Nothing scheduled...

I had a sonogram and doctor's appointment yesterday. I saw my actual doctor who I'll continue seeing now through the end.

The sonogram was great but sad because it's likely our last one until delivery day in the hospital (to make sure they're in the right position for delivery). We still can't believe it but the girls' estimated weight is 6 pounds each! Even if that estimate is on the high side they still should be well over 5 pounds which is great! So we're excited about that.

We got to see their faces again and it makes us so excited to meet them; they are adorable and have round cheeks! They also look more alike in these pictures than they did at the last ultrasound. The technician let us watch the girls in 4D so it's like watching a live video of them - Rylie kept sticking out her toungue and Addison nose was getting pressed against something and was squished down. They are so tight in my belly right now.

I talked with my doctor about how at my last appointment, the doctor I saw seemed to be recommending that I opt for a c-section and I wanted to get his opinion on that. I was definitely considering it based on the risks I was told, the intense amount of work it will be to push out 2 babies and the fact that I would schedule it at like 7:30 and have my babies by 7:45!! But my doctor said he felt that there's no reason I shouldn't try to deliver them like I've wanted to all along and that he thought I could definitely do it. He also said that there are risks but since I'll already be in the operating room, everything will be set up for an emergency c-section already and that they are prepared for anything that may come up. He also said that the recovery for a c-section will be much longer for me and that won't be any fun with 2 newborns to care for.

So I feel much better and am sticking with my original plan to deliver them. The negative side of this is that he said it's much better to let things happen naturally so we didn't get to schedule anything!! Each doctor is different so it was weird to hear last week that that doctor would let me schedule a date next week to be induced or have a c-section but my doctor wants me to keep waiting. The longest he'll make me wait is 38 - 38 1/2 weeks so that is about 2 weeks or less from now. And he said there's a good chance I'll go before that on my own.

I have been having lots of contractions still and though sometimes they are coming 8 minutes or so apart, after awhile they slow down instead of coming closer. So I'm just suffering through this and hoping this doesn't go on for the next couple weeks - hopefully it's the start of it all and that it means we'll be having babies in the next few days!

I have slept so much these past 2 days. I had been having trouble sleeping at night or napping during the day the past week or two. I think getting to see my doctor yesterday and his opinion on everything has made things in my head settle down a little too so that has helped. I just feel so tired all the time.

We're getting the final things ready for them to arrive and cleaning everything one last time. It seems like there is always more we find that should be done before they're here. I want to go out to dinner this week sometime too since I feel like it may be a long time until we get to do that after they're born!

Hopefully we'll have some news soon...

I can't grow anymore

I have gotten so big over these past few weeks. I have a sonogram tomorrow and am thinking the girls must be well past 5 pounds at this point for me to have grown so much so fast. I am looking forward to hearing their estimated weights and seeing them again...hopefully this is my last doctor's appointment!

At my last appointment the doctor that I saw said that I can schedule to be induced or have a c-section between 37 & 38 weeks. I'll finish week 37 on Sunday so I think sometime next week we'll have babies! I see my own OB tomorrow who has the final say on when I can schedule so depending on what he says will I guess decide when we can schedule. It's so close yet still a ways away but there's always the chance that I'll go before the scheduled date as well...

During week 35 I spent 2 different days back in the hospital for contractions. Tuesday the 8th I got no sleep b/c i had contractions all night long. I called the doctor's office around 5 and she said I could go right to the hospital or come in to the doctors office 1st thing around 7:30. I opted to go to the doctor's office and they did a non stress test and sent me over to the hospital anyways b/c one of the baby's heart rate wasn't reactive - it's supposed to fluctuate up and down so many beats in a certain time frame and hers wasn't doing that.

At the hospital they monitored the girls and after an hour or so both heart rates were fluctuating properly so they gave me a medicine - Terbutaline - to stop the contractions. It kicked in and I went home a few hours later with a prescription to take 4 times a day until I finished week 36.

On Saturday night the contractions started up again and were coming 6 minutes apart and they were by far the most intense I had ever had. So we went back to the hospital around midnight where they gave me another shot of the Terbutaline. My contractions started coming 3-4 minutes apart so they gave me another shot and about an hour later a pill form of the same medicine.

It slowed down the contractions finally but the side effects of the medicine is that it makes you feel jittery, shaky and your heart races so that much in such a short time for me made me feel like crawling out of my skin. I could not lay still and my eyes and legs were twitching, it was so weird. It was such a relief to finally head home and I slept most of the day Sunday after getting no sleep during the night.

