Video of Life in the NICU

It has been a wild couple weeks for our little nest with half of our babies staying in a different nest for the time being...it actually was incubator's for the first few days : ) I think about how I want to take time to write it all out so I insert the pictures into a draft & then fall asleep while I'm pumping or snuggling a babe.  

We are SO enjoying the addition of Owen & Anson.  Our visits to the NICU seem to fly by but then again, so does our time at home with the girls.  We are feeling stretched thin as thin can be and are thankful beyond measure for the gift of these children.  

I do plan to write more details about what we have experienced here in the NICU but for now, a video must suffice. It is two songs worth of pictures & video though so I am sure there will be little complaints about not seeing enough ; ) 

Quick update- It is looking like we are still going to be here for another 4-5 days at minimum with Anson & more with Owen. They are doing really well, it just takes some time for preemies to get the hang of eating. Their weights last night:  Anson- 6lb 2oz, Owen-4lb 4oz, proof that we are making progress!

Enjoy!

Owen & Anson: Life in the NICU

Random thumbnail....I'm sure Aunt Jenny Girl will like it ; )

Birth Story: Owen & Anson

The story really begins a few days before March 8th.... to include the craziness that occurred just prior to their arrival.  On Tuesday morning while we were at an appointment I got a text from my mom that Eloise had started throwing up. I was immediately fearful of the entire family being wiped out by the stomach bug. My mom would not let me near Eloise & vice versa as she took care of her. Thankfully it only lasted about 12 hours & she was back to normal. We prayed & asked others to pray that the rest of us will remain well.  We were feeling pretty confident that we had all made it by Thursday evening & were excited that my Dad had arrived. I had finished up all the packing & preparation for having the boys the following morning. My mom & I had a sweet moment in the living room where she touched my belly one last time & told me how much she has enjoyed caring for us. I hopped in bed, turned out the light & had just gotten comfortable when we heard the most horrific screams coming from the girls room. We both shot out of the bed & by the time we made it there, my mom already had poor vomit covered Charlotte in the bathroom. I grabbed Eloise & brought her to our bed while my mom & Robby cleaned up.  

Long story short, my mom slept on the floor in Charlotte's room & was up frequently for a few hours with her, Eloise slept between us for the entire night which has never happened before. I cried as I was going to sleep. I felt so sad that Charlotte was sick & I couldn't take care of her & I felt sad that our plans got all switched around meaning my mom would stay home with the girls in the morning while my dad came to the hospital alone to meet the boys just after delivery. On the other hand, I felt thankful as I snuggled one last night with the baby of the family, feeling those two buckaroos wiggling around. I reached across the bed & held Robby's hand as I went to sleep smiling to myself as I thought about how different life is than it was the night before Charlotte was born. Sad & thankful is a good combination : )  I am pretty positive I slept a total of 2 hours before heading to the hospital for a 6am check in. I was so excited though, it didn't matter. 

We got checked in & were taken up to Labor & Delivery Pre-Op where they got my IV started, attempted to monitor two busy boys & placed my epidural. Things went fairly smooth & we were cleared to roll to the OR by 7:45.  It is lovely working in the place where I chose to deliver. They took fabulous care of me : )

I was grinning ear to ear when I saw the door to OR #2. Thanks to my friend Jen, it was covered in signs...

They moved me onto the OR table & made the phone calls needed to get the whole crew where they needed to be. Just for the record, the "whole crew" totaled 20 PEOPLE! Our beloved Dr. Peppy posed for a quick picture with me before scrubbing in.  I was so happy that he got to deliver the twins since he had delivered Charlotte but missed Eloise's delivery when he was out of town for 24 hours. He is special to us!

My epidural was working so well that I had no clue they had even started the surgery! I guess that's a good thing ; ) It didn't take long at all before I heard "uterine" meaning they were making the incision on the uterus. My heart started racing....I could hardly wait to hear a cry! I was holding Rob's hand when Owen came out at 8:04 & let out that first cry.  Again, as it has been with each baby, we were overcome with emotion. My eyes immediately closed as I was smiling so huge with tears running down my cheeks. 

They lifted him up to the top of the drape so we could see his precious face. I love the picture below with his skinny little arm outstretched. As we have gotten to know him this week we have seen him do that countless times : ) 

Less than a minute later, Anson was born at 8:05. To hear both of those cries was music to our ears following months of wondering what the outcome of this pregnancy might be. 

I love the angle in the picture below as we got our first peek at Anson....

Anson Ellis weighed in at 5 pounds 13 ounces & was 19 inches long.

and was sweet as can be from his head to his toes...

Owen Marshall weighed in at 3 pounds 12 ounces & was 17 inches long.

