I'm so far behind on pictures. Well...I actually don't have that many pictures to post. I've been a tad out of commission! But I'm going backwards...basically, Kindermusik Halloween and the beach. That's it! Yes, I'm so jealous of people's beautiful fall pictures. Yes, I wish I had some of my own from the mountains. BUT...I'm here typing, right? Thankful!
Addie and I have been attending a Kindermusik class with Mandy and Cady for a few months now. The whole concept of the class is movement with music. I've been amazed at Addie's new found ability to keep the beat when she dances now or claps. I really think it has a lot to do with this class! And it's always fun for Mandy and me to get to spend a little time together and enjoy watching the girls interact. They are such sweet friends!
We missed the trunk or treat at our church and few parties with friends, but we're hoping to make it down to a local college for a fall festival this afternoon. We'll see!
So enough words...
Not my best set of pictures; but I was still sporting 35 staples, which meant I had a tad harder time maneuvering myself! So don't look at them too closely...or they'll blur!
Our little kitty cat!
And how cute that Cady was a dog! We hadn't even talked about it!
This is Addie's teacher. She was so sweet to do some of the lifting and movement with Addie because I couldn't!
Mandy was so sweet to help with Addie too! We've both learned a lot about having two kids...and carrying them at the same time!You can see how much heavier Addie is though!
This isnt' the greatest picture, but I LOVE it because Cady's turning around to find her friend and make sure she's ok! Sweet friends!
Their sweet little class. Look at all the animals! Duck, dog, cat, rooster, ladybug, peacock, and lion. But you cant forget the AU football player and the adorable little girl in the poodle skirt and glasses!
I had a bad reaction to the loss of our first child. I was mad and angry with God. He knew how long we'd been trying to conceive. He knew how much we wanted that baby. But he said wait. And I was furious! So that's why I see this as a second chance. A second chance to react. A second chance to be thankful for the conception and birth of Addie. A second chance to be thankful for the conception of these twins. A second chance to hope and a second chance to grieve.
I lay awake a long time last night. I've thrown up for 3 days straight, so I decided to take a pain pill before bed in an attempt to calm my entire body down. It worked. No nausea. No gagging. Relatively little discomfort. Lots of time to think. I guess when you've slept 5 hours during the day for the past three days, sleep doesn't come as quickly.
So I lay there thinking about a lot of things. I finally had time to think about this precious third baby that we found out we had one minute and lost the next. It's been a little overshadowed by my surgery, the twins survival, and our wild and loving child. So in my reflective state, I decided I pretty much had a 4 step reaction to this; and the first two were in matter of seconds!
Disbelief. triplets. oh. my. word. we could have had THREE babies all at once. three car seats. three baby beds. they don't make good triplet strollers. i've looked. and I only have two arms! oh. my. word.
Devastation. We know that life begins at conception. We are adamantly against abortion and even selective reduction. I don't consider what we did an abortion or selective reduction. We didn't really have a choice here. Our third baby was already gone before the surgery. I guess I see the surgery as a necessity for me to continue living. I was given 2 hours to live without it. But this baby was very much alive at one point. It may not have been as big as our other two, but I'm certain it had a beating heart, fingers and toes, and tried hard to wiggle around. I don't believe that we made the choice to take this baby. I believe God did. He gives and He takes away. I don't have to understand it; I just have to make the choice to accept it. But it's a grief process none the less, because in all reality, we just lost a second baby.
Reflection: What are you doing to me and where were the warning signs? I tried really hard to come up with a one word reaction here. It didn't happen. I've had so many people question why my doctors and nurses didn't find this. Why didn't they even bother to look at my tubes? Well...because until that Friday night, there were no warning signs. I had two healthy babies in my uterus. I mean, I had a pulling pain here and there; but nothing extreme. It could all be explained away with ligament stretching or babies growing. My only hint was that my morning sickness was getting worse. We'd spent the weekend before at the beach with my dad and his wife. From the time we arrived Friday until we left Sunday, there was a marked difference in how I felt. I think they even noticed. I spent all day that Monday in the bed; but after that, I seemed to recover...until Friday night! It's hard for me to comprehend that this baby almost took my life. I'm not angry about it. I'm more thankful to God for saving my life and the twins than anything. Amazing miracles. I don't blame my doctors and nurses for not looking for it. They had no reason to. But at the same time, I keep looking back trying to find warning sign...and there really were none.
Relief. This may sound strange, but it's where I am right now. I don't know if this baby suffered. I firmly believe that babies can sense and feel things in utero. You should see ours reacting to the pressure of an ultrasound on my belly at a mere 11 weeks! Amazing! I pray this baby didn't suffer. I hope whatever happened, happened instantly. I think it probably did, given how quickly I got so violently ill. The pressure or force of the rupture nicked an artery that runs close to the fallopian tubes. That's why I bled so quickly and so much. But back to my point here. How could I feel relief? Because I know where this baby is now. He's in heaven, with our first child we lost. It took me a long time to get to this point with our first child. They've both been made perfect, escaping the imperfections of this world in which we live. Part of me considers him blessed. But that doesn't stop the sadness that I certainly still feel having never had the privilege to meet him. Yes, him. But I will one day, and I can't wait!
So these are my thoughts. Deep or shallow, here they are. I think it's fair to say that I deserved a little time to process all of this, given the circumstances. I won't say I'm ready to talk about it, but at least I'm processing it. I don't know why any of this happened. But I don't consider it a mystery. I don't necessarily understand it, but I consider it part of God's amazing plan for our lives. He's known this from the start. He's got it all under control. And I can't help but find comfort instead of confusion in that!
Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today ... the LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still" Exodus 14:13-14
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.2 Corinthians 2: 3-4
My friend Mandy (who, by the way, carted both girls back and forth to MMO yesterday in the rain! thank you so much!!!) recently updated her blog with a quick list of what has been happening in their lives. It was short, succinct, to the point and way easy to read!
So here's my much wordier attempt at that:
Food is not my friend. After an entire day of trying to find me something to eat because I lost my dinner last night, my aunt finally boiled some red potatoes, peeled them, and mashed them with butter and salt. They are gone. I then made the mistake of making the yummiest milk shake with fresh strawberries this afternoon. It did not stay down. :/ My new staples: eggs, cheese toast, mashed potatoes, and chicken broth from cans of chicken and stars soup. Whatever works, right?
