She's Here!!

Tzipora Sara was born at 5:13am on 12/30/10. She weighs 6lbs 7oz and is 20 inches long.

After having the "real fake" contractions all day on the 29th, I was getting annoyed and discouraged that it was going to go on forever. So, I convinced my hubby that he needed to help me get things started (and I'll leave the rest to your imagination there.) I passed my mucus plug/bloody show around 11pm after the hubby and I, well you know. Then I was up for a bit being semi-excited that I had even passed the mucus plug. I finally laid down for bed a little before 1am and was having slightly more regular and painful contractions when I was laying down. Then, around 1:15am, my water broke. It was just like everyone had said. I felt/heard a "pop", knew exactly what it was and jumped up for the bathroom. lol I woke up the hubby by accident because I banged the bedroom door on my way to the toilet. I had a bit of fluid leakage, so it just confirmed that it was my water, and then I went to wake up Shmuel and tell him to get ready. We still had a few things we needed to finish packing, so that took us time. As for labor, well, good L-rd ladies...that was it. Having my water break caused contractions to come fast and furious!!! Every 2-3 minutes and they hurt like nobody's business. Because I was contracting so much and we were still packing the last few things into the bag (and the car), we didn't actually get to the hospital until around 2:15am. Then it took time for us to get up to triage and get everything hooked up, so my midwife didn't come in to check me until nearly 3am. And yes, I had my favorite midwife!!!!!!!!! I was 4cm dilated and fully effaced, but she said that the ferocity of my contractions probably meant it wouldn't be a long haul...and boy was she right. I got into my room probably around 3:15 or so and *really* wanted to try getting into the tub. I was willing to do nearly anything to get the pain to lessen up. Unfortunately the tub did nothing... So we got out and I tried a few other positions...nope, still writhing in pain. My doula got out her TENS machine, which definitely helped, but there was nothing touching these bad boy contractions. Everything was made worse by the fact that each time the baby moved was excruciatingly painful and would then cause another contraction. I didn't have almost any rest between them, and it was quite overwhelming. I was in so much pain that Shmuel even got a bit queasy and had to excuse himself. (He's so sensitive and just couldn't watch me in that kind of pain.) By 4:30 I was begging for mercy and any kind of pain relief they would give me (except I didn't want a narcotic). My doula suggested a sterile water injection in my back, and I was like "sure...whatever you want...just make them HURRY". While I waited, she suggested I try going to the bathroom, as a full bladder can make contractions worse. I didn't really feel like I had to go, but I went anyway. Once I got on the toilet, I relaxed and my body naturally wanted to bear down. Gee...all of a sudden the contraction didn't seem as bad and it felt really good to push. Uh oh...but I was only an hour and a half from being 4cm...I couldn't imagine that I was actually complete and ready to go. I told the doula to call for the midwife to check me before I started accidentally pushing on a semi-closed cervix. But honestly, the urge was so intense that not pushing through a contraction was a zillion times worse. The midwife was actually in the middle of delivering another baby, but soon came into the room. I had already pushed a little bit through a few contractions while she was gone, hoping I wasn't screwing things up. She checked me and (you guessed it)...fully dilated with the baby halfway down the birth canal. Woo!!! I pushed for just about a half an hour (including the few pushes I took before the midwife got there) and POOF! There was my little girl at 5:13 am...only 4 hours after my water broke! Compared to the incredibly painful contractions prior to pushing, I would say that pushing was the easy part. I only had two very, very minor tears (one superficial tear on the labia and one that the midwife called a "dimple" on my vagina). I think she gave me a grand total of 3 stitches and then was all set. So there you have it! My baby made it in time for the tax deduction AND I got to deliver with my favorite midwife (who called me a birthing goddess). Soooo perfect. :-) Enjoy these pics!!

Did I Tell You....

That I got a A in both of my courses this semester?? I knew I had an A in Anatomy & Physiology, and I was pretty sure I had one in Human Growth & Development, but I was still nervous that my professor might do something weird and give me less than that. Nope! My 4.0 average is intact!! :-)

As for the baby, I got all excited last night when I started to have "real" contractions. You know, the ones that hurt your back and front and all the way around... As soon as I laid down to go to sleep they started and came probably 5-7 mins apart until I fell asleep. I woke up again a bit before 4am with the same thing - contractions about 5-7 mins apart. I fell back to sleep around 5am and then woke up before my alarm around 7:15. I got up, had a few contractions...and then they stopped. Bah humbug! I did notice that I might have passed a weensy bit of mucus plug and that I had a small amount of pink/red on the toilet paper (kind of like when your period is thinking about coming), but that stopped too. All day I've had these same kinds of contractions but with no pattern. I can tell that the baby has dropped WAAAAAY down...I mean she is so far down I swear she's coming out my toes. But having one real contraction per hour just doesn't cut it, you know? lol The midwife I usually see is actually in labor & delivery tonight (woo hoo), so I'm going to call around 7:30pm and see if she wants me to come in and maybe do a membrane sweep or something to kick my body into gear. I just don't want to be doing days upon days of having completely irregular "real" contractions...that would be a bummer. I'll keep you guys updated if anything happens!

Have You Noticed?

