Crazies, Sweet Hugs, One Month Pictures

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

Ruth's Facebook status: What the mess is Farmville? And why is the world enslaved by it?

CJ Sparky (name slightly altered to protect the innocent - A brilliant musician and one of my professors in college): I got on because my son said, "Mom, join Farmville! I need help!" So...I did...now I just want to get the mansion and I'm done!!!

CRAZIES

Due to lack of sleep, my mom, David and I have turned into...well, crazy people. We were already a little off in the head, but now it's a permanent mental state. Here are a few examples of what we've been doing...

Mom called David the other day to get him to pick up some stuff from Target for us on his way home from work...her list included: Salad, Diet Dr. Peppers, and Red Delicious Diapers

Mom was writing the shopping list and I asked her to put "yoga pants" on there for me because I wanted to get some. Reading the list later in the store, I pondered for awhile what "yogurt pants" were.

David was feeding Harper the other day and had finished burping her halfway through the bottle, set her back down and put the pacifier in her mouth and just watched her. I asked, "Is she finished with her bottle?" He answered, "No, she's still drinking." I responded with, "Well, she's going to be disappointed with the supply of milk the pacifier provides." He sighed and replaced the pacifier with the bottle.

I sit down to pump earlier today...hmmm, 'bout 10 minutes in, I look down to see how much I had and realized I hadn't attached bottles to the pumps. Yeah, I was pumping directly onto my pants. I, of course, had to change clothes.

We don't call the girls by their names anymore...it's "this one" and "that one" now.

Mom was fixing herself some of the Starbucks instant coffee the other morning and put her mug filled with water into the microwave. Later in the morning, she was looking all over for her heated mug of water in which to pour the mix. She found her mug of water in the cabinet where the mugs are stored.

The other day, I tried in vain for several minutes to take out my contacts. I had just woken up and had opened my contact case to put them IN and sat there wondering where my contacts were and why had my eyeballs eaten them.

All three of us have woken up repeatedly searching the bed for the babies. Mom and I always dream that the babies are in the beds with us and we search the sheets trying to find them. Last night, I kept feeling David's legs because I thought one of the girls was laying on his legs. Even when my mom went home one weekend, she woke my dad up trying to find the baby's head.

At night, when I take my shower, I wash my hair about 73 times because I can't remember if I've washed it yet or not.

These are just a few of the less embarrassing things we've done.

SWEET HUGS

I just have to brag on my sweet Hugs for a second. When we were in the hospital, he ever so sneakily laid a velvet box on my bed and I said, "Well, what is THIS?" I opened it and looooooook!

It's a diamond and topaz eternity band. (Topaz is December's birthstone.) Such a sweetheart! I asked how he knew they'd be born in December because he had ordered it weeks before. He said he just knew they would be. Awwwww...I also think he prayed HARD for the tax deductions.

ONE MONTH PICTURES

I'm gonna try to get pictures of them every month to see how chunky they get. They did pretty well during this shoot.

The photo shoot ended shortly after these were taken.

5 Weeks

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

Oh, the things people say...I'm surrounded by ridiculous people (that I love) who say the darndest things. I'm gonna start this new thing where I have a quote of the day at the beginning of every post.

David to Sara: I have a co-worker who has twins. They're both 10.

Ruth (mumbling under breath): I should hope so.

So, the girls turned 5 weeks today (Wednesday). Five weeks...when you think about that time frame in the grand scheme of a baby's life, that's not that big of a deal. But when you think about the fact that you haven't slept in five weeks...weeeeell, it changes your perspective...that's a long time. You guys should see my eyes...seriously. My make-up can no longer conceal the darkness that has inhabited my eye sockets. I don't even bother anymore. And I have some pretty good concealer. But you know, when you're really tired, everything seems funnier. So, we're happy. And at the end of the day, it's so much fun. And by "fun" I mean, that the more I think about it, the more that two daughters seems like JUUUUST the right amount of children for our family. These girls are a joy and I love talking to them and playing with them and I just keep reminding myself that one day, they'll be able to do all the chores around the house and I'll get to boss them around. Yesssssss. My two little tax deductions.

We're guesstimating (by weighing myself on the scale and then holding one of the girls and weighing again) that they're around 9.5 - 10 pounds now. Oh, yes. My parents got us a LOAD of newborn diapers because #1. We figured they'd weigh about 4 pounds each when they were born and #2. We had no idea they'd be eating hamburgers in the middle of the night and growing ferociously by the second. So, we've got about a week left before we upgrade to the Stage 1 diapers. But, I'll tell you...these Pampers Swaddlers are the what what. They have stopped a massive blowout dead in its tracks. They have held back the torrential force of Niagara Falls. Who knew the lower end of babies could be so dangerous? These diapers knew, that's who.

So, LEGS. SHAVED. For the first time since proooobably October, I shaved my legs the other night. I had to shave only from the knee down during that time because the gut was in the way. Then, after the surgery, I couldn't bend down far enough to reach my ankles. It was a no-win situation, so I just let it go. It was like Wolfman. Thank goodness it was winter. And now they're smooth as noodles. I figured you were concerned about this. Just wanted to update you.

Got to watch LOST last night (Tuesday). Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?? So many questions...not even going to try to understand. Gosh, I love that show. And I am SO happy this is the last season. I've spent the past 5 years of my life trying to figure it out and now it'll be over with...guys, we can rest now. My piece of advice to those of you who have never seen the show...DON'T. Just stay away from it. Don't get sucked in. It's a black hole of confusion and despair. Leave it alone.

The whole "you can't spoil a newborn" theory is a load of bright yellow baby poo. These kids are rotten...I mean...ROT. TEN. And I swear they know it. Still don't believe me? How is it that a baby can go from screaming with the force of a thousand warriors when lying in her chair to cooing ever so sweetly the MOMENT you pick her up? I'm telling you. ROT. TEN. I'm a cry-it-out kind of gal (I realize that method doesn't work for everybody), but oh no, you can't let a baby cry it out until they're at least 3 months old. So...I shall have to wait and continue to soothe little baby girls...even though those suckers KNOW they're manipulating me. They have the saddest little cries. They make the most pitiful and hilarious faces. It's just funny to me how it can be the end of the world one second lying in the crib, but the MOMENT they're picked up, it's "Oh, hello. Hi. Didn't realize I was making so much noise. How's it going? Wanna play?"

I ordered a double jogging stroller the other day and got it in yesterday. It's awwweeesssooommmeee (and 25% off). I can't wait for the girls to get a tad bit bigger so they can push me in it while they jog.

Here is a little peek into my life...

Welcome to Suicide Hour (6pm - 10pm)

How do meltdowns begin? Here on the Discovery Channel, we'll show you how.

Clash of the Titans

Parenthood

You probably wonder when I have the time to ramble online when all I do is complain about lack of sleep. Well...after every feeding, it takes anywhere from 1 to 180 minutes to get the girls settled back down. While I'm sitting on the ottoman talking to them or gently spooning Benadryl into their mouths (joke) to help lull them to sleep, I grab the computer and type a little here and there. I takes me about a week to write a post. So, picture me sitting in the dark at 2:00 a.m....face aglow from the light of the laptop...patting the girls on their bellies...feeding them their muzzles...ahem, pacifiers...that's where I am right now.

