A Baptism and Sibling Weekend

Understandably, blogging has not been high on my priority list over the last few weeks. We are working on figuring out our new groove as a family of 6. Meaning I'm trying to find the best way to keep all 4 kids alive and fed without loosing my sanity. ;) Things are actually going really well so far, and I'm excited we're nearing the one month old mark and can hopefully start a loose schedule for Scarlett and Clark.

A few days after the babies were born, my siblings shared that they would be flying in to meet the babies and have a family weekend. We didn't see each other over the holidays, so it was a great surprise to find out that I would get to see them all. Since we were going to have family in town, and since we wanted my brother to be one of the babies' godparents, we decided to fit in Scarlett and Clark's baptism last weekend while everyone was here. My oldest sister and her husband weren't able to make the trip up, but we did get to spend a nice long weekend with them two weekends ago.

My younger brother and sister in law arrived to our house at 4am on Friday. Next were my sister, brother in law, and nephew. Finally my other brother and brother in law. It was a crazy busy, long weekend full of family, friends, food, football, and a baptism thrown in for good measure. Definitely a weekend I'll be reminiscing about for the foreseeable future. By Tuesday afternoon everyone was gone, and it was time to get back to life as usual, and naps. We definitely missed naps while we were playing and visiting.

We may only get to see each other a few times a year, but it's always a good time when my siblings can come together. Thank goodness for Skype, Facetime, and WhatsApp for the other 352 days a year we don't get to see each other.

Welcome to the World, Babies

Much to everyone's surprise, except mine, we made it to our scheduled c-section on December 28th. We had to be to the hospital bright and early at 5am. Since we had such an early call time, we dropped the kids and dogs off at their destinations for a little mini vacation. Rob and I were able to sneak out for our last prebabies date where we discussed baby names and ate way too much Italian food. We called it a night early and were home by 9. No surprise, I had a tough time sleeping, and 4am came around way too quickly.

I felt very nervous and not ready. I'm not sure if it was not ready for the babies or nerves about the c-section, but I definitely was uneasy about the fact that the big day was finally here. It all seemed very unreal to me. I do recall having the same feeling when we arrived to the hospital for my induction with H and B. 

By about 7:05, I was being wheeled to the OR. This experience was so much different than the first time. With the exception of briefly getting sick when my spinal was started, it was an enjoyable experience. I was able to talk to the doctors, nurses, and Rob. It was so laid back compared to our first delivery.

At 7:33 am Baby A was born. A little girl, still nameless, weighing in at 6lbs8oz and measuring 19.75" long. She got an 8 and a 9 on her APGARs and cried as soon as she came out. Baby B was not ready to come out, so they had to reposition and make a second attempt for his delivery. Baby boy was born at 7:35am, measuring 19" long and weighing in at a whopping 7lbs13oz. He was clearly stealing all of the food. He scored a 9 and a 9 on his APGARs. He cried for a good 3-4 minutes before settling down. He was not ready to come out.

As soon as I heard our daughter cry, every worry I had vanished. All the thoughts of "What were we thinking," and "How are we going to handle 4 kids under 4," went out the window. We had two new babies, and it was the best feeling ever. 

I was able to see both babies right away, and Rob was able to watch them get cleaned up and measured before holding them both in the OR while I got stitched up. Again, very different from our experience with H and B. I was wheeled back to recovery, where Rob, the babies, and I all stayed until we went back to our room an hour and a half later. 

Both babies took to nursing right away. Even though I nursed H and B for 21 months, it took me a little while to get the hang of handling a newborn and getting them latched. Thankfully the babies acted like seasoned professionals. Even though she nursed immediately after delivery, we had some issues with baby girl's blood sugar. They had to take her to the nursery to try and get her to take formula. She spit it up both times they tried feeding her, and soon enough we had the pediatrician in our room talking to us about the strong possibility of her going to NICU. Needless to say, we were pretty worried. Hearing that your 4 hour old baby may need to go to NICU and get an IV placed is not what any new parent wants to hear. Thankfully a NICU nurse suggested suctioning her throat to clear any mucus, so our nurse did that and brought her back to me so I could nurse her. That brought her levels back up to where they needed to be. They were still borderline over the next 24 hours, but both pediatricians said unless she became symptomatic, we didn't need to be concerned. Thank goodness!!

