Going back to MS next week!

I just wanted to post this video of Kamryn and Taylor taken on my birthday. They are doing well and eating like horses, getting cuter by the day. We're still trying to figure out how to get them on a schedule. As I said before, for some reason they just don't understand schedules. What's funny is we try to feed them every 4 hours, which is what they did in the hospital. Kamryn doesn't like to wait that long. She has been going 2-3 hours and eating her full feed nearly each time. She's trying to catch up with sis. I think Kerri may begin having a hard time keeping up if they keep going like they are. Kerri has been working on a scrapbook of their lives up to this point. It brings tears of joy and relief to our eyes seeing just how fortunate they and we are. It blows our minds to think about how much we are blessed that not one, but both of them pulled through all the little problems and sicknesses and just challenges of being preemies without having any kind of surgeries or disabilities or death. It is completely evident that our God has heard the prayers of His saints who have interceded for His baby girls. I also wanted to post this poem that was on a card someone gave us. It has hints of scripture in it, but is completely scriptural- if that makes sense.
"I have formed this little child you hold within your heart. My mercy and My goodness have been there from the start. The face, the hands, the smile-I shaped all that you see. Take this gift I've given you and raise this child for Me." -Hicks
This is our desire. P.S.- Keep a friend that we made at the Ronald McDonald House named Rachel in your prayers. We were just informed that her baby, Layla, who was born at 23 or 24 weeks, died suddenly over the weekend. As we have said before, things can really go south quickly with these little ones. On a better note, you may remember a little one named Nowell that has been in Tupelo, MS. I asked everyone to pray for her a couple of months ago, as her parents were told she probably wouldn't make it. Well, she is now at home. Praise the Lord for that miracle as well!
(Hit pause on the playlist to hear the sound on the video)

Good Reports

Just wanted to let everyone know how the girls are doing. It is not quite as easy to do updates as often, since they are at home now. First of all, Taylor hasn't required oxygen in several days- Praise the Lord! They are going tomorrow back to the pulmonologist and will be getting synegis(sp?) shots to prevent RSV, which is like a severe baby cold that would land them back in the hospital if they got it. The shots are very expensive- like $3,000 for the both of them- and is a monthly shot. Fortunately our insurance covers the shots, otherwise we'd have to chance it.
Today, we went to the OT and got a great report. She said she certainly couldn't tell they were 25 weekers, as they have no developmental delays that she could tell. Although they are 4 1/2 months old, They should only be a little over a month old. Taylor was on track for that age, and she said Kamryn was doing things a two month old baby can do! She said one thing she would worry about with Taylor's Hemorrhage was CP, and she showed no signs of it. It was a very encouraging visit. Thank you for your prayers! Some people were wondering why Kerri didn't get a blog tribute on her birthday- Well, I don't have any excuses except we had updated like the day before anyway, and I didn't have any pics to post, which is what I know you guys like to look at anyway. Just so I don't look completely sorry, I did babysit for several hours to allow her to go do one of her most favorite things in the world- shop! She had a great time and a great 30th birthday. We are planning on heading back to MS next week! Please keep us in your prayers as it will be a long trip for the girls. Thanks again to you all.

Happy Grandparents Day!

'napping together'



We are so thankful for our grandparents and for all the support that they've been over these past several months. We love each of you so much and thank God for you. These pics are just for you! (...sorry we couldn't find an outfit for grandpa, we love you both too!)

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy 31st Birthday!

To a wonderful husband and now the best dad any two twin girls could have. Look what God has done! 8 wonderful years of marriage, two beautiful (long-awaited) baby girls and now the 4 of us as a family on our way to do what is nearest to our heart: to share the gospel with a people group so dear to our hearts in the Dominican Republic. We are three very blessed girls to have you. Hope you have a great Birthday. We can’t wait to see what all God has in store for us ahead.
… all Glory to our God and Savior Jesus Christ!

4 months old!!!

