Well we are almost into our first six months (HALF A YEAR) as a family of five and I can honestly say that we have adjusted rather quickly and nicely! The weirdest thing about going to a family of six and adding two babies at the same time is how easily it happened and how easily everyone adjusted and has settled in! When I think back to our beginning, right after the girls were born, it is as if God knew that we all needed a little time to adjust to the concept of two babies at the same time, doubling our kids in one fell swoop and going from a family of four to six so quickly, and their NICU stay gave us all that time we needed to begin to figure things out. Those two weeks are such a blur to me but for whatever reason, I feel like it gave me a good foundation to leap from, because that is exactly what it was! People today look at us (and me especially if I am somewhere with all 4 kids by myself) and say "HOW DO YOU DO IT?!" And my response to them is always, "This is what we do; there is no other normal for us!" The girls are WONDERFUL babies; so easygoing, sleep through the night since they were 8 weeks old, sweetest personalities, great dispositions and they just fit right into our ebb and flow; they work in OUR world! THeir brother and sister absolutely LOVE them and we seriously would not have it any other way! They are eating solid foods now, both are over 12 lbs and just change everyday! Marin is our chatter box and Malin is our laid back baby who can be pretty clingy! But both are the sweetest things ever! Berkley just finished up her first year of t-ball and I think she enjoyed herself! (It helped that she had two other girls on her team that were her friends!) Jack and Berk just finished tumbling also; this was Berk's second year and Jack's first and they both loved it!
Now onto our big changes! We will be moving in a little over a week to the town where Thad now works! We are BEYOND excited about this new change for our family and seriously cannot wait to get over there and get settled in! You know, ever since I have been dating Thad, he has always driven about an hour from where we have lived to got to work. At first when we were dating and even first married, this was not a big deal. After we had Berkley I could tell that it affected him, but it was what it was and what it always has been and we have made it work. As we got word that there was a chance that we could be moving to where he was working, we tried to not let our hopes get too high because we had had what we thought were chances before and they didn't pan out. So, through all of this we have really tried to not get too excited, but now that we are under contract for our house and our new house, we are ecstatic! Everything has just worked out so smoothly and I am so happy that it has! I don't think we ever stop and think about two hours (an hour to work and an hour home) being such a big deal in the grand scheme of things. But when you add up those hours and they come out to 10 hours a week away from your family, I think it begins to wear on you! Some don't understand that and see the travel as part of the daily grind, but it you could, wouldn't you want to be as near to the ones you love and JUMP at the chance to do so?! Well we do and we are jumping, both feet in at this chance and can't wait to minimize that 10 hours to less than an hour a week! We have found a brand new house in this awesome town and we feel so incredibly blessed to get this opportunity! Berk will start Pre-K and Jack will go to Preschool at a church three days a week! I can't wait to get over there and get settled into our new routine and new house!
That's all the update I will leave you with this evening and I am going to try and get more regular at this but with moving and such it may be just hopeful thinking! I do have a new laptop that I am on so maybe its portability will help! THanks for keeping up with us! Can't wait to share our new beginning!
The Meadows
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Our First 3 Months as a Family of Six!
Today the girls are 3 months old! We cannot believe how fast time is going with the girls and we really wish it would just slow down a tad! We look at the girls together and we honestly cannot imagine life without one or the other! We are so thankful that God blessed us with two healthy and happy babies! They are such a blessing to our family! They have changed so much in the three months since their birth! We can't believe how different they are from their first month to now and how different they are from each other! We have dubbed Marin as going to be the post on the basketball team and Malin as the point guard! Marin has always been bigger and I think she will keep that role! Marin is very vocal and coos all the time, while Malin is very expressive and smiles at everything; her favorite is the ceiling fan! They love when their big brother and sister talk to them and follow them when they are close! Marin is now eating 7 oz bottles and Malin is eating about 5.5 to 6 oz. They are sleeping through the night (they were doing this by about week 8) and they really don't fuss much except when they are wet or hungry. Berk and Jack absolutely LOVE them and I am so happy that they are this way with them! We just celebrated Jack's THIRD birthday and I can't believe he is already this age! We got Berkley transfer papers to start SCHOOL next year and also signed her up for t-ball this spring! My babies are no longer babies!! Glad we have the girls, otherwise mama would have BAD baby fever about now! It is going to be so different next year with Berk at school and Jack and the girls at home! I can't wait to see how he does with them especially when they start crawling and walking! (Another milestone that I don't think I will be ready for!)
Since about 4 weeks after the girls were born, I was back running and working out. After the girls were born and during their NICU stay, I doubted my ability to get back to running the way that I wanted (I was running 7 miles straight at about a 9:45 pace when I made myself stop with the girls). I knew that Cowtown was coming up 8 weeks after the girls' birth, but i didn't expect myself to be able to get back into running, especially a straight 3 miles. To my surprise, running came back easily for me, just at a slower pace and I am back in LOVE with my number one stress reliever. I am determined to get back into the shape and size I was before the girls and exercising is so much more to me; it clears my mind, makes me strong and gives me the ability to be strong in every other aspect of my life. Some people don't understand that, and that is fine. But no time is sacrificed from my kids when I workout; it is usually during naptime when everyone is supposed to be napping. If I am on a run, then my husband is home catching up with the kids from his workday. At first I felt guilty about taking this time for myself, but now I realize that if I don't take the time for myself, then everyone else suffers. It is also about looking in the mirror and being happy and satisfied with the way I look and knowing that i took no magic pill to get to where I am, but put in all the work to get there! I am also my biggest critic and sometimes I am too hard on myself and I need to remind myself that not many people have had 4 kids in FIVE years and accomplished the things I have! This year in September I will run my first half-marathon and I am SO excited about starting my training for it. I have not been able to run much do to the amount of light there is after my hubs gets home, but now with Springtime, hopefully that will change! If not, then I will take advantage of my weekends and continue to do what I do during the week!
So that is about all that has been going on in our crazy life, but we LOVE it more than ever! Hope you enjoy the pictures of the last few months and I will try to keep this thing more up-to-date!
Since about 4 weeks after the girls were born, I was back running and working out. After the girls were born and during their NICU stay, I doubted my ability to get back to running the way that I wanted (I was running 7 miles straight at about a 9:45 pace when I made myself stop with the girls). I knew that Cowtown was coming up 8 weeks after the girls' birth, but i didn't expect myself to be able to get back into running, especially a straight 3 miles. To my surprise, running came back easily for me, just at a slower pace and I am back in LOVE with my number one stress reliever. I am determined to get back into the shape and size I was before the girls and exercising is so much more to me; it clears my mind, makes me strong and gives me the ability to be strong in every other aspect of my life. Some people don't understand that, and that is fine. But no time is sacrificed from my kids when I workout; it is usually during naptime when everyone is supposed to be napping. If I am on a run, then my husband is home catching up with the kids from his workday. At first I felt guilty about taking this time for myself, but now I realize that if I don't take the time for myself, then everyone else suffers. It is also about looking in the mirror and being happy and satisfied with the way I look and knowing that i took no magic pill to get to where I am, but put in all the work to get there! I am also my biggest critic and sometimes I am too hard on myself and I need to remind myself that not many people have had 4 kids in FIVE years and accomplished the things I have! This year in September I will run my first half-marathon and I am SO excited about starting my training for it. I have not been able to run much do to the amount of light there is after my hubs gets home, but now with Springtime, hopefully that will change! If not, then I will take advantage of my weekends and continue to do what I do during the week!
So that is about all that has been going on in our crazy life, but we LOVE it more than ever! Hope you enjoy the pictures of the last few months and I will try to keep this thing more up-to-date!
