Better late than never! ;)

So, I figure I should actually update this blog since the twins have been here for a whole TWO WEEKS already! I planned on updating from my phone at the hospital but let's just say, that quickly descended on the priority list. And, I planned on updating the day we came home, but obviously that didn't happen either. I guess I've just been busy or something, haha! ;)

Most people know, but in case you didn't hear, Callen Daniel and Haylee Anne made their entrance on Thursday, October 4th, 2012. Callen was born at 10:49am, weighing 5lbs 15oz and was 19.5in long. Haylee was born at 10:52am, weighing 5lbs 1oz and was 20in long. Both babies are perfectly healthy and didn't even need to be seen by the NICU doctor, praise God!

I started having contractions at 12am that morning and I didn't even wake Ben up for a couple hours because I wanted to make sure they were consistent and the real thing before I got us all up to the hospital for another false alarm. Well, they definitely were not a false alarm, they kept coming, and after I woke Ben up we kept timing for another hour before we called my midwife. I was still not positive if this was "it" because the contractions weren't coming super consistently--they'd be 7 minutes apart, then 5, sometimes even 3 minutes apart, and then might go back to 7 minutes again. But, since I was already dilated to 3cm we went in and arrived at the hospital around 3:30am. (After stopping at DD so I could get my "last meal" of an egg and cheese croissant, haha)

I got all hooked up to the monitors and both babies were doing good, but, my contractions had started slowing down once again. This time, however, I was dilated to 5cm and 80% effaced. So, we decided I would try and get some rest and see what we wanted to do a little later in the morning. I ended up sleeping for a little while, which was much needed, and by 7am we met with my midwife and discussed what to do. Basically, they weren't going to send me home, that would be too risky, so we ended up deciding on breaking Callen's bag & having me try using the breast pump to hopefully get the contractions coming on stronger. My midwife was switching "off call" with one of the others at the office, and the other midwife and my doctor were seeing patients, but ready for whenever I needed one of them. (The office is just a couple minutes away from the hospital.) I also had the option to have them call the doula whenever I felt I needed her. 

So, they broke my bag, I started just one round of the pumping, and I started feeling pretty consistent contractions. They weren't too bad for awhile, so I didn't feel the need to call everyone in, but it really wasn't long before I started to feel the pressure start and then the contractions weren't so tolerable. I called my nurse in and told her I would like to have the doula called and then a few minutes later the pressure was getting worse. She checked me right away, and we learned that I was already dilated to 8cm and Callen was indeed right there & almost ready. She called my doctor and by the time my doula came in, my doctor was just a minute behind her and I was in the final stages of labor. All there was to do was get me through some more contractions & they were getting the surgery room ready for us to switch over to!

Basically, I went from 5cm at 7:30am to delivering both of them by 10:52am. That went much faster than I, or anyone, was anticipating. I was able to deliver without an epidural, or anything, praise God. I did not tear this time like I did with Noah, and after Callen came out, thankfully, Haylee came in ONE push. I won't lie, in my mind, I was praying and telling God I couldn't do it again after Callen came! I was so tired after pushing for him that I don't even think I fully looked up at him until after both of them were delivered. When Ben was telling me Haylee was right there and I needed to push again, I just wanted to cry. But, I waited until my doctor told me and another contraction started, and thank God she just came right out--basically all clean and everything! I'm just guessing that is because her water didn't break until I was delivering Callen, but it was crazy to see. It was a very weird couple of minutes just waiting for the second baby, I could come up with something fancy to say about it, but really all I could think about was how tired I was! haha 
There was some sort of minor complication with delivering their placentas--honestly, that was worse than delivering Haylee. I believe Haylee's placenta kind of ruptured or something after she was born, but my doctor was able to get both of their placentas out at the same time & there was no real complications. Although, that was not pleasant, it was definitely not as bad as it could have been!

After all was said & done, we all got wheeled back to the laboring room where I got to nurse them (together!) for the first time, and this was also when Ben took Haylee from me and fell asleep for over an hour while I talked with my doula. He sure must have exhausted himself. ;) haha 
We ended up with, in all seriousness, the largest and nicest room for postpartum. It had a separate little sitting area, with a second TV, it was just huge and very beautiful. Seriously nicer than some hotel rooms I have stayed in! The hospital was so great, all the staff was super kind and attentive, and we could not have asked for anything more. I even got a free massage the next day!

