Stansel Journey

The past week

2012-01-19T16:08:00.000-06:00

What has been going on the past week? Well nothing too exciting. Rachel and Haley have been battling yet another cold and now both have ear infections. Poor girls! We went to the ENT last week since Rachel has been having ear drainage for the past month or so. Rachel has ear tubes so her Pediatrician said it was normal. He also did an ear culture last month to make sure if wasn't infected. Well the culture was negative then, but now both of her ears are infected. One of her ears was even bleeding. She has been on an oral antibiotic and antibiotic ear drops for the past week. We saw the ENT again yesterday and her infection is 90% cleared. We asked the ENT to check Haley's ears since she has been really fussy lately and tugging at her ear. Well come to find out Haley also has an ear infection. She was started on an antibiotic yesterday. Also Haley will be getting her tonsils removed. It has been a long battle with the ENT to allow them to be taken out. Her tonsils are big and I feel they are causing problems with her swallowing when she eats. She tends to gag and throw up easily when she has a cold. So the doctor agreed to take them out. She is scheduled to have them removed on February 17. I really hope that by removing the tonsils that she will do better with her eating/swallowing. I really don't like this time of the year when colds, ear infections and sickness is more prevalent. Kayla has even gotten her first cold, but thank goodness it's very mild and she doesn't seem bothered by it at all. She is a strong little girl. Other than all the illnesses the girls are doing well. Life just continues in the Stansel household.

Amongst the craziness of the past week, Thomas and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on January 12. We didn't get to go out and have dinner together, but Thomas did bring dinner and flowers home for me. He is a very thoughtful husband and I appreciate all that he did for our anniversary. We hope to go out for dinner next week when my parents come to visit. They will watch the girls for us. Thanks mom and dad!

Haley wearing daddy's shirt

Rachel

Haley

Rachel

Kayla

Wide eyed Kayla

Kayla is 1 month old!

2012-01-09T21:49:00.001-06:00

I can't believe how time flies and that my littlest girl is 1 month old already. Kayla is growing. She now weighs 8 lbs, 11 oz. She eats 2-2 1/2 oz of breastmilk every 2-3 hours. She loves to be held and cuddled. We are getting to experience all the newborn stage has to offer. It has been exhausting, but we are so grateful to have Kayla. She is a a sweet little girl.

Big yawn

Sleepy Girl

Rachel is walking!!!

2012-01-08T22:33:00.000-06:00

Rachel is walking!!! Rachel started taking some steps by herself mid December, but not too long ago she started taking many steps by herself. She still falls, but is gaining confidence with her walking everyday. It has taken her a while and it has been a challenge to get her to walking, but I'm so proud of her for doing it. Rachel is full of determination and persistence and that has gotten her to where she is now. Way to go Rachel!

Here is a video of her walking:

Kayla's Newborn Photos

2011-12-31T16:36:00.001-06:00

As I had mentioned before, I love photography and enjoy taking pictures. I especially love those cute newborn pictures photographers take. I would have liked to have had a professional photographer take Kayla's pictures, but instead I took the opportunity to have some fun and did them myself. I wish I could have also gotten professional newborn pictures taken of Rachel and Haley, but due to their very early birth that was not possible. So it was exciting to have the opportunity to take these newborn pictures of Kayla. These pictures were taken when Kayla was 12 days old. She slept the whole time.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T23:56:00.009-06:00

This Christmas has definitely been different. Different in that we didn't put up the big Christmas tree or get out all the Christmas decorations and we didn't travel to Austin to be with our families. I also didn't get out Christmas cards. This year was much more simplified. This year we only put up our little Christmas tree and only got out some of the Christmas decorations. We stayed home for Christmas this year and celebrated together as a family. Life has been busy in our house this Christmas because of our newest blessing and gift - Kayla. She is definitely a miracle, a blessing and a gift to our family. We are so grateful to have spent Christmas together with her as a family. Rachel and Haley also bring joy to our family with their active personalities and continual progress and development. They are learning and doing new things everyday. They don't quite understand Christmas yet, but they enjoyed the gifts they received or better yet the paper, bows and boxes. As I stop and look back over the past year we all have been truly blessed this year. I am so grateful for our precious little girls. Haley, Rachel, and Kayla have brought so much happiness and peace into our lives. We love and cherish them so very much. Each one of them have a distinct personality that just brightens our home. Words do not describe how blessed Thomas and I have been. We also at this time of year stop and contemplate on the greatest man to ever live even Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer. It is because of his selfless life that we have the blessings we have. It is because of Him that we all can one day inherit eternal life. This is the day that we celebrate the one person who came to this earth and payed a price we can not fully comprehend. I owe everything to him, for all that he has done and continues to do for me and my family. God be thanked for the greatest gift given to man, the gift of His holy Son even Jesus Christ. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Our little Christmas Tree

I love my Willow Tree Nativity set

Haley

Rachel

Haley and Rachel

Haley, me and Rachel

Haley and Rachel

Me and all my girls

Daddy with Rachel and Haley

Our Christmas family picture

Kayla's newborn Christmas pictures

2011-12-24T21:05:00.000-06:00

I love photography and I had such a fun time taking some newborn Christmas pictures of Kayla. I'm definitely not a professional when it comes to photography, but I think these pictures turned out good. I wanted to post these pictures before Christmas is over. Kayla is definitely our greatest gift this Christmas and we are so grateful for her. We are also so grateful for our precious Rachel and Haley. I will be posting Christmas morning pictures of Rachel and Haley soon.

Our Sweet Girls!

2011-12-21T00:26:00.001-06:00

We are so blessed with our 3 sweet girls. Each one of them is very special to us. They each have their own personalities that bring joy and awe to our family. We love our little girls very much!

Here is an update on each of our girls:

Haley: Our non stop mover and shaker. These days Haley does not like to sit still. She is getting faster with her walking and can almost run. She likes to jump and stomp her feet. She loves to be tickled and bounced. Lately Haley has been having some separation anxiety. She gets upset if mommy leaves. She is a momma's girl, but loves to play with daddy. Haley is still small for her chronological age. She weighs 21 pounds and wears 12 month clothes. We have not decided on whether or not we are going to do the growth hormone shots. We will be seeing the Endocrinologist in March and will need to decide by then. We are working on getting her to eat more to see if that will make much of an improvement in her height. Haley is a loveable little girl and melts our hearts.

Haley

Rachel: Rachel is our feisty one and gets into everything. She keeps us on our toes. She is very curious about everything and wants to explore. She has determination and persistence. She pays attention to detail. She loves to look at books and play with puzzles (with a lot of assistance). We are still working on getting Rachel to eat. She will put foods in her mouth and chew, but doesn't want to swallow much of it. She is still fed exclusively through her g-button. She is growing! She weights 26 pounds and is wearing 18 month to 24 month clothes. She has her mommy's build. She is a daddy's girl for sure! Rachel is doing so well with her progression to walking. She recently started letting go and taking some steps on her own. She is still not the strongest at it, but has made so much progress the past week. We are so proud of her and are glad she is progressing with her walking. Rachel is such a beautiful girl with her blue eyes. She's our sweet princess.

Rachel

Kayla: Our sweet little Kayla. She is doing well and is keeping us busy with her feedings every 2-3 hours round the clock. I'm having to pump in order to give her my breast milk since she is not a very strong eater. She latches on good, but just doesn't suck strong enough. She tends to get very comfortable with her feeds and always falls asleep. She is still sleeping a lot. She is a sweet baby, but when she does cry she has a strong set of lungs! She is good at letting us know when she is hungry, gassy or has a dirty diaper. Kayla looks so much like her daddy. Those chubby cheeks! She is a cute little girl and also melts our hearts!

Kayla

We finally got a first family picture with all the girls. Its not the best one since our little Christmas tree was behind us and due to where I was sitting the Christmas tree star looks to be sitting on top of my head.

We are HOME!!!!

2011-12-15T13:37:00.001-06:00

Well Kayla and I came home Tuesday December 13. Kayla only had to spend 4 days in the level 2 NICU. That was a relief! It was so nice to leave the hospital with her in my arms! We are both doing well, though Thomas and I are exhausted. The first night was a little rough with the every 3 hour feedings, but last night was not as bad and we are getting into a routine. Kayla is such a sweet baby. She has been mostly sleeping and when she is awake she doesn't cry too much. I look at her in awe at the miracle and blessing she is. She truly is a gift from our loving Heavenly Father. He has entrusted me to love her and take care of her. She is a true testament of our Saviors love for us.

A big thank you to all for the kind comments and well wishes!! We are so grateful to all our friends, blog readers, followers and family. We love you!

As for Rachel and Haley's reaction to Kayla well I have not really let them get near her yet because both Rachel and Haley have bad colds. The poor girls have been sick with one cold after another since Thanksgiving. I look forward to when they get well so we can take a picture of the girls with Kayla. I can say that both of them are interested in Kayla and want to touch her. Rachel is particularly interested in her. With time they will get some sister time.

Today Kayla had her first visit with the pediatrician (we see Dr. Farrior) for her newborn well baby check up. She did well and weighs 7 lbs 6 oz. She did lose some weight, but she will gain it back.

Here are a bunch of pictures from the last couple of days:

Getting her dressed to go home

All dressed in pink!

So pretty in pink

Ready to go home. She looks so little in this carseat.

At home sporting her longhorn cap. This ones for daddy!

Kayla after her first bath

Eyes wide open

Sleepy Kayla

Kayla has Arrived!!!

2011-12-11T17:06:00.004-06:00

Kayla Amanda Stansel was born Friday December 9, 2011 at 5:09pm. She weighed 7 lbs, 15 oz. and was 19" long. I was 36 weeks and 5 days when she was born. I almost made it to full term. I'm so happy I made it this far. We are so happy she is here and healthy! We have been so blessed with this precious miracle!

Here is the story of her birth:
Friday morning (Dec 9) I started having some pain which was progressing to painful contractions. They were coming every 8 minutes. I called my doctor who suggested I come in to see him. I drove myself to the doctor while having contractions every 4 minutes at this point. They weren't too painful, but getting really uncomfortable. I knew Kayla was going to arrive soon. I got to my doctor and they hooked me up to the contraction monitor. I was having a lot of contractions. He checked my cervix which was not dilated, but was starting to stretch. My doctor admitted me right away to Woman's hospital where I was to have an emergent c-section. My doctor was not going to waste any time since I had a cerclage and he didn't want it to tear or rip my cervix. The c-section went well with no complications. Kayla is doing well and is breathing on her own. Her lungs are great! Kayla has been having low blood sugars and she is in the level 2 NICU due to that. This is very common for babies from diabetic moms. With time her blood sugars will stabilize. She may have to stay in the NICU for a couple of days after I leave the hospital.

Here are the pictures:

Thomas dressed for the c-section

Me waiting to go into the operating room

Kayla soon after birth

She looks so much like daddy

Daddy and Kayla

Me and Kayla

Look at those cheeks and rolls!

