2010 - My Favorite Year!!

So in the store the other day, another pregnant lady who is about 6 weeks away, asked me if I was due in mid February too....she looked freaked out (since I was as big as her) until I told her my due date is actually early May but the boys will be here in April....she was confused... until I said the word "twins"....

Last January, after several years of trying to have a baby, my father predicted that 2010 would be my year.  Shortly after New Year's he proclaimed that because it was year 2010, it was my year...and all that I wished for would come true.  I laughed initially, but tried my best to believe.  Dad felt this way because 20 and 10 were my jersey numbers..10 on my high school soccer team and various club teams and 20 throughout college.  These numbers have always been a little lucky (at least in my head) for me so I thought I would go with my father's idea.
Well, as you know, 2010 was in fact a good year for me.  At the start of the year my incredibly handsome nephew, Declan Brady Hogan, was born. He is the happiest baby I have ever known and the pictures and videos that are sent to me keep me laughing and smiling.
In June I finished my Specialist Degree, which meant a slight pay raise.  I decided to drop the PhD program as I was trying to reduce any and all outside stress so that I could enter into the IVF procedure relatively stress free, which is supposed to help.  So, as of July 1, 2010, I have my Specialist in Educational Leadership, which means I am eligible to become an administrator....one of my career goals.
July began the craziness with the medicines and the doctor visits and with August came the actual IVF procedure.

August 28, 2010....best day ever....positive on the pregnancy test.  Since then, I have had the most amazing pregnancy.  I don't want to jinx it, but I have never felt better.  I am physically exhausted every night, but I never got sick, no real food aversions (except the thought of salad makes me gag...but I never really loved salad anyway), and no major issues.
Ever the pessimist, I prepared Scott for the worst with every doctors appointment...ex: they are going to tell me that we are at high risk for a baby with genetic disorders due to my age, my blood sugar levels will likely be elevated, etc.  Scott, like me, likes to be prepared for the absolute worst, and then be thrilled when nothing is wrong.  Up to this point, everything has been great...I cross my fingers and pray that everything stays that way, but for now I can't be happier with the way this pregnancy has gone.
The holidays were amazing, except that Paul, Alli, and Declan couldn't be here, but we're hoping that next year all of the boys can be together...Then, snow on Christmas Day....not since 1882 has there been a White Christmas in Georgia.

All in all, I am so thankful for everything that has happened this year....we are truly blessed and hope that this good fortune continues for us and our families and friends in 2011.

Does "nesting" happen this early?

So I have used my entire vacation thus far to clean the house...how dirty could it be you might ask...well, not that bad, but I have a daily "to do" list for myself that includes items such as cleaning out the pantry, purging the linen closets, packing up old clothes for Goodwill, etc.  So, there is no real "cleaning" happening here; just getting rid of crap. For example, today I am cleaning out one of the guest rooms, organizing the garage (if its not too cold) and starting our taxes.  I also have plans to tackle the master bathroom....the linen closet and cabinets have already been purged (last week's chore).  Today it is scrubbing the shower, mopping the floor, etc.  While I don't particularly enjoy this, I have a weird sense of accomplishment when I am done. Wow, that is really sad.


Last night Scott and Richard picked up the remaining furniture for the nursery so now we just have to put the cribs together.  Hopefully we'll get that done in the next week or so. Scott's going to have to do that one!   I hate putting things together....

Tomorrow I am officially at 22 weeks and time if flying by.  I looked at the list of things (per the doctor) that I have to do in the coming weeks...yikes.  I have to schedule the tour of the hospital, as well as figure out how to get there.  My plan is to do the tour by the middle of February.  It seems pretty early, but I want to be as prepared as possible in the event the these two boys get the urge to come a little early.  I pray that they don't, but I like to plan for the worst...I guess that's the pessimist in me.  I also have to sign up for a birthing class, which is pretty ridiculous since I am having a C-section....not sure that I'm going to do this. I may just attend a breastfeeding class or something.  I also want to renew my CPR and baby first aid certification...again, always the pessimist.

White Christmas in Georgia........

