The Cobb Quad

H-Town Adventures - Part 3 (postscript)

2011-11-09T20:00:00.000-06:00

While in Houston, we did manage to get out a bit, even if it meant just going to BJ's Pizza.

Never too young to learn a good party trick.

We also made it out to Kemah for the boardwalk. That included a trip to a restaurant that had an aquarium. (Or was it an aquarium with a restaurant. No sure.)

Awake with the fishes. Grandpaw and the boys observe.

Even when we didn't go out, we entertained ourselves in the hotel with games like old-fashioned peekaboo.

Mom and Dad only made one excursion alone while there. But they made it count.

The brewery tour is a must for beer nerds.

H-Town Adventure - Part 2

2011-11-08T21:44:00.000-06:00

The therapy went very well. We could tell a difference already by the end of the first week. Both boys were showing signs of being stronger and more active. The workouts seemed to paradoxically tire them out and energize them. When he wasn't working out, John-Raven couldn't seem to be still. That included some nights, too.

John-Raven: "Sleep=No. iPad=Yes!"

The boys worked hard. William sometimes worked SO hard...

...that he didn't even make it back to the hotel before going to sleep.

One day, he even decided not to wait until therapy was over to go to sleep, yet still kept working for a while. That's dedication, people.

Asleep? Yep. Still working? Incredibly, yes.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience. The boys' regular PT, Nancy, is really amazing and makes great strides with the boys in the hour that she gets to work with them each week. But it's hard to overemphasize the value of getting two hours of therapy per weekday for three weeks. The boys definitely made improvements in strength and stability, and we hope to capitalize on that to push them further in their therapy goals.

We would like to say how fantastic the therapists and staff are at Pediatrics Plus Therapy Services in Houston. Trisha and Carla did great work with the boys and had a real gift for reading their reactions and motivating them. We can't thank them enough!

H-Town Adventure - Part 1

2011-10-26T19:00:00.000-05:00

So, we never got around to posting this on the blog beforehand, but we just spent three weeks in Houston for an intensive physical therapy program for the boys. October 3 to October 21, we were camped out at the Staybridge Suites, and the boys engaged in an intense 2-3 hour therapy session each weekday.

John-Raven made a fuss sometimes, but often enjoyed his workouts.

The purpose of the intensive therapy is to give the boys an opportunity to really push their development. Normally, they get half an hour of PT twice a week. With the intensive, their two hours of PT five days a week means they're getting more workout time in a few weeks than they'll get over the next several months. Think of it as boot camp for developmentally challenged kids.

William is obviously a little tired here...but quite a trooper!

Getting the intensive PT doesn't mean they'll suddenly jump ahead developmentally, but it does push them to get stronger and improve their sitting up, rolling over, propping, etc. William suffered a little hiccup when he got sick after the first week. We took him to a local CareNow and got him some medicine. He missed a day of therapy as a result but got back on track after that.

William works much better with some motivation. In this case, a mummy that dances and sings Thriller.

I must say, the program was fantastic. Very professional, with excellent physical therapists who got a good sense of the boys' individual personalities and what they were capable of.

When they weren't working their little butts off, the boys enjoyed the experience.

The first week, there was only Dad to look after them until Aubrey (nanny extraordinaire) arrived as reinforcements toward the end of the first week. It didn't take long for the boys to get in a groove and adapt to the routine. Dad, however, had a bit of a rougher time of it. See, William tends to have some sort of nightmares that turn him into a squirming, screaming zombie of his usual self. When this happens, he is extremely difficult to wake up. It takes noise, bright lights, and sometimes a cold wet cloth on his face to wake him up. Once he's awake, he's pretty happy. We've noticed a correlation, though. William tends to do his little night trick more when he's hitting a developmental stage or otherwise working really hard to do something new. Our guess is, he's dreaming about struggling to do the thing that he just can't quite do. We've all probably experienced this in a dream, the kind when you're trying to run but feel like you're moving through mud. Naturally, during his therapy, he had a LOT of these. Practically every night. And they were worse than normal, which meant an hour or two of middle-of-the-night issues. Regardless, he still managed to tough it out through his workouts during the day.

More to come. Stay tuned...

Monkey See, Monkey Do

2011-08-06T19:13:00.001-05:00

New Bed Means Naptime Fun

2011-08-06T14:57:00.001-05:00

Now that we have our big boy bed, there are a few new challenges. Not being separated means we don't always maintain our personal space.

Graduation!

2011-08-04T16:52:00.001-05:00

Off to big boy beds!

Needing a Break!

2011-07-21T10:29:00.001-05:00

J taking a much needed brake in his busy social life.

GI Joes

2011-07-13T07:27:00.001-05:00

Soooo we're getting ready for a little GI procedure for testing purposes to see how bad the boys' reflux is affecting them, if much at all.

Looks like we've graduated up from the purple gowns to the blue ones. Guess that's what happens when you're growing this much.

Chillin' after Workout

2011-07-09T11:50:00.001-05:00

Because it's nice to relax after a round in our crawler.

CobbQuad Blog is Moving...Sortof

2011-06-04T07:49:00.004-05:00

Somebody set up us the blog!

The CobbQuad is now on Tumblr!

We aren't shutting down our BlogSpot, but we are supplementing it on Tumblr, which is better and easier for short posts (AKA micro-blogging). We'll continue to use the blog located here, but for more frequent posts, go now to cobbquad.tumblr.com.

WARNING: Now Entering the Terrible Twos

2011-05-07T14:41:00.017-05:00

So the boys turned two on May 1st. Yay, boys! Hard to believe, really. They're around 27 pounds now and definitely aren't having any trouble gaining weight. We no longer have to go to a gym for a strength workout -- these days, we just pick up the boys.

A few shots from the birthday bash:

(Thanks to Mandy Hennebury for the Awesome Cake. Thanks to her husband Matt for the awesome sliders and hot dogs. Thanks to everyone else for...being awesome.)

If you look closely, you'll see that the boys did get a little taste of the cake icing.

And they had some help from the neighborhood kids opening presents.

We attended a Harris Methodist NICU reunion today and saw some familiar faces. (Sorry, didn't get any pics there. If anyone reading this has some to share, let us know.) We realized we haven't been to Harris with the boys since they first left the NICU. Seems like yesterday we were there. Yet another example of how time flies.

William and John-Raven have been working hard, and it's paying off. Their progress isn't speedy, but it's progress nonetheless.

Have I ever mentioned we love mirrors?

