Sleeping Cheek to Cheek ~ Elijah & Eva

3 weeks old

Big sister Zoe sniffing Eli's stinky toes! Ha ha :)
Zoe cracks me up with these kids. She is always doing something funny, and she is constantly trying to help out.

She is such a great kid!

Big sister kisses!
Sweetest slumber.....

2 happy little hippies

i can't believe it has been 3 weeks since these two crazy kids joined our family. in ways it seems like just yesterday i was pregnant & a size beyond belief....in other ways the whole pregnancy seems like a dream and i feel like eva & eli have always been a part of our family. zoe is adjusting well. she loves to help mom & dad and gives the babies 6,000 kisses a day! she is so full of love and laughter. i feel so blessed to have her little helping hands by my side. speaking of blessed...wes only had to work 5 days this whole month. it has been incredible to have him around to help out & give zbug the extra love & attention she needs right now ~ not to mention all of the help he has given me around the house. i feel really blessed to be a stay-at-home mom at this stage in my life. i am so lucky to be able to devote all of my time & energy to my family. i am grateful that i was born in a country & a time where i have the choice to work outside of the home. i know that the majority of women in the world are not afforded such a blessing. i hope i never take for granted the incredible opportunity & responsibility i have been given to care for these three amazing kids!

Good Times with Grandma

Cookies for BREAKFAST?

Only when Grandma comes to play!

Together Zoe & Grandma have baked 6 dozen cookies! Wow.
Can you say, "Sugar High?"

A Shopping Spree with Grandma

Zoe's new doll from Grandma Diane

Zbug modeling her new butterfly pjs from Grandma Diane
Her pjs say "sleepy head" on the front.
I thought this picture was the perfect "sleepy head" shot.

The past week Zoe has had a blast playing, shopping, & baking cookies with Grandma Diane. Wesley's mom came last Monday & will fly out tomorrow. She has been a huge help washing tons of loads of laundry, cleaning floors, playing with Tyke, scrubbing the oven, & SPOILING Zoe. We will certainly miss her helping hands & look forward to seeing her again in 3 short weeks! We Love You, Grandma! Thanks for everything!

eli loves to be awake & looking around
eva the love bug

2 weeks old

Miss Eva & Sir Eli ~ One Week Old
Sweet dreams..........

Zoe LOVES being a BIG sister!

Zbug & Eli

Zoe & Eva
Gretty, Eli, Zoe, & Eva
Goodbye Hugs & Kisses

Farewell to Aunt Fudge

Saturday, Nov 8, 2008

It's crazy to think a whole month has passed since Gretchen came to stay with us! We had so much fun laughing & playing together. We certainly appreciate all of the help that she gave us. We could never have done it without her!!! She was a HUGE support! We were so sad to say good-bye. Zoe was kicking & screaming, "NO" in her carseat when we dropped her off at the airport. It was heartbreaking. Luckily, we will be back in Utah soon & we can all laugh & play together again! Thanks for EVERYTHING, Nana ~ the shopping, the cooking, the cleaning, the moral support, the back rubs, the foot rubs, the laundry, the floors, the trick or treating, the trips to the hospital, and the endless hours of babysitting!! We LOVE you!!!!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Headed Home??????

On Monday, November 3rd we were discharged from Providence Hospital. We were super excited to get home, relax, & bond as a family. At 10 AM the following day, we visited our pediatrician for the twins' 2 day old check-up. She suggested that we have some blood drawn to check for jaundice levels. We went to the lab, stopped by Costco to buy Z some diapers, ate some lunch, went to the polls to VOTE (YES, WE CAN!), and headed back home in the late afternoon. Once we got home, the doctor called us to report that the jaundice levels were elevated & asked us to check back in the hospital that evening for phototherapy, evaluation, & observation. She was concerned because the antigen E antibodies that were present in my blood during pregnancy were transferred to both babies. This could have potentially caused a serious threat to their health, resulting in blood transfusions, or worse. Needless to say, that is not what we wanted to hear. We had been home less than 24 hours and were exhausted! We were missing Zoe and she was misssing us. We were tired, scared, and overwhelmed, but we repacked all of our bags and headed back to the hospital. Once we got admitted and settled in, the babies began their phototherapy. They had to stay in bilibeds unless they were eating or being changed. They also had biliblood tests drawn every 6 hours from their heels to evaluate their progress & health. The next day, Zoe came up to the hospital with Gretchen & played all day in the playroom of the pediatric ward where we were being treated. It was so great to see her & spend the day with her. She lifted our spirits. Wednesday night Wesley took Zoe home & Gretchen stayed with me in the hospital. The babies' levels continued to drop & their health improved. More prayers were answered & we were discharged - again- this afternoon. We are so HAPPY to be home !!! After thoughtful reflection, we feel so blessed. With everything that can go wrong with pregnancy & birth, we are so lucky & fortunate....what's a little jaundice phototherapy?

