35 Weeks

YAY! We are just one week away (6 days actually) from our goal of 36 weeks! Full term twins! This past week started to get extremely uncomfortable and with each day that goes on, it is getting down right painful! I can't sit, as my belly has to go between my legs because it is so long but now is so wide that it really won't fit between my legs. Walking is an olympic sport and lying down is so painful from all of the weight I am carrying but again, I give THANKS  and PRAISE God for EVERY pain because I have two big growing babies inside me and I wouldn't change that for the world. I also know that the end is very near:)


This week at the doctor, the babies passed their biophysical exams with flying colors, Hadley is head down and Jack Henry is still transverse. Both babies fluid levels are high, which they will keep their eye on and for the best news...
I am 2cm dilated and 80% effaced! YAY! I am so thankful to be showing some progress! My ultrasound tech said she would be surprised to see me back on Tuesday and my doctor said I wouldn't make it all the way to 38 weeks, so we will see who is right. I think and hope I will make it until at least tuesday which will be 36 weeks! I haven't had any painful contractions, just Braxton Hicks.
Hadley is lower in my pelvis from last week even, and I feel the pressure there for sure. I gained 6 lbs in one week, I think it is the fluid! My right leg from my foot all the way to my thigh is full of fluid where I can push on it and my finger print will stay there for a while! Moo (my kitty) walked across my thigh today and I saw a paw print! yikes! My doctor said one leg was much bigger than the other due to the way the babies are laying. All this fluid has brought my weight gain to 55 lbs now. My blood pressure was 130/80 which is pretty high for me, but still within healthy range so no need for an induction yet. I am supposed to call my doctor when I start having painful contractions that are 6-7 mins apart. So now, we wait...

Stretch Marks? Yes, they are here! Lots!

Sleep? Not good at all. I am going to start taking Benadryl, hopefully that will help. 

Movement? They are getting more crowded in there so I can feel the rolling of elbows and knees more than punches or kicks.

Cravings? None really.

Gender? Boy and girl

Belly Button In or Out? Out, well now just FLAT, I can barley find it.

Symptoms: Swelling in my right leg and foot, and left foot swelling. Pressure down there and just discomfort. Also, my colostrum is in.

Best moment of the week? Finding out I have dilated and have thinned out.

What I am looking forward to: Making it to our next appointment (hopefully) Tuesday, July 31st.

34 Weeks

We are thrilled to say that we made it to our first "worst-best case scenario" goal. These babies have been viable for the past 10 weeks but chance of survival and a long NICU stay would have been two scary realities. Our doctor has said all along that once the babies get to 34 weeks, they tend to do very well. Obviously, the longer we can keep them growing inside of me, the better. They will be much better feeders the longer they are in me and just more mature and ready to be in this world. Our next goal is 36 weeks which is considered "full term twins" and then if I haven't gone into labor by 38 weeks, I will be induced. So as of today, I am 34 weeks and 3 days and have a MAXIMUM of 3 weeks and 4 days left. That is 24 days! WOW! 

Our doctors appointment went well. As you can see, I posted our big growing babies weights below which we were thrilled about! These are estimated weights and can be off by as much as a pound, but we will take it! Hadley is still head down and Jack Henry turned from head down to transverse again, but still a vaginal birth plan. They both scored perfect on their biophysical exams and Jack Henry's fluid is back to be considered high but they are just going to continue to monitor. I get swabbed next week for beta strep and will definitely begin cervical checks next week. We give all glory to God for such a wonderful pregnancy.

Nothing has really changed from last week, so I decided not to post my little "weekly fact" deal. I am feeling larger than life and we have or next appointment this tuesday, July 24th.

Would you please join me in praying for my friend Mandy? She is now 25 weeks pregnant with her twins and was admitted to the hospital earlier this week for pre-term labor. She will be staying in the hospital for the remainder of her pregnancy which we hope will be many many more weeks. 

