My First Mother's Day....

Was fantastic....Scott, T.J., Matthew, and I began the weekend with visit at Scott's parents house.  The babies had the chance to meet both of their Great Grandmother's and I think the Great Grandmother's are in love!  Memaw and Grandma didn't want to put either of the boys down.  Richard and Jacob came over for a little while too to visit and celebrate Mother's Day.  Aunt Patti also popped in for a few minutes when she heard that the boys would be around.  We had a great day and I was glad that the boys were able to spend time with their Nana and Papa as well as their Great Grandparents....not many people have that opportunity and I want these boys to know all of the people that love them!

Memaw and Ed

Grandma

Sunday morning I woke up to some hungry little boys around 6am, which is not terrible, but I could have slept forever.  After feeding them, Scott went downstairs to make me a nice little breakfast and he helped me get the boys cleaned and dressed for their first trip to church.

Mom and I took them to mass and were a little nervous about what to expect.  These two kids totally stole the show at church.  Everyone was checking them out to see how handsome they are.  We didn't really know what to expect out of these boys and as luck would have it, feeding time came right in the middle of mass, but the boys were troopers as we gave them a little bottle of formula.  They were really quiet and well behaved and even went up to the alter for communion where the priest blessed them!  Great start to a great day.

After getting home, I was able to take a nap for a few hours on the couch while Scott handled all of the diaper changes...and with these two boys....there are a lot!!!!  At the same time, Scotty also prepped the food that he was cooking my parents and me for dinner. 

Scott made a delicious dinner (cooked the steaks to a perfect medium) and we were able to just hang out and enjoy a beautiful day.  It was a nice, relaxed weekend....the perfect Mother's Day!  Thanks Scott, TJ, Matthew, and Roger for making my day so perfect! 

Sleeping angels

Good looking boys  - Matthew and T.J.

Matthew

T.J.

Week 2

Over the past year and a half I have watched my dear friend Missy's little girl grow up via photos...One idea that I am totally stealing from Missy is that every month she takes a picture of Megan and includes how old she is...Megan at 1 month, Megan at 2 months, etc.  I have loved looking through these pictures and seeing the incredible growth and change she has made since she was born...so thanks Missy!!!

This second week has been a little more challenging...sleep deprivation has kicked in. Trying to feed these little guys is a challenge too and it is not possible to do so without a second set of hands.  I have been able to feed them at the same time for almost every feeding, which is pretty awesome.  They are pretty good eaters!  The only problem is that I need that second person to grab the second baby and hand him to me to latch on.  We keep everything on a well documented chart..very clincial, but very necessary....I can tell you when they last ate, pee'd and pooped!  Fun stuff, right?

This week I have given the boys have had their sponge baths, which Matthew doesn't particularly care for.  They have gone to the doctor for their check ups (all looks good), and they have finally met their cousin Declan, as well as Aunt Alli and Uncle Paul.  It has been a great long weekend getting to meet the family.

My mother has been awesome as usual.  For a woman who is her age, she sure has the energy of someone in her 20's.....she just doesn't quit.  Once Scott started back to work, she started spending the night.  She and I sleep in the guest room and when it's time for the boys to eat...she helps get them ready, she changes them, clean/sterilized the breast pump supplies, cooks food for me, makes sure I am taken care of, and she does this on the same amount (or less) of sleep that I get....she is truly Superwoman.  I sure couldn't have gotten through this week without her help!! Love you Mom!!



LOVE!



1st week




Waiting on the surgery!




Where to start....this has been the fastest, yet longest week of my life.  One week ago my life was changed in a matter of two minutes and it will never be the same.  Scott and I welcomed Thomas John and Matthew Paul into the world and into our hearts forever.  Everyone always says that you'll never know love like the love of being a parent.....and I finally get it.  Despite all of the pain of the past few months and the surgery and the subsequent recovery process, I would do it all over again, even if I was told it would be ten times more painful.  Through all of our struggles, we had faith that this would happen and here we are.....and I am so very much in love.  In a matter of 2 minutes we went from Scott and Nancy to the Henson Family..and we are complete.

