janstas eggis (eggis mean babies in korean)

RIP Alexander

2009-09-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

Alexander passed away. I'm so sad. I haven't stopped crying. He never got to go outside, much less leave his crib. His short life was filled with procedures, boredom and pain. I know he's in a better place. He has no pain and is with God surrounded by love which he didn't have here. I know I should be comforted, but I'm still so sad. I don't know why he had to endure what he did, but his presence in this world affected me greatly. He'll always have a special place in my heart.

Goodbye Baby Liana

2009-09-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Liana

Another hard day in the NICU. B&D’s crib mate, opposite side of Alexander, Liana passed away today. It was so sudden and so sad. There was some consolation she was surrounded by family but I still wanted to wrap my arms around her mom who was understandably sobbing. She’d been there for 70+ days. Never got to go outside, probably never left her bed. When we first saw her, she was in the ‘going home crib’, but she took a turn for the worse over the weekend. It’s so shocking to have her suddenly gone. So sad, I’m still reeling.

My heart hurts

2009-08-28T22:58:00.000-07:00

not for my own kids, but for Alexander.

He’s in the same room as B&D. He was born in April, so he’s almost 5 mos old. He brings me to tears every day. I’ve never seen his family visit.

I found out he’s most likely never going home. He’s on TPN (IV for nutrition). He can’t tolerate feeds. If he can’t eat, then he won’t last long because the liver can’t survive on TPN alone. He’s never been outside, never leaves his crib because he’s got too many hook ups. He’s 5 mos old and is alert and bored.

Today our nurse, kept him company while his nurse took her other patient for a CT. She’s had Alexander as a patient before. She didn’t pick him up, but sat him up and he just looked around and around. He was cooing, I could hear him. Finally a different view for him to look at. I was holding B&D and sobbing so hard. It was the closest Alexander’s been to being happy.

He’s labeled as a difficult baby because he cries a lot. He cries because he’s in pain or discomfort. He’s given Ativan. Nurses who care try to steer away from giving him Ativan. Other nurses have given him 11 doses in one shift. One day last week, he was so aggravated he pulled out 5 lines from his little body which had to be painfully put back in. Ugh, I saw the nurses strap him down and poke his head because they’ve run out of veins in his body.

He’s got a funny mohawk because he has several lines going into his head. The hospital won’t shave unnecessarily (they won’t cut anyone’s finger nails either) so Alexander has this crooked patch of hair running down his head.

I just want to pick him up and cuddle him. I want him to feel loved. I want him to feel the outside air. I want him to see something else besides the same view from his crib.

I don’t know how to feel better. I’ve got to pull myself together for my own kids, but Alexander is literally breaking my heart. What can I do for him? I was ready to donate my double stroller if it could be used to take him around the hospital or even outside. They need something with shelves to accommodate his feeding tubes and tanks. What’s wrong with me, why am I such a mess over this little guy?

I know our babies will come home, it’s just a matter of when. But Alexander won’t make it home. Will he ever feel skin on skin, like I do for B&D every day? Will he ever experience happiness? What can I do for him? He’s got a family, parents who called today. They just never visit. Maybe they can’t. Maybe after 5 mos, the parents had to go back to work. I think they’ve got other kids at home too. Are they keeping their distance so it’ll hurt less when he’s gone? Who cares. They should be at his bedside so he knows he’s loved. I just can’t stop crying over him. I wish I could bring him home with me.

Matty & Issy - July 4th

2009-07-04T00:06:00.000-07:00

Can't believe it's been 4 years since our babies went to heaven. Thank you for watching over your siblings and keeping them safe. Mommy & Daddy love you and miss you so much.

Tuesday's Blog Party

2009-05-05T22:16:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's been too long. There's much for me to update and I will soon. But my dear friend, JK, and her beautiful daughter, Tuesday has prompted to me come back before I was ready. Please visit go blog yourself and score some cool stuff for yourself and bring awareness to Pediatric Cancer because no child should suffer. please.

Now go spend some money for an amazing cause. please.

Quick update

2009-02-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

I’m still mourning the loss of Tuesday. I think of her all the time and my heart breaks for her family. I pray for peace and comfort for them and everyone who loved Tuesday, including myself.

It’s been an emotional roller coaster for the past several weeks. I’ve struggled with life and death all within the same day. On L&B’s birthday, our surrogate was transported via helicopter to another hospital that had a NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) because we thought the babies would be born. It was also the day Tuesday passed. I experienced ranges of emotions all in one day that some experience over a lifetime.

The boys stayed put and I attended Tuesday’s service in CO. Tuesday was able to do so much in her short life and touched more people you and I will ever know, including getting a group of 23 twin moms who met online 3 years ago, to leave behind their spouses and children to be there for Tuesday and her family. The moms flew in from all over the US, and even from Meike from Honduras! It was a beautiful day, a touching celebration and a heartfelt gathering to support Tuesday’s family. I was so grateful to be a part of it.

J&T have set aside their drama and are doing well. We have a c section scheduled for Sunday, 2/22. We’re opting for surgery because Tommy is breech. Little bugger has been teasing us all along by being breech, then head down and now breech again. This will be the first time we’re away from L&B for more than a night and I’m a little anxious on how they’ll do.

There’s our quick update. I’m not sure when I’ll be back because I think things are going to be a little chaotic initially from being a family of four to a family of six.

Keep us in your thoughts and pray for a safe and healthy delivery.

ps Pics of Bree loving frosting from their birthday cake -

J&T

2009-01-06T23:09:00.000-08:00

Those of you who received our Christmas card may wonder what or who J&T stood for in our signature line.

Here's your first glimpse of J&T -

Actually, these are all of T. J was head down and not cooperating for his photo op. We joked since they're identical twins, we've essentially seen both their faces anyway.

and J&T stands for - Jacob and Thomas.

Jacob will be known as Jack. Mike and I have always loved the name Jack. Thomas will be called Tommy. Jack & Tommy. I had suggested Jack and Bobby, but Mike nixed that immediately.

The meaning behind the names. As you know (or not), our sons have had biblical names. Matthew was our first born and now we have Luke. We wanted to continue the tradition so we chose Jacob, who was a twin born holding his brother's heel. Thomas was one of the apostles and means 'twin' in Greek.

So there you have it, Jack and Tommy. Coming soon!

Poor Santa

2008-12-15T16:13:00.000-08:00

2007

2008

As you can see, Luke cheered up considerably on the train ride afterwards -

Hopefully it'll be easier next year!

Emo means aunt in Korean

2008-12-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

In Korean, a maternal aunt is called 'emo'. The paternal aunts are called 'gomo'. Therefore, Mike's sisters are gomo and my sisters are emo. We call them Grace emo and Christine emo. Mike's sisters are called Auntie Ellen and Auntie Amy. There's also Auntie Karen and Auntie Amber. Ok, there's your Korean lesson for the year.

The kids and I are so lucky to have Christine emo make so many fun things for them. I won't be able to make their halloween costumes, but I'll be able to show them how to balance their checkbook. Fortunately, we'll have Christine emo ensure the kids aren't embarrassed by their costumes falling apart.

With Christmas coming up, Christine emo didn't disappoint. First she brought over the kids' their very own Christmas tree for their bedroom. It came complete with ornaments, all handmade by emo.

(little stockings with the initials 'L' and 'S' embroidered on them)

For the latest, she made these ornaments to hang on the big Christmas tree. We chose the pink and blue ones for Bree and Luke. The rest will be adopted by other happy homes.

Would you have guessed they're made from champagne corks?!?!? Looks like I have to do my part and keep drinking the bubblies!

ps Luke & Bree aren't able to say emo. Rather they call Chris and Grace - Elmo. Just like the little cartoon character on their potty seat.

Christmas Cards

2008-12-09T15:26:00.000-08:00

It's already that time of year and I'm going through our Christmas card list. Like last year's we (meaning Mike) made our own cards. We've used PSPrint. They're awesome and so cheap. We get 500 cards for about $60 (or something like that). So if you'd like to help us get rid of some and would like to receive a card, email me your address.

I know we have some friends who lurk on here but are painfully shy at actually contacting us. Just want to let you know we miss you. Email me already with your info!

We're viable!

2008-12-04T23:46:00.000-08:00

I'm a blogging fool right now. Shhh, don't interrupt me, you'll break my streak.

I can't go any further without a mention of the boys, tentatively named J&T at the moment. I'm completely on board, but Mike needs a little persuasion.

I spoke to our surrogate today after her biweekly appt and everything is going well. I'm so thankful we've passed the 24 week mark. The boys are now considered 'viable' in the eyes of the medical community. Which means, if anything were to happen from this moment on, they would do whatever possible to save them because now they have a better chance of surviving. Of course, I'd rather she keep on baking. I would've given anything to have Matthew & Isabel as micro preemies, but they would most likely have issues, severe issues. Right now, I pray the boys are kept safe and inside until they're ready to be born full term and healthy.

Highlights from our conversation -
* Their heart beats were 130 and 140 today.
* Her belly is measuring 32 weeks, even though she's only 24 weeks.
* She's gained 7lbs in the last 4 weeks.
* Apparently they're going thru a growth spurt and fattening up. (I can't but help think we're the wicked witches fattening up Hansel & Gretel.)
* They're kicking on both sides of her.

Best news yet, we're going up for her 26 week appt with the perinatologist. We're super excited to see her and the boys. Since the peri has a 3D ultra sound machine, I'm hoping we'll get some good pics of them!

For Rent

2008-12-04T21:48:00.000-08:00

My kids are totally into ride-on toys. If I could, I'd get them every type of car/tractor/wagon/catepillar out there. Seriously, they love them!

Imagine my reaction when I set my eyes on these beauties -

That's right, they're mini coopers for kids! How cool would that be?!?!? But alas, I cannot justify spending $160 PER CAR and I would have to get 2 too. But what if we bought them and then rented them out? Just think, your cutie-patootie could be sitting in his/her very own mini cooper for the week! Imagine the photo ops! The happiness on your kid's face! And best of all, not having to store it after the week is over!

This could be your pea-pod right here -

In the meantime, L&B will have to make do with their 'not-so-cool' little tykes 'mobile.

Thanksgiving and That Dress

2008-12-04T21:44:00.000-08:00

We celebrated the kids' 2nd Thanksgiving at Grandma & Grandpa's house. As usual, the food was fantastic and this year we had not one, but TWO deep fried turkeys!

And unlike like last year, the kids were in relatively good health (minus the stomach bug and diarrhea). Still it was a fabulous day and one of my favorite holidays!

We also dressed the kids up for the holiday. I can't believe how big and handsome Luke is getting -

Then there's beautiful Brina. What's going on with that dress you ask? Well, it was a gift from Grandma J. It's not really my cup of tea nor Mike's. But I had an epiphany and realized Grandma J really loved the dress. When she gave it to me, she was hesistant not sure how I'd react. I didn't say anything immediately and took it home. Even though I wouldn't have picked it out myself, I'm glad Grandma got to see her favorite dress on her granddaughter. The more I thought about it, I realized what harm would it be to us and yet what happiness would it bring to Grandma. Just a thought I had and something you might want to keep in mind when you get that handmade/knitted gift from Aunt Beatrice.

Preemies Awareness Day

2008-11-13T22:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, this is a cause that's very close to my heart. Please take the time and sign the petition to the right. Thank you!

Premature Birth is Still on the Rise

The March of Dimes speaks up for babies every day -- and on Prematurity Awareness Day, we make sure even the smallest babies are heard.

The March of Dimes has released a Premature Birth Report Card for the nation and every state. We scored a D overall because the number of babies born too soon in our country is 60 percent higher than the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy People 2010 objective of 7.6 percent. State-by-state grades are also available in the Report Card. Visit March of Dimes and find out how your state measures up.

For the past few weeks, we've been asking everyone to sign our online Petition for Preemies and help us send a message to our newly elected local and national officials. Thousands of caring people have already responded. If you were one of them, thank you for your support! If you missed it, go to marchofdimes.com/petition. Don't forget, you can sign up for advocacy alerts to make sure you won't miss any opportunities in your area and nationally.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2008-11-01T01:07:00.000-07:00

36 hours, 3 birthdays, 300+ miles

2008-10-05T22:09:00.000-07:00

I just love a nasty virus that set us back for weeks. No fix it program was able to get rid of it. Instead, we had to wipe out the entire laptop and start over. Between saving everything and then reinstalling everything, it took forever. But now it’s as good as new and hopefully, we’re back on track.

As you can tell by the title of the post, we had an extremely busy weekend. in just under 2 days, we had 3 birthday parties for 5 kids. The ages ranged from two 2 yrs old, a 3 ½ yr old (we were celebrating the half birthday), a 4 yr old and a 5 yr old. Not only that, but the parties were all over the place and we drove over 300 miles. And if that wasn't enough, we manage to squeeze in two dentist appointments as well. Nothing like getting your teeth cleaned for all the sugar.

But it was all totally worth it. We got to see friends, the kids got to play. We got to eat food that was good for us, and more importantly – food that wasn’t good for us. We got cake, ice cream, dolmas and sushi. The kids tried out a trampoline and found out they love bounce houses (guess what they're going to have for their 2nd birthday). Luke had his first PBJ sandwich and made a friend.

First birthday were our friends, M&F. They turned 2 and all our local twin friends were able to attend. It was an ice cream themed party, and we loved it!

Our second party was a sushi making one. L&B are too young, but it was still fun to watch (and get ideas for future birthday themes). Kids don't know how to jump yet, but loved the trampoline.

Our last birthday had the coolest bounce house. Once the big kids were gone, L&B had a blast. The birthday boy also took it upon himself to be a big brother to Luke.

[Blog Tip]
Occasionally, blogging for me is hard. The thought of going thru the hundreds of photos and selecting a few, uploading them and then writing about it is sometimes daunting. Fortunately, my friend Sharlene, suggested Picasa 3 which has made the process easier. If you haven’t tried it yet, you really should. Now if only they’d invent the automatic cutest-picture-eyes-aren’t-closed-selector program…

Baby Mama

2008-09-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the well wishes and congratulatory comments/emails from our last post. It’s great to be able to finally share the news, because we’re obviously over the moon.

I’ll also mention I’m not pregnant, our surrogate is. Didn’t see that one coming, eh? As mentioned in my bio, I had a complicated pregnancy and a complicated delivery. I’m so thankful L&B were born perfectly healthy and required no NICU, but I’m also unable to be pregnant again. That was really rough to accept, but I’ve had some time to come to terms with it. And to be honest, I’m thankful I’m able to play with my kids, run after them, pick them up and have them crawl all over me because if I were pregnant we wouldn’t be able to and not for a long time. We also have an incredible surrogate who’s just as excited and so happy for us.

If you’re wondering how we know there are two, here’s the very first ultrasound pic.

Now WE were thrown off because we transferred 2 embryos and expected twins, however only 1 embryo took AND THEN SPLIT. See how they’re in the same sac. I have to admit I think it’s really cool to have identical twins. One of my favorite movies when I was a kid was Parent Trap, except I’d always wished I was the ID twin. I think having ID twins is the next best thing.

According to an online due date calculator, the babies should be 12 ½ weeks now. At Tuesday’s ultrasound, they were measuring at 12+6 and 13 weeks. So we’re off to a great start. Better yet, the first trimester will soon be behind us!

Btw, I haven’t seen the movie with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. I’m a little apprehensive on how surrogacy is portrayed. Obviously, it’s a subject matter that’s very personal and I don’t want to be upset or offended. If you’ve seen it, you can tell me how it was. I don’t mind you giving away details. Yes, I’m like Harry and will read the last page first.

Coming Home

2008-09-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

We just got word from Tuesday's mom, JK.

TUESDAY'S COMING HOME!

It's so unbelievable and we're so grateful.

We couldn't be happier for Tuesday and her incredible family.

There are a bunch of people doing the happy dance right now.

Breaking News

2008-09-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, family has been told as well as (most of) our close friends. I think I can finally make the announcement.

WE’RE EXPECTING!

Yup, you read right. There will be more jansta eggis. Wait, did you say eggis? As in plural? As in more than one?

Yup

WE’RE EXPECTING TWINS!

AGAIN!

OMG

Discovery Science Center

2008-09-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

In my quest to take advantage of all things free to kids 2 and under, we went to the Discovery Science Center. If you've ever driven on the 5 freeway in So Cal, it's the gigantic cube teetering on the edge of the freeway.

The best part of our visit was that we got in free too! Thanks to Bank of America's Museum on Us promotion, we saved $26 on adult admissions! People, if you bank with BOA, you have to take advantage of this promo! I don't think many people do as no one else presented their BOA card at the ticket window. Tsk, tsk.

Just the girls in our Tuesday tshirts.

The first exhibit we checked out was Animal Grossology. Not surprisingly, Bree didn't like it (she is, afterall, her mother's daughter). Luke didn't mind it as much, although he was cautious. Here he is as far away possible (but curious) from the poop exhibit -

Bob the Builder - Project: Build It exhibit upstairs was more to their liking -

Magnetic blocks which made stacking fun and easy...

Driving with Scoop the Digger

Dad helping figure out Bob's tools.

Our future architect...

and construction worker!

Kids had a blast pushing buttons on the Talkie Talkie and hearing the famous catch phrases.

In front of Wendy's Caravan.

There's my girl, laying stones on the wall. The miniature wheel barrow was too cute.

Surveying the vegetable garden.

Another fun day. So much so the kids are going on 3 hours of nap time! I need to wake them up or else they'll never fall asleep tonight.

ps If you like the Tuesday tshirts the kids and I are wearing, please click here or on the second Tuesday button on the left side of the blog. There are shirts for men, Mike's was in the hamper :-( All profits from the sale go to Tuesday's family to help with their medical expenses. Happy shopping!

Before the internet...

2008-09-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

..before blogs, before cell phones, before dvd players, before husbands, before kids - this is what I was doing on my Spring Break. Taking trips to Ensenada Mexico, drinking little Cornitas (baby Coronas) and having a blast. Here I am with my beautiful friends who also happen to be my roommates too.

Now, we have 4 husbands, 6 kids, 2 dogs and 1 cat between us. Here we are a couple weeks ago celebrating Dev's birthday, who btw lives in London with her dear hubby and beautiful little boy. Obviously missing is my other dear friend who I visited a few months ago and blogged about-

I get nostaligic thinking about the past, but wouldn't trade my life now for anything. Well maybe for a case of Coronitas and a clove cigarette?

ps I couldn't post on a Tuesday, without a mention of Tuesday. She's doing miraculously well, we're so happy for them. Her mom's posted a great update on her here.

Bowers Kidseum

2008-08-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

I got word today Tuesday has graduated from the PICU unit and has been moved to oncology! This is great news, she's getting better and can hang out in the less scary ward of the hospital. The PICU team all clapped for her and called her a miracle! I'm so happy for Tuesday.

Today my SIL, Karen, and I took the peeps to Bowers Kidseum. It was a great place for them. Like most moms, I'm always looking for a good place that'll be fun and interest them. More so, a place where I can let them out of the stroller without worrying about breaking anything or having people give me glaring looks. I'm also taking advantage of the fact they're under 2 years of age and usually free admission. I'm going to be really bummed when I have to start forking over the extra dollars :-)

L&B stepping down from the bridge they've crossed. They weren't sure about the floor beneath them not being steady.

A glimpse of all the cool masks and instruments the kids are encouraged to pick up and play with.

Cousin Maggie and Auntie Karen putting on a puppet show. Luke mesmorized by the dragon puppet.

Maggie and Bree dressing up from the trunks filled with international costumes.

I'm amazed Luke knew how to work the rotary phone!

Kids in the Language Exploration room learning different symbols. Actually, just Maggie learning. L&B enjoyed climbing onto the big kids chairs.

Legoland

2008-08-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

Since it's Tuesday, I wanted to start with some Tuesday news. Good news - she's doing well and gotten off the vent AND graduated from the PICU unit. For more information, please check out her mom's blog. Also, Sharlene (from our twin moms group), was able to visit Tuesday's family to help out. She has a great recap of her visit on her blog. Seems like our prayers are being answered. Yay!

