The Twins' First Christmas

The Babies' first Christmas was a memorable one to say the least. It began with Grampa and Grammy (Matt's parents) coming up the weekend before to celebrate early. Not only was the company great but we fixed several feasts, enjoyed walks in the neighborhood, and witnessed the first snowstorm for the twins (it snowed the Saturday before Christmas). The Lees came over Saturday morning to open presents before their trip to Texas. On Sunday, we enjoyed Caine's baptism and dinner with the Stelzer family.

The Jankowskis left on Sunday morning and Nana and Pop (Carrie's parents) arrived later that evening to join us for Christmas Eve and Day. The babies had their first theatrical debut as Baby Jesus in the Children's Christmas Service at church. Imagine that....we played the Holy Family...pretty crazy! Matt was Joseph and Carrie was Mary---Abigail was Baby Jesus during the inside program and George was Baby Jesus for the outdoor live nativity scene. The babies did well. Abigail slept through the whole thing and George was laid back as always!! Pretty funny that one parent said to her child, "Look, Baby Jesus has a binky just like you!" Ha! Matt cooked Christmas Day breakfast and lunch. We enjoyed a very low key day--as low key as you can get with two infants--and it was very relaxing. A walk through the neighborhood to examine the damaged trees rounded out the day. We were all very blessed with lots of Christmas goodies and adoring babies!

As I write this entry, it is snowing again outside and is beautiful! Nearly an inch has fallen and coated the ground with powdery white. Boomer spent the morning in frustration as he wanted to be out hunting squirrels but didn't like the falling snow. Abigail is close to being able to roll over from her back to her stomach. They both awoke with coughs, snotty noses, and sneezes...perhaps another cold. They are both sleeping for their morning nap, whew.

Power-less!

Crazy times in Norman Oklahoma....



After the stomach virus plagued our house and we fully recovered by Sunday, the largest ice storm in twenty years of Norman history hit and wiped out the entire city of power. We lost power at 2am Monday morning and were awake the rest of the night due to the eerie silence and sounds of popping limbs, transformers blowing and crashing timber. By 6am it was freezing in our house so we pulled the babies into bed with us and snuggled up for warmth. Pretty funny to have four humans, one canine, and two felines on a queen sized bed...it can be done! That was just the beginning....

Once the sun came up, we could see the destruction around our neighborhood. It truly looked like a tornado had come through but not touched the houses. We were unable to drive down any street without dodging falling limbs and weaving around those which had already fallen. One reason we bought our house 1 1/2 years ago was because we loved the big trees in the neighborhood...now many of them are gone. Pictures could not do the damage justice...with gaping jaws and tears in our eyes, we drove around town and were amazed. No working streetlights, power lines hanging in the middle of streets, everything frozen. Few businesses were open and those restaurants which were had 2 hour wait times.

The babies and I went to the Stelzers to camp out for the day/ evening, thinking our power would be back on any second. Then they lost power too and their huge oak tree fell in their backyard into the pool, narrowly missing the house by inches. Making the best of it (and it was still fun by that point--we felt like pioneers!), we huddled around their fireplace and enjoyed a yummy steak dinner by candlelight.

Once Matt realized the temp in our house was steadly falling, the Lees graciously offered to let all of us (Boomer, Louise, and Anna too!) stay with them as their power had been restored.
So we moved in with all our entourage and were able to have a good night's sleep in warmth. When Matt went back home the next morning, the neighborhood looked even worse than the day before as the temps did not rise above 29 degrees and limbs continued to fall. The wonderful souls who came to Oklahoma to help restore power from TX and LA were working hard in our 'hood, but our street was the last to have power...two days later. We lived with the Lees temporarily and came to greatly appreciate the small things in life, like dear friends, heat, fireplaces, and electricity. All in all, being a little inconvenienced for a few days and being reminded of our multitude of blessings was a good life lesson. Our house was fine, our friends' houses were fine, we had the money to eat out for a few days, trees will re-grow, and no one we knew was hurt by the storm. Thanks be to God! Continued prayers for those in Norman and the rest of the state without power, now seven days later.

We also experienced the babies' first snow over the weekend. Unfortunately nothing stuck...just flurries all day. We went out in the 30 degree winter weather...the babies bundled up of course....and began Christmas shopping. Typical Martin fashion, no minute better than the last! Fri night we enjoyed a wine tasting at the Lowry's and left the twins with a babysitter for the first time. Yea for us! Abigail slept the whole time while George was fussy but Jennifer was able to get him to sleep! Sat night the babies went with us to the McGinley and Melton's Wassail Party and though one of them was crying for most of the time, we enjoyed the fun....not sure if the other guests did however. Sun night we went to the annual Candlelight Carol service at church and went to Braums afterwards with the McClendons and Nichols---pretty funny that there were six adults and six kids 3 years and younger--the Nichols twins Ean and Quinn are exactly one month younger than George and Abigail, while Brady McClendon is six days younger than g&a.

The babies are doing well...growing like crazy and definitely detecting the craziness in our lives at the moment. George has been much fussier than usual (which I am attributing to my consumption of regular milk for a few days) but hopefully today will be a better day. The past few days have been tough as they have been crying and fussing lots and not wanting to take naps for more than 30 minutes. But as I write this, Abigail is beside me in her bouncy seat cooing, "talking" and kicking up a storm...moments like these remind me that parenthood has times of warm fuzzies!

Three Months Old!!

It has been a crazy time since our last entry. Our dear friends Monique, Jules, and Darby came up to visit which was a blast! We spent lots of time watching the three babies and making sure Boomer didn't eat any toys. The weather was cold so we hung out at the mall in the kids play areas for our "outings"---the play areas are great for cities with cold weather, big squishy toys for kids to climb on, brilliant! Though our visits have deviated from late nights out and non-stop going, we have taken new affection to the parenthood roles and calmer way of life. It was wonderful to get to know Darby's sweet spirit and exciting to dream of how he and the twins will grow and change before we are together again. But...Matt and I have been singing the theme song to Mickey Mouse Club in our sleep since they left...hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog...

