Beautiful Chaos

I decided I had better quickly update this thing here while I had both the time and the presence of mind to do so. :)

The girls came into the world on Tuesday November 1st at 11:25 and 11:26 respectively. The surgery was not too bad. Because my belly was so large and in charge; however, they had to poke me EIGHT times for the spinal block. Eek is the word you are searching for because I can feel the holes left by the ginormas needle when I scratch my lower back... Other than that, the surgery went splendid and the result were gifts from heaven. Ruby was born 5 lbs 12 oz 18 1/2 in and Cadence was 5 lbs 8 oz 18 1/4 in. They both began to cry when they were pulled out of my belly Ruby by her backside and Cadence by a foot. :)

They did beautifully in the hospital and have been eating, nursing, pooping and sleeping well ever since. They passed all of their screenings and got a gold star each from our fabulous new pediatrician. They were the talk of the nursery and absolutely adored by all of the nurses. I couldn't have asked for higher praise or better care for my beautiful girls.

Me on the other hand... well I had to be the hard case. After the surgery, my blood pressure skyrocketed and I was moved for postpartum back to labor and delivery. I was put on a 24 hour cycle of Magnesium to protect me from having seizures from the high blood pressure, and the doctors let me know they believe I did in fact have toxemia during my pregnancy even though my symptoms while pregnant were mild. I had good pressures during the monitoring phase but had to stay in bed, catheterized and iv'ed, for two days. Let's just say my outlook on things was a bit bleakish. I was hormonal, overwhelmed, in mega pain, and trapped in a hospital bed. But like all things in life, these things only lasted for a season. I was able to go home on Friday night with my two sweetums and then the mothering fun began!

Our first night home was both wonderful and hard. I knew having a baby would be a challenge. I also assumed adding surgery and another baby to the mix would make things more... ahem... challenging. Last night was the hardest thing I have ever done. And I want the world to know that my husband is by the far the best man God ever made. He has been so helpful, supportive, proud, and caring. I love him so much and all this "difficulty" has shown me what an amazing family God has put together for me. I am awash with awe at how God loves me and has blessed me. I cannot praise nor thank Him enough.

Parenting for a night is hard, parenting for a lifetime is a challenging adventure... one I need to get back to right now! Pray for continued strength, development, and peace in our household. Pray for God's continued favor and blessing on our lives. Pray and don't stop because we Coopers (4) believe in the power of prayer and know that it is going to be the grease this wheel of a family needs to not just get by, but to thrive!

Love you all and I will be back with pics, and rants, and much more over the course of these girls' lives.

PS: I am almost positive there will be a breastfeeding twins rant up her pretty quick, so stay tuned!

Twinformation:
1. Ruby is baby A. She came into the world first. We call her Ruby Bright Eyes because she is always looking around and curious about the world around her. She is very much into routine. She enjoys nursing, staring at faces, and smiling when she poops.
2. Cadence is baby B. She was second in line to come out but only by a minute. We call her Cadence Sweet Cheeks because well... she has sweet cheeks! (Rocket Science, I know!) She is a winker/one eyer of the world. She enjoys pooping just after being changed, peeing on her father, being held, and making frowny faces between feedings.

36 Weeks Happy Birthday???

Well, 36 weeks is full term, and we all three made it here alive. ;) I am excited about my appointment tomorrow because we could have babies! :D But truthfully, my doctor and I would like the girls to wait till 38 weeks. In order for this to happen, my blood pressure must stay down. Please pray that tomorrow, my blood pressure will be normal and my checkup a peaceful one.

BUT if God wants my girls here this week, so be it. I can't wait to love on them, and am praying that they both are strong, healthy, and ready when the time comes to meet us all.

I have been very anxious about them coming, but today I prayed that God's will be done in all three of our lives. He knows when the time is right, and I truly believe that He is watching, caring, and working on our behalf. I was also way nervous about the c-section but have prayed and received His peace there, too. God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. Amen!

If you have time, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, it has been a long wait to get to the girls' birthday, and I know I am not the only one anxious about their arrival. We are shooting for November, but prepared for Monday! Sounds like a plan to me. :)

It's the Final Countdown! (Insert 80's guitar solo)

Well here we all are together at week 34. Babies and womb room are intact and growing exponentially each week. I am measuring 10 weeks ahead so my belly is a whopping 44 weeks preggo. I have now been notified that I appear to be pregnant with more than one baby or about to pop which I believe truly go hand in hand.

