Belly Pics: 32 Weeks

We're 32 weeks pregnant! It has been flying by so fast! The boys will be here before we know it! It's hard to believe we're this far with our boys already. Less than 6 weeks to go! We're busy trying to get everything ready around here. I got the nursery walls and ceiling painted this past week. Now just need to paint the closet doors, the crown mold and baseboards, and install the crown mold. All that will hopefully get done by this Saturday. Right now it looks like Babies R Us threw up all over our house! Lol!

Monica and boys have been good! She has been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions, around 20 a day. They have been getting more frequent and lasting close to a minute. It's making us a little nervous, so please keep us in your prayers. We want our boys in there as long as possible! Our hope is to take them straight home from the hospital. That probably won't happen unless she can make it to 36 weeks or later. She told her doctor about the contractions, but they don't seem too concerned yet.

Tomorrow we go for our 32 weeks ultrasound! Monica has been counting down the hours once we fell under the 24 hour mark, lol! They're going to do the typical ultrasound and measurements and then fetal monitoring, of which neither of us know what to expect. I've heard of fetal monitoring but don't really know what they do. It'll be interesting to see! We'll post some ultrasound pics and an update on how big they are tomorrow! For now here's the 32 week belly pics!



                             Baseline                                                                        32 Weeks

 

30 Weeks

Multiples class and Thankfulness

Yesterday was a very successful day in our house! Which in turn led to not posting a Thankful Thursday. :( I'm sorry... I figured I would make up for it on this post and give an update as to how our multiples class went last night.

I'm thankful for my recent success on craigslist. We finally sold Monica's old car! WHOO-HOO!! It'll be nice to have that money to put towards our IVF debt. I think I mentioned before that I scoured the house and put anything and everything I could find to sell on craigslist. I've had some decent success. I've sold a bike, Monica's car and have several people coming by this weekend to buy 3 other items we have for sale. All proceeds will be going to pay off our IVF debt. I'm very pleased and hope to sell all 12 listings!

I'm thankful for an AMAZINGLY tough wife! In our class last night there were 5 other couples. There were 2 other ladies who were showing but were still 10 weeks or more behind Monica. They both had several complaints about back aches and other things. I know God has blessed us with a very smooth pregnancy, but I also give some credit to Monica for being a trooper! She's one tough cookie! She's had back aches and other things, and now has a TERRIBLE pregnancy rash called pupps, which she talked about in a previous post. She refuses to whine or complain though. I woke up one morning to find her asleep on the couch with bags of frozen corn on the bottoms of her feet because that's the only way she could sleep. She didn't whine, cry, complain or get angry. She just said that was the only way she could get comfortable and the cold helped make the rash not itch enough so that she could fall asleep. I see her wiggling her feet inside her shoes, walking through the house dragging her feet, or sitting sliding her feet back and forth across the carpet, all to scratch the bottoms of her feet. If she used her nails they would break open and blister. She's so awesome and I'm thankful for how tough she has been through it all!

Now about our multiples class! Like I said there were 5 other couples, all pregnant with twins. Two of the couples got pregnant with their twins spontaneously. The other 3 we're not sure about. We are the youngest couple and the farthest along. Two of the couples aren't even 20 weeks yet and the other 3 are 22 weeks or less. We are 32 weeks, lol! Monica's fear for this class was realized... she has the biggest belly. Haha! It's to be expected though since the other couples are not nearly as far along as we are. The class was very good! We learned several things already.

1) I believe I am slightly naive about how hard it is going to be. I have the mind set that if we keep a positive attitude and since we'll both be off for quite some time with nothing to do but take care of the babies, it'll be a piece of cake! I may be wrong... I also think a lot of that comes from telling myself I want to prove all the people who have told us how utterly horrific it's going to be wrong. It seems a lot of people have many negative things to say about us having twins. I know most of it is probably meant light-hearted and in a fun, joking manner. It still makes me want to prove everyone wrong and show them it's not going to be hard. I now have a better understanding of what to expect. We're going to do great though! I have an awesome wife, and these boys are an answer to an unthinkable amount of prayers!!