There's this new TV show coming out called Parenthood and their advertisements are pretty funny. One of them showed clips from the show alternating with little captions that said, "Parenthood...the reason some animals eat their young." Now, I'm not gonna eat PL or Harps...well...............nah, I won't eat them...BUT, only being four weeks (on Wednesday) into this whole parenting thing, I can understand the concept.

Yesterday "morning" I "woke up" and could not, for the life of me, figure out what day it was. Not day of the month...day of the week. I was debating between Monday or Tuesday. Finally consulted my phone to see it was Monday. Sad.

I've learned a lot in the past four weeks...wow, has it really been four weeks? That means, I haven't been out of the house once (except twice to check the mail, once to go to supper club, and once to go to Target with David) in four weeks. I haven't seen my friends in four weeks. I haven't fixed my hair in four weeks. I haven't brushed my teeth in four weeks. Ha, that one was a lie. I brush my teeth every minute.

We have to do a lot of laundry. A LOT of laundry. I didn't know this, but babies are messy. Who knew, right? You'd figure they'd be cleaner. It's not like they do anything during the day. David and I used to do a load of laundry about every other day. That's all we needed. Now we do about 2-3 loads in a day. Most of which is baby stuff. These kids spit like camels. They up-chuck. They poop and pee...you have to put diapers on them. I thought they came out knowing how to use a toilet. They had nine months to learn that. Lazy. We have to change their clothes 2-4 times a day. They don't love that, but I remind them they have no one to blame but themselves. I say, "Well, when you feel the need to regurgitate, there are plenty of burp clothes laying around...just grab one."

It's amazing how little sleep the human body can survive on. Early Sunday morning/maybe late Saturday night...one of those...David and my mom inform me that both of them are feeling nauseated and spent the remainder of the night and all day Sunday in the bathrooms...doing...stuff. Yep...stomach virus. Seeing as how we've been living in a hygienically uncompromised Bio-Dome, we're not really sure how they got it. Amazingly, neither myself nor the girls have been infected...oooh, infected...sounds like a movie...Baby Zombies...Bombies....Zabies (no, that one sounds like a disease.) My dad seems to think it might have something to do with the fact that a year and a half ago, when David and I were cruising in the South Pacific, I got Norwalk's, the 24-hour cruise ship virus. And, I possibly still have the antibodies from that, which I, in turn, gave to the girls. SUPER MILK. So, anyways. I had to take care of the girls by myself all night long. Mom ended up going home because she couldn't be around the girls. Sweet, amazing, wonderful sister Sara came and stayed all day with us. David couldn't really help us because he was still contagious and couldn't touch the girls. It was the CRISIS OF THE CENTURY for me. I cried pretty much the entire day until I dehydrated and shriveled up into a dry, emotionless husk of the person I used to be. Sara came and hugged me for awhile and David gave me air hugs. I've never been so exhausted in my entire life. I slept about 3 hours in a 24-hour period. That's probably why I can't remember what day of the week it is. Anyways...God is good and blessed us with a new day. David's fever went away and he felt like himself again. But, we're still being super cautious and David's been wearing gloves and not really touching the girls. We were by ourselves last night for the first night since they were born...and you know what, we survived. My Mom is feeling better and coming back on Wednesday...YAAAAAAAAAY! I look amazing. I think the new trend should be dark circles under the eyes.

Soooooo...I wanted to say thank you guys so much for your encouragement and comments about the breastfeeding. Y'all cracked me up and it was very very very helpful and informative. I'm still going to breastfeed every now and then, but right now, it's working best for us (my boobs) for me to pump and bottle feed. I know there's a bonding element when you breastfeed, but it's been really hard for me to bond with little Cuisinarts who are grinding at a very personal area. I mean, have you seen babies' gums? Really, have you looked? They have razor sharp edges with barbs and glass shards. It's like feeding a piranha...times two. And I'll bond with them later, when we go shoe shopping. But, I'm definitely going to pump and continue to feed them super milk. It's a hassle, but it beats $300 a month for formula. I need that money for diapers.

Everyone told me "Enjoy every moment because it goes by so fast and they won't always be that small or cuddly." I'm going to get a lot of hate for saying this, but I'll be honest, the newborn stage is not my fave. Yes, they are small and cute and cuddly and I absolutely LOVE their little hands and feet and noses and I LOVE to hold them and squeeze them, but not too tight, because they can break, you know. But, they'll go for HOURS without breathing sometimes and I'm constantly checking to make sure their chests are moving. They seem so fragile. I'm even worried about hurting their floppy little ears. Oh, and their hair is falling out. Is this okay? It really is like a Baby Zombies movie. It's just that I worry about every little thing. I freaked out the other day because I thought there were "growths" in their nose...nope, just boogers. I mean, I'm a crazy person...well, crazier person. Also, she added selfishly, I'm ready for them to start sleeping longer. I read that the introduction of solid foods will make them sleep almost the entire night...like 8-10 hours. So, David is grilling them steaks tonight. I know, I know...I'm sure y'all are sitting there saying, "Yeah, just wait...when they're 2, you'll wish they were newborns again." I'm sure I will. But at least they'll sleep longer...hopefully.

Did you know that if you don't feed a baby the MOMENT it grunts in hunger, THE ENTIRE WORLD WILL IMPLODE ON ITSELF IN A FLAMING HOLE OF NOTHINGNESS AND DESPAIR? True statement. It is the end of everything according to the twins. We constantly remind them that we have not forgotten about them and we will indeed feed them and there's no need to bless us out if it's been three hours and one minute. Demanding little suckers. And actually, I'm on borrowed time right now...it's been about three hours and 15 minutes. I'm living on the edge!

My abs are CRAZY. Well, I guess I shouldn't say "abs" seeing as how they're more like mush. I can feel my muscles tighten and relax when I get out of bed or a chair and when I stretch, it feels faaaabulous. But, I'll touch my stomach and tighten my "abs" and nothing. I can literally push through and touch my spine (ewwwww, what if I really could). Not that I had a six-pack before, but at least there was a response when I tightened my tummy. It's just so soft. Tee hee...it's really funny when you think about it. I told Sara it felt like mud. Just two more weeks and I can work on them again. Ah...to get back to a workout routine again. I miss my speed walking.

Well...Mylicon is liquid gold. That's all I have to say about that.

Right after the girls were born, they wheeled me into recovery and in walks a nurse with a tupperware container who says to my nurse, "Where do you want the placenta?" My nurse, Lesley, says, "Right there on that table is fine. I'll fill out the paperwork for it in a second." I thought maybe I was hallucinating, but yes, there sat my placenta (gross) in a Gladware plastic container. So, THAT'S why they make that size........anyways. I ask Lesley, "What are you doing with it? Is something wrong?" She assures me, "No, no, it's perfectly fine. The hospital always sends off multiples' placentas for research at [some university I forgot the name of up north] to see how twins and higher order multiples are formed and how they differ, etc." I was kind of like, "Oh, okay. I can tell you how they were formed...on a sunny day in May...in Charleston, South Carolina.........." She said I would get the report of their research in the mail and yesterday, it came in. All it said was..."This is the highest level of midi-chlorians we've ever seen." I KNEW it.

