Tuesday, March 24, 2009

OUR BABIES ARE HERE

Most of you already know that our little girls have arrived.
March 19th I went to my regular fetal assessment stress
monitoring, and during the monitoring, Baby B (Ruby) kept
having heart rate decelerations down to 50 and staying there
for about a minute at a time and then going up really high
to 200 trying to recover. This was the first time in the three
plus weeks I had been in the hospital that either of our
little girls had any decelerations during monitoring.
Lucky for all of us, my specialist happen to be on call that
day and happen to walk into the room when Ruby was
having her first deceleration. He requested I stay on the
monitors longer and when we called him to tell him they
were continuing to happen, he advised to have me brought
over to labour and delivery. Kathy (who was the lady who
did all my monitoring in the morning) was trying REALLY
hard to keep herself calm, and to keep me calm at the same
time.

Over to labour and delivery I went. Got hooked back up to
the monitors.





































































RUBY


















FOOT OF RUBY



















CHARLOTTE










RUBY

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Hospital/baby updates

Having a hard time posting from my iPhone.
Hopefully this will work.
It's been a long three weeks but I really
have not been super bored. I have read
A LOT of books and try to keep myself busy
with shows and movies.
Visitors certainly help pass the time much faster.

The babies are doing well. Their cords are
twisted like two garden hoses but without knots
which is promising.
At my ultrasound yesterday I was told that Ruby
is not growing right now. However, it is safer
for Charlotte to stay in for the next two weeks
so the date is still March 30th at 8am.
Yesterday was a rough day as
I tried to figure out if we were picking one over the
other but it is more that Charlotte is thebigger one
so the specialist wants to give her the best chance
seeing how Ruby is going to have to fight as she
is only going to be a little over two pounds and
her sister is almost 4 already. I am nervous and
extra worried but they will be fighters.
I had a blessing from Dad today so I am calm
right now.
Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts.
Two more weeks until we meet our very little
angels.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

A COUPLE SHOTS (26 weeks)






My mother took the maternity photos for me...
They turned out really nice, but not all of them are
appropriate for me to post on my blog.
They were more for my own personal viewing and
for remembrance.

The First one with the painting is a painting
my mother did of my father and I when I was
a little baby. Representing eternal families with
the temple in the background. I love this photo!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Our MOMO Baby Update

We had another ultrasound today and fetal
assessment. All went well today, and I will tell
you I had little tears on my cheeks when I was able
to see both beautiful little heart beats going strongly.
I know that things are out of our hands, but it sure
does not take away the fear and worry that something
might just happen to one of our little girls.
They are growing quite well. One is 2pounds 4 ounces
the other is only 1 pound 12 ounces so it will be something
the Specialist will keep an eye on to make sure one of
them is not getting too much bigger, thus meaning they
are taking most of the nutrients.
I am not going to be inpatient just yet. We have two
more weeks of every other day fetal assessment and
stress tests and then at 28 weeks it looks as though I
will spend the last four weeks inpatient. We are a bit
nervous about this, as in waiting that long, but in Canada
the more I read about other women with these MOMO
babies, they were inpatient at 28 weeks unless something
came up as an immediate risk. In the US they take them
inpatient at 24 weeks but who knows the reason behind
it.
We had a great tour of the NICU today as well. Something
they advise as we know our little girls will be spending a
better part of two months in there. The staff was as great
as we thought they would be in talking to us and answering
any and all questions no matter how silly they might
have sounded. It was great to have the tour, and we even
were able to see little ones which would be about the size
of our babies. Adam had never seen a premature baby
before in real life so it was really helpful for him to see.
There was a little boy who was born just a week ago at
26 weeks who was 2 pounds. He was just as precious as
anything I've seen. Totally alert and in a way it was a
nice confirmation of what our babies are approximately
for size right now.

