Personal Journal

If anyone still visits here and would like to keep up with me on my personal journal, it can be found at http://jen1422.blogspot.com

:)

Update

I just thought I'd give a quick update since it has been a long time!

I am doing wonderful. Just still trying to get rid of this weight! I'm definitely much stronger now, but the weight isnt really budging and its driving me crazy. Oh well. They say it takes 9 months to put on the weight and another 9 to lose it. We'll see! I lost ALL my baby weight within 2 months after having Quinn, but then again, that was only one baby and one baby's worth of extra hormones in my body. I think the pregnancy hormones are just now starting to leave my body. My chin acne is almost gone and my hair is falling out like crazy. Thats normal for me after having babies though...my hair doesnt shed much at all while pregnant but once the hormones are out of my system, the hair starts coming out. I'm STILL waiting for my period to come, too. That makes me nervous because being pregnant right now, so soon after delivering twins, is a really scary thought. Not to mention we arent even thinking about having another child until after our 10th anniversary vacation next year. Then we'll think about it.

This fall Quinn will be attending preschool 3 days a week and Ian will be in Kindergarten. It will be weird having both boys in school! But at least I will have a few hours a week to myself. I will probably just use it to do my grocery shopping in peace! :)

The girls are doing great! Last I heard, Lyla was outweighing Presley by a full pound! I cant believe they are almost 3 months old already. I hope they start to sleep through the night soon so mom & dad can get some good sleep. Uninterrupted sleep makes ALL the difference!

Well I hope everyone is having a lovely spring/summer! We just got back from a vacation to Wisconsin Dells. We stayed at Great Wolf Lodge and spent 3 days in the waterpark. So fun! The boys are in swimming lessons this summer at the gym, so hopefully next time we go back to the Dells they can swim and not bobble around in lifejackets. ;)

I'm growing a garden again this year. I did more soil prep so hopefully I have better luck this year. I'm growing Roma tomatoes, Big Boy tomatoes, Cherry tomatoes, banana peppers, bell peppers, marconi peppers, poblano peppers, strawberries, and basil. If I grew onions I would have a salsa garden! lol

Hope everyone is doing well! This will be a great summer! :)

Goodbye little girls

Well Lyla was discharged on Wednesday and Presley was discharged yesterday, on Easter. M&B brought them over last night for a couple hours to visit and say goodbye. They are headed home today. After 5 weeks of being away from home I can only imagine how good it will feel for M&B to get back to their own house and for life to get back to normal. Well, their "new" normal, that is!

I got to hold both girls for a while and then I fed Presley her bottle while Chris fed Lyla. It was so nice to get to snuggle them for a bit! Even Quinn got to hold a baby and he was so excited!

I held it together until I hugged M&B goodbye...that's when I started to get all teary-eyed. Once they got in their car I started crying. This was the first time I had cried since the end of Feb when I was in the hospital for a couple days by myself. So it was time for a good cry. It's going to be strange to not have all of them around. I cant just go visit them whenever I want to. And its not just the babies I will miss. I will definitely miss M&B as well. Next time I see them all in person, those girls are going to be toddling around all over the place!! We'll go visit them next year...maybe for their birthday or during the summer. Until then I'll be happy to see pictures and get updates.

Well, goodbye little girls. Fill your Mom & Dad's lives with unimagineable joy. Go easy on them and keep up the good feedings and the good sleeping! It was truly an honor to carry you for 8.5 months and to bring you into the world nice and healthy. You dont even know yet how lucky you are to have 2 wonderful and caring parents like M&B. They have planned for you, waited for you, and have loved you before you ever even existed. You can never have too much love in your lives, so also know that you have people in Minnesota who love you as well.

Ah the twin diet

20 pounds down, 20 to go. And then another 15 to get me back to my real starting weight...the weight I was before I started my mock cycle last March. I'm not too worried about it yet...I'm only a week postpartum!

The girls are still in the nursery, but they did pass their carseat tests yesterday! Hopefully they will both master eating their bottles without taking a snooze in the middle of it so they can get out of the nursery. And honestly, dont most newborns fall asleep while eating? I know mine always did. But I suppose the nurses know whats best. I cant even imagine how ready M&B are to go home!

I had to stop pumping a couple days ago. Pumps arent 'natural' so it really tore me up and caused some pretty yucky issues, so as much as I hated to stop, I really had to. I was super painfully engorged the last couple days but today seems to be better. The swelling has gone down and they arent as big or as hard as they were. I did the best I could though!

Today will be 45 and sunny so I am actually going to leave the house for once! We're going a little stir crazy here and this weather is nuts. We had snow yesterday and today will be relatively warm and sunny. So I plan to take advantage of it and get these boys out for some fresh air.

Ready for the weekend!

Quick update

Well there's not too much going on over here. I'm doing good, just healing and sleeping...all that good stuff! Several people have asked me how I'm doing emotionally, and honestly I am doing just fine. It is a little weird now that we had this buildup to this huge moment, and now everything is calm and quiet. The last year was all about bringing a baby or two into this world for M&B and that mission was accomplished. So its just kind of strange that its all over!

I have been pumping breastmilk for the girls. Since they were born a little bit early, I know that breastmilk is very beneficial for them and I am determined to make it work! The last few days I was doing pretty well with the colostrum and then last night my milk came in. I woke up this morning in PAIN. I pumped this morning and got a decent amount, then tried again in the early afternoon and hardly got anything. I wasnt very happy with that, especially considering that M&B brought me some more containers for the milk and told me that the girls were gulping it down. So I was determined to keep this going for as long as the girls are here. I found my old Medela pump (I had been using the Medela Symphony that I rented from the hospital) and tried that and WOW it worked so much better than the double pump from the hospital! So I have gotten plenty of milk for them today. I am so glad we're back on track with the milk.

The girls are doing very well. They are eating well and will possibly get to have their IV's taken out within a couple days. They will have to pass the carseat test before they can leave though. But thats just to make sure they can fit properly and safely into a carseat. Very important! There's no real timeline of when they can leave though, so everyone's just taking it one day at a time.

