Memaw and Papaw left today. Memaw stayed to help Mommy when you first came home. She helped change diapers, rock you, love on you and show Mommy the ropes. Mommy had lots of questions about how to care for your umbilical cord and your circumsision care. Memaw’s help was such a benefit, she did a lot of work but also got to be with you during your first week of life! Tonight, we gave you your first bath. Mommy bathed Elliott and Daddy bathed Cooper. You both cried the entire time! We video taped it so you will always remember your very “firsts”!!

We went to Olan Mills today to take your first baby pictures. You wore a white outfit with blue embroidered kites on it. Memaw and Papaw bought it from a speciality shop called Kids Corner in Robersonville, NC (they get clothing from Europe). We took lots of pictures of you, and one of you both sleeping with Elliott nestled on Coopers shoulder. We also had them take pictures of you in your ECU Pirates and NCState Wolfpack baby jerseys. You truly our Mommy’s little angels and Daddy’s pride and joy. Papaw came back down today. I told you he can’t stay away! We took pictures of you at home in your ECU and NCState jerseys…..you both look so cute!!

Second Doctors appointment. Baby Cooper now weighs 7 lbs. 1.5 oz and Baby Elliott weighs 5 lbs. 14.5 oz. We also went on our FIRST shopping trip today. Mommy and Memaw went to Sam’s and Toys R Us. Everyone seems to flock to you whereever we go, they all want to see the “twins”. We stopped by Lynn’s house so that she could see you and mommy could nurse you both.

Ms. Madge Partin (the town Librarian) came by and brought two piggy banks and after we opened them, she put two NC quarters in each. She said she wanted you to always remember you were born here in NC. Clara Beach came by and brought you two baby Bibles. Everyone in town wanted to see you and were so excited that you were born! Grandma Keckner came over and brought us some Chicken and Parkers Barbeque. We took pictures of you with Grandma and Daddy and then pictures of you with Mommy and Memaw.

We had visitors today. Uncle JR, Aunt Faith, and cousin Iris came to see you. They brought Papaw back down to visit you (he just can’t stay away from you both). Cousin Iris loved playing with you both on the blanket we layed on the floor. She was born on December 14, 2002 and was almost 5 months old when she met you. When you look at the pictures of the three of you together on the blanket, you look small enough to be Iris’s baby dolls! You both wore your blue choo choo outfits and looked so adorable!

First Doctor’s Appointment. Mommy and Daddy took you. Memaw rode inbetween your carseats in the back of the Jeep. We took a picture of her all squished inbetween you, and she loved being able to look at you during the entire ride. Your pediatrican’s name is Dr. Blair. She is very personable and seems to just adore you both. Baby Cooper weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz and Baby Elliott weighed 5 lbs. 9 .5 oz. You both were just four days old but showing signs that you were growing accordingly!!

First Mother’s Day, and the best one ever. I don’t think I could have asked for anything better than to celebrate Mother’s day with my two bundles of joy. Daddy said that we’d go shopping for a Mother’s Day present later, but I told him that you both were the best gifts!! You wore your blue three piece outfits with a little bear on the front. We had lots of company today! Your Aunt Angie, Uncle Ryan, and cousin Aidan came to see you today. They drove down and surprised Memaw by bringing Papaw! Your Aunt Angie is going to have a baby in August and you’ll have another new cousin to meet soon. We let Aidan sit on the couch and hold both of you at the same time. He thought he was quite the big boy! Oh, the things he will teach you boys to do. We grilled steaks and enjoyed each others company.

Memaw spoiled you both today! We found that you slept better in your Boppy pillows. We decided to let you sleep in them while on the couch or in the crib. Papaw had to go home yesterday because the American Legion needed him to run the 220 club. But don’t worry, he is only gone for one day and comes back tomorrow. Daddy’s friend Rooney came by to visit and brought you an adorable blue preemie outfit. I think you will look special in it on Mother’s Day.

On Friday we were given the choice of staying until Saturday AM or leaving on Friday around noon. I was so ready to go home!! Memaw and Papaw brought us breakfast. We were released from the hospital at noon. Mommy and Memaw dressed you in the special outfits we picked out for your first trip home. You wore a light blue sleeper with little bears at the top. We had matching blankets to wrap you up in. Mommy and Daddy drove you home in our Jeep Cherokee. Memaw and Papaw followed behind us. Memaw and Papaw carried you into the house (on the video tape you can hear daddy’s cat Opie meowing…he was welcoming you home) The first night home was hard, Elliott was up all night and Cooper was a sound sleeper. The circumsicions performed on Thursday afternoon threw off your breast feeding schedule. You both were hungry all ngiht.

