The Southern Family - thesouthernfamily

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Exhausted BEFORE the walk bc we had to get up so early!

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Can I take a nap please??

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Breakfast on the go!

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3 of our team members

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Enjoying our morning bottle!

6
I have no idea what's going on here?!

7
Hanging out before the walk

The Z Twins Team
Team Photo 1

The Z Twins Team
Team Photo 2

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Band1


Band2









Mark pulling the wagon

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Zayden James Southern

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Zoey's First Christmas

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Zayden's First Christmas

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First Ultrasound
Nov. 4, 2008 - Doctor found a second amniotic sac that appeared empty. Little did we know, Baby #2 just didn't have a strong enough heartbeat that day!

12 Weeks & 4 Days
Babies Southern at almost 13 weeks. Possibly the best shot we have of both of them together!

Put 'Em Up
Although I'd like to think that this is a picutre of one of the twins waving at us, Daddy likes to believe that this is his little boy putting up a fist to fight back at the pressure that the doctor has applied to my pelvis!

Not so clear...
Another photo of both twins together at 12 Weeks, 4 Days.

Just chillaxin', as Daddy would say!
Again, not sure WHICH twin this is, but whoever it is looks quite relaxed to be in such a small confined space!

And another...
Excellent shot of one twin here, but not so much of the other. I believe this might have been during their "adjusting to limited space" stage.

Two Heads are Better than One!
Another decent shot of both twins together at 12 Weeks, 4 Days.

It's a Girl!! Or is it??
Doctor says he's 90% sure that this twin is a girl (at 17 Weeks, 2 Days). Mommy & Daddy didn't really see anything to distinguish this fact.

It's a Boy!! Or is it??
Doctor says he's 100% sure that this twin is a boy. Mommy and Daddy, again, not really sure what we were looking at, weren't so sure.

Face Down??
Somebody lying upside down, so it seems.

It's a Girl!! And We'll Name Her...
Doctor confirms at 19 Weeks, 2 Days, that this twin is in fact a girl! (This would explain why we didn't see ANYTHING at the last visit.) We have decided to name her Zoey Alexandra Southern.

It's a Boy!! And We'll Name Him...
Doctor confirms at 19 Weeks, 2 Days, that this twin is most definitely a boy!! We have decided to name him Zayden James Southern.

Not Quite Sure...
I'm thinking this is Zayden's head & upper torso on the right, and Zoey's feet on the left. But, again... Not sure!

Zayden's Spine
A 3D image of our little boy's spine at 19 Weeks, 2 Days.

Technology is Amazing!!
A 3D image of our little boy's face at 19 Weeks, 2 Days. Not such a clear picture... We'll try again at 25 Weeks!

Sweet Little Baby
Zoey, possibly lying in the actual fetal position, at 21 Weeks, 1 Day. You can see her heartbeat in this photo, as well as her shoulders, and her brain!

What is THAT?
For some reason, the doctors insist on getting a photo of Zayden's "manhood" at every visit. I couldn't tell you what else is in this photo. I'm not really sure how he is positioned.

Is That a Face??
The best picture yet of either twins facial features. This is Zayden's face and upper torso at 21 Weeks, 1 Day. The "black hole" in his upper torso is his heartbeat!!

Face Down, Again??
A pretty good shot of Zoey's head, neck, and upper torso. I'm not so sure why she insists on laying upside down.

So, it's been far too long since we've posted a blog, and we are so very sorry!!! We have just been so busy moving and learning new things and adjusting to changes that time just passed us right by!! Now for some updates!!

ZOEY:

I am now 16 months old (or 1, as she holds a finger up), and I love hats and blankets these days! I am using words like "cat", "cup", "dog", "mama", "dada", and sometimes even "chair", but that's a hard one! I have THIRTEEN teeth, but I don't like to use them much. I like to drink my milk more than I like to eat my food most days, but Mommy says it's summer, and she doesn't eat much either when it's hot. ;-) Zayden taught me how to walk last month, and I think I like to run more than walk. It's a lot of fun (until I run into something because I can't slow down)! I like chasing Mommy and Gramma around, and sometimes they play walking games with me. I also like to play catch with Zayden, but we both usually need help to hold (and throw... and catch...) the ball. I am wearing 12-18 month clothes, and the doctor says that I'm in the 25th percent (whatever that means) of size for my age. Mommy was happy about that at our last visit! We spend a lot of time in the mountains with Gramma and Grampa, and I LOVE my Grampa more than anything in the world!

ZAYDEN:

My sister talks a lot, so I don't guess there is much left for me to say. My favorite thing in the world is food.... Any kind at all! I have 14 teeth (at least) and I use them wisely, Mommy says! I am 16 months old, too (duh), and I can say most of the same words that Zoey can. I can make a few animal noises, too!! I know that a duck says "quack quack" and a cow says "moo" and that a dog says "woof woof", and I like to make these noises myself from time to time! Mommy has taught us to point out pictures in our word books, so we learn a new word every week, even if we can't say them yet! I don't like to sit still for books, though, so I think I'm going to have Mommy make flashcards for me. ;-) Zoey told you that I taught her to walk. She's funny. She sat around and watched me figure out how to do it for 3 weeks before she ever lifted a foot, so to speak. Not me though... Mommy says I am very determined and very smart. She also tells people that I learn by trial and error, although I'm not really sure what that means yet. I'm sure she'll tell me one day. I love playing "soccer", and love chasing my ball around! I also like to play with Zoey all of the time, but sometimes she doesn't let me. I don't know why. I think we're going to have to learn how to share.... everything. I don't know how I feel about that yet, but I hope it won't be too bad. I am still in love with my Aunt Mushy. She makes me happier than anyone in the world!!  And, my face lights up every time I get to talk to Daddy on the phone! I sure do miss him! I love visiting Gramma and Grampa, too, because Gramma loves holding me! :-)

Mommy: Hi all!! As you can see, the twins are taking off and not slowing down!!! They are each about 22 pounds now, and almost 30 inches tall!! They are growing fast and learning even faster!! You might have noticed the "I miss Daddy"... Daddy is in Texas at Ft. Hood training for his first deployment. We hope he'll be able to come home next week to visit for a week or so before he goes. He'll fly to Afghanistan sometime in August, and most likely stay for 12 months, with an R & R break sometime in between. He seems to be doing okay, and is trying to get in the swing of things in "the real Army" again. I am learning and trying my best to take care of the twins without extra hands, but we live with Aunt Chelle for the time being because I'm not quiet ready for that, yet. ;-) When Aunt Chelle has a busy schedule, we visit Gramma & Grampa, so that I have even MORE hands. ;-) We live in Alpharetta, in an apartment, and it's a perfect little community for us. It's calm, quiet, and has a playground, and a pool, so we've got it made for the most part! I am thinking about going back to work either part time or full time; I just haven't decided on day care for the twins yet.... Or whether or not I even want to put them in yet. ;-)  I suppose we'll see over the next couple of months. I'm so sorry it's taken us so long to get back to you all... I hope that everyone is still reading updates. Please feel free to leave comments, send e-mails, or even schedule a visit with us. We'd love to see you all!!

