Liife with 2 babies

I realized I forgot to mention that we are now home with BOTH our boys. Noah and I were dischaarged on Sunday but Jonah was still getting tachypneic and had an IV. He was just starting to eat so we were hopeful he would go home soon. They both were circumcised on Sunday and Jonah was a little swollen so they thought he may have an inguinal hernia but praise the Lord he doesn't. Yeah! One surgery this year will be enough thanks! AAnyway it was hard to leave Jonah but helpful to know the people caring for him are thebest. He actually got spoiled by everyone wanting to hold and feed him. I have to say it was helpful to have one home first to get a taste of the new baby at home feeling. I think it was harder the next day to go and visit him because we had Elijah and Noah and live a ways away. I have more compassion for the moms I work with now.

In any event we were thrilled to death when they called and said Jonah could go homee. Yeah! Our boys together again! So how was our night? Lets just say I am glad the first night is over. They both decided that they are night owls. from 11-3 they were up. If it wasn't one it was the other...or both! YIKES! I was so tired by 230! I changed each of them twice, and their sheets..and in the morning our bed bc they decided night time was the best to either spit up on or pee on everything, including each other. I finally figured out I couldn't wrap them together, instead I had to wrap them separately and then put a blanket around the both of them. Then they slept. We will see if that works tonight. I think they were kicking each other. They are both on the same schedule, which is good bc I am trying to tandem nurse them. At first I thought it was not going to happen. Unfortunately I hadn't really been able to nurse Jonah so he was kind of like, what is this, where is my bottle? Thankfully now he is doing better and I have been able to nurse them together. Noah still is the better nurser so he is still going when we get a bottle to supplement Jonah.

Well, thats it for now. Everyone here is snoozing so I think I'm going to get in on that!

Long awaited pictures

ok. for some reason the words i put aren't working and I can't figure it out. Sorry. Will have to try a new post later.

Labor Day Weekend Babies

Well, we have a Memorial Day weekend baby so it's only fitting we have lLabor Day weekend babies, right? That's right, they're here!

Here is the birth story. It started (kind of) yesterday when i went to the ob. Although I hadn't noticed as many contractions I was having a lot more cramping and appparently it was doing something bc my doc said I was at 3-4cm and 70% effaced. He thought I would deliver soon..I though yeah right. I was like that with Elijah for 2 weeks He said twins are different. He told me to go walk around. I was a little nervous to bc he had told me he was going out of town one day and I really wanted him to deliver. Not everyone is so gungho about vaginal twin births. Anyway. I ended up coming home, vacuuming, sweeping and after dinner I walked Elijah to the park. Got home..notta..no contractions nothing. I thought bummer and went to bed.

Now for all you that have ever been preggo, you know near the end you wake up constantly to go to the bathroom. Well, I kept thinking why can't my water break and I go into labor. Well, at 445 I woke up thinking oh no, I peed myself. Then I realized, no, I still feel like I need to go to the bathroom. Then I was enlightened. Jaaake...I think my water broke. He woke up and took a quick shower while I ran around with a towel between my legs trying to pack some last minute things like phone chargers. At this point I wasn't contracting much at all. We got settled in the car about 20 min later and dropped Elijah off at Jake's parents. We had to buy gas bc we weren't really planning on Jakes car being the getaway vehicle. While he was pumping the contractions started 5 min apart. They progressed quickly to 4, then 3, then 2 min apart and 1 min long. I ended up calling OB triage to tell them we were coming bc I was thinking that this was going fast. When we got to the hospital we didn't even get a room in triage..it was straight to L&D!

My nurse checked me and said I was at 5 cm. I was surpised..I thought I was a lot further. My doctor had jjust come in for the day (perfect timing) and wanted everything done right away stating this was going to goo fast. I thought I'm only at 5, how can that be but he actually stayed in the room to make sure thing were happening. He even went so far as to get one of the nurses to get the anesthesiologist to come RIGHT NOW as it was shift change and he didn't want them gabbing. There was sooooo much going on. Labs were drawn, IV started, consents signed, all th while I was my usual wimpy self barely breathing through the pain. Thankfully I had Jake reminding me to breathe and a nurse reminding me to relax my muuscles. I got the epiduural...what wonderful inventions...and started feeling the pain subsiding. It took about 5 minutes to completely work and then my dr checked me. I about died when he said allright you're complete, lets get you to the OR. Seriously? I was just 5cm!