 

His little tootsies were pretty darn adorable too : ) It was noted at delivery that Owen had a two vessel umbilical cord which could have contributed to his growth restriction. I am so glad he is out now & has full access to receive all the nutrients he needs to pack on some weight.

One of the nurses on the team from the NICU that came to delivery was an RN I know that has identical twin boys that are about my age. I was so excited to see her there! She does a great job at writing on the Dad's gowns & adding footprints. Here is Rob & Anson...

Anson needed less attention than his brother at delivery so we got to hold him first.  Love at first sight....although really I had loved him long before this moment.

I glanced over to see my husband who has walked through this pregnancy with me, supporting me every step of the way. The happy moments & the moments of uncertainty had come to this.....one proud father with a son in each arm. 

This was the first moment I got to touch Owen & was quickly handed Anson as well since they were needing to get the boys to the NICU quickly. My hands & my heart were full...welcome to being a mom of twins! 

Rob left with two blue bands on his wrist with the NICU team headed to the third floor. They made a quick stop in the hallway to introduce them to my Dad & the Lent's including baby Audrey.  I was sad my mom was not able to be there but was beyond thankful for her willingness to care for a sick one. I called her the first second I could. We were pretty much both squealing on the phone ; ) 

It was no time at all before they finished stitching me up & took the drape down. I got some warm blankets & rolled back into PACU.  They let me Dad come in to give me a kiss really quick. I wanted him to stay for so much longer but we were following the rules of one visitor : ) He left to go home & Robby returned with an update on Owen & Anson.  They were doing well upon their arrival there. Both boys were in need of something called CPAP which stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. They were both able to breathe on their own, this just offered a bit more support in expanding the lungs.  I could hardly wait to get out of recovery to my room & go see my babies. Little did I know I would have to wait about 9 hours more per my recovery orders. It was about the LONGEST 9 hours in my life as I stared at the picture below & dreamed about what they would feel like, how they would smell & how my heart might burst the first time I could hold them both skin to skin.

These precious baby boys were finally out of my belly & healthy, just a tad early! Random fact, 5 years ago on March 8th, Rob & I stood up at Jenny & Steve's Wedding as their Best Man & Matron of Honor. We were just 2 months away from moving to Florida with no idea what was ahead. Fast forward 5 years to the day & we are parents of FOUR CHILDREN including a set of identical twins.....what?? Only God knew exactly how he would prepare & refine us along the way. Only He knew the names of these precious gifts from God & when he would give them to us. Only He knew the amount of joy we would experience in receiving from Him.

Thanks to Liz Carraway for her beautiful photgraphy.

Meeting Owen & Anson

What a busy 5 days it has been since we added four little feet to our family! The short answer to "How are the boys?" They are great! We are expecting to be in the NICU for at least another week before even discussing the possibility of discharge but they are gaining weight, learning how to eat & bringing smiles to their mommy & daddy every chance they get. More details later...

One of these days I plan to catch up on some blogging but for now, I would like to share something with you.  Liz is a friend of mine that works in our Women's Intensive Care Unit. She happens to be a talented photographer & blessed us with documenting the birth of our sweet boys in photos.

This is a link to view a slideshow of photos set to music that she put together for us.  It has brought tears to my eyes nearly every time I have watched it! Enjoy!

Meeting Owen & Anson

Meet Owen & Anson

Introducing the new little buckaroos at the Valentine Nest.....

Owen Marshall Valentine

March 8, 2013 at 8:04 am

3 pounds 12 ounces

17 inches long

Anson Ellis Valentine

March 8, 2013 at 8:05 am

5 pounds 13 ounces

19 inches long

Mommy & babies are doing great! Birth story & LOTS more pictures to come!

Expecting the Unexpected: almost 35 weeks & FINAL update!

In some ways it feels like I blinked & here I sit with a giant belly full of two baby boys. In other ways, it has felt like time has moved so very slow as we have waited for results or follow up appointments to recheck something that didn't look right.  Time continues to move along though, just as it always has.... & there is nothing we can do to stop it. Tomorrow is the big day where our family will double in the amount of little ones & our hearts will be bursting with joy.  This post is just words, no photos : )

Today has been interesting so far & it's not even time for lunch yet.  We went by the hospital this morning for me to do my pre-admission testing, signing consents etc.  SO many people have been asking me if I am nervous. As I write that, I am wondering who means about surgery & who means about caring for 4 children under the age of 4.  My answer at this moment to both is yes & no : ) Surgery related, I am more nervous about how hungry (& mean) I will be when not eating for 8 hours before my hospital admission ; ) Honestly though, I think I would be much more nervous anticipating the labor & delivery of multiples.  The decision was made long ago to commit to a cesarean due to Owen having much less of the placenta than Anson does.   He would likely not tolerate labor very well with less access to oxygen.  I have definitely witnessed my fair share of emergency cesareans along with a vaginal delivery of baby A followed by an emergency cesarean of baby B. I would like no part in either scenario & we feel very confident in our decision to pursue this route of exit for the boys.

