Duck Call Room - Justin Martin Is Handling Twin Babies (& the NICU) Like a BOSS!

Episode Date: October 27, 2022

It's an emotional episode, people! Martin is TIRED but happy, and he can't wait to tell you all about his twins, Waylon and Jackson, and their first 12 days in the world. Martin also talks about what it was like for him and Brittany when one of the boys was admitted to the NICU. John-David shares his family's NICU experience, and he and Martin offer encouragement for parents who are currently dealing with newborns in the NICU. Uncle Si and Phillip ask all the new-dad questions you'd expect, and the boys all weigh in on how science and faith can coexist. -- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He's back, baby. I'm back. Unreal. He's got, he came in on two wheels. He's got hospital bands on his arm. Yeah, I've got two little. You look refreshed, though. Well, that's a lie because I'm not.

Let me tell you what you don't do. Don't try to, what are we, we're day 12. Yeah, day 12. Don't try to trim your mustache on day 12. Do you notice a little gap right about there? Yeah. On the other side, you got a mirror. Whatever, yeah.

whatever it is. I yawned and thought I was clear, and I very clearly wasn't. And it's right on part that's all gray. So now it looks like it's just all skin. I mean, it's actually still hair. We can fix that. We can fix that up for you. Fix it in post, Hunter.

No, it's, uh. Fix it post. It's, well, welcome back. Thank you. Father of two. Father of two. Justin Martin. Got a pair of them.

Here. I'm here. Two at a time. Here, boy. I'm here. It's all good. It's easy. He's holding.

And he's holding a friend. kids and he's awake feeding him go for it yeah easy no not not easy terrifying yes um exhausting a different level than i've ever been in my life i i look back now i told brittany this a day i said you know i've slept in like during hunting season like i'm just too tired i can't go tomorrow i mean that's a lie all those times i just didn't want to go i was not too tired because I now know what too tired feels like. New level. It's unbelievable.

Because with two of them, you got to play man-to-man defense. Uh-huh. Like, one of your counterparts can't sleep. Like, you can't miss a feeding because there's two of them.

They're both there. They're both there. And they're both mad and they're both hungry at the same time. All the time? All the time. Well, not all the time.

No, we've got them pretty good. They're every three hours, close to three hours. hours. Wait till they get where they can crawl. Good. Okay. Hey, look, I'm serious. Wait until they get to, you ain't tired yet. No, I'm serious. You wait until they get to the crawl and stage. I'm serious too. I'm ready for a change. Whatever, I don't even care what it is. You in it now, boy. But what we're in right now, this, this can't last. This, this, there's no way this

can last. So have you had some help? Yeah. Last night was actually the reason I probably looked mildly refreshed. Clay, my buddy, Clay, his wife Rhonda came over after the nine o'clock feeding and stayed all night. And then so Brittany took the midnight shift to feeding and I took the three. So I slept from like 10 till three, which was five hours unbelievable. Like I'm talking about I woke up ready to tackle the world. Like I hadn't had five hours of continuous sleep and I don't know when.

Well, hey, don't feel like a long runger because I just went to Mississippi for four days. You poor thing. I may have got five hours the whole time. Different scenario. Yeah. Just couldn't sleep. Was another life depending on you getting that five hours? He had that same chair you had to sleep in at the hospital.

Oh, good grief. How was that? That was terrible. It's good night's sleep. Yeah. I'd wake up. Hey, next time you get like that? Come on over.

Well, I'm telling you, I just, I don't know what was wrong. That bottle of fit in your hand, just fine. I do not know what was wrong because they asked me, did you sleep last night? And I said, I may have two hours, maybe.

And I said, they said, well, what's wrong? And I said, I don't have no idea except the bed's different. Yeah.

It happens. But hey, I'd lay there. I'd lay there to two, three, about three o'clock I'd finally do it all. I'd give anything to just lay there.

Oh, no, yeah. Not a lot of laying there happening. So I can out relax anybody in a hundred-mile radius. Well, you put that picture up, with Brittany and there was three of y'all are you two sons and brittany just out on the couch and my sister saw and she has twins and she she felt afraid and she started having flashbacks and we had to like it's

okay yeah PTSD they're 10 now it's gonna be all right yeah so all the twin parents right now are they're looking at you with with they know they know what you're going through yeah empathy they know and i don't care you know i told what we asked that time is there a piece of advice i'm tired of getting about, you know, and I said sleep. I don't care how much sleep you got prior to this. It wouldn't have mattered. This is just a new level of... Si, does it get any better, Cy?

No. Yeah. That does. No, no, you actually, once they get up for the kind of really on their own, you just look and look out and tell me, how in the world did I get through that? Yeah. Yeah.

I still think that every morning when I wake up. I'm like, all right, where's another sunrise, boys? We got another one under our belt. Right now, celebrating small victories. That's all you can do. Hey, we haven't even announced the names or anything on the podcast, by the way. We're waiting on you. So I guess we're a little late.

Yeah. But you can go ahead announce the birth of your children. So on October 12th at 1059, Whalen David came into this world, peeing all over everything. That's a true statement. Hey, middle name David, you got to watch out for it. Yeah, he was peeing everywhere. I mean, he's just a sprinkler. Brittany,

Brittany laying there numb, he's just peeing all over. Like, just, I mean, she had no idea. She's like, where you laughing? I said, he's peeing all over you right now. And then at 1101, here come Jackson, Jackson, Nash. And they were here. And it was the wildest thing I have ever experienced. I had, people were asking, what do you think?

It's like, I don't have any word. It was just. I would have passed out. Like I walked in. So they took Brittany back. Damn. I hit the floor. They took Brittany back for the C-section.

And they were like, you just stay here. We're going to go prep and all that. Well, I just sitting there by myself, twiddling my thumbs. Like, what the world going on here? And then they come and got me and said, all right, come in and go sit by her head, whatever. I was like, all right. And the doctor didn't. My rear end barely hit the stool.

