newton's law applies to toddlers

A toddler in motion will tend to stay in motion...

Life is so fast-paced these days, especially since we're in our second week of trying to transition to one nap. Today, for example, Shoghi had one 30-minute nap in the car from 9:45 to 10:15, and Max slept at home from 10:20-11. By 2pm I had two desperately tired, uncoordinated, biting, whining, hungry children who didn't want to eat in their exhausted state. No opportunity for a second nap though, since we then had to go see the pediatrician for an official diagnosis of impetigo.

The boys are now in bed (it's 6:31 and they are already asleep), and after this long day (on top of about 3 weeks with an average of 4 hours of sleep for me) I'm about ready to collapse. I'm thinking an 8 o'clock bedtime is in order.

health department

Shoghi has had a cough since at least last November - maybe longer. I kept asking about it, first at the naturopath, then several times at our visits to the pediatrician. They checked him out, but there were no signs of asthma or pneumonia, but still the cough persisted. It's possible that we're going to have a little gap in health insurance starting in September, so I thought it was time to get to the bottom of it.

We started with three possibilities: airway irritation, reflux, or a swallowing disorder causing him to inhale some of his food/milk/saliva. As you know, we had a long battle with reflux when he was tiny - it was so bad right after I brought him home that the acid was causing him to choke. Formula or breastmilk would pour out of his nose, and he would and stop breathing - he was re-admitted to the NICU where he was diagnosed, then he came home with an apnea monitor so that I could sleep without fear that he would choke. He stayed on the zantac until this winter, and I hadn't noticed any changes after discontinuing it, so I didn't really think it was going to be reflux that was causing the cough.

Last month, we decided to rule out the airway irritation issue with a two-week trial of albuterol. Wow, that was fun. Changing squirmy Shoghi's diaper or clothes is already a sweat-inducing workout these days - getting him to allow me to hold a mask over his nose and mouth while I pumped out 2 puffs of the inhaler, and then holding it on for 10 seconds... well, that was pretty much a nightmare. I persisted, though, and his cough did not improve. Back to the drawing board.

So, last week, I brought Shoghi to the hospital to see a speech therapist to determine if he has a awallowing issue. Sure enough, for the first time, he coughed in front of one of our doctors while 1) drinking his bottle, 2) eating pureed foods, and 3) munching some cheerios. I actually haven't noticed an increase in coughing while he's eating, so I was very surprised and grateful that he "performed" for the doctor to see. The doc took it all in stride and told us it would be best to return for a barrium swallow - a radiological procedure that takes a live x-ray video of him eating, drinking, and most importantly, swallowing. We went in yesterday, and sure enough, you could see some of his milk back right down his airway while he drank!

So, of all the things that could have been causing this cough, it's (in my opinion) the best one. This little issue can be fixed by thickening up his milk for a while with, of all things, baby food bananas. He didn't have that inhalation issue with any of the foods, so it's that simple - thicken up his milk, and give him a few weeks like this, and his airway shoudl re-sensitize itself. I should start to notice less coughing overall, as he will re-learn how to swallow in a way that won't allow milk, or other liquids like saliva, to enter his trachea. When we come back from Massachusetts, we'll go back to the doctor, and by then we should be able to start decreasing the thickness of his milk. Voila!

I'm really grateful that it's this simple. After listening to the poor kid cough for so many months, it's good to know what the source of it is, and know that there's a simple fix.

well babies

I'm finding it very difficult to post as often as I'd like these days! I must have 3 or 4 posts that I've started, only to be distracted by one or another pressing matter.

We had our 9 month well baby visit this afternoon, and the kiddos are doing fantastically well.

Shoghi
height: 27.5"
weight: 19lb 8oz
he's climbed from being off the charts for low weight at birth, to now being in the 25th percentile for all 9-month babies.

Max
height: 26"
weight: 18lb
he's climbed from being off the charts for low weight at birth, to now being in the 12th percentile for all 9-month babies.