I did have some trouble getting Haylee to latch consistently, and I was up most of one night with my nurse trying to work with her to get her to eat because they were worried about her blood sugar and were testing it every two hours--just because she was so small. Thankfully, the next day the Lactation consultant came in and worked with us for almost an hour. I learned some different ways to hold her and some little things to get her to eat better. I was still having trouble with her on and off and I was pretty sore and unfortunately had some cracking and even bleeding, but we pushed through and my little miss is doing so much better now. Callen has eaten like a champ since day one--seriously he's a pro. Lol!

We were all released on Saturday, October 6th and we have had two pediatrician appointments since we've been home so, here's how things went. Callen was born weighing 5lb 15oz, when we left the hospital he was 5lbs 8.9oz, at his first appointment (5 days old) he was 5lbs 14.5oz, and yesterday he weighed in at 6lbs 2oz! Haylee was born weighing 5lb 1oz, when we left the hospital she was 4lbs 12.4oz, at her first appointment (5 days old) she was 5lbs 3oz, and yesterday she weighed in at 5lbs 6oz! They were slightly worried about jaundice for both of them, but they gave it some time (so we didn't have to go through the foot pricking and blood work) and yesterday the pediatrician was happy enough with their color and said not to worry. :) I did get a call back from the hospital pediatrician today, and on one of the broad spectrum tests they do, Callen came back as borderline. So, we just have to have that specific thing tested to see if it was just a false positive or if we need to look into it more. I truly am not freaking out about it, if he is positive for this disorder it is treatable, but for right now we can assume he is perfectly fine because false positives are common for the broad testing and he appears perfectly healthy. Prayers that it is just nothing are definitely appreciated though. :)

For those wondering how I am, I really am doing well. I was having a lot of cramping while nursing (expected), I was having a difficult time with the pain and stress of nursing (also expected), and I did get the PUPPPS rash on my stomach a couple days before I delivered, which ended up getting worse after delivery and spreading all over my body. BUT, I have lived on benadryl and hydro-cortisone cream and it is *almost* all cleared up now. Am I tired? Sure, but that is expected, and I am really not that bad. I'm home with my babies, so I tend to nap at least a little bit each day when Noah and the twins are napping. I really can't complain! :)

Honestly, I just feel very blessed. I had a natural, safe delivery of twins. They are both healthy and happy babies, and I got to come home with both of them just two days after having them. I don't think I could have asked for anything more. Thank you all so very much for all the prayers and love. It means so much to have my children so loved. <3 

P.S. Check out Sarah A Carlson Photography if you love the last two pictures as much as I do!

Past 38 weeks & a Game Plan

Well, I had my appointment this morning! Saturday was 38 weeks and full term for the twins. Unfortunately, I haven't really dilated any more, but my cervix is anterior now like my midwife noted on Wednesday. She did strip my membranes to try and get things going today. My nausea and things are signs of labor, but she said I'm definitely not in active labor now and is hoping this will start it. Worst case, I have an appointment on Thursday and tentative induction on Friday. She said I'm still stretchy and could be stretched to a 4, but my cervix is still not thinning or acting like I'm in labor now. So, hopefully I can get some real contractions started. It shouldn't take much to induce if we have to & hopefully this will do it. I have had some contractions since the appointment, but so far nothing strong or consistent.
 
My midwife was initially hoping that I was dilated more and said if I was that they would send me in and break my bag to get things going without meds. They do not expect me to go until Friday, but if I do, I think they're looking more at trying to just start things and see if labor will pick up on its own. I think if I just start contracting consistently, they will be willing to break my bag at any point this week. The only reason they will induce is if I want it, which is why we are not just jumping in today, because even though I am very uncomfortable I really want to let my body do this on its own. The only other concern is their placentas getting too mature. So, that could cause less than ideal oxygen flow for them during labor, but she said that waiting until the end of the week isn't concerning. 

So, for now, we are waiting (and hoping) that what she did today will kick start contractions and I can just go into labor on my own as planned. Otherwise, we will for sure have babies by Friday. Thank you for the prayers and please do keep praying! 