Then the stomach virus exploded in our house. Abigail first (before Mo & Jules left), then George, then Mommy and Daddy, all within less than 36 hours of each other. George and I are still recovering while Daddy has been helping to keep things running. I would not wish this on anyone...we have canceled all weekend plans to fully recuperate.

Needless to say that we have not been taking many pictures lately, but here are a few to share...

George & Abigail's Baptism and First Thanksgiving

What an amazing weekend we had! We celebrated Thanksgiving by hosting Jerry, Judie, Sherry, Doug, Kevin, Laura, Cliff, Evie, Kirby, Bill, Debbie, and Brad at our house. Even Jack and Tori came to play with Boomer....needless to say, we had a house full!! Thanks to everyone pitching in to help with cooking and cleaning, it was relaxed and seemingly effortless.

We had a feast of a meal on Thursday and watched the football upsets. On Friday, several from the group went to Pauls Valley and toured our cousin's pig farm--the kids loved holding the new piglets! Despite the cold temps and snow flurries all weekend, the kids had great fun playing with the dogs, building fires, and beginning to build a potato gun with Pop. Saturday morning, we had family portraits taken by Trina Gibbins and they went great--can't wait to see the finished products. On Sunday, George and Abigail were baptized at our church, McFarlin Memorial United Methodist. It was great to see them wear the baptismal gowns that Laura, Brad, myself, Cliff, Evie and Kirby wore-- a family heirloom passed down again. We held a lunch afterwards at our house to commemorate the occasion and many friends came by to join us.

It was a fabulous time and the babies were great all weekend. They loved being passed around and showing off their personalities to the family. They had a growth spurt this weekend...we think Abigail is close to 10 lbs. and George looks so much longer. They will be 12 weeks old tomorrow!

Hope you enjoy the two sets of pics!

Ten Weeks Old

Here are some fun sights from George and Abigail's tenth week of life...

Two more milestones...

Forgot to mention two more big things this week...

1. Matt and I left the babies in the church nursery for the first time this Sunday! The nursery workers were able to get them to fall asleep!

2. George is continuing to grow stronger and started holding his head up more! He is still pretty wobbly since he has such a big noggin', but he can hold it up! Yea!

Nine weeks and growing wiggly...

The babies are smiling and cooing and being adorable....making all those nights of 2 hours sleep and continuous crying worthwhile! Yesterday Abigail and George put themselves to sleep for 2 naps (and are doing it right now as I type) which is a big milestone. They have been a bit fussy while awake but when we can see their little tired red eyes, we can understand why they are crying. Slowly but surely, we are starting to figure them out and recognizing their cries. We are learning how to be effective parents!

My work is still going well...two days a week seems to be the perfect amount of time away. Matt is still working hard~~in fact, he watched the babies at his office on Friday while I went to a work meeting (and even got lots of work done!). He mastered putting them to sleep in a new environment and the babies' reward was being passed around amongst the baby lovers after they awakened. They were enthralled with the ceiling fan in Matt's office and he "built" a tent with blankets to "remove" the distraction. Too sweet!

We accomplished many projects around the house this weekend, which was tricky with two babies. However, understanding their need for sleep and the invention of baby monitors gave us the freedom to work in the garage or continue the multiple loads of laundry. We are preparing for the whole Martin Mob and Bill and Debbie to come up for Thanksgiving~ the twins will be baptized that weekend too! What a celebration to come!

We finally figured out who Ab looks like, at least for this week. After looking at Matt's baby pics, she has begun to favor him and the tinge of red in her hair is the exact color of his baby hair in his baby book. I do believe that the chipmunk cheeks are from both of us! Of course, George is still mini Matt...

Enjoy this week's pics! (excuse the fuzziness of some, they are becoming very wiggly, and I haven't mastered our camera with movement)

George and Abigail are 2 months old!

Yesterday was their 2 month birthday...hard to believe it has been that long. And things have continued to change for the better as they grow and develop. We went Dr. Fox today for their first round of shots and they screamed from the minute we walked in the door...I think they knew what they were in for! They are growing very well: George weighed in at 10 lbs. 9 oz. and 23 " long and Abigail is a big girl of 8 lbs. 8 oz. and 21"long. Abigail is nearly out of all of her preemie clothes (she is long and skinny) and George is teetering between newborn sizes and 0-3 mo. clothes. We expect large educational achievements out of both; Geo is 95% of head circumference and Ab is 75%.

George is still very laid back and loves to look around at people, lights, and fans. He has developed quite a little temper though and goes from smiling to screaming in .03 seconds. He smiles at Mommy frequently when nursing. He loves to follow the fish as they circle over his head in the cradle swing. Abigail is still our high need baby, but she is beginning to mellow and goes down for sleeping times much easier. She loves to lay on her back and kick and coo and has a smile to melt your heart. She loves to smile at her daddy when he gives her a bottle in the middle of the night. Both are sweet and cuddly and follow in their mommy's footsteps of loving to sleep in in the morning--woo hoo! They still love to ride in the car and prefer Daddy's Texas Rockabilly music.

Our nanny is working out well and my work life is gearing up quickly. It is nice to have adult conversation and to keep my clinical skills up through working part-time. My two facilities (one nursing home and one adult day center) are less than 2 miles from the house, which allows me to come home at lunch and nurse the babies. Exclusive breastfeeding is going well and I am very proud to be able to continue--there is something very fulfilling as a mom to know that my body is providing all that they need besides the beautiful bonding time. My goal is to continue until they are a year old if possible! Thank you to those who have encouraged me on breastfeeding over the past eight weeks..it has really helped!

