Thursday, July 29, 2010 |
Entries are in order from the latest entry first.
| Thanks everyone!!! |
Fri, Aug 7, 2009 |
David and I want to thank everyone for making Natalie and Claire's first birthday so memorable. We could not have pulled off the party without the help of our families. David took the Bar Exam a couple days before, so needless to say it was a crazy time in our house that week. For those of you that were unable to attend the party, here's what happened. The girls started off the party playing with their friends, Wyatt, Celia, and Annalee (triplets that are a month and a half younger). Natalie and Claire were also sporting their new shoes, squeaker sneakers, that squeak everytime you take a step. I call it "baby GPS". I can tell where the kiddos are at all times  Then they got to open their presents, which have been keeping them occupied ever since. Next, was the cake "experiment". Natalie shoved so much cake into her mouth that I didn't think she would ever stop. She was loving it. Claire was a little more cautious about this new sugary substance. She also did not want to get messy. David and I love that our girls take such different approaches to new things. It really keeps us on our toes. Thanks again to everyone. We are truly blessed to have all of you in our lives.
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| The little things |
Mon, Mar 30, 2009 |
I've learned that the little things in life are the most memorable. Here are a few things that the girls have done recently that will make me smile for all of eternity. Claire has started this new habit of tilting her head to side, almost completely to her shoulder, and giving me the biggest smile. She only does this when I'm feeding her in the high chair. It is so sweet. Natalie is now getting her teeth brushed (she has 5 now). She is so determined to not let me get the brush in her mouth. She will push and push against the brush with her tongue. It's hilarious. She never gets mad or cries; she actually acts like she enjoys this "game". What a determined child. Oh, and Claire loves hair bows. Especially the ones in Natalie's hair. I try to keep them in Nat's hair because her hair is getting so long. I found Claire stalking Natalie today. She was so determined to get that bow. Natalie is so quick though. She would move right along and there Claire would go, scooting right after her.
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| Some more firsts |
Tue, Feb 24, 2009 |
David and I can't believe how fast the girls are growing. During the past few days, the girls have experienced a few more "firsts". They went on a walk for the first time in the stroller without their carrier. They were able to sit up and look around at the park and throughout our neighborhood. They loved it. I could see their little heads moving side to side and taking in their surroundings. They also experienced their first Mardi Gras. Well, maybe not quite a real Mardi Gras but they did get to play with Mardi Gras beads (for about 10 seconds b/c they tried to use the beads for teething) and they got to watch their mommy eat almost a whole king cake. Natalie is now able to pull up to a standing position and now has two teeth. Claire is showing interest in crawling, so it won't be long before we are chasing the two munchkins around the house.
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| Two Peas in a Pod |
Sat. Jan. 31, 2009 |
| The girls got their first taste of real food this weekend, sort of. I don't know if you can call pureed organic peas real food. Natalie was not sure either. Claire did great with her first feeding. She didn't even blink at the green stuff on her spoon. Natalie, on the other hand, was not impressed. Even though her feeding consisted of snorts, shudders, and tears, she never lost her smile. She is the only baby that I've ever seen that can produce tears while smiling. We think the girls had a discussion that night about the peas, because the next day Claire had changed her mind and wasn't so passive.
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| A Blessed Thanksgiving |
Tue, Dec 9, 2008 |
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What a great day we had. The girls did something that I have been looking forward to since they were born. They smiled at each other!!! David and I are always putting the girls in front of each other, hoping they would interact. They finally did, and it was the sweetest thing.
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| Almost 9 weeks old |
Fri, Sep 26, 2008 |
So, it's been a while since I've had time to update our site. The last few weeks have been crazy with Hurricane Ike, changing diapers in the dark, and long road trips. But we have noticed the girls have grown so much in these weeks. The girls are now tracking us with their eyes and turning their heads in our direction. They seem to recognize us and even give us smiles here and there. 
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| The girls' newborn pics |
Thu, Sep 11, 2008 |
Last Wednesday, we had the girls' newborn pics taken by a Kingwood photographer, Gia Guidry. She was wonderful. She was able to get the girls to sleep through a four hour photo session. She took pics of the girls separately, together, and with both David and I. She has a sneak peak of the pics on her blog:
http://giaspirit.squarespace.com/
Right now, they are the most recent entry or the Aug. 29th entry. We just love the pic of the girls in David's arms. It made me tear up. If you want to check out her website, here's the link:
http://www.capturetheessence.com/
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| Everyone is finally home!!!!! |
Mon, Aug 4, 2008 |
I finally got to go home today!!! The best thing about leaving the hospital was getting to bring Natalie home to see her sister. They have been separated since their birth, and we were so excited to put them side by side. Natalie is so funny by making the cutest smiles during and after her feedings. Claire is getting more vocal each passing day. I love to hear her precious little sounds. These girls are such a blessing to David and me.
