Thursday Oct. 31, 2013

Happy Halloween!!!

Mom's good friend hand knitted the pumpkin hats for the girls.  Mom and I tried to stage some good photos but the girls were not cooperating :(.  It is their first Halloween so I had to get some photos...even if they are screaming in most of them.  Gotta keep it real, right?

Adelyn posing for the camera

Clara and Adelyn in their Halloween outfits and orange binkies

Oct 13-18, 2013

Sunday Oct. 13, 2013  JAUNDICE LAB WORK

     Before we left the hospital , the girls were looking a little yellow, jaudiced.  The doctor wanted me to take my girls back to the doctor for some blood work.  We just got out of the hospital on Saturday and Sunday would be our first official "outing."  I have a double snap and go stroller so you can keep the girls in their car seats and just "secure" them onto the stroller without removing them from their hopeful slumber.
     Since my surgery, I was not allowed to lift anything over 10 pounds so I couldn't carry any of the car seats.  Mom and Lloyd loaded the girls into the car and Lloyd followed us in his truck since Mom's car was a little full.
  I hadn't gotten any sleep Saturday night.  The girls were hungry ALL the time.  I still wasn't able to breast feed so I had to pump every 3 hours which wasn't full when you have surround sound hunger screams going on...especially at 3 am. We had to be up at 7 am and we were ready to leave the house at 8:45.  It took 1.5 hours to shower, feed,
have breakfast, get the diaper bag ready and be out the door.  Success.
     At the doctor's the lab lady took blood from their heels.  Poor babies did NOT like that.  Their poor feet had had a lot of blood taken from them in the last couple days.  The results came back a couple days later and the girls did not have jaundice and all was well :).

Monday Oct. 14, 2013  FIRST DOCTOR APPOINTMENT

Adelyn

Clara

        Today the girls have their first official doctor's appt.  I chose Dr. Froelich from Group Health.  Lloyd was going to come over and help us get there but Rhonda called and said she didn't have to start work until later so she showed up at about 9:30 am.  She followed Mom and me to the doctor's and helped us lug everything in.  Dr. Froelich was very nice and I would recommend him to anyone.
      The girls got their weight checked:
                   Adelyn:  5 pounds. 11 oz  ( up only  .1oz since Oct. 11)
                   Clara:  5 pounds (up 1 oz since Oct. 11)
       The girls are slowly gaining weight but the key was that they were gaining.  Dr. said we turned a page and were on a good pace.  At least the girls weren't
losing anymore weight.  The appointment was fairly quick and Doctor wanted to see us again in 2 weeks.
         After the doctor's we said goodbye to Rhonda and headed to Target.  I needed a couple nursing bras and since we were already out of the house...why not.  The girls just slept the whole time anyway.  It was a good day.

Tuesday Oct. 14, 2013  LACTATION SPECIALIST APPOINTMENT


      Mom and I took the girls to Dad's office today for a visit.  After being stuck in the hospital for a week, I

was eager to get out of the house and amongst the living as much as possible.  It was a surprise visit and after a little protesting from Dad, Mom got him to hold both the girls.  He got a big smile on his face and the girls loved being held by him.  We only stayed for 20 minutes of so, just long enough to say hi to everyone.
        After Dad's visit, I had a lactation appointment at Providence.  The girls aren't able to breast feed so I wanted to find out what was going on.  It is funny because I had all these grandiose ideas about breast feeding both girls at the same time and life would be perfect. Not so much.  Judy, my nurse (who has the WORST body order in the whole world).  basically said that my nipples were too big for by small babies.  The cones I was using on the pump were too small so she gave me the right sized ones and she wanted me to continue to just pump and see what happens.  Besides being too big, the girls had nahed on them so much that they were raw and so sore.
      By being able to just pump, it would give my breasts time to heal....but I desperately missed that closeness and bonding time.
     I realize this might be too much information for some people but it is the reality that I am living and I am sure that I am NOT the only mother that has experienced what I am going through.  It is VERY disheartening to not be able to breast feed your child.  People ask how you are feeding your child, "Are you breast feeding," and when you reply, "no," I continue to find the need to follow it up with, "the girls aren't able to, but I am pumping so they are getting breast milk."  As if I am a horrible parent if I don't use breast milk.  Not only can my girls not breast feed at this point, not enough milk is being produced.  I have to supplement the little pumped milk I get with formula anyway just so my kids can get enough food.

