25 Weeks!

Today marks 25 weeks...the babies now have a 70% chance of survival if they come this week.  Being the overachiever that I am I think I wait for something in the 90% range!

Yesterday I did the dreaded 3 hour glucose tolerance test (GTT).  For those of you who have only had to do the one hour, I don't want to hear how bad the drink was.  This stuff was twice as sweet as the 1 hour (100 grams instead of 50 grams) and twice the amount.  I felt like I was drinking cold orange snow cone syrup.  So yummie first thing in the morning when you haven't eaten in 12 hours...at least after I drank it I wasn't hungry anymore!  They wouldn't start the test until 7am, which meant I couldn't eat until 10am and I am currently a bottomless pit.  I was hoping they would start about 5am so I could sleep through the hunger between feeling like I was being attacked by a vampire every hour to draw blood.  I must give the lab people credit...they did get the blood work on the first stick, which I am very grateful for!  After avoiding simple carbs the day before and drowning myself with water I PASSED!  Only my 2 hour level was high (161 and they want it below 150)...all of the other levels were well below the max range.  I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.  Food is about the only thing I can control at this point and I'm so glad I didn't lose that too...BRING ON THE COOKIES (I'm going to weigh 500 pounds by the time I leave here)!

Last night my mom brought Jason and I dinner (I had a coconut cream slush to celebrate!)...way better than the so called "meat loaf" they brought up.  I should have taken a picture for you to really appreciate it!  Jake, Laura, Caleb and Jeff also came to visit.  It's so great to have such wonderful friends and family.  I have to admit that when we have visitors that we are not the quietest bunch around, but at least we are quiet by bedtime.  Last night I had to be "that person" who calls to complain about noise.  I got a new teenage neighbor yesterday and I think she decided to throw a party at midnight.  I gave them until 1am, but then I'd had enough.  I had to have the nurse get on to them (Makes me sound old, huh?).  They were quiet until about 3 am then they decided to party some more.  If I had something I could have thrown at the wall I would have!  So glad I brought ear plugs with me.  They came in very useful last night.  To say the least they are moving my wonderful neighbor to the other end of the hallway today.

I decided to entertain myself with my camera today...I thought you might enjoy some more picts!

I have deemed myself the official food critic of Harris Methodist Fort Worth

Lasagna...One of the finer 5 star meals at this establishment.  It's actually good.  I made a happy plate :-)

They are really good at making cookies here...I had to save one for Jason...he really likes them too!

The most reliable and healthiest meal.  I order it every day just in case I get mystery meat.  I am going to turn into a chef salad

For some reason I feel the need to hoard salad dressing...don't ask my why???

BELLY PICTS

I love taking pictures of my pregnant friends and thought I could recreate something with a self portrait.  They didn't turn out too bad for balancing a camera on a box of Apple Jacks and a bed tray!  I think the hospital bands add a nice touch :-)

...It won't let me upload the rest of these picts with the correct orientation so I will post them on my Facebook wall too.

Even the week before I was admitted to the hospital people kept saying "You don't even look pregnant"...My question to them is  Have I always looked like this?  If so I would hope a true friend would tell me.  I give you all permission to tell me if I look like this when I'm not pregnant!

Baby A...we will call him/her Bennett for now since no one has ever mentioned the word "Girl"...I think it's a boy until proven otherwise!

Baby B...Blake

One Week Down!

As of today I have been here a week.  So far it's not as bad as I thought it would be...it's a little boring, but boring is a good thing around here!

I have gotten the reputation of the patient with all the pillows.  I guess that's better than the crabby lady in 370.  I only had that title on Monday when I refused to do my 3 hour glucose tolerance test (GTT).  My doctor told me that he would wait a week from my last steroid shot to repeat the test since the steroids can make your glucose high.  To say the lease I was a little hacked that he ordered it 3 days early and then didn't say anything when he came in to see me in them morning.  I basically told the nurse to not even dare to bring it into my room until Thursday...I don't think they are use to people refusing to do things on this unit.  I just feel that I have to give myself the best opportunity to pass the test so I don't have to eat even crappier food for the next 2 months.  I see it as a quality of life thing...you can't take chocolate away from a pregnant woman, especially one trapped in a tiny room all day!  Since I will be taking the test tomorrow morning I am determined low carb today.  I don't know if it will make a ton of difference, but at least I will feel I did all that I could!  Keep your fingers crossed that I pass tomorrow and that they can get all 4 blood draws on the first attempt!

