The babies are all doing great! No big changes lately, Abby came off of her PICC line the day the boys did, which surprised us since we thought it would be a few days later. The plan is to try and get all babies off of their CPAPs this coming week. The doc says its not unusual for them to need to go back on them, but they want to see if they can go without it. I think Allie and Corbin may do okay without it, but I'm not sure about Abby and Carson, they are a little behind the other 2 in the breathing department. I can't wait to fully see their beautiful little faces! The babies all have heart murmurs, but the murmurs are not effecting anything else, so they are leaving them be. The doc says they are sounding better and will probably resolve on their own.
The babies are getting bigger and packing on the pounds (well, ounces) slowly but surely! Here are their 3 week weights:
Abby-3 pounds 2 ounces (up 12 ounces from birth weight)
Allie- 3 pounds 7 ounces (up 10 ounces from birth weight)
Corbin- 3 pounds 14 ounces (up 1 pound 1 ounce from birth weight)
Carson- 3 pounds 10 ounces (up 15 ounces from birth weight)
To me they look so different and they look chubbier to me, but I know to everyone else they still look like tiny, skinny little things! I will get some new pictures up with the next post.
We asked the doctor a few days ago what to expect as far as when we might know if the babies will have any long term disabilities. He told us that with the way our babies are doing and how they are acting, that we should have a very low concern for any long term major issues. I instantly cried upon hearing that, those are definitely some of the best words I have ever heard in my entire life! We of course know that there is still a chance of long term problems just because they were so premature, but just to hear him give us that hope was amazing!!
Larry has started putting together the babies cribs and other furniture. He just had to start doing it, because if it were up to me, I probably would have waited until the day before one was coming home. It's been a hard thing for me to transition from being so scared that I would not come home with 4 babies, to probably coming home with 4 babies! I'm still a little nervous about it all, but I need to get over it and just get everything ready for my sweet little ones, because they will be home before we know it! Ella has been a big girl giving up her bedroom to the baby girls (I wanted both nurseries to be side by side for convenience), and she is moving down the hall to the bedroom by the playroom. She is excited to get a new big girl room, now to figure out how we are going to decorate it for her!
So it's looking like we may just have feeders/growers on our hands, thank you LORD for that! Some days I just can not believe how incredibly blessed and lucky we are. Our story could be SO vastly different, and why God chose us to have all 5 of our beautiful children I will probably never know, but I am so thankful that He did. I never thought I wanted more than 2 or 3 children, but now, I can't imagine our life any other way. It will get crazy around here, but I can't wait!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Cue the mommy guilt
I think it's seriously going to eat me alive. I was okay the first week or so, even though it was so hard to see my tiny babies fighting for their lives, I was also just so relieved and thankful that they were doing better than I had expected. Once everything calmed down a bit, it just started hitting me. If I could have just carried them a couple weeks longer. Or a week. Or just anything more. Or maybe if I would have done something different, maybe I could have stayed pregnant longer. If I would have asked for more help with Ella in the beginning, maybe my cervix wouldn't have shortened so quickly. There are just a million and one scenarios that go through my head on a regular basis. Throughout my pregnancy I prepared myself for the worse case scenarios but hoped and prayed for the best. I am glad that I did that, because now that things are better than what I expected, I really do believe that it is easier for me to deal with. But that still doesn't make it easy to see my babies the way that they are. I am angry at my body. I am angry that I couldn't get pregnant, and then even worse, I couldn't carry them longer. LOGICALLY, I know I did what I could, but emotionally it just doesn't matter. These are our babies, and I just want them to be okay. I don't think I will ever be able to forgive myself if they are not. They are doing so good but I am just so scared something is going to sneak up on us out of no where. Okay, I am done venting now... it feels good to just let that out, hopefully I will find a way to manage all of it soon before I end up in a mental institution. ;) Onto some better and more positive news....
Like I mentioned above, the babies are doing so well! They have all gained back to their birth weight and past it. They are all having the typical preemie A's & B's (apnea which is when they stop breathing, and bradycardia which is where their heart rates drop really low), but they are starting to recover from them themselves instead of having to be stimulated, which is a good thing!
Abby is going backwards a bit here lately, but as I have been told, this whole NICU thing is a one step forward two steps back deal. Her CPAP settings had to be bumped from a 6 to an 8 (the smaller the number the better, 5 is as low as they set it), and she had to go up a bit on her oxygen and is at about 25% (21% is room air). She was having a little more trouble with her feeds, her residuals (milk left in her belly after a feed) were almost the whole feeds, so they changed her feeds from every 3 hours to 6. She did better with that, so now they are trying her on every 4 hours. Fingers crossed that she does well with that so she can go back to every 3. Our big thing right now is getting them to full feeds for their weights so that their PICC lines can come out. We want the PICC lines out to lower their risk of infection, and also for the obvious reason of there being one less tube/wire/line to mess with and worry about! Her head ultrasound came back clean for brain bleeds which is awesome! Even though she is lagging behind her brothers and sister, she is a feisty little thing and she is going to be the BOSS out of the bunch!