Wednesday Oct 14, 2013  ONE WEEK OLD

 

   Today the girls are ONE WEEK OLD!!!  WOW how time flies. I cannot believe
they are already one week old.  It truly seems like just yesterday they were born and now they are one week old.  Aunt Mary Jane and Mary Anderson drove up today for a long visit.  I wanted to visit with them but they insisted that I go take a nap.  I was sound asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and the hour and half just flew by.
      Jill and Carter brought over dinner and we had a nice short visit.
     Adelyn had a lot of throw up tonight.  She was super restless all night and just wouldn't sleep.  She was frequently sneezing and crying.  My stomach was still hurting so bad and it was not easy to get up and down each time she cried.  The pumping and breast feeding stimulates my uterus to

contract and at this stage, the cramping is super painful.
     Along with the stomach cramping, my back hurts unbelievably bad and I am still bleeding a lot. (Again probably too much information but I am sure I am not the only one experiencing this).
     The girls are eating 2 oz every 2-3 hours.  They drink 1 oz of breast milk and 1 oz of formula
 

   For some reason (probably to make my life a little more challenging), the girls won't sleep in their bassinet.  Once I put them down, they just cry and cry and cry and cry and cry.  Eventually, I just take them out to the living room and put them in their swings and sleep on the couch.   Sleeping on the couch does not provide a quality night sleep let me just say.

     My starting weight (before I got pregnant) was 175 pounds.  At the end of my pregnancy I weighed 204 pounds.  I gained a total of 29 pounds.  As of 10/17/13 I weigh 178.  I am almost at my pre pregnancy weight :).

Friday Oct. 18, 2013   NEW BORN PICTURE DAY

   My appointment was at 10:30.  I figured that the girls needed to be in a milk coma for the pictures so that I would feed at 10 and then top off at 10:30 and that should be perfect.  Was it....of course not.
     Mom and I were dressed in our best black outfit.  I was excited to get a three generation picture.  The girls would be pictured in the buff for most of the pictures but I also brought their bonnets that Aunt Mary made and the blanket that she made 40 years ago.
    Once we got there, I fed them quickly but the girls just wouldn't settle

down.  Kayla, the photographer was great and very patient.  Obviously she has done this before.
     I brought 6 diapers (one for each hour for each kid we would be gone) and we went through five diapers within two hours.  Finally at one point, I leaned over to Mom and said we only had one diaper left.  Every time Kayla would take a diaper off to get a naked shot, we would have to re use the diaper (it wasn't "used") but it couldn't go to waste.
    At one point Mom was holding one of the girls in her arms, wrapped in the blanket and all of a sudden we see it raining down Mom's leg.  The baby was peeing all over Mom's clothes.  I quickly ran and got some paper towels to wipe her down but that was a memorable moment.  Karma must have heard me laughing because soon, while I was holding the other naked child, she peed TWICE all through my hand and shirt.  Kayla said to just power through it so we could get the shot.  OMG.   REALLY?!
     So after three hours, the girls were starving, Mom and I were soaked in pee and the girls had one diaper between the two of them left that was clean.  I'd say it was time to go home.  It was a great photo shoot and I am very glad that I did it but needless to say, I was exhausted.



   
           

Delivery Bag

When I had to change rooms, we had to pile
everything on the cart to help move

For you soon to be mothers out there....here is what I actually needed in the delivery bag.  Normally when I go on any trip, I tend to over pack.  I pack clothes that don't even leave my suitcase.  They fill up space that I desperately need on my home.  Why should packing to go to the hospital be any different.  As anyone that knows me will tell you, I am a planner.  I did my research and packed my delivery bag way back five weeks before I actually went to the hospital.  I would pack, unpack, pack, check one more time that I had everything, unpack and then repack again.

     Funny thing...I ended up over packing again.  Here is what I actually needed/used and what you can leave at home.
           Cell phone/charger
           slippers (they will want you up, and walking the halls after delivery.  Make sure your slippers have extra room because your feet will be swollen.  My were SUPER swollen and barely fit in my slippers.
           baby journal/pen (you will have a lot of time on your hands, plus you will want to write things down because you will not remember them later.  You will also want to keep track of feedings, bowl movements, etc and unless you write it down, you will just not remember.
            nursing bra for going home (didn't use it all until the day I left the hospital)
            loose pants for going home
            shirt for going home.  Something big, loose
            tooth brush, make up (didn't use it til went home.  Wanted to feel human again ), comb, small shampoo.  They give you an itty bitty shampoo but it sucks so if you want to take  a shower (which you will), bring your own shampoo
            change of underwear for going home.  (you won't need one for everyday while you are there.  The hospital gives you these mesh medical underwear and they are the best.  Use those.  Don't use your own.
            wallet/insurance card
           
            That's it.

