Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!

The countdown is on!  Approximately 24 hours from now the boys will be home.  Did I mention that I am so completely in love?  When I get some time I will be changing the blog a bit and changing the name... Let me know which name you like best.

1) Dreams Do Come True x2

2) Dreams Do Come True, Times Two

3) Miracles Come in Pairs

Enjoy!

The Day I went into labor

Proud Daddy and Aaden

My first time visiting with Noah - Day 1

Me and Aaden

Noah and Jaime.  Jaime will be the boy's Godfather.

So in love

Gabe is so in love too

Noah on oxygen

Aaden

Mima, Aaden & Gabe

Great Grammy and Aaden

Day 3 - Noah Bear off oxygen

My first time holding Noah

Gabe's first time holding Noah

Two out of three of my favorite boys

Aaden & Noah

Aaden Mohawk Boy

Got to love that little face

Sleepy time

Noah Warren

True love

What a little man Aaden is on Day 4

My favorite picture.  Noah on the left and Aaden on the right

Noah sporting the mohawk too

Sweet face, Noah

Sweet face Aaden

Aaden Parker

Noah and I

Our new little family of four

Quick Update

I was discharged last night. It turns out that the antibiotics were in fact needed. Aaden and I both had an infection. It turned out to be an infection in the placenta, which was contracted recently. So recent that our blood work from Saturday night was clear, but the same blood work three days later (what they call a three day culture) was NOT clear. A comment was made that maybe the bacteria entered around the time the cerclage was removed. We are very thankful that we were all started on antibiotics "just in case."

I was given a heavy dose, but both boys need a full week on them, so if all goes well we will be bringing them home on Saturday. I don't want to talk about that much, because of course it is just breaking my heart to not have them here, but we have spent a lot of time with them in the hospital. They are staying in the ICN (Intensive Care Nursery.)

Aaden should have been able to come home with me yesterday, and Noah would have been able to come home tomorrow, had this infection not happened. The boys are doing great and I am so completely in love. Feedings are going well, but wow is breastfeeding time consuming and frustrating. I have lots and lots of stories and pictures to share. I hope to find some time to share with you before they come home on Saturday. Thank you all for the comments and support.

Love,
Noah & Aaden's Mommy

Our boys!

Hey all you loyal readers!

Tiffany is still in the hospital along with the boys and wasn't able to update her page (but didn't want you all to miss out) so here I am, Andrea from over at Busy Life of the Hernandez Clan, to fill you all in on the new little men in Tiffany and Gabe's lives!

(I can't take credit for the writing...that was straight from an email from Mommy herself!)

Our boys were born on 9/12/09 at 11:03pm and 11:04pm

Noah 11:03 - 5lbs8 oz. 18 3/4 inches

Aaden 11:04 - 5lbs 14 oz. 19 3/4 inches

A chest xray revealed a small amount of fluid in Noahs lungs. He is getting 23% oxygen and might be off as early as today or tomorrow.

Shortly after surgery I spiked a high fever, so as a precaution me and the boys were put on IV antibiotics in case of infection, until everyones blood work comes back ( should be today). Because of the IV the boys are monitored closely however the odds that the boys actually have an infection is about 1%, we just had to get the antibiotics started just in case. They are not showing signs of an infection and my fever is under control.

Aaden stayed in our room with us for an hour last night and is doing well breastfeeding.

We have high hopes we will get to hold and feed Noah today, and it looks like Wednesday will be my "go home" date.

The Boys Are Here!

We Have a Date!

It's official... the boys will be here at noon on September 17th if not sooner!

Yesterdays check revealed NO change, but late last night I lost a piece of my mucus plug, or so I think, so it seems we might be getting closer.

My OB agreed to preform a scheduled c-section at 37 and 1. Originally he told us he wouldn't do it until 38 weeks, but after seeing how uncomfortable I am and knowing that on growth scans the boys have always been about a week ahead, he is fine with 37/1. That and I told him that my MIL had already planned a trip here for other reasons and we really hoping she would be able to meet the boys before she left on the 19th.

How fun is it to have NO restrictions? I love it! Shopping, walking, cleaning, organizing. Love it, love it! Yesterday I walked all around the outlet mall, I had no intention of buying anything, but geeessshhh how can you pass up monkey blankies at Gymboree? Oh my gosh, they have this fabulous monkey collection and I could hardly control myself. I wanted to buy all of it, but was good and just got the blankies. I must admit, I get tired fast, but it is so great to be able to drive myself out and about and do things. Today I plan to clean, go to Target and the bank and who knows what else. Last week I was on limited activity, but this week NO RESTRICTIONS and I will be taking full advantage of it, no sitting at home! Now if only I had the energy to get the house in tip top shape.

Gabe is feeling about 99% and myself about 80%, so by the time the boys get here we should be back to ourselves. Honestly this was for the best, these are going to be some big boys and Mama and Daddy will be healthy to care for them. Our boys will be here in just 6 days or less!

