Wednesday

This is just an update. We saw our OB today...the first time since our scare last week. The appointment went really well. I had lots of questions and Dr. Holsten was patient and answered each and every one in detail. She also said that we could travel this weekend which is a blessing as we have friends and family waiting for us on Saturday. I have a family shower and a shower hosted by friends of our family on Saturday. Thank you all for your support and for checking in with us! Looks like we are still trucking along at a great pace!!! Keep growing babies! Have a blessed weekend!

Playing....

This is my hand with mama's on the babies.....sweet!

I was playing with some photos and just had to share.....I just love the effect black and white can have!

Storm

We are currently having a storm! I thought I'd share a few pics I got through the back door. The trees were swaying back and forth and there was hail falling. The rocking chairs flipped and within 10 minutes there was flooding spots in the backyard. Wow.....and they said 10% chance of rain this morning...who are they kidding! I hope there has been no damage....we did need the rain though!!

Saturday

This is the papysan swing we've borrowed from Lacy. Ella loved it!! We hope to get another swing to coordinate with it.

Here is a close-up of the babies tennis shoes. Mama found these at Baby Gap...they are too cute!

This will be the nursery rocking chair. It was given to Lacy by my Mamaw and she kindly loaned it to us! It matches our bedding perfectly and feels so nice! We also hung the curtain today.

Here is the armoire from when I was a girl. It is full of baby!!!

This is the picture that Lacy presented to us. She wrote the most precious poem...you can read it in a previous post.

Today was a nice day for Shannon and I. He had to go into work this morning but we were able to spend the afternoon together working around the house. Work has kept him really busy lately so it was nice to just have some down time together! We hung a few things, worked in the nursery, and went through some more items needing attention from the move. I wanted to share some pictures from the nursery. We are still working on getting it set up but you can see it is coming together. The room itself is really small...but it is the closest room to our room so we are just making it work. I love sitting in there and just picturing the babies enjoying their new surroundings. It has a peaceful feel about it. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I do!!! Thank you again mom for all your help also!!!

Update

I just wanted to add a little update today. We are doing really well. The pain has become more tolerable and I am taking the Tylenol with Codeine as needed to sleep. I am also relaxing more and doing very little compared to my previous days agendas. I am trying real hard. Please don't be concerned after reading the blog entry from Tuesday/Wednesday. Shannon and I feel completely at peace that the babies are holding on and will not be coming earlier than we expect. I think Thomas and Madelynn are happy in their cozy surroundings. They are playing and moving regularly and getting stronger by the day! We have been told to anticipate a delivery 3-4 weeks prior to our due date just because that is typical of twins...but other than that they do not see any preterm delivery worries. I did get the 2 steroid shots just to be safe but it was only a precautionary measure and does not indicate that the doctors anticipate problems. I have only had heat rashes due to the shots so I am thankful. At this point no additional swelling than what I already had in my feet and ankles. Thank you again for all your love, support and prayers! We'll keep you posted!!! Blessings!

Tucker tuckered out

I just had to share this picture of Tucker. He has had one busy time with Miss Emma! Emma is full of energy and Tucker was on go from the time she arrived! It is all good practice for him!!! Thank you Emma for loving our Tucker-Man! He is resting up for your next visit!

Thomas

Here is a 4D picture of Thomas. The nurse couldn't get Maddy to look at her so we could only see Thomas. He definitely has his daddy's nose! We hope to do another 4D session soon so maybe we can get good pics of both Thomas and Maddy. The babies are doing great! Thomas weighs 2 lbs and 11 ounces and Madelynn weighs 2 lbs and 10 ounces! All looks great at this stage. We are now 28 weeks and ticking! I want to say a special thank you to all those that are pulling and praying for our two little angels! Blessings everyone!