            You don't need your own pjs.  As unflattering as they are, the hospital gowns worked the best for me.  You can get them dirty
(which they will!!) and the hospital will get you a new one, and the snaps on the shoulders work perfectly for IV's and later, breast feeding.  Your own pjs don't have easy access for all the cords and easy access for breast feeding so I suggest, just use the hospital gowns.
             You don't need your own pillow or blanket, unless you want it for sentimental reasons.  I brought both but my mom ending up using my pillow for her overnight bed and same thing for my blanket.  They became two more things to carry when we left that I really didn't need to have.
             You can bring a computer; I did but the internet didn't work on it and I just ended up using the internet on my phone.  An Ipad might be nice but again, I just used my phone.
              I brought books to read, but I ended up taking advantage of free cable.  Sometimes, I was so uncomfortable and there was no way I was going to be reading.  The TV helped distract me the best.
              Snacks.  I brought some snacks but they ended up being torturous.  I was put on Petocin and I couldn't have anything to eat while I was on the IV, which was 95 percent of the time I was there so looking at my snacks, that I couldn't eat, just made me irritated and hungry.
           

BABY BAG

     Bring:  A separate bag for the baby/babies.  
     Outfit:  make sure the outfit has legs.  The babies will need to be strapped into a car seat so gowns wouldn't work.
     Socks.  Baby socks might be nice if their feet are exposed.  You want to keep babies as warm as possible since going home will be their first outdoor experience
     thin/white paper (printer paper).  I wanted footprints to put in my scrap book so the nurses were awesome to do an extra set on my paper that I brought.  I am glad that I did that now that I am home.
   
     Don't need:  baby hat:  hospital will give you baby hats.  They are nothing special but they work.  My babies were preemie size and would have NEVER fit into the newborn hats that I have at home.  I still use the hats that the hospital gave them.
     receiving blankets.  The hospital will let you take the blankets they babies use there home.  They become quite sentimental after being at the hospital with them.
     diapers:  hospital will supply.  In fact, you get to take home whatever diapers you don't use :)
     wipes:  same as diapers
     burp clothes:  same as diapers and wipes

Hospital Stay

10/10/13  Day One

Well...the hard part was over :).  Now it was time to recover.  Early Thursday morning they had me sit up on the side of the bed.  I don't know if anyone else out there has had major abdominal surgery but sitting up a day after surgery is NOT a pain free experience.  I had a tumor/cist removed from my Fallopian tubes when I was 15 and they did the same thing.  I remember clearly that the pain was so bad that I passed out. My mom had to grab my hair as my head rolled back just to stabilize me.  That experience was fresh in my mind as they we going to re create it.

My stomach incision was super sore so they put me on pain meds to manage the pain.  The nurses wanted me to stand/walk as much as possible to help restart the digestive system.  My stomach hurt so bad that I couldn't stand completely straight.  I felt like an old man walking around.  Slow and steady.  I think the gas bubbles hurt worse than the incision though.

Despite the pain, I was able to breast feed both girls at once every 1-2 hours.  It was a very cool experience to have that skin on skin connection with my girls.  They both seemed to latch on easily and I was very hopeful that breast feeding was going to be a positive bonding experience.  I believe in breast feeding and I know how many nutrients and benefits come from breast milk.  It was very important to me that it was a success.

The day after they were born, the girls are SUPER alert.  Both Adelyn and Clara were looking around and

staring at everything around them.  Their eyes were soo big and they seemed to just be soaking in all the stimulants that encompassed their small little bodies.  My girls were perfect.  I am sure all new mothers say that, but mine are.  They are perfect.  They are beautiful and they are perfect.

I just couldn't stop staring at them and kissing them.  They have that "newborn smell" and it is so intoxicating.

