Time's Up!

The babies are coming next Wednesday, January 3rd! Everything at today's appointment was good, our dr. said at this point it's looking as though the babies are going to need some encouragement to enter the world so we have an induction scheduled for next Wednesday at 10 a.m. When we arrive at labor and delivery they will do an ultrasound to check on the babies positions and decide at that time if it will be a c-section or an induction. If it's a c-section then the babies will be born by early afternoon, if its not they probably won't be born till late that evening. The nurse said an induction usually takes 12 hours from start to finish.

We are going to spend the next few days cleaning, grocery shopping, and assembling some last minute stuff so that all is prepared and organized when we bring our little guys home. Unfortunately Kevin has come down with a cold/sinus problem so he just headed to the dr's office to hopefully get some medicine so that everything clears up by the time the babies arrive. I'm just hoping I don't catch it too!

Our last Christmas as kids

Kevin and I referred to this Christmas as our last as kids knowing that next year will be much different. We had a busy holiday traveling to one house to another to visit with all of our family. The boys recieved some wonderful Christmas presents, lots of clothes, toys, books, and tike bikes.

At our last dr.'s appointment last Friday our dr. said that if the boys haven't made their arrival by this Friday we will start to discuss a plan of action. This may mean scheduling an induction but our dr. said he would rather the boys come on their own. Sometimes that just doesn't happen and he said there becomes a point when they are better off out in the world. So we are anxious to hear what he will say on Friday. Its starting to look like they will be January babies and we were pretty convinced that they were going to be December babies. Hope our parental instincts start to sharpen up a bit!

Waiting on hold

Since being released from strict bedrest I have been getting out a little. So far I have been carted around in a wheelchair at Michaels, Target and Kohls. I feel a bit foolish making Kevin, my mom or Jared push me around but I don't have much of a choice. I have been out to eat quite a bit, trying to make up for lost time. Kevin is sick of doing all the cooking and I just don't have the stamina to do it.

Today is my last day on the medication to keep my contractions at bay. I started to wean off of them yesterday so we are anxious to see what is going to happen. I would love to make it another week or two, the longer the boys stay put the better it will be for them and honestly I'm going to miss being pregnant. This will most likely be our only pregnancy and I'm starting to get sad that this short phase of our life is almost over. I would like to have three children but for now Kevin says two is enough for him.

Despite the stressful couple of months we experienced I really loved being pregnant. Kevin and I had so much fun experiencing the pregnancy together, preparing for the boys arrival and anticipating how our lives are going to change. So we are trying to enjoy every last minute of this experience because we know the end is near and our lives as we know it will never be the same. No more sleeping in and laying around all day, no more vacations on a whim or frivilous spending just because but that's alright with us! We are looking forward to our new lives with the boys and if we happen to get a little sleep along the way that will be a bonus.

34 weeks!

Finally, we have reached 34 weeks! Kevin and I are extremely excited to have finally reached this milestone. We had an appointment today and it was good news all around. The babies are looking good and are still doing well so that is most important. The dr. has decided that starting on Tuesday I will begin to wean off the meds that I have been taking for my contractions and as of today I can resume some limited activity! I'm allowed to go out to eat or go to someone's house for a visit. I can't go shopping or anything but that is fine because I wouldn't physically be able to anyways. I got so exhausted today just from going out to dinner so I know there is no way I'd be able to hit up the mall.

To celebrate my new freedom we met my cousin Jared for dinner at Don Pablos. Never have I appreciated a dinner out like I did today! Its been almost 12 weeks since I've been allowed to go anywhere and it was so nice to get out of the house and go somewhere besides the dr's office.

So the plan right now is to just let nature take its course and wait for our twins to decide they are ready to come out and meet everyone. I suspect that once I stop my meds next week that it will only be a few days before labor starts. Even on the meds I still get strong contractions that get more frequent when I'm due for my next dose of medication. They usually subside after I take the medicine so I'm guessing without the medication I will be contracting quite a bit.

Kevin set up a baby pool where people can guess the arrival date of the twins as well has thier stats. You can click on the link he set up on the top left of the page. You don't need to register or anything, you should be able just to make your guesses.

Some Pictures

Kevin on his 29th birthday!

My scary belly on Kevin's 29th birthday. 33 weeks pregnant with twins.

