Until then, the twins at a week old headed out:
Thursday, June 28, 2012
One Week Old
We're all doing well! My goal is to update the blog today. I always wondered why people didn't update their blogs a lot after giving birth. My thought was that if I have time between feedings, blogging would be easy to do while hanging out. Turns out I dont even want to look at the computer! I havent read any of my favorite blogs either! But I do want to record these memories so I'm going to make myself do it today!
Until then, the twins at a week old headed out:
Until then, the twins at a week old headed out:
Monday, June 25, 2012
The First Night
I definitely have a lot of catching up to do but also want to continue blogging about what is going on in the present. We brought the babies home around 6pm on Sunday, June 24th. Once we arrived at home, chaos ensued. Our families had planned on us being home on Saturday and had all made travel arrangements to leave on Sunday. I still did not feel well leaving the hospital and rather than taking the sweet couple coming home with babies in front of the house pictures, Jay carried them up through the basement, we immediately put on sweats and went straight to feeding the babies and introducing them to the dogs. And then I cried and cried and called my mama and cried. The dogs kept barking at the babies and jumping on us (remember I just had a c section 4 days prior). The babies were crying, the dogs howling, it was just chaos. I was so weak still and all of the noise was driving me to tears.
I went into mama mode and Jay and I worked to get everything settled. We put babies to bed in their cribs (well actually, they shared Holden's) and heated up leftover Chinese. I still felt terrible physically, which lead to me being completely overwhelmed. My Dad called to check on us and I couldn't form a full sentence without crying. I'm blaming hormones. I called my mom and told her to come to Charlotte as soon as she could.
Eventually I got some Advil for my pain (trying not to take any narcotics now that im home and caring for the babies). I took a little nap and woke up in a better place. I went to the nursery and just held the babies and rocked them and cried and thanked God for these absolutely perfect little people He trusted us to care for. I cried because I am so blessed to be their mom and so blessed to have Jay as my husband and their father. I just feel so much love, it was overwhelming.
The rest of the night ran a little better. We fed them at 10:30. I pumped their night bottles and we went to sleep around 11:30. At 2:45 I noticed Jay coming back in the room and freaked. I thought that I had slept through the 1:00am feed. Turns out, Jay did sleep through it but the babies never woke up. He realized it and got up at 2:00am and fed them himself without waking me up. I realize what a sweet gesture it was but felt a ton of mom guilt for missing the first nighttime feed. I also was in a ton of pain and took more meds and cried a little while I had Jay tell me every detail from the state of their diapers to how many milliliters they ate. Eventually after a late night pound cake snack I made it back to sleep.
At 5:45 I woke up to crying baby on the monitor and again freaked out because they were supposed to be fed at 4am. I ran in the nursery because I figured someone was dead (terrible I know but a very real fear of mine... And now I'm realizing they obviously wouldn't be crying if they were dead. I digress.). I asked Jay if he did the 4am
feed and he had totally slept through it. I got over the guilt and we went to town changing diapers and feeding babies. Are we going to win parents of the year? Doubtful. Were our babies going to be ok? Definitely. Do I need to ease up a bit? Yes. We are both sleep deprived and doing the best we can. As we sat and fed babies we remembered how the nursery nurses even told us that the babies often we 4 hours between feeds and they were ok. I'm confident that this is a learning process with a steep curve but we will be just fine.
I am so thankful for a husband that is so helpful. Thankful that after we fed the babies he sat with my while I pumped rather than going to bed (not to brag but he also cleans all the parts for me!) I have a renewed sense that I can do this (being a mom) and do it well. So thankful we made it through our first night.
I went into mama mode and Jay and I worked to get everything settled. We put babies to bed in their cribs (well actually, they shared Holden's) and heated up leftover Chinese. I still felt terrible physically, which lead to me being completely overwhelmed. My Dad called to check on us and I couldn't form a full sentence without crying. I'm blaming hormones. I called my mom and told her to come to Charlotte as soon as she could.
Eventually I got some Advil for my pain (trying not to take any narcotics now that im home and caring for the babies). I took a little nap and woke up in a better place. I went to the nursery and just held the babies and rocked them and cried and thanked God for these absolutely perfect little people He trusted us to care for. I cried because I am so blessed to be their mom and so blessed to have Jay as my husband and their father. I just feel so much love, it was overwhelming.
The rest of the night ran a little better. We fed them at 10:30. I pumped their night bottles and we went to sleep around 11:30. At 2:45 I noticed Jay coming back in the room and freaked. I thought that I had slept through the 1:00am feed. Turns out, Jay did sleep through it but the babies never woke up. He realized it and got up at 2:00am and fed them himself without waking me up. I realize what a sweet gesture it was but felt a ton of mom guilt for missing the first nighttime feed. I also was in a ton of pain and took more meds and cried a little while I had Jay tell me every detail from the state of their diapers to how many milliliters they ate. Eventually after a late night pound cake snack I made it back to sleep.
At 5:45 I woke up to crying baby on the monitor and again freaked out because they were supposed to be fed at 4am. I ran in the nursery because I figured someone was dead (terrible I know but a very real fear of mine... And now I'm realizing they obviously wouldn't be crying if they were dead. I digress.). I asked Jay if he did the 4am
feed and he had totally slept through it. I got over the guilt and we went to town changing diapers and feeding babies. Are we going to win parents of the year? Doubtful. Were our babies going to be ok? Definitely. Do I need to ease up a bit? Yes. We are both sleep deprived and doing the best we can. As we sat and fed babies we remembered how the nursery nurses even told us that the babies often we 4 hours between feeds and they were ok. I'm confident that this is a learning process with a steep curve but we will be just fine.
