Happy Halloween!!!

We celebrated our 1st Halloween at the hospital!  One of our favorite nurses, Sue, made us our costumes!  The girls wanted to be Baby Bumblebees in honor of my 2nd grade class, the Bee Team!  They had girly costumes with leggings, frilly lace, and fuzzy hats!  Mike and I are going to answer the door this evening and head back for another costume change...pumpkins!

Reunited...and it feels so good!!!

Happy Sunday everyone!  We started off our day by moving Riley out of her Isolette and into a crib with her sister!  She has been gaining weight and holding her temp, so she is ready!  So far they haven't really acknowledged each other, but they have been grunting back and forth a lot!  This will be a familiar living situation for the months ahead, so I hope they like it!  :)

Of course, when they move home, they won't have any goodies in their crib!  At the hospital we keep diapers, wipes, mittens, hats, and even teddy bears in the crib.  These preemies can do things that newborn infants aren't allowed (including sleeping on their bellies).  So cute!  Just wait until they see their Nursery at home...they each have a beautiful crib awaiting their arrival.  They will share a crib for awhile until they get big and start rolling on top of each other!  :)

5 pounds, 3 pounds!!!

We have reached another milestone!  Morgan has set the bar high by reaching the 5 pound mark!  She is taking about 2 full bottles a day and a few partial bottles.  She has also become quite the breast feeder!  She is very vocal and has already figured out when feeding time is.  She lets out lots of grunts and stretches her body really long before getting settled in for a meal.
Riley is now 3 pounds...actually, 3 pounds 2 ounces!  She is filling out fast and starting to look more like her sis!  She has the girliest cries and she starts stirring after she hears Morgan squawk.  She really stretches her legs and arms...we call it her daily calisthenics!  She is taking a little bit of her feeding through a bottle and doing some breast feeding as well.
Even Mom and Dad hit some milestones!  I breast fed them both at once using the football hold!  I think I will master it some day, but they are still so little that I can't exactly let go of one while I attend to the other...I am kind of frozen in one position. Mike held them both at once with Morgan lying on her back in the superman position and Riley snuggled in next to (on top of) her!   We have also learned how to balance NICU/Nursery life with home life and have enjoyed some shut eye in our own house.  Of course, we are visiting till the wee hours of the night so we can witness the nightly weigh-ins...every evening is a celebration!
The girls just moved rooms.  Evergreen is packed full of babies!  Luckily, they love us so much, they put us in the luxurious corner suite with 3 windows and hardwood floors!  I am really getting used to the hotel life!  It was fun watching the girls get wheeled down the hallway...their first field trip!  We are still a couple of weeks away from getting home, but we are making the most of our stay.  The nurses are absolutely amazing and they are setting us up for a very successful homecoming in November!  Here are some highlights from this week!

Riley snuggled up with her matching onsie and mittens!

Morgan all snuggled up with her arms crossed just like her sis!

Are you seeing any similarities yet?

Daddy and his girls!

Morgan is sound asleep pretending to fly while Riley is nestled in right on top!

Look at me!  I am 5 pounds!!!  -Morgan

Riley practicing her calisthenics...and one and two and one and two!

Our new suite...seriously, the best room in the hotel...they love us!

Two weeks old...

The girls are now two weeks old!  They have made so many strides this week...

• Morgan is now in a crib!
• Riley is now 2 pounds 11 ounces!
• Both girls are making an attempt at breastfeeding!
• Morgan takes some feedings out of a bottle!
• Riley got to wear her first outfit!
• Both girls got a bath today...totally nervous but no one got submerged!

We can't believe how beautiful they are!  Mike and I just sit and stare at them all day long.  Morgan makes really silly sounds when she sleeps.  I think she is having really sweet dreams and giggling.  Riley likes to flail while she sleeps.  She stretches her arms way above her head and her legs as straight as possible!  They are absolutely adorable!  We can't wait to get them home, but there is no reason to rush!  Here are some more pics!

Riley's first outfit...swimming in the preemie clothes...for now!  :)

Morgan and Riley's first snuggle together in a crib!

Lots more of that in the near future!

Cuddle session with Mommy!

Daddy and little Miss Morgan with her ruffle butt outfit!

