I have this habit of viewing time in relative terms, which if fun when you're anticipating something but can be a downer when you're looking back. Like vacations - my mind works like this *one week from today we'll be going on rides at the Magic Kingdom* OR *this time last week we were watching the sunset in Maui* (for example).
I've got a few posts to catch up on: we got our Saint Bernard puppy back in May; Benjamin qualified for physical therapy services through Early Intervention; party planning for the big birthday bash. But in the meantime, here's what's on my heart right now...
One year ago today I was 33 weeks pregnant and sent to the hospital because of my blood pressure. I remember the details of that night so vividly. It seems like it just happened, but at the same time it feels like Gabriella and Benjamin have been with us forever. My ob instructed me not to eat and head straight for Christ Hospital, just in case they had to pull the babies. I remember that the babies kept falling off of the monitors all.night.long no matter which way I slept. I remember in the morning how my heart raced and my bp sky-rocketed when the mean maternal fetal medicine doc that I had during the first week I was in entered my room to go over things with me. He was just as mean this time around. Looking back, I wish I would have filed a complaint. Or demanded a different doctor. Or something. But I guess the bottom line is, he was part of the team that kept me and my babies safe, so for that I am grateful.
I have been playing back *one year ago today* all day and I continue to be just flooded with emotions. I cry a lot. I look at my sweet babies and just thank God for them. I still feel pangs sadness for everything that my babies went through in the NICU, especially Benjamin. I still feel like I was robbed of part of the picture perfect scenes that all mommas-to-be envision, water breaking, holding a newborn, rooming in, beaming as I held my newborns when we were discharged days later. That just wash't our story. I accept that. I am grateful that we have our own happy story to share even if it wasn't a typical, run of the mill type of event.
One year ago today I was scared silly that my babies were going to be born too soon. I was terrified of having a stroke or seizures. But I was also blessed to be pregnant with two healthy babies. I was happy to just take it day by day and keep them in as long as it was safe for all three of us. I was excited to meet my snuggle bugs very soon.
I was thankful for everything God had given me; and some things will never change.
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Thursday, December 8, 2011
this time last year
It was one year ago today that I found out I was pregnant. I waited a couple of days to post it on here because we had family to tell first. I've cried a few times today when I was looking at Gabriella and Benjamin. This time last year they were about the size of a poppy seed. I don't know why I go getting all emotional about it, but the excitement and joy and surprise and disbelief and fear all come flooding back. I remember the nurse's voicemail. I remember the drive home when I stopped at Walgreens to get Jamie a Baby Ruth candy bar. I remember telling Jamie the news and having him listen to the voicemail, too.
It amazes me how much has happened since this time last year. It makes me wonder what life will be like at this time next year.
It amazes me how much has happened since this time last year. It makes me wonder what life will be like at this time next year.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
my belated one year blog-iversary
Because there's not a whole heck of a lot of free time around this joint anymore, I lost track of the days, again. This post was intended for November 6th, but whatever. I started this blog on that day! At the time I was preparing for my 5th transfer after hyperstimulating after my second ivf. After so many letdowns I anticipated this remaining an infertility blog for who knows how long. Little did I know that that was the cycle when my prayers would be answered and my dreams and hopes and heart's longing would reach fruition and journey down the path of motherhood.
As I took a few minutes to click back on the November 2010 posts, my eyes stung with tears. Even as I watch Gabriella and Benjamin kicking away in their bouncy chairs at this very moment, the memories of what brought them to me make my stomach feel a little upset. Honestly, before I got pregnant I really thought that the heart-break that infertility brings would just magically melt away through pregnancy and certainly once a baby or two arrived. I'm sorry to say it doesn't. Of course that pain has subsided, but every time I read about my cyber-friends' cycles it stirs up my own experiences. I remember all too well how it feels to have a bfn- I never miscarried or had a chemical pregnancy, so I can not relate to those sorrows. But trust me, this girl's heart knows pain none-the-less.
All of the worrying and wondering and what-ifs simply shifted forms during pregnancy. From the get go when Baby A's placenta started to detach, to running to the hospital to be monitored because Baby B who was a wiggleworm hadn't moved in hours and hours, to the fear that my babies were going to be pulled prior to 31 weeks, to my 34 weekers being in the NICU, watching Benjamin being intubated- seeing him cry but no sound coming out because of the tube. It continues to this day after seeing Gabriella rescusitated just weeks ago. The fear of having my dreams shattered, that my babies are just too good to be true, remains. Just over the weekend I had to go get a prescription from the big Walgreen's right by Christ Hospital, and let me tell you, driving that route that I traveled so much for the month after my babies were born still gives me a great big sinking feeling in my chest and some pretty serious anxiety takes over.
Gabriella and Benjamin are my whole world. They are everything I've ever wanted and needed. Years from now my kids won't be able to look back and remember a mommy that had the cleanest house on the block. I've got days worth of dishes in the sink, at least a week's worth of laundry to do, months of dust stacked up in the living room; I could go on and on, but you get my drift. My kids will look back and remember a mommy that held them and rocked them and covered them with kisses, a mommy that played with them and read stories to them and loved them more than life itself.
As I took a few minutes to click back on the November 2010 posts, my eyes stung with tears. Even as I watch Gabriella and Benjamin kicking away in their bouncy chairs at this very moment, the memories of what brought them to me make my stomach feel a little upset. Honestly, before I got pregnant I really thought that the heart-break that infertility brings would just magically melt away through pregnancy and certainly once a baby or two arrived. I'm sorry to say it doesn't. Of course that pain has subsided, but every time I read about my cyber-friends' cycles it stirs up my own experiences. I remember all too well how it feels to have a bfn- I never miscarried or had a chemical pregnancy, so I can not relate to those sorrows. But trust me, this girl's heart knows pain none-the-less.
All of the worrying and wondering and what-ifs simply shifted forms during pregnancy. From the get go when Baby A's placenta started to detach, to running to the hospital to be monitored because Baby B who was a wiggleworm hadn't moved in hours and hours, to the fear that my babies were going to be pulled prior to 31 weeks, to my 34 weekers being in the NICU, watching Benjamin being intubated- seeing him cry but no sound coming out because of the tube. It continues to this day after seeing Gabriella rescusitated just weeks ago. The fear of having my dreams shattered, that my babies are just too good to be true, remains. Just over the weekend I had to go get a prescription from the big Walgreen's right by Christ Hospital, and let me tell you, driving that route that I traveled so much for the month after my babies were born still gives me a great big sinking feeling in my chest and some pretty serious anxiety takes over.
Gabriella and Benjamin are my whole world. They are everything I've ever wanted and needed. Years from now my kids won't be able to look back and remember a mommy that had the cleanest house on the block. I've got days worth of dishes in the sink, at least a week's worth of laundry to do, months of dust stacked up in the living room; I could go on and on, but you get my drift. My kids will look back and remember a mommy that held them and rocked them and covered them with kisses, a mommy that played with them and read stories to them and loved them more than life itself.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
rewind: the happiest day of my life
I have so much to write about, but before I can talk about what's happening presently I first have to get caught up a bit. So here goes - a recollection of the single happiest day of my life...