My aunt, my mom's sister, otherwise known around here as Nana, is amazing. She met us here last Wednesday when we got home from the hospital in TN. In her words, we were in bad shape. She gave my mom a break. She stayed with my mom and worked like an I don't know what over here until Saturday morning, but I hardly knew she was here. She came back Tuesday to help me with Addie that afternoon and today. This time she came with a pot roast, turkey chili, spaghetti with whole wheat pasta, and twice baked potatoes...oh, and this corn bread that she supposedly "messed up" but tasted so yummy to me, and she's about to make more of it!!! She kept Addie for me this morning while I slept. She's done laundry and not dried what we don't dry. She's entertained a 19 month old and kept a very finicky pregnant woman semi-full. That last one is the biggest accomplishment of the week I believe. Thank you Nana for coming and quietly serving our family! We love you!
Addie knows that if she hits, it's straight to time-out. One warning, not two, will land her there. She gets frustrated. I'm ok with that. I get frustrated. I'm ok if she screams or cries a little, but if she hits one of us or an animal, it's time-out. So now she hits herself. She'll bop herself upside the back of the head when she's mad. So what do we do with that...?
Our dog, Abigail, is bad. She's counter surfed one too many times. She's taken food right out of Addie's hands one too many times. And she weaseled her way into getting two dinners last night, both complete with pumpkin (that's part of her diet)! Argh. We already have two kids, and we're adding two more. Help us!
Pregnancy isn't pretty. I got rid of the majority of the morning sickness I had after the surgery. We really think it had to do with the ectopic pregnancy putting so much pressure on my tube. But I'm still nauseous. I gag at the drop of a hat. At one point, I was taking eight pills (along with a prenatal vitamin, baby aspirin and my progesterone shot). I took only two this morning. That's an accomplishment. I hate taking so much, and I'm thankful I can cut it down so significantly already.
My incision is healing. It doesn't hurt half as much when I suddenly sneeze anymore.
God is good. All the time. We continue to thank Him for each new day! He always provides. Always protects. And we praise His name on the good days and the hard ones!
I was talking with a friend recently about how hard it is for me not to be able to care for Addie. The morning sickness sort of eased me into this, but at least I could pick her up then. No more.
Don't get me wrong...when I was in the hospital, Addie was in the best of care with my mom and Paul. A whole lotta love and consistency. That's what she needed then and that's exactly what she got!
Since we've been home, we've kept her with people she sees on at least a weekly basis: Mandy and Cady, DiDi, my mom, or with us. It's paid off. I felt selfish at first about it; but watching her turn back into our happy, fairly easy going, energetic little girl has been worth it! She's obeying more. She's throwing far fewer tantrums. She responds to us like she used to.
And for her resilience, I am grateful.
But it doesnt make it any easier that I can't bend over and pick her up. I can't sit on the edge of the tub and bathe her. I haven't changed a diaper in over a week, probably longer (ok, so I haven't missed that!). And worst of all, I cant go scoop her up out of the bed and cuddle with her.
But she's the very best medicine. She gets me up in the morning by running in and yelling Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Hi, Mommy! She demands to get Up! on the bed and then promptly demands to see my Owie! Owie! More owie! Then she blows on it? She hasn't had enough owies in her short life to know that you blow on them...but she does! Sweet thing. And then she promptly finds a way off the bed, sometimes landing on her bottom on the floor exclaiming, Whoa, Addie! (where'd she get that?)
I listened to her read herself a book tonight: Millie Moo. Baby jibber jabber followed by an elephant sound. Baby jibber jabber followed by a monkey sound. Baby jibber jabber followed by a bear sound. Baby jibber jabber followed by a fish sound. Baby jibber jabber followed by something I couldn't understand. Baby jibber jabber followed by Moooooooo! She's started reading an opposite book: up/down, young/old, short/long, day/night, awake/sleep, and wet/dry. My mom taught her that. I cannot lie. She came to the hospital reading it! I mean, clearly, I know she's not reading...but she is!
And it's hard because all I can do is watch. But I'm thankful. Because I can watch. And she can crawl up in my lap and wake me up in the morning. And she still has a mommy!
And for that, I am thankful. God is good. He keeps providing for our family over and over again. Financially. Care for me and Addie. Food and more food! Flexibility with Paul's job. We are so blessed and so thankful!
And besides Addie being the very best medicine, we have these little ones:
Who you can hardly see on these ultrasounds...but their heartbeats were perfect. Little hands rubbing a face. Wiggling like little fish. Legs kicking. Healthy. Little. Miracles!
And the incision no longer matters. And the fact that I hate food right now doesn't matter. And not being able to hold Addie no longer matters. Because all of that is temporary.
But our family will forever be the very best medicine!
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A few quick praises and prayer requests:
Praise! My staples are out! I feel so much...more flexible? I don't know. They were holding me together pretty tightly, so I can move (and sleep) easier! Now I'm being held together by tape...reassuring, huh? (oh, and the 2 layer of sutures under the skin!)
Praise! Addie and Paul both seem to be adjusting to this new normal, slowly but surely.
Praise! For God's provisions! Period. All of them!
Request: continued rest for all of us. This last week took it flat out of our family. God has provided me with a lot of rest, but Paul really needs some down time. Pray that he will have some in the next few days!
Request: continued health of the twins. They look fabulous right now, but we are all too aware of the possibilities of problems due to my emergency or just for twins in general. Please pray for full term, healthy babies!
Thank you all again for your sweet words of encouragement and many prayers! God has used each one of you in mighty ways to minister to our family in one way or another! Thank you for being His hands and a feet! Have a wonderful week!
Given our most recent blog posts, this one probably seems somewhat out of the ordinary. I can assure you that it's not. This is something that has been on my mind for months now. What to do? Do I take the vaccine as a pregnant women? Do we chose to give it to Addie? What are the risks of the illness vs the risks of the vaccine?
I'm not anti-vaccinations. I know the staggering statistics of how easily these deadly diseases will reappear if too many refuse to vaccinate their children. I'm not a vaccination delayer either. Addie's my first though, and watching the huge number of vaccines that they give to our children at one time, I may opt for an additional visit or two to the pediatrician in order to spread some of these out with our next two kiddos. But I'm not here to start a vaccination debate...
I can tell you that I 1.) am no medical professional, 2.) don't have an answer, and 3.) am not here to tell you what to do or not do!
But we've talked to several medical professionals about the H1N1 vaccine specifically: my fertility doctor, twice; my regular OB; and Addie's pediatrician.
One thing we know for sure is that we will not be taking for ourselves or giving Addie the nasal version of this vaccine, F1uMist, even though it does not contain thimerosal/mercury. The reason being: it's a live virus. All single dose versions of the vaccine, which are apparently the ones given to children, are thimerosal/mercury free. I just wish I could find one for myself!
