The Thomas Family of Five

Twins 5/28/09

2009-05-29T01:49:00.001-05:00

We are finally at home and doing great. We got to come home from the hospital on daddy's birthday, May 21, 2009. Daddy says that he got the best birthday presents ever! My sister and I have been doing pretty good since we got home. I like to scare mommy and daddy every once in a while and make my monitor go off. I still have a brady every now and then but for the most part, I am doing great. Mommy and daddy took us to the doctor on Tuesday and he said that we look great. Kali weighed 7 1/2 pounds and I weigh 9 pounds. Can you believe how big we have gotten....well really me? Mommy calls me her little chunk. We have had a lot of visitors since we have been home. We really enjoy getting to see all of our friends and family. We are already so lucky to have such wonderful people in our lives. Mommy told me that in the next few days, she is going to update pictures of me and my sister. She has been pretty busy with us and has not had much time for the computer. We like to keep her up throughout the night. The doctor told mommy not to wake us up every 4 hours like they did in the hospital to let us eat when we want and how ever much we want. We are just so use to every 4 hours so that is pretty much when we are getting to eat. Some times through the night we give mommy a break and let her get an extra hour here and there. Well I am ready to go back to bed so I will talk to you soon.

Keaton

Twins 5/21/09

2009-05-21T21:47:00.002-05:00

Well.......Keaton and Kali are now home! Keaton weighs 7lbs 13oz and Kali weighs 6lbs 14oz. Today is daddy's birthday and he has gotten the best gift he can ever ask for...two precious babies at home with their big sister. Kenna has been such a great big helper already. Aunt Cecyl picked Kenna up from daycare for us and they went around town and we ended up pulling in our drive way the same time as them so mommy went and got Kenna out of the car and took her over to see the babies and she immediately started laughing. She looked at both Keaton and Kali and followed them in the door. We put the babies on the floor still in their car seats and Kenna just sat down by them and started talking to them. She was calling them by their names. She did such a great job not getting them mixed up. Grammy and Pop came over to see the babies and Pop got Kali out of the car seat and Kenna followed him over to the couch and wanted to be a big helper. Kenna was putting their pacifiers in their mouths and she even got to hold and feed Kali. She is really wanting to be a big part of their lives. Mommy and daddy are so proud of her. I will update pictures tomorrow so check back to see them.

Twins 5/20/09

2009-05-20T21:00:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali are both doing good. Keaton weighs 7lbs 12oz and Kali weighs 6lbs 12oz. They are both getting so big. They look like two totally different babies from when they were born. Well lets see, Keaton had another brady today so we have finally made the decision to bring him home with a monitor. This is all that is keeping him from coming home so we decided that we will monitor him from home instead of the hospital. Anytime Keaton quits breathing or drops his heartrate, the monitor will go off and it wont shut off until we manually turn it off. He will have to be on the monitor for a full monthy 24-7 and then we will meet with the pediatrician and go from there. If he stops having these bradys then maybe we can be done with the monitor and if he keeps having them it will probably be longer. Only time will tell. Kali is still scheduled to come home tomorrow. If she doesn't brady tonight, we should have our little ones home with us tomorrow. We are very excited. Kenna is finally going to meet her brother and sister. I don't know who is more excited....Kenna or mommy!!! Well, check back tomorrow for updates to see if one, both, or none is home with us.

Twins 5/18/09

2009-05-18T20:41:00.003-05:00

Keaton and Kali are doing good. Keaton weighs 7lbs 6oz and Kali weighs 6lbs 8oz. Keaton had a brady today so his 7 day countdown will restart. Kali is still scheduled as of right now to come home Thursday. They are both now eating every 4 hours. This is a great thing for mommy and daddy when they come home. We can get an extra hour of sleep! Today Pop came up to the hospital to visit and he held Keaton and Kali today for the first time. He did a great job! He also got to feed Kali for the first time. He fed her like an old pro. He is really great with babies. There has not been any other changes other than that. Keep checking and maybe we will have a baby home Thursday!

Keaton

Kali

Pop holding Keaton for the 1st time

Pop holding Kali for the 1st time

Pop feeding Kali for the 1st time

Twins 5/14/09

2009-05-14T20:42:00.002-05:00

Well......I was not able to come home today. I finally realized that I was going home without my brother and I got really sad. So, Keaton and I planned out that we were going to brady together so that would start our countdown back over together. We did a great job at faking the nurses out. They are just telling mommy that preemie babies do this and it is not uncommon to see this happen but really, we did it on purpose so we could stay together. Keaton owes me big time one day! Keaton weighs 7lbs 1oz and I weigh 6lbs 2oz. One day Keaton and I will be home with all of our family and we are just as excited as mommy, daddy, and Kenna. We just don't want to come home too soon so maybe next week we can make it happen. We will see. Well, I better get back to Keaton. He gets pretty moody if I am away from him too long. See you soon!

Kali

Twins 5/13/09

2009-05-13T17:53:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali are doing great. Gaining a lot of weight. Keaton weighs 7lbs 0oz and Kali weighs 6lbs 0oz. They are doing so good with their weights. Keaton is doing really good and Kali is coming home tomorrow. They both are getting their eyes checked today and as long as everything is looking good, I will have Kali home tomorrow. Hopefully Keaton will be coming home shortly. He has done great today. I know he can do it! We had a talk again today about how he is going to do great and get home to be with all the family. Tonight is our last night of rest for a while so hopefully we have a great last night of peace and rest.

Twins 5/12/09

2009-05-12T22:04:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali are both growing very much. Keaton weighs 6lbs 11oz and Kali weighs 5lbs 13oz. Keaton had two brady's over night so his countdown will restart. Kali is still scheduled to come home Thursday. Keaton had his car seat test today and he.....PASSED! Way to go Keaton. They are both doing really well and growing so much. They look like totally different babies. I can't wait to get them home!

Keaton passed his car seat test

Keaton wide awake

Kali sound asleep

Twins 5/11/09

2009-05-11T21:57:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali are doing wonderful. Keaton weighs 6lbs 10oz and Kali weighs 5lbs 14oz. Kali is still scheduled to come home this Thursday. Keaton had a sleeping brady this past Saturday 5/9/09 so that is going to start his 7 day countdown all over. So as of right now, if everything goes good and he doesn't have any more brady's, he will be coming home this Saturday. They count sleeping bradys because had he been at home, I would not be right there watching over him and if he bradys and I am not aware of it, something bad could end up happening so he has to go 7 days without any bradys. I would much rather him be ready to come home versus something happening once he gets home. Keaton is going to have his carseat challenge tomorrow so check back to see if he passed. Keep your fingers crossed and please pray that he passes.

Twins 5/8/09

2009-05-08T23:22:00.003-05:00

Keaton and Kali are doing great today. Keaton weighs 6lbs 6oz and Kali weighs 5lbs 5oz. They are both doing great with their bottles. Kali had her car seat test today and she passed. She had to sit in her car seat for 1 hour and keep all her stats up (heart rate, oxygen, etc.) and no brady's (dropping her heart rate). She took it like a champ. Keaton will have to do his in a few days because..... he is on his 7 day count down also. Yeah, hopefully I will have both of them home with me next weekend. WOW ~ mommy and daddy can't wait for that day!

Keaton and Kali snuggling

Keaton

Kali

Kali passed her car seat test! She had to sit in it for 1 hour.

Twins 5/6/09

2009-05-06T20:27:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali are doing great. Keaton weighs ......... 6lbs 1oz and Kali weighs ..........5lbs 1oz. They have both hit their next goal for their weights. They are both doing so great with gaining weight. Keaton and Kali are both getting to take as much as they want with their bottles and it is averaged around 2oz. Keaton is completely off his feeding tube and has nothing on his face like his sister. Kali is still on her count down to come home. If everything goes well, she is still planned on coming home Monday. Keaton is still not on the count down yet because he is still on caffeine and he is having brady's (dropping his heart rate). They are going to have the occupational therapist take a look at him while he feeds because they think he may have a little acid reflux. He forgets to breathe during his feeds the most and the amount of brady's that he has, they think it is due to the reflux so they are going to check him out tomorrow. He should be coming home pretty soon though. Mommy and daddy are getting ready for them.

Keaton and Kali

Keaton nothing on his face!

Kali with nothing on her face!

Twins 5/5/09

2009-05-05T18:03:00.002-05:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Keaton and Kali are doing great. Keaton weighs 5lbs 15.6oz and Kali weighs 4lbs 15.5oz. Keaton finally got 1 pound heavier than Kali. He has been trying to do that for a long time now. He finally reached his goal. It is now time to set a new goal for Keaton. Kali's goal is to go home right now. She is doing a great job. Keaton and Kali are now getting to pig out. There is no set limits on their bottle amounts. They are letting them eat until they get full. They removed Keaton's feeding tube today so they both have absolutely nothing on their face. I will update pictures tomorrow. Today has been a great day!

