tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64018249849340290862012-02-16T14:34:26.842-05:00A chronicle of the life of our family--Chris, Missy, Emma, Charlotte, Anne-Claire, and Elise.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.comBlogger551100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-80574746741870501252010-04-28T23:13:00.002-04:002010-04-28T23:38:13.366-04:00

July 5, 2009: Anne-Claire weighed 6# 4oz and Elise weighed 5# 0.6oz. They look big in this picture together until I think about how narrow those bassinets are (about the size of a changing table) and they both fit inside with room to wiggle. Anne-Claire is on the left and Elise is on the right.I didn't get many shots of their nurses, but here's one of Jan actually playing "Go Fish" with Emma out

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-32417184335347354482010-04-24T23:53:00.018-04:002010-04-25T00:23:12.673-04:00

Anne-Claire has started sqweenching up her face when she smiles.Elise, such a cutie Elise and Anne-Claire trying to get past my makeshift baby gate Charlotte-yogurt faceEmma was supposed to wear clothing "from around the world" on Friday b/c the theme of her school's auction that night was "Around the world in 80 Days." Her dress was a gift from our neighbors in Bloomington who'd spent a summer

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-87965367793873287832010-04-24T23:07:00.009-04:002010-04-24T23:53:42.600-04:00

This one's for Aunt Dorothy! I'm finally getting around to posting the 4th of July pics of all the girls in their festive red, white, and blue. Charlotte is 20 months old in this picture and is holding Anne-Claire who at 5 weeks old weighed in at 6# 3.4oz--nearly what Charlotte weighed at birth (6# 13oz). Emma is 13 days shy of her 4th birthday and is holding little Elise who finally reached 5

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-78895316282462481832010-04-22T16:32:00.002-04:002010-04-22T16:35:22.781-04:00

What big girls we are! We love playing outside with our big sisters!

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-64219813562300593012010-04-22T16:01:00.006-04:002010-04-22T16:27:51.508-04:00

On June 26, the babies were 1 month old! Their corrected age was 36 weeks and they weighed 5 pounds 6.4 ounces and 4 pounds 4 ounces. Aunt Julie came to visit and so did Daddy! I had a really hard time figuring out who was who in these pictures because they're wearing identical outfits.Elise Elise and Aunt Julie Aunt Julie feeding Anne-ClaireAnne-Claire and a really big passy A proud papa

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-43707213342327480632010-04-21T16:49:00.005-04:002010-04-21T17:04:37.633-04:00

Yesterday we went for an afternoon walk around the pond in our neighborhood. I put hats on the babies so the big girls wanted hats, too. We saw 4 ducks and 1 goose on the pond but, thankfully, stepped in 0 poop. :)The babies are pulling up to everything these days. Not cruising yet, but close. They really enjoy standing at their play table. They bounce to the music and giggle at one

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-75909282324778135352010-04-21T16:07:00.005-04:002010-04-21T16:48:30.716-04:00

I know that I have been remiss in posting anything for a LONG time and really want to get back on board. I feel like I need to post hightlights of our life until this point so that's what I'm going to try to do. Here's my plan: Every day, beginning today, I'm going to post something from our past year and something from our current life until I get caught up to the present. Let's see how it

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-35349839569579575182009-10-01T14:22:00.004-04:002009-10-01T14:38:21.429-04:00

Father's Day was bittersweet because we were happy to have the girls here for it but sad that our time had to be spent in the NICU. The day did not go off like I'd imagined, so we didn't get all the pictures I'd anticipated. I'm only just realizing sadly that we didn't get any pictures with Elise. All the pics above are with Anne-Claire.