We have no idea whether the boys are really about to enter their "terrible twos" or not. Most people comment on what good attitudes they have. And they're right -- most of the time, the boys are happy kiddos. But trust us...they have their moments.

Springing Forward

2011-04-20T17:45:00.004-05:00

Ah, spring. Aside from the itchy, watery eyes, the layer of pollen that turns our vehicles yellow, and the looming anxiety of another brutally hot Texas summer, we love spring around the CobbQuad household. Not that Winter was all that bad. We manage to stay happy even when it's cold outside...

...but we're definitely ready for the warmer weather and are already enjoying geting outside more. And now that we know their congestion issues have been due to adenoid problems rather than allergies, we're a lot more comfortable getting the boys out.

Speaking of adenoids, the surgery seems to have done the trick. Since then, they've had fewer congestion issues, which means easier breathing, less snoring, and fewer gag-triggers. Plus, it was one of the easiest surgeries they've had so far. They handled it like champs, as usual.

We all enjoyed a morning out at the recent Deep Ellum Arts Festival. Unfortunately, the boys were determined not to keep their eyes open during pics.

Their development is coming along, and they're getting stronger (and bigger) every week. We recently purchased a crawler to help the boys work on those crawling skills.

Early on, they HATED the crawler, mostly because it made them work. But the work is paying off, and as they get stronger, they don't mind as much. John-Raven even does a pretty good Superman impression from time to time.

In fact, John-Raven is probably leading brother in strength and overall physical tolerance. He can sit up for short periods (with a little assistance), and his core strength is improving. He even handled his time in a grocery cart pretty well (not that you can tell from his expression...I think I have that same expression when I go grocery shopping).

But William is getting better, too. We think the main thing holding him back is his personality rather than his ability. He's our resident lazybones. He'd rather smile and look cute than actually work.

So as we cruise into the warmer months, we look forward to some more outdoor time as a family. As the boys are getting bigger, we're all looking for a chance to get some air and stretch out a bit. Or just hang out in our pajamas.

Friday Night with the Boys

2011-03-04T21:45:00.001-06:00

John-Raven and Dad hung out on Friday night after brother went to bed. (Because SOMEBODY refused to go to sleep.)

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Update: Adenoidectomy This Friday

2011-02-14T12:00:00.000-06:00

Quick Update: I posted last time about our trouble with congestion and how our allergist referred us to an ENT (ear nose throat) doctor, right? The results are in: the ENT doc said William's adenoids are very enlarged and need to come out. Knowing the boys' tendency to mirror each others' ailments, we took John-Raven in too. The not-at-all-surprising results? His adenoids need to come out too. So both boys are going in this Friday for an adenoidectomy. It's a day surgery and should be one of the easiest they've had to date. Recovery shouldn't be too bad either (the biggest trouble with recovery after adenoidectomy or tonsilectomy is that eating is difficult with such a sore throat, but the boys are tube-fed, so that won't cause any trouble).

So, wish us luck folks, and we'll keep you posted on the outcome.

-The Cobb Quad

Congestion is Snot Fun

2011-01-29T11:00:00.001-06:00

One of the things keeping us busy in recent months has been, in a word, snot.

The sinus fairy blessed the boys with powerful and persistent congestion problems back in the fall. Though not among the most dramatic challenges we faced in 2010, the problem certainly has been frustrating.

And we haven't really identified a source yet. In the fall, we assumed it was allergies. Then we thought it was a cold. And since both boys have been teething so much (I'm beginning to think they're part shark), that seems to be adding to the problem.

It's been snot city around here. Remember this scene from Ghostbusters?

Kinda like that. (Just don't call William as "an ugly little spud" even if he does slime you. He will revenge pee on you.)

One of the ways we've been combatting their congestion is with breathing treatments.

Most of the time, breathing treatments don't annoy William too much.

The sinus drainage also tends to set off their gag reflex and cause them to vomit (which they're more likely to do being tube-fed kids), so we've fought hard to hold back the slime. We've done the allergy medicine thing and the cold medicine thing and the breathing treatment thing and we've used teething stuff to help with that. We recently went to an allergist who did skin tests and showed that apparently, they aren't allergic to anything except lack of attention, which they react violently to.

Over time, John-Raven seems to have shaken most of his congestion. William's has lingered, and a bout with some sort of cold in December didn't help.

William took a few days to fight off his cold (complete with high fever, inability to keep anything down, etc.) I always hate to see the boys feel so cruddy, but they usually keep a good attitude. And they support each other, too...

Solidarity, my brother!

Since the allergist ruled out allergy issues, we're next taking William to an ENT (ear nose throat) doctor. Since William has almost always had a tendency to snore, I have suspicions that he has some other issues going on. Here's hoping we get some answers.

Wait, it's 2011 already?

2011-01-03T14:06:00.021-06:00

Seems like only last month it was 2010. Crazy how time flies...

But seriously, time HAS been a beast these last several months. I realize I've been slacking on my blog responsibilities. I was looking at my Google Tasks list just the other day and saw the entry for "Update blog with boys' recent measurements."

I thought to myself, "Okay. I can do that." Then, because I was curious, I checked the date to see when I was originally planning to post that info.

August 22, 2010.

Nice. Clearly, I'm on top of things.

Despite a couple of false re-starts, I'm trying (once again) to get back on track. Will I really really really honest and for true actually start keeping the blog up to date again? Only time will tell for sure, but you can help keep me in line. If you notice I'm slacking, break out the whip and crack it by sending a message to cobbmatt (at) gmail.com, where I reads the emails from the Interwebs.

Now on with the show...

Since I've been so sloppy with my updates (and since I know you might not be reading this if it weren't for the pictures), I'm just going to drop some pics below.

Over the holidays, the CobbQuad has an early morning appointment and stops by the Galleria afterward for breakfast.

At Gammy and Granpaw's house, John-Raven tests out a carrot. It didn't excite him.

William calls it a night a little early.

Mom and John-Raven decide it's time to call it a night, too.

Our little superheroes. World's finest!

I hope that holds you over for a few days. I hope to have another update soon.

Blog? What Blog?

2010-11-30T20:47:00.007-06:00

So in my last post, I said I'd get more pics in a few days. But what I MEANT was a few weeks. Right? Hear me sigh deeply at not having enough time to keep up...

I'll try to get a better post up soon. In the meantime, here's a pic of the boys from earlier tonight, courtesy of Lissy, one of our two amazing nannies.

We Now Return to Your Regularly Scheduled Programming

2010-10-07T15:41:00.007-05:00

Sorry for being off the radar for so long, but life (the crazy stuff that happens between blog posts) got a little busy. Not bad...just busy.

