32 Weeks!

Here is the much awaited 32 weeks post... I'll divide it so it's easier to read.

Doctor's Appointment

Last Thursday we went to our much anticipated doctor's appointment. I say much anticipated because I had been released from the hospital on the Sunday before on strict bed rest. We were really hoping it would be relaxed to modified bed rest. That way I can still take Maddie out for her bathroom breaks during the day.

Thursday's appointment:

• Baby A is 4 lbs 6 oz ; Baby B is 4 lbs 13 oz
• Both look to be healthy
• Baby A is still head down and Baby B is in the process of getting there. On Thursday, he is in the fetal position with his head buried in his brother's stomach with his legs lodged in my ribs. Hopefully he'll turn all the way and finally be head down
• My Cervix went from 3.6 to 2.5 which is pretty common after all the contractions last week. However now every week they will be checking to see if I'm dilated and how it looks from the inside. Thursday's the official verdict was a "softish" cervix.
• Doctor told us that as long as we can hold them in another 2 weeks, she would be fine delivering them Christmas week IF I went into labor then. This is so good to know that IF they do decide to come early... they will be healthy!!!
  

Saturday Baby Shower

On Saturday, my wonderful ward threw me a great baby shower. The whole morning before the shower and through it all I had to keep pinching myself. I couldn't believe that this baby shower was for me. We have waited so long for this our moment to come!! It seems like I have been to baby shower after baby shower for my siblings, friends and the like. Some I have had to hold back tears wondering when it would actually be for me and my baby. Never did I dream I would have one for me and my babies!!! People in my ward are so kind; we were really blessed. I know that we'll continue to be blessed when they arrive.

Here's a sampling of what we received

• Countless adorable outfits
• lots of diapers (we definitely will need more but it's a start)
  
• baby bath tub and bath supplies
  
• diaper genie
• blankets
• and much more!

Plus, we received a big box of gifts from my husband's mom which I'm so excited for. Next step is to cut tags off and wash all the clothes and get them situated in the babies' room/ nursery. I think that is the plan for tonight's Family Home Evening.

The Twins first Hospital Stay

Ok.. so I know I should have informed you all sooner about this but everything is now under control...

Friday evening some things started happening. For one, I was going to the bathroom every 4-5 minutes (not fun) and wondering what was happening. First I wondered if it was amniotic fluid but then 10 minutes passed and now there's blood. I really started worrying! I called to my husband in the living room and we called the doctor who told me to go the ER. Turns out... I had a very serious Bladder Infection. I was thinking, now problem, they'll write a script and then home I'll go. Not so fast!!!

While they were doing all the lab work, they had me hooked up to 3 monitors. One for contractions and the other 2 were monitoring the heart beats of the 2 boys. Come to find out... (I didn't know this) I was having contractions 3 and 5 minutes apart which wasn't good. So they told me they were keeping me the rest of the night in order to give me medicine and slow the contractions. Because it was already midnight and my husband had been sick, he decided to go home to bed and come back early in the morning. It was good thing too because I ended up staying in Triage until 4am (when they had a room ready for me). All in all this meant no sleep on Friday night...

Saturday was a long day as we spent it in the hospital. I slept (when I wasn't prodded by nurses) and Christian was by my side watching College Football games on the flat screen. Good thing the Labor and Delivery unit has ESPN. It made for a happier husband. They were all great games ending with Texas barely escaping from Nebraska which made me mad. I finally got to go home on Sunday morning and Christian was so very helpful. The house was a mess and he set to cleaning while I relaxed on the couch.

Since Sunday, I've become quite good about counting contractions and making sure they are under control. Plus I'm on a ton of medications. Unfortunately this has meant a stricter bed rest but I know it is for the best. I'm so grateful for my husband and members of my ward that have made this easier. Hopefully this will be relaxed a bit after my appointment on Thursday... More to come on the next post... maybe this afternoon!

Productive yet Modified Bed Rest

When my cervix began to shorten, my doctor recommended that I discontinue work at least until the 36th week. After a couple weeks resting, my cervix went back to normal but the doctor thought if I were to return to my normal level of activity, it would surely happen again.

My husband predicted I'd be really bored but I've surprised him. The days have seem to flown by as I have learned new things and made things for these babies. I have so much left to make and buy for these little guys. Hopefully they don't come before Christmas!!

