27 week 3 day growth ultrasound

Early this morning Tim and I had our 27 week 3 day growth ultrasound on the twins. Tim stayed over last night so that he was able to come with me this time which was nice for both of us. They are very active little girls, and it is so amazing how much difference two weeks can make. They looked much bigger, and their faces were more filled out. We even got to see Sophia's face this time! She kept trying to cover her face with her arm, because she is my shy one. I will post pictures soon. She is beautiful, just like her sister of course. Sophia measured 2lb 1oz and Cecilia measured 2lb 5oz. I was hoping for a little more weight, but I was extremely happy that they were at the two pound mark. This week marks our half way point, and I couldn't be happier. I know that my time here in the hospital is extremely important for my girls, but I anxious for this part to be over so that I can be home where I feel the best. I am definitely very homesick. I can't wait to see my daughters and to take them home for good. Knowing that I am almost half way through this make me more hopeful and excited. Tomorrow is the first day of December and my girls are due to come out the last day of December. I have a feeling it might seem like a long month but really it is going to fly by. I'm hoping to have exact date for the c-section set in the next couple weeks. We ordered our first crib online today. I will feel better when Tim gets it set up at home. I was visited by both my brother-in-laws and their wives this weekend, and they surprised us with two car seats that Tim's side of the family all pitched in money for as Christmas gifts. We were so relieved! They are great car seats and will be perfect even for our tiny babies. We are so grateful to everyone for being so generous, more grateful than words can say. Our weekend was wonderful, and I got to spend a lot of time with Tim. We ordered out for Thanksgiving and although we missed our families, we took the time to be together and reflect on the ways our lives are soon going to change drastically. We are so excited to start our family together. More to come!

Day 18

Well the twins and I are still hanging in there. Tim was here over the weekend, and it was nice to spend some time with him. His parents, Mark and Lavonne visited on Saturday as well and graciously brought me some non-hospital food which is always a nice retreat. Lavonne also started to teach me how to crochet, which I am working on and not doing too bad. I have plenty of time to practice so hopefully I will be able to produce something soon! The girls are still moving a lot making monitoring difficult, and it does get frustrating for the nurses and myself. Sometimes I have a hard time keeping my patience (especially after being prodded on my stomach for an hour at 3 in the morning), but they say it will start getting easier as soon as they get bigger. I am definitely getting very homesick at this point, and I have to often remind myself of the light at the end of the tunnel. There are times when this is more challenging than others. It will be difficult to be in the hospital over Thanksgiving, because it is my favorite holiday, and I haven't seen much of my family in a long time. Tim will be here though, and we will celebrate it to the best of our ability. I am thankful that I can spend it with him. The twins gave us a bit of a scare on Sunday. The doctor came in and said that she was concerned about an episode where one of the babies had a really high heart rate for an extended period of time, and the other's was very low. She did an ultrasound to check on the cords but found nothing to suggest that there was a knot. The cords are a little tangled, but they are not enough to concern the doctor. She said today that it is good when their heart beats are elevated for short periods of time, because it shows that they are active and responding well. She said that my twins are more active and responsive than some babies at 32 weeks that she sees. That made me happy to hear considering we are only 26 weeks and 4 days, although the "what if" is constantly in the back of my mind. I have another growth ultrasound on Monday at 7:30 a.m. I am excited to see their growth, and Monday marks my half way point in the hospital. I will update next week as long as there isn't any news before that time.