Excellent!
Max's eczema is a little more controlled now, except it's appearing on his chest and arms, which really makes me sad. It's the worst on his little hands. We are using the Weleda cream (thanks for the recommendation, none-such!) and hydrocortisone (not on his hands). Shoghi still has a persistent cough, so he was evaluated for asthma today, which they concluded he is not showing signs of at this point - hooray, that was wonderful news.

We also took a walk over to the NICU for the first time since their discharge. It was strange to walk those halls, and a little meditative, too. The last time I made the walk from the Children's Hospital to the Main Hospital where the NICU is, I was still pregnant, and was not in fact walking. Every other day, if I had a visitor while on my month of hospital bedrest, I would get my 30-minute break from lying flat, and they would push me through the halls, finding a terrace in this wing or that to get some fresh air.

Taking the boys there today was like a little graduation. I'd actually been meaning to go there for a few months, but the last time we were at the campus for a doctor's visit, the boys were too fussy. Anyway, it was good to go, to stand out in the hall (we weren't allowed into the unit) and chat with some of the nurses who cared for them for the four long weeks they were in the hospital. One of the nurses remembered that Shoghi had been readmitted for reflux that was causing him to stop breathing, and it touched me that she really remembered them after so long. They made all the appropriate oohs and aahs about thier robust, perfect, big bodies and said how cute they were. It was very sweet.

At the same time, the whirring and beeping of all the monitors, the sterility of the NICU pods... it was all right on the other side of those locked, swinging doors. The grieving parents, the ailing, growing, crying, sleeping, kangaroo care-loving babies.... it was all right there. That was hard. Remembering so viscerally that time of longing, fear, disappointment. I have been thinking a lot about that time lately, realizing that 9 months later, I still haven't written about their birth. Our nursing woes began in those rooms; their first hours were spent without me in those bright, open beds; our sense of triumph and amazement to wrap their incredibly small (but 5 pounds!) bodies in our moby wraps and carry them out, first through those locked doors, then down the elevator, through the lobby, and miraculously, outside, into the open air and sunlight....... that whole time was charged with more emotion than I can even bear to open myself to.

And now here we are. We spend our days exploring, crawling, chatting, reading, singing... doing all the simple things babies this age are meant to. Maxwell and Shoghi, thriving. It gives me pause. What an incredible, enormous, humbling gift to be their mama.

home again, jiggedy jig

OK, we're all home again; hooray.

Right now, with 2 sleeping babies and a ton of stuff to do, I'm employing the hands-free method of expressing breastmilk- i.e. a modified sports bra. We also call this the "fem-bot" look here, but despite much discussion/teasing, there will not be a photo of me sporting this rather hysterical but at the same time strangely demeaning look. If you're a newly pumping mama, though, definitely try this out. The method in the link above is far more complicated than what I've done, which is to just cut 2 very small holes in a tight sports bra through which to pop the horns. Seriously, after a month of holding the pumps, being able to type, soothe a baby, or write an email while pumping is a huge gift.

Anyway, I don't know where that tangent came from... I guess milk is on my mind, since now that both boys are home again my life is pretty much all about milk, whether in the form of formula, expressed breastmilk (EBM), practice nursing with the babies, changing diapers, or eating/drinking/taking herbs in order to produce more. All of a sudden, we have no discernible schedule anymore, which means I will have even less sleep than before Shoghi went back to the hospital. It's an intimidating prospect, to say the least. When I read that "surviving the first year" is the hard part of having twins, I really had no idea just how true that statement would be. and this is only week 2!

Laurie spent the night last night, taking over full care of Maxwell through the night so that I could care for Shoghi. He came home yesterday with a script for xan.tac and an apnea monitor. I'll be using the monitor only for nights, so I can get some sleep without constantly worrying that he will choke without my knowledge, so for the first night, I wanted to see how it would go. The docs had told me that the monitor falsely alarms quite a bit, but I'm happy to say it didn't sound once all night. I'll try to take some pics so you can see how it works. Shoghi also had his first chiropractic adjustment last night - hopefully this will eventually help him with the reflux.

