Another old Video of the boys

Old Video of Kids

They're here!

My beautiful baby boys are here, and have been for the last 6 weeks. I am officially the worst blogger in the world, but I've been busy adapting to my new role of mom.

Judah James (on the right above at 3 weeks) was born first via c-section weighing 4 lbs 6 oz. Asher West (on the left above also at 3 weeks - duh) was born two minutes later weighing 6 lbs 5 oz. Both boys were born crying with full heads of hair.

We totally lucked out with these awesome kids. They don't give us too much trouble unless they're hungry or uncomfortable. Judah is a bit more of a dramatic little guy (dramatic chipmunk) compared to the ultra laid back Asher. We're excited to start sleep training soon so we can reclaim some of our sanity, though honestly it really hasn't been too terrible on the sleep deprivation front (but ask me again at 3am, and I'll give a different possibly curse-word-filled answer).

A few lessons I've learned in the first few weeks of motherhood:

• Leaving preemie babies at the NICU is a blessing and a curse. It was so great to have time to recover from the birth knowing that they were receiving expert care, but so so difficult to leave the hospital day after day without those little darlings.
  
• Huggies leak like crazy on my boys. I can't wait to finish the boxes I have. I want to try out Luvs, Costco and Target store brand diapers to see if they work for us, but if not I am totally sold on Pampers (which we have never had a leak with to date.)
• Little boy parts should point DOWN in a diaper, and the ruffles around the legs should be OUT. And no, this wasn't the problem with the Huggies.
• Judah is calmed by the vocal stylings of Celine Dion (learned this one tonight while watching the Academy Awards).
• Asher loves to eat and smells like toast.
• Always accept help/meals/hand-me-downs when offered.
• Boppys are my lifesaver. The boys happily sit in them, sleep in them (for daytime naps), and use them as props for tummy time.
• Both boys hate baths so far, which is why we delay and delay giving them. Maybe that explains the toast thing.
• Swaddling is tops.
• I am totally in love with all of my boys. I can't believe how blessed I am. And I can't believe how much I love being a mom to boys.

Festivus Bed-Restivus

Festivus was yesterday, December 23rd. I was expecting a relatively quiet Festivus holiday, but instead got the following.

This is what my feet look like normally.

This is a dramatic reenactment of what my feet looked like on Wednesday night.
(Sadly I didn't have the wherewithal to take a photo - thanks Google Image "pregnancy cankle" search!)

So, I have had some mild swelling in my feet through the last few months of my pregnancy, but nothing serious at all. That is, until a few nights ago. I noticed that my feet were looking mighty fluffy popping out of the top of my cute flats. I lifted my pant leg and saw the true horror of the situation: my ankle had entirely disappeared and had been replaced by a fleshy tree trunk instead. Also, my shin had developed what appeared to be fat rolls. Really? Although this is a regular thing in most pregnancies, mine came on so suddenly that I decided to give my doctor a quick call, just to be on the safe side. I was told to stay off my feet for the rest of the night and then head in for a blood pressure check in the morning (as the sudden swelling can be a symptom of pre-eclampsia).

When I got to the doctor my blood pressure was slightly elevated (but nothing out of this world). I had gained 4 cm in the last week, and 6 pounds! I am now measuring as large as a 40 week singleton pregnancy (40 weeks is full term, btw) even though I was a day shy of 32 weeks. I also had a little protein in my urine, which is what got me sent to labor & delivery for some labs and a non-stress test. Note, I was by myself and I had no idea that I was being admitted into the hospital. I thought I was just getting a blood test. Silly me.

After waiting in the hall for a while and exchanging confusing calls and texts with Nick, my mom and Malia, I was given a hospital bracelet and one of those sweet hospital gowns that flap open in the back (a first for me). I decided that Nick should probably get down there just in case (and that incredible journey is a whole different story because of our car breaking down the prior day.) Anyway, after being stabbed in the arm 3 times my labs came back and showed no pre-eclampsia. Great news! However, my non-stress test (which monitors the babies heart beats and uterine contractions) showed that I was having a bunch of contractions. I wouldn't have known because they weren't painful at all, but they were regular enough to be of concern to my doctor. Then I got to have my cervix swabbed to check for preterm labor (fetal fibronectin test for those keeping tabs). That one also came back negatory, which means that it's highly unlikely that I'll give birth in the next two weeks. My doc also measured my cervix with ultrasound, and it was still in a normal range, but getting shorter than she would like to see at this point. I'm also not dilated at all, which is good.