Claire and Uncle opening gifts.

Claire and Grant playing with Lucy the puppy.

Sorry for not updating lately. I have some recent belly pics and some pictures from Kevin's birthday I would like to post but I'm waiting on Kevin to do that for me on our desktop. We had another non-stress test yesterday, everything looked perfect. The boys were kicking like crazy and their heartrates were good. I had a couple contractions that were normal the tech told us. We see the dr. on Friday, I'm looking forward to that and finding out what he says about bedrest.

Kevin turned 29 on Sunday. He celebrated by taking a trip to the casino on Friday with friends and on Sunday we celebrated with family at our house. Kevin's sister Sara brought over her puppy, Lucy, and everyone loved playing with her...especially Grant and Claire.

We are starting to get super excited about the boys arrival. We already were excited and the feelings are growing each day. Kevin has installed the carseats so they are ready to go, this weekend he is going to assemble the bouncy seats, swings and a few other things we'll be needing shortly after they come home. My bag and the babies bag are packed for the hospital. I still can't believe I have two babies inside of me that will be here in just a few short weeks or sooner! Kevin made me laugh yesterday, he said that the babies are done cooking, all we need to do is let them brown up a little.

33 week update

We had an ultrasound and non-stress test today. Both went great! The babies are now measuring 5lbs 7oz and 5lbs 4oz. So I'm lugging around close to 11 lbs. in babies. Their fluid levels look good as well as the bloodflow in their umbilical cords.

At the non-stress test one of the babies had the hiccups making it difficult for the tech to monitor his heartrate. I have mentioned to Kevin a couple of times lately that I thought one or the other might be having hiccups and I guess I was right. After about 10 minutes or so she was able to get a good reading despite his hiccups. Both babies heartrates and movements looked good during the test but I had a monstrous contraction, it hurt like mad, and several smaller ones. There is no cause for concern at this point but there was definitely more contractions today than there has been at past non-stress tests.

One more week to go before we finally reach the dr.'s goal of 34 weeks! I'm just astonished that we made it this far considering the pre-term labor scare and the just about non-existent cervix. When that happened at 27 weeks I really thought we'd be lucky to go 2 more weeks, now it has been 6! I guess strict bedrest really does work to help keep the babies safe and on the inside. My next appointment with the dr. is a week from today. I'll know more at that point about whether or not I can stop the medication I am on and come off of strict bedrest. Right now my guess is these babies are coming around 35 weeks and Kevin is confident we will make it to 36 weeks. Either way it looks like our boys will probably be here sometime before the end of the month!

The nursery

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.

113 days to go!

Things have been pretty uneventful around here lately. From what I have been reading, each boy should be 1.25 lbs and a foot long by now. Only 113 more days to go!

Even though I have been back to work for a month now, this past week was our first week with students and they totally kicked my butt! The first day with students was on Wednesday and I started having some contractions from all the bending over and physical activity that I haven't been used to. I called the nurse and of course she reassured me that everything was fine. She even mentioned that working with the kiddies was a good distraction for me from all my aches and pains. WHAT? Lady, working with the kiddies is the CAUSE of my aches and pains. I was frustrated but grateful that the discomfort I have been experiencing is nothing serious.

Today we had our first of two baptism classes at our church. We recently decided to change churches and start attending St. John and Paul in Washington Twp. Although I hate to officially leave St. Lawrence, it has just become too far for us. The boys will both have my sister, Tina, as their Godmother and our brother-in-law, Kevin, as their Godfather. As many of you know, Kevin is not religous in any sort of way but I have to say I am so lucky that he has been supportive of this whole process. As much as church is not his thing and I know how uncomfortable it can make him feel, I was so impressed by his selflessness today at the class. He participated in class and never once complained. I already knew that I have an awesome husband, but it seems like during this pregnancy there have been so many reminders of why I love Kevin so much and how deep that love runs. Just like my little guys, I just can't get enough of him either.

More Nursery Pics

Here are some additional nursery pics of the mural. I was having trouble downloading them the other day. You can see a more detailed view of the monkey and bird in the tree as well as the second giraffe. The plan is to put the boys cribs where the giraffes are.

