Birth Day

I WROTE THIS 2 weeks ago... it has been sitting on my computer ever since. The pictures were not uploading correctly and so it had to wait as the time to feed my sweet girls had come. Hope you enjoy! There is more to come!!

If the girls stick to their 4 hour feeding interval they should already be awake, but they are sound asleep. I have been thinking about blogging for the last several days as there is so much I want to put up, since I am awake and they are asleep I figure now is a great time- the house is clean what else is there to do?  

Abigail and Isabelle are HERE! They didn’t want to come a day sooner than when they were forced to come. On April 18^th we got the call at 7am from the hospital to come in they were ready to induce me. They asked us to be there as soon as possible. Chris and I had been at a friend’s home the night before and lost track of time and didn’t make it home until close to 3am. Big mistake when you are going to give birth the next day… we slowly got out of bed and got ourselves to the hospital.

At 1140am they started the oxytocin drip I was 2-3 cm dilated and they expected things to get going soon. Well not the case Chris and I played cards on and off all day- at 4pm after being STRAPPED to the dang monitors for hours (I was getting uncomfortable at this point- those beds suck) they broke my water. I wanted to shower and so I did and that slowed labor down. Then at 9pm they broke my water again and then things started to ramp up. By 11pm I was having hard contractions with awful back labor. At 315am I had the urge to push… at this point I had to move over to the Operating Room as this is where twins are delivered just in case of emergency c-section. Just as I got into the O.R. the anesthesiologist walked into the room… we had been waiting for HOURS for an epidural but he was stuck in surgery. I wasn’t a happy camper.  I was so mad at the nurses in my head but Chris tells me that I still always said please and thank you to everyone. I was so mad that I was in that bed that was hurting my back… was it the bed? I don’t know but ugh I was mad. Anyways I got the epidural and they told me to sleep… which wasn’t a hard request I was practically asleep when they told me. We both slept until just after 5 at which point I started to feel contractions again. Pushing started at 520am and that was the greatest thing EVER (okay not ever but it is great… I finally got to DO something not just endure something). I loved it. Isabelle Ruth Gow was born at 703am and Abigail Catherine Gow was born at 724am April 19 2011. Isabelle weighed 7lbs and Abigail weighed 6lbs 1oz.  

Everyone asks how delivering a second baby was and all I have to say is that it really is two for the price of one! Labor sucks and so getting two sweet baby girls is the greatest reward. Abigail was out in two contractions. The OBGYN described the uterus as stupid and it thinks its job is over after one is out and it takes it a while to figure out it needs to keep working and get another baby out. We got out of the hospital Thursday at about noon. On the way home I was convinced that we had a flat tire because something just didn’t feel right I later confessed I was just anxious. Chris drove like a grandpa on the way home, extra cautious.

It has been four weeks on Tuesday since our girls were born. Time is flying by faster than imaginable. We are smitten with our babies; they are the sweetest things around!

Reunion

In September 2010 (maybe the 15^th) Kate (my little sister) left for Australia. Her original plans were to return in May 2011. At Christmas time she confessed that she wasn’t planning on coming home until July. Much to everyone’s dismay her plans never changed. Last week she confessed to all her family that she would indeed be coming home in May with a flight booked on May 15. The excitement of this return didn’t sink in as my mind has been very caught up in the birth of my children, Chris’s work, visiting family, sick grandparents … the list is a little extensive with of course a lot of it being caught up in the birth of my (our) little girls. Today on facebook pictures of my sister’s children (Ella and Lucy) popped up on the side of the screen and so I started looking through old photos. In them were some pictures of Kate. I then looked through all my pictures on facebook that had Kate in them. I laughed to myself as I read captions on the photos and remembered events with her. Then it sank in KATE IS COMING HOME!

Kate's highschool graduation- 2009

Add to it is that she is not coming home in May; she is coming home in a few days! I don’t know when yet as I haven’t been able to get a hold of my family tonight BUT I do know that she is coming home. It makes me SO HAPPY to know that she is coming home.

Hawaii 2009- PCC enjoying the fruits of being child 5 and 6!

Hawaii 2009- Oreo teeth in the slums of Hawaii

We have had a lot of fun together over the last few years. Kate and I didn’t always get along despite me begging my mom for a baby sister all those years ago. Kate has an amazing sense of style and is one of the funniest people I know! Kate is very loyal and kind. She has always impressed me in her determination to live what she knows to be true. I couldn’t be happier that she is coming home. I have missed her so much and can’t wait to see how she has grown up and changed. I realized today that when people go far away I just move on and kind of forget that they exist and then when they return all is well and you continue enjoying them.

Harbour Quay Port Alberni 2007

Well I say it again KATE IS COMING HOME to CANADA! I can’t wait to see her! I hope my girls are here to meet her… dare we make the journey to the airport with them?! hahaha DOUBTFUL!

Wedding 2010

Safe journey home Kate! Can't wait to see you.

For the Beauty of the Earth

Today we found ourselves enjoying the beauty that is all around us. I love the ocean and wanted to take a trip out to the west coast and we ended up at French Beach. I wanted to do something we wouldn't be able to do for a long time. It was beautiful. We walked around for only about 20 minutes but it was worth it- even the head ache I got from the cold wind was worth it. I love the sound of waves. I love the way trees lean because of the never ending presence of wind. I love rocks that have become smooth because of waves beating on them. I love the sand. I love beach wood. I love the contrast of blue ocean and green trees. I love the way waves come rolling in. When we were walking along the beach I couldn’t help but think about taking our kids there and how much fun it would be- they have fire pits and beautiful picnic tables on a grassy area. I chose a rock to bring home from there and got Chris to bend over and pick it up for me. I think I have decided to start a tradition of getting a rock from everywhere we go. I will simply write on it the date and where we got it from. The rock is beautiful.