Just waiting!

Well, we had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday and I just had my last NST and ultrasound today! Basically, tomorrow is 38 weeks and everyone still looks healthy and in position. Callen had dropped even lower (my cervix is no longer posterior) by Wednesday, my midwife could tell just from the basic ultrasound, but I was not examined in hopes that I could hold out until today when my doctor gets back in town. Plus, I haven't been having contractions or anything, so there was no real need to check unless I wanted to be checked. After my experience with the fill-in doctor last Friday, I was more wanting to err on the side of caution and just try to stick it out for my doctor to get back.

That brings us to today! My NST went great, both babies are still moving and their hearts are nice and strong. I got quite a few comments about how great they were at the hospital last Friday too, haha. My ultrasound showed that Haylee is measuring just at 5lbs and Callen is measuring at 5lbs 9oz or so. Basically, their measurements are give or take a pound at this point. They are both head down still and everything looks nice and healthy for both of them. 

Honestly, I feel like having twins is a fine-tuned waiting game. Getting to 38 weeks was always a hoped for goal & we've done a lot to help ensure it, but now that we are there (well, tomorrow, but still) they want me to deliver right now! >.< Now, hopefully I will deliver sometime this weekend on my own, but if not, I have an appointment on Monday with my doctor and we will be talking induction. Whether that day, or later on in the week, I'm not sure. Basically, it is just not usually the best option to carry twins longer than 38 weeks so we have to make a plan. 

I am so very ready to be done now. I have been very uncomfortable, I have pain and pressure from Callen's head being so low, and I've been dealing with a whole lot of nausea for the last week. Seeing the babies looking so good and knowing they've had more time to get their lungs developed and gain some more weight is definitely worth it all. But, please pray that I go into labor before Monday! I was induced with Noah, and I did it with no pain meds, but I really do not want to re-live that experience while delivering two babies! The birth plan is great--I will have my OB, a midwife, and a doula, plus Ben. Everyone is on the same page and ready for a natural, epidural free delivery...just as soon as labor starts! I really feel like this waiting for labor to kick in again is more stressful than the actual labor, because I know what to expect the labor to be like and I know the end result can't be too far away! lol But honestly, just pray we get this ball rolling, I really can't wait to hold my babies! <3

Long day with a False Alarm

As most of you know, I spent the day in the hospital yesterday thinking (and hoping) I was in labor. Well, I was technically "in labor" but just a very early phase that ended up just stopping by the evening. Since Wednesday I have been having contractions, they would never come too consistently though. Wednesday night I was up until midnight having almost regular contractions, but they died down and I replayed that whole scenario on Thursday. Then, yesterday morning, I woke up at 4am having much harder and consistent contractions at about 5 minutes apart. After an hour of that we called my doctor and they told us to go ahead and come in. 

On the way to the hospital, the contractions slowed, but they still were stronger than the previous two days so they got me all checked in and checked out. I had dilated to a little over 2cm and my cervix was still posterior (very thick) but was soft. Plus, Callen's head was right there and could be touched. So, they monitored me, got an ultrasound (finding out that Haylee has actually flipped back head down--go chiropractic! and PTL!) and then let me start walking around to keep labor going. I started having better contractions again, and then I stopped. Then I walked more and started to have some again, and then it would dwindle. Bascially, we had decided that if I hadn't made any progress by about 11:30am when I got checked then we would go home. I had made it to 3cm and my cervix was still posterior, but stretchy so we figured we would keep at it and active labor would kick in. Fast forward, with a lot of walking and monitoring, to 4pm and I was checked again with no changes. I had been contracting still, but they just never got intense enough to get the ball rolling. 

So, we decided to go home. My midwife was willing to let us try a couple different things to get labor going, but the doctor that is filling in for my doctor (because he is out of town now) wanted to err on the side of caution and only let me go if my body was doing it all on its own because of the babies. We could have stayed, but I am glad we didn't. Although it is very discouraging, thinking we were going to be holding our babies by last night and having such a long and uncomfortable day, we would much rather know that they are ready to come out and be healthy. So, God knows best and we'll trust Him to get labor going when it is time.

