Parker is Dischraged... Waiting on Audi...

Well update on the babies... After six long days in the hospital.. Parker has finally discharged... His O2 levels are maintaining over 92% on room air and they are stable while sleeping.. He is going to require breathing treatment every 6 hours but he is doing great...

Audrey on the other hand... it took her longer to get sick and therefore she is going to be stubborn and take longer to get well... She is still requiring oxygen, especially while she is sleeping... I think she is liking all the attention that she is getting from the nurses.

So far the hospitalization has been great.. We have had wonderful nursing staff.. (well except for maybe one nurse... she is a little impatient). I have definitely had to be my babies advocate... I have been persistant in getting them proper care. We specifically have fallen in love with a few particular nurses... Susan was our favorite nurse this weekend... She loved the babies.. She flew all the way back from Minnesota this weekend just to work and turned around and flew back on Monday morning... Bethany was a great pick for our weekend day nurse. She had compassion like you couldn't believe.. She shared with us that she has been the mother of a chronically ill child... She was wonderful... Jayda... Lets just say that good genes must run in her family. She was wondeful (she is sisters with Michelle the Lacatation consulatant that I loved when I had the babies in November). Jayda helped bathe the babes one night and would come in just to love on them... She even got sprayed in the face by my breast milk (long story)... and Martha... I have never met a nurse that loved her job so much. Thank you so much Lutheran Inpatient Peds nurses for taking such good care of my munchkins...

Now that Parker has been discharged, he will stay up at the hospital with me... I will have to get up now in the middle of the night to do his breathing treatments... No more Respiratory therapists for Parker... Come on Audi. it is your turn to get out of here...

Audrey is now admitted...

Room 332 as Lutheran Hospital is now the home for both Parker and Audrey...

Audrey's wheezing is not improved... instead she is starting to behave more like Parker... She is coughing and have a hard time clearing her secretions...

Dr. Cohen called to check on Parker and asked to speak with me... He wanted to know how Audrey was as well... I shared that she seemed to be going down hill... He decided to admit her with the same orders as Parker...

IV's were started as well as breathing treatments... Both babies are now resting comfortably...

Merry Christmas Parker and Audrey...

Update - Parker and Audrey both are Positive for RSV.... The plan is to treat with IVF and breathing treatments... Both babies are on apnea monitors and pulse oximeters... We are hoping to see some improvement in the next 24-48 hours...

Santa brought two sick babies for Christmas....

Well we kept our doctor's appointment that was scheduled for last night... Joe and I rushed out of bed this morning after a very long night with Parker last night. He struggled to breathe all night. His cough is getting so deep and after each cough he just cries in pain. He turns blue as if he can't oxygenate his little body. I cry everytime he does this.... I have feared the RSV virus ever since Audrey and Parker's birth.... I new that if I didn't get them to the doctor that they would only get more sick...

We dressed the babies in their red and white stripped santa outfits, bundled them blankets and loaded them in the car... Both babies so sick. Parkers temperature this morning was 102.3 axillary... The poor baby is so sick. Dr. Cohen got us right in at 9 am... He listened to Parker's lungs and said he is definitely wheezing... He was pretty sure that he had RSV... Dr. Cohen asked if was having any apnea... I said I noticed he turned blue after his coughing spells...

HOSPITALIZATION - not what we were expecting on our dear baby boy's first christmas... Audrey has also started to cough and wheeze.. The doctor wants to watch her and not admit her unless we absolutely have to... I walked from the doctor's office over to the Hospital and we were admitted into a little room. I felt so claustraphobic... but all I was worried about was how sick my baby boy was at this time. He wouldn't even wake up... Hey struggled to breathe...

As soon as we got into our room a respiratory therapist came in and gave Parker a treatment... He coughed and cried through the entire thing... It was so depressing...

Next a IV nurse came in... Parker was stuck three times and finally a good IV was placed...He never moved or even made a noise with the IV stick... My poor baby is so sick...

I finally was able to feed my poor baby.. Joe went to the main desk to register the babies... I spent the time in the room getting comfortable.. Aunt Angie came to visit and help calm me and the babies... Papa and Grandma came after spending time with the babies... Uncle Troy called... I shared what was going on... He and Aunt Ashlee got in the car and drove straight up from Indy...

Parker is so loved... Lets get him on the mend...

One month already....

I can't believe how quickly time is going by... Parker and Audrey are officially one month old today (Pearl Harbor Day)... The are both doing wonderful at night... Only waking up once... We usually have them down to bed around 11 pm and they are up at about 4 a.m. and then sleep till after 7 am.. This has been a nice transition for us... Both babies definitely inherited Joe and my sleep patterns... We love our sleep...

I am still adjusting with many post op problems.... I will not go into all of those but lets just say that I have been back to the Doctor's office three times for abnormal bleeding... We are just praying that it goes away real soon so that we can avoid any further surgery or procedures..

