33 Weeks!

After 10 long weeks of being here & meeting short term goals one by one, we've finally made it to my long term goal of 33 weeks! I'm a little unsure why I chose 33 weeks as the goal initially, but after reading over my journal entries the first week here, I realized it yesterday. What a blessing!

I read that it was going to get harder & harder to gain weight toward the end of a multiple pregnancy, however I guess this rule doesn't apply when you get absolutely no exercise & live for the next meal. I've gained 5 lbs a week for the past 3 weeks in a row! I'm happy about it though, because I know this means the girls are growing as well. I'm sure I'll have no trouble losing the weight after chasing 3 kiddos around very soon! I'll have another sonogram Tuesday to assess growth/weights! Everything has been good the past week, so as of now it's a waiting game. Dr Bradford will take me off Procardia next week & we will see if I start contracting. She won't induce unless the sonogram shows too little amniotic fluid, which would mean that the placenta can't provide enough blood/nutrients for the babies. This sometimes happens toward the end of a multiple pregnancy with one placenta. We shall see!

We are officially moved back into our old house as of this afternoon! Our precious friends gathered their life group to clean our house, paint the nursery & move us in this week. It was such a huge blessing to us during this difficult time, especially now that Cody can't lift anything! We will soon be home with our babies though & I'm so ready!

Here are some pictures of Luke's first Easter egg hunt here at the hospital this weekend. Gigi had the great idea & it was a great memory, even if Luke was a little confused in the process. He was too funny, walking right over the eggs paying more attention to the cars driving past & waving to the people passing by! He knows how to make us smile.

Harris Hospital Beauty Shop

My wonderful friends April, Lindsi & baby Jack Chandler came to spend the day with me here in the hospital. Not only did they come to have girl talk & lots of laughs, but they happily agreed to highlight my desperate hair! It has been over 4 months since I've had my hair done, plus taking prenatal vitamins had increased the speed of the growth. Boy did it need some attention!

We somehow lost the needle that pulls the hair through the cap halfway through the process, so they both finished the job with earring backs & bobby pins! Whey were troupers, very determined to get it done, trading off holding & rocking Jack Chandler throughout the afternoon. Here is April pulling hair through the cap. Notice the GIGANTIC belly (like you can miss it!)

Then, Lindsi blow dried my hair while laying in bed. Didn't know this was a possible feat, but she got it done!

 Here is an "after" picture. Too bad I didn't get a "before" picture, although it was not necessarily something I would be proud to post! After worrying my hair was going to turn out pink, yellow & green, it surprised us when it came out looking quite good! My nurse came in tonight & said I looked like a "California blond" now, but I'll take that as a compliment over the 4 inches of dark brown roots I had hours before! Thanks sweet friends for a fun day full of laughter. I sure did need it! Love you both so much!



32 Weeks & counting

I never thought I'd be posting belly pictures, but I have to say I've never been so proud to show it off! We've almost hit our initial LONG term goal of 33 weeks! And boy are these babies growing!

Well, as most of you know by now, Cody attempted to steal the show this week! It was quite the night to say the least..

Sunday evening I began feeling tinges of pain in my lower back, so the nurse put me on the monitor to check for contractions. Within the hour, I was feeling pressure & contractions in my lower abdomen & back, however they were about 4 minutes apart & somewhat inconsistent. I told Cody to keep his phone on when he went to bed, but didn't really feel like it was the real deal. An hour or so later, the contractions were 2 minutes apart & the nurse recommended that I call Cody & have him come. When I called him, he was on the phone with his boss already, however for different reasons. He was calling in because he thought he had a hernia & was in a lot of pain. He immediately headed to the hospital.

 

When he arrived to the hospital room, he was doubled over in pain, stating he was not going to be able to even walk to the OR if I had the babies. He needed to be seen by a doctor. I can't say I was the most empathetic at that moment, secretly wishing he would "suck it up" & stay for the birth no matter what.. We were also both very concerned because his insurance is a few days from being started with his new company. My tech came in & took him in a wheelchair to the ER, where they immediately triaged him & got him in for a CT scan. He called to let me know they were calling a surgeon to take out his appendix immediately. Guess I should've been a little more empathetic..

 

The doctor gave me some pain medication to hopefully relax me & slow the contractions to hopefully hold of labor until Cody was able to be there. It didn't work right away, but a few hours later they calmed down & became more irregular. The chief of surgery came in at 6 am to let me know that Cody's surgery went well & he would be recovering for the next few hours, but would go home that morning. Sure enough, he was wheeled back into my room about 8 am & slept on the couch in my room until his mom came to get him.

I have to say the next day was quite stressful & I was doubting for the first time in many weeks. Primarily about money & the frustration of being just days away from the insurance kicking in... (I can't lie, I'm also SO tired of being here flat on my back.) However, after talking with many here at the hospital & praying for peace about it, I truly do have a peace. Cody told me the following day that he was the happiest he's ever been in his life. This was puzzling to me, but I am so grateful to have a husband who is strong when I am weak. He repeated all of the positives that have put us where we are today. God has given us two babies that were not supposed to be here 9 weeks ago. HE has provided financially for us in these months when we didn't know how we'd survive. HE's given Cody a job where he feels secure & content. HE's taken care of our child when we didn't know who was going to care for him while I was here. Surely our God can provide for this. This is small stuff in the big picture. Pretty soon we will return home with three healthy children to a nice home with all of our needs provided for. I hate that my nature is to worry. Especially when God's provisions are SO evident.

You Know You're on Bedrest When...

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  The nurses act as if you've won a contest due to being here the longest of the current patients


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  Having a sonogram is the highlight of the week (just to see the outside of the hospital doorway)


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  People/nurses come in & say "wow you look nice with makeup on!" (umm, thanks?)


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  You have to flip the pillows/mattress topper often because you're wearing a groove in them


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  You know who is entering the room by the way they knock (or don't)


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  You know every nurse, custodian, & hostess by name along with many of their personal histories


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  The most exciting daily event is marking another day off the calendar


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  It no longer bothers you to have to pee every hour (just to be able to get out of bed)


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  You've become very picky about detergent b/c it's all you smell (preferably lavender Downy)


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  Your eyebrows cannot be plucked again or there won't be anything left of them

I just had to post something upbeat & off from the usual updates since there's not much else going on around here! It's been a lovely, boring two weeks & for that I am grateful! We will get an update on weights on Saturday & I'll post once we know. Just a week & a half until 32 weeks! I was able to see my girlfriend's twin boys in the NICU today (now 33 wks) & it made me even more excited to see our girls. They were so tiny! I still can't believe there are two in there! Goodnight friends!

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