Last Friday Matt's law firm, Mahaffey and Gore, hosted a shower for the twins. It was a wonderful time to spend with his fabulous co-workers and reminds us how glad we are for Matt to be a part of a great working environment. He (and our family) is very blessed. Click here to see the pics.

Fall is settling in here in Norman. The trees are all turning red and golden with a nip in the morning and evening air. This is my favorite season of the year and a big reason to love Oklahoma. Hope everyone's autumn is beautifully colorful! Enjoy the pics!

Seven Weeks Old...

Things are dramatically improving in our household now that the babies are getting older. They are sleeping better, awake more often and in happy dispositions frequently. This weekend Abigail started smiling socially and loved it when her grandpa would smile at her.

We have entered into the cold season full force. George was sick with his second cold last weekend and gave it to me just in time for me to start back to work this past week. Our nanny Sonya started last week and things went really well--she even came back for the second day! Going back to work was okay for me...it was nice to get back into the clinical stuff and my clients all wanted to know about how the babies were doing. I am thankful that I only have to work two days per week--it will be a nice change from the rest of the week consumed with changing diapers and scheduling feedings! Unfortunately, Abigail got my cold and she now has a cough that sounds like she smokes a pack a day and yucky snotty nose, but she has maintained a cheery mood despite her first illness.

This past weekend was wonderful...Matt's parents were here visiting and babysat so we could attend Joe Dewey and Lory Oller's beautiful wedding. We also went to the pumpkin patch at church to shoot pics. George and Abigail will be eight weeks old tomorrow and two months old on Sunday...this is going by so quickly. I got teary-eyed yesterday when I realized that George's hands have grown and Abigail learned to smile...what precious little babies we have!!

Enjoy the pics! Don't forget, you can double click on them to enlarge them...

Life Continues....

We are trying to find some type of "normal life", whatever that is. The babies are growing well and are absolutely the cutest babies on the planet! Daily life is difficult, I won't tell a fib. My life has changed dramatically--of course, everyone tells you it will, but you never quite get it until you live it. So here is my new life: Mounds of laundry, changing my shirt or babies' clothes due to spit up every couple of hours, cracking open the next pack of diapers and wipes (at least 25 diapers per day), trying to guess how long each baby will stay in their piece of "equipment" until they get tired of it (today Abigail set an all-time record for her and sat in the swing for 20 minutes!!), timing everything based on the two hour feeding increments, trying to figure out when I can get a shower, petting the cats and Boomer as often as possible as they are feeling neglected--they are figuring out that they are really animals now, trying to remember the twenty things on my list of to-do's and picking one thing to master in a day (hopefully), finding time to pump breast milk so Matt can give them a bottle at night so I can sleep...the list goes on and on. I know this is no revelation...every new mom goes through this time and wonders if she will keep her sanity amongst the craziness.

But then reality sets in...I start back to work part-time next week. On Weds and Thurs, I will not be spending every waking moment with the precious little ones that I love so dearly. My goal for this weekend is to mentally convince myself that I am ready to go back to work and that it will make me a better mom. We will see how that works out....

George, last weight one week ago was 9 lbs. 5 oz., is an adorable, loveable little guy. Very laid back and observant of his surroundings, he just takes it all in. His big dark blue eyes frequently lock with mine and my heart just melts away. He likes to bat at the toys that hang from his play gym and he likes to lay on his back on our bed kick his legs.

Abigail, last weight one week ago was 7 lbs. 4 oz., is very energetic and spirited and loves kisses. She is always active and mandates being held most of the time she is awake. There are moments where she likes to lay on her back on the floor, raise her hands in the air, and stare at the window. She has the funniest little bird cry and has recently started cooing--too sweet. Don't you love her chipmunk cheeks?

Both babies love to go for walks and be outside--of course they are our children! They are changing so quickly..they are beginning to look more alike and continuing to favor the looks of their daddy. We are trying to get through the colic, constipation, overtiredness, and fussiness as we settle into a "routine". Thank goodness for grandparents who are always "on call" to come to our aid. Nana and Pop (Martins) just left today after being here for seven days while Matt was out of town on a Walk to Emmaus. We are more caught up on laundry, have an organized house, and a great new dog run for Boomer.

George and Abigail are blessings and I am working to focus on the positives and heart-tugging moments that come many times during the day, instead of being stressed about who I haven't called back yet, thank you notes that haven't been written, or laundry that needs to be folded. I cannot believe that six weeks of their life has already passed and every day, we clear another hurdle of figuring each other out and adapting to this new life of family.

Slideshows

NOTE: If you double click on the slideshows, it will allow you to see the photos in larger frame.

This weekend we took our first road trip to Shreveport with the babies. Aunt Laura, Uncle Kevin, Cliff, Evie, and Kirby (and Jack their dog) came in from Houston to meet the newest family members. The kids were great with the babies and seemed to enjoy feeding, burping, and changing diapers (except the poopie ones!). We all went to the Revel and Matt was happy to see George Clinton play (note: yes, that is a diaper GC is wearing).

Sunday we drove to Arkadelphia, AR to stand as sponsors/godparents for the baptism of Carlisle and Jackson Camper Land. It was fabulous to spend time with Kendal, Lauren, and their families. The Land Twins and Jankowski Twins are sure to be the best of friends!! Yay for surviving our first road trip--the babies were great!!

First Three Weeks at Home

Here are pictures from the babies' first three weeks at home.

