baby #3

Most of you probably already know b/c of facebook. But I just thought I'd announce it on here just in case. We are expecting our third child on or around June 9th! Those of you who read my previous post know that it took a lot of time and some medical intervention for us to get pregnant. It was such a miracle that we were blessed with the twins. We are truly one happy family.

It was completely unknown when we would be able to try again due to timing with Kris being deployed in the future, and also with money being tighter now that we already have two kiddos. Medical insurance does not cover any infertility treatments at all. Well apparently our Heavenly Father had another blessing in store for us regardless of what we thought was impossible.

I started to feel really nauseous and the only thing I could compare it to was morning sickness, but I knew there was no way. Though a very small part of me actually wondered if I was pregnant. I ended up ordering a pregnancy test online to be delivered to my house the next day because I was too embarrassed to pick one up at the store with my two babies with me. People would think I was crazy. LOL. Well crazy or not, it was positive! We will soon be parents to three babies. Assuming the new one is born on time and not early, the twins will only barely be 15 months old.

I love my life. And I thank my Heavenly Father every day for the blessing of being a mother.

Nothing is impossible.

5 k race to fight cancer

5K Race to Fight Cancer - Provo, Utah:
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Kiwanis Park
9:30 AM

Our cousin Leo has skin cancer (Stage 4 Melanoma-not good) for the second time. He cannot work because of treatments and has 3 kids and a wife who need and want him around. You can help by just donating or running in the race.

Click on the link above for more information.

Thank you so much!

6 month stats

We took the boys to their 6 month well baby check up the other day. Everett was 16 lbs 12 oz (49th percentile) and 26 1/4" long (60th percentile). Oliver was 17 lbs 15 oz (69th percentile) and 26 1/4" long (60th percentile). So basically they have more than tripled their birth weight, which is awesome because most babies usually just double. So now they are right on target. Makes all those middle of the night feedings more than worth it. Their Dr. said that until babies are at least 16 lbs and 6 months old, they need to continue eating thru the night. Now to convince the boys that they don't need to eat in the middle of the night anymore...

the birth day

I never did make this blog private. And it's been forever since I updated. I can't believe my babies are 6 months old already! Time sure does fly when you are having fun! I love love love being a mother!

There is a ton to update on and I'm sure it will take me forever to get to...but I'll start with the birth story.

First a little back round. Kris successfully completed boot camp and after we were united again for few short days, he went straight to Honor Guard training in Washington DC. This was not in his original plan, but turned out to be a blessing because instead of being deployed right away, he is stationed in DC for about 2 years and although he works long hard hours, he gets to come home every night. After these 2 years however, he will probably be deployed. ANYWAY, back to the story. Kris finally finished his training and had it not been for me being on bed rest, I would have been able to move out to DC to be with him by that time. 34 weeks and 1 day pregnant, we were both going nuts so Kris surprised me with the news that he was granted a week off. So we booked him a flight to come out to Indiana where I had been living with his 2 wonderful aunts (a third aunt was in town that weeks also). This phone call was on a Friday afternoon and his flight was booked for Sunday. Although I was still hoping and praying that the babies would hold out a few more weeks, we kind of knew it might happen soon, so I was kind of crossing my fingers that they might be born while Kris was in town so that he could for sure be there for the birth.

Well, the same night we bought the non-refundable plane ticket (Friday, March 12th)probably not even 2 hours after we hung up the phone, I was just laying on the sofa talking to my aunts when all the sudden I felt something strange. I waddled my way to the bathroom just to check and sure enough, my water had broken. (What? I even went to the Dr. that morning because I was in so much pain, but they ultimately told me I was fine and my contractions were under control and I wasn't dilated or anything!) I told my aunts and the hysterics began. I hadn't packed a hospital bag yet (totally kept telling myself I would, but kept putting it off for some reason) so they started to go thru my things trying to find what I might need at the hospital, taking pictures, and also helping me help Kris find a flight for that night because obviously Sunday couldn't come soon enough. So I grabbed my lap top and cell phone, sat on the toilet fully clothed just soaked, and I tried desperately to get a hold of Kris. I don't know how many times I called his cell phone but he didn't answer. Probably because he couldn't. So I called the Quarterdeck...a number I wasn't supposed to use except for this very occasion. And they promised to try to find out where he was and have him call me back.

