Our Little Litter

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My last post was when the babies were 9 days old.  I'm not sure when I found time to write...pretty impressive.  Right now I am typing with one hand, feeding Wyatt with the other (Yes I have perfected the one handed feed) and Olivia is asleep on the couch.  Evan just left for work and I was feeling like I needed some time to express feelings about the past few months. These three months have flown by.  I don't think so in the minute when the babies are crying at the same time and I'm counting the seconds until Evan gets home from work, but looking back, it's a blur.  A big happy, stressful, exciting blur. We have had a lot of visitors intermittently which has been incredibly helpful.  Visitors are wonderful but every time someone says "we're here to see the babies and help with the babies, don't plan anything or do anything different."  I still put pressure on myself to do my best to make sure our visitors have a good time in San Diego and get out

I don't even know where to begin writing this post.  The babies are 9 days old now, and they are sooooo wonderful!  Their little personalities are already emerging, Evan and I are having the best time getting to know them.  Yes we are struggling with sleep deprivation, but Evan and I make a great team, we split the work as much as possible.  I am learning how to get ahead while the babies sleep so that I am not frantic when they wake up at the same time and both need to be fed, changed, burped and held. Wyatt is having a hard time learning to breastfeed.  He latches on for a minute or two, but seems to not like having to do all that "sucking" work.  He prefers the bottle where the liquid basically drips into his mouth unless he pulls it out faster.  We practice with the breast, then I pump so he gets my milk and we supplement with formula. Olivia has no problem breastfeeding, she would be latched to my boob all day if she could.  Timing seems to be the challenge at

It's getting around that time when labor is just around the corner.  I'm waiting for the second my water breaks.  I would like my water to break and to go into labor when the babies feel the timing is right, but the doctor's feel it is best to get the babies out no later than July 31st.  I guess I'm ok with that though because "uncomfortable" doesn't even begin to describe how I feel. I have about 2-4 appointments each week now and for the most part they are going well.  On Monday I went in for my regular antepartum testing, and was scared to see that Wyatt's heart rate was decelerating instead of accelerating.  The nurse watched this go on for 20 minutes and she became increasingly agitated.  I could tell that was not normal, but did not know the urgency of the matter. The nurse ripped off the long sheet of paper print out showing the heart rates and ran out to consult with a doctor.  When she came back she had a wheel chair and another nurse and

As you know, I go to Alta Bates hospital twice a week for quick testing to make sure everything is on track.  Well last Thursday I went in and the nurse got me all hooked up.  I had been having contractions all morning, but they felt pretty normal to me.  painful contractions but they were irregular.  From repeat visits and my control issues, I have forced the nurses to teach me what all the numbers on the screen mean and how to read the scribbly print out that they read.  So I'm sitting there watching my contractions show up on the print out and seeing the babies heart rates go out of control.  On top of that I can feel both babies inside me bouncing around like they're avoiding hot coals. The babies heart rates are supposed to be in the 140's with regular spikes into the 160's that last about 15 seconds per spike.  On this day, the kids heart rates were in the 160's-170's and were spiking into the 180's, which is way too high.  Between that and my contra

I will keep this post short.  There is not much to report except that the babies are doing wonderful.  I go to Alta Bates twice a week where they hook me up to a dopplar that listens to babies heartbeats and one that measures my contractions.  Their heartbeats are strong time after time, and my braxton hicks (fake) contractions are happening frequently.  Below is a picture of how they strap on the dopplar to listen to babies. All hooked up listening to babies heartbeats Just in the past couple of days my real contractions have gotten stronger, more painful and more frequent.  I was up much of last night dealing with them.  The doctor says if drinking water and laying down helps soothe them then I am ok, and not in labor.  Once they get to be regular and don't go away then I'll get myself to the hospital.  I am also starting to swell more than normal these days.  I can't wear my rings anymore, and my feet only fit into certain shoes.  Not fair, I like to accessorize an

I am escaping the summer heat by posting up at a coffee shop with ginger iced tea to write this.  Our apartment is a sweat box, I just can't cool down there. It's been a big couple of weeks!  Renee, Evan's mom came to visit for a few days, we had a couple of doctor appointments and I had a new patient meeting with a pediatrician we are thinking about choosing. It was great to have Renee out for a few days.  I am at a point in the pregnancy where the weight, discomfort and fatigue limit my ability to be out and about.  Therefore, entertaining is not my strong suit, but Renee was great about enjoying a slower pace with me while Evan was at work. Unfortunately the morning that Renee arrived, Eugene was in a cycling accident that resulted in him fracturing a hip and having to head into surgery to get a replacement hip.  Luckily Aimee and Lucas were around to help in addition to a huge outpouring of support that Eugene got from his cycling group and friends.  Still it coul

This is my first full week of not being a student, not being an intern, not being an employee,but rather taking care of myself and being a stay at home pregnant woman.  I have cleaned the apartment about 25 times (and it still doesn't feel clean enough).  I go for walks, groom the cats, grocery shop, cook, read books, stretch, volunteer with the twins group we belong to, and meet friends for coffee dates.  Part of me is loving the free time, and part of me is going crazy.  Being busy with one, if not two jobs, plus going to school is manageable and for me and is what I know how to do.  This "relaxation" as they call it, is new territory for me, I'm almost afraid to enjoy it, and I'm sure Evan is dreading the day I say "Babe, I'm not sure I want to go back to work, maybe I should stay home with the kids."  Don't worry, it's not in my blood to not be working :) One of the things I am enjoying the most is reading a book called Trauma Stewardsh