First Stroller Ride- That thing is huge for them

Kamryn

Taylor

Kamryn

Taylor

The girls had their 4 month birthday today and since it was labor day, Kerri's sister's family came over to eat. Kerri also had a cake for me, since my b'day is this week. Mine is the 4th, and Kerri's and my brother Steven's is the 8th. The girls are getting bigger and we're seeing more of their personalities come out. When we hear them cry at night, we try to guess who it is crying and usually we are right. It's funny how distinct even their cries are sometimes, but sometimes they're hard to tell apart. They clearly look different in person, but it's amazing sometimes in pictures we have to take a second look to see which one it is.
There have been a couple of nights when the girls slept for like 6 hours, but we can't get it figured out how to make it happen every night. Even with the lack of sleep, they bring so much into our lives. When they take a nap, we miss them so much sometimes, it's like we haven't seen them in a week when they wake up. Anyway, enough rambling. The girls have been doing great. Taylor is requiring less oxygen each day, it seems. We are still hopeful she will be off of it by her next pulmonologist appointment on Sept. 9th. We have eye doc appointments Wednesday, and the aforementioned pulmonologist and a pediatrician appointment next week. Thank everyone again for all your prayers and encouragement. We hope to be heading back to Mississippi by the end of the month, so maybe we will see many of you then.

Week and 1/2 since coming home

Sorry we haven't updated lately. We're getting used to our new lives and how to get things done while the girls are sleeping. The doctor's reports have been good. We had an eye doctor appointment a week ago. Both of their eyes look good, but are still not finished growing, so we have to go back for a checkup in a week.
The pediatrician went well, also. They received their next round of shots that day. The main things discussed were keeping them away from crowds (especially other young children), keeping hands clean, and making sure they gain weight properly. That being said, pray for their being able to gain weight on pure breastmilk. The hospital put them on high calorie formula added to the milk before they left. Kamryn had been really irritable and seemed as though her stomach bothered her all the time, and both of them have been irregular with their bowel movements and had lots of gas. We made the decision to take the formula out ourselves to see how they would do. it's only been a couple of days, but they do seem to be doing better. We're also trying some different types of bottles designed to reduce colic. Our main concern is that they gain weight like they need to.
Taylor had a pulmonologist (lung doc.) appt. yesterday, and he said she sounded good and explained to us that she should grow new lung tissue and get better with weight gain and time. He seemed to think it possible that she would be off her oxygen by the next appointment in two weeks! That would be awesome. One of the problems with too much oxygen is that it can cause eye damage.
We are amazed everyday at what God has done through our girls, and we can't help but smile, even at strange times- like when they wake us up crying at night- because we had prayed so long for these children and God answered our prayers in such an unexpected and amazing sort of way. Thanks again for your support as prayer partners and friends.

Both our angels are home now!!

Sorry for being so long on a post, but Taylor got released on Saturday from the hospital. They wanted to wait until Monday, because they said if something happened we would have to go to the emergency room instead of a pediatrician. She had been doing well for several days, so we decided to pry a little, and they decided they would let her come home. We haven't had any problems yet, praise the Lord, and already have doctor appointments lined up. Eye doc tomorrow, ped. Thurs, pulmnologist next week, O.T. in a couple of weeks- it's pretty crazy. Taylor is on oxygen as well at the moment, but is doing breathing treatments twice a day to try and get her lungs better. We're learning that life with twins (especially extremely premature twins) is pretty busy. We are enjoying it thoroughly, but we are walking around like zombies most of the time. We pretty much have them on the same schedule, but they don't understand schedules just yet (ha ha). It seems like they sleep all day, and are ready to play at midnight. By the time we sit down to try and email or blog, it's time to eat again, or something. They are both getting ready to eat again, so they are waking up a little. It is, again, so hard to believe that this time we've waited so long for is here. Thank you again again for all your faithful prayers. - Just to let you know how much your prayers have meant, we took Kamryn to the doc. on friday for a follow up, and several doctors ended up coming in and seeing her. I was concerned if there was something wrong, but the first doc. looked at me and said, "We don't see many 25 week preemies doing this well, so everyone wanted to see her." And if that isn't enough, when we were leaving with Taylor on Saturday, the nurse said to us, "You guys don't know how fortunate you are to have not one, but two 25 weekers doing so well." She said hardly no babies that young get out without having something major like surgery to close the artery in their hearts that you guys prayed for early on, or eye surgery, or a tracheotomy, or a feeding tube surgically inserted in their bellies- something! We had a lot of good nurses and doctors there, and it was almost like leaving family on Saturday. Several nurses that have had them came by to see them both. We also see several new babies come in and see parents asking the same questions we had early on and not knowing what kind of journey they have ahead. We want to remember the things they've been through, lest we forget the faithfulness of our God.