Good to be home!

We are all enjoying being back in the midwest for a while. David and I are enjoying having extra help with the boys. There is always someone who is willing to hold a crying baby or change a poopy diaper!! The other day, David and I went to Walmart, together and alone!!! We were also enjoyed a date night!! The joy of built in babysitters.

The boys' first Christmas was very nice. They enjoyed mass on Christmas Eve. They tried to open presents but are a little too young. Unfortunately, Michael came down with a cold on Christmas Day. Christmas Day was a little rough, but he is feeling better today. Thomas has a slight cold, but feeling better as well.

The boys are doing well with the change of schedule and all the extra people who want to see them. We are wrapping up our visit in Omaha and will be heading to Beloit, KS on Thursday.

Professional Pilots All

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the airport, not a Michael or Thomas were to be found. For up in the air at 35,000 feet, the little babies flew trying their best to be discrete. Although their ears could not pop and the pressure was oh so strong, they managed themselves quit well to the gate.

Kansas City they came, where they first met their aunt (Jilinda). Tears filled her eyes, much to her disbelief, Michael was pooping and bags had to be gotten. Our ride was ready, as their aunt (Danielle) came to pick us up. Quickly gathering our things, we made for the door.

Up the road and to A-town, the boys finally got a whiff of quiet sleep. After meeting more friends, the boys again hit the road. Heading north to Nebraska, where they would see their Grandma and Grandpa's new abode.

Joyfully they arrived, after flying and driving so long. Now they are professionals, travelers all!

****
Good News! After some aggressive persuasion, Michael's monitor has been taken off. Too bad for the people who will have to tell them apart, especially their mother! The boys did excellent on the plane rides over to the Midwest and have finally caught up on their sleep. They have also settled into a holiday routine, whatever that is.

Tomorrow they will be baptized at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church at 10:30 am.

Getting Excited!

We are getting very excited for our trip home for the holidays!!! It is hard to believe that it is almost the middle of December. Time flies when you are having fun.

Last week Michael was a little bit fussy. He wasn't too bad, but bad enough to make me very grateful that the boys are generally very good babies. I guess I shouldn't complain. We decided that we thought Michael may have been teething. That was the only thing we could come up with, since we could tell that he was not sick. Thank goodness he is doing better this week.

It has been so much fun to watch the boys these past few weeks. One of them would start doing something, like grabbing at and swinging his arms at this hanging toys. The other one would then catch up in a couple of days. The boys do love to laugh and talk. We have decided that Michael is more like his father and Thomas more like his mother. Michael is more like David in the fact that he likes to be the center of our attention. If we leave the room for a few minutes then he will start to fuss until we come back in and start talking to him. When we start talking to him or pick him up Michael gets a big smile on his face because he got exactly what he wanted, our attention. Thomas on the other hand is more likely to entertain himself for a longer time with out us in the room. Thomas is definitely more patient, like his mother.

Many of you may be disappointed that I have not posted pictures in a while, but have no fear, I am doing that today! So please go check out the photo gallery!

A weekend alone

David is preparing to go out of town for the weekend and I am preparing for a weekend of just me and the boys. So it probably won't be just me and the boys, I have enlisted some help from a couple of my friends.

We had a very nice Thanksgiving at my godparents house about an hour from us. We have so many things to be thankful for this year. Starting off with our healthy boys and our wonderful friends and family.

Thomas and Michael are continuing to do well. They are not rolling over yet, but getting closer to it everyday. They are beginning to enjoy spending time on their tummies, working on getting strong. They are also big laughers. I will be changing them, or getting ready to feed them and they will just start laughing, for no apparent reason. They are both ticklish. I find it very easy to get them laughing. Both Thomas and Michael, also are big talkers.

A few of our favorite things.

Thomas and Michael have many favorite things they would like to share with all of you. We like it when mom and dad pat on our tummies. We like talking to mom, dad, and anyone who will listen. Heck we will talk to no one at all. We like to watch and listen to the purple phones that Aunt Jilinda gave us. We enjoy taking a seat in a bouncy seat or the swing. We like going for rides in the car, as long as we are moving, or the stroller. We also like to eat, which is evident by how big we are getting. I (being Michael) laugh really hard when mom tickles me under my chin. I also enjoy sucking on my fist. I (now being Thomas) love to suck on my thumb. Most importantly, we like our sleep! Lastly we like it when mom puts more pictures on the website for all of you to see (which she has done today).

The Poop Monster and Thumbsucker Extraordinare

We call Michael the Poop Monster, because when you hear the sound of him filling his pants, you all know the sounds I am talking about, you don't wait too long before going to change him. You give him just enough time to make sure he has finished pooping and then you go to change him. When you do change him you are afraid to discover where you will find poop. Will it be up his back, up the front or running down the legs? I think in one day he managed to poop through 3 onesies! Thomas does a much better job of containing his poop.

Thomas is the Thumbsucker Extraordianare! He has discovered the joy of sucking on his thumb. We hadn't been able to get the boys to take pacifiers for a while, instead they liked to suck on their fists. Thomas has discovered that he can get his thumb in this mouth and suck on that. I am torn about his thumb sucking. On one hand it is nice because he can pacify himself, if I am busy with Michael. On the other hand, I know from personal experience how hard it can be to stop sucking your thumb and effects it can have on your teeth. Michael has yet to discover that he can suck on his thumb, he is still sucking on his fist.

We did survive the shots. The afternoon and evening after the shots were a little crazy. I think I spent the majority of the afternoon holding one of the boys, while the other slept. I was glad when David got home. Once we got the boys to sleep they did okay, it was getting them settled down that was the difficult part. They were fine the next day.

They boys are still inconsistent when it comes to sleeping through the night. I would say that they have more nights that they sleep from 10:00 pm to 6:30 or 7:00, than nights when they wake up once. They were on a pretty good roll, until last night, when they woke up around midnight. I am loving the full nights sleep that I am getting, especially since my sinsus have been giving me trouble for the last week or so. David is probably not telling much of a difference, as he doesn't get up with the boys, since he can't do much for them.

On the Charts!!

We went fora visit to the doctor this morning. I was shocked at the boys weights. Thomas weighs 12 lbs 3 oz and is 23 inches tall, while Michael weighs 12 lbs and is 23 1/4 inches tall (no wonder their clothes don't fit them anymore!). Their weight and height is on the growth charts, granted they are still smaller than average for their age, but they are catching up. They put on about 3 pounds in the last month and a half. Needless to say the doctor was very pleased with their growth and everything else checked out fine. I was not expecting the boys to get another round of shots, but I was mistaken. The boys got 4 shots apiece. They cried a little, but were fine as soon as David or I held them. I have a feeling that the boys will be a little crabbier from these shots, because they are getting over a little head cold. So when we add the shots on to that, we could have a rough day or so. Luckily they are both taking a nap right now.

2 in a row!

For the past two nights the boys have slept from 10:00 pm to 6:30 am!!! Hurrah for sleep! Last week we moved the boys into the crib in their room. They have made that transition very well. They were used to sleeping in the crib since I had been putting them in there for nap time. During the last couple of weeks the boys have been sleeping for longer stretches, with a couple of nights were they had slept until 6:00 am. While they were in our room, they would wake up and I would wonder if they needed to eat or if they would go back to sleep. So I decided to move them, knowing that they would let me know if when they were hungry! I am very much enjoying the full nights of sleep!

David is continuing his job search for something closer to home. He has a couple of promising leads in the Kansas City area and a couple in the Denver metro. We are very excited for our trip home in December. Although we are excited at the thought of seeing all of our friends and family, we are a little overwhelmed at the thought of making the trip with the boys.

Four Months Old

It is hard to believe but Thomas and Michael are 4 months old today! Time flies when you are having fun!

Thomas and Michael's first Halloween was pretty uneventful. We had the boys dressed in Halloween outfits, but did not go for the costume route. They helped us answer the door to the few trick or treaters we had in our neighborhood. The evening ended with a bath!

I have added more pictures to the website. Some new pictures and some old ones that have been reloaded!

Details, Details, Details

We have nailed down a few details for our trip back home for the holidays. We will arrive in Kansas City on December 20th. We will head to Omaha first and be in Omaha until the 28th of December. We will head to Beloit on December 28th and remain there until we return to KC to fly home on January 6th. We have also decided that Thomas and Michael will be Baptised in Omaha, NE on December 23rd. We don't have a specific time yet, but that will be decided soon.

We return the doctor on November 9th, and we hope to get Michael off his monitor then. I am sure that the doctor will order another download of the info from his machine and then we will go from there. David and I are really hoping that it will get to come off then, as we don't want to have to travel home with the monitor.

One of the boys is starting to wake up, I gotta run! Have a Happy Halloween!

Truly Amazing

Unfortantely it was not as easy to recoup the photo gallery from the hacker as it was to save the rest of the website. I have had to reupload all the pictures. This task has been more difficult than I thought it would be, as I encountered many different road blocks. The good new is that I overcome all of those road blocks and now have the most recent pictures of the boys posted on the gallery. I will eventually get the older pictures of Thomas and Michael loaded, in the mean time enjoy the most recent pictures of Thomas and Michael.

