Thursday, March 31, 2011

Update of our week so far

There have been some really good things that have happened this week. Probably top on the list is that Kendra's Grama and Grampa got a chance to come to Peoria and meet CJ and Keagan. Georgianna Helen meets Keagan Helen :-) To have FOUR generations all together in one room is priceless!!

Clayton SENIOR :-) was able to get into work and get his computer reworked so that he can have remote access and spend time in Peoria with Kendra and the babies and not just come down on weekends.
CJ is doing a super job and growing strong.  He is now off CPAP and is completely breathing on his own.  For a while he was really making his nurses stay on top of their game because he was moving so much he was always knocking around his little breather mask.   Now he looks a lot more comfortable, but he's still a squirmer. 
Miss Keagan is having a tough time with her oxygenation.  She has been moved back onto the oscilating ventilator, and it is likely she will need to have surgery to close her PDA, a very common condition in premature babies. (Here is a link if you would like to read  about it:  http://preemies.about.com/od/glossary/g/PDA.htm) This would be a very specific request for prayer, if you are one of our faithful blog followers that have asked for prayer requests. We thank you in advance for those prayers! We will keep you updated on the surgery if/when it is scheduled. 

Overall, we continue to be thankful for the care CJ and Keagan are receiving and the personnel at St. Francis. Thank you for the messages of support, the encouraging stories and your care and concern for the babies that you are giving. It means so much to the entire family and we are so very touched by each gesture.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Kangaroo Care

**Written on Sunday...

Hi friends-it's Grammie Sue writing. Just wanted to share this exciting tidbit and a good sign of progress from the NICU in Peoria. Today, Kendra and Clayton were able to start Kangaroo Care for CJ. Kangaroo care is a therapy for preemie infants that promotes skin to skin contact with their parents. Since preemie babies spend so much time in an incubator, this therapy is benefical to promote bonding between the infant and the parent. If you are interested in reading more about Kangaroo Care, here is a link to a good article about it:
Kangaroo Care for Preemies | Articles | Pregnancy Today

(Added today: Clayton did Kangaroo Care yesterday and Kendra did it today. Both felt it was one of the more amazing things they've ever done/experienced!)


Mommy holding CJ for the very first time.

Happy family, minus Keagan!

Kangaroo time with Daddy!

What's up Darth Vader?!  Loving the freedom of no breathing tubes (down his throat) and being able to hang out on Dad's chest. That mask is the CPAP machine that is similar to one used on an adult that snores or has sleep apnea. It's not as scary as it looks.

Mommy, Daddy and the little man having some family time.

I have been amazed from the get go about how Kendra and Clayton have adapted to this new "normal" in their lives. Here are some examples of how they continue to be "rocks" for each other, their children and their friends and family:
*They actually find out the meanings of the medical terminologies being tossed around by the staff (and use them). And there are lots of new terms and acronyms that are used strictly in the NICU and in the "outside world" you would never hear these phrases or know anything about them. Now these words are parts of Kendra and Clayton's daily vocabulary.
*They find time for their own relationship as well as the relationship they are forming with their babies and they protect that time very well.
*They are handling each decision that needs to be made in a thoughtful, calm manner. There has been no rushing into any situation/decision without preparation when at all possible.
*They make this situation look much less stressful than it really is.

There is no doubt that this week will bring new challenges: Clayton will head back to work on Monday and Kendra will be here in Peoria with the babies. There is a schedule of helpers for Kendra set up and there have been many offers from friends in the Peoria area to help with needs that may arise. I am certain after watching Clayton and Kendra for the past week, they will handle each day and situation with the grace we have seen in them to this point.

A very Happy One Week celebration of birth to our little angels: CJ and Keagan.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Keagan Helen Hutchinson

Happy 1 week birthday to our little nuggets!!

As mentioned yesterday, these kids wanted some time to themselves on this blog.  I just had a mini photo shoot with Keagan (she didn't like it) and here are a few of her pictures.  Enjoy!