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Hello again to all of our friends and followers! We wanted to let you know what a wonderful time we had raising money and walking (well, strolling) for the March of Dimes this year!! On April 10th, Mommy had a yard sale to raise money for this group. She says that all of this money helps other babies who were born early like us have healthy lives, and they help their mommies, too! Mommy and her friends made over $300 that day!! 

We also had lots of friends and family raise money on their own, so we want to send a very big thank you to these people: 

Gramma, Aunt Amy, Aunt Jay, Aunt Michelle, Aunt Paula, Nurse Angela, Brandon & Allison Burkhead, Stacy & Kelly Garrett, Nikya, and Mark & Mary Elise Cox!

With all of the money from all of these people, our team, The Z Twins, raised almost $3500 to donate to the March of Dimes!!! Isn't that wonderful?? 

This past Saturday, we got to ride in our little red wagon (that Aunt Amy bought us for our birthday) for the March for Babies through Downtown Atlanta. (Now, remember, Downtown was home to us until we were 4 months old, so its a special place to us!) It rained, and the wind blew, and everyone was wet and cold, except us, because we had blankets, and over-sized shirts on to keep us warm, thanks to Gramma's neat idea! We both fell asleep after the first mile, but woke up again after mile 2, so we didn't miss too much! And, Mark pulled our wagon for a long time, which I (Zoey) loved! Zayden was happy, too, especially after Mommy gave us crackers to snack on! 

After we crossed the finish line, our whole team went to eat at Taco Mac, and Mommy let us have a hamburger!! We sure do love food, now! It's so much better than baby food ever was! 

On our way home from Atlanta, we stopped and switched cars. Daddy talked to this man for a few minutes, while they loaded all of our stuff into the new car, and Mommy drove us home. For those of you who know Mommy and Daddy, you know Daddy drives everywhere, so we knew this was special! ;-) It turns out, Daddy bought Mommy a van, because she says we have too much stuff to fit in a car! Turns out, she's right, and the van is way bigger and way better than the car! We can see out of our windows, and we can see each other in our seats, which makes riding in the van fun, because we can talk and laugh at each other, and with Mommy and Daddy, too! 

Now that the March for Babies is over, we are back at Aunt Amy's house for the week, but only until Saturday, Mommy says. Daddy took apart all of the big furniture yesterday (including our cribs), so we're sleeping in our pack n plays this week. But, we really don't mind it, because Daddy moved his and Mommy's mattress into our room, so we don't have to sleep alone this week! Mommy says we're moving to Alpharetta this weekend, to be closer to Gramma, and to be real close to Aunt Michelle's work, because she's gonna live with us. She says Aunt Michelle is moving in with us next month, but it's because Daddy's leaving for a little while, so we don't know whether to be excited or sad. But, we visited the new apartment last week, and it's pretty big, so hopefully we'll like it, and hopefully, we'll get to talk to Daddy a lot when he isn't home with us. We are excited that the new place has a pool, because Aunt Michelle loves to go to the pool, and we love water! Mommy already bought our bathing suits!! 

It's time for us to go now, so Mommy can upload all of our pictures from this weekend. We sure hope to hear from everyone soon, and it would be great to see all of our friends and family this summer! Please stay in touch with Mommy so we can visit soon! 

We love you all!! 

Zoey & Zayden

Hi everyone!! Zoey & Zayden here. We just wanted to share with you, for a minute, how much fun we had at our first birthday party!! It was so wonderful to see everyone, and we are so glad that you all could be there with us!! Mommy & Daddy tell us both how much everyone loves and supports us all the time, so it's definitely nice to put faces with names every now and then!! :-)

 

We think Mommy is working on uploading some pictures, so please enjoy looking at all of our pictures as we have grown so much since Christmas!!

 

We love you all so very much!! Thank you for praying for us & for our parents over the past year!!

The Z Twins

So, Mommy has been HORRIBLE at updating anyone about the twins' growth and development... And, I really don't have a good excuse, so I won't try to pardon myself!!! BUT... Here are just a few BIG things!

 

Zayden has not used his oxygen since October!! His doctor actually sent an order for the company to come pick up all equipment at our last checkup!!

 

We spent Thanksgiving here at our "home" (Aunt Amy's) with everyone and had a blast! We attempted to feed the babies pureed turkey, but they didn't really like it... So they had green beans and sweet potatoes, I think. Zayden got his first tooth that week, and Zoey got her first tooth the next week!!

 

We spent most of the month of December in Blairsville with Gramma and Grampa and we loved every minute of it!! (Hopefully, they did, too!) Our first Christmas was so much fun!! And, finding somewhere to hang ten stockings was quite amusing! ;-) The twins also perfected sitting up solo this month, which Zoey was pretty excited about, because she seems to hate lying down.

 

We had a wonderful New Year's Eve at Gramma's as well, although the twins were asleep by ten. We had a family fun night with margaritas, wine, snacks, and games, and had a blast!!  

 

Zoey & Zayden are getting RSV vaccine injections once a month throughout the winter season to help their immune systems fight off what most people see as the common cold... But in children under 2, especially those with under-developed lungs, this "cold" can be fatal.

Speaking of which, we ask that you please pray for our friend, Claire, in the UK, whose twins, Lewis and Sol, were also born almost 3 mths prematurely 2 weeks after the twins. Lewis is currently in the hospital with a diagnosed case of RSV and is on oxygen and a feeding tube. We are praying daily that he can pull through this and go home soon!!

 

Our last check up was a nine month check up on January 6th. You will all be glad to hear that both of the twins are FINALLY on the growth chart (for weight, not height) for their age! (It's only the 5th percentile, BUT we made it!!) Zayden weighed 17 pounds, 5.5 ounces, and measured 26 1/3 inches long. Zoey weighed 17 pounds, 10 ounces, and measured 24 1/5 inches long.

 

Both Zoey and Zayden are crawling now! Zoey's discoveries this past week include pulling up (on ANYTHING she can grasp), walking using Mommy's hands, and turning front flips (with our help, of course)! Zayden actually learned how to pull up on things within the past month, but he doesn't seem to be all that interested in it. (I think he thinks he can get into more lower to the floor... Like books and electronics that he isn't supposed to touch?!)

Although they aren't eating real food yet, they are now eating baby food for three meals a day, and also have some sort of snack most days. (Zayden has 6 teeth - some of which have come all the way through already - and Zoey has 5 - two of which have come all the way through - so sometimes our snacks are cookies!)

 

Now for The Southern Family's big news...