After all this fun I got a shot of something to stop my contractions. Also around this point Nick showed up (about 3 hours after I had been admitted). My contractions actually responded to the meds, so my doc decided that I could go home (yay) but on bed rest (boo). I'm popping pills every 6 hours to keep the contractions away, and chilling in my bed. Nick is doing a great job of getting me food, beverages with straws, books, dvds, and everything else my heart desires. He also cleaned up the house so my family can come visit us for Christmas later today (since I am now house-bound except for doctors appointments).

If you need me in the next 2-6 weeks, you'll know where to find me! Happy Festivus!

Bragging

Yesterday Nick paused college football in order to vacuum the entire house. Without being asked. Because he's great.

Let's talk about sex, baby!

A big congrats to Tyler, Dean, Alex, Kristine, Rachel, Todd and my subconscious for guessing the correct gender combo for the Nitsy Twins. That's right kids, we found out at our detailed ultrasound today that Twin A is a boy, and Twin B is... another boy! Sorry LC, we're all snips and snails and puppy dog tails over here. It did not come as a huge shock to me as I had a dream very early on in my pregnancy when I first knew about the twins that they were both boys. I was hoping for one girl, but I guess I'll have to try again for my girl.

Both babies are developing well, and still have healthy heartbeats and growth. Twin A weighs 13 oz, and Twin B weighs 14oz. For those keeping tabs, my cervix is still long and strong.

I also took the dreaded gestational diabetes test this last week... and failed. So I have to go in for a more extensive 3 hour test. Yuck!

In other fun news, I joined a podcast called Pregtastic. It's an online radio show where pregnant moms from the area get together to discuss different pregnancy topics. I have recorded 3 episodes so far, and the first came out today! If you're interested, check it out here: http://www.pregtastic.com/category/podcasts/ or just search for "pregtastic" on itunes.

Vital Stats:

How Far Along? 20.5 weeks - over half way there!

Maternity Clothes? I still fit in a few of my larger regular shirts and stretchy pants, but I'm wearing mainly maternity clothes now.

Weight Gain? 12-ish pounds, but I haven't been weighed at the doctor in a few weeks.

Stretch Marks? Oh yes. Though I think they might have been there pre-pregnancy... but I'll just go ahead and blame the twins from here on out.

Feeling Movement? Only a few times each day, but we saw that both twins were quite active during their ultrasound.

Sleep? I am sleeping 9-10 hours per night. I discovered the wonders of the body pillow, and now I'm loving my sleep again.

Belly Button In or Out? Still in. I have a belly button aversion, so we'll see how I feel if/when it pops out.

Cravings? Hotdogs and rootbeer. Weird, right?

Best Moment of the Week? Finally learning the genders of my little guys!

Genders? Boys

What I Miss? Sushi! Also, walking and taking stairs comfortably. I feel mildly disabled.

What I Love? Looking at baby clothes. Deciding on nursery decor. Feeling the babies move.

What I'm Looking Forward To? Reaching 24 weeks (viability).

Milestones? Over half way there!!!

Other Thoughts? Nick and I both feel so blessed to have such a mild and healthy pregnancy so far. Keep growing babies!

Lots of love to you all!

Nitsy

Fun Game!

We will be finding out the genders of the Nitsy Twins in the next few weeks (so long as they're not modestly hiding the goods). We've started a game to get your Nitsy Twins gender guesses. To enter, simply leave a comment below. Boy/Boy, Girl/Girl or Boy/Girl. The prize for guessing correctly is bragging rights, pride, and big props for being so intuitive.

Happy guessing!