Monday, March 30, 2009

The Arrival of Lilah and Jaxon!


Our little angels have finally arrived AND ANGELS is putting it lightly. I know the time will come for them to terrorize me, like the almost 4 year old first born does, but for now, I am basking in the happiness they bring to our household.

For those of you who have yet to meet them or hear much about them, let me fill you in a bit. The morning of my induction I woke up about 4 am. I had to do the last chore on my "to do list". I scrubbed my hardwood floors on my hands and knees. HE HE....

Off to the hospital. Darren and I spent the last few moments on the way to the hospital talking about what this experience was going to be like. We discussed our fears, our excitements, and EVERYTHING in between. We stopped off at Chick-Fil-A for breakfast and then off to the hospital. We arrived about 7:20 am. They took me immediately up to the 13th floor. I was able to labor in a normal room, but being I was having twins, I had to deliver in an operating room.

After I got checked in, I was told that I was already contracting, 3 cm dilated, and 80% effaced. WHOA!

Dr. Swisher came in around 9:30 am. I was placed on pitocin around then. I had my epidural about 11:30 am. OUCH! The last time I got it, I didn't even know that the doctor had numbed me or inserted the epidural. Oh well, that pain is NOTHING compared to what I would have felt with labor pains.

At around 1:55 pm, I said to a nurse, "Ah something feels unusually weird down there. Sorta like pressure!" I was certain it was Lilah's head. My doctor hadn't checked me in quite a while so he came in immediately. He checked me and it was Lilah's head. They got me to the operating room, "set up", and ready to push within 2 minutes. Lilah came out within 3 minutes. I only pushed twice and my little peanut arrived. She weighed in at 4 pounds 7 ounces and 17.5 inches long. I am not an emotional person, but when I looked over at Darren and he was witnessing the birth, bouncing up and down and crying, I cried too. I thought that was insanely sweet.

Jaxon arrived 17 minutes later. Unfortunately, his heart rate was dipping every time I pushed, so Dr. Swisher had to use the "vacuum" to get him out. He weighed in at 5 pounds 7 ounces and 19.5 inches long.

As of now, things could not be MORE perfect. Daddy returns to work tomorrow, so let's see if reality sets in a little more tomorrow. The twins have a pretty tight schedule. They eat every three hours. SO... first feeding is 1 am, 4 am, 7 am, 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, and 7 pm. I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night.

Jax's personality:
Jaxon is so sweet. He sleeps all day until we wake him to feed him and change him. He has really big eyes and is very alert when he is awake. I have only heard him cry 3 times since he's been alive. We took him to the doctor today for his first check up. He was discharged at the hospital weighing in at 5 pounds 3 ounces. He has gained back all of his birth weight. He is slightly jaundice. He got pricked today and if his bilirubin comes back lower than desired, he will have to sleep with a bilirubin blanket for 48 hours. Just heard back from the nurse.... he's in the clear.
Lilah's personality:
Lilah is a little midget. She reminds me of a little old woman. She is quite the drama queen although I have to say I have only heard her cry maybe 5 times since she's been alive. She is on soy formula, but Dr. Delaney has requested that we take her off of that and put her on the same formula as Jax. He didn't think placing her on soy formula at such an early stage was necessary. She spits up quite a bit, but hey "Spit Happens".
Mommy is doing great. I feel like I could run a marathon. I didn't tear at all. As a matter of fact, I don't even feel like two babies came out of me. My right foot is pretty swollen, but Dr. Swisher said it may take 3 weeks for that to go away. My belly is odd looking. I look like I have a large cone shaped tumor inside of it. I pray this goes away quickly. Supposedly my uterus is just still very large. The only complaint I have is the pain I felt last night after my milk arrived. OUCH! I would rather have 50 kids than be engorged. I am using all of the methods to dry up my milk, EVEN CABBAGE LEAFS. It was funny, I was reading books to Ty and he said, "Who farted?" No one did, it was the cabbage leafs.
Daddy is an incredible help. I really have to pat him on the back. He has gotten up for every single feeding. He has been very helpful around the house and keeping up with entertaining Ty. I am so sad to see him return to work.
Tyson has been phenomenal with "[his] babies". He wakes up every single morning and runs to the crib they are sleeping in. He checks firs to insure they are in there. Once he realizes that they are, he runs back to his room, removes two stuffed animals from his bed, and puts one next to Lilah and one next to Jax. He is very germ focused. He knows to use the germ-ex constantly and than tries his best to refrain from kissing their lips. It's so tempting though.
Well, that's it in a nutshell. I plan to send out an ofoto album today or tomrrow of a few cute pictures we took on the first day they returned home. For now, enjoy one of each of them below. We would like to express a sincere thank you for all of you who have visited us in the hospital, those of you who have showered us with love, gifts, and YUMMY meals. Not having to cook is the biggest stress reliever EVER!
Love to ALL......
From Top to Bottom: Lilah and Jaxon with Mommy

