What's old is new again

Just when I thought I was never going back to the now months past vag cam visits and Crinone, here we go again...  We went to the MFM this morning and thankfully my cervix funneling hasn't changed since Thursday, and she also doesn't think a cerclage is a good idea at this point.  The risk of breaking my water during the procedure and of infection apparently outweigh the benefits, though I must admit part of me (and DH) wanted her to say they would just stitch me up so we could relax a little.  The babies are both still looking great.

After the dx on Thursday and hospital trip on Friday and a very rough weekend, where I was almost entirely on bed rest fearing that my cervix was ready to give out while we had family visiting, we are both ready for a break.  But at least we have a more proactive plan.  In addition to the progesterone, she wants me to be monitored twice a week to see if/how my cervix changes.  She said if/when I dilate too early, they will stitch me up.  She said she didn't think all the pain and discomfort I'm having is related to the cervical changes, and that strict bed rest is unlikely to prevent any changes that could happen.  She said I should take it easy, which I thought I already was, and get a support band to help me as I continue to grow.

The nursery is now a new room, though we (by which I mean DH) still have quite a bit of work to do to finish the wall and paint, so we can move everything in.  I can't wait to get it all put together, but honestly given all the craziness of the last few days, I guess we aren't in that big a hurry since we've already past into what I thought would be the post-24 week lockdown and we won't be housing babies for some time even if they come early.  We now have both the cribs, mattresses, bedding, rugs, dresser, topper, shelves, art, etc. and it will be fun to see it all come together.  We still have to finalize the chair decision and get that ordered.

Bed Rest Day #1

After spending the entire day yesterday in the city at our anatomy scan and then OB appt., we finally came home and I went to bed.  Though sleeping wasn't really on the docket.  I got a few hours all night, as I was having all sorts of pain and pressure.  I paged the OB early this morning as she said this is the only indication I'd have of something changing and she told me to go to the hospital, so off we went again.

We spent several hours at Prentice, where they confirmed that my cervix is still closed and I was not contracting (and the babies are still fine).  They talked to the OB, who we are meeting with again on Monday.  We stopped by the MFM practice before we left to get an appt., but they just took my info and told me they'd call me back.  Thankfully, they called back this afternoon and I have a 9am u/s for Monday with an MFM who specializes in multiples, high risk pregnancies and pregnancy loss.  We are very happy to get in with a specialist who can potentially give us additional options rather than just lay on my back for the next four months in hopes of keeping the babies in and that it is up to me to know if my cervix starts dilating between appts., at which point they could try to intervene.

We are very thankful that this cervical issue was discovered when we can still potentially do something to bring the babies closer to term, as many people just go into preterm labor and lose their babies before they ever know something is amiss.  Being on bed rest before 24 weeks wasn't really something I had considered, but we will figure it out.  Thankful again that I am not working and that our travel is done.  DH is amazing at taking care of me, as always.  My dad and step mom are coming tomorrow for a quick visit, when DH and dad will put up the nursery wall.

Whether it's a cerclage and/or bed rest that gets us there, we are fighting for these babies. 

If you've been on bed rest, what did you do?  I'm thinking over four months, I could write a book, or two... ;)

20 wks: funneling cervix and bed rest

We had our anatomy scan today and thankfully the babies both look great.  Baby girl weighs 11 oz and is on track and baby boy is still measuring ahead and weighs 12 oz.  We got our quad screen results, which were also normal.  But unfortunately, my cervix is funneling (which means the inside is open in the shape of a "V"), though it is still closed.  It is borderline short (2.5cm) and soft.  The OB said there isn't much they can do for this at this point, other than put me on bed rest and wait to see what happens, which is obviously not very comforting.  If my cervix starts to open, they could do a cerclage (where they stitch your cervix closed), but until that happens, they wouldn't do it yet.

This comes after an unplanned trip to the OB last Friday after I passed some abnormal discharge. which appeared to be my mucus plug.  I called and they had me come in and after finding the babies HBs on the doppler and checking that my cervix was closed, they sent me on my way.

