Day 86

My baby girls are finally home. Ava came home on march 22 and Lydia came home on march 24th.... Today they are 3 weeks old. We didnt even have Ava home 24 hours and Jadon kneed her in the head and we had to take her to the ER for a cat scan. Every thing turned out fine though. Both girls are eating every 3 to5 hours. Although last night both girls went 8 hours without eating and finally I just woke them up to feed them. Our girls are pretty laid back just like Jadon was. I hope it stays this way =) Today was their first sunday at church and they did very well!! My mother in-law is staying with me this week and she has been a huge help! We completely rearranged the kitchen, all the closets and the girls room.... Anthonys mom is really good at organizing things!! 

So other than that things are pretty good. I finally feel good after the surgery... Their is hardly even a scar. You would never know I had a c-section. The cellulitis around the incision is almost completely gone (PTL!).... 

We are settled in at home and enjoying every minute of it. Still hard to believe that we have 3 children!

Day 79....

So life as we all know it has been super crazy, busy, and hectic these passed couple of weeks.  I have not been able to update my blog everyday but I try and keep people as informed as possible through facebook.  This morning I had all intentions on going to church. Woke up, pumped, showered, then fell back asleep. My husband said he was pretty exhausted as well.  So Jadon and I didnt end up getting up until 10:30!! It felt sooo good to sleep in. Today I didnt make it up to see the girls. I needed a day to just relax and have nothing to worry about. Today was that day!  Tomorrow they are going to do a car seat test on them to make sure they pass it in order to go home. Ava is doing GREAT! She is now 4lbs 14 oz. She has taken every bottle by mouth for the passed 3-4 days. Lydia on the other hand is progressing a little bit slower. She is now 5lbs 7oz and takes 2 out of 3 bottles by mouth.  I honestly think they are feeding her too much. She is getting more than Ava, yet she isn't eating EVERYTHING on her own. She is sooo sleepy to get the rest down. I think they should cut back on how much they are giving her and just let her tell them when she is hungry. Ava is supposed to be getting her feeding tube out today since its not being used. I think its only a couple of days until Ava comes home but maybe a little longer for Lydia. I believe that Lydia is ok to come home as well but dr.'s will be dr.'s.... So that pretty much sums things up....

Jadon has been a pistol lately. Nothing unusual from what I have heard. He has grown so much in these passed few weeks as well. His vocabulary is much better as well as his sentences... He is actually making more sense when he talks lol  He definitely know how to test his father and I. He tries to push us to see how much he can actually get away with. But we arent backing down just because we have new additions to the family. There are still rules and he needs to follow them =) He is pretty good when we are in public which I am very proud of.... But behind closed doors he is a little stinker! lol

In just 10 days it will be the anniversary of when my husband proposed to me. It's unreal where this last year has taken us and the changes that have been made in both of our lives. We really thank God for everything he has done for us and for being there when we needed him the most.

Day 71-73....

Saturday we checked out of the Ronald Mcdonald House. We visited with the girls all day. Came home that evening, Anthony rubbed my feet and I passed out.

Sunday morning Anthony left to go to Ga. That morning I was getting ready for church while Jadon was still sleeping. I was completely ready before he even woke up. Must have been due to the time change. Once Jadon woke up I got him dressed and ready to go. While I was getting my bags packed to bring to the hospital later Jadon was in the living room (I thought he had put a movie in b/c he was being so quiet). I walk out into the dining room and Jadon has a black permanent marker scribbling all over our kitchen table. This occurred right as we needed to be walking out of the door to go to church. I held my composure and didn't get upset, beings that we only paid $50 for the table at a yard sale. I explained how he needed to not do those sorts of things and that daddy will be very upset when he sees it. So then we left for church. I tried dropping him off in his classroom but he broke down and started crying (like every other time I drop him off). But since things have been so hectic and such an emotional roller coaster this past week, I felt really bad leaving him. So I took him into service with me. Of course with him being only 2 he lasted through worship then he was ready to play. So we had to leave. 

We went to the hospital to visit with the girls. Not even 5 minutes of being there he takes a pencil to the hospital floor. I cleaned it up and sat him in time out. I just didnt understand why he was behaving this way b/c he never does stuff like that. Then my mom, g-ma and aunt came up to visit. While they were there Jadon took a crayon to the hospital wall.  Now I'm thinking he is acting out b/c he has 2 new sisters that are getting all the attention. He was completely out of control that day! 