In order to rebuild the photo gallery I had to wade through all the pictures of the boys. While I was looking at the pictures from when they were first born, I am truly amazed at how tiny they were and how far they have come. In their 4 mouth lifespan, they have been through so much and have come so far. David and I are truly blest to have these wonderful boys in our life.

All Smiles!!

While Grandma Dillner was out visiting us in September, the boys were just beginning to smile. We had to work really hard to get either of the boys to smile. While Grandpa Dale and Great Grandma Betty were visiting, Thomas and Michael's smile came easier, but we had to work for them. While Aunt Danielle was visiting, Michael smiled all the time when someone was talking to him. Now both of the boys are all smiles. All you have to do is talk to them, and they start beaming their toothless smile. They also enjoy talking to mom or dad and telling them all kinds of stories.

This weekend we took the boys to a local farmers market and picked out a pumpkin for Halloween. I think the pumpkin is bigger than both of the boys combined!

On Sunday at church, we had to make our first visit to the back of church. Although it was our first trip, I doubt it will be our last! Michael decided he wanted to be awake during mass this week. He was pretty good, finally he fell asleep at Communion time, or so I had thought. Shortly after we got back from Communion, he started screaming. I was able to hold off taking him to the back of church until we all sat down. As soon as people started sitting, we made a beeline to the back of church. Thomas on the other hand slept all through mass. I don't know why it is, but one baby is usually more awake or needs to be held during mass and I always seem to be sitting right next to that baby. David usually has the easy baby during mass, funny how that works!

Company

The Dillner household has been bustling lately with company from the Midwest. Early in October my dad and grandma came out to meet Thomas and Michael for a long weekend. We enjoyed having them in town. It was so great to see family. It was tough having to see them go back to the Midwest. Grandpa Dale enjoyed meeting his grandsons. He also enjoyed holding them, talking to them and cuddling with the boys. I tried, but I was unable to get grandpa to change any diapers (surprise, surprise!) Thomas and Michael do enjoy the Husker stuffed toys that grandpa brought for them. Great Grandma Betty also enjoyed meeting Thomas and Michael.

Shortly after Grandpa Dale and Great Grandma Betty left, Aunt Danielle came for a long weekend. Aunt Danielle has held the boys constantly while she has been visiting. Hopefully the boys can handle not being held all the time, when she leaves. She has also been a great help with doing dishes after meals.

In other news. Thomas and Micheal are beginning to sleep for longer times at night. They typically sleep for a 5 to 5.5 hour stretch, then another 4 hour stretch after being fed. I am enjoying this greatly. They are no longer waking up just as I am ready to go to sleep. I love being able to hit the pillow with out having to feed them. I also enjoy only being woken up once during the night.

We have booked our flights to come home for Christmas. We will be in the Midwest from December 20-January 6. We have not yet determined when we will be in Beloit and when we will be in Omaha, but we will soon. Mark your calanders so you can meet Thomas and Michael. We are also planning on having the boys Baptised while we are at home. We are still nailing down the details for that. Even though I an nervous about the thought of flying with the twins, I can't wait to get back home so all of our friends and family can meet Thomas and Micheal. I know that David is excited as well.

As soon as David fixes the photo gallery, I will have more pictures to upload.

hacked!

As many of you may already have guessed, Jenny, the twins and I have joined a Turkish Communist faction. Ok, in all seriousness our website that you all count on for news about the Dillners was hacked! Fortunately, we sustained minor damage to the site and were able to quickly bring it up to functional operations. I regret to say, however, that the gallery is currently closed due to fact that I need to reconstruct a new homepage for it. In the meantime, you will have to rely on our written record of the twins and our adventures.

All is well in the House of Dillner. The twins have been growing and doing what babies do best. They have been sustaining a routine of eating, sleeping and pooping. The good thing is that they have begun to sleep for five consecutive hours at a time. Jenny is thrilled because she gets to get a little more shut eye, which is very valuable for new mothers. I would update you on even more stuff, but there is not a lot going on around these parts and I am very tired.

Good night!

Not Yet

This week, we have been awaiting a call from the doctor with the results of the information downloaded from Michael's monitor, to determine if he is able to come off of it. Well this afternoon I heard from the doctor and he wants Michael to stay on it for a while yet. He said that Michael's breathing patterns are maturing, but are not mature enough yet. We will look at the information again in another 4-8 weeks. Needless to say we were very disappointed to hear this, but I guess we can wait awhile longer yet.

Over the weekend, we had some tense moments in the house. You see Nebraska was playing Kansas in football. Although we were unable to watch the game, we kept watching the scoring updates during different football games. It was a close call, but Nebraska won in overtime. The Big Red reign supreme again! David and I are both trying to persuade the boys to become fans of our favorite team. Time will tell who will be a fan of who.

Lastly, I uploaded a few more pictures on to the photo gallery. I hope you enjoy!

The Joy of Motherhood!

Yesterday afternoon I was feeding Michael, and he decided to spit up all over my shirt, so I had to put on my second shirt for the day. A while later during his next feeding Michael spit up again, this time all over my shorts (had to change them too). I was beginning to think that Michael was out to get me that day, when I was changing him and he peed on me and the blanket, this time I only had to change my socks. I am pretty quick at getting the dirty diaper off and wiping the behind, I get sprayed upon when I go back in to put desitin on the bottom. I guess it just wasn't Michael who was out to get me, later in the evening Thomas joined it. He had a dirty diaper that went everywhere, including on my shirt (time for shirt number 3 of the day!). Ahh the joys of motherhood! Have no fear today has been a much better day, no extra changes of clothes so far!

We really enjoyed the time that David's mom was able to spend with us. I am struggling getting used to being by myself again during the day. It was so wonderful to have another adult to talk to during the day, not to mention another person to change diapers and hold the boys.

We are now getting ready for Grandpa Dale and Great Grandma Betty to visit. They will be arriving on Friday. I know they are very anxious to meet Thomas and Michael.

Growing Like Weeds!!

Yesterday, we took another trip to the peditrician's office, to check the boys weight and then maybe have shots. I could tell the boys were getting bigger, but I was shocked to find out that both Thomas and Michael were over nine pounds. Thomas weighed 9 lb 5 oz and Michael weighted 9 lb 1 oz. They both put on about 2 pounds in 3 weeks. The doctor was very pleased with their weight gain. Since they put on a good amount of weight, he went ahead and gave the boys their first round of immunizations. Both Thomas and Michael did a good job, they cried of course during the shots, but as soon as they were in mom's or grandma's arms they quieted down quickly. Neither boy has had an adverse reaction to the shots, they were a little crabby yesterday but that was to be expected. As for Michael and his monitor, we are getting all the information that has been recorded on the monitor downloaded and analyzed. When our doctor gets the results of the download, he will then make a decision about wether or not Michael can come off the monitor. We are hoping and praying that he will let us take Michael off th monitor.

For the past week and a half we have enjoyed the company of Grandma Dillner. She is spoiling both mom and dad and the twins. David has enjoyed many of his favorite foods that his mom makes. I have also enjoyed them. Thomas and Michael have also enjoyed meeting their grandma. They will be sad when she has to leave.

Last week, Thomas and Michael learned a little bit about the history of our great country. David took Friday off of work, and we went on an outing to Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. We all had a wonderful day, learning about our first president. The boys were great, the slept most of the day. They enjoyed being close to mom and dad in our baby carriers. David also has taken off tomorrow and Friday, so who knows what other adventures the boys will go on before Grandma goes home on Saturday.

Better Late than Never

As promised I have added more pictures to the website. I am sorry that they were not uploaded in the week timeline that I had mentioned, but what can I say, I am a busy person. Enjoy!

Busy, Busy, Busy

The Dillner twins have been busy this past week. The continue to grow like weeds! Getting bigger every day.

On Thursday we took a trip to visit all of our friends in the NICU. They were all so happy to see the boys. They couldn't get over how big they are getting.

On Saturday the boys got their first tour of a Civil War Battlefield. We loaded the boys up in our baby carries, such a blessing, and walked around Kernstown Battlefield and enjoyed listening to a volunteer explain the battle. The boys won't remember much as they both slept soundly.

Thomas and Michael are anxiously waitng for Grandma Dillner's arrival this afternoon. They are excited to meet their grandma. David is excited to have his mom make him some of his favorite foods. I am excited to have some company during the day. Grandma Dillner will be out here for almost 2 weeks.

Perfect Timing!

It never fails, at the end of a busy day, when I am looking forward to falling into bed, and as I am getting ready for bed. What do I hear? Yes the cry of a hungry baby. Which usually then leads to the cry of another hungry baby. At first I was upset by this because I just wanted to go to bed. Then it started happening on a regularly. I finally came to grips with it, when I realized that it was probably better for me to feed the boys as I am going to bed, instead of sleeping for a short while and then being woke up.

