I've been at the computer 6 times to do this blog, but I first began it LAST Monday, March 23, while I was still in the hospital - Today is Monday, March 30. Obviously, getting time to myself is no longer an easy task............
Happy Birthday Babies! That was the phrase that was first in my mind on the morning of Friday, March 20th as we prepared to head to the hospital for our scheduled C Section delivery of our girls. Between my nerves and Corey's nerves we should have easily been able to make a milkshake just by looking at milk and ice. The day was here, we were in heaven, and yet it was one of the scariest days of our life. Katie headed off to school and we dropped Cooper off with grandma. As we headed down the driveway toward the hospital Corey and I shared a nervous smile, and we began talking about how sure we were of the names we'd chosen. The ride to the hospital was long and when we got there Corey found a close parking spot and whipped the car in. As we were unloading the car, one of our many NST nurses was walking in with lunch for the OB staff - It was a busy day and nobody was getting out to get lunch this day. It was nice of her to do, and nice for the staff - They were going to need their energy for the upcoming day and night.
All registered up front, Corey and I headed up to the room we were to be in post op. Room 226. We arrived, unloaded some things, and though slowly at first, one by one the nurses began to hook me up to machines, monitors and the IV that would grace my arm for the next few days. The fear began to set in as the Anesthesiologist, Joel, came in to meet me and ask me a few pre-spinal block questions. He was young, and in conversation we found that he was the husband of one of our nurses, Briane (who happened to be very good friends with my very good friend Jennie from Madras). Both he and his wife looked way to young to be doing what they do. But as time went on, my trust in them became more of a dependency. Joel was talking me through everything, telling me, and Corey, what to expect, and in what order to expect it in. I looked up and it was 12:40pm. The surgery was set for 1pm. My nerves had begun to take over and I slowly felt myself begin to shake a little here and there. At one' o clock the doctor called up from the OR to see where I was and told the nurses to get me down there, ready or not. Any prep left to be done could be done in the OR. So, Corey, 2 nurses, the Anesthesiologist and I began our trip downstairs to the Operating Room. I was in the bed, so I was wheeled down like it was some big "to do". I was in a floppy gown and a hospital cap and Corey looked quite handsome in his head to toe scrubs. As we entered the surgery center, we noticed a little temperature change....It was somewhat colder than the room we had just left. As we walked down the hall, the nurses informed Corey that he'd have to wait in another room while both the surgery center and I was prepped. That very moment began a period of the greatest fear I've ever felt.
The OR was so cold and there were already several people in there awaiting my arrival, including my doctor, Dr. Henson. She asked how I was doing, but I can't remember my reply. It must have been something like "OK, considering the surgery I'm about to have!" The bed was moved next to a surgery bed that looked something like a torture table out of a horror movie - It was long, very narrow, and had extensions at the top of the bed for my arms to lay on. My first thought was, "They really expect my fat butt to lay on that table without falling off?" My second thought was, "Yes, they really do expect me to be on that table." The second thought came as three people assisted my extremely large, pregnant belly from the bed I was wheeled in on to that surgery bed. Before I could lay down, my spinal block was started. From what I remember, each of my previous epidurals were administered while I was in labor, so the twinges from the needle trying to find the "right hole" weren't felt like they were today. After a few minutes, it was in, and I was laid on the table. Everything began to move at a swift pace once the block was set. The sheet was brought in and placed in front of me so that I couldn't see the surgery. Just as Joel had told me, some effects of the block began to play out like clockwork. First, I'd feel a tingle down my legs. Then, I'd start to feel like my chest was heavy and that I couldn't breathe - This was due to the numbing of my abdominal area up to my chest, but, really I could breathe just fine. An oxygen mask was placed on my face, and instantly I didn't like it. I discovered that I was a little claustrophobic with the chest pressure and face mask and I asked Joel if women actually faint during one of these procedures, because I was fairly certain that if it hadn't happened before that I just might be the first to faint during a c-section. He said that it sometimes happens, and then told me he was adding some more anti-nausea meds to my IV. I had A LOT of anti nausea meds, and a lot of fluid to keep me hydrated. Finally, I felt nothing from my chest down. The moment Corey was brought in to the room I took his hand, and I have never felt safer, or more relieved, than I did at that moment. My shakes disappeared, my nerves settled, and we both prepared for the exciting delivery of our twins.
I could feel some slight movement around my belly, but it was painless and I really couldn't say where the feeling was at. The doc announced that she was bringing out baby A - Corey got to see her pulled out and was overjoyed at the sight of her. He said she was a little blue in color, but with a dash of oxygen, she let out a cry pretty fast. I asked if she was big, and Corey said he was surprised at how big she was....Yay! Corey got a couple of pictures before the doc announced that baby b was on her way out. A couple of pictures of her were snapped as well, and when I asked about her size the response was less excited. "Well, she's quite a bit smaller" someone said. Corey said that yes, she was small, but immediately she began to cry without a problem. That was the best sign I could have asked for. I still couldn't see anything, and I was still in such shock from everything going on around me that I couldn't revel in the moment of their birth; I couldn't even cry with excitement at their arrival. It was a sad, yet joyous occasion for me. Corey was called over to the baby warmers to meet his daughters, and a few minutes later, he walked over with the camera so that I could see the the pictures he took of our babies. My wonderful husband knew that more than anything I just wanted to see them, and just the picture was perfect for that moment. Soon after that, however, the babies were wrapped up, and with Corey holding one, another doctor holding the other, I got to see my daughters for the first time up close. As I got the energy to reach out and touch one of their faces, Corey and the doctor were called back to the warmers so that the girls could head up to the birth center and get their newborn stats done. Still, I had not even touched my new daughters. Several people left the OR and it instantly became a quiet, calm room, with just a few people left, joking about how one of the placenta's had been knocked on the floor and the whole room became a bloody mess. Luckily, I couldn't see it, but Corey told me the gory story later that night.