The boys were very active while I was at work today. I could sit there all day long and never get tired of the kicks and punches. I swear I feel like everyday is Christmas morning. I love these little guys so much already...I just can't get enough of them!

22 week update

All the loot for the twins from our shopping spree.

My favorite outfit.

The nursery is slowly coming together. No furniture yet but the mural is complete.

Changing table from Nanny and Papa Guitar. Thank you!

Yesterday Jared and I went on a mini-shopping spree at Old Navy for the boys. We cleared out what they had at Lakeside and today Kevin and I emptied out what they had at the Rochester store. All of their end of the season baby stuff was on major markdown so we stocked up on summertime clothes for the boys. You can see from the picture above that we bought just about everything they had, the deals that they had were just too good to pass up. We bought a pair of sandals for them for 49 cents! Some of the shirts were only 1.50! We even got them their first pair of swim trunks.

My parents recently purchased the changing table for us so after we got home from shopping Kevin put that together. The nursery is starting to take shape, but it will probably be another month or two till their furniture comes in. When that gets here we will be all set because all the painting and the mural has been completed.

Twin Etiquette

Blankets from Bryan, Sheri, Cameron and Caleb our wonderful next door neighbors.

Little toys for the twins carseats from Maggie, my co-worker, but more importantly dear friend


Not that I don't love talking or thinking about the twins every minute of the day because I really do, but one question that is absolutely going to drive me to the edge is....."Do twins run in your family?" Now granted not everyone reads this blog, we only passed it on to our nearest and dearest, so not everyone is fully aware of our situation but JEEZUS PEOPLE! Twins aren't always genetic and in our case they definitely weren't but everytime I get asked this I just want to crawl out of my skin. Like Kevin says "It makes me sweat like a whore in church". Generally I just play the dumb card and say things like, "maybe... we're not sure, or I don't think twins always run in families".

You don't know how many times I've envisioned myself wanting to say "No, they don't run in our family but if you see your local reproductive endocronologist they're passing them out like candy." I'll have to try that at least once with a stranger, its evil I know but I'd love to see their reaction. I know its well intentioned but I can't help feeling so frustrated by it because it happens daily and it happens everywhere we go. It seems to have replaced the the other dreaded question I seemed to face daily before gettting pregnant and that was "When do you think you'll have kids?" Oh well, like I said I'll talk about the boys till the cows come home so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Many of you must sense the overwhelming urge I have to want to tell everyone what the boys names will be because you are putting the pressure on me to spill the beans. I won't tell, I won't tell, I won't tell, I won't tell....I just have to keep repeating that to myself. Since I REALLY won't tell here is a list of our names that we like but didn't pick just so you can get a sense of our "naming style." Being responsible for naming another human being is a lot of pressure, you've got to cover all your angles and try to anticipate what names might have dirty, silly, or otherwise bizzare nicknames attached to them. For instance I like the name Peter, but OBVIOUSLY that's out of the question. We also really like the name Isaac, but we named our first dog that we had for a week that, and who wants to be the twin that was named after the family dog. We did consider it for quite some time though banking on the assumption that most people would not remember until I asked my 7 yr. old nephew if he remembered what we named our first dog and he did. So here they are in the order that we liked them...the Edgars that never were or are to be:

1. To be announced sometime in late Dec./ early Jan.
2. To be announced sometime in late Dec./early Jan.
3. Isaac
4. Xander/Zander (not sure how we'd spell it)
5. Xavier
6. Ethan
7. Aiden (moreso a Kevin pick) these two tie
7. Dominic (moreso a me pick)
8. Caden
9. Mason

The Babies' Nursery

This week Grandma Merris began working on painting a mural in the boys' nursery. Kevin's room as a child was always painted with characters by his mom so the two of them have been anticipating this for years. It really means a lot to him that his mother is now doing it for his children. Our bedding is sorta a jungle theme so she has taken the animals off of that and painted them on the walls. It's not complete yet but we wanted to share the pictures since so many of you have heard us talking about it. We are very lucky to have a Grandma that just so happens to paint children's murals. We really appreciate all the time and energy she has put into this, it looks great!

