The last year went by so fast. Our baby girl is not so much a baby anymore. Some photos of the last 16 months:
February 2010
She loves to swing!
I'm having a hard time remembering when, (no idea why my sentences are underlined right now.) but I started watching our God Daughter, Briley, a couple days a week, which Emery LOVED. They played together so well. The first thing she would say when she woke up was "Bribey?"
March 2010
We spent Easter 2010 at my brother Ryan's, in Hillsboro, Or. w/ the Deccio family. Emery and her cousin Ali had a mini Easter egg hunt in the house, (it was raining outside.. who'da guessed?) and searched for their baskets. My mom made her traditional brunch, and Emery put the food away! We all laughed as she shoveled it in. :) She looked so beautiful.
April 2010, Emery and I took a trip to LA to visit Auntie Makize and Auntie Denielle. Mommy's two bestest friends. Makize was expecting her first baby, and I was so excited to see her and her baby bump! We were only there for the weekend, and it was sad to leave, but wonderful spending time w/ great friends. Emery's flights were pretty perfect. She's a great flyer.
We had a really fun summer. Emery started swimming lessons at 6 months and we met some great friends there. We took boating trips and had bbq's. Here are some photos from those. :)
Emery's friend Tabor. Once E stopped beating him up, they became great friends.
Every parents greatest fear... Chucky Cheese. ;) Emery's first time, w/ her cousin, Carson.
Some time on the River...
June 2010. We spent father's day at my brother Ryan's house again, after hanging at home w/ the three of us. Emery made daddy a yard stone {that later broke. :(} w/ her hand prints and jewels. It was precious.
But it was a little colder than they'd anticipated! :) 
July 2010. 17 months. Look at that face!
We spent 4th of July w/ our friends, Vanessa and Ben. (Tabor's parents.) Emery LOVED the fireworks. Daddy showed her how they worked and she stayed up way past her bed time watching them blow up.
After the 4th, we took a family trip to Salt Lake, to see Chris' parents and surprise his brother, Brandon. Again, Emery flew wonderfully, and the trip was perfect. While we were there, we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary by spending the day in Park City and then seeing a movie while E hung out w/ her Grandma and Grandpa. She met a new friend, Addison, across the street, learned frizbee golf, swam in Grandma's pool, went to the zoo, the aquarium and had a blast at the park up the road. It was a great trip!
Just before our trip, we'd decided we'd like to try for another baby, so we visited our dr. for a little bit of help... hoping that it wouldn't take as much as it did for E. She gave us a trial run of 200mg of Clomid (The highest they'll give you) and if that didn't work, we'd visit the specialist again for more shots. I'll never forget going to work, around August 16th, planning on going wake boarding w/ some friends later that day, and deciding to take a test just in case. It had only been our first round of Clomid since E and we'd been "off" a few times, so we thought it was a "no go" this time around. Tests are free at work, so why not check? I went potty, nothing happened, I set it down to fix my hair and started to walk out, realizing I'd left the test out. I went to throw it away and saw the faintest second line. I thought for sure it was a mistake because it had taken so long to show. I went and got a medical assistant friend to look at it.. She smiled and said "You're pregnant!" Still in denial, I got another test. The exact same thing happened. The line was so faint and took so long to show, that I wasn't completely convinced. I took them home to surprise Christopher anyway. :)
If I was pregnant, I'd only be a little over 3 weeks, so maybe that was why the faint line... but why would it show so soon at all? My Dr. confirmed w/ a blood test. We were having another baby!! We were so excited! We told a handfull of friends and our parents that we were expecting baby number 2, and all were just as elated. We do make pretty cute kids!
Some time around Sept 6th, I went in to check for a heart beat. I'd been really sick and was eager to see this little bean that had been the culprit. Chris was meeting me there from work, and I was called in for ultrasound prior to his arrival. As the ultrasound tech started, and ran the doppler over my belly, I immediately saw two sacks. I've seen enough ultrasounds at work to know what I'm looking at, and my heart started to race. Had she done something weird w/ the screen? Was she doubling images or mirroring them? Was I just distracted by Emery dumping her animal crackers on the floor? She went back over and this time I saw two little tiny babies. My heart was in my throat. "Are there two?" She smiled. "Yup!" "No, no, I mean two BABIES?" "Yup!" Still smiling. Just then, the door opened and in walked Chris. "Everything okay?" I must have looked like I'd seen a ghost. "Yup.... Count them." He looked like I was speaking Chinese. "What?" "Look at the screen. Count them. There are two!" "Twins?" He sat down and w/ a fearful smile and just said "We have to move!"