Another thing we know: I don't have much of a choice as to whether I take it or not. I'm pregnant. Now I'm pregnant with twins. And on top of that, I'm pregnant after emergency surgery. So to some extent, my immune system has been challenged.
I've read a lot of articles on this. Some of them were just pointless and told me nothing concrete. But I finally linked to one from a blog written by a fellow mother, Safe Mama, that seems to make the most sense. It's from the New York Times and you can find it here. It is very matter of fact vs. using scare tactics. The thing I found the most interesting was the comparison it made to children dying from the seasonal flu (last year) to the current numbers of children who have died from the H1N1 flu.
We all hear about washing our hands and keeping them away from our eyes and mouth. My mother-in-law sent us a great email about preventative measures. I've found the link to the article here. It not only had those duh things in it but some good points that I sure hadn't thought about as well.
We haven't decided whether to give this one to Addie or not. But I've pretty much been told, I'll have it. I am waiting until the end of my first trimester, which is soon!
Again, I'm not here to preach or tell you what to do or not to do. I would LOVE to know what you have decided to do about the seasonal flu vaccine and/or the H1N1 vaccine for yourself or your children...and even what brought you to that decision!!!
Hope you have a great week! Ours has certainly started off better than last week! :)
As it is growing closer to midnight, I have started to remember where we were last weekend, what was going through my mind, the things we had no idea were to come, but peace that God gave us.
And I am thankful...
I'm thankful that I'll be asleep at 4am instead of being pumped full of fluids and at 5:30am instead of having a CT scan on my abdomen, praying that God will protect our babies.
I'm thankful to know that our triplet is in heaven with our Father, the Greatest Physician, who chose to save his mother's life.
I'm thankful to have come through a surgery virtually unscathed. Walked through the fire and come out unburned. Sure. I've got an incision...but really, in the whole grand scheme of things...wow. God is so good.
I am thankful to be alive.
I'll be honest with you. I'm not ready to talk about our 3rd baby, the one we found out we had one minute and only seconds later that we had lost. Besides with Paul and maybe a close friend or two, I can't talk about it. We so appreciate your prayers and words of encouragement; but for me, I don't need to know how others are processing it right now. I know that sounds a little selfish, but it's just where I am. We're still so raw. It was our baby, mine and Paul's. We'll process it together. Slowly. In our time. In His time. Thank you for respecting that.
Bottom line, we now have 2 babies in heaven, 1 on earth, and 2 in my belly.
And I'm thankful for every. single. one.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior! Isaiah 43: 2-3a
In addition to witnessing God's healing hand repeatedly over the past few days, we've witnessed a willingness by so many to be used by Him, for his goodness!
This is another one of those post that I'm writing for me to remember things that we experienced in those scary times. If you chose to read it, I hope it blesses you; if not, I hope you will continue to pray for our family and these precious men and women who served us!
When we arrived at this hospital, all that was going through my head (besides these people have got to get me better and fast!) was where on the earth are they taking me? We're in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee at the Fort Sanders Sevierville Medical Center. Where? I know. They rolled me into the ER, and I had not a clue what kind of care I would get! Would they have the proper equipment? Would they know how to fix me?
If the paramedics were any indication of the quality of care I was going to receive, then I was in good hands. Andrew and Aaron are cousins. Andrew was the one who couldn't find my pulse but didn't panic. He held my hand as I sat on the bathroom floor throwing up. He kept me talking even though I didn't want to. They put me in a medic chair to carry me up the stairs. Andrew carefully got me onto the gurney, started my IV, checked with the OB on an anti-nausea drug I could take. He stayed with me until the ER nurse could come in. And later that morning, he found Paul in the middle of my surgery, when he was all alone in the OR waiting room. He sat with Paul through my surgery and prayed with him. This complete stranger brought such comfort, allowing himself to be used as His hands.
My first ER nurse, Will, had more energy than Addie! He went 90 miles an hours. But he was the one who stayed after his shift had ended to get me ready for surgery. He changed my IV bag after IV bag (which was apparently a total of 8 before surgery, with one going in each arm). He pumped me full of anti-nausea medicine and antibiotics for surgery, just in case. He told me that he was ready for my fingers and toes to not be purple! He came and visited me in the ICU after my surgery.
Then there was Dr. H. He was my first ER doctor. He was so patient and gentle. He ordered the tests, consulted with several other doctors, including the next ER doctor on call and my doctor from home. He called in the team of doctors. He held my hand before they took me out of the ER to surgery. I could see tears in his eyes. He came to see me early the next morning in the ICU and brought me a personal note and a beautiful wooden angel.
Dr. B was the next ER doctor that came on. He has 7 children. He had this calming voice, reassuring yet realistic. He always winked at me when I'd glance over to get his reaction of what was going on. Paul asked him if I was going to be ok. Calmly but reasonable he replied, "Sir, we are going to do everything we can for her."
Dr. P is the Chief of Staff. I didn't find this out until later. He's also the best surgeon on the planet in my eyes. He's the one who demanded the 2nd surgical team come in to save my life. He's quick and sharp yet steady and calm. He's a surgeon. He drained my belly of blood, checked my stomach, intestines, kidneys and liver. He cut me open and sewed/stapled me back up.
Dr. P's brother is a CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist). He was in an emergency c-section, where Dr. P paged him, texted him, and called him (something he apparently never does all 3 of). He wanted him in the OR for me. He got him in there, and he watched my levels. He made sure the medicine they gave me would not harm my babies. He made sure I got through the surgery. He offered his home for Paul to come take a shower or stay in.
And then Dr. A. I really think she's an angel without wings. She stood by my bed and would talk gently to me. Giving me the possibilities of what she might have to do. Reminding me that I was in good hands. Carefully monitoring all of my babies, even the one that almost took my life. When she smiled, her eyes would light up. Before she did the ultrasound to check to see if the twins were even still alive, she prayed with us. She prayed for God's comfort, for His presence. And she rejoiced with us when we saw those kicking, wiggling, babies with amazing heartbeats. She prayed with us agian, thanking our amazing God for shielding these babies from harm.
Dot was the nurse in ultrasounds/radiation. She rubbed my feet and figured out how to prop my hips up without pain shooting through my body. She squeezed my hand and told me I was doing a good job. She called our babies little peanuts and marveled at how perfect they were! She came and visited me before I went into surgery, rubbing my back as I was getting sick. She came back to the ICU after my surgery, held my hand, and told me how happy she was for all of us! And she came to our room, the night before we were discharged, to wish us the best.