The Story of Your Birth
I went back to sleep and woke up at 1:00AM and was coughing then throwing up blood. The nurse came in and after the 3rd time of getting sick, the doctor was called. He came in about 1:30AM and said that I was ready to push. They took my temperature and I was running a slight fever. The doctor placed an internal monitor inside and the babies heart rates were higher than what the outside monitors had been reading. At this point both babies heart rates were nearing 200. I began to push and at 2:00AM the doctor was called back in and I was whisked away to the Operating Room. We had Lynn come to video tape your birth, as we were allowed only one person in the Operating Room (they made and exception and let us bring Lynn). I was freezing at this point and still throwing up blood (not as much as before, but I was scared to death because no one really knew why). The epidural had completely numbed me and the muscles I needed to use to push were not in my immediate control. I had to pretend that I was constipated and envisioned sitting on the toilet in order to give the pushes that were needed. I pushed in counts of 10 three times, and repeated this 3 times before Cooper Riley entered this world at 2:35AM! The doctor had to use suction to help him out at the end and I tore due to his size and rapidness at coming out. I can’t describe the emotions of hearing him crying after he was delivered. I watched as he was being cleaned up and everyone kept telling me what a great job I had done. Daddy left my side for a moment to peek at Baby Cooper, they brought him over to me and I was able to kiss him and tell him Happy Birthday! Then it was back to work, Baby B was shifting and they wanted to keep him head down. Suction was used again but because he was much smaller he came out with only 2 sets of pushes. Elliott Jackson entered the world at 2:55AM! Elliott came out quite the screamer, with 0high pitched whaling!! Elliott’s legs were bent at the knees and up high like he had been smooshed inside of me the entire time, his legs were like a frogJ Cooper weighed 7 lbs .67 oz and Elliott weighed 6 lbs .27oz. They both were 19 inches in length. Cooper is our “big squirt” and Elliott was our “little squirt”. I was thrilled but also scared as my pulse, blood pressure and temperature continued to rise. They put you both together and the nurses and Lynn were oooooing and aweing because you reached over and held each others hands. We have pictures that Lynn took and video tape of your first moments of life. I was taken back to the recovery room, they wheeled my bed in with me holding you both. Daddy and Lynn followed behind the bed. I looked like death warmed over and my family and friends that were there were very concerned. I was woozy and could not get up to walk at all. They had to recath me because I refused to get up to go to the bathroom. I was still running a temperature and had to be monitored. I was a little scared because I was not feeling great (physically) but I was so thrilled that now I could hold you both! Grandma held Elliott and Memaw held Cooper, but soon they both had to give them to Mommy so you could begin breastfeeding. Then they took you off to the nursery for your first bath! Everyone left Mommy except for Lynn. She stayed with me and kept me company while everyone (Daddy, Grandma, Memaw and Papaw) went to the nursery. Soon after, Lynn and Grandma left to go home and get some rest. Memaw and Papaw stayed with us until I was moved to the maternity floor. By 6:00 AM I was “stabilizing” and I was transferred to the maternity floor. You both were in the nursery and would be brought to us around 8AM. You both were so tiny. Your legs were so skinny and long. Elliott had already started to scratch his face with his finger nails. You both looked so perfect. Memaw and Papaw left to go back to our house and check on the doggies. I was in the hospital room from hell. Outside my room a man was buffing the floor and outside my room there were men doing construction on scaffolding dumping gravel. There was no way to get sleep and at this point I was exhausted. On the other hand, daddy fell fast asleep and heard nothing!! Then the phone starts to ring, the doctor comes to check me, the pediatrician comes to talk to me, more vital signs, and I see my nurse one time…..I thought I was in some twisted tv show and thought there must be hidden cameras somewhere in this room. It was so loud and unbearable that I called the patient care representative. In the meantime my bed deflates and there is an alarm going off flashing at the end of the bed. My butt was sinking to the bottom. Mommy called her work and told them the news so that they could report your birth in their morning report. Daddy’s friends from the Detention Center came by to congratulate him around 10AM. Your Grandma volunteers at the hospital on Thursday and was pushing the candy cart that morning. She and her friend Barbara Perkins came in to see you. But you both had been taken back to the nursery and we were told you were going to be circumsized. Grandma and Barbara left to see if they could find you in the nursery. By the time they got to the nursery, however, you both were on your way back to be with mommy and daddy! Grandma and Barbara finally tracked you both down before they finished their day! Memaw and Papaw came back and brought mommy and daddy Chic-Fila. Your Grandmother Prescott and Great Aunt Kathy came to see you (your Step-Granddad Prescott had a doctors appointment near the hospital on the day you were born). You both were circumsized by Dr. Stephenson that afternoon. Needless to say, we were moved that afternoon to a rather nice room (much larger and I called it the penthouse) and the staff basically fell over themselves to help me from this point on. A good friend of the family Judy Dye came by to see you but you both were out getting circumsized at the time. Daddy brought mommy some flowers and balloon, Memaw and Papaw gave us a big fruit basket, Grandma gave you both a silver drinking cup to be engraved! We had a nice visit with her. Your Daddy went home that afternoon to check on our injured outdoor cat “Opie” (he had been in a fight the day we left for the hospital and was losing his left eye). We dressed you in your Choo Choo Preemie outfits and with your hats on you both looked similar to each other. Memaw and Papaw stayed until late that evening. Both of you stayed in the room with us and only went to the nursery when they had to monitor you. That night, you both woke up at the same time and Daddy had to help Mommy get you into position so you could nurse. I was able to get some sleep finally that night!

