The Twins are Here!

At exactly 37 weeks, the twins entered the world big, strong, healthy, and all girl!  LifeasaSias, meet Catarina and Cameron!

Catarina

Cameron

The birth of the twins was the exact opposite of Katy's birth.  Cameron was breech and there were two babies, which introduced too many potential complications.  Accepting that this delivery would in no way resemble the experience I had with Katy took a couple of weeks to digest.  In the end, it was a trade-off.  I found a doctor willing and able to attempt flipping Cameron for a vaginal delivery and then deliver her breech if she would not flip.  Because of the nature of this delivery, however, the doctor wanted me to be induced and have an epidural in place, so as to give him more control over the delivery.  I accepted his terms.

We convinced the doctor to let the babies wait until 37 weeks, when they would be term for twins, which was Sunday, January 27.  I suspect the doctor went along with our request only because my cervix wasn't dilated to 3 centimeters until appointment late in the afternoon on Friday, January 25.  We left the doctor's office around 6 that Friday, stopped at HEB (Chris pushing me around in a wheelchair cart), and then drove home.  During all of this, the impending birth consumed my thoughts.  It didn't seem real that the babies would arrive in less than 48 hours.  I was excited and anxious and nervous and overwhelmed.  Things were suddenly moving incredibly fast.

We spent Saturday at home, our last day as a family of three.  We didn't go to church.  I slept as much as my mind would allow.  Chris and Katy built Falling Water with legos.  I started a sewing project to distract myself from watching the clock.   My parents arrived around 6 p.m. to stay with Katy.  Shortly thereafter, Chris and I loaded the bags in the car and headed out for a pre-induction party with some friends.  At the time it suddenly seemed frivolous and imprudent to be going to dinner and a movie right before reporting to the hospital to deliver the twins.  In hindsight, it was a welcome distraction from sitting around and waiting.

The movie ended at midnight and there was definitely an excited energy among us as we left the theater with our friends.  We anxiously stood around and chatted for a few minutes.  Finally, we gathered in a circle in the parking lot for one final prayer, and then Chris and I were off.

The doctor asked us to report to the hospital at little after midnight on Sunday morning.   Due to the time required to check-in, change, and monitor the babies for a bit, the induction didn't start until almost 2 a.m.  From the start, I was connected to three monitors and two IVs.  It made moving difficult and resting uncomfortable.

For the first four hours, my cervix moved from 3 to 4 centimeters and the contractions were not terribly painful.  I even dozed off a bit at times. At 6 a.m., however, the nurse increased the Pitocin considerably.  Shortly thereafter, my water broke and the contractions became very painful, much more painful than any contractions I experienced during Katy's delivery.  The nurse checked and I had moved to 6-7 centimeters in a matter of an hour.

The next hour or so was a blur of activity.  The doctor arrived as the anesthetist was preparing to insert the epidural.  Staying still during this time was incredibly difficult because the contractions were only a couple minutes apart.  As soon as the epidural was in place, the doctor checked my cervix and reported that I was at 9 centimeters.  Chris was given a sterile suit, and I was prepped for the operating room.

The operating room was big and bright, filled with so many people and machines.  I couldn't feel my lower half, and could barely feel the pressure of each contraction.  It seemed that within minutes of arriving, I was at 10 centimeters and was pushing.  After a few contractions, Catarina Luz entered the world, weighing in at 6 pounds and 15 ounces.  I couldn't believe she was almost seven pounds!

After Catarina was out, the doctor confirmed that Cameron was still breech and began his attempts to flip her around.  He broke Cameron's water and manipulated her externally and internally.  Within a few minutes, she was vertex and it was time to push again.

Cameron came out almost as quickly as Catarina, however, her heart rate dropped quickly in the process.  The doctor used a vacuum to expedite her delivery, and within a few seconds it became obvious that she was unresponsive.  Her little body was limp and white, and the baby nurses quickly whisked her away.

And this is when things started to get a little hairy.  Poor little Cameron wasn't responding, and I began hemorrhaging.  At the time I didn't realize how much I was bleeding, but I did note a marked change in the energy in the room.  Suddenly the nurses and the anesthetist were moving very quickly, and the doctor was giving lots of orders for different items from the hemorrhage cart.  I could hear one nurse counting, I heard the doctor order someone to bring units of blood, and my arms were poked with more IVs and injections.

Several times I asked what was going on, which prompted the anesthetist to very kindly and confidently tried to calm me and reassure me that everything was fine.  At one point, the doctor responded to my questions by explaining that if he could not stop the bleeding, he may have to do an emergency hysterectomy.  I couldn't see everything that was going on, but Chris later told me there was blood everywhere. 

At some point I started to feel very cold, shaky, and nauseous.  The anesthetist responded to each of my complaints with another injection, then a plastic blanket full of warm air, and eventually a towel to clean the vomit from my face.

Eventually, I heard the doctor state that the bleeding was slowing down.  After another half hour or so, the nurses moved me from the operating room.  I was already receiving a blood transfusion, there were IV lines attached to both arms, and I had two large lines coming out of my nether regions.  More immediate to me, however, was that my entire body was shaking so hard that my muscles ached.  I kept opening my mouth wide to try and stop my teeth from rattling against each other, but it didn't help.   I was so miserable that the anesthetist took pity on me and finally gave me some kind of sedative.

