Cunningham's Under One Roof

So as in the same style as Reese, Rich walked into the SCN today and was told Lily was being discharged today. Now the little pumpkin is home at a whopping 4 pounds 3 ounces. She is doing great so far, ate both of her feedings and now trying to figure out where she is. She is very observant, I keep peeking in her bassinett and she is just laying there with her big eyes wide open and little hand holding one of her blankets staring at me. I am just praying they both make it until 4 am without waking up so I can get 3 hours of continuous sleep.

Reese is Home!

After a night of 2 hour sleep intervals, we have made it through our first night with Reese. We haven't broke her yet. As long as Lily keeps gaining weight like she has been (about 1/2 ounce to an ounce per day) she may be home next week. Lily was so fussy last night when we were prepping Reese to take home. It was like she knew something was up. This is the first time they have been apart ever, kinda wierd. We are hopeful that things will keep moving along and Lily will be home soon. Rich mastered the car seat installation and formula mixing, so we are feeling pretty confident. Now we just have to figure out the bottle sterilizer today.

Blogger Roll

Well after a month of no blogs, now I am on a roll.

So now Reese is at her birthweight and Lily is 3 ounces shy from being a four pound turnip. She doesn't have the tube in her nose for feeding anymore (she use to get tuckered out and not be able to finish her bottles) and is being trialed in just the crib (versus the isolette which is covered) to see if she can maintain her temperature. Fingers crossed she keeps moving right along. It would be really hard to think of her in the hospital alone, well, if Reese gets to leave before her. Although the thought of having babies in the house is scarey, it is going to take Rich and I a bit to get use to having them here. I have only been home for 8 days! He forgot I lived here too I think ~ he has repicked up some of his old single guy habits (i.e. leaving the seat up, laundry all over the place, ect.). I need to get him back into shape.

In other news the electrician started today on rewiring the house (perfect timing!). So that means busting through plaster walls. We have somone that is going to patch them and repaint them, but not the best circumstances to bring a newborn preemie home too. I may have a temporary room at the New Brunswick Hyatt with Reesey-pie but hopefully they will get things done so she can come home to a nice house. Lily will be soon after from what the neonatologist told me today so well will see.

Heather

Baby Clothes

So instead of just letting St. Peters dress the babies in boring white onesies we bought them some super cute (and much more stylish) stuff ~ lots of yellow and even some pink onesies as much as I am against overpinking. Anyway, when you bring your own clothes they send them home in a little baggie so you can wash them yourself. The problem is that they smell so good that I don't have the heart to wash any of them.

p.s. this is Reese ~ Lily is on yesterdays post. Still haven't mastered this blogger thing yet with posting multiple pics.

Lily & Reese

So things are moving along with our two lilttle angles ~ they just turned one week old last Wednesday. It is amazing to me how much you can love something and think about them nonstop. Whenever I walk into the nursery I almost loose my breath just seeing them in thier little isolettes/cribs. So far in less than 2 weeks Reese is about 3 ounces from her birthweight (5 pounds 2 ounces) and Lily is actually 5 grams above her birthweight (3 pounds 10 ounces). They just keep growing. When I look at them its baffeling to me how these 2 babies are so perfect and came out of me. It also amazes me how Reese got away with looking just like Rich and Lily looks so much like me, at least that is what he says. They do, as far as I can see, have the same mouth, and maybe both have red hair, but that could change. It would be interesting if Reese was a red-headed, girl version, of her daddy.
So Reese is having some sleep apnea test tomorrow, they will do it eventually on Lily but she still has some growth to do. I am getting nervous because they may be thinking of sending Reese home in a week or two. I don't think I could sleep with her further than 2 feet away from me. And when Lily comes home I will feel the same way. How do you put them in thier own room so far away?? I am just not there yet to even think of having them out of my sight.