I havent been up there to see them since the morning I left the hospital (Thursday). I've been trying to make sure I keep my distance, just because I've obviously never done this before and dont want to freak M&B out if I appear too eager to go see them. I'm pretty sure they know they dont have to worry about me though. I do miss those wiggly little girls, but its just like any other pregnancy where you birth a child and miss feeling him/her kick and squirm in your belly. M&B have been wonderful...with all the updates and the pictures and inviting me up to see the girls before I left the hospital. I think we might go up there tomorrow afternoon sometime so I can return the rental pump, drop off some milk for the girls, and of course visit with all of them. I'll have to check with them tomorrow and see if that would be ok. All 4 of us would be going and I dont even know if they'd allow Ian & Quinn into the special care nursery. We'll see!

I want to take a second to thank each and every one of you who has followed this journey, commented on my blog, and just overall supported all of us throughout the past year. I have never felt so much love from so many people all over the world. It is a truly amazing feeling to know that so many people are praying for you & thinking of you. My friends have been angels to me and my church has been amazing as well. They're even having people bring us meals for a few days! And Chris, my darling husband, has been awesome from day 1. I know he will be happy to no longer be on grocery/dinner/cleaning duty though! I am actually looking forward to getting back to normal and doing the things around here I used to do. And then my Mom, who has texted me every single day to check on me and make sure I was doing ok. Yes mom, I'm fine, I promise! :)

Well, time for sleep. I love sleep. :)

Introducing...

Miss Presley (being burped by her proud daddy!):


And back in her isolette:

Miss Lyla (being fed by her proud mommy!):

And making a face:

Backtracking a bit, here I am before the contractions got painful!

And here I am in the OR, about to push:

I have tons more pictures, but these are the only ones I am going to share. The rest I think should remain private between my family and M&B's. :)

They're here!

So much for my poll! LOL! And if you voted after already knowing I was in labor then you cheated! ;)

My water broke around 5pm last night, while sitting on the toilet of all places! M&B picked me up while Chris took our boys to the sitter, and we got to the hospital around 6:30. They hooked me up and my contrax werent very strong or close enough together, so they gave me some pitocin to get it going. It started to hurt around 9:30 and I was dilated to 5-6cm. Got my epi and was feeling great by 10:30. The doctor checked me around 12:30am and said I was complete!

They moved me to the OR just in case I needed a c-section. The doctor got me all set up and had me push...little Presley Skye came out in one push at 12:47am. She then was able to turn Baby B from breech to vertex, which wasnt very pleasant feeling. Lyla Brooke was born after 3 pushes at 12:54am. Both girls came out screaming! They both weighed 4lbs 15 oz...Presley is 17.5" and Lyla is 18.5". Their Apgars were 9,9 and 8,9. The nurse was in disbelief that they were so incredibly healthy for being preemies. She said she would have given them perfect 10s but she never even gives 10s to full term babies.

So despite being born at 34w4d, they will likely be released from the special care nursery as soon as its determined that they can eat and their sucking reflex is working properly. No NICU time at all! I just pumped some colostrum and sent it upstairs for the girls and I will continue to pump as long as M&B want me to.

The doctor told us that this was the easiest twin birth she had ever been a part of! It just went so well and so quickly. It really was perfect! The nurses teared up a bit when they saw M&B's faces when they saw their daughters for the first time.

Oh, and what was really cool was that even though we were in the OR, they let all 3 of 'my people' stay in the room. So Chris was there playing photographer, and M&B got to be right there were the action was. It was truly an amazing experience.

They invited me up to see the girls this morning when they went in there and they are absolutely BEAUTIFUL. No wrinkly, swollen newborn look at all. Beautiful round heads full of dark hair, precious dainty features, the sweetest little lips.

If I am able to, I will post pictures later. Its totally up to M&B and their comfort level. I could possibly even post the pics and then take them down after a couple days or so.

This was the most awesome thing I have ever done. M&B are the greatest and have truly made this the perfect journey I had hoped for. I dont get very emotional, so I didn't cry during the birth or anything, but my heart was just so filled with love for these girls and pride in myself and my body for doing such a good job. I set out to help create a family and all I ever wanted was to carry a big strong healthy baby for someone...and I lucked out and got to carry two of them.

So this journey has come to an end, but in other ways it is just beginning. :)

New Poll

So I was talking with M via email and we thought it would be fun to put up a poll about when I will go into labor. So over there to the right is a poll for you to vote on if you are interested.

Here are the facts:

• At 31 weeks I was admitted to the hospital because I was 2cm dilated and contracting 5-6 times per hour.
• I am on a medication called Nifedipine which relaxes the 'smooth muscle' of the uterus. If I am even an hour late taking one, I start having more contractions. I was told I can stop taking it at 36 weeks which is next Friday.
• I still contract a couple times per hour while taking the medication. When labor wants to start, this pill wont keep it from happening if its really time!
• I am on modified bedrest, which is really just limited activity. I am allowed to run into the store if I need to grab something or go out to eat, or go to church. Just as long as I am not doing anything strenuous or that has me on my feet for any extended amount of time (no cleaning or cooking, etc).
• I was induced with both of my own children...Ian at 39w2 days and Quinn at 40w1d. I wasn't more than 1cm dilated with either of them when their inductions were started.
• I might have lost some mucus plug last week. Havent seen anything like it since, and I'm not sure thats what it was. Who knows!

So there are the facts! At the start of this week I was really feeling like it would happen this week. A lot of people think it will. I'm not sure anymore because I actually feel ok despite being very tired. But we all know labor starts whenever it wants to, and is very unpredictable!!

34 weeks!

I wont technically be 34 weeks until tomorrow but since I had an appointment today I decided to go ahead and do the 34 weeks update along with my appointment update.

So, yeah! 34 weeks! The doctor said that at this point if I go into labor, they wont try to stop it and the girls will be fine, just may possibly need a little time in the hospital to fatten up and get their blood sugar stabilized. It's exciting, and kind of scary, to be in this "could go at any time" phase! Ideally we all want to make it to 36 weeks. At that point the girls will more than likely be able to go right home after a couple days.

Both girls passed their biophysical profiles with perfect scores today. They both did all their body movements pretty quickly, and then finally did their breathing movements. At the beginning they both had hiccups at the same time too! It was fun to watch them on the screen. I felt bad for them though...the hiccups lasted for a bit! The u/s tech didn't measure them this week so I have no idea what their estimated weights are. She said its better to do them every other week but up to this point I have had them every week anyways. Ah well. I imagine they are at least 5 pounds each now, considering they were over 4.5 pounds last week. I know its all an estimation and we wont know for sure until they are born though!

