More about the GIRLS!!!

Well the girls had their month check up on Tuesday this week. Everything is going great!!

Jozie is now weighing 8'1, which puts her in the 10-25 percentile (Not sure why there is such a huge range here) She is now 19 and 1/2 inches which means she's grown a whole inch since birth. Her head is still rather big. Let's just say she's in the 75th percentile in head size!!! Not that we didn't know that, from the first
ultrasound to the last, we were told that "Baby A" had a big noggin!!!!

Kealie is now 6'10. She is still inthe 3rd percentile for weight. She is 19 inches long. And we can't leave Kealie out of the whole big head issue. She falls into the 25th percentile. I'm just gonna say we have big headed babies!!!

But they are precious! They continue to sleep better through the night, ranging from 4 to 5 and 1/2 hours at a time. During the day they are both up a lot longer than even my last post. We are working on Tummy Time a lot as well. They are both doing well, even though I have to believe they HATE it since they scream the whole time. But at least they are lifting their heads and moving their legs while they are screaming!!!




They also continue to wake one another up! I can tell when one of them is getting ready to wake up because it's time to eat. So I will go get the bottles ready, and by that time One of them will be crying, and the other will then be awoken and follow suit. Therefore, I am getting quite good at feeding BOTH Kealie and Jozie at the same time!


I know it might sound kind of long to wait, but I have to admit I was very nervous to give the girls a "real" bath. I had just continued to wipe them down with a wet washcloth. Well Monday night I finally decided that they needed a real bath as they were going to the doctors, and so I left my fears behind. It really wasn't too bad with either of the girls. They didn't seem to mind too much!




The girls both have a little bit of a head cold. A little cough, stuffy nose. Nothing to worry about doc said. He said if was not in their chest, so we just get to clean noses!

That's really all that's going on. My mom, or Grammy, is keeping the girls tomorrow. This will give Josh and I some time to get to the grocery, as well as some of the other things done around the house, AND possibly get a little extra sleep!!!

1 month old ALREADY!!!!!!!!

Jozie and Kealie turned 1 month old on Friday... I can't believe it's already been a month. Time has flown by! And the funny thing is, my original due date was August 22nd.

We are still just hanging out and enjoying our girls around here. They are both growing so much. Jen and I weighed them at her house the other day and Jozie was up to 8'4 and Kealie was up to 7'. It's crazy how big they are getting! But that is because they are both eating great. They are also becoming more alert and aware of things around them. They both like to sit in their chairs or swings and just look around!!! They are also staying up longer. It's fun to get to sit with them and talk to them and have them actually be awake. Jozie has even made it for 6 hours straight without a nap. She is perfectly content to sit in her chair or lay in her bassinet and just hang out with momma!!
Kealie is also staying awake longer, but not as long. She loves her swing!!!

The girls and I normally just hang out at home during the week, but we've been out a couple times over the last several weeks. We went and visited Grammy at her work. We went to my school and let the girls meet all of my co-workers! It was good to see everyone as well as my boys (Students). My boys were so excited to see me, yet didn't have much to do with the girls. They just kept telling me they wanted me to come back soon. As much as I miss them, I'm SOOOOOOO not anywhere close to being ready to go back to work and leave my girls. I don't even want to think about that time... Then Jen watched the girls last week while I ran some errands that I seriously needed to get done.

I'm just loving my girls so much. That's really about all that's going on. I got a Wii and Wii Fit for my birthday, so I've been doing a little workout each day!!!! And with that I will just leave you some more pics of the girls:

Happy Birthday

Myspace Layouts


Today is Jen's birthday! I hope you have a great day relaxing Jen!!! I love you and thanks for being the most awesome friend ever!!!! And Sister!!

Pictures of the girls... FINALLY!!!!

So it's been 2 weeks since my last post. I can't believe that!

Just an update... The girls are both home now!!! Jozie got to come home on Thursday, July 30th!!! After we stayed at the hospital that night, the doctor told us Kealie still wasn't eating well enough and needed to stay longer. He said that Jozie was ready to come home though. We asked if she could stay with her sister, and the doctor said he could for one more night, but after that the insurance would start getting suspicious. So we were able to keep them together one more night.

