Ten Days Old Already

How did that happen? Indigo is doing well at "home," winning everyone over with his easy-going nature. We only had one night where he was screaming his fool head off, which we decided was caused by gas. He slept like a, well, baby the rest of that night. He makes these little squeaky noises that sound adorable until they turn into velociraptor level shrieks (usually when Grandma is changing him, although he's getting better about that). He's definitely put on weight!

Periwinkle is unfortunately STILL in the NICU. Her blood sugar and eating issues seem to have resolved (no more tube feedings!), but for the past week she's had bradycardia episodes every few days. That is when her heart rate drops below 80. I don't want to know how far below 80... Every time she has an episode, she has to spend five more days there without an episode for them to release her. First we thought Monday, then Thursday, and now we're up to next Saturday. The good news is they think they know why it's happening and will be doing some testing to see if they are right. If it is caused by reflux, they can either give her thickened formula or medication and it should all resolve and we can take her home. Hoping...

She is an absolute doll and we've visited her twice a day for the past few days to do her feedings. She's now in real clothes (yay for a shopping spree at Babies 'R' Us! for tiny clothes), is more alert and "frisky," and just melts my heart. It's never fun leaving her there but we hope she knows we'll always come back for her. Also not fun are the long lines you have to go through to get gas. We were almost out a few days ago and all I could think was "Without gas we can't visit Periwinkle!" We're hoping our tank lasts us long enough to get through the Sandy-related gas problems and/or until we get her home.

So that's the basic update. Now, for some photos!

Indigo before leaving the hospital.

My girl

Indigo believes in Baby Power!

Real clothes!

Also, today we brought Indigo to the hospital, along with my mom, to see if we could orchestrate a little reunion through the NICU window. I'd say we were successful!

First time I've really seen them together.

First family portrait (kind of)

Hurricane Sandy

Sandy has certainly made our week interesting. But compared to the devastation in NYC (only 40 miles from our house) and even around our neighborhood, we have no complaints. We lost some siding on the house, and part of our fence. Easy enough repairs, although a bit frustrating as we just fixed the fence this summer after 2011's Hurricane Irene pulled a tree down on top of it. But we are all healthy and safe.

We lost power Monday and by Wednesday decided it was just getting too cold for Baby Boy, who shall henceforth be known as Indigo. We also ran out of clean clothes for him, so we packed up all our stuff and headed to my sister-in-law's house. So we're hanging out with her and her kids for a bit, enjoying watching them scope out the new baby in the family, showering in hot water, eating hot food, and having heat. So thankful to them for taking us in!

Indigo is doing very well. He's such a mellow baby, and even put himself back to sleep last night after a feeding. Our only problem is he keeps peeing out of his diaper. We are using preemie size but it still seems too big for him so there's leakage. We're working on it, but any tips are appreciated!! That's about the only time he cries, other than being hungry. And when he cries, he sounds a bit like a velociraptor, which is kind of hilarious.

We finally got to visit Baby Girl, henceforth Periwinkle, last night. We got to cuddle her, and my mom even got to hold her for a bit. She just keeps getting more beautiful. She is out of the incubator and into a normal nursery bassinet!! Yesterday she tube fed only a third of one feeding. Everything else was bottles, if a bit slow-going. Go Periwinkle! She needs to go two days of eating from bottles only and they will likely send her home. Hopefully we'll have power back by then...

So that's the update on the babies and the crazy week of the hurricane. I could go on about how nutso it is that there's no power south of 39th Street, that Staten Island has been flattened, that people I know have experienced tragedy, that all this happened when we were just bringing a newborn home, but I'm just grateful he and Periwinkle are safe and warm. What more could a new mama want?

36 Weeks!

And they are here! It's been a crazy couple of days, for sure.

Last Monday I started experiencing crazy itching, including on my palms and feet. Since I couldn't sleep, I Googled. And saw that it could be cholestasis, which would mean my liver wasn't functioning properly, which could be bad for the babies. I made an appointment to see my doctor on Thursday.

At that appointment, my doctor listened to my symptoms. She rechecked my blood pressure. And then she told me to go to labor and delivery, pronto. It was very likely I had pre-eclampsia, in which case they would deliver the baby.

After a bit of monitoring, with my blood pressure near 145/99 (bad), they asked me when the last time I ate was. I got excited, stupidly thinking that meant they would feed me lunch (I tend to end up in L&D at mealtimes). But no, they had to wait six hours from my last meal before they could c-section me. It was happening.

And so began the phone calls. The doctors and nurses had been talkking like it could be several hours before there was a spot in the operating room, since there were a set of triplets and another set of twins also being delivered. And then they had me sign some forms, and said we'd be going in within 20 minutes.

Cue panic attack. Not really. I just went into a surreal zoned out mode as they did the spinal (a very odd feeling but not as painful as expected), attached IVs, and got me prepped. Blue came in all in scrubs, which was kind of adorable. I wish I had a picture of that. He was awesome at distracting me, and our conversation about Star Trek and baseball ended up including the surgeon, who was extremely nice and rather funny. Not what I expected!

