Smartie's Current Favorite Song

Whisper a prayer in the morning
Whisper a prayer at noon
Whisper a prayer in the evening
To keep your heart in tune.

God answers prayer in the morning
God answers prayer at noon
Godd answers prayer in the evening
To keep your heart in tune.

Jesus may come in the morning
Jesus may come at noon
Jesus may come in the evening
So keep your heart in tune.

Draw a picture in the morning
Draw a picture at noon
Draw a picture in the evening
To keep your heart in tune.

And my own favorite verse:
Babies can cry in the morning
Babies can cry at noon
Babies can cry in the evening
But they shouldn't cry at night
'Cause they're s'posed to be sleeping.

All I Want for Christmas...

...is a silent night.



Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night's sleep. Especially the baby-mamas.

The First Time (But Not the Last)

I had Monkey and Sassy set up on the floor with some baby toys. On the other side of the room, Smartie and Sweetie were playing Memory. I turned my back for one minute. And then I heard it--"Mom!  Monkey's bothering us!"

Yes, Monkey had rolled across the room, grabbed a fistful of cards, and was attempting to stuff them into his mouth. And to top it off, he had to have rolled over the top of Sassy to get there. And so begins the Annoying-Little-Brother phase. ;)

Advertiser's Dream, Daddy's Nightmare

The other day we were watching some TV with the girls. The commercials came on, and Papa Runner and I weren't really paying attention until Smartie started crying. What now, Miss Drama Queen?

"I don't want a new car!" she wails. HUH? "The man said I had to buy that car, but I don't want to!"

Oh, sweet Smartie. You don't have to buy anything you don't want to buy.

Potty-Training Diary & Nursing at 5 months

My little Sweetie turned 3 on Tuesday. As mentioned last week, we decided Monday was No More Diaper Day.

On Monday, she had 7-8 accidents and no successes. After each accident she'd say, "Now can I have a diaper? Please?"

On Tuesday, we took her diaper off at 8:00 when she got up, and she held it for almost 4.5 hours! She was obviously uncomfortable for the last 2 hours, but she was determined not to go despite sitting on the potty every 5-10 minutes. Finally, she sat down on her own, without me asking her to, and went potty. She immediately said, "Hey, the tinkles are coming out. :D I get chocolate! :D" After that one success, though, she had 3-4 accidents throughout the afternoon.

On Wednesday, she again held it for 4.5 hours, then used the potty on her own. She stayed dry the rest of the day, without me reminding her!

On Thursday, the novelty had worn off. She had a few accidents throughout the morning, but stayed dry all afternoon/evening.

Today, she has been dry all day except for the accident she had while playing outside. I'd say she's about 95% there with bladder-training during the day. Next up, bowel training--she's had a BM accident every day this week, but I know it can take a few more weeks before she figures that out. I don't expect her to be night trained for a few more years yet, considering our family history of bed wetting.

________________________________


The twins are five months old now. You know what would make nursing x2 much easier? Three more pairs of hands. Wouldn't it be nice to have one hand to hold each head in place, one to hold each body in place, one to hold each breast/tube in place, and one to hold each pair of little hands out of the way? Plus an extra one to scratch my nose. ;) That's what I want for Christmas, seven more hands!

We are at a tricky age with BF. Actually, it's been going on for almost a month already--the grabby hand phase! The twins are driving me nuts with pulling on the supplement tubing, pushing on my breast, popping on and off. UGH! And yet, I can't imagine doing anything else. Quitting has never seriously crossed my mind, even in those (rare) moments when I think I hate BF. When I'm relatching for literally the 57th time, I still can't imagine switching to bottles. (This is not meant to make anyone feel guilty for making different choices. I know we all do the best we can with our specific circumstances.)

All the Baby-Mamas

LOVE IT!

Potty Training Woes

Sweetie will be three on Tuesday, and she isn't potty trained. In fact, she isn't the least bit interested in trying. I know if I wait long enough, she'll eventually decide to use the toilet herself. I'm also nervous that if I push too hard, she'll rebel. But I'm tired of waiting!

Complicating matters is the fact that I'm still nursing the twins for 45 minutes/feed every 3 hours or so. The few times we've attempted going diaper free, she always holds it until I'm nursing, then has an accident. So it's going to be tricky to time things and put in the effort to get the job done.

We've been talking up her birthday as when she becomes a big girl and uses the potty. Her party is on Sunday, which means on Monday we'll take away the diapers! She's been agreeing with us. Yep, Monday is the day. No more diapers, I'll use the potty. Today we counted down--today, then Saturday, then party day, then no more diapers.

She's thinks for a moment.

"Is that funny?" she asks.
Is what funny?
"That is a joke. I'm going to laugh. HAHAHAHAHA!"

Oh dear.

Exactly how is she feeling?

Me: Sweetie, come eat your lunch.
Sweetie: I'm too tired to eat.
Me: Then go to your room and take a nap.
Sweetie: I'm too thristy to sleep.
Me: Then drink your milk.
Sweetie: I'm too picture-y to drink.

(I think she's hoping I'll say, "Go draw a picture." But I won't.)

Running Again

Last night I went on my first post-baby run. Boy, am I out of shape! But I know I can get back into racing form with a little work. I haven't signed up yet, but I'm tentatively hoping to do the Illinois Half-Marathon in Champaign on May 1. We'll see how it goes with two little ones.

When First-borns Play Together

I had the privilege of babysitting my niece and nephew the other day. The four kids were playing with our toy pop-up tent when I overheard the following converstaion between the strong-willed oldests:

Smartie: And the SIXTH rule is *blah blah blah*.
Cousin: No, Smartie, there ARE no rules. YOU DON'T OWN THE TENT!

The Worst Christmas Gift

Once again, the Illinois Lottery is advertising tickets for Christmas (and once again I have their stupid jingle stuck in my head.) I can't imagine a worse gift than losing lottery tickets. Seriously, you could have gotten a $20 gift card to a restaurant, or cash, or even an ugly sweater to return. Instead you get $20 worth of losing lotto tickets? How disappointing.

I'm definitely not ready for this...

So, at not quite 4.5 months, Monkey is MOBILE! This morning I left the room for a few minutes, and he wasn't where I left him when I came back. He can roll tummy to back and back to tummy in the same direction. He managed to roll all the way across the living room!

A newborn's conversaton with God

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."

God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"

God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care your angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to You?"

God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you to pray."

"Who will protect me?"

God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see You anymore."

God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."

God said, "You will simply call her, 'Mom.'"

Four Months

Here we are with 1/3 of a year gone already! Babies are doing great. They've both doubled their birth weight--Sassy is 10lb 10.5oz and Monkey is 12lb 4.5oz as of Tuesday. They both are rolling tummy to back, smiling, and "talking." It's funny, though, Sassy hits the physical milestones about 2 weeks before Monkey while Monkey hits the social milestones about 2 weeks before Sassy.

Monkey has recently discovered his voice and loves to scream. Sassy tends to be quiter and let Monkey do the talking, unless she's by herself. Then she gets a little more vocal. Monkey is really quick to smile and interact with people (looking to be the most extroverted of my children) while Sassy likes to study you first (another introvert). When she does smile, though, it's with her whole body. Her smile doesn't just light up the room, it lights up the whole city!

Nursing is getting better again after a setback with a blister. They take a combined 24-28oz of formula depending upon the day, so I estimate my supply has maxed out at 50-55%. Part of me still struggles with not making more, while most of me realizes that would be a full supply for one which is fantastic given my post-surgery status! (Then part of me wants to have just one more baby so I could nurse with a full supply, and the rest of me says I'm out of my mind!)

United Breaks Guitars

Theatrical Debut

Monkey got to play "Baby Moses" in Sunday school today! He was fantastic.

H1N1

Here's an interesting article about H1N1. For those who don't want to take the time to read the whole thing, I'll sum up.

