Unmet Baby

Post commenced Sunday, May 29, 2016

This is hard but I'm pushing through the hard because although recalling these details is painful, I know I will be thankful that I did. Out of ease and because I'm at a loss on how to eloquently organize all my thoughts, I am just going to format most of this in a timeline/list.

This is the story of our unmet baby...

January 2016 - After nearly a year of losing weight, getting into shape, meeting goals, and preparing mentally, Tom and I came to a point where we were ready to expand our family. For us, expanding means the pursuit of further fertility treatments. Our IVF cycle that gave us Grady & Wren also gave us 2 embryos to freeze for the future. We scheduled a consult with our doctor to discuss our next steps. 

February 2016 - On February 24, 2016, we had a our consultation with Dr. Hansen. We decided after my next cycle began that we were ready to pursue a frozen embryo transfer (FET) using one of our remaining embryos. 

March 2016 - On March 1, 2016, a few days into my cycle, I began taking the prescribed Necon birth control which is the first medication in FET protocol.

March 28, 2016 I began giving myself daily Lupron injections in the abdomen. Lupron prevents ovulation during a FET cycle which would throw off timing of uterine receptivity.

April 2016 - On April 3, 2016 I took my last birth control pill. 

April 11, 2016 I began wearing estradiol (estrogen) patches on my abdomen to thicken and mature uterine lining.

May 2016 - On May 1, 2016 Tom began giving me nightly intramuscular (IM) progesterone injections in the glutes. Progesterone is also used to prepare and mature uterine lining.

May 4, 2016 At 2:45pm one beautiful, thawed, grade 5BA blastocsyt was transferred to my uterus.

May 10, 2016 I took a home pregnancy test (HPT) and it was positive!!

 The pic I sent to Tom at work showing our HPT results

May 13, 2016 I had my first beta blood test to measure my hcg levels (hcg stands for human chorionic gonadotropin and is the hormone produced by the embryo after implantation). The results were not favorable as they were only at 15.9 and they want to see them around 50-100 by that point in pregnancy.

May 14, 2016 I stopped feeling the pregnancy symptoms I was having which gave me concern and led me to take another HPT. It registered as negative.

May 17, 2016 I went in for more blood work which showed my hcg rose abnormally to 28 (it is supposed to double every 48 hours). Because of the initial low hcg number and the sub-optimal/abnormal rise I was advised to discontinue hormone therapy of estrogen patches and progesterone injections.

May 19, 2016 I returned to the clinic for more blood work which showed my hcg rose to 92.3. This took us all by surprise and reintroduced a glimmer of hope that maybe we weren't loosing this pregnancy after all. We were given the option to resume hormone therapy, which we did to give this baby the best chance possible. Later that evening I began bleeding. 

May 20, 2016 [5th week of pregnancy by FET calculations] I had an ultrasound, which didn't show anything because 5 weeks is too early to see anything, but they wanted to check my endometrial thickness among other things. I had more blood work which showed that my hcg rose again to 174. At this appointment Dr. Burks informed me that in situations like these they have reasonable concern that we could be dealing with an ectopic pregnancy (meaning a pregnancy located somewhere other than inside the uterus - in a fallopian tube, on an ovary, etc). We discussed the options I had going forward of how to handle an ectopic pregnancy but I was told we weren't quite to that point and that we would continue with "expectant management" (meaning close monitoring of what was going on inside of me via ultrasound and also continued monitoring of my hcg levels via blood work).

May 23, 2016 More blood work, hcg rose sub-optimally to 195 and I was advised to again discontinue hormone therapy.

May 26, 2016 Blood work, hcg rose to 246.

May 27, 2016 [6th week of pregnancy by FET calculations] Ultrasound and blood work, hcg rose to 264. By this point hcg should not have remained this low with a series of abnormal/sub-optimal rises. Dr. Quaas did not see anything on the ultrasound that would typically be seen by 6 weeks of pregnancy. Due to abnormal conditions the ultrasound was inconclusive and they consider this a "pregnancy of unknown location." It cannot be successfully determined if the pregnancy is inside or outside the uterus. All that is known is that there is some fetal or placental tissue somewhere that is continuing to produce hcg.