4 under 4 related, I do feel a little nervous but the excitement that the boys are going to be in our arms in less than 24 hours completely overrides any nervousness at this point. Knowing that my mom will be here for about four weeks once the boys are home eases my nervousness about my quickly growing responsibilities. More on that once I am a mother of 4 all outside the womb ; )

We decided to go to Keke's Breakfast Cafe this morning after my appointment to enjoy one last date.  It was lovely in many ways.  When we were walking to our table there was a middle aged man sitting alone that couldn't help but stare & said "Wow, are you going to make it through breakfast?" I said I was hoping to make it tomorrow. He said "that is quite the belly!" I qualified his assessment by responding with "well, there are two babies in there." He said "Oh bless you sweet woman for carrying those babies, best of luck to you." It was a common interaction I would say here towards the end of a twin pregnancy but what was uncommon was when we asked for our ticket, the waitress said "It was paid for. Remember that man that you spoke with when you walked in? He paid for it." Wow! What a sweet gift today. That has never happened to us before & was quite humbling.

Breakfast was lovely for two other reasons. For the past two weeks I had clearance from the MFM specialist to eat a little more carbohydrates in my diet on occasion since my blood sugars were well under control. I really had only taken him up on the offer a couple times & then really took him up on it this morning when I ordered a big Belgian waffle (easy on the syrup) along with my usual bacon & eggs. It was AMAZING and I can't wait to feel more free to eat things like that when I desire!

The main reason why it was a lovely breakfast was because I was sitting across from this man who I have loved for 10 years this month. I was staring at him thinking about our early dating & marriage. onto moving, starting jobs, making our little nest in Dallas then uprooting & making a new nest in Orlando. I thought about the beginning of desiring to add some little Valentines to our nest followed by the struggle of waiting.

I thought about the joy we have experienced in welcoming & raising Charlotte & Eloise thus far. I thought about the appointment where we were told that there are two babies growing in my womb & remember EXACTLY how we looked at each other & how we felt as we just wanted to scream out with excitement. I thought about the many ups & downs of this pregnancy & how the Lord has been so very faithful through every hiccup along the way. He has been faithful to draw near to us, to sustain & deepen our marriage, to form & fashion these precious boys in my womb exactly how he desired & to keep their little hearts beating & their bodies growing all the way.

As my mind was racing through all of that, my eyes were filled with tears as we talked about welcoming the boys tomorrow.  It is a combination of complete thankfulness & extreme joy with lots in between.  I said at one point I feel sad thinking about Eloise.  I don't know if it is the possibility that this is the completion of the Valentine Nest & we will never have a baby girl again or if it is that she seems too little to be a big sister.  These concerns are completely blown away when I remind myself that God is the one who chose the time to open my womb & who will guide us in tending to Eloise's little heart as she steps into this next phase in her life. I am reminded of that moment where Charlotte first met Eloise & was completely enamored. It will always be a most treasured moment in my mind & I am sure seeing the two big sisters come face to face with the baby brothers will be absolutely incredible as well.

So, I started this email this morning & now I have finished a Mexican Feast for dinner.  It has been a rest filled day.  My Dad got into town this morning so my parents put Eloise down for a nap then took Charlotte on a date. I fell into a deep sleep on the couch then woke up to repack a bag & enjoy some quiet time to myself. This afternoon I took my "pregnant in a bikini" picture which I have with each of the girls around 36 weeks.  I look a bit different this time around ; ) I told Rob that I felt silly taking it in the backyard & that I should go to a pool but he assured me that the backyard was a safe place to stay with my giant bare belly haha! Dinner was delicious & now I am onto finishing up a couple things on the planning end for the girls this weekend. Last snackie at 10pm then off to attempting to sleep before the big day!

The next update should have pictures of two little bitty buckaroos!

Date night with Char

Rob & I had the joy of taking this adorable girlie out on a date last week....

Simply knowing that life is about to get a bit crazy coupled with someone showing that they may benefit from some two on one attention made the decision easy to plan a night out.  Earlier in the week my mom had taken the girls over to Downtown Disney for the morning to ride the Carousel, Train & just wander around. Charlotte came home talking about "Dinosaur Land" which is the T-Rex restaurant with a giant skeleton of just that displayed outside. She really likes dinosaurs right now so that was just over the top exciting. 

