Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas to all!  I hope everyone has a blessed holiday season. Things are great with us. The boys are almost 12 weeks old!  Daddy is in the middle of a 2 week vacation from work, Big Sister just turned 4!, Mimi and Pop Pop are coming for a 2 week visit in January, and all 3 kids are getting baptized into the Catholic church on Jan 14.  

I'm surviving this infancy! That's what I am most thankful for.  After P was such a challenging refluxy/colicy baby I was sooo fearful about how I'd manage 2.  Luckily (touch wood, touch wood, touch wood) that seems to have bypassed us this time. These babies can actually self soothe!  I call them magic babies!! P never could get herself to sleep at this age, not until she was closer to 9/10 months old. I put these babies down drowsy but awake and 90% of the time they're out!!!  T is still sleeping in a rock n play, J has just been transitioned to the pack n play as I noticed a small flat spot on his head.  Both are bathed at about 9 pm, swaddled tightly, fan on, lights dimmed and nursed.  Then I lie them down and they sleep for 3-4 hours.  Then after feeding again they usually give me a 2.5-3 hour stretch, then I change their diapers and feed them again. By then it's 4am and the rest of the night can be dicey.  Often pacifiers come out, or I take a fussy one into my bed and nurse them side lying while I doze.  We usually get up officially about 6am.  Seriously this is so much better than with P.  

Naps are still all over the place, on the couch, in a RnP, wrapped on my chest, on the activity mat, in their stroller.  Although I am starting to notice a longer more significant nap happening around 9am and around 5pm.  

Speaking of strollers I bought myself a major Christmas present: a Thule Urban Glide 2 double jogging stroller. It is amazing!  I cannot rave enough about it. I'm using it everywhere, unless we are going somewhere quickly and I want them to stay in their car seats.  

Okay, have to go get ready for mass. xxxooo

8 weeks old

Time is flying by! Oh my!

8 weeks old and they decided to roll
Over from back to front today!  They both did it minutes apart...this is extraordinarily early, P was 4.5 months old when she finally got it. Slow down babies!

Things are good here...constant changing diapers, nursing, burping, playing, repeat.  I wouldn't  change it for the world!

The babies are sleeping in Rock n Plays by our bed , last night they went 4 hours between feedings!  Longest ever! After that it was back to every 1.5-2 hours like usual :).

Breastfeeding is going great!  Even better than with P.  With P we dealt with reflux so I was always changing my diet, trying bottles, etc. These guys just nurse on demand.  I also pump once every morning and have over 80 oz frozen!  They've had bottles twice when I've been gone and took them well. Can't ask for more than that!

I don't have much more to say, life is good and busy as it should be :-)

Readmitted

J and T were readmitted yesterday with high bilirubin levels.  T had already done 12 hours of phototherapy during our initial stay, but now both boys need it. T's level was "dangerously high" poor thing.  We've been here 24 hours so far, probably 12 more to go. It's heartbreaking only being able to hold them for 20 mins every 3 hours!   I'm rooming in with them thank goodness.

Breast-feeding is going amazingly well. I have over supply if anything. Both boys cluster fed like crazy on day 2 which I think helped bring my milk in early and strong. Also tandem nursing for whatever reason was very simple for us from the beginning.  I am so lucky for that!  I think having both breasts stimulated so often really helped my supply. I've been pumping once a day for comfort and getting 3 oz so I'm also building a good freezer stash!

Birth Story

Right now it’s Oct 8, we were released from the hospital today and have been home for 3 hours. The boys are napping on a boppy pillow on the couch by Daddy while I put P to bed. I am right now sitting in the rocking chair in her room while she tries to drift off.

So…….

I made it to 35 weeks 1 day.  Not bad!!! I had REALLY wanted to make it past where I was when I had P (35+5) but oh well, got damn close!

Here are the last pics I took of my belly. These was at 35 weeks exactly:

On Saturday (10/3) evening I started having bad cramps. They weren’t contractions, just a steady pain. I took some Tylenol, drank fluids, and took a long bath. Nothing really helped. I slept ok, but noticed the pain every time I went to the bathroom.  Little did I know this was the last night is have as a mother of one!