2) I think the class helped us both prepare a little more for the very real possibility of our boys ending up in the NICU for a little while. Hopefully they will come straight home, but I think it's good that we are prepared mentally and emotionally that they may not come straight home. I work with preemie babies all the time so I know what to expect. I hadn't realized that in my own mind I had already kind of convinced myself they wouldn't have to go to the NICU except for maybe a day or two. When in reality if they do go, it is usually for a week or more, depending on the circumstances.

3) It taught us a lot of little things I had never heard before. Babies spend their first 10 minutes or so crying. Then they spend an hour or 2 looking around peacefully. Then they go through a deep sleep phase for a few days where they only wake up to eat and then pass out again. Then they get to their normal baby phase. At normal baby phase is where they will cry and get upset.

3) I thought you fed a baby when it started crying which meant it is hungry. Wrong! You feed the baby when it starts to suck, chew on its hands or wiggle a lot. Crying is a late sign of hunger.

4) We learned that bumper pads are no longer recommended and that the FDA may be outlawing them soon. I always thought they were so baby wouldn't bump their head on the side of the crib. I never fully understood them as I don't think an infant can roll hard enough to do real damage by bumping their head on the crib rails. It turns out they were invented because early cribs had rails that were too far apart and babies heads were falling in between the rails and they were suffocating. Now cribs are made with the rails close together and they only remained being used for aesthetic purposes, a.k.a. they're cute.They are no longer recommended because they cause SIDS! It's common sense that you don't put blankets, pillows, etc in the crib because baby can suffocate. They now know that babies also are dying because of rebreathing their own CO2 from objects being too close to their face. Not smothering them, but being close enough that they rebreath their own CO2 and because they're respiratory system is so new and immature they stop breathing when they're CO2 levels elevate even slightly. That was news to us! We were planning on making bumper pads. Not any more.

That's all I can think of that really stuck our for now and this post has gotten pretttty long. Adios for now! Monica has a baby shower tomorrow! We'll try and share some pictures and give an update on how it went tomorrow!

It's All Gravy! (Twin update)

Monica had her 32 week check-up today. She'll actually be 32 weeks pregnant on Friday. Everything is gravy!!! That means GREAT! Everything looks stellar! In fact, I think I will shut up and let Monica finish the rest of this post. It'll be better coming from her anyway! Begin Monica typing:

Welp, another great doctor's appointment today! Woo-hoo!!! My doctor is so happy with how things are going and so are we!! I am going to make a later post about my PUPPS, but it seems to be mostly cleared up with the exception of my feet. They were the worst affected and they are so much better now than they were!! I am sleeping through the night again (finally) and that's without any Vistaril! Praise God!!!

But about the doctors appointment...

The tech came in and took my blood pressure (which is great) and dopplered the boys heart rates. Dopplering their heart rates is always so exciting to me! I love to hear their little hearts pumping away and working exactly how they should! They are such little miracles! This time it proved not only to be exciting... but humorous also! :)

So she puts the gel on my belly and asks where they usually find the heartbeats.... she proceeds to put the wand on my belly and move it around.... and baby B would not stop kicking the wand!!! She was laughing so hard and thought it was the most adorable thing! When she finally got ahold of his heart rate he made a big flip and she lost it! She commented, "Well I think this one may be your stubborn one! He doesn't want to let me get his heart rate!" Oh B.... :) It took her quite a while to finally get it. I told her he was the slightly bigger twin and she laughed saying, "He may be a little bully!" When she moved over to baby A she immediately got his heart rate. She then proceeded to say, "See A is your little angel!" It was so funny to see them moving like crazy while she tried to get good heart rates!