I'm in single digits!!! There are less than 10 days until my due date. How unreal... Now what would be great is if the baby would come out to celebrate. These Braxton-Hicks contractions are driving me nuts. Not because they're painful (which they're not), but because it feels like a tease. It's like my body saying "haha...another FAKE contraction for you!" So rude! Either do it right or not at all, thanks...

No, No Baby Yet...

Sorry to say there's nothing going on baby-wise. Just a blizzard outside...that's the most exciting thing happening here. :-)

In other news (and this is TMI), I have the worst case of hemorrhoids in the entire history of the ailment. It's so bad that I'm seriously considering a tush transplant. I'm nervous that going through delivery is going to make it a gajillion times worse. *sigh* Anyone with ideas on how to make it go away is welcome to leave them in a comment.

Midwife Appointment

I got to see my favorite midwife tonight. She tried to strip my membranes, but apparently I'm dilated to 1cm on the "outside" part of the cervix but completely closed on the inside...so she couldn't get in there to actually separate the membrane from the inner part of the cervix. Well, she did the best she could, and I guess we'll see if it turns into anything. So far I'm still just having Braxton Hicks contractions, which are impossible to time because you can't *really* tell when they begin or end. I guess I'll know when they're real contractions because I'll actually know when they start and finish. Anyways, I'm also 50% effaced and the baby is at a -1 or -2 station, so at least we're making some progress! The baby has moved farther down, so that's good. Now if only we could get things moving along...

My mother-in-law is coming in tonight! She was cleared by her doctor to travel, so I'm delighted that she'll be here soon!! Now we just need to convince the baby that she really wants to meet Grandma... ;-)

I do have a belly pic from tonight, I just haven't uploaded it yet. When I do, I'll post it on the sidebar.

What a Week!!

First of all, we still haven't figured out why Dovid is throwing up overnight almost every other night. He hasn't in a few, and we think we know which foods give him reflux, but it's anyone's guess. (And we still don't know 100% if it is reflux...we're just guessing at that.) Thankfully he has an appointment on Monday with the gastroenterologist who will hopefully figure this out.

Secondly, I had a very eventful Wednesday night/Thursday. Not pregnancy related at all, either. Coming back from grocery shopping on Wednesday night, I was driving on the highway when all of a sudden my check engine light went on and my car wouldn't accelerate. Yikes!! I was going 65mph...no wait 55mph...hang on, only doing 45...CRUD! Luckily I was right at an exit, so I got on the exit ramp. The only problem was my car was quickly decelerating (and of course I was hitting the brake because the exit ramp was curvy), and the poor guy behind me was probably annoyed as all heck that I was creeping down this ramp. Anyway, I FINALLY got to a place on the ramp where there was a lot of space and I could pull over. I tried turning off the car and turning it back on, but that did nothing. I was nervous about leaving the motor on, since I had no clue what was wrong, so there I was in the freezing cold unable to go anywhere. I called AAA, who put me on their "most important" list, but I still had to wait almost 45 minutes for a tow truck. Luckily, my coat is very warm so I really wasn't all that cold (except for my nose, which was freezing). They towed me home and that was it for the night.

The next morning my first mistake was calling AAA instead of Kia. I wanted AAA to tow me to the nearest service station and wasn't really thinking about the fact that maybe Kia wouldn't cover repairs anywhere but their own dealers. I waited a while for the AAA guy to come, and then of course when I got to the service station they suggested I call my insurance company to see if they would pay for a rental car (which they wouldn't since I wasn't in an accident) and also to call Kia to see if they would even pay for repairs at this station. I called Kia and they said "nope...gotta go to the nearest Kia dealer" and had me call their own free towing service to get me there. They also said that if I had bought the extended warranty when I bought the car that a rental would be covered. I had no clue whether or not I had the warranty, so I decided to walk home while waiting for the tow truck to come. I walked home...found that we did not buy the extended warranty...and walked back (that's 0.7 mi one way). Meanwhile, the tow truck is a no show. They said it would take an hour from when I called, and it took me just about that long to walk home, look for the warranty, reserve a rental car near the Kia dealer and walk back. Kia actually called to check and see if my tow truck had arrived, and when I said it hadn't they checked with the tow company to see when it would come. I was informed it would be about 20-30 minutes longer. Awesome... 30 mins later, still no tow truck. Kia called again to check in on me and I said "no truck". They called the tow company again and was told it would be another 15-20 mins. 20 mins later, still no truck... Of course they called to check in again, but this time they said that the truck should be pulling in momentarily, which it was. This is now 2 hours after I first called to get the tow truck and an hour after it was first scheduled to arrive. GRUMBLE!!

The tow truck towed me to Medford, which was about a 45 min drive. The Kia dealer there said that he had an idea of what the problem could be and that it might even be an easy fix (meaning I could wait and take my car home that day). Woo! Finally some good news! It took them about 2 hours from when I arrived to get the car fully fixed, but that was fine with me. (I canceled the rental car I had reserved, so that was no big deal.) All together, I started this whole process at 7:30am and left the Kia place just before 3pm. Really, really pathetic and I could've saved myself over 2 hours by just having the AAA guy take me to a Kia dealer or calling Kia first. What a pain in the butt, but luckily we have a car. My biggest fear was not having one and me going into labor...