I thought leaving both of the girls at the hospital was the hardest thing to do, and it was very very hard... But on Thursday when we were getting Jozie ready to leave, it was very emotional... It was such a happy thing for Jozie, yet Kealie would now be in there all by herself. It was even harder to leave Kealie there all on her own while her sister got to come home and be at her home.

The next day, Friday the 31st, was my 30th birthday. I kept telling everyone how awesome of a birthday it would be when Kealie got to come home! But nope, when I got to the hospital to visit, doc said she just wasn't eating enough yet. So, it wasn't going to be the best ever... I stayed at the hospital for a couple hours and then came home so Josh could visit baby girl. Jozie and I hung out together and when Josh got home we headed to my parents for lasagna!!! We had a great time, but not having Kealie there you could really feel and absence.

On Saturday morning, August 1st, after 11 days in the hospital, we finally got the call from the doctor saying Kealie was now ready to come home!!! It was the best phone call I could have gotten of course! We finally got to bring out baby girl home!!!!! And We would finally be all together at home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So now we have all been home for a week and a couple days. Things are going great. The girls are eating like crazy, and putting on the weight like crazy. At the pediatrician's visit last Wednesday Jozie, born at 5'6 was up to 6'4!! And Kealie, born at 4'2 had finally hit the 5' mark!!!!!! She was 5lbs even!!!

Things are going really well at home. Sure there is a bit of exhaustion for both Josh and I, but it is worth it. I am enjoying the whole mother thing, despite a few times when the cries wouldn't stop no matter what Josh or I did for them. It's definitely hard, but the love I have for my baby girls is way more than I need to get me through those times.

Jozie and kealie seem to be more aware of each other here in the past couple days. They hear one another, and look at each other! It's really awesome! Last night it seemed as though they have already started playing games on mom and dad. One would cry, and we would get her calmed down and seconds later the other would start. They did this for quite a while! It's only just beginning!!!

Ok that's all for now, except for some pictures of my beautiful girls! Hope you enjoy!!!

Jozie Reed
July 21, 2009
9:39am

Kealie Jean
July 21, 2009
9:46am

My precious little baby girls

Their 2 week birthday!!!!

Daddy and his 2 little princess... My family and my whole life!!!

At the hospital

So I'm sitting here at the hospital at 1:30 in the morning listening to my baby girls moving around and stirring in their crib and Josh snoring in the uncomfortable fold out couch next to me.

It's been a crazy, emotional week for me. My baby girls are now a week old, and have yet to get to come home with us. I guess the easiest way to do this post is a "week long summary" of how things have been...

But before I do that, I just noticed on my dashboard that it said I had 100 posts... but I thought it should be 101, because if you remember I did my special 100th post a couple days before the girls were born. Well this is what happened, I had started a special 100th post a while back, and decided to do something different. So when I did my 100th post, I went back and erased the one I had finished, not realizing that they were counting that as one of my posts. SO my point is... my 100th post was actually my post welcoming Kealie and Jozie into the world. It's kind of funny because I had said I was thinking about holding out to post 100th blog until they were born... Well I did it, it just wasn't the most awesome and fun blog, it was just a quick summary of the day's event and when Jozie and Kealie entered the world...

Ok, anyway; here is what my week has been:

Tuesday, July 21st: Baby girls born, first visit to the NICU to visit them that night, Jozie on oxygen

Wednesday, July 22nd: Visited girls several times in the NICU, got to hold them for first time (besides the few seconds after delivery), Jozie off oxygen, Jozie given feeding tube due to not yet able to get the "suck, swallow, breath" method down

Thursday, July 23rd: I was discharged from the hospital early that morning, but allowed to stay as late as midnight to be close to the girls, so I did. Josh and I were able to feed our baby girls for the first time. With pacing, Jozie was able to eat from a bottle... Kealie never had a problem, she sucked down her bottle quickly at every feeding. Went to visit and feed girls one last time around 9:00 and feeding tube was out of Jozie, because she pulled it out herself!!! She also at the same time pulled her IV out of her hand. Unfortunately she had to have the IV replaced and put in her other hand, but the feeding tube stayed out!!! Left the hospital around 11:00 without my beautiful babies, and it was one of the hardest things to do.

