Almost 32 weeks update

Today's appointment went well. Both heartbeats on the little ones were great and I didn't have any contractions during the time they monitored us. The dr. said "Let's measure your belly just out of curiousity." Ummm.....it measures 42 weeks, that is how huge I am right now. Keep in mind I will be 32 weeks on Friday. Even if I were off of bedrest I don't think I could do much of anything right now at this size. I could probably eat but that's about it :). Last night after taking a shower I was so out of breath I felt like I could pass out. It's partly because of my size and partly because of the meds I'm on for the contractions.

So as of today things are looking good. Of course that could change at any time but we are so incredibly thankful to have made it to this point. Next Friday we'll go back to find out how much the little guys have grown and to monitor me for contractions. The dr. has decided to wait another 2 weeks to check and see if I have started to dialate or not. He doesn't want to disturb things if they seem to be in check.

More good news came today and that was the call that our furniture for the nursery is finally here. It will be delivered on Friday afternoon, after we have things semi-organized I will post some pics of it all.

31 weeks 2 days

Only 4 more days to go till we make it to what once seemed an unattainable goal of 32 weeks! At this point the boys would of course be preemies but at less of a risk of developing any serious complications, they would most likely be labeled what the NICU calls "feeders and growers". They would just need some extra time to gain weight and learn to feed properly because usually the sucking reflex does not develop till 34 weeks. Our next appointment is on Wednesday and starting the week after this we'll be going twice a week for the monitoring of the boys heartrates and my contractions. We are still hoping to make it to at least 34 weeks before the boys make their arrival.

We had a nice Thanksgiving despite the circumstances. My parents and grandmother came over and cooked all day and in the evening Kevin's family brought desert and visited as well. Even though I was bound to the couch it was soooo nice to have a break from the norm.

I'll update again after our appointment on Wednesday. It has become increasingly difficult for me to sit up and type very often. One of the boys is so high up in my rib cage that if I'm not laying on my side the pain in my back becomes unbearable.

Kevin assembling the double stroller.

Yesterday Kevin started to put together some of the gifts we received at the shower. The twin bassinett is now assembled and ready to go. He also assembled the double stroller and the car seats. We are still waiting on the furniture for the nursery. It was supposed to be delivered three weeks ago to the wharehouse from the manufacturer but apparently that did not happen because we still haven't gotten a delivery date.

The nursery is a mess right now because we have no dressers to put all of the things we received away. I'm feeling totally unprepared for the boys arrival. Unfortunately I can't go into the nursery and organize things or take inventory of things we still need to buy so it is very frustrating.

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. My Mom, Dad and Grandmother have offered to change their plans (my sister is hosting a big dinner) and come over and cook a small Thanksgiving dinner here at our house. I'm glad that Kevin and I will be able to have a somewhat normal Thanksgiving since we were going to be unable to go anywhere.

Thankfully most of our Christmas shopping is done. My sister offered to help us out and she has spent the past couple of weeks picking up gifts here and there for us. My mom has been coming over weekly to help prepare a meal or two, do laundry and clean the house. Kevin's mom has also helped to prepare meals for us as well as my grandmother. My grandmother has made us some good old fashioned polish dishes.

Even my cousin Jared came over last week and made chicken enchiladas. Usually he just comes to babysit me and make me laugh but this week he really stepped outside of his box by cooking a meal. My good friend Jodi has also brought us food, magazines and goodies. A huge thank you to everyone who has been so generous in helping us out, if I forgot anyone I apologize!

30 week update

Today marks the 30 week milestone and Kevin and I are very grateful to still be pregnant with the boys safely on the inside. We had a dr.'s appointment, a detailed ultrasound, and a non-stress test today. We were there for four hours, so I guess you could say they are covering all their bases to make sure everything is being done to keep the babies safe.

The ultrasound went well. The boys continue to grow and gain weight. Baby A (our sassy one) is the smaller of the two and he weighs 3 lbs. 15 ounces. Despite being slightly smaller than his brother he has a significantly larger head. Hmmm....he was going to get the "sportier" name and his brother, due to his more calm nature, was going to get the" brainy" name. Baby B weighs
4 lbs. 3 ounces, Kevin and I were surprised at the size of the babies. Everything we have been reading says they are expected to weigh just slightly over 3 lbs. at 30 weeks and usually twins tend to be smaller than singletons so we are very happy that they are developing so well. Of course the measurements are only an estimate but we are excited nonetheless.

