So much for being a better blogger!
I tried to get everything together, the honest truth is that lately, I don't have it together. If you want proof, come over to our house. I used to have everything in tip-top shape, but it seems as though our home has been ransacked by two 19-month old young men. They must be looking for money or something, it seems as though all they have found is toys and manage to leave them lie all over the house.
Which isn't really fair to our Maxy though... because starting this week, he picks up his toys. He runs around the living room and puts his toys in the bucket. This behavior is encouraged by clapping and cheers. Even Zachary gets in on the action. Not the picking up of the toys, but rather sitting on the couch and applauding.
Maxy has had a very rough week. His infection is back on his finger. We are just sick about it. Poor little guy. He is starting to get the nail back, but right at the cuticle base, he has herpetic whitlow. This is basically a cold sore or "herpes" on the finger. It is a virus, which comes and goes. I am sure that he contracted the virus from me (I have always had cold sores) right after he was born. When we were discharged from the hospital, I woke up the first morning at home with my face covered in cold sores. Certainly a reaction from stress & no sleep. Max's finger is not nearly as sore as it was before and it does not have the green pus, or the staph, that it had before. He does not have a fever and does ok using the infected hand.
Our little Maxy is left-handed, and his infected finger is his 4th finger or his "wedding ring" finger. I know someday, I am going to watch him get married and think about how horrible I feel each time he breaks out in these infections. I do worry about something more... why is his immune system low? But, I can't let myself go there, I won't. At least not right now.
Another heart breaker for our Max is that he fell on the stairs this week and chipped his front tooth. It is a small chip, but noticeable, nonetheless. He then hit the tooth again, while he was riding around on his car in the kitchen and his lips/gum started to bleed. Max is one of the sweetest children you will ever meet, which is why all of this tugs at the heart strings a little more.
I usually rant about Zachary. He has started biting. His main entree, Max. :( But I want to share some things about our Maxy. He has a very quiet demeanor, unless he is alone with one on one time. If we get him up when Zachary is sleeping, he is the craziest kid. He runs around, babbling and pushing every button he can find.
He is built like a brick shithouse. Certainly because he crawled until 15 months. He has the most amazing upper body strength and he is so brave. He used to cry when the vacuum came on. Now, if it comes on (which is rare...lol) Zach will usually go lay on the couch or cover up with a blanket, while Max will puff out his chest and run up to the outlet and unplug the cord. He does it with such bravery. You can see how proud he is when he is done.
Zachary makes this noise, it is a cross between whining and screaming, which drives us all crazy, but when he makes it, poor Max loses it. He starts to cry immediately. And a hard, big tear cry. We have tried to get Zach to stop, to realize that he is making Maxy sad, to remind him to use his inside voice, but nothing works. And Max shakes with cries, but yet the bravery he shows to unplug the vacuum is admirable.
He definitely isn't the "show stealer." He doesn't wave and blow kisses at complete strangers EVERYWHERE we go, but he has such a happy, pleasant demeanor. He has such a special relationship with people and really is a Daddy's boy. If he doesn't feel good, he will pass up me at any point for Dustin.
He is just such an amazing kid. He doesn't demand attention. He waits patiently. He LOVES raspberries and chocolate milk. He likes to sit and look at/read books. He loves Baby Einstein. He is a big fan of Jason Mraz, and if he is having a bad moment, and we put on some music, he calms down right away.
Maxy has a special little twinkle in his eye. It is hard to see the bruises from the biting and the chipped tooth, you never want to see your child suffer or hurt, but for some reason, my want for Max is different. It makes me sick to my stomach to even think about something happening to him. I feel the same way about Zachary too, but for some reason, I feel like I need to protect Maxy more.
Even though he is the one who puffs out his chest and shows me what it is like to be brave.
Mommy
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Feeling like a Mom.
I finally feel like a mom. I don't know why I didn't before. Maybe it was that whole breastfeeding fiasco that DID NOT work. I can't help the fact that I tried for 11 days and I never actually got any milk. That the boys would cry because they weren't getting it faster. Have you tried to hold two babies at once while pumping? It made me crazy, the were bottle fed and we all were a little more sane.
I held Maxy for 4 days in the hospital in August while he was poked at, prodded at and treated like a leper because of an infection. He was secluded and isolated and cried for hours on end.
But, the real kicker happened today. I was on the couch, Zach was snuggling next to me, oh so sweet, he got a little fussy and it looked like he was drooling. I said to Dustin, "oh, I think he is nauseated" and 2 seconds later, he projectile vomited all over us. I got puked on. Not a little spit up or baby puke (after all, Maxy had horrible, nasty reflux), but vomit. And I picked him up, brought him to the bathroom while puking and bathed him... All while I wanted to barf, but I didn't. I then cleaned him up, showered, entertained Maxy (with mascara, the kid loves to play in my makeup). We all sat on the couch and cuddled... And it was pure bliss.
I held Maxy for 4 days in the hospital in August while he was poked at, prodded at and treated like a leper because of an infection. He was secluded and isolated and cried for hours on end.
But, the real kicker happened today. I was on the couch, Zach was snuggling next to me, oh so sweet, he got a little fussy and it looked like he was drooling. I said to Dustin, "oh, I think he is nauseated" and 2 seconds later, he projectile vomited all over us. I got puked on. Not a little spit up or baby puke (after all, Maxy had horrible, nasty reflux), but vomit. And I picked him up, brought him to the bathroom while puking and bathed him... All while I wanted to barf, but I didn't. I then cleaned him up, showered, entertained Maxy (with mascara, the kid loves to play in my makeup). We all sat on the couch and cuddled... And it was pure bliss.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Update
I said I would be better at blogging, but yeah, not so much. I have ever intention to blog more, but I usually have millions of things that end up taking priority. Go Figure.
It is such a blast watching the boys grow up. They are so different, yet so alike. It amazes me how much "nature" plays a role in personality formation. Really, the twins are being raised the same way. They shared a womb, they had the same the same birth. They shared a crib, eat the same things, etc. Yet, they are so different.
Max has such a sweet spirit. He is more of an introvert, but has a crazy, cute side too. He has excellent fine motor skills and will sit and play with one toy for quite some time.
Zach is a little wild, but also, very sweet. He is an extrovert. He will blow kisses at every woman in the store. He will pull his diaper off, pull bread off the counter. He actually has some great independent skills.
It has been a crazy ride so far, we love every second.
It is such a blast watching the boys grow up. They are so different, yet so alike. It amazes me how much "nature" plays a role in personality formation. Really, the twins are being raised the same way. They shared a womb, they had the same the same birth. They shared a crib, eat the same things, etc. Yet, they are so different.
Max has such a sweet spirit. He is more of an introvert, but has a crazy, cute side too. He has excellent fine motor skills and will sit and play with one toy for quite some time.
Zach is a little wild, but also, very sweet. He is an extrovert. He will blow kisses at every woman in the store. He will pull his diaper off, pull bread off the counter. He actually has some great independent skills.
It has been a crazy ride so far, we love every second.
New Pictures!
Maxy with Mommy's glasses
Zach with the vacuum. He will cry when it turns on though!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Hi! :)
Gorgeous eyes!
With Mommy's Dolce&Gabbana sunglasses. :)Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Return to Blogging
I am thinking I want to blog more. Basically, I am annoyed with Facebook and I have been horrible at keeping up on baby books... I haven't even printed the boy's pictures off since 3 mo. If it wasn't for my sister, Betsy, we would have NO recent pictures of the boys. Nor would family members. Thanks, Bets. You would think that she has it easier than me, so she can print off more pictures. Not exactly true. She has a 3 year old boy, 2 year old boy and a 5 week old baby girl. Yeah, she has way more time than me! ;)
Fall classes started for me yesterday. I actually did homework last night, so I am off to a good start. I hate when I am in school though... I look around the house like I have so much to do... and I end up doing nothing. I never really used to procrastinate, and I don't actually. I just know that it is pointless to scrub the floor weekly, when the boys are just going to drop their sippy cups off the high chair trays in 30 minutes. Our house is clean, but not spotless.
I remember reading when I was pregnant that it isn't good to have EVERYTHING germ free. Kids actually get sick more. This recent thing with Maxy's finger has really had me wondering. Am I too clean? Am I not clean enough? Do I let them eat more dirt? Less dirt? I had a little break down with the pediatrician about this. I was feeling so bad about myself and my parenting/housekeeping/motherhood skills. He reassured me that it was normal to have these kinds of bugs on your fingers. That poor Maxy just had bad luck. Yeah, I'd say.