Yesterday was a great day!  I had a ton of visitors and they brought food!  It is so nice to see how your friends and family all come together when you need them.  It's great to just sit and laugh with everyone since we don't always make time for each other in our busy day to day lives.

The babies have been behaving during their monitoring sessions since the slight scare on Sunday.  Jason has a little talk with them everyday before he goes to work...I never thought I would have to tell them "Don't make me call your father" this soon!  We got a sonogram yesterday, but I think it was more for our entertainment.  It took all of 30 seconds and all the doctor said was they are breathing, moving (actually kicking each other) and there is still no fluid around baby A.

Overall it has been a good week...hopefully the next 7-10 weeks will be the same!

Caleb enjoying my pillows for a little dinner!  I hope our babies are half a good as him!

FYI...It's Not Time Yet!

This morning while they were monitoring the babies, Baby A decided to have some fun with the nurses.  His heart rate was in 100's-120's (they like it to be 140-160).  Let me tell you have fast they can move when they have to...I worry it may be a little fast and they may try to take the little guy before giving him a chance to stop goofing off.  They think that he may have had ahold of his own cord causing his heart rate to decrease.  After being on the monitor for about a hour with oxygen on he decided to behave and they decided that they would let him stay in.  Jason had a heart to heart with them just to let them know it's not time to come out!  They had better listen!

Before they hook me up to the monitor again Jason decided to go home and do all of my chores (laundry and food duty).  He is the best husband anyone could ask for!  He has stayed with me everyday since we got here and I know it kills him to leave because he doesn't want to miss anything.  My biggest fear is he is going to be at work and they are going to decide to have the babies without him.  They pride themselves on being able to have a baby out in 7 minutes around this place...that doesn't give anyone a chance to get here...I don't even know if that gives them a chance to knock me out!

Hopefully these babies will agree to stay in for quite a while longer...At this point they have a 51% chance of survival.  If I can make it until Friday they have a 70% chance of survival and then it keeps going up every week from there.  I'm just going to keep thinking VERY PREGNANT thoughts!

Not the Ritz!

After getting settled into my new home and routine I have determined it's not the Ritz!

The first 2 nights we were up and down all night, but last night we found out they are going to let me sleep from 11pm-6am without being disturbed :-)  The hospital is not the place you go for rest!  They come in twice a shift to listen to and monitor the babies, housekeeping comes once a day (usually during my morning nap), nutrition comes 3 times a day and the doctor comes in once...I'm a very busy girl!

Another bonus I got yesterday is I am allowed to walk in the hallway on the unit a few times a day...I never thought I would be so excited!

This morning they came in to listen to Baby A about 6:30am and he wasn't behaving as they wanted...I think he is just tired of being messed with and was running away from the monitor.  His heart rate was having more decelerations than what they like to see, but all is well for now.  He better get his act together!

Here are a few pictures of my new home and my fine cuisine (It's really not that bad)

That's my emergency stash of food in the right corner!

They must think I'm starving...I order as much food as will fit on a tray in case I don't like something!

The lovely view of Cook's ambulance bay...we got to pick our view.  It was this or a brick wall.  It wasn't a difficult choice!

Pizza...not too shabby.  Loaded with cheese, but yummie!

Beef enchiladas.  I thought they would be horrible, but I would get them again.  I give them a 6/10 :-)

This was by far the worst selection so far..."Carved Chicken Sandwich".  Literally a cold piece of chicken on wheat bread...that's it!  I just had to laugh when I saw it.  Thank goodness for emergency food!

So far things are going well.  We really like all of the staff and I am so glad to be here instead of Baylor Grapevine.  I think we made the right choice.  I am just keeping my fingers crossed we get to stay here quite a while longer...everyday someone is leaving the floor to have a baby, but I'm determined it won't be me for 8-10 more weeks!

Home Sweet Home

I moved into my new home yesterday...Harris Fort Worth.  I am in Jones Tower room 370.  So far the staff is WONDERFUL and the food is only half bad!