There are 3 ways to treat this type of situation:

1.)   Continue with expectant management (monitoring via ultrasound and blood work)

2.)  Methotrexate injection (a chemo drug also used to treat ectopic pregnancies)

3.)  Uterine evacuation surgery (similar to a D&C)

Dr. Hansen called me on the afternoon of May 27, 2016 to further discuss the latest hcg level and ultrasound and he asked me which treatment option we had chosen. We chose to discontinue expectant management as it was proving that my body was not processing things on its own. We chose not to do uterine evacutation surgery because if the pregnancy was undetectable and not located in the uterus then there was a possibility that surgery would not be successful. That left us with methotrexate.

May 28, 2016 At 8:30am I received 2 IM injections of methotrexate. After the injection there are 2 more follow-up appointments for blood work to assess if hcg levels have fallen by the appropriate amount. If hcg does not fall appropriately, another dose of methotrexate is required. 

June 2016 - June 1, 2016 Day 4 post-injection follow-up blood work, hcg rose to 332.

June 4, 2016 Day 7 post-injection blood work, hcg finally dropped but only to 330. Since it did not drop by 15% from day 4 to day 7, I had to have another dose of methotrexate.

June 6, 2016 Second round of methotrexate injections. If this round does not work, surgery will be required.

June 10, 2016 Day 4 post-injection follow-up blood work, hcg fell to 201.

June 13, 2016 Day 7 post-injection follow-up blood work, hcg fell by more than the required 15% to 128.

June 21, 2016 blood work to continue monitoring hcg, which will be repeated until hcg is negative.

Pregnancy Collage

Starting with the 12th week of my pregnancy, continuing every 2 weeks, I had Tom take pics of my growing tummy. I planned to create a collage at the end of my pregnancy to give a quick visual comparison of where I started and where I ended.  I did not, however, think that my collage of pics would end with the 32nd week pic.  I also did not think it would take me this long to post the collage. Even so, for my reference and personal memories, below is the collage of my growing tummy.

Grady & Wren's Birth Story: Part III

After the babies were born they were immediately worked on by the NICU team that was sent down to the OR for my delivery. Sadly, I was not able to see Grady in the OR. But, a nurse wrapped Wren up and let Tom hold her and he brought her to me so I could see her.  I got to kiss Wren on the cheek and then the NICU nurses took the babies up to the 7th floor to the NICU to continue being worked on.

Dr. Nightingale finished my operation and I was wheeled back to my labor and delivery room to recover for a bit before being taken to my "mom and baby" room on the 5th floor. Tom was allowed to go up to the NICU to see the babies around 10pm. I, however, did not get to see them until the next morning around 10am when Tom wheeled me up to their room on the 7th floor.  The first thing I asked when I saw them was, "When can I hold them?" Grady's nurse said I could go ahead and hold him.  I was not expecting that response because they were so small and hooked up to so many wires, IVs, and a CPAP machine to help them breath. The nurse got Grady out of his little bed and carefully handed him to me. I began crying and was overcome with so many emotions.

Despite the incredible joy of having babies, I had to work through and essentially grieve the loss of the rest of my pregnancy, a "normal" delivery experience, and grieve over not being able to immediately bond with my babies after they were born. For many days I didn't even feel like the babies' mom because they had to stay isolated in incubators and I could only hold them for short amounts of time. I know, it sounds quite odd to grieve at a typically joyous time but it's honestly how I felt.

Wren ended up staying in the NICU for 28 days [May 6, 2012 - June 3, 2012] and Grady stayed for 30 days [May 6, 2012 - June 6, 2012]. Having two premature children in the hospital, recovering from a C-Section that got infected, pumping 9 times a day, dealing with a myriad of post-partum emotions, and dealing with a few other trials that cropped up along the way was incredibly difficult to say the least.  There were definitely dark days with many tearful breakdowns. The worst breakdown occurred the Tuesday night before we were able to bring Grady home. My heart was physically hurting because I missed Grady so much. After Wren was released, we decided to divide and conquer in that Tom would be the parent to go be with Grady while I stayed home to take care of Wren. It was extremely bittersweet. I was so happy to have Wren home but I missed Grady so much. I had never before experienced the feeling of having my heart in two places at one time.