In the meantime, I decided I should probably call my doctor and let her know that my water broke. She told me to leave my house within the next half hour and that once I got to the hospital I would be prepared for a C-section. What? No. I didn't want a C-section. She hadn't even done an exam yet! Was she late for movie or something? Sheesh! In previous discussions she agreed to let me at least TRY to deliver naturally before resorting to a C-section. Baby A was head down and Baby B was breach, but that doesn't automatically qualify me for a C. Plus she knew my husband was in DC and that it would be a few hours until he would be able to get the hospital. Oh well, I figured I could try to change her mind once I got to the hospital.

Kris called me back several minutes later and he told me that he was on his way to the airport. He didn't pack a single thing. Someone offered to drive him so off they went. We told Kris what his options were. By the time he got to the airport the only flights out of DC to Indianapolis were just minutes away so he would have to try to book his flight in person. Well the lady at the counter was very unhelpful and needless to say, he cut it too close so they wouldn't let him book the flight. He'd have to wait till morning. So he spent a long, lonely, uncomfortable night at the airport with his cell phone practically glued to his ear.

These babies weren't going to wait till morning even if I didn't have a C. So by the time I got to the hospital, I was so bummed that my husband, the father of our babies, was not going to make it in time. I tried once more to talk my Dr out of surgery, but to no avail. I tried to stay on the phone as long as possible with Kris, but the signal kept cutting out. My Dr said that I could be on the phone with Kris as long as there was a signal during the birth and that Aunt Kaare could video tape the birth as well. But my phone cut out. A nurse even tried her cell phone but no luck. Bummer. Oh well. I tried to look on the bright side. This was after all a happy day.

Everett Jaan was born at 10:44 pm and Oliver Kristjan was born at 10:45 pm. Both boys were 5 lbs 6 oz and 18 inches long each. Small, but it's a pretty dang good size for being 6 weeks early! And the fact that they were the same size is also amazing. The whole birth experience was so surreal. I felt so detached from the experience...not what I had imagined at all. It was several minutes before I was able to see them. They were whisked away and being worked on by the nurses. Once they were stable enough, they let me kiss my babies on their way out to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). Those few short moments went by way too fast. And then it was at least another couple hours before I was able to see my babies again.

In the middle of the night they rolled me into the NICU and I was able to look at my boys and touch them thru the isolette incubators for a few minutes. They looked so fragile hooked up to all the wires, iv's and tubes. I'm sure it looked worse that it was because my boys were doing fabulous compared to many of the other newborns. But all the same, it was still scary. Kris finally got to the hospital around noon on Saturday. He was actually the first one of us to hold the babies. Together at last!

partial story

I've had a few questions...so just to clarify...

I started the voicemail updating thing before I announced it here on blogger so if my daily updates don't make sense it's because I'm not telling the whole story every time...just simply updating on that particular day from where I left off they day before. I did this mostly for my family because I don't even have time to talk to all of them every day and obviously they are anxious to hear about the boys. But I figured I'd let you guys know too. So if you are interested, feel free to call my cell phone on a daily basis mid-day to get an update on the boys. I probably won't hear my phone ring anyway because I don't have cell phone reception while in the NICU and since that's where I spend pretty much my entire day, well, my phone is likely to go straight to voicemail.

To give a brief background, however so things might make a bit more sense, Everett was being treated for something called Necrotizing Enterocolitis. Visit http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/digestive/nec.html if you want to know what it is. He had some of the telltale signs of the disease though they don't know 100% if he had it or not. Other than that, both Oliver and Everett are in the NICU at this point mainly until they can eat on their own instead of thru the Nasogastric tube (aka NG tube). Apparently being born 6 weeks early means that babies aren't necessarily skilled at breathing, sucking, and swallowing at the same time. And even though my babies can do this now, they get worn out easily so they can't usually complete a whole feeding on their own without being supplemented thru the NG tube.

In order to go home (assuming no other major problems arise) there are a few main things that the boys need to accomplish. They need to be able to eat every 3 hours on their own either thru breastfeeding or bottle (not quite there yet...Everett is at 3 oral feeding attempts a day and Oliver is at 5, but like I said, they can't usually complete a whole feeding). They need to eat enough to continually gain weight (no problem there...though the real test will come once they are eating completely on their own without the NG). They need to continually keep up their body temperatures on their own (Oliver tends to run a little cold sometimes). And they need to not have any "events" meaning that their heart rates, blood oxygenation, and respiratory rate need to remain stable before they can be discharged (they usually do fine but have had an occasional episode here and there).

