Results

I finally got the results from yesterday's blood tests (well I got some of them). In any case, I still have the antibodies and my K blood type is still negative (of course it is...that kinda thing is genetic and doesn't change, you know.) But the good news is...my hubby is also Kell negative!!!! That means that all of our babies (including Chana & Dovid) are and will be Kell negative, so I don't need to worry about killing their poor little helpless red blood cells. *whew*!!! So that's a relief. Now we just need to make sure that this fistula isn't going to be a problem (and that I don't have an incompetent cervix), and we'll be all set.

Wheeeeew!

Today I had an appointment with MFM to discuss something called "anti-k antibodies". Apparently when I gave birth to the twins I was given Kell + blood and I am Kell -. This means that my body produced antibodies against this + antigen. This also means that if my baby is Kell + and if my antibodies cross the placenta, this can result in SEVERE anemia. Anyway, this necessitated a visit to MFM for a consult. Lucky for me I am quite resourceful and got myself scheduled for an ultrasound at the same time. I made the excuse that the baby was measuring small last time and shouldn't they check up on him/her. Hehehe Anyway, I was terrified that they were going to say something was wrong. I mean, I can't feel the baby yet and I can't hear the heartbeat via doppler, so I have no way of knowing that all is well. Sure, I have symptoms, but they're not really quantifiable. Sometimes I have 'em and sometimes I forget I'm pregnant (yep it happens). And even though my tummy is rounder, it's hard to tell since my tummy has been round since I gave birth to the twins. Anyhoo, everything is looking perfect!!! (Thank G-d) The baby came back from his/her deficit and is measuring 100% on target for 9w 4d (27.5 mm) with a heart rate of 170bpm.

Looks even somewhat human doesn't (s)he? Kinda like a miniature teddy bear. When we were watching the monitor, we could even sorta see really teeny arms and legs. Oh, and speaking of the monitor...the ultrasound rooms at St. E's are high tech now! They have a nice, large monitor right on the wall where the mom can see what's going on, rather than having to crane her neck to see what the technician is doing. And the technician can have the screen facing her, so she can do her best for measurements and such. It's a win-win and I LOVE IT!

Anyway, then we got to see the head MFM doctor who discussed the anti-K stuff with us. She sent my hubby and I for blood work--me to find out exactly how much of these antibodies I have in my blood and what kind they are, and him to find out if he's Kell + or Kell -. If he's Kell - then we shouldn't have a problem. Also, the doctor talked to me about having a cerclage placed...which I told her I would prefer to wait and see how things go. I mentioned to her my cervical fistula, and she actually expressed DEEP concern about it. She was telling me of a woman who was having repeated miscarriages due to a fistula. YIPE! I told her to check with my regular OB and to take a look at the MRI to see if it's really worrisome. I sure hope not...I was under the impression that the fistula was tiny and nothing to even speak about. Geepers...why can't pregnancy be less dramatic for me? lol

Who Likes Surprises?

Well, I sure do. But this one really threw me for a loop. Anyone want to guess what it is? Well, first I must say that my hubby is going to *kill* me for spilling the beans, so if you see him you must pretend as though you know NOTHING (at least until his birthday). Got that? Now then...for the surprise. Here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure:





So, what do you think? Are you surprised? I sure was. My first thought was "is this even possible? No...no it's not. So then why on earth are there two lines?" I went to the doctor that very day to have my hCG drawn, because I needed someone to confirm that I wasn't losing my mind. At 12DPO (4/27), my hCG was 50 mIU/ml and my progesterone was 22 ng/ml. Not bad for 12DPO, and it confirmed that I really am pregnant (and due 1/6/11). But that's when the fun started... Because two days later, at 14DPO, my hCG had now risen to 178 mIU/ml (and my progesterone was up to 23.2 ng/ml). That's a doubling time of 26.20 hrs (normal doubling time is approx 48 horus). That was really shocking, to say the least.