As for the pregnancy, everything is going well. My appointment with the midwife last Thursday went very well, and she's going to strip my membranes this coming Thursday (provided I'm still pregnant then). We had a little chat with the baby on which days she's going to be working labor & delivery (Mon and Wed), so hopefully the baby will oblige us and come then. I'll also be doing my part (taking Evening Primose Oil, seeing my acupuncturist and maybe doing some acupressure at home). The full moon happens to be on Tuesday as well, so that's working for us. We'll see!!

My mother-in-law was supposed to be coming to visit starting tomorrow, but unfortunately has come down with a bad case of bronchitis. Her first doctor was completely unhelpful and gave her two courses of the same antibiotic (when the first one didn't work, he gave her another of the same drug). That of course also didn't work! She went to see a different doctor who has put her on a new drug, but she's not allowed to travel for another week. *sigh* So the plan now is for her to come next Sunday (the 26th). If I go into labor this week (which is the plan between me and the midwife), then that's a biiiiig problem. It means no overnight coverage for the twins...which means we have to get a babysitter. Luckily our usual day care person is very willing to do this, but she's also deathly allergic to all types of nuts...and my house is anything but nut-free. So I'm absolutely terrified of her in my kitchen. Honestly, that's really not something I want to be worrying about while I'm in labor, but I don't have any other choice. My mom isn't coming to visit until right before New Year's, so I'll actually have double coverage for part of the week after this one. I wonder if my sister wants to take a week off of work...it is the holiday season after all. ;-)

Goings On

Not too much happening here. My mom and her boyfriend have been in Israel for the past week or so, but they're on the flight home now. All four of us (Shmuel, the twins and I) were all sick with a GI upset this past weekend. My mother-in-law is coming on Sunday. And....I'm almost full term!! Yay!! Every time I see the midwife everything seems to be normal, so that is a relief. No idea yet when Baby #3 will make her appearance, but you can be sure that I'll blog/Facebook/Twitter during the whole birth. :-) I got to take a tour of the birthing center in the hospital tonight, and that was fantastic. It was my first time up there, so I'm glad I got to see it before the "big day". Shmuel couldn't come with me since he was taking care of the twins, but it's ok because I'll be able to direct him to the right elevators even when I'm in labor.

School is almost over, too. This is the last week and then I'm done for the semester. Yay!! I have to take my last Anatomy & Physiology exam on Wednesday (which I'm supposed to be studying for now), but I shouldn't have to take the final exam since I have an A average.

We think Dovid may have a reflux disorder, and he's going to see the gastroenterologist on Monday. After getting sick a few weeks ago with a GI bug, he's still throwing up almost every night (overnight, so you don't see the puke until morning). We think he only throws up overnight when he has acidic foods for dinner, so we've been avoiding them (oranges, tomato sauce, etc.) Poor baby!! I really hope the doctors can figure out what's going on and fix it.

By the way, if you haven't guessed in my baby pool you'd better do it now. I'm going to close the pool on the 16th, when I turn 37 weeks, so you don't have much time!!

New Belly Comparison

I thought you guys might like to see a comparison of pictures between 35 weeks with the twins and my latest belly pic that was taken at 35 weeks just a few days ago. I forgot that my friend had taken this picture of me, and it really shows the huge difference. I had to flip the image left to right, so if you're paying attention you'll notice my dimple is on the "wrong" side. Also, just because WiseGuy is curious, I do not only wear that gray sweater. I wear it for the comparison pics so it's easier to see how I've been growing. I did it with the twins, so I figured I would continue the tradition with this pregnancy. But my friend took a picture of me in a different top, so you get to see that here. :-) Enjoy!

Finally, a New Belly Pic

So sorry I haven't posted a new belly pic in over a month, but I've been really lazy. :-) But, without further ado, here is the newest pic (compared with the last one I took at 30 weeks). Today's pic is on the right.



I feel like the belly isn't growing outward as much as it's growing vertically. So I don't look that much bigger outwardly than I did at 30 weeks, but you can see how low my belly goes. The belly also seems to be changing shape and becoming more round. And, if nothing else, my butt is getting bigger (as is my face). Check out the sequential pictures on my tripod page and you'll see what I mean. *sigh* Now, let's compare this latest picture with the last pictures taken during the twins' pregnancy. The comparisons are the twin pregnancy weeks 28 and 30.





I look much bigger than at 26 weeks with the twins (both vertically and outwardly), I'm vertically larger than my 28 week picture with the twins, and I'm about the same vertically as with the twins at 30 weeks. But at 28 and 30 weeks with the twins I am much larger outwardly than I am with this pregnancy.

My fundal height yesterday (Thursday) was 35.5cm, which is perfect for where I am. The midwife also ordered a BPP ultrasound for next Tuesday, just to check up on the baby's placenta since something went funky with Dovid's placenta just at 35 weeks. She doesn't suspect anything is wrong since the baby's heart rate is perfect, and her movements are strong and frequent. But it's more for peace of mind...and who doesn't like more ultrasounds, right? :-D

And speaking of such...have you noticed? I MADE IT!!! I am now 35 weeks and 1 day pregnant. Yes, I do need to make it through the day without exploding, but based on last night's midwife appointment I'm not really worried about it. Whee!

