Two Week Checkup and PIcs

The two week checkup was a rousing success. Ms. Addison was up to 6 lbs 5 oz, and Mr. Smith had a whopping 8 oz gain to make it to 6 lbs 4oz. I'm thinking that he is tired of his big sis beating up on him.

The entire checkup was good, and the docs said that these were beautiful babies ande to keep doing what we were doing. (And I"m sure that pediatricians don't go around telling their patients that their children are beautiful, so I feel incredibly honored that ours would give out such a rare compliment!) He did mention that it'd be best to avoid crowds for 6 more weeks. I wasn't planning a weekend bender at the local pub next weekend or anything, but I kinda thought we'd be able to start venturing out a little bit more. But its a small price to pay for healthy babies!

Finally, I've been slack on the pictures, so I wanted to post some here.

How can this not melt your heart? Seriously.

Some folks have asked how the doggies are adjusting. The answer? OK. They're certainly feeling neglected and curious, but they're taking it in stride. They're not allowed in the nursery, but they like to push the envelope as much as possible!

These moments are actually rare, where we actually get to just sit and hold the babies. Mom had a go of it the other night, and I think all three of them felt very comfortable!

Lastly, I took these two pictures just before we left for our two week appointment. I want to make sure we get plenty of single shots as well as those of them together. Daunting task!

Father of the year

(Before I get into the meat of this, we've got our two week old checkup this afternoon. Expect all the details, and maybe a few new pictures afterward!)

In the "our life is an open book" vein of this blog, here is the twins feeding plan: Krissee fully intended to breast feed, but the smaller size of the babies coupled with the practical realities of feeding two babies at once have forced us to use bottles. Krissee is pumping and we're on a 1/2 and 1/2 mixture of breast milk and formula. Its working out great and seems to be a win/win for all parties (meaning mom isn't strapped to a baby all day, we know how much they're feeding, and Dad gets to help!)

So, Krissee pumps, and its my job to make up bottles once a day. At this point, they're eating about 3 oz. at every feeding (which is every 3 hours), so every night I'm making a breast milk/formula cocktail. Just call me a mixologist. For those doing the math at home, thats 24 oz of each, for a total of 48 oz needed to fill all 16 bottles. For those who are in the know, that's twelve scoops of formula.

On Wed. night, when I'm making the formula, I did the unthinkable and got distracted. Was that scoop # 7 or #8? Figuring that it wasn't a big deal, really, I erred on the side of caution and went with the lower number, cause, babies need nutrients, you know? I completed the formula mixing and went on to my next task, never giving it a second thought.

Thursday, we were fighting what we thought were sick babies - lots of mucous that made feeding take an hour. Their poor little mouths were filling up with this thick pasty stuff. They weren't finishing their bottles. All in all, not a Day was happy.

Last night, after struggling with the 7 o'clock feeding, it was time again for me to make the bottles. As I'm getting ready to do the formula, it dawns of me...I may have put too much formula in the day before. Too much powder = thicker liquid = harder to swaller = less intake.

So, I ensured that the correct amount of formula was placed within the mixing cup, poured some bottles, and anxiously awaited the 10:00 feeding to see if it was better.

Y'all...it was flawless. BOth babies ate their entire bottles in approximately 30 minutes. We put them down and they slept soundly. We fed them once during the night (as we have been doing for the past few days), and it was pretty darn flawless as well. As was this morning's feeding.

DSS, I promise not to make this mistake again. I promise.

(Note to self - Determine what twelve scoops equals in a measuring cup so that I don't have to keep track of counting, because in my altered state of mind, counting to twelve is apparently pretty darn taxing. God help us all when they increase the amount of formula!)

At home with Smith and Addison

Well I haven't had much time to post on here since the babies were born but I have read all of the comments during my marathon labor and I just want to say thanks everyone for your support and well wishes. It warms my heart to read all of the kind things everyone wrote.

I just wanted to say hi and let everyone know I'm still alive just crazy busy. Today is one of my first full days alone with Smith and Addison. Daniel and I did the 7:00 AM feeding together and then he went downstairs to work. So its just me and my sweet babies and we are getting along just fine. There isn't much time for anything else other than feeding and changing diapers but I have to say I absolutely LOVE it. Even though I haven't had a shower yet today and I'm still in PJ's at 1:00 in the afternoon I've never been so happy. They are so precious and I still can't believe they are mine.

Honesty

Before any of our faithful readers get the impression that we're without any hiccups in our attempts to raise these two babies who have recently invaded our home, I wanted to point out some of our massive panic attacks of the past week. These are by no means the ONLY such attacks we've experienced, but I want this to be an accurate portrayal of our family life.

I'm blue da ba dee da ba die

Some dear friends sent us a beautiful flower arrangement in the hospital. These flowers arrived in a blue flower vase. Fast Forward a week or so, and the flowers are wilted, so the flowers get tossed, and the vase gets put in the dishwasher.

This vase, unbeknown to us, was a painted vase, and proceeded to chip and color everything in our dishwasher blue. Under normal circumstances, this would be pretty annoying. However, add in the fact that our entire bottle supply was ALSO in the dishwasher at the same time, well, there you have a near disaster. We spent a few hours trying to clean 'em up, but finally decided that no amount of scrubbing or boiling would ever make us comfortable with feeding our babies out of blue speckled bottles. So Dad got the very special privelage of going to Wal-Mart on a Friday night at 10:00 PM to purchase new bottles.

