The birth story... Welcome Alyssa and Garrett

I know many of you have been asking for the birth story and I promise I was getting to it but it has been a whirlwind, so here it is! A completely God ordained miracle!

If you read the last 2 posts, you know I was having a problem with my left leg swelling significantly and the doctor giving me steroid shots on Thursday and Friday (10-23 and 10-24) just in case they had to take the babies early cause of the leg. That weekend I was on complete bedrest for my leg and was wearing compression hose to help with the pain and swelling. I remember being unusually tired that weekend and it was probably because I couldn't do anything. Sunday night (10-26), I started having these sharp pains around my left rib cage and my epi gastric area being super sensitive. I woke up the next morning (10-27) and took a shower and was still having those pains and decided to call the doctors office and just see if that was normal. I was assuming it was from a growing uterus. I called at 9:50am and they said to be there at 10:45 to see what was going on. I was going to get someone to take me but since I live 35 minutes from the hospital I drove myself. That previous Friday when I went to get my 2nd steroid shot, I had mentioned to Dr. McKee that I had been itching so bad and it was way worse at night so he drew some labs to make sure I didn't have something called ICP (cholestasis of pregnancy) and part of those labs included liver function tests. When I got to the doctor, my blood pressure was elevated but not bad. Dr. McKee said my liver function tests had come back elevated (double the normal range) and he needed to figure out why. The other tests indicated I did not have ICP. He sent me to ultrasound to check on babies and to look at my gallbladder and liver,  that was normal. He decided to send me down to labor and delivery to run some labs to make sure I didn't have PIH or preeclampsia. We got down there and they hooked me up to a monitor and the babies looked awesome. I was having some contractions but wasn't in active labor. They drew the labs and I wasn't able to eat or drink anything just in case the labs came back and they had to take the babies. The nurse came in and told me that my labs were all elevated and Dr. McKee was coming to talk to me... I knew what that meant! He walked in and said "well, we are having babies today!" I immediately got emotional... I was 33 weeks and 5 days which meant I was still super early and the babies had to automatically go to the Nicu. He said my liver had become toxic and my levels had quadrupled since Friday. That was about 2:30pm and my c section was going to be at 4:30pm. They started my iv and paperwork was signed and I was flooded with so many emotions. Anxious, nervous, excited and terrified all at the same time. They had to start me on a magnesium drip to help my liver and boy does that stuff make you feel terrible!!! The time came and they wheeled me back to the OR. I got a spinal block and that was terrible cause the anesthesiologist couldn't get it in the right place so he kept having to do it over. All my coworkers and peers were in the c section room which was very comforting cause I knew they would take good care of me and our babies but that didn't mean I still wasn't nervous. The time came and the doctors started the c section. Dr. McKee and Dr. Davis did the c section. At 1655 (4:55pm) I heard the most amazing sound, the sound of my baby girl crying for the first time. What an amazing sound, she was just perfect with Apgar scores of 8 and 9 which is great! One minute later at 1656 (4:56pm) I heard yet another amazing sound, the sound of my baby boy crying! I couldn't believe it, they were finally here and they were both healthy! Garrett also received apgar scores of 8 and 9! They brought them both over to me to and I saw them for the very first time. They were so beautiful, I was overwhelmed with joy and love! They were the babies we had been praying for for over 7 years and they were finally here! Alyssa Brooke weighed 5lb 9oz and was 18in long and Garrett Keith was 5lb 14oz and was 18in long. Perfection! I got to hold them both for a few minutes and then they took them off to the Nicu. The rest of the day and day after I was feeling terrible cause of that magnesium drip and itching from the pain medicine. I got off the magnesium drip at noon the day after and finally got to hold them at 3pm that day. It was so wonderful! I cried as soon as they put them on my chest for skin to skin. They were both doing beautifully!