1/21/13- Malin Reid
1/21/13- Marin Rhea
1/21/13- Sweet girls
3/8/13- Malin
3/8/13- Sweet babies
3/8/13- Marin
3/8/13- Big Sis Berk!
3/8/13- Berkley Tate
3/8/13- Big guy Jack
3/8/13- Love this face of his!
3/9/13- Swim party!
3/9/13- Dinosaur party!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Girls' Birth and NICU
I know I need to go ahead and recap all of this before I forget any details, but after the last three weeks seemingly living in a fog, I hope that I can remember everything. I will start with the girls' birth:
Thad and I left our house at 11:30 PM on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 to make our hour-long trek to the hospital to have labor induced to get to meet our baby girls on Wednesday, December 12, 2012 (12/12/12). This day was one we had been shooting for all along because we thought it would be cool for twins to have that birthday and our doctor saw no faults in it, since I was 37 weeks and 2 days (37 weeks is full term for twins), and they usually delivered twins between 36 & 37 weeks so that they wouldn't run the risk of them getting to big to complicate a vaginal delivery (my doctor is very anti-cut and for that I am so grateful!) Once we arrived at the hospital at around 12:30 AM, we got admitted, changed into my lovely hospital gown, peed in the cup, took vitals and started an IV and waited to get the ball rolling. I was dilated to a 3 when I was admitted and "twin a" was still high at a plus 3 position. The pitocin was started at about 2:15 AM and we waited...during this time, I tried to sleep on and off but to no avail, all the while Thad napped like a baby on the "comfy" sofa! My parents arrived about 4:30 AM and from then on, no sleep was to be had. I didn't feel tired, just ready for things to move along, and if it was going to be anything like my other two deliveries, I knew it might be a long day. To our surprise, things progressed MUCH quicker (as we were told we would for sure have babies by lunch), and I got my epidural when I was a 4 (about 7ish). After I got my epidural, about 30 minutes or so, I started feeling very light-headed and kind of sick to my stomach. Soon, the babies were not responding well to it and I had about 4 nurses rushing in, turning me on my side and giving me oxygen and then trying to get the anestesiologist in there to get something administered through my IV. Apparently, when carrying multiples, something can happen with an epidural that causes the babies to react adversly and this is what happened. They administered the drug and within 15 minutes, I was fine and babies heart rates were back on the monitor and they were doing well. (I should have known this would be a sign of things to come) After all of this, Dr. Phillips came in to check on me and I told her that I had the feeling like my water had just broken or I had just peed on myself so she went ahead and checked me and I had just peed on myself, but she did break my water as I was a 5, a whole gallon of clear fluid poured forth and after that, things went FAST. I think she broke my water at about 8ish and about 9:30 my nurse came in and said she had been down in the O.R. prepping it (it is protocol in our hospital to deliver multiples in an O.R. in case a c-section is needed) and she had a feeling she needed to come and check on me. SHe asked if I was feeling pressure and I told her a little but not too bad, she checkd me and said "Um yea, your cervix is completely gone, let me get Dr. Phillips in here to check you." Well hello progress! Dr. Phillips came in, checked and confirmed what the nurse said and told us that we were going to the delivery room! We wheeled out of our laboring room at 9:45 AM and into a cold, weird-feeling O.R. with about 20 people in there and lots of tools and scary stuff all around! (Remember this was NOT how I had had my other two and I thoroughly enjoyed my comfy laboring room wiht no BIG LIGHTS shining down on your nether regions!) So like I said, the entire atmosphere in a the O.R. was SO different than what we were used to and to add to the fact that we were having TWO babies, there were double the people and double the chaos! After getting me set up (even though I had an epidural, it was not 100% and I could still feel my legs and all that insued afterward), we were ready to deliver our girls. When we had gone in on Monday before for our NST and last appointment, both girls were presenting head down and were that way earlier in the morning as well so we assumed all was going to be smooth sailing. When Dr. Phillips gave me the OK to go ahead and push, Malin Reid arrived at 10:13 AM in one push and weighed in at 3 lb. 14 oz. and let hte ENTIRE world know that her lungs worked just fine! All I remember was seeing her and seeing how tiny she was; no holding my baby, just put in a warmer, assessed and bundled up. Malin scored a 7 on her inital APGAR and an 8 on her second one, so she was fine, but we were told she would go to NICU because she was under 4 lbs. (we knew that would be a possibility because of her IUGR, though at our ultrasound that MOnday she measured 4 lb. 2 oz.) After delivering Malin, Dr. Phillips wanted to get an ultrasound picture of "baby B" just to see her positioning, well low and behold, she had flipped and was breeched. Because they were both small, we had discussed delivering a breech baby and so this did not flip me out of scare me. With two pushes, her feet and butt were delivered and then I was told to STOP and not push anymore while Dr. Phillips was seemingly frantically trying to get the doctor in the O.R. who is termed the "breech guru" and can "deliver anything, anyway" in the words of Dr. Phillips. When he got in the room, he only had time to be slipped into his gown and then took his position. At this point, Dr. Phillips had worked to try and get "baby b" delivered, but to no avail and at this point she was about 4 minutes stuck in the birth canal with no oxygen. I don't remember much about that time because it was mere chaos but I do remember Thad telling me about how she looked like a limp noodle just hanging there. I am very glad it was a scene I could not see, as I know I would have had a hard time staying calm and completing my task. After she was delivered by forceps (remember that point I told you about the epidural not being extremely strong :/) she did not cry and was whisked away and immediately given oxygen to try and rescusitate her. They never did chest compressions on her but she did need help transitioning from outside the womb. Thad and waited for what seemed like forever, laying there, holding hands, pleading to God to please just make sure she was OK and after a few minutes (seemed like at least 10), we finally heard Marin Rhea cry; a weak cry compared to her sister, but a cry nonetheless. She arrived at 10:22 AM and weighed 5 lb. 4 oz. Her initial APGAR score was a 2 (that being out of 10 points possible), but after 5 minutes, her second score was a 7, so she was going to NICU because of her difficulty transitioning. We did get one picture of each of them, but it was NOTHING like I had hoped; there would be no pictures of the happy family of 6, no pictures of everyone doting over these two perfect little people and no pictures of mom and dad initially welcoming their two sweet girls. This is something I struggle with because that is how it is "supposed" to be; their big brother and sister are supposed to see them and touch them, mom is supposed to nurse them and do all the routine things we take for granted and everyone is supposed to be able to hold them and say how incredibly perfect they are; not have to admire in a gown, in the NICU with no holding, big brother and sister not being able to see them, no nursing or any of those things. Yes, it is selfish to think like that and yes I am happy that they are both OK and that the NICU was there to help them and that that is where they needed to be, but we missed out on all those things; WE, not just me. So the first time we got to actually see and take in the little things about our girls was hours after birth with Marin in an isolette and Malin in an open crib. I think we were both under the assumption that this would be a couple of days thing, that they would come home just a few days after I was discharged; never did we imagine it would be 13 days after their birth...