Friday, July 24th: Woke up to my phone ringing at 8:00am. It was the NICU doctor. My heart stopped beating as I thought something was wrong. He was just giving an update on the girls and letting me know how things were and how great they looked. Very nice to get the phone call, but thought it would have been even nicer if someone would have let me know to expect the call from him. He always came and talked to us around noon when I was in the hospital...
Went to hospital and hung out with Jozie and Kealie as much as possible. Things looking great, started hearing that Monday or Tuesday the girls should get to come home if everything stayed as good as it were.

Saturday, July 25th: Girls still in NICU but continued to make great progress. They were maintaining their weight, if not gaining. They were eating very well. Kealie was starting to slow down, but still meeting her requirements at each feeding. Jozie was eating like a champ!
I started getting a headache sometime on Saturday. It was a pretty bad one, and my Motrin that the doc prescribed me wouldn't help it at all. We left hospital at 9:00, and I was in bed by 9:30.


Sunday, July 26th: Woke up and headache was barely there. Got to hospital early to find out they were moving out of NICU down to the Critical Care Nursery 3... An Upgrade because they were doing so well!!! Fed the girls around 2:30... Headache started coming back... Moved girls down to CCN 3 at 3:00. Headache becoming painful... Got girls ready for photos at 3:30, Got Jozie's individual shots, and one of Kealie before she had a horrible spit up. Had to stop the photo shoot and plan to have photographer come back next day. Headache had become excruciating. Grammy (my mom visits) we feed girls, my head is pounding. Tell her I am going to let Josh come sit with her. When I find Josh, I tell him I am having horrible headache. Decide that it is best for me to come home and rest for a bit to see if that will help headache go away.
Leave Grammy with the girls, and head home. Take Excedrin Migraine, a nap and it doesn't help at all. Decide to try Tylenol Allergy a while later, and it finally goes away. So for two days I suffered from an allergy headache, who would have figured!!! Head back to hospital around 7:00, and Shannon visits since she has been on vacation and hasn't had a chance to visit yet. Jen and Tyler also come. Tyler not being old enough to visit in nursery, is given the chance to see Kealie for the first time in person because of our awesome nurse!!! She opens door and allows Tyler to get a good look at one of his new cousins. He would have gotten to see Jozie as well, but he and Josh apparently got locked out of the hospital while Jen and I were visiting the girls... When he finally got up to the nursery we had already put Jozie back in the crib.
Leave hospital again without my babies... But still hearing Tuesday should be the day the girls get to come home as long as they maintain their weight or gain, and pass their car seat tests.

Monday, July 27th: Phone call from doctor, lets us know Kealie had trouble eating and did not meet her requirement through the night feedings. Also from the ultrasound of the brain that they had, they found a cyst on Kealie's brain. Told that there was nothing to worry about and that lot's of people have them that never know about them. And that it is very common in premature babies. Get to hospital and find out we will be moving that afternoon once again. Back up to the 6th floor but in the CCN 1 room. We get Kealie's individual pics done and their pics together done. I must say they are the best pics ever! SO CUTE!!!
Head back upstairs with girls around 3. Hang out with them for the day, and hear many, many many times that these girls will be going home tomorrow because they are doing so well. Stay with the girls until around 10:00 and as leaving nurses are telling us that we should get to bring girls home tomorrow!! We are also told we would probably be discharged in afternoon as the girls were doing so great that they were the last babies in the NICU/CCN that doc checked out.
We get home and hang out for a bit. Josh had to be the cutest. At one point thought he might have an anxiety attack when discussing having girls home and on our own tomorrow!!! But we were both so excited and ready for it! Can't wait to get up on Tuesday morning and prepare to bring out beautiful baby girls home. It will be their 1 week birthday!!!

