Christmas 2009

Despite our trips back & forth to Indianapolis, we did need to celebrate Christmas with our families & two older children. Spencer & Kate are getting harder to buy for each year. I love that Spencer is a sports junkie & loves to read anything sports too! Kate still loves her dolls & enjoys playing with her American Girl stuff. However, she does have a love for clothes & lip gloss!

Spencer got some new sports games & a new basketball hoop for his room. We do have to restrict the play times because our bedroom is right next to his room. Both kids have been playing Rock Band since they have more time on their hands. They do a much better job than I ever could do! Kate has been hanging out with Maddie (cousin) and playing dolls, coloring, baking & watching movies. Kate has become quite the baker. Aunt Nessa got her a cake decorating set & she can't wait to use it.

John & I did not buy gifts for each other this year. We did each decide on something we wanted & purchased it for our gift. He got a hands-free phone toy for his car. I thought he already had one, but I guess this one is better. I decided to get a Moby Wrap for my new babies. I am so excited & want to thank my niece, Jill, for her blog post that sparked my interest. Thank you!

We don't need anything. We both just want our family together and our boys to be home & healthy. We are looking forward to the New Year! John is worried about getting old & I am hoping to have time with our twins before I have to go back to work. We are hoping that we will be able to take a family vacation this summer & share our twins with everyone we visit. I know, we are just very proud parents! It has been a wonderful year & are so thankful for our many blessings. Look out 2010....Here we come!

Brothers Together...part 2

Carson & Graham Downing ...Carson weighs 3lbs 3oz & Graham weighs 4 lbs 10.5 oz

Tuesday, Dec 29th ...We finally got the boys together.
I can't believe the difference in size. They are doing well
& we are so grateful for the prayers & the progress they
are making each day.

John & Rae with the boys

Brothers Together

Graham in his new bed

Mom holding Graham & Dad holding Carson

John & Carson

Rae & Graham

Day 2 Baby Photos

Graham on Day 2

Carson on Day 2

Carson on Day 2

Where do I start? It was a whirlwind of unplanned events that brought us to delivery day for our twin boys. First, I had to go to my doctors for a glucose test that morning. Unfortunately, when you ask a pregnant woman to fast for 12 hrs, then drink a bottle of orange sugar water, it just results in vomiting & cancellation of the test. I went home and ate a blueberry muffin & some milk. I was feeling fine until I had a debilitating back spasm. After being on the floor for some time in excruciating pain, I got the pleasure of vomiting again. John helped me to bed & I napped for about 2 hrs.

I decided to get up and had quite a surprise. I immediately called the doctor & they sent me straight to labor & delivery. After my arrival & an examination, they confirmed that I had ruptured, but the babies were fine. I was given medicine to stop my contractions & a steroid shot for the babies lung development. I am only 33 wks & 2 days so the decision was made to care flight me via helicopter to St Vincents Womens Hospital in Indianapolis. Based on our prior visits, we had planned on delivery there. Unfortunately, John had to drive over & didn't get to ride with me. He was a little bummed & I also had envisioned my first helicopter ride being much more enjoyable & breathtaking than viewing the cornfields of Indiana.

Upon arrival in Indianapolis (a 35 minute flight), the goal was to stop my contractions & get another steroid shot in me for the babies lung development. After 2 hrs of consistent contractions & little pain relief, they had no choice, but to do my C section. I took a turn for the worse, and everything went very quickly. I was wheeled to surgery & the babies were born.

On December 16, 2009, at 11:02pm Carson Keller Downing was born weighing 3lbs 1.5oz and measuring 15 inches in length. Then at 11:06pm Graham Edward Downing was born weighing 5lbs 1oz and measuring 17.5 inches in length. Both babies were whisked away immediately after delivery without any sound of a cry. As a mother, it was very alarming & frightening. John was able to find out the babies were doing fine & being taken to the NICU.

I was wheeled to recovery & after 1.5 hrs, I finally got to see my babies. The pictures above show the oxygen they are receiving & all the other monitoring lines that are being used to help our babies.

As of today, both boys are off of oxygen and breathing well on their own. They are eating small amounts and we are taking one day at a time. We are dealing with minor issues and time will help them grow strong. Carson will continue to have heart monitoring and will have surgery when he is around 15 lbs.

We are so grateful for prayers & warm wishes that family & friends have shared with us. We are truly blessed to have our twins here before Christmas and pray for a steady & healthy recovery. Heavenly Father has been watching over our family & we know that our faith & prayers have blessed us well. Thank you & we love you all!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Baby Update

It started about 3 weeks ago.....We had an ultrasound at St Vincents Womens hospital in Indianapolis. Why? Because I am over 35 yrs of age & having twins. So, during our first visit the tech was able to tell us we were expecting 2 boys & they were fraternal. She also noticed that Baby A (known as Carson) had one kidney holding more liquid than the other. The doctor wanted to watch it and had us schedule a return visit in 2 weeks. At this point, we are thinking the baby will outgrow the problem & it doesn't appear to be anything serious.



At our return appt in mid-November, the doctor again noticed the problem with the kidney & bowel. They also noticed a slight under development in the cerebral vermis (located at the base of the cerebellum). It appears to be a form of Dandy Walker Syndrome. Luckily, our Carson does not show other characteristics such as a cyst on the vermis or additional fluid in the brain. However, we do not know the range of complications that we may experience after birth. The doctors do believe it to be at the mild end of the spectrum which may mean developmental delays. After some discussion & recommendations, we decided to schedule a visit with a fetal cardiologist. It is common that children with Dandy Walker Syndrome have heart defects, but they are not related in any way.



Today we met with the fetal cardiologist and upon review she found a moderate to large hole between the right & left ventricle. It may close some before delivery, but will not close completely. Therefore, open heart surgery will be required at 4-6 months. This discovery sparked some additional conversations and the doctor recommended we do an amniocentesis. Luckily, we were able to go to lunch & return to the office for the procedure. It was slightly uncomfortable, but the little guy cooperated and it only took about 15 minutes from start to finish. We will have some preliminary results on Friday afternoon & all the details from the test in about 2 weeks.



Plans have changed drastically.....I will now deliver in Indianapolis with a scheduled C-section. I am 31 weeks and the doctors want me to get to 38 weeks. We are looking at mid January for delivery. Of course, I will also be switching my care from my current doctor in Richmond to Indianapolis too.



What a whirlwind of information. We have tried to keep the kids informed and keep ourselves from over analyzing the information, but it is difficult at times. We are truly grateful for these little ones, and can only hope & pray for a healthy outcome. Your thoughts & prayers are greatly appreciated. Our family is very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family to support us. Thank you and we love you!