The girls are 5 months old {10.25.2013} & Happy Halloween!!!

10.25.2013
The girls turned 5 months old! They are growing and getting smarter and more personality with every day! Our last doctor visit was on the 24th and Trenna was weighing in at 8 pounds 5 ounces and Ellie was 11 pounds 4 ounces. And while the dr in Cincy still say they are below the growth curve that they'd like for them to be at, they are still holding strong at 3 pounds apart (like they have since my pregnancy) so it's not major concerning.But all good reports, so we are happy with that!!

Happy Halloween {10.31.2013}
We've had a huge outpour of posts on my facebook page of friends and family wanting us to do Thing One and Thing Two from the famous Dr. Seuss book "Cat in the Hat" so I decided to get creative and handmade their costumes ( which might become a tradition in our house since store bought costumes are so expensive theses days and because I enjoyed it so much!)
We didn't get to go out trick or treating this year since the girls are too young, but we still enjoyed playing dress up and going to visit Trevor, my mom and my mother in law at their work to show off the fun costumes!

Our sweet pumpkins have had a full on Fall wardrobe.... Probably because I'm such a nut for fall, I just bought everything pertaining to fall and Halloween that I could find! But we tried staging some pictures of the girls in our pumpkins, but Trenna wasn't really enjoying that and wanted to let us know all about it!

We are still getting use to both of us working, Trevor during the day and me at night, but it's working. We've recently began having trouble with the girls' insurance, some paperwork that wasn't turned in in time and now they are giving us the run around, so that's been a bit stressful, but as all things that are bigger then we are, we are putting our God that He will get us the answers we need to provide for the girls! 

Another big journey we are heading down in the wonderful world of parenting is TEETHING!

Oh my oh my.... that's all I can say! Ellie started about a week and a half ago, and now Trenna has joined the club and that has made it very interesting in our house! But even though we had to do a couple makeshift teething items at first (Like freezing a wet wash cloth or putting their pacifiers in the fridge to get cold for a while) we wised up and went and bought all the items we could think of to help ease their pain

And as you can see Ellie is a bit more low maintenance, and she's content just chewing on her fingers (or a twizzler in the one picture) while you may notice there are no sweet documentation pictures of Trenna's teething milestones.... That would be because in all the time she's chewing on something, she is also voicing her opinion about the matter.... In a very LOUD manner. 

Oh but even with the fussy days, we still have sweet special days with her and even catch a smile from her that is so contagious you have to smile yourself as you look at the picture

                  See what I mean? 

I'd love to say that all days are wonderful, full of sunshine and lollipops, but the reality is that it's not. We struggle with getting both girls taken care of (diaper changes, feedings, piles of laundry, doctor visits) keeping the house livable, taking care of our 2 four legged babies, doctor bills piling up on top of the uncertainty of our insurance, holidays and family time coming up and how we will split up our time with that so everyone gets to visit with the girls, a car that died and then the purchase of a mini van (that will be topic of discussion for probably the rest of the year), work and trying to find time to stop and be a couple, just Trevor and I.... All tese things can take a tole on a person and can be very overwhelming (a word I'm becoming all too familiar with right now)..... BUT, in all of this caous, we have the strength as a couple to talk things through, work as a team and everyday we get to see those 2 precious faces looking at us ready for new adventures and know that God is with us. He is great, He is almighty and He has blessed us more then we deserve. 

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. (1 Peter 5:6)

The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. (Isaiah 58:11)

All the wonderful blessing of Fall

I know I am WAAAYYYY past due for a blog post! So sorry for that, I had to start back to work and changed to 3rd shift, so between getting use to being a night owl and the girls ever changing schedule, it's been busy busy busy.... but I think we may have things on track now! So where to start??
So much has happened since my last post,so grab a drink, sit back and get ready because you're about to get a whole bunch of news and lots and lots of pictures (that's really the best part anyways, right ?)

 {09.25.2013}

 The girls turned 4 months old!!!

They are growing growing growing so much and getting so big right before our eyes! Even though it doesn't look like it from these pictures, Trenna is the one usually ALWAYS awake and Ellie is our great little sleeper! Both girls are doing well on eating and are now sleeping a bit longer through the night. We LOVE how they are both very responsive to us talking to them and will smile and coo at us. And when they get to kicking those little legs, look out!!! Poor Desi (our 3 year old Havanese) loves to lay by the girls, but they get their little legs going and kick him right in the back... But he stays right their beside them.... So sweet!!!

