Jeff, Jennifer, Aubrey & Adison

Moving...

2011-01-29T22:48:00.000-08:00

I have moved our blog... follow our new blog here:

http://thegays.wordpress.com/

10 on Tuesday

2011-01-04T22:08:00.000-08:00

I am too tired to write... let's just say that two weeks away from 25 - 5 year-olds makes you forget how tiring they are.

I will write more later, but here are some new pictures for my 10 on Tuesday. They are from my wonderful camera that Paul & Sandi got me for Christmas!!

Before the questions come in: YES that is a Justin Bieber doll (that Jeff insisted that Aubrey get) and YES she is about ready to kiss it...

30 on Tuesday?!?!

2010-11-09T20:21:00.000-08:00

Ok, I am being a horrible blogger I will try and do 30 on Tuesday today to catch up on my missed weeks.

1) I HATE our camera. Somehow it got sand in it at the beach and has not worked well since. I have missed so many cute pics because it has decided not to work.

2) I am a college student again... I am attending Seattle Pacific University to finish up my Professional Certification. Fun, huh?

3) In April, when I graduate that will mean that I am totally done with college FOREVER, unless I go and finish my Special Education degree someday, like my Principal keeps telling me to do :)

4) My school is really working to prepare our kiddos for College. We have "College Bound" bulletin boards, etc. We are filling our display case with college things and guess who has a BUS size WSU poster that is going in there, hmmm ME!!!!

5) I have 24 fun, active, great Kindergartners in my room. I love teaching them - but that is what too many! I am currently not on overload by my district is having major overload issues. There is a 1/2 split with 29 now... Crazy!

6) We are teaching all the K kiddos winter songs for our Winter Program. They are so cute. I love how they all yell the parts that they know... "then dreidel i shall play, OH DREIDEL, DREIDEL, DREIDEL. That makes me giggle just thinking of it now.

7) We have been driving up and back to Tacoma in one night to watch my brother-in-law's football team play. Brian coaches for Bellermine Prep in Tacoma. The girls LOVE watching his team play football. They even can say and do the touchdown signal on command.

8) I HATE our camera.

9) Jeff and I are headed to see Daniel Tosh next Friday. Check him out - he is so dang funny!

10) We are also headed to Singing Christmas Tree is a couple weeks, Jeff can hardly wait!

11) We got our family Christmas photos taken on Saturday. We went to JCPennys and they were amazing! They spent almost a hour with us.

12) I love Glee~ I am getting so distracted - I wish this show was on nightly.

13) Maybe 30 was way too ambitious.

14) Almost half way there...

15) Who hoo!!!!! 1/2 way!

16) Jeff and I took the girls to the zoo on Sunday. It was awesome! We had to hide under a tree for five minutes to hide from the downpour. It rained off and on for the rest of the time but all the animals were out!

17) The new lion exhibit at the zoo has a training section where you are literally ten feet away from the lions which are behind a chain link fence. All three lions were training in there when we were at the zoo!

18) The girls are doing great with sign language. The both are able to say 5 or so words in sign language without prompting.

18) The girls are staring to talk a lot also!

19) They can say: mama, dada, ad-son (Adison), ab-re (Aubrey), gramma, gapa, touchdown (Aubrey relates our neighbors white truck to my dad and when she sees it she says gapa - touchdown!), ball, car, kit-t, quack quack (duck), mooooooooooo, peas (please).

20) Jeff is growing a mustache for MO-vember.

21) My car has 90,000 miles on it now :( ~ 1-2 trips a day to Camas sure add up.

22) The girls will be 19 months old on Monday. I can't believe how fast they are growing up.

23) Wow.. Schuester just kissed Beiste!

24) I saw my old boss on Little People, Big World last night. Let's just say not too fond memories popped in my head of him.

25) I have a new obsession with snack size baggies. I don't know why, they just make me happy :)

26) I am so confused with parents who see rain out the window, but send their kids to school with a short-sleeve shirt on and no coat.

27)

28)

29)

30)

Made it :)

Ten on Tuesday

2010-10-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

1) Jeff is watching "Modern Marvels - Truck Stops" in the room I am in. Really?!?! This has got to be the lamest show ever... Oh wait, he watches car auctions too. Eww.

2) I guess I am too lazy tonight to get up from the couch and go watch interesting TV.

3) I am procrastinating hard-core. I have a pile of 24 conference reports to do for Thursday and Friday. They are sitting so nicely in my cute teacher bucket on the floor - I do not watch to disturb them.

4) Jeff and I took the girls to Roloff farms last weekend. So fun! They even got to go on the pony ride - Adison HATED it, Aubrey loved it. If you know them, you know how backwards that is.

5) We also went to the Columbia employee store last weekend. I heart that place, my new fuzzy jacket is amazing! I think they should give teachers year round passes to all employee store, it is a little payment for all we do.

6) School is still crazy. Some days I feel like I am herding cats. I have 24 kiddos, but we heard another K kiddo is coming, ugh :( My Principal observed me and wrote me the cutest note - "K teachers have a special place in Heaven." I just hope their is no snot, gas noises, whining or tattletales there.

7) Speaking of tattletales I have broken out the tattle phone in my room already. I have 3 girls that would tattle ALL DAY long if I let them. The tattle phone is red and goes straight to the President's Office!!! :) I have one girl who simply tells me, "Obama needs to hear this."

8) I had a little boy get stung today by a bee. Low and behold another little girl got stung in the bathroom later in the day... Hmm ?!?! Did they think I was going to fall for that?

9) Oh wow, Jeff is now watching a show about knives, ugh!

10) Aubrey and Adison are doing great. They both are in the beginning stages of potty training. It is exciting but I don't know if we are ready for the messes to come :)

10 on Tuesday

2010-10-12T20:47:00.000-07:00

1) Today my classroom was like a zoo, really! I had roaring and crawling on the ground going on... how many more days of school?!?!

2) I have 24 (READ THAT AGAIN 24) 5 year-olds in my classroom... Not cool! My tables, chairs and mailboxes are maxed out. No more kids please - try another school :)

3) I have a child in my room that is a major crack up. He tries to bribe me (brings me quarters) to let him ride the bus. He can't though since he is on a boundary exception. I told him that his mom needs to write me a note if he is able to ride the bus. He brought me a note with scribbles on it. I asked him what it said, and he told me, "white people can't read Spanish Gay." Yeah, that is right he calls me "Gay."

4) I hate laundry! I will fold it all day long, but I hate putting it away. That is Jeff's job which means it sits on the couch in our room until I get tired of it and put it away. Jeff has a sweet life!

5) Jeff and I took Aubrey & Adison to Chuck E Cheese's tonight for my school's fundraiser. The girls loved it! Aubrey was that special child that screamed after every ride - mad that I took her off of it.

6) Juno is sick :( Poor guy - I have to get some pureed pumpkin tomorrow which is supposed to help his tummy.

7) I am in love with Glee. Is it bad that Jeff and I skipped a bath for the girls tonight so we (Jeff wants me to put "I" but he was on the couch watching it with me!) could watch it???

8) Jeff and I are very perplexed on how the girls take after one side of the family in every aspect. Aubrey's middle name is Diane (Jeff's mom who passed away when he was a baby) and she looks so much like Diane. Aubrey also has Paul's (Jeff's Dad) hair... total curly! Adison's middle name is Stephanie (my cousin, Stephanie Conway who passed away) and she is a total CONWAY. She is rough and tough and has that Conway build. Adison is also being miss bossy --- not at all like Stephanie :) -I have very fond memories of Stephanie running practices for our Christmas plays. She even put one of our cousins in time-out for not following the practice rules.

9) Jeff and I are looking forward to Halloween with the girls. Jeff loves going to my Grandma Pat's for her full size candy bars. She is "known" around the neighborhood. She is so cute - she still dresses up too!