5 Years

Five years ago today I met my husband. It's not the exact date (that was yesterday), but we met on the Friday just after Thanksgiving, so that's when we celebrate. Our yearly tradition is to have a Shabbos meal at the friend's house where we met. For several years they were out of town for Thanksgiving weekend, so we had to push it off until the next week, but this year they are here! We met at the Friday night meal, and that's when we'll be going (ie tonight). Our first date was the Sunday after we met (November 27), but with Shmuel working every Sunday there isn't any way we can go out to celebrate then.

I can hardly believe that it's been five years. The years have literally flown by, and they've been some of the best years I've ever had (if not the best). We have so much to be thankful for, and it's very appropriate that the anniversary of our meeting (and first date) happens just after Thanksgiving. It's also just one week until the magical 35 weeks and 1 day. Wheeeee!

The twins are doing well, too. They are adding words to their vocabulary all the time, and I'm just too lazy to update their word pages here. :-) Dovid calls everything "that" and loves to say "no". Both of them use the word "mine" a lot, even though I thought that was a two-year-old thing. haha Dovid has also figured out how to clip himself into his booster seat and will do this even when it's not meal time. The problem is that he doesn't know how to undo the buckles, so he gets upset once he's clipped in and wants to keep playing with the buckles.

And now, for your enjoyment, here is a video clip from play time a few days ago. They are playing with Daddy's kippa, which they really enjoy (especially since Daddy has to then cover his head with another object).



Click HERE for more Hebrew & Yiddish word definitions

Two Weeks...

Can anyone guess what happens exactly two weeks from today? My husband guessed it (and it only took him about 60 seconds with no hints). Look at your calendar...it will be Friday, December 3rd. Take a look at my little baby ticker and it might give you a hint as well. In just two short weeks I will be 35 weeks and 1 day pregnant. It will be the exact gestation that I gave birth to the twins. It is a milestone I am *so* excited to be reaching (and passing right by). I am fully confident that I will still be pregnant when I finish that day, and that I'll continue to be pregnant for a few weeks after that. :-) Yay!

In other news, the baby is doing well. I had an appointment with the midwife yesterday and it went great. I'm having random Braxton-Hicks contractions, which are normal, and the most obnoxious leg cramps in the universe. I wake up and move my leg and then holy heck, my calf muscle seizes up and feels like someone plunged a knife right in. Luckily, I know that you're supposed to pull your toes upward (toward the knee) and it does help, although it takes a few seconds to work. Unfortunately all day it's been kind of achy, as if the muscle really needs to stretch out.

In other, other news....I'M GOING TO SEE HARRY POTTER ON SUNDAY!!!!! I seriously could not be more excited. WHEEEE!!

Whooops!

Wow...it's been over two weeks since my last update. I'm really falling down on the job here!! In any case, no news is good news (for the most part). My pregnancy is progressing as normally as in a text book, which is fantastic. I love my midwives almost as much as I love my husband. lol And the twins are as adorable as ever.

My mom, her boyfriend, my sister, brother-in-law and their foster son all came to visit this past weekend. We had a great time hanging out and playing with all of the kids. Then this morning Chana woke up not feeling so great, but since she had a normal temperature I sent her to day care anyways. Well, she then developed a temperature so I had to pick her up early. Luckily I was able to get some Tylenol into her, and she's now happily eating matzo, talking and smiling like my normal, happy girl.

Both Chana and Dovid have been saying more words lately, and I really need to update their word list. Chana is doing so well with imitating new words...it's just incredible. They both had their 6 month Early Intervention evaluation last week, and both passed in all areas except for eating/self care/toileting. In some areas they gained more than just 6 months worth of development, which is fantastic. I'll go more in depth on the results when I get a copy of them from Early Intervention later this week.

I'll do my best to update you after my midwife appointment on Thursday and maybe get a new belly pic up too. :-) In the meantime, enjoy these pictures of the twins taken by my sister and brother-in-law this past weekend.

Belly Picture Time!

I think I grew! Here's a comparison between my 28 week picture and my 30 week picture (30 weeks is on the right).



Now let's compare my 30 week picture from this pregnancy to several pictures from the twins' pregnancy. I can only fit two pictures per line, so each one will have the one from the twins on the left and my most recent, 30 week pic on the right. The first line is 26 weeks with the twins, then 28 weeks, then 30 weeks.





I think I look like somewhere between 26 and 28 weeks with the twins, but my fundal height was only about 31cm at my last midwife appointment (not even close to where it was when I was 28 weeks with the twins). Either way, the belly and baby are growing well. :-)

Final Ultrasound

I made it! We had our last ultrasound today and everything looks perfect. The baby is measuring exactly 3 lbs, which is about 5 days behind schedule. My cervix is also fantastic, still measuring over 3.5cm. WOO HOO!!!! My cervix is officially competent. Here's our final ultrasound picture...it's a profile shot.  You can see her nose around the middle of the screen with her lips just below.  And her hand is to the left of that.

