Quick Update
Hi Everyone!
Thanks for all your sweet comments, notes, calls, texts, etc. over the past few days...so very much appreciated! :)
Sorry to be so MIA, but, you know, babies. :)
Pics and details soon, I promise, but for now just a quick update on what's been happening:
- Last Wednesday: Unexpectedly admitted to the hospital for escalating preeclampsia (which pretty much came out of nowhere)
- Thursday 3/15: Labor induced, and Luke and Zoey are born (and I got to deliver them vaginally, which was a small miracle...can't wait to share their birth story with you!)
- Friday/Saturday: In the hospital, dealing with the preeclampsia, and having the babies watched closely (at 36 weeks they were considered premature. They stayed with us the whole time, though...no time in the NICU)
- Sunday/Monday/Tuesday: Home with the babies and so incredibly happy and IN LOVE. Also dealing with breastfeeding issues due to them being premature and me being sick...I am not complaining even a little because even with round-the-clock meltdowns (on the babies' part mostly, from hunger, poor things) I still would rather be doing this vs anything else in the entire world. BUT, we had a home visit today, and a new feeding plan that seems to be working, so I think we have rounded a corner. This afternoon has, for the first time, been all about angelic sleeping babies, and I am starting to feel a little bit human again
Anyway, all this has just been amazing, incredible, beyond my wildest dreams. So, so, so, so happy.
Hope everyone's doing well...looking forward to getting caught up soon!
XOXO
Babies Are Here!
Hi, Kristen's mom here. Lucas Henry and Zoey Elizabeth were born Thursday night, 21:58 and 22:08 MST. Everyone's healthy and happy. Photos and stories to follow.
Pregnancy: Week 35
Hi Everyone!
Still here. Still pregnant. :)
Today is the start of my 36th week, and I am DONE. Except, I'd really like to go one more week so the babies are full-term. But other than that, I'm sooooo big and sooooo uncomfortable. Plus I have a cold or the flu, which is making things doubly hard. I really hope it gets better soon...I really, really, really, really don't want to be sick for labor and delivery.
Here's how the past week has been:
- I've slept a few nights, but mostly dealing with bad insomnia. I've taken to working in the middle of the night so if I do sleep (most of my sleep seems to be happening between 7 AM and 12 PM these days) I don't have to worry about missing so much work time
- Speaking of work, my husband and I have decided that this should be my last week. I really wanted to work right up until delivery because I have 3 months for maternity leave and wanted to spend all of that with the babies, but it's just getting too hard...
- My feet/ankles are swelling terribly, gets worse every week. Trying to stay off them as much as possible, which helps. Have been working a lot from bed, which has been nice
- Still lots of movement from the babies
- The occasional contraction, maybe one or two a day. They aren't super painful but they don't feel that great, either. I had one when I was hooked up to the monitors (they've been monitoring me and the babies at the hospital for about an hour every week, which is great for my peace of mind), and the nurse said it was a "big" contraction, whatever that means
- Heartburn is a bit of an issue, which is new. And the diabetes diet sucks right now because being sick, all I want is juice (OK, OK, and vanilla milkshakes, too), neither of which I can have
- I'm getting really anxious to meet these little guys!!!
One more week. One more week. One more week. (Hopefully.)
XOXO
Pulling In
Very pregnant, close to the babies being delivered, and I am feeling more than anything just kind of wanting to pull away from the world at large, be with my husband and parents, be at home. My attention and focus is so inward right now...it's really interesting...
One of the big things affected is work...I'm still trying to work and I don't know if I have a lot of work or it just feels that way (probably the latter) but it's really hard to get things done and meet deadlines (totally unlike me, I almost never miss deadlines) and to care...I'm still doing good work I think but I don't care the way I usually do, you know? Trying to wind things down as much as possible.
And blogging...I may still post every weekday like I've been trying to do, but my schedule may become a little more erratic for a little while (and I know this is going to happen anyway after the babies come), so bear with me please and don't worry if I don't post for a day or two...
Those of you who have had children, have you experienced this lack of interest in the outside world? Was it associated with impending birth? (That's the other thing I've been doing...trying to figure out if anything and everything is a sign that the babies are about to come.)
Hope everyone is having a lovely week so far.
