Hands full of love

I have always been a planner. So when my husband and I were ready to have children I figured I could plan this too. I estimated it would take us 3 months to get pregnant and we would be blessed with one beautiful bundle of joy. To my surprise we got pregnant the first month trying. And the ultimate surprise came at our 8 week ultrasound. When the tech told us we were having twins I was speechless. My husband starting crying (tears of joy) and I immediately turned to him and said "We need a new car. What am I going to do about work? The nursery will be too small." The planner in me came out again. I eventually calmed down but it took a few month for it to actually sink in that we were having two babies.

My pregnancy went well considering I was carrying two babies. I did have to stop work at 30 weeks after fainting in the middle of church. I was also so big at the end that strangers would ask me if I was having twins. I made it to 37 weeks and had a scheduled c-section because baby B was breech. Nicholas John was 6 lbs 8 ounces and Avery Ann was 5 lbs 9 ounces. We were lucky enough to all come home together.

Now I can't imagine life without them. There have been challenges along the way but we always find a way to face them. I have mastered tandem feeding, grocery shopping with two babies in tow, and many more. Anytime we feel like we can't do it anymore, one look at their smiling faces makes it all worth the sacrifices. I feel like I have been given a blessing many women never get...to be a mom of multiples. Seeing them snuggling together in their cribs, holding hands on their playmats, and staring at each other is such a wonderful gift. I wouldn't change it for a thing! People always ask me if I have my hands full. I reply, yes...full of love!

That Was Easy!

http://wilsontwins1.blogspot.com

I remember the last time I heard my husband say that and I now know that is the last time I will ever hear him say that for a long time. We both have jobs we love...he's a chiropractor just starting out and I'm an assistant women's basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. We knew that we wanted to try to plan our pregnancy around my season because I work a lot of hours for five months a year...we're talking many 12-16 hour days with travel and such. We decided to start trying in July of 2007 even though we knew we were going on vacation with his family and it was going to be difficult to time it right. After we got home from vacation I was exhausted!! I needed a nap every day and he kept teasing me that I needed a vacation for my vacation. Well, after three days of tsting with the Dollar store tests, I decided to try a digital with my sample that was still collected. I wasn't anxious because I couldn't see the line on the other one so I just read my magazine. OMG...I was pregnant! I ran to Starbucks to get my husband a coffee and a gift card. I came home and woke him up and he said," what's this for?" I said, "because you're going to be needing a lot more of these, Daddy!" During this time I was jumping up and down holding the test, which he couldn't read without contacts. He said, "What? You're pregnant? That was easy." We were very lucky to get pregnant so quickly and are thankful every day.

Little did we know that it was twins. We found out at our 12 week appointment and I immediately found my "Nest" friends. These women helped me through my entire pregnancy...up to seven post a day I'm sure. I mean who wouldn't flip out that they were going to be doubly blessed with two beautiful babies? It's the other things I needed them for: what stroller to buy, is this normal, how many cribs, am I crazy for feeling this way?

I had a relatively easy pregnancy (lucky again), although those 12-16 our days did cut back around 28 weeks and I was unable to travel with my team for a few big games. On March 17, 2008 I went in for a NST, with my c-section scheduled for Thursday. They checked both A&B Wilson and "B" was still transverse, so nothing new there. However, I was in the early stages of labor and because "B" had stopped growing, they decided we would have St. Patty's day babies(there's that luck thing...I should've known all along). I called my husband and told him he better get off of work because he was going to be a daddy.

At 5:00 pm Baby A or Aidan Taylor was born at 5 pounds, 1/2 ounce and Baby B or Brody Thomas was born a minute later. Both we rushed off to the NICU with dad as I needed immediate attention for blood loss. It was a scary situation, but I have the two most beautiful boys in the world.

I am so thankful for everything I have, even though as parents of twins my husband I face daily struggles; organizational, emotional and financial struggles. Throughout all the struggles, I have my nesties by my side (online) and without them, I know I couldn't make it through a single day!

I decided that if anyone can help me and my Nestie friends, it's you, Oprah. I decided to start this blog as a record of our trials and tribulations of infertility, pregnancy, and motherhood. Please read our stories and see how unique the bond we have is. It truly is phenomenal and I think that makes good television.

My 27 week belly picture...Showing my passion for my job!My team of young women...I love you guys!

