Keeping Up With The Darlings: June 2008

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Uh oh....a brief scare, a hospital stay, and bed rest

On Monday, June 16, we arrived home from our beach vacation after making the long drive from Washington, DC (we drove from NC to DC on Sunday the 15th). Meghan was having some regular back pain and was generally uncomfortable. That night, around 3 am, she woke up very sick and got sick several times over the course of the morning. When she called the doctor that morning, she told Meghan to go to the hospital. We drove to the hospital and found out that Meghan was 1 cm dilated and was having contractions 2 to 3 minutes apart. That's when the scary part began....

Meghan was started on an IV to get her hydrated, some drugs to slow down the contractions, and she was injected with steroids to help develop the babies' lungs in case they were born (at this point they were less than 28 weeks). They then transferred her to Beth Israel, which is clearly a good hospital, since it is the Official Hospital of the Boston Red Sox....

Meghan spent the next week in the hospital, being monitored for contractions and having lots of attention from the nurses. They think she got very dehydrated from the virus that she caught and the resulting vomiting, and that may have caused the contractions. Happily, on Tuesday the 24th, she had an ultrasound and the doctor declared her stable enough to be released to home...where she is right now...on bed rest. Thanks to all who visited her in the hospital and said prayers for the health of the babies and the Baby Mama. We hope the babies stay inside the human incubator (i.e. Meghan) for another 6 to 8 weeks!

Below is a photo of us in the hospital....since our 4th Wedding Anniversary was June 19th, this is the only official photo taken during our 4th anniversary stay at the Hotel Beth Israel!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Outer Banks Beach Trip

On Friday, June 6, we got the OK from the Doctor to go on our vacation to the Outer Banks. We rented a beach house in Corolla with Meghan's family and were looking forward to lots of time on the beach and next to the pool!!

We stopped in DC on the way and went out to dinner with Chele, Jen Dallas and the Haykens (complete with little Jack!) It was great to catch up with old friends and to meet the new Hayken... what a cutie! Below is a photo from the dinner:

Once we arrived in NC, we settled in for a week on the beach. It was a relaxing vacation, where Meghan spent a lot of time keeping cool in the pool and elevating her legs on the pool chairs! The dogs enjoyed themselves as well! See some photos below from the trip:

We were also very surprised by a family Baby Shower, complete with favors like small baby bottles with blue and pink candy and a cake made by the same person who had made our wedding cake almost 4 years ago! Below is a picture from the shower.

26 week (almost) Ultrasound Update

No pictures this time, but we wanted to post an update on the babies with info from the last ultrasound. The little boy now weighs 1 lb 13 oz and the little girl is a solid 1 lb 9 oz. Both heartbeats were strong, and we saw the little girl kicking the boy in the head during the ultrasound, so they are already fighting!! Foreshadowing of things to come??

"They Said It..."

Cameron: "Dad, it's raining so hard since the clouds really needed to go pee!" (Cameron staring at the pouring rain and explaining the science of rain, May 2013)

Isabel: "Daddy, get my book." Jason reply "Isabel, what is the magic word?" Isabel response "Bippity-boppity-boo!" (Isabel responding to Jason's request for the magic word, looking for Please, April 2013)

Isabel: "Daddy, did Lucas get the bath sanitizer on his head?" (Isabel asking about the baptism, April 2013)

Cameron: "Did you turn the pacifier on?" (referring to the humidifier, Feb 2013)

Cameron: "Dad, did you put air conditioner in Isabel's hair?" (asking about conditioner in the bath, Feb 2013)

Isabel: "Look at all of the wedding fishes!" (looking at the white fish as Pet Smart, Feb 2013)

Cameron: "I gave Duchess a treat because she is swell" (swell? Feb 2013)

Cameron: "Dad, what's that chomping thing that chomps things out of here?" (Cameron asking for me to get the needle nosed pliers to get a toy out of one of his trucks, December 2012)

Cameron: "When I was a baby, I had to go to the dentist to get new teeth!" (not quite understanding what the dentist does, Nov 2012) followed up with "If I put my chipped tooth under the pillow, the tooth fairy will come!" (also not understanding the job of a tooth fairy, after he fell on his face and chipped his tooth, Nov 2012).