The past week has been crazy.  They were born on Wednesday at 8:32 and 8:33am.  They had a few minor issues and were sent to the Transition Nursery for a few hours and then to the regular nursery.  At this time, I had only seen them and touced them for a minute.....but everyone else at the hospital had already seen them.  I was pretty sad that the only way I could see them was through pictures.  The world had already been introduced to them via text, email, and facebook, but I had not yet met them.  Sometimes technology can backfire....Before I they even arrived in my room at 1pm, I had received a dozen emails, texts, and facebook messages telling me how beautiful they were...yet I hadn't seen for myself.



Matthew left, Thomas right



Thomas left, Matthew right

The rest of Wednesday was a blur, with feedings, and doctors, nurses, staff, etc popping in all day and night.  Our first visitors were my parents, Scott's parents, Grant Patti (Great-Aunt), Ashley and Jay, Kristi, Shawn and Amanda, and Richard.  It was nice to share our boys with this group of amazing people!


The rest of the first week was CRAZY!  We had plenty of guests visit us at the hospital and tons of emails, texts, and calls...and we appreciate all  of them.  Our family and friends have been so helpful and supportive!



Holding hands....best friends for life



Matthew and TJ - representing the Yankees and my Uncle John!

Go Dawgs!!!!!!

We stayed at the hospital until Sunday morning when we were discharged...I was a little sad to leave as the hospital and staff were beyond my expectations.  It was Easter Sunday, so we headed home to meet up with the family and share a low-key holiday with the boys.



Headed Home!!!!!

Happiest parents on the planet! 


  Myra cooked a great meal which made my day so much easier.  I wanted to continue the tradition of having family over for holidays, but I was certainly unable to cook.  Nana and Papa Henson, Nana and Pop Hogan, Richard, and Jacob all came over for a few hours, took lots of pictures of Thomas and Matthew, and then allowed Mommy to relax.

Jacob and Mathew..TJ was a little fussy and not ready for the picture!

This week has been short of amazing....we are madly in love with our boys.  It was difficult for Scott to go back to work, but I keep him updated with pictures and videos...not as good as being here...but will have to suffice.

Our first night at home was pretty scary...no nurses to rely on.  When I woke up to do the 3am feeding I noticed that Scott was not in bed....I went to the nursery and this is what I found..apparently Matthew was a little fussy and Scott couldn't leave them alone...


3am feeding...already there..waiting for Mommy!



TJ and Matthew...ready for sleep.



Last Entry.....before we're parents

The present time is 9pm on April 19, 2011.  I am officially less than 12 hours from holding my boys in my arms......I can't believe it.  It feels like a lifetime since we started this journey and for me it truly has been a lifetime of wanting to be a parent.


As a little kid I was the oldest girl amongst all of my cousins. We grew up playing make believe all the time and in each scenario I either wanted to be the Mommy or the teacher.....these are the only two roles I  have ever wanted in my life.  I have been teaching for 15 years now........I have been waiting since I was a little girl to be a Mommy.  37 years is a long time to wait for a dream to come true, and now my dream is about to be a reality, times two.  It is so amazing!!!


I am sure that tomorrow is going to be a crazy day...the pain of a c-section, the emotion of getting to this point, holding Matthew and T.J. for the first time....I think I'm goingto be a mess....but that's ok.  I can't wait to show these boys off to the world.


Scott and I keep getting asked..."Are you ready?" and the answer is, without a doubt, "YES!!".  While we will have to work through the kinks, and we are surely not ready for sleep deprivation, we are ready to be parents.  I believe that it is going to be difficult, but at the end of the day, we have everything we need to be good parents:  we love each other, we love our boys, we have a supportive family, and we have diapers and formula....other than that....we'll get through it!  We have been counting down to April 20th for 37 weeks now...


