Life with twins

I kept the twins schedule and just daily routine pretty much the same - I changed them the same time and feed them the same time.  We did baths together.  I tell many people its like having one big giant baby.

Travel was difficult - they love the car and stroller but it's always a production to really go anywhere.

For their first year my dad babysat every day - he came up to my house which was a huge savings and less stress for me.. it was Kenadi's first year of Kindergarten at South Abington Elem. and it was a pretty easy adjustment - My father in law helped out also with rides to and from school since the Kindergarten program is only half day.

The twins hit most milestones on track - Harper almost always did things before Patrick but he was never far behind.  Monkey see monkey do.

Their first birthday party was at Armetta's with closest family and friends.

My second year of school (which I am just almost wrapping up) we decided to put the twins into a home daycare for 2 days a week at Aunt Denise's.  Same babysitter Kenadi had.
It was the best decision - gets them out and about 2 days a week, gives my dad a break, and helps out with socialization.

Kenadi is now in full day 1st grade and really shining.

Their 2nd birthday was a home pizza party with about 10 people -- they loved it!!

I think I'm pretty caught up - so much other things going on and I am going to try and blog once every other week or so.  But for the most part we all have been busy working and raising our family ! Almost at the point where we can take a deep breath!

First 6 months of life and sleep

Birth and the first 6 months of life -- SLEEP

I have so much to catch up on.  It have been a busy few year to say the least.

On February 20, 2014 I had 2 (huge) and healthy baby twins.  Baby A (my girl) was a whopping 6 pounds 10 ounces.  Baby B (my boy) was 6 pounds 6 ounces.

I had a scheduled section which went according to plan.  I was very lucky..

The hospital was surreal to me.  I couldn't imagine all the love I had for these two babies, and I couldn't imagine life without both.  So many people came to the hospital to visit us.   Harper was born with a massive amount of hair - it was really something.

We adjusted nicely at home but we were not ready for the twin tornado that was ready to hit.  It was exhausting -- there were no breaks.  Babies were feeding every 3 hours.  We decided to keep them on the same schedule so when one baby ate the other one ate too -- it worked nicely and eventually we had a great schedule going.

When we got home I had both babies sleeping next to me in Rock N Plays.  They absolutely loved them.

The best thing I did w the twins and sleeping was read the book called "Healthy Sleep Happy Child".  I followed this book to a T - and the next thing I knew I had happy rested babies.

They started randomly sleeping through the night around 3 months.  I had some advice to try the Baby Merlins Magic Sleep Suit and it was exactly that......MAGIC

From the first night I put them in there they slept  through the entire night - BOTH OF THEM.
So it couldn't have been a fluke.

They loved these suits - slept in them until they were 6 months old.  But by then I had very healthy sleep trained babies.  JACKPOT!

35 weeks!

Yesterday marked 35 weeks! I am currently going once a week to the ob, twice a week to non stress tests along w ultrasounds, and throw in a specialist appointment every now and then! Needless to say they are keeping a CLOSE eye on me and these precious babies! My section is scheduled for Feb. 20 and today was my last day of work! (35 weeks and 1 day) I'm so happy I made it to my work goal. I was very afraid of having to leave work early and being put on bed rest. But so far everything, knock on wood, is perfect! My ob said since we are doing so well he is going to schedule the section at my max.....how kind of him! lol (Perfect.....is that what this is called?!) I have been very lucky - not until last week did I really have a complaint about anything. Last week I started with some serious pain and pressure. I was unfamiliar with anything like that since I had zero symptoms with my daughter. He said since I carried 41.5 weeks with her this should be a breeze to make it to full term (38 weeks). Now that I am done working hopefully things will be a little easier. I know I am TIRED of having to depend on other people for doing little things that were at one time nothing, like vacuuming, cleaning the bathrooms, and laundry. I better enjoy it now because soon it will all be over and Ill be back to baring the load! A few days until my next specialist screen at 36 weeks. Cant wait to see how big these jumping beans are!