Tonight, care of both babies will return to their mama, so I'm going to try to rest up this afternoon in anticipation of a long night. We go back to follow up with the pediatrician on Monday.

34 weeks

Shoghi on left, Maxwell on right

Gestational age, that is. Today marks 34 weeks of life, and tomorrow marks two weeks since my beautiful boys were born.

Today, they are both at least a half a pound heavier than their birth weight, and continue to thrive as expected. They're heartbreakingly dear to me, and it just kills me to leave them every day. After speaking with the doctor today, it's clear that the plan remains the same as it was when they were first born: they will probably stay in the hospital until about 36 weeks gestational age. A terrible thought for their poor mama.

You might think that after all I went through to keep the boys on board for 4 extra weeks, combined with their exceptional health status, I'd just be filled with gratitude and patience, and happily go along with this plan... but honestly, though I am of course very, very grateful for this set of circumstances, it is one of the most painful things I've endured to leave my sweet boys in the hospital day after day. I worry about them when I'm not there, and worry about whether our separation during this sacred time that's supposed to be our time to bond with each other will impact our relationship long term. It might not be the most rational thought, but it haunts me and fills me with deep sadness.

Here, in lieu of photos of my own, are some blog posts that will melt your heart, featuring of course, dear Shoghi and darling Maxwell. (if you're the weepy type, make sure to grab a tissue or two)

And since I'm finishing this post on their second week birth day, I send my most profoundly loving and tender thoughts their way on this clear, bright morning. Love doesn't even describe how I feel for you, my sweet, beautiful boys.

Laurie's blog: back to work

Korin's blog: dear universe

Laurie's blog: nice to meet you

Maxwell, last Friday, celebrating one week

The Thirty-First Week

Thirty weeks, two days today, and miraculously, there are not a lot of changes to report. It's been a pretty good, if busy, few days. My nurses have really been a lot of fun, and I'm feeling more secure than in my last post.

poppies from Laurie

a little pretty goes a long way

the 30-week growth scan

On Thursday, we had our latest ultrasound. It had been 3 weeks since the last one, and I was anxious to see the boys and how they were faring. Sadly, there won't be any pics to share... it's just too crowded in there. I didn't even get a clear glimpse at their profiles.

Zeus (whose membranes are ruptured) has gone from 2 pounds to 2 pounds, 12 ounces. He's just a little peanut, in the 24th percentile. I'm hoping for a little bump for him between now and the birth, since I've started taking some supplements that have been shown to enhance the function of the placenta.

Oden went from 2 pounds, 6 ounces all the way up to 3 pounds 5. A pound in 3 weeks! He's in the 50-something percentile for his size and age.

The doctors also looked at fluid levels. We clearly anticipated low fluid for Baby A, since the sack hasn't (yet) repaired itself, but there was almost nothing to measure. It shook me a little, thinking of my sweet boy tucked away in the womb, surrounded by his collapsed sack.

fancy soap, books and other distractions help!

how can Zeus continue to gestate without fluid??

There have been some questions about this, so let me address the situation to the best of my ability without turning to Dr. Google. When the bag of waters ruptures preterm (before 34 weeks), and there is no sign of infection or labor, the pregnancy is allowed to continue. If the baby/ies are past 24 weeks, their lung development is finished, although the lungs are not yet mature, and apparently the presence of amniotic fluid is most important when the lungs are still developing.

The baby/ies receive all of their nutrition, blood, and oxygen through the umbilical cord, so this is why they are monitored on a daily basis by both non-stress tests and doppler; if the umbilical cord is compressed, they will detect a deceleration of the heartbeat. If this were to happen (a prolonged decel) while I was being monitored, they would just keep us on the monitors longer to determine if the baby was in distress. Fetal distress would be one of the reasons for an immediate delivery.

