The boys are 3!

It's hard to believe but Ryan & Liam just turned 3! I can't believe how grown up they are now. Considering where they started, they are just truly amazing little boys :)

Carrie is coming up on 2 years post transplant and is doing wonderful!!

She even got to meet her donor's family recently <3

Breath of fresh air!

So the 1st set of lungs Carrie were going to get turned out to be bad :( BUT Wednesday the 28th new & better ones came along and she is now 9 days post transplant. She's been out of ICU a few days already, walking around and everything. She truly is amazing!!

Carrie, 8 days post transplant!

I can't wait until she's home running around with the boys!

New lungs today!!

  Carrie is getting her new lungs!! Surgery to start in a few minutes and could take anywhere from 4-12hrs. PLEASE pray for her, the family and Doctor's during this time. And for the donor's family as well as they grieve their loss, bless them for choosing organ donation and giving this gift of life. 

 Love you Carrie!!

Lung transplants & 15 month check ups!

 The twins had their 15 months check-up and weigh 24 & 25 lbs! It's hard to imagine they were once less than 2 lbs!

Aren't they the cutest little guys ever!

Carrie is not only now on the lung transplant list but is #1 on it!! She is continuing to prove the amazing woman she is by walking the hospital halls all while on ECMO! So it could happen any time now! Please continue to pray for her and their family as well as the family of the donor who will will have to lose someone they love in order to give this precious gift of life to Carrie.

Carrie is now in surgery to have a device hooked up that will oxygenate her blood outside of the body called ecmo. We are now taking extreme measures and are hopeful that this device will buy us some more time for the antibiotics to help. Thank you for all of the thoughts and prayers. We are counting on the amazing doctors at Baylor to keep her alive and get her back home to her beautiful baby boys.

Carrie has been moved into ICU this morning. Please continue to pray for her.

  Prayer request for Liam & Ryan's Mommy, Carrie. She was in the hospital for 2 weeks on IV antibiotics. Finally got to go home Halloween week and then had to go back in last Friday. Now she's had to have a blood transfusion is running a high fever and had to have a bronchoscopy done this morning. Please pray for healing so that she can get back home to her boys and husband very very soon.

Happy 1st Birthday Liam & Ryan!

I can't believe it, how has it been a year since these miracles made their entrance into the world! 

 Liam has gone from 1lb 15oz & 13.39" long to 22lbs & 31" tall & Ryan from 1lb 13oz ~13" long to 22lbs & 30 1/4" tall. They are both quite mobile & Ryan has started taking steps with his push toy!

True Miracles indeed! ♥

Happy 9th birthday to my 1st surro-twins!

Monday my 1st surro-twins turned 9!

Happy Birthday boys!

 My 1st time to hold them together, on their birthday!

With their Daddy on his wedding day last Fall :) They've grown soo much & now they look so much alike!

One year ago..

 A year ago yesterday our lives took quite the bumpy turn. Out of the blue my water broke at 23wks and I was devastated. It doesn't seem like that long ago..it seems like it could've been yesterday. I know it was about the most terrifying day of my life. Crying to my oldest that the boys couldn't come yet, they may not make it, it was way too early..and most of all WHY?? I'm sure I scared the crap out of her, she was only 12 but I was at a complete loss. I am so thankful that Hubby had happened to take that Monday off. Even if it did take forever to interupt his Captain America time at the movies with our son..LOL They still don't let me forget that! This time last year our world was turned upside down. But I was determined to do everything I could to keep the boys safe. By 7/26 we'd made it 24hrs and had started regaining some hope. Just maybe we could make it. We had to! While I am grateful I didn't have to miss my son's 1st day of Kindergarten, his birthday, our anniversary..whatever else would have fallen in the 11 weeks we needed to be in the hospital, I would do anything to have kept them baking just a few more weeks. But God had different plans and here we are.We went from praying for their survival, just let them live...then with Ryan's arm, not knowing the damage caused by being stuck in the cervix so long, all the ups and downs of the NICU for so many months. And now the boys will be in in just over a week and by some great miracle they are perfectly healthy! Crawling, standing, trying to walk, teething like crazy :) I wouldn't trade our roller coaster journey for anything!