This is a little late, but I did want to post about our recent trip to LEGOLAND. Unlike Disneyland last year, the kids had a great time. I think it's a combination of them being older and an ultra toddler-friendly park which helped. There was lots for them to do, touch and explore. There were even a few rides which they enjoyed, they just hated waiting in line (who doesn't).

Luke telling me he loves his Legos, bucket and all.

Our first Lego greeter, Bob the Builder.

Inside the Imagination Zone. Kids had a blast here, they had Legos pieces as big as their heads.

Luke standing in front of MiniLand USA. Its a replication of seven regions of the US, made with 20 million LEGO bricks in 1:20 scale.

Bree loved riding on the train. I think she felt like a big kid. But she cried when the ride was over and she had to get off.

Future fire truck driver.

Luke also digging the train ride.

Here's a brief video of a boat ride. I love the kids' expressions. We had fun getting the kids excited. Definitely worth a repeat visit.

btw, did you know Legos were created in Denmark? I'd just assumed it was American, isn't that presumptuous of me. Typical American :-)

Anaheim Angels vs New York Yankees

2008-08-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

We’ve heard some good news regarding Tuesday today. It made my day to hear about it. Tuesday’s mom even posted about it on her blog. And you have to check out the great picture of Tuesday in the side bar. Always praying for you Super Tuesday!

Today we went to a baseball game. Mike’s boss asked if he was interested, and of course we were interested. It was the Anaheim Angels vs New York Yankees. It was the kids’ 3rd baseball game and I’m a little worried they might get used to seeing the game this way. Preferred parking, luxury suite and Cracker Jacks! It’s pretty awesome and the only way I could see a game with the peeps. They can run around inside the suite, I don’t have to worry about them throwing food into people’s hair and it’s shaded so I don’t have to lather on sunblock. Who am I kidding, I’m worried I might get used to this!

It was a pretty exciting game. The home team, Angels, scored 8 runs in the 8th inning. (You should be impressed here since I sound like I know what I’m talking about.) They won the game, final score 11 to 4. I enjoyed it, but I’m such a sap I feel sorry for the losing team. I don’t know what I’m going to do when the kids get involved in sports when they’re older.

Unlike the last game, this time I brought my camera.

Luke chilling on the plush seats.

Bree feeding Luke snacks in the suite.

My cute little guy and gal watching the game.

Woo hoo, another run!

This doesn't look real. It looks like we're super-imposed on the background, but really we were there.

And another run!

Luke didn't like the fireworks when the Angels scored a run. Bree didn't like the rally monkey jumping on the screen.

Punishment

2008-08-09T22:19:00.000-07:00

It's not easy to discipline kids.

I bought this rug to use as a Time Out spot. As soon as I set it down, Luke wanted to lay on it. I think he finds it comforting. He hadn't done anything wrong, but flipped out when I tried to take it away. What good will it be when he wants to lie on it?

This was another one of Luke's suggestion. When he's bad, he wants to be put in Oliver's cage. He's missing the negative connotation of being in the dog house. Sorry buddy, but it doesn't work when you want to crawl in and you close the door. Mama is going to have to think of something else for when you and your sister are naughty. Thanks for the suggestion though, maybe someone else can benefit from it.

Tutu for Tuesday

2008-08-05T09:02:00.001-07:00

A very generous Dana over at tutumonkey has offered a tutu to help raise money and awareness for our Tuesday support group.

Everybody who purchases a Tuesday t-shirt (there are shirts for guys and girls) or onesie from Cafepress by the end of August will be entered into a draw to win a gorgeous pink tutu handmade by Dana.

Just click on the link below or on the button on my left sidebar by the end of August and purchase one of the cute t-shirts or onesies just like the ones I've pictured below to go into the draw.

All profits from the sale of t-shirts go directly to Tuesday's family so please, please purchase a t-shirt and support a great cause and a family who are very close to my heart. Oh and I should mention that the Tuesday apparel was designed by 2 wonderful members of my multiples group Jane and Christy.

Will Pray For Tuesday

2008-07-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

One of our twin moms from No Cal was in So Cal this week. Of course, we arranged a meet up. First and foremost on all our minds is Tuesday. We took a pic with a message and will send it to her. I hope she likes it.

As mentioned in my previous post, Tuesday mom - JK, started Will Play For Food. I took the name and changed it to Will Pray For Tuesday.

Of course a lovely day in So Cal wouldn't have been complete without an earthquake. One of the moms attributed it to all the rockin' mom and their twins.

We all had a great time, it's so nice to meet up with these women who I've known since we were all pregnant. Now our babies aren't babies any more, but busy toddlers keeping us on our toes.

There's no way we'll be able to do this type of picture again, at least not for a really long time!

WPFF - Will Play For Food

2008-07-28T22:49:00.000-07:00

Prior to her daughter getting sick, Tuesday's mom JK, had a brilliant idea. Combine a play date with a food drive - Will Play For Food. Did you know food banks all over are having major shortages? So she thought "Help your kids make a difference and come play with a purpose." Yea, she's that kind of gal.

So the women from our twin group started hosting their own events. Jenn P hosted one in NC and then Tonya & Shannon hosted one in San Diego last weekend. There may be more events in the future. If you're interested, feel free to send me an email and I'll make sure you get filled in. In the meantime, here are some pics from Saturday's WPFF. Unfortunately, there was a huge amount of traffic and by the time we got there it was only the hard core twinsters left.

the only way to manage 4 sets of twins, a niece and a nephew

luke & dana pleading with their eyes to be let out

marissa trying to add to luke's mouthful

bree pleased with herself. sorry honey, you're not to be donated.

dana's true blue eyes, no touch up!

bree kicking back and enjoying the show.

sweet mama and baby girl moment.

my SIL, karen, story teller extradonaire

Sweet Tuesday

2008-07-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

Here's Tuesday tearing up the oncology play room. This was taken last night. She's such a gorgeous little girl, inside and out.

It's been awhile since my last post. I have to admit, I've been getting lazy about it. Now that the kids are so mobile, it's difficult to find time to sit down and sort thru pics, type something up or edit a video clip.

However, I'm motivated by a beautiful little girl named Tuesday. Tuesday is the daughter of a good friend, JK. I've never met JK in person, but we belong to a twin group and we've exchanged stories, pictures and videos of our families and confided to one another. We've shared our good news and vented our frustrations to the board and we've all been there for each other.

So now, our group is rallying around Tuesday who was diagnosed with cancer. She's in Stage 4 with Neuroblastoma. She's a very sick little girl and JK is asking for prayers. We're praying Tuesday gets well very soon. We're praying for Tuesday's twin sister, who is missing her sister. We're praying for her older brothers who miss their sister and their parents. And we're praying for JK and her husband to have strength, support and faith to get them through this difficult time.

Our group has been brainstorming what we can do to help this amazing family. I have to admit, we've come up with some wonderful ideas. My favorite is having each member of the group pick a week to send a care package to the family. We're scheduling it so it arrives on a Tuesday. Because of how many wonderful women we have in our board, my week isn't until Thanksgiving! If you'd like to help or make a donation to Tuesday's fund, please click on the link on the left side of this page. We just want to do all we can for Tuesday and her family.

Dogaru Twins

2008-06-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

Every now and then you come across a story that moves you. I mean, really truly moves you. Where you can’t stop thinking about them, they’re always on your mind. The Dogaru Twins did that to me.

I was watching Dateline MSNBC a few weeks ago. It was about conjoined twins who were successfully separated. I checked online for a follow up to the story and came across another set of conjoined twins in the search result.

The Dogaru Twins are 4 years old now and are joined at the head. Dad’s a Byzantine Catholic Priest and mom’s a nurse. They also have an older 6 year old sister. Maybe because the twins have never looked at one another in the eye or maybe they can’t be separated or maybe because there hasn’t been an update since last year, I haven’t stopped thinking about them since I found out about them last week. Instead, I searched all weekend for articles and updates. I’ve found more info about them, such as their condition occurs once out of 2.5 million and that only 10% of cases such as theirs live to 10 years of age.

It’s heartbreaking and I’ve thought about them and prayed for them. I just don’t understand why babies and little children have to suffer. They’re so beautiful and innocent, it tears me apart. And of course, I think of my own babies and how much they're able to do that the Dogaru girls cannot. Every day I'm thankful for L&B and after learning of the Anna & Tati, I'm even more grateful.

This morning I called the Childrens Hospital (that was going to do the surgery) for an update and there is none. They’re not checked in the hospital and they don’t even know if they’re still in the states OR if they’re still alive.

I poured all my energy this morning into finding how the twins are doing. I found articles written a year ago and contacted the writer (she no longer works for the newspaper, so then I had to do a little research on her!). Fortunately she emailed me back immediately and gave me a couple of leads. Out of the three, two fell through but I hit jackpot with the last. She suggested I contact the World Craniofacial Foundation. They helped the Dogarus and have kept in touch with them. When I called and asked for an update, the operator put me through Sue, the VP of the organization, who’s close to the family. Although she wasn’t at liberty to discuss their medical case with me, she did tell me the girls are still here in the U.S. and happy. I noticed she didn’t say ‘healthy’, but they’re happy. They’re four years old and just graduated preschool. They recently received a customized bike as a gift and are real girly-girls.

Sue relayed the cutest story to me. She visited the family recently. Anastasia, the larger twin in front, was playing happily with a doll house. Their mother, Claudia, gave a smaller house for Tatiana to play with. Anatasia got so engrossed, at one point she looked up and asked, ‘Where’s Tati?’ Tatiana replied, ‘I’m right here.’ Oh my gosh, Anastasia genuinely forgot they were attached! They both laughed over it. They’re happy for the time being, but as they get older everything is going to get more difficult for them.

Sue did give me some hopeful news, there’s a possibility of a surgery to separate them, giving them a chance at a longer life. Coincidentally she’s working on an update on the girls for the website. Hopefully it’ll be up sometime this week.

In the meantime, I’ve made a donation to the WCF and am putting together a care package for the girls. They don’t know who I am, but they’ve moved me so much I just want to send them a little something to let them know how much they mean to me.

I’m comforted to know they’re happy. I just pray for a miracle for them.

Baby Eggi

2008-06-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

I read an article in the LA Times recently about a clothing line called Baby Eggi. Of course with a name like that, I had to mention it on our blog! Sounds cool, having a tat artist create for kids clothes. Those will be some truly hip babes! And best of all, a portion (20%) of the sales go to charity.

Oliver's DNA result

2008-05-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, I sent away for a DNA test kit for Oliver. Since he’s a rescue pup, we have no idea what he is. We’ve been curious what his mix is and people ask all the time about him. He’s a great dog, although he does like to lick a little too much. He’s extremely friendly and loves to play with other dogs. Size or appearance doesn’t matter to him, he’s an equal opportunity canine lover. He’ll go right up to a Pit Bull or Great Dane and play with them as much as a Dachshund or Corgi. Therefore, I couldn’t resist when I came across the opportunity to find out what he is. DNA testing says he’s Chihuahua, Daschund and Irish Terrier. There may be other breeds in there as well, because they don’t test all of them. I’m satisfied with the results and confirmed our suspicions of what we thought all along. We think there might be some Pug in him too because his face is a little scrunched up and wrinkly like one.

Before we found out, we thought he might be part wiener and when Gymboree had an autumn wiener dog line, I had to get the outfits for L&B. It was my intention to have a photo shoot of the kids in their outfits with Oliver. Like other the best-laid plans gone awry, it never happened. The kids are almost too big for the clothes and summer is approaching, so we did an impromptu shoot this past weekend.

I envisioned the kids sitting or standing nicely with Oliver in between them. That so DID NOT happen. It was an ordeal to try to get all 3 of them in the same frame. Finally we had to resort to dog treats. We never had the kids give the treats before because 1) we were afraid they’d eat them (which they tried) or 2) Oliver might get too excited and nip their hands for the treats (which he did not - Good Puppy!). I didn’t get any great still shots, but I did get this cute video.

Happy Birthday to Me

2008-05-22T23:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, it’s my birthday and a good one at that. No need to remind anyone how old I am, just know that it was a big one. Oh my!

The day started great, Mike got my car washed and picked up bagels for breakfast. The doorbell rang and I got a delivery from Snookies Cookies. OMG, if you’ve never had Snookies Cookies, you are seriously missing out. They deliver freshly baked cookies to your door. My wonderful friend, Dana, ordered me every single flavor as well as a carton of milk in a bucket of ice. Not only does this satisfy my sweet tooth, but makes me feel young again. Seriously, how can you beat milk & cookies?

Over breakfast Mike filled me in on what he planned. We were going to Palm Springs taking the tram.

Parking lot of the tram station.

Boarding the tram that holds 80 ppl. It also revolves 360 degrees the entire way up and down.

Pointing out the view to the kids.

Luke didn't like being in the tram, it freaked him out.

We had lunch at the top, Peaks restaurant with its amazing views. The next table over, there was another family celebrating a birthday. The mom’s was May 19th (my Dad’s birthday too) and the dad’s was May 22nd (same as me). Not only that, but they had a 6 mos old baby named Lucas! After lunch, we met another family who had a 1 year old. Guess what his name is? Yup, another Lucas! 'Luke/Lucas' isn’t even on the Social Security Popular Baby Names for 2007!

Bree, my animal lover, freaking out over the 'pet' squirrel they have at the restaurant. She doesn't like rodents.

Look at the sky's reflection on the windows.

Me trying to coax a smile out of Luke.

Mike hamming it up for the camera.

Twins in sync.

The second part he planned was a shopping trip at an outlet mall. Desert Hills Premium Outlet is one of the nicest ones. I was most excited they had a Gymboree store! Of course, I’m human and was also happy to see D&G, Gucci, Burberry, Crate & Barrel, Le Creuset and others. Unbelievably, though, it started raining HARD. So much so, it was impossible to do any shopping. Can you believe I walked away with socks, bib and a hat from Gymboree and nothing else?!?!? Yes, that was a bit of a let down.

Even though there was snow on the freeway (really really bizarre weather, esp for CA at the end of May!), we made it home fine. Here I got to open my presents and cards and eat thai take out. I got my choice of an extravagant gift, a practical gift and a sentimental gift. I’m not sure about the extravagant one, it’s too hard to justify although I did get a mini van last birthday! My practical one is a Blue Tooth Head Set for the car since it’ll be mandatory to have hands free in CA beginning next month. And the sentimental one is a framed picture of me and the kids.

The fun doesn’t end there. Saturday, we’re going to a place I’ve been dying to check out – Sprinkles Cupcakes. I guess we’re taking the goods to our friends for dinner. Authentic home made Italian food and cupcakes. Yummo!

Sunday, he arranged a shopping day with my sisters at Americana. It’s a new shopping center, like The Grove in LA. Very cool, very hip – I’m just looking forward to hanging out with mi hermanas.

Lastly, he called my junior high best friend, Gloria, and scheduled a haircut for me on Monday. Gloria is the only person that’s cut my hair for the past 20+ years. Even when I lived abroad, I always waited to have my hair cut by her. We’re all going to lunch afterwards.

What about Friday you ask? Well he had planned to take me to sushi at our favorite place but our sitter (his mom) isn’t available. I haven’t been there since before we got married, Mike went the night before our wedding with our out of town guests. Yes, it’s been a long time but I hear it’s still really good and he’s still known as the sushi nazi. This is the second time we’ve struck out. I’m beginning to wonder if Mike and I will ever go on a date sans kids. So much for me boasting we were going to have a date every month. I think we’ve been on 3 total and the kids will be 16 months next week.

So yes, I know my husband rocks and now so do you. Thanks Mike, Luke & Bree for a wonderful birthday.

Something different

2008-05-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

I haven’t been able to update my blog lately. Partly because the kids are so active now and want my attention all the time. They can get into mischievous situations but are so proud of themselves, you can’t but help laugh. Mostly I haven’t been able to update because our computer is running so slow because of all the darn pictures I have stored on the hard drive. Either the computer crashes or freezes up all the time, so it’s been frustrating to get on here. Mike is convincing me to move all our photos onto the external hard drive he bought, but I’m so scared of losing all the precious pics. We’re doing it little by little and I’m archiving pre-baby pics first. Once I feel more comfortable, I may move the baby pics over too. I know chances are just as likely to lose the pics while they’re on the computer but didn’t you also know I’m stubborn and set in my ways?

In the meantime, I thought I’d take the time and write something instead. One of the twin moms from my multiples group forwarded this blog. It’s so tragic, I think about them often.

It’s written by a guy who just had a baby girl. His wife had just given birth and 27 hours later was on her way to see and hold her baby for the very first time. On the way, she passed out and never regained consciousness. She died of a pulmonary embolism. They were both so excited about their baby and she never even got to hold her. It is so moving and the father/husband writes about it with such grace and eloquence.

There are so many tragedies in the world. Unfortunately, we’ve had our own share and so have my parents. My parents and I didn’t get along when I was younger because we couldn’t relate to each other. Now that I’m an adult, I can fully appreciate they did the best they could and more. If I tried to go to my mom during my teen angst years, she wasn’t sympathetic and would say I had the problems of a ‘rich person’. Of course I resented it at the time, but can you blame her? She was born in North Korea grew up during the Korean War. Her father and older brother were kidnapped and most likely executed for defying the communistic government. Her mother packed up 4 children, an infant and some of their belongings and made the trek from North Korea to South Korea on foot. Along the way they witnessed the horrors of war, my mom was just a child but the visuals are still with her. Even after settling in South Korea, my mom’s mom passed away. My mom was an orphan at 12 years old.

So when she said I had the problems of a rich person because I couldn’t get a boy to notice me or I wanted a pair of Jordache jeans badly, she was right. She fought to stay alive, find food for herself and her siblings and was without parents at a young age. She’s also said outliving your child is the worst thing for a person to go through.

There’s a lot of tragedy in the world and I’m sorry we have to go through the pain. Still we persevere and eventually find beauty and happiness. It brings me such joy to see what my kids and my sister’s kids do for my parents. My own kids have also saved me. I can’t imagine what Matt Logelin is going through, but he seems to have his act together as best as could be expected. His daughter is beautiful and it sounds like he’s surrounded by lots of friends and family. His blog has touched so many people, including me. It’s brought so much compassion, empathy and warmth, it really is beautiful.

The Great Northwest

2008-04-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we embarked on our first family vacation. We visited my good friend, Kelly and her family at their picturesque home and quaint town. It felt like we were on a holiday staying at a B&B. Amazing food, great conversations and a fun night of Uno Spin (my new favorite game). I have to also mention it was the first plane trip for the peeps. They did pretty well considering, but it was still difficult at times esp when we were on the little commuter plane for the second leg of the trip.

btw, I have to mention Alaska Air is awesome. Some of their highlights -

Complimentary beer & wine (tempted, but we didn't partake)
Jones Sodas
Preboard with kids
Functioning website, ability to print boarding passes

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Delta sucks! Why?

NO Preboard with kids. In fact, they moved us to the last group. We were the very last to board.
Non functioning website, could NOT print boarding passes.
They charge you $5 EACH for the plastic bag to protect your car seat (FREE with ALASKA)
Couldn't enter our frequent flyer number, told us to call it in (yea right).

FYI - if you have twins (or two small kids) and haven't flown, you should know there is a FDA regulation that does not allow 2 infants in the same row. So either you can sit behind one another or across the aisle. After flying both ways, I'd suggest sitting across the aisle, it's easier to pass snacks back and forth as well as babies.

Here's Mike carting all our bags. For a weekend trip, we brought the basics - clothes, car seats, feeding chairs and of course all my toiletries. That alone took up 3 suitcases.

Not only was it the peeps' first flight, but their first McD french fries. Here's Bree bypassing me and going straight to the source.

Ahhh, they finally fell asleep!

Luke's a more dainty sleeper than Bree.

Kelly's sweet son, Max, with his meanest expression.

Bree falling in love with Davey (poor Oliver!).