We had a dr.'s appointment today so we got to see our little guys again. Everything is continuing to go well, both babies have the proper amount of fluid surrounding them and all is well with me. We are feeling lots of movement now but one twin seems to be much more active than the other. Our dr. explained that the twin that doesn't seem so active has an anterior placenta that acts as kind of a buffer for his kicks. So its not that he isn't moving around as much as his brother, its just that I can't feel him as much. We were relieved to hear that. I love when I can feel them move around and kick, it just makes me smile and giggle every time.

The dr. measured my belly for the first time today. I am currently 21 weeks along, but my belly measures at 28 weeks! Our dr. kinda chuckled and said that would explain my back pain and difficulty sleeping, I'm the size of a pregnant women almost 2 months ahead of me. Our next appointment will be in 3 weeks and we will have another detailed ultrasound to find out how big the boys are and make sure they are developing properly.

20 Week Belly Pic

20 week belly picture....this one is for you Danielle! Bethany told me you made a request!
Oiy, its getting big! These little aliens have invaded my belly.

Tool t-shirts for the twins from Uncle Jared. Props to Uncle Jared, he ironed on the patches himself! For those who don't know, "Tool" is Kevin's favorite band. He's quite obbsessive about them.

I was joking about someone having the time to try and unscramble the letters to the boys names, but Grandma Merris decided to give it a go. Here are some of the names she came up with:

NNEEAAJROSKD Are these for both names and are all the letters used?
Kevin
Sara
Jared
Rosa
Rose
Ned
Dean
Jan
Don
Nose
Son
Dane
Devin
Ken
Sean
Jon
Ron
Jason

It looks like she may have added a letter or two in case we really did leave a letter or two out. Damnit she got it, Son and Nose are the names we picked out for the twins. We thought they were quite unique....sorta like Apple and Suri. Kevin has also suggested the idea of a "silent birth", I'm considering it.

Almost 20 week update

Just a tease...here are the twins names all mixed up. They may or may not be missing a letter or two in case someone has the time on their hands to try and figure it out! Forget about it!

Bean bag giraffe and zebra from Jodi and Jens....man those guys are wierd looking! The animals, not you, Jodi and Jens!

This is the quilt from the bedding set that the twins will have. Grandma Merris will be painting a mural on the walls to match it. The bedding was an early shower gift from Grandma Merris and Grandpa Denny.

I love these little skater shoes! Kevin's mom purchased these for the twins as well as other tennis shoes and clothes.

Jean overalls from the McBride Family. After finding out the twins were boys my sister went on a shopping spree and bought us some really cute outfits!

The ever growing stash of baby stuff.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'm back at work and unlike some government employee I know I do actually have to work when I'm there. There hasn't been too much going on except for all the shopping that we are doing and that has been done for us. Thanks to everyone for all the generous gifts, it means so much to us that so many people share in our excitement.

We have started to feel movement so that has been really exciting. Their kicks and punches feel like tiny bubbles on the inside and when Kevin is patient enough he can usually feel it as well. I've been really tired since returning to work and my legs and feet feel like I've ran a marathon by the end of the day. This Friday will be the 20 week mark for us. Technically it means we are halfway through the pregnancy but since they will most likely come early I think its safe to say we are more than halfway there.

As soon as we are able to move the existing furniture out of the nursery Grandma Merris will begin painting the nursery. I THINK we are done registering but it seems like everytime we go to Babies'r'us there is one more thing we forgot.

It's the small things

I was lying awake in bed this morning thinking about the boys. It occured to me that there is a good chance that they could be here by Christmas time since twins don't usually go full term. I started to think how wonderful it would be if they were here by the holidays and then I thought of something made my heart soar. The stockings! I was so excited and happy with tears that I immediately called Kevin at work to remind him of the stockings. He shared my excitement and knew immediately what I was going to say before it even came out.

A few years ago, before we decided to start our family we bought Christmas stockings for ourselves. We returned to the store a few days later to buy 2 more stockings so that all 4 stockings would match when we had our family. Unfortunately when we were unable to become pregnant the stockings took on a different meaning. They became a cruel reminder each Christmas that we didn't have the family we had anticipated and didn't know if we ever would. I guess I didn't realize what affect longingly looking at those stockings each year, only to put them back in the box, has had on me until this morning. It may seem so insignificant to others but to us it means so, so much.