Twins 5/4/09

2009-05-05T06:16:00.004-05:00

Keaton and Kali are doing great. Keaton weighs 5lbs 14oz and Kali weighs 4lbs 15oz. Kali got off her oxygen today. Yay!!! When they were un-taping oxygen from her face, she pulled out her feeding tube so they decided to go ahead and up her bottles to 8 a day therefore, she has no need for the feeding tube as long as she is taking all her bottles. If she is unable to take all her bottles, they will put a tube back in but they wanted to give her the benefit before putting one back in. She is such a big girl now. They uped Keaton to 8 bottles a day also and they will remove his feeding tube if he is tolerating all 8 bottles. Kali was ready to get everything off her face. She knew what she was doing. Both Keaton and Kali have been getting caffeine every moring and this is to help with their brady's (not dropping their heart rate) and they stopped Kali's caffeine so Kali is on her 7 day countdown to come home. She has to be cleared for 7 days straight in a row. This means she can't have any brady's, she can't have any issues that she shouldn't be having, etc for 7 days straigh and then she is released to go home. If she does have an episode, they will start her back at day one. I talked to the doctor and she said that she expects her to have at least 1 set back and we will have to restart the countdown. Hopefully in the next day or so we can get Keaton on his countdown also. Today has been a great day.

Keaton and Kali sleeping

Mr. Keaton Jon

Miss Kali Ann

See anything different with Kali's face....NO tubes what so ever!

Twins 5/3/09

2009-05-03T21:15:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali are getting so big. Keaton weighs 5lbs 12.6oz and Kali weighs 4lbs 14oz. Keaton and Kali both got moved to 6 bottles a day and only 2 feeds through the feeding tube. They are getting so big and doing such a great job. The doctors and nurses told me that they would really pick up with the bottle around 35 weeks and they sure knew what they were talking about. They are 35 weeks and they are totally taking to their bottles now. I guess that is why doctors get paid the big bucks.....they sometimes know what they are talking about! Well, I will get new pictures and post them tomorrow.

Twins 5/2/09

2009-05-03T21:10:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali had a great day. Keaton weighs 5lbs 12oz and Kali weighs 4lbs 13oz. Keaton and Kali are both getting 4 bottles a day and 4 tube feeds a day. They are both doing a great job with the bottle. They are finishing their bottles anywhere from 15-30 minutes. Keaton has taken a few of his bottles in 10 minutes. He is a champ at the bottle now. Kali seemed to pick up on the bottle a little faster than Keaton but now, watch out! He likes to race to finish his bottle. Keaton is doing good with his brady's (dropping his heart rate) during feedings but he is having brady's when he gets burped. They aren't holding that against him though. Kali is doing good with her oxygen. She is still on a little oxygen at 21%, which is what you and I breathe but she has a few desats (where her oxygen level drops below 85) during her feeds so they haven't taken her completely off the oxygen yet. Maybe in a few days she will be completely off. Other than that, they are both doing excellent. Hopefully they will be coming home before too long.

Twins 5/1/09

2009-05-03T21:04:00.002-05:00

Kenna finally got to see Keaton and Kali. Mommy and daddy took Kenna up to the hospital to meet Nana and Pepaw and they gave Kenna a sticker to go back to the babies room. We didn't say anything and let her go back there so she finally got to meet Keaton and Kali. Mommy wouldn't let Kenna get close to them because she had a little cough and Kenna didn't really care about the babies. She was in a new place and just cared about looking around and seeing all the new things. So Kenna didn't really get to get close to her brother and sister but we can now say that she has seen them. Keaton weighs 5lbs 8.9oz and Kali weighs 4lbs 12oz. They are both doing great. Nana got to feed Kali a bottle for the first time. She did great for Nana. Nana also got to feed Keaton a bottle. Nana is great with the kids and really enjoys getting to be with them. Pepaw got to hold the babies also. Keaton and Kali really enjoy their guests coming to visit. They are so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family.

Twins 4/30/09

2009-04-30T20:28:00.002-05:00

Kali and I had a great day today. I weigh 5lbs 8oz and Kali weighs 4lbs 12 oz. Kali is almost the big 5.0. I am getting to bottle feed 3 times a day and Kali is getting to bottle feed 4 times a day. Today, the nurse fed me at 9am and I took my whole bottle in 10 minutes. That is really good for a person my size. Mommy fed me at 12pm and I took half my bottle and then fell asleep. I got really comfortable in her arms. Mommy fed Kali at 11am and she took all but 7cc's and then she fed her again at 2pm and she was really tired and didn't really want to wake up so the nurse was going to feed her again at her 5pm feed. I love having my sister next to me except she loves to snuggle. She is already trying to protect me. She always has to have at least a finger, an arm, or she is looking at me at all times. She loves to know I am right here. She doesn't want to be separated from me ever again and she is going to make sure of that. Well, I am getting tired so bad to sleep I go!

Kali loves to snuggle with Keaton

Kali loves her brother

Look at Kali looking at Keaton

Twins 4/29/09

2009-04-29T20:37:00.004-05:00

Keaton and I are doing great. Keaton weighs 5lbs 6oz and I weigh 4lbs 10oz. Can you believe how big we are getting? Keaton is trying to get a whole pound heavier than me but if I have anything to do with it, he wont! Keaton is up to 3 bottles a day and I am up to 4 bottles a day. We are getting there. Nana got to feed Keaton a bottle today for the first time. He did really great. He took his whole bottle for her. Mommy got to feed me my bottle today. I took all but 3cc. I got really tired. It is so nice being with my brother again. Well, I am getting tired so I need to get my beauty sleep!

Love Kali

Keaton and Kali back to back

Keaton is sleeping on his arm and Kali is snuggled up to her big brother

Nana feeding Keaton a bottle for the first time

Twins 4/28/09

2009-04-28T20:24:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali are together again! Keaton weighs 5lbs 5oz and Kali weighs 4lbs 9.2oz. Keaton got uped to two bottles a day and Kali is at three bottles a day. Keaton took his full bottle today which was 47cc and Kali took 2 full bottles so far today and she got uped to 42cc. They are both progressing very well. Kali is still on oxygen but she is at a very low setting. Her next step is to get completely off oxygen. Then, all we have to do is take 8 bottles a day every 3 hours and we can go home! Yay!!! Mommy and daddy can't wait for that day. I have added some pictures of the twins in their crib together. They are so cute. They both really seemed to miss each other. The fun has now started. Mommy loves having them back together again. It is so nice to have both your babies right there together. I hope you enjoy the pictures of them together.

Look at the heart shape they are laying in! I absolutely LOVE it!!!
Keaton is on left and Kali is on the right.

Aren't they sooooo cute???

Kali is so happy to be next to her brother again

They are so sweet

Kali already putting her back to her brother. Little miss Kenna in the works!

Twins 4/27/09

2009-04-27T21:00:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali are doing good today. Mommy didn't make it to the hospital today because big sister Kenna was home sick. She has a cold and pink eye so mommy had to stay home with her. Keaton weighs 5lbs 2.5oz and Kali weighs 4lbs 8oz. Keaton took a full bottle today. This is his first full bottle! Way to go Keaton! Kali did great with her bottles today. She got a nipple feed at 8am and she took 30cc and 9cc down her feeding tube and at 2pm she took all 39cc with her bottle. She is doing great. BIG NEWS.....Kali got moved in with her brother this afternoon. She is now in an open crib next to her brother. I will post pictures tomorrow of the two of them together. Keaton is 17 1/4 inches long and Kali 17 1/8 inches long. They are running neck and neck for their lengths. I will have more updates tomorrow.

Twins 4/26/09

2009-04-26T20:56:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali both had a great day. Keaton weighs 5lbs 2.5oz and Kali weighs 4lbs 5oz. Daddy got to feed both Keaton and Kali their bottles today. Keaton did a great job. He took 41cc with his bottle and only 6cc had to go through his feeding tube. Kali was really tired and didn't want to wake up so daddy could only get 12cc with her bottle and 26cc had to go through her feeding tube. The doctor uped Kali's bottles to 3 a day. They are also lowering her oxygen levels. Soon, she will be off the oxygen also. Keaton and Kali both are doing so good and we are so thankful for everyone keeping us in your prayers.

Keaton Jon

Kali Ann

Twins 4/25/09

2009-04-25T17:55:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali are doing great today. Keaton weighs......5lbs .5oz and Kali weighs 4lbs 5oz. They are both getting so big and growing so much. Keaton took 20cc with his bottle and Kali took almost a whole bottle. She took 38cc and left only 1cc. They both did a great job today.

Mommy took big sister, Kenna to the circus today and she wore mommy out. When we were done with the circus, we came home and mommy crashed! She can't get motivated to get up and get going. I guess those two year old's will do it to you every now and then. Kenna totally got a mommy day today. Kenna and mommy spent the entire day together, just the two of them. It was a really great day!