Got home, Grandma (Ann) helped us sterilize everything, and we were back in business. Crisis averted (kinda).

Moral of story? : Don't put colored vases in dishwasher without first checking to see if it is a painted vase.

My little scavenger(s)

So remember when I wrote about our dog Allie, and how she likes trash?

Well, she hit the motherload yesterday morning.

There was a bag of dirty diapers sitting in the laundry room, ready to be taken out to the trash can. Dad had gone downstairs to work, and the dogs were in for breakfast and general inside time.

A little while later, I returned back upstairs to refill the coffee cup, and was greated wtih the smell of baby poo. I thought this to be odd, since the nursery with the diaper champ is a good little ways from the kitchen/office area. Upon further exploration, I discovered that my nasty little girl (allie) had found her own little corner of heaven right in our laundry room.

I'll spare you the picture, but I DID get one, just for posterity sake.

Cleaning that up was super-duper fun.

Moral of story: Don't 1) Leave bags of dirty diapers accessible to your nasty little dogs and 2) Don't let your dogs be nasty little dogs.

Day Birth Day

Its been a busy few days here in the Day household. Everyone continues to do well, and we're just settling into a routine. Dad went back to work today (boo), but paying the mortgage is an important job too!

Our friend Jenn wrote a commemorative poem summarizing the birth experience that we live blogged just days ago. Her blog requires authorization to read, but she welcomes new visitors! For those who don't have access, I've asked her if I could reprint the poem here, and she gave me permission to re-post (Thanks Jenn for the awesome recap of the experience!) :

Day Birth Day

(a very special poem commemorating the birth of Smith and Addison Day, twins, born August 1, 2008 @ 2:07 and 2:36 AM)

(Congrats to Daniel and Krissee on the birth of their first children)

They went to the doctor; she said, “let’s go;

It’s time to start the Smith and Addison Day Show!”

The doc hooked Krissee up to an IV

To start the contractions they’d yet to see.

An hour later contractions were regular;

Aunts, uncles, and grandparents began to gather.

Smith said “Come on, sis!” But Addy said, “No way!

I’m not quite ready to meet the world today!”

So they settled back in to that comfortable womb

And their faithful doctor left the room.

Daniel sighed; he was ready to rock!

But it turns out his daughter has her mother’s clock.

***

The Days rested all night so they wouldn’t be worn

When it was time to start again the very next morn.

They wakened early; Krissee fixed her hair and face

Before everyone got ready and got back into place.

The contractions got going; the water was broken.

Then, finally, the word “epidural” was spoken!

After all, in Daniel’s words, “Contractions don’t look fun!”

Krissee agreed, and then she happily went numb.

After several more hours, day turned to night

But the twins still weren’t ready to come into the light.

The epidural wore off, and pain crossed Krissee’s face

As the docs prepped the O.R.—just in case.

Then finally the babies decided, “It’s time!”

And Addison headed on down the line.

Not wanting to wear his poor mommy out,

Smith waited 29 minutes to follow A’s route.

“5 lbs. 11 oz.” read Addison’s scale;

A nurse declared, “2 ounces less weighs the male!”

They bundled them up—one in pink, one in blue

Then showed ‘em to family and now to you, too!

Thanks Aunt Heather

Aunt heather came and stayed with us for a few days. She did lots of things to help us out around the house, so that Mom and Dad could focus all their energy on the Daybies.

Here Aunt Heather is giving Smith a feeding. Our babies sure do like to eat, a lot and often.

Filling up the bottles for one day sure does take a long time. Not only does it take time to FILL the darn things, but washing, drying, making formula isn't super quick either.

Best of all, Aunt Heather scrubbed our floors. We certainly don't make our guests do this, but she insisted! I don't think anyone has done this in our home, but the floors certainly look phenomenal. This is actually a double edged sword, wherein I'm happy she did this, but also kinda mad. Happy, because our floors look great; Sad, because now I'm going to have to do this on a regular basis to keep the floors looking good.


Thanks again, Heather. To our future helpers, the bar has been set pretty darn high.

Q&A

Welcome to the first installment of what could turn out to be a regular feature: The Smith and Addison Q&A. You send us your burning questions, and we answer them.

Q: Colly from Charlotte, NC writes" Don't jaundice beds look like little mini tanning beds....?? Can we see??"

A: Yes, Colly, jaundice beds look like mini tanning beds. We're starting early! Here is a picture of the twins in their beds, which were placed in their pack and plays.




Q: Jenn from Anderson, SC asks "What could be worse: her dating or her hating you?? "

A: At this point, it may be a toss up.

Q: Schmitty from Carlsbad, NM asks " what do the doggies think of the daybies?"

A: The dogs are adjusting. They're doing a lot of sniffing, but other than that, they really aren't all that aware of the daybies. At this point, I think they're just glad to be home and have us home!

Q: Carissa from Charlotte, NC chimed in and queried "I don't think I know what Smith and Addison's middle names are?"