I might have lost some of my mucus plug (yuck, sorry) earlier this week. I asked the doctor if that would mean I have dilated further and she said yes. But she also said at this point it doesn't matter so she didn't check my cervix. So I could be sitting at 3cm right now! I think 4cm is considered labor...but I dont know for a fact. I remember when I was induced with my boys, both times they broke my water once I got to 4cm. So we'll see! I am really quite nervous about my water breaking. I've never had it happen spontaneously before. I wonder if it will happen when I get up to pee, or if it will happen in the shower, on the toilet, at church!!??

Which reminds me...I've got to get my bag packed!! Its hard because most of what I'd pack is stuff I use every day. But I need to at least get it started. I think I might buy some new jammies to wear in the hospital. Most of my jammies are from Old Navy several years ago....so its time for some new ones!

My next appointment is next Friday, the 27th at 9:45am. And yet again, I will not get to see my doctor. I will be seeing a totally different doctor than even the one I've seen the last 2 weeks. That frustrates me. I have to have this appointment every week, but they can barely accomodate me! What happens if I need to set up one more after this one, and they have nothing available Wed, Thur, or Fri? I guess I'd have the one on Fri, and then come back on Mon or Tues, which seems like a total waste. I think maybe I'm overthinking this and should just not worry about it...LOL.

My BP was 120/60, gained one more pound (total weight gain = 36 pounds), and urine was clear of ketones and protein. Still no swelling, too. So all in all, a very good appointment!!

Here is the 34 week development update for the girls (and do remember that twins develop faster than singletons, so the girls are usually further ahead than these updates say):

• Baby acts completely like a newborn, with her eyes opened when awake and closed when sleeping. You may also find her settling into more of a routine for sleeping & awake times.
• She has learned to blink. She can also see more clearly when there is a bright light on your stomach and probably has the outline of all your organs memorized!
• Antibodies from your blood are being transferred to her. These immunities continue to build until birth. Then breast milk will add even more protection against disease.
• Baby may have already turned to a head-down position in preparation for birth. If she is your first baby, she may be settling into the pelvis with her head pressing against your cervix.
• Fingernails have reached the end of the fingertips now. She may scratch her face even before she is born!
• Your little one's length is 17.7 inches (45cm) and weight is 4.7 pounds (2146 g).

And here is my belly, which never ceases to amaze me with its ability to get bigger and bigger, week after week! LOL. It appears to be a bit lower as well, as now I have a little bit hanging down over my pants in the front, which I didn't have last week. PS - say hi to Quinn, peeking in on the side!

Contraction log

Just for the fun of it, I kept track of my contractions for 8 hours. They certainly pick up in the afternoon/evening.

9:51
10:01
10:10
12:57
1:07
2:57
3:14
3:26
4:02
4:14
4:22
4:51
5:07
5:50

Funny coincidence?

The little animated babies over on the right side of my blog are spinning like crazy in their little bubble. And thats exactly what it feels like is happening in my uterus. LOL

Sometimes they move and wiggle SO much, and then other times I have to poke them to get them to budge. I wish they'd go nuts with movement when M&B are around. So far they have gotten to feel Baby B's head up at the top of my belly and feel her having hiccups. As I write this, Baby A actually has the hiccups. I cant feel hers as well as I can feel Baby B's since Baby A is down so low.

I have been eating a lot more lately. I think I will have another gain this week. Then again, I'm sure the boxes of Girl Scout cookies on top of the fridge arent helping anything. ;)

Also, I need a pedicure, desperately. My feet are all dry and my heels are cracked. My toenails are long and unpainted, since I cant reach them. I asked Chris to do it, but he quickly declined. I have a spa giftcard from some friends and I think I will try to get a pedi before I go into labor if my doctor says its ok. At least I will be sitting in a chair the whole time while they do my feet. They look so ugly right now. But at least they arent swollen! I'm glad its not flip-flop weather yet!

Daily pill count

I just thought this was amusing. This is the number of pills I take in a usual 24 hour period.

5 Metamucil caplets
4 Nifedipine caplets
2 Colace softgels
1 prenatal vitamin
1 Unisom (not every day)
1 SlowFe iron tablet

Another belly shot

On a messageboard I post on they have weekly photography challenges. They're just meant to be fun, nothing competitive or serious. This past week's was 'self portrait' and you could interpret it any way you want. Well I decided that I would do a nice frontal belly shot with my good camera. So here it is. It has been resized, softened, and had about 1/4 inch cropped off the top so my bra wouldn't show, but other than that it is unedited.



I took it today (33w2d) with my Nikon D40. Here are the specs of the shot:

50mm lens
Exposure: 1/100
f/1.8
ISO 1600

33 weeks!

Boy a few weeks ago I wasn't sure if I was going to make it this far! And here we are!


I had my weekly appointment yesterday and had a couple special people there with me! Yep, M&B! The first portion was of course the ultrasound. M&B really enjoyed seeing their girls on the screen again, although it was difficult to tell what was what. Last time they got to see the ultrasound, the girls were small (20 weeks) so it was easier to know what you were looking at. Baby A got a 6/8 on her biophysical profile and Baby B got a 8/8. The only thing we didnt see with Baby A was the practice breathing movements. Last week both girls did everything they were supposed to in a very short amount of time, but this time it took the whole 30 minutes per baby to get the breathing movements. Baby B waited until the very end to do hers, but Baby A wasn't playing along. The tech said that was the most common one to not see (the breathing movements) on the ultrasound though.

Baby A was measuring 4lb 7oz I think (I was distracted and dont remember the exact weight), and Baby B was all the way up to 4lbs 14oz. I just dont understand that, considering Baby B was 3lbs 12oz last week. But its all just a measurement estimate anyways. It just seems to be inaccurate compared to the previous measurements. So we'll see! M&B got a few ultrasound pictures, including a couple 3D facial shots of Baby A. Baby B was still turned in towards my back so we couldn't get any good shots of her. I think the one they got of her (regular black & white picture) was of her spine.

