The Big Seven

It has been two weeks since Eli's birthday. It kind of just flew by me since we were in the hospital on his Birthday. I had actually had planned to write this entire post the day I was sent to the hospital when I got home. I guess I was not quick enough. Thankfully Anthony and I had the foresight to celebrate his birthday the Sunday before in case the babies came for some reason. 

Dear Eli,

I can't believe you are 7!! The day you were born was still such an incredible hard time for me, but  you have been the perfect oldest child to have. Every day Dad and I marvel at how responsible, helpful, smart, and caring you are. We get little glimpses of the man you will become and we feel so proud of you. 

This year for school you stuck to it and learned so much. I am so proud of how well you are reading and just understanding all of the things we learn. You may be a tad obsessed with Star Wars, but you still love to learn new things in school. You also have a knowledge of God and the Bible that some adults do not even have. It makes me happy. I love when you want to tell me knew things you have learned or thoughts you have come to about God.

You make my days easier because you are always so willing to help. You make me laugh even when you want to aggravate me. Your smile and silliness are such a wonderful addition to our family. I love you very much.

Love, Mom

7 years old

1. What is your favorite color?  blue
2. What is your favorite toy? Legos

3. What is your favorite fruit? pears
4. What is your favorite tv show? Star Wars
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut Butter Jelly Tacos
6. What is your favorite outfit?  Star Wars Shirt
7. What is your favorite game? Lego Star Wars
8. What is your favorite snack? Yogurt
9. What is your favorite animal? Elephants 
10. What is your favorite song?  Star Wars Music
11. What is your favorite book? Brickbeard Lego Book
12. Who is your best friend? Holden
13. What is your favorite cereal? Cinnamon Chex
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play Star Wars with his Stick
15. What is your favorite drink? Root Beer
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Blue Blanket
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Cereal
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pizza
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Police Officer

6 Years Old

1. What is your favorite color?  blue
2. What is your favorite toy? Legos

3. What is your favorite fruit? pears
4. What is your favorite tv show? Curious Crew 
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Corn Dogs
6. What is your favorite outfit?  Doesn't have one
7. What is your favorite game? Mario
8. What is your favorite snack? Ritz
9. What is your favorite animal? Elephants and Tigers
10. What is your favorite song? Veggie Tales Theme Song
11. What is your favorite book? Brickbeard Lego Book
12. Who is your best friend? Hayden
13. What is your favorite cereal? Oatmeal
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play at the Park
15. What is your favorite drink? Apple Juice
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Blue Blanket, Dinosaur, Dog
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Chili's
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Construction Worker that digs gold

5 Years Old

1. What is your favorite color?  blue
2. What is your favorite toy? play-doh

3. What is your favorite fruit? blueberries & grapes
4. What is your favorite tv show? Sid the Science Kid 
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut and Jelly Sandwhich
6. What is your favorite outfit? Robot Shirt and Jeans
7. What is your favorite game? Hungry Hungry Hippos
8. What is your favorite snack? yogurt
9. What is your favorite animal? Elephant &Dinosaurs
10. What is your favorite song? Veggie Tales Theme Song
11. What is your favorite book? Dinosaur Book 
12. Who is your best friend? Hayden
13. What is your favorite cereal? Cinnamon Chex
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Sandbox and Play in the Snow
15. What is your favorite drink? Almond Milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Blue Blanket, Dinosaur, Dog
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Homemade Gluten Free Blueberry Pancakes
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pizza
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Construction Worker

4 Years Old

1. What is your favorite color?  blue
2. What is your favorite toy? firetruck

3. What is your favorite fruit? grapes
4. What is your favorite tv show? Little Einsteins 
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut and Jelly Sandwhich
6. What is your favorite outfit? Spiderman
7. What is your favorite game? Marbles
8. What is your favorite snack? Watermelon
9. What is your favorite animal? Elephant
10. What is your favorite song? Veggie Tales Theme Song
11. What is your favorite book? Train
12. Who is your best friend? Colin
13. What is your favorite cereal? Raisin Bran
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Sandbox
15. What is your favorite drink? lemonade
16. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Blue Blanket
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pancakes
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A Dog

Three Years Old

1. What is your favorite color?  Red 
2. What is your favorite toy? Smart Cycle

3. What is your favorite fruit? apples
4. What is your favorite tv show? Mickey Mouse 
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut and Jelly Sandwhich
6. What is your favorite outfit? Dinousaur Pajamas
7. What is your favorite game? Farm Bingo
8. What is your favorite snack? Applesauce
9. What is your favorite animal? Pig
10. What is your favorite song? Jesus Loves Me
11. What is your favorite book? George and The Dump Truck
12. Who is your best friend? Hayden
13. What is your favorite cereal? Raisin Bran
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Tractor 
15. What is your favorite drink? milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? His Birthday
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Blue Blanket
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Oatmeal

