitely be home by their due date (January 28). Parker needed a little help breathing to begin with and was put on CPAP for his first few hours of life, but he is now on a nasal cannula and doing very well. Tyler came out breathing room air and has remained on room air ever since. They will be allowed to come home once they are taking full feedings, can maintain their body temperature without assistance, and can breathe on their own without any problems. They are doing SO well and we're very proud of their progress. As of today, they are both still being fed through a tube in their tummies, but we're starting to work with them on nursing and will be trying bottle feedings within the next week or so. The doctors have also started both boys on caffeine to remind them to breathe (don't ask us how or why this works) and the doctors are adding calories to mommy's milk to bulk them up. We thought Tyler might be able to hold his own temperature this week, but found that he is just not ready and we need to wait a little longer before attempting again. They boys are in isolettes for most of the day, but every three hours they have a touch time where they are changed, fed, and we get a chance to hold them. We have sessions of "Kangaroo Care" where we have the babies placed on our chest skin to skin and we are able to bond and keep them warm with our own body heat. Mommy has gotten pretty good at changing diapers, but Daddy says that while we're paying these good nurses to take care of our kiddos, they should get to do the dirty work (HAHA). Life is a little hectic for our family right now, but we'll try to keep everyone updated here and post pictures so you can all watch them grow. We are so in love with our beautiful boys and can't wait to have them home. Hope you enjoy their pictures and thank you all for your support during this roller coaster of a year!

The twins' first picture. Tyler is on the left, Parker is on the right.



Mommy holding Parker for the first time.



Little Tyler in his bed.



Parker close up.



Tyler close up.

Happy Birthday To Me

Things are trucking along for our little family. I have the most amazing husband and I am 30 weeks and 6 days pregnant with our two baby boys. Those are the best birthday presents I could ever receive! We had a very eventful weekend full of contractions, shots of labor stopping medication, and a trip to labor and delivery. Ultimately, the boys decided they weren’t quite ready to meet the world, but we were pretty sure we had reached the end of the road at the time. I’ve been in the hospital for 33 days now and poor Matty is exhausted! We’re so lucky to have each other and the partnership that we’ve developed and miss each other terribly. We’re both very anxious to have our whole family all in the same place again. I’m attaching the picture taken at our 30 week mark…we’re getting HUGE! At our last weigh in Tyler weighed about 3lbs 3oz and Parker weighed about 3lbs 9oz. So far I’ve only gained 33 lbs…not bad for everything that is shoved into my tummy right now. Today at our check I had lost all my cervical length. It’s just a wait and see game now. We know the boys will have to spend a little bit of time in the NICU if they decide to come before 36 weeks, but we know they will be just fine in the end and we’ll be by their sides every step of the way.

28 Weeks and Update

Hello everyone. I guess I slacked off a little last week and forgot to post the latest belly picture, I'll make sure to post it at the bottom of this one. We are all doing well, 29 weeks tomorrow, so we're celebrating that milestone and thrilled that we've made it this far. I am still in the hospital and most likely will be until these boys decide to make their grand debut (so maybe even past 34 weeks like we were originally thinking). We are really hoping to get through November and our new goal is 32 weeks, but we are just taking one day at a time for now. I'm holding up well. I have lots to do to keep busy and my wonderful friends from all different states have sent me little care packages with fun stuff to entertain me. Matt is also doing his best to stay sane. He is obviously very stressed and busy, but his spirits are high and he's doing such a good job balancing everything on his own. The twins are doing fantastic! We have an ultrasound every Wednesday and last week Parker weighed about 3lbs 3oz and Tyler weighed about 3lbs 2oz. They are in the 75th-90th percentile for their gestational age, so they are HUGE! We're very happy to hear it though because we need them to be healthy and strong when they come out to brave the world. We also seem to have the shortening under control and haven't lost anymore cervical length, but this can change at any time, so I'm still on very strict bed rest. Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers. We will try to keep everyone posted as things change.