We have been blessed with three beautiful, healthy, happy children. We thank God for them and for you all of your continued thoughts & prayers!

p.s. HOPE WON!!!!

Eva & Eli ~ 1 1/2 days old
Aunt Nana fallin' in love with baby Eli Uncle A chillin' with baby Eli

Sisters & Best Friends

Daddy & his girls!

Happy Halloween

12 hours before induction

14 lbs 3oz & 40.5 inches of babies inside that belly!

Gretty the butterfly
Brit the ladybug
Zbug the bumblebee

The annnual pumpkin carving contest!

Zoe won, of course!

Eli & Eva ~ 1 Day Old

Finally, after 12 attempts, a boy joins Donald's Dozen!

Welcome to the world, baby girl!

We Love You!

Our Birth Story
Chapter 1 ~ At the end of week 37 of the pregnancy, Katie started showing symptoms of cholestasis, a common liver disease associated with elevated hormone levels when carrying multiples. After consulting with our midwife, Mary and OBGYN, Dr. Marback, we decide a scheduled induction would begin 11/1/08 at 9AM.
Chapter 2 ~ Saturday, 11/1/08 We arrive at Providence Hospital & the water is broken for Baby A (EVA). Katie’s body tries to get in a rhythmic pattern of labor contractions, but after 5-6 hours a suggestion is made to introduce a very small amount of pitocin to get the party really started. After much prayer & deliberation, we agree. Around 7PM, Katie’s body takes the hint from the pitocin & things get moving. By 10 PM, we are fully dilated & move to birth in the OR. Hospital policy dictates that all multiples must be born in the OR ~ just in case there is a need for an emergency c-section. A huge crowd of doctors & nurses accompany us to participate in the birth, if the need arises. Our midwife Mary negotiates to allow Katie to deliver in her hospital bed, as opposed to the standard procedure on the OR table. Phew! What a relief to be in a comfortable bed to give birth.
Chapter 3 ~ Eva is born al~natural on 11/1 at 11:35PM!! She weighs in at 6lbs 13 oz and is 20 inches long. Wesley accompanies her to the warmer to get her stats & welcome her to the world. Shortly after an initial evaluation, she is on Katie’s chest & the wait begins for brother Eli to enter the world!
Chapter 4 ~ Eli quickly slides right into place, head down and directly above the cervix. His heart beat continues to be strong & healthy. Suddenly we begin to realize that he is not going to be born before midnight! We all laugh & joke in the OR about the twins having separate birthdays. As the clock strikes twelve, our midwife Mary suggests that we go back in our labor & delivery room to birth Eli. Dr. Marback agrees that we can get out of the OR because all is going well with Baby B! YEAH!!! We go back to our little ‘birthing cave’ and start working hard to help Eli be born.
Chapter 5 ~ On Sunday, 11/2, at 1:25 AM Eli joins us peacefully and naturally!! We all laugh about having these twins in two different places on two different days! Both placentas detach fully and we all breathe a huge sigh of relief! Eli weighs in at 7 lbs 6 oz and is 20.5 in. long.
Chapter 6 ~ Around 2:30 AM the room is finally quiet and both babies are happily nursing in tandem. Wes & Katie both stare into each other's eyes. What a night! What a journey! What a blessing! Every prayer has been answered and there is no doubt that angels are present in abundance. We offer a very humble prayer of gratitude and try to get some rest! We are certainly going to need it.

Big sister Zoe meets Eva
Eva Helena born 11/1/08 at 11:35 PM ~ 6lbs 13oz ~ 20 in
Elijah Sherdon born 11/2/08 at 1:25 AM ~ 7lbs 6oz ~ 20.5 in

Our fabulous midwife, Mary & her adorable daughter, Addie
Both attended our birth and were a huge source of love, light, strength, & support!

A busy bumble bee invades the pumpkin patch
TRICK OR TREAT!

Halloween Story Time at the Library
Today Brittany & Gretchen took Zbug to a fun Halloween story time @ the library. They listened to some fun books & went trick or treating around the library. Lots of Zoe's good friends were there, too. She had a great time! Later, they went to a pumpkin patch. Thanks for a fun day!

Happy Halloween!!!!

A Day in the Life with Aunt Gretchen

Zoe has had such a great time the last 2 1/2 weeks with Aunt Gooch! They have gone to the park, invented all kinds of new games, gone on fun outings, and played, played, played!!! As you can see, having so much fun has been an exhausting experience. Twice now ~ Zoe has fallen fast asleep at the lunch table! We have always called Gretty - Gretchen Anna - and now when you say, "Zoe...who is your favorite aunt?" She will yell, "NANA!!"It is super cute.