             He LOVES his babies and it just melts your heart to see it :)

The many faces of Trenna

And just as many faces of Ellie

Aunt B helped to take the girls to their doctor's visit because we were having our rounds of 4 month shots, so we weren't sure how they would do.... surprising enough there was just a little amount of tears shed.... and mostly they came from aunt B! Both girls have done well with all of their shots so far! Doctors say that Trenna is right on track developmentally and Ellie is actually a little advanced! So that's a such a blessing that we are so thankful for, given everything that they've had to go through and all the information that we were given about them. 

They are packing on the pounds, Trenna 7 pounds 5 ounces and Ellie 10 pounds 4 ounces.

{10.01.2013}

WELCOME BABY LIAM!!!!

The exciting arrival of our long time friends Tyler and Rachel's baby boy Liam Andrew came a few days late (due date September 27) and quite a few hours of labor later... that turned to a Cesarean, but so happy to report that this sweet little guy came into the world around 7:30pm at 7 pounds, 10ounces and 20 inches of sweet perfection! And mom and dad are doing well also, just getting to experience the (all too familiar) little sleep, no shower, world turned upside down kinda fun! They were able to come home and get settled in just in time to have to head back to the hospital and spend one more night because he had developed jaundice and was having a little trouble eating, but with expert care from UK Children's hospital and a night under the billy lights, he his back home and loving all his visitors! We can't wait until all our little ones are a bit bigger and can meet (and have our girls fighting over this cute little guy!) Congratulations and prayers for his amazing momma Rachel and awesome daddy-O Tyler!!!

October is the best time of year! Cool crisp weather and leaves changing colors (which hasn't really started here for us just yet!) fun fall activities like pumpkin picking at the many pumpkin patches, festivals with lots of yummy food, birthday and wedding Celebrations (my b-day being Oct.3, the girls' Grammy being Oct. 10, Trevor and my anniversary Oct. 11- this being 5 years! And now to add little man Liam Oct.1 to kick start us all off right!)  The girls love getting visits from all their family! 

{10.02.2013}

We journeyed out to Boyd's Orchards in Versailles, KY for my birthday celebration and to meet up with some friends and their kiddos to do some face painting, pumpkin picking, apple cider donut eating...... Sweating... Sweating... And more sweating (I think it was about 86 degrees that day) That is, until the downpour of rain that fell on us while we were helplessly in the middle of picking out pumpkins waaaaayyyyyy out in the patch with nothing from sheilding us from turning into a bunch of soggy wet messes! But it was a grand adventure and we loved every minute of it and the babies did great! It was out first REAL outing around multiple people and we had lots of people wanting to stop and talk with us about the twins! And everyone was amazed at how small they were for their age, and knowing me, I could have gone into every tiny detail about their adventures to life, but I managed to keep it all short and sweet [insert pat on back]

Lots of fun at the pumpkin patch!

                                  

And now to fast forward to today and to wrap up this MEGA post......

{10.11.2013}

Here's a collage looking back on, not only the last 5 years of our marriage, but also the additional 5.5 years we dated (that's TEN+ YEARS TOTAL for everyone adding up!!!!) It has been quite an adventure to this point, but when you have your very best friend and the one that you know FOR SURE that God has granted to be your soul mate, every day is a blessing! I'm so thankful for Trevor and the girls and I are so lucky to have him as a husband and daddy!!!  I am so blessed to have them ALL apart of my life and they make it better each and everyday! XOXOXOXOX!

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

Happy National Neonatal Nurses Day!

Today I wanted a blog post to recognize some of the most amazing people God brought into our lives. We are so appreciative of the whole NICU staff and doctors at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital, but the nurses we had the privilege to meet are on a whole different level! You all are such an amazing part of our lives because you all were there taking care of not one, but BOTH of our sweet little girls!From the very first day that Trenna was brought into the H-pod, we had a very special nurse that became our primary, Julie. She was so great with the girls and me right from the start and  every day that she works, I not only looked forward to coming in and spending the day with the girls, but also to get to chat with her. She watched over the girls as if they were her own and were very protective of them and got things done! We joked and called her our "tour guide Julie" because on Saturday evenings, when Trevor was up to visit, she talked us into going out and getting some fresh air to help keep our sanity.... and it worked! I was a bit hesitant to leave the babies and even felt a bit guilty to go out at first, but knowing that she was there to watch them made me feel so much more comfortable and I was able to go. And because we went out Saturday evenings and I didn't stay the night during the week at the hospital, we also had 2 more PM primaries, Sam and Tam. These wonderful ladies worked the sleepiest time 7pm-7am! And again, I started out feeling guilty for leaving my babies with someone else when I felt I should be taking care of them day AND night, but these ladies knew their stuff and were so awesome with the girls. We called Tam the "Ellie Whisperer" because even though Ellie was stubborn with us at times, Tam could ALWAYS get her to take her full bottles (speaking of which, we may need to bribe her to come move in with us for a while because both girls are being stubborn with their bottles right now, haha!) And just to recognize nurses we met in the H-pod Kelly, the 2 Bens, Olivia, Ilene, Chrissy, just to name a few. And when we moved to the B-pod and room 11 because known as the "Twincess Room" our primaries followed, but we also got to meet some new nurses like Elizabeth. We loved getting to meet her as well. She kept things interesting, especially towards the end of our stay when she and I did all of my going home training with NG Nate baby and all the basic play time with the girls

