The List

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

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

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

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

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.