Busy, Busy Day!

Yesterday I had, by far, the busiest doctor related day yet! My ultrasound was at 9am and my regular check up was at 10:30am...and it didn't end there! Don't worry, I'll explain, haha.

First of all, I am past 35 weeks! Woo hoo! That is such a relief in itself and I am so thankful to everyone who has prayed and covet your prayers as I hope to hold out for almost another two weeks! :)

My ultrasound went great, Haylee Anne is measuring at 4lbs 2oz and Callen Daniel is measuring at 4lbs 12oz. Both babies are developed just how they should be and the doctor there was very pleased with everything! He reassured me that they are perfectly healthy and will just be small, which we did point out is not too bad for delivery's sake! ;) He said that if they decide to stay for just a little bit longer, he sees no reason for them to need to be in the NICU. That is something I needed to hear, and it just makes me pray extra hard to hold out for the next two weeks! We didn't really get any pictures of the little ones, just because they are both very head down and not facing out for a good shot. I am perfectly fine with that, praise God that they are in position! ;)

Now, after that we went to my doctor and met with one of my midwives. She was really happy with everything, I gained the pound I lost last week back (lol) and my abdomen is measuring at 40 weeks, which is right on schedule for twins. They are holding off on any checking of my cervix or anything just as a precaution because doing an exam could potentially induce labor. 

What we caught at this appointment, which really saved us from a possible bad situation, is that I had not had my RhoGAM injection yet! If you aren't familiar with what that is, basically blood can either be RH positive or RH negative. I have RH negative blood, so if one of these babies were to have RH positive blood, my body would create antibodies against theirs and it could potentially cause things like anemia or other issues for the baby. So, I had to call over to the hospital after my appointment and head over to get my blood drawn and an injection to prevent any possible problems, and if after they are born, one (or both) have RH positive blood, I will have to get another injection. Normally, the injection is done oh, about ten weeks sooner, but we should still be fine thankfully. 

I have also had a head cold and super early Saturday morning, I woke up with a bad earache. My cold seemed almost gone and my ear was clogged feeling, but it didn't hurt anymore. So, my midwife told me to try taking some sudafed and if it didn't clear up she wanted me to get my ear checked out to see if I needed an antibiotic. Ben ended up needing to get an quick exam later in the afternoon, so we had my ear checked out too, and it turns out I have a really bad ear infection. And of course, while shopping for some of the last things we need and waiting for our prescriptions to be filled, my ear suddenly started throbbing terribly again. That basically ended my night! We had been out and about trying to find a second hand dresser that will fit in the nursery closet, but we went home and I was down for the count last night. It was a rough night, but I am back to not really having any pain and just trying to rest and let the antibiotics work.

So, yesterday was quite the busy day, but as long as these antibiotics do their job & these babies stay put a little longer we are all good! I really appreciate your prayers & I cannot wait to have my to-do list done and have these precious peanuts in my arms instead of beating up my insides soon! ;)

Update Catch-up!

Well, I got a little behind on updates here, I've been really busy and then I got really sick. But, all is getting better now and I'll give a little recap of the last week! :)

Tuesday Night's Appointment

I had a appointment on Tuesday with the last of the three midwives at my doctor's office. It went really well and she was, in all seriousness, the most positive person I have ever met. Almost comical, but she was so nice and very thorough. How often does any doctor tell you to "Call if you have any concerns, even if it's in the middle of the night. I'd rather get woken up than have you worried!"? I am telling you, I have the best medical staff behind me for this pregnancy. I feel so blessed.

I actually had lost a pound since the last visit, but my measurements and BP were still great. No worries, and both babies' hearts sounded great. Thankfully, I thought to ask about the hospital tours while I was there too, because they are only given by someone from the office once a month, and that happened to be the very next day! So, onto that experience...