Ok, step into my time machine, and let's all travel back to Tuesday, June 28. I was 33 weeks pregnant and here's what I was looking like just prior to my weekly ob appointment:
My blood pressure was high, but if you remember that's why I was hospitalized for a week in early June. We were on bought time and hoping to keep the babies inside until 32 weeks, which we accomplished. Since my bp was elevated and didn't come down when I laid on the exam room table for a bit, I was sent (with Jamie of course) back to Christ Hospital "to be monitored". We had everything we needed in my bags. We made our phone calls and I kissed Greta bye, knowing I wouldn't come home until the babies arrived. I was instructed not to eat anything in case we had to do an emergency c-section.
I was admitted and the babies were kept on monitors 24/7. They were still looking fabulous, but I was dancing around with many borderline levels associated with pre-eclampsia. We were taking it day by day. I pleaded my case to my obs to keep the babies in as long as possible, as long as it was safe for them and for me. On Friday, July 1, my ob planned the section for Tuesday, July 5, unless something happened sooner that required immediate action. This put my babies at exactly 34 weeks gestation. I was happy with this!
I was first on the docket for surgery July 5. We jam.packed. the waiting room! My mom, dad, Nick, Brooke, Jamie's mom and dad, brother, 2 sisters, my aunt, and my grandpa were all there. My babies were going to be welcomed into this world with love beyond measure. Here we are about an hour before my babies entered the world:
Jamie put scrubs on over his new dad shirt. I walked to the OR with my nurse and was given a numbing shot in my back, then a spinal. It was so overwhelming. There were so many people standing by- including 2 NICU teams, one for each baby. My bp was off the charts, but my wonderful ob told everyone to ignore it. He knows me well enough to know what was normal and how I respond to stress. I laid on the table and they put up a blue sheet so I couldn't see anything from my chest down. Once I was numb, Dr. Flosi started working his magic; when things got going, they brought in Jamie. I can't tell you how incredible my ob is... since we were going to be surprised, he let Jamie peek over the curtain to see the babies as they were born and *announce* if they were boys or girls! I felt pressure and tugging and pulling, but no real pain. Then Dr. Flosi told Jamie to have a look. We were both already crying, but he stood up, took a quick peek, sat back down by me and said "It's a girl!" A nurse announced her birth time of 8:34 am, and Flosi kept working. More tugging, a bit harder pulling and pressure this time, Jamie was given the go ahead to peek, and when he sat back down, crying and smiling he told me "It's a boy!" The nurse announce 8:35 am as his time of birth. To my right I could see loads of people hustling about taking care of my daughter and my son. I cried.
Gabriella Margaret weighed 4 pounds 4 ounces and was 17 inches long. She was actually my very active baby B, but was positioned transverse and therefore the first actual baby out. Benjamin Ryan weighed 5 pounds 7 ounces and was 18.5 inches long. My quiet, calm baby A, already a gentleman to let his sister go first.
Gabriella's nurse brought her over for me to see and give kisses to before she was whisked away to the NICU. She was beautiful and perfect and peaceful.
Benjamin's nurse followed closely behind with him. I kissed his sweet little face, too, before he left for the NICU. He was just as perfect and oh, so handsome.
They finished up on me, Jamie went to tell the fan club who the newest members of our family were, and I was off to recovery. Jamie, one by one, scrubbed in with each of our family members so they could meet Gabriella and Benjamin. After about an hour in recovery, on my way to my actual room, my bed was wheeled in to the NICU. The babies were directly across from each other. Later that night I got to go back in my wheelchair and visit. It was then that I got to hold Gabriella for the first time. I had to wait 11 days before I could hold my Benjamin, but we were able to hold his hands and touch him (most of the time).
We are beyond blessed with two amazing babies. My sweet little angels that I cried and prayed and begged for for years were finally here. It was a long road to get them, and the journey has continued with unexpected twists and turns so far. Some days it seems like they were just born- I remember every detail so clearly. But other days, it seems like they have been part of our lives for so long- they just fit right in and complete our family so perfectly.
Gabriella was in the NICU for 14 days. She had low billirubin levels and was on the phototherapy lights for much of the time. She also had feeding issues- suck, swallow, breathe is a tough concept! She was discharged on July 19th.
Benjamin was in the NICU for 31 days; exactly 1 month. We were ABO bloodtype incompatible and his red count was low, so he needed more plateletts the day after birth. Breathing was very hard for him. He was on CPAP, but needed to be intubated and put on a ventilator. He was intubated for 11 days, came off for almost a day, but then was re-intubated for 6 more. Apparently premature white boys have the worst time when it comes to respiratory issues. In addition to preemie lungs, he had pneumonia, pulmonary hypertension, an open PDA valve, and a slight heart murmur (from open PDA). He was discharged on August 5th and came home with oxygen and an apnea monitor, which we still have.
On August 5th, Gabriella came with to the hospital to bring Benjamin home. We needed two cars because I had to sit in the backseat with Benjamin, and let's face it...in a four door car with two rear facing car seats, this girl could not sit in the middle of them (I'd like to meet the person that could, by the way). My dad, Benjamin, and I were in one car. My mom, Gabriella, and Jamie were in another car. Both babies had their beautiful newborn photos taken that day at the hospital. We were able to take Benjamin's oxygen off very briefly for the photos.
Ok, step into my time machine, and let's all travel back to Tuesday, June 28. I was 33 weeks pregnant and here's what I was looking like just prior to my weekly ob appointment:
 |
| 33 week tummy shot |
My blood pressure was high, but if you remember that's why I was hospitalized for a week in early June. We were on bought time and hoping to keep the babies inside until 32 weeks, which we accomplished. Since my bp was elevated and didn't come down when I laid on the exam room table for a bit, I was sent (with Jamie of course) back to Christ Hospital "to be monitored". We had everything we needed in my bags. We made our phone calls and I kissed Greta bye, knowing I wouldn't come home until the babies arrived. I was instructed not to eat anything in case we had to do an emergency c-section.
I was admitted and the babies were kept on monitors 24/7. They were still looking fabulous, but I was dancing around with many borderline levels associated with pre-eclampsia. We were taking it day by day. I pleaded my case to my obs to keep the babies in as long as possible, as long as it was safe for them and for me. On Friday, July 1, my ob planned the section for Tuesday, July 5, unless something happened sooner that required immediate action. This put my babies at exactly 34 weeks gestation. I was happy with this!