So, the amniotic fluid at this gestational age is not critical to the baby's development. Because it is replenished every time the baby pees (did you know that amniotic fluid is mostly baby pee at this age??), Zeus does have increases in his fluid levels, allowing him to flex and stretch his limbs and build his muscle.

I was also told this week that babies who have been "stressed" like Zeus and even Oden have before they are born early are for the most part stronger and more resilient than preterm babies born my surprise.

things necessary for a long stay in the hospital:

good lip balm, hydration for the body and the sinuses

things to anticipate

Yesterday I had my maternity portraits done here in my hospital room. I'm really excited to see the resulting photos. That should happen sometime this week.

Tonight, my sis is coming to spend the night, which is always welcome. She went to the Portland Farmer's Market today to get the lambskin I've been wanting for the babies, so I can't wait to see that, and as an extra bonus, she'll be able to take me on a 30-minute wheelchair ride. As long as it's not too hot, we'll go out to one of the terraces that overlooks the whole city and faces Mounts Hood and St. Helen's.

Our friend Miriam just sent out a box, containing in part a belly cast kit, which we'll probably do either this week or next. I'd like to wait for for the first week in August, but if there's any indication that I could deliver next week, we'll try to get it done. She suggested that a photo be taken of the boys in the belly of the cast after they're born, and then again at a year. Sounds really cool to me, thanks Mir!

My mom is coming out a week from tomorrow for several days, so that's a major excitement. She's never been to Oregon, so although she'll be here at the hospital for much of her visit, I hope she gets to see something of this amazing and beautiful place. The same week, my friend Julie is going to be coming through, so it's going to be a ton of fun.

As for me, I have a work deadline this week, plus I'm striving to finish writing a bunch of thank you cards and get some knitting started and completed! Oh, yeah, and the small thing of keeping myself pregnant, which no doubt will involve spending most of my time lying on one side or another in bed. But we're not really thinking about that part.

In terms of hospital life, I don't think we have any special testing this week. Just keeping on keeping on is the plan.

baby-related task for tomorrow:
choose baby announcement design from Oblation and figure out wording.

the past week

from Sunday, 28w3d

refreshing shower? yes! stiff upper lip? not so much.

flowers from mom and dad

this is the printout from a non-stress test. the two lines on the top are the traces of the babies' hearts, and the line at the bottom shows any contractions of the uterus (none!)

3 belts: a fetal heart monitor for each baby, and the contraction monitor for me.

compression "boots" to avoid blood clots in the legs

hydration & communication, and rescue remedy

supportive friends.
Korin, me, my awesome nurse/friend R, and my amazing sister behind the camera.

change in plans

28 weeks and 5 days today, and let me tell you, the days themselves have never seemed so important to me. I'm going to make this post a quick one, since I've been trying to put one up for days and keep getting interrupted.

I woke up from my slumber last Thurdsay night/ Friday (28w) morning to discover that I was leaking fluids. Made my way to the hospital with Korin, and upon arriving, experienced the horrifying sensation of my bag of waters breaking, at just 28 weeks.

By the grace of God, I'm still in the hospital, carrying my two boys in the safety of the womb. Every day is a gift to them, and I am hoping to be here in the hospital until the ripe gestational age of 34 weeks (or longer). They're looking good on the daily non-stress tests, visibly practicing fetal breathing, putting on weight, and moving like crazy. Throughout this whole time, the goal will be to stave off infection so that they can stay where they are.

I'm feeling optimistic overall, and while staying in the hospital is a drag, I can honestly say that I am willing to endure any discomfort in order to get the boys to a safer age to be born. I'll try to post as often as I can, to share the positive updates and document what this process is like here in the hospital with ruptured membranes.

So, with that, I'm going to rest. See you tomorrow!