In all, I lost 3 liters of blood and received a transfusion of two units of blood and two units of platelets.  I spent the next 24 hours unable to leave the bed, with a nurse stationed in my room, unable to eat or drink much of anything in case I started bleeding again and needed an emergency surgery.  I was too weak to hold my babies until almost 12 hours after they were born, and even then I couldn't hold them very long.  There were so many people drawing blood, changing IV fluids, and checking the lines going into me that it was difficult to get comfortable.

Thankfully, Cameron responded within a few minutes of her birth, and both babies were healthy enough to avoid a NICU stay and to go home with us at two days old.  I was still quite weak, short of breath, and tired as a result of anemia when we left the hospital.  I was very happy, however, to have two healthy baby girls. 

Estoy Feliz

Last week, Katy became upset and ashamed while I talked to her about something she should not have done.  She knew she was in trouble and kept her sad face downcast as I talked to her.  During the middle of our conversation, she meekly asked if she could watch a video.  I told Katy that she could not watch a video and explained that we do not watch videos just because we are feeling sad.  She looked up at me with a quivering lower lip, sad little eyes, and a tight-lipped, half frown.  Trying desperately to hold back sobs, she responded in a shaky voice, "Estoy feliz." And then she started sobbing.  Nice try, Katy, but still no videos.   

Family Photos December 2018

At the end of December 2018, I arranged for family photos to be taken at our house.  Thank you so much to Crystal Paez Photography for the gorgeous photos documenting our final days as a family of three. 

Free Time and Projects

I've been taking it easy lately to make sure babies stay-in and also because it's hard to do much in the first place.  As a result, I've finished quite a few projects.

First, I made these prints for the baby room.  I was in a drawing and coloring phase for a few weeks. 

I made some felt garland and a mobile for the baby room as well. 

You can see the garland hanging on the windows above the crib and cradle, as well as the mobile above the crib.

I finally finished a tedious paper project I started months ago.  I love the monochromatic look.

I made a banner for Katy's new room and sewed a pillow cover for a pillow on her bed. 

Most recently, I made a growth chart using a piece of scrap wood lying around.  Then, I made a clever little sign (our name is pronounced see-us) to hang next to the growth chart.  I can't wait to fill the oversized ruler with the growth of our children, starting with Katy on her upcoming fourth birthday. 

This was my first attempt at a painting project. Not bad for my first try. 

The growth ruler and the sign hung together. 

Chris did a fantastic job mounting the oversized ruler off the wall. 

I also made a banner and cake decorations for Katy's birthday. 

Most significant to Katy, however, are all the little felt blankets (simple cutting!) and extra felt beds (cutting with a quick stitch or two) I made for her doll house.  This girls loves putting all the house members and their stuffies to bed. 

Katy's 4th Birthday Party

We celebrated Katy's birthday early this year due to the proximity of her actual birthday to the due date of the twins.

This was the first year Katy was truly excited about her birthday, asked for a birthday party, and anxiously awaited the party's arrival.

Katy wrote an untold number of letters to her friends inviting them to her party during the weeks leading up to it.

Katy asked for a princess birthday party.  She also asked for a hot wheels race track and a car hauler for her birthday.  She's a very balanced little girl.

The day of the party finally arrived and Katy was so excited.  When she saw the first guests arrive out the front window, she jumped up and down in exclamation.  For the next three hours, she was busy jumping in the bouncy house, playing with her little friends, and finally her opening gifts.  I was preoccupied much of the time preparing food, readying the cake, etc, but every time I saw Katy she was smiling and rushing to get back to the fun.  The birthday excitement definitely overtook her natural timidness.

Happy early birthday sweet girl!

I made the princes cake topper as well as the strawberry and chocolate cake with strawberry frosting.

Homemade banana apple muffins and play-doh for all the kiddos.

The birthday princess ready to party!

The kiddos in attendance, minus a couple of babies. 

Mom friends are pretty awesome. 

Katy's Clock

Katy asked for a clock one night around bedtime.  I gave her a small bedside clock I wasn't using.  Chris helped her place it in her room so she can see it from her bed.  Katy spent the next half hour exclaiming each time the minute changed.  "Look, it's a six now!  What time is it now?!?!?!"  "Look, it's a seven now! What time is it now?!?!?"  Katy also asked what time her clock would say when we returned home from church the next day.  Chris told her and she responded in amazement, "oh wow!"

As Chris tried to read Katy her bedtime story, she complained that he was blocking her view of the clock, she leaned over Chris to look at the clock every 30 seconds, and she interrupted Chris to very excitedly tell him a number had changed.  Chris finally tried to explain that the numbers would constantly change and that this was no reason for so much excitement.  Less than sixty seconds later, Katy exclaimed that one of the numbers had changed and asked what time it was.    Even after we left the room, Katy yelled through the door to tell us the number on her clock changed again.