We left the ultrasound after finding both heart beats and measuring the little stinkers and went straight in to my doctors office. We were worried. Would they be okay? Would they grow to be full term in my 100lb frame? Would I be on bed rest at 5 months? She assured us that everything would be fine. That I would be huge, uncomfortable, and they would most likely be a little earlier than usual, but I could do this. When we left the office, we were pretty quiet. Taking it all in, I guess. After sending a mass "OMG" text to family and friends, I called my mom in tears. I was so overwhelmed. I couldn't grasp the fact that TWO babies were going to fit in my belly and grow properly. Chris' friends took him out for drinks.
As the weeks went on, I was sicker and sicker. I felt like I was on a deep sea fishing boat, 24/7. The nausea was so bad, food sounded terrible and I wasn't gaining much weight. My Dr. had me drinking protein drinks. We moved to Washougal the end of October to a much bigger house and rented our other one out. The housing market wouldn't allow us to sell, so we found renters on Craiglist. Chris' dad was able to take vacation from work, to visit, help us move, and spend Halloween w/ Emery. We went out to Battle Ground where they'd opened all the businesses on Main to trick or treaters, and had a blast w/ our little cow.
We were also lucky enough to find out what we were having around that time. A little boy and a little girl. Perfect. Just as my morning/afternoon/evening/middle of the night sickness started to slow down, my belly started to pop. Around 15 weeks, I could finally see signs of pregnancy. Around 21/22 weeks, I started having terrible pain in my back. I was sent to physical and massage therapy, but it only got worse as the weeks went on. Once my belly popped,
I grew very quickly. It was as if over night, I gained 30 lbs.
Christmas in the new house was awesome! Emery had a huge playroom to fill w/ toys. She woke up to her very own wooden train table, and opened many many more presents. This would be her last Christmas as an only child after all.
I grew very quickly. It was as if over night, I gained 30 lbs.
Christmas in the new house was awesome! Emery had a huge playroom to fill w/ toys. She woke up to her very own wooden train table, and opened many many more presents. This would be her last Christmas as an only child after all.
February hit and Emery turned 2!!! She was beautiful as ever, and exceptionally intelligent. She finally went from the 10th percentile in weight, to the 25th and a wopping 24lbs. and 60th in height at 35 inches. We had a small, Strawberry Shortcake birthday party at our house and surprised her w/ a giant trampoline. (Her big present from Mommy and Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa Crouch and Grandma and Grandpa Deccio.) On her actual birthday, she woke up to candles in her pancakes and a trip to Omsi. She'd designed her own birthday shirt to wear all day, w/ a giant 2 on the back. Later that day, she baked and decorated cupcakes with her good friends.
I only worked one more week after that, because my ankles and calves were so swollen, I could hardly walk on them.
My back was so bad that I was almost in tears every night, and my ribs were starting to separate. Sleeping was just about non-existant because of back and leg pain, and if I tried to move from one side to the other, my groin tissue would slightly tear. The pain was getting to me. The girls at work threw me a baby shower, and gave me wonderful gifts.
They are very good to me.
While all of this was going on, Emery was definitely becoming her own little personality. One who loves makeup,
but likes to wear a hard hat... a girl who loves to play w/ power tools,
but while she's wearing dress up shoes. She's amazing, and wonderful, and hilarious.
/div>
My platelets weren't getting better as quickly as they'd like, so I stayed an extra few days. London hadn't been holding her body temperature, and wasn't eating well, so she'd been monitored much more closely. It was decision time to be able to keep her w/ me or go to the NICU for closer care.. Daddy's birthday came, March 31st and the Pediatrician came in to tell us whether or not she would be able to go home w/ us when we were discharged. I was praying he'd give us good news. What a wonderful birthday present! But... she'd lost above the allowed 10% of birth weight and could not hold her body temperature. To the NICU she went, for a feeding tube and warming bed.
