The First (Minor) Setback

Hey everyone. This is Monica, and I just want to say in advance that I do not have my journal with me, so this might be the most raw blog you will ever read from me. =)

Many of you know that the last week has been a dream as far as the twins are concerned. They have eaten relatively well, never developed any sleep apnea, and never even developed very severe jaundice. We have been shocked and overwhelmed by how well our little preemies have adjusted to life. Nonetheless, we were shocked to get a phone call on Friday telling us that the boys would be coming home Sunday (today). We were far from prepared for them to come home. With all of my hospitalization and uncertainties, a baby shower never happened, and we didn't expect them to be home so soon so we hadn't done any of the shopping we needed to do. So, my mom took care of Cade on Friday; I missed the Egg Bowl for the first time in years; and Austin and I spent all day shopping and trying to organize. I was exhausted beyond belief, but everything seemed set for the boys to come home. Overnight Friday, however, David lost weight. Long story short, they didn't eat enough throughout Saturday, and even though he has regained his weight, the doctors do not want to send them home until they have a solid 24 hours of better eating.

When we first found that out his morning, I was devastated. I had just gotten so excited about them coming home and me finally getting some rest with them at home. However, the plan the doctors have for today is really good, and we are confident they will be discharged tomorrow. Despite the disappointment of this morning, as I type I am brought to tears by God's goodness. I am talking about two babies that almost came 2 months ago. We have seen babies in the NICU that are that premature, and it is overwhelming to know that God answered all of your prayers so that our children are not in that position. Even for 33 weekers, they are healthy. Their lungs and hearts are strong, and their bodies even had the strength to fight off the jaundice and keep it from getting to high. They've never even had a severe apnea episode, which is a miracle all on its own.

What I'm trying to say is that we've had a really hard time. During my bedrest and hospitalization I even had a hard time reading Scripture or having alone times with the Lord. I've been scared and stressed and in pain for longer than I knew was humanly possible. But here we are. I'm healthy, our boys are healthy, and it's all because of specific answers to prayers. I may not have had the easiest time spiritually, but I never felt abandoned by God. Our situation has been really tough, but it has not been the worst it could have been. And for the first time in a long time, I have seen God's overwhelming answer to prayer in my own life. In fact, He has proven that He has the power to do even more than I think to ask. He has taught about His love for me; He has taught me about walking with Him through pain and fear; and, as icing on the cake, He has given me the most precious children and the most wonderful husband.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers. I believe that each of you has played a vital role in the lives our little boys, and I am so grateful for you faithfulness to us and to the Lord.

David James and Jonathan Richard

Hey everyone!!! They are here!!! The boys were born at roughly 6:16 and 6:17 respectively. As expected they are in the NICU, but David has not needed any Oxygen, and Jonathan has only needed a little, and neither are on a respirator!!! They were 4 lbs and 4lbs 2 oz respectively. They are precious.
We came in last night contracting alot, and assumed that this would be it. However, by this morning the doctors figured not much else was going to happen, so they decided to just watch us and admit us to the hospital, figuring that things would stay pretty docile. Obviously, this was less than an exciting option for us. God however, had things his way. Monica's water broke around 4 o'clock or so, and that was all she wrote. By 6 pm we were cutting.
Monica is doing great and just resting, and dad is about to do the same. We figure the little guys will be here 3-4 weeks or so which means they could be home for Christmas. This raises another concern/worry. The boys being as young as they are, they are much more prone to lung problems. Smoking near or around them is a big no no, even wearing clothes that have been smoked in is a big no no. Monica's parents are smokers and there is really not much of a way that this is going to be easy. We have arranged a meeting with the physicians to discuss all of it, but pray that everything is handled with grace and that there is no strife as we all wish to keep the babies safe, and everyone feeling loved.
Thank you all so much for your prayers, we are so excited to welcome our two new little lifes into the world!

Home Sweet Home

Hey guys! This is Monica; I finally have the ability to blog a little. As most of you know, we were able to come home on Friday afternoon. Yay! It was such a huge shock. We had taken two tests that morning to determine whether or not we could come home. One had come out perfectly, the second not so much. We thought for sure we were stuck there at least another week or two. But, about 3:00 the nurse came in and said I was being discharged! I'm still on pretty strict bedrest and I have to us an at-home monitor once a day to measure my contractions, but the fact that we've gotten this far is such a miracle.

It's amazing what God has done. The doctors and nurses really thought I was going to deliver the night I went into the hospital. Now, 4 weeks later, they're talking about reaching 32 and even 34 weeks and beyond. What's really great is that my stress level is now significantly reduced. I feel a lot like I did the week before our wedding. In that case, I still had errands to run and small things to do, but all of the stress of planning a wedding was over. I figured if it wasn't done at that point it wouldn't get done. Now, I've worked hard for 5 months to keep these babies in. I still want every day we can get, and I'm going to keep doing all the things I need to keep them safe. But, the stress of whether or not they'll be okay is gone, and I can focus instead on being excited about their arrival.

Thanks so much to all of you who prayed for us and provided for us while we were in the hospital. It is truly thanks to your prayers that we made it this far.