October = Crazy

This month has been so incredibly weird! Phillip and I decided to start a 40 days of purpose type thing between the two of us. We started it the end of September and we're about to finish it up Friday. We both committed to certain things, read through Purpose Driven Life, and became very consistent in our daily devotions and prayer time. We're really asking God for direction and praying that this 40 days will change us!

We have 3 days left and all I can say is this: God has something amazing just around the corner for us, because the adversary has thrown everything he can to stop us. In the last 36 days both boys have had surgery. Our finances have completely fallen through the floor. I've had a cold for 2 weeks. Phillip was in the emergency room with kidney stones. Keegan has had a fever 3 weeks out of that 36 days. He has contracted the coxsackie virus (blisters in his mouth and throat) for the second time in 3 months. Due to sickness, I have not been able to work or teach as much this month. Bills have been late. We've been to the emergency room 5 times and the boys have been to the pediatrician 3 times. Our stress levels have gone through the roof.

And then, there are the miraculous things that God is doing in the midst of it! We have learned to trust in a whole new way. It's a safe place to be when Jesus is the only One who truly sees exactly where we are and He is the only One who can bring change. Phillip and I are learning to rest in that. We have been to the peds 3 times, the plastic surgeon 3 times, had 2 surgeries, been in the ER 5 times. In copays alone, this should have been $660.00. Out of pocket, we have paid a total of $185.00. Keegan's surgeon and the pediatrician are the only two who have charged us and come to find out, we shouldn't have had to pay the $125.00 to the surgeon. God is good!

David's toes have healed up nicely despite all of the "trauma" of coming out of 5 hard casts. He has not cried one time due to pain or sensitivity. All of the bandaging is supposed to come off today and we can bathe his foot! Praise the Lord for His healing work in David! He has crawled all over the place putting quite a bit of pressure on his separated toes. The graft has held just fine and the worst part is that he has eaten the legs off of two dead crickets I didn't see...He enjoyed it, I just about lost my lunch and my stomach is churning right now thinking about it!

Keegan has not had any more trouble with his ears. Although he has struggled with other things, we thank God that the tubes have been working and his ears no longer bother him! He is not crawling yet but has learned to go from sitting to laying on his stomach and is just started to try to get up on all fours - It won't be long! He has his front two top teeth coming in and he looks absolutely adorable!

The Lord has blessed us financially through all of this. I have found money in strange places! We have been able to catch up on bills and even pay a debt off! People have unexpectedly made us dinner, bought clothes for the boys, and dropped off food for them. It's amazing how God uses tests and trials to build faith. My faith has been shallow and I feel like I've been thrown in the deep end lately, but I know God "holds my world in His hands!"

I have so much to be thankful for! One look at my precious boys and I can't complain - God has been SO GOOD. He has brought a song to my mind many times in the last 40 days and I'll sign off with it! "Even in the hard times, even when I feel pain, I've made up my mind - I'm going to praise Him anyway! Through the fire and through the rain, I will lift up His name, though I may feel discouraged, He is worthy to be praised! After all He has done and how far we have come, His word and His promise forever remain. And I know this is true, He will carry me through, He's WORTHY just the same!"

Teeth, Squealing, and the Army Crawl!

The boys turned 7 months on September 21st. What a crazy whirlwind it has been! David has been in a helmet since August 3rd. He doesn't seem to mind it too much. He has a neck condition called torticollis which even in the womb caused him to lay with his head to the right. Until physical therapy, he had a very hard time turning his head to the left, but most of that has been resolved! His last (hopefully) PT session is Tuesday and I'm super excited to see what his therapist says! Because of this condition, he developed quite the flat spot so the helmet is helping to round out his head. I think he looks adorable in the helmet though! He's built like a linebacker so I call the helmet his football helmet! :o)I think the helmet has given him confidence because he loves to move! He army crawls all over the place and is fascinated with cords, so Mommy and Daddy are trying to hide lamp cords, tv cords, etc. It's just beginning!


Keegan will be going into surgery for his ears on Friday. He has to get tubes. He has been on amoxicillen, augmentin, omnicef, and two shots of rosephin all since the middle of July. His ear infections have been in both ears and have been continuous. So thankful for Dr. Kraus who is taking action quickly to bring some relief to my pumpkin! The great thing is - Keegan always smiles, even when sick. Keegan has seemed to reach a higher level of volume in the last few weeks. I even asked the doctor if that was an effect of his ear infections. Although the doctor said no, she did say that when he squeals, it probably vibrates the fluid in his ears and tickles a bit. He has learned to entertain himself by squealing! He is very loud but we love hearing his voice!

