Derek holds his brothers

Derek wanted to hold his brothers this morning. This is him holding Nate. He was very sweetly stroking their heads. He also tried to teach them the motions to isty bitsy spider using their hands. It was pretty funny. This evening, Derek put the sling on and went to the babies. It was very cute. Derek really wants to help us with them. He always wants to see them when they are sleeping. He got his teddy bear out today and was putting a diaper on it. I think his teddy bear needs to start potty training like Derek is to help him!

All in all, it was a good day. The boys are eating every 3 hours during the day and every 4 hours at night. We are trying to keep them on the same schedule for our sanity. They are eating tons, sleeping well, and pooping all the time.

More firsts

Will and Nate have tried many more new things. While MIke, Derek, and I ate dinner last night, Will and Nate snuggled in the swing together. Thanks to Amy and Amanda for lending us swings. Then the boys had their first baths at home. There was lots of screaming. The boys did not enjoy being naked (like Derek was). After bath the boys ate and went to bed. Thanks Angie for the great swaddles and to Karen for knitting the boys their hats.

10 weeks old- or day 0

Will and Nate are 10 weeks old and at day 0 today. They are officially 10 weeks old from when they were born but they are at day 0 for their adjusted age. Today was their due date (actually Will's was 1/29 and Nate's was 1/31- what??). Because they are preemies they will hit their big growth and development markers around their adjusted age. So right now they are acting like newborns. We had the blessing to watch the boys grow for the 10 weeks I should have been pregnant. They are both doing great despite their very early start!

Yesterday I had the morning alone with them. Mike took Derek to school and then went to the auto show to do some research. It went really well but is very time consuming. I learned how to breastfeed one and give the other a bottle-at the same time. We have to give the boys fortified breast milk for their bones. They had some tummy and snuggle time and then took a nap. It was fine as long as I was very focused. I am very thankful that I didn't have Derek as well. How would that have worked? I am glad I have a few weeks to figure it all out.

First outing

We took Nate and Will on their first outing today. We went on a walk around the neighborhood. Nate (in blue) and Will look adorable in their buntings- thanks Nancy! The Phil and Teds' stroller worked great. Both boys were in the bassinet and Derek rode on top. Will screamed the whole way and Nate just chilled out. How do they sleep when the other is screaming right next to them? It was a fun but very short walk. The screaming took precedence over picture-taking.

The boys will not have many outings for the next 2 months. It is RSV season and RSV is the primary reason preemies end up back at the hospital- and very very sick. So we pretty much need to avoid public areas to keep the boys safe. These are the doctors orders (very strongly urged orders) for their health. So Mike and I will take turns each day taking Derek on outings. The Christensen 5 will not be out much. So if you live around here... come and visit.. but please call first! We would love to see our healthy friends!

Derek meets his brothers!

Derek finally got to meet his brothers. The Christensen five are together at last. Derek is not quite sure what to think. He is trying to be helpful. He brings us diapers, burp cloths, and pacifiers. When I am feeding one of the boys, Derek will come and rub my back and snuggle with me- or "comb" my hair with a spatula. He wanted to help Mike hold the bottle. Derek has lots of kisses for the boys. He also is not sure he likes the change in routine and not having our undivided attention. There are adjustments for all of us! Will and Nate decided to stay up most of the night to get to know their new surroundings. Thankfully they slept during part of Derek's nap so Mike and I could nap a bit.

It is a HUGE blessing having Mike home- for 5 weeks. Mike just got his sabbatical in December. Sabbaticals have been good to us- we met on the last sabbatical that Mike had- taken 1 year late. Mike is a wonderful daddy and Derek is so glad to have his bestest buddy home. The five of us are all adjusting but so thankful to be together.

Home!

Will and Nate are home!! We dropped Derek off at school and went to get our babies. They did very well for their first car ride (Nate is in the green car seat on the left). We are now home and they have both eaten and are napping (Nate is awake in the picture). Derek comes home in a few minutes to meet his brothers for the first time!

Thank you Jesus for bringing our boys home safe and healthy! Please pray for us as we learn how to care for our three kids and give each the attention and love they need.

Wed?

We are gearing up to bring the boys home on Wednesday. It really may be a go this time. Nate is 6 lbs and Will is close behind. The boys are actually going to weigh more than Derek did when we brought him home. They are doing so well. So hopefully 48 hours from now, they will be home!