Allie is doing great! She is doing the best out of all of our babies. She is the only one who didn't need intubated for a dose of surfactant in the beginning. Her CPAP is on a 6 and she is on room air. She is up to full feeds which I believe are 23cc every 3 hours, they base them off of their weight. Her lipids, TPN, and PICC line (IV) got to be discontinued yesterday, and that makes us really happy! Her head ultrasound also came back clean for any brain bleeds, woohoo! She is also super feisty like her sister (both of them!), it is amazing the cries they can put out being so tiny!!
Corbin is doing great as well, he is our little chunker (well, in his own little preemie way!) and yesterday was up to 3 pounds 3 ounces! His CPAP is also on a 6 and he is on room air mostly but occasionally requires a bump up to 22-23% oxygen. He also got to have his lipids, TPN, and PICC line discontinued today, which means he is up to full feeds as well! His head ultrasound did show a grade 1 brain bleed, but this is the least severe bleed, and as long as it doesn't get worse we should be in good shape. They will do a follow up ultrasound in a few weeks. He is more laid back than the other babies, and he cries the least. I think he is going to be a lot like Larry, just chill and won't let much bother him. He loves to lay all stretched out, he is happy to have some room finally!
Carson is also doing well. CPAP setting of 6 and he is on about 23% oxygen. He also is up to full feeds and got to get his lipids and TPN discontinued as well as his PICC line today. He also has a grade 1 brain bleed, but just like Corbin's, if it doesn't get worse it should be okay. I can already tell that he is going to be a big Momma's boy. I can't explain it, I just feel it! And heaven forbid if the boy has a wet or dirty diaper, he totally freaks out!
I am so proud of them, they are doing so great right now. So is Ella, she is just taking it all so well and she loves being a big sister! The nurse told her she was a princess yesterday (which she usually calls herself a princess all the time), and she told her "No, I not a princess, I'm a big sister!'. Lol. But we will see how she does when they come home, I'm afraid it will be a whole new ballgame then! She does get a tad jealous. She did really well while I held Corbin yesterday, and she sat by me and talked to him. But as soon as we put him back in the bed, she wanted to be rocked like a tiny baby. Haha But that's okay, more snuggles for me!
We really appreciate continued prayers for our little fighters. Unfortunately things could change at anytime, but we are hoping and praying that they continue on the road they are on. A million times a day we thank our lucky stars that they are doing so well. It's so amazing how a mommy's heart (and daddy's!) can hold SO much love! We are so extremely blessed!
Like I mentioned above, the babies are doing so well! They have all gained back to their birth weight and past it. They are all having the typical preemie A's & B's (apnea which is when they stop breathing, and bradycardia which is where their heart rates drop really low), but they are starting to recover from them themselves instead of having to be stimulated, which is a good thing!
Abby is going backwards a bit here lately, but as I have been told, this whole NICU thing is a one step forward two steps back deal. Her CPAP settings had to be bumped from a 6 to an 8 (the smaller the number the better, 5 is as low as they set it), and she had to go up a bit on her oxygen and is at about 25% (21% is room air). She was having a little more trouble with her feeds, her residuals (milk left in her belly after a feed) were almost the whole feeds, so they changed her feeds from every 3 hours to 6. She did better with that, so now they are trying her on every 4 hours. Fingers crossed that she does well with that so she can go back to every 3. Our big thing right now is getting them to full feeds for their weights so that their PICC lines can come out. We want the PICC lines out to lower their risk of infection, and also for the obvious reason of there being one less tube/wire/line to mess with and worry about! Her head ultrasound came back clean for brain bleeds which is awesome! Even though she is lagging behind her brothers and sister, she is a feisty little thing and she is going to be the BOSS out of the bunch!
Allie is doing great! She is doing the best out of all of our babies. She is the only one who didn't need intubated for a dose of surfactant in the beginning. Her CPAP is on a 6 and she is on room air. She is up to full feeds which I believe are 23cc every 3 hours, they base them off of their weight. Her lipids, TPN, and PICC line (IV) got to be discontinued yesterday, and that makes us really happy! Her head ultrasound also came back clean for any brain bleeds, woohoo! She is also super feisty like her sister (both of them!), it is amazing the cries they can put out being so tiny!!
Corbin is doing great as well, he is our little chunker (well, in his own little preemie way!) and yesterday was up to 3 pounds 3 ounces! His CPAP is also on a 6 and he is on room air mostly but occasionally requires a bump up to 22-23% oxygen. He also got to have his lipids, TPN, and PICC line discontinued today, which means he is up to full feeds as well! His head ultrasound did show a grade 1 brain bleed, but this is the least severe bleed, and as long as it doesn't get worse we should be in good shape. They will do a follow up ultrasound in a few weeks. He is more laid back than the other babies, and he cries the least. I think he is going to be a lot like Larry, just chill and won't let much bother him. He loves to lay all stretched out, he is happy to have some room finally!