Please, sir, can I have some more?!?  This was actually captured during an "arm flail" moment.

This little princess loves hanging out on her side... it helps her to be able to get all snuggled up.  She's going to be a little snuggle bug when she goes home from the hospital.

Little blondie just like her brother!

Not happy that Auntie is still taking pictures!  She is very sensitive to light still.

The nurse said that we should call her "Warrior Princess" instead of just "Princess" cause she so fiesty and such a little fighter! :)

Keags hanging onto her Mommy's pinky. 1 week old.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Clayton Eric Hutchinson Junior (CJ)

Hey Everyone, it's Auntie Stef again.  I am back down in Peoria for the weekend to hang out with the Hutchinson Clan.  I wanted to give a quick update since I know there are a lot of AMAZING people following the Nuggets on the blog.  Today was a great milestone.  CJ and Keagan both got off their oscillating ventilators!!! They still have tubes to help them breathe but they are taking a lot more breaths on their own! YAY!  We still need lots of prayers for growth and development.  They are both still too small to get off the ventilators completely, the next tube is just a nose mask and their noses are sooo tiny!

Now... Mr CJ is sick of sharing blogs with his sister so he gets his own photo shoot today and the princess will have hers tomorrow.  Enjoy!

 

Mr. CJ with the nurses hand. He has had an eye mask on all day so he needed to adjust to the light.

 AUNTIE!!! Stop with the flashes!!

Look at this peanut.  He's got some BLONDE hair going on!

Getting some tummy time and taking a break from his back.  He LOVED being on his tummy.  He hasn't stopped kicking all day.  So active!

A little precious peanut. 


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Friday, March 25, 2011

Keagan with Clayton's wedding ring on her arm

Keagan holding Kendra's hand

CJ with Clayton's wedding ring next to ear

The proud parents & CJ's incubator

Kendra's hand next to CJ
Head ultrasound(s) result(s):

A lot of you have been waiting to get updates on CJ and Keagan's head ultrasounds, and we apologize for how long it has taken.  The NICU has a way of making the day seem shorter.

The good news is that nothing has changed.  Both of them are stable and the doctors have not seen any progression of their conditions.  However, each of them have areas of concern that the doctors will continue to keep an eye on.  At this point in time, they are just too young to know what the ultrasound results really "mean."  Being assigned a "grade" by the doctor, or having the doctor identify a particular area of concern doesn't define these little guys.  The results are what they are, and we will take both of them for what they are, our kids.  Tiny, amazing little people who have our hearts.

Keagan has a lower (lower being better) overall "grade" than her brother, but the doctors have identified a small area of concern that they will continue to monitor.  While CJ has a slightly higher "grade," it is confined to one side of his head and he is otherwise good.  The brain bleeding is extremely, extremely scary.  However, this is just a part of raising preemie kids.

The kids will keep fighting and we'll keep rolling along.  Thanks to everyone who has been following us, be good.

-Kendra and Clayton

Kendra and Clayton...


Hi friends!  This would be Aunt Jennifer/Aunt Sennifer/Aunt Hutch/Aunt these-babies-can-call-me-whatever-they-want . . . signing in for the first time.  I’m Clayton’s big sister and proud new aunt of CJ and Keagan.

My dad used to say that “every day is a good day.”  That’s become my life’s motto, and in the case of my little peanuts, it’s their reality.  Each day that they are with us improves their chances of survival, and with each day, they continue to amaze me.  The medical details are intense and can be overwhelming, and I know my brother is extremely protective of his family and what details need to be shared, but all I will say is that the little peanuts aren’t doing anything doctors don’t expect, and they are chugging right along.  Keep the positive thoughts coming though because they will need them for a long time.

Instead of elaborating on the babies, I thought I would tell you how their parents are doing.  Having been a parent for six years now, I know that once you have a kid, you cease to exist.  J  For some reason, people just forget your name.  Now you’re known as “so and so’s mom or dad.”  I’m used to fading in the background at this point, but Clayton and Kendra are inspiring so they deserve a little attention.