SO.. the stress and worry continues, but for now they are
doing well. One is totally still down right on my cervix
which in a way protects her head from the other cord
(she has been in that position the whole time) and the
other just likes to move around everywhere.

Everyone keeps asking if we have names picked ..
We have not totally settled on them but right now
we are going with Charlotte Elizabeth and
Ruby Jane. I do realize three of the four names are
from Pride and Prejudice (my favourite) but it really
was not intentional.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying and
thinking of us. We will keep you posted as to how
things progress.

Tomorrow I get some maternity photos taken...
Should be fun.

LUCKY 5

Are you one of the Lucky 5?
Lucky you!

The first five people to respond to this post will get
something made by me! My choice. For you. This
offer does have some restrictions and limitations:


1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
(Though I hope you will!)


2. What I create will be just for you.

3. It'll be done this year {might be a little while}

4. You get no clue what it's going to be. It may be a
story. It may be poetry or maybe even some creation
I haven't even invented yet. I may draw or paint
something. I may bake you something and mail it to
you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!


5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this
on your blog and offer to do the same to the first 5 people
who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so
and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS
homemade gift by me!


PS Please leave your address incase your surprise
finds you via snail mail:)

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

First Time Tag

Believe it not, I have never been tagged in a blog..
I was on a roll...
However, I will do this one seeing how it is the
first time...


8 FAVORITE SHOWS

1. The Amazing Race
2. So You Think You Can Dance
3. Criminal Minds
4. Lost
5. 24
6. NCIS
7. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
8. Jeopardy

8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY
1. Went to my ultrasound
2. Picked out the nursery paint colour
3. Visited my in laws had lunch with them
4. Grocery shopping
5. Showered *yeah I know its a highlight!*
6. Talked to my sisters and parents
7. Played fetch in the hallway with my cat
8. Kissed my husband goodbye until Friday

8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO
1. Adam coming home Friday
2. Prenatal Aqua-cise
3. The Twins getting here
4. A trip to Utah with the twins in August
5. SPRING - this winter sucks
6. Golfing in the summer with my husband
7. A good nights sleep - which does not happen often lately
8. The first time the babies will say Momma

8 FAVORITE RESTAURANTS
Not sure if I can get 8 but I will try - in no order
1. Irving Big Stop
2. Wendy's
3. The Ale House
4. Suwannas (my favourite)
5. Olive Garden (love that salad)
6. The Thai Hut
7. Earls - though we don't have one here
8. yeah totally ran out

8 THINGS ON MY WISH LIST
1. To travel with my husband
2. To own a bigger house someday
3. A new hybrid vehicle
4. To have the twins be delivered healthy
5. To be debt free
6. To be given a really great makeup and style lesson
7. To have my sisters live closer to us
8. To love more easily


OK I did it..
I am suppose to tag people now too huh?
OK I tag
Deborah (and her cute new little Abby)
April
BKay
Kellie L
Liss
Chantelle
Bess
Aubrey G

Don't let me down ladies :)

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Introducing Baby Girl A

Adam and I had a little bit of a small scare on Thursday 
night, but before I mention anything, everything is just
fine and the babies are doing very well.

Just before going to bed on Thursday I noticed a bit of
bright red bleeding.  I wasn't totally alarmed because I
know it happens, but I also know that the bright red is
the bad kind to have.  So, I called my sisters to see if they
had anything like it and Bess was the only one home and
she advised to go in just to be safe.  I called the Telecare
line they have in Canada which is a registered Nurse who
takes your info and symptoms and history and helps you
determine your best course of action.  She did not think 
it was anything to worry about, but also advised us to go
into the hospital just to make sure, especially where I am
carrying twins.

So, at 1030 at night, Adam and I drove the long minute or
two up the road to the hospital.  They do not mess around
when you come in pregnant past 20 weeks.  We were up
to the labor and delivery right away.  Actually, they left 
Adam to register me while they wheeled me away in a 
wheelchair.  They immediately set me up with those
fetal assessment things, though they had a really hard time
getting much from them because they were SO active.

