Almost Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. How sad that so many jump right from Halloween to Christmas. Thanksgiving might be without presents or many decorations and it certainly isn't a retailors dream... but perhaps we all need to step back and remember what we are thankful for this year. With the economy in the dumps and bad news lurking around all corners it is easy to get lost in the world. So I'm praying that for a moment tomorrow, between the turkey and the football game everyone will take a moment to reflect on what they are thankful for, give their loved one an extra long hug and remember how lucky we all truly are...

Abby and I have hung out with Kiley and Kara all day. I'm sure she is getting a little tired of being cooped up. My mom and little brother stopped by for awhile this morning before they had to go to a few doctor's appointments. Abby really missed him and was glad to see him. They left during Abby's nap (2 hours yay!) It's still a bit of a battle to keep her from the girls. She wants to play with them like they are dolls and just gets too rough. It's exhausting at times to be on constant guard duty. I've been impressed so far as to how well I'm doing being at home with all three by myself. It's not easy but as I have discovered... you can do a lot when you have to.

Kara finally lost her little umbilicus (to Tom's delight, they creep him out) but Kiley is still holding tight to hers. I think we are going to give them their first baths tonight after Abby goes to bed. 8 days and no bath... we sound like horrible parents.. we aren't, just extraordinarily busy and exhausted parents. I'm excited and a little nervous. Giving babies a bath is hard when they are so small and 'floppy' and slippery. lol

It sounds like tomorrow we will be heading to the family Thanksgiving at least for a little bit. My mom is going to 'scope it out' a little and make sure people are healthy before we come. And if I'm uncomfortable with people holding them I'll just tell them no. The thought of staying home again all day tomorrow is not a pleasant thought... so we'll see how it goes.

Well Abby has once again discovered Kiley and Kara... gotta run!

One week old today!

Well lets see. Yesterday we went in for Kiley & Kara's first doctor's appointment. They got poked once again to check their Bilirubin levels. Kiley's dropped from Saturday's level of 12 to 10 and Kara dropped from 14 to 13. They were content to just watch the girls and as long as they didn't get more yellow or stop eating we were ok.

Today we had to go in for an appointment with the lactation people. At this appointment I met with the lactation lady, we had them weighed, fed them and weighed them again. Kiley isn't gaining as well as she should. She only gained 1oz since Friday and has lost more weight than she should have. Kara however is my little piggy and is well on her way to almost being back up to birth weight. So they want me to keep a close eye on Kiley and try to feed her more often (as if I'm not feeding all the time!) She told me to bring Kiley up some time and get a weight check the next time I'm in town so that we keep a close eye on it. If Kiley were an 8lb baby and was having this 'situation' they would be less worried but since Kiley is so little there isn't much wiggle room for error. But it's nothing to be 'concerned' about, I just have to watch it and get her checked out again to see if she starts to catch up.

It was a nice visit though, she said that she couldnt believe how well I was doing with everything and that I'm able to feed them both on my own without bottles. She said she would love to have me come back and talk to couples who are expecting multiples! (The class Tom & I went to) So that is how that visit went.

But we are home now, I'm tired and need to keep an eye on Abby whom is a little rambunctious right now. We are having to work on 'being gentle' with the babies. She loves them too much. :) We still aren't 100% sure what we will be doing for Thanksgiving yet. I'm a little afraid to take the girls to my big family gathering in Humboldt, too many people tend to come when they are sick. I'm pretty sure we will at least be going to Ida Grove Saturday-Monday. We'll see how long exactly we stay. Depends on how things are going and how we are all feeling. Ok have to see what Abby is up to...

5 days old now... wow

I'm losing track of the days a little. Hard to believe it is Sunday. Right now I am writing from my parent's house as Grandpa Timm is holding the twins. Kara is squaking a little so she might be getting hungry. We'll see how long I can stay on...

The girls are doing great. They are both still a little jaundiced but I'm doing my best to make sure they are eating and eating and eating. I wish I had thought to just tell the doctors I would like the bili blanket... it's less invasive than all of the 'pokes' they have had to endure and I wouldn't have to try so hard to feed twins. And yes, there are days I feel like all I do is feed them all the time. Thankfully it is getting a little easier each day. We are learning tricks and I'm figuring out how to manuever two babies at the same time.