Being a new parent is scary.  It’s scary when the kid pops out at full term, weighing 8+ pounds, and doing everything you’d expect a new baby to do.  What Clayton and Kendra are facing is unpredictable and beyond challenging, but they handle it with such grace and courage.  They listen attentively to their doctors, ask questions, and maintain control over CJ and Keagan’s care.  Instead of freaking out over their circumstances, they roll with it.  I truly believe their calm demeanor is what’s keeping these babies stress-free and thriving.  Babies pick up on that sort of thing.

I’ve always known my brother was a good man too, but this experience has shown me just how strong he is and how caring he is.  He is so in tune with everyone’s needs, and he has firm priorities.  He gets the sacrifice piece and has taken on his new role as daddy like a total pro.  He’s been through a lot in the last few years, and anyone else in these circumstances would play the “why me again” card, but he doesn’t.  Life happens, and while this isn’t what he may have pictured for the past six months, “it is what it is” (which is what he would probably say), and he makes the best of his life.  He is phenomenal as a man, father, and husband.  I am so proud to be a part of his world.

Kendra is inspiring to me.  I have loved this woman since she came into my life, but watching her over the last few days, I have come to respect her on a whole new level.  Looking back, I was a wimp when I was recovering from a C section.  Seriously.  Someone should have slapped me and said toughen up, lady.  I think Kendra could run a mile right now, if we’d let her.  She changes diapers, pumps around the clock, sleeps on uncomfortable hospital beds . . . I admire her strength.  Most new moms are weepy messes and allow that to be an excuse.  Kendra is strong.  She is beyond strong.  She is handling this with such courage, and she has the most amazingly positive attitude.  I think her positivity keeps us all thinking good things and prevents our minds from wandering to the worst case scenario.  These babies couldn’t have a better mother, and I couldn’t have a better sister.  I may already be an experienced mom, but Kendra is teaching me more about motherhood than I think she realizes.

Through this ordeal, Clayton and Kendra’s strength as individuals has kept them going, but more than that, the love they have for each other keeps everyone going.  They take care of each other.  They rely on each other.  They are role model parents and spouses, and as you think about our new babies, please think of them too.  My request for you is that you pray for the babies to grow and get stronger, but at the same time, say a prayer of thanks that CJ and Keagan have the parents they do.  I am certainly grateful for both of them

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The right place!!

Hi-it's Grammie Sue again...

I have been hanging out at the hospital quite a bit over the last few days and for this posting I just wanted to reflect on the thoughts of being at St. Francis Hospital in Peoria, versus being closer to home at a different hospital. From all that we have experienced thus far-the babies are in the place that they should be! We are all so grateful for the events that brought them here. Several people have asked about when the babies will be moved to a hospital closer to home. They are staying right where they are. Since Kendra and Clayton have their home-away-from-home at Mom Hutchinson's they are truly blessed that they do not have to find temporary housing down in the Peoria area.

The staff in this place is outstanding in every sense of the word. People are extremely sensitive to the reason for your being here. Kindness and caring are everywhere from the front desk to the cleaning crews to the maintenance people. But what I really want to talk about-because it has touched me so deeply-is the care the nurses provide to these babies (and I'm not just talking about the nuggets, I'm talking about to all the babies).

We have had so many top notch, professional nurses around the clock caring for CJ and Keagan! The nurses work 12 hour shifts, which provides great continuity of care for the babies. We have had excellent care from each and every one of the nurses we have encountered. There are words of wisdom imparted from their mouths to Kendra and Clayton's ears, there is the feeling that they are the ones who get to know these babies intimately and have the ability to fill the doctors in on the little details of the kind of day the babies have had, there is the knowledge of this is not-quite-right, let's get a consultation/another opinion. It is absoltely incredible.

Kendra and Clayton have the opportunity, if they desire, to choose a primary care team of nurses for CJ and a primary care team for Keagan. So today my prayer request is this: that the right team is put in place for both of these precious babies and that each of the members of the team bring their particular strength and that ultimately these babies are given the best care to make them grow and thrive.