We can't begin to thank you all enough for continuing to keep our family in your prayers after the loss of my husband's brother. We are feeling a peace that surpasses all understanding and watching the body of Christ come together has been just beautiful. We all have a giant whole in our hearts that won't ever be full again until we reunite with Matt and the Lord in eternal life. If this has taught our family anything it would be the URGENCY in having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We are not promised tomorrow and the only thing worth living for on this earth is Jesus. He is the way the truth and life and no one can go to the father except through him. He is aching to know you, won't you please give him your heart and walk with him daily in a life of obedience? 

33 Weeks

I had no idea that this would be the hardest week in our family's lives. I can't thank you enough for all of the prayers and love that you all have shown. When I have the strength and energy, I will be blogging all about my precious brother in law, Matt D. Will you please join in me in covering my sister in law, Ashley and her three young children in prayer? God has been so faithful throughout all of this and we will still trust Him, even when we don't understand. 
As far as the pregnancy goes, which seems trivial at this point....
We are praising God for normal fluid levels this week which also means no more blood sugar checks (which were all normal.)
Both babies got perfect scores on their biophysical exams. 
Both babies are still head down! So thankful.
The stress of the past few weeks have been difficult on my body but babies are still doing so well.
I go to the doctor tomorrow (tuesday) for my 34 week appointment where they may start cervical checks. We also have a growth scan tomorrow to see how big our sweet ones are.

Stretch Marks? Yes, they are here! Lots of tiny ones.

Sleep? Once I get to sleep, I do okay but getting to sleep is VERY uncomfortable. 

Movement? They are getting more crowded in there so I can feel the rolling of elbows and knees more than punches or kicks.

Cravings? None really.

Gender? Boy and girl

Belly Button In or Out? Out!

Symptoms: GIANT feet! Out of nowhere they have swollen up and they don't go down. Also, my belly is just getting so giant that I am usually uncomfortable all the time but praising God to still be carrying them this long.

Best moment of the week? Time with my precious family and just getting through this unspeakable tragedy together. 

What I am looking forward to: Our growth scan and biophysical is tomorrow. 

Quick Update for our 32 Week Appointment

Measuring: 42 weeks!


Babies positions: BOTH head down! Praise the Lord!


Biophysical test: This is the ultrasound where they check for breathing movements, fetal movements, amniotic fluid levels, muscle tone and heart rate. If the babies don't receive a perfect score, it means they could be in distress, and then you will be sent to the hospital for a non stress test. Thankfully, both babies received perfect scores :) 


My doctor was out of town, so I saw a different doctor today. When she came back to the room, she told me that there was too much fluid in the babies sacs (polyhydramnios.) She said that Hadley's was borderline but Jack Henry's was for sure too high (I don't know the exact number of how high, this is something I will ask next week.) She said the cause is usually unknown but can be related to gestational diabetes. I passed my glucola test earlier in my pregnancy but two appointments ago I had some glucose in my urine. I had just eaten that morning and my doctor said it was nothing to be concerned about because my kidneys were perfusing so much because of the twin pregnancy that after eating, I would tend to run high naturally but it had nothing to do with diabetes. I haven't had any glucose in my urine since. Because I have PCOS, my risk for gestational diabetes is higher, so to be sure I have to check my sugar four times a day, record them all, and bring the log back to the doctor next week where we would discuss further... I start all of this tomorrow. 
It seems like polyhydramnios is probably no big deal but it can increase your risk for Premature rupture of membranes and puts you at other risks for labor like cord prolapse and placental abruption. I know I am closely monitored and this is all in God's hands so I am choosing not to worry.


The plan... to monitor my levels weekly at my biophysical profiles. I go back next Thursday to check it all again, and I hope to find more out from my doctor and pray the fluid levels might go down by next week. 


We are so thankful that the babies don't seem to be concerned with these high levels and I will keep you posted next week. We want these babies to cook for another 4-6 weeks! 


