Our 2 weeks old preemies

I can't believe that it's already been 2 weeks since giving birth to these two! They are just extremely precious and never cease to amaze me! Each day they get stronger and stronger, bringing more joy into our lives. 

Kamdyn went from struggling to catch up with her brother to passing him by in a flash. She came off of her oxygen and never looked back. Their goal for this past week was to come off of the iv fluids and nipple from a bottle at their feedings. She took to it right away which allowed for me to start breast feeding her right away as well. That first try of nursing was just prefect. It's been 10 years since the last time I nursed and I had forgotten just how special it is. Her eyes looking up at me, creating a bond like no other. For being premature she is nursing really well. If I am available for a feeding at the hospital she usually nurses for 15 to 20 mins, and takes half of her bottle or more. I try to get in at least one feeding per day but have been there for 2 most days. Kamdyn is now up to 4.6 lbs and we were told there's a chance she can come home this week.

Andrew is still just a chill little guy! This has made it a little more challenging for him at this stage. He has the same goal as Kamdyn to nipple each feeding. Now, because premature babies are so small what happens is the energy it takes to nipple, swallow and breathe burns a ton of calories and exhausts them. This is what is happening for him. He will take a bottle for his first feed then feeding tube the next because he's so tired he doesn't even wake up to eat! He's just chill! Drew is still gaining weight up to 4.1 lbs and taking more and more each feeding so he's moving in the right direction which we are so proud of.

This week we were able to hold them side by side for the first time and the older kids were able to come to the nicu window to see them. It's funny since having them we go in to visit everyday but you forget they are twins because they are away from each other. Phil and I just think of them as two babies. We are so excited too bring them home to really experience this crazy journey! The older kids were amazed at how small they are. Each of them said in pictures they don't seem that small. They are dying to love on them and be helpful big siblings!

That's the update so far! Phil and I are holding up well. He is back at work for now which he says is hard because he thinks about them constantly. I spend my days at the hospital and my evenings with the kids at home, my nights are spent pretending like babies are here pumping every 3 hours. Our freezer has turned into a milk factory! I am staying unusually strong for most of the week and then I have one night of tears. It makes it hard to talk about because of course I know the twins are doing amazing and will be home soon but there is still a void in my life right now that I don't know how to fix. Soon enough they'll be home and the tears will be coming still because twins I have heard will do that to you, lol! Whatever the case I'm ready to bring my babies home. Hopefully next week their 3 week pictures are side by side in our home!

Kamdyn Louise 2 weeks old, going to town on her hand looking for more food. A heifer just like her sisters, lol!

Kami

Andrew Randall 2 weeks old, precious angel!

Love this blankie he has on.

First picture together

Those sweet eyes that stare up at me as I nurse

Isn't this outfit adorable!

Kami lou and Drew are 1 week old

Yesterday the Bardos twins turned 1 week old and 33 weeks gestation! Those of you who are unfamiliar with preemie babies they are aged in gestational weeks until they become full term. We learned this a little bit when our great friends the Rucker family had their twins at 25 weeks. I'm happy to report they are 2 years old and thriving.

At this point Kamdyn and Andrew are just defying the odds and getting so much stronger each day.

Kamdyn is gaining weight lost back but not quite to birth weight, she is 4 lbs 3 oz. She was known as the princess or diva of the nicu because she just wanted the nurses attention with her little whimpers. She has now calmed down and is a little more relaxed. She had to be under the jaundice lights for about 3 days, her numbers went up adding one more day then her brother. Her iv came out today and she lost her nasal cannula yesterday. She only has her feeding tube now. Her feedings are full feeds about 1 oz and she does not leave any residual food in her belly which means she is digesting wonderful. Her face without all of the tape is just beautiful!

Andrew continues to be the rockstar! He was taken off oxygen and his nasal cannula at the 3 day mark. Then a day later no more iv. He is on what they call a fast track for feedings, increasing almost every 12 hours. His weight is still a little off of birth weight, weighing 3 lbs 9 oz. His personality is so chill. I was able to spend one day with him this week where I changed his diaper twice, held him for 40 mins and he didn't make a peep. He is just adorable.

Thank you for all of your prayers. We still have at least a two to three week journey ahead in the nicu but we're past what I would consider the scariest moments. As for rest of the family, Phil and I are doing great.  We try to visit them at least once per day sometimes twice. The kids are dying to meet their little siblings but being very patient checking on them all the time with the nicview website. We can't wait to bring them home.

Kamdyn under lights still

Kami lou

Andrew chilling

Drew

Drew in a preemie beanie that's still too big!

Kami with her beautiful face!

The twins have arrived

I know I haven't been keeping up on my blog at all but life just catches up with you and goes forward full force sometimes. Now here I sit in a hospital room, it's midnight and I just want to share the blessing of the past few days.

The Bardos bunch welcomed the twins into the world a few days ago. They were born on December 27, 2014 at 4:25 and 4:27 pm. Soon enough I will give details of the day but for now here is where we stand!

Kamdyn Louise weighing 4 lbs 9 oz came out first. She was a true fighter, being only 32 weeks along, they didn't quite get the steroid shot through my system long enough that it could truly get to the babies. But Kami still came out breathing just fine. She got wrapped up tight and I was able to snuggle my face next to hers for a bit in the surgery room. Since arriving she has struggled a little. She wasn't able to keep the air circulating so they placed her on oxygen to help her out. It has taken her a few days but she is now getting the hang of things and is breathing with just a little push of air but circulating her own oxygen. She is absolutely beautiful, she has the darkest hair, little squinty eyes and she hates being unwrapped. Of course we have fallen in love.

