Here's a recent picture of Cole & Beck, showing us all how much they love each other.

And here's Cooper, intently watching his Christmas train. It's a love/hate relationship that he has with the train - check it out to see what I mean.

CHECK PLEASE!!! After a long day entertaining Cooper while we waited for Santa's firetruck, this nap felt GREAT! I guess Chas came home and thought Cole would enjoy a nap next to me. Cole apparently thought differently.

Gypsy Greetings From Fallon!

This is a letter from Peter's Commanding Officer giving an update on conditions in Fallon, Nevada earlier this week...

Gypsy families,

We thought you would all enjoy a taste of what it’s been like so far in Fallon.  The pictures tell half the story- the half about the snow.  As you no doubt have heard, we’ve endured sub-zero temperatures.  As always, the Gypsy team has tackled the problem head-on, and we’re hoping to get flying in the next few days.  We look forward to joining everyone back home soon.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in advance!

CDR Heflin & all the Gypsies

Santa's Early!

WOW! That's a B-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-G Firetruck!!!

...and oh yeah, there's Santa!

Anthony Bourdain's 'Traveling'

"Travel, when done habitually, when done for a living, changes you in ways mostly good, sometimes bad. On one hand, it is the greatest privilege one can imagine: to see the world in all its flavors, colors, and seemingly infinite variety; to discover firsthand the differences among us on this enormous and complex planet--as well as the things we share. On the other hand, travel can become a compulsion, though it keeps us away from friends and loved ones--sometimes even when we're back. When I'm away, I often yearn for home. When I'm home, I'm listless. I seem no longer to fit. History and literature are filled with characters who see Asia, or Venice, and can never go back to the way they were."

--Anthony Bourdain

Just finished reading Bill Bryson's "In a Sunburned Country" --hilarious account of traveling 'down under'!

Now reading "The Best American Travel Writing (2008)" edited by Anthony Bourdain.

...Pumpkin Patch 2009

Simultaneous Hiccups!

This morning, the twins were both hiccuping together.

I knew that yawns were contagious, but I guess hiccups are too!

...at least when you're twins they are!

bath time & pumpkin patches!

Beck

Cole

Identical or fraternal?

Cooper is adjusting well!

Cooper is fine as long as he can use anything the twins have ..... but he has made it clear that his toys are off limits!!!

At least we have good quaility help!!!

Beck is home!

First an overnight stay in the hospital to learn the monitors -not really resort style accommodations
Together again!!!

Cole is coming home today!

Cole is coming home today!

First time together since birth!

Beck - small but growing - our little fighter!!!

Twinkie Portraits

Here are a few of the better photos we've taken so far:

Beck:

Cole:

IVs Are Out!

Yay!  Both kids have had their IV posts removed all together!
The IV sits under the blue padded board on their arms.  It's there to keep the kids from rubbing it out (the IV post, that is).

All the other leads are for monitoring their heart rate, temperature, breathing, and blood gas (amount of oxygen in their blood).  Beck (above) also has a feeding tube running into his nose and down his throat into his stomach.  He's eating less than his brother, and even has trouble staying awake for a full feeding, so the nurses are pouring whatever he can't take from the bottle directly into his belly.  They say it's a lot of work just sucking from the bottle.  In fact, if we let them try for too long, they might end up expending more calories trying to eat than they're actually taking in from the bottle!  Crazy!

Anyway, here are some more pictures of both babies without the IVs for your viewing enjoyment!


...Beck's to the right, and Cole is down below.

...as always, more pictures are over in our Picasa Web Album.

Chastity's Due To Head Home

We've gone through most of the hospital check-out procedures: the nurse has explained all the things Chastity should and shouldn't do, prescriptions have been written, and we've been told to take our time leaving today (emphasis on leaving today). Here's a picture of Chas in her hospital bed from a few minutes ago. She's reluctant to leave since it's so easy to walk across the hall to visit the NICU at feeding times, but it'll be nice to shower at home.

The twins are both completel

y off all breathing support: the CPAP have stayed off, and the nasal canula (nose prongs) have been off since

yesterday.

They're both feeding from bottles pretty well, with increasing amounts every 9 hours or so. The NICU doctor said Cole will likely come home before Beck, probably in about a week (antibiotics are a 10-day regimen).

After today's visit, it looks like Cole is eating more and more (30 cc) while Beck seems to get tired after about 15-20 minutes of feeding (only ate about 11 cc). Here's the latest run-down on both:

Cole

• IV fluids are off!
• Antibiotics still being given, but will probably stop today.

Beck

• IV fluids are still on, supplementing his food.
• Antibiotics are off!

We can finally hold the babies!

Last night we visited the twins while they were being fed, and WE GOT TO HOLD THEM!!!
(More pictures available in our Picasa web album)

Here we are with little Beck...
(Beckham Jake Langley)
...the baby formerly known as Baby "B"

...and here we are with big Cole.
(Colton Kai Langley)
...the baby formerly known as Baby "A"

We both got to feed the babies from a bottle.  Chastity couldn't breastfeed either baby, but got to spend some quality skin-to-skin contact time.  She really loved the feeling, and hopes it'll help spur on her breast milk.  It's frustrating for her trying to pump without being near them or holding them.

Chastity will likely be discharged from the hospital tomorrow, but the babies are going to stay in the NICU.  We'll be getting to know the route from our place to the hospital very well over the next several days.  It seems like Cole and Beck are both progressing well, but Cole will likely be discharged from the NICU before Beck just because of his size.

As always, we'll call or update this blog with more news as it's available.

Twinkies Are Here!!!

Well, the twins were born yesterday morning! To be more specific, they were born on October 1st (easy birthday to remember - Yay!) at 8:15 and 8:16 AM (babies "A" & "B" respectively). Here's how they measured up at birth:

BABY "A": 5 lbs - 0 oz (born at 8:15am)

BABY "B": 3 lbs - 5 oz (born at 8:16am)

They were born at 36 weeks, or 4 weeks premature, which puts them right on the cusp of the danger zone for preemies. The tubes you see coming from their noses are CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) tubes. They both had to use them the first day out of the womb, just to help them with their breathing. By this morning, they were disconnected from the CPAP machines and breathing on their own:

We'll update with more pictures as soon as we can!