29 Weeks!

We made it past our first big milestone & are a week away from the big 3-0 weeks! It's been a quiet week thankfully, with little updates around here. The babies have hit a growth spurt for sure, now filling up my tummy with their little legs & bottoms sticking out all over. I do love being pregnant & feeling the closeness with my babies. I'm trying to really cherish this time knowing it's most likely the last time I will feel it. Yes, we have decided our family is perfect & complete with three! I'm getting anxious to meet these little girls, however know that each day in the womb continues to be a huge step in their growth & development & will miss having them safe inside of me.

Thursday I had a sonogram to assess growth & the girls weighed 2.10 lbs & 2.14 lbs! My MFM was surprised, stating that whatever I'm eating is working, because they are weighing in at a week ahead of average. Their weights at birth really impact their risk of problems after birth. Praise the Lord for big babies!!

Cody stayed the weekend with me after a long 80+ hour work week & we enjoyed just spending time together, napping most of our time across the room from one another. Just to have him here is so comforting. He is truly my best friend & I'm so thankful for every moment we have together. We were able to spend quite a bit of time with Luke this weekend too & boy is he changing quick. He's so sweet & just comes up to give me kisses & stroke my face out of no where when playing. It melts my heart. I'm longing for the day when I can rock him again & play with him in his room. Sunday, my doctor gave me "wheelchair privileges" where I'm allowed to go out in a wheelchair for up to an hour a couple times a week! Cody took me on a ride around the hospitals & it was wonderful to say the least! Let me say, we truly take the little things for granted. Fresh air & sunshine was all I needed to improve my spirits & prepare me emotionally for another week. It was pretty hard after the boys left last night, but I just remind myself this is only for a season, & we will all be together soon.

My precious doctor came back from vacation today & let me know she called to check on us every day on her trip, along with praying for us daily. I can't explain what that means to have a doctor that truly cares. Whose job is more than a job, it's a calling. I don't know that she'll ever really know what she means to me & my family.

That's it for last week! Hopefully the next post will be equally as boring! Here's my verse for the day & daily reading. It made me smile!

"I am the Lord, the God of every person on the earth. Nothing is impossible for me." Jer 32:27

We need to hear that God is still in control.

We need to hear that it's not over until he says so.

We need to hear that life's mishaps & tragedies are not a reason to bail out.

They are simply a reason to sit tight.

Week 27 in Review

A little late.. 26 week photo

I've been recovering this week from a semi-tramatic weekend, thus the very late post with lots of updates..

Last Saturday I was having a normal afternoon when I had the most frightening experience I've ever had with my health. I looked up from crocheting with double vision, unable to "uncross my eyes" it seemed. I sat up telling my nurse, who had just finished getting the babies onto the monitor, that I had had a sudden change in vision. Within the next second I felt my blood pressure & pulse rise radidly, pulsating throughout my body like a drum. Grabbing my throbbing head, I loudly announced that she needed to get a doctor, NOW, I thought I was having a stroke. She calmly & quickly took my blood pressure as nurses ran down the hall to my room. As soon as they got me turned onto my side & an oxygen mask on me, the symptoms subsided. The nurses stated that indeed, my BP was extremely high & pulse was racing, but it quickly went back to normal. My vision also returned. Having education in & treating stroke patients, I knew this episode had something to do with my blood pressure & that what had just experienced was not something to ignore. The doctor ordered an EKG of my heart & they did multiple neurologic exams, all coming out normal. We still don't know the cause of what happened.. but everyone is watching my BP & pulse very very closely while on the Procardia medicine.

Before the nurse left the room, I felt a tinge of pain down low that I had never felt before. She reported that I was also having contractions show up on the monitor. She decided to check my cervix to be on the safe side, reporting that I was now dilated to 5 cm & could feel Addison's head. They pulled the wires from the wall & monitor & whisked me to L&D.

Once in L&D, I was put on Magnesium Sulfate to stop the contractions & also help prevent neurologic deficits in the babies. This is a great drug but comes with horrific side effects including a burning sensation throughout the body, intense sweats, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, etc etc. After the events upstairs, I wasn't a bit afraid though, just wanted to prevent labor at all costs.. When the doctor arrived & checked my cervix herself, she stated I was only 3 1/2-4 cm, not the 5 I was told upstairs! With the contractions coming close together, I was still at a high risk of delivering soon. They would keep me on the monitor all night & hope that the mag worked it's magic. The doctor thankfully gave me some pain medication in my IV that knocked me out completely within seconds, giving me a wonderful nights' rest even on mag!