Twins 4/24/09

2009-04-24T19:56:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali both had a great day today. They had a visitor with mommy today. Aunt Jenji came to see them and hold them and love on them. Keaton weighs 4lbs 15oz and Kali weighs 4lbs 2oz. They both did a great job today with their bottles. Keaton took 29cc with his bottle and 17cc through his feeding tube totaling 46cc and Kali took 21cc with her bottle and 18cc through her feeding tube totaling 39cc. Aunt Jenji got to hold both Keaton and Kali after their bottle feed while the milk was giong through their feeding tube. They all three really enjoyed it. Kali had an echo done yesterday and her PDA is completely gone. Yay!!! Mommy doesn't have any updated pictures today because she was using Aunt Jenji's camera for her and forgot to get her camera out. Silly mommy! Mommy will post new pictures tomorrow.

Twins 4/23/09

2009-04-23T20:51:00.002-05:00

Kali and I both had a great day today. Kali is really trying to catch up to my weight. She will not let me get a whole pound heavier than her. I am trying really hard to get a full pound heavier but she is giving me a tough run for my money. She weighs 4lbs 2oz and I weigh 4lbs 14oz. Today I did really good for mommy. I took 23cc with my bottle and had to put 20cc in my feeding tube. I was wide awake and ready to eat for mommy today. Kali also did a great job. She took 32cc with her bottle and 5cc had to go down her feeding tube. They uped Kali's bottles to two bottles a day now and uped her feeds to 37cc. One bottle is for the day shift and one is for the night shift. She is doing great with her bottles. I will get there one day. I am in no hurry though! Well, I am getting sleepy so I will talk to you later.

Love Keaton

Look at Keaton holding his pacifier

Keaton all wrapped up

Kali sleeping on her belly

Kali loves being on her belly

Twins 4/22/09

2009-04-22T20:02:00.002-05:00

Keaton and I both had a great day today. Well, yesterday I told you that I would have good news today and my good news is...... I weigh ........ 4lbs .5oz....Yeah! I finally hit the four pound mark. Keaton weight stayed the same at 4lbs 13oz. Today Keaton was very tired. He told me it is hard work having to keep your body temperature instead of the bed doing all the work for you. When you are in the isolete, the bed controls your temperature and now that he is in an open crib, he has to control his own temperature and it is hard work. He didn't want to wake up today to take his bottle so mommy could only get about 3cc with the bottle and then she just let him sleep. I did a great job for mommy today. I finished my bottle again completely! This makes bottle #2 that I have completely finished. I really like the bottle. I get very tired after I drink the entire bottle but I have fun doing it. Well, it is nap time again so I will talk to you soon.

Love Kali

See anything new...the isolete got moved out of Keaton's room!

Keaton raising his hand...he is learning his manners early!

Kali snuggling with her Zacky (the hand)!

Kali sleeping on her stomach playing peek-a-boo!

Twins 4/21/09

2009-04-21T20:35:00.003-05:00

Keaton and Kali both had a great day today. Keaton weighs 4lbs 13oz and Kali weighs 3lbs 14oz. Today is Keaton's first day into an open crib. It is so great to see him laying there in the open and not having to look into an isolete to see him! He is doing good and holding his temperature. He took 15cc today with his bottle and 30cc through his feeding tube totaling 45cc and Kali took 22cc with her bottle and 13cc through her feeding tube totaling 35cc. They are both doing a great job with their bottles. One day soon they will up their bottles to 2 times a day and then before long, they will be completely off their feeding tubes. Mommy can't wait for that day! The doctor did not make any changes for today. I will have more great news for you tomorrow!

Check out Keaton's shorts! They are preemie and they are way bigger than him!

This is Keaton's new bed...it is an open crib now!

Kali sleeping with her pacifier!

Twins 4/20/09

2009-04-20T17:04:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali both had a great day today. Keaton weighs 4lbs 12oz and Kali weighs 3lbs 14oz. Keaton took 23cc with the bottle and 20cc through his feeding tube. Kali took her entire bottle bottle today in 15 minutes. She took all 35cc and she did such a great job! That is the first time either one of them have taken a full bottle. Mommy and daddy are so proud! They are going to try and put Keaton in an open crib today. They still haven't moved him when I left today due to his body temperature being a little low. They want his temperature to come up before they move him. Maybe tomorrow when I get there, he will be in an open crib. If not, that is okay too! We all had a great day today and I am looking forward to a wonderful day tomorrow!

Kali all sprawled out

Sweet Kali Ann

Sweet Keaton Jon

Keaton sleeping with mommy's arm

Twins 4/19/09

2009-04-19T13:25:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali both had a good day. Keaton weighs 4lbs 11oz and Kali weighs 3lbs 13oz. Daddy got to feed both Keaton and Kali today. Keaton took in 8cc by bottle and 33cc through his feeding tube and Kali took in 16cc by bottle and 17cc through her feeding tube. They are both doing an excellent job. Keaton no longer has anything attached to him other than his 3 leads on his belly, his temperature probe, and his feeding tube. This will all stay on him though until the day that he leaves. Other than that, he is free of everything else. WOW~ it must feel great to him! Kali is doing great on her oxygen. She is still on the nasal cannula on 1 liter and her FIO2 is setting anywhere from 21% to 30%. Once she stays at 21% for a while, they will slowly lower her oxygen from 1 liter to 3/4, to 1/2, to 1/4 and then she will be completely off the oxygen. That is how they did it with Keaton. Hopefully soon, she will be working her way down. We are in no hurry thought. Her and her brother are still too little to rush them. Well, so far, the two of them are having a great day!

Twins 4/18/09

2009-04-18T19:44:00.002-05:00

Keaton and I had a great day today. Mommy and daddy came and spent the day with us. Keaton weighs 4lbs 9oz and I weigh 3lbs 12oz. Daddy fed me and Keaton today. Keaton decided that he did such a great job yesterday with his bottle, he was going to play with daddy today. He only took 7cc with his bottle out of 41cc. He acted like he was too tired to take his bottle and just wanted to sleep. He had a brady while daddy was feeding him (dropped his heart rate) and turned blue so daddy had to stimulate him to make him breathe. Daddy got a little scared. Then daddy came to me to feed me and I did a really good job for him. I figured that I better not scare him too. I am daddy's little girl so I have to start out acting like a little angel for him. I took 24cc with my bottle out of 33cc and they only had to feed me 9cc through my tube. That is the best I have done with my bottle. Mommy and daddy were very proud of me. Keaton finishes all of his medicine through his I.V. today so they are going to remove his I.V. He will no longer be hooked up to anything except for his feeding tube. That is exciting! I will catch up to him soon. I am just being a little lazy staying on my oxygen but I will work a little harder and get off of it soon. I don't want to grow up too fast. I am taking life easy! Well, it is time to go back to sleep so I will talk to you soon.

Love Kali

Twinbs 4/17/09

2009-04-17T22:27:00.002-05:00

Kali and I have had a great day filled with great company. Today, mommy, Aunt Brandy, and Vanessa came up and spent the day with us and then after they left, Nana and Pepaw came up and spent more time with us. I weigh 4lbs 8oz and Kali weighs 3lbs 11oz. Guess what the doctor did today? They took off my oxygen monitor so now on my screen, it only shows my heart rate and my respirations. It no longer shows what my oxygen level is. Mommy got really nervous and had to double check with the doctor that she was sure she wanted to remove it. Mommy is silly! Any time we do something new, she gets really scared. Mommy fed me my bottle today and I took all but 6cc. That means I took 35cc by bottle and 6cc through my tube to total 41cc. I made mommy really proud of me today. She could not believe how much milk I took from the bottle. Tomorrow, I will try to do even better. Kali did a great job today also. She took 18cc from the bottle and 15cc through her tube to total 33cc. Kali dropped her oxygen level one time but she was choking on a little bit of milk. She came right back up though. After mommy fed me my bottle, Aunt Brandy got to hold me and so did Vanessa. Then after Kali ate, Aunt Brandy got to hold her. Then later, Pepaw got to hold me through my 6:00pm feed and Nana got to hold Kali. We got a lot of love today. I can't wait until tomorrow to see daddy! Kali and I have been working up something special for him.... Kali or I will let you know how it goes tomorrow!

Love Keaton

Twins 4/16/09

2009-04-16T19:30:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali had a great day today especially with their bottle feeds. They both made mommy really proud today! I fed Keaton first and he has really been scaring me that last few days because he likes to brady while he is eating (drop his heart rate) and he turns blue on me. This is a good thing that I am now aware what he looks like when he is doing this and I know how to handle it for when we come home, but it is still really scary. Today, he did a great job, didn't brady or even did not drop his oxygen level. He took in 21cc out of 39cc and did a wonderful job. Kali also did a great job. Normally with Kali, they have to increase her oxygen during feeds because she likes to drop her oxygen level and today, she did an excellent job and never once dropped her levels. She took in 18cc out of 33cc. I am so proud of the two of them. They are growing up more and more each day. Keaton is really starting to fill out. He does not look like a little baby any more. Keaton weighs 4lbs 6oz and Kali weighs 3lbs 11oz. She is slowly getting there. She is almost 4lbs. WooHoo!!!