Joseph has received notification (not orders, yet) that our next assignment is to be Ft. Hood (in Texas) with a report date of June 10. We do intend on trying to get their earlier than this, as we will want some time to get settled before he goes to work. We also believe that he may deploy this summer, so the sooner we can get moved and get settled, the more comfortable we all will be with the area and the situation if this does happen.

 

In the mean time, here are some events to look forward to!!!

~ February 20, 2010 Crystal & David's wedding! So glad to welcome him to the family!  

~ March 7, 2010   Zoey & Zayden will be baptized at St. John Lutheran Church by Pastor Katie

~ March 21, 2010 Zoey & Zayden's 1st Birthday party!!!! (Blairsville - Afternoon)

~ April 24, 2010 March for Babies!! PLEASE feel free to join us for the walk!! (Atlanta) If you

        can't join us, please think about donating to the cause!

        http://www.marchforbabies.org/team/t1317623 

 

I hope to hear from everyone soon, & if anyone would like any more information about the twins or on any of our upcoming events, feel free to email me at aljjsouthern@gmail.com or call me! Thank you to every one of you for your thoughts, prayers, & support over the past (almost!) year!! We are so grateful to have such loving family members and friends!! I will try to get some more recent pictures posted within the next week, so come back and visit soon!!   

 

 

 

Hello again Shutterfly friends!! I know it's been a while since we've written in our online journal, and I do apologize... But, I will admit, it's not on the top of my priority list. ;-)

 

First things first: Kellie Gowens is an old friend and roommate of mine from Clayton College & State University. She is a truly amazing person and a wonderful Christian, as is every other person in her family!! Her father passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Wednesday night. PLEASE, PLEASE remember this family & pray for them as they mourn and deal with the loss of a wonderful husband, father, mentor, & friend.

 

As for us:

 

The twins are now 6 1/2 months old, and they are both doing so wonderful!! We had our well check-up this week, and saw a different doctor than our regular pediatrician, but we loved her, and she loved the twins, so that's all that matters!

 

Zayden, as of Tuesday, weighed 13 pounds 9 ounces and was 23.5 inches long!! He has not used his oxygen at all in the home for over a full week now!! He has actually only needed it on 3 occasions, all of which were while he was sleeping in the car, and all were for less than half an hour each! :-) We are so very proud of him for this accomplishment. As most of you know, he was on a ventilator for almost 8 full weeks, which is an extremely long time. Although ventilators do assist in breathing, they can do extensive damage to the lungs by causing scar tissue. Zayden is very fortunate to have overcome his need of oxygen so quickly! He has also started rolling over & loves holding (and chewing on, of course) his toys and blankets! He smiles & laughs quite a bit when he's awake & playful, but tends to fight sleep on a regular basis... for a LONG period of time (1-2 hrs at points). We are trying to get him to self-soothe, but that usually takes a dark, quiet room, which is unheard of when there's two babies in the room. ;-) He does pretty well at bedtime, now. It's the naps he hates! 

 

Zoey, as of Tuesday, weighed 13 pounds 7.5 ounces and was 23 inches long! She has really come out of her shell this past month, and has amazed us with her sudden energy. :-) She talks constantly, she laughs hysterically, and she has decided that she WILL be louder than her brother, no matter what it takes. ;-) (A.K.A. EXTREMELY loud voice for such a tiny person!) We have seen her roll over once or twice, but she doesn't really care much for floor time. She is all about the TV & laptop for some reason or another. Some days, this is a wonderful help to Mommy... Other days (or nights when she refuses to eat without TV), it's not so great at all... She has slowly learned how to move around when on her stomach. She isn't crawling; it's more of a scoot, I guess you could say. ;-) She also does a sort of backbend constantly when on her back, more out of frustration than anything, but this allows her to move around, also.

 

Both Zoey & Zayden are making very good attempts at sitting with support. They have also both found their fingers & toes & mouths & noses. While they haven't quite figured out how to grab their toes with their fingers & get them to their mouths, they do constantly play with their noses and keep their fingers in their mouths. Neither of them is really very interested in a pacifier, which is fine with me, by far! Zayden uses his if his gums are bothering him (early stages of teething) or if he can't decide between hunger & sleep and he really needs a nap. ;-) Zoey only uses hers at night when she's sleepy, for the most part. However, she spits it out before she falls asleep. The twins have also boycotted the crawling efforts, and moved on to the standing & walking efforts. I don't think this will last once they realize they can move around on their tummies much easier... But, for now, it's quite amazing to see either of them stand and balance while holding onto just one of your fingers with each hand! We are also between 3 mth and 6 mth clothes now!! This is a WONDERFUL thing, because it means they're catching up (size-wise) to your normal 6 mth old babies!! Our 6 mth tags read "12.5-16.5 pounds, 24-26.5 in", so it's wonderful that they've been able to do this!! They were still in newborn clothes just over a month ago, I believe!!

 

Mommy & Daddy are doing just fine. We have finally made bedtime for the babies sometime between 10-11, and we are able to manage to take an hour to ourselves BEFORE we go to bed to just sit together. It's an amazing thing & a wonderful feeling! The twins are also sleeping through the night, for the most part, so I usually get to sleep until at least 6 AM, sometimes 8!! That is THE BEST feeling in THE WORLD!! :-) We FINALLY got our first professional photos completed & put up on the site this week. Feel free to look (& shop, if you want) around! I'm not really sure how Shutterfly works for visitors, but you are all more than welcome to purchase the pictures if you'd like to!

 

Also, for those of you who don't know, Joseph and I are living with Aunt Amy & Uncle David in Griffin. We are just a couple of minutes of off I-75 about 40 minutes south of Atlanta. If you would like to meet the twins, feel free to call & come by!! We would love to have the company! I only ask that if you, or anyone close to you, has been or is sick, that you please, please stay away for at least 7 days!!

 

Thanks to everyone for your support, prayers, & encouragement!! We love each & everyone of you so very much!!

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Well, the twins have been home for about a month now, and everyone is doing pretty well.

Zoey and Zayden are both almost 22 inches long and over 10 pounds each!!

Zoey still has a little trouble eating sometimes... If she dozes while eating, she forgets to swallow, and chokes up on us... But it doesn't happen more than once a day now, and she has started to calm herself down and breathe on her own when it happens. She also has trouble sleeping soundly a lot... It seems she dreams... a lot. Hopefully they're good dreams... All I know is that they disturb her sleep (and mine)! I raelly hate that for her... But I guess she naps enough to make up for it. She has been taken off her blood pressure medications, as they made her blood pressure drop too low. It is now normal without any medications. She is still on her amoxicillin to help prevent kidney/bladder infections due to grade 3 kidney reflux until we can see a urologist. We have finally gotten our appointment made for Sept. 4th (for both Zoey & Zayden). He eyes have finally matured & she has no problems with her retinas! She has been seeing a cardiologist for followup on the small hole she has and the murmur that is caused by this. However, at our last visit, we were told our next follow-up for her is in 6 months! :-) YAY! Her next eye exam is in 6 months, also!! :-) She has a neurology appointment on Oct. 5th for followup with her cyst (or abnormality, as they called it before we left the hospital), due to her abnormal sleeping/eating habits and development worries. Don't let this scare you - She's fine... We just want to be sure her cyst hasn't grown or spread or caused any other problems! We have an appointment with the developmental clinic at Hughes Spalding on Monday, Aug. 17th, so we'll know more about her development curve after then.