I was placed in a recovery room for an hour of observation, and this was after an hour long surgery. Finally in my room at around 3pm, a nurse walked in the room and asked if I'd like to meet my daughters....It was the moment I'd been waiting for. Corey had waited to tell the nurses their names until I had arrived and we completely agreed on which girl was to be named what. It was decided that baby A would be Mackenzie Ellen, after Corey's mom and grandma, and baby B would be Rayla Jean, after Corey's dad and grandpa, and the daughter my grandpa lost at a very young age. Mackenzie weighed 6 lbs 7 oz. and Rayla weighed a light 4 lbs 10 oz. We weren't expecting her to be so small - Just 3 weeks prior, my ultrasound showed that both girls weighed about the same, just close to 5 pounds. It's like Rayla just stopped growing at that time. Unfortunately, that is also when my pre eclampsia symptoms began to show and I began to have multiple problems in the pregnancy. That was most likely the cause of her small size, which makes the decision to deliver them at that time a wonderful thing. Though small, it was Rayla who received the higher APGAR score - The rating given at birth to rate color, vibrancy, reaction - basically saying this child is thriving or not. They both had great scores.
My first time holding the girls was a dream. I couldn't believe how small they really were. Both of my other children were tanks weighing in at 8lbs 14 oz and 9 pounds, respectively. I was able to breastfeed at the meeting and both girls latched on effortlessly. It was perfect. Just me, Corey, our baby girls, and a nurse here and there making sure I was OK. The lower half of my body was still completely numb, so I was constantly monitored for quite a while. The world seemed so different to me, as I was dazed from all the drugs that had just been pumped in to me, and instantly two perfect, beautiful little girls were in my arms. My bliss was interrupted several times over the next few hours due to the arrival of nonstop nausea and vomiting. I was given lots of anti nausea drugs during the procedure, and even after, but it just wasn't enough for me. Anything I took in, even water, set me off, and for the rest of the day, and in to the next morning, I could hold nothing down. I'd also lost quite a bit of blood and I was as white as a ghost. It wasn't enough lost that I needed a transfusion, but enough that left me lightheaded, dopey and anemic. Unfortunately, the anemia wasn't brought to my attention until the day I was discharged, so I went three days untreated for my anemia. I wonder if that detail was accidentally, or intentionally left undealt with until my discharge. Hmm.......
At discharge time for me, we already knew that the girls would have to stay for at least another day. This, of course, meant me too because I was nursing them. They had lost a significant amount of weight, and though they weren't really worried, the doctors still wanted them to be at the hospital for constant monitoring. It truly is frustrating for nurses and doctors to tell us to rest, rest, rest........And then come in to take stats, ask questions or just look at us every hour. Four days in to the hospital stay both Corey and I were exhausted, our emotions were running high, we were frustrated, and to top it off they moved us from a large room where Corey had a bed next to me to rest in, to a room half the size with a rock hard transformer chair that converted to what was supposed to be a bed. Ha. It was truly ridiculous. The room was so small that a new mom with one baby would feel cramped, but with TWO babies....Good Lord. Just to get to the bathroom we had to move a table and one of the babies bassinet's. The new hospital wing opens up tomorrow. The OB center in the new wing has enormous rooms. Lucky, lucky women who held off to this week!!!
Finally, 6 days after birth, the girls were released from the hospital - But not without some strict rules and schedules. We had to nurse, supplement, bottle feed, do whatever it took to make sure the girls were fed every 3 hours. Now, that doesn't seem like much, but when there are two, and I'm nursing them both, then they both have to be given some sort of supplement, and then I have to pump to get more milk for their supplements, that doesn't give much time for rest. Friday the 27th we went in for their weight check and found that after due diligence they still lost weight. So, we cranked up our gears and the doc ordered the feedings to occur ever two hours. Though exhausting, we were happy to do it, for the health and safety of our little girls. Saturday morning Rayla had gained 3 ounces, and Mackenzie gained 2 ounces. This afternoon we go in to the clinic to see their doctor for another weight check. We are hoping to see the increase in their weights once again, and hopefully taper off the nighttime force waking/feeding, and we'll all get some more rest.
So, there it is. Life as we knew it has changed for good, and we have a lot of adjustments to make. Our family and friends have been so supportive of us during this exciting time for us, and we're so happy to be where we are today. I debated ending my blog at the girls' arrival, but have decided to keep going. I love the way I get to document things that I normally wouldn't, or couldn't in everyday life. And now that we have a big, beautiful family, there are bound to be some wild and crazy things that happen over the next year that I will just HAVE to share.
Corey, Cara, Katie, Cooper, Mackenzie and Rayla. It's a mouthful, and Christmas cards will be funny. Maybe I'll shorten it to 3CKMR - Nah!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Light at the end of the Tunnel
This pregnancy has been a journey full of excitement, exhaustion, twists, turns and some very interesting blogs. I can finally report that there is a light at the end of the tunnel......
Monday was my regularly scheduled NST and OB appointment. At the NST, baby A (formerly baby B) cooperated greatly and her heart rates were exactly as they should have been. Baby B, however, decided to be uncooperative and the nurses never got test results to report. A doppler monitor was used just to make sure there was a heartbeat, and of course, there was. It just didn't register on the NST monitors. My blood pressure seemed to look good, but there was a slight elevation in protein in the urine. The whole NST was a breeze and we were in and out in an hour. Our OB appointment wasn't until 2pm, so we got some shopping done and grabbed some lunch. It was really nice to have a lunch date with my husband - Luckily, the Mexican food restaurant we chose to eat at had booths large enough, and high enough, to fit my ridiculously large belly.
At the OB appointment, I found I had gained 5 pounds.....IN 3 DAYS!! I was shocked, but I imagine that 3 pound burrito I had for lunch couldn't have helped any. The nurse pointed out that I really shouldn't freak out because I had only gained 1 pound in 3 weeks, which is significantly less than the average 3 pounds a week weight gain at pregnancy end that a woman usually sees. Okay. My blood pressure was lower: 130 something over 80 something, and the protein in the urine didn't seem to concern the doctor at all. What did concern her, was that the nurses were unable to get a reading on baby B at the NST - So she pulled out the ultrasound monitor. We saw the babies, and they were both fine. Both were wiggling, kicking, punching and had excellent breathing patterns. Both were still breech. Baby A, on my left, was completely vertical and was basically sitting on my cervix. Baby B, was head to head with her sister and kind of curved down my right side - She was hugging the placenta. The reason that the NST on baby B was unsuccessful, however, was because not only was she in an awkward position, she was in this position behind her sister, baby A. She was actually closer to my back at this point than the front of my belly. But, she was fine, which was really all that mattered to us.
