33 Weeks

Today I'm 33 weeks and 1 day and I'm just so happy to be at this point. I'm so glad these babies are still cooking.

The best news of the week/month is that W accepted a job offer. We were worried about him accepting and getting time off to be home with the babies. He had been offered the job last Friday but he met with the director again yesterday to discuss taking time off. Originally, he was planning to take a month with the old company. He was going to get 2 weeks of paid vacation and then take 2 weeks without pay. We were planning and saving for that. 

He's done working at his current job at the end of next week. The new job said he could start at the very end of October. This means he's still going to get the 2 weeks paid time off from his old job, and that he will also be able to collect unemployment for his time home with the girls. It's really pretty fantastic. We are both so happy and relieved with this scenario.

The new job will be home care physical therapy. He's excited about this change as it was what he originally wanted to do. I'm so happy for him. 

In other news W's parents are leaving a week from yesterday for 2 weeks of vacation. They are going to Croatia and Italy. As our biggest sources of help and support, we are really hoping the girls hold off on making their arrival until they get home. 

I've been monitoring my blood sugar levels and they have been great. They aren't even slightly elevated so it's frustrating I have to prick my finger twice a day to test them. Flavored seltzer and sparkling water have become my new best friends. 

Babies- The should both be at least 4 pounds this week and around 17 inches long. 

Weight Gain- I'm up 25 pounds total. I really think most of the gain has been in my belly as I'm still wearing the same pants I was in the teens of this pregnancy. 

Belly- Still measuring 37 weeks. I asked my ob today about the fact that it hasn't changed in the past few weeks and he didn't seem concerned. He said this may be as big as I get. The stretch marks on my left side are reaching a little higher despite my best efforts to stay moisturized. My belly button is also about flush with the surrounding skin. The babies are still really high in my belly and up around my ribs. 

Cravings/Aversions- I have a lot of flexibility at night to indulge and my fasting blood sugar levels are always good the following morning. We made a peach pie the other night and it was absolutely amazing. I've been enjoying flavored seltzer as well and that helps to have some variety outside of plain water. I'm getting better with the meat since I don't have much of a choice, but I'm still not loving it. 

Symptoms- Not much has changed. I'm still low energy, peeing a ton, sleeping like crap, sore and tired physically, surviving nighttime heartburn, and there are still some braxton hicks. The girls are so active while I lie down and I feel little limbs rolling and moving in my belly. It's so amazing. Baby a gets the hiccups multiple times a day and one day they both had them at the same time. 

Mood- Feeling pretty good overall. I'm so happy to be to this point. There are days when I get a little bored and impatient being home, but I'm also trying to enjoy this time to myself. 

Memorable Moments- Seeing the girls on ultrasound again and seeing how big they are getting.

W getting a new job. 

Washing all of the newborn cloth diapers.

Holding and snuggling baby Car.mine and getting to see Tam.ara.

Seeing President Obama's motorcade drive by and having him stay the night in the town we live in. 

Taking a few more rides in our boat before we took it out of the lake for the year. 

New sewing projects to keep myself busy.  

First and second non-stress tests for the babies. Both babies were very cooperative. b n

Arriving at the wrong time for my appointment with the dietician and needing to reschedule. 

Upcoming- W's birthday is the 1st and he'll be 32. Upon discussion with my ob today it looks like if we schedule a c-section the girls will be born a month later on October 1st. I hope they stay put until then despite it feeling like a lifetime away to my very pregnant and tired body. 

My in-law's will be on vacation for 2 weeks and hoping the girls stay put a while longer.

Next ob appointment in another week with another NST. 

Baby C

I blogged a while back about my friend T (Tam.ara) who had placenta previa. She delivered her baby boy Car.mine at 33w5d after an almost 10 week stay at the hospital. Tam.ara and I had weekly dinners while she was staying nearby at the hospital. It was so great to be able to spend so much time with my pregnancy buddy. 

Tam.ara brought baby Car.mine home about 3 weeks ago. Unfortunately, she lives almost 2 hours away from me. We originally met at yoga for fertility and both would travel to get there. This past weekend W and I drove up to her house for a visit. 