We started out at Dr. Tabor's office yesterday morning for our weekly checkup.  Baby A is measuring 1 pound 5 ounces and Baby B is measuring 1 pound 8 ounces.  While at Dr. Tabors office he changed his story about me being on "bedrest".  I think they get you in with their lies and then BAM...tell you the truth when you can't run!  A few weeks ago he said I could go down to the cafeteria or Starbucks while I'm here, and since I am scared I'm going to starve to death over the next 2 months I could go along with that deal.  Yesterday he put me on "bedrest with bathroom privileges" plus 2 wheelchair rides downstairs a day...YIPEE!

When I got to my room I was given a steroid shot to help the babies lungs mature.  I was actually looking forward to this in hopes that it would make my back feel better and  it did!  I get another one today and then I think we are done with those.  A few hours after the steroid shot I had to do the dreaded glucose tolerance test...it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and I made sure to chug water afterward in hopes I would pass...I failed by 3 points :-(  Later I saw the order in the computer to do the glucose test prior to the steroid shot and asked why.  Apparently the steroid shot can increase your glucose....gee thanks!  Now I get to do the 3 hour test next week after the steroids are out of my system.  For now I am still on a regular diet and I feel like I have to eat all the carbs in sight while I still can.  All of the nurses keep asking me why he is testing my glucose so early (they normally test at 28 weeks) and I have no idea.  I keep getting the feeling that he knows things he isn't telling us, but you have to know the exact right questions to get information out of him.  I guess at this point I am along for the ride.

For now things are going alright...I just keep praying that I don't get the label of Gestational Diabetes.  I LOVE carbs and I envision a pity party taking place if that happens!  I know it's not forever, but that would sure make it feel like a lot longer.  Guess we will just have to wait and see.

The Circle of Life

Jason and I went to our weekly doctors appointment on Monday afternoon and got to see our babies again...it never gets old!  Both babies are still growing, moving and had heart rates in the 150's (normal is 130-180).  Baby A still doesn't have any fluid around it, but at this point we really didn't expect it to.  I asked the sono tech to see if she could tell the gender of Baby A, but despite a diligent effort Baby A is still a mystery.  Dr. Tabor said that Baby A's chest still looks good and appears to have some good lung tissue developing.  There is enough room in his/her chest for lungs to develop at this point, which is the most we can ask for (besides that they stay in a while longer!).  Before we changed perinatologists over Christmas he told us that we were lucky to have twins if we were going to have a baby with ruptured membranes.  Apparently Baby B helps keep the weight of the uterus off of Baby A, which is giving it the best chance of not being "smushed" and developing correctly.

Baby A 22 weeks and 3 days...that's a foot up by it's cheek!

Baby A

Baby B 22 weeks and 3 days...I think he is going to look like Jason!

Baby B

Baby B

This is a MRI picture of Baby B that I came across the other day...Slightly creepy!

On another note we had Meme's funeral yesterday.  There is no other word to describe it other than beautiful!  She out lived most of her friends, but almost everyone that was dear to her heart was there.  The bagpiper was AMAZING and I think everyone should have one when they are laid to rest.  He brought a sense of peace, respect, and dignity to her graveside service.  I don't think there was a dry eye when he started to play amazing grace.



My dear friend Sarah was kind enough to be put to work to take some wonderful pictures for us...

Chapel service...it was too cold to have the entire service at grave side

We had to come up with 6 pallbearers on the fly and all of "her boys" stepped up.  All of these men truly cared about my Meme and she loved them dearly.  There is no one else I would have rather had carry her for the last time.

The bagpiper she always said she wanted.  We invited him to wait inside during her service, but he insisted on waiting outside for "the Queen and God".

This stands in the garden where my mom's family is buried...this is where she learned the Lord's Prayer while visiting her brother when she was young.

This is Ms. Georgeann.  She was Meme's final roommate at the nursing home and we were so grateful for her.  She would watch out for Meme and make sure she was okay.  We were so surprised to see he at the funeral...I think I have adopted her as my new grandmother...I just love her!

