The Progress

10/27/2010

We Love the Slide

The New Home

Ground Breaking Day 09/02/10

10/08/10

Visit with Nana and Papa

At the Bay

Nana is Being Funny

Kai's Cuddles With Nana

Magnus' Cuddles With Nana

Sharing a Cup of Joe

Beach Babies with Daddy

In Step with Kai

Magnus

Hangin' with Grandma and Grandpa

Curly Q and the Kangaroo

Wolverine or Ace Ventura?

Kai's Action Shot

Sharing a Laugh - An Oldie but a Goodie

Kai loves to entertain!

Reasons You Fell in Love With Your Baby (and Out of Love With Your Old Boyfriend)

Found this in a parenting magazine, hilarious...

1. His endless babbling
2. He loved snuggling in your bed-but always wanted to go back to his own crib
3. His way of spending hours roaming around the house naked, his poochy belly hanging out
4. The wet, sloppy kisses
5. He was content to lie quietly and gaze at his navel as you did all the housework
6. His birthday gift to you was simply a wilted flower
7. His idea of dancing was to bend his legs and bob up and down with a goofy, self-congratulatory grin
8. His smell
9. You could always count on him burping right after he finished a meal
10. The fact that he'll never, ever love anyone as much as he loves his mommy

Nappin' With Daddy

Spaghetti Kai

Mag Spag

Finally!!!!!! Blog Back in Action.

After way too long a hiatus the Johnson Nest is back in action. I have had a new functioning computer for longer than I care to admit, but had taken so many pictures and videos by the time I got it that the task of updating the blog seemed insurmountable. So, to avoid any further procrastination I have embedded a few videos I have already uploaded to Facebook or Youtube and put links to my Facebook picture albums on the right-hand side of the blog. The boys are a one and a half years old and are doing great. Kai has been off of his heart medicine since October and the cardiologist gave us the, "swan song" saying he does not expect any recurrence! The boys are brilliant and vibrant and you would never suspect they had such a fragile beginning. They are really starting to enjoy each others company now, playing and laughing together. Other favorite activities are doing their sign language signs, making a few letter sounds, and trying out words. They love to be outside and we are trying to make as much time as possible to go play at the playground, beach, or on small hiking trails. The last year and a half has been hands down the best time of mine and Joel's lives and we look forward to each day with our wonderful twins. Though much time has passed since the birth of the boys we still think often about the amazing people at UCSF to whom we will always send our deepest love and gratitude. We hope you are all doing well. For our next adventure we will finally start construction on the new home, hopefully within the next week or so. Pictures to follow. Love to all....

Kai's Drum Solo

Magnus Blows Kisses

101 Fun Things to do with Twinfants. #78: Baby Races!

Tickle Time With Daddy

We're Due!

Today is the boy's due date so they are now 40 weeks gestational age. It was a little rough but I am thankful for the bonus time we have had! The boys are definitely acting more like term babies lately, crying when hungry or if they have a dirty diaper or if they just want to be held. It is great to see them growing more healthy and strong every day.

The Johnson Clan is Home!!!!

Yeah!!!! We are finally home. We got home Sat. March 14th which is the day Kai was released from the hospital. Magnus was released February 23rd and we were living at the hospital during the interval. Magnus was in the ICN for 39 days and Kai for 57. It has been so nice to de-institutionalize, sleep in our own bed, and be independent parents. We feel so blessed that our boys are home and healthy. We are eternally grateful for the care that they (and we) received at UCSF. For two months the staff there were not only medical professionals to us but also counselors, support, and friends. It was truly amazing to have had the opportunity to learn so much about parenting from nurses who have been caring for babies for 20-30 yrs. and new nurses who have so obviously found their calling. Magnus and Kai were two of many babies who have and will be under their care yet they were treated with genuine love and we will never forget it. I have thought a lot about how you can possibly thank someone for the lives of your children and realize there is no thank-you big enough. You never know in life where your most meaningful relationships will form and I can say that we truly love their nurses as if they are family, and they will always be in our thoughts and hearts. I know we will continue to draw inspiration from them as we evolve as parents. Our family is lucky to have met our guardian angels!
The boys had a Drs. appointment Thursday. Magnus weighted 6lbs. 3oz. and Kai 6lbs. 6oz. The Dr. said they are doing great.
My computer is still (or again) broken so I am trying to use Joel's but am Mac illiterate. I will keep trying to figure out how to put pics on the blog but in the mean time a link to an album I recently made on facebook is to the right of this page under "links to pictures". You don't have to have a facebook account to view the album. Thanks again to everyone who loved and supported us on our journey to completing our family.

Magnus in big boy outfit and tubby time

Gator Outfit


Tubby Time

Kai looking around and tubby time

Kai Eyes

Tubby for Kai

Kai

Magnus

The boys are doing really well. They came out of their isolettes yesterday and today they moved to a new lower observation nursery. They are meeting a lot of the requirements for going home, but still need to develop coordination to breathe, suck, swallow so they can eat on their own. Right now they still have tubes for feeding (the tubes in their noses on the pictures) though we are working on nursing. They are gaining weight and are getting so big so fast (about four pounds a piece now). They are most definitely the cutest babies in the nursery!