Survival

Here it is, George and Abigail's four week birthday today and we are all still surviving!
Life in our house has dramatically changed....no more workouts/walks in solitude, dinners with baby-free arms, or thoughts of anything other than poop and feeding times. I would not trade it for anything, but this parenting multiples thing is TOUGH!
Don't get me wrong, there have been many positives, like George and Abigail beginning to make eye contact--that's the best one! They are sleeping for longer periods at night, sometimes 3-4 hours. They are able to alternate between bottle and breast well which allows me to share the feeding responsibility with Matt. They are more interactive with the environment, staring at lights and fans with incredible intensity. They both love being outdoors and riding in the car. They help me to see the world in a simpler way. George loves to take everything in and now enjoys sitting in his Boppy pillow or cradle swing. Abigail loves to be held and seems to like snoozing in Mommy and Daddy's bed while swaddled. They are beautiful and it has been so fun to see how different their personalities are.
They are growing well...George weighs 8 lbs 12 oz and Abigail weighs 6 lbs 12 oz. as of today. Advantages of them eating well means I am hungry all the time and can eat whatever I want! It's great! By the way, if you haven't tried Blue Bell's Blackberry Cobbler ice cream, you must! Yummy!!!
We will post pictures soon...it's amazing how quickly they are changing.
Heading to Shreveport and Arkadelphia this weekend for our first quick road trip. Plan to hit the Revel and listen to George Clinton on Saturday. Hope Laura, Kevin, and the kiddos will come up too to meet the twins. Can't wait for Carlisle and Jackson/Camper Land's baptism and to spend time with Kendal and Lauren. Keep our travels in your thoughts and prayers---hopefully we won't have six hours of screaming little ones....

Weigh In

Sorry for the delay in posting. Been a bit busy lately. Hmmm, wonder why.

George and Abigail had their 2 week check up on Tuesday. Both are behaving as they should for their age developmentally. Both have surpassed their birth weights as well. George is up to 8lbs and Abigail is up to 5lbs 13 oz. Way to go, kiddos! And kudos to Carrie for delivering such fulfilling meals.

George & Abigail's First Photo Shoot

Only a few seconds to write, but wanted to share a quick note about the babies' first professional photo shoot. Our good friend Trina Gibbins, who is a fantastic photographer in Norman, took the babies' pics for our birth announcements on Monday. Absolutely hilarious session...thankfully Trina and Brock have good senses of humor and didn't mind all the poop and pee all over their house...and in between their toes and down their pants... Between Abigail's persnickity demeanor and sly little glances and trying to nurse on George's face or punch him in the head, she captured some great shots. She truly caught their personalities. The naked baby ones turned out great!

Check Trina's blog spot for preview glimpses. That's George's mug on the entry entitled "The first of many babies to come". www.trinagibbins.blogspot.com

Abigail, the Superstar!

When we were in the hospital, we were approached by the Oklahoman (our OKC newspaper) who wanted to do a story on jaundice in newborns. They thought it was neat that George and Abigail were newborn twins and had been tested for jaundice using the transcutanious bilirubin test. Fortunately, neither were clinically jaundiced even though George looked a bit yellow. Because Abigail was the only baby awake when they came to do the story, she got to have the full spotlight!! Check it out!

http://newsok.com/article/3126409/

The longest night...

Whoever said that parenthood is the hardest job of your life....we believe them now.

Life around our house in the past 24 hours has been very challenging. Social worker that I am, I must preface it with strengths in that they are beautiful cuddly babies and we have had many good days and nights in a row. Until last night....

Abigail and George took turns with their bloody murder screams literally all night. It is tough to think rationally when their ear-piercing shrills do not subside. We tried everything we knew at least twice short of driving around the block, and when Grammy (Debbie) came in to the house at 7am, the screaming continued until 2pm today. We think they might be having their first growth spurt, the only logical explanation for their cries. At this exact moment, they are sleeping soundly, exhausted from their all-nighter, and adorably angelic in their pack-n-play in the living room listening to the cheers of the Longhorns.

Tonight I shall indulge in a dark beer to thicken my milk and hopefully help them to sleep.

Surely we couldn't have two difficult nights in a row.....

Weighing in...

We had our first "outing" today to the pediatrician for the babies to weigh in. Abigail is up to 5 lbs. 1 oz. and George is 7 lb. 6 oz. They are eating well and growing quickly!! George's bilirubin test for jaundice came back negative--praise for that! He is still a bit yellow but it will reduce with exposure to sunshine.

We are sleeping better, all four of us. Judie and Jerry are here helping out with the adjustment home. Between plumbing projects, lawn mowing, grocery shopping, and building a ramp for our shed, let alone taking care of the babies, we are trying to find the normalcy of life with multiples.

The babies are beautiful and full of personality already. George is laid back most of the time and Abigail is positively fiesty and full of spunk. Both love to cuddle! They are alert after feedings and make so many different facial expressions. Abigail is already trying to hold her head up on her own. I am certain they are advanced!!

We're home!

We finally got to come home on Saturday. Carrie had a bit preeclampsia that the Midwife wanted to keep an eye on. Friday night was a turning point. We started waking the babies up every 2 hours for feedings so they began falling asleep immediately after. So we got to sleep as well, and weren't quite as worked up since they weren't crying non-stop.

Now we're home and still on schedules and things are going relatively well. Got to sleep quite a bit last night as it was nice to be in our house in our own bed.

Thanks to everyone for your positive thoughts and prayers over the last many months, they have meant the world to us. We couldn't feel more loved than we do now.

Some more pics:


Wearing the Going home outfits at the hospital

Sleeping together in the hospital cradle

Abigail getting hungry, trying to feed on Daddy's nose

Birth Day

Quick write up of the story of the birth of George Christian and Abigail Bess Jankowski.