And Dr. Jones said, Dr. Jones said, you ready to see a kid. And I said, well, I reckon. God. That's giving me a heavie genius. She said, well, stand up. And I stood up. And then she went in there. And then here she come out.

And I was like, oh, dear God. First of all. Fatherhood. First of all, I thought C-section was like the kind way of birth. No. Very rough. Very rough. You got a couple pulling or one pulling and a couple pushing.

And Brittany's just laying there. And they're like, with a smile on her face. And I'm like, do you know what they're doing to you right now? No, no. And here's the thing that gets me at this. She'll be willing to have another one. No, she ain't either. Guaranteed.

She already did two minutes later. Yeah. I'm telling you. No. I'm telling you. Guaranteed. The Martin clan is done. Hey, that's the crazy part of it, okay, is that she'll come to and says, I want to have another baby.

Here's what I can tell you right now. That ain't going to have them. If everybody would have started their kids with twins, nobody'd have more than two. They'd be done. You ain't running this gauntlet again. Ain't no way. Ain't uh-uh.

There's a couple. That's within that. No, no, because one might. They fell in a moment of weakness. One in my hey, look. That's all I got to tell you, because they don't remember what's going on at the Martin House right now. Uh-uh.

Because this crap is rough. I don't know. Because you hear like, oh, every three, hours so you can get two hours of sleep in between no you know you can't now you got something's got to be washed there's 150 million bottles there's there's laundry to do there's bottles to do there's you name it oh by the way you got to eat at some point don't you got a shower I took one of them in a bathroom with me the other day I said well I mean whatever I got to use bathroom you coming with me I guess I mean you to do what you got to do it's it's a game of survival is all it is

Yep. And once you, I don't know, everybody says it don't last, but buddy, when you're in it. You're in it. It feels like there's no way out. Somebody lied to you. So they're not even two weeks old. No, they'll be two weeks on Wednesday. Yeah.

I don't know at what point. I'm just, the doctor said once we get them back to their birth weight, you know, because every baby loses weight. Once we get them back to birth weight, we can feed every four. Okay. I'm so looking forward to that. I know it's stupid. It only gets better. They'll let you.

Who? The kids. No, they'll let you. Well, I'm just saying. Oh, they'll let you. I'm just saying. They want the food. I don't figure out one thing about these rascals.

They hungry? Well, if you don't give in to them, you can get them on a schedule. You just have to whip them into submission. And when I say, I'm not talking about beat them. I'm talking about you just have to make sure. You got to make sure that you pacify them to a level of where you can make it to the time clock. And now, like, they were waking up an hour and a half after a feeding, like, just ready to eat again. Now they wake up at, like, every two hours and 45 minutes.

And by the time I get, we get the stuff ready, everything has been three hours. They eat. They're done. They don't, there's no more mid, they're trainable. They're trainable. You just have to not give in. You got to sit there and listen to some stuff that don't make you very comfortable for a little bit. You know, and I'm like, it's okay.

We're going to make it through this. I'm going with all the books, all the things. Like, if the science backs it up, let's go with it. Let's figure it out. We'll go from there. Oh, that ain't mine. I was afraid that was my phone and that the house was burning down. No, you're good.

House still on standing. We are good. But, no, it's wild. So, yeah, we've got them trained every three. I know if once we get the clear to go to four, that'll be that week it's it's rough getting them trained i'm not going to like that that's and them some big boys they are they come out one of uh jackson was seven five and uh whalen was six six good grief and uh man they almost had 14 pounds of human whenever they were whatever they took up whenever they took

them out of there brittany said i can breathe and i said good because i can't because i'm just watching them flail around i'm like oh man no wonder mama was miserable oh yeah she had eight 13 pounds. Yep, 7, 5 and 6.6. John David, did you go back when your wife had your kids? Did you go back? Uh-huh. I did.

I mean, I watched every one of them be born. It was a sight to see. Oh, yeah, I've videoed it. Yeah. Did you? Did you? I've seen it three times. Good.

Well, when the doctor, when my daughter-in-law told me about what the doctor said, when she went for her final deal before she gave birth. Yeah. He said, well, y'all, and I was there when they were fix to go in. He said, well, you're ready for me to cut you in open you up like a gutting a hog? Oof. Terrific bedside manner back in the 60s. Dr. Jones didn't use that phrase.

Well, I'm just saying, that doctor did. And when he did, I was just getting... Were you in Alabama? White. No, he's in Germany. Oh, he was in Virginia. Virginia. Yeah. They were stationed it. I thought Virginia was for lovers. It show don't sound like it. Sounds pretty rough. Well, let's take our first break. We'll be back right after. this. All right, look, springtime is here. It's warming up. You know what that means. That means more outside cooking. And y'all know, we love to eat beef around here. And that's what,

because of our friends over at Tritels beef makes such a good product, baby. Ain't it good? It's so good. Our friend, Sao Robertson would say, buy on the grill. Look, before we got Tritels, getting ready for a cookout, man, somebody had to run the grocery store, do all the things, grab whatever was left in case you were late in the day. And you never really know where that beef comes from but with trytails beef we skip the grocery store and do it a different way try tales comes from a family ranch out in texas they're a fifth generation american ranch so they've been at it for a while now look the beef comes straight from their ranch and other ranchers they work with who raise cattle the same way their steaks are properly aged and shipped straight from the

ranch to your door we threw a couple of ribbys on the grill look salt pepper garlic hot fire that's all you need. Look, because I'll tell you what, when the beef comes from people who raise cattle for a living, you can taste the difference. The tenderness and the flavor are fantastic. So if you're stocking the freezer for grilling season, go check out Triedails beef. I know in size case, Christine loves it, which is just a, she doesn't eat meat. She isn't a big meat easier, folks. Yeah. Just go to trybeef.com slash. That's trybeef.com slash support ranch families and eat some dang good steak. How often are you able to get out of the house at all? None. Is this the first time?

This is the first time I've left for an extended period of time. And when I say extended period, not to the grocery store, not for a doctor's appointment or something like that. Yeah. I texted Will and Corey and said, look, I know I planned on being off two full weeks, but I may have to extend that. I'm not sure. This is rough. And I don't, you know, Brittany's dealing with all the hormones and everything that goes with that.