Sianara Evangeline

I knew after hearing that we were expecting twins that things were going to be very expensive, BUT I don't think anything could prepare us for exactly how expensive things are going to get. Maybe it's because I'm still in sticker shock from our furniture purchase on Sunday but OH MY GOD! We purchased 2 cribs that convert into double beds, 2 five drawer dressers and 2 night stands and it cost a ton. Granted we did buy quality furniture that will last these boys till they move out, we just didn't see the point in purchasing 2 cribs that are only used for 2 years and then have to turn around and buy 2 new beds but still! That just seems insane! Here is what we got for that small fortune. http://www.munirefurniture.com/oxford_01.htm It's just money right? I keep trying to convince myself of that.

We accomplished quite a bit this weekend. Not only do the boogers have their furniture but now they have names as well.....we think. We had previously picked out names for the twins if they were a boy and girl. We weren't sure if we'd be able to find another boy name to match the one we already had but I think we successfully did. Since the big secret is already out and everyone knows they are boys we will be keeping their names under lock and key. But if its any consolation if one of the babies had been a girl her name would have been Evangeline.

I've been seriously outnumbered

To save our children from future embarassment we won't reveal whose little dinky this is between the legs.
Baby B's profile
Baby A's (the thumbsucker) profile



Well, I guessed it right all along. I knew there was no way that Kevin could possibly produce anything remotely feminine. With his all consuming obbsession with sports and complete disregard for style and appearances it had to be TWO BOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry Kevin my dreams of pig tails, french braids, and pink dresses have been squashed so I couldn't resist. In all seriousness both of us are thrilled. There was no mistaking that either baby was a boy, they had their goods out there for all to see.

More importantly though they both did great on the Level II ultrasound. This was the u/s where they measure the lengths of their extremities, count fingers and toes, check all of their vital organs, detail the structure of the heart, check for down syndrome, spina bifida, cleft palate, etc. Both boys looked wonderful and our dr. said he is very happy with their progress. They never stopped moving the whole time and one even sucked his thumb. We couldn't be happier!

Our Journey

There were two main reasons to start this blog. The first being we wanted to document every milestone in this pregnancy as a keepsake for our future children so that they would know how much they were loved and desperately wanted by us and the second was we were so estatic to finally be pregnant we wanted to shout it from the rooftops. I had kept a private blog during the almost 2 years of hell we endured trying to become pregnant so it seemed a natural progression to leave the pain and bitterness aside and replace it with a shall we say more optimistic outlook on the journey we have been on. I promised myself this blog would be a happy blog and that by creating it I could heal from the pain of our past. But on the eve of our "big" ultrasound I have realized that the pain still exsists and doesn't just disapear in light of all the recent wonderful events. It has engrained itself forever and has changed who we are as people and as a couple.

I have spent the better part of that two years desperately trying to keep our struggle with infertility private which I am finding out I failed at misearably. I suppose it is only natural when you confide in a VERY small inner circle of people that eventually that circle widens because it is human nature to assume one is doing no harm to another if they only tell just this one person. And then of course that one person tells another person which results in people,whom I never intended to share our struggles with, congratulating us and then letting us know they know how hard it was for us to get pregnant. I must admit it is hurtful that those whom we trusted shared our business with others but I must also admit that I am confident that I have violated others trust in the past as well. So with that being said this post isn't meant to crucify anyone but rather an opportunity for Kevin and I to tell our own story on our own terms.

Kevin and I always knew we wanted children. We've been discussing how many, what they'll look like, what their names will be since we met as teenagers. It was always important to us that we prepare for our children by making sure we were financially ready to take care of them in the way we wanted to. Almost two years ago we decided we had achieved the goals we had set financially and were ready to start our family. After some time we began to realize that there was a problem. When I was 19 I was diagnosed with mild endometriosis and I started to suspect that possibly that was why we weren't getting pregnant. Endometriosis is hereditary in my family and my mother suffered from it as well. It took her 4 years to become pregnant with me and she had to have a hysterectomy in her 20's because of it. I had all the classic symptoms so when I made a dr.'s appointment to discuss it with my dr. I was surprised yet relieved that he convinced me nothing was wrong. But he was wrong and unfortunately we didn't find that out till several months later.