Zayden has NO trouble eating... He has caught up to his sister in size without any problems! He will gladly eat in his sleep & take 3 ounces every 2 hrs if we'd let him! (He can't have more than a certain amount over a certain period of time due to his hydronephosis.) He sleeps pretty well... Although, it's getting him to sleep that is the problem. He knows "bedtime" and he hates it... He screams for at least ten, sometimes twenty, minutes every night while we're getting ready for bed. We do let them both sleep with us a couple times a week, but they sleep in their bassinets most nights. (Hopefully, we'll have cribs & be able to set up a nursery at the end of the month!) He is still on his blood pressure meds, and has a follow up with cardiology in about 3 weeks for this. His blood pressure was still up a little last week with meds, so hopefully it will come down soon. It is possible that his added kidney problem could be affecting this. He, too, has an appointment with urology on Sept. 4th, and is on amoxicillin until then. His eye exam yesterday was normal & he, too, does not have to go back for 6 months!! This is an amazing accomplishment for him, as they were concerned about having to do laser treatment just a month ago!! His retinas have developed correctly all on their own!! He is still on continuous oxygen, but only 1/8th of a liter flow (hardly any pressure at all, but PURE oxygen). We hope to be rid of it over the next couple of months, but we aren't pushing him too hard too fast!! We most definitely don't want him to be dependent on it, though!

 

Their homecoming announcement was in the North GA News last week, if anyone's interested. I am also adding new pictures (taken within the last couple of weeks) to the site. There are some on Facebook, as well.

 

I cannot thank you all enough for all you have done for us! Some of you may think you haven't done anything other than randomly wonder how we're doing... But, just know that this has been enough to keep us going. Zoey & Zayden are two of the strongest, yet youngest, people I have ever known. For those of you who have not had a chance to talk to me personally about them, or who haven't had a chance to meet them and would like to, please feel free to e-mail me about setting up a get together! I feel that each of you reading this have played a roll in the twins' success and that you have all helped them get to where they are today. I also know that without prayers for patience, Dad & I wouldn't be where we are today! :-) We love you all so very much, and we couldn't ask for better friends & family!

 

This is long overdue... But, here it is anyways!!

 

Zayden came home on Thursday evening, July 16th! (Yep - One day early!) He is on continuous oxygen through a cannula, but it isn't much, and we hope he's able to kick it over the next few months. He also has a pulse oximeter to help us keep up with his oxygen saturation, as well as an apnea monitor for use at night and in the car. He had a bit harder of a time adjusting to home, as he does not deal with any change well, but after his first 2-3 days, he finally figured out that he was actually HOME, and he LOVES it. He was smiling & giggling within a week of being home! He is on blood pressure medication for high blood pressure & also is on an antibiotic to help prevent infections due to the same kidney problem that Zoey has, as well as hydronephosis. He came home weighing just under 8 pounds and right at 20 inches long.

 

I put the announcement for the two of them together as one, and it was in last week's North GA News, if anyone's interested.

 

Again, thank you all for your support & prayers along the way... ESPECIALLY for Zayden's health!! The prayers have definitely worked & the support has done more than you can imagine for our family!!

So... For those of you who don't know, Zoey came home on Monday evening, July 13!! She is no longer using oxygen at all! We do keep an apnea monitor on her when we are sleeping or when in the car. So far, she has done wonderful. She sleeps the majority of the time, & has had no trouble or alarms since we've been home! She is on blood pressure medications (two) and an anti-biotic to help prevent infections due to a problem with her kidneys. As of our doctor visits yesterday, she is now 20 inches long & 8 pounds, 3 ounces!! Keep your eyes peeled over the next couple of weeks for her announcement. I will try to get it in the N GA News ASAP with pictures! I have posted an album on here with pictures of her getting ready to come home & her first bath at home later that evening. She is a dfferent baby  just from being home!!

 

Zayden is scheduled to come home on Friday, July 17 (tomorrow)!! I'll post an update as soon as I get a chance!! His announcement will also be in the paper soon!

 

 

Zoey weighs 7 pounds, is without oxygen supplement (except for rare occasions while she eats), and is taking all of her feeds (and medicines) by mouth!! The only thing we're waiting on is her blood pressure to come down & stay down!!

Zayden was put on a regular nasal canula today for his oxygen supplement, and is only on 1/4 liter of pressure through his canula. He has been here since about 2 PM this afternoon, and is doing wonderful, so far! He is also taking the majority of his feeds by mouth, and his blood pressure is also high. He now weighs 6 pounds 11 ounces!

 

We hope to have BOTH babies home within the next week or so!! Please keep the babies in your thoughts and prayers this week, as they will need the extra strength and encouragement to step up to the plate!! This is a HUGE step for both of them, especially Zayden!

It's been a couple of weeks since I've updated, so this could take a minute. Ready, Set, Go!

 

As of today, Saturday, June 13, 2009, Zoey & Zayden are 12 weeks old (gestational age now 38 1/2 weeks). They are both slowly being weaned from their oxygen, still on nasal cannulas for this support, and are both receiving 2-3 feeds per day by bottle, rather than their feeding tube.

 

Zoey weighs 5 lbs., 13 ozs!! She is gaining 1-2 ounces per day now, and is receiving 46 mL of milk per feed. (This is a little more than 1 1/2 ounces.) She has nursed from me a couple of times, but hasn't seemed quite as interested as we had hoped she would be. She is learning to feed by bottle, receiving two of her eight feeds this way each day, and is slowly learning to pace herself. She sometimes gets way into sucking on the nipple and forgets to swallow, which then leads to a big gulp, and a stressful breathing pattern. She's learning slowly, but surely! Her oxygen requirements are now down to 21-23% most of the time (room air, or the air we breathe, is 21%), so once she can stay on the 21% for 24 hours, hopefully, the doctors will try to remove the cannula. They tried this once last week, and she was okay for about 4 hours. Then, she was just too tired to keep breathing deeply enough to keep her oxygen saturation levels high enough, so they put her cannula back on. It is a good possibility that she may not need it anymore after this week, but we don't want to push her too far too fast!

