Delivery Story 12.17.10

Hello Everyone! Things have finally settled and I am able to take a moment to update the blog with the recent events of the Johnson Family!

Originally we were scheduled to go in for a C-Section on 12/28/10; however due to my elevated Blood Pressure - the doctor escalated our case. So on Tuesday (12/14/10), we learned that our girls would be born that Friday (12/17/10) at 36 weeks and 5 days. Suddenly the idea that we were going to be having twins became a serious reality as we alerted our family that the babies were coming SOON!

So, at 7:30 on an icy snowy Friday morning, Harvey and I arrived at Sentara Norfolk General hospital to go get our girls. Upon checking in and being put in an observation room, we were informed that our 9:30 am surgery had been bumped to later in the day. While killing time, we made friends with our nurses, and several students that were going to be assisting Dr. Warsof with our surgery. By the time they actually took me into the O.R. (at 10:50 am), I felt like we were all good friends. This made the Spinal Injection that came next bearable as a student nurse held me in her arms and told me I was doing a great job. From here there was a tug here and some pressure there, but overall the C-Section itself was MUCH easier than I dreamed it would be!

Mom Before C-Section

Dad Before C-Section

At 11:22 am weighing 5 lbs. 10 oz. Miss Stella Rose came into this world screaming - bringing tears to the eyes of both Mom and Dad. The only complication for her was that she had a lot of fluid in her lungs and it took the neonatal team a while to get her all cleared out.

At 11:23 am weighing 5 lbs. 11 oz. Miss Madelyn Grace came into this world with a similar cry. She had no complications and the neonatal team quickly allowed Dad to photograph and hold her.

As everyone can imagine, we are so excited that our little miracle babies are here and healthy! December 17, 2010 will certainly go down in history as one of the best days of our lives and we are looking forward to many more Birthday's to come!!

Dinner with the Heckler's

Last night we had a great dinner with the Heckler's! We all went to Cracker's in Norfolk and had the best tapas ever in celebration of JR and Harvey's Birthday! A big thank you to Amber and JR for the cutest T-Shirt ... Harvey can't wait to wear it in the hospital!

Thank You Grandma!

A huge thank you to Grandma for staying with me this week while Harvey was away! I love being pampered as she cleaned our home, ran our errands, and made all the meals! However, as much as I love Grandma being here - Oliver is by far the most excited. He loves all the walks and love she gives and even sleeps with her at night cause he just can't get enough!

Love you Grandma!!!!!!

Sarah & Harvey

Belly Pictures!

A huge thank you to Larni and James of BC Photography in Virginia Beach for these pictures! We had so much fun shooting with you guys and love you dearly!

Love,
Sarah and Harvey

Full Album - Click Here

New License Plate

It was time for me to renew my vehicle registration and lets just say I had a few extra minutes to play around on the DMV site. The result was a new personalized plate for the next phase in our world!

Yes, personalized plates are dorky but hey I'm a big dork so it fits!

Love,

Sarah & Harvey

30 Weeks

BUSY WEEK!

So on Monday we hit the exciting 30 week mark! Harvey and I are so excited that we’ve made it this far and that we aren’t on strict bed rest or having any major issues! This past weekend we went to the Hunt Club Fall Festival and snapped a few pics of the 30 week baby bump! It sure is getting out there!



Last weekend we also spent some time putting together some of our "toys." We got the pack n' play for downstairs and 2 swings assembled. I just love the Bumble Bee theme and it goes so well with our living room colors!!!


Overall I’ve been feeling pretty uncomfortable. The Braxton Hicks contractions are coming more often now and finding a comfortable position is near impossible now. The girls; however are doing FANTASTIC. We went in yesterday for a Dr’s appointment and ultrasound and could not have been more thrilled with the news...

• My symptoms are as normal as they get.
• My blood pressure is on point and is not a concern.
• Madelyn has moved from head down to breech. This moves our delivery method to “Unknown.”
• Stella is now 3.1 lbs. and Madelyn is 3.6 lbs.
• Stella has a ton of hair and Madelyn has none.
• Their little hearts are perfect and their movements are textbook.
• Next Dr’s appointment is in 2 weeks and next ultrasound is in 4 weeks.

Stella's Little Face

Madelyn's Skull (She's facing us)

Cheers and love for another great week ahead!