I am so thankful for a husband that is so helpful. Thankful that after we fed the babies he sat with my while I pumped rather than going to bed (not to brag but he also cleans all the parts for me!) I have a renewed sense that I can do this (being a mom) and do it well. So thankful we made it through our first night.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Quick Update
On July 20th, after a long c-section with some complications (on my part, not the babies) Emma Cate was born at 4:31pm and Holden followed after at 4:32. Emma Cate was 18 inches long and 4lbs 15oz. Holden was 19 inches long and 5lbs 14oz.
Emma Cate needed oxygen but was able to "pink up" and breathe well after about 5 minutes. Holden came out big and strong but unfortunately, when he went to the newborn nursery to get weighed and measured they noticed he was breathing rapidly and took him down to the NICU where he stayed for 24 hours.
I lost a lot of blood and unfortunately, my memory of exact details after their birth is very foggy. I know I cried huge tears of joys with both babies cries and couldn't stop starring at them in the warmers. It was the happiest moment of my life and I just couldn't stop saying how happy I was.
Right now, Jay is on his way back to the hospital with some clothing for me to wear home, the babies are in the nursery, and I'm waiting to have my blood pressure checked to determine if we can go home today! More to share later.
Emma Cate needed oxygen but was able to "pink up" and breathe well after about 5 minutes. Holden came out big and strong but unfortunately, when he went to the newborn nursery to get weighed and measured they noticed he was breathing rapidly and took him down to the NICU where he stayed for 24 hours.
I lost a lot of blood and unfortunately, my memory of exact details after their birth is very foggy. I know I cried huge tears of joys with both babies cries and couldn't stop starring at them in the warmers. It was the happiest moment of my life and I just couldn't stop saying how happy I was.
Right now, Jay is on his way back to the hospital with some clothing for me to wear home, the babies are in the nursery, and I'm waiting to have my blood pressure checked to determine if we can go home today! More to share later.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Pregnancy Belly
Anyone out there mourn their pregnancy belly? As much attention as this thing had gotten me the past few weeks, I'm going to be sad (and happy) to see it go. Not knowing when I'll be able to feel little (and big) kicks again, summersaults, and the experience of watching little body parts move across my stomach. I'll miss bonding with Jay over the excitement that a big pregnant belly brings. I hope to remember those special moments we shared between the four of us (before the crying and feedings set in!). I'm curious to see how I'm going to look afterwards. It's weird to think that I have been pregnant for 9 months today (36 weeks) and as excited I am about meeting these two special people, I'm sad that my first pregnancy will be over in a few hours.
Today is the day!
Today is my babies' birthday! Obviously, I'm having a hard time sleeping as its 1:09am, I've taken an ambien and nothing is going on in the sleep department. Jay is snoring away on the tiny couch and I'm watching dance moms and thinking about today. I have such a mix of excitement, nervousness, a bit scared, and joy. I
In a bit of shock that tomorrow afternoon I will be the mother to two precious children. The only thing I can compare it to is the night before my wedding, knowing that the very next day my life would change and never be
the same.
I'm going to TRY and get some sleep
before the greatest blessing we will ever know enter our lives.
Quick topic switch-
My night nurse Kim is also fabulous and very caring. She has been with me all evening and is watching my blood pressure like a hawk. It's gotten up to 178/108 and it's a bit nerve wracking. They took me off of the monitors for the evening so that I could sleep and will take my blood pressure every four hours. Luckily, before bed my bp went down! If it rises while I'm sleeping they will give me meds through my iv and if
that still doesn't go down, they have to deliver early. Our chances look great that it will continue to go down on its
own. We'll know more in the morning!
Here we go!!!
In a bit of shock that tomorrow afternoon I will be the mother to two precious children. The only thing I can compare it to is the night before my wedding, knowing that the very next day my life would change and never be
the same.
I'm going to TRY and get some sleep
before the greatest blessing we will ever know enter our lives.
Quick topic switch-
My night nurse Kim is also fabulous and very caring. She has been with me all evening and is watching my blood pressure like a hawk. It's gotten up to 178/108 and it's a bit nerve wracking. They took me off of the monitors for the evening so that I could sleep and will take my blood pressure every four hours. Luckily, before bed my bp went down! If it rises while I'm sleeping they will give me meds through my iv and if
that still doesn't go down, they have to deliver early. Our chances look great that it will continue to go down on its
own. We'll know more in the morning!
Here we go!!!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Birthday Eve
Please excuse typos. Blogging from iPhone.
The past two days have been rough.
Lots of swelling, contractions, pain, not sleeping very well, etc. We held off calling the doctor because of my regular scheduled appointment today. Last night we got a little worried because my blood pressure was 150/102 but didn't call because of today's appointment.
My appointment was at 11am today. I stepped on the scale and had gained 12lbs since the previous Monday. 12 lbs in one week is crazy. My blood pressure was 130/90 so the nurse had someone else take it to make sure. The second nurse got 140/100. My doctor came in the room and immediately noticed that I didn't look good. My face was super swollen and there was protein in my urine (which I had not had before). He sent us to labor and delivery to have bloodwork done.
I had a tiny cry on my way driving from the doctors office to the hospital (which are located on the same campus). I was in shock that the babies would be arriving today. I had a feeling and brought my hospital bag and camera with me to the appointment. Luckily, Jay attended this appointment and I was so thankful to have him there!
At l and d our nurse Vicky was super sweet. I got hooked up to the monitors and both babies were doing fine. Finding a spot for my iv was tricky but luckily it only took two tries. My bloodwork came back elevated and after a 24 hour urine collection, I'll officially be diagnosed with preeclampsia. The doctor on call came in to discuss delivery options and suggested we try vaginal. I was pretty shocked considering that weve really only discussed c-sections with my primary Ob. After weighing pros and cons and the good possibility that I might not be able to deliver baby b and have to have a double whammy (both vaginal and c-section), we decided that c section was the best option for us.