I was first on the docket for surgery July 5. We jam.packed. the waiting room! My mom, dad, Nick, Brooke, Jamie's mom and dad, brother, 2 sisters, my aunt, and my grandpa were all there. My babies were going to be welcomed into this world with love beyond measure. Here we are about an hour before my babies entered the world:
 |
| 34 week tummy shot about 1 hour before my babies made their grand entrance |
 |
| Jamie was almost as nervous as I was, but beaming in his shirt! about an hour before he met his playmates |
Jamie put scrubs on over his new dad shirt. I walked to the OR with my nurse and was given a numbing shot in my back, then a spinal. It was so overwhelming. There were so many people standing by- including 2 NICU teams, one for each baby. My bp was off the charts, but my wonderful ob told everyone to ignore it. He knows me well enough to know what was normal and how I respond to stress. I laid on the table and they put up a blue sheet so I couldn't see anything from my chest down. Once I was numb, Dr. Flosi started working his magic; when things got going, they brought in Jamie. I can't tell you how incredible my ob is... since we were going to be surprised, he let Jamie peek over the curtain to see the babies as they were born and *announce* if they were boys or girls! I felt pressure and tugging and pulling, but no real pain. Then Dr. Flosi told Jamie to have a look. We were both already crying, but he stood up, took a quick peek, sat back down by me and said "It's a girl!" A nurse announced her birth time of 8:34 am, and Flosi kept working. More tugging, a bit harder pulling and pressure this time, Jamie was given the go ahead to peek, and when he sat back down, crying and smiling he told me "It's a boy!" The nurse announce 8:35 am as his time of birth. To my right I could see loads of people hustling about taking care of my daughter and my son. I cried.
Gabriella Margaret weighed 4 pounds 4 ounces and was 17 inches long. She was actually my very active baby B, but was positioned transverse and therefore the first actual baby out. Benjamin Ryan weighed 5 pounds 7 ounces and was 18.5 inches long. My quiet, calm baby A, already a gentleman to let his sister go first.
Gabriella's nurse brought her over for me to see and give kisses to before she was whisked away to the NICU. She was beautiful and perfect and peaceful.
 |
| Gabriella Margaret |
Benjamin's nurse followed closely behind with him. I kissed his sweet little face, too, before he left for the NICU. He was just as perfect and oh, so handsome.
 |
| Benjamin Ryan |
They finished up on me, Jamie went to tell the fan club who the newest members of our family were, and I was off to recovery. Jamie, one by one, scrubbed in with each of our family members so they could meet Gabriella and Benjamin. After about an hour in recovery, on my way to my actual room, my bed was wheeled in to the NICU. The babies were directly across from each other. Later that night I got to go back in my wheelchair and visit. It was then that I got to hold Gabriella for the first time. I had to wait 11 days before I could hold my Benjamin, but we were able to hold his hands and touch him (most of the time).
We are beyond blessed with two amazing babies. My sweet little angels that I cried and prayed and begged for for years were finally here. It was a long road to get them, and the journey has continued with unexpected twists and turns so far. Some days it seems like they were just born- I remember every detail so clearly. But other days, it seems like they have been part of our lives for so long- they just fit right in and complete our family so perfectly.
Gabriella was in the NICU for 14 days. She had low billirubin levels and was on the phototherapy lights for much of the time. She also had feeding issues- suck, swallow, breathe is a tough concept! She was discharged on July 19th.
Benjamin was in the NICU for 31 days; exactly 1 month. We were ABO bloodtype incompatible and his red count was low, so he needed more plateletts the day after birth. Breathing was very hard for him. He was on CPAP, but needed to be intubated and put on a ventilator. He was intubated for 11 days, came off for almost a day, but then was re-intubated for 6 more. Apparently premature white boys have the worst time when it comes to respiratory issues. In addition to preemie lungs, he had pneumonia, pulmonary hypertension, an open PDA valve, and a slight heart murmur (from open PDA). He was discharged on August 5th and came home with oxygen and an apnea monitor, which we still have.
On August 5th, Gabriella came with to the hospital to bring Benjamin home. We needed two cars because I had to sit in the backseat with Benjamin, and let's face it...in a four door car with two rear facing car seats, this girl could not sit in the middle of them (I'd like to meet the person that could, by the way). My dad, Benjamin, and I were in one car. My mom, Gabriella, and Jamie were in another car. Both babies had their beautiful newborn photos taken that day at the hospital. We were able to take Benjamin's oxygen off very briefly for the photos.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
I'm a mommy!
Gabriella Margaret and Benjamin Ryan were born at 34 weeks, via c section on July 5! Yup, a perfect little girl and boy, born one minute apart. They are amazing and instantly became my whole world. I was hospitalized at my 33 week ob appointment, but we bought an extra week of development before my angels joined our family.
I have so much to write about, but if I'm being honest, it'll probably never get blogged about. Gabriella spent 14 days in the nicu, an Benjamin is still there (26 days today). He was supposed to be discharged today, but he started desatting (again) so we'll see what tomorrow holds.
I have so much to write about, but if I'm being honest, it'll probably never get blogged about. Gabriella spent 14 days in the nicu, an Benjamin is still there (26 days today). He was supposed to be discharged today, but he started desatting (again) so we'll see what tomorrow holds.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
32 week celebration!
We have made it to 32 weeks! I will be having Oreo pie from Baker's Square to celebrate!!!
I got the results of my 24 hour collection from Sunday, and the protein level went down again. I'm currently at 280, which is back in normal limits (<300). My bp is ok, although when I look at my notebook, since Thursday each day it's crept up a bit. Thursday we had 4 top number readings in the 120s, 1 in the 130s, and 1 in the 140s. Today I've had 2 in the 130s and 2 in the 140s so far. Clearly, there's a slight trend, but I showed my ob my book, he made copies of my pages, and didn't seem too concerned at this point. Each day that the babies are inside babies is a blessing. While I am certainly taking it one day at a time and am thankful for each day, I want a bigger goal to aim for, not just "get through tonight". That being said, it has been repeated to me numerous times that for each day the babies stay in, it's about 3 less days in the nicu. So, I figure on the conservative side, 3 days in is about 1 week less in the nicu, and while I want to make it through tonight, then tomorrow, then Thursday, and so on... I'll be doing a happy dance every 3 days. I've got my sight set on Friday (32w3d).
Despite having a growth ultrasound last Monday in the hospital, our regularly scheduled one is for Thursday, after my nst and bpp. I'm so excited to see how much my SnuggleBugs will have grown in 10 days. Baby A was 3lbs13oz and B was 3lbs7oz. Baby A should certainly be over 4 pounds by then, and I'm hopeful that B is closing in on the 4 pound mark.