It was so great to see Tam.ara again and to finally be able to snuggle and hold baby Car.mine. I visited him quite a few times while he was in the NICU but was never able to hold him. 

He's so ridiculously adorable! He currently weighs about 4 lbs 13 oz and is such a little peanut. He's nursing and sleeping well, just gaining weight a little slowly. I've never held or changed a baby that tiny before. It made both me and W so excited for our girls to get here. 

Here are some pictures from our visit:

He was so cozy resting against my belly

such a comfy belly and boob to rest against

Look, no hands! Hard to picture there are 2 little ones in my belly right now. 

He's Back

Our kitty Hoback came home on Tuesday afternoon. He's doing very well and we're so happy to have him home. I'm not sure if he has seasonal allergies or a cold, but he is sneezing a lot and sniffly. His eyes are also very watery. He's on antibiotics so I don't think we need to worry much about it. Since he's been home he's been spending a lot of time hanging out next to open windows, sleeping on pillows on the couch, and drinking from the faucets in the bathrooms. He's got a tough life. 

My crazy dreams are also back. Every night for about the past week I've had crazy/bad dreams. This is something that happened a lot early on in my pregnancy, but disappeared for quite a few months. Last night I dreamt I had a baby boy. A family friend came to help out but was doing everything and not giving me a chance to take care of him. I then dreamt my baby was our cat and that I was trying to breast feed him and then give him a bottle. Neither was very successful. The other night I dreamt about 2 snakes, one of which that kept trying to attack me. It finally bit me on my big toe and wouldn't let go. 

I'm sure some of this anxiety in my dreams comes from the fear of having these babies so soon. At best we have 40 days until they arrive. 

I had an ob apointment yesterday with an ultrasound. The girls were measuring a bit different in size. Up until now they have been measuring about the same. A month ago there was a 7% difference between them. Yesterday there was a 13% difference. Baby a was estimated to be 3 lbs 13 oz and baby b was estimated to be 4 lbs 7 oz. They both looked great otherwise though. It's so crazy to have an ultrasound at this point because there are so many body parts everywhere. It's hard to keep it all straight. They had their little heads right next to each other. So cute! My cervix was also staying strong at a bit longer than 3 cm. It hadn't changed much from my last ultrasound a month ago. 

I also had my first non-stress test. Both babies cooperated very well so it didn't take much time. I met and talked with my ob after. It's looking like baby a is still breech and I'm sure very cramped for space. I hope she is able to move, but I'm not keeping my fingers crossed. I'm accepting the possibility of a c section at this point. Whatever gets them here the safest way is the most important. Dr. R said he doesn't worry about the size difference until there is a 20% difference between them. 

I can't believe how soon these girls will be here! It's getting really exciting. I just wish we could settle on some names for these girls. 

Poor Kitty

This afternoon I ended up rushing my cat Hoback to the vet. He seemed fine as he walked all over us at 4:30 this morning. W kicked him out of the bedroom and locked the door. This is his usual routine in the early morning during one of my many bathroom trips.  

When we got up this morning Hobie was no where to be found. Usually he's very vocal and keeps W company in the shower. He loves to stand between the shower curtain and liner and repeatedly lick the liner as the water runs down it. He's a weirdo. 

He also loves to eat and to not see him ready for breakfast was unusual. I asked W to look under the bed in the guest room (his absolute favorite place) but he wasn't there. As I headed downstairs to get my breakfast ready I saw him walking close to the bed. He seemed like he wasn't standing up completely, but I didn't think much of it. 

I went to my appointment and was home very briefly to get ready for the shower at W's work. The shower was great and his co-workers were so generous. 

When I got home I started to look for Hobie again and couldn't find him. When I went into the nursery I saw fresh blood on the dresser and spots on the changing pad along with some kitty hair. That was when I knew I had to find him. 

I went down to the basement (his other favorite spot) and called for him. I saw a pile of fresh vomit and got really concerned. I finally turned on the flashlight app on my phone and started searching through a slightly cluttered area for him. 