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pancakes
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A conductor

The Birth Story of Annalise and Daphne

February 28th came rolling around and I was so thrilled to still be pregnant! I had made it to 37 weeks! Yes, I am crazy. Who wishes to still be pregnant this late in the game. I did. I knew that the longer I kept these babies in the better off they would be developmental wise. I also looked at the weather and knew we had a big snowstorm coming on the day of my appt. I HATE driving in the snow, but knew I had to go. Monday came and my blood pressure was higher than it usually was at home. I have monitored it the entire time. I also was pretty swollen. I just chalked it up to almost being done and not having any at all it was catching up. 

Tuesday the 1st came and well there was lots of snow coming. I got the kids off to daycare. I felt like it was really a rush and hurry day as I had to be there for an ultrasound, NST, and appt. I was excited to see if the babies had turned. I had thought maybe one had so it made me hopeful I would not need a c section. They had been breech and transverse at 31 weeks. My ultrasound revealed that Baby A was still butt breech. Baby B was transverse. I went to lunch after knowing I would have to eat for my NST. Anthony and I were texting trying to figure out what we wanted to do. We really wanted them to come when they were ready. So the question was do we schedule the C Section or just wait. We agree we would schedule for 39 weeks. 

I had my NST and it was great. Then Dr. Herta came in as I was getting my blood pressure and she wanted to know how I was. I told her good minus the breech baby. She frowned and was upset. She did not want me to have a C Section. So she said well we can schedule it. Then you can come in and I'll do a quick ultrasound for position. If she has flipped you can be induced or go home and come in when you are in labor. I clarified that I could go home because I did not want to be induced. She said absolutely. Then my blood pressure was done being read and Ginger the dear nurse I have hung out with for hours for my NSTs said, on second thought. Dr. Herta said well let me look. She and I both realized in a week I had gained 7 lbs. from swelling. I had never gained more than 10 pounds total so that was a red flag. She said ok let's get you scheduled. The theory was I was showing early signs of preeclampsia. I knew it would be a huge chance with having it with Eli and then having twins just increases it even more.  She wanted to do it the following morning until I explained it was Eli's bday. She agreed then, that we get it done ASAP. The problem was I had to wait 8 hours as I had just eaten lunch. I was not driving home in the snow and Anthony had to get from work to home to the hospital and the roads were HORRIBLE. It worked out that it wasn't right away. I was admitted to the hospital and just relaxed until Anthony got there about 5. We were scheduled for 9:00 p.m. I was nervous. I did not want to be cut open again. I was excited though as I knew I would get skin to skin and the babies would be kept with us providing no problems.

They prepped me around 8 and 8:50 I walked into the OR. Emotions overwhelmed me and I just started bawling. I was about to meet my girls, but I was also undergoing major surgery. My wonderful nurse helped me through and the Nurse Anesthetist  began talking to me about twins. She had a set of her own. It helped calm me. Then they laid me down and medicine began working. Unfortunately it was not working fast enough so they put me flat on my back. With the weight of the girls and the sensation of half my body leaving I began to panic. Then they tipped my head back further and I was even more upset. I just could not breath. Thank goodness for my nurse. She got me through it and then Anthony joined us, and then they began.

 Baby A (closest baby to cervix and one needed to be headed down to not have a Section) Annalise Gloria Lynne  joined us at 9:22 p.m. She was tiny. My heart kind of broke. They were covered in vernix and I could see. I was very worried they were too early, on the other hand preeclampsia  was not something I could go through.

She was so quiet and then began crying as her sister Daphne Virginia Faith joined us at 9:23 p.m. She came out screaming!! Dr. Herta brought her over to see me as the warmer was at an area I could not see. She was smaller, I could tell. I cried. It was beautiful and scary at all the same time.

I heard all the nurses talking about her red hair. I knew Annalise would have hair as we had seen it on the ultrasound earlier in the day, but the red hair was a miracle. We had both joked for months maybe one would have red hair as it runs in Anthony's side of the family.

They brought Annalise to me. At this point neither baby had official names. We wanted to make sure after we saw them.

Then they brought Daphne to me. She began nursing right away. Annalise was quiet and calm.

At this point Anthony and I named them. We were then taken to recovery.

This is when things began to go a bit crazy.

As they did all of their assessments Daphne's glucose was way low. So we began just a quick IV for her. I also had a team of nurses hand expressing colostrum to syringe feed her on top of nursing. She stabilized well and we were able to enjoy them etc. I was exhausted. Anthony was exhausted, but we just soaked in the girls and enjoyed them.



Annalise



Daphne

Annalise with Anthony

Daphne sucking her thumb which she loves to do and I suspect has been doing for months.