Non- Stress Test

Yesterday afternoon was my first scheduled non-stress test. I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I'm scheduled to go every Tuesday and Friday until I delivered, so I prayed that it wouldn't be bad. I went to our local labor and delivery hospital and was directed to where this test area was located. It was in a part of the hospital I have never even been to. It was a very quiet room with leather recliners lined up against the wall. There was only one person working in there, and no other mothers to be hooked up to any of the equipment. She brought me to the very last chair and told me to sit and get comfortable. Hmmmm, this is not going to be as bad as I thought! I sat down and she reclined the chair to a very comfortable position, hooked 3 monitors up to my belly. (One for baby A, one for baby B, and the last for me to register any contractions.) She gave me what looked like a game show buzzer and told me to click the buzzer anytime I felt any kind of movement. She gave me a nice cold drink of water, a remote and off she went. (If I didn't bring my mom with me to this test I think I would have been fast asleep.) About 30 minutes later she came back in to check the data. Baby A was long done, she had everything she needed from her. I could have told you that, baby A was flipping around in there like she was trying out for the Olympic gymnastics team. Baby B was quiet. He must have been in his rest mode. She said to me "we gotta get this baby moving or we will be here all night", so I asked for some more water thinking that would do the trick. She returned with my drink and this little device that looked like the ear piece to an old phone. She reassured me that this would get him moving. She placed it on my belly right where he was located and zaaaaappppp. Vibrations were sent right through my belly straight to the baby. It didn't hurt one bit just felt funny, almost like a tickle. "That should do the trick", she said. He was not sleepy after that! We were out of there 15 minutes. I'm looking forward to going back Friday, maybe this will be my rest and relaxation for the week!

Watch us grow.......

32 week ultrasound

Just had my 32 week scan and both babies are a whopping 4.7lbs! That's 9.4lbs of baby in my belly - I can't get over it! I've been feeling really great. My husband and I were so happy when we left the appointment knowing the size of the babies. Not that they are ready to come out, but MAN are they close!!! I noticed I was a little more anxious than normal that night when I came home. I was happy leaving the appointment knowing they were so big, but that night I got a little freaked out knowing I had almost 10 lbs of baby in my belly -- That's a lot for little old, 5'2, me. And then it clicked......I could possibly end up with almost 14lbs of baby! YIKES!!! How is that even possible to do? We shall see, maybe now my doctor will take me at 37 weeks instead of waiting the 38. I'm all about letting them cook but truthfully I want them out when they are healthy and won't be too much of a strain on my body. Right now I feel great and I want to keep on feeling great. I have three weeks left of work and then two weeks free to spend with my daughter before the babies come. This week coming (33) I start my fetal monitoring...I have no idea what to expect so I will keep in touch. Here's the 3D image we came home with from this ultrasound - Baby B (boy) 32 weeks (Baby A was not cooperative)

28 Week ultrasound - finally a 3D!!!!!

Baby A - Girl (2 pounds 14 ounces)

Baby B - Boy (2 pounds 12 ounces)

Aches and Pains

My biggest complaint is back pain, holy cow it's killer. And the strangest thing about the whole thing is it comes and goes with no explanation. I have mentioned it at the doctors and they just keep saying it is due to the weight of the babies. It's just nerve wracking because it's a symptom of pre-term labor. So they said as long as it goes away if I lay down or rest then I am good to go. I had it in the beginning of the pregnancy when I started to really show and I have it now again when I'm even bigger. I am also having the strangest pain that goes straight up my "area". It's weird, and I'm not sure if its stretching pains or something more serious. I called my OB regarding it last week and the nurse told me it was ligaments stretching, but to me its a sharper pain, not a sore stretching pain. This is another disappearing symptom. Went away after I called and not even a week later its back...full blown! So I am going to make another phone call today before the Thanksgiving break.

