Bringing a Dream to Life

Sibling Love

2009-08-18T11:17:00.003-05:00

Niki sent me this pic last week. Isn't it adorable? She said they were getting fussy, so she picked them up to console. Kyla quickly settled, but Lucas did not. That's when Kyla reached over and took hold of Lucas' shirt and looked at him directly in the eyes. Niki said she couldn't tell if Kyla was saying, "It'll be okay, Lucas" or "Listen here, bub. Stop that!" LOL Either way, looks like it helped calm him down!

They also had their two month check up on August 11th and here were their stats:

Kyla
weight: 11 lbs (52%)
length: 22.5 inches (51%)
head circumference: 15.25 inches (46%)

Lucas
weight: 12 lbs 13 oz (71%)
length: 23.25 inches (57%)
head circumference: 15.75 inches (48%)

Look at them grow!!!!

My most adorable surro twins

2009-07-27T11:40:00.003-05:00

Hee hee...aren't they adorable!?!? And look how big they're getting!

Our story in pictures

2009-07-24T16:47:00.002-05:00

I made a photo montage for Niki, Nathan, and the twins. It took me quite awhile and I had to keep tissues nearby because I kept tearing up...lol. It's just such a beautiful story with a happy ending...plus I miss them all. Anyway, here's the final product!

http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=91f9b6f9dc7649ca6b97eb&skin_id=1703&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

One month old! (Already?!?!)

2009-07-09T11:17:00.004-05:00

Lucas and Kyla turned a month old yesterday! I can't believe it's already been a month since they came into the world! Nathan and Niki took them for their well child visit yesterday morning. Lucas weighs 9 lbs. 2 oz. and is 21.75 inches long! Kyla is 8 lbs. 1 oz. and 21 inches even! I asked Niki if they're feeding them Miracle Grow...lol. The babies also got their shots. :(

Here's a pic taken yesterday. Could they be any more adorable? I think not.

4th of July weekend visit

2009-07-06T11:30:00.004-05:00

We spent the weekend with Nathan, Niki, Kyla, and Lucas and had a great time! I was able to see a lot of their extended family again and their extended family was able to meet David and my kiddos. We watched fireworks from Nathan's grandmother's backyard, as her house backs up to Southfork Ranch and they had a great fireworks show. Then, yesterday, we ate at Rainforest Cafe. My kids loved it and it was the twins first time to go to a restaurant. I think Nathan only dropped food on Lucas' head once. :)

Kyla and Lucas have both grown a lot, especially Lucas. He's so much heavier than his sister. And Kyla is very dramatic. She's pretty calm and content until she something makes her mad, like having her diaper changed. I honestly have never heard a little baby scream the way she does...lol. What a drama queen! I really enjoyed cuddling with them over the weekend. I'm happy to have had that time with them because we all know it won't be long until they'll push everyone away and only let very few cuddle...lol.

Here are some pics from our visit:

Sheridyn petting Chili

Trenton playing Rock Band

Kyrsten holding Kyla

David rockin' to Rock Band while I cuddle Lucas in the background.

Me and Lucas

Nathan, Niki and their babies, along with my kiddos at Rainforest Cafe

Niki snapped a pic of Kyla and me trying to get our beauty sleep

They don't quite fit in my lap like they did 4 weeks ago...lol.

Lucas is on the left, Kyla is on the right. Aren't they precious?

Happy Due Date Day!

2009-07-02T23:10:00.002-05:00

Yep, today is the day the babies were due! Hard to believe they're here and 3 weeks old already...yet I can't imagine that I should've been pregnant up until today either!

They had an appointment with the orthopedist for Lucas' arm today and he said he's healing just fine! What a relief! Niki also said the babies have their own distinct personalities. I can't wait to see for myself...and I'll get the chance this weekend! I'm so excited! :)

More pics and an update

2009-06-25T16:44:00.006-05:00

Here are some more pics of the big day!

This is what it's all about! The happy family's first picture together!

Sweet Kyla sleeping...

Precious Lucas holding on to his daddy...

Sleeping beauty

Poor Lucas with his cast

Lucas' x-ray :(

Lucas is doing better. They removed his cast last week and he's in a sling. However, Niki says the sling doesn't work well on a baby, so they often just swaddle him tightly and he's happy with that. :) He goes back on July 2nd (their due date) to be re-evaluated. He is also 1 oz over his birth weight and Kyla is now up 4 oz!

We will be visiting Nathan, Niki, Kyla and Lucas next weekend for the 4th of July! I can't wait to see them all again! I'm sure I'll have more pics to share. :)

As for me, I'm doing much better. My energy is coming back finally and I feel like me again. :) I have lost 40 pounds since the day the babies were born, which puts me at 21 pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight. I've also gone from a size 14 to a size 10, so I'm happy...lol.

Here's a pic of me that was taken today:

Happy birthday, Kyla and Lucas!!!!

2009-06-11T15:25:00.009-05:00

Welcome to the world, little ones!!!!

Lucas on left, Kyla on right

Kyla Rose was born 6/8/09 at 10:59 am, weighing 6 lbs, 2 oz and was 19.5"!
Lucas Grey was born 6/8/09 at 11:04 am, weighing 6 lbs, 13 oz and was 20.5"!

Well I'll write as much as I recall. It seems I've forgotten bits and pieces here and there and some things are coming back as others remind me of things that happened. I also didn't get very many pics on my camera, but Niki promised to email me the ones she has just as soon as she gets a chance. :)

Last belly pic, taken 6/8/09 at 36 weeks, 4 days

I know the nurse checked me again Monday morning and I was still at a 6. Dr. K came in shortly after (I think about 8:15) and broke Kyla's bag of water. He also ordered a low dose of Pitocin. The nurse started it at a level of 4 and I could feel the contractions picking up. I was doing OK with them and kept wondering when they'd start hurting more. I was in pain, but it wasn't like I remembered from previous labors. I was determined to do this unmedicated and as natural as possible and it was beginning to become a reality! I'm not sure when, but sometime the level of Pitocin was upped to 6 and that seemed to get things really moving. Niki had left the room to pump. Not long after she left, I was feeling lots more pressure. The nurse came and checked and I was an 8. The nurse didn't know when to take me to the OR. (Dr. K insisted on delivering in there "just in case".) I assured her it was time because I tend to go fast. Before I knew it, the urge to push was there. Niki had made it back and I was just glad everyone was there. The nurse kept telling me to pant and all I wanted to do was push. I was being rolled down the hall and into the OR. I remember the nurse checking me again once we were in the OR and telling me I was completely dilated. They helped me get onto the surgical table and that was the most uncomfortable place to deliver a baby (or two) ever! Dr. K came in and told me I could finally push. Kyla was a very easy delivery. She came out and Dr. K placed her on my belly. I looked at her and she was crying and I was so relieved. I wanted to hand her over to her mommy, but there were too many things and people between us. I vaguely remember Nathan cutting her cord and the nurses took her from me to be cleaned up. I kept trying to see Niki and Nathan's expressions, but it was hard with all the activity. Plus my job still wasn't done...

So I figured the second baby would be a breeze to deliver. He should've just slid down and popped right out, right? Ha!

I remember asking Dr. K if the next one was in position and I remember him answering that he was checking. About that time, I felt the bag of water break and an immense amount of pain. Dr. K had reached up to internally turn Lucas. I was screaming and Dr. K was yelling at me to gain some control. But yeah, there is no control for that. He had warned me before that he may have to do that, but he assured me it wouldn't hurt more than when he had to manually remove part of the placenta from my last delivery. (He lied. It hurt a LOT more!) Dr. K was having trouble getting Lucas to come head down. I had so many thoughts running through my head. I was screaming for him to stop, to just put me out, and to just take the baby. (I was ready for a c-section, if he needed to.) David was at the head of my bed and I had a hold of his t-shirt sleeves and was pulling as hard as I could. Although I was aware of my actions, I had no control over them. I heard Dr. K order the anesthesiologist to give me something and I just kept waiting to be put out or to pass out from the amount of pain I was in. But, before I knew it, there was another little baby laying on my belly. Dr. K had pulled him out feet first. Lucas wasn't crying and I was terrified. His eyes were open though and we just stared at each other. I think both of us were in shock and traumatized. I remember Dr. K telling the nurses to just take him, as he still wasn't crying. As soon as they were ready to give him some oxygen though, he let out a good healthy cry. I was so relieved....yet tired and ready to sleep...lol.

I know Niki came over to check on me after the deliveries, but I just wanted her to be with her babies. I felt so bad that they witnessed all that. While I know it was the best day of their lives and they were able to see their babies come into the world, I feel bad that it was so dramatic and scary for them. Niki and I had always been in agreement from day 1 that this would be an attempted unmedicated birth...and it was. We did it, but it wasn't quite as "peaceful" as we had hoped.

Well after the babies were born, I delivered the placenta and was rolled back to my room. Niki and Nathan went with their babies to the nurseries. Dr. K said he felt a pop when he was trying to get Lucas out and he suggested an orthopedist take a look at his arm. Unfortunately, Lucas' right humerus was broken. He was kept in NICU for awhile because of that and because his blood sugar was a bit low, but was released to be with his sister by that night.

Once I got back to my room, the drama didn't stop. The nurse kept pushing on my belly, trying to control the bleeding. But, apparently, it wasn't stopping. I begged her not to push anymore because the pain was too much. I just couldn't take anymore. I was done. Suddenly, there were tons of people back in the room and Dr. K was being called back. He was sure it was probably a piece of retained placenta. He suggested a suction D&C. The anesthesiologist came back to talk to me about the procedure. I wasn't too fond of the idea after all I had just been through, so I tried to come up with alternatives (like waiting until the following day...lol). Obviously, that wasn't an option. So I was wheeled back to the OR again...

I woke up over 2 hours later and felt the breathing tube being pulled from my mouth. I immediately asked for my husband and a nurse went to get him. I was told everything went well and everyone was fine. And for that, I was/am extremely grateful.

Honestly, I was "out of it" the rest of Monday and most of Tuesday. I remember having some visitors and I remember visiting with Niki, Nathan, and the babies. Dr. K monitored my levels and decided against giving me some blood. He ordered iron for me and I feel like I'm improving a little more each day. I was finally released from the hospital yesterday, as were the babies.

My feet, hands, legs, arms, face...just about everything...is very swollen. I have never seen my body retain fluid like this before. Usually, I pop a baby out and go right back to myself...but not this time. Honestly, the hardest part for me is not being able to be fully self-dependent...lol. After "taking it easy" for so long during the pregnancy, I was ready to be back to myself once they were born. Hopefully, it won't take too much longer!

Even knowing the way it all goes now, I would still do it all over again. This journey has not only brought two more beautiful babies into this world, but given me friendships that I probably would not have found otherwise.

Niki and Nathan, thank you for trusting me with your precious babies. Thank you for being more than just "intended parents" and thank you for sharing your babies with my family for 8 fabulous months. Thank you for letting us share this joy with you.

Kyla and Lucas, thank you for allowing me to finish my second semester of nursing school. Thank you for keeping me company daily for all those weeks and reminding me you were there with your hiccups, kicks, and turns. Thank you for continually reminding me that things happen on your terms and not mine...lol. Thank you, Kyla, for coming out so easy and thank you, Lucas, for letting me keep my rib. You are both precious and I am so happy I was the one able to help bring you into your parents' lives.