NO ONE is being tested for H1N1 anymore. If you have "flu like symptoms" you are assumed to have H1N1 and are counted as a "confirmed" case even though you weren't tested. When they were testing, it was found that approximately 80% of suspected cases didn't have ANY type of flu, and of the 20% that did have flu, approximately 80% of those were types other than H1N1. So if you hear that so-and-so has a "confirmed" case of H1N1, you can be about 95% sure that s/he has something else.

So how many deaths are there from H1N1, really? The answer: we have no idea, but a whole lot less than we're being told!

Small Goals

It's time to get back into the swing of things. For too long I've been slacking off, using my "new" twins as an excuse. Well, they're 3.5 months old now, time to move on! So each week I'll be setting a goal, and if I accomplish it I'll add another one for the next week.

This week's goal (drumroll, please):








Getting Dressed!

That's right! I, Mama Runner, will get myself and all four kids dressed each morning for an entire week! I know what you're thinking: she sure expects a lot from herself. But I think this week we might actually do it! And next week I'm going crazy and adding Making Beds to the list!


At this rate I might actually be cleaning toilets by New Year. Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

New Pics

Wish I had a Picture

Early this morning I was nursing the twins. They caught sight of each other. Sassy gave Monkey a big smile. Monkey responded with a giggle that spit milk all over. So cute! They really love to "talk" and smile to each other.

I'd post a pic of their beautiful smiles, but they get too distracted by the camera to actually smile.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

October 15 is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

I will be lighting candles in honor of Grace and Ian.

For all those mothers out there who are missing their babies, I will be praying for you.

Doctor appointments

Smartie's six-year check went well. Her weight is finally starting to catch up a bit. She's still off the chart, but not as far as she had been.

We also got Monkey's official results today. He has a curvature of his spine (scoliosis) that measured 11.9 on his x-rays. Dr. wants to repeat the x-rays in six weeks to see whether this number is accurate or if it appeared worse than it really is due to positioning. Once he compares the two x-rays, we'll probably be off to a spine specialist.

My Baby is Six!

Six years ago today the couple became a family! She only weighed 4lb 4oz. I can hardly believe she's gotten so big! Today we had a mother-daughter adventure. Here's the before picture:



Smartie went first. This is her second donation to Locks of Love:


I went next. This is my third donation:


Smartie's tail will be made into a wig for a child. Mine isn't long enough but will be sold to pay for the making of Smartie's wig:


And here we are with our matching haircuts:

Monkey's unofficial results

I called in and talked to the nurse today. Dr. C hadn't had time to look over the report yet, but the unofficial report from the nurse is that his spine is, in fact, curved, but there are no abnormalities.

What does this mean? I don't know. I suspect that it means the problem is in the muscles rather than bone/organs. Maybe his muscles on one side of his body are more developed or tighter or something, and that's pulling on his spine. So it appears to be good news so far. Hopefully we'll get the official report and interpretation soon.

An Adventure

I must be crazy. I took all four kids to my doctor's appointment today, then to the mall to buy new shoes for the girls. Smartie called it our Smartie-Sweetie-Sassy-Monkey-Mommy-Playdate-to-the-Mall Adventure!  The kids did surprisingly well through the whole thing.

Doctor Appointment

So I took Monkey to the doctor today. We've noticed his spine curves to his left and his abdomen is distended to the right. Dr. C is not sure which is the primary problem--does he have a spine problem (like scoliosis) that is pushing his abdomen sideways, or is there a problem in his abdomen (like an enlarged liver) that is pushing his spine sideways? So we have an X-ray and ultrasound scheduled for next Tuesday. He won't be able to eat for 4 hours beforehand, so that should be interesting.

On the plus side, it was really fun just having one baby to interact with. Monkey loves being talked to and is becoming so expressive. I've fallen into a bad pattern (which other twin mamas have said they do, too) that I don't do much one-on-one time with the twins. I feel like if I'm just holding one, I'm neglecting the other, so I just neglect them both equally. I'll have to get over that and make some time for each twin separately.

Big Eyes and Big Grin

Two Months

The individual pics turned out great, but the ones of them together are dark. I may try again later today or tomorrow.

Homeschooler ordered to attend public school

Washington Times article

Scam Spam

So my e-mail has been corrupted by scam spam again. In the last 24 hours, I've gotten contacted by 17 banks, delivery services, lawyers, etc. all telling me I'm getting between $800,000 and $1.2 million from Nigeria. Sweet, $17,000,000 for me! All I have to do is let them steal my identity!

Yeah, does UPS use a g-mail account to tell you they have a package for you?

Oh, and I've been hired by Hampton Inns (who also uses a g-mail account) even though I didn't apply! But first I have to let them steal my identity to confirm employment. Who knew it was so easy to get a job in this economy?

The Letter

DEAR BRD I WONT
YOU TO UZE MY STRING

Written by Smartie this morning

Drama, Drama, Drama

Smartie the Drama Queen was playing outside with her princess dolls. While she was standing on a ladder, a thread came loose from Sleeping Beauty's hem and blew away in the wind. She cried for 45 minutes about it. Really! Then she drew this picture:



I tried to comfort her by telling her a mama bird would pick it up and use it in her nest to keep her babies warm. Now she is FURIOUS at that bird for stealing her thread and wants to know if she can have some money to buy it back. All this over a THREAD!

Three Pixies and a Linebacker

Where did this kid come from? Monkey is almost always the first to get hungry, he eats an extra 4oz of supplement a day, and he's gained an extra 10oz above what Sassy has gained. It's a bit unnerving--I keep thinking Sassy's not gaining enough even though she's gaining as well as or better than her sisters at this age, just because I've got Monkey showing her up!

Wish us luck!

Today I took Sweetie to the store. We bought---drum roll please---Dora panties!!! She's really excited about wearing them and assures me that tomorrow she'll be using the potty chair. Fingers crossed that this works!

I do it myself/I can't

For the last two weeks, Sweetie has insisted on getting dressed "by myself." She tries and tries, gets frustrated, screams for help, screams some more because she doesn't want help, etc. You all know what I'm talking about. Well, she's finally figured it out and has successfully dressed herself since Saturday.

And today? "I CAAAAAAN'T! I NEED HEEEEELP!" Well, I'm just too tired to deal with her today (six weeks of sleep deprivation is really catching up to me.) So I left her crying on the floor. And her solution? "I'll just be naked today, Mommy." *sigh*

The Story of Monkey

I already wrote about my labor in Sassy’s story, so I’ll start with what happened after Sassy’s birth.

After Sassy was born, the intensity of my contractions dropped so much it was like they weren’t even there. I fell into a half-sleep and just rested. Dr. S got there two minutes after Sassy was born. The first thing he did was a quick ultrasound to check on Monkey. Unfortunately, Monkey had turned breech. Dr. S was aware of my desire for as natural a birth as possible and my extreme desire to avoid a c-section. We had talked about the possibility of Baby B turning breech as Baby A was born, and he had agreed to attempt a breech delivery if it came to that. But first we were going to attempt a version.

The anesthesiologist was more or less freaking out in the background, strongly insisting that we needed to do a spinal immediately. But Dr. S was true to my wishes and made two attempts at a version without it. He was not successful. At that point, he and I talked through our options. He wanted to try a more aggressive version but thought it best to go ahead with the spinal at this point. For one thing, the already-attempted versions had been very painful for me and this would be worse. For another, if something went wrong we’d have to do an immediate c-section. There might not be time for a spinal, and then I’d have to be put under. I decided to accept the spinal.

The freaked-out anesthesiologist was very relieved to be doing the spinal he’d longed for. He obviously had no confidence in either a successful version or a successful breech delivery, because he gave me the whole gamut of c-section drugs instead of the minimum dose I’d been expecting. Once again, I entered my half-asleep state.