The Dillner family went on a shopping outing this weekend. David and I took the boys to Kohls, Target, Subway and Borders. They enjoyed this outing very much, probably because they were getting new clothes. We found cute Halloween and Thanksgiving outfits for the boys. We bought they boys outfits with room to grow. So for the time being they get to swim in their clothes.

Hopefully I will get to post new pictures sometime this week.

Getting Bigger

Both boys are doing great, says the doctor. He is really pleased with their weight gain, around an ounce a day, he would be happy with half an ounce a day. I guess the boys are overachievers! Thomas weighs 7 lb 6 oz and is 20 in long. Michael weighs 7 lb even and is also 20 in long. We opted to not have their shots today. The doctor wanted to wait a little bit longer, so they can get a bigger. We go back again in 3 weeks, then we will have shots and a discussion about taking Michael off the monitor. We will see how things go between now and then. Hopefully he continues not to have many alarms.

Ernesto

This weekend, Thomas and Michael survived their first tropical storm. Tropical Storm, then Tropical Depression Ernesto was forcasted to drop anywhere from 5 - 10 inches of rain in our area. This prompted schools to be closed due to fear of flooding. If Ernesto did what forecasters were calling for, it could have been an interesting weekend. Instead of pounding us with rain and lots of wind, we received probably about 2 inches of rain, but it was a steady rain and a little wind. The kind of rain we needed. We were lucky, some parts of Virginia did get up to 10 inches of rain and had strong winds. Although it was kind of weak, Thomas and Michael can say that they have been through a tropical storm.

The Dillner family is enjoying a relaxing Labor Day weekend. We had some friends over for dinner on Saturday night and otherwise we have been pretty lazy. David is glad that he does not have to work today, so he can spend more time with Thomas and Michael. Tomorrow the boys go back to the peditrician. We will post a full update of the doctor's report, including weight and length, tomorrow.

Lunch Out

Today Thomas and Michael experienced their first restaurant. I decided try and take the boys out by myself this afternoon and meet some teachers from my old school for lunch. I got the boys loaded in their carseats and into the car. I had already phoned one of my friends and she was going to help me carry one the boys into the restaurant. We made the short trip to the Chinese restaurant. Thomas and Michael met many new people and slept while mommy enjoyed some time out of the house and conversing with adults! I decided the trip was a success. Who knows where we will venture in the future!

Yesterday the boys ventured to City Hall to see where daddy works and let daddy show them off.

I am doing okay with the boys during the day. The only time it gets a little stressful is when I am feeding Thomas or Michael and the other is crying because he is hungry. Hopefully as lthe boys get bigger, I will be able to feed them at the same time. Otherwise the boys are very good, they like to lay on the floor and look around, spend some time on their tummy or in the bouncy seat and most of sleep. I like it when they sleep at the same time so I can either get somethings done around the house or take a nap.

We go back to the peditrician on Tuesday. Depending on how much they weigh, they may get their shots. The doctor likes to give baby shots when they reach about 7 pounds. If the boys are not to 7 pounds yet, then we will hold off on the shots for awhile. We also hope to get an idea of how long Michael will have to be on the monitor. Hopefully not much longer.

Telling the boys apart.

We have been asked how we tell the boys apart. Well to be honest, the only way we know who is who, is by the fact that Michael is on a monitor and has cords attached to him! The other day I had Michael disconnected from his monitor and David came in and thought I had Thomas! When Michael is done with the monitor, we will have to come up with a different way to tell them apart. When I am posting pictures on the website, it helps to remember who was wearing what, or think back to that time and remember what was going on. We are also beginning to figure out differences in their temperments and personalities.

Tummy Time

All is continuing to go well at the Dillner home. The boys are still eating well and sleeping well. Typically during the night, they only wake up to eat and then go back to sleep. Mom and dad are very thankful for that.

The highlight of the boys day is when they get to have tummy time. They get to spend a few minutes on their tummy, so they can strengthen their neck. The boys either love it or hate it depending on their mood. One day earlier in the week, I think it was Sunday, we had Michael on his tummy and he was not happy. He had worked himself up on to side, his favorite position. His arm must have been in the right place because after a little more kicking, sqiurming and working, he had himself on his back. David and I were totally amazed. A little while later we had Thomas on his tummy and he did the same thing. Amazing!

Today I took Michael to the eye doctor, to have a check up. The doctor was looking to make sure that all the blood vessels around the retna have developed. He checked Michael out in the NICU and was pleased with his progress, but wanted to see him one more time to make sure he continued in the right path. Luckily all is well and we don't have to go back to the eye doctor. It is no fun for Michael. They use a small instrument to hold his eyelids open and then another instrument to move his eyeball so he can see inside. Michael cried during this time, but otherwise he did well. I am sure he is glad as well that he does not have to go back.

Next week will be interesting as David is going back to work. So I will be on my own with the boys all day long.

One final note, more pictures are in the photo gallery! Enjoy!

Grandma writes

As Grandma Melinda prepares to leave she really can't help wondering who are the lucky ones. Thomas and Michael for having such wonderful, loving and caring parents (and grandparents!) or Jenny and David for having such handsome, sweet, adorable, lovable and good boys. I think they will all be good for each other and take good care of one another. I have enjoyed my visit and holding the boys and gazing at them in amazement of Gods love and blessings.
-Grandma Melinda

David and I were very thankful to have my mom around for a week and a half. I think she spoiled us more than the boys, cooking and cleaning up dinner and doing things around the house. It was also so wonderful to visit with her, as we don't get to see our family as often as we would like. Thanks mom for all your help and your visit! Now the real fun begins when we have to do all those things for ourselves.

In other news, the boys experienced their first mass yesterday. We took the boys to church with us last night. They were very good and slept through the whole mass. After mass we went to a Greek Festival and ran into some friends. The boys enjoyed being outside in the fresh air.

The 64 million dollar question

Are they identical???? Well the answer to that question is yes. I asked the my doctor today, who took a look at the placenta report and concluded that they are identical.

The trip to the pediatrician yesterday was a success. David and I both liked their pediatrician. He said that they boys are both doing great. They look good. They were awake and alert. Thomas weighed 5 lbs 11 oz and Michael weight 5 lb 12 oz.

Both Michael and Thomas are doing a much better job at breastfeeding. They are eating like pigs and then typically falling asleep. Their favorite position to sleep is on the chest of anyone who is willing to hold them. At night they sleep, except when they are eating. Mom and dad are very grateful for this.

Thank you!

David and I wanted to thank the staff in the NICU for taking such wonderful care of the boys. We did not have to worry about them, because we knew they were in great hands. The staff in the NICU was very supportive of us, letting us do as much as possible for the boys. They were also very supportive of me breastfeeding the boys. We want them to know how much we appreciate what they did for the boys.

We would also like to thank our friends and family for their continued prayers and support. We know that all those thoughts and prayers helped us get through this difficult time. We thank the Lord for all your support. We also pray for you each day.

It is so wonderful to have the boys at home. They are doing very well. I think they are adjusting quite well. They are good eaters and sleepers. Their nights have also gotten much better. They are waking up to eat and then go back to sleep. Michael's monitor has also settled down, or we have gotten better with it. We are have fewer alarms due to loose leads each day.

They have their first pediatrician appointment tomorrow morning. It will be a challenge to get everyone up, fed, ready to go and in the car to make our appointment at 9:15. I am anxious to see how much they weigh and find out from the pediatrician how long Michael will have to be on the monitor. The only plus to the monitor is that it helps us tell the boys apart. I still struggle telling them apart, David thinks he can do it, but he has not let me in on his secret.

I know many of you are awaiting new pictures. You can expect new pictures in the next day or two. I have a bunch to upload to the website, I just need to find the time!

Sleepless Nights in Winchester

There are many people out there who wanted to know how our first night with the twins went. The only way that I can tell you is that if you've ever had a child, multiply it by two and you'll have your answer. If you've never had a child, now would be a great time to jump on the band wagon and find out. When you get to that special night, remember this: it will be the longest night of your life. I promise.

It seemed like I had retreated to bed some twenty-eight times BEFORE midnight! Once I had gotten one of the boys to settle down, the other would pick up the tune of "I'm not going to bed without a fight." Jenny would attempt to feed each of them in turn, and that wouldn't get us anywhere either. They would pretend they were hungary, but once they were positioned, it was scream central. They wouldn't eat and they wouldn't sleep. Then we got a little smarter.

Last night the boys were milestones better than their first night in the house. We had remembered that for the last six weeks, the boys had lived the high life in the NICU. For you readers that have never visited a NICU, they are extremely busy and often times annoyingly noisy places. Constant beeps and buzzes from various machines designed to measure the mythediendate-scheylandanrantide of the left ventricle in the flaginmaginous receptive. Ok, it's not the scientific, but there are a lot of things going on. This invariably taught the boys how to sleep in places with constant noise and movement. When they came home, Jenny and I had to reconstruct the busy environment that they hailed from.