Beautiful Kayla

36 Week Update

2011-12-04T23:57:00.001-06:00

How many weeks? I can't believe it I'm 36 weeks! The picture of me above makes me laugh. It looks like I have a basketball under my shirt. I'm all belly. I'm wearing a maternity shirt, but its obviously too small. I didn't realize my shirt was kind of small until after Thomas took the picture.

How am I feeling? I'm feeling ok. I have another cold. I keep catching them from Rachel and Haley. My poor girls keep getting colds. Its just that time of the year. I'm definitely feeling so pregnant! I'm sore and stiff. My back hurts at times. My sciatic nerve has really been bothering me. I'm sleeping ok and only usually have to get up once to go to the bathroom. All these things definitely make life uncomfortable, but its only temporary and in the end I will have another miracle blessing in my arms - our beautiful baby girl Kayla. I'm so happy to be at 36 weeks. I'm only 1 week away from being full term! What a relief! I know Kayla will be ok. What a blessing! With God all things are possible!

Weight gain? Yes for sure. I've gained a total of 29 pounds.

Doctors appointment? At my last OB appointment, my doctor went ahead and got scheduled my c-section date. It's scheduled for December 20. I will be 38 weeks and 2 days. I can't believe Kayla will be born 16 days from today! My pregnancy has gone by fast. My doctor is wanting to do the c-section at 38 weeks because I am a type 1 diabetic and from my last ultrasound Kayla is measuring a little big for her gestational age. All looks good though!

First "picture" of Kayla

2011-11-29T22:17:00.000-06:00

I had two doctors appointments today (Perinatologist and my OB). All is looking good. I had a high level ultrasound where Kayla was measured and she is estimated to be about 6 pounds 2 oz. She is head down now, but both doctors are recommending a c-section. I'm ok with it since I already know what to expect. It was neat to see her on the ultrasound and to get an awesome 4D picture of her. It's her first "picture". The ultrasound also showed she has hair on her head. My regular OB is looking at scheduling a c-section at 38 weeks. I do hope to make it to then.

Here is the 4D picture of Kayla. The ultrasound tech was only able to get half of her face. Kayla kept putting her hand up to her face. She must be camera shy! She sure has chubby cheeks!

Kayla - 35 weeks, 2 days

35 Week Update

2011-11-27T21:17:00.000-06:00

How many weeks? I'm 35 weeks!

How am I feeling? Feeling big! Kayla must have had a growth spurt because I'm really popping out now. I'm feeling so many emotions right now. I'm excited and nervous as the time gets closer to when she will arrive. I just can't believe that we are getting closer to meeting our new little girl. She is a miracle and a blessing. I'm so thankful to have gotten to experience a normal singleton pregnancy. I have to admit I have been worried about this pregnancy since the beginning, but it goes to show the Lord is in charge and has really blessed me.

Weight gain? I've gained 2 pounds in one week. It must have been all that Thanksgiving food. I've gained a total of 26 pounds.

Doctors appointment? I will be seeing the perinatologist one last time this week. I will get a high level ultrasound and the perinatologist will measure Kayla to get an estimate of how big she is. I look forward to seeing how big she has gotten. I hope to get a 4D picture of her face (that's if she cooperates). I will also see my regular OB this week as well. At my last OB appointment I got an ultrasound, but Kayla was not cooperating and was facing my back so I couldn't get a good look at her face. Kayla is breech and I don't think she will flip so a C-section looks to be the way she will be delivered. My doctor also checked my cervix and it is still closed and thick!

Baby preparation? I've been working on her room. I hung up some pictures and did some other organizing/cleaning. I still need to hang up the letters of her name. That will get done this week. Her room is really coming along.

Happy Thansksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T20:32:00.000-06:00

Haley and Rachel

The girls had a good 2nd Thanksgiving. My parents (the girls grandparents) came to visit. We had a good day together and enjoyed good food. We are so blessed and have so much to be thankful for! Happy Thanksgiving!

34 Week Update

2011-11-20T21:34:00.000-06:00

How many weeks? I can't believe it, but I'm finally 34 weeks! I've made it this far, I'm determined to make it to full term (37 weeks).

How am I feeling? Well not the greatest right now. I have a cold so I'm congested. No fun since I would rather not take any cold medicine. I'll make it through. Other than that I'm feeling very pregnant. My back hurts along with other aches and pains associated with the pregnancy. I'm still not as big as I was when I had the sextuplets, but for some reason I feel like I'm more uncomfortable this time around. I am very happy to have made it to 34 weeks. I made it a goal to make it to 34 weeks a while ago, but seeing that I'm still going, I've made a new goal to make it to 37 weeks (full term). Even if I don't make it to 37 weeks, I know that Kayla will be just fine. I am hoping to keep Kayla out of the NICU, but even if she does have to go there hopefully it will be a short stay.

Weight gain? I've gained 1 pound this past week so I've gained a total of 24 pounds.

Doctors appointment? Every week. Last week things continue to look good. Nothing new to report after seeing my doctor last week.

33 Week Update

2011-11-13T21:38:00.002-06:00

How many weeks? I'm 33 weeks.

How am I feeling? As I get bigger, I'm getting more uncomfortable. I have back pain sometimes and my ligament muscles hurt at times too, but other than that I'm doing good. I'm so happy to be this far in my pregnancy that these aches and pains I'm feeling are really not too bad. I am taking it easy and really want to make it to 36 / 37 weeks. If I go farther, that would be great! I'm doing surprisingly well so who knows exactly when Kayla will arrive.

Weight gain? Yes finally I've gained. I've gained a total of 23 pounds. It seems that all my weight gain is the belly/baby.

Doctors appointment? Yes I will be seeing Dr. Pinell this week. Last week he checked my cervix and it is still closed and thick. Also he did fetal heart rate and contraction monitoring again for 20 minutes. All continues to look good. Kayla is an active baby!

Baby preparation? I've gotten together all of her clothes (thanks to Rachel and Haley for passing some of them down) and have put them in the new chest of drawers. I've looked at what baby items we have for her and what we still need. We still need to purchase the mattress for her crib. We have time for that though as she will be sleeping in our room when she gets home.

Rachel and Haley - Update

2011-11-11T23:18:00.000-06:00

Rachel and Haley are growing up so fast! I can't believe how big they are getting. I still remember so well how tiny they were when they were born. They have come a long way! The girls continue to get physical, speech and occupational therapy. Little by little the therapy is helping them to progress.

Rachel is getting closer to walking. Well she has taken some steps on her own, but she is unsteady. She still falls, but she keeps trying.

Haley has finally met the requirements for the forward facing carseat. She's finally 20 pounds! We took out the infant carseat carrier and put in the big girl carseat. Now her and Rachel are matching in the same carseats. She seems to like it. Haley also got new lenses in her glasses. We took Haley to the eye doctor because she stopped wanting to wear her glasses. We figured something was going on. The doctor said her prescription needed to be changed. Her prescription is now not as strong and her lenses are not as thick. Yea!!! She seems to be wearing her new glasses well and seems to be seeing better. Haley's vision will be a mystery to us until she can talk to tell us what and how much she sees, but to us and her therapists, she seems to be seeing better than her eye doctors say. She just amazes me how well she gets around with her limited vision.

Haley with her new lenses

Below are some new random pictures:

Haley and Rachel ready for a walk out in the cooler fall weather. We love this new stroller!

Daddy and his girls

Mommy and her girls (Haley, Kayla and Rachel)

Physical therapy helping Rachel learn to ride the tricycle. Haley climbed on back for a ride.

32 Week Update

2011-11-06T23:00:00.001-06:00

How many weeks? I'm 32 weeks and still going!

How am I feeling? I'm definitely feeling like 3rd trimester pregnant. I'm feeling bigger and I'm moving slower. My belly is feeling heavy, but I'm not even close to being as big as I was with the sextuplets. This is how big I was when I was 18 weeks with the sextuplets. Sleep has been getting a little more uncomfortable, but surprisingly I'm sleeping good most nights.

Weight gain? I haven't gained this past week. I'm still at 22 pounds total weight gain. No weight gain the past week surprises me because I've been really getting into the Halloween candy. I just can't resist all that chocolate.

Doctors appointment? I'm seeing my doctor weekly. Last week my doctor did fetal heart rate monitoring and contraction monitoring for about 20 minutes. The results were good. Kayla's heart rate was good and it showed normal healthy activity.

Baby preparation? We finally got a chest of drawers for Kayla's room. I was going to order one online, but I kept searching craigslist in hopes to find one and we finally found the perfect one. It matches the color of her crib and it's the right size for her room. We don't have a lot of room for furniture in her room since we have a full size bed in her room and we don't want to get rid of it or have any place else to put it. We plan on using that bed later. Slowly we are getting her room ready.

Kayla's room

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween! This year for Halloween we dressed up the girls as Texas Longhorn cheerleaders and we were Texas Longhorn fans. The girls looked so cute in their cheerleader dresses. Last Friday we attended our church annual trunk or treat. It was cold that night, but the girls did well.

Haley and Rachel

Rachel

Haley

31 Week Update

2011-10-30T23:59:00.000-05:00

How many weeks? I'm 31 weeks.

How am I feeling? I'm feeling ok. I have been having more of those braxton hicks contractions which worry me. I know they are common in the 3rd trimester, but I don't like them at all. I'm definitely feeling bigger as well and am having more aches and pains from the heavy belly. I'm trying to take it more easy and not do a lot of walking in fear that the contractions will increase to the point of being too many and cause a problem. I'm so glad to be this far along and I really do hope and pray that I will be able to keep going.

Weight gain? My weight changes, but roughly I have gained a total of 22 pounds.

Doctors appointment? I see my doctor weekly so I will be seeing him again this week. Last week when I saw him he said things looked good still. My doctor is a very optimistic person. In this situation, I need to be more like that.

Baby Shower

2011-10-27T23:27:00.000-05:00

Last weekend (October 22) my good friend, Kristen hosted a baby shower for me to celebrate little Kayla. Kristen did a wonderful job and my friends and family had a great time. It was nice to receive some new baby items for Kayla as well as gift cards for things I will need after she arrives. I appreciate all who came to the shower and for all the wonderful gifts.

Me after opening the gifts

The cake. It was so good!

A close up of the cake. It looked beautiful.

Picture of the food

Completed Projects!

2011-10-24T23:35:00.001-05:00

I finally completed some art projects that I have been working on the past month and a half. I'm so proud of myself for finishing them. I love doing arts and crafts but, I'm just slow at getting them done. I wanted to show them off since I think they turned out really good.

This LOVE sign was the hardest to do, but it was worth it. It looks great!

This is a picture of the Houston Texas Temple glued onto a wooden board. Click here for the directions on how to make this. Its really easy to make. Didn't take much time at all.