Tuesday/Wednesday Scare

As you may have read, mama and Emma were up visiting this week. We have had a wonderful time together! Mama helped me put away all the gifts from Saturday and set up the nursery. We moved an armoire from my childhood bedroom and washed all the clothes, blankets, etc. to place in the nursery room. Most of this was done on Monday.
On Tuesday, we ran errands before picking Shannon up for lunch. When we reached our lunch destination I noticed a sharp pain in my lower back and side. There has been a lot of pressure on my pelvic area but the doctors had said this was from twins and my uterus growing. I dismissed the pull in my side and back and we carried on. After lunch we hit Target but it was short lived. The pulling kept getting gradually worse so we decided to head home. I could sit and position myself to relieve the pain but as the evening progressed it worsened. By bedtime, I was in tears. Shannon wanted to got to the hospital but I said no. We had an appt already scheduled for the next morning so I thought I'd be strong. There was NO sleeping. I tried the recliner and the bed with tons of pillows. I cried all through my shower and could barely dress myself. By the time we reached the doctor I was in tears and could hardly move.
They skipped my appt and sent us on to Labor and Delivery via a wheelchair. Everyone was assuming pre-term delivery. I was hoping it was just gas. Shannon and I both were frightened! We arrived there around 9am. They hooked me up to fetal monitors for the babies and to a monitor for contractions. I was in shock when I saw that I was actually having some contractions! We had about 6-10 in all throughout the time we were there..they were mild and sporadic. I was later told that the contractions were not out of the norm and that I may experience some more at times. They can be brought on by stress, fatigue, dehydration, etc. While still trying to find out what was going on...they gave me fluids via IV. This was interesting. The doctor doing the IV was a student and missed the first attempt so I had to endure it all over again. Luckily I am known for my pain tolerance so it was all okay in the end. We had a great nurse there (Mrs. Paula) that kept a close watch. Another team of doctors did a test to check for baby enzymes. Supposedly if this test is negative you can be guaranteed %99 accuracy that you won't deliver for another 2 weeks....well mine came back positive but they assured me that this is not a problem. They would just look at other means. They said they really only take the negative result seriously and use the positive result to check other options. They later checked my cervix and the babies through ultrasound and said that I am in good shape and don't appear to be in pre-term labor. Supposedly we look very good at this stage and there is no need for alarm. They did give me the first of two steroid shots for the babies lungs. I had the 2nd shot this morning. The way they put it is that it is better to be safe than unprepared. We were released with orders of very light activity....just prior to being placed on bed rest....I must behave as Shannon puts it. According to him I am banned from the vacuum and any other house cleaning. If only I would listen to him more...maybe I won't frustrate him anymore than I already do :-). I can go to the store but must be quick and no heavy lifting. The back pain they assume is due to pressure on the sciatic nerve. I was given Tylenol with codeine to take at night for pain and told to use a heating pad. When I entered the hospital I felt the pain to be 10 or more...now I have to say it is at a 2-3. I can somewhat lift my left leg again and can sit somewhat comfortably. I did sleep last night so that was a BLESSING! Mama and Emma left out this morning also. They stayed one more night as we didn't know what to expect. Shannon and I were at the hospital until 5:30 or so. We got my prescription filled and grabbed some dinner (Shannon and I had barely had anything to eat during the day) and headed home for REST! Oh- I also received some good news. During all that, we did go ahead and take the glucose test for gestational diabetes....it was negative! No special diets or sugar watch. All in all it was a long but informative day. We went back this morning for a consultation and the 2nd steroid shot. Everything looks good. I will see my OB next Wednesday for another check and further orders and recommendations. I feel so blessed having all the doctors at MCG. I bet we had 10-15 different doctors in and out doing various checks yesterday. We feel good about all the hands and brains watching after our Thomas and Madelynn. Oh...for them it was like any other day. I think they felt a little stress from the pain I was in which may have added to the contractions but when they did the ultrasound they were playing like any other day. We found out that Thomas is at 2lbs and 11 ounces and Maddy is 2 lbs and 10 ounces. They also said the hearts look great and that they are at their desired percentile. I will put a photo of Thomas. The nurse got a 4D pic of Thomas, but Madelynn wouldn't look our way so we missed seeing her little face. Love you all and thank you for your prayers!

