Doubly Blessed

On Wednesday, November 30th, Natalie had a doctor appointment.  After her appointment she let us know that she was dialated to four and 80% effaced.  As she was only 34 weeks pregnant, I was surprised and yet having seen how miserable she felt the night before, I wasn't surprised.  The doctor kept her at his office for monitoring and then sent her to Summerlin Hospital for further monitoring.  It turned out she was in labor.  By the time I got the second phone call, Natalie was dialated to six.  Steve and I hurriedly drove to Summerlin Hospital around  four or five in the evening.

Because it was twins and they were early, the doctor told her that she would deliver in an operating room in case she needed to have a C-Section.  Natalie was wheeled off from the labor room when she reached a dialation of ten which occurred relatively easy with the help of an epideral and some other medication.  An hour later they wheeled Natalie back to the labor/delivery room.  She had delivered one of the babies but not the other.  Since it was now a single birth, she was going to be able to have the baby in the same room she had been with us during labor.  She had gone back to a dialation of four, and it appeared that she was going to have to go through labor for a second time in the same evening.  A little more than two hours later Baby B was born.  Natalie invited me to stay in the room with her, Thomas, and a team of medical professionals.  It was a magnificient event, and I am so happy that I was part of such a special moment.  Natalie was a trooper; and although it was difficult at the end, she did what she needed to do and remained the same patient, loving, even-tempered daughter I have always known her to be.

Names haven't been selected yet, but I know Natalie and Thomas are working on that situation now.  Both babies are in the ICU because of underdeveloped lungs.  Baby B is the worse.  Both had to have breathing tubes and feeding tubes.  Baby B has two picks; one is in the umbilical cord and the other in the wrist.  Those picks are for medications for the heart and lungs.   What is rather unique about the birth of these twins is that Baby A was born on November 30th around 11:00 p.m. and Baby B was born on December 1st around 1:00 a.m. 

Labor and Delivery Room

Here's Natalie and me before either babies
have been born

Optimism in the "goal"

Dialated to 10 and ready to head for the
operating room

Baby B who was born second in the
labor and delivery room. 

Baby B receiving medical attention

My first glimpses of Baby A in the ICU

We brought Cali and Ashton to the
hospital so they could see their new
brothers.  Because of their age they had
to wear gowns, gloves, hats, and masks.

Natalie and Cali admiring Baby B

Natalie, Steve, Cali, and Thomas
by Baby B's incubator

Natalie by Baby A in his incubator

Gaylord Texan Resort and Ice Show, Part 3 of Trip

On Saturday we drove to another town in Texas called Grapevine where the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center is located.  Grapevine is very close to Dallas and only a short drive from Frisco where we stayed.  The hotel reminded me a lot of the Bellagio in Las Vegas.  It had a huge atrium which was decorated for Christmas with a "Texas" spin on things.  It took us awhile to walk around the atrium and then we went to "Ice" which was an ice sculpture display in the hotel in one of the huge convention rooms. The hotel had partnered with Dreamworks.  The entire display was made out of ice and the scenes were all from "Shrek the Halls."  It was amazing.  It was about three degrees in the display so we were all given huge, heavy coats with hoods to keep us warm and able to enjoy the incredible ice sculptures.

I wanted a picture of the license plate on our car rental
before we began our "Ice" experience at the
Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center on Lake Grapevine.

Inside the foyer of the Gaylord Texan Resort

The Atrium at the Gaylord

Steve at the Gaylord Texan Hotel

The two of us enjoying an early Christmas in Texas.

Here I am with Melanie at the Gaylord.

Melanie with her Dad at the Gaylord

Cowboy decorations make me smile.

A Pretty Fountain at the Gaylord

Santa's reindeers were pretty entertaining
to view.  Here's Steve enjoying "sports"
mixed with Christmas.

Melanie and Ryan as we waited in line
for "Ice."

Inside "Ice"

Mother and Daughter look alikes at "Ice"

Melanie with her Dad standing in front of a huge
ice sculpture

Maybe we shouldn't have posed for this picture
considering the caption on the book Shrek is holding.

Ryan's man cave at "Ice"

In this room behind where I am standing you could
ride down a slide made of ice.  Dad was the only
one brave enough to participate.

Steve and Melanie by the dragon and the three
bad wolves all of which were made out of ice.

Enjoying the "family" from Shrek the Halls

At the end of Shrek the Halls there was another
room with these impressive ice sculptures of the nativity.

Clowning around with Melanie and one of
Santa's reindeers dressed for "ballet"

Huge Texas boots in the background of this scene definitely
reminds me that we were in Texas.

A gingerbread house man-size!

Dallas Arboretum, Part 2 of Trip

The day after Thanksgiving we spent the morning shopping.  Then we drove to the Dallas Arboretum and enjoyed a few hours walking around acres and acres of land viewing fall decorations as well as beautiful trees, plants, bushes, and flowers.  We had beautiful weather, and it was a great way to unwind after hours of Christmas shopping on Black Friday.

White pumpkins are cool!

King's Throne from
"The Little Mermaid"

A house made out of pumpkins

Another house made out of white pumpkins

Yet another house made out of various pumpkins and
varieties of squash

Melanie and me inside Cinderella's kitchen

A beautiful arch shaped out of trees

Gorgeous arch,
happy couple!

Even though the signs all said not to
climb on anything, Ryan insisted on
breaking all the rules!

A lake by the arboretum

We saw people riding bicycles, jogging, sailing and
just generally enjoying nature while we were at
the arboretum.

Melanie and Ryan

There were creeks, lakes, and fountains
at the arboretum.

Inside the gazebo at the arboretum

At the end of this scene in the far background
 there was an infinity pool.

It's all about Texas and its history at the arboretum.

Enjoying a rest by a small pond
at the arboretum

Melanie with her Dad