Physically I'm doing a little less as well. Right now I have an awful headache and feel in general pretty icky. I'm hoping I don't have an infection. It doesn't help that I'm averaging 3-4 hours of sleep a night. I tried to take a nap this afternoon but wasn't able to fall asleep... how crazy is that? The Tylenol and Ibprofin haven't helped but I'll make it. I just feel a little bad for Abs because I've got so very little to offer her with how exhausted I am.

Tomorrow I have another doctor's appointment for Kiley and Kara. Abby is due for her 18 month appt but I think I will wait to do that until at LEAST after Thanksgiving week. Too much going on right now. Of course there are 2 homework assignments and a test due too... thankfully my Composition professor is very understanding with everything. On a similar note I found out yesterday that I won't be going back into the nursing program next semester :'( It's bittersweet to me, I will have more time to spend with all of my girls but it means delaying everything another semester.... *sigh* But I guess God has meant for me to be a mom now...

Well the computer battery is dying, Kara is hungry and I need to go take a bath to see if I can feel a little better. I'll try and write about the appointment tomorrow.

Day 2 at home

Today felt a little smoother. Perhaps we are getting the hang of this a little. I'm still not getting a lot of sleep but since I expected it, the fact I'm not getting it doesn't bother me as much. They slip out of their little preemie diapers and so they woke up angry twice last night because they were wet and pooey. It is nice that they sleep together so well in the bassinet. When Abby was a baby she NEVER slept unless I was holding her or she was in her swing.

This morning I took Kiley and Kara up to the hospital to get their bilirubin levels checked. I've discovered that I need a LOT of time to get things ready before I go. Each baby needs to be fed, changed, and dressed. Oh yeah... I need to be fed and dressed too, along with a little coffee in hand :) It also is an interesting feat to get two newborns into carseats without their older sister 'helping.' I've also discovered it is a lot of work to get two babies into the hospital on your own. I think it might have been easier if I still wasn't so tired and sore from having these two. But we made it. Poor little things had to get their heels pricked. Their feet are so bruised from all of the times they've had blood drawn. The lab people absolutely loved them and had to come look at them. It was hard though to hear them crying and looking at you like "Mommy why are they hurting me?" I'm so fiercely protective of all of my girls it is always hard to watch them get blood drawn.

We were supposed to come back at 4pm to have a weight check but thankfully the Childbirth Resource Center called and said they had an opening at 11:30 and wanted to know if I could come earlier. To which I was VERY happy to do! We went and visited Tom at work, I fed them and we went back to the hospital for the second time that day. They checked each girl's vitals, weights and than had me feed them. I REALLY need to paint one of the girl's nails so that I can keep them straight with one glance. I was tired and got them mixed up twice. Kiley has a larger 'bump' on the back of her head from delivery and that is how I was finally able to tell who was who. Kara drank 1oz and Kiley drank 1 1/2. The nurse was VERY impressed with how well they drank. She told me I no longer need to worry about supplementing their diets with formula. She also told me it was very unusual for 36 weekers to drink this well. Yay girls! Kiley has lost some weight since yesterday and both girls are 4lb 13oz now.

The pediatrician's office called me later this afternoon to tell me that Kiley's bili had risen to 11.5 (up from 8.5 yesterday) When I asked about Kiley's they sounded confused and said they didn't have the levels from the lab. They called me later to say that something happened and the lab had lost her blood. The lab did call later to appologize and state that they would not be charging me for the blood draws but that I need to come back in tomorrow to get them drawn again. *sigh* I don't mind doing it to make sure my girls are healthy but I hate to have to poke them AGAIN. Not to mention that I need to go up there once again! I'm to the point where I just want them to give me the bili blanket and stop poking them. So more pokes tomorrow :(

Abby is doing so well adjusting to the roll of big sister. She loves them so much. Our biggest concern is her being gentle with the girls. She's learning...and just doesnt quite understand how fragile they are. It's fun to see how much she wants to help though. I think Abby is liking that life is starting to take on some realm of 'normalcy' again. Mom and Dad were home tonight and I was able to put her to sleep. I think she needed the cuddle time. 

Well I'm just finishing feeding Kiley and Kara already had her fill... therefore it is time to go to bed before the next feeding. Continue to keep us all in your prayers as we navigate this new chapter in our lives.