Nathan, LaDonna holding Lucas, and Niki holding Kyla

The time is finally upon us...

2009-06-08T05:59:00.004-05:00

Well we've had quite a weekend. Niki arrived Friday night to stay until her babies are born. On Saturday, I noticed I could breathe a little easier and Lucas didn't seem to be up in my rib as much. We were pretty sure the babies had dropped! Niki treated my girls and I to a pedicure. We all really enjoyed that (I had never had one before) and now all our toes look beautiful! Saturday evening, Niki and I went for a walk around the block. Contractions were picking up some. Mostly, I just had a horrible backache though. Niki and I decided to go ahead and go to L&D just to be safe. She called Nathan and he headed up as well. The nurse checked me and, lo and behold, I was already dilated to a 4! Nathan arrived before long and I was just so glad they were both here. Before I knew it, everyone else was here to join us too. After a few hours of no progress, I convinced my mom to take my kids back home (it was 2 am) and my dad, stepmom, and brother to head home. Nathan's mom, brother, and sister arrived from Texas a little later and ended up getting a hotel room. By morning, I was only dilated to a 6. We walked the hospital halls, trying to get the contractions to pick up...but no luck. Dr. K wasn't on call this weekend and the on call dr was not willing to attempt an unmedicated vaginal twin delivery. So poor Dr. K was waiting around at home on me to do something. He finally gave us the choice to either go home, get some rest and some food, and wait to see what happens. Or I could try some Pitocin. Well since I was exhausted and starving, and because I'd like to try to go natural as possible, we opted to go home. I felt bad because Nathan's mom and family headed home to Texas and I felt like I let everyone down. Once I got home, I ate and took quite a long nap. I even got in a shower! Then, Niki, Nathan, and I walked around the block a couple more times. Things hadn't seemed to change much, so Niki suggested I try pumping. (Nipple stimulation will bring on uterine contractions.) I tried pumping and the contractions were starting to hurt. (I was also getting colostrum!) We all headed back to the hospital. David's mom came and picked up my kids. The nurse came and checked and I was still only a 6. No change?!?! Ugh. Well since it was so late (after 9 pm), Dr. K suggested we all get a good night's rest and see what happens overnight. If nothing, we can try some Pitocin in the morning. Niki and Nathan were able to get their own room and David slept on the couch in my room. I had a rough night sleeping. The hospital beds just aren't comfy...especially for a twin pregnant belly. I woke up for good around 5:30 am and decided to brush my teeth and put on a little make up. (I'm sure the make up will be gone and/or smeared by the time the day is over, but I figured I'd look my best to at least start out the big day...lol.)

So, here it is a little after 6, and I'm wide awake. I'm very nervous about today. I know I've done this before, but not with two babies. I just keep praying that God keeps the three of us safe through all of this. Mostly, I just seem to be scared of the pain. If it's already taken me this long to get this far, how long will it take me to be complete and push them out? I am having quite a few contractions as I sit here, but nothing too severe. Maybe the nurse will come in to check me and I'll be an 8? Ha! I wish! Well I'm beginning to ramble, so I guess I'll wrap this up.

This will be the last post I write pregnant. This pregnancy has introduced me to many things. There have been some very difficult times and there have been many more joyous times. I don't regret any of it for one moment and would choose to do it all over again. Kyla and Lucas have kept me company for months now and it's finally time for them to meet their mommy and daddy. As ready as I am for them to be here, it's still hard to believe it's time for me to hand them over. Thanks for the journey, little ones! I will always have a special place for both of you in my heart. Today is the day you leave my womb to join your mommy and daddy and make them a family. They've waited for you long enough!

36 weeks!!!! YAY!!!!

2009-06-04T19:37:00.004-05:00

Well I can't believe we made it this far, but it sure is a blessing! :)

I went to the chiropractor today and I explained to him that the OB is wanting to induce soon if the babies don't come on their own before then. I explained how I felt about that and the chiro was 100% on board with me. He agreed to try acupressure to see if it would help get things going. He said my body is more out of aligment than normal, which indicates there's a lot of Relaxin (a hormone that helps initiate labor). If the acupressure doesn't help me deliver this weekend, he said we can try acupuncture on Monday. If my body is ready, then it will happen. If it's not, then it won't. Works for me!

Well here's yet another belly pic! 36 weeks! :)

OB appointment update

2009-06-01T13:36:00.003-05:00

I saw Dr. K today and he did the Group B Strep test. I asked him to check for dilation too and I'm NOT dilated AT ALL! I'm really surprised because I had a few contractions wake me up during the night. Anyway, he said he'll induce when we hit 37 weeks. I'm not sure how I feel about that. As many know, I'm anti-interventions. However, Lucas is up in my rib and the pain has literally brought me to tears a time or two. I'm hoping he moves so I can deal better and then the twins will just choose their own birthday. If the babies have not come by this Sunday, Niki said she'll be coming up to stay until they arrive! :)

Dr. K told me to stop taking the terbutaline today! (Woo hoo!) And it seems we're still in agreement on our wishes for a natural delivery! (BIG WOO HOO!)

I'm still amazed how each pregnancy is so different. All my babies came early. I expected my last surrobaby to be early too, but we induced on her due date. And we just assumed twins would come early, but they're staying put so far...

Entering...The Twilight Zone

2009-05-31T10:13:00.003-05:00

I must confess that I'm probably not as miserable as many might think I would be. Honestly, since my school let out and I've been able to rest at home, I'm feeling pretty good overall. But the past few nights have been really rough. Lucas was in my rib for a long time. Then he moved and it seemed to feel better. But 2 or 3 nights ago, he seemed to move back. I can't get comfortable at night and the rib hurts so bad, I want to cry. It's agonizing getting in and out of bed to go to the bathroom. I'm hoping maybe he moved head down again; then at least some good will have come from him moving again!

I've also noticed I have been sleeping SO much! I'm sleeping an average of 9.5 hours a night. (Of course, that doesn't count the endless times I wake up to go potty or reposition myself.) Then, yesterday afternoon, I fell asleep on the couch and took quite a long nap. This is very unusual for me. I realize I am growing two babies and carrying around some extra weight, but I have never slept like this with past pregnancies. A friend suggested it's my body preparing itself for labor. Perhaps, but I hope it's not going to last so long that I need THIS much energy! LOL

Well tomorrow is June! Looks like these babies may be June bugs! We're about to enter the 9th month. For those that know me well, it is time to avoid me until delivery. For those that don't know me as well, please don't take anything I say personal. Past experiences prove I am not an enjoyable person to be around the last few weeks of pregnancy. And as much as I realize it, I can't seem to control it. Hormones will fly. But sweet little me will be back...just as soon as two sweet little babies decide to make their way into this world. :)

Getting anxious

2009-05-30T19:53:00.002-05:00

I know we're all getting a bit anxious to meet these precious ones. LD is probably the most anxious of all, since she feels she's as big as a house (but I think she looks fabulous!). People are always saying stuff like "When are those babies going to get here?" and all I can say is "When they get here! They haven't let us in on their plans."

Nathan and I were talking the other day and both feel the same way. We're really ready for the waiting for their birth day to arrive, but at the same time, we're not sure if we're ready to be parents. Is anyone ever ready???

That's another question I get constantly: "Do you have everything ready yet?" Standard answer: "If they come today, we'd be okay. But that doesn't mean that everything is done. I don't think that will ever happen!"

Ooh! And the question I hate most: "Aren't you glad you don't have to be the one carrying all that baby around?" or "Aren't you glad you get to sleep through the night for now?" Ugh! First version: "No. I'd trade it in an instant." (people just don't get it, do they?) Second version: "Are you kidding? I haven't gotten to sleep through the night the past 4 months! I'm inducing lactation and have to pump at night." :P

I know they all mean well and our situation is a bit different to everyone. I don't really mind answering the questions, because I figure it's just their way of trying to feel involved. But sometimes I wish people would think a little bit before they speak. ;)

35 weeks!

2009-05-28T23:36:00.001-05:00

For the past few weeks, I've wondered if that will be the last belly pic we take. I bet the babies will look better in the pics than I do, but I guess they're a bit camera shy.

Please look past the stretch marks...lol.

Our final ultrasound

2009-05-27T21:36:00.005-05:00

Niki and Nathan came up for our final ultrasound today. We're 34 weeks, 6 days and the babies look great! The guesstimate is that both babies are about 5 and a half pounds each. (Wow! That's 11 pounds of baby!) Kyla is still head down; however, Lucas is now transverse (sideways). Dr. K says he wants to talk at my appointment on Monday and that makes me nervous...but, honestly, there's nothing to talk about. I'm assuming he's going to try to convince me of a c-section, but I could be wrong. Unless there's an emergency or a danger to me or the babies though, we will be delivering vaginally.

My cervix is measuring 3.1 cm, so that's awesome! I could easily be pregnant for another week or two. Then, again, with this being pregnancy #5 and it being twins, I could deliver anytime too. So, for now, we just wait...

Here's a pic of me with Niki and Nathan today. Hard to believe this was probably the last time I'll see them before the big day!

Game On...Game Off...No, on...No, off...ah, who knows?

2009-05-21T14:42:00.003-05:00

Yesterday started off great! I felt wonderful. I showered and tidied up the shower while I was in there. When I got out, I felt great and wanted to do more cleaning, but refrained. However, feeling so wonderful didn't last long. Lunchtime was coming, so I grabbed some lunch. But I wasn't feeling too well and I couldn't eat more than a couple of bites. Nausea had suddenly set in. I laid on the couch for only a second, when I knew I was going to get sick. Unfortunately, I got really sick...really, really, REALLY sick. And it wouldn't stop. Contractions then started. David was called and he left work to come take care of me. I had finally stopped vomiting by the time he was home, but I was still not feeling well and I was still contracting. He took me to L&D yet again.

They monitored me and I was having contractions about every 8 minutes, but they weren't too intense. They gave me a bag of IV fluids, some Zofran through the IV, and a shot of Brethine. Once the contractions subsided, they sent me home.

The nausea and contractions are still coming in waves, but are not as intense. Just when I think the contractions are bad enough to go in, they either stop or slow back down. These babies are going to keep us guessing until the very end, I guess. Wish they'd clue us in on their plans!

34 weeks!

Watched pot or ticking time bomb?

2009-05-19T09:51:00.003-05:00

I had another appointment with Dr. K yesterday and everything seems to be going perfectly. He said he lets labor go at 36 weeks, but he won't be too aggressive in stopping it once we hit 34 weeks. That's in 2 more days!

I also had another NST yesterday and Kyla had the hiccups. It was so funny because they were loud coming through the monitor. I apparently have an "irritable uterus", but the babies look great and there were no major contractions to worry about.

I go back for another OB appointment and NST a week from today. Then Niki and Nathan will be here the following day for the final u/s.

I dropped off a copy of our pre-birth order, as well as our birth plan, to the social worker at the hospital yesterday. I think we have everything in order!

I don't feel like the babies are coming anytime real soon. I think we have another a week or two at least. But what do I know? It's not like I have a say...lol.

Won't be too much longer...