After a year of trying I went to see a specialist who within about 30 seconds of my exam told me I had a huge mass on my right side and he was 99% sure that endometriosis was why we couldn't get pregnant. An ultrsound revealed a baseball size cyst and 5-7 smaller ones on both of my ovaries. I had emergency surgery a few days later and woke up from the anthestic to hear the worst possible news. I had advanced Stage 4 endometriosis and getting pregnant would be virtually impossible.

One who has never experienced infertility cannot even begin to imagine what that feels like. Suddenly your body becomes a stranger to you and lose all trust in its ability. Your relationship with God changes, I suppose for some it grows stronger but for myself it was weakened. After all I had done all that God and the church had asked of me. I didn't believe in sex before marriage, I never took birth control, went to church religously and this was the big payoff? What a farce, I felt so foolish. All of things I thought were so important and mattered so much didn't mean a damn at this point. Not only was my dream of being a mother being taken away but now I was responsible for crushing Kevin's dreams as well. Not to mention his parent's dreams of becoming grandparents. The strain of carrying around that burden crushed my spirit. I became a different person, suddenly a life filled with endless opportunities turned dark. I could see no future if there were no children. I think this feeling is best expressed from another infertility blog that I came across, she speaks of the feelings of isolation that ran so deeply in my heart.

"When I'm at home, I can manage fairly well. I can keep the television turned off, and I can lose myself in a game of Rummy with my husband, or in the fabrics I'm considering for the window treatments in our master bath. I can make the executive decision to turn the space that was to be our nursery into a guest room.
But outside -- beyond the stronghold of the quiet walls I am working to construct -- the earth is loud with a joy I cannot have. In this, the "normal" world, no one is sick. Women have the children they want, when they want, and under the circumstances they want. Mostly, when I'm out in this world, I don't feel like a part of it. Instead, it orbits around me, placing me at its axis in a way I never wanted."

In the months following my surgery I underwent aggressive treatment with horomone drugs to try and combat the endometriosis that had attacked my entire pelvis. Every part of my lower extremity was affected, bladder, ovaries, tubes, uterus, bowels, ect. After a second surgery we found out the treatment had all been in vain. 3 months later the endo and cysts had returned and were spreading like wildfire. That surgery required the removal of my right ovary and tube. We went to more dr.'s to find out more bad news. I wrote about it in my former blog:

"So it isn't bad enough that I have stage 4 endometriosis and was stripped of an ovary and tube. Now on top of that I was told today by Dr. A that I tested postive for some autoimmune disorders. But not to worry too much...they only MIGHT cause miscarriage and implantation failure. And on the bright side the ones I tested postitive for are the least serious of the autoimmune disorders. Lucky me. I suppose I should be grateful, well fuck that. I'm not grateful. I don't care if it could be worse. To me this whole situation couldn't get any worse."

One phrase I've come to despise over the past 2 years is "everything happens for a reason". I've pondered over what the reason could be that I've had to suffer physically and emotionally over the past 2 years while irresponsible teens get pregnant everyday. Perhaps their situation "happened for a reason". After the surgeries and an additional diagnosis that complicated matters even more, Kevin and I were able to concieve with the help of our doctors. I don't care to relive or chronicle that part of the journey as I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. It is a part of my life I'd soon rather forget.

Despite my cynical views I do always try to remember that there are others who have been dealt far worse hands than the two of us have. In talking with others that silently suffer through infertilty I know that we were not alone. We are some of the lucky few that were able to escape its hold. We are extremeley grateful that we had diligent dr.'s that didn't give up on our situation and gave us hope when we thought there wasn't any. So for now this story has a happy ending but I still struggle with the fear that at any moment the rug could be pulled out from underneath us. There is nothing about this pregnancy that we take for granted. And for all those in our lives that are experiencing the same struggle we did please know you are not alone.
http://www.vocalicious.com/empty_arms/empty_arms_mod2.html

The fun stuff

Our latest "fun stuff" from the McBride Family

Today was my last day of babysitting this summer for my nephew, Grant, and my niece, Claire. I have babysat for them during the summer months for the past few years. As a special thank you the kids, my sister Tina and our brother-in-law Kevin got us these great gifts! There are 2 little froggy hooded towels for bathtime, 2 super soft blankets, and two teddy bears that have Grant and Claire's voices recorded on them so when you squeeze them they tell the twins they love them. So a huge thanks to the McBride Family for sharing in our excitement! Love you guys!