Here is the I'm a Child of God sign for Rachel and Haley's room. It will look great in their room.

30 Week Update

2011-10-23T22:09:00.000-05:00

How many weeks? I can't believe it, but I'm 30 weeks!

How am I feeling? I'm feeling good though I'm getting more uncomfortable. I'm having a hard time relaxing and not worrying about how much longer in this pregnancy I'm going to go. Since 28 weeks along, I've had 2 minor false alarms that have scared me. All is ok though. I hope that continues. I'm happy that I'm still sleeping well even though when I get into bed Kayla decides to kick me a lot as if saying she is not ready for bed.

Weight gain? I didn't gain any this past week. I'm holding steady at a total of 21 pounds total.

Doctor's appointment? I'm seeing my doctor weekly now. I'll be seeing him later this week. I did end up seeing him last week due to a concern I had. Thank goodness all is ok. My cervix is holding closed which is a good thing since I have a cerclage.

Baby preparation? We are still working on the nursery and getting that ready. It's hard for me to do a lot with it since I'm taking things more easy. We still need to order and put together the chest of drawers and we need to get a mattress for the crib. I have some things to put on the walls as well as get the curtain up. Slowly we will get it all done.

29 Week Update

2011-10-16T22:47:00.000-05:00

How many weeks? I'm 29 weeks.

How am I feeling? I'm feeling good especially after starting off the week last week with a stomach virus. It started a day after coming home from the hospital. I was miserable. Its no fun feeling so sick while pregnant, but I made it through and it only lasted for 24 hours. I can tell that I'm in the 3rd trimester even though I have never before experienced a 3rd trimester. I'm having some back pain, mild heartburn at times and other annoying symptoms. Other than that I am enjoying Kayla's kicks and am so happy that I'm still pregnant. The weekly progesterone shots and the procardia medication are working well for me.

Weight gain? I've gained 2 1/2 pounds in one week. I have gained 21 pounds total.

Doctors appointment? I don't have one this week. Last week when I saw him all continued to look good. My cervix looks good and I was not put on bed rest. He was optimistic. That was a relief!

Baby preparation? Yes I finally finished the "I am a child of God" sign for Kayla's room. I still need to finish the one for Rachel and Haley's room. Its almost done. My mom is coming to visit me later this week and she is going to help me get Kayla's room ready.

The sign for Kayla's room

Thought I would throw in this picture of my beautiful girls and I after church today. They are so precious to me. They looked so cute in their matching dresses.

My beautiful girls (Rachel & Haley) and I after church

Pictures of the girls

2011-10-13T23:26:00.000-05:00

Rachel and Haley are doing well. Not much new is going on. I usually take a lot of pictures of the girls, but lately have not taken so many, but here are some of the pictures I have taken the past 3 weeks.

Rachel playing with daddy's shirt

Rachel hiding in daddy's shirt

Rachel and Haley playing with the tent

Rachel not wanting to go in the tent. Haley is having a blast!

Rachel finally decided to put her head in

Haley likes being in the tent

Rachel up close

Little Haley

28 Week Update

2011-10-09T21:41:00.000-05:00

How many weeks? 28 weeks. I've made it to the 3rd trimester!

How am I feeling? I'm feeling better than this morning. I had to go to the hospital today after I woke up and started having a lot of uncomfortable braxton hicks contractions. I was having more than 4 an hour. My doctor told me to call if I did. I called and he wanted me to get checked out at the hospital. I was scared not knowing if I was going to be admitted or what was going to happen. Well after 6 hours of monitoring at the hospital I got to come home. It looks like I was having some uterine irritability. I wasn't having as many contractions as I thought. At least it didn't show that at the hospital. My cervix looked good. I was put on a medication called Procardia to help relax the uterus and was given a shot of progesterone. I will be getting weekly shots of progesterone until 36 weeks. Since being home from the hospital, these medications have helped and my uterus is much calmer. Also the doctor suspected that I have a bladder infection. So I'm on an antibiotic as well. A bladder infection could have caused the uterine irritability also. I'm so glad all ended up going well at the hospital and that I'm back home and still pregnant. What a way to enter the 3rd trimester!

Weight gain? I'm up only 1/2 a pound. Total weight gain 18 1/2 pounds.

Doctors appointment? Yes I will be seeing him again this week for a follow up.

Baby preparation? I have been working on the decorations for Kayla and the girls room, but have not finished them just yet. I did get Kayla's letters painted. I just need to hang them up over her crib.

27 Week Update

2011-10-03T22:47:00.001-05:00

How many weeks? I'm 27 weeks and still going strong.

How am I feeling? I'm getting over a cold that developed last week. Other than that I'm feeling good. The pregnancy is going well with no problems. I'm feeling Kayla kicking and moving around often. Its amazing to feel her. I can look down at my belly and see ripples from her moving around. Thomas enjoys feeling her when he touches my belly. She is growing well as I'm feeling bigger everyday.

Weight gain? I've gained 18 pounds total. I'm still within target of my weight gain.

Doctors appointment? Not this week. Last week when I saw my doctor all looked good and Kayla was measuring right on target for gestational age.

Happy Birthday Mommy

2011-09-29T20:54:00.000-05:00

Haley and Rachel with mommy

Today is the day we celebrate the most beautiful and precious women in my life and that of course is my wife Amanda. She has been the greatest blessing for my life. We cherish the moments we have together and with our precious girls. I am often in amazement by the many things Amanda does each day. She is a great example to our precious Daughters. Happy Birthday Babe, (Mommy) we love and cherish you more than you know.
Love Thomas, Haley & Rachel.

Amanda's Birthday cake. She loves cookie cakes.

26 Week Update

2011-09-25T23:24:00.000-05:00

How many weeks? I'm 26 weeks. Another week gone by without any problems. Yea!!!

How am I feeling? I'm still feeling well. No problems. I'm sleeping well and I've been lucky that I don't usually have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I'm sure that will come though. I enjoy feeling Kayla kick and am enjoying this pregnancy overall. Its great to be this far along.

Weight gain? Yes I have gained a pound since last week. I'm up 17 pounds total weight gain.

Doctors appointment? Yes I will be seeing my OB this week.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-09-22T15:37:00.000-05:00

Rachel and Haley with Daddy before he went to work today

Happy Birthday Daddy! Today is Thomas's birthday. Today we celebrate him. We love daddy and are so happy to have him in our lives. The girls love their daddy. They are definitely daddy's little girls. I'm so very grateful to have Thomas as my husband and the father of my children. I love him so very much and am grateful for all he does for our family. What a blessing he is!

For his birthday I made vanilla cupcakes that are filled with a vanilla filling and topped with lemon icing. Yum!!!

25 Week Update

2011-09-18T23:55:00.001-05:00

How many weeks? I'm 25 weeks.

How am I feeling? I continue to feel well. I don't have many complaints. I'm just so happy that I've gotten this far in this pregnancy without any problems. I'm also so very grateful to not be on bed rest. I do continue to worry though that things will change and I will eventually be on bed rest or in the hospital. I am trying to not worry and have faith that all will be well this time. This pregnancy and baby girl are a true example of the love my Heavenly Father has for me. He has blessed me so much with Rachel and Haley and now this precious little Kayla.

Weight gain? Not this past week. Maybe I can eat more :) The scale showed today that I have gained since the beginning only 16 pounds. Last week showed 17 pounds. Maybe last week I was retaining some fluid.

Doctors appointment? I don't have one this week. Last week I saw my OB and all continues to look well with my cervix and showed no funneling.

Baby preparation? Have not done anything with the nursery this past week. I did start a little art project for both Kayla and Rachel and Haley's room. I am making a wood sign for their walls that says "I am a child of God". I'm going to paint them pink of course. They are going to be cute. I look forward to finishing them.

Haley's Endocrinology appointment

2011-09-16T23:22:00.000-05:00

Haley had a follow up appointment with the endocrinologist today. After her appointment back in May 2011 with this endocrinologist, she had some blood work and a hormone stimulation test done to see if she was going to need growth hormone medication. Well the results from those tests were all normal, but the doctor is still recommending her to go on daily growth hormone shots. Haley's rate of growth in regard to her length has been consistently way below the 5% percentile on the growth chart (see her chart below). She is very short and small for a 2 year old. Though I'm so happy that she has finally made it to 20 pounds!!! The doctor told us that children who are born so prematurely such as Haley usually need the growth hormone to help them catch up despite having normal growth hormone levels. The doctor feels that Haley will benefit from the growth hormone therapy. We are nervous about it since it will require daily shots until she reaches puberty. We do want Haley to be able to reach her height potential so we are going to move forward with the process of starting her on the growth hormone shots. If any of our blog readers have any experience with growth hormone therapy and have any advice for us, we would be so glad to hear from you.

Haley's Length for age growth chart

Haley

All about the Girls

2011-09-14T22:25:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I've posted an update on the girls and their progress. They continue to progress with the therapy (OT, PT & speech). They are each making good progress one way or another.

Rachel: Rachel is not walking yet, but she is cruising the furniture and standing up by pulling up on anything she gets her hands on. Rachel recently got SMO's (supra malleolar orthosis). They are like ankle braces which help Rachel have better stability with her standing and will help her with her walking as she progresses with that. SMO's help children with low muscle tone. Rachel has some low muscle tone which is slowing her down some with her walking, but she will get there. Rachel has been walking using a push toy. She's doing good! As for the progress with her eating, she is making small progress. It has been a challenge getting her to eat. She does ok with chewing food, but she doesn't want to swallow it. Since the beginning of her feeding therapy back in December 2010, she has made progress. She used to not want any food in her mouth. She now accepts some foods in her mouth, but she 50% of the time spits it out after chewing it up. Rachel is still fed completely through her g-tube. We are making progress with getting her to wear her glasses and hearing aids. Slowly, but surely she will be wearing them 100% of the time. Rachel is definitely growing. She now weighs 25 pounds and is 31 inches long. Rachel is such a beautiful girl.

Haley: Haley also got SMO's since she mildly toe walks and has a wide stance. The SMO's will help define her walking. Haley has made some progress with her speech. She is saying "ma, ma" and other babbles. Haley saw her retinal specialist last week. He is pleased that he still sees some retina in her right eye and is pleased with the vision she has. She is able to see some light, colors and objects. We just don't know to what detail or how much. She is able to get around for the most part, but she does sometimes bump into things as well. Haley has no fear and rarely cries when she falls down or hits something. Haley has a vision impairment teacher helping her. Lately Haley has not been wanting to wear her glasses. So we are working on that. Haley wears her hearing aids ok, but she sometimes pulls them out too. Haley has finally made it to 19 pounds! She is actually about 19 1/2 pounds and 29 1/2 inches long. She is a little girl, but is so cute.

