3 Months

Chlowie

Hayley

2 Months old, visiting friends, and cloth diapers:

Chlowie

 

Hayley

 In June(2012 yeah that's how far behind we are) Amy came to Utah to visit. She had her second baby boy just a week or so after the girls were born. He is a BIG kid, especially next to my petite little girls!

Chlowie, Clark, Hayley

Amy and Brigham

 Here are the girls rocking my favorite newborn diaper brands, Chlowie is wearing a Lil Joey, and Hayley is wearing a BumGenius newborn diaper. I love using cloth diapers, it is a lot more laundry but they are cute, less expensive (in the long run), and we are saving the earth! :)

Two month old "Newborn" pictures

So my sweet cousin was just getting started with her photography business, and offered to drive over and take photos of the Chlowie and Hayley. It took a long time for the girls to cooperate, but once they did she captured some adorable moments. Here are a few of my favorites from the hundreds of photos she sent me! 

Home at Last! and a protest beard!

This was our first morning back at our townhome in Roosevelt. The first night we were just a family of 4, and the girls "slept" in their cribs. I was clearly tired, and enjoying a snooze with my babies!

After the girls were born Benjamin decided to let his facial hair grow until they were discharged from the hospital and we were home. Here are the pictures of his "protest beard":

The day the girls were born

1 week

2 weeks

3 weeks

4 weeks

5 weeks

6 weeks

 As you can see, it was getting pretty scary by the end, so I added that to my reasons I was glad the girls were finally able to come home!

Here are a few more picture from our first few days home:

This is why people think twins are fun, look at them all squished together in a bouncer!

 And here is Bella, "protecting" her babies!

Hospital "Newborn" Photos

Obviously with the girls prematurity we couldn't have the traditional few days old newborn shots that are amazingly beautiful! So we had the photographer from the hospital come in and do some photos for us. These were taken a few days before Chlowie and Hayley turned 1 month old. I used some iron on decals from Joanns to make their little preemie onsies, and Benjamin's sister Kim made us the adorable headbands. 

Chlowie

(I thought this picture was so funny. She was not fond of this whole taking picture experience.)

Hayley

(This is the "we're trying to use the binky to soothe her and then pull it out and snap a quick picture" face.)

NICU

Some day I will be caught up...I swear!

Because Chlowie and Hayley were born 7 weeks early they were wisked away to the NICU (Neonatal Intensice Care Unit) the second they were born. Luckily I was able to have 1 steroid shot so they were in pretty good condition. Neither one needed any oxygen, and Hayley was only on the CPAP for a few hours. As far as the doctors were concerned, they were feeders and growers. Which means they needed to learn to eat on their own, gain weight, and maintain their own temperatures.

The next 5 weeks and 4 days were some of the hardest days of my life. I would not wish the NICU on my worst enemy. Because the girls were in isolets to help maintain their temperatures we were only able to hold them for about 30 minutes twice a day. Benjamin was driving the 3 hours back home every Monday so he could work during the week, and then 3 hours back on Friday night to spend the weekend with the girls and I. We also had to get a new car because of a car vs. deer incident while Ben was driving home the day I was discharged from the hospital.
And then about 3 weeks later someone turned left in front of us and we hit them in our new car (we were on our way to the hospital to see the girls). Luckily no one was injured, but it just felt like the world was not being very nice to us.

Anyway, here are the highlights of our NICU days:

Not enjoying their first baths:

Hayley

Chlowie

 Getting some sun:

Hayley

Chlowie

 Kangaroo care (the first time I got to hold them at the same time), seriously one of the BEST moments of my life!

The hospital the girls were born at was extremely busy, so they offered to pay to have them transferred to a hospital closer to where I was staying. So at 4 days old they had their first ambulance ride!

All snuggled together for the ride:

                                         

 First bottles!

4/3/2012

Chlowie

Hayley

 

First time wearing clothes!

4/4/2012

Hayley

Chlowie

First time snuggling together:

                                          

 Easter:

 

No more feeding tube!!

Hayley (4/11/12)

Chlowie (4/19/12)

Chlowie's discharge day: 4/24/2012

 1 Month Old:

Hayley in the hospital

Chlowie at Grandma and Grandpa Great's house.

Hayley's discharge day:

5/03/2012

Leaving the hospital for good!