A Happy New Year Indeed!

BEWARE: A long post to refresh my memory of the girls' arrival day.

Well, I did it! I made it to my scheduled c-section date (never thought I'd make it) and met our baby girls on the morning of January 2nd. I was really struggling towards the end of the pregnancy and I literally probably slept an hour the night before their birth. I was so uncomfortable in every way. We took video of me the days leading up to the big day, and I look awful.

Of course, we have our biggest snow fall of the year the morning that we have to be at the hospital, and I was on pins and needles the entire ride there. DH says the weather wasn't that bad, but he was sliding on the freeway ramps and we were about a minute away from seeing an accident. I was so worried about getting to the hospital safely that I felt like I was having contractions the whole way. When we did get the hospital and got hooked up to monitors, it was true--I was having contractions. My OB arrived and checked my cervix, and I was 100% effaced and 2 cm dilated. I was ready to have these babies and my OB was happy that we didn't wait any longer. The goal was not to go into labor because she didn't think my uterus could handle it.

We were scheduled for 9am, but we probably didn't get into the OR until 9:20am. My anesthesiologist was quite funny and made me feel relaxed. He joked with DH because he had 4 daughters himself. Once the spinal went in, I was starting to feel more comfortable. Before I knew it, I was numb from breast line down. They warned me that I might feel a lot of tugging as they pulled the babies out, which made me a little nervous. The sheet was put up so I couldn't see anything going on down there. DH was allowed to come into the room just as they were ready to make the incision. DH was behind the sheet too, and he told me afterward that he was looking at the floor and could see blood dripping. I'd probably pass out if I saw that! They even warned him that if he feels faint, he should let them know. Within a minute (so it seemed), they told DH that he could look over the sheet and see our daughters being born...and videotape it. I saw them lift Baby A out first and she was so beautiful. Tears started to enter my eyes, for I couldn't believe how incredibly happy I was to see her. She was suctioned and then, she let out a big cry and didn't stop. It was music to my ears. Then, Baby B arrived a minute later. OMG, she was just as big as Baby A. How did I fit these two precious babies inside me? They looked and sounded so healthy. Fortunately, DH videotaped the births, so I have re-lived the experience a couple times already. I just can't get over how big the umbilical cord was...it was huge! Baby B had the cord around her neck; however, it was not wrapped tight or anything. The actual births of the girls didn't seem so bad, but as they started to stitch me back up, I started to feel some nausea (which they also warned me about--some women vomit during c-sections). I held it together though and it was almost a an hour by the time I was completely closed up. Dr. C did say that my uterus was stretched to its max, so she had to put some reinforcement stitches in my uterus. My uterus was so thin; it was transparent. Dr. C said we shouldn't and couldn't have waited another day to deliver our girls. I feel very lucky that things worked out the way they did, and the girls were safe.

I have to admit that I wasn't sure how I would feel about our DE girls until they arrived. I can now say that I am TOTALLY in love with our girls. The minute I laid eyes on them, they captured my heart. They are my daughters and I am their mother. I feel so proud and lucky to have such beautiful girls. It feels like a dream.

Despite having the girls at 36 weeks, they were decent sizes. Baby A (Seraphina) weighed in at 5 lbs 11 oz and Baby B (Matilda) weighed in at 6 lbs. I was able to hold both of them after I returned to my recovery room. Baby B was taken back to the nursery early because they were worried about a noise she was making, which indicated some respiratory issue. She was monitored closely for fluids in her lungs and air in her stomach. After 24 hours, she was doing much better and no longer needed a tube down her throat to her stomach. Poor thing, it broke my heart to see the tube going down her throat and IV in her tiny hand. Luckily, she was cleared of any respiratory issues and was just as healthy as her sister. What a relief!

After 4 nights in the hospital, we were cleared to go home! (We could have gone home after 3 nights, but i thought I needed the extra day). I feel so lucky that we were all healthy enough to go home so soon.

Being home now has been nice. We all seem to be adjusting well The girls are just wonderful, and they really don't fuss much. Our DD has taken on her big sister role very seriously. She has been a great big sister and is always willing to help with her little sisters. She kisses them several times a day and insists on picking out their clothes E.V.E.R.Y.D.A.Y.

There is so much to say and so many feelings that I really need to document here, but I am absolutely exhausted and need to get some sleep.

What a year so far! It's been incredible and I'm not sure it can get any better. We have our girls now and we are in love.

In The Homestretch

I'm 35 weeks and 1 day today. I can't believe we've made it this far, especially after the preterm labor episode three weeks ago. I had my last OB appointment before my schedule c-section today, and Dr. C said I have a super cervix. Not much change with my cervix. BP was 118/80 and I gained weight in the last week...152 lbs. Wow, 4lbs in one week! It must have been the Christmas cookies I ate in the last couple days! I was really surprised that I gained that much since I really haven't eaten that much. Dr. C predicts I'm carrying close to 12 lbs of baby! I believe it because I feel like it! I feel like a whale. They are also positioned like shoes in a shoebox. Baby A is head down and Baby B is head up.