I jumped right back into school ten days after delivery... I am so glad that I decided to get most of my work done prior to delivery... We have our final this week and all other work is done. I did take an incomplete in one course so that I could enjoy time with the babies and recover from surgery. I just have to have my 10 page paper completed by February 6th, 2009... Plenty of time right????

The babies headed for their one month check... They are growing quickly... Parker was 6 lbs even and Audrey 6 lbs 10 ounces... They are growing big quickly... I can't believe how quickly they grow up...

One Turkey weighs more than two babies....

Happy Thanksgiving Day - I am updating my blog four months after thanksgiving... yes that is right... In the world of twins it takes more than four months to catch up on life... We wanted to go back and share with you the journey of Audrey and Parker from the beginning... It is amazing how quickly they grow up...

Thanksgiving day was pretty layed back... I spent many days on the couch... (still sore from the C-section)...

The babies were loved on by many... My mom's family got together for the first time in over 20 years for the holidays... My Uncle Ted and Aunt Marcia came all the way from sunny Florida. Becky (my cousin) came from San Diego, Uncle Mark and Aunt Delphine from Michigan and then Ryan, Chelsea and the kids and Troy and Ashlee all came together at my Mom's.... Oh yeah... Little Penny (my Aunt's dog) was there as well... This Thanksgiving was extra special... My Grandma and Grandpa were with us... (My grandpa was diagnosed with Metastatic Lung cancer and a brain tumor last July). It was so enjoyable to be with the entire family.... The babies were great all day and definitely received a whole lot of love...

November 7, 2008.... 2 officially is 4....

November 7, 2008 - The Big day has finally arrived... The suitcase is finally packed (officially at Midnight today) and the car is packed... Both car seats are secured in the minivan and I was awake for the first time ever before my alarm clock went off (at 5:03 a.m.)... I am not sure what I was feeling that more... I am not sure if was more fear or more excitement... I am not sure if I was nervous or ecstatic... I just new that in five hours my life would change for ever....

This was the last morning that I would literally role out of bed onto all fours on the floor... and then push myself onto my feet. It was the last time that I would wake up in the middle of the night at least four times to go pee.... and it was the last time I would walk up the stairs and have to sit down because I could not catch my breath.... I crawled in the shower... I got out got dressed (in one of the three sweatsuits that I had been wearing for the last four weeks) and I put makeup on... I was going to look somewhat nice when I showed up at the hospital... then I woke up Joey.... I bounced out bed like Tigger the Tiger... He was so excited... He was going to be a "DADDY" today.... After we both up and dressed, I took the long awaited pictures... The last pregnancy pictures prior to delivery ( I didn't take many during my pregnancy because I felt so huge... I definitely regret this!!).

We had to be at the Hospital at 7 am for check in... We left the house at 6:45 (the drive is only five minutes to the hospital). We got to the hospital and registered... WE checked in at the front desk and headed to the third floor... My C-Section was scheduled for 9:00 a.m... I started getting really nervous once I entered my room... I am not sure if I was nervous about the surgery or if was nervous about being a mom...(probably a little of both).

I was placed on the fetal monitors... the babies Heartbeats sounded so great... I had never heard them on a doppler at this point because my OB always performed a ultrasound at every appointment. Both heart beats were always within 4 beats of each other... they often would synchronize... It was so incredible... God was so good... After being placed on monitor.. The nurse started my IV and started to bolus me with fluids... the anesthesiologist came in and introduced himself... Dr. Summerville... Let's just say "hysterical".. He was a riot and definitely helped me through the C-Section process... Dr. Wheeler came into the room at 9:15.... "Are you ready?", He asked... Well at this point.. I don't think I had any other options....

I was wheeled to the OR and placed on the table at 9:30... Dr. Summerville started my Spinal and before I new it I was flat on the OR table, Joe was at the head of the bed and I couldn't feel my legs anymore... I remember the feeling laying on the table... I didn't know if I should smile, cry, laugh, scream or just be mellow... At 9:49 a.m. Dr Wheeler yelled, "Baby A: 9:49, Baby Girl... breech".. I just started to cry... I was convinced up to this point that I was having two boys even though I new after many ultrasounds that we were having a boy and a girl.... Not even a minute later Dr Wheeler yells, "Baby B: 9:50, Baby Boy... with a whole lot of hair".... I cried even more... I had a boy and a girl.... the first thing out of my mouth was, " Oh my goodness, I can breathe.." I could not believe the feeling.. My diaphragm dropped.....

Our Baby boy, Parker Joseph, was rushed off to the nursery.. He was having problems breathing... They brought him to me so that I could have sneak peak... he was perfect with a full head of jet black hair.... Parker was 4 lbs 15 ounces and 18 1/2 inches....

Our little girl, Audrey Lynn, they continued to do everything on in the OR... After they had her settled, they brought her over to Joe and I to hold... Audrey was 6 lbs even and 18 1/4 inches long...