After the ultrasound we had the non-stress test. This test is done to monitor the babies heartbeats for a half an hour and to check me for contractions. The monitors for the babies heartbeats were placed on my stomach and our usual easy going Twin B was a little tempermental today. He kicked or punched at the monitor till eventually he moved it off of his chest area and they lost the signal. It was entertaining to watch the monitor move across my stomach. I guess everyone is entitled to get crabby once in while, Lord knows his mom has had her share of those days lately. Despite his antics they were able to get the information they needed and both heartbeats looked great and I only had one contraction during that time so the dr. said that it was good news all around.

At our last appointment my cervix (yes it is wierd to discuss your cervix publicly) measured one centimeter and today it measured at a half centimeter. Although it decreased again we were relieved that it is still closed and not dialating. The dr. expressed again how important it is that we make it to 32 weeks to ensure the saftey of the babies. The 32 week mark is important because after that point it is extremely rare for babies to develop any bleeding on the brain(cerebral hemmoraging) even if they are premature. If they came now their chances of cerebral hemmoraging is small but there is still a chance it could happen. IF we can make it to 34 weeks then I will be allowed to resume some activity and we will just let nature take its course. So its back to bedrest I go.

Week 6 of bedrest

Not much happening in the land of bed rest. As I'm sure everyone can imagine its a very boring way to spend your days when you are used to being fairly active. Its been almost 6 weeks of bedrest and I've only been out of the house a handful of times. The isolation and the dependence on others has been most difficult. I depend on Kevin and family members to prepare all my meals, clean the house, do our Christmas shopping, the list just goes on and on.

I think what is most disheartening is that I feel cheated. I was enjoying this pregnancy so much, despite the aches and pains I absolutely LOVED being pregnant. I was learning so much about myself during this process and I feel like that has all come to a hault. Instead of enjoying myself as I was, I now worry constantly about what will happen if the boys come prematurely, as it is more likely than not that they will. I research information about their time spent at the NICU, the vast array of medical obstacles they may face and long term effects that could plague them as they grow and develop. Everyone tells me not to do that, but I feel a obligation to learn as much as I can so that when the time comes Kevin and I are prepared and can make the most educated decsions possible if needed. I keep reminding myself that a year ago I would have done ANYTHING to be in the position I am in right now despite these complications and that helps me get through the tough emotional times.

I asked the dr. why I am experiencing the complications that I have. He said it is very simple, my uterus has never been stretched before and with twins it measures 7 weeks larger than it would if I were only carrying one. So my uterus thinks I'm nearly 37 weeks pregnant and my body is just naturally doing what it should be. My cervix shortened to prepare for delivery, contractions started to develop, and if I were 37 weeks pregnant that is exactly what should be happening. The problem is I'm only 29 and half weeks pregnant.

28 weeks 3 days

Kevin has fixed the tickers!

Jared officially gets the award for most committed cousin. He came over yesterday in the afternoon and stayed with me for about eight hours! Yesterday would have been a long day for me since Kevin was at work and then had to go to a CPR for infants class that we had signed up for in the evening. So it was very nice to have company for the day, being on bedrest can be extremely lonely and isolating. For instance I will be in the house for 11 consecutive days before my next dr. appointment and will never be able to step outside or get a fresh breath of air. It made my day fly by, we shopped on-line, harassed Kevin via email, watched TV, and did a lot of laughing which is exactly what I've been needing.

I do have an updated belly pic to post, I'm just waiting for Kevin to help since I can't sit at the desktop to do it and I don't know how to from the laptop.

4 days and counting to 29 week milestone.

I had a dr.'s appointment today and things are pretty much the same since leaving the hospital one week ago. My bloodpressure was good, I haven't been able to gain weight for a few weeks now but that doesn't seem to be a concern since the boys are growing well. My total weight gain to date is about 40 pounds. The contractions sneak up on me in the evenings so my dr. is increasing the meds that I am taking. Hopefully they will help because getting the contractions can be so nervewracking. It is a terrible feeling to know that labor could start at any minute and the contractions are just a reminder of that. I'm so afraid that I won't know when they are serious enough to head in to the hospital and I need to be sure I go in enough time to for the dr. to be able to stop them. My next appointment will be a week from Friday and at that time we will have another ultrasound to see how much growth the boys have made. Hopefully they will be around three and half pounds each.

Since being on bedrest Kevin has had to take over all the household duties. Although he does help out from time to time under normal circumstances, our typical responsibilties are that he handles the outside and I do the inside. Poor Kevin has been having to do so much running around. I literally cannot do anything but get up to go to the restroom so he has to bring me everything I need, do all the cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, and errands. I feel so bad watching him work so hard and he never complains. But those of you who know Kevin well would not be surprised by that.

