Twin Update

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you might have seen a lot of these pictures, so I'm sorry:) But for those of you who haven't here are pictures and updates from the past 4 weeks {4 weeks?!?!? who the hell decided time can go this fast}

 

I already blogged about our first week together, but here were G & G’s stats that week:

{from first doctors visit}

Grayson:

5 pounds 7 ounces

 Greer:

5 pounds 12 ounces

 

At this appointment we were told to up their ounces of milk each feeding and that she wanted to see us back in a week. We were also to put them in indirect sunlight to help with their jaundice. Their bilirubin was only a 9 but they were just a tad yellow.

 

Week 2 (October 8-14)

{stats from 1 week old visit}

 Grayson:

5 pounds 9 ounces

 Greer:

5 pounds 12 ounces

 

At this visit they had each only gained 2 ounces. We were told they needed to be at their birth weight by the 2 week old visit. So she up’d their ounces again and changed them to eating every 2-2.5 hours, which ever they could handle. {but could Momma handle either of those?} Turns out none of us could. The boys would either not finish their bottle or toss their cookies after each one. So Adam and I decided to keep the ounces up but go back to feeding every 3 hours.

 

 

{2 week visit}

 

{newborn/family photoshoot}

 

 

Week 3 (October 15-21)

{stats from 2 week old visit}

 Grayson:

6 pounds 5.5 ounces {4% percentile}

19.5 inches long {10% percentile} (I think I messed this up. I held his head while they stretched him out and didn’t hold it up against that metal thing)

13.5 inches head circumference {7% percentile}

 Greer:

6 pounds 9 ounces {5% percentile}

18.75 inches long {2% percentile}

13.75 inches head circumference {12% percentile}

 WE DID IT!!!!!

We got the boys to their birth weights and then some! Whew! We were so excited and happy our boys were moving right along.

 

{first sink bath, surprisingly we both loved it}

{first game days at home}

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 4 (October 22-28)

{weight from Urgent Care visit}

 Grayson : 8 pounds 0.5 ounces

Greer: 8 pounds 5 ounces

This was the week I visited the ER for my bladder and kidney infection. It was a long, long week still trying to be a Mom and heal myself. In the midst of all my healing, the boys got a severe “diaper rash” (to me it looks like just raw skin) but the doctor’s office said since they were under a month they wanted to see them. The day I called they didn’t have any open times but after 5pm, our doctors office turns into an urgent care and the doctors take turns taking the evening shift (one of the reasons we chose this practice). So we went in and saw the doc there that night. She didn’t think it was anything but a little rash but put them on two creams to prevent any infection. We go back to the doctor tomorrow (Halloween) for the boys 1 month visit!

{trying out napping in our cribs}

 

 

 

{Mom trying to get the hang of "feed twins at same time" thing}

 {Mom gave Dad a hall pass to the Florida State game in Tallahassee, we kept her company}

{Practicing wearing baby}

 

Over the past 4 weeks we’ve had lots of family and friends in and out to see the boys. The amount of love and support we have received has been wonderful. We are so happy for those who were able to make it to see the boys in their first month of life!

We are looking forward to seeing a few more people and celebrating the holidays as a family of four.

Yay for my favorite time of the year!!!

Our First Week

*I'm so sorry I didn't keep my promise and blog every day last week. On Wednesday afternoon I got severe body aches and chills. I rested, drank some warm tea, but nothing seemed to help. Adam came home early and I got to taka full 2 hour nap. My symptoms were still the same when I wok up and my temperature was 103.6. I called my OB and she insisted I go to the emergency room. So I did. In tears. When would all of this stop? Adam stayed home with the boys (wasn't about to take them there) and my brother met me at the ER to sit with me since I was so upset. I was there from 8:30pm -2 a.m. getting test run and an IV with fluids and antibiotics. Turns out I had an infection in my bladder and kidneys. PAINFUL. However, now I am feeling better and ready to talk about our first week with the boys*



The day we left the hospital, Amanda (my nurse that I became close with) wasn't working. But she picked up an afternoon shift and came and spent the morning with Adam, the boys and I and helped us get everything ready to leave. Have I mentioned how sweet she is? And they all are for that matter.

