Announcing.....

Sorry it has taken so long to update but we have been a little busy having babies. That is right, on August 26th, 2008 ( Tate's 2nd Birthday) Cohen Jared and Tessa Brylee were born. Cohen came first at 9:16 am weighing 6 pounds 11 oz. and Tessa at 9:51 am was 5 pounds 6 oz. Tessa was having a hard time keeping her blood sugars up so she had to be in the NICU for 2 days then to return to the NICU for another 2 days for severe jaundice and low weight. Everyone is home now and doing great. They just sleep all the time and barely wake to eat so it is a good transitional period. I am learning how to juggle both. Luckily, for now, one will wait for the other to finish. Since they were premature I can't nurse just yet so I have to pump & bottle feed. Next week I will have to start teaching them to nurse (not looking forward to that so much).

So the birth story goes as follows...
All day on Monday the 25th I was feeling strange and really worn. I was having some signs but I was really hesitant to call the doc because I knew what she would tell me, "you need to come in and be checked". I was right, I called and sure enough I was headed to the hospital at 10:30 PM. When I got there they hooked me up to all kinds of monitors, like usual, and checked to see how dilated I was. At that point I was an 8-9 cm. My contractions were the same as they had been so I didn't really know what to think. With my history of fast labors they gave me the epidural and started IV's. Around 8:30-8:45 am my doc came in and ruptured my water and my contractions took off. I was shipped to the OR and put on this flat uncomfortable table. The doc's and nurses were awesome, there was music playing, everyone was laughing and it was really layed back. It made it really nice. I pushed twice, I think, and out came Cohen. Tessa was being rotated while I push Cohen because she was breach. Her delivery was more work because she didn't want to come down and my contractions faded. The doc was up to her elbow, literally, turning her and pushing placentas out of the way to make room for her. Her heart rate started to drop so the had to whip out the vacuum and pull with all their might to get her to come. Her coming out face up was definitely a factor in why she wouldn't come out so easily. She had/has a huge bruise and swelling on her forehead. It is getting better now. I can't tell you how relieved I am that I opted for the epidural. I would have literally died with what they were doing. I have it on video to remind me how rough it got.

I have recovered really fast and am doing great. There are all kinds of amazing people bring in meals for us. A huge THANK YOU to everyone for their love, support, loving phone calls, gifts, and most important prayers on our behalf.