So began our NICU journey. Explaining to Berk and Jack that they could not only NOT see or hold their sisters was probably the hardest thing I have had to do. I know that in their 4 and 2 1/2 year old minds, they probably thought that this was all just a big joke and that I really didn't have babies and that my huge belly disappearing was just a hoax! We showed them pictures after each NICU visit (every 4 hours at touch times) and we tried to tell them all the little things about their sisters and both just got accustomed to asking "So how are hte girls today?!" During my stay in the hospital, grandparents were amazing and we coulnd't have done it without them. My recovery was extremely easy and I think God knew what we were going to be thrown so he gave me the easiest 7 hours of labor, little babies to birth and a very smooth recovery in comparison to the other two. Our first visit to NICU was seperate from each other because we had so many people who wanted to see the girls so we split up our time. Thad first went down and saw them and took in the routine for the NICU and all the things that you are asked to do: wash your hands and up to your elbows for 3 minutes (which absolutely tore up our skin), put on a gown, refrain from entering hte NICU if you have a cough or other cold symptoms, touch times are every 4 hours when you can come take their temperature and change their diaper and eventually hold them. Looking back, I wish Thad and I had gone down together by ourselves at first, but at that point I was so exhausted and didn't mind a little quiet time with my two older kids while others went and saw them. I don't think either of us were prepared for the entire aura of the NICU; you think that your kids have it bad, but really they didn't. THey were never on any pain meds, sedation, have extremely dangerous health situations and we were never told that either of htem might not make it; there are others who have not been so fortunate. So onto where the girls started. Seeing Marin for the first time, she was on a nasal canula to help her breathe a little better, she had a UVC in her umbilical cord and all the normal cords that they have hooked up to babies they are monitoring. Malin just had the normal cords but no nasal canula because she was doing fine and didn't have hte transition issue that Marin did. So all in all, the girls were really doing well and we were even told that Malin would probably start feeds the next day. They were both receiving fluids and the next day it would go to TPN which is a fluid that has all their essential vitamins, protein, etc. to give them their daily nutrients that they would otherwise receive through nursing. THe days I was in the hospital are again quite a fog with trying to start pumping ot build up a supply (my milk didn't come in until that weekend) and I was trying to just wrap my mind around when to be down there and when to take a little time for myself. The second day I asked the age old question "When can we expect them home" and of course I got the age old answer "Usually by their due date"-18 days away. THey explained that they have to maintain their body temperature, take all feeds by a bottle (a specific volume would be set based on their weight), be off all antibiotics and gaining weight. All of these things seemed so daunting at the time because all they were doing was just sitting there. Malin started feeding the second day because she was doing great and Marin was still NPO. Malin was a champ at feeding and did great with her 5 mL! Both girls were on two antibiotics; antibiotics that all babies who come to NICU have at first. THis course of antibiotics would go for 5 days, given that there was no other infection. THe first couple of days seemed to go pretty well, nothing exciting and no major issues; Malin was now taking 10 mL, and before I left I fed her 10 mL of formula. I was discharged that Friday and leaving the hospital without our two new babies was like ripping my heart out and stomping on it. I felt like I needed to come home that Friday and have a "normal" night with cooking dinner and just enjoying my older kids' company along with my sister and her family. That night, I received a call from the NICU and they said that Malin had passed a stool that had blood in it and that they were doing a work up on her to figure out what was going on and they were also going to do an abdomen scan that night and follow with one in the morning. Wow, talk about making me feel extremely selfish for wanting to be home and not up there with them. My breakdowns were not done in public and I never wanted pity from anyone, but there were plenty of shower times that that is all that I did because I didn't know what to do, how to handle myself and this obstacle that was now facing our family; not just me, but our entire family unit. So that weekend, we drove to and from the hospital (an hour drive), and spent the days up there and nights at home. Our big kids were exhausted, as were mom and dad. Nothing really changed with the girls on these days, except Marin was now under the lights because she was jaundiced since she still had not had anything to eat. Their neonatologist was very cautious with Marin after what happened with Malin because they could never pinpoint where the infection was coming from in Malin and he wanted to make sure it wasn't an infection they had shared in utero (especially since at the time of their delivery they were 25% discordant). So, needless to say, Marin's jaundice was pretty bad at first, but a few days under the lights and she was good. After Malin's bloody stool, she was put NPO also so neither was eating, just getting their TPN through their nasal canulas. Malin got a PICC line to administer her new antibiotic (another weeklong venture) and I signed a consent for Marin to get a PICC line if needed. After all of the bloody stool issues with Malin, we decided that we needed to be up there, staying close just in case; so we packed suitcases (4 of them) and headed to make a stay in a hotel until the girls came home. We wanted to keep a sense of normal for our two older kids and we felt like this was the best way to do it as they would throw a fit to come to the hospital with us though they knew they were not allowed to go back and see the girls. The days that the girls remained in the hospital are all a blur, honestly! My family came and we had a very unconventional Christmas in a hotel; my mind constantly on my two babies that were not there, but so grateful for hte time we had together with everyone else. Marin began feeding and Malin didn't have anymore bloody stool issues so we knew and hoped that we would be on the up and up. Soon, they were in a crib together and we went up from there. It was so amazing once things got going that we knew that the 31st was a good guess as to when they'd be home. I tried to not ask too much about the "when" because I didn't want to be disappointed if it didn't come true. Our first Tuesday in the hotel, we had to come back to take Berk to her dance recital; on our way home we saw two shooting stars and on each I wished that our babies would be home for Christmas. At the time I knew that it was a crazy wish, but I thought "What would it hurt?" As we were coming up on Christmas and the girls were making strides towards coming home, the thought of Christmas had slipped into my mind, but I didn't give it too much thought due to that disappointment thing. As we got closer to Christmas and each girl was eating better and making all the right moves, those two shooting stars slipped into my mind. Christmas Eve I received amazing news that the girls would get to come home on Christmas, given no issues through the night. I cannot explain how amazing those words sounded at that time. I had not cried throughout our entire time there, and for hte first time, I let the tears flow as hteir doctor came and gave me that news. It would be the best Christmas yet! I held my breath all Christmas Eve because I didn't want my phone to ring with any more bad news or set backs! I tried to stay in the moment and not get too concerned about the maybe of coming home hte next day. Christmas morning was a wonderful morning as my phone had not rang all night and I knew our girls would come home that day! Christmas truly is a time for miracles. There was a time not more than a week earlier when Christmas didn't even seem a possibility and now, our girls were coming home on Christmas day and would finally get to meet their older brother and sister! We had so many generous people in our time in the NICU and so many people covering our family in prayers, and for those things, we can never say thank you enough. Our girls are home and our family is complete and this will be a CHristmas that we will never forget.
So many people asked me how I was holding up during this entire time, and I really can't tell you because it was such a foggy time. Though the girls were never in a bad health state, they were still in NICU and we were told to prepare ourselves for hte ups and downs and so we weren't sure how everything was going to play out. Do we regret having our girls at 37 weeks? No because we were told that with multiples this was hte best situation and our doctor reassured us that we had made a good decision to go ahead and take the girls; especially that if Marin had been bigger and gotten stuck then she probably would not have made it. With their discordance being at 25% that MOnday, they probably would have scheduled an induction regardless because their discordance was growing more and more; I would not have carried them much longer regardless. Would I have elected to have a c-section, knowing now what was going to happen? No. I thank God that my doctor did not push that option on me and respected the fact that if it was possible that i wanted to have a vaginal delivery. SHe did explain to me that if it was absolutely necessary for me or the girls to have a c-section then it would be done. There was no way of knowing what was going to happen and we are just very thankful that God was watching over all of us at the time of delivery. There was also no way of knowing all of the things that would happen in NICU and when I look back, I am thankful they were there, where they needed to be for that time. THad and I have a much better relationship and are stronger due to all of this. I have never relied on someone so much as I relied on Thad during the girls' NICU stay; he is my rock and I know that this journey would have been unbearable had it not been for him. He never pushed me to "talk about my feelings," he just seemed to always know when I needed a hug or when to just let me have my time and wiped my tears. Our journey has been one that has tested us, but it is one that we will never forget. So for now, we look forward and are enjoying our time TOGETHER as family of six. Thank you for joining us in our journey!
