Houston and Gatlin - The Birth Story

Saturday, March 15th was the day Josh and I were going to put the final touches on "all things baby", i.e., pack bags, purchase last minute items, etc.  Harper was at Nana and the Govs, so Josh and I took advantage.  We went to Target, Kroger, and I got a pedicure and visited a friend who just had a baby.  Kim drove us to Vanderbilt to see our friend Jenn and in the parking garage, my back started hurting.  We {slowly} made our way to Jenn's room to meet baby Clayton.  The longer we stayed, the more my back began to bother me.  At my 34 week check-up (Thursday before), I was 2-3cm dilated and my doctor said to call with any contractions/back pain, etc.  So, I stepped out of Jenn's room and called the doctor.  She advised me to go get checked out at the hospital.  Kim, slightly freaking out, drove me to Baptist to be admitted to triage. 

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We decided to document my ride into the triage room.  Meanwhile, Josh was picking up Harper and she was running a fever.  I asked him to stay with her and my mom came to meet me in triage.  After a few hours, the back pain died down and I was sent home.  I was glad, b/c it was still early and I never go around to showering or packing my bags. Once I got home, I spent that night in bed with this pitiful face...

We spent much of the next day in bed.  I was swollen, uncomfortable, and worn out from the night before.  Harper was running a high fever (103) so she was pretty pitiful most of the day.  Josh and I rotated keeping an eye on her - until the back pain started.   

From 4-6, it was off and on and at 7, I started timing them.  The back pain is a little different from front contractions.  After an hour and half, I called the doctor.  The on call doctor told me there nothing I told him that gave him any indication I should stay home.  Thankfully, a few hours earlier, Josh threw a few things in a bag for the two of us and the boys.  We gathered up our stuff and loaded up the car.  We were half way to meeting my parents with a sick Harper, when Josh realized he left his wallet at home.  They met us at our house, we loaded up Harper, and sent her home with them.  Josh and I got back in the car and headed to Baptist.  At this point, it was almost an hour after I talked to the doctor and the back pain was now constant.  It hurt so bad, I cried a little on the way to the hospital.  I think the tears and me telling Josh it was like with Harper, it made him realize this might be it.  I had the same experience with her (on a Sunday and everything). 

We arrived at the waiting room (the night before St. Patricks day) and were checked into Triage.  We waited about 45 minutes before seeing the doctor.  The back pain was miserable.  Apparently, I am more sensitive to contractions in my back vs. my front.  They were coming hard and strong and I knew a c-section was in my immediate future.  After talking the on-call doctor, he said it was time to prep for a c-section.  We knew I would be having on with the boys.  I had a hard time laboring with Harper, that my doctor didn't want to risk it with twins.  At about 1130 pm, the prep team arrived and the process for surgery began. 

Josh snapped this picture of them wheeling me out of triage towards the OR. Having been through this before, I had an idea of how it would all go down.  The crazy thing is, with Harper, it was 11:35 on a Sunday night and I had her by 12:07 on Monday morning.  Well, just after midnight on Monday morning, baby A (Houston) arrived at 12:15 am and baby B (Gatlin) arrived at 12:17 am.  Gatlin was stuck up by my ribs with his face up and arm behind his back.  The doctor was having trouble getting him to turn head down (he was transverse), he eventually pulled him out by the hips.  

Baby A-Houston was 4lbs. 12oz. and 16 1/2" long. 

Baby B-Gatlin was 4lbs. 14 oz. and 18 1/4" long.
They were born 5 1/2 weeks early.
Poor Gatlin had a little bruising on his face and hand (right hand is purple) from his position in the womb.

They had the NICU staff ready to take the boys to the NICU.
First, Josh was able to take a few pictures and I was able to "Hold" them.

(Houston)

(Gatlin)
I was struggling with nausea and the shakes, so I didn't get to see them long. 

Josh went with our sons to the NICU and stayed with them while I was recovering in the OR and then my room.

(Houston)

(Gatlin)

Finally, just before 3 am, the boys were released from the NICU monitoring.  We couldn't believe that these two were released and able to go upstairs with us to the regular recovery floor and nursery. 

At 34 weeks, the lungs are a huge concern and they were both doing so well breathing on their own. 

I was still recovering from losing a lot of blood, having the shakes, and battling some nausea.  Eventually, things calmed down and we moved upstairs.  We all settled in around 5 am. 

(Gatlin left, Houston right)

These two boys are a blessing from God and miracle.  They are thriving for their size/age and we couldn't be more pleased.  

(Gatlin left, Houston right)

Our little St. Patrick's Day babies are the perfect addition to our family.  As Josh said to me in our room, I love that we are now a family of 5.  It was a whirlwind labor/delivery and cannot believe you are out in the world with us.