Prayers would be appreciated. Thank you:)

32 Weeks

32 weeks has come! Another milestone, as I can now deliver at Mercy Hospital Fairfield, our intended hospital, which is a level 2 NICU rather than level 3. In fact, its really just a special care nursery. We are so thrilled knowing our babies would be okay if born now. Of course this is still VERY premature and they would probably have some respiratory issues as well as feeding issues so we want them cooking for another month at least. I am feeling HUGE! My belly is just getting so gigantic but I remind myself that I have two sweet blessings growing inside me and that the end is coming near. It is not "miserable" yet at all, just moments of discomfort. Again, this pregnancy has been a dream. 

Stretch Marks? Yes, I have seen a few more but again, still nothing horrible.

Sleep? This week sleep was better!

Movement? They are getting more crowded in there so I can feel the rolling of elbows and knees more than punches or kicks.

Cravings? I had a strawberry cream slush from SONIC with my sister in law that was AMAZING.

Gender? Boy and girl

Belly Button In or Out? Out!

Symptoms: I think the babies have dropped a tiny bit this week. At times, my feet are starting to swell pretty big. I just try to stay off of them and keep them propped and drink lots of water, it usually helps.

Best moment of the week? Family time.

What I am looking forward to: Our ultrasound and biophysical is in just a couple of hours! 

Also...

Prayers would be greatly appreciated. My brother in law, Matt, was hit in a head on collision on Tuesday. He broke his pelvis, and fractured a couple of vertebrae as well. He has traction going through his leg and is awaiting surgery. We originally thought surgery would take place Friday, now there is some talk that they may wait until next tuesday or wednesday. He is basically just lying in bed awaiting his surgery date so of course the sooner the better, as his wife has to juggle her three children and being with her husband too. We are so appreciative of all prayers. Prayers for complete healing, patience and peace. We give glory to God that he survived this accident and put our full trust in him. Here is a picture of the car he was in... 

31 Weeks

This week has been good. I have had some struggles getting to sleep at night and get very worn out very quickly no matter what I do, but the pregnancy still remains great. We went to the doctor on Wednesday and I am officially measuring 40 weeks! We also had a great ultrasound where it was estimated Jack Henry weighs 4 lbs 5 oz and Miss Hadley a close 4 lbs 6oz... BIG BABIES! And for the best news.... Hadley has flipped and is now officially head down! She was breech last time and as long as she is head down we can attempt a vaginal delivery! Jack Henry is laying sideways (transverse) across me, on top of Hadley (hopefully he will trap her there) There is still a chance they could change positions, but they are getting cramped in there, so the chance of moving around becomes less and less as the pregnancy progresses. We now will be going to the doctor weekly, and will be getting weekly ultrasounds and bio-physical profiles (I will explain more next week when I know more about those.) We got to see such a sweet and clear picture of Hadley at our last ultrasound, but this time the placenta and the chord were in front of her sweet little face. Last time, we couldn't get a great shot of Jack Henry and this time we got to see his PRECIOUS little face....

Maternity Clothes? YES!!

Stretch Marks? They have arrived. Still nothing horrible yet.

Sleep? Not good at all. Ribs aren't as sore this week but I am just very uncomfortable. 

Movement? Lots :) And Love every little move!

Cravings? Not really anything specific this week.

Gender? Boy and girl

Belly Button In or Out? Out!

Symptoms: Hard to get comfortable lying down, lungs can't fully expand. I have also gained 39 lbs!

Best moment of the week? Finding out Hadley is head down!

What I am looking forward to: Family time for the fourth, picking up our babies bedding which is now ready and our appointment on July 5th!

Baby Trend Snap n Go Deal

I was very excited to find the double stroller that I wanted to use for the first few months of the babies lives. We have a front to back double stroller that will accommodate car carrier seats that was given to us by dear friends of ours who also have twins. It is a great stroller and can seat toddlers or infant carrying seats. However, it is very heavy and Luke was concerned that it would be too heavy for me to handle by myself when the babies are so tiny getting them in and out of this heavy stroller. We registered for a side by side stroller for walks in the park and once they are out of their carriers, the front to back one that we have will work wonderfully but until then we found the snap n go double stroller originally $100 on craigstlist for $15! We couldn't pass it up! It is just an aluminum frame that the baby carriers simply snap into. It is light and wonderful and I feel more confident getting them in and out of it when Luke isn't there to help me :) So here is what Jack Henry and Hadley will be cruising in for the first few months... 

