That's right! We survived a whole year! ;) Happy Birthday to my baby buggies who have made our lives so complete! We love you more than you will ever know!
My big 12 month olds posing for their last month to month picture! (tear...)
My silly girl and her snacks! :) It's the only way I can get her to sit still for a picture is by bribing her with food! Ha!
This handsome boy just melts my heart!
Not too much is different from last month. You are both getting so much closer to walking and you are "talking" a lot more. You can both wave bye bye and say "mama" and "dada". Mallory can say uh oh really clear and Mason still loves to growl at us. We just started you on cow's milk and got off that expensive formula. Mason, you love it and Mallory well, you are learning to love it! ;)
We enjoyed a "quiet" day around the house with Daddy who had a half day off for Thanksgiving. We saved 2 "M" cookies from the party that MaryAnn made just for the babies. We stuck them with "1" candles and sang Happy Birthday. We did lots of playing and enjoyed the day as our little family of 4!
I have been spending the day thinking about what we were doing at specific times on this day last year so I wanted to blog about it so I have a real journal of that momentous day in our lives!
I remember waking up around 7 to get ready for my 8 am sonogram. I felt a lot of anxiety about this appointment, more so than any other before that. I guess because knowing I was 35 weeks if there was anything to be concerned about I knew my doctors would give me the ok to deliver. And that was scary!
Dusty ran late for that particular appointment but got in right as the tech started. It wasn't even 2 minutes into the ultrasound when she told us that Mason's abdomen was measuring much to small for his age and compared to Mallory's. And then our hearts sank more when she told us that his cord flow was in reverse and he was not getting the nutrition he needed. This was a complication that my high risk OB had prepared us for from day 1 but I prayed that nothing like this would happen to MY twins.
I spent the rest of the appointment crying because I REALLY REALLY wanted to carry them to at least 36 weeks. From all of my research I just felt like this would be best and this was also the goal my OB and I had agreed on. I also cried because I was just scared. Scared for the babies health, for my c-section, and to be a first time mom. That's a lot of BIG things happening in one day.
We left the ultrasound appointment and headed up to see my OB to get a plan together. By then it was 10 am. Because I was on blood thinner injections during my pregnancy I could not be scheduled for surgery until 24 hours had passed since my last dose. So they booked my OR for 10 pm on 11-21-11.
My doctor gave us the ok to go enjoy a nice big lunch, go home and gather our bags, and then head up to get in a room to be monitored. At this point I was so excited and just anxious to get the show going. Dusty and I went and enjoyed what felt like a "last meal" at Furrs cafeteria. I know, so random right? My pregnancy craving desired some baked fish with lots of lemon and salt. Lol. Not to mention it's all you can eat there and I wasn't going to be able to eat for days!!
We then got up to the hospital about 1 pm. I put on the beautiful gown and then the nurses got me all hooked up to the monitors. So we had 9 hours until delivery. I thought it was going to be horrible but between lots of calls, texts, visitors, a couple of cat naps, some paperwork, and some briefings from the doctors and anesthesiologist the time went REALLY fast! Around 8:30 our family started showing up to visit and be with us before the babies came. And then at 9:40 pm they came in to get me to take me to the OR. It was time!
They started with the spinal block which I was a little nervous about but it wasn't too bad at all, just uncomfortable. And then they got me all situated on the tiny tiny OR table. Now I know the doctors need to be able to get close but seriously, I thought I was going to fall off! I was shaking SO SO bad. I do this as a reaction to uncontrollable nerves but they told me its also very normal with the spinal. They had to cover me with hot blankets to try to control it.
A minute or so later I started laughing uncontrollably. I was so embarrassed but I couldn't stop. Haha. They told me that this is also normal for some women. Luckily it only lasted about a minute and then I just got sleepy. Lol.
Just after 10 pm they started doing what felt like a role call in school! My OB had another OB (and a friend of his) come in for an extra set of hands. Our pediatrician brought in another pedi so that they could work one on one after delivery. There were a ton of people in the room ready for our babies debut.
At this point I was awake, but feeling very fuzzy and tired. They started prepping and brought Dusty in. Just a few minutes later they told him to stand up to watch his son being born!
