3 months and growing

Monday, December 15, 2008, marks 3 months since the births of Ryan and Alyna. It's been quite an adventure caring for two newborn babies at once. Many of the experiences we've had have taught us that there's no real rules for doing it right. Each child may just be different.

For instance:

Ryan eats more than Alyna and has grown faster, but Alyna sleeps longer even though we have the same bedtime routine for both. Alyna spits up a lot more even though she eats less and is burped more frequently.






Ryan likes to be cuddled close and wrapped up tight, but don't put him on his stomach for very long because he can't see what's going on. Alyna likes to play on her tummy, but don't wrap her arms up in a blanket or towel unless you want to hear her vocalize her discomfort very loudly.




Ryan and Alyna bring so much joy into our house. It's amazing how our perspective on so many things has changed in such a short time. Crazy drivers are scary, not just annoying. Bedtime at 9 pm and sleeping until 7 sounds great. Getting to eat dinner at the table together is a treat. Watching a TV show all the way through is a real luxury (even with skipping commercials). Going to a Christmas party in the evening sounds like a hassle.

My Mom once told my little brother, "Parenting is never about convenience." It's true. But convenience is overrated compared to the great blessings I feel when my children smile at me just because I'm their mom.

(Note: I just couldn't get them to make their cute faces for the same picture...)

The sleep trend continues

I'm so proud of the munchkins...

Last night, Ryan finished around 9:15, and I was asleep around 10:15... and he didn't eat until 3:15 am. That's 5 hours of sleep for Mommy. What a good feeling that is after all these months.

In the past 5 days, Ryan has gone 6 hour blocks every night except once night that was only 5 1/2 hours. I feed Alyna first at the 8 pm feeding and then wake her to feed after he does, so she has been sleeping 7 hours straight.

I think Ryan's close to sleeping even longer because he's started eating less when he wakes up after the 6 hours. That's been the trend so far. When he starts to eat for only 10 minutes before falling asleep, a week later he's sleeping longer and then eating more again.

One of these days I'll try waking them up to eat again around 11 pm and see if they'll go until morning. But I'm so happy with this trend of 6 hours, that I don't want to risk breaking it. Ryan always does better when we stick with our routine.

Precious sleep

Last night, Ryan went for 6 hours and then 4 hours without eating. Alyna went 7 hours and then 3 1/2. Using the pacifier has helped us to help Ryan sleep longer.

We've also gotten into a nighttime routine that seems to be working for us. The times change some depending on when they've eaten during the day, but they seem to know that it's bedtime now when we put them in the cribs around 7:30 each night.

Here's how last night went...

5 -6 - twins eat
6-7 - Mommy and Daddy eat, watched a 2 week old episode of Heroes while holding the twins and playing with them (they like Peek-a-boo now)
6:50 -bath time
7:15 - change twins into sleep clothes and put in cribs to watch mobiles (they are in separate cribs now because Ryan kept bonking Alyna on the head and waking her up when he'd cry)
7:30 - 8:15 - catnap before evening feeding
8:15 - feed and change Alyna
8:40 - feed and change Ryan
9:05 - Mommy is done... time to get ready for bed
10:15 - Mommy goes to sleep
1:40 - Ryan cries, Mommy goes in and sticks pacifier in his mouth
2:50 - Ryan cries, Mommy goes in and feeds him... that's 6 hours since he last ate
3:15 - Mommy wakes Alyna up for a change and feed... that's 7 hours since she ate
5:30 - Ryan cries... Daddy goes and sticks a pacifier in his mouth
6:00 - Ryan and Alyna are crying... Daddy goes and changes each one and brings them to the swings that are in our bedroom
6:45 - Alyna is fussy... Mommy feeds her
7:05 - Mommy gets Ryan out of the swing to eat
7:15 - Daddy gets ready to go to work, and Mommy takes the babies into the bedroom to be changed, then out to the living room while she eats breakfast

The funny part was that Ryan thought it was playtime at 3 am because he'd slept so long. He was all smiles and laughing at the mobile for about 15 minutes after Alyna had finished and gone back to sleep.

The long sleep wasn't totally unexpected. Ryan has slept for a 5 hour block 3 out of the previous 5 nights. That usually includes one or more times of us putting the pacifier in his mouth to sooth him back to sleep, but it seems to work. We always try that first now. If he cries again within 15 minutes, we know he really wants to eat or be changed.

I am hoping the trend will continue, and am dreading the thought that teething may start soon. He's been unusually fussy, drooling a lot, had elevated temperature (in the 99's), and been chewing his fingers the last couple days. But he's just now 3 months old.

I feel so much better when I've had at least one block of sleep over 3 hours. It's a nice feeling.

Let it snow...

Today is our first snow of the year. I'm not sure how much is supposed to stick, but it sure is helping me feel like it's actually Christmas time. It's hard to get into the spirit when you go shopping without a jacket on.

I opted to not go to Ladies Bible Class this morning partly for the weather, but mostly because Ryan had mucus coming out of his right eye all day yesterday and we had to get eye drops for it. It looks better today, but I still didn't want to take him into the cold weather since we don't really know what caused it.

Of course, being southern New Mexico, it's supposed to be in the 60's again by Thursday.

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow... Merry Christmas!

Music fills the air

My babies love music... is it really a surprise?

I've been singing to them since before they were born, and I continue to sing to them every day. We even had the IPod going in the hospital, and it still plays lullabies at night in their bedroom.

Most days we have about 20 minutes at some point during the day where they are both awake and happy, and I sing songs and do hand motions. They actually have pretty good attention spans.

I had been helping out in the cradle roll class at church while I was pregnant so I could learn a bunch new songs. So I sing to them about the days of creation, and after each day I sing them songs about things made on that day.