Thanks for the questions and I hope this clarifies things a bit. I'll try to give a more thorough update on my labor, delivery, and the boy's time in the NICU at a later time...not promising it will be super soon though.

my babies

I have been too busy with my babies in the NICU to post anything. But for the last few days I've decided to update my voicemail with a daily update on the boys. So feel free to call my cell phone (during decent hours only please) and you can listen to a quick update. You don't need to leave a message unless you want to :)

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers...I'll try to update on the whole picture later.

going private

Once our babies are born this blog will be private. I don't want to post their pictures for all the world to see, but I am more than happy to share with family and friends. So...if you would PLEASE leave me your email as a comment (I moderate all comments so it won't be published), even if you think I already have it, I will add you as a reader :) Also, if I don't have your blog on my blog list, PLEASE let me know! If I don't have you on my blog list, it's probably just because I didn't know you had a blog...not because I don't think of you as a friend :)

week 32

I am ecstatic that these boys have held on for another 2 weeks. I am now taking the medication to ease my contractions every 6 hours instead of "as needed" because I was still having contractions on a pretty regular basis. They seem to be under control right now though. But ever since I've been on the meds, I have had a non-stop headache which sometimes turns into a migraine. And I am still on bed rest. But I am coping just fine with the help of Kris' wonderful aunts who I am living with right now. They have been so awesome and I am just so grateful for all they are doing for me and the babies. My body hurts and it's hard to find a comfortable position most of the time, but I will put up with it as long as the babies decide to stay in :)

Now I have bi-weekly appointments which include non-stress tests. At my last ultrasound which was about a week ago, both boys were measuring at approximately 4 lbs 2 oz each. But I hope that they continue to pack on the pounds so that they are born at a nice healthy weight. I am aiming for at least 5 pounds each, but more would be wonderful. I never thought I'd say this, but all of the sudden I am having a hard time gaining weight. For the past 3 weeks or so, I haven't gained any weight so my Dr. told me to go get an ice cream shake and go ahead and eat some "junk food" so that I can take in more calories. At this point, the boys are growing pretty fast and they are taking up a lot of room inside leaving my stomach cramped.

I love feeling the babies move around. Sometimes it's hard to tell which baby is moving or kicking, but I can usually tell. The other day was really fun because both babies had the hiccups at the same time so they were taking turns bouncing every other second. And I love to just stare at my belly because sometimes they just move so much that it's like popcorn bouncing all around. Baby A (the one on my right side) seems to be more mellow over all. He moves, but not a ton. And during the non-stress tests he seems to be sleeping pretty much the whole time so they end up having to wake him up by using a "buzzer" on my belly. That really gets him moving! However, Baby B (on the left) seems to constantly be moving around. Every time the Dr. tries to find his heartbeat, she laughs because just as soon as she finds it, he moves around again. And his heart rate is usually a lot higher than Baby A's. I'm looking forward to meeting these precious bundles of joy (but not anytime too soon!) and getting to know their different personalities. I am so blessed :)

Thank you to all those who have been praying for us. Please keep the prayers coming. Although I would love to make it full term, at this point, every week...every day counts and I just want them to stay in for as long as possible. Also, please pray that both babies are head down. Right now, Baby A is head down (awesome!) but Baby B is breach :(

pregnancy update

I know I haven't written much about my pregnancy. And I know some of you have been waiting for me to update this blog. Sorry. But I have a few excuses (in no particular order): 1) I really didn't have much to report on until recently. 2) I didn't want to get my hopes too high just to have a miscarriage or something. 3) I've been tired. 4) I don't feel like writing. 5) I miss Kris so much that I don't want any negativity to show thru my writing.

But here's a little update anyway......