Thad and I left our house at 11:30 PM on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 to make our hour-long trek to the hospital to have labor induced to get to meet our baby girls on Wednesday, December 12, 2012 (12/12/12). This day was one we had been shooting for all along because we thought it would be cool for twins to have that birthday and our doctor saw no faults in it, since I was 37 weeks and 2 days (37 weeks is full term for twins), and they usually delivered twins between 36 & 37 weeks so that they wouldn't run the risk of them getting to big to complicate a vaginal delivery (my doctor is very anti-cut and for that I am so grateful!) Once we arrived at the hospital at around 12:30 AM, we got admitted, changed into my lovely hospital gown, peed in the cup, took vitals and started an IV and waited to get the ball rolling. I was dilated to a 3 when I was admitted and "twin a" was still high at a plus 3 position. The pitocin was started at about 2:15 AM and we waited...during this time, I tried to sleep on and off but to no avail, all the while Thad napped like a baby on the "comfy" sofa! My parents arrived about 4:30 AM and from then on, no sleep was to be had. I didn't feel tired, just ready for things to move along, and if it was going to be anything like my other two deliveries, I knew it might be a long day. To our surprise, things progressed MUCH quicker (as we were told we would for sure have babies by lunch), and I got my epidural when I was a 4 (about 7ish). After I got my epidural, about 30 minutes or so, I started feeling very light-headed and kind of sick to my stomach. Soon, the babies were not responding well to it and I had about 4 nurses rushing in, turning me on my side and giving me oxygen and then trying to get the anestesiologist in there to get something administered through my IV. Apparently, when carrying multiples, something can happen with an epidural that causes the babies to react adversly and this is what happened. They administered the drug and within 15 minutes, I was fine and babies heart rates were back on the monitor and they were doing well. (I should have known this would be a sign of things to come) After all of this, Dr. Phillips came in to check on me and I told her that I had the feeling like my water had just broken or I had just peed on myself so she went ahead and checked me and I had just peed on myself, but she did break my water as I was a 5, a whole gallon of clear fluid poured forth and after that, things went FAST. I think she broke my water at about 8ish and about 9:30 my nurse came in and said she had been down in the O.R. prepping it (it is protocol in our hospital to deliver multiples in an O.R. in case a c-section is needed) and she had a feeling she needed to come and check on me. SHe asked if I was feeling pressure and I told her a little but not too bad, she checkd me and said "Um yea, your cervix is completely gone, let me get Dr. Phillips in here to check you." Well hello progress! Dr. Phillips came in, checked and confirmed what the nurse said and told us that we were going to the delivery room! We wheeled out of our laboring room at 9:45 AM and into a cold, weird-feeling O.R. with about 20 people in there and lots of tools and scary stuff all around! (Remember this was NOT how I had had my other two and I thoroughly enjoyed my comfy laboring room wiht no BIG LIGHTS shining down on your nether regions!) So like I said, the entire atmosphere in a the O.R. was SO different than what we were used to and to add to the fact that we were having TWO babies, there were double the people and double the chaos! After getting me set up (even though I had an epidural, it was not 100% and I could still feel my legs and all that insued afterward), we were ready to deliver our girls. When we had gone in on Monday before for our NST and last appointment, both girls were presenting head down and were that way earlier in the morning as well so we assumed all was going to be smooth sailing. When Dr. Phillips gave me the OK to go ahead and push, Malin Reid arrived at 10:13 AM in one push and weighed in at 3 lb. 14 oz. and let hte ENTIRE world know that her lungs worked just fine! All I remember was seeing her and seeing how tiny she was; no holding my baby, just put in a warmer, assessed and bundled up. Malin scored a 7 on her inital APGAR and an 8 on her second one, so she was fine, but we were told she would go to NICU because she was under 4 lbs. (we knew that would be a possibility because of her IUGR, though at our ultrasound that MOnday she measured 4 lb. 2 oz.) After delivering Malin, Dr. Phillips wanted to get an ultrasound picture of "baby B" just to see her positioning, well low and behold, she had flipped and was breeched. Because they were both small, we had discussed delivering a breech baby and so this did not flip me out of scare me. With two pushes, her feet and butt were delivered and then I was told to STOP and not push anymore while Dr. Phillips was seemingly frantically trying to get the doctor in the O.R. who is termed the "breech guru" and can "deliver anything, anyway" in the words of Dr. Phillips. When he got in the room, he only had time to be slipped into his gown and then took his position. At this point, Dr. Phillips had worked to try and get "baby b" delivered, but to no avail and at this point she was about 4 minutes stuck in the birth canal with no oxygen. I don't remember much about that time because it was mere chaos but I do remember Thad telling me about how she looked like a limp noodle just hanging there. I am very glad it was a scene I could not see, as I know I would have had a hard time staying calm and completing my task. After she was delivered by forceps (remember that point I told you about the epidural not being extremely strong :/) she did not cry and was whisked away and immediately given oxygen to try and rescusitate her. They never did chest compressions on her but she did need help transitioning from outside the womb. Thad and waited for what seemed like forever, laying there, holding hands, pleading to God to please just make sure she was OK and after a few minutes (seemed like at least 10), we finally heard Marin Rhea cry; a weak cry compared to her sister, but a cry nonetheless. She arrived at 10:22 AM and weighed 5 lb. 4 oz. Her initial APGAR score was a 2 (that being out of 10 points possible), but after 5 minutes, her second score was a 7, so she was going to NICU because of her difficulty transitioning. We did get one picture of each of them, but it was NOTHING like I had hoped; there would be no pictures of the happy family of 6, no pictures of everyone doting over these two perfect little people and no pictures of mom and dad initially welcoming their two sweet girls. This is something I struggle with because that is how it is "supposed" to be; their big brother and sister are supposed to see them and touch them, mom is supposed to nurse them and do all the routine things we take for granted and everyone is supposed to be able to hold them and say how incredibly perfect they are; not have to admire in a gown, in the NICU with no holding, big brother and sister not being able to see them, no nursing or any of those things. Yes, it is selfish to think like that and yes I am happy that they are both OK and that the NICU was there to help them and that that is where they needed to be, but we missed out on all those things; WE, not just me. So the first time we got to actually see and take in the little things about our girls was hours after birth with Marin in an isolette and Malin in an open crib. I think we were both under the assumption that this would be a couple of days thing, that they would come home just a few days after I was discharged; never did we imagine it would be 13 days after their birth...