Maternity pictures...Pictures at the hospital...

My boys at 5 months...

the (condensed) story of the peaches

(because nap time is apparently no longer for naps, which means mommy has zero time for herself, i just copied this from our blog: -little bites of heaven- with the hope that someday i will be able to rewrite it!)


john and i met in september of 2002, were engaged by january of 2003 and married in july of 2004. lydia was born in 1996, and when john and i got married, he adopted her. on january 14, 2007 we found out we were expecting a baby. two and a half weeks later, on the 31st, we had our first ultrasound and found out that instead of the one heartbeat we expected to see, there were actually three little blips on the screen. john almost passed out and had to leave the room for a minute to compose himself and when he came back we just looked at each other and said, what are we going to do with three babies. although we were a bit unsure how to feel at the time (it was a jumbled mix of emotions ranging from terrified to thrilled), it has turned out to be the most wonderful gift we have ever been given. raising these 3 precious babies, plus our incredible oldest, is simply amazing.

the pregnancy was anything but normal and after spending 6 weeks on modified bedrest at home and 8 weeks on complete bedrest in the hospital, we finally welcomed james, ella and cameron into the world on july 8, 2007. the girls had developed complications from sharing a placenta (they are identical) and the babies had to be delivered via emergency c-section. they were born 10 weeks and 5 days early and all weighed under 3 pounds. james andrew (baby a) was born first and was the biggest at 2 lbs. 10 oz. , "ella" elizabeth garrett (baby b) was born second and she was the smallest at only 1 lb. 10 oz. and cameron grace (baby c) was born last weighing 2 lbs 7 oz.

on august 14, 2007, after 38 days in the nicu, we were finally able to bring james home. cameron joined us at home only 3 days later on august 17, 2007 and ella was ready to come home 4 days after that on august 21, 2007. all 3 of the babies came home weighing under 4 pounds. after 101 days in the hospital combined (56 days for me and 45 for the babies) everyone was finally home.

then...and now. james, ella and cameron (completely unintentional, but in the same order)

childhood dreams of being a mother

For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to be a mother. My own mother has always been such an inspiration to me and her dedication to me and my two siblings has constantly amazed me.
My husband and I met in 2000 and were friends for over a year before we started dating in the fall of 2001. Once we started dating we quickly realized how much our two families had in common, even though we were from very different parts of the country. One of the things that we have always agreed on is that being one of three siblings was a great way to grow up, and that we would definitely have more than one child once it was time to start our own family.
We were married in 2006 but waited a year and a half to get "adjusted" to married life and our new jobs before we started trying to get pregnant. Luckily it didn't take long and in February after only a few months we found out that I was pregnant! I had always imagined myself having the "perfect pregnancy" where I gained weight only in my belly (not too much of course) and carried on with all of my normal activities and exercises right up until my due date. I was sure everything was going to be fantastic!
I started to get my first signs that things weren't going to go exactly to plan when my severe morning sickness kicked in at around 6 weeks. At our first doctor's visit I was a total wreck, I was losing weight and worried that the baby would have problems. As the doctor turned on the ultrasound and showed us the heartbeat I felt instantly relieved, that is until she showed us the SECOND heartbeat... two babies! My husband and I were in complete shock! The idea of having twins had never even crossed our minds, but we always knew we wanted more than one baby so we were thrilled to hear we'd be having two at once!
After doing some research into twin pregnancy I realized that my dream pregnancy was probably not going to happen. A twin pregnancy comes with all of the hardships of a single pregnancy, times two! I was put on bedrest at 26 weeks to stop me from going into preterm labor,something my doctors began to fear when I started experiencing contractions that would not go away. I have now been on bedrest for several weeks and will stay here until I deliver, hopefully in another 6 weeks.
The pregnancy has not been what I imagined at all and I can certainly say I've put on weight in many more places than just my belly, but I know that everything will be worth it in the end when I see my two beautiful babies for the first time! Having multiples is definitely something that never figured into my childhood dreams of being a mother. I know that it will be so much more work, with so much more sacrifice, and so much less time for my husband and I. It has taken me time to accept all of these facts and to work them into my dreams of what life will be like once I do become a mother, but now that I know my two babies are on the way I couldn't imagine it any other way. My only wish now is that I can do as well raising my children as my mother did raising me!