Looking forward to getting together for a playdate with two friends who also have twins. Monday we're having what I termed "Twinfest!" It should be fun and I know the boys can't wait to see their friends! Until next time...

The Birth of Two Precious Boys

7 months ago our lives were changed forever. Phillip and I welcomed David Stone Jefferson and Phillip Keegan Jefferson into the world. They were born on February 21st, 2010 at 12:12PM and 12:14PM. David weighed 5 lbs 6 ounces and Keegan weighed 5 lbs 4 ounces. We knew that their arrival would change life as we knew it - boy, we had no idea the impact of their births! I would like to use this blog to keep updates (if for no one else but myself) of their growth and how they are learning new things!! I have wanted to sit down and also write an account of their births while it was still somewhat fresh in my memory...7 months later, I'll still attempt it!

Thursday, February 18th, I was admitted to Women's Hospital in Greensboro, NC. Dr. Neal had sent me over after my blood pressure read 142/100. I was just 35 weeks along and the high blood pressure was a new problem since I had had very low blood pressures up until then. I had already been in and out of the hospital at least 5 times for contractions - it seems these boys were just ready to get here! After being hooked up to the monitor, we realized that I was having some pretty strong contractions. Dr. Neal wanted to try and give me medicine to stop the contractions, then monitor my blood pressure. After quite an intense discussion  (as Phillip and I were told by other doctors that I was in the "safe zone" as far as delivering the boys early) between Dr. Neal and me, it was decided that I would be given Staydol and Finigren to help knock me out. We would then just monitor the contractions and decide what to do from then on. Thursday and Friday were a blur as the medicine completely knocked me out. Friday night, Dr. Lowe decided to do a 24 hour test to check my protein levels. We would know something Saturday evening!

Saturday evening Dr. Lowe came in and gave us the news we were waiting for! My protein was elevated indicating that I was in the beginning stages of toxemia and it would be best to induce labor and take the babies. Phillip and I were able to see our precious boys via ultrasound that evening and were ecstatic that they both weighed about 6 pounds. I was moved into another room and the induction began. Sunday morning, Dr. Lowe came in and said that after looking at the ultrasound, Baby B (Keegan) had moved and a C-section was now necessary! We were so excited! Aunt Lauren went to Starbucks and bought all of the food in the store to bring to the hospital! Mimi and Poppy (Ronnie and Kim) waited with Nan, Papa (David and Cheri), Aunt Lauren, Uncle Brandin, and Aunt Lindsay.

At about 11:30, they wheeled me into the operating room. I was given a spinal block and prepped for surgery. It was amazing - I didn't feel a thing with the spinal! Thank the Lord! The spinal did not fully take effect so they tilted me upside down to get the medicine flowing. Finally, Phillip came in and David was born, followed by Keegan!

I got to hear their sweet cries and see them for just a few minutes before being moved into the recovery room for 2 hours. Our families got to watch as the nurses cleaned the boys up, fed them their first meal, and performed all kinds of tests!

The first two nights, the boys stayed in the nursery. I was very sick after the delivery and very weak so I didn't have much of a chance to hold the babies until Tuesday. Being very sick, I couldn't really sit up much until late Monday afternoon and my wonderful nurse Donna really helped to get the healing process going! She also thought it was awful that I hadn't had much time with the babies. I will always remember her kindness. The third and last night in the hospital, the boys roomed in with Phillip and me. David cried all night long and we didn't get much sleep! Finally, after some complications with me were cleared up, we took the boys home. It was snowing the day we brought them home!

Dr. Lowe is the doctor who delivered the boys and although David is named after my father, Dr. David Lowe will always think we named David after him! :o) We are thankful for Dr. Lowe's wonderful care of me and the babies!

So, that's it in a nutshell. I wish I remembered more, but the medicine they put me on was very strong. I am so glad that the boys were perfectly healthy. Neither one spent a moment in the NICU. They came home with me on Wednesday, February 24th.

Now they are 7 months old and growing! I'll be updating about the special things they are doing and will definitely be posting pictures!!