HELLO!

This is a bit retroactive since the babies are 7 weeks old tomorrow, so I thought I would do a little catch-up on what got us to this point!

Lance and I were married 7 years ago (as of August). After about 3 happily married years we decided to start a family, but alas that wasn't in the plans for us at that time. Now, four years later, we are the proud parents of boy/girl twins! We have already been asked many, many times whether or not these little munchkins are "natural" twins. Katie and Tyler are here thanks to advancements in fertility science, but all it takes is one look at them or any other baby to know they are truly miracles and gifts from God (plus just one diaper change is definite proof of their "naturalness").

So, here is their birth story.

After a pretty uneventful pregnancy, minus a bout with kidney stones and the normal trials and tribulations of carrying twins, Tyler and Katie were born on September 2, 2008. On Labor Day 2008 (September 1st) I went to the hospital because of high blood pressure (taken at Publix) and a headache. After a couple of hours of monitoring and no real change in my blood pressure I was told that I was to be admitted. I was initially happy to be moved from triage to a room with a tv (football was on) for the night, but soon came to hate it since that is where they began to pump me full of magnesium and deny food and water!!!

For posterity sake I'm posting a picture knowing full well that I should never again willingly post a picture of me looking so haggard and large!

It was determined that I had preeclampsia and would not be going home until the babies were born. The original due date was October 11, 2008, which would mean that Tyler and Katie would be almost 6 weeks early!!! The goal was always for them to make it to at least only a month early (September 11th) and up until Tuesday morning I still had hope.

However, on September 2nd, 2008 the doctors decided that it was indeed time for the twins to arrive and a c-section was scheduled for that afternoon. While I was prepped Lance waited nervously, but he was excited! This picture was taken before the nurses in the delivery room tried to force him to look over the sheet at the umbilical cords (yuck) - that was the closest he came to passing out - he just had to sit back down!

Katie (Baby A) was delivered first at 3:33 PM and mom was overjoyed when Katie let out a big wail! She was 5 pounds, 9 ounces and 18 1/2 inches long.
Just two minutes later Tyler entered the world with an equally loud cry. He was 4 pounds, 14 1/2 ounces and 17 1/2 inches long. Both babies were given a little oxygen right away because they were early and not quite breathing as well as a full-term baby would. Tyler and Katie spent time in the brand new Baptist Hospital NICU, but thankfully progressed well and Katie's last day in the NICU was September 10th. Tyler got to go home just two days later. The first family photo was taken the day after Tyler came home!!!