Life at Home

Now that the twins are home, Nick & I are much happier. We were both more than exhausted from spending our days sitting in the NICU. A few days prior to their discharge, we stayed the night in one of the hospital's FLC rooms. Those 2 nights helped us feel better about Hadlee's monitor & oxygen. Since they have been home, I cannot believe how unbelievably fast the days pass by! They are good eaters...pretty much ever 3 hours, which can be really hard on mommy because I am doing my best to breastfeed as often as possible. They came home on 24 calorie breast milk, which meant that I have to pump, then measure out, and then add NeoSure to make it higher calorie to help them gain weight. When they are not getting fortified milk from a bottle, then I breastfeed them. It sounds easier, but it takes so long to feed both of them! Hadlee also suffers from reflux and is on zantac to help, but she still has issues spitting up & laying flat. She prefers to lay on her belly or up on my chest. Throughout the day while Nick is at work, I have found it nice to place Kooper in his swing. He likes it most of the time which allows my hands to be free to tend to Hadlee. She unfortunately isn't permited to be in a swing yet until she can pass her car seat test.
On Monday, April 12, we had to take the twins to their pulmonologist. Hadlee had her 6 hour multi-channel lung test done, so we were there almost all day. Nick had to go with me in order to carry everything & help with Kooper while she was being tested. The test is important because it helps to show us if she is receiving the adequate amount of oxygen. Basically, if she is receiving too much oxygen, it can lead to eye development issues, but if she is not receiving enough, it can lead to pulmonary hypertension. This is a disease that could cause permanent damage and require lung and/or heart transplant. Thankfully, the test showed that Hadlee is at the correct amount of oxygen, but unfortunately, it showed that she is still requiring 100cc's of 02. We were praying that her lungs had made some improvement and her 02 could be decreased, but no luck yet. Kooper had his 6 hour multi-channel test done on April 19 and he thankfully passed his! Hadlee will have the test completed again in May- so hopefully she will do better then!
Exhausted after bath time

Enjoying an afternoon nap together

Chilling on Daddy's Harley blanket b/c it was 90* outside & we didn't have our A/C on yet.

Bright eyed Miss Hadlee

3 Generations of Dixon's

Hospital Photos

The day before the twins' were discharged (March 25)- we had their hospital pictures done. Because they were still in the NICU, the photographers came to their room, which was really nice but also meant we were limited to what they could do.
*Our first family photo*

The Twins together- 7 wks. and 1 day old

Miss Hadlee Maelynn

Mr. Owen Kooper

~Too SWEET~

~Their tiny feet~


I am hoping to be able to get new professional pictures done again soon. It would be nice to have them done once Hadlee is off the oxygen. The stickies to keep her nasal cannula in place makes her little cheeks red & raw. :-( Unfornately, I'm not sure when that will happen.

7 weeks and 2 days later.......

Thanks to our great friends- Katelyn & Lexa- for the Welcome Home sign!

Although Nick & I were super happy to hear the news on my expected "due-date" (March 26th) that the twins were being discharged, we were also very nervous. Hadlee was coming home on oxygen, so we had to be trained in proper use of her equipment & monitor. Also, since she failed her car seat test 3 times, she would be traveling in a car bed. The nurses & docs went over the seriousness of their lung disease & how important it would be for us to limit visitors & absolutely no public places until around summer time. This of course is hard because a lot of our friends & family would love to come help us with them & get to see them, but we have to do what is best for their health.
Their primary NICU nurse was Kristin. Not only did we spend most of the 7 wks. & 2 days with her, but her daughter used to compete gymnastics at Nick's gym so he already knew Kristin pretty well. It was wonderful having her with us on our day of discharge!




Here is nurse Kristin rolling us out of our NICU 2 room!

Loading up in the truck....we had a few people staring as we loaded up all of our belongings after being at the hospital for so long.



The twins slept the first couple of nights in our bedroom, in the cradle that Nick's great grandpa built back in 1966. They are just 2 of many babies that slept in it.


They were quickly moved to one of the cribs in the nursery to sleep though. The cradle was too short for both of them to stretch out in. Here is a pic of the twins 8 weeks old! Hadlee weighed 5 lbs. 14 oz. and Kooper weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz. at their 8 week Dr. appointment!


I was super excited when my Mom sent me a text saying that her & my Dad were going to stop by our house in SC on their way back from their Disney vacation. They had went to Florida with Tera, Alex, Braylee, & Brynna for spring break. Mamaw & Papaw brought the twins Donald & Daisy stuffed animals from Disney World. It was a wonderful Easter weekend with my parents.....plus it was near 90 degrees so it was perfect weather!

Random Pics

On March 18, the twins had their hearing tests done. Hadlee's test took over 40 minutes, but Kooper's took just a short 10 minutes. That just shows how much of a wiggler our little girl is. I thought the pics of them were cute b/c they looked like they had cool head-phones on.


I just loved the wooden blocks that we received from my college BFF's- Erin, Kastonia, & Susie. All sides of the blocks are personalized for the twins. Here is a few pics of them. Thanks girls!!!


When I bought Hadlee's pink pants to wear with her white blouse for their hospital pictures, the tag was marked incorrectly (obviously). I bought what I thought were newborn pants, but they were HUGE, as you can see in the picture!