The kids loved this big kids table and chair.

Bree and our friend, Scott.

Checking out Scott & Kelly's new trailer.

Kelly and Bree at the park in front of their house.

Luke & Davey

Bree hanging out with the big kids, Max & Quinn.

Quinn, being a lifesaver, and entertaining the babies.

Pretty girls in pink.

Mike helping Max put together his new Bionicle toy.

Scott helping Quinn put together her new toy. (I'm sure he loved us for it.)

Meet our other good friends the Baileys - Papa Bailey, Mama Baily and Baby Bailey.

Peeps and Dad trying to make a fire with a stick.

Kids had a blast because there were so many little people furniture. Here they are lounging on the porch on their bench.

A dog and his best friend.

Ah, this is the life! A great weekend just hanging out in front of their turn-of-the-century cozy mansion.

The men with babies & beers.

Here I am with my little homies (gangsta style with their hoodies).

Gorgeous weather all weekend. We were able to have our last dinner in the backyard patio. Here are the kids digging in.

Such a great weekend and a much needed break. We loved seeing our friends and I'm still amazed how big their kids got. It seems like Max was no bigger than Luke & Bree when we last saw him.

p.s. You do realize my toiletries did NOT take up 3 suitcases, right?

Boy oh boy

2008-03-15T23:45:00.000-07:00

As a parent of twins, I have to be fair and balanced. What I do for one baby, I try to do for the other too. Yesterday's post was all about Bree and I've felt the need to do a Luke post asap. It could also be one of my idiosyncrasies where I need to be 'even'. If Mike gives me a love tap on my right arm, he has to do it on my left arm too. Wha??? Isn't everyone like that?

So about my daring, I mean darling, boy. He's my little monkey. I'm amazed at what he can do. The other day while I was doing dishes, it was a little too quiet. Imagine my surprise when I found Luke in the exersaucer. I wondered how the heck he got in there and then the next day I found out. He did it again and this time I caught in video. I haven't put them in the exersaucers for ages, I guess he was feeling a bit nostalgic.

Here's another, the endings a little abrupt. You'll see why -

(we don't have a ball pit, rather a toy pit a/k/a pack n play used as a toy chest)

Lastly, I love father/son or father/daughter shots. Mike is such an awesome dad. Here are my boys (isn't this the epitome of California with the palm trees in the background?) -

Awwww

2008-03-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

When did my baby girl grow up? She's gotten so girly! At the same time, she's incredibly affectionate which completely melts our hearts. So does seeing her with a doll. She hugs and pats their back. It's so cute! Funnily, I wonder where she got this from? Not me, I was never into stuffed animals or dolls when I was little. I had an ex-boyfriend who gave me bags of little stuffed animals he won from the claw machine. I'm sure they made someone very happy when I donated all of them.

Of course after seeing Bree cuddle, we went to TRU the next day and bought Bree her very first baby doll. She picked it out herself.

At home with her new 'baby'.

Awwww

Kazoo

2008-02-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

The peeps got tons of gifts for their birthday. Thank you very much!

However, there's one that both love - the KAZOO! Who would've thought?!!? Funnily enough, they knew exactly what to do with it. They're pretty darn good and talented, if I don't say so myself. I'm thinking we could start a band and possibly be the next big thing!

Sadly, we don't know who the kazoos are from. They were separated from the other gift or card. If it's you, please step forward so we can properly thank you!

p.s. Excuse the mess, we had just finished opening presents.

Dol - First Birthday (in Korean)

2008-02-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we celebrated the babes’ first birthday. I think I’ve mentioned the first birthday is a huge to-do, it's almost on par with a wedding. In fact, there are a few important occasions in a Korean's life - the first birthday, the wedding and the 60th birthday. The first and last were celebrated because people weren't expected to make it past the first year or live that long. I know, we're a morbid bunch. The birthday party was absolutely chaotic. There was tons of food, but I only managed to get 3 bites of an egg roll. Needless to say, Mike and I were starving by the end of the night. We had about 100 people, lots of kids, family and friends. We had it at a restaurant that specializes in dols, so they knew exactly what to do. They set up the balloons, cut up the fruit, displayed the rice cakes and guided us throughout the night.

One of the highlights of the party is the toljabee (picking). We lay out several different items and have the baby pick from it. Whatever he/she picks determines what’s in store for their future. These are the items we laid out -

ITEM - MEANING
Pencil - Intelligence/Scholarly
Cash - Wealth
Thread - Long life
Rice - Prosperity

Here's a video to see what our kids chose. Let me say, the apple didn't fall far from the tree - Bree is as indecisive as her mama!

Our friend took pics of the party and she's fixing them up for us (bad lighting). As soon as I get them, I'll post some. In the meantime if you'd like to see more pics, our wonderful friend, Tonya, created a beautiful montage and has it on her blog.

Birthday wish from Debi

2008-01-31T13:01:00.000-08:00

My dear friend, Debi, whom I've never met made this for the babies' birthday. She's part of a wonderful group of twin moms I met online. She's done this for all the other babies so far, over 60 sets of twins! Thank you Debi!

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

One year ago today...

2008-01-29T22:43:00.000-08:00

It’s hard to believe a year ago today, I was counting down the hours until my scheduled c-section. I’d had an amnio done earlier in the day to determine the babies were ready to come out. Even though they were 2 days shy of 36 weeks, they were fully baked. I think they were more ready than me and Mike. I’d focused on keeping them inside for so long, I didn’t think about them actually being here. A part of me, didn’t allow myself to dream that far because of what happened with Matty & Issy. But now a year later, here they are. Being a parent to Luke & Bree has been the most rewarding, most difficult, most amazing year of my life. It took us a long while to get here, but it’s so worth it.

To read what was going on January 29, 2007, click here -
http://janstaseggis.blogspot.com/2007/01/this-time-tomorrow.html

What I looked like in mid-December –

What I looked like the eve of the birth –

What the peeps looked like last weekend in their traditional Korean outfits –

(Looks like Luke's boogeying)

Ah geez, I've been tagged

2008-01-25T13:40:00.000-08:00

I’m taking a little break to being ‘tagged’ by my friend Debi. I don’t normally do this type of thing, but since I was singled out I feel I must. In a way it’s kinda fun. How many of you remember signing Slam Books in junior high/middle school?

TAG!

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

5 things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago:

1. Living in Tokyo, Japan
2. Teaching English
3. Traveling Asia
4. Eating lots of 100 yen (approx $1) sushi
5. Missing family and friends

5 Things On My To-Do List Today:

1. Clean/straighten the house
2. Pick out pics for the babies’ one year frame
3. Finalize birthday party plans
4. Make a batch of baby food
5. Figure out what the heck to make for dinner

Snacks I Enjoy:

1. Potato chips
2. Brie & crackers
3. French fries
4. Leftovers (esp cold burgers and pizza)
5. Anything with chocolate, nougat, caramel and almonds

Things I Would Do if (ahem, when) I Were a Billionaire:

1. Buy a house in LA
2. Fully take care of our families
3. Have lots more kids
4. Travel luxuriously and educationally
5. Donate, tithe and contribute

3 Bad habits

1. OCD
2. Impatient
3. Indecisive

5 Places I've lived

1. Sacramento, CA
2. Tokyo, Japan
3. West Hollywood, CA
4. London, England
5. Northridge, CA

5 Jobs I've Had

1. Director of Newsstand Operations @ Tower Records - great, I had all the magazines I wanted in the world.
2. Private English Teacher – I think I learned more from my students than they did from me.
3. Office Mgr @ Music management company – one of the coolest jobs I’ve ever had.
4. Legal Assistant – really boring, but paid the bills and then some.
5. Sales & Marketing assistant @ Sony Music – where I met my husband.

5 Things People Probably Don't Know About Me:

1. I'm sentimental and emotional, can cry at the drop of a hat.
2. I was almost 11 lbs at birth.
3. I played the accordion from ages 6-9 yrs old.
4. I have no interest in politics whatsoever.
5. I’m not a phone person, I only like to leave messages so I get credit I called.

I only have 2 people (Devi and Lois) to tag because everyone else have already been tagged. Your turn guys!

November

2007-12-30T00:58:00.000-08:00

I had a hard time picking Nov's photos. There are too many cute ones. I sound terrible boasting my kids are cute. They are, but it's the photos that are cute or funny. One of our readers "Lois" told me her kids think Luke & Bree are celebrities because they see them on the internet. So I have to do my best and have them live up to the high expectation :-)

I thought I'd start with Bree's latest talent - breaking the laptop's keyboard.

Watching TV instead of playing in their exersaucers.

AMBER & PAUL'S WEDDING - Mike's cousin got married and of course it was an excuse to dress them up. Her colors were a fall theme so I dressed them accordingly. We love orange, it's a good thing it suits them.

Sitting on the pew, waiting for the ceremony to start.

Family shot after wedding.

Bree implying "I don't know this man."

Brothers and their cameras.

Notice the matching bread and bibs.

I love this photo of Bree with Grandpa.

Mike says this is one of those pics 'only a mom/dad loves' (click on the photo to enlarge to fully appreciate it).

Luke's most recent accomplishment. It was cute after the first couple times, now it's a bit annoying :-)

I see a future with Cirque Du Soleil for my son.

Notice how carefully he's balanced. It helps to have chubby feet, better to grip.

Bree enjoying the Pottery Barn catalog.

Another face only a mother could love. C'mon, notice the red nose from being so scrunched up. How cute is that? (click on this one too)

One of the sadder days. Both babies were sick. Bree's temp was 104+ degrees. We used wet wash cloths to cool them down.

AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC - We went again, this time with the kids' cousins, aunts and uncle. Mike was able to come too, his first time.

Bree wondering why her cousin has so much hair than she does.

Daddy and kids in wonderment.

Daddy getting artsy with the camera.

Cousin Audrey getting attacked by the lorikeet (it's on her head!).

I love my daughter.

Back view of Aunt Chris' do.

This is how we feed twins.

To be in this photo, 1) you have to have a baby, 2) born in 2007 and 3) in a Bjorn.

JANSTA THANKSGIVING - It was great because we didn't have to choose one family over the other. Mike's parents invited my family over for a huge dinner. Two turkeys - one deep fried, the other oven roasted! Yum!

The twins' first Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, it wasn't all that for them. Although they were fine in the morning, they started getting sick when we arrived at Grandma & Grandpa J's house. Luke was warm and went down for a nap, missing the big dinner. Bree stayed with us, but didn't like the turkey or anything else. We put her down for a nap soon after. They ended up being pretty sick. Bree's temp was over 104 for a couple days (off and on). Luke's didn't get that high, but he was just as miserable. I didn't get as many pics because I was tending to sick babies. Oh well, next year...

Newly married Aunt Amber & Uncle Paul watching Bree eat a book.

Uncle Eric and Grandpa R.

Grandpa J winning the battle with the deep fried turkey.

In all its glory. Yummmmm

Crazy long table.

Family pic minus sleeping Luke.

My two nieces up to something...

My niece and nephew in sync.

October

2007-12-28T22:50:00.000-08:00

Well I didn't get caught up by Christmas. I tried and I'm still posting. Once I'm finished, I'll upload the Christmas ones (me thinks).

As you can see, we were really busy in October. Lots of firsts for the babes. I'm doing things I would've never done, but am having more fun than I thought possible. You can see for yourself.

PUMPKIN PATCH

Kids in the wheel barrow. Looks like they're up to mischief.

Luke having a ball.

They don't like the fact the fruit is bigger than them.

One of my all time favorites.

Kelly, one of my dearest friends, meeting the babes for the first time.

Luke chillin'

Care to guess what's on Bree's back? [Hint: it's seeping thru her onesie]

FIRST HALLOWEEN

Bree having a ball with Grandma J.

DISNEYLAND - We tagged along our niece's first trip to Disneyland. She's 2 1/2 years old. It was Luke & Bree's first time also and I forgot the camera! I was almost ill not being able to document every single moment of the day. My sister loaned us theirs, but of course they had their own pics to take. Here's what we got -

The entire park was decorated for Halloween. Mickey's ear were made up of orange pumpkins, his smile were white pumpkins!

The kids and their first ears.

September

2007-12-19T16:40:00.000-08:00

Like I said in my previous post, the hardest part is compiling, organizing and uploading the photos. Once it's uploaded, the rearranging is also a big pain. Blogger doesn't make it easy to move things around, but I think I got things where I want them to be. I did have to delete some because I got confused and couldn't bother figuring it out. Remember, I'm trying to do this all the while my kids are screaming at me to get away from the computer and come play with them.

September was a busy month for us. We went to the fair, apple picking, to the park, etc. There's so much to do with little ones. We're having a blast with them.

Bree says "Aw geez mom, another post!?!?!?"

Luke finding his sister's ear fascinating

Such posers!

I love Luke's sly glance.

AT THE PARK

First time on the swing. Didn't know what to make of it.

Bree very doubtful.

Luke getting into the 'swing' of fun.

Don't you wish you had twins to do this?

FIRST TWIN BIRTHDAY INVITE - MARISOL & FLYNN

Notice their birthday cupcakes and the kids nice & clean.

Poor cupcakes didn't stand a chance.

Bree having fun at the birthday party ball pit (I think).

LA COUNTY FAIR

At the entrance.

Posing in front of a huge tree.

Bree not sure what to make of the turkeys.

Bree giving directions on where to go next.

APPLE PICKING

Getting the do's and don'ts on how to pick apples.

Aunt Chris minding the babes and/or the goat.

Reaching for the perfect apple.

Strolling along through the apple grounds.

Luke hates laundry as much as I do.

Bree loves laundry.

Bree standing for the first time!

Luke's turn asleep in the jumperoo.

GIFTS FROM AUNT GLO

Luke & his massive foot. Didn't even fit the shoe!

TRYING ON HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

August

2007-12-12T23:44:00.000-08:00

Yea, I know I said I was going to try to keep up… though, I did have the best of intentions!

I’ve had numerous requests for an update and quick thanks to Leslie, Monica, Rachel, Renata, Amber, Pat, Lois & Lisa for your comments on my last entry. Since I’m a people pleaser, here I am sorting through photos and racking my brain for cute stories.

Here’s a thought on photos – while I love the digital age, it is a pain to keep up, store and organize pics! Just as sometimes I think it might be better not to have very much money or live in a communist society (don’t freak out, I don’t really want to), there’s something to be said about not having so many choices and having to make only limited decisions. Case in point, the thousands of pictures I’m going through. Yup, you read it right. As a first time parent, we’re clicking away like there’s no tomorrow. Except there is a tomorrow and that brings along even more pics. Not only does this make more work for me to go through, it also fills up my computer’s hard drive and slows it down. Thus resulting in a frustrated blogger who doesn’t update her blog very often. Sometimes I think our parents had it easier since they didn’t take as many. But in all honesty, I’m glad to be able to take continuous shots of the peeps even if I end up with 50 pics of them eating their first banana. Ok enough said on the matter, I know you guys just want to see the pics already.

I left off in August but will include August pics because they’re so cute (at least, IMO). In the next couple of days (again, best of intentions), I’m going to post highlights for every month. It’s my goal to be caught up by Christmas.

Before you start checking them out, I have to say how surprised I am at how much they’ve changed. They were chunkers! They still are, but as you can see they’ve slimmed out quite a bit.

Love the Jumperoo. Bree bounced herself until she passed out.

My good friend/college roommate, Tina, meeting Bree & Luke for the first time.

Be warned if you come to visit, I'll put you to work! That's their beautiful little girl, known as 'The Girl'.

Bree doesn't look real here, she looks like a doll.

My multi-talented son inventing new ways to have fun with the binky.

Gorgeous smile, 'nuf said.

Bree's expression cracks me up. She's not happy here.

Another twin mom meet up at the Long Beach Aquarium.

Our friends at the LA Zoo.

My other college roommate, Devi, and her beautiful little boy.

Three men and their babies.

My friend, Morten, trying to soothe Bree with a little music.

Homework!

2007-08-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

You remember the feeling when you were in school and you had an assignment due or test to study for? That niggling reminder that kept you from having fun because you really should study. Well, that’s how I feel about the blog. It’s been ‘homework’ for me. Finally a chance to update you all, although, I don’t know how many of you are still around. If you’re reading this, please post a comment so I know whether or not to keep this up.

Ok, it’s been a long time since my last post. As you can imagine, a lot has happened. Nothing major, just everyday stuff. People always comment, ‘you must have your hands full!’ when they see me and the kids. Since I’ve never had a singleton, I don’t know any better. I know people that are just as stressed, sometimes more, with only one baby! Yes, it’s a lot of work, but I’m loving (almost) every minute of it.

Since pictures speak a thousand words, I’ll let the photos do the talking. They're not in chronological order, but the most recent pics are at the bottom. So without further ado –

The peeps' 100 Day Celebration

Mommy's birthday at the beach

Mommy's birthday meal - notice the twin yolks!

Daddy's favorite photo

How mommy gets on the computer

Circle of twins

Mommys and their twins

Hanging out with cousin Sean

Bree's first swimsuit

Luke after being dunked

Family's first swim

Boot to the head!

Solids for the first time

Ditto

Solids on mommy's shirt

What our house now looks like

Bree and her problem (don't worry, it's an ODouls)

Luke's first tooth

Foot in mouth syndrome

Full hands!

2007-04-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

First, let me start off by saying I really have my hands full!

Seriously, how do people do it? Seriously. (I’m channeling Meredith Grey.)

At least it hasn’t been a full month since my last post, almost but not quite. As it is, I’ve got Luke crying and Oliver nudging me with his nose to go out. Btw, ‘Laid Back Luke’ is now ‘Loud Cry Luke’ and ‘Drama Queen Bree’ is now ‘Dream Queen Bree’. Just when I had them figured out, they switch.

They’re getting so big. It’s great to see, but sad at the same time. Part of me can’t wait to take them camping or a baseball game or make cookies, but another part of me wants them to stay as infants. Bree has started cooing and smiling and it’s totally melting my heart. I haven’t been able to catch it on film (there’s an antiquated saying, like vinyl or records), but I’m sure I will soon.

Things are going great, it’s tiring but I’m having fun trying to savor every minute. The kids are well, they’re healthy and advancing every day. Luke’s quite the eater and therefore chunkier. I’m afraid we’re going to have change our sleeping arrangements soon. Right now, we put them both down in the co-sleeper that is right next to my side of the bed (so dad can get his beauty sleep). But their heads and feet are beginning to touch the frame, they won’t last much longer. We do have cribs for them, but I love the convenience of just stretching my arm out and popping the binkie back in their mouth when they wake at night.

(Obviously this isn't us, stole these from the manufacturer's website.)

Unfortunately,I don’t have a whole lot of time to write. The kids are quiet now but will let me know they’re hungry for their next feed in an hour. In the meantime, I’m going to try to finish this post, pump and then wash some bottles. Yea right, that’s being ambitious!

But you really don't care about what I write, you just want to see pics of the babes. This should satisfy you -

One of my favorites. The only drawback is Bree (right) is wearing blue. We have a lot more boy clothes from friends and family with boys. But it's been a great excuse to shop for cute girly stuff!

Love the Podee bottles. They've saved my life when both babies are screaming with hunger.

Bumbo vs Bebe Pod?

Bree needing support from mom & aunty.

"Mom, get me out of here!"

According to the Twin's Mom newsgroup, these seats are a must have. They're still a little young, but I ended up with the Bumbo because it seemed to support them better.

Luke chillin' in his velour outfit sitting on his velour boppy.

Our most recent photo session. The great organic cotton onesies are presents from Aunt Amy. Did you know Whole Foods carries baby clothes?

My beautiful baby girl.

My son with his gorgeous long lashes. He definitely didn't inherit those from me!

Lost weekend

2007-03-28T17:54:00.000-07:00

I don’t know how people do it.