The Third Half

A couple of weeks ago, on a particular Saturday spent in the car, it dawned on me that an NPR junkie like myself should have thought to call the twins Click and Clack, rather than Zeus and Oden. Their gestational names shall remain, but I'm now taking it upon myself to call the remainder of my pregnancy The Third Half, a la the Tappert Brothers.

So here we are - 27 weeks came and went last Thursday, and I'm officially in my third trimester. The countdown reads 89 days remaining today, which somehow is completely astonishing.

The Babies

On Thursday, I went in for another ultrasound, the purpose of which was to measure the growth of the babies, the level of amniotic fluid around each, their positions, and to see how my cervix is holding out.

I'm pleased to report that we've got a 2-pounder (Zeus) and a 2# 5oz whipper snapper (Oden) in there - right on target for the exact day of gestation. As the fates would have it, they are also both head-down, which is very, very promising. Fluid levels look good, and mama's door to the baby house is still firmly shut. Praise Jesus.

Week 27: Fetal Development: Sense of Taste and Sound

Beginning at this stage of fetal development, your baby's length will be measured from top of head to toe — which makes your baby nearly a full 15 inches now. And at just over two pounds, he or she has doubled in weight from four weeks ago.

Most babies this age, yours included, still like to snuggle in a slightly curled position inside the uterus (thus the term "fetal position"). Even so, beginning at this stage, your baby's length will be measured from top of head to toe — which makes your baby nearly a full 15 inches now. And at just over two pounds, he or she has doubled in weight from four weeks ago.

Your baby's auditory development (hearing) is progressing as the network of nerves to the ears matures. And even though the sounds your baby hears are muffled (thanks to the creamy coating of vernix covering those ears), he or she may recognize both yours and your partner's voices. So this might be a good time to read and even sing to your baby (or rather, your belly) — and a good chance to start boning up on those nursery rhymes and lullabies you'll need to be repeating (and repeating) pretty soon. And while you're at it, here's another way to have some family fun: If your partner presses his ear to your belly, he might be able to hear the baby's heartbeat.

Your baby's taste buds are very developed now too (with more taste buds than he or she will ever have outside the womb, actually). Need a taste test? If you eat some spicy food (you hot mama, you), your baby will be able to taste the difference in the amniotic fluid (but keep in mind that you'll have different mealtimes, with your baby's coming about two hours after yours). Some babies will even respond to that spicy kick by hiccupping. And although hiccups (which feel like belly spasms to you) may seem like they're disturbing to your baby, he or she isn't stressed at all. It's just one more sensation that babies need to get used to.

The Mama

After witnessing my feet and ankles swell up like sausages a few days in a row this week, I had Korin bring home her BP cuff to make sure everything was still ok. Fortunately, my blood pressure is still a stellar 116/70-something, which is very encouraging, given the fact that I've been on meds for 3 years and my BP has never been so consistently low. Unfortunately, it looks like I've got 11 more weeks (more or less) of grossly oversized ankles to deal with. Oh, well... it's common enough, and at least it held off until now!

This week has also brought some new discomforts, key among which is lack of sleep. I'm averaging about 4 hours a night, with all the surrounding time in bed spent in various states of ache and pain.

On the other hand, people in public have finally started to acknowledge my pregnancy, which is a very happy thing. I don't know why it's so important to me, but I've been waiting for months for a little attention, so now that people are chatting with me, smiling at me (or gawking at me), etc, I feel, I don't know, recognized? Anyway, it's pretty fun.

The Rest

I wanted to give a little shout out to Julie - thanks for your comment last week! So cool to know you're checking in online, and I can't wait to see you!

My mom has also scheduled a visit in August - very exciting. This will be her first trip to the Pacific Northwest, and she'll get to hang out with my sister and me. I think I'm even going to leave the arranging of the baby clothes for while she's here - I have a feeling she'll like getting to see all the little outfits and put them away in the drawers of the bureau she was so concerned that I have. It'll be so much fun to have her here. It looks like we're also going to have a small birth blessing while she's visiting... I'll post details later in case you want to send along a special wish or a bead.