Amanda and I will provide further updates on the boys, with pics (and if you're very good, boys and girls, maybe some video).

In the meantime, let me just say that in general, the boys are doing well, gaining weight, and making progress.

John-Raven chillin' in his bouncy.

William, also rockin' the bouncy.

Expect updates and pics within the next few days. Thanks for enduring the hiatus, and we'll make it a point to stay on top of things going forward.

Word,

The CobbQuad

William is Watching You

2010-06-17T09:58:00.006-05:00

All Buttoned Up

2010-06-09T13:04:00.006-05:00

Sing it with me, folks: M-I-C, K-E-Y, ~~M-O-U~~ B-U-T-T-O-N (the "button" part doesn't flow as well, but it's the only joke I could think of.) The boys now have their g-buttons. (The specific type is the Mic-Key button: www.mic-key.com.)

The surgery was performed by Dr. Herman last Wednesday morning in the OR at Our Children's House at Baylor, and the boys were discharged Friday afternoon (at 5 o'clock, meaning I got to fight Dallas traffic with two post-surgery one-year-olds...who, I must say, were much calmer than I was. Let's just say it's good the boys aren't repeating what they hear yet.)

Here they are post-surgery at Our Children's House. William didn't take long to perk up after coming off the anesthesia and didn't seem to be in any real pain. John-Raven was clearly uncomfortable, so he got some additional medication. (Can you tell by that faraway look in his eyes?)

As of today, the boys' Mic-Key buttons have been in for a week, and the boys have recovered nicely. William is having more trouble with teething issues than with last week's surgery.

Happy Birthday, Boys!

2010-05-01T23:03:00.004-05:00

Hard to believe it's been a year.

Home Again, Home Again

2010-04-28T16:38:00.004-05:00

The boys are back home, but this time, they have what we've come to call their "mobile feeding station."

So far, they're digging it.

Status Update for 4/25 (with Cuteness)

2010-04-25T11:20:00.010-05:00

Both boys are back at Baylor's Our Children's House now. William was transferred over on Friday without incident. It's nice to have them in the same place again.

They're coming completely off oxygen today, and so far, their oxygen saturation is good. They're not really sick anymore, but they're still coughing up some of the last of the junk that's in their lungs.

The plan is to get the boys back home on Tuesday. After that, we'll wait two or three weeks before coming back to get their Mic-Key buttons.

And now, your weekend dose of cuteness.

John-Raven managed to get along even without his brother. He tolerates his therapies fairly well on most days...

But he presents some challenges to his nurses (and his parents) when it comes to equipment. Keeping his nasal cannula in place is difficult when he'd clearly rather chew on it than breathe from it...

William has had a good attitude about the whole ordeal this week. He still has some stuff to get out of his lungs, and a good cough helps with that. So Dad was trying to model for him by demonstrating a good cough. William misinterpreted it as entertainment...

When the time came to sleep, he slept.

Status Update, 4/22

2010-04-22T12:07:00.008-05:00

William is still at Children's Medical Center, but he appears to be on the tail end of his illness. As it turns out, he had bronchiolitis (which was the result of a common cold virus) and aspiration pneumonia (which was likely due to the bronchiolitis and/or the cold). He hasn't had fever for a couple of days, and he's barely on any oxygen at all right now. They'll be weaning him off of oxygen today and if all goes as planned, he'll be back at Our Children's House tomorrow.

John-Raven did not have his surgery this week because (surprise!) he's come down with basically the same thing that William has. Thankfully, OCH was prepared for it following William's episode and have been able to stop John-Raven's problems from escalating.

At this point, the G-tube surgeries will be delayed by a few weeks. After the boys respiratory distress this week, any anesthesiologist would be hesitant to put them under until a proper length of time has passed.

So the plan right now is: get William back to OCH, get set up with temporary NG-tubes, go home, and then come back to Dallas in a few weeks for the G-tube surgeries. I'll let you know if the plan changes. (Judging by recent events, I wouldn't be surprised if it does.)

Also, to clarify: I've been referring to a G-tube, but actually, the boys will be getting what's called a Mic-Key button. For those who don't know, the Mic-Key button is simply a small, low profile valve that is placed in the stomach to create a feeding port. When it's time to feed, you connect the feeding tube to the button. When feeding is done, the tube is disconnected. (Sometimes, a G-tube is used for a couple of weeks before transitioning to the button, but our surgeon may actually just put the button in right away. We'll see.)

William Visits Children's Medical Center (But Not by Choice)

2010-04-20T09:57:00.009-05:00

On Sunday, in a matter of a few hours, William went from this...

To this...

He's much better now, but he gave us some drama for sure. It began in the afternoon. He had been doing fine except that he'd been really congested from seasonal allergies. When he woke up after a nap, he was working really hard to breathe and his color was bad. We called in the nurse, who called in the doctor, who called in a whole team. His oxygen levels were low, and because of his history of aspiration, the doc didn't want to take any chances and wanted to make sure he was in a facility better equipped to tend to whatever problems might arise. So he was on his way to the ER at Children's Medical Center in Dallas.

William is still at Children's, but they're weaning him off of his oxygen now, and if he does well, he'll be back at Our Children's House at Baylor soon. Of course, this will delay his surgery, but maybe for no more than a couple of weeks. John-Raven's surgery, however, is scheduled for Friday unless they bump it up. More to come when we have updates.

Moving Forward with the G-Tube

2010-04-15T15:14:00.011-05:00

After closely evaluating the William and John-Raven, the speech therapists at Our Children's Hospital have officially recommended G-tubes for long-term feeding purposes. They feel there are too many risks involved in trying to give the boys the nutrition they need by mouth at this time. We have decided to go ahead with the procedure, which will likely happen early next week in Dallas at Our Children's Hospital since the boys are already admitted there.

In just the week since they've been at OCH, the boys have already gained weight because of the feeding process in the hospital: We feed them for half an hour, and whatever's left, we gavage through the NG-tube. In fact, they've gained more weight in the week since they were admitted than they have in recent months.

But an NG-tube is temporary (through the nose), whereas a G-tube is long term (directly through the stomach). Seeing their gains in the last week, we know they'll have good growth once the G-tube is in place.

We knew the G-tube was a strong possibility. I think that, more than anything else, we weren't so much bothered by the idea of the boys getting feeding tubes as by needing feeding tubes. Like any parent, we want their development to be in the positive direction, and needing a G-tube felt like a step back.