Sarah & Harvey

28 Weeks

This bump is huge and this is how I feel!!

I am going to have Harvey take some pictures of me tonight so I can post!

Whew have I hit the uncomfortable portion of the tour! Hello indigestion! But I can't complain because I'm pregnant with two cool chicks! Madelyn has been rolling around like a crazy bumble bee all week. I keep feeling either her head or butt protruding out from underneath my right rib area.

Went to see Dr. Al yesterday for my every 2 week check up. We didn't do any ultrasounds but the doc says that the girls and I are doing just fine. He did recommend that I watch my sodium intake. I'd rather have swollen hands and feet than to have to give up Mexican Food but I guess I will do what the fine physician says I should do! He did say my next goal is to make it to 32 weeks and that I should make sure that the girls are moving at least 10 times in a one hour period each day.

I'm getting super excited for my shower this Saturday thrown by dear friends Kathryn and Amber. I can't believe how lucky I am!!

Praying that my good fortune continues and that I continue to bake these babies for as long as possible!

Love,
Sarah

26 Weeks

Yesterday was when we officially hit our 26 week mark! We are so excited to have made it this far and are truly grateful for everything! They say that this week is when the ears become very sensitive. The girls will be able to hear our voices and may kick when startled.

We went in for our doctor's appointment today and it was everything we had hoped for and more! The girls are both measuring where they should be at about 2 oz. shy of being 2 lbs each. They are perfectly healthy and we got a great picture of Madelyn. (Stella wasn't cooperating!)


I am also pleased to announce that I passed my diabetes test with flying colors, so I can keep enjoying food without restrictions! Woo Hoo!

We discussed birthing options with the doctor today and he says they are in the perfect position for a good old conventional birth and that he would induce me by 38 weeks if I hadn't started laboring already. If for some reason their positions change, he will schedule a c-section at around 37 weeks. So, it looks like these will be our little Christmas presents after all!

Much love,
Sarah

Diaper Party Success!

A huge thank you to everyone that came out on Saturday evening for our Diaper Party Cookout!! I'm excited to announce that we received...
2,670 DIAPERS and 1,752 WIPES!!!!


A special thanks to America and Sean Wilson for hosting the party at their home and making it special, to Doherty for the fantastic birthday cake, to my Mom and Butch for the yummy side dishes, and last but not least to my in laws for once again saving the day on more than one occasion! If anyone took any photos, please share!

Much Love,
Sarah & Harvey

New Season - New Hair!

You wouldn't know it was fall any other way than by checking out my new
FALL HAIR COLOR!

I felt the need to do something drastic to represent my favorite season. After all, with the hot temps and buckets of rain we've had over the past week - My "Happy Fall Y'All" attitude was starting to go south! I immediately felt rejuvenated and more importantly have pretty fresh hair for my Birthday tomorrow!

So, good bye Summer highlights and hello Fall!

Baby Shower at Lake Gaston

Sunday was an amazing day filled with friends and family at Lake Gaston. Hosted by my amazing Mother-In-Law and her dear friend Martha, every detail was perfect. We devoured ham sandwiches, fruit, chips and dip, homemade bumble bee mints and the most adorable cupcakes you have ever seen!
To create the "Bumble Bee" look, they took a yellow hard candy and painted black lines along the side with frosting. Lastly, they used slivered almonds as the wings and voila! They were a huge hit and everyone thought they were so creative! I'm working on getting the punch recipe to post because it was TO DIE FOR! The only ingredients I could decipher -- pineapple juice and ginger ale. As soon as I get the recipe, I will post for sure! I could not get over the generosity of the group as I opened one amazing gift for the twins after another. One thing is for sure, these girls are going to be some of the most loved children in the world!!!

To view more pictures of the Baby Shower, click on the link below!
LKG Baby Shower Pics

Thanks again to everyone that attended the shower and made it special!
I love you!

Sarah

Starting Out

I've been trying to think of ways to keep everyone posted on what's going on with the Johnson family. Some people have Facebook and others don't. Some friends prefer text messages; however my Mother-In-Law hasn't quite mastered this, yet. So... what I was able to come up with was a blog. This way anyone remotely interested in what the Johnson's are up to can come to our site and check in whenever they want.

With Love,
Sarah