I was discharged and went home just long enough to take a shower and snuggle E. I couldn't stand the thought of leaving one of our babies at the hospital, so I went back w/ Cruz, to stay the night in the NICU. I'd already quit taking my pain medication so that I could drive and just in case they were making London too sleepy to eat, and was in a lot of pain. I hadn't slept and was so delirious at this point, that when the doctor asked me London's name, I kept telling her it was Emery. I did this for the first couple nights, and then Chris and I would trade off nights so that we could get a little bit of rest and Emery could have both of us at home. We were exhausted. At home, Emery and Cruz were getting to know eachother..
Finally, we agreed that we were burning our candles at both ends. We were so incredibly blessed by all of our friends, who brought dinners and/or checked in.. we needed to rest and enjoy what we had at home, and trust that London's nights in the NICU were okay with the nursing staff.
I'd call every morning to see how the night had gone, and FINALLY the doctor said she'd gained enough to be sent home. We were ecstatic. Finally our family would be complete.
I only worked one more week after that, because my ankles and calves were so swollen, I could hardly walk on them.
My back was so bad that I was almost in tears every night, and my ribs were starting to separate. Sleeping was just about non-existant because of back and leg pain, and if I tried to move from one side to the other, my groin tissue would slightly tear. The pain was getting to me. The girls at work threw me a baby shower, and gave me wonderful gifts.
They are very good to me.While all of this was going on, Emery was definitely becoming her own little personality. One who loves makeup,
but likes to wear a hard hat... a girl who loves to play w/ power tools,
but while she's wearing dress up shoes. She's amazing, and wonderful, and hilarious.
/div> We went back and forth on baby names for months. Dominic and Amelia. Cruz and Easton. Dominic and Easton. Cruz and Amelia...but for some reason I loved the name London. I read it in a book and couldn't get it off my mind. After weeks of talking him into it, Chris finally agreed and we were set on Cruz Barrick and London Gabrielle.
Emery was really grasping the fact that mommy had 2 babies in her belly, and that they'd be home w/ us soon. To prepare, she almost always carried her twin dolls around the house.. to her, all babies come in two's.
March came, and I was having doctors appts at least once a week, sometimes 2 or 3. 
They measured them to check growth and breathing, and hooked me up to NST's weekly, to listen to their heart beats and check contractions.. which I was having quite frequently at this point. I was sent for an ultrasound on my left leg, because it was swelling so much more than my right, they wanted to check for blood clots. Negative. Just very, very bad swelling. 
March 24th, I went in for routine checks, trying to hide my misery, and my blood pressure was just a tiny bit high. Dr. sent me for some blood work and then home. She called me frantically that night, that I was to go straight to the hospital the next morning and to be on bed rest for the rest of the night. My platelet levels were very low. I spent the night in L&D. My first ever away from Emery. The tears were welling as she and Christopher walked out of my room for the night. It was a very lonely few hours.
They measured them to check growth and breathing, and hooked me up to NST's weekly, to listen to their heart beats and check contractions.. which I was having quite frequently at this point. I was sent for an ultrasound on my left leg, because it was swelling so much more than my right, they wanted to check for blood clots. Negative. Just very, very bad swelling. 
March 24th, I went in for routine checks, trying to hide my misery, and my blood pressure was just a tiny bit high. Dr. sent me for some blood work and then home. She called me frantically that night, that I was to go straight to the hospital the next morning and to be on bed rest for the rest of the night. My platelet levels were very low. I spent the night in L&D. My first ever away from Emery. The tears were welling as she and Christopher walked out of my room for the night. It was a very lonely few hours. I had more blood work in the morning but after rising and falling, they sent me home to be on bed rest for 2 more days. The two most painful yet. I was sure my stomach was going to split. I'll never forget curling into a ball on the opposite side of the ottoman so that I could cry without Emery seeing me. We spent those days explaining to her that the babies were coming soon and what an amazing big sister she was going to be.
Sunday, March 27th, I went back in, my platelets had dropped even lower and my liver didn't look good... some explanation of my right quadrant pain. It was time to meet these babies. I was 35 weeks and 3 days.
I was much more nervous this time for my C-section. W/ Emery, I was so exhausted that I really didn't care how they got her out, as long as they did! This time, I was fully awake and about to sliced in half. My parents came to stay in the waiting room w/ Emery and Chris got ready. The doctors wheeled me into my operating room and the needle lady started working on my back... only to hit a nerve AT LEAST 8 TIMES. No, I'm not kidding. I was sure she was going to paralyze me. My dr gave her one more shot and finally I was going numb. We were on our way...