Once again, we all want to thank you for your encouragement through the comments you leave and through the prayers that are being spoken for Keagan, CJ, Kendra and Clayton. We do feel the love and support of so many, some we don't even know, that are lifting up these precious babies and their parents. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

We are SOOO Lucky and Blessed

Hi to all of our blog followers! This is Kendra making an appearance on her own blog site (I told you in the beginning this is not my strength) but I have a few things I was laying awake last night and thinking about.

As you have read, we have MANY things to be thankful for right now. I wanted to share a few of those things that are actually not directly baby related but that are completely huge in their story right now. The following are being shared in no particular order-I just have no way of making them all first :)

I have an amazing husband!!! I already knew I had a great guy before all of this but Clayton (or Eric or Hutch :)) has just been a ROCK. From the time we decided I was going to the emergency room on Sunday morning he has been there for me and the babies every step of the way in ways that I could not possibly have imagined. He was calm and collected throughout the emergency room craziness and every time I looked at him, he had a look in his eye that made me feel like everything was going to be OK (even though I now know he was probably more scared than me).

For the past three days he has juggled taking care of me, the babies, and all extra things that come with having 2 babies in the NICU. He listens to the doctors and asks questions that I would never even think about wanting to know. He loves these babies with all of his heart and I love to hear him talk about them because I can hear the joy in his voice. I am just so excited to see him grow as a dad because he is already so great, I know that things can only get better!

I've been working on pumping breastmilk (more to come on this later) for the babies and Clayton is my cheerleader. He encourages me daily and shares my pumping success with others at the hospital to help me feel good about the little things (and he is seriously "pumped"-ha, no pun intended). Now this may seem small but pumping is one of the few things I can actually do for the twins and it makes me feel so special that he gets excited for me.

I probably could have devoted an entire blog entry to Clayton with all the big and little things he's done but I'll stop for now because I've shed too many happy tears :)

Our immediate families are the BEST: Again, of course we knew this before but having Mamaw, Grammie Sue, Grampa Ken, Aunt Jennifer (and Uncle Steven), and Aunt Stefanie (and Will) here with us has made these last couple of days so much easier. As you know if you've been following the blog, they all have played an important roles up to this point and will continue to do so as we continue this journey. As a nurse just told me tonight, what we have is not the norm. The fact that we have had at least one person (at many times 3 or 4) here since Sunday is not something they normally see. To have the mental and physical support of loving family around means so much to both of us. And all the little things that each of them provides each of us in unmeasurable. I mean, all you blog followers wouldn't have had anything to follow up to this point except 2 pictures had my mom and sister had not stepped in and wrote their entries. Mom Hutch's nursing background has been super helpful as she totally understands what they doctors and nurses are telling us and can translate to us if necessary. Obviously, I could ramble again about all the little details but basically, we have a FANTASTIC family and support system and love them all dearly :)

YOU GUYS: It is so encouraging to hear the messages from you daily. We CANNOT believe how many people are following this blog. It is just awesome to hear from close friends and family AND from those of you that we haven't kept in touch with but care about these babies because of our families or friends. Whether you've wrote to us or not, we know there are a bunch of thoughts and prayers heading in our direction and are thankful for that. We just can't respond back personally to many of you but please know that whatever you are doing, please keep doing it because it is working! Again, we are very lucky to have so much love and support so THANK YOU.

**Blog "earmuffs" for boys and my younger crowd-I'm going to talk about breast pumping :) ** 

MY BOOBS: Yes, I am thankful for my boobs :) Now, I have debated putting this in as I know we have a wide variety of followers and if it makes you uncomfortable to read about pumping, please skip this section. As I talked about earlier, pumping is one of the few things I can physically do to help out Keagan and CJ.  Every single doctor and nurse has told me that if the babies can get my colostrum and milk, it will help their developing immune system and growth and that it is soooo important. So, I started pumping on Sunday night and have continued pretty much every 3 hours since then. To my mom friends-oh my goodness-how do you do this when you actually have children to take care of as well? I feel like it is a full time job-you are amazing people! I have been extremely blessed that I started having enough colostrum to save on Monday and got milk in yesterday. I am now way ahead of the babies as they started getting my milk into their feeding tubes today-YAY! It is something that I can feel great about because it is hard to know that they are in this condition because my body failed them once but is able to provide some help again. On a totally inappropriate side note :) they are also getting quite large, so that is fun too!!