Day 1 - songs about God making light...
Day 2 - songs about clouds floating and rain falling, "Wise Man Built His House Upon a Rock"
Day 3 - songs about trees and flowers
Day 4 - about God making the big round sun, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star God has placed you where you are...
Day 5 - songs about fish swimming, and birds flying
Day 6 - songs about frogs and other animals, and songs about God making "me" and "I am special", songs about our eyes, ears and other parts

Then we sing the ABC's, and whatever other songs I feel like singing. I'm hoping this will help them feel comfortable in the cradle roll class once they can sit up.

I also use the song "O Be Careful Little Eyes" to give them their baths. During the eyes, I wash their face and top of their head. For Ears, I wash behind their ears and the back of their head. Mouth, I wash their mouth, chin, and neck. Hands, I wash their arms and stomach. Feet, I wash their legs. Then I turn them over and wash their backs as quickly as possible and then pull them out.

They also love things that play music, like their swings and their crib mobiles. They stay entertained for 5-15 minutes by these, which gives Mommy time to attend to their sibling.

We also have Mr. Blueberry. Ryan never liked having his diaper changed until one day I reached over and grabbed a blue teddy bear we'd received as a present. Mr. Blueberry, as we've named him, has a wind up that plays "Lullaby and Goodnight" while his head moves side to side. Ryan loves it when Mr. Blueberry sings to him, and Ryan talks back to the bear too. Alyna would prefer Mommy to sing to her.

I'm glad they love music, because it's a special blessing from God for His creation.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I would like to wish you a happy Thanksgiving... and to thank you for reading my blog.

It's good to have a way to unobtrusively share what is happening in my life with family and friends all over the world.

I'm so thankful this year for my 5 years of marriage, a safe (though tough) pregnancy, and two healthy babies. Ryan and Alyna are my greatest "new" blessing this year. I enjoy being a mom so much, and I'm thankful every day that God has given me this beautiful family. (Though sometimes at 3 am I don't know how I'll handle being so blessed.)

I'm also thankful to have a husband with a good job, money in the bank, two working and paid for cars, a house, and a loyal, loving dog.

I'm thankful for wonderful ladies at church who don't mind that I bring two babies to Ladies Bible Class every week. I'm sure it's disruptive to some, but they've all been so gracious in helping care for Ryan and Alyna during that hour. Even when I'm really tired I want to go to class on Tuesday mornings because it is such a blessing in my life. It gets me out of the house for a time of spiritual renewal, and it is an environment filled with lots of Aunts and Grandmas for my babies. I love the ladies all so much for their care and love.

Thank you God for all my blessings. Bless all who read this with comfort and warmth this week as we celebrate this holiday.

2 Month Checkup...

Shots are no fun... They got 3 shots and a mouthful of another vaccine today at their 2 month appointment.

...But both are healthy and growing.

Ryan is 22.5 inches and 9 lbs 9 oz.

Alyna is 21 1/4 inches and 9 lbs.

They have moved up from Newborn diapers to size 1 this week. They had moved from Newborn clothes to 0-3 months clothes several weeks ago, and Ryan is already getting to long for some of the footed sleepers.

I'm very grateful to Mrs. Gerry Cochran for going with me today.

cutest smiles ever...

I know I'm biased, but these have got to be two of the cutest smiles ever.










Alyna loves to laugh at just about everything... starting when she first wakes up in the morning.










You have to work harder for it, but when Ryan smiles it just melts your heart. And he has a cute little dimple in his right cheek.

The time is floating by...

I would say it's flying, but it really does feel like it's floating by. That may just be because I haven't had more than 3 1/2 hours of sleep at a time since about July.

But it has been 8 full weeks since my babies were born.

It's amazing to watch them grow. Everyone else says they are still so small, but they are so much bigger than they were 8 weeks ago that they don't seem small to me anymore.

I'd bet Ryan is about 9 pounds by now. He's eating 3 1/2 to 5 oz of breastmilk at every feeding. Alyna is definitely over 7 pounds, probably 8. She eats 2 1/2 to 3 3/4 oz every feeding. They both like to eat a lot at one meal and then not as much at the next.

No, they're not sleeping through the night yet. Ryan is the culprit here. I think it's more his wet and messy diapers (full loads always) that wake him up. And if you wake him up to change him and it's been more than 2 1/2 hours since he ate, he won't go back to sleep until he eats. He cries, with tears, until you feed him.

Alyna would sleep for 5 hours if her brother would let her, but after he eats, I have to feed her or I'd be up again in another hour. The other night she went 4 1/2 hours and then I had to wake her to feed her when he was done eating. She only ate for 10 minutes before falling into another deep sleep and going for another 3 hours, when again I had to wake her up to feed.

Sometimes he goes 3 1/2 to 4 hours, but it's not consistent yet. If anyone has ideas (other than adding rice cereal to his nighttime feeding), I'd love to hear it.

Ryan's amazing talent...

I'm sure he broke a record somewhere with this.

I was changing Ryan's messy diaper... ( yes, it's as ominous as it sounds )

I had his legs lifted to wipe his bottom which was really messy. "Phhttt". Projectile poop flies 4 feet, out into the hallway hitting the changing table, wall, and both door jams on the way. I promptly yelled for help from my sister who was napping in the next room. Luckily it missed all the carpet in the bedroom and landed on the hardwood floor in the hall so cleanup was easy.

BUT then...

While I was cleaning Ryan's bottom for the second time, "Fssssss." Projectile pee cascaded all the way to the wall 4 feet behind Ryan's head, getting everything wet in between. So I quickly covered him with the wipe in my hand and then a diaper until he was done.

AND then...

