Sawyer and Briggs!

Right before the c-section...I am smiling here but this was before they missed twice on the IV and I wasn't quite as numb as I wanted to be for the c-section. I was completly numb about 3-4 inches above the incision but the spinal didn't do all it was supposed to do. After they pulled Briggs out, they gave me some other kind of medication that completly knocked me out and they were able to try and fix my belly button hernia and pull everything together as tight as they could. My doctor was awesome! He cut out a ton of old scar tissue and made everything nice and neat. Even with all the hard times in the pregnancy and the crazy day of surgery...I would do it all over again. I love my boys.
I love this picture. Sawyer is in Derrick's left hand and Briggs on the right. Doesn't Derrick look awesome in scrubs!
Briggs at 6 lbs 3.o oz
Sawyer at 6 lbs 3.1 ounces
Sawyer on the left labled A and Briggs on the right. Hopefully we don't have too much tandem crying. It was great to get here :)
Briggs before they did the CPAP
Sawyer
Sawyer on the ventilator
Briggs on the CPAP. He loves his pacifier and they had to cut it so it would fit under his nose mask.

Roller coaster

Sawyer and Briggs day 3.

Sawyer still wasn't responding to the CPAP like the doctors were wanting him to so they switched him to a respirator around noon. His poor body has been working so hard to breathe for 3 days that it was such a relief to see him calm and not stressing that even though this is another step towards the machine breathing for him, he is doing better. The machine is set to breathe for him 50 times per minute and anything over and above that he is doing by himself. He was breathing about 57 times per minute and doing great. He is breathing with 70%oxygen help...so much better than yesterday. Overall, Derrick and I feel that this is what he needs to get better.

Briggs is doing well. The IV got moved from his head to his foot and they are trying to wean him off oxygen from the CPAP . They will let Briggs breathe regular air (which is 21% oxygen). He is at 27% right now. He started gavage feedings of 5ml every 3 hours. I am so happy that all the milk I've been pumping and all that wonderful collostrum is being put to good use. He loved his first feeding and I am eager to keep up pumping for them. Sawyer will hopefully be able to start garage feedings tomorrow.

I am being released from the hospital tomorrow and then will get to figure out the back and forth between home and hospital. I will hopefully be able to

Welcome Sawyer and Briggs Johnson!

Well we have 2 new boys to add to our family. Sawyer B and Briggs S. Sawyer was born at 11:43am and Briggs at 11:44am on May 6th. I am not sure where to start...I am still in the hospital and trying to post this on my mom's IPad. They both weighed 6 lbs 3 oz. Both boys ended up in the NICU for fluid in their lungs. Unfortunately they got steadily worse with needing help with breathing. It seems that whatever Sawyer does Briggs is soon to follow. We are not allowed to hold them or touch them right now because it stresses them out too much. The neonatalogist finally decided this morning that both boys needed catheters into their belly buttons because they were having a difficult time getting IVs in their tiny veins. I guess that an IV will deteriorate in about a12hours and need to be replaced. Poor Sawyer was poked 6times before they decided that catheters were a better way to go.

Both boys were steadily needing more oxygen and a higher flow of oxygen. Sawyer was on 100% for a little while. Briggs was sitting at 60%. They decided to do a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure) on both boys (hopefully I get all the right information and spelling down). The CPAP forces air into their lungs and so they stay open. They also are giving them surfactant (sp?) which also helps their lungs stay open. It was explained to me as they are trying so hard to breathe. It is like they are trying to blow up a balloon that has not been blown up before. They have been breathing so hard and fast it is like they are trying to run a marathon. This proceedure helps them not work as hard to breathe. Because of all this, they haven't even tried letting them eat and are just giving them fluids.

Last night we were surprised that both my mom and Derrick's parents decided to come and see the boys. It has been really nice to have the extra support. My mom is staying with me until Monday at the hospital and Derrick's parents are at the house helping with our other boys. Derrick was able to give both boys priesthood blessings with his dad. I know that God is watching over us and I feel His love so strongly. Sawyer and Briggs just need some time to get past this hurdle. They will probably be in the NICU for at least a week. The nurses are doing a great job and I am grateful for their care for our boys. Please think of the boys in your prayers.

Babies are coming

May 6, 2011...good day to have some babies?? Just thought I would blog really quick while I'm eating my last snack before I have my c-section today. The doctor took mercy on me and let me move my date up a couple of days. I am really glad because it has been getting harder for me to sleep. I am officially 37 weeks and am really excited. At the doctor this week, the babies were weighing in at 5 lbs 8 oz and 5 lbs 10 ounces according to the ultrasound. Hopefully the ultrasound is fairly accurate and they are at least 5 lbs a piece. This is such a perfect early mother's day present to me. We feel so blessed to be able to have these two little boys in our lives in addition to the 3 other boys that we already have been blessed with. I will post picts as soon as I can...(I don't know if Derrick will get around to it while I'm at the hospital).
Wish us luck!

As a side note...Tony, Turner, and Levi are going to be playing with some friends today after school. Turner said that he super excited about today because he will get to go swimming with his friends...oh and he is excited about the babies too. LOL. I love all my little guys :)

36 weeks!

WOOHOO! I can't believe I made it to 36 weeks. There were many days that I really thought that I wouldn't get here. My groin is feeling better but my ankles are super swollen and my wrists are not feeling the greatest with the carpal tunnel. But right now, I feel so blessed to be able to make it this far. My c-section is scheduled on May 11th at 4:30...only 12 days away! We will see if I make it to that date :) but I am just so happy right now. I just hope everything continues to progress well and the babies get here safely! I will feel like I've just finished a marathon...but I think it will mark the beginning of another one! Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers for us!

Easter Fun

The kids got to play a game where they hopped from hoop to hoop without trying to drop any eggs out of their baskets. Turner is jumping above.
Tony relishing his pancakes and sausages

Derrick was able to take the boys to the church for a pancake and sausage breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt. I was home recovering from my pulled muscle. I am glad they had such a good time!

Pulled Groin

Really? How can I possibly pull a groin while getting in and out of bed? I am not sure but I accomplished it. I pulled it on Thursday evening before bed. I thought I had just tweaked it and it would work itself out but I was in for a suprise.

I tried to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night (I make about 3 to 4 trips nowadays) and literally couldn't walk. It was an incredible effort just to get on my feet and after a couple of steps was reduced to tears. I was trying to be quiet because I knew Derrick was tired but after a couple of minutes he heard me and got up to help me walk to the bathroom. It was a good 10 minutes to walk less than 10 feet. I felt so helpless and was just grateful that he was able to help me. It took a while to get back into bed and after he lifted my leg up for me so I could lay down, I was having some doubt as to how I was going to manage the next day.

Luckily Tony and Turner didn't have school on Friday, and my sweet boys helped me put my legs in and out of bed. Derrick gave me a priesthood blessing. I am so grateful that he is able to do that for me. I felt inspired to use the office chair as a "walker" to move from my bed and rocking chair to the bathroom. I knew that my boys weren't strong enough to help me walk and I needed something to lean on. Levi thought it was pretty cool and wanted to ride on it when I pushed it around. Tony helped me make grilled cheese for lunch and Derrick decided to take a half day so he could take care of me. My visiting teacher brought me some dinner and I was able to make it through a day.

It is now Monday and I am hobbling around. I am trying to stay off it as much as possible. I no longer need my "walker" and am so grateful that I am able to function :) So much drama for a little pulled muscle. I am sure that a pulled groin is painful anyways but all my extra girth isn't helping much :) I told Derrick that I am sure that I will look back and laugh about it. It is pretty funny to think of how pitiful I was for a couple days.