My doctor had originally told me by this particular appointment we would schedule a c-section date so we would have the OR reserved. I brought it up and she told me that because we are doing so great she doesn't see any reason to set a date. She said she is pretty much treating me like a singleton pregnancy because of how easy and smooth everything is going. We have an ultrasound and fetal monitoring on Monday. She said as long as they are both still head down we will continue to play things by ear and will probably be looking at a regular delivery! Yay!! The chances of them flipping is pretty much zero to none because of how cramped they are getting. At our last ultrasound they were both head down and we have good reason to believe they still are. This is because of the types of movements I am feeling up high (like little feetsies) and the fact that I haven't noticed a "flip". I can't believe how close we are to meeting them!! It is the most exciting thing! I just praise the Lord and thank him for such a smooth and healthy twin pregnancy! We are certainly blessed!

-Monica

On a side note (this is Jeremy now) this evening Monica was laying on her right side, meaning her left side and Baby A were up. Baby A was having a hay day in there kicking, punching, squirming like crazy. He started to slow down a little and I wanted to see if I could hear his heart beat. Really I just had the urge to lay my head on Monica's belly. As soon as I did he started moving like crazy! His little arms and legs were moving all over! It was so neat! I will let him punching and kicking me in the head pass.... for now, lol. When I lifted my head up, he chilled out. When I did it again, he started back in wiggling like crazy. I don't know if my fat head was squashing him (I barely had it pressed against her tummy) or he could tell something was there and was "feeling it out." Either way it was awesome and never ceases to amaze me! That's all for now I guess! We have our multiples class Thursday evening and I hope to get a lot done on the nursery Thursday, so be looking for a Friday post with a nursery update and multiples class update!

-Jeremy

Thankful Thursday: Pre-pregnancy skin & Playing inside the womb

Hey everyone! It's Thursday and you all know what that means! One more day of work and we're to the weekend! AND it's time to reflect on things we're thankful for in our lives! See, it's such a great day! Another week in the history books. Monica and I love taking this time each week to point out blessings, often those in disguise, that we can be thankful for. Enough babble from me, here's our lists:

Monica's List:

I'm thankful for my pre-pregnancy skin. How often is it that we really realize the little blessings in life?!! Not often enough! :) I never would have thought to be thankful for my skin... until I got a terrible pregnancy rash called PUPPS. I've never really given my skin a second thought, but I know there are others who suffer with severe skin conditions every single day of their lives. So I have to put up with PUPPS and it's effects on my skin? Can I handle it?! Heck yes I can! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right?! :)

I am thankful for such an understanding husband! He never ceases to amaze me! He has been doing a lot of stuff  around the house, on top of everything else he has on his plate. I appreciate him so much! I can tell that he loves me and sacrifices a lot for me! From little things like.... rubbing the steroid cream on my itchy feet...  telling me I'm beautiful even when I know I'm really not looking my best... and sympathizing the pain I've been in. I think I just may keep him!! :)

I am SO thankful for our active little boys! I know I've said this a million times but they move NONSTOP... like every minute of the day! And it's so strong! It's like I can feel body parts now and my whole belly will just shift and move. Who knows what they are doing in there!? Haha! It is the most adorable thing! I have been brought to tears twice this week from their movements. It's like we are getting to spend time together already and I feel so close to them. I don't even know how to describe it right though. I guess it's one of those things where there are just are no words to describe it? Love doesn't even seem like a strong enough word.

Jeremy's List:

I'm thankful for craigslist and Dave Ramsey. I recently began coordinating a Financial Peace University class at our church. We're 4 weeks in and have 5 more to go. Last weeks video was on dumping debt. I love it! It was my favorite chapter of Dave's book, The Total Money Makeover, and so far my favorite video of the series. Dave is a very passionate fella. He has his ways of motivating you. After last weeks video it helped give me that extra push I have been needing. Monica and I have been on the fast track to being debt free since we got married. I know I've listed our stats before, but we've paid off a lot of debt. We recently had to take on more after going through IVF and having a very nice 4 door car fall in our laps at an awesome price. I've been stressing a little because we were so close to being debt free. $3,700 on a school loan close! After the class this week I came home and found anything and everything we could sell and put it on craigslist. I have 12 ads on there right now including our Toyota Solara. My goal is to make $400-500 to put straight towards our IVF debt. So I'm thankful for Dave Ramsey and Craigslist!