I am surprisingly not miserable aside from hellishly hot heartburn (alliteration at its best :D) and not being comfortable when lying on my back at all. My blood pressure has for the moment decided to cooperate with our 38 week goal and was 130/74 today at the doctor's. I have gained 3 lbs this week to make a total 22 lb total gained for the pregnancy so far. If I make it to 38 weeks, I should gain around 27+ lbs total. (My doctor assures me this is good, excellent even since it is twins. But what voluptuous woman wants to hear she has gained nearly 30 lbs?)

My doctor also let us know today to be prepared to have the babies at any time now. :S I am ready to love and squeeze and kiss every inch of my two sweet lumplings; however, I am also starting to realize that while they are contained for the time being, I am dangerously close to them wanting to find a way out... This my dearest friends is a frightening concept indeed.

Right now both girls are breech, which in MTMC (Our hospital) speak means C-section. Have I mentioned that I have never been to a hospital before, never had surgery, never experienced anesthesia, never had anything removed from my body or any holes/openings cut other than getting my ears and nose pierced? It will be thrilling to say the least. :) I am staying positive by prayer and meditation on the end result: TWO amazing babies to love. :)

So until these two decide to take the first train out of my belly, I will be here on the couch sewing birds, reading books, and staying pregnant. Here is to the next 4 weeks! (Hopefully)

Twinformation: (resource is cited from personal experience)

1. Did you know that you can get carpal tunnel and tendinitis of the wrists from being preggo and the resulting swelling? Me, either. But you can. I now am the proud owner of two wrist braces and some very sore thumbs. :)

2. I had no idea that one could get heartburn from eating such innocent appearing foods such as watermelon, lettuce, and of course the infamous milk... But once again, I have been educated otherwise. You can get heartburn from anything when pregnant with twins because your stomach is literally squished against the outer right side of your abdomen. So close to the exterior of you body in fact, that you can hear me digesting in the next room! It is both fascinating and embarrassing.

Off to Beddy Bye Rest...

Here is an update for the ages.

We went to the doctor last Monday and my blood pressure was high. (153/89) They ran some blood work and other gross labs involving a jug, a toilet cup, and 24 hours of gross funneling, and put me on restrictive bed rest for a week. Not too tedious, but not a blast either.

I was scheduled to come in again on this Tuesday to get checked again. My blood pressure was still higher (158/110) and my doc sent me over to labor and delivery for more blood work (5 vials), more tests, steroid shots, some heavy duty heart rate monitoring for the girls and an hour and a half of blood pressure monitoring for yours truly. This was my very first time in a hospital... and my very first experience with a hospital gown. Exciting times, Josh has plenty of ammo to use to embarrass me later in life.

So after being monitored, bled, injected, and squeezed, everything came back clean and copacetic (My blood pressure fell back down to 125/62). I am headed to the doctor again tomorrow to get my blood pressure checked again to make sure that the bed rest is helping keep it at a nice level. We are sincerely hopeful that it will be lower.

I hope it is working because I am not mentally prepared for babies to be here or NICU time for the girls, yet. In all honesty, the babies need to bake for at least 4 more weeks. I know that is a lot of couch surfing, and crafting/updating my blog, but I am willing to do it to get fully done buns. :)

So, please continue to pray for my health and well being, as well as my sanity. But mostly pray for the girls' growth and development, that they will get all the growing time they need and will come into this world ready to be loved and cared for by Josh and me.

Twinformation:

1.Twins are on average 2lbs lighter than singleton babies

2. Signs of Twins- You should suspect twins if:

You became pregnant using in vitro or fertility drugs.

You have a family history of fraternal twins.

You have a ravenous appetite...day and night!

You are large for dates during prenatal appointments.

Note: +/- 2 centimeters is considered within normal limits and is - usually - no cause for concern.

Rapid or faster than usual weight gain.

Unexplained anemia develops

You feel baby moving "everywhere"

Hearing two distinct heartbeats

Feeling a crease in the fundus - top of the uterus - on palpation which would imply two bags are present.

An ultrasound confirms two babies

Third Trimester Trials

It has been some time since my last update because I have been busy with school and such. We had our appointment on last Monday. The girls are large and in charge. Ruby weighed 2 lbs 9 oz and Cadence weighed 2 lbs 11 oz. They were adorable on the monitor, and each one was right on track.

