It seems almost surreal that two years has passed since my baby girls were born! What a miracle they are, and I am grateful everyday that they are here with us.
It was just 2 1/2 years ago that we decided to go ahead with IVF (invitro fertilization), after years of trying to have more children. Hundreds of shots, ultrasounds, doctor visits, and checkups later, Kate and Emma were born on April 27, 2006.
I can't imagine life without them---they are delightful girls, full of energy, laughter, mischief, and fun. I love being around them, singing and playing with them, and re-discovering things that I had forgotten about long ago. I love fixing them lunch, cutting their food into tiny pieces; I love pouring milk into sippy cups, and putting them into their carseats; I love getting them dressed and doing their hair everyday, and I love watching them take care of their "babies". I love seeing them play and interact with Ryan, dance around the room with Rick, and laugh at funny faces. Every day I thank my Father in Heaven for these two girls--they, along with Ryan and Rick, are my life.
This is me, the a few days before they were born. I was GIGANTIC! I measured about 50 centimeters around 34 weeks, which is around 16 weeks ahead.
.....
This is their birth story.
I had been going to the hospital for twice weekly non-stress tests since I was around 29 weeks. I had also been on moderate bedrest for this same length of time, and having fairly regular contractions, although nothing that would indicate I was in labor. The night before they were born, I was even more uncomfortable (if that was even possible)! I clearly remember waking up suddenly, feeling a very hard contraction, and feeling quite miserable for a few hours, but then finally falling back asleep. That morning I woke up, feeling okay, and headed off to my appointment at the hospital. It was a half day of school, so Rick was picking Ryan up and feeding him lunch until I could get home.
They hooked me up to all the monitors (two fetal heartrate monitors, and a contraction monitor), brought me my water, and I laid my head down to rest. When you have a non-stress test, you click this little button every time you feel the baby(ies) move. I remember clicking quite a bit that day, and feeling some contractions, but nothing unusual. The nurses were commenting on my edema, which had become quite severe. I was 34 weeks, 6 days, and I was just one day short of the 35 week minimum to stay at that hospital. It was a smaller, regional hospital, without a NICU, and so for moms of multiples, if you go into labor before that time, they send you by ambulance (if possible) to a larger hospital about 30 minutes away. I did not want to go there, and so that 35 weeks was a huge deadline for me.
About 15-20 minutes later, the nurse came to check on me. She glanced down at the monitor, and asked me if I was feeling anything. I was having contractions about every 8 minutes, and they were showing up fairly strong on the monitor. She quickly called the doctor, and within another 15 minutes she was there to check me. She determined that I was in labor, and asked for an ultrasound machine to be brought in. When you have twins, one of the factors that determines whether you can deliver on your own vs. a c-section is the position of the babies. If one of them is breech, especially Baby A, the risks are much higher and many doctors will go ahead and do a c-section. She needed to check the girls' positions, and figure out what would happen next.
She then asked me a funny question, and wondered if her 14 year old son could come in and watch the ultrasound! It was "take your child to work day", and he had come with her that day. I gave my consent, and she began. Quickly she realized that I would be having a c-section, since Baby A (Kate) was breech, and Emma was transverse (sideways). I will never forget her next words, and they sent me into shock: "We're going to go ahead and deliver you today, you're having those babies!"
Okay, so I knew it was a possibility, but there was something about actually hearing those words that sent me into a panic. All of a sudden, there was a flurry of activity. Once they know you need a c-section, and that they can’t let your labor progress, it’s all hands on deck. I had so many nurses prepping me for surgery, and doctors asking me for my consent that my head was spinning. I got an IV that started pumping fluids, and lovely blood pressure stocking that puffed air into my feet.
Meanwhile, I called Rick to let him know what was going on, and to make sure Ryan was set to go. His reaction was so funny, and he didn’t believe me at first. Even the nurses in the room could hear his reply…”WHAT????” Because Ryan is diabetic, we had already trained someone to take him in this exact circumstance, and Rick took him there and headed to the hospital. In the end, we were actually waiting for him to arrive, because they finished so quickly with their prep work.
