36 weeks 4 days

Not really feeling up to blogging much right now. Tired, huge, contractions, possible cold. Lots of fun. Less than a week to go. Here is my belly on Thanksgiving at 36 weeks 4 days! I can't believe I've made it this far. C-section scheduled for December 4th.

And yes, I am holding my belly up. That sucker is heavy.

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This is no joke you guys.

34 weeks and 5 days. This belly is currently holding two babies the size of butternut squash (almost 5 pounds each). Their average size is 17.2-18.7 inches. This explains why I seriously CANNOT BREATH. They have completely squashed my organs. I've read that even while on the operating table, I'll feel instant relief as they pull out the babies. I cannot wait for that. I also can't wait to be able to sleep (haha - I mean at least comfortably even if its only in 20 minute increments), walk normal, shower without feeling lightheaded, put on my shoes. The list goes on.

At my MFM appointment yesterday, Baby A got an A+ on her report card. She was doing great practicing her breathing. Heart rate of 161 bpm and estimated weight of 4lbs 2oz (+/- 10oz).

As for Baby B, she was being quite stubborn (like her Daddy, ahem). She did great on everything except her practice breathing. We did everything to get her going. I sat up, rolled to my left, rolled to my right, Dr. R shook her up with the ultrasound wand to wake her up. She wasn't having it. So I went and did my NST (non-stress test) for 30 minutes and on my way out Dr. R did another quick scan of her to see if she had decided to start practicing again. AND nothing. So he sent me home to eat lunch and grab something sweet and asked me to come back in 2 hours. Mike came home early and went back with me. Within 5 minutes of him starting the ultrasound, she was practicing like a good girl. Trouble maker. In the end she also received an A on her report card. Her heart rate was 146 bpm and she weighed in at 4lbs 12oz (+/- 11oz).

We've decided to schedule my c-section for 37 weeks so when I see my OB next week, she'll get it scheduled. I can't believe we are so close to the end. Yet it still seems so far for me. Seriously carrying two is no joke. I'm quite the spectackle when I go out in public. Even at the doctors office, with all the other pregnant ladies.

Home Stretch - 33 weeks

We've made it to 33 weeks. We "think" we are pretty much ready for the girls (except for our lack of diapers). I'm working on packing my hospital bag this week. We saw the girls last week and my low carb/high protein diet restriction has been lifted because Baby A is falling a bit behind on her weight gain, 3lbs 11oz. Baby B was 4lbs 8oz. I've been told to EAT, which is a lot harder then I ever thought. My mom has her ticket to fly out later this month and I can't wait. I'll also be working up until the 22nd.

Here I am yesterday at 33 weeks.

And since the girls are getting bigger, the ultrasound photo options are harder to come by. Here is Baby A yawning (or screaming for food).

Family/Maternity Photos {Twins at 29 weeks}

 

Photos by www.tiffanydanielphotography.com

 

Life update: October 2013

Last weekend as I rested at home, Mike took Courtney out to the pumpkin patch. If you know me, you know I hate missing things like this. But thankfully Mike took our Canon camera and took lots of pictures for me. He was Dadarazzi that day. When they got home Courtney also got a chance to paint a pumpkin.

Last Sunday I turned 31 weeks (I'm 32 weeks today). I took Monday as a sick day because I didn't feel like I had received enough rest over the weekend. At about 10:30am I called my doctors office because I was having some Braxton hicks contractions and was feeling a little anxious about it. They sent me to Labor & Delivery to be monitored. I was hooked up to the monitors to listen to their heartbeats and to check for contractions, they checked my cervix for dilation (still high, thick and closed...Amen!) and then also did a fetal fibronectin (fFN) test (A negative result on the fFN test means it's highly unlikely that you'll give birth in the next week or two, which can set your mind at ease and allow your practitioner to hold off on treatments that may not be needed. A positive result, on the other hand, is not as useful. It means you're at a higher risk of giving birth early, but it doesn't guarantee that you're about to give birth or that you'll deliver early at all, so it won't help your practitioner decide how to manage your situation.)

As far as contractions go, I had 4 the whole hour I was monitored. I felt two of them. Just tightening in my belly, no pain. As for my fFN test, it came back negative. So I was sent home to remain on modified bedrest and continue doing what I'm doing. I saw my doctor that Wednesday and she said everything looked great and to just hang in there. At 31 weeks 3 days I am up 24 pounds and my belly is measuring 35 weeks.

 

 

On Friday, Courtney got to wear her Halloween costume to ballet and they learned a little Monster Mash dance to share with the parents at the end of class. It was so cute. Courtney was so concerned about staying on her spot that she missed quite a few moves. It was adorable.

Halloween flash back. And 2013 costume reveal!

We made it through 3 Halloweens where mommy was able to choose costumes. I'm very proud of this. I knew that once Courtney was old enough to make her own decision on her costume, we'd be in the Princess stage for quite some time. That time finally came.