The most difficult part lately of this pregnancy has been sleep. I can't sleep well at all. I did wake up on Christmas Eve morning with some contractions, but they seemed to fade as I drank a lot of water and rested in bed on my left side. That night I also slept in the bed for the first time in weeks and I was comfortable for about 30 minutes and then had to change positions. Needless to say, I got little sleep that night. Back to the recliner and it takes me awhile to get comfortable. The twins are kicking and punching me in the ribs like crazy...more so than ever, which is making sleep very difficult too. Neither baby seems to like me on either side when sleeping. Depending how I sleep, either my belly/ribs or back hurt.

Despite the lack of sleep, it is pretty amazing to see the girls growing (or should I say, feel them growing?) It's crazy how strong they are getting. I love feeling their hiccups. I love seeing their body movements through my skin. I love knowing that these girls are mine. Simply amazing.

Five more days and we meet our girls! We are so excited and I must admit, I'm a little nervous. Surgery always makes me nervous. With my DD, I was tired after pushing and when they mentioned c-section, I was all for it. I'm going into this c-section knowing with a clear, alert mind on what's going to happen. The end result is being able to hold our girls, so I'll just have to focus on them when the nerves get to me.

We are in the homestretch!!!

34 Week Appointment... The Countdown Begins

Today was my 34 week appointment, and our babies are still doing great. Cervix is staying strong, BP was 112/76, and weight was 148 lbs. Is it possible I lost 2 lbs in a week? Maybe I wore lighter clothing or something. Our girls appear to be getting stronger by the day. Wow, do I feel their jabs and kicks. Sometimes, I have to shield my ribs with my hand, so they don't kick so hard.

Since my OB is technically "off work/vacation" the week of our c-section, she said we could schedule any day, meaning we could move our date up to Monday, Jan.2 (instead of the 3rd). Of course, my thinking is ' the sooner, the better.' So, it's scheduled that we'll meet our little girls on Jan. 2nd and I'll be exactly 36 weeks that day. Our DD was so excited when I told her the news, "you'll get to meet your baby sisters in 13 days." She was screaming with excitement. Amazingly, I think she's more excited about her sisters' birth than Christmas Day! She said the other day, "Maybe they'll come on Christmas Day. That would be the best Christmas gift ever!" What a great gift it would be! And, what a memorable day is would be!

13 more days...wahoo, can't wait!

33 Week Update (with photo)

Yesterday, I had my 33 week appointment with my OB. I've officially gained about 35 pounds, weighing in at 150 pounds now. My BP was great at 112/68, and my cervix is staying strong at 2.5cm in length. My uterus is measuring at 37 weeks and the babies have definitely dropped. I think bed rest has been good for me and the babies, though. My swelling has been kept to a very minimum...I still don't have cankles yet! And I'm happy to report that I didn't have heartburn last night before going to bed. It was such a good feeling, not having to feel the acid in my chest. I have slept on our recliner couch for the past couple days now, and it seems to be the best way to sleep lately. My nose gets stuffy when I lay flat in bed and I can't seem to get as comfortable in bed with pillows. I do miss my bed, but I know it's temporary.

The twins are very active and I think their personalities are definitely showing through already. Even the nurses at the hospital said Baby B was a feisty one, and I believe it. She moves like crazy with the hardest jabs. She is transverse while Baby A is vertex, so I'm not sure if their positioning has anything to do with their movement.

Some exciting news...We now have a Plan A for the arrival of our girls. Our c-section date is set for January 3rd! (I'll be 36 weeks 1 day then). Of course, I'm thinking, 'holy cow, can I make it three more weeks?!' That's the goal, though. The longer, the better and I understand that. Our goal is to take our girls home with us when I leave the hospital. Plan B is the unexpected...you never know, they might have plans of their own.

Me at 33 weeks (yesterday)

Ultrasound Update

Yesterday was a big day. We had our thorough ultrasound with Dr.K (first one in 4 weeks). After the preterm labor scare, it was nice to see the sweet peas and know that they are still growing well. In fact, Dr. K was somewhat surprised about their current size. He estimates that Baby A is 4 lb 11oz and Baby B is 4 lb 15 oz. That's a lot of baby! He said they are growing like they should and everything looks good with them. My cervix is still hanging in there...close to 3cm long. Looks like I'll be having big babies, especially if they stay in me for a couple more weeks. Yikes! My belly is so huge now; I'll have to post a photo next time.

All in all, a great appointment. I see my OB on Monday, so I'm hoping we can schedule a tentative c-section date.