Because of the significant improvements, the doctor informed us that we'd just keep waiting it out and see how far we get in to the pregnancy. I didn't have to be on strict bed rest any longer, but I just needed to keep my activities to a minimum. This was a blow to us, as we'd just heard on Friday from the other doctor, whom we had seen the most over the past few months, that it would be very unlikely that we'd make it past this upcoming weekend. We were left slightly confused as to the doctors completely different opinions on what we should expect, so I called the other doctor yesterday morning to discuss our questions, and to make sure that both she and the other doctor were on the same page. I was informed that it would probably be the end of the day before I heard back from her, as she had a full day of patients and an emergency surgery scheduled during her lunch hour.
Cooper had been with me all day - The house is Cooper proofed and things are set up so that I never have to lift him or run after him. The gates we have are lifesavers. I took a nap with Cooper and woke up around 3pm. Corey had just got home form work and we decided to take my blood pressure. It was 156/96. Corey had me lay back down and we waited a few minutes and took it again. It was 150/104 - I was sent back to bed. We took the pressure 3 more times, and it was all over the board. At 4:15 I called the doctor and once again got a fast pass right up to the family birth center. We left the house, dropped off the kids and were at the hospital by 5:15. The staff was a little stressed at my arrival, and seemed to be prepping for an emergency delivery - Lots of running around, questions being asked, blood vials being brought in the room and everyone coming in to check on me to see that I was OK. Corey and I just looked at each other and exchanged a questioning look. A nurse came in and told me that I was to undress and get in to a gown - That was fine. I asked, "just waist down?" She said, "No, you need to undress completely because you'll have heart monitors attached to your chest in the OR." Uh, what? OR? I mean, we were suddenly so overwhelmed with nerves. I did my thing and crawled in to the bed. I was hooked up to the monitors and the girls were a dream to work with. Figures. The nurse then took my blood pressure and it was 139/74. Of course it was. The storm of frantic nurses and OB staff began to slow, and we began to relax a little. The NST that the staff hoped to get was complete within 25 minutes - We were absolutely amazed, and though I felt fine from the beginning, it was still nice to know everything and everyone in the tummy was just fine.
The doctor finally got to the hospital a little after 6:30pm and discussed the results with us - I was fine. The constant ups and downs in my blood pressure still had her concerned, and the protein in my urine had gone up to a 2+ in a day. I told her that I had intended just to talk with her about my visit with the other doc the day before and she said she discussed the appointment with her prior to coming to the hospital to see me. She decided that instead of waiting any longer that it would be in both my, and the babies, best interest to schedule the delivery for the end of the week. Because both girls are breech, I'll be having a c-section. I signed the consent forms and got lots of questions answered - The doctor explained everything that would happen from check in to post op. It's quite a production - In the OR I will be accompanied by 2 doctors, a nurse for me, a nurse for each baby, a respiratory therapist, the anesthesiologist and of course, Corey. I'm a little scared, as I have never had a major surgery, and of course it's not the way I had hoped to bring our beautiful girls in to the world. At the same time, I get to avoid labor - Gotta be optimistic about as much as possible!!
Tomorrow I go in for a final NST, a round of pre-op tests and the final paperwork before our big day. Friday morning I check in around 6AM and the surgery begins at 7:45AM. It's 10pm on Wednesday night, and I have to be honest that with each passing minute I become a little more anxious. I think I'll head to bed now and go to sleep - Maybe I can sleep through the nerves and get through the next day.....Just one more day. My next blog will be after the girls births. With the girls celebrating their birthday on Friday, and Katie celebrating hers on Monday, we'll have plenty to sing about this weekend.
What a way to begin Spring Break.......Happy Birthday my three girls!!
Monday was my regularly scheduled NST and OB appointment. At the NST, baby A (formerly baby B) cooperated greatly and her heart rates were exactly as they should have been. Baby B, however, decided to be uncooperative and the nurses never got test results to report. A doppler monitor was used just to make sure there was a heartbeat, and of course, there was. It just didn't register on the NST monitors. My blood pressure seemed to look good, but there was a slight elevation in protein in the urine. The whole NST was a breeze and we were in and out in an hour. Our OB appointment wasn't until 2pm, so we got some shopping done and grabbed some lunch. It was really nice to have a lunch date with my husband - Luckily, the Mexican food restaurant we chose to eat at had booths large enough, and high enough, to fit my ridiculously large belly.
At the OB appointment, I found I had gained 5 pounds.....IN 3 DAYS!! I was shocked, but I imagine that 3 pound burrito I had for lunch couldn't have helped any. The nurse pointed out that I really shouldn't freak out because I had only gained 1 pound in 3 weeks, which is significantly less than the average 3 pounds a week weight gain at pregnancy end that a woman usually sees. Okay. My blood pressure was lower: 130 something over 80 something, and the protein in the urine didn't seem to concern the doctor at all. What did concern her, was that the nurses were unable to get a reading on baby B at the NST - So she pulled out the ultrasound monitor. We saw the babies, and they were both fine. Both were wiggling, kicking, punching and had excellent breathing patterns. Both were still breech. Baby A, on my left, was completely vertical and was basically sitting on my cervix. Baby B, was head to head with her sister and kind of curved down my right side - She was hugging the placenta. The reason that the NST on baby B was unsuccessful, however, was because not only was she in an awkward position, she was in this position behind her sister, baby A. She was actually closer to my back at this point than the front of my belly. But, she was fine, which was really all that mattered to us.
Because of the significant improvements, the doctor informed us that we'd just keep waiting it out and see how far we get in to the pregnancy. I didn't have to be on strict bed rest any longer, but I just needed to keep my activities to a minimum. This was a blow to us, as we'd just heard on Friday from the other doctor, whom we had seen the most over the past few months, that it would be very unlikely that we'd make it past this upcoming weekend. We were left slightly confused as to the doctors completely different opinions on what we should expect, so I called the other doctor yesterday morning to discuss our questions, and to make sure that both she and the other doctor were on the same page. I was informed that it would probably be the end of the day before I heard back from her, as she had a full day of patients and an emergency surgery scheduled during her lunch hour.