I have been seeing stars and having some throbbing in the back of my head since coming back to work. According to my doctor, my blood pressure has been borderline apparently throughout my my pregnancy. Now that I am in my third trimester, I have a higher risk of it continuing to climb. My doctor said with close monitoring, she would put me on bed rest if it continues to go up...

Other third trimester fun includes but is not limited to:
*swollen legs and feet at the end of each day
*dull persistant headaches
*congestion
*waddling, no seriously... :)
*tummy stretching and pulling
*painful joints and pelvis
*insomnia

Good news is that the girls are moving and turning so much. It is very sweet to feel them swimming and snuggling in there. I cannot wait to meet them both!

The doctor also said at our appointment that she would be surprised if I made it to 38 weeks. It looks like these two ladies are going to be October babies after all. :)

Please continue to pray for the health of the girls and myself. I am ready to be a mommy, but want the girls to get good and golden brown in there first. :)

Twinformation:
1. Nearly 25 percent of the twins born today are not expected until days or moments before their births.
2. The twin birth rate has increased 70 percent in the past 25 years.

Wait... 6 months?

Well the summer has flown by for this teacher/preggo. I spent a lot of it prepping the house for babies and cleaning, but most of it- well I spent that sleeping. I haven't updated since my last appointment, so I will do a quick run through for those of you keeping track.

We had an appt. on July 8. We met with the office's NP because my doctor was out of town. She was so nice(insert touchy feelie). She reviewed my prior blood work and tests with me. Then she prepped me for my next appt. with the dreaded glucose test... We will find out at our appointment tomorrow if I have Gestational Diabetes. Here is hoping for a resounding no. She gave both of our sweet girls an A+ and me one as well. So far, so good.

The grumpy Ultrasound tech seems to be my lot in life. :) However, she was really personable on this visit; Josh says she must be a morning person since our appt was a 8:00 AM. She was able to get the images she needed to complete the anatomy scan, and everything looked right on track.

I haven't been suffering too much in my second trimester. I haven't been as hungry(no room in there), uber tired though if I over exert myself, and getting rounder by the day. I can feel the girls kicking and swimming most of the time now. It is both strange and beautiful. I can't help but smile to myself when they move. It is a real surprise when one is kicking down, and the other is elbowing up.

I am officially 6 months pregnant, which is scary because it all seems in hyper speed. Only 14 short weeks till my girls get here... amazing. :) My family threw us a baby shower this summer. We received so many great gifts, good advice, and lots of love and support. Josh and I both were overwhelmed with it all, so many good people in our lives. There are still somethings we "need", but I am believing that they will trickle in little by little.

We have painted the nursery but haven't really begun to decorate it. I sorted all the gifts, and soon will begin washing tiny clothes. :) We are forging ahead with our plan to breast feed and cloth diaper the girls. I know that this will be an adventurous undertaking. But I am all for adventure.

I feel like this update is a tiny bit random, but my mind is split between babies and school. We go back tomorrow to set up my classroom. I am excited about a new year, but also wary of troubles that may come from working while expecting. I am hoping my strength holds out. I am hoping my memory holds out. I am hoping I can do my best for both my babies, and the ones in my classroom. (More to come on this topic for sure!)

Here is to the last trimester, and the sweet day I'll hold my Ruby and Cadence. I am already singing them lullabies. I can't wait to kiss their noses and toeses. :)

Twinformation:
1. Twin fetuses start playing at 14 weeks!
Examining 3D ultrasound images of five pairs of in-utero twins, a team at the University of Padova, Italy, found that fetuses started deliberately interacting at 14 weeks, reaching out and touching each other through the uterine wall. By 18 weeks, they spent more time stroking each other than themselves, and were equally careful when touching their co-twin's sensitive eye areas. The results are "astonishing," says Jean-Philippe Rivière at Doctissimo. At 14 weeks, "they were already socializing with their sibling in the womb."

2.If you separate identical twins, they still end up similar!
Surveying decades of twin research, George Mason University economist Bryan Caplan found the "most prominent conclusion" to be that "practically everything — health, intelligence, happiness, success, personality, values, interests — is partly genetic." We may latch on to the parenting-centric ideas of "Tiger Mom" Amy Chua, says Helen Rumbelow in The Australian. But the dozens of rigorous studies on separated-at-birth twins is much more persuasive than "Chua's sample of one": As adults, even separated twins are "very similar on almost every count."