Aside from that hurdle, the rest of our stay was easy breezy. Harrison and Brooke came up to visit around lunchtime on Monday. They were both ready to hold the babies immediately. By this time we had decided on first names, so Brooke got to hold Scarlett and Harry held Clark. We offered for them to switch babies, but according to Harrison, "boys stay with boys." They've stayed mostly true to that statement when spending time with their siblings over the last few days. Brooke's first words to Scarlett were "I love you." She has continued to be the sweetest things with both babies. Both kids have been proving themselves to be the best big siblings.

After being interrupted ever hour or so on Monday night, we knew we wanted to get home as soon as possible. We mentioned wanting to get home as early as possible to one of the nurses, and she informed us that we could probably go home Wednesday morning. We thought we'd be staying until Thursday, so this was welcome news. Thankfully on Wednesday morning the babies and I both got the clear to go home, so we were out of there by 2:00 on Wednesday. 

The big kids and dogs got dropped off that evening, and one of our friends was kind enough to bring us dinner. It was great to be home. Rob was able to have the entire week off, so we've been spending lazy days on the couch watching movies and snuggling babies. We've also been taking full advantage of the bounce house that Santa brought H and B. 

Clark Warren and Scarlett Rose are now of their 7th day of life and they're doing great. We are already completely off of formula, fingers crossed, and they've had a couple 4-5 hour stretches of sleep at night. Mostly they're up every 2-3 hours though. They both hate diaper changes and love their Graco loungers. Scarlett has very petite features and slightly resembles her sister. Mostly though we aren't sure who she looks like yet. Clark has killer cheeks and looks identical to Harrison. We are so in love, and it seems silly to me that I was every worried about bringing these two home. 

Rob is back to work tomorrow, and the big kids are back to school and activities. I know life is going to change drastically come Monday, but for right now things are perfect. Welcome to the family Clark and Scarlett! You are both so loved and an absolute joy to have home! 

Christmas 2015

Our Christmas this year was quite a bit different than years past. Rob and I decided a few months ago that we would not be going to either of our parents' houses. We knew I'd either be ridiculously pregnant, or that we'd have teeny tiny newborns. As it turns out I'm still pregnant, yay, so we had our family come to us.

I wasn't sure we were going to be able to do Christmas Eve mass, but since I'm still feeling pretty good, we were able to make it to mass. I wasn't exactly able to stand or kneel as I should, sorry to the people behind us, but we made it through. And best of all, Rob was off work early enough to join us. 

By 7pm Harrison was asking to go to bed, so it was an early night for them. Brooke was right to sleep, but Harry was still up at 9:30 because he was "too excited for Santa." I managed to get to bed by 10:30, but then tossed and turned more than usual. I was just too excited for the morning with the kiddos.

My parents came over first thing in the morning, and then Rob's parents joined us later. The day was full of lots of excitement, outfit changes, and time spent in the new bounce house.  We are truly blessed and had a wonderful day.

By about 4pm, family was gone and we had already made the decision to skip naps. We knew the kids would be in bed at least an hour early, so we decided to spend the last hour of daylight playing in the hot tub. It was the kids and my first time in. Harry was asking to get in today, so I think they enjoyed it. 

Christmas is a truly magical day, and I love seeing the magic through my kids' eyes. I know the excitement of it all will last into the weeks ahead.  I hope all of you had a blessed holiday spent with loved ones, and I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

37 Weeks

How Far Along - 37 Weeks!! Full Term!