Then I had the NST. I had to go in there alone because its done in this room about the size of a closet. Well they hooked up Baby A and the Toco (contraction monitor) and I think they forgot about me. I was in there for a LONG time. I read a whole magazine! I started to get cranky! I texted M, who was out in the waiting room, to let her know that I was still stuck in the chair hooked up to Baby A. Not too much later, they came in and switched it over to Baby B. Both babies did great on those, and I was actually having a few contractions. I never really felt them....maybe one or two of them. But they werent enough to concern anyone.

Then the nurse checked my BP and it was 110/70. My weight went up by 2 pounds, and my urine analysis came back clean...no protein or ketones.

When it was time to see the doctor (not my usual doctor) I had M&B come back with me so they could talk with her. I know M was pretty nervous about Baby A not getting the 2 points for her practice breathing movements. The doctor said it wasnt that big of a deal yet and we'll recheck at my appointment next week. She also said my results for the GBS (Group B Strep) test came back positive. I wasnt very happy about that! I never had GBS with either of my boys so I dont know how the heck I have it now! Its a common bacteria found on the skin, the vagina, and anus (which they swabbed all of when I was in the hospital a couple weeks ago...ugh) and some people are just carriers of it without ever being sick or anything. I couldn't find anything definitive last night on the internet about how someone can go from not having it, to having it. But its fairly common and they will put some antibiotics in my IV when I'm in labor and that will keep the babies from possibly picking it up as they pass through the birth canal. But still, I'm pretty ticked that all the sudden I have GBS.

It was really cute when M&B were calling the girls by all the different names they had picked out, trying to see which names the girls responded to. I think they are getting closer to nailing down the names for sure, but only time will tell. And it looks like they will have plenty of time to decide! And no, I wont be telling you their names....thats up to Mom & Dad. ;)

Here's the girls' 33 week development:

• Amniotic fluid is at its highest level during your pregnancy.
• Baby's head size has increased 3/8ths of an inch due to rapid brain growth.
• Neurons and synapses are developing in huge numbers -- forming connections in baby's brain will give her the skills she needs to thrive as a newborn. This week, she may be able to coordinate sucking and swallowing with breathing.
• While most of her bones are hardening, her skull is quite pliable and not completely joined.
• The bones will be able to move slightly to make birthing easier.
• Baby takes intermittent deep breaths -- of water! That's okay, though since she gets oxygen from the placenta. This breathing exercises muscles and encourages her lung cells to produce more surfactant (a protein essential for healthy lung development).
• Your infant is now 17.2 inches (43.7cm) long and weighs 4.23 pounds (1918gm).

And here is my 33 week belly. I took it late in the day so I look a bit tired. M&B made us dinner last night (chicken enchiladas) and they were fantastic! So we got to spend quite a bit of time with them, which was really nice. We will hopefully see them again on Sunday. It's just such a relief that they are here and we have our 'middle of the night' labor plan and our daytime labor plan. Now we can all just relax and wait for the show to begin! :) (but hopefully not for a few more weeks!)

Yay!

M&B have made it to Minneapolis! So now I can relax a little and stop worrying that they wont make it in time for the birth! I just need to make it at least 2 more weeks.

My appointment is Friday at 1:30 so I will update again later that day, possibly. We will be hanging with M&B that day so I may not get the chance until Saturday. :)

32 weeks!

32 weeks and doing great!

I had my appointment a bit ago and everything went perfectly! Baby A is still head down and weighs 4lbs 3oz, and Baby B is breech and weighs 3lbs 14oz. They both got 10 out of 10 on their Biophysical profile and NST. They did so well that the tests went pretty quickly. I had a different ultrasound tech this time and she explained everything we were looking at and she even flipped to 3D to try to get a couple pictures. Unfortunately Baby A had umbilical cord in her face and Baby B is turned facing into Baby A, so she was unsuccessful. I hope I get her for my next ultrasound next week...she said she would try again to get some 3D pictures since M&B will be there with me! While I was on the monitor for the NST, I didnt have a single contraction. I have had very few this week, so when my doctor saw the monitor and heard that I havent had many, she said she would stay out of my cervix today! So I didnt have a cervix check and it seems I didnt have a reason to anyways. Everything is going wonderfully. I am still on limited activity, but she said I can do a bit more as long as I'm not contracting. Yippee!

No weight gain recently. I am still sitting at 31 pounds gained, which is very good. I have very little to no swelling, and my BP was 110/60 which is nice and normal for me. All in all, a GREAT visit! I go back next Friday at 1:30. I wont see my doctor though, I will see the one who saw me in the hospital. I like her too though.


Oh and I should mention that I just LOVE my doctor. She said even if Baby B stays breech, I can still have a vaginal delivery if Baby A is head down. She said she is pretty "old school" and has no problem attempting to deliver Baby B breech if all conditions are favorable. She said the thing to worry about is if Baby B tries to come down shoulder first, in which case I would end up with a c-section anyways, which is the worst scenario - a vaginal AND a c-section is quite an undertaking! But she said that doesnt happen very often, and they could try and turn Baby B around too. So it looks like I'm going to get my vaginal delivery! :)


Well here is the 32 week update for the girls!

• Baby is up to 3.75 pounds now and is 16.7 inches (42.4cm) long.
• You might notice she's not moving around as much now. Don't worry! She is fine -- just running short on room. She still has plenty of growing to do though, believe it or not!
• All five senses are working. Your little one is fascinated and practicing testing these out as much as possible!
• Toenails are completely formed even though she may not be quite ready for a French manicure.
• Hair on your infant's head continues to grow in.
• Brain scans have shown that babies have periods of dream sleep (REM) starting around the eight month.

And my fabulous belly!

Another growth spurt?

I think we've got another growth spurt going on here...my groin is killing me! In a couple days it will be better, but goodness this is uncomfortable. I cant even fathom how my belly will get any bigger. It seems like its so huge already! When I sit down to use the restroom, I have to lean all the way back against the tank...LOL.

I think I read somewhere that once you start measuring 41+ weeks (which I am!) you start expanding to the sides moreso than out front. Either way, the human body is a wonderous thing with its ability to stretch way beyond its normal size! I mean, have you even seen the pictures of the Octomom when she was pregnant? Whenever I feel stretched to the limit and sore, I just think of how SHE must have felt being 30 weeks pregnant with 8 babies.

