On a Friday night....

life looks a little different with twins.
Here's a glimpse......


I have missed hanging out with my sweet niece. Can't wait to have some "girl time".

Boy the Butler clan has really grown. (p.s. We are missing our favorite two year old in this picture....)

Cam was missing out on the party...sound asleep while Sully was having a good ole time.

Hello bright eyed Sullivan.Grandpa does such a good job taking care of the boys.

I realized that I haven't posted the token "bathtime" pictures. (that might be because we haven't had very many of those....they really exhaust these little guys). But on this special occasion...this was an emergency bath post having a little too much food in our belly.

Happy 2 Month Birthday!

July 11th was the boys' 2 month birthday. Here they are after a full meal, spending time with mommy and daddy.

We are so proud of them and love them so much. We wish/want to have them meet all of our family and friends. Unfortunately we still have to be very careful about germ exposure so we don't get to take them many places yet or have a lot of people over. So, we thought that we would bring them to you (via a little video).


Camden


Sullivan


The brothers...


Also, I want to ask specifically for some prayer for these little guys and their friends. We continue to pray for Sullivan's eyes- that they develop fully over the next few weeks. Also, as I have mentioned before, both little guys also have..little noses. This makes breathing sometimes difficult for them, which in turn sometimes makes eating difficult. We just pray that as their bodies continue to grow...so would their nasal passages.

Their friends are all doing great and also getting bigger. Please pray for the families in the NICU...it is amazing how many babies are born premature and need the power of Prayer to help them get through the first few weeks of their lives. Check out how big Cullen & Presley have gotten. I envision a "play date" in their near future. Also, please keep Miss Sunshine and her wonderful family in your prayers. I know you might not "know" these people, but God hears your prayers and I FULLY believe that HE honors them...after all, children are His favorite people :).

Thanks for visiting!

check, check, and check!

Happy 8 week birthday to the boys! Life around here has been kind of eventful (at least compared to the week before). We have had several doctors appointments, visits from family, and we even took the boys for a walk.

Here is what our packing list looks like to take the boys out:

hand sanitizer = check!
diapers = check!
bottles = check!
"germs keep away cover" = check!
little mini fan to stay cool in Texas = check! (that was Chris' brilliant idea!)
Needless to say it is definitely an ordeal to take these little guys out.

So, an update from the medical team. We went to see an ENT for the "snorting" that both babies do. Its kinda scary to hear them make this noise because you know that it is because it is difficult for them to breath. Sully seems to have it "worse" than Cam, but the general concensus is that their air passageways are just very VERY tiny. The hope is that these airways will get bigger over time because with each labored breath, calories are burned. It is very important that they can grow, and this will not happen if too many calories are burned just simply by breathing.

We also went to the eye doctor. Preemie babies (little did I know) are subject to something called ROP (I had to google this one to understand). The gist of it is that their retinas are not fully developed. ROP is not something that we want them to have and it is measured by numbers...with 0 being our desired number. Camden's eyes (so far) are measuring a zero (again, the desired number) and Sullivan is measuring a one. We will need to continue to watch both babies to monitor these numbers closely for they can change (in either direction) over the next few weeks while the eye continues to form as it would if they were still in the womb.

Last "medical" speak (if you could even begin to call the way I explain things as medical...ha!) is that the babies are both gaining weight and a week ago the doctor was a bit "aware" that they were not. So...yeah!!!! Cam weighs 5 lbs and 1 oz (what a big boy!) and Sullivan weighs 4 lbs and 10 oz.

Very First doctor visit

The Butler men taking their kids for a walk.
Our first "public" outing (btw..that is Philip not Chris :)

Happy Fourth of July

I remember before we had the babies, we were trying to think of how we would celebrate the Fourth. Usually we go on the lake for this holiday. I was trying to decide if (thinking I would be 36 weeks along) I would want to a) be in a bathing suit and b) be on a boat.

I also remember thinking that maybe the babies would be born on the 4th of July. I love this holiday for some reason...I think it is because I love not only the patriotism behind it, but I also love the color scheme.

When I talked about our boys coming on the 4th, Chris' witty response was:

"well, that would be ironic. Independence day would symbolize the loss of our independence.".

That quote is so much more real now than we could have imagined.

So, for our Independence Day this year we had a photo shoot.

I learned a few things:

a. trying out camera tricks and learning how to use the camera should not be done while naked newborn babies are your subject. (by the way, if anyone knows of any good online tutorials please let me know. I am such a "wanna be" photographer but in reality I don't know anything! I have a Canon point and shoot...if anyone has tips I would much appreciate it!)

b. always ALWAYS take pictures when the babies are full (aka...so very full that they are tired and not fussy)

Trying to get them both set up for some pictures....(Cam is in back Sully in front)
Camden was being so patient with Mommy and her (my) "experiment".

Sullivan realizing that it was about 18 minutes past feeding time.

Sullivan cooperating (okay...confession, we took this after we fed him :).

Ground hog day- week one.

Being home is great! It is a little like the movie Ground Hog day, where each day is a sequence of almost the same events. We have enjoyed these same events though. We are so thankful to be able to experience them in the comfort of our home instead of the hospital (although we still love and miss everyone at the NICU).