As much as I whine and complain, I absolutely love parenthood. I'm still so very new at it and I have so much to learn, but I can't imagine life without my sweet daughters. They have brought us so much joy and I wouldn't wish it any other way. They make me laugh, they make me cry (happy tears). I could stare at their faces for hours...just studying every perfect centimeter. They're identical, but they're two miracles from God and I am so grateful that He gave David and me the responsibility to take care of them and raise them for His glory. It's incredibly humbling. I probably get carried away a little bit when thinking about their futures. David rolls his eyes when I get all excited about helping them pick out their wedding dresses and their china and their husbands...oh yes, they will be arranged marriages...with interviews, background checks, drug tests, polygraphs, the works. The love I have for these two munchkins is overwhelming. They always say you never know the feeling until you have kids and sure enough...it's true. I never realized.

Okay, gonna go pay some bills. These girls need to start walking soon so they can get jobs and pay for their keep. They're expensive little moochers.

Sara (Aunt Moo [Mooser]...see Nicknames) came and stayed with us last night and out she walks from her shower in this...a onesie to match the girls. It was kind of creepy...scared me a little bit.

Hmmm...I'm thinking...I'm thinking...No. You cannot pull that color off. Go change.

What's this...what is this...oh, this. This is the Sympathy Violin. It plays a melody in honor of me not caring about your plight. It's a beautiful song. Hear it and weep. And take your complaints elsewhere.

And by elsewhere, I meant thattaway.

Heh. Hehehehe. The rumble you heard did, in fact, emanate from me. It was aaaaallllll me.

I could break your face with my forearm. Look at it...look. at. it. and. tremble.

DRAAAMA. Away from me, thouest you.

Sigh.

Yes, I heard it. Well, talking about it doesn't make it any less scary. It's out there. It will probably eat us...shh! There it is again. OHH...WHEW...it's just Daddy snoring. We're good.

I tip my hat to you, sir.

Come one, come all and see the dancing contortionist baby!

Lieutenant Piper Lee reporting for blah blah who cares.

We LOOOOOVE Star Trek...just like Poppadoc!

Make it so, Number One! Ohh...make that number two.

Am I still? Do I look still? Do I look asleep? Am I looking like I'm still? Look how still I can be. Look at my chin...if I hold it like this, I look really still.

Harper (L): I'm looking...looking...okay, they're gone.

Piper Lee (R): Good. Let's talk.

Harper: So...world domination. I'm thinking we start small...Luxembourg.

Piper Lee: I'm thinking we start your mom. I vote bigger. We plan big, we win big. Rhode Island first.

Harper: Well...fine...I'm just saying you always bite off more than you can chew. Do I need to bring up the 4.5 ounces...remember what happened the last time you begged for that extra half an ounce? It wasn't pretty.

Piper Lee: You said you would never mention that again. I KNEW you would throw that in my face.

Harper: Well, you threw it in Mom's face.

Piper Lee: YOU........

Harper: SHH! Someone's coming! Be gassy...drool...something!

Piper Lee: Baahh...gooo...I'm a baby...see how cute...bababa bubbles...fart.

Piper Lee

Harper Missouri

Me at 35 weeks...5 days before the girls arrived.

Me at 39 weeks...two days before their due date, January 28.

My (New) Days

I have an hour before I have to feed the gremlins again, so I figured I'd say hey to you guys and post some more pictures...because I've only taken about 1,309,934 pictures of them.

A few weeks ago, my days were pretty routine. I'd wake up, work for 8 hours in my home office, do housework or run errands until David came home, eat supper, watch a House or DVR'd show or play a game just to relax, take a shower, go to bed, wake up and start again. No biggie. Here's a post from earlier in which I broke down the days...the only exception is that David is no longer a tax accountant PRAISE GOD!

Well...the past three weeks have been pretty routine, too. I was telling my dear friend Katie earlier today that I live in three hour increments now. This is what I mean...

Since there is no real "start" to the day, I'll just begin at 7:00 a.m.

7:00 a.m. - Feed the twins. This involves either breastfeeding or feeding from a bottle. Both are time consuming...both are messy...both require lots of burping. Harper is the best eater. Piper Lee INSISTS on adding her own sound effects to the feeding routine. She sounds like a rusty bicycle/donkey/old screen door. It's completely unnecessary and only added for dramatic effect. It does add a lot of air to her meal and must either be man-belched or poofed out the other end...if neither of these two options occur, you're in for a real special treat for the next three hours in the form of a red-faced newborn yelling obscenities at you.

7:40 a.m. - Change the twins. Nine times out of ten, both munchkins have left nice, curdy, yellow surprises and a huge pool of wet in their diapers. We've been using the Pampers Swaddlers so far...uh...LOVE. THEM.

7:50 a.m. - Try to get the twins to go to sleep. Either they will immediately doze off into baby dreamland or you'll spend the next two hours resenting your ability to hear. If they sleep...you sleep. If they don't sleep...you don't sleep. On the special occasion that neither of these things happen, you're stuck with a wide-awake and absolutely adorable little person just longing for you to talk to them, which they will happily listen to for hours on end. But, you're entirely too sleepy to carry on a conversation with an infant with no vocal skills, so what do you do? Well, you HAVE talk to them, because they're too cute for that not to happen. And thus, you lose this increment's nap.

7:50 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. - If the twins were fed with a bottle, pumping is in order. Sooooo boring, but entirely necessary if you want to not die of pain. This is also when I grab something to eat.

8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - You either sleep or don't sleep.

10:00 a.m. - Well, I'll be...feed the twins again.

10:40 a.m. - Change the twins...again.

10:50 a.m. - Try to get them to sleep...again.

11:00 a.m. - 1 p.m. - This is when I try to pay bills, we straighten up the house, not die of starvation, pump (if necessary), organize the BANK of milk storage bags in the fridge and freezer (yes...a bank...I would show you a picture, but I don't want Shane and Brooks to have a hissy fit), and sleep a tiny bit if we can.

1 p.m. - Looky there...they have to eat again.

1:40 p.m. - Diapers.

1:50 p.m. - Please sleep, little babies.

2 p.m. - 4 p.m. - This is when I try to accomplish any freelance work I have or send files to my main client or sleep. (I've only been working once or twice during the week right now. Working my way back up to full-time in the next few weeks.)

4 p.m. - Feed.

4:40 p.m. - Poop and pee.

4:50 p.m. - Sleep/playtime.

5 p.m. - 7 p.m. - Little Davey comes home to four extremely exhausted women...well, two of them are exhausted. The other two are drunk on milk and, after having gorged themselves, are sleeping quite contentedly. We all eat supper in a daze.

7 p.m. - Feed.

7:40 p.m. - Poop and pee.

7:50 p.m. - Sleep/playtime.

8 p.m. - 10 p.m. - Showers...oh, wonderful wonderful showers. You'd never think it, but babies get gross. They start smelling...and not just from the diapers. They just smell like...well...poopsourmilkpeedroolspitupbaby. But, they still smell so good and sweet and they're so soft and cuddly. We try to sleep during this time, too.