Lots of recent pictures:

Rachel wearing her SMO's

Haley wearing her SMO's

A close up of the SMO's. Haley's are pink and Rachel's are purple

Rachel standing well with her SMO's on

Rachel walking with her toy

Cute little Haley

Rachel about to eat this Cheeto

Haley

Our cute little Longhorn fans. Go Texas Longhorns!

24 Week Update

2011-09-11T22:34:00.000-05:00

How many weeks? I'm 24 weeks!

How am I feeling? Still feeling good and sleeping well. I'm feeling bigger and I have noticed I don't walk as fast as I used to and it's harder to get up off the floor. I have also been having Braxton Hicks contractions. I was so worried when I started feeling them, but my doctor said they are common. He does want me to call him if I have 4 or more an hour. I have been doing so much better at keeping my self hydrated. That seems to decrease the Braxton Hicks contractions. Other than these common pregnancy symptoms, I'm doing good.

Weight gain? I have definitely gained some weight the past couple of weeks. Though it seems my weight fluctuates a little from day to day. The scale today shows that I've gained a total of 17 pounds. My hunger has been getting the best of me.

Doctors appointment? I see my OB this week. I see him every 2 weeks. He has been seeing me every 2 weeks since I was 8 weeks along. He knows my history and wants to keep a close eye on me just in case. Also he wants me to feel reassured by allowing me to see him more frequently. I get an ultrasound every time. My doctor is awesome!

Baby preparation? We have been looking around online for a chest of drawers that closely matches the crib. I have found one, but just haven't bought it yet. Also I bought a curtain rod for the valence that a good friend made for me. I haven't hung it up yet. As soon as we get the nursery complete, I will post pictures.

Rachel and Haley's reaction to the pregnancy: So far Rachel and Haley don't seem to notice that my belly is getting bigger. I have told them that they have a little sister on the way, but I don't think they understand. Rachel has one time patted my belly, but I think she was just copying me patting my belly.

23 Week Update

2011-09-05T22:16:00.001-05:00

How many weeks? I'm 23 weeks! This is the longest I have ever been pregnant. I'm so happy to have made it to 23 weeks.

How am I feeling? I''m still feeling good, but I'm definitely feeling bigger. I'm back to sleeping well. I haven't been waking up in the middle of the night unless Rachel or Haley wake me up. I'm enjoying feeling Kayla move more and more. She is definitely an active one. I'm starting to feel more confident and peace of mind that things will continue to go well for this pregnancy and that I will make it to full term (or at least close to full term). I'm so glad as well to be up and about and not be on bed rest. I hope that lasts.

Weight gain? I don't know exactly how much I have gained since last week. We were out of town this Labor day weekend and I didn't weigh myself. Seeing how much I ate this past weekend I know I have gained some weight. I'll update my weight gain next week.

Doctors appointment? Not this week. My appointment with my OB last week was good. I got another peek at Kayla on the ultrasound. All continues to look good. My OB is awesome and I feel at ease with him.

Cravings? I still haven't had any strange cravings. I'm just hungry most of the time and eat what I am in the mood for.

Baby preparation? Even though we have a lot of clothes that Rachel and Haley wore, I did get a couple of new things for Kayla. Its so much fun to look at newborn little girls clothes again.

22 Week Update

2011-08-29T22:59:00.005-05:00

How many weeks? I am 22 weeks.

How am I feeling? I'm feeling good. I'm sleeping ok though the last couple of nights I have been waking up at 3:30am or 4am for no reason at all. I love my sleep so it's annoying. Thank goodness I am able to go back to sleep. Maybe my body is getting me prepared to getting up with a newborn baby.

Weight gain? I've gained 12-13 pounds total.

Doctors appointment? I saw the high risk doctor today and all looked great with the baby and my cervix. My cervix is nice and thick at 4.5 cm. The doctor looked at the baby's anatomy and did measurements. She is growing on target and all else looks great. I will also see my regular OB later this week. Below are the ultrasound pictures from my appointment with the high risk doctor. Its kind of hard to tell, but these pictures are showing her face.

22 weeks, 1 day

Baby preparation? We bought a crib this past weekend. I found on craigslist.org a beautiful crib at a good price. It would have been expensive if bought new so I was happy to have found it. I love this crib. I felt a little hesitant at getting a crib with me being only 22 weeks, but I couldn't pass up this crib. I still worry as I am nearing the time when I had the sextuplets (at 22 weeks 6 days). I know once I pass 22 weeks and 6 days I will feel better.

Name? We have picked out a name for her. It wasn't too hard as we both liked it. Her name will be Kayla Amanda Stansel.

Rachel & Haley

2011-08-26T21:55:00.000-05:00

Its been a while since I've posted anything about the girls. Rachel and Haley are doing well. They definitely keep me busy. They are active little girls, but they bring such joy to Thomas and I. I love seeing their little personalities. They make me smile and laugh. They are such precious little girls to Thomas and I. Here are some new pictures of the girls over the past 3 weeks.

Haley & Rachel after church

Rachel & Haley wearing cute matching outfits from their Aunt

The girls with Grandpa Stansel

Daddy playing with his girls

Haley & Rachel after waking up one morning

Haley & her cute smile

Rachel & her cute smile

21 Week Update

2011-08-21T22:24:00.000-05:00

How many weeks? I'm 21 weeks. Lately I've been feeling the baby kick more and more. It's such an amazing feeling. I really didn't get to experience feeling the kicks so much with the sextuplets because they were so tightly packed in my uterus. I would feel some movements, but not like the kicks I'm feeling now. I have been waiting for so long to feel this. Its so exciting!

How am I feeling? Feeling good overall. I'm definitely hungry a lot! I'm trying not to eat too much. I'm trying to keep my weight gain in the target of 25-30 pounds by the end. I've had to remember that I'm not carrying multiples this time and can't just eat all I want or the highest calorie foods. Sleeping is still going well for me. I just don't get enough of it.

Weight gain? I've gained 12-13 pounds so far.

Doctors appointment? None this week. I saw my regular OB last week and all looked good (see ultrasound picture below). I was suppose to see the high risk doctor for a high level ultrasound, but had to reschedule my appointment since the doctor was not able to make it into the office due to a delivery.

20 weeks, 4 days

20 Week Update

2011-08-14T23:45:00.001-05:00

How many weeks? I'm 20 weeks! I'm halfway there! I have to admit that I am getting more nervous as I get further along. I want so badly to make it to full term and so far I'm doing great, but as I get further along who knows if a problem will arise that will land me on bed rest or in the hospital. I will just keep praying that all will continue to go well. I have been feeling more and more of her tiny little kicks. It's so exciting! According to babycenter she weighs approximately 10 1/2 ounces.

How am I feeling? I have been feeling well and have not been feeling nauseous anymore. Yea!!! I'm still sleeping well. I hope that continues. I do have an appetite and am hungry most of the time.

Weight gain? I have gained 11 pounds so far.

Doctors appointment? Yes I have 2 this week. I see my regular OB and the high risk doctor. I will be getting another high level ultrasound with the high risk doctor as well as a regular ultrasound with my OB. I look forward to seeing our little girl!

Cravings? Not really. I haven't experienced any strange cravings. I do tend to want fast food which of course is not the healthiest. I just try to keep it to a moderation. I'm a dietitian so I shouldn't eat too terribly.

19 Week Update / It's a Girl!

2011-08-07T23:35:00.000-05:00

Yep we are having another girl!!! Rachel and Haley are going to have a little sister. How exciting to have 3 girls. They will have fun growing up together. We were hoping for a boy, but really I'm happy. The baby is healthy and growing well so that is what's most important. I'm excited to get to use some of the cute girly clothes again that Rachel and Haley have outgrown. I'm glad I've keep the clothes they have outgrown. To say the least we are prepared.

How many weeks? I'm 19 weeks.

How am I feeling? I'm feeling good most days. I'm finding that I'm hungry a lot! When I get really hungry and my blood sugar gets low then I will feel nauseous. I think I'm probably going to have to get used to having nausea here and there through out this pregnancy. I'm still sleeping well, though I still get tired earlier than before I got pregnant.

Weight gain? 11 pounds total.

Doctor's appointment? No not this week. At my appointment last week my doctor said my cervix is still looking good and the baby is looking good on the ultrasound. She is growing. My doctor also said that I needed to be drinking more water. I have never been a good water drinker so I'm really trying to get more water down. Any tips?

Baby preparation? We are working at getting the room ready. The room she will be in was our office so we have moved out the desk and bookcase to our dinning room. I don't have a dinning room table so the dinning room is perfect for our office. That is about all we have done to get ready for her. We still have to get a crib and dresser.

Rachel and Haley's 2nd Birthday Party

2011-08-06T22:17:00.000-05:00

We had family over to our house today for the girls 2nd birthday party. It was nice to have family together and enjoy some birthday cake. The girls had a good time and got some great gifts. They also enjoyed spending some time with their cousins.

Here are some pictures from the party:

Their birthday cake

Ready to blow out the candle

Haley and Rachel

Rachel and Haley admiring some of their gifts

Ready to open gifts

Haley and Rachel trying to open a gift

Haley and Rachel playing with their cousins

Happy 2nd Birthday Rachel and Haley!!!

2011-08-04T23:17:00.000-05:00

Rachel and Haley

The girls turned 2 today! I can't believe my baby girls are 2! Happy Birthday! They are growing up so fast and making good progress in their development. They have come a long way the past year. They still have a lot of catching up to do, but lately we have seen some good progress. They are approximately a year behind in their development. Here is an update on each girl.

Rachel: Rachel is getting closer to walking, but not sure when she will do it by herself. She's a little apprehensive. She is pulling up using anything she can and is cruising along the furniture. She is also walking holding on to a push toy. She is getting around well even though she is not fully walking yet. Rachel is also making some progress in her fine motor skills. She is inquisitive and studies things well. She loves exploring new things around her. She is not saying any words yet. We have speech therapy, but Rachel is behind in language skills due to her hearing loss. We have been working on getting her to wear her hearing aids more often. It has been a challenge getting her to wear them as well as her glasses. As for Rachel's eating, we are still working on that with the OT. The progress has been slow, but Rachel does like to put Cheetos Puffs and beef jerky in her mouth. She will spit some of it out, but does swallow some. Rachel is still getting fed through her g-button. Rachel weighs 24 pounds.

Haley: Haley is walking. Haley has also been trying to climb on things. She has good coordination. Despite her low vision she is able to get around well. As for her vision, we don't know exactly what or how much she sees, but she does see something. We present objects and toys in front of her and she will reach for them. She will walk towards me when I'm near. She loves looking at lights and the light coming in the windows. Haley loves lots of attention and loves to be held. Haley is also behind in her speech and not saying any words. She is making some new sounds as well. Haley is drinking from a sippy cup well, but we are still working on getting her to eat more table foods with texture. She prefers soft baby food. Haley still has not made it to 19 pounds yet. She weighs 18 pounds 14 oz.

The girls had a good birthday today. They got some gifts and balloons. We are having a family party this Saturday with cake and ice cream.

