Crazy day!

I think I mentioned that now that I am 30 weeks I will go to the perinatal center each week to monitor the babies. They call it a biophysical exam and basically what this checks is each of the babies movements, breathing and fluid levels around the babies. By checking their movements, as long as they are moving it is an indicator of good blood flow. For all of these they are given a score. So I had this done on Tuesday and Christian was not cooperating. He did not pass the test in the morning so they sent me to eat some lunch and i went back that afternoon for monitoring again. This time they put him on the monitor rather than looking at the ultrasound machine and he did ok. The problem was that when they sent the reports up they said they were monitoring baby c, and Christian is baby a. The doctor asked who they were monitoring and I told him baby a, but I'm not sure he was convinced since they did not recheck me by ultrasound to make sure they had the right one. So, I had to go back again on Wednesday to monitor him again and he passed with flying colors. Then, I had to go back again yesterday. They do not make the schedule for the inpatient perinatal center until the day you go which is a major pain on the butt especially if Mark wants to be here. So they came in at 8:45 and told me my appt was at 9:30. I ordered my breakfast and hopped in the shower unfortunately my breakfast did not arrive before I left, but I didn't think I would be there for that long... boy was I wrong.

I got there and it took them awhile to figure out who was who and then in pure Christian style he did not move or breathe like he was supposed to. They put me on the monitor and his heart rate did not go up level out and then go down again which is an indicator of movement. So...once again I was sent back to my room to eat and then come back at 2 which sounded good to me since I was starving.

When I got back to my room they came in and said I could not eat or drink, that I was going back down at 1 and that if he did not respond again they were going to take the babies. They went ahead and put in an IV to give me some fluids and just in case I would have the c-section it would already be there.

We went back down and he decided to move so he passed that part. Apparently I need to make sure Cecilia kicks him so he gets mad and moves. He did not breathe so I was put on the monitors for all 3 babies. To do this I have to lay on my back which is really not comfortable any more and hold that position for an hour or so depending on how long it takes them to find all 3 babies heart beats. I have also been having and feeling more contraction which causes more discomfort. In the 50 minutes I was actually on the monitors once they found all of the babies I had 7 contractions (which is not good). Christian on the other had looked great and his heart rate was fluctuating really well which is a good indicator. Cecilia and Cohen not so much...they decided it was nap time. Needless to say we were happy to hear the news that there would not be any babies delivered, but I have to go through the whole thing again on Monday. I talked to the doctor this morning and I don't think he is as concerned after what he saw yesterday and they actually took my iv port out which makes me very happy since it was already very irritating. He did say that he would get a second chance if he failed again, but it looks like it will all be touch and go with these monitoring sessions. I guess we will see what Monday brings....

Before and After photos

Mark and Caleb stopped by the hospital to grab the camera before his appointment and so I could see him one more time with all of his teeth. I could tell Mark was nervous but had been talking to him about how to be brave like Froto (sp?) from Lord of the Rings.

Here he is with the pig nose giving Mark a thumbs up. He was not put to sleep, but the gas did help him relax. He did cry a little when they gave him the numbing shot, but was ok after that.

After thumbs up.

Toothless smile.

close up!

We are very proud of him. I'm sure the tooth fairy will be generous to him tonight and Mark took him to the toy store and let him pick out a special toy, which ended up being legos.

Toothless

I am very sad to say that today is the day that my baby is getting one of his front teeth pulled. I checked into a fake tooth but it was going to be $800 and I'm pretty sure that it would be knocked out within a week of being put in based on experience with him falling. Mark is taking him and we are both worried about how he will respond so I will keep you posted.

30 weeks belly and Wednesday Weigh in

So this in the updated pic that was actually taken on Monday (I was 30 weeks on Sunday). Glamorous, I know :)


Today was Wednesday weigh in. Last week I was scolded because I had only gained 1 pound. Well, I'm happy to report that I made up for it and between this week and last week I gained 6 pounds. I am probably more in line with their chart of what I am supposed to be at each week. I think last week I was supposed to be at 35 pounds and had only gained 27. Not sure what the big deal is though since my doctor originally told me she did not want me to gain more than 30 pounds. Her partners and the nutritionist on the other hand all have different opinions but they tell me more protein will fatten up the babies to I am trying to load up.

Things are going well though as I continue to grow. We are at a much safer point now and that is a good feeling. Mark tells me I will be here until 34 weeks so we will see how much longer the babies will cooperate. I have been feeling contractions more but I am still being monitored twice a day and have still been under the limit. If I have more then 5 or 6 an hour depending on who the doctor is I may or may not get an additional dose of meds.

Baby update cont...

