Good News Monday!

It seems like we have been accustomed to bad news lately from the doctor.... although we have been relieved to made it to 30 plus weeks in our twins pregnancy and each week (despite the total and complete discomfort and mind-numbing boredom) we are hoping to get another week checked off the list!  Today we got good news....  One of my crowns (in my mouth - not the figurative one I wear on my head!) came off when I ate some of my mom's hot tamales candy.  I figure it was then her fault altogether.  I assumed that the worse case scenario would play out.... the crown would be broken, the remaining tooth would have broken or decayed so it couldn't be re-seated or perhaps I would need a root-canal or an implant.   But - I was thrilled with my first experience at Dr. John Owen's Dental Office!  1) Not only was he kind and sweet enough not to lay back the chair - thereby cutting off the blood flow to my inferior vena cava and causing me to pass out (it is a pregnancy thing when your uterus weighs as much as a 50 pound bag of potatoes) and he worked from a standing position the entire time.  2) The tooth is fine and the crown is reseated.    I would recommend Dr. John Owen!  We also went for our growth ultrasound, weekly doctor's appointment and a non-stress-test on both babies.  Our little boy is up to a whopping 3 pounds 2 ounces and our little princess is 2 pounds 11 ouncse.  They are both a little small for their gestational age - but our daughter went from the 9th percentile all the way up to the 11th percentile.   Stress tests were fine - although difficult to keep our little wiggle-worms on the monitors full time.  My blood pressure is holding steady with the medication.  We wished Dr. Robison bon-voyage and told him our next personal goal (now that we have made the 30 week mark) was when he gets back into town on April 1st.  He will be out of the country until Saturday and then out of state until April 1st.  Wish us luck!  I don't want to be delivered by a stranger!

Our little boy is still very breech but our daughter was vertex today.  Who knows what will happen.  I guess we will just keep waiting and hoping that they both are vertex when the time comes.  The amniotic fluid levels for both babies was still in the normal range and so if we can keep the pre-term labor and the preeclampsia at bay we will just keep waiting.  Much preferable - although less than comfortable - to the $150k per week babysitter of the NICU.

Also - this week was the annual Petunia Picklebottom Outlet Sale.  It was on-line and 3 days long.  The first day it was very difficult to get through.  I couldn't decide which bag we liked best and justified my decision by: 1) two babies - two bags;  2) not buying a lot of maternity clothes since I'm in prison in my bed-rest state; 3) Shane won't want to carry this purse looking one - this one is "sort of" more masculine;  4)  6 weeks of bedrest puts me in a position to get anything I want; 5) when you wait until your 40 to have babies you can afford to buy two overly priced diaper bags.  6) this will give us good ideas on bag features to request on future bag projects we "pattern" in China for work (maybe I should expense these..... just kidding).  7) I'm not going to Lunatic Fringe anytime soon for a haircut so my spending money is very much piling up!  :)  And - 8) oh hell.... you only live once!    So - I ordered and received these 2 darling diaper bags!  So fun that they came when my sister-in-law and friend, Anna, was here taping stripes in the nursery! 

Cosmopolitan Carry All in Juniper Berry Crumb CAKE

Boxy Backpack in Blueberry Acai

Step One in the Nursery

Shane and Anna (she is a great help!) bought the base coat of paint over the weekend and he taped and taped and taped and on Monday painted the base coat in the nursery.  Caraway Seed (light milk-chocolate) is the base color.  Shane did a fantastic job and once the paint cures (about 3 days) Anna is going to tape and paint the stripes.  I am excited to see the finished product and so grateful for all the help we are receiving.  It is extremely frustrating to have so much that needs to get done and not be able to do a single thing.

Here are some photos from last week's ultrasound.  The ultrasound was really to check the blood flow in the umbilical cords and the cerebral blood flow as well as check the levels of amniotic fluid - which were all normal.  They did sneak in a photo or two of the babies.  The cervix is holding at  90% effaced basically and Darla (the ultrasound tech) said, "I can tell you are doing a good job at staying down - or you would have delivered by now".   It is so nice to be appreciated!