Hospital Tour

I will be delivering at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital and I had never been there before. Wow, is the first thing that comes to mind. The hospital is gorgeous, everyone there was pleasant and nice, and the new, yes brand  new, birthing rooms are AMAZING. They have three rooms with laboring tubs, the rooms are huge, and I swear they are nicer than hotel rooms. The postpartum rooms are just as nice, just smaller. They have a top of the line NICU, which is obviously a huge relief to know that if something is wrong with my little ones, they will stay right down the hall and not have to be transported anywhere. Plus, if it did come down to it, they turned their old labor rooms into boarding for mothers to stay after they are released if they have a baby still in the NICU.

The hospital has an overall philosophy that is, in my opinion, worlds better than my experience with Noah. They employ their own nurse midwives besides my office providing them, they are all for natural labor (hence the tubs in the rooms), they promote skin to skin immediately and just overall provide a much more pleasant and helpful environment for delivering naturally. 

They also seem to have quite the perks for those staying with you, a little station with a fridge and snacks, microwave, a little coffee room, ect. Parking is free and so simple, and yes, that was an issue when I had Noah. I seriously am actually excited at the opportunity to have my babies there. (Besides the whole pain part, haha!)

Today's NST

Anyway, back to the babies. This morning I had another NST which went well again. Everything is looking good, Haylee is still head down (PTL!) and although Callen takes a bit of stimulation with a little buzzing device they have, they are easily able to get good reads off of both babies. I always give a urine sample and today I had a touch of protein show up, which is normally a sign of high blood pressure, but my BP has been perfectly fine, so the nurse finally determined (after also noting that it was quite strong) that I was just dehydrated. I want to kick myself for letting that happen, but I was so out of it and not feeling well yesterday that I mostly just slept and didn't pay attention to eating or drinking much. I did give myself a bit of a scare yesterday too, because I was having contractions that I was ready to start timing and then they stopped. But, dehydration can cause Braxton Hicks, so I did that to myself (thankfully!).

Anyway, I have a full ultrasound and another doctor's appointment on Monday, and then another NST on Friday! I am really looking forward to seeing where we are at and how big these little ones have gotten. Tomorrow marks 35 weeks, our "safe date"! That is a huge relief, but please keep praying that I can hold onto these babies for at least another two weeks so we can hopefully avoid any NICU time! 

Everything is so close now! We got their cribs and Ben put them together last night, I should have the room organized (along with all the clothes) and all set up by the end of next week, and well, I need to get my bag packed! Pray that I can at least hold out til that gets done, Lord knows me trying to tell Ben what I need from home over the phone would be quite interesting! ;) lol 

As always, thank you, thank you, thank you for all the prayers! :)

First NST & a Happy Mistake

I had my first NST this morning and I wasn't sure how it would go for two. I had NSTs with Noah, but they monitor the hearts and your contractions--and I didn't know if I would just have three straps instead of two or what. Well, they called me back and brought me into an ultrasound room.  I thought it was odd, but I figured it was just different with twins and didn't say anything. So, just as the tech was finding where the babies were (and noting that both are head down again! yay!) one of the girls popped in and told her that I was just an NST and wasn't supposed to be there! Haha. That was our happy mistake though, because the tech said since I was all prepped & started she would see about getting me a few pics anyway. Finally, this is how we got our first real peek at our little Miss. Haylee Anne! :) Her umbilical cord is a little in the way, but you can still see her face pretty well. I really think both these babies are little Noah clones! They all at least seem to have the same nose--their daddy's. ;) 

Anyway, the NST went great, both their little hearts are beating just right & it is actually kind of crazy to hear them going at it at the same time through the monitor. Now, we are all set until my next appointment on Tuesday evening! There are so many visits from here on out, before we know it, they will be here!

I'll put Haylee's 3D from today here, but I also created an Ultrasound Pictures! page so everyone could see them all in one place! Hope you all enjoy! ;)

Haylee Anne at 33 weeks & 6 days!

We're in the Home Stretch!