2009-05-15T17:26:00.005-05:00

Well we're still pregnant! :) We hit 33 weeks yesterday and we're hoping for a few more weeks at least. Time is flying by and I can't believe how fast the big day is coming up. I'm so excited, yet scared to death too...lol.

I've been "taking it easy" for a few weeks now and my days are starting to just run together. The highlight of my week is going to my appointments...lol. I'm seeing the chiro twice a week, the OB once a week, and we just started the weekly non-stress tests (NSTs) this week also. We have one final u/s scheduled for 5/27 and Niki and Nathan plan to come up for that.

At my appointment this past Monday, I gave Dr. K the birth plan to look over and he approved and signed it. I also talked with the social worker at the hospital on Tuesday and she said she's made sure everyone is aware of our situation. My hospital bag is packed. Looks like we're ready when the babies are!

Here's the most recent belly pic, taken yesterday at 33 weeks.

Keeping my legs crossed

2009-05-07T22:10:00.005-05:00

So I end up in L&D last night. I was having a few contractions here and there and Dr. K suggested I go in to be monitored. Apparently, I was having more contractions than I was feeling. They decide to give me a shot of Brethine to help stop them. They also put in an IV (that took 4 attempts) to give me some fluids and an antibiotic (to make sure my UTI I had last week was really gone). I thought the Brethine was helping, but apparently I was still contracting and not knowing it. So they give me another shot of Brethine. Finally, they end up checking for dilation and I was not dilated at all. Thank goodness! I was sent home and told to follow up with my already scheduled appointment on Monday. Guess we'll see what he says then...

Hopefully the babies will cooperate and stay put for another 4-5 weeks. We're 32 weeks today!

Here's the scary, blinding pic. ;)

And here's what I see when I look down...lol.

It's May Day!

2009-05-01T10:50:00.006-05:00

WOW...it's May! The babies will either be born this month or next (hopefully next)! I can't believe how time has flown.

I saw Dr. K this past Monday and we're still doing well. He checked for dilation and we're not dilated at all! YAY! I have lost some weight (I've had a virus, I think) and I'm now only 4 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight. I hate going the wrong way!

Then, last night, I woke up at 1 am and was in quite a bit of pain. I was pretty sure it was a UTI. It started to radiate to my kidneys though and the pain was getting worse. Finally, at 3, I woke up David and we headed up to the hospital. They fixed me up and I'm feeling a little better now. However, David's at work and I need to be studying for my final and we're both exhausted. Apparently, it wasn't noted that he and I do NOT need the extra practice for getting up in the middle of the night when the babies come...lol.

Here's this week's belly pic, taken yesterday at 31 weeks!

Holy big belly, Batman!

2009-04-23T22:51:00.004-05:00

We're 30 weeks today! Wow! Not much longer to go...

Getting bigger...

Yikes! Blinding, huh?

PBO done!

2009-04-21T18:55:00.002-05:00

Today I got a text from LD that the PBO has been signed by the judge and is being filed with the court! :D

For those of you who don't know, the PBO (Pre Birth Order) is the document that is filed with the court that says N and I are the biological parents and we will go on the birth certificates. I guess now that it's done I'm officially the mom in the eyes of the law! :D

Roller coaster of emotions!

2009-04-16T20:43:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I had another ultrasound to check on the babies. They are doing well. Kyla was measuring a few days ahead and approximately 3 pounds. Lucas was measuring about a week a head and approximately 3.5 pounds. However, we were told the upper part of my cervix had begun to open and my cervix was thinning. I was put on terbutaline to relax my uterus and hopefully prevent contractions. I was also given 2 steroid shots, one yesterday and one today, to help the babies' lungs mature. Needless to say, this news worried us all.

However, we went to a perinatologist today for a fetal echo and we also got a closer look at my cervix. He thinks my cervix looks fine for where we are in the pregnancy! He also said the babies look wonderful and are growing very well. They're still measuring either right on track or slightly ahead. He estimated Kyla to be 3 pounds, 5 ounces and Lucas to be 3 pounds, 4 ounces. And neither baby showed any signs of any heart defects or any problems whatsoever. Niki had been worried that she would pass on her heart problems to the babies, but they look absolutely perfect! :) Oh...and we all got quite a kick of Kyla putting her feet in Lucas' face. Not sure if she was kicking him or making him smell her feet, but it was funny. I have to admit I feel sorry for them though...they're running out of room fast!

As for now, I will continue the terbutaline as my OB prescribed. It's making me extremely shaky and it makes my heart race, but it's worth it if it keeps these babies in awhile longer. I go back on Monday morning to see Dr. K, so we'll see what he says once he reviews the peri's report.

Hopefully these babies stay put for another 7-8 weeks at least!

Countdown

2009-04-12T19:25:00.003-05:00

Yes, we still have a couple of months left before we meet our babies. But the countdown is on, and it feels like we may not get everything done before they arrive.

Things left to do:

Paint the nursery (we bought paint this weekend, and finally got the couch moved, but still need to clean a bit more before painting).
Make curtains, blankets, wall decorations, etc. to accessorize the nursery.
Put together the crib and other furniture.
Find and purchase a dresser/changing table (we want a combo, to save space).
Organize and put away all of these gifts from friends and family (right now they are piled in our living room and breakfast nook).
Prepare for our BBQ Party (our last hurrah before adding babies to the mix).
Host our BBQ Party.
Video Race (this is scheduled for Memorial day weekend. It's an annual event that we've never missed. Hopefully we get to participate this year).
Pack for the delivery (we'll need to have stuff ready if we happen to get a call saying "Come now!").
Thoroughly clean/scrub/vacuum our house (we live like pigs. Seriously.)
Collapse from exhaustion, since it's the last time we'll get to collapse. Ever.

Looking at our task list (which I'm sure I left lots of stuff off, but it's already intimidating enough) and the number of days we have that we won't be at work is making our heads spin. Will we get it done? Especially since Nathan has set the goal of having the babies' room done by our BBQ party, which is only two weeks away! YIKES!!!

12 weeks (probably less) to grow...errrr...go

2009-04-10T19:24:00.006-05:00

We had the 28 week OB appointment yesterday. Both babies' heartbeats were nice and strong and everything was great. My blood pressure was 110/70 and I'm now 6.5 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight. I'm supposed to go in for another u/s on Wednesday, but we'll have to see if I can make it since I have clinicals that day. Hopefully I can make it work. We also have the fetal echo on Thursday and Niki and Nathan will be here for that!

I've been feeling much better the past few days and I think I can thank the iron pills for that. However, my back and ribs are hurting more with each day. The chiro is doing what he can, but the babies are just getting bigger (which is good...for them anyway...lol). The braxton hicks are picking up, but I can usually get them to stop if I lay down and drink some water.

I'm getting more excited. I have a feeling the next few weeks will fly by!

28 weeks!

Third trimester is here! :)

2009-04-02T15:08:00.002-06:00

Well after having a few dizziness episodes and being ignored by 2 hospitals, I finally convinced Dr. K to let me do my lab work a little early. When this all started, I thought it was my blood sugar. I later decided it's gotta be anemia. (I was anemic with my last pregnancy.) Well they finally tested me Tuesday and I was right. I'm anemic and I started my prescription iron pills today. I'm just so glad to know what's going on and I'm praying the pills help to stop the dizziness. Oh...and I passed my glucose test!

I've been going to the chiropractor and he's been such a blessing. Apparently, Kyla is so low that she's causing my pelvic pain. And Lucas is so high up, he's moving one of my lower ribs. (OW!) I can only imagine what will happen as they continue to grow...lol. I'm not 100% sure, but there should be about 5 pounds of baby altogether in my womb now. That's amazing to me considering my first child was 5 pounds even at birth...lol.

Today also marks the start of the 3rd trimester for us! I can't believe we're getting so close!

How big can we grow?!?!

2009-03-29T21:07:00.005-06:00

I'm huge. Here is a pic of me today at 26 weeks, 3 days with the dynamic duo (orange shirt) and a pic of me at 40 weeks (the due date) with my last surro baby (one baby girl). WOW!!!!

My sappy, emotional, hormonal revelation

2009-03-28T19:21:00.004-06:00

Wow, it's just amazing. I've been pregnant for awhile now. I've cared about these babies from day 1. But now that I've seen them in 3D/4D, I'm just blown away. There are REALLY two babies in my womb! I know this pregnancy hasn't been easy by any means, but seeing those pics make it even more worth while. I feel more protective of these kiddos now. No, I don't want them. I love them, but only as a surrogate should. I'm very excited about being a part of their lives. And I know the day of their births will be a day of celebration. It will be bittersweet...as my days of caring for them will be complete, yet their mommy and daddy will be just beginning their life journey with their dreams come true. Surrogacy is a beautiful thing and I feel so blessed to have been chosen to be part of this miracle.

Strike a pose!

2009-03-27T21:16:00.004-06:00

So I saw Dr. K again yesterday. I've had so much pressure, I just knew he was going to tell me I was on bedrest from here on. But nope...all is well! He did the fetal fibronectin test, which helps determine if it's likely labor will start within the next 2 weeks. They said they'd call if it was positive and, of course, we're praying for it to be negative. So far, so good...I haven't heard from them! He'll be doing this test at my appointments every 2 weeks for awhile. My blood pressure was 110/60 and I'm finally starting to gain some weight. We scheduled the fetal echo for April 16th and I will be going for my glucose tolerance test and other bloodwork before my next appointment on 4/9. :)

I also had the 4D ultrasound repeated today. The babies cooperated a little bit better. We got quite a few pics of Lucas, but Kyla is so low (hence the pressure) that it was hard to get many of her. She is quite active though and was throwing her head back and kicking like crazy. Lucas had his bottom in her face...lol. That's right...he's breach now! He has time to turn still and, even if he doesn't, it's no biggie. As long as she's head down, we should be good to go with a vaginal delivery.

Lucas is on top, Kyla is on bottom. Aren't they precious?!?!

100 days...

2009-03-24T15:49:00.001-06:00

We have 100 days until the due date! (However, I have a feeling these little ones will be here before then.) Wow...this pregnancy is flying by!!!!

Baby Shower and 4D Ultrasound (take 1)

2009-03-19T14:48:00.008-06:00

Sunday, I flew down for the baby shower. I had such a great time seeing all the babies' friends and family. I felt like I fit right in, even though I either hadn't met quite a few people or had only met them once or twice before. The babies got so many things and I think Niki and Nathan are almost set. The family was so thoughtful and bought me a few things too. I was shocked, as it was supposed to be Niki's day...but I am very grateful and appreciative.

Yesterday, Niki and Nathan came up for a 4D ultrasound. Unfortunately, the babies had plans of their own and decided to play a game of peek-a-boo and hide-and-seek. We caught glimpses of Lucas, but his cord was in front of his face and he kept his little hand up by his cheek. Kyla was hiding, yet she was so very active. We couldn't really see her face at all. So, we're going to try again on the 27th of March. Maybe (hopefully) they'll be a bit more cooperative then.

Here's Niki, Nathan, and me just before they left to go home.

We're 25 weeks today! I can't believe we're so close to the 3rd trimester already! Guess it's about time to start a new poll...

(There's a poll in the upper right hand corner of this blog. There's a bigger one at www.twins4nandn.babypool.com . Please go take a guess!)

Viability!