Yesterday I added a quick update as it was a pretty busy day and I did not want to forget or leave anyone wondering what was up with the babies. One of the things that they are going to monitor the babies for each week is breathing and movement. Christian would not cooperate so they made me go eat lunch and come back at 1 hoping that he would be awake. I was not worried because his head is so low and his body is on my side and really and awkward position. He is also the least active of the babies but I had been feeling him have hiccups a lot lately. So we went back down and they monitored him for awhile and he passed that time. Later that day the doctor came in and asked who they were monitoring and I told him that I thought it was Cecilia instead of Christian but that before they were done with the monitoring I was convinced that it was Christian since he got the hiccups and I could feel him moving. The problem was that on the report they wrote baby C which is actually Cohen. I know he was not being monitored, when he asked and I told him that they did not verify that they had the correct baby by ultrasound he was like ah ha. So...I went back again today for an ultrasound.

Today they had difficulty determining who was who between Christian and Cecilia. I thought it was pretty cut and dry since one is a girl and one a boy, but their bellies were smashed together. After much discussion and review by the person that did the ultrasound yesterday, much to their dismay Christian had moved and is now in a transverse position. I'm not sure how he did that and the ultra sound person said that if she had not seen it with her own eyes, she would not have believe it since she has never seen a baby at 30 weeks move out of the 'leading' position he was in. So, he was active and passed with flying colors today. I go back again on Friday to have all 3 babies checked. Really these checks have no barring on how well they will breathe when they come out, but are a good predictor of stability and maturity.

As far as their weights go, everyone was pleased with their weights. I was disappointed that they were not all 3 1/2lbs but we have to be reminded that they are only approximate and if they do not get good head and belly measurements, they weight guesses could be off. Both Christian and Cecilia were harder to measure based on their positions so Mark and I both think they are bigger.

. Mark and I also got to take a tour of the NICU. It was nice to see where the babies will be staying once they are born. We also got to see babies from 25 weeks and up which was nice to see what we would have had when we arrived at the hospital and what a difference 5 weeks makes. We also got to see two sets of triplets (all boys) and meet their moms which was nice.

Baby Update

The babies approximate weights are.......Christian 3 lbs 3 oz, Cecilia 2 lbs 15 oz and Cohen 3lbs 7 oz's.

Hats

One of these is not like the others.....yes, two are blue and one is pink, but the little blue one is not like the others. I made the larger blue one last night and the little blue one today...with the same pattern--I think I did something wrong!! Julie and Jen B were here and said that I could use the little one as a peanut cover so I did not get pee'd on. I really don't know how to read the patterns so I would have thought the second one would have turned out better than the first, but obviously not. Maybe I will try again...I've got time :) BTW, the one that I made for Aliyah fit her perfectly and looks adorable on her.

30 Weeks

Whoo Hooo!!!!

Alphsbet Soup cont....

I have been meaning to post that the babies names are really not a secret, but I know several people tried to figure out what they were so that was fun. The names are Christian (baby A), Cecilia (baby B) and Cohen (baby C). Christian is laying low on my right side. I really don't feel much action from him but he has had the hiccups a lot lately. Cecilia is on my left side and has been busy lately. She has been moving a lot and is currently breech (head up). She holds her own with the boys but sometimes when they do the ultrasounds she is cuddled up next to them. Cohen on the other hand is still sprawled across the top section which I believe is called transverse. He presents the most problems for me as he likes to move to my right side and cuddle with Christian. To me this feels like someone is trying to escape out of my side and dig in my ribs. Most days my stomach is obviously lopsided because of his movement to the right. If he is over on that side when i have a contraction it feels like my ribs are going to crack. Usually I just have to roll over and he moves a little. The residents that do the ultrasounds daily have commented on their growth so we are hoping they are around 3 1/2 lbs on Tuesday.

It's Saturday

Yep, I knew that by looking at the calendar. I really lose track of days here. Since I last updated I made 5 fleece blankets. I was only planning on making 3 however in pure Andi pregnancy style I thought that the material for the boys blankets looked pretty big so I cut it in half. Well, I ended up with blankets that looked more like burp cloths. The nurse that is in charge of out 'entertainment' came in and was dying laughing. Needless to say she brought me new material and is donating the other ones to the NICU. She seemed to think that they would be the perfect size for a 1 to 2 lb baby and mine are going to be much bigger than that!! I have also made two crocheted hats that do not look like children with cone heads should be wearing them. Since the inspiration for the hat came from a site Trisha and I found when looked for bows for Aliyah so I made her a white one and I can't wait to see if it fits her. I also made a tiny pink one. They are so quick and easy to make that I am sure I will make more.