30 Weeks

Wow, I have read from a lot of other twin Mom's that week 30 is when it starts to get INSANE and well, they are right! Physically, it is very hard to get comfortable, especially when trying to sleep and doing ANYTHING these days feels like I ran a marathon, but EVERY uncomfortable moment is SO unbelievably worth it. I am so thankful to God that He is allowing me to carry these two precious blessings. I know each week will get harder until they are born but I want my babies as big and healthy as possible. Just about 6-8 weeks more! Thank you Lord for getting them this far and please continue to let them grow and grow. 

Maternity Clothes? Getting harder to wear maternity cloths, getting small!

Stretch Marks? They have arrived. Nothing horrible yet.

Sleep? Not good at all. Very painful ribs and painful tummy. 

Movement? Lots :) And Love every little move!

Cravings? Not really anything specific this week.

Gender? Boy and girl

Belly Button In or Out? Out!

Symptoms: Painful ribs and belly, hard to get comfortable lying down, lungs can't fully expand.

Best moment of the week? Spending time with Luke and my family.

What I am looking forward to: Our glider gets delivered tomorrow and our next appointment is Wednesday 27th, we get another ultrasound :)

June 15th

Unfortunately I only took a few, but here is what I got...

29 Weeks

Maternity Clothes? Getting harder to wear maternity cloths, getting small!

Stretch Marks? I found my first tiny one! 

Sleep? Having to pee through the night more now, and my ribs get very sore when I lay down.

Movement? Lots :) And Love every little move!

Cravings? Black Cherry Chip from Graeters

Gender? Boy and girl

Belly Button In or Out? Out!

Symptoms: New this week are sore ribs. 

Best moment of the week? Finding out our doctor wants to deliver our babies!!! (he is one of twelve in the practice) He said if he isn't the one call, to call his cell and he will come in! YAY! Unlike a lot of the docs, he is very pro vaginal birth for twins, Hadley just has to be head down!

What I am looking forward to: Being on bedrest can be lonely, I get to see family this weekend! 

"Do Not Eats"

WARNING: This is a long post. It is a post you may have no interest in, and thats okay:) After a discussion in the car, my husband encouraged me to blog about what I have discovered about food, and having lots of free time to rest, I decided to do so :)...

After loosing my weight (about 35 lbs) about a year ago, many people ask me "What do I eat?" I tell them it is a lifestyle change, healthy eating and exercise but I promise my biggest secret is what I do NOT eat.

 

We had lunch today at a place that served little bags of Grippo's BBQ potato chips. Has anybody had these? They are DELISH and highly addictive. Made here in Cincinnati, Grippo's BBQ chips are a famous deal around these parts and I understand why. They have the most amazing seasoning of sweet, tangy and spicy that cover each chip that leave you wanting more and more. I was reading the ingredient list as I do with most foods...(which yes, I read the nutritional values too but I promise what is IN your food is much more important that fat and calories to me) and I discovered three things that highly disturbed me. Two of the ingredients listed on these chips happen to be two out of three "do not eats."  

Over my weight loss/ healthy journey I have really taken an interest into nutrition. Being a nurse, I love science, and have always loved nutrition but I have spent a lot of time learning about harmful effects of processed foods over the last year and have made nutrition a mini hobby of mine. I say this, but I am no expert. I want to take care of the body that God has given me, so for anyone who cares, here is my soap box of the three things you should avoid eating at all costs....

1. Hydrogenated oil.

Even if it says "partially hydrogenated" it is hydrogenated none the less. When an oil is hydrogenated, it is actually a process of forcing hydrogen into an oil at a really high heat and a really high pressure. Hydrogenated oils replace butter in many things and is a cheap way to add flavor and prolong shelf life. You will find this is MANY processed foods. It can be quite depressing really, because it is in SO much! Being pregnant, a box of cookies sounded so good to me the other day, so I went up the cookie isle and just about every Keebler or Peperidge Farm cookie contained these yucky oils. 