I am so incredibly grateful that despite their difficult beginning, I have 2 striving and healthy miracle babies who I could not be more in love with.

We will forever be indebted to our supportive family and friends who prayed for us, went grocery shopping for us, arranged for our house to be cleaned, dropped off home-cooked meals and snacks, gave us restaurant and gas station gift-cards, and provided encouraging texts, phone calls, and emails.

I want to individually thank my mom. She has been my angel through all of this.  She anticipated and met so many of my/our needs. She drove me to the NICU nearly everyday that Tom couldn't, did our laundry, ran numerous errands, and was my right hand. I don't know what I would have done without her constant support.  I love you Mom!

Grady & Wren's Birth Story: Part II

On our way to OU Children's hospital, we were pulled over by a light blue unmarked police officer on Broadway Extension near the 23rd street exit. We were scared, panicked, and worried about the safety of our unborn children, which is obviously why were speeding. We pleaded with the officer to escort us to the hospital, but he rudely declined and held us on the side of the highway to wait for an ambulance. We eventually got him to let us take ourselves to the hospital since we were already so close. After 10 precious minutes slowly passed, he finally let us go after giving us a ticket.  We will never know if those 10 minutes stalled us enough to allow my labor to progress beyond the point of no return.  But we can't live wondering "what if." We know that God had already ordained that the twins would be born later that night.

Tom pulled up to the main entrance of the hospital and we hurriedly got out and went up to the 4th floor to the Urgent OB triage area. Because my mom and dad had followed us there, my mom was able to get our keys from Tom and park our car. Once Tom and I got up to the urgent care desk, a nurse took us to a triage room and began questioning me and filling out information in the hospital's computer system.  She placed 2 monitors on my tummy to listen to and measure the babies' heart rates. An IV was started in my hand and I had a swab test "down there" to verify that my water had in fact broken. The swab test instantly proved positive, which is what was needed in order to admit me to the hospital.  I also had a quick ultrasound to verify the babies' positions. Both babies were head down. We knew Wren already was, but the ultrasound confirmed my instinct that Grady had repositioned himself to be head down on Friday night. The triage nurse told me that she thought my OB, Dr. Nightingale, was on her way back into the country from her trip to Spain.  So, they paged one of Dr. Nightingale's partners, Dr. Crouse, who was the on-call OB that day. Dr. Crouse came in to speak with Tom and I and informed us that because I was not contracting, they planned to stall my labor by starting me on an IV of magnesium sulfate. They also planned to begin IV antibiotics to keep me from getting an infection.  Dr. Crouse let us know that Dr. Nightingale was actually back in the country and was unpacking and resting and could be called in if I progressed.

I was moved out of triage into a labor and delivery room and hooked up to all the previously mentioned meds. I also had to endure receiving a foley catheter so that my urine output could be tracked, which is standard practice when receiving magnesium sulfate. After the nurse placed the catheter, I had a steroid injection in my hip to help the babies' lungs develop. My parents and friend Daysha all joined Tom and I in the labor and delivery room. Tom's parents and my brother and his family arrived shortly after we all got settled in my room. The original plan was to keep me pregnant in the hospital on IV antibiotics and magnesium sulfate for at least 24 to 48 more hours, or ideally until I reached 34 weeks to allow for further lung development for the babies. After being on the IV meds a very short amount of time, I began contracting. I wasn't really feeling it at first but I watched my mom and Daysha look at each other each time they would see a contraction on the monitor behind the head of my bed. The monitor was behind me at such an angle that I couldn't ever really see my contractions. Despite being on medication to impede labor, my contractions picked up in intensity and frequency and the chief resident who came on duty at 7pm decided to check my status before going into a C-Section for another set of twins. She didn't want to check me by hand but with a speculum as to not disturb my cervix.  What she saw through the speculum prompted her to go ahead and check me by hand after all. After checking me, she determined I was dilated to 4 cm. At that point, she called Dr. Nightingale to go ahead and come in. Dr. Nightingale got to the hospital within about 20 minutes of being called.  She came in and visited with Tom and I and told me that I would be having two babies very soon. At 8pm, after I had been laboring really hard for an hour, Dr. Nightingale came in to check me and I was dilated to 9 cm and 100% effaced.  She told me I could wait and push Wren out after I got to 10 cm or we could go ahead with a C-Section.  I chose to go ahead with the C-Section and I was then rushed into the OR. Because I was not on any pain medication during my labor, I received a spinal block immediately after being rolled into the OR. The operation began quickly after I received my spinal block. I felt lots of movement and pressure and the babies were born at 8:17pm and 8:19pm.

