Pictures!!

Here are some updated pictures of the kiddos! We can't wait to have them in the same place at once! :) We're still waiting for Majkin to be ready to come home. We don"t know exactly what is going on in her little body, so the doctors are trying to find some answers for us. Thank you all for your continued prayers. We appreciate them so much!

Happy New Year!!!

Carson

Majkin

Happy New Year!!!!

It has been awhile since I sent an update on the babies- so here goes! At our last Dr. appt Carson weighed 5 lbs 8.9 ozs. He is now able to sit in his real car seat! :) Yay! (Not that we go anywhere besides the dr!) He is eating every 3 hours and is awake more now during the day. We have so much fun watching his expressions and listening to his noises. He is so funny! :) Sleeping at night is hit or miss. Some nights he sleeps really well- and other nights he is more fussy. He loves to be held (I can't wait for you all to meet him and hold him!!!) which just pains grandma! :) She can be found most minutes of the day rocking him, singing to him, or walking him around the house and introducing him to all of the rooms! We are adjusting to having one baby at home...but wonder how our world will flip when we get both of them here!

While we have Carson home- Majkin is still in the NICU- which means I am up at the hospital during the day with her- and mom is home babysitting Carson. We thought we were going to bring her home after Christmas- but she needs some more time to grow in the NICU. At last weigh in- Majkin was 5 lbs. 7.1 oz! She is really growing and filling out! (She is also "taller" than her brother!) Majkin has had some "spells" where the oxygen saturation in her blood drops to a low number. Usually the spells are associated with feedings and it is like she is choking on her food. Typically with feedings- she is able to recover on her own with some light stimulation (like patting her on the back- or rubbing her tummy), however she has had a few spontaneous spells (lying in her crib after a feed) and the nurses have needed to give her oxygen to recover. So now we are on a "spell watch" with her. When she can make it 5-7 days without needing oxygen to recover from a spell- we will get to bring her home. There is a chance she will come home on a monitor- which scares Mike and I to death- but we will be trained to use the monitor- and trained on how to handle any spells here at home. We are so anxious to have both of the kids home with us- but not anxious enough to bring Majkin home before she is really ready to be here! The spell issue we are told is very typical for preemies. We keep reminding ourselves that the babies aren't supposed to be in this world for a few more days! They need more time to get things figured out!

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas everyone! This year is pretty special at the Palmer house! :) We were able to bring Carson home with us on Monday afternoon!! :) Yay!! He is doing so well! We think he likes his house...(more than he liked the NICU). Having him home and taking care of him has been wonderful. We can't wait to do the same with Majkin. We met with a Neonatal doctor today regarding Majkin's dischange from the hospital- and it looks like we may get to bring her home on Saturday!!!! We are anxious to have all of our family together and see how these two babies will be changing our lives forever!

Mike and I are so blessed to have my mom staying with us for awhile to help out with Carson- especially with Majkin still in the hospital. Mom stays with him during the day so that Mike and I can go visit our little girl. It will be a different year- not being in Colorado for Christmas- and not having my dad, brother, and sister around- but they will be coming out to Kansas later next week to spend some time with their grandbaby's/niece and nephew! We are also blessed to have Mike's family so close- and get to spend our first Christmas in 9 years with his side of the family!

We hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas! As we hold these precious babies in our arms- we remember Christ's birth in a manger stall. What an awesome Christmas gift! God is so good! Love to all!

Carson Joe Palmer

Carson Joe

What a stud! Carson is doing very well in the NICU! When he was born, he spent some time on a warming bed to help him maintain his temperature. A few days after birth he was moved to a crib. The Doctors have taken blood to test him for Jaundice- and each time he has been just a touch above needing to be placed under lights. He started breast feeding at the beginning of the week and has done very well! He is given a bottle after nursing to "top off" so that we know he is getting enough to eat. One thing Mike and I have learned about these tiny babies is that they expend A LOT of energy doing easy things- like being changed, held, or fed. We didn't want Carson spending more energy than he was consuming- so the Doctors left the NG tube in his nose for feedings in case he tuckered out after bottle or breast feeding. Each day/night he has needed fewer feedings in the NG tube- meaning he was filling up on the bottle or breast. This morning when we were updated we were told that the NG tube has been taken OUT! :) He now gets bottle or breast only- so long as he can show he's eating enough and gaining weight! If he is able to keep eating well and gaining weight- we may be able to bring him home SOON! (This weekend maybe!) His weight last night was 4 lbs 10 oz- which was his birth weight. We are so proud of our little man!