Denise was my ICU nurse. She is actually Andrew, the paramedics, wife. She finally found a pain med and dose that would ease my pain. She was so patient. She gave me a bath and brushed my hair out (which is a feat in of itself!). She got me ice cup after ice cup. She heated my first meal, grits, and found me some butter and a spoon. She talked with Paul, reassuring him that things would be alright. She walked us out when we were discharged, and we left her with the beautiful purple flowers Diane and her family sent me. She was another angel without wings.
What I love about each of these doctors and nurses is their confidence in their colleagues. Each one reassured me about the other. Each one had something positive to say about the next one. They saw the fear in my eyes of the unknown and worked to calm me. I firmly believe that God put them at that hospital that morning. They added to the peace that He gave me. They recognized not only their gifts but that our God, the Greatest Physician, was the ultimate one in control. That glorified Him with us, which made me respect them all the more.
Make sure to comment to encourage him to continue blogging!
And a quick update:
we are home and being cared for in so many ways--food and cleaning and any childcare we might need. We are keeping Addie on her regular schedule as much as possible and near to us. She seems to be slowly adjusting. She's been through a lot! I'm moving around more than even yesterday. The pain meds are doing their job, thankfully! Paul is resting today instead of heading back to work. Life will slowly return to normal!
I get my staples out Monday, and we'll get to see the babies again on ultrasound then as well!
Please continue to pray for the health of these sweet babies, my physical healing, Paul's emotional healing, and sweet Addie to just be able to readjust to things! Thank you all for your precious words of encouragement and many prayers! Our God is so good!!!!
I've tried to get the energy up to do a quick update before this, but it just hasn't happened.
Yesterday, Monday, was great. The pain pump meds were still in my system as I transitioned onto oral meds. I got up and took a shower with Paul's assistance. I walked the halls, twice. I ate dinner sitting in a chair. By late last night, I was hurting. Hurting something serious. There's a lot that goes on in your body after surgery. Things I've never had to experience, thankfully! Bottom line, it stinks! I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
My incision goes from the base of my rib cage down. There are three layers of sutures, two with stitches and the top with staples. Paul counted 35 staples. I think it's about 7 inches long. I wasn't ever big on wearing two piece bathing suits, but I will never wear another one now! There is nothing pretty about this incision!
When I stand up, it feels like someone has attached an anchor to my stomach. But the more I move the easier it gets! The pulling and tugging is unbelievable. There's swelling and bruising, but nothing, and I mean nothing could compare to the pain I was in early Saturday morning. So I give thanks!
We got to see the twins again this morning (Tuesday). What a sweet sight. Precious heartbeats. Wiggling arms and legs. We think they are perfect.
Here are some Specific Prayer Requests:
travel safety: we will be making the 6 hour journey home tomorrow, which will probably take about 8 hours. Please pray for safety, limited pain, and lots of patience on all of our parts!
healing for my incision and limited pain at the incision site as the twins begin to grow
protection for the babies from any stress they endured, procedures that I had done, and medications that I have to take now
Addie: she needs her Mama, and I can't meet all of her needs right now. There are very few people that we're releasing her to, for her benefit, not ours. Please don't be offended if we ask you to come to us or help in an altogether different way. It isn't that we don't trust you, we're just trying to maintain as much consistency with her as possible; and right now, that has a lot to do with her proximity to us. Please pray that people will be receptive to this and still willing to help our family.
Paul: for inexplainable energy and peace! He's exhausted but wants to care for both me and Addie. He's been an amazing rock for me, never budging. Please pray for his strength and ability to juggle more than he's used to handling. He's already done such a good job balancing things!
That, as a family, we would continue to draw closer to our Heavenly Father. We want to first and foremost rely on His strength and then on each others. That every word we speak and thing we do would bring glory to Him. He is the reason we are here.
To be completely honest with you, I am most grateful to be alive. Our God has done miraculous things here. Not only should I not be here but neither should these twins. I'll write more on the third baby later. I'm still processing things.
When my mom had breast cancer, we came face to face with the possibility of her dying. I fully believe that God provided the doctors and nurses here on earth to treat and cure her. He is the Greatest Physician.
But this is different, for me at least. I'm now the one that just came face to face with death. As Paul's wife. As Addie's mother. And the Great Physician held me in the palm of His hand. It was His choice whether I would live or die. It was His choice whether the twins would survive. He gave the knowledge to the doctors, the wisdom of what to search for, and the steady hand to remove from my body what was killing me without causing more damage. I don't know why God has chosen this path for me or these babies. I can only rest in the fact that He's got it all under control and has beautiful things planned for our lives!
It changes your perspective. What was once an ordeal is just trivial to us. What we once cared about, seems insignificant. It isn't that we don't care, it's just that our little family has bonded even closer over the past 5 days. I've had to rely on Paul for so much. But most importantly, I've had to rely on the strength from our God to literally survive.
You have turned my mourning into dancing, Lord Now my feet are filled with your praise You have clothed my spirit with a robe of joy You've cast my sorrow away
I know I promised to at least attempt to take some beautiful pictures on this trip of ours, but you know what they say: the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry! My camera has not even made it out of the bag!
As most of you probably know by now, I ended up in the ER late Friday night via ambulance. What we thought was probably food poisoning, was far more serious.
I'm warning you, this post is long and full of TMI. But I need to write it down.
It all started with what I thought were gas pains. Then the vomiting started. The one thing we forgot when we left town was Gas-X. So my sweet husband got up at 1am, dressed, and drove down the mountain to get me some. As I was attempting to distract myself and avoid throwing up, I saw my friend Allison had just sent an email about her fun Christmas cards. I was praying that she was still up, so i sent her a quick email. We started emailing, and she encouraged me to call our OB on-call doctor, in perfect timing! The nurse said for us to head to the ER to get some fluids. So, being the overachiever that I am, I hopped up to get dressed and get upstairs to meet Paul when he got back so we could head to the ER. Biggest mistake. I blacked out on the floor in our bedroom, crawled back into the bathroom and continued vomiting, but now I was wringing wet with sweat.
Right about that time, Paul was trying to punch the key code in to get the door open. It wouldn't work. By the time he got downstairs, I knew I wasn't going to be making it back up them. He called the ambulance. They arrived shortly. The tech attempted to find my pulse. Nothing, although I clearly had one. I threw up again. Do you know how hard it is to throw up in front of someone else? My modest dignity was slowly fading and would only fade more throughout those early morning hours. After I was in the ambulance, he attempted to find my blood pressure. Nothing, which meant my top bp number was below 80.
