Welcome to the Klehn Family Blog!!

Hi to All!

After seeing many of my friends start these blogs, I figured I would do one too. It seems as though I have so many "things" to update since being a mom - family pictures, scrapbooks, baby pictures, my Facebook account - why not add one more thing to my list?!?

I hope you enjoy the special memories the Klehn Gang gets to share with each other on a daily basis....Okay, I can't promise a daily basis, but I will do a weekly recap of our weeks and of course, update any special events in our lives.

To catch everyone up to date on what has happened with John and myself within the past year...here I go. Sit back, relax. Grab a loved one and enjoy the show....

John and I got married May 31st, 2008. John and I met on a blind date by a mutual friend that worked with me at Ann Taylor Loft and went to college with John. We hit it off and 5 months later, got engaged. (John knew that he couldn't live without me right away...I wondering if he is regretting that decision now..haha). We planned a wedding for 16 long, grueling months - I was so excited for the day to come and for the planning to FINALLY be over with.
After a trip to Cabo San Lucas (which was amazing), I was ready to have life settle down for awhile. Maybe have some drinks with girlfriends, enjoy some dinners out with my new husband and not plan a damn thing for awhile. Low and behold, God had a different plan for us. On Father's Day - June 15th, 2008 - we found out that we were pregnant. Exactly two weeks after our wedding.
It wasn't easy for John and I to get the news. There was a lot of confusion about how to feel and what to think, for the both of us. On month 4, we had a doctor's appointment - September 5th, to be exact. The nurse told me I was measuring big. Me - being the runner that I am - was thinking "Oh great. I ate too much McDonalds". At that point, I had already gained 6 pounds. I asked the nurse "Why could I be measuring big". She gave me three different options 1) We were further along than we knew. 2) It was cyst or tumor (which is actually quite common 3) It was twins. I blatantly cried out "Please cyst or tumor, please cyst or tumor".
We were schedule for an ultrasound that Friday - two days later. We did have a ultrasound at week 4, but never saw multiple babies. John did some research that night and tried to reassure me that I wasn't having twins. He said that it was a 1 in 100 chance that we would be having twims, that twins come from a woman's mothers' side (my Grandpa Dentlinger is a twin) and that it is more common in other races. For some reason, I belived him.
Well...Friday came. We went to the ultrasound and as soon as the doppler hit my belly, we knew it was twins. There was no doubting that there was two babies in that belly. I was crying so hard - I asked the nurse to leave the room. I was in shock - two babies!! I wasn't even ready for 1!!! SO many thoughts crossed my mind and I was overwhelmed. John - not knowing what to say -try to comfort me to the best of his abilities. We found out that day that we were having a boy. John was thrilled...We were talking about how we were going to afford daycare and John said "I don't care, Tiff - I'm high on life right now". For those of you who know John, that is funny.

We cancelled our trip to the Minnesota Twins that weekend (I know, ironic....)

A month later at our five month appointment in October- we found out that we were having a girl. A perfect little family. Twins. One Boy. One Girl.

Fast-forwarding a few months into December. December was a rough month for me. I had gained 20 pounds in that month alone. 20 pounds. For those of you who know me, I'm a work-outaholic. I don't like to gain weight. John had been making me eat ice cream every single night (I'm not a big milk fan). The first craving I had in my pregnancy was pizza roll bites. I bought ten bags at one time. I ate those things like they were going out of style. At about bag 6, I got tired of them. I haven't been able to eat them since. The other craving I had was hamburgers. McDonalds knew me by name.
So anyway, it was December. We stayed in Waukee for the holidays. My doctors had advised no travel. By that time, I was uncomfortable anyway and couldn't be on the road very long. With having twins, I was a high risk pregnancy so the doctors needed me to be around a level 3 hospital. I'm not quite sure what that meant but that's what I told people.
We spent New Years Eve at home. Ate wings from the Chicken Coop and was in bed by 10:30. John did get to poke fun at me during the holidays. Our friends always have a "ugly sweater" party. This year, John wanted me to dress up as Santa Claus and him as an elf. The only thing is, I didn't have to "stuff my belly". It was hilarious.

January 5th - my first official day of bedrest. My doctors wanted me to go on bedrest for the last three months of my pregnancy. I was dreading that. I am a "project-oriented" person and couldn't imagine spending 3 months laying in bed. My husband, on the other hand, thought it was a great idea.
My body ended up agreeing with me. The night of January 5th, I went into labor. I'm not quite sure how it happened. I woke up in the middle of the night multiple time and had been leaking fluid. We had a doctor's appointment that day and he checked me. I hadn't been dialated. He said everything looked normal. I had a hard time getting John out of bed. I woke him up multiple times before he took me for real. We had called the on-call nurse at Mercy and she advised us to come in. John did everything that morning - ironed clothes, took a 1/2 shower, put his work clothes on like he was "going to be at work by 10 am". I made John pack the bags - luckily, I had finished packing mine over the weekend. Little did we know...later that day, 2 babies would be arriving.
By the time we got to the hospital at 8 am, I started to feel some pressue. They admitted me into treatment and triage to monitor contractions. At one point, someone came into the room and asked John to move his car as he had parked right in front of the hospital. John left the room and told the nurses he was going to move his car - they said "Okay, we are just going to move your wife into L & D". John - innocent as can be - said "What is L & D?"
Labor and Delivery, they replied.
My husband - who by now, understands almost how I am going to react to EVERYTHING - said, "Okay. Well, I am going back in that room when you tell her that. I think you'll need me to be in there when she finds that out". John walked back into the room and I had asked him why he didn't move the cars. John said, nervously, "Well, honey, they are going to move you to L&D. Labor and Delivery. I guess the doctor said we are having some babies today."
I told him I'm not having babies. That I am not ready - obviously, there was no turning back.

The babies came via c-section at approximately 8:02 PM and 8:04 PM. Gradyn Robert - 4 pounds, 13 ounces, 19 inches. And Zaylee Katherine - 4 pounds, 19 1/4 inches. They were admitted into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Mercy Hospital. The babies were two months early.
They were in the NICU for around 19 days for Gradyn (the G-Man) and 23 days for Zaylee (Zay-Zay). The nurses were amazing. The experience in itself was hard to handle for John and I - we didn't get to hold Zaylee for FIVE days. Which felt like years. There was nothing - persay - "wrong" with the kids. They just were early and needed some help developing. Gradyn took to eating a little bit earlier than Zaylee. He got to come home a few days earlier. The first test I had as a mom was leaving my precious little princess in the hospital by herself. It tore my heart out of my chest. I knew she was coming home in a few days - which lessened the pain but I would never wish that experience upon any Mom.

The last 6 1/2 months have been a roller coaster. Many sleepless nights. Many 3 am "discussions" (right John??) but so many other memories. Rolling over for the first time. Our first smiles. The first solid food. The first jumperoo moment. Gradyn's hysterical laughter. Zaylee's smile - it melts my heart everytime I see it. Zaylee has a tooth. Gradyn is 20 pounds now.

Through everything that has happened to our family, John and I would not have the past year any other way. These two babies are our lives. We enjoy every moment. Even if it is at 3 am....

I hope you continue to blog with the KlehnGang and we can share all of our special memories with you as well. Pictures to come. Updates to come. I'm just getting started but I promise you a good time with the "KlehnGang". There is never a dull moment in this household.

Sending our love. Until next time...