Shane With Mommy And Eyes Open(ing)

While Dylan is having some issues, Shane seems to be doing very well. Here he is in his mother's arms and another pic with his eyes beginning to open. He still doesn't look happy to be out in public, but we hope he'll get used to it eventually. I, unfortunately, couldn't hold him yet because I have the beginnings of a cold, courtesy of my youngest girl.

Dylan's Having Troubles

Tough day. It appears that something is going wrong with Dylan's lungs, a circumstance which isn't totally unheard of in preemies, but one which is difficult to handle for us. Although we've been assured tha DYlan is comfortable, MY comfort level is at an all time low because I realize exactly how helpless I am here. Anyway, they have put him on a ventilator for now and, as difficult as it was to look at and see, I took some pictures of the whole thing, so that WHEN he makes it through this, we'll be able to look back and remember how difficult this was...

I also took a short (though longer than the ones below,) video. Though the sound on the video doesn't really pick up the constant 'click click click' of the ventilator, trust me when I say it's one of the most horrendous sounds a father could ever hear. I hated it and it made me sad and afraid and everything else that comes with it. It also made Dylan take many short breaths instead of normal ones, which looked inhuman and painful (though the nurses insisted he was comfortable.)

The Boys' Video Debut

Here's some very short and unexciting videos of the Boys' first filmed moments, taken a few hours after birth. Shane's is exceptionally boring, as he does nothing and Dylan's is more disturbing than anything else, because of the groans he's emitting:

Shane:


Dylan:

Dylan And The Bili-Lights

Here are some pictures of Dylan receiving phototherapy treatment beneath bili-lights in the NICU. Dylan got so bruised during the "extraction" that the NICU staff thought it best to give his body a little help in recovering from the bruising. Phototherapy apparently helps the body adborb the bilirubin, which causes the jaundiced color. Medical science is amazing.

The Boys

Ok, here's all the information people are always asking and I never remember...

Both boys arrived on Saturday November 25, 2006. They were welcomed at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Brighton, Massachusetts.

Shane David Grier (baby "A") was born at 7:12pm. He weighed 1600 grams, or 3lbs 8.4oz and was 16 inches long.

Here's Shane:

Dylan James Grier (baby "B") was born at 7:16pm. He weighed 1480 grams, or 3lbs 4.2oz and was 16 1/4 inches long.

Here's Dylan:

As you can tell by the pics, Dylan had a rough birth and fought being taken with all his baby might. He's a bit battered and bruised, though we're confident that he'll make a full recovery once he gets the treatment to absorb the bruising.

It is difficult to believe how tiny these boys are right now...a little over 3 pounds each. To give a little perspective on how little that really is, here's a picture of me touching Shane's belly:

Amazing, isn't it?

Welcome To Twindom

Hi. This blog has been created for the benefit of our family and friends to share in the joy of the birth of our new twin boys, Shane David Grier and his slightly younger brother Dylan James Grier. By using this blog as our primary means of communication, we will be able to share pictures, anecdotes, laughs and (hopefully not many, if any) tears. I'll do my best to update this and add to it frequently, though procrastination has always been a buddy of mine...

We'll see y'all soon.