Taking care of two babies is hard work!

August 2007:

Aidan: 15 months
Reese: 1 month

We are so thrilled Aidan loves Reese! He is such a good big brother. He can say her name and he loves to give her kisses. He also likes to steal her pacifier and he tries to drink her bottles. He knows that they belong to her, but he just can't help himself! He also thinks he's being helpful when he jams (yes, jams) her pacifier in her mouth. We are working with him on how to be gentle. He's getting better!

We forgot how tiny newborns are be and how much they are like little blobs. They just don't do anything. Eat...poop...sleep...repeat...

Aidan is so independent now that we really forgot how newborns are. Reese seems so tiny and so fragile. She's a tough little girl and she can let you know when she's not happy. She's pretty content most of the time, but when she gets mad, watch out! She's such a good sleeper (thank God!) because with the dogs barking and city noise, you'd think she'd be waking up all the time, thankfully she sleeps through it all!


Just like her brother, she's a city baby. From the first day we brought her home, we've been taking the kids on walks in downtown St. Louis. We love our new stroller and it is working so well with two babies. I highly recommend it to anyone that has two little ones. It was worth every penny! www.philandteds.com

With two little babies, you can imagine that there is not a lot of time to yourself! Someone always needs to eat or be changed or be played with! There's always something. I have happily come to the conclusion that I will not enjoy another hot meal until they go off to college. It's the best diet I've ever been on!

Reese Darcie Gourley is born!!!

July 19, 2007:

Exactly as planned Daryl and I drove to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis to welcome Reese into the world. I was being induced that morning and we were hoping that she would arrive by the end of the day. Everything was going smooth and I was feeling great! At around 4pm, Daryl went home to walk Tyson and Haley. I expected him to be back in about an hour and a half, no big deal since the nurse told us it would be a while still. At exactly 5:30, the nurse announced to me that "it was time" and Reese was coming at any moment. Daryl wasn't back yet and Aidan was with Daryl's parents eating Pizza at the cafeteria in the hospital. Just as I was getting ready to call Daryl, he walked in the door. The interns were still putting on their scrubs (you have to love a teaching hospital) when Reese was born. The actual labor took less than 5 minutes, they do say it is so much easier the second time around, but I was not expecting that! Before all of you mothers can start to hate me for having such an easy delivery, I can tell you that what unfolded over the next few hours was anything but easy.

After this amazing delivery, I was expecting to spend time with my beautiful girl right away. After everyone left for the night, the nurse took her to the nursery for a bath and she was supposed to bring her back to me. Hours passed and they never brought her to my room. I started to freak out (something I have mastered over the years) and demanded to know what was going on. They told me they were monitoring her in the nursery and if I wanted to, I could go in there to see her. Um, YES, I want to go to see my daughter! When I got there, I was not prepared for what I saw. My little girl was in her "tanning bed" with monitors all over her body and an oxygen mask near her face. Her stomach was distended and she was having difficulty breathing. They brought her to the Special Care Unit where she spent the next 2 days. We spent a lot of time there feeding her and just being with her. She was unable to pass her meconim, which I guess is very common. After 2 very long days, we were finally able to take her home! That's when the fun begins!