2009-03-12T21:26:00.006-06:00

We're 24 weeks today! Not that we're expecting or wanting the twins to come anytime soon; but if they did (God forbid), they'd have a chance of surviving! Today is a major milestone!

It's obvious the babies are growing well. Take a look for yourself! ACK!

Yes, it's real. See?

The pressure is on...or low...or something.

2009-03-09T19:52:00.003-06:00

Well, as Niki posted, we had quite the surprise last week at the u/s! I think it's been a welcome surprise though and I love that I can now call these little ones by their names!

I've been having a tough time, but I'm hanging in there. I almost passed out again this morning in class. (Yes, this has happened in the past.) I missed the test I studied all weekend for, but obviously the teachers were very understanding and said I can finish it later. They insisted I get checked out and bring a release back before clinicals on Wednesday. So I did and they (the nurses and the doc) think it's just the pressure from the babies lowering my blood pressure and keeping blood from getting to my brain. I'm still not 100% convinced it's not partially my blood sugar, but I'll talk to Dr. K more about that Thursday at my appt. They said there's nothing I can really do about it, but the nurse suggested standing up or changing positions every 30 minutes or so. Normally, that's not an issue, but it might be kinda hard to do during lecture. Guess I'll just have to take more breaks. ;)

I have cut pretty much everything from my life, with the exception of school, my family, and the pregnancy, but I know that's still a lot. David and the kids have been pretty good about letting me sit on my butt when I'm at home and save my energy for school. I'm trying so hard to make it through this semester. Part of me wishes I could just give up, but I'm already half way there. It's one thing if the dr says I HAVE to, but I'll be so angry at myself if I just do it on my own. My dr says I'm doing just fine though and that I just have to adjust to the uncomfortableness of twins. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...lol. :)

On the upside, I've been feeling these babies move a lot...so at least I know they're doing well. I feel like I whine so much that I must appear very unhappy, but I really am happy. It's great to know the babies are thriving! And seeing Niki's and Nathan's expressions at the ultrasounds and reading their posts make me smile ear to ear. :D

Change of plans

2009-03-05T21:52:00.006-06:00

Yesterday was our Level II u/s. It was so exciting to see our babies on the screen again. They look like real babies! LOL About halfway through the process, though, we got a surprise. It seems that Baby 2, the one that was a bit shy last time, is actually a boy! :-) So it looks like we're going to get one of each. :-)

Baby Boy- Lucas Grey (?)

Baby Girl- Kyla Rose

Ugh! No luck

2009-03-01T13:18:00.002-06:00

The consignment sale had a few double strollers, but none I liked. The one that I might have considered was broken in a couple of spots and there's no way I'm going to settle for a broken stroller just because it's $75.

My MIL bought a couple of puzzles and a stuffed lady bug (was supposed to make noise, but apparently only two of the 6 buttons work). I have yet to make any purchases for the babies. Honestly, I think I have what I need. Some diapers and a onsie or two. That's all we need, right? ;-) I'm just no good at this shopping thing. :-P

Oh. My. Goodness.

2009-02-28T08:56:00.005-06:00

I just realized that if Dr. K has his way and he has these babies delivered at 36 weeks, then we have less than 100 days left to go before we meet our babies! Holy cow! I can't wait to see them on the u/s screen in just 4 days!!!

So now I feel completely unprepared... We have nothing at all done for the nursery. I've bought zero items for the babies (except some diapers, which were actually free). I keep looking at stuff, then not getting it after all. I think I'm waiting until after the shower. Once I know what other people have already gotten, then I'll consider getting some stuff myself.

I found out that I will be out of town for a conference the weekend of the big multiples sale in April. I'm so bummed, because I'd been looking forward to going to it. However, I found out yesterday about a big consignment sale just down the street for all things baby that's going on this weekend. I am going to try to go tomorrow and at least look at strollers (if they have any twin ones). I'm still stuck on deciding which one to get. The one I like is way too expensive to buy sight unseen (I can't find a store that actually has them to SEE). So now I'm thinking about a different one (about half the price) but haven't been able to see it either. When they say choosing a stroller is like choosing a car, they're not kidding! I think part of me is hoping they'll have the more expensive stroller at the consignment sale for way cheaper and I can get it after all. ;-)

22 weeks

2009-02-27T14:59:00.004-06:00

I had another OB appointment yesterday. He didn't do much, but check the heartbeats (which were great) and write me a release to continue clinicals. He said he'll have the tech measure my cervical length again at our big u/s on Wednesday. I go back in two weeks and he'll begin doing the fetal fibronectin tests every 2 weeks from there (to test for possible preterm labor). He also said he won't let us go past 36 weeks or so, so that's only 14 weeks away! YIKES! However, if the babies and I are all doing well, I may be willing to argue with him on this. I understand the fear of uterine rupture, but I know many deliver twins at 37+ weeks with no problems. Seems like the babies could use that extra time to help their lungs mature. We'll see what Niki and Nathan think and how it goes when and if we get that far.

We have the ultrasound Wednesday, March 4th. Niki and Nathan's baby shower is March 15th (and I'm looking forward to being there for it)! Then we have a 4D ultrasound scheduled for March 18th. Oh...and I'm going for a prenatal massage tomorrow! :)

Here's a belly pic from Tuesday night (we were 21 weeks, 5 days). I'm gonna be HUMONGOUS!!!! However, I'm actually having trouble gaining weight. Babies are growing well apparently, but I'm not gaining any pounds. The dr didn't seem concerned though.

Over half way through 2nd trimester!

2009-02-20T11:45:00.005-06:00

We're 21 weeks, 1 day and all is well. The "big u/s" is scheduled for March 4th and Niki and Nathan plan to be here! (Thankfully, my instructors worked with me on scheduling this, even though it is a clinical day. It had me very stressed since the u/s tech is only there Wednesday mornings. Ugh.)

I'm feeling pretty well for the most part. The normal aches and pains are here, but they're to be expected. I'm not usually one to sit at home and be lazy, but it's been a more constant thing for me lately...lol. However, when I do feel up to it, I try to get out and do things. After all, exercise is good and Dr. K says things are going great. I figure I should get all the exercise I can and spend as much time out in the real world now, just in case things change and I'm put on bedrest in the future. (Hopefully not!) I know David and the kids miss having me being able to do certain things, but I've been trying to compensate in other ways. For instance, the kids all got new bedroom furniture and I surprised David with a nice TV for our bedroom for Valentine's Day. Yeah, who says you can't buy love? ;) LOL Seriously though, David and the kids have been wonderful and I'm very grateful for all they do.

As for the babies, they're definitely growing. I feel them moving quite a bit more these days. They wake me on occasion during the night, but I tend to fall back to sleep fast. I'm really looking forward to seeing them again!

It's half time!

2009-02-12T23:26:00.005-06:00

Today is the 20 week mark! We're really half way there (or more)! I saw Dr. K today and he did a quick ultrasound, just to check cervical length. It measured 6 cm, which is awesome! (I read average at 20 weeks is 4 cm.) He didn't take a look at the babies, but I got a very quick peek at them as he scanned. They have grown so much and are oh so cute! We'll be seeing Dr. K every 2 weeks for awhile now and we're trying to figure out when to schedule the "big ultrasound". We're growing right along! :)

20 weeks

Starting the fifth month!

2009-02-02T23:02:00.003-06:00

Five months from today is our due date, which means we're starting our 5th month! It just dawned on me. Considering these babies will probably be here in just less than that, I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is flying by. February 12th is when we hit 20 weeks...and that's half way for a singleton!

The babies definitely have their own personalities. They wake me during the night, but it doesn't annoy me (at least not yet). I am getting very achey and I have a hard time being on my feet for long, but I'm trying to enjoy this for as long as I can.

Do these babies make me look fat? :)

2009-01-28T20:36:00.002-06:00

We'll be 18 weeks tomorrow! I'm guessing we're getting close to half way there for twins! It seems to be flying by. I'm still feeling good, but indigestion has hit the past few days. I'll take that over nausea any day though! :)

17 weeks, 6 days

Knock, knock...guess who!

2009-01-25T14:02:00.003-06:00

I was just laying here finishing up homework when I felt the babies move (or at least one of them). I thought they felt pretty strong, so I lifted up my shirt and watched. Sure enough...I could see little wiggles from within! I can't believe it! I've never *seen* movements this early before! Wow, there really are babies in there...lol.

I called Niki because I thought she'd want to know. She's trying to figure out a time when she might be able to see for herself. I can't wait for her to witness this!

Well I've been feeling pretty good and I am loving every minute of this now. I was wondering how twins would be different from a singleton. I learned that the first trimester with twins is much more difficult in regards to exhaustion, morning sickness, etc. But the second trimester is so much fun in regards to feeling twice as much movement and being able to distinguish between their personalities. I have to admit I'm a little worried how different the third trimester will be...lol. It will all be worth it though when these littles ones are born and in Nathan's and Niki's arms!

Our appointment with Dr. K went well last week. Babies are measuring about 5 days ahead and both have the longest legs I've ever seen on a baby! One baby was being pretty shy and the other was pretty obvious. The doc thinks they may both be girls. We have another appointment on February 17th and our "big ultrasound" should be about 2 weeks after that. I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is flying by!

I guess it's time for another belly pic. I'll ask David to snap one tonight.

On matters of color...

2009-01-19T21:20:00.004-06:00

Today is a day set aside for Americans to honor the memory of the inimitable Dr. Martin Luther King. While I am certainly not the most qualified individual to extoll the man's virtues, I can tell you that MLK is worthy of being celebrated for his contributions towards desegregation and helping to bring America closer to her founding ideal that all men are created equal.

Today is also a day that we, as Americans, stand at the precipice of history. In less than 24 hours Barack Obama will be elected the first black President of the United States. While I do work tomorrow, I hope that I can find the time to watch this momentous occasion as it happens.

To say that issues of color are on the collective mind of our great nation would be an understatement.

Niki and I are no different. Today is the day Niki and I joined LaDonna at Dr. K's office in OKC to determine the colors of our children.

"Uh, Nathan," I hear you say, "You and Niki are white. Your children will be white."

"Yeah," I would reply, "you'd think that. But you'd be wrong. While he's not 100% certain and has warned us not to take the tags off anything, Dr. K believes Thing 1 and Thing 2 will be of a more Christmasy variety..."

We'll try to cope.

Tomorrow can't get here fast enough!

2009-01-18T11:03:00.004-06:00

So I happened to look over at our gender poll and see that boy/girl and girl/girl are neck and neck. Wouldn't it be funny if we find out tomorrow that we're having boy/boy?! LOL Somehow I doubt it, but you never know!

Anyway, as LD has said, I'm so super excited about tomorrow. I feel like it's been forever since I've seen her or the babies (it's been since Thanksgiving!). It's been pure torture! At least I have the best GS in the world who sends me pics, calls us so we can hear the heart beats, and IMs me almost every day (except lately I've been going to bed WAY too early and missing her. :-( ). I'm starting to look for nursery stuff (and amazingly Nathan isn't balking! LOL) and thinking about starting a registry. My sister is planning a shower for us, so that's getting me pretty excited too. I guess things are starting to feel a little more real (though still not completely).

