The good and the bad

So I am not going to write much because I do not feel well enough informed to update on this front.

GOOD NEWS

We're having girls! Lorelei MacKenzie and Maddison Olivia.

BAD NEWS

Maddison is diagnosed at stage III (low end) of TTTS... http://www.tttsfoundation.org/

We'll be going to Cincinnati on Monday evening to begin testing and get a laser surgery treatment to fix the problem. Basically... Maddison does not have as much placenta as Lorelei leading to smaller size and no diastolic blood pressure (I believe it's called). On the other side, Lorelei is/will receive too much blood which can lead to heart failure. Cincinnati is apparently a very specialized facility that cares for these cases many times a year. This TTTSyndrome is found in identical twins.

Over the past couple of days I/we have gone through guilt, failure, heart ache, etc... all it comes down to is that this condition is completely random and does not matter who you are or what you do. It happens to 15% of all identical twin pregnancies.

Our itinerary for Tuesday is

11/03/2009 08:15 AM CCHMC; Location B, Floor 1,Radiology-- MRI

Comment

11/03/2009 10:00 AM CCHMC; Location A, Floor 7, Fetal Care Center-- Ultrasound

Comment Connie Bitters, RN, RDMS

11/03/2009 01:00 PM CCHMC; Location C, Floor 4, Cardiology --ECHO

Comment

11/03/2009 03:00 PM CCHMC; Location A, Floor 7, Karen McGirr, RN, CNM, Fetal Care Center-- History and Physical

Comment:

11/03/2009 04:00 PM CCHMC; Location A, Floor 7, Foong-Yen Lim, Fetal Care Center-- Team Meeting Comment Attendees: University Hospital Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist

We'll keep everyone updated!

Please keep praying!

Newest Belly

So tomorrow (Wed) we'll find out the sex!!!

My growing belly

As I promised... here are the pictures of my growing belly!

About 4-5 weeks along!

October 1st... 11 weeks

October 24... 14 weeks

14 weeks again.

15 Weeks... this is going to be my belly button saga. I feel it getting ready to pop out and it is really uncomfortable!

This will only accept so many pictures, so I'll keep posting!

the once and future parent

First off, an apology that this is my first post. I would love to say I had great reasons for thus far avoiding sharing my imminent paternal wisdom (I assume it will come to me sometime between the birth and teaching them to drive). But the sad truth is that I simply find it difficult to live outside the immediate present. I plan for the future, prepare and pretend to the extent necessary for said planning; but I don't like to live there. This whole experience of pregnancy for the man is an extended exercise in living in some future of diapers, minivans, and never having both babies simultaneously asleep. While I'd be a fool not to expect those things I'd be lying if I said I devoted any real thought to them.

Take, for example, registering for stuff online. I view this task as extremely tedious. Lorel loves it like no other. I feel like we're going to get a bunch of stuff the babies will likely hate. We'll end up exchanging it at Babies R Us for other stuff they will also hate. After the 5th or 6th round we will wind up with stuff they will love for two weeks before they've outgrown it and the cycle begins anew. It's difficult for me to devote any real attention to planning this task, because its all going to wash out in trial and error anyways. Lorel shares my assessment of the likely scenario but her love of shopping for all things baby means she actually embraces the downward spiral of doom. Same page, different playbook.

We had our last trip to the doctor before we hit another stretch of worry. For those of you who've never had twins, identical twins can suffer from a condition called Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome or TTFS. One baby receives the majority of placental blood flow leaving the other starved for nutrients and oxygen and the first overloaded with fluid and at risk for heart issues. The condition is treatable and happens in 10-20% of all identical twin pregnancies. But it needs to be closely monitored from 16 weeks on. On a brighter note that means we should also be finding out the gender next week. Lorel thinks sons, I'm thinking daughters. We shall see.

Face meets Walmart bathroom floor

Round two!

I was out today with a client grocery shopping. (I teach adolescence how to do activities of daily living when they are living in apartments after living in foster care or residential facilities). So I decided that I needed to use the rest room... well once again I got hot and realized I was going to pass out. Thank God I braced myself, putting my hands on the floor (EWWWW) and caught myself, once my head hit my hands I woke up and decided I needed to... get sick. Well... to put it mildly, this took an awfully embarrassing turn. Thank God my client had no idea what was going on, and no one was in the rest room. After a good 10-15 minutes I made it back out and my client was confused where I had been. I decided I was going to cancel the rest of my appointments for the day and go home to rest.