Sure was....When we left church on Christmas morning we walked outside to what appeared to be a "wintry mix" (Scott must have said that a dozen times before we got back to my mother's house for breakfast).
On Christmas Eve we went to Scott's grandmother's house, Memaw, to spend time with the Henson side of the family. Although we were short on time, we had a lot of good laughs.  The family traditionally does gag gifts for each other, but I simply ran out of time and energy this season so I had none to give.  We sure did get some good ones though.  Memaw, Grandma, Nana & Poppa Henson, and Richard & Jake, sure did get TJ and Matthew some awesome clothes and toys.  If we got tons of stuff this year for the boys, I am afraid of what we will see next year. YIKES!  Everyone has been so thoughtful! 
After appetizers at Memaw's, we headed to my parents for the traditional Christmas Eve dinner of shrimp cocktail, lobster tails, and filet mignon......sooooo yummy!!!  Mom did a great job again.  Dad made me my new favorite drink too...sparkling grape juice with a splash of cranberry...looks like a cocktail, tastes like one too (if you were to have a very weak bartender) but there is none of the hangover...so all around yummy.

Christmas morning we woke up to get ready for church, gave Roger his stocking with loads of canned pumpkin, cranberry, sweet potatoes, and traditional dog treats...he loved his peanut butter lollipop!  We headed to church, then to breakfast at Mom's, exchanged gifts...more great stuff for the boys...and then quickly home to get started on dinner...

With the bad weather already on its way I had to get the standing rib roast started as it was going to take about 3 1/2 hours to cook...as well as all the other things to go with it.  We planned for Tommy, Myra, and Richard to spend the night...oh, with their dogs too, in the event they were snowed in.
Mom and Dad had to get to the airport too for a flight to Denver.
Dinner was great - lobster bisque to start, prime rib, carrots and onion in a Cabernet glaze, asparagus, corn, and rolls.....dessert...a little raspberry cheesecake and cappuccino cheesecake too...although we had to rush through this so everyone could get out safely.
Good thing they left when they did (too early for my taste but had to be safe).  My parents got to the airport, and after a little trip to the ditch, Tommy, Myra, and Richard got home safe too....
All in all, one of the best Christmas weekends in a long time...snow on the ground and family that is healthy, happy, and safe...what more could you ask for...oh...I know...Paul, Alli, and Declan....maybe next year! 

Roger and his Christmas loot!

Big girl and Scotty

I swear I'm not choking Roger...he was a good boy all day!

21 Weeks

Here is Dad putting the finishing touches on the nursery that he did for the boys....he painted, installed chair rail, and will put up a cieling fan soon.  This is one of his many gifts to TJ and Matthew.



20 Weeks

This week I had my 20 week apppointment, which means I am half way there!  I took my mother-in-law in the hopes that she would be able to see the ultrasound or at least hear the heartbeats.  There was no need for an ultrasound, which is good, but Myra was at least able to hear both TJ and Matthew.  She really seemed to enjoy it.
Both boys hearts sounded strong and at this appointment TJ was pretty calm, not a lot of movement, which is opposite from every other ultrasound.  Matthew on the other hand was moving all over the place, which we had not heard/seen yet.  He is usually pretty calm. 
After my regular appointment, Scott and I went to the perinatal specialist, which is common practice with multiples.  This was our 3rd visit.  The last time we were there (16 1/2 weeks) both boys weighed about 7oz (I later read that 3-5 oz is the average for that stage..yikes).  At this visit they did an Anatomy Scan.  We were able to see all of their organs, the heart chambers, brain activity, kidneys, fingers and toes and everything else.  We were also able to confirm that they are both indeed boys! 
The appointment went well...and both boys are now about 13 oz each.  Again, everything that I have read says they should be around 10 oz. each.  So, perhaps this means they will be big...or...they are just growing fast right now.

I also found out that we will schedule the C-section for April 20th.  That means we are just 4 months away.  They will arrive during the 37th week, which is a little early, but typical for multiples.  The doctor and I agreed that a C-section was the best way to go...don't want to have to do an emergency c-section after pushing one...in the event that the other is a little stubborn.

We are so exctied....can hardly wait for the boys to get here. 

The names.....and the meaning behind it

For some people (Paul and Alli) it takes a long time to figure out what name you want to give your child...for us...about 10 seconds. Long ago we decided that if we were ever fortunate to have a son his name would be Thomas John, or TJ.  We had a girl name picked out too...but I guess that one didn't work out.  Thinking of the second name didn't take too long either.  We thought of family names immediately and found some pretty impressive people to name our son after.