I don’t remember much of what was going on, but Papa Runner said there were three people involved in the version—Dr. S, midwife Sara, and a nurse all pushing on my stomach in a coordinated effort. As soon as Monkey turned, Dr. S grabbed the vacuum extractor to pull him out as fast as possible. This was something I didn’t realize had happened until Brett told me later. He said it was crazy to see how hard they pulled on him.

The next thing I knew, they were yelling at me to push. I couldn’t feel a darn thing and have no idea if I was even pushing. I heard them say the head was out and to push more. At this point I was very confused. I didn’t realize they had flipped him, thought we were doing a breech delivery, and couldn’t figure out why I still needed to push if the head was out. And then my brain caught up and realized the version had been a success.

Monkey finally made his grand entrance at 9:49 am, 24 minutes after his sister. He weighed in at 5lb 12oz and 17.5 inches. Due to the trauma of his version and vacuum-assisted delivery, his initial APGAR was 3, but he quickly improved to a 9. So my best, almost-intervention-free birth was followed by my worst, intervention-heavy birth. BUT we avoided the c-section, so I was happy.

Just one more thing to add: When I was able to nurse both babies soon after, Sassy, who was pain-med free and birthed as my body directed, was awake, aware, and eager to nurse. Monkey, who got a high dose of spinal meds, was very aggressively turned, and then yanked out with a vacuum, was groggy and uninterested. In my previous births, I wasn’t allowed to nurse Smartie because she was a preemie and taken to the NICU, and Sweetie, who also was born after a spinal, was groggy and uninterested in nursing. How amazing the difference natural childbirth makes!

If you want to read my other birth/pregnancy stories, here they are: Smartie, Grace, Sweetie, and Ian.

The Story of Sassy

This is the first half of my twin birth story. Sassy and Monkey may have shared a womb for 36 weeks, and they may have had 5 hours of labor in common, but their deliveries were so completely different I can’t help but think of them as separate births. And so I’ll write and post about them separately. This is Sassy’s; Monkey’s follows.

After three weeks of hospital bedrest, I was finally being induced. I had spent the last week doing breast stimulation and pressure-point massage in an attempt to start labor on my own, with limited success. I was able to trigger contractions as long as I was massaging, but as soon as I stopped so did the contractions. But they were doing something. I was dilated to a 2+ the morning before my scheduled induction.

I spent most of that night really working on triggering labor. By 4:00 that morning I was having regular contractions, but they weren’t strong enough to be considered active labor. I was, however, dilated to a 4+. I talked things over with the nurse (didn’t catch her name) and we decided to keep the pitocin on the lowest dose because it wasn’t going to take much to start my labor. My contractions quickly strengthened and we were on our way by 5:00.

At 7:00 the shift changed, and either Nurse Lori wasn’t informed of the plan or she chose to ignore it because she started turning up the pitocin without my realizing it.

At 8:00, Dr. S came in to break my water (just Sassy's bag). I was dilated to a 6 at that point. Things really picked up, and I lost track of time from then on. Because of my blood pressure issues, I was limited to laboring in bed. I had Papa Runner turn on the sound machine to Ocean Waves and use the massage vibrator on my lower back. With every contraction, I visualized things opening—flowers, doors, gates, etc.—while listening to the waves crash and doing my best to relax my muscles. I got up to use the bathroom, and after that things really got intense. I started vocalizing through the contractions, monotone humming. I had a couple really intense ones, and then came the big one.

I had read that most women who want natural childbirth are most likely to break down and ask for drugs during transition because they think it will be that intense for hours to come. In reality, when you reach the point where you think you can’t do it, you’ll probably be ready to push in 20 minutes or so. I had that one big contraction where I said I couldn’t do it, and immediately my mind replied, “Twenty minutes, you can do this for twenty minutes!” Little did I know, transition was over with just that one contraction.

As I came out of that contraction, I looked over and saw Nurse Lori turn up the pitocin. I was appalled at how high it was now set, seeing how labor had already been established for several hours and there was no need to raise the dose. No wonder the contractions had been so intense! I looked her dead in the eye and said, “You need to turn that off!” She said she couldn’t without a doctor’s order. I said, “You need to at least turn it down.” She wanted to wait through a few contractions to see how I handled this new dose.

Just then another contraction started, and I said, “I feel pushy.” WHAT?!? She went to check my cervix and instead found Sassy’s head already crowning. Guess what? She turned off the pitocin without a doctor’s order. DUH!

At that point, I completely tuned out everything around me and just focused on what my body was telling me to do. I know they moved me down the hall to the c-section room (the one thing my Dr. insisted on with the twin delivery—he was great about allowing almost everything I wanted.) I know the nurses were yelling at me not to push, to just pant through. Lucky for them, my body was also telling me to just pant through. I’d pant to the top of the contraction, give one push that I couldn’t have stopped if you paid me, and pant down the other side.

I had thought I would want to deliver on my hands and knees, since that was my instinct with Sweetie. This time, though, my instinct was to lie on my side pulling one leg up into the air. This was good, because I have a feeling the nurses wouldn’t have been happy with me getting on my hands and knees with as fast as things were moving.

I remember hearing someone say, “Dr. S is on the phone, he’s one minute out.” Push, pop, *waaaa* there was Sassy at 9:25 am, just 5 hours from the start of the induction. Aside from pitocin and breaking my water, she was born intervention free and pain med free! She weighed in at 5lb 2oz, 17.25 inches, with APGAR scores of 9 and 9. Her birth was really amazing and beautiful, as close to what I wanted as I’ll ever get. I'm so happy to have gotten one out of four that way.

BFAR

I'm a contributing blogger for the BFAR website (Breast Feeding After Reduction surgery.) This is my most recent blog entry:

This is hard.

There, I said it. BFing twins is hard. BFARing is hard. BFARing twins is doubly hard.

I adore my children and wouldn't trade them for anything, but every once in a while I think how much easier it would have been if they'd come one at a time instead of together.

It would be easier if I didn't have to worry about moving my arm to latch Twin B and accidently pulling the tube from Twin A. It would be easier if I could nurse lying down and sleeping instead of always getting up in the night. It would be easier if I could let Sassy sleep until she wakes instead of having to wake her when Monkey wants to eat. It would be easier if I had 50% supply for one instead of 25% for two.

But I do what I do because I don't have a choice. I've been blessed with twins, and I WILL bless them with as much milk as I can give them. I just do it. And it really does get easier as we go.

--------------------------

Today is my due date. Monkey weighs 7lb 8oz, Sassy weighs 6lb 13oz. Wow, just think if I'd made it this far!

Three week update

Just got back from the Dr. It was really surprising, considering my older girls are (and always have been) both off-the-chart small for weight. Here are the stats:

Sassy was 5lb 2oz at birth, dropped to 4lb 13oz at discharge, and is up to 6lb 9oz. That's an average gain of 1.5oz/day! She's 25%ile for weight--actual age, not adjusted for preemie!

Monkey was 5lb 12oz at birth, dropped to 5lb 8oz at discharge, and is up to 7lb 4oz. Also an average gain of 1.5oz/day! He's a whopping 50%ile for weight, actual age!

Obviously, with such great gains I have room to play with the amount of supplement. I estimate I'm making about 25% of their combined needs right now but expect that to increase. It's been interesting and challenging tandem nursing at every feeding, but we get the job done.

Playdate, anyone?

Friday I went solo with all four kids. It went well, and I think I'm prepared to do it again next week. However, if anyone wants to invite one or both older girls for a playdate, we'll probably take you up on it. :)

In other news, Mr. Chubbers is now more than a pound over birth weight at 6lb 13.5oz! That boy can eat and seems to be hitting the 3-week growth spurt a few days early. His sister is a more delicate 6lb .5oz.

Two Weeks Old!

I can't believe they're two weeks already! Sassy is now 5lb 8oz, so 6oz above birth weight, and Monkey is now 6lb 4oz, so 8oz above birth weight.