I asked his timeline and he said we were ready to go right then or we could wait until tomorrow to get the results of my urine analysis which he was sure to be positive for protein. He seemed like he wanted us to go ahead and deliver right away. He left us alone to make our decision.
I feel like this is one of the biggest decisions that Jay and I had to make on our own so far. At this point (around 3;30pm) I had not eaten a thing all day long, was starving, exhausted from my lack of sleep the night before and just not exactly ready. We decided to hold off until tomorrow. I think the dr and nurse were a little shocked but respected our decision. I felt soooo much better having decided to wait it out. Such a relief for this type a planner to have time to prepare myself.
A little later our nurse came in to answer any questions. I pretty much grilled her for a play by play of every situation and she did an awesome job answering my questions. I feel so much more prepared and excited for our babies to join us tomorrow. Please keep us in your prayers.
The past two days have been rough.
Lots of swelling, contractions, pain, not sleeping very well, etc. We held off calling the doctor because of my regular scheduled appointment today. Last night we got a little worried because my blood pressure was 150/102 but didn't call because of today's appointment.
My appointment was at 11am today. I stepped on the scale and had gained 12lbs since the previous Monday. 12 lbs in one week is crazy. My blood pressure was 130/90 so the nurse had someone else take it to make sure. The second nurse got 140/100. My doctor came in the room and immediately noticed that I didn't look good. My face was super swollen and there was protein in my urine (which I had not had before). He sent us to labor and delivery to have bloodwork done.
I had a tiny cry on my way driving from the doctors office to the hospital (which are located on the same campus). I was in shock that the babies would be arriving today. I had a feeling and brought my hospital bag and camera with me to the appointment. Luckily, Jay attended this appointment and I was so thankful to have him there!
At l and d our nurse Vicky was super sweet. I got hooked up to the monitors and both babies were doing fine. Finding a spot for my iv was tricky but luckily it only took two tries. My bloodwork came back elevated and after a 24 hour urine collection, I'll officially be diagnosed with preeclampsia. The doctor on call came in to discuss delivery options and suggested we try vaginal. I was pretty shocked considering that weve really only discussed c-sections with my primary Ob. After weighing pros and cons and the good possibility that I might not be able to deliver baby b and have to have a double whammy (both vaginal and c-section), we decided that c section was the best option for us.
I asked his timeline and he said we were ready to go right then or we could wait until tomorrow to get the results of my urine analysis which he was sure to be positive for protein. He seemed like he wanted us to go ahead and deliver right away. He left us alone to make our decision.
I feel like this is one of the biggest decisions that Jay and I had to make on our own so far. At this point (around 3;30pm) I had not eaten a thing all day long, was starving, exhausted from my lack of sleep the night before and just not exactly ready. We decided to hold off until tomorrow. I think the dr and nurse were a little shocked but respected our decision. I felt soooo much better having decided to wait it out. Such a relief for this type a planner to have time to prepare myself.
A little later our nurse came in to answer any questions. I pretty much grilled her for a play by play of every situation and she did an awesome job answering my questions. I feel so much more prepared and excited for our babies to join us tomorrow. Please keep us in your prayers.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Week 35
I'm just really shocked I've made it this far. I was so worried about making it to 34 and now I feel like I am going to make it to 38 weeks, and then have to be induced. This pregnancy is an emotional roller coaster. One day I feel like the babies are coming that evening and the next I feel like I could be pregnant forever! I do know that they should be out by July 4th! I think my organs will have the best time celebrating their independence from being displaced, kicked, and overworked!
On Friday, June 1st, one of the doctor's in the practice had us pretty freaked out about the size difference between the babies. Even my normal ob agreed we should look into it further. On Monday, we had our ultrasound and it was definitely an experience. First of all, they didn't even have me down for an appointment! The lady never scheduled it. Feeling like my babies were going to be delivered that day (per my ob- he wanted me prepared that if her growth had slowed, stopped, or the discrepancy had gotten bigger, they would deliver soon), I was already on edge when we arrived. I explained that I HAD to have this ultrasound and they worked me in. On the way back to the room, the tech (not the one I normally have) started explaining to me that ultrasounds are not necessarily to have each week and was I completely sure that I even needed one. UM YES, I think I know what is going on WAY more than you do!!! The ultrasound turned out alright and both babies were doing well. Unfortunately, Jay wasn't able to stay long enough to go the rescheduled ultrasound but luckily my mom was able to be there with me :)
After waiting another hour and a half, we finally saw the doctor. I hadn't seen this doctor my entire pregnancy and I got the feeling he had NO clue about my history. He walked in, listened to the heartbeats (which Dr. James normally doesn't do if I've JUST had an ultrasound), measured my tummy at 38 weeks (when I questioned why I measured at 46 last week, he measured again and told me that now I was measuring at 44.... amazing the change between 38 and 44 in a matter of minutes!), and asked if I had any questions... Um YES! I asked about the ultrasound, he said a pound difference is no big deal and everything would be fine. Um excuse me, but do you know that I've already been referred to a specialist for this and you're saying it's no big deal? The difference between doctors AMAZES me! I also know that this doctor does not specialize in multiples and this could be a reason for his responses. I left the appointment a little bewildered and felt stupid for worrying so much about the difference between the babies when everything seems completely fine. There are just so many ups and downs! I'm confused about why he didn't check my cervix, not that I'm complaining but I was told I was 2cm dilated two weeks ago, shouldn't that be check out?
My consultation is that I'll be able to see my normal doctor (Dr. James) on Tuesday and hopefully get more answers.