Okay by this point, you are probably thinking that you will never want me to blog again because I've taken up way too much of your time with my stories and you haven't even gotten an update on the babies for today! So here you go real quick because I've been working on this silly post since 7 am and I just need to submit it (or you WILL never have another post from me!).

It was another fairly uneventful day-a great thing!! As I told you already, both kiddos are now feeding from the feeding tube with breast milk or colostrum. I got to change CJ's diaper for the first time this morning and he peed on me (he is Clayton's son!). Then I changed him again tonight and he had a poopy diaper, so I really am getting a small dose of motherhood! Both babies are showing improvements daily and it is so fun to see their little personalities developing. CJ is calm and laid back almost always, where Keagan is quite particular about what she wants and lets us know if she isn't happy.

Tomorrow is a big day with their head ultrasounds so please be thinking about them or putting them in your prayers. We will be getting the results of those tests on Friday, so please check back then for an update.

Love,
Kendra

Nugget pictures


Here are a couple of pictures taken last night of the babies-note the rubber duckies in each of  their bassinets-gifts from "Uncle" Will :-) Keagan has the duckie with the pink "ears" and CJ has the one with the blue.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

A "boring" day :-)

Ok...it's Grammie Sue again tonight. Stef and Will had to head back to Chicago for work, Grandpa Ken had to head back home, so he could get to some business obligations, Clayton and Mom Hutchinson are taking tonight's watch over the babies at the hospital, Kendra is snug and sleeping in bed, so that leaves-ME to blog. I asked both Kendra and Stef what to blog today and they said nothing really eventful happened, so maybe we don't need to blog. I know there are people that want to know how Kendra, CJ and Keagan are doing, so I will give you a quick rundown of the day. I think the morning looked a little like a TV medical show...picture your favorite one and it should do the trick. We (Kendra, Clayton, Mom Hutch, Stef, Will, Ken and I) got to participate in the doctor's rounds with both the babies. That means there were about 14 people crammed into Keagan's room for a rundown of all her vitals and what is going on with her. It was very interesting and the neonatal doctor is fantastic. He is bright, personable and has a sense of humor to boot. What more could we ask? After the briefing on Keagan, they stayed put and just brought in CJ's nurse-the rest of the team is the same. They made some adjustments to what each of the babies are getting/doing and gave us an opportunity to ask any questions we may have. The babies are both stable and there are some things that need tweaking, but all-in-all they are feisty and holding their own considering everything. We were told we need to look at "chunks of time" and the goals that get achieved during those, rather than the day-to-day highs and lows of each little thing that occurs. There are some big tests coming up on Thursday that will check for blood pooling/leaking in the brain. It sounds scary and it can be, but it is also very common in preemies. They grade this on a scale of 1 to 4 with 4 being the most severe and could lead to some long term complications. So if you are following the blog and are praying for these babies-the SPECIFIC prayer request for today would be that there is no sign of bleeding in either CJ or Keagan's brains and that all other tests are within normal limits. Thank you so much!! Now to Kendra...she continues to heal and get stronger. She is using the breast pump and having some amazing success, so the babies will eventually be able to get her saved breast milk. I did get to change a diaper this evening with great success :-) (we were told we need to take one of these itty bitty (clean) diapers for the scrapbook). The diapers are tiny the way they are, but we have to fold both the front and back over additionally, in order for the diaper to fit either CJ or Keagan. I hopefully will be able to take a couple more pictures of Keagan and CJ and post them tomorrow, but for now I am signing off for the day. Once again, thanks for your interest and your prayers for our family.