While I was trying to fit the 2nd new diaper under his bottom, "Weeee." More projectile pee soaks mommy's shirt all down the front.

I quickly maneuvered the 3rd clean diaper onto his bottom, put new clothes on him, and placed him in the crib to watch the mobile while I cleaned up the pee on everything and myself.

What an adventure...

Ryan's not so fun visit to the doctor...

I'll start by saying that Ryan is just fine, so that you won't worry while you're reading this...

And... Ryan is now 21 inches long and weighs 7 pounds 7 oz. (he was 4 pounds 8 oz when we left the hospital 5 weeks ago)

We noticed last weekend that Ryan was looking jaundice again. It had gone away by 2 weeks old, but it was back. The whites of his eyes are a cloudy, yellow color. I tried to get him some sun exposure this week, but it wasn't clearing up. So on Friday I took him to the doctor while Aunt Krista babysat Alyna.

The doctor said it's probably breastfeeding jaundice, and ordered a blood test to be done. Then we also discussed fixing another little problem that day.

The hospital here uses a plasti-bell when doing circumcisions... you don't really need to know what that is... just that with Ryan's, a piece of skin grew up over it and formed a bump of skin when the plasti-bell fell off. So there was a skin growth left there. So the doctor injected some anesthesia, and cut the skin growth off. It was not fun, and was made worse by the fact that it was right at Ryan's next feeding time. He was not a happy boy. I fed him there in the exam room after the procedure because the doctor wanted to make sure he was okay. We made sure the bleeding had stopped, and put a new diaper on with some vasoline guaze covering the area.

Then we went next door to the hospital to get his heel prick blood test to check his bili level.

We came home and Ryan slept all afternoon and evening except waking to feed. The poor little guy was not feeling very good. Mommy wasn't having much fun through all of this either.

The doctor called us about 6 with the results of the test, and his levels are all fine. If the jaundice is looking any worse this week, we'll test it again.

Ryan is fine today, though he is a little fussier than usual. The procedure looks like it will turn out fine.

Alyna laughed

She's only 5 weeks old... but Alyna laughed yesterday.

She was crying/screaming because she was hungry. When I set her on the pillow on my lap and started getting ready to feed her, she looked at me and let out little giggle and smiled.

It was as if she were saying... "I'm so excited, I get to eat now." I guess eating is the highlight of her day right now.

Growth Spurt Madness

Alyna has been having a growth spurt the past couple days... and yesterday was just awful at some points. She wants to eat a full meal every 2 hours, instead of 3, and screams her head off until I give in. And yes, this really is hunger, because I've become really good at reading their messy diaper and tired/fussy cues.

I think it wouldn't be nearly as difficult to manage if she weren't a twin. The rule I try to follow is that when one eats, then the other eats. Otherwise I end up feeding someone every hour of the day... and night... and that just doesn't work. I did that one night last week when Alyna got off Ryan's schedule by an hour and a half. So I woke every hour to feed someone, all night long.

Monday, she wanted to eat every 2 to 2 1/2 hours. I managed to keep Ryan on that schedule too, and he didn't seem to mind.

Monday night, she woke every 2 to 2 1/2 hours to eat, so Mommy didn't get much sleep, but Ryan stayed on Alyna's schedule.

Tuesday, I gave up keeping Ryan on her schedule... and this is why:

6:30 am - Alyna wakes to feed... 2 1/2 hours from start of the last feed -- feed Alyna, feed Ryan, and fortunately they both go right back to sleep
8:30 - I get ready and pump milk to take to ladies bible class with me
9:05 - leave for ladies bible class
9:20 - Karen, the preacher's wife feeds Alyna 3 oz of pumped milk
9:30 - I feed Ryan (class is starting)
10:30 - class is over and both get diaper changes and go to sleep
11:00 - Alyna starts getting fussy, so I decide to skip the luncheon and just go home
11:15 - I get home but both are asleep so I eat lunch
11:30 - Alyna wakes up hungry - so Ryan goes in the swing while I feed Alyna
12:00 - Alyna goes in swing while I feed Ryan
1:30 - Alyna is hungry again... so I feed her
2:00 - feed Ryan to keep him on her schedule
2:30 - Alyna is still hungry... grrrrrrrrr - she eats for another 15 mintues
3:30 - Alyna is screaming her head off because she's still hungry... I call Barry and tell him to make sure he comes straight home after work instead of going to get diapers, because I need a break
3:45 - feed Alyna for 25 minutes... forget about keeping Ryan on schedule with Alyna for now
4:30 - Barry gets home... thank goodness
5:15 - feed Ryan (he last ate at 2:30)
5:45 - I get out of the house to buy diapers, formula, and dinner
6:15 - I get back home, and Alyna is fussy because she's hungry again
6:30 - we've decided to supplement Alyna with a bottle of formula for this feeding this evening. She eats 3 oz (I had prepared 4 oz in case she just needed bigger meals, but she stopped at 3)
8:15 - feed Ryan who is still on the 3 hour schedule
8:45 - feed Alyna (back to nursing)
9:30 - both babies are asleep in the crib, so Mommy goes to bed

The night time feedings were actually all 3 hours apart and both stayed on the same schedule... thank goodness. Maybe that was the tail end of her growth spurt... I hope.

Nap Time Cuteness

Today at the lunchtime nap, I got both sleeping in the crib. When I left the room, both were on their backs with at least 6 inches of empty space between them. I took an hour nap, and this is the picture I saw when I entered the room.











I have no idea how they managed it... but they were completely content.

Home alone...

The twins and I are home alone during the days now.

Nanna (Barry's mom) left on Friday, and Uncle Joel and Aunt Jess were here for the weekend and left on Monday.

Everyone has been such a big help this month.