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-2542369168553472912009-07-08T22:43:00.008-04:002009-09-21T10:45:49.479-04:00

On June 20, Anne-Claire got her first bottle from Nurse Jennifer (who is expecting herself in August). It wasn't actually her first bottle because another nurse gave her one the other night without our knowledge, but it was the first one that Mama got to witness. I wasn't thrilled with the idea but was told it was the fastest way to get them home because they have to get all their feedings by

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-70962460964550131222009-07-08T22:22:00.004-04:002009-07-08T22:43:12.375-04:00

Elise, 3 weeks, 3 pounds 10 ouncesAnne-Claire, 3 weeks, 4 pounds 12 ounces Dr. Lauren Dungy-Poythress holding Anne-Claire and EliseThe girls' roomThe board with their daily stats Anne-Claire and Elise were 3 weeks old when we thought they would be transported to Bloomington Hospital. I went to the NICU and took pictures of the babies, their room, and Dr. Dungy-Poythress holding both girls,

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-89978082179451221342009-07-01T22:33:00.005-04:002009-07-02T00:28:50.147-04:00

Emma had lots of fun at her recital on June 19. She did a great job and looked adorable on stage. I'm so thankful that I was able to be there--for a while I wasn't sure if I'd still be in the hospital. We all wish Anne-Claire and Elise could have been home for the recital and in the picture of our family. I'm sure they'll be at the next one!

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-90922458049249338342009-06-16T23:09:00.005-04:002009-06-17T11:41:17.696-04:00

Emma's first dance recital is this Friday and today was the dress rehearsal. She's been taking a dance class since September that includes ballet, tap, and tumbling. For the recital, Emma and two other little girls from her class are performing a tap number in adorable red, sparkly dresses. She is very excited to be dancing up on stage.

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-6701527396916394402009-06-16T21:58:00.009-04:002009-06-16T23:07:40.092-04:00

Nanny holding Anne-Claire and Elise Anne-Claire, 3 weeks oldAnne-Claire with nurse, KimmyElise, 3 weeks oldElise with KimmyElise, holding in her own passyElise's first tub bathToday was a big day for Anne-Claire and Elise! They are 3 weeks old (35 weeks adjusted gestational age) and both reached 1 pound of weight gain since birth. Anne-Claire is 4 pounds 11 ounces, and Elise is 3 pounds 10 ounces

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-45417536491492984182009-06-12T17:47:00.006-04:002009-06-12T18:17:13.064-04:00

All four of our girls are growing big this summer! Emma will be celebrating her 4th birthday in a month, and Charlotte, while only 20 months old, tries her best to do everything her big sister can do. Anne-Claire weighed 4 pounds 5.9 ounces, and Elise weighed 3 pounds 4 ounces last night. They were 2 weeks old, or 34 weeks adjusted, on Tuesday. Anne-Claire is now sleeping in a "big girl" crib and

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-188726366656892372009-06-05T22:44:00.007-04:002009-06-06T00:00:07.234-04:00

Sorry for the delay in getting an update and pictures posted. Life since Anne-Claire and Elise were born has been pretty crazy. From pumping every 2-3 hours and driving back and forth between Bloomington and the NICU to recovering from major surgery and caring for Emma and Charlotte, I haven't had any time to even check email much less upload pictures to the blog. I'm actually at the hospital "

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-21526051461379727142009-05-29T18:15:00.004-04:002009-05-29T22:32:09.507-04:00

Anne-Claire and Elise are three days old today! It was a big day because my milk finally came in, so I'm producing a lot more and the babies are, therefore, getting a lot more. I was able to "feed" Elise her 9:30am feeding of pure Mama's milk while kangarooing with her, and did the same with Anne-Claire at 3 o'clock. The girls' nurse, Holly, was kind enough to snap a few pictures of both events.

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-15256299976691961622009-05-29T00:23:00.006-04:002009-05-29T18:15:09.926-04:00

I've had a hard time getting pictures copied from our camera to my laptop. That's why it's taken me a few days to get these up--in addition to having just given birth and being busy getting to know our newest daughters. I want to write about the birth of Anne-Claire and Elise but wanted to get these pictures up asap, so the write-up will come later. The girls are almost 60 hours old as I work on

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-50427467700975489392009-05-26T16:47:00.004-04:002009-05-26T17:12:56.351-04:00

Praise be to God, this afternoon Chris, Emma, Charlotte, and I welcomed two more beautiful girls into our family. Anne-Claire Evangeline was born at 12:52PM, weighing 3 pounds 11 ounces and measuring 16.5 inches long. Elise Lydia Michelle was born at 12:54PM, weighing 2 pounds 10 ounces and measuring 15.5 inches long. As I write this, I have not yet gotten to see our girls, but I am anxiously