I forgot to mention that last weekend Mark brought me Gone with the Wind since I have never watched the movie. I watched it however I was really confused when it was over. I thought it was supposed to be much longer too. Once I talked to Mark I realized that I had watched the second half of the movie. OF course he made fun of me but I still have not watched the first half. Maybe tonight.

I also have been granted wheel chair privileges. I can go on a 30 minute ride each day and they want me to start sitting up in a chair for a little while each day to get the blood flowing. I didn't think much about the blood flow, but when Mark took me to the cafeteria I felt a little queasy after awhile. After being horizontal for almost 6 weeks I guess the body does have some adjustments to make. Not sure if I mentioned it before , but my other privilege is that I have been able to walk to the lounge which is only about 5 rooms down the hall, but that has been nice not to have to wait for a ride.

29 weeks and more!!!

Ok, so I was 29 weeks on Sunday and clearly I have been a bad blogger. This picture was actually taken on Sunday so it truly is a 29 week picture. Since it is Thursday I am now twice that size...just kidding, but I'm sure I am bigger. I have been busy this week..doing what I do not really know but I haven't found time to update the blog. I started doing the embroidery on the quilt blocks my mom brought me and finally figured out how to Crochet. I am on a mission to make some cute baby hats. I learned how to crochet last Wednesday and was doing it correctly when the teachers where here however once they left, it all went out the window. I tried to practice every night, but kept getting frustrated. So Tuesday my mom was here and she had me get it out to show her what I was doing since I can knit she couldn't believe that I could not crochet. Anyway, the reason I was not able to do it was that I was doing it completely wrong. I have now mastered it, or at least a couple of the stitches however the hats that I have started making are for a small child with a cone head. Clearly I need to practice more. I want to start on my fleece blankets and finish those first since I know how to cut and tie knots. The blankets are used to cover the babies when kangarooing??. I had never heard it called that but it is the skin to skin contact they want you to have with itty bitty babies.


This is a picture of the boys with their new Chelsea jerseys on valentines day. Caleb calls it his Chelsea banner and even slept in it that night.

Surprise!

Mark showed up with a big box wrapped in white paper today and a red bow on top. When he came in to my room he set it down and Caleb jumped out and said 'Happy Valentines Day!!'. I sort of knew that he was going to do this since he told me last night when he called to tell me good night, but it was SO cute. I made them go to the nurses station and pop out for them which they loved as well. I had gotten them both Chelsea jersey's which is Mark's favorite soccer or Futbol club in Europe. Caleb watches with Mark and sings their song all of the time so he has been brainwashed as a fan :) Anyway, Mark was really excited that Caleb now has a jersey so that was fun. Caleb also told me that he liked his Chelsea banner several times. and wanted to put it on right away. He of course loves to be just like his daddy. We watched movies, ordered pizza and relaxed so it was a great day!! Mark told me that on the way home that they were Woody and Buzz Lightyear (from Toy Story) and they were in their rocket ship on the way home.

Happy Valentines Day!!!!

Love is in the air and I know that my boys love me lots! Mark and Caleb sent me the roses and Caleb picked out the gerber daisies with grandma and brought them to me as well. Very pretty!!! I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Caleb actually brought me the picture of himself from his valentines day party. They decorated the pictures and put a magnet on the back so it could be hung on a refrigerator. So when he got here he told me that I needed to hand it on the refrigerator, 'the one with the juice in it'. Mind you this refrigerator is in the snack room down the hall from my room along with two others. My mom and I had to talk him into hanging it on the wall in my room which he finally agreed to, but it was really cute.

Caleb's Valentines Party

Caleb had his Valentines Day party at school today and had a great time. He and I make his box for valentines here at the hospital. Mark was unable to go and clearly I could not attend so my mom went and took lots of pics. She said that Caleb had a great time I just wish I could have been there. I wish I could post all of the pictures, but I don't know if it is the site or the Internet here or just the size of the files, they are just taking FOREVER to load. You will get the idea of his cuteness from these :)

Valentines

So this week has been pretty uneventful as far as the babies go.

As usual I had lots of great visitors which is always great. This is a picture of my room and I wanted to show my valentines decorations that Sam sent from FL. They are very festive and all of my doctors just love them since they have to duck every time they come in. One of them even commented about them being taken down this weekend and I told him maybe :)

28 week belly shot

Yep, my belly is getting bigger by the day. I'm also aware that I do not look that glamorous, laying in bed does not do much for you.

Alphabet Soup

Sarah (my sister-in-law) got the all of the letters in the babies names for their room and this is a picture of them being painted. 21 letters, can you guess their names :) And yes, this is only their first names.

28 weeks!

