Professional Photos by Molly Hilton

I found the photographer Molly Hilton while I was pregnant and hired her to take newborn photos of Cooper and Mackenzie. She takes the photos during the first 2 weeks so that she can capture the adorable newborn phase. I hope she will have a website so that we can share the photos with everyone.




Molly came to our house and spent about 1.5 hours shooting some amazing photos of Cooper and Mackenzie together and also individually. I was able to help sooth and help pose them as she snapped away! Mitch took over 300 photos and was able to get a few really good ones that we will be able to print and frame.


It is going to be difficult to pick just one for their birth announcement! It was such a fun experience, and she did an amazing job with them. We will definitely be using her again for more photos!

First Trip to the Pediatrician

Our first visit to the pediatrician was after being home less than 2 days! We went in on a Sunday, which was nice because it was a quick smooth trip and avoided a crowded waiting room.

Mitch and I asked tons of questions, we didn't get a lot of advice before we left the hospital. The PA that we saw was very patient and answered everything. She also offered suggestions and handled them so wonderfully!

Cooper and Mackenzie were both down in weight, which can happen, but she gave us some feeding suggestions and asked to see Mackenzie back the following day and then both back a few days later.

Mitch and I felt terrible! Even though we know most babies loose weight the first few days after birth, we still felt like horrible parents. We worked really hard to make sure they both stayed awake to take enough formula. Mackenzie gained weight and they were both back to their birth weights by the follow up!

Our First Week Home

We came home on Friday, September 18th. We only stayed 3 days in the hospital, which is wonderful considering Cooper and Mackenzie are premature twins!




My mom flew in from Memphis to spend the week helping. We had a rough first night, but we slowly figured things out. She offered lots of great suggestions and advice, helped care for Cooper and Mackenzie, cleaned around the house, and cooked some great food!


Mitch and I are in amazement and filled with overwhelming love for them. I have never felt such a strong feeling of relief to have them home and healthy!

Last Day and Night in the Hospital

Mackenzie and Cooper swaddled







Enjoying McDonalds with my babies











Mitch enjoying my bed with Cooper

More photos from the NICU stay

Snuggled in the same crib in the NICU












Cooper and Mackenzie during the car seat test. They had to stay in the seats for an hour with their monitors on to make sure they didn't have any breathing difficulties.























Leaving the NICU!!!!

NICU

As soon as I could, I had the nurse help me out of bed and wheel me over to the NICU. Mitch went over to be with Cooper and Mackenzie as soon as he helped get me settled in my room.





Getting to my babies was the best motivation for getting out of bed so soon after a c-section! I didn't stay long on my first visit, I got really light headed.

We spent as much time as would could in the NICU, although we allowed the nurses to do the night feedings so that we could get some rest. Most of the nurses were WONDERFUL at helping us learn to care for our tiny babies!

It was reassuring to have them hooked up to monitors, but it was also challenging to feed and hold them. We are so lucky that all of their tests came back normal and they never had any breathing problems. They even had hearing tests that came back normal and passed their car seat test. After 48 hours they were discharged from the NICU and brought to my hospital room for 24 hours.

Arrival of Cooper Emerson and Mackenzie Heather Eisenberg

Cooper Emerson Eisenberg was bon at 6:00 on Tuesday, September 15, 2009. Mackenzie Heather Eisenberg followed at 6:02. Cooper weighed 5 lbs 3 oz and 19 inches long. Mackenzie weighed 4 lbs 11 oz and 18.5 inches long.

I had convinced myself that I was going to make it to my scheduled c-section, but they had other plans!!! My water broke at 3am, we arrived at the hospital by 3:45 and I was in the OR by 5:00. They would have been born sooner, but the anesthesia team had trouble with my spinal, darn scolosis!

Mitch did a wonderful job capturing the birth, without the gory details. Once the pediatric teams pronounced Apgar scores of 8 for both initially and 9 for both at the 5 minute mark, he went with them to recovery as I was sutured.


I am so lucky that I was able to spend 2 hours with Cooper and Mackenzie in the recovery area before they had to go to the NICU for 48 hour observation (because they were born premature.)

Adorable Gifts

The Myler Family sent us these beautiful outfits for Mackenzie and Cooper. I love the blue flower material on Mackenzie's smocked dress and this is Cooper's first sailor suit! They are going to be adorable in their outfits in a few months!!!

I am now 35 weeks pregnant and doing well. I am uncomfortable and having contractions, but no active labor! Cooper and Mackenzie looked great this week, they are still moving around on Thursday they were breech and Friday they were both transverse with Cooper's head on my left and Mackenzie's on my right. They are active babies!

17 Days to Go!

I had another great OB visit! I'm doing well, still having contractions, but not in labor. Cooper and Mackenzie look great and are both breech right now. They are still REALLY active and wiggle all the time, so they can still flip and change positions.
I scheduled my c-section for Monday September 28th at noon! I am so excited that I have a date to focus on, just 17 days from now! I can't believe I have made it this far, but each day longer I go, the less time Cooper and Mackenzie will have to stay in the NICU. If I make it all the way to September 28th, they will share a birthday with Ashley Plummer!!!

Squirmy Monkey!

Check out who we can only assume is Cooper moving around.  It's a little freaky!  (Press play to watch the video)

34 Weeks Pregnant

I can't believe I am now 34 weeks!!  Just a few more weeks of waiting before Cooper and Mackenize will be here!!!

The shirt I am wearing is one of Alice Halstead's MANY maternity things that she has let me borrow. I don't know what I would have done without her clothes!!!!  Thank you Alice!

Nursery Rocker

Our nursery is now complete!!! 

We just need Cooper and Mackenzie to join us and share our enthusiasm for the nursery.  

The new chair for the nursery is a rocker and glider, and is SO COMFY! 

Ally approves of the chair, but I'm not sure how we are all going to fit!  She will have to have some special lap time :)

Mitch also agrees that the chair is very comfy and he will be very happy rocking Cooper and Mackenzie.

Custom Watercolor Painting for Nursery

My friend from college, Amber Anderson offered to do a custom watercolor painting for our nursery. 

 We spent a few weeks discussing a theme and colors and she sent me a pencil sketch to look over.  We decided that the colors would match the nursery, aqua blue and chocolate brown and display a mother elephant with her twin babies.  

It arrived by Fed Ex today and I think it turned out BEAUTIFUL!!!  It looks perfect hanging above the changing table and as Cooper and Mackenzie grow older it will be my special piece to remember this amazing time in our lives.

Surprise Baby Shower from Mitch's Office

Mitch and the rest of his office completely surprised me today with a baby shower at lunch!  Most of you know that Mitch and I both work at Naval Medical Center San Diego or Balboa Hospital, so it has been very nice car pooling and having lunch together. Once Cooper and Mackenzie arrive, it may be the only time we see each other for a few months!  

They all did a great job of surprising me and overwhelmed us with food and gifts.  Mitch told them that I'd already gotten most of the stuff we "need" but that we could use expendables.  We got lots of diapers, wipes, batteries and some baby gifts as well.

It was all so sweet and generous!