A: Their full names are Mary Addison Day and Smith Chapman Day.

Jaundice levels were better today, so they're off the beds. Hopefully we'll get the complete for real all clear tomorrow!

If I just lay here

This would be the picture I was talking about yesterday. My heart melts.

Went back to Dr...Addison is a whopping 6 lbs and Brother is still at 5 lbs 8 oz. Jaundice levels had decreased substantially, but they were ordered another day on the beds just to be sure.


Aunt Heather came in this afternoon to help take care of Mom and Dad so they can focus all their energy onto the Daybies. She has, however, managed to sneak in a little baby loving in between tasks from slave master Krissee.

My babies continue to be happy and healthy, and that's the best news I can share.

1 Down, 6569 to go...

(quick math lesson, since folks rarely seem to get my subject lines - 18*365 = 6570)

We got home yesterday (Sunday) around noon. Babies and mom are doing great. We quickly settled into a a routine and so far the babies sugar level is staying pretty high, despite repeated attempts to steal it all from multiple people.

Aside from a little jaundice, everything is going great. They're laid out in their jaundice beds now, and hopefully our pediatrician will give us the all clear tomorrow.

A few quick observations from Dad:

• My little girl is not allowed to date until she turns 45.
• A successful diaper change requires the proper preparation of all needed materials.
• Full nights of sleep are the stuff that unicorns and fairies are made of.
• I'm not entirely sure that the previous sentence made sense.

Auntie Ame came to visit today, and she got some great pictures. Unfortunately the computer is acting up and I'm ready for bed, so you'll have t check it out tomorrow.

You. Better. Work.

So, we played model todays. Our kids sure can work it.

http://www.palmettohealth.org/bodyIframe.cfm?id=252

(Here's the link to the official, professionally taken photograph. But we can't have them all dressed up and not use daddy's photo taking skills, which are far superior to his bow-hunting skills).






Yep, thats our Boy and our Girl! The quilts behind them were made by Krissee's Granny Coy (GreatGranny Coy to Smith and Addison). Each one is handmade and its super special. Every great grandchild has received one, but and I think Granny Coy worked her poor fingers to the bone once she found out it was twins!

So, one major topic of the past few days has been who they each look like. I've posted the earliest pictures I have of each of us as babies. You be the judge!




Mom and Babies are doing great. Babies have a little jaundice which may limit our ability to go home tomorrow (Sunday). We'll know more after our pediatrician's visit at Dark 'Thirty tomorrow morning.

This entry has taken all day to write. I just think that's good information to pass along!

Everyone wants a picture..here it is!!

Thanks

For all the support and excitement over the past few days.

Mom, dad and babies are finally settled, and its time to sleep for the first time in what seems like nine weeks.

We are asking that if u plan on calling or visiting, please do so later this afternoon (after one or two+.

They're here

Both came vaginally, and they're awesome.

She came at 2:07, 5 lbs 11 oz, 19 and a half inches.

He came at 2:36, 5 lbs 9 oz, 19 and a half inches.

Mom did awesome, and babies are great. I'm standing in nursery while the nurses check em out.

We're

Pushing

Not just yet

Still not pushing...not quite dialated enough.

Will try again at twelve. If its still not where it needs to be, they'll do a c section. Its been long enough since the water broke that there is risk of infection.

We'll...that was fun...

No, no babies yet...

Krissee's epidural stopped working, so there were a few hours there where the pain was pretty pad. Finally, the doctor came in and agreed that the pain was probably too bad....so after some coaxing to ther anesthiologist, the epidural was taken out (with no side effects) and re-applied.

After a few minutes, relief.

So, here's the latest. She's nine centimeters dialated. They've told her to try and get a few minutes of rest, and that hopefully she'll be pushing shortly (around eleven).

We'll see... Important thing is that mom has found relief now, and she's calm enough that she can start pushing with gusto and get these babies here.

I'll try and do a quick post as we head to the or.

Gettin there

Between eight and nine cm.

Nurse said at this rate, she should start pushing around nine pm.

Still....

Still contracting....siz to seven dialated. Doctor will be bak around nine..

Waiting

Still waiting on dr to come check. Will know more later.

Progress

Just got checked, six and half cm. We're moving along.

Keep the good thoughts coming!

No news

Still five cm.

We're just waiting. Dr said if no progress is made by six, we'll think about other options (c-section).

We both napped, and now we're visiting with family.

This day is becoming a blur...fast.

Krissee's resting comfortably now. Dialated to 5cm. Should be another few hours (average is 1 cm an hour, and for all you guys who don't know any of this, which I didn't until a few weeks ago, fully dialated is 10cm).

Everybody's doing great. I'm gonna try and catch a few z's along with my wife, as the pull out sofa in the room is not the most comfortable thing ever.

More later.

Epidural

Krissee got an epidural about twenty minutes ago. Its kicked in and mom seems pretty happy.

Contractions continue. The doctor is supposed to come by around lunch time, so we'll find our how far she's progressed then.

More....

At 9:30 AM

Contractions are continuing every couple of minutes.

4 CM

Epidural is on its way.

Everyone's happy and healthy. Everyone will be happier and healthier shortly, when the epidural comes!

Moving along nicely. Contraction don't look fun...at all.

