R & Q {the twins}


So as it would have it - we wanted to get pregnant. After months of testing and anxious moments, we were told that our chances of conceiving naturally were slim to none, less than 1%. We were not even candidates for artificial insemination - so they recommended we move straight to invitro fertilization.

After much prayer and consideration (and saving up!), we took the plunge. We were blessed to find out in late October that both of the embroyos we implanted took...and a little overwhelmed to know that we would be expecting TWINS. Whoa.

In mid-January, we found out that we would welcome one boy and one girl. Ryan was easy to name --- we had that in the can for awhile.

Ryan David Greenwood Clanahan.

Naming our little girl was more difficult for some reason. About a month after we decided on Ryan's name, we settled on "Quinn".

Quinn Eugenie Clanahan.

In utero, both of them showed their personalities from the start. Ryan was the more content one, obliging for pictures and mostly just hung out.

Quinn was our fiesty child, always moving and never settled - the ultrasound tech early on said "You're going to have to watch out for that one!" : ) Couldn't be more true.

The pregnancy was pretty difficult to say the least. Early on (I'm guessing from the progresterone injections that Matt had to give me daily), I had tremendous migraines. Like pain I've never experienced. It landed me in the hospital on at least one occasion because I couldn't eat, drink or do anything without pain.

Once we got to 12 weeks, the migraines subsided. Unfortunately, Quinn decided to lay directly on my interior vena cava. Which led to unfortunate bouts of faintness, dizziness and moments where I blacked out. Even while driving. Dangerous to say the least.

Eventually that got better and we were on a roll. Yet, of course, shortly after we found out that we were having a boy and a girl, I found out the next week that I had a thinning cervix (incompetent as the technical term), so I was immediately scheduled for a cerclage around 19 weeks to hold the babies in. They were simply putting too much pressure on my body. It did it's job, thankfully, along with moderate bedrest. It was at a follow up appointment to check on the cervix, that the tech first discovered a problem with Quinn's heart  (see more at "Heart Journey").

The rest of the pregnancy was spent in prayer - prayers that I could carry to at least 34 weeks to give Quinn the best chance at life and for both children, limited time in the NICU. Thankfully with God's Grace, we made it to almost 36 weeks and the babies were delivered via c-section on June 3, 2010.

Ryan was the "big boy", born at 6:55pm weighing 5lbs 2oz and 16 1/2 inches long.

Quinn, suffering from a failure to thrive in utero, was born at 6:56pm, weighing 3lbs 13oz and was 17 inches long.

Ryan was brought to me within an hour and pronounced small but healthy. He came home with us on June 7, 2010.

Quinn was transferred immediatetly to Texas Childrens NICU Level 3, given her heart condition. She remained in Level 3 for 1 week, until she was moved to Level 2, where she spent her next 6 weeks of life. She finally came home with us on July 17, 2010.

The children are three and a half years old now. They are busy, crazy, active toddlers who bring us immense joy every single day. I don't recall life without them. I am more tired most days that I ever thought I could be, but filled with a love that I cannot even adequately describe. They are my loves.

2 comments:

Joshua and Rachel said...

Thank you for sharing! Your babies are beautiful! MY husband and I are in the process and just took my first injection last night. I try to stay off the internet because there are so many terrible stories...so it is refreshing to read your success story :)

Caroline @ In Due Time said...

So sweet! Congrats!!! Love those pictures!