I asked when they'd be beginning, and they told me they already had. Then it go weird feeling. Tugging, pulling, but zero pain (phew!).

And then I heard Baby Boy cry, and I totally teared up. He was here! He was okay! Baby Girl soon followed. Blue went to check on them as they stretched out under the heat lights, basking in the warmth.

As soon as they were done stitching me up, Baby Girl was placed in my arms, Baby Boy on my lap, and we got wheeled to recovery. They were both 19 inches long, with Baby Girl weighing 5lbs 1oz, and Baby Boy 5lbs 4oz. Their ultrasound weights from last Monday were accurate!

I got placed on a magnesium drip to help with my blood pressure, which ended up making me feel like I had the flu. Not fun. That was done after 24 hours, at which point I was able to actually focus on people again and really comprehend what people were saying. They had a good time laughing at me.

Unfortunately Baby Girl ended up in the NICU due to low blood sugar. She is still there, working on eating on her own, getting fed through a tube about half the time. Her sugar level is better, but now she is jaundiced, so she spends a lot of time under the bilirubin lamp to help her liver process bilirubin. We've had a great time bonding with Baby Boy, but it's been so sad visiting our daughter in her little incubator. Makes you feel quite helpless. We do get to hold her, and we just soak up that time with her. We can't wait to have her join us and her brother at home, hopefully by the end of the week.

And now, a few photos:

Blue feeds Baby Boy

Little Baby Girl

Baby Boy

I think she looks like me as a baby.

Me as a baby

Week 35!

So here we are, at week 35. The average for twins is 36 weeks, so I'm a week away from that point. Still hoping they hang on until their scheduled eviction date, though!

This is my first full week at home. As my doctor said, I've "had a good run" but it was time to stop working. Fine by me! I have to confess, I had giant smile on my face after she told me to stop. And working out short term disability at work didn't prove as complicated as I'd thought it would be, so that part wasn't even too stressful. Woohoo!

So at this point the babies are just adding fat. They likely won't get any longer. Which is good, because there really isn't anywhere else for their little legs to go.

Fun fact: my uterus is now about 1000 times its original size. Probably more, because it's twins. Crazy!

This week they are coconuts! Cue: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Those aren't 'orses! You've got two 'alves of a coconut and you're bangin' 'em together!).

thebump.com

At my appointment yesterday they did measure them again. Yay! Baby Boy is 5lbs 3oz, and Baby Girl is 5lbs 1oz. So Baby Boy has taken the lead once again! 10.25 pounds of babies. No wonder my back hurts...

They were both face-up so we finally got some pictures!

Baby Boy. Not many good shots of him this time.

Baby Girl, with her little nose. First picture in about two months!

I swear I can see a little hair sticking up off her forehead but I didn't get that confirmed or anything.

Now, back to doing laundry and watching HGTV!

An Eventful Week

No, the babies aren't here yet. But I've been a little distracted by other things and haven't gotten motivated enough to come on here, my apologies! Thank you to those of you who have checked in with me privately!

So, last Monday (the day of my last posts) I experienced a little spotting. So little I wasn't going to do anything about it, until the ladies on my baby board highly encouraged me to call my doctor just in case. At first the nurse said that since it was so little, and had stopped, I was fine. Apparently she then talked to my doctor, who wanted me to get to labor & delivery pronto. So I left work around 4pm last Monday and headed to my hospital. Blue had his last class session and then was going to meet me and/or pick me up, depending on how long it took them to check me out.

Note to self: Next time I head to L&D, stop for food and a gallon of water beforehand. They don't let you eat or drink, the bastards. I was so unbelievably thirsty and was never so grateful for a cup of ice chips in my life. In any event, they checked me out, determined that the bleeding was not coming from my pregnancy (and not reassuringly never found WHY I had spotted), that I still had a good cervical length and there were no signs of preterm labor. They hooked me up on the same monitors they use at my twice-weekly NSTs and left me there for a very long time. Luckily Blue had arrived by 8:30pm and helped keep me amused. I do have to say the "bed" they had me in was the biggest contributor to my discomfort and intense desire to go home. Not. Comfy. Also, watching Dancing with the Stars sans music just isn't the same... Oh, and apparently I had a few minor contractions while there. I didn't feel a thing.

Waiting for test results took us to about 11pm (still starving, but they finally gave me a glass of water) and we headed out around 11:30pm. And headed straight to Wendy's. Dinner at midnight, a kiss for our anniversary that we had just crossed into (two years!), and then to bed. See below for the beautiful flowers Blue sent to the office for our anniversary.

I somehow got up in time for work and headed in for a half day, as I had my usual NST and ultrasound Tuesday afternoon. My boss commented that we should meet and discuss my projects "in light of Monday's events." Which we did, and we came up with a list of about eight things I should aim to complete by November 6th, my planned last day (and election day!).

Well, at my appointment my doctor happened to be the one on duty. And due to the spotting and the minor contractions, and to her longstanding desire that I stop working, she told me to stop working. Pronto. I asked if I could complete the week, and she said no.

