My NEW Everyday

New Sheriff In Town

Eric is no longer the "man of the house". Eric, Carson & myself are at the mercy of this little man . . . DEAN! He is a little too spoiled and we are all falling for it!

We're famous

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/health_science/story/1528006.html

Last Friday the Raleigh News & Observer did an article about the NICU at WakeMed. The hospital asked to showcase our family. These 2 pictures were in the paper. FYI - the one of Eric and Dean was the cover of the section and was HUGE! You know Eric loved that! The neat thing was that it was the day we left. A nice way to end our time at the hospital!

FAREWELL WAKE MED!

OK - - I'll type fast. I have t - minus 20 minutes before Dean needs to feed and from that point I'll have 30 minutes before Carson wakes up needing to feed. Then Meurice will get jealous that I haven't looked, petted, or even acknowledged his existence and he'll start going loopy! Not to mention I have 6 bottles that need washing (each bottle has 12 parts - who knew?) and need to wash the 34 burp cloths we have already gone thru this morning! The craziness has begun and I wouldn't have it any other way.

This past Wednesday - May 13th - we took Dean home. It was wonderful, but also a little heart wrenching to leave our little girl there. She just needed a few more days to work out her little kinks. We were hoping for Monday, but nope, she progressed so well we brougth Carson home just two later on Friday.

My Gran and mom were here thru the weekend and my mother in law Judi and cousin Alisha helped stock our fridge. Very helpful.

Eric took WED - FRI off, his "paternity leave" he called it. They are really good babies. They are on slightly different feeding schedules which makes the middle of the night extra exhausting. As of yesterday they both weigh exactly the same - -
5lbs 10 oz. They are getting so big! Dean looks so much like Eric, its hilarious! Carson looks like me and acts like me too -- lots o' attitude. We've gone on walks, experimented with the baby bjorn and gave them their first baths (Dean hated it and Carson acted like she was at a spa).

Welcome Home Carson & Dean!

My Very Special Mother's Day - - -

I've slacked on the postings the past few weeks because I am at the hospital every morning by 7:45 am and leave around 4pm and then head back up there again around 7:30 pm. Exhausting! This is to feed my little ones and because I hate being away from them. Not to mention, Eric's posting are better anyways!!!! What a great surprise!!!!

Basically the past few weeks have consisted of trying to transition them from feeding from the feeding tubes to, instead, feeding from bottles and breast. It feels like it progresses at a snails pace, but truthfully, they have come such a long way. Carson has always been our "better" eater, but they have definitley swapped roles there. This past Saturday, May 9th, Dean had gone over 24 hours without needing the feeding tube. When I came in early Sunday morning, MOTHER'S DAY, his feeding tube was GONE!!!! Not only was this FANTASTIC because he is ready to eat all his food on his own, but this was the very first time that I had seen my son's face without a tube on it. I never got the chance to see them during my delivery because they were swept away quickly. So here we were, 5 weeks later, I could see Dean's whole face. It was rather emotional. Let me tell you, he's very, very handsome. I thought that was the BEST Mother's Day gift! Carson was also taking every feed either by bottle or breast, but unlike Dean, couldn't complete the feed. She'd get tired and fall asleep and would need the remaining food thru the tube. Well, on Sunday the DR and nurses rounded and said it was time to take hers out too. They said it was the "sink or swim" approach. It was equally as special to see her beautiful face without the tube, however, I was nervous. So, instead of spending the full day there like I typically do, I left before the 3pm feeding. I was nervous she wouldn't be able to handle it and I didn't want to be disappointed. Well -- here we are 9 pm Monday night and she's doing great. She stepped up and is eating!! So - - for Mother's Day I got TWO beautiful children without feeding tubes who are eating like crazy!!! (Eric also got me a spa gift certificate that I can not wait to use, along with "our final supper" to Ruth's Chris).

Here are their beautiful faces without the tubes!!

Our Preemie Donna and Early Bird

My Gran sent Carson & Dean these adorable outfits. Hers says PREEMIE DONNA and Dean's says EARLY BIRD. They are made especially for preemies! How precious!!! They have matching pants that I can't wait to put them in.

Lauren's 1st Mother's Day

I know that this blog is Lauren's but I felt that I needed to make at least one post for myself. While this Sunday will be another Mother's Day for many, it will be Lauren's first and what a special one it will be. We have not been able to bring our babies, Carson and Dean, home but we have been with them from the very first day they arrived. And we cannot be more thankful of how far they have come and how quickly they are developing. I wanted to make sure that I expressed how much I admire, am thankful, and look up to Lauren each and every day. She is at the hospital everyday for hours on end doing everything she can to help our children stay on track with their feedings to make sure they get home sooner rather than later. It would mean the world to Lauren, and myself, to get them home for Lauren's first Mother's Day, but while this may not happen, it will be special all in the same. Lauren has shown me in this first month of being a mother what I already knew when we got married, that she is caring, comforting, loving, strong and has the patience needed to be a TERRIFIC mother. For this I wanted to thank her and let her know that all of her hard work does not go unnoticed. I love you! Eric

Lauren, don't celebrate early.

Being the most impatient person in the world, I am SO SO SO ready for Carson & Dean to come home. I have to remind myself to celebrate how far they have come and to remember that they "shouldn't really be here yet". Still, nothing more miserable than this whole thing. We are still "hoping / planning" for next week, after Mother's Day, but really WHO KNOWS?? DR says it's all depending on them taking each of their feedings by mouth. Right now, we are on every other. Today I bottle fed both of them for the first time - - I know Eric's looking forward to that as well.

Other news, Eric & I put the pack n play together and pulled the carseats out of the boxes this weekend. I need to swing by the fire-station to make sure we install them correctly.

Last but not least, my license expires on my bday (July 8) this year. That means I have to take a driving test. Note to self - - get that done THIS WEEK!! (I don't think I want to take 2 babies to the DMV with me.)