15 Weeks & Christmas

December 26, 2011

So much has happened in the last 4 weeks since my last update. First, we had the NT scan at 12w3d and both babies looked beautiful.  They measured perfectly and tests came back with very low risk for Downs or any of the Trisomies.  We didn't have that testing done with Ryder so this was new for us.  We were both happy to see such great results!

On December 22nd, we had an elective gender ultrasound to try and see the gender of the babies before Christmas!  This was the first time we brought Ryder with us to "see" the babies.  Baby B was VERY cooperative and willing to show that she is A GIRL.  Baby A refused to show us.  She kept her legs crossed with one hand between her legs. She was NOT going to show us.  Although it would have been great to get double girl confirmation, since we are having identical twins, we only needed one to cooperate to know that we are having 2 girls!  I still cannot believe we are having 2 girls!!!  We are very excited and Ryder is too!!

Yesterday we celebrated Christmas!  This was such a special Christmas for us.  Not only will it be our LAST Christmas as a family of 3, but it was also Ryder's FIRST Christmas EVER not being sick.  His first Christmas he had HIVES everywhere when we discovered he was allergic to penicillin.  Last year, he had a double ear infection and received his 2nd set of tubes a couple weeks later.  So, as I said, this year was very special for us to enjoy a healthy Christmas!  It was the GREATEST gift we could have been given.

1st Christmas- Allergic Reaction to Pennicilin

2nd Christmas- double ear infection

3rd Christmas- HAPPY AND HEALTHY!!  

Today also marks my 15th week of pregnancy!  I cannot believe how quickly its starting to go.  It's also becoming very taxing on my body.   So much more different than my pregnancy with Ryder.  Carrying the extra weight has been harder than I realized.  I'm doing the best I can to follow Dr's orders and get 3-6 hours of rest, with my feet up, a day.  Most days I'm able to get 3 in.  And the days I don't, I pay the price the following day.  I'm getting a little nervous about how difficult its going to get, but I'm just taking one day at a time. I'm still mostly enjoying being pregnant in spite of the restrictions.  After our loss, I realize even more so what a gift these babies are.  I know this will be our last pregnancy, so I want to enjoy it.  

15 weeks 12/26/11

Christmas Snuggles with my favorite little man

Our last Christmas as a family of 3

11 week update

November 28th, 2011

Here we are at 11 weeks!!!  The 2nd trimester is in sight!  On Wednesday, before Thanksgiving, I had a regular appointment with our OB.  It was nothing out of the ordinary and the FIRST time I was in the office without getting an ultrasound.  It was close, though.  Dr. Rosenberg went to listen to the heartbeat with the doppler and had a hard time finding it.  I immediately thought, "Oh great, here we go again!".  He said he was going to try ONE more time and if he couldn't find it, we'd go do another ultrasound.  He looked just below my belly button and to the right and sure enough, there they were!  He was shocked at how high up they are already.  I was just so grateful to hear that beautiful sound!  I felt like I just dodged a bullet.  After we listened it was time for my exam to make sure everything was good.  Everything was fine and he cautioned me that I may experience some bleeding after the exam.

The next day I woke up and had a lot of bleeding.  It was more than I was comfortable with, but bleeding seems to be the theme of this pregnancy, so I didn't panic.  We packed up and headed out for Thanksgiving in the Mountains!!!  We had a great time and unfortunately, the bleeding continued all the way into Sunday.  This morning, Monday, I woke up and it was lighter but still there.  I phoned my dr and of course he said, "You better come in.  Let's do another ultrasound and see how these kiddos are doing."  They got me in right away and we saw 2 beautiful and strong heartbeats!  Here is Baby A:

                                                Baby A at 11 weeks looking right at me! :)
Baby B didn't give us much to see, so hopefully he will cooperate more at our 12 week appointment so I can show you how big he's gotten too!  During the ultrasound, we discovered that I have placenta previa.  That means my placenta is blocking my cervix.  My dr told me there is still a possibility of it moving away from the cervix but this is most likely the cause of my bleeding.  I've been instructed to take it VERY easy, rest with feet up at ANY given opportunity, and a c-section will be in order if it doesn't move.  He also told me that they will NOT allow me to go past 37 weeks.  I can't take ANY chances of going into labor on my own.  It's a little unnerving, but I'm hopeful it will move.  If it doesn't, I have bedrest in my future.  I asked "How much?"  Dr R. replied, "Let's just say it will be a long haul!"  I told him my goal was to make it to 30 weeks.  He laughed and said, "You might want to lower your expectations."  I will do whatever it takes to get both of these babies here safely!!!  Anyways, since I was there, my doctor said we might as well go ahead and get some labs done.  My most favorite part of pregnancy.  Joe wasn't with me to witness, so as promised, I take pics of anything he misses.  7 GIANT viles of blood later…

Finally, I went home to rest!  Luckily, my busy season is wrapping up and I have time to sneak in naps daily.  Before I crawled into bed for a little R&R, I thought I better get an 11 week belly shot in too!  Looking back at old pics, this is about the size I was with Ryder at 17weeks!  WOW, I'm going to be one BIG Momma!

                                                               11 weeks and growing

Gobble, Gobble Cupcakes

November 23, 2011

Working hard on the first round of cupcakes...

Yes, I have every cupcake tool imaginable, thanks to my awesome sister, Shannon.  We've taken my cupcake skills to the next level...

I'm not sure if you can see the clock here, but please take notice.  It's after 9pm and I've been decorating for what feels like an eternity!  This Momma is TIRED!

All boxed and ready to be donated to some deserving patients.  A special thanks to my husband for constructing the boxes.  I'm already thinking about how to improve my packaging for next year's cupcakes!

Another dozen cupcakes that will be enjoyed by the Walsh family in Arnold, CA.  We are headed out Thanksgiving morning with cupcakes and pumpkin rolls!

Last but not least, a close up of my little turkey!  These little guys are a lot of work but so much fun!  I didn't get to sample one ahead of time this year, so I hope they taste good, too!

The sweet sounds of a heartbeat...

November 18, 2011 (9 weeks)

I've been trying for about a week to pick up the twinkies heartbeats on the doppler.  I think I finally found one of them tonight!!!  It's such an amazing sound!  Huge THANKS to my bestest, Katie, for lending me her doppler!!!  Oh what a fun addition to pregnancy!  :) 

A BIG sigh of relief!

November 17, 2011

Let me just start with a HUUUUGE sigh of relief!  The babies are GREAT!!!  We saw two beautiful and strong heartbeats, again!  I'm still amazed at how much they grow in just a few days!  Baby A is beating away at 164bpm and Baby B has a heart rate of 174bpm.  I couldn't be happier to see them thriving and okay!

My Dr. was out so i saw a different doctor, who was so sweet!  She did an exam after the ultrasound and said everything looked great!  My blood pressure is a little high but she said thats to be expected with the stress of bleeding in pregnancy.  She put me on pelvic rest until the end of the first trimester as a precaution. 
Anyways, another picture to add to my growing collection:

A stumbling block...

November 16, 2011

If there is one thing I've learned in life it is, where there is joy there also comes fear and heartache. I really think the best things in life don't come easy.  Tonight I find myself in the midst of what I'm hoping is just a minor stumbling block.  (Read: Trying not to panic).  I'm hoping that this is just a stumbling block on the way to an amazing journey.