Twins 4/15/09

2009-04-15T20:30:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali are officially on the 8th floor at Children's Memorial Hermann and are in a level 2 care. They are both doing great today. They each have their own room and will stay in seperate rooms until they get out of the isoletes and into an open crib and then they will put the two of them together. So as of now, mommy gets to go back and forth everyday from room to room. The good thing is is that their rooms are sort of across the hall and cadicorner from each other and I can see Kali's monitor from Keaton's room and vice versa. Mommy has more privacy now with the babies. Keaton and Kali have found a nurse that they really like so we have asked her to be a primary nurse for them. This means that any time this particular nurse is working, she will be with my babies. Today, Keaton weighs 4lbs 5oz and Kali weighs 3lbs 8oz. Keaton took 8cc with the bottle out of 39cc and Kali took 9cc with the bottle out of 33cc. I was informed that babies don't normally get to start understanding how to handle a bottle, meaning suck, swallow, and breathe all at the same time until they are 34-36 weeks. Keaton and Kali are only considered 32 1/2 weeks so what they are doing now is just practice for them. They don't expect them to really pick up the bottle thing for a few more weeks. Therefore, with them being so young, they are doing an excellent job every day.

Twins 4/14/09

2009-04-14T18:48:00.003-05:00

Keaton and Kali have great news today.... they are getting moved to the 8th floor. They are no longer on level 3 (NICU), they are now on level 2 (PICU). The next step is home! Woo Hoo!!! Mommy and daddy can't wait. Instead of them having a team of doctors, they now have one single doctor. Mommy got to feed Keaton and Kali a bottle today. Keaton took about 1cc out of 39 and Kali took 8cc out of 33. Keaton had a few brady's today during feeds so we just left him alone. Kali did good. She really latches on the bottle and does good at sucking but she gets really tired really easily. I got a tour of their new rooms today before I left but they were not going to move them to their new rooms until this evening so I will take pictures of their new homes and post them tomorrow. Don't forget to look tomorrow to see their new homes.

Keaton without his nasal cannula!

Kali searching for her pacifier

Twins 4/13/09

2009-04-13T21:11:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! It has been a while since I have updated you on me and Keaton but we both had a great day today. Keaton weighs 4lbs 4oz and I weigh 3lbs 7oz. I am slowly but surely catching up to my brother. They removed Keaton's nasal cannula yesterday evening and he is still doing good and breathing without it. He is such a big boy now! I have finally gained enough weight and I was able to get dressed in my first outfit today. It sure is nice to finally get clothes on. Mommy and I have been waiting for this day for a few days now. She loves it when we get our outfits dirty because that makes more laundry for her and daddy. She gets to take home at least one outfit from both of us a day now. Well, the doctors really didn't make any changes today. Keaton took in 6cc with the bottle out of 33cc and I took in 11cc with the bottle out of 31cc. Keaton was a little lazy today but mommy didn't want to push him since today was his first day off the nasal cannula. Well, the nurse is coming to feed me so I will talk to you later.

Love Kali

Keaton with NO nasal cannula (the orange tube is his feeding tube)

Kali's first outfit

Twins 4/12/09

2009-04-13T00:00:00.003-05:00

Happy Easter! Keaton weighs 4lbs 3oz and Kali weighs 3lbs 4oz. Keaton was a little puffy today so they reduced his feeds by a little and is now at 33cc. Today daddy fed both Keaton and Kali their bottles. Keaton took 14cc out of 33cc and Kali took 7cc out of 26cc. Daddy is so good with the babies. They are really lucky to have such a wonderful daddy that takes great care of them. They removed Keaton's nasal cannula today around 3pm and he has been doing good without it.

Daddy feeding Keaton a bottle

Kali sleeping

Twins 4/11/09

2009-04-11T20:53:00.003-05:00

Keaton weighs 4lbs 2oz and Kali weighs 3lbs 4oz. Daddy got to feed Keaton a bottle today for the first time and mommy got to feed Kali a bottle today for the second time. They both did a great job. Keaton took in 17cc out of 37cc and Kali took 7cc out of 26cc. Aunt Heather went up to the hospital today with mommy and daddy to see Keaton and Kali. We all had a great day.

This morning mommy, daddy, Kenna, Aunt Heather, Savanna, Brianna, Nana, Pepaw, Uncle Mike, Barbie, and Tracie all got together and had a wonderful lunch and then the kids did an Easter egg hunt. Kenna found the golden egg!!! Go Kenna, that is two golden eggs in one year. She likes the gold..... watch out mommy and daddy!

Twins 4/10/09

2009-04-11T07:54:00.003-05:00

Guess what....Keaton weighs 4lbs 0oz and Kali weighs 3lbs 5oz. Can you believe it, Keaton has hit the 4lbs mark! Kali got to take her first bottle today. Mommy got to feed it to her. She did so good. She took 10cc with the bottle for the first time out of 26cc. When mommy put that bottle in her mouth, she latched on and didn't want to let go. She did awesome! Keaton took in 9cc with his bottle feed out of his 35cc. They both had a great day!

Twins 4/9/09

2009-04-09T20:20:00.003-05:00

Keaton and Kali both had a great day today. Keaton weighs 3lbs 14oz and Kali weighs 3lbs 3oz. Keaton is eating 35cc and Kali is eating 25cc. Keaton took 8cc today on his bottle feed. He also got to nurse with me for about 20 minutes of what they call non-nutritive nursing while his actual milk was going through his feeding tube. This is to get him use to nursing and getting full with his actual milk at the same time. He did a great job today. Nana got to hold Kali today during her lunch break for the first time. Keaton and Kali both had a good peaceful day.

Today, Kenna had her Easter party at daycare. They had an Easter Egg Hunt today and guess who got the Golden Egg.... that's right, Kenna got it. Her teacher told me today when I went to pick her up that Kenna saw the golden egg, ran straight to it, opened it, saw the candy in it which she didn't like and threw the egg. Go figure, that sounds just like Kenna. She is a girl who knows exactly what she wants. She had a great day. Today, Kenna received a package in the mail. She received a big sister T-shirt from our friends Buddy, Laurie, Lauren, and Brooke Black. It is so cute. I have put a picture of her big sister shirt. Look closely when you are looking at it.

The Thomas family would like to thank you for keeping us in your prayers and keeping up with the progress on the twins. We could not do it without all the support from our family and friends. Thank you so much!

Keaton's shirt says MY TWIN DID IT!

Kali doing what she does best, SLEEPING!

Nana holding Kali for the first time

Kenna's big sister shirt. Look at the names, it has all 3 of them!

Twins 4/8/09

2009-04-08T17:30:00.003-05:00

Keaton and I both had a great day today. He weighs 3lbs 12 oz and I weigh 3lbs 2oz. He is eating 32cc and I am eating 25cc. Keaton is getting his 12:00 feeding with a bottle that mommy gives him and his 3:00 feeding he is getting to breast feed with mommy. He took in 7cc out of the 32cc he is eating from the bottle. The nurses are all very impressed with the way he is doing with his feeds. I have some big shoes to fill once I can start eating out of a bottle. I am slowly but surely gaining weight and once I hit 1600 grams, I will be able to put clothes on and catch up to my brother. Mommy held me today and I really enjoyed it. I miss getting to be in mommy's arms. Keaton is getting all of her attention right now because he is getting to come out of his bed 2 times a day for his different feeds. Mommy held me today in between his two feeds so I was able to get some of her attention. Well, that is about all that we did today. I will talk to you soon.

Love Kali

Keaton sleeping

Kali sleeping

Twins 4/7/09

2009-04-07T17:29:00.003-05:00

Keaton and Kali both had a great day! Keaton weighs 3lbs 10oz and Kali weighs 3lbs 2oz. Keaton is eating 32cc and he is getting 1 bottle feed a day. New news for today... mommy got to breast feed Keaton today for the first time. They both enjoyed it. He did great! He latched on and he sucked a little but it is mainly to help mommy out and get him used to breast feeding. Kali is eating 24cc. There were no changes with either one today. They are both looking good and doing great. They just have to grow now. Mommy is really starting to feel needed and is enjoying being up at the hospital every day with Keaton and Kali. She is getting some great bonding moments with the babies.

Twins 4/6/09

2009-04-06T16:58:00.005-05:00

I got good news today....Keaton hit the 1600 grams mark (3lbs 8oz) and he is able to wear clothes now. Today is his first day to ever be able to put clothes on. They will now start winging him off the humidity in his bed and start working his way to room air. As long as his body can handle holding its own temperature, Keaton should be getting out of the enclosed bed soon. I got to feed Keaton his 2nd bottle today. He did a really great job. He ate about 3cc out of 30cc from his bottle. He did not drop his oxygen today at all. The nurse didn't help do anything. It was just me and him during his feed. He acted like a pro at eating. He did fall asleep on me though. Other than that, he did a great job. Kali weighs 3lbs 1oz and is eating 24cc. They are going to add more calories to her milk to get her to gain some weight. They both had a great day today.

