Faiva FamBam

We're back!

2011-07-10T23:09:00.007-07:00

Seriously Kristin??? 2 years since you've posted anything. So since I haven't been too great about writing down stuff about my kids and what they're doing in my journal I thought I should start blogging again, at least more that once every few years.

My babies will be 3 this week, I can't believe it! I was looking at their pictures over the last few years the other night and started crying because they're not little babies anymore.

Let's see what have we been up to??? We've been busy as ever, Rich will be starting his 3rd semester of nursing school at Grand Canyon University. Only 3 semesters left and graduation can't come soon enough! He is such a hard worker and has really stepped up to do what he needs to do. He's been home with the kids all summer which I know has been a lot of work for him, but I know he's also really been enjoying his time with the kids.

I'm still working full time and I probably will at least until he finishes with nursing school. I have a great job and I really like the people I work with so I'm grateful for that, but I miss my family like crazy!

We did our first family vacation last weekend to San Diego and Huntington beach. We had so much fun. We did SeaWorld one day and the beach the next. The kids loved every minute of it! It was so nice for me to have time with them and not have to work or worry about anything else. Saturday Rich's entire family drove to Cali and we met them at the beach. There was about 70 of us there. We did BBQ's, swam, hung out, and we all got pretty burnt. We've been back for over a week and the kids are still talking about how much fun they had.

We just had some awesome family pictures done, so I'll be posting those soon.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T21:48:00.005-07:00

This was by far my favorite Halloween. We spent lots of time with family and had a great time with our kids. Nana and Papa's ward Halloween party was Friday night followed by pumpkin carving at my sister Lindsey's house with all my family. Saturday night we all got dressed up as the Flinstone's and spent some time with Bailey, Olivia, Marcus and Amy and my parents trick-or-treating. All the kids looked adorable! Later that night Rich's family had a big party with dancing a lots of food. It was a busy weekend, but worth it! Hope everyone had a great Halloween.

Pirate Party!

2009-10-03T22:54:00.005-07:00

Daddy and his princess

Dani's little pirate booty

Birthday boy and his mommy

Kaimen's first and only tatoo.

Happy Birthday to our cousin Tytan who just turned 1. He had a really fun pirate party and everybody dressed up. There was great food, dancing, and a best dressed conteset. And guess who won...Danica and Kaimen!

Happy NICU nurse's day!

2009-09-15T20:28:00.002-07:00

I just wanted to say thanks to all our friends at the NICU. Thank you for being so wonderful and taking such great care of our babies for the 3 months that we couldn't. YOu are all so great at what you do. You not only helped Danica and Kaimen through those months but us too. I can't belive they are 14 months old now. They look nothing like what they did back then, starting out at a little over 2 pounds. They wouldn't be where they are now without your love and care. We love you all and hope to see you soon!

We love the pool

2009-09-06T00:24:00.004-07:00

The only thing she's missing is her drink.

Kaimen getting his first swim lesson.

It looks like 2's a crowd.

Kaimen and his stretchy pants

2009-08-23T23:43:00.002-07:00

Okay so you're probably wondering why I would do this to my little boy. There really is a good reason for it. These are Kaimen's new therapy pants. He is still having some developmental issues and needed a little extra help controlling his legs. He tends to spread his legs too far apart and it makes it hard for him to learn to crawl and get up on his knees. They are sewn together in the middle so it keeps his legs together. They look silly, but his Physical therapist recommended he wears them when he is playing on the floor with his toys. They seem like they help, but I can't help but laugh when he is wearing them. Love you my strong boy, keep working hard!

Our much needed vacation

2009-08-23T23:24:00.003-07:00

Let me just say I love Cali. Me and Rich spent 3 days there by ourselves and had a nice relaxing time. My in-laws watched the twins while we went to San Diego. I cried when we left at the thought of leaving them. Besides the NICU, this is the first time I've left them. Our friends have a condo in San Diego right across from the San Diego temple that they were nice enought to let us stay in. Thanks guys! It was in the perfect location about 3 miles from the beach and right around lots of restaurants and shopping centers. We relaxed a lot, went to the beach, shopped, and ate more than we should have. I actually slept in past 7, which was a beautiful feeling. It was so great to spend time with just my hubby. This was the first trip we've been on since before I went into the hospital when I was pregnant with the twins. I hope to go back again soon.

Happy 25th Babe!

2009-08-23T23:07:00.002-07:00

The birthday boy with his sweet batman cake.

Once again the Cake Titan's came through with an awesome cake.

This cake was gone in about 10 minutes. Yum!

My boys...this kid sure does love his dad.

Rich just celebrated the big 2-5. We spent the day together, did some shopping and got his free birthday meal at Joe's farmgrill. I'm really lucky to have such a great husband. He does so much for me and the kids. Love you babe Happy Birthday.

Twins 1st B-day Bash

2009-08-23T22:22:00.004-07:00

They loved their cakes, and all of us got a good laugh.