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-7239734528669125382009-05-26T11:40:00.002-04:002009-05-26T11:44:19.475-04:00

I haven't even finished last week's entry and have exciting news for this week! I've been on continous monitoring since Saturday because Elise has been having frequent decels. This morning she wasn't moving during my ultrasound (She got 4 out of 8 on her biophysical) so my doctor said today is delivery day! The girls are 32 weeks today, so hopefully they will not have too long of a stay in the

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-33597837484730114782009-05-25T11:30:00.005-04:002009-06-02T08:33:19.316-04:00

This was a pretty good week. The babies didn't have any major problems. On Tuesday (day 37), Elise had a slight decel, but, fortunately, I didn't have to stay on the monitor for too long before my doctor decided it was safe to come off. Both Anne-Claire and Elise had wondeful ultrasounds all week. Their fluid levels were on target and their cord dopplers remained stable. Their biophysical

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-47024107527842004892009-05-18T00:26:00.005-04:002009-05-18T14:50:24.244-04:00

Friday night Chris had a hard time sleeping, so he went downstairs and looked through old photos. He found a few of us right around the time we got engaged, November 6, 1998, that made him a bit nostalgic. I thought I'd post one of them that was taken over the Christmas holidays when we went to Colorado with several friends. We might have been out celebrating my 22nd birthday--I really don't

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-15445751017173216162009-05-12T20:52:00.008-04:002009-05-18T14:52:39.289-04:00

Day 29Today marked the end of 4 weeks in the hospital. I remember as the day approached for me to be admitted, I thought, "I just need to get through April." Then as my 28th week approached and April ended, I thought, "I just need to get through May." Now here I am, half-way through the month of May. I'm so thankful that I've made it through these 4 weeks in the hospital and the 2 months since my

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-8148563689333829042009-05-06T11:52:00.010-04:002009-05-10T23:49:22.216-04:00

Day 22It is hard to believe I've made three weeks in the hospital. I praise God for His mercy because the time really has gone by quickly. There is not much new to report except that today Elise's cord had reverse flow, which means instead of being forward flowing or absent, the flow was actually backing up and going the wrong way. Forward is good, absent is not so good, reverse is bad. My doc

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-85871158750759694552009-04-27T14:49:00.009-04:002009-05-03T17:18:55.473-04:00

Day 15My day began early with monitoring at 4:45am. Thankfully, the babies stayed on the monitor without too much difficulty, so I didn't have to be awake for too long. I was able to sleep a little before my doctor came in to do my ultrasound. Elise's cord flow showed some intermittent resistance but Dr. D-P said that it really wasn't any worse than it has been. The way Elise was laying made it

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-82296259344754552152009-04-27T14:49:00.003-04:002009-04-27T15:37:39.869-04:00

I am at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis: http://www.ecommunity.com/ob/. My phone number is 317.621.0201 and my address is 7150 Clear Vista Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46256. I'm in room 5103. If you're able to visit, information regarding parking and directions is at: http://www.ecommunity.com/north/information/index.aspx?pg=9999.I do not have access to Facebook while in the hospital here,

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-58909484161480690272009-04-27T12:49:00.004-04:002009-04-27T13:14:44.777-04:00

All of my nurses have asked me the same question each time they learn I have two daughters at home and no family in Indiana: "Whose taking care of them?" My answer is always the same: "My husband is home with them each night, and our wonderful church family and other dear friends take care of them during the day." I love to be able to tell people from outside Bloomington about the abundance of

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-57692119234638479352009-04-26T16:40:00.014-04:002009-04-27T12:48:55.709-04:00

Day 8I was woken up at 2am to be monitored for an hour, and about ten minutes before it was time to take me off, Elise had another significant decel. Over the next few hours she had a couple more decels including one that was particularly scary. Elise's heartrate (normally in the 150s) went down into the 60s and wouldn't come back up. My nurse flipped me from one side to the other because that

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-61663973947948438002009-04-22T20:44:00.006-04:002009-04-26T16:49:34.623-04:00