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| So....Here's the Scoop |
Sat, Aug 2, 2008 |
Here's the scoop on the past week. Natalie and Claire arrived early Monday morning with proud parents and family waiting to greet them. They both immediately were admitted into the level 2 NICU, which is for the preemies or sick babies, but not the highest level of intensive care for neonates (that's level 3). On Wednesday, Claire and I were discharged home together, while Natalie needed a little more observation. Natalie is doing great but just needs a little more time to catch up with her sister. They are both full of personality and love to show off their adorable smiles.
The other issue is that I've been readmitted to the hospital on Thursday night for post partum pre-eclampsia. I developed high blood pressure and a few other complications since the girls' arrival. Come to find out this is rare but there is a risk factor if one delivers twins. David and I joke that we are always falling in that 3-7% of the population that has random complications. We laugh and think maybe we'll fall in that small percentage that wins the lottery. It'll be extra special if we do win, considering we never buy lotto tickets. I was only supposed to stay one night here but I'm currently on night three. It's probably a blessing in disguise because we've been able to visit Natalie constantly in the NICU. Thanks for the well wishes and sweet comments. Love to all.
Amy and David
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| Hudson, our first baby |
Thu, Jul 31, 2008 |
David and I wanted to share an email we sent out this past Sunday. It's been a crazy summer, and we will never know why things have happened the way they have. We just want everyone to know what has happened to our wonderful puppy, Hudson and how much he was loved.
"Just wanted to let you know about our first baby, Hudson. He's been sick for the past two weeks with what we thought was a type of bone inflammation in giant breed dogs. We put him in doggy ICU on Friday and found out yesterday that he had an extreme case of an autoimmune disease. We had to let him go yesterday after he showed signs of a stroke. I think most of you have a pet and Hudson was my first. I never understood how most people love their pets like a family member, until we got Hudson. His loss is pretty devastating especially since David and I have been home bound the past two months with Hudson constantly at our side. David and I are just thankful that we were able to devote these past 2 weeks to his care. Maybe this is why our girls haven't quickly rushed to be delivered since off the contraction meds. They let Hudson have his last weeks with us entirely devoted to him. We have both OB and perinatologist visits on Tuesday and hopefully we'll have some baby news then. We'll let you all know asap."
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| 34.5 weeks |
Tue, Jul 22, 2008 |
I saw both my OB and the perinatologist today. The ultrasound showed that the girls are growing (4lbs 11 oz and 4 lbs. 9 oz) and healthy. The ultrasound showed great fetal breathing movements and normal cord pressures per the MD. Here is a picture of Claire which we have compared to the famous statue "The Thinker". She is resting her chin on her cute little fist. David pointed out that she looks like baby pictures of Aunt LaLa. Natalie has dropped even further, so we aren't able to get a good look at her face. Oh, and any guesses on the size of my uterus??? 46 weeks!!!
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| Almost there.... |
Thu, Jul 17, 2008 |
David and I went to the perinatologist today for the "almost 34 week" ultrasound. The girls looked great. Natalie weighing 4 lbs. 6oz, and Claire weighing 4 lbs. 4 oz. The doctor is recommending that the girls be delivered within the next week to two weeks, mainly because it looks like the girls are running out of room. David and I can't wait for them to be here in our arms.
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| 32.5 weeks |
Thu, Jul 10, 2008 |
We've been fortunate enough to have my grandparents, Nana and Gran, stay with us this past week. Today was their last day here in Kingwood, and we made it an interesting one. I woke up with contractions occurring every 5 minutes for about 2 hours. It ended up taking a while (am I ever on time to anything) to get to the med center. Since David and I really thought today was going to be the girls' birthday, we couldn't stop packing things for our anticipated hospital stay. By the time we got to the med center, the contractions had slowed down considerably. After my checkup, I got the OK to go home and continue my normal routine (which consists of TV, DVD's, sewing, and watching Hudson and David wrestle). The other crazy thing that I found out today is that my uterus is measuring as a 43 week single pregnancy. I was beginning to wonder how high the scale goes and how they have measurements for it. I had to google it and found out that CNN reported a 53 week pregnancy!!!!
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| 30.7 weeks to be exact |
Sat, Jun 28, 2008 |
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Guess what? Our girls are now between 3 1/4 and 3 1/2 pounds. Yea!!!! We received encouraging news from both our OB and perinatologist. The girls looked healthy upon ultrasound, and their heart rates are within normal limits, which shows they are not in distress. I gained 8 pounds in the last week; I'm excited about that. I had lost weight between my last two appointments, so it's taken alot of work to get me back up to where I want to be. The ultrasound pics are 3D but I was told that 3D look clearer with a singleton. There is not much room for these twins, so the pics may look a little funny. But it's possible to make out Claire's face. Natalie's head is very far down so it was difficult to get a clear picture. Claire even looks like she's pouting in her pics. She also kept blocking the facial view with her foot. It was so cute.