As life ends it begins again...Sarah said to me that she thinks my Meme left this world so my babies could enter it...I know if Meme was given that option she would have taken it.

Meme is Home

Not long after I posted last night Meme passed away at 5:20pm.  She went from having a normal heart rate and respirations and I looked up and noticed she was breathing very slow.  I went to her bedside and she didn't respond when I called her name.  I told my cousin to get our moms out of the hallway and as soon as she knew we were all in the room she took her last breath.  She made it look so easy.  She wasn't in pain, she didn't struggle to breath and she looked so comfortable...she just went to sleep, how we all hope to leave this world.  It's hard to be sad that she is gone since I know she is so happy now.  She is with her son Johnny who passed away at 10 years old.  I think he was there to take her home last night...she had a conversation with him a few hours before she passed.  She has missed him so much for the past 50 years.

Johnny

It's funny how the timing of things happen.  I am so thankful all of this happened before I go into the hospital in a week.  I would not have missed being with my Meme in her last moments for the world and if I did I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.  I was able to tell her as she took her last breath that I loved her, I thanked her for everything she had done for me and I told her to go watch after "her babies" as she calls them and make sure they get here safe and sound...all things I wanted to tell her and I'm glad I got the opportunity.

We went to the funeral home today to plan Meme's service for Tuesday.  All she has ever asked for is to wear white gloves, she hated the way her hands looked as she got older, and to have bag pipes played at her funeral...she will have both.

I have spent this evening looking for photos for a slide show for her viewing Monday evening and I can't help but smile at all of the wonderful times she has had.  Here are just a few pictures I found...

Meme as a baby

Meme and her husband Rufus

4 Generations of Mangum women...yes the cute baby is ME! :-)

Meme at her surprise 81st birthday...She loved roses

Meme at my wedding.  She worked so hard to make sure she was able to be there.

Meme at my cousin Meredith's wedding in March.  Meredith and Bryen got married in Meme's room at HEB hospital a week before the scheduled wedding so Meme could be there...at that time we weren't sure she would make it through surgery a few days later.

A picture of Meme from Meredith's wedding that we got from her photographer today.  He edited the photo to remove the tube from her nose and the hospital equipment from the background.  I know this had to take him quite a while.  It's such a nice surprise when people go above and beyond what is asked of them.  I love this picture of her.

Meme, you were the best grandmother anyone could ask for, we will miss you, but we are so happy that you are home.

Beloved MeMe

My sweet MeMe (grandmother) was admitted to the hospital last week for her PT/INR (the time it takes her blood to clot) being too long.  Generally this is a simple fix and we thought she would be out of the hospital in a few days.  While she was there she was diagnosed with a broken femur that happened at the nursing home a few days earlier while an aide was transferring her from her wheelchair to her bed.  They had to do a CT scan to diagnosis the fracture and while they were putting her in the scanner they caught her right upper arm between the scanner and the table and gave her a huge skin tear.  A few days later she started to develop abdominal pain and refused to eat or drink.  At this point we thought she was taking a turn for the worse and the physicians could not find a explination for her abdominal pain.  After all she went through last March and April with a intestinal blockage, a stay in the ICU intubated and awake, a long stay in a rehab facility and fighting C-Diff for 5 months we decided it wasn't fair to her to ask her to stay here with us any longer.  She has told us many times over the past few months that she is done here in this life and it has been evident that she is ready to go this time. 

My dear MeMe just a few days before Christmas

MeMe has been concerned about "her babies" the past few times I have seen her.  She always ask me if I am taking care of them and last night she told me to speed them up getting here.  The other day she wasn't completely with it (or maybe she was) and saw 2 red headed children...who knows maybe she got to meet them before the rest of us.  

Yesterday MeMe would wake up briefly and talk to you and today she sometimes opens her eyes when you talk to her.  She is taking a few drops of water every few hours, but is no longer eating.  She doesn't appear to be in pain despite her broken femur and has told us all many times that she loves us. 

Despite how hard her hospitalization was last March, I am thankful that I had that time to realize that she will not be with us forever.  I got to tell her how much she means to me and to thank her for putting up with me for so long.  I don't want her to go, but I am much more at peace with what is happening now than if it would have happened a year ago.  I believe these babies will have one more angel watching over them soon to make sure they get here safe, sound and not too early.