Danica getting ready to bust open the pinata.

Prince Kaimen's cake.

Danica's princess cake made by auntie Chelsea and uncle Doe Doe a.k.a
The Cake Titan's. Thank you guys we loved the cakes.

Danica and Kaimen are one! July 13th we celebrated by having a big party for them with our family and friends at my mom's house. Kaimen was our prince and Dani our princess. My father-in-law grilled some awesome food, we had pinatas, delicious cake, dancing and music. Thanks to everyone who helped with the food, helped plan, and came just to hang out and have a good time.

I can't believe my babies are one. They are getting so big so fast and are starting to do little "grown-up" things. They've been through so much the first year of their life and I'm so proud of the strong cute little people that they are. I love them so much and feel so blessed to have them with us here. I love you babies, Happy Birthday!!!

Lots of posts to come...

2009-08-21T18:07:00.002-07:00

So much has happened and of course I have been a terrible blogger. Me and Rich just got back from Cali today. After the kids go to bed tonight I'll be updating a whole bunch of stuff.

Our Last Month and A Half

2009-06-06T22:02:00.007-07:00

I'm way overdue for this update, but this is what we've been up to...

My little Kaimen has had a lot happen in the last few months. At the end of April, he had his endoscopy. The results came back negative and everything seems to be fine. 2 weeks later he had his circumcision. He spent a lot of time in this cute little purple gown. He was such a good boy and handled the anesthesia really well. All the nurses fell in love with him, just like they did when he was in the NICU.

The beginning of May the twins had their first swimming trip. We went with our friends that Chamberlain's. The water was still a little cold, but they still had a great time. Danica just watched her legs kick in the water the whole time and Kiamen laughed. We will be spending a lot of time in the pool this summer.

I took Kaimen to the Nuerologist a few weeks ago. I've been worried about his development. He isn't sitting up yet or progressing like Dani. She said he does need to start therapy to help strenghten the low muscle tone in his back. We have someone coming to the house on Monday to start helping him. Oh man, I love this kid. Oh yeah and he has 6 teeth now!

We took our first little vacation with the twins to my family's cabin. Danica and Kaimen had the best time with their aunts and uncles, cousins, and Gamma and Papa. Bailey and Olivia kept them entertained almost the whole time which was a nice break for me and Rich. The guys did some shooting and the girls did some shopping. My mom and dad were nice enough to let Kaimen sleep in their room so I could sleep. It was awesome!

I love this picture of Livi. She was having the time of her life with her PB&J.

Danica is now sitting up like a big girl, she is so close to crawling. She holds her own bottle, and this last week she has started clapping her hands. Her and Kiamen have both had a rough month. Danica got RSV and was really sick for a few weeks. But she did manage to stay out of the hospital. It was dissapointing because we worked so hard to keep her from getting RSV by keeping her locked up in the house all winter. We thought RSV season was over, but I guess not.

Right when Dani got better Kaimen got pneumonia and was really sick for a few weeks also. Let's just say we spent lots of long nights together and lots of mommy cuddle time. I'm so glad they are feeling better now though and back to their happy selves.

When she was supposed to be sleeping...this is what she was doing instead...naughty little girl!

Well that's about it for the kids. Me and Rich are doing good. I don't see my husband much. He is selling pest control this summer and works really long days.(Let us know if you have bugs and need pest control) I had no idea how much I would miss him. He works really hard and I appreciate him so much. I'll be glad when I get to spend more time with him. I'm working just about 1 day a week and try to find fun free things to do with the kids to keep us entertained the rest of the week. I feel so lucky to be home with my babies, they keep me on my toes and I wouldn't change it for anything!

2009-06-06T21:37:00.003-07:00

Round 2 Baby Idol Contest

2009-05-18T22:26:00.002-07:00

Well everyone I have some good news and I have some bad news. The bad news is Kaimen didn't make it into the next round. Of course we're very disappointed, but we know that our Kaimen is still the cutest boy on the planet. The good news is that Danica did make it into the top 200. Thanks to everyone who voted. This round is now for the top 50, so we really need your votes!!! Click HERE to vote for Danica. Don't forget you can vote once per email address per day. Thanks again.

Cutest Baby Contest

2009-05-01T17:49:00.007-07:00

Just wanted to let you know that the voting has begun for mix 96.9 baby idol contest. I entered the twins separately but I need all of your help with voting. For all who have a few extra minutes and would like to vote for my babes that would be awesome. To vote for Danica click here http://www.mix969.com/pages/baby-idol/vote-entrants.php?gid=2&id=63 . To vote for Kaimen click here http://www.mix969.com/pages/baby-idol/vote-entrants.php?gid=3&id=98

Kaimen and Danica's cute cousin is also in the contest. For Tytan click here http://www.mix969.com/pages/baby-idol/vote-entrants.php?gid=6&id=15 You can vote 1 time per day per email address. Thanks for your support.