As I think back, it is just so apparent how everything was guided by Gods hand. If my leg hadn't gotten like it did, I would have never gotten those steroid shots to help the babies lungs and they wouldn't have done as good as they did. They have really done phenomenal and no one expected them to do this well! Yesterday we took Garrett home and we are taking Alyssa home Friday as long as she keeps behaving. She had a few oxygen desaturations and is on a countdown right now. She is day 5 today! We thank you all so very much for all the prayers and support throughout this journey! We wouldn't have gotten this far without them! Jesus has blessed us beyond measure and we couldn't be more happy! God is sooooo good! Enjoy the pics :)

33 weeks

Thankful for another week to keep these sweet babies cooking!!!! Yay for 33 weeks! 2 more to go till our next goal of 35 weeks! A lot has happened in the last 2 days! Had my regular appt yesterday and NST, the babies did great yesterday and I only had like 1 or 2 contractions! All is well with my labs and blood pressure and I gained a pound this week. Babies looked great on ultrasound and their fluid levels are still good. The tech could see Garrett has hair now so that was exciting! If you read my blog post last week, I spoke of my legs being swollen with the left more than the right and very painful. Well it has gotten worse! They have been hurting so bad I moan or cry when I walk, like it's terrible! I had several people ask me if I was in labor yesterday! The swelling is from mid calf to mid thigh of the left leg. I showed Dr. McKee yesterday and he seemed very concerned and wanted me to go see a vascular surgeon. He went ahead and gave me a steroid shot yesterday and today to help mature the babies lungs and talked about possibly taking the babies at 35 weeks based on how bad this leg looks. I was able to get in to see a vascular surgeon right after my appt with Dr. McKee and there were 2 doctors, an ultrasound tech and a nurse all in the room with me looking at the uktrasound of my legs. Again, there was no blood clot so that was good. They saw I have really bad reflux in the deep veins of my leg and with the heavy uterus compressing those vessels it is making it worse. My left leg was 3 inches larger than the right leg. I will need my legs to be fixed but they can't do that till after I have the babies but he did not see any reason why they needed to take the babies early. No detriment to my health or leg at this time. I am now on bedrest though and have to keep my legs elevated all day with compression hose on during the day. The good thing is I don't have pain in my legs when they are elevated, just when I am standing or walking. I went back to Dr. Mckees this morning for the second steroid shot and he came in and spoke to me about everything. He said after he spoke with the vascular surgeon he said we don't have to go ahead and take the babies at 35 weeks unless something changes. Pretty much we are going to take it day by day. I was pretty relieved to hear that cause I can totally stay put with my legs elevated for however long I need to so these babies can keep cooking! I am glad he went ahead and gave me the steroid shots though just in case they decided to come early or they ended up having to take them early cause u can't get them after 34 weeks. Keith is going to work from home some to help me out and wait on me and my family has been great and been bringing us some food since I haven't been able to do anything so we are so thankful for them!

As many of you saw, we finished the nursery and I posted pics on the previous post! So glad we finished it before all of this happened with my leg. We ask for your prayers in the coming days and weeks for me and the babies! We know God is in control and trust Him completely, He has got this!

How big are the babies this week? Well we know last week that the babies were 4lb 9oz and 4lb 7oz and at this stage a baby usually grows about a 1/2 lb a week (not sure if that is true for twins) so hopefully they are both around or close to 5lbs. The apps say they won't continue to grow in length much now and should be somewhere around 18-19 inches.

What are the babies up to this week? This week they are continuing to pack on the fat and preparing for birth! They are keeping their eyes open a lot more and their movements feel a lot different due to lack of space. There bones are hardening and their brains continue to develop further and further everyday!

Maternity clothes? Yes and yes

Sleep? Well I fall asleep so easy and then I wake up look at the clock and it's been 2 hours... I repeat this cycle all night long, with 1 hour intervals too! Haha!

Stretch marks? Nope, still no stretch marks! Knock on wood!

Swelling? As noted above, definitely have the swelling. My feet look fine though, it's just the actual legs, a little in my hands and face.

Cravings? I have been craving milk a lot lately with something sweet and since I got on the oral medication for my gestational diabetes my sugars have been awesome so I have been able to indulge a little bit!

Miss anything? I miss being able to do things for myself, I hate being dependent! I also miss being able to walk or stand up without feeling like knives being stabbed into my leg! Haha! At least it's just for a few more short weeks!