This year she has decided to be Rapunzel. It is also our first year that Grandma didn't make her costume. Not that I didn't want her to. She is very busy with making THREE quilts for her newest granddaughters (two of which are of course not here yet). My sister-in-law delivered a beautiful baby girl in September.

So instead of bothering her with a costume, we just ordered one from Etsy and called it a day.

Let's look back at Courtney's costumes starting in 2010.

My little Pumpkin (2010 - 4 months old)


My little Lamb (2011 - 16 months old)


Little Red Riding Hood (2012 - 2 years old)


Princess Rapunzel (2013 - 3 years old)

3rd Trimester. Where did you come from?

28 weeks. 28 weeks. 28 weeks. Holy cow!

I'm not sure I know where the 1st and 2nd trimesters went. But I am so thrilled to have made it to this milestone. Ninety percent of babies who make it to this stage of gestation survive. Long-term complications are still a possibility, however. We saw our MFM yesterday and the girls look amazing. They are measuring almost exactly the same with everything. They are both 2lbs 9oz which Dr. R says it absolutely perfect for a singleton, so for twins is great. They are both breech so I have both of their heads up in my ribs and all four feet kicking my hips and bladder. The fact that they are breech isn't really a big deal for me since I'll be having a repeat c-section. My next appointment to see them is on Halloween and I'll be 32 weeks. Mike almost choked when I said that. We can't believe we are getting so close to meeting these little girls. And if you're wondering, we still have those moments of "Holy cow, we're having two babies."





Here are the girls yesterday at 28 weeks 4 days. Baby A is on the right and Baby B is on the left.




How far along? 28 weeks
Weight gain/loss: 20 pounds
Maternity clothes? Yes.
Sleep? Not good. I've taken benedryl a few times. I just try not to do it too much.
Best moment this week? Seeing the girls yesterday. I got to see one of the baby's blink (can't remember who it was).
Movement: Yes. I actually went to labor and delivery last Thursday because I mentioned that they weren't moving as much as usual. So I was monitored for a few hours and they passed with flying colors. Just giving me anxiety.
Food cravings: Cereal and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Still things I can't have.
Gender: Baby Girls!
Belly button in or out? Out!
What I miss? Sleep, getting out of the house, sweets, and being able to do housework. (same as last time)
What I am looking forward to? Our family/maternity photos this weekend. Yay!
Milestones: 28 week milestone! Yay!

26 Weeks

How far along? 26 weeks
Weight gain/loss: 17 pounds
Maternity clothes? Uh, yeah. Half the stuff I have from being pregnant with Courtney doesn't fit. Especially shirts. They are too short.
Sleep? Aweful. The weight of the babies hurts my stomach so I have to use a pillow to prop it up. I'm also really congested which makes it hard for me to breath at night.
Best moment this week? Nothing really exciting this week. Especially being on bedrest.
Movement: These girls are crazy. I feel baby B's head up in my ribs and the both bounce on my bladder.
Food cravings: Sweets because I can't have them now.
Gender: Two girls.
Belly button in or out? Totally out. Mine never popped out with Courtney.
What I miss? Sleep, getting out of the house, sweets, and being able to do housework.
What I am looking forward to? Hitting our next big milestone of 28 weeks and seeing the girls again. I hope they keep putting on that weight.
Milestones: We passed viability at 24 weeks (yay). Next milestone is 28 weeks. 28 weeks is important because babies born after 28 weeks once they are released from the NICU, tend to not have any long term health issues.

Bed rest...already!

At my regular OB appointment at 24 weeks, the first blood pressure they took was 137/79. I didn't think anything of it because my BP is always high the first time they take it. I get nervous before they listen for the heartbeats. On top of the blood pressure, the nurse weighed me twice because I had put on 12 pounds in a month. Ahhhhh! The increase in weight gain and the blood pressure concerned my doc a bit. I had no protein in my urine (a sign of pre-eclampsia). So doc put me on modified bedrest and mentioned I should try for a high protein/low carb diet. I started that diet that day.

I saw the perinatoligist the following day and the girls looked great. 1lb 6oz each (exactly the same gram wise). The doctor did say the he wasn't concerned about my blood pressure (he says lots of people have it at the beginning of the appointment). He did take my BP after my ultrasound and it was totally fine. He did say that he wants to keep an eye on the girls amniotic fluid because they both have a lot. He also wants me to watch my carbs because carbs and sugar increase fluid. My cervix was still long (4 something) but you can see where the pressure from the babies and fluid is putting pressure on the cervix. So hopefully the diet change and the bedrest will keep the pressure off. He said think of it as holding two gallons of water in one hand. It gets really heavy.

I had a follow up appointment with my regular OB the next week to check my blood pressure (which was fine) and I also had to do a 24 hour urine collection the day before and bring it in. Yuck! I hope I don't have to do that again. At that appointment they weighed me twice again because this time I had lost 8 pounds from the week before (from the low carb/high protein diet).

