The homecoming!!!

In their carseats in their new home!


Finally on Wednesday 5th March 2008 we were allowed home, Alfie our boxer dog was very excited to see his mummy again and very intrigued by the two new additions to the family. We let him have a sniff (while mummy quietly panicked and paced and thought Alfie would have to leave home) he was soon placated though and we settled in for the evening. A lovely takeaway for tea was ordered and me Derek and my mum settled in for a quiet night. It was at this point my boss visited and told me that they were leaving the pub in 4 weeks time. I had worked for Chris and Gwen for 4 years, even changed pubs with them, they were a bit like my Northern mum and dad, I was devestated, I knew I wasnt going back to work but the fact that they lived downstairs was a comfort for when my mum went home, the carpet was well and truly pulled from beneath my feet, cue lots of tears that since the babies birth I seemed unable to stop.

A few days later and my mum had to go home, again I cried my heart out, I truly believe that once you have a baby you realise how special your own mum is. My mum was and still is amazing, she is always at the end of the phone for me to cry at, ask advice from and have a gossip with, I just hope Ieuan and Seren feel the same way about me when they grow.

The early days....

How they slept for the next 6 months!!!

Having a cwtch with both my babies

The very scared looking new parents!

Those first few days after the twins were born seem such a long time ago now, when my tiny babies fitted in those hospital fish tanks snuggled up together, nose to nose. We were in transitional care, a small little ward where little babies stayed so that we had special care from a dedicated midwife.

That first night when we got wheeled up seemed so strange, Derek got sent home at about 1/2am and I remember looking out of the window watching the rain and seeing the trees blowing in the wind and wondering if anyone else in the world felt as amazing (ahhhh the drugs!!) as I did right then.

Obviously having had a c-section my movements were limited and so when the babies woke to be fed I need a little help, although the midwife that came was very scary, very no nonsense and literally rammed a baby on each boob and left me to it!!!!! I dont know how long it was that I sat there with the babies not actually latched on but unable to call anyone as I had a baby in each arm and couldnt use the call button. I remember crying lots and having a lovely midwife look after me and show me what to do and alternative positions. Morning eventually came and so did my lovely husband, oh the relief at seeing him!!!!

I had tons of visitors and the twins recieved lots of beautiful gifts, as did I, my parents bought me a silver heart locket to keep a photo of the babies in, a gorgeous gift that means the world to me.

Those first few days were just crazy, trying to get my head around looking after the babies, trying to deal with the pain from my section (just take the tablets on time!!!!) that evil first shower where you are told to take the dressing off, I have never felt pain like it, I thought I was ripping my stitches out. I think the days following this I got pretty low, my baby blues kicked in but the wonderful midwives made sure I was ok and my lovely wonderful mum spent everyday at the hospital with me until Derek finished work, I cried every night when they left me and couldnt wait to go home.

The greatest day of my life

Welcome to the world Ieuan Edward and Seren Elizabeth, this is one of my favourite and very first photos of my precious babies

I never believed anything would top my wedding day, yet a day of luxury and looking the best I ever had done was topped, topped and topped again by the day I met Ieuan Edward and Seren Elizabeth James.

We left to be at the hospital for 8:30 but had to stop at Tescos to get me some nighties (so organised!!) anyway we got there just after 9 and had to sit in a waiting room for about 1hr, I was then given a bed and hooked up to be monitored, shortly after a midwife came in and told me it wouldnt be long and started to get me ready and made me put a gown on. cue 6pm, me nearly eating my hubbys arm and getting more and more uncomfortable so they came and put me on a drip, the nurse who did it messed it badly and my hand swoll (sp) to about three times it size, I was shaking it was sooo painful. My mum and dad were coming to the hospital to see me and I kept looking round my curtain from the bed to see if I could see them walking down the corridor and at 7pm there they were, I got very excited but before they even got to my bed someone was telling me to get my stuff together I was off to theatre, I had time to hug my mum and dad and before I knew it I was walking out of the lift and down the corridor to the theatre. I had my spinal block put in etc and soon enough I felt like there was somekind of disco going on in my tummy as they were yanking and pulling etc, then at 19:29 my beautiful baby boy Ieuan came into the world screaming his little head off all 5lb 9ozs of gorgeousness, they said its a boy and I burst into tears, 3 minutes at 19:31 later my beautiful baby girl Seren took her first glimpse of the world, a tiny but healthy 4lb 9ozs, she didnt make a sound (she has made up for it since!) I got a bit scared but was told my baby girl was fine and I was soon having my first cuddle with her, she even flared her little nostrils at me, something I can do but Daddy cant! Soon we were moved to recovery and I breastfed them both and just kept looking at them in awe, I was still very shaky and itchy after all my drugs and drank a bit too much water and was sick but other than that I was on top of the world. The midwife let my in laws come in first to see my babies and then my wonderful mum and dad and when I saw their faces I almost burst into tears, I was just so proud of my two tiny babies. Shortly after we got taken up to transitional care where we stayed for 5 days before going home. Without a doubt this was the most amazing, most special day of my life, I never had any preconceptions about labour, I knew there was a very big chance that I would be having a section. I do sometimes wonder what it would have been like to go into labour as I never felt a contraction, my waters never broke etc but all I am happy about is my two very healthy very happy babies. I also wonder how far along my pregnancy would have got, I made 36+6, but feel that I would have made 40 weeks, yet at the time I was so relieved as I couldnt lie down comfortably, I couldnt sit up, I couldnt get out of bed and my walk had become a waddle. I feel like the luckiest woman on earth to have been given them and although motherhood is hard at times I wouldnt change a second of it.