Our Bumpy Road

Now that I'm no longer allowed to work and will be admitted to the hospital for what I hope is at least 8 weeks, Jason and I thought we would keep our family and friends updated on what's going on with our family.  Here is a recap of all that's happened since September when we found out we were having TWINS!

On September 3rd Jason and I were so excited to discover we were having twins!  We were hoping for just one after a year of trying to start a family and being unsuccessful.  After one treatment of IUI (Intrauterine Insemination...aka turkey baster)  we were blessed with 2 little ones.  From the beginning one of the babies was significantly smaller than the other and at our 6 week ultrasound they told us that the smaller one may be a vanishing twin and may not be there when we came back in 2 weeks.  Of course we wanted both, but if God would still give us one baby we would be thrilled.  We went back at 8 weeks for another ultrasound and were so happy to see 2 babies with strong heart beats and growing on track.  We were in shock that we were going to have to buy 2 of everything and couldn't wait to get started.

6 week ultrasound picture

Babies 1st Picture

8 week ultrasound picture

Our 2 Peanuts!

November 4th (12 weeks and 6 days) is when the bumpy road really began...We went to our OB for the 12 week scan to test for Downs Syndrome...I didn't really care if they had Downs Syndrome or not, we only did it because they told us they may be able to tell the sex of the babies!  Immediately the sonographer noticed that baby A had low fluid and called the OB in to take a look.  For the first time we felt panic.  Both babies were growing on track, in fact baby B was about a week ahead of where he should be, and they both had strong heart beats.  They set us up to see the perinatologist (aka - High risk baby doctor) for a second opinion.

Baby A at 12 weeks and 6 days

This was the first picture I fell in love with...the first picture we got that looked like a baby!

Baby B at 12 weeks and 6 days

They think it's a BOY!

We went to see the perinatologist a few days later and felt much better after he told us that baby A had low fluid and that he wasn't too concerned.  He wanted to see us back in 3 weeks to make sure everything was ok.  Jason and I both breathed a sigh of relief. 

Baby B at 13 weeks and 3 days

Baby A at 13 weeks and 3 days



On November 22nd we went back to the OB for a follow up sonogram and were told that there was not much fluid around baby A.  The sonographer told us that baby A was curled up around itself and when babies do that it typically means that they aren't going to make it much longer.  We made a appointment to go see the perinatologist the next day hoping they would give us good news like they did on our last visit...they did not.  The perinatologist was able to find a 8mm pocket of fluid (they want to find pockets of 5cm of larger).  The baby was still growing on track and still had a strong heart beat.  The perinatologist was unable find a bladder or kidneys on baby A and told us that the baby would either die before it was born, or if it made it to birth it would die shortly there after.

This was the day I lost all hope.  I was in denial I was pregnant.  We had tried for so long to have a family and I felt that I had suffered enough heartbreak trying to get to this point to have it taken away.  I couldn't focus on the fact that I still had one healthy baby...all I could think about was I was going to carry a baby to delivery just to watch it die.

We continued to go to the perinatologist weekly.  At 16 weeks they still couldn't find kidneys or a bladder.  They were able to find a bladder on baby A at 17 weeks, which was our first ray of hope, but they still couldn't find more than 1cm of fluid.  They sent us for a MRI at 18 weeks to see if they could find any other cause for baby A's low fluid.  The radiologist was wonderful and went over the entire scan with us in detail.  Baby A had normal kidneys and bladder and was still growing on track.  The results of the MRI caused them to give baby A the diagnosis of premature rupture of membranes (PROM) seeing that there was nothing else that could be the cause of the low fluid.

MRI image of the twins

MRI image

So this brings us to today.  I am 21 weeks and 5 days and according to our perinatologist "everything is status quo".  It's now a waiting game.  They are going to admit me on January 19th to Harris Fort Worth until the babies are born, hopefully I will be there at least 8-10 weeks before they make their grand entrance.  They are admitting me since there is a increased risk for premature labor and infection.  If something happens they will be able to take the babies as soon as possible to give them the best chance for survival.  I have a feeling they are fighters and hopefully they are as stubborn as I am so they won't come too early!