So I finally finished my design class last week (it was disappointing, but I got an A) and we had a nice trip to NYC and the Hamptons (despite crazy delays on both ends).  So I'll be horizontal for the foreseeable future and praying to keep these babies cooking for as long as possible.  We have a long way to go...

Taking a break

We are getting ready to leave for NYC and the Hamptons for a nice long weekend, which couldn't come at a better time.  I'm actually relieved the Bump boards are down today, as news I heard yesterday has been haunting me. 

An online friend, who happened to have been TTC exactly as long as we had, is my age, left her job to focus on her pg, had to do IVF (repeatedly) to get pg, was expecting twins (boys, she now knows) just a few days after me, suddenly lost them at 18 weeks.  I think about this happening all.the.time, but to see it play out so horrifically for her is absolutely heartbreaking.  I can't put it into words.  What an awful test of the limits of human fortitude.

We are so thankful to have made it to 19 weeks (tomorrow officially) and that I am feeling the babies so much.  Thanks for making your old lady feel better kids, I appreciate it.  Counting down the last week to our anatomy scan and only five more to V-day.  Tick tock...

Infertility math and twin guilt

Well now that we are out to everyone as expecting twins and are as sure as we can be at this point that we know what we are having (ty 3D u/s), I am getting the inevitable bizarro comments from people.  OMG, instant family! (three years later...)  One of each and done! (we'd be done, and content, after two regardless...)  Of course these usually come from people who have no idea what we've been through to get here.  These don't really bother me as much as remind me how much dealing with infertility for 2 1/2 years changes you, not that I would ever have said things like this to anyone. 

If I were a fertile myrtle and could get pg on demand, we'd have a two year old and another on the way.  So irony of ironies after all this, I admit we've sort of caught up.  My goal was to have two by 35 and we'll almost make it.  Except instead of enjoying a kiddo (and life generally) for the last two years (and having a nice down payment for a summer house), we've been slogging to various drs., having seemingly endless surgeries, taking myriad drugs, etc.  You get the idea, it's not the same.  But on the surface, all is seemingly perfect (so far anyway).  While this feels well earned, it also feels really awkward at the same time.  I've had people tell me they are jealous of us, which I'm kind of at a loss as how to respond to.

And don't get me wrong, I am beyond thrilled about our two babies (who are both squirming around like crazy as I write this :) ), but when it first sunk in that we were in fact having two at the same time (which obviously wasn't a big surprise given we'd transferred two embryos), I surprisingly didn't feel overwhelmed at all, I felt a little guilty. 

Guilty that only because of our IF would they each never have the time they deserve to be our only baby, that they would likely come early, be small, and would have a much higher chance of complications, etc.  All things that would almost never have been a possibility if we hadn't had to go through IF treatments to get pg.  Even my breeder sister, who will soon have four under five, told me after finding out that twins were her "worst nightmare".  Nice, huh?  (btw, I'd much rather be me than her.)  The thing about finally getting pg, which not everyone seems to realize, is that things are instantly no longer about you.  Something that I find profoundly refreshing after our journey.  It's one thing to go through these things yourself/as a couple by choice, but also because you have to, and then realize that your kids will be forever affected by what you've gone through.  It wasn't something that I thought about that much before, since even getting pg w/one baby seemed unattainable after so long, though we were very cognizant of making responsible decisions that weren't only based on our short term situation.

DH and I feel strongly that our primary job as parents is to do all we can to ensure our kids are able to live up to their full potential (and all that goes into that), and I feared that I was disadvantaging them out of the gate.  I am of course comforted by friends who've had big twins (my goal is >6 lbs/ea.), with no NICU time, who are thriving (though even the small ones usually catch up), but for an instant, I felt selfish for facilitating (and wanting) two babies.  I guess my mommy guilt got started early.

18 weeks! (and my new favorite things)

The weeks are starting to fly by!  I can't believe we are likely or nearly halfway to welcoming these babies, since the vast majority of twins are born between 34 and 38 weeks.  And we are halfway through our last 4ww to see them again.  Our anatomy scan and next OB appt. are on the 25th, then we go to biweekly appts..