In hindsight, I should have waited until the morning to give Katy a clock.  I just didn't realize it would be so exciting to watch time pass.

Pregnant with Twins: 35 Weeks

Today is the start of week 35.  Because average twin gestation is 35-36 weeks, I thought now a good time to write about the pregnancy thus far.

So far, I've gained 35 pounds, most of it in my belly.  I have some swelling from my waist down, but it's not enough to comprise much of the weight gain.  As of January 7, the specialist estimated baby A to weigh 5 pounds 14 ounces and baby B to weight 5 pounds, 7 ounces.  That is about a pound more than they were estimated to weigh two weeks prior.  

My belly really began visible and rapid growth around week 28.  The other day, I put on a maternity shirt after washing it and first thought it shrunk in the wash.  But it's happening with other maternity shirts, as well as with the suddenly too-tight elastic bands on maternity pants.

My belly feels very tight and stretched most of the time.  The skin on the top half of my belly is very tender to the touch.  Sometimes I don't even want a shirt rubbing on it.  It's not itchy from stretching, but actually sore.  Poor Katy has received a few too warnings about touching mommy's belly, which makes me sad because she just wants to love and be loved.   

Speaking of stretch marks, my first one appeared this week in what used to be the small space between the two holes where I formally had a belly button piercing.  I wonder if it will grow, if it has friends in waiting, and what it will look like when I have a belly button again. 

Baby A has consistently presented vertex.  Baby B is usually breech but sometimes transverse, sitting above baby A.  Baby B constantly pushes into my ribs, while baby A is so low that I can feel some movements externally in my...ahem....nether parts.  It's a very strange feeling and it makes me think a hand may just pop right out if I'm not careful.  I suspect Baby A is actually just hitting some nerve endings due to his or her very low position.  

Staying hydrated has been a huge focus this pregnancy, especially after I started having contractions at an one of Chris' work related functions and had to leave early to go to the hospital.  It was a quite dramatic exit because we carpooled with some of Chris' coworkers, so it was impossible to slip out unnoticed.  It turns out I was dehydrated, and probably that I had also been a bit too active that day.  So, now I'm drinking about 150 ounces of water a day and somehow I still wake-up thirsty.  As you can imagine, I go to the bathroom a lot.  

Heartburn has been a problem, as it was with Katy's pregnancy.  It has been a bit more manageable thanks to a prescription medicine my doctor prescribed after I was unable to lay on my back for 20 minutes for one of my weekly fetal non-stress tests.  But, I still wake up at night sometimes with semi-digested food shooting up my throat, only to spend the next ten minutes coughing and trying to get rid of the taste of vomit in my mouth.  

Back pain and round ligament pain, however, is by far the biggest discomfort right now.  Driving is very uncomfortable and exacerbates my back pain.  There's something about how I have to sit to reach both the pedals and the steering wheel at the same time that just hurts, plus I can't really turn my body when I need to look over my shoulder when crossing oncoming traffic.  Worse than driving, however, is sleeping.  I dread nighttime because every position I sleep-in causes either back pain, rib pain, or shooting round ligament pain.  Sometimes I have to wake Chris to help me move because the pain is so immobilizing.  I wake-up several times a night in pain, struggle to adjust my position and move all my support pillows, and long for morning as I fall back to sleep.  Some nights, I get so tired of the discomfort and constant waking that I just get up and read for a couple hours.    

I'm also winded easily and get tired if I'm on feet too much.  Luckily these have been manageable symptoms because I have someone coming to the house daily to help me with cooking, cleaning, and watching Katy when I need to take a (uncomfortable) nap.  Also helpful are the electric carts at HEB and Target.  

Having help at home as well as general pain and discomfort from over-exertion means I have a lot of free time to catch up on half-finished craft projects, reading, settling into the new house, and the always growing too-do list before babies arrive.  

Week 34 turned out to be a very big week.  First, our new church threw us a surprise baby shower.  We were leaving Soceidad Jovenes when we were invited into the fellowship hall.  Chris and our friends visiting from McAllen all agreed to go without hesitation, even though I said, "We don't even know what we are agreeing to attend."  When we entered, everyone yelled surprise and I looked around trying to figure out who the surprise was for.  I was very, very confused and my face showed it.  And then I realized everyone was looking at me, I turned bright red, and I almost started crying.  It was a very kind thing from a church in which we are very new.

Also during week 34, I pushed my specialist to do a transvaginal ultrasound to check my marginal placenta previa, something not usually done because the placenta usually does not move that late in pregnancy.  I must be the exception, though, because the placenta had finally moved enough to no longer be placenta previa.  The specialist congratulated me on having graduated from his care, and my OB subsequently cancelled my c-section scheduled for January 22.  Now I can go as long as 38 weeks (the first week of February).  I know this is a good thing for the babies but for my personal comfort level...oh gosh.

People still find great interest in the fact that I'm carrying two babies.  It really is something special to carry twins, but it is also a great burden on a woman's body.  Luckily, we are nearing the end and soon we will know if we have two girls, two boys, or one of each.

30 weeks

32 weeks

35 weeks