The meaning and origins of:

Thomas John (TJ) Henson   and    Matthew Paul Henson

Thomas - means "twin"; named for Scott  (Thomas Scott Henson), Scott's father - Tommy Henson, my Fathers' middle name - Paul Thomas Hogan, and Scott's grandfather - Thomas Leon Henson.

John - means "God's grace"; named for my uncle; John Heckelman

Matthew - means "Gift from God"; not initially named for anyone in particular, I have always loved the name, Scott loved it and then when talking to my mother, discovered that it was her grandfather's middle name.

Paul - means "little one"; named after my father Paul Thomas Hogan, my brother Paul Philip Hogan, and my grandfather Dennis Paul Hogan

It was really important to Scott and I to name our children after the people we most love, respect, and admire.  All of these men have impacted our lives, both directly and indirectly, in countless ways.  It is our hope that our boys have the character and love of family of each of these men.

17 Weeks...wow..big news

So I went for my 16 week check up and took my mother with me. She was so excited to get to see/hear the babies.  We had NOOOO idea what was about to happen.
First, we had a little scrare....we could clearly hear one heartbeat...loud and clear.  The other heartbeat was more difficult to detect.  The doctor said something about one baby can sometimes block the sound waves of the other baby so it appears that there is no heartbeat.  So, we quickly moved down the hall to the ultrasound room. My doctor was immediately able to find both heartbeats and we could see the babies moving around.  My mother was really excited to see this for the first time.
Then the doctor said she could tell what sex one of the babies was, but not the other...did I want to know????  I initially thought "no way..not without Scott", plus, we wanted it to be a surprise and tell everyone on Thanksgiving if we found something out. But, I couldn't stand it and told her to tell me....a BOY!!!  It was such an emotional moment. I was really excited to be able to share it with my mother, especially since she has been there every step of the way.  After we left, we drove straight to Scott's office and he was a little surprised to see me...but was on Cloud 9 when I told him we had a little TJ on the way!!  Couldn't believe it!
A few days later we headed to the perinatal specialist for our regular appointment.  TJ, the lower sitting baby, was moving quite a bit but they were able to get a ton of pictures of him and his organs, etc.  It was pretty cool to see the chambers of the heart and his kidneys and everything else.  They too confirmed that he was in fact all boy.  The technician then moved on to the baby that sits higher in my belly.  Every time we have been for an ultrasound this one has not been cooperative...won't uncross the legs, blurry pictures..you name it.  Well, after a few minutes, the technician determined that this baby was also a BOY....so, now we know we have 2 little boys coming our way.  It sure will be a house full of testosterone!  Things will certainly get interesting...probably smelly and dirty too!

15 Weeks

So we are now 15 weeks along and I am getting bigger by the day, which is fine by me, but finding clothes is a challenge. I still have had no nausea or any major issues to date, thankfully.  It is definitely feeling real because Roger certainly notices my growing stomach and is constantly checking it out. 

To prepare for the arrival of these babies,I thought that I would create a monthly "to-do" list for both Scott and I.  Obviously he has the more labor intensive jobs, but nonetheless, we both have been busy on our weekends. Thankfully my parent are only a few minutes away...my dad (so amazing) has spent A LOT of time at our house - installing a light kit on a ceiling fan, patching walls, hanging shelving in the garage...I could go on an on..
Mom has been by too - she has helped get the yard looking good and we have done some serious shopping.
We have already ordered furniture for the nursery, have been researching things for a registry, and mom has been hitting the garage sales getting some serious deals on things.  We have had a lot of fun and no fights yet when we've been shopping...It's been a great time to spend with her.
This past weekend was nice...not too much work to do.  We were actually able to just lounge around on Sunday which felt great.
Next week we go back to the specialist and we are hoping for a good report.  We should get another ultrasound that day.  Hopefully these peanuts will cooperate with us and let us see what we are having.  I am getting frustrated not knowing.  Will it be 2 boys?? 2 Girls?? One of each???  So exciting...but I want to know NOW!

12 Weeks

It has been 4 weeks since our last doctor's appointment and we have seen these babies via the ultrasound at every appointment since basically conception.  It is pretty cool that we have photos of them at every stage of my pregnancy....we even have the pictures of them as embryos...strange, but one of the benefits of modern science.