He pulled on his scrubs, and they wheeled me down a very long hallway to the OR. Rick couldn’t come in with me until after my anesthesia was given, and I was ready for surgery, so we said goodbye at the door. I was so scared, and I remember just shaking and the nurse patting my hand. The anesthesiologist and his assistants were amazing, and so kind. They could tell I was scared, and I started to cry. They rubbed my hair, patted my hand, and talked me through getting the spinal, and all through the whole thing. It wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, and I was grateful for that. It was just like you see on tv, and the little blue cloth went across my chest so I couldn’t see anything. I wanted to ask if I could watch, but I knew they would say no.
Once they were set, they brought Rick in. He looked so pale, and I was so nervous he would pass out! One of the forms we had to sign was a waiver, just in case Rick got hurt if he fainted or something in the room. I thought that was a distinct possibility at that point! He came up by my head and held my hand, and they started the procedure. I didn’t feel pain, just pulling and tugging, plus a little pressure. Within a few minutes, Miss Kate was born, and they placed her on my chest. I just remember this overwhelming feeling of love and gratitude, and amazement. I still couldn’t believe she was mine, after all we had been through, and the amount of time we had waited. I cant’ even describe how happy I was, and there was even more to come! One minute later, Emma entered the world, and I got to look at her for just a few seconds before they whisked them away. They were just shy of 5 weeks early, and that still presented some risks since they were definitely premature. We were blessed here too, because they were 6 pounds 3 ounces (Kate) and 5 pounds 9 ounces (Emma) respectively. It was determined that they didn’t need to go to the NICU, just some oxygen. In the end, they were ready to leave before I was, and only were on oxygen for about a day.
When I got to finally see them again the next morning, I was literally overcome again with love and gratitude. We were at the end of a most incredible journey—such a long, hard road, but one that was infinitely worth every spent tear and heartache. I knew in that instant how blessed I was, and that my Father in Heaven had seen something I couldn’t have possibly seen or known. I had been given a miracle, and I thank Him every day.
At birth:
2 months:
4 months:
6 months:
8 months:
10 months:
12 months:
15 months:
18 months:
It was just 2 1/2 years ago that we decided to go ahead with IVF (invitro fertilization), after years of trying to have more children. Hundreds of shots, ultrasounds, doctor visits, and checkups later, Kate and Emma were born on April 27, 2006.
I can't imagine life without them---they are delightful girls, full of energy, laughter, mischief, and fun. I love being around them, singing and playing with them, and re-discovering things that I had forgotten about long ago. I love fixing them lunch, cutting their food into tiny pieces; I love pouring milk into sippy cups, and putting them into their carseats; I love getting them dressed and doing their hair everyday, and I love watching them take care of their "babies". I love seeing them play and interact with Ryan, dance around the room with Rick, and laugh at funny faces. Every day I thank my Father in Heaven for these two girls--they, along with Ryan and Rick, are my life.
This is me, the a few days before they were born. I was GIGANTIC! I measured about 50 centimeters around 34 weeks, which is around 16 weeks ahead.
.....
This is their birth story.
I had been going to the hospital for twice weekly non-stress tests since I was around 29 weeks. I had also been on moderate bedrest for this same length of time, and having fairly regular contractions, although nothing that would indicate I was in labor. The night before they were born, I was even more uncomfortable (if that was even possible)! I clearly remember waking up suddenly, feeling a very hard contraction, and feeling quite miserable for a few hours, but then finally falling back asleep. That morning I woke up, feeling okay, and headed off to my appointment at the hospital. It was a half day of school, so Rick was picking Ryan up and feeding him lunch until I could get home.
They hooked me up to all the monitors (two fetal heartrate monitors, and a contraction monitor), brought me my water, and I laid my head down to rest. When you have a non-stress test, you click this little button every time you feel the baby(ies) move. I remember clicking quite a bit that day, and feeling some contractions, but nothing unusual. The nurses were commenting on my edema, which had become quite severe. I was 34 weeks, 6 days, and I was just one day short of the 35 week minimum to stay at that hospital. It was a smaller, regional hospital, without a NICU, and so for moms of multiples, if you go into labor before that time, they send you by ambulance (if possible) to a larger hospital about 30 minutes away. I did not want to go there, and so that 35 weeks was a huge deadline for me.