I can't believe it has been a whole month. My life seems to have turned into a bunch of 3 hour days. Each section is pretty much the same, and hopefully I get to eat or sleep some during each period.

The past two days alone with the twins have actually been easier than they could be. Both have taken turns been content or sleeping while the other is feeding, except for a couple times. At those few times, I've managed to feed them both at the same time. It's not necessarily easy to do, but it sure cuts down on the feeding time. I just have to watch out because Alyna is a spitup queen, and it's worse when they're both feeding at the same time.

They've also taken afternoon naps at the same time for at least an hour the past two days... so mom got a nap too.

Nights are going fine. Barry only has to get up if one starts to scream while the other is feeding. It's too hard to do a double feed when they are sleepy.

Next Thursday my sister is coming for a week and a half. I'm really looking forward to her visit because I love her... and I'll get a break every once in a while during the days.

The Twins:
Ryan seems to be growing like a weed. I estimate he's close to 7 pounds now... we won't know an official weight until his 2 month checkup in November.

Alyna has found her voice... she lets you know when she wants something with a short burst of voice that's more of a demand than a cry. She also has very good control of turning her head from side to side when lying on her stomach.

Look who's growing...

Guess who is now bigger than his sister...

At birth, Alyna was 5 lbs 2 oz and 18.5 inches long. Ryan was 4 lbs 14 oz and 20 inches long

At 3 days old when we left the hospital, Alyna was 4 lbs 14 oz and 18.5 inches long. Ryan was 4 lbs 8 oz and 20 inches long

At 8 days, Alyna was 5 lbs 4 oz and 18.5 inches long. Ryan was 4 lbs 15 oz and 20 inches long

At 15 days, Alyna was 5 lbs 3 oz and 19 inches long. Ryan was 5 lbs 9 oz and 20 inches long

In 2 weeks, Alyna has grown half an inch and gained back her birth weight. Ryan has gained a whole pound since we left the hospital.

I am breastfeeding both of them exclusively, though I am using the breast pump a couple times a day to give myself a little break. For now, they both seem to do just fine switching between bottle and breast feedings. It's very tiring to breastfeed the twins. I feel very blessed to have the grandmas help me out for the first month. I don't think I'd be sticking with it if they weren't here. The pump is working great. 10 minutes, I'm done, and Daddy and Nanna can help feed them from a bottle.

They are also sleeping well at night. They even had one night where it was 5 hours between feedings. Most of the time there's a 3 1/2 to 4 hour block somewhere during the night. It depends on who's having a growth spurt.

Ryan is very observant. Every time you go to a different room, or even just switch arms holding him, he has to look all around to see where he is. It's like you can tell he's thinking about something important all the time.

Alyna is a little drama queen. If she's content she's very content, but if she's upset or uncomfortable, she has to wail and let everyone know about it. She especially hates pooping. I don't know why, but she makes the most awful sounds and faces when she's trying to mess her diaper.

They both will turn their heads when they hear Mommy or Daddy talking somewhere in the room. It's a very sweet feeling. Of course, whenever I start talking their mouths start moving like they want to eat.

Feeding time is coming again, as it always does. They are on a 3 hour feed/awake/sleep routine during the days. It's working well... thank you "Baby Whisperer".

Quick Note

Just a quick note, while the twins are content in the playpen...

Everyone is doing great, and though we're a little tired, it has been a great 2 weeks.

As of 8 days old, they'd both gained back the 6 oz they'd lost in the hospital. That's really good. Their umbilicals cords have fallen off, and they're eating well and sleeping well.

Grandma and Grandpa Lee (my mom and dad) just left this morning, and Nanna (Barry's mom) comes in today for a 2 week stay.

Gotta go... I hear a fussy Alyna...

More pictures later, I promise.

The birth

All went well on Monday, September 15, and the twins were born around 8 am.

Alyna Michelle, 5 lbs 2.5 oz, 18 1/2 inches long, she's a very pretty baby

Ryan William, 4 lbs 14.6 oz, 20 inches long... long and lanky

All the doctors and nurses said they were perfect and beautiful. Even though their weights are low, they eat well, sleep well, and are very healthy.

We are all doing great, and went home on Wednesday and are doing great. But I don't know what we'd do without Grandma here to help.

Triple Birthday...

Our lives will change forever tomorrow, Monday, September 15, 2008.

As the birth of our twins, and Barry's 30th birthday coincide to create a memorable moment that will double the size of our family.

I pray that God's grace will carry us through these first few weeks of adjustment, and will protect Ryan and Alyna from harm.

Please keep us in your prayers. If all goes well, we will be home from the hospital on Wednesday, and I will try to post pictures and an update later in the week.

Countdown...

I'm first on the OBGYN surgery schedule Monday morning.

I seem to be stressing over the small things, like having to remove my toenail polish, and not getting to drink anything when I wake up Monday morning. I've been making myself stay very relaxed whenever I think about everything else involved.

My mom was supposed to fly here on Saturday, but with hurricane Ike moving through Texas, she's actually on her way here today. She got the last seat on a Southwest flight headed this way today as everyone prepares for the storm to roll through. Here in southeastern New Mexico, we're expecting lots of rain, but we're far enough away to not really worry about the storm itself.

The wonderful ladies at church are having someone come clean my house today. It's been such a blessing to have such a wonderful family here, away from our immediate family.

Only a few more days until I meet my squirming little babies.

5 year goals... that took 6 years

They say that you are more likely to achieve something if you state it or write it as a goal. I was thinking back, and realizing that Barry and I have achieved many of our goals recently. Even if it did take a little longer than we'd thought, we are there.

6 years ago, September was a big month in our lives.