Carson is also doing well. CPAP setting of 6 and he is on about 23% oxygen. He also is up to full feeds and got to get his lipids and TPN discontinued as well as his PICC line today. He also has a grade 1 brain bleed, but just like Corbin's, if it doesn't get worse it should be okay. I can already tell that he is going to be a big Momma's boy. I can't explain it, I just feel it! And heaven forbid if the boy has a wet or dirty diaper, he totally freaks out!
I am so proud of them, they are doing so great right now. So is Ella, she is just taking it all so well and she loves being a big sister! The nurse told her she was a princess yesterday (which she usually calls herself a princess all the time), and she told her "No, I not a princess, I'm a big sister!'. Lol. But we will see how she does when they come home, I'm afraid it will be a whole new ballgame then! She does get a tad jealous. She did really well while I held Corbin yesterday, and she sat by me and talked to him. But as soon as we put him back in the bed, she wanted to be rocked like a tiny baby. Haha But that's okay, more snuggles for me!
We really appreciate continued prayers for our little fighters. Unfortunately things could change at anytime, but we are hoping and praying that they continue on the road they are on. A million times a day we thank our lucky stars that they are doing so well. It's so amazing how a mommy's heart (and daddy's!) can hold SO much love! We are so extremely blessed!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Welcome to the world, Abby, Allie, Corbin, and Carson!
This past week has been a huge whirlwind, and I am a little late updating (of course!), but we welcomed our sweet babies into this world last Friday, April 20th at 28 weeks and 5 days gestation.
Abby Reese, born first at 7:25am, weighing in at 2 pounds 6 ounces and 14.3 inches long
Allie Claire, born second at 7:26am, weighing in at 2 pounds 13 ounces and 15.2 inches long
Corbin Jacob, born third at 7:27am, weighing in at 2 pounds 13 ounces and 15.4 inches long (1 day old in photo)
Carson Eli, born last at 7:29am, weighing in at 2 pounds 11 ounces and 15.4 inches long
Thursday night was a normal night for me. I had been having increased contractions over the past week or so, but they were always able to stop them, and I don't believe I had many Thursday night at all. I went to sleep around 1am as usual, but I woke at 3am to a massively wet bed. I shot out of bed quicker than I had moved in months, and then sat there trying to figure out what the heck happened and why I would pee on myself that much. I went to the restroom and was trying to figure out if it was pee or amniotic fluid... and looking back on it, it is quite rediculous that I did not immediately know it was my water breaking. I was embarrassed to call the nurse because I wasn't 100 percent sure it was my water, I was in a bit of denial I think. I eventually called the nurse after about 15-20 minutes of contemplating, and quickly apologized and told her that either my water broke, or I peed on myself. I was a little frantic at that point, I remember just pacing in a daze and shaking like crazy. I didn't know how to react, was I supposed to be terrified that the babies were coming so early, or was I supposed to be excited that I may meet my babies? I didn't know how I should be feeling at all, there were so many emotions going on. They did a nitrizine test and of course determined it was my water that had broken. The craziness began, contraction monitoring, IV's started, rushed to L&D and started on magnesium sulfate to try and stop contractions and help with neuroprotection for the babies in case they couldn't;t stop contractions, and also a rescue dose of steroids for babies lung and other development. Even though my water had broken, they still wanted to stop contractions and try and keep me pregnant as long as possible. Unfortunately, my labor progressed really fast, and at 6:00am I was over 6cm dilated. The OR was called and the teams were gathered, it was a very overwhelming sight going into the OR. I had done okay up into that point, but as soon as I was wheeled into the OR I completely lost it, there were so many people in there, at least 4 people per baby and 2 people at my head, and over 6 people that would be behind the screen working on me. It finally became really real, and I was terrified out of my mind for my babies. We were SO thankful to be past 28 weeks, and that in itself was a big celebration, but 28 weeks is still so early, and there were so many unknowns (there still is).
The surgery went well. It took them a little bit to get into my uterus due to scar tissue from my previous Csection with Ella, but there were no issues. They were concerned that my uterus would not contract back down after the babies were out since my uterus was so large and "tired", and they had 4 units of blood ready for me. Luckily, my uterus behaved itself and did what it was supposed to do, and there were no complications. The babies didn't really cry when they came out, or move much for that matter (they had a big screen to where I could see one of the babies being worked on), and I majorly freaked out for a minute, but they told me it was completely normal, and I did get to hear a few tiny baby cries eventually. All the babies were put on CPAP machines (to deliver a little pressure and oxygen to their lungs) except for Abby who was put on the ventilator. They were all stable, and I even got to give the boys a little kiss before they were sent to the NICU. They were the tiniest babies, but were bigger than I thought they would be and looked better than I had expected. The NICU doctors and nurses were really impressed with their weights, and said that their larger weights would definitely help them out. I got to see them at 1am after my spinal had finally worn off. I was so exhausted and out of it by that time, and still felt like I was in the twilight zone from everything happening so fast. Larry wheeled me around from baby to baby, and I just stared at them, it was so surreal. As soon as I woke up the next morning the emotions hit, but I handled everything better than I expected myself to. They are all so perfect and beautiful, I can't believe they are here!
