Ohio Gages

Chubba-Bubba Cheeks!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristie) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 22:25:00 +0000

2 Months

What a long way we’ve come from just over 4 lbs and not an ounce of fat, to cheeks that provide for more than just a little pinching. If you haven’t seen Ava for a while, you wouldn’t believe the double chin and those Chubba Bubba cheeks that she’s got going on! Nick has the cheeks, too, but to a lesser extent. Here are the changes that have occurred over the past month…Ava is up 9 lbs 6 oz, 21 inches long and Nick is 9 lbs 12 oz, 21.5 inches long. Both babies are sleeping much less during the day which is a fantastic trade-off for the long stretches they are sleeping at night – up to 6 hours at a time! Their latest trick is very exciting – they’ve learned to smile, which you will see just as soon as their dad gets the new pictures posted. Just this weekend Nick has started to mimic you when you smile at him – too cute! The first round of immunizations were this past Monday and they were very fussy for several days afterwards, but things have finally settled down a bit. I would probably still describe Ava as the good baby, but they both know what they want and are more than willing to share those preferences and demands. Much to his parents’ dismay, Nicholas absolutely refuses to sleep in his crib (many thanks to cousin Olivia for putting her evil curse on that crib!).

Now it’s time for a few shout outs…many thanks to Nana and Baba for the many dinners; to Grandpa for all the Chinese food; to Pat for the assistance at the doctor’s; to Uncle Jason, Aunt Angie, Audrey and Olivia for the baby furniture & all the girly clothes; and to Wendy and Linda for all of the hours spent making the adorable announcements. Twins are fantastic, wonderful, challenging and exhausting…we couldn’t do it without you guys. Or at least we wouldn’t have time to feed ourselves if we did ;)

We are currently trying to get ready for our big family vacation in Mexico (yes, the twins are going). We still don’t know how we’re going to fit two bouncy seats in our suitcase, but we’ll get it all figured out eventually. We’re looking forward to some much-needed relaxation in the warm Mexican sun, lounging in our private endless pool. It will also give Nicholas and Ava an opportunity for some bonding time with their Nana, Baba, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We know how much Audrey loves to hold her new cousins and help with their diaper changes (“there’s the little thing where his pee comes out”). Puerto Vallarta pictures and tales to come next month…

They're a Month Old!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristie) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 23:21:00 +0000

1/23/08

Today the babies had their one month doctor’s appointment. One month – can you believe it? John and I are astounded by how much they’ve grown in the 2 weeks since their last check-up. Ava gained almost a pound and a half, now weighing in at a whopping 6 lbs 4 oz. She has also grown an inch in length; she’s 19 ½ inches long. When you think about her weight gain in terms of percents, that’s some pretty impressive growth!! Nicholas has also been busy growing – he gained almost a pound and is now 6 lbs 13 oz. He also grew ¾ of an inch and is now 19 ¾ inches long. The doctor said that they could not be doing any better and they looked absolutely great!

John is back at work now so I’m taking care of the babies alone during the day. They definitely keep me busy! Between laundry, changing diapers, and feedings it’s very hard to get anything else done. But…the good thing is that one person can definitely handle them, just don’t schedule much else on your agenda. John and I are trying to get used to being home all the time. No, seriously, I mean ALL the time. It’s very strange for us. First we have no hockey games to go to, now we’re practically on house arrest! We can’t wait until cold and flu season is over and they’re a little bit bigger so that we can introduce them to the world. Just going on a walk with our massive double stroller sounds fantastic! Since that’s all a few months away, we’re thinking that for Valentine’s we’ll ask someone to watch the babies for a few hours so that we can go out for dinner. How sad is it that a simple dinner out has suddenly become a cherished event? Yeah, I’d say life has changed a bit.

Nicholas is starting to get a little bit better at sleeping in his crib. He seems to dislike sleeping on his back which is problematic. Swaddling him helps a little, but he continues to be a bit of a stinker about going into his crib for the first time each night. After he wakes up in the middle of the night to eat, he goes down just fine. We’re still trying to figure out exactly what the deal is with all that. Last night he and Ava went 4 ½ hours between both of their nighttime feedings, so that was very nice. The sleep deprivation still exists, but it’s improving.

Right now the babies are chillin’ in their bouncy chairs watching Bon Jovi Unplugged – it’s important to start exposing them to some of the greats early on, you know. It won’t be long before we’re teaching them the ins and outs of the greatest game on earth. Do you really need to ask? You obviously didn’t watch the video John put up on the homepage. Hockey! Duh. John’s trying to figure out just how small goalie pads come. It’s a disease.