The Unexpected Symptom

As I was typing my blog post last night,I was experiencing that new symptom I mentioned--menstrual cramps and dull back pain. I tried to lay in the recliner for a couple hours, but the pain was not subsiding. DH thought we should go to ER to put my mind at ease. Little did he know (or myself), I was experiencing preterm labor. My uterus was consistently contracting and nothing seemed to stop them. I did try to call the on-call doctor, but no one answered. That's when we decided to go to ER. When we got there, they took me to the Birthing Center to hook up all the monitors, and they started an IV of fluids. Sure enough, I was having regular contractions and the on-call doctor (who happened to be my normal OB--YAY!) was concerned. Dr. C said this was way to early for contractions, for she wants these twins to make it to at least 35 or 36 weeks. Good news, the babies looked great on the monitors and my blood pressure was under control. As they checked my monitors, they noticed my first IV insertion area was getting red and swollen and had to be taken out (and that was painful and bloody!) It almost made me want to pass out (I'm such a wimp, I know!) They put another IV in and mental note to self, make sure they use the 20 gauge needle on me. It went in much better. After the IV fluids, it was decided to keep me overnight, for contractions were not stopping. They gave me a steroid injection to help the babies' lung maturity, which I will need a second one tonight. And since the contractions were not stopping, they gave me some pills to help stop the contractions; I can't remember the name of medicine, but fortunately, they ran out of it in injection form. (Can you tell that I dislike needles!?!) By the time all this was done, I was told that there were ketones in my urine.

More good news...Besides, the babies looking great, my cervix was still long and they ran a test which predicted early delivery. Based on the test results, there is a very good chance that these babies will NOT be delivered within the next 2 weeks, which is a very good thing. Also, my contractions did stop in the early morning. Thank goodness! The worst part of the whole overnight stay was the lack of sleep I got. They wanted to keep the fetal monitors on both babies all night and the only way they cooperated was if I was lying on my back inclined. This position was so uncomfortable (esp. in birthing beds) that I couldn't sleep because of the pressure on my back. No matter how many pillows the nurses used, I just couldn't get comfortable. BTW, I had incredible nurses and I'm so thankful for their patience and compassion. Luckily, they did put some nubain in my IV and that helped with back pain, so I could sleep an hour or two. It was a long night. By morning, they decided the fetal monitors were not a necessity, so I could rest/sleep in whatever position I wanted. By 1:00pm today, the ketones were not in my urine anymore and everything looked good. I was ready to be discharged! Home sweet home, how nice it is!

Of course, I can't go back to my normal routine or the contractions can easily start up again. I'm on bedrest at home now, which can be somewhat challenging with a 5 year old. She is in school most of the day, but the DH has to step up and take on some "mommy" responsibilities. My Mom is coming over tomorrow to help with some house cleaning and finish wrapping Christmas gifts for me. Thankfully, DH has an understanding boss (who's wife was also on bedrest with her 2nd child) who will let DH work from home when need be. With the holidays coming up, DH also has vacation time to use up. We were hoping to save the time for the twins' birth. Hopefully, he can use that time towards the end of the month and not any time soon.

What a scare last night was, but I'm glad our babies are still doing good. As Dr. C said, there's about 8lbs of baby in my uterus and my uterus is ready . We are just asking my uterus to be superhero.

**excuse any grammar errors -- I'm extremely tired right now.**

New Symptoms at 32 weeks

The fun is really starting! I hit the 32 week-mark and things are changing! I swear, the babies have dropped, for I now get up at least 3 to 4 times a night to pee. Sometimes, I'll be driving in the car and have to pee. I get out of the car, and then I don't have to go anymore. It drives me crazy! To pee or not to pee is often the question.

Then, there's the swelling in my left foot. I had it for a week or so now but usually when I woke in the morning, it would be gone. Not anymore. I wake up and the left foot is swelling, as if I was on my feel all day. I have been monitoring my blood pressure at home to make sure it has not gotten any higher. Amazingly, my blood pressure has been low, which is great.

OMG, what's with the weepiness? I think I've cried twice today. It seems to get worse with each day that does on. I'm usually a sap, but not like this. I was watching 'Catch and Release' today and when the little boy says, "my Dad was a superhero!" I started balling. Really?!? I'm an emotional wreck!

The new symptom that has me a little uptight is the menstrual-like cramps and dull back pain. I know it's not true labor because it is not consistent, so I'm guessing it's braxton hick contractions. Being pregnant before, you'd think I'd know what is going on with my body. However, I feel like this is all new to me again. It has been almost 6 years, so it's easy to forget...I think. Though I do believe twins (or multiples) add a different dynamic to a pregnancy. Everything seems to be more intense or occur more soon in the pregnancy.

What's next? My next ultrasound is this Friday. Let's hope there's no surprises, especially since it would have been 4 weeks since seeing a doctor. Can't wait to see the babies again...it's been way too long!