Glad for One of Each

When I was pregnant with the twins, I wondered if I was having girls or boys. I never thought I would be having one girl and one boy. But I did, which I am glad for. When they were born, and I found out I had one girl and one boy, I was happy, but something deep down still wished I had two little girls. I quickly got over that though.

So, why am I writing this?

My sister, Alyssa, has four-year-old identical twin girls, and she just gave birth yesterday to two more identical twin girls. Twins seriously run in the family. My dad has a twin brother, and his mom was a twin too. And my grandma on my moms side has a twin sister, and my mom has sisters that are twin. And my sister and older brother, Alex, are twins. (Me and my younger brother were not fortunate enough to get a twin....) So it only seems fit that me and my sister would have twins too. Anyway, my sister went into labor the day before yesterday, and while my mom took her to the hospital, my little brother and I got stuck with her twins MacKenzie and MacKenna. And they are identical right down to how many strands of hair they have on their heads... almost. One of them has severe asthma and has to have two asthma treatments a day. I was successful with the first one on the first day (which was Tuesday) but then the little buggers decided it would be fun to play a little game on their Auntie Paige and their Uncle Christian.

They switched places on me. So when the time came to give MacKenna her treatment... well I didn't know which twin was which. I had to call my sister while she was in labor and ask her how I could figure out which twin was who. And as it turns out, MacKenzie has a small red birthmark on her shoulder, and Mackenna has a slightly larger brown one on her back. So Chris and I had to wrestle the girls, without over stimulating whichever one was Kenna, to find these birthmarks and learn which twin I needed to treat. Well, Chris caught one (who turned out to be Kenna) and I caught the other one (who turned out to be Kenzie) and we figured out which twin was MacKenna and gave her her treatment.

(This is sorta what Kenna's asthma treatment machine looks like, but instead of the white tubey thing on the end, it has a mask like the one in the second picture. (Yes, that IS a chicken.)

 )

The next day, Wednesday, I purposely dressed the girls, differently, but of course, their mother just had to teach her girls how to dress and undress themselves (jk) and this is exactly what they did. They swapped shirts, but not shorts. They thought that they had me, but I got them that time. And then today, they dressed themselves (alike) and when they asked me to do their hair, I put different colored elastics in their hair without them knowing. So every time Christian or I would ask one girl a question, they would both answer. And they were suprised when I was able to tell them apart when it was time for Kenna's treatment. And now they are in bed, reading with their grandma, who switched places at the hospital with dad for the night. And their mom should be going home Saturday, which means that tomorrow should be our last day and night with them. But luckily, my mom will be home all day tomorrow, and she can deal with their game of Guess Who I Am.

So this is why I am glad that Amelia and John-David are not Aimee and Allison or John and Jason, but instead are Aimee and J.D. I can only hope that if and when I get married and decide to have more children, that they are 1: not identical twins or 2: don't enjoy tricking mommy....

Doctors Appointment & New Outfits

Amelia had a doctors appointment early this morning, and we had to get up early early this morning to drive down the hill to get there in time. At her appointment, we met with the gastro doctor person to talk about her MIC-KEY and when we can get it removed. She has been eating food more often (she ate a whole jar of baby food yesterday morning without throwing it all up!!! and she ate six Little Graduates yogurt melts while we were in the doctors!) and been keeping it down. We discussed having her tube removed within the next four months if she can keep eating regularly without throwing up! SO EXCITED about that!

Then we went to the mall after the appointment and walked when I walked past the Old Navy and GAP children's stores I decided that I would get them a new outfit and a couple of shirts, despite the fact that they just got some for Fourth of July... I thought I would get them something a little less red and white. They weren't exhausted from the ride down, and I figured that after a little shopping, that they would fall asleep on the way back home. Well, that's not what happened, they were more tired then I thought they were, and they fell asleep while I was looking for shirts for J.D. so I finished quickly and got the babies home. By the time I got home, Aimee was awake and J.D. had woken up and then fallen asleep again. By the time I got home, it was almost 2:30 and the twins were off their schedule again. I fed Aimee through her tube to avoid her throwing up and gave John his lunch of Mac 'n' Cheese. And now, they are playing happily with their toys and their Grandpa.