Isabel while jumping on the bed: Jason asked "Are you guys listening to anything I am saying?" Isabel replies "Nope!" (at least she is honest, Oct 2012)

Cameron: "Mommy, I need to give my cough back to the kids at school." Meghan reply "No, we don't want to give it back to the kids, we just need to get rid of it." Cameron response "Yeah, we need to throw it in the trash!" (Oct 2012)

Isabel: "Cameron, I stunk it up in the bathroom! Do you want to come in?" (Isabel sharing the news, Oct 2012)

Isabel: "Daddy, are you on a plane?" Jason reply "No, I'm in Minnesota." Isabel response "Are you drinkin' soda?" (conversation while Jason was on a business trip to Minnesota, August 2012)

Cameron : "Come on Isabel, let's get the telescope." (referring to the play stethescope in their pet hospital, June 2012).

Cameron: In response to Jason asking if he needed to go poop "No, I am just scratching my butt because it itches." (Obviously. July 4, 2012)

Isabel: "Daddy, I can see better when my eyes are open." (Isabel explaining some newly learned wisdom, April 17, 2012)

Cameron: "Mommy, it looks like a pancake." (Cameron looking in the toilet and commenting on the appearance of his poop...April 15, 2012)

Cameron: "Mommy, when we have the baby, I am going to teach him how to spit!" Mommy: "Really? What do you mean?" Cameron, "I am going to teach him how to spit when he brushes his teeth!" (April 14, 2012)

Isabel and Cameron: In response to my request for Isabel to try a black olive "I don't like olives." After which Cameron adds "I don't like olives either. It looks like a tire." (eating dinner at Cici's...March 2012)

Isabel: When Meghan told her that she has a baby boy in her belly, Isabel replied "And Daddy has a baby girl in his belly!" (at dinner, March 2012)

Isabel: In response to Isabel's preschool teacher asking her if mommy had a baby in her belly, Isabel replied "And Daddy has a baby in his belly too. It's getting bigger." (At preschool...March 2012)

Cameron: "Mommy, I am going to peel the girl off you and put on a boy." (explaining how he did not want his mommy to be a girl anymore...March 2012)

Cameron: "Dad can you open the window? I need to throw my booger out." (while on a car ride...Feb 2012)

Cameron: "Dad, how about we go outside and play a little bit of ball." (while holding his little baseball bat, making his Dad proud of his future Red Sox player....Dec 2011).

Cameron: "Mommy, you're a goofball...and grandpa is a hockey puck!" (Repeating some name calling, terms of affection among Meghan's family! Dec 2011)

Isabel: "Mommy, I want to help blow your candles off!" (commenting on Meghan's birthday cake...Dec 8 2011).

Cameron: "(laughing) Mommy, did you hear that? That was my bum laughing at you!" (Cameron while sitting on the toilet, after passing some gas....Sept 22 2011)

Isabel: "I need Wheat Thins cause it will make my stuffy nose better. (explaining what we should give her Wheat Thins for lunch instead of fruit, etc...Sept 21 2011)

Isabel: "I don't need to poop. It's not ready yet." (no explanation needed, Sept 20 2011)

Isabel: "Chicken nuggets!" (Isabel's response when asked to name the animal, looking at a group of small chickens, Sept 17 2011)

Isabel: "I don't want to see yours back, or yours ears, or yours arms." (Isabel while sitting on the potty, telling Mommy that she wants her privacy).

Cameron: "Are we there yet?" (Aug 26 2011 on the way to the NC mountains)

Isabel: "Daddy, backpack ride!" (asking for her version of a piggy-back ride)

Cameron: "Blow on it!" (in response to us telling Cameron that the fireplace is hot and not to touch it)

Cameron (April 3 2011): "I pulled my boo-boo off." (Cameron telling us that he pulled his scab off...)

Cameron (April 3, 2011): "I eat mine booger!" (Cameron proudly exclaiming his new skill)

Cameron (July 13, 2011): "Daddy, put my juice in the elevator...to keep it cold!" (or maybe the refrigerator?)

Cameron (July 26, 2011): "I almost broke myself!" (after falling off the chair onto the floor)

By the Numbers

Last Update: September 19, 2011

Born on Date (babies' birthday, not what is written on the side of a Budweiser bottle): August 5, 2008

Cameron James Darling: Born 2:29 pm, 5 lbs 3 oz, 18.7 inches

Isabel Clare Darling: Born 2:31 pm, 4 lbs 12 oz, 17.3 inches

Cameron's discharge date from the NICU: August 30, 2008 Number of days in the NICU for Cameron: 25

Isabel's discharge date from the NICU: August 31, 2008

Number of days in the NICU for Isabel: 26

Cameron's latest weight: 32 lbs 8 oz (Aug 30 2011)

Isabel's latest weight: 25 lbs 2 oz (Aug 30 2011)

Keeping Up With The Darlings