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| Great news |
Wed, Jun 25, 2008 |
I went to the doctor today and received great news. My checkup went great, and the oral meds and bedrest are working. The girls' heartbeats were right on target. I have an ultrasound scheduled for next week with the perinatologist. I will update y'all then. Thanks so very much for the prayers and support.
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| Thank You |
Tue, Jun 17, 2008 |
David and I would like to thank everyone for their encouraging words and prayers over the past week. They were truly comforting through a scary time. The good news is that I was able to go home yesterday from the hospital. What a difference your own home and bed can make. The girls are still strong as ever. Not once have they shown any signs of distress, and their movement has grown stronger. Sometimes, I think they are practicing to become little athletes or dancers by their constant and reassuring movements. Thank you again for the support, and it truly meant a lot to both David and me.
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| 26 week ultrasound |
Fri, May 23, 2008 |
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So, we learned a few things about our girls' personalities today. Natalie is the competitive one. She is head down and demanding to be the first one out. Claire is our free spirit, who can't decide where to get comfortable. She has completely turned around and is now sitting on top of Natalie, which means she is sideways in my abdomen. Anyways, we saw their hearts, kidneys, and faces today. They are healthy per the MD and weigh 2 pounds each. They doubled in weight in 4 weeks!
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| Thank you! |
Tue, May 20, 2008 |
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David and I just wanted to thank our wonderful friends and family for celebrating with us the anticipated arrival of Claire and Natalie. Since I will not be able to travel until after their arrival, it was so special to be able to visit with everyone before I'm confined to Houston for months. Also, thanks so much to Carol, Pam, Sheryl, Patsy, and Aunt LaLa for their hard work and throwing such a beautiful and memorable shower.
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| Due Date |
Wed, May 14, 2008 |
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So, I've had a few people ask why the due date has changed. It is actually August 29th. My doctors have told me that 38 weeks is term for twins and they are not usually delivered after this, which would be August 15th for the girls. I wanted to have the countdown show us the actual time left until the girls arrive . Only 92 more days!!!
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| 22 week ultrasound |
April 25, 2008 |
We are in the process of moving around furniture and making room for the babies. So our scanner is not hooked up right now and we'll try to email pics soon. But I can tell you how the girls are doing. Our perinatologist said they are looking healthy and growing right on target. They are 10 inches long and Claire is 1 lb. and Natalie is 15 ounces. So they are almost the exact same size. He zoomed in on their hearts, and we were able to clearly see the four chambers pumping away.
I started feeling them kick really well about last week. But this week, I was standing next to a patient's bed and one of them kicked hard enough that I felt them kick against the bed rail. So, I got home and couldn't wait to see if David could feel them kick. Sure enough, David could feel Claire kicking up a storm. Natalie has sinced joined in and the two of them haven't stopped since.
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| Two Girls !!! |
March 26, 2008 |
| So, David and I found out that we are having two girls for sure at our
ultrasound today. Yea! Tomorrow I will be 18 weeks pregnant. We've
decided on names also: Natalie Ann and Claire Elizabeth. We saw the
perinatologist today and they are right on target for weight and size;
they are 6 ounces each. So we attached a 3D picture of Natalie (Claire
wouldn't behave for a 3D closeup). I just want to remind you that they
are not even half way developed yet so the picture may look a little
weird. But I want to assure you that everything is looking great and
healthy per the MD. I'm told that Natalie has both of her hands by her
head (no, those are not her ears) and she is smiling. The MD also said
that Natalie is positioned with her head down and Claire is horizontal
and higher up for now. Anyways, we hope all is well with you all.
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| Twins at 13 weeks |
February 21, 2008 |
| The perinatologist (the OB specialist in English) told us that the twins
are progressing normally. They measured about the same, so we don't
know which one was shrimp baby. During this ultrasound, we were able
to see them move everything from head to toe. The three pictures of
Twin A showed a frontal view, whereas the picture of Twin B was a side
profile. Twin B's hand is right by his/her face. Oh, and the MD
suspects they are both girls but it is still so early. We are going to
wait for later ultrasounds to confirm his suspicions. Either way, we
can't wait till August.
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| 9.5 weeks pregnant |
January 30, 2008 |
| I had another checkup today. I was so shocked to see how much the
babies have grown. They have tripled their size in 3 weeks; they are
about an 1 1/8 inches. Their hearts also showed a more defined
fluttering-like movement, instead of a small flickering like last time.
They both measured within the normal range.
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| Two Nuggets |
January 12, 2008 |
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We've been saying for weeks that we are having at least six kids, but it turns out that we were wrong. We're not even having triplets. Instead we have two little "nuggets" of the same size with regular heartbeats. One pic had a good view of one baby, and the other two include the second. As you can probably see, the both seem to have their own placenta and sac, which is good. Otherwise, one could steal all of the blood flow and the goodies that come with it. Our next appt. is in three weeks and we will have ultrasounds done every four weeks. Start clippin' diaper coupons!
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