Babies' Size -  Both babies were measuring 6lbs7oz at our ultrasound on Friday. 

Total Weight Gain - This week has been another up and down week in the weight department thanks to swelling. This morning I was up 52, and I think that's pretty accurate. 

Gender - Boy and Girl!
Names - I think we know what their names will be, but I'm not feeling a big connection between the babies and their names. It will definitely be a post birth decision.  
Maternity Clothes - I'm glad I only have a week left, because even my maternity clothes are barely covering this belly.  
Cravings - Soup! It hasn't even been that cold here, but I'm all about soup. Chick Fil A's chicken tortilla is one of my faves right now. I also had a sushi craving this week, which was satisfied immediately. It will be nice when I have more than just a couple safe sushi options to choose from.  

Symptoms - Lots of swelling, pressure, round ligament pain, Braxton Hicks, and heartburn. The heartburn has been a real bitch this week. It doesn't matter what I eat, when I eat, or how much I eat, the heartburn is there. Pass the Tums and Zantac please!
Sleep - Still lots of tossing and turning, but I'm thankfully getting a decent amount of rest. I had one night that required a couple hours of upright sleeping, which I'm not a fan of. Although, I'm also not a fan of side sleeping. I can't wait to get back to sleeping on my stomach and back. 
Miss Anything - Energy. I am thankfully still feeling really good in the morning, but by lunchtime I'm pretty well spent. Thank goodness for kids that still nap. 
Stretch Marks - No new ones, but I definitely have them. 
Looking Forward To - Christmas! All of our shopping is done, presents are wrapped, and now we wait. I am so excited to have this last big holiday with Harrison and Brooke before the babies arrive. As excited as I am to meet the babies, I'm enjoying every last minute I can with my first babies. 
Best Moment This Week - Getting to enjoy a movie date with Rob today. Movie dates when I'm about to pop seem to be our thing. With H and B we went to see The Avengers a week and a half before they were born. Today it was Star Wars. I miraculously made it through the whole movie without needing a bathroom break. Impressive, I know. ;) Also, making it to 37 weeks is HUGE! 

Appointment Notes - All looked good on our ultrasound. There was a little confusion over fluid levels that had us freaked out until my OB talked to the u/s tech to clarify. We have another ultrasound tomorrow to make sure all looks good to hold out to the 28th. Mostly they'll just be checking fluid levels and positioning. I won't be seeing my OB tomorrow, and when I left my Friday appointment, she said I'll see you on the 28th. It's great to know she feels as confident as I do that we'll make it to our scheduled section. 

The Death of a Birth Plan

Long before I ever got pregnant, or even knew we would have trouble getting pregnant, I knew I was going to have an unmedicated home birth. When we first started trying, or not trying to avoid as it were, I watched The Business of Being Born. I then followed that up with lots of books and journals regarding birth. I became a major home birth advocate and knew our future baby would be born at home, or in the very least a birthing center.

Fast forward 5 years, and we were finally pregnant. I held onto the dream of a relaxing home birth during all of our fertility struggles. I was convinced I was still going to be able to have the birth I dreamed of, and then we found out it was twins. So much for the home birth I dreamed of. Yes there are women who home birth multiples, but it increased the risk enough I wasn't comfortable with it anymore.  

Thankfully my OB was on board with an unmedicated natural hospital birth. So that was the plan for 30 weeks. Then we found out I needed to be induced due to preeclampsia. My doctor was great about keeping things as natural as possible while still getting things moving. Pitocin was considered a last resort. 

I cried after that appointment as I drove home to get the house in order before our induction that night. I knew the statistics on induction and natural birth, and I knew the odds were no longer in my favor. Less than 24 hours after my doctors appointment, Harrison and Brooke were born via c-section. While their birth wasn't at all what I planned or hoped for, it was what was necessary, and we all came out healthy on the other end. 