Lucky for me the Labor and Delivery Doctor on call at the
hospital is one of the multiples specialists.  So after a bit of
laying there with the monitors on, having played Eye Spy,
and a mean game of 20 questions, we were off to see him.
We ended up getting a full ultrasound that night.  He really
was just to check the heartbeats and cervix but since we 
were already there he asked if he could do the 
measurements as well.  We certainly did not mind.
The babies were SO active that they actually completely
traded places by the time he finished the ultrasound.  It 
was to watch on the TV.. He confirmed 98% that one of 
them is a girl, but the other kept opening and closing their
legs, and they were faced away from us towards my back.
So far one of them is breech but obviously since they have
been moving so much he is not concerned about that at
this point.
To our surprise he was trying to find the membrane 
which would separate the two but after an extensive 
search he was unable to find one.  It does not mean that
there is not one there, but both ultrasounds they had a
really hard time and this time nothing, so there is a very
high possibility they will be identical twins if they can't
somehow find the membrane.  Also, it means higher risk
for the girls as they progress and closer monitoring for 
me.

I am glad we went in, even if I felt like I was being the
super paranoid first time mom.  They gave us many 
reasons for the bleeding but their most likely solution,
as it stopped, was a broken blood vessel.  It makes sense
as I had a bit of a coughing spell just before going to bed.

The Doctor was not able to get a great shot of Baby B, 
but he did give us a nice profile shot of Baby A..

So... With no further delay..
Introducing Baby Girl A


















She is the slightly bigger of the two at 1 pound 2 ounces
over her sister at 1 pound 1 ounce!
It is still early as we are 23 weeks today, but it was a 
nice peace of mind that they are growing healthy and
in the 33% for a uno as they call it.  So yes they are 
somewhat small if there was just one, but normal for
the fact there are two.

We are getting more and more excited as they days
and weeks pass by.  Though we really don't have 
anything ready, not even the room painted yet, we 
are very much looking forward to them getting here,
but are in no hurry as we want them to stay in there
as long as possible.



Tuesday, January 20, 2009

I Just Keep Growing

I really feel like there should be something else I can find 
interesting enough in my life to post about, but to be honest
since I am still not feeling 100% and I am not back to work,
nor will I be before I go out on Maternity Leave (thank 
goodness for a really GREAT sick leave program at my 
office) I have little to report about life except my ever
growing belly and baby prep.

So.. Here I am at 22 Weeks..
I know I have a long way to go yet and I feel quite big, 
but I suppose there are two "Somethings" in there.
We still have not had the next ultrasound which should be
in the next couple of weeks to determine if she was right
in saying they were two girls.  We hope to be able to let 
everyone know VERY soon.  

We are thinking of getting the 3D-4D ultrasound done.
I would not normally but we think it will be super fun
where there are twins.  Have any of you had this done 
and been disappointed???













































So seeing how we have not yet found out the sexes of 
the babies we have not really done a lot in the way of
preparing except for trying to get the house more 
organized and empty out the room which is now the 
guest room which will become the Jazzy/Playroom and
move her from the room she is in (the larger one) and
put the nursery in there. 
We have also been trying to teach Jazzy more about
sharing toys and time and such.  It should be interesting
with TWO babies, but she seems excited for them and
she seems to understand what is going on.
She and I were playing the other day and our 
conversation went like this..

Jenny:  Jazzy do you think my belly is getting really big?

Jazzy:  No Jenny its not!

Jenny: Really?

Jazzy:  Because it is enormous!!

I laughed at that one for a while.  She is such a funny
kid and extremely smart.  Too smart for her own 
good sometimes.

She had her hand on my belly when we were telling
her about how the babies are moving around and
stretching and kicking and one of them kick right 
where her hand was.  The look on her face was 
priceless.



Monday, January 05, 2009

What a difference a couple weeks make!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
I know I am a little bit late in saying that, but better
late than never.