Looking forward to? Looking forward to hitting our next goal of 35 weeks in 12 days! Fingers crossed!

Praying specifically for? Praying that my leg doesn't get significantly worse and that the babies can stay in and continue to cook as long as possible!

Thanks for all the support and prayers! We are so blessed and can't believe we are sooooo close to meeting our miracle babies! Absolutely can't wait! God is sooooo good!

Nursery reveal!

Well the nursery is finally done!!! I love how it turned out and it's exactly what was in my head! The bedding was done by Beckers Bedding (located inside Homewood antiques). The walls are gray and the rug I found at Sam's for like $20 and it matched perfectly! The boards above the crib were made by my step dad, love love love the way they turned out. The letters on the boards were purchased from rusticgarden.com. The side table, lamp, and curtains came from Target. The cribs and dresser came from overstock.com! Can't wait to see Alyssa and Garrett in their room!!! Let me know what y'all think!

32 weeks

Yay for another week! Can't believe I am 32 weeks and 2 days today! Yesterday was a very very long day at the hospital. I was there for 6 hours! I got there for my NST on labor and delivery and the babies behaved and did so well! While I was hooked up I had about 7 contractions, I could feel them but it just felt like my belly tightening, not painful. The nurse called Dr. McKee a few times and he said he wasn't concerned about them if they weren't painful but wanted the nurse to check me to make sure they weren't changing my cervix. She checked me and my cervix is still closed and high up there, thank you Jesus! So I was able to be released to go upstairs for my regular doctors appointment. They were extremely busy yesterday! My blood pressure was good and I gained 2 pounds. We waited for ultrasound for an hour and 20 minutes, yikes! We had our growth scan yesterday and the babies have certainly grown!!! Alyssa is weighing in at 4lb 9oz and Garrett is weighing in at 4lb 7 oz!!!! Some good sized babies! I don't know why people constantly tell me I don't look like I am carrying twins, that's 9 lbs of baby!!! I guess cause I am tall and carry it differently! I saw Dr. McKee and he went on and on about how impressed he is with the babies growth. Makes me feel proud of my sweet babies! He asked if I was feeling uncomfortable and I said yes but not in the sense he would think I was uncomfortable. It's my legs that have been absolutely killing me! I showed him my legs and he said wow, we need to get an ultrasound to make sure you don't have a blood clot! My left leg is a ton more swollen than the right leg and it hurts so incredibly bad I can barely walk. I had to go down stairs to ultrasound and they scanned both legs very thoroughly and they did not see a blood clot, yay! However, they saw that my uterus is compressing the vessels and is causing the blood flow to be very very sluggish and unfortunately won't get better till after the babies come. :( so no relief for my legs so I will be keeping them elevated and resting as much as possible! They scheduled my c section yesterday which gives us a date to look forward to and count down to, the doctor said he doesn't think I will make it to that date though! Garrett is still breech so that's why we scheduled a c section! We go back to doctor on Thursday! My step dad finished the awesome boards to go above their cribs and will be hanging them tomorrow so the nursery reveal will be this weekend so stay tuned for that! It is so cute and I just love it! We are getting beyond excited to meet Alyssa and Garrett and it is becoming more and more real! There is 19 days till our next goal of 35 weeks and 32 days till I'm 37 weeks! That's not long at all!

How big are the babies this week? Since we had our growth scan, we know they are 4lb 9oz and 4lb 7oz!! They are around 18 inches long according to the apps.

What are the babies up to this week? This week they are continuing to pack on the pounds and fat so that they can maintain their own temperature after delivery. They are also sucking their thumbs a lot to prepare for breathing and eating!

Maternity clothes? Uh yes, for sure!!!

Stretch marks? Still haven't gotten any stretch marks yet but knock on wood! There is still plenty of time for those to appear though! My skin has been itching all over so incredibly bad, had to take a Benadryl the other night cause it was so bad!

Sleep? Sleep is still hit or miss. Last night I slept great but some nights I wake up every hour and hardly sleep at all. Still sleeping in the bed though! It is the most comfortable with all the pillows I use!