As for internal updates: We have been notified that Zoey's heart does have a small hole in it, only because it has not completely grown together yet. This should resolve itself, however, we will schedule an appointment at 6 months to have another scan done. If it is not resolved by age 4 or 5, surgery may be a possibility. She also has an umbilical hernia, which is not a danger or threat to her right now, and should also resolve itself, but again, will need to be followed up until age 5, if still there. As for her cyst, the doctors completed an MRI a week or so ago, and determined that this "bump" has not grown or spread, and that none of the ventricles surrounding her brain are swollen, so they are now treating this as a "abnormal varient", meaning that it could be nothing. It will also have to be followed closely, as will her mental development.   

 

Zayden now weighs 5 lbs., 6 ozs!! He is also gaining 1-2 ounces per day, and is receiving 42 mL of milk per feed, I believe. He nursed for the first time today, and did an excellent job! He is also receiving three feeds per day by bottle, and is loving it! He paces himself a little better than Zoey, but also gets overly excited and sucks a little bit too fast sometimes. I think sometimes they forget that they have to suck AND swallow before they can suck again. :-) He is still on higher oxygen requirements than her, but is now requiring a considerably lower amount! They have turned his pressure down to 2 liters (from 3), and he is normally requiring 35-45% oxygen to keep his saturation levels up.

Zayden's hemmorhage has completely resolved itself & this should not be an issue with his development. His only major concern is that he has been diagnosed with Chronic Lung Disease, due to the distress on his lungs and their vulnerability. This is also something that will have to be followed closely, and could require him to be on oxygen (and other meds) up to age 2.

 

Both Zoey & Zayden are making improvements daily & we are still hoping to have them home on or around their due date of June 24th. For those of you who don't know, we ARE having a shower in Blairsville on Father's Day, Sunday, June 21st. If you did not receive an invite, either by mail or Facebook, please consider this yours. We would love to see each and every one of you!! If you would like to know more about the shower, please feel free to email me at aljjsouthern@gmail.com or Mom at ldenmon@gmail.com. Thank you all so much for your continued prayers, encouragement, & support! I don't know where we'd be without the help and support of our loved ones!

 

April, Joseph, Zoey, & Zayden 

Zoey now is just one ounce shy of 5 pounds & Zayden is about 4 1/2 pounds!

Zoey is still working hard on learning how to eat by bottle & breast, and she has a tendency towards brestfeeding. (I'm okay with this for the most part, but I REALLY wish she'd take a bottle. That would really help me out!) She is keeping her body temperature up just fine, and she likes to hear herself talk. :-) It sounds like a really high pitched bark, and her face lights up when she hears herself! She is still requiring about the same amount of oxygen as she has for the last week. They may try to wean her down a bit more this week; I'd say it most likely depends on how she does with her feeding sessions. They did an MRI on Zoey this week to clarify the cyst shown by the last cranial ultrasound. The MRI did not show anything in any more detail, and they are now treating what they thought was a cyst as a "natural variant". (Meaning, keep your eye on it, and keep your eye on her development. If we have a reason to look again, we will definitely do it.)

Zayden has not begun feeding yet, due to his underdeveloped lungs. He is doing alright on his high flow nasal cannula, but he's still requiring about 50% oxygen most of the time. (His nights are sometimes a little calmer, and he has been known to get down to 30%, but doesn't stay here for very long.) He has discovered crying this week, and when you hear him, you'd never believe that his lungs are less developed than half of the other babies in the nursery, including his sister's! They completed a third cranial ultrasound on his head this month, and the results show that his hemmorhage has resolved itself. This has left a "void" inside of his head where the hemmorhage formed, but this should fill itself in, in due time.

We had an excellent visit last night with them! Daddy & I stayed for about 4 hours. We changed them & took temperatures twice. We helped their nurse weigh them. We changed their clothes. I nursed Zoey for about 10 minutes. And, we each held both of them for a good hour a piece! They are growing and learning and doing well!! I have added a new album entitled "May 2009" with pictures from the last 3 or 4 days.

Love you all!

The Southern Family  

Okay, okay... I have been a bad blogger this month, and I apologize for that!! However, I have got to spend quite a bit more time with Zoey and Zayden, and the family and I have been slowly putting together a "home" for The Z Twins, so we HAVE been busy (not just lazy)!

 

Zoey & Zayden are doing fairly well. They are both in open beds (what the nursery likes to call bassinets, but they are just the regular nursery beds - aka no more incubators) and have not had any trouble keeping their temperatures up to par. Although, they are usually swaddled in two blankets and covered with two more. :-) They are also BOTH on nasal cannulas for their extra oxygen requirements!!

Zoey, as of this morning, weighed 4 pounds, 8 ounces. She now has her feeding tube inserted through her nose so that we are able to attempt feeding her, both by bottle and breast. I believe these are done 2-3 times a day, and she is slowly improving. The doctors have ordered a physical therapist to come work with her on sucking and swallowing, as she did not quite catch on as they hoped she would. She has seemed to be a bit stronger each time we've fed her this week, so we'll pray that the therapist continues to work with her, and that Zoey only finds more strength & doesn't give up! They completed a second cranial ultrasound on Zoey on April 20th, I believe. The results came back just the same as the first, showing the cyst. Of course, it's not great news that the cyst is still there. However, the good news is that the cyst has not grown, and she did not have any swelling or extra fluids in or around the ventricles surrounding her brain. She had some stomach problems about three weeks ago, and they had to stop her feeds & put her on IV fluids for a couple of days until she could go to the bathroom, but she has since picked up on eating & using the bathroom without any problems. In fact, I believe the last time I checked, she is getting 35 mL of 24 calorie breastmilk over a 1 hour period every three hours!!

Zayden, as of this evening, weighed 4 pounds 5 1/2 ounces. He still has his feeding tube inserted in his mouth, as he is not quite ready to attempt normal feedings yet. He had a WONDERFUL past couple of weeks, and I guess, kind of paid for that this weekend. He had not had a blood transfusion, or any major problems, for about three weeks. This weekend, he began having some trouble breathing, and required a blood transfusion on Sunday afternoon. As of Monday around 10 PM, his oxygen requirements are lower than they have ever been!! Over the course of the last three weeks, Zayden has extubated himself (no more ventilator), and gone from his CPAP machine to a high-pressure nasal cannula. Although the pressure on his cannula is a bit higher than that of Zoey's, his oxygen requirements (when he's not exhausted) are usually between 30-40%, which isn't bad at all for him! He is now eating 31 mL of 27 calorie breastmilk, and growing, FINALLY, as you can see!! (He has been gaining LOTS of length, but not much fat until this past week.) I believe he was 16 1/4 in. long this morning. (They say Zoey is 16 in., but I'm not sure she's really that long... She looks way shorter than him!!)

 

Daddy's request for a reassignment to Ft. McPherson was granted!! We should be stationed here until the beginning of July 2010. He has already gone back to work, and is probably thankful to get out of the house each day! ;-) He's working a 9-5 job, for the most part, right now, and should remain non-deployable during his year at McPherson, as we are here for personal/family difficulties/reasons.