I woke up Sunday (10/4) with the same cramps, my blood pressure was 148/102, and I had 4 contractions in the first 20 mins I was awake.  I got P to school, then texted my doctor. He told me to go to labor and delivery, they would assess me and call him. DH and I loaded up our bags and headed off.  On the way to the hospital I jokingly said, “10/4 is a cool birthday!”.  

At the L&D wars we got put into a triage bed. They were BUSY, so to put it nicely we were mostly ignored.  They ran a 20 minute contraction and heart rate monitor which showed strong contractions every 6-10 minutes.  The hospitalist on call checked my cervix and it was closed. Blood pressures were 140s/90s.  The dr decided to let me go home. I asked her what I should watch for that would necessitate me coming back in. She said contractions every 5 mins or blood pressure over 140/90.  I told he my pressures had been higher than that all week. She then ordered one more check – 142/94.  She kind of sighed, and said, “I guess we should admit you for observation”.  Okay then. IV started and fluids running.

Followed by 2 hours of literally being ignored.  DH left to pick up P and drop her at our friend's house.  I laid there texting people about how I had to pee and didn’t have a call light. 

 
DH came back and my regular perinatologist got there to check me. He found me to be a fingertip dilated and was more impressed with my contractions. He upgraded me to a “real” admission.  They would give me IV fluids overnight and if I was still contracting in the morning then we would reassess, if not I would be discharged.  

A new nurse, Cate, took over my care.  Thank you God above for sending her right when I needed her.  She told me I was being moved to Room 519.  I told her that  was my birthday and we both agreed that would be lucky. We packed up my bags and started out the door.  She stopped us and apologized, the room wasn’t ready. Since I was up anyway I peed.  When I got back into bed I pointed out to Cate how when I was having a contraction suddenly the left side of my belly was sticking far out, and causing severe pain in my left ribs. She said, “That’s odd.  Try lying on your left side to see if that helps”.  I laid on my left side for about 5 mins, then had to go back on my back for her to hook up the monitors.  As I was rolling I felt a huge gush.  I said “Am I peeing or did my water break?”  She said “I think it’s your water…..” And her face went white.  My heart about stopped. I said “is it blood?”  She wouldn’t answer me, she was too busy hooking the monitors back up.  I widened my legs and yelled at DH “Am I bleeding?”  He nodded.  Care starts yelling “I need help in Assesment arm 1!”.  No one comes. She turns my IV fluids up wide open, then yells at the top of her lungs, “I need help NOW!”   Finally several people flood the room.  This whole time I can just feel the blood flowing out. It was so terrifying, yet I was in some sort of shock which made the whole thing seem like it was happening to someone else.

The anesthesiologist takes my hand and starts asking me questions. He promises me a spinal anesthesia and that I won’t feel a thing.  Yet another new dr comes in and says “so we’ve got an abruption”. Even though I did know it was a placental abruption, actually hearing it scared me. I started crying and I don’t think I stopped till the babies were out.  I just kept thinking back to nursing school, my teacher told us, “Abruptio placentae is the thing that can kill both baby and mom”.  

They wheel me down to the OR, frantically trying to find my dr. He had already headed home.  They are then trying to find the head OB, she’s gone too.  Some other dr is standing over me, scalpel in hand, waiting for permission to start. Finally I yell “I give you permission!!!”.  She laughed, said “Good enough” and began.  Thankfully the spinal is working well, even though it took 3 tries as I kept shaking and crying when the poor guy was trying to insert it. 

Just before Baby A was born DH was brought in. He was holding my hand as we heard, “Baby A is a boy!”.  Loud crying by J.  Amazing. 

30 seconds later we hear, “Baby B is a boy!”. No cry, they tell me he is being resuscitated, that it was his placenta that had detached.  60 seconds later he finally cries, and then amidst laughter we hear “And he’s peeing all over us!”.  That’s our T!! 

J began having some trouble keeping his oxygen levels up and was taken to the NICU for assessment.  T followed a few minutes later.  DH went along with them while I was in the OR being put back together.  My dr finally arrived and took over the procedure. As he is chatting with the other OB, she tells him, “You should’ve seen it, we couldn’t even see Baby B, his sac was full of clots, I’ve never seen anything like it”.  I asked a question and then they stopped talking. I should’ve shut up and I would’ve learned more!