Grady & Wren's Birth Story: Part I

Grady and Wren's birth story was far from how I pictured/hoped it would be. It's now been nearly 2 months since that eventful day so I am going to try my best to record it in its entirety without forgetting some of the chaos that was involved. I have a lot of detail to recall so I am breaking the story into parts. Please forgive any non-cohesive thoughts or errors as my brain is functioning with a lower than normal level of sleep.

Let me rewind to the Thursday night before their birth, May 3, 2012. As I was laying down to sleep on the couch, I began feeling major movement on the right side of my tummy, Grady's side. The movement was really uncomfortable and it kept me from sleeping most of the night. I could tell he was trying really hard to turn.  My instinct told me that he was trying to change from his breech position to head-down (it would later be confirmed that my instinct was correct).  After I felt him struggle for a while I could tell that he had given up and I noticed my stomach looked really lopsided.

On Friday night, May 4, 2012, after coming home from my friend Amanda's wedding rehearsal/rehearsal dinner, Tom and I sat down on the couch to relax and watch a little TV before going to bed. While we were watching TV, I started feeling intense pain due to more aggressive movement, again on the Grady side of my tummy. He was trying to finish the work he began on Thursday night.  For nearly 20 solid minutes I was in major pain while he turned. We did not really know what it was and feared it was a contraction and the beginning of my labor. But because it lasted for a solid 20 minutes, we ruled out the possibility that it was a contraction. After he finally stopped moving, my pain let up and I decided to try and get some sleep.

On Saturday, May 5, I was a bridesmaid in Amanda's wedding. Because I was on modified bed rest, I took the whole day easy and I tried to relax and be comfortable despite the abnormally high heat for an early day in May. We got ready in a hotel room and I sat on the bed the whole time. With the exception of taking wedding party pictures and walking down the aisle, I was seated the majority of the day. After all the wedding day festivities, we got home really late, showered, and went to bed.

On Sunday, May 6, Tom was scheduled to play in the worship band, so he had to be at church early for rehearsal.  I stayed home to resume my modified bed rest.  Because I was worn out from the wedding activities on Friday and Saturday, I slept all morning. Around 12:00 pm I got up to use the restroom and laid back down on the couch. After I laid down, I felt a small gush of fluid.  At first I thought it felt like I had wet my pants, but I had just used the restroom. In the back of my mind I feared it was my water breaking but I tried to talk myself out of that being the case. I went to change pants and felt more fluid leaking.  I began to panic because I was only 32 weeks and 5 days pregnant and going into preterm labor was something I had feared through out my whole pregnancy. I called my dear friend Daysha, who had experienced preterm labor twice and she confirmed my fear and advised that I call my doctor/hospital and lay down to keep gravity from speeding things along. I frantically called and texted Tom repeatedly.  He was playing in the closing part of the worship service and didn't hear his phone. After I couldn't get a hold of him, I called my mom and she and my dad came straight over. After service was over Tom noticed several missed calls and texts from me and called me back, I told him I thought my water broke, and he hurried home from church. My parents and Tom all arrived at the house around the same time. After they all arrived, I got up and frantically began to pack a bag. After I got my bag packed, I grabbed a bath towel, laid it down on the passenger seat of the car, quickly got in and we headed to the hospital.