Tuesday, July 28th: Woke up to phone ringing at 9:00 am... IT's the Doc!!! First thought.. "We are going to get them home really early!!!" Only to be disappointed by doc letting me know that Kealie again struggled to eat and wasn't making her required eatings. So he was going to keep them over night again and that there would be no homecoming today but we would be able to stay in a special room with them overnight. Well as long as I got to stay with my babies it made it a bit better. The phone call was only made worse when he told me that the nurse and he had heard a heart murmur in Jozie... WHAT??? Again we were told that these were fairly normal in premature babies and there was really nothing to worry about. Well guess what? I was worried, worried sick. After the disappointment in the phone call, and the emotions that we both went through after hearing the news and calling the grandparents, we were sitting and discussing getting ready when I fell asleep. Josh too took a nap and then we got up about 1/2 hour later and began gathering our clothes for our overnight stay with our baby girls. We have been here ever since around 1:00. The girls are doing so-so on the feedings. We have been in our "semi-private" room since around 8:00. The nurses are leaving us alone. They haven't checked on us since around 10 or so. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, Josh is sleeping and the girls have been sleeping as well. We are supposed to wake the girls up every three hours to feed them... It is now 2:30. Kealie was due to eat at 2:00, but I don't understand why I should wake her up if she is sleeping so well. Shouldn't we let her sleep and wake up on her own? Then she might just eat what she needs to eat. Jozie is due for her next feeding at 3:00. I don't know what to do... I mean these nurses and doctors obviously know what they are talking about, and I should do what they tell me to do, but I as a mother, don't believe it is best to wake them up if they are sleeping so well.

I'm going to go and see if Kealie is at least starting to wake up at this time. All of the pictures of the girls are on the computer at home. I don't have any on my laptop which I'm using right now of course. I promise to post pictures as soon as we all get home and have at least a little down time. OHHHH Kealie is waking up!!! Gotta go get her!!!
We would really appreciate just a quick prayer or thought for us that we get to take our baby girls home tomorrow. Josh has to go back to work either Sunday or Monday and I know I and he would really love some time with the girls at home before he has to go back. My birthday is Friday and the only gift I want is for my girls to be home with me, preferably before Friday, preferably tomorrow!!!

The Girls are here!!!

Just a quick post to let you all know that on Monday at the specialist, due to some findings, they went ahead and admitted me into the hospital to have these baby girls. They began inducing me at 8 pm MOnday night... At 9:39 am Tuesday July 21st, Jozie Reed was born, and Kealie Jean followed right behind her at 9:46. Jozie is weighing 5 pounds, 6 ozs and Kealie was 4 pounds 2 ounces. They are both staying in the NICU. We are not sure how long they will be there, but they have made progress all day long!!! We even were able to go up and hold them about 12 midnight Tuesday night/Wednesday morning!!! I am totally in love with my girls. I can't wait to have them with me forever. Please say a quick prayer that they get to come home very very soon. I will write more later and post pictures soon. Right now I am going to get some muchneeded sleep!!!

Here it is.... MY 100th POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I have been thinking about my 100th post for quite a while now as I continued to get closer and closer to it and what I could do to make it a special post. The thought even crossed my mine how cool it would be if my 100th post was to announce the baby girls were here.... But I just couldn't hold out that long!!!

The next thing I did was try to be creative in some way, you know think about how to make this special and awesome, but nothing is coming to me. Maybe it's because I'm 2 weeks away from having twin girls and I just have other things on my mind than to be really creative for my blog (Maybe I'll be able to do that at 200!!!) So I did only the next natural thing to do... I googled 100th blog post ideas, and everything I found was pretty much the same. People giving 100 little facts about themselves that you may or may not know about them. So I'm stealing their idea!!

Here are my "100 little facts about me"
* Friends and Family
1. My husband Josh is my very very best friend and the best thing that has ever happened to me in my whole life. I am what I am today because of him!!!

2. Josh spoils me way too much

3. I met Josh in a bar after I bungee jumped. He was walking out and I was walking in. I grabbed him and said I just bungee jumped... He decided to stay, and the rest is history!!!!

4. I love my family more than I can ever let them know... It's beyond words how much each and every single one of them have influenced me to be who I am today

5. I am SOOOOOOO ready for my baby girls to be here, and can't believe that in only 2 weeks I will be holding them in my arms

6. I'm scared to death about putting my babies in a day care.

7. My big sister Jennifer, is also my best friend... She is always there to listen and turn to when I need someone.

8. While Erika is my younger sister, I look up to her for all she does as a mom. She is one of the best I know, and I hope that I am as good of a mom as she is!!