The babies really are doing great. Abby was extubated the next day, but the boys had to be put on the ventilator to get a dose of surfactant and to help them out a bit, but they were only on it a day. Carson ended up with a pneumothorax and had to have a chest tube for a few days, but that is out and all is well, all babies are on a CPAP now, and all are on room air except for Carson, he is lagging a tad behind in the breathing department. But the docs say it is completely normal and that it is great that he doesn't need the ventilator. They all spent a couple days under the billirubin lights for jaundice, but that is taken care of now. The girls got to start breastmilk through an OG tube Saturday, and the boys got to start on Monday. They are all tolerating it well, and their feeds have all been increased. They take so little, between 9ml and 5ml (depending on the baby) 8 times a day. It's nice right now to be able to feed them all with less than 10 ounces of milk a day, I am trying to get a huge stockpile going in the freezer. I was terrified I would have a bad milk supply this go round since I was so blessed with a great one with Ella, but it's looking like I am headed towards another good supply. I am pumping over 40 ounces a day at just 6 days postpartum, and each day I am seeing a few more ounces, woohoo!! So hopefully it stays that way and keeps increasing, at the 2 week mark we will evaluate everything with the lactation consultant, and I may start taking some medication to produce even more milk, I would love to get up to 100 ounces a day.
Ella has done so well through all of this, I am so proud of her! She is so excited for me to be home finally, yesterday she wrapped her little arms around my neck and said, "I am so glad you are home Mommy, you make me so happy". Talk about melting my heart! She LOVED seeing all of the babies, and of course Corbin is the one she always wants to see first. He is the one she talked about the most while I was pregnant. Larry will carry her from isolette to isolette and she will just get excited and say hi to them all, and then tell us something they are doing. Her first time meeting them Abby was screaming her head off (she has some lungs for a 28 weeker!), and Ella was really upset wanting to know why Abby was so sad. Every time a baby cries she will tell them that it is okay, she is so sweet. She has had one jealousy moment while I was holding Corbin, he started crying a bit and she starting crying and saying "but that's MY Mommy!".... :( But overall she is doing really great.... we will see how she does when they come home! This is our first time holding Abby!
I am recovering well, this C-section recovery is SO much easier than the one with Ella. You would think after being on bed rest for 3 months and losing all my strength, on top of having 4 babies taken out of me it would be worse, but thankfully it's not. Luckily I had the nurse take a quick pic of my belly after my water broke since I hadn't taken one in almost a month, so here is the last of my big pregnant belly. I gained 75 pounds total this pregnancy, which is just where they wanted me to gain.
This is a long post, but I wanted to have something to look back on and remember. This has just been a crazy week, but I am so thankful our babies are doing well, we are really thankful for every ones support and prayers. My faith has definitely been tested and has become so much stronger through all of this. I could not have made it through without the Lord, He is in control at all times, and it took me a bit to just give up the control to Him. It is still hard to do at times, but He has shown us so much through this all. The babies have their brain ultrasounds today to check for brain bleeds, and although they are doing so well, they are definitely not out of the woods yet, so we appreciate any continued prayers for our babies health and safety. They still have at least another 6 weeks or so in the NICU and a lot of things to overcome, so this is going to be a long ride! Once again we are so grateful for our friends and family, we would not have been able to make it through this pregnancy without all of the support and help!
