9 months

I can't believe the twins are 9 months old! It is true, times flies when you're having fun! 

We just had our 9 month check up and the Dr's are beyond impressed with the boys! Cannon weighed in at 14.8 & is 26 in and Braxton weighed 18.7 and is also 26 in. Since June our pediatrician has been debating on bumping Cannons calories from 22 to 24 in his formula but he is always gaining just enough but this time she went ahead and decided to bump him up to 24. He is growing fine and they aren't concerned but just want to give him a little push! Braxton, as you can tell, is growing awesome and won't need the extra push :)! He will be staying at 22 calories. 

We started baby food a couple months ago and it took a little getting use to but they are doing so much better with the new textures! Bananas are our favorite and if you know me then you know how much I HATE bananas BUT I will do anything for these boys!! 

We still have occupational therapy once a month. They both are sitting up on their own. Cannon can push himself up to a sitting position on his own and just recently started crawling! Braxton is up on all 4's rocking away and he soon will be taking off. He is so so close! They are also really close to pulling up by themself... We give a little assistance! Time to lock everything up! Our life is about to get a little crazier but it's the best kind of crazy! They LOVE to play in the floor with their toys and love each other. Braxton especially loves his jumper! He has the biggest smile on his face the whole time he is in it! He also has developed quite the personality lately!

 We survived our first two-a-days with the help of my awesome mom and amazing mother in-law! We are now in the middle of football season and loving every second! The boys absolutely love to watch the games and do so awesome staying out past their bed time! Speaking of bed time...these guys are rockstar sleepers!! They sleep 12 hrs in the cribs now! It's glorious!! :) 

It's crazy to think that this time a year ago I was about to go on bed rest for the next 11 weeks! These boys have changed our lives in more ways than I can express and all for the better! They are true miracles and I can't wait until the day that I get to explain that to them. Especially can't wait to tell them about all the incredible people that prayed them through this journey way before they were even born. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be able to stay home with them this year! It is so humbling to get to watch them hit all of their milestones! 

Thank you again for your constant prayers! Please say an extra prayer that we get through the upcoming winter months healthy!! 

Here are a few of our favorite pictures over the past few months! It's hard to pick a few ;-)

Trusting in him,

Shawn, Hali, Cannon & Braxton

Beyond blessed

The twins will be 9 months old tomorrow! I truly can't believe have fast it has gone by. This month, a year ago, I was told to go on bed rest and hope and pray that the twins would survive. That is a day I will never forget. Now, a year later, I lay here at 2 in the morning in awe of God's faithfulness and his grace! I'm so thankful that he picked us to go on this journey. Of course, it has been without a doubt the hardest thing I have ever gone through but what I have learned from it about myself I am forever grateful for. I have grown so much as a woman, wife, mother and most importantly a child of God. I have learned  lessons about patience, trust, selflessness, and love. I have learned that patience and trust are a lot harder to come by than just saying, "I will be patient and trust that things will be ok". I had to hourly pray for those two because there were times I did throw in the towel. Although, God was there to quickly pick me back up and remind me that Cannon and Braxton were his children first and his love for them could not be measured and I could not give up because they weren't. Having to sit back and completely give our boys to The Lord was the hardest task to ever do. As a parent you want to do so much but all we could do at that point in time was be PATIENT and TRUST that The Lord would heal our boys in his timing. I know for a fact that he used and is still using Cannon and Braxton to prove to others that miracles do still exist. 

I have learned about selflessness and love. The love that I have for Shawn, Cannon and Braxton would best be described as selfless. Having the privelege to be Shawn's wife and the twins mother is the greatest honor I have ever received. I have always known that a mothers love for her child is a feeling beyond words but finally getting to have that love of my own is so rewarding.  I wake up every morning with tears in my eyes when I see those smiling faces. I am in awe of their strength and determination. There isn't anything in this world that I wouldn't do for them. I hope one day they know how deep my love for them is. I also hope they know how much they inspire me every day. They are a constant reminder of God's healing powers and his love for his children. 

Thank you for coming on this journey with us but it has only just begun! What fun we will have!

Trusting in him,

Shawn, Hali, Cannon & Braxton

Has it really been 6 months?!?

Can't believe that half of a year has gone by since our precious baby boys were born. Time really does fly when you're having fun! The past month has been filled with trips to The Medicial Center for appointments, our first trip back to Bosque county, Mother's day, Father's day, and still getting to meet so many incredible friends and family! 