I got the results of my 24 hour collection from Sunday, and the protein level went down again. I'm currently at 280, which is back in normal limits (<300). My bp is ok, although when I look at my notebook, since Thursday each day it's crept up a bit. Thursday we had 4 top number readings in the 120s, 1 in the 130s, and 1 in the 140s. Today I've had 2 in the 130s and 2 in the 140s so far. Clearly, there's a slight trend, but I showed my ob my book, he made copies of my pages, and didn't seem too concerned at this point. Each day that the babies are inside babies is a blessing. While I am certainly taking it one day at a time and am thankful for each day, I want a bigger goal to aim for, not just "get through tonight". That being said, it has been repeated to me numerous times that for each day the babies stay in, it's about 3 less days in the nicu. So, I figure on the conservative side, 3 days in is about 1 week less in the nicu, and while I want to make it through tonight, then tomorrow, then Thursday, and so on... I'll be doing a happy dance every 3 days. I've got my sight set on Friday (32w3d).
Despite having a growth ultrasound last Monday in the hospital, our regularly scheduled one is for Thursday, after my nst and bpp. I'm so excited to see how much my SnuggleBugs will have grown in 10 days. Baby A was 3lbs13oz and B was 3lbs7oz. Baby A should certainly be over 4 pounds by then, and I'm hopeful that B is closing in on the 4 pound mark.
Friday, June 17, 2011
6 nights in lock up
Where do I begin?
I'm going to try my best to give the Cliff Notes version of my last week. I may go back and add details later, but a week's worth of life is hard to completely relive.
Rewind to last Thursday, June 9. At my nst and bpp, everything was going along fine, until they took my blood pressure. It was up pretty high. (might I add that it was elevated a bit at Monday's appt and at my md appt on Tues?) We waited a bit and rechecked. Still up. The MFM got a hold of my OB and decided I should go to the hospital to have labs done and be monitored. I cried. I went home to meet up with Jamie and grab jammies and a few things "just in case". I left it all in the car, though, as I didn't want to give them any ideas!
The babies continued to look great on the monitor, but my bp was climbing so they gave me a 100mg dose of Labetalol (I was currently taking 100mg in the morning and 100mg at night). They drew blood, and we waited. The labs came back normal. My bp wouldn't budge though. They told be I could get dressed and go home around 8:30pm, so I got dressed and waited. And waited. And when the resident came in she informed us that I was going to be given betamethosone (a 2 round steroid shot to help speed up the babies' lung development). The second shot would have to be given at the same time on Friday night. I sort of sheepishly said, "No problem, I'll come back for the second one tomorrow night," as I smiled at her. Oh, no, no. I was being admitted because of my blood pressure. They gave me yet another 100mg of Labetalol. Jamie called our families and then went to get food for me. I got the shot in my arm, and lemme tell ya- it hurt like hell. It was a 22 gauge intramuscular deal, and you'd think that a girl who underwent 2 ivfs and a total of 5 transfers would be an old pro with shots, but that wasn't quite the case. It hurt and it burned long after it was administered. But with the 'roids now in my system, perhaps we'll have some sort of SUPER BABIES! =)
So, I was admitted on Thursday night and didn't get discharged until Wednesday afternoon. I did a 24 hour urine collection to check for protein on Friday, which came back at 302. Below 300 is normal. 300-5,000 is abnormal. Above 5,000 is severe and dangerous. I repeated the collection on Sunday, and the protein went up to 336. They were looking for a trend to see how quickly it was accelerating. My ob wanted a repeat on Tuesday. When I got the results on Wednesday, that was one of the deciding factors that I could go home, it dropped to 305. I cried every single day I was there. I had a lot of incredible nurses and only one crappy one who I demanded not be assigned to me again. I got so many mixed signals from residents and doctors it made my head spin. They explained to us how very important it would be to keep my little ones inside until 32 weeks (which is this upcoming Tuesday). Many of the complications with preemies drop a great deal at this gestational age. One of my obs said on Sunday that he was hoping I could keep them in for 1 maybe 2 more weeks before we'd have to get them out. Now that my bp is under control (thanks to 900mg of Labetalol!!! 300mg, 3x a day) and my protein appears to be ok (at least for right now) and I I have no swelling or pain, maybe, just maybe I can carry my babies a little bit closer to term.
On Saturday, we had gotten a tour of the nicu and were pointed out babies at different gestationsl ages because "it can be a bit alarming". Seeing the nicu was very reassuring, but it made me pretty sad to thin how long my babies *could/ might* be in there. But I know that that would be the very best place for them if being inside of me was no longer an option. I get it. It was just overwhelming and difficult to swallow.
Ok, so for now I'm at home. I have my list of IF __________, THEN YOU COME BACK. IF _______, CALL YOUR OB. I check my bp every few hours and it has held steady and been pretty good. I realize that the medicine is just masking the problem and buying us some time, but that's ok. I was also told not to panic if I end up having to come back, even if it's just for a night or two. I started repacking my bag so this time I'll be ready, and not ahve to give Jamie lists every single day of what I need. We're even throwing stuff for him inthe bag, because I'm hoping that the next time we go, in like 2 or 3 or 4 more weeks!!!, it'll be to have babies.
I know that there is so much more I want to share about my experience, but a lot of it is a blur in the aftermath. If anything else meaningful pops into my head, I'll add it as a separate, add on post, otherwise, this is the gist of it.
For every one day I can keep my SnuggleBugs inside, it's about 3 days less that they'll need in the nicu. So, here I am at 31w3d and going strong, just taking it one day at a time. While 32 weeks is a big milestone and goal for us, I'm already so much better off today than I was at this time last Friday. Each day is it's own goal that I'm thankful for and a celebration!
I'm going to try my best to give the Cliff Notes version of my last week. I may go back and add details later, but a week's worth of life is hard to completely relive.
Rewind to last Thursday, June 9. At my nst and bpp, everything was going along fine, until they took my blood pressure. It was up pretty high. (might I add that it was elevated a bit at Monday's appt and at my md appt on Tues?) We waited a bit and rechecked. Still up. The MFM got a hold of my OB and decided I should go to the hospital to have labs done and be monitored. I cried. I went home to meet up with Jamie and grab jammies and a few things "just in case". I left it all in the car, though, as I didn't want to give them any ideas!