I mean, I just look up and she's crying and I'm like, you did something. Oh boy. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. You know, like, what can I do? What can I do to make it better? Because, I mean, it's, it, we are a bunch of pansies.

And when I say we, I'm talking about guys. The men of the room. Oh, no, no, I'm going to tell you, hey, if it was up for a man to procreate our species, yeah. We would have been extinct hundreds of years ago. Oh, she's the toughest thing I ever seen. Okay. She feeding one, holding one.

pumping, doing all the things. And I'm just like, I mean, I'm just, I mean, I'm, I'm floored. No, no. Hey, that's why I have always had my hat off to womenhood. Oh, I'm here to tell you. It's the. I'm serious. I got chill bumps on me right now.

I don't know how a man even thinks he can, he's up to the same level as a female. Because he ain't. You're a pansy. Y'all ain't no doubt. I ain't no doubt. I know, I'm a panse. We can pick 300 pounds up over our head, but we can't do what she's doing, which is way tougher. No chance.

And also, I can't pick up 300. Well, I'm just saying, you possess the ability to get strong enough to do that. I don't care what we could do. We couldn't ever do what these women are doing once they're pregnant and give birth. But it is, man, it's been a wild ride because she don't ever come off anesthesia well, period. I've been with her three surgeries now. And it ain't none of them fun. And this one was just as bad.

I was like, I'm sitting there looking at her, and her hands are like turning gray because she's shivering and the blood's like it's all going to her heart. I mean, I went in there and told them, I said, y'all take care of these kids. I can't do this alone. We got to fix her. Yeah, you ain't kidding. Like, we fixing her. Send these kids to that nursery over there. I done paid for it.

Take them to it. Like, I'm worried about mama right now. We'll get on them kids later. He got a strategy, Cy. Oh, hey. So we, uh. Oh, I'm with him on that. Oh, I'm talking about.

The best part was what the second night in the hospital. It was hilarious, not looking back on it. So the first day, we had both boys in the room. Everything's good, whatever. Second day, Whalen wakes up, spits up. It's not the color it's supposed to be. So nurse sees, well, thank God I just, I mentioned it in passing. I didn't know it wasn't the color it supposed to be.

I was like, oh, he spit up. Ha, ha, it's baby. And I told the nurse, and they were like, what color was it? And I said, well, I mean, here, it's on his little small. Waddle. I didn't have time. I didn't know that was coming. So I just wiped it on that and got him a new one. And she looked at it. She said, let me take him. We'll be right back. And I was like, uh-oh. Oh boy. And then she come back, when she come back, she didn't have him with her. I said, oh boy. And she said, we have decided to admit him to the NICU to see if we can figure out why he's

spitting up that color. And man, you want to talk about a wild range of emotions. Go from having both of you kids. Wow. One of them now is going that way. And then I will say, though, this is why I said anybody ever grabs about one as a pansy. Because when they had that kid in NICU and we just had Jackson, you won't talk about easy. Like, we was on easy street, son. Like, it was like, yeah. But that second night, because of all that, and then we had to go meet with the doctors and NICU, then, you know, saddest place on earth. Right there.

I'm trying not to tear up. Yeah. Same. I'll just say this I'm going to give you a second because my NICU story is much longer but that doesn't mean anything

because we're and it whenever Allison heard y'all had one at home and one in the NICU Alcy was in the NICU for three months and I also goes wow that's tough so like just having one there and man

emotions are going everywhere in the duck call room but like we were praying for y'all and I know that had to just be the ringer having one kid with you and then another one and just around, I know it's around the corner, but that's just Yeah, but you can't go when you want to, you can't do what you want to like. So we would go.

You can't do nothing about it. Yeah, we would go visit, you know, and then you had to go meet, then you had to go meet with a doctor who was great, Dr. Desolair. He was fantastic. Dr. Desolair! He was fantastic. He's a great guy. He was, but he goes through the whole thing with you of a worst case scenario.

He sits you down in what they call the library. and he gets out his little binder and he starts and I'm like oh God oh God because at that time we didn't know what was wrong with him like they still hadn't got to what was wrong with him and they're going to test for everything

on the sun and feel they're comfortable letting them go and he said the reason we brought you here first is we want to prepare you because when you go in there there's going to be wires going everywhere your baby looks very good your baby looks good but we got we got to find out what's wrong he's a spaniard so he's fantastic

That's why I know that's not a Spaniard accent, but whatever. Close as we can do. Yeah. So then we went through all that, went in there, and I mean, it was. It was just like gut-wrenching. And then I look around, though, because, you know, you ain't by themselves. There's five other kids in there, and I look, and I'm like, holy cow. And that's why those nurses were so funny because, I mean, and every parent, I'm sure, is different and whatever.

but I would literally go in there, see him, pray for him, leave. I couldn't camp out. Like, I didn't have it. I couldn't stay there. And I saw those parents in there holding their kids. I couldn't do it. I could not do it. Because I knew back in the room, I had a wife who couldn't get off her back because of the anesthesia.

There's also a kid in there. Jackson's in there. So I'm like, best thing I can do is get out of these people's way and let them work. I'm going to come down here. And we were literally taking like drops of colostrum so they could, because her milk hadn't done anything, they were early, you know,

trying to get it. And they put down a Q-tip and rubbing it on his lips and all that kind of stuff. But, man, it was, it was wild. So whenever, whenever we went to leave, it was so fun.

We were in there. He was in NICU for seven days. And, man, those people are great. Longest seven days of your life. Those last two were really long. Uh-huh.

The problem with him is he was hard to feed. And they want. wanted us, they wanted to train us how to feed him so that we would be confident when we got home. Like, so we wouldn't like get home and freak out and come right back up there. So they put us in a courtesy room. So by the way, the courtesy room, it is a courtesy because you're at the hospital, much smaller than the regular room. Like, like barely room for the very comfortable couch. I'm laughing because I've seen it. It's not, yeah. It's not. And, um, but, but, you. But, you. You know, Brittany was like, you sleep on the bed.

