Eating

The boys are still doing very well. They are now eating a lot of their food by mouth. The last few nights Mike has given one a bottle and I breast feed the other. They let them try for 30 minutes and then they need to rest (it takes a lot of energy for them to try).

Nate is over 4 pounds and Will is getting close. Nate is growing at a faster rate than Will right now. They are spending about 12 hours of each day co-bedding.

We are having a great time with my family here. They are a ton of help. The greatest help is being here in the evenings so both MIke and I can go to the hospital. We are also having fun playing games, playing with Derek, and laughing a lot. Derek loves playing hide and go seek with Germa and Auntie Alli. It is a riot to watch as Derek does not quite get all the rules. Derek is very loved and doted on!

The bestest gift for Derek

Derek's best friend (with help from her mommy) bought him the greatest gift made for Derek... his own vacuum cleaner. Unlike his other one, this one makes noise. He literally spent 6 hours vacuuming on Christmas. Where does he get if from? He even instructs Germa on where to move the carpets to help him vacuum better. I am thinking a full size dyson for next year? He did get other gifts that he does play with but the vacuum is the best!

How little the boys are

Will and Nate are getting bigger (almost 4 pounds each) but are still tiny. Here is a pair of Derek's jammies that fit him snugly next to a onesie that fits the boys. Crazy!

Bill and Will

My Dad, William Isler, met his namesake on Christmas Day. He also got to hold WIll. It was the first time that a family member other than Mike and I could hold the boys. So Germa held Nate and Auntie Alli and Grampa took turns holding Will. Now that Grampa met Will we would like to announce the boys full names....


William Daniel Isler Christensen

Nathaniel David Christensen

The boys are now co-bedding as well. They are doing great and are mature enough to be together. Woo hoo! They are now both closing in on 4 pounds each as well!

Derek and his birthday cookie

Derek is 2 today!

2 years ago our lives changed forever. We received a wonderful gift in Derek. Having a baby does change everything. Derek is awesome. He has taught us so much. We are proud to be his parents. Derek is kind, compassionate, full of hugs and kisses, a great problem solver, and climbs everything. We love how protective he is of his friends and is kind to them. It is so fun to watch his personality unfold.

Dear Jesus, please help our Derek grow into a man who loves you, loves his family, and is kind to others. We want him to show others Your compassion and kindness. Help us to be the parents you want us to be. Help us model to him You.

Sleepy boys

Great news... Will is off his nasal cannula and Nate should be off his today! Woo hoo! The boys gained 1.5 and 2 ounces each last night. This makes them each over 3.5 pounds! Go boys. They are packing on the weight now. They both wake up 10 minutes before feeding time and start screaming- which really is a good thing- but not for the nurses. Will is starting to try to nurse with some success but Nate is not quite ready yet. The boys still have a lot to learn before they get to come home- probably around the end of January (30 January was my due date). To come home they need to: maintain their own body heat, nurse/eat on their own and be gaining weight, and breathe on their own without problems. Slowly we are getting there.

Mike has not been able to go the last few days as he is sick so Grandma has loved going with me every evening. Get better soon honey! My dad and Alli are coming tonight until Jan 1 for Christmas so we will have a fuller house- and tons of fun!

Don't you brush your teeth on the potty?

Derek is multitasking. He now loves to brush his teeth on the potty. He spends lots of time on the potty- usually playing. The best part is washing your hands afterwards! He is not getting the potty thing yet (he will get there when he is ready) but he certainly is practicing good hygiene.

It's a reindeer

Derek made a reindeer at school last week. He showed us how he did it as well He was very cute putting his put on the paper. Then we looked at the star he made. This too he thought he used his foot for. We were laughing pretty hard at it all. The teachers at his school are so creative!

WIll and Nate are one month old today!

Will and Nate are one month old and are doing great. Will is 3lbs 3 oz and Nate is 3 lbs 5 oz. They are going to wean them off their cannula and caffeine in the next few days. Both boys are much more alert these days and interacting with us.

Derek is his usual happy self. His latest achievement is to unlock and open the sliding glass door by himself. He now lets Alex the dog in and out (whether she want to go or not). He is very into bunny hopping across the room these days. He is a riot!

Loving the rain!

Derek got new rain boots from his best friend- they are yellow with monkeys on them. He also got the flashlight from the same family. They are both huge hits! Derek loves to wear his new boots all around the house. He also has found many uses for his flashlight. He is such a funny little monkey. He is also very happy. He is loving having Germa here. She is so much fun- she builds forts, reads books, and plays chase with Derek. We are very blessed!

Private room

The boys were moved to a private room yesterday. The NICU needed to make more room so the boys are in a quieter room. It is a bit tight for holding the boys but worth it. Will and Nate are both doing great. They are breathing well and gaining weight. Here are pictures from holding them tonight. The last picture is so you can see all the equipment that goes with each little guy. We are used to the beeps from each monitor and what they mean. We understand all the lingo you never wanted to know. We are used to holding them with all the wires that come along. We marvel each evening on how big they are getting.

We're each 3 pounds!