A New Chapter

This post is long overdue but with everything going on it has been difficult to have time. The girls are here and amazing and beautiful and healthy. Praise the Lord. I will try and post their birth story sometime but tonight I just don't have the clear mind to do so.

We came home from the hospital today. We were dismissed at 1:00pm. There are moments when I think that I should have listened to Dr. H and stayed longer to rest... but I just wanted to go home and see Abby. I missed my home. Tom's mom is here and has helped around the house a lot. She made supper tonight which was SO much better than hospital food. I wish I could have eaten more. I played with Abby some after we came home, she gave me the biggest hug.

I think I'm going to head to bed here soon. I've gotten 5 hours of sleep or less for the last three or four nights and having babies and the stress of everything is getting to me. Please pray that I can learn to balance everything. Tomorrow I have to take Kiley and Kara in to get their bilirubins checked in the morning. Then at 4 something we have to go back up to get checked out to make sure we are all doing ok. We have to go in Monday for another appointment and Tuesday I go in to meet with the breastfeeding appointment. So much for leaving the hospital... but at least I was able to take them home.

Tom just got Abby to bed for me. I think I should sleep while there is someone to watch Kara and Kiley for awhile. I'll try to post more later.

Tomorrow!!!!!!!

This is it!

Less than 24 hours from now I will be checked into the hospital. Sometimes it still feels like a dream, that they will call me up and tell me that they have changed their minds. I keep running through the scenarios in my mind and trying to prepare myself. It is probably a little crazy but I'm excited... and nervous... and a little scared. Not scared in a terrified way... more like, I remember what it was like to have Abby and the thought of that is a little overwhelming. Is being naive better than knowing? Though I know it will be different, that each birth(s) is different.

Yesterday I was reading up on epidurals a little more, since I've never had one... and they mentioned that most give them when you are between 4-5 cm dilated. Hah... I'll most likely be almost 4 by the time we start! Of course you need to be in active labor too. What I think I'll end up doing is waiting as long as possible to get one and have the nurses just tell me when we are getting to "The point of no return" I dont want to slow down labor and I sure don't want to give my babies any problems because I had it. Who knows... if it goes fast enough maybe I won't even need one! (One can only hope)

I haven't been able to sleep well in the last few days, and it has nothing to do with thinking or being nervous. The babies are 'sliding' so far up when I lay down to sleep that they are literally right on top of my ribs. It hurts so much! Saturday night I was up every, single, hour... last night wasn't AS bad but I was up more than four times and that is enough. I guess the girls think they are getting me ready for when they come. I sure am ready for them to come!

I've been in cleaning mode too. I had Tom help me rearrange the basement so that the guest bed is in a better position. (Looks so much better) and I organized a little down there. There is still a lot to do but I don't have the power to do that much that fast! Two loads of laundry are done and the dishes have been unloaded and loaded. With how many times I've picked up you would think the house would be squeaky clean... but not with Abby around!

Tom has a cold... ugh. I'm hoping he will be over it by tomorrow! I dont know what they do with parents when they are sick. Perhaps they will have him wear a mask? I wonder if it is the same thing Abby has been battling. I'm praying he gets over it and that I don't catch it!!!

I will not post updates on Facebook as to how labor is going. Depending on how everything went and when the girls arrive I may post a birth announcement and picture on Facebook and on here. It will not be my first priority I am sorry to say. We plan on texting a picture & announcement out soon after they are born. We will also inform you at that time if we would rather have you wait to visit or stop by. Again a lot will depend on when they come. If you want to be on this list and aren't sure if I have your cell number please message me via Facebook or leave a comment below and I will contact you. (I don't want to put my personal contact information up for people to see)

Also: If you are feeling REMOTELY sick at all... please refrain from visiting us in the hospital. The girls will be still very small and can easily catch something and get very sick. We also ask that you wash your hands at the sink before coming into the room as a precaution. (I'm sorry... there is just so much going around I hate to risk my girl's health after everything we have been through)

Ok! I think that is it! I need to finish a few things before I head up to Sioux Falls to do some last minuet errands. Thank you for all of the prayers and thoughts... God has brought us so far and I am thankful for all of you. Please pray for us tomorrow... (and for me) that I will have the strength and the endurance to bring these little girls safely into the world.