I assume this came from me not agreeing with the lunch of a pre-packaged Thai soup I bought from the store. It tasted good, but was spicy and just... different. I don' think I'll try that again anytime soon!

So this Thursday we're looking forward to hearing the peanuts heartbeats, and possibly see them! They are at a stage where they are developing the genitals so even though it's said that they can tell the sex at this week (14) it is sometimes very difficult. Grandma Connie is going to join us so she can hear her grandchildren's heart beats!

Once again I still have not really taken any pictures... but we will get to it! Make sure you tell Jared how much you want to see me and my belly and maybe he'll take initiative and snap away!

Also, this Sunday Connie took me out to get my first pair of pregnancy pants! Jared and I will be going to the second hand stores soon to continue our shopping!!

--I promise my husband wants to post, and one day he will!

Week 12 photos

They look like aliens to me at this point, but I still love them!

Jared and I just spent a lovely weekend at the Apple Festival in Biglerville, PA. My parents came out and we enjoyed a nice short weekend together! My belly is finally starting to pop and stay there. So when I get around to it I will post some pictures and keep them coming. Currently we're in week 13 and have our next doctors appointment next week. We will be finding out the sex in about 3-5 weeks. I should have a good idea of my "prognosis" at that time (risk, defects, bedrest, etc).

We're still waiting for Jared to get the time/energy to post an entry! I'll be back after the visit or when something else cool happens!
So Baby B is crazy! He/she is just a ball of energy and didn't want to stop moving until it's pictures was being taken! Here are our two little angels!

Oh husband!

So my lovely husband... God bless his soul... wished to write the next blog entery! I gave him time and told him to do it ASAP or I'll write it first. WELL WELL WELL! Who doesn't make time for it??? hehe

So. I want to say it was Friday evening I had a craving for pickles. Jared was kind enough earlier in the week to have bought said pickles, so he didn't have to go very far! Well at first it made my face turn (like when I drink soda whoever watches!) But I proceeded to eat half the jar! The next day we went to the gym and did water aerobics. When we got home we had BLTs and then I finished the jar of pickles. Less than... 24 hours my first jar of pickles was gone (Jared shed a tear or two because he didn't have any). I offered him the juice inside, but he still cried :(.

So since this weekend I believe I have been trying to fight a cold. I have felt like my heart is racing, just really tired and icky. I think it all began on Saturday at water aerobics when I had pretty bad anxiety since it was the first time I did it. I got over it pretty well, but I was still worked up. So Monday I called the doctor and asked if I could come in to get my vitals checked. We're going away on Friday and I thought it best to get it checked ASAP. They told me to come in the next day.

I get there and wait for an hour and go in. I am maintaining weight and my vitals are stable and great for me. So, because I am driving 8 1/2 hours to PA on Friday they wanted to just "make sure" (put me at ease) and give me an ultra sound. (I love having twins and getting ultra sounds every other week!) So this is the first time they used the regular on on my belly with the mounds of gel.

If you know about positioning and labels, cool. If not here we go. So Baby A is the one that is set to come out first, Baby B is furthest away. Baby A was there, chill, stretching, and waving from time to time. (I'm 12 weeks along now... beginning the 4th month). BABY B on the other hand... had a mountain dew that morning. He/she was bouncing off the walls of my uterus, flipping, and enjoying their new freedom. So I decided that child will be Jared's and I will take the calm one! But we did get pictures, and as soon as I can they will get posted. They are starting to look like babies now which is amazing.

This weekend we will be in Pennsylvania for the Apple Festival! I am sooooo excited. It'll just be me, Jared and my parents. YAY!

Hopefully Jared will post something soon, so I'm not monopolizing the screen! :-P

Thanks Kathy! Babies are up!

So here are the pictures of our peanuts!

The first three are at 6 (4) weeks and the bottom two are at 8 (6) weeks. At 8 weeks we found out they are going to be identical!

As my belly continues to grow I will take pictures to prove to everyone that "it can be done!"

hehe

Thanks everyone for the prayers and help through the first trimester!

We've made it to the second trimester!!!