Going along the theme of things I love I have to throw in that I love my camera. I do not know how to use it as well as I should/could BUT I love it. Chris was walking towards me on the beach and I snapped about 15 pictures of him in a matter of seconds. How wonderful!

Yes it is true we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world!

Easter Thoughts

Perhaps all would agree my Easter thoughts are coming a bit early as Easter weekend is still 2 weeks away- but I plan on being otherwise pre-occupied at that point in time and so my thoughts have turned to Easter a little bit earlier.

What a wonderful time of year it is to reflect on the life of Jesus Christ. I was sitting here thinking about the significance of this time of year. This time of year celebrates or remembers or reverences the life of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and His death and almost most importantly His resurrection. Because Christ was willing to suffer if we will but turn to Him we do not have to suffer- be it sadness, guilt, sorrow, heartache, regret or loss. The list of things that cause us to suffer is endless when we think of suffering as anything that keeps us from feeling peace and happiness or simply put discourages us. He really was stricken and acquainted with grief. He knows how we feel so that He may succor us, come to us and heal us. One of the best things about Easter is the celebration of the fact that Christ was resurrected (spirit and body re-united never to be separated again). The significance of this being that because He lives we too will live again after we have died. This truth swallows the sting of death- for as a loved one dies we can find peace in knowing that death is not the end of them and that they will live again- as will we.

I have been thinking about death and dying for the last week as my Papa is near death. I was not surprised by the profound feelings of sadness that hit me the day I finally heard the words “palliative bed” in reference to where he should be put and the kind of care that he should receive at this time. After the initial blow of hearing these words there has come to my mind a great happiness knowing that he will be getting the best care that is available for someone who is dying. The people who work in this environment are some of the most special people I have ever met. They are kind, compassionate and somehow they have a special way about them that makes everyone comfortable when the situation really can be anything but comfortable. Of course the other thing that brings me great peace is knowing that my Papa is not going to a scary place, he is going home. He will no longer feel the physical pains that his body has become subject to. He will be separated from us for now, but we will see him again. All this is possible because of the life, sacrifice and love Jesus Christ.

Perhaps my thoughts have been somewhat scattered. I love mormon messages- as they put things perfectly to music and words and images. I love these ones- I know that what they say is real. It is truth. These truths make me happy and bring hope to my heart despite sadness, turmoil and all things that I suffer.

Oh RATS

Yesterday I was making dinner and Chris was watching T.V. and he suddenly proclaims there is a RAT outside… he got up and went to the sliding glass door and starts looking. I come over as quickly as possible and took a look. I HAVE NEVER laid eyes on a real live rat. IT was SO GROSS. Its tail was thick and long and it was HUGE. I was so disgusted. I even screamed after staring at it for about 45 seconds. THEN Chris went outside and scared it away. WHY oh WHY was there a RAT on the back patio?! I open the door all the time because I get so hot… NEVER AGAIN (without the screen door… that has a hole in it)!

Da Girls

Ultrasound says the girls are 6lbs 10oz and 6lbs 4 oz! That is just a few ounces short of 13lbs rumbling around in my belly- makes sense why I can’t sit like a lady any longer. Braxton hicks have become my unwanted friend. I always get so excited thinking today is the day and then they go away. I have told Chris so many times it is happening today only to be proved wrong. He is now threatening me that they are going to go to 38 weeks. Well if he is right the countdown is on- 10 sleeps! The longer the better though I suppose- for their sakes! I just need something to keep me BUSY- but I am so limited in what I can actually do- any suggestions?! I got wooden letters to spell their names to put above their cribs that I need to paint but I am just holding off JUST IN CASE we decide to change their names.

I have heard all about this video that has been put up about talking twins... I just looked at it and laughed rather hard. Add this to the list of 20 reasons why it is great to have twins!

Is today THE day?

Several weeks ago Chris and I were talking about what date would be an ideal day for the babies to come. At first I was thinking that between the two of us we could have a “baby pool” and whoever was closest to the actual day that the babies were born would get a treat of their choice. Chris told me “Laura after you have the babies you will be getting anything you want!” The idea of a “baby pool” was dropped. As the conversation continued about the babies being born we both quickly came to the date of April 8^th as being a great day for them to be born. Our reasons included that they would be very close (3 days away) to 37 weeks the full term mark for twins, I really liked the sound of April 8 (yes Rachel we did inherit the same genes!), March Madness would be over (NCAA Basketball Tournament), General Conference would be over (the last time we would get to be at one without little ones tagging along) and it was right before the weekend (Chris would naturally have no work appointments to cancel as he doesn’t work the weekends). Well today is April 8^th, will anything happen? Sad to say I am only the tail of the dog in this situation- I have to simply follow the lead of my body and babies. I think every day this week I have wished that they would come- today is no different. I have an ultrasound today at noon and a non-stress test at one. Maybe I just won’t have to leave the hospital… or better yet maybe I won’t have to wait that long to go to the hospital. Who knows, but we are both eagerly waiting their arrival. Chris is much more patient then I, probably because he doesn’t have two babies in his ribs and bladder! One can only hope that today will be THE day!