I am still doing great. I'm taking the Nifedipine around the clock, which makes me nervous because its primarily for chest pains, and it seems to be keeping the contractions away. Either that, or just the fact that I am relaxing more. I am looking forward to my appointment on Friday. I love the ultrasound part! The NST is kind of a pain just because Baby B likes to turn away from the monitor and the nurse has to keep coming back in to reposition it on my belly, and then we have to track movements and heartrate for a certain amount of time. Baby A stays in the same position but I think its just because she is head down and has nowhere else to go! And then there's the good old cervix check....hopefully there has been no more progress! I would be VERY surprised if there has been, considering I sit on my butt all day. I think we'll be just fine though.

Our PBO stuff is almost done. Chris and I had our copy signed and notarized, and the attorney's office will be picking it up tomorrow morning. It feels good to have this done so that once the babies are born, M&B's names will go straight on the birth certificate and all the other good stuff that goes along with it. Its another thing to check off the list!

Well I will update again on Friday after my appointment. I've stopped hoping for ultrasound pictures but if they surprise me with some, I will happily post them! :)

31 week belly picture!

Well I took a belly pic today since I dont ever want to skip a week! So here I am in my 31 week twin belly glory! :)

I have a few more stretchmarks this week, but nothing too bad. At least they arent that obvious from the picture! ;)

FFN was negative!

I'm going home today! Chris' plane has arrived back into Minneapolis and he will be up here in a little while to get me once he picks the kids up from Beth's house.

I am so relieved, as I'm sure M&B are as well. :)

I will be on bedrest at home, but not strict bedrest thankfully so I can still take care of the kids without having to bring someone in. They are also sending me home with a prescription for Nifedipine. I have to take it once every 6 hours, around the clock. It should keep my uterus quiet and not contracting much.

So this is fantastic! I cant wait to go home, but I really cant wait to see Chris & my boys. :)

31 weeks!

Well this entry is coming to you live from the hospital! Dont worry, everything is fine.

This story starts at 5am on Wednesday morning. We got up and took Chris to the airport. He had to go to Florida on business for a couple days. So we dropped him off, then came back home for a bit until registration was open at the school Ian will be going to in the fall. I took the boys and registered Ian for kindergarten, then we came home and had some lunch. Then I had to take them to my friend Beth's house because she was going to watch them while I was at the doctor since Chris was out of town.

So then I went in for my first biophysical profile appointment at 1:15. It started with an ultrasound where the tech was looking for each baby to have certain kinds of movements within an allotted amount of time. She was looking for big body movements as well as small motor movements such as hands opening & closing. Both babies passed and got the maximum 8 out of 8 points. Baby A weighed 3 lbs 9 oz and Baby B weighed 3 lbs 7 oz. So nice and big! The doctor was impressed at their sizes and said whatever I've been eating/drinking, to keep it up!

Next was the NST (non-stress test). They hooked up a monitor on my belly for Baby A. I had to squeeze a trigger whenever I felt her move and the monitor tracked her heartrate in conjunction with my clicks. She did great and got her 2 out of 2 points for that. Baby B kept moving away from the monitor when it was her turn, but she did great as well and got 2 out of 2. So both babies got the maximum 10 points!

Lastly, my doctor did a cervix check. This is where it gets crazy and from this point on my day was like a blur. 3 weeks ago I had a cervix check and was totally closed and firm, all that good stuff. Well Wednesday I was 2cm dialated and soft. Lots of women can walk around for weeks at 2cm dialated, but my doctor seemed to be concerned the most that I had no idea this was occurring. I couldnt think of any one particular time within the past 3 weeks where I had any more discomfort or pain than usual. I've actually felt great, so this was a huge shock to me. She didnt want to jump the gun and send me to the hospital unnecessarily, so she conferred with another doctor at the clinic and she agreed that I should come in for a steroid shot for the babies in case they are born early, and some monitoring for my contractions (I had been having up to 4-5 an hour in the evenings for weeks now but they never hurt), and then the FFN (fetal fibronectin) test to see if we were looking at labor within the week or not.

She wanted me to check in right after dinner that night. So I start to freak out a bit. Chris is out of town and where were my kids going to go for a couple days? I dont know that many people in MN yet since we haven't lived here very long. Luckily my friend Beth said she would keep them for the couple of days, so I knew they would be in good hands. So we went home and I ordered us a pizza, then we got their bag packed and my bag packed and I took them back to Beth's. Her husband drove me to the hospital since it was downtown and I had never driven there before. That was definitely a load off my mind!

I got checked in and the first thing they did was give me a betamethasone shot, which is a steroid for the babies' lungs. It matures them more quickly so if they are born early, they can breathe air much easier. The nurse said that while in the womb, babies lungs are full of surfactant which makes them kind of sticky and they stick together which would make it more difficult for them to breathe once they were out in the air. Another surrogate I know who is a nurse said she has seen first hand that the shot is incredible for any baby born early. So that made me happy. I think the whole stressful situation had me contracting quite a bit that night. I had 6 within an hour, and the another 6 within the next 30 minutes. So they gave me a shot of terbuterline which was basically like a big ol shot of muscle relaxer just for the uterus. The contractions stopped immediately, although while I slept they came back to about 4-5 an hour overnight which everyone was fine with. I slept decently that night, which was actually better than I had been sleeping at home. I was so tired after being up since 5am that day, and then the excitement of the day, so I slept well and only woke up to pee once.

Yesterday was pretty quiet. I was down to 2-4 contractions an hour...and keep in mind that none of these have ever hurt. They have all been just a tightening of my stomach and nothing more. So even when they were more frequent, I felt fine. I also have no other signs of pre-term labor. No bleeding, cramping, back pain, discharge, pelvic pressure, rectal pressure...nothing. So they moved me to the long term bedrest part of the hospital since things were looking fine. I have a bigger room with a shower, a LCD TV, DVD player, microwave, table fan, and the bed is comfy. Also included in the rate of the room is Integrative Care, which are things like massages, aromatherapy, accupuncture, accupressure, reflexology, etc...based on what you need. They thought I could use an aromatherapy massage to bring my stress levels down and relax me. So I had a lovely massage with lavendar oil and relaxing music, and then she left me with a little envelope with a tissue in it that has the lavendar oil on it, for a refresher whenever I need it. She recommended that someone come in the next day to give me another one. I can live with that! I was only hooked up to monitors twice yesterday...no contractions at all each time, and both girls still doing great. I received another betamethasone shot last night..and let me tell you..that shot HURTS! Big needle, lots of meds, and it stings going in. Not fun! But totally worth it, of course!