Labor day had come and gone. Carrie had a great day, with fewer contractions than she had had in weeks. Went to sleep around 11:00pm only to be awoken at 1:30am by Carrie saying her bags of water had broken, but her contractions really weren't that close together. Five minutes later, she had a big contraction. 2 minutes later another. And thereafter every 1.5 to 2 minutes, each lasting around a minute, and very intense. This was definitely it. Began packing the car. More very intense contractions, really rushed to get the car packed. Called our Doula and told her we were heading to the hospital and she needed to get there. Got Carrie in and began driving. Was driving relatively fast (80 mph), but knew it was going to be quick when Carrie told me to get going even faster. Turned on the flashers and took it to 85-90mph up to OKC.

Got to the hospital around 2:45am. The delivery rooms in the OU Med Center are on the 4th floor and the parking garage is connected to the 3rd floor of the hospital by a long walkway. Got up and luckily there was a wheelchair at the elevator from the garage. The contractions were one on top of the other, and Carrie was very insistent on stopping to use the restroom as she really felt the urge to go to the restroom. She hopped out of the chair as we neared the restroom and I gently urged her not to push and she very reluctantly agreed and hopped back on the chair and got a ride up to admitting.

Arrived and no one was present at admitting so had to wander (very hurriedly) down the hall to find a nurse who may help. Immediately went back to a room and they got the monitors on and the contractions were very consistent at 1 min apart and very intense. Our Doulas Karen and Erica showed up shortly thereafter and were quick to jump in and help out. And they were absolute life savers with helping massage Carrie's back and legs so I could focus on her face and talk her through the contractions.

As everyone knows we wanted to deliver these babies naturally, unfortunately the nurses and doctors who were on call thought we were nuts. And pointed it out. Repeatedly. Over and over until I let one of the nurses know that we WERE having these children naturally and would not have any more talk about epidurals, to which one nurse left the room and I don't think ever came back.

Upon arrival Carrie was dilated to 4 and 80 percent effaced. The Nurse called the Midwife and told her to head on up, and hurry. Fifteen minutes later Carrie was a 7 and 100 percent effaced. Nurse called Midwife. Told her to get there, now.

We then rushed to a labor and delivery suite and poor Carrie was told to get out of the triage bed and into a labor and delivery bed. She got moved over and it was non-stop contractions. We really had to keep her from pushing at that point as she really had the urge then. Our midwife showed up and started to take control. Unfortunately, our OB/GYN was on call the next night, so he didn't have his pager on, and the hospital didn't have his home phone number. So we had to use the on call OB for the delivery.

We later found out that when the on call dr. arrived and found out we were having twins, she informed our Midwife that she was taking over and we were doing it her way, and that Midwives had no place delivering twins. How rude.

We were told that the on call dr was of the opinion that if the top baby was breech, that she was just going to go in and get them by C-section, no discussion. Luckily the ultrasound machine she was planning to use wouldn't boot up, and the Midwife, who had very astutely continued monitoring and checking Carrie, said she hit a 10 and was ready to deliver the first baby as an internal lip was all that was holding Squirt in.

We rushed to the OR, per hospital policy for the delivery and Carrie was forced to move onto her back on the OR table. The small metal one, with big honking stirrups, under the big bright lights. They let her wait for a contraction to end and over she went. Also our Doulas, which we employed for the entire process weren't allowed into the OR as the on-call anesthesiologist resident would only allow 1"guest or family member" in the OR. As there was no time to argue our Midwife had no time to force the issue or go above his head, so we dealt with it.

Then the dr.s began moving in with the diodes and ultrasound machine. The Midwife slipped in gloved up and moved the lip down and Squirt began moving down. Carrie began pushing and the Midwife put pressure in all the right places and about 20 minutes later at 5:11 am George emerged. Coolest part was getting to put my hand under his head as he cleared the birth canal to help deliver him.

The on call dr then jumped in to check the position of Peanut. Luckily she had tried to follow Squirt out and had dropped her head, but didn't get all the way into the birth canal. So after some external version, and a hit of pitocin to restart labor, her head slipped into the canal and she shortly thereafter her bag of water burst and she eased on out. Much quicker than George, Abigail emerged at 5:31am. No drugs needed. And Carrie didn't tear at all. Hopefully we changed the minds of the on call dr and anesthesiologist, and were able to show them that natural births can and do happen for twins and that medical intervention is not always the answer. Maybe next time they'll be less quick to try to force drugs and surgery.

After the placentas were delivered, we went back to the labor and delivery suite to wait on our overnight room. We were back there by 6:15am and both babies were very alert and awake and nursed by 6:45am.

Carrie was the champ, but we couldn't have done it without the Doulas and our Midwife. They were awesome and really helped keep the situation under control and moving. They were great at allowing me to focus on Carrie and talking to her had keeping her calm, which she said really helped her get through it.

It really was a blur, but in the end, we have two fantastic babies who are healthy and a wife who is recovering well.

I'm still totally in awe of Carrie and her ability to put herself out there for our babies. What a great Woman! She completely rocks!

First Pics

Here are a few quick pics. More to come.

Introducing...

They're Here!!!
Weighing in at 7 lbs 12 oz - George Christian Jankowski (aka Squirt), born Sept 4, 2007 @ 5:11 AM.
And at 5 lbs 5 oz Abigail Bess Jankowski (aka Peanut), born Sept 4, 2007 @ 5:31 AM.

According to all reports everyone is doing great, I think Matt's hospital couch is a little lumpy - but other than that we have two happy parents and two beautiful babies. Thanks be to God!

Sapphires are BEAUTIFUL!

Ha! Ha! So here it is September 1 and my belly is still growing. Our doula pointed out that sapphires are the birthstone for September and would make a beautiful mother's ring. Needless to say, I quickly shared that with Matthew who was not amused. ;)

We never in a million years thought we would be here watching college football with the babies still in utero. Maybe if Oklahoma and Texas play well today, the babies will decide to come out so they can root on their two favorite teams! Or if I cheer loud enough, it will startle them and send them out to join us!