10) Halloween is not allowed at my school. Kids can't dress up, we can't read Halloween books, etc. I have a feeling I will have a few kids dress up - some parents are not really reading the things I send home. I have been getting tons of calls about when things are... Just read the papers people!

10 on Tuesday

2010-08-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

Every blog I read has a "10 on Tuesday" post... I guess I better jump on that bandwagon. So, here are 10 things you might not know about Aubrey & Adison.

1. Aubrey & Adison were born 7 weeks early. They were the cutest 4 pound babies!

2. My water broke Easter night. I thought I was going to die on Easter... and I was HUGE. Like the size of a house... no joke - Ask my cousins they will tell you they were alarmed at the gigantic stomach. Just think if I would have gone longer... ugh!

3. Aubrey is 1 minute older than Adison ~ they would have been born at the exact same time but Adison was "swimming" away from the Dr.

4. Aubrey was born with a twisted/bent left foot. Her foot was bent inward. This was probably due to having Adision squishing her for 7 months. The PT worked with Aubrey and her nurses in the NICU and her foot is totally straight now.

5. Aubrey also had a herniated belly button. It should not have been funny - but Jeff and I sure got a laugh when her belly button would shake when she would yell. Again, it is all better now.

6. Adison was a very lazy eater and breather when she was born. She had to spend an extra week in the NICU, since she could not get the suck/swallow/breathe method down. You would not be able to tell with her belly now!

7. Adison is OBSESSED with animals, especially dogs and cats. She knows exactly what page in every book we own has a picture of a dog or a cat. We get to look at those books every. single. day.

8. Adison is also a very silly girl. She loves doing things to get a laugh out of people. Her new thing is bouncing her head around and fall down on purpose. Not very safe - but she thinks she is quite funny.

9. Aubrey & Adison are OBSESSED with Justin Bieber. Every single morning (no exaggeration) Aubrey will find my phone and/or computer and shout "baaa-beee." That is right, Jeff and I get to listen to "Baby" by Mr. Bieber at least five times a day. I can sing every word and I almost have Ludacris' part down. This might be a new talent for me. King Elementary Talent Show here I come!

10. Both girls have very special middle names. Aubrey's middle name is Diane ~ which is in memory of Jeff's late mother. Adison's middle name is Stephanie ~ which is in memory of my late cousin on the Conway side. We miss Diane and Stephanie daily - we are very proud that their memory continues in our beautiful girls.

Visiting the Oregon Coast Aquarium

2010-08-06T00:30:00.001-07:00

The girls loved the fish, as you can tell!

Beach Trip!

2010-08-05T23:22:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I took the girls to the Newport, Oregon to go to the beach today - we had tons of fun! We were gone about 12 hours and the girls did wonderful.

We went to Oregon Coast Aquarium

We then went to the beach! We hade to HIKE down and up this gigantic hill! I thought my calves were going to die on the way back up - Jeff was amazing and carried Aubrey back up for me ~ they get heavy so fast! The girls did NOT like the sand at all. Aubrey was fine once her shoes were back on but you can see that Adison wanted nothing to do with the beach!!!

Aubrey wanted to play forever - we decided it was time to go when her lips were turning blue!

We then went into the town of Newport to walk along the piers. We got to see the famous sea lions!

This is what happened 5 minutes after we loaded up in the car to head home!!!

Summer Time!

2010-07-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

I am having so much fun this summer being home with the Aubrey & Adison. It is going by way too fast though! The girls and I are looking forward to having Jeff home with us for most of August - he has three weeks off!!!

Here are a few pictures from this summer. We have been going to the zoo, playing in the pool and water table, playing at the park and hanging out with friends and family. There are also pictures of the girls potties! I decided that I am going to start introducing the potties to the girls since I am home all summer. Right now they just like to play on them as you see!

Guess what happened today...

2010-05-10T19:02:00.000-07:00

This morning was going so great! Until I get back to my classroom from my "no-cell phones allowed" meeting to find a voicemail from baby school. It seems that everyone is there is convinced that Adison has chicken pox. This poor girl. She has eczema that comes and goes, that is treated by some high powerful cream. Well, this weekend she started getting eczema on her arms followed by some red dots - that went away when we put the cream on. Now I get a voicemail that she has them all over her tummy and back and her girl-area.

I can't find a sub anywhere (really people, I teach kindergarten - it is like paid playtime for a sub). So, Jeff has to leave Lake Oswego after just getting there 1.5 hours before. He gets the girls and ends up taking them to the Dr. He has a fun experience there (a RUDE lady decided to yell at them for being late - she then got paid back by two VERY LOUD yelling girls she had to watch while Jeff checked in).

Turns out she has a viral infection (thanks RYLEE for sharing!!!!) that is just like getting a runny nose. She just has super sensitive skin.

Jeff gets the super-dad award again for today!!!

New Milestones!!!

2010-05-06T22:51:00.000-07:00

1st Birthday Pictures!

2010-05-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

No time for words...

2010-05-06T22:04:00.001-07:00

My eyes are getting heavy... here are some recent pictures though!!!

Happy First Birthday!!!

2010-04-15T22:10:00.000-07:00

Wow! So hard to believe a year has gone by already. Jennifer and I ditched work and took the girls to Cafe Sip n Play (fist time there...GREAT place!), a fish hatchery, a park along the Columbia and of course Babies R Us so the girls could get their birthday crowns and balloons. :) They also got their first taste of cake and Cold Stone ice cream with Grandma and Grandpa Conway. Needless to say, the girls were exhausted by the end of the day...and so are Jennifer and I.

Cafe Sip n Play pics:

Babies R Us visit:

CAKE!!!

ICE CREAM!!!

Long overdue update...

2010-04-11T20:57:00.000-07:00

Time has been flying by here. I can't believe that the girls are going to be a year old on Thursday!!! It is so sad, they are not my little babies anymore. Here is a quick picture update...

We decided to dress the girls head to toe in Cougar gear. Jeff claims that they look like boys (I agree, but we have to start them early on knowing the correct school!)

I also took the girls to the zoo with my parents over Spring Break. Jeff was working but my mom and dad were babysitting Rylee so we took a big trip to the zoo.

We also took a small Conway trip to Beaches for Easter lunch. There were only 24 of us there! Adison was very brave and was the only baby to sit on the Easter Rabbit's lab without screaming. She is in love with anything with fur. I took them to see the Easter Rabbit at the mall and she screamed when I TOOK her from the bunny. What a silly girl!

We also have been transitioning the girls over to whole milk and off of formula. They have been doing great with it! Luckily the girls got Jeff's milk lover genes! We just made up our last bit of the last can of formula for Baby School tomorrow. So sad, but I will NOT miss the large expense of formula!

Aubrey also started walking!!!! She is now able to take a few steps on her own but still wants to hold on to something to do it. We have not been able to catch it on camera, yet.

Have a great week!

Computer is back!

2010-03-09T21:03:00.000-08:00

My computer took a turn for the worst and had to be totally redone. We are finally back up and running! Here is a little update of what has been going on since my computer crashed. Both girls are practicing standing up on their own. They love holding on to their toys and laughing as loud as they can. Here is their favorite toy to hold on to. We took a family trip to the zoo on one of the nice days that we have had lately. We also got to spend time with Aunt Lindsey and Rylee. Aubrey's face cracks me up! Aubrey also started pulling herself up and standing for 15-20 seconds on her own. We are in big trouble! Check out her video!

Thanks Rob & Jaymee!

2010-02-18T21:08:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for our cute swimsuits!!! We love them. P.S. I could only get pictures of Aubrey in her's - Adison was too tired to be messed with.