All the sudden the nurse took Audrey from Joe and Dr. Summerville asked Joe to follow the nurse out with Audrey.. She was going to have her bath... What Joe did not know at the time, was that Dr. Wheeler could not get my bleeding under control. He continued to call for several medications (methergine and hemabate (sp?))... He continued to manually massage my uterus and finally 1 hour and 12 minutes after my C-Section started... I was sewn back up and wheeled to recovery...

About 10 minutes into recovery my beautiful babies were brought to me and I got to bond with them... Audrey was bald with big blue eyes and Parkers dark haired with big blue eyes... Both Beautiful. Not that I am biased...

How Two became Four....

Well God has brought many blessings, trials and tribulations into the Mayernik Household in the last 4.5 months....

In March 10, 2008, Joe, my mom and myself made the long awaited drive (after three weeks of injections and medications) to Indianapolis to follow through the IVF process. On the morning of March 10th, I was put under anesthesia and had 20 eggs retrieved.... On March 13th.. we went back to Indy for the transfer of two great quality embryos... 11 over our 20 eggs fertilized... 1 seized on day 2 after retrieval and 10 continued to flourish into beautiful blastocysts... On the 13th two were transferred and eight were taken to the deep freezer.. (can you believe it... Joe and I have eight frozen frosties..). I spent the next 7 days laying in bed or on the couch watching TV... typing on the computer and completing school work.

The next 2 weeks was unbearable... I had to wait and wait and wait... Everyday wondering if the nausea I was feeling and the headaches were all in make believe. WE were told that we had to wait until Monday, March 31st to have our first HCG (blood pregnancy test) completed. It was suggested to not take a home pregnancy test as they can be inaccurate and can give false hopes or disappointment that is not needed... Well I couldn't take it anymore... On Friday, March 21, 2008 (Good Friday), I broke down and took a pregnancy test. I couldn't even wait for Joey to get home from work. It was 4:30 in the evening... and I had one test left under my bathroom sink... My sister-in-law Chelsea was down stairs on the phone... I pee'd on the digital stick... It read "POSITIVE". I could not believe it... and I did not believe. I ran down stairs and told Chelsea that I needed to run to Walgreens quickly... I ran to the drug store and I bought 4 more tests... I came home and took all TWO of the four tests... They read 1. POSITIVE, 2.POSITIVE.... I couldn't believe it... and surely could not wait for my husband to get home from work.. I ran back to Walgreens and bought two easter cards... One for Joey and one for my mom... Both cards were To daddy from Baby and to Grandma from Baby.... This is how I shared the great news with Joe when he got home from work.... Later that evening we gave the other card to Grandma.... Now ironically.. I signed both cards from Mayernik Baby #1 (and maybe #2.) Good Friday 2008 was a GREAT Friday in the Mayernik household...

Well you would have thought I was convinced... Three positive pregnancy tests... Lets just say - it took much more convincing... I used the other two pregnancy tests and bought four more before the weekend was over. On Monday Morning, March 24, 2008, I called Dr Bopp's office (the fertility specialist) and notified them of my positive pregnancy test... They had me come in for the all awaited Serum HCG level (that was not scheduled until the next day). I went in a day early and the needle prick completed and left with butterflies in my tummy. The next four hours was ruthless... I could not believe that it would take so long to get results back. When the phone rang, I froze. I was scared to death to answer it (even though I already new the results...). I answered the phone and Erin (the nurse) said right away, "Congratulations Mommy, your HCG level is 189".... She confirmed all 9 pregnancy tests.... I was pregnant... I went back in two days later to have another test to make sure my numbers were raising properly.... Well lets just say mine was raising better than normal... They want it to double in 48 hours... Mine 48 hours later was 765... This was outstanding...

On April 4, 2008 - I started bleeding.. I called Joe at work and I couldn't get a hold of him. I started sobbing... I was forsure that I was going to lose this baby... I called Dr. Bopp's office.. They brought me in and completed another hormone level... They said there ultrasound equipment would not show anything at this point... I was so disappointed and afraid that the pregnancy was going to fail. Four hours later, Erin (the nurse) called me... She said, "OK, mommy calm down... your HCG is 32, 800.. Which is great... Do you want to go to Lutheran and have a Ultrasound...?".. Of course I did... but I still could not get a hold of Joe... I took my mom and we went to the hospital. The Ultrasound tech was taking the pictures and screamed out loud... She turned the screen to us.... We saw to LARGE circles on the screen... Baby A and Baby B.... Yes... We were officially going to be the proud parents of twins...

This was the beginning of our journey to the lives of the Mayernik Four... Pregnancy continued to be up and down with a whole lot of nausea and vomitting (for the first 6 months), a 85 lb weight gain, a dislocated hip and multilple physical therapy appointments. On November 7, 2008, The Two of us became FOUR....