Last night was wonderful. I turned the fan on and had it blowing on me (I get hot VERY easily) and turned the TV to the relaxation channel which has relaxing music and scenery. This was around 11pm or so. And I was knocked right out. I slept until 5am and got up to pee, then went back to sleep until 8am. I really needed this good sleep! I had my breakfast, then they hooked me up to the monitors again...no contractions, babies doing great, and then I got to take a shower! Chris will arrive back into MSP around 1pm and he will bring the boys up here to see me. So I am glad to be all showered and have makeup on. At some point they still need to give me the FFN so we can see what the next step is. If its negative I can go home and do bedrest or modified rest there because it means 99% chance of no labor within the next week. If its positive they will keep me here for bedrest because it indicates 30-50% of delivery within the week...which we dont want! I am pretty sure it will be negative...I mean despite the dialation I dont have anything else going on with my body. No contractions, no pressure, nothing. So we will see.

Now, M&B have been awesome through this. I dont know how they have stayed so calm...I think if the situation was reversed I wouldnt be as calm! I think it definitely helps that I am NOT actually in labor though! LOL. If the FFN comes back negative, they will come out here next Sunday...so still moving up their original plans by a couple weeks. If it comes back positive they will come immediately. I am so thankful that their jobs are so flexible and they can work from here if they end up being here an extended amount of time. Right now the first goal is to keep the girls in until 34 weeks and my ultimate goal is at least 36 weeks! I have a friend who was a surrogate and carried twins, and she was in the hospital at 29 weeks with possible pre-term labor issues, but ended up needing to be induced at 37 weeks anyways! So its definitely possible the same will happen here. I just do NOT want them born pre-term at all. I've read that 35-36 weeks is full term for twins, since they mature more quickly in the womb that singletons, so thats what I really want to get them to. And this is mainly of course for their health, but also because nobody wants to be labelled with having a pre-term birth. In the surrogacy world you are labelled as damaged goods basically, and I want to have the option of doing this again in the future. Of course I am nowhere near ready to think about doing this again yet! But I want to have the option just in case. I've had such a great experience so far with M&B and their babies, and the whole pregnancy so far (besides this little speedbump!), so I would be afraid that it wouldnt go so nicely next time! So we'll see.

Well here is the 31 week developmental update for the girls:

• The rate of physical growth slows down just a bit, but even though she doesn't get much longer, she will gain a lot of weight the rest of the pregnancy.
• Fat continues accumulating. This layer of fat turns her skin from red to the rosy pink she will have as a newborn.
• Calcium, phosphorus and iron are being stored and her bones are growing and hardening.
• Baby is 16.2 inches (41.1cm) long and weighs 3.3 pounds (1502gm)
• Her brain enters another period of rapid growth, producing hundreds of billions of new nerve cells! Amazing!
• She may move to the rhythm of music. Studies with heart rates show that she also prefers some types of music to others -- already!
• Lungs are the only major organ left to complete development. Remember, that while you may be anxious to meet your little one that these last few weeks can be vital - with each day increasing your baby's ability to breathe on her own.

Obviously I dont have a belly pic today since I didnt bring my camera with me to the hospital! I do have my cell phone but the picture wouldnt be very good. So I will do that later.

They just came in and gave me the FFN test so I should know within an hour whether or not I get to go home, and whether or not M&B will need to get here ASAP. The doctor is pretty confident that it will be negative at this point, so thats wonderful news.

I will update once I know anything else. But so far so good!

30 weeks!

Week 30 is upon us! I am officially in the home stretch! It has gone by so quickly, but I know that just like any other pregnancy, pretty soon it will start to slow down as I get bigger and more uncomfortable. I cant even imagine how excited M&B are getting!!

I had an appointment yesterday but it was boring and uneventful. I didn't even get to see my own doctor because she was out doing some kind of emergency surgery. So luckily they were able to squeeze me in with another doctor. They just did all the basic stuff...urine check, weight, blood pressure, fundal height (uterus measurement), and checked the babies' heartbeats. I start going every week now, and my next appointment is Wednesday which is right around the corner already. Each appointment (biophysical profile) will be approximately 90 minutes. I will start with an ultrasound, then a non-stress test, and then see the doctor which I assume will include cervix checks. I thought I was supposed to have a cervix check yesterday but the doctor said that the number of contractions I've been having aren't worrisome and not enough to change my cervix. I suppose we'll see for sure next week. I'm just glad I'll get to actually see my own doctor! I haven't gotten to see her in a long time. The doctor yesterday also gave me some Metamucil samples (pills, powder, and wafers) to try and see which form I like better. The iron pills they have me taking have caused some major constipation (ew, I know) and the Colace and tons of water aren't helping. Sooooo, hopefully I will have some relief soon!

Well, enough about me. Here's the 30 week update:

• Baby is nearly 3 pounds now (but I'm sure the girls are bigger than that!)
• Her head is getting larger to accommodate a period of rapid brain growth. Don't forget to continue to "teach" baby in the womb by exposing to music, literature, and simply talking to her.
• A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her. As she grows and fills your uterus, the amount of amniotic fluid will decrease. Funny, you certainly won't feel any lighter!
• She spends more and more time practicing opening and closing eyelids. Her eyes can move from side to side, following a light source. She may even reach out to touch the light.
• Early lanugo is beginning to disappear that served to protect your baby's skin from the water in the womb. Your little one's own hair may begin to appear.
• Toenails are entering their final growth stage.
• Bone marrow is now in charge of red blood cell production. These red blood cells will continue to service your child's body by transporting oxygen and removing the wastes (carbon monoxide and other gases).
• Baby has the capability now to produce tears -- yes, within the womb.
• By the end of this week, baby is now 15.7 inches (39.9cm) long and weighs 2.91 pounds (1319gm).

And here are my belly pics. I actually took them yesterday since I actually had clothes and makeup on! :)

29 weeks!