Updates from Vancouver

2010-02-16T22:01:00.000-08:00

Things are going really well here. I can't believe that the girls are 10 months old already, we are getting ready for their big party which is coming up soon!!! I remember wishing for years to be able to have babies and now they are growing up TOO fast!

We are headed to bed but I thought I would add a few pictures from our busy, busy household.

Here is Aubrey:

Here is Adison:

Here are the BIG girls together:

OK...this is too funny not to put up (thanks Jeff for the graphic)!!!

It's the weekend!

2010-02-05T18:02:00.000-08:00

Conway Traditions...

2010-02-03T20:41:00.000-08:00

Ok... this may seem a LITTLE weird but, I have very fond memories of my parents making shaving cream body parts on Lindsey and I in the bath when we were little. Well, I gave the girls a bath tonight in the big tub and continued the tradition.

We also have this Finding Nemo squirt toy. It may not look like it here but Aubrey loves it! She was squealing every time I would squirt her with it.

Pictures are worth 1,000 words!

2010-02-02T20:58:00.000-08:00

Jeff and I are so thankful for our beautiful babies. We remember everyday how blessed we are. Check out our cuties...

Miss Aubrey - This girl is a HAM. Let me tell you - she can spot a camera from a mile away.

Miss Adison - This girl is a thinker. She can be pretty sneaky though. I have caught here pulling Aubrey's hair when she thought I was not looking!

Jeff and I have the day off with the girls tomorrow... what to do, what to do????

We are back!!

2010-01-13T21:39:00.000-08:00

We are so sorry we have not updated in so long!!!! I rarely get a chance to sit down without a child trying to grab at my keyboard. Jeff and I are trying a new bedtime for the girls, so I can finally sit and type alone!

We have had a lot of things happening around the Gay household lately. Here is a wrap-up of the last month:

In early January, we lost my Grandfather. He led a long and wonderful life. With his first heart attack at 35 and 4 open heart surgeries, he was a medical miracle. I am so thankful that he got to spend time with our girls and they will have memories of him. They even got to spend their first Christmas with him! I am so happy that I got to be with him for his last few days. He said some very touching good-byes to me that I will treasure my whole life. Here are a few picture of Great-Grandpa Howard with our girlies.

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We had our first Christmas as a family. The girls were spoiled by everyone around them. We are so thankful for our loving family and friends. Check out some Christmas pictures.

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The girls have been growing hair like mad! Now I can make mohawks!!!!!!

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We ventured out in the blistery 10 degree weather. Thank goodness for darling snow suits!

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The girls also are eating new fruits and veggies daily. Some they LOVE -

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Others, LOVE is not the word -

Christmas Tree Hunting

2009-12-11T13:12:00.000-08:00

We ventured out last weekend to cut down our first Christmas tree as a family.

Group Shot

Decorating Judges

Oy! It's been awhile!

2009-12-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

Apologies for the delay in updating the blog. Busy much??? Since Halloween the girls have started eating solids, sitting up is an everyday thing, teeth started showing up, Adison caught the flu bug for a few days, hung out with family over Thanksgiving, crawling seems like any day now, and we got our first Christmas tree as a family! Some pics of the events:

Aubrey

Adison

Not. Edible. Aubrey.

Full Tummy = Nap time

Play Time!

Thanksgiving with Cousin Rylee (Aubrey looks like a giant in this pic for some reason)

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T20:31:00.000-07:00

We just returned home from a busy Halloween night, actually 2 nights of Halloween fun! First, we went and trick-or-treated at my parent's house since they are out of town tonight. They gave the girls tons of baby food, cute socks and a book for each of them! Thanks :)

Tonight we went to see the girl's great-grandparents at their houses. First, we went to my grandparents house and were the hit of dinner at their retirement home! The girls had tons of fun seeing all of my grandparent's friends who came up to see them! They also LOVED seeing the big fish tank there. Actually, they liked watching the water bubbling more than looking at the neat fish. Here are some pictures from Great-Grandpa Howard and Great-Grandma Mary Lou's house.

Next, we went to see Great-Grandma Pat. She was so cute dressed up as a witch, like she has forever! We also got to see Auntie Meghan and Chuck there. They were so funny - dressed up like Costco food sample workers. Chuck even got the pleasure of having projectile vomit on him from Aubrey! At least he had his Costco apron on! Here are some pictures from Great-Grandma's house.

Happy 6 Month Birthday!!!!

2009-10-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that the girls are 6 months old today! Happy 1/2 birthday Aubrey & Adison!!!! We were so lucky to have Jeff's Uncle Gregg come visit us with his friend Chuck. We went to a yummy restaurant and played some Rock Band together while the girls were sleeping! Thanks Great Uncle Gregg for spending some fun times with us! Check out the cute pictures from their visit! We also got a Jumperoo for the girls. They have one at Baby School and totally love it! I was able to find one at a baby consignment store for a great price! Here are some pictures and video of their 1st time playing in it!

We all go to the Dr. next Wednesday. The girls have their 6 month Well Child Check and shots. Jeff and I are also going and getting flu shots & H1N1 shots along with the girls!

Have a great week!

The girls got mail...

2009-10-06T19:11:00.000-07:00

Today the girls got their first piece of holiday mail. Grandma and Grandpa Conway mailed them both their own Halloween cards! Thanks - the girls love them!!! As you can tell, Aubrey wanted it eat it!

Here is Aubrey and her Halloween card

Aubrey is also smiling so much now! Check her out

Adison also loves her Halloween card

Adison is also starting to smile a lot more!

Have a great week!

Josh Comes to Visit

2009-09-27T16:49:00.000-07:00

We had a nice relaxing weekend here at home. We watched the Cougs play pretty decent against USC. I know that UW beat them... but USC DID play with their star quarterback against us! We also hung out with our friend Josh on Sunday. Josh works with Jeff and he came to hang out with us. He stopped by and saw the girls, then went to the driving range with Jeff and then watched some It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia with us.

Here is a picture of Josh and Adison. Aubrey was asleep when we were having our photo shoot.

Busy Time

2009-09-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

Rob and Jaymee Visit: We had a great weekend with Uncle Rob and Jaymee. We went to a yummy pizza place and hung out around the house. The girls even wore their clothes that Rob & Jaymee bought them when they were born. I am SO not responsible for the "Me, Mommy, Asshole" shirt that Aubrey has on. Blame that on Rob! Tummy Time at Grandma & Grandpa's: The girls are getting very good at Tummy Time. They are still spitting up all the time during this time but are loving it more and more each day. Aubrey seems to do a little bit better than Adison with Tummy Time. She is almost up crawling (check out her rear in the air)... uh oh!! Playing on the Exercisers: We have started using the Exercisers more with both girls. Aubrey was hysterical, she LOVED this new toy. She was jamming on the piano and laughing so much. Adison was playing on it to but was a little camera shy
Of course... Juno had to make an appearance

Thank you Becky ~ We Love You!!!

2009-09-19T22:05:00.001-07:00

We wanted to show the girls in their new outfits from Becky Callon! They are so cute... they even wore their baby Crocs! We also have some exciting news - Adison slept through the night without wearing her heart monitor last night and she was perfectly fine. We are trying to wean ourselves off of it by next week, lets see if Jeff and I can handle it!
We can't wait until the girls fit into the other clothes that Becky and Keena got them. Thanks so much - we love you!!!

5 Months Old!

2009-09-16T22:05:00.001-07:00

I can't believe the girls are 5 months old already. This time has flown by! They are getting so big and chunky! They are not the little preemies that I had back in April anymore.