Sunday mornings and updates

2009-04-25T01:15:00.005-07:00

This is the picture I used to enter the twins in the cutest baby contest for parenting magazine. As their mom I think they should for sure win, but I guess that's what every mom says.

Church for us starts at 8:30 am. We start our morning at 6:30 and manage to make it to church mostly on time. There usually isn't very much time to take pictures of them in their cute church clothes before church and they have spit up and drool all over them after church. Last week we managed to get ready a little early. I think they looked adorable in their outfits and they were in such good moods. I don't know if you can tell from these pictures but Kaimen and Danica each have their first 2 teeth. Kaimen drools though 3 layers of clothes in about five minutes. Little man goes this Tuesday to have an endoscopy done. Which is when they take a scope and go down to his intestines and on the way back up take 8 different biopsies. We've been trying to figure out why he is still throwing up and why it hurts him to eat. I hope everything is okay with him, but at the same time I want them to figure it all out so we can fix it. We go to Phoenix Children's at 7 Tuesday morning and we'll be there for about 5-6 hours. They put him under so he won't remember or feel anything. I'm a little nervous for that part, but used to a lot of this medical stuff because of everything that Kaimen has been through since day 1. 2 weeks later he'll be put under again to be circumcised. I wouldn't have waited this long but we had to for health reasons. This will be a fun couple of weeks for Kaimen.

Some cute pics...

2009-04-18T00:03:00.005-07:00

This little guy is the biggest clown ever!

She's getting her princess attitude, but hasn't lost her sweetness.

The twins went this week for their 9 month check up. They're doing great and growing and developing well. Danica is in the 80th percentile for height and weight and Kaimen still in the 25th percentile. That being the growh chart for normal 9 month babies. They are interacting with each other more now and are getting to be good friends. I'm home with them all the time except for the 2 days or so that I work a week. I love spending time with my babes!

Renaissance Fair

2009-04-14T22:12:00.004-07:00

Kaimen worked up quite the appetite with all of the walking we did.

These pictures should have been posted about a month ago, but of course they weren't. We took the kids with us to the renaissance fair. We watched some pretty cool shows and ate lots of good food. Rich's favorite was the turkey leg.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-14T21:28:00.005-07:00

Despite Danica being sick Easter Sunday, she was a good sport and still let us take pictures and dress her like a princess. Kaimen was an angel the whole day and looked like a stud in his Easter outfit. He still can't quite sit up yet, so we did our best to get pictures of him.

Our first day at the zoo

2009-03-23T11:31:00.003-07:00

On St. Patty's Day I took the twins to the zoo for the first time. They slept most of the time and are too young to know what's going on. They do love to be outside though. It was mainly just to get myself and them out of the house and hang out with my mom and sister. Bailey led us from one exhibit to the next and it was fun to watch her.

Aloha Festival 2009

2009-03-23T10:52:00.004-07:00

This is one little man who is happy to be outside.

Who in their right mind would ever give this man a knife???

Uncle Toto and Randall at the grill.

Bailey, Olivia, and Colter all met us at the Aloha Festival.

Kaimen thinks his cousin Colter is real cool. Colter call Kaimen "Big dog" which I think is so cute. The twins really have never been around their cousins and they love it now that they can.

Last weekend was the twins first Aloha Festival. Me and Rich have gone for the last few years, but this year was by far the biggest and best one. Rich's family did a food booth this year for the first time. For anyone that went to the Aloha Festival and didn't eat at the Aiono Family Grill, you missed out! My father-in-law grills the best chicken and ribs you'll ever have. They are now doing catering, so if you're having a special event and want some yummy food let me know!

Daddy's Biggest Fans... Go #73!

2009-03-06T21:49:00.005-07:00

The twins have gone to the last few of Rich's games and they love it. They love being outside and to be with me(which is what I like to tell myself). They like to represent by wearing their sting outfits with daddy's number on it. Even though it is a lot of work to take them, I love having them there with me to help me cheer.

Extra formula

2009-03-03T11:09:00.002-07:00

Hey I just wanted to see if anyone needs or knows anyone that needs formula for their preemie baby. I have 4 left over cans of Enfacare Enfamil formula that I can't use for the twins anymore. It's a special formula for preemies with extra calories to help them gain weight faster. I hate to throw it away, so if you would like it please let me know and I'd be happy to give it to you. Thanks!

2009-02-15T16:18:00.002-07:00

I set Kiamen down on the couch to get something, he propped his arms up on the couch likes he's the king of the house. Look at that intimidating face. All he's missing is the remote.

Dani loves chillin on the boppy pillow and looking at her hands.

Yesterday was a crazy morning for some reason. But between baths, getting valentines stuff together, and getting ready for daddy's football game we did manage to find a few minutes of quiet play time. It didn't last long but that's okay.