XOXO
"You Are Not Alone"
Interesting work conversation yesterday (I work in advertising, for those of you who don't know):
Work colleague: "Do you know what research shows is the email subject line that gets the most people to open and read the email?"
Me: "It's probably got the word 'free' in in somewhere." (So cynical. Ugh.)
Work colleague: " No. It's: 'You Are Not Alone.'"
I totally buy it, too. Isn't that all any of us ever want to hear?
XOXO
Pregnancy: Week 34
Not leaving the house today so not getting out of my PJs. Ah, the glamorous life of the very pregnant... :)
Hi Everyone! Happy Monday!
So, 35 weeks pregnant today, and big changes are happening with my body. The past two or three weeks of relative comfort and ease are gone. I'm now dealing with:
- Pretty brutal insomnia, like up all night, falling asleep in the early morning for a few hours. Something I'm going to need to get used to to some extent with the babies, I know...
- My back (upper middle) is absolutely killing me. I'm trying everything: hot water bottle, massage from my husband, stretching, Tylenol, icy hot pads, baths (I had 4 on Saturday), but nothing seems to help much
- General achiness in my belly...I can't really tell a start or stop so I don't know if they're contractions, but my belly's pretty uncomfortable a lot of the time
- My belly has grown so much in the past week. I feel like absolutely nothing fits except my husband's PJs and when I'm around the house I can push a tank top up so my belly is bare (my maternity tank tops no longer cover both my boobs and my belly). But I feel like I have nothing to leave the house in, which sucks
- Plus my ankles and feet are huge all the time now, so all I can really do is slippers (although my Uggs work OK too, except it's nearly impossible to get them on because of the size of my belly)
- Oh, and I gained 5 lbs last week (and close to that the week before)...I shouldn't be gaining like that, especially since I'm not eating very much because of the diabetes diet...what is going on???
Sigh.
I've been laying in bed at night saying, please, God, let me enjoy these last few days or weeks of being pregnant, I may never be pregnant again, I love the feeling of our babies moving inside me (there is still a lot of movement, even though it's supposed to be super cramped in there and the movement is supposed to be slowing down...I haven't experienced that). I know what's to come is going to be hard, but this (pregnancy) is so, so hard all of a sudden, too.
Plus, the nausea is back. I've generally been falling asleep only after a snack (breakfast, really) to quite my tummy.
And, I've been reading a lot of baby books recently, but I think I should stop, because although I know they are just trying to prepare you for the problems that could occur, I'm scared from all the reading I'm doing that all of the following are going to happen simultaneously: 1) I will not sleep at all for days/weeks/months, 2) Nursing with hurt terribly and in the end won't work, 3) Our babies will both have colic and both scream for hours and hours on end and there will be nothing I can do, and 4) I'll end up with postpartum depression and barely be able to function.
My husband tells me I always take everything to the worst possible extreme, and it's true. I am trying, though, to picture nursing going great, no colic or postpartum depression, happy, shiny healthy babies and lots of help so I can get at least a little sleep here and there. It could all go wonderfully, and even if it doesn't I've prepared myself as much as possible, and I know I will be in love with these little creatures, so it's all going to be OK.
Anyway, sorry if this all sounds negative...I don't mean it to, still super happy and excited about the babies, I'm just dealing with an awful lot of physical discomfort at the moment, and scared of the unknowns that are about to become my reality...
Hope everyone has a lovely week!
XOXO
OB Update
Hi Everyone!
Good news at my OB appointment today...the news I got two weeks ago that the twins were very different sizes appears to have just been a measuring error (which my OB had said it could be). Today they're measuring 4 lbs 8 oz and 4 lbs 12 oz...a little on the small side for 34 weeks, but totally normal for twins. I haven't been terribly worried about the disparity seen a couple of weeks ago, but I have been worrying a little, so good to have my mind put at ease.
I also had the NST at the hospital (as I will every week from here on out) and everything looks great! So all is well, just hoping to keep those babies inside a few more weeks (even though I'm super tired and uncomfortable these past few days...I can take tired and uncomfortable when gestating a few more weeks is what's best for the babies.)
Hope everyone is having a lovely Thursday!
XOXO
A Present From My OB
So I complain sometimes about living in such a small town, but other times, I'm incredibly grateful for it.