So, I had my appointment (that was rescheduled from last week) yesterday and everything is still looking good! I am 33 1/2 weeks along and everyone is still looking great. Callen is still head down and presenting first, while Miss. Haylee is now head up, but still perfectly fine. Both of them, or one of them--who knows, has been causing a lot of pain/discomfort for me lately, but it is nothing to be concerned about. It is just from the added pressure and force (in other words, kicking/hitting, haha) in my pelvis. Not fun, but definitely not the worst that could be happening! Also, for those who are curious, I made a little jump in my weight since last appointment! I now have gained a total of 25lbs--I thought that was a surprising jump from 17.5lbs less than three weeks ago! haha :)

I got to talk with my doctor a little more about the delivery, and so far everything is looking good for me to be able to go forward with a natural birth plan. I meet the last of the three midwives next week at my appointment and I will have a midwife and my OB present during the delivery. As long as there are no obvious complications and whichever baby does come first is head down, I will be able to labor normally with a midwife, and even use the laboring tubs that they have at the hospital. I will deliver in the operating room just in case of an emergency, but I am very excited at the thought of such a different labor process from when I had Noah. I was induced with him and couldn't get up for anything, plus none of the hospital staff was supportive about me not having an epidural. It is a really reassuring feeling to be on the same page with my doctor this time! As long as everything looks good, my plan is to labor without an epidural. 

Please keep praying that I can have both babies without any complications, because in not having an epidural, even if I deliver one and then there is a complication needing a c-section for the other, I will have to be put to sleep. Honestly, if I need a c-section, it will probably be better for me to be out (I have major fear/issues when it comes to surgery!) but, I will miss the baby being born and have to wait for the anesthesia to wear off before I will get to wake up and meet my little one(s). That possibility scares me, but as far as everyone is concerned the babies are positioned well enough & should be small enough for there to be no major problems; and in the worst case where I do have to be put to sleep, it isn't the end of the world. Prayers are definitely still appreciated though! ;)

I do have to start scheduling NSTs (Non Stress Tests) for every week now, along with an appointment at the doctor once a week, and I think I have two more ultrasounds left. My next full ultrasound is on the 10th, and then we will see from there! 35 weeks is when they will not try to stop me from going into labor (less than TWO weeks away!) but our goal is still definitely 37-38 weeks so that the babies have time to keep growing and hopefully won't need to be in the NICU. Although everything looks great, there is always the possibility of my water breaking and labor just starting, so please do keep praying that the timing is just right! :)

I have my 33 week belly shot updated here, and after Noah's birthday party & all that fun dies down this weekend, I'll be sure to add week 34! :)

32 Week Ultrasound!

Yesterday I had yet another ultrasound! I am 32 weeks along now and everything is still looking great, PTL! :)

The babies are still growing right along their own growth curves, and the weight difference between them is even less now. Haylee is now measuring at 3lbs 4oz and Callen is measuring at 3lbs 7oz. As always, their hearts, fluid levels, and everything else look great. Callen seems to be my cooperative, calm boy and is still head down. Thankfully, he seems to be holding out for the presenting position, and if it stays that way, that is one step closer to being able to deliver naturally. Haylee really worries me, I really think we have a serious little stinker on our hands! ;) She was sideways, with her head to the right, all the way into my liver and ribs. (Which explains a lot of the recent discomfort I've had!) She is still moving like crazy, and I am just praying that she settles head down sometime soon!

This ultrasound was fun too, because my little man was yawning and it was just so cute and amazing to see. Haylee was FINALLY face up, however, she had her entire fist in her mouth and wouldn't take it out. Doesn't make for a good picture, but it is still so neat to see. The technology we have is just incredible, and it just makes me so anxious to hold my babies! :)

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, and I'm fairly certain we will be starting the NSTs (Non-Stress Tests) and more monitoring after this to keep an eye on how the babies are doing and if I am showing any signs of labor. It is so hard to believe that we are really in the home stretch, but I am so ready to be! haha

Here are the best pictures we got of each baby yesterday: 

This one is our Mr. Callen Daniel--I still think his profile is very similar to Noah's :)

This one is our Miss. Haylee Anne--her forehead and nose are to the left, and then you basically see a blob where her mouth is completely open and her fist is shoved all the way in her mouth ;)

I also updated my Pregnant Belly Pics with the most recent 32 week picture today. :)