We knew we wanted more kids, and I knew I wanted a VBAC, so we waited almost 2 years before our FET. The longer after your c section, the higher chance of a successful natural delivery. I knew an HBAC was out of the question after my delivery with H and B, so I again planned for a natural hospital delivery. 

At 7 weeks we found out it was twins again, and I was told immediately I was crazy for considering a twin VBAC. I was still laying on the ultrasound table being told I shouldn't even consider a twin VBAC. If I wasn't already crying, I was as soon as I heard that. 

My OB was more optimistic, but still was in favor of a repeat c-section. She was willing to try a natural birth if everything was going smoothly, which it thankfully is. Almost 37 weeks, no health issues this go round, two head down babies. The things natural twin births are made of.  

I started doing a little research, and it didn't take long for me to make a decision. I discussed it with Robbie, and he was very much for a scheduled c-section. By that time, I was too. It took me a while to come to terms with it, but by 20 weeks we knew we would be having a scheduled repeat c-section. We discussed dates, which is totally weird to me to plan the day your babies will arrive, and decided that after Christmas was best. 

For almost 5 weeks now we have know that December 28th is our babies' eviction day, and I've prayed every day that we make it that far. We have to arrive at the hospital at 5am for a 7:30 c-section. I still haven't packed my bag, because I'm convinced we will make it to our scheduled date.  

Life has a way of throwing curves your way. While I never dreamed I'd be a c-section mama, I am and I'm ok with it.  I never dreamed I'd be the mom of two sets of twins, but here I am, about to welcome my second set in a week and a half. All of this to say it's ok that things didn't go how I planned. As important as my ideal birth was, it's not what matters anymore. My healthy children are. I was still able to exclusively breast feed, and make other natural choices for their life. Things that were as important to me as the birth I had planned. While their birth is about them, I realized that the plan I had was more about me, and that as long as they're healthy and safe, it's all that matters. Do I still wish I could have had the home birth that some of my friends were able to experience? Of course I do, but I am just as happy with the days spent in the hospital with H and B, and the days to come that I'll spend in the hospital with our still nameless new babies. 

Birthdays and Breakfast With Santa

I knew going into this weekend it was going to be a busy one. In true Jenn style I decided a weekend full of kid activities wasn't enough, and I decided to throw holiday baking into the mix too. I kind of regret that decision, but I did manage to get all of our treat making done in time to include goodies in the kids' teacher gifts, so it all worked out well. After my doctor's appointment Friday, the kids and I picked up all of the necessary ingredients for baking. We got to work after naps, and they were eager to help. They were great at crushing Oreos, dipping buckeyes, and watching Christmas movies when I needed them out of the way.

Saturday morning we went to Breakfast with Santa at the YMCA. We didn't get to sit down with the big buy, but there were plenty of other things to do. Like bounce houses. H and B remembered that there were bounces houses at last year's Breakfast with Santa, so they were asking about bouncing around before we even left the house. They also got to meet Elsa, play games, pet a reindeer, make a human snowman, and get their faces painted. I find most Elsas to be rather creepy, it's something about the hair, but this one wasn't too bad. Brooke ran right up to her and was super excited to meet her. My parents joined us for this, and it was nice to have an extra set of hands, or two as was the case, so they could watch the kids bounce while I patiently waited in line for 45 minutes so H and B could get their faces painted.

Next up was their bestie's birthday. Games, balloons, cookies. The usual things 5 year olds birthday parties consist of. Brooke won one of the games and when it came time to pick out her prize she chose a mini dart board over a princess crown and tiara. Way to throw me a curve ball, Princess Brooke. The church Sophie's dad attend was having a festival so we went to that after the party. It was essentially a gym full of bounce houses, which was great for the kids, but I was dying from the heat of 10,000 people packed into 5,000 square feet. I convinced the kids we should go to the park, thank goodness for 60 degrees in December, so we did that for a little bit before heading home.