About 15-20 minutes later, the nurse came to check on me. She glanced down at the monitor, and asked me if I was feeling anything. I was having contractions about every 8 minutes, and they were showing up fairly strong on the monitor. She quickly called the doctor, and within another 15 minutes she was there to check me. She determined that I was in labor, and asked for an ultrasound machine to be brought in. When you have twins, one of the factors that determines whether you can deliver on your own vs. a c-section is the position of the babies. If one of them is breech, especially Baby A, the risks are much higher and many doctors will go ahead and do a c-section. She needed to check the girls' positions, and figure out what would happen next.
She then asked me a funny question, and wondered if her 14 year old son could come in and watch the ultrasound! It was "take your child to work day", and he had come with her that day. I gave my consent, and she began. Quickly she realized that I would be having a c-section, since Baby A (Kate) was breech, and Emma was transverse (sideways). I will never forget her next words, and they sent me into shock: "We're going to go ahead and deliver you today, you're having those babies!"
Okay, so I knew it was a possibility, but there was something about actually hearing those words that sent me into a panic. All of a sudden, there was a flurry of activity. Once they know you need a c-section, and that they can’t let your labor progress, it’s all hands on deck. I had so many nurses prepping me for surgery, and doctors asking me for my consent that my head was spinning. I got an IV that started pumping fluids, and lovely blood pressure stocking that puffed air into my feet.
Meanwhile, I called Rick to let him know what was going on, and to make sure Ryan was set to go. His reaction was so funny, and he didn’t believe me at first. Even the nurses in the room could hear his reply…”WHAT????” Because Ryan is diabetic, we had already trained someone to take him in this exact circumstance, and Rick took him there and headed to the hospital. In the end, we were actually waiting for him to arrive, because they finished so quickly with their prep work.
He pulled on his scrubs, and they wheeled me down a very long hallway to the OR. Rick couldn’t come in with me until after my anesthesia was given, and I was ready for surgery, so we said goodbye at the door. I was so scared, and I remember just shaking and the nurse patting my hand. The anesthesiologist and his assistants were amazing, and so kind. They could tell I was scared, and I started to cry. They rubbed my hair, patted my hand, and talked me through getting the spinal, and all through the whole thing. It wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, and I was grateful for that. It was just like you see on tv, and the little blue cloth went across my chest so I couldn’t see anything. I wanted to ask if I could watch, but I knew they would say no.
Once they were set, they brought Rick in. He looked so pale, and I was so nervous he would pass out! One of the forms we had to sign was a waiver, just in case Rick got hurt if he fainted or something in the room. I thought that was a distinct possibility at that point! He came up by my head and held my hand, and they started the procedure. I didn’t feel pain, just pulling and tugging, plus a little pressure. Within a few minutes, Miss Kate was born, and they placed her on my chest. I just remember this overwhelming feeling of love and gratitude, and amazement. I still couldn’t believe she was mine, after all we had been through, and the amount of time we had waited. I cant’ even describe how happy I was, and there was even more to come! One minute later, Emma entered the world, and I got to look at her for just a few seconds before they whisked them away. They were just shy of 5 weeks early, and that still presented some risks since they were definitely premature. We were blessed here too, because they were 6 pounds 3 ounces (Kate) and 5 pounds 9 ounces (Emma) respectively. It was determined that they didn’t need to go to the NICU, just some oxygen. In the end, they were ready to leave before I was, and only were on oxygen for about a day.
When I got to finally see them again the next morning, I was literally overcome again with love and gratitude. We were at the end of a most incredible journey—such a long, hard road, but one that was infinitely worth every spent tear and heartache. I knew in that instant how blessed I was, and that my Father in Heaven had seen something I couldn’t have possibly seen or known. I had been given a miracle, and I thank Him every day.
At birth:
2 months:
4 months:
6 months:
8 months:
10 months:
12 months:
15 months:
18 months:
2 years:
Happy Birthday, baby girls!
Happy Birthday, baby girls!