This past Wednesday marked the victory for the babies on the friendly bettin' calendar of expected arrival date and genders. They outlasted everyone's predictions! Thank you to those who participated and let the lesson be learned, never bet against a Jankowski! The twins had their first deposit of $33 made into their savings account!! That should at least pay for 1/2 of a college textbook that they can share...

I had a cervical stretch done yesterday by our midwife to help promote the commencement of labor. I had stronger, though still not significant, contractions yesterday and this morning, so we are hopeful that it might have worked. We have also scheduled an induction for next Friday which will hopefully motivate them to come out on their own before then. At least there is an end in sight.

Come on babies, come out to cheer on the Horns and Sooners!

It's nice to be loved...

Okay, I got two emails today gently harrassing us for not making an entry yet. So here goes...

We are fine. Babies are still in utero. Made two trips to the hospital this week for "false alarms": Sun night and Tues morning. Sunday night for contractions that were 2-8 minutes apart (most were 3-4 minutes apart) but apparently they were not "intense enough or close enough". Nurse Helga said that I should be 2-4 min apart and be unable to walk or talk through them. Don't know about any other rookie parents, but that sounds a bit too close for comfort for us....we would prefer not to give birth on the side of I-35 on the way to OKC. Then we had a small scare Tues morning as we had not felt Squirt move since Mon night so by 11am, we were on our way to the Urgent Care again. Of course, as soon as I sat down in the Triage Room, Squirt started kicking and I swear I could hear that bambino laughing in utero!! Just keeping its parents on our toes! Squirt has not stopped moving since then....

Appts today went great. Level 2 Ultrasound showed all positive outcomes for the markers and the babies were "estimated" at 7 lbs. 1 oz. and 5 lbs. 9 oz. with a one pound variance--who knows what they will actually weigh but it shows us that they are good sized and closer in weights. Short appt with our midwife afterwards was encouraging to not induce but to keep trying natural remedies this week and we are scheduled for more appts next week if we make it that far. I am feeling good, still contracting pretty often, eating spicy foods, walking the block daily, and eager for the babies to arrive.

Thanks for all the care and concern from friends and family...you help me to keep going with a positive attitude!!!

anna in her halo hugging my belly

anna in her halo hugging my belly
Originally uploaded by jank407

Trying to figure out how to use flickr to posr photos to the blog.

Cute shot of Anna recovering from her tail injury by cuddling with Carrie.

Another week goes by!

I've eaten Mexican food, chicken fried steak (my first ever!), and BBQ , waddled around, gone to Target a hundred times, just about jumped up and down hoping gravity would take effect.....our little babies are taking their own sweet time to make their grand entrance (they are definitely Martins because we are late for EVERYTHING!).

The second-to-last purchase we wanted to make was accomplished last night. We bought a double jog stroller from a twin consignment sale so the babies can take part in their daddy's marathon training. Their nursery is 98% done (or as complete as it will be before they arrive), everything is washed, the floors are vacuumed, and our arms are ready for holding babies....now we just need the babies to make our home complete!

So keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we face another week and hope that our precious twins arrive soon!

Here are a few pics of the nursery, still can't rotate the images, sorry.

"The babies are still bakin'" as my sisters both say...

Level 2 Ultrasound to measure markers went well. Both babies were perfect (of course!) on umbilical cord blood flow, movement (they are definitely going to be athletes of some sort), "breathing", amniotic fluid level, solidity of membrane between babies, and heart tones. We are scheduled for another marker check in one week unless they arrive before then!

Kinda cool...I felt Squirt hiccupping today for the first time...wonder if that coincides with the old wives' tale that Squirt is still growing??? Yikes!

Ohmigosh, Boomer finally caught a squirrel in the backyard...his first one ever and he has been trying for three years....gotta go!

Nearly 37 weeks!

Who would have ever dreamed we would make it this far? My belly is getting bigger and bigger every day, in fact, it measured today to the equivalency of a woman 42 weeks along with a singleton. I am feeling pretty well most days now, which is a nice change. I am getting used to sleeping in 1-3 hour increments. My belly is now too large for nearly all of my largest maternity clothes. I might look like a beached whale but no one doubts the fact that I MUST be carrying twins. Thanks to my sweet hubby and his back rubs (in between his editing on his current title opinion), my back pain is tolerable.

Doc appt today went well....babies' heart tones are still sounding great and we are supposed to keep doing what we have been doing until next week, at which point I will be off of bedrest. We have another appt in the morning to check the weights again and make sure the babies are still looking well on the "markers".

We are becoming pretty skilled at developing the virtue of patience. We are so pleased that they are growing well and pray that God will guide them here in His time--but please no more stretch marks!!

Still no babies....

Matt and I are hanging out around the house just "waiting". Nothing exciting to report other than our crazy injured cat Anna who has taken to hanging out in the litter box. Either she is still recovering from her tail injury and wants to be in a room where she is protected from the dog, the pain meds went to her head, or I think she senses that something is about to change. Louise, our other cat, has been more cuddly and Boomer, our dog, constantly smells my belly. Our house will never be normal....

Next week is approx. 37 weeks which is "full term" for twins. Can't believe we made it! If we make it to next Wed, then I get to start eating spicy foods, going for walks, getting out of the house a bit more...anything to get the babies out! What a change.

Wow, Big Babies on the way!

Holy Cow!

We had another ultrasound this morning to check on the babies' progress. Carrie's efforts are definitely paying off. Baby A (Squirt) is coming in at an estimated 7lbs 8oz, and Baby B (Peanut) is coming in at 5 lbs 3 oz. The Doctor was concerned with the weight differential, but said that all the other markers were good in that both babies have plenty of fluid in their sac, plenty of blood flow from each placenta, plenty of movement from both, good strong heartbeats, and both were "breathing" amniotic fluid. No more measurement ultrasounds, but the Doctor wants us back next week to check the markers to make sure nothing changes.