Our Little Valentines

2009-02-15T15:41:00.003-07:00

Firsts of everything are so fun when you have a new baby. When you have 2 it's really fun. And when you have a cousin the same age it's even more fun. Little matching outfits are so addicting. Yesterday was their 1st Valentine's Day. The twins made daddy a special valentine with their handprints and decorated the bathroom for him. They stayed with auntie Lolo and Hailey while we went to dinner and they had a great time.

Go Sting!

2009-02-08T20:29:00.005-07:00

Since high school Rich has always talked about playing football again. His family has been telling me ever since I met him how good he was back in the day, so it has sparked some curiosity. After all these years he's finally back on the field. He plays for a semi-pro team "The Sting". Not to brag but my man has still got it. He plays defensive tackle and right guard. I'm really glad he decided to play this year. His games are every Saturday and it gives us both something fun to do. Chelsea and I go to all the games decked out in our sting jerseys and cheer for our men. Last weekend was an awesome game in Sedona. They beat the Northern Arizona Coyotes 20-0.

Family Pictures

2009-02-04T20:29:00.004-07:00

Rich's cousin Justin came home from his mission last 2 weeks ago from the Marshalese Islands. He spoke in church on Sunday and then after we went to the temple to take pictures. There was a huge group of us. Relatives came from Utah and California to welcome Justin home.

The race is on!

2009-01-18T22:50:00.002-07:00

My family is starting our biggest loser competition! We all weighed in tonight and we'll weigh in every 2 weeks and the person who loses the most percentage of weight after 8 weeks wins the money $180. I'm excited about this, not because I can't eat the stuff I like, but for other reasons. The twins are now 6 months old and it's about time I get started. I keep coming up with excuses and saying I'll start diet and exercise next week, but now is the time! I'm hoping this will keep me motivated. Who doesn't want to be a little thinner and have a little extra cash? I know this is a lame post, but I figure it will make me accountable to a few more people. Wish me luck...

Twins' health update.

2009-01-09T18:10:00.005-07:00

I took Kaimen to the eye doctor today for his followup. We have been going back there every few weeks since Kaimen has been home. Because of being on so much oxygen since the day he was born, is caused some problems for his eyes. The doctor was concerned with Kaimen boy because he had quite a bit of bleeding behind his eyes, which if left untouched can cause major vision problems even blindness. Luckily we went today to find out that his left eye looks like it has improved and he doesn't have to be seen for 6 more months and probably won't need surgery. This was great news for me to hear and one less doctor we have to see on a regular basis. I'm also happy to announce that Danica is completly off of her oxygen and only sleeps with her apnea monitor on at night. Kaimen is off his oxygen during the day. This is awesome for many reason, but the thing I really appreciate is wire free babies when we take them places. It makes outings a lot more pleasant.

The twins had their 6 month check up last week. Danica is weighing in at 15 lbs 3 ounces and Kaimen at 14 lbs 8 ounces. They told us to cut back with Danica, she's getting a little too porky. We're trying but that girl loves her food! Kaimen has appointments with 3 different specialists next week...the kidney specialist, the nueroligist, and the GI specialist. Hopefully they'll be able to help us resolve the issues he's having. As of now his kidney stones are still there and he is still throwing up a few times a day.

Lately all the appointments have been getting to be a pain. But when I took Kaimen to the doctor today, I really enjoyed the time that we had to spend together. I figure with having twins and not being able to spend as much one on one time as I would like to with my babes, this is my time. While me and Kaimen waited for the doctor today, we sang and talked and snuggled.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! WARNING: Picture Overload!!

2009-01-03T11:25:00.008-07:00

Wow 2009! I can't believe it! The twins are now almost 6 months old. So much has happened this last year, a lot of trials and a lot of blessings. Lat night Rich and I were looking at videos of the twins when they were in the NICU and only 2 weeks old and pretty sick. It made us both cry to watch them and remember those times. I like to remember those times because I remember they really are miracles, but I look forward to this year in the next few months to be able to take my healthy babies out in public and watch them grow. I love them more and more every day... look and these pics and you'll understand why.
New Year's Eve was really fun. We took them down to the church building for the annual New Year's Eve dance and party that Rich's family puts on. They stayed in the relief society room and everyone took turns watching them, so we could dance and socialize. Cousin Tytan joined them and they had there own little party.

Me and my cousin Siala, the dancing superstar.

The twins first Christmas was one to remember. We spent a lot of time with family and we were all extremely spoiled this year. The kids got more presents than any child should receive. Thank you to everyone for being so generous to our family this year and making this a special Christmas for us. We did a lot of running around back and forth to both sides of the family. It's a lot of work to haul those kids around, but worth every minute.

Daddy and his 2 little Christmas presents.

My niece Olivia got this cheer leading outfit and was showing us her moves.

Me and Princess Bailey, with her doll she called sleeping "booty".