But, I will say that he is getting much better. His finger is healing, but he is using it again. I have been watching that closer, in case I would need to work with him on some PT/OT type things, but he seems to be bouncing back pretty well. That is what I love about kiddos. They bounce back so well.
Momma, not so much. I am still feeling the effects from living in the hospital. Not sleeping, not showering, etc. Dustin & Zachary got some nasty bug when we got home. Also a combination of not sleeping. I am now studying on homeostasis for school. How we need homeostasis for our body and how we respond to stress either leads to wellness or illness.
The boys are so resilient though and so fun. Max has started feeding me his snacks. LOL. He will pick up his cereal and put it in my mouth, like a thank you. And Zachary, well, that kid! He will snuggle in, kiss my cheek, act like he is watching TV or something and then, take my glasses off my face! I love watching them grow into little gentlemen.
I think we are going to attempt to play outside today. We haven't really been doing much of that. It is too hard when they run in opposite directions and our swing set was really damaged in the last storm. Not to mention that the sand box has about 6" of rain water in it. It stormed while Maxy was admitted, so I guess that makes sense on the lack of maintenance.
Well, enough procrastinating and back to reality. Aka: dishes, laundry and vacuuming during naptime.
Fall classes started for me yesterday. I actually did homework last night, so I am off to a good start. I hate when I am in school though... I look around the house like I have so much to do... and I end up doing nothing. I never really used to procrastinate, and I don't actually. I just know that it is pointless to scrub the floor weekly, when the boys are just going to drop their sippy cups off the high chair trays in 30 minutes. Our house is clean, but not spotless.
I remember reading when I was pregnant that it isn't good to have EVERYTHING germ free. Kids actually get sick more. This recent thing with Maxy's finger has really had me wondering. Am I too clean? Am I not clean enough? Do I let them eat more dirt? Less dirt? I had a little break down with the pediatrician about this. I was feeling so bad about myself and my parenting/housekeeping/motherhood skills. He reassured me that it was normal to have these kinds of bugs on your fingers. That poor Maxy just had bad luck. Yeah, I'd say.
But, I will say that he is getting much better. His finger is healing, but he is using it again. I have been watching that closer, in case I would need to work with him on some PT/OT type things, but he seems to be bouncing back pretty well. That is what I love about kiddos. They bounce back so well.
Momma, not so much. I am still feeling the effects from living in the hospital. Not sleeping, not showering, etc. Dustin & Zachary got some nasty bug when we got home. Also a combination of not sleeping. I am now studying on homeostasis for school. How we need homeostasis for our body and how we respond to stress either leads to wellness or illness.
The boys are so resilient though and so fun. Max has started feeding me his snacks. LOL. He will pick up his cereal and put it in my mouth, like a thank you. And Zachary, well, that kid! He will snuggle in, kiss my cheek, act like he is watching TV or something and then, take my glasses off my face! I love watching them grow into little gentlemen.
I think we are going to attempt to play outside today. We haven't really been doing much of that. It is too hard when they run in opposite directions and our swing set was really damaged in the last storm. Not to mention that the sand box has about 6" of rain water in it. It stormed while Maxy was admitted, so I guess that makes sense on the lack of maintenance.
Well, enough procrastinating and back to reality. Aka: dishes, laundry and vacuuming during naptime.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Home with a bandaged finger
We finally came home late Thursday night, about 8 p.m. He was supposed to have surgery on Thurs. to debride the wound. They were going to lance his finger in the OR and clean up the owie. He was still having more pus and whatnot gooing out of that finger. He couldn't eat or drink... and they wanted him to wait on pain meds. We went down to the OR and had to wait for the surgeon for over an hour. When he got there, Maxy was beyond fed up (not to mention hungry, thirsty and in pain!) The surgeon squeezed his poor little finger, decided he didn't want to do surgery and told us to go home.
Max had just been poked twice to get an IV, and we were supposed to meet with another surgeon in the a.m. to decide if he wanted to debride it. I didn't want them to have to do another IV, so we went home... with the IV in his foot.
We basically had to stay in the hospital so long for Vancomycin, a really strong IV antibiotic, until the doctors had the labs back, so they would know exactly what oral antibiotic to send him home on. Until then, he needed to be treated with the Vanco.
The cultures came back late Thursday night. He had staph (not MRSA--the one that is resistant to antibiotics) and strep in his finger. Both germs are very common and everywhere. They are naturally on our skin. Little Max probably ended up with a hangnail that got infected.
He is doing better at home. We are cleaning it and wrapping it. He is on Keflex for 10 days. He finally pooped (he was constipated for 3 days in there!!) and is all full of smile. I ended up with a cold in there. Dustin & Zach have some kind of nasty bug too.
We are supposed to go to Brinley's baptism tomorrow. Hopefully after another night's sleep, we will be ready to be around other people!
Thank you so much for the thoughts and prayers. It was very scary, but we are so glad to be home again.
Loev, Sara
Max had just been poked twice to get an IV, and we were supposed to meet with another surgeon in the a.m. to decide if he wanted to debride it. I didn't want them to have to do another IV, so we went home... with the IV in his foot.
We basically had to stay in the hospital so long for Vancomycin, a really strong IV antibiotic, until the doctors had the labs back, so they would know exactly what oral antibiotic to send him home on. Until then, he needed to be treated with the Vanco.
The cultures came back late Thursday night. He had staph (not MRSA--the one that is resistant to antibiotics) and strep in his finger. Both germs are very common and everywhere. They are naturally on our skin. Little Max probably ended up with a hangnail that got infected.
He is doing better at home. We are cleaning it and wrapping it. He is on Keflex for 10 days. He finally pooped (he was constipated for 3 days in there!!) and is all full of smile. I ended up with a cold in there. Dustin & Zach have some kind of nasty bug too.
We are supposed to go to Brinley's baptism tomorrow. Hopefully after another night's sleep, we will be ready to be around other people!
Thank you so much for the thoughts and prayers. It was very scary, but we are so glad to be home again.
Loev, Sara
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
our 1st hospitalization
Just wanted to send a little update on our Maxy.
Last Thursday, he was up a lot during the night, had a fever, but had got better when he laid down in his crib. He had a fever during the night, up to 103.3, but he is getting 8 (!) teeth and we weren't really positive on the reasoning. His behavior was a little sluggish, but all in all, he was ok.
On Friday, he woke up and while I was changing his diaper, he put his hand up and on his left ring finger, he had a huge blister. It looked the size of a grape and was full of thick, green pus. He still had a fever, and was miserable. He didn't injure it, that we knew of, and we literally had NO idea what was going on.
I found a babysitter for Zach, and tried to take Max into the urgent care. They wouldn't look at him with a fever that high. We tried to get into the regular clinic (all in Princeton) and they were full. The triage nurse finally brought him to the ER, after he screamed in the waiting room for over 40 minutes. Dustin's mom, Nancy came up to take care of Zach and were were going to try to find out what was going on with Maxy.
When we walked into the ER, his fever was 105.6. They checked it later and it was going down, to 104.2. The doctor was sure he had strep throat from daycare (... Max doesn't go to daycare!!) The ER doc had no idea why his fever was so high, but since he did have staph infection in his right hand in December, she decided to put him on Septra and send us home.
He had an ok weekend. He still had a very high fever, but it would come down with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. We were draining his finger every morning, so he could use it... we were soaking it, etc. He wasn't using it and refused to really play.
On Monday morning, Mom was planning on coming anyway, she got there and now his finger was turning black, smelled of rotting flesh and he had a red streak going up his hand. I called our regular doctor, who was booked, but offered to see him anyway during lunch. Mom stayed with Zach and we ran down to Elk River. Max didn't have a fever, but he did have a NASTY infection. The doctor admitted us right from the clinic to the Princeton hospital. They started him on IV Vancomycin every six hours and an oral antibiotics.
It looks like we will be here again tonight. They are thinking that it may be some kind of Strep got in his finger, not Staph. (Staph will not send a red streak up the arm.) Zach is at mom & dad's and loving it. (The kitchen cupboards don't have safety locks on them! Imagine the fun!) Just wanted to let you know what is going on with our little boy and his poor finger.
Dustin is here with me today. My little client is back in the hospital, so I wouldn't be working anyway. Nancy, Dustin's mom came up last night and Mom or Betsy is going to bring Zach up here today. Emma is planning a visit too.