We are so super busy it is not even funny! I am now back to work full time and things are finally getting into a routine. They girls are doing excellent at Baby School. They did get their first cold after the first week of school - of course! Aubrey still is fighting her cough but things are getting better daily. I am finding it very hard to teach 20 5-year olds at school, then pick up my 2 girlies, then cook dinner, then do laundry, etc. Luckily, Jeff is here and willing to pitch in whenever I need him. But, I DO NOT allow him to cook. I do not feel like having Macaroni and Cheese nightly, icky!

Today we got called back to Baby School 2 hours after Jeff dropped them off. He watched them until I could get home at 11:15. Adison had a little fever (from teething) yesterday when Jeff picked her up and they forgot to tell us that she could not return until 24 hours after the fever. So, I came home and of course they slept ALL day other than their one feeding! I got so much done - I changed out their closet, did all the laundry, etc! I need days like this monthly!!!! I went through their clothes and took out all the ones that are too small now. We are going to take their preemie clothes to the NICU they were at. I know they would love to use them! We are now trying to decide what to do with the other ones. Do we save them for more babies????

Here are some pictures from tonight. The white sleeper on the right is the girls first outfit that they wore in the NICU. They were actually really big on them... Notice how big the girlies are now!!!

Here is Aubrey after her bath

Here is Adison after her bath, I guess she wants to show off her muscles too!

We have been working really hard on Tummy Time also, check out this picture

Back to Work...

2009-08-31T22:10:00.000-07:00

Well, today the girls went to Baby School for the first time (what we are calling Daycare to make me feel better) and did great - WAY better than Jeff and I did. I can't believe that I am already back at work... this all went way too fast! The teachers at their Baby School LOVE the girls. They were all so excited to see them. Aubrey did not sleep very well there today, which led to her being really grumpy tonight. But, she fell right asleep tonight so hopefully tomorrow will be better. They both spit up a little more than they normally do at home, but again hopefully they will be used to being fed by other people soon.

We have been so busy here, as you can tell by the lack of posting! We have been working on establishing a routine for the last few weeks to get ready for school. They continue to sleep really well! Jeff and I are so lucky. They started sleeping through the night at 3 months and will sleep anywhere from 7-11 hours at night. Adison is getting weaned off of her apnea monitor now. We are just using it as a security blanket for us at night. She has not had any episodes since July. We really only have her on it now when we're sleeping. They are both continuing to be great, happy babies... when Aubrey is in a good mood :)

We also took the girls to their 4 month old appointment a few weeks back. They both got 3 shots and 1 oral medicine. I LOVE the infant shot tech at the Doctor. She is amazing, they really only cry when they get the shot that burns. I would cry too!!! Their Pediatrician is not considering them preemies anymore. They are doing too well for that label. They are both in the 50% for their weight. Aubrey weighed 13.7 and Adison was 13.12. Adison is a little taller than Aubrey, she is in the 50% for height while Aubrey is lingering in the 25% for height. As soon as they can hold up their heads for a good bit on their own, we can start rice cereal. Oh, that is going to be fun if they continue spitting up!

Here are a few picture that my mom and my aunt took while they babysat the girls when I had a little procedure... Notice the big smiles!!!

My mom and I also took the girls to Family Day at my grandparents retirement home. Notice how proud my grandparents are. Every time one of their friends walked by, they would yell, "Hey - Come look at my twin great-granddaughters!" How cute!

Lions, Tigers and Multiplies.... Oh My!

2009-08-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

Things are going great with the girls. I hate that I have to go back to work in 2 weeks and leave the girls care to someone else. I have to keep telling myself that they will be fine... I can't believe that they are 4 months already! They have changed so much lately, they are so big and their personalities are really shinning through.

Aubrey continues to be Miss High Maintenance lately. She LOVES to be held and there are nights where I give in and hold her until she is asleep just so we can have some peace and quiet and so that Adison can sleep! Other then that, she is doing wonderful. She is getting bigger and stronger by the day. She can hold up her head on her own and is almost ready to roll over. We take the girls to their 4 month appointments tomorrow, so it will be interesting to see what their weights are up to! Here are some new pictures of Aubrey

Adison on the other hand, continues to be her mellow self. She is a go with the flow baby (but right now she is the one crying and Aubrey is asleep, hmmm...) and really never cries unless she is hungry or she is having bathroom issues. Adison is also getting huge and very strong. She can almost hold up her head, but to disadvantage she does have a huge head! Her apnea issues are mostly gone. Jeff and I have been only monitoring her while she is sleeping since we are almost done with her monitor. I am trying to have her off of it when they start daycare on August 31st. Here are a few recent pictures of Adison

We also went to a Family Reunion for our fertility clinic's 20th year anniversary. I have never seen so many multiples in one place. Everywhere you looked their were twins dressed the same. I even saw one group of triplets. I bet we broke some record of the most multiples in one place. There were 2,000 of us their celebrating Oregon Reproductive Medicine's anniversary. There were 300 infants and 600 children too! We got to meet with our doctor again and have him meet the girls. We even got to check out some of the animals. Here are some pictures from our fun day - my new hair cut also makes an appearance here

Lazy Sunday

2009-08-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

In Memory of John Hughes

2009-08-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

Ferris Bueller's Day Off is one of dad's favorite movies.

(10 days late, I know...)

1st Trip to Aunt Linda's Hair Salon

2009-08-08T22:23:00.000-07:00

We took our first trip to Aunt Linda's hair salon on Friday so I could get my hair cut. My hair was taking WAY too long to do in the mornings, so I decided to chop it! I will post pictures soon of the new hairdo!

Here are some pictures of Aunt Linda's with her great nieces!

When I am not so tired I will post more about our recent happenings here... it includes: the girl's Great-Grandpa's 82nd birthday, our visit to another car show, the girl's new nightly fussiness, their new feeding schedule, moving into 3 month old clothes, our upcoming zoo trip, getting ready for daycare, my trip to Yakima, etc. Wow - we have been busy!!!

Pictures For Mom!

2009-07-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

Mom is away at a conference in Yakima, so we get to kick it with Dad for 72 hrs. Here are some pictures for her:

Watching Finding Nemo:

Adison and Juno:

Smiley Aubrey:

And here's a video of us loungin' in the living room. Dad is being a dork. Aubrey is dancing at the end (the battery went flat and missed squeeling laughter...oh well, next time).

New Kicks!

2009-07-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

The girls and I are so happy - we finally got AC installed into our house! After, much pressuring (I was nice the whole time - did not complain once) Jeff and I finally got it installed. Things are much cooler now and everyone is much happier!

Today we tried the girls out in their Bumbo chairs. They loved them! Juno is very curious about them and has to smell every inch of the chairs. The girls can almost hold their heads up on their own, but until then I have been stuffing a blanket behind their necks to help them.

Also, today they became official "Conway" children and wore their first Nike outfits and shoes. My Aunt Lynn works at Nike, for those of you who don't know. Nike is the official Conway Family sponsor! They looked so cute in their Nike kicks and onesies!

Here are a few pics from today's happenings:

Also, Jeff's dream came true and the girls got to go to the racetrack. We went with some of our friends last Wednesday to PIR. We got to see my school's Drumline perform (hence the girls' headphones), watch some cars race, see some classic cars and then we all went out to dinner together. Here are some of those pics

Oh yeah... I also finally got Aubrey to smile on camera. Check these out

2009-07-24T15:03:00.000-07:00

Guess What.... We Smile Now!!!

2009-07-21T14:47:00.001-07:00

Can you believe the girls are now 3 months old??? It seems like yesterday when I felt like I was going to explode at Easter brunch!!

Things are going wonderful here. The girls are doing so well. We had two major milestones met recently - they are now smiling and sleeping through the night!!!! It is so nice to not have to get up every 3 hours. It is so much easier to make it through the day being rested. Their little smiles are so cute, they are smiling at everything!

Here are a few recent pictures of the girls from our new camera. I love it!!