Aunt Tracy was nice enough to buy all of the kids on my side of the family matching Christmas outfits this year, so we did some family pictures. I only have the ones from my camera, but they all looked so precious.

Kaimen was not happy about this whole situation.

It's very obvious where Kaimen gets his good looks from!

2008-12-23T09:32:00.004-07:00

Dani stares more than smiles right now.

The last month or so has been pretty interesting at our house. They've been especially fun because the twins are getting older and starting to smile and talk to us. But they also have been especially frustrating because of the constant trips to the doctors' offices and seeing all the stuff Kaimen has been going through. About a month ago, we spent a few days in the hospital with him. We found out he has kidney stones and some pretty bad ones. As a mom this seemed pretty serious to me, but the doctors really haven't seemed to think so. I've been trying to get him into the kidney specialist ever since we left the hospital, but I feel like I have been going in circles. Last week we were able to get into a pediatric urologist who told us they will just watch him, which means extra appointments. I obviously wouldn't change any of this for the world, but it will be a happy day when all of the appointments and extra stuff is over. I feel really blessed that neither one of them have had any major issues and are developing well. Kaimen's been such a great sport with everything. Even though he has his little naughty times, he is still a happy little boy and I can't get enough of his squishy little face.

Danica is our little angel. The only time I ever hear a peep from her is when she is hungry or tired. But when we feed her or put her to sleep everything is better. She is so patient, since Kaimen has pretty much been needing all the attention the last little while. I've been by myself more often now with the twins, which can be a lot of work. Last week I had just finished feeding Kaimen, put him down and started feeding Dani. 5 minutes later Kaimen was screaming at the top of his lungs. I had no choice but to put Dani down. She just sat there and waited patiently until brother was done with his fit and I could pick her up.

It's amazing to me how total opposites my babies are, but I love them both the same for the special spirit they bring to our family.

Kaimen watching daddy talk to him.

This smile melts my heart.

Deep in thought.

New Faiva Family Pics

2008-11-17T21:26:00.023-07:00

I just got these pics yesterday, and I just had to put them on my blog right away because I'm in love with them. Our friend Natalie Montez came to our house and took pictures of the twins. She did our engagement and wedding pictures and she'll do our pictures for the rest of our lives. Thanks Natalie you're the best. To check out more of her stuff go to her blog at http://www.photosbynatalie.blogspot.com/ The kids were so well behaved and absolutely precious. These pictures will be blown up and filling the walls of our house!!!

Gotta love those sweet cheeks!

I can't believe this handsome little boy is our very own.

Daddy and his little girl...she's already got him wrapped around her little finger.

Thanks to Nicole Patino for this adorable tutu.

Our sweet little angel.

I love this picture,there's something about babies little feet.

We laughed the whole time these pictures were being taken. They couldn't have looked more comfy. It must have reminded them of the months before they were born...

Kaimen is such a good brother, he always lets Dani snuggle on him.

Danica and Kaimens's blessing day

2008-11-03T20:52:00.004-07:00

We decided that instead of waiting to bless the twins at church in April we would do it at home with just our family. We blessed them at my parents' house and my mom was nice enough to make lunch for everyone after. It was such a special day for me and Rich and our families. This is a day that I will remember forever. Their daddy gave them the most beatiful blessings. The things he said in their blessings reminded me once again of how special my babies are and all the wonderful things they will do here and how many peoples lives they have already touched. It was a very emotional day, thinking of the last few months and what could have been, and how blessed we are now. I could not have asked for a more perfect day.

The First Halloween!

2008-11-03T20:23:00.004-07:00

We couldn't manage to get the binkie away for even a minute.

Danica already has a sweet tooth like her mama.

Cousin Tytan came over to celebrate his first halloween with the twins.

Halloween was a little different this year than we had planned on it being. With the kids on their oxygen and not being able to go out trick or treating, we had people come by the house to see the twins in their costumes. They did get to go to the NICU halloween party to see some of the nurses that took care of them. The costumes they have for newborns was a little limited but we found an adorable monkey costume for Kaimen and a sweet bunny costume for Danica. The kids made us laugh a lot that night. Danica was dead asleep while we were taking pictures and she looked like a little stuffed animal and Kaimen screamed almost the whole time.

Bath time

2008-10-25T23:10:00.004-07:00

These pics are after bath time the kids were just chillin' on the couch.

Nice hair Kaimen!

The kids both love bath time as long as warm water is being poured over them. This was a few days after Kaimen came home. Rich did dressing and diaper changing duty, and I did the baths. We're getting our little system down. I love these towels that my friend Heidi made, we use them all the time. We've started to bathe them in the sink for now, it seems to be easier than bending over the bath tub and trying to wash them. They probably will only fit in there for a few more weeks though. We took the kids in last week to the doctor and Kaimen now weighs over 10 pounds and Danica almost 10.