You've Come a Long Way Babies!

The boys are doing great. They are both in a less intensive care unit and they are finally next to eachother! Both boys are breathing on their own without any supplimental oxygen and they are digesting their food as they should and will get to start trying to eat the natural way soon. Magnus' I.V. came out today as he no longer needs I.V. nutrients. We are so proud of how quickly they are advancing. Magnus got to come off his monitor for a family picture yesterday which was the first time the boys have seen eachother since the womb, it was soooo wonderful! Magnus is the ultimate zen baby and the top two pics. The bottom two pics are of Kai, I love his kissy face. Hope everyone is doing well, thank you so much for all your love and support. The boys are very lucky to have so many people rooting for them and so much love in their lives.

Magnus and Kai are Here!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Magnus and Kai! The Johnson Twins are here. Magnus was born at 7:40p.m. Jan. 16th by vaginal delivery and Kai was born at 2:12am Jan. 17th by c-section. On Monday Jan. 5th we had an ultrasound at home and it was discovered that baby Kai had some extra fluid in his body and his heart was beating irregularly. We were referred to UCSF Hospital in San Francisco and were admitted the following Monday the 12th. Because Kai's heart was not functioning properly which in turn caused his little body to retain fluid, we had to start medication on me to try and regulate his heartbeat. The medicine had slowly started working when I started to show signs of labor. On the 14th I lost my mucous plug, then on the 15th Magnus' water broke, and although they gave me medication to try and stop the contractions the by the 16th I was in labor. I had to deliver in surgery due to there being twins and known complications with Kai. They took me down about 6:00 and by 7:40 Magnus was here. My cervix then closed back up a bit and we waited a short while for it to re-open then they broke they water on Kai and we pushed for several hours but Kai had to eventually be born by c-section. Fortunately during labor his little heart rate slowed down more consistently than it had previously and he did not need resuscitation as the doctor's anticipated. He was given a poor prognosis, but so far has proved all the docs wrong and is hanging in there despite the heart condition and being premature. He is beautiful and incredibly strong and we are so proud of him. Magnus is doing wonderful, he is also very strong and we don't think anyone told him he is a preemie! I will try to keep everyone updated, but we have got a lot on our plates right now as I have not yet been discharged from the hospital and the boys will be here at least several weeks. The staff here has been amazing and we could not ask for better care for both the boys and I. We appreciate all the love and support and good thoughts being sent to our family and we are very optimistic for little boy Kai. In the pictures Magnus has the little white patch of hair (from G-pa Johnson) and Kai has the more full face (still a little swollen, but getting better).

Christmas and the 27 Week Bump

We hope that everyone had a very nice Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! We enjoyed a quiet holiday season with local friends, but we missed our family and friends we were unable to be with. Looking forward to seeing you all very soon! Our recent Drs. appointments have gone well, always fun to hear the boy's little heartbeats. I had my gestational diabetes test and they re-tested my thyroid function, I guess I passed because I haven't heard otherwise. We celebrated Joel's 32nd birthday at a very nice Italian restaurant we had not been to before which was really fun, it almost felt like we were on vacation! We are getting really excited to meet the boys. I have been doing some online shopping for nursery gear and I am planning for when I'm off bedrest and can do my nesting (hopefully we can get it all put together before I go back to work).

25 Week Belly and the Buddha

My computer has been in the shop (again), so I have gotten a little behind on the blog. The boys are doing great, moving a lot and making lots of room for themselves in the belly.

Good Book Recommendations Anyone?

I had a little bit of spotting yesterday while at work so called my doctor to be on the safe side. They had me head over to the childbirth center and put me on a contraction monitor. A few contractions were detected, they said they were not long contractions but more of an "irritable uterus". Because of this they ordered an ultrasound and found that although my cervix is still long and closed (4-6cm which is a good length) when I had the contractions the cervix on the babies side had "funneling" which went away after the contraction was over. When this happens it looks just like a little funnel at the top of the closed cervix and can mean that the cervix is starting to soften. They didn't find any fluid or blood though so no answer as to what caused the spotting, which has not happened again (big relief!) We had to stay the night at the hospital where they monitored my contractions and started me on medication to stop them, and IV fluids. On the up side the babies are doing wonderful. Their heartbeats were around 150-160 all night, they are ahead of schedule for growth (I am 22 weeks but they are measuring approx. 23 1/2 weeks each), and they already weigh 1 1/2 lbs. a peice. The boys are even starting to look like they've got some meat on their bones in the ultrasound pictures. So, I have been put on bedrest and have to take Nifedipine pills to keep my uterus calm. Nifedipine is usually used as heart medication, but I guess works on all smooth muscle heart or uterus. I am really bummed that we have to cancel our trip to Idaho for the holidays as I was really looking forward to seeing all our family and friends, but of course keeping the babies healthy and in the oven is our first priority. Our next milestone is 32 weeks, if I go into labor prior to that we will have to be flown out to San Francisco as they have a higher level NICU, but we really hope to make it all the way to 37 weeks as every week counts. One benefit of lying around so much is that is when the boys really move which is reassuring and amazing.

