Quick Update: July 13th

Wow, woefully behind on this blog....

Well, everything is going just about as well as can be hoped for at this point. Erin is at about 34 weeks, and other than being really uncomfortable, she's doing good.

The Boys are moving along just fine, measuring at a whopping 4 pounds, 11 ounces and 4 pounds, 6 ounces, respectively. Both are moving as they should be, and we've seen some good chest movement as well.

All in all, both Mommy and babies are doing good. We've had just a couple of tests come up just outside of normal ranges, so those will be repeated just "to keep an eye on things".

(Like we don't have an ultrasound every week anyway....)

We've been very lucky with the (relatively) mild summer here as well. Erin does have swelling, but at least she is not sweating to death....

Snip, snip....

We've talked about this for a while, and since I heal more quickly and easily, I'll be getting a vasectomy at the end of June.


(Incidentally, when I Googled "chicken scissors" the first results I got were for Scott Sigler. If anyone is familiar with Scott's novels, you'll find that hilarious.)

We've been over this, and this just seems the best and easiest way to go about this. They say to plan on being completely out of commission for about 2-3 days, and resuming some light activity up until about a week or two after that.

Honestly, the only thing that I have a problem with is that I'm more than likely to miss at least 2 soccer games. And I paid to play all of them. Oh well...

Okay, it's been brought to our attention that more of my online friends read this blog than we thought. (Looking at you, John! Find John at Hockey Tshirt.net.) So, I'm more than ready to catch some crap over this. I'm almost positive that my twitter friends will be ALL OVER this. All right then, bring it on...

23w2d U/S pics

23w2d

Hello everyone!!

Had another AFI (Amniotic Fluid Index) today. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is when I have an ultrasound just to measure the amniotic fluid in each of the boys gestational sacs. Normal range is from 3-8. Today Seth (Baby A) had 6.4 and Gavin (Baby B) had 3.2. These are all normal; both bladders are still open and working well to replenish their fluid. Good sign that the TTTS is stable. Gavin still looks crowded, but is moving well and making more room for himself. So now we will continue to have the AFI every week and May 10 I will have a growth scan. They looked to me to be the same size!!! My boys are strong and healthy. Fantastic fetal movement!!!!

As for me, it gets harder everyday. My BP is great. This morning it was 120/70, my finger sticks are all in normal range. Will redo GTT at 28 weeks. Now my pelvis is starting to open up and the muscles are starting to relax. I feel like I don't have any control over my hips. I hurt so bad by the end of the day I just want to lay down and go to sleep. I had been pretty sure I could handle this pregnancy and did not see bed rest in my future, but now I have seen why multiple pregnancies end in bed rest. For those of you who have carried multiples...bless you. For those of you who haven't...DON'T!!! Just kidding, it is definitely a new experience and very exciting, just poses different kinds of pregnancy problems.

Now if I could just get the energy to get my house ready for the new arrivals. Where I have been so tired, my poor house had suffered. Need that nesting instinct... NOW!!!

More next week.
Take care

TTTS? Ummm, WTF?

It's been a while, and it's been kind of eventful....

Well, we were going to have an ultrasound every week or so. One Friday when they were doing the measuring of sack fluid, (they measure the biggest "pocket" of fluid) they said that Baby A had a significant amount more than Baby B.

Baby A's fluid was on the high end of the normal range, and Baby B's was on the short side of normal. But still in the normal range.

Now, this could be a symptom of Twin-To-Twin Transfusion Syndrome, or TTTS. Basically what happens is that one twin "dominates" the other, potentially pulling the fluid from the second twin. And that, as you can imagine, is BAD.

(Side note: Why is it that all the male OB docs are the "gloom and doom" variety? We haven't seen one yet that doesn't immediately go to the ABSOLUTE WORST CASE SCENARIO.)

Anyway, so we had to come back in a week to measure the sacks again. Mommy was a nervous wreck, as you can imagine.

But, it was unfounded worry, as yes, Baby A still has more fluid than B. But, the difference between the two is MUCH less than it was the first time. And since then, Mommy has noticed Baby B moving and kicking much more than before, so even she is confident that he's doing okay.

*Sigh* I'm learning WAY too many things already.....