2008-10-25T23:01:00.001-07:00

We decided to take the twins on a walk to grandma Brown's house and Auntie Katie's house. We got the kids loaded up, oxygen and all which is quite the ordeal, but we're getting used to the routine. We had a great time while we were out, and I was so excited to get out of the house in the nice weather. We got this awesome double stroller from Nana Faiva that is the best thing ever and will make my life a lot easier. It even has a huge basket underneath for the oxygen tanks and monitors. We made the mistake of walking home right around feeding time. They were both screaming at the top of their lungs the whole way home. We tried to get them out and hold them and push the stroller at the same time...it was kind of a disaster, but I was grateful for a family outing. For anyone who saw us we must have looked like major losers.

Faiva triplets???

2008-10-15T21:53:00.005-07:00

Best buddies already!

Uncle Randall and Aunt Chelsea were nice enough to buy Kaimen and Danica outfits that matched their cousin Tytan. They love hangin out together. Are these some cute kiddos or what?

Kaimen is finally home!!!

2008-10-13T19:52:00.003-07:00

Lori, Laura, and Lisa some of the awesome NICU staff there to see Kaimen off.

Notice how happy Danica is to have her brother home with her!
Ahhhh....finally together!!

Last Friday we brought our little boy home. It came up a lot faster than we thought it would. On Monday of last week they said it would be 2 more weeks atleast. Then on Wednesday they said we could take him home that Friday. I was so excited when I got the message, I started jumping up and down, and called our family right away. The twins are 3 months old today and my due date was on Thursday. We have been at the hospital every single day since May 30th. Kaimen was there for a total of 89 days. I'm sure he was just as glad to get out of there as we were to have him out. He was a pretty popular guy in the NICU, all the nurses were in love with him. We are so grateful to all the nurses and doctors for taking such good care of our babes. Thank you all, we love you guys! As much as we will miss the wonderful people we have met through all of this, there is no greater feeling than having our babies home and being together as a family. We are having a great time with the twins. We of course are not sleeping at all. The first 2 nights we got about 2-3 hours. Last night was better, so we hope they are just getting used to everything. I was telling Rich last night I feel like our work has trippled not doubled since he has come home. Life consists of lots of diaper changing, bottle feeding, bottle washing, bathing, doing laundry, and a few hours of sleep every now and then.

Danica and Cousin Tytan

2008-09-21T22:31:00.004-07:00

Comfy and cozy in daddy's arms.

Tytan can be a little bit of a bully.

We changed Danica's oxygen tubing today, her face is even prettier without it.

Danica and Kaimen's cousin Tytan was born a week ago today.He is adorable and they actually look like siblings. We love baby Tytan. We try not to take Danica anywhere because she is so vulnerable to getting sick and still sensitive to noise and being around a lot of people. We thought she would enjoy a visit with her new cuz though. They both layed on a big fluffy giraffe that nana and papa got for them. We had a great time taking pics of them. There were about 5 cameras going off. What is it about babies that makes us go crazy???? Speaking of going crazy I am crazy in love with cute bows and flowers for little girls. Danica wore her very first bow yesterday and everyone loved her scrumptious little head.

Kaimen's update

2008-09-21T20:02:00.003-07:00

Kaimen is finally out of the critical part of the NICU and has moved to intermediate care. About 3 days ago they took him off the CPAP and put him on the high flow nasal prongs. He has been doing really good with the changes. They also started letting him drink a small amount from the bottle. Me and Rich went today and Rich fed him. He was alound to have 15 cc which is like 1/6 of an ounce. He made us laugh because of how big of a pig he is. He was finished eating it before we even knew he started. His eyes were wide open for about 2 hours today. I talked to him about all the fun things we are going to do when he comes home, he seemed pretty excited about all of it. When you meet Kaimen you'll know what I mean about his eyes, when you talk to him he looks like he is listening so intently and is very interested in what you're saying. He is such a fat boy now. I gave him the nickname today of chubba bubba, mostly to do with his huge double chin. They had to start giving his a special powder for under his neck, because he sweats in between his rolls and gets a rash. I think he's pretty hilarious. He weighs 6 pounds 14 ounces now. I brought all of his newborn clothes down to the hospital so he can wear them, by the time he gets home they won't fit. They haven't given us a time when he will come home, but they guess around 3 weeks or so.

Kaimen and Danica's reunion

2008-09-21T19:48:00.002-07:00

I finally got to hold both of my babies together for the first time, another thing I have been waiting to do for a very long time now. Since the twins were born they have always been in seperate beds and attached to so many things I could never hold them at the same time. But now that Dani is home we were able to do this. On Thursday she had a doctors appointment and after we decided to stop by and see brother. We were pretty sure they've missed each other in the last few months so we brought her back to the NICU. They were both knocked out and didn't know what was going on, but for me and Rich is was a fun day. I did notice when I was holding both of them that my son has a very large head, he looked huge next to his sister. I have a feeling the 2 of them are going to be best buddies!