Today, Monday, Jadon and I slept in. When we woke up I wasn't feeling very great. Later this afternoon I decided I couldnt take it any longer and had to go see the girls. I took jadon to my g-mas so she could keep him while I went to the hospital. My grand parents took him to the mall and let him play and he really enjoyed it. All evening he has been asking where "Branma" & Moo Pop are. 

Update on the girls:

Lydia was placed back in her isolet b/c she was unable to keep her body temp up.

In order to go home right now the goal is to get into an open crib and maintain a good body temp and to eat on their own and gain weight. The girls get sooo sleepy and worn out from eating that when its time for their next feeding they just want to sleep.

Something cool:

This morning I thought about asking if I could bring a radio up to the hospital and play christian music for the girls.... Well when I walked into the hospital room this afternoon the nurse had the computer in their room on with z88.3 playing for them! How neat was that!  Come to find out their nurse goes to Northland Church... She shared many stories with me today about her experiences working at the hospital and things they see with children. Some of the stories were just heartbreaking! Its so good to know that a lady with such a kind and soft spirit was taking care of our girls. Every nurse we have had has been sooooo wonderful! Everytime I call to get an update they are so nice and tell me how much they just love the girls. Even when we have Jadon with us the nurses will play with him and color while we are holding the girls. The nurses have really made it easy on us and we are so thankful! We know that God has not forgotten about us, b/c even at the hospital he is there!

Beautiful Ava

Beautiful Lydia

(she was PASSED out!!)

Day 70.... SLEPT IN!!

This morning Anthony left the RMH around 6:45 to get back to Deland to help my dad load. Well I took advantage of getting some rest and slept in till 11am!! I went the entire night with out pumping and all morning. Lets just say that when I woke up I thought I was going to float away!! 

We checked out of the RMH today. Since Anthony wasnt there I had to clean everything for check out. That was quite a task after having surgery!! Scrubbing the bath tub, vacuuming, stripping the beds... Yea I was a bit sore afterwards.

The girls are doing well. I was able to breast feed Lydia today and she did GREAT! Both girls are doing great without being on the oxygen. Lydia is no longer int he incubator. Ava was out but had to be put back in because her body temp. started to drop.  Today while Ava was getting her diaper changed, she obviously wasnt done doin her business. Well she pooped and it squirted to the OTHER side of her incubator!! lol Oh how I wish Anthony would have been changing that diaper!!

This evening when we got home I finished up all our laundry and cleaned the bathrooms. The only thing missing in the house are the girls. 

Daddy, Jadon, and Lydia... 

(Ava wasn't able to be out of her incubator today due to her body temp.)

Day 69.... still in NICU

THURSDAY March 10th:

Today has been a pretty good day. I'm pretty much over staying here in Orlando, but if I want to be right by my girls I have to. I cant wait to get home and sleep in my own bed again. 

The girls are doing well. Ava is now in an open crib and is no longer on oxygen. Lydia is getting an open crib tomorrow and will be taken off of oxygen as well. Both of them girls are such fighters! They want to be home with mommy, daddy, and big brother! 

Today my dad and my in-laws came up to visit. We had a nice time. We ate lunch in the cafeteria and I ended up passing out. I've been completely exhausted today! I think pumping every 2 hours is catching up with me. This evening Anthony and I went back up to see the girls. I fed Lydia while he fed Ava. After Lydias feeding I passed out again! Now that I have taken a shower I am completely awake. Go figure!  I'm still suffering pretty bad from pain. =(  I only have 2 doses of pain meds left so I have been trying to make do and not take them when I should. I called the dr that delivered the girls and of course she didnt call me back.  Hopefully I will hear something tomorrow or I might just die! 

My dad holding the girls for the 1st time

Day 68.... Update on the girls

Wednesday March 9th:

Today we received ALL good reports on the girls. I can't thank God enough for it. There are no signs of infections... All antibiotics have been stopped. Both of their breathing is very good. They both took a bottle for the 1st time today. Mommy and Daddy were able to hold them pretty much all day it was GREAT! So hopefully it wont be too much longer that the girls are staying here at the hospital. I am really ready to get them home!!

Day 65... BABIES!