On this day we also remember our angels - Braden, Dallin, Ashlyn and Kaitlyn. We love and miss you very much.

Birthday pictures from today:

Rachel and Haley

Haley and Rachel

Rachel playing with the balloons

Haley

Rachel

Rachel and Haley opening a gift

Sisters playing together

2011-08-02T23:08:00.000-05:00

Rachel and Haley are interacting with each other better and playing together more and more. They are so cute when they do interact with each other. Rachel still likes to take toys away from Haley. Haley doesn't seem to mind, but she is getting smart and learning to take the toy back from Rachel. I caught a cute moment on video of the girls playing with an empty water bottle. It makes me laugh every time I watch it. Its moments like this that are priceless. I know the girls will be good friends as they grow up. I'm so glad they have each other. They are so precious and share a special bond.

Here is the video of the girls playing with the water bottle:

Below are pictures of the girls playing together:

Haley and Rachel playing together

Haley and Rachel

Rachel tickling Haley. Haley was giggling.

Haley and Rachel playing in the tunnel

Rachel and Haley

18 Week Update

2011-07-31T23:43:00.000-05:00

How many weeks? I've made it to 18 weeks! Being 18 weeks brings back many memories for me. I was 18 weeks when I lost our precious twins (Brian and Brendan) back on September 24, 2008 due to an incompetent cervix. I was at 18 weeks with the sextuplets when I was admitted to the hospital in July 2009. With this pregnancy, I'm so happy to be at home with my family and doing normal everyday stuff.

How am I feeling? I caught a mild cold from the girls so I'm getting through some congestion and sneezing. Other than that, I'm feeling good. I do still have a touch of nausea here and there, but it has definitely decreased this past week.

Weight gain? I have gained a total of 10 pounds.

Doctors appointment? Yes I see my doctor this week. I look forward to another ultrasound. I'm happy to report that the last time I saw my doctor, I had blood work done to screen for genetic disorders. All the tests came back normal. I'm so happy about the normal results! It puts some ease to my mind.

Maternity clothes? I have finally started wearing maternity tops with maternity bottoms. My belly is just getting too big for most of my non maternity tops.

Haley is WALKING!!!

2011-07-28T13:23:00.000-05:00

Haley is walking!!! Haley actually started walking a couple of weeks ago. I'm a little late on announcing it, but I wanted to get some video of her walking for you all to see. She is so cute when she walks. She's still wobbly and falls down on her rear end, but she is getting better at it each day. She's so little, but her strength is great! Haley amazes me. I think back to the day she and her siblings were born (almost two years ago now). She was so little and to see her now after all she has endured, its just amazing! We were not sure if Haley would be able to walk since she did have a grade 4 brain bleed at birth, but she has beat the odds and is doing so well. We are so proud of her! Way to go Haley!

17 Week Update

2011-07-24T23:43:00.001-05:00

How many weeks? I'm 17 weeks. I can't believe I'm this far along already! The weeks seem to go by fast! This pregnancy has definitely been different this time around. I'm not as stressed or as worried. I'm definitely still worried some because of my history, but I do have the cerclage in and so far everything has been going so well with this pregnancy. I'm always going to worry because I want to go full term and want to have a healthy baby. So far so good! I think I have felt the baby move. I sometimes feel light flutters. Its very light and quick though. I'm sure it is the baby moving. Its so exciting to start feeling the baby!

How am I feeling? Feeling better everyday. I don't have the nausea as much anymore. It mostly hits me when I haven't eaten something in a while or my blood sugar gets low. I have type 1 diabetes so I've been monitoring my blood sugars very closely. I've been able to keep my blood sugars under good control with this pregnancy and I'm so thankful for that.

Weight gain? I've gained 8-9 pounds total.

Doctors appointment? Not this week. My doctor did say last week that all was well and that he couldn't find anything wrong. That's good news!!

Maternity Clothes? I'm wearing maternity bottoms. I haven't needed to wear maternity tops just yet. They are still a little big. The picture of me above is my first maternity dress. I love it! It's lightweight and so comfortable. I did go shopping this past weekend with my mom while she was visiting and I got some cute new maternity clothes.

Catching up on the latest

2011-07-23T22:53:00.000-05:00

I have not been very good at updating our blog on the latest with the girls. So I'm catching up on the latest happenings at the Stansel home.

This past week has gone by fast! Thomas was on a business trip in San Francisco all week. My mom came to stay with me to help out while Thomas was away. We had a great time together and she enjoyed spending time with the girls. Today she flew back home. We will miss her, but she will be back again soon for the girls upcoming birthday. Thomas also arrived home. The girls were happy to see their daddy.

Grandma with Rachel and Haley

Daddy loving his girls after being away for a week

Also this past week, Rachel had a small minor day surgery to fix an area around her g-button. A very small part of her stomach lining was protruding out around her g-button site so it was removed. She got through the surgery well and is doing well.

Rachel has also graduated out of the rear facing car seat to a forward facing car seat. She met the requirements for weight and length to switch over. She met the requirements a while ago, but we had to get her out of the rear facing car seat because she is just to big for it. She was scared at first in the forward facing car seat, but now likes it and enjoys looking out the windows.

Rachel in her forward facing car seat

Haley is still in the rear facing car seat since she has not met the weight and length requirements. Haley is still so small. She is almost to 19 pounds now. Her appetite seems to have picked up and is eating more.

Haley so cute in her car seat

16 Week Update

2011-07-17T23:08:00.002-05:00

How many weeks? I'm 16 weeks. I've read that starting at 16 weeks I may be able to feel the baby move. So far I don't think I can feel any movements yet. The baby is approximately the size of an avocado.

How am I feeling? The nausea is starting to decrease. It comes and goes instead of being constantly there. Other than that I'm feeling OK. I'm definitely feeling bigger.

Weight gain? I have gained approximately 7-8 pounds total.

Doctors appointment? Yes I'm seeing my OB this week. I look forward to seeing the baby on ultrasound. Maybe we will be able to find out the gender???

Maternity Clothes? I've definitely been wearing maternity bottoms, but have not gotten the maternity tops out yet. I have some non-maternity tops that are roomy and are working just fine.

15 Week Update

2011-07-10T23:30:00.000-05:00

How many weeks? I am 15 weeks. The baby weighs approximately 4oz and is the size of an apple. From the ultrasound I had this past week the baby is growing well and everything looks good. We still don't know 100% what the gender is yet.

How am I feeling? Still with some nausea, but I'm making it. Hoping the nausea will start to decrease now that I'm 15 weeks. I'm still tired, but I'm busy most days with the girls. The tiredness is partly due to the pregnancy.

Doctors appointment? No not this week. I went to 2 appointments last week (my OB and a perinatologist for a higher level ultrasound). See the ultrasound pictures below.

Weight gain? Yes I have gained approximately 6 pounds.

Cravings? Not really. I usually eat what I'm in the mood for.

Ultrasound pictures:
I had 2 ultrasounds this past week. My OB does an ultrasound every time I see him. I love seeing our baby move. We were able to see the baby sucking its thumb and moving/waving its hand. It was so wonderful to see our little miracle on ultrasound.

Waving hand

Sucking thumb

Full body profile

Close up

23 Months old and Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T23:26:00.001-05:00

Haley and Rachel

Rachel and Haley are 23 months old! Only one more month and they will be 2! I can't believe my little girls are growing up. They have come a long way...

Rachel: Rachel is getting stronger and we are seeing less low muscle tone. She is standing up using the furniture and is cruising along the sofa and other furniture. Rachel is also crawling well (up on her hands and knees). Progress with overcoming her oral aversion has been slow. We have an OT come everyday to work on getting her to eat, but Rachel is just scared or just doesn't know how to swallow. She continues to be fed thru her g-tube. Rachel is a smart girl. She is very determined and when she wants something, she won't give up until she gets it. Rachel loves to explore and get into everything. Rachel also likes to "meet" and be around people. She isn't scared of strangers. Rachel currently weighs 23 1/2 pounds.

Video of Rachel:

Haley: Haley is getting closer to walking on her own. She is taking a couple of steps on her own. She is still a bit unsteady and falls on her bottom. She doesn't give up and continues to get back up and try again. Haley is doing well with eating. She is eating baby foods (stage 3) and is drinking her Pediasure with a sippy cup. Haley is a fun loving little girl and loves to be cuddled and held. She is very ticklish and she has the cutest laugh when she is tickled. Haley has a lot of energy and still loves to be bounced. Despite her low vision, she is able to get around and find things to get into in the house. Haley also loves to be near people. She is friendly. Haley currently weighs 18 1/2 pounds.

Video of Haley:

For the fourth of July we spent time with family and enjoyed good food. Happy 4th of July to you all!

14 Week Update

2011-07-03T23:23:00.003-05:00

How many weeks? I'm 14 weeks. I'm officially in the second trimester! The baby is approximately the size of a lemon. Looking back 2 years ago, I was pregnant with the sextuplets and July 3, 2009 is when I was admitted to the hospital for hospital bed rest. That was a scary time for me not knowing what was going to happen. I was only 18 weeks at that point. I'm somewhat more calm with this pregnancy since I'm only carrying one baby and I've had the cerclage done so my cervix is closed tight. I'm still trying to take things easy and not exert myself too much.

How am I feeling? I'm still feeling some nausea, but I have been able to eat well since the beginning. I feel more nauseous if I go many hours without eating. I'm lucky and have not had any vomiting. I'm still having headaches and feeling tired though. I'm so looking forward to getting that burst of energy the second trimester brings. Also can't wait to not feel queasy anymore.

Doctors appointment? Yes this Thursday. I am so happy with the doctor (Dr. Pinell) that I have for this pregnancy. He is not the same one I had with the sextuplets, but he was there for me in the delivery room helping. He was actually holding my hand during the delivery. This doctor is the most caring, compassionate, friendly doctor I know. You don't find that with most doctors.

Weight gain? I have gained 4 pounds so far.

Maternity clothes? I am wearing maternity bottoms because they are just so much more comfortable. I have been wearing some of my non pregnancy bottoms, but I can't button them anymore. I have not started wearing maternity tops yet. I'm glad I kept my maternity clothes from my previous pregnancies. I look forward to wearing these maternity clothes since I didn't get to wear most of them that much when I was pregnant with the sextuplets.

Baby preparation? No not yet since we don't know if its a boy or a girl. Plus I'm just now getting into the 2nd trimester so I want to get further along before making any plans.

Making a mess!

2011-06-28T23:03:00.000-05:00

Rachel and Haley are pros at making messes! They are getting into everything in our living room. I have gates up to keep them in the living room. Thank goodness they can't get into the kitchen then they would be getting into everything in there. I have had to move things off shelves, bookcases and tables because they have been getting to them. These girls sure are keeping me on my toes! Despite the messes they make, I love them so very much! They make me smile and laugh everyday.