I am still shocked that these boys did not make their appearance earlier.  I really thought they would be here by now.  I am thrilled that I have been able to keep them almost 38 weeks.....who knows how long they would stay if they were actually given the chance. But, we're not going to find out...they WILL be here tomorrow morning, by nine if everything goes according to plan.


For the past few days everything has been about the "last time" before we're parents....We went to the movies on Sunday, last night was Roger's last night here (he went to Scott's parents this morning for a few days), tonight we went out for our last meal as non-parents....its so funny....I can't wait to begin the "first times"....first night with our children, first diaper change - that's all you Daddy, first cries, first smiles, etc.  Our lives are going to change considerably in 12 hours......and it is going to be amazing....although when I am sleep deprived and crazy I may need a reminder!!

Well, I guess the next time I update I will have pictures of my boys...

Family Matters

As we come to the end of this chapter in the book of our lives, I think it is important to look back a reflect on some things....

The most important thing is to recognize the importance of our families on this road to parenthood.  There is no way we could have gotten this far without the love and support of our family members...We know that tons of prayers have been said for us along the way. 
Scott and I have been married for a little over 4 years now and after about the 2nd year, people must have realized that we were having trouble getting pregnant because, for the most part, the questions stopped, which took a lot of pressure off of us... We knew that people were concerned and cared, but being as though we are both pretty private people, it felt good to not explain ourselves to anyone.  Then we told family that we were going to start fertility treatments and we could feel the support and prayers from those that we love.  From there, we gained strength to move forward with our decisions.

My sister-in-law has been simply amazing throughout this ordeal....while we both HATE to talk on the phone, she has been great about sending me inspirational cards and letters, all of which I have kept and collected in my scrapbook....I want these boys to know how amazing Aunt Alli is and how much they are loved.  She has been like a sister to me and is always sending out positive vibes!! Her kind words have continued to lift my spirits.  I can't wait for T.J. and Matthew to be in her arms, because I know she is going to shower them with love.

My brother is a little different...he is more of the "get over it" type of guy.  If something is broken...fix it....there is no room for tears, suck it up and move forward.  Sometimes, while this seems harsh, it was what I needed to hear...even if it made me mad!  His philosophy was more like, there is something wrong with you?  Ok, go to the doctor, get it fixed, and have some kids....it will all work out!  He was right.  He is probably the only person in my life that can get away with talking to me like that....he has always been that way and it is how we handle things...I know he is BEYOND excited to become an uncle and he is going to be a great one....hopefully he will push my boys the way he pushed me, because I think it is so important to have someone in your life that will push you out of your own pity party.

Scott's family has been great too!  They are not as verbal as my family...they keep things to themselves quite a bit, especially Scott's dad, but they have been incredible in their unwavering support of everything we do.  I know his grandmothers, aunts, and cousins have been praying for us non-stop and couldn't be more excited.  Scott's mother has been busy planning meals for us and is even cooking Easter dinner for us since we will be coming home from the hospital that morning (hopefully).  Since it is the boys first holiday, I did want our families to come over, but obviously I will not be cooking.  Myra has taken charge of this and as usual, will prepare a delicious meal for us to share and celebrate.  It is such a relief to not have to worry about the little things, knowing that someone you trust and love is going to handle it.

Finally, my parents.....there is no way we would be having two boys tomorrow if it wasn't for them.....Besides helping us to finance the fertility treatments, my mother has come to so many of my doctor appointments, learned to give me my fertility shots in the event that I couldn't do them, has been there for every step of this process, taking notes, asking questions, and keeping me sane.  My dad's role has been more of the fix-up guy.  He has done so much work around my house to get it ready for the boys....it has been so awesome.  Their help has not gone unnoticed....I am forever appreciative of them and all that they have given and sacrificed for us to get to this point!!!

Only one more day until the entire family gets to meet our newest additions!!!!