The babies continued to look great on the monitor, but my bp was climbing so they gave me a 100mg dose of Labetalol (I was currently taking 100mg in the morning and 100mg at night). They drew blood, and we waited. The labs came back normal. My bp wouldn't budge though. They told be I could get dressed and go home around 8:30pm, so I got dressed and waited. And waited. And when the resident came in she informed us that I was going to be given betamethosone (a 2 round steroid shot to help speed up the babies' lung development). The second shot would have to be given at the same time on Friday night. I sort of sheepishly said, "No problem, I'll come back for the second one tomorrow night," as I smiled at her. Oh, no, no. I was being admitted because of my blood pressure. They gave me yet another 100mg of Labetalol. Jamie called our families and then went to get food for me. I got the shot in my arm, and lemme tell ya- it hurt like hell. It was a 22 gauge intramuscular deal, and you'd think that a girl who underwent 2 ivfs and a total of 5 transfers would be an old pro with shots, but that wasn't quite the case. It hurt and it burned long after it was administered. But with the 'roids now in my system, perhaps we'll have some sort of SUPER BABIES! =)
So, I was admitted on Thursday night and didn't get discharged until Wednesday afternoon. I did a 24 hour urine collection to check for protein on Friday, which came back at 302. Below 300 is normal. 300-5,000 is abnormal. Above 5,000 is severe and dangerous. I repeated the collection on Sunday, and the protein went up to 336. They were looking for a trend to see how quickly it was accelerating. My ob wanted a repeat on Tuesday. When I got the results on Wednesday, that was one of the deciding factors that I could go home, it dropped to 305. I cried every single day I was there. I had a lot of incredible nurses and only one crappy one who I demanded not be assigned to me again. I got so many mixed signals from residents and doctors it made my head spin. They explained to us how very important it would be to keep my little ones inside until 32 weeks (which is this upcoming Tuesday). Many of the complications with preemies drop a great deal at this gestational age. One of my obs said on Sunday that he was hoping I could keep them in for 1 maybe 2 more weeks before we'd have to get them out. Now that my bp is under control (thanks to 900mg of Labetalol!!! 300mg, 3x a day) and my protein appears to be ok (at least for right now) and I I have no swelling or pain, maybe, just maybe I can carry my babies a little bit closer to term.
On Saturday, we had gotten a tour of the nicu and were pointed out babies at different gestationsl ages because "it can be a bit alarming". Seeing the nicu was very reassuring, but it made me pretty sad to thin how long my babies *could/ might* be in there. But I know that that would be the very best place for them if being inside of me was no longer an option. I get it. It was just overwhelming and difficult to swallow.
Ok, so for now I'm at home. I have my list of IF __________, THEN YOU COME BACK. IF _______, CALL YOUR OB. I check my bp every few hours and it has held steady and been pretty good. I realize that the medicine is just masking the problem and buying us some time, but that's ok. I was also told not to panic if I end up having to come back, even if it's just for a night or two. I started repacking my bag so this time I'll be ready, and not ahve to give Jamie lists every single day of what I need. We're even throwing stuff for him inthe bag, because I'm hoping that the next time we go, in like 2 or 3 or 4 more weeks!!!, it'll be to have babies.
I know that there is so much more I want to share about my experience, but a lot of it is a blur in the aftermath. If anything else meaningful pops into my head, I'll add it as a separate, add on post, otherwise, this is the gist of it.
For every one day I can keep my SnuggleBugs inside, it's about 3 days less that they'll need in the nicu. So, here I am at 31w3d and going strong, just taking it one day at a time. While 32 weeks is a big milestone and goal for us, I'm already so much better off today than I was at this time last Friday. Each day is it's own goal that I'm thankful for and a celebration!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
tummy shot: 29w2d
A new tummy shot has been a long time coming, so here we are:
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How far along? 29 weeks and 2 days
Weight gain: 13 pounds- I somehow lost a pound at the ob office from my 27 week appointment
Weight gain: 13 pounds- I somehow lost a pound at the ob office from my 27 week appointment
Maternity clothes? all the time
Stretch marks? I think there might be the beginning of a small one...
Sleep? Umm, not so much. About 45-60 minutes at a time each night, sometimes just waking up for 19 pee breaks, other times I'll be up anywhere from 1-2 hours a couple of times
Belly button in or out? still in, but it's more shallow and maybe smaller than before
Movement? Oh yeah, all of the time. Especially at night, when I'm hungry, or about 20 minutes after ice cream or a slushy
Cravings? slushies/slurpees - blue is the best!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
1st load of baby laundry
My baby shower is one week from today! It's a combined event with my side and Jamie's, and I have to admit that I'm guilty of peeking at my registries. I am already taken aback by how generous people have been. I've had to add stuff twice to Babies R Us; it had been whittled down both times to the expensive Britax carseats for when the babies are bigger, a four pack of hats, and gift cards. The Buy Buy Baby registry is also getting down to the wire- double stroller, matresses, and a bunch of smaller stuff.
All of that being said, since Jamie had to work OT yesterday it struck me that I should maybe make some order out of the baby things we already have. I sat on the floor for close to two hours and clipped oodles of tags and little plastic connectors off of jammies, onesies, hooded towels, washcloths, blankies, socks, hats, and bibs. Today we went to Sam's Club and bought 170 oz. of Dreft (for just over $24!!! I'm going to delete it from BBB's registry because they have 100 oz. for $22.) I washed my first load of baby clothes! =) They're drying now and the second load is going. Unlike all of the other laundry that needs to be caught up on, washing, drying, folding, and sorting baby things is a lot of fun (so far).
We are making progress inside the house, too. My goal has been to wash, dry, and put away two loads of laundry a day. In my meltdown post a few days ago I mentioned how backed up we were, and we've certainly made sizeable dent. There's still a lot to clean and organize around here, but in addition to everything I listed before, I'm now coming up with other things that seem really important- like condensing our two linen closets and giving the babies the smaller one for all of their towels, washcloths, extra wipes, back up soaps and lotions, etc. Maybe it's a bit of nesting? I realize in the big scheme of things, no one would notice an organized linen closet, but they would notice 8 piles of dirty clothes on the floor! I'm hopeful that betweentoday and part of tomorrow Jamie and I can get crackin' over here.
All of that being said, since Jamie had to work OT yesterday it struck me that I should maybe make some order out of the baby things we already have. I sat on the floor for close to two hours and clipped oodles of tags and little plastic connectors off of jammies, onesies, hooded towels, washcloths, blankies, socks, hats, and bibs. Today we went to Sam's Club and bought 170 oz. of Dreft (for just over $24!!! I'm going to delete it from BBB's registry because they have 100 oz. for $22.) I washed my first load of baby clothes! =) They're drying now and the second load is going. Unlike all of the other laundry that needs to be caught up on, washing, drying, folding, and sorting baby things is a lot of fun (so far).
We are making progress inside the house, too. My goal has been to wash, dry, and put away two loads of laundry a day. In my meltdown post a few days ago I mentioned how backed up we were, and we've certainly made sizeable dent. There's still a lot to clean and organize around here, but in addition to everything I listed before, I'm now coming up with other things that seem really important- like condensing our two linen closets and giving the babies the smaller one for all of their towels, washcloths, extra wipes, back up soaps and lotions, etc. Maybe it's a bit of nesting? I realize in the big scheme of things, no one would notice an organized linen closet, but they would notice 8 piles of dirty clothes on the floor! I'm hopeful that betweentoday and part of tomorrow Jamie and I can get crackin' over here.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
28 week ultrasound
The bad news first is that my babies are getting too big to get pictures of anymore. The tech tried and tried, but they were both breach and it just wasn't happening. She said it best when she said "it looks like a doll factory in there." Just bits and pieces and body parts all over- a leg here, two heads there, a couple of arms over here... Oh well, they're doing great and we got to see them so that's all that matters.