Continuing....

8AM - contractions are coming...water is broken. Contractions seems to be more uncomfortable than yesterday, which is a GOOD sign. Our nurse was even laughing about how sadistic labor and delivery nursers are, because if you're not in pain, they up your medicine!

So basically? No update, but updating to document the process and keep you all off my back! :)

The update is no update

Waiting on doctor to come in. Our doctor's watch is apparently set to Krissee time, wherein 5:45 is a proper substitute for 5:00! (Which is completely fine this morning. Krissee's gotten her makeup on, her hair straightened, you know, all that important stuff!). Honestly, our Dr. is doing us a favor by coming in today, since she's not on call, so I can't complain that she's running a little late

When she gets here, they'll start the pitocin again and break her water.

Dr. just arrived..so we're getting started!!! And so it begins...again.

See you soon Smith and Addison.

Proper Update

So now that I'm in possession of my laptop (thanks Cookie and Poppy for making a run to the house!), I can do a proper update without typing on the Blackberry (which is great for quick updates, but not so much for long winded text like I like to write!)

Mom and Babies are doing great. Quite frankly, I think the dr. needed a reason to push up our induction from Monday to today. She was ready and thought the babies were, but protocol says you can't take 'em prior to 37 weeks. (Now, this is entirely my opinion and could be completely incorrect. Our doctor has not told us nor implied this in any way, shape, or form).

Since Krissee didn't really get started on the pitocin until about 1 PM, it was considered a late start. The doctor warned us that if she wasn't progressing very fast that she may pull her today and start again first thing in the AM (like 5 AM first thing). So that's where we are now, and why its a tad unusual. While all signs are still pointing to a vaginal delivery, there is always the risk of a C-Section, especially with twins. As such, we'll deliver in the OR rather than the standard birthing room. If a C-Section is required, our doctor wanted to do it during the daytime when the hospital is fully staffed, rather than 3 AM. It also gives us ALL a chance for a good night of rest.

We'll be back at it tomororw, early. Thanks for the poems and rhymes, and I think I love the term Daybies.

Smith and Addison - we'll meet you tomororw!

On hold

Krissee still isn't dialated. Dr decided to pull the pitocin for the evening and we'll start again first thing in the am. Tomorrow looks to be smith and addison's birthday.

Thanks for all the well wishes, excitement, and prayers.

Update update baby

Contractions coming every two or three minutes now. No idea on dialation. Waiting for dr to come and check.

The great waiting game continues.

Update - 4 pm

Contractions are coming every few minutes. She's not in much discomfort. Both sets of grandparents are here, along with aunt ame. The other aunts and uncles are headed down after work.

More later!

Update - 3pm

Krissee's been receiving pitocin for almost two hours. A few little blips on the contraction scale, but nothing major.

Doctor says that we'll evaluate this later this afternoon. Worst case, we'll stop the pitocin this evening and restart it first thing tomorrow.

More later!

It begins....

Went to the dr the morning. Krissee was having some pressure.

After an ultrasound, they said that the level of amniotic fluid wasn't measureable, so they needed to induce.

Mom and babies are doing well. She's just starting pitocin now. We'll see where we go from here.

Funny Pregnancy Quote

Krissee: "I'm looking forward to being in labor so that I'll have a catheter and not have to get up and go pee every 10 minutes."

That picture behind the bed sure is nice...

The weekend trip to the Columbia Hilton was a rousing success. Due to work travel, I'm a gold member of Hilton's travel club (its no diamond member level, but I mean, we don't all LIVE in hotels!). They certainly took care of us and even managed to get us reservations to the Ruth's Chris on the premises (which was good good).

The highlight of the stay occurred on Sunday morning while we're in the elevator on the way to breakfast. When the elevator stopped on our floor for us to get on, there was a little boy on there with an adult (the boy was 3-4 years old).

We get on, and the little boy points his finger at Krissee's belly and exclaims "What you got in there?" The words themselves just don't convey the funniness of the situation. The attitude was a cross between "You look like you're going to pop and I want to know what is getting ready to ooze all over me." and "You've stuck something in your belly that belongs to the hotel and I'm telling because my Daddy told me that you shouldn't steal!"

Krissee explains to him that there are two babies in there, and he seemed to understand.

Since then, I've been fond of pointing at her and exclaiminig "What you got in there?"

Friday's Doctor Visit

Not much to tell about yesterday's appointment. Everything is still looking good and tests results are showing the babies are doing great. I lost a couple of pounds so now my total weight gain is 26 pounds. I'm hoping that will be about the maximum amount of weight I gain but we'll see. The doctor said I was almost 3cm dilated and I left the office with some pretty bad cramping. We briefly thought yesterday might be the day but the cramping has stopped and we still haven't seen any baby action.

So since it appears that I will not be going into labor anytime soon Daniel and I are going to the Hilton for a Mom and Dad's last night out. We plan to soak up some rays by the pool and then go to a fancy dinner. I'm really looking forward to it and I think it will be good to get me out of the house and away from my list of things to do.

We will be back at the doctor on Monday for NST testing but to be honest I think we have given up hope that Smith and Addison will be here before the 4th and that's ok as long as they are healthy I can't ask for more.