9. My brother Wes is the best brother anyone could have and you should all be jealous of me!!! He would do ANYTHING at ANYTIME for me and he has proven that over and over!!!

10. My parents are my role models. They got married and raised 4 children at very young ages, and did such a great job!!! And they have been married going on 33 years and are still in love and you can see the love they have. I hope that my marriage and parenting are as good as theirs has been and continues to be!!!

11. I wish my best friends from college lived closer to me (2 are in Lexington and one is in Boston)

12. My best friend from college, Kate and I, weren't really friends until I left Transylvania and moved back to Louisville... We hardly even spoke when I was there, now she is one of the best friends I've ever had and our friendship continues to grow more and more throughout the years!

* Pets
13. I have two cats, Nelly and Rudy, that were a Valentine's Present from my mom when I moved to my first apartment 7 years ago.

14. Josh hates my cats cause one of the first times we just hung out at my house and ordered pizza, the cats jumped on the stove and knocked the whole pizza onto the floor before we got any of it.

15. Poor Rudy was locked in the refrigerator over night as a kitten... I found her in there the next morning when I got up... Yet she still likes to jump in the refrigerator to this day.

16. Zander is our 5 year old Jack Russell

17. He is so spoiled, he will not lie on the floor if there is not a pillow or blanket for him, He will sit or stand staring at us until we get him one.

18. Zander decided to jump the fence for the first time in almost three years when we were on our Honeymoon last summer and my brother was at our house. He had never done it before and has never done it again. It really is very strange that he did that.

* Blogging
19. I started my blog in December 2008 a couple weeks after I found out I was pregnant after months of thinking I would start one, but with the new news I knew I would finally have something interesting to talk about!!

20. I love blogging, not only because it lets me journal and I can look back and remember what was going on during certain times but because of the people I have connected with through blogging!

21. I have met a couple of people, Antonia and Jess, through my blog and consider them friends, even though we live 100's and 1000's of miles from each other!!!

*School
22. I joined a sorority at Transylvania after being offered an open bid, and then left the school 2 months later...

23. My favorite subject in school is writing... It's what I love to do, and I love teaching it

24. My least favorite subject to teach is Social Studies... I am not good with History or Geography

25. The best thing about my job are the people I work with. I miss talking to them all during the summer vacation.

26. I love teaching, but wish that I could be a stay-at-home mom for at least the next several years while my girls are young.

*About Me
27. I will be turning 30 in exactly 13 days

28. My favorite city that I have been to is New Orleans... I've been twice.

29. If I could go anywhere in the world I would go to Greece

30. I have parasailed twice, both times I was with Jen

31. I played field hockey in high school for 3 years and in college for 2 years.

32. My hair is naturally curly

33. I have grey hair, and have had grey hair for about 5 years now... ever since I began teaching!!! It's not a lot but there's enough for me to have to dye my hair

34. I am 5'7" or 5'8" not for sure which one...

35. I have hazel eyes... Depending on my mood and the weather at times they look really bright green and others they are really dark brown

36. I have been told my best quality is friendliness to everyone and excepting all and making everyone feel comfortable around me.

37. My worst quality would be my shyness

38. I am a Leo, but do not share many of the characteristics that go along with that sign.

39. While I am the second of 4 children, I definitely have the characteristics of a middle child

40. I hate cleaning and if you saw my house you would be able to tell!

41. The worst chore is by far washing dishes... especially silverware!!!

42. My favorite chore is organizing.. as in organizing books and cds and movies... I'm pretty sure that my mom would agree I get this from my father!

43. I never make the bed

44. I enjoy baking, but don't do it often because I'm not very good at it

* Random Facts
45. If I could be anything, I would be a Broadway star!!