Keaton laying in his 1st outfit

Keaton was tired of me taking his picture

Kali holding her plug

Twins 4/5/09

2009-04-05T20:09:00.003-05:00

Kali and I had a great day today. Mommy and daddy came up to the hospital and daddy got to hold Kali. She told me that she loved being in her daddy's arms. She loves when he is able to hold her. Daddy also got to change her diaper. As soon as he took the diaper off her to change her, she surprised him with a big poop. She told me that she was going to do that next time he changed her and she did. She held up her word. Well today, mommy got to feed me with a bottle for the first time. I think we both did a good job. The nurse told mommy that for our first feed, normally a nurse is suppose to feed us in case we quite breathing or something happens but the nurse today decided to let mommy do it. She told mommy that I probably wouldn't do very good because they normally don't start bottle feeding until closer to 35 weeks so I had to show the nurse up. I did a really good job and impressed everyone up there. Mommy would have to put the bottle up to my mouth and help me get it started then I would suck for a little while, then I would get tired, mommy would have to stimulate me a little to wake me up, then I would eat some more. We did this for a while. Overall, I did a great job! I am eating a total of 30cc and I took 5cc from the bottle and then the rest they had to feed me through my feeding tube. The nurse said with all the work I did eating from the bottle, it was like being in the Olympics for you. It took a lot of work out of me. Well Kali weighs 3lbs 1oz and I weigh 3lbs 7oz. I am eating 30cc with one bottle feed a day now and Kali is eating 24cc. Well, I am still tired from earlier today eating so I need to get some more rest. Talk to you soon.

Love Keaton

Keaton getting ready to eat his first bottle

Keaton eating his first bottle

Kali getting her beauty rest

Twins 4/4/09

2009-04-04T18:03:00.002-05:00

Guess what....Kali is now 3lbs 0oz. Woo Hoo!!! Keaton is still 3lbs 7oz and is eating 30cc and Kali is eating 21cc. Today, mommy, daddy, Kenna, Papa Bob, Aunt Miste, Aunt Kim, Jacob, Haley, Regan, Ryan, Kayla, Nana, and Grandpa all came up to the hospital to see Keaton and Kali. They had a lot of visitors today. Of course Kenna is too young to get back there so she had to stay out front in the waiting room. Keaton was wide awake the whole time we were there. He did not want to miss out on any of the fun. He was interested in seeing everyone that was there to visit. Kali slept the majority of the time. Both Keaton and Kali are having a great day!

Twins 4/3/09

2009-04-03T15:03:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali are having a good day today. They tried to pull Keaton off of his nasal cannual and he lasted for about an hour and then he started having A's and B's (aepnic and brady episodes) so they had to put him back on the nasal cannula. He is at 21% which is room air, what you and I breath, but they say he may just need to flow to help keep the air going through. Keaton weighs 3lbs 7oz and Kali weighs 2lbs 15oz. Keaton is on 30cc and Kali is on 21cc. We got a new team of doctors today (actually new residents) so I am having to get used to a new team of doctors. The attending doctor is the same but the rest of the team is different. So far, we have had a great day!

Kyra Thomas

Twins 4/2/09

2009-04-02T19:33:00.002-05:00

Hello! Today me and my brother had a good day. Nana came to visit us during her lunch break and then mommy came and spent the day with us. I weigh 2lbs 13oz and Keaton weighs 3lbs 4oz. He is eating 30cc which equals 1 ounce and I am eating 16cc. Keaton has been getting a liver ultrasound every Friday to watch how his abscess is doing and the doctors decided today to not do them every Friday anymore. Instead, they are going to do his next liver ultrasound April 10th which is next Friday. So they are doing them every two weeks now instead of every week. We are both getting stronger and bigger every day. Today, mommy asked one of the nurses if she would be our primary nurse. What this means is that every time that nurse is working, if she is our primary, they will put her with us every time. The nurse is off until Monday so we wont know anything until Monday if she is able to be our primary nurse. Mommy and daddy really like this nurse. Me and Keaton also like her a lot. She is very nice and works well with us. Keaton has only had 1 brady today and I haven't had any. Mommy talked to us the other day about how we need to make sure we are breathing and we decided to listen to her advice today. I don't know that we can follow her directions every day but we did good today listening to her. Well, Keaton and I are coming up with our own twin language and I have to get back to him. He gets upset when he doesn't get his way and I don't want to upset him right now since he is having such a good day so I will talk to you later.

Love Kali

Twins 4/1/09

2009-04-01T21:41:00.003-05:00

WOW ~ We had a great day today. Kali and I both had very calm and relaxing day. Boy did mommy get a wow of a surprise and shock today. When the doctors were making their rounds this morning, mommy over heard the doctors saying they think we are ready to be moved to the 8th floor. We are currently on the 7th floor and when we first got here, the nurses told mommy and daddy that our goal is to get to the 8th floor. Well, none of us thought it would be anytime soon. We thought that we had to be out of our isolettes and in open cribs and pretty much doing everything on our own. So when the doctors said that this morning, mommy turned her head and said WHAT??? She talked to the doctors and they explained that on the 8th floor, the ratio of nurses to babies is 3 or 4 babies to 1 nurse and on the 7th floor it is 2 to 3 babies to 1 nurse. Currently, we are in open pods that will fit up to 8 babies where the nurses can see all 8 babies and on the 8th floor, they have 8 little individual rooms. There are still monitors and the nurse can see a monitor at all times, even if she is in a room. Every baby can be monitored from every room so that should not be an issue. Our current doctors called up to the 8th floor doctors to see if they would take us and because I am still having a few too many Apenic and Brady episodes (where my oxygen drops and then my heart rate drops), they want to wait a few days. Children's Memorial Hermann just went to computer charting instead of mannually charting everything this past Monday so they want to either wait until our brady episodes go down or give them a little bit to get used to using the computers. So we are okay staying where we are at right now and give mommy a few more days to process everything. Mommy is scared and excited for us to be able to move. It will definitely be a big change and that just scares her but this means that we are doing and we don't need to be in the NICU anymore. The nurse today told mommy that once me and Kali both get into an open crib, we will be able to be together again in a crib together. We are excited. I miss being next to her even though our cribs are next to each other, it just still isn't the same. I want to be able to feel and touch her. She is my side kick. You just wait and see!!! Well today, I weigh 3lbs 3oz and Kali weighs 2lbs 12oz. I am eating 28cc and she is eating 13cc. We both got measured Monday and I am 16 1/4 inches long and Kali is 15 1/4 inches long. I knew I could do it, I am finally taller than her. Woo Hoo! She is excited also. I finally weigh more and I am taller. When we were born, she was taller and weighed more. Since I am the boy, that is my role and I finally am getting to playing my role. Well, it is time for me to get some rest so I will talk to you later.

Love Keaton

Twins 3/31/09

2009-03-31T20:21:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! Me and my brother are doing good today. We both got to lay with mommy for a while today doing kangaroo care. We both love being in mommy's arms. We both feel so cozy and just love laying there and don't even make our machines go off. We do good in her arms for her. I weigh 2lbs 12oz and Keaton weighs 3lbs 1oz. I am slowly but surely going to catch up with him. I am on 9cc and he is on 28cc. We are both on 1liter of oxygen through our nasal cannulas. We had a pretty low key day today. Hopefully we can have more of these for mommy. She loves days like this. Well, it is time for me to get some sleep so I will talk to you later.

Love Kali

Kali smiling at mommy

Keaton sleeping so comfortable

Twins 3/30/09

2009-03-30T16:55:00.003-05:00

Keaton and Kali both are doing good today. Kali's x-rays turned out good today. Yesterday, her belly was pertruded and the x-rays just show that there is a lot of air and gas. This is great news! They are starting her feeds again today at 6cc. They increased Keaton's feeds to 24cc today. They are putting a perk line in Kali because they are having trouble keeping an I.V. going in Kali. They are having to do anywhere from 1 to 2 a shift. She has gotten a total of 4 I.V.'s over the last two days. A perk line is a line that goes through their arm and goes down into the center of their body. They say a perk line can last up to a couple of months. This should help from her having to get so many I.V.'s. Keaton is having to get blood today. Keaton weighs 3lbs 1oz and Kali weighs 2lbs 10oz. They are both doing great on the nasal cannula. Today, Nana and Pop came up to the hospital to visit Keaton and Kali on their lunch breaks. Mommy changed Kali's diaper for the first time today. The nurse made me change it. She asked if I wanted to change the diaper and I told her no and she asked if I have ever changed it and I told her no so she made me. Today was a pretty good day for Keaton and Kali.