Last Thursday, he was up a lot during the night, had a fever, but had got better when he laid down in his crib. He had a fever during the night, up to 103.3, but he is getting 8 (!) teeth and we weren't really positive on the reasoning. His behavior was a little sluggish, but all in all, he was ok.
On Friday, he woke up and while I was changing his diaper, he put his hand up and on his left ring finger, he had a huge blister. It looked the size of a grape and was full of thick, green pus. He still had a fever, and was miserable. He didn't injure it, that we knew of, and we literally had NO idea what was going on.
I found a babysitter for Zach, and tried to take Max into the urgent care. They wouldn't look at him with a fever that high. We tried to get into the regular clinic (all in Princeton) and they were full. The triage nurse finally brought him to the ER, after he screamed in the waiting room for over 40 minutes. Dustin's mom, Nancy came up to take care of Zach and were were going to try to find out what was going on with Maxy.
When we walked into the ER, his fever was 105.6. They checked it later and it was going down, to 104.2. The doctor was sure he had strep throat from daycare (... Max doesn't go to daycare!!) The ER doc had no idea why his fever was so high, but since he did have staph infection in his right hand in December, she decided to put him on Septra and send us home.
He had an ok weekend. He still had a very high fever, but it would come down with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. We were draining his finger every morning, so he could use it... we were soaking it, etc. He wasn't using it and refused to really play.
On Monday morning, Mom was planning on coming anyway, she got there and now his finger was turning black, smelled of rotting flesh and he had a red streak going up his hand. I called our regular doctor, who was booked, but offered to see him anyway during lunch. Mom stayed with Zach and we ran down to Elk River. Max didn't have a fever, but he did have a NASTY infection. The doctor admitted us right from the clinic to the Princeton hospital. They started him on IV Vancomycin every six hours and an oral antibiotics.
It looks like we will be here again tonight. They are thinking that it may be some kind of Strep got in his finger, not Staph. (Staph will not send a red streak up the arm.) Zach is at mom & dad's and loving it. (The kitchen cupboards don't have safety locks on them! Imagine the fun!) Just wanted to let you know what is going on with our little boy and his poor finger.
Dustin is here with me today. My little client is back in the hospital, so I wouldn't be working anyway. Nancy, Dustin's mom came up last night and Mom or Betsy is going to bring Zach up here today. Emma is planning a visit too.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Birth Story, One Year Later.
I was still going to school, despite bed rest. I had a big presentation in lab that I was working on with a partner. My partner on the project was a crazy procrastinator and since I was 35 weeks pregnant, I had wanted to wrap up the work as soon as possible. I had written the paper and did the majority of the work and she needed to add a table of our data. When she shows it to me, RIGHT before lab, there is no data table. Nope. The one part that was her responsibility, not completed. I stressed to say the least. I didn't really feel that great anyway, but standing in front of my lab class, huge, missing this piece... wasn't a good combination. I made it through and came home.
I was starving, it was Cinco de Mayo and I wanted beer and tacos. I obviously couldn't have beer, and for some reason, we didn't get tacos. We went to Merlin's in Princeton. I had a hamburger with fried onions and chocolate milk. We got home and watched some TV. I started vomiting about 9 p.m. and just did not feel good. I took my Procardia at 10 p.m. and went to sleep on the chair downstairs. Dustin went up to bed.
I think I slept a little, in and out anyway. I woke up often to pee and usually ended up vomiting. I took my Procardia again at 2 a.m. and remember saying goodbye to Dustin when he left for work at 7 a.m.
I woke up around 8 a.m. and called my mom. I had sent my sisters a picture of my swollen feet on their cell phones, and they showed mom. I had a horrible headache and my vision was starting to blur. I really thought I was fine. I hung up from mom, went upstairs to get a bowl of pineapple, forgot to take my Procardia at 10 a.m. Around 10:15 a.m., my sister Betsy called, she was on her way from work to take me into the hospital. I thought that it was ridiculous for her to take off work, so I decided to call up to labor and delivery first.
Nurse Jodi answered the phone. I went through the whole scenario, I am a patient of Dr. Roberts, 35 weeks pregnant with twins, have been vomiting pretty consistently for the last 12 hours, bad headache, blurred vision--and she stopped me immediately. She asked me how far away I lived, I told her about 10 minutes, she said she wanted to see me in 15. I don't even think she caught my name.
I called Betsy back and told her I needed to go up to Labor & Delivery. She was all ready 1/2 way between Milaca and Princeton. My mom had talked to her also. Mom had a cousin who lost full-term twin boys to pre-ecclampsia and I was showing all the signs. They were scared.
I took a shower, but didn't put on any makeup. When Betsy came, she made the comment that I was wearing the same green shirt that she wore when she went into the hospital to deliver her son, Ethan. We went up to the hospital, and when I went to check in, the registration lady told me she was expecting me. Obviously, Jodi had all the alarms sounded. Betsy wanted me to use a wheelchair and I refused. I waddled upstairs and Jodi had all ready been talking to Dr. Roberts. I had an appointment scheduled to see her that afternoon, and Dr. Roberts said that I could come in early and she would check me out in clinic.
That had sounded pretty good to me. But not Betsy. She asked Jodi to take my blood pressure first. Then, look at my feet. My BP was 120/90. My feet were "pretty swollen" and Jodi left to call Dr. Roberts back. She came in the room again and told me that I was going to be admitted to triage. Yippee. Another day sitting in the triage room. I had just been up there one week earlier.
I switched into my gown, peed in a cup, told Dustin what was going on, got comfy. Jodi started an IV, lab came up to draw blood. I was a little dehydrated, but they didn't want me to eat or drink anything. It was around noon now. My BP had settled down, but I was having contractions, every 4 minutes or so. The boys' heartbeats were all over the place too. I tried to relax, but Betsy was nuts. She was so excited, she was making all of us insane.
Around 2 p.m., Jodi came in and told me that I could have the babies that day. I had protein in my urine, a horrid pain in my side, my headache & blurred vision were getting worse, not better. So I needed to get Dustin there. Dr. Roberts had made some calls to the U, because I was still early and showing signs of pre-ecclampsia and HELLP syndrome. My blood work had came back with low platelets. I all ready have trouble clotting. I could bleed out. Yippee.
Dustin got to the hospital & Betsy left. She went to our house first and grabbed the hospital bags, camera, etc. She was going to come back later that night with my parents, and other sister, Emma. We had just bought a 1/4 of beef, and they were going to bring that up. The next few hours were a blur...
A nurse came in and checked my cervix. I was dilated to a 2. I had an ultrasound to check babies position. One week earlier, Zach was head down, baby B was breech. This ultrasound showed both head down. I have no idea when Max flipped. I imagine it was sometime during the violent vomiting. Dr. Roberts came in and checked me again. She said with both babies head down, she could give me something to induce the labor, and I would most likely have the boys vaginally by 8 a.m. the next day. She said I could have a C-Section and be holding them by 7 p.m. I didn't know what to do. I knew that vaginally was better for the boys, and I suggested that but I was also in a ridiculous amount of pain and my BP was getting higher and toxemia was getting worse. She scheduled the C-Section.
Earlier she had called down to the U of MN, to see if I could be transferred there for delivery. There were no beds for me, and only one bed for the twins in the NICU. It was decided to have Dr. Roberts deliver in Princeton and if the twins needed, they could either be flown or sent to a NICU via ambulance.
Dr. Roberts told me not to tell anyone about the pineapple that I had earlier ;) and everyone started flooding in. They brought scrubs for Dustin, lab came in, ultrasound, anesthesia, nurses, and nurses. We were watching the news and the weather had gone from foggy, to sunny, cloudy and then, stormy. There were severe weather warnings for Mille Lacs county, with a bad storm in Foley. At 6 p.m., Brian (anesthesiologist) and a nurse brought me back to the OR.
Dustin and I had met Brian earlier. He was the anesthesiologist in on my emergency D & C when we lost Sammie. That day, 1 1/2 years earlier, he took care of me while Dr. Roberts removed the tissue from my body and Sammie. Now, in the OR, they were delivering our twin sons.
I had my spinal, which didn't hurt at all. I bent over and kissed my babies. The phone was ringing like crazy in the OR of people who wanted to get in on the action. I don't remember meeting everyone, but I know that in the OR there were 2 scrub nurses, Dr. Roberts, Dr. Scott, Brian, Dr. Kubika (pediatrician for the twins), nurses for each boy, two surgical techs, Brian, Dustin and three other people standing in the doorway.
