Another month older

In a few days the twins will be 3 months old. They are continually growing by the minute and starting to really recognize voices and take notice of their surroundings.
Ben is continually smiling and cooing and has learned to grab things while Audrey is more serious and would rather let you do the work while she soaks in all the sights and sounds around her. It's amazing the differences in them at this young an age. Ben is solid, a true boy through and through. He moves with conviction and squirms like mad when you hold him. Audrey is light and dainty to the touch and will gladly let you cuddle without any struggle. Both must be closing in on 12 lbs. by now.
We dressed them up for Christmas and had a little fun - something that I'm sure we won't get away with in years to come! Here are the latest pics:
http://www.flickr.com/gp/90777815@N00/8DBXB2

Two Months Old

We went for their two month check up today. Can't believe it's been two months!
I'm happy to tell they are both healthy and growing fast.

Ben surpassed his sister weighing in at 8 lbs. 12 oz and 21 3/4 inches long! He doubled his weight, while his sister Audrey is pacing herself and weighed in at 8 lbs. 4 oz and 21 1/4 inches long. They got their first round of shots - seeing them poked and prodded and the ensuing crys were heartbreaking. But we got through it.

Many of you haven't seen the twins in action - so I uploaded some video to show their talents... which at this point consists of burping, crying, pooping and squirming... enjoy!

The many faces of Audrey:



Audrey and Ben at Thanksgiving. You can really see their personalities in this one - Ben: calm and collected, Audrey: active and boisterous!

Two week Checkup

Went for our two week checkup on Tuesday.
I'd like to say time is flying by, but the fact is, with very little sleep and so much to do, the days are dragging out and blending into one another. Personally I will sigh a bit of relief when they finally get out of primi status and can fit into newborn clothes. Maybe then they will be able to sleep more than two hours at a stretch.

But a good portion of relief came as their two week checkup went great. They surpassed their birthweight by leaps and bounds. Audrey weighing in at 5lb. 15 oz. ( almost 6lbs!) and growing a whole inch to 19".
Ben weighed in at 5lb. 4 oz and keeping up with Sis growing an inch as well to 18 1/2 inches.
Phew! Stuffing their faces paid off! Now if we can just figure out this sleep thing!
:)

Here's some pics from their first week:
http://www.flickr.com/gp/90777815@N00/2n1061

I'll try to post more, but can't promise anything as I have to give up my precious nap time to do anything other than feed, change and comfort them back to sleep.

JOY!

Welcome Wonder Twins!

They have finally arrived!
And their secret identities are now revealed:

Baby A: Audrey Inez
Born 10/02/07 at 1:27 pm
5lb. 12 oz

Baby B: Benjamin Joseph
Born 10/02/07 at 1:28 pm
4lb. 11 oz.

The doctors said that Benjamin was a gentleman in the womb and let his sister have more of the nutrients, ergo the one pound difference. They were identical weights all through the pregnancy, but it seems the last two weeks took it's toll. After an initial scare of low blood sugar on his part, he recovered quickly and both were able to come home with us.

We can't be more thrilled and excited on this next adventure!

...And away we go!

The date has been set!
I had two more blood tests taken this past week and both came back with some abnormal levels indicating preeclampsia. Even though my blood pressure has remained normal, the Doctor doesn't want to take any chances and these guys are coming out tomorrow at 37 weeks.
I'm scheduled for Tuesday October 2nd at 12:30 pm PST.
In less than 24 hours Our Wonder Twins will be here!
Can't wait!!!

Stay of C-Section

Went to the OB yesterday. I thought I'd get an official date for the birth, but no such luck. Shows how much I know!
My blood pressure was high again at the office - 145/75, but at home it stays normal as long as I lie down and rest. They took a stress test again and the babies are doing well, considering the cramped quarters. So the OB wants to evaluate me again in a week and we'll go from there. Hopefully, I'll get a firm date at the next appt.?
At this point, I just want to make it to week 37 (Tuesday the 2nd) and I'll be happy!

One might wonder what the weight gain of pregnant women of twins entails...here's some statistics I found interesting...

Babies - 12 lbs. (currently)
Amniotic Fluid - 4 lbs.
Placentas - 3 lbs.
Uterus - 3 lbs.
Breasts - 2 lbs.
Body Fluids - 4 lbs.
Blood - 4 lbs.
Maternal Stores
of Fat, Protein &
Other Nutrients - 10 lbs.

Total: 42 lbs.