Hopefully tonight will not be as bad as that first night. I know that Jenny would greatly appreciate some rest, and I think that tonight may be a great opportunity for all of us to engage the Sandman.

Five Twin Firsts
1. First NASCAR race (Watkins Glen)
2. First ride in stroller
3. First extended walk outside
4. First look in a mirror
5. First time dad got peed on (courtesy Michael)

Homecoming!

The day the Dillners have been waiting for has finally arrived! Both Thomas and Michael will be coming home today. The hour of arrival will be sometime after 5:00 pm. We are preparing to leave for the hospital momentarily to begin the process of bringing them home. We have to have CPR training and probably fill out some paperwork, but once that is all complete, the boys will be buckled into their carseats to enjoy a ride to our house.

Both boys have done rather well the last week, but Michael will have to come home on a monitor. At this point in time we don't know how long he will remain on the monitor, but it will probably be for a few weeks. He has had a few "spells" when he was being bottle-fed. Thomas on the other hand will not be coming home with an annoying monitor. The good thing is that we will be bringing both boys home together.

Last night, Jenny and I had to room in with Michael in order for us to bring them home. Thomas couldn't camp out with us because he was still in observation so that we could bring him home without the monitor. Michael was really fussy throughout most of the night, and we believe that this was from the fact that he knew that Thomas was not with him. Fortunately for us, they will both be coming home so we won't have to worry about unsetting them both.

The boys picked a great week to come home. The temperature outside is absolutely incredible! Tomorrow is supposed to be around 77 degrees! While this may not seem exciting, it beats bringing them home in blistering 100+ degree heat. We think they will transition well into the home-setting, but we think we will have to have some music or sounds playing while they are sleeping because the NICU was so loud. We think Michael also couldn't take the silence of our room last night.

Well, the adventure of raising the boys really begins tonight. It will be a different setting for us and them. We'll all survive, but I don't know how much sleep we'll get. Chances are high that we will be slightly tired tomorrow.

Oh, at least they will be home.

Finally.

Sleep when you can!

Sleep when you can is David's new motto, as illustrated by the picture. David is holding Thomas during a visit to the NICU and taking a quick little catnap.
Both boys are continuing to do well. Michael is weighing 5 lb 12 oz and Thomas is not far behind at 5 lb and 11 oz. They are continuing to eat well. They are getting better at breastfeeding. They do struggle with nipple confusion. When they begin to breastfeed, they are trying to eat like they are eating from the bottle, It takes them a few minutes to make the transition. The lactation consultant reassures me that when they get home and are strictly breastfeeding they will do so much better.
Grandma Melinda arrived in Winchester yesterday afternoon. She was very excited to see and hold both of the boys. She enjoyed holding both boys and taking pictures of them. Grandpa Kreher sent some clothes with grandma for the boys. I wanted to take the boys hospital pictures in the Cornhusker outfits he sent, but David would not agree to it.
We look forward to having both of the boys home soon.

Seconds for Thomas

Tonight our visit to the NICU was pretty uneventful. Both boys were sleeping when we arrived, and so we had to be mean parents and wake them up. Thomas ate first, and when Jenny thought that he was finished, she passed him to me. Then Michael ate. After Michael finished, Thomas was ready for more food. He had gone 4.5 hours in between feeds, so needless to say, he was more hungary than usual.

Both boys have been eating good enough to continue to gain weight. Michael weighed in at 5 lbs, 12 oz and Thomas weigh 5 lbs, 9 oz. In a few days, they both should be a whopping 6 pounds! They are getting bigger and all the nurses comment on how much they have grown since they were born. I must say that they are bigger and it makes me feel more comfortable handling them. When they were very small they seemed so fragile. Now they are ready to rock climb.

In other news around the Dillner household, St. Benedict's Brewing Company began its fourth recipe this weekend. For more on this, visit the St. Benedict Brewing Company blog.

The results are in

Over the weekend we got the results of the test ran on the boys earlier in the week, to determine the cause of their spells. Thomas' results told us that he still has immature breathing patterns, which is the reason for the heart rate and breathing rate drops. Michael on the other hand did have reflux issues. He was put on medication to help control this. We basically have two choices, we can wait for the boys to go seven days with out having a spell where their heart rate drops or their breathing rate drops, or we can bring them home on monitors that would let us know if one of the boys is having a spell. As of yesterday Thomas was on day 2 of his spell count and Michael was on day 3. We are going to let them try to finish this spell count and make it to seven days. If they are unable to go the seven days without spells, then we will bring them home on monitors. We are ready to get the boys home. We don't have a specific discharge date yet, but when we do, we will let you all know.

Otherwise both boys are doing well. They are continuing to eat well and sleep well between feedings. They are going about 3-4 hours between feedings. They are also continuing to gain weight. Thomas was at 5 lb 7 oz and Michael was at 5 lb 9 oz yesterday.

All is well!

Not much new to report from the Dillner camp at the NICU. We are still waiting the results of the test the boys had earlier in the week to see why they keep having spells. The boys did have a head ultrasound and all looked well. Both boys are continuing to gain weight, Thomas is at 5 lb 5 oz and Michael is at 5 lb 6 oz.

Spells, Spells and More Spells

The boys are continuing to gain weight and eat well. They are no longer on a specific feeding schedule, when one of the boys wakes up and is hungry, they will feed him, then wake the other and feed him. They are trying to make the transition to home easier. I am glad that they are trying to keep the boys on similar schedules. The only negative aspect to this, is that it makes it very difficult to time our visits to the NICU, especially because when we go I like to be there at feeding time, so that I can breastfeed the boys. So far the boys have been going about 3 hrs between feedings during the day and 4 hours at night.

The nurses are always telling us what good boys they are. Typically when they wake up, they lay and look around, not crying, unless they are really hungry. They are good at going with the flow. We can only hope that they continue to be good boys when they come home.

Both of the boys are continuing to have spells and they should be outgrowing them by now. So when I was at the hospital this morning, working on breastfeeding the boys, the doctor told me that they had ordered a test for the boys to determine why they keep having spells. I can't remember what the name of the test is, I know that the test will run about 24 hours and the boys will have a tube down their nose again. The test will better help the doctors know what is going on when the boys have spell, where their heart rate drops, if it is reflux or some other problem. Once they know better why the boys are still having spells, they can treat it. If for example the spells are due to reflux, they can be given medicine for that. Hopefully tomorrow we will know more. The doctor told me that they order this test routinely for all babies who are full term, (which they are now!), all bottle feedings and still having spells. The spells are the only thing still keeping the boys in the NICU. Recently a set or girl twins moved in next door to the boys, maybe that is why they are still having spells!

Lastly an update on the boys weights, Last night Thomas weighed 5 lb 3 oz and Michael was 5 lb 4 oz.

Brotherly Love

When Thomas got word that he was about ready to go home, but he would have to leave his brother in the hospital, he decided to make his stay in the NICU a little longer. He did not want to have to leave Michael in the NICU, so he had a spell last night (not having anymore spells was one of the criteria to come home on Tuesday). Thomas thought that he needed to stay at the hospital and keep an eye on his younger brother (although only by 1 minute) Michael. Now that is brotherly love. Michael also had spell. Before the boys can come home they need to go 7 days with out a spell. They have met all the other criteria for coming home, both boys no longer have tubes in their nose for feedings, all of their feedings are coming from the bottle or the breast. So it will be at least a week before they are able to come home.

I know that these boys have some impatient aunts out there (on the Kreher side), who want to see more pictures of the boys. Well the camera and computer are back on speaking terms and I was able to get the pictures off the camera. A couple of pictures are posted here, the rest will be on the gallery tomorrow. The top picture is Michael hanging out in his bed. The bottom picture is Thomas right after mom have him a bath.

Life as we know it will be forever changed!

First and foremost I know there are some of you out there who are anxiously awaiting new pictures of the boys. I have to apologize for the lack of pictures. Last week I was feeling a little under the weather and did not upload pictures. Now that I am feeling better the camera and the computer are not communicating well and I am having difficulty uploading pictures. As soon as I can will put new pictures of the boys on the internet.

Now onto bigger and better news. This morning when my cell phone ran and I went to answer it and saw that it was the NICU calling, I was a little scared because I knew they called if something had changed or something bad happened, I was even more scared when it was the doctor on the phone, but he quickly put me at ease by saying that nothing was wrong. He wanted to tell me that Thomas could be coming home next week. If Thomas continues to do what he is doing, taking all of his feedings by bottle and continues not to have any spells then, he will be discharged on Tuesday!!!! Thomas currently does not have tube down his nose for feedings anymore, so he is taking all of his feeds by bottle. Thomas also weighs 5 lb 1 oz.

We still don't know when Michael will be home. He is still having some spells. He is having all of his feedings offered to him by the bottle, but he is not consistently finishing them. When he is consistently finishing his feedings and has not had spells for one week, then he will come home.

We are extremely excited to hopefully be bringing Thomas home on Tuesday. We are praying that he continues to do well and his discharge won't have to be delayed. We know that soon Michael will be ready to come home and we can be one big happy family.