Sullivan & Camden got to be snuggled by some of their aunts and uncles and their grandparents this week. Chris and I have had our fair share of snuggling with them too!

Below are some events that have made our week so special.

Camden (left) and Sullivan (right) love their cozy bed (they love it about every 2 or 3 hours and then what they really love is food!).
Diaper count = 157 and counting (actually, I am not sure....but it seems like that many)

Uncle Aaron holding Camden. He will be such a great Uncle to these boys! They will have so much fun hanging out with him!

Diaper count = 158 (ha!). Aren't I lucky...Chris has changed several diapers. I guess with two babies he can't get out of it as easily.

Nana looking right at home. Afterall, she is our resident twin expert :).

So sweet.

Having a tough time getting out of bed...so we didn't.

That's a cute picture. I had to post it.

...okay...that one too!

Camden enjoying being held by his favorite Aunt! (happy birthday, Tiff!)

Sully & Cam's cousin who was born about 3 weeks before the boys. (perspective is everything).

As I am typing this, the boys are in the living room resting together. All I hear is "squeak squeak" from their paci's.

I was able to enjoy what felt like my first day home as a "mom" (I know, it is over a month later). I made a batch of blueberry muffins (a little overboard on the berries...oops!). As you can see, the monitor is close by at all times :).

43 days.

We spent 43 days in the most unexpected and wonderful place ever. We spent 43 days filled with emotions-excitement, amazement, fear, and peace. We spent 43 days meeting new friends and making bonds that are unbreakable. We spent 43 days visiting our boys. Now, we don't have to be visitors.

We are home!

It all came about very unexpectedly. We were shocked (and still actually are).

Today our boys came home with us. The whole family is under the same roof. I am blogging, Chris is watching soccer. Camden and Sullivan are asleep to my right in their little bed, Zoey (dog) is asleep on the floor, and Cady (cat) is roaming the house trying to find her spot to settle in for the night.

Leaving the NICU is a strange thing. I wrote about the feelings that I had on our last night at the house...just Chris and I(and just posted that also).

I still really can't believe it.

I probably should show some pictures for proof that this is all really happening (I might think it was a dream, but I haven't really slept enough for that to be the case.)

43 days later my sons are home. Thank you, God, for your protection over our family.

The first time that the boys were "unhooked" from the mega technology in their room and their crib. (I am only a little excited!) They are getting ready to get rolled into the "care by parent" room where we spent the night last night.

The family picture. And look...we can hold the little guys and there aren't any wires. Woo hoo!

The first time Chris got to bottle feed!

We just love our nurse(s). We seriously had the best care at the NICU and miss them already so much. S.-I have thought about texting you several times. I am trying to hold off...but can't make any promises tomorrow :). Thanks for everything!

The boys sporting their coming home outfits. I think they like them, don't you? (ha!)

All bundled up, safe, and ready to go! Let the journey begin!

Update: They are (obviously) doing so well. Today they are 6 weeks and a day old. They take both bottle and b. feed and are doing great with both. They sleep a lot and so far seem to like their new house (although like their parents they miss their nurses).

They have their first pediatrician appointment tomorrow. They passed their eye exam, hearing exam, and are both still over 4 lbs (not sure of the exact weight).

They will have follow up appointments along the way to be sure that they are still developmentally where they should be for being premature.

Well, off to sleep to the cute sound of cooing to my right. Aahhh...bliss!

New Season...yet still standing amazed.

Well, when I post this, I will have already shared our great news. I am going to type here and then publish later....this will not a blog for those people who want to see pictures of the babies...this is more a place for me to process some things.

Today when I arrived at the hospital, a crazy turn of events were unfolding before my eyes. Sullivan and Camden were having their hearts checked, to be followed up by an eye exam, to then have their hearing checked the next day. Not to mention all of this was being done while the boys were tube free....and going to have all feedings orally. This was (as you may have guessed) preparing our boys for discharge. I was shortly informed that if all goes well our departure date would be Wednesday. Wow! I was speechless...and despite all of these words so far...still kind of am.

It is amazing that I am experiencing mixed emotions. Afterall, this is the day we have been "waiting for", right? Yet there are so many emotions running through my mind. Excitement, fear, sadness, joy, and grief. We have come to love the NICU family. We love the nurses. I love chatting with them, listening to their wisdom, learning from their calm spirit and gentleness. I have gained friendships and I am sad to leave the NICU. Of course I am ecstatic to finally take our boys home, but it is scary. Chris and I are about to begin being parents. Not that we weren't on May 11th, but it was different. We will now enter into the world of sleepless nights, schedules that don't revolve around our needs and wants, worry, laughter, babysitters, grandparents, cousins, birthday parties, pediatricians, chores, bedtimes, and an abudance of love that I am not sure what to do with. I have never felt this way before. I wish I could explain it better, but I just can't.

Tuesday night we will spend the night in the NICU. I can't wait. I am not sure if I am most excited about the fact that we will be bringing our boys home several hours later, or if it is because we get to be surrounded by our friends without having to drive back and forth.

Anyway, I am going to bed. The next time I blog I will be able to look over to my right and see two of the sweetest baby faces in their bassinet beside me. Thank you, God. We (still) stand amazed.