On Thursday, June 26 at 8:18 and 8:19 pm our little boy and little girl arrived via C-section (2.5 and 3.5 pounds respectively).
They have made huge strides in the four days they have been in this world. Initially intubated, given surfactant and placed on a ventilator -- now they are breathing room air. Both are now tolerating oral feedings through the OG tube. They are tiny, but look good.
The experience has been overwhelming and the logistics of our lives continues to be wildly complicated. But we are keeping our heads above water.
I'll post more with the birth story and updates soon. But tonight is my first night out of the hospital in 21 days, and it is time to sleep. Thank you for all your encouragement and support.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Still Hangin' In
Ahhh -- finally an internet connection! So this will be quick and not well crafted post, before I lose the connection.
First things first -- babies still in the belly. Ten days in and now at 30 weeks and 2 days. No signs of labor or infection so far. I have had a few more intermittent contractions the last 2 days, but I think the babies have grown too and there's been a lot of stretching and discomfort from that.
My only treatment now is twice a day heparin to prevent blood clots, and my vitamins and precious colace. The main thing is lots of monitoring to be sure the babies are doing fine. I get monitored 3 times a day, and those stinkers are not always cooperative. Occasionally we get a beautiful strip, but often they move around (especially the girl) and then we wind up monitoring only one baby. I was getting biophysical profiles daily, but since I tended to obsess about little boy's fluid levels (he's the ruptured one) they opted to go to every other, especially since I've been so stable.
One nurse compared each day in utero as saving us 3 days in the NICU. So today I had her again, and she congratulated me that with 10 days on bed rest I've saved a month in the NICU. Cool, huh?
But the tour we took of the NICU the other night was a bit daunting. I wasn't totally shocked by the size of some babies, but I just keep thinking about the fact that they were probably singletons, and my babies would not be as big as those I was seeing. Although I know twins mature a little faster and have that advantage, and that I received steroids -- it is still tough to think about how tiny less than 3 pounds will be. If I get through the weekend, I think we will finally get another full scan with the ultrasound tech and do measurements to estimate size. If they are both over that 3 pound mark I'll be happy, cause I think a lot of stats are better for babies over 1500 grams.
As for the rest of life, it seems to be falling into place as everyone has suggested it will. Resident Boy's family has arrived to stay in the neighboring Canadian city where The Snake is staying with his aunt. So there will be three adults to oversee him and his cousin. The in-laws also helped clean out a bunch of the house junk, and will help finish up again next week. Best of all Resident Boy's LAST day was today! Huzzhah! So, now he will focus on studying for his boards in July. He will forgo the review course that is far away. I was selfish and told him I was not comfortable with him being in a remote area of New England with no simple direct flights back to our city. Being on heparin means if I go for emergent C-section that I can't have a spinal or epidural, only general. I'm not happy about that in general, but especially not if he was out of town. Someone needs to be available to make medical decisions.
The Snake is doing okay with being away, but when his cousin goes to her father's on his custody days it's a little tougher for him. Last night he called and worriedly asked if he would have to spend the entire summer with his aunt. I told him I wasn't sure, but didn't think so, but we would have to see. How helpful was that? The uncertainty was hard for him (gee, where do you think he gets that from?). I'm hoping once the babies actually come and we have a better idea of time lines that we can settle him better.
I'd better post this before I lose my connection. Thanks for all the good thoughts, prayers and well wishes! I'll do my best to keep you updated. Hoping you all are doing well.
First things first -- babies still in the belly. Ten days in and now at 30 weeks and 2 days. No signs of labor or infection so far. I have had a few more intermittent contractions the last 2 days, but I think the babies have grown too and there's been a lot of stretching and discomfort from that.
My only treatment now is twice a day heparin to prevent blood clots, and my vitamins and precious colace. The main thing is lots of monitoring to be sure the babies are doing fine. I get monitored 3 times a day, and those stinkers are not always cooperative. Occasionally we get a beautiful strip, but often they move around (especially the girl) and then we wind up monitoring only one baby. I was getting biophysical profiles daily, but since I tended to obsess about little boy's fluid levels (he's the ruptured one) they opted to go to every other, especially since I've been so stable.
One nurse compared each day in utero as saving us 3 days in the NICU. So today I had her again, and she congratulated me that with 10 days on bed rest I've saved a month in the NICU. Cool, huh?
