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!

Making Progress

Saturday, March 13 Nick got to bottle feed Miss Hadlee


Today, the twins are 6 weeks old! I cannot believe how much they have changed over the past few weeks. I also hate that Nick & I are really the only ones that have been able to witness their progress, but the NICU has very strict rules which are understanding. At the ending of last week, Nick & I both were amazed at how well the twins were doing. We felt like they were finally making progress in the right direction. Hadlee was waking up & staying awake more often & they both started bottle feeding. They do not get a bottle every time, but they are now up to 3 times a day! Yesterday, Hadlee had her first attempt at breast feeding. She did pretty good for about 15 minutes, but obviously didn't get too much milk because she also took her bottle. They are both still receiving the extra calorie in the breast milk to help them maintain their weight. Today, Hadlee is 5 lbs. 3 oz. and Kooper is 6 lbs. 6 oz. The twins also "graduated" from NICU 1 to NICU 2 yesterday! This was a big step that Nick & I have been waiting on. We've been told it is very likely Hadlee will come home on oxygen, but we knew that being moved to NICU 2 was another step in the right direction. This week as been a little overwhelming because of that. The docs & nurses are filling us in on all the things that will happen now & over the next several years. Since the twins were 8 weeks early, their brains are not developed enough to handle everything that they are now exposed to & expected to "handle." I don't think Nick & I truly realized how much this affects them. Even today, they are still not supposed to be out of my belly, so they are not supposed to be exposed to eating, breathing, seeing, swollowing, hearing, controlling their body, etc.... They have been working with an OT and thankfully today, Nick was able to spend a couple of hours with her as well so that she could show him how to do their therapy. We have laughed before about how different the twins act. Hadlee is always grunting, pulling her shoulders up around her neck, squeezing her arms in, & balling up her body as small as possible. Kooper on the other hand is more like a wet noodle (and I say that with love). He flops his head around and throws his arms out wide into the "w positon." We've now learned that there are 2 ways that premature babies respond to respiratory problems. Of course, Hadlee is responding one way & Kooper is responding the other way! The OT says that "32 weekers" and younger on average need therapy for 3 years. We're hoping Hadlee & Kooper won't need that much, but only time will tell. The nurse practitioner and Dr. Clark have informed us that the twins also qualify for the developmental program offered at GHS. I'm sure we'll learn more about this once we are discharged, but this program follows the twins for their first 6 years. Mr. Kooper will possibly need a few surgeries as well, but the urologist will not do his surgery until around 6 months old. We're praying everything "fixes" itself before then.

*Our first picture of the twins together!*

March 15 at 5 wks. & 5 days old

I am still unsure if we did the right thing by going ahead with the c-section so early. Every hour of every day that they are in the womb; the better. I don't think my Doc would have waited longer, but I am still not sure that it was the best for the twins. Dr. Clark (NICU dr.) talked to us again today about how chronic their lung disease is and how their development is uncommon. He has written several articles & studied lung diseases for many, many years and our twins have him stumped. Maybe his experience with our twins will lead to new information to help future preemies?.....hopefully at least.

Happy Hadlee after 1st breast feeding attempt

Owen Kooper after they were moved to NICU 2

Our First 4 Weeks

Thursday, Feb. 4~ Hadlee & Kooper were placed on ventilators to assist them in breathing and PICC lines were placed in because the twins kept pulling out their IV's. They also started receiving surfactant- a steroid to help develop lung tissue. The twins were placed in isoletts to help control their body temperatures and they were placed under biliruben lights to help with jaundice.

Mommy checking on her little girl

Hadlee Maelynn 2/5/2010

Daddy visiting Owen Kooper

Mommy & Kooper

He loved sleeping on his side!


Friday, Feb. 5~ Nick helped me get out of bed once again & take a much wanted/needed shower. Every time I moved, I would gasp with the pain. Nick had to help me wash & dry off because I couldn't move around well. It did feel nice to put on my own PJs! As we were getting ready to leave my room to go see the twins, their NICU doctor came in for us to sign a consent form for Miss Hadlee. She needed a blood-gas line placed in through her belly-button. We signed the forms, talked with the Birth Certificate lady, & also visited with Abbie & Dustin. By the time we managed to get to the NICU, they had already finished the procedure on Hadlee. My blood pressure was still high, so throughout the day Friday, I became more & more swollen. Friday evening, several of my co-workers stopped by to visit me. It was so nice to talk with them & catch-up on what was happening at our school. The faculty at TMS was kind enough to have a baby shower for us even though I was not able to attend. My co-workers brought lots & lots of goodies to us at the hospital! I work with some of the most generous people in the world!!!!

Sat., Feb. 6~ Nick had to go back to work. His gym had a competition at Clemson, so at least it was at a nearby location that allowed him to drive back & forth to the hospital. My family was still in town, so I visited with them & tried to rest since my blood pressure was still too high. Nick's parents also drove down to visit us for the weekend. While I was in the NICU, the twins' doc stopped & talked to me about the fact that their lungs were not responding well to the surfactant steroid. They had already received 4 rounds, plus the round I had received a week prior to their delivery, but their lung tissue had not changed. He questioned whether either of our families have had a history of respiratory diseases, premature deaths, etc.... This of course made me nervous.

Sun., Feb. 7~ My doctor decided to place me on BP medicine b/c it was refusing to lower. Although my Mom was staying the remainder of the week to help me, my Dad & Tera left early Sunday morning to drive back to Indiana. By early afternoon, I was discharged! Nick & I decided to go home after visiting the twins, un-pack & rest, and then we (including my Mom) went to Corby & Katie's house to watch the Super Bowl. Although the Colts lost, it was still a nice time b/c we got to visit with lots of our friends & share pictures of the twins. Since they are in the NICU, only Nick & I are able to visit them. Which I hated since my Dad & Tera had come all the way from IN...but Tera did a fantastic job finalizing our nursery!!!! We went back to the NICU after the game & saw the twins.