So began our NICU journey. Explaining to Berk and Jack that they could not only NOT see or hold their sisters was probably the hardest thing I have had to do. I know that in their 4 and 2 1/2 year old minds, they probably thought that this was all just a big joke and that I really didn't have babies and that my huge belly disappearing was just a hoax! We showed them pictures after each NICU visit (every 4 hours at touch times) and we tried to tell them all the little things about their sisters and both just got accustomed to asking "So how are hte girls today?!" During my stay in the hospital, grandparents were amazing and we coulnd't have done it without them. My recovery was extremely easy and I think God knew what we were going to be thrown so he gave me the easiest 7 hours of labor, little babies to birth and a very smooth recovery in comparison to the other two. Our first visit to NICU was seperate from each other because we had so many people who wanted to see the girls so we split up our time. Thad first went down and saw them and took in the routine for the NICU and all the things that you are asked to do: wash your hands and up to your elbows for 3 minutes (which absolutely tore up our skin), put on a gown, refrain from entering hte NICU if you have a cough or other cold symptoms, touch times are every 4 hours when you can come take their temperature and change their diaper and eventually hold them. Looking back, I wish Thad and I had gone down together by ourselves at first, but at that point I was so exhausted and didn't mind a little quiet time with my two older kids while others went and saw them. I don't think either of us were prepared for the entire aura of the NICU; you think that your kids have it bad, but really they didn't. THey were never on any pain meds, sedation, have extremely dangerous health situations and we were never told that either of htem might not make it; there are others who have not been so fortunate. So onto where the girls started. Seeing Marin for the first time, she was on a nasal canula to help her breathe a little better, she had a UVC in her umbilical cord and all the normal cords that they have hooked up to babies they are monitoring. Malin just had the normal cords but no nasal canula because she was doing fine and didn't have hte transition issue that Marin did. So all in all, the girls were really doing well and we were even told that Malin would probably start feeds the next day. They were both receiving fluids and the next day it would go to TPN which is a fluid that has all their essential vitamins, protein, etc. to give them their daily nutrients that they would otherwise receive through nursing. THe days I was in the hospital are again quite a fog with trying to start pumping ot build up a supply (my milk didn't come in until that weekend) and I was trying to just wrap my mind around when to be down there and when to take a little time for myself. The second day I asked the age old question "When can we expect them home" and of course I got the age old answer "Usually by their due date"-18 days away. THey explained that they have to maintain their body temperature, take all feeds by a bottle (a specific volume would be set based on their weight), be off all antibiotics and gaining weight. All of these things seemed so daunting at the time because all they were doing was just sitting there. Malin started feeding the second day because she was doing great and Marin was still NPO. Malin was a champ at feeding and did great with her 5 mL! Both girls were on two antibiotics; antibiotics that all babies who come to NICU have at first. THis course of antibiotics would go for 5 days, given that there was no other infection. THe first couple of days seemed to go pretty well, nothing exciting and no major issues; Malin was now taking 10 mL, and before I left I fed her 10 mL of formula. I was discharged that Friday and leaving the hospital without our two new babies was like ripping my heart out and stomping on it. I felt like I needed to come home that Friday and have a "normal" night with cooking dinner and just enjoying my older kids' company along with my sister and her family. That night, I received a call from the NICU and they said that Malin had passed a stool that had blood in it and that they were doing a work up on her to figure out what was going on and they were also going to do an abdomen scan that night and follow with one in the morning. Wow, talk about making me feel extremely selfish for wanting to be home and not up there with them. My breakdowns were not done in public and I never wanted pity from anyone, but there were plenty of shower times that that is all that I did because I didn't know what to do, how to handle myself and this obstacle that was now facing our family; not just me, but our entire family unit. So that weekend, we drove to and from the hospital (an hour drive), and spent the days up there and nights at home. Our big kids were exhausted, as were mom and dad. Nothing really changed with the girls on these days, except Marin was now under the lights because she was jaundiced since she still had not had anything to eat. Their neonatologist was very cautious with Marin after what happened with Malin because they could never pinpoint where the infection was coming from in Malin and he wanted to make sure it wasn't an infection they had shared in utero (especially since at the time of their delivery they were 25% discordant). So, needless to say, Marin's jaundice was pretty bad at first, but a few days under the lights and she was good. After Malin's bloody stool, she was put NPO also so neither was eating, just getting their TPN through their nasal canulas. Malin got a PICC line to administer her new antibiotic (another weeklong venture) and I signed a consent for Marin to get a PICC line if needed. After all of the bloody stool issues with Malin, we decided that we needed to be up there, staying close just in case; so we packed suitcases (4 of them) and headed to make a stay in a hotel until the girls came home. We wanted to keep a sense of normal for our two older kids and we felt like this was the best way to do it as they would throw a fit to come to the hospital with us though they knew they were not allowed to go back and see the girls. The days that the girls remained in the hospital are all a blur, honestly! My family came and we had a very unconventional Christmas in a hotel; my mind constantly on my two babies that were not there, but so grateful for hte time we had together with everyone else. Marin began feeding and Malin didn't have anymore bloody stool issues so we knew and hoped that we would be on the up and up. Soon, they were in a crib together and we went up from there. It was so amazing once things got going that we knew that the 31st was a good guess as to when they'd be home. I tried to not ask too much about the "when" because I didn't want to be disappointed if it didn't come true. Our first Tuesday in the hotel, we had to come back to take Berk to her dance recital; on our way home we saw two shooting stars and on each I wished that our babies would be home for Christmas. At the time I knew that it was a crazy wish, but I thought "What would it hurt?" As we were coming up on Christmas and the girls were making strides towards coming home, the thought of Christmas had slipped into my mind, but I didn't give it too much thought due to that disappointment thing. As we got closer to Christmas and each girl was eating better and making all the right moves, those two shooting stars slipped into my mind. Christmas Eve I received amazing news that the girls would get to come home on Christmas, given no issues through the night. I cannot explain how amazing those words sounded at that time. I had not cried throughout our entire time there, and for hte first time, I let the tears flow as hteir doctor came and gave me that news. It would be the best Christmas yet! I held my breath all Christmas Eve because I didn't want my phone to ring with any more bad news or set backs! I tried to stay in the moment and not get too concerned about the maybe of coming home hte next day. Christmas morning was a wonderful morning as my phone had not rang all night and I knew our girls would come home that day! Christmas truly is a time for miracles. There was a time not more than a week earlier when Christmas didn't even seem a possibility and now, our girls were coming home on Christmas day and would finally get to meet their older brother and sister! We had so many generous people in our time in the NICU and so many people covering our family in prayers, and for those things, we can never say thank you enough. Our girls are home and our family is complete and this will be a CHristmas that we will never forget.
So many people asked me how I was holding up during this entire time, and I really can't tell you because it was such a foggy time. Though the girls were never in a bad health state, they were still in NICU and we were told to prepare ourselves for hte ups and downs and so we weren't sure how everything was going to play out. Do we regret having our girls at 37 weeks? No because we were told that with multiples this was hte best situation and our doctor reassured us that we had made a good decision to go ahead and take the girls; especially that if Marin had been bigger and gotten stuck then she probably would not have made it. With their discordance being at 25% that MOnday, they probably would have scheduled an induction regardless because their discordance was growing more and more; I would not have carried them much longer regardless. Would I have elected to have a c-section, knowing now what was going to happen? No. I thank God that my doctor did not push that option on me and respected the fact that if it was possible that i wanted to have a vaginal delivery. SHe did explain to me that if it was absolutely necessary for me or the girls to have a c-section then it would be done. There was no way of knowing what was going to happen and we are just very thankful that God was watching over all of us at the time of delivery. There was also no way of knowing all of the things that would happen in NICU and when I look back, I am thankful they were there, where they needed to be for that time. THad and I have a much better relationship and are stronger due to all of this. I have never relied on someone so much as I relied on Thad during the girls' NICU stay; he is my rock and I know that this journey would have been unbearable had it not been for him. He never pushed me to "talk about my feelings," he just seemed to always know when I needed a hug or when to just let me have my time and wiped my tears. Our journey has been one that has tested us, but it is one that we will never forget. So for now, we look forward and are enjoying our time TOGETHER as family of six. Thank you for joining us in our journey!
Last belly pic!
Monitor during labor
Marin Rhea
Malin Reid
My extremely thoughtful husband!
All 4 of our babies!