The remainder of the week and weekend have been fun. It was good to have my mom in town for a few days to help me out and keep me company during the days. Errands are so much more fun when you have someone to run them with you! My mom will head out of town on Thursday morning and my Dad flies in to stay with us on Thursday night. My sister and my mom will drive up from Atlanta on Friday and hopefully my little sister will get some time off of work to hangout with all of us this weekend. And who knows, maybe Jay will be able to celebrate father's day this year!
Pregnancy Highlights:
On Friday, June 1st, one of the doctor's in the practice had us pretty freaked out about the size difference between the babies. Even my normal ob agreed we should look into it further. On Monday, we had our ultrasound and it was definitely an experience. First of all, they didn't even have me down for an appointment! The lady never scheduled it. Feeling like my babies were going to be delivered that day (per my ob- he wanted me prepared that if her growth had slowed, stopped, or the discrepancy had gotten bigger, they would deliver soon), I was already on edge when we arrived. I explained that I HAD to have this ultrasound and they worked me in. On the way back to the room, the tech (not the one I normally have) started explaining to me that ultrasounds are not necessarily to have each week and was I completely sure that I even needed one. UM YES, I think I know what is going on WAY more than you do!!! The ultrasound turned out alright and both babies were doing well. Unfortunately, Jay wasn't able to stay long enough to go the rescheduled ultrasound but luckily my mom was able to be there with me :)
After waiting another hour and a half, we finally saw the doctor. I hadn't seen this doctor my entire pregnancy and I got the feeling he had NO clue about my history. He walked in, listened to the heartbeats (which Dr. James normally doesn't do if I've JUST had an ultrasound), measured my tummy at 38 weeks (when I questioned why I measured at 46 last week, he measured again and told me that now I was measuring at 44.... amazing the change between 38 and 44 in a matter of minutes!), and asked if I had any questions... Um YES! I asked about the ultrasound, he said a pound difference is no big deal and everything would be fine. Um excuse me, but do you know that I've already been referred to a specialist for this and you're saying it's no big deal? The difference between doctors AMAZES me! I also know that this doctor does not specialize in multiples and this could be a reason for his responses. I left the appointment a little bewildered and felt stupid for worrying so much about the difference between the babies when everything seems completely fine. There are just so many ups and downs! I'm confused about why he didn't check my cervix, not that I'm complaining but I was told I was 2cm dilated two weeks ago, shouldn't that be check out?
My consultation is that I'll be able to see my normal doctor (Dr. James) on Tuesday and hopefully get more answers.
The remainder of the week and weekend have been fun. It was good to have my mom in town for a few days to help me out and keep me company during the days. Errands are so much more fun when you have someone to run them with you! My mom will head out of town on Thursday morning and my Dad flies in to stay with us on Thursday night. My sister and my mom will drive up from Atlanta on Friday and hopefully my little sister will get some time off of work to hangout with all of us this weekend. And who knows, maybe Jay will be able to celebrate father's day this year!
Pregnancy Highlights:
Today's Date: Wednesday, June 13th, 2012
How Far Along: 35 weeks
Pregnancy Countdown: who knows at this point, but no more than 20 days!
Size of babies: A Coconut. The babies weigh between 4.2 to 5.8lbs and should be between 17.2 and 18.7 inches long. Their exact weights are Emma Cate- 4lbs 11oz and Holden- 5lbs 9oz (from ultrasound on 6/11)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm still up around 40 pounds give or take. I lost 6 lbs between doctor visits so my weight is everywhere. I'm not eating different, just fluctuating my water weight.
Maternity Clothes: Yes, all the time. I'm down to about 4 outfits, which you will see repeated on this blog. I'm done buying maternity clothes and am enjoying lounging in sweats and old navy maternity tanks.
Gender: Girl- Emma Cate and Boy- Holden.
Movement: Lots. No major flips but lots of kicking each other and kicking mommy! I'm feeling it in my ribs, my bladder, behind my belly button, everywhere! I also learned that Emma Cate is sunny-side up, facing out and Holden is facing towards my back. That is one of the reasons I don't feel his kicks as strongly as hers.
Sleep: Goodness. It is terrible. I already wrote about last Sunday and how I was up at all hours and throwing up. I've been taking my heartburn meds earlier in the evening and that is helping a little. I'm back to chewing a pepto when I wake up around 1am to settle my stomach acid. It is soo tough to roll over and get out of bed.
What I miss: summer cocktails, my usual summer routine, cooking, walking, being on my feet for more than 30 minutes without pain!
Cravings: The list so far of things I've craved the most this pregnancy: Icees, Mac and Cheese, Chocolate Ice Cream, Rusty's baked potatoes, and Coke, baked goods, and popcorn. New things this week: I had a HUGE craving for cake or a pancake and made a fun-fetti cake for myself at 11pm. Also, I am chewing ice like a manic. I know this is the most annoying habit but I just can't stop!
Symptoms: lots of contractions (some are getting painful to try and walk through and I have to stop and wait it out), acid reflux, getting incredibly hot (and I mean INCREDIBLY hot...I can't even blow dry my hair without taking breaks and even then I still sweat), extreme pressure when I stand up or walk, stretch marks, itchy skin on my stomach, gas, feeling like my ribs are going to break from all of the kicking. I am super uncomfortable and I've really slowed down. It takes me forever to walk from the car to a store. I've also swollen so bad that my stomach is hanging over and jiggly at the bottom. It used to be really tight everywhere but now I feel like someone that has lost weight but has a lot of skin leftover. I don't know if that makes sense but its the best way I know to describe it.
Best Moment this week: learning that both Emma Cate and Holden are growing! She's still a peanut in the 19% percentile but their discordance rate has remained at 16%.
I haven't been taking any pictures! I'll do better next week!
I haven't been taking any pictures! I'll do better next week!