I was draped, Dustin came in. When she was starting, I was supposed to tell Brian if I felt like I was going to throw up. At one point, I didn't feel so great. I told him, and his response, "I know." I look over and he is squeezing the IV bag with both hands, and my BP was 40/20. Next thing, Zachary is born.
He didn't cry right away, he had to be suctioned and spanked. I got to see him for a second, and then the doctor was working on him like crazy. I couldn't see what was going on, but one minute later, Maxwell was born. He cried. I could see his "giraffe" perfectly. The first thing they did after wiping him off was gave him his Vitamin K shot, put the Erythromycin in his eyes, checked him over, and gave him to Dustin.
I cried during the whole delivery and pretty much lost it when I saw Max. I told him I was his mommy and kissed him. Dustin took Max to the nursery, and Zachary was whisked away for "a little extra help." Meanwhile, under the blue curtain, I was falling apart. Later, I find out that I had a huge blood clot around my liver, among other things.
I finally went into recovery at 7 p.m., a half hour after the boys were born. My recovery nurse was Brenda, who also cared for me during Sammie's D & C. I don't know exactly what was going on, there was a lot of whispering and I couldn't leave. I kept trying to see if I could go and see the babies, but they just said I wasn't ready.
Dustin was trying to go back and forth. Our parents and my sisters had came up to the hospital. They were watching through the nursery glass. I still hadn't really seen Zachary and at 8:10 p.m., when they wheeled me to my room, Dr. Kubica held him up, for me to see.
I got into my bed, my family came in to see me and say goodbye. I wanted to hold my babies. The nurse brought Max in, Wayne & Nancy came in to see him. Max tried to nurse, and I kept asking for updates on Zach. He was "not adjusting." But no one would tell me what was going on, even after I told them I was a nurse!
At 10:30 p.m., the pediatrician came in and told us that Zach had not made the 4 hour window that they give babies to "recover." He was breathing very, very fast and needed to go to a NICU. We had the choice between St. Cloud and Fairview Southdale in Edina. We chose to stay in the Fairview family, she called the ambulance. I asked if I could hold him, after a little humming and hoing, she brought him in.
I put him on my chest, skin to skin and immediately, his breathing slowed. He pinked up. He calmed, he nursed. He was like "a different baby" according to the nurse. She called the pediatrician, but the NICU team was all ready on their way. We said our "goodbyes." I bawled until I don't think I had any tears left. I was so devastated, but mostly for the boys. It was my worst nightmare to have the twins separated.
I wanted the twins in the same crib until the ambulance came, around 1:30 a.m., they came in with a ton of paperwork. There were two people with the ambulance, a RN from the NICU and a nurse practitioner from the NICU. They brought Zach in his isolette, with a nuk! and took him to Edina.
Dustin couldn't go with in the ambulance. They suggested that he go home and sleep. It was going to be at least 4:30 a.m. by the time he would be able to see Zach anyway. He went home. Max went to the nursery and I went to sleep...
(to be continued...)
I was starving, it was Cinco de Mayo and I wanted beer and tacos. I obviously couldn't have beer, and for some reason, we didn't get tacos. We went to Merlin's in Princeton. I had a hamburger with fried onions and chocolate milk. We got home and watched some TV. I started vomiting about 9 p.m. and just did not feel good. I took my Procardia at 10 p.m. and went to sleep on the chair downstairs. Dustin went up to bed.
I think I slept a little, in and out anyway. I woke up often to pee and usually ended up vomiting. I took my Procardia again at 2 a.m. and remember saying goodbye to Dustin when he left for work at 7 a.m.
I woke up around 8 a.m. and called my mom. I had sent my sisters a picture of my swollen feet on their cell phones, and they showed mom. I had a horrible headache and my vision was starting to blur. I really thought I was fine. I hung up from mom, went upstairs to get a bowl of pineapple, forgot to take my Procardia at 10 a.m. Around 10:15 a.m., my sister Betsy called, she was on her way from work to take me into the hospital. I thought that it was ridiculous for her to take off work, so I decided to call up to labor and delivery first.
Nurse Jodi answered the phone. I went through the whole scenario, I am a patient of Dr. Roberts, 35 weeks pregnant with twins, have been vomiting pretty consistently for the last 12 hours, bad headache, blurred vision--and she stopped me immediately. She asked me how far away I lived, I told her about 10 minutes, she said she wanted to see me in 15. I don't even think she caught my name.
I called Betsy back and told her I needed to go up to Labor & Delivery. She was all ready 1/2 way between Milaca and Princeton. My mom had talked to her also. Mom had a cousin who lost full-term twin boys to pre-ecclampsia and I was showing all the signs. They were scared.
I took a shower, but didn't put on any makeup. When Betsy came, she made the comment that I was wearing the same green shirt that she wore when she went into the hospital to deliver her son, Ethan. We went up to the hospital, and when I went to check in, the registration lady told me she was expecting me. Obviously, Jodi had all the alarms sounded. Betsy wanted me to use a wheelchair and I refused. I waddled upstairs and Jodi had all ready been talking to Dr. Roberts. I had an appointment scheduled to see her that afternoon, and Dr. Roberts said that I could come in early and she would check me out in clinic.
That had sounded pretty good to me. But not Betsy. She asked Jodi to take my blood pressure first. Then, look at my feet. My BP was 120/90. My feet were "pretty swollen" and Jodi left to call Dr. Roberts back. She came in the room again and told me that I was going to be admitted to triage. Yippee. Another day sitting in the triage room. I had just been up there one week earlier.
I switched into my gown, peed in a cup, told Dustin what was going on, got comfy. Jodi started an IV, lab came up to draw blood. I was a little dehydrated, but they didn't want me to eat or drink anything. It was around noon now. My BP had settled down, but I was having contractions, every 4 minutes or so. The boys' heartbeats were all over the place too. I tried to relax, but Betsy was nuts. She was so excited, she was making all of us insane.
Around 2 p.m., Jodi came in and told me that I could have the babies that day. I had protein in my urine, a horrid pain in my side, my headache & blurred vision were getting worse, not better. So I needed to get Dustin there. Dr. Roberts had made some calls to the U, because I was still early and showing signs of pre-ecclampsia and HELLP syndrome. My blood work had came back with low platelets. I all ready have trouble clotting. I could bleed out. Yippee.
Dustin got to the hospital & Betsy left. She went to our house first and grabbed the hospital bags, camera, etc. She was going to come back later that night with my parents, and other sister, Emma. We had just bought a 1/4 of beef, and they were going to bring that up. The next few hours were a blur...
A nurse came in and checked my cervix. I was dilated to a 2. I had an ultrasound to check babies position. One week earlier, Zach was head down, baby B was breech. This ultrasound showed both head down. I have no idea when Max flipped. I imagine it was sometime during the violent vomiting. Dr. Roberts came in and checked me again. She said with both babies head down, she could give me something to induce the labor, and I would most likely have the boys vaginally by 8 a.m. the next day. She said I could have a C-Section and be holding them by 7 p.m. I didn't know what to do. I knew that vaginally was better for the boys, and I suggested that but I was also in a ridiculous amount of pain and my BP was getting higher and toxemia was getting worse. She scheduled the C-Section.
Earlier she had called down to the U of MN, to see if I could be transferred there for delivery. There were no beds for me, and only one bed for the twins in the NICU. It was decided to have Dr. Roberts deliver in Princeton and if the twins needed, they could either be flown or sent to a NICU via ambulance.
Dr. Roberts told me not to tell anyone about the pineapple that I had earlier ;) and everyone started flooding in. They brought scrubs for Dustin, lab came in, ultrasound, anesthesia, nurses, and nurses. We were watching the news and the weather had gone from foggy, to sunny, cloudy and then, stormy. There were severe weather warnings for Mille Lacs county, with a bad storm in Foley. At 6 p.m., Brian (anesthesiologist) and a nurse brought me back to the OR.
Dustin and I had met Brian earlier. He was the anesthesiologist in on my emergency D & C when we lost Sammie. That day, 1 1/2 years earlier, he took care of me while Dr. Roberts removed the tissue from my body and Sammie. Now, in the OR, they were delivering our twin sons.