And some good news! Baby A went from 1 pound 6 ounces (at 24 weeks) to a whopping 2 pounds 9 ounces today. Baby B went from 1 pound 6 ounces (24 weeks) to 2 pounds 6 ounces today. =) My babies are doing awesome. In a maximum of 9 weeks from today, I'll have outside babies! That's only another 63 days at the most! Crazy. They need to stay in for as long as possible, but I can't wait to meet them. (Once we get the house in order, of course.) =)
We have settled on a couple of boy names: Benjamin Ryan and Nathan James. All we have for girls so far is the first name Gabriella and probably Margaret for a middle name (that's my mom's name). I don't know if those two names would go together or not. Jamie and I need to get the girl situation figured out soon, though.
And some good news! Baby A went from 1 pound 6 ounces (at 24 weeks) to a whopping 2 pounds 9 ounces today. Baby B went from 1 pound 6 ounces (24 weeks) to 2 pounds 6 ounces today. =) My babies are doing awesome. In a maximum of 9 weeks from today, I'll have outside babies! That's only another 63 days at the most! Crazy. They need to stay in for as long as possible, but I can't wait to meet them. (Once we get the house in order, of course.) =)
We have settled on a couple of boy names: Benjamin Ryan and Nathan James. All we have for girls so far is the first name Gabriella and probably Margaret for a middle name (that's my mom's name). I don't know if those two names would go together or not. Jamie and I need to get the girl situation figured out soon, though.
Monday, May 23, 2011
bleh
I'm having *a day*. Nothing has gone wrong; I think life in general is just catching up with me or hitting me hard for some reason. If I had to pick one word to describe myself right now it would probably be overwhelmed. Jamie has been working weird, stupid, long hours lately, like 5pm-5am, 3-11 and turning around to do 7-3. Normally he works 7-3 Mon-Fri, so this is a big change. For the last month I've been bored and lonely during the day, but at least he'd be around evenings and weekends. This just blows, but it's great money that he can't turn down. Especially considering I will not be working next school year and we'll have 2 more little people around here that will need things that cost money. And we still are taking our baby Greta for cancer treatments.
My morning started off with one such appointment for her. My mom took the day off of school to go with me. That's when I started getting emotional- I have and will continue to do everything I can to make Greta comfortable and try to slow down her cancer. That has never been questioned! But I guess I just wish this wasn't how I spent my day or our money. I wish this never happened to her, and that's the bottom line. All I have to do is chauffer her around and swipe my credit card. She's the poor soul that has to endure treatment after treatment, and she just doesn't deserve it. In 3 weeks, at her next round of chemo, they'll do a chest x-ray to see if it has spread to her lungs. I'm terrified for that appointment. If the xray is still clear, then we'll finish out the last 3 rounds of chemo. If it has gotten to my baby's lungs, well... we'll need a new plan depending on how advanced it is.
In addition to Greta's appointment, I had another non-stress test (nst) today. It should be relatively easy and quick (maybe 30 minutes or so), but nothing is ever easy for me. We did an ultrasound right away to spot the babies' hearts, which should have made things a million times easier to place the monitors. Baby A is never an issue; it's just my silly Baby B who cannot hold still. The tech tried and tried and tried to get Baby B to stay on the monitor to no avail. After about 15 minutes she took me off the monitors and we did an second ultrasound to see where in the world that baby's heart was. Once we finally got it figured out, I had to, once again, push down hard at a tricky, uncomfortable angle to try to keep the monitor in the right spot. Ultimately, the whole appointment took about an hour.
My house is a flipping mess. There's no excuse for the current condition of things here. And I wish I could say that it was just a room or two, but it's not. It's the kitchen, our bedroom, our bathroom, and computer room. Just thinking about the disaster in each of those rooms makes my head hurt. In the kitchen, it's not just dishes in the sink. It's dishes, crap on the counter, more crap piled on the kitchen table, the floor, my fridge is gross, the pantry is a wreck... I think the master bedroom and bathroom are the worst of all. I'm seriously not even going to itemize everything that needs to be done in those rooms, but it's overwhelming to say the least. We probably have 10-12 loads of dirty laundry piled all over those rooms. There's simply no excuse.
I got a facebook message from the lady I used to babysit for while I was growing up. Two of the kids are in college now and the third is a junior in high school. We still keep in touch, and they actually live about 4 blocks away from us, even though they moved off my parents' block about 15 years ago. We just so happened to build in the same subdivision. Anyways, they want to bring over dinner for me and Jamie next week. I just don't want company. It could be my current mood, or the current condition of my house, but I'm just not feeling it right now. But OMG, how ungrateful can I be??? I can't turn her down. What would I even say?
I couldn't get the stupid hose connected to the spigot on the house to water my flowers and plants. Jamie hooked it up, but didn't do a very good job because more water is shooting out from the connection than is coming out of the nozzle. I asked him to please fix it, but that didn't happen today. And I can't blame him; work is nutso and he needs rest. We've got yew bushes lining the fence, and they keep dying. We've talked to the landscaping company, brought them in samples, paid to have the bushes (like 20 of them) dug up, had better drainage put down, and replanted, and here we go again. They die in pairs, and right now we are down 6 already this spring. I don't have money to drop on more G-d yews at 30 bucks a piece. Especially not when we don't know that the frickin problem is.
I have to get going on report cards for school. I need to make sure my sub has things under control for next Tuesday, which is records day (aka paperwork all day). I hope she doesn't need me up there. I can go up for a bit in the morning, but I have yet another appointment next Tuesday in the afternoon. Every week I have 3-4 appointments, and I know that might even increase.
I'm just worn out and overwhelmed with life. It feels like all I do is run around. While I'm not on bedrest, more house arrest, I think I'm just trying to do too much. Factor in my lack of sleep, and this current state is all I'm left with. I can't even imagine how I'd feel if I was still working.
Here's hoping that writing it all down serves some sort of theraputic purpose, and I can snap out of this mood.
My morning started off with one such appointment for her. My mom took the day off of school to go with me. That's when I started getting emotional- I have and will continue to do everything I can to make Greta comfortable and try to slow down her cancer. That has never been questioned! But I guess I just wish this wasn't how I spent my day or our money. I wish this never happened to her, and that's the bottom line. All I have to do is chauffer her around and swipe my credit card. She's the poor soul that has to endure treatment after treatment, and she just doesn't deserve it. In 3 weeks, at her next round of chemo, they'll do a chest x-ray to see if it has spread to her lungs. I'm terrified for that appointment. If the xray is still clear, then we'll finish out the last 3 rounds of chemo. If it has gotten to my baby's lungs, well... we'll need a new plan depending on how advanced it is.