Only 2 more days till the big ultrasound!

Dad To Be...Warning:Sappy Post!!!!

Kevin, Claire and Grant constructing Hillbilly Horseshoes.

I have to brag, I think Kevin is going to be an outstanding father! Yesterday Grant and Claire came over for a visit while their parents were getting crazy in Vegas on a well deserved vacation. The kids helped Kevin construct Hillbilly Horseshoes. It's some wierd game with golfballs on a string that one hopes to wrap around the plastic pipe structure seen above. The kids loved every minute of it and really enjoyed the time spent with their uncle. This was just another example, one of many, of how great of a dad Kevin will be to our twins. I can't wait to see him carrying around two little babies, one in each arm. And one thing I anticipate the most is the excitement and laughter they'll have everyday when their daddy comes home from work and walks through the door. Can you tell I think the world of my husband?

On a less emotional/hormonal note, there isn't much to report about the pregnancy this past week. Things have been most uneventful and that is exactly how we hope to keep them. I'm impatiently waiting for those infamous "butterflies" in your stomach or just an all out kick but so far nada. No movement to report.

Something to look forward to: Only one week left till the big ultrasound!
Something to run from: Only 11 days left till I turn into a pumpkin and have to go back to the real world.

I got a pregnancy tatoo!

So not too long ago Jared (my cousin) said to me "I hope you don't get one of those line things down your stomach, those are so wierd." I emphatically agreed thinking foolishly I might be one of the few lucky ones to escape it. Well no sooner than a couple of days later I began to notice the slightest of lines on my stomach but I quickly dismissed it as being "all in my head".
Well there is no denying it now, the linea negra has made its mark. It's been confirmed by at least 3 people. It's almost like a pregnancy tatoo. Another oddly strange yet endearing part of pregnancy. Kevin dutifully tells me how beautiful I am daily so that helps as my body starts to become unrecognizable and sends me into a temporary panic.

Well one week down and 2 more long weeks to go till the gender ultrasound. I keep reminding myself that it is entirely possible that the babies won't cooperate and we might not get to find out on the 25th what they are. I'll be so bummed but worse case scenario we'll have another routine ultrasound 2 weeks later and find out then. As soon as we find out the shopping spree begins!

I already started to do some preliminary registering on-line for the no-brainer stuff but I'll definitely need to call on my sis's experience to help me with the things I would never think of. We'll be ordering the furniture once we know as well. That's a big bill I'm not looking forward to! 2 cribs that convert into double beds, 2 matresses, 2 dressers, 2 hutches,
2 nightstands....yikes! Not to mention 2 carseats, 2 bassinets, 2 high chairs, okay I'll stop now, I feel another temporary panic coming on again. Kevin says the twins need to arrive by Dec. 31st then their tax credit will pay part of their own way. And I thought I was the cheap one in the relationship!

The good news is that it will all be counter-acted with two toothless smiles among many other double blessings I know they will bring!

15 week update

Books from Jason and Heather

Onsies from Tracey and Scott

Twins Magazine subscription and books from Grandma and Grandpa Edgar

15 week belly picture

As you can see we recieved more generous gifts from family and friends. Kevin and I appreciate it very much! I already had to clear out the closet of our stuff in the babies new nursery to replace it with their stuff.

Today's Dr.'s appointment went great! We talked about the risks of pre-term labor with twins and the Dr. suggested I start a weekly injection of hydroxyprogesterone. It is the same form of progesterone that the placenta already makes on its own and studies have proven that it can reduce your chances for pre-term labor by 30-40 percent and there are no side effects so we agreed.

We also discussed the possibililty of bedrest and the dr. says it is inevitable. I will probably stop working around 24 weeks (Beginning of October) depending on how things go and a majority of my day will be spent on the couch. I gained 6 lbs. in the past 2 weeks, the dr. thought it was a nurse's mistake on my chart, but it wasn't! My total weight gain so far has been about 18 lbs and he said that is great.

After discussing all our concerns the dr. gave us an ultrasound. He said both babies are the correct size and the amount of fluid surrounding them is good. In his words everything looked "perfect" so we were very happy to hear that.

The big day to find out what sexes the babies are will be on August 25th. So the 3 week countdown begins.....we can't wait!