To make up for lost time, I’m going out with a vengeance. Correction, I was going out. Now I’m just trying to catch up at home. Last Friday I met up with 2 gals I met on the internet. That sounds dubious. These were really nice people and I felt like I knew them already. I met them through the twin message boards on babycenter.com. Tonya drove up from San Diego and Heather lives in Orange County. We met at Fashion Island in Newport Beach (very shee-shee upscale mall). That was my first social outing and I did surprisingly well. We even got a photo of the babies with the Easter Bunny. I don’t know what I’d do without the internet. These ladies on the message board have been so helpful. Previously I had mentioned how other websites like the PROM (premature rupture of the membrane) site helped me with the loss of Matty & Issy as well as prepare for the next pregnancy. The twin boards are also extremely helpful from getting advice to what items/gears I must have (that part is dangerous). It’s a tight-knit board even though people are located all across the states. I was fortunate that there are a couple of people that live in So Cal.

Luke & Bree are to the far right of the pic

The babes with the Easter Bunny. Too bad they were passed out.

Saturday, we checked out the Mark Ryden show at a gallery in Hollywood. Mike and I are huge fans of his work. Chris, my sister, turned us onto him. How cool are our kids that they’re already going to galleries?

Afterwards we went to see our new nephew. He’s already changed a lot in a week. He’s less swollen now and looked adorable. I got some pics of Sean with his cousins. They’re all about the same height, but Luke & Bree are chunkier. When placed next to Sean, the babies really looked like twins.

Then on Sunday, we went to an outlet mall. Mike needed new shoes and I have a lot of retail therapy to catch up on. Nothing for me, I’m not sure what size my body is yet. So I focused on things for the babes. What’s cool is that Mike has fun picking out stuff for them too. In fact, he did all the choosing at Gymboree.

Sounds like we’re pros getting out and about with the babies. Far from it! It takes us about 2 hours to get ready and leave the house. When we get home, there are tons of bottles to wash and sterilize, babies to feed and bathe, a dog to take care of and then we try to feed ourselves. We went to bed between 2am-3.30am over the weekend. Not to mention the house is a mess. I’ve got baskets of laundry that have been waiting days to be folded. I really don’t know how I’m supposed to manage house work with everything else.

As it is, it’s Wednesday night/Thursday morning and I’m just now able to write about the weekend. I’ll have to save the 2 mos appointment stats for another post.

One last pic, another example of twinning. Notice how their binkies are in identical positions to one another.

Hey Coz!

2007-03-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

I’m not really caught up. You probably didn’t notice the fact that I wrote yesterday’s entry last week. The babies are actually 7 weeks today. It took me awhile to actually post the entry and add the photos. And now it’s taken me only 3 days to mention I have a new nephew. My sister, Grace, gave birth to Sean Gabriel on March 17th, St Patty’s day. He was 8lbs and 5oz and a whopping 22” long! Big and tall boy. He has a full head of hair just like his sister. Visiting Sean was the twins’ first all day outing and their first time leaving OC. They did pretty well, so well we hope to do it again this weekend. Bree and Luke now have 4 cousins. Maggie & Ryan and now Audrey & Sean. I can’t wait for the holidays. It’s going to be wonderfully chaotic!

Proud Aunty moment

Look at all that hair! Bree wants some of it.

Rhew sisters (Roosters) with Sean.

I'm back, for now

2007-03-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry dear friends to have kept you in the dark, but now I’m back (or so I think). Luke & Bree are now 6 ½ weeks old. The past month and a half have gone by so quickly, it’s a blur to me.

Well, as mentioned in my last post I had some unexpected complications during delivery. The news was devastating and I’ve spent some time coming to terms with the outcome. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to go into any further than that. What happened was very personal, I don’t mind talking about it in person, over the phone or even email but I don’t want to post it for any random person to read.

So I’m dealing with that and I’m at home with 2 tiny pea pods. They were great weights to begin with, but soon lost quite a bit of weight. It’s normal for babies to lose some of the water weight, but they lost more than that. With the c section and the fact they were 4 weeks early, my milk was slow to come in. The babies weren’t getting enough to eat and the lactation consultants wanted me to supplement very little with formula. As it turns out, Bree ended up losing 15% of her birth weight which was too much according to the pediatrician. So I’m having problems breastfeeding which hurt like you would not believe and I’m failing to adequately provide for my baby. After 2 weeks, I developed a breast infection (mastitis). It was horrible. It’s like the flu except ten times worse. I had a 103 temperature, achy all over and so weak. I was afraid to hold the babies; I thought I would drop them. I finally got in to see the doctor and got some antibiotics. I felt better almost immediately. After not holding the babes for a couple days, I missed them a lot.

A couple weeks later my breasts became engorged. In other words, they became backed up with milk and were rock hard which is very painful. I almost went to the ER, but with many hot showers and heating compresses it finally became undone. Unfortunately, it was also a gateway for another infection and this time it was worse! My temperature rose to almost 104 and this time included vomiting and diarrhea. Let’s just say, I’ve had no trouble losing the pregnancy weight. To top it off, I developed an allergic reaction to the same antibiotics I used the first time. What kind of reaction? Well, my entire body from the palm of my hands to the top of my feet to my entire torso and back, arms and legs were itching like crazy. I was absolutely miserable.

Lastly, my wonderful, supportive and loving mother ended her stay last week. She’s taken care of me for several months while I was on bed rest and then helped with the babies for 6 weeks. It was time for her to get back to her own life which she put on hold for us. Plus she was tired, she was doing so much. My mom is pretty awesome and Mike agrees, we couldn’t have done it without her (well, we might have but definitely not as well).

So I’m a little freaked out having to do this on my own. Having one baby seems like a breeze, it’s having two that’s challenging, especially if one of them is fussy like ‘drama queen Bree’. ‘Laid back Luke’ is so chill, he’s so easy! And here I was nervous to have a boy since I never had a brother.

I don’t know if I’ll have more time or less with my mom gone now. We’ll see. Lucky for us, she missed the little ones so much she and my dad came by the other day. She stocked up our fridge, prepared future meals for Mike and me and bathed both babies (which I’m afraid to do by myself). Oh and mom and dad fed and changed the babies the entire day. It was pretty awesome, I finally had time to vacuum and do some laundry.

So that’s the past 6 weeks in a nutshell. Hopefully, I’ll be able to keep up with the blog (I know I said that last time), but the babies should be settling down and becoming less needy. Here are some pics to hold you over til my next post.

xoxo

Sabrina fast asleep on her boppy. This seems to help with her reflux.

Luke wide awake, too much caffeine? (j/k of course, I'm not drinking any!)

I really think my boy is incredibly handsome.

Love the pursed lips and chubby cheeks.

Bree waking up slowly.

Bed hog

Bree posing as Trinity from the Matrix (right before she kicks butt).

This is adorable. Their sleeping positions are mirror images of each other. They really are twins!

They're not as sweet as you think.

Jansta...Party of Four

2007-02-11T16:39:00.000-08:00

Thank you for everyone's well wishes, emails and phone calls. Sorry I've been MIA. Updating the blog has been weighing on my mind and the past two weeks have been a blur...I didn't mean to leave anyone hanging.

I'm happy and proud to say that on January 30th Lucas Rhew Jansta & Sabrina Rhew Jansta arrived safely.

Lucas Rhew Jansta (Luke)
5lbs 11oz
09:33
18.2 inches

Sabrina Rhew Jansta (Bree)
5lbs 15oz
09:34
18.5 inches

(I had almost 12 pounds of just babies inside me!)

I had a planned c-section, but unfortunately there were complications which I'm still dealing with emotionally. However, the babies are perfect and healthy with good weights. They both passed their hearing tests and scored 8/9 each on the APGAR test. They went directly to the Nursery, bypassing the NICU which is awesome. Luke and Bree both came into the world crying and screaming.

I'm only able to include this update because Mike's here typing it (hello!) but here's some pictures and I'll try not to let as much time pass until the next update.

This time tomorrow!

2007-01-29T15:19:00.000-08:00

First I’d like to start off by thanking everyone who has sent us encouraging emails with their support, love or advice. I may not have responded to you all, but I read them and then read them aloud to Mike and vice versa. It’s an amazing feeling to know so many people care about you even if we haven’t seen each other in ages or live oceans apart. Thanks again everyone! And we can’t wait for you to meet the new additions!

I guess I have one more post in me before the pea pods are here. I had the amnio this morning. Ouch! It hurt! And then I kept bleeding which didn’t help my squeamish side. Afterwards, they monitored me (another NST) to make sure there were no ill effects from the procedure. Fortunately, they only did the amnio on one baby. They chose the one that was most accessible and that was girl. Everything went well and the doctor thinks they’re ready judging from the color and particles of the amniotic fluid (remember, this is their pee they’ve been breathing and drinking). Even though we’re not ready for them gear-wise, I’m ready for them to come out. It’s been sooo hard lately – heavier belly, increased number of contractions and constant pressure down there.

The NST was hard, the nurse couldn’t get a decent reading on their heartbeats. Boy is deeply embedded in my pelvis so the nurse was getting the same heartbeats on the monitor from the girl. It took a lot longer than usual. Then once she got the heartbeats, they decided to go to sleep so she had to wake them up with the buzzard again. Girl did not like that at all, she either punched or kicked my belly hard in protest!

Some of you have asked why we’re delivering so early. A couple reasons - mainly I can’t labor. I had extensive uterine muscle removed a while ago while having fibroids taken out. Since I don’t have very much muscle left, the doctors are concerned my uterus may rupture if I labor and/or push. And secondly, my doctor will be out of the country beginning Wednesday for WHO (World Health Organization). Even though I’m nervous about meeting them, I’m ready for them to come out. I’m starting to swell and losing the small amount of mobility I had left. Oh and one more thing, its bad enough knowing I’m going to have surgery. And I can’t eat or drink anything past midnight. But I just found out today that I probably won’t get to eat anything until the day after, Wednesday! OMG! They want me to go from eating 6 small meals a day to cold turkey! I’m worried how I’m going to handle the no food part. (Kelly – I’ve been having a root beer float every night for the past week!)

As it is, I had a bit of a scare on Saturday. The nurse administering my NST said I was having frequent contractions. I told her I didn’t even feel most of them but she felt the doctor on call would want me to go to L&D. I panicked when she told me that. I kept thinking ‘my hospital bag isn’t packed’, ‘the babies’ bag isn’t packed’, ‘laundry isn’t done’, ‘I need to wash my hair’ and a multitude of other trivial excuses that seemed very important at the time.

So this time tomorrow, I hope to be in my hospital room holding our babies. You know, since we did IVF we know exactly when they were conceived and now we know exactly when they’ll be born. I was talking about technology with an old friend (who’s also expecting a baby via IVF on 2/16) and we are both so thankful we live in a time where these medical advancements help us have the family we wouldn’t otherwise have. Pretty cool, eh?

For fun, and if you’re inclined, I’d like to hear what people’s guestimate will be on the babies weights. The one who is closest will have the baby named after them (not really, but we may use a letter or two from your name). Feel free to note it in the Comments. Ok, now I’m really signing off. Hopefully I’ll be back in a week or so.

xoxoxo
lisa

4 days!

2007-01-26T15:22:00.000-08:00

Cute Oliver picture of the day.

My mom’s been curious as to what the babies look like for quite a while. I don’t think I’ve thought about what they look like, more like what life will be like. I tell Mike life is about to change as we know it. Life has already changed since I found out we were pregnant, but it’s more of a temporary change (being on bed rest and not going out). I wrote about what it’s like to be on bed rest awhile ago. How it felt like I’ve always been on it and how I’ve gotten to a point where I’m almost afraid to venture out in the ‘real world’. But lately, I’ve been thinking about introducing the babies to relatives and friends. Pushing them around in their stroller, days at the park or the zoo. Sounds a little too idyllic, don’t you think? I'm daydreaming and romanticizing it, aren't I?

As for what they’ll look like? Who knows? Maybe like Keanu Reeves? Or the gal that plays Lana Lang on Smallville? Actually when I was younger, there was a mixed family at church and the kids looked Mexican (even though they were half Korean and half White). They were pretty dark skinned. When I attended the Le Leche meeting a couple weeks ago, I was dumbfounded by a white woman with light brown hair breastfeeding a 100% Asian baby. I thought she had adopted this little girl and was able to breastfeed her. She had an older daughter (about 4 or 5 years old) who was mixed (half Asian/half White), but the baby is 100%. After hearing her tell her experience, I realized the woman had birthed the Asian baby! It blew my mind. Her husband is Korean and there was no trace of the mother in the baby. I know I’m going to think our babies are gorgeous whatever they look like. But now that I've been talking about it, I wonder if they'll take after Mike or me or both or neither...

I think my husband is pretty cool. He’s also a stand up, very decent person and would do anything for us. He’s been my punching bag through this very hormonal journey and still thanks me for carrying the babies (even when I'm at my absolute worst)! I guess others think he’s awesome as well; his office threw him a baby shower the other day. It was really sweet and generous. I’ve never met any of these people (although I think I’m kind of infamous due to the Christmas party dessert demands) and Mike’s been there for only 3 months.

We got some pretty darn cute onesies and a really cool diaper cake (I’ve never seen one before).

Someone also gave a beautiful personalized keepsake box. The shower sounded very nice, I’m bummed I couldn’t be there.

I think I have another post or two left in me, but there is a possibility this might be the last one for the time being. My amnio is at 9am on Monday, 1/29. I should have the results by the end of the day. If all looks good, then I show up to the hospital at 6am on Tuesday. I’m the first one that day! The hospital has no wi fi, so I probably won’t post anything until I’m home.

Please say a prayer for us!

35 weeks!

2007-01-25T14:23:00.000-08:00

Woe is me; I’m out of Hawaiian Fruit Punch (HFP). I don’t know what my obsession is with this drink. I doubt I’ll crave it once I’m no longer pregnant. But for now, it’s one of the first things I think about when I wake up in the morning. As I’m lying in bed, the air is dry (even with a vaporizer!) and my throat is parched, I think about how quenching a tall glass of HFP with ice would taste. It’s what gets me out of bed in the mornings!

I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned this already, our house sold! We are officially out of Sacramento. As much as I miss our friends in No Cal, I’m so relieved not to have to worry about paying an additional mortgage. I do miss our house and am sad at the thought of not seeing the trees grow to maturity. I miss our lemon and lime trees and all the herbs (including our massive lemongrass bush). I miss the newness of our home since we were the first owners and I’m sad at the thought of Oliver missing his friends :-(

But the trade-off is being nearer to my family and Mike’s family. My parents, especially my mom, have been a lifesaver. I don’t know how we would’ve managed on our own. It seems like everything fell into place, Tower’s demise, Mike’s new job, my parents’ forced retirement all happened to enable me to really take it easy for the last trimester. And here we are, less than 5 days away now!

Today, I’m 35 weeks. As with previous weeks, I’m surprised to have it made it this far. Here’s what’s happening with the peapods now -

“Your baby's getting big. He weighs a tad over 5 pounds and is just over 18 inches long. Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.”

And this is what’s happening inside me -

“Your uterus — now up under your ribs — has expanded to about 15 times its original volume, and you may feel like you've run out of room! If you could peek inside your uterus, you'd see that there's much less amniotic fluid and much more baby in there now. Your ballooning uterus is crowding your internal organs too, which is why you probably have to urinate more often and have heartburn and other digestive problems.”

OMG, I’m so uncomfortable. Sometimes, it’s just downright painful.

And then next week, the babies are here! Remember my email pal who just delivered her twins a couple weeks ago? She sent me an email, here’s an excerpt - “trying to catch up to emails is practically impossible with two little guys...Lisa it is so hard, I cant even tell you! No sleep, no sleep, no sleep”. I’m a little freaked out after reading that! Btw, I followed up on the car seats. They’re expected to ship on Monday and will hopefully get here by next Thursday. Talk about cutting it close!

Lastly at 4.30am I realized we have no bottles. What if I can’t breastfeed? The babies will starve! And yesterday I mentioned what a relief it was to have ordered the cribs. Mike’s dad is going to help Mike pick them up tomorrow (hopefully!). Well, guess what I realized this morning at 4.45am? We have no mattress or sheets! What am I thinking? I’m not, I’m not thinking straight and now we have less than 5 days to go!

6 days!

2007-01-24T16:21:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned, yesterday was a little weird. The day passed by so quickly it was a little freaky. I am pleased to say we ordered their cribs. With all the clothes we’ve got so far, we really needed a dresser to put them in. Plus, I’m not so sure they’re going to like the co-sleeper, so I feel better having the crib on hand just in case. I found a nice retailer in Montana who cut me a multiples deal (he has twins himself!) and charged no tax or shipping. The catch is we have to pick up the items from the manufacturer located in Montebello, which is about 30 minutes from our house. Hopefully we’ll be able to do that this week.
This is the crib we got. Here it's shown in Espresso, but we've ordered it in Antique White and Ebony.
I wanted this dresser in white, but they only had it in black.
And this dresser I wanted in black, but they had in white. Oh well, close enough!

I had my appointment this morning with the Peri. It was mostly a Q&A session. I brought my trusted little green notebook with all the questions. They took my blood pressure and measured my fundal height. I’m 41 weeks! Looks like I’ll have my amnio (they refer to it as a ‘tap’) on Monday at 9am. We’ll have the results at the end of the day. If all goes well, then I have to be at the hospital at 6am the next day, Tuesday.

Afterwards, we did the NST test. Baby boy is always so mellow. His heart rate is always about 20 beats slower than his sister. He’s way down below and wasn’t moving very much, so the nurse wanted to ‘wake’ him up. She showed me a small device that vibrates very slightly and has a buzzard which she assured me is no louder than a human’s voice. Both seemed harmless and she guaranteed it wasn’t harmful to the baby. As safe as it seems, it jolted him awake. His heart rate went from 140-150’s to 180-190’s! It’s never been that high before. His sister is usually in the 160-170’s range and he surpassed her. I felt so sorry for him. I felt like we gave the poor little guy a heart attack! But the nurse got the heartbeat accelerations and decelerations she was looking for.

It’s so hard to believe this time next week; our family will double in size. Oliver will have 2 new roommates. And btw, the hospital does not have wi fi so I won’t be able to log on for several days. If you haven’t already, remember to email me your home address at lisarj@gmail.com if you want a birth announcement!

p.s. In case you’re wondering, Mike was able to find Hawaiian Punch. At the 99 cents store of all places. I’m telling you, it is sooo good. The only complaint I have is Mike seems to be drinking half of it!

Where did the day go?

2007-01-23T18:16:00.000-08:00

Here’s my day – woke up, called a retailer regarding the crib we wanted, bought it (yay!), had lunch, fell asleep and it’s now almost 6pm. I feel like I had a one hour day before it turned to night. Now I have to run and take my shower. Because the uterus is active all day with the babies' kicks and movements, it gets tired at night and is prone to more contractions. I’m a shower at night person and so I’ve been showering between 5-6pm to keep the contractions at a minimum.

So, today is short and sweet but I’ll have more to write about tomorrow including my doctor’s appointment in the morning. Just didn’t want anyone thinking that I had gone into labor today.

8 days!

2007-01-22T17:14:00.000-08:00

I don't think I look that big, do I?

Yes, the countdown is on! 8 more days now. It’s so surreal. Sometimes I wonder if I’ve miscounted the weeks and I’m actually in my 20’s, instead of 34 ½ weeks. Although my waist measures at almost 47”, can I really be so close to meeting the little ones? That Mike and I are about to become parents? Is anyone really prepared for the birth of their first? Or am I just freaked out at the thought of delivery?

We’ve been scrambling to get things ready. Mike stayed up until 2am (I did my part by keeping him company) on Saturday night washing clothes, blankets, bibs, etc. We got a lot of clothes on loan from friends and family. At least I’m confident our babies won’t be naked. But this morning, I’ve spent following up on our car seats (ordered on January 4th) and doing research on cribs (I’m so burnt out on researching!). Of course, the ones that we like is not in stock or is so darn elusive. I’m also trying to find the best deals since we have to buy 2 of each. Initially, we thought we had a few months to shop for cribs, but after washing all the clothes we realized we had no place to put the clothes. Hence, we need to find dressers (with matching cribs) asap.