Day 1, April 13, 2009Today was extremely difficult--more difficult than I could have imagined. My room is lovely--it doesn't look anything like a hospital room. Here is a link to a video of the maternity unit at Community Hospital North: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX_K9TXtBlU. As nice as it is, though, it's not home because my husband and daughters aren't here. When they left, I thought my

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-68289581391427738482009-04-21T21:25:00.004-04:002009-04-21T22:52:47.666-04:00

On Friday, April 10, we learned that I would be hospitalized for the duration of my pregnancy. My doctor, a Believer, allowed me to go home for Easter weekend to enjoy and celebrate with Chris and the girls. The weekend was wonderful, while, bittersweet at times because I was thinking about my upcoming hospitalization on Monday. We decided that it was important to worship with our church family

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-88992136606141477722009-04-14T15:22:00.008-04:002009-04-21T21:24:52.558-04:00

Since my last post we've been to see Dr. Dungy-Poythress in Indianapolis, back to Cincinnati for more testing, and back to Indy a couple more times. Every appointment has confirmed our decision to not move forward with fetal surgery. The girls have continued to look good in every ultrasound and ECHO we've had.During our last visit to Cincinnati, Chris and I had a lot more confidence in what we

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-64244106781635041362009-04-04T11:44:00.003-04:002009-04-04T12:07:53.522-04:00

During our 4 hour drive to Columbus, Dr. De Lia, called me and asked if I'd spoken to Dr. Jaekle, the MFM who'd done my amnioreduction but who we hadn't seen again since that day. I hadn't yet but Chris agreed that I should try to see what he thought as well. I called Dr. Jaekle and explained what had happened on Tuesday and our concerns about doing surgery when the girls are looking so good by

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-39844637623790231752009-04-04T11:18:00.003-04:002009-04-04T11:44:16.072-04:00

As I wrote my thoughts and feelings last night, I was in a very dark place. My dear friend, Barbara, noticed I was online and being that she was also up praying for us, she called me around 2am. She, through the Holy Spirit, talked with me about my fears and anxieties and spoke truth to me about God's goodness and care for us. After our conversation I was finally able to get some sleep. Early the

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-12892178489770184152009-04-04T11:15:00.003-04:002009-04-04T11:18:37.471-04:00

How many times can I say, "This has been the hardest day of my life?" I know there will be many. I was never promised a life free from suffering but rather assured that suffering would come, and I can honestly say I never knew the true meaning of the word until four months ago. In November, we watched Emma suffer through a difficult and painful operation, and at that time I thought it was the

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-66310249679859883972009-03-25T11:14:00.003-04:002009-03-25T11:16:58.739-04:00

Yesterday was quite a day. We left our house around 5am to make our 8:30am ultrasound appointment, making most of the drive in the dark. I was so excited/nervous about the day, I don't think I slept a wink there. As soon as the U/S began we could see the girls both looked good, moving and causing problems for the poor sonographer. She checked their fluid levels and we were blown away! Elise

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-33585525446189455302009-03-20T22:20:00.004-04:002009-03-21T21:29:03.746-04:00

We had a great day today! We left our house early, 6am, and arrived in Cincy in plenty of time for our 9:30 U/S. The girls both looked wonderful! It was immediately apparent that they both had good fluid levels and the tech confirmed that. Normal fluid ranges from 2-8cm. Anne-Claire's was 7.7cm last Thursday, was taken down to 4.6cm on Monday with the amnioreduction, and was 5.1cm this morning.

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-81768216055029711692009-03-18T11:59:00.004-04:002009-03-18T12:41:37.550-04:00

My anxiety level as we left our house on Monday was high. My prayer, "When my anxieties multiply within me, thy consolations delight my soul," became a mantra that got me through the incredibly stressful first half of the day. By the time we got to the clinic in Cincinnati, I thought I might pass out, but my rock and dearly beloved husband, prayed me through it and held my hand the whole time. Dr

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-90286109206196753342009-03-14T22:06:00.002-04:002009-03-14T22:08:26.379-04:00

The second day of diagnostics at the Fetal Care Center was an emotional roller coaster, which is why I'm only now writing this post. I was just too exhausted, physically and emotionally. The verse that I meditated on yesterday was from Psalms 94: "When my anxieties multiply within me, your consolations delight my soul." Our first stop was with a nurse midwife who took my medical history and did a

