June 30th appointment

I had a much anticipated appointment this morning at 9 am.  It started out with an ultrasound.  The ultrasound went well - except for the hip/back pain associated with laying in one position on a hard table for so long.  But, at least I got to see our two precious babies and enjoy watching them breathe and their hearts beat.  Yes, babies in the tummy breathe - they move amniotic fluid in and out of their little lungs to practice for when they are born.  It was amazing to watch!

The ultrasound showed that both babies are breach - with their heads in my ribs.  Baby A is facing down and Baby B is facing up.  My dear husband and I laugh because we know they are already conspiring against us!  :-)

I then met with the doctor.  She told me the stats on the babies - listed below.

Baby A

weight - 4 pounds 11 ounces (up from 3 pounds 2 ounces 4 weeks ago)

heartbeat - 143 beats per minute

measuring - 67th percentile 

Baby B

weight - 4 pounds 4 ounces (up from 2 pounds 12 ounces 4 weeks ago)

heartbeat - 129 beats per minute

measuring - 53rd percentile

Overall, the babies are still growing but their growh rate has slowed down.  They are both measuring in a lower percentile than they were 4 weeks ago - which is perfectly okay.  No worries with that - and I will say that I am perfectly ok with that as well!

During the ultrasound, a biophysical test was performed on each baby to check it's stress level.  8 points were possible and both babies scored 100%.  This just tells the doctor that neither baby is in stress or showing signs of distress and the pregnancy is progressing along good.  

As for me, my blood pressure was 118/62.  When the nurse got done taking this she just looked at me and shook her head.  I asked her what and she said that she keeps expecting it to be much higher or at least have changed drastically since the last appointment.  Needless to say, both her and the doctor were impressed!  I have not gained nor lost any weight from 2 weeks ago - so that is fine.  The doctor laughed at me today because even though I have almost 9 pounds of baby in me - I have not gained any weight.  The nurse even commented that besides my tummy, I am looking thinner.  The doctor is not worried about my weight as she can tell the babies are healthy and I am healthy.  Finally, I am measuring 40 weeks at 31 weeks and 6 days. The doctor is hoping that this remains stable for a few weeks - as am I!

Other than the appointment, my hips and low back do not feel very good.  I am in quite a bit of pain much of the time - but know that it will be worth it in the end.  It is just a matter of time before these precious bundles are born.

After the appointment, I ran to the store and met the rest of my family at a park.  We ate a picnic lunch and then took our 2 girls swimming.  We are home now and resting getting ready for a fun packed night of working outside!  I am so thankful that the humidity is down and the temperature is down as well!  

I had better go get supper around and wake the girls up - that way they will go to sleep tonight.  Just wanted to let everyone know how things were going!  

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!  

30 weeks

It is amazing that it is the middle of June, which also means halfway through 2010.  It seems like yesterday I knew I was pregnant and miserable with being so extremely sick - wondering if I would ever even make it to June.  Now we are half-way through, and the end is near!

8 weeks and 5 days until delivery - which is so exciting, yet so crazy scary at the same time!  Anyway, I had a doctors appointment yesterday and all is well!

I have gained no weight, which does not concern the doctor.  My blood pressure is amazing - and that was her exact words.  I was placed on the monitor yesterday to do a quick check of the babies heartbeats, and they were both between 130 and 140 - which she said was great.  I also measured 38 weeks again - which she said was great!  Other than my hips, I am feeling wonderful!

We had a great conversation with our doctor yesterday (my dear husband was able to go).  She explained that she honestly does not think that pre-term labor will be any issue.  She said the only way I will deliver before the goal date is if the babies show signs of distress or if my blood pressure goes crazy.  So, she is very confident.

We also talked to her about my concerns with her vacation timing (one week in July doesn't bother me) - but she is scheduled to be off the 1 1/2 weeks before my delivery date.  She said those were going to change and she would be in the office 5 to 6 out of those 10 days.  So, she said more than likely she would see me the week before delivery - which helped to ease my mind.  There is something about knowing who is going to deliver your baby vs having somebody completely different.

We also talked about a couple of other concerns and options to help ease my mind and overall the appointment went well.  Nothing too exciting, but I have an ultrasound to look forward to on June 30!  That will more than likely be the last time I see the babies before delivery - as I will just have non-stress-test monitoring every week starting the week of July 5th.  

On a separate note, we have childcare figured out for when the babies are being born (Thank you to you who are watching them!) and my dear husband has figured out his FMLA time off and we are in the process of getting paperwork done!  This is all good news as now we can finish planning for my "helpers" for when he has to go back to work!

Other than that, we have just been weeding garden, taking care of outside projects, trying to get Blessing's new room finished (we are making progress - just not fast!), and spending time as a family.  My energy level is extremely low and I fatigue very easily, but we are managing!  Thanks for checking in and will update in a couple weeks, if not before!

Iowa in June

I don't know about anyone else, but I so easily forget what summer can be like in Iowa.  It can go from being 66 and rainy one day to 90 and extremely hot and humid the next.  It can be comfortable and 70 before lunch but get so hot and humid after lunch that you can hardly stand to be outside.

