The day has arrived!

It's Thursday morning at 5:41 AM as I type this. I've been tossing and turning since 4 AM and figured I should quit fighting a losing battle and just get up. I can't stop thinking about our induction tonite at 8 PM. I keep running different scenarios through my head and trying to give myself pep talks about delivery. I've already done this twice, so I know I can do it.

I remember when my water broke the night before I was supposed to be induced with Brody. I was getting ready to head to the hospital and Aaron and my mom were up. I just remember crying because I was so scared that having Jenna was a fluke and I wouldn't be able to do it again! Yes, I'm a dork like that, but I'm having similar feelings about that (times two) this morning.

I was also thinking that if you would have told me in high school that Aaron and I would get married and have 4 kids, including a set of twins, I would have probably laughed in your face. But, these twins are the best things I never knew that I wanted and I can't wait to meet them!

Next time you see a post on here, it will be of pictures of Baby A and Baby B, OUTSIDE the belly! :)

Our Last Dr. Appt

We had our last doctor's appointment on Friday. I can't believe the end is actually in sight!

Here's a rundown on what we found out:

1. Boys look good! Growing, growing, growing... They are estimated at 7 lbs. each and all their other measurements were at about 38 weeks.

2. They passed their four part test again. Yay!

3. Baby's B head has dropped ALOT! I told Aaron earlier in the week I thought I had dropped and it was definitely confirmed.

4. I'm dilated zero. No surprise there, since I was never dilated with the other two when I went into labor.

5. The Dr. still says we'll just "wait and see" what happens at birth with Baby A. We are optimistic that everything is going to work out!

6. If nature doesn't send me into labor before next Thursday, we're scheduled for an induction on Thursday, April 7th at 8 PM. The plan is to have the babies on Friday, when Dr. Wang is in labor and delivery.

7. We were warned about the circus that will be in the delivery room. Each baby will have his own team of nurses, as will I, plus my doctor and a neonatal doctor for the twins.

That's about it. I'm hoping (actually we're both hoping) that the babies stay put until they are induced. Every day is important!

Random Pregnancy Stuff

I had some random thoughts going through my head that I figured I better write down so I don't forget. Here goes:

What's it like with two? That's the question I get asked ALL THE TIME! I guess it's like one, but more crowded and more movement. Emphasis on the more crowded. :) And, when one of the boys starts moving around, it seems the other has to. I love watching my belly jumpy around. Although, last nite, I swear I had a little fist sticking about half an inch out of my belly. It was kind of creepy.

Water, Water, Water: This pregnancy I can't seem to get enough of it. I drink about 90-120 ounces of water PER DAY. Seriously, it's insane! With Jenna and Brody I drank water, but not to this extreme. With Jenna and Brody I craved pop, so I would settle for a 7UP/Sprite or Root Beer. Not so much with the twins. I hardly ever have pop and when I do it tastes too sugary. The other day Aaron bought an orange pop for us to share and the boys were nuts afterwards! I really thought they were going to bust out of my belly. :)

Sleep: It's been a rough go of things the last few weeks. I can't sleep all night in bed because it's uncomfortable. I usually start the night in the chair and sleep there for 3-4 hours before heading up to bed. It's just better on my back, which has started to hurt recently. Aaron has been sympathetic to my sleeping woes and says that mother nature must be getting us ready for the babies because he is up almost as much as I am.

That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure I'll have more I want to write later...

34 Week Appointment

We had our 34 week check-up yesterday. It feels to me like things keep constantly changing with this pregnancy and it's kind of exhausting.

We started our appointment yesterday with a growth ultrasound. I got so nervous because the gal doing it kept flipping back and forth between the babies and then stopped and said she had to check her report. I was so scared, but she came back and showed us Baby A's kidneys. One of them has almost no fluid around it. She was excited for us and we were excited. They are estimating Baby A to be about 5 lbs. 11 oz. (although he could be bigger, but his head is so low she had a hard time getting an accurate measurement) and Baby B about 5 lbs. 13 oz. She also did a four part test on each of them and they each scored 8 out of 8. I can't remember all the components, but that's another plus.

I was on the monitor for awhile and the heartbeats looked great and I didn't have any contractions. The doctor was at the hospital, so we purposely stayed so we could get his take on the kidney thing (it was the doctor we liked). He came and said he hopes it's a positive on the kidney front, but we'll have to wait and see. We understood that, but it's been such a hard road we like to think optimistically when we can.

Dr. Wang also talked about delivery. And the fact that he thinks we'll go ahead with a vaginal delivery. I was like, WHAT?! The other doctor said (and I explained) and he said with me having such big babies before he doesn't see a problem with a vaginal delivery. Soooo....that threw us for a loop! Dr. Wang would like to see us make it to 37 weeks (April 8th-ish) and if I haven't gone on my own, we will be induced.