Surro-Mommy..to a puppy??

 I'm pretty sure I didn't have sugar last night before bed, but last nights dream was too crazy not to post! And I'm sure Carrie will get a kick out of it :) So apparently I was pregnant and doing a sibling project for Liam & Ryan. I went into labor and headed straight to the hospital. They had me on this tiny gurney in a hallway and I was trying to call Carrie and everyone else to get up there. This brings back memories! Carrie gets there and is sitting at my right side and I feel the baby start to move. But it's foot is literally poking through so hard you could see every little detail of it. I was so excited telling her to feel it but we were freaking out about it sticking out like that too. Then suddenly it pops all the way out and it's a.... PUPPY!? I guess having so many c-sections it wasn't weird having something just popping out of my stomach! The crazy part is we weren't freaked out or anything. They take this puppy to weigh it and it weighed 6lbs6oz. And I was so excited that it was a good weight and healthy. We were talking about how it weighed way more than the boys put together and it could grow up with them. Then it was running around L&D peeing on the floor and that was it...LOL

 I think I've officially gone off the deep end staying so involved with the surro-world and the boxer rescue we volunteer/foster with! Carrying puppy siblings for people now...Who'd of thunk it ;-)

Breathe Easy Bryan..

I apologize in advance if this post is full of sorrow, maybe even anger and has really nothing to do with surrogacy but I have to get it out there. This has been one of the hardest weeks of my life..

Today, Heaven gained an Angel. Someone I don't even really know that well but have come to love like family. My IM's brother Bryan passed away today, he was only 21. He had CF like she does and had been on the lung transplant list for months. Recently even moved up to the top for the nation. But for some reason that must be beyond my grasp they just didn't come in time for him. Some don't seem to understand why this is affecting me so much..maybe it's partly just bringing back all the memories of losing my 1st IM so tragically. The 5th anniversary of her death is only a couple weeks away. I think this is the 1st time I've begun to understand why some surro's are ok with not having a close relationship to their IP's. But that's just not me. I love all of my surro-families and that includes their family too. Their Mom is such an amazing mother to them, I can't begin to tell you what a strong woman she is for all that she has been through with her children, and especially the past year in general. My heart breaks for her and what she is going through today.

It also happens to be the due date of my Angel Baby. I have no doubt that he and so many others are welcoming Bryan in Heaven. His fight is over and now he can breathe easy. Please pray for peace and strength for their family.

R.I.P. Bryan

Time to catch up!

It's been 2 months since I last posted :\ Ryan went home about a week after Liam did, just in time for his Mommy's birthday! He was there almost a week and he caught a regular cold but the poor little guy ended up back in ICU for a week from it. He's been home since &  is now completely wireless like his brother! They weigh around 13lbs and are doing great!! Aren't they the cutest little guys ever!!

At least one person or more has been sick in our house since they've been home so my 2 youngest and Hubby have yet to meet the boys. It saddens me, especially for my youngest who loves them dearly and only knows them from Mommy's belly & pictures. But I just can't take that chance. Hopefully this last round of meds will get Kailyn good as new and we can go see them soon. They have grown SO much since the last time even I saw them. It's hard to believe their 1/2 birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks!



Our "official" due date!

So today is our "official" due date! The boys are 14wks & 6 days old. It's hard to believe this time last year we were all anxious to get this process moving. Several months of delays and then finally our transfer in March. And here we are, my final journey is over and now one amazing couple have become two even more amazing parents!
 
♥ Liam is 8lbs 12oz & 20 3/4", completely wireless, 3oz every 3hrs. Went home at 13wks 3days old!
 