I'm thankful I've gotten to feel my boys move so much! I know I've used this a lot, but it never gets old! The past two nights, I chased both boys feet all over the top of Monica's stomach. It's like a little game we play now. They will be kicking and moving their feet, and you can see it! So I put my fingertips on their feet. It's so funny, cause for a little while they will stop moving them all over, keep them where my fingers are and wiggle them around, push and kick my fingers. When they start moving them around again I follow them and keep mt fingertip lightly pressed against their feet. It's the most incredible thing ever. Sometimes we'll just sit there with my fingers touching their feet and they hold them there. Two nights ago it was mostly Baby A. Last night it was mostly Baby B. I love it! It's the highlight of my day and week when I get to feel my boys moving!

I have pupps...

I have pupps.... and no, this is not what I am calling my sweet little boys now! :) Pupps is a severe pregnancy related skin rash. We originally thought that I must have had an allergic reaction to the Rhogam shot I had to get Friday... but sadly that is not the case.

I called my doctor Sunday night to inform her of a rash that started on my hands and feet and was quickly spreading to my arms and legs. She told me to take benadryl for a couple nights and see if the rash and itching got better or worse (she wasn't initially too alarmed because I felt great still and the boys were still moving like crazy). Fast forward to today and I could barely handle it because I was itching extremely bad. The rash was getting worse and continuing to spread FAST. They got me in today and as soon as my doctor looked at me she said.. "Oh honey, you have pupps!" (may I note she had a very sympathetic look on her face.) I'm thinking, "Pupps... what kind of name is that?!" Turns out it is an acronym for pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy... yeah! :) My first thought was, "Ok, so what are they gonna give me to get rid of it?"... she proceeded to tell me "More than likely it is here to stay until you have the boys... it will actually probably just get worse as the pregnancy progresses." The top three risk factors of getting it are first time pregnancies, pregnancies with males, and multiple pregnancies....... (ding,ding) winner, winner chicken dinner!!! I just happen to have all three of those going for me! Haha!

I first noticed what looked like raised bumps on the stretch marks on my lower belly about a week or so ago. I figured maybe it was just really bad stretch marks and was pretty discouraged by it! They almost looked like welps! I then began to notice little red, itchy bumps on my hands and feet. From there it just spread like wildfire! My doctor told me that is exactly how it manifests itself! She gave me a steroid cream (she wants me to use it sparingly) and Vistaril (basically a very strong Benadryl). Tonight is my first time using them so I really hope they help me get some much needed sleep! I have not slept more than I few hours the past few nights due to the constant itching. Regular Benadryl didn't seem to do a thing to relieve it!

Good news is that it isn't harmful to me or the boys AND I am in the last part of my pregnancy! I'm so glad that this didn't come any sooner! My doctor also noted that if I was going to get a pregnancy rash, this would be the one she would want me to get. This is because although it is extremely uncomfortable.... that is all there is to it! No harm at all!! It really is stinky... but you won't hear me complaining about it! I always said if I got the opportunity to be pregnant I wouldn't complain...  and I believe I have stuck to my word. When you know there's a good possibility you could never be pregnant and are then blessed with (two) miracles.... you tend to look at the bright side! :) I am so thankful to be able to carry my babies and for such a smooth pregnancy so far! If this is the worst so far then I can still be thankful! Don't get me wrong, this is the most uncomfortable, itchy, burning thing I have ever experienced but I still consider myself a very blessed girl!

Things that seem to help so far are: oatmeal baths, Grandpa's pine tar soap (I saw a ton of reviews about it concerning pupps), and not getting too hot or stuffy. I will probably be living in sports bras and shorts until the boys get here. Having clothes rubbing on my skin just makes me itch that much more! I have also read to drink a lot of V8 juice so I'm trying that too (man that stuff is gross!!) I will try to post some pics of the rash. Hopefully in my sisters wedding this Saturday I won't look like a huge, red balloon going down the aisle but there are no guarantees! haha! :)