Well, I've been delaying this post for days in the hopes that I might have a belly photo to post with it... Laurie's coming over this afternoon, so if we happen to take one, I'll add it later.

25 week gripe

My blog post titles are getting so boring!

So, week 25 kicked my big, pregnant arse. I've started having pain in my mid back that, when unheeded, sends a constellation of referred pains out through my ribs and renders me speechless and triggers BH contractions. Not so much fun. It's happening more now, and daily, so it's forcing me to really reduce my time doing things like... sitting. I pretty much lost the entire week - work got put on hold, and almost all of my time not spent driving to appointments (or the beach, oops) has been spent sleeping or lying down.

I'm therefore about to turn over a new leaf, starting this weekend when I get to lounge around at K's house, or rather, in her big, glorious bathtub. I don't really plan on doing anything else besides eat, get a bunch of work done, and soak in the tub. On Tuesday, come hell or high water, I will make it to the prenatal class at the local pool. So, that's 4 out of 5 days coming that will each involve some level of weightlessness - let's hope it puts an end to this awful spasm.

Again on the physical level, I'm also now starting to enjoy some lax ligaments, which has resulted in near nightly slight dislocations of my right collarbone, since that's the side I sleep on. I can pop it back myself, but it's getting pretty sore.... like I needed another sleep discomfort!

What else happened this week? Well, I posted about out outings last Saturday, and Laurie covered our trip to the beach... in between those things, I've been sleeping. Today, I had a whole day of chores: I picked up my twin nursing pillow this morning, then had appointments with the midwives and my lovely chiropractor, where I also got to pick up my new temperpedic neck pillow.

The meeting with the midwives was cool. I didn't expect the three of them to all be there, but it was nice to meet them all again. Interestingly, this was the first time in all these weeks that a health care practitioner has actually put their hands on my belly to feel the babies - it was very satisfying and certainly makes it all feel much more... palpable that there are real babies growing in there. It grounded me in my belly, somehow. We got to listen to their perfect hearts beating and chat about how in the weeks to come their positions will become much more obvious as the space in there is diminished. My blood pressure is really, really good (low for me, yay!) at 110/72, and according to their scale, I actually lost a pound (boo!). They weren't concerned about that, since we're looking for a trend instead of specific numbers, but damn.... it seemed like another manifestation of this all-consuming exhaustion. All told, I've gained 28 pounds, so I'm projecting that my total weight gain for the pregnancy will be 40-50 pounds - hopefully on the high end. It's very strange to be aiming for that higher number!

Sorry there's no 25w photo today... we'll try to get one tomorrow. I am really just way too tired.

So to sum up: babies are great, mama is tired and sore, but healthy.

Two more weeks and I'll be in my third trimester! Now how do you like them apples?

all about the boys

I realize I'm getting behind in my posts... Tracy posted about her baby shower she had over the weekend (congrats, T - looks like you had a fabulous time!) and I still haven't posted about mine, which was what - a month ago?? So, in an attempt to stay current, I'm going to do this post just about the boys!

Over the past week, Zeus and Oden have been getting a lot more active - or at least I'm feeling it more. A couple of nights ago, as I was trying to go to sleep, it was like a game of Simon in my belly! Bleep, bloop, bloop, bleep - there were kicks in all four corners! It was pretty funny, actually, until it started to resemble something more akin to Riverdance. I was actually worried for a while that something was wrong, in there, the action was so rapid.

The boys start getting active late in the afternoon, though now I feel them throughout the day. Yesterday evening, I was sitting on the couch and actually saw my belly move with a kick! I think it was Zeus, but they change positions so much, it's fairly impossible to tell.

They're growing really quickly now. Between weeks 24 and 26, they're each going to be gaining a whole pound! It's pretty hard to believe, and even harder to imagine what it's going to be like for the next four months or so... our close friend Amanda is 36 weeks with her twin girls now, and looking at the photos of her belly over the course of 8 months is... wow... astonishing! She looks absolutely fabulous, but those growing babies really do take up a lot of room.