Well, I must be the most boring surrogate alive. I have nothing new to report. I'm sleeping better, I feel great, and I've almost outgrown the maternity shirts I bought a while back. Luckily the pants still have plenty of room...that means I'm growing only where I need to now and not in my thighs anymore! (maybe....haha)

Here's the 29 weeks update:

• Baby's head is in proportion with her body now. She appears more like a newborn each and every day!
• Fat continues to accumulate under the skin -- only now preparing for entering the *real world*.
• Your baby's brain can control primitive breathing and body temperatures.
• Her eyes can move in their sockets. Soon she will be able to follow a blinking light.
• Baby is increasingly sensitive to changes in light, sound, taste, and smell! Various studies show that baby may indicate preferences (or disdain) for particular tastes or odors at this stage
• She is also moving from side to side, but probably still is head up. In the next few weeks, she will move to the head down birthing position. At times you may feel as if she is performing somersaults for a circus act!
• Her length is now approximately 15.2 inches (38.6cm) and weight is 2.54 pounds (1153gm)

And here is my weekly belly shot! Maybe I will do another one with my face in it at some point. I dont wear makeup unless I am going somewhere, and I refuse to put a picture of myself without makeup on the internet!

• 

Next appointment is Thursday, February 19th at 3pm!

28 weeks!

I am now 7 months pregnant and in the 3rd trimester! I've been carrying and nurturing these little girls since August 13th. It seems like it is going so fast!

I am very sad that I have to miss the surrogate support group meeting this time around. It's tomorrow in Chicago. This meeting is going to be huge! There will be 5 or 6 birth stories, and then all the other ladies who are pregnant or about to transfer, and the new girls as well. I dont get to go to another meeting until the girls are born, and then I will be giving my birth story. I miss everyone. The last 2 meetings I've gotten to go to were here in MN and had hardly anyone there. These meetings are so important and are really helpful for all the surrogates no matter which phase they are in. I cant wait to hear all about it. :)

Not much of any update from me today, since I updated on Wednesday about my appointment and everything. So I will jump into the good stuff: the girls' development.

• Eyebrows and eyelashes are now very noticeable!
• Hair on baby's head is growing longer. Some babies are born with almost none at all, while others appear to be ready for their first haircut!
• Eyes are completely formed now. Quite a view from inside!
• Your baby's body is getting plump and rounded. Most of that increase is muscle tissue and bone. Fat will be added during the third trimester.
• Muscle tone is improving. Preparation for the Olympics feels like it is taking place in your womb!
• Lungs are capable of breathing now (but baby would still struggle and require medical attention if born now)
• Talk to baby often, reading stories, singing songs and more. She can recognize your voice now and will often calm to it later on!
• Your baby weighs in now at 2.2 pounds (1005gm) and is 14.8 inches (37.6cm).

Well it looks like the girls are already ahead of the curve on weight! So now they'll just continue to put on weight and grow a few more inches.

Here's my belly today:

Appointment today

Well I had a great appointment today! I passed my Glucose Tolerance Test with flying colors. My number was nowhere near the threshold of Gestational Diabetes! And the Glucola wasn't as bad as I had remembered. The worst part was trying to drink the whole bottle within 5 minutes.

Both girls are head down! I'm doing a major happy dance over this. I know there's a chance that they could flip around between now and their birth, but having a normal vaginal delivery means a lot to me and knowing that as of right now its a possibility has me feeling relieved!

Miss A is weighing in at 2.7 pounds and Miss B is weighing in slightly smaller at 2.6 pounds. They are about 15 inches long too. I am measuring 34 weeks, if I were carrying a singleton. So I was previously measuring 8 weeks ahead and now its only 6, which is fine.

BP was great, urine was a little concentrated so they want me drinking MORE water (I drink water all day long, and everytime I wake up at night already!), and I am slightly anemic. So they want me taking Iron pills, but to do that they want me taking Colace regularly to counteract the constipation caused by the iron pills. Isn't being pregnant fun? hehe. My hemoglobin was 10.5 and needs to be 12-13 for Iron.

I'm sleeping a little better, but now I also have VERY itchy skin (mainly on my feet) which keeps me awake at night. I got some suggestions from some friends and last night I covered my feet with Sarna Anti-itch lotion and then put socks on. I slept very well last night. So it seems that I have found something that works and should help me sleep more easily without taking Unisom. I got some Vaseline Cocoa Butter Oil Gel for my stomach and other itchy parts. It smells really good, so I smell like a chocolate treat until you get to my feet, and then I smell like medicated lotion!

There has been no talk of scheduling a c-section nor an induction at this point. I was reading on some twin forums last night and it seems that its very possible and common to carry to 38 weeks with twins, although by that point you're begging the babies out! The uncertainty is the only part that's making me anxious at all but I know they'll come out when they're good and ready.

Well thats it for now. I will be 28 weeks on Friday, so I will have a new belly pic and some developmental updates. :)

The below picture has my cervix at the top, Baby A's head on the left and Baby B's head on the right. And I think that's Baby A's arm between them but I cant tell for sure since I cant tell where the membrane seperating the girls is.

Go Steelers!

Well today is Superbowl Sunday and people have asked me who I'm rooting for. Of course I want the Steelers to win. I've got two little Pittsburgh babies in my belly!

Also, I agree that my belly looks smaller in my recent picture compared to the one before it. It's a combination of my posture, the lighting, and my clothing I think...because I've still got a big old belly! The girls will be growing a whole INCH this week alone, so I'm thinking my next picture or two will show some major growth. :)

Happy Sunday everyone!

27 weeks!

Hello 27 weeks! We're almost into the 3rd trimester now....the final stretch!