So this past Sunday I finished 36 weeks and took my last Terbutaline pill. If I would go in to labor now they wouldn't stop it and they're no longer trying to prevent it. It's been 2+ days and though I've had contractions, they're not consistent or super intense so for now we're just waiting. After tomorrow we should be able to schedule something and know the absolute last day of this misery.

I'm having an awful time sleeping - part of it is I'm not really comfortable and I think a lot of it is my mind is constantly moving...and the hourly bathroom breaks don't make for a good night's sleep either. I feel like I function pretty well for not getting much sleep so I think it's been good preparation for the girls' arrival.

My cousin Jes was over with her new baby today and he slept for nearly the entire time she was here...made it look easy. I hope we get atleast one baby that is content and loves to sleep and I wouldn't mind if both were "easy" babies!

I'll update tomorrow with what my doctor says.

Hospital visits, massage and stretch marks!

33 weeks in white shirt, 34 weeks in the black shirt

So much has happened over the last few weeks...

Shortly after my last post, I got the flu and had to go into the hospital for a couple days because I got dehydrated. I looked and felt so awful and the dehydration brought on contractions. The day after I was discharged from the hospital, I started having stronger, more frequent, contractions. So Nichole took me to the hospital after work where I stayed a few hours where they monitored the babies and rehydrated me. I've heard that many people who have had twins have had to be in the hospital from week 20 - 30 (or whenever they delivered) to be monitored constantly on bedrest. I feel so bad for them! It was miserable being there; not being in my own bed, having the nurses flip the lights on every two hours in the middle of the night, and hooked up to monitors constantly!

During my 2nd hospital visit, I noticed a weird mark on my belly near my belly button and I asked the nurse if it was a stretch mark. She said it looked like it was! I was disappointed and she said, "Really? did you think you were going to have twins and not have stretch marks?" and I said, "Yes, I was hoping!" Since then, around my belly button, I've gotten several and they've gotten bigger and darker. I keep slathering on the lotion, as I have the ENTIRE pregnancy, but it only does so much. Now I'm hopeful they'll go away over time...

One thing I am looking forward to about going back to the hospital is the food was really good. Before I was discharged on Wednesday, I had turkey and mashed potatoes for dinner. It was delish! AND the nurse let me have chocolate ice cream! MMM!

Ever since then, I've been having contractions daily. Thankfully so far I'm not dialating - I just need to be drinking more water. So now I've been chugging as much as I can stand.

The only good thing about the hospital visit was that it got me a sonogram 2 weeks ahead of my next scheduled sonogram. Since Rylie hasn't been facing forward, we haven't seen her face since March. So before we went in, Eric told Rylie that she better show her face or she was going to get a spankin'! And the threatening worked! We got to see her face and she looked like she was scowling - she's a sassy girl!

Even better news is that she had rotated and was head down again! We're really excited about that because the doctors require both girls be in this position for me to deliver vaginally.

I've had two doctors appointments since that sonogram and they both are still head down! We pray they will stay that way! Another exciting milestone we learned at the sono is that both girls' estimated weight is just over 4 pounds!

The doctors have told me that I need to start counting their movements daily. Rylie definitely meets her quota well before the day begins. Addison, however, moves much less and sometimes has me worried. But I was reassured at this last appointment as the doctor said Rylie is overactive, not that Addison is "under-active".

We can't wait to see if their personalities after birth match how they are now. Rylie is active and wild and Addison is restful and calm. We still love to watch their movements in my belly. Sometimes we can figure out which body part it is, other times, we have no clue. Because Rylie is so active, she gives everyone who touches her a little kick!

Because my blood sugar levels were high, the doctor had me start taking a pill called Glyburide. At first it made me sick because the dosage was too high. It made my sugar levels super low which made me shaky, dizzy, and sweaty. So now I take only a quarter of a pill and it has regulated my blood sugar and it's been at much more reasonable levels most of the time. I have a few high readings once in a while, but it's when I know I've been eating things I shouldn't have eaten.

Last week, Lori treated me to a pregnancy massage. It was so heavenly, I scheduled another one for this week! My back and body ache so much and during the massage, it was the first time in forever where I felt comfortable and not miserable. I wish that I would have gotten one (or a few!) sooner.

At last Tuesday's appointment, the doctor gave me some good news that previously I had dreaded. Now, because I feel so miserable, I willingly accept his advisement that I stop working. So Friday, June 4th, at nearly 34 weeks, was my last day of work. When I left that day, I was really sad and sentimental because I'll be off for nearly 3 months and will miss my co-workers and the work. But, it will be so nice to not have to get up and ready in the mornings and be uncomfortable all day. Rather, I can just rest and relax and wait for the babies.
Though I'm looking forward to a couple weeks of rest and getting last minute things prepared, I'm hopeful that this doesn't stretch into weeks and weeks of waiting.