Twins 3/29/09

2009-03-29T22:37:00.002-05:00

Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know that I am fine. I got to start eating again today but they would only give me 14cc instead of my full 28cc. Atleast I am getting some food again. The doctors just think I had a lot of gas yesterday that needed to get out and it finally did and my belly went back down. Well today, my sister Kali is trying to get the attention and she is going through what I went through yesterday. They have stopped her feeds and are now watching her for neck. Her belly is pertruded and they are seeing a lot of air in her abdomen so they decided to take her off her CPAP and put her on the nasal cannula like me. She is loving being off the CPAP. We now look alike again. I over heard mommy and daddy talking today that now Kali is on the nasal cannula like me and you can see her whole face, we look more similar now. They used to not think we looked anything alike and now they say they can still tell us apart but we look a lot more similar. I weigh 3lbs 1oz and Kali weighs 2lbs 13oz. We are getting bigger and bigger every day. Today, mommy, daddy, and Nana came up to the hospital to see us. Well it is time for me to get some rest so I better get off the computer.

Love Keaton

Twins 3/28/09

2009-03-28T23:37:00.002-05:00

Mommy and daddy came up to the hospital today to see me and my brother Keaton. We both had a good day. I weigh 2lbs 10oz and Keaton weighs 3lbs 1oz. I am eating 12cc and I am on a CPAP of 5 and Keaton got his feeds held back right now and he is on a nasal cannula of 1 1/2 liters. He has been having alot of apnic spells and bradys lately. That is where he holds his breath and then drops his heart rate. He is trying to scare everyone. Well, with him having these episodes pretty frequently, it is causing them to look and see what is going on. They are in the process right now of determining if he has neck. The technical term is nechrocromidous (spelling ??) which is where there is a tear or prefieration in the bowel or part of the bowel dies off. They are not sure at all if this is what Keaton has but his poor little belly is pretty preferated today and he has had two x-rays and there is some bowel that they are watching. They say he may just need to go poop and if that is the case, great but they have to take precautionary measures if it is neck. This is why they stoped his feeds. They would rather be safe than sorry. Today, I had a follow up chest x-ray and the doctors say that I am looking good. I am having to get a little blood today due to my hematocrit being low. Other than that, Keaton and I are just laying around trying to get some sleep. Well, it is bed time again so I will talk to you soon.

Love Kali

Twins 3/27/09

2009-03-27T15:13:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali are both doing good today. Keaton weighs 3lbs 1oz and Kali weighs 2lbs 11oz. Keaton had his liver ultrasound today and the results show it to be shrinking. They are going to keep him on the same antibiotics right now. His abscess is about .8cm X .5cm. It was originally 2cm X 1.5cm. Kali seemed that she was having labored breathing today so they did a chest x-ray and everythig came back fine with the x-ray so they are just going to watch her. She is still on a CPAP of 4 and Keaton had to get increased on his oxygen to 1 liter. Mommy was at the hospital today and Nana came up on her lunch break.

Twins 3/26/09

2009-03-26T21:37:00.005-05:00

Guess what ..... Kali weighs 2lbs 10oz and I weigh 3lbs 1oz. Can you believe it, I hit the 3lb mark. Woo Hoo! My mommy and daddy were so excited today when they heard the news. This morning, mommy, daddy, Nana, and Aunt Heather took my big sister, Kenna and our cousins Savanna and Brianna to Chuck E Cheese. They had a really great time. My mommy and daddy told me and Kali that our big sister is the biggest dare devil ever. They say we have to watch out for her with all the things she will have us doing before we can even walk. After they were done at Chuck E Cheese, they all came up to the hospital to to see me and Kali. Of course, my big sister and cousins were not allowed to come back and see us but we knew they were there. Today was so funny. Daddy was changing my diaper and when he opened the diaper, I had a poopy waiting on him. Then as soon as he pulled the diaper open and took it from under my bottom, I peed up in the air to show him what I could do. Mommy and Aunt Heather were there and they starting laughing at daddy. We had a good fun time. Then when he was done with my diaper, he went over to change my sisters diaper and he had a little trouble there also. He was so silly. Once he changed her diaper, he was raising his hand to get the nurse over there. It was as if he was in school raising his hand. He had me laughing. He warned the nurse that she should check her diaper. On a serious note, I am eating 26cc and Kali is eating 9cc. She is still on a CPAP of 4 and I am on the nasal cannula with my oxygen level at 1/2 liter. Last night, they tried to take me completely off the nasal cannula but I thought they were moving me along a little too fast and I didn't like it. They had to put me back on the nasal cannula. I didn't want to get too far ahead of Kali. I am going to wait for her right now. They should be moving her to the nasal cannula within the next few days. I can't wait. She will like it so much better. Well, I need to get back to my sleeping so I will talk to you later.

Love Keaton

Keaton with a Mickey beanie baby

Kali with a Minnie beanie baby

Kenna, Savanna, & Brianna on the merry-go-round at Chuck E Cheese

Kenna playing in the jungle gym. It was really high - it is touching the ceiling. They had to climb high to get into it!

Kenna and Brianna in the jungle gym!

Kenna and Brianna riding the hydrolic car with their hands up

Lunch time: they are chowing down on crackers waiting patiently for the pizza. Look behind the girls at the jungle gym - see how high up in the air it is???

Daddy, Kenna, Savanna, & Brianna on the stage dancing with the Chuck E Cheese crew

Twins 3/25/09

2009-03-25T20:12:00.004-05:00

Keaton and Kali had a good day today. Keaton weighs 2lbs 15oz (he is almost 3lbs. - Wow can you believe it) and Kali weighs 2lbs 9oz. Keaton is eating 26cc and Kali is eating 6cc. Keaton is on the nasal cannual at 1/2 liter. If he does good at that level, it is to my understanding that they are wanting to take the nasal cannula completely off. Kali is on the CPAP and they reduced her levels today from a 5 to a 4. They are both doing really good and seem to increase a little every day. When I got to the hospital today, Kali did have one little issue. Over night around 3am one of Kali's veins blew out. She does have a burn mark on her right leg from the I. V. It is about the size of a large straw. The nurse told me that she will have a little scar from it but it will lighten in color as she grows. Other than that, everything with the both of them is going great. I would like to thank everyone for keeping us in your prayers and checking up on the twins everyday by reading the website. If you ever have any additional questions other than what I post, please email or call me. I would love to answer any questions to keep you as informed as I can.

Keaton laying there peeping with his eyes

Kali's blown vein on her right leg in the crease

This is a close up of Kali's blown vein

Twins 3/24/09

2009-03-24T17:26:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone. This is mommy today. I had a great day with Keaton and Kali. They are both doing wonderful today. Keaton weighs 2lbs 10oz and Kali weighs 2lbs 8oz. Keaton is eating 26cc and Kali is eating 6cc. Kali is slowly but surely increasing her feeds now that she is eating again. Keaton is on a nasal cannula and Kali is on CPAP. They decreased her CPAP today from a 6 to a 5. Both of their oxygen levels were great today. I got to hold Kali again today. We kangarooed each other today. It is so great to have my little ones on my bare chest. Is is so nice to be able to hold and cuddle with them. Kali did great while she was with me. Keaton looks so much better today. Yesterday he had to get blood and his color today was much more like himself. He was a happy man again. And for me, I am doing good. I have a new full time job - the hospital. I am there everyday visiting with the babies. I talk to them, sing to them, and tell them all about all their friends and family, especially their big sister - Kenna. They are both very excited to get to meet everyone one day.

Love Mommy

Twins 3/23/09

2009-03-23T20:30:00.003-05:00

Hello! My sister and I are doing good today. Kali had a really good day. Mommy got to hold her today for the first time. She did so great in mommy's arms. I am a little jealous because she was unable to hold me, but that is okay. I will have my time with her another day. Kali weighs 2lbs 8oz and she started feeding again today. She is starting off on 3cc. She did great over night on the CPAP. I had to get a little blood today because they say I was getting anemic. Mommy could tell the color on me today was a little off. They also say this blood will help me with my apnea. Sometimes, I forget to breathe and my oxygen level drops and they consider that aepnic (A's). If I hold my breath too long, my heart rate drops and they call that a brady (B's). I had 4 A's and B's yesterday. I normally smile a lot during the day but today, I was just really tired and needed the blood. They decreased my feeds today to 21cc so I didn't get too much fluid with all the additional blood. I weight 2lbs 10oz. My sister and I neither one gained or lost any weight from yesterday. Overall, we both had a good day!

Love Keaton

Twins 3/22/09

2009-03-22T17:21:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone! My brother and I are having a good day. My brother weighs 2lbs 10oz and I weigh 2lbs 8oz. Keaton got increased to eating 24cc and I am still not eating again yet. Other than that, there has been no new changes for Keaton. Me on the other hand, got extibated today. It is so nice not to have that big tube down my throat. They are going to watch me over night and see how everything goes and how I handle my breathing on the CPAP and then tomorrow the doctor told me they would talk about feeding me again. I finished up the dose of medicine for my PDA. They still hear the murmer but I over heard them say that they are just going to watch it for right now. They will probably do another echo (ultrasound of my heart) but they haven't ordered one as of right now. Other than that, I am doing great. Mommy and daddy came to visit us today. Mommy got to kangaroo hold my brother. I can't wait until she is able to do that with me. Hopefully tomorrow will be my day! I hope to see you soon!

