Bradley-o-saurus' dino party!

I really wanted to do something special for my big boy's bday!  Kristy Jantz did a wonderful job decorating and planning the party!

Here are some highlights...

B is 3!!

I have a hard time believing my little man is already 3 yrs old.

There are so many ways to describe him...
friendly and rude
cute and stinky
ornery and naughty
smart and silly
caring and sweet

He has a great memory.  If you say "we'll ... when we get home," as soon as you walk in the door he will ask about it.

He loves to sing and is enthusiastic, but is always off beat and moving more than singing.

His longtime fav movie is How to Train Your Dragon.  Lately Toy Story 2 is making a pull for #1.  He says "I want to watch Jesse!" 

He's too smart for his own good and figures things out too quickly for mommy's good.

He likes to call me "mom."  Already, really!?!

He tries to ride Hudson all the time! And loves chasing him around the house with some sort of torture device.

He can already tell the difference between his brother and sister's cries. 

He still loves his blankie and sucks his wrist when he has it.

He's pretty charming and has such an awesome laugh.

Sometimes he kisses for no reason.

He's a ham.  Anything that gets a laugh will be retried.

He loves to vacuum.  And really likes to be a helper.

He doesn't like to have stuff on his hands--- like his mommy.

He thinks tomorrow is always Tuesday.

Although, he can be quite a naughty little thing, I'm so proud of him and can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for his life! 

Would love to hear your adjectives for B...

On Nursing Twins After a C-section...

Am I crazy that I avoid saying "breastfeeding" as much as possible?  It's not that I don't like the act or think it is icky.  I just feel like we could have a better name for it.  If someone asks me if I am breastfeeding the twins I usually answer by referring to it as nursing because of my pact to avoid the term hitherto referred to as bfing.  When my 2 yr old asks what I am doing, I tell him I am feeding the babies milk.  The first time he asked what they are eating from I may have panicked a bit so I told him mommy.  Yep, that's it, mommy.  So tonight (his last night as a 2 yr old--- sigh) I was feeding his sister and he exclaimed "Kyndi is eating mommy!"  Yes, son, yes she is :). 

Here are some options I found online for an alternate to bfing---nourishing, wining and dining, suckling, sustaining, feeding, nurturing, nursing, fattening, catering to, num-nums, eating from the chest, and if any of my bi-lingual friends are reading I would love to know what it is called in another language.

This search lead me to an interesting site... it wasn't exactly what I was looking for so prepare to be amazed if you visit it.... http://www.breastfeeding.co.uk/index.php?option=com_glossary&task=list&glossid=1&letter=A


I think, for today, I'm going with...  After I found out I was having twins one of my main concerns was fattening them up.  B was easy to fatten and although I recognized that having 2 babies would create a few more difficulties and a higher likelihood of fattening problems I was determined to give it my best shot.  And so far so good.  I did minimal amounts of research, mainly asking every mother of multiples I knew about their fattening experiences.  Some weren't able to fatten, some pumped and bottle fattened, and others were successful fatteners for many months. 

My first goal was to get each baby to latch on and eat individually.  Once they were both doing that well, after the 1st day for my 2 little champs, I practiced fattening them at the same time.  Kyndi had a little trouble latching on and the nurse warned and pushed that she needed some formula for some reason or another.  I was emotionally adamant that I didn't want her to have a bottle (may be a bit ridiculous).  So, I suggested I pump and see if that would help.  The not so nice nurse scoffed a bit and basically commented that I wouldn't get anything (because of the c-section).  Well, my body proved her incorrect and we attached a tiny hose and got Kyndi to latch on.  Link took at it and never wanted to stop, probably the reason he went from 6 lb 3 oz to 11 lb 1 oz in 2 months.  :)  

A second goal was to find a fattening pattern.  My pattern of choice is to fatten the baby on one side and then the next side for the next fattening.  I used an app on my iPod the first few weeks to keep track of when and what side.  I also took my Peds advice (father of twin boys) and mandated that the babies fatten up at the same time.  So, if Kyndi woke up and couldn't wait, I would wake Link up to fatten too. At 2 weeks old Link had seizures and was in the PICU for 2 nights.  Kyndi was not allowed in there so I went back and forth to feed them.  The nurses were amazed that Link would be fast asleep when my mom came to tell my Kyndi was hungry.  Then when I went to fatten her, he would wake up too.  Now 3 months old and I swear they have a 6th sense to tell if their sibling is getting fattened.  I will sneak one out of the nursery and as I sit on the couch to fatten, the other will start their plea.

More on fattening soon...

After using fattening, I'm thinking it is a little more of a term for livestock.  Hmmm....

Kyndale and Linkoln- Twins' C-section Birth Story Finale and Video

Started the 3rd installment and then decided to get a video together for it... so hoping that works out!  I was really hoping to get to bed at a decent time tonight, but I guess it's just not in me.

Back to the story..