36 Weeks!

I'm 36 weeks today!! No major action going on right now other than a bad night and very little sleep for me so I'm doubting Smith and Addison will join us today. We will go to the doctor again in the morning. Daniel and I are planning on going on a walk later today to see if we can't get things going but don't get excited just yet. We are starting to think its probably going to be August 4th but I'm still going to hold out hope they will come before then. I told Daniel this morning that if they did come today I'm not sure I have the energy to push them out. Any moms out there know where I can find some energy?

Rock Hill Shower

I've been trying to post about the baby showers we have been so fortunate to have in our honor but I'm behind in posting about them which is the same case I'm having with thank you notes. I'm just chipping away at my list of things to do and it seems to grow everyday.

I had a beautiful baby shower in Rock Hill at my sister in law Heather's house in June. Everything was so nice and it was really a great day.
Hosts: Shelly, Erica, Heather, Brittany and Ashley. Thanks ladies you guys really went all out to make it a really special day and I appreciate it so much.

I even gave some of the girls a closer look at my belly. This was at 30 weeks. By the looks on their faces it doesn't look like they are going to run out and start having babies anytime soon. I love Jen Miller's body language in this picture.

Both Grandma's made it to the shower! This is Daniel's mom, we are still working on her grandmother name and my mom (Cookie) in yellow. I loved having them there!

My high school friend Susan was able to attend! Its always great to see her since we aren't able to get together very often.

Here are some of my favorite people that I never get to see anymore Susan L. Jen M. and Angie S.. I'm so happy I got to see you all, our visits are never long enough.

The food was delicious and everything looked so beautiful. Notice the chocolate fountain in the background. YUMMY!

One of my favorite things was this framed letter Heather had Daniel write to me. It was so sweet and touching and of course I cried. He really has a way with words. I don't know how you got him to do this Heather but thank you so much! I will treasure it.

Here is just some of the decor. These invitations were just adorable and I loved the party favors!

We got some incredible gifts and we really appreciate everyone that was able to come and thanks to everyone for the fabulous gifts. We can't wait to share them with Smith and Addison. Thanks again to the hosts! Everything was perfect and it truly was a great day.

Doctor Appointment Update

Things have been looking up at the last few doctors appointments we've had. We finally got everything worked out between Dr. M and Dr. F so we are all good. We have mainly been seeing Dr. M and she has really taken good care of us and made us feel like we are getting the special treatment we like so much.

Smith and Addison are growing bigger everyday. As of last Thursday they were almost 6 pounds each with Smith weighing slightly less than Addison, which is ideal for a vaginal delivery. I am hoping we don't have to have a c-section but I'm prepared if things take a turn and we have to have one. I will do whatever I'm told to get these babies out and ensure they are healthy. At Thursday's appointment I was 1 cm and 50% effaced and after today's appointment I am 2 cm and still 50% effaced. Today Dr. M could feel Addison's head and the pain of getting checked wasn't nearly as bad today as last week. I am having contractions but not with any regularity. All tests are still looking good and the babies seem to be thriving and that of course makes us very proud. We go back in on Friday and I will be checked again and we will get a BPP. My doctor has given us her mobile number as we are now to call her directly and not the on call service if I go into labor. Again I have to say how much I love the special treatment. We are scheduled for an induction on August 4th so if we make it that far (and I hope we don't) we will spend the night in the hospital Sunday night and start the induction the morning of the 4th.

We will keep you updated if we get any exciting news on Friday or before!

Wonder Twin Powers...activate

We've received many questions regarding our latest "jewelry," so I figured we'd post it here to explan for all.

We spent Memorial Day weekend in Pawleys Island. While there, we visited one of those beach stores known as Eagles (anyone familiar wtih the Grand Strand area should be familiar with these stores. For those who aren't, they're basically large beach item stores that literally occur every few miles - sometimes even with Seattle/Starbuck regularity. They sell everything from the requisite 3/$10 T-Shirts that are instantly see-through to high end beach chairs and umbrellas. )

So, while we're there purchasing a new beach chair, I stumble upon a rack of friendship/wish bracelets. The basic premise is this: You make a wish. You put the bracelet on. When the bracelet falls off, your wish comes true.

Being as I've never really grown out of the child phase myself, I propose to Krissee that we buy these and make wishes. Keep in mind that this was on a Friday of an extended beach weekend. I figured the bracelets wouldn't last past Monday, so no harm done.

Whatever these bracelets are made out of, I want my next car made out. They're damn indestructable.

So, almost two months have gone by, and the bracelets still are attached to our wrists. We can't reveal our wishes, but needless to say they both had to do with our unborn babies and we're not willing to chance anything when it comes to them. So the bracelets remain.

It has been fun, though. Its always a trip when someone asks about them. Sometimes it occurs after you witness them looking back and forth trying to figure out what the heck we have on our arms. Sometimes the person just blurts it out as soon as they see the things. Its always good for a laugh, especially when we explain that we never thought they'd last this long. Krissee has probably gotten the brunt of it in the professional world, as she's gotten numerous inquiries at the state house.

So that my friends, is the story of our awesome bracelets. Smith and Addison - see the sacrifices we're ALREADY making for you?