The doctor didn't measure me when I was in on Friday, but when I was in 2 weeks prior, I was measuring about 5 weeks ahead. I'm curious how many cm I am now, for sure.

Here are some of the scans from Friday - at 23w1d. The tech did try to get us some 3D shots, but they boys are so cramped in there, we didn't get any that were really clear. Kind of a shame, since that was probably our only shot of having those (slightly creepy) 3D scans of the boys. It's alright... not too much longer and we can look at them in full color!

two heads are better than one...
look at Zeus' fingers up near his head! Cute!
Pay no attention to their positions...
by the time we got to the doctor's office, they had completely switched.

Poor little Oden - we never get clear scans of his profile.
This one's pretty good, though!

I'm a real boy!
This is Zeus - it's so amazing to see him like this -
really looking like a baby in there, now!

23 weeks!

With only one more week to go until the boundary of viability outside the womb (forgive the cheesy reference - all the others that came up quickly were about abortion!), things are going well! The boys are became more active in the past week... or at least I became more able to perceive their activity! Now I can feel them both moving and kicking and poking at the same time, making it so that sometimes I can have my hands on both sides of the bump and feel them. It's such a reassuring, wonderful sensation. I still feel confident that they'll stay put well into the upper 30-weeks.

Tomorrow I'm meeting again with MFM at OHSU. They're repeating the high level ultrasound first, which should take about 90 minutes. They claim they have a 4D ultrasound, which while I was on the Cape, I was told didn't even exist... so I'm curious to see what we're going to see on the screen. I have a feeling Zeus (A) is still head-down - I think I feel his hands right at the base of my uterus and his feet up top, while Oden (B) is perhaps head-down along my right side. I feel his feet more on the side... or maybe it's his hands. At any rate, I'm curious to see how they're positioned now.

As for me, the past week was more comfortable than the previous. I think I got used to the expanded size - it's now easier to turn over in bed. I am not, however, able to stay on my back for very long anymore. The boys seem to put more pressure on my diaphragm, making me feel pretty breathless. When I lay on my sides, the boy on the bottom frequently pushes out against the pressure beneath him... it's pretty cool. Heartburn continues to be an issue, and I'm getting a new round of nausea. Fortunately, being treated by a very able chiropractor is helping a lot - especially my hips... Thanks Korin!

And now, without further ado: my 23w belly -

another try

OK, so the last photo wasn't a side-view, and boy, you guys called me on it! We took some more photos today, but um, the belly is undergoing some weird transformations... specifically, it's a little "boxy" right now, as Laurie put it. I'm rather self-conscious about it, so you can have the best of the lot... I'm also in this horrible phase of the short hair grow-out. The cute little peanut is Ruby.



The soreness of a couple of days ago was due to over exertion, I think. I'd taken a little walk into the village, which was great, but then the return was way too much. I'm feeling so much better now, especially after taking the bath of a lifetime last night.

In other news, I met with a new care provider today - a homebirth midwife team. It went really, really well, and I'm thinking seriously about switching from MFM. They listened to my whole history, and I have full trust that if they were concerned, they would not take me as a client. If you want to learn more about obstetric/midwife care in the US, definitely take a look at the new documentary "The Business of Being Born." You can rent it almost anywhere, and Netflicks has it as a "Watch Instantly" movie.

Tomorrow morning, there's a spring sale hosted by the local Moms of Multiples group here in Portland... a very exciting event indeed! We're going to head over in the morning to check out the goods. I'm hoping to score a double stroller at the very least. Wish me luck!

still a mystery

Today was my last appointment in PA with Maternal and Fetal Medicine. As long as everything remains calm, I won't be seen again until I'm in Portland in May - about a month from now. I wish we'd gotten do have a more detailed ultrasound today, but I was glad to at least have the brief check from the lame office machine.