Leading up to our 12 week appointment, Scott and I were pretty nervous, as we have been at every stage.  We certainly aren't taking anything for granted.  Since I have had absolutely no morning sickness, no real cravings, and other than fatigue, no real symptoms of pregnancy, it's easy to feel like something is not right, therefore amplifying our nerves.

October 22 was our 12 week appointment and our doctor brought us right in to the ultrasound room.  So far everything looks good, good blood pressure, good (not high) weight gain, and when she showed us the monitor, we saw two bouncing babies.

Our doctor first focused on the active baby.  We could clearly see the heartbeat, the head, fingers, legs, toes, and tummy.  This baby was crazy...bouncing everywhere.  It apparently was ready to party.  The doctor wasn't able to get a good photo because the baby was moving too much.  The other baby....well that's a different story.  We saw the heartbeat right away, saw the hands, fingers, legs, head, and tummy, but this baby was much more relaxed.  It was just hanging out...watching its little buddy go nuts.....I wonder if this is a preview of what to expect in a few months... Yikes!  But I'll take it..

The babies appeared to be healthy and active and my doctor felt confident that everything is headed in the right direction....

A few days later we had to go to a specialist for a better ultrasound and some standard genetic testing.  The same thing happened at this ultrasound...the one baby was not very cooperative and wouldn't let the technician get a good view.  We did get some great photos.  These pictures are awesome......we could see everything.....except what gender we're dealing with!

Work

Scott and I really wanted to wait a bit longer, as I was only 10 weeks along, to tell everyone at our jobs what was happening.  But, with my shirts and pants quickly getting tighter, we decided the secret was going to be out soon enough. 
I went to work and told just a few people and my friend Laura was announcing it to the world.  I think she was just so happy to be able to talk about the secret.  Her daughters, Keaton and Ashley (our future babysitters) came in the classroom first that morning so we told them.  I told the girls I was going to need their help filling out some papers, and I held up a baby book.  They ran across the room and nearly tackled me...it was so sweet.  Then I told them that they weren't going to have to fight over who got to hold the baby...there would be plenty to go around.  Ashely was so excited that she announced it to my entire government class.  The students all know and most of the faculty.  I have received such amazing notes, cards, and emails of congratulations! 
Scott began his day with an email to all of his friends announcing the news....not surprisingly he had lots of congratulations, and then in typical fashion, the emails got crazy....these are memories that have been printed and will be saved and put in the baby scrapbook! 
As the days wore one, the congratulations and cards continue to come in.  I never realized how much people cared.  It is truly a blessing to have this many people sincerely care about you and wish us well.  Blessed is all I can say.

Spreading the news..

After returning from Colorado we were excited to tell the rest of the family.  We decided to wait until the next weekend, since Richard and Myra were out of town with Grandma.  We planned a brunch at Myra's house and shared the news.  Grandma was excited, but very reserved, which is typical of her.  However, her eyes filled with tears and said that she was so glad her prayers worked.  We then broke the news that we're having twins....She said I guess the prayers really worked!! Richard and Jacob were there too and they were excited to hear the news.
We decided that we would call Patti and Pam and let them know, and then we would go tell Memaw.  We knew if we told her first, she would be on the phone in a second calling Patti and Pam.  Patti and Ashley were together in the car when Scott broke the news...I could hear the screams through Scott's phone.  They were so excited.  Pam received the next call and had almost the identical response.
We, and by we I mean me and Scott, Tommy, Myra, and Grandma, decided to tell Memaw and Ed in person.  Memaw was excited to see us and when we told her she was delighted.  She was so excited that she asked if she should turn in her resignation to her boss so she could stay home with the babies.  Too cute!!

The night before all of this I decided to call the Heckelman crew because it was Margaret's birthday and I knew the whole bunch would be around.  I called Aunt Marie in the afternoon and broke the news....I was very choked up telling her, my Godmother, that I was going to be a mother....Beyond excited is what I got from the Heckelman bunch.  The phone calls came in for the rest of the evening with best wishes and prayers from everyone. 
I then called Uncle Brendan and Aunt Rosemary.  I spoke to Aunt Roe first and she told me how much she had been praying and knew this was going to happen now...She was all teared up and excited.  She put Uncle Bren on the phone and I was stunned by his reaction.....he could hardly catch his breath as he was sobbing.  It feels so amazing to know that so many people love us and truly care about our well-being!! 