And I was like, oh, God, no, you had major certain. No, give me that stupid couch. But barely room for that, the crib with Jackson in it, because she didn't want to leave Jackson at home. And I get it, even though I tried to. I was like, look, we got grandparents, sisters, everything else can help. She's like, no, I want him here. I was like, okay, fair enough.

You did all this. I'm going to honor your request. Your way. Yeah. And so barely room for all three of us. And then, again, somebody had to stay and feed him. every three hours. Somebody had to go feed whaling every three hours.

It was just the most exhausting, 48 hours. Yeah. Because you're in the hospital. So you ain't getting no sleep. You ain't getting nothing. Like, it's just, man. Then when we went to leave, they said, do y'all have any questions? And I said, yeah, I got a question.

She said, what is? I said, can you keep him until he's 18? I said, because y'all seem to have a pretty good system down in here. And I don't know that we can repeat it once I get home. They all started dying and laughing. But everybody, man, if you're listening to this and you work in the NICU or know somebody in the NICU or are anyhow connected, y'all are the unsung heroes of labor, delivery, babies, hospitals. Because what y'all do?

Yeah. To work on a child, a new child, a newborn. And a lot of them are really small. Because I went through the same thing you did. Yeah. We're supposed to be seeing him, okay? and you hear the word cold blue. And then, hey, he's gone.

And the doctor comes out like two hours later and said, oh, I'm sorry, I had to operate on your son. Yeah. And I said, is he okay? And the doc said, oh, yeah. And I said, well, hey, don't apologize. Yeah, do what you got to do. I couldn't do nothing for him.

That's why I got the heck out of their way, man. Yeah, I'm like you. I stepped out of the way and just was just, you know. I'd always hang out in the hall talking to all the nurses. Like, it was, that's where I felt the most. comfortable was out in the hall with it. I was friends with all of them too. I can't do this anymore.

It was a funny thing with me. Christine comes walking out. And she said, we got a baby born. And I said, no, he hadn't. Your belly still. She said, yeah, but I was waiting on number two. I've had the job. And I said, well, you sure you ain't got another one in there?

Because, hey, you still look franklin. No, you know. Yeah, yeah. If there's two of them in there, they find it. I will say this. I asked one of the NICU nurses, and we know her. Well, some of us know her kind of. Grace is the wife of Bryant who used to work for us here.

And she was Waylon's nurse for a couple of days. I said, Grace, how do you do this? I don't understand. I said, I just don't. This is like the saddest place. And the most encouraging thing I heard during that whole deal is she said, I know God is sovereign. Wow.

She says, so whatever happens to these kids, kids? It's in his hands. I know where they end up. Yep. He's in his hands. Yep. Amen.

My sister, she lost a child. And she was going to quit nursing. And Mama talked to her and said, well, baby, if you're going to be in this field, every once in a while, you're going to lose one. That's just part of life. But when I heard her say that, I said, you know what? She's right. He got this.

Oh, yeah. Yep. Like, all we can do is pray. do our thing, let the doctors do their thing. And whatever happens happens, no matter how it turns out. But yeah, so far, my life, roughest seven days of my life. And I know it was only seven. And I've had a bunch of people on Instagram.

It doesn't matter. Reach out. But I've always said when your child goes to the NICU, and I don't care if it's seven days, if it's three months, if it's a day. Well, I can have a lot for something. And my, it's still, it's the same feeling because you love that child and it's unexplainable and it's your first one. It was my first one.

And you can't explain the feeling that you have of just wanting everything to be better and being totally out of control. And that's when you just, the faith we have is relying on God. But, and I'm so glad that you had that and I have that and some, I don't know how you do it without that. Yeah. But I don't, like, it doesn't matter how much time it is. It's the same feeling of just, you want your son.

or your daughter to just be with you and be better. And you've been planning this for months. And so it's like, it doesn't matter how long you're in there. If it's an hour scare, it's still the same feeling I had. Now, did I, or you had? Did some people go through it longer? I can, hey, I went to the New Orleans Children Hospital. I can show you parents that went out way longer than me.

And they would say the same thing. Like, it's not where you want to be to see the person that you can't explain why you love them so much. all of a sudden they're just yours. Yeah, that was a frightening thing when they started talking about transfer to Baton Rouge. I was like, oh, my goodness, here we go, son. Like, we're going to be living with one in a hotel or a hospital room, and then the other one's in there. I was like, well, okay.

Just figure it out. Here we go. Let's adapt and overcome, you know. That's what it is. And that's so. Thankfully, we got to bring him home. He's at home. And arguably, he was the most difficult child when we come home.

And he's getting to where he's the easiest. He's easy one now. And I'm like, he little rascal. And he looks just like his mama. Tennessee fan and odd for that, you know. But no, that's it. Let's take another break. We'll be back right after this.

Were you already a pro at changing diapers? No, I mean, I've done it. Yeah. Like, changing diapers, I don't know. It's not that hard. I mean, there's, we've had some bad experiences with one certain diaper. But I'm not going to, that may just be us. I don't know.

User error. Yeah, but the other ones are great, but there's one that keeps giving us fits. It's one that you wake up and you're like, why are you wet? I don't understand. We did the exact same thing with that when we've done with the other ones,

but I don't know. It may just be us not know. Maybe there's some fold or something. I don't know, but it's, no, the diaper changing ain't a big deal to me. Like, it's, I mean, somebody had to do it to me. Yeah.

You know, somebody had to change mine, so I'm not. I've changed the mini myself. Yeah, I'm not one of those. How about you, Sa, you changed a bunch of them. Couldn't do it. Couldn't do it. Couldn't do it? I'd make it worse than it already was.

Oh, it ain't that bad right now. What's weird is Jackson, the doctor made us, like, save all breast milk and all that stuff for Wayland, because he was a sick one. He was like, we need to keep him on mama. Mamas is better. Oh, yeah. Mama, everything. So he was like, look, the other baby can go on formula. He'll be fine.