The first 30 weeks of my pregnancy have been really great overall. I have been really blessed with a relatively uneventful pregnancy. I had a lot of morning sickness and major tiredness the first trimester, which is normal and to be expected I suppose. Then I found great relief during the first few weeks of my second trimester. But overall, most of my second trimester took a toll on my body. Aches and pains that I never expected...to the point where I began to question weather or not I could handle ever getting pregnant again (just to clarify, although there were very difficult times, I am 100% sure that I would love to be pregnant again). And I guess I should mention the hand full of dizzy/fainting spells I experienced due to low iron levels. One of which landed me in the ER because I was passing out on the airplane (at 19 weeks) when I flew from UT to CA for Thanksgiving. But even with those few things, I really feel like this pregnancy has been wonderful and I am so happy and blessed to soon be a mother to two precious baby boys.

I felt my first Braxton Hicks contractions at around 28 1/2 weeks. Just a few here and there...most of which were barely noticeable at first. But then a few days shy of 30 weeks, I started to feel them more and more often, and they were stronger and stronger. Some of them actually hurt a bit (not too much, but definitely not comfortable). At my Dr's appointment on Thursday (exactly 30 weeks along) I told her about them and that I was having 1-3 an hour pretty much every hour. She was a little concerned because that was more than I should be feeling, so she told me to take it easy and that I needed to be on partial bed rest. I could get up every once in a while to go to the bathroom, take a shower, get some food, sit around ( I didn't actually have to lie down all the time) but to generally take it easy. She told me to keep a pen and paper handy to keep track of the contractions. If I had 6 or more in an hour, I needed to immediately drink 4 glasses of water, lie down, and just relax. If they didn't ease up within the next hour, then I should call, even if they didn't hurt.

Well, that same night, I noticed that I was having a lot more than 3 an hour. It got to the point where they were coming every 10 minutes or so. Then 7-8 minutes. But even after following her instructions, they actually started coming even closer. By the time I called and we were on the way to the hospital they were coming every 2 minutes. Talk about scary. I know that with all the modern medical technology, these babies would have a pretty high chance of being OK, but the reality is that babies are "supposed" to be born around 40 weeks for a reason. They are not usually completely ready until then. Every day counts. And I want my boys to have the best chance possible at a healthy life. I would LOVE to make it to 40 weeks.

Anyway, I left to the hospital at around 1:00 am on Friday morning. I was hooked up to all kinds of wires, monitors, and the IV. They ended up giving me a shot to stop the contractions, and also a shot to help mature the babies' lungs in case they were born too early. And I was told to go on bed rest but to come back in 24 hours to get a second shot of the steroid for the babies' lungs. Also to call if the contractions were more than 6 an hour. We (me, my Aunt and Father-in-Law) got back to my Aunt's house at around 6:30 am.

Well, that evening, they started getting closer and closer again. We were off to the hospital again 5:15. I got another shot to calm the contractions. We got home again around 10:00 pm. The next morning (Saturday) at 4 am, I went in to get the second steroid for the twins' lungs. They checked me out while I was there and all looked well. But by the afternoon, I was experiencing contractions a few minutes apart. I decided to try and take a warm bath and see if that would help, but no luck. So I was back in the hospital by around 6 pm. This time, although they gave me a shot once again, they wrote out a prescription of that same medication in pill form so that I would have to make this a pattern and come in every day, even multiple times a day.

So after 4 trips to the hospital within a 2-day period, I am now on bed rest trying to keep these boys in as long as possible. Every ounce of discomfort is worth it. I'm excited to meet my babies, but I just hope they hang in there for several more weeks.

That's it for now...

my navy man

i know i haven't posted in a while

All my writing-energy pretty much goes towards my daily letters to Kris. He's still at Navy boot camp and is doing well. I will get to see him again on January 15th and I couldn't be more excited! It has been really hard having him gone, but with our letters back and fourth, with a phone call here and there, with the help of family and friends, and with the Lord's comfort, I am getting through it. Even though it's been hard for me, I know that he has it harder. At least I have my freedom, family, and friends. He doesn't really have much freedom while in boot camp...it's pretty rigorous. And he definitely doesn't have his family and friends near by. Although the letters certainly help. Please keep the letters coming and please keep him in your prayers.

As far as my pregnancy and our baby boys, all seems to be going pretty well so far. They are a little over 24 weeks along now and moving around all the time. I feel so blessed to become their mother and to have Kris as their father. And I hope they look like him : )

Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot to mention this. We will be stationed in Washington D.C. for the next 2 years. More info on that to come later when I feel like writing again.