We are growing every day and the kids kept me up last night with all their wiggling.  It is hard to describe what it feels like, other than really wild and really cool.  At first when I feel them, it feels like something is wrong, but then I just sit still and feel them dancing.

I've been a body pillow devotee for a long time, but found that it just wasn't cutting it lately.  So when the Snoogle was the deal of the day at Target (for <$40), I snatched it up.  Love that thing.  I addition to cushioning your head and knees, when you use it with the length along your back, it helps keep you from rolling over on your back, which I found myself doing a lot before.

I've been a huge fan of tervis tumbler cups for a long time, but my penchant for clumsiness has apparently been exacerbated by pregnancy, which has led to lots of spilled water all over the house.  The solution?  Tervis lids and straws!  Or as DH calls them, sippy cups for grown ups. :)

I finally ordered the nursery rug from my local shop and found this adorable and oh so travel friendly convertible dress for our trip next week.  I'm having so much fun with it already. ;)

More Nursery Decor - Rugs

My fabric came very speedily from Joann's and they just sent me the rest of a bolt including a whole extra yard.  Not too shabby.  Almost as nice as when we got our stairs re-carpeted and we got the rest of that bolt of ridiculously expensive wool carpet for free, enough for four large area rugs to use around the house.  Score!

I bought a wool area rug from Garnet Hill a few years ago for the "old nursery", but I'm on the fence as to whether I want to try to make it work in the new one and with our chosen fabric. 

I love the rug, which we've been using in the den, but I think it might be too sophisticated and busy for what we have going...

And because I never tire of looking at it...

So I've been looking at cotton rugs from Dash & Albert, since that's the only other material besides wool I would use in the nursery and they have lots of cute ones.

I was trying to make a concerted effort to not have a too beachy nursery, but you can only fight your natural inclinations so much, so our non-theme may end up being "elephants at the beach".

I wanted the Yacht Stripe in Ocean when I was looking at the Alsbrook Spa, but that fabric didn't work out.  I still love the rug.

Then I was thinking the Stockholm, when I thought I'd paint the room golden yellow.  But the cribs are a light wood and I think I need more contrast with the walls.  And when I got the sample from our local shop, I was less than thrilled.

Then I found the perfect fit in Staffordshire Stripe (which happens to be featured on the Elements of Style/Erin Gates curated Nantucket collection on J&M today)...

But speaking of Nantucket, when DH saw this, their Nantucket rug, on their website, he loved it.  He LOVES color and all the colors of our fabric are here, I'm just not sure if it's not too much.  It reminds me of Stark's candy striped carpets that I think I first saw in a magazine profile of writer Jill Kargman's apt. and nursery.

I'm thinking the "new nursery" will stay baby girl's room and the "old nursery" across the hall will be baby boy's in a couple years, so I'm trying to go with something that might work to stay in her room.  There is a little pink in there...

My mom just let me know she is coming to visit me tomorrow!  Yay!  And she's bringing my sewing machine!  And we're going baby shopping!

Eventhough she already has several grandkids, she is almost as excited we are pregnant as we are.  She's had a rough year or so and deserved some good news finally.  On top of retiring early last year to help my sister take care of her ever growing brood, she then became a full-time care giver to my grandmother.  And then my g-ma was dx w/cancer and then my sister too.  Then my FIL passed away, and then we miscarried.  Then my sister's cancer got regraded and she needed chemo, but my sister E, who my mother is very close to, didn't think we should do it, but she did anyway.  And then her FIL passed away.  After getting Sara through her chemo, my mom's best friend since kindergarten and then my grandmother both passed away rather suddenly. 

She is actually stopping by on her way back to OH to finish clearing out my g-ma's house and visit with friends since she wasn't able to make it to her BF's service, a few weeks before my grandmother's.  She actually gets to make the trip alone as my step-father is home from work for several months and can stay with my sister, since he tore his bicep tendon serving as a pallbearer for my grandmother and had to have surgery.  We're all looking forward to things looking up. :)

My due date

I've been dreading this day all year long.  How is one supposed to feel when you are both missing someone you never really knew and so excited about what is to come?  I feel so sad and thankful at the same time.