He's right. He has been fine. And he's been on formula. But now, Brittany's producing enough where we're mixing in some breast milk with him too. But, like, that kid is so wild. His crap don't stink. That's a Martin for you. No.

But no, let me tell you, when that little rascal farts, it stinks. I don't know how the end product. Yeah, yeah. Don't match the gas. I'm like, I mean, when he's far, it, you're like, who? But then when he's got dirty diaper, you're like, well, this is just the only smell like nothing. You just pick him up and wipe his butt. Well, what I always got me, they would, you know, our kids would eat, and then it would look like seeds.

Oh, breast milk. Yeah. Yeah. It would look like seed. Yeah, somebody asked me and said, what's that like? I said, it looked like spicy brown mustard. That's what it reminds me. It had a yellow brown that's got them little seed-looking things.

Yeah, it looked like seeds. Yeah, I mean, I'm just like, yeah, it's whatever, man. I don't know. But, yeah, no, so that was the weird thing of having one on formula and one on breast milk. And looking at, I can't tell the difference. Well, hey, here's the difference I noticed. Formula, okay, when they spit up, it's horrible. Oh, yeah, that stuff stinks whenever before it goes down.

It gets out of breast milk. Uh-uh. No smell. Yeah, the breast milk is way better. I can just tell you right now. Y'all knew Brittany prior to this. 130, 140 pounds soaking wet. You know, just small-framed individual.

So the fact, I mean, to expect her to be able to pump out enough for two, man, that's a feat. So the fact, if we can keep one on and the other one just gets supplemented every once in a while, because what it does, the breast milk, like Jackson was fine, and then he got a little constipated from being on formula, which was just, you know, you ask all doctors all that. So, yeah, it's just the iron and, like, start cutting this formula if you can with breast milk a little bit. Or, worst case, water.

Like, just get him hydrated, make sure he's getting plenty of hydration and all that kind of stuff. So then we started cutting it with a little bit of breast milk, you know, 5, 10 milliliters, not much. And then it started flowing again. But, I mean, it's just wild that how much better mamas is, but that they're perfectly able to survive all. the other two. It's just, it's crazy to see the difference in the two. Like, it's just, and that the human body can produce that much. Oh, yeah. And she's, she's producing a lot. Still not, I mean, we want to make sure that we have a reserve for Whalen until we get a hundred and 10% clean bill of health, which we should know more. I think it's Wednesday. Once we meet with

a specialist and they do another scan to make sure that he has no tummy blockage. It doesn't seem like he does now. Yeah. But, you know, we're going to, we're going to do our due diligence on follow up and all that kind of stuff. So to make sure we're giving the boy everything he can get. But it's just so funny because you got one that looks just like her. When he come out, I said, and as Waylon, he's the oldest or whatever.

He's the old. He come out and I look, I said, dang, that's like looking at Britney. And then they pulled the other one out and I said, oh, that's like looking at. me i mean we got a clone of each of us and that's what's that's what's so wild like if you put them if you put them down beside each other right now you would be like those are twins like they don't even look yeah one looks like me one looks like her it's just crazy i thought it's i've told everybody said they're only twins because they were born at the same time other than that they look like two completely different individuals because wayland's long and thin and jackson i've been calling him sloth

because I mean, that's what he just overheard him big and burly and give me a bottle. That's right. Give me something to eat. Yeah, slow moving. Like, you know, he just, the only thing he moves fast is his head when you're trying to get that bib around him, which is the only time I truly get aggravated is trying to feed him. I'm like, if you don't stop. That's the most amazing part of watching him grow up. is to see the differences as they get older.

Yeah. Because it shocked me when my daughter, okay, who was a brain, okay, and beautiful. Still is. And you would think she wouldn't have cared nothing about kids or babies. Oh, no, wrong answer. She's a fantastic mother and loves it. Yeah, yeah. And just loves it.

That's what got me. Oh, to see the change in Brittany from going from husband and wife to now mother is unbelievable. Oh, no. I mean, and I tell her that all the time. I'm like, you're just, in 12 days, you're a completely different person. Oh, no, no, because I tell you, she was actually glowing when you're sitting in that seat. Yeah, she is Mama Bear 1,000. Don't you mess with them baby?

Yeah, or you'll get your head up. Yeah, but I need to, but I need some rest too. You know, it's kind of, it's a wild transformation that a woman makes going from just a woman to a mother. I mean, it's a crazy thing. And my being in the trenches of it right now, if you are at home, look, my heart's out to you because them women, man, them hormones is wild. Women are tough. And they are riding a dragon for this little bit that is not to be envied. You ain't kidding.

Well, let's take another break. We'll be back right after this. I don't know. It's just, you know, it's fun. It is truly the hardest thing I've ever done, though. This parenting, being a father, being... It's kind of like Star Trek. Uh-oh.

You have gone where no man has gone before. Yeah. And I mean that seriously. Oh, yeah. What are you talking about, side? Because you don't know what to do. Oh, yeah. Okay, and you're half responsible for bringing a new life into this world.

Yeah. Yeah, I asked them, you know, they make you watch the video that scares you to death on CPR and all that stuff where you leave there. And then I said, where's the instruction manual? Like, what do I do? Yeah, you are the instruction manual. Yeah, they were like, you're discharged. I was like, that's cool and all, but y'all ain't going to give me a test? Like, what to do in this?