These pictures are just a small example of the messes they make. This particular day they didn't make as much of a mess as usual. It's a nightly routine for Thomas and I to pick up and clean their messes.

Rachel looking over my now almost empty shelves

Haley joined Rachel at the bookcase

The toy bin BEFORE the girls get to it

Rachel starting to pull the toys out of the bins. She loves to do this!

Both Haley and Rachel enjoying their toys

Rachel crawling over Haley to get a toy

Haley and Rachel playing together

Another miracle on the way!!!

2011-06-21T22:46:00.000-05:00

We have some wonderful news to announce - I'm Pregnant!!! I'm currently 12 weeks and due January 1, 2012. We were shocked to learn of this pregnancy back on April 29 when I took a home pregnancy test and it was positive. We feel so blessed! It is a miracle that I was able to get pregnant without the help of fertility treatments. According to doctors, the chances were very low for me to get pregnant since I have endometriosis, a blocked fallopian tube and PCOS. This pregnancy was meant to be and we are so excited. And this time we are only expecting one baby! The baby has a strong heartbeat and is growing well. I'm so excited to get to experience a naturally occurring singleton pregnancy, but it hasn't been smooth sailing as I have been having headaches, feeling nauseous, tired, and experiencing most of the other pregnancy symptoms. I'm surprised that I'm feeling so sick since I'm pregnant with only one baby this time. I thought for sure it would be a piece of cake compared to being pregnant with sextuplets. No matter how terrible I feel we are so happy, but I do look forward to finishing up the first trimester and moving on into the second trimester where I hopefully will feel better. Today I had a cervical cerclage placed since I do have a history of an incompetent cervix. I'm feeling ok, but just very tired since I had to be at the hospital at 5am! The cerclage was placed without any problems and we hope this will help me to get this baby to full term. I'm excited for Rachel and Haley to be big sisters. I know they will love their sibling when he or she arrives.

Pregnancy test on April 29

Ultrasound at 8 weeks, 4 days

Ultrasound at 11 weeks, 2 days

12 week belly shot. I'm already showing!

The girls first time in the pool

2011-06-20T23:45:00.000-05:00

We took the girls swimming for the first time today. Rachel cried and didn't like it at first, but after awhile she was ok (not completely sure about it, but not crying anymore) with being in the pool. Of course either me or Thomas held her the entire time. Haley on the other hand loved being in the water. She was kicking her legs and splashing the water with her hands. I'm sure as Rachel gets to go swimming more, she will love it. We had a good time and enjoyed the girls first experience with being in a pool.

All together in the pool

Rachel scared to be in the water

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T22:21:00.000-05:00

Daddy and his girls

Happy Father's Day to my husband and to my father. This is a special day! What a blessing it is to have these two important men in my life. Rachel and Haley are also so blessed to have a wonderful, loving father in their lives. The influence of a father in their lives is so very important and I'm so grateful for the bond the girls have with their daddy. Daddy loves to play with his girls and make them laugh. I love to see the girls laugh and smile. It makes my day. They have the cutest smile and laughter. We had a great weekend. My dad and mom visited us this weekend and we enjoyed the time together. The girls love their grandparents! I wish all father's a Happy Father's Day!

Daddy and his girls

Grandma and Grandpa Stansel

2011-06-13T23:52:00.000-05:00

This past weekend Grandma and Grandpa Stansel (Thomas's parents) came over to visit. Grandpa Stansel is retired but occasionally will do some chemical engineering consulting work for oil companies. That is what brought them down this past weekend, plus of course to see their children and grandchildren. We enjoyed the time together as a family. The girls love their Grandma and Grandpa Stansel.

Grandma and Grandpa Stansel with the girls

22 Months!

2011-06-05T00:08:00.000-05:00

Haley and Rachel - 22 months old

Rachel and Haley are 22 months. I can't believe it! In just 2 short months the girls will be 2 years old. Where did the time go? Along with time going by fast, the girls are making progress fast. Haley is standing for a longer amount of time without holding on to something. She is also taking a couple of steps on her own. Haley is getting so close to walking on her own. I know she will be walking before her 2nd birthday. Rachel is also making progress. She is pulling up on furniture and everything else so well. She is taking steps while holding on to the furniture. She is getting more confident with standing and taking steps. We are so grateful to all the different therapist that give of themselves to help our precious girls develop and progress. Most importantly Thomas and I are eternally grateful to a loving and kind Heavenly Father who has seen us through. He has been there for us and more importantly he has been there for our beautiful Rachel and Haley. It is because of him they are still with us and doing as well as they are. There isn't a day that goes by that we do not thank our Heavenly Father for allowing us the privilege of having our sweet miracles with us.

Haley and Rachel

Memorial Day pictures

2011-05-30T23:56:00.000-05:00

For Memorial day we went to a park to enjoy the outdoors and take some pictures. It was a hot day here in Houston so we didn't get as many pictures as we would have liked. We also weren't able to get a whole family picture due to not having someone to take one for us, but other than that we had a good time.

Mommy and Rachel

Daddy and Racehl

Mommy and Haley

Daddy and Haley

Rachel, Haley and me

Mommy with her girls

Daddy with his girls

The Weekend

2011-05-30T23:36:00.000-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa Benedict (my parents) came to visit the girls this past weekend. They love to come visit and see Rachel and Haley. Rachel and Haley are both pulling up on everything and taking small steps while holding onto something. They are so active and curious.

Grandma with Rachel and Haley

Haley pulling the toys out

Haley pulling up on the gate

Haley

Rachel loves putting the bucket over her head

Rachel playing with an Easter egg

Grandma got the girls a tunnel to play in. Rachel was not to sure about it. Haley didn't know to crawl into it since she can't see very well, but she didn't mind sitting in it.

Haley in the tunnel with Rachel looking in

Haley in the tunnel

Rachel checking out the tunnel from the outside

Rachel still not sure about going in

Growing Up

2011-05-23T23:51:00.000-05:00

Not a whole lot has been going on the past week. The girls are sick with a cold right now, but are getting through it. Both Rachel and Haley are pulling up on the furniture and taking steps. I can't believe how fast they are growing up on me. Rachel has been standing up in her crib. Good thing we lowered that mattress! Even though they are just now doing things a 12 month old or younger would be doing, I'm just so happy they are doing these things. They are behind developmentally, but they will catch up in their own time. They are precious little girls and we love them so very much. They bring such a beautiful Spirit into our home. It is hard to believe they are coming up on 2 years in the next few months. Time has seemed to just fly by to fast. We enjoy every minute with our most precious girls. We are so grateful for the wonderful blessing that they are.

Haley and Rachel looking out the window

Haley and Rachel at the window

Haley playing

Rachel

Thomas and Haley - an update

2011-05-14T23:15:00.002-05:00

We have good news regarding Thomas and the job search. Thomas was offered a job! We are so thankful that we didn't have to wait too long for this job. From the day he lost his job, it took about 3 weeks to get another one. The job he got is doing medical sales so he is happy about that. Thank you everyone for the prayers that he would get one fast! We are so happy and grateful!

Haley and Thomas

Haley saw an endocrinologist for the first time on Friday. She was referred by her pediatrician to the endocrinologist because of her poor growth and short stature. Haley is small and weighs only 18 pounds. She is the size of an 8-9 month old. The endocrinologist doesn't know exactly why she is so little, but they are doing some lab tests to see if they can figure it out. She may or may not have a deficiency in her growth hormones. The endocrinologist did speculate her slow grow may be due to her extreme prematurity, not taking in enough calories and/or partly genetics. I have to agree that Haley is probably not taking in enough calories. We try hard everyday to get her to eat as many calories as we can. She is a finicky eater. I add calories to her foods and she drinks Pediasure, but sometimes I don't think its enough. We should get a better idea of what is going on when we get the lab results.

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T23:12:00.000-05:00

Mother's day is very special to me. I am a mother to 8 precious children - 2 here and 6 on the other side of the veil. I am blessed to have my Rachel and Haley with me. They mean everything to me and bring me so much joy. I may not have my 6 angels with me now, but I will see them again. That keeps me going as I miss them very much. As their mother I think of them often. I know they are safe, happy and well. Rachel and Haley have mended my broken heart. They help me and make me want to be a better mother everyday. I thank my Heavenly Father for the opportunity to be Rachel and Haley's mother. I also want to thank and express my love to my mother who provides unconditional love and support. She is my friend who I can talk to anytime. I appreciate all that she has done for me and her constant reminder of what a mother is. Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T21:00:00.005-05:00

My Beautiful mother and I

This is a very special day today. It is a day to which we all are privileged to pay tribute to the beautiful Mothers and women in our lives. I am grateful for the sacred role Women have as Mothers. This Mother's day I pay tribute to the beautiful women in my life. I am so blessed to have been given such a wonderful mother. I owe everything to my Mother. She is such an amazing women and example to all of her children. I am so grateful for all that she has done for me. I love and cherish her more than she will ever know. I also am eternally grateful to have such an amazing wife who is the Mother of our Children. I often wonder why the Lord has blessed me with such an amazing woman as an eternal companion. I can't express in words the love and admiration I have for her. Amanda is one of the greatest blessings to have ever happened to me. My life has been so blessed because of her precious life. She is my everything. I love her so very much for all that she has and continues to do for our little family. Thanks be to God for Mothers. We all are indebted to them for all that they sacrifice and do for us. We love you Amanda/Mom,Grandmother for the tireless things you constantly due for us.
Love
Thomas, Haley & Rachel

My Everything with our precious girls

21 Months

2011-05-04T23:39:00.000-05:00

The girls turning 21 months today almost slipped past me. I didn't remember until later today. The girls have made a lot of progress the past month. Haley is pulling up on the sofa and standing well. She is almost standing up without the help of the sofa. Rachel is working at pulling up on the sofa. She is able to get up on her knees. She can stand at the sofa with our help getting her up. It won't be long and they both will be walking. I can't believe how far they have come! They are getting bigger as well. Rachel weighs 22 pounds 2 oz. Haley is still tiny and weighs 17 pounds 12 oz. Haley made it to 18 pounds, but then lost some ounces when she got sick with a cold last week. She will get back to 18 pounds when her appetite gets back to normal.

So I attempted some 21 month pictures, but the girls were just not having it. They are just to busy and don't want to stay still. Plus they were getting tired and ready for bed.

Daddy and his girls

Rachel and Haley

Rachel and Haley's back side

Rachel and Haley

The pictures below were taken a few days ago. I just had to share.

Rachel and Haley playing together

Rachel

Haley standing so well

Captured moments

2011-04-30T23:26:00.000-05:00

One thing that I'm very interested in is photography and so I love to take pictures of Rachel and Haley. The pictures I take may not be the best, but they definitely capture the precious moments. I take a lot of pictures and most of them don't make it on our blog. Here are some of my favorites from the past couple of weeks.

