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.