I had some time to get some pics today after a better night of sleep last night. The babies have night and day mixed up, but a bath before bed yesterday seemed to "reset" things.

Why Mommy Does the Shopping

Papa Runner had to make a quick run to the store to get something for supper. He took Smartie with him. Papa saw a box of Mrs. Field's Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches, which he put in the cart on impulse. Smartie said, "Daddy, is that on the list? You'd better put it back, 'cause it's not on the list." That's my girl!

Pics and Facts

Monkey on left, Sassy on right.

Sassy was born at 9:25 am, Tuesday, July 7. She weighed 5lb 2oz and was 17.25 inches long.

Monkey  was born at 9:49 am, Tuesday, July 7. He weighed 5lb 12oz and was 17.5 inches long.

After a rough few days, we're finally announcing...

I'll make a bigger birth story post later, but for now...

Sassy got tired of waiting and made her appearance at 9:25 Tuesday morning, after just 5 hours of labor and arriving 2 minutes before the doctor. After a little persuasion, her brother Monkey followed at 9:49. Mom is thrilled that we avoided a c-section--both came naturally, and Sassy made it without any pain meds!

I was able to nurse both of them in the first hour. Sassy did really well, Monkey not so much. Monkey ended up having some breathing problems and had to be in the nursery for a while. He's fine now, and both are nursing like champs.

I didn't do as well as either of them. A few hours after they were born, my pre-eclampsia got worse. My memories of the rest of that day are pretty hazy, but I was put on magnesium sulfate to prevent seizures or stroke. I didn't see the babies again for 24 hours. I'm feeling better now, off the mag, and nursing most feedings. We hope to be home tomorrow, so I'll be able to post more then.

A Few More Hours

I was scheduled for induction starting at 8:00 tonight. This morning, the OB checked me, and I'm already dilated to 2+! So I'll only need one dose of the first medicine instead of 3, and we'll be starting at 4:00 tomorrow morning. Then pitocin at 8:00, unless I go into labor before then. I would love to go into labor on my own, or at least with just the first med like I did with Sweetie. I can't wait!

My final belly pic: (almost) 36 weeks!



And the girls visiting:



Oh, and the slide show again with the last 2 pics added:

Tragedy in Roanoke

I hope it's okay to share a post my mom made on our family blog. My girls and Papa Runner were with mom and dad when this happened but didn't see it.

We had a near perfect day in Roanoke with the Cruise-In, a visit from Elvis on Main Street, and then beautiful fireworks. However, tragedy struck when the fireworks ended. An elderly lady started her car and had her foot on the accelerator instead of the brake and she drove her car into a crowd of people still seated. We were seated along Club 116 ... - this happened right around the corner from us. Four people were struck directly. Steve Hodel (son of deceased Ben and Ruth Ann) was life flighted and died enroute to the hospital. His wife, Joyce (daughter of Dick [dec] and Mabel Getz) Hodel was admitted with a head gash, multiple lacerations and leg injuries (no feeling). Shirley Leman (Joyce's sister and wife of Steve Leman) had a leg injury, though no broken bones. Troy Janssen (son of Fred and Cheri) was thrown into a crowd of children but was not seriously injured. It was pandemonium and screaming as there were hoards of people that observed the whole thing. Tim and I went to the hospital to be with the family. Tim was with Joyce and prayed with her when the ER doctor told her Steve did not make it. It was all so surreal and sad. There will probably be reports to come in the PJ Star and Pantagraph and their websites. We are very close friends of Steve and Joyce and their families. Prayers are appreciated.

Thanks,
Cathy

MIL's surgery

Mom is out of surgery and everything went well. We'll know in two weeks what the treatment plan will be from here.

The doctor told her that as long as she's sitting down and someone hands them to her, she can hold the babies on her good side. She's very happy about that.

Fantastic news and a little disapointment

I had an ultrasound today. Both babies are head down, so we are good to go for a vaginal birth! "Clark" is estimated to be 5lb 4oz. I'm not sure what the over/under is on that, but if it's accurate it would make him my biggest baby yet, bigger than my 37 weeker. "Addison" was estimated at 4lb 8oz. She's also presenting first, so it looks like she'll be the older twin.

Now for the disappointment: I was scheduled for induction tonight/tomorrow and was all prepared for it. Then my MFM decided that since I had remained so stable, I should try for one more week. I'm not horribly upset, I know it's best to give the babies more time and getting to 36 weeks would be great. (Plus, tomorrow is our anniversary, and it'll be nice not to have to share it with a double birthday.) But still, I'm so ready to get out of this hospital room. I've already been here almost 2 weeks. The OB promised, though, that if anything changes even a little, we'll go ahead with the induction.

The end is in sight

I'm on the schedule for induction Monday night/Tuesday morning. I'll have a sono Monday morning to confirm position, so let's all pray the babies are head down by then.

Hospital Bedrest

Well, Papa Runner brought in the laptop after we finally figured out there's wifi at the hospital. I've been on hospital bedrest since Thursday when I developed a potentially dangerous new symptom. I know bedrest doesn't work for everyone, but it's done wonders for me. Every time I get worse, we increase my rest and my symptoms stabilize and hold steady for a while longer. I'm bored out of my mind, but I'm glad to be here as I could turn bad really fast.

When they admitted me Thursday night, they went ahead and put me on the schedule for transfer and delivery Friday; we were all sure this would be it. Obviously, we made it past that as well as the scheduled induction on Tuesday. I'm currently penciled in for induction next Tuesday (30th). Making it to 35 weeks with twins and PE sounds great to me, and I'd be content with going forward then.

Thanks, everyone, for the concern and prayers. It's made such a difference.

Another update from Mom

Well, Mama Runner is still at the hospital. They thought today might be the day, but her labs are still holding steady, so they are biding for more time. She is physically, mentally, and emotionally ready to be done being pregnant . . . but, of course, it is best for the babies to incubate on the inside rather than the outside. So pray specifically that Mama (and Papa Runner) (and Grandma) can patiently endure the wait. Who knows - she could possibly make her 42 week goal that she posted on March 6th (here). Wouldn't that be something! Thank you all for your prayers - it works!! I will let you know how things progress.

Cathy

Hospital Bed Rest

This is Mom (Cathy) with an update. It looks like Mama Runner will be in the hospital for the duration of the pregnancy. If a transfer is necessary, she'll go to Carle Clinic in Champaign. Everything is holding steady right now and the babies appear to be fine (although they are both breech right now). The plan has been to deliver here if she makes it to 34 weeks, which will be next Tuesday. So, we'll see. I'll keep you posted.

One more week down

I'm 33 weeks tomorrow. I had a loooong stretch of appointments today--first an NST to check babies (both passed) and lab work. There was a miscommunication about the lab work, so after the first round came back I had to be stuck a second time and wait another hour for that test. Everything is holding steady but my kidneys, but they're not so bad yet that I have to deliver. It is enough, though, that I'll need twice a week appointments now, so we'll repeat everything on Thursday. Then I went on to the doctor for my usual check-up.

On Thursday, in addition to the NST, labs, and regular appointment, I get another ultrasound. Yay! I can't wait to see how big they are and what position they're in. From there it's just a few more days to our goal date: June 23. I have been warned that once I turn bad, I could get very sick very fast and should come in immediately if anything changes. But for now, it's just more bedrest and more appointments/testing every few days.

Overnight at L&D

I got my first overnight visit to L&D last night. My second 24hr test came back at 1048 (the first was 852, PE is diagnosed at 300) so the OB wanted more bloodwork. He ordered a different test this time in addition to the usual PE labs. My platelets were fine, liver enzymes were up a little but not horrible, but the new test showed my clotting factors were really weird.