Abby Reese, born first at 7:25am, weighing in at 2 pounds 6 ounces and 14.3 inches long
Allie Claire, born second at 7:26am, weighing in at 2 pounds 13 ounces and 15.2 inches long
Corbin Jacob, born third at 7:27am, weighing in at 2 pounds 13 ounces and 15.4 inches long (1 day old in photo)
Carson Eli, born last at 7:29am, weighing in at 2 pounds 11 ounces and 15.4 inches long
Thursday night was a normal night for me. I had been having increased contractions over the past week or so, but they were always able to stop them, and I don't believe I had many Thursday night at all. I went to sleep around 1am as usual, but I woke at 3am to a massively wet bed. I shot out of bed quicker than I had moved in months, and then sat there trying to figure out what the heck happened and why I would pee on myself that much. I went to the restroom and was trying to figure out if it was pee or amniotic fluid... and looking back on it, it is quite rediculous that I did not immediately know it was my water breaking. I was embarrassed to call the nurse because I wasn't 100 percent sure it was my water, I was in a bit of denial I think. I eventually called the nurse after about 15-20 minutes of contemplating, and quickly apologized and told her that either my water broke, or I peed on myself. I was a little frantic at that point, I remember just pacing in a daze and shaking like crazy. I didn't know how to react, was I supposed to be terrified that the babies were coming so early, or was I supposed to be excited that I may meet my babies? I didn't know how I should be feeling at all, there were so many emotions going on. They did a nitrizine test and of course determined it was my water that had broken. The craziness began, contraction monitoring, IV's started, rushed to L&D and started on magnesium sulfate to try and stop contractions and help with neuroprotection for the babies in case they couldn't;t stop contractions, and also a rescue dose of steroids for babies lung and other development. Even though my water had broken, they still wanted to stop contractions and try and keep me pregnant as long as possible. Unfortunately, my labor progressed really fast, and at 6:00am I was over 6cm dilated. The OR was called and the teams were gathered, it was a very overwhelming sight going into the OR. I had done okay up into that point, but as soon as I was wheeled into the OR I completely lost it, there were so many people in there, at least 4 people per baby and 2 people at my head, and over 6 people that would be behind the screen working on me. It finally became really real, and I was terrified out of my mind for my babies. We were SO thankful to be past 28 weeks, and that in itself was a big celebration, but 28 weeks is still so early, and there were so many unknowns (there still is).
The surgery went well. It took them a little bit to get into my uterus due to scar tissue from my previous Csection with Ella, but there were no issues. They were concerned that my uterus would not contract back down after the babies were out since my uterus was so large and "tired", and they had 4 units of blood ready for me. Luckily, my uterus behaved itself and did what it was supposed to do, and there were no complications. The babies didn't really cry when they came out, or move much for that matter (they had a big screen to where I could see one of the babies being worked on), and I majorly freaked out for a minute, but they told me it was completely normal, and I did get to hear a few tiny baby cries eventually. All the babies were put on CPAP machines (to deliver a little pressure and oxygen to their lungs) except for Abby who was put on the ventilator. They were all stable, and I even got to give the boys a little kiss before they were sent to the NICU. They were the tiniest babies, but were bigger than I thought they would be and looked better than I had expected. The NICU doctors and nurses were really impressed with their weights, and said that their larger weights would definitely help them out. I got to see them at 1am after my spinal had finally worn off. I was so exhausted and out of it by that time, and still felt like I was in the twilight zone from everything happening so fast. Larry wheeled me around from baby to baby, and I just stared at them, it was so surreal. As soon as I woke up the next morning the emotions hit, but I handled everything better than I expected myself to. They are all so perfect and beautiful, I can't believe they are here!
The babies really are doing great. Abby was extubated the next day, but the boys had to be put on the ventilator to get a dose of surfactant and to help them out a bit, but they were only on it a day. Carson ended up with a pneumothorax and had to have a chest tube for a few days, but that is out and all is well, all babies are on a CPAP now, and all are on room air except for Carson, he is lagging a tad behind in the breathing department. But the docs say it is completely normal and that it is great that he doesn't need the ventilator. They all spent a couple days under the billirubin lights for jaundice, but that is taken care of now. The girls got to start breastmilk through an OG tube Saturday, and the boys got to start on Monday. They are all tolerating it well, and their feeds have all been increased. They take so little, between 9ml and 5ml (depending on the baby) 8 times a day. It's nice right now to be able to feed them all with less than 10 ounces of milk a day, I am trying to get a huge stockpile going in the freezer. I was terrified I would have a bad milk supply this go round since I was so blessed with a great one with Ella, but it's looking like I am headed towards another good supply. I am pumping over 40 ounces a day at just 6 days postpartum, and each day I am seeing a few more ounces, woohoo!! So hopefully it stays that way and keeps increasing, at the 2 week mark we will evaluate everything with the lactation consultant, and I may start taking some medication to produce even more milk, I would love to get up to 100 ounces a day.
Ella has done so well through all of this, I am so proud of her! She is so excited for me to be home finally, yesterday she wrapped her little arms around my neck and said, "I am so glad you are home Mommy, you make me so happy". Talk about melting my heart! She LOVED seeing all of the babies, and of course Corbin is the one she always wants to see first. He is the one she talked about the most while I was pregnant. Larry will carry her from isolette to isolette and she will just get excited and say hi to them all, and then tell us something they are doing. Her first time meeting them Abby was screaming her head off (she has some lungs for a 28 weeker!), and Ella was really upset wanting to know why Abby was so sad. Every time a baby cries she will tell them that it is okay, she is so sweet. She has had one jealousy moment while I was holding Corbin, he started crying a bit and she starting crying and saying "but that's MY Mommy!".... :( But overall she is doing really great.... we will see how she does when they come home! This is our first time holding Abby!