Here's a quick list (as per the attached picture

• 6 Crocheted newborn hats
• Crocheted baby blankets
• Fleece blankets in Jayhawk crimson and blue
• 14 burp cloths
• 1 crocheted baby onesie (I just finished it last night; I was surprised it was so easy).
  

As my trips out of the apartment are quite limited to small jaunts out to eat or to JoAnn's; I have made most of them out of scraps of yarn/fabric that I had in the house. Going out is an adventure; I tire so easily now and can't make it very far. When I asked the doctor about it, she said it was because I was so little that the weight of the babies are pushing down and wearing me out.

This week has been a bit of a tiring one for me. My husband came down with a virus on Sunday night. The fever lasted for over 2 days and he was miserable. He doesn't get sick very often. I think this is the 2nd or 3rd time in our whole marriage (6 years). As I was wearing myself out taking care of him; he said to me at one time: "I need to do more for your when you're not feeling well." I thought, well if that's what it takes...then it's been worth all the effort for me! It was so hard to see a 31 year old so sick with the chills and just so weak; thankfully it wasn't the swine flu.

Thanksgiving and More

Here are some bullet points from out last Doctor appointment. (29 weeks!) --

• Gained another 2 lbs
• My cervix is lengthening - my doctor still recommends bed-rest as it is helping this problem immensely
  
• Protein found in urine and now I am being tested for preeclampsia. I guess we'll find out next week if will be a problem.
  
• Measuring 34 weeks! (5 weeks ahead)
• In the ultrasound, we found a little baby's foot just centimeters away from his other brother's head. Come to find out, one little one is being kicked! As my husband says, "and so it begins.
• Baby A is still head down but baby B continues to be breech with no desire to flip
• Due to previous bullet point, a C-section is looking more like our option as our doctor WILL NOT deliver vaginally unless both babies are head down (vertex) position.

Now onto Thanksgiving...

Another purpose of the doctor appointment yesterday was to see if my doctor would allow us to travel to Whidbey Island for Thanksgiving with Christian's great Aunt and Uncle. Earlier I realized that I wouldn't be too upset if we didn't go and was surprised when my husband brought up that same issue before I said anything. Our doctor didn't exactly nix it but said that it would probably be safer if we didn't go. I have been cramping a lot lately when I have been overly active and we thought it would be better if we just stayed at home. Plus we didn't want to fight the ferry traffic on Thursday morning.

Our Thanksgiving this year was held with some people in our ward. I had learned on Sunday they had invited us over if we didn't go to Whidbey Island. It was a lot of fun. I brought our families' traditional cranberry salad and we had a scrumptious feast. Dinner was wonderful and the turkey was just how I wanted it (moist and tender). The wife and I discussed baby stuff as she has 2 and one on the way.

This holiday I couldn't help thinking how many things there are to be grateful for this year. These babies are on top of that list. It is funny as I type because they are going crazy!!

Now as the day after Thanksgiving, everything points toward Christmas. It will be a different Christmas this year as we will spend it for the FIRST time every at our own apartment. Since I will be 34 weeks at Christmas, there will be definitely no flying to either family. If the babies don't surprise us by then, we are looking forward to a yummy Christmas Eve Feast with family here in town. One thing I will miss this season is the Christmas shopping; since I'm no longer allowed out on my feet. It makes my husband excited though, he is quite content shopping for his own gifts for me to wrap. He's almost done buying for me and I can't think of one thing I told him that I wanted!!

Here is the picture of the little one's foot... If you look closely, it's next to his brother's head.

Takin' it easy on Doctor's orders

Yeah, I know the title of this post may make my readers jump but let me explain how it happened.