Spent the night doing another 24hr and baby monitoring, then repeated the BW this morning. Plus we did a second round of steroid shots. The 24hr came back under 1000, babies both looked great, and BW came back unchanged. Also, my BPs were great the entire time I was there, which confuses me so much. So I'm back home again. It is so frustrating to be told you might deliver tomorrow, only to be told tomorrow that you've got several more weeks in you. The not knowing is driving me nuts!

Another day down

My BP is back up, but holding steady and not horrible yet.

Does anyone have or know where I can find a shower chair? It's getting too hard to get up and down from the floor of the tub, and standing too long makes me dizzy. Thanks!

BP is...NORMAL???

The extra rest and prayers must be working! My BP this morning was 120/72! I haven't had numbers like that in 10 weeks and thought it must be a fluke, but they were like that through my OB appointment, the NST, and since getting home! My blood work came back unchanged, and now I'm just working on the 24 hour test. Dr. S was encouraged that we might just make 34 weeks after all.

Still here

Just wanted to reassure everyone that I'm still here. I feel horrible and am really tired of laying down almost constantly, but we're still hanging in there. I had my second steroid shot yesterday, so if I have to deliver in the next week at least that's been done for them. If I make it to Friday, we'll repeat the shots (they work best if done less than a week before birth.)

That about sums it up....

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." --Mother Teresa

Officially PE

Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers. My test results came back today, and I do have PE. We'll repeat all the tests on Monday to see if I'm holding steady or progressing.

The girls are enjoying spending lots of time with their grandmas.

Now I'm headed to the hospital for steroid shots. I just can't wait for the whole thing to be over.

Full Bedrest

Well, it's happened. My blood pressure has been creeping up the last few days, especially just before I'm supposed to take a dose of meds. Today it finally crossed the "magic line" of 140/90 and stayed up even with the meds. I had a non-stress test and blood work at the hospital (came back fine), and I have one more test tomorrow that will determine officially if this is pre-eclampsia or just progressing pregnancy-induced hypertension.

I'm on full bedrest now. I can get up long enough to get a shower and something to eat, and that's about it. If my BP gets much higher, I'll be admitted and kept on hospital bedrest for the duration.

We really, really want to get three more weeks before these two make their grand entrance. If it is PE, average time from diagnosis to delivery is two weeks, and in my previous pregnancies I delivered within 48 hours. So we're praying I'll be a slow-progresser this time. I'll be under very careful monitoring to balance babies' health and my health.

ETA 31 week picture:

E-mail

I have an e-mail account that I only use for signing in to places. It got corrupted last week, and now I'm getting 20+ spam messages a day. Do they really think I'm going to think the offer is legit when the e-mail is from "10000dollars" and the subject line is "u've recevied a priz, activashun requird"? Dude, if you're going to scam me, at least bother to spell correctly!

Playdate

Smartie and Sweetie were invited for a playdate with Grace H. today. Smartie does not handle change in routine well, so I talked her through "the plan" all last evening. She was not happy with the idea and kept telling me that she'd just stay home and let Sweetie go.

This morning, she came running into my room to wake me up yelling, "HURRY, MOMMY, WE HAVE TO GO TO GRACE'S HOUSE! IT'S AN ADVENTURE!" She had no problems staying there and had a wonderful time, as did Sweetie. It was really nice to have a morning off.

Then we went to my sister's to pick up a bunch of baby stuff. I'm so ready to be ready, if you know what I mean.

30 week sono--WOW!

I had my 30 week (+1) sono today, mostly to check for possible growth restriction. Wow! Doesn't look like we need to worry about that! "Addison" was estimated at 3lb 10oz, and "Clark" at 3lb 9oz. Now, I know these estimates can be off, but still! My 35-weeker only weighed 4lb 4oz, and my 37-weeker was 5lb 2oz!

I also grew 3 weeks' worth in one week, now measuring 7 weeks ahead. Size-wise, this is the most pregnant I've ever been.

I'm still dipping negative for protein, my BP is controlled with meds, and I have no swelling. The OB did encourage me to increase my rest time, but that's happening naturally as it becomes more and more uncomfortable to move.

The only bad news is that "Addison" is now breech. She's grounded--she can't come out until she flips!

Funnies

One of my favorite parts of being a mom is hearing the funny ideas my kids come up with. Both girls had some pretty funny sayings in the last 24 hours.

A few months ago, I mentioned our supper time tradition of Best and Worst. Yesterday, Smartie's worst was that I asked her "soooo many times to obey and I just! didn't! want to!" Hard not to laugh at that.

Today, Sweetie went around the supper table giving compliments, a new favorite activity. "Mommy, I like your shirt." Thanks. "Sissy, I like your hair." Thanks. "Daddy, I like your panties." My what?!? "Your panties. I like them." Um, thanks *snort*.

Labor bag packed!

I got inspired last night and packed my labor bag. I've got my sound machine, a hand-held massager, my hair brush, "contraband" food and drink. Also, I washed up two slings, sanitized my 2 LAs and the SNS (nursing supplies), and packed a box of DPD (nursing meds). And of course I have my screen-printed labor shirt: "DRUG FREE! CHEER FOR ME OR LET ME BE!" I still need to buy some fabric for a wrap-around skirt and a nursing bra or two.

I can't believe I reach term in just 8 weeks! I've got major nesting instincts, and it's hard that I can't be up as much as I'd like.

Why I'm not sending Smartie to Kindergarten...

Partly for this reason plus I just don't think it would be a good fit for Smartie right now. We're going to attempt to home school next year.

New Fish

Smartie's been walking around the house for the last week or so singing a song she made up called "I Wish a Fish Could Be My Pet." So I took the hint and finally got around to replacing Grandpa Fish who died way back in December. It's a pale yellow Betta who the girls have named "Meatball." He already seems to be doing much better than Grandpa, what with the warmer house and the 75 degree tank.

28 weeks!

I am so pumped. I had my 28 week appointment today and had nothing but good news!

First, I've reached 28 weeks where survival rates are 90%+! Six weeks ago when my BP first spiked I honestly wasn't sure we'd make it this far. At the time I said if I could make 28 weeks I'd be content with the twins coming anytime after that, but now that I'm here I want at least 2 more weeks. Best of all, my BP is still well controlled and I still have no other symptoms, so making 2 more weeks and more is looking very probable. :)

Second, my OB quit! I have no idea why, but I was informed today that she has left the practice. I primarily see the MW, who I love, but all her patients are assigned to one of the two OBs for back up. I was randomly assigned to the OB who is known to be more intervention-prone. And since I'm having twins and have a complicated history, the OB has been more involved in my case. She never came right out and said it, but hinted that I should plan on a C-section. She also informed me that she would require me to have an epidural "just in case a section becomes necessary." I planned to fight her on it, but really who wants to have to fight during transition?

Well, I've now been reassigned to Dr. S, who is much less invasive. Not only is he planning on a vaginal birth, he won't require an epidural and has even agreed to do a breech delivery should it be necessary! (As of today, both twins are head down. I'm hoping they've run out of room and will be "stuck" head down for the duration so the breech issue won't even come up.)

Third, they checked with the Peri in Champaign about my clotting mutation. He says my labs all look good so I don't need injections. :) :) :) His only recommendation is to take extra folate/B vitamins and have my levels re-checked at 6 weeks postpartum to see if I need to follow up with a hematologist.

ETA: Both heart rates were great, I'm now measuring 4 weeks ahead, and I'll have an ultrasound in two weeks.

An update on Smartie, finally

We had Smartie's follow-up with our family doctor today. She has regained most of what she had lost while sick, still ~9oz down but gaining. She also grew almost an inch in the last month!

We went over the test results, and there isn't anything conclusive that would explain her slow growth. I asked about food sensitivities and trying an elimination diet, and he was very much in favor of it. There aren't any tests for food sensitivities other than trial and error, and it seems like the most probable cause now (other than being "just the way she is.")