Morgan's first outfit and her first night in a crib!

Another Saturday in the Nursery, just as much spirit!  Go Huskies!

Hopefully Morgan will wake up for the game!

Big, bigger, and biggest!

 

     The girls are now over one week old and making strides each and every day.  Our first big step was getting Morgan off her c-pap last week.  Both girls have strong lungs (based on their adorable squawking) and are breathing beautifully.

     Even bigger news came when we removed Morgan's IV.  Riley's should be coming out today (whoohoo) and we will be that much closer to having wireless babies!!

     The biggest news of all is the growth!!!  Both girls have surpassed their birth weight and their is no looking back!  Morgan is weighing in at 4 pounds, 4 ounces and Riley is weighing in at 2 pounds, 9 ounces!  It is just a matter of time before we are pinching the rolls on these little butterballs.

     As for Mom and Dad, we are officially nocturnal beings.  Who needs sleep when you have babies?  I have discovered a new found mommy-adrenalin that is keeping me alive!  This week we have been staying overnight at the hospital and going home in the afternoon.  I like being awake when I am home so I can play with Kona and help Mikey get the baby room ready.  It is not like I sleep for more than 3 hours, so it really doesn't matter where I curl up and spend the night.  I love being able to wake up in the middle of the night and spy on the girls.  We do Kangaroo care for about 6 hours a day.  It is a much more peaceful rest when you are holding your daughter in your arms!  It is just a matter of time before Morgan moves to a crib.  We will also work more on feeding this week!  We have so much to celebrate already!!!

Go Huskies!!!

                                                                   Riley

Morgan

SISTERS!

       All Cozy.

Morgan`s first baby pics

Morgan`s First Weigh-In

Morgan and Mom

Morgan at the disco.

Riley`s First Day

 

Riley meets her Mom.

Riley, 1 day old.

Riley, 1 day old.

The Girls.

The girls. from Mike and Dani on Vimeo.

Home sweet home!

I was discharged from the hospital yesterday...oh, what a feeling! Of course, our new home is down the hall in the nursery. Our girls have their own room and are in the best care possible. I have to admit, it takes some adjusting to know that you just gave birth and you get all this help. But, I have to realize that we got to meet our kids over a month early, so this is the time for the nurses to help us with their transition into the real world before we get to bring them home. Mike and I watch our day melt away as we sit in giant chairs and hold our daughters close. When is the last time that I actually sat with absolutely no distractions or stress. We smell like baby all over. The girls curl right up and snuggle for hours on end. Daddy and Morgan have had lots of bonding time...she loves having her hand held and prefers to be close to someone if she is awake. Its hard to slip away when she has a tight grip on your finger. She must miss getting kicked all the time by her sister. Riley is a little snuggler, too. She is still a teensy little tike, but as feisty as ever. She is currently wearing sunglasses and sunbathing under billy lights throughout the day to keep her from getting jaundice. Both the girls are holding their food down and their feeds are increasing. In other words, we are growing! Riley has stayed over two pounds and there is no looking back! Morgan is really long (17.5 inches) and they both have long feet! It is just a matter of time before these little munchkins sprout into tall girls...of course, with giants for parents it is inevitable that this will happen.
I am feeling great! I got a little too excited about being a free woman and totally overdid it yesterday. I melted onto my bed for my big nap and Mike had to peel me off the mattress to get me up. My abs feel like I have been working out but they definitely don't look that way. I think that the bed rest part is the hardest part to get over. We stopped at Denny's last night on our way home...ironically, we went to the same Denny's to celebrate when we first found out we were pregnant! Wow, we have come a long way! This morning, Mike asked if I wanted to stop for coffee. I didn't even know what to say! I haven't had coffee since last January! Needless to say, each sip of my mocha reminded me what we have been through and how much we have to look forward to!

Moving out, moving in!