Your baby's the size of a coconut!
He's about 17.2 to 18.7 inches. From here on out, he won't get much longer, but he's plumping up. He's now about 4.2 to 5.8 pounds, and he'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Sleepy Sunday
I know I need to do a 34 week update and as soon as I stop being lazy and get my laptop out I'll work on that. Until then...
The remainder of the week has been
(thankfully) uneventful. I pretty much slept all of Wednesday away after my rough night of sleep. I think I was only awake for maybe 4 hours of daylight :) I went into work for the teacher workday on Thursday and it was so nice to see people! I am thankful to one of my coworkers for climbing in the back of my car to install both carseats.
On Friday morning I had a routine doctor's appointment and everything is still looking great! All he did was listen to heartbeats, check my blood pressure and check the protein levels in my urine. Everything came back great and I've even lost 6 pounds from my visit the week prior. All of that weight was water weight and I'm excited to not be so swollen!
Jay and I enjoyed a date night at Harpers on Friday evening. We attended infant CPR on Saturday morning and Jay is quite the cpr and infant care specialist. He has proven that he is an expert at swaddling and diaper changing. Im glad I can count on those skills to come in handy at 3am :) Towards the end of class I started having some major contractions and they were coming around 5 minutes a part. We made it home and after some rest on my left side they subsided. Thankfully towards the end of the afternoon i was feeling sooo much better and we were able to attend a party celebrating our good friend Brian's graduation from his MBA program with tons of friends last night. It was so great to see everyone. I wish I would have gotten a picture!
Unfortunately things weren't so great when we got home last night. I woke up around 1 and proceeded to get sick all over the floor beside the bed.
Poor Jay was so sweet to clean up my mess while I continued to get sick in the restroom. I was finally able to go back to sleep only to be awoken again at 2:15 and again at 4:30. I woke up on my own around 10 but have slept on and off until 2:30. I'm not sure what is going on. I'm just feeling weird. I can't really pinpoint exactly why. Being a bum on the couch is working out well for now :)
The remainder of the week has been
(thankfully) uneventful. I pretty much slept all of Wednesday away after my rough night of sleep. I think I was only awake for maybe 4 hours of daylight :) I went into work for the teacher workday on Thursday and it was so nice to see people! I am thankful to one of my coworkers for climbing in the back of my car to install both carseats.
On Friday morning I had a routine doctor's appointment and everything is still looking great! All he did was listen to heartbeats, check my blood pressure and check the protein levels in my urine. Everything came back great and I've even lost 6 pounds from my visit the week prior. All of that weight was water weight and I'm excited to not be so swollen!
Jay and I enjoyed a date night at Harpers on Friday evening. We attended infant CPR on Saturday morning and Jay is quite the cpr and infant care specialist. He has proven that he is an expert at swaddling and diaper changing. Im glad I can count on those skills to come in handy at 3am :) Towards the end of class I started having some major contractions and they were coming around 5 minutes a part. We made it home and after some rest on my left side they subsided. Thankfully towards the end of the afternoon i was feeling sooo much better and we were able to attend a party celebrating our good friend Brian's graduation from his MBA program with tons of friends last night. It was so great to see everyone. I wish I would have gotten a picture!
Unfortunately things weren't so great when we got home last night. I woke up around 1 and proceeded to get sick all over the floor beside the bed.
Poor Jay was so sweet to clean up my mess while I continued to get sick in the restroom. I was finally able to go back to sleep only to be awoken again at 2:15 and again at 4:30. I woke up on my own around 10 but have slept on and off until 2:30. I'm not sure what is going on. I'm just feeling weird. I can't really pinpoint exactly why. Being a bum on the couch is working out well for now :)
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Rough Night
Recently, I've had some anxiety about sleeping. Every night since I got back from the hospital I've had really crazy dreams.
Last night around 7:30 or so I went to use the restroom and noticed that I had lost my mucus plug. We put in a call to the doctor (evidentially it's
no big deal, they just ask that you call
If you're less than 36 weeks). Thank goodness we did not have to go into the hospital to be checked out!
We continued on our evening. Around 9:00, I started having the same horrible pains that I've had almost every night since last Friday. They were really really bad on my right side and nothing I could do would make the pain go away. Finally around 11 the pain subsided enough for me to go to sleep. The only way I can describe the pain is that it feels like someone is ripping my oblique (thanks Al) muscles a part. I woke up around 1 to use the restroom and minus the uncomfortableness of trying to get out of a tall bed and waddle to the bathroom, I felt okay. At 5:30 I was having a dream about flying through the streets of Chicago at a really really fast speed and woke up to worst headache I've ever had. I woke Jay up thinking something was totally wrong. The headache continued along with the same side pain I'd been experiencing but this time along my left side. Finally I gave in and took some tylenol to relieve my headache. At 7:08 it is still here but not nearly as bad. I also took my blood pressure and it was 150/109 on one arm and 116/72 on the other. I don't think my at home cuff is super reliable.
I'm not sure what all these pains mean. I'm hoping that they mean labor is coming soon and are not signs of preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome. I feel confident after my visit with the doctor yesterday that everything is fine, it's just so strange. I drank a big glass of juice and both babies responded well so I know they are doing ok in there.
Last night around 7:30 or so I went to use the restroom and noticed that I had lost my mucus plug. We put in a call to the doctor (evidentially it's
no big deal, they just ask that you call
If you're less than 36 weeks). Thank goodness we did not have to go into the hospital to be checked out!