Thirty Six Weeks! 3 days till delivery day!

Well everyone... we made it! Thirty six weeks! How awesome is that! Babies looked good at the appointment yesterday. A was practicing her breathing so much the tech was having a hard time getting her heartbeat! Which was 154 by the way. They measured her in at 5lb 3 ounces but can't be sure if that is correct because her head is locked so far down in my pelvis they could barely get a glimpse of her. The only issue with this is that I saw her hand on top of her head... not a great position to be pushed out in. I will talk with the people on Tuesday (or sooner) when I go in to have them and make sure this is ok. I don't want to dislocate her shoulder!

B measured in at 5lb 1 oz... and get this. SHE FLIPPED... AGAIN! Unbeliveable actually. They could not believe she flipped once let alone twice! They are ordering an ultrasound to check positions before we induce and make sure she hasn't done anything too crazy. She passed her BPP ultrasound with flying colors too and it looks like they will be born nice and healthy :)

We go in at 7am on Tuesday morning to get set up for delivery. They said it will probably take an hour to get that process started. Tom's mother has graciously offered to watch Abby for us and she will be coming up Monday mid day if all goes as planned. This is so nice... I won't have to be alone all day before we deliver! (Tom has to work) We probably won't be going to church tomorrow. I don't want to chance getting sick. I think Abby caught her recent virus from the nursery again. It's the only place we can think of where she might have gotten it. I would just rather be safe than sorry.

I'm going to deliver these babies vaginally but I think that I'm going to opt for the epidural just in case. There is a greater chance for an emergency c-section with this pregnancy and I don't want to miss the birth of one or both of my babies because I'm 'knocked out.' Of course this is purely my intention, anything can happen :)

But honestly I think that is about it. We are counting down the days and trying to stay busy so that the days don't draaaaaaaaaaag. Today will probably be the hardest for me because Tom has to work till 4. The rest of the weekend we should be busy thankfully.

Thanks for all of the prayers! God has answered so many prayers for us throughout this pregnancy and has watched over our little girls. We can't wait to meet them and share them all with you. Please continue to pray for a safe delivery and fat healthy babies!

We have a date!

Dr. H's nurse called me back yesterday morning and said that Dr. B had talked with Dr. H and he wants the babies delivered early next week if they haven't already come on their own! I chose Tuesday because Dr. H will be on call all that day and that night so depending on what I choose I have a pretty good chance of her being there to deliver my babies- something I really want since she delivered Abs and did such a great job last time!

Tomorrow I go in for an ultrasound at 10, then see Dr. B, then see Dr. H to discuss everything about the babies and Tuesday. I've been really struggling to decide whether I would like to do a c-section or vaginal birth with B being breech. There have been people on both sides of the spectrum that have strong opinions either way. I know that when it comes down to it the choice will be mine and mine alone... but it's still hard. I talked to one friend whom had a c-section and she said things perfectly. That no matter what I choose I will always wonder if the other was the right choice. I think I'm going to have to do my best to let some of the weight on the choice of HOW my girls are born go... the important thing is that they are here safe.

I had Abby naturally last time, without an epidural or anything. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done but also one of the most amazing things ever. I think this is the part of me that wants to try for a vaginal birth. Because I know what to expect (somewhat) and I remember how great it felt. The recovery for a c-section is longer but my friend said she was up walking that next day and that she really didn't feel too bad. That she was sore but able to get around ok. Hmmm..... sometimes I wish I didn't have the choice. Perhaps I'll get lucky and little stinker baby B will be facing the right direction. They would check her again on Tuesday before they did anything too... so we have 2 potential shots of not having to choose.

Right now I'm in a strange nesting mode. I've never had a "that's it" date. The babies' nursery is pretty much ready and our bags are packed. Except for Abby's now that I think of it. Though if Tom's mom is able to come up and watch her that morning so we don't have to disturb her pattern too much that would be great. I'm still very curious to see how she reacts to all of this... it is going to be a big adjustment. Especially mom being gone for a few days. So pray that she is able to adjust without too much trauma. I have a few homework assignments that I reallllllly need to get done. It's just so hard to concentrate on them! Especially since they are writing assignments. Hopefully I can get them done. :)

So keep us in your prayers as we count down these last few days of the pregnancy. The journey has been long but the reward will be grand. I will update again after the appointment on Tuesday with more details. :)

Four Days

Well this will be a short update because I am expecting my friend Amanda to show up pretty soon. Abby just went down for a nap (kinda late) but by the time I got her from my mom it was almost three.

