Heartbeats, Hair and Hallelujahs

I've been anxious to post the results of our visit to the fetal specialist at Centennial. Believe it or not, it was great!

You've faithfully read all the posts where one thing after another has gone wrong, so I thought I would list everything good about this last visit. I know many of you have prayed fervently for us so look below at how good God is and how many hallelujahs we're saying at the Dodd household!

Good news from Tuesday's ultrasound and doctor's visit:

1. My cervix was down to a 10 (not good news). The ultrasound tech told us we would probably be going to the hospital (though I told Jon I was going to refuse bc/ they never do anything!), but the doctor dodn't send us and best of all: He said in another week and a half they won't even care if it's thin. I'm almost in the safe zone!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And though I'll miss the weekly and sometimes bi-weekly trips to the hospital(not), I'm ready to go for the fun trip of meeting my boys!

2. The fluid levels were back up on both babies-yeah!

3. The doctor said both babies scored an 8 out of 8 on their health rating chart they do from the ultrasound. I don't know much about it, but it sounded reassuring!

4. They are both still head down. Baby B is facing back but Baby A is sunny side up, but will hopefully turn before delivery. He can still be delivered face up but it takes longer (and I don't need that!).

5. Baby A's heartbeat was normal! It didn't skip once during the entire ultrasound!!!!! The doctor said that doesn't neccessarily mean the arrithmia is completely gone, but the fact that it can go away means there is nothing wrong and it should disappear right after birth if not before! We were ready to transfer to Centennial because I didn't want to deliver at Williamson and have him sent there alone, but the doctor said he shouldn't need any special treatment and we'd be fine to deliver at Williamson. In fact, the ultrasound looked so good that he released us and we don't have to see a specialist any more! That's our big hallelujah! I guess God heard my sweet kids' prayers for Him to fix Baby A's heart (though they made Mommy cry!)!

6. This is just a really fun one. Both babies have hair! I didn't even know that would show up on an ultrasound, but she showed us the little squiggly lines that were their hair. That was so neat! I love babies with heads full of hair. It makes me think they are going to look so much like Jackson and Ashton. I'm getting so ready to meet them, though I know it's not time yet. Of course, we don't know what color their hair is since both my mom and Jennifer had dreams that one was dark haired and one was blond. Wouldn't that be crazy? I can't imagine having a blondie!

Anyway, wanted to share the good news. Thanks for you fervent prayers and now you can add some praises to them!

What I think is happening in my stomach about midnight...

I'm not sure how to add a video to my blog yet, so this may not work, but try clicking on the link to see what my stomach feels like about midnight when I'm trying to go to sleep! If it doesn't work you can copy and paste it.

However, I was very proud of my boys this morning because they were taking turns. One would kick then the other and so on in perfect rhythym for several minutes. I also think Baby B is going to be my drummer because for the last 2 nights he's been keeping perfect beat with his hands for several minutes! He just hits over and over. The only thing I think he can be doing is drumming! Yikes!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNOzWZmhROA

The Roller Coaster That Is My Ultrasound...

It seems like every time I get an ultrasound done (which is once or twice a week!), we start out with great news and then it turns bad. That was the case Tuesday when I went to have my cervix checked. It was up to 17 from 10 which was great! Both boys remained head down. Then she checked their fluid. Baby A's fluid was especially low at like 5%. Then she couldn't get him to move much, though I tried to tell her he's not a morning person, just like Mommy! They sent me to the hospital to have him monitored. I told Jon it was scary when they told me something was wrong with my cervix because that is just a thing, but it's AWFUL when you're in the emergency room and they say you're here because Baby A is in distress!

Did I mention the worse part? Jon was 7 hours away in Mississippi for work. Luckily, I had my mother-in-law with me and the kids were hanging out with GranBobby. Of course, once they put the monitor on Baby A, he started kicking at it! The doctor said the anti-contraction meds caused my fluid to drop too low (it had been too high-95%!). She said it should come back once I was off the meds, but if not it could mean they'd have to deliver, which worried me that Jon wouldn't make it home. However, they let me go home to drink LOTS of water and come back for a recheck Thurs.

I go to my ultrasound Thursday and she says it was "amazing" how much better the fluid was! Again, we started out with great news then it got AWFUL!!! When she checked Baby A's heart it would stop beating or skip a beat every 10 beats or so. Of course, the ultrasound lady didn't say anything but I could see his heart stop beating on the screen. They sent me to the hospital where you could hear it missing when he was on the monitor. They decided to send me to a specialist at Centennial. I had to spend the night being monitored and then have an echocardiogram in the morning.