I had my spinal, which didn't hurt at all. I bent over and kissed my babies. The phone was ringing like crazy in the OR of people who wanted to get in on the action. I don't remember meeting everyone, but I know that in the OR there were 2 scrub nurses, Dr. Roberts, Dr. Scott, Brian, Dr. Kubika (pediatrician for the twins), nurses for each boy, two surgical techs, Brian, Dustin and three other people standing in the doorway.
I was draped, Dustin came in. When she was starting, I was supposed to tell Brian if I felt like I was going to throw up. At one point, I didn't feel so great. I told him, and his response, "I know." I look over and he is squeezing the IV bag with both hands, and my BP was 40/20. Next thing, Zachary is born.
He didn't cry right away, he had to be suctioned and spanked. I got to see him for a second, and then the doctor was working on him like crazy. I couldn't see what was going on, but one minute later, Maxwell was born. He cried. I could see his "giraffe" perfectly. The first thing they did after wiping him off was gave him his Vitamin K shot, put the Erythromycin in his eyes, checked him over, and gave him to Dustin.
I cried during the whole delivery and pretty much lost it when I saw Max. I told him I was his mommy and kissed him. Dustin took Max to the nursery, and Zachary was whisked away for "a little extra help." Meanwhile, under the blue curtain, I was falling apart. Later, I find out that I had a huge blood clot around my liver, among other things.
I finally went into recovery at 7 p.m., a half hour after the boys were born. My recovery nurse was Brenda, who also cared for me during Sammie's D & C. I don't know exactly what was going on, there was a lot of whispering and I couldn't leave. I kept trying to see if I could go and see the babies, but they just said I wasn't ready.
Dustin was trying to go back and forth. Our parents and my sisters had came up to the hospital. They were watching through the nursery glass. I still hadn't really seen Zachary and at 8:10 p.m., when they wheeled me to my room, Dr. Kubica held him up, for me to see.
I got into my bed, my family came in to see me and say goodbye. I wanted to hold my babies. The nurse brought Max in, Wayne & Nancy came in to see him. Max tried to nurse, and I kept asking for updates on Zach. He was "not adjusting." But no one would tell me what was going on, even after I told them I was a nurse!
At 10:30 p.m., the pediatrician came in and told us that Zach had not made the 4 hour window that they give babies to "recover." He was breathing very, very fast and needed to go to a NICU. We had the choice between St. Cloud and Fairview Southdale in Edina. We chose to stay in the Fairview family, she called the ambulance. I asked if I could hold him, after a little humming and hoing, she brought him in.
I put him on my chest, skin to skin and immediately, his breathing slowed. He pinked up. He calmed, he nursed. He was like "a different baby" according to the nurse. She called the pediatrician, but the NICU team was all ready on their way. We said our "goodbyes." I bawled until I don't think I had any tears left. I was so devastated, but mostly for the boys. It was my worst nightmare to have the twins separated.
I wanted the twins in the same crib until the ambulance came, around 1:30 a.m., they came in with a ton of paperwork. There were two people with the ambulance, a RN from the NICU and a nurse practitioner from the NICU. They brought Zach in his isolette, with a nuk! and took him to Edina.
Dustin couldn't go with in the ambulance. They suggested that he go home and sleep. It was going to be at least 4:30 a.m. by the time he would be able to see Zach anyway. He went home. Max went to the nursery and I went to sleep...
(to be continued...)
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
A few pictures
The blue bird on the swingset
Zachary, enjoying his birthday card
Maxwell, waiting for his cakeSunday, May 2, 2010
Birthday party
Just a few pictures and lots of thanks for all who made it to the birthday party yesterday. It was so awesome to celebrate with our friends and family. Rachel, Mark, Auntie Betsy, Uncle Rob, Ethan, Owen & baby, Uncle Darrick, Auntie Emily and baby Susan, Grandpa Wayne, Grandma Nancy, Auntie Emma, Aaron, Jocie, Jessica, Grandma Debbie, Papa Marty, Amanda, Arlyn, Alec, Arycin-- THANK YOU!
The boys got so many great things, including these very cool ride on toys. Dustin and I bought them a swing set. And ever since it has been in the backyard, a little bluebird perches itself on there. It isn't spooky, it just sits there, and looks around. Protects the swingset. We have lived here for three years and have never had a bluebird in our yard. I believe in spirits being in animals, and I realize I am going to sound a little out there right now, but every time I look at that bird, I think about our angel baby, Sammie. Looking over her brothers, playing on the swingset too. It literally leaves me speechless.
And that takes a lot.
Love, The Mommy
Friday, April 16, 2010
Hello, what about me? FAIR is FAIR.. This is ZC.
I know, I know, it has been a long time since anyone blogged. And I have to admit, I was a little jealous that Max got to blog first. I mean, I AM OLDER. By one minute. I came screaming into this world first, in a thunderstorm too. I rode in an ambulance. Max hasn't done that. But, he got to blog first, just as well though, he deserves some special perks. Sometimes, I demand way too much attention and like everyone says, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease."
It is almost our 1st birthday. We are having a party on May 1st, at 5 p.m. for all who would like to make it. It is a "double theme." Mommy made some really cool invitations, but they were expensive, so we can't really mail them to everyone. But, if you would like to come to our party, you can. And just email Mommy or Daddy for directions. I don't really know how to get to where we live. You can't see jack from the back seat!
I have gotten in a bit of trouble lately. See, I like to bite. To my defensive, if you were to see Max's thighs, you would bite too. They are so plump and juicy. And he is so sweet. ;) I shouldn't bite though, he really is a nice twin brother. He shares his toys, he gives me hugs and kisses. He doesn't even get too mad when I poop in my crib and stink up our room. (Oh yeah, I do this daily. I poop after my nap, can't really blame a kid for being regular.)
I still climb up the stairs, but Max does too. It is fun. And Mommy sings this song that says, "it is a race, it is a race, who is going to win first place?! "We take turns winning. Max is a super fast crawler. I am getting better. We love to zoom into Mommy & Daddy's bedroom. Mom has all this stuff on the floor that she puts on her face. It is all kinds of pretty colors, and it tastes pretty good too.
I am thinking about walking. I took a few steps towards Daddy the other day, but I am tall and it is a long way down. I don't like to cry either or get hurt, but really, who does.
We are planning a fun summer too. Mommy got accepted into a RN program. She will have to go to Bemidji sometimes, the longest is for 3 days and 3 nights. We will all miss each other like crazy, but it is going to be such a good thing for her. Daddy is going back to school too. He is going to be an accountant. They just want to give us the best lives they can. Plus, football pads are expensive.
We are getting a baby girl cousin in July. That will be fun, she better watch out because pink makes Max puke! Haha. Actually, he is outgrowing the puking thing. :) We have some family reunions and we are going to Des Moine in September to meet the Grieser's. We wish we didn't have to live so far away from them.
I better get to bed. I didn't take an afternoon nap and I get really cranky without sleep. I get that from Mommy. Love to all and don't forget about our birthday party if you can make it. We won't remember our party, it is really more of a celebration for Mommy & Daddy. THEY made it. They survived their first year as twin parents. And Max and I love them bunches.
Zachary C. Grieser
It is almost our 1st birthday. We are having a party on May 1st, at 5 p.m. for all who would like to make it. It is a "double theme." Mommy made some really cool invitations, but they were expensive, so we can't really mail them to everyone. But, if you would like to come to our party, you can. And just email Mommy or Daddy for directions. I don't really know how to get to where we live. You can't see jack from the back seat!
I have gotten in a bit of trouble lately. See, I like to bite. To my defensive, if you were to see Max's thighs, you would bite too. They are so plump and juicy. And he is so sweet. ;) I shouldn't bite though, he really is a nice twin brother. He shares his toys, he gives me hugs and kisses. He doesn't even get too mad when I poop in my crib and stink up our room. (Oh yeah, I do this daily. I poop after my nap, can't really blame a kid for being regular.)
I still climb up the stairs, but Max does too. It is fun. And Mommy sings this song that says, "it is a race, it is a race, who is going to win first place?! "We take turns winning. Max is a super fast crawler. I am getting better. We love to zoom into Mommy & Daddy's bedroom. Mom has all this stuff on the floor that she puts on her face. It is all kinds of pretty colors, and it tastes pretty good too.
I am thinking about walking. I took a few steps towards Daddy the other day, but I am tall and it is a long way down. I don't like to cry either or get hurt, but really, who does.