Cooper had been with me all day - The house is Cooper proofed and things are set up so that I never have to lift him or run after him. The gates we have are lifesavers. I took a nap with Cooper and woke up around 3pm. Corey had just got home form work and we decided to take my blood pressure. It was 156/96. Corey had me lay back down and we waited a few minutes and took it again. It was 150/104 - I was sent back to bed. We took the pressure 3 more times, and it was all over the board. At 4:15 I called the doctor and once again got a fast pass right up to the family birth center. We left the house, dropped off the kids and were at the hospital by 5:15. The staff was a little stressed at my arrival, and seemed to be prepping for an emergency delivery - Lots of running around, questions being asked, blood vials being brought in the room and everyone coming in to check on me to see that I was OK. Corey and I just looked at each other and exchanged a questioning look. A nurse came in and told me that I was to undress and get in to a gown - That was fine. I asked, "just waist down?" She said, "No, you need to undress completely because you'll have heart monitors attached to your chest in the OR." Uh, what? OR? I mean, we were suddenly so overwhelmed with nerves. I did my thing and crawled in to the bed. I was hooked up to the monitors and the girls were a dream to work with. Figures. The nurse then took my blood pressure and it was 139/74. Of course it was. The storm of frantic nurses and OB staff began to slow, and we began to relax a little. The NST that the staff hoped to get was complete within 25 minutes - We were absolutely amazed, and though I felt fine from the beginning, it was still nice to know everything and everyone in the tummy was just fine.
The doctor finally got to the hospital a little after 6:30pm and discussed the results with us - I was fine. The constant ups and downs in my blood pressure still had her concerned, and the protein in my urine had gone up to a 2+ in a day. I told her that I had intended just to talk with her about my visit with the other doc the day before and she said she discussed the appointment with her prior to coming to the hospital to see me. She decided that instead of waiting any longer that it would be in both my, and the babies, best interest to schedule the delivery for the end of the week. Because both girls are breech, I'll be having a c-section. I signed the consent forms and got lots of questions answered - The doctor explained everything that would happen from check in to post op. It's quite a production - In the OR I will be accompanied by 2 doctors, a nurse for me, a nurse for each baby, a respiratory therapist, the anesthesiologist and of course, Corey. I'm a little scared, as I have never had a major surgery, and of course it's not the way I had hoped to bring our beautiful girls in to the world. At the same time, I get to avoid labor - Gotta be optimistic about as much as possible!!
Tomorrow I go in for a final NST, a round of pre-op tests and the final paperwork before our big day. Friday morning I check in around 6AM and the surgery begins at 7:45AM. It's 10pm on Wednesday night, and I have to be honest that with each passing minute I become a little more anxious. I think I'll head to bed now and go to sleep - Maybe I can sleep through the nerves and get through the next day.....Just one more day. My next blog will be after the girls births. With the girls celebrating their birthday on Friday, and Katie celebrating hers on Monday, we'll have plenty to sing about this weekend.
What a way to begin Spring Break.......Happy Birthday my three girls!!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Still Baking
I don't think I'm patient enough anymore to sit here and think through a really good blog, so it's gonna be short. I'm still pregnant - There are ups and downs to this, but I do think the ups outweigh the downs. The NST yesterday went great. Both girls cooperated and my blood pressure was lower than it has been. Great. I still felt cruddy but was happy that there were some improvements. At my OB appointment I found, once again, I had not gained or lost a single ounce. I asked them if their scale was broken, but it wasn't.
At my last appointment the doc told us about the "hands and knees, then down on to my arms" trick that sometimes turns, or moves, a baby when presenting breech. It worked!!! But, now they're both breech. Hahahahaha. The nurse took my blood pressure and it read something like 122/72. Yeah, that's great, but there's no way in hell that was my blood pressure. She actually had some difficulty and ran the cuff a couple of times before settling on that number, but neither Corey, the doctor or I was convinced that the reading was correct. They didn't take the pressure again, but my pulse rate was high, so that should have given it away. Anyways, everything looked good, including my bloodwork. My platelets had gone back up to 171...YAY...and all the other readings looked OK. Still a little proteinuria, constant headaches and I still see stars, but with the improvements the doc was hesitant to induce just yet - Especially with both girls now breech. They did, however, inform me that while I was at the hospital for my NST they monitored my contractions and they were coming about every 10 minutes. I've had so many contractions lately, that only a few have caused me to stop and pay closer attention to them. The ones I had yesterday, not so much. But they are increasing in frequency now, so it's just another thing to watch.
I go back in on Monday for another NST and OB appointment - If there are changes in dilation, my blood pressure is higher or something is just too stressful on me or the girls, we will schedule the delivery for Tuesday or Wednesday. Otherwise, I'll go back on Thursday for another round of appointments and we'll schedule the delivery for Friday or Saturday. They would like me to make it to 36 weeks (next Friday) but we're in the safe zone now, so whenever it happens is just fine and dandy with all the docs now. Either way, it looks as though our girls will be here by next weekend. The worst part is that it's looking highly likely that I'll be having a C-Section and I really hoped it wouldn't come to that. Nature works in amazing ways, though, and I know that we're in the home stretch now, and that it's going to be OK.
So, off to more bed rest and I'll update soon!
At my last appointment the doc told us about the "hands and knees, then down on to my arms" trick that sometimes turns, or moves, a baby when presenting breech. It worked!!! But, now they're both breech. Hahahahaha. The nurse took my blood pressure and it read something like 122/72. Yeah, that's great, but there's no way in hell that was my blood pressure. She actually had some difficulty and ran the cuff a couple of times before settling on that number, but neither Corey, the doctor or I was convinced that the reading was correct. They didn't take the pressure again, but my pulse rate was high, so that should have given it away. Anyways, everything looked good, including my bloodwork. My platelets had gone back up to 171...YAY...and all the other readings looked OK. Still a little proteinuria, constant headaches and I still see stars, but with the improvements the doc was hesitant to induce just yet - Especially with both girls now breech. They did, however, inform me that while I was at the hospital for my NST they monitored my contractions and they were coming about every 10 minutes. I've had so many contractions lately, that only a few have caused me to stop and pay closer attention to them. The ones I had yesterday, not so much. But they are increasing in frequency now, so it's just another thing to watch.