You'd flunk it anyway. Yeah, I would. But it is amazing how quick you learn, like, just looking at them. Now I can make a pretty solid guess on what's why they're. making the racket they're making while they're crying or while they're yelling yeah and it ain't been but 12 days or if they're cooing or content and I'm like well okay I get it now like it's just it's amazing the instincts that pick up because I've been well well quoted as saying there's two things everybody sucks at that's marriage and parenthood because you ain't ever been either

and uh you got to learn yeah but the the funny thing is is our dog you know she was the only child so to speak for eight years and now when we brought the first because we come home separate obviously so when we brought the first one home she walked over there and she was like she just sniffed him then she went and laid back on her bed she was like ah whatever and then when he would make a racket she throw her head up and then she'd lay back down and then i remember when we were going to pick up wailing i said you ain't going to like what's coming for you now like this is yeah yeah you're all your world's really about to get rock so when we come home with the other one you could tell she was like well now do what i used to get up on the couch i used to run this place and now i just have to lay on my

bed or getting my kennel right now outnumbered yeah but i i can't wait till they get a little bit older i've been demoted i can't wait till the kids get a little bit older like when we can start you know leaving them on their belly a little bit longer and putting them on the floor and then i think once that happens the dog will be she already just goes and lays in front of them now like daring somebody that ain't us to come around there. And if she ain't laying there, she lays in the pinch point of where you would have to come from to get into there. Like, no matter which door,

there's one little area you'd have to come through in the living room to get there. And she's in front of them. And that's where she lays out there. She's in front of it. She's doing it without saying it of like, no, I got you. I got you back. But it is wild, man.

And it was so crazy to see, you know, my mom and Brittany's mom and dad and all them. Yeah, with the becoming grandparents again. Well, for her parents, these are their first two grandchildren. And for mine, my mom, this is her second two. Okay. You know, but my nieces are like seven and eight or eight and nine something. I don't remember. Everything runs together right now.

Yeah. So she ain't had one in a while either. So to see them grandparents, and I'm like, hey, yo, y'all got to stop now. Y'all got to quit. You all got to quit. No, they don't. Quit holding them things and put them down. I don't need them to have to be held to go to sleep.

Put them things over there and let them become a little independent thing for a minute. And that's one of them things we fought. And then, you know, Brittany's on the, it's RSV season, so don't kiss them, don't, you know, don't touch them around their face and all that for anybody not us. And it's funny because them grandparents try to sneak them one in. She's like, ah! And they look at me. I'm like, hey, she birthed them.

You listen to her. She makes the rules, son. She makes the rules. She carried them. She birthed them. them she makes the rules i'm just here to back her up so whatever she says she got my 110% support and you only two weeks in two weeks in 12 days good great yeah yeah it's uh have you have you have you i don't know if they finished with all of your house and everything but did you go around and

fix all the locks and not yet i haven't yet but um yeah it's uh there i mean my house is as done as it's going to get for the time being obviously but it got back extremely livable now there's just a few cosmetic things to work on and paint the outside. But other than that, it's their nursery's done and set up. And our bedroom, bathroom, closet, all that stuff got done. I mean, it's not organized. And as you can imagine, we were doing it the night before we went to the hospital still. But all the stuff is where it should be.

It's in the room it should be. It just, you know, we ain't got nothing on our walls. We ain't hung nothing up. Yeah, you can do that later. Yeah, it's survival at its finest. Absolutely. And just, you know, we still. There's just stuff we have to get that we ain't got yet.

So it's like just one thing at a time. Let's get this little first little stage through and then, you know. Get over the first. Yeah, let's crawl through this first deal. Well, you know what's weird is my wife, Alicia, you know, she didn't want to have kids. And now we got three. And she's glad she did. And she still is a great mother.

But at first she was like really not wanting to have them. Yeah. Well, that's always what Brittany. said like you know i we want them but you know i'm not sure and like it was going to be hard for her anyway she was always told her whole life like if you have one good luck you'll be put on bed rest because you won't be able to carry them and little we know she said watch this yeah she towed she towed her twins around for 37 weeks with little to no issue that's why i know my wife it took me a long time to convince her i know someone up there and he's above all of us

But I loved her as my wife, period. But the love and admiration you get for one when they become the mother of your child is, it's wild. It's done going to way four or five different steps. She is. She's always been on a pedestal. The difference is now I can't reach the pedestal. I used to think I could reach up there and touch it. Now I'm looking up here.

Yeah. Like, I mean, it's, it's, I mean, she's up walking around two days after having major surgery like, like, Like it ain't nobody's business, and she's already, she don't even look like she birthed two kids. And I'm like, I still look the same. This is a bunch of, well, other than the bags under my eyes, I still look the same. Hopefully you didn't do like signs say. Is there any more in there? No, I didn't.

No. No, when they popped them out, she was deflated. That was like, I mean, it was. Oh, she just, all she told me, Christian, and said, no, the doctor said I'd be swollen for a couple of days. But. And I said, I can't believe he done gave birth. At all seriousness, I don't know if anybody local much listens to our podcast or not, but the staff at St. Francis, my hat's off to you.

Y'all did a fantastic job, took care of us like, I mean, it felt like we were the only people there when I know we weren't because I got to know everybody on our hall. Y'all know I don't sit in space as well, so I got up and meandered, looking, talking, doing my thing. Not only that, Justin, but all the prayers and people texting and calling out. Absolutely. Absolutely. Whenever we were posting stuff and I mean the people that told their story to and like it just gives you encouragement makes you realize you're never alone in this world no matter no matter what you're going through. A, somebody's been through the exact same thing or B, somebody's been through something way worse. Right. Bible says it best. There's nothing new. Nothing new. It's new to you.

And you know. Maybe it's new to you, but it's been there before. Right. Somebody's gone through it. But with that whole situation, I said to say this, like you get into this point where if you watch what's on TV and everything, the world becomes a discouraging place. Yeah. But when something like this happens and the amount of people that reach out, pray for you, everything, you realize that crap they're saying on TV, ain't the way this world really is. I ain't really how it is.

No, people still loving one another. That's right. They loving their neighbor. Right. Loving God. and doing all the right things. And when you're in that spot where we were, that encouragement was priceless.

Well, I'm going to tell you something. I'm going to tell you something. It may not have been a baby in the NICU, but when people go through things that all of a sudden they don't have control of, you know, my wife had to have a lot of special tests and we had to go down to this a while back. But I walked in Justin's office just in tears.

I said, man, I need you to pray for me. you know, right now because I got to go pick her up and go. I'm not strong. And he stopped what he was doing. And he said, let's go to the Father and pray about it. And just having that support from all you guys and all of our friends and people from church, I mean, that, that was, it meant everything because at that time, I didn't have any answers, you know. And so people reaching out to you like that.