{our sweet nurse, Amanda}

Any who, after the boys were cleared for discharge and I was cleared, we got our things together and were wheeled out. At the time of our discharge, the lobby was getting retiled, so we were wheeled through the cafeteria, during lunch time. This should have been my first hint the rest of the day would be full of a comedy of errors.

{about to go home}



{getting wheeled out.  and another downside to a C-section, retention of all those fluids they pump into you}



We got outside and Amanda said " Boys, this is your first breath of real air." I teared up. ha! This was only my fourth breath of fresh air in five  weeks. We got the boys in their car seats, I hugged Amanda and another tech goodbye and got in the car. As soon as we pulled out of the parking lot, I started to cry, really cry. I hadn't been out in the real world in five weeks or in my own car. Everything looked different. I suddenly found myself wanting to go back. Back to my little room, where our little family was born and existed for the past four days and the last few weeks of my pregnancy was spent.  Strange, I know, but its what I had come to know.

{in our car seats}



When we got home Adam and I went inside to see Campbell before we bombarded her with the babies. She immediately ran to Adam. What the hell?! I hadn't seen her in five weeks, and she ran to Adam. Then after a few seconds she ran my direction and loved on me for a bit. Then, we took her into the garage and brought the boys out of the car for her to sniff. We had sent their first hospital hats home with my sister for her to smell and get used to (if you are pregnant and have a dog(s), when you deliver save that first hat to send home. The first hat has the babies scent and the yours on it) She was very curious with the boys.

A few hours later, I was in a lot of pain. I hadn't filled my prescriptions yet, and was starting to feel the effects of that mistake. Adam ran to the pharmacy and filled them so I could take them immediately. I was still in a fog. And in an amount of pain I never thought I'd ever experience. And my hormones... oh my! I was crying just looking at my little loves. I kept saying, I can't let anything happen to them. What if something does? what if something happens to me? I again, wanted to go back to our hospital room, where I knew everyone was safe. and GOD I was HOT.

That evening, I was still hot, I kept saying, is anyone else hot in here? No one was. Then around 8pm, everyone started to feel what I was feeling, hot! Sure as shit, our AC was out. I wanted to cry but didn't. We called our AC company, it was too late for them to come out. I looked at Adam and said "I will pay thousands of dollars right now for one of those emergency places to come out and fix it." So we had one come out. The fellow who came to fix it went to take a look at it. He came back in with this sad look on his face. He knew what was wrong but he couldn't get the part until 8 a.m. He looked down at the twins and said "I am so sorry."

So now we had to figure out what to do. Over my dead body was I taking two newborns (four days old) to a hotel. I wouldn't even take them now and they are almost a month! They weren't allowed around any other babies or children so friends here in town were out of the question. Only other option was to drive to my mom's in Orlando. At this point I still didn't cry. My maternal instincts must have kicked in and all I was focused on was getting my little some place cool and safe to sleep. So off to Orlando we went.

My sweet sister who had one more night with the babies had to say good-bye. She made coming home so easy and beautiful. I was so sad to not get to spend this one last night with her. She ended up at my brothers that night, but stayed back to shut down our house for us.



a little side note, since the boys were losing so much weight the pediatrician wanted to see them the next day in her office (Saturday) to get weights and measure their jaundice. That appointment was at 10 a.m. the next morning.

We got to my  mom's, got through our first night of sleeping and feeding.