There isn't a TON to report but Dr H and I discussed B being breech. She said that she had only delivered 10 babies breech in her career. They just don't do it much anymore. In fact the situation I am in is the ONLY one they would think about doing a vaginal birth with a breech baby. If this was my first pregnancy I wouldn't get the choice, If A was head down they wouldn't... She said that she would be uncomfortable delivering B alone and that if I did choose to go vaginal she would have someone come to assist her. I am thankful for her honesty and for working to give me that choice. Most doctors if they are uncomfortable are unwilling to give the patient the choice.

She hadn't had a chance to talk to Dr. B yet about what he was thinking as far as scheduling a date. She was going to call him today and then get ahold of me. So far I haven't heard anything. Her impression is that he wanted to deliver between 35-37 weeks so there is a good chance that if the babies aren't here on their own by Friday we will schedule a time next week. I'm so ready. I told her that once we made it to 36 weeks I was ready. The babies wouldn't have to be in the NICU unless they were really struggling!!!

Friday we have a growth ultrasound and an appt with Dr. B... I'm sure I'll know more about what will happen in the next week by then. Of course the girls can still come on their own. Dr. H told me that she couldn't believe I was still pregnant. I replied "Me too..." But at least we are getting close!!! I'm so excited. I'm about 3.5 cm dilated now... good grief come on babies!!! Stubborn little buggers! :)

Ok, going to lay down a bit before Amanda gets here. So we are waiting for Friday!!!

THIRTY FIVE WEEKS

One more week and we've made it to my goal! It's getting so close it makes me very excited and a little nervous. I have no idea what I'll do once I go past that! It's no secret, I'm getting a little tired of being pregnant. lol The biggest thing that is bothering me lately is the swelling I'm getting in my hands, face, legs, feet... not only is it uncomfortable it's a little hard on the self esteem. Up until this point I knew I had a good sized tummy, felt big but now I'm beginning to feel fat. I had this with Abby and frankly I remember how much 'fun' it is. It doesn't help that I'm getting to the point where 99% of my clothes doesn't fit... meaning it doesn't cover my belly. Eek! As flattering as the stretch marks are... I'm not waving that flag around! So t-shirts it is. And when I say t-shirts... I don't fit into MY t-shirts... or most of Tom's... Blech... (Can you tell I haven't posted any pictures of myself in 3 weeks... I probably should take a picture of the 'egg' (as I call it) but just haven't had the motivation...

BUT I've gotten the babies to 35 weeks and I'm proud of that accomplishment. If you are praying that I make it to 38 weeks... please don't tell me.... lol the thought of 3 more weeks like this is overwhelming to me...

Here is what our babies are up to lately:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.
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Today we are heading down to my mom's place. I've had Abs home alone for the last 2 days and I think she's VERY ready to get out. It's cute because she's been working very hard at saying "Grandma" (She has said Grandpa for like 5 months now!) and she finally has a word for it.... "Mawma" ... you would have to hear it to distinguish it and some might think she's saying Momma... but her word for me is Mommy so I know that it's different. She also calls one of my brothers "Unca Dee" and she's working on my sister "Tippy"... I think her favorite thing to tell me is that she has a 'steeeeenky' ... im not always as thrilled to hear it.

Well unless anything worth posting comes up I probably won't be back until Tuesday when I have my next appointment with Dr. H and I'll find more out about c-sections or inductions or what my next few weeks might be like. And here is a final thought to leave you with....

As someone who ran cross country for 6 years of my life... this point reminds me of that backstretch... where the finish line is looming in the distance and every fiber of your being wants to cross that silly line. Your body feels like it's falling apart, you are exhausted and don't feel like you can go on but the crowds are calling you in. It's funny how many things in life can be compared to a long distance race. There is the pain, the work, the discomfort the hardship... but I'm looking forward to crossing that finish line!!! To holding my babies in my arms, kissing their sweet faces and feeling that unbelievable joy and love that floods through you.... That is what I'm holding out for! And it won't be long now...