Once again, thank you so much for the continued prayers and support. I am definitely feeling the soreness and exhaustion that comes along with carrying two babies, but things are just going so well and I know it is because so many people have been praying. Our whole family is just so grateful! :)

Choose Faith over Worry

I have to say, that if I had to pick my biggest struggle in the Christian life, I think it is worry. It's so easy to justify worry, but really, it is sin. It is not trusting God to do what He says he will do, and I have to remind myself of that daily. Since getting pregnant this time, right after miscarrying, and then finding out it was twins, I have really learned that worry is a tool that the devil is good at using. I have worked really hard at reminding myself through scripture and well, looking back at my entire life, that God is in control. There are no surprises or mistakes with Him, and He promised me He will provide. Today, we got to see that in a big way, and I just have to share!

When we found out I was pregnant, we knew we needed a bigger car than our two door cavalier, but we didn't have a way to just go buy one. Sure, we could probably get approved for a car loan, but for one: we took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University--it changed our lives and one of the things it made us not want to have ever again was a car payment, and for two: we don't actually have any money for a car payment. True story. So, we figured out that if we could hold off until tax time next year, we could buy a used mini van outright and we were happy with that solution. Then, we found out that we weren't just having one baby. And, not only that, but my younger sister moved in with us. Well, let's see, that makes a total of six bodies (three car seats!) that we may have to fit into a vehicle at one time...in a five seat, two door cavalier. That clearly wouldn't last us until February of next year. haha. Neither Ben or I freaked out when we found out about the twins, we were excited from the moment we found out, but the car was one of the first things we both brought up. We knew God had known about these babies from the start, and He knows exactly what car we have and what finances we have, so we have just kept telling each other that He had to have a bigger car for us somehow. I'm not going to lie and act like I've kept it all together everyday. Trust me, I had a meltdown or two telling God that He needed to figure this out and soon because, how are we supposed to fit all those car seats in the back of the cavalier to even get home from the hospital?! And then I would be firmly reminded that He doesn't have to tell me what He has planned, I just have to trust. A bigger car is a need now, not a want, and He promised to supply all of my needs. 

Well, Ben has worked all the jobs and side jobs he can. He's applied and been on so many interviews these past few months its ridiculous, but we still are not ahead. We've been racking our brains to figure out what we could make work, and just praying like crazy. A month and a half ago, someone posted a van on fb and I asked the lady to message me if the people ahead of me fell through. It seemed decent, it was older, but not too bad, and they wanted an okay amount for it. I thought maybe there was some way we could make it work, but I never got a message. (Or so I thought...) 

Then, last month another lady posted a van on fb and my friend Karen pointed it out. I called Ben right away and then messaged her and got our husbands in contact. It looked much nicer than the previous van, it was a little more expensive, but not much and they had OBO listed with it. The guy brought it to PepBoys where Ben works the next day and let Ben and the mechanics check it out. It was very well taken care of, super clean, new tires, and only had a handful of minor things wrong that just come with the age of the vehicle. Ben decided to offer him a lower amount than even the first van was listed at, and told him that he still needed to talk to me. Well, we still didn't have cash on hand, and that really bothered me, but, we did have the availability to finance the amount on credit for 0% interest and we still will have the full amount to pay it off with our tax return. We talked and prayed about it, and decided that we would tell them that we wanted it, but it would take us two weeks to get the money (waiting on the transfer and all that) and see if they still wanted to take our lower offer. That way, we gave God the chance to close the door if we were just forcing it to work. Much to my surprise, I got a message from the lady that night telling me that they were more than willing to do that for us, that they were going on vacation but they would just take it off fb, keep it in the garage and call us when they got back. Plus, she sent me more pictures (I hadn't gotten to see it in person) and told me she would love for us to have it for our twins instead of some random guy who would turn it into a work truck. I was floored, and so entirely relieved! And the best part? I somehow never noticed that the other person who had the previous van on fb had indeed messaged me about their van and I never saw it! Talk about God guiding us to the right choice!