 10/11/13  Day Two

Day two after birth.  Breast feeding is going well and I have started walking the halls.  I am trying to get at least five laps a day.  We had a little stress today.  The nurse came in and said that Clara had to do a "car seat test."  Since she was born underweight she had to be in a car seat and monitored for 90 minutes.  I think it stressed me out more than Clara.  She hadn't been alone since birth and she was usually hungry every 20 minutes or so, so I figured she would stress herself out and fail the test.  The nurse was great and got Clara a binki.  It was the first time Clara had ever had a binki and THANK GOD, she took it and liked it.
      The nurse took Clara away from me to a secluded room and stuck monitors on her.  Apparently they were monitoring her heart rate, oxygen level and some other thing.  I was able to visit her as much as I wanted (I'm sure they couldn't have stopped me) so I checked in every 30 minutes or so.  I got two thumbs up each time from the nurse.  My daughter was such a trooper! At this early stage, I was proud of her. I knew too that if she failed the test, she would have to stay at the hospital until she passed. We were all ready to go home, None of us wanted to stay another day.  Lucky me, Clara passed with flying colors (oh I knew she would!).  Glad to get the okay to check out soon!!!    
 I was pretty loopy when it was actually time to check out.  Since my pain tolerance seemed pretty high,
they gave me a strong pain med and I fell into a deep sleep.  Someone woke me up so we could leave but I felt pretty groggy.  I barely remember all the information being thrown at me and I just remember the nurses telling me that I HAD to make an appointment for a lactation specialist.  I tried explaining that the hospital breast feeding went well and yes I had an appointment on Monday and would get a referral then.  That didn't satisfy whichever nurse was there and she continued to press.  I finally made the point that I wasn't going to make any appointments and we moved on to checking out.  Why was it important to that lady for me to call for that appointment? Maybe she gets referral points for every appointment she makes.  Regardless, I left without making an appointment and did end up scheduling one with my doctor that Monday.
     On a side note, my daughters (I just love saying that..."my daughters") have very strong necks and limbs.  They are holding their heads up on their own and I practically arm wrestled each one about 20 minutes ago.  My daughters (:)) are brilliant :). Am I still on pain meds? (Ha)
      The girls lost weight after they were born.  Apparently that is normal.  Adelyn went from 6.2 down to 5.13 and bottomed at 5.10.  Clara went from 5.7 down to 5.1 and eventually 4.15.  The girls were too small for preemie diapers and the diapers kept comically falling off.  We were told there is a NICU size but the girls might have been too big for those.  So for the time being...we use the preemie size and fold down the front panel at the naval. Works fine.
     While at the hospital the girls had a series of other tests done to them.  There always seemed to be someone new in my room wanting to do some test on the girls.  They passed all the tests with flying colors however the blood tests were tough on the girls (& Grandma and me).  The nurse pricked a heel on each girl and had to fill a vial with blood.  Seemed to take forever. After the vial was full, they had to use a straw like tool to suck up the blood and dot circles on a test sheet.  Took forever and the girls were SCREAMING through the whole test.  It broke my heart to hear them screaming but I knew it had to be done.  I was so glad, as the girls were I am sure, when the test was done.  Their poor little feet :(

     I got to go home around 3 pm on Saturday.  The nurse wheeled me out and Lloyd and Mom carried my stuff and my two bundles of joy.  Since I had a C section I couldn't lift more than 10 pounds for at least the first 2 weeks.  I was sooo exhausted that I welcomed the chauffeured ride.  Mom got me home and we got the girls settled.  I was so tired and overwhelmed that I really don't remember too much about Saturday night.  I don't remember getting quality sleep because the girls were ALWAYS hungry.  Having a "schedule" was not in the cards for the first week of life.




Hospital Visitors

Cousin Jen Veeder Scott

Through out my stay at the hospital, I had a stream of wonderful people come to visit.  I put some of heir pictures in here to help me remember who came :). Sorry Cousin Mat, didn't get a good picture.

Tina Kinnard and Becca

Grandpa John

Kelly Ricketts and Cecilie Cappel

Rhonda Martin

Grandpa Lloyd

Auntie Alli and Cousin Mckenna

Jill Iversen and Shannon Luby

                                                  








10/12/13 Savior Mom


   I am so lucky to have my mom because she moved into my house for the first three weeks.  She packed a

suitcase and was going to sleep in my guest bedroom.  The first night home, I think we finally were able to get some sleep around 2 am or so.  Mom went into her room to get sleep.  I had a baby monitor next to the girls and Mom took the reciever so that she could hear when the girls were crying.  Shortly after we thought we were going to get some sleep, the girls started crying.  I called Mom's name several times and no answer.  I called "Sharon" a couple times, no answer.  I turned and repeated her name several times into the baby monitor and still no answer.  Finally I screamed her name and she came into my room.  She was so tired that she hadn't hear a thing.  After that experience, she started sleeping in my room with the girl's and me.  If we haven't learned anything from this experience, we learned that you have to have a sense of humor.  Mom and I laughed over that calling name experience for days.  In fact, I still get a chuckle when I remember it.