We had fallen in love over the summer, and I knew we were in a serious relationship when he bought me a diamond necklace for my birthday at the end of August. So one day, early in September, we were sitting on my couch talking and I asked him where he wanted to be in 5 years. I had just turned 23, and he was about to turn 24 that month.

He replied that he wanted to have a good job that had career opportunities (probably not in the Navy), have a house, and probably a couple of kids. I asked him if he was going to have those kids on his own, and he said he'd be married too.

My answer was that I wanted to be married with probably one child and be able to stay home with that child. I thought that two kids in that time frame probably wouldn't happen.

There were some other parts to the conversation... that led to our discussing getting married. We were officially engaged on September 11, 2002 and were married the following January.

...Fast forward 6 years...

Barry has a really good career that has lots of opportunity to move up, and is not with the Navy. We are married, have a house, have a dog, and I will officially be a stay at home mom when our twins are born next week.

Okay, so it's didn't happen in 5 years, but it just shows that it's good to share your goals for life with your spouse. It's much easier to get there when you are doing it together.

The final ultrasound...

The ultrasound today showed two healthy, but cramped, babies.

The bad news... both babies are still breech. Alyna's bottom is down instead of her head. Both are pretty much laying sideways across my belly. Ryan's head is by my right rib, and his bottom is by my left rib. My ribs are feeling quite sore these days. And there's just not really room for them to flip around at this point.

But both are growing at a normal rate, and are looking great. They still have plenty of fluid around them, and have strong heart and lung functions.

The technician gave me the disclaimer that as the babies get bigger, the estimates of size and weight actually get less accurate from the ultrasound machine. But Ryan was estimated to weigh 5 1/2 pounds. Alyna's legs were hidden so it would not estimate her weight, but her other measurements were actually slightly larger than Ryan's. So we can assume she's about the same weight. The technician said she thought they were good sizes for twins who typically run smaller than single babies.

We're on the hospital schedule for a c-section next week. I can't wait to meet my babies.

Dr. visit update

I saw my Dr. this morning and had more monitoring. The machine my contractions were coming a lot, but I was only feeling them every 15 minutes or so. He checked, and I'm not dilated at all. So, were still fine to keep waiting.

For now, he's going to pencil in a c-section for Monday, September 15th. I'll have an ultrasound on Monday to check the position of the babies one more time, and if Alyna has turned head down, we can try an induction first. But neither I nor the Dr. think she's turned. And they're probably running out of room to do any full turns at this point.

They should be somewhere around 6 pounds each by now with the way they've been tracking so far. (We'll find out at the ultrasound on Monday.) This is good because babies over 6 pounds have fewer breathing and eating problems.

update... 35 weeks

We've past the 35 week point, which means that the babies should be healthy no matter when they are born from now on. This also means that unless there's an unexpected emergency, they should not need a NICU stay so we won't have to be shipped to the Lubbock hospital.

I'll see the doctor on Thursday morning and do more external fetal monitoring, and then have an ultrasound sometime Thursday or Friday.

We're still planning on Monday, September 15th to do the induction or c-section. It will be an induction if we find that Alyna (the bottom baby) is head down now. If she's head down we can do a natural birth and it does not matter if Ryan is breech or not. If she is breech, we will have a scheduled c-section. If we do an induction, I'll probably go to the hospital on Sunday night to start the process overnight and have the babies born sometime on Monday.

My mom will be coming in on Saturday the 13th to be here for the first 2 weeks, and then Barry's mom is coming for the next two weeks. I'm really glad to have full time help for the first month. Barry will take the first week off work, and then save the rest of his personal days for when I don't have other helpers, or for the holidays.

I've just been really tired lately. I have about two "lay downs" a day, not really naps since I don't always go to sleep, but times when I just need to lay down fully to take the pressure off my back and hips.

The other night, both babies got the hiccups at the same time... and I could feel the alternating pulses in different parts of my stomach. It was an interesting experience. Hiccups is actually good for them, because it exercises their diaphragms and lungs before they are even out of the womb.

We are just so thankful to God for both the babies health thus far.

Hanging in there...34 weeks

The babies seem pretty content where they are...They both move around a lot, and give me plenty of hiccups and heartburn.

I'm still having contractions, but if they get very close together I can lie down on my side and they'll slow back down.

I saw my doctor today and did more fetal monitoring. He said that after Monday, he wouldn't worry at all about delivering the babies. They usually don't need NICU at that point unless there's an unforeseen problem. He also said that the contractions actually help the babies to mature faster.

I'll have another ultrasound late next week to check the position of the babies again. Right now we think they are both breech, which would indicate the need for a c-section delivery. There's just not much room for them to flip around at this point since they're both probably about 5 pounds.

We'd love for them to stay in there until 37 weeks, though I know I'll just get more uncomfortable with every day that passes. But it's all for the good of the babies. I'm sure they'll be born on their birthdays. :)

Restricted activity...

I feel like I've been grounded, except instead of being grounded from TV or computer, it's from housework and cooking... hmmmmm, this might not be too bad.

Tuesday morning at the doctor's office they put the external fetal monitors on, and the contraction monitor. My Braxton-Hicks contractions have been every 20-30 minutes for about a week, but during that 30 minutes on the monitor, they came every 5 minutes. So they promptly sent me next door to the hospital to be monitored more closely for the day and see if they could be stopped.

At the hospital, I was again hooked up to all the monitoring wires, and yes, Alyna still doesn't like to be found. We finally found just the right position that if I held the monitor pressed down at just the right angle, we could hear her heartbeat. So all day I had to periodically make sure to track her rate for at least a minute.

I wasn't dilated or progressing at all, which was a good sign that we could stop or slow the contractions.

They were still coming every 5-6 minutes apart a couple hours later, so I was fed lunch which was really good for hospital food. It was a club sandwich, salad, and carrot cake.