Being on bedrest has started to take a toll on me physically. When I do get up to use the restroom my legs are starting to feel like rubber. I think I am experiencing muscle atrophy. After going to the dr. appointment today I was exhausted! Kevin even had to push me around in a wheelchair since the dr. doesn't want me walking and I was still tired by the end of it all. I wish I could have that feeling of fatigue at 4 a.m. when I'm wide awake and can't sleep because my hips hurt so bad.

Just a side note, the tickers that are above each post are 4 days off, hence the title of this post. Its a long story but its too much of a pain in the a$$ to try and fix them.

An update

I was released from the hospital yesterday around dinnertime. They were able to ease the contractions I was having and after monitoring me for a couple of days they were confident that for now things seem to be stable. I'm feeling pretty drained, it was a very emotional 4 days worrying about all the meds they were giving me and how they might affect the babies. Of course they tell you its all safe, but you never really know. Unfortunately its a double edge sword, either take the meds and risks that come with those or deliver babies that would be 3 months premature and have a whole gammet of complications and possible long term disabilities. It was/is a horrible thing to have to experience, the road to get to this point has already been a very difficult one for Kevin and I so it is very disheartening that now our joy and healing has been replaced by fear and anxiety.

My instructions were to come home and follow strict bedrest orders. That means I can only get up to use the restroom or move from the couch to the bed. Kevin is going to set up a small refridgerator in our room next to the bed so that I don't have to go to the kitchen for food during the day while he is at work. After spending 4 days of bedrest at the hospital my whole outlook on bedrest at home has changed. Its like a vacation, I so hope that I will not need to return to the hospital for any length of time again. Although the nurse told me to expect to and to prepare myself for that possibility.

Right now we will just take things day by day. The dr.'s goal is to make it to at least 32 weeks. That would be another month. Ideally 34 weeks would be best, if the babies stay put until then they would most likely not need to spend anytime in the NICU, only a couple of extra days in what they call "special care". Thanks to everyone who called or sent their well wishes, it really means a lot to us!

Ultrasound Videos

Baby A,



And Baby B.

Bad News

Today's dr. appointment brought bad news. At 18 weeks my cervix was 3.5 cm. which was very good, at 24 weeks it had shortened to 2.7 cm which is why I was placed on bedrest 3 weeks ago, today at 27 weeks it is 1 cm and funneling. This means it is opening from the inside out and has only 1 cm to go before I may start to dialate. So here I sit at the hospital on a huge regimen of drugs and iv's scared to death. I was given a fetal fibroectin test which came back positive meaning I have a forty percent chance of going into labor within 2 weeks. I'm on every med available to try and stop the contractions I've been having and will be here till probably Monday. No longer I hope.

If I get to leave on Monday I'll continue bedrest, be on a pump that delivers meds intravenously, and have a constant monitor attached for contractions. I'm not sure what the next few days, let alone few weeks hold for us. Kevin and I are very concerned, obviously, there were many tears today. We just hope we can hold off labor for as long as possible for the saftey 0f the babies.

Some baby shower pics

Baby Shower

Today was our baby shower and I can't say thank you enough to everyone who came. Kevin and I are so appreciative of everyone's generosity, it is absolutely unbelievable how much baby stuff we received! After we came home from the shower my mother unpacked and organized everything for us and I just kept staring at all the stuff in shock. How can two little babies need so much?

I apologize that I was not able to do much visiting with everyone, it is difficult to socialize from a chair behind a table. Unfortunately (or fortunately for some :)) we had to speed things up a bit since I really wasn't supposed to be out and about but I wanted to make sure everyone knew how thankful I am that they came and for all the generous gifts we received. Hopefully I was able to express that, if I wasn't due to the super sonic speed of everything please know that I am.

So today was the highlight of my upcoming month. It's back to the couch and bed for the upcoming weeks, hopefully our little guys will stay comfortable where they are for the next couple of months.

Dr. Appointment Update

I had another dr.'s appointment today to get my second steroid shot and a blood pressure check. The second shot went fine and luckily I haven't noticed any side effects. The good news is my blood pressure was perfect, so hopefully yesterdays elevated numbers were just due to stress and not the onset of pre-eclampsia. Bedrest is still in effect but I was relieved to see the bloodpressure was better.

Jared came over for a visit and dinner today. He brought me some magazines which I will save for next week when I start to get really stir crazy while Kevin is at work. Luckily Kevin has taken Monday off of work to recover from the world series game he is going to on Sunday night and next Friday he will be off for a half a day to take me to my next dr.'s appointment. So hopefully that will make the house arrest a little easier.