The Pro's and Con's of Pregnancy

Pro’s 

v  People are incredibly nice and considerate

v  Special parking spots

v  It is OK to take as many naps as you want

v  Being fat has not been this acceptable since you were 3 years old

v  With every stretch mark you get, you know it is allowing your babies to get bigger

v  The first “flutter” you feel

v  You are the center of attention (for now)

v  Comfy clothes

v  You get to wear flip-flops to work even though it’s not dress code

v  No carrying heavy items – laundry, groceries, etc

v  Feeling the movement of your children and knowing that the more they move, the stronger they get

Con’s

v  Not being able to sleep at night

v  Swollen feet

v  Stretch marks

v  The sense of nervousness that can only be relieved when you hear the heartbeats of your children

v  Did I mention stretch marks?

v  Inability to put shoes and socks on without assistance

v  Clumsiness

v  Moving much slower than in the past

v  Growing out of all of your maternity clothes (the joy of twins!)

v  Not being able to get comfortable, not matter how you sit, stand, or lay down

v  Keeping the secret from friends and family for a few months until the end of the first trimester

v  Getting kicked in the ribs by two active boys

     After 37 weeks and 5 days of pregnancy I can honestly say that I think I am going to miss all of this....I won't miss the discomfort, but just being pregnant.  I love knowing that I am in control of these little guys right now and that I am responsible for their well-being.  In less than 24 hours all of that will change.....I have the entire world to contend with.  They will not always be safe, they can get sick or hurt, and I can't prevent it.  I have, until the last 2 weeks or so, enjoyed every second of this true miracle. 

36 Weeks and 5 days.....

Yesterday was our final appointment with the Perinatal Specialist...Dr. Allen is awesome and just like when we left Dr. Hasty at ARMC, we walked out of our appointment a little sad...as if we just broke up with our doctor.  Dr. Allen, the perinatal specialist has been my doctor there since September and he has been amazing and so informative. We're going to miss them, but it also feels as if we are "graduating".

When we started this crazy journey and found out we were having twins, we were told that this was a high risk pregnancy due to my age, the IVF factor, and the twin thing.  The doctors told us that I could go on bedrest as early as January, that the babies could also come very early.  All along the pessimistic side of us planned for the worst.  I tried to have everything at work done by February 1st.  We had the nursery done in February, so we have been ready for quite a while now.  As I enter my 37th week tomorrow, I am amazed at how long I have lasted and how resilient these boys are.  I seriously thought they would come early.  We have just been praying that they would be at least 5 1/2 lbs at birth so that they are not so small....

With each appointment at the specialist we have received approximate weights on the boys.  All along Scott and I have thought they were bigger than average, even if just by a few ounces.  Two appointments ago the doctors finally admitted that they were a little bigger than average, which made us happy. Knowing that the boys will be earlier than the actual May 6th due date, Scott and I were hoping for the 5 1/2 lb mark by the delivery date of April 20th.  At our appointment a month ago the boys were 4lb 12oz (TJ) and 4lb 15oz (Matthew).  In all of the literature I have read, it says that twin weight gain naturally slows down in the final month or so in order to have room to move.  With that said, we did not expect to hear what we heard yesterday.....
Final Stats....
TJ:              7 lb 4 oz
Matthew :    7 lb 5oz
Of course there is always room for error as the measurements cannot be exact, but even if they are off by a pound, that still puts these boys into the 6 pound mark and that makes this Mom and Dad sleep a whole lot easier. It will be interesting to see what they really weigh and how tall each boy is. 
Also, somehow...and I'm not sure how it was possible, other than he must be academically gifted, but Matthew corrected his breech position and the boys heads are both down and they are head to head...in perfect position.  I have no idea how this kid  maneuvered himself down because he was in breech position for well over a month and trust me when I tell you there is NO ROOM for movement....as I have been telling Scott all along...I think Matthew will be the sneaky one....when he does stuff, it will be monumental. LOL.  Only time will tell.  For now, they are in the right position, weight is great, they are snuggling with each other, (although it looked as if they were kicking each other on the monitor yesterday) and they are just getting stronger with each day.  Less than a week to go..only 6 more nights!!!!!

36 WEEKS....This is my sister-in-law's maternity top/dress.  She was able to wear it with tights...not so much for me!