After lunch they slowed down, but then sped up a lot... so they gave me a shot of a relaxing medicine in my hip. I joked with the nurse that the shot hurt worse than the contractions which still just feel like the tightening of a blood pressure cuff around my abdomen. They slowed down again but only to about 7-10 minutes apart. So at 4 pm they gave me a shot of a medicine to stop the contractions. I had one more contraction about 10 minutes later, and then nothing for 50 minutes, so I was discharged.

Barry probably had it rougher than me, because I kept calling him and telling him not to leave work. I just knew they weren't going to deliver me today. At only 33 weeks, they would do everything they could to not let the babies come yet. The babies were moving around just fine and had strong heartbeats throughout.

So Wednesday, I didn't do much at all except watch TV. Today (Thursday), I went back to the doctor for more fetal monitoring. Again, my contractions had only been every 20-30 minutes this morning, but as soon as they put me on the monitor they went to every 10-15 minutes. I'm not sure if it's psychological, or something the babies are doing, or just a fluke.

So I was sent home after 1 1/2 hours of monitoring, and I'm not on bed rest, but I am on restricted activity. Thankfully, some ladies from church have volunteered to come over tomorrow and clean the house. Barry was really getting overwhelmed with all the yard work and indoor chores too.

So we're praying that the babies will wait at least until 35 weeks... although they should be okay even if they were delivered after this weekend at 34 weeks. They just might need a little time in the NICU at that point. Oh, and the closest NICU is in Lubbock, 1 hour 45 minutes away.

Please keep all of us in your prayers.

32 weeks, and counting...

I had my first round of fetal monitoring today. It was a challenge to find both babies and get them to stay on the monitor. Alyna kept moving away from it after about 15 seconds. Ryan just kicked and punched at the monitor a lot. Finally we just decided to try to get Alyna to track for about 60 seconds and call it quits. The doctor said it should get easier as they get bigger and don't have as much room to move around.

Everything is looking great. They are a good size, have strong heartbeats, and are moving well.

I have been having some contractions, but that's normal since my uterus is full term size. They aren't very regular, so it's not really a worry about pre-term labor yet. I just need to stay well-hydrated and take it easy. I know a few things that trigger them, like bending over to do anything, so I just have to watch out for those activities. Barry may have to start doing more dishes and laundry in the coming weeks.

This weekend is the baby shower. I'm excited... mostly so that I can get organized. We were given a whole tub full of boy clothes of sizes newborn up to 3T. They are all really nice too...

So we're just wanting the babies to wait about 3 more weeks, and then any time is fine. Keep us all in your prayers.

31 week update

This weekend marks the 31 weeks point of my pregnancy.

I had an ultrasound today, and the babies are both looking healthy and gaining weight. Ryan weighs 3 lbs 6 oz, and Alyna weighs 3 lbs 4 oz. It's right where they should be...even for a single baby. So I'm carrying almost 7 lbs of baby and I am the size of a 37-38 week pregnancy (considered full term), and I still have 6 1/2 weeks to go.

Alyna has flipped a somersault... previously her head was down and feet were up, but now her butt is down and head is up. She and Ryan are head to head now. Hopefully in the next 6 weeks one of them will flip again and descend for a natural birth.

From this point on, most babies gain almost half a pound a week, so I'm not so much looking forward to how much stretching that will do to me.

It's good to know where "Home" is

This is true even, or maybe especially, if you're a dog.

I had an emotional day. I had just finished watching a Lifetime movie about a woman with breast cancer... and it made me cry a lot.

Then the FedEx guy came by to drop off the baby furniture. In order to prop the door open so he could put it in the entry way, I put Henry (our beagle) on his leash.

As I was propping the door open, Henry was pulling because he thought we were going for a walk. The next second, I see him running across the yard while I'm still holding the leash which is attached to his collar. His head slipped out of his collar. We have a harness we use when walking him because we've had this problem before, but I thought it would be fine for the 5 minutes I needed it.

So I walk behind Henry calling his name as he crosses the street. He looks back and then keeps going. I start crying because I know I can't catch up to him. He's really fast, and I'm 7 months pregnant. And he doesn't have his collar on anymore, so if someone finds him they won't know where to return him.

I follow him to the end of the block, and he has disappeared by the time I get there. With the FedEx guy waiting, I go back and finish the delivery, then drive around for 30 minutes, crying, and trying to find him.

I finally just go home. I open the back gate so he can get in if he finds his way back, and I open the front door (leaving the glass door closed) so I can look out. Then I start making calls to the animal clinics and shelters.

During the 3rd call, I walk out on the front porch again just to look up and down the street...


...And Henry comes up and sits at my feet, looking happy and tired.

Of course, he runs again when I reach down to pick him up, but luckily he just runs into the garage, and sits by the door to the inside. I take him inside, and put his collar back on him while he gulps down water.

He seems to know that he got lost, cause he hasn't left my side for the last 2 hours since he got home...but I guess all those walks through the neighborhood were good for more than just exercise. Our Henry knows where his "Home" is.

Movement is more forceful

The fetal development notes for week 29, which I've just hit, are as follows:

Week 29: Movement is more forceful

Your baby's bones are fully developed, but they're still soft and pliable. This week, your baby begins storing iron, calcium and phosphorus.

As your baby continues to grow, his or her movements will become more frequent and vigorous. Some of your baby's jabs and punches may even take your breath away.

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

And this is so true for me... The past couple days there have been times when I gasp out loud because the kicks are so strong and sudden. Sometimes you can actually see my entire belly jump. But it's delightful in that I know the babies are alive and well.

The grass is always greener...

... when it rains.