Unfortunately, now is not a good time for special diets--I'm still on partial bedrest and our church family is bringing in meals for us. But once the twins are here and we're more or less settled, we'll give it a try and see if anything makes a difference.

Let's see if this works

27 weeks!

I am so thrilled to be in the third trimester and still safely pregnant! I do have Pregnancy Induced Hypertension but don't have Pre Eclampsia--yet. I know it could still progress to that, but for now my BP is well controlled with meds and I don't have any other symptoms. Even the symptoms I had a few weeks ago (shortness of breath, URQ discomfort) have mostly disappeared. My PE labs all came back normal, babies' heart rates were good, lots of movement. I know PE can go downhill fast, but it looks like we're going to make it a few more weeks at least!

I also found out today why I've had recurrent PE. I got the results of the underlying-conditions tests, and I was very surprised. I was sure I'd come back positive for primary Raynaud's, an auto-immune disease. Nope, I was negative for auto-immune diseases but positive for blood clotting disorders. After a second round of testing, it's confirmed that I have heterozygous MTHFR a1298c gene mutation. Yep, I'm a mutant!

Of the various types of MTHFR, I've got the mildest version. Besides being a known trigger of PE, it increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, and blood clots, but all of that can be easily managed now that I know I have it. I'll probably need to start taking extra B vitamin supplements and continue with the low-dose aspirin therapy, but for now that's all I need to do.

Hypno-birthing

Pantagraph.com has an interesting article about natural childbirth.

Speaking Spanish

Today during one of my rest times, the girls decided to play dress up. Smartie put on the yellow dress, but Sweetie got the matching ring and necklace, which of course Smartie had to try to steal. I suggested that Smartie find a different ring and offer to trade with Sweetie.

A few minutes later they came back, this time with Smartie wearing the yellow ring and Sweetie sporting a pink ring.

"Oh," I said, "I see you traded. Good job."

"Yes, Mommy," said Smartie, "I asked Sweetie if she wanted to trade, and she said 'yes' in Spanish."

"In Spanish? Really? What did she say?"

"Well, she said no. But 'no' means 'yes' in Spanish, so I just took it."

Ah, the logic of preschoolers.

Just a few more days...

...and we'll be out of the second trimester. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it.

Fourteen more weeks until my due date, 11 weeks until term, and 2 weeks until we reach a point where I'll feel better about possible delivery. Anything after the 28-week mark will be bonus.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

I feel like every post lately is full of how stressed and worried I am about something or other, but the worries just keep coming.

I don't know how far the word has travelled yet, but my MIL was diagnosed with breast cancer on Monday. She will be facing more surgery next week on Tuesday or Wednesday. We don't know much yet. They're still trying to figure out what's what.

In other news, I've passed 25 weeks! Yay! Survival rates at this gestational age are above 60%. I'm really looking forward to getting out of the second trimester and into the home stretch.

No parasites!

Just got the lab results, and there were no signs of parasites. Now we have to wait until Smartie's next appointment to see what the next step is.

Update on Smartie and me

I'm 24 weeks today! Yay! I had another check-up today because my BPs have been spiking almost every evening the last few days. I always get great readings at midday, but by evening they're high again. So I go in, and the nurse gets a reading of 118/76 and says, "Wait, I thought you were here for BP issues!"

My MW got called out AGAIN just before I got there, so I saw the NP again. She went over my BP log and agreed that I was fine at midday but too high at night. So I'm starting BP meds, a single dose in the afternoon to help in the evening but (hopefully) not make it too low during the day. The good news is still no swelling or protein, just an occasional problem with shortness of breath and the evening pressures.

As for Smartie, we've gotten some results back and had more tests run. I haven't spoken to the doctor yet, so I'm not completely sure what the results mean. She shows signs of being allergic to something and/or asthmatic, but all of the specific tests for allergens came back negative. She also had an unusual spike (not sure of what) that they said could be several things but the top of the list is intestinal parasites. So we got a stool sample and are waiting for those results. It certainly would explain her slow growth, though I'm not sure how she would have gotten them.

He Finished!

Papa Runner finished the Illinois Marathon with a time of 5:21:18. He struggled a bit in the second half and ended up slower than he had hoped, but he finished. Coach Paul and Coach Terry both worked with him to keep him going. Here is Papa and Coach Paul crossing the finish line on the scoreboard screen.

Race Day

Tomorrow is Papa Runner's marathon. The race starts at 8:00, and he's hoping to be done in under 5 hours. Tonight at the Team in Training Pasta Party, we think Papa will be named as the top fundraiser for the race. We raised just over $6000, which brings our 2-race total to $15771.44!

I must admit, I'm jealous. I can't wait to do another race. It'll probably be a while before I'm up to training, though.

We survived another week!

23 weeks! I had my check-up today. My BP has been fluctuating and is averaging higher than before, but it hasn't hit the "magic numbers" of 140/90. So no diagnosis or meds yet, just continued close monitoring. Besides the BP issue, my only symptom is shortness of breath with dizziness if I try to do too much. I don't have any swelling, not even the normal pregnancy stuff, which along with the breathing problems were my first symptoms with the girls. So that's really good news. I'm feeling a lot more hopeful about our prospects.

Is This Normal? What would you do?

Update: I weighed Smartie this morning, and everything she had gained in the last 6 months has been lost in the last two weeks. Granted, she's been sick and refuses to eat much, but still this was the last straw. I took her to my doctor instead of the ped--I like him better and will probably switch the kiddos over to him.

He agreed that her growth pattern seems like more than just genetics. He ordered a number of tests. If they all come back normal, at least we'll know what it's not.

All the running around today raised my BP, though, so I have to take it very easy again. My next OB appt. is tomorrow.

-----------------------

Most of the time, I think Smartie is fine. She's average-to-above mentally, emotionally, socially, motor skills. Yes, she's small for her age, but so was I and so was Papa Runner.

Every once in a while something will happen that will send me into panic mode thinking maybe there is something wrong with her. Besides her growth issues (31 pounds at 5.5 years), she seems very susceptible to illness. She catches every bug that comes along, gets sicker and stays sick longer than anyone I know. It doesn't matter if it's stomach, lungs, ears, skin, viral, bacterial, fungal, whatever. She gets hit hard and will feel the effects long after the illness has run its course.

Currently it's the flu (influenza.) She had a coughing fit this afternoon that lasted non-stop for 71 minutes! I checked her lungs with a stethoscope and can't hear any wheezing, so I don't think it's an asthma attack, just the effects of the flu. When it finally ended, she passed out cold and has been sleeping since. Her left ear also started draining this morning--ear infection number 14.

I'm not sure if I should have her checked out or even what tests I should ask about. Could it be a metabolic problem? Or the immune system? Maybe I should see a naturopath instead of a traditional pediatrician. Of course, a week from now when she's back to normal other than a lingering cough (which will last for about a month), I'll probably decide it's just the way she is or due to her slight prematurity and ignore it until the next crisis. What would you do?

Hard Week

This has been such a hard week, starting with last Saturday. Sweeite got bronchitis while Papa Runner and I were out of town, so my mom had to take her into Prompt Care. Then Smartie came down with it on Sunday, so I stayed home from church with both girls. Monday night was my blood pressure scare and ER visit. Today, Smartie spiked a fever again and is complaining of a headache. This usually means an ear infection, but her tubes are still in her ears as far as I can tell, and I don't see any drainage. Either they have come out of the ear drum but are still in the ear canal or they're blocked. Or it isn't an ear infection.

Today is the 2nd anniversary of my best friend's death. I miss her a lot, especially this week when I know she'd be showing up at my door to clean my house and keep me company.

On the bright side, the modified bedrest seems to be helping. I've had only two systolic readings over 140 and NO diastolic readings over 90, usually running 130s/80s with some dips into 120s/70s. As long as that keeps up, I'm not in danger of delivering yet. At this point, my babies would have a chance of survival--a very small chance, but still. And with each day that goes by their chances improve.