This week's appointment we passed the glucose tolerance test!!!  I was sure based on how everything else has gone that I would fail - but I passed!!!  Amniotic fluid levels still look good and my blood pressure was up a bit - but not in the "Danger, Will Robinson!!" type of range.   I haven't felt good.  Headaches and just an overall feeling of blah - but it does respond to Tylenol - mostly.  We see Dr. Robison again next week before he leaves town (from March 23 - through April 1st).  His return to town is my next personal mile marker.

Both babies are still breach and I have been having random contractions but not enough to time "in an hour" again.

29 Weeks!!!

Another week checked off the countdown.  Our appointment at the doctor was good.  Blood pressure meds are doing their job and my BP was very much in the normal range.  I had gained 5 pounds in a week (ugg... but these babies need to get bigger!!!) and my bit of a cervix was unchanged.   Basically I'm 90% effaced and they are not checking me with anything other than the ultrasound wand in an effort not to get anything started.  Fine by me, Dr. Robison!!!  I did get a bit emotional as I expressed my appreciation to Dr. Robison.  I really feel like he is invested in us as people and not just chart #7 - which is important to me.  He also gave me fair warning that he will be out of the country from March 23rd through the end of March.  So - we have got to wait until at least April and hopefully longer. 

Shane has decided (and it is a good idea) that he should start to buy diapers every time he goes to the grocery store.  This was his first pack to buy in  2 decades and he said it looked like the best choice!  He is really pretty cute about all this stuff!

We have had so much kind and generous help and visits!  We feel very loved to have such good friends and family.  Between people bringing meals, coming by to visit, bringing a treat, taking charge of tasks and projects, making beds, straightening up the kitchen, etc., we have been very spoiled, taken care of and blessed!   Especially on the days that Shane has to work 12 hour shifts it makes it a lot easier to stay down "other than to go to the bathroom".  Having said that - these last 2 days I feel like I'm on the brink of losing my mind.  A month of doing nothing is making me crazy - and yet I know that it is the only thing I can do to help our babies at this point and that each week we can keep them in this very crowded internal, human incubator is a MAJOR gift to them.  Today the sun was out and the sky was very blue and Shane decided it would be helpful for me to at least be able to go outside.  He set up the lounge chair in the backyard and we all spent an hour out there in the sun.  It was helpful and I guess it is true what they say, "a change is as good as a rest".

"Just Put It On My Tab...."

Dr. Robison has given us two checklists of things to watch for in regards to preeclampsia warning signs (I have pre-cursors to it - but it can go bad fast they tell me) and pre-term labor.  One of those is 4-6 contractions within an hour.  Monday night I was having contractions a lot most of the late afternoon and evening and starting at about 7pm there were 4-5 per hour.  I felt embarrassed to call him - like I was being a baby or an attention seeker but by 9pm it had been pretty consistent and I didn't want to break my own phone rule and call him after 9pm - so I made the call.  He has given us his cell phone number and after I asked and he he confirmed that he did indeed already finish their Family Home Evening - I gave him the run down.  He had me drink a big glass of water and told us that if they continued or got worse to go up to EIRMC.  The fear being that I'm already so far along that we don't want to mess around and have my water break or get to a point that they can't stop the contractions.  We tried the water and at 11pm went up to EIRMC.  I did bring my recycled monitoring bands from our last sleep-over party so they had better not charge me for those!  They hooked us up to the monitors and things slowed down - then picked up and then thankfully slowed down again and we were able to come home around 4am.  I felt embarrassed (just a little - I don't really get embarrassed too easily) but the nurse said this is quite normal with twins. 

The beds there are horrifically uncomfortable.  The nurse told me they are like that so when you are pushing (they were labor and delivery beds) that you don't sink down into the mattress.  I was so glad to get to go home and get out of that bed!  Shane tried to sleep in the little recliner.  I did finish the book "100,000 Baby Names" - so now we just have to narrow down the short list.  But - I do feel like I've done my due-diligence in the selection process.  Name another human being suddenly seems like a really big responsibility!  We are not telling anyone the names, per Shane K. Williams' request, until the babies are born.  But I feel pressure to get them chosen in case they come sooner rather than later.