10 p.m. - 7 a.m. - This is when Mom and I turn into zombies...it's very scary. I think our eyes start glowing. We speak in monotones...our conversations are very limited and robotic, almost like someone else is speaking for us. We have burping contests...see whose baby can burp first/the loudest. My team always wins. Well, actually, Team Piper Lee always wins. I don't even think we're aware of what we're saying or doing. It's still the exact same schedule throughout the night, except for some reason, the girls think it's hilarious to be super grunty and squirmy at night, so our hoped-for two hour increments of sleep are generally more like 30-45 minutes at a time. Thus ends the neverending cycle.

Since it was arctic weather outside when we brought them home, we've kept them in the living room in these fabulous chair sleeper things we got as gifts because it's warmer there. They've taken naps in their crib and handled it famously. David's slept in our bedroom because he's been studying hard for a section of the CPA this Saturday and he's been working, so he's needed to rest. Mom's been sleeping in the guest room because she wakes up if a butterfly bats its eyelashes. And I've been sleeping in the recliner in the living room with the girls because I can sleep pretty much anywhere and I get better rest than Mom does in the chair and because it's super duper comfy...(and I'm near the kitchen...a.k.a. food).

These times change a lot and it's not exact, but this is just a general idea. And, all in all, the girls really are good kids. They fuss and fidget like all babies do, but they sleep pretty well. Only a few times have we had serious meltdowns. They've gotten some tummy aches and they're pretty gassy. What can I say, they're my kids...har har buuuuuuurp har har har. We've tried out Avent bottles, Medela bottles, and Playtex VentAire bottles. The Playtex is working best for us right now. We're going to maybe try the Podee bottles and maybe the Dr. Browns. Who knew there were so many choices.

I've been doing well, thanks for asking. Mainly, I just want to get an epidural in my chest and I'm so very very very tired. I was losing weight a little too quickly at first because I was just too overwhelmed to eat regularly when we first got home, but Mom's been making me drink Ensures to ensure (ha, see what I did there) that I stopped losing it so quickly. I gained 59 pounds total. I've lost 42 so far. I know that seems like a lot, but the majority of that was right after they were born. I mean, they weighed like 20 pounds each. Anyways...17 pounds to go. Yay for breastfeeding! Except now I'm hungry and thirsty 24/7.

Speaking of breastfeeding, I have little mini moments every day where I think to myself, "Is it worth it?" It hurts. It really does. Not just the actual breastfeeding...but all day long, it hurts. The class teacher said, "If you're doing it right, it won't hurt." Well, she was high or something because, from what I've heard from others, yeah, it hurts. And sometimes, it gets you all out of whack and you get flu-like symptoms. Not the flu, but you just have a general feeling of malaise (shout out to you, sistah). So, every other day, I've been achey, tired, and irritable...and I think, "Is this worth it?" And my Mom and David have been so supportive and have told me if I changed my mind about breastfeeding, I'm still the best mom to these girls and I have to pick what I feel is best for them and me. I know breastmilk is best, but this is tough. And how many kids out there have grown up on formula and are perfectly fine. I know my kids would be a-okay. My original goal was 6 months. That all of a sudden seems very daunting to me, so I've changed my goal to 3 months and I'm going to go from there. It's more of a challenge to me than anything. People have told me I'd never lose my weight or I'd never fit into my regular jeans again...yeah, if you know me at all, you know that if you tell me I can't do something, I'm going to do it just to spite you. Like, I had a man tell me I would get stretch marks. Like men know anything. So, of course, I did everything in my power (used Bio-Oil religiously) and howdy ho, no stretch marks. Weeeeeeeeeeell...no stretch marks on the belly, sides or thighs. When things happened up top after the girls arrived, that story changed. BUT, no stretch marks during pregnancy, so those don't count. Hey...my blog, my rules. Anyways...does breastfeeding get better? Any tips or tricks?

Alrighty...the natives are getting restless...time to feed the barbarians.

Can you deal with THIS?!

(Btw, I hate the toboggans they're always wearing. Dr's orders..."Keep the hats on them until they're at least 6 weeks." Just wanted you to know they weren't wearing them because I thought they were fashionable or something. They have much cuter hats that Senia, Kelly, and Tiffany have made them...just waiting for their noggins to fill out a little more so they can fit in them.)

Hospital Fun

Up until almost three weeks ago (wow...time warp), I had never stayed in a hospital, never had a broken bone, never had stitches (except for when I had my wisdom teeth taken out), never been really sick. Oh wait...Sara did fracture my tail bone when I was 13. Thanks, Sara, for landing on my back...heifer. With Dad being a doctor, I've visited the hospital a lot. I've visited friends who were in the hospital. I've never liked hospitals. They smell weird. They're filled with sharp things. People who work there dress alike. It's not natural. And I've seen a lot of medical TV shows...and everything on TV is real...so, I was a little anxious about the whole hospital experience.

You know what...it wasn't all that bad. I had plenty of dislikes...but I had a lot of likes, too.

Likes

The babies were born! That means, most importantly, I get to have them! I can hold them, kiss them, tickle them, look at them...all of it...whenever I want. It also means, YES FINALLY THEY ARE OUT! I CAN BREATHE AGAIN! My skin is clearing up. My nose, OH MY GOSH, MY NOSE, is back to it's original size. Praise the Lord for that. I can wear normal clothes again. I can get out of bed like a normal person again. I can hug my husband again. I can lean over the sink to look in the mirror to get out that obnoxious black head again...well, not the same zit...but just that I can pop zits again. Anyways. But yeah...mostly I'm glad that I get to have the girls now and they're right here in front of me instead of tap dancing on my bladder. Everyone is much happier about this.

Cutie pie doctor. We'll call him Dr. Cutie Pie...because he's a cutie pie. Since Dr. Mac was out of town, he wasn't able to come visit me during my stay at El Hospital de Awesome. So, several other doctors from the practice came to see me. One of them being Dr. Cutie Pie. He and his wife also had twins. (Giggle giggle) We're pretty much BFFs. Strangely enough, I was also doing something extremely in appropriate whenever he came in to check on me. Whether I was standing stark naked in the bathroom - door wide open, or sitting in a chair pumping, or standing in the middle of the room attempting to pull my pants on - not quiiiiiiiiite fitting (stupid me for thinking I could fit into those cute pajama pants I bought just for the hospital)– it was always something kind of inappropriate. He would laugh and I would say, "I'm sorry...I don't plan this." David said it was like I was a weird stalker always finding some "situation" to be in when he came in. Ha ha...no. It was just that I didn't care who saw what of me because I was sick and tired of those stupid green gowns and it was sooooooo hot and I was irritable unless I was naked. But anyways...Dr. Cutie Pie.

How about those mesh panties. If you're a woman and you've been in the hospital for a stay, chances are, you've experienced the mesh panties. How fabulous are those? Mom and I would sneak several a day into my bag to take back home with me. I'm pretty sure I didn't have to "sneak" them seeing as how they probably cost 1¢ (that's Option/Alt 4, for those of you who can never figure out how to get that blasted cent sign) to make. They were SO comfy. And very stylish. I ran out...so, it's normal undies for me again. I miss the mesh.