Baby Clothes

There's a lot of money to be made if a person wants to design baby clothes. Whoever does it now just doesn't understand that you have to get the baby into the clothing. It's as if they were made for paper dolls or something. Not to mention that the baby doesn't want to cooperate either. Michael, poor kid, went for a splunking adventure without hitting the caves. I had to undress and re-dress him as he was weighted while Jenny was feeding Thomas.

There we were exploring the vast crevasses of his gown, as he slipped and slided around on the caverns edge. What a thrill! I can only imagine that Michael was having a great time too, because he wasn't really complaining. After I located his head through a tunnel, we quickly located his other limbs and finally surfaced. The adventure, I think, wore me out more than it did him. Afterwards, he was wide awake, probably more so that he was about to be fed by mother more than he was from playing around with me and his clothes.

Baby clothes were not made for parents. I am beginning to wonder if they were even made for babies. Although I have never tried, I believe it would be easier for a person to dress a dog in a baby outfit instead of a baby. At least the dog would be sitting (standing) upright. Not to mentions that a baby's butt is as smooth as any surface I have ever seen, and therefore, tends to move around quite seemlessly. Dogs butts are in the air and wouldn't move at all.

I would also like to make a short note about yesterday's entry. Michael's poop bomb had the velocity of Tiger Woods' golf ball after he hits it with a golf club. While Tiger's swing has been clocked at a speed upwards of 200 mph, Michael's poop was last seen flying over Delaware. Babies in the surrounding cribs have been moved to a safer location down wind of the mini-man poop launcher. I believe the US military is interested in studying the technology that he uses to blast with such dismal force and accuracy.

Terrorists Attack!

Today, I felt like what Lebanon feel like as Israel bombs the $#%! outta them. There I was, surrounded by enemy combatants, looking for a way to get my troops out. Suddenly, the sky was filled with explosions and shrapnel as the artillery shell hit. The loud noises of war were eerily quieted as the explosion reverberated off my ear drum. Luckily for me, it had rumptured with the explosion. I looked around at my comrades and they were running about attempting to find shelter, attempting to escape the blast. The smell was horrific, terrible. It nearly made me gag, as I reached for a gas mask. "This could be my last breath," I thought to myself and I washed my hands and continued to wipe Michael's rear.

Ah, the likes of war in the NICU! Michael fired his artillery rock at my arm while I attempted to clean his diaper during a routine visit to the Unit tonight. While I was cleaning myself, the nurse brought in backup and began to assist with the hazmat clean-up. Unfortunately for her, he was not finished with me. As if he had been planning this attack for weeks, Michael promptly put down another load, dirtying everything around him. To say the least, Michael's first attack is a clear sign of his aggression towards those that try to wipe with a cold wipee.

The good news, however, is that both boys have gained weight once again. Thomas now weights in at 4 lbs, 14 oz and Michael comes in at 5 lbs (after the unloading). With this continued grow and everything else looking great, the nurses have begun to prepare us for the day when we will get to bring the boys home. I think both boys are ready to get out of the hospital, and I know Jenny and I will be thrilled when they do finally get to come home. We will keep you updated on the approach of this exciting moment in the boys' lives.

All is well

They boys are continuing to do well. There are no major changes to report. The doctors and nurses want to the boys to continue doing what they are doing.

Sunday night, Thomas weighed 4 lb 9.9 oz and Michael weighed 4 lb 11 oz ( I believe). When we were visiting last night, the nurse was unable to get a scale, and was going to weigh them at a different time, so you can assume that the boys put on an ounce or two.

The doctors and nurses are beginning to get things together for discharge. Still no word on when it will be, but I am assuming it will still be a couple of weeks, but we are moving in the right direction.

Getting closer

The boys are continuing to do well. They both weigh about 4.5 lbs (I can't remember the exact weights or I would give them too you.) They are continuing to work on their bottle feeding and nursing. Their nurse said last night that they really seemed to show an interest in their bottle feedings. It is still a lot of work for the boys to take a feeding from a bottle and they get tired quickly.

The past couple of times we have visited the boys or talked with the nurses on the phone, we hear more and more talk about discharge. Before they can be discharged they have to take all of their feedings from a bottle or the breast and no feedings in the tube. In addition to the feedings they must not have any spells where their heart rates or breathing rates drop. They are still at a point now where they are having spells after eating, due to all the hard work of eating. As soon as the spells decrease they will increase the number of feedings from the bottle or breast, until all feedings are from the bottle or breast.

Soon David and I will have car seat training. We need to learn how to put the boys in the car seats so that their breathing or heart rates don't decrease. After we are trained on it, we will be observed putting the boys in their car seats and they will be monitored to be sure they don't have any spells. We don't have a specific date for discharge, but their nurse yesterday seemed confident that they could be discharged by their due date August 13. It is exciting to start having discussions about what to expect when they go home and what we have to accomplish before going home. I imagine that it will still be a couple of weeks before they come home, but that time will be here before we know it.

Thank you to all of you who have kept us and the boys in your thoughts and prayers. We know that it is because of all those thoughts and prayers that the boys are doing so well. We really apprecaite all your thoughts and prayers.

All is well

Not much new to report on the Dillner camp at the NICU. The boys are continuing to do well in their cribs. They are both gaining weight, Thomas is 4 lb 5.1 oz and Michael is 4 lb 6.8 oz. They are both continuing to make improvements in breast feeding and bottle feeding. Last night Thomas took a whole feeding, 36 cc from a bottle and this morning Michael took his whole feeding from the bottle, 38 cc. Hopefully this trend continues!

Big changes for tiny people

Thomas and Michael are living it up in their new open air cribs. Well they don't look much like cribs, but all the other cribs in the NICU are being used. Thomas had his clothes and blankets off as he was in the middle of getting his temperature taken and being weighed for the evening. He weighed 4 lbs 3.8 oz. Michael is all bundled up so that he can maintain his body temperature. When Michael was weighed last night he weighed 4 lb 5 oz. Thomas will soon be wrapped up like his brother. Mom and dad were so excited to visit the boys and see them in cribs and not in the isolates. It was so much easier for us to pick them up and put them back, not to mention change a diaper.

This morning I went to the hospital to work on the boys bottle feeding, but the occupational therapist had a meeting, so the boys and I worked on breastfeeding. The lactation consultant was there and reassured me that the boys were on the right track and when they get a little bigger and stronger they will be good nursers. I was also excited to hear that both Thomas and Michael were able to maintain their body temperatures through the night. It seems that they are handling moving to the cribs well. Some babies really struggle with that. I also got to put sleepers on the boys, I made sure they had different sleepers on, so that we can tell them apart.

David often takes pictures of the boys in the evenings and then the next day I will take them off the camera and update the photo gallery. Sometimes I really have to work to figure out who it is in the picture. I am hoping now that we can put clothes on them, it will be easier to tell the boys apart if I can remember who was wearing what. I will be uploading more pictures to the photo gallery this afternoon. Also in the near future I will be reorganizing the boys pictures in the photo gallery, I am going to make albums for each boy, I think it will be easier for all of you to look at and determine who is who.

The Moment of Truth

Thank you to all of you who voted in our poll asking you to tell the boys apart. Now is the moment of truth, the correct answer to question is about to be given. Take one more quick look at the picture and determine who is who. Of the 28 people who voted, 11 people were correct in saying that Thomas is on the left and Michael is on the right. Congratulations to those of you who were able to tell the boys apart. Better luck next time to those of you who struggled to tell them apart.

The boys are continuing to work hard on eating from a bottle. Mom is also working hard on learning how to feed them and the tricks of the trade that will help them be successful with their feedings until they have all their muscles developed in their mouths. The nurses are putting more clothes and blankets on the boys as they turn the temperatures down in their beds, to help the boys get ready to be moved to a crib. Hopefully they will be moved sometime today. I think they were supposed to be moved yesterday, but they had a busy night in the NICU so it didn't happen. Maybe when David and I go to visit them tonight, they will be in cribs.

4 pound milestone!

Last night both boys passed the 4 pound milestone. They both weighed 4 lbs 2 oz!!! The nurse also told us last night, that they are working on getting the boys ready to move to cribs instead of their isolates. In order to move to a crib the boys must be 4 pounds and be maintaining their body temperature. They have the met the first criteria. Until last night the boys beds monitored their body temperature and then in turn adjusted the temps of the beds as necessary. Last night the temperature monitors were removed and the beds were set at a constant temperature and the boys needed to maintain their body temperatures. When we took their temperatures last night and this morning they were doing fine with this. The next step is to start adding clothes one layer at a time and then reducing the temperature in the bed. I don't know how long it will take to transition the boys into cribs, but when it does happen that will be a big step in the right direction.

Last night David gave Michael a bath. Dad did a good job for his first bath. The nurse walked him through the steps and took a couple of pictures, that I will post on the website later today. I have not given either of the boys a bath yet, as when the baths are happening I am usually trying to nurse one of the boys. We moved the boys baths to alternate nights, so maybe I will be able to bathe them sometimes.