Adison being all smiles

Aubrey smiling for Jeff's silly sounds

Jeff posing with the girls

Thunder thighs times two

Adison showing her new unicorn lovey that Mike Lazer's (he works with Jeff) family sent the girls

Aubrey can't stop trying to eat hers

Our electrician just finished his work for our AC that is getting installed on Friday. YEA!!! I am gonna go check out his work with Jeff!

2009-07-14T21:23:00.001-07:00

Time to Catch-Up!!!

2009-07-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

Things have been super busy and we have had no time to update lately... Here is a wrap up of all the great things that have been happening at the Gay house and a few pictures to go along with them.

Sunglasses: I found these great sunglasses at Target and just had to get them. Let's just say that the girls did not love them as much as I did! Well, Adison liked hers a little by the end...

Swings: The girls are finally able to fit into their swings. They really like them, unless Aubrey is in one of her moods and does not like anything. Speaking of her mood's Aubrey has decided that she wants things on her own terms at all times lately. My cousin Meghan (who is SO nice and spends the night to help me one night a week) and I have nicknamed her HM (High Maintance). Hopefully we get done with this stage REAL soon!

Cousin Time: My sister, her husband and their baby Rylee came down to visit for part of July. It was so fun to have all three girls together at once. Here are a few pictures from our time together. Adison was very fasinated with all of Rylee's hair.

Rylee's Baptism: I had the honor of becoming Rylee's Godmother during their trip to Washington.

Beach: We just spent the weekend with my parents and my sister's family. We had a great time!

First Restaurant Trip

2009-06-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

Well, the girls officially have been to a restaurant. Even though Jeff was worried about me taking them there we all survived. The girls did not make a peep. They even allowed my Mom and I to do a little shopping afterwards while they were still silent. I HAVE to get them used to shopping - it is in their blood!

My Mom and I met our friends Gayle and Cindy (who brought her darling son Jackson) at Claim Jumper in Clackamas. We had a great lunch and we all got to see Cindy who is due with her son #2 any day now.

After their first outing to a restaurant, Jeff is being more relaxed and we all went to Chipotle with our friend Nathan on Saturday. The girls were again excellent. They were even quiet while some crazy lady was going ga-ga over them. She asked me if they were twins?!?! Hmm.....

Well, time for bed - the girls are sleeping so I should be sleeping!

Here are some pics from our fun lunch.

Picture Time!

2009-06-20T23:13:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I are finding out that taking pictures of our little ones is NOT EASY! They don't sit still or smile when requested - what are they, babies??? Here are a few pictures of our photo shoot from today:

Here is Aubrey after her bath ~

Here is what happened when we tried to take her binkie away~

Here is Adison in the bath - notice the belly (small preemie, huh?)~

Here is our attempt to take a picture of them together... It goes from this OK one ~

To full blown chaos! ~

2 Months Old!

2009-06-17T11:58:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that the girls turned 2 months old on Monday. Wow - time flies! Yesterday Jeff and I took them to the Dr. for their 2-month Well Child Check. Everything turned out perfect for them. They even got 3 shots and 1 oral vaccine and they only screamed once! The Dr. is very excited about their progress, they are doing so well!

Aubrey is up to 9.6 pounds now. She is in the 25% percentile for infants her age now. That is great news since preemies are usually below the 10%. She is continuing the be the vocal baby. She will let you know if things are not going her way or if we are taking too long to get her food ready! Aubrey is now eating 5 ounces every 3 hours or so. Their Dr. says that if they keep eating this well they will be sleeping through the night in no time!

Adison is also doing very well. She is now a whopping 10 pounds! That puts her in the 50% percentile for infants her age! Wow - she is turning into a chunk. Her apnea has gotten much better also! We have not needed to help her with any of her spells since June 3rd. She still occasionally has them but the beeping of her monitor helps her fix it on her own. We are going to keep the monitor for another month or so and she how she is doing then.

As soon as they wake up I will take some new pictures and post them!

Okay, Okay... I am blogging again!

2009-06-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

After Jeff reminding me daily that I need to update this blog, I have finally found a chance to sit down for a few minutes and update you all!

The girls are doing wonderful. I can't believe they will be 2 months old in a few days. It's really confusing though when we talk to the Dr's because they go off of their "corrected age" since they were preemies. So, milestone wise the girls are a whole week old today! They are getting so big though, I was just looking at old pictures of them and they have grown so much in a month. Their Dr. even took them off of the high-calorie formula that the NICU put them on since they have doubled their birth weight in a little over a month!

Aubrey is doing very well. She is gaining weight so quickly and is not looking like a little preemie anymore. She did still gain the nickname "Tiny" from Jeff but still is outgrowing that quickly. Her only issue is that she is really gassy - another link to her Dad, huh?

Adison is also doing very well. Her apnea spells have dramatically decreased. She has not needed our help with any of her spells since June 3rd! She has had a few more since then but she fixes them on her own.

Here are a couple new pictures - I never knew babies were so hard to get good pictures of! Notice Adison sticking her tongue out at me for getting impatient while taking their pictures!

It's quiet here - Time to blog...

2009-05-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

It is actually quiet at the moment, so I must update this! Our lives are so busy - I am totally slacking on keeping this up to date. Things are settling at home. Jeff went back to work this week and luckly the two days that he went into the office, my parents split up and were here with me so I am not alone! Tons of thanks to them!!!! Today was a busy day for the girls. I had my 6 week appointment at my OB so my Dad so kindly came and watched Aubrey for me so I only had one baby to watch at the Dr's. Everything checked out great for me. Adison is going to the Dr. tomorrow to get a little check on her apnea. She is off and on with those cases. She can go a few days with no apnea but then she can have a severe case the next day. We are being worried parents and are taking her in to see what else we can do to make her grow out of this quicker.

Other than her apnea spells things have been going great. Jeff and I are both doing night duty for now. We have decided it is easier to both do it rather than split them up. We are keeping the girls on the same schedule, which is working wonderful. Yesterday we had a Community Health Nurse come out a weigh the girls. They are gaining weight so quickly. Two weeks ago Aubrey was 6.4, one week ago she was 6.14 and yesterday she was 7.7 - Wow! Two weeks ago Adison was 6.9, one week ago she was 7.5 and yesterday she was 7.14.

Here are some new tummy time pics and a pic of my two-handed feeding techniques ~ Enjoy!

Our First Walk!

2009-05-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

With the weather being so nice this weekend, we decided to take our first walk around our neighborhood.

Jenny on the phone (hmm...reminds me of???)

Back on the phone again (oh right, Kate Gosselin! ;-) )

Tummy Time!

2009-05-24T18:34:00.001-07:00

We spent some tummy time yesterday evening after our guests left.

Sleepy Aubrey

Adison Not Feelin' It

Photo Op with Dad!

Mom's Birthday Party!

2009-05-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Jenny turning THIRTY (30) on Saturday!!! My family came down with Great Grandma Bates from Georgia. A very fun and special visit!

Birthday Party on the Deck:

Great Grandma Holding Adison:

Family Time

Happy Birthday Jenny! We love you!!

2 kids at home tomorrow!

2009-05-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

It has been such a long time since I have posted :(

Things are going really well at home. All Aubrey has been doing is eating, sleeping and pooping. She is rarely awake past her feedings, but that is normal for preemies. She usually sleeps anywhere from 2-4 hours then wakes herself up to be fed. She is a really good traveler too. She has been to my Uncle Dave's house for a Mother's Day BBQ and to Burgerville for a school function. She just slept the entire time at both places!

Adison is doing really well also. Her apnea episode are getting less frequent and less severe. She had one today after she was being fed, but fixed it on her own. Her last episode where she needed stimulation was yesterday while I was in the bathroom. She saved it for Jeff! We are headed home with her tomorrow and are bringing home a apnea home monitor for her. It is very loud and scary (for me) but we are glad to be bringing her home. I am nervous about the unknown and having two newborns at home but I am sure we will survive and be OK.