The next morning my contractions subsided & the doctor decided I was safe to return to antipartum. I never thought I'd be happy to return to this place! What a blessing, once again! The rest of the week I've been recovering from the mag, which completely wiped me out. My eyes have been impacted the most, feeling slow & tired most of the time, but that's ok with me as long as we're still here! They also restarted Procardia to keep the contractions at bay. Let's hope it continues to work! Here's my wonderful L&D nurse who even wrote a verse on my board as a constant reminder:)

Thursday I had a sonogram to recheck fluid levels & development. The girls looked great! Fluid levels have slowly begun improving more & more each week. One surprise was the Addison had her hand above her head, which is currently right against my opened cervix. Yes, her hand was sticking THROUGH my cervix! The MFM (maternal fetal medicine specialist) stated that he wanted her to move it before delivery, but wasn't too concerned that this would be a problem at this point & also said he was very pleased with their development looks. Praise the Lord! Tomorrow will be 28 WEEKS!!! I've been quite emotional the past few days, feeling incredibly thankful that God has brought us this far. I never imagined we'd be seeing 28 weeks with a 95% survival rate when we arrived at week 23. Well here we are, & I feel like shouting it from the rooftop!

26.3 Weeks

What a rollercoaster! Goodness, I'm ready to get off this ride.

Yesterday I went in for a sonogram to assess the babies ambilical cords due to some "decelerations" on the monitor showing that Elle's cord is being compressed more often than normal. It has been happening for very short time increments, but the doctors have increased amount of times we monitor the babies each day just to make sure she isn't having decels for any longer time amounts that they aren't seeing. I am so thankful they are thorough! I've also been having increased uterine "activity" so they wanted to make sure this wasn't doing anything to my cervix.

Elle's fluid level was normal-Yay!! and Addison's was the same as last week-still low amount, but good news that it's not decreasing! After assessing the girls, he saw that my cervix looked more open than previously. When he asked if I was very sure that I wasn't having any spotting or anything, I knew he was worried about something. He did a digital examination of my cervix, finding that I am now dilated to 3+ cms. Of course my nerves quickly kicked in & I lost it for the first time in over a week. He ordered the nurse to start an IV, begin Betamethasone booster shots for the girls' lung development & start me on a medication Procardia to hopefully stop the contractions (that I am not even feeling, but are opening my cervix). Once they start this medication you usually don't come off of it until the birth. The nurses worked quickly & within 15 minutes I'd have all the medications & IV fluids started. The monitors showed no change throughout the day, however today my uterine activity & contractions have subsided & Elle hasn't had quite as many decels as she did yesterday. Praise God!

The doctor did prepare me for what labor is most likely going to look like since she said I'm one of those that likes to be in the know! (the doctor's HAVE to be exhausted by my constant questions & needs for explanations of everything) But this helps me so I'm not ashamed! Dr. B said it will most likely be "fast & furious" no matter which way the babies come. They are both still head-down which is wonderful, but if they have to get them out because of decreased heart tones/distress, it will be an emergency c-section. She said it will all happen very quickly & that Cody probably won't even be able to make it in time. This breaks my heart, but at the same time, last week we thought he'd be thousands of miles away right now & God has provided a way for him to work here & can be here within 45 mins or so. At this point, I truly just want the best for my babies & know this isn't going to be a typical birth experience anyway, so I'll take whatever comes gracefully. I told the specialist that I'm determined to be here until at the very least 28 weeks, but am praying for 33! He smiled and said he is hopeful for tomorrow. Oh well, he can be the professional & prepare for the worst, but I'm expecting much more! Another quote from Dr. B today was "when you came in you weren't in the game, now the game is on." She's my cheerleader & I feel so very blessed to have her. She said her family prays for us every night & that she is bringing her little girl to meet me tomorrow. Now there are not many doctor's like that in these busy times!

Have to end with a verse I'm learning to take to heart these days: Be still & know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10.
Be still.. I believe this is the first time in my life I'm obeying

25.3

We finally got some good news yesterday! Of course that's all relative to the situation, however I'll take what I can get.

We went in for a sono to check the amniotic fluid levels of the babies & monitor development due to last week's probable diagnosis of Twin to Twin Transfusion. I had decided not to look at the doctor's face or the monitor during the sonogram today because I've realized he is too hard to read when he's assessing things & makes me nervous every time. He's so good & I have absolute trust in him, however his bedside is nothing to rave about!