I'm good friends with my OB's husband. (I actually have a long history of trying to find the right OB/GYN. I initially dismissed the idea of my current OB, because I thought maybe it would be weird being friends with her husband, but it hasn't been weird at all, and both my husband and I love her. Even thought the first time we saw her professionally--right after my old OB, her partner, had suddenly died--she had to tell us our 11-week-old fetus was dead...what a sucky way to start a relationship. But she was very kind, and things have gone smoothly since then, knock on wood.)
Anyway, I digress.
Her husband, my friend--I invited him to my local baby shower, which was otherwise all women, but he's part of a group of writers I hang out with and I didn't want to exclude him.
He didn't come. ("Too much estrogen," my OB told me when I saw her a few days later.) But he did have a present for me the next time that I saw him.
A sweet little essay he'd written for me.
And two quilts, one for each baby.
Handmade by my OB.
Both my husband and I were so incredibly touched. I mean, who gets presents from their OB? Especially ones I know it took her hours and hours and hours to make.
I love the though of her in her sewing room, after being a high-powered doctor all day, making something so sweet and beautiful for our babies.
Sometimes living in a small town is the best thing ever.
XOXO
Pregnancy: Week 33
Hi Everyone!
So, I'm 34 weeks pregnant today. Yay! This is the last week that, were I to go into labor, my OB would try and stop it. Starting next Monday, these babies are going to come out when they want to come out! :) We're getting so close!
Here's how the past week (week 33) has been:
- Overall, everything's going very smoothly. As I said last week, I'm finding the third trimester the easiest of the three by far
- Notable symptoms: Minor sleep problems, backaches, very minor and occasional heartburn, swelling of my ankles/feet (getting worse, although I'm trying to stay off my feet as much as possible). Oh and my gums are bleeding like CRAZY when I brush my teeth...to the point where I can end up with blood all over my lips and sometimes on my face if I'm not careful...yeah, the pregnant vampire look...NOT attractive. I also have to pee so many times a night...part of the problem is I'm super thrsty all the time so I drink more water whenever I get up...but I can't help it, my body just wants so much water right now...
- Eating super healthy with the whole gestational diabetes thing. Except lately I've been craving sweets in the evening. Sometimes I have a VERY small portion (eg one small cookie)...but I don't usually crave sweets at all...it's a little weird...
- Taking a bath pretty much every night...I think that has a lot to do with me having fewere aches and pains and sleeping beter
- Sleeping late when I can, eg the weekends. My body seems to need a lot of sleep right now
- Hospital bag is packed, nursery is pretty much done (I'll share pictues soon!). Would like to write out a birth plan (although my plan for the most part is to go with the flow...I don't have a lot of real strong preferences) and would love to make a new playlist for my iPOD for labor and delivery, but I'm feeling pretty ready
- I feel SO big and ungainly. During the day I do OK, but in the evenings/at night, I think when I'm tired from the day's activity, it's all I can do to get off the couch, turn over in bed, etc. Getting into the car is a feat, too (we have a lifted Jeep so there's definitely some effort involved)
- I'm laying pretty low these days, just getting out of the house a few times a week now. And my mom and husband have been helping with miscellanous chores...like right now my husband is doing all the laundry and the dishes beause it's hard for me to bend over to put things in and out of the machines...bless him...
So all in all, everything's going great. And I'm not all that anxious for this pregnancy to be over, like everyone talks about as you get to the end of your third trimester. Again, I feel better than I have in a long, long time, so happy to keep going with this as long as the babies need to.
And, we have another appointment with my OB Thusday and the babies will be measured...will hopefully put to rest the nagging fear I have that something is wrong with our girl because last time she measured so much smaller than our boy. As long as she's grown and not too far from the norm I know I'll feel a whole lot better. (It's just a minor worry as my OB has told me over and over not to be concerned, that she thinks everything is fine. Still, I get scared pretty easily with this pregnancy and I need all the reassurance I can get.)
Hope everyone has a lovely week!
XO
Baby Shower #2
Hi Everyone! Happy Friday!
Today I wanted to share some pictures from my second baby shower a few weeks ago. I had a lovely and amazing (and big!) co-ed shower in Denver the week before, which I loved. This one was local and smaller and all women and I loved this one, too. They were very different, which was really cool. Shower #2 was much more like a traditional baby shower, and we had so much fun!