♥ Ryan is 9lbs 5oz & 20", coming down on his oxygen needs & hoping he grows new lung tissue soon, he's taking every other feed by bottle. Praying he's home very very soon!

Welcome Home Liam!

 That's right! Baby Liam got to go HOME today!!

I can't express how happy I am this day has finally come for Carrie & Craig! I got to visit with them in the NICU a while today and hold Liam without any plastic..lol



He has been off oxygen for about a week and on all bottles as well so they finally kicked him out. He's nearing 8lbs too! Precious Ryan still has a few weeks to go but hopefully he will be home with his brother soon! And Ryan is almost 9lbs!!

I still can't believe how much we've been through on our journey together this year. It's definitely been a roller coaster ride for us all but to see where they are now is just truly a miracle.

Just a comparison:

 Ryan-36hours old, less then 2lbs

Ryan- 3months old & almost 9lbs!

Oh MAN I've neglected the blog!!

It wouldn't let me comment on the post either :( I am on a mission to get Stacey up to the hospital and have her hold the boys now that they are holdable, huggable, and snuggable :) Especially Ryan, He LOVES snuggling in and being held tight! I am so glad that Stacey has updated y'all because I am sooooo bad about it! I'm so sorry everyone! Love and prayers to you all!

Here's a couple more recent pics of our little love bugs :)

Ryan is our chunky monkey at 6 lbs 8 oz and an adorable double chin!!! But Liam is only 3 oz behind him at 6 lbs 5 oz :)

Brothers :) Ryan was trying to hold Liam's hand!

RE: 10wks old post

  Since it won't let me comment on my own blog (!?)...

Thank you all, we are thrilled they are growing so big & healthy! Hopefully not too much longer before they are finally home. Unfortunately I haven't been able to hold the babies so no pics to share of  that :(

10 weeks old

 Ok I'm a day early but 2 updates in one week! It's a miracle! The boys are getting more holding time and best of all time together again! I'm sure Mommy is cherishing every moment of all the snuggle time :)

 Ryan is officially 6lbs and Liam is just 3oz shy of it! Carrie & Craig meant it when they said the boys would be 10lbs if they'd been term. Oy!

Here are a few recent pics of their lil punkins :)

(Liam is on L & 1st alone pic and Ryan on the R & 2nd alone pic)

 Snuggle time with Mommy :)



9wks+ a growing like weeds!

Quick update since it's been forever again. The boys are just over 9wks old and both OVER 5lbs!! They are only on O2 nasal canula's..NO MORE VENTS!! Liam is taking bottles but still has his feeding tube. Ryan got his 1st bottle today! I'm still pumping for them but not doing so great so they get formula as well. Just trying to hold out for them as long as they are in the hospital. Mommy & Daddy got to hold BOTH babies together  for the 1st time recently. How exciting is that :) And got their 1st family picture too! Lots of exciting updates I've slacked on, sorry about that.. There is talk that it's possible at least Liam go home around Halloween. Look how far they have come from those teeny tiny 25 weekers! Here are a few recent pics:

Seriously slacking here..

 SO sorry we've fallen this behind on the blog. I guess now that the journey is "over" I just don't know what to post anymore. The boys are 7wks & 2 days old and growing so fast! Ryan is over 4lbs and Liam is just shy of it. They both did GREAT during and after their surgeries! The incision site is just below their shoulder blade and did not require stitches, just surgical glue. Can you imagine doing heart surgery on such tiny humans?? They are eating approx 22 & 25oz every 2 hours. I'm pumping still, trying to keep up the best I can : )
 Last week was the boys Welcome to the World shower. I know Mommy & Daddy had fun taking a break and getting to visit with a lot of their friends. I made Carrie a scrapbook for the boys and had some other stuff personalized for them.
 I realized after my last Dr visit that my regular OB has no idea any of this ever happened. Last I saw him was getting the ok to carry one last time. Boy will he be surprised at my annual in a couple months..LOL