Keep Forgetting to Post

Yes, it's been over a week since my last post. I'm sorry but life just sort of gets away from you. In any case, things over here are interesting as always. :-)

I had a midterm exam in Human Growth and Development which was a complete nightmare / joke. First of all, the exam questions were repetitive, so you kept second guessing yourself. Second of all, many of the questions had multiple plausible answers, so if you guessed wrong, that stinks for you. Also, several questions were about material that was not covered in our book nor was it discussed in detail in class...so there was no way we could have known about it. Then, once I got my exam back all corrected, the professor had marked several questions wrong that were clearly correct.

For example, do any of you know how many days after ovulation a blastocyst implants into the uterus? Probably most of you (former) infertiles and many fertiles know that this happens 7-10 days post ovulation. It says so point blank in my Anatomy and Physiology textbook, and it's more ambiguous in my Human Growth and Development text (saying that it starts around 5 days and could go until 16 days after ovulation). The possible answers for this question on the test were a) 2-6 days; b) 8-12 days; c) 10-14 days; d) 12-16 days. Who can tell me first what is wrong with these answers? THEY OVERLAP! Plus the fact that, according to our text book, b, c and d could all technically be considered correct. According to every single RE, OB/Gyn and infertility expert out there - and my A&P text book, answer b is the "best" answer. The prof marked it wrong and insisted c was the answer...and refused to give me credit.

Here's another example. What is the baby called right after it implants into the uterus? An embryo, of course. I got marked wrong for that even though my Human Growth text book says so VERBATIM... The prof says it's something called a "cytoblast" (which I've never even heard of and isn't in my text book). He wouldn't give me credit for that one even though the text book he assigned says I'm right. (By the way, a cytoblast is the nucleus of a cell...and has nothing whatsoever to do with this question.)

On another question which seemed to me to have two plausible answers, he couldn't give me a good reason (any reason at all really) why my answer was incorrect.

These are just some of my "favorites". I'm planning to have a meeting with the dean next week and some of my classmates may come with me as well, since the vast majority of people failed the exam (I didn't) in all of his 3 classes. Seriously, when almost all of your students fail an exam I don't think it's because the students are all slacking off...

The twins are doing great. Chana has actually put together a few two/three word sentences! One was "No, mine". hehehe The other was "pick me up". She also asks specifically for her sippy cup (saying "cup cup cup cup" and going to the fridge). Also cool was the other day when after a bath I asked Shmuel if he had brushed her hair. He said no, and I turned around to see her running her fingers through her hair. She knew exactly what I was talking about!!! Dovid's language skills aren't even close, but they are getting better. I've heard that boys can take longer than girls for these things, so I'm not too worried.

Both twins can go up stairs really well now, and early intervention is beginning to teach them how to go back down. They're going to have their follow-up assessment in a few weeks, so we'll see if they still qualify. I'm almost positive that Dovid will qualify for speech, and both will probably qualify for self care (feeding, toileting).

That's all for now! I have another cervix check tomorrow, and then that's it. If that ultrasound comes back all good, then my cervix will officially be labeled "competent". Woo!! The baby moves a lot, which is so reassuring, and I'm definitely getting bigger. I'll have another belly picture taken on Thursday as I will be crossing the line over to 30 weeks!!! That means I'm about 3/4 of the way finished with this pregnancy. How insane. It's gone by super fast, and I can't believe that I'll have this baby in less than 3 months and could be as soon as 2 months from now. ACK!!! :-)

Finally, a Belly Pic!

This won't be a long belly update post, since I have waaaaay too much to do today.

We have 22 weeks on the left and 28 weeks on the right.



As you can see, my belly hasn't changed all that much--if at all. My 28 week belly pic with the twins is gigantic, and much bigger than I look now... Hopefully I'll remember to take another one for you guys when I hit 30 weeks. :-)

Pregnancy Updates

I know what you all really want... You really want to see pictures of Baby #3, right? Ok, well she finally gave us a decent profile shot at today's ultrasound, so here you go!

Now for the updates. The ultrasound went very well! Her heart rate is 150bpm, which is normal and the same as always. The baby is growing, but still measuring just about a week behind. The good thing is that she's actually picking up days, so she's really measuring less than a week behind now. Yay! My cervix is still awesome at around 3.25cm. This means that we'll have one more ultrasound in two weeks, and if my cervix and the baby both look good then, we don't get any more ultrasounds. (At least not unless they want to do one for another reason in the coming weeks.)

I had my 1 hour gestational diabetes test and passed with flying colors. Woo hoo!!! They like to see results under 140 mg/dl, but under 130 mg/dl is even better. My level? 115 mg/dl!!! Go me! And the orange drink really wasn't all that bad. They also tested me for anemia. My hemoglobin is 10.6 g/dL, and my hematocrit is 32.5%. Both levels are slightly lower than they were at the end of August, but still not so bad. I could probably make them better by actually remembering to take my prenatal vitamin... :-)

The twins are saying more words, so I really need to update their word pages. They're also climbing stairs now!!! (They can only go up so far, but that's awesome because it means we don't have to carry them up stairs.) Very exciting!!