In addition to Greta's appointment, I had another non-stress test (nst) today. It should be relatively easy and quick (maybe 30 minutes or so), but nothing is ever easy for me. We did an ultrasound right away to spot the babies' hearts, which should have made things a million times easier to place the monitors. Baby A is never an issue; it's just my silly Baby B who cannot hold still. The tech tried and tried and tried to get Baby B to stay on the monitor to no avail. After about 15 minutes she took me off the monitors and we did an second ultrasound to see where in the world that baby's heart was. Once we finally got it figured out, I had to, once again, push down hard at a tricky, uncomfortable angle to try to keep the monitor in the right spot. Ultimately, the whole appointment took about an hour.
My house is a flipping mess. There's no excuse for the current condition of things here. And I wish I could say that it was just a room or two, but it's not. It's the kitchen, our bedroom, our bathroom, and computer room. Just thinking about the disaster in each of those rooms makes my head hurt. In the kitchen, it's not just dishes in the sink. It's dishes, crap on the counter, more crap piled on the kitchen table, the floor, my fridge is gross, the pantry is a wreck... I think the master bedroom and bathroom are the worst of all. I'm seriously not even going to itemize everything that needs to be done in those rooms, but it's overwhelming to say the least. We probably have 10-12 loads of dirty laundry piled all over those rooms. There's simply no excuse.
I got a facebook message from the lady I used to babysit for while I was growing up. Two of the kids are in college now and the third is a junior in high school. We still keep in touch, and they actually live about 4 blocks away from us, even though they moved off my parents' block about 15 years ago. We just so happened to build in the same subdivision. Anyways, they want to bring over dinner for me and Jamie next week. I just don't want company. It could be my current mood, or the current condition of my house, but I'm just not feeling it right now. But OMG, how ungrateful can I be??? I can't turn her down. What would I even say?
I couldn't get the stupid hose connected to the spigot on the house to water my flowers and plants. Jamie hooked it up, but didn't do a very good job because more water is shooting out from the connection than is coming out of the nozzle. I asked him to please fix it, but that didn't happen today. And I can't blame him; work is nutso and he needs rest. We've got yew bushes lining the fence, and they keep dying. We've talked to the landscaping company, brought them in samples, paid to have the bushes (like 20 of them) dug up, had better drainage put down, and replanted, and here we go again. They die in pairs, and right now we are down 6 already this spring. I don't have money to drop on more G-d yews at 30 bucks a piece. Especially not when we don't know that the frickin problem is.
I have to get going on report cards for school. I need to make sure my sub has things under control for next Tuesday, which is records day (aka paperwork all day). I hope she doesn't need me up there. I can go up for a bit in the morning, but I have yet another appointment next Tuesday in the afternoon. Every week I have 3-4 appointments, and I know that might even increase.
I'm just worn out and overwhelmed with life. It feels like all I do is run around. While I'm not on bedrest, more house arrest, I think I'm just trying to do too much. Factor in my lack of sleep, and this current state is all I'm left with. I can't even imagine how I'd feel if I was still working.
Here's hoping that writing it all down serves some sort of theraputic purpose, and I can snap out of this mood.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
appointments this week
I've been a bit lazy with this lately. Here's what's been happening:
Monday- I had my first non-stress test. I basically just sat in a recliner, and they put heartrate monitors on each of the babies. Basically, once they get a basline heartrate, with me just sitting there doing nothing (hence the non-stress), each baby has to raise its heartrate from baseline to an increase of (I think) 15-20 beats, hold it there for (maybe) 10-15 seconds, and then have it return to normal. This has to happen X amount of times in a certain time period to pass. Although Baby B is very, very elusive, we eventually got a good strong trace on each of the heartbeats and both babies passed. I go back tomorrow for another one and a biophysical ultrasound. Not too sure what that exactly means, but I'll be sure to write about it once I find out. Every Monday and Thursday until the babies arrive, this will be our routine.
Tuesday- I had another ob appointment. These are pretty uneventful, in my eyes. They check my weight, blood pressure, listen for hearbeats with the doppler (but they seldom tell me any numbers, we just listen), check my urine for protein, and then measure my tummy. Everything went well. I passed my glucose test from last week. My liver functions were better than ever. I am borderline anemic. Anything 10.5 or less is anemic, apparently, and I was 10.8. Just to play it safe, my ob is starting me on prescription iron supplements. They might cause constipation, so I have that to look forward to.
Other than that... not much to report.
Monday- I had my first non-stress test. I basically just sat in a recliner, and they put heartrate monitors on each of the babies. Basically, once they get a basline heartrate, with me just sitting there doing nothing (hence the non-stress), each baby has to raise its heartrate from baseline to an increase of (I think) 15-20 beats, hold it there for (maybe) 10-15 seconds, and then have it return to normal. This has to happen X amount of times in a certain time period to pass. Although Baby B is very, very elusive, we eventually got a good strong trace on each of the heartbeats and both babies passed. I go back tomorrow for another one and a biophysical ultrasound. Not too sure what that exactly means, but I'll be sure to write about it once I find out. Every Monday and Thursday until the babies arrive, this will be our routine.
Tuesday- I had another ob appointment. These are pretty uneventful, in my eyes. They check my weight, blood pressure, listen for hearbeats with the doppler (but they seldom tell me any numbers, we just listen), check my urine for protein, and then measure my tummy. Everything went well. I passed my glucose test from last week. My liver functions were better than ever. I am borderline anemic. Anything 10.5 or less is anemic, apparently, and I was 10.8. Just to play it safe, my ob is starting me on prescription iron supplements. They might cause constipation, so I have that to look forward to.
Other than that... not much to report.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
yesterday's field trip
Yesterday marked my second visit to the labor and delivery/ triage floor at the hospital. I had really bad cramps on Wednesday night. During the day on Thursday they pretty much went away, but I still had some lower back pain. Thursday night brought on more cramping, so Friday (yesterday) my ob decided that I should go be monitored for uterine contractions for a while.
Although I was up there for a few hours, luckily, it was an uneventful experience. I had no contractions while there. We found both babies' heartbeats right away, and the little ones were very active. My blood pressure was a bit elevated when I first got there (not a big shocker- I was going to the hospital!), but they kept the cuff on me and it was rechecked about every 10-15 minutes and came right down to normal.
Basically, they think the cramping is just a normal part of my pregnancy. It's pretty much low, front, and center, acting up more at night time when I'm lying down. I can use a heating pad on its lowest setting for cramps or backache, as needed. I can take Tylenol before bed to help with cramping. Rest. Drink water. The usual stuff. Everyone was so nice to me. They kept reassuring me to always call my doctor or just come up if something doesn't seem right to me. They'd rather see a patient a hundred times and have everything be perfectly fine than to have someone show up after the fact when there's a problem that may or may not be fixable upon arrival.