Working Hard

I went up to the hospital this morning to work with the Occupational Therapist on the boys bottle feeding. Trying to eat from a bottle is hard work for the boys. They are working on developing their sucking, swallowing and remembering to breathe. Michael has better sucking reflexes than Thomas, but he was forgetting to breathe. Neither of the boys took their entire bottle. What the boys don't finish will be fed to them through the tube in their nose. The nurse and occupational therapist informed me today that boys in the NICU tend to be lazier than girls when it comes to all the hard work of bottle feeding. It seems to take the boys a little longer to get the hang of it all.

Both boys are continuing to gain weight, Thomas is about 3 lb 14 oz and Michael is about 3 lb 15 oz. They are also beginning to be awake and alert more often. This morning for example they were awake at 7:00 am and Thomas was still awake when I left at 9:00 am, Michael had just fallen asleep. It was nice to see them awake and alert while I was at the hospital.

2 weeks old!

The boys are continuing to do well. Thomas gained about an ounce last night, putting him up to 3 lb 12 oz and is now eating 32 cc every three hours. Michael also gained an ounce and is at 3 lb 14 oz and eating 34 cc every three hours. David and I had a nice long visit with the boys today. They sure do enjoy being held. The boys are getting new beds. The nurse was switching their isolates today. While we were there, she only got Thomas' done, but Michael's will be done soon. Their new beds, are less high tech, don't have as many bells and whistles, which is a good thing, because it means the boys don't need all these bells and whistles. David and I spoke briefly with the doctor today, he said the boys are doing really well. They are doing what they are supposed to be doing.

Bath night

Last night was bath night for the boys. They are beginning to like their baths better. Both boys peed all over their beds right before their baths. They wanted to make sure that they got clean blankets in their beds.

Thomas is weighing in at 3 lb 11 oz and eating 30 cc at each feeding. While Michael is weighing in at 3 lb 13 oz and eating 32 cc at each feeding. Both boys are continuing to work on taking their feedings from a bottle. We are working on breastfeeding when David and I visit in the evenings.

That pretty much brings you up to date on the boys. Nothing too exciting going on, but that is a good thing.

Together again

Last night the nurses put Thomas and Michael together for a few minutes and they took these pictures. The nurse said that as soon as they were next to eachother they put their arms on eachother, showing that they miss eachother.

Daddy's First Diaper Change

Last night, David changed his first diaper. Thomas was the brave soul who survived this ordeal. He was a little tentative to begin with, but met success after we got the clean diaper situated in the right direction. His goal is to make diaper changes like NASCAR pit stops. Before he can reach this goal, he needs to get with his crew chief and get plenty of practice with his pit crew. After the diaper change, then David took Thomas' temperature for the evening. I did the same for Michael. The nurses try to get us as involved as possible in the care of the boys. Michael shot up to 3 lbs 12 oz last night, and Thomas stayed at 3 lbs 9 oz. They will be 4 pounds before we know it. Their feeds were also increased by 1 cc last night.

I will be posting more pictures of the boys on the website today. They are of us holding the boys. When you look at the pictures you will notice that we are holding the boys skin to skin. This is called kangaroo care. Kangaroo care is supposed to help with the babies development and bonding with the parents. I have read a little bit about kangaroo care and its benefits, but I can't remember the specifics right now.

Both boys did well with their bottle feeding this morning taking about 20 cc apiece.

Steady Progress

Again last night both boys gained an ounce, putting Thomas up to 3 lbs 9 oz and Michael up to 3 lbs 10 oz. They are continuing to do well. An occupational therapist is going to begin working with the boys on eating, so we can get them breast and bottle feeding. She started working with the boys this morning and the boys did really well. When David and I go up to visit tonight I will try breastfeeding them.

I ran up the hospital this morning to drop of milk for the boys. While I was there I spoke with the occupational therapist. She said that both of the boys did well on the bottle feeding. She said that Michael did better than Thomas. His sucking reflexes are better and he was also more alert than Thomas. Michael took 21 cc and Thomas took 14 cc. It is a little surprising that Michael's sucking reflexes are better than Thomas' since he had breathing difficulty when he was born. She will continue to work with them during the week. Next week I will try to go up to the hospital during the time that she is working with the boys so that I can learn from her and we can work together. Also during my brief visit, I spoke with the boys doctor. He said that the boys are doing really well. Their weight gain is good. They are doing what is expected for babies of their age.

Tomorrow David's sister Crystal will be heading back to Kansas. We will miss having her around. We are very grateful to her for all of her help to us while she has been out here.

You can't trust a man to get anything right!

Thank you to all of you who informed us that our poll had the same options. That is what you get when you let David create and post the poll. I have gone back and fixed the poll, now you can cast your vote. If I can't leave anything to the men in my life, I guess I am in trouble!


Yesterday we tried to feed both babies with a bottle, and neither of them showed too much interest in the bottle, but that was to be expected. They are at the age where they are just beginning to gain the sucking and swallowing reflex. I plan on going back to the hospital and trying again today. I think today we might try them nuzzling at the breast for a while, and we will see how that goes.

Michael Dillner is weighing in at 3 lbs 9 oz.
Thomas Dillner is weighing in at 3 lbs 8 oz. Some of you may be slightly confused about Thomas' weight, since we were originally told that Thomas weight 3 lbs 15 oz at birth. David and I were told a couple of days after their birth that their must have been a mistake made when weighing Thomas, because that day he had lost about a pound, which did not happen, he probably weighed more around 3 lbs. So we really don't know what Thomas weighed at birth, but that is not the important thing. What is important, is that he is continuing to gain weight.

Can you tell us apart?

We finally got a picture of the twins together! Now the question is, can YOU tell them apart? Let's find out. Look at the picture above and determine which is which. Once you have ascertained the identity of each boy, place your vote on the poll. The answer will be given in one week, so you have plenty of time to review the pictures and make your selection.

Who is who?
	Michael is on the left and Thomas is on the right.
	Thomas is on the left and Michael is on the right.
	Neither of these two boys are the Dillner twins.
	I honestly can't tell them apart.
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Steps in the right direction!

The big news at the Dillner camp in the NICU is that the boys are ready to begin being bottle fed or going to the breast. They will probably start with two feedings a day with a bottle or at the breast. The nurses in the NICU like to reserve those feedings for mom and dad. So while Crystal is here, she will take me up to the hospital for a morning feeding, and then in the evening David and I will visit in the evening at their feeding times and feed them. After Crystal leaves I will try to find rides to the hospital for the morning feedings until I have been cleared to drive.

Otherwise both boys had a good Sunday, both putting on an ounce. Thomas is at 3 lbs 6 oz and Michael is at 3 lbs 8 oz. They are also adding calories to their feedings. I can't remember what the nurse call what they were adding in, but for example an ounce of breast milk has 20 calories, with what they are adding the feeding will have 22 calories. They are doing this in an effort to bulk the boys up.

I am continuing to feel better everyday. It is getting easier to stand up and sit down. I am also finding that I can walk a little bit faster.

One Big Happy Family!

Thomas and Michael are continuing to make improvements. Thomas is getting more food everyday and continuing to gain weight. His days are pretty much filled with eating and sleeping. His nurse told me that he sleeps a lot. Even during his feedings he will be looking around a little bit and smiling in between dozing off.

Michael on the other hand is awake more often. His nurse said that this morning he was awake for awhile looking around and taking in his surroundings. There was some concern yesterday that Michael may have an infection. So some tests were ran and the first batch that came back indicated that Michael did not have an infection. They were going to run a couple more tests just to be sure.

During our visit last night, the nurse took both boys out and let us hold them together. It was so wonderful to be able to hold both of the boys and watch them as they fell asleep. We can't wait until they are home with us. She took a few pictures, a couple of the four of us together and then we took some more. One of the family shots is posted here, to see the others check out the photo gallery.

One week old!

As of this morning at about 9:30 am EST Thomas and Michael had been part of our family for one week. It is hard to believe that it has only been a week, as they seem to have been with us for so much longer.

It seems that when we go to the hospital each evening, Thomas is usually sleeping and we get to watch the nurse feed, change and weigh Michael, but we miss Thomas nightly routine, so I guess we need to get to the hospital earlier in the evening so we can see Thomas while he is awake.

Last night it was so nice to see the boys off of the photo therapy lights. It was wonderful to see Michael with his eyes open and watch him as he fell asleep for the evening. Thomas on the other hand was already asleep.

Thomas is now weighing in at 3 lbs 4 ounces and eating 27 cc's every three hours. When we talked to the nurse this morning she said that Thomas was having spells in his sleep. The spells she is referring to is when his heart rate or breathing slows down in his sleep, sometimes they come out of these spells on their own, or other times a nurse might have to touch them to wake them a little. Earlier in the week, the nurse was not too concerned about the spells as they are fairly normal is babies this young.