We continued on our evening. Around 9:00, I started having the same horrible pains that I've had almost every night since last Friday. They were really really bad on my right side and nothing I could do would make the pain go away. Finally around 11 the pain subsided enough for me to go to sleep. The only way I can describe the pain is that it feels like someone is ripping my oblique (thanks Al) muscles a part. I woke up around 1 to use the restroom and minus the uncomfortableness of trying to get out of a tall bed and waddle to the bathroom, I felt okay. At 5:30 I was having a dream about flying through the streets of Chicago at a really really fast speed and woke up to worst headache I've ever had. I woke Jay up thinking something was totally wrong. The headache continued along with the same side pain I'd been experiencing but this time along my left side. Finally I gave in and took some tylenol to relieve my headache. At 7:08 it is still here but not nearly as bad. I also took my blood pressure and it was 150/109 on one arm and 116/72 on the other. I don't think my at home cuff is super reliable.
I'm not sure what all these pains mean. I'm hoping that they mean labor is coming soon and are not signs of preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome. I feel confident after my visit with the doctor yesterday that everything is fine, it's just so strange. I drank a big glass of juice and both babies responded well so I know they are doing ok in there.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Almost 34 Week Dr. Appointment
I had a follow up doctor's appointment this morning that went really well! I was a little rushed getting there and afraid that my blood pressure was going to be high but fortunately my doctor was running a little behind and I had to wait 30 minutes for my appointment. Now that I have nowhere to be I don't really mind the waiting.
My blood pressure was 128/76 which is really good for what is has been. Dr. James and I were both really happy with that number. During the appointment, he listened for the babies heartbeats (160s for Holden, 150s for EC- both in their normal range) and measured my belly. I jokingly asked him what I was measuring at... 46 weeks! Can you imagine? No wonder everyone is staring at me like I'm going to go into labor at any point. That number actually made me feel better about myself knowing that the reason I feel like a 600lb woman is because I am "46 weeks" pregnant!
I asked him some questions about NICU and he told me that he didn't think I would make it to 36 weeks but since the babies have always been "happy", he didn't anticipate a long NICU stay but did assure me that they would be going to the NICU for a few days to a week and to expect that. I am starting to do a little research on NICU and what happens and what I can expect. He told me that best case scenario, I would see the babies lifted over the drape (assuming we have a C-section) and then they would be taken down. Worst case, they would take them right away and I wouldn't get to see them.
Next, I talked to him about the ultrasound that I have scheduled with the specialist. My ultrasound is scheduled for 36 weeks and 2 days. Thinking that I'll go into labor within the next two weeks, this ultrasound seemed pretty pointless. Dr. James wanted me to keep the appointment just in case but also understood where my concerns were coming from. If we waited until then, it was possible that I would deliver shortly after and the ultrasound wouldn't provide any benefits to the twins is their was an issue with growth. He scheduled me for an ultrasound on Monday (a little less than a week away) in his office. At this ultrasound he told me that they would be able to see how the twins were doing on growth. If their growth was off again, he would send me to the specialist earlier. Most likely if there was a difference in growth they would go ahead and deliver the babies but that would be up to the specialist. He did told me that the ultrasound in his office would give us a good idea if we were going to be told to deliver the babies when we see the specialist in order to prepare ourselves. That was all probably very confusing and I'm too tired to read back through it and fix anything so sorry if it doesn't make sense!
It's absolutely crazy to me that these babies will be coming so soon. Everything at the house is ready, the gear is ready, its just nerve-racking thinking about US being ready. Our life is going to change in ways we will never know and it is hard for a control freak like me to fathom. I am just so excited and anxious but still want to savor these last days as wife and daughter and not yet a mother.
My blood pressure was 128/76 which is really good for what is has been. Dr. James and I were both really happy with that number. During the appointment, he listened for the babies heartbeats (160s for Holden, 150s for EC- both in their normal range) and measured my belly. I jokingly asked him what I was measuring at... 46 weeks! Can you imagine? No wonder everyone is staring at me like I'm going to go into labor at any point. That number actually made me feel better about myself knowing that the reason I feel like a 600lb woman is because I am "46 weeks" pregnant!
I asked him some questions about NICU and he told me that he didn't think I would make it to 36 weeks but since the babies have always been "happy", he didn't anticipate a long NICU stay but did assure me that they would be going to the NICU for a few days to a week and to expect that. I am starting to do a little research on NICU and what happens and what I can expect. He told me that best case scenario, I would see the babies lifted over the drape (assuming we have a C-section) and then they would be taken down. Worst case, they would take them right away and I wouldn't get to see them.
Next, I talked to him about the ultrasound that I have scheduled with the specialist. My ultrasound is scheduled for 36 weeks and 2 days. Thinking that I'll go into labor within the next two weeks, this ultrasound seemed pretty pointless. Dr. James wanted me to keep the appointment just in case but also understood where my concerns were coming from. If we waited until then, it was possible that I would deliver shortly after and the ultrasound wouldn't provide any benefits to the twins is their was an issue with growth. He scheduled me for an ultrasound on Monday (a little less than a week away) in his office. At this ultrasound he told me that they would be able to see how the twins were doing on growth. If their growth was off again, he would send me to the specialist earlier. Most likely if there was a difference in growth they would go ahead and deliver the babies but that would be up to the specialist. He did told me that the ultrasound in his office would give us a good idea if we were going to be told to deliver the babies when we see the specialist in order to prepare ourselves. That was all probably very confusing and I'm too tired to read back through it and fix anything so sorry if it doesn't make sense!
It's absolutely crazy to me that these babies will be coming so soon. Everything at the house is ready, the gear is ready, its just nerve-racking thinking about US being ready. Our life is going to change in ways we will never know and it is hard for a control freak like me to fathom. I am just so excited and anxious but still want to savor these last days as wife and daughter and not yet a mother.
What's Going On
Per request of my sister, Allie, who is bored sitting in her classes (she's in school to be a physical therapist) here's a status update.