As for me, I am very sore all over, and my stomach is very achy and uncomfortable. I think the contracting all day yesterday just got my muscles and body very worn out. However, I have not been having contractions hardly at all anymore since we left the hospital, so I am happy to be home at least. 

All that to say, today makes it 37 weeks that I have been carrying our Haylee & Callen. Although unexpected, we have made it to our original goal! It really is safe for them to come now, and their lungs should really be okay. Every day that I carry them longer just adds a little more safety and a little more weight to each baby, so, I really cannot complain. 

I have updated my belly pictures here and, a new one of my belly now compared to my belly with Noah at 37 weeks here. They really are neat to see. 

Thank you, everyone for your prayers and encouragement--especially yesterday. Any time now they will make their entrance! Please keep praying for me (emotionally and physically, it is just very draining) and keep praying that Haylee stays head down and cooperates. I promise to keep everyone updated when the time comes! :)


Here are some "do it yourself" maternity pics we snapped on Thursday (36 weeks, 5 days along) just so we have some nicer ones before they make their entrance!

 

36 weeks & a stubborn little girl! :)

Yesterday I had another doctor's appointment and I am past the 36 week mark, PTL! It is now really safe for the babies to come. There still may be some chance of lung development not being all the way there, but there is also a good chance that their lungs are fine, and no matter what the NICU can easily handle that issue. This appointment went well, just as all others have. My BP is fine, I've stayed at the same weight (a whole 25lbs for this pregnancy) and the babies look good. Little Miss Haylee really does want to be our difficult one, however, because she flipped once again and was breach.

We discussed everything with my doctor and we are going to go forward with a natural delivery (of course, still in the surgical room, just in case) and he will attempt to flip Haylee if need be. There are risks that come along with this, I can have excessive bleeding, cord prolapse, or detach a placenta. None would be pleasant, but the risk of these things is much lower with a twin delivery than if it were done on a singleton birth, simply because Callen will be out of the womb and there will be a lot more extra room to maneuver. My doctor is actually kind of known for his success rate with this scenario--as told to me by the MFM doctor that I see for my ultrasounds at the hospital. Plus, both babies are small, so that helps. I did however, get to go see my chiropractor and we tried a couple things to hopefully get her to flip back down. She very well could have already, she has moved a LOT since my adjustment, so prayers that she simply has decided to cooperate are obviously appreciated. :) 

I have said all along that I would like to make it past 37 weeks, which would be this Saturday. However, I learned this week that my doctor will be out of town all of next week, which really makes me want to have these little ones before he leaves! No matter what, I still will have a midwife from the office there and my doctor obviously has someone more than qualified to fill in for him, but I'm sure you can understand why I would not want to deliver without him! Especially since we are most likely looking at needing to do the flip for Haylee. He will be back right after I hit the 38 week mark, but if I haven't gone by then, we may be talking induction simply because it is getting really hard on my body. So, I don't want to go THAT long, and I don't want to go while my doctor is gone. That basically leaves me hoping and praying that I go into labor myself this week!

Also, my ear is not really infected anymore, but it is still clogged and holding fluid because of my sinuses. I did a sinus wash this morning, which honestly felt great (I can breathe again! lol) but my ear is still not popping back to normal yet. Clearly, this is not a serious issue, but I'd prefer to be feeling back to "normal" when I go into labor! haha

So, if I could ask everyone to pray specifically:

1) That Haylee will (or has already) flipped back to being head down

2) If she won't flip, that my delivery will be able to go naturally for both & she can be easily & safely turned

3) That I have these babies by Saturday so I can have my doctor there & that they are healthy! :)

Obviously, God has had their birthdays picked out since He formed them in my womb, I keep resting in the fact that He has been in control and so gracious this entire pregnancy. I could not be more thankful. I also truly appreciate all of the love, support, and prayers from everyone around us. We will be welcoming our sweet Callen & Haylee so soon! And we are actually all ready too! Well, as ready as we'll ever be! haha :)

FYI: I finally updated the  Pregnant Belly Pictures  :)

And, here are some pictures of their room (Yes, they are sharing with Noah, but they'll be in our room for awhile. haha) which we just finished last night! 

Each of their beds!

The nursery is all ready & organized! (Big deal too, because I didn't even have it ready when Noah came home! lol!)

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! :)