New Pics

Took these pictures yesterday for a scrapbook I'm keeping showing the boys growth from month to month. They're getting pudgy and have Teresa's hair line (thank the lord!). I was holding them upright in my lap allowing them practice holding their head up. They seem to like the "strength" training!

Caden

Cole

Another Year Older

Well, my 31st birthday quietly came and went (as I like it) and I feel as youthful as ever. Last year I intended on running a marathon on my 30th birthday but the weather was brutal and I got out of work late anyway. This year I simply went to the gym in the morning for a quick 3-miler and some strength training. A new year hasn't broken me of my bad habit of pushing myself each and every run. I start off with the intention of running an "easy" 3-miles and end up running at near 5k pace. Oh well, there could be worse problems to have.

Had a great 8-mile run on Sunday. Again, thought to myself prior to starting that I'd go at it easy, but hit my first mile in 6:38 so I figured what the hell... I'll make this a tempo run. Mile 2 - 6:19, 3 - 6:22, 4 - 6:32, 5 - 6:57, 6 - 6:28, 7 - 7:00, 8 - 5:57. Was a little too tired afterwards to do much weights so I settled on about 30-minutes of core work.

Congratulations to those who ran in either the full or half marathon of yesterdays P.F. Chang's Rock-n-Roll Arizona. Frank and Kelly did great as did my TNT crew!

First of '08

Haven't been blogging much of late but am happy to report that life in the '08 is going well. Twins are lively as ever, gaining weight and achieving milestones that make Teresa and I proud as parents. Sleep's been pretty much non-existent of late, especially for Teresa. She somehow manages the energy to remain herself throughout the day, singing, laughing and being an awesome mother to our little men.

I did a 7-mile tempo run this afternoon and was very pleased with my splits. I shouldn't be so surprised but that's what a few months of next-to-no traininig will do. Anyway, did one of my favorite tempo runs with the following times: Mile 1: 7:06, Mile 2: 6:53, Mile 3: 6:00, Mile 4: 5:53, Mile 5: 7:51, Mile 6: 5:59, Mile 6-6.5: 4:15, Mile 6.5-7: 2:52

The earlybird registration deadline for Cleveland is this Thursday. Committing to a marathon (atleast financially) is one of the biggest motivators for me. I know finding time for my long runs will be a challenge in the coming months. I'm all about challenges though!

18+ Miles

3-weeks out from P.F. Chang's Rock'n'Roll Marathon in Arizona and we had desert-like weather in Ohio. Well, not quite, but not too far off given temperatures in the high 30's prior to last years start. It was in the low-40's this morning, which was great weather for my Team in Training group's final long run. The towpath was a mess and was a little difficult to negotiate at times. In the end we probably covered just over 18 miles but it sure felt like more. Maybe that's because I haven't been putting in consistent mileage of late. Or it could be that I only took one gel at mile 5-1/2 (I was saving the others for my runners). Hmmm, guess I should be thankful my little legs haven't completely lost it in the last 2-3 months.

Six Degrees of Separation

Nevermind six degrees of separation, I now have a direct link to Hulk Hogan. One of my friends from OU has landed a spot on the upcoming American Gladiator series, which will be hosted by Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali. I'm impressed! She was real close with one of my roommates, hence my getting to know her. He's kept us up to speed on her career, which of late has included running a health cafe and competing in bodybuilding at the world level. Kudos to this OU alum! Matt Lauer and Al Bundy have nothing on her!

'Speaking' of Running

Our good friend Frank was in town this past weekend following a speaking engagement at Ohio University. He and his partner Roger make up Bad Bad Apples and have made stops all over the country in the last year, including a stop at the University of Miami where they fell just short of setting a world record for the largest game of 'Simon Says'. Needless to say, Frank is a very driven individual so it should come to no surprise that he and his girlfriend are working towards the goal of running a half-marathon this Janaury. Traveling makes it difficult but he always finds time, which is exactly what we did on Saturday morning. His schedule while in town was tight so we arrived at the gym as the doors opened and were on the track a few minutes later for a solid 4-miler followed by some strength training. I normally bail about 10-15 minutes after my run so it was nice to have someone motivating me to stay a little longer.

Yesterday I was able to sneak out with my normal Sunday running group for 12-miles. It was the first time I was able to speak to Dan and Cathy (both parents) as a parent, which made for some real good conversation.