Will and Nate are doing well today and are each over 3 pounds! This past weekend was another matter entirely. It was a very difficult weekend for Will (and all of us). On Friday, Will's blood test revealed an infection raging in his body. Infections can be lethal (or have severe long-term effects) for preemies. The doctors started running lots of tests to determine the cause of the infection. Will was poked, prodded, put on 3 antibiotics, and had a spinal tap. All of the tests exhausted him, he didn't have the energy to breathe, and he needed to go on the ventilator. The 24 and 48 hour test results showed no infection. The good news was no infection (at all- the original sample was contaminated) the bad news was Will was still tired... 48 hours later Will was off the ventilator and back to his sweet self. What a turn around! It was quite emotional for all of us. This was the first setback we had (even though we have been told to expect them). On Thursday Will was watching us and interacting with us and 12 hours later was listless and pale. It hurt to see him. Yet babies bounce back quickly. Monday morning he was awake and aware. Last night (Tuesday) he was interacting with us, staring at us, and sucking his thumb.

Will and Nate are still on a nose cannula (that opens their nose with room air). They are having less episodes of not breathing (apnea). They are tolerating feeding well. They are more awake and active. It is precious to hold them and to watch them look into your face. Nate is getting his schedule and starts screaming 10 minutes before a feeding is to start. He is a bit of an angry elf. The pictures are from last night (Nate on top WIll on the bottom).

They are our boys; we are thankful for their lives.

Kangaroo time

We love holding all of our kiddos. Derek is a big snuggler. Will and Nate love the snuggles too. Each evening, we hold them kangaroo style- which is skin to skin contact. The boys do not like the transitions either way but settle quickly in. When Mike and I are both there, they have a double recliner so we can sit side by side (each holding a boy). MIke has been sick the last 2 nights so I have held both boys by myself. It was the first time the boys could snuggle each other since they were born.

Please pray for Mike to get better quickly so he can hold his boys. His mind knows it is best to stay home but the heart hurts. Please continue to pray for Derek with all the transitions in his life. Mike's mom is leaving this morning and my mom is coming back this evening. Please continue to praise God for how well all 3 boys are doing. The little guys need to add fat, continue to work on their breathing, and keep getting bigger. They really are doing great. Derek has a bit of a runny nose but is doing fine. We are so thankful for our boys!

Babies in clothes!

Will and Nate got to wear clothes for the first time. We still have not brought our bountiful supply (thanks to Germa and Granny) to the hospital yet. The NICU has a large supply too. Will was in trucks and Nate had animals on his outfit. The outfits were preemie/newborn size and were huge on them. It was adorable: the sleeves were rolled up to fit. It is a big milestone that they are ready to wear clothes. Good job boys!

DADDY?!

Derek was playing on his slide the other day. Mike came over to watch him. Much to Derek's surprise, Mike went down the slide. Of course Derek screamed and giggled (probably because Mike didn't get stuck). So Mike went down again. This time Derek jumped on Mike's calves and then on his back and went down. This went on and on. Then Mike grabbed Derek's ankles and went down after him. It was a riot to watch. We all had lots of fun!

Soccer Park

Derek, Germa (my mom), and I went to the soccer park this week to meet Holly, Sklyler, Imaya, and Linnea. Someone asking Imaya again if Derek and Linnea are twins. All the kids loved running around, playing with the ball, and learning t-ball. It is a great place to just let the kids run.

As we were getting ready to leave, Derek and Linnea grabbed each others hands and walked toward the door together. It was a great day.

My mom is officially germa. So is my dad. So Derek has 2 germas!

Little elves

Look at our sweet little elves! The boys continue to grow and improve. This morning they took them off their breathing help to see how they do. They will probably go back on again soon. It was nice to see their faces and compare them. We are starting to see subtle difference in their faces. Will (usually in a solid blanket) is gaining weight and doing great on his feedings. Nate (usally in a gingham blanket) struggles a bit more in gaining weight and keeping all his food down. Over all though each day they do a bit better.

Mike's fist is in the picture for a comparison. Their heads are in between our two fist sizes.

Derek is his usual happy singing self. He is adjusting so well to all the changes in his life!

Daddy and his boys

For those of you who have asked- after getting better MIke was able to hold both boys. He also took one day off to make sure he had no reaction to his H1N1 shot. Poor guy! Daddy loves his 3 sons!

Today we received a fun surprise when we went to the hospital. Both the boys were both taken off their CPAP (breathing help). It is likely that they will need to go back on them and back off in the next few weeks as their lungs continue to learn to work. The CPAP levels they have been on for the last week have been at room air so they only were on oxygen supplements for a few days.

We were at the hospital today so my mom could say goodbye to the boys. We are sad she left, thankful that she was here, and grateful that she will be back next week. Mike's mom is here with us for this week. We are thankful that both moms could come and help out.

The boys are getting bigger

Will and Nate are doing great. Will is back up to his birth weight and Natel is close. Their breathing is more consistent. They are doing great in the feeding department as well.

MIke has been able to visit again as he is feeling good. Mike always uses the thumb to pinky as a measurement. I make fun of him for using this. His fingers are 18 inches with both hands. The boys are clearly much smaller than this (about 15 inches). I am excited to keep taking pictures of him like this to see them "catch" up to Daddy's hands.


Thanks for the prayers. We feel them each day.