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Twins Part 2, The Last Part
Well since I last wrote, we have had lots going on, lots completed and now we are in the final stage of getting our twin girls here! As a matter of fact, tomorrow I will be 37 weeks (full term) for twins and we are planning an induction on the Wednesday, 12/12/12. I have a doctor's visit in the morning and we will see what has progressed (at my visit last Wednesday I was 2 cm dilated, 50% effaced) and then go from there. The doctor on Wednesday told me that I was "totally induceable" and we are already scheduled for the induction on Wednesday! After the last two days and plenty of contractions, I can't say that I am so set on Wednesday and if she gives me the option of tomorrow or Wednesday, I may take tomorrow! We are just so ready to meet our girls and get on with our new normal! As you can see from reading this, things are pretty normal, like any other pregnancy, but a few weeks ago, we weren't so sure everything was "normal."
I have been going weekly for about 4 weeks now and I had noticed that for a couple of weeks I had been measuring the same which immediately had me wondering but the doctor never seemed concerned so I tried not to let the thoughts slip into my mind. I was still measuring weeks ahead of where I was (normal for twin pregnancies) so I just thought I was getting a lucky break and not getting the HUGE belly that I had dreaded for a while! Well when I went in for an ultrasound on November 19 (3 weeks ago tomorrow), they did a growth scan (they are conducted every 4 weeks) and they determined that "Baby A" was much smaller than "Baby B." Their weights were "A" at 3 lbs. 8 oz. and "B" at 4 lbs. 7 oz. At our previous growth scan (4 weeks before this one), they were at a 15% discordance and they said that there was no real "concern" unless the discordance got up to 20% and above. Well at the scan on Nov. 19th the discordance between the girls was exactly 20%, 400 grams. Well I knew that that meant more watch and so they scheduled me to start coming twice weekly for non-stress tests and once a week for dopplers on the girls (their brains, hearts and bellies) to make sure that everything was going well. Now, immediately I thought the worse because that is what I do! I could see on the ultrasound with my naked eye that there was a large (or what seemed large) size difference in the girls. After going into our doctor that following week, she reassured us that this could be nothing but that it would do no one any good if we didn't monitor it because there was a possibility of it being something. She did let us know that 400 g is not a huge difference and that if the discordance had been 18 or 19% then we would not be having the conversation. I don't know if I have ever mentioned how much I love our doctor, but she is a wonderful woman and knew exactly how to ease my nervousness about the whole situation. Now, we had already deemed that "Baby B" was the stinker in the group and that she was a lot like her brother and she has proven herself over! She is the "chubby" one and is extremely obstinate when it comes to non-stress tests and staying on the monitor! "Baby A" continues to show that she is like her sister, the smaller one, pretty obedient and just goes with the flow. It will be interesting to see how their intrauterine characteristics play out when they get here.
So, I started going in for non-stress tests the Friday after Thanksgiving and "Baby B" proved obstinate and it took us about 15-20 minutes for us to find her and get her to stay on the monitor! After we got both girls on and they both proved reactive, we were released and everything looked good. My appoitments were scheduled for every Monday and Thursday and on each non-stress test and doppler, the girls have done great! On our non-stress test last Monday they had to do an ultrasound to see the girls' positions and they were both head down! I am really hoping both have stayed and we will be able to deliver naturally. Again, the girls have done wonderfully on all of their non-stress tests and their dopplers have been just as good. When we looked at them last Wednesday, it did seem like their size was not AS noticeably different so I am hoping "Baby A" has caught up and we are thinking maybe 5-5 1/2 lbs each! I think I am just measuring about 40 weeks and I really don't know if I could manage my belly being any bigger!
Now onto the thinking of our family growing possibly tomorrow but for sure by the end of the week! I have not really sat and thought about this much, I really have been on auto pilot for some time! This pregnancy has been swimmingly smooth and really much easier than Jack's was even though I am carrying twins. Dr. Phillips constantly comments on the the fact that I have had a perfect pregnancy and that I should sign up for more multiple pregnancies; at this we laugh!! :) This is my last pregnancy and again, I am at a loss for emotions about how I really feel about it. Dr. Phillips has asked that if I have to have a c-section do I want her to go ahead and do a tubal and to this I had initially said yes, but now I don't know. The only reason I am saying I don't know is because I feel like that is taking something from me...weird, I know! THe kids are so excited about their sisters being here and I know they will be great once they are here, but it scares the living daylights out of me to think that they will hate us after the girls get here! (Like Berk did when Jack got here) We have prepared them the best we know how and I already see them maturing so much right before our eyes. With Berk being 4, she really will be the best helper and I just don't know how Jack will handle HIS mom being indisposed for multiple hours with feedings, changings, etc! I am hoping and praying for the best out of both of htem and I know that eventually it will be a perfect situation, but I don't know how my emotions will handle the beginning. I really haven't let myself take in the full gamut of all that is fixing to happen and I know that it will come down around me like a pile of bricks before it is said and done. Again, we are so excited about the growing of our family we can hardly stand it and are just ready to get through all the anitcipation and just get going! We are praying for a smooth delivery (hopefully no c-section) and that both girls and mom will be healthy enough to come home soon after!
I am going to leave you with some pictures taken over hte last couple months, of the girls, my belly, Berk and Jack and just invite you to come back and visit when we get our girls here!
Meadows
I have been going weekly for about 4 weeks now and I had noticed that for a couple of weeks I had been measuring the same which immediately had me wondering but the doctor never seemed concerned so I tried not to let the thoughts slip into my mind. I was still measuring weeks ahead of where I was (normal for twin pregnancies) so I just thought I was getting a lucky break and not getting the HUGE belly that I had dreaded for a while! Well when I went in for an ultrasound on November 19 (3 weeks ago tomorrow), they did a growth scan (they are conducted every 4 weeks) and they determined that "Baby A" was much smaller than "Baby B." Their weights were "A" at 3 lbs. 8 oz. and "B" at 4 lbs. 7 oz. At our previous growth scan (4 weeks before this one), they were at a 15% discordance and they said that there was no real "concern" unless the discordance got up to 20% and above. Well at the scan on Nov. 19th the discordance between the girls was exactly 20%, 400 grams. Well I knew that that meant more watch and so they scheduled me to start coming twice weekly for non-stress tests and once a week for dopplers on the girls (their brains, hearts and bellies) to make sure that everything was going well. Now, immediately I thought the worse because that is what I do! I could see on the ultrasound with my naked eye that there was a large (or what seemed large) size difference in the girls. After going into our doctor that following week, she reassured us that this could be nothing but that it would do no one any good if we didn't monitor it because there was a possibility of it being something. She did let us know that 400 g is not a huge difference and that if the discordance had been 18 or 19% then we would not be having the conversation. I don't know if I have ever mentioned how much I love our doctor, but she is a wonderful woman and knew exactly how to ease my nervousness about the whole situation. Now, we had already deemed that "Baby B" was the stinker in the group and that she was a lot like her brother and she has proven herself over! She is the "chubby" one and is extremely obstinate when it comes to non-stress tests and staying on the monitor! "Baby A" continues to show that she is like her sister, the smaller one, pretty obedient and just goes with the flow. It will be interesting to see how their intrauterine characteristics play out when they get here.
So, I started going in for non-stress tests the Friday after Thanksgiving and "Baby B" proved obstinate and it took us about 15-20 minutes for us to find her and get her to stay on the monitor! After we got both girls on and they both proved reactive, we were released and everything looked good. My appoitments were scheduled for every Monday and Thursday and on each non-stress test and doppler, the girls have done great! On our non-stress test last Monday they had to do an ultrasound to see the girls' positions and they were both head down! I am really hoping both have stayed and we will be able to deliver naturally. Again, the girls have done wonderfully on all of their non-stress tests and their dopplers have been just as good. When we looked at them last Wednesday, it did seem like their size was not AS noticeably different so I am hoping "Baby A" has caught up and we are thinking maybe 5-5 1/2 lbs each! I think I am just measuring about 40 weeks and I really don't know if I could manage my belly being any bigger!