I can't believe it but the girls will be a month old tomorrow! They are still only 37 weeks and 2 days tomorrow but it has been a month since they were born! I am amazed by that!

Settling in at Home

2009-05-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Jeff, Aubrey and I are settling in at home awaiting Adison's arrival next week sometime. Aubrey had her 1st Dr. appointment this morning. She was doing wonderful until the Dr. had us take all of her clothes off. That girl hates being naked and cold! The Dr. said that everything looks great for her! My Mom and I visited Adison today and she was doing great also. The Dr. is looking at Tuesday/Wednesday for her discharge date. She is getting sent home on a apnea monitor so Jeff and I can be aware of her reflux apnea issues while she is sleeping. This is scary that she is still having issues but it is totally normal for her age and she will grow out of it soon. Today at the Dr. Aubrey weighed 5.7 pounds and Adison weighed 5.9 at the hospital.

Here are some pics from Aubrey's first bath at home... She was a smelly baby!

Our Sleepless Nights Are Beginning!

2009-05-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

Aubrey is officially coming home today! I wish we could bring Adison home also but she had another apnea episode last night - I can't wait for her to go 5 days and can join us at home. Other than her episode last night everything else has gone very well today. They both gained weight again too. Aubrey weighs 5.3.5 and Adison weighs 5.8. They are big girls now! The preemie clothes that I have bought are getting too small!

Gotta get packed up so we can head home!

1 Baby Coming Home

2009-05-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I are running around trying to get everything ready because Aubrey is coming home tomorrow! She is doing so well that her Dr. can't see why she needs to stay there any longer. That has it's pros and cons - but Jeff and I are very excited to have one of our girls come home. Adison will be coming home in the middle of next week. She has to go 5 days with no apnea spells. She had one last night - please pray that she gets over that soon so she can come home and we can be our family of 4 finally!

I think we have everything ready - I THINK. We will see tomorrow. Forgive me if posting gets slower. I actually have a baby to take care of now!

Quick weight check - Aubrey 5.2 ~ Adison 5.7

Getting Ready to Come Home!!! 5-5-09

2009-05-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

The girls are starting all of their preparations for coming home. Jeff and I brought in their car seats today so they can do the car seat challenge in the next couple days. They have to be strapped into the car seat and have no apnea for 1 hour to be released from the hospital. Today they also both had their hearing tests and passed with flying colors! They are both doing their feedings from me or bottle only. Jeff ran milk up to the hospital at 9:30 last night and saw that Adison's feeding tube was removed also! They look so cute with no tubes up their nose. Adison gained weight overnight, she now weighs 5.5 pounds and Aubrey did not gain any. She is still at 5.1 today.

Jeff and I are hustling around getting things ready for them to come home. The Dr. predicts that they will be home before this weekend!!!!

Update 5-4-09

2009-05-04T11:10:00.000-07:00

Good Morning! It has been a big morning here with the girls. As you can see from above the girls are now in separate cribs in preparation to head home. Adison is now alone in the crib and Aubrey is in the bassinet. They look so sad in the own beds but that is the recommendation - keeping them separate for their own safety. Both of the girls are starting all of their going home routines. Aubrey got her feeding tube out this am since she is able to take all of her feedings from me or a bottle. Adison still has her tube in for a day or two since she is a little lazier with her feedings. Both girls are having to keep up their own temperatures now. They can't rely on each other for heat anymore. Also, they are both over 5 pounds now. Aubrey weighs 5.1 and Adison is 5.4 today. They look so big compared to their birth pictures. I can't believe that they are 20 days old today. It feels like just yesterday I was getting ready for the C-Section. How time flies!

No energy...

2009-05-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

I am so tired and have no energy to make a long post...

But, I can at least do a weight check. Adison ~ 5.2 Aubrey ~ 4.14

We are headed home to sleep and I will post more tomorrow when I am awake!

Down at the car wash!

2009-05-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

Today was bath day!(and wow, did they need it!)

Here is Adison getting all clean. She looks like she is at a 5 star resort spa with her leg all lounged out!

Here is Aubrey getting all clean! She loved the bath!

Quick weight update: Adison - 5.2 pounds Aubrey 4.12 pounds. Jeff and I are running off to do some errands.... update more later!

Update 5-1-09

2009-05-01T16:00:00.001-07:00

Good Afternoon! I am so glad it is Friday and 70 degrees! I have a little time to update before Jeff arrives here and we get to give the girls their first bath from us! There will be tons of photos taken that I will post tomorrow! It is a major photo op! The girls had another great day today. Adison has reached the 5 pounds mark! Hooray! Aubrey is also on her way there but did not gain any weight overnight. She remains at 4.11.7 pounds today. Adison has not had any cases of apnea when I have been here today. Just a little reflux 10 minutes before it is her feeding time. I guess she is using that to remind me to get her lunch ready. Both girl's eyes look much better today. The Dr. is still keeping watch over them but they are not infected as we thought.

Gotta go get ready for their baths.... Bye :)

Update 4-30-09

2009-04-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon!

Time for a quick update before the girl's start yelling at me telling me they are hungry! Both girls again gained more weight overnight. Adison now is so close to 5 pounds, hopefully tomorrow she will be there. She weighs 4 pounds 15.2 ounces today. Aubrey is close on her tail weighing 4 pounds 11.7 ounces. They are getting so big! They are also very strong girls. Both of them are holding up their heads on their own when they are getting burped.

Adison's apnea is continuing but the Dr. is now thinking it is more of an acid reflux situation with her. Once her feeding tube is out we will see what it really it. He describes her situation as she is throwing something up, not knowing what to do with it in her mouth and she stops breathing to try and fix it. The Dr. said she has great skills on swallowing she just needs to learn how to solve the problem on her own without gaging. I would love it to just be caused by the tube! That would be amazing. Aubrey is continuing to be a go with the flow girl. She does not mind being poked or prodded, as long as someone is paying attention to her. She is continuing to have no apnea, just a little tear duct that is bothering her at the moment.

Have a great afternoon and by the way - Go Blazers!

Update 4-29-09

2009-04-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon! I am so glad the weather is nice out today! Much better than yesterday! I went to the store this am and got the girl's some new sleepers. They love them and only had one pair that fit them. I love the ones I got this am - check them out in their pics!

I just got done talking with the girl's Dr. and hearing their updates for today. Both girls gained weight again overnight! This is one of their requirements for being discharged, so we are happy about every ounce. Aubrey now weighs 4 pounds 9.2 ounces and Adison now weighs 4 pounds 13.4 ounces. Both girls had their eyes looked at by the Dr. today. They both have little eye boogers (as Jeff calls them) in their left eye. The Dr. is not too worried, he is just going to watch it and see what happens. Adison had one apnea issue last night where she needed moderate stimulation. That is when the nurse needs to rub her back, etc. to get her to remember to breathe. She has to go 7 days without any of those cases before she goes home. The Dr. asked me today how I feel about maybe taking one of the girls home first and keeping Adison here until she does go the 7 days. Maybe that threat will help Adison to remember the rule of breathing!

My Niece - Rylee Braden Jensen

2009-04-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

She is here!!!! Rylee was born at 3:19 a.m. today. She is 7.4 pounds and is 21 inches long. I can't wait to introduce her to her cousins in July.

Update 4-28-09

2009-04-28T12:02:00.001-07:00

Good Morning! I wish it was sunny again - it is so sad looking outside the girl's window today with all this rain. Today the girl's had another great day. I just got done talking with the girl's Dr. who had great news to share again.