Breathing better

Will and Nate are doing great (Will is on the left). They have had 3 days without having a breathing episode that required help. The doctors believe they have outgrown their apnea of prematurity and have been having spells with obstructive apnea (from reflux). They raised the height of their heads in bed to help with this which seems to be working. They are both eating very well and gaining weight (Nate is 5lb 14oz and Will is 5 lb 10oz). They were recently moved again (the 6th time). They are back in the regular part of the NICU after the overflow was closed. We are actually at a place we were before. It is not a private room and the boys are not enjoying the extra noise. They may need to get used to it- it won't be quiet around here with Derek.

Sticky rice tester

Derek enjoyed trying Vietnamese food and confirmed that the rice is quite sticky. He was a major mess but had lots of fun. Derek also saw a fire truck up close. The nice fireman showed him the different parts of the truck and gave him a sticker. Cool day.

No caption needed

Kids learn such much by observation. Derek is no exception. I came to the kitchen and Derek said pump mommy. I will use this photo later as bribery (think wedding slideshow someday). It really made my day and I laughed for hours.

Back to day 0

The boys both had an episode today so we are at day 0. The good news is that they had an issue at the hospital where they have excellent care. We will get them home... maybe next week.

The boys are coming- the boys are coming!

We found out this afternoon that the boys are coming home on Saturday! Their 2 month shots went well and their breathing has been good since 1/16. So unless something changes (and it could) the boys will be home on Saturday. We are thrilled and utterly terrified.

Hiding

Derek still loves hide and seek. He thinks if he can't see you then he is well-hidden. He took his bin out from under the train table and "hid" in there. He now loves to hide with Mommy or Daddy (mostly Daddy) while the other tries to find him. This is how it goes... Is Derek behind the curtains? Nooo (he yells from his hiding spot). And so it continues until you find him. It is precious.

Derek is starting to get the idea of the babies... He points to their pack and play and carseats and says babies. When you show him a picture and ask who it is he says Will and Nate. He says baby when he sees one when we are out and start giggling. I am pretty sure the reality will hit Derek when they are home and can't "return" them.

Cuddling?

After getting both boys changed and fed, I decided a little cuddling time was needed- with my supervision of course (Will is on the left). They had a wonderful time staring at each other's faces as they both were red-faced and grunting. Pooping with your brother is good times!

The second pic is of Nate. He is in one of the many preemie outfits that have been given to us- mostly from Grandmas (that is only about a third of them by Nate). The good news is that they have already grown out of half of them (different brands are very different sizes). We plan to leave the outfits at the hospital to bless other preemie parents. The boys are getting big- as evidenced by their chins- at least 4 between them!

They are both on day 3 of good breathing! They will get their 2 month shots today or tomorrow which may set them back a few days which is pretty normal. So we will see. We are getting closer but could still be at least a week from getting them home. We are still playing the waiting game.

No more cuddling

It looks like the boys could be home late next week! They are now sleeping on their back exclusively and in separate cribs so no more cuddling.

Starting to get excited...

We are starting to get excited. Nate has gone 3 days without any problems and Will is on day 2. If they keep this up, they could be coming home early next week. Yes they could be coming HOME next week. We are cautiously optimistic... but really hopeful!

Still waiting...

We are still waiting for our silly little monkeys to develop and grow out of their breathing issues. In the picture from last night, Mike is holding Will. Nate is in the dinosaur outfit- the outfit has the dinosaurs listed as snugglesaurous. Very cute. Nicole from church watched Derek so we could go to the hospital together- our first time since jan. 1. Come on babies...

5 lbs

Will and Nate keep gaining weight. Nate is over 5 lbs and Will is getting close. We are still playing the waiting game for when they come home. We are still on day 0 (of 5-7 for breathing without incidents) on getting them home.

I spent Saturday night with the boys so I could breast feed them for several feedings in a row. They both did great. Nate ate the most amount that he has yet- 3 ounces! We are going to be very very tired when they come home as it takes 1.5 hours to feed each of them, change diapers, and get them ready to go back to sleep. Sometimes even longer if they need a bottle. We are trying to catch up on our sleep now to prepare.

Derek is wonderful. He is breaking out new words every day. This weekend it was hospital, dinner roll, meatloaf, and mashed potatoes. He is our singing and vacuuming boy!

Preemie Mom

So this is not Biblically correct.. but I connect with it in so many ways... I am really not patient or selfless (and do have a bit of a potty mouth)! What are you thinking God? I know for sure that having preemie sons is in His plan and that he has carried us through this each day! I believe in God and trust Him with all of our boys. I also do not take so much for granted in the babies or in Derek-- now.