Babies"R"Us - Baby Registry

Babies"R"Us - Baby Registry
Click the hyper link above to see all my hard work!
The mighty registry.... It took me days to research what other twin mommas say are a must, poll my friends and family for their faves, and edit my registry at least 12 dozen times, but here is the bulk of the many items we are asking for our sweet twinsies. :) I am amazed at the sheer volume of things a baby "needs"... Then of course a few items, you multiply by two. Needless to say I am overwhelmed, but hopeful that our sweet children will have all the love they need, so I am not too concerned about all the stuff! But as my momma says, "It doesn't hurt to ask, now does it. "

You will note in my registries that we are planning on attempting cloth diapering and of course breast feeding! I am super excited about both of these endeavors and plan to keep you all posted on the highs and lows involved with attempting these noble task with twins!

Enjoy perusing the list and laughing with me at several of the amounts of things recommended.


Think that list was long? Take yourself a look-see at the other two registries I have over at target and babybedding.com. They can be found at the following links: https://www.target.com/registry/baby/GBCF2GP90G4C/guestview
and http://www.babybedding.com/registry/333491JSCP


Enjoy!

Twinformation:
1. A 19th Century peasant woman bore 69 children to peasant Feydor Vasilet. She had 4 sets of quadruplets, 7 sets of triplets, and 16 twins. (EGAD! You would think that they would figure out how that keeps happening!)

2. William Shakespear was the father of boy/girl twins. Hamnet & Judith and he also wrote about twins in The Comedy of Errors and Twelfth Night. (Hamnet Shakespeare... What a name!)

Reveling in the Big Reveal :)

A week ago today, we went to visit the doctor for the anatomy scan ultra sound and an update on my blood work. I was of course all worked up prior because I tend to take a huge amount of responsibility for how the babies are growing. This month I have been eating well and getting some rest, but I did have a few headaches and some congestion, but nothing serious.

When we got there, we found out that we got the grumpy tech again. She's a real Debbie Downer, but I know that she is really fantastic at her job, which is of course what we are paying her for. :)

The anatomy scan took forever! She took measurements of the head, brain, heart, all the organs, spine, legs, arms, and then she let us know what we are having. She wasn't able to get some spine measurements on Baby A or some of the heart measurements on Baby B (because they were so wiggly and it had already been an hour!!!), so we will have an abbreviated anatomy scan on our next visit, July 8th.

According to the doctor, our two babies are growing well. She said that they are both still measuring right on schedule. They had strong heartbeats and were wiggling and playing in there throughout our entire visit. :) According to their measurements the twins are measuring at a 4% difference, which is well within the normal range. Baby A weighs 7 oz. and Baby B weighs 6 oz. All the other measurements were minimally different. :) My blood work came back great:), no deficiencies, not anemic, etc. So HOO_RAH!


We also found out at this visit that we are having two girls!!! :) We are going to name them Ruby Elisabeth and Cadence Eloise. We are very excited and can't wait to see how beautiful they will be. :)

I am still praying each day that they will grow and develop the way they are supposed to and that I will not only have a healthy pregnancy, but an uncomplicated and safe delivery. Please join me in praying for Ruby and Cadence. I know that the Lord works all things together for the good of those that love Him. And I also know that I don't have to be fearful of bad news because my heart is steadfast and trusting in the Lord; He is faithful!!!


Twinformation:
1. The typical chance of having twins is about 1 in 80, the chance of having identical twins, about 1 in 250.

2. Up to 22% of twins are left-handed. In the general populace, only 10% are left-handed.

Baby Appt part Deux

It has been a week since my second appointment, and I have just now sat down to update... Prolly tell tell of things to come. :)

We had our 2nd prenatal visit on the 13th. I was scheduled for an ultrasound, short break and then some blood work. I was nervous about this appointment because I had read an article on vanishing twin syndrome sometime after my last visit. I was heartbroken that we may have told everyone about our sweet babies to be, and then could lose one. So I asked my momma, and she gave me a verse! Here it is:
They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. Psalms 112:7-8

So, I began praying this, and it put my heart at rest. We arrived early to our visit and waited to be called. The ultrasound tech this time was so friendly and helpful and excited that I felt completely at ease. And guess what, there were still two beautiful, healthy, happy, moving like crazy babies in my womb-room. :) I loved every moment of watching them dance, wiggle, suck their thumbs, etc. It was awe inspiring to see how God creates a life through us and in us, and then tends it and nurtures it so that it so quickly grows, I was in complete heaven!!! BTW our twinsies are definitely fraternal. :) Two very separate sacs, two placentas, which mean two eggs were fertilized. It also means that this is the lowest risk twin pregnancy there is. Praise Jesus!