Both girl's gained lots of weight last night. Aubrey now weighs 4 pounds 9 ounces and Adison weighs 4 pounds 12 ounces. They are getting close to 5 pounds! I can't wait for that day to come. Today Adison only had 1 case of apnea the whole time I was with them today. I guess my talking to her worked yesterday. The Dr. also got the girl's newborn screening tests back. Adison's was totally perfect and Aubrey's came back showing an elevated thyroid producing glands/hormones. Their Dr. is rerunning the test beacause he is sure it is a false positive, like most of the positives he sees coming back on that test. We will know in a few days or so what the 2nd test has shown. I asked the Dr. how much longer the girls will be here in the NICU. The best answer he could give me is 10 days plus or minus 4 days. We are going day by day to see when they can come home! I can't wait!!!!

Update 4-27-09

2009-04-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

First off ~ Aubrey, Adison and I would like to wish Daddy a happy birthday! He is a old 30 today!!!! The girls are doing great again today. Adison is really driving me crazy with the apnea, I just had a very serious conversation with her about how she is stressing Mommy out and it is not OK. We will see if that works! The girls both gained weight again overnight. Aubrey is now up to 4 pounds 6.5 ounces and Adison is up to 4 pounds 9.5 ounces. They are looking so big now! Aubrey is now taking 1/3 of her feedings through bottle or me. Adison is taking about 1/2 of them. They still get pretty tired during their feedings. But, to their defense it is very hard work to suck/swallow and breath at the same time! Today the girls are wearing their very cute sleepers that my Mom bought for them, check out their cute pics!

My sister is also in labor today. She was induced this AM and the Dr. broke her water at 6 p.m. tonight. Maybe Jeff will share his birthday with Ms. Rylee. We will wait and see!

Update 4-26-09

2009-04-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!

Today the girls had a very exciting day. Their Great-Grandma Pat and their sudo-auntie Meg came to visit them. Thanks for coming Meg! You are going to have to send me the pics Jeff so nicely took of you with the girls.

The girls are continuing to gain weight, I guess they really want to come home huh? Today Aubrey weighs 4 pounds 3.9 ounces while Adison weighs 4 pounds 8 ounces. They are looking bigger and bigger by the day! They are now on full feeds of 40 ml every three hours. They are continuing to get mainly from me or a bottle, but they do continue to get feed through their feeding tubes if they are too tired for the other two options. Since they are preemies they do get very tired easily, which stresses them out. Once they are able to take every feeding by bottle or from me their tubes can get take out.

Today they continue to co-bed in one crib. Either tomorrow or the day after they will get split back up to two separate cribs. They split them up to see if they can regulate their body heat on their own. Right now they are keeping each other warm, but their Dr. wants to see if they can do it on their own. They also are going to be split up because all of the new research (really new, Jeff and I were told different not two months ago) is pointing to having twins in separate beds. This reduces SIDS dramatically.

Have a great day!

Update 4-25-09

2009-04-25T22:18:00.000-07:00

Well... I am slacking behind and not updating the blog fast enough I hear. So, here we go...

Yesterday and today the girls have continued to do very well. I had to go see the Dr. yesterday but it turns out that I am just doing to much and not taking it easy. Jeff loves to point out that he has been telling me that for a LONG time. It is just very hard to take it easy when I feel good and have many things to do. Oh well, I guess I have to listen to the Dr. now.

The girls are both continuing to gain weight daily. They are both above their birth weights now. Aubrey weighs 4.3 and Adison weighs 4.7. They both are continuing to get their feedings from me or a bottle when I am not with them. We are working to give them either at both feedings, so their feeding tubes can come out. Once they are doing full feedings of either the tubes can come out. That will be great to see them without tubes up their noses. Adison is continuing to have a few apnea issues daily but she is still (for the most part) fixing it on her own without help. Both girls are also waking themselves up for feedings and are very hungry when they wake up. This is great news and another step in the right direction to get them to come home.

Today they had a big day with visitors. Their Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Wilson came to visit them and they got to hold them. Tomorrow their sudo-Auntie Meg is coming also with Meg's mom and their Great-Grandma Pat. As you can see from the picture, Jeff and I are working on holding both girls at the same time. It will not be long before that is our daily routine at home!!!!

Update 4-23-09

2009-04-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon! As you can tell, the girls are finally together in one crib. Yesterday they passed their temp test and they held their temps where they needed to be all day long with out the bed helping them. They got moved into one isolete last night and one crib together this morning. It is so funny watching them just stare at each other. They are constantly hitting each other with their hands and feet. Aubrey smacked Adison this morning and Adison just stared at her, probably wondering where that hand came from.

The girls are both doing very well today. They each gained weight again last night! Aubrey is now over her birth weight, weighing 4.2 pounds. Adison is still the front runner though, weighing 4.6 pounds. She is only .1 away from her birth weight also. We were all assuming that they would be loosing weight since their IV's were taken out but they have not been showing that yet. I had a great lesson today on how to change diapers quickly. I was taking my time with Aubrey and she sent a nice #2 squirt my way. It ended up on the blankets, her foot, Adison, my finger and the clean diaper I had waiting. I guess I need to be WAY faster next time. Adison is continuing to drive me crazy with her apnea. All of the nurses try to reassure me every time I bolt up when the alarms blare, that this is typical of their gestational age. Today they are gestationally 34 weeks and a day. I don't care how old they are - she needs to STOP doing that. How nice - she just did it again!!!! What a stinker. Today the girls are also working to get off the feeding tubes. They have tubes now that go directly into their stomachs but we are working at weening them off of them so the tubes can come out. At their feedings they either get to be breastfed or bottle fed now. I am so excited that Jeff will finally get to feed them! Aubrey drank all but 10 ml of her bottle this morning. Their nurse said that is great - she is getting the suck/swallow/breathe technique down.

I hope all is well for everyone. I heard this morning that if they keep doing so well, they will be here for 10 more days max!!!!

4-22-09 Pictures - Adison

2009-04-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here is Adison with her new hat and clothes on!

4-22-09 Pictures - Aubrey

2009-04-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

Here is Aubrey with her new hat and clothes on!

Update 4-22-09

2009-04-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!

Another round of good news for the girls. Today they are getting their temps tested. The hoods are up on their isolates and if they control their temp on their own all day they get to move into a crib together! I can't wait to see them both in one crib - they will be so happy to be cramped together again. Aubrey got her IV taken out this am, so all they are hooked up to is the monitors for their heart rate, respiratory rates and their temp gauge. They also have their "Baby Lo Jacks" on - it is their security tags so no one can take my girls from their room. Both girls are off their IV's now totally which will cause their weights to drop for a few days while the IV water weight is disappearing. Today Aubrey is back to her birth weight of 4.1 pounds. Adison gained a few ounces overnight but not enough to move her from 4.5 pounds. They both are getting baths today and are able to wear clothes now. I have to run to the store today after I am done here, since I have ONE preemie onesie. I did not realize that preemie clothes are SO hard to find! Aubrey hated her bath this morning! I told Jeff that I was shocked he could not hear her scream while he is working from home. She was not happy at all. Hopefully Adison will enjoy it a little more when she gets her bath at noon. Today there are "Family Rounds" happening in the NICU. That is when the babies whole team (their neonatolgist, nurse, respiratory therapist, social worker, lactation specialist, pharmacist and dietitian) come into their room to collaborate on the girl's care. I will post more if there is more info that come from the Family Rounds.

Girl's Update 4-21-09

2009-04-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon! It has been another wonderful day here in the NICU. I can't believe how fast the time flies by. I pack bags full of stuff to work on and I can't seem to get a thing done! I am spending to much time just staring at them.

The girls had another great day and night. Last night Jeff and I arrived at the hospital to see the girl's getting their labs worked up. It turns out that there was a medicine switch made by their day nurse yesterday (she gave the babies each other's TPN -total parenteral nutrition - on accident). Luckily, their bags were not that different so they are fine.