A good reminder!

This was sent to us by some friends and it is such a good reminder for us all-take a couple of minutes to listen - it's a good perspective, especially at this point in our life!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ&feature=related

Thoughts on our little miracles...

Hi all! It's Grammie (aka Mom Ryl, aka Sue :-)

I am hanging out with Keagan and Grampa Ken is hanging with CJ down the hall tonight. We are giving the rest of the crew (the new parents especially) some time at Mom Hutchinson's to sleep in beds and get a good night's rest. It is busy here even during the wee hours. These nurses are wonderful and knowledgeable and tender with the babies. These little ones are right where they are supposed to be!

We have heard story after story of the miraculous arrival of these precious babies. Upon reflecting, I am taking it on to write a few of these miracles down, so when the going gets a little tough, we can all remember that these pieces are all a part of the story of our Keagan and CJ.

*Saturday night after Sophie's party in Bloomington (2-1/2 hours away from home)-Kendra being intensely uncomfortable and feeling sick decides with Clayton Eric to wake Mom Hutchinson to get her take on the situation. She recommends calling Kendra's OB on-call to check in. He confers that yes, indeed, it could be a touch of the flu, but just go check in at the hospital ER to be on the safe side. (Kendra and Clayton talked to him on Monday and he said there was no compelling reason to send her to the ER, just a gut feeling)

*The fact that Mom Hutchinson was supposed to leave for a vacation to Alabama and decided to sleep at Jennifer and Steven's house to be a bit further down the road to start her trip just hours from when Kendra and Clayton Eric needed her advise/help AND that she was able to be with them at the ER, as not just "mom" but another set of ears as a medical professional.

*The nurse on duty realized the severity of the situation almost IMMEDIATELY when Kendra was hooked up to the monitors and started assembling a team of professionals for this complex delivery. They called people not even associated with the hospital but they were known of, or live in the Bloomington area and upon hearing of the situation-came in willingly.

*When the incision for the C-section was made-the babies were on the OUTSIDE of the uterus. The fact that they got them out when they did, saved not just the babies, but also Kendra's life. (Thank you God!)

*The hospital had EXACTLY  the right amount of the fluid they give premature babies to help their lungs. It is a specialty medicine and not something a lower level hospital would necessarily have on-hand. It just so happened that they had TWO bottles of exactly the medicine they needed.

*St. Francis is a Level 3 hospital for their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and was a quick ambulance drive for the teams to bring the babies here-no helicopter ride, no crazy logistics to deal with.

There are so many other things, but I am going to close for now. I would like to ask anyone reading this blog to say a prayer for these precious little miracles and for their mommy and their daddy. This is all a bit overwhelming, to say the least, and the learning curve is steep. There is medical terminology to learn, there are going to be highs and lows before they get to take CJ and Keagan home to Palatine. As a family of Hutchinson's and Ryl's we are grateful for the support you are giving. Please do know that we may not respond to specific emails or text messages or phone calls immediately, but we are reading and listening to all the encouragement each of you gives. Thank you for checking in and for praying.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Kendra is reunited with the Nuggets!

Hi Everyone!  It's Stefanie again...

We got Kendra out of her hospital successfully and over to Peoria to join the babies.  Clayton made the trek over to Bloomington to make sure his precious cargo was transported carefully to Peoria.  She is doing well and was really happy to get to see Keagan and CJ again. 

The babies look good and we have so many amazing nurses here at OSF.  I have also learned a lot about premature babies today. We are basically waiting for 3 things to happen.  The babies must be able to breathe on their own, feed, and regulate their own temperature.  When they can do this, the can go home!  (This information came from one of the nurses today.)

One of the nurses told us yesterday that the babies like to listen to music so we picked up some CD players and a few children's and Disney CD's for the babies.  Keagan and CJ each have their own CD player so currently Keags is listening to Disney Princess music and CJ is listening to Disney's Children Favorites!! Pretty exciting for them so that they can hear more than the incubator noise.