I was reflecting on my year of 2008 and it was such a
crazy busy, wonderful year.  My life has been blessed
in 2008 with so many wonderful things.

Highlights... (brief highlights!)
Got engaged..
Got married..
Took Honeymoon to Hawaii
Got pregnant with TWINS

Not sure how 2009 will top this year, but with the 
TWINS coming I am sure it will be right up there 
maybe even pass.

I have been feeling like I have been growing by the
minute and my belly tells the tale.  My sister and I 
were out to dinner on Saturday and our server was
pregnant but due a month and half before me and 
she barely had any belly.  Me, on the other hand, 
can not believe how much my belly has been getting
bigger. 
I am 20 weeks right now... compared to my post two
weeks ago.. Crazy how much bigger I am!!
























Sunday, December 28, 2008

Christmas Gift for DAD

My father is a wonderful man, and always had done so 
much for us kids.. Especially me this past couple of years..
He has been wanting a new TV so badly!  A flat screen 42
inch LCD TV.. 
SO my husband and I decided to do something my family
never had done for Christmas... Get a big GIFT!  We worked
hard at making sure it was a surprise... Mom worked hard
at telling him to wait for the TV and finding out what he 
wanted, and I rounded up my siblings to make everyone
involved.

It was the perfect surprise (of course a close second after
tell them we are having TWINS the day before!) and we 
caught it on video!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO3_xwsnpp8

Friday, December 26, 2008

CHRISTMAS SURPRISE......TWINS

Some of you may already know the surprise, since word travels
fast, but I figured it was also very blog worthy our news.
Monday, the 22nd of December, Adam and I went in for our 
first ultrasound at 18 weeks.  We were both super excited as
most parents would be....

Comfortable on the table with the fun blue gel on my belly,
the ultrasound lady started doing her thing.. Nonchalantly she
said, "Well, there is two in here"!  Both of us I think close to the
exact same time said "WHAT?"  She continued to show us that 
there are indeed two little babies in my ever growing belly.
We are quite certain she assumed we knew we were having twins
as she was just so matter of fact about it..  What a shock that was.
I immediately went into a bit of a worry seeing how sick I have 
been, that feeding one baby would have been hard let alone two.
However, she calmed my fears and told us everything looked 
great, and they were both the same size and weight.. Each at 
8 ounces right now.  

So the question most people have, is what are they???
Well we don't really know 100%, and that is the truth.
She took a good look between the legs and did not see anything
on either one of them, but they are quite small still and she said
the next ultrasound in January we would be able to tell for certain.
The other question in mind is if they will be identical twins or not.
Well they are in separate membranes, but there is only one
placenta, so the chance of having identical twins is quite high still.
We will find out more with our next ultrasound.  With twins I will
be going for an ultrasound at least once a month for the next little
while, until they see how things are progressing.

It really was a shock for both of us, but we are very excited in many
ways.  We walked around that say and for that matter, still just 
looking at each other and saying TWINS!!

On another very happy note....
I am feeling SO much better.  I think I am over the worst, and it 
would make more sense seeing how I have been carrying two that
I have been that much more sick!  
It was entirely exciting to be able to eat Christmas dinner, 
and keep it all down.
It was all I wanted for Christmas, and I got so much more.
Mine is a life truly blessed.





Thursday, December 11, 2008

Forever

I know it has been a long time since I have posted, and I would say
I have not had time, but that certainly is not the case, it is more
that I do not do anything at all... It is rare I leave the house, and
when I do it is not anything too exciting..

I have been put off work since the end of Novenber and unless
I start feeling better it will be until the end of my pregnancy.
Thankfully I have a great sick program at work for short term
sick leave, so I am not left high and dry and am still bringing
home money.

It has not been easy being home every day doing nothing.
I sit and watch TV, watch movies, read, knit.. The less I move
the better I feel, which is hard. I feel like my muscles are
going into atrophy, just going up the stairs makes me winded..
Not a lot of fun.