You can order all the food you want...any time of day. On the day after you have your baby/ies, they'll even bring you a strawberry and banana smoothie for an afternoon snack. Delicious. But DON'T YOU DARE try to order one again the next day. Because SHEILA will let you know right away that, "No. You only get a smoothie the day after your baby is born." And don't try to throw the "I had twins, I should get two" at her, because SHEILA ain't budging. But other than that, yay for ordering food!

The nurse call button. Push it. "Can I help you?" "Uh yes...we'd like someone to come get Piper Lee for the nursery now." "I'll get your nurse." Push it. "Can I help you?" "Can I order regular food from the dining room now? How much longer do I have to be on this clear liquid diet?" "I'll get your nurse." Push it. "Can I help you?" "I would like a million dollars." "I'll get your nurse." The nurse never came with the million dollars...but she usually brought drugs...and these fabulous, huge things of that chewy ice. That was pretty much as good as a million dollars, so I didn't complain.

All the juice and jello and graham crackers you could want. Amazing how simple foods can make you so happy.

For neat/clean freaks like me, knowing that my hospital room and bathroom were sanitary. My bed sheets were changed daily...new towels, gowns, blankets every day. So cozy.

The huge plasma TV. Not that we watched it a lot, but it was there...just smiling at me. Maybe that was the morphine...................

The remote controlled bed. THAT was fun to play with. Head up...legs up...head down...legs still up...legs down...head up just a little...now start over again. It was like a ride at Disney World. And I was in complete control.

I would say morphine drip...but I'm afraid y'all'd start thinking I was an addict.

Dislikes

Those green gowns. I mean...what is the point of them anyways. Might as well be wearing nothing. Or just wrap the patients in cellophane. Sure, they've got the ties in the back, but honestly...who has time to tie those. And they're not a good color on anybody.

All of the needles. They put a lot of needles in me. I was tired of that after awhile. The scab from my IV needle was pretty big. Although...I guess this one is kind of a like/dislike because that IV did give me the good drugs, so I won't complain too much.

The nurses checking my blood pressure and temperature EVERY 5 SECONDS. I wanted to say, "Can't you see that I'm alive!!?? Stop checking my vital signs. I'm breathing...leave me alone!" Blood pressure cuffs hurt.

Cankles. WHOA CANKLES. You guys should have seen my ankles and feet. HUH-larious. Not even normal. They went back down about 4 days after we got home from the hospital. I asked my mom if my calves and ankles had always been this skinny and gross. She assured me they had and that I just didn't recognize them because I hadn't seen my real legs in so long. (I have an issue with my calves...no matter what I do, I can't put on muscle there. True story. It's ridiculous.)

All the little wrist bands you have to wear. I mean, they look soooo cool and all, but they're just in the way. I'm not huge bracelet person. Not huge bracelets...but I'm just not big on bracelets. I like them, just not on me. So, having four wrist bands on for a week (I had to keep wearing Harper's ID band so they'd let me see her in the NICU), was a big deal for me. And oops, I took two of them off during my showers because they were easy to slip on and off (the other two were basically fused into my skin) and one of the nurses saw them and was like, "Ohhh...yeah, don't take these off or else they'll think you stole the babies." And I wanted to say, "Don't you come back here without that baby, H.I. Watch his fontanel, H.I. I love him soooooo oooo oooooo muuuuch." But, I resisted the urge and put my bracelets back on.

SHEILA in the cafeteria. Nazi food lady. No smoothie for you!

The fact you can't have water HOURS before a C-section. I was like, isn't our body 139% water?? Sheesh.

All in all, it was a good experience and now I can say I've had staples and internal stitches and needles all over the place and I have a cool war scar...that no one will ever see...except David, of course...tee hee...Stop it, Ruth!! That's the kind of thinking that got us into this mess.

But, I'm glad everyone is home safe and sound. Sleeping peacefully...please stay peaceful, little girls...so quiet...and peaceful...and quiet......

We went to the pediatrician again on Friday for another weight check. So...how about this...he said, for the girls' age, he would have been happy if they had gained 3-5 ounces in a week, right. Most babies gain about 7 ounces in a week at this stage. Well, my "little" premature twins have gained 15 ounces (Harper) and 14.5 ounces (Piper Lee). They're now 7 pounds 8 ounces (Harper) and 7 pounds 3 ounces (PL). What the what?! I know, right. Even the doctor was shocked and kind of laughed. I freaked out and said, "Oh my gosh, I'm making my babies HUGE!" And he reassured me and said it was great news and he was very happy with their weight gain...he was just surprised I had been able to produce enough milk. And once again, we get into the "Ruth is a cow" conversation. He just said it wasn't common for a first-time mom to produce that much...and then he jokingly asked if I had a secret baby years ago that I was hiding from the world. That was...funny...and weird. We all got a good, awkward laugh out of that. Ha Ha...Ruthie's secret love child...ha...funny.

Then, the worst thing EVER...they did those heel sticks. I bit straight through my tongue to keep from crying when the lady stabbed the dagger of sorrow into my sweet, innocent babies' perfect little heels and then squeezed all of the blood out of their bodies onto this STUPID piece of paper with these STUPID HUGE circles that had to be filled with their precious baby blood. (That sounds morbid...baby blood...) Anyways...they quieted down soon after when we gave them some chocolate cake. Juuuust kidding...by chocolate cake, I meant bottle. What an ordeal. Thankfully, we don't have to go back again until mid-February.

My mom headed back home on Thursday and David's mom came up and has been with us. So, the girls have gotten spoiled by both grandmas and they are loving it. David's mom is heading back home tomorrow and my mom is coming back up to stay with us some more–she asked how long I wanted her to stay...I'm trying to break the term "forever" to her in the most gentle way possible–so I've been very very very thankful for the help. Could not do this by myself. This past Friday, I was able to go to my girls' supper club at Malinda's house for a fabulous supper and a DVR'd Project Runway. It was wonderful! It felt so good to hug my gal pals' necks and hang out and be a girlie girl for a little bit.

Anyways. About time to feed the gremlins...again. The vet said to not let them get hungry...you wouldn't like them when they're hungry. Yes, I said vet. I really think my kids are half grizzly bear. You should hear them eating. Rawwwr rarrrrrra raggh rarrrrgh rarrrrrrrrrrrrrgh....MOOOOORE!

I'll write another post later about the girls' nicknames...

Piper Lee - Houdini

Harper - Mighty Mo

These kids are ridiculous.

Alrighty Mom, calm down...here are some pictures.

"Can I have a little chocolate? Just a little bit...just a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle bit. Tiny little bit. That's all. Just a smidge."

Finally, I can get some rest. You guys keep me up all night. I'm exhausted. Keep it down, okay.

Yawn. Booooring. Next performance, please.

Hey heeeeeeey...Fat Joey...how's it goin'? D'you see Louie this aftahnoon? Lookin' good, lookin' good. O. Kay. You tell Blue Eyes he bettah watch his back.

I'm pretending to sleep. I'm asleep. See? Eyes closed.

I don't know what's going on...I don't know if I'm pooping or not. You tell me.

Droooooool... (do you see that spot on her hand? That's where that silly IV was in the NICU...poor thing. :( )

Trying....to...sleep...no more pictures....