24 week ultrasound - what a nightmare!

Hi everyone!! So I'm finished up 26 weeks tomorrow!! At times I feel like the whole thing is just flying by, and other times I feel like it is dragging. If I'm busy and having a good week I have no complaints. It's those weeks where I can barely get myself off the couch that I start wonder how I am going to make it. Two weeks ago I went in for my routine checkup with the specialist. Right now I go every 4 weeks. They mostly just take my pressure and weight, then they check my cervix with a vaginal ultrasound, then onto the good part.....BABY TIME!! I love seeing them both on that big flat screen in the office. Makes my day so much better. This appointment they were checking for the growth of the babies. All looked great to us, Baby A was 1.9lbs and Baby B was 1.5lbs. I couldnt believe they grew that much in that short period of time. During the ultrasound the technician asked us a very simple question that struck me as odd. She asked if we ever got the senquential screening done (the chromosomal testing). Hmmmmmmm now why would she ask us that!? No we didn't get the screening done - and to be honest I wasn't even nervous about that because the anatomy ultrasound came back perfect, and the doctor reassured us that any issues or problems they would have picked up on then. So, why did she ask that? She left the room and I immediately brought it to my husband attention. He assumed she was just making conversation, but I had this feeling she saw something that concerned her. A few minutes later the doctor came in and went over everything on the ultrasound. Their growths, movements, ect. Then she mentioned that baby b (my boy) has a small amount of fluid in his left kidney. Ok................ she went on saying it was in the 20 week anatomy ultrasound but was such a small amount that it was not important to bring up. This time, 4 weeks later, it increased. A normal amount is supposed to be under 4ml, and his is 4.6ml....still very borderline. She explained that his "plumbing" could not be all developed yet, or that there could be a kink in a tube leading to the bladder. She also said it is very common and could work itself out. If not, then the baby would have a few follow up ultrasounds after birth but in most cases it is fine. Then she continues to say, orrrrr it could be a soft marker for Downs Syndrome. WHAT!? How can a tiny amount of fluid be such a huge major abnormality? It didnt make any sense to me, and personally everything she just mentioned went right out the window and all I could remember her saying was it could be Downs Syndrome. So that's why the technician said that to us, she saw the fluid and wondered if she could rule out the marker because the genetic testing was already done. I declined the testing with my daughter, and I declined it with this pregnancy also. I felt that if anything was wrong I would find out during an ultrasound, plus what difference did it really make? I looked at my husband and I could see the terror and panic in his face. I'm sure he saw mine too - what now?! The doctor went on saying how there are so many soft markers and she was confident that downs wasn't the case here because both babies passed all the screenings done in terms of the other markers. This was all Latin to me, I'm not one bit familiar with anything regarding downs or what to even look for. She told me I can get an amnio but would recommend I did not because of how far along I was, and the chance of losing the pregnancy would be great then this baby actually having down syndrome. So then she mentioned the Maternity21 genetic blood test. She said it was quick, easy, and not harmful to me or the babies. She said it would give us a little peace of mind. We decided to get the blood work done so we weren't wondering and stressing out for the rest of the pregnancy. We had to speak with a genetic counselor down in Allentown via video conference. This whole part was a huge fog to me. After the conference I walked into another room where they took 2 things of blood and off it went. There goes the rest of my life I thought, in those two little bottles. This "news" that would come back in 8-10 business days could be a total game changer for my family and I. Yep, you heard me 8-10 days of waiting! TORTURE! I left the office completely sick to my stomach. No matter how many times the doctor told me this was "normal" and she didn't think anything of it, I left there thinking one of my babies was not healthy and it was my fault. I came home that night and went into a very dark place. I can remember saying to my husband, "This is all my fault. We couldn't get pregnant for a reason, and I should have left it alone instead of tampering with medication to help. It was a sign to stop, and now our family is going to struggle". I called off work the next day and was going to spend the day getting my thoughts together, and figure out how to have some peace of mind with this because 8-10 days is a long time, and I am a busy lady!! I woke up feeling a little better and able to clearly understand the chances of this. I started to remember the other things the doctor told us it could be, and I did one thing I was petrified to do the night before.....I googled it. I was shocked to see how common this fluid issue was in normal healthy babies, especially boy babies. That gave me some hope that things weren't as bad as I were making them out to be. Later that night a n.p from the specialist office called me to see how we were doing. Once again she told me not to worry, and I was the 3rd one in there yesterday with fluid in the babies kidneys, very common. Ok, so at least now I can function even though the whole thing was still in the back of my head and would be until the results of the blood test came back. My appointment was on a Thursday night, so they told me not to expect the results until late the next week, or early the following (which would bring us to Thanksgiving time). It was Wednesday night the following week and I just got home from my reg ob appointment. It was only 4 business days since the blood work so I was not expecting a phone call, but I got one from the specialist - after all that worry everything genetically was perfect. Ugh thank gosh!! One thing about this whole experience is that it has so many up and down emotions. I feel like I am on a never ending ride and will not be able to get off until I am holding both of these babies in my arms safe and sound at HOME! Next ultrasound is at 28 weeks, lets hope it is uneventful!

