Road map of milestones

I'm obsessed that it's been ONE YEAR ALREADY! Can you tell with all these posts?
Here's another one to mark this amazing journey - a map of the milestones we've crossed:
NOVEMBER
11/27/06: Girls were born at 5:49 pm & 5:53 pm
11/29/06: First time holding Mary-Gail! (Rebecca wasn't doing well and still had her umbilical catheters in place)

11/29: Colostrum - yahoo! (Don't forget the bags of ice for the belly)

11/29: Took some memorable pics of the girls next to a $1 bill

11/30: C-Section staples removed (I'll spare you the pictures of that!)

DECEMBER
12/1: Learned that Mary-Gail's PDA (valve in her heart) didn't close upon delivery. Would try a series of drugs (Neprophin) to close valve. Checked out of Room 415; went home without any babies :( Here's my support crew: Mom, Dad, JoJo, and Car Sue

12/3: Learned Mary-Gail's PDA closed with the drug therapy. First time holding Rebecca!

12/4: Girls are co-bedding (lasted 1 1/2 days)

12/7: Mary-Gail's PDA re-opened. Mary-Gail diagnosed with a bilateral grade 3 brain bleed. Head circumference measurements to be taken 2x day.
12/11: LifeFlight team took Mary-Gail to McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden for PDA Ligation surgery.
12/12: Mary-Gail had heart surgery - she has two teeny, tiny titanium clips that crimped the valve closed.

12/13: Return to UVRMC with open arms - HATED McKay Dee Hospital!!

Months and months of Cherry Coke

Months and months of cherry coke = then and now

(Rebecca is on the left; Mary-Gail is on the right)

7 days old(1+lbs); 1-year old (15+lbs)

Rebecca

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Mary-Gail

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4 months old (March)

10 months old (September)

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I can't find my 6 or 8 month pictures for side-by-side viewing, but here are my 11 month pics:

11 months old pictures (October)

Side-by-side memories

The top pictures are from Wednesday, November 29th, 2006. The girls were 2 days old. The bottom pics are from January 18th, 2007. They are almost 2 months old and weigh 5 lbs 4 oz (Rebecca) and 5 lbs 2 oz (Mary-Gail).

Rebecca (L) & Mary-Gail (R)

Rebecca (L) & Mary-Gail (R)

Memories from November 27th

Rebecca & Mary-Gail are our tiny, little miracle babies. They have done so remarably well for being born 3 months early (actually 13weeks). These Coke pictures have been fun taking and fun looking back at.

Once upon a time when Rebecca & Mary-Gail were 7 days old, they were the size of a 20 oz Coke bottle and weighed less then the bottle...

Rebecca (L) & Mary-Gail (R)

7- days old (1st time they were co-bedded since they were born)

The nurses played a trick and drank/drained the Coke bottle

Tony & I choose these two pictures for our Christmas Card Dec 2006

Rebecca LaRae Kemp: 1lbs 13 oz

Mary-Gail Darleen Kemp: 1 lbs 5oz

All I want for Christmas is...

All Rebecca wants for Christmas is her two front teeth!

Rebecca has had 3 teeth for a few months now, and they're not the typical teeth that come in first: Rebecca has one tooth on the bottom, and two teeth on top - the side teeth, not her two front teeth. So, when she smiles she looks like she a little vampire. But it is the cutest smile ever!

Last night I was playing with Rebecca while we changed diapers, and I saw the ridges from her left front tooth peeking through her so swollen, blistered gums. Hooray! She'll have at least one of her two front teeth for Christmas! :)

The stages of Christmas

Oh Christmas Tree! Oh Christmas Tree! Finally you're finished.

Day 1 of Christmas tree decorating

Day 2...Viola!

It only took 2 days of putting this tree together to finish. And although we finished on Saturday, it's only taken me 4 days to post it! When I added the last strand of lights to wrap the top of the tree, all the lights went out! Go figure right? I was able to find the broken strand - which happened to be the very bottom strand - and bypassed it. So, if you look closely, you'll see that the lights on half of the bottom branches are out...

Here are the cute little elves that helped me

1 year old celebration - the CAKE

Rebecca & Mary-Gail while everyone sings to them...

Singing "Happy Birthday to You"

Oooh - fire!

Rebecca having her first taste of chocolate cake & frosting from her "#1" birthday candle.

The jury is still out...

Reese w/buns in her hair, Mary-Gail loving the gooey feeling between her fingers; Isaac waiting patiently for cake; Rebecca wanting to bite the candle; and Gage adding "sprinkles" to his cake and ice cream.

Serving up cake and ice cream - yummy! Mary-Gail dropped her cake & it landed upside down - NUTS!