{at CC's house}



{at CC's house}

And at 7:30 a.m. the next morning we got up, put the clothes we had on from the day before, got in the car and drove back. We got back with just enough time to drop off the dog and head to the pediatrician's office. We looked like white trash. I was still in the clothes I left the hospital in. The boys were in only onsies and socks and we looked like we hadn't slept in weeks. But this doctors visit turned out to be exactly what we needed. We asked our pediatrician all sorts of questions to make sure we were doing everything right. She was so encouraging and supportive and we left there feeling like we were making it:)

{first Doctors appointment with Dr. Hauser}







The rest of our first week was spent downstairs, as I wasn't allowed to use stairs for two weeks (I gave in after 7 days on the couch, my back couldn't handle it) We set up a little apartment downstairs and made our dining room table Baby Central. our next six days were spent snuggling the littles, learning our way through everything, sleepless nights, Adam bringing Campbell to the changing table more than twice, and both of us waking up between each feed thinking the other one fell asleep with a baby. It will be a week we never forget. We did it together, learned together, and built more and more respect for one another.

{snuggles with all 3 babies}



{first "washcloth" bath}



Our first few hours

Our first few hours together were filled with both of us saying over and over again "can you believe they were just in your/my belly?" "I can't believe they are here" "We are so lucky"

 

These two boys were miracle babies. We learned after talking to doctors days after their delivery, that most of them were very concerned and not overly confident that these boys would make it as long as they did or even make it at all. We were shocked. All of our doctors put on a great front and never showed this fear in front of us. We heard over and over again from our OB's and High Risk doctor how proud they were of us and the littles, we had all defied the odds. And for that we are grateful.

 

I didn't realize that my first night I wouldn't be able to do anything. That Adam would have change every diaper and get up with every noise. And that he did. He was my hero and an amazing first time Daddy to G&G. I was in awe of him.

 

 

 

The first night went something like this (again was not expecting all of this)

 

10:00pm - Our tech came in to give the boys a bath, they hated it, screamed and cried

12:00am - My nurse, Tracey, came in and took my bag of fluids out (but kept my IV line in, because, as I am just finding out, I lost more blood than I should have during surgery and they are waiting to get my tests back to make sure my platelet counts are up)

2:00am- They come in to assess the boys again and remove my IV line, since my tests came back good.

4:00am - Back again to remove my catheter and make me walk for the first time. I have never been in so much pain in my life as that walk across my room. 

6:00am - The nurses come to get the boys so the pediatrician can assess them

 

this was the start to our sleepless nights :)

 



The Twins Birth Story

The morning of October 1st, I woke up extremely calm. (I know, I was shocked myself) One of my favorite nurses was working and I was her patient that day (by request, of course). She changed out my IV, wheeled a stretcher in front of my room and we were off. I think I had gotten so used to taking things day by day minute by minute, that I couldn't even think 5 minutes ahead of myself. So I contribute that to my calmness (and don't worry that's all about to change)

Elevator ride down to Pre-Op

(Amanda, my nurse, took this picture and said we would be happy one day she did. And I am)

 

I, again, had been prepped by my nurses and doctors on exactly what to expect. So I felt extremely comfortable going into Pre-Op. Two of my OB's were to be in on my surgery, one for the babies and one to watch my previa. Dr. Perkins was to be the main surgeon and my beloved Dr. Young was to assist her. I had seen Dr. Young the most through my pregnancy. He always took the conservative approach with me and made me feel safe.

 

In pre-op, my vitals were taken, the babies were monitored, and I had to take all sorts of stuff to "settle" my body (some grape sour patch flavored drink, minus the sugar, yuck, to settle my stomach and the contents that remained in if any)

 

Dr. Perkins came to see me in Pre-op to say hello and let me know she'd see me inside.

Then the anesthesiologist came in to see me with his nurse. THey were both super sweet and explained to me exactly what was going to happen with my spinal block. 

*side note- up until the day before my surgery I thought I was just getting an epidural. But I was informed I would be getting a spinal block that would make my body numb and unable to move from my chest down. My anesthesiologist told me a spinal block felt about 10% of what my IV felt like. THANK GOD! I hated getting my IV's in and if this thing were to only be 10% of that pain, I could handle it. His nurse then informed me she was solely in charge of me and my comfort. She would sit behind my head the whole surgery and give me anything I needed. That also made me feel at ease.