May 7th I awoke on Wednesday morning to contractions all on my own. I was happy…..my body was doing something! The doctor was glad to see this as well and said that he would not start pitocin and see what would happen. My water began to trickle and eventually I had a gush of fluid come out. Things were about to change. The doctor examined me again…..still no dilation, just thinned out cervix. He decided to put me on pitocin since my contractions were regular and he thought it would make things progress since I had dilated to 1 cm! By 4PM I was beginning to feel the effects of labor…….and it wasn’t enjoyable. I asked for pain meds and was given nubane. This was a wonder drug at first….felt like I had downed a bottle of wine. Unfortunately the effects did not last long and the next few shots did little to comfort me. The doctor was called in for an emergency c-section and there were no orders written for me to have any other pain meds, but there was an order to increase my pitocin drip. So the pain increased and I was beginning to suffer. By 6:30PM, the doctor came in to check me, I had dilated to 2 which he said was “generous”. Another doctor was coming on at 7:00PM and they were going to discuss what to do before going further. I was happy that this doctor was coming on because out of all the doctors in the practice he was my favorite and had seen me the most. He came in to check me at 7:30PM and agreed that my cervix was 1-2 as well. He said that he would order my epidural and then he would progress things with pitocin being upped at a faster pace. I was happy……an epidural……I was in so much pain at this point!! Well, before the anesthesiologist could be called to my room they had to get the pump ready. This took too long for me, as I could not understand why they did not have everything they needed on a labor and delivery floor. At 8:30PM I finally received an epidural. This was painless for me and I felt the effects pretty rapidly. I was continued to be monitored with little change. I was told to get some sleep. I slept for 1 hour and awoke to my right leg being asleep and knocked out from the epidural. I could move my left leg but could not move my right leg. I did not like this feeling at all. I was checked again at 11:00PM and my cervix had dilated to 5cm…….we were finally making some progress. The doctor predicted that I would deliver around 3-5AM (he felt I would dilate at least 1cm per hour). I tried to go back to sleep so I could be rested for your delivery!

May 6th Mommy called the hospital and was told to be there at 7:30AM. Mommy is very tired, she didn’t get a lot of sleep because she is so excited to see you for the first time. Plus, Mommy doesn’t sleep very well at night because she has terrible heartburn (she eats Tums in her sleep!). We went to the hospital at 7:30AM and I was given a pill (cannot remember what it is called) to begin labor around 9:00AM. I endured mild pms like cramps for a period of 6 hours before the doctor decided that he would start the pitocin. At this point, my cervix had not dilated and I still remained thinned. I remained on the pitocin from 3PM-10:30PM and after enduring mild to medium contractions (which were not regular) there was no change. Meanwhile the doctors had changed shift and one of the other doctors would be on for the next 24 hours. He gave me a choice…..continue with the pitocin and see what happens, or stop and begin pitocin the next day. Due to the fact I had little sleep and was completely worn out from the day, I opted to start again on Wednesday. The doctor prescribed Ambien to help me sleep and at 1:30AM I was fast asleep only to have the nurses constantly monitoring me all night (blood pressure, baby monitors moved to keep track of fetal heart rate, etc).

MAY May 5th Mommy and Daddy went to the Doctors for our regularly scheduled appointment. The doctor said that we would have to go to the hospital tomorrow for mommy to be induced. We have to call the hospital at 5:30AM to find out what time to be there. We called your Memaw and PaPaw and told them the news. They are coming down to be here for your birth. We called your Grandma and told her the news too. We are all excited that you are finally going to be here!