We're Home

Yup that's right, it was a no go! The cerclage removal went fine, they gave me some drugs, which made me feel no pain and in fact I don't remember much of it. Once the cerclage was removed I was 2 cm. dilated and 90% effaced. So we walked and thought that maybe today was the day. No such luck, after two hours of walking and some time on the birthing ball, still the same and only three contractions in three hours.

So I am home and now we wait. The OB said the furthest we could make it was September 23rd (38 weeks), but thought it might happen before then. So the wait is on!

We are a bit relieved that it didn't happen today as Gabe and I have both suddenly come down with a pretty bad cold. Yesterday we thought it was allergies, but today we are pretty sure it is a cold. So at least now we have some time to get better.


I go back in again tomorrow to the OB's office to be checked. He will be closely watching me from here on out.

Thanks for the good thoughts and prayers.

36 Weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Off to L&D to remove the cerclage and walk walk walk. Today may be the day our little guys make their grand appearance into the world. Please say a little prayer and think good thoughts for the four of us. We will keep you posted!

Love,
Tiffany, Gabe, Noah, & Aaden

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement. www.babycenter.com

The Belly!

I realized it had been awhile since I took a belly shot and it is for one reason only. My camera! It is packed, charged, and waiting in the hospital bag. So yesterday my Mom took one with my phone and voila, here it is... Don't be alarmed! Hehe!
So yesterdays appointment was uneventful. My cervix is pretty much gone, but still closed. I can stop the blood pressure medicine, which keeps the contractions away, and both boys were doing well. I go into L&D at 8 a.m. on the 9th. They will hook me up to an IV with a tiny bit of pain med and remove my cerclage. Once removed I will wait until the pain medicine wears off and then the walking begins. I will walk for a couple of hours, then they will hook me up to the monitors. If I begin to dilate and have some contractions they will do the c-section. If not, I will be sent home to go into labor on my own. A planned c-section would not be preformed until the 23rd! Ugh! The 23rd! Honestly, I don't think I will make it that far, but who knows at this point. My OB thought I wouldn't make it to 32 weeks and here we are at 35/2.

Our hospital offers a program where they send a nurse to the house to help answer our questions and help with the babies and breastfeeding. This is a free program, so of course I took advantage of it. She came for the first time on Wednesday evening and we liked her a lot. She will come whenever we need her for the first year and when we have a question we call her on her cell. The first visit was just to talk mainly about being prepared, which, uhhhh, if you know me I had that well taken care of. She looked at the boys room and said it was the cutest room she had ever seen. Not a stone has gone unturned in my planning. Two breastpumps, a variety of bottles, two changing areas, two sleeping areas, monitors, fans, sleeping wedges, a variety of pacifiers and breast shields, etc.. etc... etc.. We also talked about how to handle visitors, stress, and emotions, and about how this will be an important bonding time for our new little family of four. I brought up some of my particular worries, and then we talked about the c-section. I brought up PPD and she said she didn't want to talk about it too much, because she wants me to think positively that I will not get it, but she will closely watch me during the first few weeks. She said the boys and I will most likely be in the hospital for about 5 days. Does that seem right? I was thinking three or four. How long did you all stay after a c-section? On another note she told us about her son, born at 34 weeks weighing five pounds exactly whom went home in 5 days. As we all know, our boys will probably be closer to 6 pounds, so of course her story made me feel very positive. On another uplifting note my good friend Heather had her son at 35 weeks weighing a little over 5 pounds and he too went home in 5 days. So as long as both boys are healthy (which I pray for constantly,) the boys may very well have no NICU time even if they came today. So so thankful to be in a safe zone.

Hernandez Wedding

So it was too big for email, and you tube rejected the length lets see if this works.  I will have it on DVD for you when you get here.  Love you!!!

35 Weeks

I honestly cannot believe we have made it this far, on May 20th I just prayed and prayed to make it to 24 weeks. Now I am wondering if these boys have plans on coming out at all. The average twins are born at 35 weeks so lets see if these boys are average. I would welcome average right now with open arms. I am at that point where "I am ready!" The sleep is horrible, my bones ache...... I am going to stop right now! NO COMPLAINING! I wanted this, I got this , and I am truly blessed. I am loving every gosh darn minute of this, really I am. The aches, pains, and fears are so very worth it.

Could these be any more perfect?

Dear Noah & Aaden,

My dear sweet pumpkins, I cannot believe how far we have come. We have had a bumpy road to get here and I am so thankful to finally be to such a safe point. I never would have imagined we would make it this far. You boys are so very strong and blessed. I have done my very very best trying to keep you safe and healthy. Now I am anxious to meet you and hold you in my arms. Anxious to comfort your cries, feed you, stare into your eyes, and inspect every inch of your little bodies. I am anxious for Daddy to see you and so excited to be starting our family of four. Just thinking about that day I will meet you and our future brings tears to my eyes. I have been waiting to hold you since I was a little girl. I dream about you often and imagine what you will look like. I pray constantly for your health and safety. You are more loved than you will ever know. Hope to see you soon, healthy with no unexpected surprises.

Love Always,

Mommy

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (not our guys, they are probably closer to 5 3/4) Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight. http://www.babycenter.com/