Live blogging

Hi all...this is coming to you from my mobile phone. When krissee finally goes into labor, I'll be updating the blog with live updates! For those of you who won't be there, you can follow along with us if that's your thing!

Our first children

Prior to Smith and Addison being born (all signs are pointing to an August 4th induction, but its still not official yet. Labor could also be started without induction any time now. Waiting...Waiting...Waiting), I thought it'd be important to highlight our first two "children." Allie and Bailey are like family to me, and Krissee tolerates them! They're in for such a rude awakening when we bring two bundles of screaming joy home in a few weeks.


Allie was the first dog. Krissee, not being such an animal person, took some coaxing to agree to a dog. Once she finally agreed to it, she got busy on her research as to what kind of dog to get. For me, there was never any question... I wanted a retriever of some variety (golden, lab, mutt).

After much searching, and a chance encounter with a goldendoodle on a beach, we settled on the goldendoodle variety. Armed wtih allegedly the best characteristics of both golden retreivers and poodles, we sought her out.

Now, I love my girl. She'll be 3 in November. But she is stubborn. And will not listen. And she likes trash.(Seriously, she's happiest when she can get into trash). I liken her to a child in that I love her to pieces, but she annoys me to no end sometimes (and don't go getting all self righteous out there - any parent who is being honest will tell you that their children annoy the HELL out of them sometimes, and if you don't agree then you live in an awesome fantasy world.)

She certainly lovable moments, and she may be the worlds best cuddler.

For Allie's first birthday, I put together a little video montage of photos. You can check it out on YouTube here.


Everything about Bailey Day is the antithesis of Allie. Allie's inclusion into our family was planned for months. Bailey? Someone was handing out puppies out of the back of a car at a flea market and we fell in love. Allie is stubborn and and bull headed. Bailey is obedient and kind.

Bailey is almost a year and half old. She's a quiet companion who wants nothing more than to be by your side. Her precious eyes get her out of most any trouble that she'd ever cause. She's actually the one I worry about the most as the babies arrive, because I Think she'll have quite the hard time adjusting to the universe's center shifting.


I'm a dog person. Always have been. Most often, I like 'em more than I like people. I know that my children will become my world, but I will always have a special place in my heart for my first two "kids." We keep telling Allie and Bailey that we're going to be bringing them home two new best friends. It'll take some time, but I'm pretty sure they'll agree eventually.

It ain't easy, being....

The role of expectant father is an odd one: You and the mother of your children got into it together, but your life really doesn't change that much. I've still been able to eat and drink what I want. I'm still sleeping soundly throughout the night, never once getting up to visit the potty. My body is still pretty much the same size as it was 7 months ago (although I have gained some sympathy weight, but that's another post.) Without inviting you into our bedroom too much, I got to have sex and then nine months later get rewarded with children (two in my case!). That's not a bad deal for a future dad.

I can't imagine what its like to be an expectant mother. From the moment you see the two little pink lines on the test (or the digital pregnant readout, or both, because we wanted to be SURE), your body isn't just yours anymore. Every single action has consequences for not just your life, but for another. In the case of twins, you're responsible for two extra lives.

And while the excitement of pregnancy is awesome, I don't think my wife will mind me sharing this: it ain't easy. It ain't happy. Anyone who tells you that its so wonderful and easy has probably already HAD their children. There is no doubt that much of the pain and discomfort are forgotten once you hold your baby(s) in your arms. But in the midst of? Its there full force.

Just here lately, the hormones have been an raging. There have been a number of times that tears have just started flowing for no reason, and rather than turning a sympathetic ear, I just start laughing. This normally sends the wife into a hysterical laugh/cry combo which should totally be featured on America's Funniest home videos.

Add on top of that the inability to find comfort in your once plush and heavenly bed? You've got the makings of breakdown central. I get it. I can't imagine it.

So publically, I want to say to my wife: Thank you. Thank you for putting up with the discomfort so that we may have our family. I know that you know its worth it, but even the best of us get down sometimes. Its okay. You're in the home stretch. You've handled everything so remarkably up 'till now. Just think, in a few short weeks we'll be holding Smith and Addison and changing diapers and arguing if it was gas or a real smile. I love you. Please just hang in there, and in a few months, you'll laugh and tell all your newly pregnant friends about how your pregnancy wasn't that bad and that you'd never felt better in your life!

To the rest of the mother's out there (mine especially) - thank you. Thank you for the pain and suffering you've gone through to get us here.

Doctors Appointment's this week.

This week started the first of our twice weekly appointments. We were told we would be having a BPP ultrasound (Biophysical Profile) on Tuesday's and a NST (Non stress Test) on Thursday. Well, Daniel and I got to the doctors office at 2:30 to be told that the doctor I was seeing that day (Dr. F) had looked at my chart and didn't think I needed the ultrasound and my OB appointment wouldn't be until 3:15. So of course I start getting agitated and I don't think the crowded waiting room helped at all. The ultrasound technician took pity on us and took us back to do a heart rate check which was nice of her because at least we got to see the babies and learned they are still head down and their heart rates were good. Then we go back out into the waiting room and wait until 4:00. At this point I'm livid. We finally get back into the room and continue to wait and when Dr. F finally comes in, I lose it. If you know me well, you know that I cry easily when things are sweet or sad and its hard to make me really mad but when I do get mad I cry. So I'm crying and Daniel, bless his heart, has to explain why I'm so upset. He basically tells the doctor that she and the other doctors need to get on the same page b/c we don't appreciate getting caught in the crossfire. She agrees and we leave the doctors appointment without gaining any real knowledge of our babies which is disappointing and we are told that we won't be having ultrasounds every week like we were originally told.