After a drought lasting more than 6 months in which we had less than 1 inch of measurable precipitation... we've had a thunderstorms at least every other day/night for the last 3 weeks. The grass is green, the peaches and pears are ripening, and the flowers are blooming in our yard. Just a month ago we weren't able to keep it green by watering it with our sprinklers every day. Patches would turn green, but large, stubborn brown spots still speckled the yard.

I'm really looking forward to our lowered water bill this month. It should be a lot less than the previous month. We won't run the sprinklers again until we've had at least 3-4 days of no rain.

...the downside is that Barry has to mow more often... but it's very nice to look at.

Oh, and our dog Henry doesn't like the thunderstorms. The only time we've ever seen him sleep in his crate is during a period of severe lightening and thundering a couple weeks ago.

It reminds me of when we moved from Phoenix to San Angelo, TX when I was young. My younger siblings, Krista and Daniel, had never really been in thunderstorms before, and were frightened. It was like the scene from "The Sound of Music" where all the kids go jump on Maria's bed. Only, I was standing at the door laughing at them.

In all fairness, I think Dan was just scared because Krista was...and it's possible she got the whole idea planted in her head by that movie anyway, since she watched it every day when she was 3 years old.

3rd Trimester

If you'd like to see what the 3rd trimester holds for the babies, this is a great site...

Mayo Clinic: 3rd Trimester Fetal Development

My week 28 starts this weekend...

End of 2nd Trimester

This is the last week of my 2nd trimester. The babies are growing steadily, and all seems well with them.

Sometimes they give me a hiccup. Yes, just one or two, and that's all. It's a funny feeling. One or two hiccups, and then it's over.

So we are trying to prepare the house. We are painting the guest bedroom this weekend so that the carpet in the nursery and guest room can be replaced next week. That will be a welcome change because the carpet in there now is really old and gross. It's not stretched fully, so it's hard to vacuum.

We've ordered the cribs, and a changing table. Hopefully they will arrive soon. My baby shower fro the ladies at church is tentatively scheduled for August 16. That's the weekend after schools have started, so most everyone will be back from vacations.

I have my hospital bag half packed, with a list of last minute items to put in it. You know me, I like to plan ahead. Plus, with twins the likelihood of pre-term labor is higher. And as every week goes by it becomes more difficult to lift items or pick up things off the floor. Thankfully, Barry and my friends are all very understanding of this.

Registry Links

We are registered for baby items at the following two websites:

Burlington Coat Factory: Baby Depot

Amazon.com

Mostly this is for the big ticket items we've researched and would purchase anyway... Please go through the registry if you are getting one of these items so that it is accounted for and we won't get duplicates.

Thanks...

Babies Update... week 26

I got to see a 3D ultrasound today, and it was so special. The twins are doing great. Alyna is head down with her feet over to my right side, and is usually in a tight fetal position with her bottom next to Ryan's head. Ryan's feet are to the left of Alyna's head and is usually a little more stretched out, which is why I often feel him pressing into my ribs.

Today I saw firsthand that they spend their awake time kicking each other in the face. At times it was hard to get a good picture of one's face because the other's foot was in the way. I even saw Alyna's face make grimacing movements when it happened.

They are both almost 2 pounds now at 26 weeks. Ryan is slightly larger than his sister, but she'll probably be the first one out if they stay in the positions they've been in since the beginning. So I've got 11 weeks to go before the doctor will induce labor if I haven't begun it already... and I'm so looking forward to actually meeting my babies.

Chop it off!

I chopped off a 9" pony tail today to donate it to make wigs for cancer patients.

And just so you know... I've been planning this since Christmas which was before Hillary Swank went on Oprah to do it.

The program is through Pantene, and they take donations of hair to make "real hair" wigs for cancer patients. I think this is a simple way to help out. I don't know anyone who hasn't had their lives touched by cancer.

I'm also glad to have a shorter hairdo for summer because it's already been in the 100's this week. I'm tired of rolling over on my hair at night and having to move it out of the way. It feels good to not have the extra weight on my neck.

Double the fun...

God is doubly blessing us...

I'm pregnant with TWINS. A boy and a girl.

The range of emotions is overwhelming right now. We had been trying to have a baby for a while, so we weren't surprised when we found out I was pregnant, just excited. But this was a big shock. Seeing the two bubbles on the ultrasound screen (the two heads) was amazing, and wonderful.

But the details are scary. 2 cribs, 2 high chairs, 2 car seats, 2 crying babies, 2 to feed, 2 to change diapers, 2 to give love and attention to... all at once.

Plus there are other concerns about a multiple pregnancy itself. But they are God's children first, and He will take care of them and me. That's where are trust is.

We also have a great family and church family to support us through everything. God is so good.

When home doesn't feel like home...

Every time we fix one thing, something else breaks... sometimes in triplicate

Last weekend we finished painting the trim in our dining room a nice crisp white. It looks very nice.

Then on Monday, the oven wouldn't heat up. I made brownies on Sunday just fine. And on Wednesday, one of the toilets started leaking tons of water from the tank. A bolt on the underside of the tank is so rusted that when you flush the toilet, water gushes out from under it. And the faucet in the master bathtub is leaking. We just replaced the faucet valves in the guest bath at the beginning of March.

Plus the half bath toilet had plugged up last week, for the second time in a month. So we need to get the plumber back out here.

Even through the chaos, there are blessings. The rose bushes outside the living room window are blooming more beautifully every day. And the peach tree has the makings of tons of yummy peaches.

So we stop and smell the roses, and realize that we are thankful to have a home at all...

Why our dog wasn't eating...

For the last two weeks we've been concerned about our 1 year old beagle, Henry. Since we've gotten him in December, we've been feeding him 3 times a day, but not really caring that he eats it right away... but he always ate it. We do dry food at breakfast and lunch, and then can dog food at dinner (which he greatly looks forward to).