The shower was held at my house...here are onesies on a clothesline along our driveway...too cute!
It was was thrown by my lovely next-door-neighbor/best friend in town/assistant (she comes in the mornings Monday through Friday to help me with work). She did so many creative and cool things with my shower...and was so excited to throw it for me, which made me so happy... :)
A few pictures of some of the guests...this is my mom...absolutely love her to death!
And Katie, Ann's daughter. Hanging out with Katie has been my kid fix for the past few years. She's so cute and girly and super, super smart...
And this is my mother-in-law, who flew in from Vegas for the shower. She's wonderful. :)
And Heather, a friend of mine, and Maria, Ann's neice whom I've gotten to know pretty well. These girls are so stylish, each in their own way.
First, we played games, including one where each bag contained a baby-related product (pacifier, washcloths, baby hairbrush, etc.) and everyone had to guess what was in the bag just by feel. Fun!
Here's one of my writer friends, Jill, trying to guess...
After games we opened gifts...here's me unwrapping...everyone's gifts were amazing, but I especially loved the handmade things and there were lots...quilts from my mother and mother-in-law, super cute knit hats, flannel burp clothes in the cutest prints, etc. I absolutely love handmade things... (And PS I can't wait to show you the quilts my mother-in-law made, but they have the babies names on them and we're not sharing those until after the babies are born).
And then there was cake...German chocolate, my favorite, and vanilla ice cream, and green iced tea mixed with 7-Up. Super yummy. And I got to get out my grandma's silver and my other grandma's starched white linen napkins...things I don't use very often, but love that I have...
Ann even made me my own fruit cake, because I'm really not supposed to have sugar. How cute and thoughtful is this!?! (Full disclosure...I did have a tiny piece of German chocolate cake, too, although I didn't have any of the frosting because I promised my husband I wouldn't. In exchange, he promised me that after I deliver the babies he will bring German chocolate cake and champange to me in the hospital.)
Ann also had piggy banks set out for each of the twins, into which people put advice for baby girls and boys, good wishes for us and the babies, donations to college funds, etc. I haven't opened them yet, but really looking forward to it!
And here's Ann telling everyone about the sign-up sheet she put together to make sure everyone helps us out with meals (brings us something or sets us up with pizza, etc.) the first two weeks after we come home with the twins. So sweet...I'm sure that's going to be a lifesaver...
A group shot looking down into my living room...
So, all-in-all, such a great, crafty, homemade kind of shower...I absolutely loved it...had the best time and felt so, so loved.
Thanks, Ann!
XOXO
OB Update
Hi Everyone!
Had an OB appointment today...I thought they were going to measure the babies again, but my OB said she'd rather wait another week, so next week hopefully we will get some reassurance about the size.
Also went to the hospital for NTS monitoring (I think that stands for non stress test), and the nurses there said both babies are doing great. Yay! :)
In related news:
- My OB said that after another week and a half, if I go into labor they aren't going to try and stop it. That's so soon! So crazy how soon these babies are coming!
- I got my iron checked today and the levels are good
- Our local hospital is so nice...L&D is so calm and peaceful (last week I was monitored in a tiny triage room, this week in one of the normal L&D rooms and they are just so quite and relaxing and calming)
- My nurse this week explained all about the monitoring, and told me a little more about delivery...apparently because I have twins I'll deliver in the OR just in case, and there will be LOTS of people there
- She also said if I ever think I'm having contractions, or worry that the babies haven't moved a lot, or have anything that's making me uneasy to just come in and they'll hook me up to a monitor. "Come as often as you want," she said. "We're here all the time anyway, we'd way rather see you 10 times for nothing than have you not come in that one time you really should have been here."
- And, the nurse said that if I haven't been sent to see the perinatologist (and I haven't) that everything is going super smooth
So lots of good news...and I just have to assume for another week that the size differential between our babies seen last week is nothing to worry about.
Hope everyone is having a lovely Thursday!
XO
A Knitting Mishap (And Why it Doesn't Matter)
So I'm really still just learning how to knit, but I wanted to make baby sweaters for our babies to wear home from the hospital...you know, something special and handmade, so my babies would know how much they were loved.