Time Out

Is it to early for me to put the boys in "time out". Several times a day they decide it is Wrestle Mania time. As of now they have about 2 hours of time they owe me!!!

Boy oh Boy

To everyone who has been waiting.... We are having boys, identical boys!!!

Ultrasound on Friday confirms that we are expecting 2 boys in a few months. Leigh will have two hyperactive brothers!!!

During the ultrasound we found out they are identical... which could cause medical problems so I will have ultrasounds every 3 weeks. As we were watching our children on the screen... Thing One and Thing Two seem to be acting like rowdy brothers already. Kicking and punching each other. Boy do we have our hands full.

Note: For anyone not experienced with reading these things, the arrows are pointing to the proof that they are BOYS. So, I guess that makes this post NSFW? --Ozzy

What you all have been waiting for.........

Belly 16 weeks and 2 days

An Uneventful Monday....

So, Erin has been sick for the better part of three weeks. It started out as a head cold, but she never really shook it.

Up until this past weekend, it was really just annoying. Nothing too horrible, just achy-nasty-feeling. But then it turned into a bout of running to the bathroom. (To give some idea, Erin and I have been together since '95. In the time we've been together, I have seen/heard her vomit less than 5 times.)

And so, not keeping things down, losing fluids that fast, and having a low grade (around 100 degrees) fever---- Off to the Emergency Room!

Hours and hours (and hours and hours...) later, they gave her a couple of bags of IV fluids and something to help with the nausea. Erin slept through most of the IV drip, which is good.

They came in after I had to leave to pick Leigh up and checked on the twins' heartbeats and such. And after Leigh and I got back, it was pretty well over.

One interesting thing, they gave her two prescriptions. One for a different nausea med, and the second? Well, the second is for a UTI. Weird, because no one said anything about her having a UTI.....

But, Erin is sleeping very well right now, and is talking about taking tomorrow off to sleep all day. We will see, but all in all, she is making progress. Which is really all we were looking for!!

Doc Appt.....

14 weeks and 6 days today.

Well, yesterday I went to a basic follow-up appt with my OB. First, I was in a room almost a hour before the Doc came it.... which is okay, I needed a nap and I also understand that procedures do go long.

Okay, so now the Doc is in the room. Normal questions, how are you feeling, blah, blah. One question " have you felt movement?" My response: " I can when they work together." The look on my Doc's face was about the same as mine when we found out!!! Why didn't my Doc know I was having twins!?!? He hadn't seen the radiology report or looked at my lab work. Good thing nothing was wrong!!! So at this point I was thinking: "Perhaps I should find a new doc".

Next, he proceeds to let me know he wasn't sure of the protocol for VBAC with multiples.... Even I know that. But he assured me he would research it for me and let me know at the first of the week. Okay. I will give him that one.

As if he hadn't surprised me enough, he had never dealt with a multiple birth.... Time to run!!! Need a new doc!!! Well, I need a consult with High Risk OB anyway due to the VBAC, so I have no doubt I will be treated as a "High Risk" patient from here on out. Which I am fine with; I would rather be with a doc that knows what is going on then be someone's first!!!

While at the appt we listen to the babies. I, having rented a fetal doppler, had listened to the babies earlier this morning so I knew where they were. But again, the doc didn't listen to me and then panics when he can't find the second heart beat. I TOLD HIM WHERE THE BABIES ARE AND THAT FLUFFY HAS STAGE FRIGHT AND HIDES.... Thank goodness I am going to high risk... couldn't handle the spastic little guys that I was seeing..

But all in all, Fluffy and Cuddles are doing great; heart beats each at 160. My blood pressure, glucose and weight are all going well. Also I am starting to feel better, able to eat and get some sleep. So all is good.

It's Been a Couple of Days...

Well, Erin still isn't feeling great, but I think she's going to break through it soon. Yesterday, she could actually smell the bacon I fried up for breakfast. Big step for her at this point....

And I know a lot of you have been asking her for pics of her belly. Those are coming soon. She talked about it at least a dozen times over the weekend; she's just still so run down.

Anyway, just a quick update. Just wanted to let everyone know that Erin is still doing okay, and that she feels bad that she hasn't kept up things here like she wants to. Like I said, hopefully she will be back shortly. She's very excited about getting some more things up and running here. (She has some ideas....)