Rachel scared in the swing. This was her first time in this swing.

Haley in the swing

Rachel and Haley wearing cute matching outfits

Haley

Rachel

Haley after standing up on her own

Rachel attempting to stand up. She's working on it.

Haley wearing bunny ears

Rachel

Changes in the girls room

2011-04-28T21:38:00.000-05:00

Thomas and I made some changes to the girls room, specifically we had to lower the girls mattresses in their cribs. We knew that was coming soon, but Rachel made us do it today. See the pictures below:

Rachel on her knees in her crib

Rachel holding on to the side of her crib

I put Rachel in her crib for a nap and when I came back into her room to check on her, I found her up on her knees holding onto the side of her crib. I had not seen her do this before! What a surprise! She definitely is coming along in her progress. The girls physical therapist is doing a GREAT job! Haley is also pulling up, but has not done it in her crib yet.

Rachel's crib lowered.

Haley's crib lowered.

I also finally hung up some cute things in the girls room:

Flowers & butterflies

I made this butterfly. It fits the decor of the girls room well.

These were gifts from a wonderful friend.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T23:53:00.000-05:00

Easter , that holy day designated throughout all Christendom to commemorate the victory of Jesus Christ over death. His Resurrection broke what to that point had been the unyielding chains of death. Easter brings thoughts of Jesus, His life, His Atonement, His Resurrection, and His love. He indeed has risen from the grave.
I am eternally grateful to our Heavenly Father for his holy Son, who because of a love that we fully cannot comprehend came to this earth and over came the sting of death. I know that because of Jesus Christ, Thomas and I will be able to see our children who have gone on before us again one day. This Easter season we testify that our perfect and loving Savior does live and has overcome the grave. Thanks be to God for His precious Son.
I can't believe this Easter is the girls 2nd one. How time flies! I feel like their first Easter was just yesterday. We are so grateful to have them with us and to celebrate every moment with them. This Easter we spent some time with family here in Houston. It was a great day! Happy Easter!

Easter 2011 family picture

Rachel and Haley wearing their Easter dresses

Rachel

Haley

Haley and Rachel last weekend in Austin wearing their bunny ears

Life's Ups and Downs

2011-04-19T23:11:00.000-05:00

Life is full of surprises - good and bad! Just when things were going along well here in the Stansel household - pow! We get hit with an unexpected blow. Thomas lost his job as a medical sales representative last Friday. It was a big shock and surprise to us. We feel that the Lord will bless him with another opportunity. The Lord has always been there for us and I know that something will come up. If anyone has any connections or contacts in the medical sales field please let me know. Life can throw curve balls at anytime, but life can also bring great surprises. This past weekend we attended a surprise celebration for my Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Wayne who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. What a great milestone to accomplish. It was wonderful to see them this past weekend and to see how happy they are. We truly love them and are grateful for them. This past weekend we also spent time with our families. We are so grateful for our family and are so glad to have them. They are a great support for us.

My Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Wayne

Their cake

The napkins

Me, the girls and my mom at the party

Rachel playing with her food at the party

Rachel and Daddy

Grandma and Haley

Rachel and Haley in their cute outfits

Haley's New Eye Prosthesis

2011-04-13T23:42:00.000-05:00

Haley finally got her new eye prosthesis. It took a while to get it, but now she has it and it looks great! She looks so beautiful. Her eyes are symmetrical and her left eye is nice and open. We are so glad Haley was able to get this prosthesis and are so happy she has a more normal appearance with two open eyes instead of one. Though Haley is so beautiful no matter what. Haley will be wearing the prosthesis at all times. We won't have to take it out. She doesn't seem bothered by it at all. Haley handles things so well. She is such a trooper.

Haley before the eye prosthesis

Haley with her new eye prosthesis

Haley with eye prosthesis and glasses

Haley with eye prosthesis

I just had to put in a cute picture of Rachel as well. She likes to have her picture taken.

Rachel giving a cute grin

Our precious girls

2011-04-11T23:44:00.000-05:00

The past week has been uneventful, but good. The girls are doing well and are continuing to make progress. They are busy little girls and keep us smiling. Rachel is so curious and loves to get into things. Haley loves to play and is so happy. Rachel and Haley love to play together. Here are some recent pictures of our precious girls.

Rachel and Haley playing together

Haley happy to be with her sister

Rachel and Haley

Rachel

Rachel's beautiful smile

Haley trying to stand up

Haley loves to do this

Rachel still likes to take toys from Haley

20 months old!

2011-04-04T23:49:00.001-05:00

Haley and Rachel

The girls are 20 months old today! Wow, time is flying by so fast. The girls are doing well and are so active! They are growing. Rachel weighs 20 lbs 10 oz and is 30 1/2 inches. Haley weighs 17 lbs 6 oz and is 27 inches. Haley is working on pulling up to standing. Rachel continues crawling around and getting into everything she can reach. They are continually progressing and we look forward to what the future holds for them.

Haley and Rachel

Here are a couple of videos of the girls. The first one is of Haley falling asleep in her high chair as I was feeding her. She was so tired. The second one is of Rachel playing in her crib not wanting to take her nap.

April Fool's Day - 2 Years Ago

2011-04-01T21:36:00.001-05:00

April Fool's Day two years ago was very memorable to me. That was the day I had my first ultrasound of the sextuplets, but the ultrasound that day did not show 6. The ultrasound showed only 4. We were very shocked and surprised thinking we were having quads, but little did we know we were actually having 6! April Fool's Day on us! We didn't know we were pregnant with sextuplets until 2 weeks later on April 16, 2009. Today brought back so many memories of that time two years ago. Thomas and I were excited, scared and felt so blessed to be pregnant with our children. Looking back on that time, I can see the Lord had a plan for Thomas and I and our children. We are so blessed to be parents of all 8 (twins + sextuplets) of our children and are especially grateful to have Rachel and Haley here on earth with us.

April 1, 2009 - 5 weeks pregnant with what I thought were quads

Hearing Aids

2011-03-31T23:46:00.000-05:00

The girls got their hearing aids today. When the hearing aids were put on their ears, I could tell Rachel and Haley could hear so much better. They didn't cry or get scared. Rachel gave some smiles when she was talked to. Haley acted herself. They have not worn the hearing aids a whole day yet, but the half day they have worn them they did pull them out some. It will take some time for them to get used to them. It will be a little challenge as well with the girls glasses. Having the glasses and the hearing aids on their ears is somewhat cumbersome. They will get used to it though.

Rachel wearing her hearing aids

Side view of Rachel's hearing aid

Haley wearing her hearing aids

Side view of Haley with hearing aid and glasses

The girls hearing aids are pink (I just couldn't help it). To know who's is who's I put stickers on Haley's. The hearing aids came with a sheet of fun stickers so we can change them out on both girls hearing aids. The hearing aids are smaller than I expected. They fit the girls well. We were told the hearing aid batteries last for approximately 2 weeks. We have stocked up on the batteries when there was a good sale at Walgreens a couple of weeks ago. So we have batteries to last us a year and a half. The girls don't sleep with the hearing aids on so when I take them off before they go to bed I turn the hearing aids off. This will save battery power. So now the girls have their hearing aids we hope they will progress in their speech development.

The pink hearing aids

The girls are home

2011-03-27T21:54:00.000-05:00

Rachel and Haley where discharged home today. Yea!!! We are home and the girls are doing well. Haley is totally back to her normal self. She loved being back in her jumper. Rachel is almost back to herself. She has been a little less active than normal for her. She is just worn out from it all, and I am sure still a little uncomfortable. Rachel is getting Tylenol to help her feel better. I'm sure she will be back to normal tomorrow. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers!

Rachel and Haley leaving the hospital

Haley in her jumper at home

Rachel happy to be home

Post Surgery Update

2011-03-26T23:00:00.001-05:00

A day late on this post, but we have been busy with the girls after their surgery. Both Rachel and Haley are doing well. They both have had to stay in the hospital after the surgery on Friday (March 25). We are still here in the hospital. They are expected to come home Sunday (March 27). There were a couple of complications that have kept them in the hospital. Rachel's surgery went well. She had her tonsils and adenoids removed without any problems. After the surgery in the recovery room, Rachel had some difficulty breathing and was in pain. The doctors decided that Rachel needed a higher level of care due to this and admitted her to the pediatric ICU. Rachel started breathing better after she got pain medications and some rest. She was moved out of the ICU this morning and is now a couple of rooms away from Haley. Haley's surgery to remove her adenoids went well, but the ENT was not able to get ear tubes in her ears after all. Her ear canals are still so tiny. That's my Haley - tiny, but so cute. The ENT did remove some fluid behind her eardrums and she had the ABR hearing test while still sedated. We finally got the results needed from that to proceed with the hearing aids. It looks like Haley had mild hearing loss in her right ear and severe to moderate in the left ear. Somewhat of an improvement due to getting some fluid out. Haley is still in the hospital due to her having a reaction to the anesthesia and pain medications. She had some low blood pressures and low heart rates. They did an EKG which was normal, but the doctors wanted to monitor her EKG for 24 hours. She is wearing a holster till tomorrow morning. I anticipate the 24 hour EKG to be normal. Haley sure was acting her normal self today - wanting to jump around and play.
We are happy the girls are doing well despite the little complications that came up. Thank you for all the prayers!

Grandma Stansel with the girls before the surgery

Rachel in the ICU after the surgery

Haley after her surgery

Haley playing - she's back to her normal self

Haley and Rachel going for a ride around the hospital floor

Upcoming Surgery

2011-03-24T23:39:00.000-05:00

The girls surgery is tomorrow, March 25. Rachel is having her tonsils and possibly her adenoids removed as well as replacing one missing ear tube. Haley is having her adenoids removed, getting ear tubes and is also having an ABR (auditory brain response) hearing test done while she is under anesthesia. I'm glad to get all these procedures done at one time. I hope and pray the girls get through the surgery well. Rachel will be staying in the hospital for hopefully only one night. Haley will most likely be able to come home after her surgery. We will post an update after the surgery.
I want to thank you all for your prayers, well wishes and nice comments the past (almost) 2 years we have been on blogger!

Rachel

Haley

Haley and Rachel

Hello Spring!

2011-03-20T22:22:00.000-05:00

We had a great weekend. Grandma and Grandpa Benedict came to visit us. On Friday all of us went to the Houston Rodeo. It was great warm sunny weather. It's definitely spring time here in Houston, Texas. We had a great time seeing the animals and the attractions at the rodeo. We (mostly me) enjoyed a oh so yummy funnel cake. I don't eat those, but maybe once a year if that so it was definitely a treat. The girls enjoyed getting out in the nice weather and experiencing the rodeo for the first time.

A picture we had taken at the Rodeo

We and the girls enjoyed spending time with grandma and grandpa. We did some shopping and spent some time relaxing and having fun.

Haley and Grandma

Grandma tickling Haley. Haley is very ticklish.