I should not be complaining all the time, and I wish I could
say I am one of those women who LOVE being pregnant but
that is not the case. I have another appointment on the 19th
and we shall see just how much more weight I have lost,
hopefully I will have stopped going down too much more,
though from how I look and feel I can say I have lost more
weight, which sucks.. I am keeping "some" food down, but
not a lot of variety.

My 31st Birthday came and went without a lot of fan fare..
We did manage to get out on the night before. I had purchased
tickets for James Blunt months ago before I ever started getting
sick and was determined to go to the concert. My body was
kind to me and I made it through the concert and did not throw
up until I got out into the parking lot. The concert was so
Entertaining.. He sings with so much honest passion and I
loved it.

My husband has been wonderful and takes amazing care of me.
He does EVERYTHING around the house, including the grocery
shopping, dishes, laudry.. cleaning.. He does it all.. It is wonderful.

So nothing all too exciting to report..
I am home all day long...
Looking forward to enjoying the Holidays the best I can.

Friday, November 14, 2008

THREE MONTHS

I KNOW it has been forever since I last posted.

Here is what I have learned in my first three months
of pregnancy...

- You can be totally excited one moment and the next
wish you could curl up and sleep away the next 6 months.

- You can eat as much of something you have loved your
entire life and in a matter of 3 minutes later wish you had
never even known what the food was.

-You can loose close to 15 pounds and still have baby be
healthy...

-Walking into the kitchen can be very dangerous

-My cat loves me and stays close by when I am extra sick

-Watching my belly start to look pregnant is very exciting

-How wonderful my husband really is

-Some days showering is my highlight!

-No amount of distractions will stop your body from 
throwing up when it wants to!

-That having ONE really good 24 hours was completely
cruel to my mind..

-I can still live and throw up 15-20 times a day for weeks
(though some days I did not want to)

-It is possible to drive and throw up (just not easily)

-How quickly you can love something which makes you
so sick and acts as a Parasite (as my pregnant friend Angie
keeps saying)

-No matter how sick I am I love when my husband kisses 
my belly!!

-How amazing an IV feels when you are dehydrated

-A cracked rib is perhaps one of the most annoying and 
painful injuries I have ever had!!

-A night I don't have to get up to go pee is a little treasure!

-Just how crazy my sisters were to do this 7 times while 
being this sick

Here is to hoping that the next three months are a bit more
pleasant and my list can divert away from "sick" to happy and
excited and LOVING being pregnant.  I am excited to be
pregnant, but I certainly am not loving being pregnant.
I think that was one of the break downs I had... I've wanted
to be pregnant for so long and now that I finally am... well 
I think many of you understand.


Sunday, November 02, 2008

Jazzy Turns TWO

I know I am really behind at posting, but I am lucky some days
to get out of bed, let alone take the time to post my daily
happenings, which are not too interesting these days unless
you find talking about sleeping and throwing up interesting.

So Jazzy has turned 2..  It is hard to believe she is only 2 with
all she says and does.  We just had a small get together with a
couple of her friends and some family.  

We also told Jazzy that I was pregnant.  She seemed to 
understand and said the baby was playing hide and seek.
We are going to try to prepare her for a baby as she is very
much the centre of everyones attention and I actually am a 
bit nervous for the transition.

Here are a few photos from her birthday...
She LOVES dragons, and absolutely loved her little people
castle...

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Baby Update

So for any and all of you wondering how the little baby is 
doing.. According to the doctor today, much better than mom
is.  I am on a higher dose of diclectin, which might help me
throw up less, and sleep more.  I have not been sleeping well
and it is taking its toll on me.  I've lost 8 pounds since I got
pregnant, which I suppose is to be easily understood when 
most of what I am eating does not stay where it should.