Week 40

Today is the official "due date" for the babies.  When we found out we were pregnant as a result of our IVF cycle, we knew that Tuesday, June 26, 2012 was the official and exact 40 week due date.

Who would have guessed that by their June 26, 2012 due date, the babies would be almost 2 months old?!

They are doing well and growing at a good pace.  Wren weighs 8 lbs now and Grady is a smidgen over 7 lbs.  Their weights may not sound like a lot but considering they started out at 3 lbs 11 oz and 3 lbs and 4 oz, it is major progress!  

And if I may throw a little "FYI" out there, parents of preemies don't enjoy hearing how "tiny" their babies are.  Every ounce is a huge success and it's a bit discouraging to hear, "Oh! They're so tiny," all the time.  In fact, they are really a wonderful size considering the challenge of coming into the world at 32 weeks and 5 days gestation.

We are so proud of them and the strong fighters that they are!

Week 32

How Far Along:  32 Weeks (at 31.2 weeks, my doctor said I was measuring like a 39 week singleton pregnancy)

Size of Babies:  As of my April 26th ultrasound, Wren weighs an estimated 3 lbs 13 oz and Grady weighs an estimated 3 lbs 11 oz

Total Weight Gain: +41 lbs total as of my April 26th appointment  :/

Maternity Clothes: I wear mostly maternity clothes, but I can still wear some of my regular dresses

Gender: It's a Boy and Girl - Grady Warren and Wren Elizabeth! :) :)

Movement: LOTS of movement

Sleep:  The couch is winning for the most effective place to rest

What I Miss: Sleeping on my tummy

Cravings: SWEETS!

Symptoms: Carpel Tunnel, lower back pain, swelling, and fatigue

I am in the beginning of my 3rd week of decreased activity/modified bed rest. There are definitely pros and cons. The slower pace has been so nice. I am definitely less worn out and my blood pressure is mostly staying in the safe zone. However, it's been an adjustment because it was such an abrupt change going from working full-time to being home full-time. Not to sound too dramatic, but it's kind of caused a slight identity crisis for me. I must say that I have the most loving friends and family who have helped support me/us in this transition.  They have graciously blessed me/us with many visits and meals.  We feel so grateful and spoiled by all the love!

Best Moment(s) So Far: Over the past week and a half, Tom and I have spent parts of our evenings sitting in the nursery, just talking and enjoying the the transformation that the room has made.  It's been a sweet time for us to spend together and hear what's on each other's mind regarding our impending life change. And almost nightly, Tom has selflessly and sweetly rubbed my sore swollen feet and legs.  The frequent foot rubs have helped with circulation and swelling and I am SO appreciative that he is willing to serve me in that way.

Another "best moment" was last Sunday. I was sitting in the rocker/recliner in the nursery with my laptop in my lap listening to and singing along with our 'Lullaby' playlist on iTunes.  Immediately after I started singing, I felt really big kicks from Wren's side of my tummy.  She liked it! [That's how I'm interpreting it anyways.]  I told Tom to put his hand on my tummy because I knew he would want to feel what she was doing.  It was really sweet how much she responded to my singing.

Week 30

How Far Along:  30 Weeks (at 29.2 weeks, my doctor said I was measuring like a 38 week singleton pregnancy)

Size of Babies:  The babies are about 15.7 inches long and weigh almost 3 lbs.

Total Weight Gain: +34 lbs total as of my April 12th appointment

Maternity Clothes: I wear mostly maternity clothes, but I can still wear some of my regular tops and dresses.  I'm not sure the regular tops and dresses will fit for much longer though!

Gender: It's a Boy and Girl - Grady Warren and Wren Elizabeth! :) :)

Movement: LOTS of movement

Sleep:  I move between the bed, recliner, and couch. I wake up super sore no matter what I try.

What I Miss: Sleeping on my tummy

Cravings: SWEETS!

Symptoms: Carpel Tunnel, lower back pain, and swelling.