Finally I saw his little body curled up in a ball. When he didn't move I got a little scared. I grabbed him and pulled him out. He cried out very loudly when I picked him up. I carried him up to the bedroom and placed him on the bed. I looked him over and he just didn't seem like himself. He was lying there letting me pet him but it looked like his limbs were all quivering. I called the vet and they said to bring him right in. I then located that the source of the bleeding was from his penis. Poor guy 

I went to the attic and then the basement to find the carrier. When I went back to the bedroom he hadn't moved. 

I put him in the carrier and rushed him to the vet. He meowed almost the entire way there very loudly. 

The receptionist/nurse brought him right into the exam room. She felt his belly and said he wasn't able to pee. She went and got the vet immediately. 

When Dr. Nichols came in he asked me whether I was due tomorrow or not. I told him not until October 1st and that it was twins. He again felt Hobie's belly and told me the cat was going to have to stay. When I asked if that meant overnight he said it meant for a few days. He said they were going to have to catheterize him, flush things out, and probably use anesthesia. Can you say expensive??

The vet called W around 6:00.  He first congratulated W on the twins and then called him a stud. He said Hobie was doing well and that his condition had been very life threatening. If we had been out of town or not caught it he would have definitely died. He said he will likely have to stay until at least Monday and that the hardest part was over but that they needed to continue to watch him very closely. 

I feel so badly for our little kitty. I hope he's doing ok and I miss him terribly. 

31 Weeks and Diabeetus

I've got gestational diabetes. I took the 3 hour test twice to confirm it. I flunked by even worse the second time. That was after eating a low carb/sugar and high protein diet for the week prior. I thought it was going to help. 

I miss milkshakes. And big bowls of pasta. 

I know it's only temporary, but it's hard to eat a high protein diet when you can't stand the look of meat. Meat was one of my aversions in the beginning of this pregnancy and it came back just in time to get diagnosed with gestational diabetes. 

My doctor's office is calling in a blood sugar meter and test strips to my pharmacy for me. I need to start by monitoring my sugar levels twice a day. I will do my fasting levels every morning and then test 2 hours after alternating meals. 

I get to meet with a dietician. Maybe she'll have some suggestions that aren't meat or soy based. 

To be honest, I'm worried I'm not going to eat enough or get enough calories while being on a "diet" for the girls. At my last appointment I had lost 3 pounds and my belly wasn't measuring any bigger. I know I'm getting to the point where the girls are not going to be growing as fast due to a lack of room, but I also feel like my belly should still be growing. 

Well, since I haven't updated in a few weeks I'll do an update. 

Babies- They should be about 16 inches long and weigh about 3 1/3 pounds. I have a growth scan in another week and we should find out more then. The babies can turn their heads from side to side, their pupils can dilate and respond to changes in light, and they are gaining more and more fat under their skin. 

Weight Gain- I lost 3 pounds at my last visit so am now up 22 pounds. 

Belly- Measuring just about full term. People ask me about my due date all the time in public and I'm feeling quite large. Things like rolling in bed or picking things up off the floor are so much harder. For most people, this is as big as they get. But for me, I have (hopefully) another 7 weeks of growing. I'm bumping into fewer things so I guess I'm getting used to having a big belly. 

Cravings/Aversions- With my new friend Diabeetus, I need to be careful about this. To be honest, I'm mostly craving sugary drinks like Poweraid and Half and Half. I'm not giving in to the cravings, but I wish I could every once and a while. My meat aversion is back in full force. 

Symptoms- A lot more cramping and Braxton Hicks, especially when I do too much. Lots of round ligament pain, pelvic pain, extra discharge, exhaustion, and the crazy dreams are back. People aren't lying when they say the third trimester is a lot like the first. The heartburn has been a bit better lately luckily. 

Sleep- It's been pretty bad. I'm up a lot at night to pee (what else is new?) and am having a harder time falling back asleep. I'm constantly exhausted. I just don't feel like I get much quality sleep. The past few nights I've had restless legs while trying to fall asleep too. 

Mood- As much as I'm happy about this pregnancy and excited to meet my girls, I've been a little down lately. With everything going on it's hard not to be. I'm trying to keep busy while I'm home by myself, but wish I had a little company. Luckily my sister is happy to talk on the phone multiple times a day. I've also been watching a lot of crap on Netflix. I'm kinda wishing we had cable right about now. 