However, she did tell me today that there is only one little
baby in there, so any hopes for twins is gone.
I won't have my ultrasound until 18 weeks, so we should 
know hopefully by Christmas what we are having.

She also put me on a regular schedule at work.  Right now I 
work rotation which has me all over the map for times.
Some weeks I work 8 am, some weeks 2 PM, other weeks like
next week, 6 pm.. So bascially every week is different.  So right
now, I am not to work past 5 pm in hopes that a regular 
schedule will help me sleep more and get me feeling better.

I'm still crossing my fingers it is only for the first trimester,
in which case I am 10 weeks and do not have a lot of this left.

HERE IS TO HOPING!

OLD ROOMIES

So while I was down in Utah with my sisters I was really
lucky to be able to see three of my old roommates from
the wonderful, fun days of Ricks College.  It was so great to
see them all and get caught up.  I stayed out way to late for
my not feeling so great body, but it was well worth every
minute.

So I finally got around to scanning a couple of old photos
of the ladies and I.  I recall thinking about how little they 
all have changed, and realized aside from adding a husband
and some children, really we have not changed all that much.

I have so many fond memories with these girls.  I could have
posted 50 pictures which just make me smile and laugh.  
I think about how much I thought I knew myself back in those
days, and really how wrong I was, and how much these ladies
helped me learn more about who I was.. I am so grateful I 
can still call them a part of my life..
So Thank you ladies...

Before (and I have to warn my after photos are not the best)

JoJo, Christy, BKay,
April (in Front), JaNece
Well and then Moi!





















Friday, October 10, 2008

Utah

So for all of you who might not already know, I am
down in Utah visiting my family. It has been an
interesting trip thus far seeing how I've been very
sick with this pregnancy. However, the pills are helping
quite a lot and as long as I get enough sleep (and by
enough sleep I mean like 12 hours a day) then I can
function.
I'm down in Springville now, so if anyone is around
drop me an email.. I no longer have my US cell phone
so just send me your number or email and we will
be in touch...

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

IT HAS STARTED

I was being very hopeful that I would somehow inherit my
mothers type of pregnancy... IE really enjoyable with no
sickness or nausea.   Total disappointment...

It has happened this week..
I have been nauseous for the past 4 or so days just about 
the entire day except for the mornings I feel great.

Yesterday I threw up twice which was actually a welcomed
experience, even if one of them was in the grocery store.
Today though, it is just the nausea ALL DAY long.  I have 
decided I would rather throw up a few times a day and not
have the constant nausea all day long.

Hopefully it will pass as time goes on.

My husband is wonderful and very willing to do anything
he can to help me feel better, or provide me with relief 
from typical duties.  I am so lucky to have such a wonderful
man in my life.

How long did your nausea last????

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Changes

Its been very exciting thinking about being pregnant and 
thinking about creating a new little life together.  Though
the little baby is about the size of a bb pellet, my mid 
section says otherwise.  I've been talking to mothers at
work and anywhere I can because it just does not make
sense how much my normally mostly flat stomach already
seems to have become "visible to me" (like I have put on 
weight to anyone else).  I have not gained any weight..
Though I've already had to go out and get a new bra and
I have two pair of pants I can still wear because they sit 
really low.  So mothers out there.. Did you start showing
early (like hello I am only halfway through my 6th week)?

So far though I have been admiring the changes my body
is going through.  I never though it possible for a chest 
to be as sore without having been sick there repeatedly..
The fatigue is getting better, but the partial insomnia is 
not.  I get tired get to sleep, wake up about 4 am of course
to have to go to the washroom, and then that its.. I can't
get back to sleep.. I toss and turn for the next two hours 
until I'm so exhausted I get back to crappy sleep for 
maybe another hour or so..  Any suggestions??

All in all, it is exciting.. We know we are still really early
which is why my husband takes great care of me making
sure I eat really healthy and take all my vitamins.  

For those of you who don't believe my belly could already
be there ... Here is some proof..