I was briefed on all the procedures (Even though I had already asked every question I could think of to who turned out to be a tech.  Whoops!), drank some nasty stuff, and got prepped for the surgery (they put on some crazy leg things and a hair net).  Soon my Honey, Nana, and Sisty arrived.  The nurse laid Dale's scrubs on the table and Dale asked "is this it?"  "Yep."  After she left, he looked at me and serious as can be asked "So do I leave my underwear on?"  Sisty, Nana and I laughed hard and loud.  After we settled down we wiped tears from our faces and I headed down the hall.  I had only an IV with B's LD, so all this was very new.  I got in the room and the anesthesiologist had me lean over the table as she gave me the spinal tap.   Then I was strapped down to the bed.  I felt normal until she took a cold cloth and touched my face and arm with it, then she went on the other side of the curtain and touched my tummy and I could feel the pressure, but no temp.  Soon the Dr, nurses, students (I couldn't so no), and Dale arrived.  In no time Kyndale was born.  As soon as Dale saw her, he said she's Kyndale (we were still unsure if she would be Kyndale or Lainey).  She was a grunter like B and worried the nurses a bit, but other than that she was perfect and beautiful.  Her lashes were long and perfect.  And even though she didn't cry, she made plenty of noise.  She was also covered thick in white stuff, so yes I didn't kiss her too much! Our Daughter! Then 40 seconds later, Link was born.  He didn't worry the nurses because he cried enough for the 2 of them.  He looked like he had already had a bath compared to big sis.  Dr said the babies were too cute and made the nurses bring them back over before they left the room.  After I saw them both for the second time and they went to meet their Nana and Aunt Sisty, I began to get the woozy feeling.  I remember saying, I don't feel good and having the kidney bean pan next to my face (as if!).  Thankfully Dr worked quickly and less than an hour from leaving my room I returned.  I wish I could say what happened next, but I honestly can't remember much.  Just a jumble of feedings, nurses, and sweet sweet babies.

Images taken by my Sisty and Honey. And this is why I want to do birth photography!

Because the nurses were worried about Kyndi's lungs the on call ped had them start anti-biotics through an IV.  Poor little darling was such a trooper as it kept coming out and had to be put back in.  She also wasn't great at eating at first and so I pumped (yes it can be done!) and feed her with a syringe until she got the hang of it.  Link latched right on and nursed for 20 mins solid!  More on nursing twins later.

Song- Who's My Pretty Baby by Elizabeth Mitchell

The story continues...

Well, the next couple months are sort of a blur of shock, drs appointments, joy, sonograms, eating too much or not eating enough, etc., and prayer.  If there is one thing I know it is this-- God wasn't giving me twins to show what a great mom I was, but what a great God He is.  I realize that this journey is not about my Honey and my abilities to parent, but about our ability to trust in God's strength and guidance.  Now, if I could just remember that! 

Praise the Lord I was able to carry the twins well into my third trimester (37 weeks which my Dr. considered full term for twins) without bedrest or restrictions.  As soon as we found out, Honey did mention that he thought my body was made for carrying twins.  Sweetie, isn't he?  Interestingly enough I found my 3rd trimester to be a bit easier than my 2nd, but I did begin to fear that the babes would never decide to make their curtain call. It seemed I was now reaching a point that I had only hoped to make it to and it wasn't quite a nice as I hoped. 

Being out in public was beginning to be embarrassing.  Older women with their "Oh Honey"s, children playing hide and seek under me (not really), but you get the idea.  It felt like everyone anticipated a gush at any minute.  I tried to concentrate on not waddling.  Then came Friday the 14th of Oct, I cleaned, gardened, and probably did more than I had in the last week and was feeling pretty good about it.  Went to bed and woke up sick, tummy sick, yucky sick, at about 4 am.  I tried to take care of it quietly w/o waking Honey, finally my nerves got the best of me and I woke him up for support.  He has always been great about cleaning up my sick messes.   I looked up on-line and found that it could be a sign of early labor.   We decided I should rest and see if it got better and then head to Nana's after B woke up.  So, we did a drop by at Nana's with B and called the hospital where the nurse told us to come in.  We got to the floor and they did their thing, monitoring the babies (or trying to at least-- the little squirmies were hard to keep track of), IVs (3rd tries a charm), fluids and the dreaded sitting in the hospital bed hooked up to everything for about 3 hrs.  I hate hospital beds and I despise being stuck in them!  I think I asked to go to the bathroom once an hour, which probably didn't help the monitoring.  After two bags of fluid and some meds to help with my tummy, my contractions which had been about 2-3 mins apart (so the machine said, I didn't feel them) became more sporadic so the Dr. sent me home.  It's pretty embarrassing (I use that word a lot, eh?) to walk out of the hospital in the middle of the day full-term with twins in my pjs, but I did. The nurse was convinced she would see me soon.  I was still pretty exhausted and slept most of the rest of the day.