Andrew Randall came into the world just after his sister weighing 3 lbs 15 oz, almost 4 lbs...he wasn't quite able to get the oxygen flowing right away and was placed on oxygen immediately. I got a quick glimpse of him in the surgery room but then off he went with Kamdyn and daddy to the nicu. Since, he has just proven to be a rockstar! He was very shortly off of the oxygen and push of air and been breathing on his own since that night. He keeps all his stats up where they are supposed to be. He is very chill and relaxed almost all of the time. Today they had their first feeding day with breast milk into their feeding tubes and boy did he digest it right up. He's been able to go right into the next feedings without any problems. Andrew's hair is a bit lighter and he likes to keep his light eyes open a lot during the day. He is just so handsome I can't get over it!

Phil, the kids and I are all doing great. I decided to stay one more night in the hospital to be close to them. I'm really pushing myself to pump away and give these babies as much of my milk as I can. I can definitely say it has been a few days of roller coaster emotions for me. Being a mom is one of the best gifts in the world, and I have 6 amazing children already to show for that. I may not have given birth to each one but I have fought for them, protected them, loved them, nurtured them and will continue to for the rest of their lives no matter how old they get. But these last few days have been difficult, here you carry these beautiful humans inside of you for whatever the time frame God allows, then they enter this world and it took me a while to truly understand my role. The nurses and doctors are directly in control of their daily lives, we have of course only dealt with amazing nurses and doctors, but for a mom you feel lost. What can I do to protect them and show them I'm here. But the most amazing thing I just witnessed walking into the nicu at midnight to hand over my one thing I know I can give them, milk, was that they know I'm here for them! God already taught them who I am and all I had to do was say hello and I love you too both of them and I could tell they heard me and reacted to my voice. As we continue to visit as often as we can in the nicu, I'm confident they will just get stronger and stronger and be ready for anything this world throws at them! They better be because their 7 siblings are just dying to meet them face to face and smother them with love and kisses!

Andrew

Kamdyn

Week 23...Sorry lots of missing weeks

Life has been overwhelmingly busy. We got the new house, have been doing some clean up work on it, watching the contractors tear it apart and begin putting it back together through renovations, done 2 weddings, threw a fall festival at kids elementary school, Halloween, had our 2nd oldest begin applying for college, she received her first acceptance, oh and the babies are growing like crazy inside of me! Lol

I haven't been keeping up with my blogging at all because I rarely have time to sit at my computer. These pictures are from week 23. We attended a Halloween party. So it's not exactly my picture next to my board and black does wonders to disguise my tummy but here it is!

Renovating and cleaning begins

We are so excited to announce that our long awaited short sale is finally over...we have been in the short sale process on our new house since February 3rd! That's a total of 9.5 months! Yes, it has felt like forever. Our patience almost wore out and we began looking at other properties. We had found a second home we liked but just couldn't decide what to do...this is where this crazy journey gets confirmed to us as a true blessing!

I believe it was 3 weeks ago, on a Monday, we went into our church to meet with our pastor. We had gotten to the point that we just didn't know what to do with the short sale property and this new house. The new house was ready to move in, had great features for our family, we could hold small events if we wanted to but I just want sold. Phil definitely was! The other house (short sale) worried us because we knew we had 3 months of renovations which put us moving in around Christmas, which is also pretty close to when we expect these twins to arrive. I kept trying to have faith that God always has a plan that is larger than we know, he wouldn't have blessed us with twins if he didn't think we would have a home to bring them into. Phil was mostly worried about me, the stress of moving really pregnant and renovations while knowing the twins are on they're way. So this was why we went to meet with our pastor. We asked him about our prayers and really how to know when God was speaking to us. Pastor Tom, was in the middle of telling us how it's ok to ask God a specific question in your prayers and then move forward if it is not answered. If God does not want us to change our path he will guide us in the direction he wants us to go one way or another. Then as he was telling us this Phil receiveda text from our realtor. Lisa told us that the short sale house was ours and escrow would begin the next day!

Here is the beginning of we started!

18 Weeks...22 weeks to go! OR LESS!

I can't believe it's been 18 weeks already.  We are almost to the halfway point, I'm sure for me and my body probably to the halfway point!  Plus for twins full term is actually 38 weeks, so one more week to the exact halfway mark.  So no more waiting here it is....

 

 

This is actually a picture of a tiny belly and this week I have had more than one of the kids say wow mom you're BIG!  I keep telling them, just wait.

 

 

This week was actually such an amazing and exciting week...we found out that our expansion is now bigger than ever, we got our new house and close escrow this next week.  Now I get to add the renovations to the blog, it's going to be a fun few months!  And stressful! 

 

 

Now let's talk the symptoms and fact for the week:

 

For the most part it's been a really great week for aches and pains.  I did spend most of the week in a business convention which just heightened my back pain.  This week has had a little more nausea, usually if I am not eating soon enough that's when I get nauseated. Other than that just my lower left side of my back. I can't wait to have extra time and money to go spoil myself with a massage! Soon enough! 

Headed home...

I'm finally headed home after being in Vegas for a few days at a wedding business convention. I am so excited to see my kids and hubby!