 

The next thing I knew, another nurse was whisking Adam away to get scrubbed in and I was getting wheeled to the OR. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. My anxiety completely swept over me. From the ride in the OR hallway to entering the room. It wasn't anything like I was expecting. I'm not exactly sure what I was imagining, but this hallway and room were cold and white and all I could think was "are my babies really going to be born in this room?"

 

I decided at that moment to just close my eyes. My nurse sat me up on the edge of OR table and my anesthesiologist started small talk with me (what are the babies names going to be? were they spontaneous or IVF?   where Adam and I worked? how we met?) Then he stuck me in the back, as a clenched onto a pillow and nurses hand. I really wanted Adam and was terrified without him there. After the doc was done things moved really quickly. they spun me around, threw a curtain up and I immediately started shaking and couldn't breathe. I was given oxygen and my nurse that was in charge of my comfort kept telling me "as soon as the boys are out, I am going to give you what is equivalent to 2 glasses of wine in your IV to make you stop shaking and take the edge off." ummm... can I have that now please?

 

I heard Dr. Perkins and Dr. Young come in. Dr. Young came around the curtain and said " Good Morning? How are we? Ready to have these babies?" and in that moment I felt safe. A familiar face I knew had my best interest at heart. Someone that had put so much time into my pregnancy, was now there for the final outcome.

 

Then my sweet Adam came in, all scrubbed in. I looked at him and said "We are never doing this again." At that moment I knew why God gave me two at the same time.* Everyone says this will change and I'll forget all about it, but just wait until I get to the recovery portion of my story and then let's see how everyone feels!

 

The doctors immediately started my surgery once Adam was seated. The next five minutes felt like a lifetime. I kept saying " Dr. Young, are they okay? Am I okay? Am I bleeding out? (if I haven't mentioned it yet, this was my biggest fear, as I knew with twins and my previa there was a greater chance of this happening and that there was a blood transfusion team waiting in the wings for me.

 

In about 5 minutes, we heard the doctors say, here comes Baby A! And then we heard screams. Beautiful screams that we were hoping to hear to let us know their lungs were great and the steroids had worked. I heard Adam say "Baby, he looks just like you" and then they peeked him around curtain for me to see and then he was off to be assessed. Then one minute later I heard Dr. Young say, "Dad get your camera ready." and I thought there was no way Adam was going to look over that curtain... but sure as shit, he did. He stood right up, brave as ever and started snapping away. And I am so glad he did. He have wonderful pictures that the two of us will treasure forever. (I have made him swear we will be the only ones to see them, however) And then a second set of screams.

My nurse leaned down to me and said " here comes those two glasses of wine, momma." Then, I heard, "5 pounds, 15 ounces and 6 pounds 2 ounces, and great lungs, NO NICU!!!!" I was so happy. Elated. I couldn't breathe I was so happy. The boys were then brought over to us and we held them for the first time. This moment I felt so alive.

 

 Adam was then whisked off again to recovery with the boys and I would meet them there shortly. They finished stitching me up and then wheeled me to recovery. From the time Adam left, the rest of the day was blurry. Those two glasses of wine must have done the trick. I do remember parts of the rest of the day. Here is what I do remember:

Being wheeled into recovery

seeing the boys being cleaned up and assessed again

The boys being brought over to me

The nurses getting the boys to latch on

Amanda, nurse, coming down to see me

the nurses trying to get me to move my legs (which I couldn't do)

and then I remember being on the elevator going back to my floor and all my nurses greeting me when I got off (this brought tears to mine and Adam's eyes)

 

 

 

The rest of the day was spent staring at our boys. My mom, sister and brother were there and lots of assessments were done on myself and the boys. I couldn't move from my stomach down still but I held the babies all afternoon.