He assessed baby A (Addison's) ambilical cord blood flow from the placenta & stated that is was "perfect" (this is the baby presumed to be getting less blood flow resulting in less amniotic fluid). He also reported that her bladder was full & functioning well (it was expected that she start showing signs of dehydration with less blood flow by now). That was my first sigh of relief. Then he checked her fluid level, which was slightly less than last week.

Baby B (Elle) had a normal amount of amniotic fluid today, which last week showed to be slightly high. Usually Dr. T is quick & efficient, however today he studied the monitor & did more assessments than usual. He then explained his findings & said he had good news. The babies are no longer presenting like they have Twin to Twin Transfusion! Instead, he is going to test me for a leak in baby A's amniotic sac. The test for a leak came out negative, which they said was a very good thing. Sometimes a small tear in the sack can result in a slow leak & can eventually repair iteself, which is what we are hopeful has been the case. We will have another sonogram on Thursday to recheck things, however in the meantime there are no changes in treatment. Bestrest for the rest of the pregnancy. And that's just fine with me

We can't thank our family & friends (and those we haven't even met) for the continued prayers on our babies' behalf. I know God is working good through this trial. Someday these girls will have such a beautiful story to tell.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully & wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know this full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139

Week 25!

We have officially have made it to another milestone-25 weeks! I never imagined we'd be excited to have our babies make it to a seemingly small gestation. But I have faith that this is not going to be the last milestone either. Next is 26 weeks, and their survival statistics go way up to 90% up from this week's 70%. I can't believe we came in with a "less than 15% chance of survival" & now we are already to 70%!

This week has been a whirlwind to say the least, with seemingly more bad news day after day. On Monday we finished the injections for the babies' lungs (I'll get another injection next week). On Tuesday, we had a sonogram to see if the medicine they'd been giving me was strengthening my cervix & check dilation. Unfortunately we didn't get the news we were hoping. My cervix is now thinned out completely with 1 cm dilation. I was scared to death.

The doctor has stopped the medicine since it was not working and it is now just a waiting game. Thankfully I have not been having contracctions & no leaking fluids, so that is what they will be keeping a close eye on. If contractions begin, there are medications they will begin to try and stop labor at that point.

We did find out during the sonogram that our baby girls are identical, both sharing the same placenta. The doctor was "very sure" of this (this was the first time we've heard this for certainty) & proceeded to show some concern over one baby having slightly less fluid than the other. I wrote this off as something small since he did not elaborate at that time. I was much more concerned about my cervix & was scared these babies would fall out of me at any moment. The doctor assured me this would not happen and that I am doing the best thing I can at this moment by just staying horizontal. I left the room pretty hysterical.

The next morning the perionatologist came in & wanted to further discuss the sonogram findings. He first told me to promise him "not get on the internet." (He's quickly learned that I want to know as much info as possible & obviously have too much time on my hands) I agreed & he proceeded to tell me that he strongly suspects that our babies have what is called Twin to Twin Transfusion. Evidently he had known this the day prior but decided I was unable to digest all this bad news at once. For this I am thankful! This was the first time that bad news didn't hit me like a ton of bricks. For some reason I have researched & konwn about this diagnosis from the time we learned we were having twins & I'd all the time instinctively felt we were having identical babies. (Twin to Twin Transfusion only occurs in 5-17% of identical twins) We also know a couple that had the same diagnosis given to their girls & they thrived, overcoming all odds. Although this can be a devastating diagnosis, fortunately our babies have just now begun showing signs of it at 24 weeks & have been very close in size up to this point. The day we came in they measured 1.1 & 1.4 lbs. They should have grown approximately 4 oz this week! The doctor will be closely monitoring their growth twice weekly by sonography to make sure they are safe developing inside the womb.

Friday we had a follow up sonogram & everything was the same as Tuesday-No changes! This was the first time I didn't leave his office shaking violently. Praise the Lord!

Today we had a scare as I was on the contraction monitor, simultaneously monitoring the babies heart rates. As I watched, the flat line began jumping up & back down again, showing contractions every minute of so. The nurses quickly came in & brought the doctor who ordered a digital examination of my cervix to check for dilation. Again, I about lost it. I need to make it a few more weeks at Least! Great news~No dilation! There are various reasons for this to happen evidently-not staying hydrated enough, babies growing, stretching of uterus. After drinking a LOT of water, laying down a while & trying to relax, everything settled down. Tonight everything has looked fabulous! Our girls have also had hiccups all day today on & off for the first time. It was glorious! I just know they are growing stronger each day & are going to be our miracle babies. They already are

Hope for a Miracle

As most of you know by now, we are beginning a potentially long stay in the hospital due to preterm labor. Healthy babies, unfortunately living in my incompetent cervix.. Here's the story so far in a nutshell for those of you that are interested in the details of our situation.