Swelling? Oh yeah! My feet were pitting the other day after wearing my shoes so don't make fun of me for wearing flip flops from now on! My face hasn't swelled anymore but my hands swell everyday!

Cravings? Not really. Still wanting a pumpkin spice latte and some pumpkin munchkins from Dunkin donuts lol!

Miss anything? Oh just being able to walk without feeling like knives were stabbed into them! Haha

Looking forward to? My moms sweet bible study group is giving me a diaper and wipes shower tonight and I am going to share my testimony of Gods faithfulness with these babies! These ladies have been praying with us the whole time! Also looking forward to actually resting this week and not having to do anything since we finally got my hospital bag and the babies bag packed and the nursery all done!

Praying specifically for? Always praying for the babies to continue to grow like they should and for them to stay healthy! Praying that we can make it to 37 weeks or a gestation that is safe for the babies and no Nicu time would be required! (Yes I'm a Nicu nurse but I would prefer that my coworkers not meet them in the Nicu haha)! Praying for no pregnancy related complications!

So happy we have another week to cook them longer and let those lungs continue to mature! We know God has gotten us this far and He continue to get us farther! We feel so incredibly blessed and thank everyone so much for their continued prayers! God is sooooo good!!!!

31 weeks

I'm a little late with the 31 week post.... This past week has been pretty busy! Since the last post, everything has been great with the babies. I had my work shower last Friday and it turned out so well, I really appreciate my sweet coworkers for blessing our sweet babies! As many of you may know, my husband and I are HUGE Alabama fans. Usually, if we aren't playing well or the game is too close for comfort it literally makes me sick and beyond stressed out. This year, I refuse to let a football game send me into preterm labor so I've been good. After we lost to Ole Miss this past weekend I thought my husband would pout and be all moody but he didn't pout or become moody!  He said something that was just so cute and shows how much we both have grown in regards to Alabama football... He said "this isn't going to be the year we lost to ole miss, this is the year we are having twins!"  Exactly!!! We are having twins in 6 weeks or less! How can anything else compare to that? It is just too exciting to let anything bring us down and God has blessed us abundantly with the desires of our hearts after a grueling 7 year battle with infertility! Ahhhh, God is so good! 

So yesterday was a big day! I had my first NST down in labor and delivery. I was nervous before the test because I've never had one before and really didn't know what to expect but thankfully the babies did great! Dr. McKee said it looked beautiful! I did have 2 contractions during the test but they weren't regular or painful and he said that was normal at this point since my uterus thinks I'm full term. I went upstairs to Dr. McKee's office after the test was over and my blood pressure, blood sugar and iron levels were great. Had an ultrasound and fluid levels in the babies were both good and he said to keep on keeping on and I will come back again on Thursday next week and we will do the exact same thing except next week we will have a growth scan to see how big the babies are! I can't wait for that! After my doctors appointment, we finally got to pick up the babies bedding!!!! It is soooo cute! I absolutely love it! I'm going to post a separate nursery reveal post next week with pics. My step dad is finishing these things he is making to go above their cribs and then the nursery will be complete so I'm just waiting on those before I post pics! It is really starting to come together and feel real! We are going to have babies in a few weeks! That is just so surreal and crazy to me! 39 days left till I'm 37 weeks! That's not long at all!! Praying we can make it that long or close to that! 

How big are the babies now? We have our growth scan next week so we will know for sure then, but according to the apps they should be around 3 1/2 lbs and around 18 inches long. Big babies! 

What are the babies up to this week? They are beginning their final preparations for delivery, as all 5 senses are now developed! They continue to pack on the fat, which will help them stay warm in the real world and their brain and nerves continue to develop! 

Maternity clothes? Well yeah, however I did rock a dress and shirt that wasn't maternity this past week! 

Stretch marks? Still no stretch marks! It ain't over till it's over so I'm not counting them out yet. 

Sleep? Sleep is touch and go. I wake up multiple times a night either to itch my legs or belly, go to the bathroom, or get some water. Rolling over in the bed has become quite the challenge! Haha! 

