Maternity Photos

Maternity photos. I have to admit I was totally against these initially. I wasn't sure I wanted to remember myself growing this large. But, after chatting with my sister-in-law, she reminded me that I would never have these moments back and it would be something I would want to remember later in life. And on top of that, she offered to take them!

Hannah, said sister-in-law, is developing her photography business and is doing a fantastic job! I was so excited she offered to take my pictures.

Here's a sample:

Check out Southern Aire's Facebook page while the website is still being developed! She is currently booking fall sessions!

The Nursery

When we first found out we were having to girls, all I could thinking was "But I hate the color pink." (Ok that wasn't ALL I was thinking, but you know what I mean.) Pink, girly stuff has never been my thing, so I was/am not sure what I am going to do with these little girls.

When we began thinking about the nursery, neither of us really wanted anything pink. We also both really like the color gray. So we went with gray, yellow and white. Perfect!

Our families really helped out with the nursery. My mom got both Chris and I a crib for our birthdays! And Chris' aunt made the bedding and curtains. Here's a few pictures:

I really like the way everything turned out. The gray is calm and subtle, and the white and yellow add just the right brightness to the room. That chair is the most comfortable seat you ever put your tooshie on! It deserved a picture all to itself.

Chair - Ladies in Waiting
Cribs - Wayfair
Changing table - Wayfair
Lamp - Tuesday Morning
L & E letters - Hobby Lobby
Mirror - Target
Proverbs 31 - Etsy

One Month!

One month already?! I have barely written the post about their birth story and now I am writing an update about them being a month old? Oh my. They'll be graduating college tomorrow.

Lorelei:

Weight: 6 lbs 1 oz Growing girl! They didn't measure their length today, because we were there to just check up on weight. 

Hair and Eyes: Hair is getting lighter and lighter each day. Eyes are big and blue! Crossing my fingers they stay blue!

Diapers: This little bit is still in premie. We have one more pack and I think that will graduate after those are gone. 

Clothing:  We are wearing newborn clothes, but they are big on her. Premie clothes might fit better, but putting her head through that little bitty hole scares me. So we just wear newborns.

Favorite Things: tooting (Chris said this...) The swing :)

Likes: working her bottom lip, being held, swinging 

Dislikes: paci, not that she particularly dislikes it, but she doesn't really want it much; diaper changes and outfit changes

Eating: 2 ounces every three hours; and after today's appointment 3 ounces and dropping one feeding at night! 

Sleeping: Pretty good sleeper between feedings. Sleeps great during the day, we are working on nighttime. 

Milestones: Held her bottle during a feeding. I know it may have been a fluke, but it was still neat! Proof:

Eloise:

Weight:  6 lbs 11 oz.

Hair and Eyes: dark hair and big blue eyes. 

Diapers: Moved up to newborns a week or so ago. And she is filling those up just fine...

Clothing: She's been in newborn outfits since NICU like sister, but they actually fit her a bit better. 

Favorite Things: Paci! Looking around and taking everything in

Likes: loves her paci and being in her vibrating bouncer. I wouldn't say loves tummy time, but she tolerates it and can pick her head up and look side to side.

Dislikes: again, diaper and outfit changes

Eating: 2 ounces every three hours. 

Sleeping: Pretty good sleeper between feedings. Sleeps great during the day, we are working on nighttime. 

Milestones: Gaining weight like a champ and getting stronger each day!

Mom's thoughts: Wow. One month of having two little girls in our lives. Daily life definitely looks different, but I can hardly remember what it was like before. They are a handful, but We love them so much! I hope they know how much we love them and have prayed for them. I can't wait for them to continue to grow and experience all life has to offer!

Birth Story

No sooner than I start a new blog, I have a c-section 2 days later! I have lots of good posts and memories written to share, but I wanted to write L and E's birth story quickly, so I don't forget
anything!

Here's how my two precious angels were brought into this world:

Early in September I had scheduled September 22 as our c-section date with my OB. We'd go in as planned early that morning and meet our bambinos. That was the "plan"...

