The Birthday of the Twins!

So, I went to the dr to have a check up on December 29th, 2008. I was very miserable and sick. My blood pressure was very high and I had a constant headache. They did a non-stress test on the babies and they were doing great. Due to the fact that I was showing signs of worsening preeclampsia the dr decided that it was time to take the babies so they would not be at risk. It was 11 am when he decided that we would do the c-section at 1230 pm. We headed to the hospital and before we knew it (we won't talk about my surgical experience...) we were the proud parents of the sweetest baby girl and boy! Calla cried right away a was doing ok. She did require some supplemental oxygen and a feeding tube. Carter took some encouragement and was a little unstable due to premature lungs. He required a cpap, oxygen, and they had him on IV nutrition through a line in the umbilical cord. I did not get to see them until 8 pm but Jamey took these pictures so I could see what was happening. Aunt Candi was there too to meet her new niece and nephew. They were finally here!

Christmas

Christmas 2008. Jamey's sister Candi was in town and we had a great visit with her. My family came and did all the cooking for christmas dinner which was awesome, we had steaks. I was almost 35 weeks pregnant and still on strict bedrest. I had to lay on the couch and watch christmas just evolve around me. Not my best holiday I have to say. This whole week I had to have someone with me all the time since I was only able to get to the bathroom and a shower. Nothing like being 30 years old with a babysitter. However I do appreciate all the help. Thanks Mom! Thanks Shelley!

The Month of the Hospital

December was a long month for us. At the start of the month we had an ultrasound that said the babies were doing great! They weighed in at around 4lb 6oz and 4lb 3oz. My blood pressure continued to rise and I started to have spill protein in my urine which meant preeclampsia. My doctor went ahead and gave me a set of steriod injections to help mature the babies lungs in case they have to come early. I was hospitalized on December 11th, 2008 for the preeclampsia and went into preterm labor that night. They were able to stop the contractions that night and they came and went a couple more times throughout my stay. I had some pretty severe electolyte imbalances as well. I was pretty sick but luckily the babies were doing great!

This picture was taken on December 13th, 2008. They had a monitor on each baby, one on the contractions, and heart monitors on me due to the electrolyte imbalance. Good news is that the medicine that they gave me to stop the pre term labor helped the preeclampsia as well. All my swelling went down and my blood pressure started to stabilize as long as I was laying down. I did have a rash from head to toe left over from a newly daignosed latex allergy but other than that I was feeling better overall. So on December 22nd they decided that I could go home on strict bed rest.

Growing, Growing, and Swelling

31 weeks here in this picture. Those really ugly things to the left are my feet at this point in my pregnancy. They were about twice the size as normal! I was measuring at 41 weeks for one baby. My blood pressure started to go up and man was I miserable. The babies were moving like crazy at this point and it seemed as if they responded to touch which was neat.

First Visit to the Hospital

The growing belly. This picture was taken at 26 1/2 weeks on October 31, 2008. The next weeekend was when all the fun started. On November 2, 2008 I spent the day in the hospital with contractions. They were Braxton-Hicks but coming too frequently, every 5 to 6 minutes. The kept me all day, they slowed down and I got to go home.

Tusk Turns Two

October 27th, 2008. Tusk turned Two Years Old! I made him a cake from a recipe I found online. They both loved it!

My Baby Shower

October 26, 2008. This was the day of my Baby Shower that my friends gave for me. It was hosted by Katy, Allison, Holly, and Michelle. It was at Michelle's house, which is right across the street. I had such a good time. I could not believe all of the great things that were given to the babies! We are truely blessed to have such amazing friends and family! Thanks to all who came!

October 22, 2008. The painting was finished. Their names are on the walls. The chair we ordered came in and on to putting the cribs together. Let me tell you that was no easy task. They came in a million pieces to be figured out. It was like a puzzle. The dogs kept coming in and out of the room sniffing everything and looking to us for an explaination. As you can see Blu finally had enough and went to sleep but Tusk kept pacing the room making sure that we were doing a good job. I was looking forward to getting the nursery all put together and everything put in its place. We had a lot of fun!

October 13th, 2008 was my shower at work.