22 weeks

This is "Clark"


This is "Addison"


And this is me at 22 weeks.



I was really excited yesterday to be reaching 22 weeks still symptom free. And then last night I had trouble breathing and my BP spiked. After spending a few hours in the ER, my BP was back down, my labs all came back normal, and I was sent home. I met with the OB today, who compared last night's labs with those from a few months ago. She told me to be prepared, because it looks like PE is inevitable. We just hope it is later rather than sooner.

So I'm on modified bedrest--resting on my side 3x per day for at least an hour each. I go back in next week for more labs. I'll be monitored very closely from here on out.

I'm just hoping to at least make 28 weeks. Which is still way too early but with a brighter outlook than 22 weeks.

It's official! Boy and Girl!

I had my consult with the peri and a high level ultrasound today. It's official, we're having one of each! Both babies look great, around a pound each, normal heart/kidneys/etc. BP is still fine, uterine arteries/placentas/cord flow all looked fine. Now everything needs to stay fine for at least 6 more weeks, preferably much, much longer.

I thought he'd do blood work today to test for underlying conditions, but he wanted my regular doc to do that. So sometime in the next week or two we'll be drawing ten (10!) vials of blood for testing. I already suspect what the results will be, but will be glad once it's offically confirmed.

Won't take yes for an answer

Sweetie is suffering from a severe case of indecision. Getting what she wants is just the most upsetting thing in the world. Yesterday, it was lunch.

--What do you want for lunch?
--Quesadillas!
--OK.
--No! No quesadillas! Hot dogs!
--OK.
--No! Dillas! Hot dogs! Dillas! AAAAAAA!

The day before that it was whether she was still hungry or finished.

The day before that it was Dora or Blue's Clues.

The "experts" say to give toddlers two choices whenever you can. Too many choices and they get overwhelmed, always choose for them and they get angry over having no control. Honestly, I think even two is too much right now.

I know it's just a stage and she'll grow out of it sooner or later, but it is driving me nuts!

20 miles

Papa Runner is doing his longest training run tomorrow morning--20 miles! If you think of it, say a little prayer between 7:00-11:00. And if you happen to be on the east branch of the trail, you may even run into him at some point! The girls and I will be out at one of the water stops to cheer for him.

It's funny, I haven't had too many cravings for food, but I do crave a good run. Every time I drive across the trail I get that urge. Too bad I'm on restricted activity.

We also just crossed the $5000 mark on our LLS fundraiser, and we're just $30 away from $15,000 for our two-race total!

Daredevil

The girls enjoyed playing outside in the nice weather for about 2 hours yesterday. During those two hours, my Daredevil aka Sweetie managed to badly bruise her cheek, scrape the knuckles of one hand, cut the thumb of the other hand, scrape her elbow, AND bite through her lip. Each of these injuries was a full-on tragedy, but once the little drama queen was calmed down she went right back out and did it again. I tried to get some pics of her injuries but she wasn't very cooperative and they didn't turn out.

My Princess, on the other hand, barely even got dirty.

New York Times article on PE

Having PE in pregnancy doubles your risk of having a stroke or heart attack later.

20 week sono (19+6)

I had my ultrasound today. We know one sex for sure. The other is suspected but uncertain. Both babies are healthy and active, estimated to weigh 1-1.5 pounds.

The baby on the left was very cooperative. It was head down and in a good position, and it stayed still all through the measurements. We were done with this one in 20 minutes and were sure (as you can be before birth) that it was a BOY!

Then we moved on to the baby on the right. This one was a booger! To start, it was breech and very, very active. It wouldn’t hold still for very long, so it took almost an hour to get all the measurements done. It finally held still and refused to move when we wanted to check the sex, and of course the angle was unclear. The technician *thinks* it’s a girl but says not to hold her to it.

It appears that Smartie was correct, along with the majority of poll respondents: a boy and a girl. Though it’s still possible they could both be boys. We are working on getting in with the Perinatologist where I will probably have another ultrasound, a higher quality one where we will hopefully find out for sure. So for now, the nicknames “Clark and Addison” still work, although it seems “Perez and Zerah” might be more appropriate.

See, they usually label twins as A and B based on which will be born first. During my first two ultrasounds, the girl twin on the right was identified as A. Today, the boy twin on the left was in the A position. That’s odd, we thought. Then, halfway through the ultrasound, we watched in amazement as the girl reached over, shoved her brother out of the way, and slipped down into the firstborn position! They’re already fighting over who gets to be first!

We also were trying to get a shot of the girl’s head when we saw the boy’s hands wildly waving in the background as if to say, “Look at me!” Looks like we’ll have our hands full with these two!

Praise the Lord, I'm Sick Again

You may think that title is sarcastic, but I'm actually thrilled to report I have a head cold. And another UTI. This is GOOD NEWS! See, usually in pregnancy the immune system is dialed down so that the body doesn't attack the baby/placenta as a foreign invader, making mamas more susceptible to illness. We suspect the reason I've had pre-eclampsia twice (and possibly both of my miscarriages as well) is because my immune system remains too strong, attacks the placenta, and causes damage that eventually leads to PE. (Not all PE comes about this way, in fact it's a pretty rare version of the disease.)

In the last month I've had influenza, bronchitis, and now a head cold, which quite possibly means my immune system is dialed down at least somewhat. So I'm taking any illness as a good sign that my PE chances are lower than I feared, and if I do get it, it'll be later and milder than I feared. *cough cough* Hurray!

Bunch of trouble makers!

Another interesting night in the bunk bed drama. We put the girls down at 7:30 like usual (the time change is definitely a factor.) I quickly came to the conclusion that I needed to sit in the hallway in sight if they were going to calm down. Smartie went to sleep at a "reasonable" 9:00. Sweetie? 11:00. She just couldn't get settled down.

At 5:30, I heard crying from the kitchen. Sweetie had let herself out of the room and buckled herself into her booster seat at the table. She was SOOOOO HUUUUNGY! So I gave her a dink and a fuh-buh bar (drink and breakfast bar) and put her back to bed. Then she started yelling that she wanted a PUUUUUZZLE! It's 5 o'clock in the morning! No puzzles! I don't think she slept again. She's been "down" for a nap for 2 hours already and I can still hear her singing in there. This kid usually sleeps 12 hours at night and 3 in the afternoon!

I'd like a nap myself, but the other trouble makers, aka Clark and Addison, are throwing a party this afternoon. I'm being kicked from all directions! That is one encouraging thing in the midst of all my complication fears: I have two VERY active little ones in there. On Monday we find out what they are. The near-concensus seems to be at least one girl, judging by the poll on the left. Only 2 more days to vote!

Three Posts in One Day

First, I'd like to thank everyone for the prayers. I think a big part of why I'm so worried this week is because Thursday would have been Ian's due date. I have requested my medical records in preparation for my consult with the peri. It's been interesting going through them.

Second, I have entered a research study for endometriosis. Since I know I'm not the only woman out there with it, I thought I'd pass on the info. To qualify, you must have been surgically diagnosed. All they need are a saliva sample (they mail you a kit) and a copy of your surgical records. They are looking for a genetic link that could lead to an early-detection test and eventually a cure. The website is
End to Endo.

And third, scroll down to see my other posts of the day, "History Repeats Itself" and "Bunk Beds."

History repeats itself!

Last July, I made a post called "Uh-oh, it's too quiet." I included a picture of then-3-year-old Smartie playing with Vaseline. She had gotten it in her hair and went to church with greasy pigtails.

Guess what we found when we got Sweetie up from her nap the other day?

Bunk Beds

We set up the bunk beds a couple weeks ago. Sweetie had them to herself (no ladder) for a while to get used to them, then Smartie moved in last weekend. It's been interesting, to say the least.