After cooking dinner on Tuesday night, I all of a sudden got these horrible cramps. They felt like menstrual cramps but worse. I went to the bathroom thinking that was the problem but it wasn't. I went into the bedroom where I laid on my side and drank plenty of water. It alleviated them some but not by much. After a 1/2 hour of this, I called the on-call doctor at my OB clinic. She recommended a couple things and said to come to the hospital if it didn't let up. About 10pm, we decided to go the hospital. It was great when we go the ER because they just escorted us up to Labor and Delivery. Oh the perks of being pregnant!
We got the room and they started hooking me up to monitors so we could hear the boy's heartbeats and to see if I was contracting. I was contracting but not that much. The doctor gave me a dose of terbutaline which only accelerated my heartbeat and made me feel really weird. After an ultrasound to check my cervix length, it was determined that all was ok. Before leaving, I was perscribed procardia to help my uterus relax. I was still a little confused as I was still cramping and a little scared. As we left the doctor gave me a note to miss the next couple of days of work; at least until I saw my doctor on Thursday.
Thursday's appointment went ok. My cervix changed from 3.2 down to 2.5 which isn't good. For those that don't know, this is called an Incompetent cervix where the cervix shortens prematurely and can bring on labor. This can be due to genetics or even the pressure of the babies in the uterus pressing on the cervix. We were disappointed to learn my regual OB wasn't there but the doctor who was told me to again take it easy and to not return to work until my next appointment on Monday.
The doctor told me: no shopping, no grocery shopping, and no laundry. Christian has been so good. I am so grateful that he has been willing to do all of that these few days. As I speak he is doing dishes which I am so grateful for. He told me that without work, I was going to be bored out of my mind. After 3 days of being off there are two words that easily come to mind: relieved and grateful. Maybe that opinion will change but right now I'm sticking to those two.

Ob Appointment stats:

• Yay for the Swine Flu shot!! (my doctor told me initially they didn't have enough but then they received another shipment.
  
• I gained 2 more lbs
• Baby A is still head down
• Baby B is lying horizontal right under my rib cage; creating horrible heartburn. I can't wait until he decides to join his brother in the head down position
• Baby A is 2 lb 5 ounzes
• Baby B is 2 lb 15 ounzes
  

I'll update more after my appointment and ultrasound on Monday.

27 Weeks!

Total Weight Gain? 20 lbs! (Hopefully 4 more to add to it at my Thursday's appointment).

Maternity Clothes? Most Definitely

Stretch Marks? Not yet!

Sleep? I wake up at least 3-4 times a night either to go the bathroom or change positions. Sometimes, it's Maddie who's cold and wants under the covers. I consider waking up at 4am; a good sleep.

Best Moment this week? Last week, I was sitting in a long, boring meeting at work. All of a sudden, I felt a kick but it seemed to come out of my stomach. It felt like a little foot, I pushed it back in and out it came again. What a stubborn little guy!

Food Cravings? Hostess donuts, chocolate,

Labor Signs? back pain but I don't think it is anything to be worried about.

Belly Button? To begin with, I had the greated Innie and now it has disappeared. However, it's not an outtie quite yet.

What I am looking forward to the most? Holding both my boys in my arms; knowing that I am finally a mother and my dream of 28 years has come true.

Milestones? Yay for the 3rd Trimester!

And here are my boys from our last ultrasounds.

Baby A: (most active baby)

Baby B

21 Weeks and Counting

Last week we had our big 20 week ultrasound. It lasted for almost an hour.

Here are some highlights:

• I GAINED 4 lbs. (and couldn't be happier!)
  
• Baby A is 12 ounces and Baby B is 13 ounces
• When the doctor measured me, I was measuring 24 weeks (4 weeks ahead) which is normal with twins. (at my 18th week, I was only measuring 2 weeks ahead)
  
• Baby A's heart rate is 160 and Baby B's heart rate is 148. (we were told the more active they are the faster the heart rate is).
  
• We Saw lots of hands and limbs this appointment.
• Learned that the placentas are anterior attached to the uterus (however you say that). This is why I haven't been able to feel them. With it as anterior, the babies have quite a cushion to kick in order for me to feel them. My doctor said soon enough, their kicks will be hard enough

A Question to all:

I had a talk with my doctor and asked her when she thought I should be slowing down and taking it a little more easy (Maybe not walking as much, continuing to work... etc.) She told me to stay strong until something happens that would give a "reason" for me to slow down. This concerns me as I'm thinking there should be some kind of prevention before and not after the fact. Maybe my doctor isn't as strict as others but it still concerns me. Believe me, I'm not wishing to be on bed rest but I want to the absolute best for these babies in order to have them stay in there as long as possible. If that means more rest that so be it! What do you think?