Christmas 2011

What a wonderful holiday!! I can't believe Christmas has come and gone. It was so special to celebrate the boys' first Christmas. I'm not really sure they had any idea what was going on, but we loved every minute.

The boys got a new wagon for Christmas!! I know we'll get a lot of use out of this!!

The babies LOVE their daddy so much!

What a memorable year!! We're so thankful for all of our family and friends!!

October!

I can't believe we're already in November! October was a fun filled month. The boys are developing so much of their personalities already. At this point, Luke is soo tender-hearted. He loves to snuggle, he is soft-spoken and he grins with the hugest dimple. William makes me laugh all the time. he is full of energy, such a wiggle worm and laughs with his whole belly!

We took a trip to San Antonio to see the family! This is papa with his two great-grandsons. He couldn't be happier. They were angels on the drive, both ways. They loved San Antonio, and hope to go back for many more visits.

Aunt Marie and Uncle Paul joined us for dinner. The boys melted down around dinner time, and Aunt Marie and Uncle Paul joyfully bounced them around and walked outside to calm them down. They are such naturals!!

We started solid foods!! We're only on day 6 at this point. But William LOVES it. He has never turned down a bottle, and is always hungry. So naturally he is a fan of the good stuff. They have tried rice cereal, carrots and pears. I am going to attempt making my own baby food. So far it has been really fun, and I'm getting the most use out of my food processor!!

For Halloween the boys had two costumes! They had pumpkin costumes, which they wore to playgroup, and peas in the pod costumes which they wore to their pediatrician 6 month check-up. For actual trick-or-treating (which only involved family and neighbors), we did one of each. The picture with Lane was the beginning of meltdown. They were pooped! Mommy dragged them all across the city in these costumes, and they were ready to go home!!!

WOW!! TIME FLIES

Wow!! time really flies when you're having fun! Our last 3 months have been such a blessing, and we are so thrilled to have William and Luke in our lives. I kind of can't remember what life was like without them...:)

Now that the boys have a little bit more predictable schedule, I'm going to try to blog a little more. But where to begin? I figured I'd start with a couple pics over the last couple of months!

William's first bath at home!!

Posing for portraits!!

First (of many) trips to Northpark

Sip and see William and Luke

First trip to the ranch! They loved swimming!!

Trip to Aspen with Lou Bob and Lita

Baptism!

Stay tuned!!

Much love and thanks for all of your prayers!

me:)

HOMECOMING!!

I will definitely post more later, but I wanted to thank everyone for all of their prayers, love and support! Luke came home this afternoon! We are so excited!

Hernia Surgery

We are loving having Mr. William home! It is the biggest blessing, and I feel like we are adjusting to the routine. Thankfully, it has been a smooth transition, and almost nice to have one home before two. Its been good to learn what its like to wake up with him at night; how to bathe in our sink; what the perfect bottle temperature is; etc. However, it has been almost two weeks, and we are soooo ready to get Luke home too.

We are not able to take William to the hospital, so my sweet mom has organized a system to distribute Luke's feedings between all of our family members. The grandparents are rotating who goes up to hold/feed Luke, so that I can stay home with William. Cole and I get up there about once a day (and one of them watches William). We could practically make a spreadsheet out of our schedule. But, it means the world to us because we know Luke is being loved.

On Tuesday, we learned that Luke developed an inguinal (groin) hernia. This is very common in premature babies. His hernia was on his right side, and they had to surgically fix it. Luckily, they got him on the surgery schedule right away, and he went into surgery yesterday afternoon at 430. They repaired his hernia, as well as reinforced the muscles on the other side too. Luke did amazing! They were able to use local anesthesia, and he recovered beautifully. He was feeding and eating again after midnight! The doctor said typically this will push back their homecoming 24-48 hours, but he said that Luke did so well, it shouldn't delay him much at all.

Luke is such a happy baby! Right before his surgery:)

We are hoping he will be home in the next week! Please continue to pray for his stamina in eating and his cooperation with the bottles:)

We are great at home. We are having a blast with William. He fits so well into our lives, and I can't imagine what we did without him! He's brilliant already, he loves to wiggle and is developing strong neck muscles. I swear he's about to roll over. He's perfect!

William and Daddy watching a soccer game

William is pooped after his tummy time!!