Beginning of Week 22

Here are a few pics from the beginning of week 22. I particularly like Joel's artistic one with the wide thighs and tiny head (his idea to post it)! I am glad we finally remembered have one taken when we were with other people so daddy could be in it (thanks Holly).

Bouncing Baby Boys

We saw the babies move from the outside for the first time last night. We were getting ready for bed and they were moving a lot so we started watching the belly and could see their little movements. It's amazing how quickly things have progressed from being unsure whether I was feeling them to being able to see them. It's so exciting and reassuring to see and feel their little kicks, and wonderful to be able to share more of the experience with Joel.

19 Week Bump

The Johnson Twins 18 Week Ultrasound-Brothers!!!!

We had our "big" ultrasound today. Two boys!!! They evaluated all of their organs, growth, etc. and they are both healthy and active. Both their heartbeats were in the 160s (I think 160 and 164). They are just adorable and we fall more in love with them everyday.

For Grandma

My mom gave me this kitchen towel but it's just too cute to use as one, so I made it into a baby blanket with some soft flannel on the back side. I guess I'm going to need one more towel!

Meeting Dr. Stokes/Beginning of Week 17

We had a doctor's appointment yesterday where we met Dr. Stokes. He is the doctor in the practice who handles high risk pregnancy so we will be seeing him exclusively from here on out. So far I really like him, he is patient and answers all our questions, and seems very knowledgeable. Unfortunately my most recent lab work showed some slight hypothyroidism so I had to start taking some thyroid medication today, but on the up side he said this should give me more energy and lower certain risks for the babes. After a lot searching he was only able to find one heartbeat on the doppler, but said this is common as twins are so close together. The heartbeat was 158 beats/min. We have an ultrasound scheduled for Wednesday so we will get to see them both in just a few days and maybe even find out the sex!

Yogi Babies

We started our prenatal yoga today, holy pretzel mamas. My teacher is a mom, doula, and does hypnobirths, so I feel like the babes and I are in good hands. One of my classmates is due the day after me and another has a set of two year old twins, so I'm making some good connections!

14 Week Ultrasound Peek!!!

Baby A (head to the left) was a bit more shy than baby B (head to the right). I couldn't believe how much they're dancing around in there. I think I've been feeling them a little bit, but it's hard to tell at this point. I could watch this vid all day, they're so cute!

The Johnson Twins Ten Week Ultrasound

Mama's Ten Week Tummy

Beginning of Week 14

The First Twelve Weeks

Yeah 12 weeks!!! We are so excited to have made it to this first milestone in the pregnancy. Having made it this far the twins have a very good chance of going full term. I found out I was pregnant on July 15th, the day before our third wedding anniversary. As difficult as it was, I kept this to myself for a whole day so I could make our anniversary a little more special. I put a baby onesie in with Joel's anniversary gift, he was surprised and excited.

Around the first week of August (when I was 7 weeks) we had a scare when I started having a little bit of spotting. I of course did my internet research and found that this is pretty common in the first trimester, but when it lasted for a few days I decided to visit the ER as I had convinced myself of the worst. After three hours in the waiting room we saw the ER doctor who ordered an ultrasound. I was so relieved when the ultrasound tech showed us the heartbeat on the first baby. Then completely shocked when she showed us the heartbeat on the SECOND baby! I think Joel's response was something like, "you're f#@%$#* kidding me right?" Turns out the spotting was from what is called a subchorionic bleed which is little collection of implantation blood that has since resolved itself (more common with twins). Their heartbeats at the time of the ultrasound were 147 and 167.

After the initial shock wore off we quickly adjusted to the thought of two for one babies, and in fact are feeling pretty excited about it! Being so early we had planned to only tell family and selected close friends, but we had a hard time containing the happy news! I think daddy was making more calls than me (so sweet).

We had a second follow up ultrasound at 10 weeks (the youtube video is on the blog) which was amazing. During our 7 week ER visit the Dr. had told us that sometimes when they find twins that early one of them can disappear. Already in love with them both, we were happy to discover there were still two peas in the pod. They looked so much more like little babies and were even moving hands and feet. We again got to see the heartbeats which were 175 beats per minute for each of them.

For the most part the pregnancy has not been too taxing on mama. It's incredible how big the baby bump already is. I can no longer button my big pants and started on maternity pants at about ten weeks. I have had a little bit of nausea, difficulty eating, and have been needing lots of extra sleep, but I am keeping in mind always how worth it it will all be! Joel has been a tremendous amount of help picking up slack for, and taking good care of this tired mama. I couldn't ask for a better hubby!

All in all the first twelve weeks have been pretty exciting and we couldn't be happier.

Two Heartbeats At Twelve Weeks!!!!

We had our twelve week Drs. appointment on Thursday the 11th. Ginger, one of the midwives found both heartbeats. They were approx. 136 and 146 which she says is good. Unfortunately I haven't gained any weight yet, but my appetite seems to be returning so I am hoping to catch up quickly!