Don't think I don't know what you're doing over there.

I grew up on the streets. Stick with me, kid...I'll show you the ropes.

My, what big eyes you have.

All the better to steal your soul with.

Whaaat? What's at my head? What is that? Ducks?! Noooooo, not ducks!

Oh...whew...relief. Just sister's feet.

Wonder Twins...Powers, ACTIVATE!

Harper: She's in my space...she's really smothering me. Moooom...she's in my space. Tell her. No, you tell her. We drew a line...she's on my side of the line.

Piper Lee: (Snicker, sicker)...I just left you a present on your side of the line...sister.

Aaaaaaaaah, PIPER LEE! HONESTLY! What did you eat??

We're not talking right now.

Bleeeeeeegh...frog.

December 30, 2009

(Disclaimer: I have not proofread this. Also, I have not touched up any photos of myself...I honestly was that beautiful. Hard to believe...but try.)

So...we had the babies! Yay!

The end.

Ha, my mom would kill me if that's all I posted. "They" always say that you remember certain days in your life more vividly than others. Well, duh, of course you do. For me, those days were...

1. The day I became a believer.

2. Graduation (high school and college).

3. The day I got engaged.

4. The day I got married.

5. They day they came out with Hershey's Symphony chocolate.

6. The day my children were born.

And even though those days sometimes seem like fuzzy (drug-induced) memories, I still remember all of it just like it happened 10 minutes ago...which is why I'm writing it down right now...so's I won't forget amidst the diaper changes, feedings, first day of school, etc.

So, here is what happened...

December 29, 2009 - 8:15 p.m.

David and I are both pretty competitive people. We like to have little challenges...see who can beat each other at something. (I usually [always] win.) So, on that Tuesday night, instead of doing our regular Mad Libs...yes, Mad Libs...whilst taking our showers, David challenges me to a typing test...to see who can type the fastest. Well, I'm a pretty fast typer. Growing up, Mom would make us type for 30 minutes every day using a tutorial. David thought he could beat my awesomeness. No one beats my typing. Not even QWERTY himself...itself. Well, he still wanted to try...so, I accepted the challenge. He takes the test while I'm in the shower. I take the test while he's in the shower. It was pretty close, I'll admit, but of course I won. We're done with our showers and sitting on the bed, head to toe in PJs, and David wants to do the test again. Fine, fine, I say...and lo and behold, I beat him again. Imagine that. While he's moping, I start feeling kind of funny and mosey on over to the bathroom. Things...happen...and I'm like, "Huh...interesting. Let's call the doctor." I call and they send a message to the on-call doctor...I just sit there and wait for him to call back. About 10 minutes later, the phone rings and it's Dr. From Way Up North. I tell him I think my water broke and he says to head on to the hospital. So, about as calmly as I can, I call my parents and tell them we're headed up to the hospital. I'm a little upset because I wanted to change clothes, put on make-up and do my hair. But nooooooooo, David is all rush rush rush to the hospital. We get to the hospital about 9:15 p.m. and park in our own fancy spot. I felt very special. It's about 7 below outside, so I'm shaking from he cold (I forgot to grab a jacket) and from the nervousness. When I get nervous, I shake uncontrollably. It's ridiculous.

We walk calmly up to the labor and delivery desk and they take one look at the watermelon I was smuggling and put me in Room 1. Sho nuff...my water had indeed broken. I get dressed in my fancy green gown and get up in my bed. Up until this point, I had just been having pretty mild contractions. Nothing major...nothing painful. But...wooo hooooooo...that quickly changed. I started getting uncomfortable really fast. Sweet David was being so calm and soothing, but I couldn't concentrate. And all of a sudden, I realized just how thirsty I was. I hadn't had anything to drink about...forever. The nurses Lesley and Beth came in (both very nice) and did an exam. WHOOOOOOA MOMMA...I did not like that...not one bit. I was a measley 1.5 centimeters dilated. Whaaat the mess? I immediately asked, "When can I have the drugs?" They both laughed and said, "When you get to 4 centimeters." I thought to myself, "Yeah, this doesn't work for me." I asked how many more exams they had to do and they said they'd check me every hour or so. Hmmm...that didn't work for me either. I had to come up with a new plan. They did an ultrasound to see how the kiddos were situated. Well, stinker pot Baby B (who turned out to be Harper) had rotated up a little bit. So much for my "perfect textbook head down positions for twins." She was still technically head down, but not in a super awesome position. They put heart monitors all over my belly and had to change them every few minutes because the girls kept moving...actually, they were literally kicking the monitors out of place.

During this whole time, I was very much aware of how thirsty I was...and it was getting worse. I asked for some water...I asked for ice...I asked for drugs...anything liquid-ish. Lesley said no water in case I had a C-section. Dr. North said I could have water, but the anesthesiologist, Dr. Drugs, said I could not have water...blast him. So...minutes pass by, hours pass by... they just monitor me...whilst I'm lying there, dying. Contractions are kind of not very fun. They got worse and worse. And you know, I always watch those baby shows and I'm thinking, "Come on, man up. It can't be that bad." Oh my gosh...it really is. It. Really. Is. The girls kept kicking, making it worse...I was sooo dadgum thirsty...David was being so sweet, running his fingers through my hair. I was trying to call my parents and give them updates. I couldn't distract myself. So, then the nurses came back in...still not bringing water with them...I was starting to resent them. They said that Dr. North let me know that a natural birth was still possible if I wanted to try for that...but I could have a C-section if I wanted and they would prep the OR. Well, gosh...you know how I am with decisions...this was a tough one. This is basically how they laid it out for me:

C-section

- I could get the drugs immediately

- No water at all

- A slower recovery

- Easier birth for the girls...because of how Baby B was situated

Natural Birth

- I could labor for 8-10 more hours...about 4 more hours without drugs

- I'd have to have one of THOSE exams every hour or so

- A faster recovery

- I could have WATER!!

- A chance (as explained by the nurse and Dr. North) that the second baby, because of how she positions, would have to be delivered C-section...the nurse, Beth, had twins and that happened to her

December 30, 2009

I seriously seriously seriously pondered this decision for about an hour. David and I talked about it and discussed every aspect. The contractions were getting worse. I was almost dead from dehydration. I was so tired already. It was about 1:00 am. Basically, it came down to this...I wanted water like I've never wanted anything in my life before. I would have cut off my pinky finger if it meant I could have water. I also wanted the epidural...right then. Decisions, decisions...what to do. Then, I don't know what made me think this, I just kind of felt like the girls needed to get out as soon as possible...not for my sake, but for theirs. Like, that was the best decision for them. I didn't want any extra stress on Baby B while she was waiting her turn to head on out. So...we decided...C-section. No water, but DRUUUGSSSS....wooo hoooo!