Gatlin and Houston-you are our miracles and we are so lucky and blessed to be your parents. We cannot wait to see what God had in store for you.

Happy Birthday!

28, eh, 29 Weeks

Well, the 28th week of this pregnancy flew by...so here I am, a week late, updating you at 29 weeks. 

Excuse the "face hiding", this was a selfie taken after a long day at work. 

On the left: 28 weeks pregnant with Harper.
On the right: 29 weeks pregnant with Gatlin and Houston. 

There is an obvious difference in my belly, but i feel the swelling is not as bad this time around...mainly b/c its 30 degrees outside, not the middle of summer!

Below is a comparison of questions from when I was 28 weeks with Harper (in pink) and 29 week with Gatlin and Houston (in blue). 

Baby's size? 28 cm and about 2 and 1/4 lbs
They were measuring 2.6 oz and 2.7 oz at my last ultrasound (28 weeks and 2 days). So right around the 50%. 

Weight Gain? The nurse doesn't tell me and I don't look or ask at the doctor.  Ignorance is bliss! Plus, I figure if my weight is an issue...they will tell me! :) The nurse didn't tell me and I didn't look. Based on the scale at my house, I have gained about 20 lbs.

Maternity clothes?
Mostly maternity a few of my regular tops and dresses.
All maternity except my leggings and yoga pants-those can ride low under the belly! :) 

Sleep?
Using the largest body pillow known to man!  Also, getting up more frequently to go to the bathroom.  I am a much lighter sleeper these days.
DITTO ^^ it's also getting harder to breathe.  i am having a little more reflux at night. oh and every now and then, i have a sweet angel toddler waking me in the middle of the night with night terrors.  

Foods I am loving?
Chocolate (as usual), Popsicles, and Cold Fruit
Chocolate, fruit, diet coke, pasta

Foods I am hating?
Not hating anything in particular...but not loving Asian Food or some meats.
Depends on the day.  But like above, some Asian food is hard. 

Best moment this month? Watching my stomach move.  It is such a crazy thing to see!  I also love that Josh and a few other friends have been able to see it move as well!  I just got a call my Glider is in!  I am excited to sit in that thing...b/c it is the most comfortable piece of furniture!  Two friends this week told me "I wear pregnancy well". Made my day!

My girlfriends threw me a little "sprinkle" at Chuys and we had a diaper dump at work.  it is certainly nice to be pampered a little.  At my last ultrasound (I get them every 4 weeks), we got to see the face of both boys and while measuring the body of one, we could see that the other was sitting on him.  boys will be boys! :)   We got to celebrate Sloan's 1st birthday in Charleston.  I was excited to take one last small trip before the babies come.  

Symptoms? 

Sore spot on my back...around my shoulder blade. I am constantly walking around my office trying to stretch it out. Also, a little foot keeps jabbing my ribs.  It's a bit painful, but also amazing!

I get out of breath easily. It is a little challenging to wrangle Harper.  I have the same spot on my back as I did before. My c-section scar itches like crazy. I also get a shooting pain in my upper right ribs and my right hand goes numb. fun times! 

What I'm looking forward to?
Josh possibly picking up the glider tonight! :)  Just all the exciting stuff that comes along with the last trimester.  It is so crazy to think I only have 84 days left until my due date.  A bit overwhelming when thinking about work and the fact that we will have an actual baby so soon...but it's also wonderful!
Josh is driving to Atlanta to look at mini-vans. My vain side is not excited, but my practical side is. I know that once these two arrive, we will really need more space.  I love my highlander now, but a van makes more sense.  I am also looking forward to getting our second crib and get the nursery ready.  

Milestones: 28 Weeks--Officially in the home stretch...3rd Trimester.

Update on Us, 24 Weeks

This week, I am officially 24 weeks. That means, over halfway there! The holidays really made this last month or so fly by!  I can't believe these little guys will be here before we know it.

I was looking back over my pregnancy with Harper and I wanted to compare (here I go, comparing my kids already) the information from then and now.  Harper is in pink and the boys answers are in blue.

Baby's size?
Just over a foot long and about 1 lb. 4 oz.
Baby A measured 1 lb 6 oz. and Baby B measure 1 lb. 7 oz (on 12/30).

Weight Gain?
No Clue-go to the Doctor later this week
17 lbs. I don't normally ask or look at the scale, but this time I was curious. I asked my doctor and she said she was very happy with my weight. *Sigh of Relief*

Maternity clothes?
Mostly maternity (thank you friends who have donated to the wardrobe), a few of my own empire waist tops and dresses.
Uh, Yes. Have been for a while now. 