Suddenly, the pregnancy has gotten a whole lot harder. Rolling over in bed at night is almost impossible without pain. My belly is rock hard and the weight just knocks the breath out of me (or squishes it out of me). I’m also having a hard time differentiating between contractions or their head and butt. Both are pretty hard and solid to the touch. And even though I’m taking Pepcid, my acid reflux is back with a vengeance. I realize now TUMS are for amateurs. Unfortunately, I can’t take as many Pepcid as I did with TUMS – bummer!

But I did get to go to Target this weekend. I missed Target! I got to ride around in one of those electric scooters. They’re pretty tricky to navigate. I don’t know how the elderly are supposed to maneuver them. Granted I’m not the most coordinated person, but some of the aisles are pretty narrow. Got some more diapers (which is always needed). I’m also trying out different brands. Some people swear by Pamper Swaddlers, others love Huggies and a few loved Luvs. Mike also got White Cloud (at Wal Mart) just because they had John Lennon illustrations on them. Apparently, you won’t know which brand works best on the babies until you try them. What works on girl, may not be so good for boy. So it’s all trial and error. Hopefully we’ll find the right ones sooner than later. I can’t imagine a leaky diaper is very much fun!

1 week, 4 days

2007-01-19T14:49:00.000-08:00

Just had to include another sun worshipping picture of good ol' Ollie. Did I mention, he moves with the sun? He's such a good puppy, I really hope he gets along with his new roommates!

Mike left this morning at 6.15am for a flight to Sacramento. His dad is meeting him up there and they’re packing up the rest of our stuff left at our house. All the stuff that didn’t fit in his car the last time he was there. They’re also bringing down our fridge which is great. I know we’ll need an extra fridge in the upcoming months.

Our house was supposed to close today, but frustratingly the buyer’s agent forgot to have them sign one document. So now we’re back at our original close date of 1/23. I’m just anxious for the deed to be done. I won’t completely relax until it’s totally complee. I worry that something could change at the last minute. It would be a relief to have this over and done with. After all, we moved out almost 3 months ago!

Mike probably won’t be home until late tonight. I just hope he doesn’t get stuck at the grapevine. Yesterday, they shut it down for awhile due to icy conditions. There were reports of snow in Malibu! Quite a change considering they had the major fire last week that burned down Suzanne Sommer’s home.

I get nervous when Mike’s away. What if I go into labor? What if the babies decide to come when Mike’s 425 miles away? I’ve got to stop and relax. If I don’t, I might work myself into a frenzy and start labor on my own! Yesterday, I had a pretty active day. So it’s not surprising my belly was contracting frequently last night. Not regular contractions, just more of the Braxton Hicks. That coupled with my increased appetite (I'm back to my hobbit frequent meals i.e. 1st dinner, 2nd dinner) has me feeling huge. Belly looks the same, but it feels much heavier and is tauter. Getting up is much more of a challenge now as is rolling over. Wow, how do women with triplets or quads handle it?

I really hope I can go to Target this weekend. I’m going to borrow their electric scooter (I always wanted to ride one of those!) to get around. And hopefully, we’ll be able to pick up some more essentials - namely diapers. Believe it or not, it’s not easy to find diapers in newborn size. We have a couple packages, but from what I hear it’s not going to last us very long.

Oh, and I checked with the doctor’s office yesterday to see if we could move the amnio and c section back by a few days but no luck. The Peri won’t be there. So it looks like these kids will be January babies. The countdown is on! 1 week and 4 days to go!

34 weeks!

2007-01-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

34 weeks today! Here’s what Babycenter.com say about this milestone.

“Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is probably almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her central nervous system is still maturing and her lungs are well developed by now.”

All good stuff, so how come I’m not ready for them to come out? Is it fear that wants to keep them inside as long as possible instead of having them in 1 week and 5 days?

I had my second NST appointment today. Babies are doing great. They were very cooperative and I was at the doctor’s office for only an hour. She also checked the amniotic fluid level and everything was right on track. Even though I have no reason to be concerned (no telltale signs of labor), it’s always a relief to hear that everything looks perfect.

Yesterday we had our first pediatrician appointment. One of the suggestions I’ve read is to start interviewing pediatricians before the babies arrive. I asked my Peri for a recommendation, someone who could handle me and my incessant questions. I think we found our doctor on the first try. It’s always good to get a recommendation, especially from someone who knows you. My Peri is very familiar with me and my green notebook that I always bring to each appointment. Some of the questions we asked were to circumcise or not? Immunization? On demand or schedule feeding? She also said she could help answer the basic questions too like how do we get them to sleep? Give a bath? That’s especially helpful because the newborn care class I signed up for isn’t until February 5th, which is a little too late for us now.

I have to go now. Mike's coming home early so we can attend the hospital breastfeeding class. As I've mentioned before, we're really going to give the breastfeeding a good try.

p.s. To Rachel - No, I didn't get the Hawaiian Punch. Mike brought me home Tropicana Fruit Punch. He couldn't understand when I was crying 'It's not the same thing!!!!'

To Lorelei - I read through your Baby Notes at my NST appointment today. What an awesome compilation! I'd love to post it on my blog, but it is kind of lengthy. If anyone's interested, please email me at lisarj@gmail.com and I'll send it to you. It's the nitty gritty wealth of info on how to prepare. Stuff you wouldn't find in books, but definitely need to know! Tons of helpful tips!

Oscar, the Grouch

2007-01-17T12:35:00.000-08:00

Did you miss me yesterday? I wasn’t very good company. Just call me Oscar. I was grouchy, cranky, irritable and uncomfortable. It’s probably due to the fact that I didn’t sleep well the night before. I was up every two hours going to the bathroom and then frustrated when I hardly went. Not only that, but when I feel the slightest urge to go, I have contractions/tightening. Since the babies are getting bigger, the tightening covers my entire stomach now.

On top of that, my legs were terribly sore. I’m supposed to sleep on my side to promote better circulation for me and the babies. Plus when I lay on my back, I have trouble breathing. I think lying on my side, though, cuts off some circulation to the bottom leg because I would wake up and it would be sore and asleep at the same time.

I tried rolling over every couple of hours, but that’s not an easy feat either. It helps when Mike holds my belly while I switch sides. But in the middle of the night when he’s asleep, I don’t get the added support.

Then in the morning, I had an insatiable desire for Hawaiian Fruit Punch. Remember, the commercials? “Hey, how about a nice Hawaiian Punch?" (Just what the heck was Punchy supposed to be and what was that red thing on his head?) The craving passed by that afternoon, but I awoke this morning wanting it again. I guess Mike’s going to have to get me some of that. Nothing like having an unfulfilled pregnancy craving!

I think it’s their growth that’s causing my belly to ache. I had a cramp/stitch on my lower left side for a couple days. Fortunately, it’s finally gone today. Btw, my waist measures at 46 ½” today. I don’t think I’ll make it to 50”, but I’m ok with that. Really, I am. I didn’t realize it was going to get sooo uncomfortable these last couple weeks. As much as I want the babies to be over 5 lbs each, I’ll settle for mature lungs and good feeds.

That’s something I’ve read about babies born 36 weeks and under. They have feeding issues because they’re too young. I have to prepare myself they’ll probably need a bottle at first. I really want to breastfeed. Even more so now after reading about how other twin moms are spending $600/month on diapers and formulas! If I want any $ leftover for retail therapy sessions, I’m going to have to have them latch on.

My last comment of the day is regarding my crappy internet connection. I don’t know if it’s Time Warner, the modem or our router, but our internet goes down all the time! I have to reset the modem, router and then the computer every day, sometimes twice a day. Not the end of the world, but a real pain when you’re supposed to be lying down as much as possible.

Wow, complain, complain, complain. Imagine if I had posted yesterday!

Busy Weekend

2007-01-15T15:26:00.000-08:00

Our sun-loving Oliver who's also incredibly lazy here. In the mornings, he follows where the sun shines. Here's, he's too lazy to move his be-hind, so it stays on one step and he moves the front half of his body so his face is in the sun.

After I posted my entry on Friday, the nurse from my Peri’s office called with the amnio date. It’s scheduled for Monday, 1/29 and if their lungs are mature, the c section will be Tuesday, 1/30. That’s in 2 weeks! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I don’t know why I’m panicking so much. It’s only a few days earlier than what I’d been expecting, but 2 weeks just seems so soon! It’s really going to happen! They’re coming! Now we really got to get our butts in gear.

Initially the nurse called about me doing a NST (non-stress test). I thought it was a routine test for all pregnant women until I spoke to my sister who’s never had it done. Then I found out it’s only done for high risk pregnancies. Since I qualify, I got to go to L&D (once again) on Sunday to be tested. It has to be done twice a week, at least every 4 days. We spent another 3 hours at the hospital. The babies did great, but at one point the doctor scared us and I thought I was going to remain in the hospital until delivery. Turns out, the cervix was longer than she originally thought and I got to go home. If it was shorter or had started to dilate, I would’ve stayed and delivered soon after. Even though I’m reassured the babies would do well and have no problems if they were born now, it seems way too early for them to arrive. Thankfully, they’ve decided to stay put for the time being.

There was an upside to the visit. I got a cure for my acid reflux (which has gotten so much worse) and the ok to take Robitussum for my cough which has been lingering for a while. The coughing has caused some cramping in my stomach (remember, I haven’t had any sort of exercise or activity so tensing my stomach is quite a work out and makes it sore). The babies’ growth spurt I mentioned previously also contributes to stomach pains. Even though I’m soooo uncomfortable, I really want them to stay in my belly for a while longer. I also try to stay horizontal as much as possible. When the doctor checked me yesterday, she told us boy’s head is very low and she could feel it! No wonder I’m uncomfortable sitting up, I’m squishing him!

I also got other news on Friday, my email pal, Tarra, had her babies. I’ve never met Tarra in person, but have talked to her on the phone and kept in touch via email. We met on the PROM site, we both lost babies last year. She lost Morgan, her son, 6 weeks before we lost our twins. She became pregnant with boy/girl twins this year and just delivered on Friday! At 37 weeks! I’m so happy for her and her husband.

Saturday, my sisters arranged for a small family shower at our house. We had siblings, parents, in-laws, aunt, uncle, niece and nephew. Even though we’ve been in OC for almost 3 months, we haven’t seen many people. I was lying on the couch for most of the time, but it was the first time I wore make up in 4 months! It was really nice to see everyone and receive their well wishes. It was fun having people over, I’m looking forward to when I’m up and about and I can be Martha Stewarty. Although my sisters did a pretty good job, Chris made a hummingbird cake and Grace made daisy cupcakes and earthworm cupcakes.

Cupcakes!

Hummingbird Cake with Piglets (representing Year of the Pig)

Mike and I comparing who's bellies bigger.

Beached whale

2007-01-12T15:22:00.000-08:00

People seem to love the pics of our furbaby, here's another one. Here he's doing his squirrel/bunny impersonation while licking his chops. Intially it was called a squirrel act, but today he hopped like a bunny while on his hind legs. He's just too cute for words.

Is it possible for the babies to have a major growth spurt overnight? All of a sudden, I’m feeling extremely huge and the acid reflux is back with a vengeance. When I sit up, my belly touches my thighs and I can feel the baby kick on my leg. Their movements now shake my entire body. And I’m so out of breath! Who knew lying on a couch all day could be so taxing. Too bad, the couch in the family room is hurting my back. I think I’ve sunk the cushion and it doesn’t give very good support anymore. Before you think I’m the size of a beached whale, I’ll have you know that I’ve gained ½ pound in 2 weeks. I know I’ve got to eat more, but there’s really no more room. And whatever I do eat, comes back and haunts me as acid reflux.

I’m glad it’s Friday. Mike will be around to help me up. Believe it or not, it’s hard to get up by myself. First I roll over to my side and then push myself up. Unfortunately, I pulled something and now my shoulder hurts so now I’ve got to think of another way to get up.

I bought some diapers online and they arrived today. I’d never thought about order diapers through Amazon, but I came across a BabyCenter posting saying it was a great deal. Sounds pretty good to me and I confirmed it with my sister (who had already placed an order). It’s for Huggies, spend $99 and get $30 off, not to mention the free shipping and no tax. The drawback was they didn’t have newborn sizes but I got a few boxes of size 1-2 and 3. I got about 300-400 diapers. That’ll last me about a week, right?

And before I sign off for the weekend, I wanted to tell you about a really cool looking show airing this weekend. The National Geographic Channel has a series called ‘In the Womb’. The first show was about a single baby, followed by animals (elephant, dog and a dolphin) and now they have multiples. Here’s a synopsis of the upcoming show -

“The process by which multiples develop in the womb is fraught with complications and dangers. But, it is also a fascinating world where humans first interact with their siblings before entering the world outside the uterus. "In the Womb: Multiples" follows the development of double-egg twins, sometimes called fraternals, and identical or single-egg twins. We also follow the development of triplets and a very rare set of identical quads in their quest for survival. Using revolutionary 4D scans, we witness unique footage of multiple fetuses interacting with each other before birth: reaching, touching, fighting and even engaging in game-playing that can continue after they are born. Ultimately, "In the Womb: Multiples" tells us not only about the extremes of human reproduction but the limits of human design.”

Set your Tivo for Sunday, January 14th at 8pm.

33 weeks!

2007-01-11T14:44:00.000-08:00

(How I see Oliver with my belly in the way!)

33 weeks down, 3 more to go! And we’re finally having some decent weather. It’s cloudy, cool and slightly breezy, high expected to be 60 degrees. It’s about time, I was getting pretty irritable in the warm weather. Earlier this week, it was 80 degrees in the middle of January! I’ve always been a cool weathered person, but since being pregnant I’m even more so. It’s all that extra blood coursing through the body. I feel sorry for people who’s pregnancy is ending in the middle of a heat wave. As it is, I’m sleeping without any blankets at night.

Another side effect I’ve recently acquired is carpal tunnel. All my finger joints in my left hand hurt. What’s that about? I looked it up and this is what they say, “You may be feeling some aches and even numbness in your fingers, wrists, and hands. Like many other tissues in your body, those in your wrist can swell, which can increase pressure in the carpal tunnel, a bony canal in your wrist. Nerves that run through this "tunnel" end up pinched, creating numbness, tingling, shooting or burning pain, or a dull ache.” Crazy, isn’t it?

So I’ve mentioned previously, bed rest is no fun but it looks like I’m not alone. Desperate Housewives (Bree) Marcia Cross has been put on bed rest. She’s carrying twins due in April. Also, Dr McDreamy’s (Grey’s Anatomy) real life wife, also carrying twins is on bed rest. She couldn’t make the People’s Choice Awards where Patrick Dempsey won Best Actor for (fill in the blank). She’s due at the end of this month. All these twins! Having 2 doesn’t seem like such a big deal any more. Of course, the big difference between us and them is financial. I’m sure it’s easier to have multiples if money is no concern. All you who have singletons have to only buy one crib at a time and then get to pass it onto the next baby. And although many retailers offer a 10% discount if you buy more than one big ticket item, the double item is most likely more expensive to begin with. Not that I’d trade my position for anything. After losing Matthew & Isabel, we were really hoping for twins again. Having one seemed so easy :-). And it’s really fun to buy/browse for both sexes.

Back to having multiples, I saw a couple of shows on the Discovery channel recently. One was called ‘Super Quads’. A short series about identical quadruplet girls (odds of one embryo splitting 4 times are 1 in 11,000,000). The other was about a family that had twins and then sextuplets (6 babies). And yet another family in Australia that has 2 sets of quads (although one baby didn’t make it). After watching these shows, twins seem like a piece of cake. I feel like I have nothing to complain about.

Before I sign off, I have to mention this blog called Fireflies in the Cloud I came across. Unfortunately, half the stuff I was interested buying is listed here ;-)

Dr appt

2007-01-10T13:29:00.000-08:00

I had an appointment this morning. Everything looked great, another good visit. We started with the growth ultrasound. Baby A (boy) is weighing 4 lbs 2 oz and Baby B (girl) came in at 4 lbs 15 oz! She’s one ounce away from 5 lbs! The doctor said there’s no concern for the 13 oz difference between the two. They’re two separate babies and are growing at a different rate. The boy is completely average, right along the 50% percentile on the chart (and that’s for a singleton!). In fact, he's right on target according to this weight chart (remember, I'm 33 weeks tomorrow). The girl takes after her parents. I was almost 11 lbs and Mike was 9 lbs. On the other hand my sister, Christine, was 6 lbs. The doctors weren’t concerned with the discrepancy, said it was fine.

Peri said I was doing ‘swimmingly well’. She’s so confident about my progress she scheduled our next appointment in two weeks. When I asked her guesstimate on the babies’ birth weight, she said they grow about .5 pound/week. Although with twins, it might be a little slower. So if I’ve got about 3 weeks, then they might gain 1 ½ pounds. Girl might be 6 ½ pounds! Boy might be a little over 5 lbs. A lot of people I know have had big babies, including my little 5’ 2” sister, in the 8-9 lbs range. To them, it may sound like our babies are little but if you add them together you’ll realize I’m already carrying over 9 lbs of babies now. Add a liter of amniotic fluid each and the two placentas, well you get the gist. It’s no wonder, I’m a bit uncomfortable.

When my SIL, Karen, guessed the birth weights to be 6lbs 2oz and 7lbs, I was blown away at the thought. Although it’s unlikely I’ll get that big, I may only be a pound or so off her guess. Oh my gosh!

And even though the doctor is pleased with my progress, she suggested having back up car seats when I told her about the back order. Just goes to show, we don’t know when they’re going to arrive. If everything does go according to plan, I’ll have the amnio at 36 weeks and the c section the next day. She doesn’t want me to go too much further than 36 weeks, so we might be looking at having them first week of February! Right before our 7th wedding anniversary.

S H O P P I N G !!!

2007-01-09T13:01:00.000-08:00

I was too busy talking about my Friday adventure; I didn’t even mention my much anticipated shopping excursion this past weekend! On Saturday, we rented a wheelchair and made our way to Bergstrom’s (terrible website), a baby specialty store in Anaheim and Irvine. They had an expansive selection and the prices were in line with the manufacturer’s suggested retail. I didn’t find any great deals, but did get to check out the higher quality items I’d researched online. Sunday was all about Babies R Us, wow it's like Baby Costco. So much stuff!

Initially it was fun to go into the store and see all the stuff. But when it came to the nitty-gritty, it got a little overwhelming. Sometimes, it felt like there were too many choices?!?! For double strollers we have a choice of a Snap N Go, a tandem stroller, a side by side and of course a double jogging stroller. From what I’ve read, we’re going to need more than one. My sister has one baby and she’s got 4 or 5 different strollers!

And don’t get me started on cribs. Oh my gosh, why does there have to be so many different kinds of cribs? And what’s the deal with the convertible cribs? What kid is going to want the same bed they’ve had since birth through their teens? Sounds like a good idea for the parents (less furniture to buy over the years), but it really sounds like a scam. I’ve also read reviews and polls and only a few people have actually converted the cribs. Mike likes the idea of a convertible, so then we have to decide on the color. Sounds trivial, right? Originally, I thought we’d get two white cribs and have boy bedding and girl bedding. But if we do get the convertible crib, a white bed frame might be a little too fem for the boy and I really dislike the color of walnut or pine. Argh, what to do?!?!?! Procrastinate! At first we’re going to start with the Arms Reach Co Sleeper. I’ve read it’s good for people recovering from a c section because you don’t have to get up. It’s also great because the twins can lie side by side next to you. So we can hold off on the cribs for a month or two.

I did buy car seats last week online because that is one thing we must have to bring them home. I found a good deal online through TinyRide. Even though they’re located in Santa Monica, they charge no tax and give free shipping. They are also cheaper by $20 for the car seats than other retailers. Unfortunately, I found out this morning the car seats are on backorder until 1/22. Eek! Hopefully the kids will hold out until then. I’ll be almost 35 weeks at that point.