Adventure Has Begun

10/7/13

The adventure has officially begun!!!  My life has changed forever for the better and I am beyond blessed.  It was a long journey and someday I will share that journey but the short version is fine for the moment.  It took two years for my girls to get here and I know that God guided me the entire way and God gave me the girls he wanted me to have!

The adventure became even more real when I headed to the hospital at 5:15 am on October 7, 2013.  Lloyd and my mom picked me up at my house and helped loaded my bags into the car and off to the hospital we went.    My OB-GYN nurse told me to have a light breakfast because I wouldn't be allowed to eat once on IV.  I didn't realize how serious that would become.  Without knowing the future, I had a bowl of cereal and a muffin.  Enough to satisfy me for a couple hours....hardly enough to satisfy me over the eventual three days.

We checked into Providence Women's Pavilion 4th floor triage and got me checked into room 311.  I had no idea what the time frame of being induced would be.  I thought I would be admitted, induced, and by 3pm my girls would be here.  I was so sure that was the way it was going to happen that I even had people coming to visit me around 3 or later that day.

Finally around 8:30 am  the nurses put me on Petocin (which is the IV that induces labor).  Along with the IV, I had a heart monitor on my belly for each girl and a contraction monitor for me.  My contractions were about 2-3 minutes apart but I was only about 1.5 centimeters dilated and I was having no cervical changes. Frustrating.  

The nurses and on call doctors continued to check on me through out the day and basically there were no changes.  I texted my friends/family and told them not to bother coming to visit.  Unfortunately I didn't get a hold of Aunt Mary Jane in time.  She drove three hours to be there on Monday and arrived around 1pm.  Since I had no change, she and Uncle Dan drove home around 3.  I absolutely love that she would drive to be there with me but I felt bad that she drove up for no reason :(.

At 9:30 pm the nurses finally took me off the petocin.  The doctor was hoping if I was off the IV, then my body would self start and when I would be put back on the IV, my body would jump into gear....yeah right. 

At least by being off the Petocin I could have something to eat.  I was STARVING.  Through out the day, Mom and Lloyd would get lunch or whatever.  At dinner they even had a pizza.  I had them eat out in the waiting room because it was torture to smell the food much less not be able to eat it.  I was STARVING.  My nurse searched the floor for something for me to eat and found me some food.  I ate the best plain turkey sandwich I have ever eaten in my life.  You can't image how fabulous a boring turkey sandwich and a couple cookies taste when you haven't eaten for over 16 hours.  

  

10/8/13

I didn't sleep well.  My back was killing me and the nurses continued to come in throughout the night to check my vitals.  Hospital beds are NOT the most comfortable beds to sleep on. Mine was pretty rock hard and I think I had every pillow in the hospital propping me up somewhere.

The doctors tried some other methods to stimulate labor and I was able to have a normal breakfast.

At 9:30 am I was put back on Petocin and I was only dilated 2cm.  The day was pretty much uneventual and similar to the day before.  I went through several nurse shift changes and at 6:40pm the on call doctor decided to break my water.  That was the weirdest feeling ever.  It pretty much feels like you are peeing your pants with warm pee...and it doesn't stop.  You just keep peeing and peeing and you think you are done...nope...more pee. When they broke my water, that officially started my "labor".  I had no real cervical change but I was now in labor. 

I was pretty discouraged that anything was going to happen but then I started having some painful contractions.  My good friend Cecilie said that you will know you are having contractions when you can't talk through them....it was getting to that point.  The contractions felt like SUPER PAINFUL period pains.  At 7:40 pm, I had the doctors give me an epidural.  It took 20 minutes to get epidural put in and it was one of the most painful experiences. It was even more painful than my most painful contraction.  They have you sit on the sit of the bed and I had the nurse facing me.  The anesthesiologist put a needle into my back.  I have had several tattoos and I can endure pain...but this was way worse.  According to the doctor, the needle kept hitting my bone which is why I was feeling extreme waves of electricity.  I really can't even put into words how painful getting an epidural was.  Once they were done, things were fine.  I couldn't feel the needle in my back and it alleviated the contraction pain pretty quickly.  