Sunday March 6th:

We had our babies!!! =D

At midnight on Sunday March 6th I was having some pretty rough pains in my stomach. I went to sleep to try and sleep it off. Woke up again at 2am and the pains were worse. My husband kept asking what was wrong and if I was ok.... and I told him no. That I needed to go to the hospital. My husband was supposed to leave for Georgia at 4am so we were in a dilema on what to do. We ended up going to Deland Hospital b/c it was only 10 minutes from our house and our gas light was on. I was in too much pain to have to go all the way to Daytona. We get to the hospital and find out that I am 3cm dialated and 30% effaced. They gave me a shot to stop labor but it didn't help. The dr. on call got there about an hour or so later and when she checked I was 5cm and 80% effaced. They were going to let me leave and go to halifax, but it was already too late. Labor was progressing way too quickly. At almost 5am they let me know that they were going to go ahead and do the c-section. THANK GOD ANTHONY DIDN'T GO TO GEORGIA!!!

Ava was born at 6:23am and weighed 4.10lbs (we thought it was 4.6 but they corrected her weight after everything was in the computer) and she is 17 1/2 inches long. Lydia was born right after weight 5.1lbs and she is 18 1/2 inches long. Ava is the spitting image of Jadon and I when we were babies. She has very little light colored hair and very fair skin. Lydia looks just like Anthony with a head full of very dark hair and olive colored skin. They are both soooo precious!

Both girls are being closely monitored and are hooked up to oxygen. Their lungs are not fully developed yet. They have transferred them to Orlando, while I have to stay at deland hospital. I was told that they will most likely discharge me tomorrow as long as everything stays good throughout the night. I am in pretty severe pain even with the pain meds. Tomorrow we will most likely be staying at the Ronald Mcdonald House and continue to stay there as long as we feel the need to. Friends and family are allowed to visit as long as Anthony or I am there. Grandparents are allowed to visit whenever they want to. No kids under the age of 16 are allowed in to see the girls. We are hoping that this will be a quick recovery for our girls since they seems to be doing very well. On a good note I will be able to recover while they are =)  

I have to say having a c-section was pretty frightening. Much easier than a vaginal delivery but this recovery stuff SUCKS! lol My husband has been awesome through this all. He has waited on me hands and foot. He was also a trooper watching the entire delivery. I dont know how he stomached it! I am so thankful that the girls made it here! I was 34 weeks today. Our lives will never be the same without them. Double the fun, double the blessing, double the love. Our hearts are happy =)

Day 64.... Monkey Joes/Maternity Shoot

Saturday March 5th:

This morning we had a maternity shoot with Kristen. It was super fun! ...Waiting to see the pics.

We took Jadon to Monkey Joes to get some energy out. He had lots of fun!! Then we walked around the Outlet mall.

Day 61.....

Today we had lots of errands to run. We got a new vacuum cleaner which I am really excited about =) Anthony did some yard work this afternoon and then this evening I cooked dinner.... Now just updating my blogs lol

 Our dog Harry outside while Anthony was doing some yard work

 Jadon helping Daddy

Jadon holding the pan while Daddy sweeps up the leaves

Day 60... Dr.'s appt.

Tuesday March 1st:

This morning I had my 33 wk. check up. My dr. went ahead and scheduled a c-section for the 1st week of April. She doesn't think that I will make it that far, but if I do make it that far then thats when they will take them. She gave me the choice of a vaginal delivery or a c-section and I went ahead and chose the c-section. I get so scared everytime I even think of my delivery with Jadon, that I just do not want to go through that again. Yea I had sucky nurses and a horrible dr. But this time I am having 2 babies and not 1. So many more things could go wrong and I dont want to put any more stress on the babies.  If I decide to change my mind then they will do whatever I want. Soooo i still have the other option.  

I now have to see my dr. every week which is exciting. Im measuring at 42 weeks.

This afternoon they scheduled me to go have some testing done at halifax and also put me on the fetal monitor. Everything seemed fine.

Then this evening I watched the kiddos at church. =)

33 weeks

Day 59....

Monday Feb. 28th:

Today Jadon and I spent the day out and about with my grandmother. We went to Tuesday Mornings and found a couple things. They have a baby collection called Eleanor... Oh my goodness! I love the material of those clothes!! So I bought 2 sleep dresses for the girls for only $3.99 reg. $16.00!!

We then went and had lunch at Angelinas which was delish as always....

Later that afternoon we had to make a trip to Halifax b/c my baby girls hadnt moved all day and my dr was a little bit concerned. Everything was fine. =)