The boys just had their 6 month check up and neuro appointment for Cannon and things are going great! Braxton also had his check up for his hernia and she said that he does not need surgery at this point. He just has to be checked in a year. She is pretty positive that it will heal itself!! Thank you Jesus!! At Cannon's recent neuro appointment Dr. Sandberg is still very pleased with Cannon's progress and development. This appointment was just to measure his head circumference and for him to feel his soft spot. He liked what he saw! Cannon will have an MRI next month and depending on how the scans look that will determine whether we can stretch our next appointment to two months. He still thinks that Cannon is the rare kid that will not need another procedure but he doesn't want to let him out of his sight just yet and we are PERFECTLY fine with that! We know that God is and always has been in control of this situation and we will continue to trust that The Lord will keep Cannon wrapped in his arms and keep his Hydrocephalus stable. If we are able to stretch it to two months, I ask that you please say a prayer for me as well to have patience. The neuro appointment is the one that I worry about the most and going all month without seeing Dr. Sandberg just keeps my stomach in knots. So I can only imagine what two months will do!! I know it's a good thing to be able to do that but there is always that worry in the back of my mind! 

At their pediatrician appointment last week Cannon weighed in at 11.9 lbs and Braxton at 15 lbs! They both are on the growth chart for a 6 month old which is great! Cannon in the 10th percentile and Braxton in the 40th. We will have a weight check for both next month and if Braxton spikes too high then we will have to cut back on his calories! Such a little porker! Also, if Cannon hasn't gained more than he did last month then we will go up on his calories! Cannon is eating great and we have good and bad days with the reflux but they seem to think that since he is so active (like seriously moving all the time) that he is having a harder time putting his weight on. Developmentally they are doing things that 4 month olds do, which is great considering they are technically supposed to be 3 months old! I know, it gets confusing. Also, we are getting to start solid foods next month! So exciting! 

They are both doing great in physical therapy. They both met their goals from last time! Cannon, of course is the show off in PT and Braxton hates it!! He does great for 15 min., gets fussy and eventually falls asleep. Which is pretty smart because she can't do anything with him if he won't wake up! So mission accomplished for Brax! Told ya, he is the I'll do it when I want to type! 

The boys are starting to really show their personality! As you can tell from pictures, Cannon is the energetic, ready to go twin and Braxton is the laid back, I'll get there when I get there twin. They are talking talking talking... Well, cooing but they love to talk to each other. They both can roll from their tummy to their back and their back to their tummy. They are both loving to put weight on their legs and jump. It is so funny to watch! They both love to FaceTime their grandparents and other family members. 

We have also made the BIG move into our big boy cribs! The pack and play bassinets were just too small since Cannon turns circles when he sleeps. They are loving it in their room and so are WE! :)

We are loving and cherishing every minute of being mommy and daddy to these two special boys. We are so grateful to God that he picked us to be their parents. The love that I have for them is truly indescribable! I know all of you mommas know what I'm talking about. It's just something you can't explain! 

Trusting in him,

Shawn, Hali, Cannon & Braxton

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the last month!

PT... Check out Brax napping!!

Sorry Carrie! Couldn't pass this one up!

5 months old!!

Wow!! Is it really May? Where did the year go?

Wanted to give y'all an update. The boys are doing great! Growing so fast I just can't believe it. They are 5 months old (2 months corrected). I have learned to give people both ages when they ask now because when I say 5 months people always say, "They are so small!" At first it offended me but now I know that it's not their fault. They have no clue what went on so I just give both ages and say they were premature. I also get tons of stares and awes when we go out! It's like people have never seen twins before.  Haha! Oh well, I love to show off our miracles. I'm getting pretty good at running errands with the boys now! I have learned that browsing and just looking is definitely a no go! Haha! I have to get what I need and get out. They really are great and love getting out. Cannon is weighing 10.4 and Braxton is 13 pounds! Cannon is slower in his weight gain because of his reflux issues. At first it was projectile and we both changed clothes about 4 times a day but now that is better and he just struggles to finish bottles. He knows if he takes too much he will spit up and it burns so he quits before it happens. Which is good because he is getting everything he drank but he isn't taking as much as he should be. He is gaining weight and that's what they want but just slower. He is on meds for it but they said not to expect anything because it just takes time to grow out of it :( Braxton is a eating machine! He loves to eat and would eat all day if we let him. He on the other hand, doesn't know his limits and if he takes too much will also spit up. So now that we know that we just cut him off at 6 oz and he is good to go! Lots of trial and error with these guys! Cannon is still on his heart monitor. The sleep apnea dr last week said he could come off of it but I asked for another month because there have been a few episodes that concerned me. Some parents hate having the monitor and want it gone but it doesn't bother us. Makes us feel more at ease, especially at night. He is also getting weekly labs done because when he left the hospital his immune system was lower than what a normal baby his age would have been. She knows that it's because of him leaking the Chylelothorax and because he missed everything in the third trimester. She wasn't concerned and said it would go up in a few months. We go back the 27th and hopefully it will look better and she will release us to get out of the house more. 