Until then, I'll keep this updated as best as I can...

Sick, Sick, Sick!!!

It is not bad enough to have "morning sickness" all F'n day every F'n day. Now I have a MASSIVE cold. And as we all know..... you can't take S*#T for it!!! Sorry about the "language" but I feel very bad, and frustrated that I am now 13 weeks and feel as bad as I did at 8 weeks.

Fingers crossed that I don't kill anyone during this illness.

Sorry for the short rant!!! Hope the next post is lighter.

What is Fair?

Erin really likes her wine. She LOVES her Reislings and Moscatos. She's a sucker for the super sweet, dessert style wines. There was a stretch there that she was averaging about 3 bottles a month. (Which may sound like a lot, but keep in mind that the wine we drink is in the eight to fifteen dollar range...)

But, of course, now that she's pregnant, all alcohol consumption has stopped. And she does miss it to an extent, more the taste than the alcohol part. She never did drink wine with the intent of getting drunk, but she liked the taste of certain wines...

Anyway, we went to Olive Garden for Valentine's Day. (Apparently, garlic is the only thing that gets rid of the morning sickness taste in her throat.) And they offer around the "complimentary" tasting of the house white. Erin looks rather longingly at the bottle in the waitress's hand, but assures me that I can have a glass if I would like.

My contention is that this situation is not fair, no matter if she says it's okay or not. If I drink that glass of wine, in front of her, that is pretty disrespectful. Not to say that I'm an angel, and may not decide down the road to have a glass of wine or a shot of alcohol, but that didn't feel right to me.

Erin doesn't think this a big deal, and that I should have whatever, after all I'm "not the one that's pregnant". But, the short of it is, that just didn't seem right. You know?

Aunt Mandy= Miss Cleo

So, I guess I'm supposed to give Aunt Mandy credit for calling that we're having twins....

Since she called the fact that Leigh was a girl while she was still in the womb....

And I guess she said that Erin was pregnant before Erin even knew....

Anyway, there's all the credit Aunt Mandy is getting.

To Aunt Mandy: KNOCK IT THE F%#$ OFF.

Thanks. Love you, but knock it off, okay?

Sorry

I need to apologize to everyone. I really want to post at least every other day, but I have been so tired and sick.... I don't have the energy to do a post every other day. I am sorry. Hope soon my energy will come back and I will give everyone a blow by blow of this pregnancy.

Just a short update. I can now feel the twins move, mostly on my bladder but sometimes right behind my bellybutton. Also I have started to show... can't believe that I am already!!!! Still am sick most of the time and of course TIRED all the time. I do have to admit it has gotten better... fingers crossed that this phase will pass soon.

Big Sis Leigh is still totally excited!! As we were deciding on a personal ad for her yearbook, she wanted to put a pic of the babies in there and not hers.......How Sweet. I believe she will be a fantastic Big Sis. She always give me a hug and kiss as well as the babies. She is a wonderful child, I couldn't ask for a better, more loving and kind child.

Do You Want Boys or Girls or Both?

This question has come up more times than I can count already. And apparently, I have not come up with a suitable enough answer for anyone's taste, because it has come up multiple times from the same people....

Honestly! I have NO PREFERENCE to the sexes (plural... one of those moments when that hits me again...) of the babies. Boys, girls, or a boy and a girl, does not matter. Leigh also points out that it could be a girl and a boy, not just a boy and a girl. She just LOVES to split hairs like that...

Speaking of Leigh, the argument I get a lot is this: that I must want at least one boy so that I have one in the house with me. And this just does not hold up for me, since I already have the best of both with Leigh.

Leigh loves to wear dresses and have tea parties, that's true. But does no one see how she acts, even in the pretty clothes? She still fights, and wrestles, and runs around like a maniac. Well, like a BOY, kind of.... She plays soccer and basketball and loves to go ice skating. But she also loves going to gymnastics.

Anyway, I really have everything I could want in a child with Leigh. So, to answer the question in another way; I do not feel like I'm "missing" anything now, so all I want is for everyone in our Family to be healthy. We do a good job at "happy" amongst ourselves, so I don't worry about that. Healthy is the goal.

Names, names, names....

Okay, so we've been talking about names for the twins. Which is really tough, since we aren't far enough along yet to find out the sex... er, sexES of the babies.