Swelling? The swelling continues towards the end of each day or if I'm outside and it's hot. Mostly in my face, hands, and feet/ankles. Nothing that is severe or bad and it's always gone if I lay down and rest! 

Cravings? Anything pumpkin! My mother in law made these homemade pumpkin spice cupcakes last weekend and they were seriously amazing and yes my blood sugar did good with them! Wish I had some more, lol! 

Miss anything? I miss being able to indulge in all the yummy fall treats! Like candy apples and pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin scones! Ok I'm gonna stop before I get upset and make a bad judgement decision! Haha 

Looking forward to? This coming week Keith's work is throwing us a baby shower and that is just so sweet of them! Looking forward to meeting his coworkers! Alyssa and Garrett are truly some blessed babies! 

Praying specifically for? Praying daily that the babies continue to grow appropriately and that their will be no complications with them or with me. Praying we can make it to 37 weeks! 

Thankful for another week they are able to be cooking and growing! We feel so blessed and we know it's all because of such a good God! 

30 weeks

YAYYYY!!!! I made it to 30 weeks!!! Thanks be to Jesus! Next goal is 35 weeks! Only 47 days till I'm 37 weeks. WHAT??? That is seriously not far away! If you cant tell by the pic, my belly has grown a lot in the last week! I can tell a big difference looking at the previous belly pics. I went to my scheduled doctor appointment today with Dr. McKee and everything is looking great. My belly is measuring 38 weeks now!!! No wonder Im feeling like a giant balloon! haha! I finally gained some weight since being on this diet for my blood sugar. My blood pressure was perfect at 100/60. Iron level was still good also. Had an ultrasound (didn't get any pictures) and both babies fluid levels are good. Alyssa is still vertex (head down) and Garrett is still breech (head up). They will probably stay this way until delivery since they are running out of room so looks like a c section is for sure in my future. The tech was able to see that Alyssa has some hair and Garrett doesn't have any hair that she could see. Dr. McKee said everything looks great and I didn't have to have the NST today since I haven't had any contractions all week and I am feeling both babies move a ton! I will start the weekly NST's next Thursday (10/9) along with weekly ultrasounds and doctor visits. The only downer was I have to start an oral blood sugar medication twice a day (Glyburide) because most all of my fasting blood sugars are over 100. My meal time blood sugars have been good but since the fasting sugars are high he wants to treat them. Hopefully it will help and not lower my blood sugars too low.

In other news, I had my baby tea this past Sunday and everything turned out so great! The decorations were so cute and the food was delicious! I really appreciate all those who helped make it perfect and those who came out to celebrate with us! It was such a special day. I walked in and got so emotional! We felt so blessed by all the wonderful gifts for Alyssa and Garrett.

I finally finished working this past Tuesday so from here on out, I will be resting and nesting and going to weekly doctors visits! Its been fun organizing the nursery but Im having to do it in waves cause my back get to aching. The bedding was suppose to be ready tomorrow but the lady said she is running a week behind due to her mother in law being very sick so hopefully we will have it next Friday! So ready to see the nursery all put together!

How big are the babies this week? Im guessing they are around 3 1/2 pounds this week and 16-17 inches long based on their rate of growing so far.

What are the babies up to this week? The babies are starting to shed their fur (lanugo) and put on fat at a rapid pace. According to the apps, the start to put on about a 1/2 pound a week now, not sure how accurate that is for twins though.

Maternity clothes? YES! Hopefully what I have will fit until they come!

Stretch marks? Still no stretch marks and I had Keith inspect since I cant see the lower part of my belly anymore and he didn't see any either! That PUPP rash continues but seems to be a bit better!

Sleep? Still waking up frequently throughout the night to either pee, change positions, get water or wake up chocking because the acid reflux has gotten so bad (I take Prilosec, too)!

Swelling? Its not worse by any means but there is some mild swelling of my face, hands and feet and is made worse when im on my feet for long periods of time!

Signs of labor? Not at all! Thank you Jesus!

Cravings? I have been craving milk a lot lately and caramels. There is only 4 grams of carbs in 1 soft caramel so ive been having 1 after dinner!