Did you ever wonder how mothers of premature babies are chosen?

Somehow, I visualize God hovering over Earth, selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation.

As he observes, he instructs his angels to take notes in a giant ledger.

"Beth Armstrong, son. Patron Saint, Matthew."

Marjorie Forrest, daughter. Patron Saint, Celia."

"Carrie Rutledge, twins. Patron Saint..give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."

Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles. "Give her a preemie."

The angle is curious. "Why this one, God? She is so happy."
"Exactly" smiles God.

"Could I give a premature baby a mother who knows no laughter? That would be cruel."
"But does she have the patience?" asks the angle.

"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she'll drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it."

"I watched her today. She has that sense of self and independence so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has a world of its own. She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."

"But Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."

God smiles. "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has the right amount of selfishness."

The angel gasps, "Selfishness?! Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she will never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect."

"She doesn't know it yet, but she is to be envied."

"She will never take for granted a spoken word."

"She will never consider a step ordinary."

"When her child says 'mama' for the first time, she will be witness to a miracle and know it."

"I will permit her to see clearly the things I see ignorance, cruelty, prejudice and allow her to rise above them."

"She will never be alone."

"I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."

"And what about her Patron Saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in the air.

God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

Getting closer...

WIll and Nate are getting closer to coming home. The only thing left on the checklist is breathing. They need to go 5-7 days without incident. They are currently altering the days they have incidents so we are still on day 0. We will get there and probably soon! They are eating very well... both at breast feeding and by bottle. We are so proud of our little boys!

Bed head

Derek woke up from his nap today with some serious bed head. He is adorable. He is busy singing his heart out lately. We love his little made-up songs that usually have one line from all the different songs he knows!

Stop squishing me

Mike got some great pictures last night. The boys moved again in the NICU. They are now in their own room in NICU overflow due to so many babies. I was not able to go last night or tonight as I have a bit of a cold. They are talking about sending the boys home - maybe even next week! Each day they are improving. They just had an important test that showed their eyes are normal. We are busy getting everything ready to bring them home!

The little snugglers

Now that they are getting bigger, we really see how alike Will and Nate look. They really look like Derek did as well!

In a crib

Will and Nate are now sharing a crib. The crib is huge so they look really tiny. Both boys are doing good. They both are taking most of their feedings by mouth. They are still learning to remember to breathe. This is the biggest issue they still have which is very normal for preemies. Thankfully the hospital does not send them home until they can breathe without episodes for 5-7 days. They are both controlling their body temperature well. They should still be home sometime later this month!

Hide and seek

So the next few blogs are short because I am so behind. I took everybody to the airport this morning. It is the first time in 6 weeks we haven't had a grandma here. It is quiet.

WIll and Nate are doing well. Will is 4 lbs 2 oz and Nate is 4 lbs 7 oz. They are doing well in their feeds Their breathing still needs a bit of improving.

Derek loves hide and seek. Someone takes him into the kitchen to count while someone else counts. Then Derek screams and runs. He needs a bit of help usually to find his quarry. Sometimes he gives up and the hider needs to jump out or he gets distracted and plays at the train table. If Derek hides he usually just screams and jump out of his hiding place. We all have been laughing hysterically at the game. All of us big people have gotten stuck in our hiding spots at one time or another. Now Derek just yells hide and start counting... two three or two four... So he has some of the numbers right :)

Snow!

We got 4 inches of snow this week. As usual Portland shut down. In Oregon's defense, the snow was not forecast and people were stuck. I heard many stories of 3 and 4 hour commutes. Crazy. It was the first night I did not get to see the boys since they were born as we decided to stay home. We tried to go to the hospital but realized after 1 mile that it was useless.

So since we were all home, we had a snow day. Mike, Derek, and Alli shoveled. Our driveway was the only driveway in the neighborhood that was shoveled. Everybody else waited it out and the snow melted the next day. Derek loved helping Daddy shovel. He was bound and determined to help and be useful. He did a great job. He really had to muscle the shovel to dump it but he made it work. We had tons of fun!

Zoo lights

We all went to see zoo lights with our dear friends Joe, Imaya, and Linnea. Derek has been saying Linnea nonstop for the last two weeks yet when he saw her he ignored her. Maybe he was just cold. We all had fun. Derek loved the lights. He kept asking for more.