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-36531975760262695932009-03-13T10:14:00.004-04:002009-03-13T10:21:52.426-04:00

My dear friend, Barbara, told me this morning that I needed to see this video to be encouraged by all the smiling, healthy survivors of TTTS. I wanted to share it with friends and family so you can also be encouraged. I do know that our Father loves our girls very much and has a perfect plan for them. Whether that means we get to love them for these 21 weeks they've been in my womb, for a few

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-48011259538156317152009-03-11T00:39:00.004-04:002009-03-11T02:16:29.050-04:00

Anne-Claire at 21 weeks Elise at 21 weeksThe best thing about today was getting to see our beautiful babies--Anne-Claire and Elise--and getting to share it with Chris because he's had to miss all my other ultrasounds except for the one when we discovered two baby blobs. We drove up to the Castleton area to Maternal-Fetal Medicine to get a level 2 ultrasound because my OB was concerned that Elise

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-47157085969678154782009-03-05T22:35:00.006-05:002009-03-05T23:33:57.761-05:00

I waited to post details about my latest ultrasound until today when I got to see my doctor. The U/S was yesterday. I've also become very tired of having to refer to our girls as Baby A and Baby B, so I wanted to wait until we finalized their names before posting so that I can reveal their names and begin calling each by her appropriate moniker. So, here goes... Our newest daughters are

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-26741750446670313662009-02-14T20:49:00.004-05:002009-02-14T20:53:01.807-05:00

I talked to my OB's office yesterday, and after he reviewed my ultrasound, he's decided to just repeat it in a few weeks (March 4). He's not concerned at this point with the size difference of just one week and doesn't seem to be worried about any complications that could arise with identicals sharing one amnion or one placenta. I'm looking forward to seeing the girls again and confirming they

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-66449644024048702622009-02-11T15:15:00.005-05:002009-02-11T16:02:54.071-05:00

I just got home from my ultrasound and it looks like we're getting two more girls! We are so excited!! Emma, Charlotte, and my good friend, Julie, were with me during the ultrasound because Chris couldn't be here. He commutes to Anderson on Wednesdays. We're both very sorry he missed it because it was so amazing to see their two little bodies swimming around. I was also disappointed because the

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-15417213268026975932009-02-03T10:42:00.005-05:002009-02-03T10:46:06.588-05:00

We got the wonderful news yesterday that Baby Noah has been released finally more than a month after his birth. Please continue to pray for his family as they make the adjustment to having their sweet son at home after such a long time in the hospital. Pray also that he will begin nursing better--he's gotten used to the bottle. Many thanks for your prayers and concern for the Picketts. God is

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-52634749162000075022009-02-03T10:19:00.005-05:002009-02-03T10:41:24.417-05:00

16 weeks with twins 20 weeks with Emma21 weeks with CharlotteI had my 16 week prenatal appointment yesterday and everything is going well. I got to hear two strong heartbeats, each in the 140s. My uterus is measuring about 22 weeks, which means the babies are growing nicely. It also explains why I look bigger than I did when I was 21 weeks with Emma and finding out she was a girl. I haven't

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-68992396014946119492009-01-28T15:24:00.010-05:002009-01-28T16:13:19.306-05:00

We've gotten around 9 inches of snow since yesterday, and for the first time since we've been in Indiana, IU actually closed campus because of the snow! That meant Chris could stay home today, (Anderson University also closed) and we were able to get out and play in the snow. Aunt Julie, our friendly snow expert, came over to show us how to properly build a snowman. Unfortunately, the snow is too

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-35620649932271278072009-01-22T21:17:00.005-05:002009-01-22T21:51:44.514-05:00

Yes, I am now 32 years old. I remember being in college and having sisters who were 31 and 32 and my friends thought that was "so old." At the time, I didn't view my sisters as old, so now that I'm the one in her "early thirties," I guess that gets me off the hook of being "so old." Okay, okay, I know I'm old, but I really didn't see my sisters as old back then. I still don't see them as old, in