Hello Again

Hi all! So sorry I've completely neglected you for the past few weeks, but with the Jewish holidays all falling on Thursday and Friday, it's been very hectic. Things here are doing well, though. We've all had colds this past week, which was not fun, but noses are slowly becoming unstuffed and tissue usage has gone down significantly. :-)

The twins are saying new words almost every day, and I'm making pages specifically to document what things they're saying and when they started (sort of). Here are the links to them for your viewing pleasure:

Chana's Word Page
Dovid's Word Page

Dovid is also now climbing all over everything: on the musical table, into a child's shopping cart, onto adult chairs, up stairs, etc. Chana is still terrified of stairs and won't climb up. *sigh*

Baby #3 is also doing well, growing and squirming around. At our last ultrasound (Wednesday) she was measuring still about a week behind schedule and around 1 1/2 lbs. My cervix is still hanging in at around 3.5 cm! But this is where I start to get nervous, because the twins were each just under a pound when my cervix started opening the last time. So if something bad is going to happen with my cervix, it's going to probably happen now. This next ultrasound (in a week and a half) will be the most important yet. After that, it should be smooooth sailing until delivery IY"H.

I totally missed the 25 week update on chances of complications, but here is the one for 26 weeks:

Survival: 75% (way up from 40% two weeks ago)
Respiratory Distress Syndrome: 93%
Intraventricular Hemorrhage: 30%
Sepsis: 30%
Necrotizing Enterocolitis: 11%
Intact, long-term survival: 60% (waaaay up from 5% two weeks ago)

Now don't forget, for both of the survival statistics that's the percentage that will survive. For the other complications it's the percentage that will NOT have that particular complication.

So everything is looking good!!

Really Super Cool Story

My Human Growth and Development professor had been out for the first two weeks of class, so today was the first time I got to meet him. He's a good teacher, and we had a great class. People were participating in discussions, it was lively, etc. He's also Black, like many of the teachers and most of the students at my school, but I couldn't tell what country he was from or even whether he was from Africa or maybe India or something. Anyways, after class I needed to tell the professor that I wouldn't be in class on Friday due to the Jewish holiday. I figured I'd get a questioning look and "what holiday is this and why do you need to be out?" Here's how it really played out:

"Hi. I just wanted you to know that I won't be in class on Friday because of the Jewish holiday."

"Oh, you're Jewish?"

"Yep."

"Wow, so am I!"

That was SOOOOO not what I was expecting. My jaw dropped to the floor and I said, "Really??"

So he asks me, "Do you know what a Falasha is?"

I reply that I do (it's an Ethiopian Jew), and he tells me that his mom is a Falasha (meaning he is) even though he doesn't really practice Judaism now. But of course that it's ok for me to miss class because he understands.

Wow...just wow. Flabbergasted and floored doesn't even cover it. I've actually always been fascinated by Black Jews (and even more especially Falashas), so this was even cooler than just having a regular old Jewish professor. So flipping amazing, and so fantastic. That was the shocker of the day, folks. :-)

Ultrasound Update

The ultrasound yesterday went really well. My cervix is holding out at 3.15cm with no funneling, which is fantastic. Yippee!!! The baby is still measuring about a week behind, but at least she hasn't lost any more days of growth. She's measuring in the 28th percentile, and as long as she stays on her curve then the doctors aren't worried. I actually *really* like the MFM doctor I saw yesterday...so much better than the other two. He was smiling, he explained everything and then suggested I come back in 2 weeks for another check without me asking for it. Finally, someone who will keep checking me without thinking I'm nuts!! :-) Sorry that there aren't any pictures, but the baby is breech with her face towards my back...so the only pics we got were of her feet (legs crossed like a lady) and the back of her head.

I used this chart (at the middle of the page) that shows the survival rates, among other things, for preterm babies during my last pregnancy, so I figured I would post again during this one. Now of course there's no reason why I'm not 100% confident that this baby will be born full term (unlike with the twins where I had no idea when I was going to deliver and knew I'd never make it to 37 weeks), but it's fun for me to see every week just how much better of a chance my baby has of coming home healthy.

So, without further ado...at 24 weeks a baby born has the following chances of complications:

Survival: 40%
Respiratory Distress Syndrome: 70%
Intraventricular Hemorrhage: 25%
Sepsis: 25%
Necrotizing Enterocolitis: 8%
Intact, long-term survival: 5%

So yeah, 24 weeks is not the best time to be born...obviously. Even though the survival rate is ok, the intact long-term survival rate is abysmal. Also, since my little girl is measuring a week behind it means that she'd be smaller than the average 24 weeker. Good thing I'm not planning to deliver for at least another 13 weeks!! (And more preferably 14 weeks since I need to get through finals first...)

I'll make sure to post my belly pic later...

Geepers!

I've been neglecting you guys...so sorry! The twins are finally talking a bit, and it's so cute. Well, mostly cute. Here are some words that they say:

Chana
apple
up
down
head (sounds like at)
hi (sounds like ha-yee)
yeah (she says this whenever you ask a question...)
no
yummy (she repeats this one like "ummynummynummy...")
more (sounds like mo)
oh-oh (for uh oh)

Dovid
apple
up
no (he says this CONSTANTLY)
don't (he says this a lot, too)
eyes
oh-oh (for uh oh)

Some of the words still aren't used at the "appropriate" times, but others (like apple) they are 100% sure of. It is SOOOO cute! Dovid saying "no" 24/7, however, is the epitome of un-cute. lol It drives me crazy, and a lot of the time I don't know if he really means no or if he's just saying it cuz he can. Chana just says "yeah" after every question...I could ask her if she was Dovid and she'd say "yeah". Her inflection when saying it is like a question (intonation going up), which is kind of strange. But I am SUPER proud of them saying "apple". We actually had a Chinese pear at one of our meals, which looks and even tastes a little bit like an apple. I cut her a piece and gave it to her. After she took a bite, I asked her how she liked it and she said "apple". *melt* She also makes the sign language sign for "more" (and even sometimes does it when she says "more"). That is super awesome, although I don't think she 100% knows what "more" means yet. We'll get there. In the mean time, I am over the moon delighted that they are using words. WOOOOO!!