Mommy is EXHAUSTED! (And, babies aren't even home yet!) I am still pumping breastmilk, and plan to continue to do so. I have learned that I get just as much milk by sleeping through the night and pumping longer in the morning, rather than waking in the middle of the night to pump. So, I usually do get 6-8 hours of sleep each night. Although, by 3:00 PM, you'd never know it! Of course, it'd probably help if I went to bed before midnight. Oh well - I have learned these past few weeks that sleep is apparently WAY overrated, and I should really just get over it. I AM allowed to have 300-500 mg of caffiene a day, so I've decided this must be what keeps new mothers going! I just have to remember in the morning, after my first cup of coffee, that I should really save cups number 2 and 3 for later in the day!

We are both tired of traveling so much. And, right now, we are a little behind on finances. For those of you who don't know, we did make a major purchase last month (a new car), because we did not have a reliable & economical family car. We were borrowing vehicles right and left to get around. This purchase has put us a little behind. Also, because Joseph's processing is not complete in Germany, he is not officially signed in to Ft. McPherson. Because of this, we are only receiving a "cost of living" expense for Germany right now on his pay; we are not receiving any housing allowance whatsoever, yet, and will not until this is complete. As you can imagine, our main concerns are still gas and groceries. As for living, we have decided to move in with my Aunt & Uncle in Griffin, who have been gracious enough to share their home with our family. We hope to get moved in and settled over the next week or two. I know I've told you once, but I'll tell you again: Joseph and I are not the type of people to ask for help, and we absolutely HATE doing it. (We've actually been accused of "using" people for this reason recently.) But, at this time, we will gladly accept Gift Cards for Walmart, Target, Kroger, & Babies R Us. Also, a reminder: If you have expired coupouns (within 6 months of expiration date), please feel free to mail them to us, or get them to one of our Moms or Aunts, as we can use these at the commissary on base.

 

We plan on having a shower on June 21st (hopefully without babies), and hope to have a place set up for them before they come home. (Once invitations are out, I will post the information here for all of you interested parties to see. Please know that you are all invited!) Zoey may very well still come home on or around their due date (June 24th). Zayden's health seems to fluctuate from day to day, or week to week, so we really don't have an idea of when he may be home. If he continues to pick up his pace, as he has recently, he may be home with Zoey. Please remember that although our babies are doing well today, they are still in an intensive care unit in critical but stable condition. While we do not like to think about the possibilities, we do still always fear and know that anything may/can happen at the drop of a dime to change their health and/or well-being. Please continue to have our family in your thoughts and prayers. Also, please remember to pray for Joseph and I for continued patience, as well as low stress/anxiety levels (these have definitely risen the past week or so).  

 

I know I have left information out... that's what I get for not blogging on a weekly basis. But, I'm trying my best to keep you all updated and informed! I promise!!

 

Love you all, so very much!!

 

Love,

April, Joseph, Zoey, & Zayden

Shower - Save the Date: June 21st (Yes, this is Father's Day, and we are planning something for the fathers that attend.)

 

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So... As of Sunday night (4/26/09), Zayden's weight was around 3 lbs. 4 1/2 ozs., and his length was over 15 1/2 inches!! Zoey's weight was just over 2 lbs. 12 ozs., and she was measured to be just over 14 3/4 inches long!!

 

It is simply amazing how tiny they are, yet how huge they seem to be compared to just 5 weeks ago!! (Saturday, the 25th, made our five week mark.) I will try to add some updated pictures in a few minutes so that you all can see the difference!

 

Zoey is doing very well right now. She is slowing being weaned off the CPAP machine, and was down to only 25-30% oxygen requirements at very low pressure yesterday. She is now eating 24 mL every three hours, and seems to be tolerating it well!

 

Zayden has had a rough couple of weeks, and is still on his ventilator. He threw up his milk a couple of nights ago, and was put back on IV fluids, morphine, and ativan night before last, and was given a blood transfusion yesterday. Hopefully, these extra red blood cells will help him bounce back. He seemed to be doing a little better last night, and his nurse said he had a stable night and morning. Zayden also has what looks to be an infection on or in his left leg from where an IV was inserted a couple of nights ago. The wound nurse is coming to look at this today, and we'll hope that it was just a simple irritation from the tape or iv fluids. More to come on this at a later date...

Please continue to keep our family in your prayers, and please say a special prayer for Zayden's continued strength, as he needs this more than anyone right now!

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So, yesterday (Sat., April 25, 2009) marked the twins fifth week... Crazy to even think they are that old already! (They will be at 32 weeks gestation this coming Wednesday.) I haven't written in a couple of weeks, and it's been a hectic couple of weeks... So let's see if I can give you all enough info to kinda know where we are at right now...

 

Zoey now weighs (as of last Friday, I believe) 2 lbs., 11 ozs. She is still on her CPAP machine (which provides her with pressurized oxygen to help her out a little bit with her breathing), but is slowly requiring less oxygen and less pressure. She is still eating through her feeding tube. She now gets 21 mL of 24 calorie breast milk every 3 hours. (They increase the calories of breast milk by adding a "whole milk" fortifier in powder form to the milk before feeds.) The nurses used to think she was going to run the nursery while they had her, and she's still a bit fiesty when they go into her bed, but she has calmed down a little, and we've gotten to hold her a few more times. Daddy's hand seems to have the touch she needs to calm her when she isn't feeling her best. We have heard her cry and wimper, and although I probably won't think this 6 months down the road, these are the sweetest sounds in the world! I also wouldn't doubt it if she learns how to giggle within the next month... I swear she smiles and laughs (silently, of course) with Daddy every time she sees or hears him! Zoey should have her second cranial ultrasound within the next week to check on the cystic lesion found in her frontal lobe. We can only pray that this has resolved itself over the past 5 weeks! It does not seem to be affecting her in any way.

 

Zayden now weighs (as of Friday night, I believe) 3 lbs., 2 ozs!! He is still hanging onto his ventilator, which has unfortunately caused a harder time for him. The things that help them overcome breathing problems are unfortunately the same things that can sometimes lead to worse breathing problems... The ventilator is one of these things. Although it helped him to breathe within his first couple of weeks, it has caused extra buildup of fluid in his lungs in the mean time, which has led to a set back in his developing lungs. He was treated by antibiotics for pnuemonia for 7 days last week, and was given an IV for 4 of those days I believe, instead of receiving feeds. He was also given morphine and ativan last week to keep him relaxed and partially sedated. During this time, his oxygen requirements and breath requirements from the venilator sky-rocketed, and Daddy & I didn't sleep very well... But, he seems to be doing a little better each day now; it is a slow and long road to get down, and it isn't quite as easy for him as it was for his big sister. I did finally get to take him out of his bed and hold him for about 20 minutes one day last week before he began going downhill. It was absolutely the best day ever! (Along with the first day I got to hold Zoey, of course!) Before his feeds were stopped last week, he was eating 22 mL of 24 calorie breast milk every three hours!! (No wonder he's over 3 lbs already!) He was started back on 5 mL yesterday and was bumped up to 10 mL last night, and has had no problems digesting at all. Hopefully they'll be able to stop is IV fluids today and just up his feeds to 20 mL once again fo his nutrition. (His biggest weight was 3 lbs., 5 oz., so he did lose a little bit of weight while he was sick.) We are still watching him (and his stats) like hawks... We try to visit the nursery for two hours a day right now, and when we aren't there, it seems like I call every 2-3 hours! He should also have a follow up cranial ultrasound this week sometime, and hopefully his hemmorhage has done away with itself as well. The doctor says that even if the hemmorhage is still there, and even further developing, it shouldn't cause these problems with his breathing.