It was very surreal being wheeled back. Someone got Jake XXL paper scrubs to change into. Hehad to do the MC Hammer in them. There were tons of people present just in case they had to do an emergency c-section. My favorite ultrasound tech Ramona was there to verify the babies were head down. We started pushing and very shortly Jonah Paul was born measuring 6lbs 11oz and 20 inches long. I got to see him very briefly bc it was on to the next baby. It was a very odd feeling for Jake and I bc we have this beautiful baby but wait, don't rejoice yet, you still have another coming. It all was like a whirlwind bc after Jonah was born my doc and Ramona were quickkly trying to find Baby B's position and heart rate. He was still head down so my doc broke his water and I pushed a couple times to bring him down. He started to drop his heart rate and so my doctor told me we really needed to get him out. He didn't have to tell me that twice. Noah Joseph was born at 0729 with a tight nuchal cord. He weighed 5lb 14oz and is 18 1/2 inches. I was able to hold them both togeether briefly and then we went back to th L&D room. There Joonah started acting naughty. He wouldn't pinken in coloring and when my coworkers checked his oxygenation he was in the 60's (instead of 90's). He was taken to the NICU where he still is with some minor breathing issues. He is in an oxygen hood and is not eatingso he has an IV. I am verfy thankful to have wonderful people to help care for him but wish he had behaved so he could be in couplet care with us. Now it kind of feels like we don't have 2 babies.Unfortunately it doesn't look like Jonah will be coming home with Noah and I. He is just doing what we call sitting on the fence...not sure if he wants to get better or worse...stinker!

I am doing ok. I'm very tired and feel like a bus hit me. I was able to see Elijah yesterday so I am happy. He is a good big brother. He even held Noah (with help).

I guess I better go on and post this. Pictures wsill follow when we're discharged.

You know the saying when it rains?

...it pours? well, that's what it felt like today.

It started out ok, Elijah and I headed for his dr appointment and they got us in right away..early in fact. Elijah did NOT want to stand on the scale though so we had to do the whole weigh me with and without him. Not exactly a time I want to be showing off my weight! Thankfully he let the girl do the EKG without any problems bc we told him to pretend he was a robot. He was especially good for the echo bc they put Sesame Street on. I watched while they were doing it and could see he still had a VSD...I did ask to be sure that's what I was looking at. Well, then we waited for the cardiologist to look over the results and talk to us. Not good news. He still has a PDA and a VSD so there is mixing of his oxygenated blood and nonoxygenated blood. Now, Elijah is growing great and doesnMt show any symptoms of this BUT his left side of his heart is enlarging to compensate for this so eventually he probably will. SOOO this means he needs to have a cardiac catheterization done in the next 6 months or so to fix the PDA. Once this is fixed he is hoping the VSD will close. They fix the PDA first bc its the easiest..the VSD needs surgery to fix. A cardiac cath still means risks, IVs, sedation, overnight observation..and at the hospital downtown bc my hospital is working on getting it but probably not by the time he needs to have it done. It's funny bc it didn't worry me that this might happen but now that I know it will, I'm nervous.

So on the way home, a mile from my exit, my car breaks down. I donMt know what it is..I thought it sounded like a belt at first. Pulled over, called Jakes Mom and Uncle (he knows cars but wasn't in the area). I looked under the hood just to ee if something hit mme in the face. Do you know not a single person pulled over? Anyway, Jake told me just to try driving it home so his Mom followed me. Now I'm thinking something like a muffler or whatever is related to that system bc thats kind of how it sounds.

Also, Kitty hurt her front paw..not sure how. Hoping not from a scorpion or spider bc that means one is loose in my house.

Bad news from Jake's family. His Nanna has been battling cancer and they found another spot on her lungs. More chemo..poor Nanna. Please pray for her and her family.

It just feels very overwhelming. I came home in tears, dehydrated, tired..just beyond myself. I drank some water, talked with a good friend, got a nap and now feel better. I know I need to trust the Lord. I just got a whole lot of things at once and kind of lost sight of that. I am glad I have the Word of God and can rely on all He says.

Well, thats all. I am still hoping to go into labor soon. I feel miserable!

Waiting for Thursday

Everything is the same here. I had another nonstress test today and found out my contractions are not quite 5 min apart like they were but are stronger and longer. Because I was having them she said she could check me but I figured there wasn't a point. It would probably just bum me out. She said we must have scared them so now they don't want to come out. The bad thing about preterm labor, meds, and twins is that there is a very short window of time to deliver. They don't want you to deliver before 36 weeks or after 38. My nurse wanted to know if any plans were in action for helping me along. I hope to find out on Thursday. Hopefully I have progressed a little. I'm wondering if he will strip my membranes or tallk about when we will induce. All I know is that I am 38 weeks on 9/11. Who wants to have twins on the anniversary of the twin towers coming down? Not me! How about 9/9 or 9/10 instead?

Now I can't go into labor until tomorrow afternoon bc Elijah has a cardiologist appt tomorrow morning and you know how hard it is to get in to see specialists. We've had this appt for months and I would rather not have to wait much longer. I want to know if his VSD and PDA have closed.

All for now.