So, what we've been trying is to find 2 boys' names and 2 girls' names. Very tough, because you very quickly get pulled into the game of trying to make them follow a theme. Like naming one Autumn and one Summer. Or Trey and Troy. (Trey and Troy did come up. I, personally, like the name Troy, but a "trey" is a number as far as I'm concerned...)

So, the other night, I asked Big Sis about names. "What should we call the babies when they get here?"

Now, I had a feeling that this was going to be good, but she took a minute or two to REALLY think. You could watch her mind working, and after a time of furrowed-brow thought, she stopped and smiled.

"We could call one baby Fluffy, and the other could be.... Hannah Montana," she said proudly.

"Fluffy?" I asked, "Okay, you just got demoted to only naming pets from now on...."

I honestly have no clue where the name "Fluffy" came from... (I know all too well where the other name came from.)

Ultrasound: Mom's point of view

Ok, heading to the ultrasound. I was nervous and excited all at the same time. Nervous due to not knowing if everything was going to be ok,and excited that we were going to see our baby. Same feelings all expecting moms get at their first ultrasound.

So there we are, Me, my husband and our 6 year old daughter, (who at this point doesn't even know she is going to be a big sis). We all know the procedure. Start with the external, didn't see much.....well at least I didn't. So I assume the position for the internal. At first look, it seemed as if we had a deformed baby.. I was a bit panicked. I saw a head and something VERY wrong with the rump. The tech, being as cute as she thought she was, asked me what I saw. I said "that (pointed to the top head) is the head and that(pointed at the bottom) is a large rump". At this point she placed an A and B on the screen, "does that help?" she asked. No, not really. Then she tells up with all the peppiness in the world. No, 1 and 2..... WHAT!!!! Things from that moment on was a bit of a blur. I can remember feeling weak and faint and crying behind my laughter. Dad didn't say too much, and Big Sis is yelling "we're going to have 2 babies".

Well from that moment on, our lives changed. I couldn't breathe, barely able to walk or comprehend that fact that we are having twins. Big Sis on the other hand had the whole situation under control. I have never seen her so excited.. that is how I knew everything was going to be ok. She ran around showing everyone and anyone the ultrasound pic. "Mommy is having 2 babies." Will never forget hearing her say it, which in a funny turn sometimes make my knees week and fell a bit faint.

TWINS............WOW. never would have expected it!!!!

Excuse me?

Okay, so we knew that we were expecting a new addition to our Family. That part was fine. Well, not planned in the least, but....

So, myself, my wife and our 6 year old daughter, who knew nothing about a new baby, walked into the suite to have the ultrasound done. Leigh, the 6 year-old, was a little apprehensive.

My wife gets all set up with the radiologist, who starts looking around on the screen. She proceeds to put up a picture on the screen that has two dots, one on the upper left, one on the lower right. Which she marks as number one and number two, respectively.

She looks at my wife, lying on the bed and says, "Does that make sense to you?"

At this point, my only thought is that she better be trying to say that number one is a head and number two is a rear...

My wife looks hard and says, "Well, one looks like a head, but number two does.."

The radiologist grins. "Yeah, there are two in there."

At this point, Leigh is looking at the screen and says, "There are BABIES in Mommy's belly?!?!"

After a couple of silent seconds, I confirm Leigh's assessment of the situation. She jumps at me, throwing her arms around me. She's so excited, she can not contain herself. Then, she looks at me and says, "Daddy, now we're gonna have to get TWO baby kennels."

I laugh, and say sure, we will. (I figure it's not worth arguing terminology at this point.) But, I tell her, we have time to worry about that.

"Daddy," she says after a couple of thoughtful seconds, "we're going to need more milk. Because babies drink a lot of milk." I laugh, and tell her again that we have time.

"But, Daddy, the babies are going to have to go to Pre-school before they go to Kindergarten."

Not long after, we walk out of the ultrasound suite, pictures in hand. Well, I say walk, but my wife and I are not walking very well at this point. Shock has set in BIG-time, and I dare say that neither of us had our legs under us.

Leigh, on the other hand, is BOUNCING down the hallway. She just CAN NOT wait to show anyone and EVERYONE the pictures that prove she is going to be a Big Sister.