The "cough" came about our family before our kiddos were even born. I got the cough maybe 2 weeks before we had the twins. There wasn't anything we could do for it - as I was still pregnant.

Here is the gist of what happened with my vaccine. I went to an appt at 33 weeks, and they offered me the vaccince. It was pretty nonchalant as far as offering - there was no real explanation behind it, and I had no idea why I would need it. I asked what do most mom's do and the medical assistant just said it's pretty split - you can have it or not have it, up to you. So I chose to skip it to research it til the next appointment. I asked if that would be ok to get it in a month if I decided to. So I signed the paper saying I didn't want it that day.  I went home and researched it and then understood why I should have the T-DAP and vowed to get it at my next appt.

The next time I went back I was 36 weeks and 6 days, I was already sick and beginning to get a pretty bad cough - and so distracted because that was when I found out that I was going to be induced, I completely forgot to ask to get the vaccination.  I didn't even put two and two together - that what I had could be whooping cough. I just thought it was something viral and would pass. I write this today... and I still have a cough. I have been on several antibitotics and now finally on the z pack for whooping cough - so hopefully that helps. 

My cough to start out was not that terrible - your average cough from a cold.
As soon as I had the kids, it seemed to get immediately worse. I was waking up in the middle of the night and having coughing fits for sometimes 2 minutes at a time. Normally I wouldn't mind this, but having twins that were on a 3 hour feed schedule - my sleep was precious and to be constantly interrupted due to a cough was not helpful. I would struggle to breathe and wound up wheezing several times to try to get any air in my lungs. It would make me tear up and burp. It got so bad that I startled Zach one time because I really wasn't able to take a breath for 2-3 minutes, I really think he thought I might not be able to gasp some air in at all. I went to the dr the Monday after I got out of the hospital - they also thought it was just something viral but gave me anitbiotics anyways- and a cough suppresant. I wound up breaking out in hives two days later from the combination of the meds, so I stopped taking both meds. Then I started throwing up from the coughing fits. I would throw up typically once from the coughing, but it was so bad for a few days that a couple times I threw up 3 times in a single fit. It was painful and exhausting. I remember how much my back muscles ached and my sides, as well as my lungs. I was so sore. I couldn't talk for long periods of time - which is hard when you are a coach - because it would cause me to cough. I also couldn't raise my voice - also a problem with being a coach. It. Was. Awful. So I went back on the antibiotic and just didn't take any cough syrup. I didn't break out the second time around and was able to finish all of the antibiotics - but it never fully kicked the cough. And I'm not quite over it yet.  

I still have a few fits a day - and just last night I had two bad ones that caused me to wheeze again - I hadn't had any of those in a while. I'm trying to let the z pack work before I go back to the dr again. Pray for me. It's exhausting being sick for 6 weeks.  

Bastian was the perfect little boy. Everything Zach and I could have ever dreamed of in a boy. He was so handsome and made the best faces. We called him our little Benjamin Button. He looked like a miniature old man when he would wrinkle his forehead. It was the absolute best look. I miss it so much already. Might be the thing I miss the most because I found so much comfort knowing he was happy when he would make those faces. 

He had blonde hair - of course. Blue eyes, that were turning his dad's blue with every day. He had huge hands and feet, so we knew he was going to be tall and skinny! He was truly his dad's mini me. So at least we can imagine what he would look like when he grew up. He was perfect. He is perfect.  Our perfect angel. To forever look down upon us, and show us the way to heaven. 

I had a Doc appt on 8/12, just a normal check up. I was 36 weeks and 6 days. I had an ultrasound done and it was determined that Baby B (Bastian) was a little too small compared to Baby A (Dempsey) and my Doc decided to go ahead and induce us. 

There were so many emotions. I was finally going to be a mom. Something we had tried so long for. It was finally here. I'd be holding my babies in less than 24 hours. I of course was not very progressed at all in terms of labor. So I thought it was going to take a decent amount of time. We got to the hospital around 3pm and we had Dempsey on 8/13/14 at 5:19am and Bastian just a short while later at 5:25am. They both were perfect in every way.

Bastian had TTN (transient tachypnea of the newborn) and had to go immediately to the NICU. This to me was just a fancy way of saying that he would breathe too fast. He was in the NICU for one day, and then was released to be with his sister and I. Then retracted a bit the following morning and showed signs of TTN again when he cried. So back to the NICU he went. Zach, Dempsey and I all left the hospital on Friday, leaving Bastian behind - it killed us. We so badly wanted him to come with us, but we knew he needed to stay.

We came back up to see him Friday night, and again several times on Saturday, and amazingly on Saturday - I was able to get Bastian to feed really well for two feeds in a row, and they let him come home with us Saturday evening.

Boy how our world had changed. Two beautiful babies. Two new parents, all learning how to adjust and live together. I'll never forget the dogs when we brought you home. They already met Dempsey, and you could just see in their faces that they couldn't believe there was another one that had come to stay.

We were so happy to have both of you home and so proud - we brag about you all the time. You are my sweet baby boy, who makes the silliest faces and knows just how to brighten my day with the slightest forehead wrinkle. We love you so much!!