He started pumping me full of fluids and zofran, and my pressure started to go up slowly. Some of my color returned.
We arrived at the hospital. That's when my blood pressure went back down, my lips, fingers and toes purple as could be, and the tests started: blood work, urinalysis, chest x-ray, ultrasound of gall bladder/spleen and ultrasound of our babies. They were trucking along, oblivious as to what was going on.
I was shivering uncontrollably, partially because I was on my 4th bag of fluids; but I later found out, I was going into shock. Then the acute pains began. It started around my belly (around, all four sides, of the babies). Then the spasms started. It was like my entire stomach, abdomen, chest and shoulder muscles would have sudden bouts of shooting pain, freezing up to the point where I couldn't breathe.
That's when I realized my husband had been pushed to the edge of the room; and I was surround by not only my ER nurse, but my original ER doctor, the ER doctor who was on call next, the Chief of Staff who is a surgeon, and the sweetest OB I've ever met. Their faces were attempting to hide their utter and complete fear for my life. I'm not exaggerating. But I could see it. They decided an emergency abdominal CT scan was inevitable, even with me being pregnant. My mentality by that point was, if you can't save me, then these babies have no chance at all! They threw out the idea of using a contrasting dye, because there was no time. Their words.
As they rolled me into the CT scan room, Paul overheard the surgeon on the phone, “I don't care if they aren't on call. The 1st surgical team is wrapped up. Get the 2nd surgical team here NOW. We've got to get this lady into the OR.”
What they found on the CT scan was pretty horrifying. The possibilities: a ruptured appendix, infected gall bladder, ruptured fallopian tube, ruptured cyst or a tear in the uterus wall due to one the babies implanting too high up. Before I knew it, there were 6-7 people surrounding me. Pushing the antibiotics in through the iv, speeding up my fluids, and prepping me for emergency surgery. They ruled out my appendix and gall bladder.
Forget laparoscopy, they cut me right down the middle from my diaphragm to my pelvis. The possible outcomes of this surgery (because now they were almost certain it was of a reproductive nature): cyst or ovary removal, taking one baby and repairing the uterus, removing a fallopian tube, or doing a full hysterectomy. I'm 31.
I had this peace. I looked up into the OB's eyes and had no doubt the severity of this surgery and that my life was at stake. The goal: save my life and then, if possible, save the babies. I remember thinking, "Lord, if this is my time to meet you, I cannot think of a greater honor. But if at all possible, I'd really like to stick around and raise our children with Paul." I had the most indescribably peace from God. He kept bringing scripture to my mind: I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. My God will never leave you nor forsake you. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart! And my God will meet all of your needs. And peace which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
Peace. Without fear. Complete trust. Faith in the Great Physician.
They went in, found that not only was a pregnant with twins, but in all actuality, triplets. The third baby had implanted in my left fallopian tube, growing right along with the other babies, and causing my tube to rupture. The surgeon took 1.5-2 liters of blood from my abdomen. We only have 3-4 liters of blood in our whole body! No wonder I've been sick for 3 weeks with all day morning sickness, probably due to the stretching of the tube! I haven't felt nauseous due to the morning sickness since the surgery!
I told the surgeon today that I knew it had been so serious. He looked at me and calmly said...you had about 2 more hours to live had the surgery not been performed!
God's.
Perfect.
Timing.
We had no idea the status of the twins after the surgery. I had already been through so much trauma that the OB decided to hold off doing another ultrasound until the morning. And I still had that peace! The concern for the babies was that my blood pressure had been so low for so long. When blood pressure drops for extended periods of time, apparently our bodies compensate by directing any and all blood to the major organs of the body (which is why my fingers, toes, and lips were so purple). So there was extreme worry that the babies had not received enough blood flow while I was losing so much blood, which would result in immediate death for them. In addition to a possible lack of blood flow, I had received an abdominal CT scan and general anesthesia. The blessing is that the radiation from the CT scan was in a range considered safe for babies in utero. The anesthesia was also a class B drug, as is tylenol, which is considered safe as well. Although none of these procedures, the surgery and CT scan, are something that are recommended for pregnant women, they are not directly harmful on a large scale either.
And God shielded these precious babies. They came up on the ultrasound screen, wiggling and kicking. Hearts beating perfectly. Dancing for us because, at the time, we couldnt! We heard their precious heartbeats loud and clear, for the first time! Seeing and hearing are so different! They were still oblivious as to what had occurred, and yet they are already fighters; fighters that have won a battle that few in the medical profession would consider even a possibility!
They are miracles!
To God be the glory, great things he has done!
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord
Let the earth hear His voice!
"for i know the plans i have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11
Several months ago, Paul and I started talking about what we might like to do for our 10th anniversary (July, 2010). Cruise? NYC? Maine? An all inclusive like Sandals?
My one request: I wanted some place where I could attempt to take some beautiful pictures, and I wanted to rent a wide angle lens to take with us. I'm a dork. I fully recognize it.
Oh, and I didn't want to spend a fortune.
We knew there would be a possibility that we could have a new baby that we wouldn't be able to leave by next July (our actual 10th anniversary). We had no idea that we would have two!
Which meant we'd need to go either this fall or next. This fall made the most sense.
So before we started fertility shots. Before we found out we were pregnant. Before we found out we were having twins (can I say that? is it actually real? i mean...twins?). We scheduled this trip.
4 days 3 nights. In the mountains. With changing leaves. Waterfalls. Exquisite scenery. Hiking trails. A good book. Nothing to do but relax and take it all in without kids!
And a pregnant woman carrying twins who requires strange food at her fingertips at least 16 hours a day. And gets car-sick-feeling on Birmingham roads.
I think I'll be the one driving those winding mountain roads now. thankyouverymuch!
This will be the first time we've left Addie for longer than one night (and only about 18 hours total). She will be in excellent hands though! She'll be staying with my mom, her Rie Rie. My mom's got Addie's schedule, routines, and otherwise quirky traits down pat! Then she'll get to spend the day with her Aunt DiDi on Monday while we're on the way home.
She doesn't know it yet, but she's ecstatic! She'll be doted on and spoiled all weekend. We've left her a gift to unwrap for each day and a new book for each night. The next time we do this, when we leave 3 children, they'll be lucky to get one gift a day for all three of them! Oh the joys of being the first child!
So...I'm sure I'll have to do a few posts while we're gone, because I will certainly have to empty my memory card daily (or 2-3 times daily) knowing the amount of pictures I'll want to take! And who can empty their memory card and not look at the pictures. And fix a few. And post a few!