Adison got her IV taken out this AM. She looks like she feels much better without this big IV hanging out of her foot. She is still being a lazy breather, but I am reassured time and time again that it will go away. I just HATE hearing the alarms go off that she is not breathing! It drives me nuts. Adison now weighs 4 pounds 5 ounces, she is slowly getting back up to her birth weight. Today I also got to see their Apgar scores from their birth. Adison was a 9 at 1 minute and a 10 at 5 minutes. The nurse told me that babies NEVER get that high of a score for being born C-Section. Adison is a little trouper though. You can tell from day 1. Her personality it totally coming out also. Jeff and I are in for it with her. If she does not get fed or what she wants immediately, she becomes a very loud screamer!

Aubrey is also getting her IV out this afternoon. The Dr is letting her finish her TPN bag that they hung this morning. Aubrey's apgar scores were 8 at 1 minute and 9 at 5 minutes. Aubrey is also getting bigger and bigger. She is catching up very quickly to Adison. She now weighs 4 pounds exact, which is only 1 ounce away from her birth weight. Aubrey is the go with the flow baby. She is a good eater, but she let you know if you are running late with her food. She is doing very well with her breathing, she does not have as many apnea issues as Adison.

Oooppps... Adison is waking up. I better get their feedings ready!!!

Girl's Update 4-20-09

2009-04-20T14:32:00.001-07:00

I was discharged from the hospital yesterday, which was very weird, since the girls were not coming with me. I do get to spend 24 hours a day with them if I would like -which is wonderful!

The girls are both doing very well. Their Dr. is calling them "her super stars!" For considering how young they are (they were born at 33 weeks and 1 day gestation) they are both doing great. Adison still is having a few apnea issues, which is totally normal for a premmie. She is just a lazy breather, she will forget to breath randomly but she usually starts right back up on her own. Both of the girls have continued to need no help breathing, they are breathing the room air on their own. They both passed their bilirubin tests again today and are not needing to go under the lights. They both lost a little weight after birth but are gaining it back steadily. Today Aubrey weighs 3 pounds 15 ounces and Adison weighs 4 pounds 4 ounces. The Dr.'s are slowly taking them off of their monitors and IV's. It is great to see all of their cables and connections getting taken out!

I will post more updates and pics as we get a chance!

Aubrey Diane

2009-04-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

Aubrey Diane Gay - Born April 15th, 2009 at 10:04 a.m. She weighed 4.1 pounds and is 16 inches long.

Adison Stephanie

2009-04-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

Adison Stephanie Gay - Born April 15th, 2009 at 10:05 a.m. She weighed 4.7 pounds and is 17 inches long.

Here are a few pics to hold everyone over until the next update.

The Girls Are Here!!!

2009-04-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

Our girls are here!!! They are doing great and are so beautiful! My dear cousin Meg is begging me to update the blog - I will write more when I have a longer chance to. I promise! More to come soon....

This is too funny!!!

2009-04-14T20:53:00.001-07:00

My dear cousin Meg is so funny!!!! Here is her update on the babies!

News from the Hospital!!!!!

2009-04-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon!!

News has arrived - I am officially scheduled for a C-Section for 9 a.m. tomorow morning! We will send pics/info when we get a chance!!

Blogging from the Hospital

2009-04-13T17:15:00.001-07:00

Good Afternoon! I finally have a minute where I am not getting poked and proded - I can let you all know what is going on.

After feeling icky all weekend, my water broke last night at home. We went to the hospital where they were deciding if they were going to take the babies last night or later. They decided to give me a steroid shot to help their lungs develop quicker. The Dr. decided today that we are going to try to make it to Wednesday before delivering. I am getting another steroid shot tonight and 24 hours after that, they will take the babies if I do not go into active labor before that. They are very hopeful that there will not be many complications since I will be 33 weeks tomorrow and will be getting both doses of the steroid. The girls will be going straight into the NICU - since they are still pretty young. How long they will be there is how well they are doing when they arrive.

We will keep you posted as much as we can!

Easter Pic with Auntie Meg

2009-04-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

31 Weeks and Counting!

2009-04-02T10:49:00.001-07:00

I can't believe the girls are almost here! I am now 31 weeks and we are shooting to get to 36 weeks, so only 5 more weeks to go. This week I had another Dr. appointment, Non-Stress Test and an ultrasound. What a way to spend my Spring Break vacation! I have to admit - it has all been spent shopping, sitting on the couch and go to the doctors. Not a bad way to spend a week!

This week all my appointments went very smooth. We have decided that the girls do not like the Non-Stress test. They can handle it and be calm for the first 20 minutes but then the last ten is a pain to keep the monitors on them! They must not like me being on my back for so long. I am now measuring around 39-40 weeks. No wonder I am getting stared at everywhere we go! It is getting harder and harder by the day to get around. The littlest things make me so tired. I am so thankful that Jeff is ready and waiting to help me with anything!

We also had another ultrasound yesterday. The girls looked great and were very active. They are both around 4 pounds now which is around the 50% percentile. Very normal for twins. We got to see Aubrey sucking her fingers and hiding down in my hip like she loves to do. Adison on the other hand loves to be transverse and push herself up into my ribs everyday! What a stinker! At the ultrasound they noticed that Adison's fluid is a bit more than Aubrey's. This could be due to many different things. It could be her position, the movement they are doing, etc. This is a bit of a red flag but not a huge one. The Dr. will just be keeping a closer eye on them from now on. If they do continue to grow at different rates there is the possibility of delivering them early for their health and safety. Nothing to worry about we have been told, just something to keep an eye on.

I go back to the Dr. on Monday - keep checking back for more updates!

31 Weeks - Girls Pictures

2009-04-02T10:45:00.001-07:00

Here are the latest pictures of the girls. Aubrey is the top 3 pictures and Adison is the bottom two.

Bedroom

2009-03-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

Lights off:

Lights on:

Baby Pics - 29 Weeks

2009-03-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

28 Weeks

2009-03-18T16:51:00.001-07:00

11 Weeks

2009-03-18T16:50:00.001-07:00

28 Weeks - 3rd Trimester is Here!!!

2009-03-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

I just hit 28 weeks this past Tuesday. As soon as Tuesday hit, it feels like I have been running a marathon daily! As soon as my little kiddos are on the bus at 2:50 I am ready for a long nap! If only my kids in my class were not so energetic - maybe I could not be so tired!

Things are going good with the babies. I go back to the OB on Monday the 16th for my glucose test, non-stress test, ultrasound and regular doctors appointment. Jeff and I also have a "Multiple Expectations" class this Saturday from 9-4! Hopefully we will get some great advice for our upcoming adventure! I am quickly getting bigger and bigger every day it feels like. I even had a lovely elderly lady tell me at the mall that I am "HUGE and should go on bed rest that night." I love when people are always offering me their great advice!

I will post all the new pics and info that I get on Monday! Have a great weekend :)

Baby Pics

2009-02-09T20:30:00.000-08:00

The baby pictures below are almost a month old - I can't believe it! I go back for my next ultrasound on March 16th and I will post their updated pictures then. Not much is going on now... just getting bigger by the day :(

Here is Adison Stephanie...

2009-02-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

Here is Aubrey Diane...

2009-02-09T20:24:00.000-08:00

Finally.... I got to blogging!

2009-02-09T16:45:00.001-08:00

After much encouragement from everyone I know, I finally got around to getting my blog set up. Now I can keep everyone updated on my growing stomach full of two little girls. We will be making our house full with the arrival of Aubrey Diane and Adison Stephanie sometime in May/June.

I am promising Auntie Meg that she will be getting regular updates on my blog now! Check back often!