At my April 12th appointment, my doctor put me on modified bed rest due to the stress on my body at this point in my pregnancy and a rise in my blood pressure. Modified bed rest means I am prohibited from working and household chores and I need to spend the majority of my time "taking it easy" with my feet up at home. I can go on occasional outings but should only be on my feet for short periods of time. I've taken my blood pressure at home since starting modified bed rest and it looks like "taking it easy" has proven effective for lowering and keeping my blood pressure down.

Best Moment(s) So Far: Seeing the progress made on the painting of the nursery furniture. Our rocker/recliner finally came in and we got to pick it up from the furniture store!  :)

For Your Splendor

Dear Grady & Wren,

This morning while I was driving downtown to work, I was listening to the newest Christy Nockels album.  Christy is one of my favorite female artists, not only because of  her amazing vocals, but because she helps lead me to the throne with her songs.  This morning, that is exactly what happened.  I came to a stop light when the chorus of For Your Splendor was playing.  As I waited for the light to turn green, you two began moving around in my tummy and I began to meditate on the lyrics. Tears came to my eyes and I started singing and praying the words of this song over your lives as well as mine.

My sweet precious children, as your mother, this song speaks deep into my heart.  My prayer is that the words of this song [mainly the chorus] will be applied to your lives.  

For Your Splendor

I'm so concerned with what I look like from the outside

Will I blossom into what You hope I'll be

Yet You're so patient just to help me see

The blooms come from a deeper seed that You planted in me

Sometimes it's hard to grow when everybody's watching

To have your heart pruned by the one who knows best

And though I'm bare and cold, I know my season's coming

And I'll spring up in Your endless faithfulness

[Chorus]

With my roots deep in You, I'll grow the branch that bears the fruit

And though I'm small, I'll still be standing in the storm

'Cause I am planted by the river, by Your streams of living water

And I'll grow up strong and beautiful, all for your splendor, Lord

So with my arms stretched out, I'm swaying to Your heartbeat

I'm growing with the sound of Your voice calling

Your're bringing out the beauty that You have put in me

For Your joy and for Your glory falling

[Bridge]

Raise me in your love, love, love

Raise me in your love

Raise me in your power

To listen to a sample of this song, visit christynockels.com and 

click this image on the left side of the home page:

Week 28

How Far Along:  28 Weeks

Size of Babies: The Babies are about 14.8 inches long.  As of our ultrasound measurements on Thursday, March 29th, Grady weighs 2 lbs 1 oz and Wren weighs 2 lbs 2 oz.

At 24 weeks, I added a womb view diagram for reference.  Here's the womb view of fraternal twins again, now at 28 weeks.

Source: babycenter.com

Total Weight Gain: +28 lbs total as of my March 29th appointment

Maternity Clothes: I wear mostly maternity clothes, but I can still wear some of my regular tops and dresses.  I'm not sure the regular tops and dresses will fit for much longer though!

Gender: It's a Boy and Girl - Grady Warren and Wren Elizabeth! :) :)

Movement: Feeling LOTS of movement and kicking, mainly in my ribs and on the upper left side of my tummy where all 4 feet are.  I can also see the kicking from the outside now. :)

Sleep:  Being  honest, sleep is getting much more difficult.  I actually dread bedtime now.  Many nights I start out or end up on the couch.  And nighttime potty breaks are increasing so much that I lose track of how many breaks there are in one night.

What I Miss: Sleeping on my tummy

Cravings: SWEETS!

Symptoms: My pregnancy carpal tunnel isn't just flaring up anymore, it's here to stay.  For the majority of the day and nighttime, at least one if not both of my hands are numb and asleep.

Best Moment(s) So Far:  Making the most of my time alone with Tom before the babies arrive and spontaneously going out on dates to Thunder games, dinners, and movies.

Week 26

[I wasn't feeling picture day, can ya tell?]

How Far Along:  26 Weeks

Size of Babies: The Babies are about 14 inches long and weigh about 1.5 lbs.