Personally, I think if I make it to the end of March, that would be a miracle! I will head back down next Friday for another appointment.

33 weeks

Ok, I actually meant to post this LAST Friday, but, I'm slow! I'm 33 weeks and will be 34 weeks on Friday!! As you can see, I'm getting BIG. I feel like I'm expanding outward, but also getting really wide, which makes sense since there's two babies in there. I'm having a problem finding shirts to fit over the bottom of my belly!!!

I'm feeling ok. I'm not going to lie and say I feel super, because I don't. However, I've made it to almost 34 weeks and I'm still working and walking around and not on bedrest, which I think is wonderful (knock on wood!).

The boys are getting big! I can tell by the way they move around and the hard body parts I can feel. We head back down tomorrow (Thursday) for some time on the monitor to watch the heartbeats and contractions, another growth ultrasound and to set-up a time for the C-section.

The doctor would like me to make it to 37 weeks, which would be April 8th. I don't know if the boys are going to stay put, but we'll give it our best go. I will do anything I can to keep them growing and developing in there. It's kind of weird to actually set up a date for the C-section because it makes everything seem so real!

I will update you all again after our appointment tomorrow.

Crappy News

After our last appointment with Dr. Negativity, Aaron and I agreed I should call down and try to arrange my appointments around my regular doctor's schedule, as to avoid the doctor we don't like. So, I called the other day and was told that our regular doctor is going on vacation. Out of the country. And won't be back until March 28th!!! OMG!!!

Talk about news I didn't want to hear. I was devastated, to say the least and pretty much had a breakdown of tears, tears and more tears. The problem is that they're the only two at the perinatal center, so we don't really have a choice.

That means I have to keep these babies in here until March 29th. I have to! Never mind the fact that I've started to have contractions every now and again the past couple of weeks....

Part III: The Tour

After our appointment, we headed over to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for a tour of that. Aaron and I left with different feelings on how it went, which is kind of funny.

One of the charge nurses took us around and gave us a rundown of how things work up there. We learned things like: no matter what, if the babies are born 35 weeks or before they will go to the NICU and nobody under the age of 14 can be allowed in the NICU until May (because it's cold/flu season), which means the kids wouldn't be able to visit.

We did see a few babies in the rooms as we were walking by. Oh my gosh, they were just so tiny! I just wanted to cry. For someone who has had almost a 9 lb. baby and an almost 10 lb. baby, it's so hard to imagine having one half that size or smaller.

Aaron thought it was a good reality check to visit that place and it did nothing but scare me to death! I guess it gives me good inspiration to take it easy and put my feet up, so I can carry this babies as long as I can. The longer the better for sure.

Part II: OB appointment

We had a routine OB check-up and another comprehensive ultrasound to check on the growth of the babies back at the Perinatal Center.

During the ultrasound, we learned that Baby B, a.k.a. our little monkey, has once again flipped and is head down. That means that both babies are currently head down. Baby A is estimated at 5 lbs. 1 oz and Baby B 4 lbs. However, Baby A really is probably closer to the 4 lb. mark because they base the weight on the stomach measurement. Obviously with the extra fluid around the lungs it's making him seem a little larger than what he probably is. With the 4 lb. estimate I am measuring a week ahead of schedule (good news!).

Unfortunately, our regular doctor was out of the office and so we had to meet with Dr. Negativity, who was the doctor we met with the very first time back in December. We hadn't seen him since then and really didn't want to meet with him again. Once again, we left with bad feelings in our stomachs and frustration and annoyance.

He walked and said the babies are growing well. After that, things went downhill. He pretty much told us Baby A is going to live for 10 minutes after birth and we need to have a plan in mind because he's sure the lungs won't be developed enough to keep the baby alive. To say we were both mad is probably an understatement. Our regular doctor is pretty confident that the lungs are developing as they need to. Aaron said he just tuned him out after that and I just kept nodding.

I get that doctors have to deliver bad news sometimes. But, for him to be at a complete 180 from what his partner has been telling us (someone who's dealt with a situation like ours) was just annoying. Plus, the guy has no people skills! Grrr....

The only other thing of importance that came out of the consult was that with the low amniotic fluid in Baby A's sac a regular deliver might put too much pressure on the umbilical cord and we may have to look at a C-section. I voiced my opinion that I wanted a C-section. The whole delivering twins thing has been scarying me for awhile now.

Anyway, we head back in two weeks and they'll put me on the monitor to watch the heart rates and also see if I'm having any contractions.