Crepe Craving

I had an extreme craving the other night for banana crepes so I did a quick internet search and found what looked to be a good recipe. By good, I mean easy. I've found that the hardest part of any recipe is getting the ingredients together and measured out (these cooking shows never show you what a pain in the butt that is!). About 20 minutes after pulling the ingredients, I handed 3 freshly made banana crepes over to Teresa for the taste test. I'd have done it myself but I could tell they were going to be delicious. It's fun indulging in these simple pleasures and I rarely feel guilty knowing I'll eventually end up running it off!

1AM Push-Ups

Day 9 with the boys home and the middle-of-the-night feedings are getting easier. For the two of them it takes about 30 minutes. 10 minutes to prep/warm bottles and get diapers changed, 5 minutes to eat, 5 minutes to burp and 10 minutes of sitting in bouncers to settle their stomachs before being tossed back in the pack'n'play. I've been taking advantage of the 10 minute bouncer time by doing reps of push-ups and crunches. I've been keeping with 3x30 push-ups and 3x20 crunches although I'm leaning towards getting back to my old push-up routine of 50-40-30-20, which takes a little longer but yields 140 push-ups vs 90. Leave it to me to squeeze in some strength training during such a time : )

After our 4AM feed this morning (which ended at 4:30), I headed to the gym for a 5AM 5-miler and some light weights (the only type of weights I lift). Total run time 33:36. I'm looking forward to going 18-miles on Saturday morning with my Team in Training group. I need to get reacquainted with my slow-twitch muscles.

Home Sweet Home

On Tuesday November 20th, 2007 we brought Caden and Cole home from the hospital! I was able to capture on video our final moments in the hospital and their first time in their new home. We're still working out the bugs on how to best care for them as it's all so new and somewhat different than caring for a full-term baby. 'Constant vigilence' is the inside joke Teresa and I are using at this point (fans of The Office will understand). I may just Google "how to maintain a food processor" because that's pretty much all they are. Damn cute food processors!!

What I've learned so far?:

1. Make the most of every second of free time in your day
2. Newborns will eat your hand if you let them
3. They will also eat their own shirt
4. Diaper changes can be made into a game
5. Newborn cloths do not necessarily fit newborns

Jogging Stroller

Seven miles at 5AM on Wednesday morning worked wonders to clear my head of all that's been clogging it up of late. I must've knocked out 2-3 of those miles at near 6-minute pace despite not having tempo or speed trained in 5-6 weeks. I'll take that as a good thing. If I can maintain 3-4 days of solid running per week, I may shoot for another sub-3 at Cleveland in the spring (wish me luck : )

Speaking of spring, my Team in Training friends hooked me up with an amazing jogging stroller to use next year. It recommends the babies be 6 months before jogging with them in it so the May/June timeframe will work out perfect. My goal is to wear out the tires in one season! Don't know if that's possible, but I'll try! My friend who owns Fleet Feet Northfield picked out the stroller and all I can say is that I owe him and everyone who chipped in on it a world of thanks. It will without question go a long way in enriching the lifes of Caden, Cole, Teresa and myself.

In It Together

Caden will remain in the hospital for another few days. I guess he just didn't want to make Cole feel left behind. I know there's a good reason for them being in the hospital but it's that fact in itself that is of great concern to Teresa and I. Today is day 27 after all and it's hard to look past the next day or two as to when they will both be discharged. Our patience is being tested as is our ability to stay upbeat and optomistic. Who knows, in another hour or two (or after a good long run) I may be completely recharged and feeling better about all of this.

One to show them when they're older

One of my favorites of Cole

The Little Guy

As of a half-hour ago, Caden will be discharged sometime this afternoon! Cole is still having some issues that will keep him in the hospital for another week or two. Again, nothing too serious, just a couple of things the doctors need to see resolved before he too gets the boot!

Caden has been the stronger of the two since day 1 (nearly 4 weeks ago) so it's not surprising to Mom and I that he's ready to go home first. It sounds silly to say this so early on in his life, but I'm so proud of him for how amazing a brother he's been of late with Cole not feeling good and being very dependent on Teresa and I. It's almost as if Caden senses the need for Cole to have most of our attention. I've seen this type of behavior in our dogs and am amazed that one can sense when the other is down.

This past month has been an incredible look into what lies in store for us as parents of twins.

Caden - Ready to go home!

Ryan Shay - Mile 26.3

Tight marathon community touched by competitor's death

"Shay died trying to do his best, and there's little question that he will be the fourth member of the U.S. men's marathon team in Beijing -- absent but present in every stride his friends and former rivals take."