I told the women at the Mothers of Multiples meeting that I went to last Thursday (I can't believe I'm allowed to belong to a mother's group now!) that I had been reading tons of parenting twins books. They all said "Stop reading! It'll only scare you." But I had to explain to them, it's the only way I can feel connected and like this is really happening. If I don't spend time reading and focusing on the babies, I have nothing to remind me that they're coming. Unlike all of them with their preggo bellies. Once I explained they nodded and said that it made sense. It's funny, but until I explained it to them I don't think I even realized why I was doing all of this reading! Funny how the subconscious works!

Today we are celebrating my grandfather's 90th birthday (it was last Tuesday). I'm so excited that he is still here to meet my babies. At the same time I'm a little nostalgic that Nathan's grandmother passed away in December and will not get to meet her great grandchildren. At least she was alive long enough to find out that her grandson would get to be a dad after all. I know she is up there with George, smiling down at the miracle that God has provided for us all...

I'm lovin' it!

2009-01-16T22:23:00.000-06:00

And no, I don't mean McDonald's...lol.

I just want say that I'm really, truly enjoying being pregnant now. This past week has been pretty wonderful. I'm feeling the babies move more. I can find their heartbeats pretty easily usually. My belly is more round and not so "flabby" anymore. And I'm feeling so much better too! (I haven't figured out if that's because I'm in the second trimester, because Dr. K gave me the 8 mg Zofran, or because I've been too busy to feel sick.)

The best part? I can sense the excitement in Niki's emails and IMs! Only 2 more days and Niki and Nathan will be here and we'll (hopefully) get to see these little ones again! :)

PS - Babies love oranges this week...and orange juice...and anything orange flavored!

Is it the 19th yet?!?!

2009-01-11T00:13:00.005-06:00

Well I ran out of lovely Zofran a couple days ago, so I called the dr's office and the nurse called more in. When I went to pick it up, the pharmacist said they renewed the prescription; however, they changed the dosage. They had me on 4 mg and upped it to 8 mg! She said 4 mg wouldn't do much, so she's wondering why they didn't have me on 8 mg to begin with. Hmmmm...me too! Well, anyway, the 8 mg is wonderful! I don't always have an appetite, but I am definitely eating more now and the nausea is gone. YAY! :)

I found the babies' heartbeats again earlier today. The one I think may be a girl was at 145 and the one I think may be a boy was at 140. Only 8 more days until we find out if I'm right on their genders...hopefully. The one I think is a girl is very calm and laid back, kinda like Niki. The other is a little stinker. He/she moves all over the place and apparently does NOT like me to listen to his/her heartbeat. I'll find it and then he/she moves. I think that one must be like Nathan...lol.

I took another belly pic. I sure don't think I look as big in the mirror as I do when I take a pic. Why is that? Oh...and yes, I chopped the hair off. Between school and the pregnancy, it had to go! And I had to take the pic myself since David was at work. (It gave me a chance to play with my new phone anyway...lol.)

15 weeks, 2 days

Turtle time

2009-01-04T09:06:00.003-06:00

The last 14 weeks seem to have flown by. I'm sure this second trimester is going to feel much slower, since we won't have all of the appointments we had in the beginning. Then it will speed up again in the third trimester when the appointments will pick up again.

The time between appointments this go-round is taking FOREVER! I still have 2 more weeks to wait to see my babies (and my LD) again. :-( They're going to be HUGE (all three of them!). And we might even be able to find out the genders. I have to say, I'm dying to know!

I'm starting to get interested in shopping for the babies. Up to this point, I didn't feel a pull to it (though I admit I did look on the internet a little when I was bored). But now I am getting excited about outfitting the nursery. Of course, I still plan to go simple (no need to go crazy), but I can't help pondering crib choices, stroller options, and various other quandaries. Funnily, I'm not interested in clothing just yet... Perhaps once I know the genders? Though I'm sure I still won't be all that gung-ho on clothing, since I'm not much on clothing shopping for me! ;-)

Nathan and I figure we'll get started on the nursery in February/March. That should give us plenty of wiggle room, in case the babies decide to come early (Please, God, not any earlier than 36 weeks!). My sister wants to throw a baby shower for us in April, but LD may not be able to travel then, so we are thinking about March instead. And the annual Multiples Sale is in April, so I imagine we should be all set come May.

One of the twins books that I read suggests not having the "traditional" baby shower and instead throwing a huge party with everyone you know and ask that they bring a case of diapers instead of a gift. The author said she and her husband did this and ended up not needing to buy diapers for two years! Of course, how you control the sizes people bring, I don't know. Nathan and I are considering this option, but I'll have to talk to my sister first. It would be nice to not have to go poor on diapers. ;-)

Okay, so I'm just rambling now... Felt the need to update, even though there's not much to update. LD says she's only feeling nauseous in the mornings now, but she's still not gaining much weight because food doesn't sound good or she feels full after only a few bites. I hope the eating thing gets easier! I don't want her to waste away!

Second trimester is here!

2008-12-30T15:05:00.004-06:00

Well I found both babies' heartbeats this morning! One was around 130 and the other around 150. I'm so excited I actually found them both! :)

Second trimester is here and I have been feeling much better. I started taking 50 mg of Vitamin B6 twice a day and it seems to be helping. I still have moments of nausea, but nothing like it was. Now if I could just get some energy...lol.

Well the next appointment is January 19th. We're hoping we can find out the sexes of these little ones then!

13 weeks, 5 days

Growing right along...

2008-12-22T20:07:00.003-06:00

Well today's OB appt went great. It was just the basics: urine analysis, blood pressure, weight, OB blood panel, etc. Then they surprised me with an u/s! Of course, I wasn't about to turn that down! Babies were doing great and everything looks well! :) Dr. K is going to see us again in 4 weeks, but he said we'll go back to every 2 weeks when we hit the 22 week mark. He gave me a prescription for Phenergan gel, so I hope it will help some with the nausea and not make me too tired.

I also discussed my labor preferences with him. He's willing to let me attempt a natural delivery, as long as baby A is head down. He was reluctant at first because he didn't think I'd want a manual version if baby B was not head down (where he has to reach up there and manually turn the baby) without sedation. But I quickly reminded him that he had to manually extract the placenta during my last delivery and I was not sedated for that. He said it would be about the same. As much fun as that was NOT, I told him it's a risk I'm willing to take. Anyway, I feel so much better after talking to him about it. :)

Well here are this week's pics of the sweet babies!

Niki is out of surgery and is doing OK, as far as I know. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers!

Babies playing hide-and-seek

2008-12-21T20:33:00.003-06:00

After I got home Wednesday, I pulled out my own personal doppler to see if I could find either of the babies' heartbeats. Well lo and behold, I found one! And I've been able to find it a few times since! However, I haven't been able to find the other just yet. (At least I think it's the same baby I've been finding.)

I'm feeling better now and Friday was the best day yet. I hadn't felt that great since we got pregnant! Yesterday and today have been a bit difficult though. I'm hanging in there and hope Dr. K has something magical he can prescribe to help. I have an appointment with him tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully I'll have more to update then!

Also, Niki is having surgery tomorrow (again). Please keep her in all your thoughts and prayers!

Blah and Yay!

2008-12-17T17:45:00.003-06:00

I couldn't sleep last night, thanks to this "cold". I woke up and called Dr. K's office. They can't see me until Monday. So I asked them to have the nurse call me. She calls and says I can take Mucinex D, so I did. I start feeling better, so I shower. I got very light headed in the shower though and had to get out. As I'm getting out, I start vomiting violently. It wouldn't stop. Finally, I catch my breath and yell for my mom. (Thank God she was here.) I tell her to get ready to take me to the ER. That was the 3rd time I've thrown up since yesterday. I haven't kept anything I've eaten down. And I've lost 5 pounds since Monday. That can't be good for the twins!

So I go in and find out I have a virus, an upper respiratory infection, and an urinary tract infection. They gave me some fluids and anti-nausea meds via IV. Just before I leave, they decide to check on the babies' heartbeats. They can't find them...neither of them. I'm in a panic at this point, but they had already made me an appointment for an u/s.

I head over to u/s and they call me right back. She put the wand on my tummy and I saw them both move, which caused me to immediately break down in tears. I was so relieved! Anyway, the babies are great. We're 11 weeks, 6 days today and they're both measuring 12 weeks, 3 days with heartrates of 163 and 167. They've grown so much and are actual human babies and not gummy bears anymore! I couldn't believe how much they were moving all around and I think I'm feeling one of them!

I feel a lot better emotionally, but I'm still feeling pretty icky physically. I need to bake goodies tomorrow for the kids' Christmas parties on Friday, but I think that's out. Luckily, David doesn't have to be at work until 3 and he's offered to do it for me. What a great guy!

Rescheduled

2008-12-16T21:08:00.003-06:00

Due to bad weather (and other interruptions) LD has rescheduled the OB appointment for Monday, Dec. 22nd. We will have to see if either of us can attend. Nathan is scheduled to work that day and I might have doctor appointments or procedures scheduled. Fingers crossed!

Say a prayer for LD tonight. She's apparently caught a cold and even threw up tonight. :-( Feel better!!! (((LD)))

200 days...

2008-12-14T16:26:00.003-06:00

Well the babies are due 200 days from today, although I'm sure they'll be here in less than that. They've been teasing me. I had a wonderful day Friday and felt so good. Then yesterday, they were not so nice. But today, they're being good to me again...so far!

I had lost 3 pounds, but apparently I've gained 2 back as of this morning. Guess that's what happens when they're nice to me and I can eat! :)

We have an appointment Tuesday! I can't wait!

Pregnancy brain?

2008-12-13T14:50:00.003-06:00

I swear I have pregnancy brain! I don't care if I don't happen to be the one who is pregnant... that's got to be it. I couldn't possibly be this absent minded on my own! ;-)

Last week I had problems just about every day with forgetting something or other to do with my IV antibiotics (different thing each time). This week, I managed to not include my BCP in my daily pill box when I refilled it on Wednesday. I did not realize this until yesterday, when I was surprised by starting my period! This means I missed two doses of BCP, right at the start of my lactation induction protocol. Arg! I don't know how I could be so stupid. The BCP pack was sitting right there when I was doling out my meds. I took it last night, but I'm still bleeding rather heavily. Way more heavy than I'm used to. :-( I don't think I've messed things up permanently. At least I hope not. I've got 4-5 months of these meds left, so hopefully I will make up for my oversight before I get to the pumping portion of the protocol.

Building the factory

2008-12-11T06:28:00.002-06:00

I just took my first dose of domperidone... The drug that will be helping me make milk for my babies. Today marks exactly 6 months until 37 weeks (considered 'full term' for twins). I pray this works for me!

Pineapple, Popcicles, and Pudge

2008-12-09T22:21:00.005-06:00

So last night, all the babies wanted was pineapple and Popcicles. At least I was eating something...and these days, that's good. Then I had a sudden craving for Taco Bell and an ice cream float from Braum's. My wonderful husband went out and got it for me. I ate half of my Taco Bell and thought it was going to come up. David got to finish the rest of it. I finished the ice cream float though! Today hasn't been much better. I'm trying to make myself eat healthy (I do crave lots of fruit), but I'm just happy to eat anything at all. The Zofran helps subside the nausea until I actually try to eat...and then nothing helps.