To answer a few things that we have been asked from people today:
- Kendra and Clayton can't have much in the babies rooms in the hospital - it's a VERY sterile environment here so we need to keep as many germs as possible out.  Therefore, no fresh flowers can be here at the hospital. 
- Home base will be Mom Hutchinson's house in Germantown Hills, but people won't be there often to receive any deliveries so anything that can be mailed would be the best bet.  Words of encouragement via text or email are great too - don't be offended if you don't hear a response we are using this blog to keep everyone as updated as possible!! Her address is 708 Devon Dr, Germantown Hills, IL 61548.

CJ sitting up for a bit and taking a break from his sun lamp. 

Keagan rocking our to her Disney Princess music! 

That's all for now, we will keep you as up-to-date as possible.

The Recap of Sunday, March 20th

Hello Everyone!  This is Stefanie, Kendra's sister.  I know that by now, most of you have heard the details or even just bits and pieces of yesterdays events. So here's the whole tale of how I became an Aunt!


Kendra & Clayton were down in Bloomington, IL for their niece, Sophie's birthday party.  They were staying the night at Jennifer & Steven's place and would head back to Palatine in the morning.  Kendra couldn't get comfortable when she went to sleep and thought she was coming down with the flu.  No one really knew if she should go to the hospital or just tough it out so they called the Dr.  He didn't really have an actual reason to send her in but said something in her voice convinced him to give her the go.  Kendra, Clayton and Mom Hutchinson headed into BroMenn Hospital in Bloomington (little did they know that they would be leaving as Mom, Dad and Grandma! 


The nurse who worked on Kendra had some sort of 6th sense and knew to work fast cause things were about to get crazy.  Kendra didn't really know what was going on, but found out quite fast that she was actually in labor!  They started prepping her for surgery cause they knew that babies heart rates were dropping and they were going to be coming out if they were ready or not.  Things moved very fast and by 3:33am the babies were out but Kendra's uterus had burst.  She was off to surgery and the babies were getting checked out. 


The babies got transported to OSF in Peoria and Kendra is still at BroMenn recovering.  Kendra is doing great!  She has been weened off morphine and onto vicodin!  She has been up and moving this morning and even ate breakfast!  I know she's feeling ok cause she was talking to the nurse using words like "bad mama jamma".  We got the "thumbs up" for her to be discharged today so she can go be with the babies. 


At this point we still need lots of prayers for Keagan and CJ, they have a long road ahead of them.  They are AMAZING and I am so in love with them.  I got to go meet both of them yesterday and got to hold their hands.  They are VERY tiny but every Doctor and Nurse that we have talked to has said they are such a miracle.  There have been a few stories that really brough tears to my eyes in the last 24 hours about how everything just fell into place with this whole situation - God is AMAZING and really is watching out for these kiddos. 


I'm sure I am leaving details out but we will try to update on this page as often as possible about the progress with the little ones.  I will try to upload some more pictures when I get home and get my computer/camera cord but for now, I am going to try to upload some videos that Grammy & Grampa Ryl (my mom and dad) took last night when they met Keagan and CJ. 



This is Keagan, my little princess! She is quite the little kicker.  I think she's just happy to be able to sprawl out!




This is CJ - The doctors/nurses say he's just like every other  "wimpy white boy" that they see in the NICU.  They use bubble wrap in the incubator to keep the little ones warm! How crazy?!

Monday, March 21st

Clayton Eric (CJ)
2 lb. 4 oz
14 in.


The Hutchinson's on the their birthday-1 hour old!  
Keagan Helen
1 lb. 10 oz
13 in.






















Welcome to our blog! I figured as I'm sitting here in the hospital (without the babies) that I have some time to do this and can hopefully keep all of you updated with any news, pictures and videos.  Since I am self-admittedly not the best at these types of things, I will be having guest bloggers update you all. 

We love you all and are so thankful for all the kind words and prayers. 
Love,
Kendra