You may have heard hydrogenated oils be referred to as Trans fats... it is basically a fat that turns solid at room temperature. These fats contain trans fatty acids which are extremely bad for you and your heart. Because they are artificially made, our body doesn't recognize them and so it doesn't really know what to do with them. These trans fatty acids have been shown to contribute to heart disease, cancer , and diabetes. Again, I am no expert but the way I understand it is that FAT IS GOOD! Our body needs fat and our body won't stop being hungry until we get the fatty acids it needs. "Polyunsaturated fats" are the "good fats" found in things like olives, nuts, fish and eggs. These fats don't really make you fat and in fact, once our body receives these fats, our hunger mechanism will turn off because the body received the good fat it needed. The problem with these trans fats is that THEY MAKE YOU EAT MORE because they make you consume more fat to get the good fatty acids that you need. Besides causing disease, they are also bad because they interfere with the body's ability to use good fats. You may also see words in the label like "partially hydrogenated soybean oil" This is TERRIBLE because this oil actually slows your thyroid down which makes you tired and slows your metabolism. Look for hydrogenated oils in most cookies, chips and crackers. Bummer, I know. Heres the thing though, by taking care of your body your aren't stuck to tofu and wheat grass I promise. Here are a couple examples of swaps you can make to avoid these oils...

Cool whip is CHEMICAL whip that contains hydrogenated oil. Instead, use....

Full fat, real whipped cream.

I am not implying that whipped cream is a diet food. You don't really have to be on a diet to eat well. Eat these things in moderation and when you do need whipped cream, use the real stuff. Fat free cool whip is probably the worst! A general rule, dont buy FAT FREE because it is usually loaded with harmful chemicals to make up for the fat deficit. 

Again, not another diet food... but if you are going to eat potato chips, eat....

Lays classics or most kettle chips! Lay's classics contain potatoes, sunflower oil and salt. Thats it.

Baked Lay's are low in fat, but full of junk! 

Again, Im not saying to loose weight, eat these, because they do have "saturated fat" but if you want an occasional potato chip, live a little and DO SO! Just eat pure chips. 

2. High Fructose Corn Syrup.

You may have seen commercials talking about how there is nothing wrong with HFCS. But here is why I don't eat it... It is a synthetic sugar. Again, your body doesn't recognize this as sugar so your body will tell you to eat more because it doesn't even think it is getting real sugar. A low sugar diet is best... Don't get me wrong, regular sugar in high doses also contributes to obesity and diabetes just as HFCS does, HFCS attributes to obesity more than sugar because it affects our normal appetite functions. 

Bottum line... What makes me not want to eat this substance... Our liver doesn't metabolize HFCS so it goes straight to fat. This stuff can even cause scarring to our liver. Again, the major bummer with this stuff is that it is in virtually EVERYTHING... breads, cereals, granola bars, yogurts, soups and condiments. However, more and more products are being made with out HFCS, you just have to look at the labels. Many times it will advertise "No HFCS" on the front of the package. Luke's new favorite no hfcs product...

3. MSG aka Monosodium glutanate.

This stuff is a "flavor enhancer" linked to obesity. In short, it is the nicotine of food. It literally addicts you to the food it is added to and it changes the way your body breaks down fat, making you, well, fat. This stuff is in many processed foods and MOST fast foods and many chain restaurants. MSG is called an excitotoxin and can lead to Diabetes, stroke, cancer, seizers, high blood pressure and encephalitis. Your label wont always say MSG, it can be hidden in these words...

Monosodium Glutamate

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

Hydrolyzed Protein

Hydrolyzed Plant Protein

Plant Protein Extract

Sodium Caseinate

Calcium Caseinate

Yeast Extract

Textured Protein (Including TVP)

Autolyzed Yeast

Hydrolyzed Oat Flour

Corn Oil  

That really stinks doesn't it? It feels like a full time job just to pick out food and this is where I want to drive my point...