Mason Alan Burger
born 10:11 pm
November 21, 2011
4 lbs 11 oz
17.25 inches
His sweet cry instantly brought me to tears. The best sound I have ever heard.
They began working to get Mallory out. She was breech so they had to work a lot harder to get her out by her feet. But a couple minutes later out she came!
Mallory Grace Burger
born 10:13 pm
November 21, 2011
4 lbs 13 oz
16.5 inches
Her sweet cry was so muffled and weak. I loved hearing it but I got really scared because it was obvious she was struggling. I also heard the doctor mention her cord. Apparently Mallory's cord was twisted from end to end, the most my doctor had ever seen one before. We are so thankful to God that no complications occurred from this and that we got her out when we did! They gave me a peak at both babies but at that point I was really really out of it, and then they hurried them to the nursery.
As they began closing me up I started going in and out. The next thing I knew I was in the recovery room. Several people came in and out to see me but unfortunately the only one I truly remember was when our pediatrician came in to give me the dreaded news that I was praying we would not hear. The babies were retracting while struggling to breath, even with the oxygen hoods. He felt that due to this it would be best to transport them by ambulance to Medical Center Hospital's Level III NICU. I was so scared for my babies and also devastated that I would not be allowed to go with them, I had to stay for recovery. At midnight they began initiating plans to move them. Meanwhile, all of our family was still in the waiting room, some on their knees, praying for the twins. We were also praying for Mason. Dusty told me that they had some concerns about the location of his heart that needed further testing. I knew that the Lord was in control but I couldn't control how terrified I was at this point.
About 4 am after I was settled into my room they brought the babies in. They were in huge rolling transport incubators hooked up to monitors and fully intubated. With the IVs, tubes, wires and equipment, I couldn't even see my tiny little angels. It was also very difficult to see through all the tears. A couple minutes with them and then they were gone. My heart was broken and I was the most scared I have ever been in my life.
Mason after just arriving to the hospital.
Mallory intubated and getting settled in the NICU.
My dear friend Lacye stayed the rest of the night and morning with me while others went home for sleep and Dusty and his parents went with the babies to Odessa. That morning I woke up to some answered prayers! Both babies breathing had improved. Mason was breathing room air and Mallory was on minimal oxygen. I worked hard that day to rest, recover and start pumping for the babies. I was still very loopy from all the drugs that whole day but loved getting lots of updates and pictures of my babies.
Wednesday morning I was up walking and showering with no help. Finally, around lunch time on November 23rd, I convinced the doctor to let me go. (My OB who had left town for Thanksgiving called to check on me that afternoon and my nurse informed him I was discharged. He later told me he warned them that I would try to get out of there too early. I was doing great though, absolutely no pain or problems so it was ok!) I had been over 24 hours without my babies and I had had enough!
And then the best moment of my life... I met and held my babies for the very first time!
In tears touching my baby girls sweet little body for the first time!
And holding my baby boys tiny little hand.
Our first family picture with Mason.
Our first family picture with Mallory.
We were so in LOVE with our twins! We ended up staying 2 weeks in the NICU working on controlling jaundice, eating, and maintaining body temps. We also learned that Mason's heart is completely healthy. His is a little more centered than most babies but there is no concern with it. Dusty and I were able to stay in the Ronald McDonald Center at MCH. It was amazing being an elevator ride away from the babies. We had a nice little room with a full bathroom, a tv, and 2 single beds which worked great while I was recovering. I set up my little pump station and was able to be with the babies for all their feedings. It was such a blessing not having to travel back and forth, especially because I couldn't drive for the first week.
Mal underneath the bili lights for jaundice
Mason in his incubator working on maintaining his body temp.
Finally, the babies were moved to open cribs close to each other!
Mallory doing her car seat challenge.
The night before the babies were discharged we were required to "room in". It felt like a test but it's really more to help you transition from having help to having no help. Ha! This was our tiny little bonding room. The babies are buried in a sea of blankets in the crib on the left. It went great!
The next morning the doctor cleared the babies for discharge. On December 5th, with a ton of snow on the ground, we headed for HOME!
And the rest as they say is history! What a wonderful year we have had with our little ones. We thank God everyday for blessing us so abundantly with two beautiful and healthy babies. And what an adventure it has been having them in our lives.
We love you Mason Alan and Mallory Grace! :)