Thank you all for your continued prayers, love and support! We would not be able to make it through this time without the love of our family and friends! We feel incredibly blessed to have these two precious babies in our lives. Life as we knew it has changed forever! We love these babies so much and can't wait to show them off to all of you!!

Majkin Linnea Palmer

Sorry this is so late! We have been a busy bunch this past week! Majkin Linnea and Carson Joe arrived on Tuesday, December 8th, 2009. Because they were a few weeks early- and small in birth weight, both babies went to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) immediately after birth.

MAJKIN LINNEA

Right after birth, our precious little girl needed some help breathing so they gave her a CPAP to help regulate her breaths. The CPAP stayed on for the first few days- but then was removed when Majkin was able to breath on her own.

The Doctors also noticed a heart murmur, a "broken collar bone", two ribs that had fused together, dialated kidneys, and an anal opening that is closer than normal to her girl parts. Over the past week this poor thing has been poked and proded by several specialists and come through with shining colors! Mike has nick named Majkin- "Tough Stuff". The heart murmur is something we will see the cardiologist for after she has been discharged from the unit. The collar bone that we once thought was broken (thanks to either the Doctor's, or to her brother!) is not broken- but never fused together inutero. Again- not something we are to worry about now, but we'll need to watch as she grows. The kidneys are still being watched- but she has no trouble peeing! :) The anal opening again is something we will continue to watch and we will see the general surgeon again in about a month. She poops like a champ- so that is a good thing! (I guess when you become a parent- you realize the importance of pee and poop! Mike and I were THRILLED when she pooped for the first time!)

Along with all the other issues this "little bit" faced, Majkin was treated for jaundice the first few days of her life. In her isolet, she layed under what looked like tanning bed lights. (She is already trying to be like her Aunt Katie!)The lights were turned off early this week- and she remained in the isolet for temperature control. She was put on oxygen for a few days when they saw that her breaths were still very shallow and very often. The oxygen helped- and now she is off of that as well and although she still has some periods throughout the day that her breaths are shallow and often- it seems to be much improved!

Last night was a big night for Majkin! She was able to maintain her temperature and breathing on her own so the nurses moved her into a crib! :) She is now out of the isolet and looks so much more comfortable! Her feedings go through an NG tube in her nose until she stablizes her breathing. As soon as that is stable- she will start taking feedings through a bottle or breast! We are so excited for all of the amazing things that are happening! Her weight last night was 4 lbs 3.1 oz. She is SO close to being back to birth weight!

To sum it all up- Majkin has had quite an entrance into this world! She is a beautiful little girl and we are so blessed to have her in our lives!

Dec. 8th - BABY DAY!

Here they are.......Carson and Majkin were born this morning at 10:48 and 10:49 (She's older). Carson weighted 4lbs 10ozs, and Majkin was 4lbs 5ozs. Both the babies and Mom are doing well. The babies are being monitored through the night given that they were premature, and Kirsten is trying to get some sleep??? These pics were taken right after they were born, and we will be sure to update these tomorrow.

PS - Carson is wearing his hat.

Tomorrow is Meet the Babies Day!!!

We have survied 6 weeks in the hospital! What a crazy time this has been. It is amazing how fast the time has gone (more for me than for Mike!). Thank you all for your prayers, love, and support through this time. We are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends!! We are scheduled for a c-section tomorrow morning. Mike will be sending an update at some point with pictures of our little ones!! (When he's not busy feeding, changing, holding, rocking babies, or sleeping!!!) Love to you all!!