The babies are both doing fine - the doc didn't take any measurements today, just checked in to see their hearts beating. She was showing a resident from neonatology around preggo land, so she was very quick and to-the-point with the scan.

Even though I asked, she couldn't see clearly enough to tell me the sex of the babies. Wah! I was totally wishing today was the day, but in the end, all I really wanted to know was that they are healthy and kicking around in there, which they are. I'm still not feeling them regularly - the last time I really felt them for sure was last Wednesday!

So, all is well. Sister and I are packing as much as we can - I'm suffering from some terrible pain in my ribs as they are forced to stretch, and that's kept me from as much moving as is really required right now. I just keep telling myself that somehow this will all come together by the end of the week. I know if my body is experiencing pain or exhaustion, it's my job to heed the message, and that I'm lucky to be free to move about at all, given the multiple risks I've got going on.

I imagine this will probably be the last post until next week - perhaps we'll manage a 17-week photo this weekend, but it's gonna be pretty crazy around here!

post doc

Whew, what a day! A major milestone occurred this morning at work - I felt the babies moving all morning long! Wow, I wasn't 100% convinced, but this is the second day of this funny little feeling, so I've decided to own it and celebrate! I need a little jubilation in my life, don't you think?

I just got back from MFM and am about to take a nap, but I know some of you have been waiting right along with me to see how today's appointment went, so here you have it:

Babies looked great! They surprised me with an ultrasound and I was completely unprepared- no video this time, and no stills of the babes, either. They were complete fabulous and miraculous as ever, though, moving all about. Even though the ultrasound machine wasn't a good one, we could see their individual vertebrae, their eye sockets, facial profiles, and pelvic bones! Their legs are getting so long, and they were both well-behaved, meaning they did Mama a good one by moving and stretching the whole time. Both are heads-down, which is great, but doesn't mean too much at just (nearly) 15 weeks (14w5d, to be exact).

I didn't have an internal exam today - I was again reassured that the spotting is completely normal, and I only need to report in to them if it changes in color. But the great news is that it seems like it's stopping!!! What relief!

My blood pressure was a stellar, amazing 114/76 - one of my lowest in years. Who would have thought that I'd get pregnant and my BP would go down? Wonderful, miraculous babies, these are. Finally, I only gained 2 pounds, which is perfect. It's still weird to read those big numbers on the scale, as my total weight gain is 18#! Yowza! That's more than a pound for each week of pregnancy, but no worries - that's the aim in a twin pregnancy.

So, the long and short of it is that the mama is doing great, and the babies are as perfect as ever, swimming around like two little otters.

A very happy day indeed.

14w and update

Yeah, Baby! Fourteen whole weeks today!

After a crazy busy week, I ended up having the day off today, and took that opportunity to rest, rest, rest. I'm glad for the respite, as the weekend is going to be a whopper. We only have four more weekends before the big bon voyage, and I've got to get a move on!

In clinical news, I finally got call back from the doc today, so here's what we learned:

blood antibodies test: this test came up positive about 3 weeks ago, and we've been trying to get to the bottom of it since. Today's conclusion from the lab director is that, because my blood type is positive (A+, to be specific), and I've never had a baby or a blood transfusion, there's no risk. Still unsatisfyingly vague, but whatever. No risk is all I needed to know.

spotting: since all I've had for the past 5 days is spotting, it looks like there's no present danger. The doctor was pleased at the "progress." She said it pretty much demonstrates that I had a subchorionic hemorrhage. We still agreed that the final decision about whether I drive or fly to Oregon will be made at my appointment on 4/23.

heartburn: Since I can't take Nexium due to a possible side effect of increased fracture (yikes - bad for the girl with OI!), doc suggested I take pepcid or xantac. Hooray! I finally had a good day today, but it's because I'm eating pretty much constantly.

Finally, I made my appointment at OHSU to see MFM when we arrive in Oregon. I'll be *gasp* 22 weeks for my ultrasound, unless I arrive early because I've flown.