For the last two weeks though, the food Barry put in his bowl at 6:30 am would just stay there... until 2 or 3 pm or even until dinner time. On those days I wouldn't give him extra at lunch because he obviously wasn't hungry. But then he'd gobble down dinner.

He's 25 pounds so along with the 1 can of wet food he should have 1 1/2 cups of kibble every day. (that's according to the package) We split that 1 1/2 cups into two servings of 3/4 cup each.

I was walking Henry with Barry on Wednesday afternoon and we were talking about our concern that he's not eating all his food at breakfast, and that when I give him more in the afternoon, he just looks at me and then walks away, not interested.

So I told Barry he should start putting 1 cup in his bowl for breakfast and we'll see if he'll eat that.

Barry said "I've just been putting in a whole scoop."

"WHAT!?" I said... "A scoop is 2 cups and he's only supposed to have 1 1/2 cups a day!"

So there's the oops. Barry obviously changed a few weeks ago to putting in a whole scoop, without thinking about it.

Anyway, Henry still doesn't seem to want the full cup and a half... but maybe we'll figure it out now that we're not trying to overfeed him.

Parking in the Garage

I'm finally able to park my car in the garage again for the first time since before Christmas.

Since before Christmas we have ripped the carpet out of the hall and master bedroom, replaced 2 ceiling fans, and done several other projects around the house... and the trash all piled up on my side of the garage.

The reason it was on my side was because of the two vehicles, my car is worth less and already has a few hail damage spots. So it made sense that my car should be in the driveway.

It's really nice to pull it in again. Now I can give it a good wash, and know that it won't get nasty again right away.

I've also started clearing out the room that will be the baby's room... it's been essentially extra storage for us until now. I've still got pictures to hang, and some more clothes to go through to see what to keep and what to give away.

Progress...

Wacky Weather

New Mexico certainly has a crazy weather pattern as it changes from winter to spring. The wind blows in from all different directions, and brings all the different waves of weather you can think of... except rain it seems. After living in Seattle where the wind always blows west to east, this has been quite a change for us.

All last week the high was in the 70's, it was sunny and windy. Sunday afternoon was about 85 degrees.

Sunday night the wind changed direction, and started blowing in cold air and storm clouds. We awoke Monday morning to a snow covered ground. Not just frost, but snow. Monday the high was only 50 degrees and the wind was super chilly.

Today, Tuesday, it is still sunny, still windy, and the predicted high 72 degrees.

No wonder everyone here is getting sick all the time...

Just a note...

There... I finished our trip journal. Finally... it only took me almost 3 months.

So now I can write about other things without feeling guilty for not finishing about the trip.

Switzerland Relaxation

On Saturday, we took a long train ride north, to Interloken, Switzerland. It was dark when we arrived, but after some wrong turns, we found our hotel, and ate cheese fondue for dinner.

In the morning, we were quite stunned by the view from our balcony. The small river ran right next to our hotel, then more of the city, and then there were the huge Alps, right there. (I'll put some pictures up later.) They were just gorgeous and seemed very close.

This was the "vacation" part of our vacation. We didn't do much for the next 2 days except take some scenic train rides and walk around the city and enjoy the peace.

We did go to a chocolate show at a local shop where they showed a video about how the chocolate was produced from the cocoa beans, and then showed us different ways to use chocolates in molds or to make truffles. It was a neat experience, and the very expensive chocolate we purchased was absolutely delicious.

On Monday, we took the train all the way back to the Netherlands... exhausted and full of memories.

Roman Holiday: Part 4 - Even More Sites

Rome is a large and beautiful city, and there was even more to see on our final day there.

We started the day near the Vatican again, this time going into the Vatican museums. It's a series of hallways with art, artifacts, and of course, murals on every wall and ceiling. There were some moving pieces of art depicting different biblical scenes.

The Sistine Chapel is one of the rooms in the museum, and it was not quite what we were expecting after visiting all the cathedrals in Italy. It is just a room about the size of a typical fellowship hall at an American church building. It had a raised cieling, and a wooden divider in the middle that went about 1/2 way to the ceiling and divided the front of the chapel from the back. The room was void of any furniture, and in America only about 150 people maximum would be allowed in at a time. There were at least twice that many when we went in, and it was the off-season. The only impressive features in the room are the murals on the walls and ceilings. The ceiling is the famous fresco by Michaelangelo depicting the creation and fall of man. On one wall are scenes from the life of Moses, and on the opposite wall are scenes from the life of Jesus... in parallel. It was an interesting teaching moment in itself, to see someone else's perspective on the historical significance of the life of Moses in God's plan for true salvation through Christ.

We then took the metro down to the southern part of the city to St. Paul's Basillica. I almost enjoyed seeing this building more than St. Peter's because there was no crowd, and I felt I could sit and contemplate the art, history, and architecture involved in the building. Inside the cathedral was a monument standing on what is supposedly St. Paul's burial site. There were large murals on the front wall above the altar area, and on the sides in the smaller chapel areas. The main part of the building was filled with marble columns. All along the walls above the columns were pictures of every official pope there has ever been. An interesting thing we noted is that they only have room for about 7 more pictures, and then they'll have to think of somewhere else to put the pictures. The entire cathedral was already covered with them.

The southern part of Rome was a lot dirtier than the central, east and west portions. Presumably they have newly renovated the metro and improved the other areas because they are bigger tourist spots.

We then walked back towards the central part of the city so that we could see more of the Roman ruins.

For dinner, we again ate Turkish Kebabs and got dessert before returning to the hotel and crashing.

I have to say that Rome was my favorite place we visited on our whole vacation.