But until then, these professional pictures will have to do!
ok...I guess I shouldn't have made the title sound so desperate. But I do need your help.
There are some way more creative people out there than I could ever dream to be, and I know I'm lucky enough to have some of them reading my blog! So...whether you think your creative or not, I still need your help!
We're going to have to rename this blog here.
I mean. Addie Marie has been all fine and good up until now. But our family is growing!
We could always use something playing off our last name. But I haven't managed to come up with anything as cute the Five Lewis Crew (about to be Six Lewis Crew), A "Joye"ful Life, The Red Webs, Corbitt's Corner, or Bunches from the Bunces. I love the Perfectly Imperfect or My Crazy but Ordinary Life, but those already exist. Then there's always the numbers game: 3+2=5 or And Then There Were 5, but all that's been done too! Or something to do with twins, but we sure aren't going to leave Addie out! We could always go with the Montgomery Wamsteds, sorta like the Atlanta Wamsteds!
But I just can't decide.
So I need your help! Please take 30 seconds and see if you can help me think of something, anything remotely creative to rename our blog!
Oh...and please vote for what you think we're having! I'm interested to know what the consensus is!
He said that the 34 week mark is A goal but not THE goal!
It's a goal because most twins born at 34 weeks are normal (his word, not mine).
But...almost all twins born prior to 36 weeks will have to remain in the NICU. Once 36 weeks is met, only 10% remain in the NICU; and by 37-38 weeks, the rate drops to a mere 2%!
He said THE goal is 37-38 weeks.
So although everything almost everything will be ready by the end of February, we should have 6-8 more weeks after that!
It's strange for me to start sharing our fertility journey of these twins having kept it quiet for so long. But it's something that I think people need to be aware of. I think most of us have been touched in someway by someone who has walked this road. Either a relative or a friend or a friend of a friend. It's much more talked about and accepted than it was years ago.
We met with our fertility doctor, Dr. Long, today. He's with the Alabama Reproductive Technologies (ART) Program. It's based in Birmingham, but they have offices in Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, and Huntsville. The only times we had to travel to Birmingham were for the initial appointment and then any Saturday or Sunday appointments. Since cycles don't take weekends, they are open on the weekends for procedures that cannot wait until Monday or be done on Fridays, such as monitoring blood work/ultrasounds or doing IUI's.
Anyway, we had a video conference with Dr. Long.
He's fabulous. Calm. Knowledgeable. Matter of fact yet gentle. Speaks and yet listens. Doesn't make you feel stupid.
We talked basic pregnancy stuff like food and nausea and medicine and weight gain and the babies' health. He reiterated that no matter how much (or little) nutrients I get, the babies will get what they need. Amazing how God works! We talked about the H1N1 vaccine and the pros/cons of taking/not taking it.
And then we talked some about twins.
According to our doctor, 80-90% of women deliver twins via c-section. I've read as low as 50-60% online though. It all depends on how twin A is positioned and what twin B decides to do! :) We'll see!
95% of twins are born before 37 weeks.
The magic number: 34 weeks.
All organs, lungs, everything is developed by 34 weeks with twins. After that, they are just getting bigger.
Again, absolutely amazing how God works! Two babies are squished into a much smaller space. Therefore, they develop faster so they can come sooner! Amazing! Perfect!
Our first goal: 28-30 weeks (end of February)
Our second goal: 32 weeks (mid-March, Addie's birthday)
Our final goal: 34 weeks (beginning of April)
I had 37 weeks in my head. You know, end of April.
I was a little taken aback to think that we've basically got to have everything ready by the end of February, just to be safe. That's about 4 and a half months.
And then he released me to my OB. No more weekly ultrasounds. I will miss those!
So who wants to help us move the guest bed, sofa, and desk out of the guest bedroom and box up the books? And paint. And make bedding (after we find out what we're having). Like soon...
Ohhhhhh, nevermind...I'll worry about that later. For now, I'm just going to try to get some food down!
It's always been hard for me to listen to others talk about babies not being babies until they can survive outside their mother's womb. Maybe it's because we struggled so long to getpregnant. Maybe it's because I firmly believe that God creates life using only two cells. Maybe it's because of what I've seen, with my own eyes, in my own womb. I could care less what the medical definition of a baby is. Life is life!
And we have two of them we're privileged to be watching grow and thrive!
Not only are our 9 week old babies' heart beating rapidly, every organ in their bodies has already been formed. Every organ! And now they are perfecting themselves. Along with fingers. And eyes. And earlobes. And teeth. And chambers of their hearts. And though we can't see it yet, we've either got 2 boys, 2 girls, or a boy and a girl!
At 9 weeks, we saw two wiggling, squirming, kicking, very much alive and thriving babies, who have without a doubt already captured our hearts!
Baby A did several stomach curls for us!
Baby B splayed out arms and legs for us to see!
Blessed. So blessed that it's still unbelievable for me to say we'rehaving twins!
I have not done a Not Me! Monday in a long time, but not because I'm lacking in the Not Me! category!
I did not forget to pay our gas bill last month! I did not use the excuse of finding out we were having twins. I'd never make excuses for my forgetfulness!
I did not take the firm banana and give the soft one to Addie! I'd never take the best from my child. I mean...unless it meant preventing me from gagging!
My diet over the last week has not primarily consisted of ginger ale, popsicles, bananas, apple sauce, egg sandwiches, grapes, random italian and mexican food, sherbert, water, and ginger cookies. I'd never eat that unhealthy, especially when I'm pregnant! I mean...unless I'm just attempting to stop losing weight and start gaining it!
I did not finally agree to take Zofran, an anti-nausea drug. I did not hesitate just because I wasn't throwing up and was only nauseous 24/7. My nurse did not tell me I could eat virtually anything I wanted in order to get the much needed calories, including pancakes for supper! I am not so thankful that I already feel better, but I am not refusing to believe that I am getting sicker every day.
I am not already showing, and I'm certainly not already getting out of breath when I move too quickly. I'm not in impeccable shape, but I'm certainly not in this bad of shape. I did not just read that I'm supposed to gain 24 lbs by 24 weeks. I hardly gained 25 pounds the entire pregnancy with Addie. I am not in denial and thrilled at the same time! I did not also read that I will need to drink 2 gallons of water a day in the third trimester. Um...that's 2 milk jugs full of water...every day! Twins are so different!
I did not drop my phone in a glass of apple juice top first, have nothing to dry it off with, and decide to use my shirt and pants! I did not pray the whole time as it was starting up that it would please be ok! I am not ecstatic that it is!!!