Our Guests

Our baby shower in Valley was on Saturday....so come Sunday it was time to head on back to Augusta. My mom (Nana) and Emma decided to join us! It has been some kind of joy to have Emma as a house guest! She has been such a big help as "Nana" and I worked in the nursery putting things away, washing up baby clothes, etc. She even surprised us by cleaning up the living room while we were working in the nursery. She was even a big help as we ran errands and went to some baby stores. Emma's birthday is August 20th and Uncle Shannon and I won't be able to make it to her party so we decided to celebrate tonight. After a great dinner of Nana's world famous spaghetti and salad we dug into cake and ice cream. Emma had her own personal itty-bitty-cake that was made just for her. Luckily she was willing to share with her Uncle Shannon and I even got a couple of bite in. I can hardly wait until they come to visit again!!! Maybe Poppy can join us next time!!

Poem

Here is the poem that Lacy wrote for Shannon and I as we prepare and anticipate the arrival of Thomas and Madelynn. Boy does she have a talent for words and expression! Go ahead and grab a tissue!

At first sight it was love, and then a grand marriage;
In their dreams for the future, a baby carriage.
So when the time felt just right they started to pray,
“Lord would you please send a baby our way?”
But as the good Lord always does, He had a plan of His own.
He said, “The time is not right, be patient, stay strong.”
Though they did not understand, they listened and obeyed.
With every sunrise together they prayed,
“Dear Lord, although our hearts ache, our faith remains strong;
For we know that your plan could never be wrong.”
As days turned to months, their trust in Him grew.
In their faith they stood steadfast, unwavering, and true.
He heard their prayers daily as He watched from above.
He could see in each of them, a heart full of love.
As the Lord gazed down with a smile beaming bright,
He knew the time was perfect, everything was just right.
He said, “Now you are ready to be called mom and dad.”
“I’ve prepared a place in your hearts for a love you’ve not had;
And because you were patient, so faithful, so true,
I’m sending, not one precious child, but two!”
An enchanting, sweet girl and spirited little boy
Will bless the Smith home and fill it with joy.
And though their faith tested, this journey will seem mild
When they hear His sweet voice say,
“Well done, my good and faithful child!”
Lacy L. Jones
July 19, 2008

The Lacy/Macy Shower

My wonderful hostesses (Macy, Mary Katherine, Lacy)

Avery, Stacey, Emma

Emma....my helper!

Nana and Ella loved the dolls Jackie got for Thomas and Maddy

On Saturday, I was blessed with a wonderful gathering of friends and family in Valley, Al. My sweet sister-n-law Lacy and close friend Macy hosted a shower at Macy's Mother's home in Valley. Mary Katherine went above and beyond making us all feel welcome! The food was just delicious and pretty to the eye. So many were able to join us ....it just made my day! You will see we even had some younger guests. Rachel from Columus brought Cole, Lacy had Emma and Ella, and Macy had Avery and Eli. Thomas and Maddy received beautiful clothes, diapers, decorative items for the nursery as well as the cute and plush items that make being a baby so much fun and soft! There were even some specially crafted gifts made with love. We are thrilled to be so blessed by those that love and support us. Thank you everyone!!!! I want to give a special thank you to Lacy for the wonderful pictures. I was able to just put my camera down and let her go with it!!! She has a gift for picture taking for sure as well as her gift of poetry. I will share with you the heart touching poem she wrote for us! There were not many dry eyes I can assure you. Shannon and I have been so very blessed! Hope you enjoy!