Newest Belly Pic

This won't be a long belly update post, since I don't think it's really changed much in the last two weeks.

We have 20 weeks on the left and 22 weeks on the right.



If anything, I think I shrunk a teensy bit! lol What can you do...at least maybe now I'll take some time to catch up with my twin pregnant self.

In other news, Dovid is sick again...fever, vomiting, the works. Poor little dude! And I had a great appointment with the midwife. She agrees with the MFM doctor that my cervix length is normal and that every baby grows differently, but she agrees with me that we need to keep watching it just to make sure everything really is 100% ok. Honestly, I hope this midwife (Lila) delivers me, because I love her!!!! She's even supportive of me doing placenta encapsulation. In fact, she was excited that I'm doing it. Honestly, my old OB would have probably vomited on the floor and here's my midwife doing jumping jacks because I'm doing this. Awesomeness!!!! My next appt will be with the OB again because the last appt with the OB got cut short, and I'll also have my GD test as well. Fun times!

Today's Ultrasound

I had an interesting ultrasound today. My cervix is shorter than it has been in previous weeks, now holding out at around 3cm (when it was previously 4cm). But, it's not funneling and the MFM doctor isn't worried. I personally want to keep watching it even though the doctor isn't concerned. I mean, it changed a lot in 10 days, and it's better to be safe than sorry, you know? I'm hoping it's nothing, because I really can't afford to go on bed rest, and I REALLY don't want to get another cerclage.

The baby is doing great, but still measuring behind (and even lost another day of growth). She's about 7-8 days behind due date at this point, which is up from being 6 days behind at our last scan. Honestly, I can't even imagine why she's not growing fast enough because I'm sure eating for two. lol The twins never measured this far behind...ever. Very bizarre, but again the MFM doctor isn't concerned. I'm not really pleased about this as I'd much rather prefer an MFM doctor who investigates when things aren't quite right. She's been losing growth at every scan, so why is he ignoring this fact?

Anyways, I have an appointment with the midwife on Thursday, so I'll talk to her about it and see what she thinks about both my cervix and the growth of the baby. Wish me luck!

(Sorry, no pictures...they didn't print me any.)

Not a UTI, Not Anemic

I've been having this nagging cramping in my lower pelvic area since Wednesday, and it's driving me mad. I thought it might be a UTI, but they did a urine and blood test, and everything came back normal (including my white counts). What else was normal? Well, my platelets are at 159,000/cmm, my hemoglobin is 11.1 g/dL, and my hematocrit is 32.8%. Much lower than in June, but higher than it was at this point in my last pregnancy. The midwife says that iron isn't necessary (yet) and hopefully they'll keep an eye on the levels as we go forward. In any case, still no idea what's causing my pain...they say take Gas-X and Tylenol and we'll see you at your appointment later this week (Thursday). I also have an ultrasound scheduled for Monday, so that will be good as well.

As for the twins, their high fevers are now low fevers (around 99.0) and both are feeling MUCH better. They were acting like themselves both Friday and today, even with the low-grade temps, and they've been eating like normal. The only "abnormal" thing was the super long mid-afternoon nap (like 2.5 hours). Hubby and I took a nap at the same time, and we all were zonked out for about the same amount of time. heh oops! Gotta love those Shabbos naps!

Sick Babies

The twins are sick. Both have fevers over 100°F, although since having the latest dose of Tylenol they are both smiling and laughing at Daddy (who is spraying them with water from a bottle). I'm using the Tylenol suppositories rather than the liquid because our last experience with the liquid was not a great one. The twins would spit the liquid out and therefore not get the dose. And you can't try again with another dose because then you risk over-medicating (which can be REALLY bad). Also, if they throw up the dose, it's gone, and once again you can't give the dose again. Suppositories are simple...they go in, you hold them there for 5 mins, they stay in and get the dose. I've never had them poo one out before, so no worries there, and so far it seems to be working.