I found a cute pattern, made one for our boy that turned out super cute, although I figured out about halfway through I was using the wrong needles. But I did calculations to make it the right size and it turned out fine. So I made one in pink for our girl, which also turned out super cute.
And then I washed them.
Carefully.
By hand.
And my cute little sweaters, they expanded to be way, way bigger...now they are all stretched out and there is no way newborns are going to fit into them. (And I've since checked with the local knit shop. There's no way to fix them.)
My husband saw me on the verge of tears, hugged me and said, "So if you knew you made the first one wrong, why did you make the second one the same?"
"Because the first one turned out cute."
"But you didn't wash it before you made the second one?"
"No. I had no idea they would do this."
Love that man, but sometimes he is just too dang logical.
Sigh.
I wanted to cry...all that time knitting...all the money for the yarn...and it's too late to make new sweaters for the babies.
But.
Babies don't need sweaters to go home from the hospital.
Just becasue they don't have them, doesn't mean I'm a bad mom.
And as long as our babies are alive and healthy, that's all that really matters. Been thinking about this especially in light of the scare with our babies last week, and because of a friend IRL and a good bloggy friend who lost their unborn babies this week...my heart is breaking for them...
Ruined sweaters really don't matter. That's one thing about having lived through crappy things (and here I'm talking about myself, not these other women)...it's a lot easier to see what's important and what's not...what's worth crying over and what's not.
XOXO
Pregnancy: Week 32
Hi Everyone! Happy Monday!
So, today is the start of Week 33 for me. I'm hoping I have about a month left to go. Here's how the past week (Week 32) has been:
- Despite being HUGE, I'm actually enjoying this part of my pregnancy the most. No morning sickness (which for me went up until about the start of the third trimester), no heartburn (never really had much), the insomnia is way better, my hip isn't achy at all anymore, my back still hurts a little but is much better, and when it does ache a warm bath helps...this is the first time since about Week 6 I haven't been suffering physically and I am soooooo grateful
- I am getting REALLY big though. Hard to get on/off the bed, the couch, etc.
- My ankles/feet are swollen, although I'm trying to stay off my feet as much as possible (and not wear socks and shoes as much as possible...my pregnancy pics from here on out are probably going to be barefoot because not only do my shoes/socks generally not fit any longer, it's also next to impossible to put them on). Been drinking water with lemon and cucumber to combat it, which tastes yummy and hopefully is helping
- Doing fine with the whole gestational diabetes thing...my mom's been making me snacks, which has helped. I AM craving something sweet all of a sudden in the evenings (hello, lemon Girl Scout cookies!)...but the cookies I'm craving are tiny and I just have 2 with a glass of milk...not that big a deal in the big picture, I figure...everything else I'm eating is really healthy...
- Still no stretch marks (and I've honestly been bad about putting creams on my belly lately). My belly button's kind of half in half out...don't think I'm going to make it all the way with it in
- My bladder is beyond squished. Pantyliners are my new best friend. Embarrassing. Oh, and I feel like I have to pee all the time. And am up maybe 3-4 times a night to pee, but thankfully go right back to sleep
- I'm up 37 lbs from the day of transfer (which is I'm told what you should count as pregnancy weight), 52 lbs from my normal weight
- Had a little scare last week with the babies being different weights...but my doctor has said not to worry and so for the most part I'm not. Another appointment on Thursday that will hopefully be reassuring...I will report back
So all in all, everyone's happy and healthy (at least as far as we can tell). This whole labor and delivery and having actual babies at home thing is still feeling pretty abstract...I just feel like I'm going to be pregnant forever, although of course I know that's not true. Hard to wrap my head around what comes next, though, and it's not a fear thing...I think I'm just kind of feeling disbelief that I am so lucky to have this actually happening.
Hope everyone has a lovely week!
XOXO
Salt Lake City Update: Big News!
Hi Everyone! Happy Friday!
Some of you may remember my husband, who is about to graduate with an engineering degree, heading off to Salt Lake City for a job interview a few weeks ago. Well...he got the job! And it is a really, really good job! With a signing bonus and moving expenses paid, lots of room for advancement (it's a big international company) and health insurance...so excited about health insurance...having to figure out our own health insurance is the worst part about me freelancing, especially when you figure two babies into the mix.