Monday, March 23, 2009

Lilah and Jaxon's Final Doctor's Appointment At Physicians To Women

Wow!!!! It's so hard to believe this journey/pregnancy is almost over. At today's appointment we learned so much. Let me fill you in....
  • Lilah is now BIGGER than Jax
  • Lilah weighs 5 pounds 10 ounces
  • Jax weighs 5 pounds 5 ounces
  • Both babies are head down.
  • Mommy is 3 cm dilated
  • Mommy is 80% effaced
  • Being we are having twins, we will have to give birth in an operating room. No biggie, as long as the "operating tools" don't have to be used :) As many or most of you know, I want to have these babies naturally WITH an epidural of course.
  • There will be quite a staff in the delivery room. When having twins, you receive lots of extra TLC. My doctors stated, "There will be at least 7 of us in the operating room. 4 nurses, 2 doctors and 1 anesthesiologist at all times."
  • We will go in to be induced at 7:30 am on Wednesday, March 25th, but my doctor suspects that the babies will NOT be born until 8 pm or so.

Please continue to pray for us as we finish up this chapter of the novel. We are excited to meet Lilah and Jaxon, but cannot deny we have some anxiety from all of the unknowns. However, with all of the love and support we've been receiving we do feel we will definitely survive. Besides, the comfort of knowing we can lean on our Lord and Savior during this special time is the biggest stress reliever in the world!

We will keep you posted. We are on the home stretch now. Less than 36 hours to go. Roanoke Memorial Hospital has WiFi, so you know we will have our laptop there to update everyone on the details such as stats and pictures of the twinsies.

Just a little aside (a bit comical): Dr. Swisher did an internal today so he wasn't "surprised" when I walked in on Wednesday to be induced. I started to get undressed and Ty said, "Daddy, why is mommy getting naked?" Darren and I both just looked at each other and were like, ah..... We were not sure what the heck to say. When Dr. Swisher was ready to do the internal exam, I figured, rather than traumatizing Ty, I would send him and Darren out of the room. :) I think I would have scarred him for life. NO?

Thursday, March 19, 2009

A Trip Down Memory Lane




I stole this idea from a pregnant friend and I just had to copy it because it really brought back some memories of how much I've "grown". I cannot wait to get my body back to it's original shape. My feet are so swollen, my belly's big, and even my maternity clothes are not fitting me. As of this week, I decided to stop working out so I don't induce labor on myself. I just feel absolutely GROSS!
I included two photos of week 8 (Month 2) and two photos of week 36 (Month 9). As you can tell, I have a definitely grown and if you look really closely I have a few stretch marks, BOO HOO. I pray they go away, but if not, I will consider them "war wounds" from giving birth to two more children. I guess I should consider myself lucky and recognize that things could be a lot worse. Besides, it's all vanity and that's sinful.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Lilah and Jaxon May Come Earlier than Expected!