We are planning a fun summer too. Mommy got accepted into a RN program. She will have to go to Bemidji sometimes, the longest is for 3 days and 3 nights. We will all miss each other like crazy, but it is going to be such a good thing for her. Daddy is going back to school too. He is going to be an accountant. They just want to give us the best lives they can. Plus, football pads are expensive.
We are getting a baby girl cousin in July. That will be fun, she better watch out because pink makes Max puke! Haha. Actually, he is outgrowing the puking thing. :) We have some family reunions and we are going to Des Moine in September to meet the Grieser's. We wish we didn't have to live so far away from them.
I better get to bed. I didn't take an afternoon nap and I get really cranky without sleep. I get that from Mommy. Love to all and don't forget about our birthday party if you can make it. We won't remember our party, it is really more of a celebration for Mommy & Daddy. THEY made it. They survived their first year as twin parents. And Max and I love them bunches.
Zachary C. Grieser
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
A Special Post from Baby B.
This is a very special blog post from Maxwell T. Grieser. Yeah, everyone has been thinking that Zachary is sooooooooooo cool because he can climb up stairs, but, he can't type! I try really hard to follow him, I get to the first step, and I grunt and pull, it makes Mommy so sad that she picks me up and sets me down at the top of the stairs next to him. Then, my brother and I race down the hall. I always win. Always. He Army crawls, but, if he would lift his belly off the ground, like I do, he would be much faster. Don't tell him that though, he gets into enough trouble the way it is.
We are twins, which I really like. When I wake up in the morning, I look out of my crib, and I always start laughing. Zachary is usually standing up, waiting to talk to me. I just have to laugh at him, I know that it is way better to get a couple more minutes of sleep, than to stand up in my crib. He just falls over, I prefer to sit on my butt, that way, if I were to tip over, it isn't as much of a fall. Zachary is pretty tall. The last time Mommy took us to the doctor, he was 31.25 inches. I was 1.5 inches shorter than him, but I weighed more at 23 lbs. 10 oz. He was only 23 lbs. 8 oz. I have been trying my whole life to weigh more than him, so I was pretty proud. Anyway, when he falls, he looks kind of like a tree tipping over. He is pretty strong though and he really doesn't cry unless he is tired or gets hurt really bad.
Like this weekend, we were at our cousin Ethan's 3rd birthday party and there was a little chair tipped on its side. I just sat next to it, I knew it wasn't very sturdy, it didn't even have any of the legs on the floor. Well, Zachary, he didn't care, he stood up anyway. And guess what, yep, he fell. Really hard too. He actually put his top two teeth through his tongue. There was blood all over. Mommy took him into the bathroom, she thought he knocked a tooth out. But nope, just bit his tongue. Auntie Emma got him a freezy then. He is such a brat about that sometimes. I bet he will try to fall again, just so he will get a freezy. Especially at Auntie Betsy's house, because she only buys the brand name freezy's. Our Mommy & Daddy buy the generic ones. I was playing with Grandma Debbie when Zachary was getting his tongue put back together. When they came out of the bedroom and back to the birthday party, Grandma noticed that I didn't get a freezy, so she took it from Zachary and gave it to me. It was cherry too. :)
See, Zachary is kind of a brute. He does first, thinks later. But not me, I think about what I am doing. I plan my moves very carefully. I play with my toys the same way. I do not just throw them all over, I look at each one very seriously and then decide what I want to play with. I am very good with my hands. Mommy thinks I should be a surgeon when I grow up. She has been making me watch "Grey's Anatomy" with her since I was really little. Daddy hates that show, but that is an entire other post! It's kind of funny, because my Great Grandma and Grandpa Hoheisel told Mommy that they have a theory, Zachary is going to crash the cars and I am going to fix them. All I have to stay about that is he better give me all of his allowance for labor! Especially if I am going to have to fix something before Mommy & Daddy find out!
I really like to crawl. I especially like to go by the window and bang on it. This past Sunday, it was so nice out, that I got to play outside. Our neighbors came over (& I love them). Zachary and I got to crawl around on the driveway and in the grass! It was so fun, I even ate a rock! Jessica took it out of my mouth right way, but still! It was awesome. I can not wait until this summer when I am going to get to play out there all the time!
Our 1st birthday is coming up, we are having an awesome party. It is on Saturday, May 8th if you would like to come. Our actual birthday is May 6th, but that is a weekday and our parents have to work. Mommy & Daddy need to decide on a theme. I am so excited. I am hoping to get a Radio Flyer red wagon, it has a canopy and I will be able to look at Zachary when we are in it together. We also would like a slide for the yard, probably some ride-on toys and more books. We love to read. Even that crazy Zachary will sit still long enough for Mommy to read books to him.
I should probably go to bed. It is getting late and I see Zachary's butt wiggling in his crib. The next thing, he will want to help me blog. The last time he "helped" me on the compter, he ripped the Caps Lock button off and tried to eat it! The button is still missing from the laptop, but that is ok, I don't really use it anyway.
Love to all my fans,
Maxy T. aka Baby B.
We are twins, which I really like. When I wake up in the morning, I look out of my crib, and I always start laughing. Zachary is usually standing up, waiting to talk to me. I just have to laugh at him, I know that it is way better to get a couple more minutes of sleep, than to stand up in my crib. He just falls over, I prefer to sit on my butt, that way, if I were to tip over, it isn't as much of a fall. Zachary is pretty tall. The last time Mommy took us to the doctor, he was 31.25 inches. I was 1.5 inches shorter than him, but I weighed more at 23 lbs. 10 oz. He was only 23 lbs. 8 oz. I have been trying my whole life to weigh more than him, so I was pretty proud. Anyway, when he falls, he looks kind of like a tree tipping over. He is pretty strong though and he really doesn't cry unless he is tired or gets hurt really bad.
Like this weekend, we were at our cousin Ethan's 3rd birthday party and there was a little chair tipped on its side. I just sat next to it, I knew it wasn't very sturdy, it didn't even have any of the legs on the floor. Well, Zachary, he didn't care, he stood up anyway. And guess what, yep, he fell. Really hard too. He actually put his top two teeth through his tongue. There was blood all over. Mommy took him into the bathroom, she thought he knocked a tooth out. But nope, just bit his tongue. Auntie Emma got him a freezy then. He is such a brat about that sometimes. I bet he will try to fall again, just so he will get a freezy. Especially at Auntie Betsy's house, because she only buys the brand name freezy's. Our Mommy & Daddy buy the generic ones. I was playing with Grandma Debbie when Zachary was getting his tongue put back together. When they came out of the bedroom and back to the birthday party, Grandma noticed that I didn't get a freezy, so she took it from Zachary and gave it to me. It was cherry too. :)
See, Zachary is kind of a brute. He does first, thinks later. But not me, I think about what I am doing. I plan my moves very carefully. I play with my toys the same way. I do not just throw them all over, I look at each one very seriously and then decide what I want to play with. I am very good with my hands. Mommy thinks I should be a surgeon when I grow up. She has been making me watch "Grey's Anatomy" with her since I was really little. Daddy hates that show, but that is an entire other post! It's kind of funny, because my Great Grandma and Grandpa Hoheisel told Mommy that they have a theory, Zachary is going to crash the cars and I am going to fix them. All I have to stay about that is he better give me all of his allowance for labor! Especially if I am going to have to fix something before Mommy & Daddy find out!
I really like to crawl. I especially like to go by the window and bang on it. This past Sunday, it was so nice out, that I got to play outside. Our neighbors came over (& I love them). Zachary and I got to crawl around on the driveway and in the grass! It was so fun, I even ate a rock! Jessica took it out of my mouth right way, but still! It was awesome. I can not wait until this summer when I am going to get to play out there all the time!
Our 1st birthday is coming up, we are having an awesome party. It is on Saturday, May 8th if you would like to come. Our actual birthday is May 6th, but that is a weekday and our parents have to work. Mommy & Daddy need to decide on a theme. I am so excited. I am hoping to get a Radio Flyer red wagon, it has a canopy and I will be able to look at Zachary when we are in it together. We also would like a slide for the yard, probably some ride-on toys and more books. We love to read. Even that crazy Zachary will sit still long enough for Mommy to read books to him.
I should probably go to bed. It is getting late and I see Zachary's butt wiggling in his crib. The next thing, he will want to help me blog. The last time he "helped" me on the compter, he ripped the Caps Lock button off and tried to eat it! The button is still missing from the laptop, but that is ok, I don't really use it anyway.