Rob finished work early so I woke Char up from a nap & helped her get dressed. She chose the sweater & dress shoes which I think really jazzed up the outfit : ) We told her that she was going on a date with just mommy & daddy & that it was a surprise. We thought she would enjoy the time away from her baby sis but within the first 10 minutes of our drive she told us that she really missed Eloise....SO SWEET! She kept asking the whole way there & we kept our mouths shut. Once we drove onto Disney property & saw the big Mickey & Minnie signs her eyes got really big & she immediately said "Are we going to Dinosaw-Yand?" I think my eyes filled up with tears (I am a bit emotional right now) as I affirmed that her guess was correct! She was in charge of looking out the window for the "Dinosaws" so we would know where to park. She could not have been happier skipping along the sidewalk all the way to the entrance.  We waited in line to put our name in & then walked inside. I think that she had NO clue that there was an inside to "Dinosaw-Yand" & we (the protective parents) had no idea how horrifying it might be for a 3 year old. Here we are all excited to go in....

I so wish there was a video of what we walked into.  It was dark, the dinosaurs were gigantic & they were all growling....is that what dinosaurs do? Charlotte was TERRIFIED! She climbed up Robby & he held her close as he attempted to explain that they are all robots. She was begging to leave & go somewhere else. We quickly obliged as we were a little scared ourselves ; ) 

Our plan was to park close & have a minimal walk for me. Well turns out I did more walking that night than I had in about 2 months as we sought out a restaurant suitable for a surprisingly timid Charlotte. We decided on Rainforest Cafe...same idea, not as scary. The wait was a good 45 minutes so we had some time to kill. Just next to the restaurant was a store called Little MisMatched that sells mostly socks & as you might have guessed by the title, they don't match. Socks are one of Charlotte's love languages so this was the perfect place to make a girl feel special. They are sold in packs of odd numbers with coordinating but not matching socks. Charlotte is particular, especially about what goes on her body. Much to her delight there was a giant bin in the center of the store that had all single socks that you could buy in odd number quantities & we just happened to find a few matches in there. She got to pick her 3 socks so of course she chose two that matched & one random one she deemed a gift for Eloise. It turned chilly while we shopped so she requested to put on her new socks upon exiting the store....

Char with the matching socks & Rob with the lone polka dotted sock

We made it to Rainforest Cafe in time to wait about 10 minutes. We walked in & Charlotte got really nervous when she saw a snake hanging from the rain forest like canopy.  We talked all about robot animals & she became more comfortable. We walked around & then sat at the bar for a few minutes. I asked Robby who's name he put on to be called. He said I would know when I heard it & suggested we walk over to the check in table. Just then, I heard "Triplehorn party of 3" & another lady immediately ask the guy if that is what he really said. He said "Yes ma'am" & she & her husband burst into laughter while I tried to keep a straight face & say "We are the Triplehorns."  If this makes no sense as to why we would find this funny, you need to watch Date Night.  Quick summary, Steve Carell & Tina Fey are an ordinary married couple with young kids who decides to go into the city on a date. The restaurant is completely booked but they hear "Triplehorn, party of two" & they say "We are the Triplehorns" taking someone else's reservation.  Long story short, they get into ALL kinds of trouble with their stated identity & it is hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing and truly appreciated Rob's humor on our "Date Night."

So Rainforest Cafe proved to be a great pick for Charlotte. After the first rainstorm (one happens every 30 minutes) she was completely comfortable with the idea of giant robotic elephants & gorillas going crazy mere feet away.  She was really excited that we sat near an aquarium that had Dori & Nemo swimming around.

Rob & I ate burgers while Charlotte got some dino-shaped chicken nuggets & a banana.  It was pretty yummy! We surprised her with her very own dessert called Lava Mud. It was chocolate pudding, crushed oreos & gummy worms. She was SO excited & got started right away....

The picture was taken just moments before Robby had to do the Heimlich maneuver to get one of those worms dislodged from her little throat! She sucked the middle of it into her throat with both ends sticking out the sides of her mouth. It came out easily but really scared her.  Since then she regularly requests for us to tell her the story about how she choked on the worm haha! Likes to relive it I guess!

We enjoyed our leisurely walk back to the car stopping to watch a hula hoop contest so I could rest.  Charlotte was absolutely delightful relishing in the attention of her mommy & daddy. We kept looking at each other throughout the evening & smiling as our 3 & a half year old kept all the conversation going herself, giggling here & there. It was a smile like "when did she get this big?"  It was such a special evening for us & really makes me realize the importance of spending two on one time with each child as our family grows.  I can't believe she is about to be the big sister to not only Eloise but Owen & Anson as well! Time is a flyin!