I have not once again been sick most of the weekend. I did not forget some of the not-so-pleasant side effects of being pregnant. I have not been reminded of most of them this past week.
Addie is not getting taller, saying more words, and basically growing faster every day. I do not love every moment that I have with her (I so do!), and it's not been hard for me to let others care for her as I've felt so sick. I am not (oh but I am) so thankful for my husband, my mom, and our sweet friend Mandy (Cady's mom) who have all helped me with Addie over the past week. I certainly do not have the best husband in the world, who changed all 5 poopy diapers that Addie had yesterday!
And I think that's enough Not Mes! for now! It's 8:30, and I'm seriously contemplating going to bed because at least I'm not nauseous when I sleep! :)
What have you not done these past few weeks! Make sure to check out MckMama's blog for more Not Me! Mondays! Have a great Monday!
Reality check: twins means two of a lot of things.
Two cribs
Two infant car seats
Two high chairs
Two booster seats
Two bouncy seats (got it!)
Two swings (got it!)
Two shopping cart covers (got it!)
Double strollers to add to a single stroller
Oh...and two more babies!
We knew this going into the fertility treatments. We knew this once we found out we were pregnant. We really knew this once we found out we were having twins.
And the reality has set in: We've got to start searching for these big things now!
Thankfully I have the best friends in the world who know how to shop on a dime. Well, on a few dimes.
I've never hesitated to go to yard sales. I've gotten some of the best deals for the best stuff for Addie at these yard sales. Gear. Clothes. Toys. It's finding the right ones though and knowing how to shop! That's where those awesome friends come in!
I passed up the $40 Baby Einstein exersaucer and the PegPerego highchair for $45. I could buy a decent new one for that! Both excellent deals. But we're talking yard sale here people!
I went ahead and figured out the percents. I hate discussing money...but this is just too amazing not to share!
So here's the loot... Rocker Glider with foot stool: 80% off Boppy: 86% off Picnic Table for Addie: 90% off Play Gym for babies: 97% off (I kid you not!) Parents magazine drum set: 83% off
After I left, Diane and her mom found these! Combi Twin stroller: 83% off Kolcraft highchair: 70% off
We have a friend who's giving us their Graco double stroller (the kind that the infant car seats can lock into). So that'd be 100% off! We found a Graco Snugride infant car seat online for 20% off (new). We found Addie's crib online for almost 45% off of what it's retailing for now. It's really gone up since we bought it for Addie!
And then there's the car. I'll post more about it later. Long story short: 3 car seats can fit across the middle seat. It's not a mini-van. And our monthly payments are significantly lower than we expected!
I have 3 words for you again. God is good!!!
Amazingly good! All the time!
Morning sickness might be doubled with twins, but so is God's goodness!
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Philippians 4:19-20
The minute Tyler got the pumpkin patch, he told me we just had to get a picture like we did last year! He even remembered who went where! I love that kid!
Look at how much they've changed! Bigger smiles! Missing teeth! Grown up faces!
After she points to her own tummy, she looks up to sign and say "baby!" Followed by, "Night, night!" (She already knows what we're going to want these babies to do!)
Now we just have to teach her the plural form of baby!
I guess this has turned into a 3 part post: People's Reactions, How'd Twins Happen?, and Random Thoughts from a Pregnant Woman!
People's Reactions: I think the most interesting thing we've encountered so far have been people's reactions to us telling them we are having twins. Most people have hugged us, rejoiced with us, and been all around excited for us! They're babies! They're gifts! But we've had people laugh at us...literally, bust out laughing. Huh? We've had people give us the OMG are you serious? look like we've lost our ever loving minds and just told them the worst thing ever! We've gotten the good luck with that reaction. And the well at least it's not triplets or quints reaction. Hmmmm...I like the first reactions best.
How'd Twins Happen...? The number one question we've gotten about the twins is: Are they fraternal or identical?
The next question is: Do they run in your family or Paul's?
The reason that we believe we are having twins is due to fertility shots. I will say though, I had the same number of eggs released as with Addie (we did shots and an IUI (not IVF)), 4-5 mature eggs. But this time we ended up with twins. Our doctors are very careful to give the lowest possible doses possible. They will not follow through with an IUI (intrauterine insemination) if there are too many mature eggs. Had we done IVF (in-vitro), they would have implanted max 2 eggs (not 6 or 7). They are very conservative in their decisions and keep the best interest of the mother and any babies that might be conceived in mind. Just fyi.
However, I do have fraternal twins in our family. My great grandfathers (my mother's mother's father) was a fraternal twin. There have been no twins since then though. I'm hoping that I might be able to carry them easier than someone who doesn't have those (possible) genes in their family. We'll see!
The average woman has a 3-5% chance of having multiples, depending on your age and birth history. Using shots and IUI as fertility treatments ups the woman's chance to around 35% for twins!
There are SO many misconceptions about twins, most of which I had before we got pregnant with them! But I decided to do a little research the other day when all I could do was lay on the sofa due to feeling yucky.
We can be almost certain that these twins are fraternal. Fraternal twins are always found in different sacs/amniotic fluid with separate placentas, where as identical twins might share or have separate sacs or placentas depending on when the egg splits. It is fairly obvious that these are in separate sacs. Given the number of eggs released and statistics, these babies are most likely fraternal (but i'm not ruling anything out!).
Here's the low-down on what I've read about twins, the very basics, none of which I knew:
-Fraternal twins are hereditary. Identical are not. (i thought it was the opposite)
-Identical twins (when the egg splits) are a complete fluke and doctors do not know exactly why it happens.
-The fraternal twin gene can be passed down to children by either the father or the mother.
-The fraternal twin gene does not have to skip a generation. In fact, if a woman is a fraternal twin, she's more likely to have fraternal twins!
-In order for a woman to get pregnant with fraternal twins, she would have to have the gene somewhere in her family (in most cases). Otherwise, it would most likely be due to fertility treatments. This gene (or the shots) causes her to produce an excess amount of FSH, the follicle stimulating hormone, thus allowing her to release 2 or more eggs at a time. The father (the baby's father, not her's) nor his genes have anything to do with this part (sorry dads).
Now...if Paul has the fraternal twin gene, he could pass it down to our children; but he couldn't cause us to have twins.
Random Thoughts from a Pregnant Woman Not that I've ever had twins, but apparently there are some interesting questions that complete strangers ask parents of twins (I'm sure I'm guilty). Like which one is the good one? andHow do you tell them apart? (honestly, I'd like to know that!) Or way too personal questions like: did you use fertility treatments? (I'm so guilty of at least wondering this bc we did!) or Did you have them naturally or by c-section? Um...personal! I understand the questions because I'm totally guilty of being fascinated with twins or triplets. Then again...I just love all babies! But I will certainly be more conscientious from now on!