But the tour we took of the NICU the other night was a bit daunting. I wasn't totally shocked by the size of some babies, but I just keep thinking about the fact that they were probably singletons, and my babies would not be as big as those I was seeing. Although I know twins mature a little faster and have that advantage, and that I received steroids -- it is still tough to think about how tiny less than 3 pounds will be. If I get through the weekend, I think we will finally get another full scan with the ultrasound tech and do measurements to estimate size. If they are both over that 3 pound mark I'll be happy, cause I think a lot of stats are better for babies over 1500 grams.
As for the rest of life, it seems to be falling into place as everyone has suggested it will. Resident Boy's family has arrived to stay in the neighboring Canadian city where The Snake is staying with his aunt. So there will be three adults to oversee him and his cousin. The in-laws also helped clean out a bunch of the house junk, and will help finish up again next week. Best of all Resident Boy's LAST day was today! Huzzhah! So, now he will focus on studying for his boards in July. He will forgo the review course that is far away. I was selfish and told him I was not comfortable with him being in a remote area of New England with no simple direct flights back to our city. Being on heparin means if I go for emergent C-section that I can't have a spinal or epidural, only general. I'm not happy about that in general, but especially not if he was out of town. Someone needs to be available to make medical decisions.
The Snake is doing okay with being away, but when his cousin goes to her father's on his custody days it's a little tougher for him. Last night he called and worriedly asked if he would have to spend the entire summer with his aunt. I told him I wasn't sure, but didn't think so, but we would have to see. How helpful was that? The uncertainty was hard for him (gee, where do you think he gets that from?). I'm hoping once the babies actually come and we have a better idea of time lines that we can settle him better.
I'd better post this before I lose my connection. Thanks for all the good thoughts, prayers and well wishes! I'll do my best to keep you updated. Hoping you all are doing well.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Status Quo
So far, so good. No fever, no signs of infection or labor. Our little boy is still making fluid and that is making it easier to feel them both now. They are driving the nurses crazy for monitoring as their heart rates are so often similar and then hang out right next to one another. The nurses can almost never get separate tracings of their heart rates.
Sonograms all look good so far. Now it is just waiting. My butt and back are getting stiff, but whatever.
The logistical nightmare continues. Our lawyer actually called saying the buyers of our house are getting all freaked out. Resident Boy was kinda upset being the lawyer should be working for us and more concerned about our situation. I'm going to handle it today. He got slammed yesterday trying to make up the on-call night he missed on Tuesday -- so he had been in surgery for 24 hours straight. I'm going to try and tackle the utilities issues and pay bills today as the WiFi seems to have spottily kicked in.
My brother should be out in Santa Monica receiving the moving delivery today. But we still haven't figured out who or how he will get the stuff into the apartment. Oh yeah, then the realty group give Resident Boy a hard time when he clues them in on our plans that they need a fax from him saying he gives my brother permission to get into our apartment. If we hadn't told them they wouldn't even have known. Liability issues in our country are just getting ridiculous.
Okay, better use the WiFi for more essential things before I lose it. I'll do my best to keep you updated. Thanks for all your support -- it really means a lot. I'm not a pray-er, but I'll take those too.
Sonograms all look good so far. Now it is just waiting. My butt and back are getting stiff, but whatever.
The logistical nightmare continues. Our lawyer actually called saying the buyers of our house are getting all freaked out. Resident Boy was kinda upset being the lawyer should be working for us and more concerned about our situation. I'm going to handle it today. He got slammed yesterday trying to make up the on-call night he missed on Tuesday -- so he had been in surgery for 24 hours straight. I'm going to try and tackle the utilities issues and pay bills today as the WiFi seems to have spottily kicked in.
My brother should be out in Santa Monica receiving the moving delivery today. But we still haven't figured out who or how he will get the stuff into the apartment. Oh yeah, then the realty group give Resident Boy a hard time when he clues them in on our plans that they need a fax from him saying he gives my brother permission to get into our apartment. If we hadn't told them they wouldn't even have known. Liability issues in our country are just getting ridiculous.
Okay, better use the WiFi for more essential things before I lose it. I'll do my best to keep you updated. Thanks for all your support -- it really means a lot. I'm not a pray-er, but I'll take those too.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Big Changes
Last week was hard. But the packing got done. The moving pods got sent to California. We had a lovely time at the graduation banquet, and Resident Boy was surprised with an award. We celebrated The Snake’s 5th Birthday. All the grandparents had a great time and got sent home safely on Sunday.
Then Monday evening I felt a gush of fluid in the wrong place … three days before I was supposed to take a flight to LA. I am now in the local women’s and children’s hospital, on bedrest until the babies arrive. I will be 29 weeks tomorrow.