It was a combination shower with a co-worker who was also expecting. She was a few weeks ahead of me and expecting a boy.

My co-workers were so very generous. I had a great time and got many great gifts for the babies!

My last day of work (per my doctor's request) was the friday before the shower. At this point in my pregnancy I was ready. I was 24 weeks pregnant but measuring the size of someone that is 35 week pregnant with just one baby. I was having lots of discomforts and swelling. The babies were moving all the time and we enjoyed watching my belly jump.

Then it was on to decorating the nursery! Calla Elizabeth (named after my great grandmother on my mom's side "Calla" and grandmother on my dad's side "Elizabeth") was to have her half of the room be pink.

And Carter James (named after none other than June "Carter" Cash and "James" passed down from daddy) was to have his half of the room blue.

The growing belly. 20 weeks pregnant with Twins (boy and girl).

September 2, 2008. This was the big day.



YEAH, YEAH, YEAH



BOY and GIRL!!!!!!!!



At first the Baby A was a little shy so the tech went on to Baby B which was not shy at all to show us that he was indeed a BOY! She finished what all else she had to look at (organ and such) and went back to Baby A and sure enough SHE let us know she was indeed a GIRL! "The happiest days of ours lives" just kept adding up at this point! We could not have been happier. Not only did God bless us with two babies to love, but to have one of each gender was just amazing! And to top it all off, the babies were perfect!

September 1, 2008. 18 weeks pregnant. Talk about fetal movement. On this day, for the first time, I felt one of the babies turn over. Until then it had been flutters for the most part but this was a big movement. I started giggling right away, it felt so weird. This giggling became my response to the movement I felt for the next several weeks.

August 19th, 2008. 16 weeks 4 days pregnant. Went to the dr on this day. At this point I was measuring 24 weeks which the dr said was right on target for twins. The babies heart beats were still great at 152 and 156.

This picture was taken August 4th, 2008. I was 14 weeks and 3 days pregnant. This was two days before I felt the movement for the first time. I had gone to visit my grandparents for the last time before the babies arrived. I was a little scared to travel with the pregnancy and all. As you can see my baby bump was getting bigger by the day.

July 20th, 12 weeks pregnant with Twins. The belly was starting to grow around 10 weeks and quickly took shape thereafter. At this point I was still very nauseated and it didnt help that it was hot as could be outside. I also was having a lot of round ligament pain, which is very normal although scary and annoying.

August 6th, 2008 I was sitting in a work meeting on the floor (I was the last to arrive with no seats left), and not really paying attention and all of a sudden I had the strangest feeling in my stomach about a half an inch below my belly button. It felt like a muscle spasm but a little lighter, lasted like 20 seconds. I thought, "I wonder what that was"...

And it hit me.... IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE BABIES!!!

Once I realized what it was I couldnt wait for it to happen again! It was amazing to think that I actually had two babies growing inside..... We couldnt wait to meet them!

After 3 years of praying, hoping, and waiting....

June 12 2008, we found out that we were expecting....

TWINS!!!!

We were even able to see their tiny hearts beating on this day. It was truely the best day thus far of our lives together. Good things come to those who wait, that is for sure!

In Oct/Nov of 2007 we had another addition to the family. Tusk had a little more energy that we could satisfy, so then came Blu. She was already four months old when we got her and quickly became Tusk's new best friend.

On christmas of 2006 we had the first addition to the family. I gave Jamey a puppy. He named him Tusk. And NO unfortunately he did not stay that little!

Jamey and I (Hilary) met in December of 2001 through our mutual good friend Brad Hedrick. We dated for 2 years and were engaged on the anniversary of the day we met. We were then married on June 25th, 2005 in Eureka Springs at the Crescent Hotel. Our wedding was wonderful. It was a very hot and humid day to get married outside, but the reception made up for it. We had a blast! The next week was spent on a cruise ship to mexico and then ending with a weekend in New Orleans. Then it was back to Fayetteville to start our lives together. In December of 2005 we bought our first house in Greenland and have lived here ever since. I am a registered nurse in long term care and Jamey is a senior sales associate at Honda of Fayetteville.