Jon made it to the hopsital by 10:00 p.m. Thursday night after driving I-don't- want-to-know how fast to get home! I didn't sleep all night bc/ if I move one twin's or the other's monitor would come off. It was awful to hear his little heart skip beats.

The next afternoon the ultrasound showed no physical abnormalities causing the arrythmea. The doctor said 85% go away before birth and 10% more within 30 hours after birth. We go back to Centennnial tomorrow for another ultrasound where I have lots of questions for the doctor!

Obviously, this has been a rough few days. We are so glad nothing is majorly wrong with his heart, but I'm still worried about my sweet baby boy and what this will mean for him after delivery in the NICU or whatever. I'm fairly freaked out bc/ I have to be VERY aware of any decreased movement and call the doctor immediately which is hard bc/ they are getting bigger and move less not to mention keeping track of who kicked me when!

Please really pray for us and Baby A! Tomorrow I'm 32 weeks so we're getting into much safer territory which is reassuring!

If only I could have chocolate...

Today has been my worse day. Ashton has rehearsal for her ballet recital today which is the only time you're allowed to do your own video and pictures. I've been telling myself that I was going to take her, but realized this morning that it would put my twins at risk. The practice is in Columbia, and I don't know how much walking will be involved. Plus, I CAN NOT miss the recital tomorrow night. But, it's my only daughter's 1st 1st recital. I wanted to be there to calm her fears (if she has any) and put her in her tutu! Plus, tomorrow the kids have a swim performance which is also in Columbia that I don't want to miss, but would involve me driving all the way to Columbia twice, which considering my bad check up Tues. probably not the best of ideas.

This morning was the first time I had to really wrestle with different children needing different things from me. Picking between your children's needs is awful! Poor Jon had to leave me crying this morning. He's such a softy. Once I started crying he said, "Just Go." I told him he's going to have to be tougher and not let me have my way just because I cried- but only until I'm off bed rest. Then the tears should let me have my way!

I guess God heard me crying and sent me my mommy though. She unexpectedly showed up at 9 instead of 12 when I expected her. She immediately did all the laundry and cleaned the babies' room (thanks to some prep work by my wonderful cleaning friends: Kyla, Jennifer and Melanie!!!!). I'm feeling much better having the house be so clean and getting closer to ready for the little ones.

Sorry so sad today. I'm not complaining, just adapting. God has blessed me with an amazng groups of friends and church family, a supportive family, 30 weeks and counting, no IV sticking in my arm, and I'm home!

oh well.....

The ultrasound didn't go as well as I'd like. I was down to 10mm :( I was really lucky they didn't send me to the hospital, though we thought they were going to for a few minutes. So, here I lay...

The boys were measuring right where they should though I was disappointed bc/ I wanted them to be huge like last time. Baby A takes the lead this time at 3lbs 3oz with Baby B just at 3lbs 2oz. They might be bigger though bc/ she had a hard time measuring their bellies. Baby A was pushing his arms into his belly so she couldn't tell how big it was. Then when she measured Baby B's belly, she couldn't get a good measurement bc/ Baby A kept punching him in the stomach! You could see on the screen a little fist come into the picture! I don't blame Baby A though bc/ Baby B stays with his bottom in A's face! It seems like they turn in order to moon each other! They've been that way the majority of the time! I told Jon if they do want to co-sleep they'll probably want to do it head to bottom!

Still a good day- healthy boys and me home and not at the hospital!

The Best Baby Shower Ever

So, I just returned from my baby shower which was incerdible! It could have been 1 person in a bare room and I would have been excited bc/ I was out of the house, but it was much more than that! It was incerdibly beautiful. The food was wonderful, of course, and the best part- they made me scrapbook pages- 2 of each!!!!!!!!!!!!! They rewrote nursery rhymes which were hillarious! I should post the video of everyone reading theirs, but that might get me in trouble with a few people! There were so many gifts and a great mix of fun and practical. Again I am reminded of how blessed I am, not to mention twice blessed with 2 well-loved twins! Thank you so much to all of you who helped and came!