There are things in our favor. No pre-term labor at this stage. Both babies are cooking along. We are at the highest level NICU in the area (I’m fairly certain we are at Level 3). I recognized the signs and was at the hospital and on steroids and antibiotics within hours of the rupture. After the initial loss of fluid, things have slowed to a trickle. I am actually in the same city as my husband.
There are some things that are making our lives a logistical nightmare. The buyers of the house happened to contact our lawyer today and were wondering if we could close early – like this Friday (ha ha). Meanwhile, we were wondering if we could close later. Our official contract has the close at the end of the month, so we can hold them to that. But as for after, we will need housing.
The pods will be arriving in Santa Monica on Thursday. My brother and his girlfriend have decided to still go and meet it, but there is no one to help them unpack as yet. We’re working on it. Worse case, we pay more money and higher some mover guys to get the stuff in the place.
My husband was supposed to travel to New England for 12 days to go to a review course for his boards. Then in July he was supposed to be taking them. As we may now have me on bedrest for hopefully a few weeks time, and then babies in the NICU for an undetermined time – no one is sure how that will all work out. So there may be multiple flights to cancel for untold amounts of money.
Oh, and then there is that pesky 5-year-old who needs to be cared for. Many friends have stepped up and offered, as well as relatives from far reaches too. But we have settled on sending him to his aunt and cousin who are 2 hours away. His grandparents will be joining them there in about 10 days. That way he will be able to come and visit on occasion. He is having a tough time grasping things and doesn’t quite understand that Mommy isn’t coming home soon. But he is excited to go spend time with his cousin. Hopefully that will be enough distraction.
I am nervous but a bit resigned. Mostly I am sad at how this has created a disaster for my dear husband. He his handling it pretty well, but I know it is so very difficult for him. He is already exhausted from having to get all the packing done last week, and now this happens. I know he can handle it all and everyone says that the most important thing is for me to rest and focus on the babies. But it is more than hard. I have been the planner, organizer, logistical coordinator for the last 5 years. And now when the shit hits the fan, I can barely do anything. My room show 3 bars for WiFi but I can’t seem to connect. I’ll keep trying.
At my ultrasound today, they managed to get a 3D image of my daughter’s face. I cried. Please make this all turn out okay.
Then Monday evening I felt a gush of fluid in the wrong place … three days before I was supposed to take a flight to LA. I am now in the local women’s and children’s hospital, on bedrest until the babies arrive. I will be 29 weeks tomorrow.
There are things in our favor. No pre-term labor at this stage. Both babies are cooking along. We are at the highest level NICU in the area (I’m fairly certain we are at Level 3). I recognized the signs and was at the hospital and on steroids and antibiotics within hours of the rupture. After the initial loss of fluid, things have slowed to a trickle. I am actually in the same city as my husband.
There are some things that are making our lives a logistical nightmare. The buyers of the house happened to contact our lawyer today and were wondering if we could close early – like this Friday (ha ha). Meanwhile, we were wondering if we could close later. Our official contract has the close at the end of the month, so we can hold them to that. But as for after, we will need housing.
The pods will be arriving in Santa Monica on Thursday. My brother and his girlfriend have decided to still go and meet it, but there is no one to help them unpack as yet. We’re working on it. Worse case, we pay more money and higher some mover guys to get the stuff in the place.
My husband was supposed to travel to New England for 12 days to go to a review course for his boards. Then in July he was supposed to be taking them. As we may now have me on bedrest for hopefully a few weeks time, and then babies in the NICU for an undetermined time – no one is sure how that will all work out. So there may be multiple flights to cancel for untold amounts of money.
Oh, and then there is that pesky 5-year-old who needs to be cared for. Many friends have stepped up and offered, as well as relatives from far reaches too. But we have settled on sending him to his aunt and cousin who are 2 hours away. His grandparents will be joining them there in about 10 days. That way he will be able to come and visit on occasion. He is having a tough time grasping things and doesn’t quite understand that Mommy isn’t coming home soon. But he is excited to go spend time with his cousin. Hopefully that will be enough distraction.
I am nervous but a bit resigned. Mostly I am sad at how this has created a disaster for my dear husband. He his handling it pretty well, but I know it is so very difficult for him. He is already exhausted from having to get all the packing done last week, and now this happens. I know he can handle it all and everyone says that the most important thing is for me to rest and focus on the babies. But it is more than hard. I have been the planner, organizer, logistical coordinator for the last 5 years. And now when the shit hits the fan, I can barely do anything. My room show 3 bars for WiFi but I can’t seem to connect. I’ll keep trying.
At my ultrasound today, they managed to get a 3D image of my daughter’s face. I cried. Please make this all turn out okay.
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