Feeding and Growing!!!!

Holding hands.(Cooper on right Wesley on left) 

The boys are doing well starting to both take bottles and breast feed a little everyday.  We aren't sure when they will come home. We haven't started a count down but they are definitely making progress everyday. Next Monday they will hit the 34 week mark. That means when they start to take all feedings from a bottle and if they stay stable and have no episodes for 7 days straight they will start talking about us bringing them home. We aren't trying to get our hopes up because any day can be different in the NICU.

We have had such great nurses one of our favorites, Emily, makes us the cutest little notes for when the boys turn a week old or have a milestone. Thinking about the boys coming home makes me a little nervous I wish I could bring her home with us. We have a great NICU and all the nurses have been so good and they take such great care of our boys. I want them home but I know they are in the best place until they are ready. We just have to be patient and wait. We are so lucky things have been smooth so far and hopefully they will continue to go so smooth.

Both over 4 lbs!!!(Cooper right Wesley left)

1 month old!!(Cooper right Wesley left)

3 weeks old and moved to the big boy bed together!!!

On 4th of July we had the wonderful surprise of getting to see our sweet boys together for the first time since being in the womb. They have moved to an open air crib together. We are so excited for them to be together again and so proud of our sweet boys. God has been so good to us.  It is hard going back and fourth to the NICU but we are so lucky to have such strong boys and awesome friends and family. One of the best things has been having the meal train our church friends started on Facebook.  It is so helpful to have a the delicious meals brought to us everyday so we don't have to worry about cooking. For everyone who has and will in the future make us a meal...Thanks So Much! You have no idea how helpful it has been.

Wesley and Cooper in their new bed!!

Wesley is making progress he is up to full feeds for his weight and tolerating them well. He does have some reflux after his feedings though.  He had a positive urine culture come back from last week and docs decided to put him on antibiotics to treat a urinary tract infection. They took a second culture and we found out today it is negative. So they decided to stop the antibiotics. As long has Wesley and Cooper are doing well next week we get to try practicing breast feeding!!! We hope it will goes well bottle feeding is our next big step. 

Wesley 3lb 5.2oz

Cooper is doing well also. He is also up to full feedings and tolerating them well. He seems to like it in his new bed with his brother. He is holding his temperature well out of the incubator and keeping it stable. They also decided that since they are doing so well they can start infant massage. It is supposed to be very beneficial for premature infants. This sounds like something I would like to have everyday, who doesn't love a massage.

Cooper 3lb 9oz

2 weeks and graduated to NICU2

We got to the NICU on Monday morning and there were the sweetest notes on Cooper and Wesley's beds. Their nurse Emily had arts and crafts on sunday night with the boys. They both wrote Justin and I little notes saying they loved us and thanking us for visiting them every day.  It also said "Today I am 2 weeks old." YAY!! Not long after getting there that morning I got to hold Cooper before they told us the boys were graduating to NIC2. Which is just a less intensive care unit for babies. We are very excited for the boys to make the move to their new room together in the NIC2. By Monday night when Justin and I arrived the boys were snug in their beds sleeping in their new room.

Cooper  

Last Tuesday Cooper decided to give us a little scare and come down with a infection. He had lots of test run and was quickly started on antibiotics. The doctors stopped his feedings for 24 hours while the test came back. By the next day he was feeling much better. Although not happy at all about not being able to eat. This Monday we got the good news that Cooper made it to 3lbs!! This week has been better for Cooper but we learned quick that any day can be going great and all of a sudden take a turn for the worse. We are just so happy Cooper is feeling better and he is tolerating his feedings well so he can grow big and strong.

Cooper decided to open his eyes.

Wesley doesn't like to keep the oxygen on his nose.

Wesley had a uneventful week last week. Which in the NICU is a good thing for the most part.  He didn't join the party his brother Cooper was having. Thank goodness because I don't believe Justin and I could have handled the worry and stress of both of our babies going through all those test at the same time. This week Wesley has been doing well but he has had a couple spells and the doctors decided to put his oxygen back on to give him a little more time. On the other hand he is up to full feedings and starting to gain weight.

Wesley

We are so proud of both of our little boys and know they are little fighters. We are so blessed!

1 Week old and making progress

Our strong boys are making progress every day. They are 29 weeks gestational age and 1 week old.  Justin and I have have been back and forth to the NICU everyday, sometimes twice a day. We try everyday to hold the babies since the doctors have said we can. We do what they call "kangaroo care" where you take off your shirt and hold the babies skin to skin. This give both the babies and us a chance to bond. It also helps my milk supply. The best thing for the babies right now is my breast milk so my job is to pump every two to three hours to be sure that my milk comes in. That way I will have adequate supply of the milk for the babies while they are in the hospital and there after. We are all doing well but leaving the hospital feels like we are leaving a piece of ourselves there. It defiantly is a emotional roller coster ride. Justin and I both have called the NICU numerous times a day. The nurses in NICU are awesome and so understanding. They answer all of our questions and are so helpful.  