Thanks for all of your prayers. We feel so blessed!

Much love,

me:) and William (...he's on my lap)

William is home!!

William looks tiny in his crib!!

Wow! We have had such a wonderful week. It has flown by, and has been filled with many wonderful visitors and special memories.

William and Luke met their great-grandparents (my maternal grandparents) on Thursday. Annie and Papa flew in from San Antonio for the day, just to meet the boys. They insisted on seeing them in the hospital, and when they heard discharge was on the horizon, they jumped on the plane!

Annie and Papa with the boys. I will forever treasure this picture.

It was really neat to have four generations together. It took me a little while to process this blessing. When I look at the pictures, it overwhelms me with joy and love. I love the people in those pictures with such a deep love. It was so exciting to have them there and for them to get to know our little boys. But, even more I was so proud for our boys to meet my amazing grandparents. We all ooohed and aahhed over their every little detail...their fingers, their eyebrows, and even their chin dimples.

Also, on Friday, we received the great news that William would be sent home!! We brought him home Saturday afternoon, and it has been the greatest father's day gift ever! You don't realize how wonderful something is, until you actually have it. And now, it is AMAZING having William here at home with us! He has had so many visitors and I think this will be helpful to have one at a time. We are learning the ropes and routine with him, and once Luke comes home, we won't be totally thrown into the fire.

Having William home is such a blessing! This is WAY before our original mid-July date. However, it is really hard having the boys in separate places. Please pray for my contentment and trust since Luke is still in the hospital. We can't bring William up there, and so I am, for the most part, at home. I will go see him at least once a day, but I can't spend all day up there like I'm used to. It breaks my heart.

William is relaxing at home with his mommy!

The doctor told us not to compare the two. Luke is still doing great, but just needs more practice on his feedings. The doctor still can't predict when he would come home because Luke wears himself out when he feeds and isn't completing the bottles. My personal prediction (this is just a guess) is 10 days. But, we'll see. Pray for Luke!

Luke and William's last picture together at the hospital

Thanks for your love and prayers! Happy Father's Day!

me:)

our little punkins

Our little boys are too cute for words. We're having so much fun loving on them and trying to pinpoint their similarities and differences. They are so alike already- they're very laid back, gentle and so interested in what is going on around them. We are excited to get to know their personalities even more as they grow.

The boys are working on taking bottles. Every meal is pretty unpredictable. Sometimes they will take the whole bottle, and sometimes they will look at the bottle, put it in their mouth, and have no idea what to do. Its all about practice, and we're just enjoying participating in their growth.

We CANNOT wait for them to come home!! We wanted to share some more pictures because we've gotten some requests for more of their precious faces:)

zzzzz.....William....they sleep about 21-22 hours a day

zzzz....luke....they don't wake each other up (yet)

cole's dad brought the boys texas tech bibs...wreck em william

luke and lou bob

wreck em...Luke!

xoxo,

me:)

1 month!

William and Luke turned 1 month on Sunday. We cannot believe how fast time is flying. Just a month ago, we received the greatest blessings, and our lives have been forever changed.

It is truly amazing to think of how much we have grown as a family over the last month. The Lord is so faithful. First, he continues to give us a glimpse of the amazing love that he has for us, as we experience love for our own boys. He also has carried us through the last month with minimal sleep, a busy world, and ever changing boys with his perfect steadfastness and consistency. His promises and mercies are new each morning, and we see this more clearly. Finally, he continues to provide for and protect William and Luke- we are a family of four now, and the Father has known our every step since before the beginning of time. Thank you!

William and Luke are progressing steadily. As of today, William weighs 4lbs 5oz and Luke weighs 4lbs 14oz. They are starting to fill out their little faces. The remaining challenge will be the "suck, swallow, breathe" coordination. We started them on bottles yesterday. Their first bottle was quite successful. They each took about 1/3 of the bottle, and the rest was put through their tube. But, the staff told me (about a hundred times) that this will be a long process...they will have no consistency in their feedings and some days they may drink it all, and some days they may drink none. At this point it is all about practice, practice, practice!!

William is wearing brown, and Luke is in green. Luke was WIDE awake and such a wiggle worm for the pictures!