Day 10 and 25 week ultrasound

Here it is day 10. I can be proud of ten days completed, or I can dread the 46 or so days that I still have ahead of me. To be honest, I find myself doing both depending on the day or mood. Although I can say that the twins' continued well being and successful growth development has started to pick away at the more pessimistic parts of me. It is hard to be pessimistic when my daughters and I beat the odds every day that they stay inside me growing nice and big. I am trying to find creative ways to pass my time, and I have tried to learn knitting (status update: still learning). I am making my way through a crossword puzzle book that a nice volunteer brought me. I am reading two different books right now, and I spend way too much time on the internet. I don't know what I would do without my laptop. I am trying to get motivated to pick up some writing again. The first week away from Tim was very hard on me, and I don't really see it getting much easier. He brings me such happiness and being away from him I don't feel quite whole. Seeing him this weekend was wonderful though, and we continue to get very excited about the arrival of our girls and the start of our family. I had an ultrasound that mapped the twins' growth on Friday morning. It was amazing to see what a difference three weeks made. They looked like they had started to develop some fat, and they were extremely active. When we first started looking at them, Sophia had Cecilia's hand in her month. I guess they are learning to share from the womb! They were very close together with Cecilia pretty much on top of Sophia, and Sophia's body was turned away from us again. It was heartwarming to see them though, moving their arms and yawning, and looking precious. Cecilia was 1 pound 11 ounces and Sophia was 1 pound 12 ounces which is apparently good for their gestational age. The pictures are of only Cecilia, but we can assume that Sophia looks very much look her sister. The nurses all tell me that their heart rates are excellent and are measuring on average equivalent to what they would expect for babies of 30 weeks gestation. That is fantastic, but it does mean that they have to continue doing so well. I am hopeful for lots more growth the next two weeks, and I am crossing my fingers for at least 2 pounds each by the next ultrasound. I will update next week as long as there isn't any news before then...let's hope it stays nice and boring.

Day 5

So I have made it to day five! I am slowly settling in a routine that makes the days seem a bit less monotonous and easier to get through. I miss Tim a lot, and I know that the adjustment is difficult for him too, but we want what is best for our daughters. As they say the end justifies the means! It is funny how the simple luxuries in life are what you look forward to when you are confined to the bed for most of the day. I absolutely pine for my shower in the morning! It makes me feel human and refreshed. I also look forward to my meals (yes I'm getting accustomed to the hospital food), simply because they come at the same time everyday and helps split up the day. Each shift I have been here I have had a different nurse so I am getting to know the staff here well. The women are all very nice, and their dedication to my babies' well-being is incredible. Everyday one of my doctors check in with me and let me know how they think the girls are doing and the consensus thus far has been good! Even the nurses say that they are doing well for 24 weeks gestation. Despite some of the frustration of having the monitors on almost constantly, there is a certain level of reassurance that being able to hear their heart beats bring. Up until the hospital admission I was always worried about how they were doing and now much of that concern has been lifted from my shoulders. I can say without a doubt in my mind that this is the most challenging obstacle I have ever had to face. I'm learning so much about myself, and I have a lot of time to reflect on my past and plan for my future. I will continue to post pictures as I have them. I don't know for sure what day my next ultrasound is, but I am very excited to see them and find out their weights. Thank you to everyone who is thinking and praying for my family. It means a lot that so many people are supporting us through this journey!

Day 1 of Inpatient Stay

Tim and I got to the hospital this afternoon, and I must say that I am slightly overwhelmed by everything so far. I was not exactly sure what to expect, but I have learned that I will have the heart monitors on almost 24/7. With the exception of taking showers I am bound to the bed with belts around my belly tracing the girls and their heartbeats. They have already started making things difficult for the nurses (and myself to be quite honest) by moving around quite a bit. Tim and I have discovered so far that Baby A (Sophia) is far better behaved than Baby B (Cecilia). While Sophia generally stays in her designated area (which is wedged up by my right hip bone), Cecilia is a little acrobat with an attitude. It will be interesting to watch these babies carefully and see how their personalities develop along with their little bodies. Everyone so far has been very nice to me here, and although this is bound to be a big adjustment for me, it will be easier with the staff that is here to support me and the babies. Tim is staying with me this weekend which is also very helpful to sort of ease me into this new living experience. I received the first dose of steroids this evening and will get another dose tomorrow. I don't like needles, so this was not fun for me. We got the chance to talk to one of my doctors today, it was nice to see him. While the girls are still so small, the monitoring will be a very difficult process for nurses and me. They informed me that they would be in about every half hour to hour all night, every night until they are bigger and can't move around so much. I suppose that this will help me practice for the sleepless nights I'm sure to have in the near future. I will continue to update as I get news and also as I need to vent..so be prepared!