Love Kali

Big Sister - Kenna

2009-03-21T22:32:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone. I am hanging in here doing good. From what everyone tells me, I have a new brother and sister somewhere in a hospital. I still say they are in mommy's belly but mommy always tells me they are in the hospital and I will get to meet them soon. I get to see pictures of them but it doesn't really mean anything to me right now. Maybe one day it will all come together. I had a great day today. Me, mommy, and daddy all got up today and we met Aunt Jen, Uncle Eddie, Scott, Kelli, Tylie, Michael, and Josh at Brazos Bend State Park. We had a really great day. We had a picnic lunch and I got to play with Tylie. I always have a great time playing with my cousin Tylie. Today at the park, I got to slide down a really big slide and make my mommy really nervous. However, daddy thought it was funny and let me go down it a couple more times. Mommy and daddy left today to go see my brother and sister and I got to stay with everyone out at the park. Aunt Jen and Uncle Eddie took me back to their house and everyone came over and I got to play some more with Tylie. I had a really fun day today getting to spend time with everyone and getting to play outside. Thanks for such a great day!

Love Kenna

Twins 3/21/09

2009-03-21T21:34:00.005-05:00

Keaton and Kali both had a really good day today. We found out great news about Keaton's liver abscess. All the fluid inside the abscess is gone and the abscess itself is shrinking. Woo Hoo!!! The antibiotics are doing its job. Keaton weighs 2lbs 8oz and he is eating 20cc. Kali weighs 2lbs 3oz and she is still not feeding. They started the antibiotics for her PDA this morning at 5:30am and she got a second dose at 5:30pm and her last dose will be tomorrow morning at 5:30am and that should be it. They will do another echo (ultrasound of the heart) to see how the antibiotics worked and then we will go from there. Hopefully the medicine will close the hole. Today Nana, Grandpa, mommy and daddy all came up to see Keaton and Kali. Also Amber and Shawn Schoelzel and Susan Gallia came up to meet the twins. They enjoyed getting to meet their new friends. They also really love their new stuffed animals. Mommy didn't have her camera with her today so she will take new pictures tomorrow of the new stuffed animals. Keaton and Kali are so special to have so many friends and family who love and care for them. Today daddy got to hold Keaton and give him all his love. Keaton really enjoys being held. He does so good when he is in our arms. We can't wait to get to hold Kali again. We are excited!

Twins 3/20/09

2009-03-20T21:32:00.007-05:00

Hello everyone. Me and my sister had a great day today. My sister is still intibated but she is doing great. They decided today that they are going to start winging her off her breathing machine and work her way back down to a CPAP. They did an echo of her heart to see the PDA (hole) and they have decided to give her antibiotics to help try and close the hole. That will take a day and a half for all the antibiotics to get in her system. I am doing great also. Today, I just layed around and tried to get out of my bed. The nurses kept having to move me up in my bed because I would wiggle my way down trying to get out. It was really funny watching the nurses have to constantly move me up so I could be comfortable. They did the liver ultrasound today but I never got to hear the results. Hopefully we will hear something tomorrow. Today, Aunt Jen and Uncle Eddie came up to visit me and my sister for the first time. We love getting to meet new people. Also, Nana came up and spent a lot of time with us. Today, Nana got to hold me. When I was in her arms, her and mommy were talking to me and I would just look at them and smile really big. They both really got a kick out of watching me smile. I smiled the whole time I was out of my bed. I think every time I smiled, it made them laugh also. That was about all that happened today. I can't wait to see who will come visit us tomorrow.

Love Keaton

Twins 3/18/09

2009-03-19T19:43:00.006-05:00

Well lets see... mommy got woke up this morning by the phone ringing at 12:50am to see that it is the hospitals number calling. This can never be a good sign. I answered the phone hello and the person on the other end of the phone says "This is doctor... everything is okay but we had to re-intibate Kali due to her breathing and we are having to give her some blood because she is anemic. Other than that, everything is going good." We finished the conversation and got off the phone. Well of course mommy is then wide a wake and cannot go back to sleep. So needless to say, Kali is now intibated again (on the breathing machine). They had to stop her feeds because they are thinking maybe she has an infection or because she is premature, her lungs are just doing this (which is normal for preemie babies). Also, they hear her murmer in her heart a little louder each day. They also say this could be why she had to be intibated again. If you didn't know, all babies are born with a hole in their heart. When they are in their mommy's bellys, instead of the babies lungs having to work, the hole allows the mommy to provide the necessary nutients to the baby through the hole. When the baby is born, the hole normally closes on its own but in preemie babies, this isn't always the case. They have been watching hers and it seems to be getting louder. They are doing an echo today which is an ultrasound of her heart to see how big the PDA (hole) is. They have two options on getting the hole to close if it isn't closing on its own. The first way is by antibiotics. They give the antibiotics every 12 hours for 3 doses (1 1/2 days) and then if it still doesn't close, they some times have to go in and manually close it. So we still don't know exactly what they are going to do until we get the results from the echo. They stopped her feeds in case they end up having to go in and close the PDA so she will be off of breast milk for a few days. Kali weighs 2lbs 7oz today and Keaton weighs 2lbs 8oz. Keaton is doing really good. They increased his feeds to 17cc and they decreased his oxygen settings, which is great. He will get an ultrasound of his liver tomorrow to see how that is going. Hopefully it is shrinking or atleast staying the same in size. We definitely do not want it to grow. Today, mommy took Keaton and Kali their Easter stuff. Mommy, daddy, and Kenna went and got all of their Easter baskets and decorations so we could take it to the hospital. It turned out really cute. Today, Aunt Kelli came to the hospital to see the babies. She got to learn a lot about all the different machines and what all the noises the machines make mean. Mommy is getting pretty good at teaching someone about all the different things that the nurses and the machines do. She is going to be a pro by time we get to leave the hospital.

Keaton and Kali's Easter baskets

Kali's bed decorated with Easter stuff

Keaton's bed decorated with Easter stuff

Kali sleeping

Keaton wide awake

Twins 3/18/019

2009-03-18T19:38:00.004-05:00

Keaton and Kali are both doing very well today. There was really no change today except Keaton now weighs 2lbs 7oz and Kali weighs 2lbs 8oz. Keaton is now eating 11cc and Kali is eating 14cc. They are both progressing more and more every day. Today mommy, Nana, and Pop came to the hospital to see the babies. Keaton is still tolerating his nasal cannula very well. Kali had to increase her CPAP a little yesterday evening back from a 5 to a 6. This is completely normal in preemie babies.

Keaton laying on his stomach with his comfy hand

Kali laying on her stomach with her comfy hand

Twins 3/17/09

2009-03-17T20:06:00.005-05:00

Keaton and Kali both had a great day today. Keaton weighs 2lbs 5oz and is 14 inches long. Kali weighs 2lbs 7oz and is 15 inches long. Both of them got increased today on their feeding. Keaton is at 11cc and Kali is at 14cc. Keaton got his CPAP removed today and is on a nasal canula (What you and I would have in the hospital. It is to get flow - no pressure anymore.) Kali got reduced on her CPAP from a 6 to a 5. They both are doing very well and improving more and more every day.

Mommy got released to drive again. She is very excited. She has some priviledges again and can get to her babies whenever she wants to. She has had great help and support getting her to and from the hospital but it is very nice to be able to do it herself again.

Keaton after he got his CPAP off and his Nasal Cannula on

Kali laying on her stomach with her CPAP

Twins 3/16/09

2009-03-16T16:20:00.004-05:00

Keaton and Kali are both doing really great today. Mommy went up to the hospital today. Keaton is now eating 8cc and Kali is eating 11cc. Keaton weighs 2lbs 5 1/2oz and Kali weighs 2lbs 4 1/2oz. Keaton is going to be put back under the blue lights to sun tan. Keaton's CPAP got reduced from a 6 to a 5. Mommy got to kangaroo hold Keaton today. Kangaroo hold is when you put the baby against your bare stomach and chest area to keep the baby warm. Your body temperature is what keeps the babies temperature. If the baby gets hot, your body cools them off and vice versa. It was really nice getting to hold him up against me. We both really enjoyed it. Both of them seem to be doing very great and there was not really any other changes.

The nurse called me at 6:45pm and told me that the twins got moved to a different pod. They were in the Rabbit pod but now they are in the Elephant pod. They say everything is going good, they just had to move their pods. They still have the same team of doctors. I guess I will find out tomorrow exactly why. The Elephant pod is a lot closer. I guess they were just wanting to save mommy all the trouble of having to walk so far to get to see them. Their new pod is the first pod on their floor instead of where they were, which was pretty much the last pod on their floor.