Also, this week at the dr, Dr. Sandberg cleared Braxton and he no longer has to have neuro checkups! Praise The Lord! Cannon had another MRI and his ventricles were slightly bigger but not enough for him to be concerned. His fontanel (soft spot) was nice and soft, which is great! He stretched his next appointment to next month. That will be the longest we have gone without seeing Dr. Sandberg. It makes me nervous but he said that if he was worried he wouldn't have made the appointment for that far away. So all we can do is trust that God will continue to keep things stable. 

The best part is they are sleeping great through the night making it 6 hrs! I have felt like a new woman the last couple of weeks! The first 3 weeks thankfully I had help from my mom and mother in law but now it's just the boys and I! It took a few days to figure out what would be the best way to feed them at the same time but we finally have a routine and it is just so much fun! I love spending my days with the boys! They just bring so much joy to my life as you moms know :) They are cooing up a storm and smiling so much and want to laugh so bad but just can't figure it out yet. They love to go for walks and be outside. Braxton uses it as nap time but Cannon loves to take it all in and look at everything! Cannon is pushing up on his tummy, looks all around and rolls to his side. Can't quite get to his back yet but he isn't far from it. Braxton can't quite push up yet but it won't be long! They also qualified for physical therapy twice a month. They will be coming to the house to work with them. 

We are grateful for your continued love and support! Thank you all so much! Can't believe next month they will be half a year old!! Sure does go by fast! 

Trusting in him,

Shawn, Hali, Cannon & Braxton

Home Sweet Home

I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to get this update up but as you can imagine we have been rather busy! On December 6th, being at home with Shawn and our boys seemed so far away. At times, I didn't know if we would ever be able to come home but Hallelujah that day finally came! After 119 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children's Memorial Hermann in Houston, we got to come home and finally be a family at home! We were able to have Braxton home for almost 3 weeks before Cannon came home. Even though it was so amazing having Braxton at home, we were still longing to have Cannon with us so our family could be complete! Finally that day came for Cannon and we were overcome with joy! On the hr and a half drive down the morning to get Cannon, I took the time to reflect on our journey since September 30th. It's is still hard for me to believe that our first Dr. told us that we would lose this pregnancy and that we needed to prepare ourselves for the loss. I still remember that day so vividly. As soon as she told me that, the momma bear in me came out and I was determined to do anything I could to keep my boys alive! 11 weeks of bed rest later, they made their arrival 3 months early!! I knew the moment that they delivered the boys and they didn't come out crying like normal babies, that this would be a long road and a true test of our faith. They both had a rough start but have overcome so much already in their first months of life. While I was in the delivery room, I felt so guilty for not being able to have a normal pregnancy. I just remember saying to Shawn, "I tried my best to keep them in and I'm sorry I couldn't do it longer!" He took my hand and said, "You did an amazing job. These boys are already fighters and they will continue to fight!" That is exactly what they have done. The first night was the roughest for them but they pushed through and were determind to make it! It was then that I knew these boys are not only miracles but they are both true testaments to God's healing powers! I knew then that God had big plans for them!

Lately we have been spending a lot of time at the Dr with follow up appointments. Cannon is 9lb 12 oz & 21in long and Braxton as of a week ago was 10lb 7oz 21 in long. I'm sure he has gained some weight since then! Cannon came home on a heart monitor. He still was having a few Brady's (reflux related) before he left the hospital. The Brady's have gotten much better and are almost non existent but the reflux has been really frustrating! I hate it because he looks so uncomfortable because of it! Dr's say he will grow out of it with time and as long as he is gaining weight, which he is, then we just have to wait it out! Other than that he is such a happy baby! Braxton loves having Cannon home and they both love their brother time and playing with Mommy and Daddy! They are both getting so strong! They smile and try to laugh all the time! But the best part is they are sleeping great through the night! They only wake up once to eat! We put them down around 9:30 and at 2 they eat. Then they sleep until 7 or 8! Their best news yet is from the Neuro Dr. Dr. Sandberg. He said that Braxton's brain bleeds have resolved and that he thinks Cannon will be the rare kid that won't have to have another surgery! He still wants to watch him very very close just because this doesn't happen much at all. Which we are perfectly fine with. We were going weekly but at our last appointment he extended it to 3 weeks! He is very very pleased with the way things are looking! So our prayer is that God will continue to control this situation and have his hand on both the boys! 