Surrogacy Twins

Published on behalf of Amber

Our multiples story begins when I was 15 years old and was diagnosed with MRKH, born without a uterus. I learned the only way I could have my own biological children was with IVF and a gestational carrier. The story begins again 1 year after I married my wonderful husband, Matt. We started to put out the word to our family and friends that we were looking for a surrogate to begin our family.


This is when a family member introduced us to Lora. She had a family of her own and had been a surrogate the year prior. We were so excited!!! After 3 IVF retrievals, 1 miscarriage, 1 emergency surgery for ovarian torsion, and almost 1 year later we are expecting our twins in December!!!! It has been an emotional road but every day will be worth it when we get to hold those babies in our arms!!!





Adelle
Stuart

Baby Feet

It's Better!

Posted on behalf of goldengrace

Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that I would be the mother of twins. My husband and I were married for almost two years when we found out we were expecting. We had our first appointment with my Doctor when I was 7 weeks pregnant. She did an ultrasound in the office and said that she saw one perfect heartbeat. We were thrilled.

Fast forward to the end of my first trimester. We had an ultrasound appointment, and we so excited to see out little one. As I laid on the table, the tech asked us if this was our first ultrasound. We so no, and she said "Oh, so you know you are having twins then!" We laughed and thought she was just kidding. The she told us to look up at the screen, and there they were, our two little babies. To say we were in shock is an understatement. This was not what we had planned but we were thrilled, thankful, and terrified.

From that point on my pregnancy was normal until 26 weeks. At that point, I started contracting and going into pre-term labor. Over the next few months, I was rushed to Labor and Delivery three times, thankfully they were able to stop the contractions. I was sent home each time with a medication to try keep the contractions at bay, and on strict bed rest. Not exactly what I had imagined, but all that mattered at that point was keeping my boys in for as long as possible. Once again, this was not what we had planned.

On New Year's Eve 2007, I was at my Doctor's office for some routine testing. She noticed that I was contracting and that my blood pressure was a little higher than normal. She made the decision that today would be our boy's birthday. I was terrified. I was only 34 weeks pregnant and knew that the boys were not fully developed yet. I have never experienced that type of fear before in my entire life. Brandon Orlando was born first at 11:56 weighing in at 5lbs 1oz. Brody Craig came next am weighed in at a whopping 6lbs 1oz. Both boys were immediately whisked away to the NICU.

The next morning, I was finally stable enough to be wheeled in to see my boys. They were beautiful, I was instantly in love with both of them. All I wanted to do was hold them and never let go. The boys did well in the NICU. The main issue they faced was their feeding. It took them both two weeks to master it and then were finally able to come home. Those two weeks were the hardest two weeks of my life, this was the farthest thing from what we had planned.

Brandon and Brody are almost 8 months old now and are perfect, happy, and healthy little boys. Brody is my cuddle bear and loves to snuggle into my arms every night before bed. Brandon is my happy go lucky boy, his smile melts my heart. Although there are days when having two screaming babies makes me feel like I just might go crazy, all the other moments with them make up for it. I am so blessed to have these two boys and know they will bring us a lifetime of joy. There are many days that go by and I think... this is not what we had planned, its better!

This is the part where you hold my hand

One year ago today we went to the Dr. for our first ultrasound. I was 8 weeks pregnant and we had just returned from an 11 day vacation out "West" with my parents where we drove over 5,000 miles in an RV and actually returned with all of us remaining friends. :) Unfortunately, I wasn't much fun on vacation since I had "morning sickness" the entire trip. (which ended up being "all-day sickness from 6 weeks-30 weeks!) My mom and I joked that maybe it was twins since I was so sick. Jeff told me to quit saying the "t" word but my mom and I still joked about it and I secretly wished. Little did I know that another "t" word was in my future!

When we went to the Dr. for that first ultrasound I was so excited that I had been feeling sick because it made me believe that this pregnancy was healthy. Since I had experienced 2 miscarriages over the previous 2 years, I was just so happy to be pregnant, but I was so anxious to hear a heartbeat so when the Dr. was taking extra time and wasn't saying a word, I finally spoke up.

Me: Is everything ok?
Dr: Yes, I'm just looking all around.
Me: Do you see a healthy heartbeat?
Dr: Well...*long pause*...I actually see 3 healthy heartbeats.
Me: uh hum, what?
Dr. I see 3.
*long pause*
Me: Jeff?
Jeff (from where he is sitting behind me): Yes? (said in the deepest, most serious voice ever)
Me: Are you still with me?
Jeff: Yes.
Me: Then this is the part where you hold my hand.