Since so many things are up in the air, we didn’t purchase very much. I wanted to at least get a ‘coming home’ outfit, but we have no idea when the babies are coming much less know their size. They could come tomorrow and would be considered preemies or if they hold out until 36 weeks, then hopefully they’ll be at least 5 lbs and will be able to wear Newborn size.

A few people have asked, so we started a registry. I wasn’t sure how long I’d be able to shop so it was also a good way for us to note items we wanted to get at a later date. I’m glad we did because after a couple of hours, I suddenly started having some uterine tightening and we left soon after. We had picked out a few items, but had to dump them quick. So although I got to finally go out, it wasn’t as satisfying as I thought it would be. Oh well, it was still nice to get up and about. I also got to check out the new ‘hood. It finally hit me; we’re now living Orange County! After almost 9 years, I’m back in So Cal!

Friday M.I.A.

2007-01-08T11:21:00.000-08:00

On Friday you probably noticed I missed my post. Now when that happens it means something has happened. I’d hardly forget to post my daily entry (weekends and holidays excluded). Before anyone starts sending us congratulatory messages, the babies are not here yet. It was just another trip to L&D, my home away from home.

I’d had some leaking. I wasn’t sure what it was, but didn’t think it was amniotic fluid. However, every book and message thread I’ve read and every nurse/doctor I’ve spoken to always say to check out things when something feels amiss. I’ve heard ‘better safe than sorry’ more times during this pregnancy than in my life. So I mentioned it to my home care nurse who administers my weekly progesterone injection. I told her it could be excess discharge (sorry, TMI) from the cerclage (the body’s reaction to a foreign object in the body) or just pregnancy hormones going crazy. I didn’t think it was amniotic fluid because it was consistently a small amount (compared to the gush when your water breaks). There are instances where small leaks do occur, i.e. sometimes after an amnio or CVS testing. I figured the babies were far enough along that if it was a small leak, it would be ok until my next doctor’s appointment on Wednesday. The nurse said otherwise. If it is a small leak, then the sterility of the placenta has been compromised which could be a dangerous thing (infection!) for the baby. She suggested I call my doctor’s office, which I did. I called and spoke to Mary (the nice nurse that gave me the negative results from the GD test) and she consulted with another nurse since no doctors were in the office. They advised me to go to L&D to get it checked out. Once again, it was ‘better safe than sorry’. I dislike going to L&D because I can never get out of there in less than 6 hours. Most of the time, I’m lying on an extremely uncomfortable bed with one pillow (if I’m lucky) and Mike has to wait downstairs. There are other women there that are about to give birth any minute and I hear them grunting, panting or moaning. At least this time, we didn’t go in late evening, rather we went in the afternoon and it was pretty crowded. For the first hour or so, I just lay there reading my book. Finally, they hooked me up and monitored the babies’ heart beat for 30-40 minutes. Finally, they tested for amniotic fluid and did an ultrasound. Everything looked ok, I had not ruptured (yay!) and got to go home after only 3 ½ hours!

So what was it? Well it wasn’t completely determined, but it could’ve been discharge or incontinence. I’ve never been so happy to pee in my pants or at least hope that was it. I worry discharge may be an indication of something bad, but incontinence is completely normal. Before you stat grossing out or start sending me packages of Depends, walk in my shoes for 10 feet. Not a mile, but a couple feet because you would then know what it feels like to carry so much weight in front of you. We’re talking about achy back, major pressure down there, basically feeling like the babies are going to fall out at any moment. I’d like to see how you guys would react if you had a (not so) little pea pod rolling over your bladder or kicking it. How long could you hold out before running to the bathroom? There’s a reason God made women have babies, men can’t handle it :-).

OMG - 32 weeks!

2007-01-04T13:09:00.000-08:00

It’s hard to believe this is the moment I’ve been waiting for. 32 weeks! I’ve been pregnant for 225 days and I’m in my 8th month of pregnancy. Now that it’s here, it seems too early for them to arrive. Just 4 more weeks, guys! Hang in there! According to I-am-pregnant.com, here’s what’s going on with the pea pods -

“A baby born now has an excellent chance of survival, but will still need intensive help with breathing and feeding. Your baby is 42 centimetres long and weighs about 2.2 kilos (four and a half pounds). The body growth slows down from now on. Because of the lack of space in the uterus, the legs are drawn up in what is known as the fetal position. The baby sleeps 90-95% of the day, and sometimes experiences REM sleep, an indication of dreaming (what the heck can they be dreaming about considering they’ve only known the womb and its darkness?). As a preparation for breastfeeding, your baby has learned to root for the breast. The baby will turn its head if touched on the cheek and open its mouth if the bottom lip is tickled. By this time the baby can also suck and swallow in a coordinated way.”

Also, Mike has redeemed himself for not reading this blog. Last night he stayed up creating the birth announcement for the babies. Many of you know Mike’s pretty talented as a graphic artist. He’s mostly self taught, which impresses me. As I’ve mentioned, he’s got great taste and appreciates quality over fads. Had we not met, I might still have shabby chic or Santa Fe furniture (I’m exaggerating to make a point, I’m not that bad!). To get back to my original point, we spent last night creating the announcements and they’re really cool. I’m glad we did this, we created our own wedding invitations (which I think is still one of the most beautiful invites) and so it seems appropriate we create the birth announcements. If you’d like to receive one of the announcement cards, email me (lisarj@gmail.com) your home address (as well as email addy). Even if you’re sure we still have it, send it anyway. As my friend Marky-mark liked to remind me I have a major case of ‘B.I.B.O.’ (Babies In, Brain Out).

Fur Baby II

2007-01-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

Bummer, the holidays are over. Mike has to get back to work and I’m on my own again. Of course, I’m not totally alone, I have my mom and sometimes my dad helping out. Unfortunately, it’s not the same as having someone your own age hang out. I get along with my folks, but there have been times when we’ve grated each other’s nerves. I supposed that would happen with anyone, but I feel so bad when I don’t get along with my own parents. There is a notable difference, though, with my parents vs Mike. I gain weight with my folks around, I tend to lose a little when it’s just me and Mike. Not that I’m blaming him, if anything I’m the one to blame. When the weekend rolls around, I’ve got a list longer than Santa’s with things to do. Most of the weekend, he’s doing errands or taking Oliver to the dog park. So usually, I eat 2 meals/day on the weekends compared to my 5 meals/day during the week.

Oh and no more mister nice guy, or super-hero Mike or saintly Mike. I’ve recently found out I can bag on Mike all I want because he doesn’t read the blog! Of course he can spend hours perusing Ebay looking at either Mustang parts or Stickley furniture rather than read the family blog!

As for the other important male in my life – our beloved puppy Oliver. My heart has been breaking for Oliver. Poor thing doesn’t realize his life is about to change drastically (again). First we moved him from Sacramento where he had a really good life. Every evening, Mike would take him to the park at the end of our block. Even though it wasn’t an actual designated dog park, all the neighbors brought their dogs around in the evening. There, Oliver had many friends whom he loved to chase and would chase him back or wrestle and play.

In OC, he doesn’t have his friends nor does he get to go out every night. Instead, Mike tries to take him to the dog park once a week. He’s our fur-baby and Mike plays him when he gets home. I can’t play with him much since it’s hard for me to bend over or squat. He’s also 20 lbs now so I can’t lift him up either. Here are some recent pics of Oliver with his favorite Christmas present.
I’m also concerned how he’s going to react to the new additions. He’s a male puppy so I don’t think he knows about babies. Our nieces have come over and he gets so excited because they’re closer to his size than adults. We’re trying to get him used to little people. Thanks to Maggie and Audrey for helping Oliver adjust. Right now, both nieces are initially a little afraid of the pup. Oliver overwhelms them because he’s a licker and a jumper. He loves to shower you with kisses which don’t bode well with Maggie and Audrey. After a little while, they gain a little more confidence and realize how cute Oliver is. And once they realize how harmless he is, both girls love to play with him (sort of). Maggie loves to throw toys and have Oliver chase after them, Audrey loves to pet him. She even loved to feel his fur against her cheek.

So I’ve been reading up on how to best prepare Oliver. Since I have friends (that means you – Dana, Leslie and Monica) that are TTC (trying to conceive) and who have fur-babies of their own, I thought I would share what I’ve found out.

This is from Babycenter.com -
“It’s all right to allow your pet near your new baby, as long as the pet is well behaved. It's common for a pet, who has until recently been the focus of the family's attention, to act jealous toward a new baby. You should allow your pet to become accustomed to the new baby while in your presence. Also, continue to give your pet plenty of attention, both when the baby is present and when you have time alone with your pet. This will keep the jealous behavior at a minimum. If your pet shows any aggressive or hostile behavior toward the new infant, you should quickly reprimand him. He will learn fast what behavior is allowed near the baby. When the baby is very young, I would recommend not allowing the family dog or cat to lick the baby's face. This could possibly transmit infectious material (such as feces) into the baby's mouth or eyes. As your baby grows older, her immune system will get much stronger and she can play with and even be licked by your pet without any consequences.”

And here are suggestions from a Babycenter thread I came across recently -
“play a CD of baby sounds-crying, etc. Also to bring something home from the hospital that smells like baby (blanket, diaper, etc). We have also been using a stuffed animal and putting it into the Baby Bjorn and moses basket and carrying it around and cooing at it.”

“After the baby is born, have your husband or someone else bring home a blanket that the baby was in while you’re still in the hospital and put it in the middle of the floor while you are still there (in the middle of the floor at home) and that way the dog/cat can get adjusted to the "smell" of the baby. Then, when you come home, just put the infant carrier on the floor and let the dog/cat do their dance/walk around it and smell it - just supervise while they investigate. It won't be a big deal at all.”

“There is a CD out there called "Preparing Fido" that has all types of baby noises on it so you can get the dog used to some new sounds. We got one of the baby dolls who makes cooing and crying sounds, we would hold it and put it in the bouncy seat to get the dog aware of the new arrival coming. I think most of all just strengthening some of your basic commands (sit, leave it, lay down, stay) was also helpful because you will use them with the baby.

Now we say "baby's toy" and "leave it" so she knows not to touch the toys. My dog is super gentle with the baby and actually knows when to let a toy go if the baby goes to take it from her etc. She totally takes so much abuse from our daughter and just sits there. We do not allow the baby to hit her or torture her in any way--we stop it as much as possible. And we never let the baby go in the dog's bed, that's her safe place that she can go when she doesn't want to be bothered.”

“The most common thing is to have someone take a baby blanket home for the dog to get used to the scent before the baby comes home and I went in the house first and played with her for a few minutes before my husband brought the baby in, because I hadn't seen her for a few days. Overall as much as you are nervous about it try and give the dog some attention too, have a new toy to give her from the baby and allow her to sniff around, dogs can become jealous just like siblings if you don't include them. Don't be surprised if the dog is overprotective of the baby as well, my dog didn't like it when my daughter cried in someone else's arms other than husband’s or mine. She would sit at their feet at attention like "what are you doing to my sister."

Hopefully, we won't have any problems finding a solution for us all. I'm sure Oliver will be fine and once the kids get big enough, he'll have playmates. It won't be like the episode of Brady Bunch where the family had to get rid of Tiger because of Jan. Oliver is a member of the family and here to stay.

New Year!

2007-01-02T15:31:00.000-08:00

New entry for the New Year! To be honest, I had doubts of still being pregnant. Apparently so did Mike but, smart man he is, he never voiced them to me until after the clock struck midnight. The possibility of making it to 36 weeks seems much more likely now. I’m not losing site of the fact that labor could hit at any moment, but my count down has rolled back again and now I’m thinking 4 weeks and 2 days to go.

There’s so much to do still, will we get it all done? Will we ever be ready? It’s a similar question to those that are contemplating having kids. I’ve often heard people say they just aren’t ready yet to start a family, but is anyone ever really ready? There will always be some sort of excuse. It can be professionally or financially or even mentally. Most of you that are able to get pregnant naturally will be surprised when they get pregnant. But for those of us that aren’t as lucky, we plan, save, count down the days to when we hope we get pregnant. And then when it happens, we’re still not ready! Of course, the unknown is part of the fun (I think). The answer is no one is ever really ready.

Mike and I have been trying for quite a while and now that the birth is somewhat imminent, I feel like we’re not ready. Actually I should rephrase that, we’re not as ready as I’d like to be. My parents were married on July 22nd and I was born on May 22nd. I was born exactly 10 months after they got married, think they were ready? No car seats necessary then, mom just carried me in the front seat with no seat belt on. I slept on the coffee table surrounded by cushions on the floor. And look how great I turned out. A few bumps to the head never hurt anyone, right?

So I’m in full research mode now. I signed up for a couple of classes today, ‘How to Breastfeed’ and ‘How to care for a Newborn’. If I didn’t sign up for these classes, would we be totally screwed? In all seriousness, does the hospital give you a manual? How else are we going to know how to give a bath? I’ve heard (from friends with personal experience) not to take showers with them - something about being very slippery. What about their belly button stump? How often are they supposed to be fed?

I’m also getting feedback on equipment and gear. Should we get a tandem, side by side or jogging stroller? Which is more practical? What features should I look for? I’ve also called medical supply companies to inquire about renting a wheelchair for my big day out next weekend. S H O P P I N G!!!

Past couple of weeks, my sister and SIL (sister-in-law) have been bringing over baby clothes their kids have outgrown. I’ve also finally opened the box from our friend, Devi. Good news is that we’ve got a lot of cute clothes, bad news is that everyone’s babies were huge (8lbs and over!) and ours will most likely be 4-5lbs or thereabouts. So I’ll still need to pick up some clothes so our little ones won’t be bare naked. And blankets, diapers (which kind?), bedding (do they have sheets for coffee tables now?).

Kanga-Rhew

2006-12-29T14:12:00.000-08:00

My sisters and I have sometimes referred to each other as kanga-rhews. Being pregnant, I feel more like a kanga than ever before. Carrying these two in my belly, I wonder how those marsupials manage. My back is killing me! I know this is perfectly normal. There’s a whole bunch of extra weight in front of me and my spine isn’t used to it. I don’t have the greatest posture to begin with (thanks to years of accordion practice), but now I’m fighting to straighten my shoulders. I’d really love to have my back cracked, but bending over is out of the question. Even lying on the couch has gotten uncomfortable. I can’t find a comfy position that lasts very long.

I’m also out of room. Even though I’ve got a license to eat whatever I want, I don’t have the room! How unfair is that? I’ve got a 2lb box of See’s Candies, a 3ft long box of Trader Joes Chocolate Mosaics, brownies, gingerbread cookies, swiss almond cookies and a slice of Doughboy’s red velvet cake (my favorite!) all sitting in my kitchen but I have no desire to eat of it. The acid reflux doesn’t help matters any. Instead of the awesome holiday treats, I’m loving my TUMS. My nurse who came to administer my shot today told me my internal organs are crammed up high. They’re all squished together. Imagine that?!?!

I hope I don’t sound too whiney. This is my outlet and my blog so I can say whatever I want and feel. And since these feelings are at the foremost of my thought, you get to read all about it. What else have I been up to? Netflix, one of the greatest services around has been a life saver. So far I’ve watched ‘The Break-Up’ – thought it would be funnier, didn’t think it was all that. ‘’Devil Wears Prada’ – also thought it was mediocre. Its saving grace was the DVD included a gag reel, my favorite part of the movie. ‘X3’ – good two hour distraction. And lastly, ‘DaVinci Code’ – it was good, although it felt like I was watching the Cliff Notes version of the book. Movies are great; I get caught up and forget I’m pregnant. Even after the movie is over, I tend to replay scenes in my head and dwell on them. My sisters are great to discuss movie details, but Mike’s over it the moment we hit the eject button. I figure I should watch as many movies as possible, before I’m subjected to Baby Einstein and Sponge Bob. Thank goodness Barney seems to be over (it is, isn’t it?).

31 weeks

2006-12-28T13:19:00.000-08:00

31 weeks today! My initial goal of 32 weeks is nearly there. As I mentioned, we had a doctor’s appointment yesterday. The reality of bringing home the babies is sinking in and I’m slightly freaking out over it. I’ve been so concerned with keeping the babies inside; I haven’t given much thought to when they get here. The farthest I’ve allowed myself to think is planning the nursery and we all know that’s just really an excuse to shop. Btw, I’ve officially bought our first item for the babies. BabyUniverse is very cool. I placed the order 12/26 late afternoon and it arrived this morning. Plus, they’re affiliates of Ebates, so I got free shipping and a cash rebate. Having to double up on most things, I’ll definitely be scrimping and saving where possible.

Back to my freak out, the doctor said the babies could arrive any moment. If they came now, we’d have some time to prepare since they’d be in the NICU for several weeks. However, at 36 weeks (5 weeks from today!), they’d most likely come home with us. Of course, I desperately want them to come home with us. I pray none of you will ever know what it’s like to leave a hospital without your babies after delivering them. The emptiness and sadness is like no other. It’s unbearable. Obviously, leaving your babies in the capable hands of a medical team while they grow or get better is a completely different matter, but we’d much rather be buckling them in our cars and bringing them home with us.

But how do we prepare? Should I be reading Dr Sears? Dr Spock? Dr Seuss? What exactly do I need to have before they come home? Am I supposed to bring the breastfeeding pillow with me to the hospital? Are they supposed to have special going home outfits? Do I bring my brand-spanking new diaper bag to the hospital? If so, what goes inside? When do we decide whether or not we’re going to snip our boy? How long will it take to heal from a c section? What will I be able to do after the surgery? Will I be more mobile than now?

Sometimes the birth seems so far away, I think I’ve got plenty of time. But then some sites I’ve visited say items may take 5-6 weeks to arrive. Yikes, then I realize it’s not so far away.

It’s also weird to realize our lives are going to change irrevocably. No going back now. Mike and I won’t have ‘our time’ for the next 20 years or so. But then we realize we are ready for the next phase of our lives, we have been for quite awhile. We’ve lived away from our family, lived in a foreign country and traveled abroad. We’re prepared to share our lives, to teach the little ones and become kids ourselves once again. We’re looking forward to the joy they’ll bring us and our families (especially the grandparents).

I can’t wait for Mike to become a father, he’ll be awesome. He’s one of the most patient and compassionate people I’ve ever met (if he wasn’t before, he’s gotten plenty of practice being married to me). Mike had a pretty cool upbringing; there are a lot of traditions from his family we’d like to pass onto our kids.

Ok, I think I’m ready to do this now ;-)

Post holiday

2006-12-27T15:22:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a good holiday. I was so looking forward to it, it’s a little depressing now that it’s over. I had a bit of a shaky start before the weekend. Last Friday my mild tummy ache turned into full blown stomach ache. My entire lower abdomen hurt. I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t get comfortable no matter which position I chose. My sleep was fitful, I woke up every hour or two. Saturday morning I felt terrible. I had a couple of bouts of diarrhea (sorry, TMI), had chills and slept all day. Sleeping all day was a bad idea because I couldn’t sleep Saturday night. When I weighed myself Sunday morning, I had lost almost 2 ½ lbs! Not a good thing when trying to feed and grow 2 additional little peeps. Luckily, I felt much better on Sunday and we had some family visit for Christmas Eve. It was lovely to see everyone, I finally got to meet my little nephew (actually, he’s not so little at a hefty 16lbs at only 4 months old!)

We had more family on Christmas Day; it was great to interact with people once again. I have to admit, I got up a lot more than I’m used to but it all seemed ok.

I had another doctor’s appointment this morning. We were looking forward to seeing the babies, so we were a little let down when the sonographer only did a quick swipe of my belly. I guess the main purpose was to check the cervical length. Good news is that it’s hardly changed, actually it was longer than before but since the readings aren’t exact we assume it just hasn’t changed. No growth measurements on the babes, but we did see them move around and they’re also both head down now. They’ve been pretty active and I can feel specific limbs (although I don’t know which ones). Unlike other people I’ve talked to, the jabs, movements and kicks don’t hurt. The only ones that are uncomfortable are when they roll directly over my bladder.