This weekend will be an exciting one for Nicholas and Ava. They’re going to meet their cousins – Audrey and Olivia Elvers (my brother’s girls). Audrey and Olivia weren’t able to see their new little cousins when they came to visit me in the hospital on Christmas Day because kids under 13 aren’t allowed in the NICU.

Before I forget, John and I wanted to thank everyone for their positive thoughts for Nicholas and Ava while they were still in the NICU. With them coming as early as they did, we know we’re very lucky that they’ve done so well. We can tell by the number of visitors, cards, and phone calls we’ve had that these two little babies have an awful lot of people who care about them.

Now, if you haven’t checked out the youtube video on the homepage, please do that. You’ll need to turn your volume up quite a bit. It’s very, very funny.

Our Little Peas Are Home!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristie) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:29:00 +0000

That’s right – the Gage household is officially complete! Nicholas came home from the NICU on Thursday. That was a bittersweet event. It was super exciting to have him home, but it meant leaving his little sister behind, all by herself at the hospital. However, we think Nicholas’s homecoming was the inspiration Ava needed to get busy and start taking bottles regularly. When I called the NICU Friday morning to see how she had done Thursday night, the nurse surprised me by saying that she hadn’t had any tube feedings since her brother left and she might be ready to go home the following day! Sure enough, she took all her bottles for 48 hours, passed her car seat test (don’t ask), and was ready to join her brother in Perrysburg Saturday night. Nana and Baba were hired for their first twin babysitting duty so that John and I could leave Nicholas at home while we picked up Ava. It was with great joy that we turned in our NICU parent badges and brought home our last little bundle of joy.

Since having both babies home there hasn’t been a lot of sleep for the new mom and dad, but we’ll take that over the daily trips to the hospital. Nicholas is the problem sleeper but he did much better last night. He wasn’t too sure of his crib at first, preferring instead to constantly be held. We’ve been working on this, though, and last night he spent the entire night in his crib, waking up only twice other than to eat. Ava continues to be very quiet and dare I say an easy baby. They had their first doctor’s appointment yesterday and they’re both doing a great job gaining weight. I guess we must be doing something right! Little Ava is getting close to 5 lbs (4 lbs 13 oz) and Nicholas is 5 lbs 8 oz.

The cats can’t quite figure out what in the world these two little noise-makers are all about, but they’re pretty sure they don’t really like them. Husker is obviously a little jealous and Digger just wishes they would be quiet. There is lots of sniffing going on. They do, however, love their new sleeping spots – on top of the changing table and in the bassinet when it’s not in use. John is posting a picture of both cats sleeping in a bouncy seat – their way of letting us know that they’re still the babies of the house!

What Progress!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristie) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:50:00 +0000

John and I are going to attempt to update the blog every couple days for the next few weeks, but things are very crazy right now so please be patient. If you read the last blog, things have improved remarkably since then!

Both babies are doing very, very well. Nicholas is now taking the amount of food that was his goal - some feedings through the gavage tube that goes from his nose to his stomach and some through a bottle. When we got to the hospital yesterday we had a wonderful surprise - he was out of his incubator and in an open crib!!! That means that his body now has to work a little harder to maintain it's own temperature, so he will be very sleepy for 24 - 48 hours while his body adjusts to this new task. Another exciting development - his IV is out! This means that Nana, Baba, Grandpa, etc can hold him now and he can also wear clothes!!!

Ava has made incredible progress in the short 6 days that she's been alive. She only needed slight respiratory help for a little over 2 days. She's breathing on her own beautifully now and is quickly catching up to her brother! Her IV should be out by tomorrow and by then she, too, will have reached her feeding amount goal. Yesterday I gave her the very first bottle and she took it readily, even wanting more once she was done! She should be in an open crib soon as well.

Now all these two little cuties have to do is keep increasing the number of feedings they can take by bottle and we will be able to bring them home!!! Once they can take all 8 daily feedings by bottle for 2 days in a row they'll be out of there. My guess is that this will for sure happen within at least the next 2 weeks, but I also would have bet a million dollars that they wouldn't be born before Christmas so what do I know?