Love to all my fans,
Maxy T. aka Baby B.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Stairs
Yesterday, Zachary decided he was going to climb up the stairs. And he did. Five times while I was trying to find the camera. Today, he did it again, I caught him on the 3rd step (I was doing laundry, I had a gate up, but that was down and Max was sitting on it). I did grab this little video of his tush taking off.
Maybe I will add some pictures of my gray hair next.
Maybe I will add some pictures of my gray hair next.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Zachary
I was getting ready to go to surgery and my Mom had put the boys in their cribs. They were being so loud and giggly, we opened the door and witnessed Zachary standing UP in his crib, followed by what we captured on video. (He was completely fine & giggly!!)
I am doing ok. Very, very sore. :(
Love, Sara
Monday, February 1, 2010
Mama, Dada, Baba
This is the first time in a while I am not napping during nap time. Thank you to the great babysitter who came over this morning while I went back to sleep. :) She is so amazing. We are so grateful that she lives so close and the boys love her so much. What a joy. After they saw her this morning, they started smiling and did not even look back at me. That is such a great feeling. You all must know about my fear of daycares, but this family is so great to us. They are what keep us here. Why we want to stay in our neighborhood of bombing suspects and dilapidated houses, unkept lawns and MOUNTAINS of shit piled up in the front yards, rude people who do not wave, smile or converse and little kids who play on the road. They know who they are and we love you. In an instant, we would leave the boys with them and have complete and total faith and trust in them. How do you put that into words or put a price on it?
So, I am listening to the lecture recordings for my Anatomy test tonight. It is really nice that she does record these, but it is so annoying to listen to other people ask questions that I can hardly handle it. I hope I do well. I sent off one of my applications to the RN program this morning. I am applying to 2 programs. One is a summer start, online, with occasional weekend clinics in either Bemidji, Grand Rapids or Park Rapids. The other is a fall start, on campus, days, in Coon Rapids. This semester, I need to finish A & P II and also a Political Science class for my A.A. in General Studies. When I am a RN, I will stay with my current, beautiful little client. Just make some more money.
The boys are doing so great and developing well, I think. It has been a while since I looked at where they are supposed to be. They LOVE eating, bath time, getting their teeth brushed, playing, and reading. They hate getting dressed. I used to continually change their outfits every time they puked or got dirty, but I finally said enough. I strip the dirty clothes off and they end up in what they end up in. We can not do laundry every day. I understand some people do that, but not me. Our house isn't as clean as it used to be, and I know that Dustin struggles with that, but I am ok with it. Because it is filled with so much more love.
It is so amazing to just watch them grow. I love when they crawl up to me and give me one of those big, mmmmmmmmm kisses. Maxy is a little more of a kisser. And that kid LOVES his grandmas. I don't know what it is, the way they smell, their skin, or what. But, give him a grandma (Gma Nancy or Gma Debbie) and he will start laughing, cuddling, playing, and is just in heaven. I don't remember much about my Grandma Brown (Mom's mom), but I do remember loving when she held me and loving playing with the flab on her arms. LOL. She passed away in 1990, and I am certain she loved when I would fondle that loose skin. She had 59 grandkids, I am amazed at the love she had for all of us and that I would be lucky enough to be able to have memories of her holding me.
Zachary definitely loves his Gma's too, but he has a little more of an affinity for his grandpa's (Gpa Wayne or Gpa Marty). They can get him giggling. He has such a deep laugh. Something about that kid, he came out of the womb looking like an older man-lol, and he is finally starting to look a little more like a baby. I don't really know what it is. Maybe because Max looked so much like a baby?
We don't continually compare then, but it is hard sometimes not to. They are developing at the same time in the same environment. I am looking to join a MOM group. I looked into some when I was pregnant, but never found one that I could relate to. ( I am not just interested in the damn garage sale!!) But I have been emailing a Mothers of Multiple group in St. Cloud and think I may go to their next meeting. I want the boys to play with other twins too. And I have an increasingly difficult time relating to others with singletons. Maybe it is just me and my proudness of being a "twin mommy."
I have a hard time when people complain about their kids, period. Especially when they only have one to feed, dress, etc. And I have a hard time when people say, "oh! Double Trouble!" I want to say to them, "oh, you have one kid, what a brat." Seriously. Don't say that to someone with twins. It isn't trouble. And when they say it in front of the boys, I get really livid. You are calling my kids trouble, in front of me and in front of them?!
I am somewhat of a mamma bear in this regard. I don't know why lately it has bothered me so much. Maybe from some of the comments we recieved at church during baptism. (Which went ok, Zachary kicked and screamed when I held him because he wanted the book and then, we had to hold a baby and the baptism candle-- 8 mo. olds and fire?!? Now I think I know why the Godmothers used to hold the babies. This would have all been fixed up if we gave them BOTH to Auntie Betsy. lol) I know people are just generally trying to be nice with the comments, but if I only had a quarter every time I got one.
I better stop procrastinating before nap time ends and I didn't even really study. It is about blood and the heart. I actually know a thing or two about how this works, but maybe not all the little scientific names for the pre-cursor cells. I really struggle in Anatomy. I took this class in 2001-2002, but to transfer, it needed to be recent in the last 7 years. I have a hard time mostly because I all ready am a nurse. I know realistically what you need to know. Like, the little kid who asks the teacher, "do we REALLY need to know this?" No, you don't. You need to know how to do CPR, run the AMBU bag, change the trach, call 911, press the code button and keep them breathing. Ok, you need to know more than that, but you must have the big things down. It doesn't really matter that the precursor cell to a thrombocyte is a megakaryoblast if your patient is bleeding out. Thank you.
The longer I listen to this, the more sarcastic I get. Oh well. We hope all is well out there in blog world and thank you all for following us and our blessings. We are truly grateful for all those we have met on our own journey.
Love, Mama (I usually don't hear Mama that often, ZC is the rambler, lots of Dadadadadada and baba. But, when he gets mad at me, he will look right into my eyes and scream, DADA. haha. Maybe double trouble isn't all that far off.)
So, I am listening to the lecture recordings for my Anatomy test tonight. It is really nice that she does record these, but it is so annoying to listen to other people ask questions that I can hardly handle it. I hope I do well. I sent off one of my applications to the RN program this morning. I am applying to 2 programs. One is a summer start, online, with occasional weekend clinics in either Bemidji, Grand Rapids or Park Rapids. The other is a fall start, on campus, days, in Coon Rapids. This semester, I need to finish A & P II and also a Political Science class for my A.A. in General Studies. When I am a RN, I will stay with my current, beautiful little client. Just make some more money.
The boys are doing so great and developing well, I think. It has been a while since I looked at where they are supposed to be. They LOVE eating, bath time, getting their teeth brushed, playing, and reading. They hate getting dressed. I used to continually change their outfits every time they puked or got dirty, but I finally said enough. I strip the dirty clothes off and they end up in what they end up in. We can not do laundry every day. I understand some people do that, but not me. Our house isn't as clean as it used to be, and I know that Dustin struggles with that, but I am ok with it. Because it is filled with so much more love.
It is so amazing to just watch them grow. I love when they crawl up to me and give me one of those big, mmmmmmmmm kisses. Maxy is a little more of a kisser. And that kid LOVES his grandmas. I don't know what it is, the way they smell, their skin, or what. But, give him a grandma (Gma Nancy or Gma Debbie) and he will start laughing, cuddling, playing, and is just in heaven. I don't remember much about my Grandma Brown (Mom's mom), but I do remember loving when she held me and loving playing with the flab on her arms. LOL. She passed away in 1990, and I am certain she loved when I would fondle that loose skin. She had 59 grandkids, I am amazed at the love she had for all of us and that I would be lucky enough to be able to have memories of her holding me.
Zachary definitely loves his Gma's too, but he has a little more of an affinity for his grandpa's (Gpa Wayne or Gpa Marty). They can get him giggling. He has such a deep laugh. Something about that kid, he came out of the womb looking like an older man-lol, and he is finally starting to look a little more like a baby. I don't really know what it is. Maybe because Max looked so much like a baby?
We don't continually compare then, but it is hard sometimes not to. They are developing at the same time in the same environment. I am looking to join a MOM group. I looked into some when I was pregnant, but never found one that I could relate to. ( I am not just interested in the damn garage sale!!) But I have been emailing a Mothers of Multiple group in St. Cloud and think I may go to their next meeting. I want the boys to play with other twins too. And I have an increasingly difficult time relating to others with singletons. Maybe it is just me and my proudness of being a "twin mommy."