Sunday I began to have more contractions but nothing to write home about.  John and Sisty came up Sunday evening and Sisty began her "Get the babies out" regimen.  I began to have signs of labor that would last for quite some time and then stop.  Tues morning I called my Dr's office (not the hospital bc I knew they would just tell me to come in) and explained what my body was doing.  I was beginning to get nervous that my water would break and from the visit on Sat knew that the only thing down was extremities.  The picture of a lone foot emerging haunted my thoughts.  So after a couple laps around Target (part of Sisty's regimen) we headed to the hospital.  An ultrasound confirmed Baby Girl was bottom down and Baby Boy was transverse so high in my ribs that they had trouble finding his heartbeat.  I had some slight progress since Sat, but the hope of a head down baby was fading quickly.  Although, my Dr., Dr. Eck at Hutch Clinic btw, never pressured me because she knew my desire was for a natural birth, I could tell the hopefulness had faded from her voice.  My options were... a c-section that night, the next morning or wait to go into full labor in hopes that a baby would flip.  Did I mention that Baby Girl had been head down for months and then flipped sometime after 30 weeks??  I felt a bit as if I was coping out, but honestly have peace in the decision we made.  The risk of a umbilical cord prolapsing (coming out before the babies) because there was no baby in ready position to block it ultimately leading to an emergency c was enough for me.  Come to find out I had excessive, 2x the normal amount for twins, of fluid which I'd guess would make the risk of prolapse even higher (funny story about that fluid to come).   Because of the bite of summer sausage I had for lunch the c was scheduled for 8pm.  Sisty ran home to get things arranged and so I waited by myself for Honey, Sisty, and Nana to arrive.  My sweet cousin Nicole watched B and Nono during the big event.  I resisted the urge to convince every nurse or tech that came in that I did have a loving family that would be there soon.  About 7pm everyone was there and getting ready, cameras charged and divided, we waited. 

Goodness, this is so long!  I hardly feel like reading it to edit!  Guess this will have to be a 3 part series.  Nana, the babes and I are heading out on our first road trip to get big B (who I've missed dearly, but appreciate the quiet time his absence has provided me with the twins- thanks to my amazing Sisty!) and introduce the twins to the rest of the Vaught/Liberal family and get their newborn pix done.  Rest assured, I'm not overdoing it :)  Nana packed the van.   

BTW- feel free to edit any of my grammar (Lindsey- if you are reading this and dying inside).  I'd be happy to fix it :)

The beginning of the story...

Wow!  What a journey we have been on the last couple of months.  It is always an exciting time when you start feeling ready to grow your family.  We decided that the time was right for us earlier this year; we'd always planned to have about 3 years between our kids.  Then the anticipation of waiting to see, trying to notice any changes and having confirmation of a pregnancy.  The excitement of announcing the expected arrival and going to the first Drs appointment. 

My 1st trimester was exhausting.  I slept probably about 14 hrs a day if possible.  Dale was seriously starting to wonder about me.  I lost several pounds because of the detox diet we were on before I knew I was pregnant and then the nausea (is that the right form of the word, I never know!).   We scheduled our 12 week appointment with the Birthing Center in Yoder. I remember returning home disappointed and nervous after only getting to hear about two beats of a heartbeat.  Four weeks later we heard a strong healthy heartbeat, yea! At 18 weeks we went to the Sterling Clinic for the first ultrasound.  And yes, I had still been vainly pretending I was barely showing.  When we got in the room the Dr. was obviously irritated by his day... things moved, over-booked, yadda yadda.  Dale sat in the corner with B and I laid on the table.  He plopped the thing down and starting doing his measuring.  I noticed right away the two circles, but was still oblivious to anything.  He worked for several mins without a word.   Finally I asked if everything was alright.  He responded "Are you starting to figure this out?" Me- "Your measuring stuff?"  Meanwhile Dale is struggling to keep B from scaling the skeleton hanging near them in the corner of the tiny room.  Dr-"There are two of them."  And like I did it on purpose to make his hectic day more difficult he said something like, well this just takes the cake.  Suddenly the room was hotter (the ac was broken) and I asked "Are they conjoined?"  I really did, out loud, weird, right?  Aware of Dale's distracted state I remember saying "Honey, are you hearing this!?!"  Two heartbeats and many oh my words later we are up and heading back to the lobby with enormous eyes and huge smiles.  I stopped by the restroom laughing uncontrollably and Dale and B waited in the Lobby, which was now more full of people waiting for, I suspect, an ultrasound.  Some one asked him how it went, did we find out if it was a boy or a girl.... a boy and a girl (we think).  Once we got to the car I told B he wasn't just getting a brother or a sister, but a brother and a sister.  His response... "Where's my truck!?"  Oh boy! 

Then we had the fun of telling all the friends and family.  Nana almost droppped B as she plunked down on a co-worker's desk.  Dale's Grandma asked what we were going to do with our dog.  It seems the response ranged from "ha ha funny!" to "WHAT!?"  I was heading to my sister's house that day and decided to tell her when I got there, I walked in and said "it's a boy" (Ny especially was hoping for a girl) "and a girl!"  Then there was much screaming and jumping! 

Well, little Link (4 days old), who has been sweetly awake just gazing around since his last feeding 2 hrs ago (unbelievable, right?) is starting to get hungry.  I'm not sure how this blog thing is going work, but it was fun today!

Starting a blog...

Hmmm....
This is a new experience for me.  How does the page look???