36 weeks

Went to the specialist last Thursday and all was well. My Dad and Dave both went to witness the detailed ultrasound. It was a great relief to hear that both babies are hanging in there and doing well. They are pretty much on track for twins, with Baby A - the girl still a bit ahead of the boy in weight. She is really stuck down low and a bit behind the boy, it's difficult to get a proper measurement of her head, so her weight may be a bit off.
I've been on complete bed rest for a little over a week now, and I'm grateful that it won't be much longer. Lying on your butt all day is tiring! :(
Fortunately I've been waited on hand and foot by Dave and Paco. Don't know how I'd manage without!
I should find out when these little guys are going to come out at my OB appt. this Wednesday Sept. 26. I'm sure he will perform a C-section given my condition and the fact that Baby B has turned a bit and no longer is head down. Odds are it will be at 37 weeks, which is next Tuesday.
Stay tuned...

Baby A - 5lb. 11oz.
Baby B - 5 lb. 3oz.
Weight gain to date: 45 lbs.

Slammer Time

At my Doctor appt. on Friday I ended up having slightly elevated blood pressure reading and was admitted into the hospital for overnight evaluation. The doctors wanted to make sure I didn't have pre-eclampsia and had me stay overnight where they tested my blood pressure every half hour. (oooo fun)
Fortunately my bp came down quickly and stayed down for the duration and I was allowed to go home the next day.
But, as a result I'm on complete bedrest until these guys come out. According to the OB, they are going to keep a close eye on me and deliver at the first sign of distress. Looks like the longest they are willing to push it is week 37 which is in 2 weeks. We are all hoping that I can last that long!
The good news is that they did a stress test on the babies on Friday and again in the hospital and they both were doing great - hearts beating in synch so much that it mystified the nurses.
We'll keep you all posted!

Through the looking glass...

We hit another milestone this past week. Friday was my last day at work and from now on I'm home preparing for the next big chapter in our lives. It still seems a bit surreal. Seeing my stomach move in waves and feeling the kicks and punches, it's hard to believe that in six weeks there will be 2 little ones for us to hold.
On Friday I also went for a stress test. They put monitors on your belly and have you lie for 20 minutes to test the heartbeats and contractions. They also gave me a button to press every time I felt them move. All came out normal and apparently we all are stress free! I'll need to take the test every Friday from this day out.
Yesterday I went for my 33 week ultrasound. They are both healthy and on track for their gestation - the girl getting a little leg up this time. Again, no good pics to post - they are so packed in there it seems impossible to get a clear view. We'll have to wait until they join us to get the real deal!

Baby A: 4lbs. 12oz.
Baby B: 4lbs. 10oz.
Weight Gain to date: approx. 50 lbs.

31 Week checkup

Had my 31 week checkup and ultrasound on Tuesday. All went real well. The babies are still right on track and weighing in at nearly the same weight.
I'm on the verge of hitting my 8th month in less than a week and starting to feel a bit more drained. Carrying around the extra weight takes it's toll to say the least.
This coming week will be my last week at work and then it's on to rest and nesting for the remainder of the pregnancy. We're hoping that I'll go 39 weeks, but more likely it'll be 37 or 38. Time will tell.
Baby A - the Girl is still head down on my left and lying very low so they were once again unable to get a good look at her face, Baby B - the Boy is head down as well, on my right, but up a little higher. The Dr. was able to get his mug shot this go around. No idea what the bits and bobs are surrounding him, but the Doc managed to get a cute profile.
Here he is...

6 1/4 pounds o' baby

Went for my 29 week checkup last Tuesday. Everything is progressing nicely. Both babies came in at almost exactly the same weight. Also, they each weighed more than the average singleton. The doctor was very impressed and happy with everything he saw. Phew... although, the Dr. quipped that I'm gonna be miserable come October. (because of the size of them) - Not something I wanted to hear! Couldn't get any good pics this time. They are getting too big to fit the ultrasound image to see anything clearly. bummer.
I'm going to try to work until the end of August. That's 3 weeks away and will give me about 6 weeks (I'm guessing) of sitting around the house - and when I say sitting AROUND the house... hardy har...
Yesterday we went to an all day Childcare class where we learned the phases of birth, what to expect during the hospital stay and how to care for the babies. They gave us two baby dolls to hold for the entire 7 hour class. Dave changed his first diapers ever and learned how to swaddle!

Baby A: 3lb. 2oz.
Baby B: 3lb. 2oz.
Weight Gain to date: 40 lbs.

What Talent!

No, not me - or the twins for that matter...
My good friend, carpool buddy and cube mate, Beth Sleven made us these adorable onsies for the Wondertwins.
The text says: Wonder Twins UNITE! ...So Cute!