Class

This Saturday, Shannon and I participated in an all day (9-5) childbirth class. We opted for the all day course rather than 5 weeks of Monday nights. It was a great experience. There were 6 couples in all. We learned a lot, though we were impressed with how much we already did know. Overall, it was a great experience. We learned more about the types of labor, procedures, phases and stages, etc. We learned lots of terminology and what hospitals today and those here in Augusta have to offer. One thing Shannon and I found very relieving was that attached to the umbilical cord clip is a chip that will alarm the entire hospital if a baby is taken from the maternity ward. That made me feel much better as I have told Shannon he will be like a hawk watching our babies every move. I also learned and was happy to learn that more and more hospitals are trying to keep the babies with their mother more and more depending on the babies health. They call this rooming in. I really like that also. We learned relaxation techniques and even got to try some out on our mats with pillows and blankets. Shannon has no problem with the relaxation techniques...he enjoyed those! We learned positions to relieve pressure and pain and more. Like I said before...it was a really good and reassuring experience. I am proud of our "certificate of completion" that we received. Now....we have newborn class, breastfeeding class, infant CPR, and infant massage to go. I think I'll be hitting some of these on my own as Shannon is really busy with work these days!

Hope this finds you well! Blessings!!

I did it....

Well...I got the cribs and bedding done! There is still SO much to do! I don't know where Thomas and Madelynn are going to sleep as I have both cribs filled with things right now. The sad thing is there is STILL SO MUCH to get! I am enjoying this time...and love the peaceful feeling it gives to know that is THEIR room! Blessings!

This is not easy.....

I got one bed done today....boy it was not easy. First of all...my belly gets in the way when trying to lean over the crib and so that makes for interesting maneuvers. I pray that when the crib sheet has to be changed the whole thing doesn't have to come apart. The bumper really takes a long time to get settled. I even did my mama proud and ironed the bed skirt. Oh well...one down and one to go. The second one may be a project for tomorrow...we'll see!

Doctor's Appointment Update

Yesterday I had my first appointment with my new Rheumatologist. It went really well. We reviewed my past medical history and treatment for Lupus. I left there and went to run a few errands before picking Shannon up for our 1:30 appointment. I was running late, as Honda took more than the estimated 30-45 minutes to change my oil (more like 1 hour and a half), so Shannon and I had to woof down Chickfila on the way to the hospital. We had a fetal echo done on the babies hearts. There is a risk of heart problems when a mother has Lupus, but according to the sonographer....everything looked great. We saw lots of views of the babies hearts. Thomas and Madelynn were not cooperating very well. It seemed just as Ms. Dotty would get the perfect picture they would roll or jump or kick. Thomas did a complete flip-flop and then developed hick-ups. All in all, Ms. Dotty got what she needed for the doctor and it was a neat experience seeing all the different aspects of the heart and hearing their heartbeats.
Today we saw our newest OB, Dr. Holsten. She was really nice and close to our ages. It is such as a small world as she graduated from Springwood in Valley....she even knew several of our friends and family. We reviewed history and what to expect in the next month or so. We have another ultrasound on the 23rd along with my glucose test. Today my blood pressure was back down to its normal range 98/60 and my weight is doing fairly good...so they say. Yesterday my bp had gotten up to 115/68 but they said the fluctuation is normal and that overall it is still in good range. (normal is 120/80)
Hope this finds you all well! Luckily we are done with doctor visits for at least a couple of weeks.
Blessings!

Pleasant Surprise!

Wow...what a sweet surprise. I was just about to start on the babies room (trying to set up the beds) when the doorbell rang. I went to the door to find a sweet florist with a beautiful bouquet. I couldn't imagine who it would be from.....I opened the card and it read:

"Kelli- Welcome to Augusta! From, The Knology Call Center Family"! I called Shannon and he had no idea. This was such a sweet surprise! Thank you KNOLOGY!!!

Fourth Of July

I just wanted to share a few pics from the Fourth! We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends to come home to. Shannon and I drove into town on Friday in order to do a few things at the house and then to celebrate the holiday with friends. We stayed with Stephen and Trina Green. They are SOOO good to us. The kids had a blast playing and we even got a cool shot of the dog dressed in his red, white, and blue!

Well, here are a few of the pics from the cookout!

Shannon

Okay.....I talked him into it. Here he is working in our new yard.