So we are moving to Salt Lake City this summer!
What I think is going to be awesome:
- My husband working full time, me working part time from home (4 years of school for him has been totally doable, but I'm excited to be able to back down on my workload and spend lots of time with the babies)
- SLC is only a 4-hour drive (or 45 minute flight) from my parents. The best thing by far about being in Colorado has been being able to spend so much time with them. But we'll still be able to see each other a lot since we're not moving very far away
- AMAZING snowboarding (I know, I know, I won't be going that much with two new babies, and that's OK...just good to know it's there). Hiking too
- A really good airport. Except for a brief period in Seattle, it's been almost 10 years since I lived in a place where you can fly pretty much wherever you want direct. Going to be so nice...
- Housing prices are really reasonable, so we are going to be able to find somewhere lovely to live
- An actual city with good shopping and restaurants and other city things (I've lived in cities most of my adult life...being in a small town has been a bit of a challenge). I know SLC doesn't generally pop into people's minds when they think cool, hip cities, but I am determined to find all the cool, hip places and enjoy the city to its fullest
What I'm a little worried about:
- Not being right down the road from my parents...it's been so, so nice to have that be the case for these past years
- I like Mormons...I have friends that are Mormon...but we're not Mormon and I'm afraid the Mormons won't like us. SLC is about 50% Mormon, and I think we'll be fine if we end up in a diverse area...just need to make sure that happens. On the other hand, maybe I'm worrying about nothing...
- I don't know ANYONE in SLC, and while I'm used to moving and making new friends, it's hard. Part of me wishes we were going somewhere where we knew people...
Anyway, that's the big news! Overall, we're SUPER excited...it's going to be great. :)
Hope everyone has a lovely weekend! Thanks for spending some time here this week!
XOXO
Photo Credit: CountyLemonade
The Nursery, Episode 5: Quilts From My Mom
Hi Everyone!
First off, thanks for all your sweet comments on yesterday's post. I'm actually feeling really positive today and not scared...just really trusting that everything is going to be OK, which is so unlike me! :) But a really good place to be.
Anyway, today wanted to share with you the quilts my mom made for our babies (I helped a little, but the vast majority of the work was done by her).
Here is the one for our boy:
And our girl:
My mom gave them to me at my baby shower last weekend, and my friend's 15-year-old niece who was there said that the girl's looked like watermelon and the boy's looked like snow, which I though were really sweet and apt descriptions.
We have been VERY blessed in the handmade quilt department, with additional quilts coming from my mother-in-law, a lovely friend in Boulder (whose kids I used to babysit for when I was in college), and my BFF's mom. I'll be doing additional quilt posts in the future...the quilts are all so cute and TOTALLY different. Thank goodness we've been told you can never have too many quilts!
Anyway, I think the quilts my mom made are the cutest things I've ever seen. Can't wait until they're wrapped around real, live babies!
Thanks, Mom! :)
XOXO
The Nursery, Episode 4: Curtains
The Nursery, Episode 3: Wall Art
Scary OB Appointment/Hospital Trip
Hi Everyone!
So yesterday was the first time I went to the OB without my husband (he had some school stuff to do and everything's been so routine, it seemed like no big deal). But of course, it wasn't the quick, uneventful visit we had anticipated.
The issue: the twins, who have up until this point been roughly the same size, are now very different, with our girl at 3 lbs 5 oz and our boy at 4 lbs 12 oz. My OB sent me straight to the hospital for monitoring.
So I went, and lay in the room for a couple hours with heart rate monitors on the babies. The verdict: both twins look good on the monitoring (not sure exactly what they're looking for, but that's what the nurse said). So I got sent home and that was essentially that.
Trying really hard not to go to that place of fear, where my mind says something must be wrong. Instead trying to focus on all of the following:
- After seeing the monitoring, my OB said she's not worried and that I shouldn't worry
- My OB said the way the babies were positioned could have skewed the measurements, so they really might not be as far apart as they seem
- She also said that even if they are very different sizes, it could just be genetics
- She said both of them have grown since they were last measured, which is a good thing
- Dr. Google says average weight for a baby at 32 weeks is 3.75 lbs, so 3 lbs 12 oz...and our girl is not too far below that...and our boy...well, my husband is 6'6", so maybe he's (our baby) just going to be a big baby
- I AM scared, but my gut says things are going to be OK
Nothing to do except wait until next Thursday (my next appointment) to see how the babies are doing. That's the other thing...I'm going from monthly ultrasounds to weekly, plus hospital monitoring after every OB appointment.