I'm sorry this post is so long but there is so much to tell! 

I also want to take this time to thank everyone who has helped up get through this journey! We have received cards, txts and calls from people we didn't even know! The encouragement that we have received from everyone has been so humbling! For people to take time out of their day to txt, call, visit and pray for our family is the best feeling in the world. I wish I had the words to describe how it made us feel! Especially seeing pictures of everyone wearing their bracelets for the boys was so so awesome!! Each and every one of them put a smile on my face! I also want to thank lots of people so just bare with me! First, I want to thank all of my friends and family who stayed with me during bed rest. My mom, dad, aunt Meme, mother in-law Becky, Shawn's grandmother Nana, and my friend Sarah Domel! Thank you for giving up a week of your life to help make Cannon and Braxton make it to this day! I want to thank all of the Dr's and nurses who gave 110% of their effort and attention at all times! We wouldn't be here without you guys! Also, like to thank Cannon and Braxton's primary nurses Lori Walker and Brittany Kemery. Thank you for loving our boys as your own! We also met many many families throughout our stay in the NICU who we still continue to pray for! The Dodson, Kemp and Horton famililes are three couples that we got to know very well and are blessed to know them! Thank you to Ben and Trisha Fuller for giving us encouragment and hope during our stay. It was such a blessing to meet you and develop a friendship! It was so nice to have someone to talk to who had been through this also! I want to thank my school and our football family for providing meals for us during my 6 weeks of home bed rest. We loved them all and are thankful you helped us during this time. Also, my brothers and their awesome wives for opening their home to me for 2 months during the most critical times for the boys. It was such a blessing and helped my heart feel more at ease knowing I was only 30 min away instead of an hr. and a half. Having someone live with you isn't always the most ideal situation but when you're family, you make it work! We also could not have made it through without our incredible parents! I seriously couldn't think of 4 better people to have in our corner. Their support, encouragment, faith and love is what kept us going! Thank you for your help during those first couple of weeks with the boys home! We would not have made it without your help! Thank you for driving 3 1/2 hrs every weekend to be with the boys and us! We love you all so much and thank you for being such great examples of a Godly marriage and for loving us so much! Thank you to my mom who has been my best friend throughout this whole process. She was always there when I needed to talk and reassured me that all would be ok! Last but not least my loving, strong, devoted, and supportive husband. Having your wife not be able to get out of bed or off the couch for 11 weeks isn't the ideal situation in a marriage but Shawn never complained, not once! He was eager to help me in any way he could. Since the day we found out about all of this, he never once let negativity enter either of our minds! He was the one who researched to find the best Dr. He was determined to meet his boys! It's times like these where I just have to stop and say thank you God! Thank you for sending me a man who loves me and our children so much. Thank you for sending me a man who honors our vows of sticking together in the good times and bad. Thank you for sending me a man who loves you Lord and trusts in your will for his family! Thank you for sending me a man who will be a dad that is an example of Christ! Thank you God for picking the most unbelievable man to be my husband! I can't imagine life without him! Thank you God!

During this journey I not only have grown as a person but I have grown as a Christian. Crazy as it sounds but I am grateful for all of the craziness! It has allowed me to pray for our boys and our family the way I probably never would have prayed for them during my pregnancy. It has also strengthened my relationship with The Lord! The level of our relationship now is unexplainable. This was a situation where I truly had to let go and let God! We control so much of what we do in our every day life but it's times like these when we get that reality check that says you are not in control. Sometimes it's hard to let that sink in but it's so true. All we can do is believe and trust that he will provide and HE ALWAYS does! Thank you Lord for giving me my hearts desire of having a family! We will raise our boys to know you, love you and trust in you. For you are the ONLY reason they are here with us. We love you and we thank you! Amen

Thank you for coming on this journey with us! We love you all!

Please forgive me for any typos... I'm seeing double these days :)

Trusting in him ALWAYS,

Shawn, Hali, Cannon & Braxton

Now for the cute stuff :)