I go back in on Monday for another NST and OB appointment - If there are changes in dilation, my blood pressure is higher or something is just too stressful on me or the girls, we will schedule the delivery for Tuesday or Wednesday. Otherwise, I'll go back on Thursday for another round of appointments and we'll schedule the delivery for Friday or Saturday. They would like me to make it to 36 weeks (next Friday) but we're in the safe zone now, so whenever it happens is just fine and dandy with all the docs now. Either way, it looks as though our girls will be here by next weekend. The worst part is that it's looking highly likely that I'll be having a C-Section and I really hoped it wouldn't come to that. Nature works in amazing ways, though, and I know that we're in the home stretch now, and that it's going to be OK.
So, off to more bed rest and I'll update soon!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Stick a Fork in Me
I was about to begin this blog with "Happy Thursday." But, I think it's Wednesday. Corey may argue this, but I believe that I'm usually aware of my surroundings and everything that's going on, including what day it is. In fact, I swore I had blogged after my visit on Saturday, but I didn't. Lately, I seem to be lacking in general knowledge of the time, date and day of the week. Being on bed rest has not helped - Spending hours upon hours laying down on STRICT bed rest has caused me serious mis-perception in everyday occurrences and I can't wait to get back in to a somewhat normal routine. Yeah, yeah, I know, there's nothing normal about the events that are about to take place in our lives - But to be among the living is something I long for at the moment, and that seems pretty normal.
I'm blogging today and the header wasn't "Birth Announcement" so obviously we haven't had the babies yet. We're just about there, thank goodness.
Yesterday was my scheduled NST and OB appointment. We got to the hospital, 9:30AM, as scheduled, and we were informed that the beds were all full in the maternity ward, they were short staffed, and the last nurse they had was just sent on an emergency transfer from Hood River to Portland. In other words, they had no place to put me for the NST. Unfortunately, this proved to be quite an inconvenience for us - Our OB appointment wasn't until 11:45 and we had just dropped Cooper off with meemaw, at her office, with the intention of picking him up after the OB appointment. Living out of town makes situations like this very difficult, especially with me being on bed rest. So, we decided to pick Cooper back up from meemaw's work and Corey would take him shopping while I laid down in the car. My NST was rescheduled for after my OB appointment. It was comfortable enough laying in the car, but my feet weren't propped up, which they probably should have been. After all the shopping was done and Cooper had his lunch of "buggafies" (burger and fries) we headed over to drop him back off with meemaw. She planned to take him home for his afternoon nap. Off to the doc.....
My weight had gone unchanged in a week - I mean, not an ounce heavier, not an ounce lighter. Exactly the same. I kind of figured that I'd have put on several pounds being on bed rest, continuing to eat the same diet, and not getting around to work out the calories. Nope, not me. My blood pressure was still borderline at 139/92 and my legs and ankles were so swollen. Everything else, however, was still just hovering at the same level it was last Saturday. I had been on a Z-pak (azythromicin) for the sinus and throat infection, and I was feeling somewhat better. The doc checked for dilation with no changes to report. The ultrasound showed that baby A was feet and butt down, and baby B was head down. We're hoping that over the next couple of days baby B will push her way down to become baby A and we'll have that au natural birth. No C Sections, no C Sections, no C Sections, no C Sections...........
My next OB appointment is this Friday, day after tomorrow. If at that appointment my blood pressure is up, or my overall health status is worse, the babies will be delivered Friday night or Saturday. If everything stays the same - No increase in contractions, blood pressure still hovering at 140/90, no headaches, no vision spots - then I'll be scheduled for another routine follow up appointment on Monday or Tuesday, and we'll do the same thing....Maybe they'll deliver that night, maybe not....I have had a headache since last night that is not resolving with Tylenol and my sinus infection seems to be heading back, even with the antibiotic treatment. So, at this rate, they'll be here this weekend unless things improve. I can't argue.
I'm ready to have them. I know, the longer they bake, the better off they'll be. But my brain's baked, my belly is well done in for, and my back isn't as strong as I thought it was. My hips pop when I move, I pee hourly, I can't breathe and I can't put my socks on anymore....That usually means it's time to stick a fork in something, cause it's done.....right?
Poor Maija is currently in the other room with Cooper, hacking and coughing with a hoarse throat that sounds all too much like how my nasty illness began a few days back. It came on fast (within a couple of hours), and I felt better the next day. But later in the afternoon and in to the night it felt like I'd been hit by a truck. The same seems to be happening to her. It hit her last night with a nasty sore throat, and this morning she felt much better. But this afternoon she's losing her voice, her cough is full of rough stuff and I understand it all completely. Corey will be home shortly to relieve her and I hope she goes home to rest. Unfortunately, if her illness continues on the same path as mine, she'll need something to help clear it up. I'm so sorry for passing this on to you, Maija!!!
So, I'm heading in to lay down in the living room to help monitor the boy, and we'll see what happens with the girls at the next appointment......Gotta love this March madness!
I'm blogging today and the header wasn't "Birth Announcement" so obviously we haven't had the babies yet. We're just about there, thank goodness.
Yesterday was my scheduled NST and OB appointment. We got to the hospital, 9:30AM, as scheduled, and we were informed that the beds were all full in the maternity ward, they were short staffed, and the last nurse they had was just sent on an emergency transfer from Hood River to Portland. In other words, they had no place to put me for the NST. Unfortunately, this proved to be quite an inconvenience for us - Our OB appointment wasn't until 11:45 and we had just dropped Cooper off with meemaw, at her office, with the intention of picking him up after the OB appointment. Living out of town makes situations like this very difficult, especially with me being on bed rest. So, we decided to pick Cooper back up from meemaw's work and Corey would take him shopping while I laid down in the car. My NST was rescheduled for after my OB appointment. It was comfortable enough laying in the car, but my feet weren't propped up, which they probably should have been. After all the shopping was done and Cooper had his lunch of "buggafies" (burger and fries) we headed over to drop him back off with meemaw. She planned to take him home for his afternoon nap. Off to the doc.....
My weight had gone unchanged in a week - I mean, not an ounce heavier, not an ounce lighter. Exactly the same. I kind of figured that I'd have put on several pounds being on bed rest, continuing to eat the same diet, and not getting around to work out the calories. Nope, not me. My blood pressure was still borderline at 139/92 and my legs and ankles were so swollen. Everything else, however, was still just hovering at the same level it was last Saturday. I had been on a Z-pak (azythromicin) for the sinus and throat infection, and I was feeling somewhat better. The doc checked for dilation with no changes to report. The ultrasound showed that baby A was feet and butt down, and baby B was head down. We're hoping that over the next couple of days baby B will push her way down to become baby A and we'll have that au natural birth. No C Sections, no C Sections, no C Sections, no C Sections...........