I remember when my best friend was pregnant with her first. I was fascinated and so excited for her. I remember telling her that all I wanted to do when I saw a pregnant lady (that I knew) was touch their belly, but that I didn't; and she agreed...don't! (She did let me feel her little boy kick, but it wasn't me initiating it!). I mean, when you think about it, would you really walk up to someone who wasn't pregnant and touch their belly? Um...no! I only had to stop a few people from doing that when I was pregnant with Addie. And I did not hesitate! I'd back away or put my hand up. I wonder if it's different when your belly is twice the size. Apparently so.
So what are your questions about twins? I still have so many! Do share!
Do you think we'll have 2 boys? 2 girls? or one of each?
And no, I don't care if you ask me questions about them...but don't dare try to touch my belly that's already showing! ;)
Ok...I know with me hinting that we "had some news" that many of you probably guessed what it might be. But did you really guess it was this...?
I am officially 8 weeks pregnant...with twins! They say the pregnancy symptoms are double with twins, and I'm here to tell you that I believe it! We got to see the sweet babies heartbeatS again today, and they measured 7wks and 3days today!!!
God has already blessed us immensely with these miracles. Baby B started out 2 weeks behind Baby A. We were told, at barely 6 weeks, that one or both might not make it. We know that reality all too well. We had some precious prayer warriors fervently praying for a solid week for these babies. The next week (last Monday), they were measuring only a day apart! Perfect grace, I say! He continues to show that His hand is on us throughout this process.
So there's our news! Addie is going to be a big sister...times two! I remember being at the pumpkin patch last year and watching Diane and Tim have to fork over an arm and a leg to get a family of 4 in! I looked at them and said that we were sticking to our ONE! Um...Wamsted, party of 5 (not 4...5!). We may have to give up the pumpkin patch once they get over the age of two, otherwise, we'll be saving for months to go there!
Being pregnant with twins is dramatically different than being pregnant with one. We ask that you pray for Paul, me (and my sanity) and Addie (for some reason, she decided to act like she turned two last week!); but even more, we plead with you to pray for these babies. The risks are higher. The gestation is shorter. And have I mentioned...there are TWO of them? :)
Here's our ultrasound from today!
(i didn't get a chance to photoshop the color on this one, but here are our babieS!)
We love you all and can't wait to share more of this journey with you!
But that's just the basics...life takes on a whole new meaning!
There is certainly a trend nowadays to Go Green. It's become a fad, which makes it a lot easier for those of us who'd like to eat a little healthier, clean a little safer, and live a little wiser to do so.
When Addie was born, I became more and more conscious of what was going on around us. As some of you know, we had a somewhat challenging time getting and staying pregnant; and the more I've read, the more I can't help but wonder if what I have put on and in my body has affected that. I'm not going to get too technical here, but so many of the soaps we use, chemicals and detergents we clean with, makeup we put on our faces, and food we eat contain hormones, carcinogens, estrogen mimicking chemicals (like in BPA), or ingredients that are known to be toxic. So why are they still out there...? Well they sell, don't they?
I'm going to share a little about some of the lifestyle changes that we have made, very gradually, over the past year and a half. I'm not here to condemn. I'm not here to argue or prove my point. Nor am I here to justify why we've chosen to do what we've chosen to do. I don't profess to be an expert nor do I believe that I could ever do enough research to know all I'd like to know about this stuff. We don't use all of the best products, don't recycle enough, sure don't grow our own food (I have a hard enough time cooking it!).
But here's our little story...
It all started with Addie. We were originally using the Johnson & Johnson Bedtime lotion. It smelled wonderful...but I've learned that smell isn't everything. In fact, it can actually be one of the red flags for some very negative ingredients. In searching for a safer brand of soap, shampoo, and lotion for Addie in addition to one that would not completely break the bank, I found the Cosmetic Database funded by research of the Environmental Group. They have a whole section on Baby Care complete with recommendations and reviews of products.
What we've found that works for our family may or may not work for yours. That's ok! Balance the risk with the safety. There are many wonderful ways to use vinegar, baking soda, salt, and other everyday household items for cleaning. But here are some things we use/have used:
-Body: California Baby (soap/shampoo, conditioner, lotion, diaper spray, sunscreen, and bug spray) from here (usually on sale) -Cleaning: Better Life cleaning products from here (one of my favorites) -Dishwasher Soap: Dapple from here, but now we use a Pamolive eco brand from Publix. -Allen's detergent from here or here, but now we use ECOS from Sam's -CleanWell hand soap and hand sanitizers (lavender) from here (another of my favorites)
We've also tried to make sure that what we're drinking out of and eating off of do not contain harmful substances. We do make sure we heat things in glass or stainless steel (stove). We do not use anything organic except milk and most meat. It's just still too pricey. We do try to eat as few foods with preservatives as possible, but we don't obsess over it. Just because it's All Natural doesn't mean it's organic or safe. Research it.
Disclaimer: We are not ultra radical about any of the above. My child can still be found in disposable diapers, eating nonorganic meat, and playing with toys that have phthylates and pvc in them. I've been known to use plenty of unsafe dishwasher detergent and purell hand sanitizer. I'm not sharing any of this to boast or tell you what you're doing is wrong. Please don't interpret my words as that. I'm just sharing what we've done in our family because I've learned so much from others who have done the same!
Now...if you made it to the end of this blog post, you deserve something! So...because I'm about to reorder some cleaning products for myself, I'm doing a giveaway! My first ever give away. Don't get too excited!
Here's what's up for grabs: Any one Better Life cleaning product. Trust me...you'll be hooked! I promise!
What cha gotta do: 1.) Visit the Better Life cleaning products site here first. Then come back and tell me the one product you'd like to try (for free!)! 2.) Leave a comment before Monday, October 5th at 10am, when I'll announce the winner and another big surprise! (no guessing on the surprise in the comments or I'll be forced to delete them! And it's not what you think! ;) 3.) To get an additional "entry", leave another (2nd) comment telling me how your family has worked to be a little greener!
If you don't have a blogger account and leave an anonymous comment, make sure to sign your name and leave me a way to contact you (email) unless you know I know how to find you :) (so I can mail you your product if you win!)
I probably won't be posting again until Monday (even though we're going to the pumpkin patch this weekend!). So although it's a tad early, have an awesome weekend!
