Twin's pictures by Brooke Mayo

We had the amazing Brooke Mayo come over to document the twins turning one month. It is amazing to watch Brooke work. She comes with nothing more than her camera and a few props and just goes with her imagination. It's awesome to really watch her, especially when you are used to posed pictures in a studio setting. Brooke is the one who took Elizabeth and Declan's ISR under water pictures. She also is the photographer and Author of Diving Doggies: A celebration of Play underwater. A must read for all dog lovers! Amazing doggie pics underwater! She has her next book Shake, Rattle, and Shoot: The Business of Baby Photography set to release soon.

This family picture couldn't of captured us any better. It's so hard to get everyone on the same page and doing the same thing.

We got a surprise email from Brooke Sunday night asking us to come let her try to get some sleeping shots of the babies and play around since the weather was so nice. We ended up getting no sleeping shots as you just cannot move these two without them waking up (I know this all too well).The pictures turned out amazing as always even though these two weren't the most cooperative.

We cannot wait to see how Brooke captures them through their first year!

Cullen and Amelia's Birth Story

October 20th I was set to be induced.I had woke up around 3am that morning with my contractions being pretty consistent and i couldn't help but wonder if labor was going to start on it's own. I got out of bed around 4am and ate breakfast, then just played on-line  waiting to get everyone up to go to the hospital. 


We were supposed to be at the hospital around 6:30am....we got there a little after 7am. I met my nurse (Amy), she was awesome! She hooked me up to the monitors, got my IV in place and a guy came in to take some blood work. I was still having contractions, but nothing major or unbearable. Jeremy and I just sat and waited for my OB's and my midwife Ashley to show up. Dr. Keeler was the first to check on me, then Ashley showed up. Dr. Moncla got there and they checked me, I was just 3cm dilated. Dr. Moncla broke mt water on Baby A and then we just waited. That was at 9:15am. At 10:15am the started pitocin at a 2 and the next time Ashley checked me I was at a 4. I was hoping to be further along, but Ashley reassured  things tend to progress fast once you hit 4. Dr. Moncla came in and explained to me that when it was time to push I would be taken to the OR to deliver, just in case issues arose. He also explained that since Baby B had decided to turn breech, instead of delivering her breech, he'd rather (after A was born) reach up and flip her heads down. He also suggested an Epidural for that procedure and for a back up in case one or both of the babies needed to get out fast. I wasn't in a lot of pain from contractions and everyone knew I had said no to an epidural the whole pregnancy, so no one pushed anymore about it. They then all left Jeremy and I alone to let me labor and see what my body would do. I was getting so hungry and tired from being up since 3am. I was just hoping to sleep a little bit, but the contractions were just close enough that when i would start to fall asleep one would wake me up. The more I thought about sleeping and Dr. Moncla having to manually flip B after A was out. I decided an epidural might be what I needed (I know total shock to all who know me and how against them I have always been). When my nurse Amy came in I asked her about getting it and she said she'd call down and get the anesthesiologist. Well 30 mins later and still hadn't seen the anesthesiologist, contractions were stronger and closer, but I was not in any unbearable pain still. When Amy came back in I asked her about it once again, she left to go "check" on it. Ashley comes in and says " Amy says you are wanting an epidural, is that right? Are you sure?" I explained my reasoning behind wanting to get it mainly so i could get some rest and i didn't particularly want to feel Dr. Moncla flip Baby B. Ashley said "if I was sure I wanted it" she would call down and order it, and she did. (I think it's funny because I had to ask 3 times for something most people claim are forced on them) I want to say it was around Noon when the anesthesiologist got to me and put in the epidural. The numbing needle was actually more painful than any of the contractions I had been having.  Instantly my legs started to tingle, but the epidural was so different for me than all the horror stories I had heard. The numbness was equal through out my whole body and i could still move me legs and change positions to get comfortable. The only way I could tell i was having a contraction was because I could feel pressure in my rib cage, otherwise I felt nothing and I managed to fall asleep.I was checked again around 1:15pm and Ashley said I was at at 7. Ashley was going to go back to the office, but told Amy to call her when things changed. The next time Amy checked me I was complete and she told me she could feel baby A's ear. Once Dr. Moncla and Ashley got there, everyone got ready and I was rolled into the OR. It was a really fast delivery. Baby Boy A was out in 3 pushes. Ashley caught him and instantly put him on my chest. Then they broke Baby B's water. Dr. Moncla reached up to flip her, but she had already flipped heads down herself. After they got the monitor on her and Ashley was getting set up to deliver her...Ashley yells "whoa, stop pushing". Baby B was on her way out and Ashley wasn't even ready yet. Once she got set up they had me push again. In just a few pushes she was out. Ashley also laid her on my chest beside her brother.


Cullen Ezra was born at 3:28pm. He was 6lbs 3 oz and 19 1/2" long. Amelia Catherine was born at 3:34pm. She was 6lbs 14 oz and 19 1/2" long.

I am very happy with the hospital, the staff, my nurse, midwife, Dr. Keeler and Dr. Moncla. This birth was a totally new experience for me, but I do not regret for one minute having a hospital birth. I have birthed in three different ways and totally backwards from how most do it. I had my unassisted home birth first, my midwife attended home birth second and I had my medical hospital birth last. All three labors and births went great and were super easy....so no horror birth stories from me! I just feel blessed, I was able to birth how I wanted and with the people I wanted in each case.