Miss Anything? Cant say that I miss anything right now. I am just enjoying these last few weeks of pregnancy and resting as much as possible!

Looking forward to? My work baby shower is tomorrow so I'm looking forward to that and seeing everyone! Keith's work is throwing us a shower on Oct. 15 and that is just too sweet so I'm looking forward to that and meeting all his coworkers.

Praying specifically for? Praying that me and the babies continue to do well and that we can keep them cooking until 37 weeks. Praying that my blood pressure remains normal and no PIH develops. Praying that these next few weeks will go by fast and that we will soon be meeting and holding our sweet miracle babies!

We give God all the glory for these miracle babies and that so far my pregnancy has been smooth. We cant wait to meet Alyssa and Garrett! God is soooooo good!!!!

29 weeks!

1 more week till I'm in the 30's!!! I set little goals along the way thought the pregnancy and making it to 30 weeks was a big one so I'm hoping this week is non eventful! This past week has been good and non eventful which is what I would prefer any day! As many of you probably saw, my maternity pictures came back and I couldn't be happier with how they turned out! I am going to get the picture of my belly with the bible verse blown up and framed and put it in the nursery! I was really hoping the bedding would be ready early but it looks like OCT 3 is the day. After I get it all done I will do a blog post of the nursery! Can't wait for you all to see it and tell me what you think! I most definitely have the PUPP rash on my belly and it is absolutely terrible! It itches so bad I might scratch my skin off! I have an assortment of lotions and creams that I am using and many of them give me some relief but I wake up with my belly itching several times a night now. The rash goes away after the babies come so that's another thing to look forward to haha! I have 1 more shift left at work! I can't believe it! The rest of the pregnancy is dedicated to resting, nesting, and doctors appoinents! I'm looking forward to it for sure, but if you have any netflix recommendations let me know cause im sure I'll get cabin fever! Well this Sunday is my baby tea and I am just so excited. I have fantasized and dreamed about the day when I got to have a baby tea for years and years and my time has finally come! Thank you Jesus for giving me the desires of my heart! If you are struggling with infertility and can't stand it when you receive a baby shower invite in the mail, I completely understand the pain and anger you feel, I have felt it too! Keep staying faithful in prayer and hope and your day will come too! God is such an amazing God! 

How big are the babies now? Well we know they were 2 lb 13 oz last Thursday so I'm thinking they are around 3 lb 2 oz or so. They will do another growth scan 4 weeks after the last one due to insurance. 

What are the babies up to this week? This week their lungs and muscles continue to develop. They are now beginning to put on the white fat underneath their skin which provides energy and girth to the babies! They are beginning to run out of room and I know see their feet and hands and elbows protrude out and it cracks me up! I love just watching my belly move and do the wave when they are moving around. 

Maternity clothes? Yes of course! I'm continuing to grow and grow!

Stretch marks? Well despite the rash and itching I still don't see any stretch marks but I'm sure they will show up eventually! 

Sleep? What's that? Lol! I wake up every 1-2 hours either itching, uncomfortable, or having to pee! Haha!! Oh well, these sweet babies are worth it! 

Swelling? Well my face continues to be swollen and my hands and feet swell with activity or heat. If I'm resting I don't notice any swelling. 

Cravings? I have been craving something sweet to drink lately. Since I'm not drinking caffeine and I can't have sugar I am limited to pretty much water and milk! I am not a big artificial sweetener person either but this weekend I had to have something so I had fresco zero and it was amazing! So refreshing and just the right amount of sweetness! I am also totally going to eat a nice size piece of cake at my tea this weekend so no judgement from anyone! I already told my doctor and he said to enjoy! Haha! 

Miss anything? I miss not itching all the time! I miss being able to sleep a full night but I guess that's not going to be coming back any time soon for the next 3 years or so ;) 

Looking forward to? Like I said, so excited about my baby tea this weekend! I hope to see you there! :) 

Praying specifically for? Praying for continued health for the babies and myself! Praying that there will be no complications for the remainder of the pregnancy and that I will keep these babies in for the next 8 weeks!! 

Thank you for reading and following our journey! Until next week..... 

God is sooooo good!!!