Their weights and measurements were done. They were tiny.

Annalise weighed 5 lbs. 4 ounces
Daphne weight 4 lbs. 13 oounces

I actually have no idea their length because something got mixed up and written down wrong. I am still trying to track it down. From what I remember Annalise was 18 and some inches and Daphne was 19 and some inches long. 

After recovery we went to the mother baby side of the hospital. At this point Daphne began having temperature and glucose issues again. We thought she would be able to go to the special care nursery at that point for an IV. Unfortunately Sparrow did away with the regular nursery that could deal with these issues so babies that are not really critical, but still need help have to go to the NICU. It is overkill and frustrating. I am grateful for the NICU, but they are over cautious and honestly it is black hole once you enter. This was at 7:00 in the morning and Anthony went with her. I spent my day trying to recover but running up and down floors to feed her. I should have been resting. It was exhausting. I also had not slept in over 24 hours and was an emotional mess.

They rarely allow any children under 18 in the NICU, but did make an exception for us. They put us in a different room and allowed Annalise to come see her. It did get to the point that I honestly had to only go once a day because it ruined my entire day seeing her hooked to monitors crying and nobody rushing right to her and me not being able to take care of her. I felt so guilty and emotional. I know it was obviously nothing I could have done. I also knew before they were born that this was a common issue that might come up if they were early.

Daphne has the pacifier

After the first day we decided to go to bottles of my pumped milk to get her off the IV quicker. The quicker she was off IV the faster she came home. I was willing to do anything. She was my champion nurser and was nursing way better than Annalise and I had plenty of milk. I knew we could get her back to breast when home because I do not have time to pump and feed with 4 other kids!

She continued to do wonderful and Annalise and I spent a lot of time bonding together.

Because of all the crazy of me trying to make sure I was there for Daphne, I was not paying attention and Annalise's latch was bad. She didn't lose a ton of weight, but enough I was not giving them a reason to keep us there for her either! So still in pain beyond belief and emotionally heartbroken I pumped, nursed, and syringe fed the babies around the clock every two hours. Anthony made many trips back and forth with my milk and fed them to Daphne. It was devastating. We both were exhausted and separated. We could not really even process the fact we had two babies. I am so thankful for Anthony. We had thought of every possibility for this situation and he just did exactly my wishes regarding her care etc. He is such a wonderful dad and husband.

Every night we would spend a bit of time together in the NICU. It helped my heart but I would cry so much when we left. The girls obviously noticed being separated and would become fussy when we would leave again.

All that red hair and her "unicorn" IV. She had to have it put in her head, because her arm IVS basically expired. 

The last visit before we left on Saturday was the hardest. 

Putting Annalise in her car seat was eye opening to how small she really is. Her car seat drowns her.

I went home and cried leaving my Daphne girl but was so excited to see the other kids. They were so happy to see Annalise. I didn't take any pictures. I just spent time enjoying them and tyring to keep my pain under control.

Sunday we got the call to go pick up Daphne and were thrilled. 

Coming home was exactly as it should have been the day before. I had envisioned this picture for months. I had actually hoped to do it in the hospital, but it just did not happen. Unfortunately they are sooo tiny everthing swims on them including the bonnets so they look a little silly. More like they look like little dolls all dressed up. The upside is we can use these for longer. My favorite of quilts, reproduction fabric, embroider, and of course hand made bonnets!

Finally we have a picture of Anthony holding both. We had not taken any yet. We joke their hair colors are his beard and his head hair. 

The kids came home and finally I had the energy to grab some photos. They are so proud of their sisters and so in love with them. In fact most of the time I have to send them away because they are constantly bothering me to touch them. Normally I wouldn't mind but they all have colds. We did get a few masks for them to wear.

My little Love Bugs

 All in all things are going well. Last night went better than the night before and I anticipate tonight to get even better. I finally able to keep on top of my pain and feeling well. The girls are nursing so much better and we are enjoying this.

Their birth is nothing like I pictured it would be when I first got those two pink lines. Either way, I wouldn't change anything at this point. I never wanted another C section but knew these situations were always possible and I have no regrets. I could never deal with twins and recovery on Magnesium Sulfate. This was much better and I am at peace with it. I am so thankful for Dr. Herta and all she did to be able to get us home and allowing skin to skin and delayed cord clamping. She is wonderful and I will forever be grateful for having an OB that understands natural birth. She hadn't done a C Section in well over a month and is VERY BUSY!! She delivers twins frequently too. God gave us exactly who we needed to take care of my nerves and our girls. 

 Thank you everybody for your well wishes and prayers. We know Daphne was able to come sooner thanks to all the prayers and the grace of God. They usually keep them longer after the IV comes out, but they didn't with her and we are sooo thankful!