Dr. North came in and said the girls were looking great...their heart rates were wonderful and he thought the C-section was a good decision based on their positions. He prayed for us and the girls right there in my room (I boo hoooed, of course) and headed out to prep for surgery. Then...wonderful, beautiful, amazing Dr. Drugs came in. If I could have gotten out of bed, I would have laid a huge kiss right on his bald little head. He had his tray of assorted torture devices, but I just averted my eyes. Also, around this time, sweet Malinda came to visit us...early in the morning. Such a dear. She and David had to head out of the room while I got the good stuff. I had calmed down, but I started shaking again. I had been told alllll sorts of stories about how horrible or how not horrible epidurals were. So, I decided it was going to be okay. I sit up on the bed and lean on Lesley...putting my head on her shoulder. Dr. Drugs said something about a quick pain and I felt that. Nothing major. Then he feeds in the big ole needle and tube...piece o' cake. It was really really really neat. He was explaining what he was doing and that my leg might jump right "now" (which it did) and that I might feel "this" (which I did)...it was fascinating. It was like Grey's Anatomy or something. No big deal at all. I'd get 'em all the time if I could. Anyways. I laid back down...it took about maybe 10 minutes for it to kick in and...ahhh, that's when everything got good. I was still thirsty, but no more pain. Dr. North came back in and said we had to wait a few hours because I ate some chocolate cake around 8:00pm the night before. So, boo...but it gave me, David, and Malinda some time to just chat. I was so happy. I was aware of my contractions, I could move my legs just fine, which kind of made me nervous, but nothing hurt. We made Linders leave because she had to work the next day and she needed to sleep, dear little blonde girl. So, David and I just hung out...we tried to sleep...yeah, that didn't happen.

About 3:45 am, Lesley and Dr. Drugs, dressed in their scrubs, come waltzing in and I asked about the fact that I could completely use my legs and I felt everything...no pain, just pressure. He said that was normal...I was pretty sure it wasn't...but he's the doctor. He did a sharp test on my arm and tummy...and dosed me up again. Wooo hoooooooooooo druuuuggsssss. My legs got a lot more numb this time. They felt awesome. I donned my fabulous nasal cannula and hair net thing and they wheeled me out the door...sans David. He had to get dressed in his scrubs and would meet me in the OR later.

I've seen House and Grey's and all those medical shows, but gosh...the real operating rooms are SCARY. So many people...so many lights...so many sharp things. They plop me over to the table, that was funny. And I'm still a little nervous about the fact that I can totally move my legs and wiggle my toes. Nobody else seems to be concerned about this. They put up the screen so I can't see anything. Nurse Rick (at my head with Dr. Drugs) puts my arms out and straps them down. Whaaaaaaaat? He says it's to keep my arms from falling off...I'm thinking, "They ain't going anywhere. I promise I'll keep them still." But, whatever. I can feel every thing. Everytime somebody touched my belly or my legs...I could feel it and I let Dr. Drugs know this. He said it was normal. Still not 100% believing him. They start drawing on my tummy...if he had written a message, I literally could have figured out what it said. They brought David in and he stayed up by my head and talked to me the whole time. Then, all of a sudden, they got started...no big to-do or anything. I felt alllllll kinds of neat stuff. Not a single ounce of pain, though. The only way I knew they were actually cutting was because I heard and smelled the cauterization. Yeah...burning flesh. (With Dad being a doctor, Sara and I got to observe a few surgeries when we were in high school/college.) Nurse Rick kept saying I would feel pulling and pressure...which I did. You'd think they were playing tug of war with my lower half. Then, Rick said, "Alrighty, you're going to feel a big push on your chest, take a deep breath." Before I could take that breath...WHOOOOOO, that "big push" was more like they slammed an anvil on my stomach. Didn't hurt, just made it difficult to breathe. And out popped Baby A like a zit at 4:16 am. Yep. She was 6 pounds even. A moment out, another big push, and out popped Baby B at 4:17 am. She was 6 pounds and 15 ounces. Yes...ginormo babies. And then, the most beautiful noise ever...crying in unison. It was perfect. They showed me both babies...I got to kiss their amazing faces...cottage cheese and all. The nurses cleaned both of the gals up while Dr. North, Nurse Rick and the assisting doctor kept on and on about how well I was doing and how amazing the placenta looked and how great the cords were and how well I "grew" the babies, etc. Man, I was so proud...you'd think I won Person of the Year award or something. I was so high on ego...I just smiled and said, "Well, thank you." They had a monitor to my left and I could see the girls in their little cribs getting bathed and checked out. I thought, "Huh, they're a little more tan than I thought they'd be" and pointed that out to Rick, who assured me the color on the monitor was not right. I looked back toward my blue screen and saw lots of blood spatters, which was disturbing, but I figured my blood volume doubled while I was pregnant, so I could afford to lose a little. I was so jealous because David got to hold both of the girls and walk with them to recovery. He named them based on their personalities...Baby A was Piper Lee, the 6 pounder. And Baby B was Harper, the almost 7 pounder.

Also, I was super high...epidurals don't make you feel that way. I asked Dr. Drugs if epidurals make you a little crazy and he laughed and said, "No...I think that might be you." I think I was just delirious. I would say stuff like, "I know I'm naked, but I feel like I have pants on." Oh well.

They finished stapling me up...ugh, staples...and wheeled me off to recovery to join the party. Whilst in recovery...Lesley came in...AND BROUGHT ME ICE CHIPS!! OH MY GOSH!! I almost put her in my will. I had forgotten how thirsty I had been...due to all the cutting and blood and baby stuff. They got me a morphine drip...which was pretty fun. The gals were over beside me, getting checked out by a neo-nurse. Everybody's doing well, then horror of horrors...the nurse tells me that Harper is having a little trouble breathing...she apparently swallowed a huge gulp of fluid on the way out and it had filled her premature lungs. (They were born at 35 weeks and 6 days.) They wanted to put her in the NICU for observation and to make sure she was breathing okay. Of course, worse possible thing ever to hear, but I knew they would take excellent care of her. So, me, David and my cup of ice are wheeled to my room on the second floor. Piper Lee joined us a little bit later. It was aroundish 6:00 am by now. Sweet sister Sara was the first person to come and see us. I cried and cried. I was so happy to see her and so worried about Harper. My parents came shortly after. And David's whole family (his older sister and bro-in-law were visiting for Christmas and everybody was able to meet the girls!) came soon after that.

The following four days weren't necessarily a blur...I remember each day very clearly. I can tell you who came to visit us on what day...how amazing my friends and family are...how much I cried...all of it. That entire first day, I was in bed...on a clear liquid diet.

Who knew beef broth could taste so good. All I wanted was to hold my girls and take a bath. I could hold Piper Lee all I wanted, but I missed Harps. My morphine drip was my good friend. I never was in any pain. They said I could push it every six minutes if I wanted. I probably pushed it about every 3-4 hours. They brought in so many bags of fluid, emptied my pee bag, gave me this and that...they could have been putting vodka into my IV and I never would have known.

Piper Lee was a nursing champ. That kiddo knew where the good stuff was. Never had a problem with her. I would also pump and send it on down to Harper in the NICU.