Well, today we met up at the Currency Exchange and bought our van. Not only is it as nice as it is in the pictures, but this family was extremely kind and generous. They insisted on giving us the GPS they used with it, it has a tv (with a VCR, lol!), they remembered that they had a remote starter for it and found it for us (what?!) AND ended up giving us $100 back after we paid for the title and registration as a "baby gift"! I seriously almost cried, and I am so beyond thankful that God worked this all out. We are having all the little things fixed on it later this week and all of it still cost us much less than I was ever imagining we'd have to spend--especially for such a nice vehicle. It seriously leaves us in the position to most likely still be able to pay off the van debt and all the rest of our credit card debt that we have been working on with our tax refund. Words cannot express how incredibly thankful I am to serve such an amazing God. I am so glad we kept our heads on straight and trusted Him to provide, it couldn't be any more perfect! :)

THANK YOU times a million to everyone who has prayed, it is AMAZING to see God work and I just had to share!! :)

30 Weeks and Counting!

Well, I had my (rescheduled) doctor's appointment today! I am 30.5 weeks along and, praise God, all is still going well! Callen is still head down, and well, Miss. Haylee (being the stinker that she is) has flipped again and is head up. No worries there for now though, both babies were moving like crazy today and she has plenty of time (and apparently, room, lol!) to flip once again. Both hearts look good and fluid levels are high. 

As for me, I have officially gained 17.5 lbs, which puts me almost exactly where I was at 3 days overdue with Noah where I gained 18 lbs total. Seems right on track and boy am I feeling it! haha I am having to wear a maternity belt almost all the time now, and I do have a lot of muscle discomfort, but all of it is expected, no worries! 

I am really thankful for the great doctors and midwives I have, they really make me feel comfortable and are so reassuring. It is great having the blessing of medical care that you love, I can't imagine going through all of this with any other people.

I have updated my belly pictures with the latest one from Sunday, which you can check out  here! And my Things Needed post is always up to date. (There have been a few minor additions/changes to the registry and just FYI to anyone who might be looking to buy something, if you do intend to buy from walmart a lot of it is online only, but can be shipped to the store for free.)

It has also been awhile since I have specifically mentioned what to pray for, so here is that as well! :)

*Updated Prayer Requests:

(Bold are new things/info!)

• My health-- I am currently healthy, but I am at high risk for preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and most concerning, preterm labor. *I still am not showing any signs of any complications, PTL, but please pray for my discomfort in these last few weeks! :)
• Callen & Haylee's health & growth--they are both currently healthy, PTL, but keep praying that they grow at the same rate, and grow enough to be nice &  healthy for a safe delivery
• My delivery--I really would 100% prefer to be able to deliver naturally & without an epidural. A C-section is my worst fear. Obviously, I will do whatever it takes for my babies, but I would greatly appreciate the prayers to be able to do it on my own with no complications. This is possible, and no, I'm not crazy. :) *As long as the first baby comes head down, a natural delivery is the plan*
•  Noah--to adjust well, as this will hit him as a surprise more than anyone else
• 38 weeks is considered Full term for twins. My official due date is October 13th, which puts 38 weeks at September 29th.*My doctors' goal "safe date" is 35 weeks but they won't rush anything if I go longer. Obviously, the longer they're cooking the more developed they will be! My personal goal is 37 weeks so that they will hopefully avoid the NICU*
• Our finances--Ben works two jobs plus sides jobs now, I would love for him to find one, good, full time job that he enjoys.
• A big enough car--we currently have a 2 door cavalier >.< *As of Monday, we should be the proud owners of a 2002 Mini Van! God has truly opened some doors for us & we are very excited and relieved.
• Wisdom in this whole journey!
• That I will be able to fully breastfeed these babies--I *should* be able to, just pray for my emotions, and that I can keep up with taking care of myself so I am healthy enough to nurse both without supplementing.
• That we can figure out an affordable storage solution--we're looking into a shed or something for all the baby things and clothes. Our house is pretty small :) 

Thank you so much for all the prayers and support, I know they've gotten us this far. Can you believe it? We're in the home stretch!! :)