So today my doctor came in and gave me a high five and congratulated me for making it to 28 weeks. Everyone says that I am doing great and think that I will be here for a while longer. Now, that could all change tomorrow, but the next goal is 30 weeks and I am looking forward to that. So, believe it or not I have been able to somehow fill my days for the last 3 weeks in confinement without losing my mind. I have lots of little projects to work on in between visitors so that is good. I think I may officially be sick of TV so have moved on to movies. Yesterday was pretty quiet but I can handle that here and there :) Mark and Caleb went to Kristie and Pete's since the weather was so nice. I insisted that they not come up since Caleb really needed a nap after his slumber party at Grandma and Grandpa Gardner's house on Friday night and I wanted them to take full advantage of the nice weather. I'm not sure who liked riding the 4 wheeler more, Caleb or Mark. Caleb told me that he went to the river without fish to throw rocks which I concluded was a creek.

Today, Mark and Caleb came up and we of course went to the 'play room'. Caleb and I painted a little bird house and then we worked on his homework for school briefly. In the meantime Mark got the controllers for the Wii and started playing so Caleb was more interested in that. Mark played an old boxing game and then he and Caleb bowled. I tried to play baseball, but it was a little difficult while trying to lay in a recliner so I gave up on that pretty quickly. I personally like Mario brothers from back in the day so I played that.

Dentist

Mark took Caleb to the dentist this past Thursday and I am happy that he took the camera with him. As you can see from the pictures below he seemed to have had a great time. He was there for a cleaning in addition to a check up on his tooth/teeth that were injured on Christmas eve 2007. One of his front teeth was not looking well even though they said it would change colors for a couple of years. I did have a bad feeling however based on the way that it looked that it might need to come out. Well, I was right. In just a couple of weeks Caleb will go back so they can remove one of his front teeth since it is dead at the root. If you ask Caleb about it he seems excited about his dead tooth being taken out. He was quick to tell me that the tooth fairy was going to come and bring him dollars to shop with. I can't imagine my baby being toothless, but I guess I will have to get used to it.

If you are wondering why he is wearing his PJ's, it was pajama day at school. He told me that the the boys were going to serve the girls pancakes and the girls were going to serve the boys hot chocolate. He is very creative because they did have pancakes but no hot chocolate and the teachers did most of the serving. I'm sure he thought his party sounded more fun initially, but he said he had a good time.

Baby update

I had my ultrasound at 10 this morning and between visitors I napped so I am updating everyone late in the day. They all looked really good! Baby A is 2 lbs 5 oz, baby B is 2lbs 6 oz and baby C is 2 lbs 8 oz. Baby A may be a little off because she had a really hard time measuring him since he is SO low. To measure his head she actually had to push on my belly to get him to move a little so she could check the size. All of these weights are right at the 50th percentile so it is right is line with what a singleton would weigh at this point. Now, the tricky part is keeping them in me so they can keep growing. I'm not sure what other checks they will do other than to possibly check to see if I am dilating. I will be 28 weeks this weekend and I asked if they would give me another steroid shot right away and they said it would all depend on how long they think I can last. The shot is most effective right away and tends to wear off as you approach the two week mark. One doctor did think that I might hold out until 30 weeks so based on what happens later this week, hopefully that will still be the thought and they will wait for the shot. We need to make it to 30! Oh, and I also asked about the shot because I assumed that it would help them grow faster, but this shot is strictly for their lungs and actually slows their growth for a couple of days. So even with having the shot the babies were still a good size.

Happy Birthday Dad/Grandpa Gardner!

Happy Birthday to dad/grandpa Gardner. His birthday is also groundhog day. Unfortunately the groundhog did see his shadow so we still have more winter...no fun! Since the weather has been warm or so the TV says, I have been telling Caleb he should go out and ride his bike. Mark laughed at me because apparently there was still snow on the ground. I had a really nice weekend and had great visits. Caleb actually asked to come and visit me and loves the 'play room' here on the floor. Julie even came and watched the Superbowl with me. What a game! Nothing much going on this week other than the babies will all get measured tomorrow so I will have an update on their size. Hopefully they are big!

S&P

These little guys show up on my food tray three times a day and always make me think of Marks mom. She has a set of miniature salt and pepper shakers and is always excited to get them out for Sunday dinners. These are about the size of hers, maybe slightly bigger. Not sure why I thought I needed to take a picture of them, but I thought it would be funny for those of you who have seen the shakers.

A view from the top

Well, not really...just the 5th floor. This is what I can see from my room. Just beyond the parking lot is highway 270 and to the left of this view is the intersection with highway 40. So if you are traveling 270 and need a traffic update let me know :)