Sunday, July 03, 2005
Sunday, July 3, 2005: Grandma Marti and LaurenBob and I wanted to hold each baby, so we switched and I held Lauren for a while. She didn't budge with all the moving around - just slept through it all! Well, this is the end of Justine Marie and Lauren Ann - Part 4. If I add more photos, the first photo of Part 4 will be archived and not visible with the others. Please to go Justine Marie and Lauren Ann - Part 5 for the July 4, 2005 photos.
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Sunday, July 3, 2005: Grandpa Bob and Little LaurenLauren never really awakened the entire time we were there. But we weren't upset, we were glad she was getting so much sleep. Bob held her carefully, making sure she was covered. Look at that little arm!
Sunday, July 3, 2005: Darling JustineIsn't this the greatest shot of Justine? She was lying in my lap and I wanted her little arms to show, so gently and carefully placed them outside of the blanket. So precious!
Sunday, July 3, 2005: Troy and LaurenDon't you just love Troy's leg under that hospital gown?
Sunday, July 3, 2005: Troy, Lauren, Marti. Amy, TrentAs Connie gives Justine her bottle, we all watched and had to laugh at all her gurgling and moving around in Connie's lap.
Sunday, July 3, 2005: JustineConnie is giving Justine her bottle and she's barely awake to take it.
Sunday, July 3, 2005: Marti, Bob, Connie with Justine, Trent, Amy and TroyI love this picture! We all gathered around Justine for a family picture. The only ones missing were Lauren, who was sleeping, and Todd and Stephanie, who would join us the next day. You might ask how we were all in the Special Care Unit if only three people were allowed. Well, not all of the nurses enforced the 3-person rule and although we were excited to be in there altogether, we didn't abuse the courtesy. After a while Trent and Amy left to shop in downtown Chicago and Connie left to "pump".
Sunday, July 3, 2005: Walking to the Hospital After a wonderful BBQ at Todd and Stephanie's new house the night before, we met for breakfast in downtown Chicago on Sunday morning and then Trent, Amy, Marti, Troy, Connie (and Bob who's taking the picture) walked a few blocks to the hospital on a beautiful summer day. Todd and Stephanie were entertaining Stephanie's parents from Minnesota and sister and family from Washington DC, who were in town for the anniversary party that night, and met us at the hospital the next day.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Saturday, July 2, 2005: Justine and Grandma MartiI just couldn't resist this adorable picture of Justine sleeping in my lap. She was about 5 lbs here and just the most precious thing. Lauren was only 3 lbs, so she felt much lighter, but neither of them were very big.
Saturday, July 2, 2005: Grandpa Bob and LaurenI wasn't sure how comfortable Bob would be with these tiny babies, but he was great! What a terrific experience for both of us. Since Trent was a healthy, bouncing baby of 7.2 lbs. 31 years ago, we hadn't held tiny babies like these since Todd and Troy were born 34 years ago at 4.4 lbs. for Todd and 4-5 lbs. for Troy.
Saturday, July 2, 2005: Grandma Marti and JustineWell, were we in heaven or what? It was wonderful to sit in that Special Care Unit with these little bundles of joy - we just held them and watched them sleep. We got so wrapped up in it all we forgot that poor Trent and Amy were out in the waiting room. No more than three people were allowed in the nursery and some of the nurses enforced that rule, so they couldn't join us. And neither could Connie. That was the only sad part.
We're In Chicago to Visit the Babies!
Saturday, July 2, 2005: Grandma Marti, Justine, Grandpa Bob, LaurenWe are so excited to be back to visit the babies. Todd and Stephanie are having a big party to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary and we couldn't miss that, so we flew in to Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, July 1 to visit Trent, Amy and Athena first, then drove with them to Chicago for the July 4th weekend. We haven't seen the babies since we got back from Europe on May 24 and had no idea that we might be able to hold them - the kids kept that part as a surprise - and what a surprise it was! When we walked in the Special Care Unit and were asked if we wanted to hold them, we about died!! Did we want to hold them? We couldn't wait!
Friday, July 01, 2005
Beautiful Family Portrait
Friday, July 1, 2005: Justine and LaurenWe can tell Justine from Lauren in a couple of ways: Justine only has one tube in now and she has lighter, finer hair. Both babies are sleeping so peacefully here. Troy said as of July 1 the hospital bill for Justine was $125,485.53, for Lauren was $143,975.32, and for Connie was $13,500 for a grand total of $282,960.85 for six weeks of care. We all figure it's the best $282,960.85 that Blue Cross ever spent!
Friday, July 1, 2005: Justine, Connie, LaurenA first - a picture of Connie holding BOTH babies! Lauren has made enough progress to be able to withstand a little extra holding - this is so great!
Friday, July 1, 2005: LaurenHow precious is our little Lauren! She is working so hard just to get through each day. She gets lots of love and support, though, and as much bonding and handling as the nurses will allow.
July 1, 2005, Connie and LaurenI love this picture - Connie and Troy devised a system for telling which twin was in a photo. So in this shot, Connie is making an "L" with her hand to designate that she's holding Lauren, who is totally oblivious to all this "signing"!
Friday, July 1, 2005: JustineJustine is all decked out in a darling little ruffled green playsuit. It looks a little big on her as she's still under 5 lbs. But another milestone for Justine: they removed her breathing tube and now she only has the feeding tube left.
JULY 1, 2005
Friday, July 1, 2005: JustineWe've reached another milestone as it's now July 1. The babies are 6 weeks old and Justine has been moved to an open bed - no more incubator! The nurses put her in this huge lime green hat that Troy and Connie thought looked like a cabbage!
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Wednesday, June 22, 2005: JustineWe have more pictures of Justine, who's 4+ lbs in this photo. She was bigger so the nurses allowed her to be handled more than Lauren.
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Sunday, June 19, 2005: Justine on Father's DayHere's another picture of sweet Justine, sucking on that huge pacifier as Troy holds her.
Sunday, June 19, 2005: Father's DayThis is almost a complete family portrait, except we're missing Lauren, who is sleeping in her incubator while Troy, Connie and Justine celebrate Father's Day in the Special Care Unit.
Sunday, June 19, 2005: Father's DayAren't these Father's Day "cards" from Lauren and Justine to Troy cute? They even signed them with their footprints!
June 19, 2005 FATHER'S DAY
Sunday, June 19, 2005:
Troy's First Father's Day with Justine
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Saturday, June 18, 2005: LaurenWhile Justine looks around from Connie's lap, Lauren is sleeping peacefully in her incubator. She's wearing one of the pink knit hats too, but hers looks like it's three sizes too big!
Saturday, June 18, 2005: JustineHow cute Justine looks in that pink knit hat that the nurses put on the babies. She certainly looks very alert here - almost like she can see Connie.
Saturday, June 18, 2005: Connie and JustineJustine looks so tiny in Connie's arms - and she is! She's only 4 lbs-1oz in this photo, but that's a huge weight gain from 2 lbs-9oz just one month before!
Friday, June 17, 2005
Justine Marie and Lauren Ann - Part 4
Friday, June 17, 2005: Daddy Troy, Baby Justine, Uncle ToddThis is the beginning of blog album Justine Marie and Lauren Ann - Part 4. It's Friday evening and we shouldn't be surprised that Uncle Todd is visiting his new twin nieces at the hospital. The babies are now one month old, but in reality they weren't even due for another six weeks. The due date was July 31. Todd and Troy are twins too, 34-year-old twins. They were six weeks premature back on February 21, 1971 in Fremont, Nebraska.