At my doctor's appointment today, she told me to have my bags packed and, though there's no reason to think I'll go really early, the normal twin pregnancy doesn't last much longer than where I'm at now so it could be any time. We're definitely ready and really excited!

A long time!

This will be a big one I have weeks to catch up on. I just haven't had the time or energy to post an update but I want to get it on here so I remember.

Here are some recent pictures - I've grown so much over the last few weeks, and most of it has been straight out!

Here I am a week ago at 30 weeks (we made it to the 30's!!!)

And 2 weeks earlier at 28 weeks

We have picked names!! It was good timing, because we were able to tell everyone at the baby showers what their names are. Baby A is Addison Lynne and we'll call her Addie and Baby B is Rylie Ann. The middle names are both family names.

I've had a couple sonograms over the past few weeks. Rylie still hasn't turned back into the head down position, nor is she showing her face. Hopefully she's not as much trouble when she's born as she is now! On Wednesday the sonogram technician really tried to get a shot of her face but there was no luck so we got her spine and feet instead. It has been probably 8 or 9 weeks since we've seen her face now so I was disappointed about that. Maybe next time.

The doctors were concerned for awhile b/c the girls were both measuring really small but over the last six weeks they have grown so much! I am going back on Tuesday to see the doctor who said a few weeks ago he would recommend a steroid shot to help develop their lungs since he predicts they'll be born early. But he said if he sees good growth that might not be necessary yet. Addison is estimated at 3 pounds 4 ounces and Rylie has grown a ton over the past few weeks and has passed Addison - she's estimated at 3 pounds 11 ounces. We'll see what he recommends on Tuesday.

A week or so ago I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes - I was definitely frustrated b/c I've been trying to be so healthy. I am now more educated and know it has nothing to do with how healthy you are but getting it under control is all about food choices from now on. I have to check my blood sugar 4 times a day. I've been eating according to the diet that the dietician prescribed and my blood sugar has often been sky high...especially today. I called the nurse tonight and she said to monitor it tomorrow and be sure to call the office on Monday. I'm starting to wonder if that's why the girls all the sudden are gaining so much weight and want it under control before I have 10 pound twin girls! I know there are worse side effects for them too so I just want to get it straightened out.

The past few weeks I have become more and more uncomfortable, which I hadn't thought possible. I am so out of breath - even doing nothing! I feel stretched to the max like my stomach could split open at any second. It's so awful and to make it worse, there is always a couple elbows or heels pushing out against my taut skin. I wake up several times in the night - both to pee and to roll over (which is a big production getting my belly rolled over) b/c the hip that I'm laying on is burning and in so much pain. It feels like I'm sleeping on a concrete floor, they just ache so much. I really don't understand how people choose to put themselves through pregnancy multiple times! I'm sure I'll feel differently when the girls are here and maybe "forget" all the misery like everyone says you do after the birth.

I am so not myself physically, mentally and lately emotionally. I'm really looking forward to being myself again and being able to do things for myself. I appreciate so much all that family and friends have done - but it will be nice to be capable of doing these things myself again.

I'll try to post pictures of the nursery soon. I love it so much.

I can't believe how far we've made it - I wanted so bad just to make it to the critical 23rd week and now here we are at 31 weeks. I can't believe it - I know it's still early but we're just at a much safer point now and no reason to believe we don't have several more weeks to go. It's so crazy to think that in a month these girls just might be here...we can't wait.

Quick update

I finished week 27 yesterday. I can't believe I'm in my 3rd trimester already! It is going by fast though on my miserable days I wish it'd go faster.

I haven't had any problems over the last few weeks and it's been a very worry free period of time for me - it's been great. I do have back and hip pain and feel like I'm 100 years old with the way I ache and how uncomfortable I feel. The most annoying thing as of late is that often I have to get up slowly and walk around so slowly because if I move too quickly there is risk of me peeing myself! When people tell me I'm waddling or ask why I'm getting up so slowly, I blame my back and hips which is true...but not 100% of the story:)

Busy season is officially over and it feels great!! I'm going to be working 30 hours a week from now on and have my Saturdays back to do some preparing for baby. Work is just as busy for me every second I'm there since I'm still trying to get 40 hours of work done in 30 hours but it's just a good feeling to get past April 15th.

This past Saturday Eric's mom had a baby shower for me at Nunzi's. It was so nice, the food (breakfast - yummy) was fabulous and everyone gave such generous gifts to us for the girls. I have some pictures I'll post in the next few days so you can see some of what we got. I love having baby stuff in the house now and I keep looking through everything over and over again.