Yeah. I mean, it really helps, you know, and even sign when you were in the hospital. We had people calling and texting and sending flowers and. and well and even like the night before we went godwin and paula just show up at the house and i'm like what y'all do in here yeah and you know godwin was like well i just felt like we should come pray for y'all before you went so that's awesome you know that was uh that was super cool and then they brought you know after we got home they brought over a big thing of food and all that so i think godwin feels like there's nieces nephews of course he does quite yeah and paula's like whenever you need us to

keep them you just let us know i'm like Hey, I'm, don't say it if you don't mean it. Right now, right now we're running on E. Yeah. But, no, and then our neighbors have been really supportive and brought us dinner and all that kind of stuff. And, I mean, I've always said we had the best neighbors because we stay out everybody's business. You know, like, you know, we all, we all look out for each other, but we ain't a neighbor that, we ain't a neighborhood that has a block party. Yeah.

You know what I'm saying? Like, we look out for everybody's stuff, but we don't spend a lot of time together necessarily. And they just show up with food and, and, you know, it's. anything they can do and this, that, and other. You look up, they've hauled off your trash and everything else. So it's been wild, man. Our village has helped take care of us. And I know it's going to keep on because it's going to get even more important to hold

us accountable as parents and make sure we're raising these kids right way and all that kind of stuff. But it, uh, it's wild, man. Well, you're off to a good start. We, we're there. We, I just, I'm ready for a change. I'm ready. I'm ready.

Most people Would not say Hey, all things There's change Most people I like it I like the way it is Oh,

I'm a With kids No I'm a creature A habit But I don't like This habit I don't like

The one we're in now And the change It may get worse But I, you know I don't know It's just gonna be different Oh I really

I really Kids like you It's nothing new But it's gonna be new To you Yeah And Brittany Oh it's wild

Okay Well let's take our last break we'll be back johnny d'll be back so johnny i knew we were going to the nick you today and i was woke up not ready for it and i was like this is this is just what it is and well you're never going to get ready for what he just went through nope you can't there's nothing and that's why i didn't text you that much by the way also we're in segment five i had to cut out for a minute now i'm back but and we're still talking about what we talked about but that's why that's why i texted you because i said well if anybody knows

it's him well and i I also didn't, I was praying that you wouldn't get transferred. And I didn't want to put the whole like, well, when the helicopter comes to pick them up and they take them to the airport and then you got to chase them down to it. Like, I didn't want to put that as a possibility because I was just trusting in God like, it's a big kid. He's going to get through this. It's going to be weird couple days. But it's all going to be good. And we have a follow up with the doctor that we would have seen in Baton Rouge had we went on Wednesday of this week.

He comes up to Monroe like twice a month or something. And so they're just, he's going to look, make sure everything still looks fine. But I can tell you right now from the experience of changing however many diapers and feeding however many times, everything is flowing now. Everything's flowing. We have a, we have a definite entrance and a definite exit. I got peed on by a three-year-old while you were gone. So it did you.

I've been peed on. You're in for a long time. I've been peed on 17 times. Every time you run a sheep, Jackson, he start pissing. It don't matter. He just, whenever you unsheathe him I don't care what you do When he's like, oh, I feel good

He's, whew, shoo! Brittany said, let's get a heater And I said, don't make him comfortable. I said, it's hard to pee when you cold, just speaking from the experience. No, she got that heater right there by a changing table now, you uncorking me here. That happens.

But let's do the mailbag. I have something. Hey, I bet you he's going to be a firefighter. Well. He got a hose for it, son. Oh, I love this podcast. But this says Open ASAP. It's for Hunter, producer, care of Martin.

Is that unopened? Unopened. Yeah. Martin, that's a dangerous. Hey, Sa, while he's opening that, show us what's on your belt, by the way. Oh, okay. Oh, my word. I was hoping none of these boys would get mouthy.

Oh, Lord. Oh, boy. We don't have a microphone for this. I was hoping they were to get mouthy because I might have to pistol whip him like Dylan or put a bullet in him. He's got his pistol. He's got a Colt 45. He's got bullets. We've got wires.

He looks good. Y'all do a segment on that when I leave. We don't even know what's happening anymore. We just made this host her for me. We're all under weird doctor's schedules and things. What do we have here? This was just, Hunter, please make sure that these are open on the podcast. Thank you, number one fan.

I think it's Louise, Wolf, maybe. Louise? I like Louise. Congrats Martin and Brittany. It's actually kind of funny. So this would be Jackson's. Okay.

The finale. Because I can assure you, biologically, he is. The finale. Do you need Dr. Marks his number, by the way? I already have an appointment. Don't worry. The first board. Once we, that was one of the first.

probably five phone calls I made once we sprung the NICU and got home. I said, I need a schedule an appointment. See, now we'll give you advice, all the advice you want on that. It's a wonderful time. Yeah, but I got to wait for Brittany to get cleared from OB and all that after her surgery before I start. No, I ain't going that long. No, sir.

All right, while we opened this stuff. I opened it earlier, but this shirt was for me from DeWain from Six Lakes, Michigan. Something else you'd believe in, Sasquot. Uh-oh. No, I don't believe in him. I do. Now. No.

I believe him. Find a footprint. Unless he has a panther with him. Thank you for the shirt, Duane. Oh. Johnny Dee, what else in that? What? I got so much stuff.

I'm just, Martin, I'm happy to see you, first of all. Hey, I'm glad to be here. We're switching gears a little bit. I'm sure we're going to go through baby stuff for like the next few episodes. Oh, there's going to be funny stories, I'm sure. Because I love it. I mean, it's. And super happy for you for sure.

what do you want i have one specifically for you martin go ahead you like it because you're a biologist and you're smarter than the rest of us oh i don't know about that i would uh burdette from kentucky congrats to you martin here's the dilemma your baby's fresh very fresh like 12 days old fresh yeah he didn't even started peeling yet her baby 17 years old uh and she's got a dream of becoming a doctor and she's going to college uh biochemistry major oh oh that's a tough one um but that's what Her mom did as well. Bredette. So here's your question.