The nurse told us last night that today Michael would have his IV removed today and that he is finishing up his antibiotics. Michael is weighing in at 3 lbs 8 ounces and eating 26 cc's every three hours. He was having trouble having a bowel movement, but when the nurses went to help him out, he had a major bowel movement.

Both of the boys are eating as much breastmilk as I am bringing in. I guess that since the amounts of their feedings are increasing, I had better get busy and make more milk.

In other news David and Crystal went to Washington DC today. They were planning on going to Ford's Theater, the Aquarium and the National Zoo. They have lofty plans for the day, we will see what they all accomplish.

Technical difficulties

I know that David promised that bath time pictures would be posted yesterday, but I was having technical difficulties with the computer and was unable to post them. The technical problems have been resolved and I will be posting the bath pictures soon.

Now for the information that you all are waiting for. I came home from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday night I was pretty exhausted from getting out of the hospital and getting settled again at home. It sure was nice to breath fresh air. It had almost been a week since I had been outside of the hospital walls. I am doing much better. Everyday I am getting stronger and feeling less pain. I am trying to rest as much as possible, so that when the boys come home from the hospital, I will be as close to full strength as possible.

Now for an update on the boys. As of last night both boys weigh about 3 pounds 6 ounces. They seem to take turns gaining weight. One night we will get a report that Thomas stayed the same, but Michael gained an ounce, and then the next night we will hear the opposite. The important thing is that they are both gaining weight. They are also both getting more and more to eat everyday. Yesterday Thomas had his IV removed, so now all of his nutrition is coming from formula or breast milk.

This morning when I called the hospital to receive an update on the boys, I was told that they both were taken off of the photo therapy lights. It will be so nice to go to the hospital and see the boys in regular lights and their eyes uncovered. Thomas is eating 23 cc of formula or breast milk every three hours and Michael is eating 20 cc of breast milk for formula every three hours (for those of you not familiar with cc's there are 30 cc's in one ounce). Michael started eating after his brother, but he is quickly trying to catch up. Michael's breathing is also improving. He is no longer using the C PAP machine, and is just receiving oxygen. They are also slowing decreasing the amount of oxygen that he is getting, until he is able to breathe room air. All the nurses are very positive about the progress the boys are making. We have not heard anything about when to expect the boys to be coming home, we are just taking it day by day.

I would like to thank all of our friends and family who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers. I know that all of your thoughts and prayers have helped the delivery to be successful, to aid in my speedy recovery and the progress of Thomas and Michael. We really appreciate all the thoughts and prayers, we could not do this with out all of your love and support. I would also like to thank David's sister Crystal who has been out visiting us for the past couple of weeks, she has been a tremendous help. Before I went into the hospital she was a great help getting the house ready for when the babies were to arrive, little did we know they would be making their entrance so soon. During the last week, she has been so much help. She was able to take care of things at the house, while David was staying at the hospital with me. She ran errands for us, brought things to the hospital and got her wish to see the babies before going back to Kansas. She also learned how to drive in Winchester, which can be tricky. Since I have been home from the hospital she has been doing things around the house, so I can rest and taking me where I need to go, since I can't drive. David and I really appreciate all that she has done to help us.

David and I usually go to visit the boys in the evening after dinner. We will try to provide updates about the boys, either when we get home that night or I will do it the next morning.

Bathtime!

Tonight, upon my nightly visit of the twins, I arrived at just the right moment to observe Michael's first bath!

Such a treat, such a surprise!

Thomas was done and dry prior to my arrival, so Michael was left to bathe. He squirmed a little, moved this way and that. But poor Michael couldn't escape from the drops.

Water around and shampoo too. Oh what will poor Michael do?

Finally a towel, a dry body for him. Now he's quiet and ready for bed!

Both Thomas and Michael are doing great these days. Both have been eating their formula and now mother has been producing enough milk to begin their gourmet diet. Thomas is eating 15 cc's and Michael is at 12 cc's. They will also still be on the photogenic therapy for at least one more day. They have both gained weight. All's looking well in the Dillner camp at Winchester Medical Center. Jenny will visit tomorrow and she will also post the pictures that I took during my nightly visit with the Twins. Be sure to check back tomorrow, as the bath pictures will be posted!

Improvement is Good

The boys are doing great. Thomas has gained one ounce since yesterday and now weighs over three pounds! He has been feeding on formula very well. I believe they have fed him up to eleven cc's of Enfamil formula. His heart rate and breathing is consistant and enduring. He did have some photogenic therapy again today, but that will hopefully end, at least for awhile, tomorrow.

Michael is also progressing although not as fast as Thomas. The fluid he swallowed during labor has kept him behind his brother. He has been rotating between the CPAP machine and oxygen assistance. He has been breathing much better, and he has also been feeding on formula like his brother. Michael was able to be held by Jenny and I today. I think that helped soothe him a little. He can be a little fiesty, especially when it comes to his breathing assistance. He just doesn't want it in his nose and I can't say that I don't blame him.

Jenny will be released from the hospital tomorrow. She has been improving in health today. She had her best day today, which meant that she got to spend a little more time with the boys. She was really looking forward to spending some time with them. She has been doing great with all of this. I have no doubts that she will be an excellent mother for these boys!

Jenny and I would like to thank every one for the gift cards. We received them in the mail from my sister yesterday. We will be going to Target and Wal-Mart in the next few days to purchase some of the items that we are going to need when the boys come home. I know for sure that one thing we will be getting is a stroller that is compatible with our two car seats. Thank you all and we love you all!

Independence Day

Jenny has been consistently improving in her health. She may even come home today, but we will have to see. She has been up and walking around and that helps move things around in her bowels and also helps her regain her strength. As of last night she hadn't eaten much, so the doctor put her back on an IV to get her some nutrition. This will help her be able to walk around more, which will improve her strength. Once she gets her strength back up, she will be able to eat more. It's really a circle of improvement. She's been doing much better from day-to-day, and I know she would like to be 100% again.

The twins are doing just fine too. I posted an audio update last night talking about the photogenic lights that they are under right now. This helps break down their extra red blood cells. The nurse told us that most babies experience this condition, but they often get assistance from the sun itself. We did take a couple of pictures of the guys under these lights, but they don't give it any justice. It makes them look more like radioactive babies than anything.

We will post more pictures once I return from the hospital today. If all is well, I will be accompanied by Jenny too. I need to get ready to go for a visit now. Everyone have a safe and wonderful Independence Day!

One more thing... If you would like to call Jenny at the hospital the number for her room directly is 540-536-1449. She enjoys talking to people and appreciates the love and support.

Audio Update

Holding Thomas

Last night Jenny and I finally got to hold one of our babies. Thomas has been doing well enough that the nurse let us hold him for a bit during our nightly visit. Thomas did quite well for being held. In fact, I think he enjoyed it. After Jenny held him for awhile, I held him and rocked him to sleep. Jenny got to stay a little longer than the last time she saw them because this time she was feeling much better.

Michael has been put back on the CPAP machine. This machine pushed air into his lungs to help keep them inflated. Doing this prevents him from expending too much of his energy to keep them inflated. He needs his energy to help him get better. Hopefully in the next day or so he will be able to start feeding.

Thomas has been doing real well. As I mentioned above, we got to hold him for the first time last night. He has also been feeding on the bottle and holding it down. The nurses were checking him every two hours to make sure that he continues to digest the food properly.

There all fighters and continue to get better with each day. It won't be long and we will be able to take them home. The boys are looking forward to that as much as we are.

First Viewings

This afternoon we got to finally see the babies. Crystal and I got to see them after supper, and then Jenny and I got to see them before I left for the night. This was Jenny first time seeing them since their birth and I think she really enjoyed it.

Both guys are improving in health. Tomorrow we may get to hold both of them, but the nurse said that more than likely Michael will need some more time before he is ready to be held. They will both grasp your finger if you put it in their palm. They both have hair. Thomas has what looks to be Dad's hair, while Michael looks to have Mom's.

They are so tiny and small, but the nurses say that should begin to develop fat and fill in their skin a little more. As time goes on, they will become more and more healthy. We look forward to the day when we can take them home with us.

We will post more pictures to the website tomorrow, so be sure to check back often for the lastest news!

Contacting Us

If you would like to talk to Jenny or David, please call the Winchester Medical Center at 540-536-8000. This is the number for the hospital, so you will have to ask to speak with Jennifer Dillner. If you would like to send a card, please send it to 4th Floor, Maternity Ward at the Winchester Medical Center.

You can also leave us a voice message on either of our cell phones. Jenny's is 540-409-1177 and David's is 540-409-1166. Our home address is located at the bottom of this website.

We thank everyone for their love and support. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Meet the Dillner Boys

Thomas David Dillner



Michael James Dillner




David and Jennifer Dillner announce the arrival of their newest additions to their family. Thomas David Dillner was born at 9:32 am EST and Michael James Dillner was born at 9:33 am EST at the Winchester Medical Center in Winchester, Virginia. Thomas weighs 3 pounds, 15 ounces and Michael weighs 3 pounds, 8 ounces. Both are spending some time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit until they are ready to go home. Usually, the actual due is used to estimate when the babies will be able to go home, but each baby is different, so it could be sooner. The boys' original due date was August 13, 2006.