But the babies obviously seem to be growing well! I always get bigger faster with each pregnancy, so why would twins be any different? ;) I'm sure most of this is probably bloating from the meds, but here is a belly pic at 10 weeks, 5 days. No laughing! (Sorry my face isn't in it. I can't seem to take a pic with my eyes open.)

Free at last, free at last...

2008-12-05T23:14:00.003-06:00

Yesterday marked 10 weeks into the pregnancy and I was told to stop all meds! Today is my birthday, so it's a wonderful "gift"...no pills, no injections! It seems like I'm forgetting something since I've had some sort of injection every day since September. And, of course, I can't help but worry. I'm slowly remembering that I'll probably worry until these babies are safe in their parents' arms though. We have an appointment on December 16. Only 11 more days, but who's counting?

And we're more than 1/4 of the way through the pregnancy!

Holy cow!

2008-12-04T18:10:00.001-06:00

Our window babies look like fetuses!

Thanksgiving Visit

2008-11-30T20:02:00.005-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Nathan's family on Wednesday, then on Thursday I went up to OK to visit with LD and her family (Nathan was working). I got to meet pretty much the WHOLE family (uncles... aunts... cousins... the works!). It was cool. I stayed Thursday and Friday nights, then came home on Saturday.

Thursday night was cute. LD's kids and I had a "slumber party" in the living room. We were snuggled in to watch Wall-E and I think I fell asleep about 10 minutes in. ;-) I woke up and saw we were back on the main menu and asked "Why are you starting it over?" To which K answered "It's over." And then David comes out and tells the kids "Stop talking in there! As soon as the movie is over, you need to go to sleep!" I told him "It's my fault. I asked a question." He laughed and said "Well, you go to sleep too!" ;-)

Friday the kids left for their dad's and LD and I had the afternoon to ourselves. We went maternity clothes shopping! LOL. I've never done that before. She looked so cute! I know she's annoyed that she already has a belly, but I have to say it's absolutely adorable. :-) We also went to a movie with her best friend, then came home and hung out with David. It was a good day. :-)

I was sad to go, and apparently so was my car. It decided to flash a warning light at us as we were heading to lunch (I was planning to leave after lunch). We read in the owner's manual that it meant I needed antifreeze. So we headed to Auto Zone (after we went in LD's mom's car to lunch). Unfortunately, the guy helping us didn't know what kind of antifreeze to recommend and asked for the manual. So we went back to the house and picked up my car and took it back to Auto Zone (and the light did not turn on this time). The guy looked through the manual and after much head scratching decided to call someone. He came back from the phone and said that my car apparently requires a type of antifreeze that is only sold by VW service centers. Great! So he looked in the phone book and the only one was on the north side of OKC (about 30 minutes in the opposite direction of where I needed to go). LD and I went back to the house and looked online to see if there was anything in the other direction. There wasn't. So we made the road trip up to the VW dealership in OKC. No lights came on once again, but I didn't want to risk driving 3 hours and possibly overheating. We arrived at the dealership at 2:15. Apparently on Saturdays they close at 2:00! I was about ready to cry. One of the sales people said I could put water in "for now" and it would be fine. I prayed she was right...

We went back to LD's house (still no warning light) and waited for the engine to cool off so we could add water. Around 3:30 I was able to add water and head home. I had no problems whatsoever along the way. I have NO idea what the deal was. Guess I'll be taking my car by the VW dealership tomorrow after my doctor's appointment.

So tomorrow it's back to the grind. :-P I don't wanna go! Especially since I've got Book Fair this week and I'm going to be exhausted!

Little gummy bears

2008-11-26T14:27:00.004-06:00

Well yesterday was wonderful. It was great getting to see Niki, Nathan, and his family...and of course the babies! I haven't quite relaxed yet, so I was a bit nervous before the ultrasound; but seeing the little ones quickly reassured me. It was so cute watching one of them move all around while his/her sibling slept. I'm very excited to see how much they grow between now and our next u/s! Anyway, here are the pics of Niki's and Nathan's babies! Aren't they cute?!?

8 weeks, 5 days

Dr. Appointment 11/25

2008-11-26T12:42:00.003-06:00

The whole gang (Nathan, his mom, sister, brother, and I) all headed up to OK yesterday around 10:30ish. We stopped around 1:00 to grab a quick bite at McDonald's and then we drove the remaining 15 minutes (I was going nuts being so close!). We arrived just in time. I hopped out of the car and delivered the goodies (Ben & Jerry's ice cream) before we got back in the car and went to Dr. K's office. We got to the office right on time (whew!).

We thought this was going to be a general OB work up, with the added bonus of an u/s, but we were apparently mistaken. All we got was the u/s (there's no way we would have left without one! ;-) ). But that was enough to put smiles on all our faces.

We were all crammed into the little (and warm!) u/s room waiting for Dr. K to come in. When he opened the door I think he was a little surprised at the number of people in the room... Kinda like a clown car! We introduced ourselves (how cool that we got to say we were Mom, Dad, Grandmother, Aunt, and uncle!!!) and then he got started.

Up popped our little gummy bears! Two perfect little babies. :-) One was wiggling its little head while the other was taking a nap. I told LD "I knew they'd be on different sleep schedules!" She said she'd try and work on that before she evicts them. ;-)

I haven't scanned the u/s pics into the computer yet (but LD has them on her computer). If she doesn't do it first, I'll try to get it done later today. They're starting to be recognizable as little people! :-D

Tomorrow I get to go back up to see LD and her family! I can't wait. :-D I miss them already!

Would you like some whine with that?

2008-11-24T11:37:00.003-06:00

I woke up spotting again on Saturday. Luckily, it was gone by that evening. I know it's common and all, but it sure startles me. I'm feeling more pregnant than ever and I whine all the time (David will confirm this...lol); yet I can't help but worry if everything is OK in there. I can't wait until I can pick the babies' heartbeats up with my doppler and feel the babies move, so I have that extra reassurance. Luckily, we have an OB appointment tomorrow and we'll take a peek at these little ones. I can't wait to see them and I'm very excited to see Niki, Nathan, and his family too!

I get to stop injections on December 4th. Eleven more shots, but who's counting? :)

I'm thinking/hoping/praying that the second trimester will be much more enjoyable. Second trimester starts Christmas Day! Merry Christmas to me?! :)

Making Milk

2008-11-22T17:44:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I went to my GP to see if he could do something for this stinkin' cold I've got. Sadly, there's not much he can do, since it appears to be viral.

But while I was there I talked to him about my desire to induce lactation for the twins. He didn't know anything about it (other than it was possible), which I'd anticipated, so I showed him the book I have on the subject. Well, the whole book is just about nursing in general, but there's a section on inducing lactation. He glanced through the pages, then said he would make copies and have his "research assistant" (his wife, who is also a doctor) look into it. He went ahead and gave me a prescription for the BCP, though, since I need to be on them anyway and he figured there was no point in starting me on one thing and then switching me next month when I start the protocol.

So I'm on my way to making my body ready to nourish those babies! I'm excited that I may be able to provide for them in this way, even though I couldn't provide the shelter and nourishment they need for this first 9 months. But this will be the next best thing!

Getting bigger by the day

2008-11-19T22:00:00.004-06:00

So I'm standing in the kitchen today, helping Kyrsten with her science fair project. She looks at me and says, "Mom, no offense, but you're tummy has gotten a LOT bigger in the past couple days." She then proceeds to pat my tummy and ask if I can feel the babies move yet. Kids!

However, she's not the only one. At clinicals last week, a patient was saying he wanted a pizza and a beer. Then he said he knew he couldn't have a beer and he'd give it to me, but I apparently can't have it either. He then pats his own belly and said he's as big as me, but there's no baby in his. Humph. Probably all that beer.

Don't get me wrong...I *love* having a baby belly. It would just be nice if I was far enough along to be showing...lol. My jeans no longer fit and my yoga pants are on their way out too.

Only a few more days until I see Niki, Nathan, and their babies again!!!! And I, too, am looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with Niki!!!! :)

God's trickery?

2008-11-19T21:10:00.004-06:00

I think God knows how anxious I'd get waiting without distractions, so He's supplying them in abundance!

The day after LD started spotting, I landed myself back in the hospital. It appeared that my skin was having some kind of reaction to the dermabond used to seal me up after surgery. But my doc was worried it could turn into an infection and wanted me to be in the hospital and on IV antibiotics. Which turned out to be a pretty good idea, considering we also found out that the lead they fixed wasn't going to cut it. So we're now looking at having yet another surgery. But not until after I finish the 3 weeks of IV antibiotics in my lovely PICC line.

All of this to say, I've been distracted big time from the waiting and believe it or not, we're SO close to our next appointment! We will be going up to OK to see LD and the babies on Tuesday, Nov. 25th. We'll come back same day, since we'll be having our Thanksgiving meal with Nathan's family on Wednesday. But then I get to go back up and spend Thanksgiving with LD and her family!!!! :-D :-D I'm SOO excited. Next week is going to be FABULOUS and it's almost snuck up on me because of all the distractions last week.

NOW I get to be distracted by my upcoming visit with LD and family to keep me from thinking about the next surgery! See, God's lookin' out for me! ;-)

7 weeks and causing trouble already...

2008-11-14T11:31:00.004-06:00

Well there was a slight startle Wednesday night. I started spotting. Yesterday, it had faded to brown, but I went to the dr anyway after clinicals and all is well. Both babies were doing great with healthy heartbeats. He reminded me that spotting is very common with IVF pregnancies and even more common with twins. While I knew that, it's still scary to see. The spotting was completely gone by last night *knock on wood*, so I'm a bit more relaxed now. Ugh. I hope it doesn't come back! Anyway, Dr. K said he'll be seeing us every 2 weeks until we're 12 weeks at least. He also said we can have an u/s anytime we ask, so that's very comforting.

Here are the most recent pics of the babies. They don't look much different than last week, but they have gotten bigger!

Poor LD. :-(

2008-11-11T08:43:00.002-06:00

I can sympathize a little with LD. Yesterday I threw up 3 times and I've been continuously nauseous since surgery. I finally got some food to stay down for breakfast this morning, but I still don't feel great. :-(

I am feeling better than yesterday, but I think I'm due for a nap. I've been up since 6:00, when they took me down for an x-ray, and I'm feeling groggy. Hopefully when I wake up I'll feel better.

Yesterday I got to share the news of our impending parenthood with tons of people here at the hospital. Nearly everyone in the OR working on me had met me in September, so I felt the need to share. They were all super excited for us. And when I told Dr. D that we were having twins he called us overachievers. ;-) At least I have something positive to think about while I feel like crud.

LD, I hope today is better for you! Love you, girl!

Blah.

2008-11-10T21:28:00.003-06:00

Today's been rough. I woke up really queasy, ate some breakfast, got a little queasy, ate some crackers, got a little queasy, took a nap, woke up really queasy, ate a small lunch, got a little queasy, at a small snack, got a little queasy, ate a good dinner, got a little queasy, and I'm about to eat another small snack. See the pattern? LOL Good thing I didn't work or have class today, as I would've been totally unprepared. I was thinking it's a good thing I'm not vomiting at least, yet I think I'd feel a lot better if I did. Let's hope tomorrow is better! :-P

Seeing double!