Officially on strict bedrest

Today's appointment didn't go as well as I hoped for, my first steriod shot wasn't too bad but my blood pressure was slightly elevated which is a concern because 2 weeks ago it was normal. Technically it was supposed to be lower than normal because of the meds I'm taking to lower my bloodpressure and relax the uterus from contracting, but despite the meds it was slightly high. My dr. said it could just be stress or it could be the beginning stages of pre-eclampsia. So due to that, my shortening cervix, and contractions I am now officially on strict bedrest. That means for the next few weeks I cannot do ANYTHING or go ANYWHERE. The dr. was very clear about that this time around. If pre-eclampsia does develop then there is a good chance I would have to do hospital bedrest.

After I get to around 30 weeks or so the dr. said we can re-evaluate my activity level because we will be out of the "danger zone" for the babies. He did give me permission to go to my shower on Sunday, but he said I need to stay sitting the whole time and to have Kevin open the gifts. Had it not been at a reserved hall he said it would have been best to postpone it for a few weeks.

The good news in all of this is that the boys look very good. Their heartbeats were strong, they were moving around, their fluid levels look good and they look to be the same size. We'll know more specifically how they are developing next week at the detailed ultrasound. Hopefully they will be 2 to 2 and a half pounds each. I just wish I could be doing as well as they are, house arrest isn't easy but its only temporary and like I said in a previous post, I'll stand on my head for the next 10 weeks for our little guys....whatever its going to take.

26 week update

Bedrest continues and time is slowly moving on. The past week and a half has been very difficult, my admiration and respect for any woman that has ever had to do bedrest for a pregnancy. ..especially in the hospital. Although I'm not on strict bedrest, I am very limited in my activity. I do go out every couple of days for either dinner with Kevin or a stroll around Target but the rest of my time is spent lying on the couch or in bed. Tomorrow's Dr. Phil should be interesting, they just promo'ed it, "Out of control Twins".

I have Dr.'s appointments tomorrow and Friday for a check-up and my first set of steriod shots to develop the boys' lungs. I'm going to get a better explanation from the dr. spefically letting me know exactly what my limitations are, he told me that I needed to take it easy and stay off my feet as much as possible, but what exactly does that mean? I'm also going to beg him to take another measurement of my cervix so I can see how that is progressing, if it is getting shorter or holding up. I'm not due for another measurement till next week, but for piece of mind I'm hoping he will do one tomorrow or Friday.

The baby shower is this Sunday at Greystone Golf Course. I'm looking forward to that and seeing all our family and friends. It's a day I have been anticipating long before this pregnancy came to be. Sorta the always a bridesmaid but never a bride type situation. I'm grateful that it is finally our turn, just yesterday Kevin and I were discussing just how lucky we feel to have gotten to this point and how amazing it is that we are blessed twice over.

What not to watch while on bedrest

Note to self, don't watch TLC stories about families with multiples as they "struggle through the stress and challenge of caring for more than one baby and adjusting to a hectic life filled with endless feedings and changings." Ugh, I did this earlier in the summer and swore I would stop watching it but my curiousity gets the best of me. I've never been a "that will never happen to me type", I'm always quite the opposite thinking everything bad could happen to me, but in this situation I'm going to slip into the comfort of denial and say "that will never happen to me". Twins will surely be a cinch, afterall I've been managing close to 30 children a day for the past 8 years! Easy Schmeeesy!

If anyone was wondering what one does while on bedrest, here's a peek into the ultra exciting days I've been having:

Wake up sometime around 9 and check email, eat breakfast, watch TV
By now the phone starts ringing with daily check in's from my mom, sister, and grandma
Sometime around 11 I attmept to take a nap, thus far no success
After laying around and trying to sleep for an hour I have lunch
After lunch its back on the laptop to search ebay for designer purses and baby junk (I did buy Jared a coach wallet for his birthday....LUCKY)
Phone begins to ring again with calls from Kevin, Jared, and Tina
1:30 is usually shower time
After my shower I attempt to nap again....unsuccessfully
3:00 Dr. Phil time....jeez he can be such a pompus a-hole but there isn't much else to watch
4:30 Kevin comes home............YAY FINALLY!!!!!!

Sorry for such boring content, I promise next time I will come up with something a little more interesting. Perhaps pictures of a new "Manhattan" Louis Vuitton Handbag that I have my eye on.

