Hospital Bed Rest Day: 4

A boring update with such poor photos like this means only one thing, everything is quiet here and I'm almost getting bored but enjoying the lovely peace and quiet that each day here is.  Well, besides the nurses and doctors checking in on me every hour, it's pretty quiet. 

 I'm already tired of the hospital food, so luckily I was able to con Ed into bringing me breakfast this morning from Corner Bakery - Steel cut oats with the works on top, baked french toast with scrambled eggs and fresh fruit!  That should be enough to hold me over past lunch actually.

After breakfast, I took a two hour nap and then had our daily scheduled NST for the babies.  It takes about 45 minutes, where both babies heartbeats are tracked (two orange numbers above) and they look for 5 15hbm accelerations which tells us the babies are not only there, but active. 

Today we had no doubts, the girls were so active they kept kicking off the monitors, thus all the extra bands and props tied around me to keep them under control (scary belly pictures, bleh!)!  There's also a monitor in there somewhere looking for signs of contractions.  I'm still leaking amniotic fluid, but no contractions to date, so I think I'm looking at yet another day of napping, reading, and catching up on Damages season 4.  I could get used to this if I didn't miss seeing E and JJ every morning noon and night!  Facetime on iPad helps a lot - thank God for modern technology!

Two Peas Still in the Pod

And we're hoping they stay that way for at least two more weeks, but we'll take until at least the end of the day today.

My lovely view yesterday morning:

and this morning as they moved me to another room, I don't have exactly the same view, but it is downtown Chicago nonetheless... and that I can handle.  It looks like a stormy day in the city, a prefect day to watch the rain go by and focus on baby cooking from a hospital bed instead of the comforts of home.

I'd had a doctor appointment earlier in the week that discovered I was 1cm dilated, but my doctor said not to worry, don't change anything and to come back in a week to start up our NST and biophysicals a week ahead of schedule.  He reiterated this wasn't anything unexpected, and gave me the "hello, you're pregnant with twins" talk. But low and behold, Sunday morning rolls around and we went about our normal "quiet restful" day until mid morning when, just like in the movies, my water broke.  I knew what it was right away and wish I had a photo of what my face looked like at the time.  Surprise and then panic ensued.  A crazy whirlwind to get up to Chicago and checked in to assess the situation... has landed me here until the girls are born.

I'm near 32 weeks, which is a great milestone for identical twins. Being that close, the doctors feel it's the perfect time to get the babies ready for a moments notice delivery by administering immediate steroids (for lung maturity) and mega doses of magnesium (for brain development).  After a watchful eye on Sunday in labor and delivery, while it was evident my membranes had ruptured for baby A, it was clear I wasn't in labor and have since been moved to the antepardum floor for 24 hours surveillance.  By the end of the day today, the steroids and magnesium will have given their full potential to the babies and we'd be in good position for delivery.  Anything could change at any moment, and with the babies protection from the outside world gone (the membranes) we can't risk leaving the hospital. While I show no signs of contractions, no signs of infection - we wait.  In a bed.  In Chicago, watching the beautiful city wake and sleep - for hopefully 10-14 more days.  That would bring me awfully close to 34 weeks with babies needing minimal NICU care.  If we make it to 34 weeks, we will induce.  The risks of prolonging the pregnancy at that point outweight the risks of delivery.  So with luck, we will indeed have August birthdays :)

Josie is living the high life with Mimi, enjoying a wide variety of foods I'm sure she isn't so lucky as to have at home :)  Ed is balancing Josie, work and me and the travels up to the city - but so far (at only the 3rd day), we're doing well. 

 

Making Progress - 28/29 weeks

And we're now at 29 weeks, with photos from 28/29ish weeks.  The last few weeks I've markedly notice a big change in my abilities to find comfortable sitting arrangements and to put shoes on.... but we're otherwise sailing along with excellent reports from the doctor, still every two weeks.  

It's crazy to think we're less than two months away now.  The talk and worry of twin to twin transfusion syndrome has nearly all gone away, it looks like we're in the clear with both girls consistantly weighing in and measuring near identical... and the conversations has switched to plans on getting to the hospital in time, what to start packing, and learning the signs of preterm labor - which are so common in twin pregnancies.  

I'll soon be starting up weekly visits to Northwestern with NST testing at each visit.  It's time to put equipping the nursery into full gear and getting the house ready for the new additions.  I'm starting to realize the value in having a 3 yr old that can set the table, deliver laundry, clean up dishes, and pick things up that are on the ground.  Josie's the greatest little helper these days, I can't wait for her to be the big sister!

100 Degrees

It's the 4th of July and 100 degrees. 

That means were home for the day and looking for ways to stay cool. 

Lucky for us, we have access to an amazing pool to paddle around in for hours on end.

Steaks on the grill later, naps until then. Fireworks in the sky tonight, can't wait!