2008-11-09T10:14:00.008-06:00

Friday was a very wonderful experience. Despite waiting in the waiting room for so long with my stomach growling, the ultrasound ended up being worth it. I was laying on the table, staring at the screen, when the dr began. I heard Niki "gasp" when she saw the first flicker of a heartbeat. Soon, we saw the flicker of the second heartbeat. I could hear Niki and Nathan react, but I was afraid to look at them. I had a feeling I'd be in tears if I did. Once the ultrasound was complete, I sat up and sure enough, they both had happy tears in their eyes. What a great feeling that was! I was able to hide the tears until Nathan called his mom. I could hear the excitement and her happy tears in her voice. It was then I could no longer control mine. I feel so blessed to be carrying the children and grandchildren of such wonderful people. There's not one doubt in my mind that these babies are going to be loved and oh so spoiled!

Here's Thing 2 (top) and Thing 1 (bottom).

And here they are again with their heartrates underneath. Thing 1 is on top and Thing 2 is on bottom. Although Thing 2's heart rate faded, it was just because of the position he/she is in and the dr had a hard time getting it. Heartrates were 110 and 111.

goodbye r2-d2...

2008-11-07T14:28:00.003-06:00

As a little boy in the 80s, I grew up with robots. R2-D2, Optimus Prime, Johnny 5, KITT, and a wealth of others helped spark my imagination throughout my formative years. While I may have been less than enthused when I beheld a robot in the first ultrasound photo, the promise of a little robot of my very own has definitely grown on me.

Today, staring at the gigantic flat-screen TV at the OB's office, my newfound dreams of robot baby were thoroughly crushed as what had once held the promise of two robotic eyes had decidedly engorged into two distinctly embryonic sacs. Peering into the first, a small blip within an oblong shape flickered binarilly between bright and dark. Niki and I were not looking at a robot. We were beholding the heartbeat of a flesh-and-blood child. Our child. It was truly one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed. A beating heart in a tiny us only 0.52 cm long... With a matching flicker in the sac next door! We've got two healthy hearts beating within LaDonna's belly!

Honestly, I don't think I can ever thank LaDonna enough for giving us this opportunity. I've heard people talk about seeing their children's ultrasounds. While it's always sounded "neat" the concept has never really hit home. I can now vouch that the whole process is awesome. With a very literal emphasis on "awe." My mind is still reeling from it.

It's even more awesome than having my own robot.

Finally!

2008-11-07T05:33:00.002-06:00

After the slowest week ever, the day is FINALLY here! Today Nathan and I will get to see our little ones on an ultrasound for the very first time. I have so many emotions swirling around inside me right now. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. Nervous because I'm hoping we will see two heart beats today. Not zero, not one, and not three (or more). Two. Two heart beats will be a perfect blessing today.

Twice as much fun!

2008-11-04T14:36:00.003-06:00

I haven't personally updated in a while. Guess I'm still trying to let the fact it's twins sink in. Twins? Where? Who? Me? Wow.

Things seem to be progressing well so far though. I'm tired all the time. I have strong cravings, indigestion, and constipation. And don't expect me to remember anything you told me 5 minutes ago. I have a major case of "preggo brain". So things seem to be going well, wouldn't you say?

I'm very anxious for the ultrasound Friday, not only because we get to see the babies, but because I'll get to see Niki and Nathan! Only 3 more days!

OK, time to go...we need a nap now...

Good news, bad news.

2008-10-30T15:52:00.002-06:00

First, the good news is that everything is fine. LaDonna started feeling funny downstairs (I believe her medical term was "cervical twinges") and since she was at the hospital anyway for clinicals, she took a trip to her old OB to make sure things were copacetic. Which they are. The doc said everything looks good and that LaDonna and the babies are doing fine.

Yes. You heard me right. Babies. The ultrasound shows two little yolk sacks chillaxin' in her uterus. See for yourself.

And now for the bad news. I'm not convinced it's twins. On closer examination, I'm pretty damn sure we're having a robot...

Are you kidding me?!

2008-10-30T05:23:00.002-06:00

Okay, some of you people are just plain mean. Six people have voted for triplets?! Seriously?! You can't honestly think we have a splitter, can you? You're just trying to freak us out. Yes, that's all it is. Because God does not give us more than we can handle, and quite frankly I could not handle triplets. EEK! While it might be cool to have a set of identicals, I do not think that it would be a good idea to have a heart patient, who has to have surgery every 2-5 years, to be the mother of triplets! Can' you imagine?! Twins is scary enough! I'm sorry, but I just don't think Nathan and I want to be outnumbered by our kids quite so quickly. Two is more than enough.

And think of poor LD! There's no way that carrying triplets would be in her favor. She's in school. How could she make it to the end of the semester if there are three? As it is, we're praying that two won't have her end up on bedrest (I doubt it will, but the chances to get higher with multiples).

So all you mean people who said triplets, please go back and change your vote. :-P Either that, or be proven wrong on Nov. 7th.

On the lookout...

2008-10-28T16:48:00.003-06:00

As I walked towards the shower today, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror... with grey-hair at my temples. Whoa! I did a double-take and found that I, in fact, do not have greying hair at my temples.

Then it hit me! I must've caught a glimpse of my future self after the kids are born. The countdown to grey hairs has begun. Unless the young'n's make me bald first...

Third and final beta

2008-10-27T16:36:00.002-06:00

The results are in and they are......... 1334!!! :-) There is no doubt in my mind that we've got two little beans growing in there. :-)

Now we have to wait until 11/7 (11 days, but who's counting? ;-) ) to find out how many there are and (hopefully) see a heart beat. It's going to be TORTURE to wait! I talked to the nurse at our RE's office and she said that if we're doing an u/s at LD's OB office then we don't need to do one down here (unless we want to). LD and I kind of want to, but I'm going to discuss it with Nathan. I'm not sure what he'll think. On the one hand, we'd save money on getting LD a plane ticket to come down. On the other hand, we'd get to see our baby(ies) again. :-) I guess we'll see what he says and go from there.

Happy Birthday!

2008-10-26T10:05:00.001-06:00

It's Niki's and David's birthdays today!!!! Today is special...it's the day two of my favorite people came into the world! I hope you both have a fantabulous day!

Tired and thirsty!

2008-10-24T21:57:00.005-05:00

For the past few days I have been so exhausted. I'll start dozing off watching TV or surfing the internet. Even while having a conversation with someone, I find myself getting heavy eyed. I had to give in to a nap this evening. Guess I need to schedule time for a nap daily for awhile? Also, I'm so thirsty. I don't know if it's the weather or the pregnancy or both, but I think I've been a bit dehydrated. I've had so much water and lemonade today though that I'm surprised I haven't floated away yet.

Beta #2 (the "official" one)

2008-10-23T19:13:00.003-05:00

Today was the day we were supposed to get our first beta. LD went in this morning and was able to get the results from her friend at the OB's office before they had even sent it to the RE. So I got a text around 12:40 from LD with just the #: 254! At the same time I also got a text from Nathan saying "Friggin' overachievers!" I read the wrong one first. ;-)

I texted to Nathan "Holy cow!" and he wrote back "Yeah. We're either having twins, or Andre the Giant." I told him LD would probably prefer twins. ;-)

Later I got a phone call from the nurse at the RE's office. She said she had heard we cheated and already knew we were pregnant from the HPT (apparently LD spilled that much, but not that she snuck a beta too ;-) ). She told me the beta number and then said that the next beta will be on Monday. She said "If the next beta doubles as it should, LaDonna will need to come down for an ultrasound around Nov. 14th or so." I didn't bother telling her we already knew they were doubling (and are confident it will continue to do so) and have an u/s set up for Nov. 7th. :-D LD and I talked about it and I think we're going to try to have the u/s down here on the 21st instead so that there will be two weeks between the first and second. Of course, I'll be talking to Nathan tonight to get his opinion before I set anything up.

HPTs and Betas

2008-10-22T17:59:00.003-05:00

Well, I could be torturous and drag this out... I seriously considered it... But I couldn't figure out the best way... So I guess I'll just tell you.

When I got home from work (I left a little early so I would be home quicker) I told Nathan "I'm going to go change my pants." He said "Really? I figured you'd be calling LD as you walked in the door." After I changed I came in and we got online and texted LD to call us on our home phone, since it has speaker phone. She called, then set the phone down to go pee in a cup. When she got back on the phone we tried to get our video chat working and it kept messing up. We were freaking out. LD put the HPTs (she dipped 3 of them!) face down so that we could all see at the same time. It kept cutting in and out, and it was pretty blurry, but on one of the tests we were very clearly able to see the results.

Once we saw the results we figured we might as well find out the results of the beta she had drawn yesterday... Only she had to leave a message. Then I reminded her that she has a friend who works in the OB office, so she called her friend and got her to look up the beta number.

Are you ready?

Are you sure??

WE'RE PREGNANT!!!! The HPTs all showed clear positives and the beta was 123!!! Nathan and LD are freaking that one split. But I don't think so. It's two. That's all. And that's scary enough. ;-)

My Turn

2008-10-22T05:21:00.003-05:00

Six things that make me happy (in no particular order):

1. When the people I love are happy.

2. Children's laughter.

3. Nathan's humor (most of the time ;-) ).

4. Playing or snuggling with my doggies.

5. Seeing my mom.

6. Nathan's hugs.

I got tagged, so I guess I'll respond.

2008-10-21T22:08:00.003-05:00

LaDonna tagged me.

6 things that make me happy (in no particular order):

1). When the kids are getting along.
2). When the house is clean.
3). When I can park in the garage.
4). When I get my "Fairlane".
5). When I have time to draw.
6). When my wife is home.

Not much longer...

2008-10-21T16:04:00.002-05:00

I interviewed a new doctor today and I love her! Dr. F will be the one to deliver Niki's and Nathan's little one(s) if this worked. She was concerned about the amount of estrace and PIO the RE has me on, so she wanted to check my levels. And yes, she drew a beta too. However, we will not be hearing the results until after Thursday's beta, when they call with those results. Good news is we'll have something to compare Thursday's beta with. Bad news is we're still waiting. Be patient, friends. If all of you are so anxious, just imagine how *I* feel right now! We're testing tomorrow evening...not sure the exact time yet though.

Oh...and if Thursday's beta is positive, we'll go in on November 7th for an ultrasound!

LaDonna's been tagged!

2008-10-20T23:28:00.003-05:00

Christine tagged me.

6 things that make me happy (in no particular order):

1). My children giggling and playing (nicely) together.
2). Sweet cuddles from my fur babies.
3). My husband, especially when he's in a lovey mood.
4). Ice cream.
5). Knowing God loves me unconditionally.
6). Peeing on hpts and watching them turn positive. (I've been stripped of this happiness until Wednesday.) :(

Niki, David, and Nathan: You all are tagged.

Torturing LD

2008-10-20T20:05:00.003-05:00

LD is currently on the phone with Nathan, trying to convince him to let her POAS tonight. He's being stubborn and won't budge. While I'd love to know now, I kind of think it's funny to see how crazy Nathan is making her. It's nice to know he's not selective in his torture! ;-)

Hiding from the world for 4 more days...

2008-10-18T23:34:00.001-05:00

ACK! Nathan may fear David, but I'm scared of Nathan. (If you read the comments, you'll see why!)