Healthy newborns do not develop this "suck, swallow, breathe" reflex until about 37-38 weeks, so we are trying to teach them, but can't expect much. Its really hard work for them, and I want to remember this as we start this road. Please pray for patience for Cole and me, as well as development for the boys.

Thanks for everything! Enjoy their one month pictures!!

xoxo

me:)

new cribs!

William and Luke have been staying in isolettes since they have been born. These incubators help to control their temperatures since they are unable to do this on their own. They attempt to simulate a womb-like environment. When we are not there the incubators are covered with dark blankets, so it is very warm and very dark inside.

William and Luke in their new hospital cribs!

Well...the boys have made another giant leap!! They are now out of the incubators and in regular cribs. This means that they can maintain their own temperatures and they are getting more accustomed to the light. It is so fun because now I feel like they can hear us better and they're more in touch with their environment.

Also, today was the first day that the boys were able to try feeding by mouth. Unfortunately, they had zero interest in sucking on the bottle. So, we will try this again soon. Please pray that they develop this suck and swallow reflex because the sooner they are able to feed on their own, the sooner they can come home!!

Although William and Luke are unable to feed on their own, they are gaining great weight through their tube feeds. They are still being fed breast milk through the tubes in their noses. Today William weighed 3lbs 11oz and Luke weighs 4lbs 5oz. They are starting to pudge up a little in their faces, and it's so cute. I kiss their little cheeks a lot...you would too, trust me.

We love Willam's big eyes

I spend most of my time at the hospital and after work Cole comes up. However, we are sleeping at home until they are closer to discharge, so that we can get some rest. Our hospital room is wonderful though. I have made myself very comfortable up here with diet cokes and snacks in the mini fridge. I'm getting lots of time with the boys in my arms. We read books, I sing (yikes) and I admire their every little facial expression. This is the life!!!

Luke is getting chubbier!!

Thanks for all of your prayers.

xoxo
me

NICU graduation!!

Praise God the boys have graduated from the NICU! They have encouraged us all and fought so hard and been so strong. The doctors felt comfortable moving them to the step down unit, called the Special Care Nursery!

This is their first picture together!! William is in the blanket, and Luke is on the right.

Honestly, it was a little sad leaving the NICU. We grew so close to our nurses and doctors there, and we felt so comfortable with them. It was bittersweet though because moving to Special Care means that the boys are closer to coming home!!!

Lyndsay was one of their (and our) favorite nurses. Here she is packing them up for Special Care!

Special Care is set up to simulate the home setting...kind of:) The boys are in the same room, a private room. The nurse is outside the room, and we have couches, chairs, and a flatscreen TV. This allows us much more privacy, but also the comfort of knowing that the medical staff is right outside if we need them. They are still on monitors so we are still tied to keeping them close to those. But, we can hold them whenever we like, and that is a huge blessing!

all snuggled together on the way to Special Care!!

Right now we are in a waiting mode...they will not attempt bottle feeding or breast feeding for another 2-3 weeks because they haven't developed that reflex yet. So right now, we're just getting to hold them, love them, read to them, sing to them and be their mommy and daddy! Once they hit the developmental stage of sucking, we will try to advance their feedings, as well as do all of those other things:)

Thank you so much for all of your prayers.

Specifically right now, we can pray that they will continue to gain weight. Also, they are continuing to have less (but still some) episodes of bradycardia, where their heart rate slows down. Please pray that these subside. We are also praying that they will be able to maintain their body temperatures. Luke is very close to this, he is still in the isolette warmer, but there is no additional heat. William has some heat in his isolette, and we hope to be able to turn this down. Once they are able to maintain their temperatures, they will be in the regular clear 'tubs' that newborns are in when they are in the hospital!!