It's funny how these two tiny babies already have their own little preferences and personalities. Nicholas is very particular and likes to be swaddled tightly with his hands up by his face - anything else is unacceptable. If he doesn't get his way, he will tell you about it but so far he's been a great baby. He makes lots of silly faces and has already developed a reputation as a crazy pee-er. He peed all over his dad the first time that John held him and the next day got the nurse! He is already known as John's mini-me because the resemblence is undeniable. Ava is just a little bitty sweetie pie with a heart of gold. She is laid back and easy going with a squeeky little cry that you don't hear very often. She was allowed to wear clothes for the first time yesterday and as I was struggling to dress her in a little pink gown that Nana bought her, she never protested once despite my lack of skill with dressing her through the two little holes of her incubator in an outfit with no snaps! Both of them are little fighters and are trying their best to grow strong enough to come home with Mommy and Daddy. It won't be very long!!!

The new mom is feeling pretty darn good. The soreness is starting to subside and I'm picking up a little speed - no longer walking 10 feet behind John like I'm from the Middle East. This new constant state of tired is something that we'll just have to get used to because we know it's not going to go away any time soon. Leaving our babies at the hospital when I came home was incredibly difficult but we know they're where they need to be right now and it won't be for long. Seeing some of the other situations in the NICU reminds us daily just how very, very lucky we are.

A Christmas to Remember

noreply@blogger.com (Kristie) — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 00:57:00 +0000

WHAT HAPPENED?
At 1:45 AM Christmas Eve morning Kristie woke up to a sharp pain and a wet rear. She exclaimed that her water had broken. After a moment of "no way, you have to be kidding" I saw the seriousness in her face. While she got herself ready to go to the hospital I called the doctor's office so someone could meet us there. As we were walking out the door Kristie remembered something she had forgotten. Her bag was packed and waiting for us in the car so I didn't know what in the world she needed. Hair mousse! I'm still waiting for the rest of the story on why mousse was so important at that precise moment.

By running three red lights and speeding down I-75 it didn't take long for us to arrive at the hospital. Contractions started off relatively easy but quickly progressed to longer and more severe. When they were less than two minutes apart it became obvious to us that the babies were coming sooner rather than later.

Because Nicholas was still in a breach position a C-section was the only option. At 6:52 Nicholas Riley Gage arrived with his little sister, Ava Anne, arriving only a minute later. Kristie made it through the operation without incident.

By Christmas morning Kristie was up and walking around but still a little sore.

Because they were born a few weeks early, at 33 weeks, they are in the newborn intensive care unit. Nicholas is in very good health but needs to add a little weight and learn to eat before he can go home. Early attempts to feed him through a feeding tube had mixed results. The first feeding went perfectly with Nick digesting a third of an ounce of a breast milk/formula mixture. The second feeding wasn't as successful. The food was found in his stomach three hours after the feeding - he couldn't/didn't digest it.

Ava is the smaller of the twins and has a few more problems. Her lungs aren't fully developed so she is on a breathing machine. The air Ava is breathing is normal air, the machine just provides the necessary pressure to properly open and close her small lungs with each breath. She also has a problem with retaining fluids. This is causing her to appear puffy and her diapers to be dryer than normal. Neither of these problems are severe and she is capable of breathing on her own, but it requires a bit too much effort so she's just getting a little help. She's already been down-graded to the amount of air pressure they have her on, so progress has already been made!

Both babies will need to fully develop in the NICU before they can go home. We are hoping Nick can come home in a week or less. Ava has some more growing to do so it's likely to be a few more weeks before she can come home.

All in all mom and babies are healthy and happy making this the best Christmas ever!

Dad & Mom

23 Week Check-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Kristie) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:16:00 +0000

23 weeks and 4 days – that’s what the babies were measuring Friday. They weigh about 636 grams each, which equates to 1 lb 6 oz. Wow! They’re really becoming babies. While they’ve been busy growing, mommy has not – only 1 lb of weight gained over the past 4 weeks. Everything’s going well!

This weekend John and I, along with the two Gage aunt’s (Angie & Ashley) put together a crib and a dresser. Now we can wash and put away all the little clothes we’ve accumulated. Pictures of the nursery and shower gifts can be found under the pictures link soon.

The babies are now moving around quite busily. It’s pretty much the strangest feeling I’ve ever experienced. They like to move around the most when I lie down in bed at night. They’re definitely working on packing on the pounds because I’ve noticed a distinct increase in my appetite just the last couple days. That’s a good thing because we do not want teeny tiny babies. John originally said they have to be at least 6 pounds but he’s recently increased that request to 8 pounds apiece. Now that’s a lot of baby!