Perhaps the best part was my daughter being there. These things are usually mommies only, but as you all know she's been sad not to have a sister. So, she decided that she and I are sisters. It's really sweet when she calls me sister, or she says, "I'll share with you Mommy because that's what sisters do (I don't tell her not all sisters share)." She has been more excited about the shower than me! Last night, we had our first, of many to come, "Fancy Nancy Party" (named after her favorite book). We did fancy lotion, painted our finger and toenails, and curled our hair. It was her first time to sleep in the pink spongy curlers (I'll post pics soon but can't download them from the couch). Seeing her in those pink curlers reminded me so much of my childhood! This morning, we fixed our hair, put on our matching blue outfits, and added a little make-up. All the while we talked fancy, called each other "Darling" and blew kisses to the boys and told them, "ta-ta" bc/ that's what you do when you're fancy! My fancy girl helped me open all the presents and loved it!

What a great day!

5 more mm!!!!

Finally, I went to the doctor without having to go to the hospital- praise God! My check up went great. I had increased 5 more mm- 17mm now. Last week, my fluid levels were too high which was putting even more pressure on my cervix. It was 95% and now it is down to 75%. It was so good I don't even have to go to the doctor for 2 more weeks when I'll be 31 weeks. Tuesday, I go for my big, long ultrasound where they measure the babies. Jon and I are so anxious to see how much they have grown bc/ obviously, the bigger they are the better in case they come early.

Thanks for your prayers. They are working one mm and one day at a time! Please add to your prayers the fact that Baby B is now completely breech. I pray he turns bc/ I don't want a c-section!

My wonderful husband took me out for ice cream to celebrate my good appt. I cannot begin to tell you how exciting it was to be out in the "real" world! It felt like we were on some romantic get-a-way! I'm learning to be thankful for the smallest things!

29 weeks- yeah!!!!!

Today I'm oficially 29 weeks-yeah! Every little day counts! I can't wait to break into the 30's next week. I have a new waste of time-watching Runway Moms. It's about pregnant models. What's not to love- looking at those too skinny pregnant women. Then comes the good part, they go into labor. Apparently they don't cover that birth hurts in model school. One was at the beginning of labor yesterday and the doctor said she had about 4 hours to go and she said, "You mean it jusy keeps hurting over and over like this for hours?" Sorry, doesn't take much to amuse me these days!

Thanks to all of you who have been helping with the kids. I was feeling guilty about pawning them off on everyone, but Jackson told my mom, "When my baby brothers get here I'm going to give them a big hug because I'm having the funnest summer ever going to my friends houses since Mommy can't get off the couch!" I guess he's happy!

Dr. appt. tomorrow- come on millimeters!!!!

and their names are........

Wednesday morning when we got the news that my cervix had thinned to 9mm (yikes!), Jon and I looked at each other. I said, "We have to pick names!" and he said, "I have to finish their room!" So, we finally decided that our boys will be Jon Wesley (called Wesley) and Wilmont Clark (called Will). His name is after my grandfather whose middle name was Wilmont and my other grandfather whose initials were WC and Jon's maternal grandfather who was Willy Clark. Jon has worked tirelessly and is ready to start painting the new wall he biult to add our fourth bedroom! He has been so amazing with everything on his plate!!!!

Lots of you have been so wonderful and concerned about us over the last stressfull week. Wed. when my ultrasound showed me down from 31mm to 9mm things got kind of scary. The technician woldn't let me off the table until she talked to the doctor. She sent us to the hospital through the emergency room, not admitting like the week before. We were expecting to just be monitored, but it got even scarier when we got to the room. They all swarmed in and were taking my blood and putting in an IV. When they wouldn't let me eat I realized they were acting like I was in labor. Next, I was given steroids to mature their lungs in case they were premature. Thank God, I never had any contractions. They aren't sure why my cervix thinned that much. I was kept overnight in order to receive the 2nd shot for their lungs.

Then Thursday night I had contractions all night long and ended up in the hospital again but just for a few hours. That afternoon my ultrasound showed my cervix thicker at a 12. I never thought I'd be so thankful for 3 mm! I'm now on anti-contraction medicine every 6 hours as well as another kind if I start feeling contractions. I am on bedrest permanently and just praying for and celebrating every day they stay in!

Everyone asks me when they are expecting me to deliver, and I don't think anyone knows, but God and I'm begging him for 38 weeks like I have from day 1 bc/ I want to take them home and not have to leave them in a NICU!

I go back to the doctor Wed. and will keep you posted. Please pray fervently as it's too early by far.

Congrats to Brent and Ashley who got their baby girl, Eliza, today. They are my happy thought for the week!