So Jeff came up beside the table and held my hand the rest of the appointment. Tears of joy and absolute shock were now falling down my face. I just couldn't believe it. I didn't know what to think. Jeff didn't really even speak. He didn't know what to think and honestly I think he was scared. After the appointment, we barely said much to each other in the parking lot before getting in separate vehicles and both driving to work. We were ecstatic, shocked and mostly unsure.

Immediately I started reading messages online at the “nest” MOM’s board. I'm not quite sure what I would have done without that message board and the wonderful mom's I have met on there. I truly consider some of them to be close friends and I haven't even met them in person. But the bond we share as moms of multiple babies is amazing.

Once I read every article and book I could find on triplet pregnancies I was ready for my first high-risk OB appointment. I felt pretty darn good throughout my pregnancy except of course for the "all day" sickness, but honestly, I was so excited that it was a healthy pregnancy that I was actually glad I was sick. Not every moment, but you know what I mean.

Around 18 weeks, the ultrasound tech guessed it to be all 3 girls even though I would have sworn I was having 2 boys and 1 girl. I think because I always envisioned myself to being a mom of boys. Not sure why I thought that. The tech was pretty sure, but we decided to wait until the 20 week ultrasound to see again before we shared the news. Sure enough...3 GIRLS!

A few days after Christmas at one of my regular appointments, the Dr. decided to send me over to the hospital to test for pre-term labor based on my cervix measuring a bit shorter. I was so scared! I didn't want these babies to come that early. I wasn't ready and was so worried about their health. I had to stay overnight for some tests and started the series of my now-favorite FFN test which basically tests to see if the babies are likely to be born within the 2 weeks following the test. Luckily it came back negative, but from that moment, I was placed on bedrest at home to make sure these babies kept growing as long as possible. I was so relieved that the girls were ok, but I was also so disappointed that I was on bedrest. I'm usually a go-go-go type person so for me to stay in one house, let alone, on one couch all day, every day...it was a bit daunting, but I knew it was for the health of the girls so that is all it took for me to do it.

I literally just sat around and waited for my wonderful baby girls to grow. I still felt great and really it wasn't until about 33 weeks or so that I really started to feel the heaviness of my belly and started to get uncomfortable. My goal the entire time was to make it to the Dr's recommended "full term for triplets"-- 36 weeks. I was uncomfortable, but if it was for the health of the girls, then bring it on! Over the weekend I noticed that my ankles were really swollen and my feet were super puffy. Since this was new for me, I decided to call the Dr. just to let them know. He had me come in to the hospital for some testing and sure enough, I was starting to develop the symptoms of pre-eclampsia. At 4:06pm, the Dr. said I was going to have the girls that night....say around 7:30pm? WHAT?! Did he just say tonight? I wasn't ready, I still had 9 more days until 36 weeks! I felt fine...it was just swelling. Well, what did I know? I wasn't a Dr. so no argument....just sit back and get ready. My mom rushed home for my bag (packed and ready...but at home) and also our camera!

She made it back in time with the camera and Jeff got suited up. So at 34.5 weeks I had a c-section that went very smoothly. I remember seeing the girls for the first time and looking at Jeff for the reassurance, that they were all healthy and doing ok. I could see it in his eyes...we were truly blessed. Anna Caroline was born first at 7:19pm weighing 4 lbs 7 oz, Ava Jane was born next at 7:20pm weighing 5 lb 3oz, and Alexis Marie was born third at 7:22pm weighing 4 lbs 2.5 oz. They were absolutely perfect and we were now a family of 5.

The girls did great and just needed to gain a bit of weight and maintain temperatures before coming home at 8 days old (Alexis) and 11 days old (Anna & Ava).

I didn't have a clue how the news we learned a year ago would change our life forever, but I feel so incredibly blessed and fortunate that this is my life. I get to wake up each and every morning next to a wonderful husband whom I love more now than ever and spend my day hugging, kissing, and loving 3 beautiful little ladies. The girls are nearly 6 months old and doing fantastic. Being a stay at home mom is one of the most challenging things I have ever done, but it is also THE MOST REWARDING. What more could I ask for?

~~~posted on behalf of Marie (WinterBuckeye)