30 Weeks

I can't believe it, but I'm already 30 weeks along! I guess we're heading down the home stretch here. I don't know why it feels like such a milestone, probably because I know two other moms who delivered their twins at 30 weeks and today they are both doing just fine. That being said, I want to keep these baby boys in there as long as I can so everything can develop and mature like it needs to.

I've been feeling really, really good (knock on wood). I still tire out easily and our night time routine consists of putting the kids to bed at 8:15 and me falling asleep in the chair at 8:30 PM and then heading to bed when Aaron wakes me up. :)

So far, I've been still sleeping well. I get up 3 times or so for potty breaks, but it's not because I'm uncomfortable. Turning over is something I have to wake up for to reposition myself and the pillows, which also causes the babies to shift, which usually means pushing on my bladder.

Anyway, here are me and the belly.

Status Quo

We had another appointment on Friday. We started off with an ultrasound and then a consult with the doctor.

No big news to report as there wasn't too much change one way or another with Baby A. He still has fluid around his kidneys, but we found it encouraging that it didn't get a lot worse. The doctor was certain that there's nothing wrong with Baby A's bladder and that it is functioning, it's just something above the bladder that's not. What that means is that if we would have tried the risky procedure they gave us the choice of doing, it wouldn't work. That was good news!

Other good news to share: both boys are growing about the same rate. Baby A is 2 lbs. 8 oz and Baby B is 2 lbs. 6 oz. So, as an OB nurse who is a friend of ours pointed out at 27 weeks, I already have almost 5 lbs. of baby PLUS an extra placenta in there! :) I can only imagine how much bigger both the babies and me are going to get.

The coolest part of the day was the picture that you see below. Baby B has once again decided to flip so he is now breach (again). Because of the flip, it made it easier for the gal doing the ultrasound to see his face and she turned on the 4D ultrasound and we got this picture which I think is both neat and kind of creepy at the same time. She tried to get one of Baby A's face, but Baby B literally had his butt in front of Baby A's face. I tell you, Baby B is going to be a pistol! :)



We go back in two weeks for just an OB appointment. In a month, we'll have a busy morning because we'll be heading to Blank Children's Hospital for a consult with a Pediatric Kidney Specialist to go over some different scenarios about what might happen after birth with Baby A. After that, we'll head back to Mercy for an ultrasound and OB check.

7 months

I was looking through my old blog posts and realized that I haven't posted any belly pics since the 18 week/5 month mark. I figured I would show you my ever-growing belly as it stands at 25 weeks/the start of month 7.

Month 7! I can hardly believe we're already that far along. Seems like just yesterday I was throwing up like clockwork.... :)

Everybody keeps asking how I'm feeling and I can honestly say really good. The only thing is (and this probably has to do with the fact that I have a 4 & 2 year old) when about 7:30 PM hits at nite I am EXHAUSTED!! I always wish I could go to bed about that time, even though I know I can't.

I'm hoping I continue to feel good the farther along I get.

Five Months

I thought I would update you all on how the pregnancy has been going lately.

I had my 17 wk check-up (start of month five - yay!) last Thursday. Everything went well and the heartbeat sounded so strong, I just love that sound!

I talked to my doctor about how big I am already and she noted that my uterus is a lot bigger than it was last month, but the heartbeat is still low. She said we'd find out more next month at the ultrasound, but she thinks it could just be the third baby.

On a side note, I have spoken to a couple of other pregnant moms and they have all commented how big they all are so early, so that made me feel better.

In other news, I have been feeling a TON better than I was a month ago. It's so wonderful to crave food again and keep it down. The only other thing I have experienced is heartburn. Twice. Oh man, I hate that. I had it pretty bad with Brody, but not with Jenna. Maybe we're having a boy?! Hmmmm...guess we'll find out in April. :)

Wishful thinking...

As I said in my post with the announcement about BB#3, I've had a rough go of things the third time around. I remember what little sickness I felt with Jenna and Brody disappeared at the end of the first trimester.

I've started the second trimester and no luck. I went six (six!!) days in a row without my head in the toilet and thought I was making progress, but the five days following I am back to the same old routine. Me. Sprinting to the bathroom. Emptying my stomach. And then all better. Wishful thinking I guess that I was on the up and up.

I'm by no means complaining, this is all for a good cause! It's just so darn annoying because I can't tap in to what sets me off. For example on Thursday, I had tomato soup for lunch and it was delicious! Friday for lunch, I decide to have the leftovers and two minutes after finishing I barely make it to the bathroom in time. What the heck?!

Oh well, I'm sure it will get better. I'm planning on talking to my doctor at my next appointment (November 18th) if things haven't gotten any better. Think happy thoughts for me!