Chana threw up once earlier, but so far Dovid hasn't. *fingers crossed* Both have been really tired today, sleeping a lot, and both have been pretty grumpy too. (You would be too if you had a fever...) Neither of them want to drink the Pedialyte. I can tell they really want milk, but I'm nervous about having either of them gak it back up. So we tried water...they don't want that either. They did, however, both have a whole bunch of saltines for dinner. So that's good and hopefully will keep their tummies settled for the night. Now we hope that they'll actually sleep through the night. *fingers crossed again*

*sigh* I hate it when they're sick...it makes me sad. :-(

Poo and Paper Towels...On The Floor

Yesterday I was being a bad mommy and letting the twins "watch" the first Harry Potter movie during play time before dinner yesterday. They weren't actually watching...it was more noise in the background for them as they went about playing. (I was listening to it, of course.) :-) Anyway, at one point I had to pause it to get a snack and smelled poo in the dining room. Hmmmm why should I smell poo? Well, I looked and there on the floor was poo. Oh crap (haha). GROOOOSS!! I figured out who was the culprit (the one with her diaper hanging around one ankle) and put her in her crib. She had poo on her foot...ewww! I put Dovid in the jumperoo to get him out of the way and proceeded to clean up the poo with paper towels. It was pretty nasty, but I sprayed the floor with my cleaner and all was right with the world. I put the paper towels on a table in the dining room and then went to change Chana...whose diaper was totally clean since the poo was on the floor...and wash off her poo foot. ICK! Anyways, when that was done I brought her back to the dining room and let Dovid out of the jumperoo. Fast forward a few minutes, and I hear giggling and rustling of paper. Uh oh...Mommy left the paper towels within reach! There's now paper towels all over the floor being played with (most of which was still attached to the roll). I let them have most of what they had unraveled, rerolled the rest and placed the roll out of reach. I then said "oh what the heck" and let them play with the paper towels. Sure they were going to try to eat it, but honestly they were having a good time and a little paper towel never hurt anyone, right? ;-)

Who Likes Ultrasound Photos?

I do!!! Here are five profile shots for your viewing pleasure. Not much, but it's something! The baby is still a girl, but measuring almost a week behind. *sigh* My cervix, however, is being awesome and still just about 4cm!!! That was the most exciting part, really. I have another ultrasound a week from Monday where they check everything out once again, and hopefully the baby won't be measuring even farther behind. Ugh! Anyone know how to make a baby gain weight in utero (while not making me gain too much at the same time?)

Belly Pics

It is time for another installment of "Elana's Belly"! I didn't take an 18 week picture because I don't think my belly changed size between 16 and 18 weeks...in fact I think it got smaller. lol But now it's grown again!! Take a look:

We have 20 weeks this pregnancy on the left and 20 weeks last pregnancy on the right. It looks like I'm bigger than I was last time! Dunno how that's possible because I don't have nearly as much baby in there nor am I that uncomfortable.



Now here's the comparison for this pregnancy. I'm absolutely and unequivocally bigger. (14 weeks on the left, 16 weeks in the middle, 20 weeks on the right)



I think I now look like somewhere in betweetn my 24 and 26 week pics of the twins, and possibly even a little bigger than the 26 week picture. (24 weeks w/ twins on left, 20 weeks now in middle, 26 week w/ twins on right)



I grew a ton between 26 and 28 weeks with the twins, so I don't think I'll catch up to that one quite yet. We'll see!!! Good grief I thought this was supposed to slow down. hehe

Pictures!

I finally figured out how to take awesome pictures of the twins...I just needed to change the shutter speed on my camera and now there's no more blurry photos! Enjoy!! Oh, and I got an A in Biology 2!!!! So I'm still at a 4.0 and going strong.

Kicks and Things

I'm really starting to feel the baby move now. She's been moving around and kicking a bit. On Sunday we actually were able to feel her kick from the outside. Usually that comes much later, but I guess my hands were in the right place at the right time. It was funny because when Shmuel came into the room I told him to put his hands on my belly. He felt for a few seconds and then started giggling. I asked him if he could feel her kick and he said yes and that it was weird. Well it was even more weird since I couldn't feel it from the inside. lol But her movements are getting stronger and more frequent (at least in the fact that I'm feeling them). So cool and so exciting!

Dovid's getting more teeth. I can see a molar coming in up top!! Finally! I was really afraid he had no teeth. lol

Ziva, our au pair, left to go home earlier this week. *sob* We really miss her, and the twins will be starting at "day care" next week. (It's not really day care because it's just four kids - two of which are mine - being taken care of by one adult who happens to be a friend of mine, but it's easier for me to refer to it as "day care".) The twins have met her and at least one of the kids who will be with them, so I'm hoping the transition will go smoothly for everyone. I'll probably sit in for a few hours on the first few days to help in any case.

My amazing bloggy friend Eileen had her twins yesterday!!! She made it to 34 weeks, which was fantastic considering the numerous complications plaguing her pregnancy. This is truly a miracle and we are so, so happy for her! Happy birthday Matthew and Madeline!

It's a...

We had our "big" ultrasound today, and it went great. The baby is measuring a few days behind, but otherwise is 100% perfect. Yay! I know you just want to see pictures, so here they are.

This is a profile shot.
And here she is sucking her thumb.
This is another profile shot.
And another profile shot.
These are her feet.
And finally, the one you've all been waiting for...she's a little GIRL!Well, that was a shocker for me...I was totally thinking it was a boy. I told Shmuel that he'd better give me a boy for the next one, then. hehe Anyway, I am *so* blessed to even be pregnant that whatever the sex of the baby, it really doesn't matter. (Truthfully I am a little disappointed and feel awfully guilty about that, but I am 100% positive that when she's put into my arms in Dec/Jan IY"H it won't make the slightest difference to me in the world.)