But we've done what we can. We are confident that eventually, we'll get the boys' feeding back on track and off of the G-tube. Doing so will be a long-term process, of course, and in the meantime, they'll get the nutrition they need safely and efficiently to power their little brains and bodies and to give them more time and energy to play and put that nutrition to use. I imagine we'll soon see the G-tube not as a step backward, but as an important tool to help us move forward.

Lazy Sunday

2010-04-12T14:00:00.003-05:00

The boys are fairly settled in at Our Children's House of Baylor, where they've already begun their feeding treatment and other therapies. Because there's no therapy on Sunday, we had time for a short nap...but the boys were more interested in playing than sleeping.

First Haircuts for the Cobb Twins (and a Health Update)

2010-04-06T06:00:00.002-05:00

We originally wanted to wait until their first birthday for haircuts, but as you can see in the pic below, John-Raven's hair was already creeping out over the top of his helmet, and this pic was taken a month and a half ago.

"I can brush them myself, Mom."

Crazy post-bath hair.

So by this weekend, their hair was starting to take on a life of its own, and the recent warmer weather was making them sweat a lot under their helmets. So we decided it was time for a trim.

Thankfully, the boys didn't seem to mind.

John-Raven watched TV while he got his hair did.

Haircuts are serious business for young William.

Or not.

Chiropractor, then haircuts...and we're out.

Mom and the boys pose with the tulips out front.

Sure, our Converse are 27 sizes too large. But we'll grown into them.

He ain't heavy. He's my brudder.

A Note on the DOC Band (a.k.a. "Helmets")

I mentioned something about "helmets" in this post and realized that I've never really provided much information on what that's about. First off, they aren't true helmets. Helmets suggest something designed for protection, and that's not what these do. They're actually cranial orthotic bands intended to correct the boys' plagiocephaly, which is simply a flattening of part of their heads. Between hydrocephalus, torticollis, and the low muscle tone that has kept them from being mobile yet, they have spent too much time in the same positions, causing their heads to be a bit misshapen. It isn't noticeable in most pictures, but it's definitely there. So, we went to Cranial Technologies to get DOC Bands for the boys to mold their heads into a more symmetrical shape. I'll explain more about the process and our decision to go with Cranial another time -- mostly because we know there are other parents out there looking for information, and we found it extremely helpful to hear about other families' experiences. I will say, in a nutshell, that the process is working and we highly recommend the DOC Band and Cranial Technologies.

Health Update: Inpatient Feeding Program

Starting tomorrow (if all goes as planned), we will be entering the inpatient feeding program at Our Children's House of Baylor in Dallas. The purpose of the program is to help the boys with their feeding skills (oral motor and swallowing). The boys have always been fairly passive about their eating, and for that reason, it's always taken a long time for them to take a bottle. When it was only a few ounces, it wasn't too bad. But now, at 6-8 ounces, it takes an hour or more per bottle per kid. Not only is that longer than they should spend feeding (at a certain point, they start to burn more calories than they're taking in), but it's hard to get them the nutrition they need. It also means less time for other much-needed physical therapies and makes for a long day for everyone involved.

This has been going on for a while. Back in February, we decided to have a swallow study done on the boys, and the results indicated that neither is actively sucking/swallowing as he should be, and both are, at times, aspirating some of what's going down their throats. The implications of this can be serious -- lack of nutrition or dehydration from not taking in enough calories and fluids, of course, but if they aspirate enough, they can get pneumonia. Some of the specialists have already stated they're surprised neither of the boys have had a serious case of pneumonia yet.

Long story short, we've been accepted into a program that will provide the boys with intensive feeding therapy to help them develop the skills they need to safely and effectively take their bottles and other baby foods. Because it's inpatient, the boys will be living there for the duration of the program. The program could last a couple of weeks, or as many as four. (Not sure if it could take longer.) Although it won't be an easy few weeks, we're excited that we've been able to get the boys into this program and hope it helps the boys get where they need to be. Please keep them in your thoughts, and I'll try to update the blog as we make progress.

The Cobbs Get a Snow Day

2010-02-12T11:46:00.004-06:00

Dallas/Fort Worth area got record snowfall yesterday, which meant a snow day for most. Considering that my car wouldn't get up the incline of our driveway this morning, I figured I might as well take the day off, too.

On the back deck. Several inches of snow.

The boys didn't quite know what to make of it.

Not our snowman, but it's a good one.

If you're in the DFW area, enjoy the snow. I doubt this area will see this again soon, if ever.

Double Vision

2010-02-04T13:02:00.011-06:00

Eye surgery went off without a hitch. We have a couple of groggy boys with bloodshot eyes, but all went well as far as we can tell. When they came back from surgery, they were seriously zonked, and stayed that way until...well, they're still that way.

Mom tried to give John-Raven something to eat. Still preferring to sleep, he and his brother wouldn't take anything until early afternoon.

Eventually, we got both of them to wake up and eat a little bit, so we were given the go-ahead to take them home. Recovery shouldn't be too bad - they don't need eye patches (although that could have made for some good pirate jokes...fear the Dread Pirate William! Arrrrrgh!). Once their strabismus is fixed, they'll be seeing more clearly and with any luck, will no longer be seeing double. I can't say the same for their parents, though.

Late Holiday Pics and Upcoming Eye Surgery

2010-02-03T20:00:00.012-06:00

Yes, we are woefully behind on blog posts. I'll try to get caught up over the next week and promise to be better in the future. (Also know that Amanda does a good job putting up pics on Facebook, so if you're into that, consider adding her as a friend.)

Last post showed John-Raven after his hernia/hydrocele surgery. Shortly thereafter, his dad (me, of course) had a long overdue shoulder surgery (a story for another time), which was no fun for anyone because it meant I couldn't pick the boys up, cook gourmet French dinners, play Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14, write the Great American Novel, or help Jack Bauer protect the country from terrorists. It also meant that Amanda had to do some extra work taking care of the boys.

Better late than never, here are some pics from the holiday season '09.

Mom gets some extra help in the kitchen.

Mom does double duty feeding to compensate for one-armed Daddy.

(No, that Christmas tree isn't actually on fire.)

Storytime!

Gigi's gift created quite a buzz. John-Raven looks on in awe, one bumblebee staring at another.

Our ever helpful goddaughter Reese assists William in learning to roll over.

We had some good holiday fun with family this year, complete with a white Christmas and the rather unexpected discovery that William thinks cousin Joey's whoopie cushion is the funniest thing ever.