Everything looks good. The doctor did say they could arrive any day, you just never know with my history. We’re still shooting for 36 weeks, so hopefully I have 5 more weeks with them. My fundal height measured 40 weeks, which means my belly is measuring what a singleton pregnancy is at 40 weeks.

The only thing the nurse commented was my 1lb weight gain in the past 2 weeks (remember, I lost 2 ½ lbs the other day). It has gotten really hard to have an appetite. I had lunch yesterday and never got hungry again. I forced a ½ bagel down at 10pm last night because I felt I should have eaten something. Even my sweet tooth has abandoned me as well as my junk food cravings. I’m running out of room. Instead I like to concentrate on breathing which I don’t take for granted any more. Everything is squished upwards to make room. It’s hard to take a breath sometimes. And forget about getting up or rolling over. Mike and I have gotten very creative on how to get me up. Although if you watched us, you'd think you were watching an episode of 'I Love Lucy'.

Golden Pig

2006-12-22T12:36:00.000-08:00

I’ve had a lot of internet problems lately. Time Warner/Adelphia/Road Runner can’t seem to get their act together. Sometimes the internet goes down 5 or 6 times a day. For someone on bed rest who relies on the internet heavily, this is extremely frustrating. I just got off the phone with the Time Warner rep who wanted me to do all sorts of crazy stuff (i.e. move the computer to get to the back, unplug cables, reset modems, router, computer, etc). Ok, it’s not really crazy but it’s a hardship to be standing and trying to get the back of the computer with my 45” belly in the way. Whew, I was out of breath!

I got a temporary fix, and told the guy that I’d have Mike call back if it was acting up again. He was really nice and told me he is a twin too. (I had explained why I was panting and out of breath.) Funny, I’ve come across several twins lately. The guys who painted our downstairs bedroom are identical twins, the cable rep is an identical twin and the other couple at the LLL meeting was carrying twins too. I watched Jimmy Kimmel the other night and he had Giovanni Ribisi (great actor and brother-in-law to Beck!) who’s a twin (has a sister) and Adam Corolla who just had twins.

Switching gears - my mom and aunt are really excited at the fact the babies will be born next year. Next year, 2007, in Korea and China, is the year of the Golden Pig, which only comes around every 600 years. People believe children born in this year will be blessed with luck for great financial wealth. The wedding halls have been bustling this year in Korea, and the hospitals are already booking up their maternity wards for next year! They are worried there won't be enough room for everybody giving birth. Even though I’m not really into astrology, I’m kind of excited. After all, it’s only once every 600 years! Regardless of whether it's just malarkey or not, it is going to have quite an impact on the society there. I don’t know so much about China, but it’ll be good for Korea. Apparently, the birth rate has declined considerably like Japan. The government is worried there won’t be enough people to sustain the economy (or something like that). So the Golden Pig may be a lot of hype to get people busy making babies, but people are buying into it.

I wouldn’t mind snagging some Golden Pig clothes and tchotkes, I think it’ll be cool for the kids to have memory keepsakes of the year they were born.

Btw, my sister tells me the official Chinese New Year isn’t until February 18th (I highly doubt I’ll still be pregnant at 38 weeks). Therefore, technically our babies won’t be little piglets, but my mom is adamant the New Year starts January 1st, at least for Koreans and I am Korean...

30 weeks

2006-12-21T12:57:00.000-08:00

Yay! 30 weeks today. I’m in my 30’s! According to www.babycenter.com the “baby's a bit more than 15 1/2 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (we know they’ve surpassed this weight already). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and fills out your uterus. Her eyes open and close, she's able to distinguish between light and dark, and she can even follow a light source back and forth. Once she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have a visual acuity of only 20/400 — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. ("Normal" vision in adults is 20/20.)”

I go back and forth thinking I’m going to make it to 36 then freak out that birth may be imminent. Even though I’ve been reassured the babies would survive without problems if they came now, I still freak out at the thought of them being born so early. It’s not the birth so much (although I’m sure that’s going to hit me too), but it’s the thought of seeing them so fragile, so little. I want them healthy and robust. I want them to come out wailing and chubby. I want the nurses to hand the babies to me rather than whisking them to the NICU. I want to hold them rather than peer through an isolette.

So far my doctor’s plan is to do an amniocentesis (amnio) at 36 weeks, which would be February 1, 2007. Earlier in the pregnancy, I am against having an amnio for fear of rupturing the babies’ membrane. Last year when I ruptured prematurely, we found a website for women who had PROM’d (Premature Rupture Of Membranes) http://www.kanalen.org/prom/. It was a great meeting place for parents to get together and share stories, ask for prayers and even a list of what to do when PAP (Pregnant After Prom). I printed that list and brought it with me to all my doctor's visits. There were a lot of miraculous stories which gave me hope, I think that’s part of the reason we were able to hang onto Matty & Issy for an additional 3 weeks after I first ruptured. I met a couple of amazing people through the list. One who PROM’d after an amnio. Her story is heartbreaking. She was pregnant with twins (girl/girl), had an amnio at 17 weeks and then ruptured. One of the girls (PROM baby) passed away soon after birth at 26 weeks, the other was born with so many issues and difficulties. It must be so bittersweet to have one twin survive.

So I would never have an invasive procedure done and risk the health of the babies. But at 36 weeks, I’m ok with it. The doctor’s plan is to check and make sure the lungs have fully developed and if they have, she will schedule the c section soon after. It’s so hard to believe the end of the pregnancy is near. It may be nearer than I think, but I’ll continue taking one day at a time.

The List

2006-12-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

First, I want to thank Lisa Amore for her comment yesterday. I knew you were a triplet, but I didn't know your weeks of gestation or your birth weight. Reading your comment yesterday was inifinitely reassuring, especially having met you. You're so tall and normal looking (I hope that doesn't sound weird), I would've never guessed you were 3 lbs! I, on the other hand, am relatively short and was almost 11 lbs at birth. I hope to make it to at least 35 weeks as well!

A website I frequently peruse is www.babycenter.com. They send me weekly pregnancy updates which are fun to read. They also have message threads which I check out daily. I found them last year when I was pregnant the first time, and then I went to the Grief & Loss board. They also have a TTC (trying to conceive) thread and now I check out the birth clubs and multiples threads. It’s reassuring to read posts from other women that are going through the same thing you are at the same time. I’ve also posted a question or two myself and received numerous answers and advice. The most informative entry I’ve recently come across is the list below. For those who don’t know me very well may not know I’m a list person. I love lists. I have lists for everything. I love Excel so I can type up my lists and then organize it however which way. So imagine my delight when I came across this posting. A complete list for parents expecting twins. There are several different lists from what to pack for the hospital to what Mike would need to what the babies would need -

HOSPITAL BAG
Mom:
Nightgown
Slippers and socks
Robe
Nursing bra, pads, and cream
Underwear
Toothbrush, toothpaste
Deodorant
Chapstick
Shampoo, conditioner
Makeup, moisturizer
Lotion
Going home clothes
Blank journal/laptop
Hair clips
Pillow (non-white pillowcase)
Books
Towel
Eye mask
Ear plugs
Squirt bottle
Flushable wipes/soft TP

Babies:
Going home outfits (2 each)
Diaper bag
Diapers and wipes
Blankets
Car seats
Stroller
Hats
Booties/socks
Hand sanitizer
Baby books (footprints)
Pacifiers
Mittens

Dad:
List of phone #’s
Video camera, tapes, charger
Camera, film, and batteries
Snacks
Change
Cell phone and charger
Change of clothes
Toothbrush and deodorant
Deck of cards
Phone card

BABY GEAR/FURNITURE
2 car seats
1 double stroller
1 crib (or 2)
1 crib mattress (or 2)
Diaper bag
1 swing
1 bouncy chair
1 changing table (optional)
1 front carrier
2 sunshades for car
1 lamp

CLOTHING/DIAPERING
8-12 receiving blankets (some mom’s recommend 20)
4-6 one-piece outfits
8-10 one-piece gowns or PJ’s
4-6 shirts until cord falls off
4-6 socks/booties
2-4 fleece outfits/sweaters
2-4 bonnets/caps
2 mittens
Diapers 4-12 packs in various sizes
Wipes
Diaper cream/ointment
Sealable trash can/diaper pail

FEEDING/BATHING
Nursing pillow
8-12 bibs
1 breastpump and breastmilk storage bags
1 twin nursing pillow
2 podee bottles
14 bottles and nipples (1-2 for breastfeeding moms)
1 bottle brush
1 quart jug to mix formula batches
Newborn tub
8 washcloths
20 burp cloths
Soaps and lotions
4 towels
2 highchairs

SLEEPING/SAFETY
2-4 pacifiers (different kinds, not too many)
1 waterproof crib mattress liner (or 2)
2 sheet savers
4-8 fitted crib sheets
2 baby quilts for floor laying
Baby monitor
Smoke alarm

FIRST AID
KY Jelly
Pediacare
Tylenol
Bandaids
Triple Antibiotic Ointment
Bandage pads (different sizes)
Gauze
First aid tape
Cotton swabs
Digital thermometer
Nail clippers
Tweezers
Emery boards
Scissors
Alcohol wipes
Alcohol
Nasal aspirator (the hospital will usually give you 2)
Medicine dropper and spoon
Temperature tester
Mylicon drops
Vaseline
Saline spray
Diaper rash ointment
Latex gloves
Sunblock

MISC
Nursing bras
Breast pads
Breast shields
Cream for nipples
Panty liners/pads
1 camera and lots of film

EXTRAS FOR LATER
Vaporizer
Baby wipe warmer
Pack n play
Rocking chair
Play mat
Mobile
Dome playmate
Exersaucer
Big calendar to record milestones for baby book

Ok, now my initial excitement at having found this list has worn off and now I’m left with – are you serious?!?!?! Do we need all that? Remember, we haven’t started any shopping and don’t know when we’ll be able to.

Since I’ve been to L&D a couple times, I wonder if I should have a hospital bag ready. If the babies come early, I’ll have extra time to put together a diaper bag since they won’t come home right away. Btw, any good diaper bag recommendations? I like the Skip Hop Duo Double, but wonder if it might be too big? Another poster mentioned she likes the Lands End Diaper bag. It opens like a doctor’s bag which could be handy. Prior to pregnancy, I’ve always been a big bag gal and know the frustrations at trying to find something in a huge bag with a small zippered opening. But will it be big enough for both babies? For those of you that are pros at the parenting thing, which items are the ones that I must absolutely have? Please email me or leave a comment with your recommendations! Thanks!

Under the weather

2006-12-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

I love the holidays, but sadly it’s also a time when people get sick. My sister-in-law and I have been trying to figure out a day for her to visit with my niece and nephew. It hasn’t happened yet because the entire family came down with a nasty bug. We’ve postponed the visit several times already and now we’ll just play it by ear.

In my condition, I can’t afford to get sick. I’m afraid of additional pressure to my uterus. Heck, I don’t like to blow my nose while standing up! It feels like I’d push the babies right out. So if I caught a cold/flu, I’d be afraid of placing added stress to my already burdened belly. That coupled with possible infections make me cautious.

Regrettably, I missed my other sister-in-law’s visit. Apparently, she's caught something too. Mike’s youngest sister was in town for the holidays. Since she’s working Christmas, she came down from Northern CA for a few days beforehand. We were hoping to see her last night. Unbeknownst to her, she was going to help Mike pick out our Christmas tree. I’m not kidding when I say Mike’s all over the place, doing everything! Getting a tree has been on the list for weeks, but he just hasn’t had a chance to get one. Now we’ve got less than a week to go, but to make up for it we’ll be one of those annoying people and keep it well into the New Year. Better still, we’ll hang onto it until the babies arrive!

And I’m sorry to say, my super-hero husband has succumbed to sickness too. We’re now sleeping in separate rooms. After being separated for 3 weeks when we first moved, I thought we were done with that. Not surprisingly, I didn’t sleep well last night.

Date Night

2006-12-18T14:23:00.000-08:00

Saturday night was supposed to be our date night (at home). Notice I said ‘supposed to be’, unless you count an evening in the hospital, it was definitely not what we had in mind. Since Mike’s been working so hard all week and all weekend, we were looking forward to a night of take out and watching X Men 3. Well we got our Thai take out, but then headed over to Labor & Delivery.

I've had a 'tummy ache' for the past week, just a dull ache across my lower belly. After researching online on what could be causing it, I came across several mentions of menstrual-like cramping which is an indication of preterm labor. That made me rethink my tummy ache might be dull cramping. Plus, my need to pee has increased as well (I also feel the babies roll directly on my bladder which really makes me want to go!). That could be an indication of a urinary tract infection (UTI). However when I go, it's barely a trickle. Anyway, I read several women post that something didn't feel right before they gave birth. They strongly suggested to readers not to wait and get it checked out.

So to be safe than sorry, we went in. I didn't care for the resident on duty. It didn't seem like she was comprehending what I was saying. She kept insisting the ache was my uterus tightening (contractions), but I kept telling her that my stomach wasn't tightening. She did a speculum exam for Fetal fibronectin (fFN)* which was very very painful.

She was also trying to visually see my cerclage, to which Mike and I both shouted at her that it was too far up for her to see (I was in a lot of pain at this time, so was Mike since I was clenching his hand). She then wanted to manually check my cervix which we shot down. They ended up doing a vaginal ultrasound to get the length and it hadn't changed since my last checkup which was good.

Anyway, waiting for the fFN results took forever. Instead of waiting any longer (it was already past midnight), we decided to call in the morning. I got a shot of terbutaline again which didn't help the aching and the contractions I was having were pretty mild to begin with. The great news is the fFN is negative, so I've got a 2 week pass (hopefully). My last 2 peris won't do the fFN unless my cervix shows signs of changing, but I'm glad they did it anyway. So that was our romantic date!

Earlier that day, Mike and I exchanged our Christmas gift (sort of). We hired a cleaning service to clean the house. It was my gift because they got into all the nooks and cranny and it was Mike’s gift because he didn’t have to do it himself! All in all, I think both of us really liked our present.

Btw, Mike totally came through on Friday night. Remember how bummed I was at missing the dessert bar at his company’s Christmas party? Well, here’s a photo of what he brought home (minus what I had already eaten). There was tiramisu, berry pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie, gingerbread cookie, some kind of nutty/chocolate/caramel/toffee concoction (my favorite) and a bunch of others. Apparently, he was helped by a couple of co-workers and a really nice employee from the hotel. Me and kids were very happy that night!

*Fetal fibronectin (fFN) is a protein produced during pregnancy and functions as a biological glue, attaching the fetal sac to the uterine lining. During the first trimester and for about half of the second trimester, fFN is normally present in the cervico-vaginal secretions. In most pregnancies, after 22 weeks, this protein is no longer detected until the end of the last trimester (one to three weeks before labor).

The presence of fFN in the cervico-vaginal secretions of pregnant women during weeks 24 - 34 indicates an increased risk of preterm delivery. However, if the fFN is negative then it’s a much more reliable predictor, indicating that the pregnancy is likely to continue for at least another two weeks.

Stir crazy

2006-12-15T14:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was rough. I know my posting sounded upbeat and that’s because I was at the time. However, as the day wore on I got really aggro & stir crazy.

It started with our house. Since we don’t know OC at all, we’re renting. It didn’t make sense to buy; we don’t know any of the cities, much less neighborhoods. Not to mention with the market slowing down (and our house not selling), we didn’t want to jump into owning 2 houses at the same time. So we’re renting. Our major criteria was to be near the doctor my Sac peri recommended. We didn’t want to be more than 20 minutes away in case something happened.

We found a pretty nice house that would be able to accommodate all of us (including my parents and the babies). However, when we moved in the house wasn’t ready. The landlord had promised to paint and replace the carpet of the downstairs bedroom that was their work-out room. Since I can’t go upstairs, this downstairs room is my bedroom until the babies arrive. Those who know me (well), know that I’m a clean freak. But really, this room was nasty. Stains all over the carpet and walls. Do sweat drops stain yellow? Ugh, the thought makes me shudder. But I soldiered on and lived in this room for the past several weeks (barefeet never touching the carpet). 5 ½ weeks later, we moved the bed into the living room and the bedroom was finally painted. 4 days after that, the carpet was finally replaced. (We slept in the living room for a week.) Even though I was happy the carpet was being replaced, I got really aggravated. We were told it would be quick (an hour or less), afterall it was only one small bedroom. However, it took five hours! It seemed neverending. Part of the reason I was so anxious is because there’s only one bathroom downstairs and it’s joined to the bedroom. Did I mention it feels like I have to go all the time?

In the end, it finally got done and the installer did a good job. But my mood had already gone downhill. This is what was going through my mind -

My ever patient mom, who feeds me and waits on me, was really getting on my nerves.
I was tired of eating Korean food, twice a day, every day.
All my prime time shows are on hiatus and there’s nothing good saved on Tivo.
Oliver, who had spent the past 2 hours outside, needed to be let out as soon as he was brought in (paws wiped already).
I really wanted donuts.
I was completely bored out of my mind. I wanted to scream.

Today is better. I felt bad for being a spoiled brat yesterday so I’m very nice to my mom who’s helping us out so much. Plus it’s Friday and I’ll be able to spend some time with Mike (provided he gets everything done on the list in time). I am bummed, though, because tonight is Mike’s company Christmas Party at The Fairmont Hotel. I’ve stayed at the Fairmont in San Francisco and Washington DC and it’s a very nice. I suggested renting a wheel chair to I can attend, but he shot it down. I can only imagine what type of food and dessert they’re going to have tonight. I’ve threatened Mike not to bother coming home unless he brings me home some sweet stuff. I guess he’s taking it seriously, he just IM’d me that he’s enlisted some help to accomplish his mission!

29 weeks

2006-12-14T11:03:00.000-08:00

Wow, 29 weeks down, 7 more to go. Since things are going pretty well, I’ve upped my goal to 36 weeks. At 36 weeks, they may be able to come home with us and not need any NICU stay at all. Here’s what babycenter.com says about their progress right now, “Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (remember ours are 2lb15oz and 3lb4oz!) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to accommodate his brain — which is busy developing billions of neurons.”

Yesterday, my doctor was answering questions and easing my concerns. She told me that if the babies were to come now, they had a 95% of being fine. No blindess, no major problems that would stay with them permanently. Of course, they’re still too young and its best if they stay put. My belly feels heavier than usual and I’m beginning to have some leg pains at night. And the heartburn, don’t get me started on the heartburn. I’ve never enjoyed my tropical flavored TUMS more as I do now. Also, my fundal height measured at 38 weeks if it were a singleton. Sometimes I look in the mirror and think I’m not that big, then other times I feel positively huge.

In addition to the babies’ update, we got some additional good news yesterday. We have an offer on our Sac house. Unfortunately the market is bad and it’s a pretty low ball offer, but our agent is quite savvy and I think she’s going to be able to convince them of our counter offer. It’ll be such a relief to have that crossed off our list. Right now we’re paying 2 house payments which is financially taxing. As it is, we’ve asked our families to skip the gift exchange this Christmas. One, I can’t shop and two, we’re strapped from the move, the double house payments and the impending arrivals of our pea pods.

We’ll still have a nice Christmas. I think our families will come visit us now that we’re only an hour away as opposed to 6 hours. My sister’s daughter, Audrey, is 16 mos old. Even though she’s pretty young, she’s caught a glimpse or two of her Christmas gifts. It’s going to be fun watching her open presents. I also have another niece, Maggie, who’s 3 ½ that I hope to see more often now that we’re in So Cal. She has a 4 months old brother whom I still haven’t met – Ryan, my nephew! I was close to my cousins when I was growing up and hope the same for our kids.

Ultrasound appointment

2006-12-13T15:37:00.000-08:00

We had a really great doctor’s appointment this morning. The growth ultrasound showed the babies doing well. Baby A measured at 2lbs 15oz and Baby B is 3lbs 4oz. Surprisingly, the girl weighs more even though, initially, her brother was bigger. Btw, there’s no doubt that Baby A is a boy. We were given a pic with his wee-wee in plain view. Needless to say, Mike’s quite the proud papa.