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-20391856977540725982009-01-15T19:54:00.004-05:002009-01-15T20:01:29.045-05:00

Wonderful news regarding Baby Noah--he's been taken off the ventilator and is doing well breathing on his own. He's being weaned off the morphine he's been given and is beginning to learn how to drink by mouth. Once he's able to eat full meals from a bottle or even better from his mama, he'll be able to go home. His doctor predicted that could happen within a week. Thank you for all of your

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-24625474491010057262009-01-06T22:45:00.008-05:002009-01-15T20:01:50.397-05:00

Here is Baby Noah's first family photo being held by his mama, Lauren, for the first time at 11 days old. Since I last wrote, Noah has made good progress with a couple of bumps in the road. He began showing good signs by tolerating the lowering of his oxygen levels, so on Day 10, he was transitioned to a regular ventilator. He had been on a special oscillator ventilator. He had to move to the

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-53581828810922549752009-01-01T14:29:00.008-05:002009-01-01T15:04:26.786-05:00

This dear baby is the firstborn of a young couple, Brandon and Lauren Pickett, who recently left Bloomington and our church and moved to Pennsylvania. Brandon and Lauren were members of our home fellowship group and hold a special place in our hearts. Their wedding was Emma's first at the ripe age of three-weeks old, and Lauren watched Emma for me the summer I was working tons before Charlotte

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-2129730341136956192008-12-25T11:21:00.015-05:002008-12-25T21:53:25.968-05:00

Our family Christmas traditions begin the Friday after Thanksgiving every year as we attend the city of Bloomington's Canopy of Lights Ceremony. This year we began the evening dining, according to tradition, at Cafe Pizzeria. Uncle Nick and our friends, Julie and the Chasteen family, joined us, and we made quite a crowd. Elissa and Emma serenaded the table with their rendition of "Jingle Bells,"

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-66924140494455058392008-12-20T23:07:00.007-05:002008-12-21T00:47:43.377-05:00

Around 6 weeks, I called my midwife's office to cancel my annual exam and to schedule my first prenatal appointment. I was planning on waiting until after January 1 for the appointment, so I wouldn't have to pay towards my deductible in 2008 and then have to start over in 2009. Liz likes to wait until 10-12 weeks gestation anyway because the odds of hearing the heartbeat are better that way. I

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-43453011249643427222008-12-20T22:39:00.004-05:002008-12-20T23:11:21.609-05:00

Monday, November 10: Mom had just left the day before after being here for a week to help us through Emma's surgery. Julie came by around 8:45am to pick up Charlotte and take her to school for me because I didn't think Emma could handle taking Charlotte and not being able to stay herself. Test #1: Sometime around 9:30am, I decide to go ahead and take a pregnancy test because I'm a little late and

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-29209366764269085012008-11-20T09:53:00.010-05:002008-12-21T01:05:13.392-05:00

Our sweet Emma inherited a condition called VUR (vesicoureteral reflux), otherwise known as bladder reflux. Her urine backs up into her kidneys, which can cause lots of problems if left untreated. We first discovered she had VUR when she had her third UTI at around 10 months old. Her pediatrician recommended we have Emma tested because children shouldn't have that many UTIs at such a young age.

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-17684457284872531202008-11-20T09:05:00.012-05:002008-12-21T01:14:40.924-05:00

The girls had a great Halloween this year as Winnie the Pooh and Piglet. We found Emma's Pooh costume at a thrift sale last year and decided Charlotte had to be Piglet since they are best friends. Emma took in quite a haul, trick-or-treating not once, not twice, but three times.First, we went to New Unionville Baptist Church's annual Trunk-n-Treat, where nice parishioners pass out candy from the

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401824984934029086.post-82577270300663824392008-10-18T17:33:00.000-04:002008-10-18T17:41:57.134-04:00

I just got off the phone with my dear friend and former Baylor roomie, Janet, who encouraged me to join the land of bloggers now that we've said good-bye to our interminably slow dial-up and decided to actually pay for high speed internet. So, in an effort to keep friends and family up on the happenings of our life in Indiana, I've started this blog. I hope it won't disappoint.

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232505198130860457noreply@blogger.com1