Well, my stay at Evergreen is shifting...I am moving out of room 176! I have spent the past 4 weeks on bed rest...but I had a great time. Thank you to everyone who called, wrote, visited, and sent their positive thoughts my way! It worked! We have 2 healthy, beautiful girls!!! We are so overwhelmed with emotions! I don't think either of us anticipated how much love we would feel for our daughters! They are perfect in every way! After a day of recovering on Sunday, I finally got to stand up, walk over to the isolette, and hold my babies! What a feeling! Are they real? Was I actually pregnant? Those two bundles were inside of me? We have already had so many amazing moments...watching Mike curl up with Morgan while I held Riley close, watching my parents meet their grandchildren for the first time, watching my mom hold the tiny hand of my daughter. The girls are getting settled in to their room at Evergreen. They each have their own incubator (isolette) with blankets, hats, and pacifiers. We get to change their itty bitty diapers and give them Kangaroo Care, which is when you hold the girls skin to skin and your body temperature keeps them warm and helps them grow. We will post lots more pictures and videos this week! We can't wait to see these girls grow and eventually bring them home! So far, they have stayed true to their personality. Morgan (Baby A) is all settled. She got her c-pap removed and you can now see her beautiful face. Riley (Baby B) has been named "Small, but Mighty!" She has maintained her great breathing, but she gets so excited about her binky that she sometimes forgets to suck and breath at the same time. They both have the most beautiful cries and they calm right down when Mommy and Daddy cradle them with their hands! We have truly began the adventure of a lifetime!

Welcome... Riley is seen first, then Morgan.

Welcome to this world... from Mike and Dani on Vimeo.

3 happy, healthy girls.

Good morning!!! If unpredictability is what we were looking for, we certainly found it! At approximately 7:10pm last night, Baby B`s heart rate dropped suddenly and the doctor was called. The decision was made to deliver immediately. Riley had managed to wrap her umbilical cord around herself TWICE (that monkey)! Danielle was prepped and in the delivery room within the hour. At 8:46pm, 4-pound 2-ounce MORGAN CHERIE GARFOOT was born (Baby A). Less than a minute later, 2-pound 7-ounce RILEY JANE GARFOOT joined us (Baby B). They are both healthy, beautiful, strong and full of character. We are so proud of them, and are so thankful for this wonderful gift and for being so blessed.

Danielle is recovering very well. She is resting and working on regaining her ability to eat solids, and the pain has subsided considerably. The twins are being monitored and both have a GREAT set of lungs on them!!! Their little grunts, cries, and pouty faces melt our hearts. To make things even more amazing and PERFECT, they share their birthday with their Grandpa Garfoot!!! (Happy Birthday Dad!)

So now it`s time for the real work for us! Kangaroo Care starts today and begin our education on parenthood...Diaper changing and temperature-taking for us today. Thank you to EVERYONE who has showered us with overwhelming support through this pregnancy and made us feel so confident and loved through all of this. We couldn`t ask for a more loving group of friends and family around us. You have all helped to make this an incredible and forever-cherished experience. Thank You.

I have to cut myself off here because family is arriving at the airport soon, but check back for updates and ENJOY THE VIDEO!

WoooHoooo!!!!
-Mike.

Hip, Hip, HOORAY!!!

We have so many reason to celebrate today! The babies are growing! We just found out that Baby A is 4 pounds 7 ounces and Baby B is 2 pounds 10 ounces! Baby B grew 20% in the last 10 days while her sister maintains her rock star pace! This information was not given to us right away...I walked into the ultrasound room this morning all excited for our "growth" appointment and the technician looked at me and said "We're not doing growth today." I was crushed! I need to know that the girls are growing and I had been promised that today was the day. They obviously read my expression because they scheduled a special growth appointment for 1:00 in the afternoon! Then, I sat in the room and found out that our children are growing and kicking and practice breathing...we couldn't be any happier!
Now, the next factor is blood flow. The doctor walked in with all of our results. We celebrated the growth but he said we are seeing reverse blood flow on Baby B...totally expected this day to come. She is doing fabulous but all babies in her situation reach their max. She is getting ready to come out into this world so that we can fatten her up! What does this mean? We are right around the corner from delivery! I am 32 weeks on Sunday...I am now on continuous monitoring (meaning I am strapped to heart monitors 24/7). We will have an ultrasound on Monday morning to check on that blood flow. If nothing has changed, we will deliver Monday or Tuesday! That is right...game on!! Are we ready?? Absolutely! We cannot wait to meet these girls! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers! Nothing is set in stone, but we want one more weekend of incubation and then, if the time is right, party on!