Memorable Moments- Making my first dresses for the girls and finding a lot more projects to work on

Celebrating my 30th birthday and getting an amazing digital camera from W

Going for a ride on OUR boat that W worked so hard to refinish

Looking at new cars

Buying stuff for a hospital bag (I've yet to pack it though)

Putting up the final wall decal in the nursery. I'm waiting for the quilts to be done getting machine quilted and for the bedskirts that are on backorder and feel like they'll never arrive 

Getting pulled out of work

Taking a (pretty much worthless) breastfeeding class

Getting the diagnosis of gestational diabetes : (

Upcoming- W's working is throwing us a shower tomorrow

ob appointment tomorrow morning

Growth scan in another week. W is coming and will get to see the babies again. He hasn't seen them since 24 weeks.

Also, here was my project for today. Little October dresses from the girls made from onesies. I loved this idea! You can find it here if you are interested.

Quite the Week!

This week was an emotional and exhausting one. 

On Monday W found out he was going to have to find a new job. Since that time he's been looking at ads, working on updating his resume, and looking to apply to a few positions. He knows that the new agency that comes into the facility will likely offer him a job, but he's heard terrible things about working for them. We both know that working for them is better than not having a job at all, but he's hoping for some better options. 

We've been looking at getting a new car. I took my car along with the carseats to the state trooper's station to get installed a few weeks ago. The trooper was able to get them in, but it meant having both front seats extremely far forward. It would not make for comfortable driving over long distances. Since my sister and dad live about 3 1/2 hours away, we know we will want to visit them with the girls. Let's not forgot the 2 big dogs we have. So, we started looking at SUV's that offer third row seating. W's dad insisted we look at some mini vans, and I hate to admit it, but we may get one. I joked that part of my soul was going to die in the process, but they just offer so many more features and comfort. In addition, they are more affordable than the SUV's. If anyone who reads this drives a van, please tell me how much you love it. Make me feel better about this decision. 

On Tuesday I got a call from one of the nurses at my ob's office regarding my 3 hour glucose test results. She told me I failed all 3 hours, 2 of which only by a few points. I got off the phone and cried. It was super upsetting and surprising to me considering I failed my 1 hour by only a few points. She said at my appointment Wednesday they would give me further instructions and teach me how to use the glucose meter. 

Since last Thursday I've started to feel a lot worse. I've been exhausted every day, having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, and I noticed a slight increase in discharge. I debated calling my ob's office a few times, but decided to wait until my appointment on Wednesday. The cramping did not improve on Monday and Tuesday. I really wanted to stop working, but was too nervous to make that call myself. 

On Wednesday I had my ob appointment. When Dr. R asked me how I was feeling I told him everything that had been going on. He said he would do a FFN (Fetal Fibronectin) Test. 

"Fetal fibronectin is a protein that acts as a "glue" during pregnancy, attaching the amniotic sac — the fluid-filled membrane that cushions your baby in the uterus — to the lining of the uterus.

Fetal fibronectin is often present in vaginal discharge before week 22 of pregnancy. Fetal fibronectin also begins to break down and can be detected in vaginal discharge toward the end of pregnancy.

If your health care provider is concerned about preterm labor, he or she might test a swab of secretions near your cervix for the presence of fetal fibronectin between week 22 and week 34 of pregnancy. A positive fetal fibronectin test is a clue that the "glue" has been disturbed and you're at increased risk of preterm labor."

Dr. R said if it was positive we would be looking at steroid shots for the babies lungs, but also said a negative result was more accurate than a positive one. He told me results would be available that evening or the next day. He then checked my cervix for the first time. Let me tell you, I thought he was trying to shake hands with one of the babies. It. was. not. comfortable. I asked him about work and whether he thought I should continue and he directly said "no". In addition, he told me he wanted to see me weekly from this point on. Dr. R said he would write a note for me to be done working and then I asked about talking with the nurse regarding testing my blood sugar levels. 

We went to the nurses station and Dr. R asked the nurse to again check my levels and test results. Well, come to find out according to the College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, only one of the three hour results was considered failing. He asked me how the test made me feel and I told him not too bad. He then said the best thing to do would be to repeat the test and check results again. Oh boy, lucky me!