46. If I could live the life of a famous person it would be Judy Garland

47. I am a night owl... I can be sleepy all day, but once the clock hits 11 or 12, I get my second wind

48. I hate being woke up in the morning. Whether it be by an alarm or a person... Just ask Josh and my mom!!!!

49. I hate having to call companies or stores for any reason... That is why there are about 7 bags of clothes for charity still on my front porch that have been there for several weeks now

50. I am a very quiet and shy person when you first meet me

51. People who have known me for a long time and know me well probably wish I would just shut up sometimes!!!

52. I have a tattoo on my back of the sun

53. I have my ears pierced twice and my left ear cartilage pierced

54. I used to have my belly button pierced... when I was skinny of course!!

55. I love Wal-Mart... What's not to love, they have absolutely everything you could possibly need!!!!

56. When I was younger and played Nintendo, I used to be really mean to my brother who watched me when I would die or mess up.

57. The first time my parents heard me say a cuss word was when I was playing Mario Brothers

58. I want to write a novel and publish it one day... It has been a goal of mine since high school... I just don't know where or how to start

59. I've broken my right arm three different times

60. I love music and singing, even though I am horrible at it.

*Food and Drinks
61. I could eat pizza 7 days a week and don't think I would ever get tired of it.

62. I am disgusted by all condiments, except hot sauce. I will not touch something if it has ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise or any other kind of sauce on it. It will make me gag

63. I hate onions, and if I accidentally bite into one that has been placed on to my food by accident, you better hope there is a napkin for me to spit it in, or else you will have to listen to me gag and possibly throw up!!!

64. My favorite alcoholic beverage is a Grasshopper

65. The only things I drink besides an occasional alcoholic beverage(when I'm not pregnant of course) is water and Coke or Pepsi

*Entertainment
66. I am addicted to Reality TV

67. My favorites are Amazing Race and Big Brother

68. If I could go on any reality show it would be Amazing Race

69. I would suck on Big Brother...

70. I laugh so hard at the show Wipeout every week, that it physically hurts and I just want them to go to a commercial at times so that I can catch my breath!

71. I am addicted to facebook... I'm on for several hours a day throughout the day

72. I am addicted to the computer in general... I'm on it for way too many hours during the summer. I should really get out and do something, or at least get up and clean my house!!!

73. My favorite song is Shoop by Salt-n-Pepa

74. I love playing video games

75. I love reading and watching about Celebrity Gossip stuff...

76. I cried while watching Michael Jackson's memorial service

77. I also cried when Chris Farley died... he was my favorite

78. I Love Tom Petty and wish I could go see him in concert

*Random Favorites
79. My favorite sport to play is Volleyball

80. My favorite sport to watch is College Basketball

81. My favorite book of all time is The Outsiders

82. I love the show iCarley

83. My favorite music is Oldies

84. My favorite band is The Beatles

85. My favorite color is purple


*Religion
86. I was raised Catholic

87. I went to Catholic school from Kindergarten to 12th grade

88. The grade school and High School that I attended are now closed

89. I believe in God with all my heart, soul and mind.

90. I do not believe you have to go to church to be a good Christian

91. I believe you should be allowed to believe what you believe and not be hassled or pressured to join a religion or belong to a church in order for God to hear and be there for you

*Pet Peeves
92. I can't stand it when people wear a hat for one team and a t-shirt for another team... For example: a Steelers shirt and a Colts hat... If it were a college team and a pro team it's not as bad, but seriously I think you should match your sportswear with the same team!!!

93. My biggest pet peeve is when someone is wearing two different socks... Don't know why I just can't deal with it!!!

94. It drives me crazy when people ask you a question and then keep on talking or don't listen to your answer

*Marriage
95. The hardest thing about marriage that I've experienced is having to share holiday's with both sides of the family... I know it sounds horrible but I hate it!

96. The best thing about marriage that I've experienced is how much our love grows each and every day. I can honestly say that I love Josh more and more each day that we are together.

*To end with...
97. I am very proud of the goals I have accomplished in my life... Graduating from college, becoming a teacher, finding the love of my life, getting married, and having a family...

98. I am so happy with my life right now... I don't think there is a time I have been happier and honestly believe that it will only continue to get better with each year that we live

99. I can not believe how long this has taken me to complete, but I am happy I did, because it's been a nice reflection time

100. I AM DEFINITELY LIVING MY DREAM LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well there you have it... You probably know way more than you wanted to know about me, but I appreciate you taking the time to read it!!! I really enjoyed taking the time to sit back and think about these things!

Hope you all have a great week!!!