 



Aimee's Feedings

Aimee eats once every thirty waking minutes during the day, and is on a six hour drip at night. The reason that she eats so much daily, is because she is on a mostly liquid diet. She burns off the food faster than John does when he eats regular food, and therefore must eat more often. Aimee has what is called a MIC-KEY Low Profile Gastrostomy Feeding Tube. This is located in her abdomen, and is visible through most of the clothing that she wears. She can do most things that most two-year-olds can do, but there are some limitations. She can lay on her stomach, but she can not be bounced on her stomach onto a bed or anything else. She can take baths, swim, run. She falls down and gets hurts like any other two year does, and her MIC-KEY does not stop her from being two one bit... except once every thirty minutes when she has to lie down and get food manually put into her stomach.. Below are some pictures of what her mickey looks like and some of the supplies that I use.

This is what an actual mickey and is a
replica to what Amelia's looks like.

A mickey is attached to the stomach (or jejunum). Amelia's is in her stomach and I have no idea what a jejunum is, I just know that from doctors. Food and medicine is put into the mickey through what is called an extension. This is the main source of nourishment for people that have a mickey.

This is exactly the kind of extension that I have for Aimee.
The big opening is where I give her food from and the
small one is for medication.

To put the extension in the tube, you line up the black lines on the extension and the mickey, and turn the extension until it locks. The clamp should be on at all times unless food/meds in being put in.

Accessed MIC-KEY.

At night, Aimee is hooked up to a drip that pumps food into her belly slowly over six hours. We have what is called an EnteraLite Infinity pump that attaches to a drip stand, like an IV stand. It sits right next to her crib 24/7... well except when we visit other places, then it sit next to where ever it is she is sleeping at that night.

Night pump.

Food bag. (Couldn'd make the picture smaller)



Pump and food bag.



Aimee eats 1.5 cal Boost each time she eats, and John drinks 1.0 cal boost in his bottle and cup.











And that is our life with Aimee and her MIC-KEY Low Profile Gastrostomy Feeding Tube.







Fourth of July

Well, as most everybody should know, yesterday was Fourth of July. And I have to say that it was an interesting experience. Were I live (not to be named for safety) there is a big lake in the middle of town where almost everybody goes to watch the fireworks. And if you want a spot, you have to wake up very eary to set up, or set up the night before. Well my dad got up and went to set up, and i went with the twins at around 7:30 so I could get a parking spot close and not have to lug the twins a thousand miles to lake. Well this was a big mistake. The twins got so restless so early before we even got in the water. Fireworks were at 9:15-9:40ish.

About a week before this, I realized that I didn't have the appropriate supplies. So of to the store my mom and I went, and as usual, she spoiled the kids with four Fourth of July outfits each. I went to the store with the purpose of buying to pack and plays for the babies and two swimming suits. Instead, I ended up with one big pack and play from Babies R Us (half paid for by me half by my dad who's idea it was I get them) and two shirts + two bottoms + one sweater, pajamas, and a bathing suit per kid from Gap (paid for by my mother who insisted that they needed it all). And warm shoes (paid for by me). They also ended up with life jackets and a floatie boat thing that the whole family used (paid for by dad who insisted safety and fun comes first). The boat came from Toys R Us, and I dont know where the life jackets came from (Target, he doesn't know I know and he would like to keep it that way...), my dad got them by himself. It felt good to have them get new things though, as they haven't in a while. And boy were they excited about their new outfits. They wore their pajamas the night before 4th and the night pf, their cool outfits during the day, their bathing suits until it got to cold to be in them, their warm clothes until after the fireworks and then their pajamas were put on when my dad and were packing up everything. Here is pictures of what they got that I went online and got.