So I go in today at 9:45 sans Daniel b/c he had another appointment for work. Everything is going well, I'm seeing my normal doctor (Dr. M) and they strap belts on my belly, I'm calm, everything is going well until they switch the belts to get Smith's (baby B) heart beat. They can't seem to get it and they try and try. Meanwhile Dr. F keeps coming in and out watching what my doctor and her nurse are doing. Its kind of weird but at this point I'm just doing what I'm told. He's moving around so I knew he was ok. Then Dr. F calls Dr. M out into the hall. They have a discussion and I couldn't hear what they were saying but the next thing you know I'm getting an ultrasound. DRAMA. If you are still following along and you probably aren't I found out that there is dip in the blood flow level in Smith's umbilical cord. My doctor said I shouldn't worry but it could be that his placenta is getting tired and we just need to keep an eye on it. So next week I'm back for an ultrasound and a NST. While this is a super long story to get to this point it illustrates why I like my doctor. She is thorough and doesn't stand for mediocre results. Had she not been insistent today we may not have caught the blood flow dip. I know this was a long post and not that interesting to some of you but I think I just needed to get it off my chest.

In other Doctor news my echo cardiogram results came back and my heart is a little abnormal but it should go back to normal after the babies are born so no biggie there. Whew! Also Dr. M said we would induce at 37 weeks although no date has been scheduled yet.

I'm hoping next week is better.

Columbia Girls Shower

As I've mentioned in a previous post, Daniel and I have been so blessed with friends and family offering to host baby showers for us. Several weeks ago I had a baby shower in Columbia that some of my sweet friends were so kind to host for me. A big thanks goes out to Nancy Margaret, Regina, Mandi, Ginny, Julie, Kelly, and Mrs. Thornton. The shower was held at Mrs. Thornton's (Ginny's sweet Mom) house. I LOVE this house and told her I would move in if I could. Everything was wonderful and I couldn't have asked for more. Thank you all so much.

The hosts minus Kelly who couldn't be there. (Kelly I still have to give you your host gift!)

Me with Shannon and Kelly and Shannon's mom, Carla. These ladies have been in my life since we were in Junior High.

Daniel's Aunt Mary Jean. I was happy she was able to make it to the shower. She is always so much fun.

We got so many great gifts like these activity mats. We also got a snap and go stroller, lots of diapers and wipes, a diaper genie, a hamper, a baby emergency basket to be kept in the car, cute clothes and so much more. My mom and Granny Coy got us booster seats that have come highly recommended from pretty much every mom I have talked to.

Mrs. Thornton made us this cool diaper wreath. This was the first one of these I have ever seen. Its so cool, I still have it hanging on the nursery door because its to pretty to take apart yet.

We got Smith and Addison's scrapbooks which I probably need to get started on since I'll have two baby books to keep up with.

The ladies in my family were able to come and it meant so much to me to have their love and support. Its hard to say who is most excited about the twins. I think its between and Aunt Heather and Cookie but I think they are all pretty anxious about the twins arrival.

I had a great time and thanks again to the hosts, friends and family for making it such a special day. We truly are so blessed to have you all in our lives.

Ready?? Daniel's Take.

The question of the day seems to be "Are y'all ready?'

I think the standard answer is "We think so."

I know that Krissee's definitely ready to NOT be pregnant. I get that.
I'm ready to meet the kids.

Am I ready for no sleep? Of course not. Am I ready for crying for no good reason? Don't be ridiculous (said in my best Balki Bartokomous accent.)

But we're ready. We're excited. Just a few more weeks.

4Months ago, I wrote this on my personal blog, and it stands repeating:

"Maybe I should have my head examined, but I'm not worried about the babies. I'm not worried about my wife. I'm not worried about being a father. All those things will work themselves out. I'll screw up, I know it. My wife will screw up. The babies will be fine. We're not the first people to have children. As long as we can keep our sense of humor (which, I mean, we're gonna have to, because we're having TWO BABIES AT THE SAME TIME), I know it'll be hard. I know there will be sleepless nights and arguments over what is best for them and how to handle issues and blah blah blah disciplinecakes. But I'm not really worried."

Daniel

Office Shower

When Daniel and I found out we were having twins we were thrilled to receive several offers to host showers for us. Knowing that I may not be returning to work after the twins are born we thought we should take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and get the baby stuff we might need because things are going to be a lot tighter when we are living on one income so as much baby stuff as we can get on the front end the better. Our first shower was a shower given by my office, the Ways and Means Committee Staff. They went all out and we had a wonderful turnout and got great gifts.

They had delicious food aplenty that we all enjoyed and a precious table set up. They were really so sweet do this for us and we are very appreciative of their time and effort.