Well life certaintly has slowed down over these past few days. It has been a challenge, but I have been forcing myself to take it easy and lay down for the majority of my day. The more reading I've been doing on the internet, the more panicked I become about my cervix shortening. I LOVE my dr. and so far he has been so proactive and cautious regarding every single issue that has come up so the fact that he isn't too worried should calm my nerves, but unfortunately it hasn't.

The blood pressure medication that I'm taking has become quite consuming. I have to take it every 6 hours which means I have to set my alarm for 2 a.m every morning so I can take my middle of the night dose. Luckily I haven't experienced any side effects but I haven't noticed it helping out with the contractions really either.

The boys have been really active lately so I've been enjoying that. I think when they hear my alarm go off at 2 a.m. they think its time to start the day because they start moving around and usually keep me up for an hour. Its difficult to sleep when those little guys are bouncing around as if they were on a trampoline inside my belly. Call me crazy but I love it, even when I'm exhausted.

Speaking of sleep, Kevin's mom bought me this pregnancy pillow that I slept with for the first time last night. Poor Kevin, I have created this fort of pillows around myself that are overtaking his side of the bed. The new pillow definitely helped me sleep better last night. It is u-shaped so I no longer need to set up my fort of pillows every time I need to roll over. Kevin and I always joked pre-pregnancy that we slept in different area codes, we both like to have our own sleeping space so we bought a King size bed. I'm 586 and he's 313 but now I'm afraid he's become 517, somewhere up in Lansing.

A big thanks to Grandma Merris for being so thoughtful and looking out for me and the boys so we can get a better night's sleep.

24 Week Update

Here is a picture of Baby A with his hands on his face.

This is a picture of the side of Baby B's face/head with his brothers foot

planted squarely on his face.

Our "semi" professional pic taken by Kevin at 24 weeks.

Pic taken at Wolcott Mill by Jared.

Our latest dr.'s appointment was yesterday. We had a Level 2 ultrasound again where they take measurements of the babies growth and progress. Twin A is one pound and eleven ounces and Twin B is one pound and 7 ounces. Both are of average size for a baby that is 24 weeks of age. As you can see in the pictures we were able to get a nice picture of Twin A's face, however Twin B was being totally pinned down against the placenta by his brothers foot and butt. He was literally sitting on top of his head and the technican was unable to make him budge. The dr. says everything is still looking good with our bubs but unfortunately I am not holding up as well as I was 6 weeks ago when we had the last Level 2 ultrasound. My cervix has shortened from 3.5 centimeters to about 2.7. When pressure is applied it has started to weaken a bit and open up. So it was definitely a good time for me to stop working.

As a precaution I will receive 2 steriod shots at my next appointment in 2 weeks to help with the boys' lung development in the event I were to go into pre-term labor. I have also been given a prescription for procardin which is a blood pressure med. My blood pressure is normal but the dr. wants to lower it to open up and relax blood vessels in the uterus to hopefully slow down my contractions and make them less frequent. With the meds and modified bedrest he is confident I should continue to do well and carry the boys to a safe delivery date. I'm trying not to worry too much but it has been difficult.

Today we went to Wolcott Mill and had my cousin Jared who has many a photography classes under his belt and a kick ass camera to take some "semi" professional pregnancy pictures. The pictures above were taken with our digital as practice shots before Jared took the real ones with his camera. He did a great job and we appreciate the time he spent helping us out. Hopefully the real ones will be as nice as the digitals.

Fall vacation begins

Well things around here have changed quite a bit since my post two days ago. I had a dr.'s appointment yesterday after work and while I was there I mentioned my menacing contractions that the nurse told me were "normal" and my dr. was concerned. As of Friday I am done with work. There is no reason to panic, because I'm always on the verge of that state, but the dr. says that the next 4 weeks is crucial to the boys development and we can't be taking any chances. He said it is WAY too early for me to go into premature labor and if the babies want a fighting chance they need to make it to AT LEAST 28 weeks. So although contractions can be "normal" for some pregnancies he said normal can turn to problematic real quick with twins so it would be best for me to spend a majority of my day off my feet and resting. I'm not on strict bedrest but I do have to take it easy from now on.

Physically I'm so ready to be done with work, but emotionally it is not settling in as I thought it would. I've either been studying to teach or teaching for the past 12 years and its really hard to just up and stop doing that. I really like my job, the kids, my co-workers, etc.. so I am feeling really mixed emotions. Of course I know its best for the boys and I'll stand on my head for the next 16 weeks if that is what the dr. told me I needed to do for the them but still it is bittersweet.