 Fun with nurses Elizabeth and Tam and the girls

 

without these nurses, our girls would not have been able to go from the top two pictures to the bottom picture. Happy and healthy all thanks to you all!!!!

And with the knowledge and time they gave me, I owe a great deal of thanks to them for everything I learned. By them showing me how to do CPR on an infant, and the signs to look for, I was able to remain calm in our stressful moment when Trenna was choking and turning blue. 

You all will forever hold  special place in my heart because you helped take care of the most important things in the world to me, Trenna and Ellie. You all are amazing! 

And also a big thank you to those nurses that we are friends with on facebook who have showered us with lots of wisdom and advice now that we are home! You all take your job to heart and the passion and love you have for our babies and others show and it's such a beautiful gift from God!

THANK YOU!!!!!

"I thank God for you-the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers". 2 Timothy 1:3

"Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you." 2 Corinthians 9:13-14

"May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done." Ruth 2:12

Life as a Sherwood

Last week we had a big scare. After Trenna's bottle, she spit up, which isn't unusual, but she began to choke and we were unable to stimulate her back like we have before. She began to turn blue and was unresponsive. I did CPR and Trevor called 911. Very scary, but we were able to get her breathing again even before the paramedics got there. When they came, they checked her out, but as a precaution, we went to UK's ER just to be safe. The doctors there decided it would be best for her to stay over night for observation, even though her X-ray and blood work all came back fine (they were checking to see if she had any damage from the chest compressions and any aspiration from choking) so that night Trenna and I stayed the night in UK's PICU.... Thought we were done staying in hospitals, but ya know, we are learning that anything can happen we are just learning to roll with the punches. 

She didn't even act like anything had happened. Back to her self and wanting more food while we were in the ER and then snoozing away right after.

After that scare and long LONG night of no sleep in the hospital, we had to pack up and drive to Cincinnati the very next day for our regular doctor visits! The girls checked out great and we were happy we were able to see our favorite doctor, Dr. Lim :) He said she looked fine, like nothing even happened. At that time Trenna weighed 5lbs 15oz and Ellie weighed 8lbs 10oz. They are getting so big!

          Happy FALL-I-DAY time!

As many of you know me, you know that nothing makes me happier then this time of the year. I seriously LOVE fall! 

This year and the years to come will make this season even better because now we get to share it with our 2 special little pumpkins :) Football season has started up so we have to represent some of our favorite teams

I'm so happy to be able to have these sweet little girls to start sharing all the family fun of the holidays with. All this wouldn't have been possibly without the glory of God. Thinking of all the things that we could have had happen and still could happen, God is with us and always watching over these beautiful girls of ours and we are so grateful. There have been times when our faith has been tested, but when all is said and done, God shows us His almighty power and these girls continue to grow strong, happy and healthy and it's a miracle! 

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

Home Sweet Home and Three months old

Last day in the NICU- HaPpY hApPy DaY!!!

Today the girls are 3 months old!!! And we have been home for just about 2 weeks now. What wonderful blessings in those 2 sentences. We visited with our pediatrician and Trenna is weighing 5 pounds and 5 ounces and Ellie is 8 pounds 1 ounce. Although Ellie came home with a feeding tube, we had to take it out to replace it and decided to give it a whirl a day or two and see how she did without it.... Well she decided she was going to take off and has been eating MORE then she needs to. 

We are so fortunate to have these sweet and amazing girls home with us and they are happy and healthy! The somewhat sleepless nights don't even matter when we think about where we were and where we are now!! 