You have to have FREEDOM in your life when it comes to food. No person should be so obsessed with dieting that they would say I can NEVER eat this or that. The same goes for all of these "do not eats" Yes, I check my labels, and won't buy it I see that it is in there. But if I am going over to someones house and they have Dorritos, will I grab a couple? Sure! I can't be a wierdo always checking labels, and freaking out. Early in my pregnancy it was OREO's 100th birthday, and I had Luke run and get some OREO's. Not a norm, but a TREAT. I will occasionally have something with one of these three ingredients in it, I just dont make it a part of my regular diet.

What I want you to take from this, is start being more aware of what you are eating. Being pregnant, I have eaten plenty of ice cream, cheeses and higher fat foods to give my babies what they need. I just eat REAL ice cream, REAL cheese, and avoid processed foods. It is amazing what delicious snacks and goodies you will find in your natural food section of your grocery store.

God made us to enjoy food. God also made food... he knew what he was doing when he created fruits, vegetables and meats. Sure we can enjoy packaged food too, but try to buy packaged things with ingredients that you can pronounce... REAL and PURE food.

So much of my healthy journey is not about the way I look, but the way I take care of the body that the Lord has provided me with :) Avoiding these ingredients is something I believe God has laid on my heart and something he has motivated me with to take care of my family. Luke is so appreciative to eat healthy, and has appreciated the weight loss benefits too. These "do not eats" will encourage you to cook more too. Last night we had chicken taquitos... something I once enjoyed out of a box, but I made them by scratch and it was an EASY recipe. I often look for simple recipes and find many on Dr.OZ.com. We had pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream for dessert. Again, I eat like I regular person and cannot deprive myself and live under bondage. I have discovered wonderful self control and discipline that the Lord has blessed me in wanting to take care of my body and health.  I have found freedom in PURE food and I hope that you can enjoy the same freedom I have found :)

Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

4 Year Anniversary

We had a great Anniversary this year! We couldn't do much (like we did last year, last year's anniversary ) because of my current condition :) But we had a lovely meal out at the Precinct, one of Jeff Ruby's steakhouses here in Cincinnati. 

 Beautiful flowers from my hubby :)

28 weeks here

Woah Belly!

I am so thankful to God for the past 4 years of marriage and for the 8 total years of being together with Luke :)

2nd trimester in review and 28 weeks

I am feeling SO blessed that the 2nd trimester is over and the last one is here! What a smooth and wonderful pregnancy this has been. Here is 2nd trimester in review...


At 16 weeks we were thrilled to find out the genders of our sweet babies!


17 weeks felt a few bubbly type flutters.


19 weeks felt tiny movements.

At 19 weeks we had our anatomy scan which gave us quite a scare with Jack Henry. We followed up at 21 weeks with a level 2 ultrasound to find out that everything was perfect with our little guy and we had two healthy, happy, growing babies. This was a great test of our faith and we give glory to God.


22 weeks felt strong and consistant movement. What a joy :)


24 weeks I hit the "viability" milestone. With the scares of twins coming early, this is a big milestone as if they were born then, they would have a chance of survival with lots of help from the NICU.


24 weeks is also when I started getting pretty physically uncomfortable.


27 weeks I was put on modified bedrest for the remainder of my pregnancy and taken out of work.


Here are some 2nd trimester phone pictures...

16 weeks

18 weeks

19 weeks

21 weeks

25 weeks

And here we are at 28 weeks...

Maternity Clothes? Pretty much ALL!

Stretch Marks? Still none! WHoo hoo!

Sleep? I now have a hard time getting to sleep but do pretty well once I am asleep.

Movement? Moving TONS and starting to kick HARD.

Cravings? Ice cream type things!

Gender? Boy and girl

Belly Button In or Out? Out!

Symptoms: Belly is BIG and tight, heartburn and some leg cramps, back aches, and a few braxton hicks contractions.

Best moment of the week? Seeing our nursery painted :)

What I am looking forward to: Our next appointment... this tuesday!

And it begins...

My sweet husband did 95% of the work as I am pretty out of commission but I am proud to say it is coming together. Here is a little preview of the start of our nursery...

 Before (above)