September 11 

I went to my regular OB appointment. While there my blood pressure was elevated. We took it three times and it was still a bit high. They made me lay on my side and took it one more time and it was back to a normal level. They told me to take it easy, but sent me on my way. 

September 16

I went to my high risk doctor appointment. Again, my blood pressure was high. Everything looked great with the babies, but there was still a little concern about my blood pressure, which had been perfect my entire pregnancy. The Doc ordered 24 hour urine collection - that was fun. This ended up being my last day of work. I went home and began my collections. 

September 17

I delivered said collections to the hospital at 10 a.m. and the waiting began. My blood work from the previous day was all good, but the real test was my protein count. The high risk doc was concerned about preeclampsia. Around 4 p.m. that afternoon the high risk nurse called and said they had spoken with my ob and we were going to go ahead and deliver either Thursday or Friday. I already had an appointment with my OB for Thursday, so she said we could just talk about it all then. Ok, sounds good. I text friends and family that it would be within the next two days.  About two minutes after I told everyone that, my OB nurse called and said well, we are just going to go ahead and deliver tomorrow (Thursday). TOMORROW! I re-informed the masses and began to process that we would have two baby girls in our life tomorrow!! Let me tell you, it is a surreal feeling to go to bed and know the next day you are giving birth. From that moment on the next few days felt like an out of body experience. 

Of course our bags had been packed for weeks, so there wasn't much left to do that evening except process what was about to happen. We did go for one last just-the-two-of-us date.

September 18
We woke up and got ready to go. Again, a very weird feeling to know you are leaving the house as a family of two and will come home a family of four. It was a quiet ride to the hospital. We listened to KLove and just soaked in the last moments of just two.

We arrived at the hospital took a quick picture and registered.

It was quiet on the Labor and Delivery floor. We were the 8 o'clock "follow up" surgery. So we just had to wait on the surgery before us to be completed. We got settled in our rooms. Soon my parents showed up and then Chris' family. We had a nice room and we all just hung out. Again, super weird. Just waiting around to birth some babies...

Around 9:30 nurses came in and hung my IV fluids and said we would be getting started soon. The anesthesiologist (Dr. P) came in and gave me the run down and next thing you know we were off to the O.R.

I remember being FREEZING cold going into the OR. Like pretty much shaking. As soon as I got my spinal and laid down, I was sweating. Dr. P put a warmed blanket on me and I had to ask him to take it off. A combination of nerves and not being able to move my legs (when my brain was telling them to move) really panicked me and I got hot! But soon after that Chris came in, held my hand and we were off!

The doctors and nurses work and move in a beautiful fashion. Each person knows what the other is doing without having to say anything to the other. It is also weird to be having this totally emotional and overwhelming experience of bringing life into the world, while the doc and nurses are talking about the latest sale at the mall. But you kind of just tune it all out. I focused on Chris and we held hands as they said here is Twin A and one minute later here is twin B. I just remember slow tears running down the side of my face as I heard their cries.

They were taken to a side room to get a quick look over and soon after Chris walked back in with Lorelei. She was so little and he placed her right on my chest. She was beautiful. She reached for my face and her little fingers were the first thing I got to kiss. Shortly after Eloise was brought in and placed on my other side. Again, she reached with her fingers and a kissed them. That is my real first memory with them. It will stay with me forever.

The NICU nurses were there and they decided they were pretty small and haven a little trouble breathing so they would be taken to NICU. Chris got to take them and be there when they met our families. I am sad I missed that, but the docs were sewing me up and I was returned to my room. Soon my mom came back in and showed me pictures of the girls.

My blood pressure remained high throughout the afternoon, but finally around 4 p.m. they wheeled me on my bed down to NICU so I could meet the girls. I was exhausted, but it was a sweet moment. I could reach across the bed and hold their little toes.

~~~
So that's their birth story in words. But pictures can tell a story that no words can do justice. We had our friend Ang, take pictures of the day. Something I never thought I would want, but I am so glad we did. The pictures far surpass any words I write.

Their birthdays were just the beginning of the story. They stayed in the NICU for 10 days. While we hated not being able to bring them home, we know it of course it was for the best. 

And now they are home and the real fun begins!