 

Both Zoey & Zayden are still in critical but stable states. They both continue to have episodes of apnea, both while awake and while sleeping. This is a common problem with premature babies, especially as early as they were, and could send them home on monitors if it is not resolved before their release... But Mommy & Daddy are okay with that! As long as they get to come home, we're happy, regardless of what else we might have to bring along with them!!

 

I have asked that we and the babies have limited visitors for the next couple of weeks. Some of you may have received this e-mail last week. You can see that Zayden has had a little trouble, and he seems to do better while he's resting. Mommy also seems to do much better when she gets her rest (including naps)! Feel free to message or e-mail us, or just leave comments. It may be a week or two before you hear back from us, but I promise we're reading every note & thinking of all of our friends and family daily! Thank you all so very much for your support during this time!! We couldn't do it without you guys! Zoey & Zayden greatly appreciate the prayers and support, as you can see, they are pulling through slowly but surely!! We love you all!! 

 

 

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This morning, two dear friends of mine came to visit with me, meet Joseph, and see Zoey and Zayden. It was so wonderful to see familiar faces and hear familiar voices of true friends!! Although both babies seemed to be touch-me-nots this morning (a regular thing for both of them), Heather & Whitney did get the chance to stroke Zoey's hand for a minute. Zayden pretty much slept through the visit.

 

Both Zoey and Zayden are completely off of IV fluids and receiving only breast milk for both their food and nutrition. They both had their PICC lines removed today thanks to this! (These were small IV-like tubes inserted into a main artery for their fluids to travel through.)

 

We also got to hold Zoey for quite some time tonight. Her nurse allowed us to pull her out of the bed (wrapped up to stay warm, of course) and sit in a chair with her for a few minutes. I'll try to get the pictures up by tomorrow!! She absolutely loved it, and even opened her eyes a couple of times!

Zayden is still doing okay. The doctors are trying to get his weaned off his ventilator by decreasing the amount of breaths he receives from it. This is going alright, but they seem to be increasing the amount of oxygen they are supplying him with, so he's still being a bit lazy with his breathing... We'll all just continue praying that his lungs develop over the next week and that he can get past this!!

 

As for Mom & Dad, we are doing well. I have felt pretty good all day today, and although I am still taking pain medication on a regular basis, I finally feel like my body is in the healing process. Dad is more than a little upset about having to return to Germany, but as for now, we're taking what time we do have together day by day, and enjoying every possible moment!

 

Please continue to keep our new family in your prayers, as we do all need it daily! We love each and every one of you so very much!!

 

April, Joseph, Zoey, & Zayden

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So... Zoey & Zayden are now just over two weeks old (as of Saturday, April 4th), and are growing stronger every day. This week has been nothing short of the world's largest, longest roller coaster, but we're trying our hardest to remember each morning that we need to take everything day by day, not week by week.

 

Zoey is doing fairly well. She is still on the CPAP machine, which is providing her oxygen through a nose mask. Her oxygen supply levels are pretty much the same as they have been throughout the past week... She may be a little lower on her good days. For those of you confused about this, Zoey is breathing on her own, without the help of any tubes. The oxygen supply is due to the fact that when she does breathe, she isn't inhaling enough oxygen to flow through her entire body. This oxygen mask assures that she receives enough to keep the correct amount flowing through her blood stream at all times.

She is now eating 14 mL (of breast milk) every three hours. This is still being given to her through a feeding tube that is inserted through her mouth and travels into her stomach. As long as she continues to digest her food and use the bathroom on her own, this amount is usually increased by 2 mL on a daily basis. (For those of you who don't like math, she's eating about 3 1/2 ounces every 24 hours.) As of this morning, she weighed 2 lbs., 2 ozs. Her weight fluctuates on a daily basis, sometimes up, sometimes down. The nurses say this is to be expected, and will probably continue for a while. As long as it doesn't continue to go down repeatedly, we have nothing to worry about there.

For those of you wondering about her cranial ultrasound, we really won't know any more regarding this until they do a second ultrasound at one month of age. But, we have made sure to check to be certain that her arms, legs, hands, and feet are responsive, and that she is alert, at each visit. She seems to be doing just fine right now. Please just keep praying that we do not see any major issues from her condition.

 

Zayden is also doing well. He decided to throw us a scare this week by attempting to pull on his ventilator tube yesterday. When this happened, the doctors decided to go ahead and remove the tube and attempt to put him on a machine similar to that of Zoey's that supplied only oxygen allowing him to breathe on his own. They did say that he kept his breathing up pretty well, however, his oxygen supply requirements stayed pretty high (80-100%). Because of this, the doctor decided to re-intubate him (re-insert his ventilator tube) so that he was not receiving so much extra oxygen around the clock. They also had to give him a blood transfusion after his hard day. We were definitely concerned about him last night, but this morning, he seemed to have taken a turn for the better, and was doing better than he has anytime in the past two weeks (and two days)! The doctors and nurses hope to be able to wean him off of the ventilator this week, if at all possible. Now that they know he can breathe just fine on his own, they are hoping if they wean him off, and get him put on a CPAP machine, that he will do better on his next try.

Zayden's feeds were increased to 13 mL every three hours today. He is digesting his food very well, and continues to use the bathroom on his own. His feeds, like hers, are usually increased by 2 mL every 24 hours if there are no problems. He is also being fed through the same type of feeding tube. As of this morning, he weighed a little under 2 lbs., 2 ozs., also, which is a little under his birth weight. But, again, this is okay, as long as it goes back up before dropping again.

As far as the condition with his hemorrhage, we will not know anything futher until they do a second cranial ultrasound at one month of age. He has a slighter larger change that his problem will resolve itself, but we continut to pray on a daily basis that all will be just fine with both of them.