I am recovering well, this C-section recovery is SO much easier than the one with Ella. You would think after being on bed rest for 3 months and losing all my strength, on top of having 4 babies taken out of me it would be worse, but thankfully it's not. Luckily I had the nurse take a quick pic of my belly after my water broke since I hadn't taken one in almost a month, so here is the last of my big pregnant belly. I gained 75 pounds total this pregnancy, which is just where they wanted me to gain.
Monday, April 2, 2012
26 weeks and still pregnant!
I can not even begin to say how thankful I am to still be pregnant! Every night I thank the Lord a bizillion times that my babies are still tucked away safely in my gigantic belly for another day. The statistics for babies born at 26 weeks are about a 75% chance of survival, and then about a 25% chance of a major lifelong disability for surviving babies. Those are not statistics that really make me breathe easy, but they are WAY better than the 23/24 week statistics of a 50% chance of survival and then 50% chance of major disability for surviving babies. 28 weeks brings a 90% chance of survival with a 10% chance of major disability, and THOSE are numbers I can feel pretty good about, especially given my situation! Sometimes I feel guilty for praying for more time pregnant because I have already been given so much, but to see 28 weeks would be so amazing!
I am the worlds worst person at keeping up with this blog. It's been almost a month since I have updated, and I really need to be better at it. It's not like I have a ton to do sitting in my hospital room! A lot has happened since I have last updated. Basically as of last Wednesday I only have about 2mm (0.2cm) of cervical length left, which the doctor is calling no length left. But thankfully I was not dilated at all when they did that ultrasound. That night I started having regular contractions and was given a dose of Procardia to stop them, and thankfully after a couple of hours it worked. I feel kind of like a ticking time bomb, just waiting for it to happen at any moment. I don't think anyone here really expects me to make it much longer (although one of my docs is optimistic!), but I am still determined to see 28 weeks. Unfortunately I don't think it really matters how determined I am, but it can't hurt, right?! I also found out today that I have carpal tunnel syndrome, but luckily it's only in my right wrist, and the doc said it should go away after I deliver the babies. I have also had to have (a few weeke ago) an EKG, heart ultrasound, and wear a holter monitor for a day because my pulse has been really high, and also from having palpitations. These things can definitely be normal in a multiple pregnancy because of the increased blood volume and the heart having to work so much harder, but they wanted to cover their bases and make sure there were no underlying issues, and luckily all my tests came back normal. Other than those minor things and my cervical issues, I haven't had much else going on!
I feel okay, it's getting a lot harder to get around because of the pelvic pain, but I'm not to the point to where it's unbearable yet. My skin feels like it will just rip at any moment, and I am constantly in amazement that I can keep growing and growing. I say it all the time but a woman's body is truly amazing! But I know I haven't seen anything yet if I am lucky enough to stay pregnant a few more weeks! I will post some pics when I post from my laptop next time.
Once again we are so thankful for everyone in our lives, and we really appreciate all the prayers and support! We definitely appreciate any continued prayers that I am able to stay pregnant for as long as possible! Hopefully I will get to update the blog another time or two before they make their arrival!
I am the worlds worst person at keeping up with this blog. It's been almost a month since I have updated, and I really need to be better at it. It's not like I have a ton to do sitting in my hospital room! A lot has happened since I have last updated. Basically as of last Wednesday I only have about 2mm (0.2cm) of cervical length left, which the doctor is calling no length left. But thankfully I was not dilated at all when they did that ultrasound. That night I started having regular contractions and was given a dose of Procardia to stop them, and thankfully after a couple of hours it worked. I feel kind of like a ticking time bomb, just waiting for it to happen at any moment. I don't think anyone here really expects me to make it much longer (although one of my docs is optimistic!), but I am still determined to see 28 weeks. Unfortunately I don't think it really matters how determined I am, but it can't hurt, right?! I also found out today that I have carpal tunnel syndrome, but luckily it's only in my right wrist, and the doc said it should go away after I deliver the babies. I have also had to have (a few weeke ago) an EKG, heart ultrasound, and wear a holter monitor for a day because my pulse has been really high, and also from having palpitations. These things can definitely be normal in a multiple pregnancy because of the increased blood volume and the heart having to work so much harder, but they wanted to cover their bases and make sure there were no underlying issues, and luckily all my tests came back normal. Other than those minor things and my cervical issues, I haven't had much else going on!
I feel okay, it's getting a lot harder to get around because of the pelvic pain, but I'm not to the point to where it's unbearable yet. My skin feels like it will just rip at any moment, and I am constantly in amazement that I can keep growing and growing. I say it all the time but a woman's body is truly amazing! But I know I haven't seen anything yet if I am lucky enough to stay pregnant a few more weeks! I will post some pics when I post from my laptop next time.