My mom gave us a very nice diaper bag that I had an eye on at a local boutique and had our last name monogrammed on it. Its so cute! Thanks Mom!

We received awesome gifts including these cute monogrammed diaper holders, a few handmade baby blankets, diapers and wipes and so much more. The hosts gave us our 2 infant carriers so now we are all set to bring our little darlings home from the hospital!

We are so thankful and blessed to have wonderful friends and family. Everyone has been so generous and we just can't thank them enough.

Happy Anniversary!!

Happy 2 year Anniversary Daniel! My how the time flies. Thanks for being a GREAT husband and taking such good care of me and the babies. I couldn't do this without you and I would never want to. I mean who would help me get out of chairs and help me roll over in bed after one side goes numb? We appreciate all that you have done for us and will continue to do in the future. Thank you.

I love you!
Krissee

Pregnant Wife = Superior Trash Pickup

A few weeks ago, Krissee's brother cleaned out our backyard (we're talking massive cleaning - piles and piles of limbs and trees and brush and whatnot).

In their infinite wisdom, the city yard debris team decided that they didn't need to pick up said trash because it was too big. (Apparently, limbs can be no more than a certain length and width).

So yesterday afternoon, I got out there with a chainsaw and cut the pile of trash into more manageable pieces. I did NOT necessarily do it according to their specifications, but I made an honest effort.

So as the yard debris team rolls by this morning, Krissee and I started to get a little nervous that they wouldn't take the pile again. So out waddles Krissee in her pregnancy moo-moo and just watches them. Anyone who knows her knows how she'll try to act real nonchalant about something but its very obvious she's hovering/looking. This was her MO this morning. She was kinda stalking the trash pickup folks, and she was also just enjoying the morning air under the car port. But mostly #1.

They picked up all the trash.

Score one for pregnancy.

Bye bye beautiful rings.

So at the doctors office yesterday the doctor happened to glance down at my hand and said "you should probably go ahead and take off your wedding rings." I said "well we had Chinese yesterday so they are probably just a little swollen from that and I'm sure the swelling will go down." She said, "well still you should probably go ahead and stop wearing them." And oh was I heartbroken. I've been so proud that I haven't gained much weight and that I can still wear my rings so I was pretty let down that now I'll be leaving the rings at home. She did recommend Daniel go and buy me a fake set to wear because you know I don't want to be huge walking around without wedding rings on my finger.

We got in the car and Daniel and I had this conversation...
Krissee: "I think I might give it a few days before I take the rings off. I'm pretty sure the swelling is going to go down. It was seriously probably that Chinese food."
Daniel: "Did you go to Medical School?"
Krissee: "no"
Daniel: "are you a doctor?"
Krissee: "no"
Daniel: "Don't you think you should follow the orders of someone who is your doctor and did go to Medical School?"
Krissee: "OK"

What can I say he made a good point? He picks on me a lot because I'll get something in my head and then all the sudden I know better than anyone. So this time I give up. I took them off last night and between us I cried and cried. No, I'm sure it wasn't the hormones making me cry like a baby over taking my wedding rings off. ; ) So today I'll be going to the local Belk in search of a big gaudy fake set of wedding rings. Some people might think this is silly and if you are one of those people I don't care. YOU waddle around as big as house with hormones going nuts and then let me know how you feel about having your hands swell so much your wedding rings don't fit. To those of you who think I should get fake rings all I have to say is thank you and I love you because you get me.

Baby Update!

Today we are unveiling the Smith and Addison Day Show Blog. I've been waiting on an informative doctors visit before I posted and shared this blog with the world and today we got it! Daniel and I went to the doctor this morning and we were prepared with a list of questions.

We learned that the babies are now both head down which is great because at least I can consider a normal delivery now instead of assuming we will have a c-section. The babies weights are right on schedule. Baby A (Addison) weighed in at 4 pounds and Baby Boy, (Smith) weighs 4 pounds and 3 ounces. Addison is in the 67th percentile and Smith is in the 77th percentile. We are so happy that they are doing well and were surprised by their weights. Speaking of weight gain I have gained a total of 16 pounds which is great for my frame. I was worried about gaining a bajillion pounds so the smaller number the better especially since I know the babies are getting everything they need.



Starting tomorrow I am going to start working half day's in the office to make sure I'm getting enough rest. Starting the first week in July I will start going in to the doctors office twice a week every week. We were a little surprised by this but are happy that our babies will be getting lots of attention. I'll go every Tuesday and Friday. Tuesday's will be for ultrasounds and on Friday's they will strap monitors on my gigantic belly to monitor how the babies are doing.



At the visit today I told the doctor about some pains I was having in my chest and shortness of breath, both of which are probably very normal considering I don't have room to breath and my heartburn is ridiculous. But just to be on the safe side I was sent for an EKG and an echo cardiogram. The EKG showed a high heart rate but I was told it was normal for pregnancy. I'm waiting on an appointment for the echo cardiogram. I'm not worried though, I'm sure my ticker is doing just fine.



Well thats all I have for today. Unfortunately the ultrasound pictures aren't good enough to post but trust me when I say they are some darling little babies and no I'm not prejudice they really are, really they are, you'll see.



Stay tuned as I will be posting about baby showers complete with pictures and nursery pictures very soon!