The weather was so nice that all of the neighborhood kids were out playing in the culdesac when we got home. I got a chance to meet a few neighbors, the kids got to make a bunch of new friends, and we ended the night with all of the kids raiding our bubble and sidewalk chalk stash. No naps meant an early bedtime for them, and extra bake time for me.

Sunday morning it was more baking, and then we were off to our cousin Blake's 2nd birthday party. We were having a good time at Blake's party until a party favor mix up caused one of the most epic meltdowns I have ever seen. Harrison lost his shit. Like, I've never seen him so upset. We immediately took the kids home for naps and hoped for a better attitude after some rest.

Thankfully they were straight to sleep, and we were able to have a great evening full of Christmas light viewing. We stopped by Rob's parents to see their nutcracker collection and trees. Then it was off to dinner at one of our favorite Chinese restaurants. Next up was the big Santa and other lights downtown. Finally we drove through the Fantasy of Lights before calling it a night. We planned to do all of the light viewing after our Santa visit on Wednesday, but the stomach bug postponed it until Sunday, which I actually think worked out better.

36 Weeks

How Far Along - 36 Weeks 1 Day

Babies' Size - I'm guessing their size is right around 6 pounds. This week we will have a full ultrasound with measurements and a biophysical profile. I'm excited to see how they're measuring. 

Total Weight Gain - I was still at 49 pounds on Saturday. Sunday I was up 2, and today I was up another 2. Water weight? So somewhere between 49 and 53. Il be watching to see if it levels off or stays at 53.  

Gender - Boy and Girl!
Maternity Clothes - Still rotating the last few items in my closet that actually fit. Sweats, yoga pants, maternity jeans, and maternity shirts.
Cravings - None. I've been eating to eat, and not really because anything sounds great. We did have Chinese food from one of our favorite restaurants last night, and it did hit the spot. I 

Symptoms - Swelling is new just within the last 24-48 hours. The bones in my feet and my ankles are almost nonexistent. I'm really hoping that it's just the result of a busy weekend and that it will minimize a little bit.
Sleep - The cold that plagued me last week is gone, so sleep has been a little bit better. Tyson has been driving me freaking crazy at night. He is having a hard time adjusting to sleep in the new house, and I know me changing positions every hour or two doesn't help. Overall I can't complain though. I did have one night where I moved down to the couch because my hips were so sore, but otherwise I've been making it from 11-7 most nights without too many issues.
Miss Anything - Being able to keep a clean house. I know that's kind of a trivial thing, but not feeling up to house work is kind of driving me batty. The energy I do have is devoted to the kids, getting things ready for babies, and all things holiday. Cleaning has taken a back seat and I'm looking forward to having energy to clean again. Until then, I'll keep the house habitable, and the mop can take a back seat.
Stretch Marks - Yep! They're still less noticeable if my belly is fully moisturized, but there's no denying they're there.
Purchases - A few things for me. A robe and new slippers to pack in my hospital bag, which I still haven't packed. I know I need to, but I feel like as soon as I do it's a sign to the universe that I'm ready for the babies to show up.
Looking Forward To - This is Brooke and Harrison's last week of school and classes. I am excited to have a few mornings where we don't have to rush out the door, and we can meander around the house all morning. I'm sure we'll still get out and do things next week, even if it's just a quick Starbucks run, but it will be nice to have a week where our schedule isn't so busy.
Best Moment This Week - Making it through another week! At this point every day is a blessing. This pregnancy has been so different than with H and B. I'm convinced staying active is the difference. By this time last pregnancy, I was miserable, swollen, uncomfortable, and just plain over it. I was hoping every day would be the day I went into labor, and this go round, I'm hoping I don't. 

Appointment Notes - BP was 122/78. Still nice and low, and I'm beyond happy about that. We had another NST this week, and little man actually cooperated. Both babies had quite a few rises and falls in their heart rate which is what they like to see. Normal fluctuation and some movement. Our next two, last two, appointments are both ultrasound appointments, so this NST was our last.