The first night, Smartie had to go up and down the ladder to "use the bathroom" at least 4 times. She came to get me at 9:00 because Sweetie had climbed up to the top bunk and needed help to get down. Then Smartie decided it was too scary to sleep up there and wanted her sleeping bag. When I got her up the next morning, she had pulled the sleeping bag up to the top and slept in it up there.

The second night, I heard them giggling and singing happy birthday at the top of their lungs until well after 10:00.

The third night, I had to leave their door open and sit just outside for a while, telling them to be quiet every time I heard a peep.

To make matters more interesting, Sweetie has figured out how to open the door. She isn't quite tall enough to get a good grip on the handle, but if she pushes the diaper genie over and sits on top of it, she can reach. So keeping her in the room has been a challenge, too.

I'm sure they'll get used to the new set-up soon. But I've found one other flaw in the bunk bed plan--making the bed. I had forgotten what a challenge it is, and it will only get harder as I get bigger. I wouldn't be opposed to being a "bad mommy" and just leave the sheets unwashed for a few months, but Smartie still wets the bed once or twice a week. So once or twice a week I'll have to crawl up there. Fun fun!

ETA: Smartie agreed to wear a Pull-Up tonight. I'm not excited about the step backward, but at least I don't have to change sheets!

Prayer request

Well, I've been freaking myself out a little this week. As most of you know, I've had Pre-Eclampsia twice as well as two miscarriages. I knew my risk of PE in this pregnancy was above average just based on history alone. Adding twins to the mix raises it higher. So I've been doing a lot of research, and the more I learn about my specific set of cirumstances the more it looks like NOT getting PE will be nothing short of a miracle. And my risk of getting it early and severely is pretty high as well. I've decided to request a referral to a perinatologist for a consult.

My biggest prayer, of course, is that I'll make it far enough along that both twins have a good chance of survival. I'm probably the only woman in the world who WANTS to go overdue with twins, because that would mean I didn't have PE. 42 weeks with twins sounds just fine to me!

Important dates:
3/31--22 weeks, the threshold of possible survival
5/12--28 weeks, the threshold of probable survival
6/9--32 weeks, the risk of long-term problems drops
6/30--35 weeks, the point when I was diagnosed with Ethne
7/14--37 weeks, the point when I was diagnosed with Catie
8/4--40 weeks, due date
8/18--42 weeks, goal date :) Actually, anything after June 1 would be great.

18 weeks

Four months done! Almost to the half way point!

I've had some dizzy spells the last week or so, but all of my labs come back normal. I've also had two BH contractions, one on Monday and one today. Fun, fun! Other than that, and the tiredness, things are going well. Both babies are active, although I can usually only feel one at a time. "Clark" seems to be more active in the evening and "Addison" in the afternoon. I'm sure that will change as they get bigger.

They're all a bunch of liars! ;)

Every time I go out, especially to church, people tell me I'm "not that big for having twins." I don't believe them. I look about 6 months along when I'm not quite 4, which is exactly where I'm supposed to be.

I suppose it's the result of our weight-obsessed society. There's nothing more horrifying for many women than the prospect of gaining 40+ pounds in 9 months, so to make her feel better we tell her how small she still is.

I don't really feel that way, though. I'm not getting fat, I'm growing life. What could be more miraculous and beautiful? It is a privilege to see my body do exactly what God intended it to do at this time in my life.

So to all of the well-intended people trying to compliment me, you're wrong. I'm HUGE! And I love it!

Happy Birthday to Me

What's worse than having the flu? Having the flu and bronchitis.

What's worse than having the flu and bronchitis? Having the flu and bronchitis while pregnant.

What's worse than having the flu and bronchitis while pregnant? Having the flu and bronchitis while pregnant with twins.

What's worse than having the flu and bronchitis while pregnant with twins? Having the flu and bronchitis while pregnant with twins on your birthday!

Yes, I'm throwing myself a pity party. Thankfully, I am on the mend and will be able to celebrate with the family this weekend. Of course, it's not easy for Papa Runner either. He had to deal with a wife who is sick with the flu and bronchitis while pregnant with twins on her birthday...on HIS birthday.

And the answer is YES

Yes, we had lost our minds. Thankfully it was temporary. I so appreciated all of the comments on my last post, especially from the twin-mamas who have BTDT. To make the decision even easier, I spent the last two days getting Sweetie's room finished. And by finished, I mean:

removing all furniture
sweeping cobwebs from ceiling
wiping handprints from walls
repainting all trim
spackling and painting any touch-up spots on the wall
and steaming the carpet

I still need to get the curtains back up, put the door back on, and move the dresser back in. I had to rush to get it all done because the bunkbeds are coming on Thursday. I think I'll wait a month or so before moving Smartie over, but I want lots of time to get her current room ready for the twins.

I am so exhausted, I don't think I can move. No way could I do this to the whole house, so moving plans are on hold for at least a year.

Other than majorly overdoing it, the pregnancy is going really well. I've been blessed that the second trimester is usually pretty easy for me. It's not until the third that things become questionable. Who knows how it will go with twins, but for now I'm feeling good.

Have we lost our minds?

Papa Runner and I have been talking a lot about how much longer we can stay in our house. There isn't a lot of storage space, the yard is small (and un-fence-able due to easements), and there are only three bedrooms. We knew we'd be tight with a third child, but with twins....

If we stay, Smartie and Sweetie will be sharing a room and the twins will share a room. Our nursery is too small for two cribs (co-sleeping never worked well for us), so they're going into the "big" bedroom, and we're putting bunk beds for the girls in the nursery.

So we'd like to move in the next year. That means I have to clean the house to selling standards and maintain those standards while pregnant and/or caring for two infants. This does not appeal to me. My plan is to start packing anything not completely essential now. I also want to empty any rooms I can--Smartie's bedroom, the second bathroom, the living room, what little storage we have--and consolidate the living space as much as possible. That would give me fewer rooms to maintain and less packing to do later.

On the other hand, Papa and I have both travelled in third world countries and know that families bigger than ours can survive just fine with a lot less space than ours. If we had to, we could put off the move for another year or so. And with the housing market like it is, we may not be able to sell our house for a while anyway. And we also have to consider that this is a high-risk pregnancy. I don't want to endanger myself or the twins by taking on too much stress. I just can't decide what would be the lesser of the evils.

Either way, I start my first major cleaning project tomorrow. The bunk beds will be delivered on Thursday, so Sweetie's room needs to be cleaned from top to bottom and any touch-ups finished before then. That'll be one less to worry about.

New Poll

March 16 is my sono where we'll hopefully find out the genders. I've added a poll on the left for your guesses!

I LOVE my Midwife

I probably should have put this in with yesterday's post, but double pregnancy-brain has really taken its toll!

So, I liked my midwife, Sarah Leeper, right from the start, but I think I intimidated her at first. Before midwifery school, she had worked in a high-risk OB's office and had never seen a case of recurrent pre-eclampsia before. So my history was unusual to her, and adding in that I'm her first set of twins was extra scary. She had talked my case over with Dr. Fulk, and they planned to jointly manage my care with Dr. F taking over as primary at 20 weeks.

When I went in yesterday, she told me she had spent the last 4 weeks researching recurrent PE and was much more comfortable with the situation. We will, of course, still consult with Dr. F, but Sarah is hoping to remain my primary for as much of the pregnancy as possible. And if I avoid PE this time, that would be clear through delivery! I'm really excited about this.

If you're looking for a new OB/Gyn and are considering trying a midwife, I definitely recommend Sarah. She works in Drs. Santiago and Fulk's office.

Check Up Today

I had my 15 week appointment today. Everything is looking good. Both heartbeats are strong. I've been feeling flutters more and more over the last two weeks. "Addison" seems to be a little more active, or maybe just in a better position to be felt. Next month: Sono and (hopefully) we'll find out the sexes.

Heartwarming Breast Feeding Story

This mother is trusting God and strangers to provide breast milk for her sick daughter.