We are so encouraged and can't wait for you to meet these precious angels!!

much love,

me:)

happy monday!

cole, william, luke and i had a wonderful weekend. we are definitely finding our routine, and we continue to feel encouraged by the boys progress. it was so fun to have cole over the weekend. we were able to visit together as many times as we wanted, and not feel rushed because of work or shift changes with the nurses.

the boys are precious, and continue to capture our hearts.

the latest updates:

luke- luke is so steady. the doctors have felt very comfortable with his breathing status and have taken him off of the pulse oximeter. this means that they are no longer monitoring his oxygen saturation because they feel that he is maintaining a good level. this is so awesome, but also a little scary. we get so accustomed to the monitors and it is nice to be able to see his status on a screen, besides just his physical appearance. they allow us to know that he's breathing, know that his breaths are adequate, etc. however, now that this is taken away from us, i guess its one step closer to the real world. yay luke! people are starting to speculate that he looks like his mommy? thoughts?

william- we're still waiting for william to catch up on his feedings. he is receiving the nutrition through his veins, and for whatever reason his most recent doctor has been very conservative in decreasing this. he still has the picc line for this reason, but i feel like it will be taken out very soon. we have also heard it said that he looks like his daddy...who knows?

thanks so much for your prayers. i haven't been updating very much because there aren't many changes. mostly they're doing beautifully and we are so proud of their strength. praise god!! i will continue to post though because i'm pretty obsessed with them and i want you to see their cute pics.

we let our moms hold them this week. nanna and lita are going to spoil these little boys rotten...i think i'm ok with that:)

thanks for everything. we feel so blessed.

love,

me:)

5/13

William and Luke are such incredible fighters. Every day they are jumping some really high hurdles, and we are so proud of them.

William- William was taken off of CPAP and went straight to room air. He is breathing beautifully, and looks so adorable without the mask on. He's a little puffy and swollen right now because his mask was on for so long. But already this morning it looks like it is improving. We are still advancing his feeds slowly, but he is a growing little boy. This morning he weighed 3 lbs 6 oz.

Luke- Luke was also taken off of CPAP. It's so fun to be able to see their heads and faces! I still am not sure if they look alike since they're so swollen. But it is so fun to be able to kiss their little noses:) They also removed his PICC line. He was tolerating his feeds so well that he didn't need the venous nutrition anymore. Luke weighed 3lbs 8oz today. He is already sporting Carolina blue:)

We feel so incredibly blessed by their progress! Even the NICU doctor has been surprised and thrilled at their strength and progress. These boys are amazing. They truly are. They were formed perfectly. They grew perfectly in my tummy. They are our sons, and not only do we feel so blessed by the addition to our family, but they are constant reminders of God's bigger plan and his love for us.

Thanks for loving them and us so well!!

xoxo,

me:)

what's in a name?

william and luke have had two encouraging days. both of them seem so much more comfortable in this world, and most comfortable when they're in their mommy's and daddy's arms. holding them is our most special time together and we're so thankful that we can hold them in our arms.

today's updates seem boring. but, no news is the best news at this point. praise god!!

william- william's murmur is silent which is further confirmation that the PDA is staying closed! because he is no longer on the indocin medication, they were able to start him back on feeds. they are increasing them very slowly because he has been without food for three days, and the medicine was hard on his tummy. furthermore, he is still on cpap to assist with his breathing, but it is on the lowest rate (setting), and he is doing great with this change. hopefully, we can transition him off of the mask soon.

luke- luke is just coasting with his nasal cannula. he doesnt really like these prongs up his nose, and, many times they fall out and he still breathes perfectly on his own. i'm so proud of our baby! he is still taking feeds beautifully through his tube. we will not attempt mouth feedings for another couple of weeks because that coordination and energy do not develop until about 34-35 wks.

so what is in a name?

naming our boys was way harder than i imagined. you want to love both names equally. you want them to stand alone and be strong, yet you also want them to compliment each other, but yet not "eric and derrick" like. you want your husband or wife to love the names just as much as you do. so it was tough...

as for our babies: we split Cole's name (Colesen Craig Evans)

William Craig Evans- William is a family name on both sides, but also a name we both love for its strength and tradition. Willam was Cole's maternal uncle's name, as well as both of my

paternal great grandfathers' names. also, we should mention they were born on the same day as the royal wedding, but this was pure coincidence. And, Craig is Cole's middle name, as well as Cole's dad's name.

Colesen Luke Evans- Colesen is such a unique name, and we both love it. I love that our boys will always share their names with their daddy:) And, Luke is a favorite name of ours from the Bible, and it sticks so well with Colesen. He will be called Luke, and it already fits his sweet little face and personality.

Thanks for your prayers, and for loving William and Luke so well already. Our family is so blessed.

xoxo.

me:)