A friend (and co-owner of PDtM) who lost her stillborn daughter on this day after years of struggling with infertility (and now has two young sons) put it very eloquently in her FB post today.

"Georgia would have been nine today. Time heals many things, her loss included, but just for today I will wonder what it would be like to have a little girl. My heart goes out to all who are still in the process of trying, or still healing from loss. Keep the faith, breathe deep and believe in yourself. You are not "less than" because you are struggling. You are more- courageous, compassionate and strong - and you will shine the light forward for others. Peace, Beth"

"And can it be that in a world so full and busy, the loss of one weak creature makes a void in any heart, so wide and deep that nothing but the width and depth of vast eternity can fill it up." - Charles Dickens

Decor fabric sale @ Joann's!

60% off through today, and another 15% off with the promo code "teacher2011"

My first love: Alsbrook Spa

(which turned out to be too thin and silky for the nursery project):

My Uzbek Jewel

The coordinating Suzanni Jewel, often seen here

Other favorites:

Cross section Charcoal

Khandar Indigo

Happy go Lucky Mint Julep

Maharani Sand

Khanjali Glacier



17 weeks!

I decided it was time for a belly pic, so this is me today @ 17 weeks.  :)  I'm finally starting to look pregnant, even though whenever I tell anyone how far along I am w/twins, they don't believe me.  I guess people don't think you look pregnant unless you have a beach ball stomach.  Oh well, I'm sure I'll show them.

We finally have both hot water and air conditioning at home as of today. YIPPEE!  I feel like I'm living in the lap of luxury.  It's amazing how not having basic things like this for a couple of the hottest weeks of the year will alter your perspective.

Knock on wood, I'm still feeling really good.  I'm just uncomfortable when I go through the inevitable growth spurts.  I'm not sleeping through the night consistently, but I'm looking forward to hopefully/maybe doing that sometime soon, as obviously before long, I won't be sleeping much at all.

I finally signed us up for our Great Expectations for Multiples class at the hospital for September.  We'll also be taking breastfeeding multiples and CPR.  My OB wants us to make sure we have all of these done before 24 weeks, in case I end up on bedrest.

On tap tomorrow (finally!) is prenatal yoga.  Can't wait!

Happy weekend! :)

Halfway there

We have hot water!  This is a major accomplishment after 12 days without any.  They are coming back tomorrow to finish and install the new furnace and then we'll have air conditioning.  We are moving up in the world, huh?  Even though the heat has finally broken, for now anyway, I am so excited!  It's been a crazy two weeks.  We moved back home today after two days at the hotel.

In lieu of doing school work, I assembled one of our cribs today.  This was just an exercise to make sure the mattress I got fits properly (it fits like a dream BTW).  So I ordered the second mattress while it's on sale, but will wait on ordering the other crib until we have the nursery wall up and walls painted and we can start putting things together, later in September.  I also needed to see how far the drop is from the bottom of the mattress (from the highest setting) to the floor (15"), so I can order the correct amount of crib skirt fabric and get started on those at some point in the near future.

I also just bought our tickets to NYC for later in August.  I can't wait!  We still have to decide where we are staying while we are in the Hamptons, though we are staying with my sister and her boyfriend at their new place while we are in Brooklyn.  It will be so nice to see them and to get away.  It's always nice to have something to look forward to. :)

Day 10

Well, the good news is that we've finally decided on the new systems and hope to have them installed this week (and on stilts!).  The bad news is it's the hottest week of the year, again, and after a terrible night last night, we are now staying at a hotel until the heat breaks on Wed.  You don't really realize how much you rely on something like A/C until you don't have it.  This pregnant lady is much happier now.  It just got to be too much, the house is absolutely sweltering and the humidity is downright tropical, with the heat indices over 100.