Holidays

Thanksgiving will be here in a few weeks and my husband and I are hosting our very first holiday in our newly renovated home. We are both so excited to have a holiday in our own house and to not have to leave and go somewhere else. It seems every holiday is crazy, running here and there and not even being able to enjoy the day. Finally with my house big enough I can have everyone come over and I won't have to leave the comfort of my house. FINALLY! I am also looking forward to Christmas, I got a huge early jump on my Christmas shopping this year! Smart move, considering I have no idea what a few weeks will bring. That is the most frustrating part of this pregnancy; the big giant question mark that hangs over my head. How long will I go? When can I work until? Will I have to go on bed rest? The insane amount of doctors appointments help with all my questions but it's still a big giant question that no one can give me the answer to. I basically just have to go day by day and take it from there. I am hoping to make it working until 35 weeks. My OB seems to think that will be my max, and then we hope to deliver sometime between 37 and 38 weeks (Feb 17-20). I have double the appointments then someone with a singleton pregnancy. I go to my OB every 4 weeks and my specialist (because it's twins) every 4 also. I am very closely watched so that helps ease my mind on any issues that may pop up. They will also catch a potential issue possibly early, or watch a problem progress into something. So far, there is no real issues, except for a little protein in my urine. And according to my doctor it's my issue not his since there is only a small amount. I just need that small amount to stay small, at least for another 12 weeks! So that's why I am trying to get everything I need done for the holidays finished. So I can enjoy the month of December and grow, grow, grow!

First and second trimesters

Hello! Today is November 6, 2013 and I am finishing up week 22 tomorrow! I more than half way there and so far so good. My pregnancy has been on average "very normal". Just like my first pregnancy with a singleton. The only difference I notice is I was showing much sooner than with my first, and I am much bigger than anyone who is close to having the same due date as me. But of course, I assume it's because I have two beautiful babes in my belly. I had very similar pregnancy symptoms as I did with my daughter, slight morning sickness and back pain from week 7 to about 13. Nothing crazy, just usually first thing in the morning right when I brushed my teeth. Ugh terrible. Other than a few headaches, and back aches it was smooth sailing to the second trimester. This trimester has been more about adjusting my life to my big belly I am carrying around. The extra weight is tough on my back and sometimes affects my routine (like my obsessive cleaning), but that's what husbands are for right!? ;) I feel that having my daughter,and being so busy with her is making the time fly, and really doesn't give me the opportunity to complain about any aches and pains. I recently bought a pregnancy pillow, and so far it really hasn't helped me. It always ends up on the floor - I get too hot with it in my bed. Plus, I am used to a flatter pillow and I feel the fullness of the pillow gives me a headache.