Day 7 - Rainbow 4

The boys have moved to a stepdown area of the hospital, which is a big step for them and for Teresa and I. For them it means no more CPAPs, intubators, bright lights, etc. For us, it means peace of mind knowing they're one step closer to coming home. It may be another week or two but we now have the freedom to stay in the room with them overnight. I'll take my turn with them this weekend while Teresa gets some much needed rest in the comfort of her own bed.

Day 6 - Breathing Easy

Caden and Cole are breathing easy as are Mom and Dad knowing that the boys CPAPs have been removed! This a result of good blood gas levels, normal respirations, etc. Teresa was at the hospital all afternoon and was able to hold each baby for an hour. By the time I arrived at 5:00 it was nearly feeding time and for the first time, they each received about 2 ml of Mom's milk. I was holding Cole as the milk went from a syringe through his feeding tube and into his belly and noticed the soothing effect it had on him as he was fast asleep within minutes. Cole has lost 300 g (0.66 lbs) since birth and will be put in an isolette to better regulate his temperature. This is so he doesn't have to expend the energy (i.e. calories) to regulate his own body temperature. Weight loss should not be an issue going forward as they're beginning to eat and are not having to work as hard to breathe.

Day 5 - Blue Lights

We were told yesterday that the boys bilirubin levels were getting a little high and that they may require some phototherapy treatment for mild jaundice (yellowing of the skin). Sure enough, we walked in to the NICU and there they were, bathed in blue lights. We joked that they were tanning because they had little masks to cover their eyes. We were free to touch them but were unable to hold them again. The nurses had built Cole a little nest of blankets, in which he was perfectly cozy. Every now and then he would stretch both of his legs straight out and up in the air, which looked really funny from the side as all you could see was his legs. Caden always has to have one hand up at his face or above his face. Even yesterday when Teresa was holding him, he worked his hand out from under the tightly wrapped blankets and put it next to his mouth. Both boys are on minimal settings on their CPAP and will probably have their central lines pulled soon.

Day 4 - Mother's Touch

We finally got to hold the boys today! Teresa was discharged around 3PM and after loading up the car with her stuff, we made one last trip to the NICU to see the boys and say goodbye for the day. It was going to be an emotional visit knowing that we'd have to leave the hospital without them. One of the nurses must've sensed what we were feeling and asked if we had held them yet and would like to before we left. For 30+ minutes, Teresa held Caden and I held Cole. We just kep looking at each other so relieved to finally be holding the little guys. Cole was extubated in the morning and is doing great on the CPAP.

Cole hanging loose in his incubator

Day 3 - Extubation

Caden was extubated today while Cole continues to need a little more help. The doctors/nurses keep telling us how similar they're conditions are, except that Caden is about a day or so ahead of Cole. This is encouraging and gives us hope that with each step Caden takes, Cole isn't too far behind. The one thing that brings comfort to both Teresa and I is how comfortable they appear given all the wires and tubes leading to and from their little bodies. Cole was wide awake and looking around the room. Caden opens his eyes from time to time and makes us laugh as he ultimately ends up cross-eyes from not being able to focus. Each had a central line put in today for blood draws.

Day 2 - Intubation

By the end of day 2, both boys had been intubated to further assist with their breathing. This is more of a "severe" measure but was necessary to assist them with their breathing. Caden, a tad bit smaller than Cole, is doing a little better than Cole and is on minimal settings (pressure and O2). Cole wasn't too far behind. It's possible that Caden will be extubated tomorrow given his progress. They are pulling blood samples from their feet, which is causing them to become bruised. They will continue pulling samples to check bilirubin levels (an indicator of jaundice in newborns) and blood gas levels (O2 and CO2) and may end up putting a central line through their belly buttons to obtain these samples easier and without continuing to irritate they're little feet.

Day 1 - Birthday

Our twin baby boys were born on Wednesday October 17 at 10:40 and 10:41 AM. Cole was first into this world weighing in at 5 lbs on the nose. Caden was out shortly thereafter tipping the scales at 4 lbs 8 ozs. About 5-6 weeks premature, they were taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to be cared for, focusing primarily on helping them breathe since they're lungs had yet to fully develop. They were never in what you would think of as critical condition, but they got off to a rough start. Day 1 consisted of being put on a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) unit, which is essentially a respirator that supplies oxygen rich compressed air via a hose connected to a nose piece (a very tiny nose piece) so that unobstructed breathing is possible. It was an incredible day to say the least. Teresa is doing good considering everything that she has been through in the last couple of days, not to mention the previous 8 months!

Cole Grady Whittaker

Caden Noah Whittaker