So far the perinatalogist's ultra-sound tech and the nurse in Labor and Delivery say I don't have any stretch marks on my tummy... I can't really see past my cleavage to look for myself.... but I guess that is one good thing!

"The Ladies"

I had a lot of great experiences and opportunities and gained a lot from the past decade of living in Utah.  One of those was the opportunity to make some really great friends.  I've been very blessed throughout my life with great friends.  Attending the singles ward in SLC provided me with the opportunity to meet some wonderful friends - and although it has been a long time since we have left the Cottonwood 17th Ward - some graduated while others of us got kicked out for old age - those friendships have only become stronger over time.  Apparently weddings and babies and real life do that for a friendship as much as cleaning out cat poop from kitchen cupboards and impossible but achieved service projects. 

Our tradition for bridal and baby showers was to get this small little group together for a sleep over (they have gotten shorter as our responsibilities at home have gotten bigger) usually in Midway.   The ladies had planned mine months ago for March 2nd.  Unfortunately my bed-rest prison sentence made that impossible so they generously re-arranged and came all the way to our house this past weekend.  Lindsay, Holly and Tamara arrived around 4pm and Brown and Camille arrived around 9pm.  We had so much fun catching up and visiting and I was so relieved to have something to talk about besides myself and get caught up with them from my laying down position on the couch.  We got take-out from Jaliscos and ate dinner with Shane when he got home from work and he was a good sport to sit and visit with all of us.  That is a lot of estrogen in the room and none of us have small personalities!   Shane went to bed early and left us to watch a movie and laugh a little to loud (he wore ear plug and took an Ambien!). 

The next morning Shane went to BC's for breakfast and some Bonanza watching and played guitar with Cade.  Then he went to the movies with Ruth, Kent, Elijah and McKay Beck (they saw the movie The Lorax - he thought it very political/environmental) and then went back to BC's to watch college basketball.  Then he went to dinner with the Becks and the Jacksons.  He had fun and I'm sure he needed an break from babysitting me on his time off! 

The ladies made breakfast and we visited some more while some of them ran some pre-party errands.  They set up a cute little shower in our living room/dining room area.   They hung Baby Boy and Baby Girl banners, had darling balloons, and butter mints in blue and pink.  Holly brought me my favorite salsa in all of SLC (from Loco Lizard) and they brought up beautiful and delicious cupcakes from my favorite bakery in SLC (and the oldest), Bakkers.    They got more take out from Jalisco's (they loved it that much - and I heard more than one person say, "why can't they have these good of restaurants in SLC?").   They brought me a baby-supply flower arrangement from Hillary Carter - a friend from the singles ward who we have stayed in touch with (Shane and I) as she is the office manager at our doctor's office in Utah.  It has blue and white gerber daisy (silks) flowers, white flowers made out of diapers, blue and pin k bath towels, blue and pink rubber duckies, blue and pink bottles, binkies and lotions and potions for babies.  So cute I don't know if I can ever un-assemble it!

The ladies did some research online and asked a few of my friends here in town and their generous group gift to me was a beautiful photo frame and a gift certificate for a new-born photo shoot and print with Alyce Clegg studio here in town.  I'm excited to use it!!! They also bought some cute little sleeper pajamas for Shane's babies (that they found on clearance and couldn't pass up).  One has guitars all over it and one is a Halloween costume for a 6-9 month old baby that is a bull-dog.  So fun!

It was so great to see these friends and catch up with them!!!  As they were leaving I told them they had to stop at Reed's Dairy for some icecream - it was that good!  Some of them have had it at the fair so they were an easy sell.  When they got there they ran into the most handsome man in town at the end of a fun day with friends - so they posed for a photo and sent it to me (as I was home all alone!).