Pack and Play

Aimee's Clothes ( in order worn)

John's Clothes (in order worn)

Life Jackets

Floatie Boat (suprisinly only 26.99)

So I go there at around 7:30 as I stated earlier and then I set up the twins pack and play, fed Aimee, and let them sleep for about an hour more until they woke up. Then I got them dressed, fed both kids and then they played until about 10:00 after which I fed Aimee and then they took a nap. When they woke up at about 12:25, I fed both kids lunch and then they got dressed in their bathing and played in the sand for about an hour while dad and my brother debated whether or not to take the stupid boat to the car and pump it up, or to just blow it up by mouth. They decided to blow it up by mouth which took them about twenty minutes. And then, being the 'men' they are, they of course each had to take the boat out to make sure it was safe for the twins.. ha. In this time, I fed Aimee twice, gave John a snack and built three horrible sandcastles. Then, finally, the twins and I got our turn. I sat in the boat with both babies while my mom held onto a rope to make sure we didn't tip or go out too far. The babies were loving the boat so much, and they didn't want to get out. We were in the water for about 30 minutes before I finally got them to go in. Then they played in the water on edge for a while, I fed Aimee, they took another hour nap. By this time it was about 4. They woke up I fed Aimee, then they played in the water and on the sand (and...... you guessed it I fed Aimee a few times) until about 6ish. At this time, I changed them into their warm clothes and they played in the sand for about another hour and 30 minutes until about 7:40. After this, John took another short 30 minute nap, I fed Aimee and then they played in there pack and play until it was time for fireworks. I was so proud that my babies stayed awake until the fireworks (they did take like two more naps than usual in hopes that they would be awake for them). After fireworks, I changed the twins into their pajamas while my mom and dad started packing up their things and my brother started helping me with my things. I fed Aimee for the last time that night before I put her on her drip at home. (For those of you who are wondering why I have to feed Amelia so much, I will be posting all about it in my next post.) I got home, put the twins in bed, started Aimiee on her drip, got myself ready for bed, and then went to bed. The twins didn't wake up until 9:14 the next day. It was a great day.

What my dad wanted to buy..... and not for the kids,
but for himslef and my brother... needless to
say, he did not get it.



My Two Miracles

Hello everbody, my name is Paige Ann Blaine and I am writing this blog to talk about life as a single mother (with a lot of help from my parent) to my two beautiful miracle twins Aimiee and John. But first, I have to tell you about how they came to be.

When I was twenty-one, I found out that I was pregnant, and at first I was scared. My boyfriend was so scared that he walked out on me and didn't look back. And then came the big news... twins! I wasn't so excited at the time, and even thought about adoption. I thought that i had plenty of time to think about what I wanted to do, but my babies had other ideas. They wanted out, and out they came.

At twenty three weeks, Amelia Elizabeth Blaine and John-David Mark Blaine were born into this world. The second I saw my tiny helpless babies, I knew that they were mine and nothing would ever change my mind.

But then I didn't have time to focus on anything but the twins. John-David was in grave danger of loosing his battle for life, and Amelia was not any better. John-David was so sick, that every little decision would deterimine whether he kept his life or not. And although Amelia was slowly gaining strength, she wasn't out of the woods just yet. She was diagnosed with Cerebral Plasy, which has so far turned out to be false, considering that she is walking and talking a little bit. They spent the first nine months of their life in a hospital and the next ten months in haome for medically fragile children. They were not to come home due to allegations that my ex's parents put against me, and I temporarily lost cutody of them, which I gained back about 10 months ago.

At the medically fragile home (which won't be named for safety reasons) John quickly surpased his sister. He was always a eater, where as Aimiee had a
food aversion and another problem I can't even begin to spell that makes it hard for her to eat and keep down food. At six months old, she had a Low-Profile Gastrostomy Feeding Tube insterted, but we like to call it her mickey,

My beautiful babies are now healthy and happy. They are 29 months old (although with their adjusted age, they would have turned two not too long ago) and they are loving every minute of life... well except those that they aren't.