I'd like to say things have been uneventful around here, but that wouldn't be accurate this week. Tuesday I guess I ate some spaghetti that had been sitting on the counter too long. I know I put it in the fridge Sunday afternoon, but when I went to eat it Tuesday it was already on the counter...I just figured that either I did it and forgot that I did, or that Quinn did since he likes to play in the fridge. The spaghetti still felt cool so I went ahead and heated it up and ate it. Wednesday night I started having horrible stomach cramps and nausea. My first thought was that I was going into premature labor, but the pain seemed to be towards the top of my belly only. I had no idea what was happening so I called the afterhours line at my doctor's office and they told me to go to the hospital's Maternal Assessment Center to make sure. I had to go to a hospital that was 45 minutes away in downtown Minneapolis because the hospital I am using isnt equipped to handle babies born before 32 weeks. I'm glad I know that now! But they wanted me to head downtown just in case. So I got there and they were able to determine fairly quickly that what I was feeling were not contractions. I was hooked up to the monitor and they found both girls' heartrates and they remained perfectly fine throughout the whole ordeal. The contraction monitor wasnt picking up much at first, but once I got up to use the restroom (diarrhea) and came back to my room and threw up in the trash can, I started to get dehydrated and I had some regular contractions. They weren't strong or anything (measuring as high as 26...nowhere near the 70-80 range as when I was in labor with the boys) but they were coming in regular intervals so they put me on an IV to hydrate me. They decided to go ahead and run the FFN test, which tests for a certain protein on your cervix that predicts pretty accurately if you will go into labor within the next 2 weeks. It came back negative, and my cervix was high, firm, and completely closed. All very good signs! So after I was on the IV for a couple hours, the little contractions slowed considerably and then I was discharged. I continued to throw up in a bucket in the car on the way home though. And all day Thursday I felt weak and tired and still couldnt really eat much. I basically drank water and Gatorade all day to make sure I had enough fluids. I slept really well last night...I think I only woke up once to use the restroom and refill my water cup. And today I feel pretty much 100% better. I've been able to eat and drink like normal.

The girls are doing fabulous. They didnt give me an ultrasound at the hospital so I dont know how they are laying but I will find that out at my appointment next week. I can tell that they both favor the right side of my belly, because sometimes it looks all distorted towards the right. I'm getting to the phase of "Guess that body part" so that will be fun!

My groin pain has subsided again. I think with each little growth spurt the girls & my belly have, it loosens up my pelvic ligaments and thats what causes the pain. Sometimes its excruciating to walk or even just to lift a foot to put on pants. But it comes and goes and it seems like it coincides with growth. So its just something I have to deal with I guess. Its not permanent, so no big deal!

Here's the girls' development for 27 weeks:

• Your little one's brain continues its rapid growth. Don't forget to share music, conversation, and even books with baby!
• Response to sound grows more consistent toward the end of the seventh month, when the network of nerves to the ear is complete. Baby's hearing continues to develop, he or she may start to recognize your voice as well as your partner's.
• Lungs continue to grow and prepare for functioning outside of the womb. Each day in the womb greatly increases survival rates!
• She also continues to take small breaths and although she's only breathing in water and not air, it's still good practice for when she's born.
• Eyelids are now open more. Baby can distinguish between light and dark.
• Retinas have formed.
• Baby will grow over an inch this week alone! You may suspect this phenomenal growth rate repeats in the preteen years!
• Average size is now 14.4 inches (36.6cm) and 1.9 pound (875gm).
  

And here is my belly picture from today. Next week I will hopefully have ultrasound pictures to post too. :)

26 weeks!

Another week has gone by already! Not much to report...just looking forward to my next appointment on Feb 3rd! Well I am not looking forward to the glucose tolerance test, but I suppose I'll just have to deal with it!

M&B sent me a zip file full of music that they will be playing for the girls as they grow, along with some files of them reading some classic childrens' stories. I made a playlist with a story. then 3-4 songs, a story, 3-4 songs, etc. So yesterday I started putting headphones on my belly so the girls can hear this music and the voices and they will be more familiar with them once they are born. Yesterday right after I put the headphones on my belly and hit play on my laptop, the girls started kicking like crazy. It was B's voice reading a story to them. I think it probably startled them but I thought it was cute. As I type this right now, I've got the playlist going. This was actually M&B's idea and I thought it was an awesome one! I've included a picture of me sitting in the recliner with headphones on my belly down with my belly pics. :)

Well here's the 26 week developmental update:

• Your baby may weigh about two pounds now (average is 1.7 pound, 760gm) and is 14 inches (35.6cm) in length
• To support the fetus's growing body, the spine is getting stronger and more supple.
• Though no longer than the span of the average adult hand, it is now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings, and some 1,000 ligaments.
• Air sacs in the lungs form now.
• Lungs begin to secrete a greasy substance called surfactant. Without surfactant the fetal lungs would stick together and couldn't expand after the baby is born.
• Although they've been sealed shut for the last few months, your baby's eyes are opening and beginning to blink this week. Depending on ethnicity, some babies will be born with blue or gray-blue eyes (which may change color in the first 6 months of life) and some will be born with brown or dark eyes.
• Retinas begin to form.
• Brain wave activity for hearing and sight begins to be detectable.
• Fetal brain scans show response to touch.
• If you shine a light on your abdomen, your baby will turn her head, which according to researchers, means his optic nerve is working.

And here are my new belly pics:

25 weeks!

It's time for my weekly update!

Everything is still going smoothly. I had a couple of weeks where I felt great, but now I'm sore again. It seems to be lightening up again though. I guess it's just one of those things that I'll have to get used to. It feels like as the girls get bigger they are putting more pressure on my pelvis, which takes my pelvis a week or two to get used to. No biggie...I suppose it could always be worse! :)

Here's the 25 week development update:

• The structures of the spine begin to form -- joints, ligaments and rings. These will protect the all important spinal cord which serves as the information transmitter for your child's body.
• Blood vessels of the lungs develop.
• Baby's nostrils begin to open. There is a study out of Belfast that suggests babies at this stage have the capability of scent preferences!
• The nerves around the mouth and lip area are showing more sensitivity now. When baby is rooting for food later on, these will be valuable!
• Her swallowing reflexes are developing.
• Dexterity is improving. Your baby can make a fist and would clasp objects placed in palm.
• Your child has now obtained an approximate length of 13.6 inches (34.6cm) and weighs 1.46 pound (660gm).

Another site I read for updates says babies at this stage are 2 pounds already. So I'm sure the girls are somewhere between the two.

I dont know if anyone noticed, but I added more Important Dates to my blog, over on the right side. I start the 3rd trimester on February 6th! That's not very far away! We're just sailing through this thing! It has been wonderful! :)

Now here are my new belly pics. I'm posting one with my shirt covering my belly, my bare belly, and then a front shot of my bare belly. I think the frontal shots are awkward looking, but I figure I could post one here and there.