Belly Pic

I promised mama I would take a picture of Thomas and Madelynn....along with myself. As you can see....my belly is getting bigger and bigger. I tried to get a picture of Shannon trimming the yard but he told me I couldn't put it on the blog. Sorry....I'll keep working on him. As for me...forgive the look, it is hot and I am not much for dressing up these days just to be around the house. Besides....I want to show these Georgia Bulldog fans around here my Auburn roots.

Our Augusta Home

Our New Home

Our Front Door

Neighborhood Shot

Well...after lots of requests I finally got pictures of the house to share. We are actually in a suburb of Augusta called, Grovetown. It is near Fort Gordon...a military base. We have a lovely neighborhood as you can see from one of the pictures. I took a picture to show the neighborhood. It is much bigger than what I could capture in the picture. Shannon, Tucker and I went for a great walk through the neighborhood last night. The homes and people look really nice and friendly. Our home is up on a hill so it doesn't offer the best in terms of driveway...but we are adjusting. I am learning how to park my car so that Shannon can get his in the drive as well. We had our first garbage pick-up this morning also. Everything is starting to come together. I need to put my focus on the nursery now! The garage is still a storage room at this point but hopefully we can make more and more room in there. I will continue to post pics so check back!

Blessings!

Tucker

I just had to share this shot with you. Granted....it was taken on my cell phone through the kitchen window, but I think you can see it clear enough. I arrived home (Augusta home) to find Tucker eager to go out back. We have a wonderfully fenced in backyard that he has claimed as his own. I let him out thinking he wanted to potty...only to find him walking over to the edge of the patio and collapsing. It seems he only wanted to sun himself. In Valley it was hard to let him just go out due to the yard being so big and him wondering. He isn't one to really go out of sight from us but I still worried. Here, he can go out and I can peak out the window and see him. He has the whole yard as his playground. I hope you got a kick out of this just as I did.

We Are Home

We have finally moved in to our new home in Augusta. We spent the weekend packing and moving. It actually all started on Wednesday with my mom's help. She and I did a lot of the babies things and kitchen. On Thursday, Jackie (Shannon's mom) came over and we continued the packing. Shannon arrived that afternoon and got the rental Uhaul. Stephen (GREAT friend) and Cindy (Shannon's aunt) came over and we loaded. Friday morning we got up and got on the road with our first load. It was a caravan of 3 vehicles. We arrived around 2pm or so and began the process. I had turned on all utilities...however disaster struck with the water. One of the pipes in a guest room was busted and water was everywhere. We were without water for about 2 hours until help arrived. The pipe was repaired and the water removed as best as could be but we were delayed by the process and could not use the room. The room is still drying at this time. We decided to just unload and stack as much as we could in the other guest room (which we do plan to use as storage anyway). We slept on mattresses in Augusta and started all over on Saturday morning. Shannon and Stephen loaded the truck and headed back to Valley for another load. Jackie, Cindy, and I stayed to unpack and set up the kitchen. We got a lot done! Shannon and Stephen encountered an awful wreck on the way back which delayed Shannon an hour and Stephen almost 3 hours. Finally Shannon, Tucker, and Stephen arrived....but it was too late to really do too much. They unloaded the freezer and then called it a night. Sunday morning we awoke early to finish the unloading and to get Stephen on the road.
Every one's help has been wonderful! I don't know what we would have done without each of them. It was a long and hard process.....but we are so happy to be here. The house is really nice and we are making due with the room. It is amazing when you assess your possessions and determine what is actually needed or used. So much is just dragged around and never needed. I feel so blessed to have so much and to have so many people that love us.....what more can you ask for?
My feet swelled quite a bit over the weekend but seem to be going down some. I know I pushed it but not too much.....it is just hard to take a break and rest when you see so much needing to be done! Everyone was really good to me and encouraged me to slow down. I just can't thank them enough!
I will try to get a picture of our new home soon! I hope this finds you all well!
Blessings!
P.S. Our home in Valley is still on the market so please share the blog if you think of someone that might be interested!
http://smithhomeforsale.blogspot.com/