We also saw the Midwife who was very pleased with the report and was pleased with their positions and believes they will be good to go when labor starts and should present well for a natural delivery. She encouraged Carrie to stay on moderate bedrest for at least another week which would put her at 37 weeks and then look at trying to get them to venture out. We go back in a week to see the Doctor for another checkup.

No babies yet!

Okee dokee folks, no babies yet! Thanks for all the recent calls to check on us. We are hanging out at home, just waiting...

Matt is working from home this week which gives me peace of mind. We have two doc appts tomorrow, so hopefully we will have new estimated weights, make sure their development is still on track, and will discuss our birth plan with our midwife.

check back tomorrow evening for the report from the appts!

Just a little while longer

Closer and closer we get....thank you for the sweet emails and calls and visits and meals to everyone as I have been on moderate bedrest for the last three weeks. It is really hard to believe that we are going to become parents very soon.

This past Tuesday's appt went well. The babies' heartbeats were strong and they are super active. My cervix was "barely cracked" and I was more effaced than last time. Both the midwife and the OB-GYN felt very positive about me being able to make it to at least 36 weeks--which is just a few days away!!!

Debbie left this morning after a week of slaving away and keeping Princess Carrie on the couch. Now Matt takes over until the babies are here. I think we are as ready as we will be...it's just a waiting game now.

Anna's tail has healed well and she is back to her fiesty little self....Fortunately Boomer and Louise have remained stable with little excitement. Hard to believe that we are adding two more beings to this already well-established circus. Should be an interesting ride!!!

34 weeks and counting...

If any of you know me well, you will be surprised that I am posting an entry at 6:45am. I have been up this morning since 5:30am...guess my body is getting ready for our upcoming schedule of little sleep.

Moderate bed rest has been going well thanks to very supportive moms who came to our rescue. Judie came up last week and in addition to waiting on me hand and foot, did at least 15 loads of laundry and 10 rounds of dishes! She went home Thursday and Debbie flew up for Round 2. She has been busy taking me on short daily outings, cooking, and sewing slipcovers for the glider rocker and ottoman in the nursery. Thank goodness Debbie will be here all week this week. We have had a ton of visitors which has made this whole bed rest thing much more bearable. I have watched 5 movies, read tons of magazines, written bunches of thank you notes--sorry they are so late!--and tried my best to lay prone to keep these babies in.

As our typical Jankowski household goes, we had an animal emergency late last week, which is still ongoing. Our sweet kittycat Anna's tail was slammed in the bathroom door and remained attached merely by one vessel that was severly bruised (and several threads of Dr. McGinley's caring stitching). She is absolutely pathetic as we have to keep her drugged and donned with the E-collar (imagine the Jetson's cat) to keep her from biting at it as it heals. It has been a comedy trying to keep Boomer away from her...he thinks she looks like an alien. Our other cat Louise is confused as to why Anna gets all the attention and also thinks Anna looks like an alien. Prognosis is looking good...we are hoping that the tail will heal and reattach well. Only time will tell...


Our next doc appt is tomorrow and we are hoping for a good report. Doc said that if I go into labor from this point on, it will not be stopped. Who knows, the Jankowski twins could be here any day now. Will keep you posted....

Pre-term labor? Hope not....

Well, things have progressed a bit earlier than we hoped. We went to the hospital Tuesday night because I was having strong contractions, abdominal cramping, painful backaches, and swelling that would not recede. Evaluation showed 2 cm dialation and 60% effacement which was not a good thing at 32 weeks. After spending most of the night in the OB ER, I tested negative on the fetal fibronectin test (which screens for preterm labor) and they decided it was safe to send me home with steroid injections to promote lung development in case the babies come anyway. I am on moderate bed rest and took early maternity leave from work (I am only allowed out of the house for an hour-ish every so often). Mom came up to Oklahoma to sit on me to make sure I followed doc orders.
Funny thing, when faced with potentially giving birth to twins born that early, I tend to listen a bit more than usual.
Good news is that upon doc appts the next morning, my cervix has closed again and the specialist and midwife felt that I will probably go at least to 35-36 weeks---hope they are right!
Sure is a good reminder that prayers work!!!!

31 weeks down and 3-6 weeks to go!

Life in Norman is rocking and rolling along with summer in full swing (and nearly over!). The flooding rains have gone--Matt was able to enjoy the higher river levels in Arkansas this past weekend with Dad and other Ozark Society paddlers from Shreveport. The heat has kicked up here, reminding me to appreciate the prolonged spring-like weather we have had until now.

Being 31 weeks pregnant with twins is beginning to be challenging, with the increased swelling, fatigue, emotional roller coaster ride and BH contractions. As of last Fri's doc appt, things look well. We have an "average sized" little Peanut and a "large sized" Squirt, which is great for having two babies in my belly. There is not much more room but they are certainly trying to make space! Squirt, who is on the bottom, is head down and ready to go, so if all stays put, we are setting up for a vaginal delivery. My cervix is remaining closed and there is no sign of pre-term labor at this point. The babies have been responding to our voices, especially Matt's (I guess they hear me all day long and it's not as exciting as hearing their daddy!). They are kicking and wiggling up a storm, moving constantly and growing very well. Their heartbeats have been very strong throughout the pregnancy, always around 150 beats per minute. My fundal height measured the equivalency of a woman 38 weeks along in her singleton pregnancy, so you can imagine how big my belly looks (and why I only have a few shirts that cover it!)

Everything is going really well and I am trying to maintain a positive attitude and let go of fears and emotional insecurities about becoming a new mom. It is very encouraging and life altering to have a wonderfully supportive and loving partner who is by my side through everything. It is also hopeful to see how well Kendal and Lauren are doing with their twins, as well as other of our close friends who have newborns.