If you'd like to check out more of her talent, check out her blog...
http://www.themagnificentsleven.blogspot.com/
You'll have to bypass the infested mutant zombie giraffe to see some more cute though!

I missed my ultrasound this past Thursday - very long story, basically a stupid mix up. But I rescheduled for this Tuesday August 7th, so hopefully next weekend I'll get a chance to post some new images.

This coming Saturday we'll be spending the whole day in baby care classes. Hopefully we'll be better prepared for the upcoming onslaught of feedings and diaper changes!

Heartbeats

Quick post... finally got this editted, although I thought I recorded more than I actually ended up getting. So basically the clip is of each babies heartbeat and a little bit of them during the ultrasound I had the beginning of July at 24 weeks. (has audio)

Nursery - Done!

Well... almost. We still need to get a couple of cribs and some misc. items...
But Paco was in town last week and he helped immensly by finishing a dresser that was given to us by our friends. It was unfinished, plain wood when we got it, and Dad transformed it into this.
He also helped with the painting of the room.
This pic shows the colors we chose and the finished dresser...

24 week check up

Went for my 24 week checkup on Thursday and all is progressing nicely.
Got some pics and video of the ultrasound. I'll post the video as soon as I can edit it. In the meantime here are some pictures.
This time Baby A - the Girl (top) was hiding behind a membrane so it's not a real clear picture. Baby B - the Boy (bottom) was out in the open and we got a good view of him.
Both were punching and kicking away all during the procedure.

Baby A: 1lb. 10oz
Baby B: 1lb. 11oz
Weight Gain to date: 30 lbs.

Happy 4th!

Hold on to your britches - this is an EXCITING post...
We finally got the closets done and they look pretty good - If I do say so myself!
This is the finished Baby's room closet. Plenty of room for all the stuff we have to load up on in the next few months.
I go for my 24 week ultrasound tomorrow. Hope to have some pictures to show you.
Stay tuned...

Wheels in Motion

I figured out how to post video content to the blog - Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?!
So I've added a couple things below for all to peruse. Check out the A Day post and the Gopher Dance at the bottom.
Dave and I are forging ahead, trying to organize the guest room and baby's room. We're both super busy at work so it's been a bit difficult. But we're making progress...
As soon as we get something finished we'll post some pictures.
My next Dr. appointment is July 5th - So I'll have more to fill in and show then.
Thanks for all the well wishes to date. It's been a tremendous boost to know you're all sending us your love!

Week 20

I've hit the halfway mark in my pregnancy!
As of week 14 we've known that the baby's are healthy and we are expecting a Boy and a Girl!
Dave and I are still in a dreamland and can't believe our good fortune and blessings.

We've told all of our family and still have a few friends to break the news to.
I went for my 20th week ultrasound on June 5th and here are the 4D pics of their faces.
Dave thinks Baby A (Girl on top) looks like me and Baby B (Boy on Bottom) looks like him. The jury is still out though!

Baby A: 12 oz.
Baby B: 12 oz.
Weight gain to date : 20lbs.




Click on the images for a larger view.

Gettin' BIG!

OK - So I've had some requests for pictures of me and my BELLY.
I really don't know why, but I'm going against my instincts and I'm posting a couple I took on June 5th - the mark of my 20th week.
If you leave comments... please be kind - there are TWO in there remember! oy vei!

A Day has arrived!

My Dad, being the first to find out about our pregnancy, has been keeping the secret for a month now. We wanted to wait until Mother's Day to announce the Wonder Twins to our family. David's Mother is out here in L.A. and David wanted to tell her in person.
So my Dad has labeled the official day as "A DAY" Short for Announcement Day.
I decided to use our ultrasound that we got at our 10 week visit in April and make a little movie to show our family. So I created a dvd and sent it off to my Mom and David's Aunt and Uncle for them to watch on A Day. Yes - they were more than surprised!
So here's a shorter version of what we showed them...

In the beginning

So here is a view of the Wonder Twins at 8 weeks... I gave this picture to my Dad when he visited us in April to break the news to him. We didn't know the sexes of them yet.
The doctor called them Baby A and Baby B. Dave and I watched the ultrasound as Baby A (right) was calm and serene and Baby B (left) was doing the jiggy. Dave said that the way Baby B was moving reminded him of the Gopher in Caddy Shack. He couldn't shake the song outta his mind afterwards and to this day claims that "I'm Alright..." by Kenny Loggins is now his favorite song!