Today we spent some time with Olivia’s body and our pastors before we said goodbye to her ‘earthsuit.’  We’re comforted by what the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8(NIV):  “Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.  We live by faith , not by sight.  We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” The picture above was given to us by our pastors and will be a constant reminder of Olivia’s very meaningful life here on earth.  The picture also reminds us that we ultimately look forward to doing exactly what Olivia has already done…putting our hand in our Lord’s hand.

As we continue to grieve the loss of Olivia we want to ask you all a favor.  We’d like you to take the time to share the impact that Olivia’s life had on you.  Allison and I believe that hearing your heart will help us grieve and also help us keep her memory alive.  If you would like to share your thoughts please drop us a line in the mail or send us an email to one of the addresses below.  Thank you for celebrating Olivia with us.

allison.clooten@gmail.com
mjclooten@gmail.com

2860 Big Bluestem Parkway
Fitchburg, WI  53711

It’s the end of our third day.  As the pictures show(Madison on left), Madison no longer has the tube going into her stomach.  She still coughs up some blood from every so often but the doctors say it will take some time for her to clear what she ingested during the birthing process.  They decided it would be best to keep her overnight (Monday) as they wean her off her isolet (temp controlled environment) and transition her from the IV for feeding to breast milk alone.  Allison has been able to pump successfully so Madison has been getting the “good stuff” through a bottle.  We feel very fortunate that Allison was able to carry the girls to term and that we’re off to a great start.  We expect to leave Wednesday and are praying that Madison will be eating well and ready to go with us.  We are truly enjoying this time!  God is amazing and we are so thankful for His goodness.

Ruby Elizabeth – 11/28/09 – 2:17am – 5 lbs. 12 oz. – 18 in. long (on left)

Madison Lynn – 11/28/09 – 2:18am – 4 lbs. 13 oz. – 17 in. long (on right)

Both babies are doing very well.  Madison took in a little blood into her stomach and that’s why she has a tube in her mouth.  The doctors wanted to keep her up in the NICU until Monday morning just to be sure she’s doing all right.  We go up to see her often and feel great about the care she’s getting.  Pray with us that she gets to join us on Monday.

Allison is doing great also.  She’s a bit sore and tired as you can imagine but we’re both so thankful to God for these two amazing blessings.  Celebrate with us!

We had more growth measurements done on Thursday (11/5).  Ruby weighed 5 lbs. and Madison weighed 4 lbs. 7 0z.  For the first time in weeks we got to see Ruby’s face and here it is.  In case you’re having a hard time figuring out what you’re looking at, you should be able to see a tiny bit of her left eye, her nose and her juicy lips.  Unfortunately, no pictures of Madison.  We hit 35 weeks this Wednesday.  We are more excited everyday!

Getting closer…

Aunt Marcia came to town last week.  She and Al had a great time hanging out and working on the nursery.  We always have fun when Marcia comes to town.

We recently had a great time when we had family in town.  My mom came to town for a visit.  She used her skills in the kitchen to load us up with some soups (and other meals) to freeze for later after the girls arrive.  We had a great time hanging out, playing cards and getting ready.

Mom went home on Tuesday(10/13) and Friday morning Allison’s sister Lindsey arrived on Friday morning.  Lindsey was here for the weekend.  She painted and helped us get the cribs put together.  We were also able to grab dinner at her favorite Madison restaurant – the Great Dane.

Yesterday (10/25) we said good bye to Steve and Jan after they came for a weekend visit.  Steve and I watched the Hawks remain undefeated while, Jan, Marcia and Allison sorted baby clothes and worked on nursery finishing touches.  Allison’s Aunt Marcia is still here and will stay here through Wednesday.  We thank God for a loving family.

Can you believe we’re at 32 weeks and 5 days?  I have to apologize for not updating much lately.  The reason for this is that there hasn’t been much to report.  Here’s a summary of some significant happenings for the girls.  Ruby weighed 3lbs  11oz and Madison was 3lbs 8 oz when we had our last growth appointment on October 15th.  We’re told they are gaining 8 oz a week right now (increases to a pound a week at 34 weeks) so we think they’re pushing around 4 lbs.  There aren’t anymore scheduled growth appointments so the next time we talk weight will be when they are born.  We’re still going in twice a week for amniotic fluid check’s and non stress tests.  Everything has looked great so far.  Thank you Lord!

Allison has been a champ.  She wakes up often at night (up to 8 times) but usually is able to go back to sleep.  She’s been adjusting well to doing less activity each day.  We’ve been so blessed by the generosity of the care group that is making meals and cleaning the house.  Because we’re so well cared for, all of her daily decreasing supply of energy is going towards taking care of the babies and herself.  With the cribs up she’s also putting the finishing touches on the nursery.  The nesting is in full swing!

Here are some pictures of our doctors in Cincinnati.  Unfortunately, these pictures were the first I’ve taken with an iPhone so user error is the reason for their poor quality.  The first picture is with Dr. Lewis.  He is the one mentioned in an earlier post that prayed with us during one of the more difficult times.  The second picture is with Drs. Lim and Jaekle and the nurse coordinator Judy.  Unfortunately we were unable to get a picture of Dr. Van Hook.  Lewis, Van Hook and Jaekle were the three-member team of maternal fetal doctors and Lim was the fetal surgeon.  God truly used this team of professionals to help bring us through one of the most difficult times in our lives.  Their professional excellence can only be beaten by the way sincerely cared for us.  We will ALWAYS be grateful for them.

Allison’s youngest sister Ashley and her husband Micah came to town for a visit last weekend.  Micah had a presentation to give for work in the Madison so he and Ashley decided to make it a long weekend, take in a local bed and breakfast to celebrate their first anniversary and hang with us for a while as well.  We had a great time and loved having the chance to relax and have some fun with family.  As you see in the picture, Ashley and Micah are expecting as well and are due in November.