The Announcement

Deciding when to tell our families was so difficult.  Scott and I knew we had to wait a while, but keeping the secret was soooo difficult.  While on vacation with my friend Laura, I developed a bad sinus infection and she just wanted to go to the drug store and get some medication.  Not knowing what I was allowed to take, I insisted on going to see a doctor.  Laura was able to piece it all together and realize that I was pregnant.  I swore her to secrecy and told her that if she told anyone, I wouldn't let her come over and visit with them. 

We decided to tell Paul, Alli, and Declan in person.  We had been planning on a road trip to Colorado to visit them, and since UGA was playing CU, we felt that was the perfect time to make the trip....other than Paul had to fly to Texas for soccer games.  We brought with us some gifts for Declan and inside the bag was a picture frame that read "Cousins".  When Alli opened this she appeared confused.....her response was "this is a nice frame...I like the old timey picture in the background" (the picture that came with the frame).  I thought she was joking, but she wasn't...I looked at my mother, who happened to be there (long story), and my mom asked if she had read what the frame said.  Alli said she did, but still didn't seem to get it.  Mom asked if Declan had any cousins (which he doesn't) and that's when it clicked.  Alli looked at me and was able to say "are you.." and I couldn't hold back my smile any longer.  Needless to say lots of tears of joy between Alli, Mom, and I.  Paul was at soccer practice so we had to wait and do it all over again when he got home.
Fortunately Paul picked up on it a little quicker, but couldn't beleive that my parents had lied to him and told him that IVF didn't work..  He was a little annoyed that we told him about 3 hours before he was about to get on a plane.  I think he wanted to celebrate a little with Scotty.
It is really exciting that Declan is going to have cousins...and pretty close in age to him.  If Paul and Alli can ever move closer I think it would awesome for all of these kids to grow up together.  I can't wait until the first Christmas that all three of them can sit around the tree opening gifts from Santa, going crazy.  It will be so much fun!!!

Twins....really??

After the initial excitement of hearing that we were expecting twins, the sudden realization that this was going to be a major challenge began to set in.  The finances are scary enough - 2 cribs, 2 car seats, double stroller, the list goes on and on....But facing the task of managing two crying babies, 20 diaper changes (as opposed to about 10/day), feeding two little mouths, etc., is just plain terrifying.  I know we will get through all of the challenges, especially with all of the support we will have.  We are so lucky to have my parents so close and Scott's entire extended family nearby....so lucky.

Once we began to settle down and realize that we can get through any of these challenges, we started looking at all of the amazing things that happens with twins.  First, our family will double in size at one time.  Second, our children will know each other every day of their lives.  They will always have a playmate to hang out with when they are growing up.  I can't imagine what my life would be like without my brother, so I know these two will only benefit from having a buddy and every holiday, especially Christmas, will be even more amazing. Oh, and Scott and I won't have to fight over cuddle time, we'll each have a snuggle buddy

The next few weeks...

In the weeks following the news that we were pregnant, I had to go to the doctor every other day for blood work.  They wanted to know what my hormone levels were so that if they were low, medication could be prescribed. (By the way, at this point I was still taking so many meds that I had to have a calendar to keep track).  With each visit to the doctor I would hear that my HCG level was more than doubling every 48 hours, which they said was a very good sign.  One nurse even had a little snicker on her face as she said it.
On September 10 I went for more blood work and an ultra sound, which is performed at 6 weeks.  As soon as the ultrasound appeared on the monitor I could see to sacs....I knew there were two babies!!  Scott just kept squeezing my hand.
Baby A was a bit smaller than Baby B...we could see the heartbeat on Baby B, but not Baby A.  We were both very concerned, but Dr. Fogle said this was normal.  Baby B was pronounce 6 weeks 0 days and Baby A was listed as 5 weeks 6 days....heartbeats don't appear until 6 weeks.  I was shocked that they were listed as different ages, but it makes sense that they did not fertilize at the exact same time.
We were scheduled to return the following week and were encouraged that we would see two heartbeats at the next visit.
Scott, being the nervous person that he is, didn't want to tell anyone....but we had to ....We each called our mother's immediately when we left the office.  During that week, my mother's best friend, Anne Barbuto, died suddenly.  Needless to say the news of twins really helped to make my mother feel better.  Myra was beside herself with excitement as well. Again, we had to swear them to secrecy.