December 31, 2009

The next morning, New Year's Eve, I ordered the biggest, fattest breakfast ever. It was better than Waffle House. The nurse came in and helped me walk around. Whooo...that was an adventure, but I knew I had to do it. Then...wonder of wonders...I got to take a shower. Ohhh...shower, how I love you. Best bath ever. That night, David wheeled me down to the NICU to visit Harper for the first time. I had seen pictures of when Dad and a few others had gone down there to see her and I couldn't even look at them. They had an oxygen mask on her for the first day and an IV in her tiny little hand. It was awful. I would cry and cry. The nurses and neonatologist were so reassuring and wonderful and telling us this was a very common and routine situation, even though it wasn't routine for us and they took such good care of her. Later that day, they took her off the mask and put a cannula in her little nose and a tiny tube down her throat to help with the fluid still in her lungs. Anyways, that night was the first time I got to see her since she was born. I couldn't even stand it. I just cried the entire time we were there.

Which caused another problem for me...surgery gas. I didn't know this, but when you have surgery, air obviously gets inside you...when you're up and walking around, it moves. Well, it gets trapped up near your diaphragm and sets off a nerve up near your shoulders/chest and hurts like...well, it hurts. That was really the only bad part of the whole thing. Every time I would cry and take a breath, it just killed me. So, when I was upset and crying, I would breathe in, and it would be like this sharp stabbing pain and make it worse, which would make me cry more. I'd have to force myself to calm down. Anyways. It was an eventful New Year's and we went to bed earlier than we have any other New Year's before.

January 1, 2010

You know I love my New Year's Day meal...cornbread, black eyed peas, collard greens, hog jowls, and rice. I'll be...they had it on the hospital menu, minus the hog jowls...but no worries, because I have the most amazing sister and she cooked me some. That day, I got to hold Harper for the first time. It was incredible. She was looking better and better every second.

January 2, 2010

They took Harper off all of the oxygen stuff and took her IV out late that evening. Praise the Lord! Harper and Piper Lee got to see each other for the first time since they were born. Both seemed indifferent to the experience, but we were happy about it. Harps' sweet little face was still so swollen from the cannula and fluids, but it slowly went down and the gals started looking more and more alike.

My family on my Mom's side, along with my brothers, were able to come and visit us and see the girls. Papaw G. already started telling the girls the stories he told us when we were kids. They loved it!

January 3, 2010

Home with Piper Lee! I hated leaving Harper and I cried about it that morning, but we went down to the NICU that morning to find her getting a tan under the bili-light. She seemed to be enjoying it.

Then, we headed home with munchkin #1.

January 4, 2010 - Onward

The first night with Piper Lee was fabulous. She was so perfect the whole time. Of course, Mom and I were nervous wrecks the whole time, always making sure she was breathing. She ate like a champ, pooped like a champ...just a great kid. Every day, Sara would come and get me to go to the hospital to take Harps some food and check on the gal. She looked better and better.

Then, on Wednesday, David was able to get off work and we got to take her home together. It was a fabulous day. We had to watch these CPR videos and car seat videos and I had to feed her twice with a bottle (like I hadn't been doing that for my other one at home) so they knew I knew how to feed a baby. She had to sit in her car seat for the time it took us to get home so they knew she could breathe okay. Such an ordeal...but totally worth it because I knew it meant I got to take her home. All of the neo-nurses and the doctor said they loved her and said she was the sweetest, cutest baby...I had to agree. It's very true.

Finally, the family is all together and I couldn't be happier. These kids are amazing. I can't explain how great a feeling it is to be a mom to these two precious miracles. I am so grateful that God took care of both of them and they're safe and sound and in my arms and I can love on on them as much as I want. It's such an honor to get to be a parent to them and I know how incredibly blessed we are. I love David even more than I can say...for giving me these girls, for being so incredible and and for being my helpmate in all of this. Ah, I could go on and on.

My mom is staying with us for several weeks to help me...and oh my gosh, I couldn't do this without her. Or my sister, who has been here pretty much every day, helping us...letting me and Mom sleep. My family is amazing. I can't thank them enough. My Dad even drove 3.5 hours yesterday just to see them for the day. It's ridiculous how empty a "thank you" is for what they've done for us.

We had an outing to the pediatrician on Friday. That was such a day. It's freezing cold outside, so we had to bundle them in polar bear fur to make sure they stayed warm. They were like the kid in A Christmas Story (I can't put my arms down...you know). They checked out great. Piper Lee has PASSED her birth weight (she dropped some in the hospital, as did Harper). She now weighs 6 pounds 5 oz. And Harper is just a little under hers at 6 pounds 9 oz. Both are doing wonderfully. Sad news is...we can't have visitors for 6 weeks. :( The Dr. was telling us that if they got the slightest fever, they'd have to be in the NICU for weeks, maybe months, because of their prematurity and because of Harper's NICU history. So...stinks big-time, but totally worth it for the safety of the girls. I was sad to hear that, because these girls have a lot of hugs and kisses to give out. But, hopefully very very soon, they'll be able to share their cuteness with the world.

How do we tell them apart?

Well, thankfully, God blessed Piper Lee with a stork bite/angel kiss/whatever you want to call it over her right eye (on the left if you're looking at her). Problem solved! No nametags, no tattoos, no toenail polish. Woo hoooo! The pediatrician told us it would fade soon enough, but for right now, that's what we have.

So...now...GIRLS ONLY from here on out.

Oh my word.....breastfeeding!! So...I really really do like it. I didn't think I would. It's a lot of fun and suuuuuch a precious time. Right now, I'm giving them breastmilk. If I need to go to formula because it just gets too crazy, I'll do it in a heartbeat. And for some reason, the Lord saw fit to bless me with a cow's anatomy, apparently, so it's what I'm doing for now. But, mighty my goodness...so, the first two days, it was just the colostrum...slow and steady. But, on the third day, WHAAAAAAAAT...I woke up to a different body. It was incredible. I was like, "Hey hey...niiiice." But then, "OUCH!" Yeah. So...the lactation nurse came in to check on me every day and she brought a pump and one day, we had just fed Piper Lee 2.5 oz. from a bottle and the nursery people didn't believe us. Because, how had a first-time mom produced that much on the third day. The lactation nurse didn't believe us either. She looked at me and we showed her what was in the fridge and she said, "I'm so sorry...obviously, this doesn't happen very often. That's incredible." It is also the reason the girls have gained so much weight. Yay for big ones! So, basically, I could feed a small country. You should see the fridge. I pump into bags and store those in the fridge and we warm up bottles. I alternate that with breastfeeding to give the gals up top a rest. I have a feeling I'll be going to just bottles in the near future. It's been real...it's been fun...but gosh, who knew little critters with no teeth could make you want to punch your momma. But aside from that, free food, free weight loss...everybody wins.

I was a little sad that Dr. Mac wasn't the one who delivered the girls. He has been the most amazing doctor, aside from my dad, of course. :) He called me a few days after we got home to check on me and to tell me he had read Dr. North's report and was tickled to death with how well everything went and he wished he could have been there. And he said he was praying for us. He is fabulous and has been such a blessing to us. I'll be seeing him at my 6-week check-up, so I'll definitely take the girls to meet him. Not an easy task with two, but I have to have a picture of the twins with him, so it must be done.

Anyways. Sorry for the novel. It took me about a week to finish this post. I've had about an hour each day to do anything computer-related. I'll try to update with pictures when I can.

Oh, and Jamee...my sister got me a Belly Bandit (like the Taut) for Christmas...LOVE. IT.

Babies on the way...we covet ur prayers...will update ASAP