So the story began..........

Our first scan at 9 weeks revealed a big suprise..........twins!!!!

Just after Christmas 2007, with 2 months of growing left to do

Friday 29th February 2008 was the best day of my life, it was the day I finally met the two little people who had set up camp in my tummy for 36 weeks and 6 days. The lead up to this day ended up a bit stressful after a near uneventful pregnancy.

Wednesday 20th February 2008

The day things started to go a litle pear shaped, I had a routine midwife appointment this day, I went alone as Derek was in work and it was nothing out of the ordinary, she did all her checks and then took my BP, I was then asked if I had felt dizzy at all. The previous night whilst getting out of the bath (Ok whilst Derek used all his strength to heave me out of the bath) I got flashy lights in my eyes, at the time I thought I had just stood up too fast (ha! too fast who was I kidding, I didnt do anything fast at that stage!!!). Anyway I told her I had flashy lights and she said she would come visit me in a few days to take my BP again. In my naive little bubble of lovelyness I thought nothing more of it and waddled off home.

Friday 22nd February 2008

The midwife turned up and took my BP, decided she wasnt happy and told me to get my coat and go to the hospital!!!!!!!! so I waddled up 3 flights of stairs to get my coat, then back up again to get my notes, then back up one last time to get my phone and bag!! I rang Derek who was in work and he came straight home and off we trotted, well waddled (me) and strided 20 steps ahead (long legged Derek), to the hospital.
I was monitored on the delivery suite for a few hours then given the wondeful news 'we want to admit you for monitoring' I had a major sulk (I reverted to age 15 and even had tears in my eyes) I DID NOT want to stay in hospital, obviously my sulk fell on deaf ears and I ws admitted there and then.
From Friday night to Sunday night I was monitored and had to do a 24 hour wee sample (there is NOTHING more classy than being given a huge bottle and told to do every wee in it - how!!!!! I couldnt see my feet let alone a bottle to bloody wee in!!!!).
I was finally discharged on Sunday night but told to return the next morning just to check my BP and monitor the babies.

Monday 25th February 2008

We go back for a 'quick bit of monitoring', 8 hours later a very hungry and tired and bored Kelly and Derek are told that once again I am being admitted, cue more stroppy hormonal tears but once Derek had calmed down (ha!) he went home to get my hospital bag again.

Tuesday 26th February 2008

I have my one and only ante natal class, a twin one no less! it lasted an hour and was a bit of a waste of time plus I think I scared the only other mum to be there witless as I was hot sweaty uncomfy etc and was asked every 5 mins if I was ok, I eventually told them I was actually admitted and saw the fear in their eyes!!!!! A quick visit to SCBU made everything seem so real and so scary all of a sudden especially with lots of 'you must prepare yourselves that you will end up in here in all likeliehood' comments and meaningful looks at me!

Wednesday 27th February 2008

My wonderful Mum arrived, I now realise how much I scared her by phoning and crying down the phone and telling her all what was going on etc.
I had another scan and the lady was slightly worried about one of the babies and the lack of fluid but after much scanning she decided that all was in fact ok and I could go home (whoop whoop) so we went back up to the ward to collect my stuff only to find that once the ward sister had read through it all that the ultrasound lady had not noted down that the waters were in fact all ok, I begged, I pleaded, I cried, I pouted nothing! I was not allowed home again. Just after Derek left to go work I was sat chatting to my mum when I finally met my consultant, he came to tell me that all things considered there was no point waiting for things to get worse and that I would be having my babies on Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did ask if Derek had paid him to choose that date (he wanted 29th February so he only hd to buy them presents every 4 years - he could peel an orange in his pocket my husband!!! I wanted March 1st - St Davids Day. I was due on March 23rd and Derek did originally want me to hold out until his birthday on March 31st, you can guess my response!!!)

So I got to go home on the Thursday to get myself ready, my Mum got my Dad to come up and to be totally honest that night is a blur, I know I had a bath, my dad set the babies mobiles up for their cots, I repacked my hospital bag (again) and I tried to sleep and prepare myself for becoming a twin mummy