Hospital

Well, I had planned to be clever and was waiting until after my Hi Risk OB appt to post an update and belly pics for 26 weeks, but we've had quite a few surprises since then. Normally at my appointments the doctor checks the babies to make sure they are growing well and also checks each of their amniotic sacs to make sure they have plenty of room to swim around. Both babies are growing well and have space to wiggle, there are no leaks in either sac, and they are still very active and healthy. In addition to these two things he measures my cervical length and when he got to this measurement, everything changed. Apparently last time I saw him my cervical length was 37 mm and Friday 10/24 it was down to 16 mm. Anything below 25 is very scary for mamas who are not full term, so I am now on full bed rest and in the hospital. I will be here for at least two weeks trying to get the boys to 28 weeks because they are much more likely to survive once they reach that milestone. We are hoping to get them to 36 still, but right now we're just praying for two more weeks. I've been given a steroid series to try to beef up their lung just in case they decide to make an early entrance, but we've found that these shots make me have contractions (they got as close as 1 minute apart this morning), so I have another shot to counter act that side effect. Needless to say, I have been a nervous wreck and poor Matt isn't much better off. We hadn't packed hospital bags or anything like that (thinking that we still had plenty of time and things were going SO well). Matt has been busy running back and forth to our house (which is about an hour away) trying to get me comfortable and also dealing with the home and all of the things that I took care of (laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc). Poor guy! Right now we don't know how long I'll be in the hospital except for the 28 week mark, but it's been hinted that I'll probably have to stay until I'm 34 weeks, so we'll see. Luckily, I have access to the internet and the unit I'm on has really gone out of their way to make us Hi Risk mamas super comfy. We can even have our pets visit for up to two hours a day, so I can't wait for Matt to bring Izzy. So that's where we are in life. Please keep us and our little boys in your thoughts and prayers. As excited as we are to have them here, we hope to still have quite a while before we meet them on the outside. I'll try to keep everyone up to date and will probably still continue belly pics if possible. In the mean time, here's my 26 week one from Wednesday.

Higgs Baby Shower

I had SO much fun at my baby shower this afternoon! It was hosted by the Higgs side of Matt's family and they really went all out to make this day special for me. Not only were the decorations beautiful, but the food was fantastic, and we were absolutely SPOILED by everyone who came. I cannot thank Jeannette enough for putting so much effort into this shower (and for our amazing stroller!). I just had such a great time and we got some wonderful pictures to share. Thank you to everyone who came for being so sweet and far too generous!

Work Baby Shower

Our first baby shower was this past Friday 10/10/08 and hosted by the lovely girls at my work. I had so much fun and got lots of advice and of course, tons of goodies! We also received the boys crib mattresses as a gift from Matt's Grandparents this weekend and we are SO thrilled (Thank You both so much). Babies R Us also called me this afternoon to let me know that our dresser is in, so tonight we'll be finishing the set up for the nursery! There will still be some decorations to put up here or there, but for the most part, we'll be done (I promise to post pics of the nursery when it's complete). How exciting! I've attached pictures from the shower. We had a fiesta theme, so the girls got a sombrero for my belly to wear (they only had one left at the store) and they also were able to pool together $300 for BRU gift card in addition to quite a few generous gifts! We're SO very grateful to the amazing people I work with. This will all be a HUGE help in the months to come!

24 Weeks-Belly Pic

So here we are at the 6 month mark! Who knew this time could pass so quickly? The boys are kicking up a storm and definitely have their own schedules without regards to mine. They are tons of fun and Matt is really enjoying watching my belly morph into polygon shapes and bounce around on a daily basis. He's even gotten Parker to respond to his taps like a little game between them. Tyler is so mellow and will kick and punch when you mess with him, but he's not nearly as tempremental as his brother. Too much fun!

22 Weeks-Belly Pic

So here's the latest pic of me and the boys. We are ever growing and having a blast doing so. They are super active and I'm loving all their little kicks and punches and know their little schedules pretty well now. We are busy preparing the nursery and were thrilled to receive the cribs as a gift from the boys' GG & Pop (My Grandparents) this week and get them all set up. A HUGE thank you to you both, I don't know what we would have done without this incredible gift. We decided to use Matt's childhood furniture in our guest room, so I ordered the dresser/changing table for the nursery this afternoon and hopefully it will arrive quickly because we can't wait to see everything all together! My first baby shower is next week and it will be hosted by my work friends. I can't wait!

20 Weeks-Belly Pic

Half Way There

Happy 20 weeks to our sweet baby boys! We had a LONG ultrasound yesterday to make sure they are well developed and still right on track and we're happy to report they are both just perfect. Right now Tyler weighs about 13 oz and Parker weighs about 14 oz, so they are keeping up with what a singleton would weigh at the same gestational age (I was given a very big pat on the back for this!) I found a way to upload a part of the DVD so I could share it with all of you. All you have to do is click on the link and it will take you to Photobucket and should automatically start playing the video. I will warn you there are some very close up shots of their little man parts, so don't be too shocked by this, they are definitley boys. I will also take a belly pic tonight so you can all see how we've grown in the last two weeks. I'm amazed at how quickly time is flying by and can't wait to meet our sons in the winter. Enjoy the show!

http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii71/aparliam/IVF/?action=view&current=TITLE01.flv

We're Back!

We finally got our new laptop (the old one turned out to be irreparable), so we're finally able to update everyone. Here are a few pics to show you how much we've grown. I even managed to get one that includes my face around 19 weeks!

The babies have definitely gotten stronger over the past few weeks and now instead of flutters, I feel kicks and jabs. Matt has even gotten to feel a few kicks and loves it! We're now almost 20 weeks which marks the official half way point. I can't believe how quickly time is flying. We've started buying nursery decorations and have even planned out where we want everything to go for the most part. Lots of excitement!