Cooper

Cooper sleeping peacefully

Cooper is doing well. As of Monday he was taken off of the oxygen and he is breathing room air. He is doing good tolerating his feedings of breast milk. He has had a little jaundice so they put a billie light over his bed to help that improve. He did loose a little weight but doctors say that is completely normal for preemie babies. Tuesday night Cooper's weight was 2lbs 12.4oz. Both of the boys get to wear clothes now too!

Wesley, after his bath

Sweet little Wesley

Wesley is also making progress. He has been taken off the oxygen as of Tuesday and is doing well with breathing room air. He has been doing great with tolerating feedings also. He made sure to break me in this past Monday when I changed his diaper and he pooped all over me. It was so funny I never thought I would enjoy being pooped on but it's the little things these days. Wesley has started to gain weight. Tuesday night he weighed 2lb 10.3oz.

June 13th 2011...Cooper and Wesley's birthday!!

Cooper Lamar and Wesley James Masencup make their grand entrance into the world on Monday, June 13th, 2011.

Look at those sweet little feet!

Adorable baby Cooper

Cooper Lamar 

Wesley

Sweet little Wesley

Cooper was born at 7:45 weighing 2lbs 13.8oz and 16.1 inches long. Wesley was born at 7:47 weighing 2lbs 8oz and 14.2 inches long. We are so excited for our baby boys to be here with us even though they decided to come a little earlier than we hoped. (28 weeks to be exact) Both boys will have to spend a couple months in NICU but they are doing good. We are making 2 trips a day to visit them. Sorry it has been so long since our last post but obviously things have been a little crazy.

Hospital:(

I should be having lots of time on my hands for the next 7 weeks hopefully.
Sunday morning I awoke feeling a little different, not terribly bad but just not normal. So I waited until lunch when Karen and Steve, came over. I told her about my symptoms and she insisted on me calling the doctor. So I called and they suggested me come over to the hospital. Thank goodness that week I decided to make a list of what I would need should I have to go to the hospital. So, we packed a bag with all the things I may need.  I decided on the way to the hospital I needed to call my mother, sister, and friend Ashleigh. They were on the way to the beach for the hair show we had all scheduled to go to that weekend. Obviously I wasn't venturing off to the beach with being put on bed rest. I hated to call and put a damper on the much needed vacation that they were about to enjoy, but obviously Wesley and Cooper thought otherwise.
Once we got to triage the doctors asked me all the questions about my symptoms and decided to do an exam. Well, turns out one of the amniotic sacs had burst and I was leaking some fluid. I had not noticed anything so obviously this was a surprise to me. They immediately decided to admit me to the hospital. The doctors said chances of infection can be high when you start to leak so they started a IV's with antibiotics.  They gave me steroid shots to help the babies lungs develop in the event that I go into labor. Although they had a plan to do their best to stop labor if it should happen so we just hoped for the best. All my family were on the way to the hospital and we were doing our best to keep everyone informed.
Over the next 24 hours the babies heart rates were measured continuously which was pretty hard since they are busy little ones most all the time. They started running test for gestational diabetes and preclamsia. These were not fun at all I felt like a pin cushion and the labor and delivery beds are NOT made for laying in for 24 hours while all these test were run. By Monday night they were ready to move me to a area of maternity called antepartum where they monitor moms with preterm labor 24-7. A much more comfortable place for me to considering I wasn't having contractions so labor hadn't started. I was ready for a shower and a comfy bed and that I got. The doctors have informed me now that they want me to stay in the hospital until the boys are born so they can monitor us all continuously.
Now it is all up to Wesley and Cooper and when they decide to make their grand entrance. It could be 7 weeks or less no matter what they will deliver the boys by 34 weeks. I'm resting as much as possible but they have allowed me to shower once a day and go to the bathroom. Today they said I can even have 2 20 minute wheelchair rides a day!! After being stuck in a room 2 days I'm super excited about going out and about. I have had lots of visitors so far so I haven't had time to get bored or go stir crazy.  Thank goodness for all my friends and family who care so much about Wesley, Cooper, Justin and I. I am so blessed to still have two healthy babies and so I thank god everyday that he is watching over my babies and I.  I just have to remember he is in control and it is all up to him. I am doing my best to try and be patient and let the boys decide when they want to come the longer they wait the better. but it is up to them and god. Thank you so much to everyone so far who has been to visit and prayed for the health of my babies and I.  I also wanted to post my 27 week pictures. From now on I guess I will be taking them in a night gown, haha. I will have updates next week so stay tuned I'm hoping there isn't much to report for a little while.

Week 26

Belly shots for week 26 sorry for the late post.