On Wednesday night, my dear husband asked me to sit outside with him after we got the girls to bed.  So, we were sitting outside and even though I didn't "hear the corn grow,"  I definitely smelt the corn growing.  It is amazing how much the corn has grown in the past few days.  It has definitely gained at least 6 inches - as have many of our plants in the garden.  My dear husband told me today that I almost have zucchini ready!

While we were sitting outside, we listened and took everything in.  We heard animals talking back and forth, we saw the stars, we watched our cat and dog play (not together though), and we enjoyed seeing the lightening bugs (or fireflys as some call them).  The ground has finally reached a temperature where the lightening bugs have emerged from the ground.  It is such an exciting time full of life and growth!

Not only is the corn and beans growing and our garden growing, our girls are growing as well.  They are both getting more mature and bigger in size.  Blessing, on Thursday night, did something she had never done before that blew me away and made me realize how "old" she is getting.  We got home from worship team practice at about 9:30 pm after an extremely long day of being gone - but connecting and enjoying friends and fellowship.  We got home and I asked her to please go get her pajamas on.  She went and did that after asking if she could come back downstairs.  Her little sister was eating a snack, and she didn't want one.  I said of course she could come back down.  She was reclining on a chair and after a few minutes asked if she could just go to her bed.  I said definitely.  I got Joy around and headed upstairs, planning on finding Blessing either playing in her room or reading in her room.  What I found surprised me!

Blessing was in her bed, with her light off, almost asleep!  I finished getting Joy around for bed, and she was not happy (overly tired).  Once I got her to bed, I went back to Blessing, kissed her and asked if she wanted her music on.  She hardly moved, but answered yes please.  So, I turned on her music and watched the news.  Not a word out of her until Friday morning.  

Part of me longs for more days where she will do that, but at the same time I realize that she is growing up and maturing, just like the corn.  Joy is doing the same thing, but in different ways.

I am definitely taking the time to enjoy my two little girls as I anxiously prepare for the birth of our twins.  I find it bittersweet that things will change while exciting at the same time.

Take time to enjoy what you have - as things change each and every day!

10 weeks 6 days to go!

Instead of counting up, I have started counting down!  I am getting close, and I can't wait to meet our two new little additions to our family.  It will be here before we know it or expect it!

I had a doctor appointment today with my OB.  The ultrasound was first.  It was very exciting and fun to see the little miracles again.  God is so good!  It is amazing how he creates them!  We even got to see Baby B sucking on the hand and yawning!  Baby A had its foot over its head - yes, basically folded in half.  They each have their personalities - Baby B showed us its face, Baby A was shy and hid its face.

On to the statistical details...

Baby A

Weight - 3 pounds 2 ounces (increase of 1 pound 6 ounces)

Heartbeat - 143 beats

Measuring - in the 79th percentile

Baby B

Weight - 2 pounds 12 ounces (increase of 14 ounces)

Heartbeat - 143 beats

Measuring - in the 63rd percentile

The babies are doing fabulous and honestly my body is doing fairly well.  Yes, I have to be careful to not overdo it on a daily basis and to know my limits and rest when I need to, but that is to be expected.  I also know that I can't expect to stand immediately and run or get up and expect to jump out of bed - but I am adjusting to those inconveniences.  I am also slowly adjusting to a lack of sleep - God is preparing me for when these two miracles come...

Medically, I am measuring 38 weeks (full term) and still have 10 weeks to go.  The doctor just smiled and laughed.  She still says that I won't go over 42 weeks measurement (the biggest she has ever seen).  I wonder...  However, now I know why none of my maternity clothes are fitting.

My blood pressure was 124/70 (very good!).  I have even lost one pound in the last month.  That baffles my mind - since I have gained 2 pounds 4 ounces in baby weight. The good news is that the doctor isn't worried and actually chuckled.  She said as long as the babies are looking good and growing she isn't worried.  And, they are definitely growing!

As for the gestational diabetes, I am adjusting.  I take my blood sugars 6 times a day now (before and after each meal) and do insulin 4 times a day (before every meal and at bedtime). It has made a big difference in my blood sugar levels.  I talked to the endocrinologist yesterday, and he said that gestational diabetes is more common the older you get and the more pregnancies you have and especially with multiples.  Well, I am hitting that threshold of 30 (the age they consider being pregnant "older") and have multiples.  He also said that this is more than likely a temporary condition and will "disappear" the instant the babies are born.  He also said that even though I have an increased risk of Type II diabetes later in life, it isn't as high due to not having a family history of diabetes.  It has been an adjustment, but it has been good.  The weight loss still baffles me through all of this though because I am actually eating more since having gestational diabetes because of the # of carbs that are required.  It is so crazy!  

Finally, I go back in 2 weeks and then in another 2 weeks with an ultrasound then.  After that, it is weekly checks with a non-stress test every week.  This test is an hour test where they hook monitors up and make sure that each babies heartrate is good and that movements are good.  So, it will be interesting to see how things turn out.  Like I said, only another 10 weeks and 6 days to go - not that anyone is counting!

I will try to post an update between now and then - but between the garden, keeping up with mowing lawn, chasing after the girls, resting, and trying hard to finish remodeling our oldest daughter's room - I am busy!