The Naming of Henry and Hollis

 

Throughout my pregnancy we chose and changed names many times- including Levi, Nathan, Holden, Harvey, Easton, and Weston. We finally decided on Henry and Hollis, despite some opposition from their older siblings. We talked about other options after that but kept coming back to these two names.

Hans and I had not decided which baby would be named Hollis and which baby would be named Henry but the minute Hans saw Hollis he knew the name fit him perfectly.  He didn't say anything until we could see both boys.

When we had both babies in the room we all decided on our own who should be named Hollis and who should be named Henry. There was no debate or discussion. We just knew. Hollis was the smaller and first born and Henry was the bigger one with wide open eyes and dark hair.   Even their older siblings when they arrived the following morning agreed upon meeting them.

Hollis Makaio

Hollis is named after Hans' favorite grandfather. His grandpa Hollis was a man of faith and good humor. Hans remembers a story his dad, Kendell tells of when his dad, Hollis, was dismissed from a calling in sacrament, suddenly and without notice because of some unfounded suspicions that he was associating with some groups opposed to church views. The next week Kendell was surprised to see his dad getting ready for church and asked why they would go there after what happened. He said "they cannot take my testimony of the gospel." This example had a great impact on his son and set a foundation of faith for generations. Hollis is fondly remembered by everyone in his family, especially grandchildren who remember how he teased and played with them.
Nickname: Hollicito

Henry Akoni

Henry is also a family name. Hans and I both have great grandfathers further back in our line with the name Henry. Of Germanic origin, Henry is a strong name, with a royal pedigree. The meaning of Henry is "home leader," from Haimric, derived from haim meaning "home" and rîc meaning "power, ruler". We both really liked the name and thought it went well with Hollis.
Nickname: Henry Bug

In keeping with Thompson family tradition, we gave both boys Hawaiian middle names. Akoni means "priceless or invaluable." Another possible meaning is "praiseworthy." Makaio means "gift of God."

Birth Story

We went in to the hospital at 6:30 a.m. At around 8:30, they started me on Pitocin. I think it was around 10 or 11 that Dr. Pennington arrived and put in some kind of balloon device to help me dilate. At that point I was only at 2 cm and this device was supposed to expand and get me to 4.  I started to really feel some pain then and asked for the epidural. The anesthesiologist came in and started asking me questions about what if any medications or supplements I had been taking. When I mentioned that I had been taking garlic capsules to get over a cold, he became concerned. He explained that garlic is a blood thinner, which can cause complications, specifically paralysis, with any kind of spinal anesthesia.Since I had only taken a half dose once or twice in the last couple of weeks, I felt safe going ahead.

I MIGHT have tried to go all natural if it was a single birth.  But, since baby B was not positioned well, the doctor warned that it would be horribly painful to not have an epidural if he ended up having to go in and try to move him. Also, if it ended in an emergency C-section, I would have to be put out completely if I did not already have the epidural going.

After the epidural started, I didn't feel any pain. I hardly knew I was having contractions unless someone told me. The only side affect that bothered me during the day was the shaking, which got worse when I was anxious.

Around 11 in the morning, Mom arrived(Bo and Laura had picked her up from the airport.) After coming in and giving me hugs, she said she had a surprise for me; my Dad! I was so happy to have both my parents with me. I really didn't expect it as I knew he couldn't take much time off and wasn't planning to come.(He bought a ticket at the last minute to come for the weekend.) Hans' mother, Beverly was also there with us for the whole day. She was so sweet and comforting to me. .Bo also came and brought playing cards. We played Bluff(B.S.) for a while which helped take my mind off of things and stop shaking.

Sometime mid-day, I dilated to a 5, but stayed there for several hours. At that point I was afraid we might have to do a C-section or go over into the next day, but eventually, things picked up again and by around 9:30 p.m., I was ready to push. They moved me into the operating room, just in case. Hollis had been in position for weeks and was low in the canal. On the fourth contraction, I was able to feel his little head and by the fifth, he was out! They placed him on my chest for just a few moments. He was so small and warm and sweet. They apologized for the mess(I didn't mind) as they took him away and starting wiping me off.

Hans recalls very vividly Hollis' entry into this world as he seemed so relieved to be able to spread his arms.  It was almost as if he climbed out on his own.  Almost immediately, he began to cry.

Dr. Pennington then started working on Henry, who had not turned as we had hoped. After about a half an hour of trying to get a hold on him so that he could pull him out, the doctor said we couldn't wait any longer. Baby needed to come out. So, they went forward with the C-section.  As they worked, I started having a painful ache in my neck, which the anesthesiologist quickly fixed. Hans asked why I would have pain there and the doctor said "you don't want to know." Later, he explained that the doctor's take the uterus all the way out and place it on the mother's stomach. The air surrounding everything sometimes causes neck pain.  Hans was grateful that he was hiding behind the makeshift curtain they had placed between my face and the procedure.