 

my three beautiful boys

 

 

See you back here tomorrow for our first night together and the start of recovery....

 

 

My last 2 weeks in the Hospital

As I sit here watching my two littles sleep, I am immediately drawn to how thankful I am for all my amazing doctors, nurses and my husband who got me through my last few weeks of pregnancy. It was full of all kinds of emotions and fears. It took a lot of talks and discussions from all three sources to get me calm for my surgery and bringing my two miracles into the world.

I sat in that hospital room thinking of everything. Mostly anything bad that could happen. And then I would make a doctor, a nurse or my husband tell me how unlikely these situations were. But my mind went "there" about 10 times a day. My doctors all said it was totally normal. I was in a small room for far too long and the only thing I had to do there was think.

 

I wish I would have known everything would have turned out fine and that I would be the happiest I'd ever been in my entire life. I wish I could have enjoyed those past 2 weeks. But that's my personality, the worrier.

 

My last 2 weeks in the hospital I spent getting all the information I could on what my C-section was going to be like, what recovery was like, how to take care of my babies, how to breastfeed, anything and everything, I tried to absorb. My nurses were simply amazing at educating me on anything and everything. I know I've said it before in past posts from the hospital but my nurses were wonderful. There are still times now when I wish I could go back to my little room and pick their brains and see their faces. Their faces brought a sense of calm to me. As a matter of fact, some of them have become my friends and check in on me weekly.

Here is a picture the night before my surgery of my belly (I was huge) :

(I'm actually wearing this same outfit right now as I type this. Only my maternity cami has turned into a nursing tank)

 

My mom and sister came into town Thursday September 26. They stayed at my house with the dog so Adam could come stay with me in the hospital the nights leading up to my surgery on Tuesday the 1st. They also sterilized bottles, washed baby clothes, made food, did my laundry and got my house baby ready. They were a huge help!

 

Adam and I spent 5 nights in the hospital talking about our past 7 years together, what are future looked like and fantasized about everything baby. We bonded over it all. Having him there with me at night made for a little less stressful few nights before my surgery.

 

Three nights before surgery I started getting REALLY anxious, like body shaking nervous. My nurses and doctors wanted me to take Xanex or Ambien to calm down and sleep, but I would take it. I know that a few days before delivery wouldn't harm the boys, but I still didn't want to take them. I hadn't taken ANYTHING medicine wise my whole pregnancy, and I wasn't about to give up now. (not that taking anything is bad, I just didn't want to. After losing my first pregnancy, I didn't want to do anything that may harm them)

 

The night before my surgery I felt like I had all my questions answered, still terrified, but a lot more calm than the previous nights. My nurse, Amanda (one of my faves and new friends) came in to put my IV in before her shift was up. She would be back in the morning to be with me my day of surgery. I needed her, and she was there before and the day of. My night nurse, Cindy (another fave), came in and out throughout the night switching out my IV's. I was not allowed to eat or drink after midnight, so the IV kept me hydrated. ( and would eventually make me swell for the first time in my pregnancy)

 

The next morning, all my nurses that had taken care of me, that were working that day, came in to give me hugs and kisses and tell me they couldn't wait to see the boys in a few short hours.

 

Then I was wheeled down to pre-op.... and then my (our) world changed.

 

 

 

 

They're Here, They're Here!!

Our sweet little boys arrived on October 1st 2013.

Grayson Gregory - 5 lbs. 15 oz. 19 inches - Born at 10:02 a.m.

Greer Jamieson - 6 lbs. 2 oz. 19 inches - Born at 10:03 a.m.

Both were heavy enough and had a set of lungs on them to avoid the NICU!

Sorry this post is late, I plan on setting up post each day next week to fill you all in on our first few weeks together.

We are so grateful for all the IG comments, e-mails and love from everyone!

See you here next week with lots of pictures and updates!

xxoo

-b