I had my first fetal fibronectin test. It was a bit more uncomfortable than a pap smear. The test checks for s certain protein that would be an indicator if labor is likely in the next two weeks. A negative result is about 90% certain that labor will not happen in the next few weeks. A positive result gives about a 50-50 chance of labor, it's not a given. My test came back negative, so even though there are still people on the wrong end of the 90%, I'm thrilled. My cervix was still long and closed. All in all, not how I planned on spending my day, but I got a lot of reassurances that everything is ok with my babies and my body.
Although I was up there for a few hours, luckily, it was an uneventful experience. I had no contractions while there. We found both babies' heartbeats right away, and the little ones were very active. My blood pressure was a bit elevated when I first got there (not a big shocker- I was going to the hospital!), but they kept the cuff on me and it was rechecked about every 10-15 minutes and came right down to normal.
Basically, they think the cramping is just a normal part of my pregnancy. It's pretty much low, front, and center, acting up more at night time when I'm lying down. I can use a heating pad on its lowest setting for cramps or backache, as needed. I can take Tylenol before bed to help with cramping. Rest. Drink water. The usual stuff. Everyone was so nice to me. They kept reassuring me to always call my doctor or just come up if something doesn't seem right to me. They'd rather see a patient a hundred times and have everything be perfectly fine than to have someone show up after the fact when there's a problem that may or may not be fixable upon arrival.
I had my first fetal fibronectin test. It was a bit more uncomfortable than a pap smear. The test checks for s certain protein that would be an indicator if labor is likely in the next two weeks. A negative result is about 90% certain that labor will not happen in the next few weeks. A positive result gives about a 50-50 chance of labor, it's not a given. My test came back negative, so even though there are still people on the wrong end of the 90%, I'm thrilled. My cervix was still long and closed. All in all, not how I planned on spending my day, but I got a lot of reassurances that everything is ok with my babies and my body.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
tummy shot: 25 weeks
How far along? 25 weeks
Weight gain: 10 pounds
Weight gain: 10 pounds
Maternity clothes? all the time
Stretch marks? nope, knockonwood
Sleep? I've been sick and unable to breath through my nose. Mouth breathing sucks so I've been pretty restless.
Belly button in or out? still an innie
Movement? All of the time. I can see them moving, too, although B is easier to see than A. Jamie has felt Baby B!
Cravings? nothing really
Friday, April 29, 2011
a whole lotta nothing
I've been sick since Sunday night (sinus congestion, pressure in my entire face and ears, low grade fever for three nights, sore throat- all around good times over here). I paged my ob Wednesday morning to see what he could offer me to gain some sort of relief. He prescribed me a zpack and ok'd me for sudafed and claritin. Not much else has been going on over here. I just have pretty much been laying around, drinking water, taking lots of baths and showers (not too hot though!) to loosen things up, and reading.
I did make a list today of things to do now that I'm a stay at home mommy-to-be. Once I feel better I'll get cracking on it, but here it is:
-work on Greta's scrapbook
-crochet my babies' afghan (the one I started long ago, mentioned here)
-work on my project for Brooke's new baby (it's been on hold for the last month while all of my energy went to Greta)
-clean (umm, yeah...)
-read
-hang out with Greta
-visit Dominick
-and of course, maybe give a bit more attention to my blog
I haven't taken a tummy shot in a few weeks. This week I just felt (and pretty much looked) like garbage, so I didn't feel the need to document it. I'll get back on track, though!
I did make a list today of things to do now that I'm a stay at home mommy-to-be. Once I feel better I'll get cracking on it, but here it is:
-work on Greta's scrapbook
-crochet my babies' afghan (the one I started long ago, mentioned here)
-work on my project for Brooke's new baby (it's been on hold for the last month while all of my energy went to Greta)
-clean (umm, yeah...)
-read
-hang out with Greta
-visit Dominick
-and of course, maybe give a bit more attention to my blog
I haven't taken a tummy shot in a few weeks. This week I just felt (and pretty much looked) like garbage, so I didn't feel the need to document it. I'll get back on track, though!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Guess what we saw...
Jamie and I both SAW Baby B MOVE in my tummy!!! After two visible thumps, Jamie put his hand on the baby and FELT movement for the first time. =) I've been trying and trying to get him to feel something for a while now, and our persistence has paid off. I am so, so happy!!! Now, I can have a new hobby- tummy watching. Seriously, it's the craziest thing to see a baby move inside. Baby A was also doing tricks, but based on location being lower down and tucked back further, that sweet little angel is going to have to get a bit stronger before Daddy can feel anything.
Friday, April 22, 2011
School's Out!
Yesterday was my last day of work! Today, technically, starts my spring break, but since my doctors do not want me working past 24 weeks (which is Tuesday) it's much more than spring break. As long as everything is going well with the babies, I'll be up at school for a half day to help with placements for next year and also at the end of May to do report cards and records. Of course I have to bring Jamie to schol to help me pack up my room and lug boxes at some point, but other than that I suppose I can say I'm now a stay at home mommy-to-be. It really hasn't sunk in yet, after all it's only day one, but just knowing that I don't have to work and can just rest and relax and grow healthy babies is a pretty great feeling.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
tummy shot: 22 weeks
How far along? 22 weeks
Weight gain: about 7 pounds
Weight gain: about 7 pounds
Maternity clothes? all the time
Stretch marks? still no
Sleep? Lately, it's hit or miss. Either I sleep like a rock or I'm tossing and turning and uncomfortable all night. A terrible night's sleep usually leads to total exhaustion the next night, aka sleeping like a rock.
Belly button in or out? still in, although the bottom portion seems to be pulled a little tighter
Movement? I feel both babies every day, but Baby B a bit more still. We're trying so hard to get Jamie to feel them, but no luck yet.
Cravings? Ehh, nothing right now.
Cravings? Ehh, nothing right now.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
tummy shot: 20 weeks
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How far along? 20 weeks
Weight gain: about 6 pounds
Weight gain: about 6 pounds
Maternity clothes? oh yeah- pants for a while now, shirts for the last 2 or 3 weeks
Stretch marks? knock on wood, no
Sleep? I get up a couple of times a night for pee breaks, but otherwise pretty good.
Belly button in or out? still in, although the bottom portion seems to be pulled a little tighter
Movement? yup, Baby B can be felt a little bit easier because of location, but I can feel them both almost every day now
Cravings? I've been on a big chocolate milk kick lately.
Cravings? I've been on a big chocolate milk kick lately.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
tummy shot: 18 weeks
At my ob appointment on Tuesday I was measuring 22 weeks. Both heartbeats were strong; they just used a doppler to hear them so I don't know how fast they were. I saw the other doctor in my practice and he informed me that Baby A has a low-lying placenta (basically, it's just that- low and close to my cervix). They are hopeful that as the weeks progress the placenta moves away from my cervix a bit, which I guess is somewhat normal. They'll keep an eye on it so placenta previa doesn't become an issue for me.
So here I am at 18 weeks:
So here I am at 18 weeks:
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