Sharing the News

With gift in hand, Scott and I headed over to my parents to surprise them with the news.  I left the gift on the hood of my mother's car and we went inside the house.  I had my parent go to the garage to help Scott get the pressure washer out of the car.  When the garage door opened, the yellow bag was sitting there.  My mother looked a little dumbfounded and grabbed the bag.  She opened it and couldn't say anything....just tears and hugs.  My father picked up on what was going on and joined us in the tears and hug circle.  It's been a long time coming and the stress that we all felt has finally been alleviated.  We planned a celebratory dinner for that night at Down Town Kitchen, one of our favorite places to eat.

We were anxious to tell Scott's parents too....however his brother Richard and Jacob were at their house most of the day on Sunday  and Scott kept calling his dad to see if they were gone yet.  His dad was concerned that something was wrong....It wasn't until we surprised them with the visit that they realized that NOTHING was wrong...finally everything was right.  Tommy was mad that we wouldn't let him share the news...but very excited about the pregnancy.  Myra was in tears, exactly as I thought she would be.  They are both very excited to become grandparents again.

The Big News

Friday - August 27th
During this week I was unusually nervous and apprehensive and wondering if the IVF procedure worked.  By Friday I was two days late (sorry to be graphic) and I decided to buy a home pregnancy test.  I had a previously scheduled doctor's appointment for Saturday morning, but I couldn't wait any longer.  I knew that the test could be inaccurate, but I felt that I had to do it anyway.
Pregnant....probably the best word I have ever read.  I was beside myself when the window on the pregnancy test confirmed my suspicions.  I took the test and left it on the counter for Scott to see when he arrived home from work.  Of course, he didn't even notice it!! I told him that I left something on the counter for him....when he read it he didn't react...at all...he slowly looked up and said "Is this for real".  I said "Yes, but we have to go to the doctor tomorrow for a blood test to really prove it".  His response "OK, well then I am not getting excited if this can be a mistake"....He gave me a big hug and we felt, for the first time, that this could be the moment that we would remember for the rest of our lives.......and we will!
Saturday August 28
Off to the Perimeter Office to take a blood test.  test took 30 seconds and they said they would call us in a few hours with the results......now to wait.  We were at home for about an hour when the call came.  Dr. Fogle, one of the doctors at ACRM, responded with a Congratulations...everything worked, and then told me my HCG (hormone) level.  Apparently the number she gave me was impressive.
Needless to say Scott and I were too excited...We went immediately to the store to buy some "Grandparent" picture frames.  We wanted to wait awhile to tell our parents, but since my mother was at so many of my appointments, she knew we were due to find out the results in a few days.  I knew if I lied to her she would be crushed...So, off we went to share our wonderful news.

The History

Let me start at the beginning......
After 3 and a half years of trying to conceive, Scott and I and our doctors decided that it was time to try In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to try to get pregnant.  Throughout the past 18 months Scott and I have undergone tons of blood tests, ultrasounds, etc. to determine what was the problem and to find a solution.  In December of 2010 we discovered, through an elective surgery, that I had some complications that were causing the problems and we decided to take some time, save some money, and make a final decision on how to proceed.
In May 2010, we took the step to begin the IVF process.  Thankfully we had the support of our family and were able to make the leap into IVF, which is a financially draining, but more so emotionally agonizing process. 
June was a month full of testing and visits to our various doctors to determine if we qualified for the procedure.  Upon notification that we were good candidates, we signed up and in July I began all of the treatments.
July was not a fun month....daily injections, weekly doctor visits, numerous drugs to take....not fun at all.  In fact, it was one of the most stressful times in my life. 
August came, school began, and a new level of stress arrived.  For the first few weeks of school I had to drive to Atlanta every morning for a few hours for blood work and ultrasounds.  The actual IVF procedure is a 2 day event - day 1- egg retrieval and 3 days later - embryo implantation (if embryos are able to form).  We were lucky that the doctors were able to implant 3 embryos. 
The next 2 weeks were pure torture as I looked for signs that the procedure worked...unfortunately there were no true indications.