Mon., Feb. 8~ Now that I was home, I thankfully had my Mom to help me go back & forth to the hospital while Nick was working. The first few days, I was exhausted & extremely sore, of course.

Tues., Feb. 9~ Nick got to hold Owen Kooper for the first time while Kooper was eating!

Wed., Feb. 10~ Twins are 1 week old!!! Both twins had their vents removed & only using the C-pap machine to get assistance with breathing & oxygen.

Thurs., Feb. 11~ Nick & I had just arrived to the NICU when I realized my c-section incision had busted open & was bleeding. I called my Doc, Nick & I went to her office & she determined that a hematoma had formed. For the next several weeks, I had to have the opened area drained, cleaned, & packed with gauze strips. Nick kept wanting to place a plastic eye-ball or snake in it to scare me & my doc. He is such a comedian!

Sat., Feb. 13~ Yay! Today, we both got to hold a baby! I got to hold Owen Kooper for my first time and Nick got to hold Hadlee Maelynn for the first time! It was a wonderful "early" Valentine's day gift. Although the isolett's are in different areas of the NICU, we were able to angle our chairs so that we could at least see each other. Hadlee looked so tiny in Nick's arms! They pretty much just slept while we held them, but it was still such an exciting time! Plus, the March of Dimes had created little V-day hats for each of them, so they looked so cute wearing them! Nick had to leave for a competition in Gatlinburg for the weekend, so my Mom & I decided to go see Avatar 3D and have dinner since my Dad was coming down to pick her up.
Daddy, Mommy, & Owen Kooper (our first pic together)

Mommy, Daddy, & Hadlee Maelynn (our first pic together)

Mommy's first time holding her little boy

Daddy's first time holding his baby girl


Sun., Feb. 14~ My Mom & Dad left and Nick's Dad & Mom arrived. Kooper got to come off the C-pap and just getting his oxygen via a nasal cannula! They are both still in isolett's and under the bili-ruben lights.

Mon., Feb. 15~ I finally got to hold my little girl! Since Hadlee is still on the C-pap, I had to hold her oxygen tubing up to her nose while I held her & she kept wiggling her little arms out of the blanket so that she could pull on it. She does a lot of wiggling around!


Tues., Feb. 16~ The twins got to have their PICC lines removed!

Wed., Feb. 17~ Miss Hadlee & Mr. Kooper are 2 weeks old! Little Miss Hadlee is now 4 lbs. even and her "big" little brother, Kooper is 4 lbs 6 oz!



Fri., Feb. 19~ Hadlee Maelynn finally got her c-pap removed and is getting her oxygen through a nasal cannula like her brother. I got to hold both babies a few minutes each. They are starting to gain enough weight that their faces are filling out & getting rounder!

Sun., Feb. 21~ Twins are removed from their isolett's and are now sleeping in open cribs, yay! The Dr. said they were both "toasty warm" but that their x-rays were still showing lung disease- due to being premature.

Tues., Feb. 23~ Thank goodness, the twins passed their eye exams. We were quite concerned b/c premature babies often have developmental issues with their eyes & the fact that they are requiring high amounts of oxygen can also cause eye issues.

Thurs., Feb. 25~ Mr. Kooper received his first bath by Mommy! His cord had fallen off on Wednesday, so he got to sit down in the water. He wasn't a huge fan of the bath & kept kicking his legs, but once he got his paci he seemed to calm down.



Fri., Feb. 26~ We get a phone call that they had to place Hadlee back on c-pap. She had been requiring 100% oxygen for several days & was desating too often, so the Doc decided to place her back on the machine to help her lungs breathe. Shortly after that, her heart rate was up to the upper 190's and 200's. This was a huge concern to the Doc and he ordered another x-ray, a KUB (x-ray of lungs & belly), and blood cultures. He is concerned that she may have an infection hiding and if so, she might need a spinal tap or a blood transfusion. She was such a big girl when the nurse was drawing her blood work. Thankfully, none of the tests showed any bacteria or infection, so the Doc said we just had to wait for her lungs to strengthen.
It was a big day for Mr. Kooper too. He was able to drink 16 cc's from a bottle! I loved giving it to him, but because he has to exert so much energy to take the bottle he only gets to try once a day or every other day so that he doesn't lose weight.

Mon., March 1~ Hadlee has the c-pap removed once again & is receiving oxygen through her nasal cannula.

Wed., March 3~ ***HAPPY 1 MONTH BIRTHDAY, Hadlee & Kooper!***
Today, Hadlee weighed in at 4 lbs. 12 oz! She is a whole pound bigger than when delivered. Kooper weighed in at 5 lbs. 8 oz! He has gained 1 pound & 4 oz. since delivery! It is amazing how much they have changed in the first 4 weeks. They have been able to wear clothes since they were removed from their isolett's. Although they are both still wearing preemie onesies & sleepers, Koopers are getting short enough that he will be wearing new born ones soon. Miss Hadlee on the other hand, has plenty of room to grow into her preemie's. Their personalities are very similar as they were in the womb. Hadlee does a lot of wiggling around & grunting, but Kooper is calm even when he has the hiccups that shake his entire body!
H & K- your mommy & daddy love you both so very much & are praying everyday for you to come home! Marley & Gage love smelling your blankets & clothes and want you to come home so they can meet you as well!
Miss Hadlee Maelynn *1 month old*

Owen Kooper *1 month old*