My 24 hour urine collection and blood work came back fine. My gestational diabetes test (I took it early because of the weight gain and amniotic fluid) came back PASSED! I am enemic so I've been put on iron supplements (along with calcium and extra folic acid). Supplement city over here.

Here is our 24 week photo:


And an ultrasound photo from our 24 week appointment with Baby B's butt on Baby A's face.

2400 Miles

A whole year before we were scheduled for a transfer, Mike was offered a position he had been wanting since before our last transfer. Because this wasn't a "planned" transfer we weren't given the normal 6-7 months times to prepare.

We found out in April that Mike got the position and he had to report in June. So we had about 2 months to prepare to move to good ol' TEXAS! We had already planned our trip down to California for Courtney's birthday so we were quite busy in June.

The week after we got back from California, Mike loaded up his car and took a road trip with our friend Matt down to Texas. Once he arrived. he had just about a week to find us a place to live. Something I don't think we'll ever do again, not find a place to live before we get there. The rental market in Texas goes crazy fast.

Courtney and I stayed back in Washington for another week or so. Our friend Jenni (Matt's wife, how nice are they to do that for us?) then flew up and took the road trip with Courtney and I from Washington to California. Along that trip Courtney, Jenni and I stopped to visit Mike's grandparents who we try to see when we can. It felt really good to have Courtney spend some time with her Great Grandparents. Not all kids have that opportunity.

After less then a week in California, we headed off to Texas with a quick stop in Arizona to visit my Grandma and family. This leg of the road trip my parents went with us. So glad she was also able to spend some time with another Great Grandma. We were celebrating her birthday!

 

The entire trip from California to Texas took 3 days. It was a LONG trip, especially being pregnant and with a 3 year old. But we finally made it to our new home.

3 to 5.

These past few months have been filled with birthdays, moves (I'll update you on that next), "vacations" (I say that lightly) and an ultrasound that left us so shocked that it has taken me a few months to actually grasp what we saw that day. We're having TWINS!!!!!

We found out in April that we were expecting again. After a very early loss the month before, the nurse practitioner wanted to do a viability ultrasound to make sure that this one was, well, viable. We also did some blood work to make sure that my HCG levels were in range with where they should be. At almost 6 weeks my levels came back at 3791. Within range of what a 5-6 week pregnancy should be. So we waited for our ultrasound to see if this pregnancy was viable and whether we would see a heartbeat.

So at 7w5d, we nervously got settled in the ultrasound room. Immediately upon putting the wand on my belly, we saw one beautiful baby with a strong heartbeat. We were relieved. The baby was measuring perfect and as the ultrasound tech began to finish up measurements I joked "so only one in there?" As she moved the wand around she gasped. We thought she was joking. But right there on the screen we saw a second baby with a beautiful heartbeat. Mike and I both stared in disbelief. What did this mean? Are we seriously about to have TWINS?

Honestly, when I got home I cried. Like Kim Kardashian ugly cry (google it). I was terrified (still am), but mostly I cried for Courtney. I felt like she was going to lose so much once the babies got here. Will she hate us for having two more babies? Will she miss out on lots of things now that we have two more babies to take care of, pay for, love.

We told family right away. How could we not? OMG - it's TWO. We waited to tell others (close friends and family) once we saw both babies again at our 12 week ultrasound. I can't believe how much they grow in just a few short weeks.



Since our move (remember? more on that in another post), I've found a new OB/GYN and have also been referred to a Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) doctor or a Perinatologist (a subspecialty of obstetrics concerned with the care of the fetus and complicated, high-risk pregnancies.) We saw Dr. R (MFM) at 18 weeks for our anatomy scan. This is the ultrasound that checks the brain, heart, limbs, pretty much everything on the babies to make sure they are healthy and show no signs of chromosomal abnormalities, cleft palate, club foot, etc. Both babies looked amazing and were measuring at 8oz a piece. Not only that, we also found that we are expecting TWO MORE GIRLS.

Baby A

 

 Baby B

 



Have I overwhelmed you yet? I know it's a lot to digest. We see my OB every month and the MFM every 3-4 weeks for an ultrasound. The MFM measures the girls to make sure they are growing appropriately and it also includes a check of my cervix length (which so far has stayed long and closed - thank you God!)

I'll finish with some pictures of the girls from my last MFM appointment at 21 weeks 4 days. They were both weighing in at 14oz.

Baby A

Baby B

Courtney's 3rd Birthday Carnival

Back in June, we flew from Washington to California to visit family and to celebrate Courtney's 3rd birthday. How my baby is 3, I have no idea. On June 2, we had a bright and colorful Carnival party to celebrate her 3rd birthday. We rented a bounce house (best $75 ever spent), had a photo booth, ate cupcakes, suckers and cotton candy. We visted with friends and family we don't get to see often. We just all had a blast. Enjoy some pictures from the party.