Life here at home has been an adventure in just a short few weeks. We've had lots of family visitors and even a walk around the block

 
 The girls finally got to meet their doggies and don't seem to mind their barking. And Irie and Desi don't seem to mind the girls crying

 

We are adjusting to the new life with babies.... Waking up every few hours to change and feed the girls in the middle of the night, squeezing in time to do a load of laundry every other day, deciding on what's best to do while they sleep : to take a nap OR eat... You only get one per baby nap time :) doctor visits, family and friend visits, getting changing/feeding/sleeping stations set up both upstairs and downstairs so we aren't running a marathon up and down the stairs every few hours and I think Trevor even mastered the multi tasking of eating and holding babies

Trevor getting in a quick bite while Trenna hung out in her daddy's arms

A few photos of family over to see the twinzlers!

And although its been a busy few weeks I've managed to snap some photos of the girls just hanging out

My apologizes for kind of a quick blog and not getting more posted since we've been home, I know a lot of people watch for their updates, but I promise to get more up soon! Now that we've had a couple weeks to get a feel for the life of twins, I think I'll have a bit more time to blog. Thank you all so very much for your support, love and prayers for the girls! God is so great and I know He's being flooded with lots of talk of these sweet girls of ours and He is watching over us! Praise Him in all His glory! 

"For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."

Philippians 4:13

Bringing Home the Sherwood Twins

Because we are getting so close to coming home, I am now taking over on the blogs for Meredith so I can update it everyday with the milestones we come to once we are home. We want to give a great big THANKS to our auntie M for starting and keeping up this blog so wonderfully and congratulate her and uncle Dan on their new home! We can't wait to come visit once they are all moved in!

This post is titled " Bringing Home the Sherwood Twins" because this is now getting to the final days/weeks we will be spending here in the NICU at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. I've been told this is where the roller coaster of emotions really begins, and I am already starting to see why! We have been told we would be leaving in a few short weeks, then from a few nurses (expressing concern) said that we should really expect to be going home around Labor Day, AND THEN this week during rounds, the doctor and nurses have all said that Monday (five days from today) could be THE DAY. See what I mean about roller coaster? And that's just been the beginning. Yesterday we had to send Trenna for her MRI that would scan her brain (because of the low grade brain bleed she had when she was born) and her pelvis and abdomen (to check and see if the tumor was completely removed). Fast forward to today, I was partially crushed when the doctor came in and said that they found some areas on the front ventricles where oxygen didn't get to, causing a little fluid to get in. That can possibly increase her chances of challenges developmentally such as cerebral palsy. Right now, where she is so young, it is too early to tell what it would mean, so all we can do now is watch over her because their brains can change so much. Sorry to not really have any for sure details besides seeing something on her head, but we will just read up and study as much as we can and listen to what specialists think and go from there. But as disappointing as that is, we were given some good news about her pelvic/abdomen area. There is no more tumor! Thank you Jesus, we truly needed that good news. Our sweet little Trenna has been through so much in her short life already, I couldn't imagine making her go through another surgery to remove anything else from her bottom


"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5

With all the ups and downs we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We understand that we aren't out of the clear and we will still have to overcome some heavy obstacles involving our girls developments, but as the days turn to weeks, the weeks turn to months and months turn to years our faith in the Lord grows stronger and stronger and we know that when we give it all to Him, He will be with us watching over these amazing miracles that we are so blessed to call our daughters!

 Thank you to a dear friend and former co-worker for posting this on my facebook page today, it was encouraging to read this when I was down

 

 Happy Day! 

The day these girls get to go home is approaching! We still don’t know the exact date but it is SOON!!! 

Trenna has crept up on Ellie and she is taking more feed by bottle than her now. She is doing so well that they were able to take out her feeding tube. Trenna is now just a little baby in a big crib, no wires or tubes necessary to keep this little girl going. She is on her own! She is weighing in at 3 lbs and 11 1/2 oz. The nurses have even placed Trenna on the maximum amount she can eat. They stopped Shannon this morning to laugh about how if they didn’t max her out, she would just keep on eating and eating. She keeps meeting her MLs goal.

Ellie is still doing really well, and yes she still has her feeding tube in. They had to place her on some prevacid because she kept getting an upset stomach. Feeding time has become much more enjoyable for her, and she is already showing to be taking much more feed from the bottle. Over the next few days with taking the med, we expect to see much more improvement! She is now weighing in at 6 lbs and 15oz, so close to 7 lbs!

Shannon has been getting lots of ‘going home’ education for the girls lately, and Ellie could still go home even with the tube still in if she continues to not take a full bottle. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel! 

Ephesians 5:20 - Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

James 1:17 - Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.