Me and my girls

Rachel wearing daddy's hat

Haley wearing daddy's hat

Rachel and Haley

The girls are getting more and more active each day. Rachel has been venturing (army crawling) out of the living room more and more. We are going to have to get some baby gates sooner than later. Haley our little mover and shaker has been doing well at transitioning from laying to sitting.

Rachel venturing out of the living room to the back door

Rachel at our back door window

Haley doing her gymnast moves

It was such a beautiful day this first day of Spring. We took a walk and enjoyed the weather with a temp in the high 70's. I love Spring weather! It's so nice to say goodbye to Winter.

The girls in the stroller ready for a relaxing walk

Rachel and Haley in their cute Spring dresses they wore to church today

Little Sitters

2011-03-13T19:40:00.000-05:00

It has been another somewhat uneventful past week for us. The girls did get some immunizations last week at their pediatricians office. Rachel saw Dr. Coats (ophthalmologist) who changed her eye glass prescription. She needs stronger eye glasses. Her near sightedness has gotten worse and she does have issues with crossed eyes. Her new glasses should hopefully help that, but we struggle with getting her to keep her glasses on. Rachel is also doing so well with sitting independently. It's nice to see both Rachel and Haley sitting up together.

Rachel and Haley

Rachel sitting so well

Haley

Rachel crawled under the exersaucer

Haley chewing on her toy

19 months old

2011-03-05T23:21:00.000-06:00

I am a day late with this post. Yesterday, March 4, the girls turned 19 months old. They just continue to make progress. Rachel is sort of sitting on her own. She still topples over most of the time, but I have seen some real progress the past couple of weeks. We are able to get her to sit for a short amount of time. She is also doing great at creeping (sort of crawling). Haley has learned how to go from laying to sitting. She also can go from sitting to standing with some assistance. We are also happy Haley has finally hit 17 pounds. Haley has a hard time gaining weight. We feed her as much as we can get into her. I even add calories to the food she does eat, but her rate of weight gain is slow. For being so little, she sure is an active, feisty girl.

Haley and Rachel

Rachel falling over on Haley

Good and unexpected news

2011-03-02T23:21:00.001-06:00

This week started out busy again with doctor's appointments. Monday they were seen by the pediatrician, Tuesday Haley was seen by her retinal specialist and on Wednesday the girls were both seen by the ENT.

Monday at the pediatrician, the girls got their last Snyagis shot to protect them from RSV. Thank goodness they are done with getting those shots. They have been getting them every month since November 2010. We are grateful the girls got them and they have stayed free from RSV this season. The girls were weighed. Rachel was 20 pounds 4 oz and Haley was 16 pounds 12 oz. Report from the pediatrician was good.

Tuesday, Haley was seen by her retinal specialist, Dr. Carvounis. Haley got a very good report at this appointment. The doctor looked into her right eye and was surprised to see some retina. This is very good! Haley has scar tissue in her right eye from past surgeries, so for the doctor to see some retina is awesome news. This means that Haley does have some vision. We still don't know how much though. Like I said before, she sees lights and reaches out for objects we present in front of her. We are so thankful Haley got this great report!

Today (Wednesday), the girls were seen by their ENT specialist, Dr. Albright to discuss their hearing test results from last week. I was just expecting to discuss the hearing test results and the next step in the process to getting the hearing aids, but was surprised both girls need surgery. Haley's adenoid's are enlarged and need to be removed. Also it looks like Dr. Albright will be able to get ear tubes in Haley's eardrums. I was glad to hear this as this may help her hearing. Now we don't have to wait 3 months for Haley's next ABR because the audiologist will do the ABR after Dr. Albright does the surgery and while Haley is still sedated under general anesthesia. Her being under general anesthesia for the ABR guarantees they will get all the results they need to proceed with the hearing aids. Rachel also needs surgery. Her tonsils are large and need to be removed. Also the ear tube in her right ear came out and needs to be replaced. She has fluid built back up in that right ear and needs that tube in to let it drain. We were doing so well with staying out of the hospital, but Rachel and maybe Haley will have to be admitted for one night after the surgery. Well its a good thing we are getting these issues taken care of all at the same time. The surgery for both girls is scheduled for March 25.

Rachel and Haley not looking too happy about needing surgery

Haley

Rachel

Weekend with Family

2011-02-28T21:58:00.000-06:00

This past weekend we traveled to Austin to visit with family that lives there. Thomas's Aunt Linda and Uncle Dale from Winnemucca Nevada came to Austin to visit Thomas's Mom (her younger Sister) for a week. Aunt Linda follows our blog and was looking forward to seeing the girls. I think the girls enjoyed their great Aunt Linda. When the girls were born, Aunt Linda always checked in on them to see how they were doing. That meant so much to Thomas and I. We are grateful for all that she has done for our family. She is the kindest person, and we love her very much. The girls had a great time with their Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

3 generations - Me, my mom (Grandma Benedict), Rachel and Haley

Great Aunt Linda with Rachel and Haley

Grandma Stansel with Haley and Rachel

Thomas, his mom (Grandma Stansel) and the girls

Eye, Ears and 1 year home

2011-02-25T01:02:00.001-06:00

This week has been busy for the girls. It started off with Haley and her eye, then the girls hearing test and finally hitting another 1 year mark in our journey.

Eye
Haley is moving forward in the process of getting her prosthetic eye for her left eye. She was fitted for her clear contact lens on Monday. This lens is not like a regular contact lens that people wear for vision correction. Her contact lens is clear and hard. I was trained on how to put it in her eye and how to take it out. This clear contact lens is to test her eye's tolerance to it. If her eye tolerates this clear contact lens then she will get the prosthetic eye. We go back to the ocularist in 2 weeks. She has been wearing it only during the day. So far she doesn't seem bothered by it and her eye seems to be tolerating it. She definitely does not like me putting it in or taking it out. It does seem to help open her left eye up a little more and makes it look more normal.

Haley with her contact lens in her left eye

Haley's contact lens

Ears
Rachel and Haley finally got their ABR (auditory brain response) hearing test on Wednesday. We had to wait 4 months for this test at Texas Children's Hospital. I wish we could have had it done sooner so we could have moved forward sooner with treatment for their hearing. The results showed that Haley continues to have severe hearing loss in one ear and moderate hearing loss in the other ear. The hearing loss is sensorineural and can't be fixed with ear tubes. Sensorineural hearing loss is permanent. The only treatment is hearing aids. Haley has to get another ABR before the audiologist can order her hearing aids. So it may be a while before she gets her hearing aids as we have to wait another 3 months for another ABR. It's very frustrating. I want her to get hearing aids soon so she can hear and make progress in her communication. The results for Rachel also show she has moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss in both ears. We were shocked by these results since she passed her newborn hearing tests and she had ear tubes placed back in September. So Rachel is also getting hearing aids. She will get her hearing aids in 3 weeks.

Haley and Rachel playing together

A cute picture I got of Rachel. I love her smile!

1 year home
One year ago, Rachel came home from the NICU to be with mommy, daddy and Haley. February 24,2011 marks one year we have been all together at home. It has been a great year being all together as a family. We have been blessed that the girls have not gone back into the hospital. They are being watched over by our loving Heavenly Father and their siblings on the other side. Prayers are being heard and answered. They still face some challenges, but we are slowly getting through them day by day. The girls have made a lot of progress in the year they have been at home with us. We are so glad to have our family together.

One year ago - February 24, 2010

One year later - February 24, 2011

Rachel & Haley - videos and pictures

2011-02-21T00:37:00.000-06:00

We had an uneventful past week. The girls are doing well. We are so happy that they are doing so well and have so far gotten through this winter without getting terribly sick. The girls have gotten a couple of colds here and there, but they have been getting through them easily. We have been blessed.

The girls are continuing to progress developmentally. They are so active and keep us busy. Rachel is getting so close to crawling. Haley loves to jump in her jumper and likes to stand with assistance and take steps with assistance. Below are some videos of Rachel working on her crawling and Haley taking some steps with assistance.

Here is Rachel working on her crawling:

Here is Haley "walking" with Daddy's assistance:

Here are the girls in their dresses they wore to church this Sunday. They were so cute in these dresses.

Haley and Rachel

Me and the girls

Haley with her cute smile

Rachel relaxing - Mommy's lil' cutie

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T22:36:00.001-06:00

Today the girls got to celebrate their 2nd Valentine's day. They were still in the NICU for their first Valentine's day. It's wonderful to have them home for this Valentine's day.
Thomas and I decided to go out for lunch together instead of dinner since it was easier to have someone watch the girls during the day. We went to The Spaghetti Warehouse here in Houston. This restaurant brings back memories of my childhood. I grew up in Austin, Texas and my family frequently went to The Spaghetti Warehouse in Austin. I had not been to this restaurant in 5 or 6 years so it was nice to visit the one here in Houston. We had a nice time together and had a great meal.

The girls enjoying their day:

Rachel playing with her ball

Haley looking cute in her valentine outfit

Rachel loves balloons

Haley playing with her valentine balloon

Haley and Rachel playing together

Haley and Rachel

Haley and Rachel done with mom taking pictures

A sister's love

2011-02-09T22:20:00.000-06:00

A sister's love is such a wonderful thing. Rachel just loves her sister Haley. I find Rachel watching Haley with such curiosity and love. Rachel will crawl over to Haley so she can be near her. How sweet! Well come to find out Rachel is more motivated for the particular toy Haley has at the time. Rachel will crawl over to Haley and take away the toy she has. Poor Haley doesn't always know what just happened since she can't see well. Haley is such a good sport. She doesn't get mad, she finds another toy just to have Rachel take it away again. Sometimes Haley will hold her own and take back her toy. The whole process is really cute. We'll have to work on learning how to share. I do love seeing them interact together. They are going to be best friends.

Rachel giving Haley a kiss

Rachel being curious. Haley doesn't seem to mind.

Haley playing with her toy

Rachel taking that toy from Haley

Rachel now with Haley's toy. Poor Haley

Rachel super proud of herself


Haley forgiving Rachel for taking her toy

Having fun together

Rachel has Haley in a scissor hold

Oh a sister's love. How precious!

Tortilla Soup

2011-02-05T23:56:00.001-06:00

This soup is so good! It's also so easy! Thomas and I had this for dinner tonight. We ate late so I'm glad it was a quick fix (5 min.). I wanted to share this recipe since its tasty and quick. You may already have all the ingredients in your pantry/refrigerator. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com .

Recipe:
2 (10.5 oz) cans of Campbell's condensed Chicken and Rice soup
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 (8 oz) tomato sauce
Tortilla chips
Shredded cheddar cheese

Optional ingredients:
Cooked cut up chicken
Black beans
Corn

Combine the soup, tomatoes with green chilies, tomato sauce and any optional ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium high heat to boil. Top with tortilla chips and cheese. Enjoy!