The Lopez twins have arrived!

Meg and Ryan had their baby girls on Friday! She was just a few days shy of 31 weeks. Maizy Gayle was 3 lbs 3 ozs and Calla Francis weighed 2 lbs 13 ozs. They are 15 1/2 inches long:) They are so cute and are both doing really well. Meg is relieved and will be able to go home today for the first time in 2 weeks!

Our twins are doing well. They are out of the NICU and in the Intermediate Care Nursery, it is so much more comfortable! They both got off their nasal canulas last week and have been thriving this past week. Xander weighs 3 lbs 12 ozs and Isaac is up to 3 lbs 10 ozs. They are so adorable! Xander is our snoozer and Isaac is our alert, social guy. Xander seems a lot bigger to all of us, he just looks sturdy and he has a super strong grip (he loves to pull his feeding tube out). Isaac will go cross eyed trying to stay awake and focus on us, he cracks us up. It is getting harder and harder to leave them each evening. I know soon enough we will all be together, it has just been a hard few weeks on everyone. I didn't even see Heiner and Luigi for 3 days straight this week. So then I tried to stay home more than I was at the hospital yesterday and I had such a hard time being away from the babies. I am just torn in two directions right now. Please continue to pray for the babes... pray that they will continue to gain weight and that they will learn to eat on their own. Another milestone they have coming up is moving out of their isolettes and into cribs. They have to be able to maintain their own body temperature, they are getting close to being able to do it. I'll try to update this regularly, so check back in soon!

Little sweeties

Brian and I have loved being able to hold our little guys these past few days. We "kangaroo" them, meaning skin to skin for at least 2 hours. It is such good bonding time for us and it is so good for the little dudes. They are both regaining their weight (they went down from their birth weights the first week which is normal) and they are both starting to digest their food a little better. We fall more in love with them everyday....

What in the world just happened???

A week ago our lives changed forever. My water broke last Thursday night and life has been a blur since then. They tried to stop my labor with magnesim and tributalane, but it only held it off for 22 hours. I was only 31 weeks along and was terrified for their early arrival. Before I knew it I was dilated to an 8 and they were whisking me off to the OR and throwing scrubs at Brian. By the time I was in the OR I was at a 10 and no anesthesiologist in sight. Baby A was head down in position, but baby B was breach. We decided to go for a vaginal delivery despite the risks...luckily the anesthesiologist arrived in time to give me an epidural before I began to push! I pushed for a little over an hour and Xander Thomas was born at 12:06 AM. He weighed 3 lbs 11ozs and was 16 1/2 inches long. They let me look at him quickly and then rushed him to the NICU to get him help with his breathing. Bri left with him and meanwhile Dr. Lee (an amazing Dr!) was able to reach up inside of me and turn baby B into the head down position! It was a celebration in the OR (there were about 12 people in there with all the Drs and nurses). Brian came in right at that time and coached me through pushing baby B out. Isaac William arrived at 12:22 AM. He weighed 3 lbs 7 ozs and measured 16 3/4 inches long. He too had to be rushed off to the NICU- their lungs were not quite ready to greet the world. My mom was waiting outside so she and Bri went back to the NICU while I went back to the room to wait to feel my legs again. As soon as it had worn off Bri and my nurse took me down to see my babies. They were both stable, but were in their isolettes, so I couldn't touch them at all. This last week has been one big step at a time. They had to be on CPAP (the big tube thing over their noses) to help them breathe, and had to go on the jaundice lights for a few days. Because of that we couldn't hold them. Little by little they are getting stronger and they are keeping pace with each other. They both got off their CPAP the same day and moved on to the nasal canula, they both graduated from the NICU the same day and were moved upstairs to the intermediate nursery, and they both got off the lights! So that means we can finally hold our sweet little angels. I really can't put it into words how I felt when I finally got to hold them. I get teary eyed just thinking of them and the love that I feel for them. Brian and I feel so incredibly blessed that they are so healthy for being so early. They still have a long road ahead of them (could be anywhere from another month to two months) before they can come home, but I am trying to remember this is temporary. I ache for them when I'm not with them and I absolutely can't wait to see them each day. My friends have been amazing, taking me to the hospital every day (I can't drive until my iron levels get back up there) and Bri will meet me out in the evening to spend time with them and then take me home. Our big boys have been coming out in the evenings, but Luigi has been sick and hasn't been able to come back with us. Heiner is a pro at taking their temperatures and loves to hold their hands--it is too precious. Meg is on strict hospital bedrest at TG right now doing everything she can to keep her twin girls inside for as long as possible. It has been so fun for me to spend time with her, go pump, go see my babies, go see Meg, go pump, go see my babies..That has been my life this last week. I have been in this alternate reality--I still can't believe they are here. I thank God every day that He has watched over them and that He brought them here safely to us. I also have no doubt my dad is hovering over his newest grandsons making sure they are protected, I just wish he could really be here in person to share this time with us. I miss him so much right now it physically hurts. Thank you for your continued prayers over our family at this time! We are so grateful for all of you and the overwhelming love and support you have given us.

The Devereux Babies are Big!

I had another appt. today where they measured the babies. Baby A is measuring 3 lbs 11ozs and baby B is 3 lbs. 9 ozs! We are so happy to hear they are healthy and everything is looking good with me still too. They always measure my tummy to see what week I am measuring (if I were carrying one) and today I was measuring at week 40--full term:) I will be 31 weeks on Thursday. I have been so blessed by my friends, whether it be bringing me a cup of coffee and sitting on my couch for hours with me, to organizing our nursery, to taking me to Target and not completely laughing at me on the motorized scooter, to stopping by with a surprise dinner for our family...I feel so lucky to have such friends. Thank you all so much for your endless love and support you've shown us.
Bri's dad, Bill, flew in from Boise for the weekend. It was so fun for all of us to have him here. It warmed my heart to hear him laughing with my boys all weekend long. We went to the zoo-thanks again Brynn!- and Brian pushed me around in a wheelchair. Of course I ran into a few of my former students (so embarrassing)! I don't think Brian realized how hilly Pt. Defiance is, he was seriously out of breath trying to push me up the last hill. I know to cherish this "bedrest" time, but I do have to say it is going to feel so good to walk as much as I want again!!! Plus I am getting really excited to hold our little guys...5 more weeks.