My next OB appointment is this Friday, day after tomorrow. If at that appointment my blood pressure is up, or my overall health status is worse, the babies will be delivered Friday night or Saturday. If everything stays the same - No increase in contractions, blood pressure still hovering at 140/90, no headaches, no vision spots - then I'll be scheduled for another routine follow up appointment on Monday or Tuesday, and we'll do the same thing....Maybe they'll deliver that night, maybe not....I have had a headache since last night that is not resolving with Tylenol and my sinus infection seems to be heading back, even with the antibiotic treatment. So, at this rate, they'll be here this weekend unless things improve. I can't argue.
I'm ready to have them. I know, the longer they bake, the better off they'll be. But my brain's baked, my belly is well done in for, and my back isn't as strong as I thought it was. My hips pop when I move, I pee hourly, I can't breathe and I can't put my socks on anymore....That usually means it's time to stick a fork in something, cause it's done.....right?
Poor Maija is currently in the other room with Cooper, hacking and coughing with a hoarse throat that sounds all too much like how my nasty illness began a few days back. It came on fast (within a couple of hours), and I felt better the next day. But later in the afternoon and in to the night it felt like I'd been hit by a truck. The same seems to be happening to her. It hit her last night with a nasty sore throat, and this morning she felt much better. But this afternoon she's losing her voice, her cough is full of rough stuff and I understand it all completely. Corey will be home shortly to relieve her and I hope she goes home to rest. Unfortunately, if her illness continues on the same path as mine, she'll need something to help clear it up. I'm so sorry for passing this on to you, Maija!!!
So, I'm heading in to lay down in the living room to help monitor the boy, and we'll see what happens with the girls at the next appointment......Gotta love this March madness!
Friday, March 6, 2009
The Zoo
No babies yet.....And that is a good thing. I went in for my tests yesterday and they were OK enough for the doctor to send me home for another two days. It has been so frustrating being on bed rest and barking orders to Katie and Corey. I'm not one to be like that, and now that I've been doing this for a couple of weeks, I hope to GOD that I am able to deliver these girls naturally so that it doesn't continue after they're born. Maija has started to take her time off so that she can be with Cooper during the day while Corey's at work. I will continue to be on strict bed rest until the girls arrive, which will be in the next 8 days. We're still shooting for the 35 week mark, next Friday, because if they decide that I need to have them sooner, they'll send me to Portland. I'd rather not, but at the same time, whatever is best for the girls, and me.
I do have to tell the story of the crazy hospital visit that I did have, though. I got to the hospital, and it was raining cats & dogs. When Corey drove up to the lobby entry to drop me off the valet offered to park the car. Yeah, valet, at the hospital. I'd seen the signs before, but never needed it and never thought about it. Corey was thrilled, as I don't know if he would have found a close spot, and I don't know if he's ever even used valet parking. It was great. So, we get up to the maternity ward and the nurses immediately know who I am. I've been there so much that they can all recognize my belly walking through the double doors before they've seen my face. Corey suggested that I get comfortable on the bed, but I informed him that because of the twins the nurse would need to put another belly monitor band down, and I'd still have to pee in a cup. He looked at me like I was crazy, but as I headed to bathroom the nurse pointed out that the cup was already in there, and she headed over to put the third belly band down before my return. It's funny, because Corey hasn't been there for all the NST's - He hasn't needed to be - and he just laughed at me as I was telling him all the little details of how the visit would go down.
The nurse got me hooked up, and when she couldn't find the heartbeats for a steady amount of time single-handedly she called in another nurse to help. Just after the second nurse began to work on the task of finding our stubborn girls, the Phlebotomist arrived for the blood draw. Here I was, on the bed, so careless to all that was happening, and Corey was in the glider laughing hysterically. I was so used to this, but he hadn't seen it. On my right was one nurse attempting to find a baby, while at the same time trying to get a blood pressure on me. The second nurse was closer to the lower part of my belly trying to find the other baby and also hooking up the contraction monitor to the top part of my belly. The lab tech was banding me up on my left arm to get ready to draw the blood and I had cords, needles and hands all over my mid section - It was quite a zoo.
Before the chaos took place the first nurse actually did have me all hooked up and the readings on the babies were great. But the blood pressure cuff had quit working and she decided to go find the portable blood pressure machine. She had all monitors and belts in place, stood up, took a step and found that every single cord that was hooked to me was wrapped around her ankles. She tripped, of course, began to fall, but caught herself on I believe the baby warmer that was close to the bed. I asked if she was OK and she asked the same of me. She mentioned that she was surprised that she didn't yank me off the bed. Corey quipped "Cara's pretty anchored and I doubt you could pull her out of that bed if you tried to." This, of course, was his comical way of reaffirming how enormous I really am. All three of us started laughing till we nearly cried. The nurse had to plug everything back in because though I was "anchored" the plugs into the machine weren't so much. Once plugged back in, I still couldn't stop laughing and each time I laugh, my belly bounces. Which, in turn, sounds on the monitor. So in the hall I'm sure everyone heard the laughs, the ultrasound booms from my bouncing belly and maybe even a snort from me. It was a great way to relieve some of the stress we were feeling about the visit and gave me something to blog about!! Thanks, Pam!
So....the tests. My blood pressure was 139/89, platelets had dropped to 151, still a trace of protein in the urine, and though difficult, they were able to get some good readings on the girls. Corey described this scenario as "Just a pinch below where everyone freaks out." The doc on call today, Dr. Adsit, decided that I was still in the safe zone, and that I could go home to be on strict bed rest again, and return in 48 hours for another round of the same tests. I go in tomorrow morning, and I hope that the report is still good. I'm just ONE week away from being able to deliver here in Hood River.
In the meantime, I'll just continue to lay in bed, count contractions, eat bon bons and watch soap opera's all day. No, Corey, not really. I'm bloggin!!! Hopefully we'll get good news again tomorrow. Till then.......