Trying to stay positive, especially with all the reassurances from my doctor. Still, any potential complication is really hard for me to deal with. I just feel like I've been through so much, I don't have any reserves left to deal with anything else, you know?
Oh, and my OB called this afternoon just to see how I was, because I seemed so anxious yesterday...love her for that...
XOXO
Packing for the Hospital
Hi Everyone!
As some of you know, my husband is super organized, and likes to have things done ahead of time. One of the things he's been bugging me about is packing a bag for the hospital for when we go in for labor/delivery, so I'm trying to get that done over the next few days. Here's my list of what I think I might need...trying to keep it simple:
- 2 pillows (apparently the hospital pillows suck)
- Cherry chapstick, toothbrush/toothpaste, soap, shampoo, contact stuff, brush, nipple cream
- PJs (to hang out in instead of the hospital gown if I want)
- Robe to put over hospital gown
- Going home outfit for me (jeans, T shirt, sweater, tennis shoes...I know I'm still going to need maternity)
- Going home outfits for babies
- Lotions (recommended to help with labor)
- Massager (recommended to help with labor)
- Birthing book from hospital (has lots of information that might be useful)
- Distractions (cribbage, light reading [eg US Weekly], iPOD, journal)
- Camera
Anyone have any thoughts/suggestions?
XOXO
Pregnancy: Week 31
Hi Everyone! Happy Monday!
So, 32 weeks pregnant today, which is a goal my OB really wanted me to reach. Of course it's better if the babies stay inside a little longer, but my OB says she breaths a sigh of relief at this point and so of course, I do too. :)
Here's how the past week has been:
- Things still don't feel real...it's still hard for me to believe this (actual real live babies) is really happening
- A lot more tired (although overall sleeping better, thought I've still had a few sleepless nights)
- My back is still bothering me, although not all the time. Again, a visit to the chiropractor helped...that has been a lifesaver for me with this pregnancy
- Feel like it's really hard to breathe, which is disturbing...makes me feel kind of claustrophobic, but trying to relax about it
- My bladder is totally getting squished, too. Plus I'm super thirsty. Both of which mean I'm up maybe 4 or 5 times a night to pee
- Had some trouble with ankle swelling this past week. My ankles aren't back to normal, but they are better. Trying to stay off my feet as much as possible. Some hand swelling too, but not as much
- Had a second, local baby shower this weekend, which was absolutely lovely. Will post about it sometime this week
- Fell again yesterday...tripped over one of my dog's paws and went down hard, no time to put out my hands to catch myself but my belly wasn't involved at all, thank goodness (fell on my knee/side). That's the second time this pregnancy I've fallen. I'm being VERY careful, especially on the stairs and getting in/out of the shower/bath
- Spent a lot of time yesterday organizing/putting away baby stuff, plus ordering/shopping for the last few items we wanted/needed (my husband went a little crazy in the fancy baby shop we have downtown...so cool to see him excited about baby stuff). My husband's really pushing to get things done, as he wants to be totally ready if the babies come early
All in all, still trying to wrap my head around what's happening. It's been so hard and so many, many years to get to this point, it's feeling totally surreal now that we are getting close to the actual birth of these babies.
Hope everyone has a lovely week!
XOXO
Baby Shower #1!
Hi Everyone! Happy Friday!
Thought I'd post a few pictures and stories from my baby shower last weekend! :)
First of all, there was snow, and lots of it. We live on the Western edge of Colorado and were driving over to Denver (4 hours away) on Friday. Were a little worried about the passes, but they were no big deal. But Denver itself had this crazy storm which essentially shut the city down.
We (my husband and I, my brother, my parents, my best friend and her husband who had flown in from Seattle) spent Friday night holed up at my brother's...he lives about an hour outside of Denver up in the mountains in the house where we both grew up. It was fun to be snowed in!