As you can see, we had a good Christmas, and welcomed the New Year with open arms and the hope that we won't have to spend quite so much time in hospitals and with doctors and whatnot this year. The boys have at least one surgery ahead of them already - this one for their eyes. They have infantile esotropia, which is a form of strabismus. Their eyes cross as they try to process visual information on opposite sides (left eye tries to see stuff on the right side, right eye tries to see stuff on the left).

Many babies start out with some level of strabismus that resolves as their eyes get stronger, but esotropia doesn't go away on its own. It's neurological in nature but it can be fixed - or at least improved - with surgery (or multiple surgeries, as the case may be). So they're scheduled for back-to-back operations at Cook Children's Hospital bright and early the morning of February 4th (that's tomorrow, as I write this). We'll give you an update when we're done.

Determined to be Identical

2009-12-08T12:00:00.003-06:00

(Meant to publish this week before last...sorry!)

As narrated by John-Raven...

"On Wednesday, we checked in at Cook's for another surgery. No, not for my shunt (which is still working just fine, thank you very much) but for a hydrocele repair. (I know, all these medical terms confuse me, too. Just remember that 'hydrocele' has nothing to do with 'hydrocephalus'. Hydrocele surgery is basically like hernia surgery. Not a big deal, really.)"

"See, my brother, William, had his hydrocele surgery while still in the NICU, and I guess I got a little jealous, so guess what? I decided I needed a hydrocele repair, too! (Hey, if we're going to be identical twins, let's do it right.) Mom spotted the problem a couple of weeks ago and knew what it was right away. So we scheduled the surgery for Thanksgiving break, and off we went."

"Mom got me up super early. We were on the road by 5am! I didn't mind, though. I was pretty happy all morning, really. I got to see lots of nurses who gave me lots of attention, and I didn't even cry when they took me away from Mom and put me under. See that picture above? That was me in 'Recovery 2'. I was so out of it. I opened my eyes once in a while when I heard a little baby crying a few beds down, but other than that, I didn't really want to wake up for a while."

"Mom tried to wake me up to eat, which was something the nurses and doctors said I had to do before they would let me go home, but I was tired and was more interested in sleeping than eating. By the time 3pm had rolled around, I'd had a breathing treatment, a steroid shot in my IV, and an ounce of milk, and we were headed home! I was pretty sleepy the rest of the day, too. Since I'd been wearing my frog pajamas, Mom nicknamed me her little 'Groggy Froggy'."

"I'm all better now, and fully recovered. And I'm looking real tough, too, with a couple of more surgical scars to match William's. Twin life, yo!"

Things We Love

2009-11-28T22:12:00.003-06:00

We LOVE to READ!

Grandpa LOVES to read and sing to John-Raven, and John-Raven LOVES The Hungry Catapillar!

Mommy LOVES to read to William, and William LOVES Mother Goose!
It gets him quiet instantly. :)

The Family LOVES us some Halloween!

Mom and Dad recycled costumes from a few years back....wonder why? I can't think of any reason they didn't come up with new and creative costumes this year. The boys have Halloween shirts and Candy corn socks....Mom LOVES the dollar section at Target!

A few new additions to this year Boo-riarhood Party....other than the 4 new little ones on the street....Black Lights in the Garage! All the kids LOVED dancing in the glowing lights!

Most, but not all, of our beautiufl little girls in the hood. They LOVED the candy and getting to hang out together.

Mini Me's

2009-10-24T20:45:00.005-05:00

Little Plummer looking studious in Dad's specs.

John-Raven our little nerd also in Dad's specs.

Mom and Dad got a night out thanks to our very gracious friends, the Chavarrias (also parents of identical twins....girls that are 10 weeks older than the boys). They had 2 extra tickets to see U2 and Muse at the new Cowboy stadium. It was worth the lack of sleep! We were able to make it from our home to our seats in 30 minutes! And the same coming home!

On a new note, we visited the Neurosurgeon this Tuesday. Both boys were had head sono's done. The tech had to switch cameras to get a good picture because their fontanelles are getting very small. It was an uneventful day. The doc said the shunt are working. There is still quite a bit of fluid from what he could tell, but the important part is that the shunts are doing their job. We inquired about helmets since the boys have plagiocephaly (flat spots on the back of their heads). He said he wouldn't if they were his kids, but he did give us names of places and prescriptions to have them done. He said he would leave that decision up to us. We will be doing our research and making a decision soon.

Woo Pig Sooie!

2009-10-15T22:21:00.009-05:00

This is for all you Hog fans out there.

John-Raven loved calling the Hogs.....

...while William has on his serious game face.

And yes, mommy did teach us how to call the Hogs.

And we are GREAT at it! I bet they can hear us all the way in Fayetteville!

Thanks Jami and Jason for our Razorback tattoos.

La-Z-Boys

2009-09-10T15:20:00.001-05:00

"You know, Dad, if you want this chair back, it's gonna cost you."

Alphabet Soup and an Updated Diagnosis

2009-08-17T06:00:00.001-05:00

The biggest news we can offer now is the boys' revised diagnosis, which sortof has us swimming in alphabet soup.

Their diagnosis of HPE (holoprosencephaly) has been changed to ASP (absent septum pellucidum) possibly resulting from SOD (septo-optic displasia). Although ASP/SOD still could present some of the same developmental issues as less extreme cases of HPE, the new diagnosis is a better one overall. (In fact, I understand that ASP/SOD used to be listed as a mild form of HPE.)

We're glad for the new diagnosis, and especially thankful to its source, the Carter Centers for Brain Research in Holoprosencephaly and Related Malformations. We took the initiative to contact the nearest location of the Carter Centers (located in the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas) after the boys were dismissed from Harris Methodist. We sent over the boys' MRIs, and we were told that the Carter Centers couldn't help us because the boys don't actually have HPE. But that's a good thing -- with their rejection came a very detailed and helpful explanation of WHY they couldn't help us and why they don't have HPE. We've since been able to take that explanation to other doctors.

A couple of things we've learned about doctors and hospitals:

1) NEVER assume anyone is communicating with anyone else. Maybe they are, maybe not. Our first meeting with our neurosurgeon is a good example of that. (That story was pre-blog, so maybe I'll have to revisit it.)

2) A single doctor's diagnosis can have a lot of inertia and may rarely get challenged. The HPE diagnosis, which occurred in the NICU, had enough momentum to carry it along to every other specialist we've seen. Until, that is, the Carter Centers' diagnosis became the outside force that acted on the thing in motion. Challenge assumptions.