The Hockey Shower

noreply@blogger.com (Kristie) — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 21:46:00 +0000

10/5/07
Wednesday was a very interesting day. KCM decided to throw us a surprise shower (I kind of knew ahead of time because they had to get me there). What I did not know was that it was a themed baby shower. When throwing a shower for my husband, what theme might seem appropriate? Hockey, of course. It was amazing!!! The conference room table was covered with two large foam core boards colored to look like a hockey rink. Hanging above the “rink” were retired Red Wings jersey numbers. Off to the side was a concession stand consisting of old-fashioned candy and boxes of popcorn, all for “sale” at very reasonable prices, as stated on the wall menu. Once John arrived (very surprised as well as embarrassed), the starting line ups for the Wings and Flyers were announced (Maverick Gage was playing!) and the National Anthem was played complete with the appropriate “Hit somebody!” being yelled by the crowd. The gifts then began flying and since it was John’s shower, he had the pleasure of quickly opening the many boxes to the oohs and aahs that were heard over all the adorable little clothes. John, ever concerned about employee productivity, tried to go as fast as he could and even worked up a bit of a sweat. The whole thing was so carefully planned; every detail had been thought of. I’m wondering if I could hire those in charge of all the preparations to do kids’ birthday parties in a couple years??? Be sure to check out the pictures under the pictures link. The whole affair will be something that will definitely go down in the babies’ books and will be talked about for years to come! A heartfelt thank you goes out to all KCM participants!

20 Weeks - Time to Start Getting Ready

noreply@blogger.com (Kristie) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 23:24:00 +0000

9/10/07

I think the news has spread and we’ve finally told all the people we need to tell about the twins. School has started so I no longer get daily naps – a very sad loss. I told all the kids at school today and they’re very excited. One girl wanted to know if it hurts.

I’m sick and tired of summer and I’m very ready to fall. When football is on tv it’s time for long sleeve shirts, crunching leaves, apple cider (pasteurized, of course), and MacQueen’s donuts. I’m so excited and hope that my favorite season comes soon! However, the cooler weather will mean that we’re running out of time before the little ones arrive. We have begun to make some preparations, though I still don’t know how to prepare for something like this. My fabulous husband and fantastic sister-in-law (Angie Gage) surprised me by painting the nursery one day while I was at work. I couldn’t believe it! The blue room is no longer blue. I guess now we’ll have to refer to it as the babies’ room. (By the way, as an English teacher I noticed that most people refer to the baby’s room while we have a babies’ room. What a difference a possessive plural can make!) I feel absolutely horrible about the painting thing, though, because I decided that the color we picked out isn’t quite right. So…it’s going to be painted again. I’m sure both Angie and John are thrilled with me. If it helps, I could blame it on hormones, but John would know it’s really just me wanting it to be perfect and really has nothing at all to do with hormones. When it gets finished we’ll post pictures so everyone can see the new and improved blue room, which is now green and will sooner be even greener.

At Friday’s ultrasound the babies were looking perfect again. They said that they’re both growing really well and they’re each about the size of a pop can (there can’t possibly be two pop cans inside there). Baby A was doing somersaults and they were trying to play footsy with each other. Baby A is laying head down and Baby B is laying straight across me, trying hard to push my belly button out. Doesn’t he/she know that I don’t like anyone touching my belly button – from the inside or out?!

We spent Saturday registering for baby stuff. It started out kind of fun until we came to the bottle aisle. Yes, that’s right, there’s an entire aisle full of nothing but bottles. It was bottles and nipples as far as the eye could see. It was then that it dawned on us…we have no freakin’ idea what we’re doing. How are we supposed to know what size bottles to buy? Or how many holes should be in the nipples? I nearly had a nervous break down. After taking a random guess and deciding we’d figure it out as we go, we moved on to more fun, less stressful items. Now the new task is to find preemie clothes since that’s what they’re most likely to start off in. So shoppers – keep your eyes open!

The Beginning of the Bump

noreply@blogger.com (Kristie) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:31:00 +0000

8/10/07

Okay, it’s official – I can no longer fit into my clothes. For all you women who have not yet had the pleasure, let me warn you: that’s a wonderful, self-esteem boosting realization (yeah, right). Anyway, Mom and I went maternity shopping today. She, of course, was quite looking forward to this event while I was a little more hesitant. A second warning: the first time you try on a pair of maternity pants with the horribly unfashionable front panel you will indeed feel like the ugliest, fattest person in the world. But then you realize…I can breathe! Maternity clothes may not be ultra attractive, but they are so comfortable! Elastic is my friend! This opinion may not hold true in a few months (and the elastic may not hold either) when I look like I’m walking around trying to hide a boulder under there, but for now it’s quite a relief. I also feel like once I get a little bit bigger, I can pretty much wear anything I want unapologetically because who is dumb enough to mess with a woman pregnant with twins?