It seemed like a long time before they got Henry out and they immediately started working on him.  I saw a team of nurses surround him and watched and waited nervously for the sound of a cry or some news of what was going on.  Hans and I were praying intensely and asking others (through social media and texting) to pray for our baby.  Finally, the baby began to cry and they asked Hans to come over and help.  They continued to work on me and told Hans he could take Henry back to the room.  He was surprised as they had taken Hollis directly to the NICU.  Hans asked them why they had taken Hollis to the NICU but Henry could go back to the room.  They then told us that Henry was doing great but Hollis was having some problems breathing and they wanted to monitor him for a while longer.  Hans took Henry back to the room so he could meet my parents and his mother.  Henry's eyes were wide open and he was as quiet as a church mouse.  Everyone was so excited to see him.

I have a hard time remembering all of the details but I was so relieved when I had both of my sweet babes with me. They were both in both in good health and the only concern was Hollis' oxygen levels and a little bit of jaundice.  .

Although I was exhausted and hurting, the time in the hospital was precious. We had several visits from family and a dear friend. I was embarrassed at the loss of bladder control. I made a mess when I stood up because I had no idea, but the nurses were all so patient and kind. I broke down at one point when a nurse asked me about the pain. I was touched by her empathy as she cried with me and spoke words of encouragement. It was unusual as professionalism usually precludes shows of emotion, but it was a meaningful moment for me. My mother was with me the whole time, helping with anything and everything I needed. Whenever I pass by that hospital or think of my time in the maternity ward, I am filled with fond memories of that time, surrounded by love, and getting to know my precious babes when they were so tiny and fragile and sweet and new.

Expectancy and Joy

A few weeks after the blood test, we had an ultrasound to check heartbeats. At this point we didn't know if there were two babies or just one. We didn't even know for certain that there would be one since a positive test is not a guarantee. Shane and Ericka were visiting and I was planning to drop them and the kids off at the water park before heading over. I was so nervous about everything though that making a U-turn had me totally flustered so Shane took over the driving and offered to drive me to the U/S after dropping the kids.

We drove over and met Hans at the medical center. All three of us went in and up on the screen we saw two little black sacks and inside each sack was a strong little heartbeat! You couldn't distinguish much else, but you could clearly see the hearts beating I was so happy and so relieved to see that they had both made it. It was sweet to share that moment with Hans and my little brother.

Since then they have continued to grow bigger and stronger every day. It has been an amazing experience. I have loved having them with me every moment. I was filled with joy and wonder when I began feeling the little fluttering of life inside of me. The best way I can describe those initial tiny movements was "little fishes." Long before this time, I had visions of one day carrying a child accompanied by sensations in my womb of warmth or longing and a feeling of joy. In those times when I thought this day might never come, I would remember those feelings.

Since then the movements have become much stronger- kicking, hiccups, stretching or rolling.  I love all of it- I love watching my bare belly moving or putting my hands over it and feeling them move, sometimes responding to my touch. I stare at my belly now and can't believe our two little boys are inside, waiting to come out into the world and meet their family.

I've been very blessed to have a relatively easy pregnancy. Getting to this point was not easy- going through all the fertility disappointments and then the treatments with the crazy hormones and bloating. But the pregnancy itself has been smooth. There was a little scare with some bleeding in the first trimester that went away quickly and a heart check reassured us all was well. The first trimester nausea was constant for some weeks, but mostly mild-only "lost my lunch" about 4 times total.

Other than that it has been the usual symptoms- difficulty breathing, sleeping, making a million trips to the bathroom, occasional ligament pain or backaches, occasional nasty gurd, which usually was eased with a dose or two of TUMS, getting tired and achy and not being able to walk as fast as I'm used to, or as long, being constantly thirsty and often stuffy. The hardest part was getting sick right around Thanksgiving. I had a terrible cough that got better just before Christmas and then came back worse just after. It had me exhausted day and night. Hans and I were both worried about the babies when the coughing became particularly violent, but our doctor reassured us that they would be fine. People at work were very understanding and I was able to take sick time to rest when needed. Being sick really does make you grateful for wellness and I have been able to mostly just enjoy the pregnancy since then.

And now, although I can hardly believe it, the time has come. I am and will always be so very grateful that Hans chose this adventure with me. Tomorrow we will go to the hospital to be induced(at 38 weeks-which is standard procedure for twins). Henry and Hollis- named after strong and faithful great grandfathers will be in our arms and we will be responsible to teach them and privileged to love them. I will be their mother-forever. I hope they will always know who they are and how much they are loved. I hope they will follow the example of their father and grandfathers. I hope they will grow up strong in conviction, kind and helpful, and that they will be happy and love life-finding joy in the things that matter most.