For everyone asking and begging me to test, bug off. Four more days. If I (of all people) can be patient, so can you! :oP

Just for the record

2008-10-18T10:32:00.002-05:00

Jadine, LD is NOT allowed to test without us, so don't you go trying to convince her otherwise. :-P Our plan is to test when we can all be "present" to find out the results together. You are not allowed to know the results before I do, so you can just hold your horses. ;-)

With that said, I'm just as obsessed as LD. I'm ready to know the results, but also don't want to test early because I don't know how I'd handle a BFN, even if there was still a possibility of a pos later. We're all keeping ourselves busy until Wednesday night. We will not all be "together" (I say this, because we will be testing over the phone/video chat) until then. I'm just ready for Wednesday to get here!!!!

My sister and mom came up this weekend with my 16 month old nephew. At least I have a good distraction for now! And with LD heading to Branson, she'll have to be good as well. We WILL conquer the lure of the pee sticks! ;-)

OBSESSE*D

2008-10-17T08:49:00.003-05:00

I had a dream last night that Niki and Nathan wanted me to go ahead and test today (3dp5dt). In my dream, I took the hpt first thing in the morning and the test line came up before the control line. For that to happen this early, there'd most definitely have to be twins in there. Niki told me yesterday that she had a dream the night before that I tested and it was a dark positive. We're both doing it. Yeah, can we say "obsess"?

Great scott! I'm one of them...

2008-10-16T21:35:00.002-05:00

While I'll gladly humor you and look at pictures of your little rugrats, I've never quite understood why parents invariably think that everyone else is pining for the opportunity to gaze upon their progeny...

Today I lost count of how many times I yanked out the iPhone to show off Thing 1 and Thing 2. I can almost hear the chanting... "One of us! One of us! One of us!"

P.S. - Without fail, my coworkers all pointed out how much they look like me. The vast majority made cracks about similarity being primarily in the nose. Dear Lord, I hope not.

And a few Egg Retrieval Day pics too!

2008-10-15T21:55:00.003-05:00

Here are some pics from Niki's egg retrieval. Obviously, I wasn't there...but the pics need to be posted because this was a big day too!!!!

Nathan waiting for Niki to be called back

Niki's all ready! She looks better in the cap and gown than I do. ;)

She chose the beautiful yellow socks for good luck that day.

TRANSFER DAY PICS!!!!

2008-10-15T21:05:00.009-05:00

Well I'm home and I miss Nathan and Niki already. At least I got to take a little bit of them home with me, right? LOL

Well Niki has pretty much updated on how it all went. I've pretty much been a bum since transfer and hopefully the little embies will like me enough to stick around. I've been bribing them with ice cream.

Here are pics from our big day!

Waiting to leave the house

Niki and I are ready to go, but where oh where is Nathan?

Niki being silly just before we left the house

Who wants Krispy Kreme? I do, I do!!!!

Nathan finishing off my french fries from McDonald's (for good luck).

Aw, aren't they cute?!?! (See embies...your mommy and daddy are great and are waiting for you!)

Niki and Nathan with a pic of their maybe babies

Nathan keeping us occupied with his humor.

Green and yellow are the colors of fertility, so Niki and I wore these socks for good luck.

Niki giggling like a little girl...lol. She was so cute and so excited!

Niki's still giggling...lol.

Niki snapped the pic in mid-sentence...lol.

Niki and Nathan in their space suits...ready to go in for transfer.

I'm all ready too!

And torture...I mean bedrest begins. (My bladder was full and I couldn't get up for 30 minutes...lol.)

I'm telling the embies where they belong for about the next 8 months or so. (I hope they listen to me better than my kids do!)

The 3...err...4...ummm...5 of us?

First Picture

2008-10-14T19:40:00.004-05:00

Here's little "Thing One" and "Thing Two." Their very first picture! ;-) Please pray that at least one of them decides to stick around for the next 8.5 months!

The deed is done

2008-10-14T15:20:00.004-05:00

This morning I think we were all a bit anxious and excited. LD even woke up before nine! ;-) We all got decked out in our green shirts (N and I wore our green Oklahoma shirts to humor LD and she wore the green "Let's go get knocked up" shirt that I bought for her). I also had a pair of green and a pair of yellow socks, so LD and I wore one of each just to be silly (I'll post pictures later). LD also had a glass of pineapple juice for luck (they say it helps the embryos to stick?). LD gave me a beautiful bracelet that has the words "believe," "dream," "trust," "hope," "love," "laugh," and "live" written on it and dangly hearts between each word. It couldn't have been any more perfect! We've had a lot of ALL of those things in this journey so far and I know they will continue.

We left the house around 10:05 so we could stop by Krispy Kream for some breakfast before going down to visit a friend of ours who had a planned c-section (for TRIPLETS) set up for the same time as our transfer, at the same hospital. We were able to pop in and visit for a little while as the nurses were getting things ready for what was to come. LD rubbed her belly for luck (I told her not to rub TOO hard, as we don't want to end up with triplets too) and we visited a little with her IPs and the babies' grandparents. I could see that the IPs were very nervous and excited. I can only hope we will be in their shoes in 8 or so months!

When we left we still had an hour before we needed to be at the ARTS department, so we decided to go get some McDonald's fries. We still got to the waiting room about a half hour early, but we really didn't have to wait all that long (or at least, the time seemed to go by pretty quickly). We were all very excited, but I think I might have been the most giddy. LD and N were laughing at me and N said he couldn't remember ever seeing me beam quite so much (oh, just you wait! ;-) ). They each had to get a picture of me bouncing in my seat.

The embryologist came in with a picture of two of our little embryos. She told us that they were "above average" and showed us the part that will become the placenta. LD said she's never seen that in any of her previous transfers (the placenta part, not the picture). The embryologist said we had the option of transferring both of the embryos or just one of them. She said that we had a "good" chance of having twins if we put both in. I was scared to make a decision. I have said for a long time that I only want one at a time, but with the way things have been going lately the idea of twins has slowly started to grow on me. N too, apparently. In the end, we decided to transfer two because we would be happy with two, but devastated with none, so we wanted to increase our chances and put back both of them. Besides, they were just so darn cute. ;-)

Dr. C showed up and we asked if both N and I could go back with them. He had no problems with that, so we suited up and were taken right back to the procedure room. We sat above LD's head as Dr. C did the deed. We watched the monitor, but honestly I have no idea what I was looking at. I THINK I saw some bubbles traveling on the monitor, but I couldn't tell you where they were going! ;-) The whole thing was over so fast!

LD moved over to the gurney and was taken back to our little room to wait the 30 minutes before she could get up. Her poor bladder was about to explode! We asked what time she would be allowed to get up and were told 1:35. So, needless to say, as SOON as the clock ticked over to 1:35 she told N to go find out if she could get up. I think she would have jumped over the bed rail if the nurse hadn't come in and made her wait until she lowered the bed! ;-) As soon as LD came back from the restroom we were able to gather our things and leave. N decided we should keep the "space suits" for Halloween costumes, so we brought them home as well.

LD is now taking a nap in "her" room. While I've been yawning like crazy, I think my mind is still spinning a little too much to actually sleep right now. It feels so surreal. I can't believe we made it to transfer! Waiting for the beta is going to be VERY nerve wracking!

The only thing that worries me...

2008-10-14T07:34:00.002-05:00

The only thing that worries me at this point in the transfer cycle is the wrath of LaDonna's husband. Not because he's an inherently scary and/or violent guy. Not because she cheekily exposed herself to me yesterday evening. And not because I spent a whole day unsupervised with his wife and in a week or two she's gonna turn up pregnant...

No, I fear the wrath of David because yesterday I took LaDonna to see Body of Lies, and in doing so enabled her DiCaprio fetish. Dude's gonna kill me.

'Twas the night before transfer...

2008-10-13T23:18:00.002-05:00

Hmmmm...well I should be going to sleep since we have such a big day tomorrow. Then again, I will get 24 hours of rest after the transfer.

I'm just laying here thinking this may be my last night not pregnant for about 9 months. No, I'm not at all sad about it. I hope this *is* the last good night's sleep I get without having to get up to pee every 3-4 hours or without getting a horrible leg cramp. I'm really hoping and praying this transfer works...not just because of the miracle itself, but because Niki and Nathan will have to put up with me for at least another 9 months. And I kinda like them. :)

I'm here!

2008-10-12T21:53:00.002-05:00

Well I've made it to Niki's and Nathan's house! I'm full of Mexican food and ice cream and I have internet. Life is good! :)

Oh...and I sent Nathan an invite to post here too. We'll see if he decides to or not...

Holy cow!

2008-10-12T12:07:00.001-05:00

We got the embryo report a little while ago. I'm still in shock! Here's what they said:

11- excellent

3- good

2- average

Transfer will be on Tuesday at 12:30. We are to arrive at 12:00.

OMG! LD is going to be pregnant!!!!!!!! :-D :-D :-D

WOW!

2008-10-10T17:08:00.002-05:00

I got a call from the ARTS department to let me know that of the 20 eggs they got yesterday they were able to ICSI 19 of them and as of today 16 have fertilized. :o We're absolutely amazed. They will call again with an update on Sunday and the transfer will be on Tuesday (don't have a time yet, but they said typically between 12 and 1:30).

So apparently we're fertile. Did we really need the ICSI??? And now LD is freaking out that we're going to get a splitter. This is what I have to say about that: NO splitting. There. My kids, they have to listen. ;)

Egg Retrieval

2008-10-09T14:35:00.000-05:00

I'm laying here on the couch with a heating pad on my midsection in mucho pain. I till have another hour before I can take some more tylenol. :-(

At any rate, here's a summary of this morning:

We arrived at the ARTS department at 8:00 and waited in the waiting room for awhile. I think we were taken back pretty close to 8:15, but I didn't look at the time. I changed and the nurse came in to ask the laundry list of questions they always ask. That took a long time, since I have such an extensive medical history. At 9:10 the anesthesiologist came in and talked to me and hooked up my IV. The nurse said Dr. C would be coming downstairs so we could get started shortly... So we waited.... and waited... and waited. At 9:25 the nurse came in again and said that Dr. C had gotten delayed and would be down in a few minutes. Once again we waited... and waited... and waited (it's important to note that at this point, I was getting VERY annoyed and apprehensive). FINALLY at 10:00 Dr. C showed up and we immediately went to the OR and I was put into the stirrups. The anesthesiologist must have given me something in the IV because the next thing I know, I'm waking up in the room with Nathan (He didn't get to come into the OR with me, as much as he wanted to).

I was told they will be calling later with an updated count, but for now we know there are 20 eggs. We had told the nurse we only wanted to ICSI 10 of the eggs (after 10 the price goes up), but Dr. C called me and said he didn't think that was a good idea, so I gave in and said to go ahead and ICSI all of them. Hopefully it's worth it! I can't wait to find out tomorrow how many fertilize!

At first I was only slightly uncomfortable, but not in much pain. It has only been the last hour or so that I've started to feel actual pain. Hopefully that will subside soon.

Thanks for the prayers everyone!

I survived!

2008-10-08T21:56:00.001-05:00

The first PIO shot is done! I had to clear my mind of nursing school. It wasn't so bad, I guess. ;) First one down...