Week 33

We have graduated to a new fruit set this week. Here's an outline of what these little ones will be up to in the next few weeks:

Your baby's the size of a honeydew! (Or durian fruit?, butternut squash, coconut)

He weighs about 4.2 to 5.8 pounds and measures about 17.2 to 18.7 inches.

• He's keeping his eyes open while awake.
• He's also starting to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing.
• His bones are hardening.
• Her skin is getting smooth and soft and her gums are rigid.
• Her liver and kidneys are in working order.
• Circulation and immune systems are basically good to go, too.
  

I'm still feeling pretty good. No big changes so that's good. We have our next appt Monday morning so hopefully things are still holding steady. Next Thurs (March 29th) will mark our first goal of 34 wks and then we'll just keep going from there!

We thank you so much for the prayers and support! We're definitely nearing the end which is exciting and scary at the same time! :)

Maternity Photos

With Meg on bed rest, we decided to just shoot some maternity shots at the house, that way she would be up as little as possible. I think they came out alright, and will definitely do the job of documenting the experience. Enjoy!

Week 32

So we have made it to 32 weeks! To say that these past couple weeks have been intense and have passed slowly is an understatement, BUT I am still at home and we're making it day by day.

It's been so very nice being home. You don't realize how much you don't like the hospital until you're in it. I kinda thought it would be very similar to being at home- laying down, watching tv, wasting time online, but it was very different. I'm sure I could have made it more like home if I had to stay longer, but hopefully the next visit will be to have these little ones!

I had a follow up appointment this week (and I'll have another one on Monday). They measured the babies and they are weighing 4.3 and 4.1 (Brooke being bigger than Barrett). My doctor was very happy with their weights (there must be something about being over the 4lb mark that's better if you should deliver early). And I am holding steady. My doctor did not feel a lot of pressure on my cervix and thought that the babies might be laying a little higher than previously seen (all due to the Procardia which I take 4 times a day). My belly size is measuring 38 weeks so I'm still growing! They are still ok with me driving myself in and as long as the ultrasounds aren't running behind they do a good job getting me in and out.

I am definitely feeling some of those late pregnancy symptoms: reflux, difficulty sleeping, waking up multiple times at night, and the babies are burrowing and kicking my ribs like crazy! As Jason said though, it's better that they're pushing on my ribs than my cervix! They are moving a lot, and I guess still have some room to turn around, or at least Barrett does. Evidently he's just pushing Brooke out of the way and claiming as much space for himself as he can.

I think we're going to try and do some maternity pics this weekend. Jason will just take some basic shots- nothing fancy, but that way I can have them. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do them or not and then I realized that this may be our only pregnancy so I think it would be a good idea. I will for sure get another belly pic taken and posted soon!

I guess it's also time to officially pack a hospital bag so that'll get done this weekend too. I didn't want to jinx myself and pack one and then have to go to the hospital like the next day, but since I've already been there once and for sure will be again in the next few weeks it's probably necessary! :)

back home!

Meg was able to leave the hospital today and drive back home herself. I made her promise she wouldn't walk the half-mile it takes to get from the hospital to the parking garage, and she obliged. As they wheel-chaired her out, she ran into the head NICU nurse who told her every day the kids stay in the womb is 2 they won't spend in NICU. That's great news after hearing about wimpy white boy syndrome (poor Barrett).

She's very relieved to be back at home with the 4-legged kids and looking forward to a more comfortable bed without someone prodding her every few hours. Her doctor is still optimistic we'll make it to 34 weeks, and with twins, they don't pay much attention to cervix length once you get to this point. They just want her to stay hydrated and pay attention to any signs of labor.

Even with them saying that, I've advised Meg to do headstands when she's not eating.

"Turn that baby right side up by J. Star, on Flickr"

Hospitalization

Meg went in for her biweekly checkup yesterday and her cervix had shortened considerably, and she was having some contractions. She has been in the hospital since lunch time yesterday for evaluation. She had elevated levels of white blood cells, which could signal an infection. An infection could be causing the contractions, so they're giving her lots of fluids and antibiotics. The contractions have slowed since they started that.

Her doctor is going to give her a test that checks for preterm labor around lunchtime, and the results of that will let us know whether or not she is close to going into labor. If she isn't, they'll let her go home to rest. If she is, then they'll figure out what's best to do next. I'll keep you posted with any updates!

* * * Fast forward 4 hours * * *

Just got the fetal fibronectin test results back and they were negative. That's great news! She will likely go home tomorrow because they are making sure her sugars stay regulated since she got a steroid shot yesterday. Hopefully we won't be back for a few weeks!

thanks again for your prayers!
Jason

Week 30

Hurray! We have made it to 30 weeks! This was one of my initial goal weeks. My next goal is 34 weeks.

Here is an updated belly pic showing weeks 28 & 30. (I can never figure out which way I'm supposed to hold my arms so I'm sorry for kinda hiding my belly in the most recent pic!)
This week has passed pretty quickly. It's definitely getting harder to get up from a seated position and turning from side to side is a bit of an event (especially when I'm tired!). I think I am starting to hit the bathroom more frequently, and I have days where all I do is eat! :) Still battling reflux and I'm definitely hot all the time which makes me feel even sicker. I am so glad that I am able to experience this pregnancy during the winter... I feel for all of you who went through summer pregnancies!!!

Mom is in town for my baby shower and it has been wonderful having her here! My house hasn't looked this clean and organized since we moved in! :) Now the task is keeping it this way...
The nursery is getting finished; we have the decorating left to do, but the room is arranged and the bedding is put on the cribs. I will post before/after shots once it's all done as well as hopefully post some pics from the shower.

I go back to the doctor mid-week for a check-up to look at cervix length, amniotic fluids and heart rates. I'll have another growth ultrasound in 3ish weeks.