Both boys are doing well, and their vitals signs are good. Michael had some difficultly breathing at first, but he has been doing much better since delivery. The heart rates are great and breathing is pretty stable. The medical staff is watching over them to make sure that they continue to improve.

Jenny is also doing well recovering. She has started to eat a liquid diet and may start eating solid foods tomorrow morning. She hasn't seen the babies yet, but is eager to hold them. She did an excellent job in the operation. The doctor says that they will probably keep her for another couple of days to monitor her progress.

David and Jenny would like to especially thank the doctors, nurses and medical staff that helped bring Thomas and Michael into the world. They did a great job to ease our worries, and they continue to do a great job assisting the twins development. Hopefully we will be able to take them home sooner because of their hard work.

Be sure to check out the Dillner Gallery for more pictures of the boys!

David Announces the Births

Poll #2

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	2 Boys
	1 Girl, 1 Boy
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The Real Deal

Well folks, the moment you've all been waiting for has finally arrived! The Dillner Twins are being prepared for an early delivery in order to help Jenny decrease her blood pressure and swelling. The nurses have been taking great care of Jenny and the twins as they get set for entry into this world.

At this point, we don't know when the delivery will be scheduled. This morning one of our doctor's informed us that it could be either Saturday or Sunday night. They have been conducting stress tests on the babies and everything seems to be going fine. They have given Jenny some steroid injections to help prepare the babies' lungs for breathing post-birth. They have also changed Jenny's blood thinner prescription to make it easier for the doctors to regulate this during the process. She was put on the thinners due to a blood clot that was detected in April.

Everything is going fine. The doctors, nurses and hospital staff have been great and continue to give Jenny and the twins the care they need to succeed. The team is preparing to go, so check back often for updates. I will try to keep this site updated throughout the process.

Preparation

Everything is fine at the Dillner residence these days. Jenny and the Twins are doing well, as they prepare for the home stretch. Before you know it, the Twins will be born! I actually did the math in the shower this morning. We have six weeks until we are due (August 13th is our due date), but twins typically come early. The doctors have told us that they want the twins to stay in until Week 37 which is only five short weeks away!

Crystal, David's youngest sister, has come to visit David and Jenny. She's been helping them prepare the house for the expectant twins. She has been a tremendous help doing the jobs that Jenny can't do and David doesn't want to do. David's planning on taking her to Washington, D.C. to see some sites as well as some other locations before she heads back to Kansas on July 13th. While she would like to see the twins, she will probably miss them.

David just returned from a local government managers conference in Virginia Beach. It was a great conference, and the beach was great. He only wishes that Jenny could have come with him, but he did bring her some salt water taffy nonetheless. The conference was a great opportunity to network with other managers and learn a few things on the side. David will not be attending the ICMA conference in San Antonio this year because the twins will keep him busy for awhile.

David and Jenny would love to hear from you. If you would like to give them a ring, simply call (540) 409-1166. Once the twins are born, David will post a message on his phone with the most up-to-date information, including their Apgar scores. Be sure to check this site or call to find out the latest information.

31 week check up and ultrasound

Today David and I went for our 31 week check up and ultrasound. All is continuing to go well. Both of the babies weigh about 3 pounds 8 ounces. They are able to determine the babies weight due to the different measurements that are taken, such as head size and belly size among other things. One of the twins is breach, butt first on my left side. The other twin is hiding behind its brother or sister, with its head on my right side and butt on the left side. We only got one decent picture of the twins from the ultrasound, it has both of their heads in it. You can see it posted here or in the photo gallery. For all of those wondering, we do not know the sex of the babies. We want to be surprised when they are born. We go back to the doctor in another two weeks. Both babies are very active. They always seem to be most active when David is not around. He had a city council meeting last night, I think they knew he was gone and they were keeping me company.

In other news, tonight David and his friend Andy are going to bottle our third batch of beer. It will be ready for consumption in about 3-4 weeks.

David's youngest sister Crystal is coming out to visit us for about three weeks. She will arrive on June 19th. She is going to help us get the house ready for the twins. She will help me with things that I can not do on my own, such as lifting and bending over all the time.

Check out the photo gallery

More pictures have just been added to the photo gallery, including the most recent front and side views of Jenny, so you can get an idea of how big she is. Pictures from the Apple Blossom Festival and our latest attempt at brewing brew. Check back next week for more ultrasound pictures and pictures from the 90th running of the Indy 500.

One Year Anniversary

It is hard to believe but on May 28th David and I celebrated our one year anniversary. When I look back over this past year, it is amazing to see how many things can change in such a short time. During that year we have began our new life together, moved across the country, began new jobs, we were blessed with being pregnant with twins and explored a new part of the country, seeing many sights that we would not have seen in the Midwest. We are both in agreement that it was a very good year and we are looking forward to many many more good years to come.

We had come up with a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary, but unfortunately it did not work out as we had planned. We thought it would be wonderful to meet our families in Indianapolis and go to the Indy 500, or at least the boys would go to the race. The trip would be a great anniversary present to ourselves, since we both enjoy racing and it would be great to see our families. Tickets were bought, hotel reservations made and the trip was a go. I had decided not to go to the race, but spend time with our mothers instead. As it ended up, I was unable to make the trip due to the blood clot in my leg, the doctors did not want me traveling that far. I sent David on the trip anyways, as I knew he was so excited and it did not seem fair for our families to make the trip and we not be there, since we had the idea for the trip. David and our families had a wonderful weekend. I enjoyed a relaxing weekend at home, I was also able to finish up many of my projects at work.

I can't say that is the way I had envisioned us spending our first anniversary, but it all worked out for the best. David enjoyed himself and I got needed rest. David will have to create a post about race. We will also get pictures from the race on to the photo gallery soon. Everyone who went to the race had a great time, I believe that plans are in the works for going again next year, but this time I get to go to the race and the grandmas can babysit the twins.

29 Week Checkup

Last week David and I went for our 29 week check up. All is continuing to go well. I check out fine, both of the babies heart rated were good, 138 and 150 beats per minute. On June 14th we will go for another ultrasound.

We are continuing our childbirth prep classes. We only have one more left to go, plus we are going to go to a breastfeeding class.

I do apologize for not updating the photo gallery with pictures of me as the pregnancy progresses, but our computer is having difficulty recognizing the camera on the USB drive. I am continuing to get bigger. Many people at work commented on the fact that I am all baby. If you see me from behind, besides the pregnant walk, you would not know I was pregnant. Most of the weight I am gaining is in the belly.

Friday I finished school for the year. David and I still have to go finish cleaning out my office, but otherwise I am done teaching for the summer. I am enjoying being able to rest when I need to and sleep in. I am slowly but surly working on getting the house ready for the twins arrival. After the ultrasound I will update you again on the growth of the babies.

27 week checkup

Today we went for our 27 week check up. The doctor told us that the ultra sound looked good, the babies measurements were good and all is well. Both of the babies heartbeats sounded strong. For those of you who are trying to determine the sex of babies by the number of beats per minute, I am sorry to say that today we did not get an accurate beat per minute rate. We could hear one of the babies kicking as the doctor was listening to its heartbeat. Today's appointment was rather long and drawn as I had to have some labs completed. We checked to see if I was at risk for gestational diabetes and general blood work. All lab results came fine. The doctor said that everything is going well. We hope and pray that the rest of the pregnancy will continue to go well. We will start going to the doctor every two weeks now. We will try to update you after each doctor's visit.

In other news, I have learned how to update the website. That is good news for all of avid readers, as I will try to be a little more consistent in keeping you all up to date with the goings on in Winchester.

All is going well for David at work. He recently took charge over a project that had become stalemated. The project entails creating a walking/biking pedestrian train around the city, called the Green Circle. From my understanding this project has been in the works for a while and not much was happening with it. So the City Manager approached David about this project and through a series of meetings and planning sessions, it was decided that David was now going to take charge of this project. It is to be his main project for the summer. Some of the other projects he was working on have been split up among other city employees. David is very excited about taking charge of this project. Many employees at the City were also very excited about David taking it over, they feel that now something can get accomplished with the Green Circle.

I am waiting, some days more patiently than others for the end of the school year. Our last day of work is June 2nd. I think I can make until then. The past few weeks have been very busy, with writing IEP's and trying to tie all the lose ends together before leaving for the summer. I am looking forward to having the summer to relax. Most people that I talk to sympathize about being very pregnant during the hot summer. I on the other hand am looking forward to the chance to relax, when I need to, take things at a much slower pace and if it is too hot, I will sit in my recliner in my house with the AC on and my feet up. Our plans for the summer are to get the house ready for the babies and enjoy some of the local festivals and attractions.

I have decided not to return to Daniel Morgan next school year. I am going to stay home with the babies instead. David and I are searching the web for things that I can do from home to bring some income. I am looking forward to being able to stay at home with our babies and watch them grow.