 Here are some of the photos.  The lighting isn't very good as it was very sunny outside. The perinatologist told me I could take my meals at the table (so don't feel the need to tell me I'm supposed to be laying down!)  Shane has kept the banners up since we haven't made a decision on what to do for blinds or curtains in the dining room.... so the shower lives on!

 

  

It's Official! 28 Weeks Today!!

Today marks the "first goal milestone" in gestational age.  28 weeks!  This seems so much better to me than 24 1/2 weeks - when I first started bed rest and puts the babies in the survivable category.  But they would be in the NICU for over 2 months (probably) so more "extreme bed rest" for us.  It is much more comfortable and a lot less expensive that sitting next to isolets in the NICU.

27 weeks 3 days

On Monday we went to meet with the perinatalogist - Dr. McGongil.  He is out of Denver but contracts with EIRMC.  He was very nice and knowledgeable.  I appreciated that most of what he had to say we had already heard from Dr. Robison.   They did a REALLY long ultra-sound - measuring the babies everything including the blood flow in the heart and the cerebral blood flow.  We also got a close up in 3-D of both babies faces so they could rule out cleft-palate.  They are pretty cute!  :)  The bottom line findings are that both babies are a little undersized for their gestational age.  Our son is at the 26 percentile and our baby girl is at the 9th percentile.  Shane Jr. was 950 grams (2 lbs 2 ounces) and Shanette was 830 grams (1 lb 13 ounces).  He felt like this could be a result of my recent scares with high blood pressure so he increased the dosage that Dr. Robison had started me on last Thursday.  Also he advised us that it could be that we have somewhat shoddy placentas and that I should be spending most of my time lying on either side - and very little time lying on my back.  This has proven to be less that fun.... it is very difficult to do anything on my sides besides watch tv.  He also noted that during the ultrasound I was having contractions the whole time.  I find this to be a bit alarming since I'm supposed to call Dr. Robison if I have 4-6 contractions in an hour time period - but I can not feel the contractions.  The hospital told me the same thing while I was being monitored overnight - that I was having regular contractions.  A beautiful and gorgeous friend of mine told me that when her sister was pregnant with twins she couldn't feel the contractions either... Maybe it is a twins thing.  We set up another growth ultrasound for 3 weeks and I'm supposed to get a Doppler blood flow check on both umbilical cords each week.   I was glad to hear that he thinks I will still be pregnant in 3 weeks.  He said, "if you will stay down like you are supposed to - I think you will be.  If there were 10 women in your same circumstance I think 8 would deliver early for preeclampsia and 2 for preterm labor".  And then reminded me that he doesn't give out guarantees.  But still - I liked hearing that!

Wednesday we went to see Dr. Robison and my blood pressure on the increased dose was great.  Shane and I enjoyed listening to the heartbeats on the Doppler and Dr. Robison reminded us of all the things that we should watch for and contact him about.  And that he hopes not to see us until the following weeks appointment.  We joked that after all this drama and laying around I would have to be induced at 37 weeks.  Which would be great!  (miserable for me - but great for the babies.) 


Both babies were breech during Monday's ultrasound - our little boy's bum was right down as tight and as close to the cervix (the whisp of it that is left)  as it could be - so it was hard to get a profile photo - but we did get a good profile shot our our little Princess.

Baby Girl Profile at 27 1/2 weeks - Gorgeous!



This week we got a call from ToysRUs that our order from BabiesRUs in Utah had been delivered and so we were able to get our glider. (Or I should say that my angel father was able to go pick up our glider, dresser and conversion kits!)  We will leave it out in the living room until Shane (and his fantastic helper, Anna) paint the nursery.  This is a shot of him trying it out.  He has my porcelain doll and a wedge pillow for my ever expanding internal  isolet in both arms to get a feel for what it really will be like.  I love this guy!!

We certainly couldn't make any of this bed rest mumbo jumbo work without so much dedicated and loving service from our family and friends.  We feel very loved and yet more than a little embarrassed at how much people need to do for us right now.   We are very blessed!