I have a hard time when people complain about their kids, period. Especially when they only have one to feed, dress, etc. And I have a hard time when people say, "oh! Double Trouble!" I want to say to them, "oh, you have one kid, what a brat." Seriously. Don't say that to someone with twins. It isn't trouble. And when they say it in front of the boys, I get really livid. You are calling my kids trouble, in front of me and in front of them?!
I am somewhat of a mamma bear in this regard. I don't know why lately it has bothered me so much. Maybe from some of the comments we recieved at church during baptism. (Which went ok, Zachary kicked and screamed when I held him because he wanted the book and then, we had to hold a baby and the baptism candle-- 8 mo. olds and fire?!? Now I think I know why the Godmothers used to hold the babies. This would have all been fixed up if we gave them BOTH to Auntie Betsy. lol) I know people are just generally trying to be nice with the comments, but if I only had a quarter every time I got one.
I better stop procrastinating before nap time ends and I didn't even really study. It is about blood and the heart. I actually know a thing or two about how this works, but maybe not all the little scientific names for the pre-cursor cells. I really struggle in Anatomy. I took this class in 2001-2002, but to transfer, it needed to be recent in the last 7 years. I have a hard time mostly because I all ready am a nurse. I know realistically what you need to know. Like, the little kid who asks the teacher, "do we REALLY need to know this?" No, you don't. You need to know how to do CPR, run the AMBU bag, change the trach, call 911, press the code button and keep them breathing. Ok, you need to know more than that, but you must have the big things down. It doesn't really matter that the precursor cell to a thrombocyte is a megakaryoblast if your patient is bleeding out. Thank you.
The longer I listen to this, the more sarcastic I get. Oh well. We hope all is well out there in blog world and thank you all for following us and our blessings. We are truly grateful for all those we have met on our own journey.
Love, Mama (I usually don't hear Mama that often, ZC is the rambler, lots of Dadadadadada and baba. But, when he gets mad at me, he will look right into my eyes and scream, DADA. haha. Maybe double trouble isn't all that far off.)
Friday, January 22, 2010
Mommy Update
So, this update is obviously ridiculously overdue. The truth is, I have tried to type up an update several times and I get almost ready to publish the post, and I lose it. I get so upset/frustrated that I give up and go onto doing something else.
I have been busy, I am working full time (and continuing to love that aspect), going to school part time (not loving that aspect as much), plus staying home with the boys, studying, etc. Oh yeah, and trying to keep our house clean. It isn't as clean as it used to be, but it is safe and not too nasty, so, there! lol.
The boys have been relatively healthy. About a month and a half ago, I noticed this little spot on ZC's groin, then his tummy. I really wasn't sure what it was. It looked like a little sore, but it didn't really seem to bother him. I got home from work one day and noticed Max had it on his finger and face. I freaked out. Whatever it was, they were spreading to each other. I for sure thought that it was MRSA (An antibiotic staph infection). I took them to the doctor and no MRSA, but it was Staph. I can not fathom where they got it from?!? But, they are little boys and they are going to get that stuff. And it never really seemed to bother them.
They are eating champions. I weighed them on the bathroom scale yesterday and they were both right around 24 lbs. ZC is a little taller than MT, but not by much. They love "real food" and with 8 and 6 teeth respectively, they are able to eat lots. :) Including Mommy's finger.
The boys are both good at lots of things and seem to be developing right on track. They both have their strengths. Zachary is very verbal and is constantly babbling and saying, "dadadadadada." He will be crying and mumbling and then look right at me and loudly say, "DADA." lol. I usually respond with something like, "Sorry Kid." JK. I try to get the whole dada thing to work towards my advantage if he wakes up in the middle of the night, to smack Dustin and let him know that Zachary wants him, not me. It hasn't worked so far, but I am going to keep trying.
Maxwell is a stellar scooter. He doesn't quite get his belly off the ground, but he loves to move all around the kitchen floor. He is also a big fan of the heating vents. He knows exactly how to open and close all of them. And then, I wonder why their room is so cold at night. Oh yeah, Maxy shut the vent. :) He enjoys giving lots of kisses and kissing the marble floor. The boys love playing and interacting with each other. They really worry if one is gone. We haven't really separated them at all lately, the look on their faces when they don't know where their brother is--breaks our heart.
We are (finally) getting them baptized on Sunday. I know, I know, we should've done this a long time ago. I wanted to wait until they were fully vaccinated against H1N1 and Seasonal Flu. We also had a little trouble deciding who would be their sponsors. We wanted to keep it fair, with someone from each family. But, Dustin is an only child and we do not see his family from Nebraska near enough... We finally decided that the boys would have the same Godparents. My sister, Betsy and her husband, Rob. So, fair is fair will follow in that aspect too.
We continue the same house rules. 1. Don't wake your brother. 2. Fair is Fair. LOL. :)
I am finally getting my gall bladder out (see all the finally's). I am just tired of the pain and attacks. I am doing it on February 15th and I will be unable to lift the boys for one week! My mom is coming Monday-Wednesday, but we have shifts open on Thursday-Saturday morning. If anyone is interested. I should be able to still do all of the work, just not the lifting. I will be off work for a week. That should give me plenty of time to recover.
I just almost accidentally deleted a whole bunch of this, so, a posting I will go.
Love to all, Sara
I have been busy, I am working full time (and continuing to love that aspect), going to school part time (not loving that aspect as much), plus staying home with the boys, studying, etc. Oh yeah, and trying to keep our house clean. It isn't as clean as it used to be, but it is safe and not too nasty, so, there! lol.
The boys have been relatively healthy. About a month and a half ago, I noticed this little spot on ZC's groin, then his tummy. I really wasn't sure what it was. It looked like a little sore, but it didn't really seem to bother him. I got home from work one day and noticed Max had it on his finger and face. I freaked out. Whatever it was, they were spreading to each other. I for sure thought that it was MRSA (An antibiotic staph infection). I took them to the doctor and no MRSA, but it was Staph. I can not fathom where they got it from?!? But, they are little boys and they are going to get that stuff. And it never really seemed to bother them.
They are eating champions. I weighed them on the bathroom scale yesterday and they were both right around 24 lbs. ZC is a little taller than MT, but not by much. They love "real food" and with 8 and 6 teeth respectively, they are able to eat lots. :) Including Mommy's finger.
The boys are both good at lots of things and seem to be developing right on track. They both have their strengths. Zachary is very verbal and is constantly babbling and saying, "dadadadadada." He will be crying and mumbling and then look right at me and loudly say, "DADA." lol. I usually respond with something like, "Sorry Kid." JK. I try to get the whole dada thing to work towards my advantage if he wakes up in the middle of the night, to smack Dustin and let him know that Zachary wants him, not me. It hasn't worked so far, but I am going to keep trying.
Maxwell is a stellar scooter. He doesn't quite get his belly off the ground, but he loves to move all around the kitchen floor. He is also a big fan of the heating vents. He knows exactly how to open and close all of them. And then, I wonder why their room is so cold at night. Oh yeah, Maxy shut the vent. :) He enjoys giving lots of kisses and kissing the marble floor. The boys love playing and interacting with each other. They really worry if one is gone. We haven't really separated them at all lately, the look on their faces when they don't know where their brother is--breaks our heart.
We are (finally) getting them baptized on Sunday. I know, I know, we should've done this a long time ago. I wanted to wait until they were fully vaccinated against H1N1 and Seasonal Flu. We also had a little trouble deciding who would be their sponsors. We wanted to keep it fair, with someone from each family. But, Dustin is an only child and we do not see his family from Nebraska near enough... We finally decided that the boys would have the same Godparents. My sister, Betsy and her husband, Rob. So, fair is fair will follow in that aspect too.
We continue the same house rules. 1. Don't wake your brother. 2. Fair is Fair. LOL. :)
I am finally getting my gall bladder out (see all the finally's). I am just tired of the pain and attacks. I am doing it on February 15th and I will be unable to lift the boys for one week! My mom is coming Monday-Wednesday, but we have shifts open on Thursday-Saturday morning. If anyone is interested. I should be able to still do all of the work, just not the lifting. I will be off work for a week. That should give me plenty of time to recover.
I just almost accidentally deleted a whole bunch of this, so, a posting I will go.
Love to all, Sara
Saturday, January 2, 2010
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