More posts and pictures to follow.
Heather

Forty-something days in the hospital

Family & Friends:

Here is a quick update as to what is going on with Heather and 88 Clay
while she is away.

Well its week 5 (34 days) and she is still in the hospital. So when
we last left our brave heroine she was about a couple of weeks in.
Since we last spoke - Heather was hospitalized for pre-eclampsyia.
Since then people with various letters after their name have
speculated weekly that this was her week. Well according to them this
week is her week again. She is now 33 weeks 4 days. Closing in on
the magic 34 where one way or another those kids are coming out.

As one doctor said, we have no idea what's going on, I thought you
were going to deliver Black Friday. So just keep doing what you are
doing. So we are left to ponder if medical school makes you a
terrible gambler, doesn't prepare you enough for dealing with Heather,
or some of my cancer fighitng mojo has infected heather and she is now
able to defy medical expectations like your narrarator. Anyway they
have no explanation for what's going on so neither do I. So let's get
to the important stuff. SHE IS DOING WELL. THE BABIES ARE DOING
WELL.

So maybe this week Goose and Maverick will land. I have taken to
using call signs and reciting lines from Top Gun to describe the
monitoring process. The use of goose and maverick should not be
interperted to mean that I know the genders of the two little ones or
am wishing for two boys. We don't know the genders so call signs
seemed cooler than baby a and b. I usually save my best, Engine one
is out, Engine two is out for when both babies start to move and
disappear off the monitor. You have to be there it kills everytime.

As for the two tikes they are growing at a fast rate. Baby A is about
4 lbs 1 oz and Baby B is tipping the scales at 4 lbs 8 oz. They are
both transverse meaning they are laying horizontally - think bunk beds
folks - with their heads touching much of the time. (Collective
awww). Oh and this happens maybe less than 1% of the time. Like
their father they like to do things the hard way.

They are also quite impressive movers and kickers. Sometimes I wonder
why we pay $3.50/day for tv when we can just watch the babies punch
and kick their way through heather's belly. (Important note - i have
belly shots). Oh the faces she makes.

Thanks to all the folks who have sent along gifts. For those who have
sent emails with shower and registry questions, here is the scoop.
Obviously Heather won and there will be no shower. Our plans are to
have something in March for people to get together and welcome (Goose)
A & (Maverick) B into the world - by then they will have names and
stuff and people who like pink and blue will be able to comfortable
buy them without fear of scarring infants for life. In the meantime
folks can send her gifts, if they want, or they can wait if their
superstitious, or whatever folks desire.

The little lady took the time to make some lists over at babiesrus,
pottery barn kids and believe it or not, amazon.com. I swear check it
out.

As for me, chava and the cats: 88 Clay has been under rennovations
for the last few weeks, so we all have slight respitory infections.
Just kidding but there has been a lot of nose blowing from the
plaster. So the little lady will come back to a house she can barely
recognize.

Chava has been adjusting to not being the center of the world rather
poorly. Its understandable but we discovered if you give him enough
treats and bones he forgets all the pain in his world. The cats after
living in a bathroom for a few days, really appreciate me now and
spend most of their time promising to never do it again.

Me. Life is just never a dull moment. Chemotherapy is done. Scans
are clean. Might be featured in the NY times. Looking forward to a
72 hour sleep binge in the year 2028. I never wanted an ordinary life
so this is what I get...

Keep your cell phones charged because rumor has it we're having some
babies this week, or next, or maybe the week after.

Thank you so much to all the folks who sent along cards, hugs and
prayers. Those have helped us so much. Seriously. Although I didn't
know so many of you prayed.

lots of love.

richie

p.s. don't tell heather I told you about the goose and maverick thing.
She is not a big fan so let's just keep that between you, me and the
forty or so folks.

p.p.s. To those who love the reply all (I am looking at you gebhardts)
- for this email just reply to yours truly.

p.p.p.s. please note the new email address.

p.p.p.p.s please forward to anyone you think i didn't get