Now onto the thinking of our family growing possibly tomorrow but for sure by the end of the week! I have not really sat and thought about this much, I really have been on auto pilot for some time! This pregnancy has been swimmingly smooth and really much easier than Jack's was even though I am carrying twins. Dr. Phillips constantly comments on the the fact that I have had a perfect pregnancy and that I should sign up for more multiple pregnancies; at this we laugh!! :) This is my last pregnancy and again, I am at a loss for emotions about how I really feel about it. Dr. Phillips has asked that if I have to have a c-section do I want her to go ahead and do a tubal and to this I had initially said yes, but now I don't know. The only reason I am saying I don't know is because I feel like that is taking something from me...weird, I know! THe kids are so excited about their sisters being here and I know they will be great once they are here, but it scares the living daylights out of me to think that they will hate us after the girls get here! (Like Berk did when Jack got here) We have prepared them the best we know how and I already see them maturing so much right before our eyes. With Berk being 4, she really will be the best helper and I just don't know how Jack will handle HIS mom being indisposed for multiple hours with feedings, changings, etc! I am hoping and praying for the best out of both of htem and I know that eventually it will be a perfect situation, but I don't know how my emotions will handle the beginning. I really haven't let myself take in the full gamut of all that is fixing to happen and I know that it will come down around me like a pile of bricks before it is said and done. Again, we are so excited about the growing of our family we can hardly stand it and are just ready to get through all the anitcipation and just get going! We are praying for a smooth delivery (hopefully no c-section) and that both girls and mom will be healthy enough to come home soon after!
I am going to leave you with some pictures taken over hte last couple months, of the girls, my belly, Berk and Jack and just invite you to come back and visit when we get our girls here!
Meadows
Berkley started dance class in September!
At Rich & Bradi's wedding
Going to Tech vs. New Mexico football game!
South Plains Fair
Tailgating
Halloween-Berk was Sleeping Beauty and Jack a pirate. Jack had had the stomach bug night and part of the day before and he was not feeling too grand!
I celebrated my 28th birthday and had these beautiful flowers sent to my by my bestie!
Polar Express time!
Love this little boy!
My main guys!
Sweet Berk Tate
Baby A on top and Baby B on bottom at 26 weeks
Had our first trip to the ER with Jack for a bead he shoved up his nose
34 weeks...The two faces are of Baby A and the foot is Baby B's; she was being uncooperative this day!
Belly growth starting at 12 weeks
These are at 34 and 36 weeks.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Twins Part One
In documenting this pregnancy, I suppose I should start from the beginning as to not forget anything and since I am 21 weeks today I figure this is a perfect time to document the first half! Like I said in the last post, I found out I was pregnant a day before Thad's 30th birthday so I thought it was a perfect birthday gift! We were very excited and told everyone soon after I had my first doctor's visit which was that Friday after finding out. At the appointment, I had told the nurse that I would prefer to have an early ultrasound (8 wks) as there was a history of twins in our family and I had had multiple dreams about more than one baby. The nurse was so kind and didn't think I was too crazy so we scheduled it for 8 weeks (the last Monday before school got out). As I said, I had the sneaking suspicion that I was carrying more than one baby but really didn't give it too much thought and everytime I brought it up to Thad all he said was "Babe please don't wish that on us!" In my previous pregnancies, I had started getting "morning sickness" at 6 weeks on cue, but with this one, it waited until Mother's Day to rear its ugly head (the sickness that is!) Well that following Monday we had field day at school so I was plenty exhausted by the time my 3:30 appointment rolled around and it was an awkward ride to Lubbock with Thad as we just really rode in silence with not much to talk about (a strange omen?!) Well when we got to the medical office and were waiting to go back we jokingly talked about there being twins and having to go look at suburbans afterward and then we were called back...
As we were sitting there and the lady asked why I had chosen to have an early ultrasound I told her about our family history of twins and that I had had some dreams about twins and so we got around to the ultrasound. As she saw the first one, she then rolled the "wand" over and said "Yes indeed there are two!" I don't think I have ever seen the SHOCK and utter SILENCE from my husband as I did in that moment! All we could really do at that point was laugh and I just said to him "Don't ever doubt a mother's instinct!" The twins were determined as dichorionic and diamniotic (I think those are the terms), which means that they each have their own little "hole" and each has their own placenta (the less risky of all multiple pregnancies). One had a heart rate in the 150s and the other in the high 130s, which was good that each had a heartbeat at 8 weeks. After the doctor came in and offered his "condolences" (haha) we left the office and tried to let this information sink in. When we "announced" to everyone it was AMAZING to see the love and support from everyone and I think it made the sheer shock wear off a LITTLE! Based on their heart rates, our initial reaction was boy/girl just because Berkley's had always been in the 150s and Jack's in the 130s; the kids were excited that they each might get their own baby!
Time went on and the sickness lingered. I did get a prescription that helped but I tried not to take it unless I felt I was absolutely not going to be able to function without it. School let out and I was "unemployed" and began enjoying my summer with my two babes (on days I could pull myself out of bed, that is!) Each doctor visit went by swimmingly and the babies' heart rates began to settle into a pattern of being both in the 140s. At 14 weeks the sickness finally subsided and I actually felt somewhat human again just VERY exhausted. There were many nights of Thad being a single parent and I am so thankful that he was more than willing to take on that role. We go once a month to my OB and then every 4 weeks for ultrasounds. When I went in for our 17 week ultrasound I asked the lady if she wouldn't mind just "peeking" to see if we could determine the babies' sexes. At this point, I had kind of ruled out the boy/girl option for the babes because their heart rates had basically been synonymous and I was thinking girl/girl all the way. I let Thad hold on to his hope for another boy but just reminded him that he had initially said (when we first found out I was pregnant) that he hoped that "pencil test" was true and that it would be a girl so he could just have his little buddy time with Jack. (The "pencil test" said girl/boy/girl) So at 17 weeks everything looked great again and when the lady went to take a peek, she saw that both were presenting as girls (though "twin b" was being stubborn and it wasn't as clear as 'twin a'). It was amazing at our 17 week ultrasound how much 'twin a' looked like Berkley did at 20 weeks (we couldn't get a picture of 'twin b' becaue she was shoved right up against my uterus and as we tried to make her moved she just buried her face more!) So, once again, I felt my instinct was proven and I was excited to tell Thad that there were two more Berkleys on the way! :) At 17 weeks the girls both weighed 5 oz and everything measured right on their target gestational age.
The funny thing about twin pregnancies is that they are considered full term at 38 weeks so as we were approaching 19 weeks I just had to calmly remind myself that I could be at halfway or even a little over as my doctor told me that she usually delivers twins at 36 or 37 weeks and that multiple births tend to come early. We have been busy around the house and we have transitioned Jack into a twin-sized bed, no diapers at night and sharing a room with Berkley! We have also started the process of transitioning Berk's old room into the nursery/playroom. We still have plenty to do but the "honey-dos" are becoming less! :) We went today for the big anatomical ultrasound as I am 21 weeks and it was confirmed that both babies are indeed girls! They each weigh 12 oz and everything from their hearts, to their brains, to their spines, to the bellies, to their fluid measured good! So as for right now, we are just smooth sailing! I go in on Thursday for a regular OB visit and then will see her again in September and then I start going every TWO weeks! How's that for a timeline?! I am leaving you with some pictures of each twin from their 17 week and 21 week ultrasounds, a comparison of Twin A, Berk and Jack from 17 weeks, a comparison of all 4 from this ultrasound, a look at both twins together and also some pics of my growing belly! Hope you enjoy and stay tuned in for more fun times around the Meadows house!