I was much more nervous this time for my C-section. W/ Emery, I was so exhausted that I really didn't care how they got her out, as long as they did! This time, I was fully awake and about to sliced in half. My parents came to stay in the waiting room w/ Emery and Chris got ready. The doctors wheeled me into my operating room and the needle lady started working on my back... only to hit a nerve AT LEAST 8 TIMES. No, I'm not kidding. I was sure she was going to paralyze me. My dr gave her one more shot and finally I was going numb. We were on our way...
What felt like 3 minutes later, I could feel them pulling London up and all of a sudden I felt like a sumo wrestler had been lifted off of my lungs. I looked at Chris and said "I can breathe!" She was 4lbs 9oz and 18 inches long.
She cried immediately and that gave me tears. Cruz scooted down, and waited his turn. 5lbs 4oz and 18 1/4 inches long. 
He had a harder time breathing at first, but then did everything perfectly. I was able to hold him first after being stitched up, while they worked on London, who'd slowed her breathing and seemed very cold. When I finally got them both in my arms, I was in complete awe and disbelief that they had just been taken from my belly. I was in love all over again. They were perfect. All that pain suddenly didn't seem so bad.
She cried immediately and that gave me tears. Cruz scooted down, and waited his turn. 5lbs 4oz and 18 1/4 inches long. 
He had a harder time breathing at first, but then did everything perfectly. I was able to hold him first after being stitched up, while they worked on London, who'd slowed her breathing and seemed very cold. When I finally got them both in my arms, I was in complete awe and disbelief that they had just been taken from my belly. I was in love all over again. They were perfect. All that pain suddenly didn't seem so bad.
The babies spent the night in the NICU due to low blood sugar and body temperature. A few friends and family members came to visit and once I could fake standing long enough to convince a nurse I was fine, I could go see them. Savannah wheeled me in, and I just wanted to run away w/ them. I stared at them forever...trying to figure out exactly who they looked like. Examining every little feature. Looking at Cruz' adorable curls and London's teeny tiny nose. *sigh* They were so tiny, and so beautiful.
After gawking for as long as I felt able, Savannah wheeled me back in, and I tried to rest for the night. As soon as it was light enough outside, I asked to be wheeled back in to see my babies. They were bright eyed and warm, so I asked if I could PLEASE have them back in my room. They brought them in a little while later, and life felt so much better. Emery was able to hold her brother and sister. People were able to visit. It was feeling much more normal.
My platelets weren't getting better as quickly as they'd like, so I stayed an extra few days. London hadn't been holding her body temperature, and wasn't eating well, so she'd been monitored much more closely. It was decision time to be able to keep her w/ me or go to the NICU for closer care.. Daddy's birthday came, March 31st and the Pediatrician came in to tell us whether or not she would be able to go home w/ us when we were discharged. I was praying he'd give us good news. What a wonderful birthday present! But... she'd lost above the allowed 10% of birth weight and could not hold her body temperature. To the NICU she went, for a feeding tube and warming bed.
I was discharged and went home just long enough to take a shower and snuggle E. I couldn't stand the thought of leaving one of our babies at the hospital, so I went back w/ Cruz, to stay the night in the NICU. I'd already quit taking my pain medication so that I could drive and just in case they were making London too sleepy to eat, and was in a lot of pain. I hadn't slept and was so delirious at this point, that when the doctor asked me London's name, I kept telling her it was Emery. I did this for the first couple nights, and then Chris and I would trade off nights so that we could get a little bit of rest and Emery could have both of us at home. We were exhausted. At home, Emery and Cruz were getting to know eachother..
Finally, we agreed that we were burning our candles at both ends. We were so incredibly blessed by all of our friends, who brought dinners and/or checked in.. we needed to rest and enjoy what we had at home, and trust that London's nights in the NICU were okay with the nursing staff.I'd call every morning to see how the night had gone, and FINALLY the doctor said she'd gained enough to be sent home. We were ecstatic. Finally our family would be complete.
So, I'm a little caught up now. I have 6 more months to catch up on, but at least I have finally filled this much in. Until next time!......