Danica's Homecoming

2008-09-21T19:02:00.003-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts in the past couple of weeks, life has been busy and wonderful. Yes it's true Danica is finally home with us. She came home last Tuesday. She suprised us all. She was gaining weight and eating all of her food through the bottle and breathing well so the doctors decided it was time. She did come home on oxygen which was a little hard to get used to the first day or two. Like all new babies she keeps us up at night, but she is a sweet adorable baby even at the early hours of the morning. She loves to be held and all the attention she is getting, since her brother isn't home yet. She loves tummy time and her baths and eating and basically loves life at home with mommy and daddy. I can't even tell you all how long I have been waiting for this day. I really couldn't even imagine in my head how wonderful it would be. It has exceeded my expectations. It's a lot of work yes, but so worth it. She is night owl like me and her daddy, last night she stayed up until 4:30 in the morning, I hope this does not become a norm for her, but I'll love her anyways. She is such a blessing to have and brings such a sweet spirit to the Faiva family as her brother will when he comes home. I wanted to thank my husband for all his help and being such a wonderful daddy to Danica and Kaimen, it makes me realize even more that I married the right guy!

Movin' on up!

2008-08-30T21:25:00.003-07:00

So many things have happened in the last couple days and all of them good things. The Faiva family is doing well! I know it seems like the only thing I talk about on my blog is my kids, but they are what I think about, dream about, and who I'm with, so therefore what I talk about. Kaimen is doing really good, and he got to wear his very first big boy outfit today. HIs grandma and some other people bought him a bunch of preemie clothes and he already is too big for most of them so we have to take them back. But the ones we kept are adorable on him. He looks real good in blue. I called this morning to check on the twins and they told me that Danica has moved to intermediate care. This means she is doing better which is great, but sad for Kaimen that he got left behind. I loved being able to sit there with one of them and look and see that the other was okay. Kaimen will catch up soon though and be there before we know it. Danica has made some big steps the last 2 days. She is now in an open crib instead of an isolette. She tolerates the noises a lot better and is able to maintain her own body temp. The other huge step is that she drank from a bottle for the very first time. This is something totally normal for full term babies, but for preemies it's huge. They have to learn to suck, swallow, and breathe all at the same time. None of us were expecting her to do as well as she did, but she surprised us. She drank the whole thing and loved it. We'll start out slow and do 1 feeding with the bottle and the rest through the tube until she can show that she is ready for more. Being able to feed her was such a neat experience for me as a mom. When I get to do things like this it makes me so excited for them to come home. I may change my mind a little when those feedings are at 3 in the morning, but for now i can't wait. I have been busy getting organizing all the stuff in our 2nd bedroom, which will be there nursery. I'll be decorating it after my shower and I'm so excited to see how it turns out.

By the way my shower is this Thursday September 4th at 6:30 p.m. (dinner will be served) We've been trying to get invitations out, but if there is anyone I missed, I would love to see you there. Email me and I'll send you directions.

Thanks again to everyone for all you do, we couldn't do all of this without you!!!!

2008-08-28T00:09:00.002-07:00

This has been a huge week for Kaimen. I'm so proud of him. On Thursday of last week they started him on steroids for his lungs. He had been on the ventilator for 6 weeks, which is a longer than the doctors usually like to see. He has been sick quite a few times which has slowed down his progress. On Sunday they finally were able to remove the ventilator tube and put him on a different machine, which is a big step up. He is doing really well, and I hope he continues that way. The doctor did tell us that sometimes after they go off the steroids which he did yesterday that they can back track a little, but we will think positive and hope things only get better from now on. Yesterday I got to see his face for the very first time. Since the minute he was born, he has always had something covering his face. He is so handsome, he looks just like his dad! And I was actually surprised by how much he looks like Danica. The nurses say he has an additude and doesn't like to be bothered. He is a huge fan of his binkie, and if it falls out of his mouth, he throws a fit. Believe me, I will make sure the house is stocked with them before he comes home. One of my favorite things about Kaimen is his eyes. When I was holding him and talking to him today he just stared right at me, like he really was listening to what I was saying. He really talks with his eyes. They tell me if he is feeling good or if he's mad, etc. This little guy is a stud! The doctor's and nurses always fight over whose boyfriend he is.

2008-08-27T23:06:00.003-07:00

These are all pictures of my little Dani. She gets more beautiful everyday, and it gets harder and harder to leave her and her brother at the hospital. Lots of exciting thing have happened lately. Danica got her first bath in a tub(that little pink hospital tub). She wore a lot of her new outfits and the nurses in the NICU voted her best dressed in there(quite an honor). She is free from all her IV's and everything and only has her oxygen. She is starting to be fun and alert and awake everytime we change her and she gets fed. One thing I've started to notice about her is she is very patient and calm, let's hope she stays that way! When I'm there I love to just stare at her face, I could do it for hours and hours. When I was holding her yesterday I got watery eyed when I sat there and thought about all these babies have been through and how lucky I am to have them with me. What did I do to deserve this? They are so perfect! It was a testimony to me that Danica and Kaimen have a lot here on this earth to accomplish, and Heavenly Father is going to make sure that they have every opportunity to do that. No word yet on when the kids can come home, but I can't even imagine how wonderful it will be.