As we were sitting there and the lady asked why I had chosen to have an early ultrasound I told her about our family history of twins and that I had had some dreams about twins and so we got around to the ultrasound. As she saw the first one, she then rolled the "wand" over and said "Yes indeed there are two!" I don't think I have ever seen the SHOCK and utter SILENCE from my husband as I did in that moment! All we could really do at that point was laugh and I just said to him "Don't ever doubt a mother's instinct!" The twins were determined as dichorionic and diamniotic (I think those are the terms), which means that they each have their own little "hole" and each has their own placenta (the less risky of all multiple pregnancies). One had a heart rate in the 150s and the other in the high 130s, which was good that each had a heartbeat at 8 weeks. After the doctor came in and offered his "condolences" (haha) we left the office and tried to let this information sink in. When we "announced" to everyone it was AMAZING to see the love and support from everyone and I think it made the sheer shock wear off a LITTLE! Based on their heart rates, our initial reaction was boy/girl just because Berkley's had always been in the 150s and Jack's in the 130s; the kids were excited that they each might get their own baby!
Time went on and the sickness lingered. I did get a prescription that helped but I tried not to take it unless I felt I was absolutely not going to be able to function without it. School let out and I was "unemployed" and began enjoying my summer with my two babes (on days I could pull myself out of bed, that is!) Each doctor visit went by swimmingly and the babies' heart rates began to settle into a pattern of being both in the 140s. At 14 weeks the sickness finally subsided and I actually felt somewhat human again just VERY exhausted. There were many nights of Thad being a single parent and I am so thankful that he was more than willing to take on that role. We go once a month to my OB and then every 4 weeks for ultrasounds. When I went in for our 17 week ultrasound I asked the lady if she wouldn't mind just "peeking" to see if we could determine the babies' sexes. At this point, I had kind of ruled out the boy/girl option for the babes because their heart rates had basically been synonymous and I was thinking girl/girl all the way. I let Thad hold on to his hope for another boy but just reminded him that he had initially said (when we first found out I was pregnant) that he hoped that "pencil test" was true and that it would be a girl so he could just have his little buddy time with Jack. (The "pencil test" said girl/boy/girl) So at 17 weeks everything looked great again and when the lady went to take a peek, she saw that both were presenting as girls (though "twin b" was being stubborn and it wasn't as clear as 'twin a'). It was amazing at our 17 week ultrasound how much 'twin a' looked like Berkley did at 20 weeks (we couldn't get a picture of 'twin b' becaue she was shoved right up against my uterus and as we tried to make her moved she just buried her face more!) So, once again, I felt my instinct was proven and I was excited to tell Thad that there were two more Berkleys on the way! :) At 17 weeks the girls both weighed 5 oz and everything measured right on their target gestational age.
The funny thing about twin pregnancies is that they are considered full term at 38 weeks so as we were approaching 19 weeks I just had to calmly remind myself that I could be at halfway or even a little over as my doctor told me that she usually delivers twins at 36 or 37 weeks and that multiple births tend to come early. We have been busy around the house and we have transitioned Jack into a twin-sized bed, no diapers at night and sharing a room with Berkley! We have also started the process of transitioning Berk's old room into the nursery/playroom. We still have plenty to do but the "honey-dos" are becoming less! :) We went today for the big anatomical ultrasound as I am 21 weeks and it was confirmed that both babies are indeed girls! They each weigh 12 oz and everything from their hearts, to their brains, to their spines, to the bellies, to their fluid measured good! So as for right now, we are just smooth sailing! I go in on Thursday for a regular OB visit and then will see her again in September and then I start going every TWO weeks! How's that for a timeline?! I am leaving you with some pictures of each twin from their 17 week and 21 week ultrasounds, a comparison of Twin A, Berk and Jack from 17 weeks, a comparison of all 4 from this ultrasound, a look at both twins together and also some pics of my growing belly! Hope you enjoy and stay tuned in for more fun times around the Meadows house!
Twin A has many attributes that are so much like Berkley! At 17 weeks she looked so similar to Berkley and even has certain dispositions like Berk did in utero such as having her hands by her face ALL THE TIME!
Twin B is the one that we initially thought was a boy due to heart rate but as you can clearly see, she is not! She has a lot personality traits that are like Jack's; she is stubborn and if she doesn't want to do something then she doesn't; i.e. when we tried to get a good picture of her face at 17 weeks she turned directly away from us into her placenta and went about her business. Today at 21 weeks she was sucking her thumb!
This is Jack (on top), Twin A (middle from 17 weeks) and Berk (bottom). Berkley and Twin A's similar physical attributes are so striking to me!
Here are all four: Twin B (top left), Twin A (top right), Jack (bottom left) and Berkley (bottom right).
This is Twin B (on top) and Twin A (on bottom) from their 21 week ultrasound. I can't tell right now if I think they will look alike! I think each has similar physical attributes but I don't know if they will look identical or not!
These pictures are at 12 weeks (top left), 17 weeks (top right), 19 weeks (bottom left) and 21 weeks (bottom right).
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Wow It Has Been a WHILE!
Ok, since my last post (over a year ago), we have had LOTS happen around our household! We have had birthdays, anniversaries, a pet lost and a pet gained, quitting of a job and probably the most exciting is that we are expecting TWINS in December! Like I said, there has been LOTS happening and I know that there will be TONS left out of this post, but most importantly, I want to get back to blogging to document this monumental and LAST pregnancy for our family. Before I found out I was pregnant (a day before Thad's 30th birthday, April 23rd), I had become a runner to get myself back in shape and I absolutely fell in love with with! I fell SO in love with it, that I actually ran numerous races and was doing great losing weight and having some "me" time that I never thought I would find from running! I was 2 lbs away from my goal weight (125 lbs) when I found out I was pregnant and since then, running has taken a backseat to all of the hormonal changes that have taken place in my body, carrying two babies! (Those changes came on FAST and have been FURIOUS up to about 2 weeks ago when I was 14 weeks) I told myself that I was going to continue to run during this pregnancy so not to gain the 52 lb like I did with Berk, but since finding out there were two, I have NOT ran, but I am still planning on getting around to walking! I do plan on continuing to run after this pregnancy and hopefully I will be able to have them naturally so that I will not have to wait too long to hit the trails again!
I am NOT going to recap the last year, but will put some more recent pictures of the kids. We have been beyond blessed this last year and I know that the months to come will lead to many more blessings for our entire family not only with the addition of our twins, but also with me being able to stay "home" with the kids. This change took lots of thinking and praying about but after we found out that the twins were on the way, we knew that God had lead us to a position in our lives where this will be the best for our family. We are just praying that He will provide what our family needs both before and after the twins' birth and we are relying heavily on a lot of love and support from friends and family. So with that being said, here are some pictures and I hope you keep tuned in to all of the fun and exciting things that will happen in the upcoming months!
Our newest member of the family that we got last summer after we had to put Maddox down. He is another Border Collie (is MUCH bigger now) and his name is Sparky
Berkley celebrated her 3rd birthday and her 4th is a month and a half away!
The brother/sister "love" has been in full force!
Christmas 2011
Lamesa Stockshow with Kenley-January 2012
Berkley showing a pig at the Welch Stockshow
Jack at the Welch Stockshow
Valentine's Day 2012
Jack had his 2nd birthday!
Easter 2012
Expert egg hunters
Cousins in the bluebonnets
Twin A
Twin B
Hope everyone is looking forward to this adventure like we are, so settle in, bookmark this website and get ready to enjoy our wild ride!
Meadows
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