Total Weight Gain: +20 lbs total as of my March 15th appointment

Maternity Clothes: I wear mostly maternity clothes, but I can still wear some of my regular tops and dresses.  I'm not sure the regular tops and dresses will fit for much longer though!

Gender: It's a Boy and Girl - Grady Warren and Wren Elizabeth! :) :)

Movement: Feeling LOTS of movement and kicking.  I can also see the kicking from the outside now. :)

Sleep:  Interrupted nightly for multiple potty breaks and mild discomfort

What I Miss: Sleeping on my tummy

Cravings: SWEETS!

Symptoms: I'm exhausted by the end of the day most days.  But there are days where I'll have an unusual amount of energy and I'm rearing to conquer the long list of to-do's in my head.  I have this huge sense of urgency to get everything done immediately.  Probably because I have the fear of doctor ordered bed rest or complications. I'm sure Tom thinks I've lost it, or maybe he's used to it by now.

Best Moment(s) So Far:  The continued celebrating with friends and family at our second and third baby showers! :) We are extremely thankful and blessed!!!

Other "best" moments include the times I've spent with my mom planning, hanging tiny clothes in the nursery closet, setting up baby gear, and just enjoying this season of anticipation together.  :)

Week 24

How Far Along:  24 Weeks

Size of Babies: The Babies are almost 12 inches long and weigh about 1 lb 2 oz [per our March 1st ultrasound stats].  I thought I'd add the pic of fraternal twins at 24 weeks from babycenter.com for reference.  It is still so amazingly crazy to me that there are TWO people inside my tummy!

Total Weight Gain: +19.4 lbs total as of my March 1st appointment

Maternity Clothes: I wear mostly maternity clothes, but I can still wear some of my regular tops and dresses

Gender: It's a Boy and Girl - Grady Warren and Wren Elizabeth! :) :)

Movement: I'm feeling LOTS of movement and kicking.  The first "official" kick Tom felt was while our ultrasound tech was taking a break from scanning us on March 1st.  It was Grady that kicked him.  He was moving all around, which is what we needed him to do and why the tech had to take a break. She was having a hard time getting good images of his heart.  After she came back from her break he was in a better position and ready for his close ups.

Sleep:  Interrupted nightly for multiple potty breaks and mild discomfort

What I Miss: Sleeping on my tummy

Cravings: SWEETS!

Symptoms:  The swelling is here to stay.  My OB said it's going to get worse before it gets better.  So glad flip flop season is near!

Best Moment(s) So Far:  Celebrating with sweet friends and family at our first baby shower! :)  We are feeling so overwhelmingly loved on and blessed!

The Name Game

Our sweet babies have names...

'Grady' is the name of Tom's great grandfather on his dad's side.  Tom's family thinks he favors Grady in the looks department.  After I learned this family name, before I ever got pregnant, Tom and I decided we loved that name and would like to use it if we had a son.  'Warren' is the name of Tom's grandfather on his dad's side and subsequently Tom's middle name, which I've always loved.  So there you have it, Grady Warren is our son! :)

'Wren' is kind of from out of nowhere and Tom and I just like it. Wren means songbird, which I hope she is. :)  I can't wait to sing with her (and Grady too). 'Elizabeth' is a beautiful name that is dear to my heart.  It is my mom's name and is also my middle name.  I learned not too long ago that it's also the middle name of Tom's grandmother on his dad's side.

We didn't necessarily set out to use mostly family names, but it just kind of worked out that way.

Week 22

How Far Along:  22 Weeks

Size of Babies: The Babies are approximately 11 inches long (the length of a spaghetti squash) and weigh almost 1 pound each.

Total Weight Gain: +18 lbs total as of my February 16th appointment

Maternity Clothes: I wear mostly maternity clothes, but I can still wear some of my regular tops and dresses

Gender: It's a Boy and Girl!!! :) :)

Movement: I'm feeling lots of movement and even some little jabs.  Tom can't wait until he can feel them move from the outside.