The Faiva 4

2008-08-20T13:52:00.004-07:00

This is our very first family picture. It was an exciting day for us. Rich got to hold Kaimen and I got to hold Danica. It's hardly your typical family picture, but a fun day for us. The next day they let the grandmas hold Danica for the first time. These are Rich's moms first grandkids and my moms 4th and 5th. They are the best grandmas ever!

My pretty little princess

2008-08-19T20:50:00.003-07:00

The nurses told

us Danica was ready to wear clothes now. This is her very first outfit, doesn't she look so cute?This is a preemie outfit for up to 5 pounds, but it is still too big for her. Being able to go and get her dressed up made me feel a little bit more like her mommy. Danica is doing really good, she is only on oxygen now, and is starting to be more alert and likes the attention she gets. She loves being held by her parents and grandmas and she also loves her binkie. The doctors think she will be in an open crib in the next few days, which I'm sure she will really like.

My strong little boy!

2008-08-14T19:00:00.002-07:00

Yesterday my son Kaimen had a little heart surgery. Being a very premature baby there was a valve in his heart that was not closed all the way. They tried medicine the first week he was born, but when he got really sick a few weeks ago, it opened up again. They decided surgery would correct it best. I was very emotional yesterday. A lot of my family and Rich's family came to the hospital to be there for us during the surgery, so that helped. He is just so tiny and fragile, I hated the thought of him having this done. The doctors say it will help him to improve. The surgery went really well. Kaimen did awesome, and seems to be recovering well. He does have another lung infection, but is fighting that really well also. He is so strong, and as a mom I couldn't be more proud. Danica is on fire, she is improving quickly and is off of her medicines and growing really fast. We get to go tonight and put her in her very first preemie outfit!!! I'll put up pics next post.

2008-08-09T23:42:00.002-07:00

This is just a rough draft of what my blog will look like, but I needed to just get this whole blog thing started. I at first thought blogging was a little silly and kind of a waste of time, but I've changed my mind! A lot has happened in the last few months, and this way I feel like I'm keeping everyone informed.
So this is kind of a long story, but it's been my life for the last 3 months. At the end of May I went in for a pregnancy ultrasound, at 21 weeks. I knew I was pregnant with twins, which made it higher risk. Everything had been going really well and the babies were healthy. That day they told me that my cervix was really short and I would be in the hospital and on strict bed rest the remainder of my pregnancy. That was really hard to hear, but I had no idea what I was in for. I ended up being in th hospital for a total of 7 weeks. 3 of those weeks I couldn't even get up to go to the bathroom. My family and especially my husband were wonderful. He got a second job to support our family because I obviously couldn't work. When he wasn't working he was with me. My mom was also amazing, she came down to the hospital and kept me company every day while my husband was at work. We had hours and hours to talk and we got to be really close. My mother in law was great too. She gave me lots of back massages and kept me entertained. They both saved me from the nasty hospital food.
In the middle of the 7 weeks I got really sick with a blood infection and pneumonia, and the doctors thought the babies would have to be delivered then, at 24 weeks. I'm so grateful that wasn't the case. Thanks to the doctors and all the prayers and fasting, I was able to recover and they didn't have to deliver the babies.
These were some of the hardest 2 months of my life. Besides the extreme boredom, I was worried about my babies, and I didn't know how much longer all of that would last. I did more praying and crying in those 2 months that I have in my whole life combined. I made it to 27 1/2 weeks and the kids decided they couldn't wait any longer. I was in labor for about 3 days and I dialated to a 10 before they decided to do a C-section. The babies were out in about 3 minutes. It was a relief, but at the same time I was a little nervous about how they would be. Danica Aveolela was born first at 2 pounds 9 ounces and Kaimen Tamatoa was born at 2 pounds 13 ounces. Rich was there watching the whole time. He was by me jumping up and down and basically freaking out. It was so cute to see him so excited. He is going to be a great dad!
They let me kiss each of my babies and then rushed them up to the NICU. That was 4 weeks ago this Sunday. I can't believe they are already a month old. They are both doing well. They have had their struggles, and some infections, and other things, but my babies are fighters. I have never seen 2 little people so strong. They both weigh almost 4 pounds each now. They haven't given us a time when we will get to bring them home, but probably the beginning of October. The hardest thing to do is leave them at the hospital, but I just have to remember how lucky I am that they are even here, and they will get to come home soon. I feel so lucky to be there mom, and that they chose me and their dad. I love them more that I thought could even be possible.
Thanks to everyone who has called and come to visit, and who has been praying for our family. We couldn't do it without you!!