Oh and two super-cool things happened on Friday: First, when I first saw my BFF, she and I were wearing the exact same sweater, which for some reason made me so happy. And second, my parents had an envelope for me, which contained a TOTALLY unexpected inheritance from my grandmother, who died last summer. What a huge surprise. We're looking at it as a gift for our babies, as we're going to place the money in their college funds.
Here are the icicles at my brother's Saturday morning:
Saturday started with light snow, but it stopped and the sun came out and the main roads all got plowed and it all worked out fine.
The shower was kind of a co-ed happy hour thing at my friend Betsy's Denver home. I know Betsy from San Francisco...we worked together at the ad agency and have worked together on and off in freelance capacities ever since. She's also a very dear friend and has been with me through a lot of this fertility stuff--from going with me to my initial diagnostic appointments, to even putting me up at her house and taking care of me while on bed rest for one of my cycles when my husband couldn't be with me.
She went all out with jungle-themed shower decorations...the whole house was so lovely and festive...unbelievably cute:
Here's me with my fabulous husband right before things got going:
And with my best friend Danielle (who co-hosted the shower with Betsy), and her husband Jason:
I know Jason and Danielle from Santa Barbara...Jason was in a punk band and best friends with my brother Luke, the one who died. After that happened, they (Jason and Danielle) moved in with me for a few months, and essentially took care of me...I was a total mess...I don't know what I would have done without them...
So many people came to our shower...between 30 and 40, with some of my friends even coming from out of town. It was so incredible to see everyone! And so nice to be celebrating something so good and happy. Some of my friends, when we did the "When was the last time we saw each other?" thing, the answer was my brother's funeral...my friends mean so much to me and this shower was so important to me because for a long time I felt like all there ever was around me was sadness...so wonderful to have something happy to celebrate. That's my dad in the middle:
Some interesting things were said to me at the shower. So many people told me I looked great pregnant, and while I'm sure it's mandatory to say that to the mother-to-be at a baby shower, it still made me feel really good, as I just feel so huge and frumpy these days. But apparently I'm not nearly as big as people expected, and am "all belly."
And on a different subject, one of my friends from college told me she always thought I'd be the first of everyone in our group to have children, she always saw me as a mother, said I was so nurturing and loving to everyone around me. Several people I know from my late teens/early 20s have made that same sort of comment, and it's interesting, because I SO wanted to get married and have children young...it just didn't work out that way for a number of reasons and there's no way to go back and change it....so just have to accept it, which is something I'm still working on...
Betsy's husband August made the most fabulous dinner ever (I wasn't even expecting a dinner...like I said, they went all out)...beef tenderloin and salad, cupcakes for dessert...so yummy. Here's the buffet table before all the food came out:
And the gifts...goodness...we got sooooooo many beautiful things; everyone was so incredibly generous. Here's my husband with teddy bears we received, demonstrating how he's going to hold both babies at once. Awww....
And here's Betsy (in black) at the end of the night, and our friend Habeeba who we also used to work with in San Francisco (and continue to work with now...it's so nice to work with your friends). Habeeba came out from Oregon and helped Betsy tons:
So really an incredible party and weekend all around. I feel so, so lucky to have such amazing people in my life.
Hope everyone has a great weekend! Thanks for spending some time here this week. :)
XOXO
Here a link to my post about Baby Shower #2 for anyone who's interested...
A Small Scare Today (But All Is Well)
Hi Everyone!
So I went over to my mom's this morning, and she took a look at my ankles, which have been swollen since my shower on Saturday, and asked me to call my doctor right away. (She's a nurse, so her recommendations have extra weight.)
I called my doctor, and they asked me to come in to be looked at in a few hours.
So of course my mind goes to the worst possible place...pre-eclampsia, hospitalization, a forced early birth, etc. I get scared so easily with this pregnancy.
BUT, I went to the doctor and my blood pressure is OK, no protein in my urine, my weight is OK so they think I'm fine. They just asked me to stay off my feet for a while, try to eat as little salt as possible, and drink water with lemons and cucumbers, all of which are supposed to help with the swelling.
***Big sigh.***
I will say, though, that I am feeling differently this week. A lot more tired. Hard to breath. Hard to move when I'm laying down (like switching from one side to the other).
I've just got to take it day by day. And tell myself millions of women have done this before me...I can do it too...
XOXO