My biggest craving still is fruit....especially oranges, pinapple and grapes. I bought a fresh pineapple and I cut it when it was ripe and I think Eric was too slow to get any of it b/c I ate it so quickly. It hit the spot. Peanut butter is still the love of my life - Barkley and I have some together every morning.

Eric has the nursery finished - painted, furniture arranged and some other new updates made. It was starting to stress me out b/c I wanted it done well in advance of the shower and he was dead set on doing it in his own time:) But it's done now and he did a great job.

My next sonogram is Friday - as always, I'm looking forward to it and am hopeful the girls are growing well and that they're facing forward so we can see their faces this time.

So much for a quick update! It's late and I'm rambling...I'll post pics soon.

25 week picture

This is us on Easter when I was finishing up week 25. Likely our last holiday without babies!! Actually, we shouldn't have them by Memorial Day so this is our last major holiday just the two of us.

My sonogram and appointment on last Friday went pretty good. Lots of good news. The hematoma is gone...and BABY B was head down!!! I am really excited that both babies are in the right position but know there is still time for them to move. My fingers are crossed they just stay put.

The annoying part was that both babies were facing toward the back so we didn't get to see their little faces at all. I wanted to see them so bad but will have to wait until next time. There really are no good pictures to share this time so I'll wait and post from my next sonogram - they scheduled it in 3 weeks this time instead of 4 so we won't have to wait as long. Grammy K is coming with me this time so hopefully the girls show up and show their faces.

The doctors appointment went okay too. She said the babies are measuring small so they're going to monitor their growth closely - which I think they do anyways. Hopefully they catch up soon. I had a few days a week or two ago when I really felt hungry but that's gone again. I don't feel hungry too often, I usually eat because something sounds good, because I know I need to, or because I'm trying to make myself thirsty so I can chug water. I'm gaining weight so hopefully it's going straight to them.

I've had a few dizzy spells again - last weekend in Walmart Eric had to come pick me up b/c my ears plugged and I couldn't see and I felt like I was blacking out. The walmart employee got me a chair and some juice and I sat for a half hour or so and felt better. I think my blood sugar might just have been low b/c the juice seemed to help.

At my next doctor's appointment, which is a few days after my sonogram appointment, I have to drink the orange liquid stuff and they'll screen for gestational diabetes.

Eric finished painting the girls' room and he's starting to set the cribs up now. The bedding is being made by a woman at my mom's church and she's gotten quite a bit of it done. I got to preview the bed skirts today and they look so great. It's just what I wanted. So exciting to be close enough now that we are getting ready for their arrival!

It's been awhile

Here is my latest belly shot, it was from this past Sunday when we were finishing week 24.




We have a doctor's appointment and sonogram tomorrow morning so I'll post some new pictures of the girls, hopefully this weekend. I'm excited as always to see how they are, how big they are, and what position they're in. I'm hopeful that Baby B has flipped around and is head down but we might go and find out Baby A is flipped and they're both in the wrong position.

I've been feeling so much movement from them, I think they're wild. I feel it in different spots than before which increases my hopefulness that it's because they've changed positions. It could very well be that they've grown and their arms and legs just are stretching further. Over the past few days, above my belly button, something bony like an elbow or heel is pressing out. It's not sticking out constantly but when she's moving it moves across my stomach and we can trace the movement with our hand and press against it. Pretty cool but pretty painful sometimes.

I went to the doctors again last week for a slight problem which ended up being fine - but while there she told me I should be drinking 80 - 96 ounces of water a day to avoid the cramping and tightness in my stomach. It's an insane amount and I definitely hadn't been drinking that much. So last week I was chugging water and getting close to 70 ounces...and making close to 70 trips to the bathroom, but I was feeling better. And it definitely makes a difference in how I feel b/c this week I just can't get the water down like I did last week and the tightness and uncomfortableness is back. So I'm trying to drink more b/c i know how incredibly important it is.

It is so nice outside and it is killing me not to be able to go out and take a walk. I can't wait to be able to be active again. I do so much laying around on the couch in the dark (the curtains have to be closed or there's a glare on the tv!) and I really can't stand it. I really feel bad for people in poor health that can't get out, it's no fun.

My lunch time is up. Getting back to work now. My shorter work days are making such a big difference in how I feel and I only have two Saturdays left during busy season and then I'll have the entire weekend. By the time I get home I'm too tired to do anything but we have cupboards and closets that need cleaned out. I'll be able to get more done around the house when I'm working even less. Can't wait.

Happy Easter!!