I made my appointment for the following Wednesday and then the week after for our next ultrasound (at 32 weeks) and left. I called my boss that afternoon but didn't get through. I eventually talked with her on Thursday morning and gave her the update. We made a plan for all of my remaining cases and she was quite understanding. I spoke with the HR person regarding disability benefits and applying for the FMLA. 

I spent Thursday and Friday making phone calls and deciding what I was going to do with all of my new spare time. I decided I would work on some sewing projects and got to work. I made 2 super cute little dresses that came out amazing. I was very impressed with myself because I didn't think I could sew clothing. I used all fabric I had leftover from quilts. I spent some more time sewing this weekend and then we went to my in-law's lake house. 

Some pictures from today (31+5)

Sunday night has a whole new meaning when you don't have to work in the morning. I have to re-take my glucose test tomorrow, but have more sewing projects lined up. I have to say the week ended much better than it began. 

Also, here are a few other pictures I've taken with my new camera:

My birthday dinner. Our nephew Owen getting ready to try lobster.

Owen and my SiL

Mmmmm lobster

doggies

Pepper!

A look down the lake and at our boat

Well Shit

Today I took the day off to take my 3 hour glucose test. In all honestly, it wasn't as bad as I was making it out to be. They gave me the fruit punch flavor instead of orange and I requested ice with it this time. It was so much better. 

The first hour I felt pretty awful but from there it wasn't as bad. My mom was supposed to go with me and didn't, but that's a story for another day. I brought my thank-you notes to write from my shower and was able to finish them all. My veins cooperated and the blood draws weren't too bad. 

I came home after and took a long nap. I slept horribly last night due to heartburn. I didn't want to take anything because I was supposed to be fasting and wasn't sure if it would mess up the results.

I heard W come home after work and he climbed in bed with me a put on an episode of The Office on the laptop while I continued to nap. 

When I woke up he told me he had some bad news.

Around Memorial Day W was offered a new position with the company he worked for. He is a physical therapist and has his doctorate degree. He was offered a raise and a position at a nearby rehabilitation facility that was more his speed than the nursing home he was at.

Sometime this summer the rehabilitation facility was taken over by a new company. It was unclear whether they would keep his contract agency in place for the therapy services or not. Well, today he found out the company he works for lost their contract there. 

It couldn't be any worse timing. He will be done working there the first week of September. His boss promised he would try to find employment for the therapists ASAP locally, but couldn't promise anything.  Worst case scenario, W sticks with the company and commutes an hour and a half each way to work. 

He was planning to take a month off when the girls got here. They had hired someone to cover while he was away but now that person is no longer even working for them. Now that month of him helping me with the girls will be spent applying for jobs and interviewing. That is, unless he is able to line something up before that. It's hard to line something up when you don't know exactly when you are going to need time off. It all depends on when these girls make their arrival. He isn't planning to take off the time until they come home, but we still don't know when that's going to be. 

I know that he is in a great field and he will find a new job. It just really changes how his time off is going to look. It stresses me out and makes me want to keep working as long as possible. I had been thinking I'd be done August 16th. I'm not feeling so confident about that anymore, but know I need to stop soon. I've been having more and more braxton hicks and so easily feel like I overdo it. Working for a few extra weeks is not worth having these babies early. 

It really sucks that this happened today, but I know in the end we will be fine. I really just wish W hadn't taken the raise and change of position in May. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20, right?

It's My Birthday!!

Today is my 30th birthday. It's hard to believe I'm entering a new decade of my life. 

My 20's were pretty amazingly fantastic. I completed my bachelor's and master's degrees, met and married my amazing hubby W, spent time living as a ski bum in Wyoming, studied abroad in Greece, got 2 dogs and a cat, bought a house, purchased my first nice car, and, last but not least, got pregnant with twin girls. I can't wait to see what my 30's bring. It's hard to believe that this is my last birthday not being someone's mommy. 

W brought me flowers from our gardens in bed this morning along with a really funny card. We are planning to go to the mall today to go shopping for a new camera. It will definitely get a lot of use once the girls are here. 

Also, if you have the chance today, feel free to stop over at Janet's blog to wish her a happy birthday as well.