3) You are your best (and sometimes only) advocate. Do your own research. Join an online community/forum. Get second opinions. If your doctor doesn't specialize in your or your child's condition, find one who does.

So over the last few weeks, we've had our fair share of visits to/from healthcare professionals, including the neurosurgeon, the neurologist, the early intervention specialist, the occupational therapist, the geneticist, the pediatrician, the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker. (Some of these visits were scheduled, but one wasn't -- We had a little scare one day that John-Raven's shunt was failing, but thankfully, it was a false alarm.)

The boys have an improved diagnosis, they're putting on weight, they're happy (er, most of the time), and they're still cute little stinkers.

Speaking of cuteness...without further delay, I bring you CUTE BABY PICS.

Shirts read: MY MOM RULES and MY DAD IS RAD.
(Thanks, Deneise!)

John-Raven rockin' the horizontal stripes.

"Really, Mom? No Ed Hardy footy-pajamas?"

John-Raven comforts William. "It's okay, I don't think she'll eat us."

Daddy attempts to drink a beer while holding pacifiers. Epic Fail.

Obligatory baby-with-beer-bottle shot.

(Come on, I had to do it.)

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it...

No caption necessary.

When Babies Attack! (Or, The Deadliest Catch)

2009-06-30T13:13:00.026-05:00

From May 2008 to May 2009, several nearby families have noted an increase in the population of small creatures commonly referred to as "babies". Warning signs of the creatures' appearance include the onset of flu-like symptoms resulting in extreme swelling in a woman's abdomen followed by the removal of one or more baby-shaped objects. After that, there's sleeplessness, crying, and an unexplained need to re-arrange things. And poo.

The recent rise in the local baby population has resulted in a rash of attacks around the neighborhood. It's an epidemic of...epidemic proportions! But our neighborhood babyhunters are on the case. Below, they gather round to assess their latest catch:

Scary, no? Our house has been attacked by not one but TWO, count them, TWO babies in recent months. Oh, the humanity!

We're learning more about babies every day. To be sure, the clever little creatures appear harmless enough:

But don't be fooled! Only ten minutes later, this candid picture reveals their true abilities:

That's right - NEVER let your guard down around babies. They have been known to strike without warning. Notice how the victim in the pictures below lies helpless from one baby's highly skilled attack:

What ferocity! What aggression! Remarkable!

I actually got close enough to touch one that was sleeping. There's no telling what mayhem would have ensued had he awakened. I'm lucky I lived to provide this rare photo to the public.

But fear not. We will be vigilant in our endeavors to continue to go forth and move on making progress as we take it to the next level going forward.

More pictures and updates to come...if we survive!

Slideshow: Maternity and Hospital Pics

2009-06-30T12:30:00.001-05:00

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I'll get some fresh content up soon. In the meantime, for those who haven't seen the amazing slideshow done by our photographer friend Michelle, here's the link:

http://www.mppphotography.com/CobbBirth/index.html

(If you're prone to being emotional, you might want to have some tissues handy.)

Prisonbreak, part 2 (or, The Saga of the Wireless Babies Begins)

2009-06-12T12:00:00.006-05:00

With brother already in hiding in a safehouse just outside of town, William made a break for it on Tuesday of this week. In the picture below, one of his accomplices - known on the street as "Daddy" - can be seen assisting in the successful escape.

Though not too happy about being placed in restraints so quickly after getting away, William fell asleep in his carseat in no time.

In case I haven't made myself clear...the Cobb Quad is together at home at last.

Reunited, the twins rejoiced in their freedom by doing absolutely nothing.

No longer looking like a couple of marionette puppets, these babies are free and clear. No monitor wires, no gavage tubes, no oxygen lines, no NICU, and no nurses. (OK, to be honest, we'll actually miss the nurses a lot, and I think the boys will, too.)

Our days of hospitals and doctors aren't done, of course, but we now have wireless babies, and they're home. Thus, the next chapter begins.

Prisonbreak, part 1

2009-06-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

Local authorities today received an anonymous tip that a 19-inch tall infant was spotted escaping the NICU of Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth. The infant, identified as one John-Raven Lee Cobb, is wanted for unlawful possession of a fully loaded, fully automatic poopy diaper (classified as a lethal weapon in Texas, but available without a permit). Recent sightings place the infant in the vicinity of Arlington, TX.

Above: The fugitive en route to a secret location.

A few days earlier, the hidden-camera picture below was captured of John-Raven at bathtime, during which he could be heard warning of his impending escape by shouting, "Ahh...aaaa...wah-waaaaaaa!" or, "I am not a prisoner! I am a free man!"

Temporarily left behind is John-Raven's twin brother, William "Babyface" Cobb. Earlier today, William underwent a simple hernia (hydrocele) procedure and is reportedly recovering well. Officials speculate that he may soon also attempt to break out of the Harris NICU to join his brother. William was unavailable for comment.

[Editor's Note: Yes, John-Raven is really finally home now. William had his hernia procedure earlier today and all went well. He's recovering nicely and will likely come home within the next couple of days.]

Word of the Day: Hyrdocele

2009-06-03T07:00:00.006-05:00

William has to have an operation for hydrocele, something similar to (but apparently not as bad as) a hernia. It doesn't seem to be all that uncommon or a source of major concern, but still...he's had so much done to him already, and both boys are so close to going home now that we hate the idea that he'll have to have yet another operation.

As for going home, here's the doctor's requirement: The boys need to feed on their own (meaning they can't be tubefed) for two days. So if they're tired and not wanting to eat, they get tubefed. When that happens, the clock starts over.

So our goal at this point is to get the boys to stay off the tubefeeding for a couple of days and then to get William's hydrocele taken care of. They've been eating much better lately, so let's keep our fingers crossed.

And now, some pics of hands and feet - thanks Brandy!

Below: William's feet, which look just like John-Raven's. Imagine that.

Below: Daddy holding John-Raven's hand.

Below: William grabbing Mommy's finger

And last but certainly not least...

Jerri, one of the wonderful nurses at Harris, caught the cute picture below of William one night last week. Both boys will sometimes make random cute faces like these, but capturing one with a camera seems almost impossible (unless you're Jerri).

Catching Up

2009-05-28T12:30:00.004-05:00

Prior to the boys' VP shunt surgeries, William was up to taking a bottle or nursing every other feeding, and John-Raven was taking a bottle or nursing a few times daily. After the surgeries, they took a few steps back. William was on IV and John-Raven was just tube feeding. Since then, they've slowly been catching up to their former selves.