Twins 3/15/09

2009-03-15T20:31:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali both had a good day today. Mommy and daddy went up to the hospital. Daddy got to hold Kali for the first time and he got to hold Keaton. He got to feed Kali and Keaton by holding the tube that the milk goes in. They both loved being in their daddy's arms. Daddy really enjoyed getting to spend time with them. Keaton weighs 2lbs 6oz and Kali weighs 2lbs 4oz. Keaton is eating 6cc and Kali is eating 8cc. Keaton had his first big poopy diaper today. He got his bed a little dirty so they had to change his bedding. Grammy and Pop came up to the hospital today to see them. Keaton opened his eyes for his Grammy! Aunt Heather and Uncle Chris also came up to see Keaton and Kali. They really enjoy getting to see all their friends and family. Mommy and daddy also really enjoy it.

Twins 3/14/09

2009-03-14T19:33:00.002-05:00

Keaton and Kali are both doing good today. Mommy and daddy went up to the hospital to see them. They both weigh 2lbs 4oz. Keaton got put back under the blue lights to sun tan. Kali got off the lights yesterday evening. Both of them no longer need any humidity in their cribs. Once they can control their own body temperatures, they will get new houses that are opened, not enclosed. Keaton and Kali were both laying on their stomachs today. They seemed very comfortable. Mommy and daddy are planning on going up their to see their little ones tomorrow!

Twins 3/13/09

2009-03-13T17:18:00.006-05:00

Keaton and Kali are both doing great. They are both off the breathing machines and on CPAP. Keaton started getting fed today. He is getting 3cc. Mommy got to feed him his first feed. Mommy also got to hold Keaton for the first time today. It felt so great. Mommy is still floating on cloud 9! She didn't ever want to put him back in his crib. He was so comfortable the entire time in mommy's arms. His heart rate remained very constant and he just layed in mommy's arms. He never wiggled or anything. He was just very peaceful. He got off of all his humidity, that is why I was able to hold him. Kali is still on a little bit of humidity so mommy was unable to get to hold her. Hopefully tomorrow though. Kali had a peaceful day also. She just layed around and took it easy. Mommy and Pop got to hear Keaton sneeze and cry for the first time. It was all very faint and almost hard to hear. Mommy was holding Keaton and he sneezed and it almost scared mommy because she didn't know what it was at first. The nurse had to tell her it was a sneeze. It was so cute!

Mommy and Keaton Jon Thomas

Kali Ann Thomas wide awake

Twins 3/12/09

2009-03-12T20:43:00.003-05:00

Keaton and Kali both have had a good day. Kali got put back under the blue lights to get a sun tan. They increased her feeds from 3cc to 5cc. She is doing really good on her feeds. Keaton got extibated today - removed from the breathing machine - and on a CPAP. He has stopped breathing a couple of times today or let his heart rate drop once he was on his CPAP but that is pretty normal for small babies like him. They are going to monitor him throughout the night and then I guess we will go from there. Kali weighed 2lbs 4oz. and Keaton weighed 2lbs 6oz. They are now 10 days old and should be getting off of their humidity tomorrow.

Chance, Kyra, and Kenna are all doing good. Kenna doesn't really know what is going on right now but she senses something. She will talk about her brother and sissy but doesn't understand about them. Chance is hanging in there working everyday to save his time for when the babies need him and/or get to come home. It is really hard for him not to be there with them all day but he is doing a great job. Kyra is doing good. She goes back to the doctor next Tuesday and hopefully will get realeased to drive again from the c-seciton. It is really hard having to rely on someone everyday to get you from point A to point B, especially when it is your child you are trying to get to. Other than that, we are all doing great and can't wait for the babies to be able to come home. I know it will be a while, but we are excited.

Twins 3/11/09

2009-03-11T18:24:00.004-05:00

Keaton and Kali are both doing great today. Keaton is still intibated (on a breathing machine) and Kali was extibated (removed from her breathing machine) today. She got put on a CPAP which is pressure through the nose to make sure she is getting air to her lungs. This took place today 3/11/09 around 1:30 pm. They have found an abscess in Keaton's liver which is a pocket of puss. Last Friday they found air in the abdomen area and we watched it closely. On Monday, they did a CT scan of his abdomen and found it to be the abscess. It is about 2 centimeters by 1 1/2 centimeters inside his liver. They haven't determined if they want to do a surgery to see what it is, drain it so they can know what they are dealing with, or just leave it alone and watch it. It seems to me that they are just going to leave it alone and monitor it. They are going to do an ultrasound of his liver on Friday to determine if the abscess has increase, is shrinking, or remianing the same size. At that point, I feel that they will make a better prognosis. Other than his abscess, he is doing great. They have not started feeding Keaton yet. He is really just hanging out and enjoying life. He was very calm and getting lots of rest today. He occasionally opens his eyes to see what is going on but other than that, he gets lots of rest. Kali started feeding a couple days ago. They are in the process of increasing her feeds slowly. I got to hear her cry for the first time today after they extibated her. It was the sweetest and softest cry I have ever heard. Today, they both weighed 2 lbs. 4 oz. Keep all of us in your prayers. Every day seems to get better and better. Hopefully we will stay on this track. Keaton and Kali are lucky to have people like you in their lives.

Pictures of Twins

2009-03-10T23:00:00.014-05:00

Here are some pictures of Keaton and Kali from the day they were born.

This is a picture of both babies being loaded into the helicopter and life flighted to Children's Memorial Hermann.

This is a picture of the babies together in the life flight incubator.

This is the sign at the end of Keaton's bed.

This is Keaton holding my finger the first day he was born.

This is Mickey watching over Keaton.

This is me taking Keaton's temperature.

This is the sign at the end of Kali's bed.

This is Kali sleeping.

This is Kali with her eyes slightly open.

Me taking Kali's temperature.

The Twins - 3/7/09

2009-03-09T08:03:00.006-05:00

Hello Everyone,

My brother and I are doing great. We are still on the machine but it helps us to breathe when we decide to nake a break from it. Today we really didn't do much but hang out and take in the sights. Our mommy and daddy came to see us today and we enjoyed every minute of it. I have come to realize that if I sit here and don't move then those nice ladies won't come and mess with me. Keaton and I got together and decided to mess with our parents by letting out respirator monitor fall off of us and really thrown them into a frenzy. It was awesome, and you should have seen their faces. It was priceless and it had us rolling in our beds. On a lighter note, the nurses started to feed me today and it was a yummy substance. At first my stomach did not like it but later on it enjoyed every bit of it. It looks like all of our blood gases are coming out great which means that we are getting the right about of oxygen and everything else to breathe on our own instead of using the machine however the doctors want to wait a little bit longer before taking us off. I think that is about it right now so I love ya'll and can't wait to see you again.

Kali Ann Thomas.

The Twins - 3/6/09

2009-03-06T22:18:00.009-06:00

Hello everyone,

My sister and I are doing great. We get to lay around and hang out which makes it all the better when the machine does all the work for us. It allows us to get some sleep. There are lots of people who come and see us and we would like to say thank you and love you. Mommy and Daddy come see us and we love it. Today we had a few set backs but it is okay. I decided to take a little break on my breathing and rest but it really didn't work because I was not on the machine so the doctors put me back on ventilator. Sister was doing the same things so they put her back on it as well.

The doctor came in and took several x-rays today to see if they could figure out what is going on with a small pocket of air in my belly area. I over heard one of the nurses say that they are going to do surgery on my belly to get all that gunk out. So, I sat there and waited for the doctor to come take care of me. He came and took a look at my belly area and decided that it would not be a good idea to operate. The pink color of my skin hinted to the doctor that there didn't seem to be anything wrong with. Just between you and me, I got a sun tan while they were putting me under that awful blue light. I did not feel real good today so i just slept all day but i did manage to open my eyes and check out the scenary of the downtown sky line.

We got a present from one of our friends today and Daddy put it in the cribs with us. Mickey mouse came to sit with me and Minnie Mouse went to my sister. Well I have to go now to get some sleep but i just wanted to give everyone an update on our progress. Thank you for you time and we love you.

Love,

Keaton Jon Thomas.

Happy Birthday - Keaton and Kali - 3/2/09

2009-03-05T17:34:00.005-06:00

The twins were born on 3/2/09 at 5:28 and 5:30 am at the Oakbend Hospital in Richmond, TX. The babies were delivered at 27 weeks. Keaton was born at 5:28 am and he weighed 2 lbs 4 1/4 ounces and he was 14 1/2 inches long and Kali was born at 5:30 am and she weighed 2 lbs. 5 1/4 ounces and she was 13 1/2 inches long. They were both transferred to Children's Memorial Herman by helicopter around 9 am. When the babies were born, they put both of them on oxygen through their mouth (a breathing machine) and by Monday night Keaton was off the breathing machine and on a CPAP (oxygen through the nose). Kali is still on the breathing machine but she is doing good. Today, they have Keaton under the blue light for his jondus. The twins Nana (Kathy) and Pop (Kenny) go up there on a regular basis to check on them and keep them company. It is a day to day basis right now but the twins are being troopers and staying strong.