I do have to tell the story of the crazy hospital visit that I did have, though. I got to the hospital, and it was raining cats & dogs. When Corey drove up to the lobby entry to drop me off the valet offered to park the car. Yeah, valet, at the hospital. I'd seen the signs before, but never needed it and never thought about it. Corey was thrilled, as I don't know if he would have found a close spot, and I don't know if he's ever even used valet parking. It was great. So, we get up to the maternity ward and the nurses immediately know who I am. I've been there so much that they can all recognize my belly walking through the double doors before they've seen my face. Corey suggested that I get comfortable on the bed, but I informed him that because of the twins the nurse would need to put another belly monitor band down, and I'd still have to pee in a cup. He looked at me like I was crazy, but as I headed to bathroom the nurse pointed out that the cup was already in there, and she headed over to put the third belly band down before my return. It's funny, because Corey hasn't been there for all the NST's - He hasn't needed to be - and he just laughed at me as I was telling him all the little details of how the visit would go down.
The nurse got me hooked up, and when she couldn't find the heartbeats for a steady amount of time single-handedly she called in another nurse to help. Just after the second nurse began to work on the task of finding our stubborn girls, the Phlebotomist arrived for the blood draw. Here I was, on the bed, so careless to all that was happening, and Corey was in the glider laughing hysterically. I was so used to this, but he hadn't seen it. On my right was one nurse attempting to find a baby, while at the same time trying to get a blood pressure on me. The second nurse was closer to the lower part of my belly trying to find the other baby and also hooking up the contraction monitor to the top part of my belly. The lab tech was banding me up on my left arm to get ready to draw the blood and I had cords, needles and hands all over my mid section - It was quite a zoo.
Before the chaos took place the first nurse actually did have me all hooked up and the readings on the babies were great. But the blood pressure cuff had quit working and she decided to go find the portable blood pressure machine. She had all monitors and belts in place, stood up, took a step and found that every single cord that was hooked to me was wrapped around her ankles. She tripped, of course, began to fall, but caught herself on I believe the baby warmer that was close to the bed. I asked if she was OK and she asked the same of me. She mentioned that she was surprised that she didn't yank me off the bed. Corey quipped "Cara's pretty anchored and I doubt you could pull her out of that bed if you tried to." This, of course, was his comical way of reaffirming how enormous I really am. All three of us started laughing till we nearly cried. The nurse had to plug everything back in because though I was "anchored" the plugs into the machine weren't so much. Once plugged back in, I still couldn't stop laughing and each time I laugh, my belly bounces. Which, in turn, sounds on the monitor. So in the hall I'm sure everyone heard the laughs, the ultrasound booms from my bouncing belly and maybe even a snort from me. It was a great way to relieve some of the stress we were feeling about the visit and gave me something to blog about!! Thanks, Pam!
So....the tests. My blood pressure was 139/89, platelets had dropped to 151, still a trace of protein in the urine, and though difficult, they were able to get some good readings on the girls. Corey described this scenario as "Just a pinch below where everyone freaks out." The doc on call today, Dr. Adsit, decided that I was still in the safe zone, and that I could go home to be on strict bed rest again, and return in 48 hours for another round of the same tests. I go in tomorrow morning, and I hope that the report is still good. I'm just ONE week away from being able to deliver here in Hood River.
In the meantime, I'll just continue to lay in bed, count contractions, eat bon bons and watch soap opera's all day. No, Corey, not really. I'm bloggin!!! Hopefully we'll get good news again tomorrow. Till then.......
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
All good things must come to an end
Man oh man what one week can do to a person. Where to begin......
I was taken off bedrest last week and was thrilled to be able to do some things for myself again. Corey remained the cook, cleaner, laundry person and baby house preparer while I still barked orders...But I could move about, make some lunch, do some things that didn't keep me up for long. Corey bought a blood pressure monitor that we've used daily and it's been a great tool for us to know when I've been doing too much. But sometimes monitoring just isn't enough.
Sunday was my baby shower. It was a wonderful laid back, eat and greet, gift opening time for me, and the gifts were fantastic. Car seats, a double bassinet, clothes, blankets and bottles were some of the gifts that we got - Along with nearly 20 packages of diapers! What a relief to begin with those on hand. The food was great, and my good friend Shannah brought my favorite flavor brownies from the brownie factory she works at. Nearly 20 people were there, and that was about half of the people who were invited. It would have been an overloaded house had everyone been able to make it. Though I would have loved to see everyone who wasn't able to make it there, at the same time I don't know that there would have been much more room in that house for people to mingle about. Sometimes blessings come in disguises, I suppose. Thank you Niko and Kathy for hosting this wonderful party for us - We can't wait to use everything we got!
After we returned home with the loot, Corey, Katie and Katie's friend Jen unloaded everything (cooper included) in to the house. I laid down on the couch and about 2o minutes after resting Corey had Katie take my blood pressure. It was 156/108 - HOLY COW! That was so much higher than it's been, so I kept laying. 20 minutes later we took it again and it was back down to my baseline of 140/90. Still high, yes, but we took it again later and it was in the 130's. I couldn't believe that it had hit that high, since I hadn't really done much. Shows how sensitive this body is right now! It was seeing those high blood pressures that made me think, "All good things must come to an end." I had no idea just how dead on I was in thinking that....
My ultrasound appointment was yesterday - The tech was fast and was able to get all the measurements she needed and determine that both girls were sitting close to 5 pounds each. That's a really great weight to be at 33 1/2 weeks. Today was my NST/OB appointment, and oh boy, was that adventuresome - This is where the blog gets interesting.
So, I got to my scheduled NST appointment at the hospital, and though I had a headache, I have had one for several days I just figured it had something to do with the unending sinus thing I've had for several weeks. At the admitting desk they had me pre register for the girls' delivery. Nobody had yet worried about that little detail, as I think they were thinking we still have a lot of time before they arrive. I get up to the birthing center and a new nurse got to be the poor sucker to try to find the heartbeats today - Nothing against the new girl, but I was hoping that a familiar face was going to do it as a couple of them have mastered the art of finding them. My blood pressure at the beginning of the NST was 138/84. " It's pretty high" said the nurse. "Not for me!" I said. I then explained to the girl the positions that the ultrasound tech found them in yesterday, but she just couldn't find them where I said. She found heartbeats, but I though they were really close together and too low down. She swore they were from different babies. Okie dokie. Once all was said and done she took my blood pressure again - Surprisingly, it was up to 145/88. Oh, crap, I thought. She called my doctor with the NST, blood pressure and urine test report. I figured her response wasn't going to be as I'd hoped it would be. I was right - A full blood test was ordered STAT and I was to come over to her office as soon as that was done. Oh, joy. So I finished at the hospital and headed over to see Dr. Henson.