Sleep:  Interrupted nightly for multiple potty breaks and mild discomfort

What I Miss: Sleeping on my tummy

Cravings: Pepsi

Symptoms:  The swelling [in my feet, ankles, and calves] has begun.  I've put away my high heels and put on the flats and supportive shoes.  It's no longer form over function, but FUNCTION over form.

[I know, not cute.  But they're comfy, and that's what I need.]

Best Moment(s) So Far:  Seeing a sweet baby shower invitation with my name as the honoree.

And just because she's cute, here's a bonus pic of Ruby assisting the photographer.

Yes, I know...

I'm an OCD nerd.  Why?  Well, there are several reasons.  But for now, I'm just going to post about one.  I love to organize my current "life projects" into nice, neat, alphabetically categorized 3-ring binders.  

When I got engaged, I made a wedding binder with tabs for address lists for showers/invitations, the ceremony, a "look book" (magazine cut outs and internet print outs), photography, the reception, etc.

When we remodeled our kitchen, I made a kitchen binder with tabs for the budget, contractor contact lists, a "look book" (internet print outs, magazine cut outs, and paint swatches), purchase orders/receipts, etc.  I also made a binder for our bathroom remodels.

Obviously my current life project is getting ready for the babies.  So naturally, I have a baby binder with tabs for address lists for baby showers, coupons/receipts, insurance/medical payments, medical/OB information, nursery, and registries.  I got really fancy and made an insert on picnik for the clear display pockets on the front and back covers.  [By the way, I'm SO incredibly sad that picnik is closing down.]  I used 1 Samuel 1:27 on the front cover, and yes, I altered it to be plural [children rather than child].  

Front Cover

Back Cover

Tabs

Coupon/Receipt Pocket

Fabric Swatches for Nursery

Here are the actual picnik jpegs of the front and back covers.  

Did you notice it coordinates with the nursery fabrics? ;)

I can't help myself.

Week 20

How Far Along:  20 Weeks

Size of Babies: The Babies are approximately the size of a cantaloupe and weigh approximately 10.5 ounces each

Total Weight Gain: +8 lbs total as of my January 19th appointment

Maternity Clothes: I wear mostly maternity clothes, but I can still wear a lot of my regular tops and dresses

Gender: It's a Boy and a Girl!!! :) :)  

Movement: The flutters have turned into what feels like rolling waves. When I feel the rolling waves, the part of my tummy around my belly button will get really hard and I feel a lot of concentrated pressure.

Sleep:  My sleep is still being interrupted nightly for multiple potty breaks and mild discomfort.  I'm still using my boppy body pillow, although I keep finding it on the floor when I wake up in the mornings.

What I Miss: Sleeping on my tummy

Cravings: Pepsi and fruit smoothies

Symptoms:  I've started feeling carpel tunnel symptoms due to typing and using a mouse at work all day everyday. Towards the end of the work week it worsens, but by the time the weekend is over, it almost completely subsides. I've been told and read that carpel tunnel can be a common thing for pregnant women. The cause is swelling and increased fluids, causing pressure on the nerve in the wrist.

Best Moment(s) So Far:  Sharing the genders with family and friends!

Week 18

How Far Along:  18 Weeks

Size of Babies: The Babies are approximately the length of a bell pepper and weigh approximately 7 ounces each

Total Weight Gain: +8 lbs total as of my January 19th appointment

Maternity Clothes: I wear mostly maternity clothes, but I can still wear a lot of my regular tops and dresses.

Gender: Our official gender/anatomy ultrasound is on January 31st. But...our Dr. friend took a look for us last week. ;)

Movement: I've started to feel them move a little bit.  It feels like little flutters and kind of takes my breath away when it happens.  It's like butterflies in a good way, not in a nervous way.

Sleep:  Interrupted nightly for multiple potty breaks and mild discomfort.  I've started using my boppy body pillow more and it is helping with comfort and support.

What I Miss: Sleeping on my tummy

Cravings: Pepsi, fruit smoothies, and muffins

Symptoms:  I've received some relief from my allergy symptoms, which I am thankful for.

Best Moment(s) So Far: Going fabric shopping with my mom for the bedding and starting to plan the nursery.