Sleep?
So so. I am starting to get uncomfortable...but once I re-position, I am back to sleep!
Depends on the night. I take unisom/b6 for morning sickness, so the unisom helps. I can fall asleep pretty fast these days.  I have a body pillow that I just busted back out last night.  I sleep pretty well...unless Harper wakes up.  Lately, she has been having night terrors.  That keeps me up for 1-2 hours in the middle of night. Just depends. 

Foods I am loving?
I am back to eating most everything. I even cooked the other day! Chocolate is a favorite...but I have loved it for 29 years!
Umm...I seem to be able to eat more of a variety of foods than I remember eating with Harper.  A staple is Mexican!  Grapefruit often sounds good.  So does chocolate (see previous comment). 

Foods I am hating?
Asian food
I am doing ok with Asian food...but it makes me feel sick a few hours later or the next day. Probably all the soy sauce! :)  I am still not doing well with "at home steaks".  I have been that way since I was pregnant with Harper.  Everyday is different. 

Best moment this month?
Finally revealing the gender to my friends at my baby shower and settling on a name.  We are naming our little girl Harper Elizabeth.
Well, since its January 3rd...it's been a short month. I would say in the last 30 days, we have done a lot. We have celebrated mine/Josh's birthdays, Christmas, and spent time with family.  We also found out (12/2) that we are expecting two boys.  It's been a big couple of weeks.  Lots of great moments! 

Symptoms?
Sore spot on my back...around my shoulder blade.  I am constantly walking around my office trying to stretch it out.  Also, I cannot make it through a church service without crying.  It is usually the worship music and baptisms.  I am a basket case!
Just this week that same spot on my back is bothering me. Ugh! It's no fun. I am also out of breath much faster than I was with Harper.  I feel like I am already running out of room with these boys.  I had some hip issues when Harper was an infant, and just this week, it started bothering me again. Man, I'm old! :)

Gender?
A GIRL!
Two boys. 

What I'm looking forward to?
Having the nursery painted tomorrow!  We have one piece of furniture that we can move in once it is painted and the rest has been ordered.  I am excited to start getting the room all set up!
Wow, first of all, I can't believe I am a little ahead of my former pregnant self! haha. I am looking forward to figuring out Crib #2 (not sure which one to get), putting the final touches on the nursery, taking a trip to Charleston at the end of the month to celebrate Sloan's 1st birthday, and getting past the few weeks in between where Josh is traveling a lot. 

Milestones: 24 Weeks and Counting!

{24 weeks pregnant with Harper on the left.  24 weeks and 2 days pregnant with the boys on the left}

Birthday celebrations

Josh and I have December birthdays.  This year, each of our birthdays happened to fall on the day of our Christmas parties at work.  Thursday, December 5th, Bossy and Pawpaw took us to dinner to celebrate.
I didn't get a group picture, but I did get a good one of Harper enjoying the ice cream.

The next day, Josh came through with my traditional birthday breakfast, Cinnamon Rolls. We have been doing the Cinnamon Rolls in my family for as long as I can remember.  He and Harper brought me breakfast in bed ... just before work.

Harper told me she was going to "sit by mommy" at eat hers.

That night, Bossy picked up Harper and Josh and I headed downtown to the Hutton Hotel for my company Christmas party. 

We felt the boys needed to be represented in this picture!

The following week, we celebrated with Josh...yes, I am 8 days older. 

Harper spent the weekend with Grandmother, Memaw, Nana and the Gov. This was a quick pic before she departed. I surprised Josh with his present...and he was pumped.  

Beats Solo by Dre.  They are headphones that block out noise.  He was so excited about them that he was almost late to his Christmas party.  

We had a great time celebrating Josh at his Christmas party.  The next day, his family came over for a little birthday lunch.  

32 is not the most thrilling birthday in the world, but we enjoyed ourselves.

Happy Birthday to Us!

Fall Family Photoshoot

This past October we did a multi-purpose photo shoot with our friend/photographer Julie Pitta.  We wanted to do Harper's 2nd birthday pictures, a pregnancy announcement, and some Christmas pictures.  We loved the location and Harper was pretty good for the shoot...especially since it was Friday after school.  Julie was great to work with, along with her "assistant" Allie. Here are some of my favorites!

ONLY CHILD EXPIRING APRIL

Pregnancy Announcement

FAMILY PHOTOSHOOT/HARPER'S SECOND BIRTHDAY

{My favorite of the two of us} 

We also used this to announce that we are having twins. I love this picture. 

CHRISTMAS PICTURES

(I love this) 

And we are officially done with this photo shoot! 

Just practicing for twins!

{Harper & Allie}

Thank you for the amazing pictures Julie!

These pictures have captured several milestones for our family!