We were released from the hospital around 3pm on Sunday and I was excited but nervous about leaving. To be completely honest, I can't really tell when I'm having a contraction. Occasionally I'll feel something tighten in my stomach but sometimes I feel that and I'm not contracting at all! I figure that when I go back for contractions, I'm going to make sure they are the kind that you see in movies, wife gripping husband's hand, clenching teeth, screaming curse words, the works.
Sunday evening was pretty tame, I took my vistaril to help me sleep and had some crazy crazy dreams.
Yesterday was second official day on bed rest at home. The last time we tried it was last Tuesday when I was sent to the hospital after my doctor's appointment. I was pretty bored and tried to enjoy the calm but didn't want to nap because I wanted to go to bed at a reasonable time. I was a pretty good patient and stayed in my pjs all day. I went a little stir crazy yesterday evening and jumped on the opportunity to help Jay cook dinner. It's been forever since I've been in the kitchen and I miss it sooo much! We had chicken and bean burritos from this month's Cooking Light. I even got Jay to try substituting greek yogurt for sour cream. My other sister, Bo, stopped by to show me all the cute clothes she bought for work (she starts her big girl job on Monday!) and I am so jealous! I want to be a normal person size!
Jay has been busy working around the house trying to get things perfect for when these babies arrive. I'll admit that it has got to be tough to be married to be. I don't know when I became a perfectionist (borderline OCD) but my standards are high and I'm not the happiest person (to put it lightly) when they are not met. Jay is trying really hard and I'm trying really hard to learn patience. It is truly hard to sit back when laundry needs to be done, paperwork needs to be filled, dishes cleaned, etc. Jay completed one of my project requests last night and I'm really happy with the result. In the past we had a semi gallery wall in our family room. It never quite looked right and I was so ready to say good bye to it! I told Jay I wanted to move it to the basement stairwell. He was nervous about doing the arrangement all by himself (remember what I just said about being a perfectionist) but he did an awesome job and it makes me happy every time I open the door to the basement. I can't wait to add to it with pictures of our babies!!!
I also had a special treat last night when my bff, Mary Clare stopped by with a frozen meal for Jay and I. I was so nice to hang out for a little bit and catch up. I've become quite the hermit now that I am so pregnant and appreciate these little visits so much!
On the pregnancy front, last night was a bit rough. I started having the same extreme side pains as I did when we checked into the hospital on Friday evening. After about an hour and a half they subsided. During that time I tried to lay in every position possible, squeezed Jay's hand, and yelled like a crazy person. At one point I was on all fours on the ground and Jay asked if it would help if I tried to "go potty". He immediately realized he had said it in the exact same way he does to Boomer and we both died laughing. We think the pains are just babies moving around on my round ligaments although they feel like little midgets are tearing my muscles apart.
I also had some CRAZY dreams last night and wish I would remember more of them. I can't tell if it is the vistaril or what but I would like them to stop so that I feel like I am actually getting sleep. I'm also having really bad night sweats. Jay thought that my water broke last night it was so bad. I'm just ready to be back to normal....
Here are a ton of pictures from the past week:
We were released from the hospital around 3pm on Sunday and I was excited but nervous about leaving. To be completely honest, I can't really tell when I'm having a contraction. Occasionally I'll feel something tighten in my stomach but sometimes I feel that and I'm not contracting at all! I figure that when I go back for contractions, I'm going to make sure they are the kind that you see in movies, wife gripping husband's hand, clenching teeth, screaming curse words, the works.
Sunday evening was pretty tame, I took my vistaril to help me sleep and had some crazy crazy dreams.
Yesterday was second official day on bed rest at home. The last time we tried it was last Tuesday when I was sent to the hospital after my doctor's appointment. I was pretty bored and tried to enjoy the calm but didn't want to nap because I wanted to go to bed at a reasonable time. I was a pretty good patient and stayed in my pjs all day. I went a little stir crazy yesterday evening and jumped on the opportunity to help Jay cook dinner. It's been forever since I've been in the kitchen and I miss it sooo much! We had chicken and bean burritos from this month's Cooking Light. I even got Jay to try substituting greek yogurt for sour cream. My other sister, Bo, stopped by to show me all the cute clothes she bought for work (she starts her big girl job on Monday!) and I am so jealous! I want to be a normal person size!
Jay has been busy working around the house trying to get things perfect for when these babies arrive. I'll admit that it has got to be tough to be married to be. I don't know when I became a perfectionist (borderline OCD) but my standards are high and I'm not the happiest person (to put it lightly) when they are not met. Jay is trying really hard and I'm trying really hard to learn patience. It is truly hard to sit back when laundry needs to be done, paperwork needs to be filled, dishes cleaned, etc. Jay completed one of my project requests last night and I'm really happy with the result. In the past we had a semi gallery wall in our family room. It never quite looked right and I was so ready to say good bye to it! I told Jay I wanted to move it to the basement stairwell. He was nervous about doing the arrangement all by himself (remember what I just said about being a perfectionist) but he did an awesome job and it makes me happy every time I open the door to the basement. I can't wait to add to it with pictures of our babies!!!
I also had a special treat last night when my bff, Mary Clare stopped by with a frozen meal for Jay and I. I was so nice to hang out for a little bit and catch up. I've become quite the hermit now that I am so pregnant and appreciate these little visits so much!
On the pregnancy front, last night was a bit rough. I started having the same extreme side pains as I did when we checked into the hospital on Friday evening. After about an hour and a half they subsided. During that time I tried to lay in every position possible, squeezed Jay's hand, and yelled like a crazy person. At one point I was on all fours on the ground and Jay asked if it would help if I tried to "go potty". He immediately realized he had said it in the exact same way he does to Boomer and we both died laughing. We think the pains are just babies moving around on my round ligaments although they feel like little midgets are tearing my muscles apart.