Afterwards, Josh and I had lunch at Mimi's, insert YUMMY! Then back to the doctor for blood work. :) That part was quick, and then Josh and I had a long relaxing weekend. :)

Since my appt, I have had a crazy busy week at school. The year is almost over and there is so much stuff to do! But we'll get there. I am looking forward to a summer of getting ready for these babies, and resting as much as I can. Speaking of which, I think it is time for a nap! :)


Twinformation:
The average weight of twins at term is about 5.5 lbs
It is a myth that fraternal twins skip a generation.

Twins, Twice as Nice?

Today I am twelve weeks, effectively tucking my first trimester in the past. :) This first section of my pregnancy has been filled with sleep, eating, studying, and cleaning in hopes of preparing for my two beautiful babies.

In the sleep department, I have been getting nearly 11 hours a day, and if I don't... then I definitely pay for it the next day. I am still working, so when getting home around 4 o'clock, I nap for a good 2-3 hours. Then its up to eat yet again, and to bed around 9, earlier if I can swing it.

In the studying arena, I am reading:

This book has some high hopes and great rest/nutritional advice for folks with more than one baby. I highly recommend it to help study up on the risk, requirements, and rewards of having a multiple pregnancy.

In the eating division, well I have been eating like mad. I eat 6 meals a day. According to my book, I need to get 3,700 calories a day as well as nearly 175g of protein a day. Now these are pretty grandiose goals. I am attempting to get close to these, but I can only chew so much, and somethings don't settle well. So far I have found, that I can't eat peanut butter or drink orange juice. As far as cravings... bagels with cream cheese, mac and cheese, and hot sauce. :)

As far a cleaning, we are spring cleaning our house by emptying closets, organizing rooms, and donating mountains of stuff we don't need. So that has been fun. :S

My pregnancy so far has been hassle free. I have only been sick 3 times. I have nausea, and some heartburn, but it hasn't been too bad. I feel very blessed that it has been so easy. The doctor said that I should feel fortunate that I haven't been more sick since twins can double the amount of morning sickness in some mothers. I told her that I have been pretty hormonal my entire life... so I think my body is well adjusted. ;)

I am very excited to wave goodbye to my first trimester, and I am also very expectant for the coming fun in my second. Please continue to keep us in your prayers and thoughts, as we go to our second appointment on the 13. We want good news and healthy size and development for our two bundles of joy. :)


Twinformation:
Fraternal twins run in families. Identical twins are a fluke of nature.
Once you've had fraternal twins, you are 3 to 4 times more likely to have another set!

Babies, Babies Everywhere...

We went to our first appointment on Thursday, April 14th. I had a very relaxed pregnancy up until this first Dr.'s visit. I took a pregnancy test twice with immediate results 4 days before my missed cycle. We were pregnant. I chose a Dr., made an appointment, and here we were. No nausea, no cramps, only a little spotting early at about 5 weeks due to... well kiddos ask your parents. ;)

The Doc seemed very pleased with my pregnancy, and right before we left, she asked if I wanted to have an ultrasound to put my mind at ease about the spotting. I naturally said, "OF COURSE!" I really couldn't wait to see the baby.

We got into the dark room, classical music playing, and let me tell you... ultrasounds are much more, invasive than they show you on television. So I'm lying there, trying to make sense of the weird pictures, trying to look comfortable while being poked and prodded in awkward places, and the tech turns to me and says, "There are two babies in there." Just like that. No preparation, kind joke, gentle nudge, just blunt unreserved truth. I was not believing it! I thought this must be the joke that all ultrasound techs play on new mothers, but she would have no joking. She looked at me sternly and said, "There are TWO babies. Look."

And you'll never guess what, there were. :) Two babies. Josh left the office puffed up like a parrot and me... well I just kept saying, "Dear God, dear God, there are TWO!"


Well that sure does explain my lack of weight loss! ;) SO, I am officially converting this blog to a babies watch blog. Join my journey, give me advice, pray for sanity, celebrate the awesomeness of a God that can not only make life happen, He can believe enough in us to trust us with it's care.

To the mini van!


TWINFORMATION:
Twin pregnancy is considered full term at 36 weeks and 3 days.