10/9/13

Day three.  I am so discouraged that anything is going to happen.  They assured me that I wouldn't be sent home, that I would be having my girls today.    At 5:30 am they gave me a shot of Fentenal (sp?) and pretty quickly after that, I threw up.  I had nothing in my stomach so I was just drive heaving and I really hate the feeling of having to throw up.  But apparently it was a sign that changes were happening. My cervix was dilated to 6cm by 6:30 am.  YEAH...progress. 

At 12:30 pm I was holding strong at 8 cm dilated.

At 1 pm Aunt Mary Jane walked in :).  I was soooo surprised.  She didn't tell me she was coming back up and her, Uncle Dan, and Jim Howard drove up to be there with me.  She left to run errands but it was so nice knowing she was there.

At 4:15 the doctor wanted me to start some pushing.  Apparently my cervix was almost perfect for delivery but there was one thick spot that was holding everything up.  The doctor hoped that having me push, the could get Adelyn's head past the thick part and then the rest would be easy breezy (yeah...right).  My nurse at the time was Christi and she and my mom each held a leg while I pushed.  I was to push every time I had a contraction, which was every 3 minutes.  While I was pushing, I was to take a deep breath, breath out to the count of ten, take a quick inhale and repeat a total of 3 times.  Since I was on the epidural, I didn't feel much from the waist down.  I knew I was pushing but I couldn't feel anything.  It was hard to push because my face would become on fire.  Mom got me a cold wash cloth but nothing seem to help.  My face felt like it was going to explode.  It was not fun.  I had to  repeat that scenario for two hours.  Rhonda showed up toward the end so she even held my leg while I pushed.  Two hours of pushing and NOTHING changed.  NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING.  I was exhausted, hungry, and frustrated.  

The doctors determined that Adelyn's face was turned to the side and there was no way she was coming out vaginally.  I was going to have to have a C section.  Part of me was relieved that my girls would finally be here soon but part of me was nervous about having a major surgery.

The nurses got me all prepped and even got mom prepped.  They only allowed one person to be in the operating room and Mom was that person for me.  She has been there during every surgery I have ever had and there is just something comforting about having your mom hold your hand during something significant.  At 7pm they wheeled me back to the operating room.  

They gave me more of the epidural which made my body extremely itch.  I was only on the epidural and it wasn't strong enough.  I felt some of the surgery.  I definitely felt a pressure feeling but I also felt a lot of pain. At 7:30 pm Adelyn was born. I felt a weight loss when they took her out.  Mom went to take pictures of her so the anesthesiologist held my hand.  His name was Patrick and he was great.  He really took care of me and let me hold his hand through the pain.  At 7:32 Clara was born.

After they cleaned up Adelyn, they brought her over to me and laid her next to my face.  It was so surreal.  I was sooo happy to see my little girl.  Hearing her cry for the first time was so memorable.  Clara didn't breath right away and they had to put her on some oxygen.  She was fine in the end.

Adelyn was 6 pounds 2 oz; 19 inches long; O+ blood type

Clara was 5 pounds 7 oz; 19 inches long; O+ blood type

My two precious miracles were finally here and with me!  They wheeled me to the recovery room and cleaned up the girls.  Mom was on an ADD high and was so excited.  She got permission to take Adelyn out to the waiting room to show her off to my visitors.  Aunt Mary Jane was the only one that got to hold her.  It was about 9 pm and getting late for everyone.  Everyone left to go home except Lloyd, Kevin, and Rhonda.  The three of them came back to my room to see the girls for a little bit.

I still had the labor shakes pretty bad and was completely numb waist down so it was hard to concentrate on anyone besides my girls.

Overall I guess I got to experience almost every aspect of giving birth.  I spent three days being induced; 24 hours in labor; pushed for 2 hours; and had a C section.

My family!!!

A couple years ago I made the decision to become a single mom. Thanks to modern science, two years of hundreds of injections, medications, and emotional ups and downs, my dream will become a reality on Monday. I am beyond excited to meet my twin girls and start the next chapter in my life. Thank you beyond words to all my family and friends that have supported me throughout this journey. It has been a long road but this dream couldn't be a reality with out your unconditional support and love.