So I went to work the next day anyways. I planned to go in Wednesday and Thursday (mainly to say bye to my coworker friend who was out on Wednesday) and finish as much as I could off that list. Well, work wanted me to go home immediately. I insisted on staying the day, finished exactly ONE item on the list and updated my boss on the rest, and then bid sayonara to work until February. I left a note for my coworker to take care of my flowers for me, and took two stems home with me. Unfortunately tulips are toxic to cats so I couldn't take them all home.

Thank you to my Facebook friends who repeatedly insisted I not go in Thursday, which worked out well because my cold made me absolutely miserable on Thursday, so I pretty much stayed in bed all day.

It's so absolutely bizarre that I'm done with work already. Today was the first day it really hit me, as Thursday and Friday just felt like a few vacation days. But today it was real. No more Monday commutes for 15 weeks. Ironically, Blue has to go into the city for the week, so we've reversed roles. And I cannot be more grateful to my doctor for telling me to stay home. I think it was really time. Going to Target the other day was exhausting. Sleep cannot last long enough. My body is just worn out and needs to focus on the babies for these last few weeks. It was just perfect timing, although unexpected, and I'm so glad I have these last three weeks at home to get things ready without overexerting. And to have Blue there during the day in case something happens (although not this week, of course).

I tried to take it easy today, doing a few loads of laundry and reorganizing the freezer, trying to honor my doctor's wishes that I rest as much as possible. I've got a list of projects to keep my mind from going crazy, one of which is to blog more regularly again. It was always a quick mental break at work, so it takes more planning to do it at home. I also am excited I might actually finish our wedding album before the babies arrive. Actually, might START the album. I'm a procrastinator, what can I say?

So that's the big stuff from the past week. Still to come, an update on baby size, celebrating hitting 35 weeks, and an update on the nursery!

Beware the Babysnatcher!

I'm one of those people who has somewhat irrational fears. The person walking behind me is always going to try to rob me. Trash bags on the side of the highway probably have dead bodies inside them. Things like that (thanks Mom). One of those fears this pregnancy has been of the woman who lost her baby and kidnaps me and takes mine. It happens on TV shows all the time! I just never imagined the would-be babysnatcher would be a two-and-a-half-year-old girl!

My sister-in-law, the one who is expecting her third child, emailed me a hilarious story today. Her daughter, whom we'll call Violet to keep with our color theme, desperately wanted her new sibling to be a girl. Despite being told by her mother that it was a boy, Violet didn't seem to process this information, until yesterday, to which she said "I told you I wanted a sister!" Like they could simply return the baby boy and switch for a sister. When told again that the baby would be a brother (yay, two brothers!), Violet told her mother, very matter-of-factly, "Aunt Red is having a girl. A boy and a girl. I'll take her girl." Because, you know, I've got a spare baby on my hands. Apparently my sister-in-law has talked her down to simply playing with my baby girl and helping to take care of her.

I can just imagine the look on her face as she thought through the problem (I want a sister) and came up with a solution (Aunt Red has an extra baby girl coming). Makes perfect sense! Future lawyer?

Still Preggo, Don't Worry

I know I haven't posted much in the last week. I've just been too wiped out, really. But I am still preggo, still trudging along, although apparently whenever I call my parents, they see my number on caller ID and think, "Uh oh!"

My mother also has been dreaming about the babies coming. In one she related to me, I was in the hospital giving birth the old-fashioned way, and delivered one baby. Then I said, "I'm done," and tried to get up and leave the hospital with baby two still hanging out in my belly. My mom woke up and had to check her phone to make sure I hadn't called to say I was in labor. So they are taking care of the worrying for me, because I have had absolutely NO dreams about popping these babies out. I'm a bit zen about the whole thing. They'll be here a month from yesterday, or, in weeks, four weeks from this upcoming Wednesday. Crazy.

So this week makes 34 weeks! A very real possibility the babies could try to escape any time, although as of my last NST and ultrasound last Thursday, they are making no efforts to do so. The average delivery week is 36 weeks for twins, but still hoping they hang out until 38 weeks. With an end date for work in sight, I think I can make it. Starting this week I have to go twice a week for the NST and ultrasound, so two half-days at work a week. Still have to deal with the obnoxious commute, but I think I can deal.

This week the babies are butternut squashes.

What's cool is they can now distinguish between songs and might react differently to different songs. They probably react poorly to anything I sing, as I really have no ability to carry a tune. I should make Blue sing to them...

They also pee about a pint a day. Awesome. And kind of gross considering they end up swallowing it. Ewwwww!

One of my friends had her baby girl last Wednesday, so a shout out to Mama A and Baby K, who is absolutely beautiful. And another friend is having her baby boy today, so I am wishing her lots of luck! Can't wait until it's my turn!

Oh, in case any of you were wondering, I did manage to find Apple Orchard donuts in my hometown. Phew! Dunkin Donuts isn't a total fail.