A Double Dose of Pure Joy

Although 2020 has been full of challenges, Kendal and Ty Thompson are thankful for the hope that their newborn twins, Sutton and Owen, bring them

by JILEEN PLATT

photo by KALI RUSHING

The first photo of the Thompsons as a family is one of their favorite shots, even though it was taken with a cell phone.  The amazing nurses held the babies for them and grabbed Ty’s phone to snap some pictures.

Newborn photos of Owen and Sutton were taken when the babies were three weeks old.  Kendal acknowledges that photographer Kali Rushing has “the patience of a saint, because she truly took her time and made sure every shot was perfect.”  (Photo by Kali Rushing)

Since she was obsessed with ALL the junk food at 30 weeks pregnant, Kendal decided to document the obsession by rolling around in the said junk food and taking photos.

The year 2020 has been littered with a strange virus, too many hurricanes, economic upheaval, civil unrest, a divisive election, more masks than on Halloween, and peculiar terms like “social distancing,” “flatten the curve,” “essential employee,” and “shelter-in-place.” 

Amidst all the unknown, unforeseen, and unfavorable occurrences that 2020 may have brought, Ty and Kendal Thompson had two wonderful things happen that made this year very sweet.  The most important words for them were “Sutton” and “Owen,” and the best event occurred on August 28 when their twin daughter and son were born.

“We found out in January that we were pregnant,” states Kendal, “but it was in February that we discovered we were having twins … I really thought the sonographer was lying!”  Ty, who was at work when Kendal shared the news, says, “I almost passed out.  At first, I was nervous knowing it would be double the work … but I was more excited than anything.  Knowing … they’d always have each other to play with and to grow up with.”  The couple has no known twins in their family, so it was a surprise for both them and their extended families.

In March, due to COVID-19, schools across the nation closed temporarily and then permanently for the remaining school year.  Theron Jones Elementary School, where Kendal worked for five years as a second grade teacher, was no exception.  “When we went on Spring Break, I had no idea I would literally not see [my students] again,” explains Kendal.  “Once I realized I would only be coming back to clean my room out, it was pure heartbreak.”

Being pregnant and sheltering-in-place had its benefits for Kendal.  “I could rest a lot.”  She also took advantage of grocery delivery, which made things safer for her and easier since Ty continued to work at ARTEX Truck Centers.  “Ty was pretty strict during the quarantine … we didn’t know how COVID could affect me during pregnancy, so we were very cautious with everything,” states Kendal.  “I was super nervous knowing Kendal was high risk,” explains Ty.  

In addition to Kendal teaching school, she has worked as a photographer for the past 12 years.  “I was in journalism at Pleasant Grove … I couldn’t write, but I could take pictures,” states Kendal.   “I started with $20 senior shoots for my friends and haven’t stopped since.”  While being pregnant and quarantined, Kendal posted photos of herself on Instagram.  “Every Friday, I took pictures to show my baby bump.”  She included updates on food cravings, “cankles,” and concerns about growing two humans at the same time on her “Friday Bump Date” posts.

Ty requested that Kendal shoot this picture of the twins during the first game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  As a couple, they love the Dallas Stars and have gone to games since they first started dating. Ty proposed to her in Dallas, and they took engagement pics there.  This jersey is the one he bought Kendal the night they got engaged.  They even went to a Stars game that night!

Except for Kendal’s and Ty’s moms (who helped out immensely before and after the babies came), Kendal was only around other people when she cautiously continued to grow her photography business.  “I was masked up and kept major distance from my sweet clients,” explains Kendal.  Life marches on, even during a pandemic, and Kendal was hired to shoot bridal pictures, weddings, pregnancy photos, and various other opportunities.  “It was so much fun being pregnant and working!  I got to talk about the twins the entire time,” exclaims Kendal.  “I had lots of very sweet, positive comments … I worked up until a few days before the babies were born.”

Kendal saw Dr. Kenneth West for regular obstetrics visits but due to concerns for a multiple pregnancy, she also had appointments remotely with the UAMS obstetrics department at the local AHEC facility.  She received Level II ultrasounds while video conferencing with medical staff in Little Rock.  “There is always a concern for discordance in the sizes of twins.  [The medical staff] measured and monitored the babies weights, sizes of organs, and continued growth,” explains Kendal.   “Our baby girl kept measuring smaller … it was a cause for concern.” 

Ty was not allowed in most visits with Kendal due to COVID restrictions.  “Not being able to go to the appointments … was probably the worst part,” states Ty.  “I had to miss a lot of great moments that most dads get to experience.”   

The couple hoped to reach 36 weeks, which is considered full-term for twins, before Kendal delivered.  At 34 weeks, at the beginning of August, UAMS requested that Kendal be seen in person.   The size of their baby daughter continued to be a concern for medical staff there.  “She was measuring in the 3rd percentile for growth,” Kendal remembers.  

The night before Kendal was scheduled to deliver, Dr. West called and felt strongly that a C-section would be safest, considering that their daughter was measuring smaller and would be born first.  “He didn’t want undue stress on her … I trusted Dr. West, and I knew he knew what was best for my babies,” states Kendal.

At 8:22 a.m. on August 28, a 5-pound, 4-ounce baby girl (Charlie Sutton) was born to Kendal and Ty.  One minute later, her brother (Kenneth Owen), who weighed 4-pounds, 11-ounces, was born.  Kendal was so surprised that Sutton was the bigger baby that she was sure the doctor and nurses were joking.  “Then my worry immediately went to Owen when they said how much smaller he was,” says Kendal.  An emotional experience for all, Ty states, “I remember Kendal and I tearing up the first time we saw them … knowing we had finally reached the finish line after going through a pandemic with two babies on the way.”

The new parents could only hold their babies for a few minutes and get a few pictures in before they were moved to the NICU at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System.  “Sutton had trouble breathing, and Owen had blood sugar issues,” states Kendal.  “They both had IV’s … and Sutton was put on a CPAP machine.”  The couple tried to visit their babies every three hours to feed them, love on them, change their diapers, and have “touch times.”  “We had to scrub in for three minutes and put on clean hospital gowns before we could be with them,” says Kendal.

“The entire staff at St. Michael was fantastic from start to finish … and Dr. West was informative and helpful during the whole pregnancy,” states Ty.  “The NICU nurses were so patient and taught us so much [about how to care for the twins],” remembers Kendal.  She was released from the hospital two days later on Sunday.  “Having to leave the twins up there … was hard on both of us,” explains Ty.  Owen was able to come home the following Wednesday, but it took Sutton 14 days before coming home due to breathing issues.  “We feel extremely blessed now that everyone is home and well,” states Ty.

In the history books of the future, it will be interesting how 2020 is recorded.  This year has been nothing short of memorable to those who have lived through it.  For the Thompson family, the year 2020 has had challenges but also a knowledge that some challenges come with much happiness.  “The twins have been our main source of pure joy, and we are so thankful for that hope that they give us,” states Kendal.  “2020 has thrown us some curveballs, and the twins being one of them, but we wouldn’t change it for anything in the world!”. 

On a hot but perfect day while Kendal was 34 weeks pregnant, she photographed the wedding of Brooke and Justin Fitts.  The day before the wedding, Kendal had her first UAMS appointment in Little Rock, so she was a little worried that they might keep her, and she wouldn’t be able to shoot the wedding.  However, it all worked out, and they didn’t have to resort to their backup plan. (Photo by Kali Rushing)