I know that Matt and I are going to be fine and the babies are going to be beautiful and healthy and challenge us like we have never been challenged before. I know that God is in complete control of what is going on and that gives me comfort, peace, and security. Thank you for all of the many prayers and thoughts for our well-being and strength....keep 'em coming!

More Pics from Spa Baby Shower in Norman

Pic 1: Jacki is a true friend to paint my toes, since I can't reach them! (Sorry, I can't figure out how to rotate the image!)
Pic 2: Millie, Alicia, JJ, and Libby--cracking up while scrapbooking
Pic 3: Sandie, Amy, Missy, and Renee doing manis

Anniversary Pics

~ Our 6th Wedding Anniversary: Dinner at Blu Wine and Tapas Bar--highly recommend it!
~ Matt and his new Jeep Patriot

~ Guess who is NOT pregnant: Hostesses Misty, Renee and Missy
~ Now guess who is REALLY NOT pregnant: Crazy Granny Picture (Sandra, Debbie, Judie, and Wally)
~ Sherry, Judester, and Carrie
~ What great scrapbookers....you have NO idea how much I appreciate all of the pages!

7-08-07
Hi! Since my last blog update, we have been very active in the Jankowski household. We had our relaxing, spa-riffic baby shower, complete with Missy Dodson massages, manicures, pedicures (Jacki so sweetly painted my toes since I can't reach them anymore!), and soaked our feet. Friends and family spawned creative scrapbook pages for the babies' 1st year albums. Now all I have to do is stick the pictures on the pages and I'm done! We received so many nice things for the babies--can't wait to use them all! Mom and Dad Martin, Mom Jank, Sherry and Doug, Granny Wally Watson, Sandra Hart, Amy and Drew, and Vannie and Bobbie all came in for the festivities! It was so fun having everyone in "our" town!

Twin update... we went to the midwife last week and due to Braxton Hicks contractions happening 2-3xhour, I was gently forced to cut back to parttime work---definitely a good idea so these bambinos will stay in at least 6 more weeks. Today, I broke down and agreed to buy a recliner, which will be more comfortable to put my swollen feet up and get better rest at night. Peanut (baby on top) has been trying to stretch out my ribcage...not so comfy, especially with Squirt kicking at my bladder. Boy are we in for it....and they are not even here yet! ;) Honestly, we are so excited....I can't wait!!!

Matt has been working so hard around the house trying to get it ready for the babies. Between force-feeding me meat, lifting heavy objects, painting the trim of our house, mowing the grass almost every four days (it's a jungle after so much rain), turning down paddling opportunities--which is killing him I might add--and cooking nearly every night, he DEFINITELY wins hubby of the year award! And all of that is after practicing law all day...

This week is my first parttime week, so keep us in your thoughts! We have another doc appt Fri, will let you know if anything changes...

Weekend in Shreveport

Hi Friends and Fam!
I am still trying to figure out how to work this blog, so bear with me.

The pictures we recently posted were from our weekend in Shreveport. Martha and Monique hosted a beautiful baby shower at Lewis'. We were able to get together with family and lots of old friends to receive blessings and love that were showered upon us. Many friends and family traveled in to celebrate with us! We had to have our Monjuni's fix while in the 'Port and Matt cooked a yummy brunch for the family on Father's Day. We also got to meet Emilie Gibson, two day old daughter of Trey and Candi. We received the news early Sunday morning that lifelong friends Kendal and Lauren Land delivered their twins Carlisle and Jackson so we decided to take the long way home through Arkansas to see them and meet the babies. It was great to be in Shreveport especially since we won't be traveling for a long while. There is nothing better than the food for our souls with which we are nourished when "back home".

Things are going well here in Oklahoma. Matt is enjoying his new car and we just celebrated 6 years of marriage. We are looking forward to this coming weekend in Norman....Renee, Misty and Missy are throwing a "Spa Baby Shower" and we will have more family and friends who travel in. We have nearly finished the nursery and it looks adorable--now all we need are the babies! We will post pics of it in a few weeks.

We have another round of medical appts this week so come back to this site next week for the update! Love to you all!

Last Road Trip for a while....

Pic from trip to Robber's Cave OK 2 weeks ago.

25 Weeks and Counting

We had three pregnancy appointments today, a PT appointment for Carrie's achy back, a "big ultrasound", and a 3 week check-up with the doc.

PT appointment went well. Carrie got some back strengthening exercises and a script for nightly massages.

Ultrasound went well. The babies are growing by leaps and bounds. We found out the current positions of Peanut and Squirt, as they are currently known. (Since we don't know genders, we just use "he" to describe them as "it" just sounds like it will explode from Carrie's belly at some point) Peanut is on top in a transverse position, lying on his back, giving him easy access to kick and/or knee Carrie's right ribs at will, which he does constantly. Squirt is on the bottom with his head down, and fists right on Carrie's bladder, great punching bag. Since the last "big ultrasound" 4 weeks ago, both babies have gained around a pound, with Squirt weighing in around 2lbs 2 oz, and Peanut at 1 lb 13 oz. Good growth, no doubt due to Carrie's awesome efforts.

Doc appt was fine. Nothing new. No bedrest, no restrictions, and all the aches and swelling are normal. Took the glucose test and should get results shortly.

We head back in 3 weeks to do it all again. Will try to scan some of the better ultrasound pics later.

First Post

We are beginning this site to keep our family and friends updated on the happenings in our lives. We live in Norman, Oklahoma, with our two cats Anna and Louise, and our dog Boomer. We are expecting twins in mid to late August.

We love good food, traveling, being outdoors, Texas music, our Louisiana roots and our family. We stay busy with church activities, preparing for the kiddos, and athletic undertakings when not on the road.

So stay posted and we'll do our best to update the site often.