Now they're bottle feeding and breastfeeding most of the time. The oxygen monitors were removed because their levels have been stable. Once the feeding tube is removed altogether, the boys will be close to coming home.

I also need to do some catching up. Since I've fallen behind on my posting, here are several pics.

Below and Above: Phone pics of Mom giving William a bath last week. The arms look blurry because he was wiggling them around in excitement. (Or terror?) I've since bathed him and John-Raven, and both tolerate the process fairly well (to an extent).

Below: I placed my hand in this pic from last week to give some perspective on William's size.

And below, a few pre-surgery pics. These are from a digital camera that we left in the NICU so the nurses could take pics while we were away. I think they had fun. (The nurses and the boys.)

Don't they look like a couple of little old men?

-"Say, bubba, whachoobeenupto?"
-"Eatin'. Poopin'. Sleepin'. A li'l screaming."
-"Say...'em nurses sure are cute."
-"Yep."

Can you tell which is which?

Above: I think they know each other's feet more than their faces. That's what was in front of them for several months.

They're gaining weight and eating more. It's only a matter of time before they're adding their cries to the chorus of screaming infants around Briarwood.

Feeding Time

2009-05-18T23:52:00.009-05:00

A couple of pics below - Mom with William, Dad with John-Raven. Notice how they're checking out the camera.

Hard to deny the cuteness, isn't it? We're a bit biased, though.

(Pics by Anh Pham. Thanks Anh!)

New Digs

2009-05-17T22:12:00.008-05:00

The boys are moving up in the world. After proving that they could keep their temperatures stable, William and John-Raven have been moved from incubators to cribs. To me, their "cribs" are more like clear plastic tubs, or at least they seem that way after the incubators. I doubt these units will show up on MTV any time soon, but you won't hear us complain. The change means that they're improving, which makes them one step closer to coming home (whenever that will be). They're also eating much better, they're more alert, and their oxygen levels are steadier.

Mom with John-Raven. Cribs seem so small compared to incubators.

Close-up of Mom and John-Raven.

William, not looking thrilled at having his picture taken. (Sorry it's sideways. Not sure how to flip pictures in Blogger, and I'm too lazy to figure it out right now.)

If I haven't made the point clearly enough before, let me say we've had some fabulous, caring professionals looking after William and John-Raven. Virtually all of the doctors, nurses, and techs we've dealt with at the Harris NICU and at Cook Children's have been kind and helpful beyond words, and the progress the boys are making is a testament to the dedication of those looking out for them right now.

Day After Surgery Pics

2009-05-15T12:30:00.002-05:00

I took these this morning. The swelling of the skin around the shunt tubing that runs from their heads to their tummies has gone down so that it is already much less noticeable. The incisions, which really aren't that large to begin with (though I imagine the boys would argue that point), are visible in person but more difficult to see in these pics. John-Raven's head incision is toward the back, but William is lying with his head turned so that his head incision isn't visible. The little pink line near their bellybuttons was the only other incision required.

John-Raven (5/15/09)

William (5/15/09)

They were spitting up so much overnight that they weren't allowed to eat and had to be put on IVs. We think they'll be able to start eating again today.

Glass Ceilings

2009-05-14T22:04:00.003-05:00

The surgery waiting room at Cook Children's Hospital is nice - the ceiling is glass, letting the sun shine through onto those waiting below. The glass ceiling design, I assume, is to help keep people from feeling depressed and gloomy while doctors on the other side of the walls cut on their kids. I suppose it helps. Glass ceilings are great, but as long as you know they're there, you know there's something looming over you.

Doctors Honeycutt and Donahue both operated - one on each of the boys - so that the surgeries could begin and end at close to the same time. They finished around 2pm (if I remember correctly) and said the surgeries went very well.

We saw the boys afterward. All things considered, they looked well. As well as you can look when you're two weeks old and have newly sewn-up incisions in your head and abdomen, a hunk of plastic in your head, and tubing running from your brain to your abdomen. It's not easy seeing the bulges from the shunts and the raised-skin path of tubing running down their little bodies, but we're focusing on how this helps the boys in the long run. John-Raven especially had become noticeably more lethargic over the last few days - a sign that the pressure from the hydrocephalus was finally becoming too much for him.

We'll have to monitor the shunts and the hydrocephalus for the rest of the boys' lives to make sure the shunts work properly and don't get infected. Shunts are notorious about needing revision, but we're hoping that we won't have too many problems so that we can spend more time examining the effects of the holoprosencephaly - the other condition that may impact the boys' development. The HPE could manifest in any number of ways and in different degrees, and although we don't want to set limits where there may be none, we wonder where the next challenges will be. I have to admit, as I looked up a the glass ceiling while waiting for the surgery to be over, I found myself worrying about the boys' own glass ceilings. Will there be physical challenges? Mental challenges? A combination? How will they react to the obstacles they're faced with? How will we react as parents? At this point, there's no telling, but we've seen good signs from the boys so far. And there's one thing I keep reminding myself about glass ceilings. Glass breaks.

Surgery - No Longer Delayed

2009-05-13T12:32:00.001-05:00

The time has finally come -- the boys are to have their shunt surgery tomorrow, Thursday, May 14. The scheduled times are 1 and 2 o'clock PM, but times often change.

To be honest, Amanda and I weren't prepared for how hard this would hit us. We knew the surgery would happen eventually, but for those few days that it was delayed, the prospect of an operation became this academic thing floating out in the void, something without form or weight. The anticipation has been difficult, certainly, but we would gladly have endured that anticipation for the rest of our lives in exchange for only having to hear, "We don't need to do the surgery yet. We'll wait a little longer."

But the time has come. Knowing that the boys are having surgery is difficult, but what's more difficult is that they need surgery...that their challenges extend beyond getting through this procedure. Hydrocephalus alone can be a challenge -- it's a lifelong condition for most who have it, and the shunts will be necessary for the rest of their lives. The shunts will also prevent the boys from engaging in certain activities. Full contact sports, for example, won't be an option.

But the hydro is only part of the challenge. The doctors have diagnosed the boys with semilobar holoprosencephaly (or, HPE). Never heard of it? Neither had we. And even after talking to the doctors and doing some research online, we still don't know much about what to expect. Semilobar HPE has the widest range of results of all forms of HPE, so the boys could be looking at effects ranging from mild to severe. We're encouraged by the boys' condition up until now (good muscle tone, good functional development, regulating heart rate and respiration, etc.), and because they have been developing well so far, we're hopeful that their development will continue positively. It could be years before we know what we're facing. As the doctors have said to us, "Time will tell."