I haven't been sleeping well.  Besides waking up to pee every hour or so, I have a hard time falling back to sleep.  But I'm really not complaining.  I love being pregnant and I love these babies.  Today, I was so tired and feeling a little cold coming on that I decided I really needed a day to take it easy.  So after we got Ryder off to school, I grabbed my laptop and my work stuff and cuddled into bed.  I officially declared it a "Work from Bed" day.  I actually got a lot done and even manged to squeeze in a 2 hour nap in the middle of the day.  It was definitely needed and when I woke up, I noticed I was running a low grade fever.  So, I grabbed a snack and headed back to bed to return some calls and emails.  I really wasn't feeling well so I got up to ask Joe if he would pick Ryder up from school.  As I walked from our room to the office, I felt a little trickle.  It's not really funny, but I thougth I peed my pants.  I turned right around and went to the bathroom only to find, I was bleeding.  My heart sunk.  I called for Joe who immediately came running.  He brought me my phone and I called my dr.  At this point its 4:35pm and I know that its going to be hit or miss to get them on the phone.  Frustrated and nervous, I leave a message.  Five minutes later, my call is returned.  She asked a million questions and determined I need to be in bed for the rest of the night.  She told me I'm only to get up to go to the bathroom.  And that I should come in tomorrow morning for another ultrasound to see what is going on.  *Sigh*.  I wonder, when I will get to go for an ultrasound where I'm not paralyzed with fear???

Amongst all of this, I am trying desperately to stay positive!  I have a hard time believing that I would be given such an amazing gift just to have them taken away.  I want to believe these babies are going to be ours to keep.  I've been trying to distract myself with TV, texts, Facebook, etc.  But as hard as I try, I can't get this out of my mind.  I know its going to be a long night!  All I can do is pray and continue to believe that they will be okay!  They have to be okay!!! 

8 Week Ultrasound

November 14, 2011

So, I've discovered the "upside" of being labeled a "High Risk Pregnancy"- Ultrasounds Galore!  I must admit that today was my 4th ultrasound.  It's truly amazing to see the week by week changes unfold right before your eyes.  Today's appointment was nothing short of amazing (although, I'm sure I will say that about ANY visit I get to see or hear my babies!).  Today, was just another "check up" to make sure they are thriving and to keep a close eye on things in light of our recent loss and the risks associated with identical twins.

I had a new ultrasound tech today and she was a sweetheart!  She informed me that I've now had every tech in the office do my ultrasounds and she would be asking me to tell her who was the best.  I laughed and said, "I'll judge based off who gives me the MOST pictures."  Leverage.  She began the ultrasound and immediately I saw 2 GIANT babies!  I was amazed at how much they both had grown.  She took measurements of Baby A who measured 8w3d (1 day ahead) and had a heart rate of 174 bpm.  "Very Strong Heart Rate", She told me.  I was beaming with pride.  She moved onto Baby B.  Baby B measured 8w5d (3 days ahead) and had a heart rate of 165 bpm.  It really amazes me that at our 6 week ultrasound, Baby B was the twin our doctor was concerned was not going to make it.  Now Baby B, my over achiever, is my "big" baby!  I'm claiming Baby B as a go getter, one who likes to prove others wrong.  She gets that from her Mom.  (Yes today, I'll say she, tomorrow I'll say He).  I don't like 'it' and the 'he/she' stuff just gets tiresome.

Anyways, Joe had to work, the glory of a salesman on commission.  Since he couldn't be with me to see our babies, I asked the tech if she would mind if I video'd the ultrasound from my phone.  She was happy to oblige, scoring double points for the "Best Tech in Office" Award.  I cannot begin to express how fascinated and in love with these babies I am.  They are such little miracles!  They truly were the biggest shock of my life but I wouldn't have it ANY other way!!!!

And in keeping with the fairness, I certainly don't want one of these twinkies to get "Middle Child Syndrome" Here is a video of Baby B being measured.  I apologize for them being sideways. I apparently need a lesson in videography on my cell phone.  But, you get the point:

Lastly, today's ultrasound tech gets the award for "Best Tech in the Office" for not only allowing my amateur video, but also giving the most pictures (3 pics).  But here is my favorite of the 3: Both of my babies snuggled all cozy and totally clueless about the family they are apart of.  Your big brother can't WAIT to meet you two!!!!  He's got A LOT to teach you!