Bladders, baby showers and Halloween

Not too much happening lately. My nausea is starting to subside but I still have days that border miserable. Sleeping is starting to become a challenge, apparently these babies save up their contribution to my bladder for evening hours. I make it a point of not drinking after 8 p.m. so when I'm up every other hour I know it is not from me but instead from these two. Sorry if that's TMI for anyone, but my mother was right once you become pregnant all modesty goes out the window. Our next appointment is on Friday and I'm excited for that. Seems wierd to be excited about a dr. appointment but the reassurance I feel from seeing the babies or hearing their heartbeats helps to keep me relaxed about things.

Two weekends ago we went with our mothers to place a deposit on a venue for the shower. I didn't think planning a shower would be necessary so soon but when talking to other pregnant friends I found out that many places they called were already booked for November. And since it is around the holidays there was even more reason to be on the ball. We ended up choosing Greystone Golfcourse and Banquet Center .http://www.golfgreystone.com/ It is located on 32 mile road and Mound in Romeo. Fall, particulary Halloween, is my favorite time of the year so I'm excited that it will be at a place where all the fall colors can be seen.

The shower will be on Sunday, October 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the menu is a brunch buffet. I'm personally promising everyone that we won't torture you for that long. 4 hours of baby shower games and gifts is too much to ask of anyone. I promise to open gifts in record speed, although I'll admit it would be fun to torture Kevin by doing it slowly.

More to come after Friday's appointment. Keeping our fingers crossed that all will be well.

Grateful

Today's appointment was relatively quick. I gained another 3 lbs. since last Monday so I was pleased. My nightly milkshakes must be working. I met with the dr. to go over my bloodwork results and discuss any concerns. The bloodwork looked good, my usual borderline thyroid and anemia were both normal. Unfortunately the dr. was paged and had to jet to deliver a baby.

The nurse said she was going to give me a quick ultrasound to check on the babies. We were pleasantly surprised because we were told we wouldn't see them for a couple more weeks. Both of them looked good. We are so grateful for these little babies! We watched as one turned from face down to face up and the other one looked like it was scratching its head. The pictures we have from today aren't nearly as good as last weeks so no point in posting them. I go back two weeks from tomorrow for my next appointment.

12 week update

No, I swear I'm not "sticking it out"! But in my defense I did just eat some spaghetti. I'm starting to worry about the rate at which I'm growing. I'm afraid by next month I won't be able to breathe anymore. And by the way do you know how many of you said "I can't wait to see you get fat"? I think I've been cursed :) !


Last Friday was Kevin's Grandma's birthday. We saw most of his family and were able to tell everyone the news. It was nice to be able to share it with everyone at one time! Now that we have started telling people it has started to feel more concrete...not to mention looking in the mirror everyday. Our next appointment is this Thursday. It was supposed to be today but was rescheduled. I'm hoping our next ultrasound of the bubs will be in about 2 weeks.

Kevin and I are enjoying watching everyone vote on the genders, if you were curious he is convinced it is boy/girl and I'm guessing its 2 of the same...leaning towards 2 boys. But honestly neither one of us could care less, we just want some babies.

Double Trouble

Today's appointment went great! We got to watch the babies in action and they were jumping around everywhere. As you can see in the pics they are chillin bunk bed style. Baby A is in the bottom bunk and Baby B is on the top. Baby B was swinging its arms everywhere while Baby A did a complete somersault. My official progress is 11 weeks and 3 days but both babes measured 11 weeks 6 days and are about 2 inches long each. I have gained 8-10 lbs which is a huge accomplishment for me due to the fact that I feel nauseated ALL day long but I continue to force food down about every 2 hours or so. So we were pleased I was able to put that much weight on. Our next appointment will be next Monday but we won't be able to peek in on the babies again for another 3 weeks.

The following are some pictures of the gifts we have received for the babies already and for me. Our family has already started to spoil them! We want to thank our family for all the generous gifts and emotional support you have lent us.

Frog and Duckie from the McBrides, Baby blanket and frame from Nanny and Papa Guitar and Baby clothes, maternity clothes and blanket from Grandma Merris and Grandpa Denny.

Tank top for me from Uncle Jared and Teddy Bear from Grandma Merris and Grandpa Denny.