We know the boys are in good hands. They have great doctors and nurses, and they'll be at high quality facilities. Nonetheless, please keep us in mind tomorrow.

The Cobb Quad Takes a Field Trip

2009-05-11T18:30:00.002-05:00

We spent a good chunk of the weekend with the boys, of course, but we slept a bit later on Saturday and Sunday mornings to catch up on some of the rest we miss during the week.

The boys are doing well - gaining weight, nursing/bottle feeding some, and looking better all the time. In fact, they're doing so well that the day nurse let us take them down the hall to a private room so Amanda could nurse William while I held John-Raven. It was the first time the four of us have been together as a family without a nurse or any sort of monitoring equipment. At one point during our little excursion, I held both boys in my arms at the same time. I think they were more relaxed about the experience than I was.

Advanced Hospital Math

2009-05-09T00:24:00.001-05:00

I forgot to mention that on the day we left, the twins were moved into the same room. Prior to that, tracking them was like an algebra problem: William (W) began in 4a with John-Raven (J) in 4b. W remained constant in 4a while his brother moved one room down the hall (J=3b). But then their positions were reversed and J became constant in 3b while W accelerated in the direction of 5. Assuming both twins being equal, how long would it take before they arrive at the same destination?

About 4 days, apparently, thanks to some shuffling around (and some inside help...thanks Stephanie!). Now they're in adjacent incubators. We just wish the hospital would allow co-bedding for twins (and in-house math tutoring for parents).

John-Raven (featured above) is off oxygen now and looking much better. Since the beginning, William has seemed the healthier of the two, but his brother has practically caught up to him. I guess John-Raven wasn't fond of the idea of letting his brother get too far ahead. Maybe that's what he was telling me when he christened my arm this morning as I tried to change his diaper. Or maybe he's telling me I move too slowly. Either way, I hear you, little man...message received.

Both boys are still on feeding tubes, but they're also taking bottles and nursing, to some degree. Being able to feed without tubes is one of the (somewhat obvious) goals they need to reach before they can go home. We don't know when they'll be homebound or whether it's even a good idea for them to come home prior to the shunt surgery (the date for which still isn't set), but we're excited that they are becoming less dependent on NICU support.

With no surgery date set, and with the boys looking so good, we're almost afraid to wonder just how good this could get. If no one had told us our babies had something wrong with them, we wouldn't know they were anything but typical premies. Perhaps better than typical, considering that they seem to be bigger than expected for twins delivered at 34 weeks. On top of that, the occupational therapist (who checks out all of the babies in the Harris Methodist NICU) said yesterday morning that both boys are looking good and responding well to tests.

With no idea of when the boys will have surgery, we're still in a holding pattern for now. Regardless of when the surgery happens, our boys have been given extra time we didn't think they'd have for getting healthier and stronger. We'll take it.

Surgery Delayed

2009-05-06T23:30:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, we met with Dr. Honeycut (the neurosurgeon) and Dr. Barber (the boys' primary doctor in the NICU) only minutes after the two docs had received the results of Monday's MRI. I'll offer details later, but for now, suffice it to say that the surgery has been delayed yet again. Dr. Honeycut doesn't feel any sense of urgency to do the shunt operation. He says that their heads aren't large enough and aren't swelling rapidly enough to put them in any immediate danger and would rather give them as much time as possible to get stronger and more stable. In the meantime, they'll keep a close eye on the boys to make sure nothing takes a sudden turn for the worse.

We'll provide more details soon. And now, a couple of pics...

This was John-Raven on day 2 just prior to a mutual first for us both. It was his first poopy diaper to make and my first one to change. I thanked him for not peeing on me and he thanked me for not leaving his boy parts exposed to the cold air for any longer than necessary.

This was William on day 3 opening his eyes a tad. I actually saw John-Raven open his eyes first, but apparently William was the first to get his baby blues caught on camera.

Almost 4 Days Old, and Counting

2009-05-05T04:15:00.000-05:00

First of all, we want to thank everyone so much for the various forms of support we've received so far. Your concern and help mean so much to us, even though we're often too distracted these days to show it. And sorry for the delay in updates - we can't quite pick up a wifi signal in the room so I'm making this blog entry via smartphone. We're also staying busy with trips to the NICU, visits from nurses and doctors and friends/relatives, trying to get some good mommy food going for the boys, and getting an hour or two of sleep here and there.

All things considered, the boys are doing well. They have some of the usual premie challenges, but nothing to really worry about (aside from the hydrocephalus, of course). Most of the nurses here at Harris Methodist have been great, which obviously helps.

The boys had head sonograms on Friday after delivery and MRIs Monday afternoon. The sonos showed the ventricles are significantly dilated (which we already knew), but their heads aren't extremely swollen nor are they swelling rapidly, so Dr. Honeycutt (the neurosurgeon) felt it better to give them a couple of extra days to stabalize before doing the shunt surgery.

It's a good sign that the doc didn't feel compelled to rush the operation. But it's too bad that Amanda will be released from the hospital by then (today, in fact) - being here has made seeing the boys more convenient than it will be once she's back home (not that our trips down from her hospital room to the NICU have been quick and easy...I never knew 3 minutes was such a long time until I had to spend it just washing my hands). We should know the results of the MRIs today, though I won't be surprised if they provide as many questions as answers.

Amanda's getting released today, so we're making the most of our time here. I have some good pics and promise to get them posted (somewhere) as soon as I can.

It's Official: Babies R Us

2009-05-01T13:55:00.000-05:00

William Plummer Cobb and John-Raven Lee Cobb were born about 10:45 this morning weighing 4.4 and 4.5 pounds respectively. They're in NICU but doing well. Good apgar scores and no IV needed.

Delivering Friday, May 1, at 10:30 AM CST.

2009-04-30T21:14:00.000-05:00

Doctor's office called tonight and said we're good to go for delivery tomorrow morning at 10:30, so keep us in mind during that time.

Waiting for Amnio Test Results

2009-04-29T19:41:00.000-05:00

The amnio test today really consists of two tests: The first is fast but with questionable results, and the second is slower but more accurate.

We received the results from the first test while still at the hospital. It indicated that the boys' lungs aren't yet mature enough for delivery. But Dr. Thigpen told us not to put much stock in the results from the first test. What we're waiting for now are the results to the second part, which should come sometime tomorrow.

As things stand right now, the c-section is scheduled for Friday morning at 10:30.