Final ultrasound

Today I had my final ultrasound of this pregnancy.  I was looking forward to seeing the babies one more time!  It was nice but not as exciting as ultrasounds earlier in the pregnancy because the babies are getting so big you really can't see much at a time.  I now understand why they do ultrasounds at 20 weeks!

So, the biggest news is that the babies are growing and are showing no signs of stress or distress.  This is wonderful! Below are the stats...

Baby A 

weight - 6 pounds 12 ounces (up from 4 pounds 11 ounces a month ago)

heartbeat - 143

percentile - 71st (this is in comparison to a single baby - so I have a big twin!)

Baby B

weight - 6 pounds 2 ounces (up from 4 pounds 4 ounces a month ago)

heartbeat - 140

percentile - 51st (this is in comparison to a single baby)

My doctor and I chatted about moving the scheduled c-section date up a week due to how much they weigh alreaady and my doctor would not hear of it.  She said that she will take them at 38 weeks and no earlier unless the mom or babies start to show signs of stress.  So, since all is going well for both the babies and me, there is no chance.  This is good and bad...the good is that they will get one more week to develop - the bad is that I have to endure carrying them for one more week!  It is a challenge!

As for my blood pressure - it was extremely good - she took it twice and it was 94/57.  The nurse couldn't believe it!  She made me laugh and took it again and it was 124/72.  She is just amazed every time she takes my blood pressure because she thinks it should be higher.  I guess my body just handles pregnancy well as I have never had a blood pressure issue - just like I have never had braxton hicks contractions or real contractions (once again and blessing and a curse :-)!)  

So, we are down to 3 weeks until delivery date.  I will keep pressing on toward the goal of August 17 and pray that they decide to wait to come into the world!  I have plenty of things to keep me busy until then, so I will keep working on the projects.  Some of the things I have left to do include packing a bag for the babies and I at the hospital, packing the girls bags for being away while I am at the hospital, cleaning out the van, finding all the breastpump accessories and cleaning them up, finishing cleaning our upstairs bedroom, finishing the new room and getting our oldest daughter moved in, getting the nursery set up, getting meals made and into the freezer to make life easier for my husband, and sleeping!  I will just keep knocking away at things on the list to make progress and will see what happens in the meantime!

Thanks for following me on this journey!  I have an appointment on Friday, July 30 and another one on Thursday, August 5.  My last appointment before delivery is scheduled for Tuesday, August 10 with delivery on Tuesday, August 17.  We will keep everybody updated!

Non-stress test update

Greetings!  I can't believe 2 weeks have passed since I last updated.  I wanted to update last week, but there really wasn't much news and we were busy celebrating Joy's 2nd birthday.  I can't believe she is already 2 years old!  It truly seems like she was born yesterday - I can still vividly remember the day!  What a joy she truly was!

Today was my 2nd non-stress test.  I am not exactly fond of these; however, it is nice to hear the babies heartbeats for an extended amount of time.  It is so interesting to hear or feel them move and then watch and hear their heartbeats increase and then decrease (exactly what should be happening)!  They are definitely little miracles!  Baby A was slow to get moving today so I had to lie on the table much longer which is not exactly good for my back and hips with the pain I am having. Baby B is never slow to be moving so we knew it was good from the first 5 minutes.  Anyway, both babies are doing very well and are showing no signs of stress!  No contractions which is also a great thing!  My blood pressure is good as well - so no worries there.  I did measure 47 cm today (which breaks my normal doctor's record of 42 cm from another patient).  However, my normal doctor was out of the office today so I saw one of her partners.  His record is 56 cm, so he told me to keep working at it and I might make it - but then again this woman delivered a 12 lb 13 oz single baby!  I could get there, but with a combined weight of that for the 2.  We will just wait and see!  

Other than that, not much news.  I am feeling very big (looking big too) and trying my best to take it easy and not overdo it.  There are days where I definitely do too much and my body tells me so, but other days I wonder if I am doing enough!  It is very interesting.  However, I think chasing two children around every day could be considered enough for a momma pregnant with twins!  

This weekend, our oldest turns 4 years old!  We are celebrating both girls' birthdays on Saturday morning before my dear husband has to go to work and then we will do something special for Blessing on Sunday, her actual birthday.  Once again, where have the past 4 years gone?  I can't believe that she is turning 4. 

Both of our girls are growing up so quickly and way too fast!  Blessing was helping us freeze corn yesterday by cleaning the silks off of the shucked ears - and my did she do an amazing job!  Joy enjoys helping in any way she can - especially if she can sit on daddy or mommy's lap!  Let me tell you, there isn't much room left on mommy's lap!

Well, that is it for now - I will try to post updated pictures of the girls soon as well as keep everyone updated on the weekly appointments.  My next appointment is next week on Tuesday - another non-stress test and meeting with the doctor.  The next week is an ultrasound - I hope I make it that far so I can see these precious babies again!  It is so much fun to see them growing and changing inside of me...what miracles and what amazing technology!

Thanks for checking in!

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!  

4 years ago today

4 years ago this morning, I told my husband good-bye and have a great day and that I would see him when he was done with work.  I then went to work.  I never imagined seeing him around 4 pm at the hospital emergency room being prepared to be transported via life flight helicopter to a bigger hospital in a bigger city.  Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine saying good-bye to his right hand that morning or to the man I had married as well.

4 years ago today our life changed forever.  My husband lost his right hand in a farm accident.  At that same time, even though I didn't realize it then, I lost the husband I knew and the person I was.  My life changed drastically as God used the tragic accident to mold my heart, soul, and mind into the person I am today.  God also used the accident to mold my dear husband into the person that he is today.  Without this experience, we wouldn't be who we are right now (even though we know God isn't finished with us yet) and we might not even still be together.

Do I wonder what life would be like had he not had the accident?  Yes.  However, I would never go back to that day and ask God to do it over again.  I look back and see the person I was and wonder how anyone could have lived with me, let alone been married to me.  I look back and see the person that my husband was and wonder why I married him and how I continued to love him during our first 23 months of togetherness.  We both have grown, and even though we both still have daily struggles, we both know that it is through God's grace and mercy that we make it through today and look forward to the prize at the end.

Today has been hard for me.  I really don't know why - it has been 4 years after all.  And "they" say it gets easier with time.  However, today is the day that life changed for us 4 years ago - the day I had to really turn my trust to the Lord to get me through each hour - each minute.  My dear husband is at work today, and my only prayer is that he has a good day filled with few frustrations due to not having a hand.

We told our "story" to a gal from where my husband works and it will be published this fall sometime in the Health Connect magazine that is sent all over the state.  I will see if I can reprint it here, just to have a copy of it.  I have read it and am brought to tears each time - it is so strange to read your story in words - especially on the anniversary of such a life changing experience.

I thank God for being in our lives and helping us to make it each day on this journey.  God truly knows what we need in our lives and will provide that in His way.  Thank you God for saving our marriage and for using this experience to mold us into who we are today - warriors for you!