A lot of science in college gets hairy when it comes to religion. Uh-huh. So her question is this. How do I prepare my daughter to hold strong to her faith when I know she will face some of those same situations and challenges that she does? It's such a dilemma when you go into the world of... I fought that too when I was doing all my biology stuff.

But at the end of the day, what I come to realize is, is why can't science explain the Bible? Why do we have to see them in competition with one another? Or why do we think that because of this, then this couldn't have happened? Why? The number one to me is evolution. Why do we think that our God wouldn't give the ability to an animal to change if it need be? Do I believe that we come from a single-celled organism out of the water? No, do I believe that a frog that gets geographically isolated from the rest of his deal can morph and become into a different species of frog?

Absolutely, I do. There are, to me, there are ways that you use science to explain religion. They don't have to mean you pick one. I just, I don't believe that. I never have and I never will. When you do the research, science backs the Bible up. I feel that way as well. Yeah, I feel that way as well.

But there's a lot of people that don't feel that way. There's a lot of people that feel that... And especially in the colleges and stuff, it gets weird quick. There's a lot of people that believe that science disproves the Bible. But I don't understand why they can't work hand in hand with each other. Well, one question I got for all the brainiacs, okay, because I ain't very smart. Evolution, okay? If I came from a single-cell Omega, Omega X-N.

Why ain't that happening right now? Yeah, well, don't it continue to have? happen? Well, I don't it continue on. We should have seen some results from that. Yeah. Okay, and I always look at the duck pill platypus. He's a little thing that he can swim and breathe

water, and he can also just come out of the water and breathe there. He's a wild animal. He's cool. Okay, and nook, that throws all the theory of evolution out of the... It stops right there. Well, here's another thing. They can't explain where he come from.

Here's another thing, Sire. Who do you know that's a scientist or not, who do you know that's going to go and sit in front of a vacuumed out bottle and sit there and take notes? Nobody. Oh, what? On anything.

Because they know something doesn't come from nothing. So something doesn't come from nothing. There couldn't have been some kind of particles and it became a big bomb blast and all of a sudden you got, where'd that come from? You see what I'm saying? What started that?

Where'd that come from? That's that. You got to have something to blow up because I was 24 years in a life in the military. Trust me, I know about explosives. You got to have something to blow up. Homemade napalmose. So, hey, rule out the Big Bang theory. Where'd that come from?

The Bible says it this way. God spoke this universe into existence. I believe it. And hey, when I say it, I got, hey, because, hey, you're talking about a command voice. That's one, Jack. He really does have children. Oh, no. Hey, my hair is standing up.

Everywhere. That's awesome. Okay. But don't get on me on. Because, hey, I'm just saying, hey, science doesn't disprove the Bible. Yeah. You do the research, okay, and science is right there behind the Bible.

Yeah. Let it work hand and hand with one another. Let them both go. But she's going to be tested. It's going to be tough. It's going to be. Because there's going to be professors that want to impart their Well, here's what I say to their way of thinking on it.

I love you all. Just study what you got to study, pass the test. No, no. Hey, here's the deal. Teach it all. No, they ain't going to do that. Teach it all and then, hey, I'll decide what I believe. Oh, they ain't going to do that because that'd make us a free country.

No, I'm kidding. Whoa! They ain't interested in that. We're rolling here in the duck call a redden boy. Well, that's it. That's a great episode, huh? There you go. Martin.

That was fun. Yeah. I missed two of them, but I'm sure y'all had a great time with that. Oh, of course we did. That's going to happen. Why didn't it? But I do have a Bible verse to send us out of here. Martin, I know you're in just, you're probably, you don't even know what you're thinking right now, do you?

No, I, I tell you. Survival. But I mean. My only process is I now have to live so they can live. That's, that's, that's, like, I'm eating things that, A, I would never eat. And B, I'm like, man, that's pretty good. Then I look at it and I'm like, no, it wouldn't. No one.

No one. I mean, it's amazing. It's amazing how priorities change. You just, you grab what's available, you eat it, and you move on. That's why it always made me. Mom will say, I'll eat the chicken neck. Yeah, and you know why she did that. I'm going to tell you, because she sacrificed, so all you kids could get what you wanted.

We can eat. That way you could have the pulley bowl. Oh, no. Yeah. Oh, yeah. My favorite piece of chicken, the pulley bag. But I'll just say from seeing, and we hadn't got to hang out much and taught much, because we came in this episode hot and then our schedules are all nuts right now people

but especially the feeding schedules and sleeping schedules over at Martin House. But I can just see the things you've said and your face when you say them, those two boys are blessed to have a dad. Oh gosh, it's the emotional episode. I'm a man, I'm not going to cry today. It's okay to cry. I know it is. I've been crying for two and a half a week.

I don't think so. I've been crying for the last 30 minutes. It feels like. That's a bunch of bull that a man can't cry. You're exactly right. God gave us feelings. But I'm just, and it's okay to cry.

I'm just saying those two boys are blessed to have you as their father. And a mom. And yeah, for sure. And Britney is their mom and just going to train them up in the way they should go. And that's not even the verse I have. And when they get older, they will not depart from it.

Amen to that. But here's the verse. Amen to that. And here's another verse for y'all. Psalm 716. From birth, I have relied on you. You brought me.

forth from my mother's womb, I will ever praise you. We all think we're in control of this ball that's spinning around, and then something like the NICU happens, and you realize we got no control over nothing. Martin said it best. So let's just rely on the Lord. Martin said it best. God's got this, and hey, I like the way he worded it.

I knew you in the secret place. He knew the Martin boys when they was in the secret place, Jack. yeah yeah that's why he always stay with them is my wish that's me too sigh well thank you boys we'll see y'all next time we'll see what happens in the next before we record again i'll say if i have any funny stories of what they do or what they pee on or what's sure we'll go down some road yeah it's all good but we'll see y'all next time we're out