Cate took me to PACU and then to postpartum, where I was eventually reunited with my boys.  The next few days were a whirlwind of breastfeeding (going great!), Bili light therapy for T, respiratory therapy And antibiotics for Mommy, and getting to know our new family members. 

Babies are here!!!!

I was in L&D today having contractions monitored when I had a placental abruption, 15 mins later 2 boys by emergency C section. Feeling great and oh so in love!!! They are now 7 hours old, have both lazily breast fed and are asleep on/next to me. Born at 35+1 weighing 5lbs 11 oz and 5lbs 1oz. More

Details later. Love you all xxxx

33.5 weeks

I cannot believe I am this far along!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weight gained: 49 lbs eeeeeekkkkkkk!

Movement: Goes from insane 3 inches poking out of my abdomen, to very little.  I know they are running out of space.  They have to be there is no more room at the inn!!!!!

Genders: Don't know at all anymore, had been guessing 2 girls, now I am thinking (fearing) maybe 2 boys?  No seriously that would be great, it's just I have a couple friends who the boys in the family are the "rambunctious" ones, cannot imagine 2 toddler boys getting into trouble together :)

Stretch Marks: Yes, a million of them. For a long time it was only a darkening of my previous ones, now there are new ones everywhere, and the old ones are now beet red, one even is seeping some sort of fluid.  And my belly button occasionally bleeds.  THERE IS NO MORE ROOM TO STRETCH OUT BABIES!

Best moment of the week: Ummmmm just the everyday movement, I really love feeling a baby move inside of me, and I imagine this is the last time I get to experience that.

Worst moment of the week: I have another cold and it is making me craaaaabbbbbyyyyyyy.  I can't breathe through my nose at all, I am coughing which sends shooting pains down my lady parts and I feel like I have a fever even though I don't.  I slept last night sitting up breathing out of my mouth for about 3 hours, and peed 4 times during that time.  I feel so rested and refreshed today!  Also P has the same cold so she is whiny and not sleeping well also.

Don't want to sound ungrateful at all, but these last few weeks of a twin pregnancy are just so hard.  Of course I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Here are a few pics of week 33.  Some of you probably saw them on my expat blog:

31+4

Yesterday at 31+4 I had a checkup.  I reported the following "concerns" to my dr: increased swelling in feet, ankles and fingers (mild, but new), blood pressures rising (still ok, but went from 120/80s to 130/88 ish), loose stools, two painful lumps in my left armpit, and more frequent and panful Braxton Hicks contractions.

My dr listened to these concerns, and ordered a urine dip for protein (in the USA this is standard, here they only do it when "medically necessary"), a manual blood pressure, a vaginal ultrasound to check cervical length, and a visit to his colleague - an Oncological Gynecologist.

Urine dip was negative, blood pressure was 130/80, cervix measured long and closed - 3.35 cm (he said "I love your cervix"), and the Gyn I saw did a detailed ultrasound of my armpits and breasts and declared them completely healthy, with some folliculitis from shaving.  I am to not shave or use any deodorant/antiperspirant for 1 week (Oh joy since it's 105 degrees and humid today) and have a follow-up scan with her next week.

Next my dr did a growth ultrasound on the babies.  He declared them completely normal, but I am worried.  Baby A's estimated weight is 3.84 lbs and Baby B's estimated weight is 5.39 lbs.  Since they are fraternal my dr isn't concerned.  From my research (google) it seems Baby A is right at the 50% for twins, Baby B is huge!  I hope everything is ok.  I texted my dr after I came home and voiced my concerns again, and he said when he sees me next week he will do a doppler study of the umbilical cords if it will make me feel better.  Why yes it will, thank you.

So weekly appointments now, wow.  I have been reading a lot of twin blogs lately, especially "twins after IVF", and so many of them seem to deliver around 31-32 weeks.  Crazy.  Many also make it to much later, and I am determined to as well!!!  At this point with P I was on bedrest and feeling awful.  So weird how different this pregnancy is.

Hospital bags are packed, baby clothes are all washed, newborn sensitive diapers and wipes are purchased, breast pump supplies, bottles and pacifiers are all sterilized, changing stations are set up, rock n plays and bouncy seats are empty and waiting.  Eeeeekkkkk!