I also had some CRAZY dreams last night and wish I would remember more of them. I can't tell if it is the vistaril or what but I would like them to stop so that I feel like I am actually getting sleep. I'm also having really bad night sweats. Jay thought that my water broke last night it was so bad. I'm just ready to be back to normal....
Here are a ton of pictures from the past week:
33 weeks 1 day
My favorite hospital breakfast and watching Desperate Housewives. So thankful I got an iPad for Christmas this year!
Dad to be after checking back into the hospital on Friday night
labor and delivery room
labor and delivery room
monitoring
feeling absolutely miserable with pains in my sides
ready to go home on Sunday, June 3rd
33 weeks 4 days
comparing bellies
Jay cleaning- the gallery wall I was talking about is to the right of him with the black frames
I don't know if I mentioned this before but when we checked into the hospital on Friday night, the "iv lady" was unable to get my iv started and poked me 6 times. These are some of the bruises left over. I also have to mention that I NEVER bruise. I can run into a table corner at full speed and nothing will ever show up so these were pretty bad.
comparison pic
on the left I was 20 weeks in the hospital with kidney stones
on the right I was 33 weeks in the hospital with high blood pressure
I thought I looked big at 20 weeks!
yes these babies are creepy, BUT I am so proud of my mom. She just got a monogram machine and is learning how to embroider! These are the first things she's done. I asked her to put them on these old dolls my sisters used to play with so that I could get the full effect :)
"Emma Cate"
twinsies
Boomer
I have missed this little booger so much! I think he was happy to have me home. Evidently while I was in the hospital he wouldn't eat or use the potty. I am nervous about what will happen when we bring the twins home. Poor guy.
new gallery stairwell
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Ready to go home?
This morning I knew I was going to be releases so I got up got dressed in yoga pants and a tank, fixed my hair a bit and told Jay to come get me at 12. At 1 they decided to monitor me and guess what... Contractions were coming at 9 min a part. No real cause for concern but my dr has decided to keep me until at least 3 to see how I'm doing. I was given more vistaril to try and calm things. It appears that labor will be happening within the next two weeks. Hopefully well head home at 3 and then just keep an eye on them at home.
Hospital Day 3-6
Hospital Day 3
May 31st
I'm back tracking here and trying to get all the details right but excuse me if something doesn't make sense. Day 3 in the hospital started on the evening of May 30th and lasted during the day on May 31st. Everything has been pretty standard. I get monitored every 8hours, babies continue to look great. I'm having a few contractions during the monitoring but nothing major
Hospital Day 4
June 1st
I was released from the hospitalin the morning on June 1st. Jay and I had a few minutes to get our things together before we had to head to our scheduled ultrasound at the OB's office. We had a quick lunch, ran by Bo's to pick up shoes (jay took mine home with my dirty clothes the previous day!) and went for the ultrasound. At the ultrasound we learned that the babies are both growing. Emma Cate is weighing in 4lbs 6oz and Holden is 5lbs 4oz. The doctor we saw was a bit concerned about the difference between the growth. Luckily, both babies are growing and that's a really good thing, they just want to know why Emma Cate isn't growing as much. We have an ultrasound scheduled with the specialist within the next two weeks. The discordanence rate is 16%. Anything beyond 20% is a need for concern so were just being cautious.
After the ultrasound we went home to rest and relax. Jay had a few errands to do so I hung out on the couch and waited. Bo came over to borrow our car and hang out a bit. Around 6pm I started having really weird pains in my side. Jay swore they were round ligament pain and they probably were but the pain was so bad I was in tears and couldn't walk upright. I could only lay on my left side to get the pain to subside. After some discussion we decided to call my practice and they sent us straight to the hospital. We checked in at labor and delivery and learned I was having some pretty good contractions. They wanted to keep us overnight to be sure they didn't progress into labor contractions. It was slightly embarrassing seeing the same doctor that had discharged us only a few hours prior. Luckily it was my primary doctor who was on call and he made me feel like I'd make the right choice. I was/am also at 2cm still and haven't progressed so that's awesome. The following morning, I was moved to antepartum.
Hospital Day 5
June 2nd
I spent Saturday in the hospital just hanging out and being monitored. I was continuing to have strong contractions and was taking vistaril to help settle things. I didn't see a doctor today, it was pretty much just resting up. I did continue to have great care by my nurses and they came in and kept me company. Around dinner time, Jay and his mom came by to visit. I started having contractions again and they decided to monitor me. They were coming pretty strong so they gave me more vistaril and continued to monitor me. The vistaril didn't do much so I just went to sleep.
Hospital Day 6
June 3rd
I woke up this morning feeling really strange. I was super dizzy and lightheaded. Luckily some apple juice seemed to do the trick. I met with my primRy doctor this morning and told him I was ready to go home! He said he would release me when I wasn't feeling lightheaded, probably around 12. Im just hanging out in bed until I get the okay to go. My discharge instructions are to call if anything changes. I'm praying everything will just stay the same and maybe the contractions will go away :). I have doctors appointments scheduled for Tuesday and Friday so I'm thinking I can keep myself out of the hospital until then :)
Friday, June 1, 2012
Yay!
Nothing too major but Jay called me this morning with great news that he found the ultrasound pictures when he was cleaning up last night! I'm so relieved and excited to get working on this pregnancy book/album!
Hospital Day 3 update will be coming soon. I'm still here (it's Day 4). Waiting to see the doctor and possibly have some ultrasounds/scans to check on the babies and my kidney function.
Hospital Day 3 update will be coming soon. I'm still here (it's Day 4). Waiting to see the doctor and possibly have some ultrasounds/scans to check on the babies and my kidney function.
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