Once again we are so thankful for everyone in our lives, and we really appreciate all the prayers and support! We definitely appreciate any continued prayers that I am able to stay pregnant for as long as possible! Hopefully I will get to update the blog another time or two before they make their arrival!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Finally some good news!
Today has been a good day! My spirit is up today, we got some good news this morning! Last night they did a test called a fetal fibronectin test. A negative result is much more accurate than a positive result, and if the result is negative, it's about a 99 percent chance that you will not go into labor in the next 2 weeks. Thankfully this morning they came in to tell me that the results were negative! If I wasn't so out of it and exhausted this morning I would have cried! Also, my doctor came in around 9 this morning and did an ultrasound to check my cervix, and my cervix has not gotten any shorter, woohoo! A couple measurements were less than 2cm, and a couple were a little over 2cm. I was so extremely relieved today, I feel much less anxious and I am starting to feel more positive again. Abby's head is right in the funnel in my cervix, I wish she would turn transverse or something because it freaks me out every time I see that on ultrasound! But the poor baby is probably there to stay, all the other babies are dog piled on top of her and she doesn't have much room!!
I am doing pretty good, everyone here is so great, and there have been a couple volunteers in and out that come just to chit chat, and that has been nice. I miss Ella so much, that is definitely the hardest part of all of this. She is adjusting pretty well, she talks about Mommy being in the hospital for the babies, and she knows she gets to come and see me everyday. I usually get to spend about 4 hours each day with her. To me it's really hard and doesn't seem near enough, but that is our new reality and hopefully I will get used to it! My mother in law is awesome and brought me up some real food and cheesecake today, and she also bought me
a cute comforter for my bed to make it more homey here! I am so thankful for her, my Dad, and Delia for helping out so much with Ella while Larry works, I do not know what I would do without them, or the rest of our awesome family and friends who have helped with other things and offered a lot of help. And of course Larry for taking on basically being a single dad without complaining a bit, I definitely picked the right husband for a quadruplet pregnancy! ;)
So for now we are just taking it one day at a time. My short term goal is to make it to March 26th, which is when the new Texas Children's Pavilion for Women opens, and I will be 25 weeks. I'm excited to stay in a brand new hospital where no one else has stayed in my room before! It will still be the same awesome staff that is here at St. Luke's, they are actually Texas Children's employees. Thanks again for all of the thoughts and prayers, they are working! The doctors do not think I will see 28 weeks, but God is good, and I have seen many things that made absolutely no sense medically, and could only be described as a miracle. Plus although doctors are amazingly smart, it is in Gods hands and only he knows. And it may help a little that I am about as stubborn and determined as they come, and proving people wrong when they tell me I can't/won't do something is kinda fun, too. ;) So let's hope that helps!
I am doing pretty good, everyone here is so great, and there have been a couple volunteers in and out that come just to chit chat, and that has been nice. I miss Ella so much, that is definitely the hardest part of all of this. She is adjusting pretty well, she talks about Mommy being in the hospital for the babies, and she knows she gets to come and see me everyday. I usually get to spend about 4 hours each day with her. To me it's really hard and doesn't seem near enough, but that is our new reality and hopefully I will get used to it! My mother in law is awesome and brought me up some real food and cheesecake today, and she also bought me
a cute comforter for my bed to make it more homey here! I am so thankful for her, my Dad, and Delia for helping out so much with Ella while Larry works, I do not know what I would do without them, or the rest of our awesome family and friends who have helped with other things and offered a lot of help. And of course Larry for taking on basically being a single dad without complaining a bit, I definitely picked the right husband for a quadruplet pregnancy! ;)
So for now we are just taking it one day at a time. My short term goal is to make it to March 26th, which is when the new Texas Children's Pavilion for Women opens, and I will be 25 weeks. I'm excited to stay in a brand new hospital where no one else has stayed in my room before! It will still be the same awesome staff that is here at St. Luke's, they are actually Texas Children's employees. Thanks again for all of the thoughts and prayers, they are working! The doctors do not think I will see 28 weeks, but God is good, and I have seen many things that made absolutely no sense medically, and could only be described as a miracle. Plus although doctors are amazingly smart, it is in Gods hands and only he knows. And it may help a little that I am about as stubborn and determined as they come, and proving people wrong when they tell me I can't/won't do something is kinda fun, too. ;) So let's hope that helps!
Friday, March 2, 2012
I spoke too soon...