Thursday Feb 10: Routine check up, no dilation & everything looked great. I was originally scheduled for a sono this day, however with rescheduling due to last week's snow storm, there was a mix up & no sono was scheduled. Dr B said she wanted one ASAP, but may have to wait until next visit due to their busy schedule. Fortunately, they happened to have an opening right away & got me in. Miracle #1. That was when the first shock was quickly identified. The sono tech stated that he was very sorry but my cervix was extremely thinned & I was having "funneling". My cervix had thinned from 4 cm down to 1.19 cm. Essentially, our baby girls were "falling out" of my cervix because my body could not hold them. Trembling, they walked me back to lay down & wait for my doctor to come in & talk about options. After performing a FFN test (ID's preterm labor within the next 2 weeks) she immediately sent me to Harris Methodist FW for further observation by a Perionatologist. She assured me I would have the best specialist she knows meeting me there & that the two of them will not let us lose these babies today. HOPE
After arriving at the hospital, our results were back from the FFn test-Negative! That's negative for the protein that would tell that I was going into labor in the next 2 weeks. More HOPE. The next sono with the specialist gave us more grave news quickly after this. Following the sono, he sat me up, turned the monitor toward me, & pointed to a new devastating number that my mind could not comprehend- .52 cm "That is the length of your cervix" he said.
After having a spell of almost passing out on the table, he began telling me our options, along with the most current research with situations similiar to mine. We decided on the following treatment plan for the time being, & that is where we are today:
#1 Bedrest for 1 month in hospital (re-evaluate if I remain pregnant that long)
#2 Motrin for 3 days to decrease current uterus irritability
#3 Progesterone suppositories to (hopefully) improve cervix strength
#4 Betamethasone injections (to improve babies' lung development if we make it to 24 wks)

Today, Sunday, we made our first milestone of 24 weeks! That means we received our first beta injections for the babies' lung development. If blessed to wake up pregnant another day, I'll have the last injections tomorrow. So far, so good. And I am confident to be in the very best hands here. Not to mention the flood of texts, emails, calls, & FB messages from those praying fervently for our baby girls. We are eternally grateful & ask that you please continue lifting up these babies. Ok, that's about the extent of the details over the past 4 days. Feeling hopeful & trusting our Savior loves these little girls more than we can even imagine loving them. Either way this journey goes, he is paving a road for His glory. That's about all I do know at this point. But maybe that's enough.

Luke Isaac Duncan

On August 28th, we welcomed Luke Isaac to the world at 1:06 pm. He weighed in at 7 lb. 7 oz, was 19 in long and is absolutely perfect! I realize this post is very late, but I'm sure you all have seen lots of pictures by now and have heard the birth story. Please forgive me for being a little preoccupied:) Luke came quickly and surprisingly easy which was an ENORMOUS blessing. You can read the full birth story on Luke's very own website at LukeIsaacDuncan@shutterfly.com

along with many, many pictures. We are definitely making good use of the new camera! I'm going to be updating the website more than the blog for a while because I'm spending every spare second with sweet Luke while I'm home.

Luke will turn 3 weeks old tomorrow and I feel like I just blinked and time has flown by. I know, I know, it's only been a few weeks, but he's already growing and changing and it's a little bittersweet. I've loved the past nine months and the labor was such an incredible experience, I sometimes find myself wishing I could do it all over again. Of course I wouldn't trade having him here with me for the world though. He is perfect in every way. He has slept very well, eats great, is quiet most of the day (we've only heard his real cry during bathtime) and is the most relaxed baby I've ever seen. He sleeps with his hands over his head and his fists open just like his daddy did. Now that is a relaxed baby! He smiles and almost laughs out loud at times, raises his head and moves it side to side, and stares into our eyes when we talk to him. He absolutely loves his daddy's voice, his eyes widening when he begins talking to him. I think it's all the talking to him while in the womb that Cody did and his deep voice that makes him take notice. Of course he loves his momma too and quiets as soon as I pick him up and rock him. That's something I've always looked forward to with all my babysitting days. A child responds differently to their own parents than anyone else and it's something that changes you in every way. I couldn't ask for more. I sit and stare at him every day, amazed at what the Lord has made. I'm so thankful he has given us Luke to raise and love. Here are a few pictures of our bundle of joy:)

Going Home!!
Snuggling with daddy
Daddy's pretty proud
Working on our feeding~ lots & lots of feeding
Looks like his daddy for sure:)