Dr. Update

OK ... I really do believe that our couch is magical! I'm telling you ... I instantly STOP contracting when I am on it!!! That being said, yes, I contracted most of today .... 6 min apart for about 5 hours! I left at 1pm for the Dr.'s. Both babies are doing well with plenty (actually A LOT) of amniotic fluid around them, heartbeats are great, etc... My uterus is stretched to the max though! I am also now 75% effaced with a very soft cervix, but still 1-2 cm dialated. Even with changes, the Dr. sent me home.

After the Dr. appointment I had the NST at the hospital. They want to see a minimum of so many "accelerations" within a given time. Our little girl surprisingly was the one who cooperated, while our little guy did not. I had to drink some juice to get him more active. After what seemed like FOREVER we got a few accelerations out of him. The nurse wasn't happy with the results, so she had to take them over to my Dr. office to get his opinion. I was worried since I also had the contraction monitor on which was showing regular contractions every 6 minutes!! My Dr. surprisingly was extremely happy with the results on babies and released me to go home! Of course as we got on the 5 north there was an accident and we sat in traffic for a few hours!!! I just pray when I need to go to the hospital it won't take long!!!

I have my next Peri appointment on Thurs, so resting tomorrow will be helpful!

Anyway.... it seems labor could be tonight or 10 days from now... I just don't know at this point what will happen!!!

10.... the countdown has begun....

I'm pretty sure the MAXIMUM days left is 10!!! I'll find out for sure today as I am heading to the Dr. and then off to another NST (fetal monitoring).

I apologize to anyone that has called... I have been so shakey and jittery and can barely talk or hold the phone (thanks to the WONDERFUL side effects of Terbutaline)..... I haven't felt up to talking on the phone. So no, I'm not screening you!

STILL pregnant and at home...

Just to clarify, since a lot of people think I had the babies, they have NOT made their big entrance YET. I am still at home letting them bake. I keep telling the kids it's like making cookies. The edges are cooked, but we are waiting for the middle part to turn from cookie dough into COOKIES!!! 10-12 days left!

I miss my babies...

I really REALLY am missing my babies today. I know they are in good hands, but I miss them more than I can express! What I would do for one hug or one kiss right now. It's been 2 weeks since I last saw them, but feels more like 2 years!!! I'm getting a very small glimpse of the empty nest syndrome... not liking it:)

Here are a few pictures taken back before the hospital stay... the day of the baby shower!

Another day down...

Every day I'm not in labor seems to be a huge accomplishment (though I'm doing NOTHING more than laying on the couch). There is a "theory" that women go into labor around a full moon, and I hear Monday there will be a full moon! I say theory, because there doesn't seem to be any proof of it, but every single nurse I had laughed and said, "well, I am not sure why, but w/o question we are at our busiest time during the full moon!!! Let's pray it's NOT true in my case!

Today was kind of rough on me. I decided to google "effects of terbutaline on fetus" and freaked myself out. I couldn't pull myself away from the computer and just cried most of the day after reading what I did. It doesn't help that I was on magnesium sulfate as well. I know there is a time and place for medicine and if the benefits outweigh the risks etc..... but I hate that I could make a bad decision either way. If I stop taking the medicine I could be putting babies at risk, but if I continue taking them I could put them at risk as well! Thank goodness I believe in God's Sovereignty more than medicine! I put a call into my Dr. and he called me 3 times and did put me at ease. I know the internet is unfiltered, etc etc etc, but I can't help but think "what if there is truth in this and I KNOWINGLY continued the medicine"? Anyway, I think I'll trust my Dr.'s 40+ years experience over me reading a few websites.... besides, if it wasn't safe, he would've been sued by now! LOL... kind of. It's hard being pregnant ... you feel so responsible for their safety and well being.. long before they are brought into the world! Tonight I will think positive and know that no matter what I do or don't do, God's plan for these babies is what will happen regardless of little ole' me. (and some Ben & Jerry's will help me too).

I'm sad that I'll be missing church tomorrow....... thank goodness for podcasts and internet sermons:)

Fetal Monitoring

Today I had my first NST or fetal monitoring. It's basically what they did in the hospital. They hook up 2 monitors and a contraction monitor and just watch everything for 30 minutes. The goal of watching the twins is to get 2 "accelerations" in their heartrate within a certain time period. If I understood technician correctly, it's when the baby's heartrate goes above the baseline and comes back down. It's usually if they are moving. Both babies were very cooperative! We got more than 2 accelerations and were FREE to go!!! The only bad thing was there were 3 contractions in those 25-30 minutes. I'm pretty sure it was a combination of the car drive down and me laying on my back (a position that brings them on frequently). I also had another ultrasound to see their position. Both are still head down with PLENTY of amniotic fluid surrounding them! The technician had me scared for a minute b/c she was looking at the boy and kept saying "Oh look, it's a girl"... I said, "well we thought that was a boy"... she checked both and turns out there is still ONE boy and ONE girl!!!