I guess I shouldn't have said my cervix is a champ on a previous post! At our second anatomy scan last week (in which all babies were healthy, and no apparent heart defect for Allie!!!) my cervix measured 4.5 cm, and at a growth ultrasound yesterday it measured a little less than 2 cm, and it was funneling (opening at the top but not the bottom). So that equaled an automatic hospital admission for the rest of the pregnancy. I am terrified and so nervous, but I know I am in great hands here. All of the doctors, nurses, and staff have all been absolutely amazing. The plan is just hospital bed rest, progesterone, and a possible cerclage. The doctors are on the fence with the cerclage, some think it's beneficial and some do not. The decision will be up to me whether to get one or not, we will be going over all the facts and data soon. They will be checking my cervix by ultrasound every 2-3 days, or sooner if there appears to be an issue. Ella did not want to leave me last night and it was heartbreaking to say the least. She kept saying she wanted "mommy cuddles" and kept trying to get back in the bed with me. Larry just had to leave quick because I started bawling and I didn't want her to see me upset. I know I need to be here and I am glad I am here for the safety of these babies, but I am going to miss my big girl so much, it's going to be a huge adjustment for us all.
The babies were great yesterday on the ultrasound. Allie is 15 ounces and Abby, Carson, and Corbin all weigh a pound. They were all extremely active and looking great! We would appreciate any prayers, positive vibes, well wishes, or whatever it is that you believe in! I am so thankful that we are surrounded by wonderful, supportive people!
The babies were great yesterday on the ultrasound. Allie is 15 ounces and Abby, Carson, and Corbin all weigh a pound. They were all extremely active and looking great! We would appreciate any prayers, positive vibes, well wishes, or whatever it is that you believe in! I am so thankful that we are surrounded by wonderful, supportive people!
Monday, February 13, 2012
19 weeks and counting
And the fun part of the pregnancy begins!! I am pretty dang large as this point, I am as big as I was the day I delivered Ella at 38 weeks, yikes! It's getting hard to move around easily and I can hardly breathe. Corbin is laying straight across up in my ribs, so I am sure that is why! BUT everything is going good still at this point! At our 18 week anatomy scan, all the babies were around the 50th percentile or larger! Abby, Carson, and Corbin all checked out fine, but there may be an issue with Allie's heart. They are going to check again next week, and I am praying that everything is okay with her. It's really scary to think there could be something wrong with her on TOP of them being premature and having a hard time with that... I don't want any of them to have any other issues added to that! But I am trying to stay positive and just hope it was just a shadow/issue with one of the pictures they got, the doctor said that was a good possibility! My cervix is still holding out like a champ (even though that can change any minute), and was measuring at 5.5cm during our anatomy scan, which is twice as long as what they "need" it to be.
Corbin's profile
Abby's profile
Carson's profile
Allie's profile
Corbin's profile
And his cute little feet!
Aren't they so cute?! ;) And they were definitely correct on the genders, it was extremely obvious this go round. I have finally gotten over my "too scared to buy any baby things" phase, and have started stocking up on more cloth diapers. I have also bought the girls 12 bows each on a killer sale (you know they HAVE to have bows!!), and have bought the boys some onesies. I have TONS of girl clothes left from Ella and from my awesome friends with hand me downs, and have 2 other friends handing down some boy clothes soon, so hopefully I wont have to buy too many clothes for them! I am trying to find nursery furniture now, but having a hard time deciding what I want, and the girls room is a little small, so that is not helping. But it has the biggest closet so I know they will need that later on.
My body is actually doing good so far this pregnancy. I have packed on almost 39 pounds (holy crap!), which is awfully close to the 45-50 pounds they wanted me to gain by 20 weeks, so I am doing pretty good with that! But then again I've never had a problem packing on pounds, ha! I also amazingly passed my gestational diabetes test, but my doctor will check again soon because I will more than likely get it this pregnancy. My thyroid is also hanging in strong and I have only needed one adjustment on my thyroid meds this pregnancy, and that was in the very beginning. I almost feel like things are going a little too well for a quad pregnancy, and that makes me a little nervous! But it's way better than something being wrong, so I don't know what I am complaining about! Here is a little visual of my big ole' belly, it's pretty crazy! I just can't imagine how I am going to be able to grow for another 10+ weeks, a womans body is truly amazing!!
Here is a cute pic of Ella "feeding" the babies milk! :) I can't get it turned the right way, sorry, I am not a computer genius person.
And another one of her after eating some "chocolate bread", which is just bread with Nutella, love that stuff!
Okay, I don't know why these are sideways, they are right side up when I go to put them on here, then they are sideways when I do.... who knows. I will fix them when I figure it out! ANYWAYS. It's hard to believe Ella is already two and a half! This is such a FUN age! She is so imaginative, creative, and smart. She is so silly and funny, and also very sweet. She minds her manners well, although we are still working on some of them! ;) She is VERY affectionate, which we love!! We are so blessed and lucky to have her, she is an amazing little girl. She is also a HUGE drama queen and can't stand to hear "no"... although I don't either so I can't blame her! I feel like this blog is so much about the quads, I wanted to share a little bit about her! Being a Mom is everything I have ever dreamed it would be, but so much more. I never imagined you could love someone else so much, and I am so excited to add 4 more sweet babies to our family!
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