 

As for Mommy & Daddy: We're hanging in there, for now... Mommy is completely exhausted by the end of the day, because it seems breastfeeding takes a whole lot out of you... Especially when you have to pump every 3 hours and it takes an hour to complete each time! Mommy is also supposed to be eating and drinking lots and lots, and is having some troube doing that... Not sure if it's a "remembering to eat" thing or if it's a "not hungry" thing, but whatever it is, it's causing some of the tired issues, I'm sure. Mommy's incision is healing pretty well. Still some pain and tenderness, but LOVING Motrin about now... It works wonders! As for Daddy, he is just glad to be able to be here for the time being. He has been the strong one of the two of us, at least in front of me, and I couldn't ask for a better husband during all of this. He has been totally amazing & has done more than I could ever ask for! I think he'd much rather sit at the nursery 24-7 if I'd let him, and I'd love to, also... Actually, there is a good possibility we may just spend a night or two there before he has to return to Germany (as of right now, he needs to schedule his return flight to leave the states on the 13th). Neither of us are looking forward to this, and we have high hopes that things will work out for the best, because they always seem to for us. But, during such stressful times, it's hard to remember that!   

 

Again, I want to say Thank You to each and every one of you who have offered us thoughts, prayers, support, encouragement, donations, gift cards, and supplies. The past two weeks are only the beginning of a long, emotional roller coaster, and we ask that you contine to help us along over the next two to three months. We love you all so very much and hope that you will continue to remain in our lives, as we need as much family and friends as we can find at this point!! The support and prayers are AMAZING & we couldn't ask for a better "extended" family!!

 

Love,

April, Joseph, Zoey, & Zayden

 

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Hello everyone! Most of you already know the news and the story... But here it is anyways. ;-)

 

I came home to Georgia on March 16th for a two week visit (my doctor said I was fine to travel, because I had no complications whatsoever and because I was still in my second trimester), and went into preterm labor Wed., March 18th. Zoey's sac began leaking early Wed. morning, and after a trip to the Blairsville ER, only to find out I was 3 cm dilated, I was transferred to Grady Memorial in Atlanta because the twins were only at 26 weeks gestation, and would be in need of a NICU if they were early. I dilated to 5 cm that day, but the doctors were able to stop my contractions and labor using Magnesium something or another for a couple of days... Long enough to get steroids to the babies' lungs to help development. Zoey and Zayden were born on Saturday, March 21, at just 26 Weeks, 3 Days gestation. Zoey measured 12 3/4 inches and weighed 1 lb., 14 oz. Zayden also measured 12 3/4 inches, but weighed in at 2 lb., 3 oz. (I have no idea how they were so big... But I thank God every day for it!)

 

Both Zoey and Zayden were put on ventilators and oxygen to help them with their breathing. Zoey pulled out her ventilator tube last week, so they decided to switch her to just oxygen, which she receives through her nose, now. Zayden still has his ventilator, but he is breathing better and his oxygen supply levels are slowly coming down.

 

As of today, Zoey is eating 5 cc's (or 5 mL's) of breast milk every three hours. Zayden is eating 3 cc's every three hours. (They receive this through a tube right now. Hopefully, they'll be able to actually feed soon.)

 

Both twins had ECHO's done on their hearts to be sure that all was well, and their results both came back just fine. There was no sign of any complications, and the doctors said that both of their hearts look great.

 

They also had cranial ultrasounds completed this past week. Zayden's exam showed that he has a Grade 1 IVH (Intraventricular Hemmorhage). This is an extremely minor bleed near his brain, but not in it. There is a small possibility of this progressing, but the doctors (as well as many books I've read) state that the Grade 1 and Grade 2 IVH's are extremely common in preemies, and they very rarely effect a child later on in life. Zoey's exam showed that she has a cystic lesion in her frontal lobe. This condition is a bit more serious, and it also puts Zoey at more of a risk for developmental problems in the future, or even cerebral palsy. Both of these conditions will have to be watched closely. A second ultrasound will be done for both twins at one month of age to be sure that neither of these conditions is progressing. Until then, we really are unable to say if Zoey and Zayden will be affected by these current problems. At their young age, they have extra time to overcome these things.

 

As you can imagine, we are asking everyone for your thoughts, prayers, support, & encouragement. I have also signed up for the March for Babies (by March of Dimes), and am asking for support and donations, if possible. Of course, we would love the money for our family at this point, but these donations go towards an excellent cause!

 

If you have questions or comments, or just want to get in touch with me, I can be e-mailed at aljjsouthern@gmail.com.

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So, I have decided to try out this home web page thing for our new little family. I am not going to make any promises that it will stay up to date, but I can promise you that I WILL try my hardest to keep it that way!

 

All of you reading this should know, by now, that Joseph and I are now living in Germany (thanks to the U.S. Army), and are pregnant with twins!! As for the stories, we'll save those for later... For now, you just need to know that we conceived on the day we arrived here in Germany together, and now know that we are having boy/girl twins!! We have decided to name them Zoey Alexandra and Zayden James, and their "due date" is June 24, 2009 (Michelle's 21st birthday - WHAT A PRESENT!!). Although, we expect their arrival sometime just after the first of June.

 

Joseph's commander has been exceptionally helpful in making certain that Joseph will be here when the twins arrive, as well as after the birth for long enough to get through at least the first 3-4 months. We are VERY thankful for this!!

 

Our last doctor's appointment was on February 12th, and we were told that the babies, as well as the Mommy, are in excellent shape, and everyone is growing as they should be! Our next appointment isn't until March 11th, so you may not see or hear anything from us until then. We also have a 3D/4D ultrasound scheduled for March 18th, so keep your eyes and ears open for a possible video of the twins in 4D!!  

10/6/2009 12:09:08 AM - 001044377099
Hey tell Zoey and Zayden Aunt Paula will be there for turkey day! They are looking awesome! Can't wait to see them (and the rest of you as well of course). What is up with Michelle's hair????????

8/23/2009 6:42:08 PM - 002084953445
How wonderful that both babies are home now an doing so well. I hope Zayden improes daily. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. I know God is blessing you. Love Great Aunt Ramona

4/8/2009 1:16:04 AM - 002027929734
I can't wait until I get the chance to come see you and the babies! I think about your family all the time. :o) Every picture is precious.

4/7/2009 12:16:28 PM - 002063651944
I am thinking about you guys. If you need anything day or night just call me.

4/2/2009 3:33:37 PM - 002058816817
love you guys! you know that i am a phone call away.......please let me know what i can do!

4/2/2009 2:26:17 PM - 002062496138
Congratulations! definitly a beautiful family!!!

3/30/2009 4:19:40 PM - 002058517269
SO we need to update this ... maybe I'll do it for you tonight :)

2/21/2009 3:42:35 PM - 002058314768
I think we could definitely make arrangements for that! ;-) I'll see what I can do this week.

2/20/2009 4:19:02 PM - 002058517269
So I think you should give the aunts exclusive rights to update your website while you are "recuperating" :-)

2/20/2009 10:27:40 AM - 001055670565
Wow, what a great site!! :)  Your babies are definitely growing!!!

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