At today's Dr. visit, my doctor requested that I come back on Friday. Apparently Jax's amniotic fluid level is at a 6.9 (normal is between 5 - 20). Dr. Swisher didn't feel comfortable not seeing me before the weekend, so I will be heading to the doctor on Friday. If Jax's fluid level goes below a five then I will be admitted into the hospital on Friday and induced. Please keep us in your prayers. I prefer to have these babies on Wednesday, March 25th, the original induction date. It's not only what's best for the babies, but I was also really hoping to have ONE weekend left as a family of 3.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

LILAH and JAX are becoming POPULAR NAMES!

On a slow day, Darren dug deep into the internet and found this interesting LINK http://www.babynamefacts.com/popularnames/index.php which shows that the names Lilah and Jax are becoming increasingly popular. If you scroll down to the box that reads, "Top 10 Names Rising in Popularity", Lilah is #7 and Jax is #10. Another spelling for Lilah... LYLA has also been deemed as rising in popularity, but it is rated #10.

Just thought this was an interesting find. This happend to us when we named Tyson too. Maybe we need to go into the baby naming business. LOL!

Tyson Prepares to Meet Lilah and Jax!

If I've heard it once this week, I've heard it a 1,000 times: "Man Kristin, you have thought of everything!" I'd have to say I agree. I really have thought of everything. I think the nesting has something to do with it, but while I would like to blame it on the nesting, someone said to me the other day, "Aren't you always nesting?" HA HA, I loved that one. In all actuality, this is just who I am. It's in my blood. It's my character. It's the only way I know how to be. I'm grateful for this quality and although MANY or MOST of you think these twins will break me, I don't think it's possible. I may cut back here and there, but I cannot deviate from who I've been for the last 32 years. It's in my chemical makeup.

After hearing that the twins "picked out" something special for Ty, he too wanted to do the same for his little sister and little brother. So, we set out on a mission and here's what we came up with...

Lilah:
My sweet little sister, I bought you a basket full of PINK goodies:
1. A prayer doll like mine, only PINK. She recites the prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep." 2. A photo album with PINK baby booties on it to hold all those precious photos of you.
3. A book titled, "That's Not My Dolly". It's written by one of my favorite babyhood authors.
4. A PINK baby blanket.
5. A PINK onsie that says "Baby Sister" because that's what you are to me.
6. And finally, MY FAVORITE gift to you is a personalized, crystal beaded bracelet made
especially for you with a cross on it.





Lilah's first piece of jewelry

Jaxon:
My tough little brother, I brought you a basket full of BLUE goodies:
1. A prayer doll like mine, only yours works! He recites the prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep."
2. A photo album with BLUE baby booties on it to hold all those precious photos of you.
3. A book titled, "That's not my dragon". It's written by one of my favorite babyhood authors.
4. A BLUE baby blanket.
5. A BLUE onsie that reads, "Baby Brother" because that's what you are to me.
6. Your FIRST soccer ball. It's a stuffed one though so you don't get hurt.

Ty plans to bring these gifts to his brother and sister, when he first meets them, at the Hospital.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Lilah and Jax’s nursery is about 95% ready! Okay, well it’s ready for their arrival, but aesthetically it’s not ready. I’m not sure I will have the last few details complete before the twins arrive home and I figured it would be best to introduce their room before introducing them. After all, who will be interested in the nursery once they arrive, LOL!
Approximately one week after finding out we conceived twins, we hired someone locally to have a window seat installed in their nursery. We figured it will come in handy for the entire family. I can just picture all five of us sitting on it while reading bedtime stories. It will also be useful when we feed the twins. One baby/parent will have access to the glider while the other baby/parent will use the comfy window seat. The window seat has a double use. If you lift the seat up, it becomes a gigantic toy box or storage chest.