4 days later, I had my hCG levels tested again, and they were now up to 1565 mIU/ml, even though I was only expecting 800. This is when I really started to worry. I mean really, my numbers were doubling even faster than when I was pregnant with the twins. This latest level doubled in only 30.61 hrs. Then, 3 days after that (now 21 DPO) my levels had soared to 6156 mIU/ml--doubling in 36.44 hrs. Still way under the 48 hour mark, and by now I only expected doubling in 48-72 hours! Well, my SINGLE little bean was just an overachiever. Here's the ultrasound from 6w 4d:

The baby was only measuring .38cm (6w 0d), but his/her heartbeat was 132bpm! I didn't cry when I had my first ultrasound with the twins...even when I saw those heartbeats for the first time. But with this one, I guess the whole "miracleness" of it got to me, and I burst into tears.

I still don't really believe it, but I guess the symptoms speak for themselves. Since I found out, I've been:

• completely exhausted
• peeing all the time
• dizzy
• nauseated
• headachy
• smelling everything
• drooling like mad (excess saliva)
• averse to some foods
• thirsty
• having weird dreams
• moody

Now I don't feel all of these symptoms all the time, except for the exhaustion. I was not *nearly* this tired with the twins, and I don't remember feeling dizzy with them either. I'm not too nauseated, and I feel like I'm hungry a lot, but I haven't gained any weight. Well, I think that's enough for you guys to go with for now...but just know that I'm still terrified that something could happen (even though I haven't had any cramps or bleeding, and we saw that beautiful heartbeat at 6 1/2 weeks). So keep praying for a sticky baby, and I'll keep you updated!

Missed Me?

Sorry for the lack of posting, but we were out of town this week for the holiday of Shavuos. We had so much fun visiting my mom in Rochester, and it was so nice seeing lots of family! The twins were adorable, as always, and were mostly well behaved. Chana, unfortunately, suffers from motion sickness, so we have to figure out a way to get her through a long car ride without too much puke. *sigh* Luckily, Dovid doesn't get sick or we'd really have a problem. lol We had quite a long drive today due to our many stops, but we're finally home. Yay! :-)

Walking and Other News

Whoops. I have been so bad about posting lately! Here's the news of the week:

THE TWINS CAN WALK!!!! They've been going all over the place. Slowly, but still walking. It's adorable and they do it all the time now. I can't wait to get to Rochester to show off!

I had my last final exam today, so I'm officially finished for the semester. Only 3 more weeks until summer school starts. I'm pretty confident that I pulled all A's for the semester, although Chemistry is still up in the air since I'm not 100% sure about how I did on the final exam. I believe it's enough for the A, but I'll just have to wait and see.

Stuff

Still no idea about the allergies, but the pediatrician should be calling me tomorrow to help me with the next steps on figuring that out. In other news, Chana threw up this morning but then was fine. Sheesh...never a dull moment here! Also, we finally scheduled our appointment with early intervention (in two weeks I believe), and Dovid has a follow-up scheduled (in June) with the doctor who saw him for the umbilical hernia so many months ago. Other than that, not much is going on...

Dovid took like 2 steps the other day, but hasn't repeated it since. I think he'll get there soon enough. Chana has started to imitate us, so she'll actually wave now! Yay!! They're also getting cuter by the minute. :-)

Oy Vey

Dovid had an allergic reaction to something today, but I have no idea what it was. All of a sudden the poor boy has hives all over and is turning beet red. At first Shmuel thought it might be bug bites, but this was a little too much to be bug bites. So I sent him over to a friend's house to find us some kiddie benadryl. Within 1/2 an hour of Dovid taking the benadryl the hives were gone. I'm thinking of taking him to see an allergist to find out what the heck that was all about!!!

In other news, I saw an INCREDIBLE giveaway that I wanted to share with all of you moms-to-be out there. Misaacmom is having a HUGE giveaway of a baby crib, mattress and changing table/dresser from emomrewards. Go check it out here!!!