It took us over 2 hours to get home.... you have to love LA traffic!! The ride was pretty bad! But now I'm back on my "miracle" couch. I say miracle b/c it's the one place my contractions subside (I'm sure it's partly mental on my part as well:)

My next Dr. appointment is on Tuesday with the fetal monitoring following. I'm counting down the days now.....

35 week belly bump

Dr. update and 35 WEEKS!!

Here we are on the day I left the hospital to go home... a very wonderful moment!!!

I would've updated the site yesterday, but the day was a little scary and I spent the night resting... literally NOT MOVING!!

The day started out with me watching 4 c-sections (VERY DETAILED ones) on the discovery channel. I started freaking myself out. I started texting my nurse who I'm sure was laughing and encouraged me to switch channels, but my curiosity got the best of me and I just couldn't change the channel. I then got up and showered (something I don't take for granted anymore!). Kingsley came home and we headed to the hospital. The hospital I will deliver at is about 45 min away... and the car ride was HORRIBLE. Kingsley drove slow and safely, but just the constant jolting started contractions! I started getting nervous (which I'm sure didn't help the situation). The appointment itself went well. My Dr. measured my uterus and said "Wow, they are growing just perfectly"! My blood pressure was great and he found both babies heartbeats right away. We asked a few questions (primarily about csection...lol). He normally will deliver all multiples by c-section, unless the mother REALLY wants a natural delivery. Since both twins are head down, I of course opted for natural delivery. He obviously wouldn't object for a minute if I wanted a c-section! His last twin delivery resulted in both. The first girl came out fine, the 2nd girl got caught in birth canal and her hb dropped rapidly and he had 3 minutes to do a c-section (thus the reason I have to have an epidural and deliver in the OR). I told him I'd push until I got hemmoroids!!!! LOL.... He mentioned things getting more complicated. From here on out (which shouldn't be too long now) I need to get NST (fetal monitoring) twice a week. I go in tomorrow for the that. They basically just monitor the twins for about 30 minutes. I'll also go in on Tuesday for the NST and to my next Dr. appointment.

The contractions started up once we got into the car and headed home. I dropped kingsley off at work and I drove 10 min home just to realize I had NO HOUSE KEY!!! I sat in the car crying... contractions were every 4 minutes... I drove back to his work, then home again. It was awful. I thought for sure I was going straight back to the hospital that night!!!! I came home and immediately laid down. After about 2 hours, the contractions subsided! I was beyond thankful and do NOT underestimate the power of complete bed rest!!!

So that is the day in a nutshell. I'm praying that tomorrow's car ride isn't as bad!

34.6 weeks

Here are some of the pictures that haunt me... lol. I've delivered both Keller and Saylor in the delivery rooms (which look like nice hotel rooms at our hospital). These are of the operating room. Very cold and sterile. They need me to deliver in there in case I need an emergency c-section.

ONE more day and I hit the 35 week mark, which I hear is a GREAT place to be for twins. There is a smaller chance for NICU time, though there may be some time spent there. I'm so excited to be close to that goal of 35 weeks!!!! I go see my Dr. tomorrow. I'm not sure if he'll check cervix, or do an ultrasound, or nothing at all.

It has been great being home. I've been obeying the Dr. and staying PUT on the couch!!! I get up to get water and that is about it. So not much to report there. I do feel contractions from time to time.. nothing regular though. I'm so thankful for everyone's prayers... it got me through a very tough 2 weeks.

My friend, the couch (34.3 weeks)

Man, I've NEVER enjoyed a night's sleep on the couch so much!!! I kept rolling over thinking in my sleep "be careful of the catheter", then I realized I'm home and hooked up to NOTHING!!! It was quite an exciting night. In fact, Kingsley actually makes a pretty good nurse! He's been so wonderful and "easy on the eyes" compared to all my female nurses...lol.

So far things are going well... not sure if I'm feeling contractions from time to time or if it's one of the babies moving. The Dr. says that is good... if I can't differentiate, it's not anything to worry about. I'm so used to staring at the monitor and getting scared everytime I saw the "hill" or contraction. My last day the nurse MADE me flip over so I couldn't see the monitor!!!

I know this is only temporary and one day soon I'll have my family back together (twins out, Keller and Saylor home)... and then I'll wish I had a whole night's sleep! But for now, I look forward to those sleepless nights!!!