For those out-of-towners or for those who haven’t seen me lately - The bump is not very big yet, but it’s big enough that one must at least ask oneself “Is she pregnant?” upon seeing me. Right, Wendy and Linda?

15 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Kristie) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:27:00 +0000

8/9/07

Johnny and I went to the doctor’s for a check-up today. The babies were moving all over the place and one looked like it was attempting to suck its thumb. The babies are lying sideways, one right above the other facing the same way, so it looks like they’re in double-decker hammocks. In some of the pictures the nurses/doctor were checking the bones and brain structure (Skeletor in picture 5 of the slideshow is a good example) , so you can see more than I ever really needed to see. Spinal cords, brain hemispheres, skeletal systems – I’m glad it’s all there but it’s kind of freaky to look at. Most importantly, perhaps, were the heartbeats which were good so everything seems to be going perfectly. Oh, and for those who know about John’s little “maybe there’s a third hiding in there” jokes, it was verified – there are definitely only (only?) two babies! Phew!

John has been very concerned that I haven’t been eating enough but I’ve gained 5 pounds since my last appointment, so that too is right where it should be (though I’m still not real happy about this whole weight gain thing). After John’s delightful little blog about the marshmallow/Twinkie craving I feel the need to set the story straight and let everyone know that was pretty much the only sweet craving I’ve had, and not because it was horrible because it actually wasn’t too bad. Well…there’s the occasional need for ice cream but if you know me you also know that has nothing to do with being pregnant. The main cravings have been for fruit (first watermelon and now apples), green beans, and occasionally waffles. Yum…I could go for an apple right now. Oooh, or green beans. Can you tell I’m hungry?

The not able to sleep thing has improved somewhat. It’s just not fair– when I was dead tired I couldn’t sleep. Now that I’m not so tired (which is most days, but not all) I can sleep at night. There’s something wrong with that picture.

Aren't pictures 1 and 4 cute? Look at their round little bellies!

Kristie's First Craving

noreply@blogger.com (Kristie) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:36:00 +0000

Last weekend Kristie had her first official craving, she wanted a Twinkie. We didn't have any so I offered to run to the store and buy a box. It was late and she decided she could find something suitable in our cupboards. Find something she did!

Kristie's Sweet Confection

5 Jumbo Marshmallows
2 Heaping Tablespoons Peanut Butter

Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Top with chocolate syrup as necessary.

Two packages of Twinkies magically appeared by the time Kristie awoke the next morning. They weren't as good as she had hoped.
-John

10 Weeks down, lots to go

noreply@blogger.com (Kristie) — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 22:52:00 +0000

Today was the 10 week appointment – nerve-wracking but all news was good. The ultrasound showed that Baby B was 10 wks 6 days, and Baby A was about 10 wks 4 days (this one has always been scrunched and curled up, so measurements are difficult). I wasn’t expecting to hear heartbeats, or John would have been with me, but I did! It was very exciting and slightly surreal to realize that there are currently 3 hearts beating inside me. It makes me feel like an alien! Both babies were moving around like crazy. When they get big enough for me to feel all that moving around, my stomach will probably seem like there’s a boxing match going on in there. Strike that – UFC fight, not boxing – much more entertaining!

The first trimester is almost over, which hopefully means that this ever-present nausea will be dissipating. The last few days it’s definitely been getting worse instead of better. On a happier note, I’m feeling much better at night, allowing me to sleep and then not be so stupidly tired during the day. It’s probably a favorable trade off but I don’t feel that way in the morning when I’m brushing my teeth and trying with all my might not to barf on the toothbrush. Being on summer break during all of this has been wonderful. School? Work? What’s that? Going back is about the last thing on my mind right now.

Today’s appointment really made me realize that this is for real. I thought I had a firm grasp on that weeks ago, but I was wrong. It’s very exciting and yet terrifying all at the same time. Two newborns…oh my gosh! I can’t even imagine what it will all be like. As the doctor said…“Wah Lah! Instant family!”

Stay tuned for the next update. The next doctor’s appointment is scheduled on the father-to-be’s birthday – August 9th! John will be along for that visit, so for his birthday he’ll get to see his two new additions for the very first time! (Does that mean I don't have to buy him anything?)