First things first - Pee in a cup. Normal routine for any of you mothers or mothers to be. Then weight - Up 3 pounds in a week. Hmmm. The nurse took my blood pressure and it was up to 154/74. Darn it - It was just creeping up before my eyes! The blood tests came back and there were 2 elements of concern: My iron levels are exactly the same they were when I was tested a few weeks back. Not so great, since I've been on supplements for several weeks now. And, most importantly, my platelets have gone down in the week since my last blood test. All symptoms combined - Continuous headache, swelling, high blood pressure, proteinuria, seeing stars or floaters, nausea and now a decrease in platelets - These all point to the one thing that I never had before, and didn't think I could this time around either: Pre eclampsia. Ugh.......
I have been placed on strict bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy, which is not going to be much longer. In 48 hours - 11am on Thursday - I will go back to the hospital for another NST, round of blood work and urine test. If my blood pressure is the same, or higher AND my platelets have gone down in that time, I will be transferred to Portland for an early delivery of our girls on Thursday night or Friday. If the blood pressure is the same, and the platelets have remained the same, or increased I will return in another 48 hours to the hospital for the same testing again, with the same plan of attack with the results. We could have the girls as early as day after tomorrow.....Best case scenario, however, is we make it to Friday, March 13, at which point we can deliver here. Unfortunately, that's not looking so good any longer.
I may or may not be back on here to blog before their arrival - If I'm not, my next one will be their birth announcement! What an exciting week I have to look forward to while I lay here in bed...ha!
I was taken off bedrest last week and was thrilled to be able to do some things for myself again. Corey remained the cook, cleaner, laundry person and baby house preparer while I still barked orders...But I could move about, make some lunch, do some things that didn't keep me up for long. Corey bought a blood pressure monitor that we've used daily and it's been a great tool for us to know when I've been doing too much. But sometimes monitoring just isn't enough.
Sunday was my baby shower. It was a wonderful laid back, eat and greet, gift opening time for me, and the gifts were fantastic. Car seats, a double bassinet, clothes, blankets and bottles were some of the gifts that we got - Along with nearly 20 packages of diapers! What a relief to begin with those on hand. The food was great, and my good friend Shannah brought my favorite flavor brownies from the brownie factory she works at. Nearly 20 people were there, and that was about half of the people who were invited. It would have been an overloaded house had everyone been able to make it. Though I would have loved to see everyone who wasn't able to make it there, at the same time I don't know that there would have been much more room in that house for people to mingle about. Sometimes blessings come in disguises, I suppose. Thank you Niko and Kathy for hosting this wonderful party for us - We can't wait to use everything we got!
After we returned home with the loot, Corey, Katie and Katie's friend Jen unloaded everything (cooper included) in to the house. I laid down on the couch and about 2o minutes after resting Corey had Katie take my blood pressure. It was 156/108 - HOLY COW! That was so much higher than it's been, so I kept laying. 20 minutes later we took it again and it was back down to my baseline of 140/90. Still high, yes, but we took it again later and it was in the 130's. I couldn't believe that it had hit that high, since I hadn't really done much. Shows how sensitive this body is right now! It was seeing those high blood pressures that made me think, "All good things must come to an end." I had no idea just how dead on I was in thinking that....
My ultrasound appointment was yesterday - The tech was fast and was able to get all the measurements she needed and determine that both girls were sitting close to 5 pounds each. That's a really great weight to be at 33 1/2 weeks. Today was my NST/OB appointment, and oh boy, was that adventuresome - This is where the blog gets interesting.
So, I got to my scheduled NST appointment at the hospital, and though I had a headache, I have had one for several days I just figured it had something to do with the unending sinus thing I've had for several weeks. At the admitting desk they had me pre register for the girls' delivery. Nobody had yet worried about that little detail, as I think they were thinking we still have a lot of time before they arrive. I get up to the birthing center and a new nurse got to be the poor sucker to try to find the heartbeats today - Nothing against the new girl, but I was hoping that a familiar face was going to do it as a couple of them have mastered the art of finding them. My blood pressure at the beginning of the NST was 138/84. " It's pretty high" said the nurse. "Not for me!" I said. I then explained to the girl the positions that the ultrasound tech found them in yesterday, but she just couldn't find them where I said. She found heartbeats, but I though they were really close together and too low down. She swore they were from different babies. Okie dokie. Once all was said and done she took my blood pressure again - Surprisingly, it was up to 145/88. Oh, crap, I thought. She called my doctor with the NST, blood pressure and urine test report. I figured her response wasn't going to be as I'd hoped it would be. I was right - A full blood test was ordered STAT and I was to come over to her office as soon as that was done. Oh, joy. So I finished at the hospital and headed over to see Dr. Henson.
First things first - Pee in a cup. Normal routine for any of you mothers or mothers to be. Then weight - Up 3 pounds in a week. Hmmm. The nurse took my blood pressure and it was up to 154/74. Darn it - It was just creeping up before my eyes! The blood tests came back and there were 2 elements of concern: My iron levels are exactly the same they were when I was tested a few weeks back. Not so great, since I've been on supplements for several weeks now. And, most importantly, my platelets have gone down in the week since my last blood test. All symptoms combined - Continuous headache, swelling, high blood pressure, proteinuria, seeing stars or floaters, nausea and now a decrease in platelets - These all point to the one thing that I never had before, and didn't think I could this time around either: Pre eclampsia. Ugh.......
I have been placed on strict bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy, which is not going to be much longer. In 48 hours - 11am on Thursday - I will go back to the hospital for another NST, round of blood work and urine test. If my blood pressure is the same, or higher AND my platelets have gone down in that time, I will be transferred to Portland for an early delivery of our girls on Thursday night or Friday. If the blood pressure is the same, and the platelets have remained the same, or increased I will return in another 48 hours to the hospital for the same testing again, with the same plan of attack with the results. We could have the girls as early as day after tomorrow.....Best case scenario, however, is we make it to Friday, March 13, at which point we can deliver here. Unfortunately, that's not looking so good any longer.
I may or may not be back on here to blog before their arrival - If I'm not, my next one will be their birth announcement! What an exciting week I have to look forward to while I lay here in bed...ha!
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