My cervix hadn’t changed either which was a relief. Last weekend, I had round ligament pains all day. Normally I have a couple of them here and there, but this was all day. Since there weren’t any other symptoms with the pains, I didn’t call the doctor. Sure enough, the pains hadn’t affected my cervix.

As usual, I had a whole host of questions for the peri and was reassured on all of them. Since it looks like we’re out of the woods (for the most part), the reality of bringing home the babies is settling in. Apart from a mild panic, we’re very, very happy. Too bad my request to go nursery shopping was shot down. Maybe in about 3-4 weeks in a wheelchair is what I was told. A small price to pay to bring home healthy babies with hopefully a short stay in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit).

Last night we attended the Le Leche League meeting I wrote about. It was informative, but not what I expected. I thought there would be more instructions on how to breastfeed, but instead it was a Q&A on whatever we felt like asking. There was only one other couple in attendance and they’re having twins too. Basically it sounds like most everyone can breastfeed. If you’re having a hard time, it maybe because you’re not doing it right. You just need to seek help with someone who’s educated/accredited. My challenge is to tandem feed (both at the same time). The EZ-2 Nurse pillow I mentioned yesterday was brought up again last night. I kind of wish I could try it out before getting it. And is the foam pillow better than the inflatable one?

There was some new-agey vibe to the meeting. They didn’t totally frown upon my c-section birth plan, but it didn’t sound like it met with complete approval either. It’s not my fault due to a previous surgery, my uterine walls are weak and I won’t be able to push for a vaginal delivery. I almost wanted to ask if it was preferable for my uterus to burst and have the babies’ mother die on the table? (Hormones talking now, not me.) I also know it’s important for the babies to bond with the mother soon after birth, but what if the babies are early and have to be whisked off to the NICU? The LLL leader kept saying I can insist on having things my way, but I’m not the medically trained professional here. How do I know if my insistence isn’t at the risk of the babies’ health? So much to think about. I’ve been so focused on keeping the babies inside me that I haven’t given much thought to what happens when they come out. Oh my gosh, we're having babies!?!?!?!

LLL

2006-12-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

I’m going out tonight and I’m looking forward to it! If only it was an exciting outing, but at this rate I’ll take anything. I’m going to a La Leche League meeting. La Leche League is an international nonprofit, organization providing education, information, support, and encouragement to women who want to breastfeed. It’s a pretty huge organization and they’ve been around for a long time.

I decided to seek help in advance because I’ve heard horror stories about trying to breastfeed and I really want to give it a try. My sisters and I were all formula fed because 1) my mom didn’t have anyone to help her or give her support and 2) she went back to work straightaway. My sister had a really tough time breastfeeding, so she pumped and then fed my niece (which sounds like it took twice as long as opposed to feeding her directly). Also, my MIL (mother-in-law) Sharon, said the only assistance she had breastfeeding Mike was a La Leche handbook given to her. It worked for her; at one point her doctor said she was overfeeding him!

I'll probably get the EZ-2 Nurse pillow. Does anyone have any personal experience with this pillow? Foam sounds better than the inflatable. I've heard suggestions to get 2 of them especially if you have a 2 story house. Unfortunately, with this pillow and tandem nursing 2 babies, I probably won't be able to get the much desired glider rocker. Oh, those rockers felt so nice but I doubt we'll all be able to fit :-(

My only concern about tonight is being comfortable. My contractions usually happen in the evenings when the uterus is tired and the babies are more active. Plus, I may be sitting on a hard folding chair as opposed to lying down on the couch surrounded by pillows. I’ll let you know how it goes. And in the meantime, if you have any stories to share or wisdom to impart on a newbie like me, please send me an email, leave a comment or call. Since the babies are most likely going to be a bit (or a lot) premature, breast milk will really help their development and growth. Plus, formula is expensive! And remember, I have to double up on many items. Yes, I’m notoriously frugal but in this case breastfeeding would be a win/win situation.

Fur Baby

2006-12-11T12:13:00.000-08:00

I couldn’t go much longer without mentioning another very important member of our family, Oliver. O-dog is pretty great. If you’ve met him, you know he’s super affectionate and friendly. He’s a licker, not a fighter. He can tame the scariest Pit Bulls or hang out with the biggest Great Danes. He goes right up to them and says, “Hi, I’m Oliver. Wanna play? Wanna play?”

Oliver came into our lives when we were pretty fragile. He’s a rescue dog from the animal shelter, although I’m not sure who rescued who. We were lucky he had been brought in within the past hour. If you’re not familiar with pound procedure, you put your name on a waiting list. There’s a one week waiting period for the owner to claim the dog if he’s a runaway. You have to show up promptly on the day they become available. If you’re not there, the opportunity to adopt the dog goes to the next person on the list. Fortunately, we were the first ones on the list. Fortunately for Oliver, there were 5 other people that showed up hoping to get Oliver as well. Oliver came home with us on November 4, 2005. One day after the original due date of Matthew & Isabel.

We estimate Oliver was born July 05. We still call him ‘puppy’ due to his size. He’s definitely a mutt. If we had to guess, he’s got some Dachshund (he’s long like a hot dog), maybe some American Staffordshire Terrier (broad shoulders and a white chest), possibly Pug (he’s got an impossibly cute wrinkly face and semi curled tail) and most likely some Chihuahua (his smallness). Initially I wanted a Pug or a Puggle (Pug and Beagle mix), but I’m so glad we went to the pound. There are so many dogs and cats in need of a home, it broke my heart not to be able to take them all.

The move has been an adjustment for Oliver. In Sac, he had lot of friends and was taken to the park almost every night (it was literally at the end of the cul de sac from where lived). We met good friends through Oliver. Here’s one of my favorite pictures of Oliver and his best friend, Poquita. Her parents, Monica & Alvarro, had some amazing bbq’s. Mmmmm, I could go for Alvarro’s short ribs right now.

But in O.C., it’s a different story. No one walks their dogs at night. There's not even any sidewalks! The dog park isn’t all that, there’s hardly any grass. And sadly, we’ve (or Mike has) been so busy Oliver hasn’t been able to go out very much. Hopefully soon once all the boxes are unpacked, we’ll be able to give him more attention, especially before the babies arrive.

Lastly, here’s a picture of my belly from this weekend. Every Saturday, we take pictures. It’s really cool to see how much my belly has grown. I remember thinking I was initially out of shape, but compared to now I was positively fit back then!

Preventative measure

2006-12-08T11:51:00.000-08:00

So how did I make it to 28 weeks? There are a number of factors which we contribute it to. Whether or not they were (all) needed, we’ll never know. Our tragic loss last year will never be determined. You can’t imagine how frustrating that is.

We’ve been proactive since Day 1. In fact, our initial Perinatologist group was a nightmare because they wanted to adopt a ‘wait and see’ approach for the pregnancy. Our thought was, ‘wait for something to go wrong, and then it’s too late?’ That was not acceptable, especially since this was the same group we saw last year. They’re horrible and cold. I suppose you have to be given their line of work. They weren’t proactive last year and I can’t help but wonder if our outcome would’ve been different had we had another doctor.

Some of our preventative measures have included the aforementioned cerclage. We saw the best doctor for cerclages - Dr K in San Francisco. He spent 3 hours with us at our initial consultation. He wasn’t trying to convince us one way or the other, but just presented the facts. Many OBs perform 3 or 4 cerclages during their entire career. Most Peris will perform 3-4 a year. Dr K does between 80-100 a year! He has said, it’s his thing. In fact, he’s modified the standard McDonald cerclage to his own. Since his office is 2 hours from where we used to live, I couldn’t see him on a regular basis. I’ve seen 4 other Peris since and every one of them have been very impressed with Dr K’s cerclage because of its uniqueness. Seeing Dr K was one of the best decisions we made for our babies.

Dr K also prescribed Acid Jelly which has been helpful. For guys reading this blog, this will be TMI. But, you guys can appreciate what we have to go through. Acid Jelly keeps the Ph balance in the vagina. When pregnant, the hormones are all over the place making the vagina susceptible to infections, most commonly yeast infections. Not only am I one of these lucky ones, but last year’s lab results showed I had a high presence of Group B Strep (GBS). Simply put, GBS is kind of like E Coli. It’s bad, but you have it in your system. If you have too much, then that’s really bad. But it’s a part of you and not harmful if kept in check. GBS is only harmful when you are delivering vaginally and then it could be fatal to the baby if they’re exposed to it in the birth canal. Nonetheless, GBS is an infection and we don’t know if GBS contributed to the rupture of Matthew’s placenta. There are different opinions on what to do with GBS. Some doctors think it should be treated with antibiotics. Other doctors (including Dr K) believe it should be left alone and by administering antibiotics it could do more harm in the long run (i.e. developing a tolerance which may make treatment of other infections more difficult). All this to say, the Acid Jelly has kept me free of infections (both yeast and GBS) during this pregnancy.

I also get weekly injections of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (known as 17P or P17). It’s been shown to reduce the risk of preterm delivery and controlling an irritable uterus (which I seem to have). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been pricked and poked for this pregnancy. Just last week alone, I had the 3 hour glucose test where they drew blood 4 times in 3 hours! I have a huge bruise on my arm from the IV they inserted last week in addition to the shot of terbutaline to stop the contractions. You’d think I’d be used to it by now, but I still get squeamish and can’t look when they’re inserting the needle.

To top it off, I have a yogurt smoothie every morning and a whey protein shake every evening, for the past 197 days. Whew, that’s most of it. There are a few more items I haven’t included but you get the gist of it. I hope this doesn’t put anyone off from trying to have a baby. Most people I know have sailed through their pregnancies. I don’t know why we had to lose Matthew and Isabel, but I know we’re extremely blessed to be pregnant again.

28 weeks!

2006-12-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

Another milestone accomplished! 28 weeks a/k/a 7 months a/k/a 3rd trimester! It eases my mind a bit to have it made this far. 32 weeks is still where I’d like to be, but one of my nurses told me that at 28 weeks the babies have a 90% survivability. Although, a doctor told me last week that babies over 2 lbs have the same statistics. No matter, I’m just glad for each additional day I’m gestating. My next goal is to make it to the 30’s, then 32 weeks. (It’s easier to have the goals more attainable i.e. 2 weeks, than 4 weeks.)

The babies are kicking a lot. It’s not painful, just feels like a lot of stomach rumbling. They’re also sticking out a lot in the front. I wonder if it’s because I have an anterior placenta as opposed to posterior. This indicates where the fertilized eggs first embedded itself into the wall of the uterus. The front wall of the uterus is called the anterior wall; the back wall is the posterior wall. As far as I know, having an anterior placenta isn’t harmful to me or the babies. Last I checked, my waist measured at 45”. I hope I get to 50” or more. I tease Mike and tell him I’m about to catch up to him!

Speaking of my wonderful husband, he walked to the store late last night to get me some ice cream and cookies. Its ok he didn’t get me the right flavor ice cream as I was more into the cookies. It was my first ‘sweet’ since passing the glucose test and I was really looking forward to it. We normally get Nestle Tollhouse refrigerated cookie dough. It comes as one big square but you can break off little squares, stick it on the cookie sheet and bake. When it’s baking, the cookies flatten out and become a nice round gooey chocolately delight. However, last night it never flattened out. Instead, it remained a square and the bottom burned. Since it had been so long, I was glad to have anything that was warm and chocolatey but it was kind of a disappointment (sorry, babe). I wish I could’ve had Tom’s cookies which my friend, Kelly, turned me onto but they don’t carry it at our local market. Geez, do I sound like an ingrate or what?

Bed rest

2006-12-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

I started off on modified bed rest at 16 weeks. I was able to get up and do stuff around the house but rested whenever I could. After contractions started at 20 weeks, my bed rest became stricter. I’d say I’m laying down 85-90% of the time. I get up for meals and sit at the table and take showers but not much else. Last year after I PROM’d (Premature Rupture of the Membranes), I was completely horizontal all the time, including eating lying down. Talk about major heartburn! At least this time I’m sitting up. However, I did cut my hair significantly to shorten my time in the shower. I have to lie down because every time I’m up, I have tightening (contractions) in my belly and the babies’ weight feels enormous. It could be because I’m not used to the weight, but given what happened last year, I’m not taking any chances. Already, I’ve had some funneling/beaking above my cerclage. Any change to the cervix before the babies are full term is not good.

I used to romanticize bed rest. Doesn’t it bring up images of being in front of the TV, remote control in one hand and bon bons in the other? But that’s not the case. Bed rest is lying down; preferably on your left side (circulation is better for the babies rather than flat on your back or on your right). There’s not much you can do in that position. Remember, it’s lying down not sitting up. You can’t drink without a straw or a sports top bottle. You can’t read a newspaper. You can’t write. You always forget something that you need near you. And the space around you is limited. I currently have my glasses, cell phone, home phone, water bottle, pencils (pens don’t work when you’re laying down), note pad, book and calculator.

Bed rest hasn’t been easy. I moved into a house that I’ve never seen before because Mike had to make the decision on his own. I don’t know what the new neighborhood looks like because I arrived lying down in the backseat of the car. I don’t know what the second floor of the house looks like because I’m not allowed to climb stairs (although I cheated and snuck a peak). I can’t give out directions to the cable guy because I don’t know what the nearest cross streets are or land marks.

Sometimes I go days without stepping foot outside. Usually my days consist of getting up, having breakfast, going to the living room and lying on the couch with the laptop, then lunch. I’ll go back to the living room and stay there until it gets dark, then I move to the family room, lay on the couch and watch TV for a bit until dinner is ready or Mike gets home. That is my day. My only outings are for doctors appointment. Mike’s company Christmas party is coming up, but I won’t be able to go. I can only imagine what kind of desserts they’ll be serving! Maybe I can persuade Mike to sneak me back something (pretty please)?

I’m very lucky I have great support. Mike’s been awesome, offering to go to the store in the middle of the night to get me ice cream or helping me get up from the couch or doing all the unpacking from the move. My parents have also been incredibly helpful, waiting on me hand and foot. Initially, I stayed with them at their house, but now since we’re in O.C. they live here part time with us. Either my Mom or Dad is always with me during the week while Mike’s at work.

I’m not complaining, or I’m trying not to. This is a temporary situation that we’re doing for the babies. It is incredibly boring; the days are long and run into each other. Sometimes I forget what day of the week it is. I also wonder about my ability to rejoin the civilized world. I feel like I’ve been on my own for so long, I won’t know how to interact with others. Will I be able to pick up where I left off? The more time passes, the harder it seems to be. I want to see friends, yet I don’t. I’m afraid to make plans and then have something go wrong.

I know I’ll get over this. After this week, I only have 4 more weeks of strict bed rest. I don’t know how much activity I’ll be able to resume after resting for so long, but it’ll be better. Like I’ve mentioned, this blog is also a diary for me. I know a year from now when the twins are crawling/running all over the place and I’m meeting a friend for tea or doing errands, I’ll find it hard to believe I was feeling this way or maybe I’ll be nostalgic to when I was laying down bored out of my mind.

Good News

2006-12-05T13:30:00.000-08:00

Yay! Mary just called and gave me great news. I don’t have Gestational Diabetes! I was so worried I would. As it is, I had already adjusted my diet for the past month. I had cut back on sugar and carbs. I felt like I was on the Atkins Diet. More on that in a moment. I was so excited about my new blog, I started my second entry last night so I’ll pick up where I left off -

Most of you know now we have moved from Northern CA to Orange County. That in itself was quite challenging and stressful, especially when you’re pregnant and on bed rest. (Devi and I were trying to figure out who had it worse – us versus her moving to London from SF with a 5 month old baby) Poor Mike had to do everything, including picking out the house. Granted, I found the house online, but I gave him a long list of other homes to check out. I trust his judgment; he has excellent taste (after all he helped me pick out my wedding dress!). He’s been amazing doing everything. Our friend, Monica, told me that he has never complained no matter how tired he was. Apart from a few more boxes that have to be unpacked, most of its done. Now, if only our house will sell…

We moved me at the end of October and I stayed with my parents for several weeks while Mike got the house ready. Since I was in between Perinatologists (basically an OB specialist for high risk pregnancies), I found one in the San Fernando Valley that could see me (even if it was for only two visits). I just wanted to make sure my cervix was staying closed. Every twinge or pain worries me that something is wrong so I have it checked out. It doesn’t help either that I started having contractions at 20 weeks, so sometimes my fears are justified. *Sigh* I’ll never be able to enjoy my pregnancy without any concerns. But on the bright side, the interim doctor I saw had a 3D ultrasound machine. Check out the cool pics of the babies at 23 weeks or you can go here to check out the nifty page Mike made http://www.lifeplayedloud.com/eggi/.

Of course, nothing goes smoothly when it comes to our pregnancy. During the ultrasound, the sonographer noticed Twin B’s (girl) fluid level was high. It was in the normal range, but on the higher end. Our next visit showed her fluid level to be twice that of her brother’s. With our last pregnancy, the concern was Matthew not having any fluid and now girl twin had too much! The doctor suggested at this point that I cut back on my carbs and sugar.

I guess since then the fluid level has normalized and now I’ve passed the Glucose Screening test. So, I can resume my normal diet. I’m definitely all about the starches and my sweets. Some stuff I’ve been dreaming about – Winchell’s Strawberry or Maple Cruellers, In-N-Out cheeseburgers (with grilled onions), fries & chocolate shake, See’s Candies (my choice of chocolates), Indian food with lots of naan bread, Rite Aid/Thrifty’s Pistachio ice cream, Baskin Robbins banana split, Cold Stone Creamery Mud Pie Mojo, pasta, pasta, pasta, red velvet cake, mash potatoes, baked potato, curly fries, hash brown, pancake, freshly baked baguette (with brie), garlic bread, sesame toasted bagel with cream cheese, buttered biscuits with honey, Starbucks maple scones, oh maybe it’s time for Starbucks cranberry bliss bars!, Nestles freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, and I should stop right now before I get too carried away :-). There’s still the concern about girl twin’s fluid level, but for now I can eat without restrictions and fatten them up! I kinda feel like the wicked witch in Hansel & Gretel.

P.S.

2006-12-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

If you haven't guessed, we're having boy/girl twins again. How do we know? Here's the proof -

Very first entry

2006-12-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

The past couple of days have been quite eventful. Last Thursday, 11/30, I had just made it to 27 weeks. I was pleased. I had a doctor's appointment the day before and the babies were 2lb 3oz and 2lb and 7oz. The doctor said the babies had a 90% survivability rate if they were to come out now. Of course, they would still have some major issues, but it was reassuring news nonetheless.

But on Thursday, I got a call saying I failed my Glucose Screening test. I scored 157, the cutoff being 140. That means I have to retake the test, ugh! Then later that evening, around 5pm, I noticed my underwear was wet. I got a bad flash back to when my water broke last year. I called Mike and then called my doctor's office. They told me to go to Labor & Delivery (L&D). Mike left work early and picked me up.

At the hospital, they have 3 tests to determine if its amniotic fluid. Fortunately, all 3 tests came back negative for amniotic fluid, but I was having contractions they were concerned about. Initially, they put in an IV drip (hydration helps reduce contractions). I felt better, but apparently I was still having the contractions so they gave me a shot of terbutaline. That worked, but the downside is that it makes my heart beat much faster and gets me agitated. The doctor monitored me for a while before I got the green light to go home. I was there for about 4 hours, but I was really glad to come home.

I had a pretty uneventful weekend and now it's Monday. I had to be at the doctor's office at 8am for my second Glucose Screening test. This one is the icky one. Like last time, I had to drink a glucose drink (cola flavored this time), but I had to have 4 blood draws! I only have 2 arms! I'll find out the result tomorrow. My nurse, Mary, is a sweetheart. She's going to call me first thing in the morning so I know whether or not I can try out the new Carl's Jr Mint Chocolate Chip shake. Oh man, I really hope I pass!