Darren and I decided to decorate the nursery in pink, blue, and brown. We purchased the crib “ensemble” at Restoration Hardware Baby & Child. It’s very classy yet extremely baby-like. This is also where we purchased Lilah and Jaxon’s name to hang above their cribs.

We are fortunate enough to have an interior designer as a family member. The weekend of my FIRST baby shower, Carlene helped me decide on the fabric and all the necessary details to help complete the look of the room. We chose fabric to recover the glider, to design a valance, window seat cushion & pillows, and finally a skirted table cloth/table topper. I hired a seamstress in Raleigh to produce the outcome. She did a fantastic job!

We bought each child their very own bookshelf. Tyson was kind enough to share all of his board books with his brother and sister, so we are well prepared to read to them when
they arrive.

Okay, so what is missing? Well, the BIG wall that the dresser is on is lacking something. We hired an artist to paint the Bible verse Jeremiah 1:5 on the way. We loved the verse, “Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you.” Unfortunately, I was totally dissatisfied in her work. I had her come back the next day and paint over it. I plan to order the same exact verse from
www.wisedecor.com, allowing it to look much more compact, professional, and clean looking. We will also hang some large photos of each child underneath the quote.
Oh yeah… be sure to check out the twinsies closet too! One side is filled with PINK clothing and the other side with BLUE clothing. Their closet looks FILLED, but it's really clothing from 0-24 months. You know, a girl especially, can never have enough hanging in her closet. LOL!

All of the pictures provide a good idea of what the nursery looks like, but it looks TEN times nicer in person. I do have an ofoto album of the nursery. If you're interested, let me know, I will send all of the above photos and OTHERS that I did NOT include in this post. You might be able to view the nursery better that way anyway.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Lilah and Jax are growing "BIG"

Okay, not really. In my opinion, they are still really TINY! Today's doctor appointment went "fantabulous" (as my dear friend Jill would say). All of my fluid levels are "perfect" per my doctor. The placentas are showing NO signs of decay. And I'm feeling fairly good despite being slightly on the tired side. To my surprise, they went ahead and checked the twins weight today. Lilah is weighing in at 4 pounds 1 ounce and Jax is 4 pounds 11 ounces. There is only a 13% variance in their weight. As long as I go into labor on my induction date of March 25th, my doctor thinks that they will be close to 5 pounds, if not 5 pounds. Still pretty tiny.

Their nursery is about 95% complete. We just have to hang the video monitor and get our artist to paint a saying on the main wall (which will be done by Wednesday of next week). Expect to see pictures soon. Their nursery is so classy and I am really impressed with the way it turned out.

Please pray for us over the next week or so. My doctor goes out of town from Wednesday to Sunday and I really hope these babies stay put until he returns.

Lilah and Jaxon prepare to meet their BIG Brother!!!

Front of Wheel Barrel Lilah and Jaxon are anxious to meet their BIG brother Tyson. In honor of their first visit with one another, the twins have "prepared" a wheel barrel full of surprises for Ty, but SHHHH, it's a secret, don't mention a word of it to him.

I felt that the transition may be slightly "easier" if Tyson is also showered with gifts and love from his soon-to-be brother and sister, making him feel extra special and hopefully convincing him to love them from the get go. He seems very excited about this pregnancy, but slowly I can sense some jealousy on his part. The other day I randomly said, "Are you ready to share your mommy with Lilah and Jaxon?" And he said, "No." And held onto me as tight as he could. In addition, he keeps insisting that he loves Lilah, but doesn't love Jax. I guess he looks at Jax as competition. I'm sure that's normal.

I have to say, as time gets closer and closer, I'm starting to get quite nervous about how Ty will handle all of the attention that the twins receive from family and friends visiting us in the hospital. To any and ALL of you who plan to stop by the hospital or the house, if possible, can you make a conscious effort to greet him FIRST? I hope that's not an odd or pushy request, but I want this experience to be happy and positive for us ALL. :)
Ty has also purchased several gifts for Lilah and Jaxon. Be on the look at for that post!
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