5 Weeks - 5 Pounds

So over the weekend we had a few experiences, some awesome and some not so much.

Not So Awesome: I had some issues being sick on Saturday and didn’t get to go visit my boys. I woke up feeling stiff and exhausted and freezing. It wasn’t anything crazy, I slept it off and was fine that night. I think it was just lack of sleep finally catching up to me in full force.

 

Mike was wide awake and wondering what was I was doing with my phone.

Awesome: Zed’s sister Renee, his brother Colton, and our newest sister in-law Kenzie came all the way down to visit us and brought MR J with them!! It made me SSOOO happy to have that amazing, sweet, funny, sensitive, snuggly, 5year old, kindergarten going boy here with me for a small time. They came Saturday night, went to church with us on Sunday and joined us at the hospital before they took off for home with Mr J and Otis.

I've noticed that Will likes to have his hands close to his face a lot: when he is sleeping, sucking on his pacifier, and when eating (although this one makes feeding time harder because his hands get in the way, haha)

Not So Awesome: We found out that Mike and Will’s blood counts have been low. They literally might not have enough blood flowing through their tiny little bodies. This is somewhat common in preemies who have had a lot of blood draws, sometimes they just aren’t able to make enough more blood for themselves in a timely manner. The doctors have avoided getting blood work done to check their blood counts because then they are just taking more blood out of the babes that need so much of their blood. Anyway, they are getting their blood checked this morning and I am hoping that they will have some results in while I’m at the hospital this afternoon. We are just hoping that their blood counts are high enough that they will not be needing a blood transfusion, but it is a possibility.

Mike (L) and Will (R). These guys have had subtle physical differences that were making it easier to tell them apart, but they change so much that those differences come and go. Don't be surprised to find one of them with a sharpie mark on them some time (courtesy of Zed) to tell them apart...he just might do it.

Awesome: Zed and I got to have a date to have some dessert at the Cheesecake Factory! Mostly this is a direct result of Zed loving me unconditionally, and being an amazing, fantastic man. Also, I am pretty much incapable of not eating chocolate all day long. It was delicious.

Me and Mike. Yesterday I spent ALL afternoon with these boys. After playing with me for a long time earlier in the afternoon they both were completely worn out. It worked out well that they are still allowed to be fed from the tube every other feeding, because neither one of these boys was going to wake up to eat after our afternoon of being awake and playing.

Not So Awesome: I sent Zed, Mr J and Otis all home over the weekend. Zed will be coming back later this week, but Mr J and Otis are busy in school now. I miss them soooooo much!!!! I love my boys, every single one of them.

 

See what I mean about Will and those hands? Precious, right? Yeah.

Awesome: Both Mike and Will broke the 5lb barrier! Mike is now 5lb 2oz and Will is now 5lb 4oz!! We took time last week to pick out new infant car seats that are rated down to 4lbs, and now we can go look for ones only rated at 5lbs (because they are a little less expensive) if we want. We might stick with the other ones we already like though. They have both gained more than a pound and a half over their birth weight.

All 4 Boys. All of my kids. One picture.

Awesom-est: All 4 of my boys got to meet each other! This is basically the highlight of, well, EVER! We did not expect this would happen. While Zed’s family was taking turns coming into the NICU and holding Mike and Will, someone was always out in the lobby with Mr J and Otis. Our babies are set up right next to a window, so we asked if we could just open the blinds so that the big boys could see their brothers. They were so excited and so happy to see the babies! The nurse actually then let us bring Mike and Will over to the hallway just outside the NICU door. She brought the babies and I got to walk the older boys in. We all stood in the hallway. My entire family together, for the first time since our new additions! It was wonderful. Otis of course lost interest after not too many minutes, but Mr J was quite a bit more interested in those sweet babies of ours. It makes me so incredibly anxious to bring them home and get to be a family all the time!! Bless that nurse of our though that made that moment possible for us. It was the best thing ever.

Our first family picture! Please excuse the 3year old with hands in his pants. It took quite the effort to get that smile, which only appeared after Zed threatened to take back his EASTON hat, which Otis had confiscated as his own a few days before. I'm pretty sure I'm holding Will and Zed has got Mike, but I'll be honest, we were so excited to get a family photo in that neither of us even took the time to look at who we had.